12/20/24
November 25, 2012
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
I think this Bama D is just good enough to beat UGA.
I also think Bama or UGA win the NC.
posted by Folkways at 08:27 AM on November 25, 2012
I also cannot see ND winning against either Bama or UGA, but it is nice to me to see them in the discussion again. I'm happy to see those who spoke of irrelevance for Notre Dame not long ago to get their serving of crow.
posted by Scottymac at 09:07 AM on November 25, 2012
Notre Dame was only "irrelevant" because they worked so hard to make themselves that way. With everything they've had working to their advantage this long, from tradition to a major TV contract to being one of the best schools in the country, they needed to get their shit together and start winning games. More and more schools are adhering to stricter admissions standards and remaining competitive, without all ND has going for it, so that can't be an excuse.
Finally landing a college head coach with a clue helped, too.
posted by dyams at 10:33 AM on November 25, 2012
How is crow necessary for anyone who thought Notre Dame was irrelevant not long ago? The Fighting Irish last won a championship in 1988 and last factored into a championship in 1993. They have only one top 15 AP poll finish and one bowl win in the past decade.
The team's relevant now, no argument, but hasn't been for a long time.
posted by rcade at 11:52 AM on November 25, 2012
Oregon miss out on the Pac-12 title game because Stanford got the division tiebreaker; you'd assume they'll get an at-large bid, and the Fiesta Bowl has first dibs.
posted by etagloh at 02:40 PM on November 25, 2012
Houston Rockets' coach Kevin McHale's 22-year-old daughter has died. No details have been released, but since McHale has been on leave from his job since 10 November to "attend to a family matter", the likelihood is some sort of illness. Be strong, Kevin.
posted by Howard_T at 02:41 PM on November 25, 2012
Alexandra "Sasha" McHale had lupus, according to the Lowell Sun. She posted this on Twitter Oct. 27: "The only good thing about being sick on my birthday is spending quality time with my dad."
posted by rcade at 03:26 PM on November 25, 2012
How awful. 22 is very, very young.
posted by dyams at 03:27 PM on November 25, 2012
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:45 PM on November 25, 2012
Brady Quinn to Matt Cassel:
And Peyton Hillis to Brady Quinn:
Your 2012 Kansas City Chiefs, Ladies and Gentlemen.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:46 PM on November 25, 2012
Is that Chargers/Ravens game the longest one ever played on a Sunday afternoon? It finished 54 minutes after the scheduled ending (7:00pm).
They spent a good 10 minutes on that one instant replay on the 4th and 30 by Baltimore.
posted by grum@work at 07:55 PM on November 25, 2012
More and more schools are adhering to stricter admissions standards and remaining competitive, without all ND has going for it, so that can't be an excuse.
Which schools are we talking about? The only competitive team that's particularly close is Stanford.
posted by yerfatma at 09:30 AM on November 26, 2012
Admissions standards are considerably different from graduation rate.
posted by Etrigan at 01:46 PM on November 26, 2012
Sure, but they're correlated. And any number of recent academic scandals suggest it's pretty easy to "graduate" a player once you have them in the door.
posted by yerfatma at 02:17 PM on November 26, 2012
U.S. News ranks University of North Carolina as the 30th best school in the nation.
This is the same university that recently had a football player busted for plagiarizing an 11 year old.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:34 PM on November 26, 2012
Am I convinced Notre Dame is the best college football team in the country? No. But I do believe they are deserving of being in the national championship game. They have some real talent, and that goal-line stand when USC had 1st and goal from the one yard line was impressive, I don't care who the opponent happens to be. Watching douche Lane Kiffin lose is always fun too.
It won't be the no-SEC-team title tilt I hoped for, but 'Bama vs. Notre Dame should generate some excitement (yes, I do see the Tide winning the SEC championship game)..