2020 College Football Discussion and Pick 'Em Thread

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Week 16 games

Friday, December 18th

Conference USA Championship Game
UAB @ Marshall 7 PM EST CBSSN

MAC Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit, MI
Ball State vs Buffalo 7:30 PM EST ESPN

Pac 12 Championship Game
Oregon @ #15 USC 8 PM EST FOX

Saturday, December 19th

Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Field Stadium in Indianapolis, IN
#14 Northwestern vs #4 Ohio State Noon EST FOX

#5 Texas A&M @ Tennessee Noon EST ESPN

Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
#11 Oklahoma vs #7 Iowa State Noon EST ABC

Florida State @ Wake Forest Noon EST ACCN

Washington State @ Utah 1:30 PM EST FS1

Air Force @ Army 3 PM EST CBSSN

Sun Belt Championship Game
#19 Louisiana @ #13 Coastal Carolina 3:30 PM EST ESPN

#25 Missouri @ Mississippi State 3:30 PM EST SECN ALT

Ole Miss @ LSU 3:30 PM EST SECN

ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC
#3 Clemson vs #2 Notre Dame 4 PM EST ABC

Minnesota @ Wisconsin 4 PM EST BTN

Mountain West Championship Game at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV
Boise State vs San Jose State 4:15 PM EST FOX

Illinois @ Penn State 5:30 PM EST FS1

Michigan State @ Maryland 7:30 PM EST BTN

SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA
#1 Alabama vs #6 Florida 8 PM EST CBS

American Athletic Conference Championship Game
#24 Tulsa @ #8 Cincinnati 8 PM EST ABC

Stanford @ UCLA 8 PM EST ESPN2

Arizona State @ Oregon State 10:30 PM EST ESPN

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Arizona-Cal cancelled, so we are down to 25 games, worked itself out I guess.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Not a huge Auburn fan, but I don't see Hugh Freeze working out at a "Near Blue Blood" program. I really thought this was Napier's big shot (after South Carolina was similarly tailor-made for him...) I think this is going to be an ugly marriage if it goes through. At least keep your program respectable 'til Saban leaves the state so you can take the big leap...

[NewYorkExpress]

Marshall
Buffalo
Indiana
USC

Northwestern (Calling for playoff chaos here)
Texas A&M
Iowa State (if chaos happens, could Iowa State sneak into the playoff?)
Georgia
Wake Forest
Utah
Army
Coastal Carolina
Missouri
LSU
Notre Dame
Wisconsin
Boise State
Iowa
Maryland
Florida (Playoff chaos)
Tulsa (Playoff chaos)
UCLA
Colorado
Arizona State

[Santander]

Iowa State (if chaos happens, could Iowa State sneak into the playoff?)

Iowa State doesn't even have a case for being the best program in their state, let alone the country. Iowa State lost by 17 to a Sun Belt team, which is just unacceptable. How the CFP has them ranked so highly is beyond me.

[Dereich]

Week 16 games

UAB @ Marshall 7 PM EST CBSSN

Ball State vs Buffalo 7:30 PM EST ESPN

Purdue @ Indiana 7:30 PM EST BTN

Washington @ #15 USC 8 PM EST FOX

Oregon @ #15 USC  8 PM EST FOX

#14 Northwestern vs #4 Ohio State Noon EST FOX  Northwestern gets to be America's Team this week

"#5" Texas A&M @ Tennessee Noon EST ESPN

#11 Oklahoma vs #7 Iowa State Noon EST ABC

Vanderbilt @ "#9" Georgia Noon EST SECN

Florida State @ Wake Forest Noon EST ACCN

Washington State @ Utah 1:30 PM EST FS1

Air Force @ Army 3 PM EST CBSSN

#19 Louisiana @ #13 Coastal Carolina 3:30 PM EST ESPN

#25 Missouri @ Mississippi State 3:30 PM EST SECN ALT

Ole Miss @ LSU 3:30 PM EST SECN

#3 Clemson vs #2 Notre Dame 4 PM EST ABC

Minnesota @ Wisconsin 4 PM EST BTN

Boise State vs San Jose State 4:15 PM EST FOX

Illinois @ Penn State 5:30 PM EST FS1

Michigan @ Iowa 7 PM EST ESPN

Michigan State @ Maryland 7:30 PM EST BTN

#1 Alabama vs #6 Florida 8 PM EST CBS

#24 Tulsa @ #8 Cincinnati 8 PM EST ABC

Stanford @ UCLA 8 PM EST ESPN2

Oregon vs Colorado (At Los Angeles Coliseum) 9 PM EST FS1

Arizona State @ Oregon State 10:30 PM EST ESPN

[GeorgiaModerate]

Oregon replaces Washington in the Pac-12 title game.  How do we want to handle this in the pick'em?  My suggestion is to replace the current title game with it (Dereich and NY Express will need to re-pick).  Colorado-Oregon is removed from the list, obviously.

[NewYorkExpress]

Oregon replaces Washington in the Pac-12 title game.  How do we want to handle this in the pick'em?  My suggestion is to replace the current title game with it (Dereich and NY Express will need to re-pick).  Colorado-Oregon is removed from the list, obviously.

I'm inclined to pick USC over Oregon, so my pick wouldn't change.

[Donerail]

Week 16
UAB @ Marshall
Ball State vs Buffalo (put undefeated conference champ Buffalo in the playoff, who cares)
Purdue @ Indiana
Nebraska @ Rutgers
Washington @ #15 USC
Oregon @ #15 USC
Arizona @ Cal
#14 Northwestern vs #4 Ohio State
#5 Texas A&M @ Tennessee
#11 Oklahoma vs #7 Iowa State
Vanderbilt @ #9 Georgia
Florida State @ Wake Forest
Washington State @ Utah (Utah possibly the best unranked team in the country — unfortunate result of only playing a 5-game schedule and dropping a couple games they probably should've won)
Air Force @ Army
#19 Louisiana @ #13 Coastal Carolina
#25 Missouri @ Mississippi State
Ole Miss @ LSU
#3 Clemson vs #2 Notre Dame
Minnesota @ Wisconsin (Wisconsin another team in the Utah category)
Boise State vs San Jose State
Illinois @ Penn State
Michigan @ Iowa
Michigan State @ Maryland
#1 Alabama vs #6 Florida
#24 Tulsa @ #8 Cincinnati
Stanford @ UCLA
Oregon vs Colorado
Arizona State @ Oregon State

[Santander]

Northwestern gets to be America's Team this week

Florida, you mean.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Oregon replaces Washington in the Pac-12 title game.  How do we want to handle this in the pick'em?  My suggestion is to replace the current title game with it (Dereich and NY Express will need to re-pick).  Colorado-Oregon is removed from the list, obviously.

Yes, I will make sure to pm those who have picked as well

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Vanderbilt-Georgia cancelled

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Vanderbilt-Georgia cancelled

Mercifully for this team.  But, the bigger Vandy news is that we have hired a coach.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30521916/vanderbilt-names-clark-lea-new-head-football-coach

[NewYorkExpress]

Vanderbilt-Georgia cancelled

Mercifully for this team.  But, the bigger Vandy news is that we have hired a coach.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30521916/vanderbilt-names-clark-lea-new-head-football-coach

I thought Lea might end up at Illinois or Auburn, actually.

He's basically getting set up to fail at Vanderbilt.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.alreporter.com/2020/12/14/malzahn-fired-au-coaching-search-focused-on-cristobal-napier-freeze/

Alabama Reporter has a list of targets for Auburn's next Head Coach. They are:

Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal

Louisiana Head Coach Billy Napier

Liberty Head Coach Hugh Freeze

Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin.

Who would be the best hire for Auburn?

[Santander]

Vanderbilt-Georgia cancelled

Mercifully for this team.  But, the bigger Vandy news is that we have hired a coach.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30521916/vanderbilt-names-clark-lea-new-head-football-coach

I thought Lea might end up at Illinois or Auburn, actually.

He's basically getting set up to fail at Vanderbilt.

James Franklin used Vandy as a springboard to a top 15 job. Vandy is not a bad job. A DC with no SEC experience never had a shot at the Auburn job.

[Donerail]

https://www.alreporter.com/2020/12/14/malzahn-fired-au-coaching-search-focused-on-cristobal-napier-freeze/

Alabama Reporter has a list of targets for Auburn's next Head Coach. They are:

Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal

Louisiana Head Coach Billy Napier

Liberty Head Coach Hugh Freeze

Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin.

Who would be the best hire for Auburn?

Strange that the article doesn't mention current DC Kevin Steele, who is sounding more and more like the frontrunner for the job — well-respected coach and recruiter who is very popular with an influential set of boosters. Spending $21 million just to turn around and hire your own DC would be a very Auburn move. Or they turn around and spend another $8 mil to go get Cristobal.

[7,052,770]

I'll be shocked if it's not Freeze at Auburn.

[JGibson]

Friday, December 18th

Conference USA Championship Game
UAB @ Marshall 7 PM EST CBSSN

MAC Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit, MI
Ball State vs Buffalo 7:30 PM EST ESPN

Purdue @ Indiana 7:30 PM EST BTN

Pac 12 Championship Game
Oregon @ #15 USC 8 PM EST FOX

Saturday, December 19th

Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Field Stadium in Indianapolis, IN
#14 Northwestern vs #4 Ohio State Noon EST FOX

#5 Texas A&M @ Tennessee Noon EST ESPN

Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
#11 Oklahoma vs #7 Iowa State Noon EST ABC

Florida State @ Wake Forest Noon EST ACCN

Washington State @ Utah 1:30 PM EST FS1

Air Force @ Army 3 PM EST CBSSN

Sun Belt Championship Game
#19 Louisiana @ #13 Coastal Carolina 3:30 PM EST ESPN

#25 Missouri @ Mississippi State 3:30 PM EST SECN ALT

Ole Miss @ LSU 3:30 PM EST SECN

ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC
#3 Clemson vs #2 Notre Dame 4 PM EST ABC

Minnesota @ Wisconsin 4 PM EST BTN

Mountain West Championship Game at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV
Boise State vs San Jose State 4:15 PM EST FOX

Illinois @ Penn State 5:30 PM EST FS1

Michigan @ Iowa 7 PM EST ESPN

Michigan State @ Maryland 7:30 PM EST BTN

SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA
#1 Alabama vs #6 Florida 8 PM EST CBS

American Athletic Conference Championship Game
#24 Tulsa @ #8 Cincinnati 8 PM EST ABC

Stanford @ UCLA 8 PM EST ESPN2

Arizona State @ Oregon State 10:30 PM EST ESPN

[Donerail]

I'll be shocked if it's not Freeze at Auburn.

No AD wants to have both Freeze and Bruce Pearl to deal with. They're dumb, but they're not stupid. Gonna be Steele or Cristobal (1A & 1B), outside chance of Billy Napier.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

They only dropped Florida 1 spot after losing to LSU and Cincy dropped another spot. This is rigged! All in on Iowa State now (though I expect them to lose to OU....)

[Santander]

They only dropped Florida 1 spot after losing to LSU and Cincy dropped another spot. This is rigged! All in on Iowa State now (though I expect them to lose to OU....)

Iowa State should be neither ranked ahead of Iowa nor in the Top 10. UNC is also vastly overrated in the rankings.

Florida is still better than any of the teams ranked below them.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

This committee is so backwards. No other sport is living in such a comparable Stone Age. Can we get literally anyone who understands advanced metrics beyond H2H win placement? Florida is good but they literally can't fall because they beat Georgia and Georgia won? Georgia should be much, much lower, right ahead of BYU.

Agree that Iowa is better than Iowa State (slightly). Even if you can't necessarily rank them that way, they should be close.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

They only dropped Florida 1 spot after losing to LSU and Cincy dropped another spot. This is rigged! All in on Iowa State now (though I expect them to lose to OU....)

Iowa State should be neither ranked ahead of Iowa nor in the Top 10. UNC is also vastly overrated in the rankings.

Florida is still better than any of the teams ranked below them.

I know, but we need to break the system. Cincinnati must be avenged.

It's ironic as well since Iowa State lost to Louisiana who is #19

[Donerail]

Playoff proposal, upon rumors that they're considering moving the Rose Bowl:
#1 Alabama vs #4 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl
#2 Clemson vs “#3” Texas A&M in Unnamed Semifinal Game #2 (Arlington, TX)
Ohio State vs USC in the Rose Bowl

-ACC & SEC win because they get to have fans in the stands
-California wins because it gets to keep its asinine COVID rules
-No one gets to complain about a playoff team only playing five games
-Ohio State & USC get to go to the actual Rose Bowl (does Ohio State get to claim a national championship after beating USC? Probably)
-Rose Bowl is Big 10 vs Pac-12 so the traditionalists are happy

Everyone wins, except Cincinnati