2018 Pre-Season

Here are my playoff picks for the 2018 season, with a fifth as a wildcard. No particular order and no champion as I see the championship could go to any of the top four teams in the country.

1. The SEC Champion: OK - it's a bit of a cop-out,but you know it's true. Likely Bama, Georgia or Auburn (if they get past game 1 with UW). My money (and heart) is on Georgia because they're wanting to prove that 2017 was not a 1-off.
2. Wisconsin: They have something to prove after being left out last year and they have the right mix of talent returning.
3. Clemson: They've been there the past three seasons, have the right coach and cred, but especially because ZERO teams on their schedule finished in the Top 25 last year.
4. Washington: A bit of a self-imposed chip on their shoulder after not living up to expectations last year. Most of that team returns and should handle the PAC-12 handily.

And the wildcard goes to West Virginia: On paper they look good (as do many others) but their schedule plays out nicely with the just the right mix that could put them ahead of the above four as long as they go undefeated.

There you have it...let the games begin!

2017 - In the Books

The fat lady has sung and gone. The season came to a spectacular end. A few mishaps, arguments, and much debate (as usual) but in the end, few can say that it wasn't right.

For BYU: Ouch, really big ouch. As long as I've been a fan I've never seen it this bad nor the outlook more shaky. The worst season since 1943 and the resulting staff shake-up has me worried about 2018 already. 'Nuf said...


For Georgia: So close...again. Just like 2002, then 2007, then 2012, and now 2017 (do you too see the 5-year pattern here?). The Rose Bowl double-OT victory will be savored for years to come. And Georgia was riding those high emotions through the first half of the championship game. But Saban did what Saban does best - adjust and win (which is exactly how Georgia pulled off the Rose Bowl). Yes - the officiating was dismal at times but all teams have to deal with that. (But it is odd that the few officiating mis-steps noted in various post-game articles would have all been against 'Bama; no officiating mis-steps against Georgia were mentioned). But what a great, fun season and hopefully I don't have to wait another five years for another.

For University of Central Florida: Join the club. USC, Auburn, and various others over the years have been dealt the same blow. But college football is not a 1-off sport and indeed favors year-over-year consistency. Do your time, keep up the good work, and validation will happen.

EndZone
College football, the only sport I watch, seems to be on a slippery slope. It's as exciting as it has been but the things tolerated today are eating away at us little by little. The big, big money rumors continue to mount feeding the concern that it's all about money and not about the sport or the educational/career growth of the kids. Coaches seem to allow more: three strikes before being dismissed for school/team violations, televised yelling/attacking coaches on the sideline and being allowed back in the game, tolerating colorful language and smack-talk that has reached new lows. And in the game when coaches see the crotch grabbing, the finger pointing and throat slitting gestures, and shoving heads into the ground after the whistle, then not doing anything about it - that is on the coaches 100%.

No, these are not just young kids full of passion and uncontrollable urges. They are in our living rooms, in front of small children, and often looked up to and emulated in today's world. They need to recognize and respect that. Being "just a kid" does not excuse such actions.

College football, IMHO, is about traditions. The coaches of yesteryear would have had a heyday with the actions and attitudes that today's athletic directors, college presidents, coaches, parents and trainers allow.

Blame it on the Badgers

Indeed - if Wisconsin had beat Ohio state there would likely not be much of a controversy today. But they didn't, so there is.

Who is this CFP committee anyway? Currently it is made up of 13 members consisting of former head coaches (5), current or former athletic directors (5), a university president (1),  a former sports reporter (1), and a former NCAA executive (1). A good mix although I'd prefer more former head coaches. Most played college football at some time and most have recusals (not allowed to vote for certain teams due to alma mater or family playing for the team).

Did they get it right?
Probably. A good argument could have been made for Wisconsin, Bama, USC and even Ohio State (yes - in that order). All things considered I imagine that the margins between those teams were micro-thin. I wish I knew by how many votes Bama got in, though.
Was Alabama included because of history or brand?
Probably. They may not be considered by everyone as one of the top four teams, but their coach is. My guess is that is what carried them into that #4 slot.
Why not Wisconsin?
Indeed, why not? They can make just as good a case as Bama (except the coach). A weak schedule, one loss to a ranked team, no conference champ.
Why not Ohio State?
Because they are inconsistent. My guess is that the primary reason was by HOW MUCH (31 points) and WHEN (in November) they lost to un-ranked Iowa. Yes, they did beat 12-0 Wisconsin. But remember all the fuss about Wisconsin not "beating anybody" and that was what kept them from climbing the polls until the final week? So Ohio State beat the team that didn't "beat anybody", and that, coupled with their inconsistency, just didn't carry enough weight.
Did the committee just not want the Big10 to embarrass the system - again? Maybe, but we'll never know. (2015 semi-final Alabama over Michigan State 39 - 0; 2016 semi-final Clemson over Ohio State 31 - 0).
What about the top three?
Probably right and in the right order. But one should note (and this is my UGA bias coming out and looking only at the W-L column), that Clemson's 1-loss was to still un-ranked Syracuse, Oklahoma's 1-loss was to still un-ranked Iowa State, but Georgia's 1-loss was to Auburn, who finished #7, and that loss was avenged.

I'll be the first to say that the current system is the best we've had and a stepping stone in the right direction. Still flawed, but what would college football be like without the ranking controversy?

ENDZONE
To BYU: Was Ty Detmer really the best choice for the scapegoat? Second year as a college coach, using a 4th string QB the last three games and whatever string RB. All the while designing and redesigning plays for guys that were not supposed to see much playing time (if any at all). Was OC play calling really the root cause of the terrible season? Just asking...

That One Game

I imagine as each team winds down its regular season they all think of "that one game" they wish they could re-do or take back. Especially your 1-loss teams like Georgia, Miami, Bama and Oklahoma. But I'd bet even the multiple loss teams reflect on the "one that got away" that may not have changed the season or gotten them to a bowl game but it would have made the losing season a little more bearable.

If Alabama had beat Auburn: Yet another perfect regular season.
If Georgia had beat Auburn: Perfect regular season for the first time since 1982.
If Miami had beat Pitt: Perfect regular season for the first time since 2002.
If Oklahoma had beat Iowa State: Perfect regular season for the first time since 2004.
If BYU had held on to beat Utah: The worst season since 1955 would not feel so bad (plus their rival would feel really bad losing to the worst Cougars since 1955).

And I'm sure each player carries in his pocket a memory of "If I had just ________" then we would have scored and won. As does as every coach, trainer, and athletic director. Even the fans think if they had just worn their lucky undies like last time then the team might have won.

One game. A lifetime memory. Just part of the greatest game around and the way the ball bounces sometimes. Don't let it ruin your day or season or life. Learn from it, let it go, move on. There's always next year.

Humble Pie

We all have to eat it at times and it's good for the soul. It's not always tasty, in fact it doesn't taste good at all. But it does improve our "health".

Auburn was prepared for Georgia. They watched more tape, had a better game plan, had a backup plan, and maintained the momentum. Georgia went into that game a little too high on their laurels and were humbled by a team that wanted it more. Kudos to War Eagle and hopefully the humble pie the Dawgs had to eat made them a healthier team going forward.

Ohio State ate it losing to Iowa. Oklahoma has nibbled at it in various close games. Syracuse fed a slice to Clemson. And there have been others and many more will be served up some humble pie. And BYU? Well, they've been eating it all season. Even game 1, which they won, was humbling because they almost lost to an FCS school. And every time we think they've hit bottom, they find a new bottom. A loss to Hawaii next week would ice the cake for the worst season since the 40's. Yikes!

Couple of other rants:
1. Again, why do voters and commentators want to give Ohio State a shot at the playoff? Do they deserve it after two losses, one of which was to an un-ranked team? They are unpredictable in a so-so conference. Remember the playoff loss a year ago, 33 to 0?
2. Baker Mayfield - hold your fire for Pet's sake. You are really, really, good but that temper and emotion will cost you at some point. Apologizing is the right thing to do but that gets old when you have to apologize multiple times for your flare ups. You may have just cost yourself the Heisman trophy and continued unchecked it could cost your team a shot at the championship.