College football 2016 - aSECendency

[HokieStone]

So, this is what it's like to have an offense.

Dropped 49 points and nearly 500 yards on BC today.  Yeah, it's BC, but they had the the #1 defense in the country last year, and were #3 coming into this game (granted, offense/defense rankings after 2 weeks of games are ridiculous). 

Of course, it makes me bang my head about those 5 lost fumbles to Tennessee last week, but oh well...

[Ferrum Aeternum]

11 minutes ago, HokieStone said:

So, this is what it's like to have an offense.

Dropped 49 points and nearly 500 yards on BC today.  Yeah, it's BC, but they had the the #1 defense in the country last year, and were #3 coming into this game (granted, offense/defense rankings after 2 weeks of games are ridiculous). 

Of course, it makes me bang my head about those 5 lost fumbles to Tennessee last week, but oh well...

Nice job shutting them out too. A shutout in a conference game is no mean feat no matter who the opponent. 

Elsewhere - Damn Miss St. for making it respectable against LSU. In reality they're getting rolled, but of course you can't tell it, because Les Miles.

ETA: Good lord, LSU.   I've said it before, I'll say it again - can't imagine any reason why LSU fans put up with Les Miles as their head coach.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

Tough week in the pick em'..... Ded as Ned is doing pretty well. Think it'll be my weakest week yet. I wish I would've listened to my gut and laid a 1000 on Ohio St. But, who am I kidding, I don't bet and don't have the balls to do it anyway.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

Ohio St. By 21, I called it. Barrett had a good game, nothing like Jackson though. Jackson has to be clear front-runner for the Heisman, right?

[James Arryn]

14 hours ago, Ramsay Blow said:

Was busy moving shit and was unable to check on the game when I start getting FSU condolence texts from my buddies. Holy fuck am I glad I missed that shit show of a 1st half. Embarrassing.

Holy crap did we get clocked. Might be the worst beat down any of my teams have ever experienced.

[sperry]

OU just got massacred. OU fans are in a weird place with Stoops. Dude has had an unbelievable career, and has produced consistently quality teams. But it just doesn't feel like they are close to competing for national championships.  The last several games against marquee programs have been eye opening. OU has been repeatedly out-talented and out-coached.

 

Obviously replacing a guy who has had so much success can backfire. But in my mind you take that risk now. Chang of scenery for both parties seems in order.

[BLU-RAY]

Yeah, I think USC might have the hardest schedule in the country - 9 conference games, one cupcake, Alabama and Notre Dame (although, Notre Dame, yowza).

[DireWolfSpirit]

Yeah well Jabrill Peppers ended up with over 200 All purpose yards too, thing is , Jabrill's a fulltime starter on D. $100 bucks sez this guy gets drafted higher than any of the Heisman finalists, then again a few more Saturdays like this and he may end up on the Heisman radar as well. It's just such a tougher hill for D players to win that award.

McCaffrey vs Jackson have to be favorites currently, but theres a heck of a lot of football left to be played before we know for sure. Potential injuries and all could easily be a factor yet.

Anyways what a great Saturday of football, lot of competitive games, a few decent upsets (the tears in Hawkeye and Fighting Illini lands are flowing). 

Next Saturday i'm already pumped to see Sparty vs Badger! 

 

[DireWolfSpirit]

The Week 4 Rankings- http://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings

[Ded As Ned]

On 9/18/2016 at 2:25 AM, Michael Seswatha Jordan said:

Ohio St. By 21, I called it. Barrett had a good game, nothing like Jackson though. Jackson has to be clear front-runner for the Heisman, right?

You did!  This is why I don't bet real money on games (even though I had a decent week in pick'em).

I missed most of the action Saturday as I was in Louisville with the kids at an amusement park... which happens to coincidently be adjacent to Louisville's stadium.  We could hear the fans erupting constantly so i knew it was going well for Louisville.  

Got home Sat night and watched the UK game, where we outpunched mighty, potent, (#120 ranked) New Mexico State 61-42.  Our starting QB went out with a back injury on the 2nd drive, and backup (hopefully new starter) performed brilliantly... completed 72% of passes for 300 yards, 3TD, and 50 yards rushing.... against another team that has no defense.  Nothing to see here, really.  If UK wins any SEC games this year, it will only be by putting 50+ points up on the board.  I probably need to make plans to be away from television screens when we play Louisville.  What's the record for the most lop-sided victory in the history of FBS?

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, Ded As Ned said:

You did!  This is why I don't bet real money on games (even though I had a decent week in pick'em).

I missed most of the action Saturday as I was in Louisville with the kids at an amusement park... which happens to coincidently be adjacent to Louisville's stadium.  We could hear the fans erupting constantly so i knew it was going well for Louisville.  

Got home Sat night and watched the UK game, where we outpunched mighty, potent, (#120 ranked) New Mexico State 61-42.  Our starting QB went out with a back injury on the 2nd drive, and backup (hopefully new starter) performed brilliantly... completed 72% of passes for 300 yards, 3TD, and 50 yards rushing.... against another team that has no defense.  Nothing to see here, really.  If UK wins any SEC games this year, it will only be by putting 50+ points up on the board.  I probably need to make plans to be away from television screens when we play Louisville.  What's the record for the most lop-sided victory in the history of FBS?

You aren't kidding... Petrino won't let off the gas.  They'll be throwing bombs up 70 in the fourth. 

We get South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State at Commonwealth.  Other than Kentucky, they are the three worst teams in the SEC; so there might be a chance to get at least one of them. 

Will Muschamp almost let us win against Florida in Gainesville, so I have some hope we can get that one.

On to winning football though... Lamar Jackson opened the season at 100/1 odds to win the Heisman and is currently sitting at 6/5.  I do think UofL beats Clemson and Houston; but what I don't know is whether or not they can avoid dropping a game that they shouldn't.  The number 3 ranking is the highest they’ve been since they beat WVU in 2006. They were poised to play tOSU in the BCS title game that year before losing at Rutgers. All the talking heads on ESPN were clamoring for a rematch of tOSU and Michigan. Instead, Florida gets in and blows the doors off the Buckeyes and ushers in the era of SEC dominance.

Every time I see UofL win a game, I bang my head in frustration that Petrino was actively lobbying for the job at UK and we didn't even give him an interview...   

[Ded As Ned]

1 minute ago, Rhom said:

Every time I see UofL win a game, I bang my head in frustration that Petrino was actively lobbying for the job at UK and we didn't even give him an interview...   

Pretty much this.  I heard rumors that the boosters shut it down before UK could even do anything due to the baggage   .  Also I don't think he would have been here for more than one or two big seasons before moving on anyway... would have been a fun ride though!  It really sucks living vicariously through little brother.  Somebody on College Gameday had a sign that read "FSU, not every team in Kentucky loses to Florida teams 30 years in a row".  

 

[Rhom]

Just now, Ded As Ned said:

Pretty much this.  I heard rumors that the boosters shut it down before UK could even do anything due to the baggage   .  Also I don't think he would have been here for more than one or two big seasons before moving on anyway... would have been a fun ride though!  It really sucks living vicariously through little brother.  Somebody on College Gameday had a sign that read "FSU, not every team in Kentucky loses to Florida teams 30 years in a row".  

 

I don't know that he would have moved on.  After his stint at Arkansas, he was basically unemployable.  I don't think he leaves UofL now that he knows he has a shot at being able to get to the playoffs.  If he could do the same at Kentucky (which I don't see why he couldn't), then you are in the SEC and have a great opportunity to do the same.  Who knows.  Its a moot point now.

I listened to the KSR post game show after the Southern Miss loss and callers were talking about Petrino obviously.  Matt Jones told a story that I don't think he had ever told to that point.  He said that when the Petrino rumors were swirling, a mutual friend of his and Petrino called Jones and asked if he would be willing to meet with Petrino so he could convince Jones that he was right for the job in hopes that Jones would actively lobby on KSR for Petrino to get the job.  Jones said he heard from some contacts in administration that it wasn't going to happen at all, so he didn't bother meeting with Petrino.

[Rhom]

2 hours ago, Ded As Ned said:

Our starting QB went out with a back injury on the 2nd drive, and backup (hopefully new starter) performed brilliantly... completed 72% of passes for 300 yards, 3TD, and 50 yards rushing.... against another team that has no defense.

Aaaaaaand... the new depth chart is out and lists Barker as the starting QB.

 

[Maithanet]

On 9/2/2016 at 8:58 AM, Rhom said:

I'm no UofL fan, but even I got frustrated when listening to Mike and Mike yesterday and heard the conversation turn to Florida State and Greeny starts saying that FSU's biggest road game might be "at The U."  Hello!!!!!!!  They play at Louisville on Sept 17... they are ranked in the top 20 in the country!!!!!  Miami is unranked and not likely to work into the rankings.

Just wanted to quote this for posterity.  Sounds like FSU might have been listening to a bit too much Mike & Mike. 

[Rhom]

Just now, Maithanet said:

Just wanted to quote this for posterity.  Sounds like FSU might have been listening to a bit too much Mike & Mike. 

I still think that everyone at Bristol lives in a world where college football peaked in the 80's.  No one who becomes good after that ever gets any recognition.

[Ded As Ned]

17 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Aaaaaaand... the new depth chart is out and lists Barker as the starting QB.

 

Are you FU****G KIDDING ME???  I don't want to wish ill-will on Barker... but I think he needs to rest that injured pride back another week. If Barker's really fine, and IF I were the coach... I might give Barker the start, but he'd have a really short leash.  One drive.  

BAH!  

[dbunting]

On ‎9‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 6:39 PM, DireWolfSpirit said:

Michigans Javril Peppers has some exciting open field speed, 4.34 40. And I love how Harbaugh uses him as a 2way playmaker like they used to do with Chuck Woodson.

He's got 9 tackles through 3 quarters , 3 tackles for loss, including a clutch sack on a blitz. Over 150 All purpose yds, including a 55 yd return just the series before his sack, and its only the end of the 3rd quarter so far. 

As I said, I love the way Harbaugh utilizes his talent as a weapon all over the field. He's got that 4.3 speed yet, he's not fragile at all.  Guys a football playing hitter, who just happens to be electric fast. The stuff dreams are made of on the college gridiron.

Edit to add:  LMMFAO......Peppers just returned another 54 yd punt for a touchdown minutes after I typed this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yep, Jabril is showing up all over the field this year. Last year we would see flashes of his talent but I think he was used too much on offense and it wore him out. This year he is playing linebacker and just laying people out. Think about that, the guy runs a 4.3, returns punts and hits like a sledgehammer. C'mon Dallas, find a way to draft him and play him at safety!!!!!

As to the game, ugh. Michigan started out slow and looked horrible before turning it on. We have Penn State next week and hopefully we look better.

As to the rankings, Michigan is 4, really they should be back a few more notches. I would say Clemson, Houston and either Stanford or Sparty should be above Michigan as of now. I haven't seen anything on our offense that will scare a good defensive team. Our defense gives up too many big plays.

Oh, last thing, another week and another couple huge plays from the punt return team, another blocked punt and punt returned for a TD. I don't think they are as good as the Beamer coached Virginia Tech special teams, but damn they look good.

[S John]

On 9/18/2016 at 6:57 AM, The Great Unwashed said:

Well, my Pokes managed to pull one out after a two-hour weather delay and doing all they could to give away what was turning into a blowout during the 2nd quarter. I was having flashbacks to the CMU game during Pitt's last drive.

Now, I'm going to just come out and say it...the Big 12 is just bad this year. It's bleeding talent to the other conferences, and it's time to stop dicking around, add Houston and the best team you can draw from another mid-major, add a conference championship and roll the goddamn Longhorn network into a true Big-12 network, or else other conferences are going to start poaching the marquee teams, and then it's all over for the Big 12.

Eh, its just looks like its going to be a down year for the conference as a whole.  It happens.  It's also amplified by the fact that we only have 10 teams and 2 'elite' programs.  When it comes to national media all the eggs are in the OU / UT basket and when they under-preform its gloom and doom.  All the other conferences have a few extra programs on that tier to carry the mantle, or their torch-bearers are doing well so far.  Of course, as a WVU fan, I see this years' Big 12 as an opportunity that I hope my team takes advantage of.   Haven't seen a ton of the Mountaineers yet, but having seen the rest of the conference play, we should be able to compete with everyone.  

In general though, college football media is ridiculous as one game, one week, even one season, really doesn't matter all that much in the long run.  We've had three weeks of games and people are declaring playoff teams with a straight face.  Its week 3.  Teams are going to lose.  A lot of them are, and lot of them are going to lose more than once.  No losses are better than one, but going undefeated is extremely difficult.  The Big 12 has Texas, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma State all with either 1 loss or 0 losses.  

Baylor and WVU are undefeated, and I'm not sure either K-State's road loss to Stanford or Texas' road loss to Cal would necessarily be a dealbreaker if either team would hypothetically run the table from here on out.  TCU's OT loss to Arkansas isn't the end of the world either.   Anyway, Big 12 doesn't look like its at its best this year, that much is true, but the impossibility of getting into the playoff line that I've seen all over ESPN is premature.  The older I get the more I realize how completely full of shit all of those guys are.  Not just ESPN, but all of them.  College Football is seriously a crap shoot.  You've got a few consistent performers, but across the sport as a whole there is no telling what the hell is going to happen in any given game.  The fact that some people make millions sitting up there and bullshitting about it is seriously insane.  

Anyway, a couple Big 12 teams still control their own destiny, and getting into conference play some of the contenders from other conferences will cannibalize each other and some will definitely drop an unexpected game here or there too.  Any team with less than 2 losses that keeps winning week to week will find themselves in the discussion at the end.  

That said, my top 4 right now:

1. Louisville (I seriously think they should be #1 at this point after de-pantsing a top 2 team in historic fashion)

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Stanford or Houston - can't decide.  

Michigan next in line.  

[dbunting]

On ‎9‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 0:10 PM, dbunting said:

As to the rankings, Michigan is 4, really they should be back a few more notches. I would say Clemson, Houston and either Stanford or Sparty should be above Michigan as of now. I haven't seen anything on our offense that will scare a good defensive team. Our defense gives up too many big plays.

 

I guess I was pretty accurate in my thoughts; according to USA today anyway. They did a ranking and have Michigan around 7. Clemson, Sparty, Houston, Louisville, OSU and Alabama else ahead of them, maybe even Stanford IIRC.