Tag: CFN

Sun Belt Heat: The College Football Playoff Is A Lie

The College Football Playoff Committee screwed the conferences that risked life and limb to save the season Contact @astatefanrules It was as anticlimactic as it was profoundly unjust. The College Football Playoff committee delivered their annual …

The College Football Playoff Committee screwed the conferences that risked life and limb to save the season

Contact @astatefanrules

[jwplayer IyoyGc7S]

It was as anticlimactic as it was profoundly unjust. The College Football Playoff committee delivered their annual bounty to the game’s wealthy elite – the same committee who had once upon a time said that “if you take care of business, win your conference, and go undefeated, the Playoff will take care of itself.

This was a lie.

Even during an unprecedented season that turned the entire college football world upside down, the Committee did what they do best: maintain the status quo. Consider, not a single team selected for the Playoff is new to the format. Even worse, not a single team truly deserves to be there.

Alabama didn’t play a single opponent outside of the SEC.

Ohio State played six games. They shouldn’t even qualify.

Clemson and Notre Dame have already played twice, and canceled each other out.

Meanwhile, two programs – Coastal Carolina and Cincinnati – did everything the Committee told them to do, which is to beat Top 25 teams, win its conference, and (as if it’s not hard enough) go undefeated. The Committee’s response was to rank Florida, Oklahoma and Texas A&M ahead of the Bearcats, and rank the Chanticleers completely out of NY6 consideration.

It. Was. A. Lie.

I’m not the only one bitching. While the Committee patted itself on the back for rewarding the same wealthy programs year in and year out, a handful of pundits raised a voice to grouse:

The Playoff is just one insult. The Bowl lineup is a completely separate line-item of Power Privilege. Look at this ghastly menu of sub .500 SEC teams who are awarded a plum Bowl game in 2020:

2-8 South Carolina – Gasparilla Bowl
4-6 Kentucky – Gator Bowl
3-7 Arkansas – Texas Bowl
3-6 Tennessee – Liberty Bowl
2-7 MissState – Armed Forces Bowl

Combined, they have exactly two more wins than Coastal Carolina, And yes, 2-7 Mississippi State is going to the Armed Forces Bowl while 9-2 Army get the shaft. This system is complete crap. It rewards teams not for their merit, but for their privilege.

It was all a lie. The College Football Playoff was supposed to bring balance to college football. We were told we’d have a place at the table so long as we pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps and proved our mettle to out just and benevolent overlords. In this dumb season of COVID, you’d have thought that playing more than 10 games would count for something, or that playing only within your conference would count against you. Nope. Not a bit. It’s they eye test that counts.

Why do we even play?

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

The Sun Belt Is On ESPN College GameDay And It’s A Big Deal

After years of the Sun Belt not being any time to shine, ESPN College GameDay is making its first ever pilgrimage to a Sun Belt campus.

After years of the Sun Belt not being any time to shine, ESPN College GameDay is making its first ever pilgrimage to a Sun Belt campus.

Contact @astatefanrules

[jwplayer PkCtjTd4-boEY74VG]

It only took an NCAA baseball champion to get ESPN College GameDay to visit a Sun Belt campus.

This Saturday, the universally loved and over-produced college football carnival sets up tents at Coastal Carolina, where the undefeated Chanticleers take on Lib…uh, the BYU Cougars, who are also undefeated and monolithed* into the schedule thanks to COVID-19. As one columnist observed, this is the ULTIMATE 2020 college football game.

Perhaps to the chagrin of Troy, Appalachian State and Louisiana – all recent AP Top 25 Sun Belt Programs – #16 Coastal Carolina receives the blessing of the world’s leading sports network, bringing its upstart brand of suddenly very good football to a global audience. While that may make many in the Sun Belt orbit burn with teeth-gritting envy, the value Coastal is bringing to the conference is pure bitcoin.

The Sun Belt needs this juice, and the timing couldn’t be better. After all, once the mighty College Football Playoff Committee weighs in, anybody not in the Top 6 may as well spend their time polishing their Tinder profiles. On Saturday, College GameDay won’t be in Tuscaloosa or Clemson or Columbus – it’sConway, baby. You want an in-depth analysis of Ohio State’s scheduling situation? TOO BAD, YOU GOT COASTAL. Looking for a status report on Nick Saban’s health? PROGNOSIS UNKNOWN, SUCKER, YOU GOT COASTAL. How about a look at whatever Oregon is wearing? EAT IT! YOU GOT COASTAL!

Fortunately for America, Coastal Carolina plays an entertaining brand of football, well rounded on all facets of the game. By Sunday, freshman sensation quarterback Grayson McCall is going to be a household name. On the opposing sideline, BYU has already murdered Troy and Texas State, so the Chants have an obligation to avenge the Sun Belt. Chances of this game being a dud is small, giving Game Day incentive to visit the Sun Belt again.

Who’s going to win? Who knows? The Cougars are big and fast. But they haven’t played a team like Coastal Carolina, a school with a recent national championship and beach access. I give the edge to the Chants.

* To “monolith” is to appear suddenly and mysteriously

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Appalachian State Battles Coastal Carolina In The Sun Belt Bowl

The Old School Marshall duels the Young Gun Chanticleers this Saturday when Coastal Carolina hosts Appalachian State

The Old School Marshall duels the Young Gun Chanticleers this Saturday when Coastal Carolina hosts Appalachian State

Contact @astatefanrules

[jwplayer PkCtjTd4-boEY74VG]

At the start of this stupid season, if you had told me that Coastal Carolina would be undefeated and ranked #15 in the nation after 12 weeks of football, I’d have probably said, “Yeah, okay” because Lord Entropy is the Sun Belt’s only master. If you told me Rip Torn would also lead in rushing, I’d have believed it, too.

Yet, the Sun Belt’s Sheriff’s badge still shines on the chest of the Mountaineers, its only blemish a loss to currently undefeated Marshall. Appalachian State may be a bit longer in the tooth than the Chants, but Zack Thomas is still a unit behind center, the defense is as stingy as ever, and the citizens of Boone are plenty surly that anyone would dare question their legitimacy.

Short story shorter, Appalachian State wasn’t letting anyone besmirch the supremacy of the Mountaineers. Respect and fist bumps, App fans.

However, to dismiss the Chanticleers is to make a very big mistake; they are legit good. The Chants shut-out a Georgia State offense that puts up 39 points per game. They’re a member of the Sun Belt’s 2020 Big XII Massacre Squad. They’ve defeated #21 Louisiana in Lafayette. Coastal’s freshman QB, Grayson McCall, has been added to the Maxwell Award watch list.

Coastal Carolina’s proficiency on both sides of the ball reminds me of…Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers are also legit good – and well-rounded. The offense and defense both rank second in the Sun Belt. QB Zac Thomas is having another elite season behind center. And they made Arkansas State look like a division two school in Jonesboro.

Yet, while the Mountaineers have been solid, they haven’t been dominating. Comparing apples, Appalachian State struggled in a 17-13 win at Boone over Georgia State – the same Georgia State that Coastal demolished 51-zero in Atlanta. Sometimes, the Mountaineers’ offense stalls. Coastal always seems to coast.

Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina enjoy an early tee-time in Boone this Saturday on ESPN 2. Whoever wins gets to pin the Sun Belt Sheriff Star on their chests, even if Lord Entropy remains the law of the conference.

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Notre Dame 7th in CFN’s New 1-76 Rankings

CFN is the latest outlet to release updated college football rankings ahead of 2020. See what they said about No, 7 Notre Dame here.

As outlets continue to rework their preseason polls ahead of the 2020 college football season getting going we’ve seen Notre Dame make the rise from the 9-12 range in many to as high as fifth in one poll last week.

College Football News has come out with their latest 1-76 rankings ahead of the 2020 kickoff and Notre Dame is again included in the top ten, but not quite as high as we’ve seen them in other places.

Here’s what Pete Fiutak of CFN had to quickly say about Notre Dame’s outlook for 2020 as he rated them No. 7 nationally.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Best Player: OT Liam Eichenberg, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Clemson, Nov. 7
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 13
Realistic Season Goal: College Football Playoff
Currently Scheduled Opener: Duke, Sept. 12

Some very quick reaction to this:

Eichenberg is certainly in the team picture for best player and so much of the offenses success depends his and the rest of the offensive lines ability in the run game, not just in pass protection where they’ve been great.  I would have Kyle Hamilton atop this when factoring in the entire roster on just talent level alone, not age or year in school.

The Clemson game on November 7 is a no-brainer as it will be the biggest home game Notre Dame has had since the 2005 USC game.  Let’s not discuss the end.  Still hurts.

Pete ranked the Irish 13th at the end of last season?  I know if you’re not No. 1 then post-season rankings don’t really matter much but 13?  C’mon Pete!

Agree that College Football Playoff is a realistic goal that will take a lot to even get to which would include having to win the ACC Championship Game, even if the Irish were to beat Clemson on Nov. 7.  If Notre Dame is to get there though they can certainly win it because it will mean they will have likely beat Clemson, the preseason No. 1, on a neutral field.

13 days away, let’s go!

Texas Football: Bijan Robinson named top five most interesting player for 2020 season

Bijan Robinson will be a major headline in Texas’ offense this season. CFN named Robinson one of the 25 most interesting CFB players in 2020.

[jwplayer WAf8Edix-er0jUifI]

Texas struck gold in its 2020 recruiting class, landing the No. 1 running back in the country, Bijan Robinson. Since his commitment to the Longhorns, the hype surrounding the true freshman has been off the charts.

Going into his first fall camp, Robinson finds himself third on the depth chart. Junior Keaontay Ingram and sophomore Roschon Johnson sit ahead of the former five-star recruit.

Seeing how much playing time and carries Robinson gets will be one of Texas’ main offensive storylines going into this season. Once given the chance, it is hard to see Robinson squandering his opportunity to become the Longhorns’ main back.

In fact, College Football News named Robinson one of the 25 most interesting college football players going into the 2020 season.

Here is what they had to say about the youngster:

There are other good backs already on the depth chart, but here’s your next great Texas runner. The five-star get out of Arizona is it – he’s a 6-0, 222-pound all-around back with amazing balance and burst.

247Sports added some opinion as well:

Another true freshman on this list, it’s tough to know just how high to set Robinson’s bar this season. But some players don’t need that much of an adjustment time period and the 15th-best player in the 2020 recruiting class certainly would seem to fall under that category. We’ll have to wait and see, but the talent is promising.

Robinson brings intrigue because of how highly rated he was coming out of high school. According to 247Sports, who started tracking recruiting in 2000, the freshman is Texas’ No. 13 recruit of all time. Jonathan Gray is the only running back with a higher composite score than Robinson.

Gray was ultimately not what everyone expected but with Robinson, it feels different. His size, explosiveness, and ability to catch balls out of the backfield will make him a star.

Especially with offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. During his time at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys averaged around 150 rushing yards per game. All three of Texas’ running backs will have the opportunity to run the ball.

Related: Texas Football: Tom Herman expands on what Mike Yurcich’s role will be

Having depth at an important position at running back is nothing to take lightly. It feels as if the Longhorns have three guys who could make plays anywhere in the Big 12.

Robinson and his progression up the depth chart will be something to note throughout the season. Once he gets rolling, watch out. The next all-time great Texas running back may emerge.

Related: Check out this action shots from fall camp

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]