I think LSU will really test Alabama's run D but I think bama can handle it and force them to throw. I think Bama will try and take out the play action aspect of LSU's game
well, Bama/LSU was low scoring but the Tide stifled LSU. OSU also blew out the Huskers as I predicted MI/OSU is going to be very interesting this year
Michigan is for real. They are in the running and may just be good enough to beat Bama. My Irish just suck this year but being Cubs fan I have learned patience.
that is what is known as a "pipe dream" MI is good, I've been saying that, but Bama is on another level
When OSU defeats MI then MI is out of the playoffs and WA with their pathetic PAC 12 championship will be in along with Clemson, OSU and Bama OSU will then defeat Clemson Bama will pummel WA OSU vs BAMA again for the title which Bama will win I'd prefer Louisville or Oklahoma in the playoffs rather than the PAC 12 champ It's akin to the year they put ND into the championship and people actually thought that they could compete with the Tide.
Here's more. Read the whole thing at the link: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-se...o-nick-saban-202630171.html?hl=1&noRedirect=1 The SEC isn't so mighty anymore thanks to Nick Saban Yahoo Sports US Dan Wetzel Yahoo Sports columnist Yahoo Sports USNov 28, 2016, 1:26 PM The Southeastern Conference awards its football champion an impressive trophy that includes a running back trying to leap over a blocker and a tackler. Its a pretty cool ode to the kind of goal-line play a Herschel Walker or Bo Jackson once made. They might want to shelve it this year, especially if Nick Sabans top-ranked, unbeaten Alabama defeats Florida to capture its fifth league title in six seasons. (The Tide is currently a 22-point favorite, the biggest for the SEC game in over two decades.) Instead, they could hand out a diorama of the South, with 13 college towns laying in smoldering ruins as Saban sits on a throne in Tuscaloosa eating Little Debbie snack cakes. Maybe the rest of the league could be waving white flags. The once mighty SEC is dead. (Well, at least for this year.) The league consists of Alabama and a whole lot of mediocre-at-best. What was once the nations deepest, most competitive conference in football is a shell of itself, a parade of the down and the defeated, so far behind the Crimson Tide that this weekends SEC championship game is essentially an exhibition contest. Alabama can lose and still make the playoff. Florida can win and it wont matter. Were a long way from when the game was a de facto national semifinal, or even the championship game (2009 No. 2 Bama beat No. 1 UF). The No. 1 suspect for the annihilation is Saban. The 65-year-old hasnt just dominated the competition but destroyed it. Its not just in relation to Alabama either. Yes, the Tide has run away form the pack, winning its eight league games by an average of 23.3 points. It can happen. The stunning development is that the pack has fallen apart. No one else is any good. Nick Saban is 65-12 in SEC play in 10 seasons at Alabama. (Getty Images)View photos Nick Saban is 65-12 in SEC play in 10 seasons at Alabama. (Getty Images) More Put it this way, if Alabama beats Florida Saturday then every team in the league not coached by Nick Saban will have at least four losses. Already we have this: every team in the league not coached by Nick Saban combined to go just 5-9 against other Power 5 conference opponents (and BYU). That included last weekends trips behind the woodshed by Florida (31-13 loss to Florida State) and South Carolina (56-7 loss to Clemson). The Power 5 and BYU might be a bit too easy of a cut-off though. Every team in the league not coached by Nick Saban combined to go a sorry 0-6 against the current AP top 15, a complete washout. There are but two victories against the current top 25 (Kentucky over Louisville; Tennessee over Virginia Tech). Every team in the league not coached by Nick Saban will hit the recruiting trail in desperate need of talent, a rebuilding project (at best) in progress. Every team in the league not coached by Nick Saban will have a solid portion of its own fan base skeptical of its coachs ability and long-term stability. Tennessee is so upset that some people want Lane Kiffin back. Basically, every team in the league not coached by Nick Saban will be wondering when Nick Saban will just go off and retire or return to the NFL. About the only thing comparable is the heyday of Bear Bryant, when he lorded over Southern football. In 1979, as Bryants Tide went 12-0, capping a three season, 34-2, two national title run. The SEC runner-up, Georgia, finished 6-5. (Auburn, at 8-3, was the only other ranked team). This is even more impressive now because there are 13 competitors, not nine, there are strict scholarship limits (unlike during Bryants day) and pretty much every single school is flush with money and commitment to win. This isnt a region or a conference just waking up. This is the league that once owned the sport coming unglued. Since this is a recent trend and small sample size there can be no definitive reasons why the SEC has fallen apart, or even that it will last. You can start with Saban though and the way he doesnt just beat the other teams on the field, but in their long-term decision making. In the past he had true peers in the league. But Steve Spurrier retired. Urban Meyer took a year off and then headed to Ohio State. Bobby Petrino wrecked his Harley in Arkansas with a blonde volleyball player riding on the back. Georgia essentially ran out Mark Richt, whose team was almost always good for 10 wins a season. The reason: he couldnt beat Saban. LSU did the same with Les Miles, despite a national title, another BCS title game appearance and some measure of success against the Tide. Even an up-and-coming coach like James Franklin left the league to go to Penn State. For the most part, league schools seem intent not on finding the next great coach, but the next Saban, which would be a fools errand. The ideal candidate appears to be angry, secretive, full of clichés and wound extremely tight. Georgia hired Kirby Smart, who promptly lobbied the state legislature to change the states open records laws so no one could find out what recruits they were hosting. If thats all you think Saban is, though, youre missing the good stuff.
I am hoping that WA loses to CO and when OU defeats state, maybe just maybe we can get OU into the playoffs. Bama vs OU will be a much better game than Bama vs WA and golly gee, surprise surprise, Clemson vs OSU in the first round, who saw that coming Hey Dabo, please don't get the hopes up of your players or fans, you aren't going to beat Urban
Granny says, "Dat's right - his momma raised him right... Heisman Winner Lamar Jackson: 'First and Foremost...I Want to Thank My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ' December 10, 2016 | University of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson was awarded the Heisman Trophy tonight at a ceremony in New York City. See also: Lousiville's Lamar Jackson wins Heisman Trophy December 10, 2016 — Lamar Jackson leapt over a loaded field of Heisman Trophy contenders early in the season and by the time he slowed down nobody could catch him.
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...otball-team-ends-boycott-prepare-holiday-bowl Minnesota ends boycott, will prepare to play in Holiday Bowl The University of Minnesota football team will play in the National Funding Holiday Bowl, reversing a threat to boycott the game because of the suspension of 10 players accused of sexual assault. The players made the announcement at a news conference Saturday after a group of seniors from the team met with the board of regents, university President Eric Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle late into Friday night. "As a team we understand that what has occurred these last few days and playing football for the University of Minnesota is larger than just us," receiver Drew Wolitarsky said. The school declined the players' request to reinstate the suspended players, something the team said it sought before agreeing to return to practice. The team will now go ahead with its Dec. 27 game against Washington State in San Diego after getting assurances that those accused will get a fair hearing next month. Wolitarsky, reading from a statement, said after many hours of team discussion and speaking with Kaler, "it became clear that our original request of having the 10 suspensions overturned was not going to happen." Kaler and Coyle made clear to the players, and to the community through statements Friday, that they had no intention of changing their decision after an internal investigation determined the suspended players violated school conduct codes in an encounter involving a woman and several players at an off-campus dorm Sept. 2. "I'm very pleased that the football team has realized the opportunity to represent the university and come out strong in support of the victims of sexual violence," Kaler said Saturday. "They've come out strongly in support of the victims of sexual violence. I have promised a very fair hearing to the students involved and charged and I attend to have that be true. We will judge them very fairly." Three players spoke anonymously to ESPN's Brett McMurphy on Saturday after the boycott was lifted. The players, who did not want to be identified because they wanted the statement to be the team's message, said they were literally up for the past 35 hours without sleeping, trying to reach a decision. The anonymous players also said the team never considered going to the Holiday Bowl and then refusing to play because this is "bigger than football." The team called Holiday Bowl officials Friday night, and the bowl told them they needed a decision by 5 p.m. local time Saturday, the anonymous players told McMurphy. The Holiday Bowl is one of the most lucrative and well-known of the second-tier bowl games. The payout to the school was $2.8 million last year. Not including the New Year's Six bowls that are tied to the College Football Playoff, the Holiday Bowl's distribution was the fifth largest of the other 34 postseason games. Bowl revenue is pooled and shared by conferences. For the Big Ten, which distributed more than $30 million to each of its 14 members last season, Holiday Bowl revenue is a small piece of a large pie. Four players were initially suspended for three games earlier this season while the police investigated allegations by a woman, who said several players pressured her into having sex with them after a season-opening win over Oregon State. No arrests or charges were made and the players, who maintained the sex was consensual, were reinstated after a judge lifted a restraining order. The university said it holds its students to higher standards than those applied by the law, and its announcement of the suspensions Tuesday caught the team off guard. University investigators wrote they generally found the woman's account more credible than those of the accused students. The investigators concluded several students failed to provide full and truthful information. The entire team gathered at the practice facility Thursday night and issued a statement saying they would boycott all football activities until Kaler and Coyle apologized for their lack of communication and reinstated the suspended players. But on Friday, after hours of sometimes contentious meetings with lawyers and university leadership, the players softened their stance. "There's always room to try to communicate more clearly and I think the players now understand that process more fully," Kaler said. The players also asked the university to show "support for the team and the character shown by the great majority of our players" and help them "use our status as public figures to bring more exposure to the issue of sexual harassment and violence against women." Players said on Saturday they were most disappointed with the lack of communication and due process and took the issue of sexual assault seriously. "As football players, we know that we represent this university and this state and that we are held to a higher standard," Wolitarsky said. "We want to express our deepest gratitude to our coaching staff and so many others for their support during this difficult time, and we hope that our fans and community understand why we took the actions that we did." Dean Johnson, chairman of the university's Board of Regents, said he supports the decision to end the boycott and to keep the 10 players under suspension. He added that the situation has shown that while the university does not tolerate sexual violence, more must be done to ensure the campus is safe for all students. That change, he said, could come in stronger policies, enforcement or more educational opportunities and sensitivity training. "It's not been a good thing for the University of Minnesota, with donors, with ticket holders, with the administration, the regents -- it's not been a proud week," Johnson said. ESPN's Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/t...frey-opting-to-skip-bowl-games-174654560.html The dam is about to burst on college players like Christian McCaffrey opting to skip bowl games Dan Wetzel,Yahoo Sports US 2 hours 13 minutes ago Comments Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email UP NEXT Now Playing 1:54 6:19 5:43 9:32 2:07 1:43 1:27 / 1:54 Steve Mariucci on players skipping bowl games: 'Hope it doesn't start a trend' Sometime in the not-so-distant future, nobody will blink about what Stanfords Christian McCaffrey announced he was doing on Monday skipping the teams upcoming appearance in the Sun Bowl. Why is he doing it? So I can begin my draft prep immediately, McCaffrey said in a statement. McCaffrey had already declared he was turning pro after his junior season. That was earlier in the month. This was the realization that playing in another game a bowl game no less was both a waste of time and an undue risk. McCaffrey plays running back, a position seen by NFL teams as nearly interchangeable. Mileage matters and one knee injury can end everything. McCaffreys father, Ed, played 13 seasons as a receiver in the NFL, where he won three Super Bowls (one with San Francisco, two with Denver). He currently works on the radio crew for the Broncos, where his old quarterback and friend, John Elway, is in charge. The family knows the system. The family knows the league. The family knows the sport. The family knows how perilous it is to fulfill that dream of not just becoming a pro, but remaining one. This isnt some kid listening to an agent or a middleman uncle or whatever other stereotypical boogeyman can be invented. This is no callous, money-desperate crew, either. Christian McCaffrey announced he will skip Stanfords bowl game to concentrate on the NFL draft. (Getty Images) This is business, smart business from smart people. Christian isnt the only Stanford product in the family. Both Ed and his wife, Lisa, went there, too, home to the elite academics and 99 percent football graduation rate. So what does it mean when they, the McCaffreys, looked at the Sun Bowl and said, Forget it, this is not worth it, and figured if they want an authentic plate of flautas de pollo, theyll fly down to El Paso themselves and order some? Oh, you can bet other players and parents are paying attention. The dam has been ready to burst on player participation in bowl games for a while now, but with McCaffrey providing cover, heres the expectation that the flood is coming. It may have already started with the decision by LSU running back Leonard Fournette to skip the Tigers bowl game. However, Fournette is recovering from injury, so there was a plausible reason for his non-return. McCaffrey is totally fine. For generations College Football, Inc. has argued that skipping a bowl game was akin to treason against the team, that the joy of suiting up one last time with your buddies had an incalculable value, that the chance to get a little warmth, a swag bag and an opportunity to meet the Sun Court was too much to pass up. Even the thought of skipping would supposedly scare off NFL teams, which would questioned the players commitment and coachability. A million excuses were invented as the bowl directors made their millions.
Looks like Dabo outfoxed Urban badly...31-zip! GO TIGERS! On to Alabama! As a Clemson grad, I couldn't be prouder...
Don't know what your issue with the PAC 12 is but Washington played Alabama about as well as possible (all things considered) while Louisville? They got their asses beat by LSU. and Oklahoma's season was blown up when they dropped the opener to a not very menacing Houston team. Learn to live with it.
OSU stunk up the joint Bama was untypical with their penalties and Saban will fix that WA didn't belong on the field with Bama; sorry to say that but they were way outclassed
Alabama is the class of college football and I'm not pretending the Huskies could have beat them except with a perfect game. Only that they were a very good team that played Alabama more or less even (save for one bad decision by Browning and the game of the year for the 'Bama running back) and they belonged to be there.
Hey watch it there. I wasn't around yesterday to watch it ( thankfully lol) Huskies are ALWAYS number one 'round here. We bleed purple. Alabama is a bad ass team... big congrats to them.
But If Saban doesn't get those "kids" to focus and they have as many penalties against Clemson as they did WA, then Clemson will take advantage. IMO, the players of The Tide were looking past WA and Saban will set them straight real quickly. And with respect to WA, much like Notre Dame a few years back, your school got a taste of the modern era championship level of play needed to compete at the highest level. Look at it this way, WA made it to the playoffs. There are 13 schools that will never make it to the playoffs unless they find a way to defeat Bama either during the regular season or at the SEC championship.
"P5" football and the playoffs are so boring. It's usually the same teams every year. It's like watching the movie "Groundhog Day".
Around here it is all Bama....all the time. I know they play to win but it gets rather boring. No suspense and no real competition.
AD of 1 of the other 11 SEC schools to coaching candidate: "Around here the alumni expect an SEC champhionship within 2 years and a trip to the playoff" AD- "um, coach, please get off of the floor..........................coach..........coach" As long as Saban remains, the other 11 schools are playing for a decent bowl game
Saban is a great coach and he also has the whole state of Alabama behind him. But he wins so many games, so well , it gets boring. I would like a little more suspense. It is not as if they will win or not. It is just how much they will win by.
