NCAA Football 2008 Discussion - It All Starts Here.
- Thread starter Turbo
- Start date
It isn't Beanie Wells' injury that concerns me the most about this weekend's game with the Trojans.
It isn't the OSU offensive line's pitiful performance against a game Ohio University.
It isn't Mark Sanchez' recovery from his knee injury.
No. The real reason Tressel's Men are in serious trouble is three words: USC Song Girls!
It isn't the OSU offensive line's pitiful performance against a game Ohio University.
It isn't Mark Sanchez' recovery from his knee injury.
No. The real reason Tressel's Men are in serious trouble is three words: USC Song Girls!
The hype is getting a little ridiculous, even for me.
It's only the second game of the season. It should, however, give us a better sense of where both teams really are. Pre-season rankings are so much guess work.
Still, I'm looking forward to a good game, and a mighty USC Victory!
GO TROJANS!
It's only the second game of the season. It should, however, give us a better sense of where both teams really are. Pre-season rankings are so much guess work.
Still, I'm looking forward to a good game, and a mighty USC Victory!
GO TROJANS!
Ditto
Definitely. I keep waffling a bit on pre-season rankings, though. On the one hand ... how can you tell who really are the top teams in the land so soon? Heck, if you went solely on on the field results, East Carolina ought to be #1. Personally, I'd rather they waited until after the fourth game before publishing a poll.
OTOH, it's not exactly sensible to just completely dismiss other factors, such as how teams ended up the previous season and how many players they have coming back.
You will definitely get a MUCH better game than the one we saw between OSU and Ohio U last weekend. The talk in camp is much more intense, the hitting aggressive, etc. They were truly embarrassed and well they should have been. Beanie is about 75% or better right now, after practice yesterday. The Off. Coord. did say however to not expect him to be at 100% Saturday.Still, I'm looking forward to a good game, and a mighty USC Victory!
GO TROJANS!
What I want to see is just how the OSU defense handles that unreal stable of RB's that Uncle Pete can unleash.
BTW... I posted that link above just for you, Digits.
Edited to add: #@$%#$@%$$#@%&$# - the only words I can think of to describe the way I feel at the moment are made of language I am not in the habit of using. In public.
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Edited to add: #@$%#$@%$$#@%&$# - the only words I can think of to describe the way I feel at the moment are made of language I am not in the habit of using. In public.
Yeah, I read that on Yahoo! earlier today. Sounds like he's not getting any better, and they're preparing to play without him.
Could this be an OSU trick??
In any event, I'd rather he be healthy and play. I think without him, the way OSU looked against Ohio (at home, no less) the Buckeyes will be hard pressed to win.
USC is favored by 10.
Rutgers' performance thus far this year has been appalling: Defensive lapses, incompetent quarterbacking, complete absence of urgency, and an inability to respond when hit in the face.
I'd once thought Schiano's teams to possess quite a bit more character than they're demonstrating tonight ... and am beginning to fear that the Knights' resurgence had a great deal more to do with the presence of Ray Rice (and to a certain extent Brian Leonard) than any real improvement in the program.
Here's hoping I'm dead wrong.
I'd once thought Schiano's teams to possess quite a bit more character than they're demonstrating tonight ... and am beginning to fear that the Knights' resurgence had a great deal more to do with the presence of Ray Rice (and to a certain extent Brian Leonard) than any real improvement in the program.
Here's hoping I'm dead wrong.
Precisely, Neroon. The Heels deserve a measure of credit here, because they came in and took it to Rutgers, but ... does anyone here really believe that North Carolina (or for that matter, Fresno State) is that good?
I didn't think so.
I watched Schiano's postgame press conference, and he seems to genuinely think this team will shake these losses off and perform to expectations over the rest of this year. Perhaps he's right.
I'm looking ahead at the remaining schedule for near certain wins. I see four: Syracuse, Navy, Army and Morgan State ... and, frankly, that might well be doing a disservice (no pun intended) to Navy, which can, at times, play some ball. Assuming, though, that the Knights get it done in those four games, they still need three more wins for realistic bowl eligibility. I mean, 6-6 ain't gonna get 'em into a postseason game, nor should it. And while 7-5 did last year, that team had a signature win on national television vs. then-unbeaten and #2 USF. There may not be any sort of opportunity like that this season (unless South Florida is better than I believe they are), and I'm not sure this group of kids could capitalize on it anyway.
OK ... Louisville is quite vulnerable, and that one's in Piscataway, as is the game with UConn. Both are winnable (especially considering the 12-point offensive explosion the Huskies laid on mighty Temple). At Pittsburgh is not particularly daunting, either: Wannstedt's a shitty game-day coach. But at Cincinnati, at USF and West Virginia in Morgantown are not looking like potential victories at this point. Frankly, I think 7-5 is now the best-case scenario ... and I can easily see this becoming a 4-8 or even a 3-9 freakin' disaster.
Where's Ray Rice when you need him?
I didn't think so.
I watched Schiano's postgame press conference, and he seems to genuinely think this team will shake these losses off and perform to expectations over the rest of this year. Perhaps he's right.
I'm looking ahead at the remaining schedule for near certain wins. I see four: Syracuse, Navy, Army and Morgan State ... and, frankly, that might well be doing a disservice (no pun intended) to Navy, which can, at times, play some ball. Assuming, though, that the Knights get it done in those four games, they still need three more wins for realistic bowl eligibility. I mean, 6-6 ain't gonna get 'em into a postseason game, nor should it. And while 7-5 did last year, that team had a signature win on national television vs. then-unbeaten and #2 USF. There may not be any sort of opportunity like that this season (unless South Florida is better than I believe they are), and I'm not sure this group of kids could capitalize on it anyway.
OK ... Louisville is quite vulnerable, and that one's in Piscataway, as is the game with UConn. Both are winnable (especially considering the 12-point offensive explosion the Huskies laid on mighty Temple). At Pittsburgh is not particularly daunting, either: Wannstedt's a shitty game-day coach. But at Cincinnati, at USF and West Virginia in Morgantown are not looking like potential victories at this point. Frankly, I think 7-5 is now the best-case scenario ... and I can easily see this becoming a 4-8 or even a 3-9 freakin' disaster.
Where's Ray Rice when you need him?
Lookin' real good in the NFL.
Interesting note from ESPN.com:
A list of schools from BCS conferences playing the fewest nonconference games against BCS teams. The Univ. of Minnesota came out on top at 2 out of 34 or 5.9% against other BCS schools. They're followed by:
- Arkansas 11.8%
- Kansas 14.3%
- Mississippi 14.7%
- Okla. St. 14.7%
- Oreg. St 15.2%
- Texas Tech 16.7%
- LSU 17.6%
- Miss. St. 17.6%
- Alabama 18.9%
Top 10 BCS teams playing non-conference games against other BCS teams
- Florida St 70.3%
- SoCal 64.9%
- Ga Tech 57.1%
- UCLA 56.3%
- N. Carolina 54.3%
- Mich. St. 52.8%
- Iowa 51.4%
- Miami (FL) 51.2%
- at 50% you have
Clemson , Duke , Penn State , Stanford , Syracuse , Virginia
and note that - Notre Dame 83.5%
And for further reference, here is the whole list of schools in descending order of BCS schools playing the msot non-conference games against BCS opposition
A list of schools from BCS conferences playing the fewest nonconference games against BCS teams. The Univ. of Minnesota came out on top at 2 out of 34 or 5.9% against other BCS schools. They're followed by:
- Arkansas 11.8%
- Kansas 14.3%
- Mississippi 14.7%
- Okla. St. 14.7%
- Oreg. St 15.2%
- Texas Tech 16.7%
- LSU 17.6%
- Miss. St. 17.6%
- Alabama 18.9%
Top 10 BCS teams playing non-conference games against other BCS teams
- Florida St 70.3%
- SoCal 64.9%
- Ga Tech 57.1%
- UCLA 56.3%
- N. Carolina 54.3%
- Mich. St. 52.8%
- Iowa 51.4%
- Miami (FL) 51.2%
- at 50% you have
Clemson , Duke , Penn State , Stanford , Syracuse , Virginia
and note that - Notre Dame 83.5%
And for further reference, here is the whole list of schools in descending order of BCS schools playing the msot non-conference games against BCS opposition
Over the last few years, USC seems to have replaced FSU as the most daring of the big schools. That's why I was so surprised when they dodged Hawai'i last year.* Then, again, so did Michigan and Michigan State.
* – There was more to it than that with the Trojans, of course. The two Big Ten squads simply pussed out.
* – There was more to it than that with the Trojans, of course. The two Big Ten squads simply pussed out.
According to that last link, one of those two schools (Michigan St) has been playing more BCS schools in non-conference games than any SEC school, and more than any Big East school. Michigan isn't much farther down that list. Doesn't sound to me like they're the type to run and hide much.
Then again, I'd still rather they had played Hawaii, so that the Rainbows would have been brought back to Earht a bit sooner than last season's bowl game.
Then again, I'd still rather they had played Hawaii, so that the Rainbows would have been brought back to Earht a bit sooner than last season's bowl game.
Actually, Michigan replaced Hawai'i on their schedule with a team they thought was easier pickings.
Perhaps you've heard of them: Appalachian State.
I've read way too much at ESPN about Hawai'i's desperate attempts to get someone to play them last year to simply dismiss it. Evidently Michigan State bought its way out of an already-signed contract, and Michigan decided not to sign in the eleventh hour; it had something to do with their outright refusal to agree concerning a home-and-home aspect to the proposed series. They wanted each game in The Big House.
Georgia had the thoroughbreds to overwhelm Hawai'i. The Rainbows would have stood a much better chance against Michigan, and would certainly have beaten Michigan State.
[Frankly, it's a little absurd, this idea that SEC teams should have to play a particularly challenging non-conference schedule. When you play Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, LSU et al. every year, that's more than enough to prove you belong in the big leagues. I give Auburn props for takin' on South Florida last year. Worked out really well for 'em, as I recall.]
It's official.
Wells is out for the USC game.
While this bodes well for my Trojans, I feel bad for the kid. He's a competitor, and won't enjoy watching from the sidelines.
I'd prefer he be 100% and play. It's like a heavyweight title fight where one fighter has a broken hand.
Wells is out for the USC game.
While this bodes well for my Trojans, I feel bad for the kid. He's a competitor, and won't enjoy watching from the sidelines.
I'd prefer he be 100% and play. It's like a heavyweight title fight where one fighter has a broken hand.
Yeah, it sucks royally and for a number of reasons. One, the kid is a warrior - just the kind that every coach in the land wants on his team. Two, it was already going to be hard enough going up against the Trojans WITH Beanie.
Still, the key to the game according to the afternoon drive-time show with Krenzel will be the OSU receivers. Can they get open and with some room, enough for Boeckman to deliver the ball. Otherwise, if they can't the Trojans will likely load the box, meaning it wont' matter who is in the OSU backfield.
Still, the key to the game according to the afternoon drive-time show with Krenzel will be the OSU receivers. Can they get open and with some room, enough for Boeckman to deliver the ball. Otherwise, if they can't the Trojans will likely load the box, meaning it wont' matter who is in the OSU backfield.
Good game tonight between Kansas and USF. USF pulled one out, and the Big East really needed that one to help their image this year.
But fortunately for me, Kansas still covered the spread so I'm a happy man.
As for USC-OSU tomorrow, I'm really not sure what to expect. My feeling is that USC will win in a blowout. But I also thought that when OSU played Miami for the title back in the day. The Buckeyes have been hearing nothing except how terrible they are since that loss to LSU, and this game at USC is a big chance to redeem themselves.
This all comes down to how well OSU executes. We all already know that USC is an awesome team, but we don't really know what to expect out of this OSU squad. I'm of the mind that last week against Ohio was a case of looking ahead. Because let's face it, that was Ohio State playing OHIO. Hard to get worked about about that program.
But fortunately for me, Kansas still covered the spread so I'm a happy man.
As for USC-OSU tomorrow, I'm really not sure what to expect. My feeling is that USC will win in a blowout. But I also thought that when OSU played Miami for the title back in the day. The Buckeyes have been hearing nothing except how terrible they are since that loss to LSU, and this game at USC is a big chance to redeem themselves.
This all comes down to how well OSU executes. We all already know that USC is an awesome team, but we don't really know what to expect out of this OSU squad. I'm of the mind that last week against Ohio was a case of looking ahead. Because let's face it, that was Ohio State playing OHIO. Hard to get worked about about that program.
