College Football 2012 Season

[Guynemer]

Plus, that was a deadspin link. **** deadspin. It is the Drudge Report of sports websites.

If someone else reports it, fine. But I don't believe anything from that website.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Um... everyone is reporting it.

[DanS]

Not a bad result for the 4-team playoff. I was satisfied with the BCS and what came before it, but this probably won't be much worse, if any. It has some good points. I like that college football is reclaiming January 1. I also like that the season still remains of uptmost prominence.

ND doesn't come out badly. If it deserves it, it will be in the mix. It makes independence easier.

[-Jrabbit]

It makes independence possible.

Fixed.

[rah]

When's the last time they were relevant anyway? A lot of posters here weren't even born the last time they won.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Slightly more reputable than Deadspin (only slightly though), even though its depressing it's important re: college sports in general:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/justic...html?hpt=hp_t2

In a 2005 e-mail from Dr. Vicky Triponey, then vice president of student affairs in charge of disciplining students, to athletic director Tim Curley and others, she summarizes a meeting they had with Paterno in which he tells her that he wants to be the sole disciplinarian of his players.

She criticizes Paterno for wanting to limit the Campus Code of Conduct to incidents that take place on campus and keeping disciplinary matters involving his players private. "Coach Paterno would rather we NOT inform the public when a football player is found responsible for committing a serious violation of the law and/or our student code -- despite any moral or legal obligation to do so," according to her e-mail.

In the same e-mail, Triponey, also refers to calls her office was receiving from coaches and others. "I must insist that the efforts to put pressure on (Student Affairs) and try to influence our decisions...simply MUST STOP," she writes.

Curley, in a subsequent e-mail, acknowledges that Triponey's take on the conversation with Paterno is accurate.

Triponey replies to Curley, "I know you are caught in the middle of a very difficult situation," an apparent reference to appeasing Paterno.

In a subsequent e-mail to then-Penn State President Graham Spanier she is more blunt: "I am very troubled by the manipulative, disrespectful, uncivil and abusive behavior of our football coach," she writes.

In 2007, after a widely reported incident where more than a dozen players crashed an off-campus party and started a violent brawl, Paterno appears to send an e-mail, through his assistant, to Spanier that says, "I want to make sure everyone understands that the discipline of the players involved will be handled by me as soon as I am comfortable that I know all the facts."

Paterno's attorneys have said the coach didn't use e-mail. The exchange shows while he may not have had his own e-mail account, his assistant would still send e-mails for him.

Paterno planned to punish the team by forcing them to perform 10 hours of community service and clean up the stadium after home games, according to a memo provided by a source familiar with the investigation.

After Triponey tried to discipline football players in the same manner as other students, she was harassed both online and at her home, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. On her front lawn somebody put up a "for sale" sign. Police installed a surveillance camera. In the end, the source says Spanier suggested she think about her future at Penn State, and she resigned.

[Tupac Shakur]

When's the last time they were relevant anyway? A lot of posters here weren't even born the last time they won.

When did Illinois win its last national championship?

[H Tower]

When did Illinois win its last national championship?

I didn't know Illinois had a seat at the table equal to Notre Dame's. They are the only school being represented in these talks for themselves alone and not a conference. Notre Dame has one rep in the meeting. Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska all share the same representative. The last time the Big10 was in the title game was 2008, the last time they were relevant in title game importance was October 16th, 2010, when #1 Ohio State lost at Wisconsin. The last time Notre Dame was relevant for the National Title mid way through a season? I'll say 2002 when they started 8-0 with a #4 ranking, but the team finished the year 10-2.

The only time Illinois has been relevant in the national title discussion was when they upset #1 Ohio State in 2007. (Relevant only as a means to dismiss Ohio State from contention.)

[rah]

What he said. And the last time Illinois was the national champion was 1927.

[Tupac Shakur]

And the last time Illinois was the national champion was 1927.

1951, actually.

I didn't know Illinois had a seat at the table equal to Notre Dame's.

They don't deserve one. Notre Dame is a far better and more relevant program than Illinois.

[H Tower]

1951, actually.

I didn't know Illinois had a seat at the table equal to Notre Dame's.

They don't deserve one. Notre Dame is a far better and more relevant program than Illinois.

So does Ohio State deserve their own representative? How about Alabama or LSU? I see no reason to reward Notre Dame for not joining a conference because they're afraid they lose even more.

[Tupac Shakur]

So does Ohio State deserve their own representative?

Yes.

How about Alabama or LSU?

Yes and yes.

I see no reason to reward Notre Dame for not joining a conference because they're afraid they lose even more.

No one's "rewarding" Notre Dame for not joining a conference. Notre Dame is able to remain independent because it's a power program and a very marketable brand that can't be ignored by the other powers. Alabama, LSU, and the Ohio State University could do the same thing if they wanted to, while Illinois could not. Don't hate the playa, hate the game.

[H Tower]

Why do you keep brining up Illinois? No one is saying that the Illini should be a powerful influence on the BCS playoffs. Some of us are saying that Notre Dame should not be a powerful factor. We didn't bring up Illinois, you did.

[SlowwHand]

Tupac, as far as I remember, only DanS has stood up for Notre Dame previously. I did, in an extremely minor manner. Why you now?

[Imran Siddiqui]

When's the last time they were relevant anyway? A lot of posters here weren't even born the last time they won.

You think that many posters here are under 24? Regardless they are relevant because they bring in the money and are one of the winningest programs in college football history. Few programs command the dollar amounts or the popularity of Notre Dame. So therefore they get special treatment. I mean if Penn State or Florida State could have made the money ND makes while being independent they'd never have joined a conference (people tend to forget that both PSU and FSU were independent until the 1990s). And FWIW, if Penn State and Florida State were independent to this day, I'd wager they'd get ND like special treatment in the playoff determination.

[rah]

I bet ND couldn't negotiate the same TV contract it did previously. (in adjusted dollars) It used to be able to command top dollar. Not anymore. Don't get me wrong, they're still popular, but not the monolith power they were. (Due to not being that good of a team for a long time.)

[Imran Siddiqui]

Though it is still to early (in their football decline) to completely write them off. They are the subject of many conferences' dream expansion for a reason.

[rah]

Agreed, but when they originally signed with NBC it was ND and then everyone else. That is no longer the case.

[Tupac Shakur]

Tupac, as far as I remember, only DanS has stood up for Notre Dame previously. I did, in an extremely minor manner. Why you now?

Kings need to stand by their peers when the knights get delusions of grandeur.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...bag/index.html

[H Tower]

Yes, fine, Notre Dame has a rich and vibrant history, and 100 out of 100 Montana residents can correctly identify the Notre Dame helmet, but that doesn't mean anything about their on field performance.

2007 3-9 with a loss to Navy
2008 7-6 with a bowl victory
2009 6-6 with a loss to Navy
2010 8-5 with a loss to Navy and bowl victory
2011 8-5 with a bowl victory

This is a football king?

quoting from Mandel's article:

All told, three of the 71 schools moved up, four moved down and six made their debuts. The conclusion: At this point it's more feasible for a young program like Boise State to make a splash and create a new identity than it is for a more established program to alter a perception built over 100-plus years.

So Notre Dame gets to rest on its laurels of multiple national championships that occurred before current players were born, and this is their reason for special inclusion in talks about how a national title playoff is created? Don't you see how that is insane?

[H Tower]

Kings need to stand by their peers when the knights get delusions of grandeur.

No one here is talking up Illinois, except maybe you.

[Imran Siddiqui]

So Notre Dame gets to rest on its laurels of multiple national championships that occurred before current players were born, and this is their reason for special inclusion in talks about how a national title playoff is created? Don't you see how that is insane?

You act as if this is somewhat shocking and doesn't happen all the time. If Michigan went in the toilet for 15 years, you still don't think it would be held up as a storied program which gets a lot of attention? Hell, look at the Chicago Cubs!

[H Tower]

Combine a mediocre on field performance, with an independent, and I don't see how they get a seat at the table all their own when everyone else at that table represents many schools. I don't care that fans treat them as special, I just don't want the establishment to grant them special privileges.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They aren't asking you . They do care that fans treat them special because the playoffs are for extra money. And if ND can bring them more money, they'll let 'em have their extras.

[rah]

ND can only bring them more money if they ever participate. That doesn't see likely in the near future.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hey, strange things can happen . Penn State actually had 10 win seasons after everyone thought they were done for (now they really are ). And before Pete Carroll, people thought USC was done with (well he had some... financial.. help).

Heck, Tennessee of all schools won a National Championship in 1998 & Auburn two years ago (though they did cheat for that one )

[rah]

Then I guess Illinois can be hopeful too.

[MRT144]

Hey, strange things can happen . Penn State actually had 10 win seasons after everyone thought they were done for (now they really are ). And before Pete Carroll, people thought USC was done with (well he had some... financial.. help).

Heck, Tennessee of all schools won a National Championship in 1998 & Auburn two years ago (though they did cheat for that one )

In terms of trending college football is one of the most static in how teams fare over time.

I remember bringing this up months ago during zooker's firing.

[SlowwHand]

How do you view Joe Paterno's legacy?

Mostly positive

Equal mix of positive and negative

Mostly negative

Spoiler:

36%
Mostly positive

33%
Equal mix of positive and negative

31%
Mostly negative

(Total votes: 116,614)

http://espn.go.com/

[Tupac Shakur]

Yes, fine, Notre Dame has a rich and vibrant history, and 100 out of 100 Montana residents can correctly identify the Notre Dame helmet, but that doesn't mean anything about their on field performance.

It means a lot with regards to Notre Dame's continued relevance and inclusion in major college football decisions, however. Notre Dame is a king, and you can't just ignore a king.

You act as if this is somewhat shocking and doesn't happen all the time. If Michigan went in the toilet for 15 years, you still don't think it would be held up as a storied program which gets a lot of attention? Hell, look at the Chicago Cubs!

Exactly.