2012 College Football Offseason Thread

[Andy]

Full USA Today poll:

 

1. LSU (18)

2. Alabama (20)

3. USC (19)

4. Oklahoma (1)

5. Oregon

6. Georgia

7. Florida State (1)

8. Michigan

9. South Carolina

10. Arkansas

11. West Virginia

12. Wisconsin

13. Michigan State

14. Clemson

15. Texas

16. Nebraska

17. TCU

18. Stanford

19. Oklahoma State

20. Virginia Tech

21. Kansas State

22. Boise State

23. Florida

24. Notre Dame

25. Auburn

[Smack]

Granted pre-season polls are meaningless but...3, 4, 8, 13, and 18 on the schedule. Gulp.

 

Plus the best Purdue team in almost a decade is awaiting you in week two after traveling back from Ireland. I'm not a Danny Hope fan but I gotta think a short week, jetlag, over-confidence, and looking down the road to all those ranked teams plays in our favor.

[Guest]

Will someone please direct me to where I can bet the under on whatever Florida State's expectations are for this season so I may collect my free money?

 

Also, I have a pretty strong inclination that we're going to be wondering why we put K-State in the Top 25 by the end of October.

[Tracer Bullet]

Will someone please direct me to where I can bet the under on whatever Florida State's expectations are for this season so I may collect my free money?

 

Also, I have a pretty strong inclination that we're going to be wondering why we put K-State in the Top 25 by the end of October.

 

Half those teams probably won't be in the top 25 at years end. I really do hate preseason polls.

[Andy]

Ralph Russo said on Twitter earlier that the (clearly superior) AP poll will be released on Aug. 18, for those curious.

[Tracer Bullet]

Granted pre-season polls are meaningless but...3, 4, 8, 13, and 18 on the schedule. Gulp.

 

Plus the best Purdue team in almost a decade is awaiting you in week two after traveling back from Ireland. I'm not a Danny Hope fan but I gotta think a short week, jetlag, over-confidence, and looking down the road to all those ranked teams plays in our favor.

 

I'm not sure any of those will be a problem in week 2. This isn't a team coming off a big bowl win or something. Heck they don't even have a QB yet. ND isn't at a place where it's looking pasta my opponents yet.

[Derwood]

Despite the loss of Redd, I still think Penn State will be okay this year. The first half of the schedule (Ohio, at VA, Navy, Temple, at Illinois, Northwestern, at Iowa) is pretty soft, even for a mediocre team

[Magnetic Curses]

nowicki transfers to illinois. he wasn't one of those high fallutin pirate hookers calling themselves team outlaw.

[hawkeyecub]

Also, I have a pretty strong inclination that we're going to be wondering why we put K-State in the Top 25 by the end of October.

 

Really? You probably saw them more than I did last year but I like Klein and think they should be a top 20 team. I think it may have been Mandel who saw their ranking and thought they were very underrated.

[Old Style]

Granted pre-season polls are meaningless but...3, 4, 8, 13, and 18 on the schedule. Gulp.

I feel your pain. 1, 2, 10, 23, and 25 for us.

[Old Style]

Will hopefully find out in the next day or two if Texas is getting Penn St kicker.

 

I know very exciting.

You got him. Congrats!

[NOLA]

YEAH! Arkansas is in the Top 10!

Oh yeah, 2 teams in the division and four teams in the conference are ranked ahead of them. Jeebus.

 

I have to believe that Alabama is ranked way too high. They lost tons of D to the NFL and have to replace their leading rusher and receiver.

 

LSU could be great. Sure, Zach Mettenberger is a first time starter at QB, but could he possibly be worse than JJ or Lee? They don't lean on their QB to win games anyway.

 

The biggest mystery of college football this year is Arkansas. It would not surprise me if they went to the title game or to the Music City Bowl. JL Smith definitely is not the long term answer at coach, but that team is loaded. There's a new D coordinator with a senior group, the O is in great hands, and maybe they respond to a different approach than the hard ass Bobby Petrino. I know there's been quotes from players to suggest that.

 

South Carolina might finally get over the hump this year. Garcia is finally out of the picture and this Shaw guy looks to be solid, Lattimore is healthy and the D is loaded.

 

Georgia? Who knows? The schedule is insanely easy for the SEC, but Mark Richt is still coaching there.

 

Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Miss State are meh.

Kentucky should be improved.

Ole Miss will be awful. That schedule is just brutal.

 

I have to believe that Mizzou is in for a very rude awakening. Vandy is pretty solid and and is the Tigers' homecoming game. Looks rough for them.

 

aTm could sneak up on some teams but that defense doesn't have the horses to compete week in and out.

[NOLA]

edit: repost Edited August 3, 2012 by NOLA

[OleMissCub]

Road games against four of the top 10 teams...wow. Ole Miss' schedule has to be the hardest in the county.

[Guest]

Also, I have a pretty strong inclination that we're going to be wondering why we put K-State in the Top 25 by the end of October.

 

Really? You probably saw them more than I did last year but I like Klein and think they should be a top 20 team. I think it may have been Mandel who saw their ranking and thought they were very underrated.

 

They danced a razor's edge last year. Teams that get outgained by 700 yards, have a +15 turnover margin, go 8-1 in games decided by 7 points or less, and still win 10 games don't have the best history when it comes to repeating their success.

[NOLA]

edit: repost Edited August 3, 2012 by NOLA

[NOLA]

Road games against four of the top 10 teams...wow. Ole Miss' schedule has to be the hardest in the county.

 

And don't forget they get the Longhorns at home. They had better beat Tulane. I will be there wearing green.

BTW, the new on campus Tulane Stadium is being built and should be ready by the 2013 season. The talk is that they are trying to get Ole Miss agree to open up the stadium next fall. I'm pumped because when it's built I can walk a few blocks to the games.

[Old Style]

aTm could sneak up on some teams but that defense doesn't have the horses to compete week in and out.

Unfortunately you are right on with that. I'm excited to see our offense, though. We have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. Hopefully Showers won't suck at QB.

[NOLA]

aTm could sneak up on some teams but that defense doesn't have the horses to compete week in and out.

Unfortunately you are right on with that. I'm excited to see our offense, though. We have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. Hopefully Showers won't suck at QB.

 

 

I am curious to know what the average Aggie fan expects for their first year in the SEC. I know I've heard a few delusional Mizzou alums say that they're going to challenge for the SEC-East. I cannot see that possibly happening.

[Guest]

I don't know why it's crazy to think Mizzou can be in the hunt for the East. They get Georgia at home, and there's a reasonable argument to be made that they're as good or better than the remainder of the East, with Florida and SC breaking in new QBs(plus Florida being mediocre post-Meyer) and UT/Vandy/UK having been down for several years. Should they be the favorite? No. Would it be a shock if they finished 4th? No. But the East is a pretty muddled group, and Mizzou is a good program with a returning QB.

[fiver]

Granted pre-season polls are meaningless but...3, 4, 8, 13, and 18 on the schedule. Gulp.

I feel your pain. 1, 2, 10, 23, and 25 for us.

 

 

1, 2, 6, 10, 14, plus A&M and Mississippi State for us.

[Old Style]

aTm could sneak up on some teams but that defense doesn't have the horses to compete week in and out.

Unfortunately you are right on with that. I'm excited to see our offense, though. We have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. Hopefully Showers won't suck at QB.

 

 

I am curious to know what the average Aggie fan expects for their first year in the SEC. I know I've heard a few delusional Mizzou alums say that they're going to challenge for the SEC-East. I cannot see that possibly happening.

Shockingly most of us are being very realistic about it, which is not usual for Aggies. Of course you're going to get some dumbass that thinks 9-3 or even 10-2 is possible, but most people I talk to are expecting something from 6-6 to 8-4. I'm probably right in the middle of that at 7-5. We should go 4-0 in non-conference and I would think Ole Miss is a game we should expect to win. Alabama and LSU are going to kill us. Auburn should beat us without much trouble. I don't know what to think with everything that's happened at Arkansas, but I know they have plenty of talent. That leaves home games against Florida & Missouri and a road game at Mississippi State as the toss-ups.

[SouthSideRyan]

Wait, when did A&M join the SEC?

[NOLA]

I don't know why it's crazy to think Mizzou can be in the hunt for the East. They get Georgia at home, and there's a reasonable argument to be made that they're as good or better than the remainder of the East, with Florida and SC breaking in new QBs(plus Florida being mediocre post-Meyer) and UT/Vandy/UK having been down for several years. Should they be the favorite? No. Would it be a shock if they finished 4th? No. But the East is a pretty muddled group, and Mizzou is a good program with a returning QB.

 

I think you're underestimating some of the East. I don't think Mizzou can move the ball against the Georgia defense, and that's not to mention Aaron Murray at QB. They have a ton of weapons; I just don't like Richt.

 

South Carolina's QB started most of the season last year. In fact, it's when Shaw took over that they started to take off. That defense is the best Spurrier has had there. Oh yeah, then there's Marcus Lattimore. And it's in SC. I see loss.

 

If you haven't seen Vandy lately, that is a team on the rise, or at least until their coach gets a bigger gig. That team is tough. I'll give the benefit and say toss up.

 

I have to believe that a mediocre Florida is better than Missouri. Much better athletes, and it's in the Swamp. Loss

 

Tennessee is decent, but the game is at Neyland. Toss up for me.

 

Bama=loss.

 

aTm on the road. Toss up, but lean to a loss.

[Guest]

Oh, okay, you're a "we'll see if they can beat Vandy" guy. Carry on.