2023 College Football Thread

[GoldMember]

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College football used to be a lot more fun to watch over professional but anymore it's the same.

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This is the bottom line for me. I'm a lifelong WSU Coug and a donor. At this point; NIL, Transfer Portal, Realignment have destroyed FBS. I'm to the point of becoming a Whitworth Pirates supporter. D3, no scholarships, no NIL (that I'm aware of) and really no TP. Plus, instead of driving 85 miles to games, I could walk to their stadium as it's just over a mile from my house. And they play pretty good football. Just a bunch of college kids who were too small/slow to be D1, maybe D2 but they play because they love the game and have fun, all the while working on getting a degree and moving on with life. I also know some of these kids as I know their parents. That's truly more entertaining to me than the bunch of peacocks in the game who want your loyalty in providing them NIL money but then are happy to go to the highest bidder for the next season. It's no longer college, it's professional and shouldn't be tied to any academic smoke and mirrors they try to hang on to.

[californiagrown]

I never did and still dont understand the argument that somehow being paid makes a sport less enjoyable to watch? From an enjoyment perspective, i couldnt care less how they do or dont get paid.

The reason i like college more than NFL is simply because there is less parity so top level talent appears even more impressive, there are wildly different styles of play form team to team, these are maturing men who are much more likely to have surprising (good and bad) performancesin a game or season, and because the players change so much from year to year. Contrast and unpredictability of the college game is way more enjoyable for me than the parity, professionalism, and predictability of the NFL game.


I think the pick for the CFP this year were wrong and somewhat unfair, but i also think they will make for some really entertaining matchups for me to watch.


And also, good for the kids getting paid. They deserve every cent of it. Even on Alabama, 90% of that graduating class will be working a 9-5 in two years, so the degree they earn in school is very, very important. To think that the vast majority of D1 football players dont have that reality drilled into their head constantly by the AD staff and advisors is frankly ignorant. Take a look at many/most top[ rograms' graduation rates and i bet its as good or better than the overall university's graduation rate/

[mcski]

And if Florida loses their bowl game and someone claims it’s proof they didn’t belong in the playoff, they should be summarily punched in the face. Will prove nothing and is generally expected by odds makers whenever a team gets screwed by the ncaa

This combined w the expectation of expanding the madness bracket makes me very disinterested in all things ncaa. And I thought miles brand was bad. Sheeeit

[SumJongGuy]

More and more of the best players are sitting out the non playoff bowl games. They don't mean shit for actual rankings..

[GoldMember]

californiagrown - Yeah, I came on a little strong regarding the players. I don't blame them for this, it's the lack of institutional oversight and the system that's been established that's the major issue. I don't disagree that there should be compensation for true NIL but it's morphed into a pure play for pay that's entirely unregulated and being taken advantage by the agents who are skimming the top and recruiting players on behalf of some schools. It's a broken model that will destroy college athletics if left unchecked.

[SumJongGuy]

I never did and still dont understand the argument that somehow being paid makes a sport less enjoyable to watch? From an enjoyment perspective, i couldnt care less how they do or dont get paid.

For me it's the notion that they are FELLOW STUDENTS attending the school I attended. Taking some of the same classes.. It's the student team. The minute it stops being students it might as well be XFL or USFL, definitely NOT NFL

[californiagrown]

californiagrown - Yeah, I came on a little strong regarding the players. I don't blame them for this, it's the lack of institutional oversight and the system that's been established that's the major issue. I don't disagree that there should be compensation for true NIL but it's morphed into a pure play for pay that's entirely unregulated and being taken advantage by the agents who are skimming the top and recruiting players on behalf of some schools. It's a broken model that will destroy college athletics if left unchecked.

I think a player should be forced to stay at a school for a minimum of 2 years before transferring (barring exceptional circumstances). Other than that, i dont see the harm that is occurring to the kids or the game... even if agents/managers are skimming off the top, the kids are now getting paid where before they were getting nothing. I dont see how it will destroy college athletics as long as their are limits on transferring?

It is also important to remember that there are 85 scholarships per team, and 20 more rostered players besides. The salacious rumor mill where examples are made for media consumption only affect a small handful of players per team. Its always been pay for play, but now the kids get to benefit from it, not just the schools. Do you know if teams have a pooled NIL bucket that pays out everyone on the team, or is each individual responsible for securing their own NIL deals?

[Adolf Allerbush]

More and more of the best players are sitting out the non playoff bowl games. They don't mean shit for actual rankings..

They shouldn't mean shit for actual rankings...but if Oregon loses to Liberty that will be very bad for recruiting and the future of the program.... liberty has everything to play for and the guys on the ducks that have professional aspirations have everything to lose. The general public won't understand nuance if the ducks lose or if they don't blow out Liberty badly...Ducks overrated, program sucks, etc.

[californiagrown]

For me it's the notion that they are FELLOW STUDENTS attending the school I attended. Taking some of the same classes.. It's the student team. The minute it stops being students it might as well be XFL or USFL, definitely NOT NFL

Take a look at the graduation rate of the football teams vs the regular student body. Bama, for example graduates 88% of its players, vs a 70% graduation rate for the regular student body. Most/many take bullshit majors, but guess what, most kids in general take bullshit majors (comm, global studies, general ed). during the season the players take light course loads, but spring semester and summer semester they typically load up on classes. I guess i dont see how or why this would change?

[Dshack89]

The committee got it right. I was shocked that they had the balls to do it, but they got it right.

As Kirby Smart pointed out, the charter is to select the four best teams, not the most deserving. And one of the key guidelines is to factor in the effect that injuries to key players have on the ability of a team to perform at the end of the season. This guideline wasn’t added after Travis broke his leg, it has been there from many seasons past - maybe from the beginning?

The FSU team that played the last 2 games are clearly nowhere near the same level as the team that won the first 11 games. Even if you discount the last game, the ACC title game, because they played their third string QB, if you go back to the Florida - FSU game that Rodemaker started in, that was against a team that went 5-7. Florida was beating them until their key DT got ejected for spitting. Later another key player got ejected for targeting. Florida essentially handed FSU that game with poor decisions that resulted in penalties and ejections.

FSU squeaked by in that game, but you have to ask yourself, honestly, how would that same FSU team fair against Michigan, or Alabama, or Georgia, instead of a 5-7 Florida team? Of course they’d get trounced! Maybe not with a healthy QB1, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

Does it serve any positive purpose to give Michigan a walkover in the semifinal game? For Michigan, maybe, but not for deciding what is the best team in the country. Do we really need to see another repeat of the Georgia - TCU slaughter from last year? It would be a very similar game.

So if your argument is correct, why didn't FSU drop down from #4 the week before? Nothing changed to Jordan Travis' status in the last 3 weeks.

The only logical explanation is the CFP committee determined they had to have a SEC team in. And they couldn't pick UGA since they just lost. And they couldn't pick Bama unless they also picked Texas.

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[fomofo]

As it played out, the whole season, including scheduling, is arbitrary.

[billyk]

So if your argument is correct, why didn't FSU drop down from #4 the week before? Nothing changed to Jordan Travis' status in the last 3 weeks.

The only logical explanation is the CFP committee determined they had to have a SEC team in. And they couldn't pick UGA since they just lost. And they couldn't pick Bama unless they also picked Texas.

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I didn’t say the previous weeks rankings weren’t fucked up. In my opinion they definitely were, and in more ways than just how FSU was ranked. But in the end, the penultimate rankings don’t mean shit. I’m sure the committee was hoping FSU would lose so they wouldn’t have to go through this crap, but when FSU didn’t lose they were forced to address the issue.

[KQ]

I didn’t say the previous weeks rankings weren’t fucked up. In my opinion they definitely were, and in more ways than just how FSU was ranked. But in the end, the penultimate rankings don’t mean shit. I’m sure the committee was hoping FSU would lose so they wouldn’t have to go through this crap, but when FSU didn’t lose they were forced to address the issue.

FSU proved they belong in the finals not just with their record but because they did it while changing QBs not once but twice.

[Conundrum]

I recommend the FCS and its playoff to those of you who enjoy CFB but not the money hunting bullshit in the FBS. Lots of great games this weekend which came down to last minute kicks and blocked kicks.
Real playoff system and still has regionality with all its great rivalries.

How bout dem Vandals?!

[SumJongGuy]

Take a look at the graduation rate of the football teams vs the regular student body. Bama, for example graduates 88% of its players, vs a 70% graduation rate for the regular student body. Most/many take bullshit majors, but guess what, most kids in general take bullshit majors (comm, global studies, general ed). during the season the players take light course loads, but spring semester and summer semester they typically load up on classes. I guess i dont see how or why this would change?

We'll need to see if the graduation rate MONEY LATER goes down as NIL MONEY NOW goes up. I'll be shocked if it doesn't

[billyk]

FSU proved they belong in the finals not just with their record but because they did it while changing QBs not once but twice.

Further reading on the subject that touches on what I said, plus additional details. Note that the state of the roster due to injury has been a long-standing consideration for many seasons. They didnt just make this up after Travis was hurt.

https://rolltidewire.usatoday.com/li...florida-state/

[lowsparkco]

It would have been more interesting if they had gone with Michigan against Texas and Washington vs. Alabama. I think it’s set up for another good series of playoff games and blowout in the National Championship. I actually now think the Committee has decided that’s the way to set it up. No one really remembers what happened and when Michigan pounds the Huskies everyone says the best team won.

At least we get 8 teams next year. That’s going to be hard to argue about IMO. If you ain’t top 8 after the regular season, tough titties.

Any of you that thinks FSU got it raw, I’ll take your action against my Dawgs.

[XavierD]

Further reading on the subject that touches on what I said, plus additional details. Note that the state of the roster due to injury has been a long-standing consideration for many seasons. They didnt just make this up after Travis was hurt.

https://rolltidewire.usatoday.com/li...florida-state/

buddy, there is zero chance I will consider any argument from "roll tide wire" as to why the committee was correct to chose the team which struggled against South Florida and Arkansas, needed Jaylen Daniels to get hurt to beat LSU, basically lost to Auburn and got beat the fuck down at home by Texas should be in the playoff.

The only people who think this was the right decision are just high on the smell of SEC farts.

[KQ]

If having a winning record doesn't get you into the finals why even bother playing?


What if when the final four got down to the last two teams the powers that be ssid... "wait a minute....we need to take a look at some other factors that have nothing to do with who won or lost"

[lowsparkco]

If having a winning record doesn't get you into the finals why even bother playing?


What if when the final four got down to the last two teams the powers that be ssid... "wait a minute....we need to take a look at some other factors that have nothing to do with who won or lost"

A seeded tournament is a lot different than 160 teams that set their own schedules.

[billyk]

It would have been more interesting if they had gone with Michigan against Texas and Washington vs. Alabama. I think it’s set up for another good series of playoff games and blowout in the National Championship. I actually now think the Committee has decided that’s the way to set it up. No one really remembers what happened and when Michigan pounds the Huskies everyone says the best team won.

At least we get 8 teams next year. That’s going to be hard to argue about IMO. If you ain’t top 8 after the regular season, tough titties.

Any of you that thinks FSU got it raw, I’ll take your action against my Dawgs.

Again, it is a 12 team playoff next year, not 8. And we could have had it THIS year, but “the alliance” of the ACC, Big 10, and Pac12 voted together to oppose the idea, and ultimately delayed the change until next year. So they only have themselves to blame for teams in their conferences being kept out of this years playoffs.

The 4 team playoff is an extremely flawed system. There’s room for only 4 teams in the playoffs, but there are 5 power 5 conferences. So someone is going to get screwed.

I’d rather totally dispense with the bowl system and have a real playoff of 32 or 64 teams, like they already do in the FCS subdivision. But I guess we’ll have to just ease into that slowly.

[mcski]

The bowl system was infinitely more interesting than this bs.

[XavierD]

Again, it is a 12 team playoff next year, not 8. And we could have had it THIS year, but “the alliance” of the ACC, Big 10, and Pac12 voted together to oppose the idea, and ultimately delayed the change until next year. So they only have themselves to blame for teams in their conferences being kept out of this years playoffs.

And why did they oppose the expansion? Oh it was right on the heels of Disney deciding to break up the B12 to add Texas and Oklahoma to their SEC money maker - and then changing the post season to enable more money making.

[billyk]

And why did they oppose the expansion? Oh it was right on the heels of Disney deciding to break up the B12 to add Texas and Oklahoma to their SEC money maker - and then changing the post season to enable more money making.

So they preferred the bowl system to the expanded playoffs. Then they should have no problem with FSU playing in a bowl rather than the playoff.

[Woodsy]

Still waiting to understand How does CFB blow up all the old NCAA rivalries, conferences, bowls & traditions and still not get the Championship right?

SEC PR team is still undefeated.

Eliminate pre season rankings if polls play a part in deciding Champions.