Any chance ND gets snubbed? Final 4 prediction

[BCJacket]

I think Dabo agreed with Kelly.

I think everyone agreed with Kelly.... committee included.

Well, insofar as the statement of the Rose Bowl should allow families at least or the game should be moved. But Dabo never said, suggested, or implied Clemson wouldn't accept an invite. He just said it didn't make sense (if Covid is the concern) for two teams to travel across the country to play in an empty stadium. Never suggested his team might decline a CFP invite (which is the ridiculous part of Kelly's comments).

 

[FredJacket]

Well, insofar as the statement of the Rose Bowl should allow families at least or the game should be moved. But Dabo never said, suggested, or implied Clemson wouldn't accept an invite. He just said it didn't make sense (if Covid is the concern) for two teams to travel across the country to play in an empty stadium. Never suggested his team might decline a CFP invite (which is the ridiculous part of Kelly's comments).

Its water under the bridge now... but Kelly made it clear, he was speaking for his players. I take him at his word... that as of the middle of the week, his team was seriously considering not playing if families could not attend. It may seem ridiculous to others... but I doubt he'd attribute that to his team if it weren't true.

 

[slugboy]

I expect no big surprise today.
Alabama v ND
Clemson v OSU

The problem is the same we have most years. More than 4 teams have "legit" resumes to be included. So... you do end up with 4 great teams to play the "tournament"... but the debates rage on. 130 teams only playing 12 games (fewer this year) isn't enough to really be able to break out the BEST 4. This year involved zero inter-conference play making that problem even worse... for head to heads or opponents of opponent comparisons.

When it was two teams, we second guessed the second spot. With four teams, we argue who deserves the four seed, and maybe the three seed. In the NCAA tournament, the controversy is mostly around the last four to eight in, out of 68 (was 64).
Expanding to eight or sixteen moves the controversy out a bit, but it never goes away

 

[orientalnc]

I expect no big surprise today.
Alabama v ND
Clemson v OSU

This is what I would bet on if I were betting. If it was a certainty, there would be no one to bet against.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

When it was two teams, we second guessed the second spot. With four teams, we argue who deserves the four seed, and maybe the three seed. In the NCAA tournament, the controversy is mostly around the last four to eight in, out of 68 (was 64).
Expanding to eight or sixteen moves the controversy out a bit, but it never goes away

Having eight is the next logical progression (2, 4, 8). And I'd make the first game at the higher seed's home stadium. There should be an advantage of a better regular season. It would have especially made sense this year given the lack of games.

 

[orientalnc]

Watching the SEC game last night made me aware that offenses have completely overrun defenses right now. I am not sure of the reasons, but talent is certainly one of them. The other is the paucity of holding calls. I used to hear refs could call holding on every pass play and most of the runs. Now you almost never see it. Another is the hurry up offense that prevents defensive signal changes or substitutions. Am I missing something?

 

[FredJacket]

Watching the SEC game last night made me aware that offenses have completely overrun defenses right now. I am not sure of the reasons, but talent is certainly one of them. The other is the paucity of holding calls. I used to hear refs could call holding on every pass play and most of the runs. Now you almost never see it. Another is the hurry up offense that prevents defensive signal changes or substitutions. Am I missing something?

Defensive penalties (particularly QB late hits & those on pass plays) keep drives alive.

 

[Oakland]

I hope ND gets the 4th spot. The only reason is GT would get 1/15 of the $12M payout for each participant. We can certainly use the $800K.

As I mentioned in another post, I don't care for Notre Dame and I've really gotten to the point that I don't like Clemson either, but I agree with this. We need the money. Myself being a college football fan, the CFP is starting to get boring with the same teams every year. If Cincinnati could somehow get a bid that would make it interesting. I'm sure pandemic year television money will be a factor which keeps Cincinnati out.

 

[Jk8Fan]

Defensive penalties (particularly QB late hits & those on pass plays) keep drives alive.

Yep. Like the late hit call in the Pitt game.

Holding is called so inconsistently now along the LOS that when it is called it makes it look like referee bias.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Defensive penalties (particularly QB late hits & those on pass plays) keep drives alive.

Lack of cut blocks, no blindside blocks, targeting for making plays, etc. This is not the football of old.

 

[FredJacket]

As I mentioned in another post, I don't care for Notre Dame and I've really gotten to the point that I don't like Clemson either, but I agree with this. We need the money. Myself being a college football fan, the CFP is starting to get boring with the same teams every year. If Cincinnati could somehow get a bid that would make it interesting. I'm sure pandemic year television money will be a factor which keeps Cincinnati out.

We're all going to be huge Cincy fans very soon. They are going to spank UGA in Atlanta on 1/1.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Its water under the bridge now... but Kelly made it clear, he was speaking for his players. I take him at his word... that as of the middle of the week, his team was seriously considering not playing if families could not attend. It may seem ridiculous to others... but I doubt he'd attribute that to his team if it weren't true.

The Rose Bowl will be played in Texas this year and not California. F California, what a bunch of idiots. Last person out, please turn off the lights...if PG&E hasn’t shut power off for rolling blackouts already.

 

[orientalnc]

I'm sure pandemic year television money will be a factor which keeps Cincinnati out.

Curiosity question. Isn't the TV money already contracted? I know ESPN wants the audience, but I did not think they add a voice in team selection. If Coastal Carolina and North Dakota State got in more than once that would definitely be an audience hit. My guess is that undefeated Cincy vs. undefeated Alabama would be a good TV audience the 1st year and, if Cincy played well, a great audience in the 2nd. People love to watch upsets. That is why the Bama-Florida game was so much fun in the 2nd half.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Curiosity question. Isn't the TV money already contracted? I know ESPN wants the audience, but I did not think they add a voice in team selection. If Coastal Carolina and North Dakota State got in more than once that would definitely be an audience hit. My guess is that undefeated Cincy vs. undefeated Alabama would be a good TV audience the 1st year and, if Cincy played well, a great audience in the 2nd. People love to watch upsets. That is why the Bama-Florida game was so much fun in the 2nd half.

The front end money may be contracted, but not the back end (advertising), prices of which will be driven based on expected ratings.

 

[smokey_wasp]

ND is out, IMO. They just played a playoff team and got destroyed. Clemson, Bama, A and M, OSU is most likely.

 

[orientalnc]

A&M has a case to make, but their only good win is a 3-point game with Florida. Then there is that huge loss to Bama. I do not think you can state emphatically that A&M is one of the top four teams. Ans, without winning their division, that is something that should not be a question. ND at least can say they won the regular season ACC championship.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

11-0 Alabama, 11-0 Coastal Carolina, 10-1 Clemson, 9-0 Cincinnati. Covers all the undefeated teams who played their schedules, and those with the most wins. Only exception is ND with 10 wins, but they lose twice if they play Clemson with Trevor Lawrence both times.

 

[Tadams6599]

I think Clemson is taking the cake this year, big ten bent over backwards to get Ohio state in. It should just be acc vs sec bama vs nd and Clemson vs a&m. They all played respectively about 5 more games and endured the grind more than the weak 10

 

[Deleted member 2897]

I think Clemson is taking the cake this year, big ten bent over backwards to get Ohio state in. It should just be acc vs sec bama vs nd and Clemson vs a&m. They all played respectively about 5 more games and endured the grind more than the weak 10

Ohio State played half a season. Imagine how much more healthy a team is if they only play 6 games instead of 11.......AND you had 3 weeks of in between those few games.

 

[Dress2Jacket]

Having eight is the next logical progression (2, 4, 8). And I'd make the first game at the higher seed's home stadium. There should be an advantage of a better regular season. It would have especially made sense this year given the lack of games.

With conference championship games, you've already got something of a play-in. I genuinely hate the CFB playoffs. I don't *need* a playoff or even want a playoff. From a pure entertainment perspective, polls creating the final rankings gives us MUCH more to talk about for years than a playoff does. The playoff is a simple money grab by the NCAA and the P5 conferences which comes at the expense of the players, just as going from 10-11-12 games in the regular season, plus preseason games, plus conference championship games. It is all about the bucks. We're turning this thing into Pro football and I'm 100% against that. Once you add in spring football, 7/7's in the summer, camps, and the like, it is too much for a college student. Which is why places like Alabama are pro football teams masquerading as college teams. The college/amateur part is in name only. It ain't real.