College Football - Week 11 (Nov. 10)

[UMFan83]

Can we talk about the SEC just not being that good?

 

Compared to who?

 

Their perception where they've occupied 5 spots in the top 10 all season and already have a bye to the Championship?

 

I was going to make a comment about this earlier. Take a team like South Carolina. They are #8 despite being blown out by 33 points to florida, losing to LSU as well. They did blowout Georgia, which was impressive, but outside of that win, they havent beaten anyone. Look at the rest of their wins.. Vandy (5-4), ECU (6-4), UAB (3-7), Missouri (5-5), Kentucky (1-9), Tennessee (4-6), Arkansas (4-6). You'd think that a team playing in the SEC with all these top 5 teams would have at least 2-3 wins over ranked teams if they are #8 in the country.

 

Georgia is similar to South Carolina. They beat a good team (Florida) and got blown out by 28 points for their only loss to South Carolina. Other than that, their wins are over Buffalo (3-7), Missouri (5-5), Florida Atlantic (3-7), Vandy (5-4), Tennessee (4-6), Kentucky (1-9), Mississippi (5-4) and are on their way to beating Auburn (2-8). Their last 2 games are somehow against Georgia Southern (1-AA) and Georgia Tech (5-5) then the SEC title game most likely. How do you get through the supposedly impossible SEC with 1 win over a ranked team until the championship game?

 

Yet LSU and South Carolina are 2 loss teams in the top 10. Immediately after them are an undefeated team (going into the week) and 3 one loss teams from BCS conferences (Florida State, Oregon State and Clemson). I don't necessarily think the SEC is vastly overrated, but I'm starting to think it is overrated to some degree.

[snoodmonger]

Go Bama.

Pulling for purple Kansas?

Gross. Of course not.

[rawaction]

Can we talk about the SEC just not being that good?

 

Compared to who?

 

Their perception where they've occupied 5 spots in the top 10 all season and already have a bye to the Championship?

 

I was going to make a comment about this earlier. Take a team like South Carolina. They are #8 despite being blown out by 33 points to florida, losing to LSU as well. They did blowout Georgia, which was impressive, but outside of that win, they havent beaten anyone. Look at the rest of their wins.. Vandy (5-4), ECU (6-4), UAB (3-7), Missouri (5-5), Kentucky (1-9), Tennessee (4-6), Arkansas (4-6). You'd think that a team playing in the SEC with all these top 5 teams would have at least 2-3 wins over ranked teams if they are #8 in the country.

 

Georgia is similar to South Carolina. They beat a good team (Florida) and got blown out by 28 points for their only loss to South Carolina. Other than that, their wins are over Buffalo (3-7), Missouri (5-5), Florida Atlantic (3-7), Vandy (5-4), Tennessee (4-6), Kentucky (1-9), Mississippi (5-4) and are on their way to beating Auburn (2-8). Their last 2 games are somehow against Georgia Southern (1-AA) and Georgia Tech (5-5) then the SEC title game most likely. How do you get through the supposedly impossible SEC with 1 win over a ranked team until the championship game?

 

Yet LSU and South Carolina are 2 loss teams in the top 10. Immediately after them are an undefeated team (going into the week) and 3 one loss teams from BCS conferences (Florida State, Oregon State and Clemson). I don't necessarily think the SEC is vastly overrated, but I'm starting to think it is overrated to some degree.

 

Of course they're overrated. They've won the last how many championships as a conference, including playing themselves in the championship game last year. And the fact that every good team in the conference has a top 10 win should say something. They are literally beating each other up. KState only has 1 win over a top 10, and that team isn't in the top 10 anymore (Oklahoma).

[bukie]

Can we talk about the SEC just not being that good?

 

Compared to who?

 

Their perception where they've occupied 5 spots in the top 10 all season and already have a bye to the Championship?

 

I was going to make a comment about this earlier. Take a team like South Carolina. They are #8 despite being blown out by 33 points to florida, losing to LSU as well. They did blowout Georgia, which was impressive, but outside of that win, they havent beaten anyone. Look at the rest of their wins.. Vandy (5-4), ECU (6-4), UAB (3-7), Missouri (5-5), Kentucky (1-9), Tennessee (4-6), Arkansas (4-6). You'd think that a team playing in the SEC with all these top 5 teams would have at least 2-3 wins over ranked teams if they are #8 in the country.

 

Georgia is similar to South Carolina. They beat a good team (Florida) and got blown out by 28 points for their only loss to South Carolina. Other than that, their wins are over Buffalo (3-7), Missouri (5-5), Florida Atlantic (3-7), Vandy (5-4), Tennessee (4-6), Kentucky (1-9), Mississippi (5-4) and are on their way to beating Auburn (2-8). Their last 2 games are somehow against Georgia Southern (1-AA) and Georgia Tech (5-5) then the SEC title game most likely. How do you get through the supposedly impossible SEC with 1 win over a ranked team until the championship game?

 

Yet LSU and South Carolina are 2 loss teams in the top 10. Immediately after them are an undefeated team (going into the week) and 3 one loss teams from BCS conferences (Florida State, Oregon State and Clemson). I don't necessarily think the SEC is vastly overrated, but I'm starting to think it is overrated to some degree.

 

Of course they're overrated. They've won the last how many championships as a conference, including playing themselves in the championship game last year. And the fact that every good team in the conference has a top 10 win should say something. They are literally beating each other up. KState only has 1 win over a top 10, and that team isn't in the top 10 anymore (Oklahoma).

Playing themselves in the championship last year was a crock, and the only reason every good team in the conference has a top 10 win is because any SEC team can lose twice and stay in the top 10.

[bcl412]

I didn't mind LSU playing Alabama in the title game. I did find it annoying that Alabama was the champion even though they played each other twice and split both meetings with both losses being to each other. Actually, LSU's win was at Alabama which was more impressive.

 

I mean, stuff like this happens in all sports but I still find it annoying.

[shnsajax]

I can't believe that Bama out aggied Aggie. I actually am happy for A&M though, not completely sure why either.

 

SEC is down this year no doubt. Oregon vs KState would be an exciting game but ratings killer.

[Guest]

Washington State's star WR Marquess Wilson was suspended and then quit the team for violation of team rules. Now he's alleging abuse from the coaches in the Mike Leach regime.

[sneakypower]

the 4th down play that won the game for Michigan

http://i45.tinypic.com/vpdmh3.gif

[CubColtPacer]

Oregon is the most likely to lose of the undefeateds with Stanford and Oregon St left, not to mention the only team to potentially play in a conference championship of the 3. If it's K-State and Notre Dame undefeated, someone really has a chance to jump one with a loss. I don't think anyone wants to see that game.

 

There's no way IMO that two major conference teams with good schedules would get jumped by a team with 1 loss. Especially one that won't end up having much better of a schedule if it's better at all.

 

ND isn't in a conference.

 

Of course. That was just shorthand for saying a team that a pollster is naturally going to give more respect to (as opposed to Boise or TCU in previous years). ND isn't in a conference, but they play the same strength of schedule as teams in major conferences, so they are treated the same.

[snoodmonger]

Go Bama.

Pulling for purple Kansas?

 

My guess is more rooting against aTm and the SEC.

 

No. I don't want KSU in the title game, so i was hoping for other teams to stay undefeated and keep them out.

[Old Style]

Did you guys watch any good games this afternoon?

[Guest]

I just put on the Oregon game and they got an interception and a touchdown pass in about 8 seconds.

[ctcf]

Just how many different uniforms does Oregon [expletive] have, anyway?

[bcl412]

I find that some weeks, I really like Oregon and some weeks I can't stand them. It's kind of strange.

[Guest]

Oregon is the most likely to lose of the undefeateds with Stanford and Oregon St left, not to mention the only team to potentially play in a conference championship of the 3. If it's K-State and Notre Dame undefeated, someone really has a chance to jump one with a loss. I don't think anyone wants to see that game.

Notre Dame is a draw on its own. If they're one of two undefeated teams, there's no chance they get left out of the NC.

 

Agreed. If ND was No. 1 and the debate was between and unbeaten KSt and a one-loss Bama, I could see pollsters voting Bama over KSt (not that I agree with it). But KSt is clearly ahead of ND and I can't see enough pollsters picking Bama over ND to drop ND to 3 in that scenario.

[Andy]

I didn't mind LSU playing Alabama in the title game. I did find it annoying that Alabama was the champion even though they played each other twice and split both meetings with both losses being to each other. Actually, LSU's win was at Alabama which was more impressive.

 

I mean, stuff like this happens in all sports but I still find it annoying.

The BCS says "Every Game Matters" and then announced that Every Game Mattered except for the LSU/Bama regular-season game last year. Alabama was better than Oklahoma State and proved it in the title game, but if you say Every Game Matters, mean it. That was my issue. It still is, actually.

 

Notre Dame is playing a better schedule than Kansas State this year, but it's hard to argue too hard in their favor because of the Pitt and Purdue games. I'd be upset if they got left out at 12-0 but I'd have a hard time saying it was undeserved.

[Andy]

Can we talk about the SEC just not being that good?

I've been trying to for months, but the media, as well as at least one friend of mine, simply won't hear of it. The SEC is the best conference this year but it's not a runaway.

 

Florida struggled with Bowling Green AND UL Lafayette, LSU struggled with Towson and their only "impressive" win is Florida, Mississippi State has been rolled by the only three teams they've played that could even be described as decent, Georgia also counts Florida as their only really impressive win, and hell, even Alabama is currently 1-1 against the teams they've played that will be ranked tomorrow. And they're the only conference that literally does not leave their conference footprint to play a game, ever (save the occasional Vanderbilt/Northwestern game). It drives me batty.

[FloridaCubbie]

Can we talk about the SEC just not being that good?

I've been trying to for months, but the media, as well as at least one friend of mine, simply won't hear of it. The SEC is the best conference this year but it's not a runaway.

 

Florida struggled with Bowling Green AND UL Lafayette, LSU struggled with Towson and their only "impressive" win is Florida, Mississippi State has been rolled by the only three teams they've played that could even be described as decent, Georgia also counts Florida as their only really impressive win, and hell, even Alabama is currently 1-1 against the teams they've played that will be ranked tomorrow. And they're the only conference that literally does not leave their conference footprint to play a game, ever (save the occasional Vanderbilt/Northwestern game). It drives me batty.

I know it feels like UF has at least 2 losses, but they don't.

 

Yes the SEC is overrated, but you can usually count on the SEC Champ being very good and well tested. In this system that's all you need for conference dominance.

[NewUserName]

The best non-conference wins for the entire SEC are La Tech and Michigan. The rest of their high rankings have been more earned on winning big games in conference. I am pretty sure they are over-rated, but I also have a hard time seeing who is being ranked too low because so many SEC schools are at the top. The SEC is also getting push in the computers rankings. I think if Florida losses to FSU and South Carolina losses to Clemson then the entire SEC being so powerful argument really unravels.

[Tracer Bullet]

I really need to understand the KSU love. They beat another middling Big 12 team, this time by 13, and they've all but punched their ticket to the title game. They've beaten 3 cupcakes (sorry, snood) and 3 Big 12 teams that hover around the bottom of the top 25 by artificially inflating their rankings without beating any goods teams (just each other and the wildly overrated WVU).

 

You beat Oklahoma on the road by 5? Nice work. ND beat them on the road by 17 a few weeks later when OU had their 2 suspended players back.

 

You beat Miami at home by 39? ND beat them at a neutral site (admittedly more favorable to ND than Miami) by 38.

 

So we play close games. That's fair. ND isn't often going to score 50 points (except against bowl-bound Navy). Then again, ND isn't going to give up 21 to the likes of North Texas, either. In fact, ND went 3 straight games against MSU, UM (with Nard), and Miami without giving up a single TD, let alone 3 TDs to any one of them.

 

Take away ND's win on the road against top-10 MSU. That's fair. We'll dock KSU's top-13 road win against WVU too. Then again, we should probably take a gander at that top-14 win against T Tech, who at 7-3 had 4 early victories against Northwestern State (didn't know it existed), Texas St (seriously thought abuck made this school up to mock Old Style), New Mexico (Boob Davie!), and Iowa State. Tech's also closing strong with a 3OT win against TCU and an OT win against Kansas (?) sandwiched around losses to KSU and Texas.

 

On the other hand, to win out, ND will still have wins against top-15 Stanford and top-20 Southern Cal to go with that OU victory. KSU's second best win after OU is...Texas (whose beaten literally no one - look at their schedule)? Texas Tech?

 

The worst team on ND's schedule is probably BC at 2-8. BC is on par (and probably better than) Kansas, which is KSU's 3rd worst team. Is beating Purdue or Pitt in a close game really worse than beating Missouri St or beating North Texas by just 2 TDs?

 

ND still has to win out. No guarantee, esp with Laney waiting and maybe saving his job by knocking ND out of the title picture. But like I said, someone's going to have to explain the KSU love to me. They have the weakest resume of the 3 unbeaten teams. Why does squeaking by TCU punch their ticket?

[Tracer Bullet]

You know who I really feel bad for? The Western Carolina players. Heading to Tuscaloosa to face a team that Saban is going to run to the ground all week. They're 0-8 in the Southern Conf and giving up what appears to be 40+ ppg. A team outclassed by the Southern Conf is Bama's opponent this week. Their lone win comes against a team that doesn't even have a page on ESPN.

 

Then again, this is their last game and W Carolina had a bye this week. So I'm sure the players are going to give it their all.

 

Speaking of ppg. Bama and ND now tied for first at 11.1 ppg. Apparently Bama's 2 games against Sun Belt teams count in that calculation. Does the game against Western Carolina count too?

[Andy]

Can we talk about the SEC just not being that good?

I've been trying to for months, but the media, as well as at least one friend of mine, simply won't hear of it. The SEC is the best conference this year but it's not a runaway.

 

Florida struggled with Bowling Green AND UL Lafayette, LSU struggled with Towson and their only "impressive" win is Florida, Mississippi State has been rolled by the only three teams they've played that could even be described as decent, Georgia also counts Florida as their only really impressive win, and hell, even Alabama is currently 1-1 against the teams they've played that will be ranked tomorrow. And they're the only conference that literally does not leave their conference footprint to play a game, ever (save the occasional Vanderbilt/Northwestern game). It drives me batty.

I know it feels like UF has at least 2 losses, but they don't.

 

Yes the SEC is overrated, but you can usually count on the SEC Champ being very good and well tested. In this system that's all you need for conference dominance.

I screwed up on that one. Whoops.

[Andy]

I really need to understand the KSU love. They beat another middling Big 12 team, this time by 13, and they've all but punched their ticket to the title game. They've beaten 3 cupcakes (sorry, snood) and 3 Big 12 teams that hover around the bottom of the top 25 by artificially inflating their rankings without beating any goods teams (just each other and the wildly overrated WVU).

 

You beat Oklahoma on the road by 5? Nice work. ND beat them on the road by 17 a few weeks later when OU had their 2 suspended players back.

 

You beat Miami at home by 39? ND beat them at a neutral site (admittedly more favorable to ND than Miami) by 38.

 

So we play close games. That's fair. ND isn't often going to score 50 points (except against bowl-bound Navy). Then again, ND isn't going to give up 21 to the likes of North Texas, either. In fact, ND went 3 straight games against MSU, UM (with Nard), and Miami without giving up a single TD, let alone 3 TDs to any one of them.

 

Take away ND's win on the road against top-10 MSU. That's fair. We'll dock KSU's top-13 road win against WVU too. Then again, we should probably take a gander at that top-14 win against T Tech, who at 7-3 had 4 early victories against Northwestern State (didn't know it existed), Texas St (seriously thought abuck made this school up to mock Old Style), New Mexico (Boob Davie!), and Iowa State. Tech's also closing strong with a 3OT win against TCU and an OT win against Kansas (?) sandwiched around losses to KSU and Texas.

 

On the other hand, to win out, ND will still have wins against top-15 Stanford and top-20 Southern Cal to go with that OU victory. KSU's second best win after OU is...Texas (whose beaten literally no one - look at their schedule)? Texas Tech?

 

The worst team on ND's schedule is probably BC at 2-8. BC is on par (and probably better than) Kansas, which is KSU's 3rd worst team. Is beating Purdue or Pitt in a close game really worse than beating Missouri St or beating North Texas by just 2 TDs?

 

ND still has to win out. No guarantee, esp with Laney waiting and maybe saving his job by knocking ND out of the title picture. But like I said, someone's going to have to explain the KSU love to me. They have the weakest resume of the 3 unbeaten teams. Why does squeaking by TCU punch their ticket?

:good:

[KingCubsFan]

I really need to understand the KSU love. They beat another middling Big 12 team, this time by 13, and they've all but punched their ticket to the title game. They've beaten 3 cupcakes (sorry, snood) and 3 Big 12 teams that hover around the bottom of the top 25 by artificially inflating their rankings without beating any goods teams (just each other and the wildly overrated WVU).

 

You beat Oklahoma on the road by 5? Nice work. ND beat them on the road by 17 a few weeks later when OU had their 2 suspended players back.

 

You beat Miami at home by 39? ND beat them at a neutral site (admittedly more favorable to ND than Miami) by 38.

 

So we play close games. That's fair. ND isn't often going to score 50 points (except against bowl-bound Navy). Then again, ND isn't going to give up 21 to the likes of North Texas, either. In fact, ND went 3 straight games against MSU, UM (with Nard), and Miami without giving up a single TD, let alone 3 TDs to any one of them.

 

Take away ND's win on the road against top-10 MSU. That's fair. We'll dock KSU's top-13 road win against WVU too. Then again, we should probably take a gander at that top-14 win against T Tech, who at 7-3 had 4 early victories against Northwestern State (didn't know it existed), Texas St (seriously thought abuck made this school up to mock Old Style), New Mexico (Boob Davie!), and Iowa State. Tech's also closing strong with a 3OT win against TCU and an OT win against Kansas (?) sandwiched around losses to KSU and Texas.

 

On the other hand, to win out, ND will still have wins against top-15 Stanford and top-20 Southern Cal to go with that OU victory. KSU's second best win after OU is...Texas (whose beaten literally no one - look at their schedule)? Texas Tech?

 

The worst team on ND's schedule is probably BC at 2-8. BC is on par (and probably better than) Kansas, which is KSU's 3rd worst team. Is beating Purdue or Pitt in a close game really worse than beating Missouri St or beating North Texas by just 2 TDs?

 

ND still has to win out. No guarantee, esp with Laney waiting and maybe saving his job by knocking ND out of the title picture. But like I said, someone's going to have to explain the KSU love to me. They have the weakest resume of the 3 unbeaten teams. Why does squeaking by TCU punch their ticket?

Agreed. I think it has more to do with ND's weaknesses (barely beating Pitt and Purdue) than it has to do with anything Kansas State has done.

[bukie]

FYI: difference in Sagarin ratings:

 

Sagarin BCS:

1. ND

2. Kansas State

3. Florida

4. Georgia

5. Oregon

6. LSU

7. Oklahoma

8. South Carolina

9. Alabama

10. Texas A&M

 

Sagarin Predictor (points-based):

1. Alabama

2. Oregon

3. Kansas State

4. Texas A&M

5. Notre Dame

6. Florida

7. Oklahoma

8. Georgia

9. South Carolina

10. LSU

 

So, based strictly on schedule, wins and losses, the championship should be ND-KSU. Based on points performance in games, it should be Alabama-Oregon.