1. Congrats to PSU for the big win in Columbus. I never thought they could go into the Shoe at night and beat OSU in a defensive struggle. I thought maybe if it went shootout they would have the advantage. But Ohio State really was stiffled by the PSU defense. Tom Bradley really does a great job there, and really never gets a lot of credit. 2. I do wonder how good a team OSU could have been this year if Wells doesn't get injured and they had a dependable upper classman at QB instead of struggling so much with the the kid Pryor. I wonder if next year we'll find that the OSU defense is too young for the offense that is likely to come back. It's tough to get both sides of the ball going at the same time. 3. Texas-Oklahoma State game was a great game, I think it was the best game of the day. The teams battled toe to toe, some great defense was played as well as some great offense. That OkState RB really impressed me in the 2nd half. 3 down and 1 to go!! On to Lubbutt!! 4. USC inspite of all the talent they have recruited on offense struggles so much more than I thought they would this year. I thought, esp after destroying UVA that they would be a threat to score 50+ points a game. Just hasn't worked out that way, and I don't quite understand why. Not to take anything away from the Az Wildcats, but holding USC to 17 points really makes me doubt how good USC really is, or maybe they are having trouble staying focused and getting mentally up for all their games. 5. What a wasteland the ACC is these days. I am amazed at the Salary drive that Al Groh is putting on at UVA though after losing 3 out of their 1st 4 I figured Al was on his way out at UVA. He's never really seemed to quite get over the hump there, he's had some good recruiting classes and some teams that seemed poised to take the next step up but never do make that step. But he's won 4 straight I he'll be back again next year I'm sure. 6. Big East another wasteland. I don't think they have any teams that are any good, maybe just maybe WVA. They aren't awfull but not much above average. If they get matched with one of the BCS busters in a BCS bowl they will get beat. As will who ever wins the ACC. 7. Speaking of BCS busters, ESPN is already jumping on the "it's a damn shame" train with regards to the BCS fortunes of Utah, Boise State and even Tulsa and Ball State. All of which could finish undefeated, not likely all 4 will but it's possible. Then toss in TCU which is #12 and plays Utah in 2 weeks. There is going to be pressure to get 2 BCS bids out of this group. Ball State vs ACC champion !!! I wonder if the Ball State fans travel well!! 8. Bloom is really off of the rose at Vandy, they lost to Duke this weekend in the Preppie Bowl at Vandy. Another SEC embarassment to go along with the thumping of Auburn by a Big East school!! 9. LSU sucks. Did you see the LSU crowd in the 2nd half? Yeah neither did I, they evacuated the stadium like a hurricane was heading up the Mississippi river. I know a Notre Dame crowd would never leave in droves like those LSU fans. BTW if you are one of those Gator fans (cough MCG) who relished the thought of the Dawgs having to go to Death Valley and play a tough physical game at LSU and be worn out and spent for the UF game. Think again. The Dawgs had to have come away from that game game pumped up and looking for some Gator Tail whup. That game made them a stronger opponent for the Gators this weekend. 10. Congrats to Scotts Aggies, they played their hearts out at Iowa State and got rewarded with the win. I know Iowa State sucks, they are about as bad as LSU! But still you can see the progress the Ag's are making. I think they'll beat Baylor as well. This will help Sherman in recruiting, it shows he can coach and that there's early playing time if you come to College Station. 11. Minnesota the suprise team of the B10. I have to admit I thought the Gophers had struck out in hiring Brewster as their head coach. He didn't know the region, never even been a coordinator much less a head coach. He was Mack's best recruiter at UNC and Texas so I knew he could talk to kids, but he's never worked the Upper Midwest. He's doing a good job this year. Don't know what the potential is there, but they will be getting an on-campus stadium again in the near future and out of the Metrodome so that will help them no doubt in getting back to a real college atmosphere. 12. I had 25 putts on Sat AM and didn't break 80. :cry:
Let me see, number one and two. I agree about Penn State, what a year they are having. But I don't feel to much for Ohio State, Pryor is quite a talent and with the experience he is getting this year it will pay dividends in the future. And if Penn State ends up in the BCS Championship game Ohio State probably goes to the Rose Bowl, not bad for an off year. Texas, Oklahoma State looked like it was a great game. I don't know what to make of USC either. ACC and Big East, blah, let's hope their champions end up playing each other in a bowl game, that way there would only be one BCS game on my ignore list. ESPN always has to have something to champion. @#!$!@# them. LSU, I don't think they are great, but they aren't quite as sucky as you say. Yes, congrats to the Aggies. Florida and Georgia should be a good game. Georgia took control of LSU early and sure didn't come out of that game with any real injuries or emotional let dame. Ditto for the Gators. I'm pulling for Illinois to make a bowl game again. I don't play golf but my bowling game is still lagging where it was before my injury. I go into every week thinking this will be the breakthrough. Acutally I had a three set run where I thought it had happened then I fell lower again. :cry: But as usual I think this will be the week. :twisted: :twisted:
re Zona vs USC: That was a matchup of the 2 best defenses in the Pac10. After some early season injuries, Zona is healthy and had been playing fairly well. When they've lost, turnovers and stupid mistakes have a lot to do with it.. Their defense isn't bad at all. I'm with you on all other counts, except Minnesota. I posted their victims over in the other section. (I did a 'stretch' section because I knew you'd do one for the week)
WVa absolutely clocked a pretty good Big 12 team in a big 12 setting......Oklahoma in the Fiesta. Beating a mediocre Auburn team at home is not all that unexpected. On Georgia-LSU....it wasn't the kind of game I hoped for but it wasn't a creampuff play all the reserves game either.....sorta like when Florida emptied the bench the entire 4th quarter last Sat.... :wink:
Man, you will type up anything won't you? You somehow equate Arizona to Big 12 country? Uh yeah, right. What does a game from last year have to do with this season? How do you suppose that WVA/OU game would go this year, or are you suggesting they are both the same teams?? :roll:
Scott....does it irk you just as bad when people equate an SEC team playing in the Sugar Bowl to same thing I am saying about the Big 12 and the Fiesta? In any event WVa isn't that bad of a team and it's no shame losing a game at their place. Now that said....Auburn has no offense and is very down this year to be sure.
I know there's an SEC team located in the state of Louisiana. What Big 12 team is located in the state of Arizona? You might as well point out that the Fiesta Bowl is played during the holidays, and then allude to the 12 days of Christmas.
It's about three times the miles from Wva to Phoenix as it is Ok to Phoenix... But anyhow the Fiesta has the Big 12 tie-in and that is the connection. Frankly to me personally it all matters how a team's fan's travel more than anything else so I don't put much credence in the bowl tie-in if a team travels well....and teams like W Va, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn St etc. travel well.
It doesn't "irk" me at all because the statement is so out there. As Rick already pointed out, there are no teams from the Big 12 anywhere close to the Fiesta location. While there is a Big 12 affiliation with the Fiesta, it hardly constitutes an advantage. When the Aggies won the XII we played in the Sugar bowl, so did we have an advantage in Arizona that year??? WVA is nowhere near the same team as it was last year. Different coaches, and different personel...
I see. So when Oregon traveled 1.5 times farther than Colorado to play in the '02 Fiesta, they too were in a Big 12 setting.
No doubt the Fiesta Bowl is not in B12 country. The Sugar Bowl is in SEC territory. If Jerry Jones can get the Cotton Bowl back to being a BCS game and that becomes the B12 venue then you could say it's an advantage for the B12, just like the Sugar is for the SEC and the Rose is for the Pac10. I do hope that once Cowboyland Stadium is up and running with the Cotton Bowl that the BCS moves the Cotton Bowl back to BCS status and drops the stupid 2 games at one site situation that they have right now.
WOW. more amazing Pac10/Big12 football knowledge from our Gator friend.. I am glad he sticks to something he knows about.. Pac10, Big12 football and beating Auburn... *cough* You haven't done that since 2002. Heck, they've beaten you 3 of the last 4. BTW-saying this year's Auburn team is as competitive as their past several clubs is as disingenuous as saying this year's West Virginia team is anything like that past 3 editions of West Virginia football.
I understand the whole MCG thing, however I do believe it is significant that the Big 12 has a tie in with the Fiesta Bowl. Not that it should make that much difference but there is a history with the Big 12 and the Fiesta that does make some difference. Just my humble opinion, so go back to the rest of you vs MCG.
Bill, the Big 10 has a tie-in with the Pac 10 in the Rose and there is 100 years of great tradition.....however, I've never felt "advantaged" travelling to the west coast! :wink:
And the tie in is with two conferences with a long history of playing each other in that game. And if memory serves me correctly one of the reasons that the Big 10 didn't join the BCS at first was because of this tie in that they like so well. I believe that is different than W. Virginia traveling all the way to Arizona into an environment they don't normally go into. Like I said though, just my humble opinion. :twisted: :twisted:
Well since no one has seen fit to mention it in this thread, there is another undefeated team in the picture. They have already beaten 2 top 10 teams and they beat a decent big rival this past weekend. I'm just sayin!
kp, for the record I think we all know that if Alabama goes undefeated they will be in the Championship game. At least that is my opinion and I think most here. There may be a lot of sentimental thoughts for Jo Pa, but an undefeated Bama team is there in my opinion. The discussion was more if there is only one undefeated team, not Bama, then what one loss team would rise to the top for the BCS Championship game. Since these discussions always have to include Florida, it's called the MCG factor, then the basis for the the discussion was if Florida makes it through the rest of the season. But let me say clearly that an unbeaten Alabama team is in the BCS Championship game. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. 8) 8)
The Big 12 Fista Bowl tie in is pretty recent, isn't it? I thought after the state of Texas "merged/puchased/annexed" the Big 8, The Big 12 champ's tie in was with the Orange Bowl which was the old tie in for the Big 8 champ. Anyway, this thread if forcing me too brush up on geography since my head is spinning trying to figure out if the distance from Columbus to Pasadena is less than the distance from Morgantown to Phoenix. I probably need to update my map of Michigan