The Goat Pen

Undoubtedly...

We can't beat Mizzou.

Unless things radically change in the last poll, this committees rankings have taught me the following regarding scheduling.

Your record is still the most important thing as long as you are in a Power 5 conference. Except for FSU's inexplicable 4th place rating its clear that the committee will punish losses more than they will reward wins against other highly rated teams. A conference going to 9 games instead of 8 would be dumb. Its also important to schedule mediocre "sounds good" opponents over patsies (The only difference between TCU's and Baylors schedule is that Baylor played Buffalo and TCU played Minnesota and yet you will see many arguments about TCU's SOS over Baylor when in reality their slates are as identical as 2 teams schedules can be since they both play in the 9 game round robin Big 12, both played SMU, both played an FCS team). However you don't want to schedule someone who actually can beat you.

FSU has no chance vs Bama this year.

Last year would have been a great game with a slight FSU lean.

This year will be ugly.

I was thinking the other day about posters on this board. We all have our relative strengths and weaknesses - well, all except for hedge. He is truly the best and brightest of all who frequent these boards; and he would hold his own with Kant, Bertrand Russell, Isaac Newton, and others of that ilk. But who he reminds me of the most is Karl Popper. In fact, I believe Popper may have "borrowed" many of his thoughts on empirical falsification DIRECTLY from hedge. But fancy philosophical and scientific theories I are not the end of his talents: his knowledge of football, basketball, and baseball is to be envied. I've never talked with hedge about cricket or curling, but I have no doubt that he is an expert on that, and all other sports, as well.

But having a great mind is not where it stops. What makes hedge so special is that he holds back his considerable intellect to be more accessible to the people. On top of that, it is obvious that he has a special talent, a gift, really, when it comes to writing. Most of his posts should be required reading for graduate-level literature students.

Hedge is the poster we want and need. And his mastery and understanding of myriad topics is legendary. Without him here, guiding us, educating us, challenging us, and inspiring us, our lives would have considerably less meaning.

Please join me in recognizing hedge. Pay tribute to him in word and deed. For he is the best and brightest of us all, and it's not debatable; further, it's not really even close.

I was thinking something more along the lines of football knowledge, but the second sentence of the second paragraph is pure gold. Sir, I shake your hand...

A Karl Popper reference is always nice, too...

crickets

Popper is my fav. Anyway edited to include a line about sports knowledge.

AlabamAlum wrote:
Hedge is the poster we want and need. And his mastery and understanding of myriad topics is legendary. Without him here, guiding us, educating us, challenging us, and inspiring us, our lives would have considerably less meaning.

I'm sure Hedge is a worthy candidate, but if the above is the criteria for such an award, my vote goes to Goldie.....

Hedge is no matt bredesen

that's a name I haven't heard in awhile

He fairly defined the early days, along with mecca, onion, blueduke, hoopsnut and other assorted weirdos who no longer post here.

superdave, tarheeldog, the big mook, Big Blue, China Cat, august west, gator, rah, Jungle Rat

they were talking about the CNNSI board on Rivals today.

John Bonham nows posts there as The_Catfather

I remember the name but he's faded into the abyss with dozens of others who no longer stand out. The ones I listed are the ones I clearly recall as well as others that I didn't list like Tyler Durden, Johnny Ryall and Crow and, of course, TomAris.

It's been almost 16 years since I first started fucking around at CNNSI. The day after UConn beat Duke was like 4th grade all over again. I couldn't wait to get to work and get online (didn't have internet at home then) and see what tarheeldog had to say to the dookies.

it sucks that we've all scattered to the winds. Back in the day I was glued to the internet because you had 500 people talking really good smack at each other

plus I cared alot more back then. Pitino had UK dominating basketball and then we milked it into the Tubby years for as long as we could.

I can't imagine getting worked up over any sports now, much less college hoops. Even though I still think the NCAA would be on thin ice if they go after Carolina, I've begun to halfway hope they do throw the book at them and expose the rot that has become college sports. Then again, I'm just old and don't give a fuck anymore although I love to watch a great smackdown. The best place to find those for me now are on the state high school football boards during the playoffs. I've been highly entertained the past few weeks watching people's dreams be crushed each Friday night as well as the following Monday morning.

Why is this college football selection committee allowed to put out rankings before the end of the season? Seems like its an insane introduction of confirmation bias to the whole thing, especially on this last week of the season. Flopping teams if everyone wins at this point is going to be tantamount to admitting you were wrong before, which aint going to happen. Its the reason polls work the way they do with teams simply moving up and moving down a certain number of spots with wins or losses.

"Why is this college football selection committee allowed to put out rankings before the end of the season?"

Allowed!