2008 College Football

[Nevermore]

How is that complicated?  The Big East isn't any different than the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10 or ACC with regard to conference champs getting BCS bowl invitations.

Don't overlook that away game at Louisville.  USF has never won in Louisville and they (finally) looked good last night.

[Paelos]

West Virginia sucks this year.

Case in point, today.

[Abagadro]

Karma for all the toothless histrionics they threw when Rodriguez left.

[Abagadro]

That LSU-Auburn game was pretty entertaining. That Lee kid was nails after that ridiculous screen/gift-touchdown he gave up.

[Paelos]

I like watching Auburn cry. They can't win the SEC now.

[SnakeCharmer]

Athens bound next weekend.  Ought to be one helluva a game.  True litmus test to see if Bama is for real.  Came out with a couple nicks and bruises against Arkansas, but nothing serious, though hearing Rolando McClain slightly sprained his foot is kinda bad news. 

[Paelos]

Athens bound next weekend.  Ought to be one helluva a game.  True litmus test to see if Bama is for real.  Came out with a couple nicks and bruises against Arkansas, but nothing serious, though hearing Rolando McClain slightly sprained his foot is kinda bad news. 

I'm optimistically terrified. I think my Dawgs have been living on the edge all season, and they can't keep taking over 100 yards in penalties a game. Bama OTOH has been nothing short of a frieght train in every game they've played.

[SnakeCharmer]

Heh. 'Optimistically terrified' is a great way of putting it for me as well. 

I can't get a read on UGA from the two games I've seen them play.  They seem to be playing close to the vest, not showing much.  I'm scared some offensive juggarnaught is going to come out.

What Bama team shows up?  The one that mauled Clemson and Arkansas?  Or the team that sleptwalk through Tulane?  I don't really count the Western Kentucky game as a real opponent - they SHOULD have won that game the way they did. 

ESPN Gameday is going to be on site at Sanford Stadium.  It's going to be completely INSANE. 

What is the must see/eat/place to go in Athens?  Somewhere for dinner Friday night, then a bar afterwards.  We're heading up Friday afternoon/night in an RV. 

[Paelos]

Best place to eat in Athens downtown is probably Porterhouse, the downtown steakhouse. Other options are Harry Bisset's for Cajun, Depalma's for Italian, and Casa Mi for Spanish Tapas, and East/West is also popular. As for bars, they are impossible to keep track of. I prefer drinking in Bisset's, Winery, and Gameday Pub because they are older crowds. Flanigans, Boarshead, and Firehouse were always the 18 year old cram em to the wall places.

As for things to see, if you're going to Athens on gameday, you've seen the best the town has to offer.

EDIT: If you are looking for more classic Athens college grub, there's always The Grill and Little Italy for lunch.

[WayAbvPar]

Pac-10 officials once again embarrass themselves, the conference, and the game of football itself. The play itself didn't end up being decisive (and it was a game between a horrible team and a I-AA school), but they still absolutely butchered a call.

WSU DB tips the ball in the air. As he is falling to the ground, he sticks his hand out and keeps the ball from hitting the ground. He then corrals the ball with both hands. The ball never comes close to the ground, and is rightly called an interception on the field. It is then reviewed, which everyone watching assumed was a formality (review request came from the booth, not from a coach). After seeing the same replays I saw, in which there was no doubt that the ball never hit the ground (while watching the replays, one of the moronic color guys doing the game even said it would be "dumb" if they overturned it), the ref comes out, reverses the decision on the field, and gives the ball back to PSU.

Like I said earlier- it wasn't an important call in a big game, but it showed yet AGAIN that the Pac-10 has the worst officials (and refs in basketball) in organized sports. It isn't even that they are biased one way or another- they are just incompetent.

I wish I could find a video of it. It was just another godawful call.

[SnakeCharmer]

Best place to eat in Athens downtown is probably Porterhouse, the downtown steakhouse.

That's perfect, many thanks.

We have 4 seats in the 105 section, and 2 seats in the 112 section, which is supposed to be the 'visitors' side.  I fully expect to be surrounded by a sea of black jersies, however.

[Paelos]

Best place to eat in Athens downtown is probably Porterhouse, the downtown steakhouse.

That's perfect, many thanks.

We have 4 seats in the 105 section, and 2 seats in the 112 section, which is supposed to be the 'visitors' side.  I fully expect to be surrounded by a sea of black jersies, however.

105 is just inside Gate 2, and you'll be in front of Georgia fans. The Visitors get the seats below the fans on that side, and so they must constantly walk past them up and down the aisles. I've seen several fights break out in that section over the years when I had tickets above that section, so I would recommend coming into your seats at the field level gates, rather than come in up top on the bridge at Gate 2. It's just less of a PITA.

[Oz]

Good defensive finish for the Mizzou in that game.

In the past few years def has been Mizzou's biggest problem.  I fucking scream in rage everytime we go into 1/2 time leading by like 20+ points only to have lose the lead second half.  Thanfully it didn't happen much last year (year before last was hard to watch, almost like they said "fuck it, we're so far ahead they can't do shit").  I have high hopes for Mizzou this year, assuming we can handle Oklahoma state. 

shouldn't have a problem vs KU or NE, they both suck donkey dick anway.

[SnakeCharmer]

CMR and CNS paying some lipservice to each other.

This week is going by too slow.

[CmdrSlack]

Bah, it's RTR all the way to the weekend, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm hoping for a repeat of the Bama-Georgia game when I was an undergrad from 94-98. You guess which year.

[SnakeCharmer]

The Zier (sp?) / Barker matchup in '94 (I think)?  That was a helluva game. 

This game scares me to death.  If Bama jumps out big (14+ points) early, I think they cruise to nice win - we need confidence early as it will settle the young players down.  If they get behind early (7+), I think they lose.  If it stays relatively even, I think it comes down to who has the ball last.  That sounds like a Captain Obvious statement, I know.  But Bama has thrived on early knockout blows, and hasn't had to press to come from behind to win.  It's a young team, and generally that means the players hit a panic button when things aren't 'normal'. 

UGA is going to exploit the hell out of the right side OL with the blitz; to punch JPW in the mouth a few times to get him rattled.  They'll also exploit Bama's speed and aggressiveness on defense with screen plays.
Bama is going to HAVE to run the ball consistently, with some decent play out of JPW.  They HAVE to protect him on the right side.  And the special teams are going to have to learn to cover on kick offs.  Giving UGA a short field won't work.

For some reason, I think the new clock rules are going to be pivotal in this game.

Midweek prediction?  Both teams scoring in the mid 20's.  And since I'm a Bama homer through and through, I figure 24-23 Bama. 

 

[CmdrSlack]

Yep, definitely the '94 game.

JPW needs to be a good scrambler, because I don't think the OL has ever done a solid job of protecting him. When he DOES get some protection and gets time to throw, he's still on it. But I really can't figure out why the OL hasn't done that great of a job for him the last few seasons.

[SnakeCharmer]

The left side, with top 5 pick Andre Smith is fine.  The right side is where he gets blasted.  Bama hasn't had a solid right tackle for a while now.  Look for UGA to bring three (DE, and two blitzers) on the right early and often, regardless if there's a RB back there to help out.  IngramCoffeeUpchurchGrant are going to have to step up, and step up big to offer some protection.  Hopefully McElwain will call some roll outs to the left to help mitigate this.

[Montague]

USC will drop some inexplicable game to Stanford or Cal or UCLA along the way.  It's in their DNA.

Or Oregon State. 21-0 at half

[Abagadro]

Heh. Knew it (it ain't over yet though)

That would be sweet if it happens, then the Utes can beat up on Oregon State in the inevitable away-game let down next week and up their SoS.

[Triforcer]

I smell Ohio State-Oklahoma!  The story begins anew. 

[Montague]

I smell Ohio State-Oklahoma!  The story begins anew. 

Oh god please no. I just wanna smoke somebody in a BCS bowl game and be the team "playing the best football right now"   

[Paelos]

Ohio State still has no chance.

Put that out of your mind.

[Triforcer]

Ohio State still has no chance.

Put that out of your mind.

Football critics have the memory of a goldfish.  Four or five weeks from now, when OSU stomped the rest of the Big Ten and Pryor is Vince Younging it up, they will be ranked 4th or 5th again (rationalized by saying "Pryor and Wells together=awesome!).  Then, a couple last minute losses put them in the championship game, where the gods want them to be (and lose). 

[Paelos]

I think the voters are tired of OSU's shtick. Plus, I don't think they can win out. There's no guarantee that they beat Wisconsin, Penn State, or Michigan. The defense is just awful.

[Sky]

[Montague]

Looks like Alabama is back.

[CmdrSlack]

The 4th quarter was a bit rough, but yeah, RTR folks, RTfuckingR.

[Paelos]

My team forgot to get off the bus. By the time the Dawgs figured out what the hell was going on, 30 points in a half wasn't enough.

Ah well, I have ridiculous hopes of a rematch in the SEC championship. That would be epic.

[sigil]

That was a perfect win for the Tide.  A complete dick stomping, followed by a let up that will let Saban ride their asses into the ground to never :ever: let up.

Really looking forward to that LSU game now.

RTR

[SnakeCharmer]

Just got back.  Hole eee sheep shit.  What a game.  I will hand it to UGA though.  After getting curbstomped in the first half, then to come back in the 3rd to make it interesting showed alot of character.  The garbage points in the 4th I really wasn't too worried about, since it was mostly Alabama scrubs, though I admit my ass was taking bites out of the seat in the 3rd.  I don't think anyone could have predicted that score.

Have got some great pics from the game, which I'll host somewhere and link up as soon as I can find my cable.   

Ah well, I have ridiculous hopes of a rematch in the SEC championship. That would be epic.

That's probably going to happen.  I'm looking for tickets now 

[CmdrSlack]

My team forgot to get off the bus.

That's ok, they couldn't have bought gas for it anyway. 

[Paelos]

All in all, if UGA had to lose, they couldn't have picked a better week to do when half the top 25 was having issues.

[CmdrSlack]

Wow, Bama is now ranked #2 in the AP poll.

I think we started the season in the 30s.

[Triforcer]

Ohio State stayed 14th.  Wow, maybe the pollsters HAVE learned.  I honestly expected a bunch of "OMG WELLS AND PRYOR TOGETHER AT LAST" articles and a ranking around 7th.