The Problem Is College Football Itself

[99topdawg]

With one loss. In four games. To a good team. And that's that. FML.

So you're saying it's ridiculous to expect 18-21 year olds to be perfect or it's the end of the road for them? I think that Roger Goodell should make a rule that only the undefeated teams get in the NFL playoffs. And while we're at it, let's make the same rule in NCAA basketball and MLB.

Totally agree with your post. Now forward this on to the NCAA.

 

[THawk122]

Well, that and the Big Ten is a total joke. Ohio State has only lost 3 games in 6 years of conference play. And while they have two titles in the past 20 years, they have also been completely humiliated several times on the big stage.

If the BIG wasnt so bad teams could get in with a loss or 2 in conference play.

But that's the best thing about football, every week matters.

 

[pekurhawk]

I have a question...do you guys enjoy anything in your life? other than whining like a bitch in heat? Just curious.

And I will tell you...if we run the table from here out...and we beat an undefeated Ohio State team in the B10 Championship...we will be in the playoff. Now...this is somewhat more fantasy than reality...but hypothetically...yes...I think we would get one of the four spots if this happened and we looked good doing it.

I actually enjoy many things in life, bitching like a whine in heat happens to be one of them.

 

[BigD]

Going to a sixteen team playoff would help level the playing field and get rid of the bias towards conferences like the SEC. 16, 8, 4, 2

That four additional games. Do away with the OOC games and strictly only schedule teams in your conference. Instead of having the division champs play each other head to head just place them in opposite brackets in the field of sixteen. What is there about five power five conferences? If a conference is a power five conference but only has one division then take the top two teams. After the two teams from the power five conferences are chosen then the rest of the positions would be filled the same way the final four are chosen now. It’s not perfect but it gives a much better idea for the real champions are.

The reason AD’s wouldn’t like this idea is loss of revenue (unless they schedule ten or more games against their conference foes). Now wouldn’t that be a revelation when we see how well these coaches do playing in just there conferences instead of padding their win loss records with victories over cupcakes.

Of course we still have the problem of playing and beating Wisconsin. Like one poster pointed out it doesn’t seem to matter who their coach is against us. We just seem to lose to them. Hmmmmmmmmm what’s the common denominator here???? Of course Wisconsin has huge recruiting advantages over us with much warmer weather and sunny beaches in Madison that Iowa doesn’t have. Damn that Hayden Fry for taking the beaches with him when he moved out of Iowa. Life just isn’t fair.

 

[BigD]

I actually enjoy many things in life, bitching like a whine in heat happens to be one of them.

LMAO!!!

 

[okeefe4prez]

Of course Wisconsin has huge recruiting advantages over us with much warmer weather and sunny beaches in Madison that Iowa doesn’t have.

Madison is a much nicer town than Iowa City. And they have a monopoly in a bigger state.

 

[BigD]

Madison is a much nicer town than Iowa City. And they have a monopoly in a bigger state.

Not true! They have professional sports teams in Wisconsin. They may have a higher population but when it comes to college football it is Iowa that has a monopoly in Iowa. Iowa State is their sole competitor and they have been a joke for decades.

 

[hwk23]

Part of the problem is just the math. You have to be a much better team than every team you play, or very lucky, to go undefeated. Even if you have a 70% chance to win every game, you are still only going to win about 8.5 games out of 12 on average. You really have to be an Alabama and have an average win expectation in the 90%+ range to expect only 1 loss.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Not true! They have professional sports teams in Wisconsin. They may have a higher population but when it comes to college football it is Iowa that has a monopoly in Iowa. Iowa State is their sole competitor and they have been a joke for decades.

You got me. All the high school kids are skipping college and playing for the packers.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

I actually enjoy many things in life, bitching like a whine in heat happens to be one of them.

touche'

 

[BigD]

You got me. All the high school kids are skipping college and playing for the packers.

I was talking about the sports fans having different options to choose from.

Let’s see shall we spend our money going to an Iowa game or and ISU game? No let’s go watch the MLB or NBA team that plays in Iowa.

It’s gotten to a point that the two bitche$ we used to own (Northwestern now 50/50 and Wisconsin 16/83) have equaled or far surpassed (respectively) our coaching and recruiting (from a team perspective). I had to throw that team perspective comment in there because someone is going to bring up all the players Kirk puts into the NFL. Yep all these NFL players and we still struggle beating the wild kittens and the cheese heads.

 

[MoseSchrute]

Madison is a much nicer town than Iowa City. And they have a monopoly in a bigger state.

Yep. Not quite twice as many people and only one big school. How the F did that even happen?

 

[MoseSchrute]

Not true! They have professional sports teams in Wisconsin. They may have a higher population but when it comes to college football it is Iowa that has a monopoly in Iowa. Iowa State is their sole competitor and they have been a joke for decades.

Iowa produces a limited number of D1 recruits and ISU still gets a few of them, though.

 

[Adam]

Sure, the Hawks pissed it down their leg last night. And in the process, essentially flushed the entire season right down the toilet.

With one loss. In four games. To a good team. And that's that. FML.

Show me one other sports league/organization that operates like this.

You can't. You can suck ass in college basketball or the NFL or the NBA or MLB for several games and pull it together and compete for a title. They don't limit their playoffs to four (FOUR!) teams selected by a committee. A COMMITTEE!

Iowa could run the table now and still be shut out of a chance to compete for a title not because they're unworthy, but because they're not named Alabama or Oklahoma or Ohio State.

It's all bullshit. The system is bullshit. It's not built to crown champions. It's built to make obscene amounts of money off of the backs of "student" athletes. And in that regard, it's a rousing success. It's fun to watch, so watch it, but don't take it so seriously. It's about one click away from pro wrestling.

I suggest appreciating it for what it is and making peace with it. I mean self-promoting, wife-and-kids ditching douchebags like PJ Fleck thrive in this system, where boys are turned into men (or criminals, or sexual predators.) Doesn't that tell you all you need to know?

Simple fix. 14 game season. 8 team playoff 7 power 5 schools and 1 from the group of 5 selected from the winner of a head to head "wildcard" game with the 2 highest ranked group of 5 teams.

On top of that you move the NFL entry restriction to the end of Sophomore year. This will keep the blue bloods playing freshman and sophomores because the top flight kids will be gone sooner. This will combat the risk of more games in regular season and post season.

The NCAA adjusts the graduation rates to cancel out players leaving for the NFL as that is essentially a high paid in demand job so that is for the most part graduating with placement.

Also the NCAA mandates that a scholarship that is signed is lasting in perpetuity. Once you sign for that school you have 10 enrolled semesters to complete a degree. Doesn't matter if you get cut from the team, tear your ACL, have a death in the family. You could sign in 2020 and if you only used 4 semesters you still have 6 free semesters in 2040. The only exception would be any felony criminal conviction would be a loss of scholarship. This protects the players best interests.

You do these 4 things at once and overnight there is a whole new and slightly more fair landscape for college football.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Well, that and the Big Ten is a total joke. Ohio State has only lost 3 games in 6 years of conference play. And while they have two titles in the past 20 years, they have also been completely humiliated several times on the big stage.

The only way Iowa would ever have a chance at a title is if they slash scholarships down to like 40-50 to disperse talent, but even if that happened it would probably just make Iowa's relative standing the same and make teams like Arkansas, Arizona, South Carolina or Kentucky turn into powerhouse teams every few years. The Midwest is doomed, bud.

Honestly Okeefe....I think Iowa has a legitimate shot at making the playoff next year. I really do. Obviously, the team this year needs to show improvement and win 9-10 games...but with 17 or 18 starters back...I think they are going to be a really tough out, no matter who we play.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Simple fix. 14 game season. 8 team playoff 7 power 5 schools and 1 from the group of 5 selected from the winner of a head to head "wildcard" game with the 2 highest ranked group of 5 teams.

On top of that you move the NFL entry restriction to the end of Sophomore year. This will keep the blue bloods playing freshman and sophomores because the top flight kids will be gone sooner. This will combat the risk of more games in regular season and post season.

The NCAA adjusts the graduation rates to cancel out players leaving for the NFL as that is essentially a high paid in demand job so that is for the most part graduating with placement.

Also the NCAA mandates that a scholarship that is signed is lasting in perpetuity. Once you sign for that school you have 10 enrolled semesters to complete a degree. Doesn't matter if you get cut from the team, tear your ACL, have a death in the family. You could sign in 2020 and if you only used 4 semesters you still have 6 free semesters in 2040. The only exception would be any felony criminal conviction would be a loss of scholarship. This protects the players best interests.

You do these 4 things at once and overnight there is a whole new and slightly more fair landscape for college football.

I hate to say this...but I think the concussion research going on right now is going to point to playing less games, rather than more. I think preseason NFL games will be down to 2 games, and starters won't play more than a quarter in each.

Practice will also be greatly impacted as far as contact is concerned.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Honestly Okeefe....I think Iowa has a legitimate shot at making the playoff next year. I really do. Obviously, the team this year needs to show improvement and win 9-10 games...but with 17 or 18 starters back...I think they are going to be a really tough out, no matter who we play.

I agree. Iowa will be very good next year. But even assuming we make the playoffs, we will get absolutely murdered by either Bama or Clemson. That's why I say we have no shot at a title. I honestly don't even want to watch Iowa try to stop Tua. If Nick had Urban Meyer's penchant for running up the score, Bama would have been over 100 twice already this year.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I have a question...do you guys enjoy anything in your life? other than whining like a bitch in heat? Just curious.

And I will tell you...if we run the table from here out...and we beat an undefeated Ohio State team in the B10 Championship...we will be in the playoff. Now...this is somewhat more fantasy than reality...but hypothetically...yes...I think we would get one of the four spots if this happened and we looked good doing it.

....... and if I can add, the fact that every week is almost like a playoff game is what makes college football so intriguing. There is no other sport where so much is put on each single game during the regular conference season. Love it.

 

[Adam]

....... and if I can add, the fact that every week is almost like a playoff game is what makes college football so intriguing. There is no other sport where so much is put on each single game during the regular conference season. Love it.

Lol you didn't love it Saturday night.

 

[Adam]

I hate to say this...but I think the concussion research going on right now is going to point to playing less games, rather than more. I think preseason NFL games will be down to 2 games, and starters won't play more than a quarter in each.

Practice will also be greatly impacted as far as contact is concerned.

The research is already in. The link is known and let's be honest did anyone ever think it was good for the brain or body? The effect of CTE will be felt on a juniors and high school level and may degrade the college and pro game, but I've known several coaches that have said give me a kid with the intangibles and grew up watching football and I can mold them.

College football can not and will not be free from change. Just look at the death of the BCS. Everything points towards more games in the future. It is 100% guaranteed if the TV revenues decline as projected. I also consider it likely that student athlete reform is around the corner as well. In what form, is harder to speculate.