quote:

Originally posted by The Friar:
Mr. Jack: I was thinking that we can do this each week and count up our records and declare a champion at the end of the season. I can't believe college football is about to start!

Cool. That was the original intent of the post (maybe I was unclear). I haven't had time to research my picks, but I plan on having mine up some time tomorrow. Perhaps it will just be me and you duking it out all season long. Friar, Maybe you'd like to select next week's match-ups?

sounds good,
fragile and PRG and Mike (since ya'll have actually posted) please participate in our game! the more people, the more fun...

I'll start working on next week's schedule pretty soon, kind of busy right now though.

God I think I would have given my left testical to see a USC vs. Flordia NC match-up after the smack down they put on Michigan and Ohio state last year in the bowl games.

I am really hoping Cal beats up on Tenn 9/1 because frankly, no offence Friar, I am tired of SEC fans boasting about their league and not giving the PAC 10 any respect -- although I will admit this board has been very cival so far. And this is coming from a Chicagoian. However, last year I stayed up pretty late watching the games and I think the PAC 10 is way underrated. They are probably the 2nd best confernce in College right behind the SEC. The PAC 10 always seem to schedual tough nonconference games which I don't really see in the SEC and I think don't get enough credit for that.

Cal is a pretty decent team but for some reason the always seem to lay an egg sometime at the beginning of the season and then towards the end of the season. Kind of drives me crazy because I really want them to knock off USC.

Anyway, should be a fun season for all.

quote:

Originally posted by DJK:
I am really hoping Cal beats up on Tenn 9/1 because frankly, no offence Friar, I am tired of SEC fans boasting about their league and not giving the PAC 10 any respect -- although I will admit this board has been very cival so far. And this is coming from a Chicagoian. However, last year I stayed up pretty late watching the games and I think the PAC 10 is way underrated. They are probably the 2nd best confernce in College right behind the SEC. The PAC 10 always seem to schedual tough nonconference games which I don't really see in the SEC and I think don't get enough credit for that.

I think the PAC 10 and the BIG 10 (11?) suffer from not having a top-to-bottom conference-- and they need to schedule tougher non-conferance opponents to stay battle ready. Whereas in the SEC, they look for breathers for their non-confernce opponents because it is so tough week in and week out. Also, the SEC has to worry about a Championship game to decide the winner of the conference-- PAC 10 and BIG 10 do not.

As a long time UT fan and former UT student, I hope we can sneak a win out at Cal, but it is going to be much more difficult this year than last.

I think the PAC 10 and the BIG 10 (11?) suffer from not having a top-to-bottom conference-- and they need to schedule tougher non-conferance opponents to stay battle ready. Whereas in the SEC, they look for breathers for their non-confernce opponents because it is so tough week in and week out. Also, the SEC has to worry about a Championship game to decide the winner of the conference-- PAC 10 and BIG 10 do not[quote]

See I have to disagree. Not all the SEC teams are that strong of quality and with an uneven schedual you can miss a lot of the better quality opponents so your overall schedual strength can suffer. I remember one year a while back where Purdue in the Big 10, I believe didn't have to play Michigan and Ohio state (I could be wrong). This can also and does happen in the SEC. Whereas in the Pac10, you have to play the whole league and you have maybe Stanford as a cakewalk and possibly the Washington schools. Over the years it seems Washington has been improving though and are no longer just chumps. They can remain pretty competative. I don't know I guess I like the exitement of the high scoring offenses versus the slugfest you seen in the SEC. I still will freely admit that the SEC has the best conference I just don't feel it is heads-and-shoulders above the rest as most people seem to think.

I think head and shoulders would be a pretty good way to describe the SEC this year (at least on paper). They have 6 teams in the top 25 (top 21, actually) heading into the first week. No other conference has more than four. Two teams that also received significant votes were South Carolina and Alabama-- both those teams will surprise some folks this year and they have, arguably, the most exciting coaches in all of college football. So, it would seem, 8 of 12 teams have a legitimate shot at a bowl game. Okay, I'll concede that that is not exactly top-to-bottom, but that's pretty darn close and the other conferences pale in comparison.

Of course it could all change once we get some games behind us . . .

I agree the SEC is stout, but there is something to be said about not having to play all the teams in your conference. I really think that has taken something away from college football as a whole. Every year it seems you hear how a team has a great shot because they don't have to play a team - wait for it - in their own conference! Granted, a lot of the rivalry games still get played, but still, how can you legitimately claim to be the best in the conference if you didn't play every team?

That's why I was so excited when the Mountain West was formed. Not only were those teams consistently the best performers in the old WAC, but it meant every team had to play each other. I know it all boils down to money, but I think as a whole, the super-conferences have damaged some of the mystique of college football.

quote:

the super-conferences have damaged some of the mystique of college football.

i think that is pretty much the right way to say it. i'll hit on this later, though, i got classes in a bit.

I'm not sure if the Pac 10 is the number 2 conference, top to bottom. USC, Cal and UCLA are almost always in the top 25, with the occasional drop in of Oregon (and they did finish number 2 in 2001 but jeff tedford left for Cal after and they really haven't been very consistent since). But thats it.

SEC is probably a little overrated and I've been watching it since I was 10 so there is no bias there.

Its hard to compare the pac 10 and the SEC b/c SEC is about fast defense and control the ball offense (for the most part). Pac 10 has better offense but I would give SEC D the edge over the Pac 10.

how the schedules work in the SEC DJX and PRG:
Two divisions: East and West
Everyone has to play each other in each division and three opponents from the opposite division. One opponent from the opposite division is permanent and the other two change every two seasons.

Ex: UGA always plays Auburn and will play Alabama and Ole Miss this year. Next year they will not play Ole Miss and will play a different team from the West.

Most of the time, some of the best teams from the East and West play each other but not always so that is why there is a championship game.

UF played the best teams from the West last year (LSU, Auburn and Arkansas in the championship). The system works pretty well.

Most SEC teams play two-three easy non conference games and some have in state rivalries to worry about. like UGA with Tech and UF with FSU (and formerly UM).

quote:

Originally posted by The Friar:
sounds good,
fragile and PRG and Mike (since ya'll have actually posted) please participate in our game! the more people, the more fun...

Sorry, I just saw this. I would be glad to participate Friar, I will check out the schedule on the previous and provide my picks sometime before Thursday's first game. I know that PRG will participate too and I will try to remind Mike the next time I talk to him. Next week we got to start this up for the NFL--each person picks a winner from each game sort of thing.

Anyways, I will provide my picks soon.

Hey Friar, I think you are in kind of a catch 22 with your offense v defense. It's kind of like the chicken and the egg argument. I too feel a lot of teams in the SEC are a little bit overrate just for being in the SEC. Auburn, to me, always seems to get too much attention and they never really seem to do much. I will wait to see how Georgia and Alabama do before I comment on them because they seem to be improving.

I think I would agree with you about the Pac10 offense v.s. the SEC defense with the exception of USC D (even if it is the Catch 22). Those guys are monsters. (I kind of feel like I am a Pac 10 homer right now) But I think my point still stands when you say the SEC lines up 3 nonconference games that are easy. That too me kind of weakens the legitamacy of the head and shoulder argument because you don't face any top competition outside your conference. I will give credit to Tenn, and Arkansas for doing it though. If you look at USC 's scheduale it is pretty tough this year with the exception of Idaho.

I wouldn't be surprised if six teams break through into the top 25 this year. Oregon St, Oregon and Arizona St. (if Carpenter can get his act together) can all break into the top 25. Arizona keeps sucking in some talent and if they can get it together will also be very tough. That just leaves the Washington schools and Stanford. I think that under Willingham Washington has steadily improved and as I stated earlier could be pretty tough as well. This makes it about 7-8 tough conference games plus the tough nonconference games that usually get played in the Pac10. That is why I still can't say the SEC is head and shoulders above the rest of the conferences.

One last thing this is for FragileKidA and PRG: Thanks for making me poor. I have been reading your music post for a while now and thanks to your suggestions I have spent way too much on CD's. Okay last non football related post. Just had to say it.

you know i do agree with you that the sec is not head and shoulders above the rest, heck we haven't even seen a game yet so we can't make any decisions. the cal-tenn game will really help one side of the argument but this will be ongoing ad infinitum.

quote:

Originally posted by The Friar:
the cal-tenn game will really help one side of the argument

Maybe it will and maybe it won't. I love big games early in the season, but I've never loved it when it's the first game. I'm not sure how much you can really tell from it. I think the home team has a huge advantage, bigger than if the game took place later in the season. At least it will be the first game for both of them.

I'll try and post at least a few winners to the original post tomorrow.

quote:

Originally posted by PRG:

quote:

Originally posted by The Friar:
the cal-tenn game will really help one side of the argument

Maybe it will and maybe it won't. I love big games early in the season, but I've never loved it when it's the first game. I'm not sure how much you can really tell from it. I think the home team has a huge advantage, bigger than if the game took place later in the season. At least it will be the first game for both of them.

I'll try and post at least a few winners to the original post tomorrow.

The reason it's a good idea to schedule a tough non-conference game first, is that if you lose and you rebound to have a good season-- it doesn't hurt very much. Still, I like the Florida method, where you line-up a couple of easy games before your first real test. Pre-season, if you will.

yeah, I remember in 2001, the normal early UT-UF game was extended to december because of 9/11 and UF probably could have taken them then but later on in the season they lost by a nose and got knocked out of national championship talk. scheduling really does matter.

and I know exactly what you're saying, PRG, about early big games. they are not good indicators, like in the aforementioned example.

still, its the start of the season and i don't mind watching a good game to start the season off.

quote:

Originally posted by DJK:
One last thing this is for FragileKidA and PRG: Thanks for making me poor. I have been reading your music post for a while now and thanks to your suggestions I have spent way too much on CD's. Okay last non football related post. Just had to say it.

in addition,
pay attention to ravinglunatic's and mark f's recommendations too. i've learned a lot from those two. oh, and Jglass. and check out Max Jack's lists.

quote:

Originally posted by DJK:
One last thing this is for FragileKidA and PRG: Thanks for making me poor. I have been reading your music post for a while now and thanks to your suggestions I have spent way too much on CD's. Okay last non football related post. Just had to say it.

This is a good problem to have though, no?

Thursday is here folks! I'll be posting my picks a little later today, then I'll pop in just before the LSU game tongight to see who else will be eligible. I was giving it a little thought, and came up with the idea of whoever has the best winning percentage for the week should get to pick the next round's games.

Does that seem fair, Friar?

very fair.
tonight is the night!

My picks are in Yellow and I promise I haven't looked at your picks yet Friar.

Thursday, August 30th:

#2 LSU @ Mississippi State

As long as LSU doesn't fall into the "believing the hype trap" this should be a cakewalk.

Friday, August 31st:

Washington @ Syracuse

This one could go either way, I'll give the edge to the PAC 10.

Saturday, September 1st:

Colorado State @ Colorado

Both these teams are coming off disastrous years. Look for Colorado's redshirt freshman QB Cody Hawkins (and Coach Hawkins' son) to have a big day.

Marshall @ Miami (FL)

Randy Shannon knows what is expected in Miami, and he will have the Hurricanes ready to play.

Virginia @ Wyoming

Look for Wyoming to avenge last year's 13-12 overtime loss at Virginia.

#14 UCLA @ Stanford

Look for this one to be closer than it should be. I think Jim Harbaugh will have his team ready to play, but it will not be enough to beat the Bruins.

Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame

Hard to go against the Irish at home, but without a solid frontrunner at QB their lack of experience elsewhere will be exploited.

Wake Forest @ Boston College

Wake Forest surprised a lot of folks last year, Boston College included. The Eagles (and especially Matt Ryan) will be ready for them this year.

Ole Miss @ Memphis

Not the toughest SEC team, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Rebels lose this one as the Tigers nearly won last year's contest in Oxford.

Oklahoma State @ #13 Georgia

Most of the pundits are picking Oklahoma State to beat the Dawgs. I don't think so.

#15 Tennessee @ #12 California

I'm afraid the Kharma Police might come and get me if I go against my beloved Volunteers. And yes I know that Eric Ainge has a broken pinkie on his throwing hand. Personally, I'd rather have Crompton in there, but Fulmer will stubbornly start the senior.

Monday, September 3rd:

Florida State @ Clemson

The Bowden Battle. Even though Clemson is starting an unproven QB, I'm just not convinced that FSU's Drew Weatherford will ever be a good college quarterback. This will be another close one though.