2010 College Football

[Abagadro]

TCU and Boise State routinely beat Utah.

[Paelos]

TCU and Boise State routinely beat Utah.

And yet, something about that program gives me more confidence than the others. Also, the fact that Urban Meyer was there.

[ghost]

Since 1980-  

Utah versus TCU-  5-2
Utah versus Boise State-  1-4

Maybe that's regularly beating, but it's not as if these are year in-year out opponents.  Anyway, looking at Utah's record prior to 2000 (modern era only) is a bit futile, because they were not nearly as consistently good prior to Urban Meyer.  Utah has a lot more potential than the other two schools, which is part of why the PAC 10 took them in.



And there's this.  I think Utah would beat Boise pretty handily this year.  November 6 versus TCU should be a good game. 

[Abagadro]

Utah and tcu have been in the same conference for a while so they do play every year but won't any more obviously. Some of those wins were very tight and tcu really should have beat them in utah the year the utes beat up alabama.  I was at the last bsu/utah game and bsu totally outclassed them. They are both very good programs.

[Paelos]

Utah and tcu have been in the same conference for a while so they do play every year but won't any more obviously. Some of those wins were very tight and tcu really should have beat them in utah the year the utes beat up alabama.  I was at the last bsu/utah game and bsu totally outclassed them. They are both very good programs.

I remember in 2001 when the Utes beat a bad Pete Carroll coached USC team. I remember the distruction of Pitt that the Utes delivered in the Fiesta Bowl. I remember them next year demolishing the Yellow Jackets (in-state rival here) and loving every second of it. I remember them capping it all off with the win against Bama.

You know what I remember about Boise State? The OU game. That's it. Granted it's a great memory and really cool, but they haven't been involved against other programs in bowl games that I respected, feared, or hated.

[Ingmar]

Because nobody wants to schedule them, because nobody wants to lose to a program that nobody "respects", and because there's no money in it. It is a vicious circle. I guarantee the reason they're not joining the Pac 10 is mostly that nobody wants a team to join the conference that would bring in no real TV revenue, large markets, or large amounts of fans, and would kick all our asses to boot.

If they lose to Nevada everyone will draw the wrong conclusion too. "See, we said they weren't that good." The right conclusion is "Nevada is a really damn good team" but nobody who didn't get their heads handed to them by Nevada ( ) will realize it.

[Nebu]

I think scheduling creates a nice feedback loop with regard to strength of schedule arguments.  Teams like Boise State will always have problems with being ranked #1 due to the fact that they are limited in their out of conference games.  Most major teams stand to gain nothing by playing Boise State and have much to lose.  Yet another reason why I want to throw out the bowl games an institute a playoff.

Anyone notice that Denard Robinson (QB, Michigan) looks a wee bit less impressive playing a good defense?  It's much easier looking like a stud against the Connecticut, Notre Dame, Massachusetts, Bowling Green, or Indiana defenses. 

[Paelos]

I guarantee the reason they're not joining the Pac 10 is mostly that nobody wants a team to join the conference that would bring in no real TV revenue, large markets, or large amounts of fans, and would kick all our asses to boot.

See, that's part of it. Utah is going to grab a share of the SLC market which is 32nd in the nation, while Boise is like 100+. However, if the team is good, they want the national money. That's where the ticket is, not just the local markets. PAC-10 wants the CBS/ESPN/ABC money they can get by having a conference that has watchable matchups every week in 2 different timeslots. I'm not sure they believe that Boise can dance with the rest of the schools on a week to week basis, and that their national cred will get demolished if that's the case. Right now the PAC-10 isn't even close to that national mark that they desire. Only the Big 10 and SEC are commanding that kind of attention, and to knock them off the mountain you have to win bowl games, win titles, and win in the BCS.

You know who the last team besides USC was to win the Rose Bowl in the PAC-10? Washington in 1992. You know how many PAC-10 teams have won the national title besides USC? Two, Washington in 1991, and UCLA in 1954. You can't be that much of a lopsided conference and hope to win the same respect as everyone else. All the other conferences have more titles total, and more teams that have won than the PAC-10. They need to fix that thing.

[Ingmar]

You left off Cal from 1921-1923.   

[ghost]

And they'll soon be able to count Colorado. 

[Mortriden]

Because nobody wants to schedule them, because nobody wants to lose to a program that nobody "respects", and because there's no money in it. It is a vicious circle. I guarantee the reason they're not joining the Pac 10 is mostly that nobody wants a team to join the conference that would bring in no real TV revenue, large markets, or large amounts of fans, and would kick all our asses to boot.

If they lose to Nevada everyone will draw the wrong conclusion too. "See, we said they weren't that good." The right conclusion is "Nevada is a really damn good team" but nobody who didn't get their heads handed to them by Nevada ( ) will realize it.

I believe that Boise State does not qualify for the PAC-10 due to the academic requirements of the conference.  I remember reading that, last year maybe, when the conference switching rumor-mill started up. 

That blue field is bullshit too, it's the equivalent of 'Bama painting their field maroon; you'd hear some real screaming if that happened.  What other "national caliber" team does such a thing?

[Chimpy]

Boise State's astroturf has been blue since they put it in decades ago. It was one of the color options from the manufacturer. I saw some high school fields with that color when I was visiting a friend in Colorado.

[Paelos]

That blue field is bullshit too, it's the equivalent of 'Bama painting their field maroon; you'd hear some real screaming if that happened.  What other "national caliber" team does such a thing?

None. Boise is the only team in FBS out of 120 that has a non-green field. However, a few other non-FBS programs have non-green fields, and the NCAA has no regulation against it (despite several rumors to the contrary). Here's a hideous example that solidifies why it's such a shitty idea to go with red. I give you...Eastern Washington University Football!

[Muffled]

I hope every year that someone with sense comes in and rips that blue shit up so that I don't have to look at it ever again.  It never happens.

Eastern Washington should be ashamed.   

[ghost]

Rebel Black Bear?  Really?  This is the fucking stupidest thing in football, next to Stanford's tree.  

Rebel "Black" Bear

I find it interesting that they chose the "black" bear, as they are obviously trying to get away from racist overtones in their mascot.  How many black bears are actually in Mississippi?  Ten?  


Edit-  My Longhorns are going to get absolutely massacred this weekend. 

[Paelos]

There are no black bears in Mississippi. The only population I've ever seen are in Colorado and California.

It's the dumbest mascot choice in a while. I would have gone with the Ole Miss Rebel Catfish.

[Ingmar]

There aren't any grizzly bears left in California either, but that's still our mascot. The historical range for black bears definitely includes Mississippi:

http://www.bear.org/website/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=38

That said, I'm down with the catfish idea.

[Muffled]

What's wrong with a crawfish or a shrimp?  Those are pretty fearsome mascots.

Really though, I'd be fine with a catfish too.

[Nevermore]

The Ole Miss Oily Shrimp?

[SnakeCharmer]

Rebel Black Bear?  Really?  This is the fucking stupidest thing in football, next to Stanford's tree.

To me it's on the same level of stupidity that the current level of whining is about the current mascot. 

I'm in a bad goddamn mood so that's about as nice as I can be about that and leaving it alone.

[Sjofn]

Rebel Black Bear?  Really?  This is the fucking stupidest thing in football, next to Stanford's tree.  

At least bears are a real mascot. Stanford bailed on the most awesome mascot idea ever (the Robber Barons, you can't tell me that isn't goddamn rad ass) and are still paying for it with that fucking tree.

[01101010]

Rebel Black Bear?  Really?  This is the fucking stupidest thing in football, next to Stanford's tree.  

At least bears are a real mascot. Stanford bailed on the most awesome mascot idea ever (the Robber Barons, you can't tell me that isn't goddamn rad ass) and are still paying for it with that fucking tree.

Funny part I found was my roommate who is not into college ball asking me wtf that was when a shot of the tree flashed on the screen during the Oregon game. I told her it was a horrible joke that went too far and she persisted to ask what exactly it was. I told her a tree and then things got quiet for a few minutes and she sheepishly asked, can a mascot be a tree? I told her no and to never speak of this again.

[caladein]

Standford's weird on two fronts because they're the Cardinal (i.e. the color red) and their unofficial mascot is the tree.

Honestly, that makes more sense then the Crimson Tide/Elephant combo from Alabama, mainly because Palo Alto means "tall tree" whereas I'm unaware of any elephant populations near Tuscaloosa.

[proudft]

Clearly you're not a patron of Walmart.

[01101010]

Looks like Arkansas is getting jobbed already. Touchdown with the ball knocked out before the endzone? really? 

[Paelos]

Looks like Arkansas is getting jobbed already. Touchdown with the ball knocked out before the endzone? really? 

Mallet's also out for the day. To which I say HA! because he's always such a whiny bitch who fakes injuries to get calls. Welcome to actual pain, fucker.

[Ingmar]

Technically the tree is the band's mascot. The reason they picked it is the tree on the university seal.

Also, fucking Texas. 

[Rasix]

Foles just got Brady'd.

[01101010]

Holy shit what a nice college weekend. FL loses to Miss St again? lmao... the Buckeyes can't stand that number 1 spot. Kentucky are you shittin' me? Nebraska wtf? Arkansas and Auburn dropping 100+ between them? Great weekend games.

LSU - Auburn next week is either going to be Auburn crushing the Tigers or a Les Miles roadkill classic.

[Raging Turtle]

[Paelos]

I'm just going to leave this right here. It's great...to be...a Florida hater!  

The question for Florida is, who is Brantley throwing to and who is running between the tackles? Nobody has done any kind of interior running on that team except for Tebow. Hernandez and Cooper are gone, and I would be amazed if anybody outside of the Florida program or sports announcer could name both starting wide receivers, let alone the fact that none of their TE's have ever taken a snap in a college game.

They are severely overranked at #3, and hell I'm giving them credit that they CAN replace most of their defense.

[Nebu]

I would have LOVED to be in Madison last night.  Go Badgers!

[Abagadro]

Have to love the polls. Utah destroys Iowa State and they drop a place, Oklahoma destroys Iowa State and they leapfrog TCU.

[Chimpy]

Because "OMG we can't let teams without "tradition" be acknowledged."

[Abagadro]

Oh and my prior prediction is well on the way to fruition in that Auburn and LSU are knocking on the top 4 (despite LSU playing McNese State(!) in mid-October and only beating them by 22).