College football

[Ben]

Even though my alma mater sucks like a bilge, this has been an unusually compelling year for college football.

I wish like the dickens that the playoff system were starting this year instead of next. A four-team playoff between Oregon, K-State, Notre Dame and IMO, Alabama, would be March Madness on steroids, EPO, HGH and those weird brown pills you can only get in Mexico. So much variation in styles, plus near-perfect regional and conference diversity. If you don't want to see Barner vs. the Bama defense, or Optimus Klein vs. ND, you're just not that into football.

Also, if Johnny Manziel doesn't at least get invited to the Heisman ceremony, the whole thing will be a trav-a-sham-mockery. The guy is on pace to have one of the greatest individual seasons ever, and is doing so under unbelievable pressure as a redshirt freshman on a team that was thoroughly average last year. Compare his numbers to Vick, Newton and Tebow. You'll be stunned.

What say you, VSalon?

[Ben]

Somehow I miss doug's Johnny Football thread. Mea culpa. I suck.

[holliscx]

Is your alma mater Knoxville?

I freaking love some Alabama football - love Saban's coaching style and emphasis on defense - but agree with your point about a playoff. March Madness is close to as good as it gets and a college football playoff would be electrifying whereas the BCS bowl games are fodder right now.

[Ben]

Is your alma mater Knoxville?

Yep. [Siiiiigh.]

I freaking love some Alabama football - love Saban's coaching style and emphasis on defense - but agree with your point about a playoff. March Madness is close to as good as it gets and a college football playoff would be electrifying whereas the BCS bowl games are fodder right now.

I just can't see loving Saban. I can see loving winning, and accepting Saban as the route to that. I've often said that I can't stand Spurrier, but would love him if he had coached at UT. I just can't get there with the Angriest Dwarf.

[GWColo]

Ugh, local college football is even worse here in Colo. All three major colleges are terrible this year. I think a combined 7 wins so far. So we're all about the pros. God Bless Peyton Freaking Manning.

[holliscx]

I just can't see loving Saban.

Love how Nick Saban carries himself and his team. He lets the teams' play and their winning speaks for itself.

Peerless Price played WR when I was at Sewanee - the whole state shuts down when Tennessee plays football.

[NHWolverine]

This season needs 2 things: ND to drop @USC and Ohio State to lose one of their last 2. Otherwise, we'll never hear the end of how the BCS snubbed the Domers and denied OSU of a Title shot by unfairly sanctioning them.

If you haven't figured it out, I'm a Michigan fan.

[holliscx]

ND, Michigan, and OSU have never appealed to me I don't know why that is but I have a strong bias against all three teams in that order

[Ben]

Love how Nick Saban carries himself and his team. He lets the teams' play and their winning speaks for itself.

Peerless Price played WR when I was at Sewanee - the whole state shuts down when Tennessee plays football.

Whoa whoa whoa. You were at Sewanee in the late 90s? I'd bet we have friends in common.

Any Notre Dame fan who complains about being screwed can piss up a rope. The 90s were The Decade of Notre Dame Perpetually Being Ranked Laughably High in the Preseason. The BCS has a freaking Notre Dame Rule, FFS.

Also, Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer can both bite me in the crack. They're two sides to the same coin, only Urban's won something.

[Mike Marley]

Any Notre Dame fan who complains about being screwed can piss up a rope. The 90s were The Decade of Notre Dame Perpetually Being Ranked Laughably High in the Preseason. The BCS has a freaking Notre Dame Rule, FFS.

In the immortal letters of James Joyce, "KMRIA"

[holliscx]

Whoa whoa whoa. You were at Sewanee in the late 90s? I'd bet we have friends in common.

Yes sir. One or two classmates used to ride Litespeeds to class - I am still jealous. But yeah was on the mountain 1993-97 including two summers. Ran cross country and track.

[Ben]

In the immortal letters of James Joyce, "KMRIA"

In the immortal words of Lou Holtz, "Kissh my assh."

[maunahaole]

ND football is only relevant now due to a Mormon kid from Hawaii.

[Ben]

ND football is only relevant now due to a Mormon kid from Hawaii.

Hold it right there. Are you saying that all of Notre Dame's players aren't fine upstanding Catholic boys? I could have sworn Raghib Ismail was a good Irish Catholic name.

[rowdyhillrambler]

You didn't by chance ride with John Siders did you? He rode for Krystal.. One of my best buddies sons is the starting goalie for the soccer team. They told him when they recruited him he wouldnt play until he was a junior, 2 guys in front of him.. By the 3rd game he is there go to guy. He is 18, and i bet monies he goes pro somewhere.

Yes sir. One or two classmates used to ride Litespeeds to class - I am still jealous. But yeah was on the mountain 1993-97 including two summers. Ran cross country and track.

[rowdyhillrambler]

SEC plays football, although, i am not sure what they are doing due east up the big slab.. Knoxville news this morning said Dooley should be looking for part time work.. I like college football, but WTF? UT, got me looking forward to the start of ladies basketball..

[72gmc]

I could have sworn Raghib Ismail was a good Irish Catholic name.

Funny. I believe the last time I sided with ND was when Rocket's all-time-clutch return was called back on a phantom clip against the Promise Keepers.

[Ben]

I'll say this for the Domers: I went to South Bend to see Tennessee play in 2001, a game we won pretty handily. We were the most obnoxious fans you've ever seen - I was knee-walking drunk by 10am and wearing orange pants - and the Notre Dame fans couldn't have been nicer to us. We bounced from tailgate to tailgate and enjoyed more hospitality (read: free booze and food), good-natured trash-talking, and unwarranted female attention than I've ever experienced anywhere. I'm sure it didn't hurt that it was Bob Davie's last year and lots of their fans were hoping we'd win so he'd get fired, but still. If we'd been in Gainesville or Baton Rouge, the police would have stopped looking for our bodies about a decade ago. Nice folks.

[holliscx]

You didn't by chance ride with John Siders did you?

Don't recognize the name

[joosttx]

If Herschel Walker didnt get the Heisman his freshman year, there is no way Johnny should.

Also, an SEC team should be playing for a National Championship. You cannot tell me week in week out ND, Oregon or KState schedule was near as difficult as Alabama's. You could make an arguement for Georgia but I would still consider it a weak one.