College Football II

[Arakasi]

Here's my Top 10, according to how I think these teams would fare against each other on a neutral field:

1. Florida

2. Texas

3. Alabama

4. Cincinnati

5. Oregon

6. Oklahoma

7. USC

8. TCU

9. Boise State

10. Iowa

You've got to be kidding me. Oklahoma in the top 10? They've not beaten anyone yet this year. Sorry you don't get that much credit for close losses. Even when you excuse that, their win over for example Baylor wasn't very impressive. I mean if you want to just scream you're a Big 12 homer, go right ahead. At least put Oklahoma State up there, they've looked much better. OU's problems go well beyond Bradford. Their issue is that they lost 4 starting offensive linemen from last year, and lost their biggest receiving weapon with Gresham gone. Anyone with half a brain knew that OU was going to struggle massively with their line being turned over that much. They will lose more games down the road. They are not a top ten team or anywhere close to it.

OU's losses were by 1, 1, and 3 points and their wins were all dominant.

Yeah. Winning 14-7 against Baylor at halftime really is dominant. Fact is OU is an average team this year. Great defense, no offense. They'll lose 2 more games at least this year.

[Rhom]

The difference between UK and OU is how they won and how they lost. UK was destroyed by both UF and Alabama and barely won against Auburn and Louisville. OU's losses were by 1, 1, and 3 points and their wins were all dominant.

True, and that's my point. The wins/losses on their face are similar. In practice they're a totally different thing.

The fact remains that you can play the nations toughest schedule, but you have to win some to be ranked.

[lokisnow]

Thank God the BCS is much smarter at ranking teams than the fucking humans. (too bad the BCS has such a large human component distorting the results, that's unfortunate). The computers at least, don't ignore games on the west coast just because they're played after the human voters on the east coast went to bed, and so Arizona is quite rightfully ranked. Additionally, the computers are smart enough to not rank Oklahoma just because Oklahoma has a reputation from previous years. Oklahoma being ranked in the AP poll is incredibly stupid. they're 3-3 they do not deserve to be ranked. I think Iowa is number three in the computers, which is where it should be in the human polls as well (ahead of Texas)--too bad the idiot human polls brought Iowa down from their rightful spot at this point in the season. :-p

[Faelar006]

Here's my Top 10, according to how I think these teams would fare against each other on a neutral field:

1. Florida

2. Texas

3. Alabama

4. Cincinnati

5. Oregon

6. Oklahoma

7. USC

8. TCU

9. Boise State

10. Iowa

I'm baffled as to how you can rank OU at that spot. Yeah, they dominated in all their wins, but those wins came against Idaho State, Tulsa and Baylor. The Tulsa win is a good one, but that's it. I mean, Baylor held OU to 14-7, in Norman, in the first half without having Robert Griffin in the game.

Yeah, OU has a great defense, and I was really impressed with how they shored up the middle of the field vs. Texas, but you're not going to win any games against big time teams if you can't put any points on the board.

As for the rest of the season, OU will be lucky if they are able to win out. I can see both Tech and Ok. St. giving them trouble, and either Nebraska or Kansas might be able to pull out a win as well.

Faelar

[SergioCQH]

The Baylor game being close is as simple as the fact that Baylor is a much improved team. Also, it was the trap game before the big showdown against Texas and OU was looking ahead. Further, it was Bradford's first game back after being injured and he had to work through a dozen drops by his receivers.

[Celtigo]

Bob Stoops and Oklahoma have proven time and time again this decade they do not show up at neutral site games against big name opposition minus an early run of dominance against Texas. I see absolutely no reason this would change now and they would defeat Texas, Florida, Bama, USC, Boise State, etc., Sam Bradford or not.

[Kalbear]

heck, I'm baffled how you can rank Oregon that high, especially with their inconsistent QB play. And I'm an Oregon fan.

[Celtigo]

The Baylor game being close is as simple as the fact that Baylor is a much improved team. Also, it was the trap game before the big showdown against Texas and OU was looking ahead. Further, it was Bradford's first game back after being injured and he had to work through a dozen drops by his receivers.

Baylor is only "much improved" by their own horrendous standard. They're still 0-2 in conference and while beating Wake Forest was ok, they prompty crapped the bed in Waco against UConn.

[SergioCQH]

I think Iowa is number three in the computers, which is where it should be in the human polls as well (ahead of Texas)--too bad the idiot human polls brought Iowa down from their rightful spot at this point in the season. :-p

You have got to be fucking kidding me. At least Texas knows how to put away bad teams.

Iowa:

Sep 5 Northern Iowa Won 17-16

Sep 12 @Iowa St. Won 35-3

Sep 19 Arizona Won 27-17

Sep 26 @Penn St. Won 21-10

Oct 3 Arkansas St. Won 24-21

Oct 10 Michigan Won 30-28

Oct 17 @Wisconsin Won 20-10

Texas:

Sep 5 La.-Monroe Won 59-20

Sep 12 @Wyoming Won 41-10

Sep 19 Texas Tech Won 34-24

Sep 26 UTEP Won 64-7

Oct 10 Colorado Won 38-14

Oct 17 Oklahoma Won 16-13

[lokisnow]

You have got to be fucking kidding me. At least Texas knows how to put away bad teams.

Iowa:

Sep 5 Northern Iowa Won 17-16

Sep 12 @Iowa St. Won 35-3

Sep 19 Arizona Won 27-17

Sep 26 @Penn St. Won 21-10

Oct 3 Arkansas St. Won 24-21

Oct 10 Michigan Won 30-28

Oct 17 @Wisconsin Won 20-10

Texas:

Sep 5 La.-Monroe Won 59-20

Sep 12 @Wyoming Won 41-10

Sep 19 Texas Tech Won 34-24

Sep 26 UTEP Won 64-7

Oct 10 Colorado Won 38-14

Oct 17 Oklahoma Won 16-13

Iowa has beaten THREE teams ranked in the BCS (more, I think than any other team in the top twenty-five). They deserve recognition for that feat, imo.

Texas has not beaten any BCS ranked team, therefore Texas has played comparitively pussy schedules so far--at least compared to Iowa. :D And Iowa doesn't get a bye and is 7-0 compared to TX and FL's 6-0.

There are far more good reasons to rank Iowa number three than to rank Oklahoma number six. The only reason to rank Oklahoma number six is "well, most years they're undefeated, at this point in the season, so we should probably still rank them high, even though they have a losing record if you're a glass half empty sort of guy."

[SergioCQH]

For someone who claims he despises rankings, you sure base all of your arguments on rankings. In other words, your arguments don't have a whole lot to do with reality. Every post you argue how one team or another is ranked too high or too low because of their performance against other ranked teams. And yet when I call you out on it, you don't even bother to acknowledge this logical error.

[lokisnow]

I don't despise rankings, I dislike the inconsistency of thought, the group think, and politics of the rankings--it's definitely a fun target to tweak.

And for what it's worth, Texas would probably beat Iowa if they were matched up, they've got strong wins over Tech and Oklahoma. Iowa beat Penn State pretty much because of the weather, and they've escaped by the skin of their teeth virtually every game they've played. Texas has struggled in the first half, but has consistently put away every game, their only difficulty was really in going up more than one possession over Oklahoma. Texas probably is the better team, and in that respect should be ranked ahead of Iowa but if I can find an argument to tweak texas (being a USC and Mizzou guy) I'll probably use it just for the hell of it. :)

As for the logical error, it doesn't particularly bother me, I know it's a problem, and pretty much invalidates my argument that all rankings are performance based, but I know I can't objectively evaluate anyway, I'm just as subjective as the subjective rankings I'm complaining about. But I damn well feel free to complain about the rankings' lack of objectivity and simultaneously use or discard the rankings as I like.

I do think it is a good point though that the computers recognized that Arizona is a top team which the other polls have dropped the ball in that team's case.

[Rhom]

Sobering news out of UConn following their win over Louisville.

I watched that game on Saturday and remember the kid forcing the fumble and playing an overall good game. Its a real tragedy for everyone involved. Its terrible that a school can put on a function for students/non-students and fights with tragic consequences can break out.

[S John]

UCONN isnt really that bad of a football team. Their losses are by a combined total of 5 points. First loss was by 2 points in a game that they were about to win against UNC, who was ranked at the time. And the second lost was a 3 point loss to Pitt who is currently ranked.

Since they almost won both games they lost, they might as well be undefeated. Think we can squeeze them into Sergio's top 10? :P

I give Randy Edsall a lot of credit. Not much to work with at UCONN but theyve fielded solid teams for the past several years. Maybe not world-beaters, but tough, fundamentally sound teams with a lot of heart. The lack of recognition for Donald Brown was one of the great crimes in CFB over the past decade, imo.

[Maithanet]

I realize the Florida-Arkansas corpse has cooled a bit, but I want to echo the complaints about that game. Florida needed two absolutely atrocious calls late in the game to pull that one out against the Razorbacks. I felt like Arkansas was robbed, and was quite unimpressed with Florida generally.

If we have a Texas-Florida national championship, expect a low scoring game. I think 17 will win it, maybe 13.

[Arakasi]

I think it's more a matter of Florida just playing conservatively atm. Tebow is still not recovered from his concussion and they had two fumbles inside the 10 yard line of Arkansas. Still when it came down to it in the 4th, Tebow led 2 long drives to get them the win.

While I'm sure we could come up with a list of teams to put into the top 10 while making excuses for their inadequacies, I don't think there is much of a point there. Everyone here knows that OU is in no way a top 10 team and would struggle on a neutral site against most of the top 25, due to their main issue. They have no offense.

[Kouran]

3 blown calls in the 4th quarter on the last real drive of the game does not make for good football. Florida got outplayed on both sides of the ball and only won becuase of the shitty refs. Which btw was the same officiating crew as teh GA-LSU game, go figure.

Oh and saying they are being conservative with Tebow says jack-all about him getting sacked more times in one game than the rest of the season combined, the whole offensive line looked like shit.

[S John]

With the possible exception of Alabama I'm really not seeing a dominant team at all this year, which could mean a really interesting finish a la 2007. Looking at the BCS standings is there really that much of a drop-off between Florida at #1 and say OK State at #15? I dont really think that there is.

I tend to think that Boise State is way to high but thats because after game one at Oregon its pretty much High School teams after that.

Interestingly, Cincinnati is the only undefeated team that has not yet been in any real danger of losing and has more ranked teams on its slate from here on out than Florida does.

Once again preseason rankings are BS and not doing the Big East any favors. Zero Big East teams in the top 25 to start. Really? At mid-season there are 3 ranked teams, with a fourth (USF) hovering just outside. 50% of the conference. What sucks for Cincy is that since every single team in the Big East that makes the top 25 had to fight thier way in... losing to Cincy will probably knock them out again and everyone will run around saying they didnt play anybody decent. Though its possible that WVU will have worked our way up into the 15-18 range by the time we play Cincy and if we lose it may not knock us all the way out.

[Green Apple Fossoway]

You have got to be fucking kidding me. At least Texas knows how to put away bad teams.

Iowa:

Sep 5 Northern Iowa Won 17-16

You're a fool if you don't think UNI is a good team. Year after year they produce very solid teams that could give the vast majority of BCS teams major trouble.

[Arakasi]

3 blown calls in the 4th quarter on the last real drive of the game does not make for good football. Florida got outplayed on both sides of the ball and only won becuase of the shitty refs. Which btw was the same officiating crew as teh GA-LSU game, go figure.

Oh and saying they are being conservative with Tebow says jack-all about him getting sacked more times in one game than the rest of the season combined, the whole offensive line looked like shit.

They got outplayed on both sides of the ball? Shockingly enough the statlines show that to be false.

Florida outgained Arkansas in total yardage, both ground and air. Much better QB stats as well in completion percentage and YPA. They also had nearly double the first downs, 24 to 13. That to me does not look like a team that got outplayed on both sides of the ball at all. What did happen was that Florida lost the turnover battle 4-0. Without that this game isn't even close. Florida did everything they could to give that game away and still won.

Sorry but none of the actual stats of the game show that Florida got outplayed. They just made a bunch of brutal mistakes, including 2 fumbles inside the 10 yard line of Arkansas. If the turnovers were more even like it was in the Red River game, Florida would have won by 10 or more.