2011NCAA Football Thread

[DarkJourney]

New an improved BCS possibilities:

BCS Championship: LSU (13-0) vs. Alabama (11-1)

Rose Bowl: Oregon (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (11-2)

Sugar Bowl: Michigan (10-2) vs. Houston (13-0)

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech (12-1) vs. West Virginia (9-3)

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. Stanford (11-1)

Two things we already know for the bowl season: Miami will not accept a bowl bid and BYU has accepted it's bowl invite to the Armed Forces Bowl

[Cola]

people will complain about the lovefest the media has for the SEC all day like it is without basis, yet no one will step up to the plate and challenge them.

*points to victory over SEC East champs (who possibly could win the conference) in Georgia*

I meant when it is for all the marbles.

Beating an SEC team, whether one at the top or bottom of the conference, in one game is no feat. Certainly something to be proud of, but it doesn't encompass what "being in the SEC" is about. Doing it week in and week out and coming out undefeated should be automatic placement into any national championship.

I honestly don't want to get into the "SEC" discussion, because ever since yesterday and the possibility of the SEC going 1-2-3 in the BCS...all I have seen on non-SEC schools' forums is jealousy, complaining, and hatred towards the SEC...yet none of them have an answer for it. They just feel better about complaining. Kind of like most voters in politics.

If you don't want to see the SEC so much, then these teams need to prevent it by doing the obvious- win the games on your schedule. Every other team in the nation has allowed these three SEC teams to be 1-2-3.

No offense Cola, but you are one serious SEC homer. There's nothing wrong with that and you do make some valid points. But you act like Vanderbilt would run roughshod through the Big Ten or Pac 12. There's no denying that the top two or three teams in the SEC are usually among the top 5-7 teams in the country. After the top two or three though, there really isn't what I'd call a gap in talent between the SEC and any of the other power conferences.

For instance, I think USC would have no trouble beating Arkansas or Georgia. I think they'd give Alabama and LSU a run for their money. They'd beat the daylights out of everyone else in the SEC. Do you really think that a team like Oklahoma State wouldn't compete in the SEC? Like it or not, Boise State easily handled Georgia. My point being that winning the SEC, while not as easy as winning the Big East or ACC, isn't quite the crucible you make it out to be. Are the top SEC teams better than everyone else? Probably. But after that, I don't think there's that much of a difference between the second tier of the SEC and the second tier of the other power conferences.

Just my opinion.

I don't see how anything I said could possibly label me as a SEC homer unless the person reading it just gets immediately disgusted or defensive when they see the letters "SEC" together.

When did I ever insinuate through anything I said that Vanderbilt would run through another conference? I didn't. Since you bring it up though, I do believe they would fare better in another conference than the SEC...as a good bit of other teams would, probably even my Gamecocks until just recently when have been able to seriously compete. The league has always been top heavy but then pretty damn good across the board as well. You can't just discount the top two teams as if they don't represent the strength of their conference- if they didn't and if majority of people REALLY didn't believe that, then LSU's 11-0 would be just as good as another undefeated non-SEC team. That just isn't the case.

I think team for team from top to bottom in any conference, the SEC is hands down the best and it's been that way for about 7 years now. This year could be called a "down year" but I also think it just isn't what fans are used to seeing in the SEC. Let's say next year, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky finish 1-2-3 in the SEC East. Georgia-Tennessee-Florida finish bottom three. No matter what, a lot of people are going to immediately look and say "well, that division is down"...without analyzing anything but the name of the University. Because it "hasn't always been that way."

At any rate, I feel like I stated facts and it was pretty simple- every other team has a chance to unseat the SEC by doing two things: winning the games they play and the bringing it all to the NCG.

[infrared41]

people will complain about the lovefest the media has for the SEC all day like it is without basis, yet no one will step up to the plate and challenge them.

*points to victory over SEC East champs (who possibly could win the conference) in Georgia*

I meant when it is for all the marbles.

Beating an SEC team, whether one at the top or bottom of the conference, in one game is no feat. Certainly something to be proud of, but it doesn't encompass what "being in the SEC" is about. Doing it week in and week out and coming out undefeated should be automatic placement into any national championship.

I honestly don't want to get into the "SEC" discussion, because ever since yesterday and the possibility of the SEC going 1-2-3 in the BCS...all I have seen on non-SEC schools' forums is jealousy, complaining, and hatred towards the SEC...yet none of them have an answer for it. They just feel better about complaining. Kind of like most voters in politics.

If you don't want to see the SEC so much, then these teams need to prevent it by doing the obvious- win the games on your schedule. Every other team in the nation has allowed these three SEC teams to be 1-2-3.

No offense Cola, but you are one serious SEC homer. There's nothing wrong with that and you do make some valid points. But you act like Vanderbilt would run roughshod through the Big Ten or Pac 12. There's no denying that the top two or three teams in the SEC are usually among the top 5-7 teams in the country. After the top two or three though, there really isn't what I'd call a gap in talent between the SEC and any of the other power conferences.

For instance, I think USC would have no trouble beating Arkansas or Georgia. I think they'd give Alabama and LSU a run for their money. They'd beat the daylights out of everyone else in the SEC. Do you really think that a team like Oklahoma State wouldn't compete in the SEC? Like it or not, Boise State easily handled Georgia. My point being that winning the SEC, while not as easy as winning the Big East or ACC, isn't quite the crucible you make it out to be. Are the top SEC teams better than everyone else? Probably. But after that, I don't think there's that much of a difference between the second tier of the SEC and the second tier of the other power conferences.

Just my opinion.

I don't see how anything I said could possibly label me as a SEC homer unless the person reading it just gets immediately disgusted or defensive when they see the letters "SEC" together.

I was referring to your overall body of work. For the record, I like SEC football.

[dfwabel]

In two weeks, we will get eight hours of Charles Davis to make out ears bleed.

Per USA Today:

Fox will announce today that its lead on-air college football team ?Gus Johnson and analysts Charles Davis and Tim Brewster? will call its prime-time Pac-12 title game Dec. 2 and its prime-time Big Ten title game Dec. 3. "We'll roll the dice," Fox Sports President Eric Shanks says. "It's hard to tell either conference you wouldn't give them your lead crew."Additions to Fox's regular on-site pregame crews, also working both games, will include analyst John Lynch for the Pac-12 game and Dhani Jones for its Big Ten game.

Gus was better working BTN games, on FX this year he is over top like he is on the Buffalo Wild Wing ads. It's too much for a whole game (half of which weren't that competitive).

[rams80]

I was referring to your overall body of work.

I see what you did there.

Anyway, to address the greater question of "why is Oklahoma State #2 in the computers?" the answer lies in them playing a complete round robin in the best Conference in the country top to bottom, as well as having a Non-Conference slate of an 8-3 Louisiana Lafayette team, an 8-3 Tulsa team (which, BTW, is the biggest remaining obstacle in Houston's path), and their worst non-conference foe is Arizona. So, umm... Okie Light has actually played a challenging schedule. As opposed to, say, Alabama which counts Florida as its 3rd most difficult foe thus far this season.

[pmoehrin]

In two weeks, we will get eight hours of Charles Davis to make out ears bleed.

Per USA Today:

Fox will announce today that its lead on-air college football team ?Gus Johnson and analysts Charles Davis and Tim Brewster? will call its prime-time Pac-12 title game Dec. 2 and its prime-time Big Ten title game Dec. 3. "We'll roll the dice," Fox Sports President Eric Shanks says. "It's hard to tell either conference you wouldn't give them your lead crew."Additions to Fox's regular on-site pregame crews, also working both games, will include analyst John Lynch for the Pac-12 game and Dhani Jones for its Big Ten game.

Gus was better working BTN games, on FX this year he is over top like he is on the Buffalo Wild Wing ads. It's too much for a whole game (half of which weren't that competitive).

You can say what you want about Charles Davis or Gus Johnson or anybody. With Fox as long as its not Joe Buck that should be taken as a victory in of itself. I would rather hear Opie from Family Guy call a game then Joe Buck at this point.

[DL Watt]

Good hire for the UofA!!

Per espn.com

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

Arizona has hired former West Virginia and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez as its next football coach, as athletic director Greg Byrne made the news official with a photo posted on Twitter.

Posted to Byrne's Twitter page on Monday was an entry that read "And the new Arizona football coach and his family is......."

The post included a link that, when clicked, led to a photo of Rodriguez with his family.

Arizona (3-8, 2-7 Pac-12) fired Mike Stoops last month after struggling to a 1-5 start.

Rodriguez coached Michigan from 2008-2010 and West Virginia from 2001-2007. Rodriguez posted a 60-26 record at West Virginia, finishing first in the Big East four times.

Rodriguez was 15-22 at Michigan, including 6-18 in Big Ten play, before being dismissed.

During Rodriguez' tenure, the school acknowledged that it was guilty of four NCAA violations. It was put on three years of probation, though Rodriguez and the school avoided major penalties in part because the NCAA agreed that the coach didn't fail to promote an atmosphere and compliance in his program.

Rodriguez has been working as an analyst for CBS Sports this year, but had made it clear he wanted to get back into coaching as soon as possible.

Byrne fired Stoops on Oct. 10, two days after the Wildcats lost to Oregon State. The team was 1-5 at the time, with the only victory over FCS member Northern Arizona, and 10 straight losses to FBS schools.

Defensive coordinator Tim Kish took over as interim coach and the team won two Pac-12 games, over UCLA and last Saturday 31-27 over rival Arizona State. The Wildcats conclude their season Saturday at home against Louisiana-Lafayette.

[pmoehrin]

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

NCAA violations to follow in three-five years.

I like how the NCAA accepts not knowing the rule book as a valid excuse. Its like saying you should look past me failing this test because I forgot to study.

[AnythingChicago]

New an improved BCS possibilities:

BCS Championship: LSU (13-0) vs. Alabama (11-1)

Rose Bowl: Oregon (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (11-2)

Sugar Bowl: Michigan (10-2) vs. Houston (13-0)

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech (12-1) vs. West Virginia (9-3)

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. Stanford (11-1)

Two things we already know for the bowl season: Miami will not accept a bowl bid and BYU has accepted it's bowl invite to the Armed Forces Bowl

Put Cincy in for WVU and .

[Gary]

Watch as RichFraud will be fired in 3-5 years

[Still MIGHTY]

Watch as RichFraud will be fired in 3-5 years

At least UA got to hire their coach already.

As much as I would like to see ASU got to the Pac-12 game, possibly win, and go on to win whatever bowl game they end up in, I almost see no reason to not fire Erickson right now. They have just as good of a chance at blowing the Cal game, getting run in the Pac-12 game, and onto whatever.com bowl without Erickson and with an interim as they do with Erickson.

He called the UCLA loss one of the worst in his career. He followed that up with the Wazzu loss that he called his worst loss in his career. He followed that up with the UA loss which he also called the worst loss in his career.

Just end his tenure now, get the search going. You can go ahead to try and implement a new guy into the system before the bowl if you want, but you can also get back into the rebuild mode and get out to recruit. Sell future players AND current players on the program if you get started now.

But yes, I too look forward to the Wildcats getting dinged for too many push-ups in the spring

[ninersdd]

Hopefully it works out for the Cats. One thing going for him is that the AZ job isn't nearly as pressure packed as Michigan. Admittedly though, I'm nervous about this; hopefully he will pan out.

[rams80]

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

NCAA violations to follow in three-five years.

I like how the NCAA accepts not knowing the rule book as a valid excuse. Its like saying you should look past me failing this test because I forgot to study.

They busted Michigan for some really, really ticky tack stuff that never would have been investigated had the major local newspaper not dedicated its existence to his ouster.

[pmoehrin]

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

NCAA violations to follow in three-five years.

I like how the NCAA accepts not knowing the rule book as a valid excuse. Its like saying you should look past me failing this test because I forgot to study.

They busted Michigan for some really, really ticky tack stuff that never would have been investigated had the major local newspaper not dedicated its existence to his ouster.

Doesen't matter who looked into it. It was a violation and it was a serious one, it was Rich Rodriguez's fault and he got off with nothing. Those are just the facts.

[rams80]

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

NCAA violations to follow in three-five years.

I like how the NCAA accepts not knowing the rule book as a valid excuse. Its like saying you should look past me failing this test because I forgot to study.

They busted Michigan for some really, really ticky tack stuff that never would have been investigated had the major local newspaper not dedicated its existence to his ouster.

Doesen't matter who looked into it. It was a violation and it was a serious one, it was Rich Rodriguez's fault and he got off with nothing. Those are just the facts.

No it wasn't. Yes, yes, I know, "Major" but the NCAA classes just about everything as a "major" violation thanks to it possessing a really terrible vocabulary.

There's a difference between "players practiced a few hours too much" and say, players trading equipment for goods and services, outright academic fraud, or the litany of things that went down with Miami. One is the normal cost of business if you have designs on ever fielding a good football team at this level. The others are actually more along the lines of say, um, actual stuff that the NCAA needs to say "now say there" and do something. Combine that with Michigan being very cooperative, and you have Rodriguez skating.

[pmoehrin]

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

NCAA violations to follow in three-five years.

I like how the NCAA accepts not knowing the rule book as a valid excuse. Its like saying you should look past me failing this test because I forgot to study.

They busted Michigan for some really, really ticky tack stuff that never would have been investigated had the major local newspaper not dedicated its existence to his ouster.

Doesen't matter who looked into it. It was a violation and it was a serious one, it was Rich Rodriguez's fault and he got off with nothing. Those are just the facts.

No it wasn't. Yes, yes, I know, "Major" but the NCAA classes just about everything as a "major" violation thanks to it possessing a really terrible vocabulary.

There's a difference between "players practiced a few hours too much" and say, players trading equipment for goods and services, outright academic fraud, or the litany of things that went down with Miami. One is the normal cost of business if you have designs on ever fielding a good football team at this level. The others are actually more along the lines of say, um, actual stuff that the NCAA needs to say "now say there" and do something. Combine that with Michigan being very cooperative, and you have Rodriguez skating.

Apples and oranges. Saying one is worse then the other doesen't mean the other is no big deal. It is. There wouldn't be hundreds of lawsuits relating to practice time if it wasn't.

The NCAA just doesen't want to go after coaches. That's all it is.

[rams80]

Apples and oranges. Saying one is worse then the other doesen't mean the other is no big deal. It is. There wouldn't be hundreds of lawsuits relating to practice time if it wasn't.

The NCAA just doesen't want to go after coaches. That's all it is.

Oro? And these lawsuits would be where precisely? And Kelvin Sampson and his 5 year show cause penalty would also like to have words with you.

[dfwabel]

Apples and oranges. Saying one is worse then the other doesen't mean the other is no big deal. It is. There wouldn't be hundreds of lawsuits relating to practice time if it wasn't.

The NCAA just doesen't want to go after coaches. That's all it is.

Oro? And these lawsuits would be where precisely? And Kelvin Sampson and his 5 year show cause penalty would also like to have words with you.

Clem Haskins had a show-cause, so did Todd Bozman and Dave Bliss.

Football has Todd McNair and soon to be John Blake (so he can go back to selling LifeFitness/Hammer Strength but not on campus).

[infrared41]

Apples and oranges. Saying one is worse then the other

IT'S THAN THE OTHER!!!

Sorry. Carry on.

[thespleenenator]

Good hire for the UofA!!

Per espn.com

Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez

Arizona has hired former West Virginia and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez as its next football coach, as athletic director Greg Byrne made the news official with a photo posted on Twitter.

Posted to Byrne's Twitter page on Monday was an entry that read "And the new Arizona football coach and his family is......."

The post included a link that, when clicked, led to a photo of Rodriguez with his family.

Arizona (3-8, 2-7 Pac-12) fired Mike Stoops last month after struggling to a 1-5 start.

Rodriguez coached Michigan from 2008-2010 and West Virginia from 2001-2007. Rodriguez posted a 60-26 record at West Virginia, finishing first in the Big East four times.

Rodriguez was 15-22 at Michigan, including 6-18 in Big Ten play, before being dismissed.

During Rodriguez' tenure, the school acknowledged that it was guilty of four NCAA violations. It was put on three years of probation, though Rodriguez and the school avoided major penalties in part because the NCAA agreed that the coach didn't fail to promote an atmosphere and compliance in his program.

Rodriguez has been working as an analyst for CBS Sports this year, but had made it clear he wanted to get back into coaching as soon as possible.

Byrne fired Stoops on Oct. 10, two days after the Wildcats lost to Oregon State. The team was 1-5 at the time, with the only victory over FCS member Northern Arizona, and 10 straight losses to FBS schools.

Defensive coordinator Tim Kish took over as interim coach and the team won two Pac-12 games, over UCLA and last Saturday 31-27 over rival Arizona State. The Wildcats conclude their season Saturday at home against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Neuheisal, Erickson, Rodriguez, all we need is for Urban Meyer to be hired at WSU, and Leech to be hired by Oregon State, and Weiss to be hired by Cal, and our collection of coaching rejects will be complete.