Texas A&M gets hosed, a deluxe rematch and takeaways from 2020 Playoff field
The Playoff field is set, and in case there was any doubt, some folks are mad. Perhaps understandably so.
Texas A&M fans will forever talk about getting a raw deal from the selection committee for getting passed over by Ohio State and Notre Dame. Cincinnati fans are mad that they didn’t even crack the top 6, and that they never rose above that initial ranking of No. 7.
Hey, let’s all just agree that it was nice not to see Iowa State at No. 6 for losing to a Group of 5 team at home by 17 points.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts on the field itself, so let’s get to them:
Yes, you apparently can lose in your conference title game (badly) and make the field
Notre Dame made history by doing that, and by also suffering the most lopsided loss of any Playoff invitee we’ve ever seen (2017 Georgia previously held that honor for the 23-point loss against Auburn). We really hadn’t seen many situations where we had to wonder about what it would look like for an unbeaten Power 5 team to lose its conference title game and make it.
Of course, 2015 Iowa did that, but that game was all-or-nothing against a 1-loss Michigan State team. The Hawkeyes weren’t getting in with 1 loss ahead of 1-loss Alabama, undefeated Clemson or that 1-loss Oklahoma team, all of which had conference titles (Oklahoma didn’t play in a conference game because the Big 12 didn’t have one yet).
This sort of debunks the belief that the timeliness of a loss perhaps isn’t as important. I’d argue it should be, to a certain extent. If we’re trying to figure out where teams are right now, I’d say a blowout loss to a legitimate Playoff foe on conference championship week gives me more pause than a blowout road loss to an even better Alabama team 2 months ago.
I thought Notre Dame would get the benefit of the doubt because of its Clemson win against a Trevor Lawrence-less squad and the fact that the Irish won all of their road games by at least 14 points, including 1 against a solid UNC squad. I’d argue A&M’s 6 consecutive wins by double digits and 7 overall, including 1 against a solid Florida squad, was also plenty impressive. After Alabama, the Aggies did everything they could’ve done to set themselves up, but it didn’t bounce their way.
The selection committee used preseason confirmation bias to determine Ohio State was better. That decision was made weeks ago. This wasn’t about résumé; it was about putting a team in the field that has proven to be one of the top teams in college football.
But let’s talk about the actual field itself …
I’m actually glad we get that Clemson-Ohio State matchup
Last year’s showdown was begging for a rematch. Justin Fields vs. Trevor Lawrence Part II. Sign. Me. Up.
That game was an instant classic last year, though that was with an Ohio State defense that had much more firepower. Yes, the Buckeyes shut down Northwestern. Are we sure they can actually contain an attack as good as Clemson’s? We just saw the Tigers hit 34 points with relative ease against a much better Notre Dame defense. If I’m an Ohio State fan, I’d also worry about the fact in Justin Fields’ 2 games against quality defenses, he struggled. A lot.
Brent Venables is going to do everything in his power to confuse Fields, who looked a bit lost without star Chris Olave after he was out for the Big Ten Championship because of COVID issues. Olave or not, Fields hasn’t played a quality game against a good team this year.
Lawrence, on the other hand, has blown out every team he’s faced. He’s 34-1 as a starter with his lone loss coming to 2019 LSU, AKA the greatest team ever. Of course, Fields’ only loss as a starter was last year’s Fiesta Bowl against Lawrence’s Clemson squad in which a botched fumble call proved to be the difference.
A lot has happened since then, including an entire pandemic wherein Fields and Lawrence fueled the push to play. Good for both of those guys, who are about to become millionaires, that they get a chance to face off in a Playoff semifinal once again.
This will be chalked up as a boring, repetitive matchup to the casual college football fan, but for those of us who realize how special these guys are, we’re in for a treat.
I will not make a Manti Te’o girlfriend joke when talking Alabama-Notre Dame
… is what I’m gonna have to tell myself for the next week and a half. That was 8 years ago.
Crazy, I know. But like, has that much changed? Notre Dame is still the team that wants to beat you with its smash-mouth defense and its ground game while Alabama looks like the most unbeatable force in the sport.
The big difference is that Notre Dame is now tasked with slowing down a much more prolific Alabama offense than the one that Te’o and Co. faced 8 years ago. Three Heisman Trophy-worthy offensive skill players are more than capable of torching Clark Lea’s defense. This group has balance not unlike the Clemson offense that just lit up the Irish in the ACC Championship.
Mac Jones isn’t AJ McCarron. Najee Harris is more versatile than Eddie Lacy or TJ Yeldon. DeVonta Smith is on a different level than freshman Amari Cooper, too. And if Alabama gets Jaylen Waddle back? Buddy, this has the makings of 2012 all over again.
Nobody in their right mind is picking Notre Dame to upset an Alabama team that just beat 11 SEC teams, and all but 1 came by at least 15 points. It’s a different feel than the 2012 season when the Irish had the Te’o storyline and it had a “team of destiny” feel to it. Notre Dame is 2-19 against top-5 foes in the 21st century, with 1 of those wins being the Clemson win without the aforementioned Lawrence.
Alabama couldn’t have asked for a more favorable semifinal matchup, and that includes a Texas A&M rematch.
I mean … we know how this ends
Alabama vs. Clemson, Part V. It feels inevitable. In this year of madness, an Alabama-Clemson national title game would remind us that in the college football world, not even a pandemic can shake its foundation. For the average fan, I think this would be a frustrating development. It’s only pushing us in the direction of expansion if the field continues to spit out the same result.
Do I think Alabama and Clemson would still be doing this against an 8-team field? Yeah, probably. Both are too battle-tested to think that it’s just the system doing them favors on a yearly basis.
At this point, though, it’s hard to argue that this wouldn’t be the best matchup. Do I want to watch Ohio State’s secondary try to slow down Alabama’s offensive attack? Not really. That feels super lopsided. I’d rather watch someone like Venables, who has proven success against a prolific Alabama offense, try to game plan against the Crimson Tide. Granted, Venables never had to game plan against Steve Sarkisian. The last time Alabama didn’t hit 35 points in a game was of course that beatdown in the 2018 title game at the hands of Venables’ defense.
But perhaps in this year of unpredictability, I shouldn’t assume anything. I shouldn’t prematurely dub these teams national championship participants.
Nah, who are we kidding? Part V is coming. Might as well accept it now.
Hosed? TAM wasn’t hosed. ND’s full season body of work was better.
No it wasnt. They beat a Clemson team with like 8 backups in including QB and NC. The ACC is weak just like it is every year. They just had an OOC game with G5s to make them look better while the SEC didnt. Id love to play ND. Very confident we win that game
The committee does not evaluate if part of a team’s roster was missing during a head to head game. Only the actual result. You may not like their process, but they were following it as defined in this case.
Actually the committee has stated in the past that they consider if a team was missing an important player when they lost. I would guess that means they should consider a win over a team missing an important player. I still think ND has a better resume than A&M
Incorrect. They do take into account missing starters or key players.
That is not true. They have stated several times that they take missing players into account. Try again.
They take into consideration if a team is missing starters when they evaluate the LOSING team. Not the winning team.
they literally said last week, florida was ranked where they were because the lsu loss didn’t have kyle pitts involved…
Pine…you are on the wrong site….you’ll get slaughtered on this one. We are the SEC.
Tool, don’t react simply to my Clemson logo. If you look at my profile, I have a freshman at Bama, and my wife went to UT (during their quality years). I am foremost an SEC fan, but also one of Clemson. I like to think that affords me a balanced view. If I knew how to generate a dual logo, I would represent it as both Clemson/Bama. And hopefully to further establish credibility with you, I see Bama as the best team in CFB. This year.
No team that loses by 28 points in a game deserves to be wasting a spot in the CFP. I said this back at the start of the season when Bama thumped them and they have bleated like sheep all season long ignoring the facts. It’s not so much the NUMBER of losses, it’s how you lost. One of the CFP committee members said the way Florida played Alabama, he voted them above ATM and if not for the LSU loss the week prior, Florida would have gotten in. Florida lost 3 games this year by a combined 12 points. Texas A&M lost one game by more than twice that amount.
No team has ever made the CFP or BCS championship game when they had a loss that bad on their record. Ever. Anyone with a functioning brain knew without a LOT of teams losing down the final stretch, ATM had no chance.
Yet ND had a lopsided loss yet they are in the playoffs so your argument makes no sense. I can at least understand the A&M loss as being early in the season. ND’s loss was essentially a playoff game late in the year for a conference championship. Don’t want to A&M in the CFP that’s fine. Giving the shot to Cincy would have made more sense. If Florida would have won, I would have given them the shot and put them in at 4 with Bama at 3. But Florida laid an egg at LSU. No 3 loss team deserves it either.
It’s not unprecedented that a team gets blown out in their final regular season game and goes to the NC game. It happened twice in the BCS era (Nebraska and OU).
That doesn’t matter. The committee chairman was pretty clear. Both teams had embarrassing losses to the #2 team, but ND had another win against a ranked opponent. A&M did not.
No
Wrong.
Yes they were, but not by ND. I agree with your point about the comparison. The same case can in no way be made for Ohio State.
Ohio State’s resume was devoid of an embarrassing blowout.
and how many games did the buckeyes play?? They dont deserve to be in the playoffs.
I hate to type it, but Clemson will beat the Buckeyes even without the referee’s-help this year. Ohio State’s DB’s are weak and Fields has struggled in 2 games this year….Indiana almost beat em and Northwestern let the game get away late.
Keep saying that out loud and maybe even YOU will believe that.
Pinebarrens Dabo-fan…Notre Dame got in because they ARE Notre Dame. They played in the Always Cushy Conference *just like your Clem-tigers do and that Jr. College league’s competition is crap…you know that. You, if you understand the reality of elite talent, know that your Clem-tigers are not the totally-loaded fire-breathing monster that they have been in past years. Having Trevor at QB masks your deficiencies. We look forward to facing your team in the final. Keep drinking your orange Kool Aid..bubba.
SEC teams are overall better than ACC teams. Overall they are more physical and athletic. So no, ND’s resume is not better. And the worst part is the a committee knows it.
The Playoff Committee members have their agenda from day one and generally stick to it. I believe Texas A & M and Cincinnati both deserve to be in over Notre Dame. Bring back the BCS…I sure trust the computers more than the committee members.
Army got hosed, no SEC or other team we are talking about comes close.
Why are we mentioning UGA here? Just shut up about UGA! Because right now they could beat any team in the playoffs. Yet they aren’t in. And as for this IGNORANT COMMENT.
” 2017 Georgia previously held that honor for the 23-point loss against Auburn ”
Did y’all forget that Auburn was going with 2 LOSSES had they won the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. Did tall for get that? Did y’all forget Auburn beating #1 UGA and #1 Alabama back to back in solid fashion. Yet I guess you forgot what happened in the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
UGA BEAT AUBURN 28-7!!! Avenging their only loss of the regular season!!!! UGA GOT HOSED AFTER THAT. WHEN THEY WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND IT WAS GIVEN AS A GIFT TO ALABAMA WITH TERRIBLE CALLS ALL NIGHT!!!
THE HEAD REF FROM THAT GAME ADMITTED THAT UGA WON THE GAME. THAT HIS BAD CALLS COST THEM A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!
PS. So don’t even think about mentioning UGA again. UGA WOULD DESTROY TX A&M!!!! Don’t think so? MAKE THE GAME!!!
King Negan
I usually pass up stupid comments but this was too easy. Are you making excuses for your blowout losses? We found our qb too late, refs stole our game, blah blah blah. The “Dawgs” had an off year and have played decent down the stretch but Bama blew them out and if Florida kept the gas pedal down would have scored 60.
Your nurse forgot your lithium again.
I AGREE THE ACC OVERALL IS WEAK!!!!! But I honestly believe that CLEMSON WILL WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN!!!! Alabama has a good offense but so does clemson. Clemson has a defense and Alabama don’t!!! Plus that weak ACC schedule will allow clemson to be not as beaten up. More energy overall.
DABO WILL AGAIN PLAY THE UNDERDOG CARD!!!! Poor little clemson against the world. Honestly I don’t understand how clemson could be considered the underdog. Because Alabama is NOT the best team in the SEC!!!! Alabama and Florida can thank their lucky stars. This season it should have been UGA!!! Right now UGA IS THE MOST COMPLETE TEAM IN THE SEC PERIOD!!!!!
PS. Count your blessings that UGA got healthy too late and found their QB too late!!! UGA could beat clemson!
King Negan
UGA is not the best nor was ever close to being the best. After halftime Kyle Trask had 340 yards and 4 TDs. At halftime. I’d never say a “complete team” means giving up over 340 yards and 4TDs in two quarters ever again if I were you.
Just blow out UNC in the Orange Bowl and prepare for next year. Its clear what we have to do to make the playoffs and thats go undefeated and win the SEC. Just dont wanna see Bama sneak into the 4 spot if that happens because they get the benefit of the doubt
And just what doubt has Bama been given the benefit of this year?
Say what??
Notre Dame is 2-19 against top-5 foes in the 21st century, with 1 of those wins being the Clemson win without the aforementioned Lawrence.
–
Holy moly.
What’s the Aggies record?
I counted by hand so it might be wrong but 4-21, but 3-12 since joining the sec. if you include top 10 teams though that number looks a lot better
I got the same count. It’s an irrelevant stat when judging a team in one specific year though.
It’s irrelevant until you appear to be putting teams in the playoffs because “tradition” or “TV viewers” or other non-season related variables.
Then is the moment it is laughable.
I am not happy about eiher OSU or ND getting in, but not my decision. I object to OSU not playing enough games. The math challenged big10 changed the rules to let OSU play in the conference championship. I disagree with that, but again, not my call.
ND was dominated by Clemson, it wasn’t close. I don’t believe they are the 4th best team in the nation. Having said all of this, can’t wait to watch the games. OSU and ND can state their case on the field. It will be interesting to watch.
One played a half season the other lost in the championship game in an overall weak conference.
I’m surprised Oklahoma didn’t sneak in. Notre Dame will get boat-raced by Alabama. The only thing that might slow them down a little bit is a second string center, but I’m guessing they’ll be fine.
A&M is better off not getting in and being able to claim it would have been different this time against Alabama.
A&am would get boat raced by Bama too so you’re not saying much. Basically no difference between the two of them so they went with ratings.
I agree with you. A&M is more talented and Notre Dame has a tone of experience on their roster. But fundamentally, both have the same style of play, and that style can’t keep up with Alabama.
* ton, not tone
I keep hearing that, but I don’t see how that’s reality. Notre Dame has ~120k living alums and A&M has ~500k along with the whole state of Texas.
Dude, I live in TX. I assure you, “the whole of TX” is NOT rooting for the Aggies. Lest you forget that other little tm over in Austin……
I can’t stand Notre Dame (I seem to say that a lot), but just as many of the posters on this site have probably never graced a classroom at the schools of their favorite teams, the Notre Dame fan base extends beyond their alumni. And in Notre Dame’s case, far beyond. They had their own national TV contract (with NBC) long before any other college football program.
TAMU should move to the ACC and immediately be in the playoff conversation every year.
They’d get boat raced by Clemson every yr….
They’d get boat raced by Clemson every yr…
–
Possibly, but like I said, they’d IMMEDIATELY be in the playoff conversation by default year in and year out.
Nope. And besides, if Miami doesnt sustain success, Clemson needs competition. ND wont be playing an ACC schedule next year.
They played Clemson the last 2 years and didn’t get boat raced.
They wouldn’t want to do that. We all know that the ACC is the superior conference this year. As evidenced by two of their teams making it to the CFP.
That’s pretty funny.
Ha ha ha. TAMU > ND
A&M, Florida, Georgia, Auburn > ND.
I would hold up about that AU claim. They are pretty bad and would have had a losing record if not for reply help.
replay
Tidefan8X5, I do remember how bad they were and I’d still take Auburn over ND as they have struggled with teams with a good pass rush.
That’s the funniest post I’ve ever read on this board. ND appears to be on loan.
Is this guy for real?ha we needed some comedy to calm the aggression but the acc top 4 this year was who clempson nd UNC and Miami.. Sec top 4 bama tamu gators and jawja.. Our 4th best beats acc number 2 and right now I’d even say jawja could play a nailbiter with clempson.. The rest of the acc is terrible no way around it.. Ole miss is best 4 – 5 team in history Lswho is getting better.. Really only Vanderbilt and scar mixed in with maybe some vols is only our weak teams that would lose if paired against their doppelganger in the acc.. I’d still think the cold could do it to if the leave Guantanamo Bay on the bench
Vols not cold
The two ACC will combine for one win in the playoffs. Bama will get two by themselves.
The fact that two ACC teams got in when everyone’s playing a conference-only schedule means nothing more than that the ACC has more bottom-feeders than the SEC.
Another attempt to be funny by a Climpsin fan.
ACC is not the stronger conference and getting ND in is proof of nothing.
We decided that this year we opted out of the bama game…take it away we are 8-0 we are now better then OSU
Nash…”boat raced”…that’s a good one.
Aggies did not get hosed. It was basically a coin flip between them and ND and I don’t think either one was a playoff caliber tm. If they chose the Aggies, no one could say ND was hosed either.
Since it’s not about butts in seats but eyeballs on TVs this yr, they took the tm that would have bigger ratings. If the 2 tms played next week, it’d be a toss-up gm so silly to say either got hosed.
A&M would beat ND by 14+
Doubt very seriously the boys in the desert would agree with you.
I would agree with nova. No way ND could stop our run game. Our O-line would feast on them. Wish we got Clemson this year. Last two years I wouldn’t think we win, this year with how we finally are controlling the line of scrimmage. This would have been the year.
Clemson would beat you worse than Bama. They would not pull their starters early.
ND is good on both lines of scrimmage and has an experienced, mobile quarterback. But does not have 3-5 legitimate threats to challenge a defense in the passing game. Just like A&M.
I agree Nova, at least 14.
this behind closed door committee obviously got a call from the pope, I’m sure Aggie fans wouldn’t have minded Jimbo and Kell doing a made for TV game of head vs tails. aTm and the SEC got hosed, instead of one team from the weak arse all cupcakes Conference we get two! Cincy would have been a more fair decision…
I think they should have let Oklahoma be the sacrificial lamb, since A&M and ND already had convincing losses to playoff finalists.
Nah, CFP committee has learned their lesson allowing OU to slide in several times. Keeping them out was the right move, except to delusional OU fans.
Alabama and Clemson earned the top seeds, no doubt. Because we’ve seen Notre Dame get wasted by Clemson, we expect little from them against the Tide. Ohio State is more of an enigma, though. I would put my money on Clemson, sure, but it would be a mistake for Dabo to underestimate OSU. They are as deep and athletic as anyone, far more so than ND, and they could trade punches in a shootout. Will they? Who knows, as far as I can tell, they’ve not played two complete halves all season. Time will tell.
Ohio State is also much fresher than any other team in the playoffs. Even the healthy teams at this point in the season are playing hurt – everyone except the Buckeyes, of course.
Clemson is as fresh…as always…playing in the ACC(Always Cushy Conference) will do that for you.
Clemson will have their hands full, no that OSU has discovered they should rely more on their run game. NW has a very tough D and one guy shreds them for 331 yds rushing. OSU will set up their passing game if they have any success running the ball.
NorthByWestU has a solid dLine but very undersized. BuckNutU behemoths leaned on them, wore them out and it was game over, they won’t have that luxury against ClemGooberU. And from what I’ve seen of that QB my Humpers should have never let get away, if this game falls on Fields passing decisions it’s game over early…
Fields had an unusually poor game against the pseudo Ivy Leaguers. But the fact that they didn’t try to keep forcing the pass, and turned effectively to the run, shows the balance they have. I do think they will be able to run some on Clemson. Having the mad scientist Venables at DC is the best antidote a team could have. It also doesn’t appear that OSU has the same level of D that they had last year. Could be a high scoring affair.
TAMU is better than ND and OSU. OSU if going to lose by 20+. Guarantee it in fact.
New precedent. If you try you get a mulligan and playoff spot based off your “full season of work.”
As real as development and momentum are in late season sorts- this is a farcical concept.
Notre Dame is not deserving. Ohio State is hardly deserving. The first season in which every SEC team played an all-SEC schedule is also the first season a one-loss SEC team does not make the playoff. That is just plain wrong.
As if it hadn’t been a joke already, the CFP is now for absolutely sure a joke. Notre Dame and Ohio State are illegitimate contenders, but with the CFP certain teams will get in no matter what…..” they deserve it ” my azz.
I really hope Bama just destroys ND and doesn’t let up. I hope Clemson wrecks OSU and we get a shootout in the NC with Bama vs Clemson V
We let up against Florida and let them keep hanging around .. Almost cost us.. Didn’t score in 3rd quarter and we’ve done that fewtimes this year.. We were up 18 at halftime
Oh what do you know, the old “we let up excuse” everyone loves to use whenever Florida makes a comeback in the second half. It’s hilarious, Florida is never good enough to come back, it’s only because the other team let them. What a joke! Newsflash, Saban doesn’t let up in championship games. Sorry to burst your bubble. Jones was throwing it multiple times on every possession of the second half. If that’s letting up, then you clearly know nothing about football. Don’t try to discredit the heart those players showed in fighting to get back in that game.
Bama doesn’t let up in a Championship game. Are you just getting to the party?
I would love for Clemson to “wreck” OSU, but I don’t think it will happen. OSU is on a real mission to beat Clemson with their continued losses to them, but especially with how they believe they should have won last year. Motivation is such a key factor in these games, as we saw with Clemson/ND. -Captain Obvious
Pine…the refs gave your Clem-tigers that win in 2019…but the LSU Bayou Bengals got sweet-revenge.
Still showing some resentment the unprecedented battering that Clemson gave UA?
BTW, I have a freshman at UA, so don’t be deceived by my logo. I have been blessed with the riches of having three sons benefiting from the Clemson and Alabama success.
I just can’t see a team only playing (no matter the cause) 6 games and getting to the playoffs. That’s literally the equivalent of an NFL team going 5-0 and getting a #1 seed in the playoffs (obviously that doesn’t or wouldn’t happen) the playoff committee has been alright since it’s inception but this just makes them look stupid. Maybe my opinion is coming from hatred for OSU but I think a lot of people don’t like this at all. I understand the times and the difficult year this has been but I’m a born and raised SEC fan and if this was LSU, Bama or Florida or just a SEC team people would be up in arms. I’m sorry you shouldn’t get rewarded for your conferences’ incompetence and inability to adapt and adjust to bad situations.
I don’t even understand how Ohio State got to the title game. I thought Indiana was suppose to be in? Or am I thinking of that wrong?
The got to the CCG because the BIG10 changed the rules to let them. They are going to have the players available to play Clemson, because the BIG10 changed their rules, yet again, to allow them to play.
Also how Biden “won”.
The college football playoff is still all about money. We’ve all been duped
Oklahoma lost to Kansas St and Iowa ST. Georgia lost to Alabama and Florida. Who finishes as the higher ranked team?
That one should be easy. Logic clearly suggest Georgia would be ranked higher.
Media Bias trumps logic. I don’t care what the talking heads say, this kind of in everybody’s face bias is not good for the game.
The difference being Oklahoma’s 2 losses came by a combined 10 pts whereas UGA’s was a combined 33 pts, and OU avenged their loss to Iowa State in their conference championship. Just because UGA has looked good with Daniels at QB against some of the worst teams in the SEC, that doesn’t mean you just erase everything that happened the rest of the season and declare them the better team. That’s not how the committee views things. Being ranked above them wouldn’t have changed the bowl game you’re going to, so I’m not sure why you’re so aggravated about it.
Yeah I think TAMU got a raw deal. Though it was not because of ND. If you make the argument between TAMU and ND point by point, ND is going to win. The raw deal comes from OSU and I will never believe the playoffs are not slanted again. OSU played 5 games, they had to get a rule change from the conference to get a 6th game to get the playoff spot. Of those 6 games, 2 were against winning teams, one of which, Indiana, had not beaten a team with a winning record to get their winning record. OSU having only played 6 games is fresher, and with few injuries and deterioration that comes from a full schedule, it also is a travesty that they have not played a game in consecutive weeks this season. With so few games played they need the eye test, which they fail as they won their games against teams with a winning record by 7, and by 12. Hardly blowouts that show their dominance. Then comes more help from the conference. According to the rules agreed to by the conference for the protection of the players, any player that test positive must sit out for 21 days. This would mean that the players that sat out against Northwestern would not be able to play against Clemson. Well the conference changed the rules to help OSU, yet again, by reducing the time to 17 days which would make them eligible. This is just so much BS it is nauseating.
You’re just now figuring out the playoffs are slanted? That said, Alambama should not put the brakes on either of the two teams it will play. Destroy them. Don’t hold back. Embarrass them and the committee on TV.
Well, the semis should both be laughers but the finals could be interesting. I was hoping to see aTm in the 3 spot and OSU in 4, just to see what the improved Aggies could do against a real contender in Clemson.
It certainly would have made for a better matchup I believe…OSU does not deserve to be in. I’d rather watch UF and Bama go at it again than watch GoldDomeU underachieve again…and again…and again…hopefully the pope’s team proves me wrong.
The Big 12 is a better conference than the ACC. If you lose multiple games in the Big 12 you could still be better than everybody in the ACC. I don’t want to see unethical programs in bowl games, that’s Ohio State. I don’t want to see PED performances in bowl games, and how that Clemson has the green light to use Ostarine without punishment it’s not believable that they cleaned up their act. Sorry, I’m not buying that aTm should be in the top or even the second best bowl game, top ten bowl games for sure. Thank Heaven the Pac 12 got left out of the biggest bowls. The group of five can be in a big bowl game as soon as they play and win about 9-11 games against power five programs, until that happens, just shut up. I don’t care how good you are, I don’t want to see a re-run in the bowl games. So I don’t want to see anyone but conference champions, THERE IS NO LOGICAL ARGUMENT TO THIS. Finally I don’t want to hear the cheap over-statement “College Football Play-off”. You could call it a vote-off !!!! These are just bowl games with over-stated names.
Alabama will beat Norte dame like a rented mule 44 – 23 then knock off clemson by 13— nicks looking for another ring
You are likely right, but then again, you and I both thought Bama 50-30 range in the UF game
It’s hard to predict officials putting the ball back in Florida’s possession after two obvious fumbles.
Take that silliness away and 50-30 was just about right.
Dear lord help me. Face it, the Florida offense came back. Do you know how many holds Bama linemen get away with because of Saban being on the sidelines? Week after week he gets in their head. No excuses, Bama beat Florida. By 6. Not 20, 6. They were better by 6 points. Period.
I’m not sure how this is particularly debatable. No one is arguing the final score or that the offense didn’t “come back”, only pointing out that they “came back” after losing the ball to the defense twice and having it graciously returned to continue trying to succeed.
All this crap can be fixed with an eight team field, each P5 champion and three wildcards. I always see ND as an outlier demanding to call the shots. Either join a conference or stop pretending for one year you are in the ACC. How did they not join the Big 10? Overall, its a better conference and they want no part of it.
Simple math, they don’t want to share the TV revenue…can’t blame them
If the SEC had done away with divisions like the ACC did, how much does aTm lose the SECCG game by?
More than 6
A&M’s resume is better than ND’s because A&M’s wins were all against better (SEC) competition. The SEC is overall just a more quality conference than the ACC.
Maybe the bottom of the SEC is a bit better than the bottom of the ACC. But I don’t think that TAMU has a better second-best win than Notre Dame’s over NC. I guess TAMU will get a chance to prove that that win wasn’t as good as it might have looked. After that game, I’ll have a better sense of whether I agree with your opinion.
TAM, know how you feel. Remember when Mizzou lost Oklahoma in the Big12 Championship and it moved KU into the Orange Bowl and we dropped to the Alamo Bowl. And that was the BCS. My suggestion is not to watch any game that doesn’t have Bama in it.
At what point does Jimbo realize… 1. not winning a national title at A&M or does A&M realize, holy crap we are paying 7.5 million a year and we only got 1 game better a year?
At what point? Never.
I don’t have a problem with ND getting in. It’s OSU that I don’t think deserves it. They played 5 games total. The conference said they wouldn’t play this year, then when everyone else started playing they decided they would. Then the NCAA decides to reward the conference? Didn’t the SEC create the pathway for the entire college football season? I believe A&M is more deserving and the SEC is more deserving this year.
I don’t think that Alabama’s defense, or its OL, is as good as in the 2013 ND game. Comparisons are complicated at best.
I’m not sure A&M got hosed. If the committee had put Cincinnati in there at 4th like many in the media have suggested; it would be a mismatch with Alabama that likely would abruptly end the “group of five deserves a seat at the table” argument.
I can sit by and enjoy the banter until a bama fan comes on and says that the refs helped the other team. I came on here the day after the SECCG and congratulated bama on a great game, but come on.
Clemson, OSU and Bama get the refs calls every single game. In the SEC, it is not even close. Bama OL and DB’s get away with murder every single game and it is not even close. I am not taking away from the talent of their team and their coaches. They are the best team and very very good, but don’t come on here and start that BS. The game changed after Dean INT and then was blasted by Meche. That was targeting and we would have kept the ball and Meche ejected. Game changes a ton.
That being said, we did get a break when they did not call a fumble on Tony near the endzone. That could have gone either way and to be honest I was literally shocked they didn’t.
One last thing, if you don’t want to call targeting on Meche that is fine, but for that type of hit above the neck and not even review it was a joke. The commentators did not even bring it up remotely.
I still think bama wins, but don’t take away from the game. Both sides got calls as always happens.
Lastly, ND and A&M is a toss up. Both got boat raced and a H2H would be tight. OSU has no business playing half a season. Tough titty that your league screwed up. When Michigan got cancelled you should have asked to play A&M for a “play in” game. Pretty sure A&M wins that.
Go bama….can’t believe I said that. Represent and don’t throw any shoes.. It can ruin a season!