the official 2008-09 NCAA football thread!

[StaffWriter]

That Georgia game really sucked. I was so mad at halftime. Sick, sick, sick! But I love the fight in our guys, coming back and hanging 30 on Bama's D. I didn't expect us to win every game this year and Florida lost and looks very beatable today. Certainly changes things in the SEC...or does it? Maybe we will meet Bama again in the SECCG. Go DAWGS!!!

 

[axl blaze]

oh how the mighty have fallen. has the mighty SEC mothership sunken back into NCAA mediocrity - which is the current norm?

how can you be the alleged best conference when two of your top dawgs lose at home?

 

[faris]

UGA.......ouch. that was literally very painful to watch.

what a week of upsets...interested to see the rankings.

 

[Rusty Cage]

oh how the mighty have fallen. has the mighty SEC mothership sunken back into NCAA mediocrity - which is the current norm?

how can you be the alleged best conference when two of your top dawgs lose at home?

Because there are still two other top Dawgs that didn't lose. And one of those top dawgs went into anothers top dawgs home and won.

That isn't sinking back into mediocrity. You had 4 teams in the top ten, 3 in the top 5. 2 of those teams won, and one makes the case for the top team in the nation. At the end of the week there should still be 3 sec teams in the top ten. and 2 in the top 5. not quite as impressive, but definitely not mediocrity. It's not the mediocrity of the big 10 that OSU rests in. According to you, unless OSU is at the top, then college football in whole is in decline and mediocre. No the SEC is still the best confrence, and not by any means mediocre.

I take that back there are 2 teams still in the top 5 and that's it for the top ten. A little surprised that Florida dropped that far, but I'm even more surprised still that USC is still ranked 9th. They aren't that good.

 

[StaffWriter]

Emerging will be the SEC West with LSU and Bama. Alabama looks very solid, big guys on the line, offensively and defensively, decent qb and a downfield threat in Julio Jones. But don't count out UGA or Fla just yet. After that asskicking last night, I think the DAWGS will have a different mindset and GATA in the first half from now on, at least I hope...

 

[Pander Bear]

how can you be the alleged best conference when two of your top dawgs lose at home?

When they're conference games, genius.

oh how the mighty have fallen. has the mighty SEC mothership sunken back into NCAA mediocrity - which is the current norm?

It would certainly seem to be the end of something that everybody knew couldn't last (packing the top 10 with teams from one conference). Its going to happen to the Big XII over the next couple of weeks, as well, with Texas, OU, and Mizzou finally playing each other. We have six ranked teams in the SEC--that's more than any other conference.

as for the UGA game

Its an interesting thing to have watched USC get pushed onto their heels and outplayed by a younger, less-experienced team, and then days later see the "skill-position team" get absolutely dominated by a strength team (bama). The Dawgs really lost the first half at the line of scrimmage. I was expecting O line problems, but the Defense couldn't penetrate into Bama's backfield until the second half. Failing to establish a running game hurt Stafford's ability to set up short screen passes, so it was pretty much a deep ball, double-coverage crap shoot.

That was the first half, though. Its a damn shame that we can't call a do-over. I don't really know what happened. Bama's O and their D got gassed, or out coached or something. The dawgs were exceptional after they made the right corrections. For the first time, I see how serious Stafford's arm could be in an NFL Passing Offense.

First half 31-0 BAMA
Last Half 30-10 UGA

That's not that bad, and its certainly no blow out. In fact, if Green had held on to that fast pass from Stafford, rather than letting it pop out and right into the hands of Hightower, we might be looking at a game with a 14 point difference, and a narrow UGA win, instead of a double digit loss. Call me a homer, or whatever, but there's plenty of pride in that, or in almost going to OT in Gainsville-- save for a blocked PAT-- than there is in getting shithoused by USC, and then letting Minnesota score 21, JIM

Lastly, nobody, not even me, expected the Dawgs to run the table. The possibility is just too remote to consider... especially now that we've lost . The upshot is, we have plenty of marquee games against strong, ranked opponents, as do UF, Auburn, LSU, and Bama. If florida or georgia win the rest of their games, they will see Alabama or LSU in Atlanta. Whoever emerges from the SEC with that record will still be going to Miami... mark those words. The last time UGA played a Nick Sabin team, we lost the one in regular season, and then kicked his ass in the Championship. Look for that.

1. Oklahoma (43) 4-0 1,599
2. Alabama (21) 5-0 1,565
3. LSU 4-0 1,466
4. Missouri (1) 4-0 1,453
5. Texas 4-0 1,362
6. Penn State 5-0 1,252
7. Texas Tech 4-0 1,105
8. Brigham Young 4-0 1,098
9. USC 2-1 1,087
10. South Florida 5-0 1,035
11. Georgia 4-1 1,018
12. Florida 3-1 914
13. Auburn 4-1 860
14. Ohio State 4-1 829
15. Utah 5-0 713
16. Kansas 3-1 650
17. Boise State 3-0 549
18. Wisconsin 3-1 520
19. Vanderbilt 4-0 459
20. Virginia Tech 4-1 290
21. Oklahoma State 4-0 277
22. Fresno State 3-1 232
23. Oregon 4-1 199
24. Connecticut 5-0 126
25. Wake Forest 3-1 107

 

[Hypnotik1]

I love how people automatically think these upsets mean that the upsetted team is not as good as we thought. Yes they are, there's a lil underrated factor called 'Mental Toughness'

Talent isnt the only thing that wins games. Would it be that far out of the realm of reality if Alabama dropped its game next week after the hangover of UGA? Would it be that crazy to see USC run the table and dominate the rest of the season? Also teams grow and improve as the season progresses. Would it be that crazy to see OSU look like OSU with Terrel Pryor at QB? Could LSU make it back to the NC game as its QB gets better game to game? Could Florida dominate LSU in 2 weeks than slide the rest of the season?


Football is played by humans and as well all know there are many more factors that come into play other than measurables.

God knows who we are gonna be talking about at the end of the season as the NC candidates. Some unknown team will go on a huge run (i.e Bama) and some highly regarded team from week 4 will slide mid or at the end of the season.

Point being dont jump the gun about your team.....Check out this article below....Explains my point to the T

Or Maybe Ole Miss And Oregon State Dominated On The Lines.

By Matthew Zemek

4. Does anyone need any more evidence to understand why mental toughness is the most important factor in all of college football?

Does anyone need any more explanation, after this weekend, in order to understand why one week's seemingly discouraging performance against Little Sisters of the Poor Valley State Poly Tech has very little, if anything, to do with the following week's hugely-hyped contest against the AP No. 5 team?

Does anyone require further proof, after this weekend, as to why one week's awesome performance against Big Boy University can and will be followed up by a clunker against a lowly loser or lucky lurker on the college football scene?

Does anyone, after this weekend, now see why the terms "hangover game," "look-ahead game," "letdown," "ambush," "trap," "sandwich," and others are rightly entrenched in this beautifully baffling sport's lexicon?

If you're only looking at pure talent and pure technique and pure physical ability, you're only seeing half of this sport, maybe even less. To ignore fluctuations in performance, which are caused by the fragility of the human organism--especially among the ranks of hyperactive, hormonally volatile 19- and 20-year-old males playing a sport that requires them to act a little crazy--is to, flatly and factually, ignore the 139-year history of college football.

If you've ever knocked the centrality of psychology--in college football or, for that matter, any other sport--you don't have to knock it anymore.

 

[axl blaze]

than there is in getting shithoused by USC, and then letting Minnesota score 21, JIM

Lastly, nobody, not even me, expected the Dawgs to run the table.

Minnesota did score 21, but it was against the second and third string defensive units. since Coach Tressel is such a warm, nice, sweater vest wearing type guy he plays the hell out of his second and third stringers when the game is out of hand - which I disagree with completely.

Georgia was not going to win all of their games this year, PB and I have talked about this many times.

however, they should keep their heads up. a National Championship appearance isn't really that much of a stretch of the imagination at all.

 

[spaceyourbass]

oh how the mighty have fallen. has the mighty SEC mothership sunken back into NCAA mediocrity - which is the current norm?

how can you be the alleged best conference when two of your top dawgs lose at home?

Because the Dogs got beat by a better team, Bama. Florida got beat by an up-and-coming Ole Miss team. Let's see, 6 out of 12 SEC teams are in the top 25. Is that your version of mediocrity? The "top dawgs" of the SEC are clearly Bama and LSU. If an SEC team doesn't win the NC this year, it will be because the conference is stacked (minus Arky, Miss State, and Tennessee, who still play physical and can beat up on a team) and the SEC teams beat each other too much. An out of conference opponent is most likely NOT going to knock an SEC team out of the running for a NC or BCS bowl bid.

4 SEC teams are unbeaten. Only one of those hasn't played any conference games yet (Kentucky)

5 Big 12 teams are unbeaten, but not one has started conference play yet.

No PAC-10 teams are unbeaten. USC lost to Oregon State. Oregon is currently leading the conference with two conference wins. Oregon lost to Boise State.

Northwestern and Penn State are unbeaten in the Big-10, andn they've played one conference game each. I don't think anyone is going to argue that the Big-10 is stacked this year. Of course, Ohio State has a good chance to make it to the NC for just that reason.

I hope to goodness that another team gets a shot at the NC this year (if an SEC team is in it). Tressel just can't get his boys ready to win the big game. Or could it be that no one else can hang with the best in the SEC? I'd really like to see USC play an SEC team for the NC. At least it might be a good game.

Right now, the only conference that can challenge the SEC as the best is the Big-12. We'll see what happens when they start conference play though.

 

[spaceyourbass]

For the poor UGA fans - Tim Tebow starts to cry around 2:25. Enjoy-
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1519720165?bclid=361569315&bctid=1815852561

what a bitch!

 

[axl blaze]

hahaha. wow, Florida has never had an undefeated season? that must suck. looks like the Gators are having the same problems as Ohio State with the big games, lately. first they can't beat a piss-poor Michigan team last year and then they lose to a mediocre at best Ole Miss squad.

well, Wisconsin is coming into Columbus Saturday night. they are a very able team but thankfully OSU always matches up them rather well. they just got blindsided and upset by another lowly Michigan squad so I am sure that they will be hungry for a win. the last time OSU lost a night game it was against Texas four or so years ago and this campus was a mess. since I live right across the university I really want them to win.

if only so nobody will steal my beer pong table out on my front porch.

 

[spaceyourbass]

from USA today:


I live in an NFL town and suddenly I'm a college football geek.
After 40 years of Any Given Sundays, I've been seduced by the Saturday night (and Thursday and Friday night) lights.

College or pro used to be a debate full of scholarly argument. Now, it pretty much boils down to this:

Self-important League Of Rich Men?

Or Jacquizz Rodgers?

I'll be watching Oklahoma sooner than later. And Oregon State, which dumped then-No. 1 Southern California last Thursday night, thanks partly to 189 rushing yards from Rodgers, who's small enough to dance inside a glove box. I'll watch Ohio State play at Wisconsin, because the Buckeyes have unleashed freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor and now, impossibly, are back in the national title picture, at least for a week, because …

Four of the Top 10 teams lost last week. College football has become a delightful game of Saturday afternoon roulette, no longer the province of the rich and traditional. It is possible for Mississippi to beat Florida. It is possible for unbeaten Vanderbilt to host Auburn and the ESPN College Game Day crew.

What will the Commodores show Lee Corso Saturday? The statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt?

Saturday afternoon occasionally proves that anything is possible. Sunday afternoon has become a parade of teams running the same stuff, a conga line of diva receivas, a league so dominated by quarterbacks, its best team in the last decade is instantly ordinary when it loses its Tom Brady.

If you couldn't bet on NFL games or run your fantasy team, how much interest might you have?

I like the college game. I suffer the full-of-itself NFL. When a writer from Sports Illustrated recently asked, tongue in cheek, if the San Francisco 49ers might offer refunds to dissatisfied customers, he got this response, from Niners chief operating officer Andy Dolich:

"The NFL is the Number 1 sport in the galaxy, and the game itself should be enough to guarantee a sports fan's investment."

Tell that to fans in Detroit and Cincinnati.

I like the BCS and all its train-wreck possibilities. I like guys with names like Knowshon (Moreno, running back, Georgia) and Jacquizz. I like that I can turn on a college game and see two teams whose offenses could have been cooked up by a mad scientist.

"You can look within any conference and find six or seven offensive styles," says Kirk Herbstreit, part of ESPN's Game Day trio. "Everybody talks about the spread (offense), but there are so many different variations."

Two weeks ago, when the Miami Dolphins used running back Ronnie Brown at quarterback, you'd have thought they changed the shape of the ball. They just did what college teams do every week.

I like the Southeastern Conference. The SEC is so much of what football is about, the rest of the country should request permission to play the game.

I like going to Tuscaloosa and seeing Bear Bryant's face on the big board, mumbling something understood best by those who read lips. What'd he say?

I like The Grove at Ole Miss, which on Saturdays in the fall is what heaven must look like for single guys.

I even like the Ugas. All of them, I through VII. I like the mausoleum at the entrance to Georgia's Sanford Stadium, where the first six Ugas are laid to rest. I like the ceremonial "passing of the bone," when new Uga supplants old Uga.

I like The Swamp, at Florida, where one year $10 got me a parking spot in a front yard, and a beer. Park and beer. Why hasn't this taken off nationally?

And then they play the games. I like the games.

Every game matters in college football. In the NFL, wake me up for the conference title games. As Herbstreit says, "Chiefs and Rams, Sunday at 1? Come on."

The NFL gets religion with its bad boys when it senses a threat to its bottom line. The NFL blackmails its tax-paying fans into supporting billion-dollar, corporate-welfare playpens. College football offers up equal-opportunity pageantry. "Like a big carnival," says Herbstreit. "You have to wait until you're in the (conference) championship to duplicate in the NFL what you get in late August and early September in college."

It could be a symptom of 20 years of living in Cincinnati, where the NFL dwells sporadically. It could be 30 years in the business, and a longing for times not so cynical. It could just be that college football is the better entertainment. Regardless, I know what I Knowshon:

College or pro no longer is a debate.

Paul Daugherty also writes for the Cincinnati Enquirer

 

[TheLoveBandit]

Heh, I almost threw up that Tebow link to get in under the haters....I could say how good it is that he cares, but I don't want my team leader crying - emotional loss or not, be a man, set an example

axl - do you know how many teams have had an 'undefeated season'? (wiki ref) So no, UF has never gone undefeated. Sad, considering even Vanderbilt has at least one It appears that amongst the SEC teams, we are off the list next to MSU, MissSt, and SCar....which aside from Vandy (1904, 1910, 1921, and 1922) and UK (1898) would constitute the perpetual 'bottom feeders' of the conference :D /insert comment about 'toughest conference' being why we never won one

Maybe that's why Tebow was crying when he made the statement that an 'undefeated season was our goal'? So, yeah, that pipe dream just burst.....but what about the goal you have every year? You know win another NC (can't say that ) ... win the SEC (always think it, but only say the following) ... get to ATL? Refocus, kiddo....ATL is only 4 hrs away, but you've got a few more months to earn your way there. 8)

Having never experienced an undefeated season, I'm not knowing what I'm missing all that much...so that's not a big goal for me as a UF fan. I'm happy with the basics - win the SEC and a decent bowl game. Even that is aiming for the moon right now with the way the team is playing.


= = = = =

WISC over OSU? Possible. I've got a little more faith in OSU now that they've settled on Pryor (having Beanie back helps, but not as much as Pryor, IMO). WISC is bitter over the MICH loss, you're right. I haven't checked the spread, but I'll give WISC my support this weekend

 

[Pander Bear]

^^
Tebow is a crier... nothing intrinsically wrong with that. I just hope he has tears left for November 1st.

As for the stats: axl is the biggest Homer in this thread-- you know you need to lower your expectations for analysis that's unbiased if you want to converse with him.

The trouble with OSU/WISC is that I don;t really want either team to win. OSU definitely has another loss in them somewhere. I suppose it ought to be against Wisconsin. I'd certainly prefer a WISC loss to a PSU loss. The amusing this is that now that UGA and UF have coughed up losses, OSU now has "a shot" at the NC again. I suppose it does. Its important to see how Bama plays against LSU, and its important to see the Sooners continue to play up to expectations. If nothing changes-- and it sure to-- Bama/OU is a dandy NC. Personally, I'd rather see UGA play OSU, but we can;t always have nice things.

 

[spaceyourbass]

From another board....

By request, the following is a transcript from the Florida locker room after their recent home loss to the team that lost at home to Wake Forest.

Meyer: Fellers, I’m not quite sure what to say. I guess I’d like to start out by saying I’m proud of each and every one of you, and I’d like to tell you that I’m really pleased with the effort I saw, the desire to win, and your total refusal to roll over and lose the game. I’d like to tell you that… but it’s all bull----. The polish is off the turd. You ----ers make me sick.

Spikes: Say what???

Meyer: Sorry, got caught up in a moment of brutal honesty, and, you know, honesty’s really not my thing. I’m generally at my best when I’m lying my sorry ass off to players. But this isn’t recruiting, so…

Tebow: Coach, I just want to apologize for not winning the game.

Meyer: Gee, Timmy, that’s really swell, but, uhhh, take a quick look around the room and tell me what you see.

Tebow: Well, uhhh, I guess lockers… some dirty towels… uhhh… oh, and showers. I like showers!

Meyer: Notice anything else?

Tebow: Hmmm… several guys wearing Tim Tebow outfits?

Meyer: Those are uniforms.

Tebow: Right, Tim Tebow “uniforms.”

Meyer: Timmy, those are your teammates.

Tebow: Teammates?

Meyer: Yes, other players on the team.

Tebow: Team?

Meyer: Yes, Timmy. A functional unit of people working together for a common goal.

Tebow: You mean, like, getting Tim Tebow into the end zone?

Meyer: Like getting Florida into the win column, which, by the way, is something we’ve never done when trailing in the second half since you’ve been at Florida.

Tebow: I’m (sniff) sorry, Coach. You’re right (sniff sniff) and you’re such an awesome guy. No one will work harder to make us win, especially since we’re better than everyone else and deserve to win (sob). I’ll work harder to score and to run and to awkwardly heave the ball downfield. I’ll will us to…

Meyer: Save it for your worshippers, Timmy.

Tebow: I’m sorry.

Meyer: Whatever. Can anybody tell me what it takes to make a champion?

Tartt: Biscuits and mustard?

Meyer: What?

Tartt: Maybe some o’ them French-fried ’taters?

Meyer: Jim, go outside and dig a hole.

Tartt leaves the lockerroom.

Meyer: Somebody do me a favor and lock the door behind him.

Tebow: I’m sorry I didn’t lock the door. I promise to work hard to dig a better hole.

Meyer: Don’t be ridiculous Timmy. How could you dig a bigger hole than a fumble on our own 18, giving us back-to-back turnovers on consecutive plays?

Tebow: I hadn’t really thought about it that way.

Meyer: We didn’t recruit you to think.

Cooper: Can I wash my hair now?

Meyer: Shut the ---- up.

Pierre-Louis: At least it’s early in the season.

Meyer: What???

Pierre-Louis: It’s early in the season.

Meyer: (blink)

Pierre-Louis: I’m just sayin’… You know, it’s early in the season.

Meyer: (blink… blink blink)

Pierre-Louis: …so, you know, we still have time to…

Meyer: How are you even on this team?

Tebow: Team?

Meyer: Look, we just lost at home to Ole Miss. Ole Miss. And it’s not like there was a Manning at quarterback. It was that kid we told we were recruiting Tebow as a linebacker.

Doe: (chuckling) That was a good one!

Meyer: Shut the ---- up.

Doe: Sorry.

Tebow: Hey, that’s my line.

Meyer: Hey. Shut… the ----… up.

Tebow and Doe: Sorry.

Meyer: Has it occurred to any of you how embarrassing this is for me?

Harvin: For you? How do you think we feel?

Meyer: I dunno. How did you feel when you put the tater on the carpet on our 34 on the second play of the second half?

Harvin: Hey, I had 186 yards of offense.

Meyer: Goody gumdrops.

Harvin: Did it occur to you to maybe give me the ball when we needed one lousy yard?

Meyer: Do I need to remind you that I’m your coach?

Harvin: Do I need to remind you what I did to an official in high school?

Meyer: Simmer down, Percy.

Harvin: Don’t make me break this bad foot off in your ass.

Meyer: Save your foot; we might need it for extra points.

Tebow: I promise (sob) to work harder on extra points.

Meyer: Timmy, you don’t kick.

Tebow: Why not?

Meyer: We leave that to the kicker.

Tebow: Kicker?

Meyer: He’s one of your teammates.

Tebow: Teammates?

Meyer: Ye gods.

Pouncey: What now?

Meyer: Now we go to Arkansas.

Other Pouncey: To play Houston Nutt?

Meyer: No, that was Houston Nutt that beat us today.

Pouncey: So who’s beating us next week?

Meyer: We’re not losing next week!

Other Pouncey: How do you know?

Tebow: I’m going to will this team to victory.

Meyer: Timmy…

Tebow: Yes?

Meyer: SHUT THE ---- UP!

Tebow: Sorry.

Haden: You already said that.

Meyer: Holy ----. Do you realize that a mere 4 hours ago I was hailed as a genius? Now I have the same record as that school out west.

Rainey: FS…

Meyer: HEY! Don’t say it! You know I refuse to say or hear their name.

Rainey: Yeah, but we lost to an SEC team. They lost to Wake Forest.

Meyer: The SEC team that beat us lost to Wake Forest.

Rainey: Oh.

Meyer: Yeah.

Rainey: Dang, sometimes it’s not nice to be me.

Meyer: I know the feeling.

 

[Beenhead]

UF....I basically wanted to puke. Such a weird game, though - the way one team dominates a quarter, then the other team....I will agree with the talking heads also, that (for the season) we (UF) still aren't having any sense of a running game or any rhythm. The 2 drives at the end of the game are what we're supposed to be doing ALL the time...march it down quick. Instead, I wanna kick our freaking OC in the head for continuously calling runs up the middle. That isn't even working for us against shitty teams We were lucky to bring it to a close game, but didn't deserve the win. What it tells me, is what everyone knew but not everyone was saying....the reason so many highly ranked teams are falling in the last year and this one is that they are over-ranked, and I say that not as a bitter person thinking the team ahead of mine is over ranked and making that generalized statement. I think their over ranked because we really don't know shit about these teams. Makes me lean to the 'no rankings until 4-5 weeks in', though I know we all need something to point at and talk about. One last point on this game - SEC is defense? Okay, then how are crappy offenses scoring 30+ in the game? Fucking retarded...the whole damn weekend is re-TARD-ed.

USC got flat outplayed by OSU. UF got outplayed by MSU.

But wtf was up with WISC and MICH? Heh, the only part I like is that the highest ranked Big11 team just lost...but tbh, I'm still bitter over last year's bowl game so I can't really enjoy any MICH wins

AUG-TENN? Closer than I expected. But I do enjoy another Fulmer loss.

UGA-ALA? 17-0 early in the 2nd quarter? Again, rankings are shit, we don't know these teams yet.

ND-PURD? Fuggetaboutit. I hate ND too much to discuss.

gah...I'm gonna go watch some OU-TCU for a bit, and flip back the other prime time games. I'll check back later....I think my stomach is almost settled from our loss today (and props to PB on the pic....trite, but correct).

Florida made me so sad saturday

 

[Pander Bear]

here's a good read on the upcoming BCS rankings:

The first official BCS standings won't be released until Oct. 19, but both polls and four of the six computer ratings that make up the formula are already being published.

So what are we waiting for?

If the BCS standings were out this week, this is what you would see: Oklahoma, on the strength of its commanding lead atop both polls (coaches' and Harris; AP doesn't count in the BCS) would be ranked No. 1. Alabama, although it isn't ranked second in either of those polls, would be No. 2 because it's the clear-cut top team in the computers. The most significant deviation from the top 10 of the polls involves Texas Tech, which currently ranks very low in the computers thanks to two early games against FCS opposition.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when looking at these standings is … last season. It's been almost 12 months to the day since USC lost at home to Stanford as a 40-point favorite, and many people believed -- logic even dictated -- that the Trojans' national title hopes were gone. In retrospect, if they hadn't taken a second loss (at Oregon), they would've played for the BCS title in spite of that upset. That loss no more eliminated USC than a late home loss to Illinois did Ohio State or an even later home loss to Arkansas did LSU.

Or USC's loss last week to Oregon State, or Florida's loss last week to Ole Miss, or Georgia's … You get the point.

If last year should've taught us anything, it's that one loss doesn't necessarily end championship dreams. And if you're really fortunate, two losses might not do it, either.

• BYU is entering October with a BCS standing that would be good enough for automatic inclusion in a major bowl game. So the question isn't whether the Cougars will make the BCS if they go undefeated. It's whether they could actually work their way into the BCS Championship Game. Obviously, that's impossible to answer right now, but by having a coaches' poll ranking of 7 and a Harris poll ranking of 9 entering October, BYU has made such a discussion far from ridiculous.

It's the highest a non-BCS team has been ranked at this stage of the season in the BCS era, and it's pretty close to where the Cougars were ranked (6th by the coaches, 7th by the AP on Oct. 1) when they won their national title in 1984.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3617926

 

[TheLoveBandit]

syb, thanks for the read - had me tearing up honestly laughing quit a bit :D


I didn't realize OSU was at WISC.....I'm def pull for WISC on that one. Hmmm, maybe a run thru of predictions tomorrow. For now - I'm going home

 

[axl blaze]

Wisconsin could very well win. historically speaking, Camp Randall Stadium is a tough place to play. I remember when OSU's almost two-year winning streak was snapped by the likes of Jim fucking Sorgi. and that resulted in no follow-up National Title appearance. I am still bitter.

however, this isn't Illinois we are talking about. Wisconsin's offensive scheme is nothing spectacular, and that usually means that Ohio State can win (unless far superior athletes like USC). Wisconsin wants to pound the ball running and line up in pro-formation 80 percent of the time. since Beanie Wells is twice the RB that Wisco's PJ Hill is I would think OSU can win this one.

throw Terrelle Pryor, absolutely the most entertaining QB in college football, into the mix - and I am not scared.

 

[Pander Bear]

Wisconsin could very well win. historically speaking, Camp Randall Stadium is a tough place to play...

throw Terrelle Pryor, absolutely the most entertaining QB in college football, into the mix - and I am not scared.