College Football

[mitt]

Good job to Iowa - especially the D - that Clayborn is like a man among boys sometimes - he will play on Sundays for sure.

I think Texas will surprise Alabama how good they are.  They want to make up for their performance against Nebraska.


mitt

[Autostrada Pilot]

I think the Mountain West Conf needs to take BSU (we'll give up New Mexico or San Diego St).  The MWC is a fairly strong and progressing conference (Utah last year, TCU this year, plus BYU has decently ranked the last few years). 

[Triple J]

Triple J, so BSU could give the top 3 a game. So what? Tennessee "gave Bama a game." Does that make them nationally elite? BSU is a good squad, and is a far better team than the sum of its parts, but I still don't think they could touch UF, Bama, or Texas. If a playoff happens in the future, great, but I don't see how anyone can complain that the true national champion won't be crowned tomorrow, whichever team wins. There's a path to true national competitiveness open to BSU, and it shouldn't involve hiding out in the WAC. Upgrade the facilities and play more than 2 good teams a year (or in most years, none). And as far as the BCS "screwing" BSU and TCU, the Fiesta Bowl chose those 2 teams aiming for high ratings. It got high ratings, so how can anyone blame a bowl game for looking out for its own interests?

I've heard lots of complaints re: Texas' strength of schedule. This year, the schedule was admittedly weak, but there's a difference between planning your schedule that way, as BSU does every year, and having a conference that gets decimated by injuries and suspensions, plus having good teams pull out of scheduled matchups, as happened to Texas this year.

I never said the true national champion wouldn't be crowned Thursday. I believe Texas or 'Bama deserves it. I just said that I think BSU deserves #2 since they have beaten 2 BCS bowl teams and are undefeated. I do think a playoff is needed though so teams like BSU have to prove themselves.

As to whether they would give the big teams a game...that's what it is all about! I think (and they've shown) they can compete, and they have as good of chance of beating, say your team Texas...as Texas has of beating them. Hence...they belong.

You're confused about Boise and their conference. They used to be in the Big Sky, then the Big West, now the WAC. All since the mid-90s. They aren't "hiding out" in the WAC. Moving up takes time...and takes conferences willing to let them in...not to mention facility upgrades. Name a major conference that has offered to let them in and been turned down...NONE.

As far as playing good teams I think you missed the article earlier in this thread. BSU for the last several years has had an "anywhere, anytime" policy. Many teams won't play them! They have even offered to play schools at their stadium, without requiring the school to come to Boise the following year (as is customary). This apparently becomes a real problem past 2011. Prime example...Nebraska. Nebraska AD says teams like Boise don't deserve a BCS shot due to schedule...yet he won't schedule them, despite an open date for both schools in 2011. Hmmm. BSU is also obligated to play their WAC opponents...which limits their out of conference opportunities.

Compare TCU's schedule to Texas'. Equal, if not a tougher schedule for TCU. TCU regular season opponents that they beat are 6-0 in bowl games (I read that...didn't check  ). If true, that's fairly impressive...and Boise beat them.

Whether or not Texas intentionally plans a weak schedule or not is irrelevant. It was fairly weak this year. It isn't a knock on Texas...just a fact. But it should be considered by the folks that say they'd hammer BSU...just 'cause they're Texas.

Finally...next year's non-conference schedules for BSU and Texas:

BSU's: Toledo, Wyoming, Oregon State, and Virginia Tech.

Texas': Rice, Wyoming, UCLA, and Florida Atlantic.

Admittedly BSU will have a weaker overall schedule due to a few weaker conference games. BSU's non-conference schedule looks a bit tougher though (now that I removed Texas Tech  ).

For the record...I'm not a big BSU fan, even though I probably sound like one!   I'm actually a Nevada fan, and they are a big rival. I just think they deserve a fair shake.

I also don't hate Texas...although I still remember Mack Brown whining on camera a few years ago to get Texas into a BCS bowl instead of Cal (my other team). No hard felings though!  

[Mike_D]

Pretty good article in the NY Times about BSU and its potential for next year's National Championship.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/sports/ncaafootball/06fiesta.html?hpw

[Dannyboy]

BSU's: Toledo, Wyoming, Oregon State, and Virginia Tech.

Texas': Rice, Wyoming, Texas Tech, UCLA, and Florida Atlantic.

Texas Tech is actually in the Big 12.  They're the reason Texas didn't play in the championship game last year.

[Triple J]

Texas Tech is actually in the Big 12.  They're the reason Texas didn't play in the championship game last year.

Oops. Not sure how I missed that! 

[ZLTFUL]

Great game tonight between Central Michigan and Troy. 2 OTs after a 4th quarter comeback to take the lead by CM only to be forced into OT by a 47 yard FG by Troy.


Thumbs up to the Big Ten for it's bowl record this season but I still stand by my sentiment that the conference is not the Big 10 of old. It's headed in the right direction but one good year does not a dominant conference make.

Bear in mind that I will root for the Big Ten (even rooted for OSU vs the Ducks *gagging*) whenever they take the field versus non-conference opponents but I still think they have a ways to go yet.

Oh yeah, ROLL TIDE!!! 

[Kopfjager]

Hell of a second half tonight. 

[JEFF_H]

[metallimonster]

McCoy out, interception for a TD to end the half 24-6.

Stick a fork in it.

This really sucks, Saban got bailed out of two horrible calls by McCoy getting hurt.  Nobody wants to see the NC game go this way.

[Triple J]

Nobody wants to see the NC game go this way.

+1

Texas' defense was on fire early, and their offense looked capable of moving the ball. What a bummer. 

[swampduc]

Lord, how have we offended Thee? I made all the appropriate sacrifices, including the only virgin in Alabama. Maybe it's because she was 12?

[mitt]

Alabama will win, and all we can conclude is that their 11 men can beat 10 on Texas.  It doesn't really say anything about which team was better this season.  Blah


mitt

[swampduc]

Our poor defense faced, what, 7 possessions in the first 20 minutes? Goddam, I really think we could beat this team with colt. We'll never know 

[Bick]

Our poor defense faced, what, 7 possessions in the first 20 minutes? Goddam, I really think we could beat this team with colt. We'll never know 

There's still 30 minutes to go.