[Phogge]

Need to back off from the nine game schedule until the other conferences go to it (never). Way too much to expect a team to run the table and thus be playoff bound in a four team tourney. Plus the UCLA/SC/UC/Stanford thing needs to be broken up.

Mix up the non conference and play some heavyweights every so often. Just not Bama.

[Phogge]

Need to back off from the nine game schedule until the other conferences go to it (never). Way too much to expect a team to run the table and thus be playoff bound in a four team tourney. Plus the UCLA/SC/UC/Stanford thing needs to be broken up.

Mix up the non conference and play some heavyweights every so often. Just not Bama.

[SamuelMcF]

Need to back off from the nine game schedule until the other conferences go to it (never). Way too much to expect a team to run the table and thus be playoff bound in a four team tourney. 

Very much agree.

Plus the UCLA/SC/UC/Stanford thing needs to be broken up.

HIGHLY disagree. I love the statewide round robin. It does mean that Stanford would play only one of UA/ASU/Utah/CO each year if the PAC12 went back to 8 conf games/yr, but most other conferences already have that problem due to protected rivalries.

Mix up the non conference and play some heavyweights every so often. Just not Bama.

Very much agree, and Stanford has been doing that quite well with only 3 non-conf games, imo. @UCF next year scares the bejeezus out of me. Far cry from the 0-12 team we beat in '15.

[SamuelMcF]

Need to back off from the nine game schedule until the other conferences go to it (never). Way too much to expect a team to run the table and thus be playoff bound in a four team tourney. 

Very much agree.

Plus the UCLA/SC/UC/Stanford thing needs to be broken up.

HIGHLY disagree. I love the statewide round robin. It does mean that Stanford would play only one of UA/ASU/Utah/CO each year if the PAC12 went back to 8 conf games/yr, but most other conferences already have that problem due to protected rivalries.

Mix up the non conference and play some heavyweights every so often. Just not Bama.

Very much agree, and Stanford has been doing that quite well with only 3 non-conf games, imo. @UCF next year scares the bejeezus out of me. Far cry from the 0-12 team we beat in '15.

[Austroturf]

Need to back off from the nine game schedule until the other conferences go to it (never). Way too much to expect a team to run the table and thus be playoff bound in a four team tourney. Plus the UCLA/SC/UC/Stanford thing needs to be broken up.

Mix up the non conference and play some heavyweights every so often. Just not Bama.

Just one point of clarification: the SEC and ACC play only eight conference games.  The Big 12, Big 10 and Pac 12 all have nine conference games in the schedule.  In the ACC, many teams play a virtual 9th conference game by scheduling Notre Dame, which plays five ACC teams this year.

[Austroturf]

Need to back off from the nine game schedule until the other conferences go to it (never). Way too much to expect a team to run the table and thus be playoff bound in a four team tourney. Plus the UCLA/SC/UC/Stanford thing needs to be broken up.

Mix up the non conference and play some heavyweights every so often. Just not Bama.

Just one point of clarification: the SEC and ACC play only eight conference games.  The Big 12, Big 10 and Pac 12 all have nine conference games in the schedule.  In the ACC, many teams play a virtual 9th conference game by scheduling Notre Dame, which plays five ACC teams this year.

[BostonCard]

I don’t really care to exchange a game against USC/UCLA for a game against, say, the University of Nevada or Sacramento State or another G5/FCS team.  Yes, it marginally diminishes our chances of going at least 12-1 in the regular season and making the playoffs, but reducing that from 1% to 0.8% is not worth sacrificing one more conference game.  Conference games are more meaningful, exciting and fun to watch. Out of conference games less so, especially if they are not top tier schools (I’m thinking of Davis this year and rice the previous two).

If I had my druthers the other conferences (SEC and ACC) should be strongly encouraged to play 9 conference games and teams should schedule at least two non-conference games against big five schools. I am surprised that the TV powers that be haven’t pushed for it. To be honest, all it would take is for the playoff committee to cite number of conference games and strength of schedule as a reason to leave a team out of the playoffs.

BC

[BostonCard]

I don’t really care to exchange a game against USC/UCLA for a game against, say, the University of Nevada or Sacramento State or another G5/FCS team.  Yes, it marginally diminishes our chances of going at least 12-1 in the regular season and making the playoffs, but reducing that from 1% to 0.8% is not worth sacrificing one more conference game.  Conference games are more meaningful, exciting and fun to watch. Out of conference games less so, especially if they are not top tier schools (I’m thinking of Davis this year and rice the previous two).

If I had my druthers the other conferences (SEC and ACC) should be strongly encouraged to play 9 conference games and teams should schedule at least two non-conference games against big five schools. I am surprised that the TV powers that be haven’t pushed for it. To be honest, all it would take is for the playoff committee to cite number of conference games and strength of schedule as a reason to leave a team out of the playoffs.

BC

[Phogge]

You can’t strongly encourage the SEC to do anything. They call the shots, not the sycophants in Indy.

[Phogge]

You can’t strongly encourage the SEC to do anything. They call the shots, not the sycophants in Indy.

[BostonCard]

Sure you can.  Ultimately the SEC is just as money grubbing as anyone else, and if the math worked out such that having 7 more intra-SEC games provided more money than 7 games between SEC and body bags, you can believe the SEC will schedule 9 league games.

BC

[BostonCard]

Sure you can.  Ultimately the SEC is just as money grubbing as anyone else, and if the math worked out such that having 7 more intra-SEC games provided more money than 7 games between SEC and body bags, you can believe the SEC will schedule 9 league games.

BC

[Phogge]

They like wins more than money. It’s a religion down there.

[Phogge]

They like wins more than money. It’s a religion down there.

[lex24]

90,000 plus screaming fans at darn near every game.

They like wins more than money. It’s a religion down there.

[lex24]

90,000 plus screaming fans at darn near every game.

They like wins more than money. It’s a religion down there.

[Austroturf]

They like wins more than money. It’s a religion down there.

Yes, and those wins drive fan-following, which drives ratings, which drive $$$$$. The connection is too pure.  

Sometimes I have a bad conscience being such a strong devotee of NCAA football: it's such a racket.  The networks (above all, ESPN), the NCAA and the Power 5 conferences (above all, the SEC) are an unholy trinity squeezing maximum money out of the business.  I love the sport, but don't always enjoy the context it takes place in.

[Austroturf]

They like wins more than money. It’s a religion down there.

Yes, and those wins drive fan-following, which drives ratings, which drive $$$$$. The connection is too pure.  

Sometimes I have a bad conscience being such a strong devotee of NCAA football: it's such a racket.  The networks (above all, ESPN), the NCAA and the Power 5 conferences (above all, the SEC) are an unholy trinity squeezing maximum money out of the business.  I love the sport, but don't always enjoy the context it takes place in.

[winflop]

I don’t really care to exchange a game against USC/UCLA for a game against, say, the University of Nevada or Sacramento State or another G5/FCS team.

I think it would be for a different Pac-12 South team, not a creampuff.

If I had my druthers the other conferences (SEC and ACC) should be strongly encouraged to play 9 conference games and teams should schedule at least two non-conference games against big five schools.  I am surprised that the TV powers that be haven’t pushed for it.  To be honest, all it would take is for the playoff committee to cite number of conference games and strength of schedule as a reason to leave a team out of the playoffs.

BC

The SEC and ACC won't change until the CFP committee starts actually punishing them for it by not sending their champ to the playoffs - and that's never gonna happen

[winflop]

I don’t really care to exchange a game against USC/UCLA for a game against, say, the University of Nevada or Sacramento State or another G5/FCS team.

I think it would be for a different Pac-12 South team, not a creampuff.

If I had my druthers the other conferences (SEC and ACC) should be strongly encouraged to play 9 conference games and teams should schedule at least two non-conference games against big five schools.  I am surprised that the TV powers that be haven’t pushed for it.  To be honest, all it would take is for the playoff committee to cite number of conference games and strength of schedule as a reason to leave a team out of the playoffs.

BC

The SEC and ACC won't change until the CFP committee starts actually punishing them for it by not sending their champ to the playoffs - and that's never gonna happen

[Phogge]

You really can’t comprehend the NCAA until you work for them. Power corrupts but there is a collective fear that is akin to the knowledge that you are running a pyramid scheme and you just might get caught.

[Phogge]

You really can’t comprehend the NCAA until you work for them. Power corrupts but there is a collective fear that is akin to the knowledge that you are running a pyramid scheme and you just might get caught.

[Renaissance Man]

The SEC has no motivation to change.  With 4 OOC games, Alabama's marquee non-conference opponent, Louisville, is currently ranked #108 on the composite ranking--it goes down from there.  However, the talking heads on all of the sports networks agree that if Georgia upsets Bama in the conference championship, that automatically means that the SEC gets two teams, because Bama can't be left out.  In the same conversation, WSU is dismissed as a possibility because their 3-game OOC schedule is weak.  At this point, the SEC could switch to a 6-game non-conference schedule, with all home games vs. cupcakes, and get anywhere from 2 to 4 teams in the playoff.

[Renaissance Man]

The SEC has no motivation to change.  With 4 OOC games, Alabama's marquee non-conference opponent, Louisville, is currently ranked #108 on the composite ranking--it goes down from there.  However, the talking heads on all of the sports networks agree that if Georgia upsets Bama in the conference championship, that automatically means that the SEC gets two teams, because Bama can't be left out.  In the same conversation, WSU is dismissed as a possibility because their 3-game OOC schedule is weak.  At this point, the SEC could switch to a 6-game non-conference schedule, with all home games vs. cupcakes, and get anywhere from 2 to 4 teams in the playoff.

[2006alum]

[T]he talking heads on all of the sports networks agree that if Georgia upsets Bama in the conference championship, that automatically means that the SEC gets two teams, because Bama can't be left out.  In the same conversation, WSU is dismissed as a possibility because their 3-game OOC schedule is weak. 

True, but is there a single sane person who thinks WSU is anywhere near the team Alabama is? I feel like the SEC has gotten unfairly beneficial treatment in the past, but I really couldn't argue with that outcome this year. Unless Alabama loses 66-0 to Georgia, on the eye test alone they belong in the CFP. We came a field goal away from taking WSU to overtime after playing dead for essentially the entire second half; I think there's 0% chance that happens in Tuscaloosa against Bama.

[2006alum]

[T]he talking heads on all of the sports networks agree that if Georgia upsets Bama in the conference championship, that automatically means that the SEC gets two teams, because Bama can't be left out.  In the same conversation, WSU is dismissed as a possibility because their 3-game OOC schedule is weak. 

True, but is there a single sane person who thinks WSU is anywhere near the team Alabama is? I feel like the SEC has gotten unfairly beneficial treatment in the past, but I really couldn't argue with that outcome this year. Unless Alabama loses 66-0 to Georgia, on the eye test alone they belong in the CFP. We came a field goal away from taking WSU to overtime after playing dead for essentially the entire second half; I think there's 0% chance that happens in Tuscaloosa against Bama.

[oldalum]

No way we're giving up playing USC and UCLA every year. It was a condition of expansion to the Pac-12, for at least 2 reasons: our alumni base in Southern California, and our recruiting base there. By my count 23 of our current players are from Southern California. Plus TV exposure. Not happening.

[oldalum]

No way we're giving up playing USC and UCLA every year. It was a condition of expansion to the Pac-12, for at least 2 reasons: our alumni base in Southern California, and our recruiting base there. By my count 23 of our current players are from Southern California. Plus TV exposure. Not happening.

[Austroturf]

The SEC has no motivation to change.  With 4 OOC games, Alabama's marquee non-conference opponent, Louisville, is currently ranked #108 on the composite ranking--it goes down from there.  However, the talking heads on all of the sports networks agree that if Georgia upsets Bama in the conference championship, that automatically means that the SEC gets two teams, because Bama can't be left out.  In the same conversation, WSU is dismissed as a possibility because their 3-game OOC schedule is weak.  At this point, the SEC could switch to a 6-game non-conference schedule, with all home games vs. cupcakes, and get anywhere from 2 to 4 teams in the playoff.

Somehow, I don't think the SEC gets two teams this year.  There are only two teams left in the SEC that have fewer than two losses: Georgia and Bama; and for the first time since the 2015 season, Georgia and Alabama meet during the regular season (last game).  So scenario one is that Georgia wins and gives Bama it's first loss, and both are sitting at 11-1.  Then they meet again in the SEC championship game; and if Georgia wins again, Bama has two losses to the same team.  No way they make the CFP.  If Bama wins that game, then Georgia has two losses and is eliminated.  Scenario two is that Georgia loses during the regular season, plays Bama in the championship game and loses there.  That's three losses for Georgia and no CFP.  If they beat Bama in the championship game, then there might be a case for accepting a two loss SEC champion (Georgia) and the one-loss runner-up (Bama), because Georgia would have beaten the #1 team in the country.  But my expectation is that Bama wins both games; and Georgia, with three losses, will not get a bid to the CFP.

I also don't think Wazzu would stand a chance against either of these teams.  The Cougs just don't have the line strength; and some of those bruiser defensive units from the SEC would devastate the Cougar O-line in a way we could not.  And Clemson's big, bad orange marauders would turn Minshew into a helmet with a moustache stuck to it.  If the following teams can hold serve down the stretch, I see Bama, Clemson, ND and Michigan squaring up in the CFP.  If Harbaugh falters, then Oklahoma has a shot.  Only if Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State and West Virginia all get a second loss AND Wazzu rolls into and wins the Pac 12 championship in impressive fashion will there be a representative from the Pac 12 in this year's CFP.  And if so, I still don't think it will end well for Wazzu.

[Austroturf]

The SEC has no motivation to change.  With 4 OOC games, Alabama's marquee non-conference opponent, Louisville, is currently ranked #108 on the composite ranking--it goes down from there.  However, the talking heads on all of the sports networks agree that if Georgia upsets Bama in the conference championship, that automatically means that the SEC gets two teams, because Bama can't be left out.  In the same conversation, WSU is dismissed as a possibility because their 3-game OOC schedule is weak.  At this point, the SEC could switch to a 6-game non-conference schedule, with all home games vs. cupcakes, and get anywhere from 2 to 4 teams in the playoff.

Somehow, I don't think the SEC gets two teams this year.  There are only two teams left in the SEC that have fewer than two losses: Georgia and Bama; and for the first time since the 2015 season, Georgia and Alabama meet during the regular season (last game).  So scenario one is that Georgia wins and gives Bama it's first loss, and both are sitting at 11-1.  Then they meet again in the SEC championship game; and if Georgia wins again, Bama has two losses to the same team.  No way they make the CFP.  If Bama wins that game, then Georgia has two losses and is eliminated.  Scenario two is that Georgia loses during the regular season, plays Bama in the championship game and loses there.  That's three losses for Georgia and no CFP.  If they beat Bama in the championship game, then there might be a case for accepting a two loss SEC champion (Georgia) and the one-loss runner-up (Bama), because Georgia would have beaten the #1 team in the country.  But my expectation is that Bama wins both games; and Georgia, with three losses, will not get a bid to the CFP.

I also don't think Wazzu would stand a chance against either of these teams.  The Cougs just don't have the line strength; and some of those bruiser defensive units from the SEC would devastate the Cougar O-line in a way we could not.  And Clemson's big, bad orange marauders would turn Minshew into a helmet with a moustache stuck to it.  If the following teams can hold serve down the stretch, I see Bama, Clemson, ND and Michigan squaring up in the CFP.  If Harbaugh falters, then Oklahoma has a shot.  Only if Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State and West Virginia all get a second loss AND Wazzu rolls into and wins the Pac 12 championship in impressive fashion will there be a representative from the Pac 12 in this year's CFP.  And if so, I still don't think it will end well for Wazzu.

[BostonCard]

Somehow, I don't think the SEC gets two teams this year.  There are only two teams left in the SEC that have fewer than two losses: Georgia and Bama; and for the first time since the 2015 season, Georgia and Alabama meet during the regular season (last game).  So scenario one is that Georgia wins and gives Bama it's first loss, and both are sitting at 11-1.  Then they meet again in the SEC championship game; and if Georgia wins again, Bama has two losses to the same team.  No way they make the CFP.  If Bama wins that game, then Georgia has two losses and is eliminated.  Scenario two is that Georgia loses during the regular season, plays Bama in the championship game and loses there.  That's three losses for Georgia and no CFP.  If they beat Bama in the championship game, then there might be a case for accepting a two loss SEC champion (Georgia) and the one-loss runner-up (Bama), because Georgia would have beaten the #1 team in the country.  But my expectation is that Bama wins both games; and Georgia, with three losses, will not get a bid to the CFP.

I think you are misreading the schedule. That Alabama/Georgia game you see on Dec. 1 is the SEC championship game.  Both clinched their spot in the game last week, so it already shows up on the schedule.  Georgia is 8-1 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).   Alabama is 9-0 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

The bottom line is that unless Auburn or Mississippi State throws a monkey wrench into things, if Georgia beats Alabama, both teams go to the playoffs.  If Alabama beats Georgia, probably only Alabama goes.

BC

[BostonCard]

Somehow, I don't think the SEC gets two teams this year.  There are only two teams left in the SEC that have fewer than two losses: Georgia and Bama; and for the first time since the 2015 season, Georgia and Alabama meet during the regular season (last game).  So scenario one is that Georgia wins and gives Bama it's first loss, and both are sitting at 11-1.  Then they meet again in the SEC championship game; and if Georgia wins again, Bama has two losses to the same team.  No way they make the CFP.  If Bama wins that game, then Georgia has two losses and is eliminated.  Scenario two is that Georgia loses during the regular season, plays Bama in the championship game and loses there.  That's three losses for Georgia and no CFP.  If they beat Bama in the championship game, then there might be a case for accepting a two loss SEC champion (Georgia) and the one-loss runner-up (Bama), because Georgia would have beaten the #1 team in the country.  But my expectation is that Bama wins both games; and Georgia, with three losses, will not get a bid to the CFP.

I think you are misreading the schedule. That Alabama/Georgia game you see on Dec. 1 is the SEC championship game.  Both clinched their spot in the game last week, so it already shows up on the schedule.  Georgia is 8-1 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).   Alabama is 9-0 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

The bottom line is that unless Auburn or Mississippi State throws a monkey wrench into things, if Georgia beats Alabama, both teams go to the playoffs.  If Alabama beats Georgia, probably only Alabama goes.

BC

[French Rage]

Is Big Game time on 6-day turnaround?

[French Rage]

Is Big Game time on 6-day turnaround?

[CowboyIndian]

 

Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).  

 Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

Which ones in these lists are not like the others?

[CowboyIndian]

 

Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).  

 Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

Which ones in these lists are not like the others?

[SamuelMcF]

 

Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).  

 Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

Which ones in these lists are not like the others?

We really should try the whole "creampuff before a rivalry game" thing. Unless UC Davis before Oregon counts, in which case we're currently doing that.

[SamuelMcF]

 

Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).  

 Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

Which ones in these lists are not like the others?

We really should try the whole "creampuff before a rivalry game" thing. Unless UC Davis before Oregon counts, in which case we're currently doing that.

[Austroturf]

Somehow, I don't think the SEC gets two teams this year.  There are only two teams left in the SEC that have fewer than two losses: Georgia and Bama; and for the first time since the 2015 season, Georgia and Alabama meet during the regular season (last game).  So scenario one is that Georgia wins and gives Bama it's first loss, and both are sitting at 11-1.  Then they meet again in the SEC championship game; and if Georgia wins again, Bama has two losses to the same team.  No way they make the CFP.  If Bama wins that game, then Georgia has two losses and is eliminated.  Scenario two is that Georgia loses during the regular season, plays Bama in the championship game and loses there.  That's three losses for Georgia and no CFP.  If they beat Bama in the championship game, then there might be a case for accepting a two loss SEC champion (Georgia) and the one-loss runner-up (Bama), because Georgia would have beaten the #1 team in the country.  But my expectation is that Bama wins both games; and Georgia, with three losses, will not get a bid to the CFP.

I think you are misreading the schedule. That Alabama/Georgia game you see on Dec. 1 is the SEC championship game.  Both clinched their spot in the game last week, so it already shows up on the schedule.  Georgia is 8-1 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).   Alabama is 9-0 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

The bottom line is that unless Auburn or Mississippi State throws a monkey wrench into things, if Georgia beats Alabama, both teams go to the playoffs.  If Alabama beats Georgia, probably only Alabama goes.

BC

Thanks for pointing that out.  Actually, it would have surprised me if the SEC had scheduled Bama and Georgia during the regular season.  Interesting that both have clinched their divisions with three regular season games to go; but, yeah, three of those six are OOC, so the divisional titles are secure.

[Austroturf]

Somehow, I don't think the SEC gets two teams this year.  There are only two teams left in the SEC that have fewer than two losses: Georgia and Bama; and for the first time since the 2015 season, Georgia and Alabama meet during the regular season (last game).  So scenario one is that Georgia wins and gives Bama it's first loss, and both are sitting at 11-1.  Then they meet again in the SEC championship game; and if Georgia wins again, Bama has two losses to the same team.  No way they make the CFP.  If Bama wins that game, then Georgia has two losses and is eliminated.  Scenario two is that Georgia loses during the regular season, plays Bama in the championship game and loses there.  That's three losses for Georgia and no CFP.  If they beat Bama in the championship game, then there might be a case for accepting a two loss SEC champion (Georgia) and the one-loss runner-up (Bama), because Georgia would have beaten the #1 team in the country.  But my expectation is that Bama wins both games; and Georgia, with three losses, will not get a bid to the CFP.

I think you are misreading the schedule. That Alabama/Georgia game you see on Dec. 1 is the SEC championship game.  Both clinched their spot in the game last week, so it already shows up on the schedule.  Georgia is 8-1 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Auburn (11/10), UMass (11/17), and Georgia Tech (11/24).   Alabama is 9-0 and has three regular season games remaining on its schedule: Mississippi State (11/10), Citadel (11/17), and Auburn (11/24).

The bottom line is that unless Auburn or Mississippi State throws a monkey wrench into things, if Georgia beats Alabama, both teams go to the playoffs.  If Alabama beats Georgia, probably only Alabama goes.

BC

Thanks for pointing that out.  Actually, it would have surprised me if the SEC had scheduled Bama and Georgia during the regular season.  Interesting that both have clinched their divisions with three regular season games to go; but, yeah, three of those six are OOC, so the divisional titles are secure.