But they didn't say that though?

They pointed out those countries also have jails/prisons that detain people against their will. That isn't the same as saying the systems are identical.

It's my wife's birthday this weekend so we're going out with a bunch of friends. This is extra special because we scored a babysitter for our one-year-old, and we haven't really been out together much since he's been born. We're gonna go hard.

That, and Helldivers II, if the servers will let me in.

...though sources say that even before Majors’ conviction, the studio was making moves to minimize the character after Quantumania underperformed, grossing $476 million

Jonathan Majors-related stuff aside, this sentence makes me shake my head.

Why does it seem like Hollywood always takes the wrong lesson from box office results? Quantumania isn't well received, and instead of assuming it's because of the bad script or bad story or rushed CGI, their impulse is to retool their entire franchise to minimize a character? Especially a character who people were generally into (at that time, at least...again, Majors stuff aside).

People disliked Quantamania not because of Kang, people disliked it because it wasn't a good movie. Maybe if you tie good stories and good filmmaking to your multi-billion dollar franchise and stop plopping out half thought out turds, then people will go see your movie.

I'm playing on Steamdeck. It has options for controller support, but I'm mostly using the deck's track pads as a mouse replacement because I find it easier to control the cursor that way.

I was playing Inscryption, but needed a break.

I started playing Hardspace: Shipbreaker and I am absolutely hooked.

Nice to see that what should have been (in my opinion) the four playoff teams are the top four in our poll. I am curious what the poll would look like now after championship week is done.

This week's ballot. Computer poll, resume-based. The top two are basically interchangeable, then there's a huge drop after No 7 Alabama I'm surprised that Texas jumped Florida State, but that may change during championship week.

1. Washington | 12 - 0 | LW: 1 ( - )
2. Michigan | 12 - 0 | LW: 2 ( - )
3. Georgia | 12 - 0 | LW: 4 (+1)
4. Texas | 11 - 1 | LW: 5 (+1)
5. Florida State | 12 - 0 | LW: 6 (+1)
6. Ohio State | 11 - 1 | LW: 3 (-3)
7. Alabama | 11 - 1 | LW: 7 ( - )
8. Oregon | 11 - 1 | LW: 9 (+1)
9. Liberty | 12 - 0 | LW: 8 (-1)
10. Oklahoma | 10 - 2 | LW: 12 (+2)
11. Penn State | 10 - 2 | LW: 10 (-1)
12. James Madison | 11 - 1 | LW: 15 (+3)
13. Ole Miss | 10 - 2 | LW: 13 ( - )
14. Iowa | 10 - 2 | LW: 16 (+2)
15. Missouri | 10 - 2 | LW: 14 (-1)
16. Tulane | 11 - 1 | LW: 18 (+2)
17. LSU | 9 - 3 | LW: 17 ( - )
18. Louisville | 10 - 2 | LW: 11 (-7)
19. Toledo | 11 - 1 | LW: 19 ( - )
20. Troy | 10 - 2 | LW: 20 ( - )
21. Notre Dame | 9 - 3 | LW: 22 (+1)
22. NC State | 9 - 3 | LW: 26 (+4)
23. Oklahoma State | 9 - 3 | LW: 25 (+2)
24. Arizona | 9 - 3 | LW: 24 ( - )
25. Kansas State | 8 - 4 | LW: 21 (-4)

26. Utah | 8 - 4 | LW: 29 (+3)
27. Clemson | 8 - 4 | LW: 30 (+3)
28. SMU | 10 - 2 | LW: 35 (+7)
29. Oregon State | 8 - 4 | LW: 27 (-2)
30. Kansas | 8 - 4 | LW: 31 (+1)
31. Memphis | 9 - 3 | LW: 32 (+1)
32. Miami (OH) | 10 - 2 | LW: 34 (+2)
33. Tennessee | 8 - 4 | LW: 33 ( - )
34. UNLV | 9 - 3 | LW: 23 (-11)
35. North Carolina | 8 - 4 | LW: 28 (-7)

My poll this week. Thoughts first:

• Teams 1-3 are clustered close together, then teams 4-6 are clustered close together, and there is a Big drop after No 7 Alabama.
• My spreadsheet doesn't take kindly to late season cupcake games; Florida State, Alabama, Ole Miss all fell despite their wins.
• Welcome Arizona (my wife's alma matter) to my top 25 for the first time this season
• JMU stumbled late to perennial giant slayers App State. Does Liberty have what it takes to go the distance?
• Biggest loser this week was Georgia Southern who dropped 17 ranks after losing to Old Dominion. Biggest winner this week was the aforementioned App State, who rose 16 ranks after topping JMU in overtime.

1. Washington | 11 - 0 | LW: 1 ( - )
2. Michigan | 11 - 0 | LW: 2 ( - )
3. Ohio State | 11 - 0 | LW: 4 (+1)
4. Georgia | 11 - 0 | LW: 7 (+3)
5. Texas | 10 - 1 | LW: 6 (+1)
6. Florida State | 11 - 0 | LW: 3 (-3)
7. Alabama | 10 - 1 | LW: 5 (-2)
8. Liberty | 11 - 0 | LW: 10 (+2)
9. Oregon | 10 - 1 | LW: 9 ( - )
10. Penn State | 9 - 2 | LW: 12 (+2)
11. Louisville | 10 - 1 | LW: 13 (+2)
12. Oklahoma | 9 - 2 | LW: 14 (+2)
13. Ole Miss | 9 - 2 | LW: 11 (-2)
14. Missouri | 9 - 2 | LW: 16 (+2)
15. James Madison | 10 - 1 | LW: 8 (-7)
16. Iowa | 9 - 2 | LW: 15 (-1)
17. LSU | 8 - 3 | LW: 18 (+1)
18. Tulane | 10 - 1 | LW: 17 (-1)
19. Toledo | 10 - 1 | LW: 20 (+1)
20. Troy | 9 - 2 | LW: 19 (-1)
21. Kansas State | 8 - 3 | LW: 25 (+4)
22. Notre Dame | 8 - 3 | LW: 23 (+1)
23. UNLV | 9 - 2 | LW: 31 (+8)
24. Arizona | 8 - 3 | LW: 33 (+9)
25. Oklahoma State | 8 - 3 | LW: 29 (+4)

26. NC State | 8 - 3 | LW: 32 (+6)
27. Oregon State | 8 - 3 | LW: 24 (-3)
28. North Carolina | 8 - 3 | LW: 22 (-6)
29. Utah | 7 - 4 | LW: 21 (-8)
30. Clemson | 7 - 4 | LW: 39 (+9)
31. Kansas | 7 - 4 | LW: 26 (-5)
32. Memphis | 8 - 3 | LW: 27 (-5)
33. Tennessee | 7 - 4 | LW: 30 (-3)
34. Miami (OH) | 9 - 2 | LW: 36 (+2)
35. SMU | 9 - 2 | LW: 43 (+8)

And here I was sharpening my pitchfork for nothing

That's lame. Who would possibly care enough about an unofficial non-professional message board cfb ballot to want to brigade and skew the results? Some people, I tell ya...

I figured they'd give him at least 2 seasons. He inherited the program after a tragedy, which couldn't have been easy, and was trying to completely overhaul the offense, which takes time.

Him getting the boot less than one season in tells me that there were some higher ups at MSU that didn't like him being promoted to head coach from the get-go.

A&M vs MSU claims the jobs of BOTH head coaches. I can't think of another game where that's ever happened before?

That is interesting, although I don't know how that would work in the "fire, ready, aim" world of D1 football coaching. It seems like it would require a structural change to how contracts are written, or at least people in charge with cooler heads.

That's interesting. So instead of being fired on the spot, the old coach would stay on during the year-long transition? I feel like that would take a pretty large change to how D1 football works now but it's definitely an interesting thought. Does the old coach stay on as an analyst or something? And what if after being fired they want to find a new job and move on?

1. Washington | 10 - 0 | LW: 2 (+1)
2. Michigan | 10 - 0 | LW: 5 (+3)
3. Florida State | 10 - 0 | LW: 3 ( - )
4. Ohio State | 10 - 0 | LW: 1 (-3)
5. Alabama | 9 - 1 | LW: 6 (+1)
6. Texas | 9 - 1 | LW: 4 (-2)
7. Georgia | 10 - 0 | LW: 8 (+1)
8. James Madison | 10 - 0 | LW: 7 (-1)
9. Oregon | 9 - 1 | LW: 13 (+4)
10. Liberty | 10 - 0 | LW: 11 (+1)
11. Ole Miss | 8 - 2 | LW: 9 (-2)
12. Penn State | 8 - 2 | LW: 10 (-2)
13. Louisville | 9 - 1 | LW: 12 (-1)
14. Oklahoma | 8 - 2 | LW: 14 ( - )
15. Iowa | 8 - 2 | LW: 16 (+1)
16. Missouri | 8 - 2 | LW: 18 (+2)
17. Tulane | 9 - 1 | LW: 21 (+4)
18. LSU | 7 - 3 | LW: 23 (+5)
19. Troy | 8 - 2 | LW: 17 (-2)
20. Toledo | 9 - 1 | LW: 25 (+5)
21. Utah | 7 - 3 | LW: 19 (-2)
22. North Carolina | 8 - 2 | LW: 33 (+11)
23. Notre Dame | 7 - 3 | LW: 24 (+1)
24. Oregon State | 8 - 2 | LW: 27 (+3)
25. Kansas State | 7 - 3 | LW: 29 (+4)

26. Kansas | 7 - 3 | LW: 15 (-11)
27. Memphis | 8 - 2 | LW: 31 (+4)
28. USC | 7 - 4 | LW: 28 ( - )
29. Oklahoma State | 7 - 3 | LW: 20 (-9)
30. Tennessee | 7 - 3 | LW: 26 (-4)
31. UNLV | 8 - 2 | LW: 43 (+12)
32. NC State | 7 - 3 | LW: 36 (+4)
33. Arizona | 7 - 3 | LW: 35 (+2)
34. Fresno State | 8 - 2 | LW: 22 (-12)
35. Coastal Carolina | 7 - 3 | LW: 39 (+4)

This week's takeaways:

• Movement is slowing down. Must be getting to the end of the season.
• The Top 4 are almost interchangeable, and there's a pretty decent drop after No 7 Georgia
• Jimbo got fired

I hate how right this is

I wish they had left the head football coach's name blank, that way they could just keep giving it to each new hire and the joke could continue.

It would be funny after all the highly public shit talking Kiffin lobbed at Jimbo this season if Kiffin essentially sold out and became the very thing we was against. Personally I don't see it happening...Kiffin's got a great thing going in Oxford and the A&M job doesn't feel as appealing right now. But I've been wrong before, so who knows.

The buyout will get all the headlines here, understandably so because of how big it is. But the payout is structured as x% over a certain number of years (I'm too lazy to google it right now), so it really shouldn't have too much of an impact overall. A&M's boosters have famously deep pockets.

My postmortem take is that while it's earlier than I expected, it feels like the right call. A&M paid a ton of money for essentially no improvement over our previous coach (Jimbo's SEC record was 56%, Kevin Sumlin's SEC record was 52%). Too many times I was watching games this season and I had to remind myself that this was Year 6 in Jimbo's tenure, not Year 1 or 2...every season feels like a rebuilding season, every game feels like we're playing for the moral victory, and the mantra always feels like we're waiting for next year. Those that follow the A&M program know this is the same old story it's always been, and Jimbo was hired specifically to change that and he hasn't. Sure we've had bad luck with injuries and other teams in our division are good, but at some point those excuses have to start going away if you want to be a good football program.

We've got some really talented players that I'm sure are disappointed and frustrated right now. It will be interesting to see how many of them light up the transfer portal and how many stick it out. Either way, we're probably stuck in rebuilding seasons again for the foreseeable future.

Totally agree...we've chatted about this before, but a lot of the fun of voting in this poll for me is seeing how everyone does it differently. We're trying to answer the question of who is the "best" team, but that word means something a little bit different to everybody.

Yeah I try to add improvements every year based on stuff I see during the season and I've been thinking of ways to re-tool it for next season, especially with the weirdness of realignment coming and some of the odd results I've gotten this season. I haven't figured out exactly what I want to do yet, because I don't want to add too much of my own biases into the formula. For example, I don't want to give an artificial boost to teams just based on conference affiliations, because if we really do get an excellent team in a lower conference I don't want my spreadsheet pushing them down just because of that. This season I've been running a few modified spreadsheets on the side just to play with, but I haven't landed on anything I really like yet. Thankfully the offseason is long and I have plenty of data to tinker with to keep dialing it in.

I'm curious about yours, how much does it factor in stats throughout the season? I think you mentioned before that pre-season expectations are factored out at this point, do you keep it updated with performance stats every week?