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Post by fatmenace on Aug 2, 2012 12:46:26 GMT -6
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Post by "Redneck" Johnson on Aug 2, 2012 16:33:43 GMT -6
I like Texas being highly ranked, but we haven't shown anything to deserve #15.
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Post by fatmenace on Aug 3, 2012 5:08:45 GMT -6
No team has.
But you'll be hard pressed to find more than 15 teams you can say are definitely better than Texas right now.
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Post by fatmenace on Aug 14, 2012 10:02:37 GMT -6
It stands to reason, then, that the team that finally ends the SEC's streak will be the team that most closely replicates the SEC's formula. The following is not a prediction of which teams have the best chance to reach the national championship game. Some may not be cut out to win their own conference. Rather, it's an attempt to identify which teams, based on their returning personnel, anticipated areas of strength and coaching philosophies, are best suited to face the prototypical SEC representative in a one-game BCS championship matchup. The five most promising candidates: • Texas (No. 15 in Coaches' Poll): In the three years since losing Colt McCoy in the first quarter of the title game and falling 37-21 to Alabama, Mack Brown has reinvented the Longhorns into a virtual SEC clone. They run the ball (202.6 yards per game last year) and stop the run (No. 6 nationally). They boast a pair of potential first-round defensive ends in Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor and a trio of young tailbacks (Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron and freshman Johnathan Gray) any team would covet. Texas needs either David Ash or Case McCoy to emerge as a dependable quarterback, which is an admittedly huge question mark for the team, but it doesn't necessarily need either to become a star. The Longhorns -- 4-5 in the Big 12 last season -- may still be a year away from returning to elite status, but they match the blueprint. • Oregon (No. 5): Yes, the Ducks are 1-2 versus the SEC under Chip Kelly, including a 40-27 rout by LSU in the 2011 opener. That's a bit deceiving, though. Two fumbles by then-rookie De'Anthony Thomas helped blow open a game in which Oregon outgained the Tigers 335-273. This year Kelly may have his scariest running game yet with veteran tailback Kenjon Barner, the supremely explosive Thomas and a pair of quarterbacks, Marcus Mariota and Bryan Bennett, who are both more dangerous runners than Darron Thomas. The defense, led by defensive end Dion Jordan, linebacker Michael Clay and safety John Boyett, will be Oregon's most athletic in recent memory. As always, the concern with Oregon is that its smallish offensive line could be overpowered by an elite foe. • USC (No. 3): The Trojans are loaded on offense, with quarterback Matt Barkley and receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee arguably the best in the country at their positions. And the addition of 1,241-yard Penn State rusher Silas Redd to go with Curtis McNeal means Lane Kiffin's team should be more balanced. The running game could be the key to avoiding a fate like Sam Bradford-led Oklahoma's 14-point showing against Florida in 2008. There's plenty of talent on defense (safety T.J. McDonald, corner Nickell Robey), too. The concern, however, is the defensive line, where USC must replace three starters and may be without injured defensive end Devon Kennard. That's arguably the most important position when facing a powerful SEC rushing attack, and the reason Oregon may pose a slightly better matchup. • Michigan State (No. 13): Two years ago, a 9-3 SEC team (Alabama) thoroughly outclassed Mark Dantonio's team in a bowl game, 49-7. One New Year's Day later, Michigan State -- 22-5 the past two years -- topped a 10-3 SEC team (Georgia) in double overtime. What changed? An influx of athletic defenders (ends William Gholston and Marcus Rush, linebackers Max Bullough and Denicos Allen, cornerback Johnny Adams) has helped Dantonio produce a swarming unit. The 2011 Spartans held foes to 2.8 yards per carry, seventh-best nationally, and return eight starters. Meanwhile, power back Le'Veon Bell leads a physical rushing attack. On the downside, Michigan State must break in new quarterback Andrew Maxwell and inexperienced receivers, but this team will win with defense first. • Florida State (No. 7): Judging by recruiting ratings, Jimbo Fisher -- who previously worked under both Nick Saban and Les Miles -- has assembled more talent than any non-SEC program other than USC. That's particularly true on defense, where defensive ends Bjoern Werner and Brandon Jenkins, defensive tackle Everett Dawkins and cornerback Xavier Rhodes helped hold foes to fewer yards per rushing attempt (2.35) last year than even Alabama's historic unit. This year's defense is more experienced. Oft-criticized quarterback EJ Manuel actually averaged an acceptable 8.57 yards per attempt. But the 'Noles, who suffered mass injuries on the offensive line last year, still need to drastically improve on their 104th-ranked rushing offense. Several highly ranked teams failed to make the list. They may very well be capable of reaching the big game, but their blueprint suggests they'd suffer the same fate as those before them. Here's why: • No. 4 Oklahoma: The Sooners are too dependent on the passing game and have not yet demonstrated the capacity for an elite rushing defense. • No. 8 Michigan: Brady Hoke likely needs another year's recruiting haul before the Wolverines can field an upper-echelon defensive front. • No. 11 West Virginia: Like Oklahoma, the Mountaineers' pass-heavy offense leaves them too one-dimensional if facing an elite SEC defense. • No. 12 Wisconsin: The Badgers have the rushing offense, but it's hard to put faith in a defense that gave up 621 yards to Oregon in the Rose Bowl. • No. 14 Clemson: The Tigers ranked 83rd nationally against the run last season. So, in conclusion, if you're one of the many outside of Dixie clamoring to see some team knock the mighty SEC off its perch, you might want to practice your Hook 'em Horns sign. Coincidentally, the last team outside of the SEC to win a national championship was ... Texas. It's as we've said for seven years: College football really is cyclical. Read more: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/stewart_mandel/08/13/sec-bcs-championship-streak/index.html#ixzz23XM2QuBj
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Post by mayor on Aug 14, 2012 13:55:21 GMT -6
I will be surprised if Texas finishes in the top 3 of the Big 12 this year.
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Post by mayor on Aug 14, 2012 13:58:54 GMT -6
Big 12 teams that might be better than Texas:
Oklahoma Kansas State West Virginia TCU Oklahoma State Baylor
So actually I might be surprised to see Texas is in the top 5 of the Big 12 this year.
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Post by fatmenace on Aug 15, 2012 5:13:06 GMT -6
Prepare to be surprised. Texas is returning a legit top 3 in the nation D, could be the best.
All the offense needs is to be average (which admittedly might be a problem) for Texas to get back to the BCS. But Texas' RBs will be A Beast.
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Post by gk on Aug 15, 2012 22:18:49 GMT -6
college sports are dum
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Post by mayor on Aug 16, 2012 7:44:59 GMT -6
all sports are dum (unless you're actually playing them)
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Post by fatmenace on Aug 17, 2012 7:10:01 GMT -6
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Post by gk on Aug 17, 2012 7:22:12 GMT -6
all sports are dum (unless you're actually playing them) Yeah I don't have anything wrong with the sports themselves. After all, SPROTS!
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Post by fatmenace on Aug 21, 2012 9:35:03 GMT -6
In an exclusive interview with a former Michigan player, who came to Michigan as a freshman in 2005, for a story coming later this fall on the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez, I was told some very disturbing information regarding the 2007 Michigan football team.
In a shocking revelation, this former player told me that over half of Michigan’s defensive starters and several key offensive starters partied deep into the night the night before the 2007 Michigan vs. Appalachian State game, then smoked marijuana hours before kickoff in an effort to “see how bad we can beat ‘em up if we are stoned.” The player said that the Michigan secondary and linebackers were the main participants of this group, but the ring leader was an explosive offensive playmaker, who would later be suspended during his Michigan career for failing a drug test.
According to this source, the 2007 spring and summer was one big party for the Michigan football team, with very little participation in voluntary off-season workouts, a big change from the prior season when nearly the entire team worked out together and stayed away from the summer party scene. “There was a perception that we were going to be so good in ’07 that everyone kind of thought the entire season was going to be a breeze, we would go undefeated for sure” said the former player. “There were two different teams that off-season it seems. A lot of the Ohio (high school) guys and guys from west coast stuck together, and were really into the party scene, the Michigan (high school) players and seniors were the other group. The really odd thing is that I don’t think Chad (Henne) saw any of the receivers from the time spring ball ended until the first day of fall camp. We were just a bunch of guys with our own agendas and no sense of team. Once (LaMarr) Woodley and (David) Harris left after ’06, all leadership was gone on the team.
“Mike Hart tried to be a leader, but a lot of guys disliked him and resented him behind his back. Chad (Henne) or Jake (Long) really should have stepped up when they saw what was going on, but never did. Its funny that those guys all came back for their senior seasons to win a National Title, but no one ever did anything to make sure that would happen. It all came crashing down on Spet. 1, App State day.”
The entire week leading up to the Appalachian State game was a party, it seems: “Everyone went out Thursday night prior to the game. Like, everyone. I remember some girl asking a few of the players if they were worried about the game Saturday and maybe they shouldn’t be getting so messed up, all the players around her just started laughing hysterically. It was like all my teammates thought we were playing a junior high school team on Saturday.
“The night before the game, everyone was smoking pot and having fun at the team hotel, no coaches were bothering us. The next day, (game day), one offensive player in particular was the ring leader and was messing around trying to convince all the other guys that we could beat these guys stoned and how crazy it would be to be all messed up and still ‘drop 50 on these fools’. For some reason, there was a ton of people who joined in. From what I saw and was told afterwards, 6 defensive starters and 3 offensive starters smoked up that morning. One guy in particular who I know did is the one who made the biggest error of the game and cost us a chance to win. I wonder why”
When facing Appalachian State, Michigan players nor coaches took them too seriously. “The coaches barely even game planned for App State regardless. We didn’t prepare any differently nor see any tape of their offense during game week. We were working on normal prep and facing our offense. Armani Edwards was having a field day on us because we didn’t even know he was a fast dual-threat guy. The whole week is an embarrassment. Starting that day, I never enjoyed playing football at Michigan again. That was the day that Michigan football died. Hopefully Hoke fully revives it. I know he is almost there, and that is awesome to see.”
The week following Appalachian State, Michigan was destroyed by Oregon 39-7, giving up 32 straight point after briefly leading 7-3.
It pains me to write this article. The source of the story will be revealed in a November piece called “The Transition: Carr to Rich”. For the record, the player refused to name individual players.
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Post by fatmenace on Sept 21, 2012 18:46:57 GMT -6
Big 12 teams that might be better than Texas: Oklahoma Kansas State West Virginia TCU Oklahoma State Baylor So actually I might be surprised to see Texas is in the top 5 of the Big 12 this year. Texas probably wouldn't be down 14-0 to ULM at the end of the first. Just saying
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Post by fatmenace on Sept 21, 2012 18:58:38 GMT -6
21-7
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Post by mayor on Sept 22, 2012 19:30:36 GMT -6
I'm pretty sure Arkansas and Auburn (who is currently beating LSU) also didn't expect to be down to ULM.
I'm actually fairly pleased with how Baylor is doing so far. Their offense is nearly as good as last year. Their defense is terrible, but somehow they keep getting key turnovers (all last year and three games this year so far). I'm optimistic. Interesting game next week at West Virginia. I don't expect a win, but I hope they keep it close.
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