Nevada Dawg

I hate to say this, but I think what round 1 of the playoffs illustrated in spades is that there are only about 6-8 at most schools that can realistically compete for a national title in football. And I want to reiterate that my point about the B1Gt. it? focused on strength of the conference and competitive balance from top to bottom, not the quality of teams selected for inclusion in the 12-team format. Of course, we know the 12 team format will survive and maybe even expand to 16 teams soon due to the evil allure of he almighty dollar. But should it. What happens between the lines is always the ultimate decider. But I have almost never made sweeping pronouncements about a team based on the results of a given game. Were I to do that, I would have argued that OSU might not deserve to be excluded on the basis of losing at home to a very mediocre Michigan team. And if Oregon should lose by 17 points to OSU in the Rose Bowl, an unlikely but not impossible outcome, how many would think that maybe the Ducks did not belong in the playoffs. And let's say the Bucks go on to win the Natty, also a far from impossible outcome given the way they played last night, how many football fans will remember five years from now just how great a season OBD have had? Duck fans will, but the average college football fan will not retain this memory over he long run.

I almost get the impression that some here think I was specifically calling out Indiana. I wasn't. I expected though to see what happened against ND. I was calling out the overall strength of the B1G and have acknowledged many times that the top 2 and sometimes 3 in the league were indeed legit. Indiana played its schedule, played it very well, and it would indeed have been irresponsible not to include them in the playoff. As for the fixation on Alabama, I have said more than once here after they lost to Oklahoma that Bama had no legitimate claim to a playoff spot this year. True, there are teams left out that would likely beat half the field. But that's true any year just about. Jon is right to call out the Texas schedule. For an SEC slate, it was extremely soft, and even the toughest game it would face, Georgia, was slated to be played at home. I called it the "Welcome to the SEC" slate showing them more darn southern hospitability than they deserved. Their two losses came to the only playoff participant they faced (twice to Georgia). I do not think they will lose at home to Clemson however. We'll see later this afternoon. So I was calling out the strength of the B1G top to bottom and still will. Quite frankly, I would much rather play a typical 9-game B1G schedule than a typical 8-game SEC slate. Disagree? Fine. Have your team play an SEC schedule and let's see what happens. I proposed this a while back and not one person over here rose to the challenge. I made the same proposal on the Talk'n Dawgs site last night late and people down their were enthusiastic. Quite frankly, I think Oregon, OSU, and Penn State would be regular challengers in the SEC. They have built their teams from inside out and have dominated the league this year at the lines of scrimmage. Indiana was not as dominant there and that's why I expected them t get clobbered in South Bend. When we talk about great teams, most fans gush over a team's skill players, but most games are actually won in the trenches.

I will say that I think that, top to bottom, the PAC-12 was a stronger and more competitive league than the current B1G, in football at least. The addition of the West Coast teams strengthened the league IMHO, but it was possible for the three or four really solid teams to go a month at times without facing an opponent that appreciably raised the solid teams' pulse levels. Sorry, that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

You gotta remember that this is the first time the Vols have been at all relevant for national honors since late last century. Their fans are stoked for this game, and all the ugly orange apparel may make the Shoe look like the Vols have taken it over even if the majority of fans are OSU partisans. Prepare for the Vols fans to be loud, delusional, and obnoxious.

Let me just say this: If Georgia didn't get in with a 10-2 record after playing the toughest darn schedule in the country, there is no justice. Moreover, they did it playing 4 of their five toughest games away from Sanford Stadium (Tennessee was the exception). No one in any other conference played anywhere near as challenging a schedule. Now I love OBD and will be happy if they are lifting the trophy when all is said and done, but (and meaning no disrespect) their schedule paled in comparison to Georgia's. I do feel that the Ducks are positioned to win it all, their tough playoff draw not withstanding. My only remaining question is how will they handle repeated challenges on the road. It could b argued (as I have before) that the first time they faced aversity with a really good team away from the friendly confines of Autzen was the B1G Championship game, and that one was a bit tense at times. It was a great sign that they won a game like that--now they may have to do it again, three more times. Go Ducks!!

I wouldn't necessarily say Georgia is better with Gunner playing, but they are far from appreciably worse. A bit of background on Gunner. as a 5-star recruit in his junior year, Gunner was penalized by the rating agencies for focusing on his team in the off season rather than attending all those ratings camps out there that have so much with 'seeding' high school QBs. He didn't care about that nonsense--he knew he would be playing at a high caliber program. Then he proceeded to break all the passing records of in-state National Championship QBS DeShawn Watson and Trevor Lawrence, both of Clemson University. Gunner had the reputation of a cool customer who seemed to play with ice water in his veins. And he certainly played that way when thrust into the limelight during the second half of the SEC Championship game. I'd never seen Gunner in a game at Georgia that really mattered. Why? Because he hadn't been in one. Yet, he gave a darn good account of himself, and his teammates certainly had confidence in him. It is impossible to know exactly how Gunner will perform in these playoffs, but it certainly doesn't seem that the stage is likely to be too big for him. And having this month to practice and to be the guy taking first-team reps. I'd expect that he is likely to be even more in command of the situation than he had been at the SEC game. Unless Gunner were to be injured, I am not worried about the QB position going forward. Now if only the WRs will hold on to the damn ball when it is thrown to them! (Insider note: this group led the nation in drops this season).

Until you reminded me of the pathetic performance against Michigan, I would have said OSU would win this game. I still lean that way. But Tennessee could surprise in this one. I also don't believe that OSU has the best defense in America necessarily. Defensive performance is largely a function of whom you play and the B1G , save OBD, has an abundance of low-octane offenses. When Tennessee is "on" they are anything but a low-octane offense. So this one is definitely a game in which I wouldn't have much confidence either way were I to lay a bet on it.

Anyone know how many of the Bobcat starters are eligible to return next season? Could be an interesting opener for OBD.

Yep! That means a 9 A.M.for me!

Me too. FUMMBBLLLLE!

Slight addendum to Charles's post: Georgia Bulldawgs have won four games against CFP PARTICIPANTS: Clemson, Tennessee, Texas (twice). You bet I am counting that second win against highly rated Texas!! And they may have to do it three times to get to the Natty.

I'll just add (without knowing the full extent of Beck's elbow injury) that this damage is hard to recover from, even if not severe enough to require surgery. I know because I suffered the same injury while playing youth baseball and was immediately done as a pitcher. They didn't have Tommy John surgery in those days. And the injury also prevented me from making the throws as a shortstop as well. As I was semi-ambidextrous, I became a right-fielder (not much action out there in PONY League) and worked hard to hit the cut-off man throwing left-handed. I also became a switch hitter and ended up hitting for more power and a higher average from the left side of the plate--totally unexpected. Beck's injury will eventually heal without surgery, but he is not going to feel good throwing the ball anytime soon even if the injury does not require surgery. I know his draft projections are bottom of the first round at present but it may drop if he cannot throw painlessly for the pro scouts at the combine. This is potentially a tough setback which makes me wonder if he may not pull a Bo Nix and use his last remaining year of eligibility next season.

At this point, I'll say that Stockton is reliable and better than serviceable, He will get a ton of Reps over the next three week and the Georgia offense will change noticeably to accommodate his strengths. Of course, I'd rather have a healthy Beck and said the same thing when J.T. Daniels was Georgia's injured starter and Stetson Bennet was our backup. And we all saw what happened and how much I knew as a prognosticator, lol. Despite his lack of game experience, the Georgia players say Gunner is a cool customer and seem perfectly willing to go to war with him. And he will get better over the next three and a half weeks. I obviously can't say for sure what will transpire and the playoffs are a h--l of a baptism of fire for any QB. But I am far from panicked about having Gunner under center for the Dawgs.

He was a 3-star recruit and so had some talent. My guess is that OSU did not offer chase a scholarship and Michigan did,. If so, the offer of a scholarship would prove to be immensely significant for the troll value of the commitment alone on hated rival Ohio State.

I 100% agree with Charles's premise and was essentially sayin this last year before the PAC-12 collapsed. Anybody who has followed my posts may remember that I argued the B1G and its predecessor has, for the past quarter century, been the most overrated conference of them all for both of them all for both football and basketball. Think about how shockingly few men's title the conference has won in the past 25 years in either sport, and don't count the PAC-12 successes in this total because THEY WERE NOT IN THE LEAGUE BACK THEN!! IMHO, there is no question that the addition of the four Pacific schools represents a massive upgrade for the B1G. But at the moment I still think it is clearly overrated. Get rid of about 8 of the weak sisters and you have something--addition by subtraction.

Hearty congrats to OBD and all my Duck buddies for a great win tonite. After my Dawgs fought back to win a game that, once again, no one(except Pat MacAfee) on Gameday gave them much chance of winning, and the Ducks gut out a tough win as well, I, with the aid of a couple small glasses of sippin bourbon, am feeling quite mellow this fine evening. As for who can beat whom, I hear a lot of postgame hubris trying to make cross-game comparisons that may like comparing apples and oranges. That said, In the weeks to come, we will all get to sit back and settle all these arguments according to the only criteria that matter: WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN THE LINES!! And I'll guarantee you that whomever survives the grinder to come over the next month will be one of the most deserving National Champions ever.

Truth be what I think it might be, despite their warts, I think the Dawgs have the far more battle-tested resume and the better team for facing a big game. Of course, I've been wrong before. It may all depend on which Bulldawg team shows up tomorrow afternoon in Atlanta. Truth be known, the only team the Dawgs have had trouble with in the Benz is (for them) the dreaded Crimson Tide.

I'll take one of the 7,700 simulations thank you!

Get used to reasonably sizable portal losses in the future. In fact, many such losses will be encouraged by the coaching staff after determining that the likelihood of those players ever being meaningful two-deep contributors is slim (or none). But it is true that some players, infatuated with their high-school star rankings, do become disgruntled and feel that they have been overlooked. Georgia has lost a couple dozen such players over the past four years, including a current 10-game starter in the defensive backfield who got beat out in week 10-11 and subsequently quit on his team to enter the portal in championship week. I'm told that when first meeting with his incoming high school recruits, Kirby tells them that he cares not how many "stars" they were granted as prep players. He says here you are all 0-Stars and you will have to grind to even get onto the field as freshmen. Some embrace the grind; others never do and are usually gone by the end of year two. Knowing Lanning's pedigree, I suspect he embraces a similar viewpoint and that he is shedding few tears over his portal losses.

You wonder where he would find an acceptable home. Reports from the Oklahoma partisans I know is that he left Norman because he wanted no part of the SEC. Of course the Trojans throwing in a lengthy big-money contract had a lot to do with it. The offense-happy character of the PAC-12 had to be attractive as well. But he soon learned that even out West it is hard to win with a crappy defense.

As for ND, I thought the comparisons involving the Trojans were compelling at pointing to how overrated ND is. I don't know if it is possible, but I'd love to see a first round matchup of ND and Indiana. The passion in the Hoosier state would almost have to be off the scale. I've always said to anyone who would listen that ND looked so good on defense because they hadn't played anyone. I think that Boise State might run them out of the stadium wherever that game took place. I think that the Ducks handle the Lions on Championship Saturday, but this is really the first Power Team OBD has faced away from the friendly confines of Autzen and the game could end up being uncomfortably close. But even if the Ducks get punched in the mouth early, I'm confident that they will prevail if they shake off he early adversity and just keep grinding.

Having lived in Ohio for three and a half years and watching the OSU fan base, I know how impatient and intolerant they can be. So the demands to fire Day are to be expected, In fact, I predicted in an earlier post after the loss to Oregon that Day's seat was warming and would be red hot if he somehow managed to lose to Michigan a fourth time. It is all now playing out, and at a bad time I might add, for Ohio State players who will soon start prepping as a lower seed for the playoffs.

You know I watched Notre Dame play and win today and thought that I may have badly underestimated them in my above quote. Then it dawned on me whom they were playing. ND is definitely in he playoffs, deserves to be, and I predict may even win a game. Win two and I'd be shocked.

It really doesn't really matter where either ND or Miami are ranked. Neither will be around long when the playoffs kick off next month.

Let me state up front that I'm behind the Ducks 110% in the upcoming B1G Championship Game. But I won't be surprised if OSU wins this game. In fact, I predicted such a reversal earlier in the year. Here's why. Oregon has not played a truly good team away from Autzen this year and it is not crystal clear how they will handle adversity away from home. I'm certainly not expecting them to fold, only that we can't know for certain how they will respond to a situation they are yet to face this year. Sorry to be a bit of a cautionary Cus at this time of rejoicing among festive OBD fans, but just thought I should point out something that is very uncertain as far as I am concerned. And even were the Ducks to lose, they'd still be the number 5 seed, a position that many analysts say is just about as good as having a bye in the format we will be playing under for this and next season until adjustments are made. Imagine some poor 12 seed having to play in a wild playoff atmosphere at Autzen!