American Sports Thread

[AZOffaly]

Bills beating the Chiefs in Arrowhead the standout result this week. You have to doubt both the front office and Sean McDermott's credentials as a coach after last week's car crash. Taylor's an Alex Smith, a game manager who won't turn the ball over and can get a decent team over the line. But the Bills seem to think they need the next Aaron Rodgers, when it's more likely they're going to end up with the next Brady Quinn or RG3.

Edit: Wtf happened with the Vols and Sciano?! Incredible 180 in a matter of hours.

Looks like there was a bit of blowback from Vols fans and boosters about Sciano and his involvement in the Penn State abuse issues.

[stringbean]

Well, the Army-Navy game apart, we've reached the end of the College Football Regular Season. Hard to believe. Next weekend is a brilliant weekend as well, with the Conference Championships, and there's still quite a lot of pulling and shoving that can happen. The Conference state of play is as follows....

SEC Conference Championship Game - Atlanta - 9pm Saturday Irish Time
Auburn 10-2  v Georgia 11-1.

ACC Conference Championship Game - Charlotte 1am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Clemson 11-1 v Miami 10-1

Big 10 Championship Game - Indianapolis 1am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Ohio State 10-2 v Wisconsin 12-0

Pac 12 Championship Game - Santa Clara - Thursday Night/Friday Morning 1am Irish Time
Stanford 9-3 v USC 10-2

Big XII Championship Game - Jerry World - 5.30pm Saturday Irish Time
Oklahoma 11-1 v TCU 10-2

The Playoff Spots are still up for grabs and the potential for carnage exists if results go the wrong way. It's not inconceivable that 4 of power 5 conferences might have 2 loss (or worse!) conference champions if TCU, Ohio State and Auburn win. The ACC Champion will have 1 loss, and will be in. The SEC Champion will be in, regardless of Auburn's two losses to date, as to be honest they looked like a #1 team against both Georgia and Alabama. Both those games were in Jordan Hare though, so it will be interesting to see the rematch in Atlanta this weekend. After that though, it's up for grabs. If Oklahoma wins, they are in. If TCU wins, then it gets messy. Stanford or USC are both out anyway you would have think. The Big 10 is very interesting too. If Wisconsin wins, I cannot see them being left out. Undefeated Power 5 Conference Champion, even with a less than impressive schedule, has to be in surely. However, if Ohio State wins, then the cat will be among the pigeons. The elephant in the room (pun intended) is a 1 loss Alabama. Auburn made them look ordinary on Saturday, but will the committee take the injuries into consideration if they end up comparing them versus a 2 loss Ohio State for example?

If it were me, knowing the guideline about Conference Champions being a key differentiator barring an obvious disparity (which ironically the Committee used in Ohio State's favour last year) I think I would go ACC Champion, SEC Champion, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
If Oklahoma Lose I would go ACC, SEC, Alabama, Wisconsin
If Wisconsin Lose I would go ACC, SEC, Oklahoma, Ohio State
If both Wisconsin and Oklahoma Lose I would go ACC, SEC, Alabama, Ohio State



The smaller conference championship games are
AAC Championship Game - Orlando - 5pm Saturday Irish Time
Memphis 10-1 v UCF 11-0

Conference USA Championship Game - Boca Raton - 5pm Saturday Irish Time
FAU 9-3 v North Texas 9-3

MAC Championship Game - Detroit - 5pm Saturday Irish Time
Akron 7-5 v Toledo 10-2

Mountain West Championship Game - Boise 12.30am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Boise State 9-3 v Fresno State 9-3

Sun Belt Champiopnship Game - Arkansas 12.30am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Troy 9-2 v Arkansas State 7-3

Think this year will really put the Playoff Committee concept to the test. If any of Oklahama, Wisconsin or Clemson doesn't win then chaos will ensue and if the committee's early season rankings were anything to go by, anything could happen!!!

Better than the BCS system - I'm not convinced but does give fantastic entertainment!!

[Syferus]

Well, the Army-Navy game apart, we've reached the end of the College Football Regular Season. Hard to believe. Next weekend is a brilliant weekend as well, with the Conference Championships, and there's still quite a lot of pulling and shoving that can happen. The Conference state of play is as follows....

SEC Conference Championship Game - Atlanta - 9pm Saturday Irish Time
Auburn 10-2  v Georgia 11-1.

ACC Conference Championship Game - Charlotte 1am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Clemson 11-1 v Miami 10-1

Big 10 Championship Game - Indianapolis 1am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Ohio State 10-2 v Wisconsin 12-0

Pac 12 Championship Game - Santa Clara - Thursday Night/Friday Morning 1am Irish Time
Stanford 9-3 v USC 10-2

Big XII Championship Game - Jerry World - 5.30pm Saturday Irish Time
Oklahoma 11-1 v TCU 10-2

The Playoff Spots are still up for grabs and the potential for carnage exists if results go the wrong way. It's not inconceivable that 4 of power 5 conferences might have 2 loss (or worse!) conference champions if TCU, Ohio State and Auburn win. The ACC Champion will have 1 loss, and will be in. The SEC Champion will be in, regardless of Auburn's two losses to date, as to be honest they looked like a #1 team against both Georgia and Alabama. Both those games were in Jordan Hare though, so it will be interesting to see the rematch in Atlanta this weekend. After that though, it's up for grabs. If Oklahoma wins, they are in. If TCU wins, then it gets messy. Stanford or USC are both out anyway you would have think. The Big 10 is very interesting too. If Wisconsin wins, I cannot see them being left out. Undefeated Power 5 Conference Champion, even with a less than impressive schedule, has to be in surely. However, if Ohio State wins, then the cat will be among the pigeons. The elephant in the room (pun intended) is a 1 loss Alabama. Auburn made them look ordinary on Saturday, but will the committee take the injuries into consideration if they end up comparing them versus a 2 loss Ohio State for example?

If it were me, knowing the guideline about Conference Champions being a key differentiator barring an obvious disparity (which ironically the Committee used in Ohio State's favour last year) I think I would go ACC Champion, SEC Champion, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
If Oklahoma Lose I would go ACC, SEC, Alabama, Wisconsin
If Wisconsin Lose I would go ACC, SEC, Oklahoma, Ohio State
If both Wisconsin and Oklahoma Lose I would go ACC, SEC, Alabama, Ohio State



The smaller conference championship games are
AAC Championship Game - Orlando - 5pm Saturday Irish Time
Memphis 10-1 v UCF 11-0

Conference USA Championship Game - Boca Raton - 5pm Saturday Irish Time
FAU 9-3 v North Texas 9-3

MAC Championship Game - Detroit - 5pm Saturday Irish Time
Akron 7-5 v Toledo 10-2

Mountain West Championship Game - Boise 12.30am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Boise State 9-3 v Fresno State 9-3

Sun Belt Champiopnship Game - Arkansas 12.30am Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Irish Time
Troy 9-2 v Arkansas State 7-3

Think this year will really put the Playoff Committee concept to the test. If any of Oklahama, Wisconsin or Clemson doesn't win then chaos will ensue and if the committee's early season rankings were anything to go by, anything could happen!!!

Better than the BCS system - I'm not convinced but does give fantastic entertainment!!

Based on your choices, those are absolute gimme selections along with the SEC champions. The fun happens if Ohio State, TCU win their conferences.

[AZOffaly]

Think this year will really put the Playoff Committee concept to the test. If any of Oklahama, Wisconsin or Clemson doesn't win then chaos will ensue and if the committee's early season rankings were anything to go by, anything could happen!!!

Better than the BCS system - I'm not convinced but does give fantastic entertainment!!

Based on your choices, those are absolute gimme selections along with the SEC champions. The fun happens if Ohio State, TCU win their conferences.

Even just Ohio State. If, say, Clemson, Oklahoma and Auburn win, then that's 3 spots straight away. So what do you do with a 2 loss Big 10 Champion, versus a 1 loss Alabama.

[Therealdonald]

Boys, i read there about about the jags and cardinals. Done a 6 team accum. Got it up but was on beer, looked online and jags were 12/5 +2.5....threw my winnings on it....Bortles and Doug Marrone need the hangman's noose.

About the CFB, I really really hope Bama get in just so they have to meet the Sooners. And Baker destroys St Nick's army. How much will tradition play into CFB committee mind though?

[Syferus]

Boys, i read there about about the jags and cardinals. Done a 6 team accum. Got it up but was on beer, looked online and jags were 12/5 +2.5....threw my winnings on it....Bortles and Doug Marrone need the hangman's noose.

About the CFB, I really really hope Bama get in just so they have to meet the Sooners. And Baker destroys St Nick's army. How much will tradition play into CFB committee mind though?

Alabama probably beats most teams if given near a month to recover from injuries.

My punts for the semi-finals are #1 Clemson v #4 Alabama and #2 Auburn v #3 Oklahoma.

Ohio State to ruin Wisconsin's run to the CFP (on the back of feasting on minnows) and their own gaudy loss to Iowa meaning Bama (losing away to the SEC champions) are the obvious choice for #4. The committee will avoid re-matching Clemson and Auburn again, and the same goes for another Iron Bowl repeat.

[Therealdonald]

Boys, i read there about about the jags and cardinals. Done a 6 team accum. Got it up but was on beer, looked online and jags were 12/5 +2.5....threw my winnings on it....Bortles and Doug Marrone need the hangman's noose.

About the CFB, I really really hope Bama get in just so they have to meet the Sooners. And Baker destroys St Nick's army. How much will tradition play into CFB committee mind though?

Alabama probably beats most teams if given near a month to recover from injuries.

My punts for the semi-finals are #1 Clemson v #4 Alabama and #2 Auburn v #3 Oklahoma.

Ohio State to ruin Wisconsin's run to the CFP (on the back of feasting on minnows) and their own gaudy loss to Iowa meaning Bama (losing away to the SEC champions) are the obvious choice for #4. The committee will avoid re-matching Clemson and Auburn again, and the same goes for another Iron Bowl repeat.

I just can't see Wisconsin losing. I think they have the bounce and the momentum. Ohio St without Barrett won't be the same animal either.

[Oraisteach]

Syf, not sure that Bama are the obvious choice.  You're right, of course, that Ohio State had a catastrophic loss to Iowa, but I think their wins over Penn State, Michigan State and hopefully Wisconsin indicate a stronger strength of schedule than Bama's, something the committee values, as it does a conference champion.  The cynic in me might give OSU the edge in potential TV audience, given that the Buckeye vs Wolverine matchup drew the year's largest TV audience, even though it had a 9 am West coast start time.  I do think OSU's Iowa loss ought to be their death knell, but I'm not convinced that it will be.  Not sure that OSU can beat the Badgers with a hobbled QB or a backup, but then again they did win a national championship with a third-stringer.

I hope the final four are Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and OSU. 

[gallsman]

Eli benched.

[Syferus]

Eli benched.

Being benched for Geno Smith. Doesn't even make sense, Smith isn't the future of anything.

Coach McAwagagoo is going to be benched for good himself next month. Horrible hire.

[AZOffaly]

Season is over. I can see you might bench Eli to see what you have before draft. But Geno?? I presume Webb will be in quick.

[Minder]

Just saw a clip with Manning being interviewed about being benched, very emotional. You would think the Giants clean house, McAdoo & Reese for starters

[Minder]

Season is over. I can see you might bench Eli to see what you have before draft. But Geno?? I presume Webb will be in quick.

Tanking maybe, to ensure they get Eli's successor in the draft

[Syferus]

Season is over. I can see you might bench Eli to see what you have before draft. But Geno?? I presume Webb will be in quick.

Tanking maybe, to ensure they get Eli's successor in the draft

This coaching staff isn't going to be there to pick in the draft. There's no building for the future going on here, just utter desperation. Webb must be fairly shîte if Geno gets in before him.

[Declan]

https://omny.fm/shows/mike-francesa/mike-francesa-destroys-ben-mcadoo

You gotta love the OTT analysis