NCAA Football, 2014-2015

[alfred russel]

Supposedly teargas and rubber bullets tonight in Morgantown. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmfvjQA2Su4

[CountDeMoney]

Ugh, I know Brian Kelly coaches offensive pass interference to look better than that!

I think it looked worse than it was. FSU was trying to jam the receiver at the line, and obviously he had no interest to avoid the jam. The pass was barely ahead of the line of scrimmage--it is too bad it was as then you can block downfield legally.

I didn't think it was all that bad, but being in the end zone totally compounded how it looked to the refs.  Hell of a game, though.

[dps]

Florida State's drive to the playoff looks clear now.

Yeah, if Winston doesn't get tossed out of school it looks pretty good for them.

[Rasputin]

It's certainly a new age of college football when FSU still has to play Miami and Florida and the espn announcers proclaim that FSU has nobody left on their schedule.

[dps]

It's certainly a new age of college football when FSU still has to play Miami and Florida and the espn announcers proclaim that FSU has nobody left on their schedule.

Has it been officially announced whether or not the game between Florida and Idaho is going to be made up?  It looks like Florida might need the win to become bowl eligible.

[alfred russel]

It's certainly a new age of college football when FSU still has to play Miami and Florida and the espn announcers proclaim that FSU has nobody left on their schedule.

It really does depend. If Winston is suspended or arrested, either of both of those teams have a good shot to take down FSU, among others on the FSU schedule.

[alfred russel]

It's certainly a new age of college football when FSU still has to play Miami and Florida and the espn announcers proclaim that FSU has nobody left on their schedule.

Has it been officially announced whether or not the game between Florida and Idaho is going to be made up?  It looks like Florida might need the win to become bowl eligible.

I don't think it will. I also doubt anyone at Florida cares whether they go to a really shitty bowl game, especially in a coaching transition year.

[Rasputin]

It's certainly a new age of college football when FSU still has to play Miami and Florida and the espn announcers proclaim that FSU has nobody left on their schedule.

Has it been officially announced whether or not the game between Florida and Idaho is going to be made up?  It looks like Florida might need the win to become bowl eligible.

I've not heard but I don't think Florida wants to play it. Their offense is Jeff Bowden bad.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I think that Saban's suggestion that something needs to be done about offense in college football is spot on. In the day you couldn't even block with your hands, now the o-line can grab onto the defensive line as long as it's not outside of their torso, you get kicked out of the game for tackling the quarterback, if you look at a receiver it's pass interference et cetera. I know some of these moves have been echoed in the NFL as well and it all is similar to why baseball got the live ball in terms of generating fan interest but in the NFL defense is generally good enough you don't see nonsense offenses like this.

Far too many rule changes have favored the offense and the diluted talent pool in college football IMO has created an unpleasant situation where we're regularly seeing 100pt + combined point games. I think Saban is right that offensive schemes that rely on the defense not being able to sub players is a problem. I'd like to see the Saban 10 second rule. I think these offenses that execute so many plays so quickly hurt both football as a sport at the college level and put the player's health in greater jeopardy than is necessary.

[sbr]

I think that Saban's suggestion that something needs to be done about offense in college football is spot on. In the day you couldn't even block with your hands, now the o-line can grab onto the defensive line as long as it's not outside of their torso, you get kicked out of the game for tackling the quarterback, if you look at a receiver it's pass interference et cetera. I know some of these moves have been echoed in the NFL as well and it all is similar to why baseball got the live ball in terms of generating fan interest but in the NFL defense is generally good enough you don't see nonsense offenses like this.

Far too many rule changes have favored the offense and the diluted talent pool in college football IMO has created an unpleasant situation where we're regularly seeing 100pt + combined point games. I think Saban is right that offensive schemes that rely on the defense not being able to sub players is a problem. I'd like to see the Saban 10 second rule. I think these offenses that execute so many plays so quickly hurt both football as a sport at the college level and put the player's health in greater jeopardy than is necessary.

I can't comment on your personal feelings, but Dave Bartoo with cbfmatrix.com did a statistical study that makes the claim that Hurry-Up No-Huddle (HUNH) offenses produce more injuries pretty sketchy.

http://cfbmatrix.com/speed-may-kill-but-slow-gets-you-hurt/

The copy/paste screws up the formatting, but here you go anyhoo.

SPEED MAY KILL, BUT CAN SLOW GET YOU HURT?
NOT BUT WHY WE NEED TO STUDY BEFORE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

By Dave Bartoo
National CFB Attrition Expert and Analytics Consultant
and Founder of the CFBMatrix
(Contact Dave)

Note: A lot of fans have read this page. Understand in advance it is not 'proof' nor does it refute the blind assertions of some coaches. Like most things I do here, I wanted to provide a different angle.  One that causes fans to discuss and THINK about taking rules action before it is studied.  The most common response is "It's fact that if you play more snaps the likelihood of injury goes up."  Yes, but you can say the same for practice time, weight room time, game length, number of tackles, number of blocks, total games played and playing hurt.  As a fan are you willing to also give up games on the schedule for 'player safety'.  If coaches want a play count or limit the number of plays in a game are they willing to do the same in limiting practice time when a player is fatigued?  Reduce work in the weight room?  Place hit, block and tackle counts on each player for their 'safety'?  If you start down this path the logical result is get rid of football as there is no end to limiting at risk activities for player safety. Study, think, act.  Please.  Others are already doing the opposite. – Dave 2|14|2014

I love assumptions about college football and finding new ways to look at data and information.  The flavor of the year seems to be a focus on the Pace of Play (POP) created by the rising of the Hurry Up No Huddle (HUNH) offenses in college football.

If this 'fast' football causes more injuries, why not slow it down?  But if you slow it down, then why not put a number of plays per game limit, reduce the time of the game or lengthen the play clock?

CLICK & READ THE CFBMATRIX PACE OF PLAY SUMMARY REPORT
)))LISTEN WITH ME!!!  YOU CAN FIND THE AUDIO PORTION OF THIS SUMMARY REPORT IN THE MATRIX CASTS IN THE MENU ABOVE.  I WALK YOU THROUGH MY THOUGHTS PAGE BY PAGE IN THE SUMMARY.

If this fatigue is causing a concern over 'player safety', are these same coaches willing to reduce practice intensity and fatigue for 'player safety'?  Are they willing to cap weight room workouts to reduce fatigue for 'player safety'?  It now takes 15 games instead of 10 to win a national title.  Are they willing to reduce games played for 'player safety"?  An injured player has a higher risk of injury in a game so are coaches willing, for 'player safety', to sit a guy and not play him when he is hurt?  You see, this 'player safety' game is a convenience excuse that can be played over and over and used to 'control' the game. Convenient?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Observation Note: To even start researching this topic, head coaches must provide daily injury reports on all players year round to see a pattern of injury development and occurrence.  Until there is full disclosure from coaches for a full review of their complaints about HUNH offenses are unjustified and self-serving.  Please stop this shoot, aim, think mentality.
__________________________________________________________________________________
LISTEN ))))  AS I WALK YOU THROUGH THIS ARTICLE  SPEED KILLS BUT SLOW MAY HURT YOU

It is easy to spin numbers to match an argument.  Here is how we can use 2012 metrics to show that 'fast' HUNH offenses are better for rates of injury in college football.

The way I see it just take the top teams with the most plays per game ('fast teams') and divide out the games lost to injury in an offense to total plays run.  Thus getting an injury per play ratio.  Do the same for the bottom 20 teams of plays run per game ('slow' teams) to get a comparable injury per play ratio.

Top 20 'Fast' Teams in FBS Football 2012
Average Plays per Game: 83.12
Total Starts Lost to Injury: 143
Average Number of Starts Lost Per Team: 7.15
Average Starts Lost per Play: .086

Top 20 'Slow' Teams in FBS Football 2012
Average Plays per Game: 65.85
Total Starts Lost to Injury: 151
Average Number of Starts Lost Per Team: 7.55
Average Starts Lost per Play: .115

MORE| CLICK HERE FOR PART II: SEC LEADS 2012 CONFERENCE SPEED/INJURY RATIOS

For all of FBS football in 2012, the 'fast' teams averaged over 17 plays per game more than the bottom 20 'slow' teams.  This is 26% more plays run per game than a 'slow' teams.  Even though this adds up to over 340 more plays run in a season, the 'slow' teams still lost 8 more starts to injury than the 'fast teams.

The average number of starts lost per play was 33% HIGHER for the 'slow' teams.    Although this is all FBS programs and just the 2012 season, that is a huge argument in favor of 'fast' play.

['09-'12 STARTS LOST TO INJURY: OFFENSE: 4898  DEFENSE: 4795]

I know, I was thinking the same thing you are "That's all FBS teams Dave, how about just big boy AQ football."  If you were hoping the numbers got better.  Stop here.  It gets worse.

The top 15 'fast*' teams in AQ football in 2012 ran 2697 MORE plays than the 15 'slow' teams in 2012.  This resulted in 24 FEWER starts lost to injury to the 'Fast' teams.  The 'fast' teams lost just 5.87 starts to injury in 2012 which is 22.7% less that the 7.50 starts lost per team for the 'slow' teams.  The amazing stat is that injuries that created starts lost per play occurred at a rate 56% greater for teams that play 'slow'.

Top 15 'Fast' Teams in AQ Football 2012
Average Plays per Game: 81.2
Total Starts Lost to Injury: 88
Average Number of Starts Lost Per Team: 5.87
Average Starts Lost per Play: .072

Top 15 'Slow' Teams in AQ Football 2012
Average Plays per Game: 66.2
Total Starts Lost to Injury: 112
Average Number of Starts Lost Per Team: 7.50
Average Starts Lost per Play: .113

While this may not settle the argument of the safety of 'fast' up-tempo for coaches or fans against the up-tempo style of play, it certainly does not cement the suggestion that 'fast' play causes more injuries. The 'slowest' conference for play in 2012 was the SEC.  The highest rate of injury per play, the SEC.

Certainly in 2012 it was the opposite of the suggestion that 'fast' play cause more frequent injury rates as total starts lost to injury and frequency of this injury per play was higher across the board for all of FBS football and AQ football teams.

To hate fast offenses, game ingenuity and thinking outside the box is simply Un-American.  It was George Washington that decided that lining up against an opponent and playing war the 'traditional' way was a disadvantage to his future.  By being an innovator to what was commonly accepted style of play, he found out a way to win.

The biggest threat to injury is speed and size.  The faster players move and the bigger they get, the more injuries you will see on and off the field.  Is it any surprise that the conference with the biggest players and the slowest pace of play per game also has the highest rate of significant injury per play in 2012? Maybe fatigue helps REDUCE violent collisions as guys are moving at a slower pace later in the game.

Football is high energy, high contact and high risk.  There are nearly 120,000 plays per year in FBS football and thousands of way to get hurt preparing for and playing this game.  If you don't like the injury risk then stop playing football. If I want to watch guys doing the same thing for a set number of plays, I'll watch bowling.

Data thanks to the folks at teamrankings.com for their contributions and philsteele.com for injury numbers

*2012 'Slow' Teams   2012 'Fast' Teams
Cincinnati   Baylor
Mississippi State   Texas A&M
USC   Oregon
Kansas State   Duke
Utah   UCLA
Alabama   Arizona State
Florida   Syracuse
Temple   Clemson
Michigan   West Virginia
Rutgers   Oklahoma
Wisconsin   Washington State
Auburn   Oklahoma State
Georgia   Arizona
Kentucky   Penn State
Minnesota   NC State

[derspiess]

For the first time since the wheels came off midway through that horrid 2012 season, WVU is ranked.  And I think this is the first time ever during the regular season that both Marshall and WVU are ranked. 

[alfred russel]

Apparently a FSU player took off his helmet after the ND pass interference play. Wouldn't it have been interesting to see that called? Brian Kelly was bitching about that--it would have been an automatic first down for ND. Apparently the refs said they didn't see it.

Interestingly, in the same endzone, in 2005, Ernie Sims took off his helmet after a successful goal line stand late in the fourth quarter against Miami. It wasn't called, and FSU won 10-7.

[Berkut]

There has been much bitching in Pac-12 land since a utah player made the "Praying/bow" thing in the endzone two weeks ago that looked basically identical* to the one that got Oregon's Washington flagged, and of course it wasn't called.

Of course, all the people whining (and I include journalists who should know better) don't bother to read the rules, or even ask an expert about the difference, and the Pac-12 does it's normal level best to respond in a fashion that makes it look as idiotic as possible.

* the difference being the timing of the event. *Specific* instructions from the director of NCAA officiating about how to enforce these kinds of actions state that "spontaneous" acts immediately after a play are to be largely ignored (or just get a "talking to"), within reason, while "sustained and/or prolonged acts designed to call specific attention to the individual" are to be enforced strenuously. In other words, a qucik bow/prayer right after the play is going to be ignored, but that exact same bow/prayer after you run from the spot of the play to the 50 yard line is going to draw a flag, because the intent is clearly different (celebration vs attention whoring).

[alfred russel]

Me bitching about flags not being thrown for FSU players taken helmets off aside, the whole unsportsmanlike penalty thing is bullshit.

Go watch pick up games between friends. Some guy makes a play and half the time he will do something that would draw a penalty in organized football. The culture has changed, and what was obnoxious 30 years ago isn't that way today. If guys want to dance or spike the ball after scoring a touchdown, I say let them have fun.

[Berkut]

Me bitching about flags not being thrown for FSU players taken helmets off aside, the whole unsportsmanlike penalty thing is bullshit.

Go watch pick up games between friends. Some guy makes a play and half the time he will do something that would draw a penalty in organized football. The culture has changed, and what was obnoxious 30 years ago isn't that way today. If guys want to dance or spike the ball after scoring a touchdown, I say let them have fun.

Well, I dunno - I am conflicted about that as an official. But I think there is a perfectly valid argument to be made about WHAT the rules should state. What annoys the fuck out of me is seeing people, and especially journalists, bitch about the officiating, as if the calls themselves are the problem, rather than the rules.

Lastly, it is bullshit crybaby whining when ANYONE complains about a missed call that is a unsporting penalty on the other team - those are necessary rules, but that is just crying about you not getting an advantage you didn't earn anyway. I hate it when people complain about stuff like that - "Waaaahhhhh! We couldn't stop them on fourth down, and he took off his helmet and you didn't give it to us anyway!".

Now, if you are complaining about about a blown call that actually effects the play, like a hold of OPI or something, that is different, IMO. Bitching about not getting a gimme call is sour grapes of the first order.