Actually, I have no idea. I’m just throwing gratuitous insults out there because I might be the only UCF fan on the boards.
You betcha. We’re only losing three starters after this year, and (assuming the starters remain the same) only a handful next year; this team is mostly freshmen and sophomores.
Even if O’Leary leaves before long (which I’d expect), the school is on the rise big time. New on-campus stadium year after next, major media market, recruiting hotbed, and the school itself is huge (45,000) and rapidly growing.
Not that I’m thrilled with much of that as an alum/former faculty … but as a football fan, it rocks. If we can get the rivalry with USF going, it wouldn’t stun me to see this program moving up to the (admittedly not what it once was) Big East in a few years.
I feel your “pain”. Lifelong Dawg fan and alumnus. But went to Wisconsin for law school and love them too.
So, I’ll suck up my hatred for Auburn (esp. this year) and put aside my affinty for Wis. and root for the SEC team. It’s like a long -term investment. Grit-my-teeth-Auburn-win today = higher rankings for the Dawgs later.
When in doubt, look to TV as the culprit. I think ABC wanted a game to show a game that night to see how it would do. They wanted to spread out the games they were showing.
Yep, that’s a great description: “Grit-my-teeth-Auburn-win today = higher ranking.” It’s giving me serious TMJ though.
…
And now … On to the Bowl Games! This installment is numbers 11-16, curiously subtitled (by me): “Now We’re Talking!!!”
(11) Alamo Bowl - Michigan v. Nebraska
It’s been a down year for Michigan - 4 losses, including Ohio State. They really only had one quality win this year, slipping up Penn State. But even so, this is not the Nebraska of Old. Bill Callahan desperately needs a quality win to turn things around and not get run out of town on a rail. Sigh. I’m pretty sure that Michigan will walk away, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them get tramped. Not because I don’t like Michigan, but because maybe UM would pull the trigger and get rid of Lloyd Carr - that would be a scary program with a good coach up there.
(12) Emerald Bowl - Georgia Tech v. Utah
Having watched GA Tech play all year, I can tell you this is a tough team. Calvin Johnson and the other receiver, Bilbo, are studs. If Reggie Ball shows up to play, this will be lights out for the Utes. On the other hand, Utah is playing hot at the end of the season - their spread offense is starting to gell without Urban there to guide it. Should be a decent game.
(13) Holiday Bowl - Oregon v. Oklahoma
Hehe. Where to start? The Oregon Ducks are the red-headed stepchild of the BCS this year. Getting passed over for teams with multiple losses - and Oregon has only lost one. And who did they lose to? Only USC. Oregon will be looking to make a profound statement. True, Kellon Clemens is out - but Dixon has proven to be competent - especially spanking Oregon State in their last game. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has been terrible this year. They’ve surged a bit lately - but really, this is not your standard Stoops’ team. Look for Adrian Peterson to have some nice runs and Rhett Bomar to make some mistakes. However - I’ll go ahead and say it - Oklahoma has nothing to lose and everything to gain with a solid win to close out the season. Stoops will try to bring his A game and could make this interesting.
(14) Music City Bowl - Virginia v. Minnesota
Minnesota’s going to run the ball, with or without Maroney. But don’t think that Cupito won’t make some throws. However, if UVA can stop the run, then they can win this game. UVA’s been spotty this year (really only beating FSU) - but they have a solid QB in Hagans and some playmakers. If both teams show up prepared and ready to go, this should be a good solid bowl game.
(15) Sun Bowl - UCLA v. Northwestern
Heh. This one has probably already been talked about enough by our resident alums and experts. I’ll just add that I’m really looking forward to a clinic by both of these offenses. I feel like everytime Basanez gets the ball, they have a chance of putting up 7. But they struggled against “real” defenses: PSU, OSU, etc. UCLA has an awesome offense - but we’ve seen it disappear twice now. Once against USC and once in that blooper against Arizona. Regardless, I’m looking for a major major major shootout here. Something exciting like last year’s Liberty Bowl.
As always - please chime in with your rallies of support for your teams, your own analysis, any errors/inconsistencies you want to point out, or, of course, the tactful level of smack talk we’ve come to expect on the SDMB.
Have you even seen the Mountaineers play, or are you just relying on the Big East bashers who haven’t noticed that, despite the glass ceiling placed on the Big East, they have 2 teams in the top 15 (a claim that the Big 12 sure can’t make)?
Furthermore, have you noticed that the Mountaineers are ranked in both the top 10 in rushing AND rushing defense, despite having a true freshman at the running back position?
Since I’m sick of the Big East bashing, I’m picking West Virginia to win the game, and I mean it.
Oooooh, excellent. I, of course, am picking the Dawgs! But, by all means, let’s talk it out! (And, before you ask, yes I’ve watched West Virginia play multiple games this year).
First, of all, I think it’s a slight to the talent and poise of West Virginia to even lump them in with Louisville. I know they had a tough OT game, but I’d take West Virginia to win that game 6 days outta 7.
Second, Steve Slaton is absolutely stunning. And Pat White has done a great job taking over at quarterback. Make no mistake - this is a helluva offensive team. Their defense - as you point out, is not too shabby as well.
So in summary - I think West Virginia is a very good ball club that’s extremely well coached.
BUT…
As good as he is, Steve Slaton and his OL have not faced a defense as fast and powerful as the Dawgs. One might make an argument that VA Tech’s D is as good - and look how that turned out (34-17 VA Tech over W VA). Granted, UGA has some injuries in the defensive line, but it only takes one good hit from Greg Blue to have Slaton asking to be benched (ok that’s a cheap shot by me!) I think that W Va will get something going on the ground - but not nearly as much as they’re used to.
Now let’s talk about Pat White. This kid is young and talented - but we haven’t really seem him throw against quality DBs. Sure he threw for 4 TD’s against Cincinnati, but surely I don’t have to point out there’s a difference between UGA and Cincinnati. I’m really looking forward to seeing how White performs (a) under pressure, and (b) throwing against fast DB’s looking to intercept him.
As for West Virginia’s vaunted run defense versus the Dawgs’ RBs? The Dawgs have a fantastic OL, so this is a good matchup. Once you throw in Shockley scrambling around, I think the scale tips towards the Dawgs. Plus I have one thing to say: LSU. Everybody thought that UGA could never establish the run on LSU’s vaunted defense - luckily, they didn’t need to. Two perfect 40-yard strikes later, it’s 14-0. As inconsistent as they can be, the Dawgs offense is capable of putting up numbers.
So I think it’s going to be a good game, because I like West VA as a team and I respect them. But, I’m picking the Dawgs to win the game, and I mean it too.
Lastly, as an aside - I appreciate your support of the Big East. It’s true that they can’t get no respect. Unfortunately, that’s because (this year) from top to bottom they are not as talented as the other leagues. Sorry. If you match 'em up straight against the SEC or the ACC or the Big 10, you can see that. (Note that the Big XII is down this year as well). However, IMHO that does not mean that one or two of their teams cannot be good.
Realistically, football fans will never stop dogging on this conference or that conference. The only real solution (as long as we’re keeping the BCS) is to eliminate all of the automatic conference bowl berths.
Yeah, it occurred to me that it probably was a night game, after the playoff games had ended. Not sure about the Peach Bowl, though; perhaps that was an early game, or maybe it was on ABC.
Yeah, it occurred to me that it probably was a night game, after the playoff games had ended. Not sure about the Peach Bowl, though; perhaps that was an early game, or maybe it was on ABC.
The Orange Bowl was on ABC. The year before it was on New Year’s Eve. I think the ABC was playing around with scheduling to see what would work.
They want to avoid the old bowl game fatigue you used to get on New Year’s Day. On the West Coast, you can start around 8:30 and go until about 9 and at the end you have no idea who is playing.
Um…I was going to pop into the thread and say that I was happy my alma mater was going up to the Fort Worth Bowl…that I’d be attending…but…never mind…
:smack:
Pretty decent assessment. Kolb is a stud, but he is kind of erratic. This whole team is a blast to watch but makes a lot of mental mistakes. A lot of the blame for that can be attributed to head coach Art Briles.
Briles has brought a lot of energy and moderate success to a UH program that went 0-11 the year before he got there. But you can tell he is new to D1 head coaching (in his third year; his second bowl game). He worked as a TT Assistant after coaching a High School (Stephenville, which is an exurb of Ft. Worth) to several state championships.
Briles is a dice roller. He’ll give you an ulcer. At most football games, the crowd is yelling for the coach to go for it on 4th Down. There were many times this season we were begging him to punt!
Yep, this one ended up a real goddamn joke, didn’t it?? If I recall correctly, I guaranteed a West Virginia win, and apparently they came through for me. More importantly, this is a big win for the Big East conference, since the league has beaten the SEC champion and is apparently worthy of being a BCS conference well into the future…so I will no longer stand for any “Big Least” talk…you guys all had your chance to drive us into obscurity, but it didn’t happen tonight (and shouldn’t have happened today, except for Marcus “15’ll get you 20”’ Vick’s deliberate cheap shot on Dumerville)
Which shows how much I know. :smack:
As a side note, as a ND fan I watched the Fiesta Bowl with my brother in law and the nephew who goes to BC (he chickened out of the trip to Boise) who are both Ohio State fans, in a bar full of other Ohio State fans. One OSU fan, a drunk who thought he was clever, kept referrubg ti Notre Dame’s RB Darius Walker as “Craig Ehlo.” Ehlo was the unfortunate Cleveland Cavalier who also wore no. 3 that Michael Jordan made a famous jump shot over once and which ESPN tends to show repeatedly for no particular reason. As far as cutting insults go, it was just weird. I know better than to argue with drunks in bars, especially when the drunk’s team is beating the crap out of my team, but this guy was just bizarre.
Too bad every other Big East team got stomped. Although, to be fair, they did lose 2 games to ACC teams (which has to be the surprise conference of the bowl season in a good way, while the Big 10 is the surprise conference in a bad way). And, of course, the SEC goes 3-3 and once again proves they are the most overrated conference around.
Stomped?! Rutgers lost by 5 to Arizona State. Louisville played a very close game against Virginia Tech until the very end (though if Brohm was healthy, they would have rolled over the Hokies). The only team that may have gotten stomped was South Florida who couldn’t get a point against North Carolina.
Every other Big East team showed they belonged on the field.
And ACC a surprise conference in a good way?! Boston College barely makes it out of Boise. Miami gets PUMMLED by LSU. Georgia Tech gets beat down by Utah. Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson are good stories, but Virginia and Clemson didn’t exactly beat the top teams in the Big 10 and Big XII respectively.
There is a good chance that Florida State gets beat badly tonight, so that would mean that of the 3 best schools in the ACC, only one got a victory. Not exactly a good showing. In fact, I’ve been laughing at the ACC so far this bowl season. They got what they deserved.
Well, stomped is exaggerating a little, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Big East has had the worst showing in the Bowl season so far, with the possible exception of the Big 10.
True, but that’s much better than I thought they would do. The only team I thought for sure would win was Virginia Tech over Louisville, with Clemson and NC State as toss ups. And the conference is 5-2 so far and there is a decent possibility that FSU wins tonight given the performance of the rest of the Big 10 so far.
The Big East was supposed to be a glorified mid-major, at least that is what all the pundits would have you believe. But they hung in there against very good competition and even beat the SEC champion in a BCS game that no one thought would go to the Big East.
Because Ohio State and Wisconsin easily folded to their competition? :dubious:
Remember, Penn State is better than either squad and Florida State is worse than either Notre Dame or Auburn.
And either Louisville is that good or Virginia Tech that bad, you can’t have Virginia Tech be good and Louisville be bad after the relatively even matchup yesterday. And if Louisville is Virginia Tech’s equal than the Big East doesn’t look bad at all (ie, two teams deserving of Top 15 rankings).
Big deal. The MWC had BYU hang in there against a Cal team that was just as good as ASU, had their fourth place team smack the hell out of a ranked Georgia Tech (at least as good as NC St.), beat a Big 12 team, and had a team lose to a tough Navy team. They’re not considered anything other than a mid-major. Face it, without West Virginia (the only traditional, big power school in the conference) the Big East wouldn’t be much better than the MWC or C-USA.
The conference is 2-4 so far. I’m not convinced PSU is as good as their record or ranking. They’re the favorite and they’ll probably win, but I won’t be terribly surprised if they lose.
I didn’t say they looked bad. They’re just not as good, top to bottom, as the other major conferences and a step above the good mid-major conferences like the MWC.
So you are saying that Virginia Tech is about even to… um… Navy? Because Louisville matched up with them very nicely. And quite frankly, without Texas, the Big XII starts looking like the Mountain West.
But their best teams have won their games and won them convincingly against big time talent. Penn State beat both Ohio State and Wisconsin. I’d be utterly shocked if Penn State loses (it’d be FAR greater of a shock than Georgia losing last night).
