-Florida State has a whole damn lot of horses and pulled away from a game Miami team. Golden had the right plan, he just doesn't have the right horses yet. This was a week for terrible calls that shift or carry momentum, and this game had a quick whistle that had even me screaming at the set. It wound up not mattering in the big picture, but that's a different 1st half without that quick whistle. The Noles just continue to impress. -Michigan State's defense just looked suffocating against Michigan. If they had anything remotely resembling an offense, I'd say the Buckeyes are on upset alert for the B1G title game.. but they don't, so they aren't. -Navy managed to play a perfect game up until the last series, and it cost them the game. -Florida shows a lot of heart and they play incredible defense. That defense almost willed themselves into a victory Saturday against Georgia. How in the world anyone is .500 with a defense that is no worse than 2nd or 3rd best in the country is amazing. Everyone involved in the offense should get fired before Thanksgiving. -Auburn continues to win and look pretty darn good doing it. -Oklahoma State and Texas Tech played. I don't care and you shouldn't either. Okies won btw in a flag football affair. -Missouri handled Tennessee a lot easier than I thought they would, and the news is that Franklin could have played in that game. If I were the Tigers, I'd not rush him back. They should rotate him in to keep him in the groove of things, but the backup kid has got this for at least another week. -UCLA beat Colorado, which isn't news, but what is news it that the Buffs showed a lot of heart in this match. That's a great sign for a losing team. Maybe they are getting coached up? -Ohio State just murdered Purdue. That's all that need be said about that. ---- In conference talk: -In the Big12 it looks like Texas and Baylor right now. -In the SEC West, things get a lot clearer after this weekend. In the East, things are still close but an upset here or there could end things. (I'm looking at you Gators) -The Pac12 South is still tighter than a cat's asshole on the 4th of July, while the North is a lot like the SEC West. It all makes sense, but could go to hell in a hand basket real fast. -In the B1G, Michigan State just looks better than everyone in that division and Ohio State just looks better than everyone in the other. That may not hold up, but right now that's the case. Also, why does Minnesota have 7 wins? -In the ACC, FSU is running away with a one game lead holding head to head with the only team who could catch them and Miami looks to be the cream of the other division. It'll be an interesting rematch in the title game. Last week was scarce on action and the few big bill games didn't live up to the hype/hope. This week, that should be much different. -LSU-Alabama -Oregon-Stanford -Oklahoma-Baylor (I said that with a straight face, Doc) -Auburn-Tennessee -BYU-Wisconsin -UCLA-Arizona -Miami-VaTech that's a lot of potential paved road for future polls.
1) FSU has shown me they belong with Oregon and Alabama as the top three in the nation. At this point, I won't argue in which order they should be, since there are so many tests to come. Now, they all have to attend to business if they expect to be in the last BSCG. 2) MSU's d is the best in the nation right now. I don't know how they would do against a Baylor, Oregon, or A&M, but we'll likely find out how they will do against an OSU here in a few weeks. 3) Navy, as we discussed, played great and took advantage of of that same blocking scheme all night long. It was really too bad they didn't pull it out. 4) Florida's d is the best in the SEC, probably second best in the nation right now. In the first half, once Georgia was up 20-0 I thought for sure the game was over, but Florida came out and ended up making a game of it. 5) This year's Iron Bowl looks like it could be a good game this year. 7) Good to see Missouri handled the hangover just fine. 8) UCLA looks really good against good teams. It is only against elite teams that they are shown to not belong up at that level yet. Although, I would hesitate to say they aren't better than OSU this year. 9) MSU vs. OSU looks like it could be a really good game when OSU has the ball. That'll at least give me a chance to flip over and see other games. 10) In the B12, it's nobody until somebody plays somebody. This next weekend is virtually the first slate of any of the leaders playing each other. 11) Despite either result of the LSU/Bama game this weekend, both Auburn and Alabama control their own destinies. Missouri is still in control in the East with only one real test left against A&M at the end. A&M's d might be servicable by then, or it could still be wallowing. 12) ASU, Arizona, UCLA all control their own destinies in the P12 South. Whoever wrote USC's obit was a bit premature, although I expect their depth to lose them at least one (Stanford) and probably two (UCLA) more. P12 North gets decided this weekend. 14) FSU will cruise until the ACCCG when Miami gets another shot. They do have a game against Florida, but that's OOC so won't matter except for their CG aspirations. 15) I expect Miami/VT to be a blood bath. BYU/Wisconsin could be interesting. Or not. Auburn/Tennessee could be good if the infamous SEC hangover doesn't do Tennessee in. I'm looking forward to LSU/Bama, Oregon/Stanford, OU/Baylor. UCLA/Arizona is one where the loser is going to get tagged as "pretender" although both are solid teams. A lot of clarity will be provided.
Somebody tell me how the F@(K OU is in the top 10?!?!?!?. Win or lose against.Baylor they sure as hell dont deserve that ranking...
Kes, The Iron Bowl is almost always a great game regardless of the record. Every now and then, there's a stinker but by and large, it's a great game. Scott, I don't want to jinx it, but I wouldn't be shocked if Baylor hangs 50 on them.
Nice article Corey. As far as the Gators upsetting, you have to mean S. Carolina, I won't even think about that until we manage to beat Vanderbilt this weekend and manage to become bowl eligible. The upset I would prefer though is FSU, but I see a snowball in hell of having a better chance at survival.
I'm thinking 1997. FSU comes in #2 thinking we are just a technicality on the way to a NC game. Our hopes for the SEC, and therefore the season, were dashed (granted, not as dashed as this year) so there was nothing left to play for other than ruining FSU's season. And ruining a Nolie season is a GREAT thing to play for. So what happens? "Run Freddie Run!" ... late interception ... kneel down to steal it 32-29. I have no idea how we can score 32, so we'll have to keep the Wonder Boy to less than 20. But hey, why not, dare to dream.
I'm with you WZT, however I am afraid there is a difference in that this team has been totally lacking in offense. Like you said I don't see how we score 32 points. Having said that, I am always the optimist and will be rooting for my Gators from my seat in the Sunshine seats on FSU game day. Love your thought.
Never say never... Turnovers can do wonderful things, and a good defense can always keep you in the game waiting for that funny bounce.
While I know you guys would like to knock off the Noles, I'm thinking 'small steps' first. To beat FSU, you're going to need to win a shootout.. or at least come up with 28 points. (in a game). I'm just not sure that can happen against the Noles for you. HOWEVER, you can beat South Carolina with about 17 to 20. Your defense could knock their QB from the game and if you do, they are done offensively. Hopefully, someone at Florida has watched some amount of film and learned from the mistakes of everyone who has lost to South Carolina. That mistake it, NEVER STOP RUNNING AT CLOWNEY. He likes to stand up in pass rush off the snap. With plays like draws, you can put that dude on skates and drive him around the rink. Even on base running plays, he tends to sell out a lot in pursuit of backfield penetration. He'll give you a turned shoulder or an open chest that you can use to pummel him into the ground or out of the play. If you sit back in the pocket or run away from him, he'll hurt you.
I think I would like us to win our last 4 games. That's what I want. In reality I expect to beat Ga Southern and probably, but not surely, Vandy. After that we will be underdogs to S. Carolina and FSU with the best chance at a win in those two games with S. Carolina. We have beaten FSU before when they were heavy favorites and it is a home game for us so I don't count us out completely.
It being a home game is a major reason I haven't counted you guys out. FSU's history of imploding is the other reason. Still, those aren't very stable rocks to be standing on. Your defense will have to win that game which is very possible.
That 1997 Gator team had big playmakers on offense..... Jaquez Green and Fred Taylor.... not to mention a brilliant underdog coach at the helm. This team has none of that.... except for Fred Taylor's son. FSU will win by 35 points..... say about 42 - 7 They need to make statement before the final BCS polls.
As might be predicted after the game on Sat, Mich fans apparently are beginning to doubt Hoke, enough so that the AD had to give him a vote of confidence. As an outsider, it appears to me that Hoke took over a mess that RR left and while he inherited an exciting QB it was a QB who wasn't really a good fit for what he and Al Borges had in mind. A lot of other talent recruited to play RR's system on offense and defense also not a good fit. But he's won quite a few games in his 3 years and more importantly he's recruited extremely well with top ranked young players coming in and already on the roster. I'd say UM is poised to get back to challenging Ohio State, not this year they are going to be steamrolled, but starting next year we should be seeing more old time Michigan football.
They had better keep Hoke..... but then again I wonder if Michigan fans are saying the Gators had better keep Muschamp. In reality.... who is out there that is a slam dunk? An Urban Meyer if you will? If there isn't a real viable replacement both Michigan and UF had better go another season with what they have. On another note I hear Mr's. Saban is checking out houses in Gainesville... :wink: