Mike Leach on CFB Playoffs

[The Professor]

I’d rather see an 8 team playoff.

As far as the discussion about Alabama and Georgia both not being able to make the playoff, well that’s probably correct. However, it shouldn’t be that way. The bottom line is the best two teams in the nation should play for the national championship regardless if both are in the same conference.

[GrantNKY]

What do we really know about anybody right now: Alabama has looked good against bad competition. There best win right now is against A&M and they didn't even look very good. Kellen Mond was able to make plays against their defense that you aren't used to seeing SEC QB's make, the offense looked completely out of rhythm and it doesn't look like Gaboll really trusts Hurts to throw the ball. Georgia's best win is at ND but we have no clue if ND is good and that game could have gone either way. Penn State is the greatest college football team of all time I'm not even sure we should play out the rest of the season. TCU has played a bunch of close games. Wisconsin doesn't play anybody and still hasn't looked super impressive despite being undefeated. Ohio State has looked like the most complete team in the country the past 5 weeks but nobody trusts them until they see it against Penn State. Clemson has been exposed a little bit. Oklahoma looks like they spent the entire off season seeking revenge against Ohio State and not realizing there are 11 other games on their schedule. Miami could easily have 3 losses right now. USC's season is on the brink Saturday. Everybody else is kind of ehh. To say anyone is unbeatable right now is simply not true. We don't know anything about anyone right now. There is a good chance Alabama won't have beat a ranked team until potentially the SEC championship. LSU and Auburn are their only real games left on their schedule and who knows if either will be ranked when they play Bama. Talk about rat poison. Keep talking about how great a team is when they haven't played anybody. Saban knows this. Saban has no clue what he has in this team right now nor do really any other coaches in the country.

[GrantNKY]

I’d rather see an 8 team playoff.

As far as the discussion about Alabama and Georgia both not being able to make the playoff, well that’s probably correct. However, it shouldn’t be that way. The bottom line is the best two teams in the nation should play for the national championship regardless if both are in the same conference.

I mean they're going to play each other in the final game before the playoff so that's essentially a play in game.

[The Professor]

I mean they're going to play each other in the final game before the playoff so that's essentially a play in game.

That’s true.

I suppose what I’m trying to say if the #1 and #2 teams in the nation are playing for their conference championship then they’re probably still the #1 and #2 teams in the country following the game, particularly if its a close game. The loser should get another opportunity in the final game of the season rather than teams that are not as good as them.

[GrantNKY]

That’s true.

I suppose what I’m trying to say if the #1 and #2 teams in the nation are playing for their conference championship then they’re probably still the #1 and #2 teams in the country following the game, particularly if its a close game. The loser should get another opportunity in the final game of the season rather than teams that are not as good as them.

I get what you're saying but how do you have anyway of knowing they are the two best teams in the country? Now if the rest of the season is complete chaos and you have a bunch of two loss conference champs then yeah put the loser of Bama/ UGA in the playoff I'm cool with that. Just like I'd be cool with the committee putting Penn State in if they have one loss to Ohio State who wins the Big 10. But there needs to be some chaos for that to happen. Neither Alabama or Georgia is going to play a schedule or look dominant enough to where you can say that they are the two best teams unless you get that chaos scenario. You're going to get your chance to play. Win that game. Don't worry about trying to get a rematch if there are other deserving teams out there.

[futurecoach]

I may be in the minority, but I love the way college football is set up. I love the bowl games, I love the playoff. College Football has one thing that no other American sport has: every single game matters. You can't have a bad game. At the end of the year last year USC and Penn State were playing better than Clemson and Alabama IMO. But they didn't deserve to play for a championship because they had bad early season losses. Your team literally lives and dies with every game. I love it. It's completely different than college basketball. In College basketball the only thing that matters is getting to the tournament. Just be average during the regular season, that's it. There isn't any intrigue, their isn't the same passion. I get what Leach is trying to get at here, I just don't want to see it happen. I love college football, Saturday's in the fall are what I live for. I love that last weekend watching Oklahoma/ Texas that Oklahoma's season is on the line. Essentially finished if they lose. Every game is a playoff game and if you're a power 5 school it's essentially a 129 team, double elimination playoff starting week 1.

 

I think it's hard to say those teams didn't deserve to be in the playoff last year. Especially Penn State who won the big 10. Especially considering a horrible early season lost didn't keep Ohio State out of the playoffs a few years ago when they lost to a bad Virginia Tech team. Osu probably didn't deserve to be in it at all because of that horrible lost. However just goes to show anything can happen if you are given that chance to play in the playoffs.

 

College football needs to go to 8 teams. All 5 major conference winners make it and 3 at large. This way the season does matter. There is only one guarnteed way to make it, that's to win your conference. If you don't win it, then you can't complain if you get passed on for one of the 3 at large. Currently as it is, teams at least should know exactly what they have to do to make it. I know the odds aren't great but currently as is we could have a team go undefeated in all 5 major conference and one team would be left out. A team imo should know for a fact hey, we know if we win our conference we will be in.

 

Not to mention if we have conference winners automatically make it. Just imagine some of the early non conference games we could see. More teams would be much more willing to play other top teams out of conference because they wouldn't have to be afraid of one lost out of conference ending their chances.

[futurecoach]

What do we really know about anybody right now: Alabama has looked good against bad competition. There best win right now is against A&M and they didn't even look very good. Kellen Mond was able to make plays against their defense that you aren't used to seeing SEC QB's make, the offense looked completely out of rhythm and it doesn't look like Gaboll really trusts Hurts to throw the ball. Georgia's best win is at ND but we have no clue if ND is good and that game could have gone either way. Penn State is the greatest college football team of all time I'm not even sure we should play out the rest of the season. TCU has played a bunch of close games. Wisconsin doesn't play anybody and still hasn't looked super impressive despite being undefeated. Ohio State has looked like the most complete team in the country the past 5 weeks but nobody trusts them until they see it against Penn State. Clemson has been exposed a little bit. Oklahoma looks like they spent the entire off season seeking revenge against Ohio State and not realizing there are 11 other games on their schedule. Miami could easily have 3 losses right now. USC's season is on the brink Saturday. Everybody else is kind of ehh. To say anyone is unbeatable right now is simply not true. We don't know anything about anyone right now. There is a good chance Alabama won't have beat a ranked team until potentially the SEC championship. LSU and Auburn are their only real games left on their schedule and who knows if either will be ranked when they play Bama. Talk about rat poison. Keep talking about how great a team is when they haven't played anybody. Saban knows this. Saban has no clue what he has in this team right now nor do really any other coaches in the country.

 

I'm sorry but this post is pretty funny. You talk a lot about how Bama hasn't played anybody so can't say they are a great team. Yet in the same paragraph you say OSU has looked like the most complete team in the country by beating the likes of army, unlv, Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska. That's funny stuff lol.

[GrantNKY]

I'm sorry but this post is pretty funny. You talk a lot about how Bama hasn't played anybody so can't say they are a great team. Yet in the same paragraph you say OSU has looked like the most complete team in the country by beating the likes of army, unlv, Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska. That's funny stuff lol.

Be honest how much have you watched Bama and Ohio State? I've watched every game for both and Bama is not dynamic offensively and they don't have the same pass rush as last year. You can say I'm biased or whatever. But notice I did say the last 5 games for OSU. Last week the starters scored a TD on all 8 drives they were out there. Nebraska is awful, just absolutely dreadful, but they still have a lot of talent on that team and to score 8 TD on 8 possessions is pretty dang good. But what do I know I'm just a biased OSU guy. You literally can't play any better against crappy competition than OSU has played the past 5 weeks. But it seems like you didn't even read what I said because I said that no one will trust them unless they beat Penn State.

[GrantNKY]

I think it's hard to say those teams didn't deserve to be in the playoff last year. Especially Penn State who won the big 10. Especially considering a horrible early season lost didn't keep Ohio State out of the playoffs a few years ago when they lost to a bad Virginia Tech team. Osu probably didn't deserve to be in it at all because of that horrible lost. However just goes to show anything can happen if you are given that chance to play in the playoffs.

 

College football needs to go to 8 teams. All 5 major conference winners make it and 3 at large. This way the season does matter. There is only one guarnteed way to make it, that's to win your conference. If you don't win it, then you can't complain if you get passed on for one of the 3 at large. Currently as it is, teams at least should know exactly what they have to do to make it. I know the odds aren't great but currently as is we could have a team go undefeated in all 5 major conference and one team would be left out. A team imo should know for a fact hey, we know if we win our conference we will be in.

 

Not to mention if we have conference winners automatically make it. Just imagine some of the early non conference games we could see. More teams would be much more willing to play other top teams out of conference because they wouldn't have to be afraid of one lost out of conference ending their chances.

I don't have a problem with anything you said. I also don't have a problem with the 4 team playoff either way. So far we are 3/3 with the right team winning the playoff and that's all that matters to me.

[futurecoach]

Be honest how much have you watched Bama and Ohio State? I've watched every game for both and Bama is not dynamic offensively and they don't have the same pass rush as last year. You can say I'm biased or whatever. But notice I did say the last 5 games for OSU. Last week the starters scored a TD on all 8 drives they were out there. Nebraska is awful, just absolutely dreadful, but they still have a lot of talent on that team and to score 8 TD on 8 possessions is pretty dang good. But what do I know I'm just a biased OSU guy. You literally can't play any better against crappy competition than OSU has played the past 5 weeks. But it seems like you didn't even read what I said because I said that no one will trust them unless they beat Penn State.

 

No I read what you said. You didn't say you didn't trust them, you said no one would trust them. While in your opinion they looked like the most complete team while in turn then shooting down how good Bama may be because who they played. While OSU in that 5 game stretch you talked about played army, unlv, rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska lol. It's just funny that you would shoot down one team for who they played. Yet turn around and say OSU has looked like the most complete team in the country, when they also played nobody in that stretch lol.

 

Put it this way if someone else had said what you said, while basically then trying to say how their team has looked like the most complete team in the country. You would have found the humor in it too lol.

[GrantNKY]

No I read what you said. You didn't say you didn't trust them, you said no one would trust them. While in your opinion they looked like the most complete team while in turn then shooting down how good Bama may be because who they played. While OSU in that 5 game stretch you talked about played army, unlv, rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska lol. It's just funny that you would shoot down one team for who they played. Yet turn around and say OSU has looked like the most complete team in the country, when they also played nobody in that stretch lol.

 

Put it this way if someone else had said what you said, while basically then trying to say how their team has looked like the most complete team in the country. You would have found the humor in it too lol.

It's not that hard. Ohio State has looked better against crappy teams than Bama has against crappy teams. One team seems to be getting better every week and one seems to simply be going through the motions. You still never answered my question: how much have you watched of both teams? I admitted OSU hasn't played anyone several times. Even in the post you quoted, by saying no one will trust them (myself included) until they play Penn State is me saying they haven't played anyone. I really don't see how what I said is that controversial to you. The whole post was about how every team in the country has flaws and this season is very wide open. Alabama has earned the benefit of the doubt obviously, but they aren't playing well offensively right now. They've started slow offensively in years past and turned it around. They'll probably get it turned around this year, but every year is a new year and I choose to focus on how they've looked this year not past years.

[futurecoach]

It's not that hard. Ohio State has looked better against crappy teams than Bama has against crappy teams. One team seems to be getting better every week and one seems to simply be going through the motions. You still never answered my question: how much have you watched of both teams? I admitted OSU hasn't played anyone several times. Even in the post you quoted, by saying no one will trust them (myself included) until they play Penn State is me saying they haven't played anyone. I really don't see how what I said is that controversial to you. The whole post was about how every team in the country has flaws and this season is very wide open. Alabama has earned the benefit of the doubt obviously, but they aren't playing well offensively right now. They've started slow offensively in years past and turned it around. They'll probably get it turned around this year, but every year is a new year and I choose to focus on how they've looked this year not past years.

 

I didn't watch the unlv game the others i seen most of them because my best friends are osu fans. With that said while they have looked good. I have no idea where you can say they look like the most complete team in the country. They look like a typical good team beating bad teams. I just find it funny no Matter how you say it. That in a post where you are putting down who Bama has played, but then just even saying but Osu has looked like the most complete team is funny.

 

I agree Bama offend doesnt look great but their offense has never looked great. Even when McCarron was there the offense didn't look great. They just do what they do.

[GrantNKY]

I didn't watch the unlv game the others i seen most of them because my best friends are osu fans. With that said while they have looked good. I have no idea where you can say they look like the most complete team in the country. They look like a typical good team beating bad teams. I just find it funny no Matter how you say it. That in a post where you are putting down who Bama has played, but then just even saying but Osu has looked like the most complete team is funny.

 

I agree Bama offend doesnt look great but their offense has never looked great. Even when McCarron was there the offense didn't look great. They just do what they do.

I never said my opinion was fact and I don't pretend like it is, but if you can watch those games and it not seem like they are a complete team who dominates on both sides of the ball then I don't know what you're watching. I haven't watched anyone who looked as dominant as they did last week against Nebraska. It's Nebraska so nobody cares (which as an aside sounds really weird) including myself. I don't know if I can trust them myself. But they sure look the part when in the past I've defended them when they haven't looked the part, essentially the entire past 2 seasons. I choose to focus on season by season. You're right about Bama they haven't ever been super dynamic, but they were drastically improved when Kiffin was calling the shots and it seems they have went back to Sabans bread and butter of trying to grind teams out on the ground and the whole reason Saban hired Kiffin in the first place was to get more dynamic throwing the ball. Couple that with the defense not getting a super elite pass rush and they look vulnerable to me.

[futurecoach]

I never said my opinion was fact and I don't pretend like it is, but if you can watch those games and it not seem like they are a complete team who dominates on both sides of the ball then I don't know what you're watching. I haven't watched anyone who looked as dominant as they did last week against Nebraska. It's Nebraska so nobody cares (which as an aside sounds really weird) including myself. I don't know if I can trust them myself. But they sure look the part when in the past I've defended them when they haven't looked the part, essentially the entire past 2 seasons. I choose to focus on season by season. You're right about Bama they haven't ever been super dynamic, but they were drastically improved when Kiffin was calling the shots and it seems they have went back to Sabans bread and butter of trying to grind teams out on the ground and the whole reason Saban hired Kiffin in the first place was to get more dynamic throwing the ball. Couple that with the defense not getting a super elite pass rush and they look vulnerable to me.

 

The smash mouth style has won him more titles than the style Kiffin brought.

[GrantNKY]

The smash mouth style has won him more titles than the style Kiffin brought.

The game changed we both know that.