Gotta root for the home team. Sure wish Tua was not injured but it should be an interesting game. Question is for who???

I’m very seriously wanting the “Tide” to “Roll”.....right into the loss column! memtb

They have a bunch of excellent athletes, their reserves could start for many teams

The thing is, it really makes no difference which team wins.

Yeah it's just one of the best rivalries in college football, with the top 2 quarterbacks in the country. Don't know what in the hell ya'll do up that way, but bragging rights are a serious matter down here.

Rammer Jammer!!!

I meant as to qualifying for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP beauty contest.

Yeah. "Bragging rights." The only certainty is that whoever wins, some of you will start braying "WE won!"

As if you had even one iota to do with it. Proxy pride is pitiful.

Technically it does make a difference. The winner goes to the SEC championship.

Yawn.

The big game is in Minnesota today. Right now Minnesota is beating penn st, yeah baby.

Unless you were born and raised about 20 mile north of Tiger Stadium.....then it’s “life or death”! memtb

I hope LSU stomps them.

It is a MUST win for Alabama. If they beat LSU, they could loose to Auburn and still go, because head to head, they beat LSU unless they are ranked lower than LSU after loosing to Auburn.

If they loose to LSU, LSU has no more hard games and so they go to the championship.

If LSU looses, and Alabama looses to Auburn, LSU could still go if they end up being ranked higher than Alabama.

If Auburn beats Georgia and Alabama, LSU would probably go.

LSU has more ways to go to the championship than Alabama.

Therefore it is a must win for Alabama.

They will

I’m not quite so optimistic.... I’ve seen LSU “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”! memtb

Beauty of this discussion is, it will be solved today.

But they both go to the play-off.

Big game for 'wish we could play with the big boy' teams, maybe. And I hope Mn. wins.

If either one is a one loss team, they might make the playoffs...... Penn State has not lost yet, but they are behind Mn. in the second half..... and Clemson hasn't lost. So, the loser could be out of the playoffs.

If either of them is a one-loss team they definitely make the play-offs.

I dont think so.... if Clemson, Penn St, and Ohio go undefeated, I think the winner of the SEC will go, but not 2 SEC teams. If either Clemson, Penn St, or Ohio have a loss, then there might be 2 SEC teams. Minnesota is undefeated and leading Penn St, but even undefeated I dont see them in the BCS playoffs.

Penn State is getting beat right now by # 17 Minnesota.
Minnesota is up 31 to 19 at the start of the 4th qtr

Minnesota is beating Penn st 31-19 in the 4th.

Roll Tide!!!

What has 24 legs and 36 teeth?

LSU's starting offense...

The Bama cheering squad!

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!

LOL

Minnesota still winning ... 31-26. 3 and change to go.

15 minutes to Kickoff!!!

They’re playing “Sweet Home Alabama” in the stadium right now and rocking out!

Minnesota just intercepted Penn St in the End Zone!!!
1 minute to go, this ones over!!! Way to go Minnesota!

PSU going down ...

Now go LSU!

Mn just beat Penn St.

State Penn shot themselves in both feet just now. Talk about blowing the game!

Hey, don't get too excited.

This is one game I'd like to see both teams lose.

Geaux Tigers.

Don't know why, but I'm rooting for LSU.

Way to go Minnesota!

This games gonna depend on whether Tua can take off and run or not.

I got a niece that lives up there and always pull for them. Great win.

Roll tide!

Looks like to gophers are going to live the lie another week. Glad they beat molestor [bleep] state though.

I think the tide win in a close one this afternoon.

Since when is phaggot a banned word here?

If LSU defensive doesn't show up, it's gonna be a long day

Must have hurt someone’s feelings!!

1st and goal Bama!!!

Holy Schitt!!!! Tua dropped the damn ball on a TD run and LSU recovers on the 8 yard line.

Melania looking HOT with Trump in the stands!

TD LSU !

Whoooooo-Hoooooo!

Undefeated # 12 Baylor beat TCU 29 to 23 in 3rd OT.

Alabama making way too many mistakes.

I should have said the 'Bama defense.

That was the most offsides call I have ever see ??

LSU Up 10 to zip

Goosey no doubt

If Burrow and LSU win this, I think Burrow gets the Heisman.

Yep

Bama DF finally starting to step up and play.

What a punt return!

TD Tide!!!
Returned the punt for 76 yards!

TD LSU. Tide blocks the extra point. LSU leads 16-7

Burrow looking GOOD.
TD LSU.

Tua seems to be finally getting in rhythm. I think he was pretty rusty coming into the game. Ankle appears to be holding up so far.

LSU LSU LSU

Ought oh! TD ALABAMA!!!

Missed the extra point! LSU leads 16 to 13.

What I found particularly satisfying about that touchdown was that it came about as a result of the defense looking over at the sideline to be told what to do as the ball was snapped. I hate that crap of everything being sent in. There was a (better) time when signaling from the sideline was illegal (it game the coaches another opportunity to circumvent the rules). Of course in that (better) time, there was also limited substitution and the goal posts were still where God intended them to be.

Refs screwed LSU, but they got 3 pts anyway

Giving the tide hell

LSU LSU LSU

They damn sure made up for it on that goal line catch by LSU. Horrible call by the Refs. Moss was clearly out of bounds before the catch. Can’t be the first to touch the ball after that. 😡

I would have to agree. Did they just concern themselves with whether or not he got his foot down after the catch and teauxtally forget about the step out and back in?

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

LSU LSU LSU

LSU Up 33 to 13 at halftime.

Saban gonna need some big time halftime adjustments.

And some serious Red Foreman foot in the ass pep talk.

Did the defensive player tip the ball? I thought he did and if he did, the offensive player was not the first to touch the ball

Evidently so. Clearly they forgot the RULE.

Burrow.
Heisman.

That’s what I saw. Good call.

Well, not too interesting for the Tide at halftime................long way to go though, but the hole is pretty deep.

MM

The bias announcers failed to mention the defensive player touching the ball before Moss caught it.

That kid is Randy Moss’s son.

It's been a good game so far, but still a long way to go. I think the difference so far has been that Alabama hasn't played anyone, while LSU has played 3 teams that were ranked in the top ten. Gonna be interesting to see what Alabama does now that they aren't leading by 20 or more at halftime.

Geaux Tigers!

Geaux Tigers.....Wow! Keep your foot on the gas Burrow! I love it.

Bama is just playing awful. Killing themselves. Tua fumbles on air, interception nullified because of 12 players, Tua slides short of the first down......LSU is a GREAT team, Bama is lucky they're only down 20.

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!

I ain’t count’n my chickens yet! But, it’s look’n pretty good! Geaux Tigers!!! memtb

yep

Geaux Tigers, still have another half to play

I agree, Todd.

Bama’s season wins haven’t all been against top tier teams. And it’s showing.

But I never count Sabin out. If he can’t get them kick started for the second half, he’s done.

DF

Dadgum it

INT Bama!!!

Well good tackle by Burrow

Travelingman1: Turned the #2 LSU vs. #3 Tide game off a long time ago - watching the much more exciting #13 Wisconsin vs. #18 Iowa game.
Who is ranked #1 by the way?
I hope your "Tide" team can come back but the crawler on the bottom of my screen shows the score NOT looking good for your Tidesters.
Better luck next time.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Still early but maybe...

OSU.
Who, like bama, has not played a top 10.
Won’t be after today.

Reckon Saban is wishing he had Jalen Hurts back at QB right about now ???

TD Bama!!!

Heck of a throw by Tua ...

Bama’s running back Harris is amazing.

He’ll be a top ten NFL draft pick.

Another great throw. Tua in rhythm now.

Bad as I hate to say it... Bama is looking good. LSU defense got to tighten up and the offense needs to score

#22 is a bad dude

Yep. TD Bama!!!

LSU leads 33 to 27. 14:33 left in the game. Plenty of time.

Holy schit what a game

LSU LSU LSU

LSU - #22 is a bad dude

TD LSU. They lead 39 to 27 after a missed 2 point conversion

What I think doesn't matter, but I believe LSU should have kicked the extra point.

LSU's secondary is looking pretty handsy.

Yep.

Gettin Closer

TD Bama!!!

LSU leads 39 to 34 now. 5:35 left on the game clock

Interesting

Two Bama field goals could win it. Their kicker is a bit suspect, however, but it adds to LSU's troubles.

Bama's grabbed our receiver 2 times by the collar and they haven't called it yet. Both times inside the 20. Showed it on replay both times.

WTH happend to Tackling? That Bama defender bumped the receiver another 10 yards downfield.

Try tackling, for kissake.

LSU LSU LSU

Aaaaaaa Eeeeee!

TD LSU. Game over. 1:37 left to go.

I'll say it again...

LSU TD and poor tackling by Bama. A rip-out only works a fraction of the time.

That reaction by Saban pretty much said it all.

Stick a fork in it.

Yep

Boucou mor better!

Ought oh..... TD Bama!!!

Hear that Joe Burrow?

that stunk

85 yard TD

Here comes the onside kick. Interesting finish, for sure.

BIG on side kick coming up!!!

What a dang game!!

... That was Heisman calling.

Well that didn’t go well.

1st down...game...

I love to see Saban sucking a pickle.

Congratulations to LSU. They earned that one.

LSU LSU LSU

Alabama didn't have any quit in them. Good game.

LSU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure what deflated quicker, the baby balloon or Bama.

Burrow has it all and will be a great NFL QB.

It got ugly at the end.....but, it was an ugly “win”! Geaux Tigers! memtb

Neither team can play defense.

Ohio State will murder them.

Like I have been saying all day, when it comes down to it, the committee will ignore all of their supposed criteria and "do what they know in their hearts is right".

No doubt!!!

They are a GREAT team and played a GREAT game. Bama really beat themselves with the Tua air fumble, fumbled punt snap, interception being nullified by 12 players, and Tua sliding short of the first....none of those were forced, they were Bama playing poorly.

Congrats LSU!

I sure wouldn’t wanna bet on that. Only real team they have played is Wisconsin.

Agreed.

Um....I'd not make that claim......

Ohio State plays in a weak confrence and always gets their ass kicked in the playoffs.

OK.

I find it ironic that Ohio State is ranked #1. The top ranked team they played was Wisconsin at #13. LSU played #10 Texas, #7 Florida, #6 Auburn, and now #3 Alabama.

I believe LSU has proven itself. Cant say that for Ohio State, although Ohio State did put a whooping on the #96 team in the country today. Congratulations Ohio State on winning the game.

LOL

That's right

The pre-season rankings are bullschit and basically pave the way for more bullschit.

I think all it took was for DJT to show up to make LSU Great again.

I can't stop laughing

Without rankings, how would you determine a champ?

An SEC team lost, least 5sdad can sleep tonight.

LOL

Yep

Yep, once again, AL will be one of the 4 teams in the playoffs.

OSU, LSU, AL & one more YTBD.......................

MM

Ya forgot Clemson.

I'm not quite sure how this will help me sleep, but believe me, if it would I would be very grateful.
It might be interesting to point out that I have been an Ole Miss fan ever since I first was first old enough to understand football (1950s). I have based their performance, either successful or (lately) not so successful on what they themselves do, not on what other teams do.

As to today's game, all that it did was to reward the team that lost (Alabama) with an extra week to rest, heal, and prepare before the play-offs, while penalizing the team that won (LSU) by forcing them to play an extra (unnecessary) game before getting ready for the play-offs.

Roll Tears!

Gotta love Coach Orgeron..........


[video:youtube]

Congrats Tigers!

Hoping to see LSU vs UGA in the SEC Championship game!

It’s rigged.

Take two of these and call me in the morning.

Some how Alabama will be there, just like the commentators said:...

It’s rigged my friends

I loved watching Saban lose....

Good win LSU

🤣

Do (some) conferences pick who is ranked to win the conference or do they play in some organized schedule? Said another way, how are you a not a conference champ, yet you are a national one?
Makes no sense, unless of course you have a vested interest in the ranking system, which a lot of people do. Traditions haven't changed, primarily being the sporting information entities that declared national champions in the past and continue the same convoluted system with rankings.

The majority of people enjoy the hype and the hoopla of the rankings almost more than the actual games and at times ignore the actual games played.

My take.......Bama has the best team, LSU has the best QB. I like Tua, but I'd take Joe Burrow over him any day of the week.

I dont think rankings hurt anything, but I do agree (if I understand what you are saying) that conference champs only should be in the playoffs. But then you need some sort of rankings to determine which conference champs would make the playoffs. I readily agree that it's not a perfect system and unless you go to a bracket system with all 130 teams (you lose, your out) playoff system, it never will be perfect.

Bama has been on top of the heap so long, that they have a good portion of the best players wanting to play for them. They have the most 5 star players of any team in the country. Lying Nick Saban is a good coach and recruiter. However, like you said, I think Burrows is the better QB.

The last time I think Clemsom beat the suckeyes and urban meyer 33-0 in the playoffs.

Go Blue !

Tag

Yes, it's entirely possible that GA could beat LSU, & if Clemson wins out, they would likely put AL in & leave LSU on the outside looking in.

AL really doesn't have to do anything but win their remaining games & they'll be in; whoever loses the SEC championship game will surely be out.

MM

Tag #2.

Dream on, Yankee. Year after year I have seen Ohio State wind up with a 12-0 record, be ranked in the top three, and come down South here, and get annihilated in the bowl game by the SEC team.

It is easy to figure out who will win the Big Game. The state in which the most cotton was grown in 1850 will win.

This comes up every year, so once again:

One of the fundamental principles of the ranking system is that every game counts.

Here's the problem with conference championships: They only count conference games. In a typical Power 5 schedule there are 9 conference games and 3 non-conference games. How does ignoring a quarter of the season produce a more accurate selection?

Worse, it skews the results in weird ways. A team can lose a non-conference game and it might knock them out of the playoffs. It would no effect on the conference championship. Why shouldn't that loss count against them?

In fact, a team could lose ALL of their non-conference games in addition to their one conference loss. They could be 8-4, but they could have still be conference champions over 11-1 team whose only loss is against them. How does that makes any sense as a playoff criterion?

Let’s illustrate how this might work. There’s Team A, who’s non conference games include Vassar, Rhode Island State Tech and St. Swithen’s seminary. They also lose one conference game to the weakest team in the conference.
Team B is in Team A’s division. Instead of the usual three cupcakes, Team B schedules Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma as their non conference games and beats them all. They play Team A and lose by a field goal. So Team A is 8-4, Team B is 11-1. Who goes to the playoffs? Team B at 8-4, because their CONFERENCE record is an identical 8-1 and they have the head to head win which makes them conference champion. Team A’s weaker schedule, poorer record and Team B’s fantastic season mean nothing. How does that make any sense?

So if you want to criticize the current system and say that it should be based on conference championships, then please answer the following questions:

Why shouldn't every game count?
Why should Team B be out of the conference championship (and therefore the playoffs) because their only loss was to Team A?
Why should the playoff be based on a system that could put an 8-4 team in ahead of an 11-1 team?

Excellent post with excellent points!

Every game doesn't count now; you can go undefeated and not make the dance. You can lose one game and not make it. The "rankers" can also pick a one loss team ahead of you, not out of any equity, but because ESPN wants large market teams only. That's where the schedule strength "argument" comes in. Never mind the teams beaten could be ranked in the Top 25 and wind up 4-8. (Nebraska anyone?)

The problem isn't the conference games, it's the Power non-conference ones. There is no reason for Power 5 LSU to play Texas the third or second week of the season, other than money. There's no reason Notre Dame can't join a conference. Its all about creating the "every game counts" mantra, when in reality that idea "depends" on who you are and manipulating cash games. Like I said, tradition isn't getting canned, and that's the problem, because most people like it that way.

Pretty simple, unless you have a vested interest in two teams in the same conference playing twice. Never mind the money that conference makes of their ties to the broadcaster.... Playing the same team twice, when every game counts? Um, okay...

Because it works in every other sport. Is anyone pissed off the Yankees didn't win the World Series because they got beat by a team with fewer wins? Because they beat a good National League team during the season? I know, college football is a limited season, but that's the BS excuse for continuing manipulating things and not fixing them.

I know, no one wants Boise State to beat Oklahoma again and everyone wants a LSU/Georgia or Alabama redux.

Because football is a limited season, it is completely ridiculous for any two teams to meet twice. The issue was decided the first time that they met. If the same team wins both games, it only further proves that they were the better team. If they split, the way it is now, the team that won the second game gets the glory that should be shared. The only semi-sensible thing to do if that scenario plays out is to play a third time, but that really only reverts to a one-game competition, which is what existed back at the time of the first game.

#7 for LSU didn't make a tackle the entire game! Let several Bama runners go! Hasn't figured out to hit in such a way as to lock the arms!!

Some of the Bama guys were so busy trying to strip the ball, they let several LSU runners go way too far before stopping them.

It's hard to beat basic, fundamental football.

DF

Every year there will be a team that does well in one of the smaller conferences and claims they should go to the playoffs because they are 12-0. Western Michigan in 2016 is a good example. Going undefeated in any conference is an accomplishment to be proud of, but Western Michigan didn't play a single ranked team all year. Their signature wins were against Northwestern and Illinois. The rest of their schedule was made up of teams like the North Carolina Central Eagles, the Akron Zips and the Kent State Golden Flashes. Should they have gone into the playoffs instead of Alabama, who lost one game to Old Miss, but beat ranked teams Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, and Florida? Really?

Western Michigan got a bowl game against the Big 10 runner up, Wisconsin. They lost. Alabama went on to beat Michigan State and Clemson to win the championship.

The fact is that FBS has 128 teams in it and the difference between the top teams and the lower teams is far greater than in any professional sport. Because of this some subjective evaluation is required. Comparing records made against wildly different levels of competition is foolish.


Strength of schedule is continuously changed based on an opponents CURRENT record, not what it was when you played them.

Minnesota is ranked #7 now.

Yeah baby.

It's amazing. After squeaking into a bowl last year at 6-6, the Gophers have made an amazing improvement. They were a bit shaky early in the year, winning by thin margins over Georgia Southern and Fresno State, but they have really hit their stride lately. If they beat Iowa next week, they will have a clear shot at the Big 10 Championship. The Rose Bowl is a real possibility then. Wow!

And such is what makes college football fun, the yearly ups and downs and surprises.

I believe the FBS has 130 teams, but what you said about going 12-0 in a weaker conference as compared to one of the stronger conferences is correct. Just look at the Fiesta Bowl last year. UCF (USA Conference) had the longest winning streak in the country (25) and was 12-0, but they got dominated by LSU (SEC Conference) at 9-3. The score wasn't that lopsided, but anyone that saw the game knew that UCF was basically 'out of their league".

I've proposed this before. (I don't want it, but offer it as a solution to the need for a NATIONAL CHAMPION.) Make what used to be (and I will call it) Division 1A 126 teams. Divide them into 18 units of 7 teams each. (Geographically, by draw, however.) The first six games of the season will determine the standings within each unit. Then reconfigure for the last six games: all 18 of the first place teams go into one division, all 18 of the second place teams go into the next division, and so on. They then play the last six games. After all is said and done, the 7 teams in the "first division" are teams #1- #7 in the final standings, the teams in the "second division" are #8-#14, and so on down the line. Everyone had a chance to earn their way into the "first division" by winning their first six-game division. After that, play the bowls for fun. For the teams that were left out of the 126 and wished to be there, they play in 1AA. For the following season, the top two teams from 1AA replace the #125 and #126 teams from 1A, while those two go to 1AA.
This of course, would have its own problems to work out, but it wouldn't be any more of a mess than what we have now, and would give everyone a shot at the TITLE as the whole season would be a play-off.

5sdad, Logic and common sense will get you nowhere! But, without thoroughly dissecting your idea.....it sounds pretty darn good! memtb

An excellent example. Last year's LSU team wasn't as good as this year's and their defensive backfield was so depleted by injury that they were using a backup wide receiver in coverage. In order to keep UCF's offense off the field LSU played ball control and their offensive line thoroughly dominated UCF's defense. Time of possession was 44:31 LSU, 15:29 UCF.

If UCF had played a team like Ohio State or Alabama it would not have been pretty.

P.S. You're right, FBS has grown to 130 teams.

In any case....there was a bunch of folks in Alabama that woke up the morning after with a CASE OF THE SQUIRTS!!