College Football '08: Week 1 Results

[Gokul43201]

Time for the annual College Football trash talking thread. This one's dedicated to Hypatia and Chi Meson (and to Moonbear, if she wants it) and their Alma Mater, Fichigan (hmmm...did I spell that right?).

Noteworthy score of the week: (erstwhile #5 ranked) Wolverines lose to Appalachian State (who?), at home.

Other results of interest :
(#7) Wisconsin thumps WSU Cougs (42-21)
(#4) Texas struggles to hold off Arkansas State (21-13)
(#9) Hokies blame lacklustre offense on emotional state
(#12) Cal Bears smash (#15) Vols with high-powered offense (45-31)

...and I was in the lab all day, and didn't watch a single game!

Go Buckeyes!

 

[russ_watters]

It's going to be fun to watch Notre Dame this year! :rofl:

 

[Gokul43201]

I knew I'd left out a big one! Another lesson in that game is that it doesn't pay to underestimate the yellowjackets - they've been playing pretty good these last couple seasons. And this must be sweet revenge for them too, having lost last year's season opener to ND.

 

[FredGarvin]

I am still laughing my you-know-what off about U of M :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Serves those stuck up morons right. My hat is off to those guys at Appalachia State for going into the "The Big House" and not letting them intimidate them.

 

[jtbell]

Noteworthy score of the week: (erstwhile #5 ranked) Wolverines lose to Appalachian State (who?), at home.

I normally wouldn't have seen this game because I don't have cable or satellite TV and therefore don't have access to the Big Ten Network. However, yesterday I happened to be in a Best Buy store that was showing the game on one of its big-screen TVs, and I watched most of the last quarter. It was definitely a wild finish, right up to the blocked Michigan field goal at the very end that finally lost the game for them.

I took some ribbing as the only Michigan fan in a cluster of AppState fans (Boone NC is up in the mountains not terribly far from here), but I'm happy for them anyway.

 

[Gokul43201]

Ooh wait...I think I messed up. You're the UM alumnus, not Chi.

 

[russ_watters]

It's going to be fun to watch Notre Dame this year! :rofl:

Notre Dame/Penn State - such a fun game.

I can't wait until Navy plays Notre Dame!

And how 'bout Michigan again?

 

[Gokul43201]

And how 'bout Michigan again?

I'd really like to see where all the "experts" that came up with the preseason rankings are hiding their faces right now.

 

[FredGarvin]

U of M didn't just lose today. Oy. What a butt kicking.

There is a lot of talk about expanding the "allowable" schools in the rankings now. It's good to hear.

 

[BobG]

I'd really like to see where all the "experts" that came up with the preseason rankings are hiding their faces right now.

They definitely overestimated Appalachian St. Those chumps barely beat Michigan. I don't think they'll make it a three-peat in I-AA. (They did, however, manage to beat Lenoir-Rhyne, a Lutheran school of 1600, pretty easily.)

 

[russ_watters]

Seriously, the papers are opening the rankings up to I-AA schools, but A-state won't make it just by beating Michigan.

 

[moose]

Speaking of college football, I was at the UA-NAU game today. It was so ****ing amazing! 52 thousand people. I still can't get over at how amazing home games are.

 

[Dr Transport]

Whoo Hoo...Buffalo beat Temple, they aren't the worst in college football...Go Bulls!

 

[RVBuckeye]

Geez, no posts in a month?? Anyway, just to give it a little bump...

On a Buckeye note, I'm pretty darn happy after the happenings last week that we've moved up to number four in the polls. Hopefully, with Florida beating LSU today and Cal-v-USC later this season, our beloved Buckeyes might actually be playing again for the title!

GO BUCKS!

P.S. How's the mood in Columbus Gokul43201?

 

[Gokul43201]

How woudl I nkow ,I"m tooo busy gettiNg (hic) drukn! Cheersh! Go Bucksh!

<after an instant sober up>

Today's game will be the second tough game of the season. The previous biggie was the game at Washington (who'd just come out of a romp against Boise State, and later went on to give USC their biggest scare). I'll admit that the Buckeyes have done a lot better than I'd expected preseason (heck, I wasn't the only one that didn't give them a chance - how do you go to the championship game and then begin the next season ranked at 11?). In fact, their somewhat lacklustre performance in the first two games was closer to my general expectation of them. But they grew the hell up during halftime in Seattle and become a hugely improved team.

I'm still pretty nervous about the Purdue game tonight (as are most sensible Buckeyes). Purdue is still something of a question mark...and probably an underrated one. They had a solid game against the Irish (but that's not saying much) last week, and no real challenge before that.

Meanwhile...the Illini are dismantling Wisconsin (17-0). Holy, freaking COW!

Speaking of which, I wonder if Zz will be going to Urbana-Champaign next week for the http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/bcs50/ (that's Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer, not Bowl Championship Series) paper. The locals would love to have a Badger alumnus to ...well, badger.

 

[Gokul43201]

Kentucky knocks down LSU in 3OT! Mamma mia! What a game!

 

[ZapperZ]

With #2 Cal losing as well, this has been one wacky weekend and one wacky season so far! I love it!

:)

Zz.

 

[RVBuckeye]

Will the real #1 please stand up?

I was envisioning a repeat of the LSU-Florida game when LSU got the ball back with around 1:30 left in the 4th quarter. Great game. Thank you Kentucky!

The Cal game wasn't televised so I was watching the scores scroll by, it was fourth and 17 on the cal 20 (or something) with less than a minute left. Next thing I know 1st and 10 at opp. 12 with around :30 left. NOooooo! But wait, Cal didn't score? What, it's over? The Buckeyes #1? Hey, I'll take it any way I can get it. Thank you (the other) OSU!

Let's get some predictions, what, Ohio State-v-Oklahoma in the final?

 

[Gokul43201]

Woooohooooo!

PS: LSU lost to Darren McFadden in 3OT!

 

[ZapperZ]

Losing is one thing, but a #1 ranked team letting an opponent score 50 points??!

And Texas going down to Texas A&M? What would make this "perfect" will be Kansas going down next.

I LOVE this season of College Football! It makes all the football pundits look utterly silly! :)

Zz.

 

[Gokul43201]

What would make this "perfect" will be Kansas going down next.

No, what would make it perfect will be Kansas losing to Mizzou, and WVU losing to U Conn (sorry Moonbie), and Mizzou losing to Oklahoma next week!

 

[Gokul43201]

Okay, I don't see Pitt doing anything to harm WVU's entry to the Championship Game.

Looks like Moonbear's presence in Mo'town (yeah, I like to be confusing) has been a good thing for the Mountaineers!

The only remaining question: Will OU take out Mizzou again?

 

[ZapperZ]

So, did I mention how much I LOVE this season's college football? :)

I have nothing against Missouri and West Virginia. I'm sure the fans from both teams are hurting very badly now. But with the season the way it is, the chaos somehow is so much fun! :)

Zz.

 

[moose]

We lost to ASU 20-17 :(

 

[RVBuckeye]

Let's get some predictions, what, Ohio State-v-Oklahoma in the final?

Not exactly the way I envisioned it happening, but I have seen almost every game and the Sooners are the real deal. Despite their 2 losses. With this crazy season it just might happen.

Buckeyes are in, let the other guys fight it out. Whoever it is we play, you know tOSU will be bashed for the weak schedule, the loss to Illinois, the blowout by Florida last year, no conference championship game, etc... Let everyone talk, let OSU be the underdog. Shades of 02'-03' anyone?

 

[Integral]

GO BEAVERS!

OSU wins the 111th Civil War in 2OT 38-31

 

[Rade]

Not exactly the way I envisioned it happening, but I have seen almost every game and the Sooners are the real deal. Despite their 2 losses. With this crazy season it just might happen. Buckeyes are in, let the other guys fight it out. Whoever it is we play, you know tOSU will be bashed for the weak schedule, the loss to Illinois, the blowout by Florida last year, no conference championship game, etc... Let everyone talk, let OSU be the underdog. Shades of 02'-03' anyone?

At best, Ohio State should be one rank behind Hawaii. Ohio State should decline invitation to play for national title, they should go play USC in Rose Bowl and for first time this year try to beat a ranked team. LSU should play Sooners for national title.

 

[ZapperZ]

At best, Ohio State should be one rank behind Hawaii. Ohio State should decline invitation to play for national title, they should go play USC in Rose Bowl and for first time this year try to beat a ranked team. LSU should play Sooners for national title.

The problem here is that Hawaii hasn't beaten anyone of any quality. So if you allow only the final record to be the criteria, then everyone will be playing smaller schools all the time from now on.

I don't normally agree with http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/12/02/bcs.mess/index.html?bcnn=yes" , but he made a good point here against Hawaii

Unfortunately, the only such candidate this year, Hawaii, did not beat a single, respectable major-conference foe like Utah did against 7-4 Texas A&M or Boise did against 9-4 Oregon State. To finish undefeated, the Warriors needed only to defeat 4-8 Washington late Saturday night. Even at 12-0, to let in a team that played the likes of Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern would forever devalue the importance of schedule strength.

Ohio State has beated ranked teams : Michigan and Wisconsin.

Zz.

 

[Rade]

OK, I'll give you that Ohio State beat Wisconsin which is a low rank team--but Michigan has no ranking--see here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/polls?poll=1&date=2007-11-25

But note that Ohio State lost to Illinois--a higher ranked team than Wisconsin, so to say Ohio State beat Wisconsin is not saying much. And note that Illinois is ranked behind Hawaii. Also, see that Hawaii beat a "ranked" team, Boise State, which has a better record than Wisconsin, and had a higher ranking at the time played than any of the "ranked" (top 25) teams beat by Ohio State.

So, there is no way Ohio State should be more than +/- one or two points from Hawaii. They get high rank based on their name--not because they are one of two best teams in 2007. There is no way Ohio State should be playing for national title--a joke. They should take the high moral ground and play USC in Rose Bowl--it is all they have earned by playing such a weak schedule. Tressel is very wise--agree to play "very" weak non-conference schedule--and walk into national title via back door. A sad day for NCAA if Ohio State is ranked 1 or 2 in 2007.

 

[RVBuckeye]

At best, Ohio State should be one rank behind Hawaii. Ohio State should decline invitation to play for national title, they should go play USC in Rose Bowl and for first time this year try to beat a ranked team. LSU should play Sooners for national title.

Ouch! Well, you'll get your wish...next year though, and the year after. tOSU is playing USC the next 2 years, like we played Texas last year and the year before. (and would have won them both had Vince Young not gone all Vince Young on us on the fourth quarter.) Washington was scheduled years ago when they were a top team in the pac-10.

If we do end up playing LSU, that's an sec team that plays big 10 football. Better yet we'll give Les Miles a taste of what he was in for had he taken the Fichigan job.

Not to take anything from Hawaii, but paalease.

 

[BobG]

How does LSU jump past Georgia and Kansas that were both ranked ahead of LSU to start the weekend? Granted, LSU never should have fallen that far based on 2 OT losses.

As to Hawaii-Ohio St, it's true Ohio St only had the 60th toughest schedule in the nation, but Hawaii had the 137th toughest schedule in the nation (and Kansas, the other 1 loss team had the 88th toughest).

Ohio St, LSU, Oklahoma, USC, and maybe even Virginia Tech are the top conference champions that deserve to be considered for the national championship game, but I'd be at a loss for a good method to pick which two.

I think LSU would be my top pick (toughest schedule of the 5 and 2 OT losses), and would then probably go with Ohio St just because they only have one loss (their schedule wasn't any easier than Oklahoma's and not that much easier than USC or VaTech).

 

[Gokul43201]

At best, Ohio State should be one rank behind Hawaii.

This is a joke! Hawai'i hasn't played a single ranked team. The Buckeyes have played 2 (Zz: Michigan is not presently ranked). And this is counting only teams that are ranked today.

Ohio State should decline invitation to play for national title, they should go play USC in Rose Bowl and for first time this year try to beat a ranked team.

Ummm...been out of the country, have you? Ohio State has beaten a ranked team.

Also, there is a reason the computers count only games played against ranked teams, rather than wins against ranked teams: while it is bad if you can't beat a ranked team, it is just as bad to lose to an unranked team. And Ohio State did beat Wisconsin quite handily, but lost narrowly against Illinois.

The following is the number of games against presently ranked (top 25 BCS) teams played by each of the top teams:

Ohio State - 2
Mizzou - 4
WVU - 2
UGa - 3
Kansas - 1
VaTech - 4
LSU - 4
USC - 2
Oklahoma - 3
Florida - 4
BC - 2
Hawaii - 0

If I recompile this list tomorrow (after this weekend's games have been included) and count only the top 20 ranked teams, then it'll look like this:

Ohio State - 2
Mizzou - 4
WVU - 1
UGa - 2
Kansas - 1
VaTech - 3
LSU - 3
USC - 1
Oklahoma - 3
Florida - 3
BC - 2
Hawaii - 0Sort of squashes your argument that Ohio State has played a lower quality of opponent than Hawaii, doesn't it?

LSU should play Sooners for national title.

And while Ohio State hasn't lost a single game to an unranked team, both LSU and Oklahoma lost twice to unranked teams!

However, in Oklahoma's case, the highlight of their ineptitude was actually one of their wins. If the most pathetic performance this season was Michigan against Appalachia State, then number 2 arguably belongs to the Sooners, in their shameful performance against then 1-7 (now 3-9) Iowa State. It took till the last minutes of the 4th quarter, and it was a fortunate deflection off a tipped pass that finally sealed the victory for OU. And this is the same Iowa State that was trounced 45-7 by Kansas, and 56-3 by Texas.

And to close out, take a look at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/stats/2007/divia/team/index.html before you say that Ohio State does not have a legitimate claim at the Championship game.

PS: Here's the most recently updated SoS (by win/loss ratio): http://www.warrennolan.com/football/2007/sos. Oklahoma is ranked 39, Ohio State is 42, USC is 73 and Hawaii is 118. USC has played only 2 teams with winning records.

 

[Gokul43201]

(deleted earlier predictions)

It's now official: Ohio State will play LSU in the Big Easy for the National title.

 

[moose]

GO BEAVERS!

OSU wins the 111th Civil War in 2OT 38-31

That was an amazing game!