College Football: This week

[Imran Siddiqui]

OU has been #1 for a while now. The computers have consistently put the Sooners at #1, while the pollsters have consistently put the Trojans at #1. The Tigers are the ones left out.

[Solomwi]

Oh, Imran, I completely agree with you. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth among Auburn fans over this year's schedule last year, and none of us were even expecting to be close to this position. Still, I tend to (even before this situation) look more at the schedule's top end, since a crappy Big East team or middle of the road WAC team wouldn't have really added anything to the degree of difficulty going through the season.

What tells the tale is how a team handles the Georgias, Texas and Cals on the schedule, not how respectable their patsies are.

[GhengisFarb™]

Yeah, I'm with Imran too. I can see you having sour grapes if you played some patsy teams that USED to be powerhouses, but always patsy teams are your own fault.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Solomi, that is good to look at too, but I think Cal is better than Texas which is better than Georgia. Being in Atlanta, I've gotten to see Georgia, and quite frankly they've looked less than impressive early this year and I still think that zone defenses are able to pwn the Bulldogs this year.

[Solomwi]

That's a reasonable argument to entertain. I just haven't seen much out of Cal that opens one's eyes, and I think Texas is too one-dimensional to be an elite team. If (and it's a huge if) Georgia was clicking, I think they would beat either, but that clicking would necessitate Ware and Brown being able to put enough pressure on the front seven to bring the safeties up. I think they could do that against Cal, but it would be tougher against Texas.

Besides, the point originally was that USC struggled against their top opponent, while Auburn and OU didn't. Not that that means a whole lot in the grand scheme, but IMO it shows a lot more than whether a team pounded on The Citadel, Houston or Colorado State.

Honestly, I'm in line with Nick Saban's point of view that separating these three teams at this point is pretty futile. Ahh, if only OU hadn't topped our offer to Bowling Green.

[Imran Siddiqui]

the point originally was that USC struggled against their top opponent, while Auburn and OU didn't.

Yeah, but USC's top opponent is #4 in the BCS by a decent margin over #5 Texas . Before last week's game Georgia was #8 in the BCS (the highest they've been this season) and are now #11 (no surprise).

There is an argument to be made that Cal is just as good as USC, Auburn, and OU. They just fell short of beating USC and have looked impressive.

[GhengisFarb™]

I think an Auburn - OU matchup would probably be the better game. I expect Auburn or OU will rip USC appart.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I expect the opposite actually... I think USC will go to town against either Auburn or OU.

[GhengisFarb™]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I expect the opposite actually... I think USC will go to town against either Auburn or OU.

I don't know, last year's Rose Bowl had the worst Michigan I've ever seen, they didn't look like they should have gone to a bowl game.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What? I thought last year's Michigan was a great team! They finished their regular season 10-2, beating down Ohio State and Purdue.

[Guynemer]

10-3, actually. Lost to Oregon, Iowa, and USC.

Michigan wasn't bad in the Rose Bowl, but they weren't at their best. They were simply outplayed in every way, shape, and form by USC. There is no question that the better team won that game. Those sorts of losses don't bother me.

It's when we lose to clearly inferior teams (such as Notre Dame) that I get bothered.


On that note... if not for a couple of incredible comebacks by outplayed teams/outright implosions by superior teams, we could--probably should--have seven or eight undefeated teams right now, instead of five. Michigan should have beaten Notre Dame; Louisville should have beaten Miami. Wisconsin got destroyed in every way by MSU, so that probably shouldn't count.

But imagine that. Things are already ****ed up with five undefeated teams (three BCS); imagine if there were seven or even eight (four or five BCS)!

[Imran Siddiqui]

10-3, actually. Lost to Oregon, Iowa, and USC.

That's why I said in the REGULAR SEASON . USC was the bowl game... postseason.

[Guynemer]

Ooops. Mea culpa.

[JohnT]

Steve Spurrier to coach South Carolina.

Hope he does as well as Holtz!

[pchang]

Spurrier will be able to recruit better than Holtz, and that will probably last for at least 2 years. I believe there is a top QB prospect in South Carolina that made a verbal commitment to UGA. Who knows....