Smacchat NCAA Football Blog

“Rivalry Weeks” begin with more than bragging rites on the line

2009-11-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

For most rivalry games just being able to claim the prize albeit a Jug, Ax, Bell etc is enough to satisfy fans for year and sometimes save a coaches job. Unfortunately, the reprieve last about as long as the hangover because in this age of college football it’s not what have you done for me lately, but what are you doing for me right now? Looking at the first slate of rivalry games this week that’s a question that will be asked and hopefully adequately replied in order to keep the nation’s double digit unemployment rate from increasing. Starting with the most storied matchup of the weekend Ohio Sate/Michigan where Ohio State already has the Rose Bowl locked up and tries to avoid obscurity as they won’t play a game until the Granddaddy next year. So an impressive win to keep themselves on the mind of the pollsters and avoid being ranked 19th come bowl time would be helpful. As for the Maze and Blue it may take a huge upset win by the 12.5 point underdogs to keep Rich Rod and his spread offense in Ann Arbor even though he came in with so much hype because people in Michigan haven’t won a bowl game that’s mattered in an Age, or beat the sweater vest in five years, and there’s a Michigan alum riding and causing all kinds of waves in California who many want to see come back home. With that said, “The Big Game” hasn’t had much riding on it since the band took the field in 82’ but this year on of the hottest teams/coaches, are the Stanford Cardinal and their head coach Jim Harbaugh. Peaking at the right time, or perhaps just a little bit late, the Cardinal have won 3 straight including big wins over Oregon and USC, and find themselves needing a win and a little love to get to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2000. On the strength of their 51-42 win over the Ducks the Cardinal have the tie-breaker in the event both teams end up at 8-3, but for that to happen Stanford must first win The Big Game with Cal and then get some much needed love from Oregon State, who beat the cardinals earlier in the year by 10 points and travel to Eugene to close out their season next week. It could happen but the Cardinals’ chances would be much better if the Beavers were at home, just the same it’s been a great run for Stanford and their coach, but they should enjoy both while they can, as USC will probably re-load next year and Harbaugh will be on the road to a marquis program come February. Which rivalry game will you be more interested in? Let us know here and in the NCAA chat rooms and quick links:
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Isn't this the beginning of rivalry week?

2009-11-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

We were trying to decide which games to created chat rooms for and discovered something very interesting, much like many previous weeks there are very few interesting games. I mean, this is November! Thanksgiving is next week! Where’s the drama? Where’s the sense of finality? We shouldn’t need to route for the underdog just to make the week more exciting. The next time someone argues the point that a playoff system would make the season too long, I’m certainly going to refresh their memory of Saturday’s like this were 90% are inconsequential and how the playoff system could easily begin next week. Even as the rivalry weeks begin (OSU/Mich and Cal/Stan), this Saturday, (USC/UCLA) next, the consequences are really meaningless and what used to be a day that you cleared your calendar is more like an afternoon that if you can get a glance at a TV while at the mall shopping for your Thanksgiving amenities that will suffice. Now I for one am keeping an objective mindset about this year and am convinced that the season can still provide us with an impressive finale with some great Conference Championship games, and it appears we will get our undefeated matchup of either Florida/Bama vs. Texas in the NCG, an unbeaten non-BCS complaining, and a major upset or two with a big name program not showing up for a bowl they really didn’t want to play in. However, regardless of its finishing kick, it should be noted in the court transcripts that there were plenty of Saturdays where we were able to catch up on our sleep that could have been spent screaming at the TV, painting our faces, or complaining about a play that should have been reviewed. Are you looking forward to the 09’ BCS lineup?

BCS Polls mean all chips in the center of the table for SEC Championship

2009-11-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

BCS Standings
RK TEAM RECORD
1 Florida 10-0
2 Alabama 10-0
3 Texas 10-0
4 TCU 10-0
5 Cincinnati 10-0
6 Boise State 10-0
7 Georgia Tech 10-1
8 LSU 8-2
9 Pittsburgh 9-1
10 Ohio State 9-2
11 Oregon 8-2
12 Oklahoma State 8-2
13 Iowa 9-2
14 Penn State 9-2
15 Virginia Tech 7-3
16 Wisconsin 8-2
17 Stanford 7-3
18 USC 7-3
19 Oregon State 7-3
20 Miami (FL) 7-3
21 Utah 8-2
22 Brigham Young 8-2
23 Clemson 7-3
24 Houston 8-2
25 California 7-3

Unless the dogs come out and bark, should be a quiet Saturday

2009-11-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

It may be the most tense time of the year for college football fans as a loss in November has often resulted in the end of your BCS Bowl aspirations, but you wouldn’t know it by this weekends schedule as three of the top four BCS teams have scrimmages against schools not in the top 25. The one exception is TCU who was on the other side of coin last year as they tried to derail Utah’s bid for an unbeaten season. This year it’s the Utes that are playing the roll of spoiler and trying to become the Longhorn’s new best friend by taking the 4th ranked Frogs out of the mix. Meanwhile Florida gets the Head Ball Coach and the other USC, Bama gets 4-5 Miss St., and Texas gets the powerhouse Baylor Bears. It doesn’t even make good late night TV unless there is a sleeping dog waiting to pull off the biggest upset of not only the season but in recent years. The game that was previously slated as the game of the week, and the year in the Big-10 OSU/PSU has turned out to be uneventful outside of the conference interest. Iowa’s collapse last week means the winner does get to take a trip out to Pasadena, just a week before they expected to be there at the start of the season. Well, the one thing that college football, and the BCS for that matter always manages to do is keep us guessing and unless something extraordinary happens, our questions will have to wait for next week. Should anyone be on upset watch? Also chat live with both TCU and Utah fans in the in-game chat room.Let us know here and in any of the quick links:

Iowa finally has to ‘pay the piper’

2009-11-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Iowa Hawkeyes have been living la vida loca trailing in 7 of 8 games at half-time but still posting an undefeated 9-0 record, until today when Northwestern handed the Hawks their first loss of the year, knocking them out of the Big-10 race and BCS Championship game all at once. It was the same ol’ story for Iowa with way too many turnovers, and the huge loss of Stanzi just before half to an injury (from which he would not return) was too much to overcome. So now the game later between OSU and PSU should be for all of the marbles in the big-10, and the dream season Iowa is over.
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BCS Contenders take the afternoon off while the SEC West is decided

After three consecutive weeks of huge impact games in college football, the teams fighting for the ‘elite eight’ spots in the BCS get a breather before heading for the home stretch. Florida gets 2-7 Vandy in the swamp, Texas host 5-3 UCF, Iowa host mighty Nortwestern (5-3), and Cincinnati has a very emotionally unstable 4-4 UCONN team coming to town for a visit. So don’t expect any shakeups in those matchups even though all bets are off in any game Iowa plays, but for the most part this will be good week for the schools to fine tune, rest up, or get those pesky suspensions out of the way before the curtail holiday and rivalry games. Amidst all of our presumptions is one of the biggest games on the year in the SEC which will decide the SEC West representative in the SEC Championship game and continues the series of BCS elimination games as #9 LSU travels to #3 Alabama. The loser is surely out of the NGC race and possibly a BCS game in general. Conversely, the winner solidifies their BCS merits and is almost assured of a spot in the final eight. Even with that as a given, it means even more for the Tide, as win puts them one game away from the big prize, a birth in the National Championship Game, and will also give them an opportunity to return the favor to Texas, who “leaped frogged” them on a Saturday where both teams won. On the national scale it almost assures that the winner of the SEC will not have a loss and close the door on the chance of a non-BCS team sneaking in the back door, and thus leaving all of the pressure on Texas to walk their own path to Pasadena. The Big-10 clash between Ohio St. and Penn St. that was on everyone’s calendar has lost its luster for those outside the conference as both former BCS place holders now come in at #16 and #11 respectively, with the automatic bid the only keeping them in the mix. Who do you think will slip out of the final 8 by the end of the year? Chat live with fans from both Alabama and LSU in the live game chatroom, or in any of the quick links:

Elimination Saturdays begin this weekend (polls as they come)

2009-10-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

BCS Rankings As of November 1st, 2009

RK TEAM RECORD
1 Florida 8-0
2 Texas 8-0
3 Alabama 8-0
4 Iowa 9-0
5 Cincinnati 8-0
6 TCU 8-0
7 Boise State 8-0
8 Oregon 7-1
9 LSU 7-1
10 Georgia Tech 8-1
11 Penn State 8-1
12 USC 6-2
13 Pittsburgh 7-1
14 Utah 7-1
15 Houston 7-1
16 Ohio State 7-2
17 Miami (FL) 6-2
18 Arizona 5-2
19 Oklahoma State 6-2
20 California 6-2
21 Wisconsin 6-2
22 Notre Dame 6-2
23 Virginia Tech 5-3
24 Oklahoma 5-3
25 South Florida 6-2
We stated last week that things were getting interesting in college football, well now they go from interesting to critical as every week beginning this week there will be games where the loser is out of BCS contention. For those who are in favor of the BCS system argue that there is a “playoff” system and it begins this week. Opening round:

#5 USC at #10 Oregon – The Trojans travel north to Eugene to take on the Ducks who have a plethora of injuries in the secondary but will USC have the aerial attack to exploit it? Oregon ranks third in the Pac-10 and 10th in the nation in sacks (3.14 per game) and is 25th in the nation in tackles for a loss (7.0 per game). This game comes down to the Ducks ability to stop the SC running game if they can do that, and force Barkley to beat them they can pull off the upset. On the other side Jeremiah Masoli who sat out against UCLA but looked great last week and 100% healthy, will be the X factor. If he can compliment the O running game then we could see the fans in Eugene pulling down the goal post.

#3 Texas at #14 Oklahoma State – Texas has bitter taste in their mouths from last year as it was this same week when a trip to Texas Tech and a last second TD by Michael Crabtree ended their NCG run. They’ve had a year to think about what if and it seems to be fueling their fire as this has been the best the Horns’ have looked all year, even though they’re running game has been non existent. On the other side of the ball the Cowboys are 3-0 in the B-12 and 6-1 overall, a win puts them on top of the B-12 South, with only the Championship game standing between them and a BCS birth. They won’t be able to climb the ladder to get to the NCG, but it would be the biggest bowl game in the school’s history.

Who will survive the first round of eliminations? Let us know here, chat live with fans from both the Cowboys and the Horns’ in the live game chatroom, or any of the quick links.
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Now things REALLY get interesting as sky begins to clear

2009-10-26T18:18:00.001-07:00

Now we reached the point of the year where the pollsters (both human and computer) actually pay attention to how the games are being played not just the final score the next day, as we see movement in the bottle neck that are the final eight spots even if both teams come away with a W. This week it appears Pete Carol’s lobbying has made an impact as although all 3 teams won, USC jumped over TCU and Boise St. to move up to 5 in the BCS. That’s huge because it’s impossible for both Bama and Florida to finish winless so that leaves Texas, Iowa and SC to fight for the a spot in final. Texas only has Ok. State and the B-12 championship game where they’ll probably see 3-loss K-Sate so one spot belongs to Texas. You have to figure the SEC winner will take the other unless Florida gets upset in the World’s Biggest Cocktail Party then wins the SEC Championship. Bama’ still has LSU to deal with and an NCG so it is possible that both SEC teams could find themselves with one loss and in the mix with everyone else. Lastly, Iowa still has to go to Horseshoe but beyond that there is no one between them and the goal line. Who do you think will be the last two standing? Let us know here and in the NCAA chat rooms,team rooms, and any of the quick links:

Are the 'Tide and Gators (and BCS) heading for a train wreck?

2009-10-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Although Tim Tebow was cleared to play hours before the FLA/LSU game on Saturday, he clearly was not the t-squared we had seen in the past. His one TD pass was enough however to push the Gators past the Tigers 13-3 in front of a record crowd of better than 93k. Unless you were a fan of defense the was the most disappointing, lackluster matchup of top 5 teams since Ohio State got run out of the NCG. LSU’s futility on offense (1-9 on 3rd downs, 162 total yards) was the story of the day and now the lingering question is weather you can credit the Gator D or is LSU over-hyped? The Gator D will be tested again as high octane offense of Arkansas comes to town. Meanwhile LSU isn’t completely out of the mix as they only drop down to number 10, and all eyes are now on the 11/7 date with Bama.

Speaking of Alabama, who very well may be the ‘peoples champion’ as the best team in the nation, easily disposed of #20 Ole Miss, leading 16-0 before finishing up 22-3. Similar to the afore mentioned SEC marquis game, the Tide silenced the Rebels holding them to 212 total yards and 0-9 on 3rd down. Bama gets the leap over Texas in the AP poll, stealing 10 of the Gators first place votes in the process, but still sit at number 3 in the USA Today poll.

This brings up the question, if both Bama and Florida run the table and meet in the SEC Championship game, what do you do with the loser? Under the Ohio St./Michigan precedent, where it’s assumed that the country doesn’t want to see a rematch, do you bring in a Texas, USC, Va Tech to take on the SEC Champ? Would that produce a game with two best teams in the nation? Will it finally force the BCS to make changes?

BCS picks up where it left off last year, with controversy

2009-10-18T14:47:00.001-07:00

The BCS Pool is finally out and although most are content with their position and the possibilities, but like every year, some are unhappy as they can do the math and calculate their chances of climbing are slim. It seems like this year most of the top schools have ad to deal with either losing or playing with an injured QB, the top of the polls also represent who has dealt with the adversity the best, here’s our assessment of the BCS first poll;

Florida – Can’t really argue with this pick have dominated since the season ended last year and although Tebow has been banged up, perhaps not as bad as Bradford or Barkely, but they still have managed to remain unbeaten, doing what they had to do to survive and advance. The knock on Florida is that they are not even in the top 40 for passing yards and are 19th in total offense.

Alabama – The top team in the AP Poll that many believe is the best in the country, rank 7th in offense but surprisingly don’t have a defense ranked in the top 40. Fortunately, they have their toughest games prior to the SEC championship at home as they take on a much improved Tennessee, then LSU.

So, as we’ve stated on previous post, the loser of the SEC title game will get the version of a double play as in all probability the late season loss coupled with lack of interest in a “let’s run it back” immediate rematch, means the SEC Championship game loser will be playing for 3rd place and the winner goes to the NCG as the favorite.

Texas – Didn’t have to go through any QB issues thus far and won the Red River Shootout and now just Ok State stands in the way of a trip to the Big-12 Championship Game. Where they will probably play Kansas for the 2nd time only the Jayhawks won’t be ranked and that will cause Texas to lose ground in the BCS Polls but not enough to drop out of the NCG so the table is set for the Horns’, winout and your in.

Boise St. – What can you say besides they have one game left on their schedule against a team with a winning record, at home 11/14 vs. Idaho. Although they’re looking good right now, that will come back to haunt them as they slide down the BCS slope as slowly their strength of schedule gets more watered down. The only question is as it appears there will be some 2-loss teams in the BCS do they drop below them? We don’t think so, expect to see the smurfs playing in 2010.

Cincinnati – The lone representative of Big East in the BCS Mix and soon to be the only Big East team in the top 25, still has to hold their mud against Pitt and WV then we’ll see how high they can climb as one of the only unbeaten teams left in the BCS. An impressive victory over then unbeaten USF brought the nationwide attention they needed but is it too little too late? Who will be left out of this year's BCS? Should USC be down as far as #7? Would you want to see a Championship game rematch if the SEC team has only 1 loss? Let us know here and in the NCAA chat rooms and quick links:

BCS Standings
RK TEAM RECORD
1 Florida 6-0
2 Alabama 7-0
3 Texas 6-0
4 Boise State 6-0
5 Cincinnati 6-0
6 Iowa 7-0
7 USC 5-1
8 TCU 6-0
9 LSU 5-1
10 Miami (FL) 5-1
11 Oregon 5-1
12 Georgia Tech 6-1
13 Penn State 6-1
14 Virginia Tech 5-2
15 Oklahoma State 5-1
16 Brigham Young 6-1
17 Houston 5-1
18 Utah 5-1
19 Ohio State 5-2
20 Pittsburgh 6-1
21 Wisconsin 5-2
22 Arizona 4-2
23 West Virginia 5-1
24 South Carolina 5-2
25 Kansas 5-1

Upset dog rears its head and shakes up the top 10

2009-09-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

There is always one Saturday in every college football season where the dogs come out and bark and shake up the entire BCS. This was not quite that severe but it may be a harbinger of things to come this season. Each week it’s looking like this will be a year where the BCS is comprised of teams with multiple losses. The top biscuit this week was USC, that we felt was susceptible to getting knocked off as they were suffering from ‘Bradford disease’ with Barkely sitting out due to a shoulder injury, but in retrospect it was the multiple turnovers that were at the crux of USC’s 16-13 loss to Washington. Another in the long line of SC defeats to non-ranked Pac-10 teams. The loss sent the Trojans on the fast track out of the top 10 and now they have an Everest to climb if they have any hopes of getting to the NCG. Another biscuit for the dogs was BYU, also mentioned in our upset probables, because of the huge difference in team speed. It was apparent from the beginning that it was substantial as the Noles’ got up quick on the Cougars and never let them back in the game. A huge win for Bowden and a serious blow for BYU who just had to hold serve and they were this year’s UTAH ( a mid-major holding down a BCS spot), but they were penalized severely for their insubordination and sentenced to hard labor in Siberia at number 19. Georgia Tech and Utah were the last morsals for the dogs this week as GT lost to a Miami team that now does not look like so much of an upset, but Utah was shipped out of the top 25 as Oregon got up big then held the Utes off in the 4th quarter for a big home win to help them recover from the opening day debacle against Boise State. Did the penalties fit the crimes or were the upset losers penalized too heavily? Moreover, will the teams that lose late suffer the same fate or does a late season loss cost less/more? Can you REALLY see the BCS keeping Florida out of the BCS if they lose the SEC Championship game? Let us know here and in the individual team rooms or chat rooms.

Elite fraternity membership is decreasing rapidly

2009-10-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

Although the exclusive ‘members only’ frat “Phi Beta Unbeaten” is seeing its membership dwindling, and it’s looking like their may not be any remaining members come December, no member were expelled last weekend. However the one member that will be talked about for the rest of the year, particularly if they do remain unbeaten, are the LSU Tigers as they were the benefactors of perhaps the worst arbitrary call in the history of college football. The “excessive celebration” call that set up LSU’s winning score inside a minute was truly a travesty of justice. In the heat of an SEC battle with the loser on the outside looking in, if the call was not made, there wouldn’t have been one person complaining, but you have outrage that the call was made and the in a world where one loss could mean the difference between a BCS bid and the obscurity bowl, they will be talking about this for a while.

In the marquis game of the week with old school feel, the Canes’ and Sooners locked up and since Bosworth and Kosar were on opposite sides of the ball was there that much attention paid to the matchup. Miami was kicked out of the frat the previous week after a bad loss to Va. Tech but is back in the good graces of the pollsters after a another victory over a top 5 school in Oklahoma. After 4 consecutive games against ranked opponents it gets a much easier for the Canes’ and they get an opportunity to pad the w column as well as their stats and by the time the pumpkins have all been carved, Miami should be sitting a BCS position. Meanwhile the word on Bradford is that surgery is still on the table which means he isn’t coming back anytime soon and that spells doom to OK’s bowl hopes with two losses already.

Whatever excitement last weeks schedule lacked it is more than made up for this week as there are several huge matchups beginning with #4 Florida traveling to Baton Rouge to take on #4 LSU. The implications of this game are huge, and Tebow’s cracked bonnet only adds to the drama, however the truth is that both teams know that even if they lose they’re not out of the running the way things are shaping up this year. Firstly, they have a good chance of catchin’ up with each other again in the SEC Championship game, it would be better to lose NOW then later on in the year where voters would not want to see an immediate rematch of the SEC Champ Game in the BCS title game. So although it may seem like do or die on Saturday, it will be far from over.

We begin our upset watch games in the same conference with a huge matchup as #3 Bama travels to #20 Ole Miss. The Rebels and their faithful felt the sentenced they received for a tough SEC loss was way too severe and now must climb the Mt. Everest (AP Poll) for the second time this season. The home crowd, which makes Miss tough to beat at home (handed the Gators their only loss in 08) will be waiting for the ‘Tide come Saturday and Bama had better be ready or they will be the next to ask to leave the frat house. Also on upset watch are #15 Oklahoma State who travel to A & M to take on the Aggies with the infamous 12th man. No on really knows how good the Aggies are which makes this game a tough one to call. The last school that needs to mind it’s P’s & Qs are the #12 Hawkeyes even though they’re at home, the Michigan spread my cause problems for them if they can hit a couple of big plays and get up early. Who do you think will come out on top in the two SEC battles? Will any of the upset watch teams lose? Who should be on upset watch? Let us know here and in the other NCAA Football quick links.

Pollsters administer swift and austere justice

2009-09-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

The AP and USA have come under scrutiny this week on the validity of the pre-season poll as there is no true data other than returning starters to go on, does it give some schools an unfair advantage and place a “glass ceiling” on others? Well, in order to help balance the scales the polls have been greatly rewarding the risk takers and subsequently handing down stiff penalties for those that disappoint. The most notable movers this week were:

Ole Miss – Sentenced to the equivalent of the “Death Penalty”, as they get hammered 17 places in the AP to 21 after a tough SEC road loss to the Ol’ Ball Coach. Why their drop is so significant in relation to others is because of the tough road they’ll face with their SEC schedule. No doubt they’ll taste defeat again and the hopes of a 2-loss team climbing that many places to get back to BCS status is remote.

California – No East Coast bias here, Cal gets the same sentence and drops 18 spots from 6 to 24 after getting smoked in Eugene. This sentence is even worse than that handed down to Ole’ Miss because the Pac-10 doesn’t provide the quality wins that a SEC schedule would so Cal can’t climb all the way back even if they run the table.

Penn St. – Actually, a light sentence for being found guilty of a home loss to an unranked opponent, but they’re actually not out of the picture at 15 (11 spot drop) as they should run the table in a weak Big-10 with their shot at Ohio St. and a BCS game on the horizon. What has fallen off the radar is a NCG reservation.

Miami – the pollsters giveth and taketh away, as the benefactors of a nostalgic gravitational pull towards matchups of Orange Bowls past the ‘Canes went from obscurity to top ten with a bullet (and a Fla. St. dropped pass) only to have the slipper get smashed in Blacksburgh. However now Miami is justly ranked and should be able to win the ACC but they’ll have to put up a good showing at home against OU next week to be in contention for a BCS bid.

Florida State – It’s hard to tell where this pendulum will stop with this team as they osculate from a tough home loss to a Miami team that turned out to be better than expected to upsetting a BYU team that many thought was BCS bound, to getting kicked out of the top 25, and justifiably so, after a terrible home loss to USF, and it’s wasn’t the University of San Francisco.

Did the crime justify the punishment for these schools or was it too “Jack McCoy”?

Several schools on upset watch this weekend

2009-09-19T11:55:00.001-07:00

Although most of the schools are still in their non-conference “cupcake” mode there are couple of big names that need to avoid looking ahead, dealing with injuries, or walking into a buzzsaw. First and foremost Cal had better watch out for a very enthusiastic crowd waiting for them at the new home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Although ranked number 8 and at two-touchdown favorite, Cal really hasn’t been tested on the road and the GG’s may put a scare into them before if not win it on the field. Also on upset watch and this may sound strange to college football historians, but BYU had better watch out for Florida State. One of the last remaining obstacles that stand in the way of the cougars and a date with the BCS the Noles’ hae a lot of team speed that could create a problem for BYU if they start breaking off big plays or getting huge YACs. Some teams really need to keep their eye on the injury bug like LA schools. USC who managed to get one good drive when they needed it and escaped from the Horseshoe with a huge win, will not have the services of their “grown up freshman” quarterback Barkely, who miss the game because of the shoulder injury suffered against OSU. Washington is a tough place to play to begin with and they’ll be fired up and waited for the hated division rival from So. Cal. UCLA also had a QB that passed his litmus test then was lost to injury. Although at home, a Kansas State team that plays good D should easily scheme for the Bruins who will surely see a lot of 8-man box defense may have problems getting into the end zone. Who do you think is the most susceptible to an upset? Let us know here and in all of the quick links:
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Is the SEC ‘all that’?

2009-09-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Although it would be almost impossible for any conference to live up the self-imposed hype, you would think SEC would get out of shoot with convincing victories during the non-conference ‘cupcake’ period. The top team in the nation, Florida has taken care of business against virtual division II schools by a combined score of 118-9, Alabama possibly has had the most difficult non-conference game in their opener, and looked good in their glorified scrimmage. However, the rest of the SEC has struggled beginning with Georgia, who was considered last year’s snub, who lost to then #5 Big-12 Oklahoma St, but they proved to be not ready for prime time in a home loss to unranked Houston. Tennessee loses at home to UCLA, who is not expected to finish in the top half of the Pac-10. Number 7 LSU is 2-0 but has hardly looked like a top ten school as they have struggled against the likes of 08 non-bowl participants Washington and Vandy. Lastly, South Carolina and the Head Ball Coach look like they’re playing for .500 and a bowl game. Is the SEC the tough conference they were made out to be? Let us know here and in the chat rooms and team rooms.
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Curtain rises on NCAA season, and may come down early for two top-10 schools

2009-09-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

The flag bearers for the major conferences make big statements Saturday Florida, Texas, USC, and Bama all looked impressive in week one and can make an argument why they should claim the top spot, meanwhile Oklahoma was the lone upset victim in the top 10 as they lost once again to another Mid-Major in BYU. The Buckeyes avoided being this season’s Michigan as they came within a 2-point conversion of going to overtime with an option-running team. The Gators dominated as expected, 62-3 in a game that was not as competitive as their practices, we won’t see if their worthy of 58/60 1st-place votes until week 3. Texas (please see previous sentence), but Colt McCoy looked the best of all of the Heisman candidates throwing for 12-29-317. If this is what we can expect from him all season the Horns’ are going to be really tough to beat. Out West the Trojans answered the question of the week as their freshman Q looks poised to step into the footsteps of the famed USC starters of the previous five years who held that position and are now playing in the League, by rebounding from a shaky start to go 15-19-233. Now along the same lines as the afore mentioned Fla and Tex, we can’t start calling Barkley the “air-apparent” until he leaves the Horseshoe still standing next week. Speaking of the Buckeyes, it’s amazing how one bad Tressel decision changed the nation’s minds from how Ohio State is a team to be reckoned with to ‘same ol’ Bucks’. If OSU kicks the filed goal in the 4th, they go up 3 scores and Navy empties the bench and starts evaluating talent for the rest of the season. Instead the Buck stops there, Navy goes deep on the next play and the rest was almost history, along with the Bucks season. Lastly, the ONLY school that played someone worthy of smackin’ about was Bama who, on a NEUTRAL field, beat a top-ten team in Va.Tech and looked good doing it. They got an offense that has all kinds of firepower at the skill positions and a D that can ‘man up’ when it has to. Look for the Tide to get some respect in the next poll. Now, I realize Bradford only played half the game, but c’mon Sooners, you still were a D-Stop from sending BYU home and last time I looked Bradford doesn’t play both ways. Even with that last drive you still had the field goal opportunity as well. Despite getting “Brady’ied” who still should have won the game, so off to Sibera with you. Who do you think looked the best over opening weekend? Let us know here and in the poll of the day, or visit other quick links:

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NCAA Season kicks off season with three 'all in' games

2009-09-03T01:34:00.000-07:00

#5 Alabama vs. #7 Va. Tech – Are you kidding me? No need to let the momentum of the season build up just get into one of the biggest games of the year on day 1! The ramifications of a win/loss for both of these teams is enormous in a season where if you get out of your conference with 1-loss you’ve had a season worthy of the NCG. Both of these schools risk pinning a brutal “2” in the L column with their championship game still on the horizon, and in the current system basically eliminating their chances of leaving the snow for California in January.

#13 Georgia vs. #9 Oklahoma State – Are you kidding? For teams that play in the SEC and B12 respectively this is one of the biggest games their play prior to their championship games if they were fortunate enough to get there. Ok State starts the season with the highest ranking they’ve ever had and will lose it, and probably drop out of the top 15 with a loss. The Dogs have an opportunity to cash in on their Non-Conference strength of schedule bet, which would give them a ‘tie-breaking argument’ if they end up in the mire with 1-loss teams at the end of the season.

#16 Oregon vs. #14 Boise St. - The season kicks off with the "Respect Bowl" as Oregon tries to prove they're ready to challenge SC for the Pac-10 title and prove the rest of the nation that it's not the Pac-1. Meanwhile Boise's perpetual quest for respect from anyone outside the WAC continues and win puts them in position to run the table and should be enough to get them thier second BCS bid. However the loser is sent out of the top 20, to the bottom of the mountain with a long climb to get back the ground that they lost.

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First AP Poll is out, with the ususal suspects at the top and some getting no respect

2009-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

The first of what promises to be a year full of controversial AP Polls hi the presses with the consensus number one pick, Florida taking the top spot. The following five were also predictable yet debatable, as they have only shuffled the deck from the final poll from last year. Texas, OK, SC, Bama and Ohio St, with Utah getting typical WAC respect as they finished the year at #2 yet start this year at #19. There’s not much soap box activity with the pre-season poll because as long as your within the top 12-15 you gotta’ shot at making the NCG. If you’re not on the board right now chances are you should start considering reservations to San Diego and the Holiday Bowl as that’s about as high as you’re gonna’ get with the non-conference schedule some have lined up, and you’ll need some upsets to climb the ladder. Ohio State is there again at number 6, and come September when they host USC, will either vindicate that respect or be shipped to Siberia. Some welcome ‘newcomers’ to the exclusive top-10 club are Ol’ Miss and Ok State (their highest pre-season ranking ever, even when they had Barry), and an old face in Penn St. The second 10 is all pretty much guessing at this point and that’s where we’ll see the most movement once they kick things off. Who is getting too much respect and who is not getting enough? Let us know your thoughts here or any of the quick links.
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AP Poll

RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS
1. Florida (58) 0-0 1498 1
2. Texas (2) 0-0 1424 4
3. Oklahoma 0-0 1370 5
4. USC 0-0 1313 3
5. Alabama 0-0 1156 6
6. Ohio State 0-0 1113 9
7. Virginia Tech 0-0 1054 15
8. Mississippi 0-0 1047 14
9. Oklahoma State 0-0 989 16
9. Penn State 0-0 989 8
11. LSU 0-0 914 NR
12. California 0-0 746 NR
13. Georgia 0-0 714 13
14. Boise State 0-0 659 11
15. Georgia Tech 0-0 593 22
16. Oregon 0-0 587 10
17. TCU 0-0 521 7
18. Florida State 0-0 307 21
19. Utah 0-0 289 2
20. Brigham Young 0-0 267 25
21. North Carolina 0-0 261 NR
22. Iowa 0-0 229 20
23. Notre Dame 0-0 225 NR
24. Nebraska 0-0 207 NR
25. Kansas 0-0 134 NR

Well, that must change a few things in your mind...

2009-01-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

There was no need for a “Bosie State-esque” hook-n-lateral, overtime, or even a nation-wide televised proposal to pump up the outcome of this year’s sugar bowl. Utah came out of the tunnel, lined up, and punched ‘Bama in the mouth. Before the band could tune up with Leonard Skynard, the Tide was trailing 21-0 and the Utes never looked back. On the first drive each play was for over ten yards culminating in a touchdown and that would be the case for most of the first half as Utah scored on it’s first three drives. So the SEC runner-up was solidly beaten by the WAC Champion, a division that is more used as a punch line at the Flora-Bama Bar than a worthy opponent, so what do we make of Florida regardless of the outcome of the titular National Championship Game? Well, we have beaten the Playoff argument into the ground by now, but tell me that a 13-0 Utah team that smoked the winner of the “toughest” conference in college football, a USC team that lost one road game to a school that is ranked in the top 20 and won the division that the bowls proved to be the BEST in college football at 5-0, wouldn’t be great to line up and repeat their recent performances against the CCC (computer chip champ)? I for one am through speculating and want to see it, but the best thing playoff proponents can see are the drop in ratings for 85% of the bowls this year, because in the end only the advertising dollars will be enough to sway the establishment. This week the final chapters will be written as we get to witness another Weak-10 team getting whacked on the big stage on Monday as two time punk OSU gets beat by Texas (how did they send 2 teams to the BCS?? Please see the afore mentioned advertising dollars) and of course the NCG on Thursday between Florida and Oklahoma. That game has the world on it’s shoulders to salvage a very lack luster Bowl season but the good news is March is right around the corner. Unfortunately we may be out of work because we’ll have nothing to dispute then.

Gators make a sunshine statement but some still wonder what if.

2009-01-11T02:25:00.000-08:00

We may have a definitive champion but, big surprise, there is are a few schools that might have a little something to say about it. Florida did look impressive, aided by some questionable decisions made by the OU brain trust, in taking out the Sooners in the NCG 24-14, and were unanimous USA Toady champions but failed to get 17 votes (Utah 16, USC 1) in the coach’s poll. The Games was closer than many anticipated after the defenses in the Big-12 have come under scrutiny during bowl season, raising the question if the high powered offenses of the conference were the benefactors of less than average competition. Now the lone undefeated school in the country, Utah, has made a compelling argument that they should have at least had an opportunity to play for the title, an argument that has some support indicated by the 16 first place AP votes. Also in line are the one-loss teams beginning with USC who looked strong against Penn St. in the Rose Bowl and who is the only other team in the country with team speed that can match up with Florida. Both are games that proponents of the +1 system would have liked to see. The BCS did finish strong and bail out the system again this year as each of the BCS games did increase viewership over the previous year, as most of the other 30 bowls did not. So in short the Joker got away again and will probably be back to do more crime next year. Unfortunately for fans of the Division II playoff system, if the mess and controversy of this season were not enough to trump the big dollars of the BCS this is a system that is here to stay. Let us know what matchup you would have like to see here and in the NCAA chat room.

Smacchat College Football Top 25

2009-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

1. Florida - Can't dispute this pick, defending national champs with Tebow returning and a plethora of talent and speed surrounding him. King of the hill until someone knocks them off. The big question is can they survive the SEC unblemished?
2. Texas - C'mon Horns! LA Monroe, Wyoming, and UTEP as your non-conference schedule? If that comes back to bite you come December, you deserve it.
3. USC - It's all about the Q for SC. The kid is going to need to not miss a beat when he comes in. 9/12 at the Horseshoe is his litmus test and that's a lot to ask.
4. Oklahoma - Sets up for a nice showdown with Tebow/Bradford again this year, and if he can get them back to the B-12 title game SB will deserve all the props he gets.
5. Alabama - Watch out for these guys down at number 5. IF any of the freshman can come in and immediately contribute from that monster recruiting class they'll be round' come Jan/Feb
6. Va. Tech - The flag carrier of the ACC, at least the Pac-10 has other reps in the top 10, and that schedule is SOFT!. Tech can easily find themselves among the last of the unbeatens.
7. Ole Miss - This is the team that has quietly gone under the radar and may sneak up and not only challenge the incumbent but actually win the SEC East.
8. Ohio State - Ok, we're only going to get so excited about OSU until they can show us they've addressed the team speed issue, that they've matured at QB, and that they can actually win a BCS game.
9. Cal - We like em'. Lotta talent, they get SC at home which will decide the division and have good experience coming back.
10. Oklahoma State - Another school that was able to parlay a great season into an excellent recruiting class. They may no see the dividends this year but if they get some immediate contribution, don't pencil the Sooners in just yet.
11. Penn State
12. LSU
13. Oregon
14. Georgia
15. Boise St.
16. TCU
17. Georgia Tech
18. North Carolina
19. Nebraska
20. Rutgers
21. Notre Dame
22. Utah
23. Iowa
24. Kansas
25. UCLA
What would your hierarchy look like? Who was snubbed and who is over ranked? Let us know here and in the NCAA chat rooms, conference chat rooms, and team rooms.

SEC building a resume to back up the hype

2009-08-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

As the most useless two weeks of the college football season came to a close with the final ‘media day’, where everyone states their case why things are going to be different his year, as the alumni, students, and residents of the area, all drink the cool-aid and feel like they’ll be one of the lucky teams playing in late January. At least until they lose in week one. Among those is the “purgatory conference” that is somewhere between the NCAA and NFL, the SEC. Rest assured they let you know how good they think they are every year and every year the rest of the nation screams about the bias. True, no one markets themselves better than the SEC, as the rest of the nation battle for TV time and therefore advertising dollars. Well, bias or not, they’re starting to build a list of qualifications that is worthy of such praise, and this year stacks up to be no different. In fact since 2003 the SEC has won 4 of the 6 championships played. Grant it, only two teams have won(LSU,FLA) but as a percentage that’s still a feather in their cap. Now before we get all of the angry post from around the nation, look to see what your conference has done to see if a retort is necessary (in alphabetical order so don’t take it personal)

ACC – Record in nonconference games 170-71 (70%)
Record in BCS Bowls: 1-4 Record in Bowl Games 18-22 (45%)
National Titles: 0. 1st round draft selections 35

Big-12 – Record in nonconference games 191-68 (73%)
Record in BCS bowls 3-2 Record in Bowl Games 21-17 (55%)
National Titles: 1. 1st round draft selections 20

Big East – Record in nonconference games 146-68 (68%)
Record in BCS Bowls 1-2, Record in Bowl Games 15-10 (60%)
National Titles: 0. 1st round draft selections 8

Big 10 - Record in nonconference games 178-70 (72%)
Record in BCS Bowls 2-7, Record in Bowl Games 12-23 (48%)
National Titles: 0. 1st round draft selections 26

Pac 10 – Record in nonconference games 116-64 (64%)
Record in BCS Bowls 4-1, Record in Bowl Games 18-9 (67%)
National Titles: 1. 1st round draft selections 18

SEC – Record in nonconference games 200-64 (75%)
Record in BCS Bowls 6-2, Record in Bowl Games 25-15 (63%)
National Titles: 3. 1st round draft selections 39

Who do you think is the best most consistent conference ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, strength of schedule, non-conference schedule, top to bottom competition, overall talent? Let us know here and in the NCAA chat rooms and team rooms.

No D in Big-12 could be a Big problem in NCG

2009-01-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

“Only when the tide goes out can you see who was swimming naked”. That is not a pun on Alabama although it may be apropos based on their performance against Utah in the Sugar Bowl. However, if the ol’ adage holds true that the bowl games are truly a litmus test then the Big-12 is failing miserably, particularly the defenses are coming under fire as they have all given up a ton of points throughout the bowl season. Up and down the B-12 Dec/Jan resume offenses have had their way, beginning with Northwestern (very average offense) 23 vs. Mizzu, Ole Miss 47 vs. TTech, and OSU 21 on Texas (NFL Bound Beanie Wells playing only ½ game). So is the praise for those high-octane B-12 teams built on fraudulent information? Is the BCS Championship game going to be another SC/OU type blowout? If the litmus test holds true then 4 points will not be nearly enough as the Gators could drop a ‘fidy’ spot the Sooners. Conversely, if all of the negative hype, including this blog, has angered the Sooner D enough to rise up, then their Offense will get plenty of opportunities to showcase the Heisman winner, and we (the general public) may finally get a game worthy of the name like we did with the Horns and Trojans.

Upset specials!!!

2007-10-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend of football!! There were upsets all over the place, or maybe not depending on how you saw it. Let's take a look at some of them:

#3 Florida lost to Auburn (20-17): On paper it may have been an upset, but not in reality! Last year, Florida lost to to Auburn, but still hoisted the coveted BCS championship trophy. But Auburn was in a different place this year. And with Ole Miss putting out the template on how to stop the Gators, The Tigers, now 3-2, followed the Rebels plan and took a big step forward in this game, but the biggest winners (at least in terms of the BCS standings) was the South Florida, whose win on the road at Auburn will look even stronger to the computers.
#4 Oklahoma lost to Colorado (27-24)In my book, this was the most embarrassing loss of the day. The Sooners had this game in hand and managed to grab defeat from jaws of victory. OU was physically superior and spent much of the game pushing the Buffs around, but never put them away. Give Colorado credit, CU found a way to hang around and hang around in this game. In their losses, Colorado turned the ball over again and again, but on Saturday the Buffaloes won the +/- battle... and the game. For Colorado, maybe this is the start of something. Who knows? The Buffs are in transition. But for the Sooners... wow. OU was a team that was on track for the BCS championship game, in my opinion, but now... well, I have no idea where the Sooners are headed.
#5 West Virginia lost to #18 South Florida (21-13)Again, an upset on paper, but many watchers did expect the Bulls to give WVU all they could handle. After all USF beat the 'Eers in Morgantown last year, so it should come as no surprise that the WVU game against the Bulls is quickly becoming the annual "Save a Couch" weekend in West Virginia. WVU will drop in the polls and has lost their shot at the national championship. South Florida will rise in the polls and sits in the driver's seat for the Big East BCS bowl slot.
#7 Texas lost to Kansas State (41-21)Even though Texas lost to K-State last year, I didn't see this one coming. Some people predicted this, but I really thought Texas wouldn't look past the Wildcats with the Red River Rivalry on the horizon. The Horns looked very average on offense and defense. Ron Prince's team clearly wasn't afraid of playing the number seven team on the road and it showed. K-State has some serious momentum going into the Big XII North - don't be surprised to see the Wildcats in the title game. As for Texas, they looked lost. Some believe the Horns have a "BCS or Bust" mentality and may throw it all away now that it's clear they won't be playing for the national championship. It will be interesting to see what -- if anything -- Mack Brown will do to prepare his team for one-loss Oklahoma this weekend in Dallas.
#10 Rutgers lost to Maryland (34-24)This was an exceptionally emotional loss for the Scarlet Knights, but -- and I'm just being honest here -- I think Rutgers deserved it after Coach Schiano's stunt last weekend against Norfolk State. For those that didn't see the footnote, Schiano called timeouts before the end of the first half in an attempt to get the ball back and score - despite leading 45-0. I've been pretty consistent in criticizing coaches for trying to run up the score, so... this is just fate's way of kicking Rutgers, in my opinion. You reap what you sow, Schiano. Fortunately for Scarlet Knights fans, this was a non-con game, so keep circling that USF date because that's your game of the year.
#13 Clemson lost to Georgia Tech (13-3)I'd love to hear from Clemson fans - was this really an upset? Really? Georgia Tech had been ranked earlier in the year and these two teams always play pretty tight. Unfortunately for Clemson, it was an ACC loss that threatens CU's frontrunner status. Again, an upset on paper, but I don't really call this one an upset.
#19 Penn State lost to Illinois (27-20)News flash: Ron Zook's recruits can play. The Zooker has been not-so-quietly building the Illini over the last few years. This win, over a solid PSU, was a real benchmark game for Illinois. It allowed them to show that they intend to compete for the Big 10 title in the coming years. Not this year, mind you, but I digress. For Penn State... wow. Four turnovers in your last four possessions?!? JoPa was at a loss for words after the game. Here's a few: PSU handed the win to Illinois and the Illini are just good enough to punch it in. Penn State -- with back to back losses in the Big 10 -- is now looking a December bowl game squarly in the eye. The only question remaining is: early or late December? Oh, and JoPa fell back another game to FSU Head Coach Bobby Bowden. Salt. Salt. Salt.
#24 Alabama lost to Florida State (21-14)Both teams needed this win and both looked tight through much of the first half. FSU made adjustments - inserting backup QB Xavier Lee into the game -- and Bama didn't. And that is the story of the game, in a nutshell. There were so many Alabama-LSU-FSU connections in this game to add intrigue, but in the end the FSU coaches just made better adjustments. One clear illustration was Jimbo Fisher going with the out & up and the end of the game, knowing that Saban would use a run-stunt blitz, expecting Fisher to run out the clock. The result? A 70-yard FSU touchdown pass. This game meant an awful lot to Bobby Bowden, but time will tell what this game will mean to both Alabama's and FSU's season.

At least there won't be any Big 10 whining this year.

2007-09-03T01:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I think this will handle the question about whether the Big 10 should be considered one of the strongest conferences in College Football! When your top ranked team loses to a Division II school, no one is really interested on how ‘tough/weak’ your conference is top to bottom. So shut up, stay at home and cook supper for the men, and leave the heavy lifting to the conferences that actually can contend for the BCS championship like the Pac-10, Big East, and SEC.

Pac-10 is just as tough

2007-08-17T00:41:00.000-07:00

Sure LSU will have some tough games but the bottom 'feeder fish' in the SEC are NO BETTER than any other league. The South has to have something to cling to, but the bottom line is all that matters is who wins they play head-to-head and the Pac has a better record!!! the rest is conversation.