2021 College Football Discussion and Pick'em Thread

[Terry the Fat Shark]

At least we finally get to see OU lose on a regular basis and Baylor gets screwed over too (so does TCU)

[Terry the Fat Shark]

As an aside, I would like to start on August 28th with those first games and keep it rolling through the next week. We have some interesting games starting then like Illinois vs Nebraska and then Boise State and UCF play on the Thursday (sep 2nd) so plenty of interesting games during that whole period, which is nice. Anyone object?

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I must strenuously object to the idea that Nebraska vs Illinois is "interesting," except in the way a car crash is "interesting," but I have no objections to starting then.

Will you not be stopping and watching?

[Terry the Fat Shark]

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/polls/coaches-poll/ Coaches poll released

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I'm surprised Alabama isn't a unanimous #1.

I'm betting one of the two coaches to rank Oklahoma at #1 was Brian Harsin. It seems like something the new Auburn Head Coach would do.

He's not a voter

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I'm surprised Alabama isn't a unanimous #1.

I'm betting one of the two coaches to rank Oklahoma at #1 was Brian Harsin. It seems like something the new Auburn Head Coach would do.

He's not a voter

The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Board of Coaches is made up of 65 head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. All are members of the American Football Coaches Association. The board for the 2021 season: Tom Allen, Indiana; Blake Anderson, Utah State; DinoBabers, Syracuse; Walt Bell, Massachusetts; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; Craig Bohl, Wyoming; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Matt Campbell, Iowa State; Jason Candle, Toledo; Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina; Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech; David Cutcliffe, Duke; Butch Davis, Florida International; Manny Diaz, Miami (Florida); Dave Doeren, North Carolina State; Karl Dorrell, Colorado; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Sonny Dykes, Southern Methodist; Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Jedd Fisch, Arizona; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; James Franklin, Penn State; Willie Fritz, Tulane; Danny Gonzales, New Mexico; Todd Graham, Hawaii; Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; Will Hall, Southern Mississippi; Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois; Bryan Harsin, Auburn; Clay Helton, Southern California; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Brady Hoke, San Diego State; Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brian Kelly, Notre Dame; Jimmy Lake, Washington; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Tim Lester, Western Michigan; Sean Lewis, Kent State; Maurice Linguist, Buffalo; Seth Littrell, North Texas; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Doug Martin, New Mexico State; Phillip Montgomery, Tulsa; Dan Mullen, Florida; Billy Napier, Louisiana-Lafayette; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, Navy; Gary Patterson, TCU; Sam Pittman, Arkansas; NIck Rolovich, Washington State; Nick Saban, Alabama; Steve Sarkisian, Texas; Scott Satterfield, Louisville; Greg Schiano, Rutgers; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Jake Spavital, Texas State; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee; Mel Tucker, Michigan State; Kyle Whittingham, Utah.

You were saying?

Yeah they hadn't updated it earlier today, but two things.
1. Usually it's some intern that does it (though occasionally the coach) and
2. I feel like SEC AP and Coaches voters tend to put teams within the SEC higher to make the conference look better (like how Tennessee used to be ranked every year)

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Tomorrow is the release of the AP preseason poll

[Terry the Fat Shark]

One week until we start!

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Week 1 * (Week 1 includes everything from Saturday August 28th through Monday, September 6th)

Saturday, August 28th

Nebraska @ Illinois 1 PM EDT FOX

UTEP @ New Mexico State 9:30 PM EDT

Thursday, September 2nd

Boise State @ UCF 7 PM EDT ESPN

East Carolina @ Appalachian State 7:30 PM EDT ESPNU

#4 Ohio State @ Minnesota 8 PM EDT FOX

Friday, September 3rd

#10 North Carolina @ Virginia Tech 6 PM EDT ESPN

Michigan State @ Northwestern 9 PM EDT ESPN

Saturday, September 4th

#19 Penn State @ #12 Wisconsin Noon EDT FOX

Stanford vs Kansas State at AT&T Stadium Noon EDT FS1

Army @ Georgia State Noon EDT ESPNU

#1 Alabama vs #14 Miami (FL) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium 3:30 PM EDT ABC

#17 Indiana @ #18 Iowa 3:30 PM EDT BTN

Marshall @ Navy 3:30 PM EDT CBSSN

West Virginia @ Maryland 3:30 PM EDT ESPN

Northern Iowa @ #7 Iowa State 4:30 PM EDT ESPN+

#23 Louisiana @ #21 Texas 4:30 PM EDT FOX

Syracuse @ Ohio 7 PM EDT CBSSN

Oregon State @ Purdue 7 PM EDT CBSSN

Texas Tech @ Houston 7 PM EDT ESPN

#5 Georgia @ #3 Clemson 7:30 PM EDT ABC

UTSA @ Illinois 7:30 PM EDT BTN

#16 LSU @ UCLA 8:30 PM EDT FOX

Nevada @ California 10:30 PM EDT FS1

Sunday, September 5th

#9 Notre Dame @ Florida State 7:30 PM EDT ABC

Monday, September 6th

Louisville vs Ole Miss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium 8 PM EDT ESPN

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Week 1 * (Week 1 includes everything from Saturday August 28th through Monday, September 6th)

Saturday, August 28th

Nebraska @ Illinois 1 PM EDT FOX

UTEP @ New Mexico State 9:30 PM EDT

Thursday, September 2nd

Boise State @ UCF 7 PM EDT ESPN

East Carolina @ Appalachian State 7:30 PM EDT ESPNU

#4 Ohio State @ Minnesota 8 PM EDT FOX

Friday, September 3rd

#10 North Carolina @ Virginia Tech 6 PM EDT ESPN

Michigan State @ Northwestern 9 PM EDT ESPN

Saturday, September 4th

#19 Penn State @ #12 Wisconsin Noon EDT FOX

Stanford vs Kansas State at AT&T Stadium Noon EDT FS1

Army @ Georgia State Noon EDT ESPNU

#1 Alabama vs #14 Miami (FL) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium 3:30 PM EDT ABC

#17 Indiana @ #18 Iowa 3:30 PM EDT BTN

Marshall @ Navy 3:30 PM EDT CBSSN

West Virginia @ Maryland 3:30 PM EDT ESPN

Northern Iowa @ #7 Iowa State 4:30 PM EDT ESPN+

#23 Louisiana @ #21 Texas 4:30 PM EDT FOX

Syracuse @ Ohio 7 PM EDT CBSSN

Oregon State @ Purdue 7 PM EDT CBSSN

Texas Tech @ Houston 7 PM EDT ESPN

#5 Georgia @ #3 Clemson 7:30 PM EDT ABC

UTSA @ Illinois 7:30 PM EDT BTN

#16 LSU @ UCLA 8:30 PM EDT FOX

Nevada @ California 10:30 PM EDT FS1

Sunday, September 5th

#9 Notre Dame @ Florida State 7:30 PM EDT ABC

Monday, September 6th

Louisville @ Ole Miss 8 PM EDT ESPN

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Quick note: Louisville Ole Miss is actually at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, not @ Ole Miss as I put originally

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Meanwhile Fresno State beat UConn 45-0 and UCLA is up on Hawaii 44-3

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Pick Em not doing so well at this hour.....

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Tulsa losing to UC Davis

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Alabama is probably going to win it all again this year.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Vandy losing to Eastern Tennessee

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Week 1 rankings will be used as Week 2 Rankings do not come out until Tuesday.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Week 2

Saturday, September 11th

Illinois @ Virginia 11 AM EST ACCN

Western Kentucky @ Army 11:30 AM EST CBSSN

#11 Oregon @ #4 Ohio State Noon EST FOX

Pittsburgh @ Tennessee Noon EST ESPN

Tulsa @ Oklahoma State Noon EST FS1

Rutgers @ Syracuse 2 PM EST ACCN

Toledo @ #9 Notre Dame 2:30 PM EST Peacock Streaming App

#6 Texas A&M @ Colorado 3:30 PM EST FOX

Georgia Southern @ FAU 3:30 PM EST

Buffalo @ Nebraska 3:30 PM EST BTN

California @ TCU 3:30 PM EST ESPNU

Air Force @ Navy 3:30 PM EST CBS

#18 Iowa @ #7 Iowa State 4:30 PM EST ABC

Houston @ Rice 6:30 PM EST CBSSN

Appalachian State @ #14 Miami (FL) 7 PM EST ESPNU

#21 Texas @ Arkansas 7 PM EST ESPN

NC State @ Mississippi State 7 PM EST ESPN2

North Texas @ SMU 7 PM EST ESPN+

Missouri @ Kentucky 7:30 PM EST SECN

#20 Washington @ Michigan 8 PM EST ABC

Vanderbilt @ Colorado State 10 PM EST CBSSN

San Diego State @ Arizona 10 PM EST PAC12

#24 Utah @ BYU 10:15 PM EST ESPN

Stanford @ #15 USC 10:30 PM EST FOX

Hawai'i @ Oregon State 11 PM EST FS1

[Terry the Fat Shark]

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.

Yeah, Coastal Carolina defeated Kansas handily last year and seems to be better this year than they were last year, so I didn't see much of a point. There will always be a few games that get left off since we do 25, though there also a couple of games on here likely to be uncompetitive.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Week 2

Saturday, September 11th

Illinois @ Virginia 11 AM EST ACCN

Western Kentucky @ Army 11:30 AM EST CBSSN

#11 Oregon @ #4 Ohio State Noon EST FOX

Pittsburgh @ Tennessee Noon EST ESPN

Tulsa @ Oklahoma State Noon EST FS1

Rutgers @ Syracuse 2 PM EST ACCN

Toledo @ #9 Notre Dame 2:30 PM EST Peacock Streaming App

#6 Texas A&M @ Colorado 3:30 PM EST FOX

Georgia Southern @ FAU 3:30 PM EST

Buffalo @ Nebraska 3:30 PM EST BTN

California @ TCU 3:30 PM EST ESPNU

Air Force @ Navy 3:30 PM EST CBS

#18 Iowa @ #7 Iowa State 4:30 PM EST ABC

Houston @ Rice 6:30 PM EST CBSSN

Appalachian State @ #14 Miami (FL) 7 PM EST ESPNU

#21 Texas @ Arkansas 7 PM EST ESPN

NC State @ Mississippi State 7 PM EST ESPN2

North Texas @ SMU 7 PM EST ESPN+

Missouri @ Kentucky 7:30 PM EST SECN

#20 Washington @ Michigan 8 PM EST ABC

Vanderbilt @ Colorado State 10 PM EST CBSSN

San Diego State @ Arizona 10 PM EST PAC12

#24 Utah @ BYU 10:15 PM EST ESPN

Stanford @ #15 USC 10:30 PM EST FOX

Hawai'i @ Oregon State 11 PM EST FS1

[Terry the Fat Shark]

The two upsets I'm cheering for most this week: Oregon against Ohio State and Arkansas against Texas (for the sec memes)

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Why is Notre Dame at home against a MAC team even on there lol. A home Notre Dame game NBC doesn't even want to put on TV, lol.

Toledo will probably give Notre Dame a better game than Kansas did against Coastal Carolina, Notre Dame is a heavily overrated team.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Notre Dame should've lost, but regardless like I said they are highly overrated

The only good thing about this is it will make Cincy look better when they beat ND

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I'm starting to wonder, the way Texas is playing against Arkansas, if the players/coaching staff are opposed to the decision to join the SEC?

No, they just suck that badly.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

BYU is about to beat Utah for the first time since 2009 and got a Big 12 invite on Friday....

Meanwhile USC is losing to Stanford 42-13