While the semi finals or whatever they are called were terrible blowouts, the whole bowl season has been entertaining. The Purdue game was great and yesterday's Rose Bowl was one for the ages. I don't think I have ever rooted for Ohio State in my life but last night I did. For entertainment value only, of course. 😉 That sophomore wide receiver was amazing. And Marvin Harrison's kid had a great day too. Didn't know he played for them. 

I need Kansas State to beat LSU and Alabama to win it all. Another team I detest. I can win a pool I am in. Once again, for entertainment value only. 

I went through the picks for the pool I am in. I need Kansas State to win Thursday night and I am in the money. They lose and I am out. I think we pay out three people. THEN I need Alabama to win it all and get the total points tie breaker. 

I hate Alabama. 😛 

Was a fun bowl season.  Could hiccups along the way, but I enjoyed all the games.  I think I had plays in every 1st H, 2nd H and full game in most of them.  It's crazy how many individual plays and sequences determine outcomes.

Agree, the Music City Bowl was great.  Not much defense, but some timely and meaningful plays to make for plenty of drama.  Citrus Bowl was really great 2nd H between Iowa - Kentucky.  Obviously the Rose Bowl was pretty exciting.

This is the first year I didn't play in a bowl pick'em pool.  Didn't miss it though.  Hope you all don't mind I didn't set one up.

Here are the results I tracked up to Tuesday night's game:

Well I THINK I won the pool with the KSU game last night. Everyone in the running took Bama in the final and I am ahead of them if I am reading the sheet correctly so they can't catch me.

Which will be nice because now I can root against Sabin. 😛 

Funny side note. I get a letter in the mail the other day. It is a return to sender thing from the post office. It's the letter I sent to the guy running the pool. I asked him if he moved. Well, he did. My money is in the envelope. He says I am fine. I was like, no I owe you money. So whenever he settles everything, I will just tell him to short my winning fee from the entrance fee.

Well done UGA.  It over-came some near misses and got big plays when it needed too.  I thought Bama's QB should have gone for just getting first downs the second to the last drive.  There was still plenty of time and I think they had all three TOs.  That's football!  I'm happy for Vince Dooley. He was a great coach and has always been a good guy.  

Posted by: @cmgst34

@nebish

no. Panthers. If they bear everyone they should beat, that’s 9. Then win one of Clem, MIA, Chapel Hill. 

they’ll bear Chapel Hill. 

By the way!  My Pitt 9 win prediction went alright. 

Posted by: @cmgst34

Posted by: @cmgst34

@nebish

no. Panthers. If they bear everyone they should beat, that’s 9. Then win one of Clem, MIA, Chapel Hill. 

they’ll bear Chapel Hill. 

By the way!  My Pitt 9 win prediction went alright. 

Never give up hope!

UCLA and USC to join....the Big TEN? WTF? I guess Iowa and WI can kiss their rubber stamped Big 10 West titles good bye. The B16 is going to have to change their logo (again). And I guess it will be back to the Pac10?

I guess there's more money in joining the Big 10 than the Pac10, but college sports is so far off the rails grabbing for cash. History and tradition don't matter. I still hate having Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers in the Big10, but west coast teams, teams we used to play against in the Rose Bowl, just seems bizarro.

Hate it. Hate so much about major college football stuff these days. 

I started watching Ivy League last year. It will have my undivided attention this year. None of this bullshit there. 

https://www.theringer.com/college-football/2022/7/12/23205250/college-football-realignment-mess-usc-ucla-big-ten-sec

I could pull so may quotes...

“Those who had the most power had the least passion,”

True in context of the example and as it applies to the situation with the sport.

"there is no way to look at the events of the past two weeks and think college football in 2032 will be better."

I doubt I will be watching major college football in 2032.

"College football, for the next decade, will be like a small town near a dam, nervous that it could burst at any second but going about its business anyway. Because neither the Big Ten nor the SEC wants to be the first to rip the Band-Aid off (and because no conference knows how many teams it’ll stop at), we’ll get piecemeal departures over the course of more than a decade. Everyone will hate it and no one will stop trying to do it."

I have to and will find a way out of this

“Maximizing its potential hinges on the consumption from a national market rather than a regional one,” Klatt said. What these conferences are betting on is that there are enough meaningful national matchups that the product will be better overall, and that USC-Rutgers is a tax the viewer will happily pay in order to get USC–Ohio State that same season."

I don't care for or even want Ohio State vs USC

"...compelling TV matchups in the fall can feed a 12-month ecosystem"

Growth is a dirty word because it always has to be chased and once you chase it that is all that matters. More more more. 'They' think this is the ticket to growth, take the sport national...will a national audience care if the regional audience finds something else to do? I'm telling you I'm a lost viewer...maybe they gain more to overtake people like me, maybe. The sport is going to become a made for TV event and made for TV events tend to be sterile and orchestrated to achieve a certain end rather than what seems natural or traditional - they make what they want it to be. Instead of calling it college football Big Ten or SEC, might as well just call it the FOX or ESPN league and hope fans keep coming to the games or else they can get more sponsors to pay for tarps to cover empty seats - hey, it's money all the same so what's the difference?

The people that make the decisions at the TV companies and the school presidents think they are doing the right thing that will bring them more revenue.  But really what they are doing, have been doing, is alienating their sports most passionate fans like myself, hopefully it blows up in their faces.  Meanwhile I watch college football, but major college football I couldn't care less about these days.

@nebish

Yeah, I don't get the arms race here. Their idea of "growth" and in-season matchups might look good on paper, but alumni and fans won't care for another 10 years. There is a ceiling on college football.

“Maximizing its potential hinges on the consumption from a national market rather than a regional one,” Klatt said. What these conferences are betting on is that there are enough meaningful national matchups that the product will be better overall, and that USC-Rutgers is a tax the viewer will happily pay in order to get USC–Ohio State that same season."

This is a gross overestimation of college football "markets". Yes, fans want to see USC-OSU...but in a bowl game in January (which there are already way too many of). Wisconsin-Rutgers will never be a BIG10 game to me (I still consider PSU the "new kids"). Maybe in a generation the old rivalries won't matter, but on campus they do. It's a big cash grab for TV money and it's going to blow up in their faces.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34312585/commissioner-george-kliavkoff-pac-12-steady-usc-ucla-departures

"I'd say UCLA is in really difficult position," Kliavkoff said. "There are a lot of constituents related to UCLA who are very, very, very unhappy with the decision. Student-athletes, the families of student-athletes, the faculty, the staff, politicians, the fans, the alumni, there's a lot of really, really upset people with that decision and there's a hearing coming up [with the UC board of regents] about that decision.

If you're a prospective student athlete and thinking about playing at UCLA, do you want to get on a plane 5 times a year to fly to the midwest for conference games? If you're UCLA alumni are you going to go to Columbus?

It's just sad to me.

There has always been shifting and changes, realignment and expansion.  Different systems and schedules and TV packages.  Nothing stays the same.  I get that.  But the seismic shifts that have been occurring in major college football have such a damaging effect for those outside of the SEC and Big Ten.  What is to become of a program like Texas Tech or Washington State?  Pull the two biggest draws out of the Big Xll and PAC 12 and the rest of those teams struggle for relevance and in some ways survival when the revenue cuts are factored.

To say that I hate where this sport is going might be the biggest understatement I have ever made. I have loved college football more than the Allman Brothers Band.  I have loved college football more than some of my family members.  And it is not just a team, as I don't have a team.  It's everything that I think makes the sport great...the tradition, the rivalries, the students at the games, the crazy upsets, the conference title races, seeing bad teams grow and accomplish winning seasons and seeing good teams face adversity.  It's the anticipation for a Minnesota-Iowa game just as much as it is for a Penn State - Ohio State game or a USC - Oregon State game just as much as it might be for a Texas - Georgia game or Tulsa - Rice.  It's everyone, it's Vanderbilt, it's Rutgers, it's Middle Tennessee State, Kansas State, Bowling Green, Air Force, UTEP.

There are definite improvements that should've and could've been made long ago.  But as we can see, letting media companies essentially control everything is going to just result in what they want, which would be potentially 3 Georgia - Alabama games a year or 3 Ohio State - Michigan games a year (maybe once in regular season, maybe once in league title game and maybe a third time in a playoff).  I mean, Georgia - Alabama is great and all, but once makes it special.  Two or three times in the same year and it's just like gluttony - it's too much of a good thing to the point the good thing isn't special any more.

They want to create as many marque games vs marque teams as possible and you just can't create what is special.  USC and Ohio State meeting in a Rose Bowl or an occasional nonconference game makes it special.  Creating a conference where they could potentially play eachother every year, every other year or every third year and it's not anything special. 

I don't know, I'm just really upset.

And now they might allow players to transfer an unlimited number of times.  Unlimited! A player's right and ability to transfer is good, but there should be some rules on it.  No, NCAA afraid of getting sued again, so just do whatever you want. 

Name, Image and Likeness enticing players on other teams to transfer to a different program because they are being offered better deals.  NIL is a great and appropriate way for student athletes to capitalize on their talents, but as these things go, the unintended consequences are "hey we can get you more money if you just leave that team you're on and come to our team".

Different people have different opinions on how the playoff should be constructed, but the talk most recently from the B1G commissioner isn't about just 8 or 12, Kevin Warren said "16 is out there".  16.  Wow.  How many teams from the Big Ten or SEC might be included in that...shouldn't the games they just played be used to determine who can get the playoff...or if we get 4 Big Ten teams, what did those games even mean? 

14 team leagues, 16 team leagues, larger?  More and more the teams competing for their league titles are based on who they don't play, who isn't on their schedule.  You have a 16 team league that means there are 15 league opponents for any given team...how many of their peers should they not be playing a year?  12 game schedule, 3 non-con games and that means that only 9 of 15 of your league opponents can be on the schedule.  And they want to go even bigger?

USC and UCLA no longer playing PAC8/10/12 teams?  Texas and OU not playing Texas Tech or Oklahoma State?  Those were great games, great rivalries with great stories and traditions through the years, just thrown away because the TV companies can make more money by making them play some other teams.

It's just losing me.  I really have been reading up on the Ivy League.  I'm even making a preview using Microsoft Publisher.  It's kind of fun.  It's more of what I think college football should really be about (other than the lack of fan support outside of the few key big games).  I am still prepping for the 131 FBS teams, but it's different.  I'm transitioning away from needing major college football in my life and that is an enormous change.  It will go on without me, but neither of us will ever be the same.

Couldn't agree more Nebish, everything is just so diluted, no loyalties anywhere it's just how much is in it for us/me? Nebraska was in the Big Eight (remember that conference?) and recruited according to that conference's style of play/weather etc. Then off to the Big 12. Start recruiting differently, trying to adapt. Hold the phone, now it's off to the B1G (with more teams than the conference name) and now they snatch USC & UCLA? I don't know if it even stops there. 16 conference teams, talk of no divisions anymore....

Our rivalry game used to be OU. Then you sorta kinda get Texas in the mix. Then, well, maybe I guess Iowa. Going forward as you mentioned you might play a conference team every three years, in your own conference! Sad.

@oldcoot 

There's a lot to what you said. Rivalries? What are those? I used to love the Nebraska/OU games. Tom Osborne vs. Barry Switzer. I think I might have this coffee table book about that which I bought when I was a kid. I swear, if Bo and Woody saw what has become of The Big Ten (or whatever it is) they would go nuts. I can't imagine Michigan and Ohio State not playing each other annually so we could play whoever they bring into the conference.

Regarding The Big Ten, when Penn State entered I couldn't believe it but I guess I eventually got used to it. Actually, that one doesn't bother me as Penn State at least is a midwestern school. Maryland and Rutgers? Really? All so TV can grab the media dollars. 

And the SEC? How the hell is Texas in the southeast part of the country?

Less than 18 days until week 0 games!

Lined games (I think it is showing Mtn Time Zone on these)

Less than 2 weeks to go!

You guys want to do our traditional pick'em league again (est 2009)?  Yahoo would likely start week 1 (Labor Day Weekend games), not week 0  There were only 6 last year, I could open it up to some other non-ABB players if we want a bigger pool.  Or we can just keep it in-house.  Lee, the guy who never wants to play...won last year!  It was a good battle last year with just 3 games separating 1st-3rd.

I would play ... 

I'm sure DanB would play for a couple of weeks ....  

Members who played last year will receive an email invite.  Others can join like this:

1. Need a free yahoo user id and log in

2. Join private group here -

https://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/college/register/joingroup

3. group id: 3614    -    password: ncaa

Group name is UK is a football school 😉

Past winners:

2021 - Lee

2020 - non-yahoo pool, mixed with nonmembers, ABB members finished 3rd-6th

2019 - Sang

2018 - nebish

2017 - oldcoot

2016 - nebish / kirbyskids (Dannyspell) (yahoo tie break goes to nebish)

2015 - Village Dawg (hoffcl)

2014 - nebish

2013 - DanB

2012 - alloak41

2011 - Wharfrat

2010 - non ABB member (leafsfan friend)

2009 - Bird

Okay Scott - 

I don't never want to play. I just like having some skin in the game. I think I have said that before. I thought so anyway. But I did enter again. Looks like there have been no repeat winners. I don't recall the rules. Is this straight up or against the spread? 

I have one bet for the college season. I bet a buddy (Illinois grad) on who would win the Big 10 (or whatever the hell it is now) on who will win the conference this year. I gave him first pick. Only caveat was we couldn't take Ohio State. He took Michigan State so I took Michigan. If he had taken Michigan I don't know who I would have taken. Probably Penn State but it doesn't look like they are going to have a great season. I don't even think they are ranked.

@sang at least

Posted by: @lee

Okay Scott - 

I don't never want to play. I just like having some skin in the game. I think I have said that before. I thought so anyway. But I did enter again. Looks like there have been no repeat winners. I don't recall the rules. Is this straight up or against the spread? 

I have one bet for the college season. I bet a buddy (Illinois grad) on who would win the Big 10 (or whatever the hell it is now) on who will win the conference this year. I gave him first pick. Only caveat was we couldn't take Ohio State. He took Michigan State so I took Michigan. If he had taken Michigan I don't know who I would have taken. Probably Penn State but it doesn't look like they are going to have a great season. I don't even think they are ranked.

Yeah, I'm just busting some balls.  You always say why you care more about your other pursuits, but hey, what better place would you want to pick some games...just too bad some of the other long-time members aren't here to play still.  I tried reaching out to several last year.  fast43 did play last year, thought the title of our league would crack a smile in light of the recent Stoops - Calipari stuff.

The rules are the same as always.  The picks are ATS.  The lines yahoo posts will change throughout the week.  The final number posted is what the pick will be graded against.  You have 5 minutes before each game to make a pick.  The list of games is the "yahoo default" set.  If a point spread says "off" that means you just pick the straight up winner.  Sometimes on large spreads or if the line was off the board for part of the week then yahoo just doesn't post one and you still need to pick the game, in that instance of "off" you're just picking the SU winner.

On your bet who will win the Big Ten, assuming Ohio State will win the league, then is your bet just a scratch or will you determine the winner based on what team has the better record in the standings?

@nebish 

Oh I know you are chopping on me. 😉 But I do pay more attention to other pools if I have multiple ones.

Regarding the rules, I couldn't remember if it was straight up. These are the same rules I had forever in my NFL pick em league. I like that. Anyone can probably pick a winner.

Getting more into the pool? How many people are even on the site? Not many. Too bad.

As to my bet, If Michigan or MSU doesn't win, bet is off. I would think everyone would bet on OSU to win the conference. 

Oh look, @DanB woke up ...  

Sent invites to Wharfrat and Fast43 on FB ... anybody else you can think of?

Posted by: @sang

Sent invites to Wharfrat and Fast43 on FB ... anybody else you can think of?

I don't know how to do that.  Yahoo only has an invite feature that uses email addresses.  I'd be fine if you reached out to anyone.

Chuck has joined.  Bill played last year.  Chris (hoffcl) has played for a very long time.  They all have favorite teams and follow the sport, so I would think they might want to play.

Alan responded to me last year and politely declined as has Steve.

Now cmgst34 I would think might want to play as I know he is into making picks and betting stuff.

Beyond that, I don't know now.  I made a big attempt to reach bhawk (OU fan) and fensranger (Florida fan) and some others last year, but they didn't respond or come around now.

Maybe Rusty would play?  Porkchopbob I think likes cfb, but he has always declined. Robslob is a San Jose fan, I don't think he is interested either...I think he was moving to El Paso or something?  Go Miners!

I'll pm bhawk on Facebook to see if he's interested

Like I said, how many people actually participate in the site anymore anyhow? Not to try to belabor that point but if you have to go to Facebook to ask people I would think that should be telling.

Does Otie like college football?  

Just trying to get enough people to make it fun.  Maybe some of those people will check in again to see wott we are saying about them.

Not everybody has time to be on many different social media platforms to check in on their different interests or groups of friends.  I pretty much check in here and on Facebook.  I have an Instagram account basically for family members that post pictures.  I do not bother (or have an account) with Twitter or TikTok or any of the other platforms.  Even AARP and my medicare supplement plan have social media groups for me to sign up for. I'd rather play golf ...

But I also enjoy nebish's pools and the NFL pools that I set up just for something to do in the fall and winter and because I can tend to be competitive once I join something ... and I enjoy the banter and trash talking once in a while - especially at DanB's expense ...  

@sang 

I understand, not trying to tell you what to post or anything. And busting balls makes it fun. 😛