Nobody knows if they will do anything or something? I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing they do is eliminate the auto bye for Conf Champions, and seed it 1-12 based on the committee final rankings.
In the end, what did getting a bye get you? The two teams in the finals didn't get a bye and got to have a playoff game in their own stadium.
It's game day fellas...... So many things running through my mind, I'll just start with a few to list: (no order) 1) Will ND continue their staple man coverage against the Buckeye skill ? Top shelf DB's held PSU WR to zero catches. Unlikely to happen tonite but Irish DB's and our WR will battle, but I gotta believe LB's covering Henderson/Judkins out the backfield gotta favor the Bucks. Egbuka has played big -v- ND in years past 2) Can we stop the ND be running attack? How healthy is Love? How healthy is the ND OL? Can OSU stop the QB run from moving the chains and keeping the Buckeye offense off the field? Wouldn't be surprised if Caleb Downs primary duty is to shadow Leonard 3) If ND struggles to run the ball, can the ND OL hold up -v- OSU pass rush? How effective can Leonard be throwing the ball downfield? Irish WR need to make plays, Irish can't afford to become one dimensional, they'll need to play well early 4) How effective can OSU run the ball? Which Day/Kelly shows up? The run to set up the pass smash mouth, pound the ball between the tackles ala Nebraska, TUN or the aggressive gun slingers taking downfield shots we saw with Tenn and Oregon. My guess is that Golden will dare us to run, showing a light box and trying to bait Ryan Day/Chip Kelly into a run heavy approach. 5) Can we keep the Irish pass rush off of Will Howard? Can Irish pressure bring out the bad Will Howard and test his confidence early? He seems to throw at least two "WTF" balls a game. Some have been costly. TUN game and early PSU pick six had us down 10 points 5 minutes into the game in Happy Valley. That would be a dream Irish start....can't have that
A lot of food to digest there BTerry! We need to jump on board quickly and force the Irish to try and catch up. If Notre Dames get the lead early, they will keep rushing the ground game and time on the clock.
I think a key for the Irish is to avoid presnap penalties. Our O just isn't built for third and long situations. Knowing the talent of the Buck D line, they're going to have to be careful not to jump the snap.
Could say that for both teams. Penalties (a lot of which were presnap) almost cost us the game against Texas.
The last 12 teams that were favorites going into the Championship game went 7-5 so there is hope, but the Irish have to play a perfect game to pull it off. Ohio State is healthier and they are loaded on both offense and defense, which is why they are heavy favorites. Win or lose it's been a great season for the Irish. We're playing with house money at this point. Although I am confident that Freeman and the boys don't see it that way!!
Agree that we have more pathways to victory and greater margin for error than does ND but ND does have ways and the ways that ND needs to work they have found in games past and are comfortable mucking things up in the mud. That is a recipe that has worked well against us....
I see that the ACC is talking about making changes to their title game, and the proposed options are just crazy. I could see them deciding to not have one, that would make sense, but some of the things they are suggesting don't make sense. ATLANTA -- ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said Sunday that the league will have conversations among coaches and athletic directors about whether to make changes to its conference championship game format. Phillips said the ACC could consider giving its regular-season champion a bye, and have the teams that finish second or third in the league standings play in the ACC championship game. He said another possibility is having the top 4 teams play on the final weekend of the regular season: first place versus fourth place, and second place vs. third place, with the winners playing the following weekend in the ACC championship game. ACC will weigh changes to conference title game
I read that Day is complaining before the game tonight about SEC officiating. No holding calls against any opponent in 700+ plays. That’s almost all season. It seems like to me he should be complaining about Big 10 officials.
Ohio State's Ryan Day mad about CFP officials, holding penalties I saw this one KP, I don't know if it's the same one you saw. It makes it clear that Day has been troubled by the issue and complaining to the B1G office since September. The SEC is sending the crew to do the championship game so maybe Day is starting on them early. Hard to blame the guy, there has not been a holding penalty called against an opponent since Marshall in September....728 plays ago. Not one from a conference opponent. Not one in the post-season. Oregon was down 34, had to throw it all over the lot to try and get back in the game. 42 passing attempts recorded, multiple other scrambles, sacked 8 times. Not one holding infraction? Against that defensive front? I don't think so....as if that isn't bad enough for Day, of the 134 FBS football programs, we are DFL in the number of penalties called against opponents. DFL. I don't blame him....if you don't stick up for you team, who will?
I saw that article on USAToday. Is it ridiculous for Day to think SEC officials, working for a conference in direct completion with the Big Ten, would work against the Buckeyes? Of course it is. But it’s just as ridiculous to think Ohio State could go 728 plays without drawing a holding call. That Michigan could run the ball 42 times – against eight- and nine-man fronts from the best defense in college football – and not hold once. Or that Oregon, trailing from the jump in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, didn’t hold once in 42 pass attempts. The Ducks gave up eight sacks, but didn’t hold once. That, everyone, is the definition of conspiracy. Day isn’t alone in his concern for officiating in the multi-billion dollar College Football Playoff. It’s a brutal job, one that’s only highlighted when there are mistakes. Ohio State's Ryan Day mad about CFP officials, holding penalties
Oh, I agree. He should stick up for his team. I just think he should thankful for a SEC crew. They can’t do worse than the Big 10 crews.
Ok I am really glad that 2 college football giants are in this game tonight. It is only fitting that the history of college football is properly represented.