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Post by AustinHoya03 on Jul 30, 2008 22:45:21 GMT -5
According to my calculations, the Coaches Poll will be released sometime tomorrow afternoon. Go ahead and pick your winners and your dogs.
hifi, you may now commence drooling.
ON EDIT: My division/conference champ picks:
ACC Atlantic: Clemson ACC Coastal: Va. Tech Big East: West Virginia (but expect another close race with Cincinnati as the dark horse if Mauk plays) Big Ten: tOSU Big 12 North: Mizzou Big 12 South: Oklahoma Mountain West: BYU Pac-10: Arizona State SEC East: UGA SEC West: LSU
Yeah, that's pretty much chalk. Please feel free to tell me why I'm wrong.
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FewFAC
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Post by FewFAC on Jul 30, 2008 23:37:08 GMT -5
I'm picking Georgia to beat Florida.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Jul 31, 2008 9:04:46 GMT -5
Georgia will win
Apparently Penn State coaches have been telling recruits that this is JoePa's last season at State College. I guess this means its Schiano's last season in Jersey as well?
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Jul 31, 2008 11:22:43 GMT -5
All of you Dawg bandwagoners are going to be in for a rough day come late October. We are going to open up a can of whoopa$$ like never before. I'm telling you right now that we will hang half a hundred on them. Granted, it might be something like 55-40, but our offense will absolutely roll. This is without a doubt the best offensive talent we have had since the National Championship team of 96-97. Our offense is going to be absolutely sick. Last year we didn't have the depth due to a rash of key injuries. We lost Mon Williams, our starting tailback for the season before it started. The same was true of All-conference lineman Phil Troutwein. Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow were both hurt as well. At least 3 other offensive linemen missed games due to injury. I understand injuries are a part of the game. I'm not trying to disput that. But this year, we have quality depth at every singly position. We have two complet offensive line units that are capable of all-conference consideration. In addition to Tebow and Harvin, Cornelius Ingram is another certain NFL player, but there are no fewer than another half dozen offensive players that are very likely to play at the next level.
The defense is very talented but somewhat young. I would expect some growing pains there, but given that we will pretty much expect to score a touchdown everytime we get the ball, they will be able to play aggresively.
I expect big things. Incidentally, so does Vegas. The favorites to meet in Miami for the title are Florida and USC.
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Jul 31, 2008 12:13:11 GMT -5
Fewfac and vc, I am not averse to taking some of your money come gameday.
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HoyaFanNY
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Post by HoyaFanNY on Jul 31, 2008 13:10:28 GMT -5
we??? do you have a frog in your pocket?
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Jul 31, 2008 14:05:24 GMT -5
we??? do you have a frog in your pocket? The Gator Nation is something special. In much the same way the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one while being three, the Gator Nation is one and many at the same time.
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Jul 31, 2008 16:32:27 GMT -5
Lord spare us, please.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Aug 1, 2008 10:29:42 GMT -5
sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=35145011. Georgia 2. Southern California 3. Ohio State 4. Oklahoma 5. Florida 6. LSU 7. Missouri 8. West Virginia 9. Clemson 10. Texas 11. Auburn 12. Wisconsin 13. Kansas 14. Texas Tech 15. Virginia Tech 16. Arizona State 17. Brigham Young 18. Tennessee 19. Illinois 20. Oregon 21. South Florida 22. Penn State 23. Wake Forest 24. Michigan 25. Fresno State
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FewFAC
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Post by FewFAC on Aug 1, 2008 12:33:44 GMT -5
I think I'm gonna go with USC - WVU (maybe Missouri). No one makes it out of SEC. Completely agree with above assessment re: GA, but they'll lose at Arizona State and probably have a letdown at LSU after beating Florida.
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Aug 1, 2008 13:12:48 GMT -5
So the only BE team not to receive a vote in the preseason poll is Cuse. LOL. 7/8 is pretty good though.
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Aug 1, 2008 13:13:50 GMT -5
I'm glad you at least acknowledge the difficulty of the SEC. There was a topic of discussion this past week concerning Championship game possibilities. As with most years, if there are 2 and only 2 unbeaten teams from major conferences at the end of the season, they will be matched in the Title game. If there are several teams that finish with 1 loss and one is from the SEC, then I think that SEC team will make the Title game. But suppose for instance, there is a once beaten Ohio St./Kansas/W. Va. for example and the SEC winner -- Florida, Georgia, LSU has 2 losses. What are the chances that the 2 loss team from the much better conference gets the nod? Personally, I think that would be very difficult, but it did make for good discussion. Take last year for example. Would Kansas have gotten the nod over LSU if LSU had 2 losses? In any case, it's just good to be talking football finally.
Buff, obviously my sarcasm eludes you.
Lastly, everyone is all over the Georgia bandwagon. They are certainly a quality team. But if I had to point out a single advantage that Florida has over Georgia, it would be depth -- especially on offense. If Moreno or Stafford get hurt, then they are in big trouble. Certainly Florida losing Harvin or Tebow would be a huge blow, but not to the same degree.
Either way, there are a lot of you and the rest of the Country all over this Georgia team. I plan on making a lot of money come the end of October.
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Post by HeartAttackHoya on Aug 2, 2008 16:15:40 GMT -5
i could see south florida playing its way to a chance at a bcs championship game. Big Longhorn fan here but dont think they deserve preseason top 10. Hope they prove me wrong.
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Aug 4, 2008 12:47:45 GMT -5
I doubt there will be much dispute, even among all of you SEC haters, but is there any doubt that the SEC will once again be the best conference? Granted it's a preseason poll, but the first coaches poll has 3 SEC teams in the top 6, including their top choice in Georgia. Incidentally, that doesn't even include Auburn that was the somewhat surprise pick to win the SEC west.
Also, think about the premier coaches in the SEC:
Mark Richt Urban Meyer Stever Spurrier Phil Fulmer Tommy Tuberville Bobby Petrino Les Miles Nick Saban
Those 8 coaches would have to be considered premier coaches, and I wouldn't put Houston Nutt very far behind. Also the verdict is still out on Sylvester Croom, but I think he could be an excellent coach in the right situation. Unfortunately for him, I don't think Miss. St. affords him the talent to compete, especially against so many other elite coaches in the same division, let alone the same league.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Aug 4, 2008 14:14:24 GMT -5
Spurrier and Fulmer no longer belong on any list being "premier" and conference power is a yearly thing--and with pre-determined bowl matchups--we'll never know for certain what league is better. I mean for every "SEC is so good......." we've seen years where USC loses 2 conference games but beat a team who appeared in SEC title game by 40 something points on road--so do you judge by that or how do you judge? I think Big 10 has been down past 5 years--but Michigan beat a Florida team a lot of people expect to be top 5 this year in a bowl game--and bowl games are often seen as "beginning" of the new season--not the end. Georgia beat up on a Hawaii team who was not a good matchup for them--Hawaii would've been better suited to play Oklahoma--and it would have been funny to watch Brennan throw for 1000 yards against a Stoops/Venables defense in one game--but instead they faced UGA.
My biggest complaint with today's CFB is the predetermined matchups. I'd have loved to see USC-UGA in last year's Rose Bowl, and have best teams or possible matchups made instead of the 4th place team from Butt Awful League playing the 8th placed Big 10 team in the Clown Burger Bowl.
The bias is also ridiculous. If Georgia beats Arizona State early on--it'll be "SEC is so powerful...." but everyone ignored the Arkansas beatdown by USC a few years back because that team wasn't one of "SEC's best"--yet they finished well enough to be in league title game--so how bad were they?
Strength of Schedule is a joke as well--we don't know until season's end how good your schedule was-it's like MLB hype--they look at NAMES and not production during season to evaluate who played a tough schedule. Last year--USC's schedule sucked-but before year it appeared "brutal"--but ND and Nebraska were garbage, so they didn't deserve to be in any title game. Ohio State played nobody. LSU played V-Tech-who won ACC--so at least they played a league champ--but still lost 2 games. Still say nobody deserved a title last year--it was a mediocre year--everywhere.
As for this year--we'll see. I do know that if SEC gets a 2 loss team in ahead of a 1 loss team based on "how tough SEC is"--I'd move they blow up the BCS and just stop the season after SEC title game. I'd also mandate that Big 10 teams actually have to play EVERY team in the league and avoid scheduling the likes of Maine, Eastern Kentucky, etc...when you have the Pac 10 playing every league team-despite not having a Conference Title game at moment. At least make them play 9 of the teams--of course expecting something normal to happen from a league that calls itself the Big 10--with 11 teams is like asking Urban Meyer to not refer to himself in 3rd person.
As for this year's team I like more then others--Texas. I usually think Mack Brown's recruiting classes are overhyped--but I loved the talent he brought in this past year, and I think Will Muschamp is the best offseason hire of any team. He'll put the talent who deserves to play on field ahead of the Scott Derry--"tokens" who played a year ago. Nice kid-had no business playing ahead of other guys. Muschamp will make them tougher/more aggressive too.
Pelilni at Nebraska will have them win enough to make Bowl game too--he's a smart coach and knows what is important--conditioning/toughness ---which they lacked under the idiot that was Callahan.
Skippy the Guitar Player has never impressed me as a coach--he cheats--gets caught and moves on--that is Neuheisel. Love Norm Chow hire--but Chow's a grumpy, control freak too--and how that will mesh is yet to be seen.
ACC is going to be very poor--despite Clemson hype--they still have Tommy Bowden and how he didn't make the ACC title game a year ago is pathetic. He should win the league easy--but he's Tommy--so expect 2-3 unexpected losses.
Miami is going to be better--and in that league it might be good enough to challenge for league title. That is how bad I expect ACC to be this year. I think Miami is a 3-4 loss team this year--but will make a big move next year. They have actual QB's and actual WR's again--and nobody had a better recruiting class. Their non conference schedule will also help them--playing at Florida and at Texas A&M--they'll not face tougher road environments in ACC anywhere.
Most overhyped team--Oklahoma. That program is about to emplode. They just threw off their most talented WR on entire team (true FR Josh Jarboe) because his ignorant teammate put up a rap video he made screwing around in Player's Lounge on YouTube. Jarboe was in trouble for having gun on HS grounds and was on thin ice--but had no record previously, and was kicked off team for rapping about silly stuff--but nothing that should've been his dismissal from team. They have Venables--the most overrated assistant coach in country, and their team always peaks in October and fizzles out. I see them losing at Washington, and at least 3 conference games. Texas should win the South this year by 2 games.
Sleeper team in Big XII--Colorado. Between Dan Hawkins/Pelini--I expect the North to be a lot tougher this year for Missouri/Kansas then others expect and in next 3 years--Nebraska and Colorado will be fighting it out for North titles as originally expected.
SEC--does it matter? I think a team with 7 losses might be voted into Title game this year. Why not? League is so tough. You know those teams like Alabama that lose to FSU and Louisiana Monroe, but battle the National Champ down to wire. That is so much different then other leagues where teams struggle and lose--because it's the SEC baby!!
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Aug 4, 2008 15:13:27 GMT -5
I'll meet you half way on that RDF. I do think that preseason expectations are overrated and given far more weight than they should have. If teams are "supposed" to be elite and continue to win, then they rarely drop much regardless of how they win. Similarly, if a team is "supposed" to be good and suffers an early season upset, then far too often the team pulling off the upset is credited more than they should, when in fact the truth was that the highly-ranked team simply wasn't as good as advertised. I think there is a degree of that in conference pride and conference strength. Your USC-Arkansas example would make sense IF, and that's a big IF, but IF USC had been slighted. They haven't been. For the half dozen years or so, they have been the team in charge of their own destiny. Sometimes they won and sometimes they lost. The point is they haven't been on the outside looking in hoping for a team with the same record to lose, just so they could jump them. For the most part, this has been true of the given SEC team that season. Florida was one exception to this and we greatly benefitted by the fact that the Michigan team 2 years ago had just played the Buckeye team that was already in the game. In any case, with regard to conference games, I do think that you ignore a key factor. All conferences have better teams and lesser teams. In any given season, some teams will be on an upswing while others are "rebuilding." But by and large, the bottom half of the Big Ten plus one isn't competitive with the top two or 3 teams. Whether it was Michigan, Ohio St. or Illinois last season, or Ohio St., Michigan or Wisconsin the year before, a Northwestern or an Indiana for example simply have virtually no shot at beating them. Not that a more shocking upset hasn't happened, but that's what it is: a true upset. The talent level at Northwestern or Indiana simply can't compete with the Buckeyes and Wolverines. The difference in the SEC is that year in and year out, the talent level is higher. Sure, there is Vanderbilt in the SEC, and they are the typical smart school and as such, tend to lag behind in talent. But the other teams routinely put a couple of kids into the NFL annually and most more than that. Even the perenial doormats like the Mississippi schools crank out NFL talent. I'm not trying to knock teams from other conferences, but rather pointing out that on a weekly basis, SEC teams are playing teams with NFL type of speed. I know everyone around the Country probably gets tired of hearing about the SEC's speed, but there really is something to say for it. I'm not trying to illustrate a significant talent difference between the top teams in other leagues. You could argue that Michigan, Ohio St., USC etc... have similar talent. But the speed in the second tier teams simply isn't there. What tends to make the "better" SEC teams win over the "lesser" SEC teams is one of two things: either the presence of that one or two elite superstars -- like Darren McFadden, Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin etc... or, and this is the more common factor: depth and specifically speed in the depth. Florida's second team, LSU's second team, Auburn's second team, Georgia's second team etc... are simply faster than the second teams in the big 10. So even if the Buckeyes have similar talent to the Floridas of the world, they don't play week in and week out against teams for 60 minutes of that kind of speed.
Enough about that though: I like Florida's chances in every game. In all honesty, trying to be as objective as possible, we have the makings to win every game. I'm not saying we will or even should. But we are a bonafide 2 deep across the offensive line. That should insulate us from the pitfalls of injuries. We are absolutely stacked at the skill positions. Most projections have both Cornelius Ingram and Aaron Hernandez playing on Sundays in the next couple of years. That's 2 tight ends from the same team. And we haven't even talked about superstar Percy Harvin who overshadows potential star playmakers in Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, Louis Murphy and Carl Moore. Tailback is the only question mark but Mon Williams -- who would have started last year if not for injury -- returns. We also return last years starter Kestahn Moore, although I expect him to play less of a role. Of course, USC transfer Emmanuel Moody is thought of as the star in waiting. Additionally, slot guys like Rainey and Harvin will get some carries as well as jitterbug return specialist Brandon James.
The point is that offensively we are deep enough and experienced enough to score a lot of points against even the best defenses. Defensively we will be improved. Just how improved is probably the difference between a spot in the Title game in Miami and "merely" an SEC title game and likely Sugar Bowl appearance.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Aug 4, 2008 23:22:25 GMT -5
The point wasn't that USC deserved to be in title game-the point was it's just stupid how the SEC gets praised for being so much "tougher" when in reality--all leagues are tough. There are games in EVERY league that appear to be easy--but fans/players/coaches will tell you for whatever reason they always struggle--USC-Stanford is an example. Take a look at score of their game the year they went undefeated and beat Oklahoma--they were down at Half. Carroll teams dont' play that well against them for whatever reason and most Carroll teams have struggled in their Pac 10 road openers as well. However--that is seen as "obscene loss" while Alabama can lose to Louisiana Monroe at home and it's ignored. Perception helps SEC more then reality. They have great competition on a yearly basis--but that doesn't mean you are always best league.
It's going to be fun playing Florida this year in Swamp. Miami will get to show the young talent-and it's not as far away as most think. By time the young Wr's at Miami are done--fans will view the game against Florida and realize the Miami kids were better as a unit/future NFL talent. For the NFL game--I'd take Aldarius Johnson over anyone--and I realize he's not even played a game yet--but he, Travis Benjamin, Tommy Streeter, and LaRon Byrd will be great players by end of year.
Problem is-inexperience at QB and young defensive front seven--which will hurt early in year.
I'll believe in UF's running game when I see someone other then Tebow or WR's run the ball consistently well. I like the RB talent UF has--but will they get ball enough? Like Gators defensive talent--but I did a year ago and thought their staff underachieved big time as defense wasn't any better at year's end then they were at beginning of year.
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FewFAC
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Post by FewFAC on Aug 5, 2008 0:07:18 GMT -5
Much as it hurts me to agree with RDF (okay, so it doesn't really, but I wanted to say it anyway) I agree about Spurrier, Fullmer and Oklahoma, and will throw Richt, Saban and Brown under the same bus. I don't even care if the SEC proclaims with bugles on high that their two-loss teams deserve shots at the BCS title because I don't think it will matter that year, and, yes, that's including the Big 10.
Mack Brown, to disagree wtih you, RDF, I think is a top notch recruiter, unfortunately for him, as is the case with most pro coaches, the thing that really matters is once you get them there. I will go on the rcord as stating that Mack Brown will win as many titles going forward as Brett Favre: none.
And while I find the Hawkins comment intriguing and highly probable, I seriously doubt he supplants Missouri/Kansas this year in the Big XII, and suspect that his career projectory, much like that of one Urban Meyer, having left his preferred "Brett Favre" background, is imminently downward, to the unfortunateness of non-BCS conference college football.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Aug 5, 2008 1:25:09 GMT -5
Much as it hurts me to agree with RDF (okay, so it doesn't really, but I wanted to say it anyway) I agree about Spurrier, Fullmer and Oklahoma, and will throw Richt, Saban and Brown under the same bus. I don't even care if the SEC proclaims with bugles on high that their two-loss teams deserve shots at the BCS title because I don't think it will matter that year, and, yes, that's including the Big 10. Mack Brown, to disagree wtih you, RDF, I think is a top notch recruiter, unfortunately for him, as is the case with most pro coaches, the thing that really matters is once you get them there. I will go on the rcord as stating that Mack Brown will win as many titles going forward as Brett Favre: none. And while I find the Hawkins comment intriguing and highly probable, I seriously doubt he supplants Missouri/Kansas this year in the Big XII, and suspect that his career projectory, much like that of one Urban Meyer, having left his preferred "Brett Favre" background, is imminently downward, to the unfortunateness of non-BCS conference college football. Mack Brown is like Bobby Bowden--and thing is--I think some of his past players/classes have been overhyped/overrated--and for whatever reason-the "gurus" didn't like his class last year--I loved it--and every kid I saw was a guy who will be an impact player. Nobody is talking about them in terms of National Title hunt--and they are a sleeper for that--I didn't mean to say they are my #1 team this year--just a team I like a lot more then other people--due to schedule, talent, and fact Muschamp will bring some toughness to that defense that was missing last year, and play the talent that sat and watched. Hawkins/Pelini are going to make it tougher then experts think. I'm not as high on Kansas--especially after losing Bill Young to Miami--which was a steal for Randy Shannon. Missouri should win North this year--but last I saw of Chase Daniel-it appeared he was the size of Javorski Lane and trying to take on Joey Chestnut for a Food Eating contest. Also predict that despite an easy schedule--Charlie Weis will be fired and new coach is either Urban Meyer or Bob Stoops--with Stoops being my pick--since I think he'll flop at OU this year and be asked to "look around". Really think that team is going to be crappy--but maybe I'll be surprised.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Aug 5, 2008 10:50:39 GMT -5
I think Texas is in play -- there are always a pretty decent number of teams with National Title talent everywhere but quarterback. So it will come down to a couple of teams which step up there. McCoy had a rough year last year but I think he's got the talent to be a good college QB.
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