My plucky little Gators scored on the opening drive against the mighty Tide! I think we’re 24-point underdogs. Time to shock the world!
Later on, it’s Clemson vs. the Hokies and then Wisconsin vs PSU — both at 8 PM ET. Stupid schedulers! Anyhoo, open thread!
PaulWartenberg2016
I feel sad for Navy. if they won this day, they’d have gone to the Cotton Bowl, and the other American conference teams – GO USF BULLS! – could have moved up to more glamorous bowl invites.
Now I’m expecting the Bulls to get another lousy invite to the stinking Tropiciana Field Whatever Sponsoring Bowl /headdesk
Schlemazel
I’m painfully aware nobody here gives a shit but the top two womens hockey teams in the country are playing in about 5 minutes. I’m excited about it just like you guys get excited about your favorite teams play their top opponent
PaulWartenberg2016
Glad the Gators scored: was worried UF didn’t have an offense going into this game.
Seeing how Bama shut down Auburn’s offense last week did not lift my hopes then.
James Powell
The Florida Gators have a DB whose name is – no lie – Chauncey Gardner.
Schlemazel
@PaulWartenberg2016:
My ‘go-to’ in those cases is the Panama City, Larry’s Keys Made While You Wait Bowl
Its played the Wed before Christmas at 9:30AM EST and you can watch the thrilling action on the Ocho!
Keith P.
@PaulWartenberg2016: Bama didn’t really shut down Auburn’s offense; Auburn’s QB was out, and they inexplicably started Jeremy Johnson, who they keep trying to make into a decent passer (he was a couple of years ago, but something got into his head, so he’s terrible now)
Steeplejack (phone)
Apparently no black women in the state of Alabama who can twirl a baton.
ETA: Check correlation of baton-twirling gene with blond-hair gene.
Betty Cracker
I’m gonna miss Vern, but Jesus, is Danielson a tool.
jharp
Just scored my Big Ten Championship game tickets. Upper deck on the 25 yard line.
For $20!
Disclaimer: Ohio State alum and big fan of the Buckeyes
Steeplejack (phone)
@Schlemazel:
“If it’s almost a sport, it’s on the Ocho!” – ESPN8
Betty Cracker
::face palm::
Betty Cracker
@Schlemazel: Which teams? Maybe I’ll switch channels.
Keith P.
Jeez, the SEC championship is getting real ugly real fast.
Betty Cracker
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a block like the one the Gators got.
Schlemazel
@Betty Cracker:
Minnesota and Wisconsin but it ain’t on TV! I’m listening to an audio feed off the Gopher web page.
The only womens hockey game to get TV was last years NCAA Championship between MN and Boston College. It drew a bigger audience than the mens championship game but it was Easter Sunday afternoon and not much else happening I think.
trollhattan
Huskies pantsed the Buffs while quietly thanking the football gods for those early USC losses. On to the championship round.
Thank you.
Also, too, been too long since the last capsule sculpture.
raven
@trollhattan: That TD on the throwaway was insane.
Bonnie
My University of Washington Huskies won the PAC 12 Championship; however, it seems that the east coast bias is working overtime now–trying to find a way to keep Washington out of the National Championship playoffs. I would love to see your Gators beat Alabama. If they don’t, my DAWGS would like an opportunity to do so. We are so excited out here in the Pacific Northwest! It is a good, well-coached, young team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcMD3LWUwD8
Zinsky
@James Powell: I like to watch, Eve…
Zinsky
Hoping for my Iowa Hawkeyes to get a second-tier bowl bid!!
raven
Jesus that was stupid.
Shalimar
Losing 16-9 despite holding Alabama to -6 yards of total offense might turn out to be the high point of the day for Florida. They were very impressive early on all the plays that didn’t result in a turnover.
Shalimar
Alabama fans will always fondly remember those recruiting days when Eddy Pineiro was an Alabama commitment. What could have been …
jake the antisoshul soshulist
My Hilltoppers won the Conference USA Championship game for the second year in a row. WKU 58 LA Tech 41. There is a conference rule against playing defense. ;-).
On to Boca Raton. The way things are going, they may get USF again.
Hopefully the coach won’t decide to double his salary to move to the cellar of the B1G. Purdue has money, but not much tradition.
raven
Looks like my excuse for not going to the party is a goner.
trollhattan
@raven:
Crazy, right? They have three ways to beat you: Browning’s arm, the RBs and defensive scoring. Knew they were real after what they did to Stanford.
raven
@trollhattan: Them Haka fuckers in the D line are awesome!
trollhattan
@Bonnie:
They went into the game #4 and as far as I understand only a loss or unconvincing win would threaten that but yeah, rules, what rules?
JPL
@Bonnie: That would be unfortunate. I know there was concern about what to do if Navy won today, but that problem was solved by Temple. NCAA has always been more concerned about who will make them the most money.
Betty Cracker
@raven: Sadly, yes.
WTF is up with Danielson polishing Kiffin’s knob all the time? Jesus, you’d think he was his fucking agent!
raven
@Betty Cracker: He’s an idiot.
Keith P.
All that talk I made about how bad a QB Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson is, and I’m treated to the spectacle that is Florida’s Austin Appleby. They’re going to have to switch to an option offense at this rate.
Betty Cracker
@Keith P.: Yeah, he sucks. If we had a QB, we’d be a decent team.
raven
@Betty Cracker: Yea, and if we had an offensive line. . .
Steve in the ATL
@raven:
No way. You have to see if they cover the spread! Nick Saban is a great coach, but Bear Bryant always covered the spread.
raven
@Steve in the ATL: I’m leaving for the Hokie game so there is that!
Betty Cracker
Oy. Have fun at the party, Raven. ?
Keith P.
I’m trying to understand the thinking behind throwing a 30 yard pass after throwing picks/near-picks all afternoon. Does Florida think that the odds will eventually catch up and they’ll make a completion?
Shalimar
@Betty Cracker: As an Alabama fan, let Danielson talk Kiffen up enough that he gets another head coaching job somewhere else. He’s probably the best offensive coordinator Alabama has had under Saban, but Kiffen has been bad as a head coach. Absolutely do not want him staying long enough to take over when Saban retires.
raven
@Keith P.: Well, they can’t run against that d.
raven
@Betty Cracker: Yea, I was pullin for ya.
Keith P.
@raven: But at least they’d have the ball!
raven
@Keith P.: Not for long.
raven
@Keith P.: see
raven
see 2
Keith P.
@raven: I’m chalking that last minute and a half to prevent defense (I wasn’t even paying attention enough to whether or not they were playing it), but that’s what it seemed like.
Steeplejack (tablet)
Baylor-West Virginia a better game at this point.
Bonnie
@JPL: The announcers for the game kept talking about the Wisconsin vs. Penn State game being the game that could knock Washington out of fourth place, which caused me to throw things into an empty chair. The announcers seemed to think Colorado should win. I think the Huskies have the potential to beat any of the top three; thus, I hope we get the opportunity to least play.
Gator90
@Betty Cracker: Will Grier (the idiot) gave us a tantalizing glimpse of what a McElwain offense might be like with a talented QB. As it stands now, though, McElwain is likely to be unemployed by 2018 if he can’t either turn one of the current freshmen into an SEC-level QB right quick, or pull off a major recruiting coup this off-season.
Shalimar
@Gator90: McElwain has made the SEC Championship game 2 years in a row with no quarterback to speak of. Why would the school not have patience with that record considering the offensive talent Muschamp left him to work with?
If his job may be in jeopardy, what does that say for the 6 SEC East coaches who have lost the division the last 2 years?
Shalimar
@Shalimar: If Saban were to retire, I would take McElwain in a second as new Alabama coach over Lane Kiffen or Kirby Smart.
Betty Cracker
@Gator90: It would be extraordinarily dumb to jettison Jimmy Mac, IMO.
Steve in the ATL
“Make college football great again!”
Fuck you, cbs.
Betty Cracker
@Steve in the ATL: I had the exact same reaction. Suck-up tools!
SiubhanDuinne
There are many times m glad I don’t follow college football, and this is one of them. My ex was a Florida alum, so I am kinda-sorta-by lethargy, inertia, and default a Gators fan (and who doesn’t love a good upset?) — but I have a good friend (in whose company I currently am) who is a rabid ‘Bama person.
Not unexpected, any of it.
J R in WV
@Schlemazel:
Ya know, you could provide a few more details about this big game, because it probably is available on one of the sports networks, and some folks might watch if they knew who was playing.
But if you would rather pee and moan about no one else knowing what you know, that’s OK too.
Gator90
@Shalimar: McElwain was hired primarily to breathe life into the UF offense, which he has thus far failed to do. He definitely needs one (preferably more than one) SEC level QB. If he has that within the next year or two, he’ll likely be fine, but if he doesn’t, winning a pitifully weak division before inevitably being humiliated by FSU and Alabama in consecutive weeks is not going to satisfy Gator fans for very long. Who wants to anticipate a conference title game with hopeless dread rather than excitement?
Betty Cracker
Let’s go, Badgers!
J R in WV
And WVU, after an amazingly bad call on the field is reversed on further review, finishes an OK game against Baylor or to complete a 10-2 season, which should result in a decent bowl bid.
May be the Liberty Bowl vs Florida, after looking at the bowl listings.
Frank in midtown
@Shalimar: After each game I reassure myself, one game closer to Lane being gone.
Steve in the ATL
@J R in WV: 10-2 puts you in the liberty bowl these days? Damn.
TooManyJens
Here’s a post about a really sweet-looking dog in NYC who needs a home:
http://maureenjohnsonbooks.tumblr.com/post/153997867383/a-home-for-angelo
I thought it might be worth lighting up the Balloon Juice signal. (The Tunch signal?)
Steeplejack (tablet)
@TooManyJens:
E-mail the information to Anne Laurie to make sure she sees it. Address under “Quick Links” up top.
Erick
@Bonnie:
Yep, stole this from twitter
#3 barely held on to beat #23
#4 thrashed #8 by 31 points
Everyone frantically arguing that #7 should pass #4
And here is some more good data, Saragin division rankings:
1) SEC west
2) PAC 12 North (UW 5-0 vs)
3) Big 10 East
4) PAC 12 South (UW 4-1 vs)