Disclaimer: I understand that college football is not as big as the NFL or even high school for that matter here in South Dakota, I get that. But college football operates inside of its own world and functions in a completely different manner than any other league. I love football at any level. I would watch amoeba play football under a microscope if they started a league. But college football… College football is a different type of love. Naturally creating storylines even Hollywood couldn’t script, college football will often leave you with your jaw on the floor. My hope is that over the course of the season, I will have you hook line and sinker in love with college football like I am.
The landscape of the NCAA and college football has changed dramatically since the days of the BCS, when it was a computer deciding who the top teams in the country were and who would be competing for a National Championship. Of course, as the years progressed, more and more teams felt they had a right to compete for a title. Their argument being that human element being removed from the equation makes it impossible to land on the two best teams in the country. But what they failed to realize is that they shouldn’t have been arguing that a different team deserves to be in the top two, they should have been arguing that two teams was not enough to decide a true National Champion. Which is why in 2014, when the first College Football Playoff was played, the public unanimously questioned, “why didn’t we do this sooner?”
The original playoff format was 4 teams would compete in a bracket style playoff, and the teams were decided upon by a committee made up of some of footballs most highly respected and knowledgeable people. Usually reserved for conference champions, unless there was a glaring deficiency in either talent or strength of schedule. Enter the 2023 Florida State Seminoles. A year ago, an undefeated, ACC Champion Seminole’s team was passed up on by the CFB Playoff Committee for the University of Alabama, who defeated #1 ranked UGA in the SEC Championship game. One detail I failed to mention was that FSU was without their starting QB, Jordan Travis. Without Travis, FSU was unable to move the ball effectively on offense. And despite winning their conference without Travis, the committee believed they were not suitable for the playoff.
I bring all of that up to lay the groundwork for week’s zero & ones winners and losers of the week. Let’s start with the winners.
WINNERS:
The state of Georgia:
Picking up right where they left off, the Bulldogs of UGA dismantled and embarrassed the Clemson Tigers. Georgia really had no questions coming into the season aside from “who is going to replace Brock Bowers?” But every team has that one guy they’re always trying to figure out how to replace. Everyone wanted to know how Clemson would look against the perennial National Championship favorites, and whatever goal they set they missed. We will get to Clemson later though. UGA was expected to dominate and returning QB Carson Beck looked like he was playing in the backyard while picking apart the Tiger defense. But very rarely do we get to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech in the same sentence before the final week of the season when they play. But Georgia Tech made a statement in Week 0 that proved to everyone this team can contend in the ACC. Beating FSU as a 13.5-point underdog, HC Brent Keys and his offensive line babysat the Seminoles all day, running the ball directly at them and daring them to stop it. And now, for the first time since 2015, both Georgia Tech (2-0) AND Georgia (1-0) crack the Top 25.
The ACC:
With FSU coming in as the highest ranked ACC team in the beginning of 2024, but then dropping their first two games of the season, the ACC (and a certain spot in the playoff) now sits wide open for the taking. Coming into the year, the Seminoles to most were going to be the roadblock to the ACC title. But now, FSU will have to do the leg work to earn a chance to get back in the playoff conversation. Everyone else basically controls their destiny, even with missteps. For example, Virginia Tech came into this year returning almost all of its starters and has high hopes of climbing to the top of the league. But, with an upset loss to Vanderbilt, normally their season would basically be over. But now, with a 12-team playoff and FSU basically out of the picture, they still have everything at their fingertips.
Notre Dame:
Conspiracy time. When the new playoff was constructed, they allotted the top 4 seeds to the highest ranked conference champions. Because Notre Dame is not in a conference (independent) they cannot earn anything higher than a 5-seed. Before I go further, just know one of the architects of the new playoff format was the former AD at Notre Dame, Jack Swarbrick. Why is this important? Well, the new playoff format may just mean the 5-seed is the most desirable of the 12, and just so happens to be the seed Notre Dame will often be placed in. Because of the conference champion rule, an undefeated (and even a 1-loss) Notre Dame team will almost automatically earn that 5-seed. Being the 5-seed means you will host a home playoff game, likely against the best non-power five team that earns the 12-seed. Why does this play into Notre Dame’s advantage? There is a longstanding belief that a bye-week between regular season and playoff develops rust, and that team comes out slow and lethargic instead of refreshed and energized. When a team gets in a rhythm and is playing every week, it can throw teams off to have an extended break. Instead of the long break between games, Notre Dame will get a playoff atmosphere at home against an inferior opponent. Had the playoff been 12-teams a year ago, Liberty would have earned the 12-seed. Liberty played the 8th ranked Oregon Ducks and got absolutely demolished 45-6. This is the type of opponent Notre Dame will get in the first round of the playoffs, a perfect tune-up game for the second round. What this new format (and why I brought up Jack Swarbrick) does for Notre Dame is essentially paves a path for them to get into the quarterfinals without having to play an extra conference title game which can diminish any team considerably. Once again, Notre Dame found a way to come out on top, even with everything changing around them.
LOSERS:
Clemson’s transfer portal:
I must say I respect Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney for being a man of his word, kind of. Swinney said that his program would NOT be accepting players from the transfer portal, so quit asking. And to his credit, he has walked the walk. Clemson brought in zero transfers this year and continues to vow to only use their recruits to try and keep up with the pace of college football. Swinney also said this, “We try to teach our guys, use football to create the opportunities, take advantage of the platform and the brand and the marketing you have available to you. But as far as paying players, professionalizing college athletics, that’s where you lose me. I’ll go do something else, because there’s enough entitlement in this world as it is.” But players are signing million-dollar NIL deals, and Dabo is still coaching. Coaching under a 10-year, $92 million contract he signed after making this statement. But what is so funny about Swinney’s comment is he is basically making the case against himself of why he should use the portal. You have this great platform available to you and hundreds of players with top-tier talent that at least want to take a look at Clemson, but Dabo refuses to use it. The reason Nick Saban was so successful for so long was his ability to adapt to college football, instead of making the mistake of trying to adapt college football to him. Dabo is the opposite. His refusal to shape to the ever-changing landscape of CFB was put on display Saturday when they were dominated in every facet of the game by Georgia, a team who brought in ten players via the portal. Dabo’s seat might be a little warmer than expected in early September.
Mike Norvell:
I hate to beat a dead horse, but Mike Norvell was (allegedly) up for the Alabama HC position, but said he wanted to stay at FSU. If he doesn’t get things turned around in the next couple weeks, he might be inquiring about an assistant role at Alabama. Mike Norvell went to bat for his team last year when they were not selected as the fourth playoff team, but the collapse began in the orange bowl when nearly all of his starters decided not to play against Georgia, and we saw one of the most lopsided New Years Six bowl games in history. Kirby Smart had no issue with his starters playing, however, and they went on to rout FSU 63-3. The score was not the issue, the mass-number of starters sitting out of the game was a clear sign that Norvell didn’t have the same pull with his players that other elite coaches do. You can argue with me all you want but until you can tell me why almost every Georgia player started, and every FSU starter sat, your argument carries no weight. This mentality carried over into the Week 0, 24-21 loss to upstart Georgia Tech, and then continued to snowball into last night’s 28-13 home loss to another up-and-coming Boston College team. Norvell repeatedly told reporters he “failed” his team, and one failure I can point to is transfer QB DJ Uiagaleilei, who has yet to have success at any of his three stops during his college career. He could not succeed at Clemson, so he transferred to Oregon State. He couldn’t succeed there so he transferred again to FSU. They say the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Billy Napier & his grip strength:
Florida’s schedule reads like a who’s-who of college football. I don’t know who in Florida’s athletic department upset the college football scheduling committee, but boy did Florida get a bad shake. Including Saturday’s beatdown from #19 ranked Miami, Florida also has #18 LSU, #14 Tennessee, #6 Ole Miss, #3 Texas & #1 Georgia remaining on their schedule. After Saturday, I would be shocked if Napier makes it to the other end. The only thing that would stop Florida from firing him midseason is the guilt of putting an interim coach up against that schedule. But to add insult to injury, Napier faced his most difficult test of the season thusfar, an Aquafina water bottle…
Poor Billy Napier, can’t even beat a water bottle pic.twitter.com/MP0umUB98G
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 1, 2024
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