American Sports Thread

[gallsman]

I did too, and it is something I've been wondering for ages why others haven't done it. A hail mary is just that, whereas this was almost set up like a punt return, but only having to beat 8 players instead of 11. Loved it.

I'd love to see a rugby style passing movement tried as well. I think if you're on the half way line, and can set up a screen or even a pitch to the side, I bet you'd make 20 or 30 yards if you set up like a rugby back line and passed the ball that way.

DJ Swearinger ran back a failed two point conversion for the redskins against the seahawks and tried a lateral out of the blue. They almost made it too!

[magpie seanie]

I did too, and it is something I've been wondering for ages why others haven't done it. A hail mary is just that, whereas this was almost set up like a punt return, but only having to beat 8 players instead of 11. Loved it.

I'd love to see a rugby style passing movement tried as well. I think if you're on the half way line, and can set up a screen or even a pitch to the side, I bet you'd make 20 or 30 yards if you set up like a rugby back line and passed the ball that way.

DJ Swearinger ran back a failed two point conversion for the redskins against the seahawks and tried a lateral out of the blue. They almost made it too!

Yeah, there were a few laterals in that move and they nearly got there.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Sad news yesterday with the death of former MLB pitcher Roy Halladay - who died when his private plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

One of the best pitchers of the last 15 years and probably my favourite Blue Jay - I would always base my ticket purchases for games he was pitching in.

RIP Doc

[J70]

Apparently he'd only bought that wee plane a couple of weeks ago.

[TabClear]

Another crazy and in the Seattle game. Great stones from Cousins.

The chiefs scored with an absolutely brilliant disguised play against the cowboys

That KC play was excellent, really enjoyed watching it.

Great to see something different. Is it just me or are there much fewer trick plays this year like fake punts, direct snaps etc.  I have not seen as many live games this year as normal so it may be the highlights shows only show the successful ones but it does seem that coaches are being more cautious.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Apparently he'd only bought that wee plane a couple of weeks ago.

Yeah - he'd had his pilots licence for a while though - in fact he posted some videos on Twitter over the weekend flying it

[Minder]

Another crazy and in the Seattle game. Great stones from Cousins.

The chiefs scored with an absolutely brilliant disguised play against the cowboys

That KC play was excellent, really enjoyed watching it.

Great to see something different. Is it just me or are there much fewer trick plays this year like fake punts, direct snaps etc.  I have not seen as many live games this year as normal so it may be the highlights shows only show the successful ones but it does seem that coaches are being more cautious.

Read something the other day that since training camp 12 teams have had to make alternative plans with their starting QB, so the playbook gets shrunk somewhat when you have a backup starting. Hundley the prime example the other day for Packers v Lions, think his furthest throw travelled 9 yards, and most of them where under 5 yds. Might be something to do with it

[magpie seanie]

Another crazy and in the Seattle game. Great stones from Cousins.

The chiefs scored with an absolutely brilliant disguised play against the cowboys

That KC play was excellent, really enjoyed watching it.

Great to see something different. Is it just me or are there much fewer trick plays this year like fake punts, direct snaps etc.  I have not seen as many live games this year as normal so it may be the highlights shows only show the successful ones but it does seem that coaches are being more cautious.

Read something the other day that since training camp 12 teams have had to make alternative plans with their starting QB, so the playbook gets shrunk somewhat when you have a backup starting. Hundley the prime example the other day for Packers v Lions, think his furthest throw travelled 9 yards, and most of them where under 5 yds. Might be something to do with it

Hundley has been a terrible disappointment and would make you believe Stew's contention that the Packers are badly coached. A guy that they obviously rate who is 3 years in their system should be able to do more. I hope I'm not teeing him up to go off on Sunday!!!!

[Therealdonald]

Not up on the rules, AZ, but I don't think anyone has to down the ball, but wouldn't put any money on that opinion.

As for Wisconsin, even if they go unbeaten, I can't see the committee leapfrogging over Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame or Oklahoma if they don't lose any more (assuming GA and AL play in SEC c'ship and it's close).  Wisconsin will have beaten only one top 25 team at most.  Not an impressive resume.

If the top 4 win out (with Georgia and Alabama obviously having 1 loss when they play for the SEC), there's no way that the committee overlooks Notre Dame. A Notre Dame vs Alabama final is the stuff CFB dreams are made off.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Until they actually play other - and we remember the last time that happened

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_BCS_National_Championship_Game

[Minder]

Another crazy and in the Seattle game. Great stones from Cousins.

The chiefs scored with an absolutely brilliant disguised play against the cowboys

That KC play was excellent, really enjoyed watching it.

Great to see something different. Is it just me or are there much fewer trick plays this year like fake punts, direct snaps etc.  I have not seen as many live games this year as normal so it may be the highlights shows only show the successful ones but it does seem that coaches are being more cautious.

Read something the other day that since training camp 12 teams have had to make alternative plans with their starting QB, so the playbook gets shrunk somewhat when you have a backup starting. Hundley the prime example the other day for Packers v Lions, think his furthest throw travelled 9 yards, and most of them where under 5 yds. Might be something to do with it

Hundley has been a terrible disappointment and would make you believe Stew's contention that the Packers are badly coached. A guy that they obviously rate who is 3 years in their system should be able to do more. I hope I'm not teeing him up to go off on Sunday!!!!

The more he plays the less he is worth in trade value

[AZOffaly]

Not up on the rules, AZ, but I don't think anyone has to down the ball, but wouldn't put any money on that opinion.

As for Wisconsin, even if they go unbeaten, I can't see the committee leapfrogging over Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame or Oklahoma if they don't lose any more (assuming GA and AL play in SEC c'ship and it's close).  Wisconsin will have beaten only one top 25 team at most.  Not an impressive resume.

If the top 4 win out (with Georgia and Alabama obviously having 1 loss when they play for the SEC), there's no way that the committee overlooks Notre Dame. A Notre Dame vs Alabama final is the stuff CFB dreams are made off.

It is if Alabama don't blow them out like they did back in 2012. Shudder.

If the top 4 all win out, they are probably in (obviously notwithstanding Alabama or Georgia picking up a loss versus each other), but Oklahoma will be fairly pissed off if they beat Ohio State, Oklahoma State, TCU and Oklahoma St or TCU again in the title game in the Big XII. Likewise Wisconsin if they remain unbeaten, but strength of schedule probably will keep them out if all the others maintain. Washington is another sneaky one. They have 1 loss at the moment, and will likely have to beat Stanford and USC to win the PAC 12, so if there is carnage elsewhere they might get in. There's going to be several twists in the road before then though, and I still find it hard to believe ND will go unbeaten all the way.

Another factor is how the teams ND beat get on between now and the end. The strength of schedule weakens with every loss NC State, USC, Michigan State and Stanford take. Now beating Miami this weekend would be serious, but ND has no conference championship game, so it needs the strength of schedule to look as strong at the end as it does now. Barring mitigating factors like QBs being injured or whatever, The committee looks at the strength of schedule of the teams as they do each ranking, not the ranking of the team when you played them. So if USC, Stanford and NC State, for example, fall out of the top 25, those wins are diminished. This is very important for teams without Conference championship games. The criteria states that where a non-conference champion is being ranked versus a conference champion, the committee has to believe the non-champion is UNEQUIVOCALLY better than the conference champion. This is what they used last year for Ohio State to out rank Penn State. This year, if the head to head is not applicable, say Georgia ND, or Georgia Alabama, or ND Miami, then they will be looking at strength of schedule, and a Big 12 Champion with 1 loss, but wins away to Ohio State, away to Oklahoma State and versus TCU and one of those teams again, will be hard to top for Strength of Schedule. 

[Syferus]

Auburn would be very hard to ignore with wins against Georgia x2 and Bama. That would really make a mess of things.

[AZOffaly]

Auburn would be very hard to ignore with wins against Georgia x2 and Bama. That would really make a mess of things.

Absolutely, I meant to say that. And likewise they might help free up a spot. If Auburn beat Georgia this weekend, and then lose to Alabama, and then Alabama beats Georgia, suddenly you have a 2 loss Georgia which probably doesn't get in.

Auburn is a very dangerous 2 loss team.

[AZOffaly]

Here's my prediction

Notre Dame loses this weekend in Miami, and are out.
Miami loses the ACC Championship game to Clemson.
Auburn beats Georgia this weekend.
Alabama beats Auburn next weekend. (I think)
Alabama beat Georgia in SEC game.
Oklahoma beats TCU, and either OK State or TCU  in the Big XII game.
Washington to win the PAC12 North, and beat USC in the PAC 12 game.
Ohio State to beat Wisconsin in the Big 10 game.

So 12-1 Washington is PAC 12 Champion
12-1 Oklahoma is Big XII Champion
11-2 Ohio State is Big 10 Champion
13-0 Alabama is SEC Champion
12-1 Clemson is ACC Champion.

Oklahoma, Alabama, Clemson and either Washington/Georgia or Ohio State gets in.

Thoughts?