Stewart Mandel gets it

GrundleStiltzkin

At least this morning.

http://twitter.com/slmandel/status/805857447189483520

It may be that Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams and Reuben Foster render these playoff teams’ star quarterbacks just as helpless as such ho-hum SEC signal-callers as Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs or Florida’s Austin Appleby. But don’t forget about Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly. The last QB to beat the Tide, on Sept. 19, 2015, came back this season and threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns.

It’s been a while since the Tide faced someone as capable as Kelly, much less Jake Browning, Deshaun Watson or J.T. Barrett.

... Alabama may well win another national championship come Jan. 9, but any tournament that includes John Ross, Washington’s defensive line, Deshaun Watson, Clemson’s D-line, Ohio State’s DBs, Curtis Samuel, Chris Petersen, Dabo Swinney and Urban Meyer is hardly the makings of a cakewalk.

And now my favorite exercise of all: The pre-coalition, circa-1990 bowl system (as much as possible with the drastically different conferences).

Rose: Ohio State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Fiesta: Penn State vs. USC

I do wonder sometimes whether it would be easier to just go back to this.

RaceBannon

Rose: Ohio State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Fiesta: Penn State vs. USC

There's your national quarterfinals right there

PurpleThrobber

Seriously - Alabama has feasted on SEC QB's all year. Chad fucking Kelly? Really? Max Browne? Christ. Travis Knight?!? Fuck.

First down - run stuffed; second down - run stuffed; 3rd and long - pin your ears back on the line and sit back for the pick.

Even Babushka can dial up enough offensive originality to keep them on their heels a bit.

2001400ex

RaceBannon said:

Rose: OhioPenn State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson Florida state

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida StateClemson

Fiesta: Penn Ohio State vs. USC

There's your national quarterfinals right there

FIFY

RaceBannon

Fuck off

AIRWOLF

PurpleThrobber said:

Seriously - Alabama has feasted on SEC QB's all year. Chad fucking Kelly? Really? Max Browne? Christ. Travis Knight?!? Fuck.

First down - run stuffed; second down - run stuffed; 3rd and long - pin your ears back on the line and sit back for the pick.

Even Babushka can dial up enough offensive originality to keep them on their heels a bit.

I have it on good authority from noted experts that the Huskies shouldn't throw unless they have to and that "offensive originality" and throwing downfield has just lead to endless 3-and-outs this season.


Oh, and the name of the overrated PNW qb you were looking for was Jacob Eason, not Max Browne.

RoadDawg55

RaceBannon said:

Rose: Ohio State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Fiesta: Penn State vs. USC

There's your national quarterfinals right there

We want Pedo State!

dhdawg

RaceBannon said:

Rose: Ohio State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Fiesta: Penn State vs. USC

There's your national quarterfinals right there

no michigan?

Doogles

dhdawg said:

RaceBannon said:

Rose: Ohio State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Fiesta: Penn State vs. USC

There's your national quarterfinals right there

no michigan?

Michigan finished 3rd in the division. Have fun in the outback bowl.

Mad_Son

Doogles said:

dhdawg said:

RaceBannon said:

Rose: Ohio State vs. Washington

Sugar: Alabama vs. Clemson

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Fiesta: Penn State vs. USC

There's your national quarterfinals right there

no michigan?

Michigan finished 3rd in the division. Have fun in the outback bowl.

Iowa is in the Outback bowl vs Florida. Michigan has Florida State in the Orange bowl

RaceBannon

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

PineapplePirate

Harbaugh has always been a mental case, a ticking time bomb at that.

FremontTroll

AIRWOLF said:

PurpleThrobber said:

Seriously - Alabama has feasted on SEC QB's all year. Chad fucking Kelly? Really? Max Browne? Christ. Travis Knight?!? Fuck.

First down - run stuffed; second down - run stuffed; 3rd and long - pin your ears back on the line and sit back for the pick.

Even Babushka can dial up enough offensive originality to keep them on their heels a bit.

I have it on good authority from noted experts that the Huskies shouldn't throw unless they have to and that "offensive originality" and throwing downfield has just lead to endless 3-and-outs this season.


Oh, and the name of the overrated PNW qb you were looking for was Jacob Eason, not Max Browne.

Abundance.

RoadDawg55

RaceBannon said:

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

He's a good coach, but he's no Urban Meyer and that will haunt him. The Michigan faithful will start to turn on him if he doesn't beat Ohio State in the next year or two.

Ohio State was the youngest team in football this year. They aren't quite on Alabama's level, but they are close.

People forgot that Saban won a title because Ohio State was on probation.

CFetters_Nacho_Lover

RaceBannon said:

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

As a 49er fan, I agree. Harbaugh has choked in multiple championship opportunities.

AtomicDawg

RoadDawg55 said:

RaceBannon said:

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

He's a good coach, but he's no Urban Meyer and that will haunt him. The Michigan faithful will start to turn on him if he doesn't beat Ohio State in the next year or two.

Ohio State was the youngest team in football this year. They aren't quite on Alabama's level, but they are close.

People forgot that Saban won a title because Ohio State was on probation.

That Ohio state team was not that good. They were their version of the 2000 huskies. Meyer and their fan base acknowledge this regularly.

RoadDawg55

AtomicDawg said:

RoadDawg55 said:

RaceBannon said:

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

He's a good coach, but he's no Urban Meyer and that will haunt him. The Michigan faithful will start to turn on him if he doesn't beat Ohio State in the next year or two.

Ohio State was the youngest team in football this year. They aren't quite on Alabama's level, but they are close.

People forgot that Saban won a title because Ohio State was on probation.

That Ohio state team was not that good. They were their version of the 2000 huskies. Meyer and their fan base acknowledge this regularly.

They would have played Notre Dame for the title. They were a lot better than Notre Dame.

ND and Ohio State were undefeated. Bama had already lost to Texas A&Manziel.

AtomicDawg

RoadDawg55 said:

AtomicDawg said:

RoadDawg55 said:

RaceBannon said:

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

He's a good coach, but he's no Urban Meyer and that will haunt him. The Michigan faithful will start to turn on him if he doesn't beat Ohio State in the next year or two.

Ohio State was the youngest team in football this year. They aren't quite on Alabama's level, but they are close.

People forgot that Saban won a title because Ohio State was on probation.

That Ohio state team was not that good. They were their version of the 2000 huskies. Meyer and their fan base acknowledge this regularly.

They would have played Notre Dame for the title. They were a lot better than Notre Dame.

ND and Ohio State were undefeated. Bama had already lost to Texas A&Manziel.

The week before the championship games they were still 2 spots behind a one loss bama team and Georgia who was also ranked ahead of Ohio state was bama'/s opponent that upcoming week. That was the real nc game that year anyways. Urban didn't beat anyone that year.
Notre dame beat oklahona 10-2 on the road and 12-2 Stanford team and some fringe top 25 teams. Ohio state beat a couple of fringe top 25 teams. It's why they 3 spots lower even as an undefeated tosu.

RoadDawg55

AtomicDawg said:

RoadDawg55 said:

AtomicDawg said:

RoadDawg55 said:

RaceBannon said:

It's sad to see how far Harbaugh has fallen. We liked him here because he humiliated Sark but as it turns out, he is just a bully. When he isn't playing Rutgers or us before we came BACK he loses a lot of games he should win and still hasn't won a title other than at San Diego

Pretty sure Urban isn't overly worried. This was Michigan's best shot and Harbaugh choked. UM loses everyone and tOSU was young this year

He's a good coach, but he's no Urban Meyer and that will haunt him. The Michigan faithful will start to turn on him if he doesn't beat Ohio State in the next year or two.

Ohio State was the youngest team in football this year. They aren't quite on Alabama's level, but they are close.

People forgot that Saban won a title because Ohio State was on probation.

That Ohio state team was not that good. They were their version of the 2000 huskies. Meyer and their fan base acknowledge this regularly.

They would have played Notre Dame for the title. They were a lot better than Notre Dame.

ND and Ohio State were undefeated. Bama had already lost to Texas A&Manziel.

The week before the championship games they were still 2 spots behind a one loss bama team and Georgia who was also ranked ahead of Ohio state was bama'/s opponent that upcoming week. That was the real nc game that year anyways. Urban didn't beat anyone that year.
Notre dame beat oklahona 10-2 on the road and 12-2 Stanford team and some fringe top 25 teams. Ohio state beat a couple of fringe top 25 teams. It's why they 3 spots lower even as an undefeated tosu.

I have a hard time believing an undefeated Ohio State wouldn't play for the title. You are right about the rankings, but I also think the fact Ohio State couldn't play in the title game contributed to them getting slighted in the AP poll.

Ohio State could only be ranked in the AP poll. The AP poll doesn't matter. It's voted by hacks like Wilner. The BCS poll did matter.