2020 College Football Discussion and Pick 'Em Thread

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Who knows what'll happen, for now we play.

Rules of the Pick 'Em portion:

- There will generally be 25 games each week for contestants to pick
- Of the 25 games, 2 of the games will be FCS (2 fcs part isn't set in stone might just be 25 fbs depending)
- Each game equals 1 point, so if you are perfect in a week you will get a total of 25 points
- We will pick the bowl games and the college football playoff as well

I will try to post all of the games on Sunday, make sure to pick each game before the kickoff of said game!

For the benefit of any new players, here’s how it works:

Anytime after dfwlibertylover posts the week’s games, make your picks by replying in this thread one or more times.  Don’t send them by PM to either him or me.  You can either copy the list of games and bold your predicted winners, or just post your list of winners. 

If bolding your winners, games with zero or both teams bolded will not be counted.  If listing your winners, slight errors in team names will be counted if the intent is unambiguous.  For example, in the Georgia Tech vs Florida State game, writing “Florida” would be counted as a pick of Florida State, but “Georgia State” would not be counted.  I (or anyone) may point out such errors so you have a chance to correct them, but this is not guaranteed to happen – ultimately, you’re responsible for getting your picks posted correctly.

Your pick for a game must be posted before the official start time for that game.  This is a hard cutoff.  You can change any of your picks by making a subsequent post, as long as it's before the game start time.  Please don’t edit your original post, as this is easy for me to miss and could also raise timestamp questions. 

You don’t have to post your whole list at once.  For example, in a week with Friday and Saturday games, you could optionally post only the Friday game picks by Friday, and then follow up with the Saturday games on Saturday morning.  Or if you forget and miss the Friday games, you can still post picks for Saturday's games.

Each correct pick is worth one point.  After all of the week’s games are complete (usually on Sunday morning) I’ll post the results for that week and the year-to-date standings.

Feel free to post news regarding possible schedule changes, covid impacts (outside of schedule chances), and any other miscellaneous news. I will keep everyone updated on possible changes to the format based on covid impacts (or if we have to cancel if CFB schedule doesn't happen after all...)

[Terry the Fat Shark]

The SEC (and also the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12, but let so) care too much about money to cancel the season, it'll likely be played in some capacity.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

No Ohio State - Oregon

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Pac 12 also moving to conference only for the Fall

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Well, things have stopped getting cancelled for the past 10 days. The big 12 and SEC in particular seem set on playing fall CFB and none of the other conferences have gone beyond cancelling non conference games, remains to be seen but chances of a season occurring seem to be improving for the moment.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Well, things have stopped getting cancelled for the past 10 days. The big 12 and SEC in particular seem set on playing fall CFB and none of the other conferences have gone beyond cancelling non conference games, remains to be seen but chances of a season occurring seem to be improving for the moment.

The SWAC postponed all fall sports on Monday.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29505344/swac-specifies-plans-spring-football-season-part-fall-sports-postponement

Makes you wonder if the G5 is going to have a Spring season while the P5 has a Fall season.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://twitter.com/Big12Conference/status/1290455864017551365

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://twitter.com/KySportsRadio/status/1292595890776084481

Probably game over, shall I turn this into the 2021 thread?

[Terry the Fat Shark]

The word is that the Big 10 presidents voted 12-2 for no football last night. Iowa and Nebraska were the dissenters.

From the same source, the PAC 12 is also not going to be playing. ACC and Big12 are on the fence, not surprising as Texas is apparently pushing to play. SEC is trying to push the leaners towards playing.

The SEC could attempt a season sure, but it wouldn't mean much aside from the SEC Championship. Certainly no bowl games or playoff

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://twitter.com/ryandaytime/status/1292896191924117504

hmm

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1293273458743410694

Pac 12 cancelled unanimously

[Terry the Fat Shark]

IF the Big 12, SEC, and ACC actually do play (and that's a big if)

do we want to still do the pick em?

[Terry the Fat Shark]

During the 2 weeks they were practicing, there were 0 positive cases on the OU team, however once they were given the opportunity to do what they wanted...

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1294703786699763717

That's the issue. When they practice every day and don't really go out and party (or whatever else), then things are fine. Once a break arrives, this happens.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

SEC schedule

[Terry the Fat Shark]

At this point, I don't see any possible way for the 2020 CFB season to proceed. Once colleges have in person classes, covid cases keep exploding. The students are obviously not following social distancing (or some are, but the ones partying are ruining it for the rest). Once CFB players get a break they have been partying, as has been evidenced by the recent OU football cases. Notre Dame, Michigan State (which already had cancelled its CFB season), and many others are beginning to go back online. Seems like the beginning of the end.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-to-be-played-as-scheduled-after-2020-season-with-no-plans-for-spring-2021/?fbclid=IwAR2k8o5vSMNKnrpQbqOUcGh5hkmOO9rZ_hU0W06cwgnPnCCfPY_xB-mwtlY

The playoff is going on as scheduled despite the pac 12 and big ten not playing.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

In terms of the pick em contest, proposing a September 12th start date (which is when the Big 12, ACC, and AAC conferences begin).

I also give two options for this, we can do a few games from that week (not a lot of hot ticket games, I think the most interesting one is SMU @ TCU? the rest are mostly FBS vs FCS except like Clemson-Wake Forest which....yeah)

or we can play all 22 Saturday games which would basically pad our scores but it wouldn't matter since we would all likely pick most of them right anyways.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Actually, now that I think about it, why can't our first game be September 7 (BYU @ Navy)?

Why can't it be September 4 (South Alabama @ Southern Miss)?

Want there to be a ample time since it's the first week we are playing (so as many people as want to join can and I can get the word out) and also dont think its really worth playing 2 games in the week 1 unless they were more significant games (no offense to those teams)

[Terry the Fat Shark]

So we'll go with the September 12th start date, I will post the pick em (with all 22 games) as soon as the schedules are lined up.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Note: TCU-SMU, Baylor-Louisiana Tech, and Oklahoma State - Tulsa postponed due to covid

Week 2 (first picking) matchups:

Thursday, September 10th

UAB @ Miami 8:00 PM EDT ACCN

Saturday, September 12th

Syracuse @ #18 North Carolina Noon EDT ACCN

Louisiana @ #23 Iowa State Noon EDT ESPN

Eastern Kentucky @ WVU Noon EDT FS1

Charlotte @ Appalachian State Noon EDT ESPN2

The Citadel @ USF 1 PM EDT ESPN+

UL Monroe @ Army 1:30 PM EDT CBSSN

Duke @ #10 Notre Dame 2:30 PM EDT NBC

Arkansas State @ Kansas State 3:30 PM EDT FS1

UTSA @ Texas State 3:30 PM EDT ESPN2

Campbell @ Georgia Southern 3:30 PM EDT ESPNU

Georgia Tech @ FSU 3:30 PM EDT ABC

Austin Peay @ Pittsburgh 4 PM EDT ACCN

Missouri State @ #5 Oklahoma 7 PM EDT (no network listed)

#1 Clemson @ Wake Forest 7:30 PM EDT ABC

Tulane @ South Alabama 7:30 PM EDT ESPN2

UTEP @ #14 Texas 8 PM EDT LHN

Western Kentucky @ Louisville 8 PM EDT ACCN

Houston Baptist @ Texas Tech 8 PM EDT ESPN+

Coastal Carolina @ Kansas 10 PM EDT FS1

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Tulsa-Oklahoma State postponed a week. Tulsa didn't get enough practice due to covid protocols.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Baylor-Louisiana Tech postponed due to covid

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Really bold of you to pick Kansas, when they haven't beaten an FBS team in about a decade.

Unfortunately not true, they beat TCU back in 2018, Texas back in 2016 or 2017, they just beat Boston College last year

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Thursday, September 10th
UAB @ Miami

Friday, September 11th
SMU @ TCU  POSTPONED

Saturday, September 12th
Syracuse @ #18 North Carolina
Louisiana @ #23 Iowa State
Eastern Kentucky @ WVU
Charlotte @ Appalachian State
Louisiana Tech @ Baylor  POSTPONED
The Citadel @ USF
UL Monroe @ Army
Duke @ #10 Notre Dame
Arkansas State @ Kansas State
UTSA @ Texas State
Campbell @ Georgia Southern
Georgia Tech @ FSU
Austin Peay @ Pittsburgh
Missouri State @ #5 Oklahoma
#1 Clemson @ Wake Forest
Tulsa @ #15 Oklahoma State
Tulane @ South Alabama
UTEP @ #14 Texas
Western Kentucky @ Louisville
Houston Baptist @ Texas Tech
Coastal Carolina @ Kansas

Not sure if I posted yet or not, but saw on the local news last night Oklahoma State - Tulsa is also now postponed due to covid

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Note: TCU-SMU, Baylor-Louisiana Tech, and Oklahoma State - Tulsa postponed due to covid

Week 2 (first picking) matchups:

Thursday, September 10th

UAB @ Miami 8:00 PM EDT ACCN

Saturday, September 12th

Syracuse @ #18 North Carolina Noon EDT ACCN

Louisiana @ #23 Iowa State Noon EDT ESPN

Eastern Kentucky @ WVU Noon EDT FS1

Charlotte @ Appalachian State Noon EDT ESPN2

The Citadel @ USF 1 PM EDT ESPN+

UL Monroe @ Army 1:30 PM EDT CBSSN

Duke @ #10 Notre Dame 2:30 PM EDT NBC

Arkansas State @ Kansas State 3:30 PM EDT FS1

UTSA @ Texas State 3:30 PM EDT ESPN2

Campbell @ Georgia Southern 3:30 PM EDT ESPNU

Georgia Tech @ FSU3:30 PM EDT ABC

Austin Peay @ Pittsburgh 4 PM EDT ACCN

Missouri State @ #5 Oklahoma 7 PM EDT (no network listed)

#1 Clemson @ Wake Forest 7:30 PM EDT ABC

Tulane @ South Alabama 7:30 PM EDT ESPN2

UTEP @ #14 Texas 8 PM EDT LHN

Western Kentucky @ Louisville 8 PM EDT ACCN

Houston Baptist @ Texas Tech 8 PM EDT ESPN+

Coastal Carolina @ Kansas 10 PM EDT FS1  (I think Kansas has improved enough this year)