04/18/24
December 05, 2016
Three conference champions and Ohio State walk into a stadium...: The college football playoff is set, with the SEC, ACC, and Pac-12 represented by the winners of their championship games; the Big 12 not represented at all because they don't have a championship game; and the B1G represented by a team that wasn't in its championship game. Alabama will face Washington in the Peach Bowl, while Clemson and Ohio State will face off in the Fiesta Bowl for the right to get ritually murdered by Nick Saban.
I only see two possibilities: Alabama isn't really as good as they've seemed and Washington will beat them, or Alabama is really as good as they've seemed and Ohio State won't be able to beat them either.
Saban is 9-1 in championship games (SEC or national). The 1 was to Tim Tebow, and God ain't on Urban Meyer's side.
posted by Etrigan at 12:26 PM on December 05, 2016
This Buckeyes fan is cautiously optimistic about our chances. Not a bad little "rebuilding" year after putting 3/4 of last year's roster into the NFL.
Although I do think the Bucks are the better team top-to-bottom, I'm not going to look past Clemson. Anybody who looks past Deshaun Watson is setting themselves up for some heartache, and Swinney will have his squad ready to play.
I'm in the camp that predicts that Washington will get its ass handed to it, but would love to see them give 'Bama a run for its money. Maybe the SEC was grossly overrated this year (but then again, maybe it wasn't). And nobody really gave "Bama a scare at all this year. Will the PAC-12 representative try to play some defense in the bowl game?
Saban is a hell of a coach who always puts a top-notch product on the field. But so is Urban Meyer. Maybe (if they meet) 'Bama's team-wide experience wins out this year; but hopefully OSU's experience where is counts-at QB-can be a difference maker.
posted by tahoemoj at 12:37 PM on December 05, 2016
If I was the President, I'd invite a bunch of guys from the 2006 Dolphins to the Peach Bowl and give them full access sideline passes.
I wish that Bama and Washington had gotten assigned to the Fiesta Bowl instead because: Chris Petersen couldn't possibly make the Fiesta his personal playground twice, could he?
Besides, the Peach Bowl is as much Clemson's ancestral hunting ground as anyone's.
Somebody needs to tell Saban that there's a quart of strawberries missing from the officer's mess.
posted by beaverboard at 03:55 PM on December 05, 2016
I am somewhat bummed that the choice for the final spot came down to Penn State and Washington, and Washington prevailed. It's not that Penn State is really good enough for the final 4; they're not. Rather I think that Michigan is better than either Washington or Penn State, and they should be in as the #4. Putting Michigan is the final 4 would have meant a Penn State vs Washington Rose Bowl, thus settling the question of which is the better team. Washington's out-of-conference schedule included a weak Big 10 team (Rutgers) and a couple of 1AA teams (at least I think Idaho and Portland State are 1AA). Penn State played only FBS teams, lost narrowly to Pitt when Penn State was missing much of its O-line, D-line, and linebacker groups. The loss to Michigan was bad indeed, happened when Penn State was still banged up, and likely would have been a loss anyway.
Was the thinking in the committee such that including Ohio State precluded another Big 10 team from the playoffs? It almost appears that was the case, and if true, then limit the final 4 to the ACC/SEC/PAC 10/Big 10 conference champions only. Will other conferences complain about this? Of course, but the answer is to go to 8 teams, make teams cut one of their out-of-conference tackling dummies from their schedule, and start the conference championships a week earlier. The TV networks would love this, the NCAA would have to hire extra staff to count the money, and the fans would have something else to watch.
As a true, long suffering Boston fan, I say "Wait 'til next year".
posted by Howard_T at 05:39 PM on December 05, 2016
Lordy, brain freeze - Chris Petersen couldn't possibly make the Fiesta his personal playground for a third time, could he?
posted by beaverboard at 07:31 PM on December 05, 2016
while Clemson and Ohio State will face off in the Fiesta Bowl for the right to get ritually murdered by Nick Saban
How soon we forget...