2012 College Football

[guru]

That didn't take long. It's only fitting that he leaned at the finish line, err goal line, when he got to the end zone.

Impressive. Thomas(10.57/21.35) 94 yards in full football gear +/- 10 seconds(clock read 14:50 when he crossed the goal line). ESPN "clocked" him in 26.03 MPH(I'd sure like to know how they came up with THAT lol).

[jazzcyclist]

ESPN "clocked" him in 26.03 MPH(I'd sure like to know how they came up with THAT lol).

I saw that and immediately called bullshit.

[jazzcyclist]

The Fiesta Bowl featured three tributes to track and field last night. I mentioned two of them on the previous page. True track fans should be able to recognize the third in this Fiesta Bowl promo by Modern Family's Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8799274

[Marlow]

As far Florida State, they let Northern Illinois hang around much longer than they should have, and they didn't look like a top ten team IMO.

Almost all decent teams can hang with anyone for a half, but then speed and depth start to tell. Even Florida actually did mount a comeback, but far too little, far too late.

[jazzcyclist]

As far Florida State, they let Northern Illinois hang around much longer than they should have, and they didn't look like a top ten team IMO.

Almost all decent teams can hang with anyone for a half, but then speed and depth start to tell. Even Florida actually did mount a comeback, but far too little, far too late.

A much better and undefeated Hawaii team couldn't hang with Georgia for a half in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Iowa, who finshed second to last in the Big 10, is the only AQ-coonference team Northern Illinois played all year, and they lost to them.

[lonewolf]

Question for the rules mavens:

If the ball carrier stays inbounds, does the football have to cross the goal line within the sidelines to count as a TD or is it sufficient if it crosses the extended goal line.

Inquiry prompted by Johnny Football's first touchdown tonight in the Cotton Bowl.. as he neared the goal line running down the left sideline, he switched the ball to his left hand and skipped into the end zone with left arm extended.. I have not seen a replay from that angle but my immediate impression was that the ball was outside the end zone side line when it crossed the extended goal line.
Not that one touchdown would have made any difference.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Question for the rules mavens: If the ball carrier stays inbounds, does the football have to cross the goal line within the sidelines to count as a TD or is it sufficient if it crosses the extended goal line.

If a receiver catches the ball in the end-zone, he only needs to get a foot down to score a TD. So, I'm guessing same holds true for a runner.

[lonewolf]

Question for the rules mavens: If the ball carrier stays inbounds, does the football have to cross the goal line within the sidelines to count as a TD or is it sufficient if it crosses the extended goal line.

If a receiver catches the ball in the end-zone, he only needs to get a foot down to score a TD. So, I'm guessing same holds true for a runner.

True, but in that case the ball would have crossed the goal line within the side lines.

[Blues]

Question for the rules mavens: If the ball carrier stays inbounds, does the football have to cross the goal line within the sidelines to count as a TD or is it sufficient if it crosses the extended goal line.

If a receiver catches the ball in the end-zone, he only needs to get a foot down to score a TD. So, I'm guessing same holds true for a runner.

True, but in that case the ball would have crossed the goal line within the side lines.

Even if the ball crosses outside the pylon, it's a touchdown if the ball carrier touches the end zone or goal line in bounds.. Rule 8, section 2 in the NCAA rules linked to below. Good examples are given in the later Interpretations section under Rule 8, section 2, and parts VI and VII apply to this scenario.

As stated in the rules:

A touchdown shall be scored when:

a. A ball carrier advancing from the field of play has possession of a live ball when it penetrates the plane of the opponent’s goal line. This plane extends beyond the pylons only for a player who touches the ground in the end zone or a pylon. (A.R. 2-23-1-I and A.R. 8-2-1-I-IX).

http://www.ncaapublications.com/product ... s/FR13.pdf

[lonewolf]

That is the answer. Thank you, Blues.

[Tuariki]

Rules, no rules. Who cares, Johnny Football is certainly the real deal.

Reminded me of Tiny Tim tiptoe-ing through the tulips.

[lonewolf]

Rules, no rules. Who cares, Johnny Football is certainly the real deal. .

Yep, he made a believer out of me.

[jazzcyclist]

Matchups and timing mean everything. The same Florida defense that got carved up by Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater shut down Johnny Manziel and Georgia's Arron Murray.

[guru]

Matchups and timing mean everything.

I'm not sure it was matchups or timing. You had a coach(Strong) who was extremely motivated after being passed over for the Florida job, despite the fact he was already on the staff at the time, while his team was prepared to go through hell for him after he turned down Tennessee to stay at Louisville. Then you had a Florida team that had been told for a month all they had to do was show up and the game would be over. The outcome was predictable.

[jazzcyclist]

Matchups and timing mean everything.

I'm not sure it was matchups or timing. You had a coach(Strong) who was extremely motivated after being passed over for the Florida job, despite the fact he was already on the staff at the time, while his team was prepared to go through hell for him after he turned down Tennessee to stay at Louisville.

Yeah, but Strong was just coaching, not playing.

Then you had a Florida team that had been told for a month all they had to do was show up and the game would be over. The outcome was predictable.

That sounds very similar to what the Florida State team had been hearing for a month. Was that outcome predictable too?

EDIT: FYI, according to the Vegas wise guys, Louisville's Orange Bowl win was the biggest upset in BCS history. TCU was favored over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and Boise State had a higher BCS ranking than Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

[Marlow]

Today's word is 'nightmare', as in what the Irish Faithful are experiencing as Bama exposes ND's glaring weaknesses. 28-0 at half. Wow.

[guru]

Thing is, if Ohio State AD Gene Smith had passed on the Gator Bowl last year as a self-imposed bowl ban, Bama wouldn't even be playing tonight. It's got to be killing Urban Meyer.

[jhc68]

Poof !!!
Has there been a worse rout in a game between #1 and #2 ranked teams?

[KevinM]

Poof !!!
Has there been a worse rout in a game between #1 and #2 ranked teams?

#1 Nebraska beat #2 Florida 62-24 in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.

[Marlow]

As much as I don't like Bama, I like that the insufferable ND fans got their comeuppance.
Watching the talking heads for the last coupla days, those that favored Bama acknowledged the seriousness of the task at hand. The ND fawners talked about the fact that Bama wouldn't even get a TD against the Irish D.

Time to reiterate the idea that the Bama team last night could have handled many pro teams of only 30 years ago. Just look at the size of the Bama O and D lines and the power of their RBs and tell me they couldn't be effective back then.

[guru]

Time to reiterate the idea that the Bama team last night could have handled many pro teams of only 30 years ago. Just look at the size of the Bama O and D lines and the power of their RBs and tell me they couldn't be effective back then.

And yet Johnny Football beat them, and Georgia came up just 5 yards short.

One more year until the playoffs

[Marlow]

And yet Johnny Football beat them, and Georgia came up just 5 yards short.
One more year until the playoffs

Everyone gets an off-game (and it took Johnny FOOTBALL to do it). I'll grant that ND was 'off' last night, but Bama was 'ON' (!) and would have handled TA&M last night.

The 4-team play-off won't settle all that much, because individual games are still about what 'breaks' you get (receivers bobbling passes that are intercepted, weird fumbles, untimely penalties, a missed tackle that leads to a TD, etc. - T'eo much?!) .

[Conor Dary]

Well that was sure fun last night. Glad to see ND get pounded, even though I dislike Alabama.
ND was so overrated with a fairly easy schedule and luck to boot. Should have lost to Stanford at home, barely beat BYU at home and met USC without their QB.

Oregon, Alabama would have been a much better pairing.

On to 2013!

[jazzcyclist]

Thing is, if Ohio State AD Gene Smith had passed on the Gator Bowl last year as a self-imposed bowl ban, Bama wouldn't even be playing tonight. It's got to be killing Urban Meyer.

I'm not so sure about that. Ohio State has weak computer rankings due to an unusually weak schedule.

[Conor Dary]

Thing is, if Ohio State AD Gene Smith had passed on the Gator Bowl last year as a self-imposed bowl ban, Bama wouldn't even be playing tonight. It's got to be killing Urban Meyer.

I'm not so sure about that. Ohio State has weak computer rankings due to an unusually weak schedule.

Yes, the Big 10 was a big suck this year. And remember ND barely beat Michigan who got pounded by Alabama back in September.

As for the computer rankings, which put ND first, ha...

This wasn't Catholics vs. Cousins as the souvenir T-shirts mocked. This was Men vs. Boys. Only the BCS computers looked worse than Notre Dame did. Has a 12-1 team ever been more exposed in a big game?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/co ... 297.column

[jazzcyclist]

Poof !!!
Has there been a worse rout in a game between #1 and #2 ranked teams?

2004 BCS Championship Game
USC 55 - Oklahoma 19

If the referees hadn't spotted Alabama a touchdown in the first quarter, the final score might have been 35-21, which is pretty close to what the Vegas wise guys were predicting. What really surprised me was Notre Dame's poor tackling on plays on which their defensive front seven had seemingly blown up the play and were in position to tackle the running back for a loss. What had to have been frustrating for Kelly is that quite a few of these missed tackles happened on third down, which means that Alabama would have been forced to punt if the tackles were made.

The biggest discrepency I saw was in the secondary. Alabama's recievers were running wild and making McCarron's job easy whenever he needed to throw the ball. On the other hand, Notre Dame's recievers were covered all night, forcing Golson to throw into very tiny passing windows.

[jazzcyclist]

Thing is, if Ohio State AD Gene Smith had passed on the Gator Bowl last year as a self-imposed bowl ban, Bama wouldn't even be playing tonight. It's got to be killing Urban Meyer.

I'm not so sure about that. Ohio State has weak computer rankings due to an unusually weak schedule.

Yes, the Big 10 was a big suck this year. And remember ND barely beat Michigan who got pounded by Alabama back in September.

Notre Dame's defense dominated Michigan as thoroughly Alabama's defense did but at the beginning of the season they had no offense, which made their games close.

As for the computer rankings, which put ND first, ha...

This wasn't Catholics vs. Cousins as the souvenir T-shirts mocked. This was Men vs. Boys. Only the BCS computers looked worse than Notre Dame did. Has a 12-1 team ever been more exposed in a big game?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/co ... 297.column

Some folks have short memories. The general consensus at my workplace today is that LSU looked worse last year than Notre Dame last night. Then there's Nebraska in 2001, Oklahoma in 2004 and Ohio State in 2006.

[gh]

this was one of my classic "earthquake" games: the only satisfactory outcome would be for both teams to run into the stadium, a 10.0 temblor rips the field asunder and swallow both, and then an aftershock closes the hole back up. ahhh......

[Conor Dary]

this was one of my classic "earthquake" games: the only satisfactory outcome would be for both teams to run into the stadium, a 10.0 temblor rips the field asunder and swallow both, and then an aftershock closes the hole back up. ahhh......

Well, yes, that would have been nice...but I got the next best thing....ho, ho...

[jazzcyclist]

Well that was sure fun last night. Glad to see ND get pounded, even though I dislike Alabama.
ND was so overrated with a fairly easy schedule and luck to boot. Should have lost to Stanford at home, barely beat BYU at home and met USC without their QB.

Overrated? Easy schedule? Not by any objective measure. They started out the season unranked and only rose to #1 by default. Where else are you going to rank the only undefeated team? Notre Dame would have been on the outside looking in if Kansas State and Oregon hadn't pooped their pants.

As for their schedule, keep in mind that they were the only team in FBS that didn't have a single game against an FCS team or a non-AQ team. The week that Alabama played Western Kentucky, Notre Dame played Purdue. The week that Alabama played Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame played Michigan. And the week that Alabama played Western Carolina (FCS), Notre Dame played Wake Forest. One of the reasons the computers liked Notre Dame so much is that they didn't have any glorified scrimmages on their schedule.

Oregon, Alabama would have been a much better pairing.

Time and time again over the last five years, Oregon's basketball-on-grass has proven that it struggles with anyone who plays solid old-school defense.

[Conor Dary]

Oregon, Alabama would have been a much better pairing.

Time and time again over the last five years, Oregon's basketball-on-grass has proven that it struggles with anyone who plays solid old-school defense.

Such envy! If Oregon had had a field goal kicker, or at least one who had some practice during the season, they would have been there last night, pounding ND.

[jazzcyclist]

Oregon, Alabama would have been a much better pairing.

Time and time again over the last five years, Oregon's basketball-on-grass has proven that it struggles with anyone who plays solid old-school defense.

Such envy! If Oregon had had a field goal kicker, or at least one who had some practice during the season, they would have been there last night, pounding ND.

It was the field goal kicker that cost them last year against USC. Bobby Bowden learned a long time ago the hard way that having a good kicker is essential to playing college football at the highest level. Now Chip Kelly is learning that lesson too, but he he's not alone because I can assure you that Chris Petersen feels his pain.

[Conor Dary]

What a weird tale...though fitting for the place.

College football fans spent the season hearing in extensive detail the heartwarming tale of Manti Te’o, a heroic Notre Dame linebacker who lost his girlfriend to cancer and whose life and death inspired his gridiron exploits. Deadspin has an unbelievable report that the girlfriend is a hoax — she never existed, in any form. She was created either as part of a publicity stunt or, as Te’o claims and Notre Dame maintains, by hoaxsters duping Te’o. (The latter scenario, requiring the concoction of a full-blown relationship with a nonexistent woman, would be, to say the least, extremely hard to pull off.)

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... -fake.html

[dukehjsteve]

As Hamlet said, Something's rotten in Denmark.

[Pego]

I do not buy Te'o's "victimhood" for a moment. He acted like he lost his greatest thing on the planet (crying, praying...) as late as January, 4 months after the hoax was supposedly revealed. He may not have originated it, but he was a very willing participant.