2025 College Football Season

[Ted$8roadFan]

Bill Belichick, Tar Heels Coach (perhaps) - not something I saw coming.

[Roadgeekteen]

Dan Mullen at UNLV, Frost back at UCF, Rich Rod back at West Virginia- its gonna be a ride next year.

[Max Rockatansky]

Rich Rodriguez hasn't shown much evidence he can replicate his first term success at West Virginia anywhere else he's coached.

[SEWIGuy]

Rich Rodriguez hasn't shown much evidence he can replicate his first term success at West Virginia anywhere else he's coached.

He won two conference titles in three seasons at Jacksonville State.

[Max Rockatansky]

Rich Rodriguez hasn't shown much evidence he can replicate his first term success at West Virginia anywhere else he's coached.

He won two conference titles in three seasons at Jacksonville State.

Conference USA Jacksonville State offsets getting fired from Michigan and Arizona?  He arguably is the worst coach Michigan had given his spread option just wasn't going to work the personnel.  I'll give him that he was okay for a of couple years in Arizona. 

[SEWIGuy]

Rich Rodriguez hasn't shown much evidence he can replicate his first term success at West Virginia anywhere else he's coached.

He won two conference titles in three seasons at Jacksonville State.

Conference USA Jacksonville State offsets getting fired from Michigan and Arizona?  He arguably is the worst coach Michigan had given his spread option just wasn't going to work the personnel.  I'll give him that he was okay for a of couple years in Arizona. 

You said he "hasn't shown much evidence." I provided evidence. Never claimed that it offset anything.

[Max Rockatansky]

Rich Rodriguez hasn't shown much evidence he can replicate his first term success at West Virginia anywhere else he's coached.

He won two conference titles in three seasons at Jacksonville State.

Conference USA Jacksonville State offsets getting fired from Michigan and Arizona?  He arguably is the worst coach Michigan had given his spread option just wasn't going to work the personnel.  I'll give him that he was okay for a of couple years in Arizona. 

You said he "hasn't shown much evidence." I provided evidence. Never claimed that it offset anything.

I guess that I'm having a hard time seeing the appeal for a big four conference school.  Even Rich Rod's Conference USA winning teams only had nine wins in those seasons.  It isn't any though they were making undefeated runs in one of the weaker conferences.

Yes, it would be fair to say that West Virginia hasn't done much of anything since Rich Rodriguez.  Just seems like a lazy hire hoping past success will somehow repeat.

[SEWIGuy]

Rich Rodriguez hasn't shown much evidence he can replicate his first term success at West Virginia anywhere else he's coached.

He won two conference titles in three seasons at Jacksonville State.

Conference USA Jacksonville State offsets getting fired from Michigan and Arizona?  He arguably is the worst coach Michigan had given his spread option just wasn't going to work the personnel.  I'll give him that he was okay for a of couple years in Arizona. 

You said he "hasn't shown much evidence." I provided evidence. Never claimed that it offset anything.

I guess that I'm having a hard time seeing the appeal for a big four conference school.  Even Rich Rod's Conference USA winning teams only had nine wins in those seasons.  It isn't any though they were making undefeated runs in one of the weaker conferences.

Yes, it would be fair to say that West Virginia hasn't done much of anything since Rich Rodriguez.  Just seems like a lazy hire hoping past success will somehow repeat.

West Virginia is a tough place to be. It's a bit of a geographical outlier in the Big 12, and while it has a decent history, that feels like a long time ago.

Rich Rod is at least someone who understands the state and its quirks - of which there are plenty. And that may help with fundraising, NIL, etc.

I am certainly not saying it's a great hire, but I understand the logic.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The new college football playoff begins this week. Does anyone think there should be fewer regular season games to offset the expanded format for player safety? I know it'll realistically never happen.

[Max Rockatansky]

No

[NWI_Irish96]

The new college football playoff begins this week. Does anyone think there should be fewer regular season games to offset the expanded format for player safety? I know it'll realistically never happen.

That won't happen. However, I do think that they will move the start of the season up a week in years where the season is only 13 weeks. The regular season is now defined as Labor Day weekend to Thanksgiving weekend. Some years (2024 and 25 for example) that is 14 weeks so teams get two bye weeks. Most years it's 13 weeks so teams only get one by week. I think they'll add a week on to the start of the season to give teams two bye weeks every year.

[SEWIGuy]

I think home teams go 4-0 this weekend in the playoffs. Texas and Notre Dame are significantly better than their opponents, and I think SMU will struggle in the weather. Tennessee giving Ohio State a game could happen though.

[thspfc]

In a rare stroke of sense-ness, the two interesting CFB games are unopposed by the NFL this weekend. The other two CFB games can be broadcasted on The Ocho for all I care.

[Roadgeekteen]

Love the home atmosphere in the playoffs. Not a fan of neutral sites, think the quarterfinals should be at home sites to give the bye teams a home game. Semis and finals can be at neutral bowl sites.

[thspfc]

Changes to the playoff next year:

1. top 4 teams get the byes. Existing format is too goofy.
2. some sort of objective minimum strength of schedule requirement. Indiana is not a playoff team. Anyone who watched their games vs OSU and ND can tell you that. No more coasting against a cupcake schedule. Beat somebody good - or, at least keep it close against the great teams you play - or forever hold your peace. You need to prove you belong.

I get that it's a catch-22 when teams crash out of the rankings after losing to a playoff contender (which in itself is committee BS), but like, it's clear that UNLV and Louisville and Texas A&M are decent teams. Michigan is Indiana's best win. Michigan played 1 good game all year. Indiana beat Michigan by 5.

I've kinda always had a hunch that Indiana would be the worst team in the playoff. And yeah, this will probably be the most lopsided matchup we see. Hope Curt Cignetti learns to shut his mouth before his miracle transfers graduate and all his maniac quotes come back in his face .

[Roadgeekteen]

I think we need standardized ooc scheduling a bit more. No more 3 cupcakes ooc, play some decent teams. We should have the 4 power conferences rotate challenges like in basketball. At the end of the day you can't control your conference schedule. 

[US 89]

I've kinda always had a hunch that Indiana would be the worst team in the playoff. And yeah, this will probably be the most lopsided matchup we see. Hope Curt Cignetti learns to shut his mouth before his miracle transfers graduate and all his maniac quotes come back in his face .

The man clearly has a massive ego, so don't expect that to happen anytime soon...

[SEWIGuy]

2. some sort of objective minimum strength of schedule requirement.

The entire thing is up to a committee that is supposed to weigh this against other factors. You aren't keeping an 11-1 Big Ten team out of the playoffs anyway.

SMU is the at-large who had the largest question.

[Roadgeekteen]

This 12-team playoff has been a bit of a snooze fest so far. But we got plenty of blowouts in the 4-team playoff so this isn't new.

[thspfc]

The entire thing is up to a committee that is supposed to weigh this against other factors. You aren't keeping an 11-1 Big Ten team out of the playoffs anyway.

This line of thinking is part of the problem. Why not? Why is 11-1 a trump card, but say, 9-3 (Illinois' record) isn't? Is 10-2 a trump card? There just has to be more nuance than this. The sport is suffering. Two completely unwatchable games so far.

[Max Rockatansky]

Usually there is a pretty big disparity in how good teams between the top 5 are versus those who ends up ranked around 12th.  There probably was a logical fallacy assuming most games in a 12 team playoff format wouldn't be blowouts.

[SEWIGuy]

The entire thing is up to a committee that is supposed to weigh this against other factors. You aren't keeping an 11-1 Big Ten team out of the playoffs anyway.

This line of thinking is part of the problem. Why not? Why is 11-1 a trump card, but say, 9-3 (Illinois' record) isn't? Is 10-2 a trump card? There just has to be more nuance than this. The sport is suffering. Two completely unwatchable games so far.

lol. The sport is not suffering. There are always playoff blowouts.

Anyway you are making my point. The committee is supposed to manage the nuance. You want to add some random minimum standard that takes the nuance away.

Anyway the issue was SMU...not Indiana.

[SEWIGuy]

And what evidence do you have that Alabama would have fared better against Notre Dame?

[thspfc]

And what evidence do you have that Alabama would have fared better against Notre Dame?

For that matter what evidence do I have that Alcorn State would have fared better against Notre Dame? It's a broken sport with incomplete information. Conjecture will always be necessary.

The entire thing is up to a committee that is supposed to weigh this against other factors. You aren't keeping an 11-1 Big Ten team out of the playoffs anyway.

This line of thinking is part of the problem. Why not? Why is 11-1 a trump card, but say, 9-3 (Illinois' record) isn't? Is 10-2 a trump card? There just has to be more nuance than this. The sport is suffering. Two completely unwatchable games so far.

lol. The sport is not suffering. There are always playoff blowouts.

Anyway you are making my point. The committee is supposed to manage the nuance. You want to add some random minimum standard that takes the nuance away.

Just because the sport has always had blowouts doesn't mean we should be in favor of doing absolutely nothing to fix the problem.

The committee is not capable of managing the nuance. They suck at their jobs. If they were capable they would have left Indiana out. That's why there needs to be a standard.

[SEWIGuy]

And what evidence do you have that Alabama would have fared better against Notre Dame?

For that matter what evidence do I have that Alcorn State would have fared better against Notre Dame? It's a broken sport with incomplete information. Conjecture will always be necessary.

The entire thing is up to a committee that is supposed to weigh this against other factors. You aren't keeping an 11-1 Big Ten team out of the playoffs anyway.

This line of thinking is part of the problem. Why not? Why is 11-1 a trump card, but say, 9-3 (Illinois' record) isn't? Is 10-2 a trump card? There just has to be more nuance than this. The sport is suffering. Two completely unwatchable games so far.

lol. The sport is not suffering. There are always playoff blowouts.

Anyway you are making my point. The committee is supposed to manage the nuance. You want to add some random minimum standard that takes the nuance away.

Just because the sport has always had blowouts doesn't mean we should be in favor of doing absolutely nothing to fix the problem.

The committee is not capable of managing the nuance. They suck at their jobs. If they were capable they would have left Indiana out. That's why there needs to be a standard.

The sport is fine. There is no logic to your statements. You just don't think Indiana is good, but have no evidence that anyone else is any better. 

And the committee is incompetent because they included a 11-1 major conference team but not a 9-3 team that lost to Vanderbilt? Ok...

Pretty much everyone agreed with their inclusion. Complete Monday morning quarterbacking now.