The 2014 Running Football Thread (College & Pro)

[MetalDog]

So far I am 2 for 2 picking winners against the spread.  I've got the Colts giving 3 and 1/2 and the Lions getting 6 and 1/2.

[bayonetbrant]

just a heads-up for those of you still salivating over the Odell Beckham catch...  that Calvin Johnson guy is pretty good, too :)

[Bison]

The Bengals imploded as was bound to happen since they had no receivers suited up today.  Freaking Lions let Romo look good in a comeback.

[mirth]

Fucking Cowboys! Fucking loser Lions!!!

[bayonetbrant]

I think the zebras had a hand in that one.  I'm not usually a fan of bashing the refs, but it seemed like a lot of 'borderline' calls all managed to break the Cowboys' way.

[GDS_Starfury]

DOLPHINS IN THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!

............ oh wait.who put something in my drink?

[mirth]

I think the zebras had a hand in that one.  I'm not usually a fan of bashing the refs, but it seemed like a lot of 'borderline' calls all managed to break the Cowboys' way.

It's the Lions. No one is really going to question them sucking.

[Martok]

...And my nightmare scenario of a Cowboys-Patriots Super Bowl comes one step closer.  Should such a calamity come to pass, I will know beyond any doubt that there is no God. 

How 'bout dem Ravens!!!!!!!!

All credit to Baltimore, but I'm still bummed about the Steelers losing.  :( 

[OJsDad]

So, let's quit jerking around.  Tell me what criteria you use to judge the 'best' conference around?  Until we rely on something more concrete than opinion and conjecture, we are not going to have a consensus.  Bowl record?  Win/loss records?  Number of NFL graduates?  National Championships?  Recruiting classes?  Head to head record?  Is there a metric for strength of schedule?  What are we using?

This is why I think they need a playoff system.  Do I think they need to expand it to six or eight teams, yes, but they need some kind of playoff system.  In many articles that I've read, they all point out the same thing, if we were still in the BCS era, than neither Oregon or Ohio State would be playing for a national title, instead you would have Alabama and Florida State playing for it.

[Marty Ward]

All credit to Baltimore, but I'm still bummed about the Steelers losing.  :(

This was the first Ravens game in a long time where I wasn't nervous before the game started. I was just hoping we didn't get blown out or play like ass. I sure didn't expect them to win.

[Marty Ward]

This is why I think they need a playoff system.  Do I think they need to expand it to six or eight teams, yes, but they need some kind of playoff system.  In many articles that I've read, they all point out the same thing, if we were still in the BCS era, than neither Oregon or Ohio State would be playing for a national title, instead you would have Alabama and Florida State playing for it.

Personally I'd rather see the two best collage teams, chosen by consensus, play for the title.
With 4 you can sometimes make a case that the two best will end up in the title game. Expand it to 8 teams and try to make that case when #8 upsets #1 and wins it all. I mean do you really think Mississippi State would be considered the best team this year?

[MetalDog]

So far I am 2 for 2 picking winners against the spread.  I've got the Colts giving 3 and 1/2 and the Lions getting 6 and 1/2.

I got all four of them right!  I won all you can eat Popeye's chicken and hockey tickets!



In response to OJsDad and Marty, concerning college playoffs/champions.  Let me start out by saying, I don't really like college football.  It's an inferior brand to the pros and with the 100+ teams that play every year and the 60 odd that make a bowl, I think it makes a farce out of any attempt to crown a "true" National Champion.  There is no way to determine who belongs where and what is the criteria for including/denying participants.  The NCAA is a outdated institution upholding a standard, amateurism, that is no longer true about any of the sports played by the member schools.  Any outside body that can pick a "consensus" to play for the championship is fraught with bias, lack of transparency and no concrete criteria for making said selections.  In other words, college football is fuc*ed!

Having said all that, if you still want a way to determine a "true" National Champion, I really think the NFL model is the only way.  I mentioned it upthread and the gist is, four 16 team super conferences, two divisions a piece.  Division winners play for the Conference Championship.  Conference champions play a national semifinal and the winners play for the National Championship.  The Super Bowl isn't always won by the "best" team and neither will the National Championship.  Doing it this way leaves no doubt who actually did win it though.

[Steelgrave]

^+1

Can you imagine a four team NFL playoff or selecting the NFL champion by consensus vote???   :P

[OJsDad]

MD, I agree with what you say about a play off for college football.  The biggest problem is going to get schools that are in Div I, or whatever they call the top division now, out that have never fielded a competitive team and never will. 

[GDS_Starfury]

...And my nightmare scenario of a Cowboys-Patriots Super Bowl comes one step closer.  Should such a calamity come to pass, I will know beyond any doubt that there is no God. 

if that shit show happens I'm rooting for the Cowboys.