NCAA FOOTBALL 2024 MEGA THREAD - WELCOME TO THE PLAYOFF ERA

So Army opens as a 3.5 pt underdog to Tulane.

It will rain and snow at West Point all week. Game temp will be low 30s tops. Tulane is a southern team.

Personal biases aside, this looks like solid Army value. Also Army +145 ML.

Before someone gets hurt bad in these flag planting things, just institute that opposing teams can do all they want post game up to their own 40 yard line.

To plant a flag on the mid-field crest in someone else's house and not expect the home team to flip out is a bit nuts.

We are going to see prospects get injured here, or event staff, trainers, officials, press, etc caught in the middle while huge men swing at each other.

Not to mention throwing in drunken fans storming the field.

If the opposing team planting a flag on your 50 after winning is so offensive to you that you'd start a brawlmover it, I expect it to motivate you to win the game and stop them.

Purdue coach Ryan Walter's fired. AD probably had church this morning or it would've been done sooner.

I would plant the flag after losing. Why not.

Do you remember last year when you asked if Troy was any good after Army lost to them 19-0?

Tulane is now that coach and the best of those players (delayed answer; Yes. Yes they were.) They beat Navy 35-0 three weeks ago, allowing a 25% success rate on runs and 0% on passes. 2.5 yards per play and 113 yards total! While Troy wasn't as dominant defensively (40% rushing success allowed last year), it was still top 4 against Army. This staff and players certainly appear to be abnormally good at defending the option.

They also throw it less than 40% of the time and play to slow the game down just like you. The field's turf and not grass now, right? Unless they sabotage the standard draining system to where it's water polo or yank it up and play on mud, I don't see the weather you describe as much of a factor. Tulane also gets an extra day of rest while Army has a short week.

I've got it over a touchdown *before* adjusting for their apparent deathlock on the option in particular.

Well it's not the Michigan offense that did it. From the part I watched they screwed up the first chance when it was 10-10.

Indeed. For all of said entertainment, only one of the teams above ND lost. Granted it was big one.

Seems reasonable. But BYU would still be left out.

The team that planted the flag started the brawl.

It would be the saddest most pathetic show of pussyness NOT to defend you team logo at mid-field when the opposing team is trying plant a flag. I just can't imagine having a teammate who would say, "yeah, well we shoulda played better, so let them plant a flag in the middle of our house."

Not sure anyone who has played competitive sports is going to let that happen without some action.

Have the national anthem as soon as the game ends rather than before it starts.

Michigan didn't seem to think it was a big deal earlier this year

Yeah, it's not like Michigan was by themselves on the field and OSU ran BACK to start a fight or anything. Wait...

And, for the record, I totally get that that's your point, and you'd say it wouldn't matter if they were on the bus, that they should get off, run back out the tunnel and fight over a flag, but consider for a second how ridiculous a take that is for an adult to have.

I don't like SMU's chances for a variety of reasons including the nature of the loss and how far Clemson falls this week, but mostly I think it'll boil down to the committee's preference (assuming Notre Dame gets the 5th seed);

Which would be better for the TV show?

* Alabama @ Notre Dame - Guaranteed BIG GAME

* SMU @ Notre Dame - High likelihood of *3+* Notre Dame games

Not sure which way the old coots will lean.

Here is a take from an adult who is actually closer to these type of situations than you or I will ever be. I'll defer to his take on these things and maintain my position that not reacting would be a pussy move.

Notice no comment by Napier on the reaction from FSU players? He knows who started it and that is why he apologized.

EDIT: and re the bold. Thx for stating a position I did not make, and then refuting it. I don't recall people getting off buses to come back to the stadium.

You're just being a pedant for no reason. Here's the position you actually took:

And it's wrong. No, the team that started the brawl started the brawl. It's that simple.

"But they were big meanie heads" isn't a good reason for adults, even college aged adults to throw hands.

The video is even clearer. OSU players had cleared the area and came back to start a fight because their feelings got hurt. That's 100% ridiculous, and there's no excuse for it.

.

I don't mind teams fighting. too many hand wringers in the world

As pointed out when it was Texas doing it at Michigan there was no brawl. Just OSU whiners mad that they didn't beat a team that costs half what they cost. Entitled brats not victims.

the shape of hairs that trigger rage may include straight, corkscrew, or other

There were at least 3 situations this weekend where the same thing happened. When it comes to "fault" and who started it I really think you must be confused about which Florida coach apologized. But, you made no comment on that because it did not fit your narrative. man, do you actually have a better context on this than a coach who went through the same thing??

I am going to leave this one with the people in the game and on the ground. What Napier said tells me all I need to know about where these altercations start, and who is at fault.

I mean, there absolutely should be more fighting. I'm here to be entertaining, not be concerned about who's fault it is just to be clear.

Lol I don't care what Napier says. People apologize for **** when they don't need to all the time, mostly to take the moral high ground. It means less than nothing.

Don't punch people who haven't hit you or aren't about to. The rules are simple*

*Again, please do this, I'm all for more fights, but you're 100% in the wrong and soft as baby **** if you're swinging over a flag.

Not to join in on the flag-burning issue, but it was a little different in that the Florida players ran right from the sideline with the flag before they had even shaken hands.

Definitely a party foul.

Could be that years of playing hockey has shaped my feelings (rightly or wrongly) on what is worth defending and what actions are and are not acceptable as far as physical altercations in sports. To me your defense sound too passive, and you sound too a bit too soft tbh.

But, objectively you may be right, and I am just an old codger with a different idea on what is worth defending and what is not.

BTW, FWIW, I pretty much hate OSU. And, I have a big lol for losing to Michigan 4 years in a row.

It’s apples to oranges imo

Napier is lucky to still be employed and I have to imagine is desperately trying to avoid giving teams an axe to grind

tOSU fans were spitting on Michigan players and tOSU cops were macing Michigan players

Technically it's the team that threw the first punch at the player that grabbed the flag. Usually the home team player grabs the flag away and is struck or grappled by the visiting team flag planter.

But really when you plant the flag in a football game on the opposition's field you are daring them to fight. So congrats on the other team merely being guilty of incitement.

This weekend was not exactly the vinatge Canes of the 80s/90s

and

https://www.espn.co.uk/video/clip/_/id/21318930

ESPN.com

The Fight: Miami vs. Notre Dame - ESPN Video