jpa2825

UCF SHOULD be in if undefeated over ANY 2 loss team. If you keep them out, you've basically told all teams outside of P5 that they are playing for a New Year's Day Bowl rather than a National Championship when they lace 'em up at Spring Practice. Similarly, I don't think they WILL or SHOULD get in over any undefeated or 1 loss team from a P5 this year.

Surprised to see words like "domination" and "mismatch" in this thread this morning. Wonder how many of those are posts from people who watched the game and how many are just from posters who see the final score and that it was a running clock. No doubt, CCH was the better team and deserved to win. 1st half was played basically even with very little offense by either team. CCH capitalized on a 3rd and long pass to a D1 receiver that was not well covered by the defense. That happens. Beyond that 1 play, about 75 yards offense for CCH and maybe 40 for HHS. Where CCH capitalized on their opportunities, HHS floundered. This offense, as constructed and called, would have a very difficult time mounting a long drive against CCH defense. When that is the case, you must convert when you have 3rd & short. Keeps the drive going and gives your defense a rest. HHS did not do so early (with a particularly uninspired play call starting from shotgun, handing off deep behind the LOS and then running laterally while CCH DL is gaining territory). Again in the 1st half, HHS given great field position via a dropped punt. 3rd & 1, 4th & 1, uninspired play calls lead to a turnover on downs. Some could argue to put points on the board and take the 3 points (particularly knowing you are likely to get an uninspired play call on 4th & 1), but I like going for the 1st down. As an underdog, you have to make every opportunity count. They didn't. (Q - what is the downside late in the 2Q of trying to draw CCH offside on 4th & 1? If they don't jump, call TO and make sure you're confident of the play call. If they do, you have a free 1st down. If 1 of your guys jumps, shame on them, but you take the FG.) Start the 2nd half with the ball and go 3 & out. Uninspired and uninspiring. On CCH drive, 2 breaks off a long run for a TD. Great athletes make great plays. Should have been tackled for a loss on the play, but didn't happen and you can't expect your defense to do everything for the whole night. Down 14-0 with a 4th down around midfield, HHS tries to run a fake punt (QB is the P, so they line up normal and then QB runs up and gets under C to run a play). The QB has taken probably 10 snaps under C this year (and most of them have turned out poorly). You remove the real element of surprise from a fake punt by going into formation (even if you intend to run up, get in formation and snap it quickly). Before the snap, it seemed like a panic call down only 14-0, but with offense doing absolutely nothing, again, I like taking the risk. Of course, QB fumbles the snap and the play falls apart. CCH goes down and scores and the wind is completely out of the sails. From there, it WAS "domination" and a "mismatch." Before that, it was a competitive game. Defense was gassed and knew that the offense was unlikely to mount 21 points in the remaining time. CCH imposed their will, got the running clock and finished things out. Congrats to the HHS seniors. You experienced a "rough patch" rarely seen in HHS football, but you worked hard and helped start the process of bringing things back to where they should be. Reminds me of the baseball birds who battled through several seasons building what is now a premiere program. No house stands tall without a solid foundation.

Kiffin and Leach are non-starters in my book. Don't care how successful they might be, whoever UofL hires has to have a stellar reputation off the field and no drama surrounding them. I would like someone with head coaching experience, preferably in a P5 setting. Takes a bit of the guesswork out of things. You may lose a candidate with a higher upside, but you take away some of the huge downsides. UofL can afford to make a decent / good hire here. They cannot afford to make a bad / terrible hire here. Brohm, Babers and Strong should all get looks.

How exactly does that work when you are a SR, apparently sat out your JR year due to transfer and its NOV 12? Yikes.

Read somewhere that, based on the extension he got last year to 2024, Brohm's buyout # goes down by $1M on DEC 6. No need to spend an extra $1M so unless Purdue is being kind or wants to get pointed toward their bowl game, don't expect to see the announcement before then even if deal is done. I would like to see Brohm come to UofL, but I wouldn't "crazy overpay" to get him. I'd overpay, but not "crazy overpay." I'd be open to a return by Charlie Strong. Didn't blame him for taking the Texas job when he left and suspect he learned a lot and is a better coach now (and he was a very good coach then). More importantly, Charlie would bring a lot of personal responsibility back to the program - which is sorely needed. Mack seems to be on that path in restoring the hoops program. Strong would be a good candidate to do it with the pigskin. Don't know much about Babers, but if he's interested, I'd give him a strong look. As to $, Vince Tyra needs to sell the naming rights on the football stadium (probably lots of contractual garbage with Papa that needs to be cleaned up, but get that done and get some $ in the bank) AND go to adidas and explain, "Yeah, I know you guys stroked us a massive check right before the world came crashing down on the hoops program, but you were also right in the middle of why that happened. We're going to renegotiate that massive deal to a 'massiver' deal which will tell me that we have a real partnership here." Tyra should then go out to the football season ticketholder base and say - anyone who renews their season tickets before the UK game can buy as many seats as they want to the UK game for $1. Only catch is that we are going to video the crowd on game day and any of the season tix or $1 seats that have someone wearing blue in them, we'll refund your 2019 season ticket deposit and cancel your order. :ylsuper:

The "catch and fumble" call that went against AC late in the game was wrong - but completely understandable. One of the local TV stations happened to have a good angle in their highlight package. If you slo-mo'd it, he never really controlled it. However, he ran a few strides while juggling it very close to his body so completely understandable that an official would not see a brown football moving against a muddy jersey while the player was running. Hudl stats say 2 lost fumbles and 2 ints for HHS. Seemed like more lost fumbles by HHS.

How would this be a "great" win?

Apparently lost his lid and had to go into enemy territory to retrieve it.

Grass or turf? If grass, possibly sloppy with all the recent rain? How many games has HHS played on grass this year? When you don't play or practice on it, you forget some of the keys to that environment.

Apparently it did make the SCTop10 at #10!

Not sure if this will show up, but crazy goal to start 2nd half. Someone should get the best quality video nominated for SCTop10. Uhhhh . . . Keeper? GOAL! - Highlands Athletics Boosters Association HABA

I think undefeated UCF should get in over any 2 loss P5 team. Not saying it would actually happen, but putting in a 2 loss team over an undefeated G5 squad would be a very bad look for college football. At that point, you are basically saying G5 are all playing for best New Year's Day bowl position from Spring Practice. Whether it actually happens is irrelevant so long as Cinderella believes she might actually get to go to the Ball. Once Cinderella knows she can never go, the dream is shattered.

I think there are 2 ways SEC gets 2 teams in. 1 - LSU beats Bama in a close game at Baton Rouge. Bama's only loss and they don't go to SEC Championship game. Unless tOSU, Clemson and ND are undefeated, I think 1 loss Bama gets in (along w/ SEC Champ who obviously gets in). 2 - Bama loses SEC Champ game to UGa. That's Bama's only loss. 1 loss Bama gets in (unless scenario above).

Not necessarily. As mentioned above, undefeated ND, Clemson and tOSU and Bama doesn't win the SEC, they are out. Of course, that's not going to happen, but that is a currently viable scenario where a 1 loss Bama doesn't make it.

I think pitch clock is more important to "pace of play" rather than length of games. I'd rather watch a 3:30 game where pace is good than 2:40 where there are significant "lulls" and no action. (Obviously, a 2:40 game has much > likelihood to be well-paced as well.)

Pitch clock.

Top to bottom as far as 2018 $. Opening Day position in () Votto (1B) - play him Homer - unload him for a bucket of balls. If no takers, bring him to Spring Training in the bullpen. Don't let him anywhere near the rotation. Suarez (3B) - play him Iglesias (Closer) - $5.71M in 2019 & 2020, Arb in 2021 & FA in 2022. He's a bargain. Continue to role him out there as your closer. If team continues to struggle, entertain offers at trade deadline the next 3 yrs. Barnhart © - ~$3M in 2019, ~$4M in 2020 & $4.2M in 2021. Play him. If you can upgrade the position substantially in a good deal, that's still good value for a backup C. If not, and I wouldn't look for it very hard, I am OK with him playing 4-6 games per week. Scooter was paid $5.7M in 2018, is Arb in 2019 and FA in 2020. If the mantra is buy low and sell high, you gotta move him after the monster year he had. With Senzel needing to find a place to play, that's just additional fuel on that fire. Get what you can and if he continues to perform in future years, just congratulate him. His Arb $ alone in 2019 will be crushing to forming the rest of the team. If you want to keep him, sign him to a Suarez-type deal in the offseason and commit to him. WORST move would be to do a 1 yr. deal with him for 2019. Harvey - gone. Somebody will pay more than he's worth. Let's make sure it isn't the Reds. Hernandez (BP) - (surprised me he was this high as well) owed $2.5M in 2019 and FA in 2020. I'd ask about extending him into 2021 for $4M or so, but I suspect he's looking to repeat his 2018 performance in 2019 and get paid as a FA. Respect that, but gotta at least ask. Don't get silly and pay him long years or stupid $ off 1 good season. He's 33. Hamilton - if he's willing to sign for $ associated with a late inning defensive replacement / pinch runner, let's sign him and use him that way. My guess he won't and that means you have to move away from him. He was paid $4.6M in 2018, Arb in 2019 and FA in 2020. If I could sign him for 2019-2022 for $15M ($3.75M/yr.) with a $5M club option for 2023, I'd do it. I think he's that valuable in even that limited role. (Kinda like a closer though. If you're not gonna win, you don't really need someone in that role.) Hughes (BP) - see Hernandez above but $400k cheaper and a 2020 team option at $3M ($250k to let him go) Lorenzen (BP) - $1.3M in 2018 and Arb through 2021; let him pitch Disco (SP) - $860k in 2018 and Arb through 2020; let him pitch Schebler (OF), Peraza (SS), Peralta (BP), Castillo (SP) & Reed (?SP?) - ~$580k in 2018, pre-Arb in 2019 and Arb through 2022; let them play Garrett (BP) & Winker (OF) - same as above except pre-Arb in 2019 and 2020 and Arb through 2023 Assuming injury rehab goes well and a solid Spring Training for Senzel, let Herrera play some 2B and then bring Senzel up to play there after service time deadline runs. Wanting to be cautious with return from injury & new position should prevent any Kris Bryant type grievance from being successful. Look for a "reclamation project" value play at CF. If don't find, run Ervin out there and see what he can do. (Don't expect much.) It would be TOO MUCH to ask for them to sign a couple of front line starters. It would, however, show a commitment to actually try to win. They'll probably sign Colon and argue they are looking for a "fresh face." :lol2:

Saw a funny reply to a tweet asking if this was a worse loss than the UVa hoops. David Padgett asked "Do I get a vote?" :lol2:

Not optimal. Coaches should try to avoid. This incident - "5 yd penalty for me, not 15." Quick grab, let's loose, didn't shake him or lead him around by the facemask (which we've all seen). If the kid is OK with it, which he is, I'm less concerned. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Not to the level of UVa hoops, but approaching that. The 3rd down pass was brilliant when FSU was stacking the box against the run. The 1st down pass with an unproven QB is not justifiable. Allowing FSU to score on a basic quick pop pass is inexcusable. The # of passes across the middle that were missed was mind-boggling. Hall's drop of a wide open pass was a critical mistake (obviously). Not sure where you go from here. Ugh! (At least Mack is recruiting like a demon!)

Where to start? "we are close" - close to what? .500 baseball? Wild Card? Looking respectable? Not sure on any of those fronts. "closer than most people realize" - I think most people realize the Reds are "not close." "I am not sold on Iglesias as a closer" - save % > 90%; also, the last concern for a team that has lost 98, 94, 94 and 93 (and counting) games over the past 4 seasons is the competence of their closer.

Bring back the toothpick! Nats clearly dropped the ball firing him and he was successful when in Cincy (certainly compared to the current state of affairs). Not sure you want Dusty handling a young pitching staff, but you take what you can get (assuming he would want to come back).

Saw him w/ Seinfeld on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Didn't know who he was. Might put this on my list to watch.

Good news: probably won't enter the UK game at 5-6 with bowl eligibility on the line. Although UofL is currently awful, FSU and Ga Tech are the next 2 opponents and they are similarly slumping. @BC will be tough (and likely difficult to watch). Maybe we get the playbook again from the Demon Deacs the following week. @Clemson may not be as competitive as 2 yrs. ago. @Syracuse, v. NC St. and v. UK will be easier to evaluate as we get closer, but we look to be significant underdogs in each game based on the season to date.

Child please. Dan McDonnell - Wikipedia