College Football 2008

I don't think a 1 loss SEC team will jump an undefeated PSU either, I just think they would be better than PSU from what I've seen. As well as better than a 1-loss USC now.

Penn St's schedule looks like the easiest in the country to me. Bama's schedule is not as tough as usual, and yes the SEC is down some this year, but comparing Bama's schedule to Penn St's, I don't care what the computers say. PSU's schedule is far easier.

 

I agree. But you can build a better history / resume by not being in a 12 team conference with a conference championship game. USC / tOSU / Miami have all previously benefitted from going undefeated in a weaker conference while the 12 team conferences all beat each other up and out of contention for the national championship. From what I have read it is more important for an SEC team to win the SEC than to get into / win the national championship. Is that true? To me, I could give a crap about the ACC, any year without a national championship chance is just filler. I think our move to the ACC was a big mistake, going through the Big Least was typically pretty easy, and we could schedule some strong out of conference games to help the strength of schedule once that became part of the magic formula.
GO CANES!
BT

 

As an SEC/Bama fan? I think it can be, generally. Winning the SEC is no small feat. We've seen two years in a row how superior the SEC is to the best Big 10 team in the national title game. I'd like to see Bama vs Texas to see an SEC defense match up against a Big XII offense. I think Bama would be the best example of an SEC defense this year, especially once Terrence Cody is back in the lineup in a couple weeks.

Every year is a bit different, though.

 

Texas Florida!!!!!! lets see it!!!

 

It should be another fun weekend of football. Texas playing TT. I wonder what the over / under on that one is??? Maybe 80? If Texas gets past them, then the only real hurdle left should be a KU game and the BIG XII CG. That one will be worth watching. Florida / Georgia will also be a good one. Alabma has a great chance to go undefeated (except for the SECCG). Their schedule does not look very strong though. Really only two contentious games (@ UGA & @ LSU), plus the SECCG. I think if they go through the year with 1 loss, they will not get to the title game. I think the OOC games will do them in this year (Tulane, Clemson, W. Kentucky, and Arkansas State) for their strength of schedule. If it comes down to a 1 loss Texas, Alabama, Florida, or USC team to play an (assumed) undefeated PSU, it would be a tough call. The bottom line is that a really great team can definitely go undefeated for the remainder of the year, so we should see at least one team from the bunch do that.
GO CANES!
BT

 

Bill the road to the National Championship seems to pass through the SEC title game in recent years, that is why it is so important.

 

It looks like a pretty good weekend, for sure. Texas Tech has a great shot at winning Saturday, and it looks like Penn State will win out. Will be interesting to see who is left standing in the SEC, I think whoever the SEC champ is will play for the title if Texas loses and I don't see JoePa getting the shaft if he's undeafeated. So I'm thinking it'll be either FL-PSU or Bama-PSU in the title game.

 

Interesting perspective - I think the pivotal games the next weeks are certainly first of all the Texas - TT game, and every Alabama game. In The SEC championship game (and also LSU, even Aub), incomprehensible surprises are the norm.

I had not even had the thought of Ala/PSU, but when you mentioned it i got all teary eyed nostalgic for the best game I ever ever attended, PSU - Ala for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl in the late 70s. My goodness!!! It was where, oddly enough, I came to really respect PSU, JoPa and their fans as having a lot of class.

All-in-all, this is an AMAZING year for college ball.

 

I could see a 1 loss Florida team playing for the championship. That is because they are pretty high in the polls, would obviously have to win out to get there, and have a good OOC schedule. The same can be said for USC. A 1 loss Alabama or Texas team would have a chance but the timing of the loss is important. If either of them lose in their conference championship games, it will become a political situation similar to the one 2 years ago. Whichever coach is willing to speak up the loudest with the reasons for their team will probably get to play. I hate that scenario, so I'm hoping for a team with a long win streak to finish the year getting to play. There is a strong nostalgic push for PSU so they are in if they go undefeated. To me the best argument for a 1 loss team is the team that would be the best / strongest opponent for them. That argument could be made for USC / UF / Alabama / Texas. It is possible for TTU to go undefeated still and get to the championship game. That would be pretty cool (at least while their offense and PSU defense is on the field). It was about this time last year when I saw a tOSU fan at an airport. I asked him what the chances were of tOSU playing for the NC, and he was very confident. They lost shortly after that to Illinois, and then blew it big in the championship game. So you never know what surprises are in store, but there always seems to be some coming up in the next 3-4 weeks.
GO CANES!
BT

 

Of course they do, especially since it's in Lubbock. And with the weather the way it is up there this time of year, it's difficult for any team coming in.

TT has a great offensive line, and Crabtree is a stud. Last week he seemed a bit off though.
What is everyones overall thoughts on Harrell as a QB? Is he as great as he appears on paper? I'm not so sure...

It's going to be a great test for both teams.

 

Many of the Big XII Qb's are very entertaining to watch. How good they are will only be known in the NFL. But for college QB's I'd say 3-5 are exceptional. McCoy, Daniels are both awesome. Harrell is even better because defenses know they are just going to pass on just about every down, and yet he continues to do great with a heavily predominant passing attack. He has great receivers also, but man that guy can place the ball just about exactly where it needs to be 90% of the time. High powered offensive teams are alwyas more fun to watch than predominantly defensive squads. 16-10 snoozers are interesting only to people emotionally attached to the teams playing. 63-42 is fun for anyone who likes to watch the sport.
BT

 

The one problem I see with Harrell is that he doesn't seem to have much fluidity. He doesn't move much after the ball is snapped. His line obviously gives him ample time (against Nebraska he could have taken a dump and read the paper), but when he is under attack he has to think quickly and can't get away on his feet.

 

Harrell's stats are completely inflated. Tech puts up monster points on all of their OOC games and never takes him out of the game to pad the stats. Wasn't it two weeks ago they were still throwing TD passes with 30 some odd seconds left in the game with tech up by over 20 points. He does know how to put the ball where he wants it, but I don't think Tech's defense will be able to stop our offense as much as we'll stop theirs.

 

I'm gonna wait till the SEC Championship game is done & over w/ before I can predict who will be in the BCS Championship game!

I think Florida is hella'lot better than their ranking. . .

I don't think Texas is as good as their ranking. . .

I think Penn State is the most under-rated undefeated team, thus far. . .

I think 'SC is the best team in the country, despite a slip-up earlier & a soft schedule. . .

I can see 'Bama going 13-0 en'route to 14-0 or potentially getting 3-L's. . .


My *personal* top-10 as of now (based on performances in all games played thus far & likely end-of-the-season placement)...

1. USC
2. Penn State
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Oklahoma
7. Texas Tech
8. Oklahoma State
9. Utah
10. Georgia

We'll see how wrong I am now, in December...

What I can say w/ certainty is that an undefeated 'Bama (13-0) & undefeated Texas (13-0) are shoe-ins for the BCS Championship game. Deservedly, too, I might add. . .

If there is a smorgas-board of 1-loss teams & no viable undefeated teams (sans' Utah/BoiseSt/etc'), USC seems like a lock (IMHO). . .

I am relatively confident that Penn State will finish undefeated. . .

I am favoring Florida to win the SEC, this season. At 12-1, they'd be right below a potential 11-1 USC (from my vantage), perhaps even super-ceding [sic them if the SEC Championship Game proves to be a blowout against a top-2/3 'Bama (obviously takin' out a respected Georgia en'route to the SEC CG). . .



Yea... '08 regular season has been awesome, thus far!

 

Don't forget that Texas Tech has yet to play real teams which is partially why they are undefeated. The Texas game Saturday will be the first of a couple tough games for them. The Longhorns have already beaten the tough lineup and Tech is the last of them. I think it's quite possible the the Longhorns may lose Saturday against Tech, but Tech is going to turn around and lose against Oklahoma. Nobody in the South is going to go undefeated unless the Longhorns win Saturday.

 

Seriously USC #1? what are you smoking?

 

USC #1???? Are you kidding? They are the most over rated team in college football. They play a soft schedule every year then get stomped when it come time for the big show. Look at their schedule. It's not even "soft". It's a joke. They only play ONE ranked team all year. And they lost to some lame unranked team.

 

Hey, cut the big O some slack; He's from Austin and they pride themselves on just being different to keep things interesting for everybody else...

http://www.keepaustinweird.com/

It's a Texas thing.
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Penn State has gotten a lot of respect in the last two weeks. I would not say they are underrated at all. They are overrated if anything, IMO.
You talk about weak schedules...geez.

 

I agree. I think it will be a close game, but I still believe UT will come out on top.

I think those were his predictions at the beginning of the season.

I have never been so amped for football as I've been in the past few years. I love it!

 

This year has been exciting, for sure!

 

GO CANES!
This is the best comeback win we have had since the anomoly with FSU last year. We have managed to win 3 close games, a task we seemed incapable of for the past few seasons.

BT

 

Go Canes.

These missed field goals by Georgia are killin' em.
-Colin

 

Thanks for the info, I live in Austin, and go to UT.

 

Apparently dropping the ball doesn't help them either haha, go D line!