College Football Predictions

[deuceswild 15]

Alabama's sneaky with schedules. Each year, they tend to play:

1 "big-name" school (this year, Michigan)

1 FCS patsy (this year, Western Carolina)

1 FBS patsy (this year, FAU)

1 FBS school that's sneaky good (this year, Western Kentucky)

 

What you get is a SOS that looks solid by playing 3 teams Alabama knows they'll beat. It's amplified, because IMO the SOS formulas grossly overvalue playing very highly-ranked teams.

 

If WKU is sneaky good they're awfully sneaky about it. ;)

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I agree that Alabama is sneaky, historically so is LSU and Georgia.

 

Again, to be fair, most schools tend to play one decently attractive game per season, if possible, and the rest of the OoC schedule is weak at best. Alabama schedule over the past 5 seasons does not look any different than Virginia Tech, Clemson, LSU, Texas or any other top 10-15 program. Sure, Alabama plays Western Carolina and Western Kentucky but Virginia Tech plays Austin Peay and Bowling Green. Which is the tougher road? Both will be heavy favorites.

 

I don't intend to get "Hokie hater" banter going because I am sure we would be greatly outnumbered on this site. I was just using them as an example based on this site and the fact they usually get killed in the media every year for their perceived willingness to not play anybody OoC.

 

UVA scheduled 2 big-ticket games this year. One against Penn State, before the flood gates opened. Another at TCU. Add to that a "lose-lose" game against WAC title-contender LA Tech, and it's a tough row to hoe. At least all three are winnable. I don't envy Bama playing #9 Michigan.

 

Hey clown. You misspelled "Reverse".

 

I misspelled everything but "I".

 

If WKU is sneaky good they're awfully sneaky about it. ;)

 

They went 7-5 last year, 7-1 in the Sun Belt. Probably the biggest bowl snub last year. They're a better team this year, and certainly could hang with Alabama for a little while. Of course, Bama's gonna win, but still.

[blueinbama 259]

I love when everyone picks the cookie cutter teams. Alabama will suffer a loss to Michigan ( Its first out of conference respected team in years ). Lsu cannot beat Alabama twice this year and the same applies with USC and Oregon.

 

First of all, Alabama normally doesn't play LSU twice because they are both in the same division, the SEC West. The West champion will play the East champion for the SEC Championship, just as they do every year. So the same can't apply with USC (West) and Oregon. USC (West) and Oregon are in different divisions. They could play in both the regular season and the conference championship game. Last year was very exceptional with Bama and LSU playing each other twice, both in the regular season and playing in the NC game, but I doubt that will happen again this year. I could be mistaken, but I don't see that happening.

 

Alabama could lose to Michigan, but I don't think that will happen. If that does happen I will be here to give you props. If Bama wins, I will expect you to man up as well. Roll Tide!

Edited August 21, 2012 by blueinbama

[deuceswild 15]

 

 

 

I misspelled everything but "I".

 

 

But no, seriously. You misspelled "reverse" in reverse.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

But no, seriously. You misspelled "reverse" in reverse.

 

Whatevs.

[deuceswild 15]

Whatevs.

(spoken like Katt Williams)

 

I'm not kiddin' yo! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME, SON!?

 

You put "esrevrR". That's not a word in either direction!

 

I wait for years, YEARS, to call you out on a typo. They always said UVAO don't make no typos, UVAO got great spellin', UVAO don't ever mess up.

 

Fool, you don't do good backwards!

[bugsbunny 12]

(spoken like katt williams)

 

i'm not kiddin' yo! Do you think this is a game, son!?

 

You put "esrevrr". That's not a word in either direction!

 

I wait for years, years, to call you out on a typo. They always said uvao don't make no typos, uvao got great spellin', uvao don't ever mess up.

 

Fool, you don't do good backwards!

 

lol

[frankthetank 10]

I didn't say anything about the schools playing each other twice in the regular season or conference championship. I was pointing toward the championship. One of the main reason college football is in the shape it is today is because of the bias opinion toward the SEC. As a fan of college football in general, I thought it was a shame that Oklahoma State didn't even have a chance to play for the championship last year. The worst part for me was the matchup with Stanford in the bowl game. The media should have at least given them Georgia or Arkansas. I'm sure they would have dismantled either of those teams last year and left the sports community wondering 'what if'. The current BCS system is flawed and everyone knows it.

[EH31 2,532]

I didn't say anything about the schools playing each other twice in the regular season or conference championship. I was pointing toward the championship. One of the main reason college football is in the shape it is today is because of the bias opinion toward the SEC. As a fan of college football in general, I thought it was a shame that Oklahoma State didn't even have a chance to play for the championship last year. The worst part for me was the matchup with Stanford in the bowl game. The media should have at least given them Georgia or Arkansas. I'm sure they would have dismantled either of those teams last year and left the sports community wondering 'what if'. The current BCS system is flawed and everyone knows it.

What if ok state lost to an inferior, unranked opponent?? oh yeah, they did. No what ifs there..... No bias towards the SEC, they're hands down the best. 6 straight championships speak for itself

[frankthetank 10]

I didn't want to have to list 2011 stats but I guess I must. First of all I would like to mention to Alabama lost a crucial game to LSU at TUSCALOOSA. With that being said, we should talk about their schedule that puts them as a contender for the national championship. Kent State (5-7) Penn State (9-4) North Texas (5-7) Arkansas (11-2) Florida (7-6) Vanderbilt (6-7) Ole Miss (2-10) Tennessee (5-7) L-LSU (13-1) Miss State (7-6) Georgia Southern (11-3) Auburn (8-5) . Five games were against teams with losing records and they only played two teams that finished the season in the AP 25 (one of which resulted in a loss, at home!) . Please don't kick around on other schools for having a weak schedule when this is one of the worst in the nation.

[EH31 2,532]

I didn't want to have to list 2011 stats but I guess I must. First of all I would like to mention to Alabama lost a crucial game to LSU at TUSCALOOSA. With that being said, we should talk about their schedule that puts them as a contender for the national championship. Kent State (5-7) Penn State (9-4) North Texas (5-7) Arkansas (11-2) Florida (7-6) Vanderbilt (6-7) Ole Miss (2-10) Tennessee (5-7) L-LSU (13-1) Miss State (7-6) Georgia Southern (11-3) Auburn (8-5) . Five games were against teams with losing records and they only played two teams that finished the season in the AP 25 (one of which resulted in a loss, at home!) . Please don't kick around on other schools for having a weak schedule when this is one of the worst in the nation.

 

Who said weak schedule? I said they lost to an inferior team... It would be like Bama losing to kent state...????? Which doesn't happen. Bama did lose to lsu, but they were a great team. LSU>Iowa state lmao

[-oo- 146]

I think WVU has a good chance of making it to the NC. Holgorsen is going back to the Big 12 where he did incredible 2 years ago with OK State being the OC there. He knows what it takes to win against the teams in the conference. Last year was their 1st season in that new system and we saw how much they progressed throughout the year. 2nd year in the system could make problems for some teams depending on how much they progressed in the offseason. I think they will lose to one or two teams at the most this season. Oklahoma will be a big game for them and if they can get past them I think they have a shot at the NC if they don't slip up somewhere along the way.

[frankthetank 10]

My point about opponent strength is that Oklahoma State beat better teams and more of them last year. Their strength of schedule was much much greater than the Alabama schedule. I'm trying to remember from memory, but I believe it was the 2006 LSU team that took a shocking loss to a 56th ranked Illinois team. LSU went on to win the national title with two losses. Your argument holds no water. In my opinion (and it doesn't count for much), quality wins are greater than one bad loss. Alabama had one win against a ranked team last year. Thats fact. As for the last post in this article, I believe the best move WVU could have made was to join the Big12. I'm just sorry they didn't join the ACC.

[sixcat 2,937]

LSU never played Illinois in 2006 or in 2007, the year they won the national championship with two losses. Using Wikipedia, I went through every season schedule from 2004 through last season and LSU did not play Illinois during that period. During the 2007 national championship season, they lost both games in triple overtime, one to Kentucky and one to Arkansas, both ranked in the top 18 at the time of the game. Ohio St. was unbeaten and expected to walk through whoever they played for the national championship. It didn't happen as LSU beat them rather handily.

 

It is my opinion that people justify their hatred of the SEC any way they can. The truth is, no other conference has matched the SEC in success on the football field. Read through NFL rosters for the proof. There are more players in the NFL from the University of Mississippi than Virginia Tech and West Virginia combined.

[blueinbama 259]

I didn't want to have to list 2011 stats but I guess I must. First of all I would like to mention to Alabama lost a crucial game to LSU at TUSCALOOSA. With that being said, we should talk about their schedule that puts them as a contender for the national championship. Kent State (5-7) Penn State (9-4) North Texas (5-7) Arkansas (11-2) Florida (7-6) Vanderbilt (6-7) Ole Miss (2-10) Tennessee (5-7) L-LSU (13-1) Miss State (7-6) Georgia Southern (11-3) Auburn (8-5) . Five games were against teams with losing records and they only played two teams that finished the season in the AP 25 (one of which resulted in a loss, at home!) . Please don't kick around on other schools for having a weak schedule when this is one of the worst in the nation.

 

There will forever be arguments about who should and should not be in the BCSNC, and most of the time the BCS gets it right. In my opinion, as biased as it may be, the BCS got it right again last season.

 

Every team plays its share of cupcakes. Last season Penn State was down, but still finished 9-4. Georgia Southern was no slouch either, finishing 11-3.

 

OSU played La. Lafayette (9-4) who, even though they finished with a winning record against very weak teams, I don't think anyone would argue is a powerhouse by any stretch, Arizona (4-8), Kansas (2-10), Texas tech (5-7), Texas A&M (7-6), Texas (8-5), Iowa State (6-7), that powerhouse Tulsa (8-5). That's four teams with losing records, one less than Alabama played, and even though Tulsa and La. Lafayette had winning records I don't think those teams help your argument.

 

One thing you have to consider is the teams in the SEC beat up on each other every year. It is without a doubt the best conference in college football. You can't discount that. A number of SEC teams that finish with mediocre or losing records are still better teams than those teams with better records in other conferences. The SEC was invited to NINE bowl games last season, more than any other conference. The SEC won six of those nine. The bottom line when arguing about the teams invited to the BCSNC from last season is the fact that Oklahoma State lost to an unranked team with a losing record (6-7). Bama lost to the #1 team in the country. Oklahoma State controlled its own destiny, and lost a game it should have won going away. OSU choked, and blew an opportunity to be undefeated. Obviously the voters gave more credibility to Bama's loss to LSU in the regular season, along with Bama's always difficult SEC schedule, than OSU's loss to a weak and unranked Iowa State team. The strength of schedule was trumped by the OSU loss to a team they should have beaten. A one loss Bama team who lost by a field goal to the #1 team in the country and finished strong deserved the #2 ranking above a team that lost to an unranked opponent late in the season, and Alabama deserved the shot at the BCSNC. Oklahoma State didn't deserve it.

 

Now personally, I'm tired of talking about last year. The SEC proved once again it is the premier conference in college football, and it's not even close. Alabama was the best team in the country, and the Tide proved the BCS made the right choice by MAULING the #1 team in the country 21-0. I suggest a cease fire to the crying over last year. It's over. Bama won. That's not going to change. Get over it. Let's move on.

Edited August 23, 2012 by blueinbama

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I think WVU has a good chance of making it to the NC. Holgorsen is going back to the Big 12 where he did incredible 2 years ago with OK State being the OC there. He knows what it takes to win against the teams in the conference. Last year was their 1st season in that new system and we saw how much they progressed throughout the year. 2nd year in the system could make problems for some teams depending on how much they progressed in the offseason. I think they will lose to one or two teams at the most this season. Oklahoma will be a big game for them and if they can get past them I think they have a shot at the NC if they don't slip up somewhere along the way.

 

WVU would be snow-white lucky to be 9-3, much less play for a national championship...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

(spoken like Katt Williams)

 

I'm not kiddin' yo! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME, SON!?

 

You put "esrevrR". That's not a word in either direction!

 

I wait for years, YEARS, to call you out on a typo. They always said UVAO don't make no typos, UVAO got great spellin', UVAO don't ever mess up.

 

Fool, you don't do good backwards!

 

A+ reference, would read again. ;)

[frankthetank 10]

Sixcat, I had LSU on my mind when Ohio State finished the season ranked #1 after the loss to Illinois. Ohio State played LSU for the title in 07. The original argument I made stands the same. One bad loss that year didn't prevent the team from playing in the championship. Any fan of college football will agree that the BCS is broken. There needs to be a playoff system introduced instead of hand picking for the popularity race.

[EH31 2,532]

Sixcat, I had LSU on my mind when Ohio State finished the season ranked #1 after the loss to Illinois. Ohio State played LSU for the title in 07. The original argument I made stands the same. One bad loss that year didn't prevent the team from playing in the championship. Any fan of college football will agree that the BCS is broken. There needs to be a playoff system introduced instead of hand picking for the popularity race.

you do realize they voted for a playoff right?

[-oo- 146]

WVU would be snow-white lucky to be 9-3, much less play for a national championship...

 

I don't think they will play for the NC because they will slip up somewhere but no more than 2 losses. Thats my bold prediction for the year.

[sixcat 2,937]

Sixcat, I had LSU on my mind when Ohio State finished the season ranked #1 after the loss to Illinois. Ohio State played LSU for the title in 07. The original argument I made stands the same. One bad loss that year didn't prevent the team from playing in the championship. Any fan of college football will agree that the BCS is broken. There needs to be a playoff system introduced instead of hand picking for the popularity race.

 

I agree the BCS is, and always has been, broken. As blueinbama pointed out, it does get it right most of the time but a playoff settles it on the field. I think that is the underlying issue, the national championship is not settled on the field in a traditional sense. Now lets hope they don't overkill the playoff format and invite 38 teams to the dance. I think 4 is perfect and 6 would be acceptable.

[frankthetank 10]

I believe an 8 team format would be fitting. Like most people, I disagree with the current BCS ranking system. I'm not a fan of Boise State by any means, but they deserved a chance that first year. It turned out well because the Boise-Oklahoma game was probably the best college game I've ever saw. Eight teams would cut out on alot of confusion and theoretically allow a couple more 2 loss teams play for the spot. Current coaches should be taken out of the equation for BCS ranking. This automatically gives the larger conferences an edge. Wins-losses-strength of schedule should be the only three factors period. Someones opinion should not account for anything. Im anxious to see if ohio state is able to mature this year under Meyer to have a valid bid for next season. It should be interesting.

[blueinbama 259]

Someones opinion should not account for anything.

 

Does that include your opinion? You have expressed a few yourself you know.

 

I kid. I tend to agree with you about the coaches. I think most of them are too busy to have an informed vote. I think eventually we will see an eight team playoff format. The four team format is a good place to start.

Edited August 24, 2012 by blueinbama

[mavsgrad 28]

Here are my end of the year top 5 Rankings and BCS Bowl projections.

 

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs Wisconsin

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs Georgia

Orange Bowl: WVU vs FSU

Sugar Bowl: LSU vs Michigan

National Championship: Bama vs USC

 

Top 5

1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Oregon

4. Oklahoma

5. USC

 

I think my Eers get to and win a BCS game but just miss the top 5 but finish with a solid top 10 ranking for the year.

[sandman 13]

Top 5/BCS Predictions anyone?

 

 

 

 

 

The SEC Champion will play for the National Title once again?

That's about all I've got.