College football 2015

[pedro47]

I still think Alabama is the best team out there so I see Alabama playing Oklahoma in the big game on Jan 11.

I think Michigan State's end of game luck will run out today.

I'm looking for Ohio State to beat ND handily tomorrow.

Clemson is going to lose big time.

Alabama is in and so is Oklahoma.

I also agree Ohio State over The Irish. Only time will tell the true outcome.

Happy New Year to all college football fans across America.

 

[chalee94]

Clemson is going to lose big time.

Alabama is in and so is Oklahoma.

I think so, too.

(although for the ACC's sake, I hope Clemson keeps it respectable.)

 

[csxjohn]

Come on, three posts in a row that all agree????

 

[TUGBrian]

well, that was painful to watch.

 

[Elan]

Total domination by Houston. Not really surprised, tbh.

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[TUGBrian]

Total domination by Houston. Not really surprised, tbh.

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youd be the only one, even the sports books had fsu favored by a td.

 

[Elan]

youd be the only one, even the sports books had fsu favored by a td.

Perhaps. So be it. The sports books set the lines to attract money from the general betting public, probably most of which had never once watched Houston play. And, of course, a G5 school with a cupcake schedule can't hang with a P5 school....everyone knows that.

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[am1]

Perhaps. So be it. The sports books set the lines to attract money from the general betting public, probably most of which had never once watched Houston play. And, of course, a G5 school with a cupcake schedule can't hang with a P5 school....everyone knows that.

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That would mean that the FSU line was for more than a touchdown but was pushed down to a touchdown because of the demand.

FSU was outplayed and outcoached.

 

[pedro47]

Clemson over Oklahoma what a game. Watching Alabama and Michigan State what is up with Bama defense?

 

[am1]

I guess no need for a playoff this year.

 

[Elan]

I guess no need for a playoff this year.

There's always a need for a playoff. Houston has as many losses as Alabama, but only Alabama gets to play again. Need a bigger playoff, if anything.

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[jme]

Year in review, tug prognosticators' report cards:

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YEAR IN REVIEW, TUG PROGNOSTICATORS' REPORT CARDS:

Prediction for this season there will be no undefeated teams this year.

Hmmmm, must not have been watching Clemson (I'm not a fan, per se, but I know them well). To give them their proper respect (an example in general, aside from tonight's matchup) the historical fact is that Clemson has always matched up well with SEC teams and had good success against them, as they typically play at least one SEC team during a season. They're a very good non-SEC team, recruit from the same fertile grounds of the SEC states, and of late certainly didn't get the respect from fans who didn't know or follow them. QB Deshaun Watson is a bit underrated, imho, despite finishing 3rd in the Heisman race. He'll be a fairly high draft pick, definitely going in the first round (I also think OK's QB will go high in a few years when he comes out).

Don't understand all the Nick Saban bias. Why is Alabama ranked ahead of so many unbeaten teams??

Well I believe your answer certainly came tonight, and in a big way. After watching a game of total domination and near perfection, in a game (not tonight's game necessarily but in the overall game of football) which seldom produces both, the genius of Nick Saban grew to higher heights.
.......If anyone has a chance to watch a replay of golf analyst David Feherty's show where he interviews Nick Saban on the Feherty Show (on the Golf Channel), do it! You will quickly see why Saban is at the pinnacle of his profession, and not by a small margin. One of most interesting and telling interviews I've EVER witnessed regarding sports.
.......He's far superior in his philosophy regarding "all things football" because he's got a certain deeper wisdom about life and work ethic, all of which translate to a high level of success on the football field. It's the best explanation of HOW a football coach should "think" and coach than anything I've ever heard.
.......He's far more intellectual than people realize, and certainly more than I realized myself. I'm saying this, if Saban stays healthy, and remains in coaching, he WILL go down in history as college football's all-time best coach in every category. Sky's the limit with that guy. (Too bad I'm just a lowly UGA bulldog fan. ) At least he's sending us his offensive coordinator (who blanked a very good football opponent tonight, as Mich St didn't score a single point).

The best college football player this year is Christian McCaffrey. 2807 All Purpose Yards with one game to go in the regular season. Cheers

Not exactly, and that by a large margin. I've said all season that Alabama's Derek Henry was a beast, and also predicted that he would win the Heisman, even before AL played LSU. In that AL-LSU matchup of SEC power brokers, Henry was the man and LSU's running back Fournette was the mouse, and at that point Fournette happened to be the leading contender for the Heisman in most minds. After that game, he wasn't heard from again.

Derek Henry excelled when he faced the better teams (despite the down game against Ole Miss, where AL lost when they shouldn't have due to stupid mistakes). Great teams respond to challenges, though, and we saw evidence of that in the Al-LSU game, and again tonight in the AL-Mich St game.

Clemson is going to lose big time.
Alabama is in and so is Oklahoma.

50/50 there. Clemson is stronger than folks realize. Lots of superb talent.

I think so, too.
(although for the ACC's sake, I hope Clemson keeps it respectable.)

That's hilarious, because I thought they DID keep it respectable.
They COULD HAVE won by a larger margin, if only the refs hadn't made a couple of wrong calls in OK's favor. Thanks Clemson for keeping it respectable.

Top prospect is actually Kirby Smart, DC for Alabama.

above prediction posted on Nov 29, when several names were being floated for new head coaching position at UGA, after Mark Richt was fired.

Reports within the last couple of hours are that Alabama Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart, a graduate and former football player at Georgia, will be named the new head coach of the Georgia bulldogs by early next week......... I, maybe the only one, was happy about Richt's dismissal, so now the announcement about Kirby Smart is welcome news, and I'll be sleeping a bit better.

And by the way, congratulations to Clemson on a great year. I'm not a Clemson fan, per se, but I respect what they have done.

Alabama is looking unstoppable, imho, and Derek Henry WILL win the Heisman, so not much has changed regarding Nick Saban's team.

above posted Dec 1,
Good job, jme, good job.

my predictions came true.
1. re Kirby Smart: They listened to me for ONCE. Come on home doggie, Kirby Smart, UGA grad! Richt was a good man but a mental midget on the field. Don't make me explain again, I'm over him. If anyone were to do an "in-depth" interview with Mark Richt (as opposed to Nick Saban mentioned above), they'd get only two inches in. Not much between the ears, poor Mark Richt.

2. re Clemson: That was not a prediction FOR Clemson, necessarily, but instead a simple recognition that they deserve respect. They have proved me right in that regard, and how. They were underdogs against OK but beat them handily. Great game.

3. re Alabama: Alabama does indeed look unstoppable, and I believe they'll win the national championship over Clemson.

4. re Heisman winner: Derek Henry DID win the Heisman. No contest really. Tonight's contest proved why I made my choice. He's a certified beast, and no one can hold him back. Huge, strong, above-average speed and agility for a big man. He'll be a great pro, assuming his good health.

 

[ace2000]

YEAR IN REVIEW, TUG PROGNOSTICATORS' REPORT CARDS:

LOL - love it! I guess since you didn't include any of my predictions, I was right on all of mine??? (as usual )


Anyway, I miss Clemson_Fan around here. It would have been fun to hear his perspective. I recall him predicting last year how good Clemson was going to be in 2015. Hope he's doing well...

 

[x3 skier]

I didn't say McCaffrey would win the Heisman. I said he was the best offensive player in College Football and as he broke Barry Sanders All Purpose Yards record, he was.

The Heisman is a popularity contest, nothing more, as are all the other media voting awards/polls.

Cheers

 

[Elan]

LOL - love it! I guess since you didn't include any of my predictions, I was right on all of mine??? (as usual )


Anyway, I miss Clemson_Fan around here. It would have been fun to hear his perspective. I recall him predicting last year how good Clemson was going to be in 2015. Hope he's doing well...

Forgot about ClemsonFan. I knew this thread was missing someone. Where is he? Anyone know?

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[csxjohn]

Clemson looked very good yesterday. The game seemed to completely change on the fake punt. It appeared to me to totally deflate Oklahoma.

I think Alabama will have an answer for the running of the Clemson QB and win the game. I still have my tix and may go to see what should be a very good game. If nothing else I may go to tailgate since I have a parking pass in a stadium lot.

I hope I'm not wrong about OSU today, I put $80 on them to win.

 

[momeason]

Clemson is going to lose big time.

Alabama is in and so is Oklahoma.

I also agree Ohio State over The Irish. Only time will tell the true outcome.

Happy New Year to all college football fans across America.

NOT! Alabama is in but Clemson WON big time. We were there. GO TIGERS!

 

[jme]

Guys, I was just having some fun with the yearlong thread, that's all ----everybody had a dog in the race (or Dawg, LOL)------or should I say HaHa------- and it was great fun to read all the ongoing stuff people were saying.... some insightful observations and some partisan BS, but it's always like that, and I'm as guilty as the next guy. Makes it more fun, and lightens the heavy load if our team crashes and burns.... whatever.

As usual, it's been another wild season, but this year we witnessed some of the most difficult-to-believe and bizzare game endings ever (wildest was MichSt-Mich--totally insane).

And frankly, deep deep down in my innermost football being I'm beyond shocked that OSU is not around in these playoffs....they should be. Hate him, but Urban Meyer is one great coach.....I'd be OK to place him in the same sentence with Nick Saban, altho more of a parenthetical reference, mind you.

But those two alone stand out as the great college coaches of this era, imho. Many other very very good ones, but those two are superior, bordering on legendary. It all boils down to philosophy and ability to put that philosophy to work on the field, and those two simply think differently than the others. They will both be Hall of Famers when their careers are over. I think either of them would fear ANY team fielded by the other one, just on coaching ability alone. What a game that would have been had it transpired.

Can't take anything away from Clemson this year though. Lots of talent, lots of speed, minimal injuries and minimal mistakes (might as well also add minimal jail time for stars....HaHa). Kills Auburn and Fla St every year, but that's par for the course.
Anyway, Clemson's characteristics mentioned above "could be" a good recipe for gold accessories, shall we say.... we'll see.
(see https://www.google.com/search?q=nca...X&ved=0ahUKEwiwuJP-tYnKAhXIVT4KHVZgCJcQsAQIGw

so Clemson had a phenomenal season, and Alabama will have a tough time with them (MAYBE?? I'm trying to be gracious). But I'm sticking with my gut feeling, there in full force since the opening game of the season, never wavering, and I say Alabama is the best team in the country. Not even close. Anything is possible, but if they get beat by anyone at any time, it'll be 1 out of 10 that they might lose to that "other" team if they were to play 10 times. That's the nature of sports' unpredictability, but long seasons with playoffs tend to prove which team is ultimately worthy. That's what the playoff season is trying to achieve, anyway. And I think AL will send more players to the NFL AGAIN than any other team....many whose names were seldom mentioned, but they're that deep. It's almost like an all-star team.

And sorry, but if I had to pick one great offensive player, I'd still take Alabama's Derek Henry over McCaffrey all day long. It's like this, in a pick-up game, give me the first pick and you'll never beat me.

[Uhhhhhh, LATE EDIT inserted here], 5:16pmEST, just watched McCaffrey catch and run to the house on first play from scrimmage, so.....can I change my first pick? HaHa, gonna have to think about it.....
[Uhhh, Uhhhh, Another LATE EDIT inserted here], 6pm EST.......McCaffrey fields punt and returns untouched for another touchdown. OK, OK, he's a player. good call, x3 skier.
3rd EDIT added: and thankfully for me, at 6:12 pmEST, another TD by McCaffrey, but called back by penalty. wow.

Whomever you're for (or not at all?), enjoy the year-end feast of bowl games, and enjoy the family time together if that's part of it. Remember there's always next year...... HaHa

but what shall we do in the mean time??? Oh dread. Vacations maybe? Must be how timesharing got started.





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[x3 skier]

No change to your pick.

75 receiving to the house, 62 punt return to the house, over 200 All Purpose Yards with 12 minutes to go in the first half. I tell you again, McCaffery is the best player in College Football.

Cheers

 

[Elan]

No change to your pick.

75 receiving to the house, 62 punt return to the house, over 200 All Purpose Yards with 12 minutes to go in the first half. I tell you again, McCaffery is the best player in College Football.

Cheers

Everyone who actually watches the games knows that. It's really not even close. Kid is unbelievable.

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[pedro47]

JME, the team with The Force Behind Them will win The NCAA Championship.

 

[jme]

No change to your pick.

75 receiving to the house, 62 punt return to the house, over 200 All Purpose Yards with 12 minutes to go in the first half. I tell you again, McCaffery is the best player in College Football.

Cheers

Didn't you see my 3 LATE EDITS in color added to previous post #343?
Wanted to be fair and also to acknowledge your choice, which I respect immensely.

I've watched a lot of multi-purpose guys in NFL and in college over the years, and also a lot of power RBs (I personally watched every minute of every game Herschel Walker played at UGA--greatest I ever saw perhaps excepting OJ Simpson), and it's a tough decision. Long term I think the power RB is more valuable, but it's definitely a tough choice. For college it's really fun to watch the multi-purpose guys because it's so rare.

But I guess the topic was best college player, right? so that's why Henry and McCaffrey were the top two Heisman candidates, and the vote went to Henry....what can I say? they were wrong? McCaffrey got a ton of votes, but not enough.

Still New Year's Day, so DOUBLE CHEERS!

 

[x3 skier]

But I guess the topic was best college player, right? so that's why Henry and McCaffrey were the top two Heisman candidates, and the vote went to Henry....what can I say? they were wrong? McCaffrey got a ton of votes, but not enough.

Still New Year's Day, so DOUBLE CHEERS!

Yes they were wrong. He does have a weakness. His major is still undeclared. I think he's leaning toward Astro and nuclear physics or molecular biology or maybe 18th century lesser poets.

What an end to the bowl season!

Wonder who will be the surprise next season.

Cheers and health, happiness and good fortune in 2016 to all.

 

[Elan]

Yep, they were wrong. Wasn't the first time and won't be the last.

McCaffrey gained an average of 15 yards per touch tonight. Henry averaged 3 yards per touch last night. Iowa's defense was slightly higher rated than MSU's, so perhaps Henry's season numbers were artificially inflated from facing SEC defenses?

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[MULTIZ321]

No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide Opens as 7-Point Favorite Over Clemson in CFP Title Game - by David Purdum/ ESPN Staff Writer/ Chalk/ espn.go.com

I don't think it will stay as high as 7 by the end of the week.


Richard