[THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Reloading]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I often find that it’s useful to forget the money and the hype and the stars and instead to think about the game of football at its most basic.  I think about what it’s like to have a career as a high school football coach trying to win a championship.  

 

In high school, the raw material for building a roster is left mostly to chance (putting aside the little bit of recruiting that goes on in some places).  The head coach has very little control over the quality of players who show up on the first day of tryouts; the physical capabilities of most of those players was largely determined in random bedrooms 16 or 18 years earlier, and now here they are.  The coach’s job is to choose a roster from among the guys trying out, and then to train and mold them into a team that wins football games.

 

The programs with the best coaches have up years and down years like everyone else, but they tend to have more up years.  Why?  Because their brand of leadership, their teaching ability, and their strategic and tactical approach to the game is better than most other coaches.   So, even in years when the gene pool has left the coach a little short-handed compared to some other schools, their seasons often are quite successful. 

 

(I have had the opportunity to observe this phenomenon up close twice in my life.  I played high school basketball for Bob Hettler, one of the greatest high school coaches in New York State history, and I was on the faculty with Morgan Wootten, one of the greatest high school coaches in U.S. history.  The players changed year after year, but the winning more or less never stopped.  (Wootten did have the advantage of being able to recruit, at least a bit.)  Only occasionally did the talent fall together in just the right way to have a true championship caliber team, but even in down years, their teams stood out.)

 

Coaches know when the talent they have is outstanding and when it’s just okay.  Good coaches adapt to the challenge each season and look for the ways that this group of players can succeed, whether this group offers raw physical talent that is better or worse than last year’s group.  That’s the coach’s job, and good coaches find ways to win. 

 

Coaching is coaching, at any level.  Pro football coaches face the same annual roster turnover that high school coaches deal with.  There are differences, of course: The high school coaches have bigger problem, because their roster will be a collection 16-18 year-old kids with their own issues.  The pro coach, on the other hand, can expect at least semi-adult behavior from most of their players. 

 

The big difference, however, is the pro coach gets raw material selected from the very best players in the country.  The pro coach, year after year, is going to start the season with a training camp roster of 90 of the biggest, fastest, smartest, and toughest football players in the world.  And that means that the differences in team success based on physical talent become smaller:  the guy being tackled and the guy tackling both excel at their jobs.  For sure, if your team has more of the best guys, your team has an advantage, but in the NFL it’s very difficult to collect and hold onto talent that is physically dominant at several important positions.  In the current era, it isn’t possible to collect and keep stars like the Kelly-era Bills did.  

 

I’m not saying that getting the best talent doesn’t matter.   Of course, it matters.  What I’m saying is that not having the best talent doesn’t mean that you can’t compete.  With coaching, talent that is excellent but not the best can play a team-game that neutralizes the talent advantage any particular team might have.  Of course, if I have the best talent AND the best coaching, then the talent will be the difference.

 

People can argue endlessly about the talent on this roster and that roster, but at the end of the day success in the NFL is going to come down to how well coached your team is.  Does your coach get your team into the strategically and tactically correct offenses and defenses year-in, year out and game-in, game-out.  Does your coach get your team physically and mentally prepared to execute those offenses and defenses? 

 

In that context, consider for a moment what has happened to the Bills roster in the past three months that has the fan-base and the media all in a tizzy:  The Bills lost six big names from their roster:  White, Morse, Davis, Diggs, Hyde, and Poyer.  When each of those six came into the league, the draft market place valued them, by draft round, this way:  1, 2, 4, 5, 5, 7.  Add ‘em up:  24. 

 

And now consider the Bills’ top-six acquisitions over the past three months.  Samuel, Coleman, Bishop, Carter, Davis, Van Pran-Granger.  2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5.  Total:  18. 

 

I’m not arguing for a second that there’s anything but the least-sophisticated logic to that analysis.  You can’t really just add up draft value and determine which college is better.  But those numbers aren't meaningless.

 

Those numbers are some evidence of the fact that the talent every team starts with, at least in terms of what the league thought of them when they came in.  Going into most drafts, most GMs would take 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5 over 1, 2, 4, 5, 5, 7. 

 

In terms of the quality of talent that will take the field in September compared to what the Bills had three months ago, I think I’ll take exactly where the Bills are today.  Think about the departures:  White, may still be a player, but at the very best he’s about to wind down, Morse, never the greatest physically, and his days were ending, Davis, the guy everyone loves to hate, Hyde slowing down and needs to go for his own health, Poyer, some years left, perhaps, but not his best. Diggs, may still be good, but not so good that he's worth the headache.  

 

Start looking at them player by player, or at least paired:  Would you rather have Diggs and Davis or Coleman and Samuel?  Would you rather have Morse or Van Pran-Granger?  Bishop or (pick one) Hyde or Poyer?  White or Carter?  Collectively, I'd rather have the youngsters than kept or extended all of those guys.

 

Now, for sure, not all of the rookies necessarily will pan out, and it may take them a year to begin to play at the level that’s needed for them to succeed in the league, but looking at the Bills three months ago and now, I will definitely take the uncertainty of these young talented players over the uncertainty of old, injured, troublesome talented players. 

 

Would the Bills be in an even better position if Beane had managed the draft in another way?   I don’t think so.  The extra talent one of the top three receivers in the draft would have brought to the team couldn’t offset the loss of the rest of the players the Bills drafted.  Said another way:  six guys are gone, and I like my chances better if I get six new guys instead of two (the new receiver and Curtis Samuel). 

 

In terms of how Beane and McDermott have done in their jobs, well, it depends if I’m a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full guy.  I like that they’ve improved the team, but I also have to ask why a group of unproven guys actually is better than the gang that just left?  How did the Bills get in the position they were in, with a group of guys who no longer were quite good enough to win, and with no backups in sight?

 

However they got to that position, I think if you asked McDermott if he likes the talent he has today, he’d say, “Absolutely!”  Can you win a Super Bowl with this talent?  “Absolutely!”  And that’s not just power-of-positive-thinking Sean speaking.  I mean, he and we thought he could win it with the talent he had last year, and if this is actually a better group, then why shouldn’t he think he should win this year? 

 

Translate this back to high school football.  It’s as though McDermott is coaching high school and has a five-star recruit at QB, several locks at D-1 scholarships (Milano, Oliver, Cook, Coleman, Torrence) and several guys who very well also might go D-1.   Considering D-2 and D-3, he has maybe 20 kids who are going to play in college.  Maybe one other high school in the state has a 5-star QB.  Some other schools might have two five-star players, but unless they have a five-star at QB, they can’t be as good together as the five-star QB he has.  Some other schools may end up with a few more D-1 guys than he has, but the reality is that doesn’t make all that much difference. 

 

Ask McDermott the high school coach if he likes were he is right now, and I’m sure he’ll say, “Absolutely.”  Ask him, the pro coach, and he'll say, "Absolutely."

 

I like what Beane has done since the end of the last season, and I’m looking forward to the 2024.  The Bills will be in the middle of the contest for the Lombardi. 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

 

 

Great post, thanks for the different perspective.  I agree with you but would suggest there's one more critical component to winning a championship.  

 

Difference makers.  When the lights are the brightest, so are they.  

 

And it's not just about talent.  Downfield blocking to the whistle, pursuing with everything you've got just in case there's a tackle opportunity.  Burning desire for the high pressure.

 

-Milano back to 100% is huge because we saw signs that him and Bernard will work together well and amplify their respective difference making abilities.

-Diggs quit on the team well before season's end and his poetic drop in the KC game symbolized his fall from difference maker.

-Gabe Davis had his negatives but I will miss his supportive blocking efforts downfield.

-Hyde and Poyer unfortunately aged out of being difference makers.

-Out of all the free  agents lost, Floyd would be my biggest loss as he seemed to elevate the play of the entire D-line.

-Tauron Johnson kept.  Difference maker.

-Shakir and Kincaid both showed potential of becoming bigger difference makers this coming season.

-Cook.  Difference maker, especially if Josh would dump it off to him more!

-Oliver came into his own as a difference maker this season.  Now he needs help, hopefully Von can be at least give some.

 

We really need our promising looking rookie safety to step up quickly this year.  We'll see how the rest fall but I agree with you that it's not as bad as it seems because we didn't lose much in the way of difference-makers.

[Do you think Allen feels relief after the Diggs trade?]

12 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

 

I equate the Diggs situation as, 7 wipes deep and there's still **** on the paper........ugh.

Then along came Beane the bidet.  Problem solved!

[Diggs traded to Texans for picks]

10 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

 

So Tim Graham and Friends podcast

 

Graham tells a story about the aftermath of the Jets game last season.  Says how forlorn Josh Allen was after that game, taking the loss really hard.  Says when the media was allowed in, Josh was sitting there in his uniform still after the game, Kyle Allen trying to console him, and a steady stream of players coming up to him, patting him on the back, dapping him up, "we'll get them next time", Dion Dawkins "Seventeen for life, I Mean That".  Says they were all trying to pick the guy up, he had a towel draped over his head, just sitting there forlorn.  One thing Graham didn't include in his story because he didn't know what Stefon Diggs said to Allen, but Stefon Diggs came up and said something, and Josh Allen snapped at him "It's One *****in' Game!" and motioned like "I'm not talking to you here" and Diggs walked away and Josh sat there.  Says "maybe Stefon Diggs was saying something nice to him" but, he didn't snap at anybody else and there was a stream of players coming over to him.  Whatever Stefon Diggs said to him, Graham said Josh Allen wasn't having it.  

Also says Devin McCourty told him, having studied film for his NBC analyst gig heading into the season finale against the Dolphins, said "looks to me as though the Bills are trying to prove that they don't need him".  Graham says, "By definition, finishing the season 7 and 1, They Didn't."

 

Now, that was arguably Diggs best game of the 2nd half of the season, 7 receptions for 87 yds.  But, Shakir had 6 receptions for 107 yds, Kincaid had 7 for 84 yds.

 

I enjoyed Diggs' time here but am glad he's gone.  It's been a while in coming.  Thanks for posting, this story doesn't surprise me.

 

I think Diggs wants to win and probably realizes his career is getting closer to winding down.  I think he took it on himself to challenge Josh on his bad habits and probably got tired of it against Cinci and perhaps also sick of McD.  Last season everyone, especially Josh,  got sick of Diggs' approach.  I definitely felt Josh was ignoring Diggs on the field when his stats were tanking. 

 

I love Josh but let's be real, he's very stubborn as a QB.  Doesn't always go through all his reads preferring to force the ball and God help him he throws the wide open check-down.  Obviously he's proven capable in certain games during Dorsey's time when they tried to force him to be more of a pocket QB.  But he chooses not to see the entire field regularly.

 

What worries me the most from this story and situation is maybe no one's holding Josh accountable anymore, not even Josh himself.  That may be the biggest window closure to the Super Bowl.

 

[Diggs traded to Texans for picks]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

It felt a bit like we lost our WR1 some time last Fall. 

 

Just a little more context. Part of me actually thought he was hurt.  🤷‍♂️

 

But he will come out fired up next year! I can guarantee you THAT!!!  😂 

Me also, I was convinced Diggs had to have an injury at first because the dynamic between him and Josh changed so abruptly. 

 

As games went on and things languished it seemed otherwise.  He definitely seemed nonchalant and not invested in the playoffs.  It all makes sense now and he's better gone.  It ran its course.  I wish him well and good luck Texans.  Diggs jumped to the up and coming team again.  Except he may be nearing the end of his usefulness. 

[Bills sign Taron Johnson to 3-year $31 million extension]

59 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Not even close to the highest paid Nickelback …

 

https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/rock-stars/chad-kroeger-net-worth/

 

 

Let's not compare Tauron to Pickledcrap.  Poor Tauron!

[Dion Dawkins cryptic tweet UPDATE: EXTENDED PER SCHEFTY]

2 hours ago, boyst said:

Ohio is one of the most unique states I've ever been to because there is so, so much more than the few big cities and each of the big cities prior to the mid 00's was vastly different. Cincinnati vs Cleveland, Columbus vs. everyone, Toledo vs. Dayton, Findlay vz Zanesville. The entire state contained a vast cornucopia of culture. NY is essentially down state or upstate, much like SC, VA, WA, OR. Georgia, NC, CO, NV, have relatively small centers of urban development compared to the massive amounts of rural undeveloped country side. 

 

Ohio has a lot to offer it just isn't for everyone 

With Columbus getting the Intel chip plant it will probably become a large tech hub in the coming years and distinguish itself even further from the other Ohio cities. 

[Dion Dawkins cryptic tweet UPDATE: EXTENDED PER SCHEFTY]

1 hour ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

I hate it here in the Youngstown area... it's like being in a place where all the people that gave a crap all left, leaving *mostly* old people and the dregs of society. The people that live on my street leave trash in their yards, let their kids do what they want, loud bass/music, cars and trucks with no bumpers and busted out headlights (as the geniuses here have no annual inspections) and recently my car was stolen after we got back from the fair but was recovered. 

 

I am the sort of person who enjoys both the city and country myself, a rare person these days. I can't take the cold that I love anymore because my lungs are shot so we were contemplating New Mexico or just buying a large RV and sticking to the southwest... anything but this miserable rainy and cold hellscape!

I've lived in Cleveland since the early 90's and you've described Youngstown as I've always perceived it.  I don't think the country/city person is as rare as you think, count me as one of those!  I live right on the edge.

Good luck getting out.  Best thing about Ytown (as a fly fisherman) is the Mahoning river with giant muskie and pike right in the city!

[Democracy’s Fiery Ordeal: The War in Ukraine 🇺🇦]

16 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Nope.  I also don't support incompetence, which unfortunately what Joke excels in.

 

"A minor incursion."

Any supporter of Trump supports incompetence.  Likewise Biden supporters.  Sad, incomprehensible news for you, the Republican Party has shifted very far right into brain-dead Trumpian moths that have driven this former conservative to be firmly independent.   It's laughable how guilty and clueless you and your ilk are suffering the same mindless afflictions you tirelessly accuse left wingers of.

[VIDEO: Chiefs were prepared for fake punt]

2 hours ago, Xwnyer said:

Hamlin blew it he kept shifting clearly alerting them something was up.   Had never seen him do that on any previous punts.

This was the thing for me watching on TV.  He set himself, shifted around, then shifted to line up more directly behind the center.  I watched aghast, it was so obvious pre-snap that even down a man the Chiefs easily stopped it.  One of the stupidest attempts to execute I've ever seen on an NFL field.

[3 KC Chiefs Fans Found Frozen to Death after Charger game]

50 minutes ago, ddaryl said:

3 grown men froze to death drinking outside???

1 man maybe, but 3 men who were so blind drunk that they passed out in fridgid temperatures and never woke up again...

I'll be interested in hearing about the toxology report when it becomes known. 

Yeah, plus the guys' cars were parked outside.  Game on the 7th, police and a lady of the deceased checked just before 10 PM on the 9th.  Two full days.  I mean, assuming everyone was messed up from drugs or whatever on the night of the 7th, this guy sees their cars still parked all day on the 9th and does he at least reach out to his buddies then, let alone on the 8th?  Plus, if they were watching on the porch, how does he not at least check to see what's left out there to clean up?  

 

Something seems really wrong there.

[Divisional Playoffs - Chiefs at Bills - Post game thread]

1 minute ago, Bruffalo said:

The only positive takeaway from the season is that our draft was very good and we got some really important contributors out of it.  If Shorter can have a Shakir like rise, watch out. Beane is still a top tier GM and it shows. 

 

I do feel like this is the ceiling for McDermott. Nothing's going to happen because of the run the Bills went on to win the AFC East. So I've just got to make peace with the fact that our HC is holding the team back. 

 

Eric Washington is somebody who should be on a hot seat but can't seem to do anything but fail up.  The D-Line was healthy and disappears again, despite an insane level of investment. 

Part of the whole rotation philosophy is I wonder if it disempowers our playmakers to some extent, psychologically.  And the D-line looked tired the last half of the fourth quarter anyways.

[Isn't This Game the Ultimate Referendum on Beane?]

46 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

I have been as hard as anyone on Beane as a GM, I’ll say this.  I still think there is entirely too much money invested in the DL and the Miller move was asking for problems (specifically after they’re-structure), BUT BUT, he did field a much better team this year and even when injuries came up and destroyed the D, he made one home run move in getting Douglas as well as admirably plugging holes at DT etc to give the team a shot. 
 

The lack of WR talent hurt down the stretch, but, again BUT, Diggs fell off a cliff in terms of impactful production, so the team was left without a true #1 out there, Davis never found it this year so your below average #2 underperformed even to his standards, yet Shakir emerged as something pretty good, Harty had moments, Sherfield… well after yesterday.. that looks bad, but he was a decent pick up and adding Kincaid to the mix, there should have been enough to win, especially with a viable run game.  The OL, the run game, adding Kincaid all were massive improvements. 
 

I have to give credit where credit is due, I think Beane did a good job putting this roster together and mitigating disaster this season.   Injuries happen, but to go into a playoff game against Kelce without two starting LBs, and your third being banged up at best, that’s tough.  I blame McClappy getting Williams in there more, the kid has the tools and made some impact plays when he was in.  Klein really doesn’t belong on the field as a cover guy, he did as well as one could hope, but I can’t fathom the logic of him over Williams other than “he knows the system and Williams is a rookie” which is really inexcusable.

 

In all this it's clear that Beane and McD's success plan isn't working and needs tweaks.  Since they got here they've been preaching this rotational D-line and they tired out in the fourth quarter last night.  Again.  I fail to see any advantage it's gained us over other teams' D-lines.  Disadvantages are cost and perhaps a dilution of responsibility and urgency to step up and make plays.  We need playmakers on the field feeling the urgency to make a play.  

 

It's incomprehensible how AJK gets the start over Dorian Williams talent-wise.  I knew it was trouble from the first moment.  And our defense struggled to get properly set by the snap of the ball anyways.  That's on McD for not getting his talent on the field and developing it.   My wording is purposeful to one change I feel coach needs to make.

 

Our FO has done well enough to get to the playoffs but they need to grow and change to truly win the superbowl.  We are wasting Josh Allen otherwise.

[Mitch Morse on McAfee - We're begging that ****** to slide]

Also notable in this interview was Morse mentioning that at 6 and 6 McDermott told the team he was easing up on punishing mistakes because he wants them to play more free and loose.

[Fake Slide should be 15 yard penalty]

1 hour ago, Scott7975 said:

This is not a fake slide.  This is a stutter step.  All you have shown is why they can't make it a rule.  Dumb people like you referee games and don't know wtf they are seeing.  Zero is trying to save face now but as many fake slides and fake going out of bounds that Mahomes has, even if it was a fake slide (it wasn't), he sure picked an odd time to complain about it.  A time where Josh Allen has a huge run, our fan base is pumped, the Bills win a big playoff game, and KC has to finally travel here.  GTFOH Zeroloser.

 

 

Thanks for posting this, the angle clearly shows the stutter.  With the normal angle I felt he was turning his hips a bit to possibly fake a slide.

 

But I don't have a problem with faking a slide.  I've not seen a slide where the QB slows down to pivot or catch his balance then slides.  A real slide is always from a running stride to maximize yards.  Therefore it's up to the professional defenders to figure it out and they will.  I hope certain fans will stop babying our sports.

[Josh Allen with another bills record]

2 hours ago, thenorthremembers said:

As much as I love Jim, Josh is the best QB to ever play here.  I dont know if he will ever win a Super Bowl but the guy is the closest thing to Brett Farve I've seen.   He is chaos personified.  

Too lazy to source it but Kelly admitted Josh is more talented then he was.

[Leslie Fraizer Interviewing with Chargers]

3 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

The Browns would have struggled to 6 wins if Watson stayed healthy 

That's just it, I don't think he'll manage to stay healthy entire seasons.  His pocket awareness isn't great and he takes hits and falls awkwardly.  He's just not good at protecting himself.  Beyond that, I'm not sure he can play consistently enough when healthy.

[Wyatt Teller's wife dishes on her difficult, non-working life]

3 hours ago, NY to VA to NV to TX to AZ said:

This is just stupid! She is not complaining about anything, she is making fun of what many of you on here think about these NFL WAGs. Your stereotypes and assumptions of her as an NFL wife. And to top it off, most of the comments here are actually fulfilling the narrative that she is espousing. Watching that video was somewhat amusing when you take into account that this is exactly what people assume of her. It is basically the privilege that is assumed that you receive because of your occupation, or your relationship to someone in a certain occupation, and it can realistically be done with any occupation. To me she seems pretty grounded, she seems like a real world person that is laughing at many of you who think she is something that she is not. Leave the poor gal alone, she is making fun of the assumptions, not whining about her tough life. Some of you need to lighten up and get a clue.

I get what she was trying to do, and if she was successful for you, that's cool.

 

For me, the rapid-fire long list of things comes off more as passive aggressive complaining.  For example, she says to the effect: "Of course my family can come to your event whenever you need us during the season" is really a situation most of us face on some level.  It's a petty gripe, and most of her video comes off as such.  Even mentioning twice getting hit up for tickets, she's way too specific about each making it feel like a personal gripe.  Feeble attempt at humor and arrogant IMO.

[Watching all the talking head shows...]

5 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Fair enough.

 

 

The first INT was on Gabe.  Josh was under duress and didn't have all day for Gabe to decide which way he was going and he threw it to where he was.  The 2nd INT should have been a FG try instead and again if the DB plays it correctly, just knocks the ball down and it's an incomplete pass and turnover on downs.  The fumble was bad and so was throwing to Johnson.

I understand how the first INT can be interpreted that way, but Josh was quickly under a tremendous amount of pressure and I felt it was more a desperate attempt to force a play rather than throw it away.  Gabe was well covered if he had stayed where he was.

[Wyatt Teller's wife dishes on her difficult, non-working life]

Crying about her difficult life from the custom-embroidered leather seats of her SUV.  Cry me a river, sweetie.

[The Bills final possession]

5 hours ago, Simon said:

 

I thought they were fortunate to even get it to that point and would have had a better chance to close out by continuing to do what they'd been doing successfully all night.

I totally agree with you in principle,  but have to support McDermott's decision. 

 

I'm okay with being so conservative this year because Josh has reverted to forcing stupid situations and turnovers too much.  That last pass of the first half was even more painful then his turnovers and inexcusable for a veteran QB.

[Why is Diggs coming off the field on Third Downs?]

On 1/5/2024 at 4:57 PM, vtnatefootball11 said:

 

It misses the point of the entire post, why is Diggs being schemed off the filed on the most crucial third downs in must win games?

Let's say Diggs has a core injury or problem involving the back/chest.  Painful and impacts his ability to breathe.  Diggs wants to keep playing but the Bills will use him primarily as a decoy to draw coverage and lower the risk of making his injury worse.  I could think of two reasons why he comes off on third down:  He needs to catch his breath or he comes off so Allen has another legitimate receiving target on the most important downs.

 

[Battle of the Blue bloods]

3 hours ago, Orlando Tim said:

Hey, when I am being snarky I don't appreciate a well thought out articulate response that I can not argue with at all. Well said, you are being consistent which is all I ask. 

I appreciate ya being willing to listen from snarky beginnings!

[Battle of the Blue bloods]

2 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Not whining.  Pointing it out.  If you’re uninterested in truth and prefer to blame 20 year old kids for not risking their financial future to bend the knee to the glorious committee, then you be you.

The truth is FSU has one loss and the undisputed national champ will have zero losses.  The playoff system is unfair to teams like FSU and Georgia, just like it was unfair to UCF in 2017.  

 

But UCF showed up for their bowl game and finished the season undefeated and 8 months later the NCAA recognized them as co-champions.  No time machines and nutty old man conspiracies needed, Mr. "Logic".

[Battle of the Blue bloods]

12 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

Lol at the basic misunderstanding of logic and it’s irrational replacement by emotion.

You're the one whining about corrupt old men

[Battle of the Blue bloods]

4 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Lol made what case?  The case for a time machine to be built so that they could get a shot?

 

They’re kids in their early 20s who worked for a goal and had their chance taken from them by a group of corrupt old men that preferred Alabama.  And now if these 20ish year old kids don’t risk their own future income in hopes that the committee will build a time machine for them, they are suddenly the bad guys?

https://sports.yahoo.com/official-ncaa-recognizes-ucfs-national-championship-record-book-234835087.html  FSU couldn't be bothered finishing out their undefeated season, so whatever blah blah.  

 

4 hours ago, Orlando Tim said:

These kids at this level play for two reasons, to win championships and make money, they don't care about spending a month prepping for an exhibition game when they can go pro. But to your argument Gary, do you recognize UCF as the 2017 national champ, because they went out and beat the team had throttled Bama? 

UCF is a 2017 co-national champion.  Considering 1994 as a Penn State fan and the entire 1997 Michigan/Nebraska controversy, I entirely support that undefeated FBS teams should be strongly considered or have a legit shot at the national championship.

 

That being said, I understand the athletes are well within their rights to opt out but many others do not, some even come back for an extra year because they believe they could win it all.  And if FSU had competed and beaten Georgia in the Orange bowl I would have supported them as a co-champion as the playoff system is inadequate.  But they did not and while I respect their decision to do what's best for them I don't respect the lack of team leadership to finish undefeated.  They deserve no consideration for the national championship IMO.