We’re on the eve of the CFB games themselves. I’m gonna say that Clemson and Alabama advance.
Clemson - Notre Dame will probably be more competitive. Both teams can score, and the absence of Clemson’s defensive end might work to Notre Dame’s advantage. However, Clemson’s front lines are extremely talented on both sides. I think Clemson wins a competitive game, with both teams probably scoring in the 20s. So, Clemson over Notre Dame (28-24 if offenses can get loose, or 23-20 if it’s a tighter game).
Oklahoma - Alabama could actually be an entertaining game to watch, especially in the first half, which is when OU might have their best chance to do some damage. Because OU’s offense is so explosive, I can’t write them off completely - they have a chance of beating Bama. The problem is, they’d really have to overwhelm Bama to do it. I think Oklahoma probably stuns Bama in the first half with some good offensive plays, but Bama starts to settle down, make in-game adjustments, and wear OU out, possibly pulling away late. I think OU will score against Bama’s vaunted defense. The problem is, they probably can’t stop Bama from scoring. I think Alabama wins a game that’s competitive for 2 or 3 quarters but breaks open late. Alabama probably scores in the high 30s or low to mid-40s and OU probably scores in the 30s or perhaps in the high 20s. If OU plays well, then maybe Alabama 42-35. If OU plays average or not so great, then Alabama 45-28.
This isn’t quite true. Pac-12, Big-12 and BiG play 9 conference games and three non-conference games. But both the SEC and the ACC play 8 conference games.
For the ones that play 9, that quirk is a legacy of them having each been 10-team conferences at one point, thus 9 conference games was a full round-robin. The SEC had 12 teams until the mid-60s, and then 10 teams until 1991. They never switched the number of conference games (if I’m not mistaken) to nine, despite the drop in numbers for the 25 years or so. The ACC never had just 10 teams, so a 9-game round-robin never made sense for them.
Notre Dame needs to get into a conference, just like everybody else. They try to create a tough schedule, and some years theirs is among the best in the country. But this year, if my math is correct, their opponents have a record of 76-70, and one site I looked at had their schedule as just the 25th toughest in the country. Not to mention that they always avoid a conference championship game.
Actually, I think it would benefit Dame to join a conference. IIRC, there have been years that 1 loss has kept them out of the playoffs, and they have no opportunity to improve their lot via a conference championship.
I’m actually going to back away from my statements earlier in the thread. I think Notre Dame has a chance – against Clemson anyway. I still think the Tigers will prevail but it’ll be closer than I initially thought. The Irish are good at making in-game adjustments (as are the Tigers).
I think the Tigers are more athletic, especially on the lines. It’ll be interesting to see if Dexter Lawrence’s absence has any major impact. It might have an impact, particularly in terms of rotation of players, which is what Clemson likes to do. If Notre Dame can have a successful first half of ball control, Lawrence’s absence might be more noticeable late in the game.
But I’ll give the Irish credit: they played a schedule of opponents that was consistently stronger than Clemson’s. It’ll be interesting to see what happens if Clemson’s trailing or tied going into the 4th quarter, as they’ve only been tested once or twice the entire season and by relatively mediocre teams (A&M and USC).
I think Dame has a great chance to win the game. And as of this morning, they were getting 12 1/2 points in Vegas. If I were to bet on that game, I’d take Notre Dame in a heartbeat.
Not sure what your point is here. I just wish that Notre Dame would be in a conference, which would give them the same advantages and disadvantages as every other team. It is unarguable, however, that under the current system, if Notre Dame finishes undefeated, they are in the playoff.
Um, not really this year, if one goes by the records of the opponents. Notre Dame and Clemson played four common opponents: Syracuse, Wake Forest, Florida State, and Pitt. The record of the other 8 opponents that Notre Dame played was 50-48, if my math is correct. The record of the other 8 opponents that Clemson played was 58-41. (I disregarded the Clemson/Furman game.) As I stated earlier, normally Notre Dame’s schedule is one of the toughest in the country. But this year, except for Michigan, their opponents didn’t hold up their end. USC, for example, finished the season 5-7.
How are either of the teams bowl eligible? Mediocre, at best.
I was in the gym and saw a few minutes of the 4th quarter. I swear, If I was a Temple fan, I would think they took a payoff to lie down.
Temple allowed 35 unanswered points in the 2nd half.
I saw a Temple defensive back make an interception and actual slid rather than try to break a tackle. I saw 4 consecutive dropped passes. Catchable balls, that hit the receivers in the hands that could have went for big gains.
I was fortunate enough to miss that game, but I unfortunately watched most of the Pinstripe Bowl. Wisconsin spanked Miami 35-3.
Of course, this was just a day after the riveting Cheez-It Bowl, won by TCU over Cal, 10-7 in overtime.
I assumed that this was probably the lowest-scoring overtime college football game ever, until Google told me that this honor has been claimed by a 2014 Virginia Tech/Wake Forest game, which Wake won 6-3 in double OT.
I like Mark Richt, but I get the feeling this is probably his last hurrah. I don’t keep up with Canes football: is he recruiting well? Because if not, might be time to just pull the plug on the Richt era.
Damn, Clemson is just manhandling the nation’s #2 defense. So, it’s looking like the predicted Clemson v Alabama championship unless OK pulls off some miracle. They won’t.
I figured OU was eventually going to score. Question is, can they stop Alabama from scoring, especially in the 4th quarter when the game is on the line? Not sure that they can, but Alabama’s offensive line has been jittery tonight, so who knows?
This is the 2nd time I’ve let the Irish scam me into believing they could hang with the big boys on the national stage despite my initial gut feeling.
Never again. From now on, Notre Dame is banned from the college playoff until they join - and win - a major conference. I’m not falling for anymore wins over has-been USC and overrated Michigan.
