How
do you wrap up football’s inaugural season with the CFP taking center
stage? You simply sit back and enjoy the
entertainment of it all!
Thank God we have the CFP and sayonara / c-ya’ / Adios / GOOD BYE! to
the “BCS”….I’m still shocked at the fact that the BCS would have pitted
the two teams that were absolutely blown out of the semis (FSU and Bama) in the
title game and Monday night’s gem would have been the usual Rose Bowl “Ho-Hum”. Soooo, in no particular order, some random
thoughts, questions and answers from everyone’s favorite alter ego The MMQ
(okay – maybe not EVERYONE’s Favorite) about the CFP and the season overall:
Congrats
OSU.
There,
I’ve said it. That’s IT!!!! Now the
collective known as MICHIGAN can go RIGHT BACK TO HATING YOUR SCARLET AND GREY ASSES!!!!
Whew…that really made me feel better!
Did
Oregon Lose or Did They Get Taken To The Shed?
For everyone that follows the Ducks
regularly, you know what I’m about to say: The Quack Attack did NOT show up last Monday. But a lot of that had to do with the fact
that OSU’s
defensive scheme and game plan was executed close to perfectly. Run Blitzes, and an aggressive,
attacking defense is one way to beat the spread. And the red-zone offense vs. defense (where
the spread gets a bad rap for not being as effective – Think Michigan with
De-Rob) was superb. Oregon wasn’t scoring from 30 or
more yards out like they usually do.
So, with respect to the question, I’ll say it was a little of both – not showing
up and a serious ass-kicking. I
think the better coaching staff was clearly…God, I hate typing this…On the Scarlet and Grey side of the field. And OSU clearly, at times anyway, looked just
as fast if not faster than Oregon’s “athlete’s”.
Late
in the 4th quarter, just to add a little icing to the Scarlet
and Grey cake, the suckeyes punched in a late one while they were
already up two scores. Do I view tha t
as unsportsmanlike? Hard to say. It wasn’t over, the Ducks are dangerous, and
that truly sealed it and let Urban empty the bench for the kick-off
and the last couple of plays.
Personally, no issue with the TD late as it’s simply part of the game.
Unfortunately,
however, as much as the “B1G” wants to take credit for this win, it was all OSU
and Urban Legend’s doing. He is going to
make life in the B1G a living hell unless everyone else steps up their
game. Urban has gone away from in state
talent and has 50% or more of his players coming from SEC country…Michigan has
more than 50% of it’s players from Michigan…that’s gotta change in order to
keep up…..And soon….Dammit…
Of
course, ohioans celebrated responsibly along North High Street with fires,
rioting, and breaking into and tearing down the South Goal Post at the Shoe…
As Always…..
Stay Classy, Columbus!!!
Did
TCU get hosed?
Well,
one could argue that soundly defeating an SEC West team (that held the #1 slot for
a week or two) in your bowl game should be enough to get you into the discussion
that, yeah, the committee made a mistake.
But I’ve got news for you: OSU
was the best team in 2014, is and will be the best team starting out the 2015 season
next year. And yes, TCU,
you’ll probably be the pre-season #2. And
until your conference figures out either A.) a way to “define” tie breakers
that makes sense or B.) comes up with a conference Championship, you’re gonna’ continue
to have a lot of “Leave them OUT!!!” problems.
Do
we need 6 or 8 teams in the CFP?
Simple Answer: Yes and no. I know that sounds like a weasly cop out. There’s a big part of me that’s screaming “MOOAAARRR!!!”
after what we witnessed over the last 12 days and another part of me that looks
back nostalgically on what is going to become a lost era of CFB IF …WHEN the CFP expands to include
additional teams. And it will
expand. Too much money involved to say
that it won’t. But there are many,
many issues that will hold off making that decision to expand for the
foreseeable future. Those issues, including
but not limited to:
-The
number of games the teams will play if the play-offs expand (16!)
-That
would be for the two Championship Teams….
-Does
the regular season get fewer bye weeks to accommodate earlier play-offs?
-Does
Army-Navy give up its exclusive week?
-Do
Conference Championships still make sense with more teams in the play-off?
-Will
the greedy conferences give up the Conference Championship games for the
play-off? (DOUBTFUL!!!!)
-How
about the Power 5 conferences not playing round robins?
-How
will you decide the winner of the conference?
The tie breakers without a conference Championship boggle the mind….
-What
about an undefeated domer team and ACC champion with 1-loss (to domers???)
-Do
1st round home play-off games make sense?
(Fans – YESSSSSSSS!!!!! Bowls – NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!)
-How
do you ask students to play more, stay eligible in school and then still not
compensate them in any way?
-This
season was perfect – Sugar and Rose Semi’s on New Year’s Day!!!
-New
Year’s Day Mattered again!!!
-Next
Season’s 2015 Cotton and Orange Bowl Semi’s will be on NEW YEAR’S EVE!!!!! (Believe me when I say that as soon as the fan
collective figures THAT out, there’s going to be bitchin’ and moanin’ everywhere. The majority of the casual fans’ “Significant
Other Half” isn’t going to want to give up her New Year’s Eve night
out for Football) And if you
have a significant other that has no problem with Football on New Year’s Eve…..does
she have any single sisters at home like her?
-The
New Year’s Eve fiasco should and will immediately lead to a discussion about moving
the Rose and Sugar to New Year’s Eve (Which, if they’re
smart, they’ll agree to – At least the Sugar should consider it) when they
are NOT the Semi-final games. If the
Rose and Sugar stay stuck in their ways, well, the expansion discussion probably
won’t even consider playing the first round in bowls but at the home sites of
the top 4 teams, leaving the semis to 4 major bowls and the merry go round
schedule that they’re now working with.
Stay tuned on that front.
-Many,
many other issues and concerns….
Therefore,
for right now, stay happy that we
have a 4 Team play-off and let the TCU’s of the world sit and stew
in the “What should have been” conversations.
Of course, that’s all well and good until it happens to your team….
TCU Fans and What Could Have Been…..
My
prediction: Baby steps to 6 teams with a
1 & 2 seed 1st round bye. That would at least get you the TCU’s of the
world involved in the mix and accommodate the Power 5’s in some fashion
(Please note I’m still in a quandary regarding the “Conference
Champion” requirement)….and that bump to 6 teams will happen within my original
prediction window of about 5 years.
IS
the SEC Finally Dead?
Hardly.
But the shit-stain they left that encompassed New
Year’s Eve & Day cannot be over-looked. The SEC is as vulnerable as any conference
that starts to get that heady feeling that just because they are “Conference
‘X’”, they get preferential treatment in post season events. The historic
BEast and the ACC in College Hoops immediately comes to mind when
there are an inordinate amount of teams from either of those conferences in the
NCAA tournament, for example.
But
I will say this:
Without effective QB play, great coaching, and a reasonable attempt to
schedule something besides tomato cans in their non-conference games, the SEC
is going to struggle against teams with better offenses that can figure all
those “Super Defenses” out. The
cream of the crop isn’t floating as high as they used to, but they will still
be part of the equation moving forward.
Question: What does Paul Finebaum (or any Bama
Supporter) get their significant other for Valentine’s day?
Answer: Houndstooth lingerie of course!!!
IS
the B1G East-Division the new SEC West?
Eeeeaaaasssy There, Big Fella’.
One national title and a myriad of super
coaches don’t make you a legendary conference…at least, not yet. But, given that Urban Legend is bringing back a
lot of the tools in his tool box and he’s only 50 something, and given that Sparty’s Dantonio (who has some
years left) will be bringing back Connor Cook in 2015, Franklin
at PSU is going to have a top 20 (or better) recruiting class and
last but not least, Michigan has brought back the prodigal son, well….I can see
where you could make that argument depending on the results over the next
couple of seasons or, dare I say....decades. But let’s
let that play out before we go shooting our arrogant mouths off. I will say in a bowl season where the B1G was
not favored in ANY of their 11 bowl games (OSU was a dog TWICE), the B1G
went 6-5, with a couple of games that could have gone either way. Not tooooooo Shabby!!!
And
we can’t forget about the B1G West, either. New coach at Nebraska, Riley, has some folks out
there in Lincoln that are… well….They’re not excited, but Nebraska fans are
anticipative…. Iowa and Ferentz have to do SOMETHING
to become relevant again, and Wiscy will be as formidable as
always with coach Barry Chryst at the helm…I mean Paul Alvarez…I mean…Oh
Hell, I don’t know what I mean with Wiscy anymore. (MMPG Comment: Has anyone determined whether or not Bo
Ryan is still alive after losing to Rutgers – the worst shooting basketball
team in the B1G?)
Too Early
To Think About 2015?
It’s
never too early to start dreaming! And part of me can’t help but wonder exactly
how deep
the hole is at Michigan. There’s
talent in Ann Arbor, that’s for sure. Part
of me says the hole is…well, how do I put this – DEEEEEEP….and part
of me is saying, “Look Out 2015!” as
I stick my head out of the foxhole and look around at the rest of the B1G. How much can the coaching staff do in the
first season is TBD, but quick turnarounds in College Football are not
unusual. There are plenty of historic
examples…In fact, here’s a gem!
(This
has been forwarded to me from several sources/readers and you all know who you
are, so take the credit when you see this):
In 1969, Woody Hayes and "the greatest football team of all
time" visited Michigan Stadium on a 22-game win streak. OSU was playing
for its second straight national title while Michigan was rebuilding after
going to the Rose Bowl only twice in the last 17 years. Under their new
coach, Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines upset OSU 24-12 in what would be the
start of one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.
Current: OSU is currently on a 13 game winning streak
in 2014/15 and will be on a 24 game winning streak heading into Ann Arbor
next season (more than likely with OSU’s schedule). Michigan has been to the Rose Bowl only 3
times in the LAST 18 YEARS (1997, 2004 and 2006). And Michigan has a new head coach….Somebody
named “Harbaugh”….
Swear
to God I have goose bumps as I’m typing this….
Ahem….Here’s
to hoping (and PRAYING) that history does indeed repeat itself….or at least
rhymes for Maize and Blue’s sake!
Did I mention I love Hackett and he’s a Genius? Wile E. Coyote kind of Genius?
Hackett’s Business Card…..
So…..No,
it’s never too early to at least start thinking about next season!!! And I’m becoming an extremely firm believer
in the fact that we should simply do away with subjective polls…..but, ya’
gotta’ do what ya’ gotta’ do…..
WAY
TOO EARLY PRE-SEASON TOP 10 – THE MMQ Version
1. OSU
– Cause, you know….
2. TCU
– See #1.
3. USC
– Look out for the Rubbers and Sarkisian…..
4. Arkansas
– Ditto Beliema. I almost made the Hogs
#3….
5. Sparty
– Can’t crack the top 4, no matter how hard they try…
6. Baylor
– Briles is pissed….
7. Miss
State – Dak Prescott is BACK!
8. Arizona
– Rich Rod coming into his own….
9. Georgia
Tech – Ditto Johnson….
10. Bama
– Saban will be on the chopping block at the end of the season…
Some of that’s based on what happened this past bowl
season and who’s coming back. Please
note the apparent absence of an ACC school and then recall that The Wrablin’
Wreck is ACC. But FSU, UNC, Va
Tech…sorry. What will the FINAL 4 Look
like next season?
Come on….Let’s leave something for the Pre-Season
Spectacular!
The
Hot Seat!
You still have time to vote for the Hot Seat Mascot for 2014!!! Get voting!!!
The
FMQ
Damn the Ducks…the first half went as expected (the under
37.5 points held!) and the Suckeyes covered to satisfy two parts of the
parlay…but the Ducks didn’t deliver the points in the 2nd half (LIKE
THEY USUALLY DO!) I needed to achieve the “over – 74 points” for our 3
way parlay….leaving the Bank at $0 for the first time EVER!!!!
I’m debating about whether or not to continue with
the FMQ. That’s two miserable
seasons in a row and either I’m not very good at this or I need to spend more
time researching and making better decisions.
Next season we’ll see what I decide.
A
Couple of Reasons We’re Glad Its Over
The MMPG will be back!!!
Looking forward to getting into and diagnosing the hoops season. College hoops either needs to start later
(and of course, go later) or we need to figure out a way to get fans more
involved early. There have already been
some great college games!
