College Football -- Better Than Ever

[Drake Tungsten]

BYU-Cincinnati national title game.

[snoopy369]

The suits at Fox or whatever would have heart attacks.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It'd be sooo awesome though .

[snoopy369]

Oh, awesome for that reason among others. Though Kyle Busch failing to make the Chase might well make people down south forget about the BCS for a bit...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, I think a BYU-Cincy showdown would have some big time offensive fireworks (though both teams have strong, strong defenses). It'd be quite an entertaining game.

[Guynemer]

BYU, I'll buy. But I have heavy, heavy doubts about any and all the teams in the Big East.

[Guynemer]

New AP poll is out.

Florida
Texas
USC
Alabama
Ole Miss (tie)
Penn State (tie)
BYU
Cal
LSU
Boise State

are your top ten. I'm still baffled by the Ole Miss ranking. They had a decent season last year (9-4), for the first time in for-****ing-ever, but it seems a stretch to believe they're among the five best teams in the country. On the other hand, none of the rest of the teams behind them really jump out and grab ya, with the possible exception of BYU.

I mean, rankings this early are based almost entirely on reputation... so how did the Rebs get that much respect based on one season?


Oh: two teams dropped out of the Top 25 (Notre Dame and Missouri), replaced by Houston at #21 and Michigan at #25. It never ceases to amaze me that, even this early into the season, and despite winning by 10 points on the road, Houston is still ranked five spots below Oklahoma State.

[Imran Siddiqui]

BYU, I'll buy. But I have heavy, heavy doubts about any and all the teams in the Big East.

I think Cincy can run with anyone

They are a better team than last year.

[Guynemer]

Hey, I'd love to be wrong. I love it when the little guy goes big (ie, Utah, Boise State). But I'm skeptical of the entire Big East. They are, by far, the worst BCS conference, and at least one non-BCS conference is better (MWC).

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm still baffled by the Ole Miss ranking. They had a decent season last year (9-4), for the first time in for-****ing-ever, but it seems a stretch to believe they're among the five best teams in the country.

9-4 with a great end run to the season. And their 4 losses were very close, a TOTAL of 19 points in those 4 losses. And they were the only team to beat Florida last season. Also one of those 4 point loss to SEC West Champions Alabama. Wake Forest and Vandy were bad, bad losses, but they were early in the season (then again, they knocked off Florida the week after they lost to Vandy).

In the second half the season, they rolled over LSU (31-13) and Texas Tech in the bowl game (47-34).

Its a team with a lot of promise, especially if it builds over the second half of last season.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hey, I'd love to be wrong. I love it when the little guy goes big (ie, Utah, Boise State). But I'm skeptical of the entire Big East. They are, by far, the worst BCS conference, and at least one non-BCS conference is better (MWC).

Uh... hello ACC?

And I'd take the Big East over the MWC. Have you seen the bottom half of the MWC?!!

[Guynemer]

Have you seen the bottom two-thirds of the Big East? Christ on a crutch! I'd take the MWC's top three of BYU, TCU, and Utah against any three teams in the Big East. Hell, throw Air Force in there too. Maybe even CSU.

But, yes, the ACC is just as bad. The Big Ten is only marginally better.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes, I have seen the bottom two thirds of the Big East. It isn't nearly as bad as the press makes it out. Connecticut (who is "in the bottom two thirds") almost knocked off #18 UNC. Syracuse, the worst (or 2nd worst depending on how Louisville does) took Minnesota to the end.

You'd think after everyone wrote off West Virginia before the 2006 Sugar Bowl against Georgia and then they came out and rolled over the Bulldogs's defense that people would stop talking **** about the Big East... guess not.

[Guynemer]

What has the Big East done since then, especially since Rich Rod left WV?

And nearly taking down an inexplicably overrated North Carolina team and beating a god-awful Minnesota team doesn't exactly inspire confidence.


Like I said, I'd like to be wrong. I'd love to see a team like Cincy get a shot at the National Title. I just don't think it likely.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You mean aside from going 5-0 in Bowls the year after (2007) including Louisville's victory in the Orange Bowl over ACC Champions Wake Forest? And in 2008, West Virginia shocking people who didn't give them a chance AGAIN in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma? Aside from that, right?

Now, Cincy didn't do all that great against ACC Champ Virginia Tech last year in a 20-7 loss, but they played pretty well against a good defense.