2021 College Football Discussion and Pick'em Thread

[Santander]

I would prefer the Big 12 just go away rather than backfill, but are any of them likely to get interest from a remaining P5 conference other than maybe Kansas/Big 10 and maaaaaaybe West Virginia/ACC?

And how can Oklahoma leave Oklahoma State behind? I've always heard state politics won't allow it. Maybe Missouri goes to the B1G with Kansas and Oklahoma State takes the spot into the SEC? I think Mizzou's faculty would like that, but I think the fans have moved on from the Big 10 fantasies.

Kansas is in a similar situation as Oklahoma in that they can't leave unless it's a package deal with K-State. Of course, if the Big 12 implodes, which it would if Texas/OU engineered an exit, state politicians probably wouldn't stand in KU's way of joining the Big Ten.

Big 12 is such a dumpster fire, lol. You have 2 huge programs that every conference would kill for, Kansas which has some appeal, and then a bunch of garbage, Baylor which is even worse than garbage, and Iowa State which is not actually that bad at anything but is just in a horrible place.

[Santander]

Missouri is a basket case as an academic institution; the Big Ten absolutely does not want that, even though Missouri desperately wants to be a Big Ten institution.

It's a horrifically-mismanaged institution, but it still meets the bare minimum qualifications for Big Ten membership for now, which is what keeps their faculty's hopes up. Big risks for the Big Ten that are not mitigated by a large media market or brand name football program, though.

But when thinking about a companion to add alongside Kansas, which is an obvious target, Mizzou has to be in the conversation unless the Big Ten can pull off a coup and steal Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, or maybe Boston College. Any other suitable institution is either off-limits (Pitt, Iowa State) or fantasy (Duke/UNC, Texas/Oklahoma).

[Santander]

Here's a creative idea for what the SEC should do if Texas and OU join to form a 16-team conference. 

Divide the conference into two divisions based on strength, with relegation and promotion each year like English soccer leagues do. For example, to start with it could be divided something like this:

First Division:

Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
LSU
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas A&M

Second Division:

Arkansas
Kentucky
Mississippi State
Missouri
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

At the end of each year, the bottom two teams in the first division swap with the top two in the second division. Teams could play a round-robin within their division (7 games) plus one opponent from the other division, for a total of 8 conference games. That would provide a way for natural rivals like Alabama & Auburn or the Mississippis to play every year even if they wound up in different divisions.

It will never happen, of course, but it would be interesting.

This is what I spend my time doing in Dynasty mode in NCAA14.

[Santander]

TCU is not getting in a P5, lol. They're definitely not ahead of K-State or Texas Tech. West Virginia is probably the least likely land grant/flagship to get into a P5, and will probably miss out too. I don't see why the ACC would stoop to pick them up when they add so little. They already stooped for Louisville and look how that turned out. Iowa State is basically a last resort for the Big Ten. Theoretically possible, but they add nothing and Iowa doesn't want them.

[Santander]

Convincing the Huskers to come home along with BYU would be the absolute best-case scenario and maybe give the Big 12 a chance to retain a veneer of P5 status, but the Huskers seem quite content to lose to Purdue and cash those sweet Big Ten checks. (and the faculty surely love being in the Big Ten)

But even then, the conference marquee matchup would be what? Nebraska-Oklahoma State? Yawn.

[Santander]

South Carolina joining Clemson in the ACC in response to this is certainly plausible.

In terms of who the Big Twelve could get, I think they'll try and get two of Nebraska/Texas A&M/Missouri/Colorado back (My guess is they can probably convince Nebraska and Missouri, and not A&M or Colorado). Other options would be UCF (I can't think of a school in the Big Twelve that would be opposed to UCF joining now), BYU/Gonzaga (for all sports except Football. I think in that scenario BYU would remain a Football Independent), SMU (Used to be a conference member, and I can't think of anyone who would opposed to bringing them back, except maybe SMU themselves) and possibly Boise State.

lol. They cannot "probably" convince schools to leave the two richest (one of which will be even richer soon) conferences in college sports to join a conference where the biggest brand is Oklahoma State.

Gonzaga? wtf?

The only reason to bring in BYU is for its football and its national fanbase. It makes no sense for either the Big 12 or BYU to join as a non-football member.

I can think of one school in Fort Worth that would be opposed to bringing SMU in. The Big 12 already did the "add an irrelevant private school in DFW to bolster our numbers because we're on fire" thing before with, well, TCU. And that was with Texas and Oklahoma to make up for everyone else.

[Santander]

The Maryland board I pay money for is earnestly discussing the feasibility of getting Toronto into the Big Ten.

Maryland and Rutgers need conference wins from somewhere.

[Santander]

Just add Ohio State and Clemson to the SEC NFL Development League and get it over with, already. Drop any veneer of amateurism and just pay the players wages, too.

[Santander]

Just add Ohio State and Clemson to the SEC NFL Development League and get it over with, already. Drop any veneer of amateurism and just pay the players wages, too.

OUT: Mizzou, USC (the bad one), Vandy, UK, Arkansas, both Mississippis
IN: Oklahoma, Texas, Miami, FSU, Clemson, UCLA, USC (the good one)

Who (among ESPN executives) says no?

I think ESPN executives would prefer Kentucky over Miami in the SEC for basketball reasons.

"Conference realignment" wouldn't even be part of the vernacular if basketball mattered 1/10th as much as football to broadcasters.

[Santander]

Eventually, the nucleus of the new SEC and other football powers are just going to drop the act and stop pretending to care about academics, institutional fit, geography, rivalries, fans, traditions, or feelings. Money is all that matters.

18-20 team super league that flips the bird to amateurism and retains only vague links to their university. University stadiums become no more representative of a university than the University of Phoenix Stadium, and the University of Phoenix itself becomes a shining example of capitalist endeavor, rather than dishonorable grifters. No more worrying about Title IX, and non-revenue sports only exist to provide travel opportunities and off-season entertainment to fans. Instead of scholarships, donations to the athletic department go towards salaried contracts for players. No need for scholarships when they don't have to pretend to attend class anymore or live on-campus with the plebs. In the words of the great champion Cardale Jones, "We come here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL" Players could use their signing bonus money to buy Lamborghinis and luxury condos, and large numbers of them commit suicide at age 25, penniless, forgotten, leaving behind perhaps only a trail of domestic violence and an illegitimate child or two.

[Santander]

UCF would be a decent consolation prize (assuming they can get Florida State to agree to it) for the ACC. Also, possibly West Virginia (Big Twelve) and South Carolina (SEC) would be good fits.

Wanting Penn State and getting UCF is not a "decent consolation prize".

[Santander]

The ACC cannot get Notre Dame (neither can the Big Ten), nor any other serious football power. The ACC is terrible in football right now, it's boxed in geographically by the two richest conferences, and it has an atrocious TV deal. Clemson is basically playing a G5 schedule this year, and their entire resume will be the Georgia game and maybe the conference championship if North Carolina lives up to hype.

[Santander]

The most interesting basement-dweller duel in Week 1 is Purdue-Oregon State. Huge game.

[Santander]

20 is way too low for Penn State. They are a very good team.

[Santander]

I-L-L!

I-N-I!!!!!

Went down to the game with the family yesterday! Was able to stay in the shade to stay as cool as possible. Felt fantastic to be among the first to welcome back college football as we love it, and finally SHUTTING UP the HATERS who all pegged Illinois as a 3-9 bottom feeder felt AMAZING. Illinois should hopefully be a much more competent program now having a proven, competent college football coach.

They beat Nebraska, who are probably the worst team in the Big Ten West, lol. Illinois is probably second-worst, although the Big Ten West is actually pretty decent this year.

Purdue vs Oregon State is a huge game for both conferences and will be a better indication of where things are.

[Santander]

Why in the world was North Carolina a top 10 team in the first place?

I don't think they would be one of the top 10 teams in the SEC if that was their conference...

UNC was a bit overhyped but they're far better than SEC bottom-feeders, lol.

[Santander]

I told you Penn State is legit. They could (like, 30% chance) beat Ohio State.

[Santander]

#18 Iowa running away with this one against #17 Indiana 31-3.

Everyone knew Indiana was overrated based on "almost" (but not really) beating Ohio State last season. Still, I don't think anyone predicted the game to be this lopsided.

[Santander]

Purdue-Oregon State lived up to my hype for weeks that it was the biggest game of the week. Massive game for the Big Ten that Illinois (anyone still going to claim they're good?) kinda spoiled.

Also, Iowa State was even more overrated than Indiana. They shouldn't be within a mile of the top 10.

[Santander]

Harry's "SEC has 13 top teams" argument not looking so good...

[Santander]

Harry's "SEC has 13 top teams" argument not looking so good...

Wut

I said that the SEC has 10 teams better than North Carolina, which is up in the air [and probably right]. I intentionally left myself an out for Vanderbilt and even bought myself 3 more, a total scam on the anti-SEC people (!).

I can't imagine that North Carolina would be favored against LSU if they were playing next week, as embarrassing as this performance is for them. They may be one of the 3 additional SEC schools not better than North Carolina.

Well, embarrassing from a SEC perspective (and remember, I'm an ex-resident of both Kentucky and Mississippi, so hardly anti-SEC), but UCLA isn't actually that bad. And of course, I would still rank LSU ahead of UNC. But I would still take UNC over most of the SEC East and the Mississippis and Arkansas in the SEC West.

[Santander]

NMSU is +21 vs UNM. That just seems absurd to me.

[Santander]

NMSU is +21 vs UNM. That just seems absurd to me.

Insane in that it should be higher? Earlier this year, Tarleton State (!) kicked the sh**t of out NMSU.

NMSU is a contender for worst FBS team, sure, but they also led going into halftime against San Diego State, a better team than UNM, and the rivalry games have had a habit of being extremely close in recent years.

[Santander]

I hate to be a nitpicker, but why is Friday's Kansas/Coastal Carolina game not on our schedule?

I'm not the schedule maker, but I strongly suspect everyone would pick Coastal.

I don't know. It just smells like a trap game for Coastal Carolina for me.

I actually agree with your assessment for once.

[Santander]

It pains me to say this, but GO NOLES. I hate Notre Dame more than any other program with the exception of Pedo State.

More than the service academies?