2022 College Football Discussion & Pick'em Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

Are we starting on August 27, September 2, or September 3?

If it's any of the dates before September 3, there are some interesting games to pick from, such as Nebraska/Northwestern, West Virginia/Pittsburgh, Penn State/Purdue and Illinois/Indiana and TCU/Colorado.

[NewYorkExpress]

Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart signs a ten year extension that will make him the highest paid coach at a public university.

On the heels of its first national title since 1980, Georgia announced a 10-year, $111 million contract extension for coach Kirby Smart following his appearance at SEC Media Days. The new deal will run through the 2031 season and pay Smart between $10.25 million and $12.25 million per season, making him the highest-paid college football coach at a public university.

Smart, 46, was previously making $7.13 million, according to USA TODAY's salary database.

[NewYorkExpress]

The Coaches's Poll is out.

The rankings:

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Michigan
7. Texas A&M
8. Utah
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oklahoma State
12. Oregon
13. NC State
14. Michigan State
15. USC
16. Pittsburgh
17. Miami (FL)
18. Texas
19. Wake Forest
20. Wisconsin
21. Kentucky
22. Cincinnati
23. Arkansas
24. Ole Miss
25. Houston

I would love to know which coach gave Texas their lone first place vote. My guess is Nick Saban, since he never seems to give his vote to Alabama, and he wouldn't want to give it to Georgia...but why not give it to Ohio State in that case?

[NewYorkExpress]

There are rumblings that CBS and/or NBC join Fox in televising B1G games for college football. CBS and Fox already do so for college basketball.

ESPN, however, could be shut out of B1G football and basketball.

Awful Announcing:

The Big Ten media rights negotiations appear to be nearing a conclusion, and with ESPN reportedly on the outside looking in.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports on Monday night that “CBS and NBC have emerged as the clear front runners to pick up Big Ten rights alongside Fox Sports.”

The only reason NBC would be interested in Big Ten rights is if they had advance knowledge that Notre Dame was joining the Big Ten, right?

[NewYorkExpress]

Saturday, August 27

Nebraska (Nebraska probably needs to make a bowl game at a minimum for Scott Frost to keep his job)

UTEP

Vanderbilt (Vanderbilt might be the worst team in the SEC, but I think they are better than Hawaii)

Thursday, September 1

Pittsburgh (I don't think Pittsburgh will be a contender in the ACC again, but they should win this one)

Penn State (Purdue usually isn't very good in football)

Friday, September 2

Illinois (Two really bad Big Ten teams go at it. Also my first upset pick of the week, largely because I owe the number of Illini homers on the board favors.)

TCU (Colorado's also been really bad at football for a while)


Saturday, September 3

Boston College (Another pair of mediocrities going at it)

Appalachian State (I'm mildly surprised the line is as close as it is, but I think North Carolina is overrated, even more so than they were last year)

NC State

Cincinnati (This will be a harder test for the Bearcats than last year's game against Notre Dame, but Cincinnati is well equipped to defeat a talented SEC side, especially since Arkansas is not one of the top sides in the SEC. This is my second upset pick of the week)

Georgia (I want to pick Oregon, I really do, but Georgia is just too good.)

San Diego State

Houston

Nevada

Florida (I think Florida's rebuild is going to be further along than people realize, and beating a top PAC-12 side on opening day seems like it's not a stretch)

Coastal Carolina

Liberty

Mississippi State

Notre Dame (I think the Buckeyes can afford an opening week loss to Notre Dame and still make the Playoff, especially if they win the Big Ten. This is my third Upset Pick)

SMU

Louisville

Boise State (Oregon State football is horrible these days)


Sunday, September 4

LSU (I'm not sure why the line is so close. LSU should crush Florida State in my opinion.)

[NewYorkExpress]

The first AP Poll of the season is out, and there are some big differences from the Coaches Poll.

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9.  Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma State
13. NC State
14. USC
15. Michigan State
16. Miami (FL)
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU

[NewYorkExpress]

Darn it. I thought I had all of them too.

Anyways, I'm going with Wyoming for that one.

[NewYorkExpress]

Nick Saban is getting a new contract that once again will make him the highest paid coach in college football.

In an offseason with several new colossal coaching contracts, Alabama football coach Nick Saban appears set to join the group with an updated deal.

The compensation committee for the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees will vote in a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for the "consideration of athletic employment contracts at UA" including Saban, Athletics Director Greg Byrne, new gymnastics coach Ashley Johnston and men's basketball assistant Antoine Pettway.

The new deal for Saban comes after Georgia coach Kirby Smart received an extension in July that moved him ahead of Saban as the highest-paid public-school coach in the country. Smart is set to make $10.25 million in 2022 on base salary and supplemental compensation. That will increase over time.

In the updated contract, Saban would make $9.9 million in base salary, talent fee and completion benefit.


The talent fee grows each year, moving the total to $11.5 million in base salary and talent fee in the 2028 contract year.

[NewYorkExpress]

I'm switching my pick in the Notre Dame/Ohio State game to Ohio State.

[NewYorkExpress]

Early upset alert! Heading into halftime, Northwestern leads Nebraska 17-14.

[NewYorkExpress]

Demography is destiny when it comes to Nebraska, who will never return to Elite status.

Scott Frost probably needs to at least get the Cornhuskers to a bowl game to avoid getting fired. Getting to a better game than the Quick Lane Bowl is probably recommended too (so, something like the Pinstripe Bowl if Nebraska fans want to be slightly realistic, the Rose Bowl for pie-in-sky hopes, as the Big Ten West is very much wide open, with pretty much anyone in that division capable of facing presumably Ohio State for the title, and with Ohio State almost certainly going to the playoff barring something going very wrong, that means the Big Ten West winner will be going to the Rose Bowl, most likely.)

[NewYorkExpress]

Northwestern pulls off the upset, beats Nebraska 31-28.

Was this Scott Frost's final game as Nebraska head coach?

[NewYorkExpress]

Not even I saw that type of a performance for Vandy coming.  Do I dare adjust my expectations to like 5-7?

Maybe? Elon makes 2, and Northern Illinois and Wake Forest were very good in their conferences last year, but won't have SEC talent.

Beyond that, it's definitely plausible that you could beat Ole Miss, South Carolina, or even Tennessee at home, so that's 7 winnable games.

Hawaii is bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad this season. Least amount of returning production of any team in the country, head coach fired, state legislature's holding hearings on how bad the program is. And their stadium got condemned. Things are not good there.

Vandy... is also very bad, but Davidson County has not yet condemned their stadium, so they've got that going for them. They can beat up on what is functionally an FCS opponent at this point, and will likely do so again against Elon, but that's all you can really take away from this. Maybe they will also beat NIU.

Doesn't the Hawaii Legislature have better things to do than worry about the football team? This isn't Texas or Alabama where college football is a way of life, it's Hawaii, where you surf, drink Mai Tai's and eat Poke.

[NewYorkExpress]

Something really odd going on tonight, as Akron is struggling to put away St. Francis (PA) of the FCS, leading 17-16 after three quarters despite being a 17 point favorite.

[NewYorkExpress]

It's an exciting Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh, as with about six minutes to go in the third quarter, West Virginia and #17 Pittsburgh are tied up 17-17.

[NewYorkExpress]

Possible upset in the works at Ross-Ade stadium. Purdue leads Penn State 24-21 early in the 4th Quarter.

[NewYorkExpress]

Just a note to say our resident Illinois homers might have been overconfident about the Fighting Illini's chances this week and this season. Indiana leads 16-10 at the half.

[NewYorkExpress]

Delaware upset Navy 14-7.

Also, looks like #13 NC State will escape against East Carolina, 21-20.

[NewYorkExpress]

It's been one week and it looks like we already have a conference eliminated from the playoff. #3 Georgia destroying #11 Oregon and taking the PAC-12's best hopes with them 49-3.

[NewYorkExpress]

It's been one week and it looks like we already have a conference eliminated from the playoff. #3 Georgia destroying #11 Oregon and taking the PAC-12's best hopes with them 49-3.

Utah is #7? Also USC gets in probably even with 1 loss and could do it with their new coach and offense (COULD)

I'm not entirely convinced Utah beats Florida tonight, and I don't think the PAC-12 South winner beats Oregon in the Conference title game.

[NewYorkExpress]

It's been one week and it looks like we already have a conference eliminated from the playoff. #3 Georgia destroying #11 Oregon and taking the PAC-12's best hopes with them 49-3.

Utah is #7? Also USC gets in probably even with 1 loss and could do it with their new coach and offense (COULD)

I'm not entirely convinced Utah beats Florida tonight, and I don't think the PAC-12 South winner beats Oregon in the Conference title game.

Pac 12 actually changed its rules I believe, top 2 in the conference overall play in the pac 12 ccg, no more divisions

That starts this season? I thought that change took effect when USC and UCLA officially left.

[NewYorkExpress]

Florida leads #7 Utah 14-13 at halftime.

Also, it's still early, but we could have a very impressive upset on our hands here. #5 Notre Dame leads #2 Ohio State 10-7 late in the Second Quarter.

[NewYorkExpress]

Late in the Fourth Quarter, #7 Utah has reversed the deficit against Florida and now holds a 26-22 lead.

Meanwhile, late in the Third Quarter #5 Notre Dame still leads #2 Ohio State 10-7, but the Buckeyes are driving.

[NewYorkExpress]

I repeat myself. The PAC-12's playoff chances are dead, and week one hasn't even ended yet.

[NewYorkExpress]

UCF

Alabama (If Texas was similar to what they were about a decade ago, I'd probably pick them, but they just aren't on Alabama's level. I hope the Longhorns enjoy annual last place finishes in the SEC West, because that's what they are getting for the next few years)

Arkansas (The Hogs victory over Cincinnati means that I think they might just win the SEC West...if they can beat Alabama)

Kansas State

Duke

UTSA

Ball State

Tennessee (probably the closest thing to an early upset pick on my board, but I suspect Tennessee will be favored heading into the game)

Wisconsin

Colorado

Memphis

Houston

Iowa (I'd be very surprised if the Hawkeyes don't win the Cy-Hawk trophy)

Virginia (Not picking Illinois this time after the Illni let me down against Indiana)

West Virginia

Old Dominion

Liberty

Kentucky

Oklahoma State

USC

Virginia Tech

UTEP

Baylor (Easily the best game on the schedule)

Oregon State

Mississippi State