OT: Has anyone watched the Air Force offense this year?
- Thread starter NickRU714
- Start date
USC 11-3
Wisc 11-3
FSU 9-4
Arizona 10-4
Mostly double digit win teams and all ranked in the CFP top 11 in the final ranking before the playoffs.
I thought you wanted the records of the teams they beat. It’s a demonstration that these were decent opponents that were beaten.
I think that would be a demonstration that a G5 is capable of being competitive at times.
But if you want the records of the G5s
Tulane 12-2
WMU 13-1
Houston 13-1
Boise 12-2
I don’t know all their schedules and not gonna look them up but they beat teams or stayed competitive with teams that were ranked anywhere from 8-11 in the final CFP poll. I’m not sure why it matters anyway.
Point is G5s can beat and stay competitive at times against decent competition. Will they get blown out at times or maybe even majority of the time, maybe. But it’s important for teams lower down the status pole both in the P5 and G5 to have opportunities to raise their profiles and improve their programs. Playoff opportunity can be a key piece of that.
The difference between 1-4 and the rest of the teams in CFB most years is massive. Talking about 20-30 point+ spreads. Once you get below 8 there is little difference between 9 and 35 at the end of the year.
I think there is a gap and realistically only a handful of teams can win the title. I do think the gap is closing and there's more opportunity from the top on down. No more just Alabama, Clemson and maybe OSU. UGA has come up. Michigan has entered the picture (off the field stuff aside). Clemson has dropped off. Alabama still chugging away and winning but you see chinks in the armor at least. FSU has come back into the fray. Texas looking better. PAC showing some signs of life etc... So from the top on down you're seeing more opportunity.
But for me, it's not only about winning the title, just having the opportunity to get up that stage and have that platform in meaningful games can be a helpful thing to a lot of lower status P5 programs as well as G5 programs. It can raise your profile, get you a little more exposure and possibly help improve your program. That's a good thing. Whether you get blown out or not is besides the point. Most people would like more parity in CFB and you'll never have full parity but playoff opportunity is a vehicle for at least a little more parity.
I went to the Navy-Air Force game last Saturday. AF won 17-6. AF was not particularly impressive, and Navy is not good this year. Navy played a freshman at QB and he was not ready. Navy had 11 yards of offense at the end of the third quarter. 10-0 moving into the 4th quarter. Navy brought in the senior QB and then moved the ball. Dropped passes by several open Navy receivers in the 4th would have made it a closer game. AF's last score was an interception return for a TD on a desperation throw.
The gap isn't closing just teams that used to be good are getting good again because recruiting is improving for those schools since they can openly pay players to come to their school now (even though that is illegal many schools are openly doing it).
Teams like Air Force and even Rutgers will never have parity with those schools like Ohio St. The hope is to have a year every 3-5 years where you exceed expectations and go to a NY6 bowl or maybe make it to the playoff but lose in round 1 by 20-30 points.
I think the expanded playoff is actually going to decrease fan interest over time because these teams getting there are years of pain only to get blasted will piss people off. That along with the super conferences it is going to be very hard for the teams that used to fight for 6-7 wins to even get 4-5 most years.
It’s both teams that used to be good getting good again which is better than just Alabama, Clemson, OSU repeatedly and also teams lower down the totem pole being able to accomplish big goals.
Cincy and TCU made a 4 team playoff, there’s no reason you can’t see similar lower status schools making and getting close to a 12 team one. TCU beat Michigan and made a champ game. Utah has been a formidable team at times going toe to toe with more name schools. WF beat FSU 3 times in a row. Duke is getting ranked and stiffly challenging teams like ND and FSU and beat Clemson. These are the kind of things that don’t really happen much in the past and are happening a little more now. Thats what I mean by the gap is closing at the top with more participation and then with lower status schools as well reaching up here and there to outperform their typical status.
There will never be full parity and the gap will never close completely in CFB but you can create more parity and opportunity with things like playoff expansion.
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