College Football Championships and Bowl Season

[Tyche]

The spreads (LVSC Lines)

USC -10 against Penn state
Virginia Tech against Cincinatti - Pick em'
Alabama - 11 against Utah
Texas - 8 against Ohio State
Oklahoma -1.5 vs Florida

[Akiyama]

The ones I just heard on Mike & Mike

USC against Penn state - Not sure about this one. -10 I think.
Cincy -2 against VaTech
Alabama -10.5 against Utah
Texas -10 against Ohio State
Oklahoma -3 vs Florida

[Tyche]

Yeah, I heard those, I have no idea where they got them.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-...s-vegas/?s=816
There's the LVSC lines.

[Akiyama]

Ah, alright. I guess different lines are out everywhere for now. Not like it'll stay that way the whole 3 weeks to a month until the games, lol.

[Stiker]

Ah cool, and I agree. I don't think ND = autowin really. Hawaii could very well win this game. It just depends on if the Notre Dame players give a shit about the game more than vacation time.

Believe me, this is very well in my mind. ND hasn't been that solid against teams we should blow out. Navy and Syracuse anyone?

Santa needs to bring me the end of the bowl losing streak. ; ;

[Plow]

I'm a little surprised OU is favored, but the old guys do love OU. I wouldn't be that surprised if it changes when the money starts really coming in either.

So, here's my take on the whole situation:

I'm not sure where *any* conference, including the big 12, proved themselves this year, let me say that first.

I don't think Alabama ever proved itself as a top team, as I don't think they beat anyone the 4th best Big 12 team (oksu) wouldn't have beaten as if not more easily.


I don't think Florida proved itself because of the simple fact that Alabama didn't prove itself, and I don't see any reason to believe the top big 12 teams wouldn't roll right over any team Florida beat. I mean honestly, Florida's hardest game to this point would be arguably on par with *any* big 12 south team's 3rd hardest game (if that tough), and behind OkSU's 3rd hardest. And then where the Big 12's 4th, 5th hardest are KU and Mizzou, any SEC team's second hardest would be again on par with 3 or 4 spots down in the big 12... I don't believe at all that Georgia is better than either of those.

Let alone if you want to compare the SEC teams' 4th, 5th, 6th directly, where you're putting Vandy, Ole Miss, and really weak LSU/Auburn teams in comparison with Mizzou, KU, and Nebraska. LSU on its best day might be competitive in those matchups, if you made a 6 team round robin I think you'd be looking at 3-4 losses for each SEC team in there.


And again, you have to look at last year-- KU and Mizzou were National Championship contenders, each hitting the #1 spot in the last 2 weeks of the season. Between the 2 teams I can come up with 1 major loss (Talib), and yet this year they're just flat out not even competitive with the best from the big 12. Last year's SEC contenders suffered huge setbacks (correct me if I'm wrong here), I believe I remember hearing that LSU lost something like 7 defensive starters, and Florida a similar number, Georgia I think was the early pick because they'd essentially only lost major players on the lines.


So yeah, I think the NC probably should've been Texas vs OU. But, as I said at the start, I'm not sure where any conference has proven itself beyond the comparisons of last year's vs this year's KU/Mizzou teams. It's not like we had our usual Texas vs USC or Ohio State etc, the best we can really go off is the comparison to last year, and of course OU's domination of a couple of top notch mid majors, which I'd obviously balk at if it was an argument for an SEC team, so I wouldn't try and use that.


So, I can't complain too much. I do, however, think Texas is better than OU, and that Texas would win head to head much more often than not. And, I think Texas vs Florida would be much more entertaining than OU vs Florida.


I have a feeling this one's going to be wide open one way or the other, and it's going to depend 100% on OU.

If OU comes out and plays at their best, I believe they'll absolutely run over Florida leaving them in the shambles the rest of the SEC is feeling this year.

If OU chokes Florida will run them into the ground to make a point, and Tyche will stop posting here due to the extended orgasm he'll be stuck in for the next year due to thinking it makes me look bad despite that I've said all along Florida is one of the 2 teams I'd worry about.

If, somehow, through some craziness, it ends up close... Sam Bradford doesn't have... "it"... Tim Tebow does, so Florida wins if it's close.


Mostly I'm just really disappointed to see OU go. Texas vs Alabama would've been beautiful, Texas vs Florida would've been craziness, even Texas vs. USC or Penn St. would be quite a show, with OU I'm fairly sure they're either going to come out and obliterate a lesser team, or expect to do that and be utterly hopeless and choke when they realize Florida's just as good as anybody they've played. I guess it's exciting in that no matter what we believe, we can't know for sure until we see. But that would be there with Texas, too.


Lastly, this year's big 10 having 2 teams in the BCS while the same people intentionally prevent a big 12 vs big 12 NC is flat out the stupidest thing in the history of college football.

Well, ok, behind Boise State's fucking turf.

[Mizango]

lolgeorgia.


Picked MSU and Ringer of Richt and his band of turds.

Hi Kirin :3

[Tyche]

I think OU is better than Texas and I don't have a problem with them going. It isn't like teams can't improve over the season. I don't know who I'm going to pick in the OU and Florida game, but I'm leaning OU. I think if both teams play thier best, Florida can take it. I think Florida's best on defense can hold OU to the low 30's and Florida's best on offense can score more than 30+. I think anything less than Florida's best will result in a loss though. I'm not going to go as far as to predict meaningless 3-5 matchups like Plow, because I think the SECs defense vs the Big 12 Defense makes that hard to predict. I'd kill to see texas play bama or USC to see how they matchup against those defenses. We'll just have to settle for OU against the Florida defense to gauge how good or bad the Big 12 defenses really are, and that's not really fair to make any reasonable judgment.

[claritybiv]

Random Comments about team nobody cares about inc.

Im so glad ECU ended on such a positive note on winning the C USA title. Skip Holtz has done nothing but good for the school since i left *Of course a couple years after i graduate, gd it*

They have a talented team that is able to do some amazing things. When they got on the skid they did in the mid-season (After they were ranked) Holtz really got that team on track

Fucking Kudos to the Pirates of ECU baby! See you when i ever decide to go back for more schooling, lol

True that. I grew up in greenville and they used to be just some shitty party school with a horrible team. Glad to see them doing so well these days .

[Byrd]

I'm not sure where *any* conference, including the big 12, proved themselves this year, let me say that first.

Who are you and how did you get Plow's password?

Lastly, this year's big 10 having 2 teams in the BCS while the same people intentionally prevent a big 12 vs big 12 NC is flat out the stupidest thing in the history of college football. Well, ok, behind Boise State's fucking turf.

I would rank the stupidest things in college football as such:

Oregon's Uniforms > Boise State's Turf > anyone preventing a playoff > Rose Bowl selection committee > the BCS > regional annoucers > Pac-10 officiating > everything else

I'm probably forgetting something.

[Tyche]

Boise state's turf is fucking awesome.

[Bregor]

Oregon's Uniforms > Boise State's Turf > anyone preventing a playoff > Rose Bowl selection committee > the BCS > regional annoucers > Pac-10 officiating > everything else

I'm probably forgetting something.

Pre-season pollsters have to be in there somewhere, consensus top 11 teams included Mizzou, West Virginia, Clemson, LSU and Auburn...

And Boise's turf is hideous, every time I see it on Sportscenter, I think my TV's color settings got fucked up.

[Plow]

I simply refuse to watch anything involving Boise State's turf, sure, it's novel, but there's a reason people don't paint their football fields retarded colors, and that's because it's quite literally painful on the eyes to try to watch football on that shit.

I also don't believe they'd go undefeated all the time if they didn't have the massive home field advantage it creates. It has to be ridiculously hard to try to read a defense (or offense) that not only somewhat blends into the turf, but just by pure virtue of the color of the turf looks entirely different than anything you're at all used to looking at. Combine that with the raw quantity of trick plays and stuff they run, and the fact that they are actually pretty good, and it makes it insanely difficult to go in there and win. That's a whole other story, though.

Who are you and how did you get Plow's password?

Pretty sure I got hacked by the guy that said

We'll just have to settle for OU against the Florida defense to gauge how good or bad the Big 12 defenses really are, and that's not really fair to make any reasonable judgment.

I definitely agree, it sucks that we don't get to see a secondary or at least lower matchup of a Bama vs Texas (seriously that would be an instant classic just due to the coaches alone) or Georgia vs Tech or Bama vs Tech, USC vs Texas or Tech, etc etc, there are sooooooo many potentially amazing matchups this year we won't get to see.

I will admit though, the Rose Bowl should be damned entertaining, but screw Ohio State, Va Tech and Cinci being anywhere near the Techs, Bamas, etc. of this year.

Tech vs Ole Miss should be good for some lulz...

[Stiker]

I'm not sure where *any* conference, including the big 12, proved themselves this year, let me say that first.

And that's why I said way back that until bowl season comes around, we aren't going to see anything as far as who is the most dominate conference.

[Plow]

And that's why I said way back that until bowl season comes around, we aren't going to see anything as far as who is the most dominate conference.

Unfortunately due to the nature of bowls, and the bcs, we don't get to see it then either.

I mean, unless people actually think all these big 12 teams actually belong outside the top 25 for losing to texas, tech, ou, and oksu and are going to go lose to northwestern, minnesota, etc.

I guess Clemson vs Nebraska has some kind of potential to be revealing of something... somehow.

[Tyche]

If Ole Miss plays that gritty trenches defense that they played against Florida, that could matchup damn well against Tech. Ole Miss has only allowed more than 30 points once all season (and in that game, 7 of those points came off a fumble recovery for a TD). I don't think Tech has faced a defense like that this year. How about that Houston Nutt firing Arkansas? Idiots.

[Headspace]

macho harris gonna get in that ass

Why you gotta bring me down like that?

[Akiyama]

Stuff

I agree with you a lot about the conferences not really "proving" themselves this year. I mean.. the SEC top part with Florida/Alabama was good, but the rest? Outside of a great job by Houston Nutt with Ole Miss, UGA with a lot of their lost starters due to injury, and such... there really wasn't much there. LSU's defense just got torched a ton, and wasn't the same at all. I think they really missed Glenn Dorsey.

The Big 12 had OU/TX/TT/OK State, but as you said... Kansas/Mizzou aren't even close to themselves. The fact that Mizzou = Chase Daniel + Jeremy Maclin, and that's it... while Kansas I can't really say what all they have. I know they have Reesing, and that crazy WR Dezmon (sp) Briscoe. They had a pretty good running team too, but after a while, they were just too predictable. Mizzou was exposed though for having a completely shitty defense as everyone knew about. The Big XII North was shitty again though in my opinion. Nebraska looked a little better as the year went on, and I'm happy about that... then there's Mizzou/KU not performing as they did last year obviously. They should both win their bowl games though, so I guess that's all that matters. Oh, and Nebraska should beat Clemson too.

The Big 12 South on the other hand was awesome, but you're right about being unable to gauge them, because for all we know, their defenses could have been putrid. If I had to rank their defenses, I think I'd go Texas > Oklahoma State > Texas Tech > Oklahoma. That of course is only my opinion. I put Texas ahead of OK State only because Texas gave up 35 to OU, and OK State gave up 61. :/ Granted I think OU is better than they were earlier in the year, but I don't know that for 100% sure, and if I tried to estimate what the score would be if they played again, it'd be complete bullshit out of my mouth.

Also, I didn't edit it, but Florida on the spread I heard was actually Florida -3 against Oklahoma, not Oklahoma -3. I think Texas got fucked over completely, but what we have is what we have. I also know that Florida's defense will be the best defense OU will have faced BY FAR all year. Do you agree, Plow? I think Florida is good. I thought Alabama's defense was pretty damned awesome, and they put up 31 and won by 11 without Harvin. With Harvin, they are a completely different team, don't believe otherwise. Sure they have James/Demps, but they are no where near Harvin. They are just really fast, lol. I do actually think Florida vs OU will be a good judge to see how good their defense/offense really is. They actually have a semi-decent secondary, but a great LB in Brandon Spikes. He's so fun to watch.

tl;dr - I agree with Plow for some reason that's unknown to me.

[Tyche]

Watching OUs defense after watching Florida was like watching the game in slow motion. It was crazy how fast the Florida team is. Could be a product of the offenses they were playing, I don't know. It's almost cliche to say this now, but god that team is fucking athletic. I still don't know who I'm going to take though. Oh yeah, I was going to say that earlier that I thought Mike and Mike said Florida -3. LVSC has OU -1.5 and the Las Vegas Hilton has OU -3. I think they must've just gotten mixed up or something, as I haven't seen a Florida -3 spread yet, and a 6point swing between different lines is huge.

Also, the more I look at this Ole Miss vs Texas Tech matchup, the more intriguing this is. This has the potential to be a very very good game. Ole miss held Florida to 30 in the swamp (and that's the least Florida scored all season) and that's the most their defense has allowed all season. I don't think that is going to be as much of a "lulz" fest as Plow does.

[Stiker]

tl;dr - I agree with Plow for some reason that's unknown to me.

Oh dear God, Plow not proclaiming Big XII dominance AND Akiyama agreeing with him in the same day.

BRB, preparing for the apocalypse.