College Football General

[TheBigMook]

Its because UC was a no go. They want to wait and see if the Big East football schools can merge with the Big Whatever remnants.

[TheBigMook]

Look, everyone else is talking out of their ass. Just felt like seeing how fun it was.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Tony Barnhart saying it's far from over.

What I get from reading is that the statement today is meant to cover the SEC's butt from lawsuits. They want A&M to withdraw from the Big12 first before extending an official invite.

http://twitter.com/#!/MrCFB

[Dr. Strangelove]

ESPN's conflicted role is helping to complicate this mess. Can't be sure it's 100% accurate, but an interesting read

http://outkickthecoverage.com/how-espn- ... c-deal.php

[aTm]

The SEC is the only party that could be sued for damages if A&M's departure causes the break down of the Big 12 or the devaluation of the Big 12's TV contracts. A&M is not exposed because we simply have to follow the rules in the bylaws and pay any applicable exit fees that have always been specified as the channel to leave. The SEC cannot however, be seen to have "lured" us away and caused the damage until we leave. Slive said as much yesterday, he was quoted that we have to get out of our contracts.

[JRB]

1. Alabama. Anyone who's actually bothered to read this perennial exercise in punditry knows that I like to give the #1 preseason spot to the defending national champs-- winning the title for me earns you the pole position starting the race next year, so to speak. Since most national champs don't drop off all that much, it actually hasn't been much more inaccurate than ranking teams the way everyone else does in the preseason. But this year, with Auburn having lost nearly everyone of note from the 2010 champs(and still facing the remote possibility of having to vacate that title-- please hurry that investigation along, NCAA), even I can't go about things the usual way. So, I'm breaking that tradition this year, and I'm going with Alabama as my #1 team into the 2011 season. Why Alabama? If you watched the Tide last year, you probably understand-- when they were on, they might have been better than any other team in the country. But they weren't as consistent as the 2009 Crimson Tide machine was, due largely to defensive inexperience. Their defensive performance dropped from 2nd in total defense and scoring defense...to fifth in total defense and third in scoring defense. Virtually the entire 2010 Alabama defense is back this year. They're deep, huge and fast at LB, and they might have the best secondary in the country. When Nick Saban has defenses like this, he leans on his running game, he doesn't ask too much of his QBs, and he almost always wins. The lack of QB experience ought to be a factor, but I'm not sure Alabama's going to need to score more than 21 points that often, and the offensive line ought to be good enough to keep the QB upright long enough to figure things out. Alabama might drop a game(maybe at Florida, maybe at Mississippi State), but I'm guessing they'll win when it counts, and they'll win in New Orleans. 13-1, national champs.

2. Oklahoma. This might be Bob Stoops' last great shot at winning another national title, and at first glance, he's got the roster to do it. The passing game ought to come out firing on all cylinders, at least. But the terrible loss of Austin Box and the injury to Travis Lewis badly hurt a defense that might not have lived up to expectations anyway(they weren't all that good against the run last year), and there are too many talented offenses on this schedule for OU not to slip up at least once, IMO. I'm not sold on their running game, either-- the backs and the line will be good, but I'm not sure they'll be great. I just think this is going to be a supercharged finesse team, and that somebody's going to beat them on both lines. But the passing game will give them a chance against anybody, and a overwhelming chance against most. 13-1, Fiesta Bowl champs.

3. Boise State. The Football Outsiders Almanac has Boise at #3 going into 2011, and so do I. For all the credit Boise State got for coming east and dusting Virginia Tech to start 2010, they might get more for beating Georgia in the Georgia Dome, even though I'm not sure Georgia is going to be as good a team in 2011 as Virginia Tech was in 2010, simply because the Broncos will have taken down an SEC power. Right now, I don't know that that game will even be close. Boise returns 16 starters, including a Heisman finalist at QB, six offensive linemen with starting experience, and six senior starters in the defensive front seven. After Georgia, they get Nevada, Air Force, and TCU at home, where they're all but invincible. Last year, a lot of us thought Boise State had the best chance it would ever have to play for a national title. We might have been a year early. 13-1, BCS national championship game.

4. Oregon. Oregon, for me, is a lot like Oklahoma-- they'll roll up yards and points, but they might struggle at the point of attack against a team that's determined to pound them. They did last year for much of the first half against Stanford, most of the game against California, and in crunch time in the national title game against Auburn, and most of last year's defensive front seven is gone. Unfortunately for the Duck, they'll be facing a team that can play that way right out of the gate, as they travel to LSU. They might get knocked out of the top ten right away. If that happens, and a big early loss is added to the distraction of the ongoing NCAA investigation of the program, how do the Ducks handle that adversity? If there's a top five team headed for a significant downturn this season, my money would be on Oregon to be that team. My guess is, Oregon starts out with a loss, finishes 11-2, and ends up with an Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M. Of course, they might beat LSU, and just keep rolling. Who knows what a Les Miles-coached team is going to do? Nobody, especially not Les Miles. Speaking of Les Miles...

5. LSU. Alabama doesn't have an experienced QB. That should bother me, but it doesn't. LSU does have an experienced QB. That shouldn't bother me, but it does. It's not as if Jordan Jefferson can't play the position well-- he was very solid in the Cotton Bowl. He might put it all together this year, and one of the most physically talented teams in the country could collectively morph into the sort of monsters LSU fielded in 2003 and 2007. But, sorry, I don't see it. They've just been too erratic under Les Miles for me to take them to win another national title. They could be great-- the receivers might be the best in the country outside of Norman, Oklahoma, the offensive line should be solid, and the defense will be huge, fast, and deep as ever. They've got the talent to beat anybody on the schedule, and that talent's why I've got them ranked here, but I think they'll lose to Alabama, lose one more, and end up being the opening act for Alabama in New Orleans. Not that that's a bad season, and they'll be happy to see LSU in the Quarter again. 11-2, Sugar Bowl champs.

6. Stanford. With the departure of Jim Harbaugh, you'd figure Stanford for an immediate downturn, especially since the Cardinal promoted relatively inexperienced offensive coordinator David Shaw(who was not the architect of the Cardinal offense) to the top job. But Harbaugh left Shaw so much talent that Shaw might do something Harbaugh couldn't-- win the conference. Shaw gets the nation's best player in Andrew Luck, the Pac-12's best offensive line, and almost as importantly, he gets nearly every big game at home. I'm still not convinced Stanford has enough to run the table-- the defensive line might be a weak link-- but this team is my second choice for the second spot in the national title game, if that makes sense. 13-1, Rose Bowl winners.

7. Wisconsin. Who's going to win the Big Ten? I'm ranking Wisconsin with the best chance, out of deference to their accomplishment and returning talent, but here's another team that might be looking at a significant dropoff. Russell Wilson is a radical departure from the maddeningly reliable Scott Tolzien-- Wilson can carry an offense for a quarter or two, then blow everything up with horrible decisions on consecutive drives. He is not the sort of underrated, efficient QB that Wisconsin usually has to complement its punishing ground game. If Wilson doesn't mature in his decision-making, then Wisconsin's going to have turnover problems. I'm also thinking the Badgers might take a small step back on defense without J.J. Watt. In short, I'd really like to pick somebody else to win the Big Ten, but everybody else has at least as many questions, and most of the teams have more, so there you go. 11-3, Rose Bowl.

8. Florida State. It might be this year, or the 'Noles might still be a year away. But they're coming back. They simply recruit too well for the rest of the ACC to hold them off much longer. Calling them the best in the ACC, of course, may be damning them with faint praise, but they'll get a chance early to prove that the hype is justified when Oklahoma comes calling. Florida State wasn't ready for a game of that magnitude last year, and it showed, as the Sooners took them out early. I expect this year's game in Tallahassee to be much more competitive, and if the Seminoles can pull that one off, then a run to the BCS title game becomes a very realistic possibility. I'll guess they lose to OU, get upset once in ACC play, but win the league and the Orange Bowl, setting them up for a very big year in 2012. 12-2, Orange Bowl champs.

9. Nebraska. If Taylor Martinez can play a full season the way he played the first half of last season, then this is too low. On the other hand, if Nebraska can't shake off the offensive malaise and the negative energy that seemed to creep into the program down the stretch last year, this might be ten spots or so too high. Everybody in the Big Ten has major questions this year, so the league is ripe for a team with Nebraska's defensive discipline and athleticism to come in and win the inaugural Big Ten championship game. But I think the Huskers are going to come up just short in that quest, which would set up an interesting possibility. The Fiesta gets the first choice of at-large teams in the BCS this year. If Nebraska's, say, 11-2 at the end of the season, you think the Fiesta Bowl would love to have them square off against Oklahoma? 11-3. Fiesta Bowl.

10. South Carolina. I thought about eight different teams for this spot, and you could talk me into any one of them here. But I think South Carolina took a major step forward last year, even with the disappointing way the season ended for them, and you have to consider them the favorites in the SEC East. Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffery give them the sort of elite offensive playmakers that the Gamecocks would usually see from Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. Jadeveon Clowney might give the Gamecocks an elite pass rusher(yes, he's only a freshman-- he might just be that good) to go with a pretty solid defensive back seven. The schedule's as friendly as SEC schedules get-- there's no Alabama or LSU. I think South Carolina takes another step forward this year. Unfortunately, it won't get them as far as a BCS game, but 11-3 with a win in the Capital One Bowl looks doable.

Next Ten: Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, TCU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Florida, and Michigan State

[AlabamAlum]

I have missed you, Jason. Welcome.

[AlabamAlum]

1. Alabama.

That's idiotic.

[dave_rickart]

Bammer?

[JRB]

BCS National Title Game:

Alabama over Boise State

Rose Bowl:

Stanford over Wisconsin

Fiesta Bowl:

Oklahoma over Nebraska

Sugar Bowl:

LSU over Notre Dame

Orange Bowl:

Florida State over Syracuse

Cotton Bowl:

Texas over Mississippi State

Chick-Fil-A Bowl:

Virginia Tech over Arkansas

Capital One Bowl:

South Carolina over Ohio State

Outback Bowl:

Michigan over Tennessee

Gator Bowl:

Iowa over Georgia

Holiday Bowl:

Oklahoma State over California

Alamo Bowl:

Oregon over Texas A&M

[JRB]

Thanks, AA. And gfy.

[AlabamAlum]

heh. Excellent.


Now to your "predictions" - first, lay off the absinthe for a few minutes, Mr Wilde, and try to comprehend the wisdom of my words from another board:

"Look, Alabama finished 4th in the SEC-West last year. F O U R T H! And this year we lose our starting Rhode Scholar candidate QB....and four players that were so good that they were taken in the 1st round of the NFL draft: Our Heisman-winning RB, Mark Ingram; all-everything DT Marcell Dareus; All-SEC left tackle James Carpenter; and an all-everything WR that the Falcons traded everything to get in Julio.

To make matters worse, we lose Robby Green (DB), Darrington Sentimore (DL), and Keiwone Malone (WR) to discipline issues - and Trent's heir apparent, Dee Hart, to a knee injury.


So, do the math:

3-loss, 4th place SEC West finish in 2010 [minus] FOUR 1st round draft picks AND the starting QB [plus] discipline issues kicked off the team AND Dee Hart with a season-ending injury = a land of teeth-gnashing and woe for the Crimson Faithful.

Or, if you prefer, the formula for my proof: (3L^ 2010/4pSECw)-{GMc+ MI + JJ + MD + JC} * [dxdh] = l/TN*(W^2)

I refuse to get down on Bama, though - even though we are likely headed to the Liberty Bowl at the end of the season."

[bluetick]

I liked jrb's top 10 breakdown except for one glaring mistake.

5) LSU

I'll give you 3 reasons why they won't win 9 games this year - Miles, Chavis, and Jefferson. Or 5 reasons: Miles, Chavis, Miles, Jefferson, and Miles.

Alabama is a solid #1. In fact, bama's second team should be in the top 15.

[BigRedMan]

The sandbagging from AA is very Talent-ish (good rest his soul - **pours a little PBR on the ground**). Well played sir. Well played.

[crashcourse]

Do not waste good PBR on talents grave

He'll be fine with some old milwaukee or bush lite

[dave_rickart]

or piss on it instead...

[billy bob bocephus]

or piss on it instead...

nah, Narragansett, piss is to good for talent

[10ac]

1. Alabama. Anyone who's actually bothered to read this perennial exercise in punditry knows that I like to give the #1 preseason spot to the defending national champs

What year are you talking about?

[dave_rickart]

perhaps he was giving the top-10 for women's gymnastics?

[dave_rickart]

"NFL: Pryor eligible but must sit first five games"
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/68731 ... five-games


who the hell would play Pryor in the first five games of his rookie season?

was the other option making him vacate his first five completions?