dixieduck

OK, Paul Hornung won the Stiff Arm playing for a losing Notre Dame team. (Youngsters, this was once upon a time the power The Domers had over CFB. Now the Domers have it only over the Notre Dame Independent Enabling ACC.) Cam Ward - In the modern era has anyone won a Heisman playing vs. ZERO Top-25 teams in the regular season? Beating VA Tech and Cal earn the award. Come On Man. Jeanty is breaking records held by some of the all-time great QBs and lost a close game to Oregon, a team likely to make the PO. Or, how about Vandy QB Pavia who just took down No. 1 Bama? I won a nice sum of money yesterday knowing that Mizzou is fraudulent. MIA is the same kind of team. Cam Ward is putting up gaudy stats vs thin air.

Not so fast Vols. OK is a tough home out. TN to date proved its worth vs. an ACC team about to lose at Clemson. OK looked better last week against Tulane than it has all season. OK has the first quality (sorry NC State) defense that TN will play this season. I think the Vols will be happy to leave Norman with a one score win. And OK will also give Texas a tough game in the RRR game. Bad to vapor-like competition out of conference has given decent teams good rankings. Does even the most die-hard SEC fan believe that more than 50% of the conference should be ranked? Several SEC teams, and Miami, are getting props for beating a bad Florida team. I expect Clemson will soundly defeat NC ST on Saturday and further diminish TN's schedule and ranking. Having attended a home-and-home series in Eugene and Knoxville, there are no better fans than Vols fans.

No beef at all with TX, UGA, Bama, and TN's rankings, all have good P4 wins. But 2-1 A+M is 25 because it defeated FLORIDA? Ole Miss because it defeated Wake Forest is 5? Mizzou is 7 with a win over a BC team in the top 25 because of a win over with a win over 0-3 FSU? USC is 2-0 with a win over 16 LSU and it's ranked behind MO. and Miss teams that have played thin air. Will the loser of TN at OK fall one or 2 spots? It doesn't matter until the Committee's final poll on 12/8/24 but it's more ipso facto ranking of SEC teams that the meritorious SEC teams deserve and others do not.

The Domers retired AD deserves a shout-out for ND's schedule this season. 12 games, 4 G5 opponents, a 'Bye' on conference champ game weekend. A victory over an O-challenged A+M. 'Tough' home games vs Louisville and FSU, right? This kind of happy horse spit scheduling needs to stop. ND should be required to play 13 games with 10 games vs decent to quality P4 opponents. The ND 2024 scheduling scam will knoock a more deserving SEC or B1G team out of the playoff.

With LSU playing Bama, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma in Death Valley and missing UGA, TX, and TN, I think LSU will be fine. But, here we go again. SC did not win the game, LSU gifted the game to the Trojans. Can an SEC team lose and respect the opponent it lost to? Paul Finebaum had the same take on the game. No respect for Riley who he went 'out of his lane' to dump on. Best of luck to the Bayou Bengals for the rest of the season.

Bayou, I like the call. Especially if Mari(o) is still coaching Miami. Ducks fans still say, 'Bless You Canes for Mari(o) going MIA.' All the best to SEC teams and fans (but for possible games vs the Ducks) this season. Injuries will happen but please, no life-threatening or career-ending injuries. Notre Dame? Join a conference or play 13 regular season games with 10 games at least vs P4 competition and not NO Ill, Miami (Ohio), Army, Navy (no Air Force?,) UVA, and Stanford. 4 games vs G5 comp should DQ the Domers with FSU and Louisville in South Bend.

Sorry, Bolden may be light at 160 lbs. but he weighs more than 10 pounds.

AMEN!

9-3. The close wins in the B12 may not be wins in the SEC. WR transfers? In 2023 Bond put up good numbers for a tight end, not a WR. Bolden is 5'8" and 10 lbs. One transfer from Clemson is going to greatly improve a porous pass defense? Who replaces the 2 Big Boy DL players? God bless his recovery but it's Sark. He won the B12 with a roster advantage over every team but Oklahoma that Dillon Gabriel led to a late game-winning 4th Q drive. This was Sark's first conference title ever as a head coach. With a roster advantage over UW, he lost to the Huskies in Houston. The game was close because DeBoer screwed up and didn't take a knee and punt. And Quinn Ewers now has the Fansville QB curse, joining DJU and Caleb Williams. IMO, Texas is the most overrated team coming into 2024. The SEC schedule makers bent over for Texas but I still see 3 Ls on the schedule.

Strength-of-schedule. If it matters to the Committee, 9-3 Florida and Oklahoma should be in or at least under consideration. A 10-2 Mizzou with the number 16 easiest OOC and conference schedules? How about, NO!

BC, UMass? How did the AD miss Harvard, Amherst, and Willims College? The SEC Daily Double - 16th ranked OOC and 16th ranked SEC schedules. A 10-2 Mizzou doesn't deserve a playoff sniff. Oklahoma wins in CoMo and goes 9-3, the Sooners and not the CoMo Tigers should be in playoff contention. A 9-3 Florida should be in and not in contention. Mega in conference schedules will not be balanced. But for the SEC to repeat the in-conference schedule in 2025 with a change in venue only is ridiculously unfair to Florida, Oklahoma, Vandy, Mississippi State, ALABAMA, and GEORGIA. If the Committee does not emphasize strength-of-schedules, and like the CBB Committee discloses the metrics the Committee uses in making its rankings and seedings, comes 2026 call the whole thing off and play a 'World Series' between the B1G and the SEC. Spread some sugar around to shut up the Pols and the Lawyers. 4 to 12 teams will produce more angst than the 2023 FSU situation. Good luck giving lower-ranked teams a 1st round bye and the G5 representative knocking out an SEC or B1G team.

Good call Wolfman. This is The Sports Information Directors Poll.

BB - I'd swap Penn State for UW. ONE (1!) starter returns for UW. Well beyond decimation and close to cancellation.

LOL! I'd rather bring in E. Bola than Paul.

Connor, here's a Ducks fan who wholeheartedly agrees with your well-reasoned critique. SEC says 'Scoreboard' and that should end all arguments as to the superior and deepest conference at this time. But Paul Finebaum telling Ruhle to 'stay in your own lane' is laughable. Paul has not hesitated to dump on Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day, and Lincoln Riley among others. These critiques are staying in your own lane? I do note that Ruhle while going overboard B1G time did give a deserved tip of the hat to the SEC. It will not be too long before the college football PO is a 'World Series' between the B1G and the SEC. Enjoy your takes Connor and I also enjoy watching SEC football. I wish I could watch 9 and not 8 conference games.

Pot, meet kettle? When last I looked, USC and Ohio State were not members of the SEC. Right? Jabberwocky is good for Paul but not others? I disagree with what Ruhle said but Paul, when it to comes to criticizing others outside of your backyard, Harbaugh, Riley, Day, look in the mirror.

With Mizzou's cupcake schedule, Drink should be buying drinks for everyone at SEC HQ. And he gets to do it again in 2025? Sports Illustrated 2024 strength of schedule rankings. Florida No. 1. Mizzou No. 127. BTW, move to nine conference games and perhaps the tiebreaker might not come into play.

Mizzou - 16 out of 16 in SEC Strength of Schedule (SOS). Per Sports Illustrated, Missouri has the 127th easiest SOS, out of 134 teams, in the USA. And Mizzou gets to do it again in the SEC in 2025. Will BC be tougher in Como, or UMass on the road? A 10-2 Mizzou with losses to 2 of A+M, Alabama, or Oklahoma, should not come close to a spot in the PO. If the PO Committee isn't going to value SOS, let's all play 4 stiffs OOC and 8 conference games.

and Hats Off to the Vols!

What bowl game did Florida participate in 2023-24? Similar opponent. Check out the scores of the Gators at Utah and the Ducks at Utah.

Oregon 2 - Tennessee ZIP. Andy Staples has the Vols playing the Ducks in Autzen Stadium in the 1st round of the 2024-25 playoff. Chance for Oregon to go 3-0. I attended the game in Knoxville. The Tennessee fans could not have been nicer. Best of luck to the Vols in 2024.

A team like Washington perhaps?

Thank you, Derek. 1 problem, the Ducks are the only P4 team in 2024 that plays 8 games in a row without a week off. The last 4 in this gauntlet are Illinois, at Michigan, Maryland, and at Wisconsin. This is a yo-yo and in November the weather could be dicey in Ann Arbor and Madison. Maryland and Wisconsin both have the prior week off before the Oregon game. Having the second bye week fall on the penultimate week of the regular season stinks. A lot like Florida with the No. 1 SOS and Mizzou at 66, Oregon's schedule preseason is ranked 11 with Ohio State at 57. (Based on the opponents' records in 2023 and not the future games as ranked by the Faulty Prediction Index.) I can't believe the SEC simply flipped the venues for the 2025 season. This is a back-to-back gift for Mizzou and a back-to-back challenge for Oklahoma which also plays Michigan in 2025. I was very surprised that the SEC ADs fell in line for this. The B1G scheduling agreement through 2028 is more equitable. Oregon plays Michigan and Ohio State in 2024 and misses both in 2025. Playing 8 conference games the SEC has a good chance of hosting 3 of the 4 1st-round games. The ACC and SEC champs will never have to leave Dixie for a game. Oregon could have a home game, then a game in Atlanta, then a game in Miami or Dallas, with the champ game played in Atlanta. That's a whole lot of travel after a whole lot of travel in the regular season. Thanks again and Go Ducks! And best of fortune to the SEC in 2024.

SP+ makes sense. FPI is faulty.

Hats Off to A+M. Decisive Ducks beat downs. Oregon State also lost so the Pac-12 (not the phony Pac-2 disguised as the Pac-12) has played its last athletic event. Best of luck to the Aggies in Omaha and please, on 8/31/24, Neuter Notre Dame!

Hats off to A+M and Kentucky. This could be the final day of Pac-12 competition, the Pac-2 is NOT the Pac-12, if The Ducks and Beavers both drop game two.

Florida one game over .500 is in and Cal is not?

What was the score of the last game between the Trojans and the Bayou Bengals? With SC coached by Clay Helton? Without Daniels at QB last year how did LSU look against a 7-5 Wisconsin team in a bowl game played, of course, in Dixie? Both Ds stunk in 2023, which one has improved the most with D side coaching makeovers. Maybe Nussmeier is that good but the DBs for LSU in the spring game still looked like they were running an unorganized fire drill. Money where mouth is, I have SC -7.

My bad - LSU's other 3 OOC opponents - not Notre Dame's.

Notre Dame has 3 other OOC opponents. All 3 games are in Death Valley. FCS Nicholls State, UCLA (a common SC opponent that SC will play in the Rose Bowl,) and South Alabama. LSU plays Bama and Ole Miss in Baton Rouge. LSU's most difficult road game is vs A+M. A+M Lost its bowl game to OK State!LSU plays 8 conference games. USC plays on the road at defending champion Michigan and runner-up, Washington. These 2 lost a lot from 2023 rosters no doubt but the jury is still out on Bama under DeBoer. Will the Ole Miss roster play up to expectations? BTW, USC plays 9 conference games and zero FCS opponents. Any Mizzou fan dumping on SC should look ai the mirror.