Final thoughts on the 2018 season:
How did the CFP do this year? They got it mostly right. I questioned all season why they were giving Notre Dame such a high ranking, but they must have seen something else. And after watching Clemson clobber Bama it made a little more sense. We did get another exciting, albeit a rout, natty to watch. But this time it was because no one could believe what was happening.
Should UCF have had their shot? Yes. Maybe the first season was a one-off but to go two full seasons undefeated in this day shows you have something going on. They should have been given more respect this year.
Is Clemson THAT good or was Bama just off? Mostly yes, but Saban gave up at halftime as evidenced in his 30-second interview going into the locker room at halftime. He admitted then that they had not prepared for what they were seeing. I think that's why we didn't see him get upset like he normally does. He knew it was a losing battle because they had failed to properly prepare.
Are these QB transfers a fad or trend? Time will tell but if this year's transfers get more playing time then I'm guessing we'll see a lot more of it and from other key positions. The downside is to the game - college football now looks waaaay more like a business than it did before. Transfers make it look more and more like NFL minor league. Parents will be one of the key problems. They've paid good money for their kids to attend summer camps and he'd better not sit the bench. They expect an ROI (scholarships, playing time, eventual NFL contracts). They'll push their kids into uncomfortable situations.
Will these high profile QBs play right away and make a difference right away? Probably play, but they will not be THE reason a team makes the playoff this year. It's a team effort (skill level, physically, mentally) and these new kids may or not be accepted right off by the team and they will have new systems to learn.
What happened to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl? The Dawgs walked in a little too confident, still smarting from their second oh-so-close Bama loss in 11-months and then the CFP snub ... and Texas took advantage of that. Texas wanted to prove something (they did) and Georgia felt they had already done their proving. Yes - every game matters (ie: the LSU loss).
Are we ready for a 6- or 8-team playoff? Not yet. The CFP has holes to fill in with the 4-team playoff before thinking of expansion. The level of competition gap in the Top 10 teams needs to close a little more first. And that is happening little by little. And the CFP will get better at it each year.
Will Urban Meyer and Mark Richt really "retire"? Meyer won't. It's all he knows and what keeps him alive. He never looked happy in his previous short stint as analyst. Richt on the other hand is a more well-rounded person and probably palces football in its rightful priority slot in his life. He'll stay close to the game in some capacity but he's ready to focus his talents elsewhere.
Any 2019 predictions? Texas isn't back quite yet but they are back on track. UCF will stay the course and continue leading the fight for the Group of Five. Washington will finally come around with some grit and consistency. The PAC-12 will need another year to regain some respect and the Big-10 will have a down year. Bama and Clemson will be the teams to beat and will have the likes of Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and LSU nipping at their heels. The SEC_East will make some noise this year and be more competitive. And yes, this will be the year BYU breaks their 8-game losing streak to Utah (finally!).
Thanks for reading!
Looking forward to 2019 already!
How did the CFP do this year? They got it mostly right. I questioned all season why they were giving Notre Dame such a high ranking, but they must have seen something else. And after watching Clemson clobber Bama it made a little more sense. We did get another exciting, albeit a rout, natty to watch. But this time it was because no one could believe what was happening.
Should UCF have had their shot? Yes. Maybe the first season was a one-off but to go two full seasons undefeated in this day shows you have something going on. They should have been given more respect this year.
Is Clemson THAT good or was Bama just off? Mostly yes, but Saban gave up at halftime as evidenced in his 30-second interview going into the locker room at halftime. He admitted then that they had not prepared for what they were seeing. I think that's why we didn't see him get upset like he normally does. He knew it was a losing battle because they had failed to properly prepare.
Are these QB transfers a fad or trend? Time will tell but if this year's transfers get more playing time then I'm guessing we'll see a lot more of it and from other key positions. The downside is to the game - college football now looks waaaay more like a business than it did before. Transfers make it look more and more like NFL minor league. Parents will be one of the key problems. They've paid good money for their kids to attend summer camps and he'd better not sit the bench. They expect an ROI (scholarships, playing time, eventual NFL contracts). They'll push their kids into uncomfortable situations.
Will these high profile QBs play right away and make a difference right away? Probably play, but they will not be THE reason a team makes the playoff this year. It's a team effort (skill level, physically, mentally) and these new kids may or not be accepted right off by the team and they will have new systems to learn.
What happened to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl? The Dawgs walked in a little too confident, still smarting from their second oh-so-close Bama loss in 11-months and then the CFP snub ... and Texas took advantage of that. Texas wanted to prove something (they did) and Georgia felt they had already done their proving. Yes - every game matters (ie: the LSU loss).
Are we ready for a 6- or 8-team playoff? Not yet. The CFP has holes to fill in with the 4-team playoff before thinking of expansion. The level of competition gap in the Top 10 teams needs to close a little more first. And that is happening little by little. And the CFP will get better at it each year.
Will Urban Meyer and Mark Richt really "retire"? Meyer won't. It's all he knows and what keeps him alive. He never looked happy in his previous short stint as analyst. Richt on the other hand is a more well-rounded person and probably palces football in its rightful priority slot in his life. He'll stay close to the game in some capacity but he's ready to focus his talents elsewhere.
Any 2019 predictions? Texas isn't back quite yet but they are back on track. UCF will stay the course and continue leading the fight for the Group of Five. Washington will finally come around with some grit and consistency. The PAC-12 will need another year to regain some respect and the Big-10 will have a down year. Bama and Clemson will be the teams to beat and will have the likes of Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and LSU nipping at their heels. The SEC_East will make some noise this year and be more competitive. And yes, this will be the year BYU breaks their 8-game losing streak to Utah (finally!).
Thanks for reading!
Looking forward to 2019 already!