NCAA Football 2012 Season Catch-All

firesloth wrote:

Am I the only one that finds tense defensive battles more exciting than offensive shoot-outs?

There are at least two of us.

Gumbie wrote:

I have nothing against Georgia, but I think Florida has a more legit record to be in a national championship game. This is all assuming Georgia beats Alabama.

And yes I know Georgia beat Florida. Look at the rest of Florida's schedule compared to Georgia's.

This, in a nutshell, is the problem with the whole thing. The BCS, everything. Even if you throw out every other conference and all the other 1 loss teams it's still not clear who should play in the title game. Once again, I think if a tournament was held tomorrow that A&M would be every bit as likely to beat Notre Dame as Georgia or Alabama. And then you have a bunch of 1 loss teams where there isn't a significant difference that's obvious.

I wish that the NCAA took the obvious step of getting rid of FBS teams playing FCS teams. If every FBS team was forced to play someone else from an FBS conference we'd possibly have a clearer picture of who was more deserving. Or maybe one extra in-conference game.

I agree about Florida's resume, and have said so before. I want to point out that our concern about them is in direct conflict with a well-worn chestnut of this thread, which is that you should have to win your conference. I disagree with that chestnut, and have been meaning to post this for a few days.

What really matters? Drawing an easy schedule and lucking into a conference win, like Alabama? Again, I hope Grump won't hate me (I adore him and his lovely family), but Bama's two truly tough conference games (Michigan obviously doesn't affect conference play) were LSU and A&M. They barely beat LSU, and they lost at home to A&M. And I'll still argue that Ole Miss is a solid team that they did beat.

I'm not saying they aren't a great team or are undeserving, but that's how they got to the conference championship. Florida had to play every team in the East and their draws from the West were A&M and LSU - Bama's two toughest opponents! And they beat both!

Also not saying that Georgia is undeserving, FYI. You beat Florida, SC lost twice, you deserve it.

If you like resumes of good wins more than conference championships, you may like that the four-team playoff will use a selection committee. Right up until they screw things up, anyway.

@firesloth - Please PM Mudderfudder77 and ask him if you can donate towards his therapy, a necessity after that humiliating, life-altering PAT attempt. I know you sincerely grieve for Bearkats everywhere and want to help.

I think the best solution is to just go ahead and up the conference to 16, and then play a division championship + conference championship after a 7+2 conference schedule.

If realignment keeps going like it is, we'll end up with 4 16-team conferences doing just that, and even with the 4-team BCS, it will end up in essence being a 16-team playoff for the best 4 teams from each of the big 4.

This thread reminds me of when people thought the BCS would end all the contraversy.

While the BCS has provided memorable games an avoided #1 playing in the Rose Bowl while #2 played in the cotton bowl, it's been a spectacular failure otherwise.

It didn't even avoid that last year. All the computer ratings had OSU 2nd and they got shafted.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I'm pulling for Georgia because I'd rather see the NC game appearance / potential win love spread out in the SEC rather than Bama potentially winning 3 of the last 4. That said, I have more trust in Bama actually beating ND. I'm conflicted.

TL,DR: Go Dawgs!

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Don't blame the Aggies, Enix - all our games are exciting!

As a naturalized Texan, I still have trouble believing the Aggies are in the SEC. But, yeah, that game against Alabama was a lot of fun to watch.

@ firesloth: A defensive battle can be entertaining, I guess, but when SEC teams are involved, I'm just tired and worn out by the end. There's not a lot of joy in a series of 2-yard runs and 5-yard pass receptions.

The Aggies played Nebraska two years ago with a 9-3 result. It was a defensive struggle, bigtime, and I was proud of our defense (including Von Miller).

But.

I almost died. Stomach in knots. I knew any TD essentially ended the game.

It was "good" in the sense that there was some good D played. It wasn't "fun", though.

The Aggies played Nebraska two years ago with a 9-3 result. It was a defensive struggle, bigtime, and I was proud of our defense (including Von Miller).

But.

I almost died. Stomach in knots. I knew any TD essentially ended the game.

It was "good" in the sense that there was some good D played. It wasn't "fun", though.

As a fan of either team, yes: you are certainly tense throughout! But, I find that exciting. As exciting (but in a different way) as an offensive shoot out. For some reason I end up feeling like the team winning a defensive game has really persevered as a team.

But, yes, very stressful as a fan!

To me this is what it feels like when we play our human vs. human games in NCAA 13!

YES! Louisville to ACC

Whew. Security in a BCS conference means Charlie Strong isn't going anywhere. And he can keep right on recruiting in Florida.

Also means the ACC will now be the premier basketball conference soon, but that's for another thread.

Yeah, the ACC is going to be a killer basketball conference. Good to see that the ND-Louisville basketball battles will continue!

Stele wrote:

The ACC is already ranked the 6th of 6 BCS conferences.

This was wrong at the time, and I'm sure you're going to amend it now, yes?

Sagarin ratings still say so.

We won't join until 2014. I can still make fun of them the rest of this year. :p

But with Pitt and Syracuse over there next year and us replacing Maryland, they will improve in all sports.

In a world where the Big East has zero teams in the top 25 (The WAC has multiple teams! Mountain West and the MAC are kicking the Big East's ass!) and has lost their BCS bid going forwards, whereas the ACC has two teams in the top 15, I don't give that ranking much weight.

Stele wrote:

Sagarin ratings still say so.

Stele, you can't go using math and science when talking to people from the south!

Sorry to see Louisville go to the ACC, as I was really hoping to see them in the Big 12. But I'm happy you guys made it out of the Big East okay.

I'm afraid this could have some negative repercussions on the Big12. The word is now that everyone is going to follow the Maryland/ACC lawsuit. If they get out for a fair amount less than the $50 million, FSU and Clemson are gone. That would be good for the Big 12.

But if the ACC holds tight, things like Texas to the Big 10 and OU to the SEC could really whack the crap out of the Big 12. We'll see how tight the Big 12's grant of rights are. As it is, if Clemson and FSU are forced to stay put, there is not a lot left to add for value.

Speaking of which, I've seen several rumors of the Big 10 putting out feelers to several other schools with the intent of going to 16, and surprisingly, Kansas is on that list. If the Big 12 crumbles, that would be the best landing spot. I think Mizzou will kick themselves for not being patient enough to wait for the Big 10.

I'm afraid Kansas is more likely to head to the Pac-12, or maybe make a play for the ACC themselves. I feel like Kansas will still land somewhere positive. But I would really prefer they to stay in the midwest.

Wait, why would Kansas need an escape plan from the Sagarin-ranked top conference in the nation?

Maybe it has to do with Louisville beating UNC, Cincy beating VaTech, UConn beating Maryland, and Pitt beating VaTech up against USF (worst team in BE) losing to both FSU and Miami? Maybe.

Or maybe it's the ACC losing all their other OoC games like you were just bragging about this weekend.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

FYI: The SEC went 4-0 against the ACC today,

Either way the Sagarin rankings have been pretty consistent all season, for the conferences as a whole. Big 12, SEC, PAC 12, Big 10, BE, ACC.

The other BCS rankings mostly agree, except they do have the SEC first:

Anderson & Hester

Colley Matrix

Peter Wolfe

The Ken Massey ratings don't seem to have conference ratings.

And finally, Richard Billingsley is the only one that has the ACC above the Big East.

And not in the BCS, but even the RPI has the ACC last of the current Big 6.

Jayhawker wrote:

Sorry to see Louisville go to the ACC, as I was really hoping to see them in the Big 12. But I'm happy you guys made it out of the Big East okay.

I'm afraid this could have some negative repercussions on the Big12. The word is now that everyone is going to follow the Maryland/ACC lawsuit. If they get out for a fair amount less than the $50 million, FSU and Clemson are gone. That would be good for the Big 12.

But if the ACC holds tight, things like Texas to the Big 10 and OU to the SEC could really whack the crap out of the Big 12. We'll see how tight the Big 12's grant of rights are. As it is, if Clemson and FSU are forced to stay put, there is not a lot left to add for value.

Agree. I would have liked basketball with Kansas. But Duke and UNC will work ok, plus keeping the rivalry with Syracuse and Boeheim/Pitino coaching tree.

The Big 12 needs to get moving or it's going to be the one left out of the 4x16 super-conference lineup. With SEC, Big10, and ACC all at 14, if the Pac12 poaches a pair of B12 teams before the B12 can poach two ACC teams, then the B12 is done for football.

4 of them to the Pac 12, 2 to the B10, 2 to the SEC, and that leaves 2 more for a long-ass trip to the ACC... or Cincy and UConn manage to escape to the ACC, and 2 B12 teams are left without seats.

edit: Nevermind

Die, Big 12, die!!!

Well, if it stops at 14, the Big 12 could pick up BE remnants like Cincy, and maybe some western teams like Boise St., while the PAC 12 takes BYU or something?

5x14 could end up stable, maybe.

EDIT: It's just if the playoffs stick at 4, 1 of the 5 (or 2 some years) will get left out, and maybe feel the need to expand. Hopefully the money from the other guaranteed BCS bowls will stabalize, and the playoffs will expand to 8, so all 5 are guaranteed 1 spot, then 3 at-larges by committee.

AUs_TBirD wrote:
firesloth wrote:

Am I the only one that finds tense defensive battles more exciting than offensive shoot-outs?

There are at least two of us.

If there is a reason why I am actually sitting down to focus on the entire game, I love watching a defensive struggle. If I am doing something else or hanging out with people for not-entirely football reasons, I like having big play moments to pull me back into the game.

I doubt the SEC would agree to auto-bids for conference champions. They wouldn't agree to it for the 4-team playoff.

Again, do we value winning conferences more, or quality win resumes more? Some folks say you should have to win your conference, but I'd say that you should have to crack the top 25 to be in the top 8. The potential Big East champs are not in the top 25 right now!

How can you be in the top 8 if you're not in the top 25? Just let the top 8 be the top 8!

Well a 16/32 team with a full selection committee, modeled after college basketball, and well... every other college sport at every division except football... would be ideal. Slowly hope the playoffs expands towards that and drops bowl bullsh*t entirely. But it will take time, and step by step expansion from 4 to 8 to 16, and at some point dropping season games back to 11 or something.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I doubt the SEC would agree to auto-bids for conference champions. They wouldn't agree to it for the 4-team playoff.

Again, do we value winning conferences more, or quality win resumes more? Some folks say you should have to win your conference, but I'd say that you should have to crack the top 25 to be in the top 8. The potential Big East champs are not in the top 25 right now!

How can you be in the top 8 if you're not in the top 25? Just let the top 8 be the top 8! :lol:

I would normally agree, but the top 25 is so terribly subjective anyway. And, once again, SOS is based on human rankings. It's an infinite loop.

It may be subjective, but I honestly believe the results are closer to the "truth" (whatever that means in this context) than using conference champs. For one thing, how do we know which conferences get bids? There are a lot of conferences that presently don't, and Stele doesn't propose to change that (other than allowing at-large bids, the same as now).

So under our current rankings, the WAC appears to be stronger than the Big East, who recently had a BCS bid. Why did they lose it? Rankings. It's ALL an infinite loop. Anyone planning on handing that bid to the more-deserving WAC, though?

Under Stele's (very reasonable, I just disagree with it) proposal, the 5 conferences that are presently perceived to be the best get automatic bids. The rest have to work their way into the top standings. IMHO the more egalitarian method is to make EVERYONE have to work their way into the top standings and earn their spot.

Auto-bids to the playoffs actually strengthen the current stranglehold on NCAA football that the blessed, chosen few (fewer than they were two years ago, even) power conferences now have.

Again, like I said, a 16 or ideally 32 team playoff, where all 10 conference champs get 1 auto-bid would be the dream, to actually decide things on the field. But, baby steps. Probably will have to go from 4 to 8 to 16, and it might take a decade between each the way things have gone so far with the BCS.

They've already announced for the teams not in the playoffs in 2014 and beyond, the big 5 get auto-bids and the next 5 get 1-auto-bid to the non-playoff BCS "big money" bowls. But the auto-bids right now are about BCS money, not about really picking a champion. Once you have enough teams in an actual playoff, then there should be a reward for winning your conference. Again, just like basketball and most other sports.

The only thing that WOULDN'T be subjective is all the conference champs get it. I don't care if anyone feels it is a weak conference. It is the same in the NFL when a team gets in 8-8 and a non-division winner gets left out at 11-4.

If you want a guaranteed berth, win your conference. Otherwise, hope all your stats and SOS get you one of the at-large bids.

Current rankings are nowhere near the truth with 117 teams especially with pre-season rankings.