From CFN: http://cfn.scout.com/2/852484.html USC vs. Florida in the BCS Title game.......sounds good to me.
USC has a lot of questions to answer. That was one of the best defenses that I ever laid eyes on last year. While they might not have had the DL that Stallings' Tide defense had during their last title run, I'd put up USC's LBs and DBs against anything I've seen in college football since I've been following the game.. which admittedly is not as long as most here. While USC does lose Sanchez, there is a case that could be made he was the least talented QB on their roster. I will be interested to see how super-recruit Matt Barkley does on the depth chart early on. If he doesn't make a splash in the battle between Aaron Corp and Mustain, then USC will most likely be loaded on that side of the ball again. Still, there are some teams out there that I could see winning the Pac10 who aren't USC. Florida is loaded, the returning NC and they play a pretty damned weak schedule. LSU has started to show signs of going backward under Les Miles. I don't see Georgia being more than a speed bump without Stafford and Moreno. Tennessee is still rebuilding.. Even possible title game opponents like Alabama don't figure to be better this year than they were last year. For the Tide, the QB position will be key...they have to rebuild an OL... i just don't see anyone in the SEC who is anywhere near that level on paper. I'd say Florida is a 'gimme' but the other spot I'd give to Texas or (insert Big12 power house here)... unless some Big East, ACC team makes a miracle run thru a Charmin soft schedule.
Corey, I don't think Florida is a given, I don't think anyone is a given because there is always that one Ole Miss or Oregon State game on the schedule and there is no guarantee that there won't be a couple of undefeated teams. Last year Penn State had a clear shot to the title game when they lost to Iowa. Had Penn State not lost the Gators would have been on the outside looking in. Having said that I like our chances as well as anyone.
Bill, This year's Florida team looks to have the most coming back of any defending champion in memory. All 22 two deep players on a defense coming back that throttled one of... if not THE highest scoring offense in NCAA history in Oklahoma. That's just defense. Then you have of course Florida's own Knute Rockne/Gipper legend in Tebow.....all the running backs.....and a host of WRs ready to step in for Harvin. UF did by the way beat #1 ranked, undefeated Bama without Mr. Harvin. Then...there is Brandon James still going back to receive kicks and guys like Demps there to block the other guy's. You can view all of this as bluster or you can be realistic about it and admit......UF is absolutely loaded. Does that mean they will skate through everything and not blow a game before the NC? No....on that point I agree that the oblong shaped football can bounce many strange ways and these are after all just 19-21 year old kids who can do the darndest things on any given Saturday.
No doubt that when Tebow decided to come back that made the Gators the favorite. Texas and OU also having their QB's return makes them no brainers for top 5. USC while losing a lot of talent, has recruited so well over the last 5 years that we won't necessarily know the names of the defensive replacements but we know they will have been amongst the best in the nation when they were recruited. USC also has a couple of very marquee non-conference games, they travel to Columbus for Ohio State and to South Bend for Notre Dame. This should be the best ND/USC matchup since 2005. Terry
I do wonder if USC really does have that many returning players that would put them in at the #1 or #2 slot.
Remember last time the Gators came into a Chamionship game with a super confident attitude of unbeatable awesomeness? My only question is, why does it say "Nebraska State University"?
Notre Dame could mess up all of these scenarios this year. OK, stop laughing :evil: I'm serious..... tons of talent, some great new position coaches, loaded with experience and a very doable schedule.
Of course anything is possible, but I don't think the Irish will run the table, the schedule sets up nice, getting USC at home and Michigan maybe still not up to the Mich of old. But we still have to go to East Lansing and those guys have had our number ever since Lou left, not to mention that BC sill is on the schedule and that's another team that has had our number. We do have more talent than either BC or MSU based on high school recruit rankings and all but still both those teams have been nemisis no matter what the talent since Lou left. As far as ND/USC talentwise we are closer to them than we have been since 2005, but still they have more talent and until he proves otherwise Charlie Weis is no Pete Carroll. That game in Columbus with Ohio State looms very large for both those teams. A big win in Columbus will certainly propel USC upwards, and conversely a win by Ohio State will give them a big boost up the standings as well. Terry
Can't say as I do....wasn't 2006 the first NC game for Florida? :wink: I do remember the 2009 Gator Bowl though.....
Doc, Nine wins is almost a necessity for Weis to keep his job so I figure 10-11 is just around the corner.
George, I agree that from a fans perspective that 9 wins is pretty much the min. Main thing is how do we look in our losses, he's got 5 years worth of his players now, the numbers are good in terms of Jr/Sr classes. So if we look bad vs Mich State, USC and somebody else (BC, Pitt) then it's time to cut the rope. !0 wins is certainly not an unreasonable goal. That would allow for a USC loss and an upset somewhere. The worst thing for Weis would be to go to Ann Arbor and lose to Mich.
Terry I think you have it backwards. We have MSU at home and Mich. in AA. That is a much better scenerio I think.
Yes I do have it wrong. I wondered why I could get a hotel room in East Lansing so cheaply on a football weekend. Of course they said my room would not have a couch.
Bill, Even the writer of that article thinks Florida is a given. Florida could (somehow) lose to someone in the SEC and still get the benefit of the doubt. So no one tries to say this is me stirring the pot... from the article: