college football chat.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'm confident about Oklahoma's chances, although I get worried everytime anyone puts us #1 in preseason.  We have the team to go all the way, on paper.  However, the game of football is not played on paper.  Oklahoma just needs to stay together, keep the chemistry alive amongst the men, and avoid a letdown which has come at least once each season for the past several.  I definitely think OU will win the Big 12(10), and I am going to make a prediction that they play (and beat) Alabama for the national title.  That may be pure wishing, but I think it definitely could happen.  Oklahoma has a shot especially with probable Heisman-candidate Landry Jones at the helm who should be a first round draft pick in 2012.  Plus, we have a few returning veterans who chose their senior year over going pro including WR Ryan Broyles.

As for other teams.  I don't look for the SEC to be as strong this year, or at least I hope they are weaker.  Their domination of the college football landscape needs to come to an end.  I think with Oregon and LSU battling first in Jerry's World in 4 weeks, which is advantage Tigers, I think that gives Stanford a chance to take an early lead in the conference.  Ohio State will be a non-factor this year after all the turmoil they have gone through this offseason.  Nebraska will make a big impact in their first season in the Big 10(12), but I think it is Wisconsin's year.  Auburn will not repeat as National Champions and probably will finish no higher than second, maybe third, in their division.  I haven't heard much out of Gainesville, but I think the Gators have to be the favorites again in the SEC East.  The 'Noles will establish their ACC dominance this year and be a near-lock to make it to the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl.  The Big East is wide open, with Pittsburgh or West Virginia the early favorites, even though no Big East team is ranked in the top 25 coaches preseason.

[Joe Biden 2020]

The upsets of the season are already starting to show up even before the first Saturday of the 2011-2012 College Football Regular Season.  Last night, the Baylor Bears won a defense-less matchup against the 14th ranked Texas Christian Horned Frogs 50-48.  I didn't watch the game, nor did I record it, because I thought it would be a blowout the other way.  However, now that TCU is starting the season with an 0-1 record to Baylor of all schools, that gives me reason to believe that absolutely no team is safe in the rankings this year.  From the top ranked Oklahoma Sooners on down, nobody is safe.  My Sooners have a tough early test this evening at 7:00 pm CT against Turner Turnpike rival Tulsa Golden Hurricane.  Tulsa is one of the better teams in Conference USA and will provide a tough early test for the Sooners.  I think OU will be able to take care of business tonight in Norman, and then we get a week off before heading to Tallahassee.  Oklahoma really only has one cupcake in the non-conference schedule and that is against the Ball State Cardinals.

[Joe Biden 2020]

As usual, Boise State looks like it should be in the national championship game.  LSU looks good, especially without starters, but will likely blow a game this year in idiotic fashion.  Alabama and Oklahoma need to play some real opponents before I can judge them.

I'll see if I can watch some other highlights out of the Top 5 later.

Tulsa is a real opponenet.  They are one of the better teams in Conference USA.  They've made it to bowl games quite a bit lately.  Oklahoma just clobbered them and manhandled them.  Tulsa is a more quality opponent than Kent State, I will grant you.  The only cupcake Oklahoma has on the schedule is Ball State in three weeks.  We have a week off before traveling to Tallahassee on September 17.

[Joe Biden 2020]

So I'm assuming Oklahoma and Alabama will remain ranked above LSU and Boise State despite the latter two beating actual teams away from home and the former two beating Tulsa and Kent State in their own stadiums?

Tulsa is a very good opponent.  They are one of the better teams in Conference USA, which is no push-over conference.  Kent State? Yeah, they're a cupcake.

I'm looking forward to the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game tonight on ESPN.  The first night game at the Big House, which i find quite amazing.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Hope the Minnesota coach is okay.

Apparently, he just suffered a seizure, and they expect him to be just fine and probably be back on the sideline next week.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Minnesota vs. Notre Dame! If only I could get off my ass and watch it...

Actually, it's Notre Dame vs. Michigan in Ann Arbor, airing right now on ESPN.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Minnesota vs. Notre Dame! If only I could get off my ass and watch it...

Actually, it's Notre Dame vs. Michigan in Ann Arbor, airing right now on ESPN.

Sorry, yeah, Michigan. I saw the word Minnesota & accidentally typed it.

Haha, they are easily confused.

[Joe Biden 2020]

The University of Oklahoma became the first school to top the AP poll 100 times today.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Oklahoma and Texas regents have given their university presidents the permission to apply for membership in a different athletic conference.  Oklahoma President David Boren said that he needs time to make his decision, and he wants to make sure the school is in a stable conference without having to revisit its conference membership every year.  He did say, cordially, that staying in the Big 12 is still on the table, and that he doesn't have a timeline of his decision.  If you read between the lines, it has Pac-12 written all over it.  He also said that Oklahoma will only move if Oklahoma State moves as well, and prefers that Texas and Texas Tech join the Sooners and Cowboys in movement.  He doesn't want to remove the Bedlam rivalry or the Red River Rivalry.  He prefers to leave those intact, even though Bob Stoops has publicly said that if the OU/Texas rivalry is a casualty of conference realignment, then so be it.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I was wondering where this thread went. I say Alabama 17, LSU 14. Alabama wins because it's in Tuscaloosa.

Does anyone doubt that the new Big East would be absolutely awful and totally undeserving of an automatic BCS bid? The eleven teams would be as follows:

Air Force
Boise State
Central Florida
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Houston
Louisville
Navy
Rutgers
Southern Methodist
South Florida

As recently as 2004, Rutgers was the only one of those schools that was in a BCS conference. They've taken a collection of crap and slapped the Big East name on it.

The Big East is more of a basketball conference, anyway.  Yes, it should be removed from BCS AQ status.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'm so glad I didn't watch the game, I would have turned it off in the 1st quarter.  I found much more entertainment watching the Kansas State/Oklahoma State game on ABC.  Of course, I did go to bed at 9:00, a couple hours before the 5.6 magnitude earthquake rattled.

[Joe Biden 2020]

It appears that Texas Tech had a one game season - in Norman.  They didn't show up against Iowa State or Texas and now they are getting blown out by Oklahoma State in a laugher.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Iowa State sure messed things up last night.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'm not watching another LSU-Alabama game.

How about LSU-Oregon?

[Joe Biden 2020]

We'll have LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas at 1-2-3 with LSU @ Arkansas next week.  I'm thinking that in some strange way all three losses today may help keep Oklahoma State in the top 5 of the BCS.  At the very least, with OU's loss, they may be in for their first BCS bowl in school history.

[Joe Biden 2020]

My beloved state didn't do so well this weekend in college football.  Now, I have to rely on Tony Romo and Co. to lift my football spirits tomorrow.  Sad, very sad.

[Joe Biden 2020]

The Turner Gill era is over.

This needed to happen for a long time.  I'm not necessarily a Jayhawks fan, but I believe Coach Gill was bringing down the quality of the overall Big 12 conference.

[Joe Biden 2020]

who's watching?

I'm watching the scores now while at work, but I will be watching Bedlam tonight.  I don't know if I will stay up for the entire game or not since I have to be back at work at 6:00 am tomorrow.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Did Oklahoma even make the trip to Stillwater?

[Joe Biden 2020]

Oklahoma State is clearly the second best team in the nation and deserve to play LSU.  However, the BCS is clearly biased toward the SEC, that won't happen.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Oklahoma State is clearly the second best team in the nation and deserve to play LSU.  However, the BCS is clearly biased toward the SEC, that won't happen.

Um...false?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it, but Alabama is "clearly" the second best team in the country.  Oklahoma State doesn't stand much of a chance against LSU.

But since I don't want to see Alabama have another chance (because then "Every Game Counts" is clearly a lie), so I'm fine with Oklahoma State getting a chance to prove me wrong.

I can see your point.  On some level, I agree with you that OSU has no chance against LSU, but the way they have dismantled almost every team they played this year, and only losing to Iowa State in double overtime on the road under tough circumstances shows me that they could play with LSU.  I think they would do better against LSU than my Sooners.  Plus, Alabama has barely squeaked by in several games and doesn't have as many top 25 wins as OSU does.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I will say this, if Alabama does make it into the National Championship, I hope the game receives the worst TV ratings of any national championships in previous years.  If Alabama does make it, then it will be perfectly true that the Fiesta Bowl is JUST AS GOOD of a bowl as the National Championship.  The national champion for 2011-2012 will always have an asterisk beside it, since it was not a true representation of #1 vs. #2.  The Big XII is not the SEC's little brother.  The Big 12 is just as good of a conference as the SEC, just a lot more exciting to watch.

[Joe Biden 2020]

ROBERT GRIFFIN, III your 2011 HEISMAN MEMORIAL TROPHY WINNER!!!