The College Football thread

“Well, TN should win out the last three games. But, odds are pretty high in my mind that one of the three will show up, and wind up with a win, knocking TN out of a bowl chance.

Memphis
Kentucky
Vandy

all of those teams would count it a successful season with a won over UT.”

“I'd be worried about Vandy. They need a win to get eligible, gave UF all they wanted, and would love to knock off the Vols.

I'm not saying they would've beaten UF, but I hate that they didn't get the chance to go for 2. Would a lame call by the official to give an unsportsmanlike call to the guy who scored the last TD of regulation. SEC ref's suck.”

“Vandy has a great chance to beat UT.

UT has been going to bowls for the last 16 yrs. Only 2 other teams have been to more bowls in a row than UT.”

“If Vandy beats UT, will UT fans put a moving van in front of Fulmers house the way they did Majors?”

“probably not because they all blame Sanders”

“BTW... FSU has the best dressed fans.

”

“I dunno, they look overdressed to me.”

““where is dayhiker when i need him?”
Mrs Opie
11:07:55 PM
11/07/05
ignore this user

“I'm here. Bama did score 2TD's, but they weren't scored by our O. That the concern. I too think we lose to LSU. I think we beat AU. I hope we win out, I just don't see it. Our line sucked to begin with and now our only SR broke his leg. The backup is a 5th yr SR, but has yet to letter. That should tell you something about his capabilities. He transfed from UAB because he wasn't getting to play there for crying out loud. There is talk of taking the RS off a freshman and letting him play C. Either way, not many choices.
last edited: 11/08/05 7:52:02 AM”
dayhiker
7:50:46 AM
11/08/05
ignore this user

I don't think that's the kinda backup Mrs. Opie was looking for, LOL.”

“I agree dayhiker. Even with replay, there have been some awful calls in college football this year. That was one of them. That’s the trouble with those morality penalties, they’re very subjective.




Miss Opie (et. al.)-

MY POINT IS (and always has been) that scoring a bunch of points improves your team’s ranking in the polls.

Bama hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown in 14 quarters. THAT doesn’t impress the pollsters. Scoring lots of points impresses the pollsters.


I just can’t explain it many more ways:

Scoring lots of points usually impresses the pollsters. Impressing the pollsters (and formerly, the old margin of victory formula) usually results in higher rankings. Higher rankings usually translates to better bowls. Better bowls usually translates to more money and better exposure for your program. Better exposure and the upgraded facilities that come with more money for your program usually translates into better recruiting. Better recruiting usually translates into a more productive offense. A more productive offense usually translates into higher scoring. Higher scoring usually impresses the pollsters.


Over the years, we have seen again and again that margin of victory counts. And not only if you want more money to improve your athletic facilities and programs. Of Note:

Over the years, the UF Athletic Department has donated a lot of money for academics.


Miami beat Va. Tech by an impressive margin. Alabama couldn’t score an offensive touchdown against Miss. St.

What more needs to be discussed about this subject?”

“yeah dayhiker- you aren't my friend anymore. Miami only won by 20 points. That isn't that big of a deal. Even if UT was undefeated and a team that had lost a game ranked before them- i would say that isn't fair. yeah bama might have played like crap in the first half but they came back with a decent game.”

“...Alabama couldn’t score an offensive touchdown against Miss. St.

What more needs to be discussed about this subject?”
arclite
3:47:27 PM


Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, when arc says it, it sounds so, so bad. LOL”

“DDX - I see a great future in pole dancing ahead for those two FSU girls. ;-)”

““yeah dayhiker- you aren't my friend anymore. Miami only won by 20 points. That isn't that big of a deal. Even if UT was undefeated and a team that had lost a game ranked before them- i would say that isn't fair. yeah bama might have played like crap in the first half but they came back with a decent game.”
Mrs Opie
8:26:34 PM
11/08/05
ignore this user

I'm not arguing that Bammer's situation is fair, just that it'll be a moot point after this weekend. :D”

“Yes. It is obviously true that ND has no speed, can't recruit and are irrelevant in the College Football world. Wait, College Gameday has been to two of our games this year, we sit at #3 in recruiting right now, and we are throwing the ball at will as we dance our way to a BCS game. Oh, and no one has played USC closer in 31 games.

What is all this talk of SEC on here for?

Charlie's Army!”

“I suppose some folks enjoy making an embarrassment of themselves in public.. I know I do, but it’s not because I don’t have an understanding of how to make a logical argument.

Logic... some folks would profit from an understanding of the concept.




Miss. Opie, why don’t you see if you can become one of the poll voters. Then you can add your subjective opinion.


BFB, I sincerely hope that you didn’t attend Notre Dame. If you did, they obviously have a substandard logic department.”

“Bama hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown in 14 quarters. THAT doesn’t impress the pollsters. Scoring lots of points impresses the pollsters.
arclite
3:47:27 PM
11/08/05

Not true at all. They scored 35 in the previous game. They weren't all D touchdowns. I can' recall if 4 were or all 5.

On refing. We also had a fumble recovery returned for a TD that was incorrectly called back against MSU. Also, we went for it on 4th on about the 12. We had to get to the 11. Croyle did a QB sneak, got to the 10, fumbled and it was returned to the 3. You can't advance a fumble on 4th down, so the ball should have been marked at the 10. It was marked at the 12. The play was reviewed, the spot is reviewable and the ref missed it. The ball went to MSU on downs. We possibly would have punched it in then. Don't know. If the game had likely finished 31-0, we wouldn't be having these discussions. Games against MSU shouldn't come down to arguing about officiating though.”

“I just verified, all 5 TD's were by the O. Croyle threw 3 TD's, Wilson threw 1 TD, and Darby ran for a TD.”

“I'm feeling more and more like we can and will win. The week of the UF game a friend sent me some info on the state of mind of the team. I'm getting similar behind the scenes reports this week. Special teams is what worries me. We are about 11th or 12 in the conf in net punting. They are #1 in punt returns. That's not a good mix.

I like the difference in turnover margin, we're something like +6 and they're about -6, Time of possession is favorable and defense. We're not that far behind them in yardage.

College football news had a good article comparing our offensive numbers to USC's and pointed out that the best defense they faced was about #60 while we've played most of our games against teams in the top 20. Our O is still anemic though without Pro.”

“The Bama O scored against Utah St., dayhiker?

I got that past 14 quarters stat from the sportscasters. I wonder if I misinterpreted something there.

You mean I shouldn't believe everything I see on TV and in the papers?

Man, if I thought I couldn't be positive about Spurrier being a jerk, I'd be devastated.




My basic point still stands. Winning by large margins has been shown, many times over the years, to increase poll standings. Beating the #3 ranked opponent 27-7 impresses the subjective poll voters more than beating an unranked opponent 17-0. Texas beating Baylor sure impressed the voters. And this was especially true in the past when margin of victory was a component of the computer formulas. Or maybe we've just been seeing a HUGE coincidence.

Strength of schedule is another component that is totally subjective. I have seen ACC teams with better strength of schedule ratings than SEC teams.

Auburn didn’t play USC last year. Did margin of victory or strength of schedule play a more important part in that decision?”

“CFN analysis http://www.collegefootballnews.com/sec/2005_Predictions/SEC.htm

SEC Game of the Week
LSU (7-1) at Alabama (9-0) 3:30 pm ET CBS
Why to watch: It's part one of Alabama's attempt to be a part of the Rose Bowl discussion with two, and potentially three, huge games in a row. A Tide win and an Auburn loss to Georgia means Mike Shula's bunch will be playing for the SEC title, but they have even bigger dreams than just the conference championship. To have any hope of playing for the national title, the Tide can't just beat LSU, it has to beat LSU convincingly. The Tigers have been treading water ever since an overtime win over Auburn with blowout wins over North Texas and Appalachian State. With Ole Miss and Arkansas ahead, it's not a stretch to think this will be their shot to win the SEC West title, and even get a few big votes of their own in the human polls. The team has yet to put together a great game from start to finish, while Alabama has been taking shots for its offense. Someone will start to receive a whole lot more in the national respect department after this week.
Why LSU might win: Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Bama offense has been having problems with its pop and will have a hard time against the nasty LSU defense, but the bigger problem could be field position. Neither attack figures to generate much, so this should be decided by a few big plays, turnovers, and how long the offenses have to go. LSU should have a huge advantage in the punting game with the Chris Jackson nation's third ranked punt team netting 39.77 yards per boot. Thanks to Skyler Green, LSU is tops in the SEC, and seventh in the nation, in punt returns averaging 16.55 yards. Alabama's punting game has been atrocious averaging under 31 yards per kick and only 6.7 yards per return. However ...
Why Alabama might win: ... the Tide has a huge advantage in turnover margin ranking 21st in the nation, while LSU is 100th. LSU hasn't exactly blown out the big boys needing a miracle play to beat Arizona State, beat Florida 21-17, and needed overtime to top Auburn. The offense can move the ball a bit, but it has gone through stretches of doing absolutely nothing and has been less than scintillating at keeping the chains moving. The Tide defense has been fantastic on third downs, and good at everything else allowing two touchdowns in the last six games while holding Tennessee and Florida to just a field goal each.
Who to watch: The LSU defensive line might be the best in America and would've given a 100% healthy Alabama offensive line a hard time, but now the pressure is really on the Tide front five with the loss of starting center J.B. Closner for the year with a broken leg. Closner was the anchor of the interior with two freshmen at guard, and now it'll be up to former UAB transfer and former defensive lineman Taylor Britt to step in and perform under the pressure of dealing with LSU's tremendous tackle tandem of Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten. It has been a crash course for Britt as the starter this week, and if he's not flawless, Bama's struggling offense will have even more problems.
What will happen: Alabama's overdue to have a break go the wrong way, and the LSU defense is going to be responsible. It's not going to be a pretty game; it's going to be a brutal, hard-hitting defensive battle with LSU coming up with one big touchdown in the second half that Bama won't be have an answer for.
CFN Prediction: LSU 13 ... Alabama 10 ... Line: Notre Dame -8 | Make your pick and compete against others
Must See Rating: (5 lock yourself in a room to watch - 1 The Apprentice: Martha Stewart) ... 5”

“UT should have a good women's basketball team this year.

Hopefully, we will make another Final Four.










Strange how Pat Summit doesn't get enough credit for racking up National Championships.”

“I have 12/4 circled!”

“Did I just hear chili, back there? It was so faint, I could hardly make out the voice.





“To have any hope of playing for the national title, the Tide can't just beat LSU, it has to beat LSU convincingly.”


Very kind of you to post an article that talks some sense, dayhiker. The argument against “running up the score” has never made any logical sense it is purely emotional.

See what happens if Bama beats LSU by 50 and Auburn by 50. That’s pure fantasy, but I wouldn’t bet against the Tide jumping Texas, and getting a chance at the most lucrative bowl, if they could “run up the score” like that.



I like the Tide against LSU, but the odds of going undefeated in the SEC are so slim. You just can’t afford injuries or emotional/mental letdowns in this league. You’ve got to have peak focus every week. Then again, Bama has an unexpectedly very good team this year. The loss of Prothro hurts, but I’d still have a hard time betting against the Tide for the rest of the season. This looks like your typical good Alabama TEAM, not a collection of star athletes.

After what Vanderbilt was able to do, that “Spurrier coached South Carolina team” still scares me. It scares me even more now that one of our starting corners is out for the year. Seven starters down and counting. Nobody gets receivers open better than Spurrier. We should win, but my confidence is not high.




WAAAAAAR EAGLE! GO TIGERS!!!

Man, I am one HUGE Orange and Blue Auburn fan this week.”

“I'll bet you're on Auburn fan this week for sure.

On the injuries, welcome to my world.”

“Your world, dayhiker? Don’t you mean the SEC, since injuries are a way of life in the SEC?

You might have welcomed me when I came to the SEC over thirty years ago, but you may have been too busy with potty training.
last edited: 11/10/05 6:46:18 AM”

“I mean severe injuries. For example, last year we finished the season by starting our 3rd team QB, 3rd RB, 3rd FB, and 3rd or 4th TE.”

“LSU fan:

”

“And this year we started the season with 5 receivers who will probably be playing in the NFL. We're left with two who are nursing injuries. We're using two freshman running backs, a freshman corner, and a freshman at guard. And many of our #2s are freshmen.

Some years are better than others, but that sounds pretty typical for as many years as I’ve been involved with SEC ball.

THAT’S why you need depth in this conference. You just may be noticing it more this year, dayhiker. Bama is still a little thin due to the most recent bout of criminal behavior they caught y’all for this time.”

“A little thin? We have about 77 on scholly and that includes probably 6-8 walkon's who were given scholarships + the fact that lots of players were all we could get under the rumors surrounding the program. I know this is shocking, but when rumors started up the opposing coaches used it against us. One team even gave recruits a faked letter from the NCAA saying the case was never fully closed.”

“That guy has bigger boobs than my wife!”

“Ecstacy!

Army beats UMass for third straight win and first home win since I can't remember when.”

“What happened to Flordia today?”

“The resurgent Wolfpack appears at Boston College in about an hour and a half, anticipation.”

“LSU - BAMA game looking good (tied 10 - 10 as I post).”

“And then there were two.

Without a big upset for UT or USC in the remaining games, the BCS might give us our most legit #1 since the start of BCS.

Hook 'em Horns!”

“When Spurrier was asked to submit his resume to UF as requested by UF president Bernard Machen, for consideration as coach to replace Zook he is rumored to have said:

"Resume, how about you get out of your office and go look in the trophy case, and you'll have your resume."”

“longlosthiker, good call on LSU beating Bama. I still think Bama lose's to Auburn next week.

Interesting story I read today on Bama's 9-0 record. The teams they have beat have a combined record of 33 wins, 42 loses. I do wish the story had the same stats for USC and Texas”

“I peed on myself today when Aromashadu fumbled into the end zone.”

“Despite their best efforts to throw it away at several points during the game, the Mighty Cardinal was victorious over the Beavers, leaving us - gasp! - one win away from a bowl!! Next up: arch-rival Cal, who needs to beat us just to tie us in the standings - who woulda thunk it?!”

“Congrats to a good LSU team. It was a tough fought game.”

“Lobos defense wakes up in second half to put down the Utes for their offense hamstrung by the injury of our first string QB.

Bowl eligible, need to wup AF next week.”

“I'll do the Stats for Texas:

Louisiana-Lafayette W 60-3---Record: 5 - 5
at Ohio State W 25-22--------Record:8 - 2
Rice W 51-10-----------------Record:0 - 8
at Missouri W 51-20----------Record: 6 - 4
Oklahoma W 45-12-------------Record:6 - 3
Colorado W 42-17-------------Record:7 - 2
Texas Tech W 52-17-----------Record:8 - 2
at Oklahoma State W 47-28----Record:4 - 5
at Baylor W 62-0-------------Record:4 - 6
Kansas W 66-14---------------Record:5 - 5

Total --------------------------53 - 42
Not counting games vs U.T. 53 - 32
last edited: 11/13/05 1:10:21 PM”

“Bammer could very well lose to AU. AU has the more complete team, but I hate to prognosticate on rivalry games.

I wonder how the Gators are feeling about 'ol Urby. The Zooker could've led them to their current record. Plus they're a bad call (Vandy) and a hurt QB (UGA) away from two more losses. I bet Notre Dame is feeling pretty good about Urban snubbing them.”

“I was hoping Bammer could find some offense and win 'cause I thought they could pass TX and play USC for all the marbles. I would've liked to see how USC's O matched up against a good SEC D but it'll just be another Big 12 lamb to the slaughter once again.”

“Iron Bowl week is here. This should be a goodie. They're RB Irons looked spectacular against Jawja. QB looked good too. We'll have to score some point to win. Can we? As always, we can, but will we. We had so many opportunities against LSU and just couldn't get it done.”

“BAMA lost? I was out BACKPACKING!!! :-)

Poor Mrs OPIE.”

“I think USC's opponents so far have about and even record. Their final two of the season have like 8-1 and 9-1 records. I think if they win those, their opponents' total W-L records will be around 10-15 games over .500.


BTW, Stanford's opponents so far have a current combined record of 54-34. Their final two opponents are currently 13-6. Pretty tough schedule based on W-L record....
last edited: 11/14/05 8:50:11 AM”

“Ya knew the odds were against you, dayhiker. Bama played a great game. The Iron Bowl should be a WAR!!!




I’m gonna lose what little credibility I’ve got here, but I didn’t watch any of the Florida/South Carolina game. I didn’t even listen to it on the radio.

My wife and I were enjoying the beautiful fall weather as we attended an annual downtown art festival. It was a high quality show; I was very impressed. We had a lot of fun, bought some beautiful artwork, and had a lovely meal overlooking a local lake afterwards. You gotta have priorities. But this is a football thread and nobody wants to hear about my life priorities.




I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I read the game synopsis in Sunday’s paper. Here we all were worried to death about Spurrier’s passing attack.

You just had to think he saw that game tape of the Vanderbilt game and was scheming up and incredible aerial assault. Meyer, and the defensive coaches, spent all week preparing a defense that was geared to stop the pass.

So what does Spurrier do? He comes out running the ball. And South Carolina was more successful than they have been running the ball all year.

After the game, in true Spurrier fashion, he gives all the credit to the way his players executed. In all his post-game shows at Florida, he always took the blame for losing, and always gave his players credit for winning. I love the guy.

The media even tried to make a big deal over a couple of comments that could have been called digs at Florida. They got me laughing. I love his sense of humor.



So here is South Carolina, after years of frustration, winning some big games. South Carolina has a loyal and passionate following without having had a winning “tradition.” I gotta love that and I feel glad for South Carolina.

Unfortunately for us, Auburn (what a great game) took care of business while the Gators couldn’t manage a win that would have sent them to the SEC title game. Well, they obviously didn’t deserve to go. If they can’t get up any better than they did for a big game like that, they don’t deserve to play for championships.

My over/under was three regular season losses. It will be disappointing if we can’t beat FSU at home. It should be a good game.
last edited: 11/14/05 11:38:28 AM”

“Speaking of humor, Croom came out last week saying that he told Jimmy Johns(freshman RB for Bama) he wouldn't play QB at Bama. Johns came in as a QB, but told Shula that he wanted to do whatever it took to get him on the field this year. So, he plays special teams and TB. Bama ran a sweep with Johns at QB and it gained 13. In the Sunday night Shula show, Shula said, "And some said he'd never play QB at Bama." when they showed the play. Funny.”