Playoff thread.... might as well get the discussion started...

If Clemson wins vs Okie, and then beats comfortably the Tide, I think they would probably be as one of the best teams ever. I am saying they will, just a big IF.
 
I hammered Okie -3 -120 when lines came out. I had the line -6, feeling I am getting great value.
 
So just to clarify, in the Saban era, Bama has had to 1) beat a team who lost their Heisman finalist QB in the first quarter, 2) beat a conference rival in a rematch they didn't deserve after losing the first meeting between the two, 3) beat arguably one of the weakest teams we've seen in a national title game in the last decade, 4) beat a team that had no business even making the playoff (they actually failed in doing this one), and now 5) beat the team who is far and away the weakest team of the four in the playoff.

Seriously, as great as Bama has been since 2009, have they not caught some type of break every single time they've been in contention?

I so desperately wanted Clemson/Sparty and Bama/Oklahoma, if for no other reason than to see the Tide beat the second and third best teams in the country en route to a national title. Now they have to get past someone I barely have in my top 10 before facing one of the other two.

I will certainly agree here
 
Apparently only Alabama gets lucky

I don't think you guys are the only ones that are lucky, but are on the positive luck more so then others. Maybe this is because you are in the situation at the top more then others, maybe because you have been at the top so long the luck seems more, maybe it's because you've earned the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it's a combination of all of this or none of this.

It seems to me though you guys have had unbelievable luck in regards to injuries. You know the program better then me, but I can't recall multiple big name injuries that have affected the team
 
I don't think you guys are the only ones that are lucky, but are on the positive luck more so then others. Maybe this is because you are in the situation at the top more then others, maybe because you have been at the top so long the luck seems more, maybe it's because you've earned the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it's a combination of all of this or none of this.

It seems to me though you guys have had unbelievable luck in regards to injuries. You know the program better then me, but I can't recall multiple big name injuries that have affected the team


Definitely have been fortunate on the injury front. Part of it is having great depth, so that if someone goes down, there's generally a capable replacement. Kenyan Drake's injury this year was why we saw Henry have 40+ carries in back to back games. He otherwise averaged around 22 carries a game. Losing Robert Foster for the year definitely hurt our passing offense as he was our best all around WR, but Ridley has played well as a true freshman. Losing Kelly against aTm certainly affected us in that game but he was able to come back. But you're right in that we have not had a devastating injury to a top player in several years. Mark Barron tearing his pectoral muscle against auburn in 2010 likely cost us that game. Wouldn't have won a championship but would've spared the world Cam Newton and Gene Chizik winning it.

It's often been said that to win a championship you need injury luck and schedule luck. Think it holds true today
 
i am not even to page 2 yet, and this thread is fuckin gold. Love a good discussion.

There are so many good posts that I am going to individually call them out.

Posts 4, 9, 10, 14 (how can that Bama QB no Niffel wins in 30 years really be true?), 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 36 and 40 are all real good observations.
 
more gold on page 2.... from posts 42-44, 50 and 56-58 all are great.

I'm so inundated with trying to get my plays in on the other stuff that the big picture has sorta passed me by since i started this thread. Now I've got a starting point and a lot of CTG'ers to thank for it.

:cheers:
 
Total 49 on BM, that's an UNDER for me. Really happy to see that, got the key numbers and everything. 29.5-20 forecasted with spread and total. Mich St TT UNDER would be a monster as well. Last time Bama saw a future NFL starter at QB in the post season for Sparty it didn't end well for him. This will be one of the weaker offenses Bama will have seen, IMO.

I agree again. UNDER 49 and the MSU team total UNDER are both solid plays.
 
It has really paid off for us to buy off the refs, ESPN, the SEC, the playoff committee, Rivals/247, and most importantly all of our players and recruits.

an_light.gif
 
I wouldn't agree with that. I think at worst he's a great guy to have on a practice squad. He has the arm strength to make throws 95% of ncaaf qb can't. He's intelligent, a leader and has above average mobility. I'm not saying he's gonna start and win in the NFL, pretty sure you have to go back almost 30 years last time a Bama qb started and won a game, but he is a lot better player than he gets credit for. If he was a bit more decisive he would be great.

Coker has all the tools, he just needs more experience. If he could have been a 3-year starter in college like AJ McCarron, we would likely be discussing his draft status. I like him more than AJ. AJ is a complete stiff in the pocket. If the rush forces him out of his square, the play is done. Coker at least has some playmaking ability when he gets flushed from the pocket.
 
I wouldn't agree with that. I think at worst he's a great guy to have on a practice squad. He has the arm strength to make throws 95% of ncaaf qb can't. He's intelligent, a leader and has above average mobility. I'm not saying he's gonna start and win in the NFL, pretty sure you have to go back almost 30 years last time a Bama qb started and won a game, but he is a lot better player than he gets credit for. If he was a bit more decisive he would be great.

Decision making is definitely where he struggles, but that is many times a function of experience . . . something Coker doesn't have.
 
I agree again. UNDER 49 and the MSU team total UNDER are both solid plays.

I'm glad you Bama people like these. They sure look good to me. Also like the side, and I almost never tease, but a teaser to 2.5 is going to be too hard to pass up.
 
Don't think this has been talked about. How dumb was the group that decided the playoffs should be played on New Year's Eve? Now, I imagine the demographic on this board may be a bit different and many wives or girlfriends may very well know our affinity for college football but this is a nightmare for the casual to moderate football fan. How do you really win the argument with wife/gf that you wanna stay in (I know, it's amateur night, we've got some seasoned boozers on here as well, but the majority of the US goes out and celebrates and drinks and dances) if you aren't an alum of one of the four teams playing, specifically for the Cotton Bowl? You're gonna get tons of people that like to watch Seacrest and that's going to cut into ratings for these games too. This is just such a mistake to do both games on NYE and I seriously hope this will be the only year they do it.
 
I am actually glad I have an excuse to stay in. Of course, I have two kids under 18 months old, so I wasn't going anywhere anyway.
 
I don't like going out on NYE anyway I just think about how an Akron fan that doesn't have young kids is gonna convince the lady in his life they are staying in to watch the cotton bowl
 
I don't like going out on NYE anyway I just think about how an Akron fan that doesn't have young kids is gonna convince the lady in his life they are staying in to watch the cotton bowl


haha yeah that's gonna be a tough sell
 
Don't think this has been talked about. How dumb was the group that decided the playoffs should be played on New Year's Eve? Now, I imagine the demographic on this board may be a bit different and many wives or girlfriends may very well know our affinity for college football but this is a nightmare for the casual to moderate football fan. How do you really win the argument with wife/gf that you wanna stay in (I know, it's amateur night, we've got some seasoned boozers on here as well, but the majority of the US goes out and celebrates and drinks and dances) if you aren't an alum of one of the four teams playing, specifically for the Cotton Bowl? You're gonna get tons of people that like to watch Seacrest and that's going to cut into ratings for these games too. This is just such a mistake to do both games on NYE and I seriously hope this will be the only year they do it.

Old white guys and their parade get priority
 
Don't think this has been talked about. How dumb was the group that decided the playoffs should be played on New Year's Eve? Now, I imagine the demographic on this board may be a bit different and many wives or girlfriends may very well know our affinity for college football but this is a nightmare for the casual to moderate football fan. How do you really win the argument with wife/gf that you wanna stay in (I know, it's amateur night, we've got some seasoned boozers on here as well, but the majority of the US goes out and celebrates and drinks and dances) if you aren't an alum of one of the four teams playing, specifically for the Cotton Bowl? You're gonna get tons of people that like to watch Seacrest and that's going to cut into ratings for these games too. This is just such a mistake to do both games on NYE and I seriously hope this will be the only year they do it.

Agree that this sucks, but you may be disappointed. I read an article about this the other day and the New Year's Eve semis will be very common over the remainder of the current contract (which has 11 years left.) Something like 8 of the 11 years (including this one) will have the semis on 12-31. Bill Hancock trying to "change the paradigm of New Year's Eve". In his own words.
 
Agree that this sucks, but you may be disappointed. I read an article about this the other day and the New Year's Eve semis will be very common over the remainder of the current contract (which has 11 years left.) Something like 8 of the 11 years (including this one) will have the semis on 12-31. Bill Hancock trying to "change the paradigm of New Year's Eve". In his own words.

Damn.
 
Agree that this sucks, but you may be disappointed. I read an article about this the other day and the New Year's Eve semis will be very common over the remainder of the current contract (which has 11 years left.) Something like 8 of the 11 years (including this one) will have the semis on 12-31. Bill Hancock trying to "change the paradigm of New Year's Eve". In his own words.

So the years that the Rose Bowl doesn't host a playoff will be the years moved to NYE.

Ratings will be disappointing, so we'll be back to normal soon
 
You know that's bullshit. Clemson has to win two games instead of one. You can argue about whether Clemson should be the #1 seed, but obviously the #1 should have the easiest path, and MSU is basically a bye for any of the other three.


Clemson got screwed n question about it, Bama should be playing Oak. Proof that seeding incorrect is them being a 3 pt under dog , if they were playing Mich St they would be 5-6 pt fav. Hopefully it gets their attention & they realize they have been disrespected & pound the Sooners. Absolute bullshit draw for the Tigers, no question
 
I am actually glad I have an excuse to stay in. Of course, I have two kids under 18 months old, so I wasn't going anywhere anyway.

Same here, with a four- and a three-year-old. Then again, a woman who has kids in both of my kids' classes told me on Monday she's going to Miami -- she's an OU fan! Now, if I can just spin it to my wife like we need to do the same to keep up with the Joneses (or Browns in this case), maybe that's where I'll be as well.

I have to say my best New Year's Eves revolved around bowl games in Jacksonville and Tampa way back when.
 
Man the media makes it easy for Michigan State to play the disrespect card
 
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