Cotton Bowl Open Thread
December 29th, 2018 at 6:21 PM ^
That is incomplete. No pick.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:22 PM ^
Georgia and OSU are better than Notre Dame. Good thing we have a committee of "experts" to pick the teams
December 29th, 2018 at 6:29 PM ^
Osu lost to Purdue. Notre Dame beat better teams than Purdue. Ohio state can suck it for losing to Purdue. Don't fucking lose to Purdue and fuck Ohio state
December 29th, 2018 at 6:29 PM ^
I like Clemson's helmet stickers. They're relatively small. A helmet can have a ton of stickers and not look like the helmet design is overwhelmed.
I'm happy Clemson is taking care of business here (so far). I hate Notre Dame.
Totally unrelated: 32,368 people showed up for the Arizona Bowl here in Tucson. I'm surprised: it was Arkansas State v Nevada, and it's a cold day here by Tucson standards. I predicted an attendance closer to 20,000, tops.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:35 PM ^
So it mattered?
December 29th, 2018 at 6:48 PM ^
So it mattered?
Absolutely. I'm surprised we didn't have a separate Arizona Bowl thread. ;-)
December 29th, 2018 at 8:02 PM ^
Anecdote: I watched Loyola-Chicago play Nevada-Reno in basketball in Chicago a few weeks ago. Considering its location and Group-of-Five level, I was amazed at how many Nevada fans were in the arena. They seem to travel well (half-serious here).
December 29th, 2018 at 6:31 PM ^
here’s my snowflake - i’m watching this game feeling bad for rashan gary for coming here. i love this university (my wife and i have 3 um degrees between us) and i get that he received a much better education here than he would’ve at clemson. but he would’ve made a couple hundred grand by now and would’ve participated in 3 cfps. maybe it’s the apathy talking, but i’m guessing i’ll feel the same way for daxton hill in a few years. neg away
December 29th, 2018 at 6:38 PM ^
This is a stupid take.
But it's hard to really argue against it.
I got nothin.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:51 PM ^
Ehh Rashan is way overrated. We didn't miss him today. He didn't do anything all year. Paye and uche were always more noticeable on the field than he ever was. Sorry but I don't feel bad for rashan, at all. Now bush, we missed him a lot. Karan was overrated as well, didn't miss him. Shoot honestly JBB and Bush were the two guys who sat who we missed the most.
December 29th, 2018 at 8:00 PM ^
Hey. How's it going? So, what field of study did your wife receive her PhD in?
December 29th, 2018 at 8:10 PM ^
Just more wear and tear on his body.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:41 PM ^
Clemson passes their way out of the shadow of their own end zone for a first down. No fear.
Impressive performance.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
Only thing giving me encouragement:
DYK: Dabo Swinney was 36-18 in his first full four seasons as Clemson Head Coach.
Jim Harbaugh is 38-14 in his first full four seasons as Michigan Head Coach. It can be done. But next year is imperative.
December 29th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
But next year is imperative.
It absolutely is. And the success or failure starts with Harbaugh being willing to change. If he digs his heels in, then nothing good will come from 2019.
And if nothing changes in 2019, then our recruiting success will start to dry up.
The losses to OSU and Florida to close out 2018 are weighing heavy ... status quo won't fix a thing.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:03 PM ^
At least we can sell the 2019 nfl draft or should sell it. Losing doesnt change the fact that Myles Hinton has a brother on our team.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:00 PM ^
Dabo evolved. He did not look the same in year 5 as in year 1.
I don't know what Harbaugh's plan is. I don't really see much evolving going on.
He came in with a notion about what will work. It hasn't against any top team. But he's still working the same plan.
Maybe that 5th bayonet charge into machine gun nests at the Somme will work this time.
Maybe it won't.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:03 PM ^
It probably won't.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
Fredericksburg!
Fredericksburg!
Fredericksburg!
Well said, MDog.
I’ve got faith in Coach to make the changes that need to be made. I think this years issues, on offense, are still on the OL and QB and I think the play calling was hampered. It’s not as simple as, “throw the ball ...” or “get it to DPJ more ...” it all starts up front. Coach Warriner did a great job, but good defenses exposed the OL, again.
On defense, it’s pretty simple — mix it up situationally with more zone and have a check outs for those clear out QB Draw plays. The question is will Harbaugh & Co. make the changes? I think the OL will continue to improve, we might have a HR hitter RB — which we’ve needed — and QB should continue to improve.
But, adapting MUST happen in earnest this off season.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:31 PM ^
+1 just for that analogy.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:13 PM ^
He also lost a bunch in a row to his rival, s Carolina
December 29th, 2018 at 7:02 PM ^
I was telling you all during the season that Clemson was legit and would turn it on during the Playoff.
They did this in 2016.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:06 PM ^
Well aren't you a regular Nostradamus. "Great team is still great!" Damn, what a limb you climbed out on there! So bold!
December 29th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
Well, in early November this board was saying Clemson was trash and that Michigan would beat them.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:28 PM ^
Come on. Who here said Clemson is trash? Sorry, I just don't believe that happened. It's cool--just thought you patting yourself on the back there was kind of funny.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:50 PM ^
To be fair, what I was saying is the last team Michigan would want to face is Clemson, and everybody was saying Michigan was better than Clemson.
I will try to find the thread
December 29th, 2018 at 7:03 PM ^
What I love about Dabo is he hires guys and lets them do their job. He’s the ceo. Like does anyone know if his background is O or D? I don’t. This is best case for UM. Issue though, Venables is a great D coordinator > Brown & Dabo is much better game manager and probably not as stubborn either to reliquensh power.
Harbaugh. Follow the Dabo way. Get out of way. If Brown doesn’t cut it next year, he can be replaced in 20. 19 is about finding a high end OC and get out of his way.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:05 PM ^
Makes too much sense.
So it won't happen.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^
Thank you Notre Dame for making me feel less bad about our own pathetic performance today.
I feel lame for having to get my satisfaction from somebody else's failure . . . but it's all I got.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:38 PM ^
Sometimes schadenfreude is the only thing that sustains people. And Michigan fans.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:41 PM ^
Right? Now I know what it’s like to be a Sparty
December 29th, 2018 at 7:46 PM ^
Eh, ND was still in this game. Far different from getting humiliated in the Blah-Blah Peach Bowl.
December 30th, 2018 at 12:32 AM ^
Not really - ND generated nothing outside of an early FG and Clemson drove the field often. Conversely, Michigan was in the game until late 3rd or so when they collapsed. If the injuries to the defense hadn't accumulated (and the offense was even just a bit more effective) we likely would have won.
December 30th, 2018 at 12:48 AM ^
I mean literally invited to the game. Because they were undefeated.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:06 PM ^
It’s cute we ever thought we could compete with a team like Clemson or bama this year. Not anywhere close to enough talent on the lines
December 29th, 2018 at 7:47 PM ^
Or the coaching.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:10 PM ^
Assuming ND doesn't trim the lead below 17, 7 of the 13 CFP games have been decided by more than three scores. The playoff sucks, period. The best four teams don't get in and the games have been boring and uncompetitive
December 29th, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^
Clemson and Alabama in the playoff is justifiable.
Who would you say should be the other two?
December 29th, 2018 at 7:26 PM ^
I just think there's a big disconnect between the "best" teams and the teams that "earned" it. I think OSU is one of the best four teams, but they stepped on their own dicks for more than half the season, and ND didn't slip up once. I think Georgia is probably one of the best teams in the country and they basically got penalized because they play in the same conference as Alabama. I feel like the only solution is to expand the playoffs and give teams the chance to put up or shut up. You likely will get the same result of Clemson vs Bama but at least we don't have to do this song and dance of pretending ND is any good just bc they played us and nobody else all year. Let them get destroyed in a round of 8 and have the real teams that showed they can beat elite teams play in the semis
December 29th, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^
Or maybe there are less than 4 teams that can win the title? Georgia is the only team not included that could maybe win it, but they blew their chance against Bama.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:28 PM ^
Yes, this.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
Michigan get the check book out and go hire Charles Woodson the next Dabo
December 29th, 2018 at 7:19 PM ^
So this playoff thing is a bit overrated too?
These games haven’t been competitive, mainly bc as the head ref said at the coin toss, “congrats on being selected”.
So, just implement 8-16 teams so these selection committees are only selecting seeds, not semi finalists.
December 29th, 2018 at 7:20 PM ^
Trevor Lawrence just made a tackle better than Metellus ever has a made a tackle. Get Metellus out of the program
December 29th, 2018 at 7:20 PM ^
Dabo letting his backups cut their teeth on Notre Dame now...
December 29th, 2018 at 7:26 PM ^
The backups are dominating Notre Dame...
December 29th, 2018 at 7:22 PM ^
I don't get how people are saying the four best teams arent in the playoff...
December 29th, 2018 at 7:28 PM ^
/s
no worries, I got you
December 29th, 2018 at 7:28 PM ^
The teams with the four best resumes are in the playoffs (you can't argue with undefeated), but it's kinda bullshit that Georgia has to play Bama just to make the playoff and ND can sit at home for an extra week. I wouldn't have a problem with this if ND actually showed up for once, but they got blown out again, in typical ND fashion