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"They're still doing Fansville!? Oh, they decried conference realignment. Redeemed for all time."
7. Red Menace
Posted: August 27, 2022 at 02:03 PM (#6093448)
Apparently the Irish stadium hosting Nebraska-Northwestern is cashless. The wi-fi went down so they're offering beer for free. Long lines but happy people on Twitter.
It annoys me that the entire broadcast team seemed to agree at the time that the fumble wasn't a fumble, then half an hour later it was "Those are the kinds of plays Northwestern makes."
When you're the better team, you've outplayed your opponent, and you have a two-score lead, high-downside-risk is not really the button you should be pushing.
12. Dolf Lucky
Posted: August 27, 2022 at 03:05 PM (#6093454)
It’s almost as though Frost isn’t a very good coach.
Irrelevant on the no call as a tipped pass leads to the interception. Should do it
18. Brian C
Posted: August 27, 2022 at 04:20 PM (#6093462)
Didn't get to watch this game, but I have to say that I actually feel sorry for Nebraska. Some trainwrecks are awesome and great, but the Frost era at Nebraska has just been sad.
But, it's also good to see Northwestern back to being Northwestern again.
I’d feel worse for Frost if it weren’t his decision that turned the game.
Hey, we’re up 11 and rolling. We’ve had legendary problems in close games. Hmmmm…. I know!
I think the Cats did manage more yards on offense than they did all last season though. Looks Porter fell about 5 yards short of joining Hull over 100 yards on the day.
uh....what i meant to say in [24] is "4 more years!!! 4 more years!!!"
27. Brian C
Posted: September 02, 2022 at 11:06 AM (#6094174)
Purdue really snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in that game last night - I don't think I've ever seen a team less adept at running down the clock with a lead. I totally get using a short passing game as a substitute for a running game when the running game sucks, but Penn State was sitting on those short routes to the point where even running for no gain would have been a better strategy.
You don't often say that short routes are low-percentage plays, but most of the ones Purdue threw late in that game definitely qualified. It was just hopeless, and they kept doing it - their last two drives with a lead ran a combined 12 plays for 26 yards with only 3:43 ran off the clock. O'Connell was 3-11 on those two drives, most of those short throws into tight coverage that had little chance of going anywhere even if they were caught, and only one team rush (for 4 yards).
They pissed away a game that was really winnable if they could have just managed to do some really normal things. And the kicker was that Purdue's running game was actually decently solid on the night! Removing O'Connell's two sacks, they ran it 21 times for 87 yards - with a long run of only 9, so not like one big play was skewing the totals. Certainly wasn't so bad that you had to abandon it altogether during crunch time when you want to bleed some clock - I'm not even saying that they needed to pound it up the middle for an easy 3-and-out, just mix in some run plays with the passes to kill some clock. Not a lot to ask! I'm all for staying aggressive, but those were simply two extremely stupid drives.
28. Brian C
Posted: September 02, 2022 at 04:45 PM (#6094232)
The 2022 FBS Scheduling Hall of Shame:
Arkansas
Baylor
Florida International
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan
North Texas
Oregon State
UCLA
These are the only FBS schools that do not have an out-of-conference game scheduled against at least one Power 5 team or Notre Dame.
In Arkansas' defense, they have both Cincinnati and BYU scheduled, so IMO they're only here on a technicality. Indiana also has Cincinnati, and Baylor also has BYU. Fair enough for all three.
The rest: we see you! Michigan and UCLA seem particularly pathetic. Michigan's out of conference games are Colorado State, Hawai'i, and UConn. UCLA's are, if anything, even weaker: Bowling Green, Alabama State, and South Alabama. I know schedules are made years in advance, but hilarious that both schools have coaches that sure seem like they could maybe use some easy wins to polish their standing (yes, I'm aware that Michigan was good last year).
The rest: we see you! Michigan and UCLA seem particularly pathetic. Michigan's out of conference games are Colorado State, Hawai'i, and UConn. UCLA's are, if anything, even weaker: Bowling Green, Alabama State, and South Alabama. I know schedules are made years in advance, but hilarious that both schools have coaches that sure seem like they could maybe use some easy wins to polish their standing (yes, I'm aware that Michigan was good last year).
hasn't the CFP committee made it clear that they will never pick a 2-loss team to make the playoff over a 1-loss team?
maybe i'm still salty after 2016, but if when a team can get in with an OOC SOS in the 110s, there's no reason to ever schedule an OOC game that is remotely loseable. just take your 3-0 playing against the little sisters of ken starr's ruptured hemorrhoids and dare the committee to do something about it after you go undefeated.
JT Shrout has a better arm than I think I've seen from a Colorado quarterback in the 11 or so years I've been living in Boulder. But I'm pretty sure he's bailed out of the pocket on literally every single snap.
31. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 01:45 PM (#6094295)
hasn't the CFP committee made it clear that they will never pick a 2-loss team to make the playoff over a 1-loss team?
maybe i'm still salty after 2016, but if when a team can get in with an OOC SOS in the 110s, there's no reason to ever schedule an OOC game that is remotely loseable. just take your 3-0 playing against the little sisters of ken starr's ruptured hemorrhoids and dare the committee to do something about it after you go undefeated.
NC State escapes East Carolina 21-20 on the strength of a missed extra point and missed field goal in the last three minutes. The ACC is still the ACC.
Michigan and UCLA seem particularly pathetic. Michigan's out of conference games are Colorado State, Hawai'i, and UConn. UCLA's are, if anything, even weaker: Bowling Green, Alabama State, and South Alabama.
Michigan and UCLA had a home-and-home scheduled for this year and next that I think got canceled when the Big Ten went to the nine-game schedule.
Oh, wow -- App State scores a touchdown to get within one point, elects to go for two and the win and the App State quarterback overthrows a wide open running back in the flat by maybe two inches.
North Carolina (foolishly) returns App State's onsides kick for a touchdown, Appalachian breaks a big return, scores a touchdown on three plays and is lining up for a potential game-tying two-point conversion.
And App State again comes achingly close to a successful conversion, but the QB is stopped a yard short on a scramble.
39. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 04:17 PM (#6094314)
Oh, wow -- App State scores a touchdown to get within one point, elects to go for two and the win and the App State quarterback overthrows a wide open running back in the flat by maybe two inches.
These quack announcers blamed the receiver on this play, even though the QB threw it in the one place that the receiver wouldn't be able to get it, away from his momentum and over his head. Kinda ticked me off because all the QB had to do was throw it to him, and yet they blamed the receiver because he "stopped running."
Fun game though - App State with six touchdowns in the 4th quarter, which seems almost impossible. The over/under on this game was 56, and the two teams put up 62 just in the 4th quarter alone.
40. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 04:23 PM (#6094316)
Michigan and UCLA had a home-and-home scheduled for this year and next that I think got canceled when the Big Ten went to the nine-game schedule.
42. Mike A
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 04:47 PM (#6094324)
NC State escapes East Carolina 21-20 on the strength of a missed extra point and missed field goal in the last three minutes.
East Carolina pulled the ol' 'we got it down to the 30, let's just run the ball because our kicker who just duck hooked an extra point can't possibly miss a 40+ yarder.'
Poor Appalachian State. They were hot hot hot in that fourth quarter.
43. Brian White
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 05:12 PM (#6094325)
Iowa beats South Dakota St. 7-3, and Iowa scored their seven points exactly the way you'd expect Iowa to score seven points: a field goal and two safeties.
44. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 05:23 PM (#6094326)
I can believe that Georgia is really good, but I'm not sure I can believe that Oregon is a top-15 team, no matter how good Georgia is.
Oh wait, Oregon has Bo Nix playing QB for them? I think I've spotted part of the problem here.
Arkansas and Cincinnati need to wrap this thing up so America can watch the only game tonight that matters: Utah vs. Florida.
47. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 07:14 PM (#6094332)
Agreed. Game is starting on ESPN News, it looks like - take that, World Axe Throwing League!
By the way, CFBF, what are we expecting from the Gators this year? I feel like I have no idea. Seems the consensus is about 7-8 wins but that seems like a boring prediction.
OTOH, if Richardson can keep completing routine passes downfield to wide-open receivers, then that would help a lot.
48. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 07:17 PM (#6094333)
Sigh.
In a weird way, though, I'll take a fumble by the RB after a long drive over a three-and-out where everyone looks like crap. At least the offense looked good.
I'm relatively optimistic about UF, actually, insofar as I think they have a real shot at winning nine games -- the only game on the schedule I give them no chance of winning is Georgia. But if you have a "real shot at winning nine games" it's a trivially easy thing to go 7-5 instead.
Which is basically the boring prediction, I admit..
57. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 07:48 PM (#6094349)
Napier has my immediate respect going for it on 4th down here. I was always happy with the hire, but now I've fully bought in. We're in good hands here, I feel.
And not just pounding Richardson straight into the line of scrimmage *cough cough*.
59. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 08:03 PM (#6094355)
Gator defense feels like they're getting pushed around a bit and maybe aren't as fast as they need to be, and I suspect that they'll be suffering all year from a lack of top-tier talent on that side of the ball. But they definitely do look more disciplined than they did in the Grantham "just run around and hope you run into someone carrying the ball" system.
60. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 08:06 PM (#6094357)
Too many penalties, though. How do you get 2 penalties on kickoff returns in one half in this day and age.
I double-checked to make sure you can fair catch a kickoff in college, and I'm pretty sure you can. So...maybe Florida should just do that from now on? I'm not sure the upside of Xzavier Henderson trundling down the field on a return really justifies the risk.
Wasting a timeout there isn't a huge deal, since Utah probably won't get the ball back before the end of the half, but lining up on fourth down, calling a timeout, lining up again and taking a delay of game is just deeply offensive on an aesthetic level.
Talk all you want about the mental side of the QB position, but being a massive human being who can run incredibly fast is a nice trump card.
64. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 08:29 PM (#6094364)
Also, you might get the ball back, you know?
They just might! Holy cow, Richardson is a man among boys when he gets free like that.
As a Gator fan, I was more than happy to see Utah take the FG - I didn't trust the Gators' D to get the stop, and they helpfully kept it within a 1-score game. And now there's a good chance they go into the half with the lead.
Also, something to watch ... Utah is missing a f*ckton of tackles so far. Even on plays where the Gators don't gain much, it seems like it takes the 2nd or 3rd guy to make the stop. That's not the kind of thing that tends to get better as the game goes on for a team not used to the humidity of the southeast.
65. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 08:36 PM (#6094365)
I am pleased overall with that first half.
66. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 09:05 PM (#6094373)
No kidding ... I thought he was in. Might have fumbled on the way down? Of course ESPN cuts to break before showing us a good angle.
Feels like there have been a number of successful Utah running plays where a Gator defender got good penetration (heh heh heh), but came in kind of out of control and couldn't make a play.
74. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 09:36 PM (#6094389)
Feels like there have been a number of successful Utah running plays where a Gator defender got good penetration (heh heh heh), but came in kind of out of control and couldn't make a play.
It's just looked to me like they're falling for all of Utah's misdirection (the 2-pt conversion aside). So a guy will penetrate but he's after the wrong guy ... it doesn't feel like they've gotten much of any actual pressure.
75. Pirate Joe
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 09:37 PM (#6094390)
I double-checked to make sure you can fair catch a kickoff in college, and I'm pretty sure you can. So...maybe Florida should just do that from now on? I'm not sure the upside of Xzavier Henderson trundling down the field on a return really justifies the risk.
If you call for a fair catch anywhere inside the 25 yard line the ball is spotted on the 25. That's why a lot of teams tell their return men to not even bother to attempt a return, just call for the fair catch.
76. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 09:40 PM (#6094392)
Johnson making up for the earlier fumble on that drive.
My platonic ideal of a Gator offense is kind of the 2020 unit, but for a team with questionable receivers, a deep running back room, a good offensive line and a human dump truck at quarterback, I definitely understand why you'd want to go with a run-heavy power attack. If nothing else it certainly looks like they have a clear sense of what they want to do and what their strengths are, which gets you a long way.
82. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 09:50 PM (#6094399)
My platonic ideal of a Gator offense is kind of the 2020 unit
Sure, same. But if you can run for 10 yards a pop, then why do anything else.
83. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 09:55 PM (#6094400)
The years have really left Kyle Whittingham in that "grizzled" category, haven't they?
85. Brian White
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 10:04 PM (#6094403)
Boy, that fumble could have been disastrous. Glad it bounced right back to Etienne.
86. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 10:04 PM (#6094404)
Getting a little old for those kinds of fumbles, Etienne. Recovering won't do me any good if I'm already dead.
87. Brian C
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 10:04 PM (#6094406)
I don't love that QB draw there, precisely because it was obvious enough that Orlovsky knew it was coming.
88. Brian White
Posted: September 03, 2022 at 10:06 PM (#6094407)
Yeah, agreed the QB draw was way too obvious there.
Announcers are complaining that Florida is burning clock, but it's probably the right move. There's still plenty of time and they've got another two time outs.
Reader Comments and Retorts
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The SEC should just reorganize as a pro football league and be done with it.
Y'all sure started this off with a splash of cold water though...
But, it's also good to see Northwestern back to being Northwestern again.
Hey, we’re up 11 and rolling. We’ve had legendary problems in close games. Hmmmm…. I know!
I think the Cats did manage more yards on offense than they did all last season though. Looks Porter fell about 5 yards short of joining Hull over 100 yards on the day.
Is it?
i hope he gets drafted by the cowboys.
You don't often say that short routes are low-percentage plays, but most of the ones Purdue threw late in that game definitely qualified. It was just hopeless, and they kept doing it - their last two drives with a lead ran a combined 12 plays for 26 yards with only 3:43 ran off the clock. O'Connell was 3-11 on those two drives, most of those short throws into tight coverage that had little chance of going anywhere even if they were caught, and only one team rush (for 4 yards).
They pissed away a game that was really winnable if they could have just managed to do some really normal things. And the kicker was that Purdue's running game was actually decently solid on the night! Removing O'Connell's two sacks, they ran it 21 times for 87 yards - with a long run of only 9, so not like one big play was skewing the totals. Certainly wasn't so bad that you had to abandon it altogether during crunch time when you want to bleed some clock - I'm not even saying that they needed to pound it up the middle for an easy 3-and-out, just mix in some run plays with the passes to kill some clock. Not a lot to ask! I'm all for staying aggressive, but those were simply two extremely stupid drives.
Arkansas
Baylor
Florida International
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan
North Texas
Oregon State
UCLA
These are the only FBS schools that do not have an out-of-conference game scheduled against at least one Power 5 team or Notre Dame.
In Arkansas' defense, they have both Cincinnati and BYU scheduled, so IMO they're only here on a technicality. Indiana also has Cincinnati, and Baylor also has BYU. Fair enough for all three.
The rest: we see you! Michigan and UCLA seem particularly pathetic. Michigan's out of conference games are Colorado State, Hawai'i, and UConn. UCLA's are, if anything, even weaker: Bowling Green, Alabama State, and South Alabama. I know schedules are made years in advance, but hilarious that both schools have coaches that sure seem like they could maybe use some easy wins to polish their standing (yes, I'm aware that Michigan was good last year).
hasn't the CFP committee made it clear that they will never pick a 2-loss team to make the playoff over a 1-loss team?
maybe i'm still salty after 2016, but if when a team can get in with an OOC SOS in the 110s, there's no reason to ever schedule an OOC game that is remotely loseable. just take your 3-0 playing against the little sisters of ken starr's ruptured hemorrhoids and dare the committee to do something about it after you go undefeated.
Yes, I agree that they're pathetic cowards.
Punts 17 First Downs 15.
Michigan and UCLA had a home-and-home scheduled for this year and next that I think got canceled when the Big Ten went to the nine-game schedule.
These quack announcers blamed the receiver on this play, even though the QB threw it in the one place that the receiver wouldn't be able to get it, away from his momentum and over his head. Kinda ticked me off because all the QB had to do was throw it to him, and yet they blamed the receiver because he "stopped running."
Fun game though - App State with six touchdowns in the 4th quarter, which seems almost impossible. The over/under on this game was 56, and the two teams put up 62 just in the 4th quarter alone.
Lame.
Poor Appalachian State. They were hot hot hot in that fourth quarter.
Oh wait, Oregon has Bo Nix playing QB for them? I think I've spotted part of the problem here.
By the way, CFBF, what are we expecting from the Gators this year? I feel like I have no idea. Seems the consensus is about 7-8 wins but that seems like a boring prediction.
OTOH, if Richardson can keep completing routine passes downfield to wide-open receivers, then that would help a lot.
In a weird way, though, I'll take a fumble by the RB after a long drive over a three-and-out where everyone looks like crap. At least the offense looked good.
Which is basically the boring prediction, I admit..
ETA: Ah, wait, I forgot that teams trade 2-pt tries starting in the 3rd OT now. My bad.
Also, you might get the ball back, you know?
They just might! Holy cow, Richardson is a man among boys when he gets free like that.
As a Gator fan, I was more than happy to see Utah take the FG - I didn't trust the Gators' D to get the stop, and they helpfully kept it within a 1-score game. And now there's a good chance they go into the half with the lead.
Also, something to watch ... Utah is missing a f*ckton of tackles so far. Even on plays where the Gators don't gain much, it seems like it takes the 2nd or 3rd guy to make the stop. That's not the kind of thing that tends to get better as the game goes on for a team not used to the humidity of the southeast.
EDIT: Nailed it.
It's just looked to me like they're falling for all of Utah's misdirection (the 2-pt conversion aside). So a guy will penetrate but he's after the wrong guy ... it doesn't feel like they've gotten much of any actual pressure.
If you call for a fair catch anywhere inside the 25 yard line the ball is spotted on the 25. That's why a lot of teams tell their return men to not even bother to attempt a return, just call for the fair catch.
Good job by Anthony Richardson being an Avenger.
Although I guess Utah's thinking the same thing right now.
Sure, same. But if you can run for 10 yards a pop, then why do anything else.
Announcers are complaining that Florida is burning clock, but it's probably the right move. There's still plenty of time and they've got another two time outs.
Aaaaahh, so close.
THERE IT IS.
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