NCAA football, 2013-14

[sbr]

SO you arent basing this on recent history just the last 20-30 years.  Ok in that case Oregon is not elite.

[alfred russel]

They haven't won the Big One, but that is mostly because they play in a brutal conference where going undefeated is nearly impossible, IMO.

You have had one to many helpings of the PAC 12 Kool Aid, imo. Lets look at quality OOC competition for the Oregon Ducks post 2005 (at least 5 losses the preceding 3 years):

2005: Oklahoma, loss.
2006: Oklahoma, win (with a major asterisk), BYU, loss
2007: Michigan, win, South Florida win
2008: Boise State, loss, Oklahoma State, win
2009: Boise State, loss, Utah, win, Ohio State, loss
2010: Auburn, loss
2011: LSU, loss, Wisconsin, win
2012: Kansas State, win

So their record during this stretch is 7-6 against quality competition. We are considering the teams like South Florida to be quality wins, and giving you that egregious game against Oklahoma. Every season featured an out of conference loss except for 2007 (when the team lost 4 games, drew a crappy bowl opponent (USF), and beat the Michigan team that got Lloyd Carr fired), and 2012 (when they got soft and scheduled the OOC murderers row of Arkansas State, Fresno State, and Tennessee Tech, before drawing Kansas State in a bowl).

[dps]

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.

I don't think any college can pull an established, successful NFL coach to their school.  The schools that have gotten NFL head coaches have gotten what were basically college coaches who were giving the NFL a try and deciding they preferred college football, or NFL rejects/failures.

[derspiess]

I laughed through that entire last play.

Same here.  The look on Coach Satan's face was priceless.

Also WVU needs to swallow that ridiculous buyout and find a new head coach

[MadImmortalMan]

I won money betting on Michigan to beat the spread tonight. Silly sportsbook. Everyone knows OSU plays like donkeys in that game and the Wolverines step it up. 17 points my ass.

[alfred russel]

So that Iron Bowl play....

Is that the best final play in the history of college football?

Off the top of my head, the three obvious competing plays:
Kordell Stewart's hail mary against Michigan
Doug Flutie's hail mary against Miami
The Stanford band play

I tend to give this play the edge over those. This game was a play in to the conference championship, was a matchup of top 5 teams, and probably doomed a 2 time champion's repeat bid. The Stanford band play obviously had a bit more craziness with the band and all, but ultimately was not a valid play to begin with (if referees are going to ignore guys knees being down and forward laterals on kickoff returns, I suspect more of them will go back).

Listen to the Auburn call here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/listen-amazing-auburn-radio-call-iron-bowl-win-024938767--ncaaf.html

And the less happy Alabama call here:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/11/30/5161264/auburn-radio-call-internet-implosion-after-auburn-alabama-110-yard

[MadImmortalMan]

Yeah, best final play I've personally seen in real time for sure.

[sbr]

I saw the Flutie and Stewart plays live.  I wasn't watching tonight and still haven't seen the FG return play.

[Admiral Yi]

I put this at #1.  First of all, it really is one of a kind.  Teams throw hail Maries every week.  Second of all, you had all the drama leading up to the play: Bama's missed FG, Auburn's triple option TD pass, the replay on the game clock.  The icing is the #1 team in the country going down.

[grumbler]

I put this at #1.  First of all, it really is one of a kind.  Teams throw hail Maries every week.  Second of all, you had all the drama leading up to the play: Bama's missed FG, Auburn's triple option TD pass, the replay on the game clock.  The icing is the #1 team in the country going down.

Agree.  It was a one-of-a-kind ending to a match that was an instant classic.  I don't see how you top that.

[CountDeMoney]

Definitely one of the most important games of all time in NCAA history, and Auburn's season--considering how they were last year, how they've won the last two weeks, and in derailing the best chance to see an NC three-peat--has been nothing short of amazing.

It was no Appalachian State versus #3 Michigan, though. 

[Savonarola]

CB and I went to the MSU-Minn game yesterday.  It was just about a perfect day for Nov 30 in East Lansing; sunny and not too windy.  Since it was senior day they said goodbye to all the seniors, including those on the marching band and dance squad.  Apparently some of the marching band had a red-shirt year since they had been on the squad for five years.

[grumbler]

Definitely one of the most important games of all time in NCAA history, and Auburn's season--considering how they were last year, how they've won the last two weeks, and in derailing the best chance to see an NC three-peat--has been nothing short of amazing.

It was no Appalachian State versus #3 Michigan, though. 

Appalachian State has only played Michigan once, and Michigan wasn't a #3 team when they played.

Unless you are talking about next year. Michigan almost certainly won't be ranked #3 then, either.  Though they deserve to lose that game just for scheduling it (Dave Brandon, rot in hell!). 

[CountDeMoney]

My bad, they were ranked #5 in 2007 at the time of TEH GREATEST UPSET IN NCAA HISTORY.

But yesterday was a far more important game.  Not the '92 SEC Championship, not even BC-Miami '84 wasn't as important, despite the presence of Bernie Joseph Kosar, Jr.

[PDH]

For meaning and emotion and just damn good timing, the Auburn-Alabama finish has to be the best for most.

For me, personally, The Play against Stanford is the all time best.  The team I grew up following, the laterals (at least one controversial), the extra Stanford players on the field (coming off the bench meant that had the play ended the officials would have had to award Cal the TD anyway), and the BAND in the way at the end make it the best.  Spiking the trombone player capped off a great play.