2010 NCAA football thread....

[Gugstanley]

BSU is going to have a tougher road going forward. After this year they won't be ESPN's team as they now will play on The Mountain Channel. Try finding that in your channel lineup. So you will start to hear less and less about BSU.
When Utah, BYU and TCU all leave the MWC, then that conference really just turns into a slightly better WAC with a crappy tv deal.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by valo403

I've watched them a couple times, although I passed out before the end last night ( the trip to and from Philly for the Flames game took a lot out of me) adn you're right, they are a really good team and maybe one of the top teams in the country. The problem is the only time they beat other top teams is situations that are primed for them to do so, long layoffs that give the less talented but smarter and more creative teams a big edge. And when it comes to intelligence and creativity they've got to be tops in the country. Here they had a chance to beat a good team, not a great team but good, on the road in the course of a regular season week and they couldn't pull it off. It solidifies the argument that BSU wouldn't be able to run the table when facing tests from teams of this calibre throughout the season, which is the case in any of the PAC10, SEC, Big XII (usually) or Big Ten and occasionally true in the ACC.

Don't the more talented teams have just as much time to prepare as Boise St? I never understood this argument. If Boise St is the more creative team then wouldn't it be a big advantage to their opponent if there's a long layoff? They can watch the tape and gameplan for all the allegedly weird stuff they do (like Georgia Tech's lack of success in bowl games).

The problem is that Boise St. really isn't that creative at the end of the day, they just execute to perfection, have the best technique in the country and actually do things against the football norms (unbalanced formations, plays to the boundary side of the field, etc.).

And I really don't see how losing to a top 20 team on the road proves that Boise St. couldn't handle the big conferences. It is completely irrelevant. If Auburn loses to South Carolina next week (ranked one spot ahead of Nevada) then all we hear to the "SEC meat grinder" crap. But Boise loses to Nevada and it's proof they couldn't cut it? You do realize that if Boise played in those conferences they'd have better recruits and be more equipped to play in those conditions, right? Either way, anyone who's watched Boise play should know they have exactly what they'd need to match up in those conferences - depth. They are one of the deepest teams in the country.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by JayP

And I really don't see how losing to a top 20 team on the road proves that Boise St. couldn't handle the big conferences. It is completely irrelevant. If Auburn loses to South Carolina next week (ranked one spot ahead of Nevada) then all we hear to the "SEC meat grinder" crap. But Boise loses to Nevada and it's proof they couldn't cut it? You do realize that if Boise played in those conferences they'd have better recruits and be more equipped to play in those conditions, right? Either way, anyone who's watched Boise play should know they have exactly what they'd need to match up in those conferences - depth. They are one of the deepest teams in the country.

BSU played one team in conference play that could reasonably considered good, and they lost. Teams in most of the BCS conferences play at least 4 teams that are arguably good teams, usually 3 that are legitimate top 20 teams. They often play back-to-back games against top level teams, they have to grind out wins week after week against good teams. BSU can coast, rest up, and show up once every 6 weeks. You don't see the huge difference there? C'mon.

[transplant99]

I think I just heard on ESPN that Joe Paterno has never lost at home to Mich. St....ever.

That's in 45 years? Unbelievable....again if i heard that correctly.

I know that OSU/Michigan fans always build this game up as the "game of the year" for them and a rivalry unlike many others, but is that really true any longer? I mean Michigan couldnt stop a snail this year, and havent been very good for many years now. OSU should absolutely roll them at home today, no excuses not to.

And anyone know if Sparty can get past WI if they both win today, based on opponent they beat? IIRC should all 3 end up tied after today, then they go to the BCS standings to determine the conference champ. Just curious as to who that favors.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I think I just heard on ESPN that Joe Paterno has never lost at home to Mich. St....ever.

That's in 45 years? Unbelievable....again if i heard that correctly.

I know that OSU/Michigan fans always build this game up as the "game of the year" for them and a rivalry unlike many others, but is that really true any longer? I mean Michigan couldnt stop a snail this year, and havent been very good for many years now. OSU should absolutely roll them at home today, no excuses not to.

And anyone know if Sparty can get past WI if they both win today, based on opponent they beat? IIRC should all 3 end up tied after today, then they go to the BCS standings to determine the conference champ. Just curious as to who that favors.

Yep, you heard right. MSU hasn't won at PSU since a couple years before Paterno took over. They didn't play there all that often before PSU joined the Big Ten, but still it's pretty crazy. I'm still pretty confident that streak ends today.

I think the UM-OSU game is still huge for both teams regardless of the relative quality of the teams simply because of what it means to the fans. They hate each other to a pretty massive degree, I mean the two states declared war on each other back in the day and there are still references made to it this week!

The only way MSU gets to the Rose Bowl is a win and an OSU loss, which puts me in the awkward position of saying GO BLUE!!!! That would leave MSU and Wisco tied and the head to head tie breaker goes to MSU.

A 3 way tie goes to the highest BCS team, and I don't see how that doesn't go to Wisco absent some sort squeaker win by them that really hurts their poll numbers. If it's an MSU-OSU tie it goes to the BCS again, which favors OSU. The no show at Iowa really hurt MSU, and deservedly so. Even as an MSU fan I can't really argue that we're getting jobbed with the way they played that day, the other teams have had close games too, and we beat Wisco, but you can't lay an egg on a big stage like that.

[GirlySports]

Ohio State doesn't look good so far... fortunately to still be 0-0.

How does Michigan not have a kicker? A big program like that?

[valo403]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Ohio State doesn't look good so far... fortunately to still be 0-0.

How does Michigan not have a kicker? A big program like that?

It really is puzzling isn't it? I mean they were literally holding open tryouts a few weeks into the season and calling for the student body to come out and give it a shot. You'd think you could pull a id off the soccer team at least, although their season only ended a few weeks ago.

[GirlySports]

Even the girl's soccer team could kick better than that last punt!

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I know that OSU/Michigan fans always build this game up as the "game of the year" for them and a rivalry unlike many others, but is that really true any longer? I mean Michigan couldnt stop a snail this year, and havent been very good for many years now. OSU should absolutely roll them at home today, no excuses not to.

Yep, it's not much of a rivalry when one team basically dominates the other for an entire decade.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Even the girl's soccer team could kick better than that last punt!

Yup, they need to pull a 'necessary roughness'.



edit: can't seem to repost image:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm220433920/nm0001387

[valo403]

Trenton Robinson is f'in moron. All you had to do was fall down after the pick and it's game over and you go for glory and fumble it. Inexcusable.

He's very lucky the hands team bailed him out. Would have been a long cold walk back to East Lansing.

[Montana Moe]

Nobody wants to win this LSU/ARK game.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

Nobody wants to win this LSU/ARK game.

Which means LSU will win it somehow at the end.s

[transplant99]

Wisconsin is doing it...again. Scored 70 so far with more than 12 minutes left. Unreal. They may be the best team in the country, bar none, right now.

Im trying to keep an eye on the Ark/LSU game, but the NC St/Maryland game means so much for a lot around here, and it aint going so well right now. If the Wolfpack win, they play for the ACC Championship next weekend, if not they are done and Fla St. gets that spot against Va Tech.

[Montana Moe]

Fear the turtle, Tranny...

[Montana Moe]

With LSU losing, I get to look forward to the Sugar, Cotton, or Blockbuster Bowl, yay.

Instead of the possibility of weeks of meaningful games ahead, I wait a month or more for one that means little.

Granted, if you would have told me in August that LSU would finish 10-2 with Jefferson and Lee at QB, I'd have been ecstatic.

Maybe I'm spoiled as a fan of a team that has won titles, I don't appreciate the excitement of making a bowl game anymore. I can see where it could be a big deal for the little guys.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Wisconsin is doing it...again. Scored 70 so far with more than 12 minutes left. Unreal. They may be the best team in the country, bar none, right now.

They've looked good, but both of those massive scores were against lesser light teams (losing Persa seemed to kill NW's ability to move the ball and their defense has been pretty porous quite often this year). I still think they're the best one loss team out there, but not because of the points they've put up.

It does surprise me that MSU doesn't get more respect for beating Wisco, it seems like a lot of people have forgotten that. I'm still pretty pumped though, a Big Ten title, even a co-title, is a huge step for an MSU program that has been down for quite a while. The recruiting classes are getting better and better and the defeatist mentality seems to be on the way out.

[Montana Moe]

If MSU beats UW last week instead of week 5, they'd be the belle of the ball.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Bedlam!

[wpgflamesfan]

It's really too bad that we probably won't see a Wisconsin vs Stanford matchup in the Rose Bowl. That'd be one hell of a game.