College football

[billy.pilgrim]

I wasn't trying to rub it in, Fitzgerald earned recognition regardless of opponent.

Yep, Stanford got crushed by Utah. I finished 9-11, 3-way tie for 8th. My season record is still tied for 15th out of 18.

Turns out there was an "eruption" of "mayhem" yesterday. Tally in just 20 games:

Top 10 teams that lost, 3 - #5 LSU, #7 Oklahoma, #8 Auburn.
Unbeaten teams that lost, 3 - #5 LSU, #7 Oklahoma, #13 Kentucky.
Other ranked teams that lost, 4 - #14 Stanford, #20 Michigan St, #24 Virginia Tech, #25 Oklahoma St.
Ranked teams that lost to an unranked team, 5 - #8 Auburn, #13 Kentucky, #14 Stanford, #20 Michigan St, #25 Oklahoma St.
Top 25 games decided by 8 points or less, 8.
Top 25 games decided by within 5 points of the spread or less, 9.

rub away - it is what it is - my team sucks but so does lsu and miss state and pretty much every other team in the sec west other than bammer and they aren't up to their usual standard.

I know that I complain a lot about the refs. I also complain a lot about the dems getting beat by the republicans because it isn't always a fair fight - that's because the rules seem to be different. I don't complain about other sports, but Auburn just doesn't get a normal set of breaks. And I'm not the only one, muschamp lost his job over being outraged at the no calls against bammer a few years ago.
we seem to be an easy target or something.

sec refs have been caught before trying to set up the confrence championship with undefeated teams - an entire crew was suspended for a few games - should have been fired.

no doubt that State has a good running 230 pound, 6'5' qb who can't throw, but it helps when holding and chop blocks don't get called and imaginary touchdowns are awarded.

we held them on 3rd and 4th and goal. both times the touchdown was awarded. the 1st was reversed and the review let the 4th and goal stand.

he almost made it, but he didn't




Boobee also had some limited playing time. he extended the ball as he dove over the goal line, was hit and lost the ball two feet into the end zone but for some reason I can't begin to comprehend, the touchdown didn't count and State was given the ball on the 20.

he's holding the ball with both hands

[Vrede too]

Saw that Fitz "TD", not sure there was enough to overturn the call on the field. A guess on the Boobee "TD" - you have to control to the ground or make a "football move". He's still in the air. Ouch, that fall to #21 is ugly. Could be worse, Stanford isn't ranked at all anymore.

AP Rankings

Why is Alabama #1 when the only team it's played that's currently ranked is #22 Texas A&M?
Why is Georgia #2 when it has not played anyone that's currently ranked? Go LSU at LSU on Saturday!
Why is Ohio State ranked #3 behind these two when it beat #8 Penn State?
Why is Clemson #4 when it barely escaped #22 Texas A&M and Syracuse?
Why is #5 Notre Dame ranked lower than these posers besides Ohio State when it beat #12 Michigan?
Why are other undefeated teams - UCF, CO, North Carolina State, South Florida, Cincinnati - not ranked at the same level as these posers besides Ohio State and Notre Dame?

3-1 Appalachian State got some votes! It barely lost to #8 Penn State at Penn State in the opener.

[billy.pilgrim]

Saw that Fitz "TD", not sure there was enough to overturn the call on the field. A guess on the Boobee "TD" - you have to control to the ground or make a "football move". He's still in the air. Ouch, that fall to #21 is ugly. Could be worse, Stanford isn't ranked at all anymore.

AP Rankings

Why is Alabama #1 when the only team it's played that's currently ranked is #22 Texas A&M?
Why is Georgia #2 when it has not played anyone that's currently ranked? Go LSU at LSU on Saturday!
Why is Ohio State ranked #3 behind these two when it beat #8 Penn State?
Why is Clemson #4 when it barely escaped #22 Texas A&M and Syracuse?
Why is #5 Notre Dame ranked lower than these posers besides Ohio State when it beat #12 Michigan?
Why are other undefeated teams - UCF, CO, South Florida - not ranked at the same level as these posers besides Ohio State and Notre Dame?

3-1 Appalachian State got some votes! It barely lost to #8 Penn State at Penn State in the opener.

wrong on boobee - it wasn't a pass. he was running and all that has to happen is for the tiniest point of the ball to break the plain of the goal - it was a score.

funny how the miss qb is laying on the ground before his back crosses the goal and there wasn't enough to overturn. 4th down - should have been Auburn's ball.


and that's only 2 plays. there were several more - including the 3rd down play from the bs score above was also called a touchdown - it was reversed

[Vrede too]

wrong on boobee - it wasn't a pass. he was running and all that has to happen is for the tiniest point of the ball to break the plain of the goal - it was a score.

My bad, unless it was arguably moving around in his hands.

funny how the miss qb is laying on the ground before his back crosses the goal and there wasn't enough to overturn. 4th down - should have been Auburn's ball.

and that's only 2 plays. there were several more - including the 3rd down play from the bs score above was also called a touchdown - it was reversed

It was close and the reviewers getting it correct seems to contradict the case for bias.

[Vrede too]

AP Rankings

3-1 Appalachian State got some votes! It barely lost to #8 Penn State at Penn State in the opener.

10.5-point favorite Appalachian State 35, @Arkansas State 9 in a Tues. night game. 4-1. Good shot at a Bowl and might even get ranked before the season's done.

Just 16 games this week. 3 have 2 ranked teams playing each other and there must be 6 top-25 teams with a mid-season week off.

Go:

Undefeated #23 South Florida -7 vs @Tulsa.
#14 Florida -7.5 vs @Vanderbilt.
Tennessee +15 vs @#21 Auburn.
Michigan St +13.5 vs @#8 Penn St. Might be a mistake, MSU has really sucked this year.
#7 Washington -3 vs @#17 Oregon. Could be a good game, too bad one has to lose.
@South Carolina (ugh) +2 vs #22 Texas A&M. Knock it back out of the top 25.
@#13 LSU +7.5 vs #2 Georgia. Please, please, please.
Undefeated #10 UCF -4.5 vs @Memphis.
#16 Miami (FL) -6 vs @Virginia. Guess I'm a fan of the state of Florida this week.
@Iowa St +7 vs #6 West Virginia. Fuck Manchin.
@#12 Michigan -8.5 vs #15 Wisconsin. Tough call for me, I like them both and would prefer either over OH St and PSU in the playoffs. Wisconsin can lose and still get in the Big 10 Championship, maybe not Michigan.
Undefeated #19 Colorado +7.5 vs @USC.

[billy.pilgrim]

AP Rankings

3-1 Appalachian State got some votes! It barely lost to #8 Penn State at Penn State in the opener.

10.5-point favorite Appalachian State 35, @Arkansas State 9 in a Tues. night game. 4-1. Good shot at a Bowl and might even get ranked before the season's done.

Just 16 games this week. 3 have 2 ranked teams playing each other and there must be 6 top-25 teams with a mid-season week off.

Go:

Undefeated #23 South Florida -7 vs @Tulsa.
#14 Florida -7.5 vs @Vanderbilt.
Tennessee +15 vs @#21 Auburn.
Michigan St +13.5 vs @#8 Penn St. Might be a mistake, MSU has really sucked this year.
#7 Washington -3 vs @#17 Oregon. Could be a good game, too bad one has to lose.
@South Carolina (ugh) +2 vs #22 Texas A&M. Knock it back out of the top 25.
@#13 LSU +7.5 vs #2 Georgia. Please, please, please.
Undefeated #10 UCF -4.5 vs @Memphis.
#16 Miami (FL) -6 vs @Virginia. Guess I'm a fan of the state of Florida this week.
@Iowa St +7 vs #6 West Virginia. Fuck Manchin.
@#12 Michigan -8.5 vs #15 Wisconsin. Tough call for me, I like them both and would prefer either over OH St and PSU in the playoffs. Wisconsin can lose and still get in the Big 10 Championship, maybe not Michigan.
Undefeated #19 Colorado +7.5 vs @USC.

You may be wrong on the Auburn game, after all, lucky plays and bad calls have a way of turning around.

I know we have a poor team, but we could easily be undefeated right now - had the refs been more accurate.

I think everyone in the sec is way over rated this year. Bama should still be, and finish as, #1.

[Vrede too]

You may be wrong on the Auburn game, after all, lucky plays and bad calls have a way of turning around.

History suggests that I will be wrong on half or more of the games.

I know we have a poor team, but we could easily be undefeated right now - had the refs been more accurate.

It's the SEC, I don't expect as much.

I think everyone in the sec is way over rated this year. Bama should still be, and finish as, #1.

Could be, but they've yet to prove it. Even though I'm not a fan, I would make OH St #1 based on record. Even though I'm only a so-so fan, I would make Notre Dame #2.

We'll see.
LSU might beat GA. If not, GA has earned its high rank.
If Michigan does beat Wisconsin, Notre Dame looks that much better.

[billy.pilgrim]

You may be wrong on the Auburn game, after all, lucky plays and bad calls have a way of turning around.

History suggests that I will be wrong on half or more of the games.

I know we have a poor team, but we could easily be undefeated right now - had the refs been more accurate.

It's the SEC, I don't expect as much.

I think everyone in the sec is way over rated this year. Bama should still be, and finish as, #1.

Could be, but they've yet to prove it. Even though I'm not a fan, I would make OH St #1 based on record. Even though I'm only a so-so fan, I would make Notre Dame #2.

We'll see.
LSU might beat GA. If not, GA has earned its high rank.
If Michigan does beat Wisconsin, Notre Dame looks that much better.

uga didn't look like much against mizzo. Take away one bad call and if a looses

[Vrede too]

Go:

Undefeated #23 South Florida -7 vs @Tulsa. Opps! I picked Tulsa instead of S. FL by mistake. South Florida wins 25-24 and stays undefeated with a FG with 2 seconds left. Hah, best of both worlds. 12 out of 18 picked wrong.
@South Carolina (ugh) +2 vs #22 Texas A&M. Knock it back out of the top 25. Opps! I also picked TAMU -2 instead of SC by mistake. Since I have to pick one way or the other in this game, I'll root for TAMU to win by more than 2. We'll see.

[Vrede too]

Go:

#14 Florida -7.5 vs @Vanderbilt. Florida came back from 3-21, Vanderbilt beat the spread by 0.5 with a 53-yard field goal with 3:55 left. Luckily, Vanderbilt forced a late, spread-beating Florida FG with 0:37 left.
Tennessee +15 vs @#21 Auburn. Yep.

Along with MN losing but beating the spread vs OH St, I start 4-0, in solo pool lead.

[Vrede too]

Go:

Michigan St +13.5 vs @#8 Penn St. Might be a mistake, MSU has really sucked this year. Unranked Mich St beats PSU with a TD with 19 seconds left!
#7 Washington -3 vs @#17 Oregon. Could be a good game, too bad one has to lose. It was a good game. WA missed a game-winning, spread-tying 37-yard field goal at the end of regulation, OR wins in OT, arrrggghhh. This one could keep the Pac 12 out of the playoffs.
@South Carolina (ugh) +2 vs #22 Texas A&M. Knock it back out of the top 25. Opps! I also picked TAMU -2 instead of SC by mistake. Since I have to pick one way or the other in this game, I'll root for TAMU to win by more than 2. We'll see. TAMU beats the spread by 1, LOL!
@#13 LSU +7.5 vs #2 Georgia. Please, please, please. Hasn’t someone been saying for weeks that GA is a poser? Oh wait, that was me.
Undefeated #10 UCF -4.5 vs @Memphis. UCF is 18-0, nice, but misses the spread by 3.5, darn.

I'm 7-4, in a 2-way tie for 1st.

[Vrede too]

Go:

#16 Miami (FL) -6 vs @Virginia. Guess I'm a fan of the state of Florida this week. Nope.
@Iowa St +7 vs #6 West Virginia. Fuck Manchin. Wow, the App St Mountaineers would have beaten the WV Mountaineers today. That was ugly!
@#12 Michigan -8.5 vs #15 Wisconsin. Tough call for me, I like them both and would prefer either over OH St and PSU in the playoffs. Wisconsin can lose and still get in the Big 10 Championship, maybe not Michigan. Yep.
Undefeated #19 Colorado +7.5 vs @USC.

AL beat the 28-point spread by 1. Really? Didn’t affect the money, though.

I'm 9-6. I have wrapped up solo 1st, $58.50 if Colorado beats the spread, solo 2nd, $31.50 if USC does.

4-2, 2-1 Maryland is leading 4-2, 1-2 Penn State in the Big 10 East. The Terps are coming for the Nits on 11/24!

[Vrede too]

Go:

Undefeated #19 Colorado +7.5 vs @USC.

I'm 9-6. I have wrapped up solo 1st, $58.50 if Colorado beats the spread, solo 2nd, $31.50 if USC does. ...

USC beats the spread by 3.5, crap. My total return now is $37.80, approaching half of the $85 buy-in exactly halfway through the season.

Ranked teams defeated: unbeaten #2, unbeaten 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, unbeaten 19 & 21, the 2nd week in a row that at least 3 top 10s have lost and that 3 undefeated teams have lost.
Unranked victors over ranked teams: 5, including the winners over #8 and unbeaten #6.

[Vrede too]

AP Rankings

1 Alabama (7-0)
2 Ohio State (7-0)
3 Clemson (6-0)
4 Notre Dame (7-0)
5 LSU (6-1)
6 Michigan (6-1)
7 Texas (6-1)
8 Georgia (6-1)
9 Oklahoma (5-1)
10 UCF (6-0)
11 Florida (6-1)
12 Oregon (5-1)
13 West Virginia (5-1)
14 Kentucky (5-1)
15 Washington (5-2)
16 North Carolina State (5-0)
17 Texas A&M (5-2)
18 Penn State (4-2)
19 Iowa (5-1)
20 Cincinnati (6-0)
21 South Florida (6-0)

#1 Alabama has beaten #17 Texas A&M. Tough stretch for it coming up - Tennessee, #5 LSU, #22 Mississippi State, Auburn. We'll see.
#2 Ohio State has beaten #18 Penn State. Only a season-ending #6 Michigan and maaaybe Michigan State appear to be challenges for it.
#3 Clemson has barely beaten #17 Texas A&M. Undefeated #16 North Carolina State 10/20 and maaaybe 5-1 Duke are its remaining challenges.
These 3 are pretty equal so far.
#4 Notre Dame has beaten #6 Michigan and nearly ranked Stanford. This seems superior to me, but it's at least in playoff position. Maaaybe a season-ending USC will challenge it.

It's hard to imagine a path for the Pac 12 into the playoffs , but we've sure seen lots of top 10s and undefeateds fall.
I'm not even going to try to sort through what the relative positions of the 1-loss teams should be.
It's funny that the only victor over #7 Texas is Maryland.
Things will really get complicated if any of the top 4 fall and the any of the other undefeateds - UCF, North Carolina State, Cincinnati, South Florida - win out. If North Carolina State does this, including beating Clemson, what would be the argument that Clemson belonged in the playoffs but North Carolina State doesn't?
4-1 Appalachian State and even 4-2 Maryland got votes! Appalachian State only lost to #18 Penn State and may be ranked before the season's done.

[Vrede too]

Go:

@Temple +3.5 vs undefeated #20 Cincinnati. Knock it out of the top 25.
Maryland +10.5 vs @#19 Iowa. Try to not suck.
#6 Michigan -7.5 vs @#24 Michigan St. Hope for the playoffs.
@TCU (ugh) +8 vs #9 Oklahoma. Knock it out of the top 10.
Undefeated #16 N.C. State +16.5 vs @#3 Clemson. Crush the poser.
@#15 Washington +16 vs Colorado. Slim hope for the playoffs, but possible.
@#5 LSU +7 vs #22 Mississippi St. Geaux Tigers.
Undefeated #10 UCF -21 vs @East Carolina. 19-0!
Undefeated @#21 South Florida -32.5 vs Connecticut. South Florida hasn't won by that margin all season, but Connecticut has lost by that much a few times.
#12 Oregon +1 vs @#25 Washington St. Oregon was favored by 1.5 on Monday. Slim hope for the playoffs, but possible.

[Vrede too]

Opps, it's:
@Temple -3.5 (not plus) vs undefeated #20 Cincinnati.
@#15 Washington -15.5 (not plus, of course) vs Colorado.
@#5 LSU -7 (not plus, of course) vs #22 Mississippi St.

[Vrede too]

Go:

@Temple -3.5 vs undefeated #20 Cincinnati. Knock it out of the top 25.
Maryland +10.5 +10 vs @#19 Iowa. Try to not suck.
#6 Michigan -7.5 vs @#24 Michigan St. Hope for the playoffs.
@TCU (ugh) +8 vs #9 Oklahoma. Knock it out of the top 10.
Undefeated #16 N.C. State +16.5 vs @#3 Clemson. Crush the poser.
@#15 Washington -15.5 vs Colorado. Slim hope for the playoffs, but possible.
@#5 LSU -7 vs #22 Mississippi St. Geaux Tigers.
Undefeated #10 UCF -21 vs @East Carolina. 19-0!
Undefeated @#21 South Florida -32.5 -34 vs Connecticut. South Florida hasn't won by that margin all season, but Connecticut has lost by that much a few times.
#12 Oregon +1 +3 vs @#25 Washington St. Oregon was favored by 1.5 on Monday. Slim hope for the playoffs, but possible.

[billy.pilgrim]

Been thinking about my team. Reversing my early season feeling that we weren’t as good as we looked, I’m now no longer convinced that we are as bad as we play.

I read all the bs about the Washington game being so close that it could have gone either way. True at the end, but it sure took a lot of lucky breaks for Washington to keep the game close – consider that both kickers hit the goal post almost dead center – both balls glanced almost perpendicular – Wash ball in for 3, AU missed.

LSU – they won, but it was damn close. we led almost the entire game, their last drive to win by one point included two 4th down plays, two 3rd and long, and two 15-yard penalties.

Miss State was a poorly officiated game. We were robbed.
Response to Vrede – you said something about the reviews. I agree that Bham acted properly in the reviews, but not the official on the field. He made what appears to have been 3 bad calls at the goal line – all in favor of State. One happened to have a good camera angle and was overturned. The other two were allowed to stand. None of the 3 were confirmed.

Arkansas – we won, but I think the piggies played the better game and probably should have won.

So. Miss – we won, but the game way a lot closer than it should have been.

Tennessee – we would have won – probably big – if not for 3 high school caliber screwups by a quarterback who would have been drafted into the NFL but choose to stay and play his senior year. In addition to the 2 interceptions and a fumble that he gave up while falling to the ground as he was being sacked, he overthrew his sure thing touchdown wide open favorite receiver by 5 yards or more over and over.

I don’t think that it’s the team. Something happened to Stidham in the State game – I think he hurt his shoulder, causing him to lose accuracy on long passes. Then he panics and tries to make up for it with stupid play like trying to pass out of a sack.

Says something about the team – son told me that AU has a ratio of fewer touchdowns to field goals better than any other team. I have no idea about the methodology, but we have had a bunch of red zone stops.


If he ain't improved, look for a new qb in the 2nd half this week.

[Vrede too]

No opinion on where Auburn "should" be, I'm not following closely enough.

... Washington ...
Not as good as once thought, either.

LSU – they won, but it was damn close....
Yep. 2 points the other way and LSU would not be top 10 and Auburn would still be ranked.

Miss State was a poorly officiated game. We were robbed.
Response to Vrede – you said something about the reviews....
Just the one review, didn't disagree about the field calls.

Arkansas ...
Worst team in the SEC.

So. Miss ...
2-3, 1-2 Conference USA.

Tennessee ...
That was ugly.

I don’t think that it’s the team. Something happened to Stidham in the State game – I think he hurt his shoulder, causing him to lose accuracy on long passes. Then he panics and tries to make up for it with stupid play like trying to pass out of a sack.

Says something about the team – son told me that AU has a ratio of fewer touchdowns to field goals better than any other team. I have no idea about the methodology, but we have had a bunch of red zone stops.

21 Touchdowns, 78th place. 10 Field Goals, 20th place.
Washington, for example: 25 Touchdowns, 48th place. 9 Field Goals, 30th place.
Just 4 TDs or 1 FG makes a big difference in rank, probably the same for rank by ratio.

If he ain't improved, look for a new qb in the 2nd half this week.

Ole Miss is 5-2, could be a challenge. Or not, it's only beaten weak teams.
http://scores.nbcsports.com/cfb/teamsta ... &team=0077
Neither ranked, so no bet from me.

[billy.pilgrim]

None of the 3 miss State bs calls were confirmed on review - zero,

But not the point I was trying to make.

But for a bad break or two, we could have been undefeated after the miss state game. After that game, we were a different team - playing close against 2 supposedly easy wins and blowing the Tenn game with 3 stupid qb turnovers.
All 3 were below par for one reason only - stidham. He was good enough to have been drafted last year, looked good early on, but just played 3 lousy games.

He's hurt or could be having some just married personal problems. The wild overthrows make me think he hurt his shoulder, the stupid pass attempts make me think he has some sort of personal problems.

The season ain't over.