NCAA Football 2017 Week #12

[Gaolee]

Last weekend of Ivy League football coming up, including The Game. If Yale beats Harvard, they are Ivy champions. If Harvard beats Yale, it's what happens just about every year. I think that would make Dartmouth the Ivy champion if they beat Princeton. Mike surely knows.

Washington washed out. No playoff, no Pac-12 championship, not much of anything except pride now unless the world gets turned upside down. They can't seem to win on the road lately, so it's good they have Utah at home. The Cougs beat Utah last week, so it can be done. Then again, the Cougs beat Stanford the week before Stanford made Washington into road kill.

Only a couple more weeks for Alabama, Wisconsin, and Miami to lose to somebody and make UCF the only undefeated team left. That would be great to see.

[edit] I stand corrected. ESPN says Yale clinched the championship this past week. They still need to beat Harvard just on general principles.

 

[GregC]

Florida plays UAB Saturday. I'd like to think the Gators will win, especially after they showed effort yesterday and actually had a couple shots at tying it in the fourth. But I don't know. The defemse is full of holes with all the injuries and suspensions, and the offensive playcalling is still abysmal. And UAB is 7-3, albeit against lower-level competition.

Looks like Badgers/Michigan is the only matchup of ranked teams this week, unless the rankings change significantly.

 

[GregC]

I tried watching Ivy League football the other night, Dartmouth vs. Brown. Granted, it was the start of the second half and Dartmouth was up 23-3, but I've never seen less of an atmosphere in any college football game ever. Fenway looked like it was maybe 1/4 full, and everyone was sitting on their hands. I had to change the channel after a few minutes. Maybe I'll try again some other time.

 

[mrpackerguy]

If Defense wins championships, Bucky is on course. Held Iowa to a near record low 66 total yards. If the Badger QB would stop giving away points (not one but 2 pick 6s),they'd be even more dominant. Maybe they aren't due for a fall like I predicted against Iowa. Michigan will not be easy but I'd relish nothing more than to bully past Harbaugh and crew

 

[MJ5150]

I tried watching Ivy League football the other night, Dartmouth vs. Brown. Granted, it was the start of the second half and Dartmouth was up 23-3, but I've never seen less of an atmosphere in any college football game ever. Fenway looked like it was maybe 1/4 full, and everyone was sitting on their hands. I had to change the channel after a few minutes. Maybe I'll try again some other time.

That'll happen when you play football in a baseball stadium, and then a game between two teams that play in smaller venues in the first place.
Dartmouth, for example, has a stadium that only seats 11,000 and seldom packs out. Still, in a small stadium like Memorial Field a few thousand makes a nice crowd.
I liked it because I like the quality of football played and the Ivy League anyway.

The other factor Friday night was the weather. It was in the 20's, and wind chill was in the teens. People sat on their hands so they didn't get frostbite.

-Mike

 

[Gaolee]

The great thing about Ivy League football is that the players are more or less normal sized humans who are going to go on to do the kinds of things that college graduates do. They don't generally have NFL careers, and if they do, it's on the way to graduate school for medicine or foreign relations or something. They play because they want to, and they are students first. That makes Ivy League football even less predictable than the rest of college football. One school might have exams or one of the player might have some kind of project to finish, and it has an unexpected effect on the game. None of them are taking classes in golf and AIDS awareness for credit, either.

The size of the crowd isn't exactly the point.

 

[MJ5150]

The great thing about Ivy League football is that the players are more or less normal sized humans who are going to go on to do the kinds of things that college graduates do. They don't generally have NFL careers, and if they do, it's on the way to graduate school for medicine or foreign relations or something. They play because they want to, and they are students first. That makes Ivy League football even less predictable than the rest of college football. One school might have exams or one of the player might have some kind of project to finish, and it has an unexpected effect on the game. None of them are taking classes in golf and AIDS awareness for credit, either.

The size of the crowd isn't exactly the point.

Well put my friend. This is exactly how I feel.
Maybe I'm fooling myself, but I feel like I remember the days when guys played because they loved the game of football. College and pro.
I feel like only the Ivy League is like that now, and you did a great job explaining that.

-Mike

 

[MJ5150]

So you say you want an SEC football head coaching job, but don't want to live in sunny Florida?
How about Knoxville? They ran off Butch Jones today.

-Mike

 

[the harp unstrung]

Saw a guy in line today.
He was wearing his Auburn Tiger ski hat (man! It musta been down in the mid-50s!) along with his AU scarf, And his Auburn Chucks!
Nice ensemble my young friend! Have a great week at work!

A) Ever buddy nose that ya just Don’t roll through the SEC without a loss...a Loss, yes...an ass whoopin’, less so...

B) I’ll trade ya yesterday’s loss for the win at South Bend...

C) If youda told me in August or September that UGA was gonna be 9-1, and gettin’ ready for the SEC championship game, I’d a been a very happy old man.

I️ liked what Gary Danielson said yesterday early in the 3rd quarter.
Alabama’s been the #1 team in the nation for 5 years. They KNOW what it’s like to play from the head of the pack. Georgia? They still got to learn what that feels like.

Hey! It was AT Auburn...that counts for a lot, but it doesn’t count for a spankin’ like That!

 

[MJ5150]

The excuse machine is in full production mode on 47th Street tonight.
Just kidding with ya buddy. It's been a great season for y'all. Enjoy it!

-Mike

 

[Gaolee]

Well put my friend. This is exactly how I feel.
Maybe I'm fooling myself, but I feel like I remember the days when guys played because they loved the game of football. College and pro.
I feel like only the Ivy League is like that now, and you did a great job explaining that.

-Mike

They play football for the same reason I played rugby. The only audience we ever had was somebody's dog.

 

[GregC]

That'll happen when you play football in a baseball stadium, and then a game between two teams that play in smaller venues in the first place.
Dartmouth, for example, has a stadium that only seats 11,000 and seldom packs out. Still, in a small stadium like Memorial Field a few thousand makes a nice crowd.
I liked it because I like the quality of football played and the Ivy League anyway.

The other factor Friday night was the weather. It was in the 20's, and wind chill was in the teens. People sat on their hands so they didn't get frostbite.

-Mike

The great thing about Ivy League football is that the players are more or less normal sized humans who are going to go on to do the kinds of things that college graduates do. They don't generally have NFL careers, and if they do, it's on the way to graduate school for medicine or foreign relations or something. They play because they want to, and they are students first. That makes Ivy League football even less predictable than the rest of college football. One school might have exams or one of the player might have some kind of project to finish, and it has an unexpected effect on the game. None of them are taking classes in golf and AIDS awareness for credit, either.

The size of the crowd isn't exactly the point.

I get all that, truly. But one of the charms of college football for me, personally, is the enthusiasm of the crowd. You could have heard a pin drop in that place when we had the game on, it was eerie. Granted, the size of the venue and the weather were significant factors. I'll give it another chance.

 

[GregC]

Saw a guy in line today.
He was wearing his Auburn Tiger ski hat (man! It musta been down in the mid-50s!) along with his AU scarf, And his Auburn Chucks!
Nice ensemble my young friend! Have a great week at work!
View attachment 2811240
A) Ever buddy nose that ya just Don’t roll through the SEC without a loss...a Loss, yes...an ass whoopin’, less so...

B) I’ll trade ya yesterday’s loss for the win at South Bend...

C) If youda told me in August or September that UGA was gonna be 9-1, and gettin’ ready for the SEC championship game, I’d a been a very happy old man.

I️ liked what Gary Danielson said yesterday early in the 3rd quarter.
Alabama’s been the #1 team in the nation for 5 years. They KNOW what it’s like to play from the head of the pack. Georgia? They still got to learn what that feels like.

Hey! It was AT Auburn...that counts for a lot, but it doesn’t count for a spankin’ like That!
View attachment 2811249

Georgia ain't out of it, though, my friend. It's just that beating Bama may feel like an even bigger challenge now.

And playing at Auburn is definitely rough. Jerrrrrrrrrdan Hare Stadium has been a bouse of horrors for the Gators.

 

[mrpackerguy]

Take stats for what they're worth. In looking ahead to Wis/Mich:

Team defense ranks: Wis #1 - Mich #3 (against the run - Wis #1 - Mich #10) (against the pass - Wis #7 - Mich #2)
Team Offense ranks: Wis #32 - Mich #88 (rushing - Wis #18 - Mich #31) (passing Wis #94, Mich #111)

According to the stats, this looks to be one helluva match up. We'll see if our Wis QB continues to throw to the other team. (17 TDs vs 12 INTs)

 

[GregC]

Last weekend of Ivy League football coming up, including The Game. If Yale beats Harvard, they are Ivy champions. If Harvard beats Yale, it's what happens just about every year. I think that would make Dartmouth the Ivy champion if they beat Princeton. Mike surely knows.

Washington washed out. No playoff, no Pac-12 championship, not much of anything except pride now unless the world gets turned upside down. They can't seem to win on the road lately, so it's good they have Utah at home. The Cougs beat Utah last week, so it can be done. Then again, the Cougs beat Stanford the week before Stanford made Washington into road kill.

Only a couple more weeks for Alabama, Wisconsin, and Miami to lose to somebody and make UCF the only undefeated team left. That would be great to see.

[edit] I stand corrected. ESPN says Yale clinched the championship this past week. They still need to beat Harvard just on general principles.

This article is good fodder for fans of chaos. Here's the fatal flaw that will stymie each CFP contender

 

[FilterFunk]

This article is good fodder for fans of chaos. Here's the fatal flaw that will stymie each CFP contender

Interesting read.

 

[twelvetrombones]

Delaware will play at Villanova (who aren't that good this year), and a win could put them in contention for a spot in the FCS playoffs. So, that should be interesting.

Other than that, Arizona is at Oregon, and if Burmeister starts that could be pretty dreadful.

 

[Pilgrim]

So, my lovely wife and I made the run From Fort Collins to Salt Lake City (440 miles each way) to watch the Cougs beat the Utes 33-25 on Saturday!! It was actually a nice drive over on Friday and back on Sunday - (love that 80 MPH I-80 freeway across much of Wyoming!!) Some of the scenery was boring, but there are some really cool mountains and geology to view as well.

WOOOOOT! Cougs Win!!!! Hercules Mata'Afa spent more time in the Utah backfield than their running backs did. That dude is a wrecking crew by himself! Mata’afa, Powell named Pac-12 Players of the Week

Cougs are 9-2 and get a bye week this week (while the dawgz play the Utes), and then it's to Seattle for the Apple Cup and the PAC-12 North Champion slot!!

GO, COUGS!!!!!

 

[Gaolee]

Delaware will play at Villanova (who aren't that good this year), and a win could put them in contention for a spot in the FCS playoffs. So, that should be interesting.

Other than that, Arizona is at Oregon, and if Burmeister starts that could be pretty dreadful.

It could be awful for Oregon no matter what. Tate will run wild, and if he doesn't run wild, he will throw the football over the Ducks. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Arizona wins the Pac-12 next year when they build a team around what he can do.

 

[Pilgrim]

Gaolee and I are both happy when anything upsets the lowly Ducks...and U$C.

The PAC-12 takes great pleasure in picking each other off throughout the season, and we're very, very good at it.

Please note that one of U$C's two losses this year was to the Cougs, in Pullman. It was sweeeeeeeeet!!