College playoff games today did not disapoint

[trents]

Absolutely the most exciting and dramatic college playoff bowl games today I have ever watched! And there were a number of other very exciting and competitive bowl games this past week. College football's version of March madness. I love good college football as much or more than the NFL.

[NorthHawk]

Yah, there weren't the blowouts we usually get from some of the major Bowl games.
It was a lot of fun this year. Here's to hoping that the National Championship is just as good.

[RiverDog]

I'm a little more traditional and don't care that much for the high scoring track meets. It seems too much like arena football.

I was pretty disappointed with Jalen Carter and feel that he might drop out of the top 5. He had been talked about going as high as the #1 overall, but Ohio State kept him pretty much contained. Despite being rotated in and out, he sure looked gassed.

CJ Stroud looked like the real deal, could be #1 overall.

[Hawktawk]

All those guys from the major programs look good to great and stroud looked great . But under 20 completions for over 350 yards , it’s a pinball machine . Great line , great backs , great wideouts .
The kids a great athlete . Just trying to picture him on a bad team with a bad line and bad roster as a top draft pick .

[RiverDog]

All those guys from the major programs look good to great and stroud looked great . But under 20 completions for over 350 yards , it’s a pinball machine . Great line , great backs , great wideouts .
The kids a great athlete . Just trying to picture him on a bad team with a bad line and bad roster as a top draft pick .

I wouldn't be surprised if Stroud was the #1 overall going to the Texans. He looked polished, manages the pocket well, and as you said, he's a great athlete, plays a lot like Deshaun Watson. If he were for some reason fall to us, I'd love to see him in blue and green.

[Hawktawk]

Ya that guy I’d take if he’s there . Very very good in the pocket , deadly on the run , young Russ , great wheels . And they were playing a great team too .

In this league and with the situation in Houston I don’t see him falling out of #1. Then he gets to be coached by Lovie Smith
a year ago Davis mills was looking great at years end and then Culley was fired . For what ?

I feel bad for that stroud kid wasting his career in that dumpster fire .

[NorthHawk]

It’s difficult to rate Stroud like Fields before him because they have a great OL in front of them and great WRs
to match at Ohio State. He’s not going to get that advantage in the NFL. He does have solid mechanics and throws a nice ball but he didn’t do as well under pressure. But I think he has more to work with at this point than Justin Fields before him and he was considered one of the best QBs of that draft and selected around #10 or so.

[trents]

I think the most polished, NFL ready college QB is Bryce Young of Alabama. He's small, though.

[obiken]

I think the most polished, NFL ready college QB is Bryce Young of Alabama. He's small, though.

I am NOT for getting another Bama QB that has injury history.

[RiverDog]

I think the most polished, NFL ready college QB is Bryce Young of Alabama. He's small, though.

I am NOT for getting another Bama QB that has injury history.

Two of the top three rated QB's this season are from Alabama, so I'm not sure why you're against a 'bama QB. But trents is right, I doubt that you'll see him going in the top 10 due to his size.

[Aseahawkfan]

I'm a little more traditional and don't care that much for the high scoring track meets. It seems too much like arena football.

I was pretty disappointed with Jalen Carter and feel that he might drop out of the top 5. He had been talked about going as high as the #1 overall, but Ohio State kept him pretty much contained. Despite being rotated in and out, he sure looked gassed.

CJ Stroud looked like the real deal, could be #1 overall.

That's too bad. Carter is the standout DT in this draft class. If he isn't conditioned, he's going to have real trouble in the NFL.

[RiverDog]

I'm a little more traditional and don't care that much for the high scoring track meets. It seems too much like arena football.

I was pretty disappointed with Jalen Carter and feel that he might drop out of the top 5. He had been talked about going as high as the #1 overall, but Ohio State kept him pretty much contained. Despite being rotated in and out, he sure looked gassed.

CJ Stroud looked like the real deal, could be #1 overall.

That's too bad. Carter is the standout DT in this draft class. If he isn't conditioned, he's going to have real trouble in the NFL.

The announcers kept saying that it was really warm inside Atlanta's dome last night, but kickoff was at 8:15pm local and the outdoor temp was in the 60's, so it's hard for me to see how the conditions could have been that bad.

[trents]

I'm a little more traditional and don't care that much for the high scoring track meets. It seems too much like arena football.

Yes, the changeover is even evident in a former ground and pound big success program like Alabama is astonishing. 10-12 years ago, Bama's teams were always characterized by powerful O lines and power running backs like Henry, Bo Scarbrough, Mark Ingram, etc. - along with a stifling defense. Now they fill the air with footballs and the D is certainly less than stifling. What drives these trends, I wonder?

[Aseahawkfan]

The announcers kept saying that it was really warm inside Atlanta's dome last night, but kickoff was at 8:15pm local and the outdoor temp was in the 60's, so it's hard for me to see how the conditions could have been that bad.

You misread what I wrote given your response. His conditioning means his physical conditioning as in his cardio and muscular endurance.

[NorthHawk]

I heard that their coach rotates his DL quite strictly so they only play every 2nd series.
It sure looked like that’s what they did in that game but I didn’t take note of that during the year when I saw them on TV.

[RiverDog]

Yes, the changeover is even evident in a former ground and pound big success program like Alabama is astonishing. 10-12 years ago, Bama's teams were always characterized by powerful O lines and power running backs like Henry, Bo Scarbrough, Mark Ingram, etc. - along with a stifling defense. Now they fill the air with footballs and the D is certainly less than stifling. What drives these trends, I wonder?

That's one of the reasons why CFB has lost some of its appeal for me, that no one plays defense anymore, that and the demise of the Pac 12. The demise of the New Year's Day bowl games and a hugely unfair playoff system also factor into my apathy.

[Hawktawk]

I’m not nearly as jacked up about college as I used to be . The games were great over the weekend but it’s just a track meet anymore .

[NorthHawk]

I think they are fun to watch and they usually lead the direction that the NFL eventually takes on Offense.
We are now seeing a much more open offensive game than ever and although the NFL doesn't fully embrace the College systems, there is a direct influence in today's NFL from them.
We don't see as good play at the LoS, but the WRs and QBs as well as TEs are more Pro ready than they ever have been.

[RiverDog]

I think they are fun to watch and they usually lead the direction that the NFL eventually takes on Offense.
We are now seeing a much more open offensive game than ever and although the NFL doesn't fully embrace the College systems, there is a direct influence in today's NFL from them.
We don't see as good play at the LoS, but the WRs and QBs as well as TEs are more Pro ready than they ever have been.

It works both ways. A lot of things that the NFL does is adapted at the college level, too.

But I suppose the biggest factor for me is the monopolization of the sport by a handful of teams outside of our region, ie the SEC teams, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, now made worse with USC and UCLA leaving the Pac 12 for the Big 10.

[NorthHawk]

That monopolization has been going on for years, but there's so much money being waived in front of teams to change conferences, it makes financial and competitive sense to do it.
It's not good for the College game as a whole, but the product is still exciting and the colleges are still supplying excellent talent to the NFL.

[TriCitySam]

"But I suppose the biggest factor for me is the monopolization of the sport by a handful of teams outside of our region, ie the SEC teams, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, now made worse with USC and UCLA leaving the Pac 12 for the Big 10."

The games were great, and overall the season was a good one and fun to watch....but to your point, it appears this NIL will tear it all down. My hope is that in 2024 folks across the U.S. watch their local teams and tune out the SEC so that ESPN loses their @&$!

[RiverDog]

But I suppose the biggest factor for me is the monopolization of the sport by a handful of teams outside of our region, ie the SEC teams, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, now made worse with USC and UCLA leaving the Pac 12 for the Big 10.

The games were great, and overall the season was a good one and fun to watch....but to your point, it appears this NIL will tear it all down. My hope is that in 2024 folks across the U.S. watch their local teams and tune out the SEC so that ESPN loses their @&$!

The college games were so-so, doesn't hold a candle to the NFL IMO.

I agree with your thoughts about the direction college football is going, but we may not have seen the end of realignment. There's rumors that Washington and Oregon could follow USC and UCLA to the Big 10, that Arizona and ASU could join the Big 12, and so on. The real losers will be teams like WSU and OSU. Without trips to the LA area, their programs aren't going to get the exposure they need for recruiting. It's a classic case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

College football is losing me as a fan just like the NBA lost me when they took the Sonics out of Seattle.

[Stream Hawk]

Yeah college sports just isn’t the same thing as pro. I haven’t been part of the NCAA basketball bracket in years, only caring until Zags blow it seemingly every year.

It would help college football immensely if they expand the playoff to 12 or 16 teams. Huskies should be very legit next years - but it won’t matter much if they can’t get into the playoffs.

[RiverDog]

Yeah college sports just isn’t the same thing as pro. I haven’t been part of the NCAA basketball bracket in years, only caring until Zags blow it seemingly every year.

It would help college football immensely if they expand the playoff to 12 or 16 teams. Huskies should be very legit next years - but it won’t matter much if they can’t get into the playoffs.

Until they went and re-shuffled the teams again, what I felt would have been a perfect playoff system for CFB would have been to go to an 8 team playoff. 12 and 16 makes it too long with 12 requiring byes, but 8 would be just right as they could allow each of the Power 5 conferences to advance their champ to the playoffs plus have 3 at large spots for worthy mid majors and 2nd place Power 5 finishers.

The other thing that it would have done was make it possible for the return of the NYD bowl games and make them relevant once again. They could make the 4 games into quarterfinals and re-kindle the traditional rivalries, like Pac 12 and Big 10 in the Rose Bowl, SEC in the Sugar Bowl, ACC in the Orange, etc. That's one of the things I miss about CFB is the NYD games.

[c_hawkbob]

You guys are talking like 8, 12 or 16 game playoff is still being debated. It's not:

The College Football Playoff Board of Managers members have agreed that the expanded 12-team CFP field will begin with the 2024-25 season.

https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/arti ... 0or%202025.

[RiverDog]

You guys are talking like 8, 12 or 16 game playoff is still being debated. It's not:

The College Football Playoff Board of Managers members have agreed that the expanded 12-team CFP field will begin with the 2024-25 season.

https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/arti ... 0or%202025.

Yeah, I guess I'd heard that but forgot. Old age, I guess.

It still isn't going to cause me to regain my passion for CFB unless one of the area teams can become relevant again.

[Stream Hawk]

You guys are talking like 8, 12 or 16 game playoff is still being debated. It's not:

https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/arti ... 0or%202025.

Thanks, I admittedly didn’t even know. At least there will be change.

[c_hawkbob]

I'd have preferred 16 but 12 is still 3 times better than 4.