NCAA Football 2008 Discussion - It All Starts Here.

[1001001]

Well, not a spectacular win for my Trojans, but a decent one. 7 straight Pac-10 championships. Never been done before.

An interesting tidbit from yesterday's game: UCLA had 157 yards of total offense, and 117 yards of penalties. When those two numbers are that close, you know it's not good.

I'm looking forward to the Rose Bowl match-up with Penn State. It should be a great game.

Hopefully next year our offense will solidify behind Sanchez and McKnight and protect the ball a little better. The defense has been unreal this season. The best I've ever seen at USC. It's a bummer they couldn't pull that OSU game out, but them's the breaks.

Florida/Oklahoma should be a great championship game. And Texas will get a good bowl (probably Fiesta?). So it'll all work out.

 

[mimic]

At least there's one Trojan fan who isn't whining about having to play "yet another slow Big10 team!" Some of the comments on ESPN make it seem like the BCS paired you against Indiana or something!

It should be a good matchup. USC has something like the #1 D and #13 offense, and PSU has the #6 D and #11 offense. USC held 8 opponents to under 10 points; PSU held five (and would have held some more, if not for garbage points against the second and third string). Against OSU you won 56-30 and we won 58-20. Can't wait to meet you guys on a neutral field!

 

[1001001]

We beat Ohio State 35-3.

I think USC/Penn State is a classic match-up. Old Time Football! At least, it's not Illinois...



I think Penn State will have trouble scoring on USC. If USC can protect the ball, we should do alright. The Trojans won't be able to turn it over like they have in some games and get away with it.

 

[JM1776]

I think the difference will be USC's ability to sustain one or two more drives than Penn State.

That said, I'm pulling for the Lions, because I don't want yet another year of Trojans fans and their, "Well, we're not national champs, but we were really and truly the country's best team at season's end" schtick.

It's so annoying.

 

[mimic]

We beat Ohio State 35-3.

I combined the scores against Oregon State and Ohio State. That way we both look like Big12 teams!

I think Penn State will have trouble scoring on USC. If USC can protect the ball, we should do alright. The Trojans won't be able to turn it over like they have in some games and get away with it.

I expect USC will have trouble scoring on PSU, so there!

Penn State's offense ranged from spectacular to mediocre, so hopefully the one that played MSU will show up rather than the one that played Purdue.

 

[1001001]

Well, USC's offense runs hot and cold. Sanchez is a good QB (better than Booty was) but he makes some bad throws leading to interceptions.

Except for one half against Oregon State, USC's defense runs very hot all the time.

 

[Neroon]

Well, USC's offense runs hot and cold. Sanchez is a good QB (better than Booty was) but he makes some bad throws leading to interceptions.

Except for one half against Oregon State, USC's defense runs very hot all the time.

USC's defense is frighteningly good, against either the run or the pass, so it's a pick your poison. There really isn't another defense that can compare with them. It would be fun to see them go against Florida's offense, provided Harvin comes back healthy. Or Oklahoma's for that matter.

Penn St. will be a tough match for them, because the Lion's defense is very disciplined and well coached. You rarely see them overpursue, which is good against a team with the speed the Trojans have. The Rose Bowl may well come down to turnovers.

 

[Cyrus]

7 straight Pac-10 championships. Never been done before.

Also 7 straight 11 win seasons, extending their own record.

It's a bummer they couldn't pull that OSU game out, but them's the breaks.

Yeah, with that defense I'll take USC over Florida or Oklahoma (though Florida will be a tougher matchup), especially if the USC offense can stop shooting itself in the foot and play like it did against Ohio State and Oregon. Too bad this great offense vs great defense matchup won't happen.

 

[Turbo]

Hooray, some Good News! USC will be playing Iowa in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. Sunshine. Lovely!

 

[Cyrus]

Hooray, some Good News! USC will be playing Iowa in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. Sunshine. Lovely!

So they declined the Rose Bowl bid, interesting.


Here are some total offense/defense ranking stats (copied from another board). I know these kind of stats could be misleading since teams play such different schedules, but still interesting:

-------------
team: total defense : total offense
Alabama : 3 : 56
Oklahoma : 65 : 3
Texas : 50 : 9
Florida : 9 : 18
USC : 1 : 14
Utah : 18 : 31
Penn State : 5 : 15
-------------

It should be an interesting Rose Bowl game.

 

[Neroon]

According to Fox Sports, the bowl schedule is:
Link

It's Florida vs Oklahoma in the national championship game.

 

[Mallory]

Oklahoma State vs. Oregon in the Holiday Bowl according to their site. And Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh according to the Sun Bowl site.

 

[1001001]

The BCS picks went as expected.

I feel bad for Boise State. I'd rather see them than a two-loss Ohio State team.

And they really need to look at these automatic bids. A FOUR LOSS Virginia Tech team gets a BCS bowl?

BOOOOO!

 

[tomalak301]

This seems like another boring year for the bowl picks. I mean you're going to get your complaints that it should be Texas and stuff like that, but it's the same teams in the same bowls again. USC (The real one ) is in the Rose Bowl, again. Virginia Tech is in the Orange Bowl, again. Florida in the National Championship, again. I guess Alabama, Utah, and Cincy in the BCS is interesting, but I'm not jumping up and down for this bowl season. As for the National Championship, it's a home game for Florida, Bob Stoops still can't win the big bowl, how can Oklahoma possibly win. It will probably be an offensive Shootout, but I see Florida being favored big in this game.

 

[JM1776]

I feel bad for Boise State. I'd rather see them than a two-loss Ohio State team.

It's a travesty. Boise State got hosed.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

It will probably be an offensive Shootout, but I see Florida being favored big in this game.

I don't. Oklahoma scoring 60 plus points in six straight games? Against ranked teams in 4 of them? Oklahoma will be favored.

 

[JM1776]

Oklahoma will be favored.

I'll enjoy the "upset," then, because the Gators are gonna win this one goin' away.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

No, not if Oklahoma plays to its full capability. Oklahoma is the better team. If Oklahoma loses, it'll be because they choke or they've lost intensity after a month long break. The game is the 8th of January. The 8th. A full month vacation.

If the don't win this year, I'll know that Stoops is lacking as a coach in big game preparation. There won't be any doubt of it; the Sooner nation will crucify him. Demarco Murray should be recovered by then. He didn't tweak the same kneecap that he dislocated last season.

 

[1001001]

Oklahoma will be favored.

I'll enjoy the "upset," then, because the Gators are gonna win this one goin' away.

I agree.

I think Florida wins this game.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Why? Because of talent level, or Oklahoma's history the past few years of choking in the big game? Florida hasn't faced an offense as good as OU's is this year.