Title Game and Heisman Prediction

[Sportsbuck]

Dude, not even Yankeeh8r is that big of a fan boy. I mean you guys have talent and Ferentz is probably the best coach in the Big Ten, but there's no way you guys take out all of the power teams.

[NoT25hAbY]

OSU lost there defense, but they have always had rediculous recruiting in that area. I dont see OSU floping at any point, and I sure dont see Iowa going the distance. They have always been a Top 10 team and dissapointed when time came.

Lafrentz is a good coach, but he's not going to win it all at Iowa.

Like I said earlier.... Michael Bush, Adrian Peterson, Drew Stanton and Brady Quinn will be the finalist. Who wins, it doesn't matter because Quinn will be Oaklands starting QB next year haha. Hoefuly.

[DaBears54]

Iowa doesn't even play Michigan State or Penn State. They have Ohio State at home and Michigan on the road, which is why I said it's a toss up.

Drew Tate, Albert Young, 3 seinors on the OL, Kenny Iwebema, Mitch King, and Ed Miles are all studs.

Sportsbuck, I'm not a fan boy. I really think they will and can make it.

[Maize]

Notre Dame vs. USC
N.D. wins Championship

Brady Quinn for Heisman

[darjarbinx]

^^^ Highly doubtful since they play at the end of the season anway...

[Maize]

Yeah DJB, your right. Not a fan of USC this season, I think it will be the winner of the OSU/Texas game, that makes the championship game. Forgot about the ND game, made an error in judgment....

[NoT25hAbY]

Notre Dame doesnt have the defense to win a championship

[detroitbasketball]

And did LeFors ever come close to winning anything?

[Sportsbuck]

Notre Dame will not go undefeated. Their lack of overall team speed will be shown when they play USC. USC, upset over the "Knee-High" grass last year, will have the grass as short as it can be, and it will be a track meet out there. And there is no way that Notre Dame can keep up with USC in a game like that.

Another thing is that everyone assumes that their offense is so good that their defense only needs to be average. That is not the case. Many of you say they only need a couple of stops a game, but with all of the teams on their schedule that have a lot of offensive firepower, those stops will be few and far between. I seriously doubt that Notre Dame can contain Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Tony Hunt. I seriously doubt that they can contain Michigan's offense. And I really doubt that if Michigan St. comes to play, that Notre Dame could stop them.

Overall, Notre Dame is the most questionable team in the Top 10 in my mind. Well, wait. I forgot about the Sooners, and their QB situation.

[JacktheRipper]

wiskyfootball said:

I can see Notre Dame's offense scoring on 7/10 drives, consisantly....no other team in the nation can say that. sure PSU is good, but Moreelli isn't as good of a QB as he is cracked up to be IMO. Michigan will be good, but I doubt that Henne can stay away from at least 2 INTs that game, enough to let ND win the game. and Michigan State doesn't have a good enough ground game to keep the Irish on their heels....

7/10 possessions? Are you high? You can assume around 7-10 possessions a half. So they would be able to put up 33-49 points a half? Hell USC couldn't put up those kind of numbers last year, and that was a better offense than ND will have. It's going to be one of the best in college football yes, but we're not talking about one of the best of all time.

That defense will be what gets them. Michigan, USC (end of the year), and Michigan State will be able to move the ball on them well. Michigan, USC, and Penn State also have good defense on their side. No offense is infallable. Ask Texas Tech, who put up 10 against Bama in the Cotton Bowl. If you can hold ND to 28 points, you can beat them.

ND loses 2-3 next year, hell they may even lose the first game. Something about a good Tech offense, and that crazy defense first game just looks good. It's hard to get a complex offense on mark early, so that even looks like a nice trap game for the Irish.

[Maize]

Bama, your right. The first game will be key for what N.D.'s season will be like.

[Leak2Troupe03]

Florida vs. West Virginia

I'm prepared to get jumped on for it, but I dont like any of the teams ahead of UF except WV because of their schedule. Notre Dame has a really good team but I think their not going to be able to carry their hype.

Ohio State lost alot so I dont see them in the championship, same with USC, Texas is going to miss what Young did last season too much, and I believe Auburn is overhyped this season. Everyone's sleeping on Florida and I got a hunch we're going to be really good this year.

It all falls on whether Leak is more comfortable this season, which I know is a stretch but I expect big things from him now being a SR. I like our schedule this year too, im not worried about playing at Tennessee, or at Auburn. We've always had Georgia's number and thats not going to change this year with their QB situation and we've obviously taken care of FSU lately so im not too worried about them either.

Alabama I expect us to really get some revenge after last years game, and LSU will be close like always but I think we're going to get them this season after two close loses the past two years.

As for Heisman, im going with Brady Quinn the obvious favorite.

[Sportsbuck]

Leak, I don't think that is a stretch at all.

Florida has what I consider the best defense in the country, so it all comes down to whether or not Leak can run the offense this year.

[JacktheRipper]

UF is anything but a stretch. Everyone and their mom has them and Auburn in the SEC title game. What will get Florida is the schedule. UF has trips to Auburn and Tennessee to deal with, plus two tough home games against Alabama and LSU, all in the span of a month. You have to deal with CSS and his Gamecocks coming in ready to play over their heads (you know they will) and the UGA game. Not to mention FSU at the end of the season. If UF can go undefeated with their schedule, they may be one of the top 10 teams in the history of college football.

They aren't and that's why they will not make the National Title and I dare say not make the SEC championship. The UT/UF game will decide that IMO. Florida should beat Alabama to the tune of 20-10 or so (Bama's defense hasn't dropped off that badly, I've seen the tapes). LSU is a toss up, UGA could break the streak, USC will be very tough (I like this for an upset), and Auburn ought to put up a big fight up in Jordan Hare. Florida loses two to three games this season, mark it down.

The problem with Leak running the offense isn't as much Leak, but the kind of speed UF has to deal with against other defenses. Tennessee, FSU, Auburn, Alabama, and UGA will have very good defenses this year. The spread option can be handled if the players know how to run a 3-3-5 (or 30 defense as Joe Kines calls it). Look what Alabama did to spread offenses last season. UF held to 3 points and Texas Tech held to 10. Yes Alabama had a good defense, but they still managed to give up 28 to Auburn, 17 to LSU, and hell even 10 to Ole Miss! The "system" of Meyer's is matched by a defense like this ran well. That's why I think Alabama can hold UF to 20 or less. Other teams can hold down the Meyer offense as well, using similar tactics and just pure talent (see LSU and FSU).

I admit that FSU didn't exactly do a great job last year, but FSU wasn't exactly a world beater last year either. For this reason, on top of UF's schedule, I just can't see them making the national championship. Give Meyer till around year four to get a good feel. All that talent and the right players for his system, ought to make them a rough bunch to deal with.

I'm not sure if my thoughts had any in the way of logic, I just hope you kind of follow my point.

Oh and Leak; 31-3 and three in a row. (You know I love you, in the most manly way possible)

[Leak2Troupe03]

Haha, ya we need to get our revenge on Bama badly this year. Also, it appears and obviously isnt an easy schedule but its a typical one as you look at previous year schedules and thier around the exact same with the rotation of road/home games. Im just hoping not just the high powered spread offense can lead us a through, but a strong defense can get us by on those games against tough opponents. Its obviously not going to be easy, but hey its never easy for any of these SEC teams.

[JacktheRipper]

It's kind of easy to forget UF has that defense with all the hype the offense gets. The Gators quietly always seem to have a top 30 defense, which is the best way to do it. So I'm not discounting that defense, because with a guy like Siler leading a bunch of extremly talented kids, could end up being one of the top three Ds in all the conference.

You'll get some sort of revenge on Alabama. The offensive line is still a little shakey, at least from the scrimmage videos I've seen. JPW throws a more catchable ball than Croyle, but they kind of hang in the air unlike the zip Brodie would put on it. So that means he'll probably get picked off some playing in the Swamp, against a defense with a lot of natural athletes running around. If Wilson can get it together by the game though, it could be a little more interesting, but I still like UF.

Really I like UF to win the East, but I think Tennessee could serve to surprise some people. They still have a lot of talent, along with a certain OC that coached the Manning brothers in college. They ought to be good, at least I think. Then UGA has to find a new quarterback, but they have one of the best coaches around, so they can expect a 9-10 win year as well. Plus the ole ball coach is over in the East, and they'll throw someone's season off for sure. It's really going to be one of the most interesting divisions in all of college football this year. The West seems to be between LSU/Auburn and a possible crazy run by Arky or Bama. It's like the world has reversed since the 90s. It use to be the West was any man's division. Hell the only team from the West to not make the SECCG is Ole Miss (who just happened to be good the year LSU wins it all) I think. Things have just kind of turned on their heads this season, which is cool.

So my SECCG: Florida vs LSU
A fun title game: Mississippi State vs Vandy (Don't tell me you don't want to see this)

[bearcat]

dabears54 said:

Iowa WILL beat Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State. Michigan is a toss up. You may be like what!?!?! now, but just wait.

Ohio State will flop.

Ugh.

I get sick of hearing about Iowa, because everyone at ESPN seems to have a raging hard-on for them. You would get along just fine with those guys.

I've also noticed that a lot of people are picking Auburn, which I find odd given that they lost a lot on both sides of the ball...and that Brandon Cox is still unproven in a sense. He's an above-average starter, but he's not like Chris Leak, or a David Greene when he was at UGA. A guy that started for three or four years, and was consistent.

Notre Dame's an injury away from falling off the map. (i.e., losing Quinn, Tommy Z to injury possibly) Ohio State looks like they've got the goods on O to win it all, but the defense is a huge question, despite being talented enough. I don't like the idea of a freshman quarterback leading a title team, but if whoever wins the QB job at Texas matures quick, watch out.

I think WVU is going to lose a game. And there's a 99.9% chance that's going to be Louisville. There's Bush, Brohm, and a 6'6" receiver in Mario Urrutia and then Joshua Tinch, who's pretty good in his own respect. The Mountaineers are good too, but it's going to be a war of attrition in that game. It could come down to the final play.

Out of the SEC, LSU and Florida are possibilities, but LSU's sched is tough as nails, while Florida plays in a somewhat down SEC East.

I guess I'll go with Ohio State over Notre Dame in the title game. As for the Heisman, I like Quinn, but Troy Smith might take it if the Buckeyes win it all.

[Maize]

bearcat, your right about the SEC East being down this year. I think that Florida's success lies in Chris Leak's hands. I think they are talented enough to go. I was looking through Phil Steele today and I really think that its going to be Florida v. Ohio State/Notre Dame this year. I see Michigan beating EITHER N.D. or OSU, so whichever team they lose to, will go to the big game.

[JacktheRipper]

The East isn't as down as your making it same, it's probably going to end up being as tough as the west if not tougher. South Carolina are going to be a pest for everyone. Tennessee will be much improved, especally with ole David Cutcliff being at OC and they still are loaded with talent. Georgia is as good as they've been over the past three years, though they do have QB questions. Then Florida has a ton of obvious talent, but the one of the hardest runs I've seen. It's like the SEC West of the late 90s, four teams have a shot at taking the division title. No game's a gimme but Vandy and Kentucky.

Florida's Schedule from late Sep-late Oct:

vs Alabama
vs LSU
at Auburn
vs Georgia

That's all in a row! That's just dirty. The main question I see coming from ole Urban isn't so much the play of Leak, but the complete lack of a running game. He was talking about not using running backs at all in the spring! Yeah so he wasn't serious, but no one seems to be stepping up over there in Gator country.

Auburn's still overrated, until they can find some kids to catch passes. It's never easy to lose 4 of your top five pass catchers. Load up the box to stop Irons and it could be a long season over on the Plaines. Of course, they have the talent to have good wideouts, but honestly they'll lose a couple of games.

No team from the SEC wins the title this year, or even makes the title game for that matter. Too many teams rebuilding, and the really good teams have too many tough games to deal with.

[bearcat]

I was thinking more along the lines that the East has more parity this year, there isn't that team or teams that could run the table and take the SEC and/or national title. But you're right, especially about UGA, if they can get their QB situation settled. They are a lot like Texas, except the QB's are a bit older, and there are more than just two involved in the battle.