Committee delivers a defensible College Football Playoff, needs more clarity - ESPN
Fair or unfair, agree or disagree with the final four -- No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Ohio State -- the committee had an unprecedented way of getting there, and it's going to take college football fans and coaches more than one season to even begin to understand it. It certainly doesn't help when a team such as TCU -- deemed the No. 3 team in the country just one week ago -- wins by 52 points and falls three spots. Or when Mississippi State jumps Michigan State -- after neither team played.
I've seen a lot of people complaining that we still need a 6-8 team play-off since, in the spirit of fairness, this year two 1-loss teams were left out of the playoff while three other 1-loss teams made it (two as the top two seeds). But what people fail to realize (or simply ignore) is healthy controversy is good for business. If the top 4 were obvious choices each year (two undefeated teams with two one loss teams, for example) then there would be no excitement, no discussion.
If you make it so that losing multiple games has no consequence to making the playoff, what you are left with, after the excitement over the playoff dies off, is a mediocre product or what I like to call college basketball. And that's bad for business. It use to be that one loss was devastating to any team's chances at making the national title game (I mean unless you're Alabama), now, after just one season of the CFB playoff, a single loss means far less. Expand to six teams and then two losses keeps you in the race (most years). Expand to 8 teams and now a possible three loss team (Ole Miss is sitting at #9) is in the mix.
A four team playoff is the perfect balance between a meaningful and exciting regular season and also allowing for a champion to be crowned on the field and not in the press box.
Inside the cool, rainy night that changed Alabama's football season | AL.com
"It was a rough day," coach Nick Saban said Friday. "Bad weather. Arkansas is a very good team. Probably an underrated team. We were in a real dogfight with them. And made some plays at the end of the game to win the game. And I saw an energy and enthusiasm in our players that I hadn't really seen before. "And I think we really became a team."
2009 it was the Tennessee game. 2011, LSU. 2012 A&M. Every season a champion needs a game where a loss or close win defines your season. Question for this Bama team is will they carry this motivation and focus all the way through these final two games or allow the hype and #1 ranking to get in their head?
Julio Jones turns in record-setting performance in NFL's Monday night game | AL.com
On Monday night in a record-breaking performance against the Green Bay Packers, the former Alabama star had 11 receptions for 259 yards. Despite Jones, the Packers still defeated the Falcons 43-37 at Lambeau Field.
Imagine Julio in this Kiffin run offense.
Watch Eddie Lacy flatten a Falcon during Packers' Monday night victory | AL.com
The former Alabama standout ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and caught five passes for 33 yards and another score against Atlanta. Lacy had rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game for the third time this season
That run tho
College Football Playoff Alternate Scenarios - Team Speed Kills
Here's a handy table to compare the bowl matchups across each of the three scenarios, with the semifinals in bold.
Arizona LB Scooby Wright beats out Alabama's Landon Collins for Nagurski Trophy | AL.com
The 6-foot, 222-pound strong safety from New Orleans, Louisiana currently leads the Crimson Tide in tackles (91) and interceptions (three).
I guy named Scooby just won the Nagurski?
OK
2014 Associated Press All-SEC football team | TuscaloosaNews.com
WR — Amari Cooper, Alabama, 6-1, 210,
Jr. L — Arie Kouandjio, Alabama, 6-5, 315,
Sr. LB — Reggie Ragland, Alabama, 6-2, 254,
Jr. S — Landon Collins, Alabama, 6-0, 222, Jr.
P — JK Scott, Alabama, 6-4, 185, Fr.
Heisman Trophy finalists include Alabama receiver Amari Cooper | AL.com
Cooper has led Alabama in receiving the previous two seasons, but truly exploded in Year 3. The Miami native has the nation's second-best receiving average with 127.4 yards in 13 games. Add it up and Cooper has 115 receptions for 1,656 yards, an average of 14.4 yards per catch
Mariota will win the Heisman because he's a quarterback but that in no way means he's the best player in college football.
/FSU fans think I'm talking about Winston but I'm not.
Alabama women upset No. 12 Nebraska | TuscaloosaNews.com
Nikki Hegstetter hit a jumper with three seconds to play to put the Crimson Tide ahead, 53-51. A last-gasp 3-point attempt by Nebraska fell short and the Crimson Tide celebration was on. "I think it’s a great statement that our kids are working hard and I think it’s great for their confidence," Alabama head coach Kirsty Curry said. "We have got to believe every night we take the floor we can compete with anybody in the country."
Roll Tide!!!