The Game (2016) | #2 Ohio State vs. #3 TTUN | November 26th, 2016 @ Noon

[I'mWithDan]

Good time to remember that if the NCAA used an 8-team playoff, the game on Saturday would have been almost completely irrelevant.

It depends how it is set up. It still would have determined the conference champion in an 8 team playoff year. If the 8-team format has home site games for the first round, there's also that added incentive.

In Michigan's scenario, let's assume they are seeded 5th-7th with the loss. The difference between opening at home vs PSU / UW / CU / OU vs. opening on the road @UW, @Clemson or @OSU is pretty massive one.

The game this year sent neither team to the conference championship and didn't completely eliminate Michigan from the playoff. So I don't see how an 8 team playoff is much different if you're talking home site games in round 1.

My only contention with the 4 team format is the NCAA deemed there would be 5 "Power" Conferences. Why is there a system that will, even in a best case scenario, exclude at least one conference champion? From the pool of teams that playoff typically represents?

Ditch conference championship games if people are worried about diluting the regular season, go to a 10 game conference schedule and take the 5 conference champions and 3 at large teams. To me, that's a way better system.

In year two of this system, we're a CU win away from having to debate wether a team like CU or PSU or UW goes over Michigan when Michigan beat all 3 teams. To me, that makes no sense at all. In addition, the #2 team won't even play in a conference championship game.

Maybe this is an anomaly but the conference championship format seems to be more of a hinderance than a help at this point. Division formats can produce some really stupid results, like this year in the B1G where maybe the 3rd and 4th best teams are playing each other in the title game.

 

[Ohio]

Division formats can produce some really stupid results, like this year in the B1G where maybe the 3rd and 4th best are playing each other in the title game.

This is the problem, as I've beat to death on here, not the title games themselves.

The title games would be fine if they actually fielded the two best teams, you know, like title games should do...

This year's B1G title game, by overall conference standing, features #1 vs #4. That...makes no goddamn sense.

Divisions is what is preventing the overall system from working. It prevents the two best teams in the conference from competing in the title game and thus essentially prevents the 4 best teams from making the playoff.

 

[Surge]

This is the problem, as I've beat to death on here, not the title games themselves.

The title games would be fine if they actually fielded the two best teams, you know, like title games should do...

This year's B1G title game, by overall conference standing, features #1 vs #4. That...makes no goddamn sense.

Divisions is what is preventing the overall system from working. It prevents the two best teams in the conference from competing in the title game and thus essentially prevents the 4 best teams from making the playoff.

So get rid of divisions and have a conference committee decide who are the best two teams in the condmference? Or just go by record?

 

[Ohio]

So get rid of divisions and have a conference committee decide who are the best two teams in the condmference? Or just go by record?

Just go by record with the same tiebreakers already in place...

 

[I'mWithDan]

So get rid of divisions and have a conference committee decide who are the best two teams in the condmference? Or just go by record?

There's a few ways you could do it but to retain the conference championship game, the Big Ten would have to meet with the NCAA and hammer out specifics on a divisionless conference. Currently, a conference can only have a championship game if it has divisions per NCAA guidelines.

In a world where you have to have divisions, the B1G IMO screwed up by going to 14 teams....because of the scheduling oddities it produces in a 9 game schedule. They would have been better served to expand to 16 and have 7 inner division games and only 2 cross division games.

No one wants to hear it but from a competitive balance standpoint, the Leaders / Legends set up was way better. The West is utterly awful in the current setup. Michigan State is down this season but MSU, OSU, UM and PSU in the same division puts 4 of the top 5-6 programs in the same pool. To me, that is utterly stupid when you are trying to field the best possible championship game. This year is the perfect example. An unbalanced division set up leads to the two best teams being left out of the championship game. I don't understand why the conference would even put themselves in a system that can produce that kind of result.

 

[col63onel]

"And finally, John Wiercinski, the linesman last Saturday, is from the Grand Rapids area. He was the line judge for the 2015 Michigan-Ohio State game."

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...rutiny-also-worked-um-osu-2008-2015/94604246/

The infamous "spot" was made by a Michigan native.

 

[Ohio]

View: https://twitter.com/richarddeitsch/status/804095075684876288


Jesus.

 

[Ohio]

 

[I'mWithDan]

I think the finality of the game probably directly affects how coaches feel. What was on the line at that point for OSU? Halfway through the conference schedule and road back to back?

In hindsight, it lost the tie breaker but I doubt Meyer feels the same in a loss to PSU in October as he does in a loss in November or December, because the later losses carry that finality.

The emotions are more easily controlled in things prior to the end of the season, which I think the Iowa game showed. The face mask call in the Iowa game was pretty bad and led to the game winning score and his comments were:

Did you think with the facemask, I didn’t see it, but did you see it from your field position?

“I didn’t see it either.”

And there weren't any other comments about it.

 

[col63onel]

I think the finality of the game probably directly affects how coaches feel. What was on the line at that point for OSU?

But Harbaugh freaks out at any point of any game. For example, he was beside himself over a correct implementation of a facemask penalty in the 2nd quarter of this game.

Here is he losing it when up 31-0 in the 4th
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO7Id51x9wU


He is a very talented coach, and his enthusiasm and passion certainly help drive his success. But he's also a huge whiner.

 

[I'mWithDan]

But Harbaugh freaks out at any point of any game. For example, he was beside himself over a correct implementation of a facemask penalty in the 2nd quarter of this game.

Here is he losing it when up 31-0 in the 4th
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO7Id51x9wU


He is a very talented coach, and his enthusiasm and passion certainly help drive his success. But he's also a huge whiner.

If my memory serves me correctly, one of the defensive lineman got just tackled in front of the play and nothing was called. I think after the game he talked about how he was concerned someone was going to get hurt with all the interior play.

Harbaugh certainly freaks out on occasion but a majority of the time, he is correct. It's just that people vividly remember the times he does it when he is wrong.

 

[col63onel]

If my memory serves me correctly, one of the defensive lineman got just tackled in front of the play and nothing was called. I think after the game he talked about how he was concerned someone was going to get hurt with all the interior play.

Harbaugh certainly freaks out on occasion but a majority of the time, he is correct. It's just that people vividly remember the times he does it when he is wrong.

Don't think it has anything to do about right or wrong. As you said, the NW he was probably right. Coaches stick up for the safety of their players all the time. Nick Saban tried to legislate up tempo offense in the name of player safety.

It's the intensity in which he does it which sets him apart. And when he's extremely animated and wrong, he looks like more of an ass. And it makes it harder to take him seriously if he is right.

 

[TheLand1287]

Don't think it has anything to do about right or wrong. As you said, the NW he was probably right. Coaches stick up for the safety of their players all the time. Nick Saban tried to legislate up tempo offense in the name of player safety.

It's the intensity in which he does it which sets him apart. And when he's extremely animated and wrong, he looks like more of an ass. And it makes it harder to take him seriously if he is right.

This. It's the intensity and the frequency in which he does it. And like you said it makes him hard to take seriously even when he's right, because he does it when he's wrong too, so there's a boy who cried wolf part to it. I'm not saying he or any other coach should be a Mike Pettine and just stand there with a dumb fucking look on your face and not argue anything, but Harbough is an excessive whiner. He always has been.

 

[Ohio]

This. It's the intensity and the frequency in which he does it. And like you said it makes him hard to take seriously even when he's right, because he does it when he's wrong too, so there's a boy who cried wolf part to it. I'm not saying he or any other coach should be a Mike Pettine and just stand there with a dumb fucking look on your face and not argue anything, but Harbough is an excessive whiner. He always has been.

And it certainly doesn't help their cause when it comes to 50/50 calls.

 

[col63onel]

Interesting piece from 11W

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...o-overturn-the-spot-and-michigan-fans-are-bad

Favorite part

The states where officials that called that game are from: Indiana 4, Ohio 3, Michigan 3, Illinois 1 and Pennsylvania 1.

It's like with Penn State back to normal, B1G needed a new fanbase of conspiracy weirdos.