College football

[Vrede too]

Maybe premature, but interesting enough for me to look:

Forde-Yard Dash: 8 playoff contenders have emerged

FIRST QUARTER

THE GREAT EIGHT, PLUS TWO

Four weeks into the season, a first flight of playoff contenders has formed. It’s comprised of eight teams (four of them from one league, can you guess which one???). There are still 23 undefeated FBS teams, but they are not all created equally. One-third of the way through the regular season, these are the ones that matter most, in order of accomplishment to date:

LSU (1).... Okay.

Auburn (2).... Congrats.

Clemson (3)....

Georgia (4)....

Wisconsin (5)....

Overall record: 3-0. Home record: 2-0. Road record: 1-0. Power Five record: 1-0. FBS record: 3-0. Best win: home over Michigan on Saturday. Big stat: The Badgers are, to date, an unprecedented defensive juggernaut. They are No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (4.7 points per game), total defense (171.3 yards allowed per game), yards allowed per play (3.17), rushing defense (27 yards per game) and pass efficiency defense (75.73). Last year, an injury-riddled Wisconsin defense allowed its most points per game since 2008; this year Jim Leonhard’s unit is returning to form. Remaining slate: The next three games are at home, and after that three of the remaining five opponents are currently unbeaten — Ohio State in Columbus, Iowa and Minnesota to end the regular season in Minneapolis. The Oct. 26 game against the Buckeyes could have playoff implications and also serve as a Big Ten championship game preview.

Alabama (6)....

Ohio State (7).... Meh.

Oklahoma (8)....

Texas (9)....

The Group of Five’s best hope:

Boise State (10).

Overall record: 4-0. Home record: 3-0. Road record: 1-0. Power Five record: 1-0. FBS record: 3-0. Best win: at Florida State. The Broncos could have a shot at 12-0, but still would probably need a lot of help. They’re currently ranked 16th in one poll and 15th in the other, with three one-loss teams ahead of them. Boise plays four more teams that have scored wins over Power Five opponents: Hawaii, BYU, San Jose State and Wyoming. But the best thing that could happen to the Broncos is for Florida State to get its act together and win a lot of games the rest of the way.

Fine if it happens, but no way do I start rooting for FSU.

[Vrede too]

Final spreads.

Go:

@Maryland +6 +6.5 (12)Penn St, Fri 09/27 08:00 PM, I know that it will work this time .
@(15)California (4-0) -4.5 Arizona St, Fri 09/27 10:30 PM, playoffs baby.
@N. Carolina +25.5 +26.5 (1)Clemson, just like Nov 2020 Blue > Orange.
@(17)Washington -9.5 -10 (21)USC, knock it back out of the rankings.
@(10)Notre Dame -11 -12.5 (18)Virginia (4-0). Not sure about this one, an unbeaten Virginia trouncing Clemson in the ACC championship would be a beautiful thing. I may let the final Vegas swing, no matter how small, decide for me. Opinions?
@Oklahoma St -4 (24)Kansas St, knock it back out of the rankings.
Mississippi St +10.5 @(7)Auburn. Could happen.
Connecticut +42 +43.5 @(22)UCF, won't run up the score like SEC teams do .
Washington St +6 +5 @(19)Utah, knock it out of the rankings.

Back down to 2 games between ranked opponents and only five games with a single digit spread .

[billy.pilgrim]

Maybe premature, but interesting enough for me to look:

Forde-Yard Dash: 8 playoff contenders have emerged

FIRST QUARTER

THE GREAT EIGHT, PLUS TWO

Four weeks into the season, a first flight of playoff contenders has formed. It’s comprised of eight teams (four of them from one league, can you guess which one???). There are still 23 undefeated FBS teams, but they are not all created equally. One-third of the way through the regular season, these are the ones that matter most, in order of accomplishment to date:

LSU (1).... Okay.

Auburn (2).... Congrats.

Clemson (3)....

Georgia (4)....

Wisconsin (5)....

Overall record: 3-0. Home record: 2-0. Road record: 1-0. Power Five record: 1-0. FBS record: 3-0. Best win: home over Michigan on Saturday. Big stat: The Badgers are, to date, an unprecedented defensive juggernaut. They are No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (4.7 points per game), total defense (171.3 yards allowed per game), yards allowed per play (3.17), rushing defense (27 yards per game) and pass efficiency defense (75.73). Last year, an injury-riddled Wisconsin defense allowed its most points per game since 2008; this year Jim Leonhard’s unit is returning to form. Remaining slate: The next three games are at home, and after that three of the remaining five opponents are currently unbeaten — Ohio State in Columbus, Iowa and Minnesota to end the regular season in Minneapolis. The Oct. 26 game against the Buckeyes could have playoff implications and also serve as a Big Ten championship game preview.

Alabama (6)....

Ohio State (7).... Meh.

Oklahoma (8)....

Texas (9)....

The Group of Five’s best hope:

Boise State (10).

Overall record: 4-0. Home record: 3-0. Road record: 1-0. Power Five record: 1-0. FBS record: 3-0. Best win: at Florida State. The Broncos could have a shot at 12-0, but still would probably need a lot of help. They’re currently ranked 16th in one poll and 15th in the other, with three one-loss teams ahead of them. Boise plays four more teams that have scored wins over Power Five opponents: Hawaii, BYU, San Jose State and Wyoming. But the best thing that could happen to the Broncos is for Florida State to get its act together and win a lot of games the rest of the way.

Fine if it happens, but no way do I start rooting for FSU.

Looks good now, tough row ahead. I'm mostly hoping for fun to watch and expecting some losses, but I think we have a better than 0.6% chance - maybe not much, but better.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/colleg ... tions-odds


"Chance of winning out: 0.6 percent"

[Vrede too]

Looks good now, tough row ahead. I'm mostly hoping for fun to watch and expecting some losses, but I think we have a better than 0.6% chance - maybe not much, but better.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/colleg ... tions-odds

"Chance of winning out: 0.6 percent"

Could be worse.

No. 15/16 Cal Golden Bears 4-0

Wins: UC Davis, Washington, North Texas, Ole Miss
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Arizona State (Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Undefeated after Week 5: No

No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers 4-0

Wins: Pitt, William and Mary, Florida State, Old Dominion
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Undefeated after Week 5: No

Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-0

Wins: South Dakota State, Fresno State, Georgia Southern
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Purdue (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Undefeated after Week 5: Yes

Chance that 0.0 percent chance is accurate: 0.1 percent

C'mon, even the Iowa Hawkeyes got 0.1 percent (1 in 1000). There’s probably a 1 in 1000 chance that Nick Saban and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) will be caught having sex on the Bryant–Denny Stadium field Friday night. Go Goldens! Otoh, these are accurate because I want them to be :

No. 24/22 Kansas State Wildcats 3-0

Wins: Nicholls, Bowling Green, Mississippi State
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Oklahoma State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Undefeated after Week 5: No

Baylor Bears 3-0

Wins: Stephen F. Austin, UTSA, Rice
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Iowa State (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Undefeated after Week 5: No

Navy Midshipmen 2-0

Wins: Holy Cross, East Carolina
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Memphis (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Undefeated after Week 5: No

UAB Blazers 3-0

Wins: Alabama State, Akron, South Alabama
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Western Kentucky (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Undefeated after Week 5: Yes

Wake Forest Demon Deacons 4-0

Wins: Utah State, Rice, North Carolina, Elon
Chance of winning out: 0.0 percent
Week 5 game: Boston College (3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN)
Undefeated after Week 5: Yes

No. 16/15 Boise State Broncos 4-0

Wins: Florida State, Marshall, Portland State, Air Force
Chance of winning out: 13.4 percent
Week 5 game: Bye
Undefeated after Week 5: Yes (duh)

Playoffs! (duh)

Appalachian State Mountaineers 3-0

Wins: East Tennessee State, Charlotte, North Carolina
Chance of winning out: 1.0 percent
Week 5 game: Coastal Carolina (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Undefeated after Week 5: Yes

Don’t ever pick against the Mountaineers, unless you really have to. And even then, sometimes they pull off a wild upset.

Playoffs!

[Vrede too]

Final spreads.

Go:

@Maryland +6 +6.5 (12)Penn St, Fri 09/27 08:00 PM, I know that it will work this time .
@(15)California (4-0) -4.5 Arizona St, Fri 09/27 10:30 PM, playoffs baby.
@N. Carolina +25.5 +26.5 (1)Clemson, just like Nov 2020 Blue > Orange.
@(17)Washington -9.5 -10 (21)USC, knock it back out of the rankings.
@(10)Notre Dame -11 -12.5 (18)Virginia (4-0). Not sure about this one, an unbeaten Virginia trouncing Clemson in the ACC championship would be a beautiful thing. I may let the final Vegas swing, no matter how small, decide for me. Opinions?
@Oklahoma St -4 (24)Kansas St, knock it back out of the rankings.
Mississippi St +10.5 @(7)Auburn. Could happen.
Connecticut +42 +43.5 @(22)UCF, won't run up the score like SEC teams do .
Washington St +6 +5 @(19)Utah, knock it out of the rankings.

Back down to 2 games between ranked opponents and only five games with a single digit spread .

[Vrede too]

Go:

@Maryland +6.5 (12)Penn St, Fri 09/27 08:00 PM, I know that it will work this time .

UGLY! I quit watching in the 1st half. Oh well, next decade. 11 of 19 chose PSU, coulda been worse.

Otoh, Duke > Virginia Tech 45-10. Not a pool game since neither team is ranked yet.

[Vrede too]

http://www.blueridgedebate.com/forum/vi ... 83#p102183

Go:

@(15)California (4-0) -4.5 Arizona St, Fri 09/27 10:30 PM, playoffs baby.

Crap, there goes the undefeated season. All Pac 12 teams have 1 or more losses, no playoffs for any of them?

Luckily, only 4 in our pool picked Arizona St. Just one player is 2-0, 13 are 1-1, and 5 of us are 0-2.

[Vrede too]

Arkansas has a LB named Bumper Pool. There's no indication that it's a nickname rather than his given name.

[O Really]

Arkansas has a LB named Bumper Pool. There's no indication that it's a nickname rather than his given name.

Of course they do. Because Arkansas.

[billy.pilgrim]

Arkansas has a LB named Bumper Pool. There's no indication that it's a nickname rather than his given name.

Of course they do. Because Arkansas.

Not a bad name for a white boy from Texas

https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/bumper-pool/

[billy.pilgrim]

My top 3 picks for today's afternoon games

Towson, the Colonel Rebel Brown Bear Land Sharks and the Tar Heeled Rammin Goats

Go Heels

[O Really]

My top 3 picks for today's afternoon games
...

Go Heels

Nice sentiment, but I warn you, they'll break your heart. Because that's what they do.

[billy.pilgrim]

My top 3 picks for today's afternoon games
...

Go Heels

Nice sentiment, but I warn you, they'll break your heart. Because that's what they do.

Some of Auburn's underdog years are the most memorable and a win as an underdog is always great fun.

Punt Bama Punt was a great game

https://youtu.be/npNSCkOPPNg

[Vrede too]

My top 3 picks for today's afternoon games
...

Go Heels

Nice sentiment, but I warn you, they'll break your heart. Because that's what they do.

Go 'Heels +26.5. 14 out of 19 picked Clemson, my biggest oddball pick of the day.

@(9)Florida vs Towson is offline for us, so an upset would be hilarious.

Not sure who "Colonel Rebel Brown Bear Land Sharks" is - Mississippi vs @(2)Alabama? Good luck, the spread is 37.5. 13 out of 19 picked Alabama, tied for my 2nd biggest oddball pick of the day with Mississippi St +10.5 @(7)Auburn.

(23)Texas A&M barely beat 23 point underdog @Arkansas by 4 thanks to a 4th down dropped pass at the goal line. Clemson's sole "quality" win is looking worse and worse.

I'm doing poorly. 2-4, one away from the cellar, 3 out of the lead. Not out of the money yet, but . . .

Edit: First blood, plus a Clemson missed FG, UNC up 7-0. We win the first twelfth!

[billy.pilgrim]

Billiwiki says, The ol miss rebels tried to change their mascot from a southern colonel to a brown bear and their football team calls themselves the land sharks.
I don't know their cheer, but the fans do bring their best china, crystal and silverware to the tailgate.

The other wiki says,
"In 2003, the school's mascot, Colonel Reb, was discontinued from official participation in athletic events by the school.[39] The school solicited ideas to replace Colonel Reb, but after an exceedingly lackluster response, decided to go without a mascot. An unofficial Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in The Grove, Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games. In 2010, the university began its plan to phase out the use of Colonel Reb on official merchandise such as hats and shirts. The university has reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as a historical mark of the university.[40] On October 14, 2010, it was announced that students, alumni and season ticket holders at the university had picked Rebel Black Bear as their new mascot.[41][42] The announcement was the result of a campus-wide vote in February and months of polling. The bear beat out two other finalists, the Rebel Land Shark and something called the "Hotty Toddy," an attempt to personify the school cheer.

[Vrede too]

... the fans do bring their best china, crystal and silverware to the tailgate.

So, their sturdier paper plates and plastic utensils?

[billy.pilgrim]

... the fans do bring their best china, crystal and silverware to the tailgate.

So, their sturdier paper plates and plastic utensils?

Wiki

Ole Miss students generally dress in their Sunday best: Men wear slacks, button-up shirts, bow ties, Sperry Top Siders, and coats while women wear cocktail dresses or brightly colored sundresses and high heel shoes. Some older fans also dress in this style.[1]

Many tents are set up with fine kitchenware, with lots of lace and designer doilies, fine china, chandeliers, sterling silver or silver-plated candelabras and sterling silver or silver-plated utensils along with chandeliers in some tents. Much of the food is laid out on table cloths in sterling silver or silver-plated servers.[1]

[billy.pilgrim]

Clemson looks beatable

Go Heels

[Vrede too]

Clemson looks beatable

Go Heels

Florida has been lulled into complacency and Towson is primed for a comeback.

Go Huskies!

[Vrede too]

Clemson looks beatable

Go Heels

So close.

If Clemson stays #1 it's BS. It should drop below all undefeated top 10 teams.