Congratulations Georgia, Orange Bowl champions.

Note about competitive playoff games, if you want them to be competitive don't give coaches like Nick Saban a month to prepare. Announce the match-ups and play ball a week later. If you give coach Saban a month he's going to win 90% of the time.

Congratulations to Georgia and Alabama!

Georgia clearly earned this one. Congrats to the Bulldogs and their fans.

With that win SEC moved back ahead of Big 10 in season's ooc records. 2 more head to head B$G/$EC games tomorrow. MWC clinched best record in bowls. B$G 4th but could finish as high as 2nd if they win their remaining games.

1. MWC 5-1
2. AAC 3-1
2. Sun Belt 3-1
4. B$G 5-2 (4 to play)
5. Indie 2-1 (1)
6. Big 12 2-2 (3)
7. MAC 3-5
7. CUSA 3-5
7. $EC 3-5 (3)
10.ACC 2-4
11. Pac 12 0-4 (1)

(12-31-2021 11:06 PM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  Note about competitive playoff games, if you want them to be competitive don't give coaches like Nick Saban a month to prepare. Announce the match-ups and play ball a week later. If you give coach Saban a month he's going to win 90% of the time.

Yep! And it's not his responsibility to make things competitive. That's everyone else's responsibility. Coaches, any coach, have one job, win.

The reality is that while not as popular as the BCS, and heaven knows the trophy was sure classier, the CFP on most years has had only 2 strong teams. I'm not sure a 4 team CFP is justifiable on competitive grounds, let alone 8 or 12. What will justify an expanded playoff is getting rid of opt out bowls.

Perhaps we should talk about 6 or 12 and give the top 2 or 4 schools, as the case may be, a bye. Be upfront that you want meaningful all-in games with no opt outs and admit competitiveness is not the primary objective.

Expanding the playoff does not eliminate the problem the CFP presently has. Instead of blowouts occurring in opening round (at present), you delay them a round so you *might* get more competitive games in the semifinals.

College Football will never be College Basketball. In College Basketball, March Madness can create any number of national champions. In College Football, the more talented (bigger, stronger, faster) team wins an overwhelming majority of the time, especially with a week of preparation.

Expanding the Playoff only gives the top-2 teams and additional game to delay the inevitable, and give participation trophies to those that simply aren't good enough.

(And this isn't an SEC concern; some years the top-2 teams are not both from the SEC; this year they both clearly were).

College football is southern regional sport now . People are tired of the SEC . I would say college football has lost the entire Northeast and possibly the west coast viewers and fans. If it’s aways the SEC why should a fan of a PAC 10/Big 12 or northern school not (ND/OSU) care? I love college football but I know my team is never going to win a national championship again. At least basketball has the tournament every team that makes has a chance.

(01-01-2022 12:00 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  Expanding the playoff does not eliminate the problem the CFP presently has. Instead of blowouts occurring in opening round (at present), you delay them a round so you *might* get more competitive games in the semifinals.

College Football will never be College Basketball. In College Basketball, March Madness can create any number of national champions. In College Football, the more talented (bigger, stronger, faster) team wins an overwhelming majority of the time, especially with a week of preparation.

Expanding the Playoff only gives the top-2 teams and additional game to delay the inevitable, and give participation trophies to those that simply aren't good enough.

(And this isn't an SEC concern; some years the top-2 teams are not both from the SEC; this year they both clearly were).

And then some years you have a half dozen teams that could win it. See 2014.

(01-01-2022 12:01 AM)PusherT Wrote:  College football is southern regional sport now . People are tired of the SEC . I would say college football has lost the entire Northeast and possibly the west coast viewers and fans. If it’s aways the SEC why should a fan of a PAC 10/Big 12 or northern school not (ND/OSU) care? I love college football but I know my team is never going to win a national championship again. At least basketball has the tournament every team that makes has a chance.

It’s because youth aren’t attracted to football in those regions. If they are from those areas, they are planning to go to an SEC or B1G school. These may be students from elite athletic families, or these may be more urban, low income, scholarship kids that are too short to play BBall and need another money sport (certainly won’t be baseball). This is the same problem MLB has. NASCAR to a larger degree. College BBall doesn’t really have this problem.

I think the SEC needs to add the best from the Big 12 and ACC and split the conference into two, to at least get some more competitive games (but this will never happen).

(01-01-2022 12:05 AM)bullet Wrote:  And then some years you have a half dozen teams that could win it. See 2014.

That seems like a bygone era carried over from the remnants of the BCS. You have to limit scholarships or just force Saban into retirement.

(12-31-2021 11:16 PM)bullet Wrote:  With that win SEC moved back ahead of Big 10 in season's ooc records. 2 more head to head B$G/$EC games tomorrow. MWC clinched best record in bowls. B$G 4th but could finish as high as 2nd if they win their remaining games.

1. MWC 5-1
2. AAC 3-1

The MW came into the bowl season slightly ahead of the AAC in the computers. It's tough to see how the AAC can pass the MW now for top G5 conference. But, computers like playing tough teams, so it may have helped the AAC more than hurt for Cincy just to have played Alabama even though they lost.

Will be interesting to see.

(01-01-2022 06:25 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  

(01-01-2022 12:05 AM)bullet Wrote:  And then some years you have a half dozen teams that could win it. See 2014.

That seems like a bygone era carried over from the remnants of the BCS. You have to limit scholarships or just force Saban into retirement.

What yesterday's results did for me was redouble my respect for Dabo's Clemson program, because Clemson has actually gone toe-to-toe with the SEC powers during the CFP era. Nobody else really has.

Clemson record vs SEC teams in CFP Playoffs ..... 2-3

Everyone else ................................................. 1-9

The only time an SEC team has lost to anyone other than Clemson in the CFP era was the very first year, when Ohio State beat Alabama. That's it.

Yes, but Clemson is basically an SEC school in every way but name and brand. It’s right in UGa’s backyard. Recruiting is the same. However, the gap will start widening once the TV money differentials kick in. Dabo isn’t staying there long term if money talks. We saw the beginning of the end of Clemson this year. Unless Dabo can continue to make the pitch that beating up on lesser opponents is better for guaranteed exposure in big games at the end of the year.

I think Dabo needs to go to Bama after Saban calls it quits so Bama can win NCs the next 15/20 years.

Expanding the field may see more of these first-round type blowouts, but, probably improves the semi’s and final game like it does for FCS. Two duds, though…not a good look to expanding the field. And I’m sure this quartet will be used by those with that slant. Awesome to see Cincy in, but, cripes, same old ****, different day with these bouts not being much of a game.