2021-2022 NFL Season (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

For those who have posted here about Harbaugh vs. Ohio State- sure looks like he’s got his first win today- he’s rushing the ball down the Buckeyes throat.

Is part of the tradition of this rivalry that the game kicks off at noon every year?
If not, I’m shocked that this game wasn’t moved to prime time.

The Game is always during the day. It's never been played in prime time.

The only other thing I have to say is :

GO BLUE!!

 

[David Norman]

Interesting to see 3 Alabama QB starting in the NFL at the same time and Bryce Young may make it 4 in a couple years. That hasn't been an Alabama strength since the 60's.
Young is showing me flashes, but some nagging concerns that I'm not sure how much is him being essentially a First year inexperienced player and how much is Alabama's apparently 'Very average" offensive line this year. Assuming they take care of Auburn this week (nowhere near a lock) I'm either interested or scared to death to see what a top notch defense like GA will do to that offensive line since Texas A/M, Arkansas, LSU, and early Florida basically wreaked havok on them

Hate to throw this in the NFL thread, but since it sort of fits with the QB discsussion and I couldn't find a CFB thread..

I think "Very Average" was far too big of an benefit of the doubt for this AL offensive line.
A decent, but not much above average Auburn defense savaged this abomination of an offensive line. What an atrociously bad game in every phase of the word and
only a horrible play by a good RB allowed Alabama even a sniff of a chance late in the 4th Q going Out of Bounds. A 3rd String QB playing on one leg who couldn't throw
the ball even when healthy nearly beat this team -- 150 yds total offense in game for Auburn and I think 50 yards in the 2nd half and it takes a miracle to lose. Alabama had almost
as much penalty yardage as Auburn had Offense

Alabama may very well have played themselves out of the playoffs unless they beat Georgia next week. They have literally regressed significantly on Offense and Defense
in the last 7-8 weeks.

Assuming Michigan beats Iowa and Cincinnati beats Houston, If AL get beat convincingly I can't see any excuse to put them ahead of Ohio State or even Notre Dame.
If they lose a close game to GA then I still think Ohio State deserves a spot and Notre Dame is odd man out.

If Cincy loses and AL loses by a touchdown or less, then it get really interesting assuming MI doesn't screw up.

Would the committee put two B10 and two SEC rematches in the Playoffs or would ND jump 2 loss AL and/or Ohio St? Jump ND into a rematch with Cincy?
I haven;t seen anything from Oklahoma St or Oklahoma tonight to jump them into a playoff spot even if all sorts of craziness happens next week., but if OSU beats OK handily in the 2nd half and beats them again next week convincingly then maybe.

Maybe the easiest thing to do is put (assuming) undefeated GA, the B10 Conf Champ, (assuming) undefeated Group of 5 Cincy and Big 12 Champ if Okla/OK St can finish with a single loss. If Cincy loses, Michigan loses, and teh B12 champ ends up with 2 losses then things really get crazy.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Assuming Michigan beats Iowa and Cincinnati beats Houston, If AL get beat convincingly I can't see any excuse to put them ahead of Ohio State or even Notre Dame.
If they lose a close game to GA then I still think Ohio State deserves a spot and Notre Dame is odd man out.

IMO, if Georgia, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Oklahoma State all win their conference championship games, they should be the four teams in the playoffs. Notre Dame has no business being there, as they have not beaten even one ranked team -- the only such team they have faced is Cincy, and they lost. The closest thing they have to a "signature" win is at Wisconsin back in September, when the Badgers were playing poorly. The Irish do not have to play in a conference title game, either. I would put a two loss Ohio State team in before them if Cincy, Michigan or Oklahoma State falters. Heck, I would put Cincy in over Notre Dame even if they lose their conference title game based on them having the same number of losses as ND, but having beaten the Irish.

If Alabama beats Georgia, they probably both get in the playoffs and Oklahoma State gets left out -- unless Cincinnati or Michigan loses on Saturday.

 

[David Norman]

Various young QB on Sunday (mostly SEC since those are the guys I know the best), but since it just ended -- Lamar Jackson is a freaking video game, but should have lost the game tonight in a thoroughly unimpressive game by both Baker and Lamar, but Baker just being able to play at all is something though it's probably not a good long term Business Move.

Mac Jones another very solid performance against a pretty good defense
Jalen Hurts -- awful game, but the Eagles dropped 2 game winning TD passes on the last drive, one of the INT was off the hands of the receivers and the one at the end of the 1st half I still thing the Receiver fell down.
Tua -- looked very good today, Best overall game I've seen from him in 2 years against what at times this year has been a great defense. I guess Cam had a Iron Bowl hangover, but this is the Cam I remember for most of the last 5-6 years (except worse)
Herbert -- not a very good overall game the bit I saw though the overall numbers weren't awful
Burrow looked great today against the same team that Herbert toasted last week -- maybe the Steelers just aren't very good.
Didn't see any of teh Jets game so can't really say anything on Wilson, but the highlights didn't look overly impressive.
Trevor Lawrence -- not much to go on, but another mediocre game. Jax is just so bad on offense it's hard to know how much is the QB struggling and how much is the team

IMO, if Georgia, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Oklahoma State all win their conference championship games, they should be the four teams in the playoffs. Notre Dame has no business being there, as they have not beaten even one ranked team -- the only such team they have faced is Cincy, and they lost. The closest thing they have to a "signature" win is at Wisconsin back in September, when the Badgers were playing poorly. The Irish do not have to play in a conference title game, either. I would put a two loss Ohio State team in before them if Cincy, Michigan or Oklahoma State falters. Heck, I would put Cincy in over Notre Dame even if they lose their conference title game based on them having the same number of losses as ND, but having beaten the Irish.

If Alabama beats Georgia, they probably both get in the playoffs and Oklahoma State gets left out -- unless Cincinnati or Michigan loses on Saturday.

Most of my rambling the other post was based on weeks of hearing how AL had a good shot at a playoff spot even if they lost to GA. Listening to most of the talking heads today, I think that is now an impossible scenario (good for that at least). Oklahoma St getting in based on a B12 Championship if they beat Baylor I think increased after last night, but not that I think they're one of the Best 4 in the country . I'm completely unsold on Cincy being one of the 4 best teams despite being undefeated, but if they beat Houston next week I don't think there is a good case to leave them out -- at least that would give them 5 wins over teams with a winning record.

ND hasn't beat anyone of note, but they have played much better as the year has progressed (opposite of AL) and their one loss is to a Top 5 team. They have the Best Loss of all the 1 L teams in contention. Ohio State is easily the best 2L team with losses to 2 Top 10 teams and personally I think is a better team at this point in the season than Okla St, Cincy, ND, or AL. Ohio St also has the best Opponent Win % of all the top 6-8 teams with a combined 78-66 record (I threw out the FCS teams which only OhioSt didn't have) and wins over 4 teams with winning records. ND has 3 W over +500 teams and 71-71 opponent record, Cincy 58-73 though 4 wins over +500 teams, AL (70-62, 5 W), Okla St (71-61 4 W).

Weirdest thing looking at Cincy win is they played up/down to the competition and beat the teams with winning records by 11, 35, 34, 22 while struggling multiple games against awful teams. Cincy beat Tulsa (6-6) by 8 while Okla St beat them by 8 and Ohio St by 21. Indiana (2-10) lost to Cincy by 14 Ohio St 47 and Michigan 22

Assuming GA, MI, Cincy, Oklahoma St win next week -- I now think those will be the 4 teams
If AL wins (it;s Saban so I'll give it 5% on a fluke play at the end and GA loses it top 3 QB), then somebody is going to get screwed royally

 

[Jeffrey D]

Seems that the Browns have a tough decision to make about Mayfield. The offense scores just 10 points while the defense gets 4 turnovers, and that beauty last week at home vs. the Lions wasn’t a textbook offensive game either. The Browns have either picked the wrong QB
(Manziel), or constant middle management change wouldn’t allow patience for other QBs. Sticking with an inadequate for too long is almost as bad as having a revolving door at that position.

 

[Malcolm R]

Something seems to be wrong with Mayfield. He seems incapable of throwing a pass more than 7-8 yards. Even when they had to convert a 3rd and 10 or 4th and 10, the passes were all short of the first down marker.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I did not watch the game, but isn't Mayfield supposed to have an injured leg or ankle? That could be affecting his ability to through the ball.

 

[Malcolm R]

I did not watch the game, but isn't Mayfield supposed to have an injured leg or ankle? That could be affecting his ability to through the ball.

Not sure about the legs. He's wearing a harness of some kind on his non-throwing shoulder.

 

[David Norman]

Something seems to be wrong with Mayfield. He seems incapable of throwing a pass more than 7-8 yards. Even when they had to convert a 3rd and 10 or 4th and 10, the passes were all short of the first down marker.

There are currently about 100 things wrong with Mayfield including a Left Shoulder that needs major surgery, a Heel/Ankle that makes him barely able to walk, along wiht several more minor physical issue. He could barely walk around the sidelines last night so he's having trouble planting and pushing off with his lower body, and his non throwing shoulder is making it very hard to throw with just his arm since it limits his upper body torque. He's improvising at best since the team is on the cusp of the playoffs, but long term I'm afraid it's not a good decision since he's eventually going to hurt his Right Arm by throwing and/or some defense is going to bugsplat him and hurt something else. If I was his agent or family, I'd consider throwing in the towel and saving his long term career, but that ain't Baker's style

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Yup, Mayfield is badly beat up so not much chance of him playing well. I think they play him because he is better than the back-up and they need wins badly.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I want to see the Bengals challenge the Ravens for the division crown. This would be fun.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Well, the Patriots destroyed the Titans. Next up the Bills in the most meaningful AFC East game we have seen in a very long time.

It's odd but at this moment in time with the way the Patriots are playing I would say that the Bills are the team on the hot seat in this game. I thought the Bills would cruise to a division championship but now...I have no idea. If the Patriots knock off the Bills they could actually be in line to secure homefield advantage in the playoffs. That's amazing and dangerous for the rest of the AFC.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The Chargers are slumping at the wrong time. They need to pull out of that rather quickly. They should have been able to handle that Broncos team.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Wow, Brian Kelly leaving ND for LSU. College sports are so corrupt especially with the coaches as they can just break their contracts and go where-ever they want to. It's a joke that the NCAA focuses on small peanuts like the athletes when the high end corruption is in the coaching ranks and athletic conferences due to TV monies and rich boosters.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Wow, Brian Kelly leaving ND for LSU. College sports are so corrupt especially with the coaches as they can just break their contracts and go where-ever they want to. It's a joke that the NCAA focuses on small peanuts like the athletes when the high end corruption is in the coaching ranks and athletic conferences due to TV monies and rich boosters.

Well, 2.67 million dollars a year doesn't go as far as it used to. I'm sure that Kelly will make quite a bit more at LSU.

So will this be Urban Meyer's cue to leave Jacksonville and become Notre Dame's next coach?

- Walter.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Wow, Brian Kelly leaving ND for LSU. College sports are so corrupt especially with the coaches as they can just break their contracts and go where-ever they want to. It's a joke that the NCAA focuses on small peanuts like the athletes when the high end corruption is in the coaching ranks and athletic conferences due to TV monies and rich boosters.

I never thought I would see Kelly leave Notre Dame. The two seemed like a perfect fit. I guess money does talk. You would think that Notre Dame would give him a boost in salary to keep him around, though.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Well, 2.67 million dollars a year doesn't go as far as it used to. I'm sure that Kelly will make quite a bit more at LSU.

So will this be Urban Meyer's cue to leave Jacksonville and become Notre Dame's next coach?

- Walter.

I cannot see Notre Dame hiring Urban Meyer. That would not be good for their image.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I expect ND to hire a younger coach with Cincinnati connections just like Kelly beforehand. Either it's the current Cincy HC or ND's current defensive coordinator that came from Cincy after last season.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It's being reported that Kelly got a ten year contract worth at least 100M. If that's true that just re-enforces what I said earlier about the coaching profession in college sports.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It's being reported that Kelly got a ten year contract worth at least 100M. If that's true that just re-enforces what I said earlier about the coaching profession in college sports.

The Michigan State coach just got $90M over 10 years. Based on that, I guess Kelly's deal is a bargain.