Not sure where my head was the day after the last “National Championship Tournament Game.”
Congrats to, um, I’ll look it up later.
ETA: oh, yeah, the #8 seed beat the #7 seed.
First up: Coach does some Football-Coachy things and gets fired instead of a raise:
Oh, the way tooo early rankings, posted here way too late:
I wonder how much money or other utility measurements Bucknell makes on Fuh-baw:
Now we have College athletes holding out for a new/better contract?
QB at UNKV did this last year. Someone promised him big bucks, but the big bucks were a no-show.
To be fair, he left when the school didn’t live up to what he (and his people) felt he had been promised. He wasn’t holding out to negotiate a better deal.
It will be interesting, how quickly Nico gets picked up and if he ends up getting more than what he was getting in TN. Reports are that he was hard to work with for used of his NIL. And his stats weren’t all that great for the hype he got coming out of HS. But it is possible he could get into a situation that works better for him or maybe not. My personal feelings is that he will play for more than 1 more college team during his remaining eligibility.
No auto byes for conference champs. Top 5 will get in but seeding will be based on final playoff poll. This is the last year of the contract so expect more changes after this year too.
Seems reasonable, since the Conference Championship is a crapshoot relative to a 12-game season result.
Oh, and the playoff system is also a crapshoot. Pro/Rel is the only objective alternative.
So, um, what if a team, say, an undefeated team, decides NOT to play in their conference championship game? Would it drop them out of the top 12, or top 8 or top 4?
Keeps their players healthy for more important tournament games later. Maybe they’ll go to the school’s classes.
Note that ND now can earn a bye with a top four finish, giving their players even more time off to rest and not get injured, and maybe go to the school’s classes.
Meanwhile, SEC is trying to push some narrative that their conference schedule will always be tougher than other conferences, and thus “don’t make us play a ninth game!”
I get it. Last thing you want to do is to play tough teams and beat them.
Meanwhile, USC is rethinking that whole ND-USC rivalry game. USC wants the game a little earlier than the last game or mid-October, when a loss means a lot more than earlier on.
Here’s a biased version of the news
Counterpoint: it has NEVER been a good thing to schedule tough non-conference teams, if the goal is one of the (current) 12 spots in the Knockout Tournament. Nor was it a good idea when there were only 4. Or when there was no Knockout Tournament.
And, adding another 4 spots makes it even less a reason. Just win the games you have and hope the Committee chooses you. If anyone is whining about losing three games and not making the playoff, they should stop.
Wow, this guy is thinking too far ahead!
This seems to happen nearly every year: "Let’s see which two teams play each other early in the season? Ah, it’s Texas and tOSU. Let’s rank them at the top, so more people watch the game. Step 2: ? Step 3 Profits.
Probably way too early to build the GoA Rankings by Conference.
Or not. In no particular order, according to the Preseason Coaches Poll
Wow. You have Illinois at #2 already?
I do not. I have a placeholder for the Big Ten Champ. I believe it is irrelevant at this moment who the actual team is. That’s. why. they. play. the. games.
Yeah, I know. I am just kinda excited because all my teams (my alma mater Illinois, and those of my 3 progeny) all are on the preseason list and have at least a chance to make the bracket. Illinois football has been brutal for most of this century. Even a preseason ranking of 4th in the Big 18 Big 10 feels like a pretty lofty achievement, ahead of stalwarts like Michigan, USC, Washington, etc
Win all their games. That’s all it takes. I see tOSU and at U-Dub (with a bye in between) on the schedule. Can’t beat them in the regular season, don’t deserve to be in the bracket. (Fluke losses the exception, of course.) I see a shit non-conference schedule, so that’s no help.
Yeah, I agree, more or less, but by your own estimation, the top 12 will include a 3rd Big 10 team that didn’t have to play in the conference championship game and lose to tOSU. That’s the sweet spot, and I think Illinois has a >1% shot at that spot.
They didn’t make the 12-team playoff that year??
Why not tell me about 1949 while you’re at it. So out of date.
Yup. There are a lot more variables when trying to get those. Need some powerful wins to go with that one (or two) loss(es). Can’t be squeaking by the Westukies or Michizoo.
And not just running it up but showing solid defense. 50-48 wins are no good. 50-7 is a better show.
