College Football Thread
 

I know this is a bit early, but with the WVU thread coming up and us in SSNL discussing CFB in the cheese thread, I wanted to get a thread in here.

I know that there are already preseason CFB preview magazines out as well.

So...Preseason predictions? Who is your team? What is going to be your strengths/weaknesses? Some good games on your team's schedule and dates?

My team is the Florida Gators. I grew up in Gainesville and have always been a Gator fan (my father taught there).

We are very strong on offense. Our Defense has been gutted though and we have only two remaining starters (a SS and DE). We had a few players who played a little bit last year (some LBs in Doe and Spikes) but for the most part, our defense is gone. We have to replace all 3 starting LBs, 3 of the 4 of our DL (which was 5th in rushing D in the NCAA last year), and a new secondary (where we had an all american and second team all american).

Thanks to Urban Meyer though, we got the #2 DT (Davis) and #1 DE (Dunlap) in the nation. We also have a great Corner in Finch that came in this year.

As stated earlier, Our offense is loaded. We have one of the best OL units in the nation and great WRs. Caldwell, Harvin, newcomer Murphy, and Ingram (as well as some sophmores like Fayson,Cooper,etc) will be a threat everywhere. We'll finally get to see Tebow throw the ball this time (and I've read that UM still wants to keep the dual QB system and use Cam Newton, a 6'5 240 frosh for short yardage situations).

I think there is definitely a possibility at another title in a year or two. But next year, the Gators are a bit TOO young to be competing.

Some exciting games next year for UF is
-Sept. 15th Tenn
-Sep.29th Auburn (sweet revenge)
-Oct 6. at LSU (dangerous game)
-Nov 24th FSU (gatorbait)

On a national level, everyone is jerking USC off. I'll have to agree that they look like a very very good team on paper (and with that thrashing they gave Michigan last year), but we'll see.

Some games that I'm excited to see next season are:

-Tenn at Cal Sept. 1
-VT at LSU Sept. 8th
-Miami at OU sept. 8th (not the U of old, but still should be a decent game).
-USC at NE Sept. 15th (I'll be at this game and will probably pop major wood on game day).
-OU vs. UT on Oct. 6th
-UL vs. WVU Nov. 8th
-Hawaii vs. Boise State Nov. 23rd

So....what do you guys have for me? I cannot wait until CFB season.

Re: College Football Thread
 

I hate to be the first in what will be a legendary thread, but I need help.

Can someone ship a link to the marquee out of conference games schedule?

Or will ESPN/ABC have them all and I can just filter their TV sched?

Re: College Football Thread
 

ESPN has a decent list. They dont have all of FOX and CBS i dont think though. ABC/ESPN have the best games typically (college gameday) but there is an occasional great game on FSN or CBS (CBS does all the SEC games IIRC).

Re: College Football Thread
 

I'd recommend saving this link as a fav:

http://www.lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm

Re: College Football Thread
 

Can't wait for NU/USC. Trying to get one of the companies that we do business with to take us to that game. Last year, they took us to the Texas game which was awesome for 59 minutes or so.

Re: College Football Thread
 

UT/NE was great. very cold though.

Re: College Football Thread
 

Wisconsin/Michigan in November in Madison should be for the Big Ten title. I have tickets so I will be making the trip there for the first time. Very excited to go to a great venue; not as excited about the cold.

My Wolverines should be the opposite of last year: strong/elite offense, mediocre D. The problem is that DeBord is not likely to maximize our offensive output, so I
m nervous. OTOH, I'm cautiously optimistic that the D will still be fairly good, although every defensive back not named Morgan Trent terrifies me.

Schedule is very favorable: 8 home games, including Oregon, ND, OSU, and Penn State. IIRC, only Penn State and Oregon have returning starting QB's (of the teams that matter, anyway). Most worried about Wisconsin, with Oregon as my number #2 concern. I still have an irrational fear that maybe Morelli will not suck against us. They gotta beat us sooner or later right?

If I had to predict, I'd say 12-1, either 12-0 and a loss in the title game or 11-1 and a bowl win. I think we're good enough to run through the schedule but a step behind USC/whoever else is up there.

Re: College Football Thread
 

The ILLINI will be one of the most interesting stories of the year.
They can legitimately have anything from 3 to 9 wins this season. That's what happens with young talent.
I fully expect them to pull off one upset that makes the midwest take notice. One of the online pundits picked Illinois over Michigan as one of the upset surprises of the next season. I'm not sure about that, but I expect one of Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan to go down at Illinois.

Last year, Illinois was statistically one of the best 2-10 teams ever looking at many offensive and defensive metrics. The problems were the turnover ratio and the special teams play. Both of those have been addressed coming into this season.

Zook brought in the doggies.

The defense last year was great. 9 Starters return-evenly dispersed. Vontae Davis is the best corner I've seen at Illinois (sorry Eugene Wilson and Henry James). He was a good get, but his talent level has blown everyone away. He could very well be the best corner in the big10. J Leman is a solid stud at MLB. He fits the traditional big10 mold of strong, physical play. Derek Walker is a solid defensive end that will play in the NFL. The only flaw the Illini D had last year was it didn't cause many turnovers and didn't have depth. Zook addressed both those needs and some of the DL developed alot. It will be interesting to see how the 5-stars Martez Wilson and D'angelo McCray add to the mix as freshman. The Illini defense was real good last year and looks to be improved coming into the season. I fully expect the defense to be among the best in the Big10.

The offense last year was sporadic. The run game was exceptional and 4 starting linemen return. Mendenhall (8 ypc) will be the starter at RB, but there is lack of depth at that position. The pass game really struggled last year. A true freshman QB, Juice Williams, didn't read defenses too well and often lacked 'touch' on his passes. The question is how much has he improved in one year. A big question! The guy is a great talent. He has a rocket arm. He ran for over 500 yards. He had a great two minute drive to win the game at Michigan State. He is a leader. Juice Williams resembles a younger Troy Smith. (Illinois beat tOSU in a big recruiting battle to get Juice.) Whether he fulfills that potential is another question.
One thing is for sure. Juice should get alot of help on two fronts. One, the WRs last year were dreadful. They didn't 'want' the ball and had far too many drops. IIRC, the Illini lead the BCS conference schools in drops. Well, most of those guys are gone (prison...haha) and new blood is in, including a phenom. Get used to hearing the name Arrelious 'Regis' Benn. Benn was arguably the top WR prospect in the nation last year and a huge victory for Illinois over ND and FSU. Benn finished high school early and has been on campus in Champaign since January. The guy is unreal. He has blown everyone away in spring camp. He catches everything...deep balls, over-the-middle, short routes. He runs. He loves contact. He has open-field moves. Look to see Benn, Benn, Benn this year. More than that, the guy has the warrior personality off-the-field that I love....reminds me of Jameel Cook. Benn is not a lone soldier. TE Jeff Cumberland (5* recruit) is returning for his sophmore year after a very successful freshman year. He was the best option by the end of last season. I cannot wait to see him a year older. In addition, DaJuan Warren, Chris James, and Anthony Morris are great athletic threats while Kyle Hudson should fill in the slot position well. The rest of the big10 will be shocked to see Illinois offensive skill positions consisting of 5* and high 4* talent. Hopefully, they can blow up defenses like Lloyd, Young, Morehead, Lewis, and Kittner did in 2001.

While the offensive line was great with the run game, it struggled in pass protection. That should be much improved this year, but, again, the question is how much. Juice, as a second year QB, should identify defenses better and help with some of the pass protection. In addition, the line is healthier and has more depth. Akim Millington, a solid pro prospect, couldn't left his arm above shoulder height last year and struggle to stop athletic pass rushers. Rumor is he is finally healthy and ready to show his second round potential. In addition, there are 2-3 solid back-ups to fill in this year on the o-line. Hopefully, the line that blocked for over 6ypc can keep the opponents D from Juice's face on pass plays.

Then, there are the special teams. Last year, they were downright awful. One big reason was that special teams show depth. With Zook's recruits coming into the fold, hopefully there will be that depth for kick coverage and kick blocking. Athleticism and speed have been upgraded in a major way on the Illini squad. The other huge issue is the punter. Unfortunately, that is still a problem with many possible helps, but just as many questions.


Finally, there is Zook's game coaching. To only win 2 games last year was awful. Zook's coaching was the decisive factor in losses to Indiana and Ohio. Both should've been easy wins. Zook is a great recruiter, a great defensive mind, a great developer of defensive players, and a great motivator. He is not good at managing game/clock situations. He has been improving. Hopefully, he will improve more and be held in check by his assistants. Mike Locksley, the OC, is great. He called at least 4 sensational games by my count last year (and I'm a huge critic of most coaches). I just hope no one hires him away for a few years.


So, the Illini are a HUGE QUESTION MARK

they upgraded their defeciencies:
1) better receivers
2) better pass protection
3) more special teams depth
4) better pass rush
5) better punting game

They actually have the talent to compete against anyone in the nation. The question is will the young team piece it together, or will they blow it. This was not your typical 2-10 team. They had Wisconsin in a bad way. They were in it to the end at Penn State. They went out of their way to lose to Indiana and Ohio. Purdue was there for the taking. They should've been a bowl team last year, but didn't know 'how to win' and had horrid special teams play (especially the punter).
If things get rolling well, this team could pile up huge wins. If things get off crappy, the team is in trouble again.
It sounds weird, but the first four games are tremendous indications:
V Mizzou in St. Louis (Mizzou is borderline top20)
V WIU (W)
@ Syracuse (toss-up: Illini have better talent, but 'Cuse has been a better team)
@ Indiana (toss-up: Illini have better talent, but IU has a few great individuals that can hit big as they did against Illinois and Iowa last year)

Things could be great rolling into Penn St and Wisconsin at home. Or, it can be another long year.

So far, though, Zook has been right on schedule for rebuilding the program

year 1: LOSE BIG while upgrading talent and playing younger guys
year 2: lose small while upgrading talent and playing younger guys
year 3: win small
year 4 or year 5: WIN BIG

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
UT/NE was great. very cold though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not near as bad as the Big 12 champ. game.

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
The ILLINI will be one of the most interesting stories of the year.
They can legitimately have anything from 3 to 9 wins this season. That's what happens with young talent.
I fully expect them to pull off one upset that makes the midwest take notice. One of the online pundits picked Illinois over Michigan as one of the upset surprises of the next season. I'm not sure about that, but I expect one of Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan to go down at Illinois.

Last year, Illinois was statistically one of the best 2-10 teams ever looking at many offensive and defensive metrics. The problems were the turnover ratio and the special teams play. Both of those have been addressed coming into this season.

Zook brought in the doggies.

The defense last year was great. 9 Starters return-evenly dispersed. Vontae Davis is the best corner I've seen at Illinois (sorry Eugene Wilson and Henry James). He was a good get, but his talent level has blown everyone away. He could very well be the best corner in the big10. J Leman is a solid stud at MLB. He fits the traditional big10 mold of strong, physical play. Derek Walker is a solid defensive end that will play in the NFL. The only flaw the Illini D had last year was it didn't cause many turnovers and didn't have depth. Zook addressed both those needs and some of the DL developed alot. It will be interesting to see how the 5-stars Martez Wilson and D'angelo McCray add to the mix as freshman. The Illini defense was real good last year and looks to be improved coming into the season. I fully expect the defense to be among the best in the Big10.

The offense last year was sporadic. The run game was exceptional and 4 starting linemen return. Mendenhall (8 ypc) will be the starter at RB, but there is lack of depth at that position. The pass game really struggled last year. A true freshman QB, Juice Williams, didn't read defenses too well and often lacked 'touch' on his passes. The question is how much has he improved in one year. A big question! The guy is a great talent. He has a rocket arm. He ran for over 500 yards. He had a great two minute drive to win the game at Michigan State. He is a leader. Juice Williams resembles a younger Troy Smith. (Illinois beat tOSU in a big recruiting battle to get Juice.) Whether he fulfills that potential is another question.
One thing is for sure. Juice should get alot of help on two fronts. One, the WRs last year were dreadful. They didn't 'want' the ball and had far too many drops. IIRC, the Illini lead the BCS conference schools in drops. Well, most of those guys are gone (prison...haha) and new blood is in, including a phenom. Get used to hearing the name Arrelious 'Regis' Benn. Benn was arguably the top WR prospect in the nation last year and a huge victory for Illinois over ND and FSU. Benn finished high school early and has been on campus in Champaign since January. The guy is unreal. He has blown everyone away in spring camp. He catches everything...deep balls, over-the-middle, short routes. He runs. He loves contact. He has open-field moves. Look to see Benn, Benn, Benn this year. More than that, the guy has the warrior personality off-the-field that I love....reminds me of Jameel Cook. Benn is not a lone soldier. TE Jeff Cumberland (5* recruit) is returning for his sophmore year after a very successful freshman year. He was the best option by the end of last season. I cannot wait to see him a year older. In addition, DaJuan Warren, Chris James, and Anthony Morris are great athletic threats while Kyle Hudson should fill in the slot position well. The rest of the big10 will be shocked to see Illinois offensive skill positions consisting of 5* and high 4* talent. Hopefully, they can blow up defenses like Lloyd, Young, Morehead, Lewis, and Kittner did in 2001.

While the offensive line was great with the run game, it struggled in pass protection. That should be much improved this year, but, again, the question is how much. Juice, as a second year QB, should identify defenses better and help with some of the pass protection. In addition, the line is healthier and has more depth. Akim Millington, a solid pro prospect, couldn't left his arm above shoulder height last year and struggle to stop athletic pass rushers. Rumor is he is finally healthy and ready to show his second round potential. In addition, there are 2-3 solid back-ups to fill in this year on the o-line. Hopefully, the line that blocked for over 6ypc can keep the opponents D from Juice's face on pass plays.

Then, there are the special teams. Last year, they were downright awful. One big reason was that special teams show depth. With Zook's recruits coming into the fold, hopefully there will be that depth for kick coverage and kick blocking. Athleticism and speed have been upgraded in a major way on the Illini squad. The other huge issue is the punter. Unfortunately, that is still a problem with many possible helps, but just as many questions.


Finally, there is Zook's game coaching. To only win 2 games last year was awful. Zook's coaching was the decisive factor in losses to Indiana and Ohio. Both should've been easy wins. Zook is a great recruiter, a great defensive mind, a great developer of defensive players, and a great motivator. He is not good at managing game/clock situations. He has been improving. Hopefully, he will improve more and be held in check by his assistants. Mike Locksley, the OC, is great. He called at least 4 sensational games by my count last year (and I'm a huge critic of most coaches). I just hope no one hires him away for a few years.


So, the Illini are a HUGE QUESTION MARK

they upgraded their defeciencies:
1) better receivers
2) better pass protection
3) more special teams depth
4) better pass rush
5) better punting game

They actually have the talent to compete against anyone in the nation. The question is will the young team piece it together, or will they blow it. This was not your typical 2-10 team. They had Wisconsin in a bad way. They were in it to the end at Penn State. They went out of their way to lose to Indiana and Ohio. Purdue was there for the taking. They should've been a bowl team last year, but didn't know 'how to win' and had horrid special teams play (especially the punter).
If things get rolling well, this team could pile up huge wins. If things get off crappy, the team is in trouble again.
It sounds weird, but the first four games are tremendous indications:
V Mizzou in St. Louis (Mizzou is borderline top20)
V WIU (W)
@ Syracuse (toss-up: Illini have better talent, but 'Cuse has been a better team)
@ Indiana (toss-up: Illini have better talent, but IU has a few great individuals that can hit big as they did against Illinois and Iowa last year)

Things could be great rolling into Penn St and Wisconsin at home. Or, it can be another long year.

So far, though, Zook has been right on schedule for rebuilding the program

year 1: LOSE BIG while upgrading talent and playing younger guys
year 2: lose small while upgrading talent and playing younger guys
year 3: win small
year 4 or year 5: WIN BIG

[/ QUOTE ]

nice post. I am really interested in how Illinois does this year. It should give us an idea of how good a coach he is and maybe how good of a coach Urban Meyer is.

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
The ILLINI will be one of the most interesting stories of the year.
They can legitimately have anything from 3 to 9 wins this season. That's what happens with young talent.
I fully expect them to pull off one upset that makes the midwest take notice. One of the online pundits picked Illinois over Michigan as one of the upset surprises of the next season. I'm not sure about that, but I expect one of Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan to go down at Illinois.

Last year, Illinois was statistically one of the best 2-10 teams ever looking at many offensive and defensive metrics. The problems were the turnover ratio and the special teams play. Both of those have been addressed coming into this season.

Zook brought in the doggies.

The defense last year was great. 9 Starters return-evenly dispersed. Vontae Davis is the best corner I've seen at Illinois (sorry Eugene Wilson and Henry James). He was a good get, but his talent level has blown everyone away. He could very well be the best corner in the big10. J Leman is a solid stud at MLB. He fits the traditional big10 mold of strong, physical play. Derek Walker is a solid defensive end that will play in the NFL. The only flaw the Illini D had last year was it didn't cause many turnovers and didn't have depth. Zook addressed both those needs and some of the DL developed alot. It will be interesting to see how the 5-stars Martez Wilson and D'angelo McCray add to the mix as freshman. The Illini defense was real good last year and looks to be improved coming into the season. I fully expect the defense to be among the best in the Big10.

The offense last year was sporadic. The run game was exceptional and 4 starting linemen return. Mendenhall (8 ypc) will be the starter at RB, but there is lack of depth at that position. The pass game really struggled last year. A true freshman QB, Juice Williams, didn't read defenses too well and often lacked 'touch' on his passes. The question is how much has he improved in one year. A big question! The guy is a great talent. He has a rocket arm. He ran for over 500 yards. He had a great two minute drive to win the game at Michigan State. He is a leader. Juice Williams resembles a younger Troy Smith. (Illinois beat tOSU in a big recruiting battle to get Juice.) Whether he fulfills that potential is another question.
One thing is for sure. Juice should get alot of help on two fronts. One, the WRs last year were dreadful. They didn't 'want' the ball and had far too many drops. IIRC, the Illini lead the BCS conference schools in drops. Well, most of those guys are gone (prison...haha) and new blood is in, including a phenom. Get used to hearing the name Arrelious 'Regis' Benn. Benn was arguably the top WR prospect in the nation last year and a huge victory for Illinois over ND and FSU. Benn finished high school early and has been on campus in Champaign since January. The guy is unreal. He has blown everyone away in spring camp. He catches everything...deep balls, over-the-middle, short routes. He runs. He loves contact. He has open-field moves. Look to see Benn, Benn, Benn this year. More than that, the guy has the warrior personality off-the-field that I love....reminds me of Jameel Cook. Benn is not a lone soldier. TE Jeff Cumberland (5* recruit) is returning for his sophmore year after a very successful freshman year. He was the best option by the end of last season. I cannot wait to see him a year older. In addition, DaJuan Warren, Chris James, and Anthony Morris are great athletic threats while Kyle Hudson should fill in the slot position well. The rest of the big10 will be shocked to see Illinois offensive skill positions consisting of 5* and high 4* talent. Hopefully, they can blow up defenses like Lloyd, Young, Morehead, Lewis, and Kittner did in 2001.

While the offensive line was great with the run game, it struggled in pass protection. That should be much improved this year, but, again, the question is how much. Juice, as a second year QB, should identify defenses better and help with some of the pass protection. In addition, the line is healthier and has more depth. Akim Millington, a solid pro prospect, couldn't left his arm above shoulder height last year and struggle to stop athletic pass rushers. Rumor is he is finally healthy and ready to show his second round potential. In addition, there are 2-3 solid back-ups to fill in this year on the o-line. Hopefully, the line that blocked for over 6ypc can keep the opponents D from Juice's face on pass plays.

Then, there are the special teams. Last year, they were downright awful. One big reason was that special teams show depth. With Zook's recruits coming into the fold, hopefully there will be that depth for kick coverage and kick blocking. Athleticism and speed have been upgraded in a major way on the Illini squad. The other huge issue is the punter. Unfortunately, that is still a problem with many possible helps, but just as many questions.


Finally, there is Zook's game coaching. To only win 2 games last year was awful. Zook's coaching was the decisive factor in losses to Indiana and Ohio. Both should've been easy wins. Zook is a great recruiter, a great defensive mind, a great developer of defensive players, and a great motivator. He is not good at managing game/clock situations. He has been improving. Hopefully, he will improve more and be held in check by his assistants. Mike Locksley, the OC, is great. He called at least 4 sensational games by my count last year (and I'm a huge critic of most coaches). I just hope no one hires him away for a few years.


So, the Illini are a HUGE QUESTION MARK

they upgraded their defeciencies:
1) better receivers
2) better pass protection
3) more special teams depth
4) better pass rush
5) better punting game

They actually have the talent to compete against anyone in the nation. The question is will the young team piece it together, or will they blow it. This was not your typical 2-10 team. They had Wisconsin in a bad way. They were in it to the end at Penn State. They went out of their way to lose to Indiana and Ohio. Purdue was there for the taking. They should've been a bowl team last year, but didn't know 'how to win' and had horrid special teams play (especially the punter).
If things get rolling well, this team could pile up huge wins. If things get off crappy, the team is in trouble again.
It sounds weird, but the first four games are tremendous indications:
V Mizzou in St. Louis (Mizzou is borderline top20)
V WIU (W)
@ Syracuse (toss-up: Illini have better talent, but 'Cuse has been a better team)
@ Indiana (toss-up: Illini have better talent, but IU has a few great individuals that can hit big as they did against Illinois and Iowa last year)

Things could be great rolling into Penn St and Wisconsin at home. Or, it can be another long year.

So far, though, Zook has been right on schedule for rebuilding the program

year 1: LOSE BIG while upgrading talent and playing younger guys
year 2: lose small while upgrading talent and playing younger guys
year 3: win small
year 4 or year 5: WIN BIG

[/ QUOTE ]

Possibly the longest thing ever written about Illini football?

Re: College Football Thread
 

My team is the Huskies. They'll have one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA this year. If they win 5 games it will be quite an accomplishment. It could be a rough year to watch but if they're at least competetive I'll be satisfied.

I'm also looking forward to ND being overrated and blowing the big games yet hanging their hats on the powerhouses they beat for the commander in chief trophy. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

As much as I hate USC, they look like the team to beat this year.

b

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'd recommend saving this link as a fav:

http://www.lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

ty...this is a tremendous resource

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm also looking forward to ND being overrated and blowing the big games yet hanging their hats on the powerhouses they beat for the commander in chief trophy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Notre Dame is gonna be really bad this year. I am usually a fan boy for this team...but this is gonna be a rough season and I don't see any reason why anyone would believe otherwise.

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
My team is the Huskies. They'll have one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA this year. If they win 5 games it will be quite an accomplishment. It could be a rough year to watch but if they're at least competetive I'll be satisfied.

I'm also looking forward to ND being overrated and blowing the big games yet hanging their hats on the powerhouses they beat for the commander in chief trophy. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

As much as I hate USC, they look like the team to beat this year.

b

[/ QUOTE ]

Jake Locker should be fun to watch. At least give us some hope for the future. You are right though- their schedule is brutal.

Re: College Football Thread
 

case closed,

WIU at Illinois---you going?

Re: College Football Thread
 

Wisconsin = National Champs

Re: College Football Thread
 

mt2r,

I will be there wearing the purple and gold. You can prepare for an upset that will wreck the rest of the U of I season.

Re: College Football Thread
 

I'm hoping LSU will have a good shot. I agree that Florida will be strong, but think LSU has a shot at a national championship as well. Whoever wins the SEC is very likely to win it all IMO. We are returning 8 starters in defense and I think 7 or so on offense. Matt Flynn is a more than capable QB. You don't replace a guy like Jamarcus Russell, but Flynn is very good.

Our D line will be amazing, and the O line will be more than solid.

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My team is the Huskies. They'll have one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA this year. If they win 5 games it will be quite an accomplishment. It could be a rough year to watch but if they're at least competetive I'll be satisfied.

I'm also looking forward to ND being overrated and blowing the big games yet hanging their hats on the powerhouses they beat for the commander in chief trophy. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

As much as I hate USC, they look like the team to beat this year.

b

[/ QUOTE ]

Jake Locker should be fun to watch. At least give us some hope for the future. You are right though- their schedule is brutal.

[/ QUOTE ]

It'd be nice if Marcel Reece showed up this year. God if he starts breaking out, look out.

Not sure about RB. Could be a hole there.

Defense might be suprisingly good.

It'll be interesting to see how they recover from being blown out by the Buckeyes. God that's going to be a long game. Hopefully I'll make it to halftime before I leave.

b

Re: College Football Thread
 

The Crimson Tide will win 9 games this year. Yeah that's right let the haters hate. Saban this and that and he's Nick Satan and he's gonna leave in 2 years and he's too tough on players and yadda yadda yadda. Well you know what, I like him and I'm very happy that we got a ball buster who has winning as his top priority as our coach.

Its funny bc our offense looks pretty damn good. JP Wilson (QB) is coming back for his 2nd year as a starter and he had a decent year last year IMO. He made some rookie mistakes but that's to be expected. Both starting WRs, HAll and Brown are back, best wideouts I've ever seen Bama have. Lost our starting RB, but his backup (Jimmy Johns) is a better player anyways. And for once our O line is returning everyone (I think) and they look like a unit for once.

The D however might not be as top notch as is typical for Bama. Only 1 returning LB, D line needs help. But the New D coordinator from FSU is supposed to be installing a 3-4 this year so we will see what happens. I only know 1 guy in the secondary whos coming back, Simeon Castille, but hes very good and probably will play on Sunday.

Playing LSU in Tuscaloosa will be a good game and of course going to Auburn is always huge. At least Auburn can't pencil in a W preseason this year. And I think I'm gonna go to the game against FSU which is supposedly at a "neutral" site (Jacksonville lol).

As usual Im really looking around to SEC football this year. I think Spurrier is gonna finally go from playing some close games this year to getting some close wins. And I dont expect Ark to be nearly as formidable as last year. 9 guys in the box at all times and even McFadden can't beat you.

Re: College Football Thread
 

Why isn't the FSU/Bama game neutral? Sets up just like the UF/UGA game just Bama fans have to travel farther, but that's not a problem obviously.

Re: College Football Thread
 

Well its closer to Tallahassee and Jacksonville is in Fla. Let's play the game at Legion Field in Birmingham then, its technically not our stadium. Idk Id just rather see us play a 1 and 1. Ill be honest though, it could have been Bama that disagreed to a 1 and 1 or maybe it wasn't even discussed.

Re: College Football Thread
 

I read some rumors that Indiana coach Terry Hoepner has passed away. Very sad, if true, but I can't find any verification. Given the announcement that he wasn't returning to coach the team and (I believe) his absence from that press conference, it was pretty apparent he was not doing well. Anyone heard anything?

Re: College Football Thread
 

SI.com had a story that he has indeed passed away.

Re: College Football Thread
 

My friends and I have Certified Florida at LSU as The Big Game of the year and will be in attendance.

Last year's Big Game was Florda at Tennessee, and it didn't disappoint.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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I still have an irrational fear that maybe Morelli will not suck against us. They gotta beat us sooner or later right?


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Penn State's season depends on Good Morelli showing up rather then Bad Morelli. He was much better in the bowl game last year then he was the rest of the year.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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I read some rumors that Indiana coach Terry Hoepner has passed away. Very sad, if true, but I can't find any verification. Given the announcement that he wasn't returning to coach the team and (I believe) his absence from that press conference, it was pretty apparent he was not doing well. Anyone heard anything?

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He died from complications from his brain tumor. I think I heard that he had an aneurysm, but I may have misheard.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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Why isn't the FSU/Bama game neutral? Sets up just like the UF/UGA game just Bama fans have to travel farther, but that's not a problem obviously.

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Why does it have to be at a neutral site at all?

b

Re: College Football Thread
 

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My friends and I have Certified Florida at LSU as The Big Game of the year and will be in attendance.

Last year's Big Game was Florda at Tennessee, and it didn't disappoint.

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Clark,
do you go to great games like once or twice a year? sounds like a decent idea.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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My friends and I have Certified Florida at LSU as The Big Game of the year and will be in attendance.

Last year's Big Game was Florda at Tennessee, and it didn't disappoint.

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Clark,
do you go to great games like once or twice a year? sounds like a decent idea.

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A small group of us decided last year to go to one big college rivalry game of national significance that year, per year, for as long as possible. This is year two.

Last year was obviously a resounding success on all fronts. Big rivalry, national title implications, national TV, prime time SEC game in one of the great CFB stadiums.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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I still have an irrational fear that maybe Morelli will not suck against us. They gotta beat us sooner or later right?


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Penn State's season depends on Good Morelli showing up rather then Bad Morelli. He was much better in the bowl game last year then he was the rest of the year.

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That is what I noticed, too. So, has he turned a corner, or was it an aberration? I expect him to be decent at the very least, but given the surrounding talent "decent" probably leads to 8-4 or so, and not particularly scary to my Wolverines. Even if he turns into a "good" player, they'll still be a dog, but with a reasonable shot at the win, particularly if our secondary is as scary in reality as it is on paper.

This should be an interesting year for Michigan fans. There's some conventional wisdom that I think is largely true: Lloyd coaches every team like he has a strong running game and defense, whether or not he actually does. Last year we basically did. This year, the running game should be strong(er), especially when we have 2 tackles instead of 1 plus a guard who was hopeless as a tackle, but the passing game should be strong and the D should be questionable at best. If he tries to "protect" the D by possessing the ball instead of maximizing the number of points we score (the better way to protect the D, obv), I'm going to be apoplectic. The odds of this are very, very high. I defend him more than most, but if he squanders this great O by playing for possession rather than points, I'll...well, I won't do anything other than be mad and whine about it.

Re: College Football Thread
 

Clark,
sounds like a fantastic idea. I wish my friends had more $. How much do tickets/hotel/airfare usually cost (given it is a huge game typically) ? Do you just leave on that friday and go to the game/leave on saturday?

Re: College Football Thread
 

My share of costs from last year (from memory)
$250 roundtrip to Nashville
$40 car rental (we met a friend who flew in from Chicago in Nashville and 3 of us drove in to Knoxville together. The 4th flew straight to Knoxville).
$80 two nights hotel rental
$300 ticket (3rd row Florida bench (too close, but fun taking trash to Gator players), 40 yard line)
$50 Tenn shirt
$250 food/drinks/cabs.

Seems a little light, I recall thinking it cost me about $1,200 when it was done, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

Re: College Football Thread
 

Clark - Group I worked with had season-tickets to Tennessee and arranged for a group trip to a game one year.
Really cool atmosphere there.
We were 8th row on the 45 or so. Wow!
(still too low, but better than being 3rd row I suspect).

It also turned out to be an amazing game in 2002 in which Tenn/Ark played 6 OT's.
Turned out to be the best thing that happened out of my brief stay working for those morons.


I also went to a game at LSU way back in 1990 and thought Death Valley was just freaking awesome.
You are going to love it.
Some pretty wacky fans down in 'dem 'der parts.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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Clark - Group I worked with had season-tickets to Tennessee and arranged for a group trip to a game one year.
Really cool atmosphere there.
We were 8th row on the 45 or so. Wow!
(still too low, but better than being 3rd row I suspect).

It also turned out to be an amazing game in 2002 in which Tenn/Ark played 6 OT's.
Turned out to be the best thing that happened out of my brief stay working for those morons.


I also went to a game at LSU way back in 1990 and thought Death Valley was just freaking awesome.
You are going to love it.
Some pretty wacky fans down in 'dem 'der parts.

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though i am a bit biased, i definately think that death valley is the optimal place to experience SEC football.

Re: College Football Thread
 

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i definately think that death valley is the optimal place to experience SEC football.

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We'll definitely hit Bama, Auburn and Florida before we die.

SEC not only has the advantage of being the SEC, but ticket costs and costs in general are WAY WAY cheaper than games like ND-scUM, tOSU-scUM, Oklahoma-Texas. We will be living in the southeast for a while.

Re: College Football Thread
 

Oregon Ducks Fan here. It is going to be an interesting year for my Ducks. We are coming off the most underachieving year in memory. We have a new offensive coordinator. We had a top ten (listed by Scout and Rivals as such) year in recruiting last year. We definitely have the tools to get the job done it is simply going to come down to how the players execute.

Our schedule works in our favor in all but one game as all of our tough games are at home except one. We get USC, Cal at home. UCLA will be a tough road game but we should win that one. We get ASU at home who should be much improved with the hiring of criminal player magnate Dennis Erickson. We get WSU at home this year which is nice for a couple reasons. 1st we have played in Pullman 6yrs running, WTF? 2nd is they will be a decent team this year. Stanford, UW games are no worries games wherever they are. We get Fresno St at home, which if you are familiar with their program, is a huge benefit because playing in Fresno is a major biatch (we have played tough games there and who remembers that USC game from their a couple years back!!!!!). We get creampuff houston at home and our last home game is, of course, our little brothers from up the freeway Oregon State. THe civil War (what we call the game here) is always that, A WAR. They hate us and we hate them. For you historians out there it is the 4th oldest rivalry in D1 football if I am not mistaken. The one tough road game we have will be Very tough because it is at Ann Arbor against those Wolverines. I am sure they want revenge after we beat them in Eugene a few years back.

I see this year going two ways, either we win 10+ games or we barely make a bowl at 7-5. We have issues that need to be addressed, and if they are we are looking good and if not, CRAP!!

1st issue is at QB. Our returning starter Dennis Dixon was on fire the 1st half of last year and then completely unraveled for the 2nd half of the year. They say he seems like his confidence has returned. Damn I hope so. When he is good it is something to watch, but when he is bad... It will be interesting to see how he fares with the new OC.

THe new OC situation is what I am most excited about. He held the same position at the U. of New Ham. He apparently is a spread offense genius who adapts very well to his personnel. This is a must because our last OC (who left for the same job at LSU) does not adapt at all. He calls the same few plays frustrating the players and fans alike. Good luck with that scenario LSU. Odds are he will leave there within a couple years. One positive indicator is our new OC, Chip Kelly, led two of his players to be the D-2 offensive players of the year.

Our receiving core is as good as ever. We have some real studs at WR and got a top 20 frosh coming in to boost that lineup. Currently on the team we have 2 top 5 prospects at WR so the new kid will help out. The WR success depends on how our QB situation unfolds. I have my fingers crossed.

Our RB situation is arguably the best 1-2 punch in the nation. Remeber that I said this, watchout for Jonathon Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson from Oregon this year. They will both most certainly log over 1000 yards each this year barring injury and tewart has the potential to have a 2000+ yard year.

Our O-line has been banged up but is solid.

Defensively is where we got some immediate help from the recruiting class this last year and a few of those frosh kids may play ASAP. We got 2 of the top 8 D-lineman in the nation last year. One of them is the cousin of Oregon Alum and current Ravens stud Haloti Ngata. We got a very good MLB who also may see early PT this year.

We have the pieces to make a run this year and for the next few. Realistically without knowing where the QB's head will be at this year We will probably get 8 wins and go to a crappy bowl game. If his mind is right the sky is the limit for this team. And to throw one more factor in about the QB and where his mind may be note he was just drafted by the Atlanta Braves as a centerfielder in the 4th round of the recent MLB draft, so who friggin knows?

Re: College Football Thread
 

Bama fan guy, is Brown really better than Prothro? I don't think I saw one Bama game last year so I have no idea.

UK beats UT this year!! Please God make it happen just once...

Re: College Football Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Clark - Group I worked with had season-tickets to Tennessee and arranged for a group trip to a game one year.
Really cool atmosphere there.
We were 8th row on the 45 or so. Wow!
(still too low, but better than being 3rd row I suspect).

It also turned out to be an amazing game in 2002 in which Tenn/Ark played 6 OT's.
Turned out to be the best thing that happened out of my brief stay working for those morons.


I also went to a game at LSU way back in 1990 and thought Death Valley was just freaking awesome.
You are going to love it.
Some pretty wacky fans down in 'dem 'der parts.

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though i am a bit biased, i definately think that death valley is the optimal place to experience SEC football.

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What's the student seating amount in the stadium these days?