College Football 2009

[The Dream Master]

Well, we're about 45 days (!) from kickoff, when South Carolina takes on North Carolina State at Carter-Finley Stadium on a Thursday night. ACC and SEC meetings will be taking place shortly, followed by the release of the pre-season polls so now is a good a time as ever to start this thread.

Obviously, Florida's got to be the favorites to repeat, but, hey, it's the pre-season, and hope springs eternal for everyone (except the aforementioned Gamecocks (http://www.tigermemories.com/page.php?9) maybe :X). All I know is that I can't wait to experience The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football in about 47 days:

yRkAywUeqNU

[Speck]

All I can say, is I expect UNC to be better this year. They will be a competitor in the ACC.

[The Dream Master]

They should be. While I think VT will be the odds on favorite to win the Coastal Division, UNC is definitely dark horse material. They've come a long damn way in a few years. When I saw them in 2006, they were pretty awful (Clemson beat them 52-7, I think). No way that would happen again if those two were to meet this year in the ACC Title Game.

[Speck]

Oh, and I hope LSU chokes again. Things are so peaceful around here when that happens.

[Uncle Hoody]

Oh, and I hope LSU chokes again. Things are so peaceful around here when that happens.

Seriously. shuts up all them idiots that can't even find Baton Rouge on a map, didn't go to the school, or couldn't hack it period. Aggravates me to no end knowing there is over 10 D-I (FBS and FCS) colleges combined in the state of Louisiana and all people want to talk about is Red Stick University.

Here's to hoping they go 0-12.

Hope they choke on it.


I really got to keep this to myself more in public as Girlfriend's sister is starting there in the fall...

[The Dream Master]

Pretty much the entire SEC can go to hell for all I care. :X

The only time I pull for an SEC team is when one is playing against South Carolina.

[The Dream Master]

I dunno how many of you follow the pre-season stuff that closely, but apparently every coach but one voted Tebow as pre-season player of the year in the SEC. Turns out the one coach who didn't was Steve Spurrier, who now claims it was a mistake:

HOOVER, Ala. -- Steve Spurrier confirmed it himself Friday morning when he appeared at the SEC media days: He was the one who snubbed Florida's Tim Tebow in the coaches' voting on the preseason All-SEC team.

Mike and Mike in the Morning

Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt says he voted for Tim Tebow as All-SEC. Nutt also talks about what makes his quarterback, Jevan Snead, so good and the pressure on Ole Miss to step up and compete for a conference championship.

But it was because of an oversight, the South Carolina coach said, addressing the matter right off the bat in the news conference.

Spurrier explained that his director of football operations had filled out the ballot and brought it in to him. Spurrier said he glanced at it, signed off on it, and then realized his mistake much later.

The ballot submitted to the SEC from South Carolina had Mississippi's Jevan Snead as the first-team quarterback, and not Tebow.

"I take full responsibility," he said, emphasizing that he believed Tebow to be one of the best quarterbacks in Florida history. "I'm embarrassed about it, I feel badly about it ... I apologize to Tim Tebow."

SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom confirmed to ESPN.com that Spurrier called within the past 24 hours and asked that his ballot be changed to include Tebow as the first-team quarterback. Spurrier told Bloom that his initial ballot, with Snead as the first-team quarterback, was a mistake.

Each of the other coaches in the SEC has said on the record or confirmed through a spokesperson that he voted for Tebow. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players, meaning a unanimous vote constituted 11 of the 12 votes.

The only unanimous selections on the coaches' preseason team were Tennessee safety Eric Berry, LSU offensive tackle Ciron Black and Alabama receiver Julio Jones.

Spurrier has talked at length about what a great player Tebow is and how he's willed the Gators to victory time and time again.

Either way, I hope Ole Miss and Florida lay about 50 points on South Carolina when they play them. :X

[The Dream Master]

Practices are opening across the country today. About 30 days until kickoff!

[SlasherFreak]

I love me some college ball!

But come to think of it...I just love football. Last year I was flipping around the channels and I came across a high school game on the local comcast channel and got me a sandwich and some chips and started watching it. My wife (my fiance at the time) walked into the room and asked why I was watching some suburban high schools I never heard of play football :D

College sports just seem more intense. The players are playing their hearts out every game. I wouldnt go as far to say I like college ball better than the NFL...but I love it. I absolutely hate the NBA (I wont watch it...don't even care for the 76'ers), but I love college basketball.

[The Dream Master]

DiMid, you're in the heart of college football country too my friend. Given, Pennsylvania has Penn State and there are some prestigious programs up that way, nobody does that shit like the south-east.

[The Dream Master]

Pre-Season Poll is Out (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?pollId=2&seasonYear=2009)


1. Florida (53) 0-0 1466 1
2. Texas (4) 0-0 1386 3
3. Oklahoma (1) 0-0 1358 5
4. USC (1) 0-0 1321 2
5. Alabama 0-0 1134 6
6. Ohio State 0-0 1126 11
7. Virginia Tech 0-0 1020 14
8. Penn State 0-0 988 8
9. LSU 0-0 917 NR
10. Mississippi 0-0 889 15
11. Oklahoma State 0-0 861 18
12. California 0-0 711 25
13. Georgia 0-0 707 10
14. Oregon 0-0 694 9
15. Georgia Tech 0-0 559 22
16. Boise State 0-0 542 13
17. TCU 0-0 461 7
18. Utah 0-0 404 4
19. Florida State 0-0 371 23
20. North Carolina 0-0 293 NR
21. Iowa 0-0 257 20
22. Nebraska 0-0 236 NR
23. Notre Dame 0-0 194 NR
24. Brigham Young 0-0 178 21
25. Oregon State 0-0 165 19

Others Receiving Votes

Kansas 138, Michigan State 136, Texas Tech 114, Cincinnati 90, Pittsburgh 64, West Virginia 55, Rutgers 51, Miami (FL) 46, Missouri 44, Illinois 38, Clemson 30, South Carolina 18, UCLA 14, Auburn 12, South Florida 11, Nevada 11, Kentucky 9, North Carolina State 7, Wisconsin 6, Arkansas 6, Northwestern 5, Southern Miss 4, Wake Forest 4, Arizona 3, Boston College 3, CENTRL MICHIGAN 3, East Carolina 3, Colorado 2, Maryland 2, Navy 2, Tennessee 2, TROY 1, Minnesota 1, Michigan 1, Houston 1.

Overrated teams at this point: Notre Dame (as always), UNC, and FSU. At least two of those three won't be ranked at the end of the year. Also, I think Ole Miss is going to be a bit of a disappointment this year. I think they're a top 20 team, but they won't be in the top 10 when it's all said and done.

[Monkey]

After being undefeated in 2008, Utah is ranked #18. Should they go undefeated again, that means they probably have no shot at getting into the national championship. If that somehow happens... should they get in the game? Honestly, I don't think they'll ever get to play for a championship, no matter what they do. :(

Added: I look forward to seeing my alma mater, the Univeristy of Idaho, gettng back to the "Bottom 10". There should be a lot of wins... for the teams they're playing against. :cry:

[Harmonic Bond]

Excited as usual. I'm boring, so I usually pick USC to win it all, as will I this year. They just have so much raw talent. Problem is ...... they're in such a weak conference. Slip up once, and they never recover.

I'll also say that Florida WILL NOT repeat this year. Gut feeling. Tebow is great, no doubt about it. They will, however, miss Percy Harvin more than they think. I will say they'll probably take the SEC again though.

Again, I love the kickoff classic. And again, the winner of that game will have a big season. Kinda lame that Alabama is the SEC representative again, and frankly, I wish the other side of the ball wasn't an ACC team at all (sorry ACC peeps). I'd love a SEC-PAC-10 or SEC-Big 12 matchup in Dallas or something. However, Alabama and Va. Tech, at least on paper, should be a good match up. A nice start to the season.

[The Dream Master]

I'm pretty sure the kickoff classic is made with an ACC/SEC matchup in mind. Next year is going to be LSU vs. UNC.

I'm not sure where I stand on Florida, but there's no way I'd bet money against them repeating. College football is just such a crazy game, and it's hard to be on every week of the year. Then again, they lost one last year (at home, no less) and still made it. At any rate, I do think they'll win the SEC. The East will be no contest with them, as UGA is somewhat rebuilding (or reloading), Tennessee is still going to be a bit down (but better than people expect--Kiffin will knock off a high profile team by year's end), Vandy and UK are Vandy and UK, and South Carolina...well, we know that's going to end ugly come November.

The SEC West should be much more interesting: Bama, LSU, and Ole Miss will all be in contention until the end, I think, but I see Bama taking it again due to their schedule, as most of their tough games are at home, with the exception of Ole Miss.

[Harmonic Bond]

I'm pretty sure the kickoff classic is made with an ACC/SEC matchup in mind. Next year is going to be LSU vs. UNC.

I'm not sure where I stand on Florida, but there's no way I'd bet money against them repeating. College football is just such a crazy game, and it's hard to be on every week of the year. Then again, they lost one last year (at home, no less) and still made it. At any rate, I do think they'll win the SEC. The East will be no contest with them, as UGA is somewhat rebuilding (or reloading), Tennessee is still going to be a bit down (but better than people expect--Kiffin will knock off a high profile team by year's end), Vandy and UK are Vandy and UK, and South Carolina...well, we know that's going to end ugly come November.

The SEC West should be much more interesting: Bama, LSU, and Ole Miss will all be in contention until the end, I think, but I see Bama taking it again due to their schedule, as most of their tough games are at home, with the exception of Ole Miss.

The SEC West won't be as evenly matched as people think. What I WILL bet on, is that Ole Miss will be somewhat of a disappointment this year. They'll lose 3-4 games. Thing is, Houston Nutt has ALWAYS led teams like this. Explosive, and can knock off big contenders from time to time (LSU, Florida, and Texas Tech last year). Just like at Arkansas, I just don't see them competing week in and week out in the SEC. Not enough talent in comparison to the other teams they play. It will be tight between LSU and Alabama this year, it will come down to the game between them. Alabama has always struggled with LSU at home, so, we'll see.

Thing about Alabama, they are serious darkhorse material. They, also, could be a disappointment, but if their new QB clicks to some degree, they'll be tough. Didn't understand why John Parker Wilson got the accolades he did last season, he always looked half-baked to me. Doesn't hurt to have the likes of Julio Jones to throw to, I 'spose.

Vandy will be Vandy, huh? We did beat the ACC runner up in our bowl game last season ya know? So .... nah! :p For us ..... we get another 7-6 season (turns optimism to 11).

[The Dream Master]

Well, I should have said that Vandy will be Vandy within the context of the SEC East, meaning they'll finish anywhere between 4th and 6th (which I guess really is a new thing, considering they're usually dead last). It's too bad too because I really like Bobby Johnson (former Clemson assistant and player). At any rate, it's gonna be the same two teams leading that division, but no one's touching Florida. The SEC East could be the weakest it's been in a long time if UGA shows a big drop off from losing all that talent.

And I agree about Ole Miss. Like I said in an above post, I think they could be a top 20 team by the end of the year, but they aren't going to be in the top 10.

[Monkey]

Anybody see the sucker punch thrown at the end of the Boise State game?

I haven't heard too much about this type of incident in the college game (not recently, anyway). I don't follow the game too closely, though. I wonder how many games he'll be suspended...

[The Dream Master]

Yeah, I watched it all unfold last night. It was fucked up--I mean, I've seen fights between teams during a game before, but I've never seen a guy just sucker punch a guy like that and then try to go at it with fans in the crowd too. I think it's possible that he might be suspended for a really long time.

[SlasherFreak]

Wow...I wonder if its on youtube yet?

I have a quick story. When I was a freshman I made the varsity football squad in high school. I think it was probably just cause of my size, cause I only played on special teams and got to play in like 2 games when my started needed breaks in the game, and didnt get a starting spot til sophmore year. So anyway we went to play this other school at their school, and the whole game was just dirty. The lineman were punching each other in the stomach off the snap, even the coaches were giving each other the finger across the field. We ended up winning, and after the game when we were lining up to handshake, someone from their team had his helmet off and hit one of our players right in the stomach with it. Then all hell broke loose, even our coaches were fighting. Then, since we were on their turf, their students in the stands started running onto the field and throwing punches. It was insane, a fleet of cops came, many people were detained, some arrested. It's extremely hard to fight with shoulder pads on. We weren't allowed to play them anymore when I was in school...but I heard they finally played again 2 years after I graduated.

crazy shit.

[The Dream Master]

Gbq6N3NQb7Q

[SlasherFreak]

I don't agree with that at all...but to be fair...the dude did kinda push him before he got punched.

[The Dream Master]

Yeah, there's a history to this whole thing. Last year, Boise State knocked out Oregon's QB with a vicious helmet-to-helmet shot, which lead the guy there for Oregon (#9) to say that they owed Boise State an ass-kicking. My guess is that the guy that got punched for Boise State was ragging him for that. Still, that guy seems fucking nuts. :X

[Toejam]

I don't agree with that at all...but to be fair...the dude did kinda push him before he got punched.

Ha ha ...but to be fair... ha ha

A hard slap (on a padded shoulder) and a little trash talk (which I'm sure was in response to Blount's own previous trash talk) should never give a person the right to punch another in the face (then punch a teammate, who was still wearing his helmet, then have to be restrained from attacking fans and finally be dragged kicking and screaming from the field by team personnel.)

This guy totally lost control, and even though he said it will never happen again I just don't see how you could trust him.

...that guy seems fucking nuts. :X

Exactly.

[SlasherFreak]

Im not saying the dude didnt act insanely. I can just look at both sides. Maybe he woulda punched him anyway, but then again, just maybe if dude didn't put his hands on him he woulda never punched him.

[Uncle Hoody]

"With the first pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select LeGarrette Blount, running back, Oregon..."

[Toejam]

"With the first pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select LeGarrette Blount, running back, Oregon..."

I wouldn't put that passed Al Davis. I hate the Raiders but old Al is probably his own worst enemy.

[The Dream Master]

1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 C-L-E-M-S-O-N T-I-G-E-R-S
Fight Tigers, Fight Tigers, Fight Fight Fight!

[Uncle Hoody]

UGH a few months having a player taken in the 3rd round by the Ravens, my Alma Mater really showed its inexperience, lack of depth, and inability to adapt to a higher altitude today dropping 72-0 againt Air Force Academy.


I'm going sit in a corner and cry myself to sleep.

[The Dream Master]

A notice to Clemson opponents: you better find a way to either kick the ball out of bounds or out of the end zone. If not, you're going to be seeing a lot of this:

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2009/09/06/00/mtsuclem06_RG004.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.JPG

Or maybe a little bit of this:

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2009/09/06/00/mtsuclem06_RG041.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.JPG
ADDED:
Better yet, just check out the first two highlights here to see what I mean:

Y5WlLsHNMqU

[Harmonic Bond]

Fun weekend, not much to be learned though. The opening week creampies are getting WAY out of control. Florida vs. Charleston Southern? C'mon.

What should excite you, The Dream Master, is that South Carolina and NC State both looked abysmal Thursday night. Georgia and LSU look uncharacteristically weak too. Bama has potential, but I'll be more convinced when they play someone who isn't offensively paralyzed. Only thing I can say about Virginia Tech is that their special teams is as advertised.

Bummer about Bradford, and the fact that that the backup couldn't pull out the W.

[sooners4life98]

I just hope my sooners can bounce back. I was real sick after Saturday night. LOL!!

[The Dream Master]

What should excite you, The Dream Master, is that South Carolina and NC State both looked abysmal Thursday night.

Indeed. I came in from watching the game, and my wife was afraid I was going to be pissed that South Carolina won. It was actually sort of an almost-best-case scenario because both teams looked awful. Would have liked for NC State to pull out a win, but if neither of those teams improves significantly, that should be two wins for Clemson.

[The Dream Master]

Boston College waltzed into Death Valley today thinking they had a shot.

Our defense promptly told them to get the fuck off our field.

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2009/09/19/18/bcclemson20_rg016.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.JPG

And I guess they didn't get the memo that if you kick to CJ Spiller, you are likely to see this as a result:

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2009/09/19/18/bcclemson20_rg013.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.JPG

Final score: 25-7, in favor of the good guys.

[Monkey]

After a string of upsets, Boise State is ranked #5. They have an excellent shot at going undefeated again, and I seriously doubt they will have a shot at the championship (they have an extremely weak schedule). They have an excellent shot at going to a BCS bowl game, though. If they ever want to get into the championship mix, they're going to have to beef up their schedule somehow.

I'm shocked to see my team, the University of Idaho, at 3-1. They're typically pretty lousy. Since they've moved to Division I, they've been a door mat.

[Uncle Hoody]

Yeah man I don't know why Idaho moved up to D-I FBS (Former I-A) but if they're winning games, let them win.

There are a lot of teams at the top that will fall once they hit their conference schedules, so if Boise, by attrition, winds up at #2 or #1, how can they be held out?

In other news, my alma mater did a face plant yesterday losing 60-10 to Ryan Perriloux and his band of thugs.

[Monkey]

There are a lot of teams at the top that will fall once they hit their conference schedules, so if Boise, by attrition, winds up at #2 or #1, how can they be held out?
Because they won't get to stay at #2 or #1 even if they make it. Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Virginia Tech, and USC can all lose a game this year and will still be ranked higher at the end of the season.

USC, Va. Tech, and Oklahoma are all ranked behind BSU right now, but if they continue to win they will eventually get placed higher. BSU might actually make it to one of the top two spots, but at the end of the year, you'll see their points begin to drop. Hell, Ohio State won 38-0 two weeks ago and they dropped 2 spots in the next week's AP poll.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see them make it to the championship game, but has a non-BCS team ever made it?

[Uncle Hoody]

but has a non-BCS team ever made it?

Nope, not to the Championship game. Which is a load of dookie.

[The Dream Master]

Godammit all to hell. :banghead:

[sooners4life98]

There is a big cloud hanging over my Sooners heads right now. I just hope we don't get creamed by Texas on next Saturday.

[Speck]

It looks like Georgia Tech or Virgina Tech for the ACC Champion.

[The Dream Master]

Georgia Tech's defense is awful. I'd give the nod to VT at the moment, even though they'll be playing in Atlanta next week.

The real question is who wants the Atlantic division. No one can beat anyone they're supposed to over there. If Clemson would have beaten Maryland like they should have, they'd be in the driver's seat. The game against WF next week is HUGE. Much bigger than people think.

[Speck]

Yeah, Georgia Tech is for realz.

[The Dream Master]

Yeah, and their coast is super clear in that division, though they need Miami to lose another one at some point. Maybe Clemson will provide that next week.:pray: Of course, if there's one team GT doesn't want to see in the championship game from the Atlantic Division, it's Clemson.

[Monkey]

After knocking Auburn out of the ranks of the undefeated, the Razorbacks really took it to the Gators. While up 20-13, the Gators got the help of a couple of questionable officiating calls that helped Florida tie the game. Reminded me of Superbow XL. I hope Alabama crushes Florida.

BSU's performance coupled with a USC win againt the Irish; I expect to see USC take VT's place at #4 with BSU staying at #5.

Idaho wins yet again... I can't frigging believe it. Somebody actually gave them a vote in the AP poll this week. Woo-hoo! :D

[Monkey]

Idaho now has 4 points in the AP poll. They're 6-1; all they have to do is win one more game from here on out and they'll have their first winning season since they joined division I.

I'm looking forward to the Alabama/Florida showdown, especially if both teams remain undefeated. If I were able to vote for teams, I'd put Alabama at #1. I believe they'll win the national championship. I'm not all that impressed with Florida. Time will tell. It looks like it will be Florida/Alabama vs. Texas as long as Texas remains undefeated. Iowa doesn't really get much respect, but the Big 10 keeps getting blown out in the national championship game (well, Ohio State anyway).

Since college football has been playing bowl games since... forever, and they're making a killing off their current system, we probably won't see a playoff format for years to come. Expect to see more bitching from the team that's ranked #3, and the teams who remain undefeated. It's a little better than it was before, when #2 pissed and moaned. I think it would have made sense to play the bowls as they did before (typical matchups in the rose, cotton, fiesta, etc.), and then play one last game between 1 & 2. Even then, somebody would be disappointed. It's a no-win situation.

[Monkey]

Yeah, and their coast is super clear in that division, though they need Miami to lose another one at some point. Maybe Clemson will provide that next week.:pray: ...
Your prayers were answered. :sniffle:

[The Dream Master]

Indeed. Great, great win, and I'm still exhausted five hours later. Seriously, that one took a lot out of me. I hope this means we've finally turned the corner and can turn this into a run to the ACC Championship game. The last time we won in Miami in '04, we fucked up and lost to Duke the next week. We get Coastal Carolina for homecoming next week before closing out with FSU, NC State, and Virginia in the ACC. Win them all and we go to Tampa with no help needed.

[Monkey]

Lost to duke... Not something to be ashamed of in basketball, but in football?

I don't want to jinx them, but if that's Clemson's remaining schedule, they should be able to run the table. FSU has taken a considerable nosedive since the beginning of the season (or they were just overrated, which is often the case with that team especially); they aren't who they used to be in seasons past. I don't follow Clemson at all, but I hope they stomp FSU into the ground.

Being able to watch your team do that, in the manner they did (OT in Miami) must have been pretty special. You don't get to see something like that often, maybe once a season or even less.

[The Dream Master]

FSU's defense is pretty terrible, but I do think they will move the ball on us and put some points up. For the past ten years though, our problem has been consistency and losing games we shouldn't. On paper, we should run the table, but as any Clemson fan knows, weird shit happens on game days sometimes.

And yeah, that victory yesterday was probably the beat the shit out of Georgia Tech on prime time national television in '06. That win moved us up to number ten, looked poised to be awesome and...we lost 3 out of the last 4 to end the season.

[Speck]

Yeah, so how 'bout dem Heels.

Wish they showed that aggressive defense earlier this season.

[The Dream Master]

So nervous about Saturday's game, and it's only Monday. Hasn't been a game this big in Death Valley in two years. This might be the most buzz surrounding the program since this day in 2006:

wUys8EKDJHU

[The Dream Master]

Fuck, is it only Wednesday still?

SPOT THE DAMN BALL

[The Dream Master]

Another one bites the dust:

http://tigernet.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/1-760286-8271129-70198/Tombstone.jpg

[The Dream Master]

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7206/bildeu.jpg

http://tigernet.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/1-762468-8283601-70296/Scoreboard.jpg

[The Dream Master]

Can't claim this one, but I found it at a Clemson blog. Sums up what tomorrow could mean for all of us that have been through the last 19 years:

Sunday sermon: Roll away the stone

One game to go, one more stone to roll away to complete the resurrection of Clemson football.

We have stood here before, many times. Why then does this all seem so new?

Perhaps because so many times, the stone slipped. The load shifted, the foreman wasn't paying attention and it all tumbled back on us. We ended up with our path blocked, the ever-building combination of frustration and sadness that drives men mad....or crushes their spirit entirely.

Since we find ourselves back at this point, I think we can assume our spirit has not been crushed. We've never been broken, just badly bent.

Now it all is so close--look out your window this morning and you can see it.

Clemson in the ACC title game. Let it roll around in your morning coffee for just a minute. Think back, just a minute on all the times we've been this close before ... and failed.

Think of these times just once more. Then cast them away.
They will not be coming back. We will not be chained to the stones that denied us before.

We are Clemson again.

We are the guys people fear. You can see it on their message boards and on their scoreboards. They aren't looking at a soft, "punch-em-in-the-mouth and they vanish" foe. They are looking at the bringers of pain.

This is as it should be. And far more fitting, certainly to we who remember the ancient past, that Virginia should be the lamb of sacrifice. I can think of no foe more fitting to roast in the Valley to atone for the past 18 years of our exile.

White meat. Tender and juicy, roasting in the fiery pit of damnation that is Death Valley. Carved up for us all.

One more game. One more stone.

Don't just roll this one aside, Tigers. Demolish it. Crush this stone into tiny, little fragments, and let each of the faithful take a piece to hold in our hearts.

To remember the day the Tigers' roar was truly heard again o'er the mountain height.

It is there for us this Saturday, Tigers.

We are ready.

Also, can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm going to be rooting for the Tar Heels tomorrow. Unlike a majority of our fanbase, I have no qualms in Boston College losing and clinching the division for us before we kick off. If it happens, I think it'll kick off a three and a half hour celebration in Death Valley.

[The Dream Master]

FUCK. YES.

http://www.tigernet.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/1-772105-8364031-71122/dabo%20acc%20atlantic.jpg

[Monkey]

The ACC championship game comes on about the time I go to work. I hope to have the day off.

I'll be rooting for your Tigers, yo. Go Clemson. :shyface:

The Idaho Vandals are bowl eligible for the first time since I've been born. I don't care if it's the Humanitarian or the Purina Puppy Chow bowl; I'm going to watch that game.

[Uncle Hoody]

I hate LSU.

The end of their game that they lost yesterday though was horse crap.

[Utellme]

Well DM you mentioned somewhere about what a great week of football and you was right.

Backyard brawl 19 WVU vs PITT 16

49 Texas vs Texas Am 39

Cant read what tombstone above says ?

And is or was Clemson and FSU ranked ?

What about Florida Gators did Clemson play them ? Who won , Rank ?

And how does Tar Heels losing help ? Boston College is in the Big East right ?

[The Dream Master]

Haha, no, BC has been in the ACC for like 4 or 5 years now. UNC beating them two weeks ago clinched the division title for Clemson (who also beat Virginia later that night anyway). Now they'll face Georgia Tech this Saturday for the crown.

Anyway, yes, we also beat FSU in that stretch, but they aren't ranked by a long shot (they're only 6-6 this year). We were ranked, but aren't now (except in the AP poll) because we fucking lost to South Carolina, a shitty SEC bottom-dweller and our most hated rivals. It has not been a fun week, to say the least. My only hope is that we tear those fucking nerds from Tech a new asshole and ream someone in the Orange Bowl. That's the only way I'll even remotely consider this season to be "good."

[Monkey]

Flipping between Clemson & Nebraska games. Both teams losing at the moment. :(

Nebraska has an AWESOME Defense. Lousy QB, though. They need to put a jersey on the girl who won the Dr. Pepper challenge. Seriously, coach. If you keep #5 in the game, you don't want to win.

Alabama will win the championship. If Texas wins tonight, they'll get their panties torn off just as bad as Florida. Shouldn't be much bitching this year... Unless Nebraska wins. Love to see the anger from TCU, Cincinnati, and BSU when LSU leapfrogs everybody into the national championship game. :sniffle:
ADDED:
Shit. Two games with a 1 point difference.

Hoping Nebraska can overcome it and GT chokes. :pray:

Nope. Tonight sucked big time. :cry:

I'll be rooting for Alabama when they rape the shit out of Texas in the championship (popularity contest) game.

[The Dream Master]

I feel like a fucking zombie. I'm not sure I've blinked in over three hours. I'm pretty sure there's a huge hole where my heart was, but it's laying somewhere on the field in Raymond James Stadium. Words can't express this kind of pain. Goddamnit. Went from being six minutes from the Orange Bowl to likely falling down to the Music City Bowl to play Kentucky. Again. Same thing we did 3 years ago.
ADDED:
Well shit, we are indeed headed back to Nashville because the ACC broke its own rule and allowed the Gator Bowl to select FSU instead of us. Of course, this is the same rule they refused to break 3 years ago when they basically strong-armed the Gator into taking Georgia Tech over us, which sent us to the Music City Bowl the first time. This has been a rough couple of weeks. Goddamnit, C.J. Spiller and our other seniors deserve better than that shit.

[Harmonic Bond]

I feel like a fucking zombie. I'm not sure I've blinked in over three hours. I'm pretty sure there's a huge hole where my heart was, but it's laying somewhere on the field in Raymond James Stadium. Words can't express this kind of pain. Goddamnit. Went from being six minutes from the Orange Bowl to likely falling down to the Music City Bowl to play Kentucky. Again. Same thing we did 3 years ago.
ADDED:
Well shit, we are indeed headed back to Nashville because the ACC broke its own rule and allowed the Gator Bowl to select FSU instead of us. Of course, this is the same rule they refused to break 3 years ago when they basically strong-armed the Gator into taking Georgia Tech over us, which sent us to the Music City Bowl the first time. This has been a rough couple of weeks. Goddamnit, C.J. Spiller and our other seniors deserve better than that shit.

Does the ACC actually have "rules" who goes where in non-BCS bowl games? The reason I ask, is because every once in awhile, on a SEC televised game, you'll see a graphic describing bowl placement for non-BCS teams. It's something like #1 non-BCS to Cotton, #2 to Chik-Fil-A, #3 to Capitol One, etc., etc. Thing is, the SEC has no such rules, in fact, it almost never shakes out this way. It's always political and driven by money. I think the producers of the games cobble that shit together because they think the audience can't understand, or shouldn't know, that the bowl placement works the way it works.

Anywho, I understand your frustration, but I also understand the Gator bowl's motivation too. They are an outfit designed to make money, and showcasing Bobby Bowden's last game, against his former school, will do just that. I personally, would probably watch either way, but lots of people will tune into that who wouldn't for an 8-5 Clemson squad.

For what it's worth, Clemson should have a huge advantage over Kentucky, so your guys should go out with a win. That, and the Music City Bowl is a little shinier than it used to be. I went to the very first one .... Alabama vs. Virginia Tech. No LP Field yet, so it was at Vanderbilt Stadium. Talk about "what the fuck am I doing here?"

[The Dream Master]

Well, there's a rule in place in the ACC that says no team can jump another team that has at least 2 less regular season conference losses than them. For example, we're 6-2 in the ACC, FSU is 4-4; thus, they should not be able to jump us. And the really shitty thing is that the Gator wanted to take us 3 years ago, but the ACC stepped in and made them take Georgia Tech because of this same rule. I understand the Gator's motivation in this case, but it just seems like such a brutal double standard.

As for the bowl itself, I thought we had a HUGE advantage last time we played Kentucky there. They had the worst rush offense in the nation, and we had two of the best backs (James Davis and CJ Spiller), and we proceeded to run the ball a grand total of 13 times and lost the game. That was a horrible 9 hour drive back home. I do think that Coach Swinney will have the team more prepared than Bowden ever did for bowl games. I think his record was 3-5 in bowl games, and most of the losses had the same thing in common: the team looked flat and unprepared. I don't think that'll happen this year. I hope not anyway, because I'm tired of this ridiculous SEC bias and would love to beat a team from that conference. I do kind of wish it were another team though; I think a big part of my disappointment rests in the fact that it's Kentucky again. Would rather see someone else, but I know they travel well to Nashville.

[Harmonic Bond]

Ahh, well, that certainly seems like a reasonable goal. I was shocked last year when Vanderbilt had to play Boston College (the ACC runner up) in the Music City Bowl. Really? This is your #2 bowl? I guess not exactly. But the other side of that "SEC bias" coin was that it felt our weaker teams were being consistently outmatched (Ole Miss, Vandy, Kentucky). Funnily enough, all those guys won, and only Alabama and U.S.C. laid eggs. The latter, of course, shocks no one.

You're right, beating Kentucky won't do shit for your ACC vs. SEC image, unless it's basketball (and you're already doing pretty damn fine in that category). You'd be better off with Georgia in there. Even though they're awful, they command more respect. A start would be the ACC pulling out the Chik-Fil-A kick off classic next year. LSU vs. UNC, I think. Should be fun. :)

[The Dream Master]

Yeah, I was really hoping for a Clemson/UGA matchup in the Peach Bowl, but they apparently didn't go for that because they were worried those two wouldn't bring much revenue to the city since both campuses are pretty close to Atlanta. UT and VT fans will travel well to sell out the bowl, and they'll likely have to stay at least a night. I've read that Clemson actually lobbied to go to the Car Care bow to play Pittl in Charlotte, but there's a clause that says the championship game loser can't fall below the Music City; odd that they enforce the rule there, but they'll gladly bend it for old man Bowden and FSU.

And, for what it's worth, I don't give a damn so much about the ACC's image against the SEC, only Clemson's. I don't understand the hard-on that a lot of SEC (read South Carolina) fans have for their conference. Seriously, you will have South Carolina fans actively pull for and trumpet the other teams in their conference, which is absurd. Why pull for and look fondly on the teams that routinely beat your brains in and who will be keeping you in the cellar for years to come? It's like I tell them--do you think Clemson fans were cheering for and rooting FSU on in the 90s when they were dominating everyone? Hell no--we hated those guys. I get that you might want your conference to look good to make your team's wins look better, but actively rooting for them is taking it to an extreme--plus, if you're a cellar dweller like they are, why in the world would you care about that? It's not like the SEC's strength is a good thing for you in that case.
ADDED:
Holy hell, the hits just keep on coming. Tim Tebow got an invite to NYC for the Heisman presentation over CJ Spiller. That's just a disgrace and proves that the trophy doesn't represent what it should. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Spiller deserves to win it, but he deserves a trip there, particularly over Tebow, whose year was not all that impressive. He's only there on the strength of his name and reputation alone, while Spiller put up ridiculous numbers that stack up against anyone's in the nation. Good lord, the last three weeks have been pure hell as far as football goes. Someone hit the damn reset button.

[Monkey]

ADDED:
Holy hell, the hits just keep on coming. Tim Tebow got an invite to NYC for the Heisman presentation over CJ Spiller. That's just a disgrace and proves that the trophy doesn't represent what it should. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Spiller deserves to win it, but he deserves a trip there, particularly over Tebow, whose year was not all that impressive. He's only there on the strength of his name and reputation alone, while Spiller put up ridiculous numbers that stack up against anyone's in the nation. Good lord, the last three weeks have been pure hell as far as football goes. Someone hit the damn reset button.
Divsion I isn't exactly fair. After Texas played poorly against Nebraska, I was hoping to see TCU play Alabama in the title game. Nope. Tebow is going because he's popular among the voters; same thing with the title game. The system isn't fair, and they're not going to change it anytime soon. If Texas had lost, it would have made things a lot more interesting. I don't think TCU would have been able to beat Alabama, but what if they did? The pressure to change would have been even greater.

Then the BCS selection committee decided to place BSU against TCU. It's cool in a way, because now we have two games featuring undefeated teams, but it seems they didn't want to risk giving cred to TCU or BSU should they beat one of the BCS conference 'powerhouses'. There would be more calls for change, and it would further discredit the system they're currently using. This would have been a perfect year to implement an 8-team playoff format, IMO.

The only way to switch to a playoff system is to scrap most of the bowl games. Some of the games have been around forever; it's tradition... and it's a money maker. Plus, they play the bowl games several weeks after the regular season ends. It wouldn't be right to the players who already have a long season, complete with a 'bye month' to continue into a playoff format after the bowl games are finished (and would take away the significance of the bowls).

Of all the major sports, professional leagues and NCAA, only one system does not have a playoff format: Divsion I football. Even division II and III has championship tournaments. Unless an outside party intervenes, it's going to remain that way for many years to come.

Alabama should win the championship. They earned it, but we're still going to have people complaining (whoever wins the TCU/BSU game, and if Cincy can beat Florida) no matter what. (Sigh) :|

Regardless, doesn't it seem like the non-BCS conferences are gaining ground?

[Uncle Hoody]

Division I does have a playoff to decide a true champion, just not at the FBS level.

[The Dream Master]

I'd like to see TCU and Cinci win their bowl games, which would leave three legit undefeated teams. Seriously, having seen TCU up close and in person--they are the real damn deal. Even if Texas beats Alabama, they might not even be the best team in their state. It'll be really interesting to see what the AP voters will do if we're only left with 2 unbeatens at the end of the year; I could see a split championship again if that happens.

Fuck, I can't believe this season is pretty much over. I'd give anything to go back about three weeks and get a mulligan on how this shit has played out. Oh well...signing day and spring practice are right around the corner. Hope springs eternal...

[sooners4life98]

I will watch my Sooners take on the Cardnials of Stanford in the Sun Bowl. If their Qb does not play, we should stack the box imo.

[Harmonic Bond]

Then the BCS selection committee decided to place BSU against TCU. It's cool in a way, because now we have two games featuring undefeated teams, but it seems they didn't want to risk giving cred to TCU or BSU should they beat one of the BCS conference 'powerhouses'. There would be more calls for change, and it would further discredit the system they're currently using. This would have been a perfect year to implement an 8-team playoff format, IMO.


I'm totally with you, 100%, that we need a change. The BCS is worthless. However, I am 100% against you in regards to a N-team, single elimination playoff being the answer. A single elimination playoff proves nothing, as it's statistically meaningless. Your freshman statistics text will tell you this. I could do a boring derivation for you, but a more fun answer is ESPN's playoff simulator (http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls09/bracket). Play it a bunch of times, and it will reveal the truth about single elimination playoffs to you. That is: single elimination playoffs are basically random number generators. The statistics don't lie, and the statistics say that Iowa's chances of winning a 16-team, single elimination playoff aren't much worse than Alabama's chances. I dunno about you, but that horrifies me.

Unfortunately, contrary to what most people think, the real problem is not the postseason, but rather the regular season. There are too many teams, and too few games to get the proper sampling to determine who goes where. What's worse, is that most teams waste a perfectly good game on meaningless competition (Alabama vs. North Texas, Texas vs. Wyoming, Boise State vs. the rest of their conference, etc.).

My (undoubtedly unpopular) solution. NCAA football should be like the English premiere league, in that there should be tiers within the FBS rank according to ability. At the beginning of every year, pick, say, the top 60 teams for tier 1, and the bottom 60 for tier 2, and they compete for separate championships. Split the 60 into five geographic conferences, each with two divisions. Every team plays 8 conference games, 4 OOC games (1 from each other conference, on a rotating basis), and each conference has a championship game. No Tier 1-Tier 2 games, definitely no Tier 1-FCS games. Only conference champions are eligible for the NC. Do the bowls as usual, and then a paid committee of non-idiots votes on #1. That would only leave, at most, 1-2 teams to complain at the end of it all.

Before you tear in .... yes, I realize that no one will give up their beloved conferences and/or rivalries for a crazy system like this. But, I'm convinced we would need a drastic change such as this to really figure out who the champion is. Frankly, if the only options are the BCS or a single elimination playoff, I'll begrudgingly take the BCS. :(

[The Dream Master]

I still think a playoff is a better solution, but not one that involves taking the top whatever number of teams. Instead, I think the remaining independents need to join a conference, and each conference needs to play a championship game. Take the six champions from those conferences, plus the two highest ranked non-BCS schools, and throw them into an 8-team playoff. I know this still leaves room for teams from weaker conferences to have a chance to win it all, but the same thing is possible in every other sport that has a playoff system. For example, no one is up in arms during an NFL season if a 9-7 team makes it into the NFC playoffs when a 10 or 11-win AFC team sits at home. And of course it could lead to some crazy upsets, but that happens all the time--it's part of sports.

Now, I think you could do this and include your idea as well, HB. I've always thought we need to dispense with ALL cupcake OOC games and rotate between the conferences to get a better sample too. It'll never happen simply because there are too many cross-conference rivalry games that wouldn't be sacrificed, but it'd be interesting if say every team from the ACC faced a Pac-10 team one week, then a Big-10 team the next. It would certainly be much interesting than seeing Clemson play Presbyterian or Alabama play Chattanooga.

At any rate, I am all for any system that doesn't rely on forcing voters to decide between two teams with nothing to go on except how they looked when not playing against each other. There's a chance that we'll have as many as three undefeated teams at the end of this season, and I couldn't tell you who the better team was because none of them will decide it on the field against each other.

[Harmonic Bond]

Well, just because other sports jump off a bridge, doesn't mean I want college football to as well. :p

"All other sports use a playoff" (true?) is a reasonable enough argument, but many, many sports do not use a single-elimination playoff. 3/5/7 elimination game playoffs are commonplace, and every major professional sport in the US ,other than the NFL, uses multiple game elimination playoffs. I would argue that these are statistically meaningful. Furthermore, my understanding is that most soccer organizations do use a type of single elimination playoff, but it's not based entirely on head to head matchups, but rather a point system (Could be wrong, I don't follow the sport). Which would be a somewhat better system. The point of this is, that many sports do not use a traditional single-elimination playoff. To me, the organizers of these sports must see a major flaw in it, because fans love them. They are simple and (seemingly) definitive, exactly what casual (i.e. 90%) of fans want.

Again, logistic reasons will prevent us from getting a multiple game elimination in college football, which is too bad. I do think a four team round-robin style (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round-robin_tournament) tournament could work, and would be more fair than any breed of single elimination playoff. Problem is, like the BCS, it's not fan-friendly. It's complicated and will likely alienate fans from the sport (and money from the NCAA).

Thing is, the BCS is likely not quite the money-hungry goons looking to destroy the sport that everyone thinks they are. Do they like money? Well, yeah, but there would be a ton of money in the playoffs too. I think they are pretty concerned with maintaining the integrity of the sport, and the validity of their "champion." They ARE willing to change the system, because they've done it several times since the BCS was started just 10 years ago. They won't change it to an even more broken system simply because a lot of fans and a whiny Utah senator want it. No, the new system should be at least a little better than the old one.

Honestly, what we're likely to get, is a return to the completely subjective poll-system, which I personally don't think was half bad. Just don't let the friggin media vote, and put in rules so coaches can't vote up their own team. However, this will SCREW the mid-majors (like it always did). As I say this, I remember how BYU won the '84 championship. Hmmmm.

[The Dream Master]

Well, it's true that football just doesn't lend itself to anything other than a single-elimination, as it'd certainly take too long to do any sort of series between teams. It certainly wouldn't be perfect--just better than what we deal with now, which would be my goal. In the end, I think the goal should be to find a system where it's all decided on the field, with no sort of voting or whatnot. As for the flaw that the college football suits see in it? You already answered it: money. They're afraid that a playoff system would kill the bowl setup, which is why it's never likely to happen unless they use the bowls as part of the playoff. And personally, I also love the bowl system, so I hope if we ever get a playoff, we still get both.

However, I would also like for it to mean something to go to a bowl--6 win teams (who often pick up one of those wins against FCS competition) shouldn't go bowling. So they need to either bump up the eligibility requirements to 7 wins or simply not count wins against FCS competition. Of course, it would alleviate a lot of problems if everyone just played a tough schedule like we've been talking about.

[Monkey]

My main frustration is that, the BCS title game inevitably features BCS conference teams year after year. Utah, BSU, TCU, etc., are always ranked low at the start of the season so they never seem to reach #1. And if a team such as BSU gets ranked high early on, they somehow cap out, and never get to the point of playing in the 'big game'.

I was hoping like mad that Texas wouldn't beat Nebraska.
That would have likely set up an Alabama/TCU show down.
My last wish would have been to see TCU upset Alabama.

I've taken statistics. I know what you're trying to say... you could discredit the NFL playoff system in the same manner. The NBA, NHL, and MLB give us a better indication of who the best really is. I get it.

I think pitting the 6 BCS conference champs plus the highest ranked 2 non-conference teams in an 8-team playoff format would be an excellent idea.

Fuck it, just make the season a double elimination 128-team tournament beginning on opening day. If you only have 117 division I teams, 11 teams get an automatic bye chosen at random. Everybody gets to play. The final two teams play a best-of-three series.

Somebody would then bitch on how they were seeded, though. You can't win. :sniffle:

[The Dream Master]

Haha, that brings up another good point sort of: the NCAA uses a single elimination basketball tournament, and outside of a few grumblings about bubble teams that get left out, no one really complains. Upsets there are considered Cinderella stories and are generally welcomed as storylines throughout.

On another note, congratulations to CJ Spiller, who graduated today. I know he didn't get the Heisman or the championship that he came back for, but the diploma is just as important.

ueX7QRCDJzc

[Harmonic Bond]

Fuck it, just make the season a double elimination 128-team tournament beginning on opening day. If you only have 117 division I teams, 11 teams get an automatic bye chosen at random. Everybody gets to play. The final two teams play a best-of-three series.

Somebody would then bitch on how they were seeded, though. You can't win. :sniffle:

Seconded. :p

Honestly, I hate to get in folks' craw about this. There are some legitimate fans out there who think a single-elimination playoff is the answer. However, USC's fanbase be damned, this is the biggest bandwagon campaign in college football, EVER. People falling off the college basketball (snoooooooze) season wake up in August saying "Hey! Let's do that March Madness thing ..... but in January!" If I hear one more person say some phrase like "letting the players settle it on the field," without considering the facts that a.) single-elimination playoffs are, at very best, extremely statistically suspect and b.) there are many ways to "settle it on the field", I swear, I'll have a conniption.

I do realize there is a problem, and like everyone else, I want it solved. Unlike, presumably most, people, College football is the only sport I love, or even like. A single-elimination post-season will ruin the sport for me; I will not watch if this happens (seriously). Beyond the problems with the regular and post-season play, the fans of the sport are a problem. At large, they are smart enough to see the problem, but are too stubborn or impatient to see it through to a real solution. Again, I'm a firm believer that the main solution is to cut the fat in terms of participants at the top level. This would be painful for fans and the NCAA alike, as many of the former's teams wouldn't be eligible to play for the highest prize in the land (nevermind how irrelevant their team is in the discussion) and the NCAA will lose money as those fans lose interest. However, I do believe a leaner, meaner Div IA NCAAF is a possibility. Also, I'd love to see a time when lower divisions are more conspicuous. Some of the best football happens on that level.

Anywho, soap box time over. Good luck to everyone's team in bowl season. Auburn plays Northwestern, and I'll root for Alabama for my family's sake. Vanderbilt, shockingly, will be sitting at home this year. Only 25 more years, and another Music City Bowl trip! (just a reminder to you, Dream Master, it could be worse :p)

[Monkey]

Maybe the only solution is to simply not crown a champion? :eek:

Just play the bowl games, forget the rankings.

Idaho made it to the humanitarian bowl.
I still think 'Purina Puppy Chow Bowl' sounds cool :shyface:
ADDED:
Haha, that brings up another good point sort of: the NCAA uses a single elimination basketball tournament, and outside of a few grumblings about bubble teams that get left out, no one really complains.

Wow... a tournament with 64 teams, and somebody still bitches they can't get a shot at the championship?!?!? :facepalm:

[The Dream Master]

I just don't see how anyone can say that a single elimination tournament at least isn't better than a bunch of coaches and writers judging teams and naming a champion based off of perception. No, it's not the best method, but it IS better than what we have, and that's all I want. At the very least, it seems like a single elimination tournament would still be able to expose teams who play weaker schedules, and we wouldn't have to guess as to whether or not they're as good as their record says.

Also, by the logic presented, one can argue that we don't really know if the conference champions in a league are really champions; after all, most conferences feature an unbalanced schedule that relies on one meeting between two teams (unless there's a rematch in a conference championship). Not the most reliable set of data, no? However, do you hear anyone disputing the fact that Alabama is the SEC Champion this year? Of course not.

[The Dream Master]

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2009/12/27/23/clem-ky28_2Qrg023.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.jpg

"Because I love Clemson too much. I love 'em too much"--C.J. Spiller on why he played despite injury

The feeling's mutual. There might not ever be a player of Spiller's caliber play for Clemson again in my life time. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to watch him for four years, and I'm glad he went out with a bowl win.

[Harmonic Bond]

I just don't see how anyone can say that a single elimination tournament at least isn't better than a bunch of coaches and writers judging teams and naming a champion based off of perception. No, it's not the best method, but it IS better than what we have, and that's all I want.


Sorry dude, I'm just going to have to agree to disagree with this. To me, the subjective opinion of coaches and sports writers (people who make their living off this stuff) is worth a hell of a lot. More than randomly picking a champion.


Also, by the logic presented, one can argue that we don't really know if the conference champions in a league are really champions; after all, most conferences feature an unbalanced schedule that relies on one meeting between two teams (unless there's a rematch in a conference championship). Not the most reliable set of data, no? However, do you hear anyone disputing the fact that Alabama is the SEC Champion this year? Of course not.

Well, to be blunt, most people don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. Most people, not from Alabama or Florida, don't know shit about Alabama or Florida. I follow both quite closely, and I can raise a dozen reasons why Florida is the better team. Deep down, I feel Florida probably is the better team. Again, the fact that we have to resort to weak, one-off conference championships between undefeated squads is yet another symptom of a poor regular season structure.

Back before the championship games, I predicted a Texas championship. Assuming Alabama, Florida, and Texas are roughly equivalent squads, and that Nebraska was substantially beneath those three (assumptions I still believe, believe it or not), Texas is the statistical answer you get. If I was a gambling man, I'd put a dollar on it. Instead, if I get it wrong, I'll spare you the perennial bitching about the bitching for a playoff, next year. If I'm right ..... watch out. :p

[The Dream Master]

More than randomly picking a champion.

I don't see how playing a game on the field is picking anything; if anything, the system we have now is the one where champions are randomly chosen. How do you or I know that Boise State couldn't beat whoever wins between Texas or Alabama? I sure as hell don't, and I won't under the system we have. Instead, Boise will probably get a number two ranking as consolation for an undefeated season. Yes, I know their schedule is rather weak, but if we had a better system, it could be proven that their competition helps them a lot.

I can raise a dozen reasons why Florida is the better team. Deep down, I feel Florida probably is the better team.

The result of the SEC Championship game says otherwise. Yes, it's just one game, but then again, so is the Super Bowl, and no one questions who the NFL Champion is each year. Maybe it's no a perfect system, but it's a damn sight better than what exists in the NCAA right now.

[Speck]

Texas just fell apart after McCoy left the game. They have no passing attack.
ADDED:
However, it looks like Texas is clawing it's way back.

[The Dream Master]

I hope they do. I loathe Alabama.
ADDED:
Well, that's that for the 2009 season folks. Congrats to Alabama, but it'll always be interesting to play the "What if" game as far as McCoy's injury goes.

On a personal note, I'm glad to see Clemson finish 24th in the polls, which marks the fourth consecutive odd-numbered year that they've landed there at season's end. Now if we can just get to work on those even-numbered years and get some consistency to this program. Next year is pretty much up in the air, but we do at least have a lot coming back on defense, and our offensive line and QB play should improve. It's going to be impossible to reproduce CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford, but I think our stable of running backs will do fine (Andre Ellington is a beast). The biggest question mark will be WRs. We need someone to step up, and if at least two guys do that, I think we'll be playing in Charlotte for the ACC title. Overall, it's gonna be a tough schedule with visits to Auburn, FSU, and UNC, but as long as we don't shit the bed in all three, I think it can be a good season.

[Speck]

I want to see Texas WR Jordan Shipley in a Panthers uniform.

[Uncle Hoody]

I want to see Texas WR Jordan Shipley in a Panthers uniform.

Not me haha

[The Dream Master]

Alabama will apparently be displaying their newly-won BCS trophy at some local Wal-Marts (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4809698) this weekend.

You can't make that shit up.

[The Dream Master]

Holy fuck, what a coaching carousel this off-season. Carroll bolts for the NFL, now Kiffin leaves for USC. They are literally rioting in the streets in Knoxville.