|
Oct 17
2007
|
The Finest of MessesPosted by Zach in Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, LSU, Kentucky, Cal, Arizona State |
College Football begins its furious run down the home stretch with the Top 12 BCS teams all having a legitimate shot at winning (and losing). If you shake your crystal ball and look into the future, you will see that the first half of the season was just a preview of the chaos that will ensue and that the best is yet to come.
Top ranked Ohio State inherited their position atop the polls and I don't think there is a person outside of Ohio who thinks they are the best team in the land. Their best win came against 2-4 Washington and the rest of their wins are againstYoungstown State, Kent State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Akron. The Buckeyes will tell you about beating Purdue and I will tell you that I am not listening. Next weekend they travel to Happy Valley where they are 2-5 in their last seven visits against Penns State and close their season on November 17th in Ann Arbor against a Michigan team who has quietly dominated their last four opponents.
I am willing to listen to South Florida because the Bulls wins against Auburn and West Virginia are impressive. They are my top-ranked team, but I don't think they are among the five best in the country. USF have been great opportunists, but I think their luck will run out as they wear the bullseye for the first time in their short history. They are not a dynamic team and do everything good, but nothing great.
Boston College goes to Virginia Tech next Thursday night and we will finally be able to measure them as a team. There is no doubt that quarterback Matt Ryan has the goods, but I am not sold that this team is one of destiny. Narrow victories against Notre Dame and UMASS fan the flames and if not for a wild season chalk full of upsets, Boston College would remain an after thought as they always are.
Oklahoma is good, but are they great? Tulsa, Colorado, Texas and Missouri moved the ball at will against the Sooners and their secondary has trouble covering folks. Oklahoma travels to Texas Tech in November where they have always struggled and will face a system whose pass happy strength will exploit their pass covering weakness. A Sooner loss in Lubbock not only knocks them out of the BCS race, but it eliminates them from Big XII contention.
LSU is probably the best team in the country, but I am not sure what I base that on. They are 6-1 and yet to show much life on offense. Quarterback Matt Flynn is easy to frustrate and back-up Ryan Perrilloux is yet to excite anyone. The Tigers talk about defense, yet gave up 43-points to Kentucky. LSU will have to show they can dominate away from Tiger Stadium and will need to beat Auburn and Arkansas if they want the chance to rematch Florida, South Carolina or Kentucky in the SEC Championship.
The Pac 10 might have the nation's best team, but I am not sure who it is? Arizona State is undefeated; Oregon is the glamour one-loss team; Cal has to answer questions and USC seems to be struggling. The great news is they all play each other and if one team runs the table they will be worthy of serious BCS consideration. If Cal beats USC and ASU, who is to say they are not the best? They beat Oregon in Eugene and their only loss came with a backup quarterback. If Oregon beats USC and ASU, why would you deny the Ducks a chance at New Orleans? They came up an inch short against Cal and then will have beaten two teams in the BCS top-13. If ASU beats Cal, Oregon and USC then they will be undefeated with three wins over the BCS top-13, not to mention beating Colorado who beat Oklahoma. And the pollsters are never willing to count out USC. If they run the table and tack on a victory against UCLA, the Trojans might get the last laugh.
West Virginia has quietly crept back into the equation, but I am not buying what they are selling. Since springing onto the scene in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, WVU has developed a habit of losing big games and looking bad in the process. Quarterback Pat White has been injury prone and the Mountaineer defense has trouble stopping teams. They could win out and still not win their conference. But they will find a way to fumble and stumble in at least one of their remaining games against Louisville, Cincinnati and Rutgers.
Steve Spurrier has brought the glory to South Carolina that Lou Holtz promised, but the excitement may be a bit premature. There is no doubt that the Gamecocks are headed in the right direction, but their remaining schedule shows Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Clemson and possibly the SEC Championship game. If you think South Carolina will win all of those games then I have a bridge to sell you.
Kentucky looked great against LSU and average against South Carolina. They have only one week to prepare before they try to shock to world again by beating Florida. If they get by the Gators, they will travel to Athens and host Tennessee before earning a rematch with LSU. The road might be a little to tough for the Wildcats.
That leaves us with Virginia Tech. "America's Team" has quietly regrouped after being umbled in Death Valley in the second game of the year. The Hokies have gotten better each week and seem to be hitting their stride right in time. An upset win against BC in Blacksburg could be enough to get the nation back in Virginia Tech's corner and make them the sentimental favorite down the stretch. If they can parlay this with impressive victories over Florida State, Miami and Clemson, then ta rematch with BC in the ACC Championship Game could double as the national semifinals.
***
With all that being said, I need to now put my money where my mouth is and make a BCS Championship Game selection. Drum roll please.....Oregon vs. Oklahoma.
With the spread offense and Dennis Dixon at the helm, Oregon is the hardest team to beat in the country. They simply have more ways to beat you and have developed a post-loss resolve that has eluded them in the past. They have enough games left against quality opponents that if they win, they should be in. These factors combined with the vulnerability of the teams ahead of them should have the Pacific Northwest waddling down Bourbon Street.
Oklahoma only has one tough game left and if they beat Texas Tech, they only need the season to hold to form. I have detailed the flaws in Ohio State, USF, BC and LSU and I feel those four teams will all lose again this year. The Sooners are clicking on all cylinders have the respect of the national media. If they keep piling up wins, then the talking heads will lead the charge in booking Oklahoma's trip to New Orleans.
del.icio.us · digg this · spurl · reddit · furl this

twilliams
said:
GoBlueInAtlanta2
said:
| TWILLIAMS - Oops, you opened your mouth before you engaged your brain (or at least before you did your research). Ohio State has not owned Michigan during Carr's tenure. His record against the Buckeyes was 5-1 before Tressel came aboard and has been 1-5 since. In most people's minds that would equate to 6-6 and mean that he's getting some of his own medicine for what he did to them the first 6 years. Now, if you want to say that Tressel owns him that's another issue. In this his 13th year we will see if he can go above .500 against the Buckeyes for his career. |
auminer
said:
| Oregon v oklahoma----- get off that cheap stuff u are on--- reality check --buckeyes v ASU sundevils a rematch of the greatest Rose bowl ever--Osu wins in the last 2 minutes --- best Defense in Ncaa beats best offense. case closed. |
BCS BLOWS
said:
| I agree completely. The whole system's a mess...it's just discouraging for teams that play qualiy teams week in and week out. I think we all agree that the sec is the strongest and deepest conference in college football. While Ohio State is having there mid season date with the likes of kent state or northwestern (who snapped duke's 20 something game losing streak). Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, and even Tennessee are fighting to win the SEC. The SEC East has got to be the strongest it has ever been. (Five of the six teams have at one point during this season been ranked in the top ten...MIND BOGGLING!)And because they beat up on each other every week, there is no way they can stay there. Anyway, the National tile game should be between the winner of the SEC and whoever else. |
twilliams
said:
| I absolutely agree with everything you said. The sad part is that LSU is probably the best team in the country, but they could end up with two losses because of their brutal schedule. Tight game against Florida, loss at Kentucky, now they have Auburn, and then go to Alabama in a big rivalry game. I'm not saying Ohio State is a lock to go undefeated, but they have a cakewalk schedule with two tough games: at PSU and at Michigan. Michigan has struggled, and so has Penn State, but Ohio State has lost at Penn State the last several times they played, and even though they've owned Michigan under the Lloyd Carr era, that will still be a tough match, because a win there is pretty much all Michigan has to play for this season. I believe it could be Ohio State vs Oklahoma, but I don't think those are the best teams at all. We are in desperate need of a playoff system. |
Johnnystone
said:
| I mean Oregon v Oklahoma? I know you are sooner fan, but at this point I am going to disagree wiht you and say neither team will be in the lack-luster, game called the NCAA Championship game or the BCS titel game this year called the Sugar Bowl...perhaps the NCAA BCS ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL. My prediction: Ohio State v WVA (or another lame ass school that proves the game is not worth watching. |
