College Football 2014: Every Day Should Be Saturday

[Bronn Stone]

I attended my first game of the season. It was an everyday 59-56 2OT donnybrook.

Jared Goff passed for 449 yards and 7 TD and did NOT have good day. He was slow on his reads, off target numerous times, held the ball too long and just generally looked like himself from his freshman year. The Cal defense looked horrible right up until the 2nd OT when they stopped CU four times from the 2 yard line (CU's kicker had already missed 3 FG in regulation and the Buffs coaches did not want to use him even in an obvious kicking situation).

I still think this is a Cal team that wins 5-7 games. The only games I can't envision them competing in are vs UCLA, Stanfurd and Oregon. Beating SC or OreSt on the road is unlikely, but possible. @wazzu is a coin toss and vs UW I think they should be favored.

I have no sense of how the season-ender vs BYU will go - a game that might have national title implications for the Cougars. Cal might bb the only team who can stop BYU. Boise State isn't what it has been and there are a good number of second tier road trips for BYU but not anyone who looks really good.

[Howdyphillip]

Good, fast HS receiver + world-class receiver coaching = perennially good WRs

Baylor, once again, is overrated due to fancy numbers. I predict they lose to OU, TCU, and KState this year. Their kicker is 1/6 on the season ...

I do not think that Baylor is going to lose vs either TCU or KState this year, although the OU game should be very interesting.

I follow this team closely, and what is so remarkable to me this year is the defense and the defensive line. It may be the best group of front four in the country. You do not think of defense when you think of Baylor, but they have put together a world class line. When you couple this with an offense that can and does score at will, this team is again scary.

In Longhorns news, beating Kansas yesterday was one of the most uninspired wins that I have seen. The offense looks horrible. I can not believe that Texas is fielding a team like this. I can really see a possibility of losing out the remainder of their schedule. The easiest game left this year is Iowa State, and they looked better than Texas in their blowout loss to Baylor last night.

[Rhom]

Couple things...

I was in attendance for Kentucky's first conference win in over two seasons. So Huzzah and all that. One thing of note, I've never attended a game featuring a HUNH offense. It's a bit disrupting as a fan! I'm used to being able to turn and converse at the end of a play... But yesterday I wound up missing several plays because I was busy celebrating the previous first down. :lol:

Second... Seems Chawlie Wies was fired by Kansas today. Again as I said last season with mid season firings, why? What changed your mind about his ability to coach in four games? I just don't get it. Make the move in the off season and get it over with. Guess he will land on his feet in New England or some such.

Lastly, did you see Brady Hoke put an obviously concussed QB back in the game?!!? :stunned:

He's gotta go... Now. That rises beyond incompetence as a coach and reaches the level of dangerous to the health of the young men he has been entrusted with.

[Leave it to your goat]

I do not think that Baylor is going to lose vs either TCU or KState this year, although the OU game should be very interesting.

I follow this team closely, and what is so remarkable to me this year is the defense and the defensive line. It may be the best group of front four in the country. You do not think of defense when you think of Baylor, but they have put together a world class line. When you couple this with an offense that can and does score at will, this team is again scary.

In Longhorns news, beating Kansas yesterday was one of the most uninspired wins that I have seen. The offense looks horrible. I can not believe that Texas is fielding a team like this. I can really see a possibility of losing out the remainder of their schedule. The easiest game left this year is Iowa State, and they looked better than Texas in their blowout loss to Baylor last night.

I've been a Baylor fan since birth, and this is probably the best team we've ever fielded. You're spot on about the D-line. Oakman, Billings, and Palmer will be playing on Sundays and we've got lots of depth in our front 4. Linebackers are pretty stout too, but the secondary worries me at times. I think we'll handle KState just fine, but I'm less certain about TCU even though we have them at home. We've only lost one game in Waco since 2010 and that loss was to TCU. Like most people, I think the OU game will be the linchpin for our season. I'm glad there are a few outsiders like you out there who see things the same way we do.

In regards to the horns, I'm simply at a loss. I'm not sure that Charlie Strong was the right hire, but most of the UT faithful seem to think that he's moving the program in the right direction. The guy's a defensive coach who's coaching in an offensive league. You can't expect much from the Texas offense right now simply because Swoopes is so young and inexperienced. Losing Ash was a nightmare for the offensive unit. That being said, I'm very much looking forward to our game this Saturday in Austin.

[Leave it to your goat]

Couple things...

I was in attendance for Kentucky's first conference win in over two seasons. So Huzzah and all that. One thing of note, I've never attended a game featuring a HUNH offense. It's a bit disrupting as a fan! I'm used to being able to turn and converse at the end of a play... But yesterday I wound up missing several plays because I was busy celebrating the previous first down. :lol:

Second... Seems Chawlie Wies was fired by Kansas today. Again as I said last season with mid season firings, why? What changed your mind about his ability to coach in four games? I just don't get it. Make the move in the off season and get it over with. Guess he will land on his feet in New England or some such.

Lastly, did you see Brady Hoke put an obviously concussed QB back in the game?!!? :stunned:

He's gotta go... Now. That rises beyond incompetence as a coach and reaches the level of dangerous to the health of the young men he has been entrusted with.

Hoke has been a dead man walking since Michigan got shut out by ND for ultimate bragging rights in the now-dormant rivalry. Fans in Ann Arbor are 100% certain that they can bring in Jim Harbaugh in the offseason, but he's got a great gig going right now so I don't see it happening. Bring back Rich Rod anyone?

[Bronn Stone]

Hoke has been a dead man walking since Michigan got shut out by ND for ultimate bragging rights in the now-dormant rivalry. Fans in Ann Arbor are 100% certain that they can bring in Jim Harbaugh in the offseason, but he's got a great gig going right now so I don't see it happening. Bring back Rich Rod anyone?

Interesting. The perspective in the SF Bay Area is that Harbaugh is more likely to leave than stay. He wants to be the ONLY boss and he won't get that in SF. There hasn't been much speculation here where he'd go, but Michigan would make a lot of sense.

[Rhom]

I told a few folks before the season that I felt this would be Harbaugh's last year in San Fran. He just seems like a guy who burns fast and hot. I also said going home to Michigan would seem a natural fit. :dunno:

Also, might I say thanks to Ken Stone for sending Braylon Heard our way. He's been a huge part of UK's resurgence. He and Jo Jo Kemp make for a very dangerous backfield. (By UK standards.)

[Leave it to your goat]

Is Heard the kid who transferred from Nebraska?

[Ken Stone]

I'm glad Heard has found success. He's a good RB but that position group is so deep he was still fighting for 3rd string.

[Rhom]

Is Heard the kid who transferred from Nebraska?

I'm glad Heard has found success. He's a good RB but that position group is so deep he was still fighting for 3rd string.

Yes, and he's a monster out there. He's the kind of guy that keeps working and always falls forward. He got a minor injury in the first game of the season and had to miss the next two, but in that first game he took both of his runs for long touchdowns. My favorite stat was that he was averaging 55 yards/carry. :lol:

[S John]

Hoke has been a dead man walking since Michigan got shut out by ND for ultimate bragging rights in the now-dormant rivalry. Fans in Ann Arbor are 100% certain that they can bring in Jim Harbaugh in the offseason, but he's got a great gig going right now so I don't see it happening. Bring back Rich Rod anyone?

Much as RichRod being at Michigan made me unhappy at the time, I don't think he really got a fair shake there. If they'd stuck it out with Rod, I think they'd be pretty good at this point. He was a horrible cultural fit though and that ultimately cost him. I don't think the esteemed fans of Big Blue, with sticks firmly planted up their asses, liked that their coach had a West Virginia accent.

As for Strong at UT, you've got to give him some time to rebuild. Though for all other Big 12 teams.... now is the time to take the Horns behind the woodshed while the getting's good. I think they'll improve in increments but I don't know if the progress will be fast enough for UT fans. Especially if UT takes a few beatings in conference play this year, which I suspect they will.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Bama week is finally here. My confidence in our chances would be much better if Bad Bo hadn't shown up Saturday night against Memphis. Sweet baby Jesus that was a frustrating game to watch for 3 quarters...almost a carbon copy of the Boise St. game, except for the decidedly positive fact that our defense ascended from merely hard-hitting to utterly dominant. They will be good enough to keep the game close, but I'm having a hard time seeing how our O-line is going to protect Wallace well enough for him to consistently make good throws (and more importantly, good decisions). Oh, and I'll be surprised if we run for more than 40-50 yards net. So, with the offense bound to struggle somewhat, we will need some breaks (big plays, turnovers, etc.) to come out on top.

One thing's for certain, it will be the biggest crowd and most electrifying atmosphere in the history of Ole Miss football, which has to count for something. My hope is that we can find a way to score early, tee off on Blake Sims and force him into mistakes. It would be phenomenal for our program to come away with a win in this one.

[sperry]

Bama week is finally here. My confidence in our chances would be much better if Bad Bo hadn't shown up Saturday night against Memphis. Sweet baby Jesus that was a frustrating game to watch for 3 quarters...almost a carbon copy of the Boise St. game, except for the decidedly positive fact that our defense ascended from merely hard-hitting to utterly dominant. They will be good enough to keep the game close, but I'm having a hard time seeing how our O-line is going to protect Wallace well enough for him to consistently make good throws (and more importantly, good decisions). Oh, and I'll be surprised if we run for more than 40-50 yards net. So, with the offense bound to struggle somewhat, we will need some breaks (big plays, turnovers, etc.) to come out on top.

One thing's for certain, it will be the biggest crowd and most electrifying atmosphere in the history of Ole Miss football, which has to count for something. My hope is that we can find a way to score early, tee off on Blake Sims and force him into mistakes. It would be phenomenal for our program to come away with a win in this one.

I feel bad for Ole Miss. They appear to have put together their best team in a long time, and are still looking at 8-4 at best because of their division. Pretty amusing that you can make a very strong case that the 7 best teams in the conference are in the west.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

I feel bad for Ole Miss. They appear to have put together their best team in a long time, and are still looking at 8-4 at best because of their division. Pretty amusing that you can make a very strong case that the 7 best teams in the conference are in the west.

Yeah, in fact I heard Bill Connelly this morning on the radio say the exact same thing - that every team in the West would likely be favored on a neutral field against any team from the East. As I mentioned in the previous thread, Arky's improvement in such a short timeframe is incredible. Bielema has built a dominant run-blocking offensive line in less than two years from basically nothing.

Speaking of O-line, I have feared all along that it would be our major weakness this year and sure enough it looks that way. If we had even an average SEC offensive line we would be able to play with anybody given the skill we have at other positions. I still think we can get to 9 wins because of our defense, and because I don't think either LSU or Auburn are quite as good as they were last year, but it will take some gutsy performances.

[S John]

I don't know if I completely agree with that. I think the SEC west is the deepest division in college football right now, but I think I'd still take Georgia over a few teams from the West.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

I don't know if I completely agree with that. I think the SEC west is the deepest division in college football right now, but I think I'd still take Georgia over a few teams from the West.

UGA will visit Fayetteville in 3 weeks, so the theory will be put to the test. Personally I think they've got a ton of room for improvement on defense, but then again, Todd Gurley.

[Ded As Ned]

I'd have a hard time picking between Todd Gurley and a bulldozer... that dude is nuts. I'll be an Ole Miss fan for a few hours this Saturday while I'm waiting for the UK-USC game to start. If UK's offense from weeks 1 and 3, and defense from weeks 2 and 4 decide to put it together on the same day I like our chances in what should be a rowdy Commonwealth Stadium. I would love nothing more than to hear Spurrier rant on how embarrassing it is to lose to us.

[sperry]

I don't know if I completely agree with that. I think the SEC west is the deepest division in college football right now, but I think I'd still take Georgia over a few teams from the West.

I think Georgia is garbage. They very nearly lost to Tennessee at home and did get beat by a thoroughly mediocre South Carolina team. They were bad last year, and they just lost the best QB in school history from that team. The new guy is not good.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

I'll be an Ole Miss fan for a few hours this Saturday while I'm waiting for the UK-USC game to start.

Thanks dude...there's few things more fun in the realm of cfb than hating on Bama. :)

If UK's offense from weeks 1 and 3, and defense from weeks 2 and 4 decide to put it together on the same day I like our chances in what should be a rowdy Commonwealth Stadium. I would love nothing more than to hear Spurrier rant on how embarrassing it is to lose to us.

I think you've got a decent shot. As sperry points out, SC looks mediocre this year and hasn't been tested on the road (the Vandy game doesn't count).

[lokisnow]

Missouri looked as bad as I expected for most of the game, then something went "click" and the team went and kicked ass for the final 7 minutes, the defense got three stops and the offense got two TDs, took the lead, iced the game, amazing. Mauk needs to learn to throw away the ball rather than trying to make a manziel happen. He's actually had a bit of success with a few manziels this season, but South Carolina flushed him and crushed him repeatedly throughout the game. Mizzou needs a stronger running game than they have, Hansborough is fantastic, but no matter what they do, against any competition, they cannot seem to open up interior lanes and get short yardage on first or second down. I love the chaos in the East. Looking forward to a bye week, Mizzou needs it to dial in some adjustments to their obvious weaknesses that all their opponents are exploiting.

I've only seen about 20 minutes of the USC game, it was on at the event we were at, but I didn't get to watch it. Those first 20 minutes show the same problematic and plagued team USC has been through the first 5 games, I'm not sure I've ever had to watch a more schizophrenic team.

***

Some predictions. I think Alabama shuts out Mississippi this week. Why? Because I figure Bo throws two picks in the first quarter, one of which is returned for a TD and the other takes away a red zone opportunity. by halftime Alabama is up 28-0, at that point, Miss has to go for it every time, and they don't even get a field goal.

Tennessee beats florida and Vandy covers the spread against Georgia. South Carolina shows no mercy to Kentucky (they've already been scared by Vandy, and just got bit by Missouri, so they're not going to be caught with their pants down).