Well Tuesday night is the first Committee Top 25. How many of you are expecting it to be different from the AP/Coaches poll? For quite awhile one of the criticisms of the AP/Coaches is that they should not be published till at least a month of the season has been played, that way a fairer and more accurate picture of the teams will have emerged and teams won't be overrated based on history or last years ranking. Logic said that it made it harder/less fair for teams who were unranked to make their way into their correct/earned on the field spots in the polls. Also it's been assumed that there is a ton of bias in the polls, that AP writers from say the West Coast will vote West Coast teams higher, writers from the Midwest/B1G region will do the same for B1G teams, etc. Regional bias plays a big part in the voting. For the Coaches poll, it's been alleged that coaches vote in blocks for their conference rivals, seems likely to be true. It helps them and helps the conference. So now we have a committee that is supposedly tasked with finding the best teams, they are supposed to be without bias or with as little bias as possible. I'm sure if questioned individually they would all say that their goal is to reward the best teams, not to prop up a conference or a particular team. So what if their top 25 is essentially a mirror of the AP/Coaches? Anyway back to this weeks games. FSU at Louisville on Thursday Night. Louisville also plays ND later. Should be a FSU win though. Longhorns go to Texas Tech. Huge game for Texas. I don't have a clue as to whether we'll win or not. Notre Dame at Navy Irish should win, need to win big though..no close games allowed. Fla vs Georgia. It would appear that UGA has the upper hand here, to say the least. TCU at WVa. This game is huge, for both teams. TCU like ND and other 1 loss teams need to keep winning. But WVa is improving and if they could win out it would put them in contention for the B12 title and a very good bowl. Don't forget they took down Baylor in Morgantown. Purdue at Nebraska....I expect to get another text/photo from a happy huskerfan! Kansas at Baylor. Baylor rolls Auburn at Ole Miss. Game of the Day. An elimination game. Ark at Miss State. No SEC wins in 2013, and none so far this year...streak continues. Stanford at Oregon... Ducks have stumbled vs Stanford a lot. Can't do that this year. Must win for the Ducks. Ok State vs KState...Another can't lose game for KState and they won't. Utah vs Az State Elimination game. Indiana at Michigan. UM should get the win here, but who knows Illini at Ohio State ...warm up for MSU. Hard not to note that MSU gets 2 weeks to prepare for the visit from the Buckeyes.
I have been criticized in the past for my focus on "style" points in college football but in my view if you do not win as convincingly as possible without doing anything unsportsmanlike then you put your chances at peril in this format. I have the greatest respect for Navy and what they stand for. I'll take 48-10.
I agree George, I think from here on out the mantra for all the 1 loss teams that are in contention.... 1. Win out...no 2 loss teams will be invited. 2. In addition you will need some style points to separate yourself from the other 1 loss teams. Might not be as important in your big games. I don't think the winner of the Auburn/Ole Miss elimination game has to crush the other team, but I do think Ohio State needs to crush Illinois but not Michigan State. Of course winning big in your big games is always preferred.
Louisville has a history of being tough in that racetrack by the freeway on Thursday nights. I echo George's statements regarding Navy. I would note, they'd do it to us. Terry, I'm curious to see how it'll turn out. People have been running their pie holes for years, and now here's their chance to show they'll do it differently. We'll see. Florida-Georgia: This is the last chance for Muschamp to save his job. That's a terrible thing to say, but it's true. Georgia can be had. TCU-West Virginia: I saw some TV show this past weekend where the guy was in Morgantown. He was wearing a 'Burning Down The Couch' t-shirt. I must have one. Nothing personal against the Horned Frogs and their fine Christian institution, but I'm pulling for the strip mall strip club that is West Virginia. I'm a fan of of Holgo, and his T-Top Thunderbird blaring Journey on the way to the liquor store...for breakfast. Huskers big. Baylor big. Auburn and Ole Miss.. where is this game? Oxford? you may wanna take Ole Miss then..both sides are horrifically corrupt whorehouses where virtue and ball games can be bought. Don't rule out Auburn though. We'll see how good Ole Miss' defense is and we'll find out how bad their offense is, as well. Arkansas is going to get someone. It won't be Miss State most likely. I hate Stanford. I don't really hate Oregon. I need Oregon to lose. Sorry Ducks. KState should win and it will probably be ugly. In true P12 fashion, I have no feel for either of these teams and I have no idea who will win. I have no idea how either team has won the games they've won, or how they lost the games they lost. Grab a beer, order a pizza and throw a dart to pick the winner. It should be a good game. I think Indiana is done without that QB.. of course Michigan is the ultimate pulse test these days. Do they have triple digit scoreboards in Columbus?
OSU should roll Illinois but for some reason both Illinois and Purdue every few years are able to rise up and go toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes. Some great games are on the horizon in the B10 as both the MSU/OSU and Neb./Wisky games will be old-fashioned B10 slugfests.
If I remember correctly Bobda in their Nat'l Championship year it took a last minute TD, at Purdue to keep the Buckeyes undefeated.
My prediction for the opening "Final Four"... 1. Miss State ...undefeated. They are a no brainer. 2. FSU...undefeated defending Nat'l Champions 23 game streak..another no brainer. OK the next two will be from this group of 1 loss teams Alabama Notre Dame Michigan State Oregon. I pick Alabama and ND, both lost very close games on the road. MSU got beat by several TD's and Oregon lost at home badly. If they pick both Oregon and Mich State...I'm going to question their methods. Next 4 Auburn Georgia TCU Kansas State It will in some ways get easier for the committee as the number of 1 loss teams dwindle. For example Auburn/Ole Miss play this weekend...one will be out. Utah/ASU play this weekend one of them will be out. In 2 weeks Ohio State and Mich State will play..one of them will be out, that same weekend Alabama and Miss State will play ..one of them will be out. But this first week is going to upset a couple fanbases.
Sports Book odds on wining the Nat'l Championship. kp get your money down now!! Odds are provided by Sportsbook.ag. Alabama 6/1 Georgia 7/1 Mississippi State 7/1 Michigan State 8/1 Oregon 8/1 Florida State 8/1 Ole Miss 9/1 Ohio State 9/1 Auburn 12/1 Notre Dame 18/1 TCU 18/1 Kansas State 25/1 Baylor 30/1 Nebraska 40/1
Corey, you need to supply comments on a weekly basis, your stuff always kills! A few thoughts to add to the rest: FSU at Louisville on Thursday Night. This one reeks of a trap for the Semi-holes. However, knowing that everyone associated with FSU football in any fashion has sold their souls to the devil (some several times over) there is probably no way they'll be allowed to stumble. Longhorns go to Texas Tech. TT just gave up 83. yes 83! If the Longhorn's anemic offense can't score on the Dirtmonkeys, they never will. Fla vs Georgia. I agree with Corey that UGA can be had, but you gotta have an offensive pulse. I'm not sure Will hasn't totally euthanized that out of the Gators... TCU at WVa. Could be the first game with more than 150 points scored! Auburn at Ole Miss. Ole Miss has Bad Bo again, and Auburn has a mediocre defense. Wonder who will blink first? I suspect Auburn takes it. Ark at Miss State. If there's any defense in the league built to stop Fatboy Beliema's offense, this is it. MSU will stack-ass on the Hogs.
Terry I think they're wrong. I would bet we lose at least one more game. Maybe more. Alabama defense not good enough to cover inconsistent offense.
It does stink and speak loudly for our society in general I agree, it's a shame his children have to hear this. BUT........If you work in the entertainment business and make a few million dollars per year you might want to consider this before signing a contract. Heck I can get this response every time I spend a few million dollars and not return the investment, just not in the magnitude but then again I am making much less money.
I agree Terry and Ralph. As to the games this week, one of Auburn and Ole Miss go out of the picture. I am going with Auburn to win. FSU has another player, Running Back Karlos Williams is being investigated for domestic abuse. What's the over and under that he plays Thursday? I'm going to say what I said a couple of times the last few years. Alabama is the best in my mind until they lose another game. Georgia should beat Florida and they are the wild card SEC team. While the West beats up on each other Georgia is cruising through the East. Unfortunately I think they will beat the Gators and Muschamp will be replaced at year end. I am predicting Rich Rod as his replacement. Back to the games, Georgia is cruising in the East, but they still have Auburn on their schedule. If both win this week then that's another elimination game for both teams.
George, I love Uncle Rico! Terry, If Miss State is unbeaten at the end of the year, there's no way Alabama is a one loss team. They play each other on November 14th. I actually agree with your assessment, but I think some of this stuff will work out in the end. My worry is the B1G's duo of Michigan State and Ohio State. Interestingly enough, why aren't more people talking about Nebraska? After the B1G spends the next month hammering empty pans trying to draw attention to the greatness of a '1 loss B1G champion' there is a very real scenario in which Nebraska dumps the winner of Michigan State-Ohio State and finishes the year as a 1 loss B1G champion. Bobda, That's true, but I have more faith in Purdue showing up than Illinois. Scott, Thanks! The kid won't shut up, which restricts my time. Babies are demanding like that. You know, Arkansas has a good chance against Miss State if Dak has a bad game throwing the ball. I might be wrong, but Arkansas seems stacked to stop the run themselves. They just can't cover the pass. Terry Pt 2: Muschamp has been thumping his chest and saying stupid **** since he got employed. He's in no position to ask for sympathy. Ralph, Agreed. All, Did you see Florida State's RB Karlos Williams is being investigated for domestic battery? In true FSU fashion, his status with the team is 'under review' and no one is commenting on anything except his lawyer, who officially has no comment. He'll play the entire season while the TPD drags their feet. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/florida-st-player-investigated-domestic-193507463--ncaaf.html
Ohio State a little banged up...QB JT Barrett won't practice much this week and RB Rod Smith was dismissed from the team. Buckeyes 33 point favorites still though.
Terry, you know Rod Smith is Jaylon Smith's brother, right? I saw him (Rod) play as a HS freshman. He was a man among boys. Not sure why he hasn't panned out at OSU.