2018 NCAA Football Playoffs

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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
8,038
136
they never earned the right to be there, unlike dozens of other great teams in that era that actually lost a single conference championship game that eliminated them from tournament competition. UCLA played less games against largely shitty west cost competition in those days. The better teams of that era would be coming off of 3-4 straight days of grueling conference tournaments, but not UCLA.
OK, maybe they didn't earn the right to compete for those championships, given those arguments. But they still won the games that gave them the trophies. So, arguably, the better/best team.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
8,038
136
And last night's game:

Alabama needed a rival. They sure have one now, their nose got bloodied. I can't speak to the nature of the rivalry.

That game had a lot of really fantastic plays by super athletes.

I came in about the beginning of the 2nd quarter. The score was:

Alabama 16
Clemson 14

The stats at that point leaned heavily for Alabama. More yards, time of possession. I expected an Alabama win. Until almost the end I figured they were dangerous to making a comeback win. But they never scored a single point. They repeatedly failed to make 4th down conversions. They threw in that trick play fake field goal and fell on their face. Instead of the turnaround materializing they were being humiliated again and again. It was actually kinda funny. A lot of people where I was were laughing and shouting.
 
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Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,149
57
91
Re: They, UCLA, legendary NCAA basketball championships winners.

Refresh my memory or fill me in, I'm drawing a blank (airball?).
Google Sam Gilbert.
He bankrolled Wooden's teams. Wooden turned a blind eye to everything.

Jerry Tarkanian once said he that Wooden told him he didn't know anything about it and Tark said "All you have to do is look at the parking lot" lol.

They cheated probably as bad as UNC did for decades. Except UNC got caught, exposed, and had to spend over $20 million in lawyers, PR firms and payoffs to get out of it on a *technicality*.

Here's what happened to UNC: Busted with the biggest academic cheating scandal in the history of the NCAA. They literally had a secretary at their AFAM department creating fake classes and "grading papers" for players. But she put some regular students in them as well (in a far lesser percentage than athletes), so UNC literally claimed to the NCAA this:
"Yes, the classes are bad, but regular students took them, too and you, the NCAA cannot decide if a member school's academics are fake or not".

To which the NCAA replied:
"Okay, but you admitted to SACS (the accreditation organization) that the classes WERE fake, they put you on probation for it (never happened before), you accepted the probation and the terms and we have the letter where you admitted all of it"

UNC says:
"Nope, that was a typo".

And the NCAA then said:
"Oh. Okay then, nevermind".

Literally, this is what happened. They accepted that exact argument.

So I don't know if UCLA was doing all that, but they damn sure had Sam Gilbert throwing cash around and taking care of the players and recruits when Wooden was there and I think even afterwards.
 
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Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,149
57
91
And last night's game:

Alabama needed a rival. They sure have one now, their nose got bloodied. I can't speak to the nature of the rivalry.

That game had a lot of really fantastic plays by super athletes.

I came in about the beginning of the 2nd quarter. The score was:

Alabama 16
Clemson 14

The stats at that point leaned heavily for Alabama. More yards, time of possession. I expected an Alabama win. Until almost the end I figured they were dangerous to making a comeback win. But they never scored a single point. They repeatedly failed to make 4th down conversions. They threw in that trick play fake field goal and fell on their face. Instead of the turnaround materializing they were being humiliated again and again. It was actually kinda funny. A lot of people where I was were laughing and shouting.

It's weird. Alabama was manhandling Clemson on both sides of the line early on.
I thought that might wear Clemson down and Bama would pull away late, but the turnovers just killed them, and then Clemson got jacked up and played better.
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,242
5,685
136
It's weird. Alabama was manhandling Clemson on both sides of the line early on.
I thought that might wear Clemson down and Bama would pull away late, but the turnovers just killed them, and then Clemson got jacked up and played better.
The golden horseshoe....everything that could have happened good for C did. Turnovers, some unbelievable stops when A was running at will, some amazing catches...that last td pass in traffic, for example.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
146
Google Sam Gilbert.
He bankrolled Wooden's teams. Wooden turned a blind eye to everything.

Jerry Tarkanian once said he that Wooden told him he didn't know anything about it and Tark said "All you have to do is look at the parking lot" lol.

They cheated probably as bad as UNC did for decades. Except UNC got caught, exposed, and had to spend over $20 million in lawyers, PR firms and payoffs to get out of it on a *technicality*.

Here's what happened to UNC: Busted with the biggest academic cheating scandal in the history of the NCAA. They literally had a secretary at their AFAM department creating fake classes and "grading papers" for players. But she put some regular students in them as well (in a far lesser percentage than athletes), so UNC literally claimed to the NCAA this:
"Yes, the classes are bad, but regular students took them, too and you, the NCAA cannot decide if a member school's academics are fake or not".

To which the NCAA replied:
"Okay, but you admitted to SACS (the accreditation organization) that the classes WERE fake, they put you on probation for it (never happened before), you accepted the probation and the terms and we have the letter where you admitted all of it"

UNC says:
"Nope, that was a typo".

And the NCAA then said:
"Oh. Okay then, nevermind".

Literally, this is what happened. They accepted that exact argument.

So I don't know if UCLA was doing all that, but they damn sure had Sam Gilbert throwing cash around and taking care of the players and recruits when Wooden was there and I think even afterwards.

you are a scholar and a gentleman. Why UNC hasn't had its entire athletics department dissolved over this nonsense is beyond rational understanding. THAT is its own scandal.
 
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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
146
And last night's game:

Alabama needed a rival. They sure have one now, their nose got bloodied. I can't speak to the nature of the rivalry.

That game had a lot of really fantastic plays by super athletes.

I came in about the beginning of the 2nd quarter. The score was:

Alabama 16
Clemson 14

The stats at that point leaned heavily for Alabama. More yards, time of possession. I expected an Alabama win. Until almost the end I figured they were dangerous to making a comeback win. But they never scored a single point. They repeatedly failed to make 4th down conversions. They threw in that trick play fake field goal and fell on their face. Instead of the turnaround materializing they were being humiliated again and again. It was actually kinda funny. A lot of people where I was were laughing and shouting.


Yeah, that's the really crazy part. Even near the end of the 3rd qrtr, I think ToP still heavily favored Alabama at something like 3:1, yet Clemson just kept scoring with their 2 minute and less drives. Alabama keeps the ball, drives the field, fails on every 4th down attempt. It's weird. Saban is clearly an excellent coach, but he seems to have now established a habit of making boneheaded decisions on 4th down in these playoff and championship games. He doesn't raise a stink to the refs on clear botched calls--obvious PI in the 4th qrtr near the endzone, which would have given them 1st down.

Clemson was nuts. I don't feel so bad now thinking my guys had a good chance of beating them earlier this year, and being so very wrong about that. :D
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
146
Always depends on which team they bring. Carolina had 500 yards passing against them .

Funny, when you say Carolina, I of course think the actual Carolina, the only one that everyone actually calls Carolina, then I see those weird jerseys and am like "what the fuck kind of shit is that?" Then I realize that you are speaking local. Anyway, Carolina was such a dumpster fire this year that I found your claim strange--Carolina didn't actually play Clemson this year with the new garbage division thing they do in the ACC, right?--until I realized that you were just drunk again and didn't know what team is what. :D

But Clemson was also kinda shaky earlier in the year anyway. I didn't think that freshman dude was going to pull it off--he seemed as shaky as you'd expect, and then the concussion in his first game starting.
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,242
5,685
136
Funny, when you say Carolina, I of course think the actual Carolina, the only one that everyone actually calls Carolina, then I see those weird jerseys and am like "what the fuck kind of shit is that?" Then I realize that you are speaking local. Anyway, Carolina was such a dumpster fire this year that I found your claim strange--Carolina didn't actually play Clemson this year with the new garbage division thing they do in the ACC, right?--until I realized that you were just drunk again and didn't know what team is what. :D
I'll tell you like I told my wife, "Who won the National Championship?" Her response fits you as well, "Wait til next year."

Losers.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
146
I'll tell you like I told my wife, "Who won the National Championship?" Her response fits you as well, "Wait til next year."

Losers.

Joke's on you: I dislike all these teams rather passionately, with UNC: you know, Carolina, being the great satan on earth.
(I'm more or less OK with Clemson football, though. basketball....fuck those guys. Rick Barnes is a piece of shit. Fuck that guy. :D)
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,242
5,685
136
Joke's on you: I dislike all these teams rather passionately, with UNC: you know, Carolina, being the great satan on earth.
(I'm more or less OK with Clemson football, though. basketball....fuck those guys. Rick Barnes is a piece of shit. Fuck that guy. :D)
Clemson has a basketball program?
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,834
5,713
126
The skill level when watching NCAA football compared the NFL is just night and day, even when it's supposedly the 2 best teams in NCAA.

Is it common place for NCAA teams to go for it 6 times on 4th down in one game? When Alabama did that fake FG down by like 12 with over 9 minutes left in the third quarter on 4th and like 7, I was thinking WTF are you doing? It just seemed like a terrible coaching decision with so much time left and a long distance to get the first down. That play was almost as bad as the Swinging Gate by the Redskins in the Zorn era.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
8,038
136
Saban is clearly an excellent coach, but he seems to have now established a habit of making boneheaded decisions on 4th down in these playoff and championship games. He doesn't raise a stink to the refs on clear botched calls--obvious PI in the 4th qrtr near the endzone, which would have given them 1st down.

:D
Saban is intriguing. So successful, called the greatest college football coach ever. But you look at him and he just seems tired, uninspired, un-animated. He never seems excited. If his team scores an unexpected touchdown he wouldn't react like most coaches, throwing their arms up in the air and shouting. He'd look pretty matter of fact. I can't even imagine a fist pump out of the guy. I have to wonder where he's going now, what he'll be up to. I heard something about sniffs from the NFL for him. I'm not sure he'd welcome that or if it would work with his current demeanor. But he may be another guy behind the scenes. I just see him at games on TV, and the interviews by TV crews.

I did have the feeling that Alabama sowed their own defeat yesterday to some extent. They were too arrogant. They were passing up field goal opportunities in favor of gambling to make first downs that would give them the chance for a touchdown. Not a good idea to offer up yourself a hostage to fate like that. Same thing with that fake field goal attempt. They stuck their neck out too much, not smart football. Yeah, you have to blame Saban for that. But he looks tired, don't know how else to put it. I'm sure his program is deep, they obviously have something very special going on there with Alabama football.
 
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JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,981
3,318
126
I am waiting with baited anticipation for the College of hard Knocks to win the National Championship!!
 
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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
146
The skill level when watching NCAA football compared the NFL is just night and day, even when it's supposedly the 2 best teams in NCAA.

Is it common place for NCAA teams to go for it 6 times on 4th down in one game? When Alabama did that fake FG down by like 12 with over 9 minutes left in the third quarter on 4th and like 7, I was thinking WTF are you doing? It just seemed like a terrible coaching decision with so much time left and a long distance to get the first down. That play was almost as bad as the Swinging Gate by the Redskins in the Zorn era.

I don't think so, but as rarely as I watch NCAA football now (like you--it's just too slow and low skilled for me), Saban seems to do shit like that all the time in these playoff games when he finds his team down. I think for Alabama, they are rarely behind--didn't they show that a Saban-coached Alabama has never face a 15+ point deficit before? lol--so whenever that starts to happen, he gets stupid desperate and makes absolute boneheaded calls.

Those Clemson DEs and LBs looked absolutely brutal and fast, though. I think at least half of those guys could probably start in the NFL next year
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
8,038
136
Those Clemson DEs and LBs looked absolutely brutal and fast, though. I think at least half of those guys could probably start in the NFL next year
So could Trevor Lawrence (but they'd probably bench him for year, like they did with Goff), and Justyn Ross, No. 8, the freshman wide receiver who made a few OMG catches Monday night. But they're both true Clemson freshmen, IIRC, and won't be eligible for the draft. Clemson will dominate again next year. I figure their only serious competition will be Bama and maybe Georgia, but like you, I don't follow NCAA football.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,834
5,713
126
So could Trevor Lawrence (but they'd probably bench him for year, like they did with Goff), and Justyn Ross, No. 8, the freshman wide receiver who made a few OMG catches Monday night. But they're both true Clemson freshmen, IIRC, and won't be eligible for the draft. Clemson will dominate again next year. I figure their only serious competition will be Bama and maybe Georgia, but like you, I don't follow NCAA football.
I've been hearing this a lot about the QB. As mentioned I don't watch college much at all and that was the first I heard of that guy. I was not that impressed with him at all and he would get rocked in the NFL right now at his weight. He's probably lighter then RG3 and we know how that turned out after he got banged all around.

Also while that receiver had huge numbers and a couple nice catches, some of his big ones seemed more like a result of piss poor defense versus anything special he did.

I could never be a college scout lol.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
29,098
146
Yeah I definitely don't think Lawrence is ready, but he improved a lot from earlier in the year. He's still too slow on the thinking bit but he does have great tools. That Ross kid, though. Yeah, he's ready.
 

Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,149
57
91
Funny, when you say Carolina, I of course think the actual Carolina, the only one that everyone actually calls Carolina, then I see those weird jerseys and am like "what the fuck kind of shit is that?" Then I realize that you are speaking local. Anyway, Carolina was such a dumpster fire this year that I found your claim strange--Carolina didn't actually play Clemson this year with the new garbage division thing they do in the ACC, right?--until I realized that you were just drunk again and didn't know what team is what. :D

But Clemson was also kinda shaky earlier in the year anyway. I didn't think that freshman dude was going to pull it off--he seemed as shaky as you'd expect, and then the concussion in his first game starting.
I hate the UNCheat Heels, but the fact of the matter is, in 49 states plus Puerto Rico and Guam, "Carolina" means University of North Carolina, and "USC" means Southern Cal.
I love to LOL at the Gamecocks...they have 2 different monikers there that belong to other schools.