2008 College Football

[Paelos]

It's about to get really really weird. I may get my wish of a Texas v. Florida final.

[Abagadro]

I'm really going to laugh when USC goes to the championship game without even winning the Pac-10.

[Paelos]

I'm really going to laugh when USC goes to the championship game without even winning the Pac-10.

If that happens it only furthers my Disney conspiracy related to college football.

[SnakeCharmer]

Disney conspiracy?

This I have to hear.

[Paelos]

Disney conspiracy?

This I have to hear.

Disney owns ABC and ESPN. Disney is headquartered in Burbank, CA. They control a large chunk of the media for broadcasting college football, EXCEPT for the SEC who went to CBS. The SEC gave the middle finger to Disney a long time ago, and it hasn't forgiven us. In the polls, Disney uses it's media influence to try and push USC (aka the home team) to the top of the rankings, while also dropping down SEC teams. This happened earlier in the year when USC leapfrogged UGA even when the dawgs won.

ESPN and ABC will always try to push USC to the top in the rankings because of the Disney connection.

EDIT: Oh, and I forgot. Several of the Disney execs are USC graduates and trustees. A good example is Richard Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

[Abagadro]

Man, what BS that Penn State jumped the Utes in the coaches poll. BYU is a better team that Michigan State and was ranked higher. I guess the Utes have hit the glass ceiling of the polls.

EDIT: Oh and Texas is getting royally screwed but Mack Brown is such a whiny loser I don't really care.

[SnakeCharmer]

Disney conspiracy?

This I have to hear.

Disney owns ABC and ESPN. Disney is headquartered in Burbank, CA. They control a large chunk of the media for broadcasting college football, EXCEPT for the SEC who went to CBS. The SEC gave the middle finger to Disney a long time ago, and it hasn't forgiven us. In the polls, Disney uses it's media influence to try and push USC (aka the home team) to the top of the rankings, while also dropping down SEC teams. This happened earlier in the year when USC leapfrogged UGA even when the dawgs won.

ESPN and ABC will always try to push USC to the top in the rankings because of the Disney connection.

EDIT: Oh, and I forgot. Several of the Disney execs are USC graduates and trustees. A good example is Richard Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

USC (like ND) is a media darling regardless, but it's awfully hard not to agree with your theory.

I am really surprised 'Bama didn't drop to 3 in the coaches poll.  Sure, they shouldn't drop since they didn't play, I suppose, but man...Even I can't argue that UF and OU aren't at the top of their game and probably deserve to be 1 and 2 (or even just tied for 1) with the way they're playing.

[Paelos]

Texas didn't buy into the hype when USC was being touted as the best college football team ever.

If Bama can focus on playing clean football and solid defense, they will absolutely win against Florida. Florida's main push comes off the other team making mistakes. Their offense is not that impressive if you play them in toe-to-toe football with few turnovers. Mississippi can attest to this. The ONLY team to beat Florida had absolutely no turnovers.

[SnakeCharmer]

I'm not getting all doom and gloom, because if there's a team that is a perfect design to beat the UF's and OU's of the world, it's Alabama:  strong defense and clock eating offense.  And that's really how Bama beats everyone.  Even if they don't score alot of points in the first half, their commitment to the run and slow pounding pays off in the second half. 

Those high powered offenses can't do anything sitting on the bench while Alabama churns out 8 minute drives like they love to do. 

Still have to get by Auburn, though...

Tubberville coaches his best when his back is against the wall.

[WayAbvPar]

I don't want to hear any bitching about your college teams. I had to watch the fucking Apple Cup this weekend, and it was easily the worst played football game I have seen outside of high school. God how embarrassing.

[Abagadro]

I think you are headed to a BCS game Ohio State honks.  Told ya goofy shit happens at the end of the season.

[Paelos]

Georgia having no semblence of a defense bit us in the ass again. What a horrible team we are this year despite all the talent at the beginning. I fully expect that both our defensive coordinator and special teams coach will be fired/moved.

[SnakeCharmer]

I only watched about 4 games this year for UGA.  What happened?  Injuries?  Or honestly, just a bit overrated?

Anyway...
12 up.
12 down.
2 to go.

Heading to Hotlanta next weekend and staying with friends from college.  Got tickets to the show.  Can't wait...

Bring on the Florida Gators.

[Abagadro]

You got a break with Harvin being injured. Will be a good game for sure.

[SnakeCharmer]

They're scary good even without him.  But yeah, that does play a bit in our favor. 

Does it make me a bad person to have been wishing for Tebow to go down with a compound fracture of the femur sprained ankle or something?  Nothing too serious, just enough to keep him out of the game?  I can't imagine our linebackers are too enthused at the prospect of tackling a defensive end masquerading as a quarterback.

[Triforcer]

I think you are headed to a BCS game Ohio State honks.  Told ya goofy shit happens at the end of the season.

Maybe.  But UCLA, as terrible as they always are, seem to win one game a year like next week's game.  We'll see...

and please, please let OSU play a Big12 team, not an SEC team....

[Abagadro]

It will be interesting to see who the Fiesta takes. They've been bloviating about taking a "top 6" team when it was USC they were eying. When the choice comes down to Ohio State and Utah as their at-large possibilities with the Utes at 6 and Ohio State at 10, we'll see what really matters. We filled that place up in 2004, but Ohio State probably gets better TV ratings.

[Paelos]

I only watched about 4 games this year for UGA.  What happened?  Injuries?  Or honestly, just a bit overrated?

Anyway...
12 up.
12 down.
2 to go.

Heading to Hotlanta next weekend and staying with friends from college.  Got tickets to the show.  Can't wait...

Bring on the Florida Gators.

It was a combination of things. For starters, UGA had 18 Season-ending injuries this season. Just counting starters alone, they missed a total of 49 potential combined games. That's essentially an average 4 starters who missed the entire season. This affected our special teams probably the worst, which leads me to my next point. We're also very very young due to those injuries, and it showed.

Our special teams couldn't cover anything. The other team started on at least the 30 after every kickoff. We couldn't get a touchback, and we often kicked the ball out of bounds. Also, the team continued to make stupid penalties all year long. Georgia had 105 penalties in 12 games for 885 yards. That's 74 yards per game average. Guess who the least penalized team is in the SEC? Alabama. It's a good reason for why Alabama can go undefeated. Florida is heavily penalized as well, coming in 2nd worst in the SEC, but they cover it with amazing offensive production.

The defense played scared every game. They wouldn't blitz. Our defensive coordinator had 2 weeks to prepare for the triple option, and they still hung 45 on us. Willy Martinez can't get the job done. He's playing too conservatively, and it's killing us. Teams have all day to pass against UGA. They don't fear any rushes, and they know we'll take interference penalties.

The truth is, the injuries just magnified coaching problems. Richt is going to have to do some hard thinking about what he wants from his supporting staff, because right now they are not getting the job done. I put this season's losses to Tech and Alabama squarely on the coaching staff not having our team prepared to play. Florida, they just rolled over us after turnovers in the second half.

[EWSpider]

They're scary good even without him.  But yeah, that does play a bit in our favor. 

Does it make me a bad person to have been wishing for Tebow to go down with a compound fracture of the femur sprained ankle or something?  Nothing too serious, just enough to keep him out of the game?  I can't imagine our linebackers are too enthused at the prospect of tackling a defensive end masquerading as a quarterback.

Careful, if Tebow reads that it's game over for 'Bama.  When the FSU fans cheered Harvin's injury (and continued to cheer as he was helped off the field) Tebow got "irritated" and demanded the ball on the next play.  He subsequently lit up FSU's entire fucking defensive line and carried them all into the end zone on his back for the touchdown. 

I can't wait for next week and I think we're in for one hell of a game.  I'm going to need a bottle of Tums to make it through the game as I'm betting this one is going to come down to the wire.

GO GATORS!

[SnakeCharmer]

I read that about Tebow when Harvin got injured.  Tebow is a freak of nature - there's no way somebody that big should be that quick and have a decent arm to go with it.

I will be glad when he graduates.

I said it before, but it's worth repeating:  If there's a team out the that is suited to beat UF, it's Bama.  Physical and fast defense, ball control offense, and solid special teams.  Most importantly, Bama doesn't beat themselves with penalties, blown coverages, and other mental errors. 

It will be interesting to see how Bama reacts to being behind against UF, which will happen.  Even I don't think we can hold UF like we have everyone else this season.  Our defense is damn good, but not otherworldly good, which is what it would take.  They'll have to play lights out every single play on defense.  Everything starts with UF's offensive line versus Bama's defensive line; that's where the game is going to be won or lost for either team.  I'm not worried about Bama's offense against UF's defense, to be honest.

[MisterNoisy]

The real BCS championship is next week.  Every other school is playing for 'best of the rest'.

Go Gators!

[Paelos]

Fucking Gator fans always come out of the closet come bowl time.

[Abagadro]

Hey WayAbvPar, looks like your Huskies hired Steve Sarkisian. I automatically hate him because he is a BYU fuckwad, but I think he may be a pretty good coach.

The vacancies are dwindling without Kyle Whittingham leaving Utah for one of them so he may actually stick around.  Has he been mentioned at all in the Auburn discussion for those of you in that region? I can't see him being in the mix there but that seems to be the only position worth leaving Utah for at this point.

[WayAbvPar]

I don't know that much about him, but I like the fact that he is young and has some clue about how to run a fucking offense. He is going to need a damned good D coordinator too, but there is a shitload of young talent on the offensive side with which to tinker. Hopefully he is more interesting to listen to than 'Paint Dry' Ty. God that guy is dull. No wonder his teams suck- he has dick for passion (not to be confused with a passion for dick  ).

[SnakeCharmer]

About to head to Atlanta.  Prediction time:

Alabama is able to control the line of scrimmage with their d line, allowing linebackers to make the plays.  Also, blitzes from every angle keep Tebow off balance.  UA's defense plays extremely disciplined, smart football making tackles in space.  UA's offense grinds the clock and ball on the ground due to UF's weak defensive line and inexperienced linebackers.  Ground game opens up play action.

Florida will get their points, but comes mostly in special teams.  They have some moderate success moving the ball, but once the field shortens up and compresses, they find the going a bit tougher.

Final:

Alabama

33

Florida

20

Really crazy ass prediction: John Parker Wilson goes 15-22, 1 passing TD, 1 rushing TD, 1INT.  Gets player of the game.

[WayAbvPar]

Tebow is going to go apeshit in this game. Florida 44 Alabama 30.

[Abagadro]

Florida 37 Alabama 24 with one of Bama's scores being a meaningless late TD.

[Paelos]

Florida 43 Bama 14 - Turnovers shoot Bama in the foot.

[Abagadro]

17-17. Good game so far. Florida not having Harvin is hurting them badly I believe.

[Abagadro]

How the hell do you call a sideline flag in that situation? Lame.

Didn't matter, but lame call.

[Montague]

Good game, and Florida is a hell of a team, but Gary Danielson's constant fellatiating of Tebow was tiresome.

[Nevermore]

What, are you saying you don't think Tebow is the best player in the history of the game? 

[Abagadro]

Now I want Missouri to win just to throw a gigantic grenade into the BCS shitpile.

[Abagadro]

Well so much for that: This 12 championship is a slaughter and it isn't even halftime.

[Paelos]

Missouri couldn't beat Kansas. The fact that they had to even play the Big 12 Championship was a joke.

Alabama failed to do what they had to do in the Florida game. They held it close despite the awful passing game which was under 50%. If the game was only 3 quarters long they would have won. Too bad they completely fell apart in the 4th quarter. It was awful to watch.