Clemson will be without 26 players for Pinstripe Bowl

I guess it’s a personal thing. For example, the current college playoff games have zero meaning for me personally. Last year I watched The games PSU played and the games of potential PSU matchups.

Last night I put the lights on a Christmas tree for a family party tonight. Didn’t watch any games, and not watching any games today. Making meatballs, sausage and sauce for the party.
I hope the coaches and players watch these games just to see how other teams succeed and fail in different areas. Both sets of DTs in last night's game set the tone by shutting down any running up the middle and the LBs and Safeties were quick to get to the edge and flat to stop most things there. On offense, there were a few good to great catches, but some serious drops. Nothing that PSU couldn't currently do with some decent coaching.

Find these types of guys for the middle...
 
I get that too. I watched last night because I was bored. Today, I have things to do.

I watched the 1st half last night. After jumping to a 17-point lead, Oklahoma blew it big-time. Punter inexplicably drops the ball, QB throws an awful pick-6, and their offense totally turtles up in the final two minutes of the half, not even seriously trying to score. You could almost see the handwriting on the wall at that point.

Also, an Oklahoma lineman got in Tide QB Ty Simpson's face with trash talk after a play and Simpson stood there helmet to helmet jawing right back. I felt like that whole scene fired Simpson up. Alabama goes into its next playoff game against Indiana as a 6-point underdog but I honestly like their chances.

As for today, I'll watch Miami-A&M but it's real hard to be interested in the next two games with Oregon and Ole Miss playing totally outclassed opponents.
 
I guess it’s a personal thing. For example, the current college playoff games have zero meaning for me personally. Last year I watched The games PSU played and the games of potential PSU matchups.

Last night I put the lights on a Christmas tree for a family party tonight. Didn’t watch any games, and not watching any games today. Making meatballs, sausage and sauce for the party.
That's a distinction. The PSU game vs Clemson is meaningless. A consequence of playing a meaningless game is 15 practices, which has benefit, but that doesn't give the game "meaning."

Regarding the CFP games this weekend, they certainly have meaning as a contest. You may not have interest in them, but that is far different than "meaning." The games today are not a scrimmage. The winner advances to pursue a natty. That is meaningful in the context of the reason the games are played. The pinstripe bowl outcome has no consequence.
 
As someone who coached the game, I think this is the most meaningful game of 2026. 2025 seasons been over since the Northwestern game ended. Everything from that point on was about 2026. Terry’s done a fantastic job of getting some momentum and this is kind of the kick off to the off-season for what Coach Campbell will do. i’m actually exceptionally excited to watch this game next week.
 
I watched the 1st half last night. After jumping to a 17-point lead, Oklahoma blew it big-time. Punter inexplicably drops the ball, QB throws an awful pick-6, and their offense totally turtles up in the final two minutes of the half, not even seriously trying to score. You could almost see the handwriting on the wall at that point.

Also, an Oklahoma lineman got in Tide QB Ty Simpson's face with trash talk after a play and Simpson stood there helmet to helmet jawing right back. I felt like that whole scene fired Simpson up. Alabama goes into its next playoff game against Indiana as a 6-point underdog but I honestly like their chances.

As for today, I'll watch Miami-A&M but it's real hard to be interested in the next two games with Oregon and Ole Miss playing totally outclassed opponents.
Just got home and threw the last 2 minutes of the Miami win over A&M on. Apparently, that was nearly the only part that needed to be watched and the SEC goes down. Further, this result confirms that the committee got it right with Miami over Notre Dame. Now Miami has beaten Notre and the other team that beat Notre Dame. No need for Notre Dame in the playoff. They don't belong.
 
Just got home and threw the last 2 minutes of the Miami win over A&M on. Apparently, that was nearly the only part that needed to be watched and the SEC goes down. Further, this result confirms that the committee got it right with Miami over Notre Dame. Now Miami has beaten Notre and the other team that beat Notre Dame. No need for Notre Dame in the playoff. They don't belong.

Alabama and Miami took the committee off the hook, no question.

The more I've thought about this, the more I can understand the committee's decision. How can you penalize Alabama, which was a lock before the CCG, for the extra game? And two years after you screwed over Florida State and the ACC, how can you exclude that league again in favor of a team with the same record that lost to Miami?

At the end of the day, it's ridiculous that Notre Dame didn't get a bid and teams like Tulane, which we just saw get massacred, and James Madison, which barring the upset of the century will go down in the same fashion tonight, got a spot. But that's the system as it stands now.
 
Alabama and Miami took the committee off the hook, no question.

The more I've thought about this, the more I can understand the committee's decision. How can you penalize Alabama, which was a lock before the CCG, for the extra game? And two years after you screwed over Florida State and the ACC, how can you exclude that league again in favor of a team with the same record that lost to Miami?

At the end of the day, it's ridiculous that Notre Dame didn't get a bid and teams like Tulane, which we just saw get massacred, and James Madison, which barring the upset of the century will go down in the same fashion tonight, got a spot. But that's the system as it stands now.
The thing is that both BYU and Vanderbilt would belong in before Notre Dame this year anyway. Notre Dame only beat one ranked team all season. The only team BYU lost to this season was the #4 team in the country. And Vanderbilt had an identical record while playing an SEC schedule.

No Tulane, No JMU, and No Notre Dame. They don't play a power 4 conference schedule. They are the next tier down. There should be a separate playoff for non-power 4 teams. It can have Tulane, JMU, Notre Dame, Navy, etc.
 

Yup, I read that article earlier today. Very informative though it doesn't really say anything we didn't already know: the two teams that take the field in New York this Saturday will bear only a vague resemblance to the two teams that played the 2025 season.

In fact, Clemson is looking more decimated by the day. The article says they're now missing 7 starters on offense and 7 on defense for the bowl game. Holy crap. Meanwhile, our list of MIAs is growing too.

I think this game is going to boil down to who shows up to play and how hard are they motivated to play.
 
Yup, I read that article earlier today. Very informative though it doesn't really say anything we didn't already know: the two teams that take the field in New York this Saturday will bear only a vague resemblance to the two teams that played the 2025 season.

In fact, Clemson is looking more decimated by the day. The article says they're now missing 7 starters on offense and 7 on defense for the bowl game. Holy crap. Meanwhile, our list of MIAs is growing too.

I think this game is going to boil down to who shows up to play and how hard are they motivated to play.
Line play and playmakers win games. If PSU's oline remains in tact minus Ioane that could be a big advantage vs Clemson's decimated DL, especially with Katron running the ball.

I don't know if Clemson has an NFL caliber WR that will sit out, but yes PSU's 3 senior WR's may play but they may not be as good as Clemson's backups that get to see the field. Clemson has recruited better than PSU the last few years so maybe Clemson has more talent waiting to replace their losses than PSU. Seems like just too much change to predict what the game will look like, but I like PSU's chances if the PSU OL can win somewhat regularly on running the football with Katron and some talented younger RB's getting a chance. Should be a nice audition for the the young RB's that are RB #2 and #3 for the game to beging to claim top spots on the 2026 depth chart, provided they stay for 2026 given that there are 5 RB's competing to replace Singleton's carries, Wallace, Smith, Martin, Hayes, and Coleman (out injured for the bowl game).

I'm just hoping to see some of the young talent on PSU's roster emerge and look like playmakers, especially at RB, WR, DE, LB and CB (although if the eligible CB's return PSU has a nice 2 deep there with Collins, Tracey, Dixon and likely Joseph).
 
Alabama and Miami took the committee off the hook, no question.

The more I've thought about this, the more I can understand the committee's decision. How can you penalize Alabama, which was a lock before the CCG, for the extra game? And two years after you screwed over Florida State and the ACC, how can you exclude that league again in favor of a team with the same record that lost to Miami?

At the end of the day, it's ridiculous that Notre Dame didn't get a bid and teams like Tulane, which we just saw get massacred, and James Madison, which barring the upset of the century will go down in the same fashion tonight, got a spot. But that's the system as it stands now.
The committee didn't have a choice. It's an antitrust issue for the Playoff Committee and NCAA. If ND was in the ACC and won the Conference Championship, they'd have been in the playoffs. Group of 5 is part of the agreement. It just so happens this year, next team up was also a Group of 5 champion who was ranked.

ND has no one to blame but themselves. It's not about just the best teams, it's now about the law.
 
Derek Hoodjer, former Iowa State Assistant AD for player personnel. I'm not sure his title at PSU will be GM, but the responsibilities of building a roster are supposedly the same.
I believe that includes helping with NIL distribution and payments. We had a WR who caught 3 passes make $500k this year. Seems unwise with limited funds.
 
Starting DE Zuriah Fisher out for bowl game, no longer with the team. Article says he is petitioning for a 6th year, but he must want to play that year somewhere else.

DE will be very short on experience. Hope some of the injured DE's are healed up and ready to play.....

 
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