The October thread has been running long enough and it's time to focus the discussion on the post season match ups. So basically we have 5 undefeated teams and still no playoff, with the lowest ranked undefeated having beat the current #7 team. We have the possibility of a QB who threw 180 yards and 3 picks last game (no tds) winning the heisman over the several more deserving candidates. Not to mention all the power houses struggling to rebuild their programs after let down seasons. Discuss...
Not sure to be happy about Iowa getting GT instead of Boise or TCU since GT is the weakest of the 3, or worried since they are probably the worst matchup of the 3. a mobile QB led, run heavy offense is probably going to give Iowa trouble (not even considering all the option stuff yet) since they've had issues with running QBs all year and while they aren't bad defending the run by all means, they are much better against the pass. I just hope they can get Stanzi healthy, knock off the rust and trust him not to do anything especially stupid. He has got to produce for them, because I doubt the D will dominate GTs O.
At least Parker has a whole month to prepare the defense for it, so it shouldn't be something to really worry about.
I don't know about you guys and your relatively reasonable bowl matchups, but I am in now way anxious to get jailsexed by Texas Tech in the Alamo bowl. I thought if anything after a 6-6 season that we'd get a creampuff bowl opponent and our first post season win since 2001. Goodbye to that one! Hello TTU and the mismatch of the year. On the other hand, here's hoping Gerhart wins the Heisman. I've got a pretty good feeling it's gonna be Ingrahm, being that it's almost always the most logical choice. At least it's not Tebow, and god help me if McCoy actually walks away with it.
I'm a 'Bama fan. Have been now for 20 years or so, no fairweather shit here. I like our team. I like our D. The game against Florida was the best complete game the team has played all season. And I'm still nervous, just like every other game they play. I make no predictions when it comes to the Tide. Too Sybil-ish, you never know which personality will show up.
I'm curious, what the hell happened to the offense? Last Bama game I watched was that 12-10 debacle against Tennessee.
I'll say it: I think Ohio State is going to convincingly defeat Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State's defensive line is fucking nasty and not getting the recognition it deserves.
Is that the same Ohio State that lost to USC at home? A USC team that was destroyed by Oregon? Just saying.
Pff, or the same "D" that should have lost to Navy? Also at the shoe? To bad neither TCU or Boise will mater in the #1 debate since I see this game coming down to the last minutes A writer for the Detroit Free Press assumed Notre Dame chose to stay home becasue they didn't want the mighty Chips of Central Mich to throw all over the Irish D. I guess, since CMU beat MSU at Sparty Stadium.
Yeah, about that, probably not happening. I go to SC and I'm gonna have to say that after seeing the games against both teams Oregon is going to run away with this one. If fumbles McKnight and the rest of our offense were able to score, and the high quality defense that we put forth this year was able to stop Ohio State I'd have to side with Oregon on this one. On another note I'm really hoping that we can put it together against BC and salvage* the season a little bit. Also, hopefully T Mays can learn some of the basics of football in the next few weeks, like tackling. *yes, I know how spoiled we are that an 8-4 season must be salvaged, but that's what kind of decade it's been And yes I'm a bit bitter over this season because SC was one of the most undisciplined football teams I have ever seen for a team that is supposed to be as good as they are.
Oregon will win if Masoli can keep is turnovers down. When he's playing well Oregon can play with anyone in the country. As far as USC goes, they lost 8 defensive starters. It's a rebuilding year. Caroll will have them back in National Championship contention by next year.
Not to mention the QB. Barkley is going to be good, but he's a freshmen. Everyone of their linebackers was 1st round quality. Once this USC develops they should be a force again.
I won't even begin to speculate whether OSU will beat Oregon or not. But I will speculate that if USC and OSU were to play now, OSU would be a clear winner. That team has really improved in my eyes over the season. Fuck it, I'm going with the Buckeyes. By 14.
I'm a Gator alumnus. What happened was Nick Saban installed a few new packages in the first half, switched back to the bread and butter in the second, and the team executed everything with perfection. Florida got dismantled in every facet of the game. I think our plan was bad and the performance even worse, but none of that would have mattered. Bama was unbeatable that night. I'm less than excited about the Sugar Bowl. With all the coaching changes on both sides and letdown of not going to Pasadena, there's no telling what's going to happen.
McElroy must have visited the hypnotherapist from Office Space or something... I've never seen the guy so relaxed. He ran a great come from behind drive to win at Auburn the week before, and that must have done wonders for his confidence. He's still no great shakes as a QB, but if he can at least be some sort of offensive threat to help free up Ingram, it'll be good enough.
Re: NON-BCS BOWL GAMES Here are all the non-BCS bowl games: Actually some great games to watch. Any thoughts on what the best non-bcs bowl game will be? New Mexico Bowl: Wyoming vs. Fresno State St. Petersburg Bowl: Rutgers vs. Central Florida New Orleans Bowl: Middle Tennessee State vs. Southern Miss Maaco Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon State vs. BYU Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. Cal Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. SMU Pizza Bowl: Ohio vs. Marshall Meineke Car Care Bowl: North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. USC Music City Bowl: Kentucky vs. Clemson Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia EagleBank Bowl: Temple vs. Army or UCLA Champs Sports Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin Humanitarian Bowl: Idaho vs. Bowling Green Holiday Bowl: Nebraska vs. Arizona Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force vs. Houston Sun Bowl: Stanford vs. Oklahoma Texas Bowl: Missouri vs. Navy Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Iowa State Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn Capital One Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU Gator Bowl: West Virginia vs. Florida State International Bowl: South Florida vs. Northern Illinois Papajohns.com Bowl: UCONN vs. South Carolina Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss Liberty Bowl: East Carolina vs. Arkansas Alamo Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Michigan State GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy I'm looking forward to watching PSU play LSU not a bad match up. I guess it will be worth tuning in to see Bobby Bowdens last game, although I hope he loses I always support Joe Pa!
The Hawaiian Bowl should be fun with Reno and SMU. If you like option running attacks out of a single wing, Reno is as fun as they come. I am going to be enjoying the Emerald Bowl with USC and Boston College as I have a Niece that is a BC graduate who will be joining me at that game. Three hours of buying her drinks and watching her college go down in flames should be memorable.
Being from Michigan, we get (read:stay sober for) very few west coast games, so I think the Oregon St. vs. BYU is a the best non-BCS matchup. One team that could've been a BSC "buster" in BYU. The Beavers, just had to win to play in a BCS game. Both teams could score over 60 easy. Any thoughts about the Big 10 adding a team? Cinci should join but they're already in a weak conference they could win the next 3 years. But if I was AD at TCU, Boise, or Utah, I'd give my wife(s) and daughters to join. Any of those teams would've been BCS bound in the Big 10. ESPN says Mizzou is interested. Fuck them. They couldn't beat the Illini this year. Add Central Michigan so Sparty will get fucked every year.
I think adding Pitt, WVU, or Cincy would make things more interesting. With Pitt you would get an in state rival for Penn State as well as a program on the verge of breaking into a new level. And basketball exposure. WVU would bring a ton of southern exposure and a ton of basketball credibility. Cincy would create the in state rivalry with OSU and their program would certainly be a welcome bolster for the next few years. I'd like to see who they pick up for coach before they would get added though.
I am really stoked to watch the OSU vs BYU game. I think the Beavers are gonna be lookin to roll BYU cause they just barely missed out on playin in the Rose Bowl. That game between Oregon and Oregon St. was great and pulled a shit load more exposure to the west coast and Pac 10. We have some good teams that evolving into serious forces to be dealt with not just the bullshit "USC is the only good west coast team" bias.