College Football 2013

[GoMuskies]

Given that the first semi-legit preseason poll (it's from ESPN.com) for next year is out, it's time to turn the page to next season. Oh hey, look there, Louisville is #8. How about that?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8778225/alabama-crimson-tide-headline-college-football-way-too-early-2013-top-25

[SM#24]

No way should a Big East team be rated that high. Now, I could understand if they were an ACC team and had to run a gauntlet of FlaSt, Miami, GaTech, etc. ;)

[BBC 08]

Should be higher. These red colored glasses are amazing.

[xu95]

Half of the top 10 is the SEC. That sounds about right.

does the playoff start next season or the one after that? I am confused on that point.

[SM#24]

2014; next year is the same 2-team playoff

[blueblob06]

The key is to have as many seasons as possible without a playoff to disappoint fans. I'm sure they will make more money with the added games, they should have changed it immediately. It's win-win for everyone. We would've gotten to see a much better title game this yr.

[SM#24]

We would've gotten to see a much better title game this yr.
Maybe not, could have the same two teams. A 4 team playoff would have probably looked like this:
1) ND v 4) Stanford or Oregon
2) Bama v 3) Florida

You could have very likely ended up with ND v Bama anyway.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Here is a pretty good rant by Bob Valvano regarding SEC bias. Its long...I didn't get through the whole thing, but he makes a lot of valid points. Ville fans will love it. Wonder what ESPN thinks about him saying these things...

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/january/bob-valvano-s-awesome-rant-calls-out-espn-colleagues.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[paulxu]

I think it's correct to say there is a bias, just like with BE basketball.
And major kudos to Louisville for handling Florida in the bowl. MAJOR kudos.

But there is a reason the SEC has won the last 7 titles. And it's not ESPN bias.
Louisville didn't play a ranked team all year until Florida, and lost to Syracuse and UConn.
Alabama played 5 top 15 teams in the season losing to one of them.
And destroyed the #1 team in the nation. That's not ESPN bias. It was smash-mouth football.

[blueblob06]

Maybe not, could have the same two teams. A 4 team playoff would have probably looked like this:
1) ND v 4) Stanford or Oregon
2) Bama v 3) Florida

You could have very likely ended up with ND v Bama anyway.
I think Oregon would beat ND 8 out of 10 times. And Stanford and K-St would 7 out of 10. (Yes I know ND beat Stanford this year...Stanford at the end of this season was way better than back when they played ND and barely lost) Just my opinion.

[SM#24]

But there is a reason the SEC has won the last 7 titles.
With 4 different schools, so it's not like it's one dominant program, although Bama is getting there.

[kyxu]

With 4 different schools, so it's not like it's one dominant program, although Bama is getting there.

Let's say three. Auburn's was built on sand and scandal, even if the NCAA refuses to admit that.

[xu95]

With 4 different schools, so it's not like it's one dominant program, although Bama is getting there.

That's actually the beauty of it though. If it was one school you could chalk it up to just one school being able to put together a great program, but with the diverse number of schools that have accomplished it, I believe it shows how truly amazing this run by the SEC has been. The conference as a whole is just good.

[DC Muskie]

I don't even think it's an SEC run more of a Nick Saban run, with Urban Meyer thrown in.

What I don't understand are fans of other SEC programs who take pride in what other SEC teams, namely Nick Saban, does in the BCS.

Conference pride is about the dumbest thing in sports.

[Masterofreality]

Brian Kelly to the NFL?

Domers- HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahH AHAHA........HA!

Steppingstone (potentially)

[xudash]

I don't even think it's an SEC run more of a Nick Saban run, with Urban Meyer thrown in.

What I don't understand are fans of other SEC programs who take pride in what other SEC teams, namely Nick Saban, does in the BCS.

Conference pride is about the dumbest thing in sports.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but spend some time in the deep South, where the War of Northern Aggression is still "fresh" in the minds of many, and you'll begin to see why certain folks band together over certain things.

[GoMuskies]

I don't think conference pride is always dumb. I cheer for A-10 teams and enjoy when they do well. However, that is because we are a productive member of the A-10, and it looks good for us when they conference that we are the flagship of is less ricketty than normal. However, I think it's stupid when Kentucky football fans take pride in Alabama winning the national title or Fordham basketball fans (both of them) pretend like Xavier going to 4 Sweet Sixteens in 5 years has anything to do with them.

[DC Muskie]

I don't think conference pride is always dumb. I cheer for A-10 teams and enjoy when they do well. However, that is because we are a productive member of the A-10, and it looks good for us when they conference that we are the flagship of is less ricketty than normal. However, I think it's stupid when Kentucky football fans take pride in Alabama winning the national title or Fordham basketball fans (both of them) pretend like Xavier going to 4 Sweet Sixteens in 5 years has anything to do with them.

I agree with this.

[XUglow]

Conference pride is about the dumbest thing in sports.

I really don't understand this statement. I grew up in Pac8 country. We had a lot of Pac8 pride. We hated the other schools unless they were playing someone from the outside the conference... then we loved them. I don't see anything different with the SEC or the ACC or the Big 12 or the B1G. The only difference that I can see is that the SEC does an SEC cheer towards the end of games they are going to win.

In general, conference pride is just buying into a brand. The conference sells the brand because they want people to watch the games on their network. The B1G is expanding their market with a team like Rutgers. Rutgers fans are probably going to watch Rutgers events regardless of the affiliation, but it is conference affiliation and conference pride that will make Rutgers fans tune into Iowa vs. Iowa St and pull for Iowa when they have 400 other channels to watch on TV.

[chico]

I don't think conference pride is always dumb. I cheer for A-10 teams and enjoy when they do well. However, that is because we are a productive member of the A-10, and it looks good for us when they conference that we are the flagship of is less ricketty than normal. However, I think it's stupid when Kentucky football fans take pride in Alabama winning the national title or Fordham basketball fans (both of them) pretend like Xavier going to 4 Sweet Sixteens in 5 years has anything to do with them.

I can see Dayton fans thinking playing them toughens us up for the NCAA, but it's kind of in the same way Rudy toughened up his ND teammates.

[ammtd34]

Brian Kelly to the NFL?

Domers- HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahH AHAHA........HA!

Steppingstone (potentially)

Eh, so what? Saban did it at LSU, Carroll did it at USC, Spurrier at Florida, Butch Davis, etc... If he leaves, so be it.