Championship Saturday

[billybud]

It's impressive for any team to put back to back perfect regular seasons together at any level. That ND win up there ended up being a playoff game in and of itself. Their only loss in two seasons is on a 50+ yd fg at the buzzer on Georgia's home field. I'd love to see them get in to the final game. That would be a victory in and of itself for all the folks other than Bama, Clemson, Osu and Georgia.

I think Cincy will be CFP #4....and Bama #1.

I don't think that folks want a Bama-Georgia game back to back.

Sooo...Georgia-Michigan

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I think Cincy will be CFP #4....and Bama #1.

I don't think that folks want a Bama-Georgia game back to back.

Sooo...Georgia-Michigan

I was thinking the same thing...but do they really want a final with two SEC teams? I believe when that happened in the past, the ratings were bad.

 

[billybud]

Alabama-Georgia in the 2018 CFP Final....

Monday’s Alabama-Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship delivered a 15.6 rating and 28.4 million viewers on the ESPN family of networks, up 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (Clemson-Alabama: 14.2, 26.0M) and up 4% and 6% respectively from 2015 (Alabama-Clemson: 15.0, 26.7M). Figures include TV and streaming.


ESPN alone generated 27.4 million and ESPN2 1.0 million (+26%).

Alabama’s overtime win, which peaked with 30.8 million viewers late in the first half (9:30-10 PM ET), was the highest rated and most-watched college football game since the 2015 title game (Ohio State-Oregon: 18.6, 34.1M).
It earned the seventh-largest college football audience in the 20 seasons since the formation of the Bowl Championship Series, the CFP predecessor that began the modern era of postseason play.
Among cable programs only, it ranks third all-time behind two 2015 playoff games — the aforementioned Ohio State-Oregon national championship and the Alabama-Ohio State Sugar Bowl (28.5M). Monday’s numbers include streaming viewership on television only, while 2015 Sugar Bowl figures includes streaming across all devices. It may be the case that once all the streaming numbers comes in, this year’s game will rank second.
Alabama-Georgia easily outpaced the previous all-SEC national championship, beating Alabama-LSU in 2012 by 11% in ratings (vs. 14.0) and 17% in viewership (vs. 24.2M).

College Football National Championship Ratings, BCS/CFP Era​

College Football National Championship Ratings, Viewership, in BCS/CFP Era
[Mon. numbers from ESPN; additional info from ShowBuzz Daily 1.9]

 

[Vowelguy]

Where are all the “the cartel will NEVER take a G5 team” folks?

 

[WestHartHusk]

Where are all the “the cartel will NEVER take a G5 team” folks?

Literally EVERYTHING had to break for Cinci to force their hand. As only one example, if Okie gets 1/8th more of a yard we are having a different discussion right now.

 

[Vowelguy]

Literally EVERYTHING had to break for Cinci to force their hand. As only one example, if Okie gets 1/8th more of a yard we are having a different discussion right now.

Blah blah blah

A G5 team made it

 

[don356]

Literally EVERYTHING had to break for Cinci to force their hand. As only one example, if Okie gets 1/8th more of a yard we are having a different discussion right now.

Disagree. OSU didn't play well enough to overtake Cincy as long as they beat Houston. Cincy's still got that ND win on the road, and also Houston at 15. They would not have hopped them. There would be to much pressure on the existing system to drop out a team that hasn't lost a regular season game in two years to make it worth their while. Boone PIckens is dead. OSU needed to whip Baylor to hop Cincy.

 

[billybud]

Notre Dame was taken to overtime by a mediocre FSU and didn't end up with a win against a single CFP 25 team....and were idle during Championship Weekend...they needed help to break into the CFP.

OK State losing, I think, did solidify Cincinnati's case.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Alabama-Georgia in the 2018 CFP Final....

Monday’s Alabama-Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship delivered a 15.6 rating and 28.4 million viewers on the ESPN family of networks, up 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (Clemson-Alabama: 14.2, 26.0M) and up 4% and 6% respectively from 2015 (Alabama-Clemson: 15.0, 26.7M). Figures include TV and streaming.


ESPN alone generated 27.4 million and ESPN2 1.0 million (+26%).

Alabama’s overtime win, which peaked with 30.8 million viewers late in the first half (9:30-10 PM ET), was the highest rated and most-watched college football game since the 2015 title game (Ohio State-Oregon: 18.6, 34.1M).
It earned the seventh-largest college football audience in the 20 seasons since the formation of the Bowl Championship Series, the CFP predecessor that began the modern era of postseason play.
Among cable programs only, it ranks third all-time behind two 2015 playoff games — the aforementioned Ohio State-Oregon national championship and the Alabama-Ohio State Sugar Bowl (28.5M). Monday’s numbers include streaming viewership on television only, while 2015 Sugar Bowl figures includes streaming across all devices. It may be the case that once all the streaming numbers comes in, this year’s game will rank second.
Alabama-Georgia easily outpaced the previous all-SEC national championship, beating Alabama-LSU in 2012 by 11% in ratings (vs. 14.0) and 17% in viewership (vs. 24.2M).

College Football National Championship Ratings, BCS/CFP Era​

College Football National Championship Ratings, Viewership, in BCS/CFP Era
[Mon. numbers from ESPN; additional info from ShowBuzz Daily 1.9]

It was also Alabama LSU that I remembered doing poorly in the ratings.

 

[Jimdish255]

Where are all the “the cartel will NEVER take a G5 team” folks?

They literally had no choice this year. If ND had lost to any other team, even UConn they would still be in. Just so happens they ran into Cincy and blew it. 1,000,000:1 shot.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

They literally had no choice this year. If ND had lost to any other team, even UConn they would still be in. Just so happens they ran into Cincy and blew it. 1,000,000:1 shot.

I thought the same thing...it was the only loss they couldn't rationalize.

 

[Vowelguy]

They literally had no choice this year..

Again blah blah blah.

For weeks, folks have been saying it would NEVER happen, even as it became increasingly apparent it would if Cin won out.

It happened.

 

[billybud]

Saban,,,,,Knock knock

Kirby S....Who's there?

Saban.....Owen

Kirby S...Owen who?

Saban.....Owen three against Bama

 

[Nostical]

If Okie gets 1/8th more of a yard we are having a different discussion right now.

Think about the crazy set of events that brought Cincy to the final four. OK St had EIGHT chances from inside the 2 yard line and couldn’t score a touchdown. (I blame lousy play selection more than the Baylor D)
And if you recall, Tulsa beats Cincy on a last second TD if the running back doesn’t drop the ball as he reaches over the goal line. Weird stuff for sure and perhaps an omen for a surprising run to the title for the Bearcats.

 

[storrsroars]

In the final AP poll, Cincy got three votes for #1.

Yes, they're in. And yes, they got lucky both with how the competition fell out and on plays like the Tulsa one cited above. But they're in because there's no rational argument that can be made to keep them out. If there was any argument that had legs, they might be on the outside looking in.

Hell, I could argue that Pitt could've been one loss if not for a single bad execution between Pickett and Addison where Addison zigged while Pickett zagged, leading to an INT instead of a certain TD. Where would a one-loss Pitt team (granted it was an early loss to a directional) been the CFB conversation (probably not top 4 since ACC was mediocre, but as interesting as ND)?

I know most of y'all hate Pitt due to BE demise history, but as my wife went there and I live here I watch all their games. They are highly entertaining and surprisingly solid in all facets. I think Pitt would beat Cincy today. I think Pitt will take MSU in Atlanta. They're not a team you want to face right now. They had some significant defensive issues early in the season and the secondary is still iffy, but the front seven have shut down some high powered offenses on their own, and Pickett, even when hurt, has been as good as any QB in FBS. There are no gimmicks to his game, he's not a system guy. And Pickett to Addison is the best tandem I've seen since Pennington to Moss.

Anyway, I think Cincy gets rolled by 'Bama. And I wouldn't be surprised to see Michigan take the championship as I think they're playing the best out of the four over the past month. So I'm going UM>UGA, Bama>Cincy, UM>Bama, barring any significant injuries or anyone of note deciding to opt out to preserve draft status.

 

[Hoophound]

Think about the crazy set of events that brought Cincy to the final four. OK St had EIGHT chances from inside the 2 yard line and couldn’t score a touchdown. (I blame lousy play selection more than the Baylor D)
And if you recall, Tulsa beats Cincy on a last second TD if the running back doesn’t drop the ball as he reaches over the goal line. Weird stuff for sure and perhaps an omen for a surprising run to the title for the Bearcats.

I don’t think Cincy has looked that strong lately. I expect Bama to pound them.

 

[CTBasketball]

Again blah blah blah.

For weeks, folks have been saying it would NEVER happen, even as it became increasingly apparent it would if Cin won out.

It happened.

I guarantee if Oklahoma St won, they’d be the #4 seed. You knew that was coming.

 

[DoctorWho85]

The AAC is a great football conference but nobody cares.

Correction. AAC was a great conference until the Big 12 came calling for Houston, UCF and Cincy