[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
Also, I do think that what happens on the field has to be held into the highest consideration when picking four teams. I mean it may be an upset and the better team may have lost (in my eyes that has happened to Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford twice, and Alabama) but Zona, TCU, and Ole Miss should still get the respect of surpassing what I believe to be the better team because they proved it on the field and at this early junction we don’t have much else to go on with their resumes. That will all change toward the end though. [/quote]
I think that brings us back to a point I agree with you on, which is that pre-season and early season polls are just stupid, and it’s silly that they actually hold a bunch of sway in the way the polls evolve well into the season itself.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
Also, I do think that what happens on the field has to be held into the highest consideration when picking four teams. I mean it may be an upset and the better team may have lost (in my eyes that has happened to Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford twice, and Alabama) but Zona, TCU, and Ole Miss should still get the respect of surpassing what I believe to be the better team because they proved it on the field and at this early junction we don’t have much else to go on with their resumes. That will all change toward the end though. [/quote]
I think that brings us back to a point I agree with you on, which is that pre-season and early season polls are just stupid, and it’s silly that they actually hold a bunch of sway in the way the polls evolve well into the season itself. [/quote]
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
Also, I do think that what happens on the field has to be held into the highest consideration when picking four teams. I mean it may be an upset and the better team may have lost (in my eyes that has happened to Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford twice, and Alabama) but Zona, TCU, and Ole Miss should still get the respect of surpassing what I believe to be the better team because they proved it on the field and at this early junction we don’t have much else to go on with their resumes. That will all change toward the end though. [/quote]
I think that brings us back to a point I agree with you on, which is that pre-season and early season polls are just stupid, and it’s silly that they actually hold a bunch of sway in the way the polls evolve well into the season itself. [/quote]
Agreed. On a message board about Division III football, someone actually tried to defend their current ranking of the teams using this:
“I see your logic, but I can’t see NCC dropping all the way down to the 20’s after being #5. Or UWSP going from unranked to the mid teens. I don’t think NCC is that bad to be in the 20’s, nor is UWSP that good to be in the teens just so they can be ranked ahead of NCC.”
(the week before this discussion occurred NCC was #5 in the poll, UWSP was unranked, and UWSP beat NCC 34-27 to raise their record to 3-0, while NCC fell to 2-1)
I was just flabbergasted to hear his logic. As you said, the preseason and early-season poll was basically his justification for ignoring a head-to-head result because “he didn’t think the #5 team should drop all the way to the 20’s, but he wasn’t going to move a 3-0 team that just beat #5 all the way into the teens.”
All this agreement in a college football thread… not that I don’t appreciate that we all find the polls stupid but it just feels wrong, might be about time we start thumping our chests about our respective teams again!
… unfortunately I can’t do so because I’m still not sold on Barrett at QB. I’m not sure why teams aren’t blitzing him but he’s clearly a fine QB inside the pocket with little pressure. I’m nervous for when he feels that pressure again like the VT game(so basically, Michigan State game terrifies me). On top of that, while OSU’s offense has put up some good performances under the noted circumstance, the defense has actually been notably porous(Maryland put up some stats but had bad turnovers), and that’s just not going to cut it. Two losses would still put us in a solid bowl with a chance to perform against a quality team probably which isn’t bad at all, but man it sucks to see how wide open this playoff race is and how Brax’s injury has affected our chances at it.
[quote]red04 wrote:
All this agreement in a college football thread… not that I don’t appreciate that we all find the polls stupid but it just feels wrong, might be about time we start thumping our chests about our respective teams again!
… unfortunately I can’t do so because I’m still not sold on Barrett at QB. I’m not sure why teams aren’t blitzing him but he’s clearly a fine QB inside the pocket with little pressure. I’m nervous for when he feels that pressure again like the VT game(so basically, Michigan State game terrifies me). On top of that, while OSU’s offense has put up some good performances under the noted circumstance, the defense has actually been notably porous(Maryland put up some stats but had bad turnovers), and that’s just not going to cut it. Two losses would still put us in a solid bowl with a chance to perform against a quality team probably which isn’t bad at all, but man it sucks to see how wide open this playoff race is and how Brax’s injury has affected our chances at it.[/quote]
I think their is more parity this year in college football than there ever has been. Watching teams play, there doesn’t appear to be a single truly elite team but their are a lot of very good teams. Using the SEC west as an example, our typical elite (Bama and LSU) are down but the bottom (Miss St and Ole Miss) are much better.
And to what you said, Va Tech pretty much laid out the game plan to beat OSU and to this point, no one has been able to or tried to duplicate it. I have a feeling MSU will be the team to do just that. Havent watched the B1G enough to list others but anyone with a strong front 7 should give them a lot of trouble (Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska to throw names out based off past team identities). Like you said, OSU doesn’t appear to have the defense that they usually have either.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
And to what you said, Va Tech pretty much laid out the game plan to beat OSU and to this point, no one has been able to or tried to duplicate it.[/quote]
Sometimes it’s just about having the dudes to pull it off.
(Not saying you were, but I always laugh when I hear suggestions that say “the way to beat Team X is to beat them at the point of attack” which is code for “be better than they are up front” - it’s not really a “game plan” at all)
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
And to what you said, Va Tech pretty much laid out the game plan to beat OSU and to this point, no one has been able to or tried to duplicate it.[/quote]
Sometimes it’s just about having the dudes to pull it off.
(Not saying you were, but I always laugh when I hear suggestions that say “the way to beat Team X is to beat them at the point of attack” which is code for “be better than they are up front” - it’s not really a “game plan” at all)[/quote]
Ha yeah, or the one I hear a lot is, if we can take superstar X and superstar Y they don’t have much more and we should win. They forget to mention exactly how they would achieve that and that they don’t have anywhere near the personnel to make it happen.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
And to what you said, Va Tech pretty much laid out the game plan to beat OSU and to this point, no one has been able to or tried to duplicate it.[/quote]
Sometimes it’s just about having the dudes to pull it off.
(Not saying you were, but I always laugh when I hear suggestions that say “the way to beat Team X is to beat them at the point of attack” which is code for “be better than they are up front” - it’s not really a “game plan” at all)[/quote]
And although I see what you are saying, I mainly meant that the few times I have watched OSU games, no one really blitzed with the frequency and numbers that VT did. Could be that they were concerned about leaving their secondary on an island or something else though so as you said, each team is different.
Gophers and Spartans both undefeated in conference play! The Spartan defense worried me today, they did finish the game with a pick-six though. A little peculiar that Nebraska and Abdullah only managed 42 rushing yards while Purdue had 129.
ND just barely wins over UNC (???), but they stay undefeated as does FSU (one of them won’t be after next week). Oklahoma barely beats Texas. But I think with 4 teams in instead on the 2 with the BCS style points don’t really matter. Just keep winning.
Prescott and Miss St. continue to impress.
The game of the day (so far) had to be Baylor over TCU.
With Gurley out Gordon is asserting himself as the nation’s best RB. 1000 yards and 13 TDs so far. Also Wisconsin quarterback did not throw and interception today. If they can keep that up they can actually compete.
I really wanted TCU to win that game. I know their coach wasn’t trusting their defense, but you can’t go for it on 4th down when you are at that position on the field. You knew Baylor was going to blitz and TCU kept doing the lob/fade pass and it wasn’t working at the end of the game.
Marshall not really in the mix, but I would not mind seeing them run the table then play in one of the major non-playoff post season games. List guaranteed to shrink next week with ND @ FSU. Miss St. safe with next weekend off. Ole Miss gets Tenn at home. Baylor has a potentially tricky game @ WVA.
AP poll not out yet, but Michigan State at #6 is the top one-loss team in the Coach’s poll. I guess with Bama struggling yesterday, Oregon winning, and Michigan State having a very early loss (week 2) gave them the top one-loss spot.
Miss St is the new number one. It will be interesting to see how many teams will end up undefeated. Like JMac said, you can count out either Notre Dame or Florida State since they play each other next week. Miss St. and Ole Miss play each other so one of those teams will have at least one loss.
I think if Florida State beat Notre Dame next week, they will be the only team to finish undefeated. Although Baylor might, but they have to play in Oklahoma. Miss St still has to play at Alabama and at Ole Miss. Those are tough games. Ole Miss might have a chance because there two toughest games against Auburn and Miss st. are at home.
Should be interesting to see, but I think there will be at least one undefeated team by the end of the regular season.
Greetings gents, Die hard TCU Frog fan here. Sorry I’ve let half the season go without saying hello. Frustrating game yesterday with Baylor but overall happy with the improvement Frogs have shown. Baylor appears to be for real, as are Ole Miss and Miss State. Also a lifelong Bama fan bit not sure what is going on there. I have enjoyed this entire crazy season so far. Look forward to OK State in FW tomorrow.
Looks like FSU will probably go undefeated in the regular season now. Somehow they keep winning. Always nice to have a little luck on your side like that tipped touchdown pass last night.
I think the top 4 teams for the playoffs right now will be in no particular order, Alabama, Florida State, TCU, and Oregon. With Miss St., Ohio State, and Baylor right outside looking in.