Game Thread: CFP Playoff NC Game - Ohio St vs Notre Dame (ESPN @ 730p EST)

[DzynKingRTR]

Top teams (including our beloved Tide) have been paying for rosters since the days of leather helmets.

Now
It's
Legal

 

[Bodhisattva]

I had mild conflicting interests in this game. I have a co-worker who is an OSU guy. But Riley Leornard is a fellow Fairhope HS alum (Go Pirates! ). So, that OSU won the game, and Riley had an admirable, gutty performance in the loss is about the best I could hope for in this game for me.

 

[Con]

It may be an eye of the beholder type of thing but I was green with envy watching Howard play for you guys.

He played within himself and distributed the ball and did it with toughness and leadership and efficiency.

He reminded me a lot of Jake Coker.

After watching all the playoff games I really feel like we are a solid QB away from really being able to make a run in the playoffs.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Now
It's
Legal

But it's not only that. Let's be serious for a moment. I don't think any of us deny the 100 dollar handshakes or even the several thousands exchanged for guys like Cam Newton.

What I deny is that the SEC was alone in this behavior. It was worse in places than others, yes.

However, there was some restraint on this former "system." When programs got too far out of line (SMU) they got hammered.

What we have today is completely unfettered. And it's not just the pay for play in the millions of dollars. It's the transfer portal being a free for all that has really destroyed the game.

Not to rain on Ohio State's parade, mind you. They've not broken any rules here. But the rules are not sustainable.

 

[Toddrn]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1881575472049590280

Just got a note from my daughter. One of her friends and the daughter of some of our friends is the one that was driving the golf cart. She is interning at the Peach Bowl in Sports Marketting.Can't wait to see her at the house this summer.

Her internship may be over.

 

[rolltide_21]

My interest in the Playoffs as a whole was pretty low but I'll also say that both tOSU and ND looked to be doing something right with both player selection and coaching.

It's not just about who spends the most.... yet anyway.

tOSU added a Veteran QB and coached him to his best play of his career.

They took Seth from us and fixed him and turned him into the #1 Center in CFB.

They took Judkins from Ole Miss who was supposedly a 'team cancer' and he matched Henderson yard for yard and TD for TD.

They recruited Smith at WR and he became a Top 1-3 WR in CFB as a TF.

Day is doing something right because they did all of this vs the *checks notes again* #2 SOS in the Country.

Makes me wonder if tOSU did something crazy like playing their best players at every position as well.

Don’t forget suring up the backside of their D with an All-American from Alabama

 

[81usaf92]

the SEC crew last night had 4 guys from Alabama and 2 Alabama players

Marlowe’s crew

 

[davefrat]

But it's not only that. Let's be serious for a moment. I don't think any of us deny the 100 dollar handshakes or even the several thousands exchanged for guys like Cam Newton.

What I deny is that the SEC was alone in this behavior. It was worse in places than others, yes.

However, there was some restraint on this former "system." When programs got too far out of line (SMU) they got hammered.

What we have today is completely unfettered. And it's not just the pay for play in the millions of dollars. It's the transfer portal being a free for all that has really destroyed the game.

Not to rain on Ohio State's parade, mind you. They've not broken any rules here. But the rules are not sustainable.

Did anyone suggest that it was only the SEC paying players in yesteryears?

 

[denver]

The blueprint is there....pay your most valuable players currently on the roster.....and add specific needs from the portal for more $$....OSU did it this year so it will be the standard going forward. Some over-rotated to bringing in too many transfers ( Ole Miss) ...the part that needs addressing is the tampering....persuading or bidding for players on a roster vs. in the portal...that needs to be illegal and have severe consequences if this game is to survive with any integrity. One caveat is greed...player greed...deeper pockets in some programs means more to pay to play....as the GOAT said...a program with $30M to spend is going to beat a program with $3M to spend...no way to police monetary disparity yet.

 

[TiderJack]

After watching all the playoff games I really feel like we are a solid QB away from really being able to make a run in the playoffs.

I totally agree. We have the Jimmy and Joe's to compete with anybody and just need good solid QB play, not great.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Did anyone suggest that it was only the SEC paying players in yesteryears?

not here, but the common refrain out there from loser fans who were castrated by the Saban juggernaut goes, “Nick quit because it became legal for everyone to pay players like he was doing!”

That is all over the Internet and social media and everywhere. I’ve called more than a couple of dozen of those worthless slime balls out myself.

There are tons of clueless and brain dead Ohio State fans on social media that will say that now that it’s legal for everyone to do what the SEC is doing, the SEC won’t be winning all the championships any longer.

I don’t like going there, but given the number of schools in the Big Ten who have had a pedophile on staff in their athletic program, they need to worry more about what’s going on in their backyard first.

 

[TiderJack]

But it's not only that. Let's be serious for a moment. I don't think any of us deny the 100 dollar handshakes or even the several thousands exchanged for guys like Cam Newton.

What I deny is that the SEC was alone in this behavior. It was worse in places than others, yes.

However, there was some restraint on this former "system." When programs got too far out of line (SMU) they got hammered.

What we have today is completely unfettered. And it's not just the pay for play in the millions of dollars. It's the transfer portal being a free for all that has really destroyed the game.

Not to rain on Ohio State's parade, mind you. They've not broken any rules here. But the rules are not sustainable.

And it's on all levels of college athletics. Ridiculous.

"How do you coach in an environment where the players feel like they owe you nothing and you owe them everything?" Geno Auriemma talks about the challenges of coaching with NIL and the transfer portal:

 

[Tidewater]

Makes me wonder if tOSU did something crazy like playing their best players at every position as well.

What kind of madness is that?

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I totally agree. We have the Jimmy and Joe's to compete with anybody and just need good solid QB play, not great.

That's what is frustrating, wondering what might have been if we could have just gotten consistent play from the QB position.

 

[denver]

That's what is frustrating, wondering what might have been if we could have just gotten consistent play from the QB position.

Both Leonard and Howard were facilitators and believed in team success...vs being focused on "showing out" or being THE focus of the team...a major difference with a majorly different outcome

 

[davefrat]

That's what is frustrating, wondering what might have been if we could have just gotten consistent play from the QB position.

We missed out at least one national title because of poor defense in the past...then the tables turned and we lost out because of poor QB play.

Very frustrating.

 

[Rocky Mtn Bob]

<Snip>

Makes me wonder if tOSU did something crazy like playing their best players at every position as well.

I think I know what you did there!

 

[Rocky Mtn Bob]

This morning I had this thought: OSU "brought its B+ game" and was solid enough at that level to beat ND, which "brought its A- game."

IMO, that (mostly boring) game pretty much proved the Committee did a rotten job. They must fix this next year.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Did anyone suggest that it was only the SEC paying players in yesteryears?

Almost any "online" Big Ten fan. Most of them being Michigan fans, mind you.

 

[B1GTide]

Almost any "online" Big Ten fan. Most of them being Michigan fans, mind you.

Michigan fans sing this song all day, every day. They say it about any team/school that wins more than them. But their wins - totally clean. It is comical.