Georgia or TCU?

[bigdaddyg]

I've always tried to be more of an optimistic realist rather than a pessimist but as far as college football and a playoff goes I believe that "anyone can win any Saturday " window has about shut. Sure we had the A&M win, Marshall took down ND and those games will happen but it's hard to imagine any G5 having a roster big, strong and talented enough to get through 12 games, a CCG and then 2-4 more playoff games. The big guys can pluck players from other programs and fill holes. Georgia kept trotting out grown ass men and had plenty more on the sideline. Now I read they are the favorites for next season followed by the same old teams.

Would love nothing better than App to be there but...

[BeauFoster]

Look at it this way, when App makes it and if they get beat badly, it won’t be without precedent. The royals from the SEC can’t use it against expansion, as they’ve already beaten a “power conference” team just as badly.

[Appst86]

The leadership in college football (is it the NCAA?) has to get a handle on the distribution of talent. Last year, UGa had five NFL first-rounders on defense. No NFL team has five first-rounders on defense. The current situation is analogous to the NFL allowing only the Super Bowl winner and runner up to select in the first two rounds of the draft. The NFL learned that parity makes a better product. At some point, fairness in college football matters. The free-for-all transfer rules (or lack thereof) only exacerbate the problem. Like bigdaddyg alluded- most of us could pick 3 of 4 of next year's playoff teams.

[bigdaddyg]

The leadership in college football (is it the NCAA?) has to get a handle on the distribution of talent. Last year, UGa had five NFL first-rounders on defense. No NFL team has five first-rounders on defense. The current situation is analogous to the NFL allowing only the Super Bowl winner and runner up to select in the first two rounds of the draft. The NFL learned that parity makes a better product. At some point, fairness in college football matters. The free-for-all transfer rules (or lack thereof) only exacerbate the problem. Like bigdaddyg alluded- most of us could pick 3 of 4 of next year's playoff teams.

I agree. I've never really liked to use the word fair in sports. In the NFL unless your organization is just trash you have the same exact opportunity to win as any team. Salary cap, balanced schedule and draft. The NBA is a little less due to teams paying the luxury tax. Baseball is a messed up situation altogether but if you can slide into the playoffs and have a few pitchers you have a shot. I don't know how college football regulates fairness in terms of recruiting and rosters. An App might have 3 legit pro players on the roster each season but it's not even close to the big boys. That sophomore TE for Georgia last night was a pro.

[Stonewall]

The gap is only going to grow , it's all about money now.We know that we are being out bid for talent we would otherwise sign , literally out bid....

[AtlAppMan]

Let me bring make a slightly different point about Georgia, just to be fair. I live in the heart of UGA world so I get to see and hear a lot from their followers.

A LOT of credit for Georgia's current situation must go to their outstanding HC, Kirby Smart. The coaches that preceded him did not do what he has done. The comments above about all the talent and how they translated it to the field has to be attributed to him. They went through a lot of years of "almost/not quite enough" and the university continued to EXPECT success until they found the guy to get them there. I rarely heard those folks make excuses for not meeting expectations. Their bar was always high and they continued to expect people to deliver. When did you hear App HC tell his players in public after winning a close game against a good team (Kirby post Ohio St last week) "we have a lot to work on and the QB has to play better?" Did that light a fire under Bennett's butt? Heck Yea! Also, I didn't see his team take the foot off the pedal at any point in that game. He finds a way to motivate his players to squeeze the MOST out of them and keep them focused.

Just look at Texas A&M, they have resources but have not translated it to on field success. Georgia has had resources but it takes good people to make it happen. Carolina has resources. Miami has resources. Etc. etc.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have the resources and they do matter. I just don't want folks to look at last night and say they just fell into that situation because they have the resources. I did not see complacency last night.

[Stonewall]

Best players , and coaches money can buy.

[fjblair]

Best players , and coaches money can buy.

100% true, and it is going to get much worse in the next decade. When you have a 14 point spread in a national championship game, something is very wrong.

[MrCraig]

The leadership in college football (is it the NCAA?) has to get a handle on the distribution of talent. Last year, UGa had five NFL first-rounders on defense. No NFL team has five first-rounders on defense. The current situation is analogous to the NFL allowing only the Super Bowl winner and runner up to select in the first two rounds of the draft. The NFL learned that parity makes a better product. At some point, fairness in college football matters. The free-for-all transfer rules (or lack thereof) only exacerbate the problem. Like bigdaddyg alluded- most of us could pick 3 of 4 of next year's playoff teams.

The gap between the haves and have-nots in college football will continue to widen, and I do worry about basically another FBS/FCS type split between P5 and G5 (or even the top 40-ish P5 programs and everyone else). However, to say you could predict the playoff because of this disparity simply isn't true. Go look at the "Way Too Early Top 25" rankings on any website from this time last year. Go look at the Top 25 rankings from the beginning and middle of the year. Georgia and Ohio State were the only consistent teams mentioned. No one picked TCU. Most lists had Clemson, Alabama, and/or Texas A&M making the playoff. Also, the two semi-final playoff games this year were probably the best in the history of the CFP. The title was a blowout, but that happens in a lot of sports. I remember a time when whoever won the Western conference in the NBA was de facto NBA champs. These things tend to shift and even out over time.

[Black Saturday]

I've always tried to be more of an optimistic realist rather than a pessimist but as far as college football and a playoff goes I believe that "anyone can win any Saturday " window has about shut. Sure we had the A&M win, Marshall took down ND and those games will happen but it's hard to imagine any G5 having a roster big, strong and talented enough to get through 12 games, a CCG and then 2-4 more playoff games. The big guys can pluck players from other programs and fill holes. Georgia kept trotting out grown ass men and had plenty more on the sideline. Now I read they are the favorites for next season followed by the same old teams.

Would love nothing better than App to be there but...

You are exactly right, as much as has changed positively for APP Football over the years it's close to the same as the Country Club has rewritten the rules for football programs that can buy in. Possible SEC and BIg Ten TV deal comes to mind, that will keep others poor. If we are going to dwell in realm of have-nots, I'd sure like our own playoff and National Champioship.

[AppinVA]

I've always tried to be more of an optimistic realist rather than a pessimist but as far as college football and a playoff goes I believe that "anyone can win any Saturday " window has about shut. Sure we had the A&M win, Marshall took down ND and those games will happen but it's hard to imagine any G5 having a roster big, strong and talented enough to get through 12 games, a CCG and then 2-4 more playoff games. The big guys can pluck players from other programs and fill holes. Georgia kept trotting out grown ass men and had plenty more on the sideline. Now I read they are the favorites for next season followed by the same old teams.

Would love nothing better than App to be there but...

You are exactly right, as much as has changed positively for APP Football over the years it's close to the same as the Country Club has rewritten the rules for football programs that can buy in. Possible SEC and BIg Ten TV deal comes to mind, that will keep others poor. If we are going to dwell in realm of have-nots, I'd sure like our own playoff and National Champioship.

We had that. Thankfully, we left it. If you want to go back to that, pull for ETSU.

[bigdaddyg]

College basketball has the NIT tournament and people still get excited if their team plays and wins it. Obviously it's not the same as the big dance but it's still an event and if we were to get in that tournament most fans would be excited. We made the big dance a few years ago and got bounced in the playin (so did we actually make it)? The answer is yes but to not even play on the first real day is a downer. I don't necessarily see why a G5 championship would be so bad. We can get into the current playoffs right now if everything was perfect so if another level of post season was added why is that like dropping back to the FCS? If the top G5 champion gets the playoff bid why not let the other 4 champs play for that crown? I'd rather see that over a mid December bowl game against a 7-5 MAC team in Birmingham.

[311neers]

Best players , and coaches money can buy.

Funny thing is, the Offensive MVP, Defensive MVP and McConkey, were walk ons and 3*. Kirby just knows how to put his players in the best position to succeed and how to develop talent. This UGA team is really really young and still got it done, they had freshman making play after play. I like to think of App as a mini Uga. We're both built off tradition, culture and can develop players. Built on ground and pound, win in the trenches and then out athlete you to death at skill positions. We will get back to consistent winning soon. We've got our manager, now just have to find the right position and coordinator coaches to coach them up.

[WataugaMan]

"The gap between the haves and have-nots in college football will continue to widen, and I do worry about basically another FBS/FCS type split between P5 and G5 (or even the top 40-ish P5 programs and everyone else)."

If memory serves me correct many saw this coming years ago, that was one of the arguments for moving up to FBS. That is, when the time came (and, it appears it's here) that we would be in the second tier vice the "new Div II" (FCS).

[Black Saturday]

I've always tried to be more of an optimistic realist rather than a pessimist but as far as college football and a playoff goes I believe that "anyone can win any Saturday " window has about shut. Sure we had the A&M win, Marshall took down ND and those games will happen but it's hard to imagine any G5 having a roster big, strong and talented enough to get through 12 games, a CCG and then 2-4 more playoff games. The big guys can pluck players from other programs and fill holes. Georgia kept trotting out grown ass men and had plenty more on the sideline. Now I read they are the favorites for next season followed by the same old teams.

Would love nothing better than App to be there but...

You are exactly right, as much as has changed positively for APP Football over the years it's close to the same as the Country Club has rewritten the rules for football programs that can buy in. Possible SEC and BIg Ten TV deal comes to mind, that will keep others poor. If we are going to dwell in realm of have-nots, I'd sure like our own playoff and National Champioship.

We had that. Thankfully, we left it. If you want to go back to that, pull for ETSU.

I don't think so, we are at a point that it won't be that bad as FCS, but just a glorified one now and long as you are happy with being the Myrtle Beach Bowl Champs and Never anymore.

[MrCraig]

Best players , and coaches money can buy.

Funny thing is, the Offensive MVP, Defensive MVP and McConkey, were walk ons and 3*. Kirby just knows how to put his players in the best position to succeed and how to develop talent. This UGA team is really really young and still got it done, they had freshman making play after play. I like to think of App as a mini Uga. We're both built off tradition, culture and can develop players. Built on ground and pound, win in the trenches and then out athlete you to death at skill positions. We will get back to consistent winning soon. We've got our manager, now just have to find the right position and coordinator coaches to coach them up.

And Kirby himself will tell you how important coordinators and support staff are. He literally said he doesn't know how Todd Monken gets some of these 3 stars to perform the way they do. Kirby had some not great coordinators his first few years and made improvements. Now they're champions.

[AppinVA]

I've always tried to be more of an optimistic realist rather than a pessimist but as far as college football and a playoff goes I believe that "anyone can win any Saturday " window has about shut. Sure we had the A&M win, Marshall took down ND and those games will happen but it's hard to imagine any G5 having a roster big, strong and talented enough to get through 12 games, a CCG and then 2-4 more playoff games. The big guys can pluck players from other programs and fill holes. Georgia kept trotting out grown ass men and had plenty more on the sideline. Now I read they are the favorites for next season followed by the same old teams.

Would love nothing better than App to be there but...

You are exactly right, as much as has changed positively for APP Football over the years it's close to the same as the Country Club has rewritten the rules for football programs that can buy in. Possible SEC and BIg Ten TV deal comes to mind, that will keep others poor. If we are going to dwell in realm of have-nots, I'd sure like our own playoff and National Champioship.

We had that. Thankfully, we left it. If you want to go back to that, pull for ETSU.

I don't think so, we are at a point that it won't be that bad as FCS, but just a glorified one now and long as you are happy with being the Myrtle Beach Bowl Champs and Never anymore.

I not going to engage in this argument from 2002. If you're happy wallering in FeCeS, then I don't know what to tell you.

[Black Saturday]

I've always tried to be more of an optimistic realist rather than a pessimist but as far as college football and a playoff goes I believe that "anyone can win any Saturday " window has about shut. Sure we had the A&M win, Marshall took down ND and those games will happen but it's hard to imagine any G5 having a roster big, strong and talented enough to get through 12 games, a CCG and then 2-4 more playoff games. The big guys can pluck players from other programs and fill holes. Georgia kept trotting out grown ass men and had plenty more on the sideline. Now I read they are the favorites for next season followed by the same old teams.

Would love nothing better than App to be there but...

You are exactly right, as much as has changed positively for APP Football over the years it's close to the same as the Country Club has rewritten the rules for football programs that can buy in. Possible SEC and BIg Ten TV deal comes to mind, that will keep others poor. If we are going to dwell in realm of have-nots, I'd sure like our own playoff and National Champioship.

We had that. Thankfully, we left it. If you want to go back to that, pull for ETSU.

I don't think so, we are at a point that it won't be that bad as FCS, but just a glorified one now and long as you are happy with being the Myrtle Beach Bowl Champs and Never anymore.

I not going to engage in this argument from 2002. If you're happy wallering in FeCeS, then I don't know what to tell you.

You brought it up about the FeCeS, not me i know those days aren't coming back. My wish is not to be the perennial Myrtle Beach Bowl Champs for the rest of time.

[spacemonkey]

I don't know what the future holds but the biggest difference between AppState now and UNC Chapel Hill and NC State of the past is...I now have a way to be a fan. The past I could not watch AppState games with my family from my couch, so I watched UNC - NC STATE games. I hope and believe this will be the great equalizer over time. I can't speak for the rest of you but if UNC/DUKE game is on at the same time as the APPSTATE/TROY basketball game, I will be watching APP/Troy. This is huge for the future of APPSTATE and many other schools that were shut out in the past. It takes time but we have a platform to make it happen. We (AppState) now have to execute on getting the rest of our alumni and families to choose the APP/Troy game over the UNC/NCSTATE game. We have a path. It can happen. It may take 20 or 30 more years.

P.S. I believe it will be less known schools rising and large known schools falling or staying stagnant. They will do what they can but ECU and APP belong as much as Wake, NCSTATE, DUKE and UNC.

[ASUFan4863]

As I was watching this game, I had a range of thoughts.
#1 - What is the point of expansion if it is always 2 or 3 elite teams? More revenue is often times the answer in this sport.
#2 - Does a program like App deserve to be competing against a program like UGA? We all love App and believe we can compete with anyone, but we are no where close to competing with UGA, Bama, OSU (see #4).
#3 - App would certainly lose to UGA but would we lose 65-7?? I don't think so. Maybe 45 - 10, but not by almost 60 points.
#4 - There is a clear top tier in college football that consists of 3 teams annually. We can punch above our weight class but our arms may never be long enough to reach the top tier.

If we ever want to compete with the top tier, we need substantial support from our successful alumni, state legislature and community. I don't know how much more the town of Boone can help App so that leaves our alumni and state legislature.