Most who know me know that I have been howling for a college football playoff for quite some time. I think this first year of the playoff shows that the playoff works. Those who watch college football have probably heard this about five million times since Thursday night, but I'll repeat it just because it cannot be stated enough.
If we were still in the B(S)CS era, then the championship game would have been overrated, undefeated Florida State against one-loss Alabama. Alabama probably would have won, and the SEC streak would have resumed. Instead, we're getting Ohio State and Oregon which should be a fun game to watch.
If we were still in the B(S)CS era, then the championship game would have been overrated, undefeated Florida State against one-loss Alabama. Alabama probably would have won, and the SEC streak would have resumed. Instead, we're getting Ohio State and Oregon which should be a fun game to watch.
Let's begin with FSU and Oregon. Honestly, could anyone have predicted that annihilation? It was a five point game at halftime, and then one bad quarter by FSU later, it's a rout. I don't think FSU is a bad team per se, but certainly they were not on the same level as they were one year ago when they ran the table.
Some will say that FSU had it coming; I'm not sure if that's true, but I do know that the TCU alumni I have talked to wonder even more if they should have been in at the expense of someone else. It's honestly a tough situation. I think TCU did belong, but honestly, who were you going to take out? Alabama? Undefeated FSU? You certainly can't leave out Oregon and I think Ohio State proved they belonged. Imagine if TCU HAD held on against Baylor and had gone unbeaten, would have been an even tougher decision.
As far as FSU walking off the field ala the 1991 Detroit Pistons, that was bush league, point blank. They say it's always easier to be classy when you win (a moniker which is very much true and has been applied to Nebraska fans by fans of various former Nebraska opponents), and it can very much be said about FSU. You're telling me you can't walk across the field and shake the hands of the victor, who just mopped you up like you were nothing? The ironic thing is that Jameis Winston, yes that Jameis Winston was man enough to stay on the field. Too bad the rest of his teammates weren't.
As far as FSU walking off the field ala the 1991 Detroit Pistons, that was bush league, point blank. They say it's always easier to be classy when you win (a moniker which is very much true and has been applied to Nebraska fans by fans of various former Nebraska opponents), and it can very much be said about FSU. You're telling me you can't walk across the field and shake the hands of the victor, who just mopped you up like you were nothing? The ironic thing is that Jameis Winston, yes that Jameis Winston was man enough to stay on the field. Too bad the rest of his teammates weren't.
As far as OSU vs. Bama: the biggest irony about that game is that Southeast Conference commissioner Mike Slive, along with ACC commissioner John Swofford, was one of the forerunners of a four team playoff, and Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany was one of the men dead set against it (so was University of Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman, one of the very few things I disagree with Chancellor Perlman on). But Thursday night in New Orleans, in an enormous twist of irony, in a national semifinal it was the leader of Jim Delany's Big 10 Conference that rolled the mighty Crimson Tide and ended the SEC dynasty...and make no mistake, it's over, in a way.
Don't get me wrong, SEC teams will still get championships (in fact I think they and the Big 10 will be the two best college football leagues going into the future), but they'll never win seven in a row again. It's just not going to happen. Just like Nebraska going 60-3 over a five year stretch from 93-97 won't ever happen again. The rest of college football has finally caught up with them.
Urban Meyer's got a team that's already as fast as any SEC team and he's only in his third year in Columbus. Harbaugh will bring Michigan back in short order. TCU would have been a very tough matchup for any SEC team (or any team period) as they showed Ole Miss. Oregon probably would have beat Bama soundly and UCLA and USC are on the way up too.
Also, because of the new New Year's Six system, the SEC will no longer have favorable matchups in the bowls as that effect trickles down to the rest of the games. In two of the three New Year's Six matchups on Dec. 31, the Mississippi schools got SMOKED.
As far as the Ohio State/Oregon matchup for the title, I'm not sure who I will pick to win that game. I think it will be a good game with lots of scoring. One thing to keep in mind about Ohio State; do not be fooled by them having a third string quarterback. That does not matter all that much because that quarterback led them to a 59-0 thrashing of the Badgers and a win over the mighty Crimson Tide. Furthermore, Ohio State's more of a system offense. Most capable quarterbacks I think could go in and do well in that system.
One last note about the college football playoff, there is only one problem I have with it going forward; the two national semifinals in each of the next two years will be on New Year's Eve, not New Year's Day. I think that is one thing that the head honchos of the playoff dropped the ball on. The way this thing worked was absolutely perfect, with the final two games on New Year's Day ending up as the two biggest games of the season thus far. The national semifinals, IMHO, need to be on New Year's Day every year, point blank.
Regarding the NFL playoff matchups over the weekend, the results for the most part were not that surprising to me. The best and most controversial game over the weekend, and the game that will have Detroit Lions fans (and pretty much every Dallas Cowboy hater on the planet) howling for years, was the game at AT&T Stadium yesterday. All of you who watched that game saw the play, eight minutes to go, third and one for the Lions in the Dallas end of the field. They throw to Pettigrew, refs originally call pass interference which would have been a Lions first down, then inexplicably pick up the flag.
The refs screwed that up, point blank. Not only was there pass interference on Hitchens but he grabbed Pettigrew as well. That said, the play should have been offsetting penalties and Detroit gets the third down over because Pettigrew grabbed Hitchens' face mask which should have been called also. That seems to be something that people are glossing over when looking at that play. So at worst, it should have been third down over again for Detroit. But the refs screwed that call up, no doubt. Should have been a flag on somebody, if not both teams.
Until next time...
Don't get me wrong, SEC teams will still get championships (in fact I think they and the Big 10 will be the two best college football leagues going into the future), but they'll never win seven in a row again. It's just not going to happen. Just like Nebraska going 60-3 over a five year stretch from 93-97 won't ever happen again. The rest of college football has finally caught up with them.
Urban Meyer's got a team that's already as fast as any SEC team and he's only in his third year in Columbus. Harbaugh will bring Michigan back in short order. TCU would have been a very tough matchup for any SEC team (or any team period) as they showed Ole Miss. Oregon probably would have beat Bama soundly and UCLA and USC are on the way up too.
Also, because of the new New Year's Six system, the SEC will no longer have favorable matchups in the bowls as that effect trickles down to the rest of the games. In two of the three New Year's Six matchups on Dec. 31, the Mississippi schools got SMOKED.
As far as the Ohio State/Oregon matchup for the title, I'm not sure who I will pick to win that game. I think it will be a good game with lots of scoring. One thing to keep in mind about Ohio State; do not be fooled by them having a third string quarterback. That does not matter all that much because that quarterback led them to a 59-0 thrashing of the Badgers and a win over the mighty Crimson Tide. Furthermore, Ohio State's more of a system offense. Most capable quarterbacks I think could go in and do well in that system.
One last note about the college football playoff, there is only one problem I have with it going forward; the two national semifinals in each of the next two years will be on New Year's Eve, not New Year's Day. I think that is one thing that the head honchos of the playoff dropped the ball on. The way this thing worked was absolutely perfect, with the final two games on New Year's Day ending up as the two biggest games of the season thus far. The national semifinals, IMHO, need to be on New Year's Day every year, point blank.
Regarding the NFL playoff matchups over the weekend, the results for the most part were not that surprising to me. The best and most controversial game over the weekend, and the game that will have Detroit Lions fans (and pretty much every Dallas Cowboy hater on the planet) howling for years, was the game at AT&T Stadium yesterday. All of you who watched that game saw the play, eight minutes to go, third and one for the Lions in the Dallas end of the field. They throw to Pettigrew, refs originally call pass interference which would have been a Lions first down, then inexplicably pick up the flag.
The refs screwed that up, point blank. Not only was there pass interference on Hitchens but he grabbed Pettigrew as well. That said, the play should have been offsetting penalties and Detroit gets the third down over because Pettigrew grabbed Hitchens' face mask which should have been called also. That seems to be something that people are glossing over when looking at that play. So at worst, it should have been third down over again for Detroit. But the refs screwed that call up, no doubt. Should have been a flag on somebody, if not both teams.
Until next time...
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