The Rest of College Football

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU

[THE_WIZARD_]

Cookie jar...but no cookies...

[lineygoblue]

The Big Ten, ACC and Pac 12 are forming an "alliance".

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32056225/sources-acc-big-ten-pac-12-announce-alliance

The choice of words is interesting. "Alliance" rather than consolidating or forming a new conference.

I wonder where Notre Dame will hide now? Will they go back to independent, or form a new conference with the remnants of the Big XII and

[JRB]

I still don't see why Notre Dame would have to hide somewhere. The purpose of the alliance, as I understand it, is to increase the inventory of marquee TV games. Notre Dame currently provides both the opportunity to schedule a marquee opponent and a major TV network to air the game. Unless this alliance somehow impacts NBC's willingness to re-up ND's football contract, I don't see that Notre Dame would need to make a move.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Conferences will soon be irrelevant. But what WILL be relevant is a programs ability to schedule marquee games to ensure a path to the playoff...whether it be in a super conference like the SEC...or an "alliance"...CFB as we knew it is done. Notre Lame is going to have to at a minimum join an "alliance"...

[JRB]

The Top Ten(no real surprises here, I think, but I haven't done this in a while, so what the hell...)

1. Alabama-- They just tied the record for most first-round picks in a draft, with six. The Crimson Tide are 163-17 with six national championships since the start of the 2008 season. Their recruiting classes have been just utterly ridiculous for years now, so it's tough to find a position where they don't have championship depth. We're living in the Saban era of the sport, and witnessing the greatest run we've ever seen a program have. Ordinarily, you'd knock a team down a peg for starting a redshirt-freshman at QB, but when it's Alabama, and the Crimson Tide are returning virtually everyone on defense, a young QB's growing pains may not make much difference.

2. Ohio State-- Speaking of teams starting redshirt-freshman at QB, the forces of evil will be marching out another future NFL starter in C.J. Stroud this year. He's got probably the best receiving corps in the country to work with, so he'll probably work out about as well as Bryce Young will at Alabama. The only real question with Ohio State this year is how well they're going to be able to stop people, but aside from possibly Oregon, I don't see anyone on the schedule who figures to be able to out-score them, and I wouldn't pick Oregon in that game right now, either.

3. Clemson-- Everybody's got the same top five this year-- I'm no different. But this might be the bunch that comes up a little short this year. The re-tooling on offense is pretty significant here, and this team struggled to run the ball against elite opposition last year. This offensive line is not unbeatable. Fortunately for Clemson, their defense might be, at least for the teams that are on their regular season schedule. Still, I thought about putting them fifth. I have them here because I think they beat Georgia week one.

4. Oklahoma-- I have the same question about Oklahoma I always have about Oklahoma: Once they reach the playoff, can they stop anybody? This year figures to be their best chance in a while, but they've already gotten a ringing endorsement from Skip Bayless, which usually amounts to the kiss of death.

5. Georgia-- I was all set to pick Georgia to win the national championship this year-- one of these days, Georgia's going to figure this out, and you've got to think the law of averages kicks in and Nick Saban finally loses to one of his former assistants. But then, everybody started getting hurt in Athens. I just don't think they're going to have the firepower to beat Clemson week one. But if they do, and they manage to get everyone back by mid-season healthy, I wouldn't want to have to play them in the SEC title game or the playoffs.

6. North Carolina-- Gosh, I hope I'm wrong about this bunch. But with nearly everyone back on defense, and with Sam Howell and the entire offensive line back, the Tar Heels ought to be the clear class of the Coastal Division in the ACC. That hasn't meant a great deal in recent years, but North Carolina has the talent and the schedule to make a playoff run. The only game they might not be favored to win right now is the trip to Notre Dame. Could they get in at 12-1 with a loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game? Maybe.

7. Texas A&M-- The Aggies came up just a bit short in their playoff quest last year, and I suspect they'll come up a bit short again this year, but they've still got an awful lot going for them. The early neutral site games against Colorado and Arkansas might be trickier than expected, and I just think the schedule's going to come up with two losses. But it might only be two, and that's still good enough to make the New Year's Six again.

8. Iowa State-- This has got to be the most anticipated football season in Iowa State history, and Michigan faithful will be following this team especially closely if Michigan's season turns out the way many of us fear. The Cyclones have just about everything lined up for them this year, except having to play OU in Norman. Do they really have enough talent, though, to do much better than last year? I don't think so, but another three-loss season and a major bowl bid is still a heck of an accomplishment for this program.

9. Wisconsin-- Wisconsin has a potential difference maker at QB for the first time since Russell Wilson was there. They're returning their entire offensive line, which always bodes well for a program, and especially for them. They won't have to play Ohio State until the B1G championship game, and they get to make statements early, with Penn State, Michigan, and Notre Dame in their first four games. I'm guessing they start 4-0. If there's a serious national title contender outside the top five, I think it might be the Badgers.

10. Cincinnati-- I don't know that any program this year has as big a two-game swing as Cincinnati does against Indiana and Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Bearcats, both of those games are on the road, and I don't think they pull them both out. They might get one, though, and if they run the table in the AAC, another New Year's Six game should be in the offing.

Next Ten: Notre Dame, Oregon, Florida, USC, Penn State, Iowa, Miami(Fla.), LSU, Washington, Utah

[lineygoblue]

I like that the Big Ten, ACC and Pac 12 are forming this alliance, because it stops the SEC from becoming "THE" conference of college football. It stops them from solely dictating what CFB will do from now on. The Alliance will have a seat at the table, and will carry a lot of thump. Especially if Men's Basketball gets tossed in.

My reference to Notre Dame is regarding the easy path they create for themselves year after year, seeking national relevance. With the SEC and The Alliance, the Irish are going to have to throw in with one of them, to be relevant. The leftovers of the Big XII, the CUSA or other conferences aren't going to be able to compete with those two.

But regardless of that, I can still see ND trying to salvage a conference with the Big XII leftovers and a couple other independents, and trying to call it relevant. Wouldn't surprise me a bit.

[JRB]

Notre Dame is part of the Alliance, if you throw in basketball. As for football, if the Alliance simply means a scheduling agreement, if ND has to play, say, five ACC teams, three or four Big Ten teams, and two or three PAC-12 teams, that wouldn't be all that dissimilar to how they schedule now. Notre Dame's had so many chances to join a football conference, and so many changes have come down the pike that were supposed to force ND's hand, and the Irish are still a football independent. I think it's going to stay that way as long as they have their own network deal.

[JRB]

[Jeff Buchanan]

I think it's going to stay that way as long as they have their own network deal.

I can't disagree with this. ND continues to do what it wants to do. Jack Swarbirck as NDs AD, owns ND like Bo as M's HC owned M following Don Canham's retirement in 1988. Bo became co-HC/AD and held that position until he left M in 89 to run the Detroit Tigers through 1992. He was terrible at that and he knew it.
Don't didn't think much of Swarbrick and wanted nothing to do with ND. M's fan base rationalized not playing ND out of sheer arrogance. Carr did better at M than the coaching carousel ND went through after the Holtz era ended in disgrace for ND. Carr continued Bo's culture of hating ND and osu. Since then, despite some troubles and scandals Brian Kelly has done OK on the football field, not great but in comparative terms a whole lot better than M has done in the same period.

Swarbrick doesn't need M or a conference or an alliance. They are the lone CFB team that dictates what it does or doesn't want to do......for now. Swarbrick, IMO, is one smart guy that has managed to put ND in the position it is. When he leaves, his replacement will continue that like Carr continued Bo's culture. Don't expect them to seek out anything different than they already have obtained.

[JRB]

Zach Charbonnet scores for UCLA against Hawaii. Sigh...

[AlabamAlum]

He was the player I was the most impressed with when Bama played M. Pity he left.

[JRB]

Now he's got 105 yards and three TDs. Granted, it's Hawaii, but it looks like he made a good decision for himself.

[Cody_Russell]

Charbonnet looks like a David Montgomery clone. (Iowa State, Bears 2nd RD pick, top 12-ish NFL RB right now)
But hey, it's OK. M has Haskins leading the RB room, right? 😅

[Jeff Buchanan]

Fuck Jim Harbaugh....... a continuing story of wasted opportunities.