As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

College Football 2022: Welcome to America's Most Absurd Season | Pick 'Em Pg95

12467100

Posts

  • JimBobtheMonkeyJimBobtheMonkey Registered User regular
    Gotw is worth 2

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Gotw is worth 2

    I always forget that.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    We should mention that Florida fired Mullen, I suppose.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    We should mention that Florida fired Mullen, I suppose.

    I honestly thought he had one more year, but I guess this is what happens when you lose to Missouri.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • MulletudeMulletude Registered User regular
    Dan Mullen goes 34-15 and gets fired. Frost goes 15-28 and gets one last "prove it" year. Lol

    XBL-Dug Danger WiiU-DugDanger Steam-http://steamcommunity.com/id/DugDanger/
  • IvelliusIvellius Registered User regular
    Mullen finished 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC, ahead of only one of the worst P5 programs in the country (maybe the worst, given this year).

    Me elsewhere:
    Steam, various fora: Ivellius
    League of Legends: Doctor Ivellius
    Twitch, probably another place or two I forget: LPIvellius
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Ivellius wrote: »
    Mullen finished 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC, ahead of only one of the worst P5 programs in the country (maybe the worst, given this year).

    Grantham claims another soul.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • Butler For Life #1Butler For Life #1 Twinning is WinningRegistered User regular
    Mulletude wrote: »
    Dan Mullen goes 34-15 and gets fired. Frost goes 15-28 and gets one last "prove it" year. Lol

    The SEC: It Just Means More (money spent on buyouts)

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    I think Scott Frost has Nebraska in a better position than Mullen had Florida because Nebraska keeps losing extremely close games and Mullen thought that recruiting was something that happened during the off season.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Nebraska is the best 3-win team in history

    And can still finish with 1 conference win but a positive scoring margin (hat tip to ebum)

    Frost may just need better game time assistants (including an actual ST coach) cause Nebraska is good, but shotguns its sick off every third drive

  • MulletudeMulletude Registered User regular
    I'm hoping he finds some well regarded assistants to fill the open spots. I very much want him to succeed and stick around for a long time.

    XBL-Dug Danger WiiU-DugDanger Steam-http://steamcommunity.com/id/DugDanger/
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    edited November 2021
    THE GRAND FORGING OF THE RIVALRY WEEK PICK'EMS SHALL NOW BEGIN

    Edit: The deadline for submissions is tomorrow at midnight Pacific. Picks will go up Tuesday at some point.

    Nirya on
    t70pctuqq2uv.png
    3DS: 2981-5304-3227
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    And, again, the first game on the list is at 3:30 PM Eastern on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)!

    There will be 35 total games to pick, so this can definitely make or break your Pick 'Em season. Note that the contest does run through Championship Week, so we will also have Friday games next week for the C-USA and Pac-12 championships.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    No Martinez for Nebraska which is probably going to make it difficult for them to score enough to stay within 6 and finish the most amazing season of all time.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • cursedkingcursedking Registered User regular
    Has there ever been a hotter coaching season than this one? USC, Washington, Washington State, LSU, and Florida all being open at the same time feels huge.

    Types: Boom + Robo | Food: Sweet | Habitat: Plains
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    And no candidates worthy of the jobs, really.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    It’s because people were very hesitant to fire in 2020, and the shortened season last year also means less stand out coaches.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Also it wouldn't be entirely shocking if MSU (Tucker -> LSU) and PSU (Franklin -> USC) open up. I think Tucker has still not actually signed that ridiculous extension MSU offered him. Also Lincoln Riley is using the LSU job to get paid.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    And no candidates worthy of the jobs, really.

    I mean there’s that guy with his finger in the butt cracks of all these jobs (and more!)

  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Also I love that Wazzou is in the hunt for PACN champ despite the Rolovich thing

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    The real question is does Dan Mullen land a nice coordinator position or does he go to a HC job where there are less recruiting demands (a la spurrier)

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • MvrckMvrck Dwarven MountainhomeRegistered User regular
    edited November 2021
    Also it wouldn't be entirely shocking if MSU (Tucker -> LSU) and PSU (Franklin -> USC) open up. I think Tucker has still not actually signed that ridiculous extension MSU offered him. Also Lincoln Riley is using the LSU job to get paid.

    With the #1 QB and RB incoming, it's still really hard to see Franklin jump ship. If he wasn't a PA guy maybe, but he finally landed his program defining QB, with a championship caliber defense already on the field.

    For someone who's stated goal is to be the first African American coach to win a Natty, the next year or two might be his best chances in his career. If he bails, it'll be 2024ish.

    Edit: Weirdly if anything I'd almost expect WSU to have a better chance than USC if they came out west just because of his wife's connection.

    Mvrck on
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2021
    I don't think Franklin leaves PSU because it's a tier 1 school, he's enjoyed a modicum of success, and it's a dream job for him.

    EDIT: That is to say nothing of him using the job openings to leverage a bigger paycheck...

    Munkus Beaver on
    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    There is a report he's milked another extension out of PSU from the interest. Currently in the 2nd year of the last extension.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Also it wouldn't be entirely shocking if MSU (Tucker -> LSU) and PSU (Franklin -> USC) open up. I think Tucker has still not actually signed that ridiculous extension MSU offered him. Also Lincoln Riley is using the LSU job to get paid.

    With the #1 QB and RB incoming, it's still really hard to see Franklin jump ship. If he wasn't a PA guy maybe, but he finally landed his program defining QB, with a championship caliber defense already on the field.

    For someone who's stated goal is to be the first African American coach to win a Natty, the next year or two might be his best chances in his career. If he bails, it'll be 2024ish.

    Edit: Weirdly if anything I'd almost expect WSU to have a better chance than USC if they came out west just because of his wife's connection.

    Michigan and OSU are super young (we lose Hutchinson, probably Haskins and Hill, and maybe Ojabo and that's about it; and like every Buckeye except Olave is an underclassman, terrifyingly) so doesn't seem great.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    WEEK 13: AN UNLUCKY WEEK FOR HATE

    Straight Up
    Fresno State (-7.5) @ San Jose State – THE BATTLE FOR THE VALLEY TROPHY! Welcome to Hate Week, a week where we throw out the records and get down to some good clean hating. In the interest of keeping my sanity, I will only talk about each game for as long as it interests me. I also apologize in advance for rankings being all over the place, because I’m writing this on Monday and the CFP rankings don’t come out until late Tuesday. As for why I am using the Fresno State/San Jose State game to lay out these basics, well…

    #12 Mississippi @ #25 Mississippi State (-1) – EGG BOWL! The Egg Bowl really should be the poster child for Hate Week: the game normally does not matter, and usually the teams are not that great, but the intensity and clear hatred that each side possesses is enormous. Numerous coaches have lost their jobs for failing to win this game, and multiple coaches have lost their jobs in spite of winning the game! I don’t think either Lane Kiffin or Mike Leach are in danger of getting fired, but this could be Lane’s last Egg Bowl as he is a hot commodity for a multitude of jobs. Of note: this is only the 7th time in the rivalry’s history that both teams have entered the Egg Bowl ranked; the last time came in 2015, but the 2014 one is my personal favorite, as Ole Miss knocked Mississippi State out of the CFP with an upset victory that they would later vacate due to NCAA violations. This is the ultimate crab bucket game and I am here for it.

    Boise State (-2.5) @ #19 San Diego State – This is not a rivalry game, but the ramifications on the Mountain West are enormous. Starting with the West division, San Diego State is up one game on Fresno State but lost the head-to-head matchup, so they need a win here to guarantee a spot in the conference title game. Boise State, meanwhile, is locked in a three-way tie atop the Mountain division. Utah State and Air Force face pushovers New Mexico and UNLV respectively, which makes their road a bit tougher based on this handy graphic the Mountain West put out.


    #17 Iowa @ Nebraska (-3.5) – THE HEROES GAME, ACCORDING TO THE WIKIPEDIA PICTURE! I really just have this stat: Nebraska is currently tied for the all-time FBS record for one-score losses in a season, and there is a 75% chance they break it in this game. There is also a 15% chance Iowa’s defense makes it 28-0 by the end of the 1st quarter, and a 10% chance Nebraska actually shows up for once and destroys an Iowa team with no offense, but we know where the odds lie.

    North Carolina @ #20 North Carolina State (-6.5) – THE CAROLINA-STATE GAME! NC State needs to win here to keep their chances at winning the ACC Atlantic alive. If UNC wins, and Boston College beats Wake Forest (not unreasonable!) then somehow Clemson, despite being 2021 Clemson, will win the division and have a decent shot at being ACC Champion at the end of the year.

    Washington State (-1.5) @ Washington - THE APPLE CUP! And we have TWO submissions here. First, representing the Cougs, is @knitdan:
    Please step forward if your team has
    -fired a head coach this year
    -majority of team fans living in Seattle
    -majority of team fans didn’t attend UW
    -currently bowl eligible…NOT SO FAST, HUSKIES!

    In the first Apple Cup since 2019, the Huskies are fighting to make an abysmal season merely mediocre while the Cougars are playing for in-state bragging rights and a slightly better bowl bid. Historically, the Huskies have often treated this as a second homecoming game while the Cougars’ highest aspirations were to play spoiler for the Huskies’ bowl and/or championship hopes. This year the stakes are much lower but it’s still gonna be an ugly, chippy game. Cougs win by 2 touchdowns and I’ll put the over-under on total ejections at 3. Here’s hoping for snow at Husky Stadium.

    And on the Washington side, here is @shalmelo:
    It’s been a year to forget for both of the Washington schools (with apologies to the 9-2 EWU Eagles). The Huskies collapse surprised many but in hindsight fits neatly within a template that is all too familiar in college football: a big deal coach retires, leaving behind his chosen successor – a coordinator with no head coaching experience whose success has come on one and only one side of the ball. New coach makes a disastrous hire for the other coordinator job, alienates both current players and recruits, and relatively quickly indicates that he’s in over his head. Tale as old as time, and UW is once again back on the coaching market.

    But Wazzu dug deep and innovated, and Couged it this year in a way that's truly unprecedented. Nick Rolovich’s performance on the field was just fine. He was building up the resume of mediocrity and mild overachievement on subpar recruiting that can turn into a long, lucrative career at WSU, so long as you finish in the top half of the Pac-12 North once every 3 years or so. But no, Nick was willing to throw that all away, so committed was he to the principle of doing his own research into the Covid-19 vaccine. It ended the way things usually end when a Coug is asked to do research, and now Rolovich is out on the street, probably unmasked, hoping against hope that the Liberty job opens up or some shit.

    The stakes for this year’s Apple Cup are thus about as low as they’ve ever been (haters will point to the Crapple Cup in 2008, but the emotional stakes for that game were MUCH higher, and also that game never happened). This year nothing is on the line (unLESS the Beavers upset Oregon in Eugene, in which case WSU, if they win, would receive the honor of getting sandblasted by Utah in the Pac-12 title game). The Cougars have most likely locked themselves into the low-tier early December bowl that is their specialty, meanwhile by getting upset in Boulder on Saturday, the Huskies have confirmed that Friday will blessedly mark the end of their season no matter what happens. No, the stakes for this game are much more personal - this year I’m taking my mom (class of 1973) to the game. Together or separately, the two of us have been to seven different Apple Cups, and to date the Huskies have won every one of them. If that streak ends for us this week, well, it would be perfectly on brand for 2021. Bow Down

    Maryland (-4.5) @ Rutgers – This isn’t a rivalry. ASimPerson is now messing with me personally.

    Pennsylvania State @ #7 Michigan State (EVEN) – LAND-GRANT TROPHY! This is a fascinating game, because I have no idea what the relative psyche of the Spartans even is at this point after watching them get pantsed by Ohio State last week, while Penn State…looks competent again? This will either be a sneaky-good game or an unwatchable trainwreck, which you have to respect.

    Oregon State @ #11 Oregon (-6.5) – THE GAME FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CIVIL WAR! These schools have not announced a new rivalry name, but all they really have to do is hype up the Platypus Trophy and call it a day. Anyway, this is one of those rivalries that has it’s own “Notable Game-Related Incidents” section, which includes multiple instances of students from the various universities being captured and forced to perform manual labor, one kidnapping of a homecoming queen, and a post-game brawl on the field launched in order to defend the goalposts from being taken down. Truly inspiring stuff here.

    Oh, also Oregon State still isn’t eliminated from the Pac-12 North race! They would need some help from Washington, which, good luck, but a win here keeps them alive. Oregon simply needs to win and they get the division.

    Northwestern @ Illinois (-6.5) – THE LAND OF LINCOLN TROPHY! Sometimes I peruse the Wikipedia pages for anything interesting about the rivalries, and this time I was reminded about the game they held at Wrigley Field in 2010 that was so poorly-conceived that both teams had to go in the same direction on offense because it was deemed unsafe to use the east end zone that was up against the ivy in right field. A+ stuff.

    Virginia Tech @ Virginia (-7.5) – THE COMMONWEALTH CUP! Virginia Tech already fired their head coach and clearly have written this game off, and so will I!

    #15 Wisconsin (-6.5) @ Minnesota – PAUL BUNYAN’S AXE! While we all weren’t looking, Wisconsin got quietly good, and have gotten to “win and in” status in the Big Ten West. Minnesota, meanwhile, is not completely eliminated yet; if they win, Purdue beats Indiana (not unreasonable this year), and Nebraska beats Iowa (lol), then there would be a four-way tie atop the division that would leave Minnesota on top. All of these teams will get demolished by Ohio State, but it’s fun to pretend!

    Texas A&M (-6.5) @ Louisiana State – Look everyone we have at least one more year of pretending this is a major rivalry before Texas joins the SEC and we can go back to having the Golden Boot this weekend while Texas and Texas A&M can remember that actually they do think about each other all the time.

    #13 Oklahoma @ #9 Oklahoma State (-3.5) – BEDLAM! Folks, we have had important Bedlams over the years, but this one is incredibly important when it comes to the outside playoff candidacy of Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are the conference’s best hope of clinching a spot, but to do so would mean doing something they have only done 13 times before, and not since 2014: beat Oklahoma. Last year featured both teams evenly-ranked, with the end result being a 41-13 Oklahoma victory. Point is, Oklahoma State SHOULD win this game, but they are the group that has to actually prove it can do it.

    Kentucky @ Louisville (-1.5) – THE GOVERNOR’S CUP! Pour one out for Kentucky, which went from being a top 10 team to losing three straight and dropping off the face of the earth. Still, a win here would get them to 9 wins, which feels like it would signal that Mark Stoops has brought sustained winning to a job that is incredibly hard to win at. Also pour one out for Louisville fans, who seem resigned to a 4th season with Scott Satterfield despite evidence that he is not a particularly good fit at the school.

    UC Berkeley @ UCLA (-6.5) – THE BEAR BOWL! Despite this game having secondary importance to both fanbases (thanks to the Big Game and the Crosstown Rivalry respectively), this is somehow the second-longest uninterrupted rivalry game in the country. That streak was almost cancelled last year, but a late scheduling switch allowed these teams to play on a Sunday and keep the streak going. UC Berkeley needs a win here to keep their bowl hopes alive, while a UCLA win would prevent that and I for one think that would be funny. UCLA has traditionally dominated this rivalry because they are the #1 public university and Berkeley is not. AND Y’ALL THINK I DIDN’T HAVE SOME HATE LEFT IN THE TANK FOR THIS GAME.

    SICKOS GAME OF THE WEEK
    Florida State @ Florida (-1.5) – THE SUNSHINE SHOWDOWN! UMass and New Mexico State also play this weekend and probably have a better claim to being a true Sickos game, but consider this: both Florida and Florida State are 5-6 and need a win to clinch a bowl game. Dan Mullen has already been fired at Florida, and you’d have to assume Mike Norvell’s seat will actually start to heat up if the Seminoles lose to a rudderless and coachless Florida team. God what a perfect game.

    t70pctuqq2uv.png
    3DS: 2981-5304-3227
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    oh whoops I forgot to do a writeup for the iron bowl

    But also it wasn't picked for a game this week so *shrug*

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    edited November 2021
    Against the Spread
    Eastern Michigan @ Central Michigan (-8) – Few things here. One, this is the oldest rivalry in the MAC, dating back to 1902 and featuring 95 previous meetings. Two, this is for the Michigan MAC trophy, a three-way trophy between Eastern, Central and Western Michigan similar to the Commander-in-Chief Trophy. Eastern and Central both have wins over Western, which means the winner of this game gets the Michigan MAC trophy outright, which would be the first time that has happened since 2018.

    South Florida @ Central Florida (-18.5) - THE WAR ON I-4! Here to comment on the proceedings is resident Florida Man @Romanian My Escutcheon:
    UCF’s joining the Big XII and USF isn’t; we’ll get around to that. Before we get around to that, who’d like to hear a fun story involving both schools?

    Back in 2012, ESPN offered the Big East a media deal worth $1.4 billion over nine years. The sole condition? TCU and UCF would be added to the conference as the ninth and tenth teams competing in all sports.

    Now, this is the part where that media deal – and the Big East – come to reckon with their Grim Reaper: USF President Judy Genshaft.

    You see, in a fit of unimaginable hubris, President Genshaft decided that she would sooner block UCF from joining the Big East than tolerate our presence in the conference. Allegedly, she even drafted a playbook that *other* Big East schools could use to block us in the future, if they wanted to.

    The way that story ends? Bye-bye billion dollar media package. Bye-bye Big East.

    Financial and membership instability cost the Big East its name, and the conference becomes the American Athletic Conference. The AAC ends up inviting UCF to join anyway, sans a billion dollar media deal. And their BCS auto-bid doesn’t survive into College Football Playoff era, causing them to fall into the Group of Five.

    The same Group of Five that USF plays in. *Whoopsie-daisy, Judy!* Wave goodbye to any chance at a National Championship bid! At least as long as the vapid suits running the CFP Committee have a say in the matter.

    And now we come to 2021. UCF and Cincinnati will be moving to the Big XII in two years time, and the Big XII has not announced their intention to add any other expansion schools. Similarly, UCF has not announced whether or not the War on I-4 will continue into the Big XII era, meaning this may be the penultimate matchup between these two schools in a heated rivalry series.

    So, to sum up: In the course of 11 years, UCF has managed to claw its way up to the Power 5, and USF has managed to fall even further out of relevance in College Football. And that arrangement is due in no small part to the hubris of their President, who killed their BCS auto-qualifying conference to spite us.

    Bulls Peed Ahead indeed.

    If you would like to read more about USF’s various screw-ups on Judy Genshaft’s watch, I’d highly recommend you check out this article from Black and Gold Banneret: 25 Ways USF Has Completely Blown It.

    Go Knights!

    #4 Cincinnati (-14.5) @ East Carolina – Again, not a rivalry, and is more here as a reminder that Cincy has a date with destiny next week against Houston. Win, and they likely become the first non-P5 team in the College Football Playoff. And again, I remind everyone that I am writing this on a Monday and thus have not seen the new rankings where Michigan was put at #4 instead of Cincy because they’re a more complete team or some bullshit.

    Missouri @ #25 Arkansas (-13.5) – THE BATTLE LINE RIVARLY! Credit to Arkansas and Missouri, who actually tried to manufacture a decent rivalry game when they were thrown together to make Texas A&M feel good, creating a rivalry trophy and rivalry game name and everything. Pour one out for the future of this rivalry, when Arkansas goes back to playing for the Golden Boot on Thanksgiving weekend while Missouri likely looks at yearly asskickings at the hands of Oklahoma. I’m sure they can talk to OK State about what that feels like.

    Colorado @ #16 Utah (-23.5) – THE RUMBLE IN THE ROCKIES! These two have carved out a rather nice hatred of each other since joining the Pac-12, which is always nice to see in these situations. Also Utah feels on the verge of winning the entire conference after pancaking Oregon last week.

    #1 Georgia (-34.5) @ Georgia Tech - As is his want, my Pick'ems co-host @ASimPerson has chosen to subject himself to writing about Clean, Old Fashioned Hate:
    This is almost certainly the highest margin UGA has ever been favored by in this game. We have almost no hope. I will actually be in Atlanta this weekend but I don't have any plans to have grown men in overalls bark at me, so I likely won't be in Midtown. At any rate, for everything good and decent in this world, Georgia must be stopped To wit: TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!

    Texas Tech @ #9 Baylor (-14.5) – THE TEXAS FARM BUREAU INSURANCE SHOOTOUT! That’s probably not the actual name, but it was on the Wikipedia and fuck if I am giving Baylor the time of day to do actual legitimate research on this shit. The all-time series is currently tied at 39-39-1, which is cool and neat and there I said something tangentially nice about Baylor I’m moving on.

    Georgia Southern @ Appalachian State (-23.5) – DEEPER THAN HATE! This is a surprisingly-personal rivalry game, owing to the fact that these schools were rivals at the FCS level and competed with each other for national titles, and both jumped up to the Sun Belt at the same time to continue their rivalry. Georgia Southern just hired professional generic RPG character Clay Helton as their head coach, so I wouldn’t expect a competitive game per-se.

    Hawaii @ Wyoming (-10.5) – THE PANIOLO TROPHY! I like that this game actually has a rivalry trophy that spans decades despite being very far apart geographically. This game also seemingly floats on the calendar, so I think it’d be really cool for them to give this game a more permanent home on this weekend. Honestly, its weird that the Mountain West doesn’t try to create more of these traditional rivalry games in general!

    #3 Alabama (-19.5) @ Auburn – THE IRON BOWL! Auburn doesn’t seem particularly great but they have been prone to mind-numbing displays of competency, such as in wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss. That should terrify an Alabama team that has been good-not-great for a majority of the season, because if there is one thing that definitely never happens in the Iron Bowl, it’s Auburn suddenly displaying a mind-numbing level of competency that can bamboozle Alabama.

    An Iron Bowl writeup from @Munkus Beaver:
    The good ol' boys from Bama versus the University of West Georgia. Auburn is the perennial "little brother" team, and like any little brother it thrives on chaos. 0-10 Auburn on your schedule? You best come correct, because they follow no laws of man or gods. Only Auburn Jesus matters, and he is a capricious deity. No other rivalry that I know of has resulted in felony charges of "Desecration of a Venerable Object" as a result of the football game. Fun fact: we didn't play this game for years because of a disagreement over twenty dollars. It took the governor forcing the two schools to literally bury a hatchet to get them to play again.

    Roll tide, kick their asses.

    Indiana @ Purdue (-14.5) – THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET! I want it known that when I went to look this game up, it gave me a long Wikipedia article saying that the Indiana/Purdue rivalry was one of the most heated and intense rivalry in the country and recognized as such by national media before realizing it was talking about basketball. I have to imagine the football rivalry is not nearly as intense in this basketball-loving state.

    Vanderbilt @ Tennessee (-31.5) – Ostensibly a rivalry game, this matchup has traditionally been a Tennessee stomp of some kind, though recent years have harkened back to the early 1900s when Vanderbilt was much more competitive in the rivalry. I’m sure there are plenty of other things Vanderbilt fans like about the early 1900s that they wish would be the case today, but I digress. The Wikipedia for this, under notable games, includes this gem: “2017: Worst SEC game in 50 years?” So we have that going for us!

    Louisiana-Monroe @ #23 Louisiana (-21.5) – THE BATTLE ON THE BAYOU! I kid you not this is one of the most intense rivalries in the country. AndtheValleyShook writer PodKatt explained to me during the UCLA/LSU tailgate that ULM fans are pissed at Louisiana for dropping the Lafayette part of their name after explicitly signing a contract agreeing to that branding (LSU fans are similarly pissed for this same reason). Anyway, Louisiana head coach Billy Napier is about to have his choice of premiere jobs, but I imagine that won’t be enough to distract him from a win in this game.

    Arizona @ Arizona State (-20.5) – THE TERRITORIAL CUP! The branding likes to use Duel in the Desert but the Territorial Cup is way better. Anyway, Arizona State is gearing up to fire Herm Edwards next week, while Arizona is bad! Also the last game ended 70-7 so I’m sure there will be no bad blood to deal with in this one.

    Clemson (-11.5) @ South Carolina – THE PALMETTO BOWL! Shane Beamer has exceeded all expectations in his first year at South Carolina, getting the Gamecocks to bowl eligibility and showing a surprising amount of fight for a team that was ransacked by Will Muschamp. Clemson, somewhat miraculously, still has a shot at winning the ACC.

    #20 Pittsburgh (-10.5) @ Syracuse – Not a true rivalry, but one we’ll have to live with since we can’t get the Backyard Brawl anymore (but we get that again starting next year!). Pitt already clinched a spot in the ACC Championship, so this is basically a get-right game.

    #5 Notre Dame (-16.5) @ Stanford – This isn’t a real rivalry like Notre Dame/USC is, but it exists because Notre Dame is one of the smartest brands in the country and recognized that having a game in California annually would be good for recruiting. In the process, they ruined the Big Game and Crosstown Rivalry and forced UCLA and UC Berkeley to tell USC and Stanford to screw off, but what can you do? I personally love to tell USC and Stanford to screw off every chance I get!

    I’m also going to say this part real quiet so no one can hear but Notre Dame is extremely close to stealing that #4 playoff spot just watch.

    GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK (AGAINST THE SPREAD)
    #3 Ohio State (-7.5) @ #6 Michigan - THE GAME! You knew this one was going to take the top spot. I'm going to sit back and let Ohio State fan @ZeroCow take over for me:
    Michigan is a lovely school and I have the utmost respect for them. Academically they produce some of the brightest minds and are truly top tier. I have walked around their campus and it's beaut....

    ....oh, we're talking about futball? Fuck Michigan. The school and it's graduates are inbred hicks that barely manage to walk and breathe at the same time.

    I did a school visit there and there were many individuals from Chicago. The admissions rep welcomed everyone from Illinois and pronounced the "s"! That right there is your Michigan Man.

    Once again their "football" team will be a speed bump to a Buckeye trip to Indianapolis.

    Fuck Michigan.

    SECOND tOSU POST FROM @Captain Inertia:
    I could go with the snarky “how did OSU get included in a slate of rivalry games this week, Purdue was 3 weeks ago” but instead I’ll just stick to something I saw earlier today- Michigan is probably one of the 4 best teams this year, but is currently a TD home dog this weekend (and the action will probably push that higher by Saturday) to a team that only has 25 upperclassmen total on the roster

    Go here to enter your choices: https://forms.gle/oek3kuioeHXj4Spe7

    Nirya on
    t70pctuqq2uv.png
    3DS: 2981-5304-3227
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    oh whoops I forgot to do a writeup for the iron bowl

    But also it wasn't picked for a game this week so *shrug*

    THERE WERE SO MANY GAMES I HAD TO DO MULTIPLE POSTS DID YOU REALLY THINK WE WOULD SKIP THE IRON BOWL?

    t70pctuqq2uv.png
    3DS: 2981-5304-3227
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Nirya wrote: »
    oh whoops I forgot to do a writeup for the iron bowl

    But also it wasn't picked for a game this week so *shrug*

    THERE WERE SO MANY GAMES I HAD TO DO MULTIPLE POSTS DID YOU REALLY THINK WE WOULD SKIP THE IRON BOWL?

    No, which is why I was surprised!

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • MvrckMvrck Dwarven MountainhomeRegistered User regular
    edited November 2021
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Also it wouldn't be entirely shocking if MSU (Tucker -> LSU) and PSU (Franklin -> USC) open up. I think Tucker has still not actually signed that ridiculous extension MSU offered him. Also Lincoln Riley is using the LSU job to get paid.

    With the #1 QB and RB incoming, it's still really hard to see Franklin jump ship. If he wasn't a PA guy maybe, but he finally landed his program defining QB, with a championship caliber defense already on the field.

    For someone who's stated goal is to be the first African American coach to win a Natty, the next year or two might be his best chances in his career. If he bails, it'll be 2024ish.

    Edit: Weirdly if anything I'd almost expect WSU to have a better chance than USC if they came out west just because of his wife's connection.

    Michigan and OSU are super young (we lose Hutchinson, probably Haskins and Hill, and maybe Ojabo and that's about it; and like every Buckeye except Olave is an underclassman, terrifyingly) so doesn't seem great.

    Best chance doesn't mean it's ideal. But it's better than another rebuild project.
    I don't think Franklin leaves PSU because it's a tier 1 school, he's enjoyed a modicum of success, and it's a dream job for him.

    EDIT: That is to say nothing of him using the job openings to leverage a bigger paycheck...

    Well, he just signed an extension so he'll be around at least next year?

    Mvrck on
  • ani_game_bumani_game_bum Optimistic, Rule-Breaking Nice Guy The Final World/DestinationRegistered User regular
    Straight Up

    Fresno State (-7.5) @ San Jose State
    #12 Mississippi @ #25 Mississippi State (-1)
    Boise State (-2.5) @ #19 San Diego State
    #17 Iowa @ Nebraska (-3.5)
    North Carolina @ #20 North Carolina State (-6.5)
    Washington State (-1.5) @ Washington
    Maryland (-4.5) @ Rutgers
    Pennsylvania State @ #7 Michigan State (EVEN)
    Oregon State @ #11 Oregon (-6.5)
    Northwestern @ Illinois (-6.5)
    Virginia Tech @ Virginia (-7.5)
    #15 Wisconsin (-6.5) @ Minnesota
    Texas A&M (-6.5) @ Louisiana State
    #13 Oklahoma @ #9 Oklahoma State (-3.5)
    Kentucky @ Louisville (-1.5)
    UC Berkeley @ UCLA (-6.5)


    SGotW

    Florida State @ Florida (-1.5)


    Against the Spread

    Eastern Michigan @ Central Michigan (-8)
    South Florida @ Central Florida (-18.5)
    #4 Cincinnati (-14.5) @ East Carolina
    Missouri @ #25 Arkansas (-13.5)
    Colorado @ #16 Utah (-23.5)
    #1 Georgia (-34.5) @ Georgia Tech
    Texas Tech @ #9 Baylor (-14.5)
    Georgia Southern @ Appalachian State (-23.5)
    Hawaii @ Wyoming (-10.5)
    #3 Alabama (-19.5) @ Auburn
    Indiana @ Purdue (-14.5) - BOILER UP!
    Vanderbilt @ Tennessee (-31.5)
    Louisiana-Monroe @ #23 Louisiana (-21.5)
    Arizona @ Arizona State (-20.5)
    Clemson (-11.5) @ South Carolina
    #20 Pittsburgh (-10.5) @ Syracuse
    #5 Notre Dame (-16.5) @ Stanford - GO!!! IRISH!!!


    GotCotW (AtS)

    #3 Ohio State (-7.5) @ #6 Michigan - GO BLUE!

    steam_sig.pngPSN: ani_game_bum Battle.net ID: Anigamebum#1354 Genshin UID: 660694297 Switch FC: SW-2127-8288-6505 Steam Wishlist
  • The JudgeThe Judge The Terwilliger CurvesRegistered User regular
    Franklin just re-upped for ten years (Grosse Point Blank clip goes here) at PSU.

    Here's the details:

    Last pint: Turmoil CDA / Barley Brown's - Untappd: TheJudge_PDX
  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    The Judge wrote: »
    Franklin just re-upped for ten years (Grosse Point Blank clip goes here) at PSU.

    Here's the details:


    Called it.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • MulletudeMulletude Registered User regular
    Not sure if Adrian Martinez being out for the Iowa game hurts or helps Nebraska's chances. He's dynamic but God he also makes so many critical mistakes

    XBL-Dug Danger WiiU-DugDanger Steam-http://steamcommunity.com/id/DugDanger/
  • Romanian My EscutcheonRomanian My Escutcheon Two of Forks Registered User regular
    If you're wondering why I spent absolutely zero space talking about the actual football game that UCF will be playing on Friday against Temple Terrace Univ - I mean, USF - it's because sometimes real life events have a better potential for disparaging your rival.

    Plus, a cadre of dedicated USF fans (yes, no one is more surprised than me that they have those) continue to stubbornly insist that Brett McMurphy's reporting on Genshaft blocking UCF is based on conjecture and hearsay, which does nothing to detract from the fact that it's really funny how things turned out for both schools anyway, and I think it's important that we advocate for truth in all things.

    Also: UCF's going to kick their asses, and that's a much shorter story than "Local University President torches entire athletic department's future prospects in a fit of pique."

    [IMG][/img]
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Well if college football is still around that long I’m looking forward to a decade of Franklin choking away wins vs OSU

  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Mulletude wrote: »
    Not sure if Adrian Martinez being out for the Iowa game hurts or helps Nebraska's chances. He's dynamic but God he also makes so many critical mistakes

    Probably leads to Iowa scoring 10 fewer points

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    I firmly believe that making us picking Maryland/Rutgers means there should have been at least two sickos games of the week.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
This discussion has been closed.