GP1

Next week, an idiot with a microphone will try to convince you that the only way to improve what is a horrible first round of the CFP is to expand it to 16 teams. Remind the idiot that this OSU game is exactly what would have happened anyhow. We aren't watching the next evolution of college football, we are watching the collapse.

How tedious has college football gotten? The Steelers game started 30 minutes after the Clemson game. When the Steelers game ended there was 1:47 left in the Clemson game.

I think you are right. That's why it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to watch. I don't think it's going to get better either because it is not institutionalized for parity and it is run by TV executives.

The problem in college athletics is the blueprint for the P4 conferences being applied to G5. The MAC etc simply isn't set up to be successful and the divide is going to become greater because the business model requires more money than we will ever be able to accumulate. In fact, there are a lot of schools in P4 who can never be successful at football.

Game 1 of the new playoff is over. It was a bit painful to watch, but since there isn't much else on TV, I guess the best thing I can say is it was better than nothing. It was never close and the level of play wasn't very good. Please don't tell me the score was close. College is now pri football. If a pro football team loses by 10 points, it's a lot. Indiana is not one of the 12 best teams and never had a serious shot. In closing, thank God the NFL is on today.

That's a great idea. It doesn't even have to be huge. Harris Teeter has a small two story store in uptown Charlotte. It's walkable for a lot of people and serves basic grocery needs. I'm sure in the winter months in Akron an enterprising person could come up with some kind of delivery service for the store. I think Uber already offers services like this.

They don't have a different definition. They just aren't willing to reach the level necessary. It's why they will struggle to find success in the TP era. It's also probably why I may give up my season tickets the year after Akron plays them. Between the night games, the length of games, my disinterest in learning a new roster every year, and increasingly feeling like college football is set up for only a few teams to be successful, I think I may have had enough.

You missed the point.

The sleaze today makes the coaches of the past look like choir boys. It's so bad now teams are going to have to start hiring general managers to manage parts of the sleaze.

I could see it play out in a way that helps mac level schools. The MAC is a development league. I don't see it helping P4 schools much because they have appeal and money behind them. Their players mostly show up ready to play. My concern is cultural. Juco is a place for dummies and guys who are completely focused on themselves. The team just exists for the player to get to another school. I'm not sure how two years of that level of self centeredness is good for a future program. I addition, there is a big difference between a 24-25 year old and an 18-19 year old. I couldn't imagine trudging off to winter workouts at 6 AM as a 24 year old, or even wanting to live in places like Athens, Oxford, Bowling Green or Mt. Pleasant at that age. Seems to be the makings of unhappy people.

I've had to attend open day games on Thursday nights the past few years and I absolutely hate them. Why can't fans just go to a Saturday game and enjoy a day off without having to take a day off? Maybe a nice community event? Good grief.

Someone playing 6 years of college football at any level seems like a really unproductive use of life.

You make good points. I think the demolition and reconstruction on campus, such as the student center, was well done. There are always going to be some boneheaded mistakes.

The success of downtown Akron cannot hinge on the University because it isn't the job of a university to stimulate economic growth, it's to educate people and they need to stick to that mission. It's not the University's job to make downtown Akron a vibrant place. It's the job of the City of Akron to do that in form of drawing more businesses into the City. I know a guy who recently retired from one of the banks downtown. He only had to go to the office two days a week and there was only one other person on his floor of the Huntington (I think) building. Hoping college students buy a couple more cups of coffee or someone goes downtown for yet another art gallery isn't the stimulation Akron needs. It's something, but not nearly enough. Akron needs a youth movement living in downtown and I don't mean more students. I travel throughout the country for work. There are plenty of cities the size of Akron that are thriving and have young people living and working downtown. Grand Rapids is a smaller city than Akron in a much smaller region and their downtown at night is a blast. Winston Salem is another city like Akron doing well. There are lots of examples.

I think portal damage is relative to the damage inflicted upon the competition. Without knowing how the rest of the MAC is being impacted, it's hard to gauge.

The second bullet is a good idea because spring practice is a waste of time. The other two just delayed the inevitable. Players are going to leave. Everyone knows who they are. What if they refuse to practice or play? The idea of moving the TP entry back assumes a player can be forced to play.

https://sports.yahoo.com/wake-forest-football-coach-dave-clawson-steps-down-204821072.html I'm a little surprised, but not much. He made over $40 million during his time at the school. Staying on as a consultant makes sense as the medical benefits are great because they have their own health system. Does Wake have the stomach to hire a complete sleaze bag in an era that requires total sleaze bag coaches to be successful? I doubt it.

First of all, this wouldn't bother me in the least. Less is better for the mac. What's the value? NIU has a proud tradition of football and this move destroys their program.

I'm not sure the timing of the portal opening fixes this problem. If a player is going to leave, he's going to leave the team whether he enters the portal in December or January.

He's worsening his position. He's going from the 109th ranked defense to the 132nd. If his decision is financial, I guess I can live with that, but I can also criticize him. I have no problem crapping on college football players. They are adults and they are now professionals. There are a lot of 18-23 year olds playing in the NHL and MLB. When they play badly or make poor decisions in the fans mind, they get hit hard by the media and public. That's part of being a professional. Moreover, these guys are playing at taxpayer funded public institutions so they can take heat from that perspective also. They want the money, let them take the heat.

Gundy just had a massive contract restructuring not in his favor. McCoy isn't the type of player he needs to coach at OSU beyond next season.

This is a horrible look for college football. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/marshall-opts-out-of-independence-bowl-vs-army-amid-portal-exodus-louisiana-tech-tabbed-as-replacement/

They are the only ones who care.

I'm unimpressed. Average MAC QBs aren't going to get them to six wins at an ACC school. Wake has gone from John Wolford (played in the NFL) to Jamie Newman (solid QB) to Sam Hartman (NFL player) to Mitch Griffiths (talentless player who left for Marshall and then retired from football) and Hank Bachmeier (average at Boise State and disappointing at LA Tech). Bachmeier is a moron. I have no idea what they saw in a 25 year old who was that unaware. In addition, Clawson landed a QB from GA who is only six foot tall and 175 pounds. The point is this, his offense requires a physically and mentally solid QB. He has not had one in two years resulting in two losing season. I didn't think they could be worse in 2023 than in 2024, but they somehow pulled it off. I don't see a better QB next year. Another losing season next year will test how much good will Clawson has if this past season hasn't put it to the test already with a horrible loss to Louisiana. I think he has been at Wake for 12 years. He probably makes $4 million per year all in so he has made $48 million in a low cost of living area. If they are worse next year, the first game against Akron in 2026 could be the first game for a new coach.

I'm currently watching Texas A & M play Purdue in what is so far a good game in a jam packed NBA arena. Somewhere between playing in an NBA arena and SVSM is a better idea than what Duquesne is doing. It's all so stupid. Maybe Santa will bring the Duquesne AD and ounce of creativity for Christmas.