OT: D1

[IUP24]

Good on Sean McDonough for advocating for SMU throughout the night. I’m sure his bosses and a number of his colleagues didn’t like it. The result of that game was the exact scenario needed to keep Alabama out. Hopefully the committee has the stones to do it.

Penn State gave it a heck of a shot. James Franklin takes grief for not winning the big games and it’s justified, but I think Drew Allar is holding this particular PSU team back from being elite moreso than Franklin. He’s just not accurate and consistent enough to justify his five star hype.

I was surprised Penn State scored enough to remain within striking distance all game. I think Oregon is really, really good up front on both sides of the ball. Ultimately, I think that was the difference.

Amazing how young Dan Lanning is. He’s really got them rolling.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Wild theory and thought that I am convincing myself may actually happen…

I think Indiana is going to be the odd man out.

There is massive campaigning happening across college football which includes many coaches and the sports media on SMU’s behalf. Every person is saying the same general message, and that is that they should not be punished for losing in a conference championship game. If SMU gets left out, coaches will riot and many will refuse to play conference championship games moving forward. Considering the money the NCAA has tied up in conference championship weekend, they will do everything they can to protect that cash cow. That would be a dangerous precedent to set if they boot a team because they played in a conference title game.

The committee wants Alabama in the playoff for a lot of external reasons. And they’ll get in. SMU and Indiana would be a wash. Neither are a ratings draw. Neither are blue bloods. And in terms of the resume arguments, SMU and Indiana are the only two ever thoroughly discussed by the masses. Because neither have name recognition, they are the ones who are scrutinized.

It is easier to try to spin how Alabama, who entered the week ranked 11 in the CFP rankings, leapfrogged Indiana while they were both idle than it would be to explain how a team ranked 8th at 11-1 (ranked ahead of both IU and Bama) dropped out because they lost their conference championship game. I would be interested to see how they spun that after the field was set, but I’m talking myself into thinking it could happen. Indiana was beaten one team with a winning record. It will be easy for them to say, “Alabama’s full body of work was better against some stiffer competition.”

Anyways, I bet 25 bucks at +6000 last night that Bama wins the national championship.

Coaches will riot and refuse to play in future conferences title games because of what (may) happen to SMU in 2024?


LOL. Good luck with that.

Sounds good on the talk shows. Obviously that would NEVER happen.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Big Game James is now 1-14 against the Top 5.

[IUP24]

Coaches will riot and refuse to play in future conferences title games because of what (may) happen to SMU in 2024?


LOL. Good luck with that.

Sounds good on the talk shows. Obviously that would NEVER happen.

You are a shill for the big programs and the big conferences. Lol

Lane Kiffin literally talked about this 2 weeks ago. You have said it yourself that the NCAA cares about money more than anything. If they think something is bad for protection of their product, they’ll do what’s necessary. They would rather leave Indiana at home than jeopardize the future of conference championship weekend.

Do I think this really happens? No. But to think they are not thinking about the dangerous precedent this could set…

[IUPbigINDIANS]

You are a shill for the big programs and the big conferences. Lol

Lane Kiffin literally talked about this 2 weeks ago. You have said it yourself that the NCAA cares about money more than anything. If they think something is bad for protection of their product, they’ll do what’s necessary. They would rather leave Indiana at home than jeopardize the future of conference championship weekend.

Do I think this really happens? No. But to think they are not thinking about the dangerous precedent this could set…

These coaches ultimately work for the pimp. The first time a James Franklin declines going to the Big title game in order to make a point ... well, it will never, ever happen.

For starters, he'd lose his job. The school would be fined out the a$$. The fan base would go crazy. The list goes on.

All this drama is actually 'good' for the sport. Remember that. Controversy is good for business.

Only 12 are going to the Prom. There will always be an SMU in spot 13.

I certainly think SMU is worthy. Alabama is best for business. We'll see which the pimp chooses here soon enough

[Chuck Norris]

Earlier this season I was critical of the decision to go for two in an attempt to cut an 8 point lead to 6. I’ll admit my ignorance in not being aware that this was a new trend in analytics. With my eyes now opened to this, I have seen this strategy employed with some frequency as this season has gone along and I can say confidently that I personally have not seen it pay off a single time. Last night Penn State attempted it, and failed, but the game never reached a point where that decision made a difference. If it had, they would’ve been faced with a do or die 2 point attempt rather than having the choice to tie or win at the end.

I don’t consider myself anti-analytics, but I’m going to go ahead and declare that the nerds got this one wrong.

*steps down from soapbox

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Earlier this season I was critical of the decision to go for two in an attempt to cut an 8 point lead to 6. I’ll admit my ignorance in not being aware that this was a new trend in analytics. With my eyes now opened to this, I have seen this strategy employed with some frequency as this season has gone along and I can say confidently that I personally have not seen it pay off a single time. Last night Penn State attempted it, and failed, but the game never reached a point where that decision made a difference. If it had, they would’ve been faced with a do or die 2 point attempt rather than having the choice to tie or win at the end.

I don’t consider myself anti-analytics, but I’m going to go ahead and declare that the nerds got this one wrong.

*steps down from soapbox

The NFL is hitting 31 percent of two-piont attempts.

NCAA is hitting about 41 percent.

Interpret those as you will. But, those are the success rates this year.

The nerd theory is all the buzz this year - for better or worse.

[IUP24]

These coaches ultimately work for the pimp. The first time a James Franklin declines going to the Big title game in order to make a point ... well, it will never, ever happen.

For starters, he'd lose his job. The school would be fined out the a$$. The fan base would go crazy. The list goes on.

All this drama is actually 'good' for the sport. Remember that. Controversy is good for business.

Only 12 are going to the Prom. There will always be an SMU in spot 13.

I certainly think SMU is worthy. Alabama is best for business. We'll see which the pimp chooses here soon enough

Rhett Rashlee works for the same pimp.

He said last night about the state of his team after the game: “Their faith in the system is, for good reason, shaken right now. They’re wondering if the fix is in.”

A few hours earlier, the coach for a football team that hasn’t beaten more than one team with a winning record was on CBS complaining about how his team may not get a home game.

Who is more deserving out of those two? I get Bama is good for business, and I bet they are in. I’m not suggesting that this will happen, but I think you are incorrect to assume the NCAA isn’t thinking about this. They already set precedent for maneuvering and manufacturing what they wanted by leaving FSU out last year due to Jordan Travis’ injury.

Will this happen? Likely no. But there’s a better than zero chance.

[Chuck Norris]

I’m going to be naive and predict that Alabama does indeed get left out. Is this tournament really going to be lacking in “brand power” without them? You’ll still have Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Tennessee, and Oregon. Now if we end up, for instance, with an Arizona State-SMU semifinal, then you better believe that won’t be allowed to happen again going forward, but short of that, every game in this tournament is likely going to have at least one big brand in it. And I wouldn’t underestimate the hit that Saban being gone gives to Alabama’s cache.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I’m going to be naive and predict that Alabama does indeed get left out. Is this tournament really going to be lacking in “brand power” without them? You’ll still have Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Tennessee, and Oregon. Now if we end up, for instance, with an Arizona State-SMU semifinal, then you better believe that won’t be allowed to happen again going forward, but short of that, every game in this tournament is likely going to have at least one big brand in it. And I wouldn’t underestimate the hit that Saban being gone gives to Alabama’s cache.

I’m with you. I think Bama is going to be left out. I’ve gone through it a bunch of times in my mind and I think it’s more realistic that Bama is left out than Indiana because you have two teams that were idle, but one of them has three losses. If Indiana had a second loss, they’d put Bama in. I really believe SMU is safe. It would be an awful precedent to set by putting a three loss idle team in over a two loss team that lost in its conference championship game. I like SMU’s resume, and let’s not forget ALABAMA LOST TO VANDERBILT. There should be a price to pay for that.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Alabama is ahead of SMU in today's AP Top 25.

We'll see what weight that carries.

I read it as setting the stage. Now the committee can say they took the higher ranked team.

[iupgroundhog]

The NFL is hitting 31 percent of two-piont attempts.

NCAA is hitting about 41 percent.

Interpret those as you will. But, those are the success rates this year.

The nerd theory is all the buzz this year - for better or worse.

I agree with Mr. (Chuck) Norris on this. First of all, if the % in the NCAA is 41%, as you say, that means not making it 3 out of 5 times, while a 1 pt. attempt is probably 95% or more at that level. The reality is, for that particular situation in a game between PSU and Oregon, the % is likely much less. The reality is that PSU had a 0% success rate.

I guess I'm a traditionalist but to me kicking that 1 pt. XP was a no-brainer at that point in the game. Had the score been 45-38 in the end, PSU would have been in a much stronger position to tie it up and force OT.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I agree with Mr. (Chuck) Norris on this. First of all, if the % in the NCAA is 41%, as you say, that means not making it 3 out of 5 times, while a 1 pt. attempt is probably 95% or more at that level. The reality is, for that particular situation in a game between PSU and Oregon, the % is likely much less. The reality is that PSU had a 0% success rate.

I guess I'm a traditionalist but to me kicking that 1 pt. XP was a no-brainer at that point in the game. Had the score been 45-38 in the end, PSU would have been in a much stronger position to tie it up and force OT.

Penn State also missed a very makable field goal earlier in the game that would have changed some things down the stretch. I think they would have made the extra point (they’re 52/53 on the year) and agree they should have just done that. Going forward though, the best teams have elite kickers and Penn State doesn’t. The two kickers have combined to hit just 70%, and they’re only 5/10 from 40 yards or more. That’s not nearly good enough and you have to ask yourself, how does a team like Penn State not have an elite kicker? Clemson got in because their guy hit a 56 yarder to win it. Penn State has no prayer in that situation.

[Chuck Norris]

After 15 minutes of talking head ramble, I’m feeling like I’m wrong. Bama is getting in.

[IUP24]

Good on the committee for putting SMU in the field.