Welcome to the offseason version of Four Down Territory.
It’s going to be a little different than it was in-season. I'll post one weekly during the season, which for me is from SEC Media Days through Missouri's final game.
During the offseason, I’ll post every other week.
1. The College Football Playoff schedule was released.
Mark your calendars Mizzou fans. Over the last few years for Mizzou fans, the release of the College Football Playoff schedule would be more of an, 'Oh, nice.' Or an, 'Oh okay, I can watch this game while I deal with family (that I may or may not like) over the holidays.’ This year, the schedule release is actually notable.
The hype around the Tigers this offseason is akin to the 2008 and 2014 teams that had chances to make some major noise after having excellent seasons the prior year.
Here is the schedule:
Dec. 20 - CFP First Round/ Game 1
Dec. 21 - CFP First Round/ Game 2, 3 and 4
Dec. 31 - CFP Quarterfinals - Fiesta Bowl
Dec. 31 - CFP Quarterfinals - Peach Bowl
Jan. 1 - CFP Quarterfinals - Rose Bowl
Jan. 1 - CFP Quarterfinals - Sugar Bowl
Jan. 9 - CFP Semifinals - Orange Bowl
Jan. 9 - CFP Semifinals - Cotton Bowl
Jan. 20 - National Championship
The thing that stands out the most to a lot of people is the first-round games. Whenever the topic comes up, how could you not think about your favorite team hosting a home game or getting a bye and already being in the quarterfinals?
It's a real question (to fans) as to whether they would want their team to host a first-round game or get a bye. Obviously, the teams would enjoy hosting a first-round game but the chance to advance and get a week off is something they're toward all season.
Here is what the matchups would be:
No. 5 vs. No. 12
No. 6 vs. No. 11
No. 7 vs. No. 10
No. 8 vs. No. 9
But if you could pick between your favorite team being the No. 4 seed (and get a bye) and the No. 8 seed (hosting a first-round game) what would you choose?
(It would've been too easy if it were No. 5 or No. 6 seeds as most people would assume the higher seed would win.)
Would you rather your team get the bye and you attend a neutral site bowl game or would you rather they host a first-round game so selfishly (and I don’t mean this in a bad way) you could go to that game?
2. This will be the most jam-packed football winter holiday season ever.
For people who are also fans of the NFL, there will only be 13 total days from Dec. 19 2024 to Jan 20. that won't have at least an NFL or college football game.
I'm not a December baby and I don't have an affinity for what month is the best (because it's February) but December is just a great month when you think about the holidays and sports. We'll now have meaningful bowl games around Christmas along with the NFL, NBA, college basketball and NHL.
Travel and viewing plans will likely be insane with all the content, and there will be some overlap with the CFP games on Dec. 21.
The Texans-Chiefs game will take place at noon CT. Game 2 of the first round of the CFP will start at 11 a.m. CT. No matter what two teams make up that CFP game it will be neck-and-neck for viewers. Especially, if Missouri is playing in that 11 a.m. slot.
Imagine Missouri's first home CFP game on TNT and on NBC it's Patrick Mahomes and the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on what will probably be a playoff-bound Houston Texans team.
This could be resolved if Mizzou plays at 3 p.m. CT when the Steelers-Ravens game takes place or even better, if the Tigers play in the primetime slot at 7 p.m. CT when the game can have the eyes of the football world to itself.
The Tigers have to make it to that point, first. But that would be a heck of a day for Mizzou if that scenario came to fruition.
It’s going to be a little different than it was in-season. I'll post one weekly during the season, which for me is from SEC Media Days through Missouri's final game.
During the offseason, I’ll post every other week.
1. The College Football Playoff schedule was released.
Mark your calendars Mizzou fans. Over the last few years for Mizzou fans, the release of the College Football Playoff schedule would be more of an, 'Oh, nice.' Or an, 'Oh okay, I can watch this game while I deal with family (that I may or may not like) over the holidays.’ This year, the schedule release is actually notable.
The hype around the Tigers this offseason is akin to the 2008 and 2014 teams that had chances to make some major noise after having excellent seasons the prior year.
Here is the schedule:
Dec. 20 - CFP First Round/ Game 1
Dec. 21 - CFP First Round/ Game 2, 3 and 4
Dec. 31 - CFP Quarterfinals - Fiesta Bowl
Dec. 31 - CFP Quarterfinals - Peach Bowl
Jan. 1 - CFP Quarterfinals - Rose Bowl
Jan. 1 - CFP Quarterfinals - Sugar Bowl
Jan. 9 - CFP Semifinals - Orange Bowl
Jan. 9 - CFP Semifinals - Cotton Bowl
Jan. 20 - National Championship
The thing that stands out the most to a lot of people is the first-round games. Whenever the topic comes up, how could you not think about your favorite team hosting a home game or getting a bye and already being in the quarterfinals?
It's a real question (to fans) as to whether they would want their team to host a first-round game or get a bye. Obviously, the teams would enjoy hosting a first-round game but the chance to advance and get a week off is something they're toward all season.
Here is what the matchups would be:
No. 5 vs. No. 12
No. 6 vs. No. 11
No. 7 vs. No. 10
No. 8 vs. No. 9
But if you could pick between your favorite team being the No. 4 seed (and get a bye) and the No. 8 seed (hosting a first-round game) what would you choose?
(It would've been too easy if it were No. 5 or No. 6 seeds as most people would assume the higher seed would win.)
Would you rather your team get the bye and you attend a neutral site bowl game or would you rather they host a first-round game so selfishly (and I don’t mean this in a bad way) you could go to that game?
2. This will be the most jam-packed football winter holiday season ever.
For people who are also fans of the NFL, there will only be 13 total days from Dec. 19 2024 to Jan 20. that won't have at least an NFL or college football game.
I'm not a December baby and I don't have an affinity for what month is the best (because it's February) but December is just a great month when you think about the holidays and sports. We'll now have meaningful bowl games around Christmas along with the NFL, NBA, college basketball and NHL.
Travel and viewing plans will likely be insane with all the content, and there will be some overlap with the CFP games on Dec. 21.
The Texans-Chiefs game will take place at noon CT. Game 2 of the first round of the CFP will start at 11 a.m. CT. No matter what two teams make up that CFP game it will be neck-and-neck for viewers. Especially, if Missouri is playing in that 11 a.m. slot.
Imagine Missouri's first home CFP game on TNT and on NBC it's Patrick Mahomes and the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on what will probably be a playoff-bound Houston Texans team.
This could be resolved if Mizzou plays at 3 p.m. CT when the Steelers-Ravens game takes place or even better, if the Tigers play in the primetime slot at 7 p.m. CT when the game can have the eyes of the football world to itself.
The Tigers have to make it to that point, first. But that would be a heck of a day for Mizzou if that scenario came to fruition.
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