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Saturday College Football OpenThread

Rivalry Weekend. The picks (2 units unless otherwise indicated): Arizona +11½ over Arizona State, San Diego State -3 over UNLV, Boise State -37 over New Mexico, UCLA +3½ over USC, Temple +8½ over Memphis, Minnesota +16 over Michigan State, BYU -15 over Nevada, Stanford -15 (3 units) over Notre Dame, Illinois +3½ over Northwestern, Missouri -4½ (3 units) over Texas A&M, Georgia Tech +3½ over Georgia, Iowa State +7½ over West Virginia, Virginia Tech -13 (3 units) over Virginia, Vanderbilt -14 over Wake Forest, Connecticut +3 over Rutgers, Kansas State -17½ over Kansas, Tulsa +4½ over North Texas, Tennessee -4 over Kentucky, Wisconsin -24 over Penn State, Clemson +4½ (3 units) over South Carolina, North Carolina -6 (4 units) over Duke, Alabama -10½ (9 units) over Auburn, Ohio State -16½ (3 units) over Michigan.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

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    AN AXE LENGTH AWAY, vol. 203 (5.00 / 3) (#3)
    by Dadler on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 10:00:19 AM EST
    Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of NY, (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by KeysDan on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 11:56:30 AM EST
    in an interview for "Meet the Press" claims that the Catholic Church  was "out-marketed" on gay marriage and has been "caricatured as being anti-gay."  

    Perhaps his company has been out-marketed because it has a bad product, not to mention the bad reputation of the company owing to its  child sex abuse scandals.

    In addition, the Cardinal noted that the Church cannot support ACA as long as it includes coverage for abortion.  However, there is no requirement in ACA that plans cover abortion nor is there prohibition preventing plans from covering abortion. ACA allows states to pass a law to ban abortion coverage. And, there are segregation requirements if policies go beyond the Hyde Amendment (life endangerment, rape, incest.)    

    As general advise, it would seem prudent if the Cardinal and his Church were silent on morals for 100-years, or at least, take a cue from Pope Francis.

    I would like the Cardinal and his Church (5.00 / 4) (#6)
    by MO Blue on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 12:14:06 PM EST
    to stick to the truth in what ACA does and does not do as well as what they have covered up and condoned in relationship to its child sex abuse scandals.

    Been quite a while since I attended Catholic school but I do recall being taught that lying was a sin.

    Parent

    Perhaps, Cardinal Dolan (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by KeysDan on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 01:09:30 PM EST
    has adopted "lying for the Lord" to make his political points.  And, as to his wonderment at being caricatured as "ant-gay," he might check with his colleague, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, of Springfield, Illinois, who staged an unprecedented (in Illinois) exorcism as the Governor signed same sex marriage into law--to deliver us from the evil of its supporters.

    It would not surprise me if Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago,(who once likened gays to the KKK) holds an exorcism for two Chicago women for whom US District Judge Tom Durkin ordered the Cook County Clerk to issue a marriage license immediately since one has terminal cancer and may not live until the new law goes into effect June 1, 2014.

    Parent

    Oh, heck (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Zorba on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 03:41:09 PM EST
    Mr. Zorba went out fishing on the Bay today for stripers (of course, he's absolutely crazy, since it's too cold to fish, IMO).  But they do bundle up.
    He called from the marina and said that they got no fish.  Doggone it.
    I told him, then don't bother coming home.  (I'm kidding, and he knows it.)
    ;-)

    Well, like Pearl Bailey sang... (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by shoephone on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 03:43:37 PM EST
    LOL! (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Zorba on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 03:58:35 PM EST
    The incomparable Pearl Bailey.
    I will definitely play this for him.  But maybe not until tomorrow.
    The odd thing is that the stripers have been running well this week on the Chesapeake Flats (where he was), and he's usually very successful.  But today, no luck.
    That's the way it goes with fishing.  At least he got out in the open air.  Cold as it was.
    (Hey, we live up on top of a mountain in Western Maryland, so we're fairly well used to being out in the cold.)

    Parent
    I think what happens (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 10:39:11 AM EST
    with some guys is that some primeval hunter-gatherer instinct kicks in when you've got the inclement weather fishing bug..

    I've fished in the Great Lakes tribs in January with a leaky boot and been so one-pointedly concentrated on the fish and the environment that I barely noticed the cold. As hard as that may be to believe. And then you catch one of those beautiful steelheads and you want to stay out there even longer..

    Parent

    Dolan's baloney (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by bmaz on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 05:35:18 PM EST
    Yes, if only the Catholic church had helped cheerlead the effort to separate all the middle class families from their current policies and force them into worse, far more expensive policies, that do not provide them nearly the level of actual usable and affordable care they previously had.

    Maybe the good Cardinal Dolan should concentrate on keeping his clergy from buggering children instead.

    So, uhhmmm..... (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:00:38 PM EST
    22 million people - yes you read that right: MILLION - shopped at walmart on Thanksgiving.

    I'm speechless. Dumbfounded. Taken aback. Stupefied. Flabbergasted. Aghast, even.

    Where can I buy a rope to make a noose, and an anchor. And a wharf to throw it off of?

    When all hope is gone
    Sad songs say so much...


    And isn't this terribly sad? (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Zorba on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:57:48 PM EST
    So many people could not take a day off from consumerism and had to go shopping, instead of spending the day with family and friends.  
    I would like to think that it is more important to spend time with loved ones, as opposed to hitting the big-box stores and malls to purchase "stuff" for them or ourselves.
    What is more precious than our time and attention?  

    Parent
    I would like to ask (5.00 / 7) (#16)
    by Zorba on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:08:06 PM EST
    That everyone who values TalkLeft take a break from the ever-degenerating discourse that has been in evidence here for awhile now.  Too many of the comments have been nothing more than unpleasant sniping back and forth.
    I do not excuse myself from this, either, and for any comments that I have made that are unkind, I apologize.
    We are all human, and we all have our strongly-held beliefs.  But it has been getting really ugly here of late.
    Perhaps we can all take a break from much of this, and instead celebrate the season in its various manifestations, no matter what your beliefs are.
    The darkest day of the year is approaching on December 21, but do remember that after that, the days slowly begin to lengthen.  There is increasing light after the darkness.
    Namaste, my friends, and be well.

    It's also almost spring (none / 0) (#19)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:42:17 PM EST
    The cold weather means that spring will be here any day now.

    Hey, it's a LOT closer now than it was back in July, right?

    Parent

    Hahahahahaha! (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Zorba on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:51:42 PM EST
    No, not almost Spring, edger.
    But do remember that it's supposed to be "darkest before the dawn."
    I know that you are north of where I live, so I suppose that you must put up with even longer nights than I must.  Keep on keeping on.
    Namaste, edger, namaste.

    Parent
    Ahhh, but you see (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:01:44 PM EST
    Spring is a state of mind. You see?

    ;-D

    Parent

    Krugman praises Obamacare (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by MKS on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:17:42 PM EST
    The ACA offers a tall order: (5.00 / 4) (#44)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 01:40:07 PM EST
    changes to the non-group market, mandates to carry insurance, expansion of public insurance, subsidies for private insurance coverage, increases in revenues from a variety of sources (including an excise tax on indoor tanning services--which may account for the Speaker's derision), and reductions and "savings" in Medicare.  

    Medicare appears to be the least controversial aspect,  with a few exceptions: discussions during the 2012 campaign, when RomneyRyan claimed that Medicare cuts were underwriting the non-Medicare aspects of ACA (The $716 billion reduction, part of which would be used to help pay for ACA, but Ryan, in the event of repeal would still use the $716 billion for other budget purposes without plowing back any of the savings to Medicare.)  With this savings in Medicare, it is sometimes difficult to understand why additional cuts to Medicare appear in the context of a grand bargain.  

    Another exception, which is mentioned by Dr. Krugman is the Independent Payment Advisory Board (caricatured as the death panel) which, subject to congressional approval, acts to contain costs to providers when a target is reached, but not benefits.  Although, it may be naive to believe that such cuts would not impact benefits eventually.

    The point of Dr. Krugman's evaluation is that Medicare is a key component of ACA, in leading the way in health care cost containment--so far, mainly, by limiting "overpayments" for Medicare Advantage and reductions in reimbursements to hospitals. But, more promising and speculative  (in that it needs study and evaluation) is the way Medicare will pay for services, especially a move from procedural care to evidence-based care.

    However, Medicare has long driven improvements in the health care system as a whole, pointing the way for adoption of quality and payment innovation (e.g., Medicare's physician fee schedule    (DRG's) for quality and efficiency.  Private insurers are likely to follow Medicare, rather than lead.

    Dr. Krugman, points to Medicare as a success component of ACA, and, in so doing, presents an effective argument for an ACA that is Medicare for All.

    Parent

    Gesh (1.00 / 1) (#55)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Dec 02, 2013 at 02:22:35 PM EST
    Medicare has nothing to do with Obamacare... beyond funding part of it and providing the fodder for the Death Panels.

    Parent
    Gesh (none / 0) (#56)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Dec 02, 2013 at 02:22:35 PM EST
    Medicare has nothing to do with Obamacare... beyond funding part of it and providing the fodder for the Death Panels.

    Parent
    Saying this twice, will not (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by KeysDan on Wed Dec 04, 2013 at 09:27:44 AM EST
    make it any more accurate.  But, you can always keep trying.--points for effort.

    Parent
    The NYTimes (5.00 / 5) (#34)
    by lentinel on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 05:02:16 AM EST
    portrays the White House discussions regarding the launch of the ACA healthcare "marketplace" as:

    ...a frantic effort aimed at rescuing not only the insurance portal and Mr. Obama's credibility, but also the Democratic philosophy that an activist government can solve big, complex social problems. Today, that rescue effort is far from complete.

    Rescuing the website. Check. That would be nice.

    Rescuing Obama's credibility... I can see how they would consider that to be important. Good luck with that.

    But - to portray this effort as an example of an "Democratic philosophy" - an "activist government" attempting to "solve big, complex social problems"... That - I don't get.

    This Act - well - if it is an example of a current Democratic philosophy - it is the philosophy of bending to the will of vested interests - such as the hospital lobby - the mega-powerful insurance lobby and the mega-powerful pharmaceutical industry.

    It is hodgepodge of a veneer of populism, concealing a mass of capitalistic boondoggles and self-interested political maneuvering.

    To classify this government as one that is "activist" regarding the solution of social problems is laughable. This government expresses its "activism" in the persistent busting of pot clinics and the burning of the collected bounty therefrom. It expresses its activism in its unrelenting effort to stay in Afghanistan well beyond the promised "deadline" of 2014.

    But "activism" toward the "solution of social problems"? I don't see it. I don't see this government being dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for its citizens. And if it is so dedicated, it is incompetent beyond imagination.

    The solution to the problem of providing healthcare for all was, and is, readily available.
    It is being practiced in many civilized countries.
    If this government were actively interested in solving the social problem of providing universal healthcare, it could have been inspired by the functioning models that now exist.

    But these successful enterprises have been ignored in favor of what has been referred to the "American model". One suited to our particular national circumstances. And that American model, the one in which big companies profit and prosper from medical care, is what they have given us - with the results that we see before us.

    Well, (5.00 / 3) (#36)
    by Edger on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 08:16:13 AM EST
    part of the "job" of the NYT, as with most mainstream media, I think is to keep alive and continual resell the fiction of a political system with two parties in opposition to each other.

    It would be pretty hard, I think, to sell the GOP as an activist government dedicated to solving social problems to people of either left or right "persuasion", but both will eagerly lap that up when applied to the dems.

    Parent

    Best rivalry in college football (none / 0) (#1)
    by ragebot on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 09:47:51 AM EST
    It gets confusing (none / 0) (#37)
    by MKS on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 09:02:55 AM EST
    down in the trenches.

    Parent
    I am still confused (none / 0) (#39)
    by ragebot on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 09:44:42 AM EST
    about what happened at UF.  They have always had their ups and downs in the field, but this year is one of the weirdest I have ever seen.  Even in the aftermath of Pell/Hall and the NCAA punishment there was not the friction between the UF fans and the UF admin/coaches.

    Never have I seen two OL men on the same team blocking each other.

    Parent

    It's not hard to figure out (none / 0) (#42)
    by CoralGables on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 11:26:47 AM EST
    Seven straight losses and the Gators were still averaging 87,000 fans at the home games during the losing streak. With the way Muschamp is calling plays there is plenty of frustration to go around and it doesn't help when the head coach starts arguing with fans in the stands after a game and blaming his assistants.

    Gator fans will keep showing up. They aren't the type to disappear and write the season off when everything heads south. Muschamp will still have to face them.

    Parent

    Well, given that UF just gave Muschamp ... (none / 0) (#43)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 01:31:37 PM EST
    ... their public support, reading between the lines I'd say that he has one season to right the ship -- if that. The Gators stumble out of the blocks next year, and he just might go the way of Lane Kiffin and not even make it off the team bus.

    But honestly, the post in Gainesville has become one of the most thankless head coaching spots in college football, certainly rivaling that at Michigan, USC and UCLA. Urban Meyer might still be there, were it not for an overly expectant and demanding alumni / fan base, which is college sports' equivalent of a Cuisinart.

    I was watching the USC-UCLA game last night, and at halftime the pundits were blathering on about whether USC should retain the services of interim coach Ed Orgeron, who in my opinion has done an outstanding job under difficult circumstances this season, on a permanent basis. One commented that Trojan Nation doesn't have to settle for anything less than the very best, which is an arrogant statement just on its face.

    He obviously doesn't know USC football history, because none of the three most successful coaches there -- John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll -- were actually the administration's first choice. Each got the job only because the first and in two instances even the second choice turned USC down. In my estimation, the Trojans should offer Orgeron the job, and not look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Wanted to congratulate you, BTD... (none / 0) (#2)
    by Dadler on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 09:56:32 AM EST
    ...for correctly wagering your units on that nutcase San Jose State/Fresno State game. I was wondering what the over/under was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't 114 points.

    And, FYI, you double posted this one, BTD (none / 0) (#4)
    by Dadler on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 10:03:01 AM EST
    Two Saturday College Football threads up.

    Hey, BTD, gotta love Brady Hoke right now, eh? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Dadler on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 01:41:22 PM EST
    What a dipsh*t move going for it. You could be down four, but now it's fourteen. Dope. But good for your spread chase. Good luck.

    Well, Hoke managed to top that one, by ... (none / 0) (#9)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 03:24:13 PM EST
    ... going for a 2-pt. conversion with Michigan down 42-41 and only 0:31 to go. When momentum's on your side, as it was for the Wolverines, you take it to OT and take your chances there. Instead, QB Gardner throws the pick on the PAT, and Ohio State wins its 24th game in a row.

    Those were two impulsive and terribly ill-advised coaching decisions on Brady Hoke's part, and he cost his team the game.

    Parent

    I disagree (none / 0) (#54)
    by jbindc on Mon Dec 02, 2013 at 07:16:12 AM EST
    You have the momentum - you play to win.

    Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

    Parent

    Final: Duke 27, North Carolina 25. (none / 0) (#13)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 04:10:50 PM EST
    Duke hadn't won at Chapel Hill in 24 games, over 40 years ago. The Blue Devils had never before won 10 games in a season. Their first outright football title in school history (albeit at the division level) was on the line. Call me superstitious, BTD, but Duke was overdue for success, and you were betting against destiny and a pre-ordained trifecta.

    Everyone said David Cutliffe could've had his pick of marquee coaching positions, and that he was nuts to take the Blue Devil job -- but who's laughing now? Next up, a David v. Goliath matchup with Florida State in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte next Saturday.

    FSU will likely be the prohibitive favorite in that one, but I'll offer caveat: The Seminoles need to put Duke away fast and early. The Blue Devils have had a nasty habit this season of kicking it up several notches late in the game when its outcome is up for grabs, and they lead the nation in 4th quarter point differential.

    Duke is not a team the 'Noles will want to see hugging their backside coming down the home stretch, because the Blue Devils are smart, opportunistic and well-disciplined in tight games, whereas FSU hasn't really been challenged at all this season. If you give Duke a chance to steal one, they have the heart and the moxie to do it.

    Aloha.

    FSU beats Duke (none / 0) (#32)
    by ragebot on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 11:15:44 PM EST
    going away.  FSU has the best place kicker in the game if it comes down to a FG.  But I doubt the game will be close.  I was a student at FSU in 1975-77 and have followed them ever since then.  This is the best team I have ever seen including the 1999 team.  Winston is unreal at QB.  There are three RBs, Freeman, Wildner, and Williams that will play at the next level.  At least four of the WRs will play at the next level.  The D line is probably eight deep, maybe 10.  Joyner will be a first round pick and the defensive backfield is stronger than the D line.  Two LBs will play at the next level.  The OL is maybe the teams biggest strength.  Jimbo is a Bowden level coach, just not quite so folksy.

    Unlikely Duke will score till the second half when FSU puts in the second string.

    Parent

    Given that you picked Alabama ... (none / 0) (#33)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 03:22:07 AM EST
    ... to play in the BCS championship game just last week, please excuse me for ignoring your embarrassing cheerleading for FSU. We get it -- the Seminoles are your favorite team. That's cool. But next week's game has yet to be played, and I'd offer better than even odds that you haven't even watched Duke play a single live down all season.

    The Blue Devils won ten games this year, which is about five or six more than most people expected. You need to respect that and not be so smug. Otherwise, you risk eating a lot of crow should the Seminoles waltz into Charlotte next week with visions of Pasadena in their heads but not their A game, while Duke shows up with theirs -- and then things subsequently don't turn out quite like you expected.

    I've watched enough college football in my life to know that karma can sometimes sack the vainglorious in the end zone when they start looking too soon to clear a spot on the shelf for their trophy. Ten years ago, an unbeaten Oklahoma was the universally acclaimed top dog, and then they got annihilated by 4-TD underdog Kansas State in the Big 12 title game, 35-7. And when I was a junior at Washington, the Huskies were No. 1 in the last weekend of the season, until we lost to a 1-8-1 Washington State team at home, no less. It not only knocked us off the top ranking, but also eliminated us from the Pac-10 championship and the Rose Bowl, too.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I expect (none / 0) (#38)
    by CoralGables on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 09:08:22 AM EST
    that when the line is set Duke will be at least a 20 point underdog and likely higher.

    As the Blue Devils regular season ends, there isn't a single team on their schedule that currently ranks in the AP top 25, or even receives a vote for being in the top 25, and they haven't been blowing anybody out.

    There are two good teams in the ACC this year and Duke isn't one of them.

    They do still have to play the game but don't be shocked if FSU hangs 50+ on them.

    They had 4 common opponents this year. Duke gave up an average of 32 points a game to those four. FSU held them to 12. It could get ugly.

    Parent

    Any team that wins ten of twelve games ... (none / 0) (#45)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 03:10:22 PM EST
    ... in a single season should always be considered a good team, and should never be taken lightly.

    Yes, Duke will be a 3-TD underdog in Charlotte, and yes, they suffered two ugly conference losses earlier in the season to Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. But they've since rebounded and have won eight straight -- including against 9-3 Miami and 8-4 Virginia Tech, in crunch time when it counted -- and that by virtue of accomplishment doesn't consign the Blue Devils to mediocre status.

    I've already said that I expect Florida State to be the prohibitive favorite and to take care of business, given what's at stake for them. I don't know how you guys are making these sorts of ex post facto rationalizations prior to kickoff, but woe to FSU if the Seminole coaches and players approach next Saturday's ACC championship with the same attitude of foregone conclusion, because each game offers its own unique and particular set of circumstances, and pride always goeth before the fall.

    Point differentials with common opponents might provide you some indication of what might happen, but possible indicators shouldn't be mistaken for actual insight. Quite often in real-time game situations, such statistics will eventually prove to have been completely meaningless.

    Rest assured that Duke will show up this week in Charlotte with nothing to lose and everything to prove. And that's exactly the sort of team that can give otherwise great teams all sorts of fits and spring a big upset. If the opponent is overconfident, the game's intangibles can come into play and offer the sort of nightmarish scenarios about which most all good coaches of good teams will always warn and caution their players. (See Boise State v. Oklahoma, 2007 and Utah v. Alabama, 2009.)

    If the Florida State Seminoles think otherwise, they could quickly find themselves with their hands full. And since they've yet to really be challenged this season, the jury's out as to how they'd respond accordingly, should they somehow find themselves in an unexpectedly close contest with a team they didn't take all that seriously in the first place. The Blue Devils, OTOH, ultimately prevailed in a number of close games this year, and suffice to say that good teams will find a way to win those.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I was not alone (none / 0) (#40)
    by ragebot on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 10:08:44 AM EST
    in predicting a 'bama/FSU natty several times.  But I often said that was my best guess.  I have enjoyed watching Auburn win its last two games.  But I would not say they were impressive wins as much as the Tigers got very lucky.  The Immaculate Deflection was one of the most entertaining plays I have seen since I started watching football as a high school football player.  Same for the failed FG being run back for a TD; it was the first time I had ever seen that in maybe 50 years of watching football games.

    As for watching other ACC teams I have seen Duke play this year.  True I did not watch Duke's  45-0 blowout of North Carolina Central but I did watch them beat the U.  I also watched FSU beat a much stronger U and knock out the U's best runner and soften the U up for Duke.  I also watched the VT and NC games.  True I watched these games on TV which you may not consider live

    You are not the first person to say FSU would be overlooking the team they are playing this week and not show up with their A game.  Jimbo has been able to get FSU playing its A game ever week so far.  This game may get UG LEE.

    Parent

    Now you're clearly rationalizing. (none / 0) (#46)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 03:40:33 PM EST
    What makes you think Miami was stronger when it played FSU, than when they played Duke two weeks later?

    How do you know that the formerly No. 6 Hurricanes weren't overrated in the first place, and were mistakenly granted exalted status by a star-struck and babbling sports media when they were merely a good and decent team, and clearly not a great one?

    Yes, things could get ugly Saturday. But given that the combined record of FSU's last four opponents was 15-32, you best hope that the Seminoles take a 10-win Duke team much more seriously than you apparently do and show up to take care of business, so that it doesn't turn into the sort of ugly you weren't expecting.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Donald I have to call you on this (none / 0) (#48)
    by ragebot on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 05:19:08 PM EST
    FSU beat up the U.  They did not just beat them on the score board.  Duke was the U's best running back until he suffered a broken ankle in the third quarter of the beat 41-14 beat down FSU gave them.

    I am not taking anything away from Duke, they deserve to be where they are based on the games they won.

    But so does FSU.  They are bigger, stronger, faster, and more skilled than any other team I have seen play this year.  FSU also hits hard.  Duke was not the first, or only player who has been injured playing FSU.  The Maryland QB suffered a season ending injury.  So did one of the UF players when FSU beat up UF.  I watched all these games and the hits were clean.  Players do get hurt.  And when players on a team that is losing get hurt it can result in that team losing heart.

    Not just for the game the team loses to FSU but games later on in the season.  So yea I do think Duke played the U when it was a weaker team than when FSU played them.

    Parent

    Final: Auburn 34, Alabama 28. (none / 0) (#17)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:34:19 PM EST
    Unbelievable ending, and one that tops the 4th-and-forever Hail Mary deflection to beat Georgia a few weeks ago.

    Ohio State thanks you.

    Incredible (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Dadler on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:39:29 PM EST
    I actually thought Alabama was going to pull some kind of funky fake on the FG because it was only that kid's 3rd career attempt. But Saban blew it earlier not kicking a FG to go up 10.

    But a game that big ending on a 100 yard field goal return for a TD...unheard of. That's why you gotta love sports. You never know what's going to happen.

    Parent

    'Bama got what it deserved. (none / 0) (#31)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 10:56:01 PM EST
    A number of Tide players just stood there and watched that kick fall short, allowing Auburn to set up a wall of blockers for Chris Davis' return. How did they not understand that it was still a live ball? What a collective brain fart!

    Parent
    As announcers said... (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by Dadler on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 08:09:36 AM EST
    ...'Bama had their blocking team on the field, had no speed to catch that returner. You watch the replay and it's like watching hippos trying to catch a cheetah.

    Parent
    Agreed. (none / 0) (#47)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 03:53:07 PM EST
    Still, those hippos just stood there as the kick was falling short, and then reacted like the proverbial deer in the headlights when Davis started to return the ball out of the end zone. They were clearly caught unawares and flatfooted, and it cost them both the game and the SEC West title.

    Parent
    Greedy Bama should (5.00 / 2) (#20)
    by MKS on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 06:46:37 PM EST
    have waited for Overtime.....

    Put that one second back on the clock....talk about being careful of what you wish for.

    Parent

    That was what the War Eagle fans (5.00 / 0) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:55:11 PM EST
    Were chanting, Greed will Getcha!

    Parent
    At an Iron Bowl party (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:54:23 PM EST
    Alabama fans started crying, real crying.  Then they left without words, all went home.  Crazy final seconds.  My grandson who doesn't do sentences yet was screaming "Eagle Daddy Eagle!"

    Parent
    Kick Bama Kick! (none / 0) (#24)
    by Molly Bloom on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:10:34 PM EST
    Shades of 1972's Punt Bama Punt!


    Parent
    Who knew Molly Bloom is a college football (none / 0) (#26)
    by oculus on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:26:26 PM EST
    historian?!!!!!

    Parent
    It's a graduation requirement for all at AU (none / 0) (#30)
    by Molly Bloom on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 09:12:05 PM EST
    I suspect (none / 0) (#49)
    by ragebot on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 05:19:50 PM EST
    that is a graduation requirement at several schools.

    Parent
    Does that also mean (none / 0) (#50)
    by CoralGables on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 06:23:16 PM EST
    I don't believe it was there when I was (none / 0) (#51)
    by Molly Bloom on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 08:24:12 PM EST
    At least not under that name,

    Parent
    Believe I was at the Blocked Punt (none / 0) (#52)
    by CoralGables on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 08:53:44 PM EST
    the week of the Baylor game in 1976. It was like a drinking barn with cheap beer. Followed it up by seeing a Billy Joel concert at the University of Montevallo the following week. The price of admission to the concert was $2.00. My one and only time in Alabama when I wasn't just passing through.

    Parent
    Sounds like the war eagle supper club (none / 0) (#53)
    by Molly Bloom on Sun Dec 01, 2013 at 09:10:35 PM EST
    However,  it appears to be a different dive.  I'll have to ask some of my rabid relatives.


    Parent
    Rubbing your nose in taking Wisconsin - 24 (none / 0) (#27)
    by rdandrea on Sat Nov 30, 2013 at 07:53:57 PM EST
    Just because I can.

    Go Lions!