|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 3, 2023 12:27:48 GMT -5
Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama are in.
|
|
|
|
Post by SoTxCaiman on Dec 3, 2023 13:01:22 GMT -5
Crocodile tears for FSU and the Dawgs..
|
|
|
|
Post by g8rfan on Dec 3, 2023 13:11:03 GMT -5
Check on your FSU friends. Mine are having a hard time lol
|
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 3, 2023 14:09:41 GMT -5
ESPN had a live shot from their watch party when the announcement was made.
I watched their game with Louisville last night. Their offense was horrible. Their field goal drive in the first half was aided by two 15-yard penalties that carried automatic first downs. They broke one long run, which set up their only touchdown. They had just over 50 yards passing. On their other scores (both field goals), Louisville gave them short fields turning the ball over on downs.
Their quarterback situation is unfortunate. As currently constructed, they are not a top four team - perhaps not even top ten.
It was telling this morning when it was revealed that they are 55th in strength of schedule.
|
|
|
|
Post by g8rfan on Dec 3, 2023 14:17:31 GMT -5
I understand the reasoning. Sucks for the kids on the team to go undefeated and get froze out. I’m ok with it though!
|
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 3, 2023 14:46:55 GMT -5
The really unfortunate thing is that their quarterback broke his leg in a game that they could have won without him.
|
|
|
|
Post by SoTxCaiman on Dec 3, 2023 14:59:45 GMT -5
Michigan - Texas
Washington- Bama
Sets up for Texas - Bama final in 2024. Does that make it officially SEC on SEC? 😊
|
|
|
|
Post by Rock Gator on Dec 4, 2023 6:49:45 GMT -5
It's actually:
1. Michigan vs. 4. Alabama
&
2. Washington vs. 3. Texas
Same idea though, the SEC and the "SEC" are on opposite sides of the bracket.
Apparently the Michigan fans were none too happy to be playing Bama. They wanted the Nolies OH SO BADLY, HAHAHAAAAA!
RG
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Dec 4, 2023 8:42:11 GMT -5
Growing up in Tallahassee and living in Atlanta I've been inundated with this crap. It sucks for the kids but it sucked for the kids from Miami that the ACC refs decided not to call a safety when the QB got tackled in the end zone and it wasn't close. It also sucks for them that they have to play for Mario Cristobal. Thoughts:
1) the committee actually almost got it right this year and where they were wrong isn't what everybody is talking about. I went to the SECCG, both teams are amongst the 4 best teams in the Country. Bama is the only team in the country that could beat UGA unless Ryan Day (guy who had a lot of people convinced Stroud would be a bust when he had 5-6 first round receivers during his 2 years) was somehow sick or suspended so Hardline could take over. Bama is more beatable because they aren't as talented, but to beat UGA you have to have the horses and a good gameplay. We're screwed in that regard. Also, one more big fuck you to Scott Stricklin for leaving Mullen in place down the stretch in 21 which allowed him to alienate all the committed kids which included Isaiah Bond.
2) The stated goal per the by-laws is "4 best teams," they also specifically consider injuries. They just have a history of ignoring that mandate in favor of appeasement so people are shocked they actually tried to enforce the rules.
3) The committee managed to somehow bury the lead by ranking Texas 3rd. Most FSU fans are picking the wrong target of the 1 loss teams. Head to head is a tie-breaker and only 1 of at least 4. Comparing FSU to 4 teams competing for 2 spots they're picking the one that they have the least tie-breakers with. Other tie-breakers are quality of wins, quality of loss, and conference championship. FSU loses to all 3 on quality of wins but they lose badly to Bama given their best win is Mama's 3rd or 4th best and LSU didn't have their best Defensive player for that game. UGA has 2 top 10 wins and I believe 3 top 25. Texas got a big win 3 months ago and their 2nd best was against the #19 team in the country in the Big 12 championship. Bama moved up 4 spots for beating #1 and the 2 time defending national champion. Texas moved up the same amount by beating the #19 team in the country that was probably over-ranked.
4) the funniest argument I've heard is "we'll get Rodemaker back for the play-offs!" The same Tate Rodemaker that steamrolled to 225 yards against the vaunted Gator Defense that came in having allowed an AVERAGE of 534 yards per game in the prior 5 games? That's what we're doing? Seriously? I mean FSU knew they were playing for the playoffs against UF and Louisville. We outplayed them but our lack of discipline and strange play calling gifted them a win. 21 of the 22 guys from Louisville outplayed them, and I'm still not convinced that Plummer wasn't throwing that game. The pick in the end zone after the blocked punt was so bad and he just kept the ball and took the sack on back to back 4th down plays.
|
|
|
|
Post by g8rfan on Dec 5, 2023 10:28:33 GMT -5
They’ll get demolished by Georgia in the Orange Bowl and all of this will be ancient history..
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Dec 5, 2023 14:46:31 GMT -5
They’ll get demolished by Georgia in the Orange Bowl and all of this will be ancient history.. Yeah, I mean they have a lot better shot at UGA if they're pouting but FSU may have as many opt outs as UGA and Kirby historically has done a decent job of rallying a disappointed bunch. Georgia actually has more of a right to be upset than FSU since they're actually one of the 4 best teams in the country (better resume than Texas and flat better than Washington), but I digress. For all their bitching and righteous indignation (which I get) I have yet to hear one analyst or even the most delusional of fans when pressed actually say that FSU is one of the 4 best teams in the country without Jordan Travis. Given that the stated goal has always been the 4 best teams and the selection criterion specifically includes that injuries are factored into the assessment I find that odd but oh well. I am not a fan of the 6 automatic qualifiers particularly with re-alignment making it a Power 2.5 (I'll give ACC .5 since Clemson, Miami, and FSU all want to leave but the SEC won't have them), but I am looking forward to the unintended consequence of the 3rd best team in the SEC beating the dog shit out of the Sunbelt champ in a game that actually means something. It'll be proof positive of the Napier paradigm that what works great in a lesser conference doesn't work in a real one. At least 3 of the first round games are going to have 3 score spreads unless/until they fix the 3.5 conference champions getting thrown in the mix. That will be an even clearer example of be careful what you wish for. |
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 5, 2023 17:45:06 GMT -5
I keep hearing the argument that FSU is an undefeated conference champion. I watched both of their final two games beginning to end. Without their starting quarterback, they would be about the fifth or sixth best team in the SEC, about #4 in the Pac-12 and third or fourth in the Big 12.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rock Gator on Dec 5, 2023 17:53:57 GMT -5
Hey, question for the group: is Norvell the second coming of Jimbo? Catches lightning in a bottle with a great QB, but then great QB moves on. Can he sustain this momentary success?
RG
|
|
|
|
Post by wahhappen on Dec 5, 2023 20:21:05 GMT -5
It couldn’t have happened to a better team, but I do understand where they are coming from. At least Georgia got a shot to beat a playoff contender. The playoff was created to prevent this type of thing from happening and then at the end of the day it still comes down to a vote. I blame the dumb 4-team system. I saw this eventually becoming a “thing,” only I thought we would have had several one loss conference champions fighting over the last two spots. Who were the add wizards who came up with that one?
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Dec 6, 2023 12:24:35 GMT -5
Hey, question for the group: is Norvell the second coming of Jimbo? Catches lightning in a bottle with a great QB, but then great QB moves on. Can he sustain this momentary success? RG Norvell isn't Jimbo, he had his own success as a head coach prior to this FSU. He also got ahead of the curve on the portal and NIL and managed to put a top 10 team in terms of talent on the field by adjusting with the times, adapting his plan to account for what was working and what wasn't, and then executed the adjusted plan really well. He changed offensive coordinators in year 3 (when things really started picking up) and his DC is a lifelong coach who has worked his way up. He's clearly the best college coach in Florida both on and off the field and a huge problem for us. He's 2 years younger than Napier, he's had more success at all stops and has his own style rather than patterning himself after other guys, he actually can string together a coherent response that only uses words that he understands when speaking in public, and he's more likable (actually likable not "the writers keep saying that he's a good dude" likable) than Napier and probably Mario, and even when the chips were down he didn't ask "what do you mean specifically when you say it's the first time FSU has ever lost to Jacksonville State?" This could be hopeless optimism but I still believe that UF beats FSU on the recruiting trail (including the portal) if the coaching staff is a push most of the time. If we win the recruiting battle and the game day coaching is equal or even close we win on the field. Right now I don't see how Napier pulls even, but I know it's not going to happen without a complete overhaul of his beloved approach wherein he's trying to mimic Saban and Smart. The first step is admitting you have a problem, I don't think he is there and really don't know that he's capable of getting there. We're not a push currently, I'll be interested to see how our early schedule falls out as we determine who the 2nd-4th best teams are in Florida, but I know we're not #1. A couple funny things being in the eye of this storm: 1) The majority of the Georgia fanbase would rather see Alabama out of the play-off rather than UGA in. They're extolling the virtues of FSU, ignoring Texas jumping 4 spots by beating the #19 team in the country (based on a win 3 months ago their only other top 25 win before the conference championship), and not mentioning Washington who has only beaten Oregon who is a fraud and will keep doing what they've done for the last 2 years (Oregon sure is hell on unranked teams though, National Champions of the eyeball test again 4-8 teams if you ask me). It's nuts. Georgia's resume shits on everybody in the play-off other than Michigan and Bama and they're clearly one of the top 4 teams in the country, but they aren't even arguing it because they don't want Bama in. Back when we were in contention for the best program in CFB I would have rather played for a natty than both Bama and UF being shut out of the championship. So weird. 2) Nobody, like literally nobody, is arguing that FSU actually meets the criteria of being one of the 4 best teams in the country as currently constituted. Their schedule is 55th in the country. Their best win is over the 5th best team in the SEC (who people think should be left out of the playoff despite winning 13 of the last 17 and the last 4 titles) in the first game of the year playing without their best defensive player. They had 2 chances to remotely pass the eyeball test against two very flawed teams and failed so spectacularly that if the committee came out and actually said "I believe that Florida State without Travis is one of the top 4 teams in the country" would have been lying and everybody knows it. The argument seems to be that they should be in based on history while at the same time arguing "the only reason an SEC team is in is based on history and that doesn't matter." Also, "results on the field matter." Amen sister, and the results on the field over the last 2 weeks make it very clear that FSU has no business being in a 4 team playoff. 3) Listen I get it, I feel bad for the kids, they did the best they could, it wasn't good enough and the committee actually enforced their specific criteria (in the case of FSU, Texas over Georgia not so much), but where are we gonna stop? Do we feel bad for the kids from Miami because ACC refs didn't call an obvious safety that likely gives them a career defining win by upsetting a top 5 team on the road in primetime? If you don't think that was a concerted effort by the conference to have a team considered for the play-offs I've got multiple bridges that I can sell you for a competitive price. Feel bad for the South Carolina kids because they have to play for Shane Beamer? This isn't little league, these are grown ass men getting paid very real money and the best of them are going on to considerably more. It's a tough break, but that's life. This will help them to become the champions of life. And, if you somehow beat UGA because they can't get up for the game, you can claim a natty. It won't be real, but it was never going to be and that would be better than getting manhandled by Michigan as Tate Rodemaker racks up 120 yards of offense. |
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 7, 2023 19:57:52 GMT -5
The arguments being made for Florida State are the same arguments that led to the farcical national championship for Brigham Young in 1984. BYU played basically nobody, and beat a 6-5 Michigan team by seven points in a bowl game. But hey, they were undefeated, national champions!
|
|
|
|
Post by Rock Gator on Dec 8, 2023 7:35:32 GMT -5
Hell, it's the same argument that UCF made a couple years ago.
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Dec 8, 2023 10:55:48 GMT -5
I feel bad for the Clemson kid who got pulled off a desk job and missed a 29 yard field goal to keep FSU undefeated. If FSU had made the play-offs he could have told his grandkids he was responsible for the worst play-off team in the history of the 4 team play-off.
|
|
|
|
Post by gatordoll on Dec 8, 2023 20:06:15 GMT -5
Let Liberty in!
Actually their QB is not bad....
|
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 9, 2023 2:46:12 GMT -5
Let Liberty in! Actually their QB is not bad.... They might have been a year from now. |
|
|
|
Post by gatordoll on Dec 9, 2023 15:42:19 GMT -5
Did you see the recent interview with Urban where he says Norvell should get coach of the year award? He also said should FSU beat GA if he was the coach he would buy championship rings for all of the players. Interesting.
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Dec 9, 2023 16:01:20 GMT -5
Did you see the recent interview with Urban where he says Norvell should get coach of the year award? He also said should FSU beat GA if he was the coach he would buy championship rings for all of the players. Interesting. I didn't see it but I said they can go ahead and claim a national title. If Georgia has opt outs and plays completely disinterested it would b e a helluva lot closer than FSU would have ever been if they were let into the playoff without Travis. I'll be nice and say they were the 12th best team in the country without Travis. It's a stretch but why not? In the long run this is so much better for FSU. There's 5 conferences and 4 playoff spots, not the brightest thing in the world, but the media would have you believe that far and away the best conference's champion shouldn't be in despite having literally every tie breaker over FSU except a push on conference championship. Again, if you're gonna talk about who shouldn't be in and you think FSU should be, their resume stacks up so much better against Texas's than Bama's, but God forbid anybody interject some damn common sense into the discourse, because then we can't claim the big bad SEC wolf. It's not a wolf, it's the 800 lbs. gorilla, winning 80% of the national titles over a 20 year span has been known to do that. FSU with Travis loses 3 games against an SEC schedule, they lose 5 without him, and everybody who objectively watches football knows it. So does Washington. Texas might have only lost 2. Michigan would have lost a game or 2. |
|
