My own...but I like to think college football when BB is finished and it's fodder for conversation: BCS Title game: SC vs. W Va Rose: Mich vs. UCLA Sugar: LSU vs. Oklahoma Orange: Fla vs. Va. Tech Fiesta: Texas vs. Wisconsin CapOne: Ohio State vs. SouCarolina Outback: Auburn vs. Iowa Cotton: Tenn vs. TexA&M Chick Fil-A: Ky vs. FlaSt ( Blobby retires) Music City: Ga vs. PennSt ( Joe Pa retires) Gator: ND vs. Clemson
Gator is pretty optomistic for the Irish, given our losses and the lack of talent in the jr/sr classes. We will be extremely young and inexperienced on the OL and we'll have a new QB who either has never taken a snap in college or taken less than 30. On defense, while our new guy (Corwin Brown DCoord)is generating a lot of good things, he has a dearth of talent to work with so we aren't likely to expect to see much improvement on that side of the ball. I would say we'd be lucky to go 7-5 next year, which won't get us to the Gator Bowl.
7-5 is a real possibility but doesn't that get ND to the Gator Bowl if the bowl so chooses...which they might since it is ND?
They have changed the rules on the Gator, bowl and I think that for ND to be invited over the BE team we have to have at least as good a record as they do. I seriously doubt a 7-5 ND team could be invited to the Gator Bowl, now the Gator Bowl might want us but I don't think they could do it. I could be wrong though.
7-5 and not good enough for the Gator Bowl would be a step back for Weiss in my opinion. On Florida, in my Bowl predictions I propose that LSU wins the SEC over Fla but I have to say I am not ready to concede anything just yet. South Carolina could surprise as well and I read that Tenn has to replace too many on the OL and DL. I have to see how the UF defensive replacements step in for the departed juniors before I give up on UF's SEC chances this year. If WVa has any defense they should be able to get through the schedule unbeaten all the way to the BCS title game but the 'neers always seem to stumble. I don't feel Michigan has the defense to get there to play shoo in USC. Figuring out who other than WVa might play USC for all the marbles is a toughie.
I would take that for the Gators this season. We lost nine of our starting defense and that will likely keep us from contending for the National Championsip. If the Gators would meet LSU for the SEC Championship that would be our 2nd meeting next year. West Virginia could make it to that game but if so I would pick USC to win.
I dont agree MCG <t>This year's ND team will be rebuilding, quite literally, the entire offensive side of the ball. The starting QB, TB, #1 WR and a majority of the Oline are gone. That is a helluva lot to ask for in any case.<br/> <br/> Add to that, the Irish open the season at home against aGTech team that I believe they'd handle easily at the END of the year but playing this game at the start of the year worries me. After that home opener, the Irish play 4 of 5 on the road...They play AT Penn State, AT Michigan...come home for the Sparties (who always give the Irish headaches), then go back on the road to play AT Purdue and AT UCLA. That's round trip traveling of almost 6000 miles for just 4 games...That enough can be hard on a very young team, now actually mix in how tough it is to play at Happy Valley, Ann Arbor, Pasadena and West Lafayette...That's a long, tough road to travel.<br/> <br/> I break it down this way...ND has 7 home games this year.. For it to be a 'good or great' season, they need to take 5 of them at least...and of the road contests..they will need to take at least 3 of 5..so if you do the math, you'll see that even 4 losses for me this year isn't anything I'd consider a failure....5 is total within the realm of possibility..perhaps even 6.<br/> <br/> This season is going to showcase two absolute truths about the ND program and it will be interesting to see how the media handles it:<br/> <br/> 1. The total 'non' job done by Tyrone Willingham at ND. There will be no more whining about how Chuckie D Robot Genius is winning with 'Ty's guys' because there are no 'Ty guys' to talk about. They are gone, or were never recruited...which brings me to #2.<br/> <br/> 2. This will be, by far, the Robot Genius' most daunting task as a coach...in probably well over the last 10 years. You'd have to go back to his days with the Jets to find a time in which he was trying to do so much with so little...There is talent there, but its very, very young.<br/> <br/> If RoboCoach wins 9 or more games this year... look out.<br/> <br/> If he wins 6 or fewer...he better look out.</t>
7-5 won the first B12 Championship and sent the Longhorns to the Fiesta Bowl. It can happen when there is a championship game involved. Not likely in the B10 or PAC10 where there is no championship game.
I agree that ND has a terribly hard looking schedule but I remember a couple of years ago when it looked just as tough on paper but the opponents mostly had off years and the schedule was very doable. If form holds however then 7-5 really wouldn't be too bad. Tenn is replacing both lines correct? They lost Robert Meachem also and another WR? That won't cut it at Cal and at UF.
As far as the BCS is concerned, ND is the ONLY team that has to have a specific ranking to be included. Other BCS qualifiers only have to be the top team in their conference no matter how weak the conference is. In 1988 ND was no. 1 at the end of the season. Since they had beaten 6 conference champions that year, it was not a complete surprise.
Ah GORT, another season another National Championship prediction for Tennessee! 8) 8) I'll see them in Gainesville the third game of the season. Hopes are always high for all of us this time of year. Gator Bill
And now this from CFN: http://cfn.scout.com/2/646582.html Some picks match my picks fairly closely and some others like Hawaii in the Sugar do not. If LSU makes the BCS title game by beating UF in the SEC title game I could actually see a rematch happening between OSU and a thrice beaten UF in the Outback as he predicts....but I think Florida will do better.
I saw the post where Stu asked me to pick the winners: BCS Title game: SC vs. W Va Rose: Mich vs. UCLA Sugar: LSU vs. Oklahoma Orange: Fla vs. Va. Tech Fiesta: Texas vs. Wisconsin CapOne: Ohio State vs. SouCarolina Outback: Auburn vs. Iowa Cotton: Tenn vs. TexA&M Chick Fil-A: Ky vs. FlaSt ( Blobby retires) Music City: Ga vs. PennSt ( Joe Pa retires) Gator: ND vs. Clemson