Close the door, turn out the lights

[billybud]

The party is drawing to a close. After 10 years, this site and its members have been a companion, especially during season.. However it has become noticeable that we few are the last stragglers at the party.

Our son drove up to NC from Florida and we watched football together from Thursday through last night's Ohio State-Wisconsin game. He'll be heading home later today and I'll miss him. Some things are impervious to time..and as long as he has memories, he'll remember the joy of football and watching with his dad (as I remember watching with my dad).


FSU-Wake:

Jimbo does drive me nuts with his conservative style...get some ahead and grind the clock. Wake Forest has not scored a TD in the last 5 trips to Tallahassee, so I guess Jimbo felt safe resting on the defense. But it makes for "thud football".

Alabama-Tennessee

Can anyone stop Bama's running game? Bama plays a very disciplined game plan. Limit you with their defense and pound the rock. They have had problems with spread offenses (Ole Miss has beaten them two years running and Clemson put up 550 yards). It will take a spread 'em out and pass 'em crazy team to beat them.

Ohio State-Wisconsin

Looked very evenly matched...looks like the Bucks will be in the CCG...most have them in the playoff.

Georgia-Vandy

Oh my! The Dawg fans are mighty unhappy. Losing to Vandy in the SEC is like getting an "F" in grad school.

UNC-Miami

UNC is pretty good. Trubisky at QB is hitting their big receivers deep and often. With Miami knocked off, I think that their way is cleared to be in the CCG with Clemson.

[Spence]

I believe Alabama is the best team in the country right now. I'm not sure anyone is close to them.

[Spence]

The party is drawing to a close. After 10 years, this site and its members have been a companion, especially during season.. However it has become noticeable that we few are the last stragglers at the party.

Our son drove up to NC from Florida and we watched football together from Thursday through last night's Ohio State-Wisconsin game. He'll be heading home later today and I'll miss him. Some things are impervious to time..and as long as he has memories, he'll remember the joy of football and watching with his dad (as I remember watching with my dad).

I'm afraid you are right. Message boards are fading all over. I hate to see them go away, but one day it will.

[donovan]

I looked at it was ten years ago when I came across this board. We had some great discussions. I don't post elsewhere, but I do read some. A lot of sophomoric comments and school jingoism seem to dominate the discussion. This board has always been civil. In the last ten years much has changed in my life. What has not changed is the friendship I feel from the contributors to this board and in reality, you are all anonymous, save your football preferences. What I have found myself doing is wanting your teams to win when in essence, I have never cared about the big picture other than West Coast teams.
I never saw dotting it "i", seeing Chief Osceola planting the spear or Arkansas fans calling the hogs. For all of this and so much more, I am enriched.

This is what Twain would say, reports of my death are grossly exaggerated. I think it is good to than Mr. Congrove for his site. By far and away it is my favorite site to use. The stories have gotten much better and are good to read. Right now you should see the rants video.

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/news_2016_1011_five_bizarre_college_football_meltdowns.html

Enough of this, The Pac 12 is the only conference with one iota of parity this year and they are penalized for it!

[Dossenator]

Ark put up almost 500 yards of offense on Bama's defense and lost by 17 I believe. Problem is Bama defense scored 14 points. I know Bama leads nation with most non offense td's....I believe with 11 or 12 (defense and special teams). That right there will win you a lot of games.

[Spence]

I looked at it was ten years ago when I came across this board. We had some great discussions. I don't post elsewhere, but I do read some. A lot of sophomoric comments and school jingoism seem to dominate the discussion. This board has always been civil. In the last ten years much has changed in my life. What has not changed is the friendship I feel from the contributors to this board and in reality, you are all anonymous, save your football preferences. What I have found myself doing is wanting your teams to win when in essence, I have never cared about the big picture other than West Coast teams.
I never saw dotting it "i", seeing Chief Osceola planting the spear or Arkansas fans calling the hogs. For all of this and so much more, I am enriched.

This is what Twain would say, reports of my death are grossly exaggerated. I think it is good to than Mr. Congrove for his site. By far and away it is my favorite site to use. The stories have gotten much better and are good to read. Right now you should see the rants video.

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/news_2016_1011_five_bizarre_college_football_meltdowns.html

Enough of this, The Pac 12 is the only conference with one iota of parity this year and they are penalized for it!

I feel the same. I have always been a fan of CFB, but my opinions were lots more narrow minded starting out or regional to say the least. I found myself watching more games and paying closer attention and even rooting for teams of board members. I was on the other board too. I have been here 14 years. I have found myself looking to the board to see what others here were saying about teams. I found myself caring not only for the opinions, but also the people. I had tears in my eyes when I read the news of Howdy's death. I never met him, but still felt like I did know him. Sadly one of these days this board will end too. I think this board was what most who created message boards envisioned a national board to be. I think that also it required members to consider other region's and people's views. I don't see that anywhere else. I don't feel any disloyalty to my team when I root for a Boise State TD or root for a FSU QB. It is probably the only message board in America that an Ohio State and Michigan fan not only coexist, but even work together - even though we will never root for the other's team. I follow the Dawgs, the hogs, and even the Tide. Also Oregon, Texas, and USC. I root for Iowa, Purdue, and even the U. I thank all of you for the past 14 years. The discussions, the friendship, and the competition of the picks game. You have all made following CFB a great hobby and distraction for me. If or when this board ends, I will miss you all as much as anyone aside from my family.

[Duke1632]

I rarely post, but read everything (which has not been that much this year). This is far and away the best CFB message board. I think donovan's comment about other boards being dominated by "sophomoric comments and school jingoism" is a comically (and sadly) accurate as an observation can be.

There are probably many like me, who like to read, but don't post much, and appreciate the insights of the veterans here. So, start posting more.

Hey donovan: what do you mean about Pac 12 being the only conference with some parity? What do you think about Big 12 in that regard? When I think about parity, Pac 12 looks a lot like SEC to me. One team head-and-shoulders above all others, and then a number of decent teams. Big 10 and ACC seem pretty similar, but differ in that they have multiple teams at the top above some of the more medium teams. I know you had a point there, I just missed it.

[donovan]

Right now Washington seems to be the team. I doubt they will go undefeated. It is a competitive conference and the fact there is not a dominant team year after year gives it excitement but very little attention in the national picture. I prefer regional conference football, not really interested in National Rankings. There are some good conferences, the Big 12 being one. I just beat the West Coast drum...I am sure beating the West Coast drum is not a Southern phrase...

I would favor doing away with the playoff as now constituted. Let conferences decide however they want who is the champion and then if you must have a playoff, match them up. Independent can either wash their hands or turn off the water.....how is that for cleaning up a true Southern phrase.

[Spence]

I think that the ACC and Big 10 have a three tiered structure. They have some very good. medium, and very bad teams. I believe the PAC 12 has the most parity of any conference. SEC is next. The Big 12 has parity, but as a hole they aren't very good. I heard ESPN they other day say "We wrote off Oklahoma and now they seem to be relevant again". Really? If Ohio State had played Wisconsin the 3rd week of the season, they would have lost. Same with Michigan, Alabama, Louisville. Clemson and a host of others. They Big 12 has some major lifting to do to become relevant again. That isn't bias, it is the truth. I would rather have Oklahoma have been great and have Ohio State beat them like that. The fact is they aren't very good for a veteran team.

[Eric]

Ditto what everybody else said

I've been pretty busy with my life lately and the last couple of years have gotten more hectic and time-consuming. I don't visit or post as much as I used to, but I'd like to change that soon. My first year was on the old board in 2005, so it has been a looong time when you sit and reflect on that.

[Eric]

I never started becoming a huge college football fan until around 2002. I had followed it here and there, mostly Michigan, but I really got into the national scene at around that time (Ohio State/Miami, Carson Palmer, etc.). I've noticed that it's gotten a lot harder for me to catalog everything in my head. 5 years ago, I could ramble off every starting Louisiana Tech QB up until that point, but now....Not so much.

I've had to start triangulating things to keep my mental map intact. "Was Player X around while Player Y was there? Well, 2008 was the year Crabtree beat Texas, which means that was the year where the Big 12 South was loaded, which means OU had Sam Bradford, which means, oh yeah, Tebow won the national title in 2008."

[donovan]

I have always been in awe of your knowledge, Eric. I have to buy a program at every game or I can't remember who is even playing.

[Derek]

I too have been absent lately. Mostly because of work, but partly because I'm so disappointed in Ga this year.

It has been A LONG time since this board started and I find it hard to believe it's been this long and the board is still going. We owe a huge debt to the founder of the board, who continues to fund it with no demands made of us.

it is greatly appreciated!!

[collegefbfan-8898]

Eric, many years ago, I was the same way. I could ramble off every team in every conference. All the coaches, many players. I still remember Dave Ragone, Jason Fife, the year that three schools had a Mike Williams, AJ Hawk, Reggie Ball, John Stocco, Jim Sorgi, Juice Williams. Those names just stick in my head. Now, I do my best to name to players from my favorite teams.