The Official College Football Preseason Thread

[DanGenck]

As a football coach, I would love to tell my players, "Hey guys, you weren't in the Top 16, so you missed the play-offs. However, you just got yourself a bid to the GMAC Bowl to play 24th ranked Southern Miss. Please stay on campus another 4 weeks and practice!"

That's called the NIT, and we all know how well that goes over. No way.

#1- Most important, the bowl system allows 30+ teams to finish their seasons as champions. In the world of competitive sports, recruiting, etc. being able to finish with something tangible after so much sacrifice is a reward that should not be discounted. Most would rather finish their season with a win in the Gator Bowl instead of a loss in the first round of a play-off. No ring. No trophy. No recruiting push. Nothing.

#2- Logistically, the regular season would need to be no more than 8 games to have a play-off. Small schools and large schools alike would lose out on home game revenue and possibly local non-conference rivalry games (Kentucky/Louisville). Conferences in general would take a hit from this system. Why be in a tough conference when everyone makes the play-off?

#3- Collegiate football graduation rates are under 60%. Adding a longer, more travel filled, season would further hurt this number. Coaches and administrators owe it to the kids to make it easier for them to graduate, not harder.

#4- Conference play already determines who the best regional teams are in the nation. Those teams then are awarded bigtime bowl bids. With a play-off, you run the risk of teams playing multiple times in a season. Why should Michigan have to beat Ohio State twice in a year, etc etc.

#5- Where is the realistic cut-off for a play-off? With 16 teams, there will be the same arguments. "Why is my 10-2 Michigan State team that is ranked #17 not in the play-off when 9-3 Auburn is ranked at 16? Who is the coach who voted them 16 and us at 17?"


I know there are other parts of this system that bother me and I am sure I will remember them later when one of you goes off on my post. Cheers.

[OAKS]

We already have that 8 (now 10) teams make the BCS. A bunch of other teams qualify for other bowls.

Except it's not a tournament format. If one of those teams has a hiccup during the regular season, they usually have no chance at redemption.

[StrykerFSU]

Dan, I-AA seems to do okay with their tournament.

[Arklax]

What will you say when they go into Tennessee and Lynch runs all over them?

Sohot...
You know I had to say something...

Tenn 35 Cal 18

Wins for Auburn and Tennessee.

I left the USC-Ark game early, embarrassing.

SEC wins, though.

[sohotrightnow]

Haha, you got me man...Cal looked atrocious. I had a great time out there though.

[Alex White]

What's up with Cal wearing duplicate numbers? Anyone else catch that Lynch and Bishop(middle linebacker) both wear #10. I could see a starter and a scrub, but 2 starters? Sohotrightnow, do they always both wear #10?

[KnoxVegas]

Big A,
According to the NCAA Rule Book, Rule 1, Section 4, c. states:
"No two players of the same team shall participate in the same down wearing identical numbers (A.R. 1-4-2-II) (S23).

America's Team has done this before. Ronald Davis wore #5 as a DB and some scrub at TB wore #5 as well. When rosters expand, it makes sense. Cal didn't look like they were carrying that many, so I figure that when Tedford recruited the kids, he promised them their HS number.

[sohotrightnow]

I have no idea why. Lynch used to wear #24, but switched to #10 last year because he wore it in high school. Bishop's first year was last year (JC transfer) and he wore #10 last year as well. Not sure if he wore that number at his JC, HS, etc.

[DanGenck]

Dan, I-AA seems to do okay with their tournament.

Check the terrible graduation rates at the 1-aa level (Ivy League and Patriot League not included, though the Patriot League does participate in the tournament) and the consistent argument about which 16 teams get in. You think it's hard to decide a #1 and #2 now between three teams? Try figuring out who gets the last spot at #16 when there are 10 teams with 9-3 records.

The 1-aa tournament addresses none of my other concerns.

[horn17]

Pac-10:
Conventional: USC. They are loaded with talent. Cal is so overrated.
Upset Pick: Arizona. I think they may be the only Pac-10 team outside of USC who knows what a defense is.
Pick: I'll come out and say it, I honestly despise the Pac-10 when it comes to football. It's more of a glorified WAC. Trojans, but with at least one loss.

I hate to burst your bubble, but Cal's defense is going to ruin Tennessee on 9/2 and Marshawn Lynch is going to run roughshod over Tennessee's defense. I guess we will see.

....i always loved that one... sorry, i had to chime in since everyone is ripping on the team that I love so dear.....

Ohio State is not overrated.....yes they lost a lot on defnese, however, if you can find one corner in college football that can cover Ted Ginn, name him...seriously, anyone? and dont just name someone from your homer squad...i want a legit player....Let me remind you of a QB that was in everyone's eyes "overated".....Craig Krenzel...all he did was win the big one...also, just so you non-buckeyes can understand...OSU hasnt had a "premier" qb in the nation in a long time...seriously...try to name one...(Stanely Jackson - no, Joe Germain - no, Bobby Hoying - no, Craig Krenzel -no) they can win without one, and they will crush a very OVERATTED TEXAS WITH SOME QB THAT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S RIGHT OUT OF JOHN WAYNE MOVIE.....OSU 35 UT 14

[bste_lax]

Pac-10:
Conventional: USC. They are loaded with talent. Cal is so overrated.
Upset Pick: Arizona. I think they may be the only Pac-10 team outside of USC who knows what a defense is.
Pick: I'll come out and say it, I honestly despise the Pac-10 when it comes to football. It's more of a glorified WAC. Trojans, but with at least one loss.

I hate to burst your bubble, but Cal's defense is going to ruin Tennessee on 9/2 and Marshawn Lynch is going to run roughshod over Tennessee's defense. I guess we will see.

....i always loved that one... sorry, i had to chime in since everyone is ripping on the team that I love so dear.....

Ohio State is not overrated.....yes they lost a lot on defnese, however, if you can find one corner in college football that can cover Ted Ginn, name him...seriously, anyone? and dont just name someone from your homer squad...i want a legit player....Let me remind you of a QB that was in everyone's eyes "overated".....Craig Krenzel...all he did was win the big one...also, just so you non-buckeyes can understand...OSU hasnt had a "premier" qb in the nation in a long time...seriously...try to name one...(Stanely Jackson - no, Joe Germain - no, Bobby Hoying - no, Craig Krenzel -no) they can win without one, and they will crush a very OVERATTED TEXAS WITH SOME QB THAT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S RIGHT OUT OF JOHN WAYNE MOVIE.....OSU 35 UT 14

Not saying Ohio State is overrated but go back and look at the stats. They gave up 174 rushing yards to Craig Wolfe and another 115 receiving yards to him.

Their offense looked very good but their defense was very average. NIU couldn't convert on third down (which is the defense as well), but OSU's defense will need to improve if they want to beat Texas, Michigan, Iowa and so on.

[horn17]

Benson-

The best defense in college football does reside in the big ten.....and that is PSU...i know this isnt the glory days of Buckeye D of yesteryears, however they are good enough to beat a VERY OVERATED Texas squad....seriously...a redshirt freshman qb is not going to beat the number one team in the land...he has a horrible arm, cant make half the throws at the right time....most of the game I watched, I was just waiting on him to screw up - because his recievers bailed him out about 75% of the time....anyone else see Mack Brown on ESPN last night (how about that vote of confidence he gave our young Colt - "i wont hestitate to pull him"....)

Though Drew Tate is good, I need to see more out of a running game (which has been killing IOWA in his years there)....

And dont even get me started on Mr. Carr and his rendition of Michigan football ...he reminds me much of a former coach I used to caddy for in HS.....John Cooper....

[KnoxVegas]

.....John Cooper....

He sucked like another Tennessee coach I know of....

[bste_lax]

Benson-

The best defense in college football does reside in the big ten.....and that is PSU...i know this isnt the glory days of Buckeye D of yesteryears, however they are good enough to beat a VERY OVERATED Texas squad....seriously...a redshirt freshman qb is not going to beat the number one team in the land...he has a horrible arm, cant make half the throws at the right time....most of the game I watched, I was just waiting on him to screw up - because his recievers bailed him out about 75% of the time....anyone else see Mack Brown on ESPN last night (how about that vote of confidence he gave our young Colt - "i wont hestitate to pull him"....)

Though Drew Tate is good, I need to see more out of a running game (which has been killing IOWA in his years there)....

And dont even get me started on Mr. Carr and his rendition of Michigan football ...he reminds me much of a former coach I used to caddy for in HS.....John Cooper....

I was just making a comment on OSU's defense. I don't think they have lived up to anything right now (They gave up a lot of yards to NIU) but honestly, there is no front runner in College Football like there has been in year's past with Texas, USC or even Miami from 2000-2001.

I am not buying into Texas either. I think Mack Brown is an average coach who won last year because he had Vince Young on his team. For all the talent he can recruit (great recruiter), you think he would have done more by now. Colt McCoy looked OK this past weekend but he also looked like a freshmen QB. Also, Texas needs to run the offense that best suits him, not that gimmicky offense that worked last year because, once again, they had Vince Young at QB.

*takes a deep breath*

As for the Iowa comment, the reason Tate hasn't had a running game was that 2 years ago, the top 5 RB went down with knee or leg injuries (3 ACL's) causing the leading rusher to be a walk-on from Emmetsburg, Iowa. Last season was much better as Albert Young (name to look out for) rushed for 1100+ yards including 7 straight 100+ yard games. And this season, he has back-ups Damian Sims (little waterbug can score almost anytime he touches the ball, very quick) and Shonn Greene (the thunder to Sims' lightening). This is the most talent in the backfield in a long time for Iowa. The thing that will hold them back is lack of WR-play, two true freshmen saw the field last week who everyone thought would be redshirting. Although Tate's favorite target is 6'7" Scott Chandler at TE and they have a solid back-up in Tony Moaeki.

[FLAK]

but honestly, there is no front runner in College Football like there has been in year's past with Texas, USC or even Miami from 2000-2001.
.

All the more reason to believe that the Florida State dynasty is about to be reincarnated!!!!