2010 College Football

[Paelos]

Also, the computers are a joke. They have Missouri at #2 despite the fact that without a blown call they lose to San Diego State. The whole system is fucked.

Agreed. Still, Utah is bound for better things. Just not this year.

EDIT: Also, an Oregon/TCU final would have the ESPN cocksuckers hating the system when their ratings go in the shitter, HA!

[caladein]

Yes, the only way a non-AQ gets near the top of the polls is if they're undefeated.  Even though TCU and Utah are both top-10 at the moment, the loser is going to drop like a lead weight and the winner probably won't go any higher than whatever place the higher ranked team was before the game.

Also, Boise isn't getting near the NCG unless we start seeing multiple two-loss AQ conference champions.  Get ready for another Consolation Prize Bowl with Boise and the winner of TCU/Utah.

Of course, I hope I'm wrong and the voters get it through their heads that the MWC is actually pretty good and TCU/Utah are both very very good teams, but that's rather unlikely.

[Muffled]

Does anyone think Michigan State or Missouri can stay solid and take their respective conferences undefeated? 

Those two, Auburn either undefeated or with one close loss and the SEC title, Alabama with an impressive win over Auburn to close out and the SEC title, or of course Oregon undefeated are the teams I could see going ahead of TCU and Boise in the polls.  Missing anyone?  I see no chance of a one loss conference champ from anywhere except the SEC jumping them.

However this shakes out, I pray we don't end up with another bowl pitting the two top non-AQ teams.  If they go in and wreck two legitimate big conference opponents they would at least gain some credibility for next season.

[ghost]

YTCU and Utah are both top-10 at the moment, the loser is going to drop like a lead weight and the winner probably won't go any higher than whatever place the higher ranked team was before the game.

The SOS from this win will likely put TCU ahead of Boise State in the BCS poll. 

[SnakeCharmer]

Does anyone think Michigan State or Missouri can stay solid and take their respective conferences undefeated? 

Those two, Auburn either undefeated or with one close loss and the SEC title, Alabama with an impressive win over Auburn to close out and the SEC title, or of course Oregon undefeated are the teams I could see going ahead of TCU and Boise in the polls.  Missing anyone?  I see no chance of a one loss conference champ from anywhere except the SEC jumping them.

However this shakes out, I pray we don't end up with another bowl pitting the two top non-AQ teams.  If they go in and wreck two legitimate big conference opponents they would at least gain some credibility for next season.

If AU wins out (including the SECCG), they're in the NCG.
If Bama wins out (including the SECCG), they're in the NCG.

Bama's SoS is going to SKYROCKET as it finishes the season.  If they beat a top 15 ranked LSU, top 25 ranked Miss State, and top 3 ranked AU?  In like Flynn, baby.  We finally got an offweek to get healthy for stretch and work on some fundamentals.

[Paelos]

Does anyone think Michigan State or Missouri can stay solid and take their respective conferences undefeated? 

Michigan State, yes. We'll know after Saturday. If they can beat Iowa, they just have to keep their heads on straight for 3 unranked opponents with the biggest mental hurdle being Penn State.

Missouri? No chance. They have to face Nebraska. This Nebraska team has two strengths that could crush Mizzou. First, they are fantastic at controlling the ball on the ground, and keeping the other team's offense off the field. Second, they outscore opponents 51-28 in the 4th quarter. They finish strong when it counts. Outside of the OU game, Mizzou has had problems this season putting up numbers in the 4th. If Nebraska controls the clock and makes keeps the game close to the last quarter, they will win.

Even if Mizzou gets past Nebraska, they get a face-full of OU all over again. I don't think they can pull that rabbit out of the hat twice.

[01101010]

I think the stars should align and watch LSU crush Bama and Bama in turn destroy Auburn. A man can dream. 

[SnakeCharmer]

I honestly can't figure out who would go to the SECCG if that happened.  Makes my head asplode.

[Paelos]

I honestly can't figure out who would go to the SECCG if that happened.  Makes my head asplode.

That's easy. Bama has 2 SEC losses if they lose to LSU, and they are out. Auburn would have 1 SEC loss to Bama. LSU would have one SEC loss to Auburn. Auburn has head-to-head on LSU and wins. Auburn goes to the title game.

[SnakeCharmer]

Yeah.  For some reason I had forgotten the SC loss counted as an SEC W loss.  Or maybe it was my brain's way of washing the memory.

[ghost]

Have you gotten your Iron Bowl tickets, Snakecharmer?  This is going to be a hell of a year to be at the game.

[SnakeCharmer]

No, and I probably won't.  4 weeks before the game, and tickets at the 40 yd line are in the $800 range.  For one ticket.  I wouldn't want to watch it from the nosebleeds.  Besides, it's Thanksgiving weekend, and I'd rather spend 1600 plus on a kick ass, fully catered party at my house and watch it in 65" hi-def goodness from the comfort of my lazy boy.  And if Bama ends up getting blown out by the Newtontrain, I can take a couple extra shots of whiskey and go pass out.

[ghost]

Well, looks like we'll really see what Oregon is made of this weekend when they play USC. 

Other fantastic games to look forward to with my picks to win.

Iowa versus MSU-  Iowa
Missouri versus Nebraska-  Nebraska
Stanford versus Washington-  UW
Arizona versus UCLA-  Arizona


I also think Texas is going to bounce back and mow down Baylor.

[WayAbvPar]

I have seen a few picks of UW over Stanford. I haven't seen Stanford much this year, but if they can run any kind of offense they should run away from UW. Their defense is just unbelievably incompetent. My favorite trick of theirs is when their corners play literally 8-10 yards off the receivers at the line of scrimmage, apparently to avoid being beat deep for big plays. Which is a decent strategy until you see the other team completing short-ish wide open passes which then result in huge plays because the defense not only can't cover, they can't fucking tackle.

[Rasix]

I have seen a few picks of UW over Stanford. I haven't seen Stanford much this year, but if they can run any kind of offense they should run away from UW. Their defense is just unbelievably incompetent. My favorite trick of theirs is when their corners play literally 8-10 yards off the receivers at the line of scrimmage, apparently to avoid being beat deep for big plays. Which is a decent strategy until you see the other team completing short-ish wide open passes which then result in huge plays because the defense not only can't cover, they can't fucking tackle.

UW's defense is one of the worst I've seen live.  Soft is the word for it.  Your corners play soft.  Your D line gets almost zero push.  Our second string quarterback completed something like 80% of his passes, threw for 200+ yard 2 tds, and ran for another 70 yards.  He was rarely under any pressure.  The tackling was a goddamn joke.

The offense didn't look much better. Locker played scared.  Once it was obvious he didn't want to run for fear of getting hit, it was open season.  He would have gotten killed if the refs didn't feel like it was OK on every play for your left tackle to commit blatant holding.  The biggest threat is your starting tailback, who is a beast. Your utility back is pretty decent also, but his name pronouced by the PA guys sounds like a local tea party canidate. It just felt like an easy offense to contain once our DBs stopped acting like morons.

UCLA is a trap game.  TRAAAAAP.  On paper and by our recent performances, Arizona should kill them.  Running first attacks without a credible passing game to back them up are something that normally we have no problem with at all.  Just can't let their defense or special teams let them get easy scores. 

[ghost]

Is AZ's quarterback healthy, Rasix?

[Rasix]

Is AZ's quarterback healthy, Rasix?

They think Foles might be OK for Stanford.  He actually threw warm up for the Washington game.  I have a feeling they'll stick to plan and he won't see any touches against UCLA.

Luckily he just has a minor knee sprain apparently.  He was lucky in that the WSU defender rolled up the back of his leg instead of pulling a Brady/Carson type manuver.  He was holding his leg like his season was over when it happened, however.  

Scott is a very good backup.  Even with the glut of good QBs in the Pac 10, he'd start at half the colleges easy. They must have worked with him a lot, because he throws a much better ball over just a year ago.  

[Ingmar]

Does he want to transfer? 

[ghost]

UCLA is all sorts of fucked up.  They go down to Texas and beat the hell out of them and then get beaten by Cal.  That doesn't make any sense. 

[Ingmar]

Hell, Cal doesn't make any sense. We blow people out or get blown out seemingly at random.

[Muffled]

I gave up trying to predict who will actually win any given game in week three, this year.

[ghost]

They think Foles might be OK for Stanford.  He actually threw warm up for the Washington game.  I have a feeling they'll stick to plan and he won't see any touches against UCLA.

That win versus Iowa is damned impressive, but good lord the end of AZs schedule is murder. 

[01101010]

Anyone else laff at Fla St's loss? I know I did. 

[ghost]

I laugh at every Florida State loss. 

[Rasix]

They think Foles might be OK for Stanford.  He actually threw warm up for the Washington game.  I have a feeling they'll stick to plan and he won't see any touches against UCLA.

That win versus Iowa is damned impressive, but good lord the end of AZs schedule is murder. 

@Stanford
USC
@Oregon

Blarrrrrrrrrg.  If we win two of those, I'll be overjoyed. 

Stanford, we can beat, but it's on the road. USC is pretty dangerous this year, they've got nothing to play for and that offense can just be killer.  Barkley is playing really well.  And Oregon is just Oregon.  We could put 50 points on them and lose, because they just hung 60 on us.

As a consolation, we should absolutely obliterate ASU.  But, rivalry game.  Their D at times has been good.

[Abagadro]

Been poking around the upcoming schedules and had to laugh at how the top teams in the "best conference in the country" are all playing teams like La-Monroe, Chattanooga and Georgia State in November.

[Chimpy]

Been poking around the upcoming schedules and had to laugh at how the top teams in the "best conference in the country" are all playing teams like La-Monroe, Chattanooga and Georgia State in November.

Gotta make sure you are rested for that all important championship game, am I right?

And yet their supporters say their schedules are harder.

[ghost]

I'm sure you guys can find a way to convince everyone Boise State plays a tougher schedule than Auburn.   

[Azuredream]

(Big Ten guy here) I think the SEC is the best conference I just don't like it when they're all in your face about it.

[ghost]

The Big Ten, SEC and PAC 10 are all a significant step ahead of the other conferences.  Who's "best" is really academic, even though the SEC has won a bunch of titles recently.  What matters is that the competition is extremely tough, in conference, from top to bottom.  The next tier includes the Big 12, ACC, Big East and MWC.  The MWC better enjoy it while they can though, because once Utah leaves they'll be hurt bad.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to see TCU go to the Big 12 after this season, either.

[caladein]

Utah's being replaced with Boise State and Nevada's joining the year after.  It's the WAC that's going to be hurt more than anything, although that's how these things go since the Southwest Conference blew up.

[Abagadro]

God I hate playing Air Force. Complete pain in the ass. I'll take the ugly W though. Epic game next weekend.

[Ingmar]

Lost in a savage beating, must be an even week.

[Abagadro]

This is a bad sign. I'm already distracted and geeked up for next Sat. This is going to be a looooooooooooooong week at work.

[Paelos]

Now I just need an Oregon down week for them to take a loss, and a win by either Georgia or Alabama against Auburn, and suddenly we get what we've all been waiting for...The WAC v. Mountain West National Championship.

I really really really want this to happen so I can hear ESPN valiantly defend the BCS system as they watch their viewer numbers totally tank for the game they bought.