College Football - Bowl Games

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Adam Rittenberg: Pete, some good points here on Missouri. Before Nebraska became a realistic option for Big Ten expansion, I really like the idea of adding Missouri as a 12th member. And Missouri wanted in. Real bad. But if you listened to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany last month, he talked about building a bridge to the East Coast, being a conference in two areas of the country (Midwest and East Coast), creating a Big Ten satellite office on the East Coast. That all suggests the Big Ten is much more interested in moving East than West. Missouri has some nice pluses, too, but the demographic gains you get with Mizzou might not be as good as what you could get with Georgia Tech, North Carolina or Virginia.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/74304/big-ten-friday-mailblog-15

[imb]

This just keeps getting sadder

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ND at best is a 3 loss SEC team.

 

This is just goofy.

 

It's highly unlikely ND could have beaten Bama, Georgia, A&M and LSU in the regular season. Those teams were all deep and talented enough to play extremely competitive games against each other. ND didn't just get their butts kicked because Saban game planned well against them, but also because they were entirely overmatched by the speed and physicality of Bama.

 

Did you watch last year's title game? LSU already beat Bama once in a close game. But with 5 weeks to prepare, LSU barely crosses midfield and is dominated in a shutout. What's the explanation there? LSU isn't physical enough for the SEC?

[Butterscup1679666578]

A lot of truth there for sure, but missouri wasn't turned down. Probably best to call it a mutual disagreement. It never got to the point where there was a formal offer.

[jersey cubs fan]

Kate Upton and I have a mutual disagreement about whether or not we should be dating, but there's never been a formal offer either.

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A lot of truth there for sure, but missouri wasn't turned down. Probably best to call it a mutual disagreement. It never got to the point where there was a formal offer.

 

I only said they weren't good enough. I didn't say anything about offers being turned down. That was your comment. They wanted in and the big ten took Maryland and Rutgers instead. The details of the process aren't that important.

[Old Style]

With a bye week beforehand and it being the second game of the season, you can bet Saban will be well-prepared for that game. I wonder what his record is against teams following a loss.

What games has Saban not been well prepared for? Maybe he overlooked us a little bit last year, but it's not like he takes much for granted.

[KingCubsFan]

With a bye week beforehand and it being the second game of the season, you can bet Saban will be well-prepared for that game. I wonder what his record is against teams following a loss.

What games has Saban not been well prepared for? Maybe he overlooked us a little bit last year, but it's not like he takes much for granted.

Not saying that at all. You may disagree with me, but I think a big reason for the blowouts in the last two championship games, the Michigan game, etc. have to do with the fact that Saban had more than a week to concentrate on the opponent. He'll similarly have two weeks to prepare for A&M, and I have to think losing this season will give him an added edge.

[Old Style]

Saban is a great coach and he is definitely tough to beat with extra time to prepare. But it's not like we won't be prepared for that one too. And Sumlin has proven himself to be a damn good coach in a short amount of time. I think this year was Notre Dame being exposed as overrated, which wasn't a complete surprise to many. And despite his success, what Bama did to LSU last year was more Saban outcoaching Les Miles who is much more of a lucky gambler than a good gameday coach.

[Banedon]

http://i.imgur.com/lGViB.png

[Andy]

Saban is a great coach and he is definitely tough to beat with extra time to prepare. But it's not like we won't be prepared for that one too. And Sumlin has proven himself to be a damn good coach in a short amount of time. I think this year was Notre Dame being exposed as overrated, which wasn't a complete surprise to many. And despite his success, what Bama did to LSU last year was more Saban outcoaching Les Miles who is much more of a lucky gambler than a good gameday coach.

So when Saban's team blasts Notre Dame, ND is exposed as a pretender. But when they blast an SEC team under the exact same circumstances, it's Saban. Got it.

[KingCubsFan]

Saban is a great coach and he is definitely tough to beat with extra time to prepare. But it's not like we won't be prepared for that one too. And Sumlin has proven himself to be a damn good coach in a short amount of time. I think this year was Notre Dame being exposed as overrated, which wasn't a complete surprise to many. And despite his success, what Bama did to LSU last year was more Saban outcoaching Les Miles who is much more of a lucky gambler than a good gameday coach.

So when Saban's team blasts Notre Dame, ND is exposed as a pretender. But when they blast an SEC team under the exact same circumstances, it's Saban. Got it.

Yeah, the result was much more than "ND is overrated." Alabama is better physically than every team in the country, SEC or not. Give Saban more time to prepare and that advantage is only magnified.

[sneakypower]

i love the idea that Saban's now some schematic mastermind now too, like he's devising all these gadget plays instead of just telling his team "you're 5-stars and they're 3-stars...this ain't hockey!"

[Andy]

i love the idea that Saban's now some schematic mastermind now too, like he's devising all these gadget plays instead of just telling his team "you're 5-stars and they're 3-stars...this ain't hockey!"

I can neither confirm nor deny rumors that Roger Goodell, as a Tagliabue underling, secretly paid Saban off to leave the Dolphins for Bama so he could destroy college football.

[SpongeWorthy]

i love the idea that Saban's now some schematic mastermind now too, like he's devising all these gadget plays instead of just telling his team "you're 5-stars and they're 3-stars...this ain't hockey!"

 

ND is full of 3 stars?

[Old Style]

Saban is a great coach and he is definitely tough to beat with extra time to prepare. But it's not like we won't be prepared for that one too. And Sumlin has proven himself to be a damn good coach in a short amount of time. I think this year was Notre Dame being exposed as overrated, which wasn't a complete surprise to many. And despite his success, what Bama did to LSU last year was more Saban outcoaching Les Miles who is much more of a lucky gambler than a good gameday coach.

So when Saban's team blasts Notre Dame, ND is exposed as a pretender. But when they blast an SEC team under the exact same circumstances, it's Saban. Got it.

Yeah, the result was much more than "ND is overrated." Alabama is better physically than every team in the country, SEC or not. Give Saban more time to prepare and that advantage is only magnified.

Alabama didn't go undefeated this year. And both Georgia & LSU played them down to the wire.

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i love the idea that Saban's now some schematic mastermind now too, like he's devising all these gadget plays instead of just telling his team "you're 5-stars and they're 3-stars...this ain't hockey!"

 

I don't think it is gadgets. He is able to find weaknesses and exploit them when he's given that much time. Starting his 3rd year at Bama, he's consistently crushed bowl opponents and his first real opponent (week 1 or week 2) each season. Seems to suggest that might be a strength.

[dew1679666265]

Yeah, Saban is just better than every coach out there. I think that's the lesson to take from the past 2 BCS title games and the Michigan game. He can find weaknesses and holes and exploit them more successfully than anyone else and, when given extra time, he's borderline unbeatable.

[sneakypower]

i love the idea that Saban's now some schematic mastermind now too, like he's devising all these gadget plays instead of just telling his team "you're 5-stars and they're 3-stars...this ain't hockey!"

 

ND is full of 3 stars?

eh, relatively

 

for the span 2009-2012:

Bama - 11 five-stars, 57 four-stars

ND - 4 five-stars, 35 four-stars

[Andy]

Saban is a great coach and he is definitely tough to beat with extra time to prepare. But it's not like we won't be prepared for that one too. And Sumlin has proven himself to be a damn good coach in a short amount of time. I think this year was Notre Dame being exposed as overrated, which wasn't a complete surprise to many. And despite his success, what Bama did to LSU last year was more Saban outcoaching Les Miles who is much more of a lucky gambler than a good gameday coach.

So when Saban's team blasts Notre Dame, ND is exposed as a pretender. But when they blast an SEC team under the exact same circumstances, it's Saban. Got it.

Yeah, the result was much more than "ND is overrated." Alabama is better physically than every team in the country, SEC or not. Give Saban more time to prepare and that advantage is only magnified.

Alabama didn't go undefeated this year. And both Georgia & LSU played them down to the wire.

This may come as new information to you, but sometimes the team in a one-game sample size that's better doesn't win. Crazy, I know.

 

Also, you are completely ignoring the 'six weeks to prepare' part. Not that we will find out, but I'd guess Bama would handle LSU, Georgia and your boys pretty easily too if given a six-week layoff. Maybe not 42-14 easy, but easy.

[Tracer Bullet]

i love the idea that Saban's now some schematic mastermind now too, like he's devising all these gadget plays instead of just telling his team "you're 5-stars and they're 3-stars...this ain't hockey!"

 

ND is full of 3 stars?

eh, relatively

 

for the span 2009-2012:

Bama - 11 five-stars, 57 four-stars

ND - 4 five-stars, 35 four-stars

 

Weren't you the guy saying Diaco had a team of 5-stars a month ago?

 

Bama signees the last 4 years (ignoring 5th years, like Barrett Jones):

 

30, 28, 26, 26

 

Now I'm no mathematician but that's a [expletive] load of players. 80 players before you get to the class of 30 seniors and however many 5th years are left. Yes, they have a recruiting advantage too.

 

Doesn't fully explain how they owned LSU last year as LSU signed 100 players in the last 4 years.

[abuck1220]

this is still going?

[sneakypower]

Weren't you the guy saying Diaco had a team of 5-stars a month ago?

i said he had more high-end talent to work with than Mattison, which is still a really easy argument to make

[SouthSideRyan]

Saban is a great coach and he is definitely tough to beat with extra time to prepare. But it's not like we won't be prepared for that one too. And Sumlin has proven himself to be a damn good coach in a short amount of time. I think this year was Notre Dame being exposed as overrated, which wasn't a complete surprise to many. And despite his success, what Bama did to LSU last year was more Saban outcoaching Les Miles who is much more of a lucky gambler than a good gameday coach.

So when Saban's team blasts Notre Dame, ND is exposed as a pretender. But when they blast an SEC team under the exact same circumstances, it's Saban. Got it.

Yeah, the result was much more than "ND is overrated." Alabama is better physically than every team in the country, SEC or not. Give Saban more time to prepare and that advantage is only magnified.

Alabama didn't go undefeated this year. And both Georgia & LSU played them down to the wire.

 

And Georgia was blown out by South Carolina and LSU lost to Clemson. I'm not sure I'm following.

[dcvalpo]

Does anyone else think Texas A&M is going to experience a major drop off and soon? The way Old Style talks, you'd think that they have been a national power for the last decade. They have been a middle of the road Big 12 team for years...they have a dynamic quarterback and a good coach, but I think this is the best season A&M will have. Will it really surprise anyone if they settle into being an 8-4 team every year? One ten win season with a semi-flukey win over Alabama doesn't convince me that they can really pull ahead of Alabama, LSU, Florida in the short or long term.

 

For the record, I'm not convinced ND can continue to be a 10-12 win team either...