NCAA football, 2013-14

[PDH]

Wyoming ends up 5-6 after a 4-2 start.  The defense collapsed, the offense refused to play every other game, and Pistol Pete was left on the sidelines shooting blanks.

Well, another year to go, Wyoming.  As always.

[grumbler]

Wyoming ends up 5-6 after a 4-2 start.  The defense collapsed, the offense refused to play every other game, and Pistol Pete was left on the sidelines shooting blanks.

Well, another year to go, Wyoming.  As always.

I wonder what loss that was so bad you are blanking it out. Wyoming, of course, plays 12 games, like everyone else, and was 5-7.

[CountDeMoney]

Lulz.  Sometimes you should just go into overtime.

[Admiral Yi]

GODDAMN

Best ending of a game I've ever seen.

[CountDeMoney]

I so need SB Nation to make a gif of that crying Alabama fan, macht schnell.

[Ed Anger]

Lusti just passed out.

[Razgovory]

I laughed through that entire last play.

[Valmy]

LOL never seen a FG return for TD to end a game before.

Well I eagerly await everybody ahead of Bama to lose.

[CountDeMoney]

Lusti just passed out.

Forecast calls for a 100% chance of post-Waffle House sex tonight.

[PDH]

Wyoming ends up 5-6 after a 4-2 start.  The defense collapsed, the offense refused to play every other game, and Pistol Pete was left on the sidelines shooting blanks.

Well, another year to go, Wyoming.  As always.

I wonder what loss that was so bad you are blanking it out. Wyoming, of course, plays 12 games, like everyone else, and was 5-7.

I refuse to admit Wyoming lost to CSU.  It never happened.

[Ed Anger]

Go UCLA!

*passes out*

[lustindarkness]

Lusti just passed out.

Almost did,  I did not breath much during those last few minutes.

Lusti just passed out.

Forecast calls for a 100% chance of post-Waffle House sex tonight.

Does Sonics count? Cheesecake bites. :yummy:

WDE!

[Berkut]

Well, Arizona is certainly looking like they are not much interested so far. Denker looks like crap so far.

[katmai]

Yep looking ugly for Cats.

[alfred russel]

As for AR's "elite" comment, I don't have much interest in semantics debates but who would be considered "elite" now by that definition?  Is FSU "elite" since they won a NC 15 years ago then had 11 out of 14 mediocre to good seasons between now and then?  Ohio State?  They haven't lost a game in 2 years but play a weak schedule and were average-to-good before Meyer showed up.  Auburn the one-hit-wonder?   Who else has won a NC, is very good this year and has been for multiple years in a row?

Oregon has played in 4 straight BCS games, including one NC game.  The last 2 they won very convincingly.  Only 3 other teams have done that:  early 2000's Miami, mid-decade USC and late-decade Ohio State.  Those team all won at least one title in those runs, so the Ducks don't compare there, but they also don't come even close in NFL talent during those streaks.  Miami had 15 first round picks in 2001, Oregon has had 8 players drafted in ANY round in the last 3.  Oregon has finished the last 4 seasons ranked:  11, 3, 4, 2.  They have had 5-6 straight top 20 recruiting classes.  They may not meet some people's random definition of "elite", but they have been one of the top 5-6 programs over the last few years and even if that isn't "elite"  I will take it.  It has been a very fun ride, and I hope it is not over.

If you take the total population of programs, I think it is fair to say that the bottom third are poor, the middle third are average, and the top third are good. Hence about 33% are good.

If elite is to have meaning, I think that you can't define more than ~10% of programs as elite. Otherwise, you will approach considering half the good programs as elite--that strikes me as a very watered down definition of elite.

The next question is the base number of programs to use. I'd say ~75 is about right: the major conference teams (including the American) and ND. So lets say 7-8 elite teams exist.

USC, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Ohio State.

Those 7 teams. I haven't named programs like Auburn, FSU, Miami, Nebraska, Texas A&M, UCLA, Michigan, Notre Dame...yeah if you look at the Chip Kelly era, the results of the team have been top 6-7, but the elite program mention that started this was in the context of a coaching search. I don't think that incredible success by the preceding coach, especially with the NCAA poking around, makes a destination a premier one.

There is a reason Nick Saban left Michigan State for LSU, and the Dolphins for Alabama, even though those programs didn't have the best results before he got there. LSU and Alabama had shown over years that they have the recruiting base, fan support, and resources to consistently compete for national titles with the right coaching. If it was just about the past 5-6 years and on the field success, I think Boise State would have a case they are "elite", but I seriously doubt they are going to be in the running to pull an NFL coach to their school.