Obviously Sports Illustrated has been reading my posts about the most important games this season and what the USC game means for the Buckeyes.....damn these plagiarists! :lol: :wink: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/06/30/ten.defining.games/index.html?eref=T1
Amazing, only you and Mandel have come to the conclusion that SC and OSU is a critical matchup. For me the most interesting matchup is Ga.-ASU. I'm wondering if Ga.'s travel agent can figure out how to travel that far on a bus (which is how Ga. has traveled for non-con games for decades.)
My,my,my....Ohio State vs Wisconsin is #5! And here you had us all believing that after the USC game that OSU had nobody else to play. :wink:
It's a pretty good list of what are games of interest this season. Kinda makes you want to park in front of the TV on a rainy windy Saturday afternoon in the fall eh? Actually I hate those Indian summer Saturdays of 70s and sunny in October because I am always torn between outside and CFB in front of the TV. CFB always wins..... In answer to the OSU-Wisconsin game I have not condemned the Big Ten permanently....just last season in particular and what it did/did not do to enhance the Buckeyes NC credentials. Wisconsin may break last year's slide by the Big Ten and be an elite team.....or they may not but in either case OSU at Wisconsin is a tough test or it should be. How about Auburn having it's hands full at W Va.? Very tough game...
Wisconsin in Madison has always been difficult for us. I do not expect things to be any easier this year! Don
The question I have is which teams at the top of the pre-season list will become also-rans and fade from the picture? Who will be the surprise powerhouse? What game later on in the season will turn out to be a blockbuster game that isn't on the radar now?
As long as you're dreaming Scott, what about Turkey Day? It hasn't been a big game in the overall scheme of things even though you guys have won the last 2, but if we have a good season and are a 1 loss team going into the A&M game in Austin and you guys are having a good year also...could be a barn burner. You know Mack won't want to lose to the Ag's 3 years in a row, he'd probably have to finally fire Greg Davis!! Terry
Stu I hope that the Irish are that suprise team of 2008. If so then that ND/USC game in L.A. could be very big for the bowl picture and NC picture. Mainly in that if ND has a great year we could be spoilers for a likely top 5 rated USC team. As far as which preseason highly rated team will fall, I predict both Clemson and W.VA will exit the top 10 and I am worried about the Longhorns who are on our 3rd DCoord since 2005 and haven't found a replacement for Jamall Charles at RB. If we can't run, then we won't be very good at passing either.
I think Clemson is on many lists as a possibly overrated team. Also throw Missouri in that mix in addition to Ohi....no just kiddin.... :lol: Maybe USC could be overrated witha lot of new personnel on offense and with that brutal schedule Georgia could wind up as one kick ass 3 loss team that would be rated outside of the top ten.Underrated....how about Michigan because I think Rodriguez is a very good coach that no one seems to be taking seriously these days.ND was so shaky last year I would have to see the Irish play a couple of games before I could guess if they are underrated. Here is another opinion: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=417513
MCG, I think you are really reaching on any possibility that Michigan might be under rated. Coach R is really going to struggle this year and maybe even next year. He has a major rebuilding job on his hands up there. Don
I just don't think Carr left a bare cupboard and I believe in RR's ability to make diamonds out of clay. The experience isn't there but the new scheme may make a great difference....operative word being "may"...
uhm <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> This quote shows a whole lotta Gator and very little Motor City. Have you been following the news in Ann Arbor?<br/> <br/> Transfers/defections etc...We will see I suppose and I am certainly not touting my Irish as anything but one day at a time.. but Michigan has been going nuts since RR took that job, and some are already wondering if he's the right guy.</r>
Lots of negative vibes and events in AA to be sure Corey. But something tells me RR is up to the task and will surprise a few people because underneath he is one tough SOB who has determination......and his approach was pretty effective at W Va.
Gipper, I have come to the conclusion you haven't actually seen any "top games" lists for 2008 because USC-OSU is #1 on every list I have seen.
No doubt USC/Ohio State is the Texas/Ohio State matchup for this year...Big, Big, Big. But because the matchup is so early the loser is not out of the NC running. Same thing for the Tenn/Fla matchup which this year while big as usual in a SEC sense but not USC/Ohio State, the loser could get on a roll and end up winning the SEC and NC championship. To me the reason the USC/Ohio State matchup is so exciting and so big is that we rarely see teams of this stature both top 5 NC contenders playing intersectional games in modern college football. We are more likely to see a big non-conf matchup with the Citadel or somebody like that.
Michigan is going to be in a WORLD of hurt, at least in the beginning. Transitioning to a new system is ALWAYS difficult, even when it's similar to what you've been running. In this case they couldn't be much more different. I doubt RR has the personel to come close so at best they will be running a hybrid... I haven't seen their sched, but I suspect a long season is coming for Bob.
Well if Michigan is down and the rest of the Big Ten has the same kind of year as last year then I disagree with Terry's assessment that OSU can lose to USC and still make the NC game....for the same argument as Mandel makes. Now if the Big Ten rebounds and plays well and has a highly nationally ranked type of season for at least 2 or 3 teams that OSU beats then it becomes more possible.