OT: D1

[IUPNation]

I'm hoping or a Penn State - Indiana semifinal matchup. I think Penn State sits in a favorable position in this field.

They drew a favorable bracket as long as their coach doesn’t blow it.

[Ship69]

I don’t have an issue with it but it feels like Boise and Arizona State getting them isn’t going to sit well.

for all the hand wringing leading up to the reveal, it’s a good field and should be fun to watch. There’s always going to be controversy/debate about the last spot.

I dunno, from what I saw of the ACC I think Boise and ASU have as much a claim to those spots as they do. Win your playoff games, and you'll probably get more respect in the future. At least all the top leagues have a representative, and they'll decide it on the field. It's a big improvement from the four-team drama, and we won't be seeing the same half-dozen teams in the playoff every year.

[Chuck Norris]

I think Conference Champions getting a bye is fine. Boo hoo hoo runner ups…win your games.

I mean it’s all neutral field after round 1 so there is no home field advantages going forward.

I don’t have an issue with it but it feels like Boise and Arizona State getting them isn’t going to sit well.

for all the hand wringing leading up to the reveal, it’s a good field and should be fun to watch. There’s always going to be controversy/debate about the last spot.

[iupgroundhog]

I think Conference Champions getting a bye is fine. Boo hoo hoo runner ups…win your games.

I mean it’s all neutral field after round 1 so there is no home field advantages going forward.

I'm hoping for a Penn State - Indiana semifinal matchup. I think Penn State sits in a favorable position in this field.

[IUPNation]

I’d guess the first tweek to the format will be not reserving the first round byes only for conference champions and giving them to the top 4 teams. I couldn’t hear all the talk because my kids were going nuts but I thought I heard Rece Davis call for it.

I think Conference Champions getting a bye is fine. Boo hoo hoo runner ups…win your games.

I mean it’s all neutral field after round 1 so there is no home field advantages going forward.

[Chuck Norris]

I’d guess the first tweek to the format will be not reserving the first round byes only for conference champions and giving them to the top 4 teams. I couldn’t hear all the talk because my kids were going nuts but I thought I heard Rece Davis call for it.

[IUPNation]

So Alabamastan got sent packing. Thank Goodness.

SMU heads to Happy Valley for the Sanction Survivors Bowl. I wonder if Craig James and the 42 year old chip on his shoulder will attend. Winner faces Boise State.

Cignetti Mafia at Real Notre Dame…that will have a great crowd.

Conference Title games matter. As they should.

[Chuck Norris]

SMU made it.

[IUP24]

Good on the committee for putting SMU in the field.

[Chuck Norris]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.