2015 College Football Thread is now closed

[jewbacca]

Chad Morris has/had a huge buy out.

 

[N41D]

Guys like Chad Morris and Jake Spavital aren't taking that job.

 

[herbshuttles15]

Morris does have some background check issues right? I assume If he stays clean, he'll land a nice job

 

[tmay407]

Geez, lol, so basically just Another stat.
This is defined as the number of points below or above average over 10k simulations, WTH. I guess

There's really not that much difference between the subjective rankings you posted and the objective rankings that trueprada posted though. Only team not in the top 10 on both rankings appears to be LSU, who was replaced by Notre Dame on the FPI list.

 

[a-friend]

Geez, lol, so basically just Another stat.
This is defined as the number of points below or above average over 10k simulations, WTH. I guess

There's really not that much difference between the subjective rankings you posted and the objective rankings that trueprada posted though. Only team not in the top 10 on both rankings appears to be LSU, who was replaced by Notre Dame on the FPI list.

I agree there's not much difference as far as how much weight either of the lists should carry.

They are two completely different lists though.
Completely.

One is strength of schedule, and the one true prada posted is totally new to me. It was defined as nothing close to strength of schedule but the point differential on the remaining schedule, totally not the same

The list I posted was FBS -objective 100%
The list he posted was ESPN- objective 100%

Only thing subjective was my opinion before even reading the Strength of schedule, but the list itself wasn't made by me so it can't be subjective.

 

[statis22]

Chad Morris has/had a huge buy out.

Only to take a lateral OC job. Much more less to become a HC.

 

[tmay407]

That list you posted doesn't directly have anything to do with SOS though. I think you're confused on what the ESPN power ranking is. It's based on polling 13 people from ESPN on who they think the best/hottest teams are during each week. It's basically no different from the AP Poll or the USA Today Poll, it just uses different people who work for ESPN.

The FPI is a model built around several different data points that tries to simulate how a team will perform throughout the season based on that information.

Neither ranking should really garner much thought at this point in the season. One (the power rankings) is merely based on opinion, interpretations and emotions. The other (the FPI) is based on analytics, and empirical data has proven time and again that - really no matter what you're trying to measure - the past isn't exactly an ideal measure for the future.

In the end, they're fun to look at, but there's really not much to gain from them at this point.

 

[a-friend]

tmay407 Oh you're talking about the list I just posted tonight, yea that was a Power Ranking list.

My bad I thought you were talking about the SOS list I posted last weekend.

I'm with you now, same page. Yea those lists are damn similar, but mine still wasn't subjective from my point of view. It ESPNS rather for it was pulled straight from ESPN.com, had nothing to do with me, was just saying that was the only one I found but I initially posted it because I did think it was te same list trueprada posted and I didn't understand why the rankings were different both coming from ESPN, I then realized one was Power ranking and the other this FBI or whatnot

 

[nako xl]

 

This is the face of Penn State football for the rest of your life.

nah it really isn't tho

i mean... it prob is. he's forever going to be the "but" in penn state's history.

especially when you have to explain to recruits and future fans how the football team no long has any history.

"we won the national championship, but..."

 

[39478]

The Oregon Ducks vs. power teams narrative is dead (again)

The "Oregon can't handle physical teams" narrative probably shouldn't have existed in the first place, but Marcus Mariota and the Ducks more than put it to rest by topping Michigan State's best shot.

The only sure thing about narratives is that they always show up. They might change at the drop of a hat (or after 60 minutes in Eugene), they might be fair or unfair, and they might last for years or minutes, but the one constant is that the narrative machine will continue cranking, every hour of every day.

When Michigan State took control of the game at Oregon early Saturday evening, all was right in the narrative world. But then the Ducks surged and changed both everything and nothing at the same time.

Since the start of 2008, Oregon is 69-12 and has won at least 10 games every year. Since the start of 2010, the Ducks are 49-6. They are on a run of six consecutive finishes in the AP top 11. No matter how you look at it, Oregon is one of college football's ruling powers at the moment.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...oregon-football-michigan-state-marcus-mariota

I read it and it makes sense.

I think the problem/perception is that because Oregon's offense is able to put up so many points on so many teams, that when they don't, it's suddenly a huge problem. The teams Oregon has lost to (sans Arizona in 2013) were good teams. I can't say that I'm all that shocked that their offense doesn't put up 60 points in these games because the teams are talented and have excellent coaching. It's not as if Oregon is getting blown out, they are often playing close games with plenty of chances to win, but they fail to execute properly in key scenarios (FG kicking, goal line situations, etc.).

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

 

[mr marcus]

like a pinball machine 

 

[Retroballer]

New Maryland jersey. No camo but the Star-Spangled Banner lyrics on the jersey.
View media item 1172933View media item 1172934View media item 1172935

 

[tmay407]

tmay407 Oh you're talking about the list I just posted tonight, yea that was a Power Ranking list.

My bad I thought you were talking about the SOS list I posted last weekend.

I'm with you now, same page. Yea those lists are damn similar, but mine still wasn't subjective from my point of view. It ESPNS rather for it was pulled straight from ESPN.com, had nothing to do with me, was just saying that was the only one I found but I initially posted it because I did think it was te same list trueprada posted and I didn't understand why the rankings were different both coming from ESPN, I then realized one was Power ranking and the other this FBI or whatnot

Same page now. Just want to point out that the ESPN Power Ranking list is still subjective even if it isn't necessarily your opinion. Subjective just means that it's based off opinions and interpretations (i.e. from the 13 members who vote on the poll) with no central data point(s) as the primary basis for measurement.

And what SOS list did you post? Please tell me it wasn't the NCAA one that's based solely on the previous season's win/loss record...

 

[a-friend]

Man those new Maryland Uni's are clean! Damn.

tmay407 We're definitely on the same page. Yea at first I thought you meant it was subjective from my POV which is why I said it wasn't subjective from me but ESPNS rather. Damn, that was weird, but same page for sure now.

And the only SOS schedule I know of is always based off the previous years win/loss record. It's the only way you can compile one. This is why I'm surprised when I used it to defend my comment of Bama having a weak schedule that nobody pointed this out as a "flaw" in my argument. You're the first one to mention it actually, not that it matters a lot but I'd have brought it up if I was debating in favor of BAMA having a tough schedule instead of weak. Oh well, hopefully that subject is dead by now


And oh yea, Maryland Uni's are dope dope.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

@SBNationCFB: Michigan outgained Notre Dame and lost by 31 points. @SBN_BillC explains!

The Numerical: http://t.co/eiAgD65SCE http://t.co/xrnZP4oVDP

View media item 1173007

 

[zs05wc]

Michigan is also 3-7 in their last 10 games with wins over NW, App State, and someone else crappy.

 

[mr marcus]

New Maryland jersey. No camo but the Star-Spangled Banner lyrics on the jersey.
View media item 1172933View media item 1172934View media item 1172935

Dope

 

[statis22]

Turnovers kill!

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Joe Rexrode ‏@joerexrode 6m
Dantonio says Mariota is "one of the best quarterbacks we've played since we've been here." Says MSU had a chance for 10 sacks, got 3.

Game recognize game.

 

[rell826]

Good read on he who shall not be named

The mystique of Marvin Harrison: Why has Syracuse's greatest receiver never come back?

Nate Mink | nmink@syracuse.com By Nate Mink | nmink@syracuse.com

September 09, 2014 at 6:00 AM, updated September 09, 2014 at 8:38 AM
Philadelphia — The restaurant is on 25th and Girard, tucked in a brick row of small businesses and homes in a decrepit part of town, and the prevailing thought listening to rhythm and blues playing in the background as two women work the kitchen and counter is how incongruent this two-table soul food joint is to the man sitting in the front window.

He has a neatly trimmed mustache, a clean patch of hair on top and is wearing a white T-shirt, red gym shorts and flip flops. He picks at what looks like eggs, a side of sausage and a cup of maple syrup. It is past 4 o'clock on a humid afternoon in late June. He eats alone.

"Marvin?"

It's not a question. This is a chance to seek answers about what happened to the greatest wide receiver in the history of Syracuse football. He finished school in 1995, played 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, quietly retired in 2009 and is living like a recluse in his hometown.

Nobody from his days at his inner-city high school or Syracuse seems skeptical about this, even with a highly publicized gun incident hovering above his name like a dark cloud. Coaches and teammates all use words like "quiet," "humble," "introverted," and "friendly" to describe his persona, latching onto memories of him blazing past defenders, snatching passes and scoring touchdowns. That is the Marvin they know.

But a wedge continues to be driven between them and him, between the university and its most famous receiver. Contacting him has been fruitless. The line of communication stopped years ago for many of the men who helped build him into a first-ballot finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They wish it hadn't.

"Marvin?"

He does not look up.

Choosing Syracuse
For nearly two decades Marvin Harrison has largely been absent from the place that spring-boarded him to a lengthy NFL career. Only one man can honestly answer why, but he chose not to talk for this story. We start, then, with the first Syracuse man to gain Marvin's trust.

He promised to keep quiet for two weeks leading up to signing day. He had the best-kept secret in Philadelphia recruiting, and the course of Syracuse football hinged on Marvin's insistence he remain silent. Asking Bob Casullo, the avuncular Italian man sitting over a bowl of soup, to do this is like asking a rambunctious kid to stay in the house and read.

The nuns and priests wanted Notre Dame, so did Ed Brodbine, his high school football coach at Roman Catholic and avid Irish fan. A math teacher who helped tutor Marvin for his SAT test at night in a rec center wanted Penn State, the school Brodbine said offered him a graduate assistant position only if he brought Marvin with him.

Former Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison
Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison celebrates after the Orange's win over West Virginia. (**** Blume | The Post-Standard)
syracuse.com | The Post-Standard
"Everybody wanted Marvin Harrison, trust me," says Casullo, the tight ends and special teams coordinator for Syracuse at the time. "And everybody did what they had to do to get Marvin Harrison. I had a guy say to me, 'How much are you offering him?' I said I recruit for Syracuse University. I get $23 a day to eat on, and I eat about $50 of food a day, so I don't have any money to give him."

Instead, he simply promised Marvin's mother, Linda, he would take care of her son and he would get his degree. He felt Marvin wanted to build the Syracuse program up to the level of the other finalists. He believed Marvin "was very content with being a part of something" rather than the centerpiece of an offense.

The secret stayed guarded even when head coach Paul Pasqualoni flew down to make the final visit, which saw Marvin retreat upstairs to call each coach and inform them he was choosing Syracuse. Ballistic on the ride back to the airport, not knowing Marvin's intent, Pasqualoni thought Syracuse had no chance if Marvin didn't care to stay and talk face-to-face.

Marvin allowed Casullo to tell the staff during its Sunday meeting, but he did not want it in the newspapers. Three days later, he signed with Syracuse.

He would go on to set a record for the most receiving yards in a single season all while exhibiting a business-like approach to his craft. He was never late for a meeting. He always showed up for practice on time. He was not a vocal leader but earned the respect of his teammates by a work ethic ingrained since he bussed tables at a Friendly's in Roxborough and collected $4,500 a summer while in high school carrying equipment, cutting grass, cleaning locker rooms and painting the stands on the field.

Gleaning much insight into his personal life was a struggle well before he signed an NFL contract worth millions, a stream of one-word answers dripping out any time the conversation turned to family, school or some monotonous subject that wasn't football.
If you infer this as a negative or something to be skeptical about, you're "barking up the wrong tree," said George DeLeone, the former offensive coordinator during Marvin's career. "His approach should be emulated. Not criticized."

"He put the shield up and that includes everybody," Casullo said. "I don't know who is inside that inner circle. That shield that he's put up, I'm not inside it, but there was a time I felt we had as good a relationship as we could have. Now I wouldn't come close to saying we're close."

Said his receivers coach at SU, Dennis Goldman, from his office overlooking the leafy campus of Princeton University: "Did I really know the inner psyche of Marvin Harrison? Probably not. I'm not sure who knows that."

The inner circle
The black metal gates slowly swing open, granting passage into the suburban neighborhood in Elkins Park. At the doorway of housing unit No. 10 stands a member of Marvin's inner circle, a warm smile curling up her face.

Linda Harrison is wearing a brown top, large gold earrings sticking out under her short-cut hairstyle. She declines an interview until she speaks with Marvin but politely makes small talk at the door.

She says she traveled to Syracuse "every other weekend" in the fall to watch her son play but hasn't been back since graduation. She says Marvin is "a businessman" and "an entrepreneur" and that her son is doing well. She declined to say anything more, but she suggests if you want to find Marvin, go to the restaurant on 25th and Girard.

Former Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison
Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison returns a punt 95 yards during a game against Minnesota as coach Paul Pasqualoni points the way. (Nick Lisi | The Post-Standard)
syracuse.com | The Post-Standard
When Marvin was being courted by football powers, she got so sick of dealing with coaches calling the house, she asked Marvin to pick a school. When Marvin was in seventh grade, she moved him and the family to the nearby neighborhood of Roxborough so he could attend a better school. It was obvious, one coach said, she "loved that young man" and was "going to do what was right." Even today she is one of the few who has significant insight into who Marvin is.

Another emerges later that night when the phone rings at 10 p.m. A man who identifies himself as Bill explains Marvin will agree to an interview if nothing negative gets written.

It is obvious what he is referring to. Marvin's name had been linked to a shooting six years ago outside a garage shop he owns. Bullet casings found at the scene matched a gun owned by Marvin, who gave a statement to police claiming the gun had not been fired in the year or two since he bought it and that it had been locked in a safe in his home. The statement contradicts physical evidence.

"It was ********," says Bill, who calls himself a good friend of Marvin's, "and to bring it back up is even more ******** now."

Despite the absence of criminal charges, that incident is an albatross that has hung around Marvin's neck for six years, a consequence that was always possible when he decided to set roots down and spread his wealth and influence in North Philadelphia.

This is the place he returned to on bye weeks to ride bikes with friends through Fairmount Park. This is where most of his inner circle resides, perhaps explaining why he is still here, sitting in the window of his restaurant.

"We're all pretty fiercely loyal to our neighborhoods," said Jimmy McGeehen, Marvin's former quarterback at Roman Catholic High School who now lives in Minneapolis.

"Not that everyone isn't doing just fine, but to make it on a level that Marvin made it, I'm sure his neighborhood is incredibly proud of him, just like Philadelphia is proud of him. And that's family. It's a family feel. He has the opportunity to live wherever he wants, so why wouldn't he want to move back to have that family atmosphere again?"

An absent icon
The notes of the Syracuse fight song sweep through the Carrier Dome on a Friday night in late August, 19 years after Marvin last stepped on this field in front of a roaring crowd.

There are three kinds of Syracuse football alums, according to Chris Gedney, an All-American tight end and two-year teammate of Marvin's who now is a senior associate AD who manages the donor pool. The guys who can't wait to come back. The guys who "kind of want to spread their wings" and return later. Or the guys who "get busy with life."

Former Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison responds to Bills fans during a game in Buffalo. (Frank Ordonez | The Post-Standard)
syracuse.com | The Post-Standard
Art Monk — notoriously private like Marvin. Jim Brown. Larry Csonka. John Mackey. Donovan McNabb. They've all come back to Syracuse for on-field recognition, all men with lives who have found time to return to school and evoke memories of the golden age of the program.

A request was made to Marvin around the time McNabb had his jersey retired by the university last November. He couldn't make it.

"But at least he was engaged enough in the conversation to look at the calendar and see if it was possible," Gedney said. At some point, he expects Marvin to become re-acquainted with the university.

This is home, says Daryl Gross, the Syracuse athletic director, and Marvin is family. If any controversy bubbles beneath, it has no bearing on the school's desire for him to return.

"I don't judge anybody," said Gross, who hasn't spoken with Marvin in "quite some time." "He's family, and when he wants to come back, let me know. I'm just an open door with a handshake and a hug waiting for you.

"He's private, and that's so fair. I totally respect that. I always felt in my heart that I would eventually run into him substantially and significantly and really look forward to that."

Casullo, the man who delivered this Hall of Fame-caliber receiver to Central New York, believes his presence would help, perhaps in some small manner, to lift Syracuse from a ditch of mediocrity. From 1991-1995, Syracuse football went 42-15-1. Since then, it has had one 10-win season.

"Whatever it is that is preventing him from coming back, you know, maybe he can swallow that," Casullo said. "I'm not saying pride, because he's just a low-key guy, but whatever it is that is detaining him from coming back, I wish he would let that go so he could come back.

"Syracuse, you've got so many figureheads that you can parade out there and say, 'Hey, look here. This is what we had. And this is what we're going toward again.' "

***

"Mr. Harrison?"

He finally turns and looks up but does not want to talk. The visitor is from Syracuse, interested in hearing about his time at school and his life after football. He doesn't care.

"Let me explain something to you," he says firmly. "I have nothing to talk about."

It reinforces what has been written about Marvin and what has been intimated over and over. But it was just last January when he gave multiple interviews around the Hall of Fame ballot's release. It was just last May when he strode across stage at Radio City Music Hall in a buttoned up jacket and tie, posing for pictures next to the Colts' second-round draft pick, Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

That was the genesis for this journey to find Marvin, a faint signal that he was ready to step back into the public spotlight. Many wish to talk to him. Reminisce. Talk ball. Reacquaint with the 42-year-old post football. Is there anyone special in his life? What does he do with all his time? When will he return to Syracuse?

Minutes after the brief exchange, in the time to fetch a business card for his former position coach and leave it on the front counter, the kitchen staff clear out, leaving the restaurant deserted. Marvin is gone.

 

[imlive365]

Stacy held out with a shoulder injury. Knowing golden he'll most likely hold him out this weekend even if he's ready to go.

 

[swendro]

@SBNationCFB: Michigan outgained Notre Dame and lost by 31 points. @SBN_BillC explains!

The Numerical: http://t.co/eiAgD65SCE http://t.co/xrnZP4oVDP

View media item 1173007

That has to be a record. Largest deficit by a team that out-gained its opponent.

 

[statis22]

I think USCe out gained Florida and was beat down by 5 TDs a few years ago.

 

[flyerthandelta]

Penn State sees Ray Rice getting all the headlines, so they sneak in the fact they are eligible for postseason play effective immediately.

*** Pathetic