College Football Playoff Predictions!

ace2000 · Dec 8, 2014

LOL - and I'm really torn now. I've gone for so many years "hating" the SEC and then pulled for Florida St. last year. Now that Missouri is in the SEC though, I'm sort of evolving into actually pulling for Alabama this time. We'll see... I'll keep you posted, I'm sure you all are dying to know...

csxjohn · Dec 8, 2014

Clemson Fan said:
... I have a feeling that 59-0 victory is going to look like fools gold in the end and they'll get rolled by Alabama.

I suspect the lack of film on Cardale is part of the reason they did well but Wisconsin had the #1 defense, 2nd in points against, and the number one runner in the country.

If anyone can do well against the other three I like our chances with Urban Meyer at the helm. The pressure is definitely on Alabama.

Clemson Fan · Dec 8, 2014

csxjohn said:
I suspect the lack of film on Cardale is part of the reason they did well but Wisconsin had the #1 defense, 2nd in points against, and the number one runner in the country.

If anyone can do well against the other three I like our chances with Urban Meyer at the helm. The pressure is definitely on Alabama.

Wisconsin racked up those stats against a Big 10 schedule. Hence the fools gold.

Urban Meyer definitely helps them because he is a great coach. I don't think Alabama will feel any pressure. They're used to these games.

Clemson Fan · Dec 8, 2014

ace2000 said:
LOL - and I'm really torn now. I've gone for so many years "hating" the SEC and then pulled for Florida St. last year. Now that Missouri is in the SEC though, I'm sort of evolving into actually pulling for Alabama this time. We'll see... I'll keep you posted, I'm sure you all are dying to know...

Oh oh, you're getting that "SEC SEC SEC!" virus that afflicts so many people in the south!

ace2000 · Dec 8, 2014

Ha, ha... can somebody help me???? I'm just about over the edge.

ampaholic · Dec 8, 2014

My "hope" is: that Oregon lights up the Noles to the tune of 44-17 and Ohio State beats the tide like a rented mule.....

My prediction is: The Ducks squeak past the Noles 44-42 and that Alabama crushes Ohio State's dreams 17-9

And that then the Ducks pull out a trick or two and slip past the Tide 21-20.

Elan · Dec 8, 2014

Decent read on the lack of clarity in the selection process:

http://espn.go.com/college-football...e-college-football-playoff-needs-more-clarity

chalee94 · Dec 8, 2014

Elan said:
Anyone can spin this any way they want, and I'm not saying that the committee got the 4 teams wrong. But the process is flawed. I can't imagine how TCU feels after getting promoted to the 3rd slot, blowing out a team on Saturday and waking up to find out they've been passed by a team that gets massive credit for blowing out a team that lost to 5-7 Northwestern. TCU's lone loss was a questionable loss to the 5th best team in the nation. Did the committee tell Bowlsby up front that not playing a 13th game was going to ream his conference? It all reeks, IMO.

yep, TCU lost to a top-5 team. OSU lost to a juggernaut of a 6-6 virginia tech team (which lost to an awful 3-9 wake forest team by a score of 6-3).

from the article:

There are former coaches -- Ty Willingham, Barry Alvarez, Tom Osborne -- who would know firsthand how difficult it was to do what Meyer did and would try to convince the rest of the committee of its value.

so that's a mich state grad, former wisconsin HC and former nebraska HC with big 10 ties on the committee making a case for OSU. who needs computers when you've got human bias and politics involved?

as a side note, it's amusing that every big 10 bowl team is a vegas underdog. that is some serious fools' gold...

ampaholic · Dec 9, 2014

chalee94 said:
yep, TCU lost to a top-5 team. OSU lost to a juggernaut of a 6-6 virginia tech team (which lost to an awful 3-9 wake forest team by a score of 6-3).
...

And Baylor got exposed by a 7-5 West Virginia team - do you have an actual point?

Every team in the country save FSU lost at least 1 game this year - shows how hard it is to have a perfect season.

It's even harder if you are playing tough competition - that's why Marshall isn't in the top 4.

I think some of the "other" bowl games will make for good match ups

Dec. 31 Peach TCU (11-1) vs. Ole Miss (9-3)
Dec. 31 Orange Georgia Tech (10-3) vs. Mississippi State (10-2)
Jan. 1 Outback Wisconsin (10-3) vs. Auburn (8-4)
Jan. 1 Cotton Baylor (11-1) vs. Michigan State (10-2)

I've got Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn and Michigan State.

Neener Neener

csxjohn · Dec 9, 2014

chalee94 said:
yep, TCU lost to a top-5 team. OSU lost to a juggernaut of a 6-6 virginia tech team (which lost to an awful 3-9 wake forest team by a score of 6-3).

f.....

And the crying begins.

Why just focus on the one loss by both teams? Why not look at the wins just for starters.

TCU had five wins over teams that ended above .500

OSU had seven and the margin of victory in both team's wins in those games makes one of them look far superior to the other.

bogey21 · Dec 11, 2014

bogey21 said:
My guess is that Ohio State will knock out TCU. Their win over Wisconsin was a lot more impressive that TCU's drubbing of an inferior Iowa State team.

Another reason is that the Committee was looking for the matchups that would result it the best TV ratings. I think they accomplished their goal.

George

Elan · Dec 11, 2014

OT, but have to wonder what's going on at Wisconsin. Lost their last two coaches to lateral moves. Mike Riley is a good coach and apparently a really nice guy, but I think OSU came out great on this latest coach swap. I'd be surprisaed if Andersen doesn't have the Beav's competitive in 2-3 years.

ampaholic · Dec 11, 2014

Elan said:
OT, but have to wonder what's going on at Wisconsin. Lost their last two coaches to lateral moves. Mike Riley is a good coach and apparently a really nice guy, but I think OSU came out great on this latest coach swap. I'd be surprisaed if Andersen doesn't have the Beav's competitive in 2-3 years.

the problem with that theory is the big dog down the block eating all the top recruits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLCoRc2Y9BM

Just sayin....

"Roger" · Dec 11, 2014

Elan said:
OT, but have to wonder what's going on at Wisconsin. Lost their last two coaches to lateral moves....

Different coaches, different situations. Bielema has a real ego (and was never accepted by Wisconsin fans for that reason - probably a factor in his interest in moving) and wanted to complete for a national championship. Didn't think he could get the players at Wisconsin. Also, he complained that Wisconsin did not pay his assistant coaches enough money. He kept losing his best coaches after about two years. In the SEC, the schools compete in fewer athletic events and pay their assistant coaches almost twice what he was able to. (How much should football rule a university?)

Anderson's stated reason was he wanted to move back to the west coast where he was more comfortable. Odd, in that he spent almost his whole life in Utah - Oregon is not exactly like moving home. I do wonder if his wife was unhappy with the colder climate. Secondly, Anderson was having trouble accepting that the academic standards at Wisconsin are higher than, not only Utah State, but most of the Big Ten. (Not Northwestern, obviously.) He was reportedly very upset about having lost a top (maybe his top) recruit for next year - an athlete from nearby who switched to Michigan State after he was not admitted for academic reasons to Wisconsin. (Again, should Wisconsin make special admissions for the sake of football? From what I can tell, they already do some, but how far should a school bend to keep up with other programs?)

In retrospect, Anderson made what I thought was an odd statement after the Ohio State game ... "I let my players down." Coaches will often shoulder part of or all of the blame for a loss, but they will say things "We should have prepared our players better for the game" or something like that (suggesting that they did not do as good a job as they might as opposed to suggesting personal failure to having even tried). I now wonder if the Oregon State move was well into the works and Anderson was acknowledging that he was putting more thought into his next move as opposed to the upcoming game against Ohio State.

Elan · Dec 11, 2014

"Roger" said:
Different coaches, different situations. Bielema has a real ego (and was never accepted by Wisconsin fans for that reason - probably a factor in his interest in moving) and wanted to complete for a national championship. Didn't think he could get the players at Wisconsin. Also, he complained that Wisconsin did not pay his assistant coaches enough money. He kept losing his best coaches after about two years. In the SEC, the schools compete in fewer athletic events and pay their assistant coaches almost twice what he was able to. (How much should football rule a university?)

Anderson's stated reason was he wanted to move back to the west coast where he was more comfortable. Odd, in that he spent almost his whole life in Utah - Oregon is not exactly like moving home. I do wonder if his wife was unhappy with the colder climate. Secondly, Anderson was having trouble accepting that the academic standards at Wisconsin are higher than, not only Utah State, but most of the Big Ten. (Not Northwestern, obviously.) He was reportedly very upset about having lost a top (maybe his top) recruit for next year - an athlete from nearby who switched to Michigan State after he was not admitted for academic reasons to Wisconsin. (Again, should Wisconsin make special admissions for the sake of football? From what I can tell, they already do some, but how far should a school bend to keep up with other programs?)

In retrospect, Anderson made what I thought was an odd statement after the Ohio State game ... "I let my players down." Coaches will often shoulder part of or all of the blame for a loss, but they will say things "We should have prepared our players better for the game" or something like that (suggesting that they did not do as good a job as they might as opposed to suggesting personal failure to having even tried). I now wonder if the Oregon State move was well into the works and Anderson was acknowledging that he was putting more thought into his next move as opposed to the upcoming game against Ohio State.

I think it's safe to say we'll never know everything that goes into a coaches decision to leave. Andersen is reportedly a high character guy (?), so it surprises me he'd leave after only 2 years, for mostly superficial reasons -- especially when coupled with Bielema's departure. Makes me wonder if Alvarez meddles more than he should in the football program?

Elan · Dec 11, 2014

ampaholic said:
the problem with that theory is the big dog down the block eating all the top recruits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLCoRc2Y9BM

Just sayin....

Your theory makes sense if one believes:

1) Oregon's facilities will remain significantly better than the Beavers'
2) Athletes are attracted to a school primarily because of facilities.
3) You can't be competitive with lower ranked recruits.

I've watched enough CFB and followed recruiting intently enough that I don't believe any of those things. After all, if what you say is true TCU and Baylor should never be competitive with UT just down the road.

Just sayin.............

ampaholic · Dec 11, 2014

Elan said:
Your theory makes sense if one believes:

1) Oregon's facilities will remain significantly better than the Beavers'
2) Athletes are attracted to a school primarily because of facilities.
3) You can't be competitive with lower ranked recruits.

I've watched enough CFB and followed recruiting intently enough that I don't believe any of those things. After all, if what you say is true TCU and Baylor should never be competitive with UT just down the road.

Just sayin.............

1. Yep - no Mr. Knight at OSU to fund the upgrade.

2. It certainly don't hurt - and the national spotlight is attractive to top recruits.

3. Yea, they will always have a slugger's chance - but there is a reason the Yankees have won more than twice as many World Series as any other team.

Just sayin ...

am1 · Dec 11, 2014

Is there any other AD better to step in to coach a bowl game then Wisco has?

Oregon State will probably win some big Pac10 games but I doubt will be lucky to go .500 in league play. If he can make some noise there I would be happy for the sake of good football.

But people switch regular jobs every day so why should football coaches be any different.

Elan · Dec 11, 2014

ampaholic said:
1. Yep - no Mr. Knight at OSU to fund the upgrade.

2. It certainly don't hurt - and the national spotlight is attractive to top recruits.

3. Yea, they will always have a slugger's chance - but there is a reason the Yankees have won more than twice as many World Series as any other team.

Just sayin ...

1) OSU is in the process of upgrading their football facilities to the tune of $42 million. Phil Knight money? No, but I think the Beavs will do just fine with ceramic tiled showers in lieu of rare Italian travertine.
2) Doesn't hurt, but it isn't a major reason most athletes choose a school. Far from it. You'd know that if you followed recruiting.
3) Certainly, even you can see the irrelevance of your comparison. Or are you claiming the Yankees won so much because Yankee Stadium was so much nicer than the other facilities, because that's an accurate analogy.

Face it, your inference that a team can't recruit or be competitive simply because they don't have the best facilities is absurd. Andersen may or may not be successful at OSU, but his success will have little to do with what is or isn't happening in Eugene.

Clemson Fan · Dec 11, 2014

I have to disagree with you on this one and agree with ampaholic.

Having Nike's money is a huge advantage for Oregon. They've also built up a reputation of being a perennial Top 5 program (even though they keep failing to win it all in the end - who knows maybe this year) for the past 10 years and they can attract top national recruits and not just northwest recruits.

I've actually been to games in Eugene and Corvallis in the last 10 years and there's really no comparison.

I don't see the Beavers ever reaching the status of a perennial Top 10 team. They're the type of team that can be in the Top 25 like maybe every 2 out of 4 years and maybe once every 10-20 years actually sneak into the Top 10. They can also go 3-8 once every 5-10 years as well.

Elan · Dec 12, 2014

Clemson Fan said:
I have to disagree with you on this one and agree with ampaholic.

Having Nike's money is a huge advantage for Oregon. They've also built up a reputation of being a perennial Top 5 program (even though they keep failing to win it all in the end - who knows maybe this year) for the past 10 years and they can attract top national recruits and not just northwest recruits.

I've actually been to games in Eugene and Corvallis in the last 10 years and there's really no comparison.

I don't see the Beavers ever reaching the status of a perennial Top 10 team. They're the type of team that can be in the Top 25 like maybe every 2 out of 4 years and maybe once every 10-20 years actually sneak into the Top 10. They can also go 3-8 once every 5-10 years as well.

I didn't say having more money and better facilities wasn't an advantage. I said it was possible to be competitive without the best facilities, which was to counter amp's inference that OSU couldn't be competitive because Oregon had so much better facilities.

Living in Idaho, I follow Boise State pretty closely. BSU has decent, but not extravagant facilities. They attract mostly 3 and 2 star recruits. They have been ranked in the top 25 for 13 years running. They routinely put players in the NFL, some early, and often many more than the P5 programs.

So to try to tell me that a team can't compete with less than top notch facilities is pretty outlandish. That's like telling me what I've seen isn't real, LOL. If you follow recruiting, kids don't tweet out that they really loved Oregon's Brazilian hardwood walls or marble tables and that's why they chose the Ducks. Kids tweet that they love the coach that recruited them, or they loved the staff on their official visit. Yes, money helps, but it's nowhere near the biggest thing when it comes to being successful on the field.

Like every other program, Oregon is one bad coaching hire from being a mediocre program. Money doesn't guarantee success. Look at Texas -- biggest football budget in the nation. They're maybe the 4th best team in the state. Does anyone think Baylor and TCU can't compete with Texas?

FTR, I've been to Autzen and Reser also. Both fields looked to be about 100 yards between the goal lines. That's where the game is played.

TUGBrian · Dec 12, 2014

the top recruits are going to pick the place they believe will give them the best shot at playing at the next level.

While I have no doubt "nice facilities" is somewhere on the list...its more icing on the cake than a dealbreaker IMO.

Elan · Dec 12, 2014

TUGBrian said:
the top recruits are going to pick the place they believe will give them the best shot at playing at the next level.

While I have no doubt "nice facilities" is somewhere on the list...its more icing on the cake than a dealbreaker IMO.

Yep. I was going to list the top reasons I've seen recruits list for committing:

1) Loved the guy recruiting them
2) Loved the coaching staff
3) Loved the team vibe/chemistry
4) School/position coaches rep for putting players in the league.
5) Loved the school, meaning the location and atmosphere, mostly independent of the football program -- campus, environment, downtown life, etc

Quite frankly, the facilities seldom get mentioned. All else equal, facilities probably matter. But all else is never equal.

Clemson Fan · Dec 12, 2014

Elan said:
Yep. I was going to list the top reasons I've seen recruits list for committing:

1) Loved the guy recruiting them
2) Loved the coaching staff
3) Loved the team vibe/chemistry
4) School/position coaches rep for putting players in the league.
5) Loved the school, meaning the location and atmosphere, mostly independent of the football program -- campus, environment, downtown life, etc

Quite frankly, the facilities seldom get mentioned. All else equal, facilities probably matter. But all else is never equal.

Yeah, I agree with that.

am1 · Dec 12, 2014

Clemson Fan said:
Yeah, I agree with that.

But facilities are the wow factor before a recruit even gets on campus and then as soon as they arrive. Plus it shows the financial commitment the school makes towards the team.

I do think some schools spend too much on facilities.

College Football Playoff Predictions!

ace2000

csxjohn

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Clemson Fan

Clemson Fan

ace2000

ampaholic

Elan

chalee94

ampaholic

csxjohn

TUG Review Crew: Expert

bogey21

Elan

ampaholic

"Roger"

TUG Review Crew

Elan

Elan

ampaholic

am1

Elan

Clemson Fan

Elan

TUGBrian

Elan

Clemson Fan

am1