Andy

With Beck they probably would be. It actually opened as a pick 'em. As much as people will talk about the Beck factor, Notre Dame is looking like they're going to have 2 of the 9 preseason starters along the two lines available for this game because injuries have taken out all the rest of them. That seems like a lot to overcome for a team so dependent on defense and running the ball.

I badly want Texas to yak it up against Clemson so we can ask why a team that beat zero ranked opponents and only one team that seems to be clearly at least good (A&M) was in. But somehow that wouldn't be the discussion even if that happened.

This was a stupid discussion when Notre Dame was on the other end of it and it's stupid now. Indiana was in because Alabama lost to TWO crappy teams (Oklahoma and Vanderbilt) and didn't have enough good wins to make up for it. If they had lost to only one crappy team and to Tennessee, then they're in and no one really bats an eye. But they lost to two. If Ole Miss had just beaten a Kentucky team that literally beat no other power-conference team all year - and got utterly trucked by the same Louisville team that SMU beat - then they're in and no one really bats an eye. But they didn't. If South Carolina had beaten any of the 3 teams they lost to, then maybe they're in. (This is probably the one team I feel bad for, because the refs arguably screwed them out of the LSU game.) But they didn't. If we're going to ban every team that ever takes a lopsided playoff L from the playoff, we're going to be running out of teams very quickly.

If you're going to have a several-rounds-long playoff that starts after Thanksgiving and ends in January, there is essentially no way to do it without going head to head with the NFL at some point. The semifinals, taking place in the Cotton and Orange bowls, were placed on a Thursday and Friday, Jan. 9-10, in order to avoid the NFL, which should make for some interesting attendance situations.

Technically there is nothing stopping that if the players and coaches both agree. In the Penn State player's case, it seems as though he had to leave in order to go on visits and pick his next school. And as Derwood points out, there's an academic calendar in play as well.

Sammy Sosa released a statement today apologizing for using steroids (without actually saying the word 'steroids'). Literal moments later the Cubs released a statement inviting Sammy to the next Cubs Convention. Look forward to seeing him at a game. https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/a-major-update-on-sammy-sosa-and-the-cubs-tom-ricketts/

It wasn't even code. Hawkins might as well have been wearing a baseball cap with "MATT SHAW FOR THIRD BASE" on it.

Unfortunately that's how the game is played now. It's pretty much the same strategy Boston used to win the championship last year, they just have better players so it works.

And you thought we were done with Mustache Man after COVID 5-7 Louisiana Tech will play in the game instead.

What a weird-ass coaching carousel. Scott Frost going back to UCF. Rich Rodriguez going back to West Virginia (his last tenure there ended with lawsuits!). Bill Belichick (?!?) going to North Carolina. Dan Mullen reportedly on the verge of signing with UNLV. Glad I'm not invested in any of those choices.

As UMF said, I'm sure the Cubs aren't looking at this knowing they will make no effort to keep him after a year. But by the same token Tucker probably isn't going to be signing any kind of extension after seeing the money Soto got unless it's what he expects to get in free agency.

I was never of the mind this trade would be followed by a signing. That doesn't mean I'm against the trade, though.

Carolina is favored over Dallas this weekend, which I only bring up because it's the first time since 2022 they've been the betting favorite in a game. Mission accomplished, boys.

FWIW it seems like the most likely change based on last offseason is 14 teams, possibly with the byes automatically reserved for the B1G and SEC champs (as if they wouldn't always get them anyway). Last year the talk was 3 or 4 guaranteed auto-bids for those two conferences, two guaranteed bids for the ACC and Big 12, and the highest-ranked champ of one of the other conferences. ND would be bribed with an auto-bid if they were ranked in the top 14 (basically protecting them from being bid-sniped by one of the other auto-bids if a team was middling) to sign on. There would only be a couple at-large spots being selected by the committee. I personally don't care for it - I like that every team theoretically has a chance and that there is still a human element to the process - but Greg Sankey in particular is going to throw an absolute fit this offseason because Alabama didn't get in, and Petitti will probably agree with him because those two run the sport now.

This, and Alabama was passed up for the top SEC bowl, the Citrus, for South Carolina because the Citrus figured the Gamecock fans would be more excited to go.

Some Internet rumblings that Carson Beck has a UCL injury and will be out for the Sugar Bowl.

Yeah, this year and next a couple of these bowls might get stuck because former Pac-12 schools have agreed to retain their Pac-12 ties through the end of their contracts in 2025. BYU/Colorado were never in the same league before this season, so if it had to happen that's a good way to do it. Last week it was reported that Arizona State/Colorado and Iowa State/BYU were also in play depending on how things worked out.

Bracket attached for simplicity's sake College Football Playoff First Round Games (9) Indiana at (5) Notre Dame, 12/20, 8 pm (ABC) (10) SMU at (4) Penn State, 12/21, 12 pm (TNT) (16) Clemson at (3) Texas, 12/21, 4 pm (TNT) (7) Tennessee at (6) Ohio State, 12/21, 8 pm (ABC) Quarterfinals VRBO Fiesta Bowl Quarterfinal in Glendale, AZ – 12/31, 7:30 pm (ESPN) PSU/SMU Winner vs (9) Boise State Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Quarterfinal in Atlanta, GA – 1/1, 1 pm (ESPN) Clemson/Texas Winner vs (12) Arizona State Rose Bowl Quarterfinal in Pasadena, CA – 1/1, 5 pm (ESPN) Tennessee/OSU Winner vs (1) Oregon Allstate Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal in New Orleans, LA – 1/1, 8:30 pm (ESPN) IU/ND Winner vs (2) Georgia Final Four Capital One Orange Bowl Semifinal in Miami, FL – 1/9, 7:30 pm (ESPN) PSU/SMU/Boise Winner vs IU/ND/UGA Winner Goodyear Cotton Bowl Semifinal in Arlington, TX – 1/10, 7:30 pm (ESPN) Clemson/Texas/ASU Winner vs Tennessee/OSU/Oregon Winner College Football Championship Game in Atlanta, GA – 1/20, 7:30 pm (ESPN) Semifinal Winners Bowl Games IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, AL – 12/14, 9 pm (ESPN) South Alabama vs Western Michigan Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl in Frisco, TX – 12/17, 9 pm (ESPN) (25) Memphis vs West Virginia Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, FL – 12/18, 5:30 pm (ESPN) Western Kentucky vs James Madison LA Bowl in Inglewood, CA – 12/18, 9 pm (ABC) California vs (24) UNLV R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in New Orleans, LA – 12/19, 7 pm (ESPN2) Georgia Southern vs Sam Houston StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando, FL – 12/20, 12 pm (ESPN) Jacksonville State vs Ohio UnionHome Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in St. Petersburg, FL – 12/20, 3:30 pm (ESPN) Florida vs Tulane Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, SC – 12/23, 11 am (ESPN) Coastal Carolina vs UTSA Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, ID – 12/23, 2:30 pm (ESPN) Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, HI – 12/24, 10 pm (ESPN) San Jose State vs South Florida GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit, MI – 12/26, 2 pm (ESPN) Toledo vs Pittsburgh Rate Bowl in Phoenix, AZ – 12/26, 5:30 pm (ESPN) Kansas State vs Rutgers 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, AL – 12/26, 9 pm (ESPN) Arkansas State vs Bowling Green Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, TX – 12/27, 12/3:30 pm (ESPN) Navy vs Oklahoma Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, AL – 12/27, 12/3:30 pm (ESPN) Vanderbilt vs Georgia Tech AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN – 12/27, 7 pm (ESPN) Texas Tech vs Arkansas DirecTV Holiday Bowl in San Diego, CA – 12/27, 8 pm (FOX) Washington State vs (21) Syracuse SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl in Las Vegas, NV – 12/27, 10:30 pm (ESPN) Texas A&M vs USC Wasabi Fenway Bowl in Boston, MA – 12/28, 11 am (ESPN) North Carolina vs UConn Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl in New York, NY - 12/28, 12 pm (ABC) Boston College vs Nebraska Isleta New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, NM – 12/28, 2:15 pm (ESPN) TCU vs UL Lafayette Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, FL – 12/28, 3:30 pm (ABC) (18) Iowa State vs (13) Miami Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl in Tucson, AZ – 12/28, 4:30 pm (CW) Colorado State vs Miami (OH) Go Bowling Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD – 12/28, 5:45pm (ESPN) NC State vs East Carolina Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, TX – 12/28, 7:30 pm (ABC) (17) BYU vs (23) Colorado Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA – 12/28, 9:15 pm (ESPN) (22) Army vs Louisiana Tech TransPerfect Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN – 12/30, 2:30 pm (ESPN) Iowa vs (19) Missouri ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, FL – 12/31, 12 pm (ESPN) Michigan vs (11) Alabama Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX – 12/31, 2 pm (CBS) Washington vs Louisville Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL – 12/31, 3 pm (ABC) (20) Illinois vs (15) South Carolina Texas Bowl in Houston, TX – 12/31, 3:30 pm (ESPN) LSU vs Baylor TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL – 1/2, 7:30 pm (ESPN) (14) Ole Miss vs Duke ServPro First Responder Bowl in Dallas, TX – 1/3, 4 pm (ESPN) North Texas vs Texas State Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, NC – 1/3, 7:30 pm (ESPN) Virginia Tech vs Minnesota Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, BS – 1/4, 11 am (ESPN2) Buffalo vs Liberty

Bryce Young dropped an absolute dime to Xavier Legette that should've given Carolina a win in Philly, but Legette flat dropped it. Would've been a 98 yard TD drive to win it that included a 3rd and 11 escape job out of his own end zone and a clutch 4th down conversion (two if Legette had caught his pass). He needs to start in 2025. He's shattering every expectation I had remaining for him.

I'm not sure why they didn't play in the early years but recent history suggests they haven't played in the modern era is because ND wasn't wasting a B1G game on IU when they weren't good and IU probably didn't want to play a big time non conference game either. I believe they have a home and home on the books in 2030-31 though.

I always assumed ND would never be allowed to be 5 (highest they can get) because it would effectively mean that loss meant nothing. Whether that's just my conspiracy or not we'll never know. Penn State has a dream path. Their best possible opponent prior to the title game is a Georgia team that's struggled offensively most of the year and might or might not have a healthy quarterback.

One of our teams will probably be playing against them too

Well, here we are. Alabama or SMU will be the debate. I don't know who is better but I know if the committee thought SMU was 3 spots better 5 days ago, it would be really weird if losing at the buzzer in a game Bama failed to qualify for changed their mind.

We'll see how this last month-plus goes but I don't think Carolina will draft a QB. For one thing there aren't many that are that good, and they won't be picking that high. More importantly, Bryce Young is now playing well enough I think it's easily justifiable to try to fortify a roster that's still quite talent-deficient in other areas and give Young some more time and development.

In a semi-related story, B1G title game prices are dirt cheap right now. Some of that, it seems like, is that Ohio State fans had bought up a lot of the tickets before getting knocked out of the game, but it's funny how pointless these title games look when the only stakes are whether your next game is in 2 weeks or 3.