December Banter 2023

[87storms]

6 hours ago, nj2va said:

FSU doesn’t deserve to be in the championship.  Their signature win was beating LSU - which is a good win.  But had a weak schedule the rest of the way.  They also looked like crap last night against Louisville.  

I didn't really follow college football this season, so that may be true re FSU's schedule, but it's pretty stupid that an undefeated ACC team doesn't get a chance to win the title.  College football can be fun, but it's an incredibly flawed playoff system.  March Madness >>> CFP

[nj2va]

Love to see the Eagles get blown out.  Sorry @mattie g

[cbmclean]

2 hours ago, 87storms said:

I didn't really follow college football this season, so that may be true re FSU's schedule, but it's pretty stupid that an undefeated ACC team doesn't get a chance to win the title.  College football can be fun, but it's an incredibly flawed playoff system.  March Madness >>> CFP

All playoff systems are flawed in the sense that deserving teams are sometimes left out.  The solution to that is to just invite everyone to the playoff.  But of course that makes the regular season worth dog-shyte.  The criticality of the regular season was one of the things I always loved about College football.  Compare with the yawn-inducing college basketball season or the 6-month exhibition that is the NBA regular season.  

Don't worry though, next year we go to 12 teams.  Soon it will be 16, then maybe 32.  

[cbmclean]

3 minutes ago, nj2va said:

Love to see the Eagles get blown out.  Sorry @mattie g

What about @psuhoffman?  I was worried for him, when hurts was in the blue tent.

Side note, I really never realized how good McCaffery is.  Still wondering why the Panthers traded him.

[winter_warlock]

6 hours ago, Eskimo Joe said:

I would take anything said by that individual with a grain of salt. 

Agreed!!

[Maestrobjwa]

Dang...so now Lamar is the last starting QB standing in the AFC North. I am PRAYING he stays healthy after what we've gone through the last two seasons!

[cbmclean]

10 minutes ago, Maestrobjwa said:

Dang...so now Lamar is the last starting QB standing in the AFC North. I am PRAYING he stays healthy after what we've gone through the last two seasons!

Poll question: would you trade a Ravens super bowl for a January 2015 redux?

[Jebman]

3 hours ago, cbmclean said:

All playoff systems are flawed in the sense that deserving teams are sometimes left out.  The solution to that is to just invite everyone to the playoff.  But of course that makes the regular season worth dog-shyte.  The criticality of the regular season was one of the things I always loved about College football.  Compare with the yawn-inducing college basketball season or the 6-month exhibition that is the NBA regular season.  

Don't worry though, next year we go to 12 teams.  Soon it will be 16, then maybe 32.  

We have the NFL, XFL and the USFL.

I love football, maybe even more than snow.

Three is not enough. I want ten, or fifteen.

I wub watching the football on my 12 inch 5G tablet so much!

There is never enough football! EVER!

[nw baltimore wx]

5 hours ago, cbmclean said:

What about @psuhoffman?  I was worried for him, when hurts was in the blue tent.

Side note, I really never realized how good McCaffery is.  Still wondering why the Panthers traded him.

Injury prone.

[mappy]

catching up after 4 days away and I can't tell whether winter is over or just begun lol

[87storms]

All playoff systems are flawed in the sense that deserving teams are sometimes left out.  The solution to that is to just invite everyone to the playoff.  But of course that makes the regular season worth dog-shyte.  The criticality of the regular season was one of the things I always loved about College football.  Compare with the yawn-inducing college basketball season or the 6-month exhibition that is the NBA regular season.  
Don't worry though, next year we go to 12 teams.  Soon it will be 16, then maybe 32.  

I get your point (yes, there are teams in every sport that miss the cut), but in what sport does an undefeated team not have a chance to win the title?

Re college hoops, I actually like the fact that every conference is represented. I know college football is different in that there’s far less games, but it’s gotta be the least competitively balanced system in all of sports and may even contribute to less parity as the top hs prospects know they’d have very little chance of winning a title at a smaller school.

[H2O]

53 minutes ago, mappy said:

catching up after 4 days away and I can't tell whether winter is over or just begun lol

Winter started Friday but ended Friday. There’s a chance winter might start Wednesday but looks to end again Thursday. If it hasn’t started by Xmas then it will end before Xmas. I think that should clear up any confusion 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

1 hour ago, mappy said:

catching up after 4 days away and I can't tell whether winter is over or just begun lol

Winter never happened.  We Ji'd it right away so extended fall through March! 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

1 hour ago, 87storms said:

I get your point (yes, there are teams in every sport that miss the cut), but in what sport does an undefeated team not have a chance to win the title?

Re college hoops, I actually like the fact that every conference is represented. I know college football is different in that there’s far less games, but it’s gotta be the least competitively balanced system in all of sports and may even contribute to less parity as the top hs prospects know they’d have very little chance of winning a title at a smaller school.

Yeah, that selection was a surprise.  Obviously, Michigan and Washington were going to be #1 and #2.  I think the reasoning of the committee, essentially weighing "FSU isn't the same team without their star QB", was a bit lame.  An undefeated P5 team that wins their conference not getting in?  FSU actually dropped one spot in the rankings?  Just a bit odd...

Alabama was not a surprise to me, that they got in, after upsetting UGA, after 2 seasons of UGA dominance.  Personally, my own opinion (2 cents, all it's worth!)...if the committee was going to allow two 1-loss teams in the 4 team playoff as they did, they should have put Alabama or Texas as #3 and UGA as #4 in there.  Yeah, UGA lost their conference championship, but it was by 3 points and the Bulldogs had a clearly dominant season.  You could argue that despite the loss, they deserve to be in the final 4.  That's no more nebulous reasoning than the committee's.  I'm in NO way a UGA or SEC fan, far from it, but I think they're a better choice than both Alabama and Texas.  And don't forget, Alabama had to rely on a last-minute lucky play to pull out their win vs. Auburn.

[TowsonTownT]

Should have been FSU over Alabama. That said, I will not miss FSU's insufferable chant that goes on the entire game.

[mattie g]

2 hours ago, mappy said:

catching up after 4 days away and I can't tell whether winter is over or just begun lol

[psuhoffman]

22 hours ago, nj2va said:

FSU doesn’t deserve to be in the championship.  Their signature win was beating LSU - which is a good win.  But had a weak schedule the rest of the way.  They also looked like crap last night against Louisville.  

They WON every game they played.  When subjective perception becomes more important than the actual results of games...well that is why I don't care and have not cared about college football in a very long time.  

[CAPE]

Yesterday was a good day for the Ravens. If they win out they are the number one seed. Not likely to happen given their schedule, but a nice position to be in right now.

[psuhoffman]

13 hours ago, cbmclean said:

What about @psuhoffman?  I was worried for him, when hurts was in the blue tent.

Side note, I really never realized how good McCaffery is.  Still wondering why the Panthers traded him.

Deep down I kind of expected the result.  Obviously disappointing, but the way they were playing recently heading into this game, combined with the accumulation of tough games and SF being on extended rest made this outcome likely.  My only question now is whether the Eagles have the capability to get back to playing the way they did last season.  They still have most of the same parts...so obviously that next level is in there somewhere,  but recently they have been playing pretty mediocre football overall and getting by on making key plays in big moments.  It's possible its mental, the accumulated affect of being on top for so long and feeling "we just have to get back to the super bowl".  I think that is one of the reasons the super bowl losing team typically has a down year the next season, its hard to mentally focus on each game the way you have to when your goal is to make up for losing the super bowl which is impossible to do week to week.  Maybe this game serves to re-focus them and they get back to playing to their potential.  Or maybe they just can't flip that switch this season.  We will see this week.  The cowboys are very good...but they are not on the same level as the 49ers or the Eagles if they play to their potential.  If the eagles come out and soundly beat Dallas maybe this loss was needed.  If they lose to Dallas, then its time to accept they just aren't capable of hitting the same level they were at last season.  

[psuhoffman]

6 minutes ago, CAPE said:

Yesterday was a good day for the Ravens. If they win out they are the number one seed. Not likely to happen given their schedule, but a nice position to be in right now.

I'm gonna need you to beat SF for me though

[CAPE]

Just now, psuhoffman said:

They WON every game they played.  When subjective perception becomes more important than the actual results of games...well that is why I don't care and have not cared about college football in a very long time.  

The system is flawed and indeed subjective. FSU is not the same team since they lost their QB- they looked terrible offensively against Louisville and had like 50 yards passing. They would likely get destroyed in the playoff, and that matters. Georgia-TCU last year was unwatchable.

[WxUSAF]

10 minutes ago, CAPE said:

Yesterday was a good day for the Ravens. If they win out they are the number one seed. Not likely to happen given their schedule, but a nice position to be in right now.

#1 seed going to be tough. Probably still doable if they just lose to SF in the last 5 games? 

[psuhoffman]

7 minutes ago, WxUSAF said:

#1 seed going to be tough. Probably still doable if they just lose to SF in the last 5 games? 

SF did lose 3 games this year right?  Why are most Ravens fans chalking that up as a loss?  

[CAPE]

5 minutes ago, WxUSAF said:

#1 seed going to be tough. Probably still doable if they just lose to SF in the last 5 games? 

Yeah that would be the one game to lose and they probably will, but you know there is another loss in there somewhere.

[WxUSAF]

Just now, psuhoffman said:

SF did lose 3 games this year right?  Why are most Ravens fans chalking that up as a loss?  

I’m certainly not calling it a L now. Just that game probably hurts them least to lose.

Just now, CAPE said:

Yeah that would be the one game to lose and they probably will, but you know there is another loss in there somewhere.

Probably. Just not the Steelers please…

[CAPE]

Just now, psuhoffman said:

SF did lose 3 games this year right?  Why are most Ravens fans chalking that up as a loss?  

They had key injuries that greatly contributed to that 3 game slide. They have looked pretty dominant since then as they have gotten healthy.

[psuhoffman]

9 minutes ago, CAPE said:

The system is flawed and indeed subjective. FSU is not the same team since they lost their QB- they looked terrible offensively against Louisville and had like 50 yards passing. They would likely get destroyed in the playoff, and that matters. Georgia-TCU last year was unwatchable.

All that may be true, I have not watched a single play, but what you just said there is exactly why I don't watch.  They won every game, so I don't care about any of that.  The results on the field should be all that matters.  If things like "what the fans want to see, what the better game would be, who is hypothetically the better team" are more important that the actual results of games...then I choose not to care about that sport.  

[CAPE]

1 minute ago, WxUSAF said:

I’m certainly not calling it a L now. Just that game probably hurts them least to lose.

Probably. Just not the Steelers please…

They better take care of business at home coming off the bye. The Rams are pretty good and playing for something.

[RickinBaltimore]

25 minutes ago, psuhoffman said:

They WON every game they played.  When subjective perception becomes more important than the actual results of games...well that is why I don't care and have not cared about college football in a very long time.  

The CFP committee used the argument that Liberty won all their games, that's why they were in the Fiesta Bowl over SMU who had a clearly better schedule. Yet FSU is out. 

[psuhoffman]

Just now, CAPE said:

They had key injuries that greatly contributed to that 3 game slide. They have looked pretty dominant since then as they have gotten healthy.

I know of injuries they had to 2 starters...Deebo and Trent right?  I don't know of any others.  Honestly... losing those 2 players is justification for losing 3 games to mediocre teams???  I mean... the Eagles haven't had all 22 of our starters all season.  Most games we are missing 3 or 4 starters.  Last week the Eagles were without their best tackle and TE.  Yesterday they were without the starting FS, slot corner, coverage LB, and TE.  2 of them will be back soon, the other 2 are out for the season.  But not once anywhere would anyone bring that up as the reason for our loss.  It's football, you are rarely going to have all 22 healthy any given week.  

I honestly can't figure out SF.  Maybe my perception of them is skewed because the only 3 games until yesterday that I actually watched their entire game was the 3 they lost...and I kinda threw them in the "they are not a threat" pile in my head after seeing them look like ass 3 weeks in a row.  And yes I heard "the injuries" but again my thought was if losing 2 players affects you that much...that is indicative of something wrong.  Obviously I was wrong...they played at a level I was not expecting yesterday.  The eagles didn't make a ton of mistakes they just got dominated.  That was frustrating.  But unless there were more injuries that I am aware of I don't fully buy that as an excuse.