College Football Stuff

LSchefman said:
I started the season disappointed with the state of college football. Seems more like pro football now, and I was thinking, why do colleges and universities sponsor professional football teams? Is that a good idea? I decided it wasn't.

So I decided not to watch. Then I decided I'd tune in for the season-opening kickoff (I'm a Michigan alum and have always followed the team). As you might guess, I got bitten by the bug; I couldn't turn off that game or any other Michigan game. I'm hopeless, a complete sucker for the tradition and pageantry of Michigan football in particular, and college football in general.

Sure, "Playing for the School" is largely mythology. But in the absence of anything else, it seems good enough for me.

"You were around in 1879 when they started playing weren't ya?"

"Yes, but I was still reeling from the effects of the Civil War, after all, it was only 14 years after the end of the Civil War, and I didn't pay much attention to football until Fielding Yost started coaching the team. Back then, the main rivalries were with University of Chicago and Minnesota, though the Michigan-Harvard games were pretty good and the series was even by the 1920s. But heck, after graduating in 1881, I was a bit old to be ga-ga over college football by then.

Yet here we are.

This past weekend Michigan had a nice win against Ohio State, in spite of the odds. But who makes this odds sh!t up anyway? It's silly.

The Rivalry has been resuscitated from life-support. Two M wins in a row have reinvigorated things, and I think that's pretty good for these two programs, if not for the Big Ten as a whole. When it's all one team, year after year, things are a lot less interesting in the college football world.

Then I began thinking, if either TCU or USC lose their championship game this weekend, who should get into the playoffs? I mean, the pundits say Georgia and Michigan are in, regardless. I dunno, but OK for now, though a Michigan loss to Purdue would look pretty bad to the NC Committee. They aren't called the Spoilermakers for nothing, and they always play Michigan tough. But, whatever.

Based on resume, schedule, talent and quality of play, my thinking is that Ohio State is the only non-conference-champ contender whose resume meets Playoff criteria. I realize that other schools will make that claim, but OSU's wins were by wider margins, against better competition, and their overall play has been very impressive, etc. I mean, CJ Stroud is one helluva QB, and Harrison Jr. will be a star in the NFL.

I almost feel badly for these two extraordinarily talented guys that they lost last weekend, but...I don't quite go that far. ;)

I'm no Big Ten homer. I honestly think OSU has earned a place in the firmament should USC or TCU falter. I don't relish playing them again, so this isn't about that. It's about fairness. OSU belongs in if another one-loss team falters.

Perhaps I'm bending over backwards to be fair, but OSU is a very powerful and dangerous team, and they've proven that over the course of the season. Could Michigan beat them a second time? Who the hell knows.
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I've been to multiple games at the Big House as a visitor. Having little kids taunt me with Hail to the Victors after my Badgers lose never gets old :mad:. This proud Wisconsin alum has nothing more to add to the thread.
 
strat63 said:
I've been to multiple games at the Big House as a visitor. Having little kids taunt me with Hail to the Victors after my Badgers lose never gets old :mad:. This proud Wisconsin alum has nothing more to add to the thread.
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Wisconsin is a great university. You deserve to be proud!
 
tiboy said:
Wife is visiting friends in NC for the next 5 days. So it’s just me, guitars, amps and lots of college football Bowl games. Happy New Year to me. PS: My OK Sooners sucked this year.
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After the best players were raided by OK's erstwhile coach, what else could have happened? It was bound to be a year of rebuilding.

But you can have the pleasure of teasing your NC State friends about losing to Maryland today, and NC losing to Oregon the other day!

Life is full of schadenfreude. ;)
 
Tomorrow is the first round of the playoff. Michigan is favored against TCU, but I'm very impressed with TCU's grit, and think they'll be a very tough opponent.

So I have no idea what to think. Two excellent teams, let's have some fun watching!

As for Ohio State vs Georgia...

Georgia's been on my mind since last year (you see what I did there). But I kinda hope Ohio State beats them, just because I'm a Big Ten homer. Oh, I know what you're thinking, rematches are dangerous.

Yeah, I don't care. It's a football game. Someone's gotta win, someone's gotta lose. No biggie. I like to kid around about this stuff, but fact is, any games from here on out are bonus games.
 
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tiboy said:
I’m hoping for a Georgia vs Michigan final simply because each would enter the game undefeated.
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It'd be fun for me too, until Georgia starts pulling away, because I think they're that good. I think they would deserve to be heavily favored.
 
After a disaster of a first quarter, I decided to save myself lots of aggravation, and turn the Michigan-TCU game off at 14-3.

Michigan isn't built to come from behind and win two or three score games. One score, sure. Maybe. Not this time.

Michigan has lost 59% of its bowl games since its first Rose Bowl win in 1902. So it's only fitting that they should go over the 60% mark in this game that they were favored, if not expected, to win on paper.

Games aren't won on paper.

I think a Michigan bowl loss is more or less required by law whenever possible. There may be an alternate universe where Michigan wins bowl games.

You know, I have no idea what happens every single year to this team that performs so well in the regular season, and then sh!ts the bed in a bowl game a month later. Maybe it's the water in Ann Arbor?

Oh well. My pre-dinner martini was very good regardless, and my wife is making her absolutely killer turkey chili that's 100% the best chili I've ever had (and I've had some fantastic chili), even if it is kinda heart-healthy!! ;)
 
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Borrowing from the sentiment of another thread, I found myself being of two minds regarding the TCU vs U of M game. The micro-me was rooting for underdog TCU. The macro-me was rooting for a final with two undefeated teams, ie Georgia vs U of M. Last thing I wanted was a reprise of OSU vs U of M.

Currently, I am again of two minds: underdog vs undefeated conference champion. Leaning underdog.

Unlike the esteemed veinbuster and DISTORT6, I found the entirety of the TCU game to be entertaining as all git out.
 
tiboy said:
Unlike the esteemed veinbuster and DISTORT6, I found the entirety of the TCU game to be entertaining as all git out.
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I did manage to watch a few exciting moments later in the game, because friends texted me with "Michigan's making a great comeback."

It was exciting, but M usually doesn't screw the pooch with pick sixes and goal line fumbles.
 
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