Of course they can. I just don't give a **** whether Kentucky is better than Kansas or California or Wake Forest. :roll:
Not much change, Oregon slipped ahead of FSU, but both teams have some tough games ahead still so both could lose a game and open the door for somebody else to slip in the top 2 spots. I watched Oregon this weekend and while I don't know if they are as good as FSU, but they are so much fun to watch. Their QB just throws darts and their RB's seem to be able to jump/cut on a dime and leave change. I haven't watched FSU all season so maybe they look as good as Oregon. Until they play the question will remain can all that speed negate the physical advantage of Alabama? When they played LSU a few years ago, that speed didn't help them. Have things changed?
This year, I would say Cal, Washington, Arizona St., Florida, played tougher OOC schedule. (As a whole, the B12 OOC schedule was just woeful this year. yeesh.) The problem in this case, though, is that the SEC has FOUR opportunities for OOC games, and although most played one tough OOC game, the rest of them were generally not. As opposed to the PAC and B12 that play nine conference games, with only three opportunities for OOC games. So, the SEC schools are each replacing a "tough" conference game with a gimme. It is another opportunity to water down the schedule. And in years past, the argument has always been that the SEC is so damn tough top to bottom that they can get away with weak OOC games. When, in fact, they continue to pad their win totals with that extra almost-automatic win every year. Part of this is addressed above, but the other part is that everyone seems to be going to the SEC model, which really irks me. Out of three OOC games, everyone should be able to fit in a good cross-conference game, a "name" game, and a patsy. However, things are heading away from this toward filling the OOC with patsies, and in the case of those conferences that have four OOC games, even more easy wins. We'll revisit this at the end of the year to get a full 20/20 view of who played what schedule because some teams that seemed like top 30 last week, don't this week.
Kesley, For the record I am (as is Saban) all for playing 9 conference games. And again, Alabama has played and beaten 3 top 30 teams. OOC or in conference. We also can count on playing at least 2 more. But that's okay, when you're number 1, you raise everyone else's SOS and everyone else lowers yours. I'll take that dilemma for as long as I can get it. 8)
I'll be interested to see how this shakes out with the playoff looming. With 4 spots, there is still some benefit to watering down your OOC schedule but that does take away a bit of the pressure to do so as winning your conference because the ticket. I still think 8 is the way to go, and that would also greatly reduce the pressure to water down your OOC schedule. It would, hopefully, bring back some of those fun nonconference games that seem to be dying off like Dodos.