Week 1 Games

#1      

Dan

Admin
Week 1 college football news & games thread..feel free to add/discuss any other CFB games/news/items of interest :thumb:

Full Schedule [espn]


Saturday, August 24th

Florida vs Miami FL (Orlando, FL)
6:00pm CT - ESPN


Thursday, August 29th

Wagner at UConn
6:00pm CT - ESPN3

South Dakota St at Minnesota
8:00pm CT - FS1


Friday, August 30th

Wisconsin at USF
6:00pm CT - ESPN

Tulsa at Michigan St
6:00pm CT - FS1

UMass at Rutgers
6:15pm CT - BTN

Purdue at Nevada
8:30pm CT - CBSSN


Saturday, August 31st

South Alabama at Nebraska
11:00am CT - ESPN

Florida Atlantic at Ohio State
11:00am CT - FOX

Indiana vs Ball St (Indianapolis, IN)
11:00am CT - CBSSN

Howard at Maryland
11:00am CT - BTN

Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina
2:30pm CT - ESPN+

Idaho at Penn St
2:30pm CT - BTN

Northwestern at Stanford
3:00pm CT - FOX

Oregon vs Auburn (Arlington, TX)
6:30pm CT - ABC

Miami OH at Iowa
6:30pm CT - FS1

Middle Tennessee at Michigan
6:30pm CT - BTN
 
#3      

Deleted member 631370

D
Guest
I'll be heading to the PSU opener.....should be a bit less stressful than last year's opener against App State.

Looking forward to the Gators and Canes. Any chance both can lose?

Oregon coming into this season with lots of hype. We'll see how they handle an SEC defense and their power running game. Otherwise, a fairly unremarkable opening weekend by most standards.
 
#4      
I'll be heading to the PSU opener.....should be a bit less stressful than last year's opener against App State.

Looking forward to the Gators and Canes. Any chance both can lose?

Oregon coming into this season with lots of hype. We'll see how they handle an SEC defense and their power running game. Otherwise, a fairly unremarkable opening weekend by most standards.

I unashamedly love the U(Jeff Thomas situation put me in an awkward spot). The cheating, glitz and glam, turnover chain, The Rock, just straight up arrogance and not giving af has just always been a draw for me.
 
#5      

Deleted member 631370

D
Guest
I unashamedly love the U(Jeff Thomas situation put me in an awkward spot). The cheating, glitz and glam, turnover chain, The Rock, just straight up arrogance and not giving af has just always been a draw for me.

I can see that. I was a bit young at the time, but when they de-planed ahead of the 1986 national championship game (against my Lions) wearing camouflage, that image stuck with me as the U's image -- the bad boys who were more talented than everybody, and they wanted you to know it.

And then, Vinny threw 5 picks. They weren't so "bad" that night. :)

I liked UF under Spurrier for some of the same reasons. I loved his fun 'n gun style and his folksy arrogance. Can't say I care for UF these days -- far too many criminals on the roster for my liking.

It'll be interesting to see if Manny Diaz can get them back on track. I really thought Richt had something going after the 2017 season. A shame. He seemed like a good guy, but while he was an alum, he didn't really have that U swagger. Maybe Diaz will?
 
#7      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Alabama's non-conference schedule:

Western Carolina at home
New Mexico State at home
Southern Miss at home
Duke in Atlanta

They should not even be considered for the playoff if they lose a game, that's pathetic.
 
#8      

Deleted member 631370

D
Guest
Alabama's non-conference schedule:

Western Carolina at home
New Mexico State at home
Southern Miss at home
Duke in Atlanta

They should not even be considered for the playoff if they lose a game, that's pathetic.


They also go to Texas A&M, Auburn, and Miss State, and get LSU at home. And they'll almost certainly get Georgia in the SEC championship game.

If Jimbo Fisher gets aTm rolling, then that SEC West becomes a murderer's row. Better than the Big Ten East with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State. If you've got that kind of conference slate, I understand taking it easy OOC.

Let's say they lose @ Texas A&M (or @ Auburn in the Iron Bowl, which I can't see happening with Auburn's hapless offense this year). But they go on to beat LSU and beat Georgia in the SEC title game. It'll be tough keeping them out.
 
#9      
They also go to Texas A&M, Auburn, and Miss State, and get LSU at home. And they'll almost certainly get Georgia in the SEC championship game.

If Jimbo Fisher gets aTm rolling, then that SEC West becomes a murderer's row. Better than the Big Ten East with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State. If you've got that kind of conference slate, I understand taking it easy OOC.

Let's say they lose @ Texas A&M (or @ Auburn in the Iron Bowl, which I can't see happening with Auburn's hapless offense this year). But they go on to beat LSU and beat Georgia in the SEC title game. It'll be tough keeping them out.

Very well said.

I understand the story their OOC schedule tells in terms of perception but when you look at the schedules of the other top ten preseason favorites side by side, should it come to that, there’s almost no way I wouldn’t put a one less Bama team into the playoff. Their overall strength of schedule, at least on paper, is strong.
 
#10      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
Alabama's non-conference schedule:

Western Carolina at home
New Mexico State at home
Southern Miss at home
Duke in Atlanta

They should not even be considered for the playoff if they lose a game, that's pathetic.
I b*tch about the SECs non conference cupcakes all the time. Its basically all additional bye weeks for them. Which gives them way better odds to stay healthy and fresh all season
 
#11      

Deleted member 631370

D
Guest
Very well said.

I understand the story their OOC schedule tells in terms of perception but when you look at the schedules of the other top ten preseason favorites side by side, should it come to that, there’s almost no way I wouldn’t put a one less Bama team into the playoff. Their overall strength of schedule, at least on paper, is strong.


That's exactly it. One should look at the entire schedule rather than parsing it out by OOC and conference.

Sure, Washington went out and scheduled Auburn last year (just as Oregon is doing this year). Good for them. But then they go play in a weak conference. So, are we supposed to think highly of that because they scheduled a tougher OOC game?

Ditto for an ACC team that goes out and schedules a good OOC team only to play in the ACC which is basically Clemson, Syracuse, and then a bunch of middling teams.

Alabama's SEC schedule makes up for the weak OOC showing, for the most part. The wild card, however, is if they fail to make the SEC title game and thus miss the chance to beat a team like Georgia. That's what happened to them in 2017. But they still snuck in........and won it all.
 
#12      

Deleted member 631370

D
Guest
I b*tch about the SECs non conference cupcakes all the time. Its basically all additional bye weeks for them. Which gives them way better odds to stay healthy and fresh all season

Not really. They still play 8 conference games -- only one less than the Big Ten. And one could argue that those 8 games are as difficult -- if not more so -- than the 9 games on any other conference's slate. Georgia plays GT every year and plays ND this year. Florida plays FSU every year. Texas A&M has been playing Clemson. Auburn has played Washington and Oregon, and they start a series with Penn State in a few years. Alabama has played some solid OOC teams in recent years (Michigan, VT, FSU, etc.). LSU has played some big OOC games.

The real question is, why doesn't the Big Ten go back to 8 games? Instead of that 3rd cross-divisional game, why not use that week for a MAC cupcake? Ohio State recently lost playoff hopes because they lost cross-divisional games to Purdue and Iowa. By having a 9th game, it guarantees that half of the Big Ten teams lose that game.

The Big Ten needs to play the game the way the SEC does.
 
#13      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Sure, Washington went out and scheduled Auburn last year (just as Oregon is doing this year). Good for them. But then they go play in a weak conference. So, are we supposed to think highly of that because they scheduled a tougher OOC game?

Here would be my argument, and I think being able to make subjective judgements like this is a very good reason for the playoff committee as it exists:

Alabama is unambiguously slapping the entire sport of college football across the face with that schedule. They are saying "you know we're Bama, and we know we're gonna get away with it, and that you will give us the benefit of the doubt over anyone". They have the choice to play exciting, compelling games that would be a positive for the sport as a whole, but instead they are selfishly scheduling themselves three absolute scrimmages and one pretty easy walkover in order to be healthy and rested for the only 3 or 4 games that matter on their whole schedule.

The sport of college football's interest in deterring and punishing that sort of behavior significantly outweighs its interest is being "correct" in soothsaying the marginal difference between teams on the bubble of the playoff. It is truly a guessing game anyway, and it's the brand of Bama's last decade that would be carrying them, not the accomplishments of a team that has played 4 real games out of 13. Strike a blow for the sport as a whole.
 
#14      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
The real question is, why doesn't the Big Ten go back to 8 games? Instead of that 3rd cross-divisional game, why not use that week for a MAC cupcake?

Because college football is a spectator sport whose fans make it what it is?

Who would be PRO cupcake? That is a truly through the looking glass argument, to me.
 
#15      
Here would be my argument, and I think being able to make subjective judgements like this is a very good reason for the playoff committee as it exists:

Alabama is unambiguously slapping the entire sport of college football across the face with that schedule. They are saying "you know we're Bama, and we know we're gonna get away with it, and that you will give us the benefit of the doubt over anyone". They have the choice to play exciting, compelling games that would be a positive for the sport as a whole, but instead they are selfishly scheduling themselves three absolute scrimmages and one pretty easy walkover in order to be healthy and rested for the only 3 or 4 games that matter on their whole schedule.

The sport of college football's interest in deterring and punishing that sort of behavior significantly outweighs its interest is being "correct" in soothsaying the marginal difference between teams on the bubble of the playoff. It is truly a guessing game anyway, and it's the brand of Bama's last decade that would be carrying them, not the accomplishments of a team that has played 4 real games out of 13. Strike a blow for the sport as a whole.

Besides being fraught with over the top dramatics, there’s a lot here that simply doesn’t make sense.

For starters, have you seen their schedule and/or factored who they’ll play for the SEC title? If you think there are only 3-4 games that pose issues for them (Or “matter”, in your words”), I don’t know what to say to you. That’s lunacy on a real level. Two, this is a typical OOC scheduling cycle for most any Power 5 school. It’s usually a 2-3 year block of a couple Group of Fives, FCS gimmes and than a big blow out “Oh my god this matchup is insane y’all” game (Florida State in Atlanta in 2017). Every school does this, even our beloved Big Ten members. Ohio State scheduled Oklahoma (A team with an incredibly weak overall schedule in 2019, including three crappy OOC games) in 2017, TCU last year (They turned out to be duds but that’s hindsight and irrelevant) and this year they’ve got three games they scheduled back in time as three gimmes (Cincinnati present day has some underrated talent and is a solid up and coming program, much like Duke). If it’s a slap in the face for one University to approach things this way, then we need to be just as quick to get our hands out and smack every other perennially favored Power Five program because as stated, this is a routine approach. Last and most importantly, the administration in Tuscaloosa simply does a fine job of understanding that because they annually play a murderers row of SEC teams, they don’t have to schedule games to prop up their SOS. I applaud programs like Clemson for scheduling teams like Texas A&M out of conference but Dabo Swinney and Dan Radakovich aren’t doing that for the sanctity of the game, they’re doing it out of necessity. They need to bridge the gap that their mediocre in-conference schedule creates. Alabama doesn’t have that problem. The A&M game (In Clemson) is easily the biggest game Clemson will play pre-playoff. For Alabama, it’s probably the third or fourth most difficult game they’ll play (And it is in College Station) in 2019. There’s no comparison.

This seems to be little more than an unnecessary “Let’s pile on Bama because it’s fun” type commentary. That’s hard for me to rail against as I loathe Nick Saban but that’s essentially all this is.
 
#16      
Besides being fraught with over the top dramatics, there’s a lot here that simply doesn’t make sense.

For starters, have you seen their schedule and/or factored who they’ll play for the SEC title? If you think there are only 3-4 games that pose issues for them (Or “matter”, in your words”), I don’t know what to say to you. That’s lunacy on a real level. Two, this is a typical OOC scheduling cycle for most any Power 5 school. It’s usually a 2-3 year block of a couple Group of Fives, FCS gimmes and than a big blow out “Oh my god this matchup is insane y’all” game (Florida State in Atlanta in 2017). Every school does this, even our beloved Big Ten members. Ohio State scheduled Oklahoma (A team with an incredibly weak overall schedule in 2019, including three crappy OOC games) in 2017, TCU last year (They turned out to be duds but that’s hindsight and irrelevant) and this year they’ve got three games they scheduled back in time as three gimmes (Cincinnati present day has some underrated talent and is a solid up and coming program, much like Duke). If it’s a slap in the face for one University to approach things this way, then we need to be just as quick to get our hands out and smack every other perennially favored Power Five program because as stated, this is a routine approach. Last and most importantly, the administration in Tuscaloosa simply does a fine job of understanding that because they annually play a murderers row of SEC teams, they don’t have to schedule games to prop up their SOS. I applaud programs like Clemson for scheduling teams like Texas A&M out of conference but Dabo Swinney and Dan Radakovich aren’t doing that for the sanctity of the game, they’re doing it out of necessity. They need to bridge the gap that their mediocre in-conference schedule creates. Alabama doesn’t have that problem. The A&M game (In Clemson) is easily the biggest game Clemson will play pre-playoff. For Alabama, it’s probably the third or fourth most difficult game they’ll play (And it is in College Station) in 2019. There’s no comparison.

This seems to be little more than an unnecessary “Let’s pile on Bama because it’s fun” type commentary. That’s hard for me to rail against as I loathe Nick Saban but that’s essentially all this is.
I don’t mind piling on to Alabama simply because it’s fun to throw dirt at the college football bully. But in reality, I look at how ‘Bama and Clemson schedule and wonder if it’s something that teams in the B1G shouldn’t emulate. For the past umpty-ump years, both ‘Bama and Clemson have scheduled a cupcake OOC game with typically FCS teams in the last couple weeks of their season. While B1G teams are slugging it out with one another and running the risk of dropping out of the playoff picture late in the season where it seems the Committee seems to assign more import to losses, Clemson played the Citadel last year on the last week of the season and plays Wofford this year in week nine, while the Tide played powerhouse Mercer in the last game of last season has scheduled Western Carolina in the next to last game this year. IMHO the Committee should drop ANY team that plays an FCS team after week three of the season from playoff consideration. I always cringe when reviewing the scores late in the season and see ‘Bama beating the Little Sisters of the Poor State Junior Teacher’s College 63-0, and seeing them still at number 1 in the polls. To me, it tarnishes their image. If they want to schedule a cupcake do it in the first three weeks. After that, schedule real competition. Just my $0.02 . . [\rant]
 
#17      
BCS needs to go to at least a 16 team playoff and lets end this nonsense of reputation ruling the minds of the committees - although they'd still get sweet seeds.
In my alternative Universe the NCAA should go to a 64 team field, and include the FCS winner!
 
#18      
BCS needs to go to at least a 16 team playoff and lets end this nonsense of reputation ruling the minds of the committees - although they'd still get sweet seeds.
I disagree with this. There aren't 16 teams that can win it. I don't think there are 8 most years. To me, 6 is the sweet spot with the top two having byes. It will probably change to 8 if it changes but any more than that is just adding games with no real meaning.
 
#19      
I disagree with this. There aren't 16 teams that can win it. I don't think there are 8 most years. To me, 6 is the sweet spot with the top two having byes. It will probably change to 8 if it changes but any more than that is just adding games with no real meaning.

I agree there aren’t 8 most years. But there also are not 68 teams with a chance to win in basketball. It gives an opportunity for upsets, and some fun matchups. And 8 avoids byes, which in football are worth significantly more than any sport (which is why I feel they shouldn’t be given).
 
#20      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
Not really. They still play 8 conference games -- only one less than the Big Ten. And one could argue that those 8 games are as difficult -- if not more so -- than the 9 games on any other conference's slate. Georgia plays GT every year and plays ND this year. Florida plays FSU every year. Texas A&M has been playing Clemson. Auburn has played Washington and Oregon, and they start a series with Penn State in a few years. Alabama has played some solid OOC teams in recent years (Michigan, VT, FSU, etc.). LSU has played some big OOC games.

The real question is, why doesn't the Big Ten go back to 8 games? Instead of that 3rd cross-divisional game, why not use that week for a MAC cupcake? Ohio State recently lost playoff hopes because they lost cross-divisional games to Purdue and Iowa. By having a 9th game, it guarantees that half of the Big Ten teams lose that game.

The Big Ten needs to play the game the way the SEC does.
So this is Alabama's 2018 regular season scheduled opponents and their record vs power 5 teams
Louisville 0-10
Arkansas State 0-1
Ole Miss 2-7
Texas A&M 6-4
Louisiana Lafayettee 0-2
Arkansas 0-8 (also lost to Colorado State and North Texas)
Missouri 5-5 (Beat Purdue)
Tennessee 1-7
LSU 6-3
Mississippi State 5-5 (Lost to Iowa)
Citadel doesn't even have a page on sport-reference.com...….
Auburn 5-5 (Beat Purdue)

I look at this and see LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn as top competition. But Ole Miss, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi State are not. And this perception that the SEC is so daunting has got to stop. Ten years ago, absolutely. Now no.
Is the difference between this schedule and Michigan's last year (ND, Penn State, Ohio State) so swayed that it justifies Alabama to play 3 cupcakes every year and receive no punishment in the rankings/playoffs? To me, No. But that is just me
 
#21      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
Besides being fraught with over the top dramatics, there’s a lot here that simply doesn’t make sense.

For starters, have you seen their schedule and/or factored who they’ll play for the SEC title? If you think there are only 3-4 games that pose issues for them (Or “matter”, in your words”), I don’t know what to say to you. That’s lunacy on a real level. Two, this is a typical OOC scheduling cycle for most any Power 5 school. It’s usually a 2-3 year block of a couple Group of Fives, FCS gimmes and than a big blow out “Oh my god this matchup is insane y’all” game (Florida State in Atlanta in 2017). Every school does this, even our beloved Big Ten members. Ohio State scheduled Oklahoma (A team with an incredibly weak overall schedule in 2019, including three crappy OOC games) in 2017, TCU last year (They turned out to be duds but that’s hindsight and irrelevant) and this year they’ve got three games they scheduled back in time as three gimmes (Cincinnati present day has some underrated talent and is a solid up and coming program, much like Duke). If it’s a slap in the face for one University to approach things this way, then we need to be just as quick to get our hands out and smack every other perennially favored Power Five program because as stated, this is a routine approach. Last and most importantly, the administration in Tuscaloosa simply does a fine job of understanding that because they annually play a murderers row of SEC teams, they don’t have to schedule games to prop up their SOS. I applaud programs like Clemson for scheduling teams like Texas A&M out of conference but Dabo Swinney and Dan Radakovich aren’t doing that for the sanctity of the game, they’re doing it out of necessity. They need to bridge the gap that their mediocre in-conference schedule creates. Alabama doesn’t have that problem. The A&M game (In Clemson) is easily the biggest game Clemson will play pre-playoff. For Alabama, it’s probably the third or fourth most difficult game they’ll play (And it is in College Station) in 2019. There’s no comparison.

This seems to be little more than an unnecessary “Let’s pile on Bama because it’s fun” type commentary. That’s hard for me to rail against as I loathe Nick Saban but that’s essentially all this is.
This is incorrect. Alabama and the SEC are allowed to do this every single year. The B1G are only allowed to do it every other year. And in the years they do, they get punished in the rankings for it. Not the SEC though
 
#22      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
4 extra games, on top of a 12/13 game schedule? As a fan, I would watch. But, kids are sitting out bowl games already to prepare for the draft. Would Bama put out their "b" team for the first round. Sit the starters, unless needed in the 2nd half? Other teams are not deep enough to attempt that. I don't have a solution, maybe go back to the old system, and have a 1 game playoff.
 
#23      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
This is incorrect. Alabama and the SEC are allowed to do this every single year. The B1G are only allowed to do it every other year. And in the years they do, they get punished in the rankings for it. Not the SEC though

ESPN:

Extreme
SEC
Propaganda
Network
 
#24      

jmilt7

Waukegan
So should we start talking about how Notre Dame is overrated year after year? :eek:
 
#25      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Besides being fraught with over the top dramatics, there’s a lot here that simply doesn’t make sense.

Evergreen response to me ;)

For starters, have you seen their schedule and/or factored who they’ll play for the SEC title? If you think there are only 3-4 games that pose issues for them (Or “matter”, in your words”), I don’t know what to say to you.

Bama is a 34.5 point favorite at a neutral site against Duke. Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Miss St at home will be similar lines. At South Carolina and Tennessee at home will probably be in the 20s. That's what I mean when I say that.


Two, this is a typical OOC scheduling cycle for most any Power 5 school.

Clemson plays Texas A&M this year (and South Carolina as always), Georgia plays Notre Dame (and Georgia Tech as always), LSU plays Texas, Oklahoma plays Houston and at UCLA. It is not the case that every powerhouse team regularly schedules like Glen Mason-era Minnesota.

Bama's is singularly weak, four games that only Tide fans would bother to watch beyond the second quarter, and that's bad for the sport.

BCS needs to go to at least a 16 team playoff

But hey, at least it's not destroying the sport like this would.