Five Things We Learned

2009-04-01T17:19:40-04:00

2008-08-31T14:43:38-04:00

139

2008-09-10T06:38:26-04:00

2008-09-01T20:20:25-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/488/779/thumb/_MG_5155alr.jpg 4 al

BamaPilk

leeds 489219

The reason a lot of these teams are top tier such as FSU, VA Tech etc... is becuase the big names payed them huge sums of money to get beat up for years. And there will be more Teams climb into BCS contention by collecting big pachecks and recognition at the hands of the mighty. And I'm glad "RichRod" turned Bama down. 2634671

2008-09-01T20:05:30-04:00

222

GlennAllen

Richmond 185259

Anyone, especially a reporter, who believes that if young athletes who don't win the games that he/she/they, the reporter, think(s) he/she/they should (or even shouldn't), then they should be a "punch-line" to some "joke"... well, such a person, especially a reporter, deserves to be punched... literally. Wanna hear a joke? Read your own columns aloud... now that's funny. 2634646

2008-09-01T16:53:46-04:00

step9288

Moscow 491365

charmit i agree with you that it would make for more excitement and better competition if top tier teams played each other each week but what is their incentive to do so when its been proven that you can get to the national championship with one marquee win and domination of some cupcakes? plus your notion of sportsmanship is noble but do you really think ohio state is going to politely decline an invite to play or the title or Hawaii turn down millions to play in the hawaii bowl? say ohio state does schedule 3 or 4 tough non conference opponents, this makes it more likely for them to have multiple losses and be out of title contention. Say they only schedule one tough game like they do now, it's either a defining game that gets them in the title game or a single loss that still leaves them with an outside shot at the title. It's just minimizing risk and maximizing the possibility to get to the title. I would love to see top teams play every week but right now its not mandated and so I'd rather have my team set up its schedule so it has the best shot to be in the final two. 2634131

2008-09-01T16:07:02-04:00

maomatt

Huntsville 95731

"Also too many schools try only to find the best person with ties to the school" excellent point, CharMit. Alabama went through that as well, before finally deciding to look for the best coach rather the 'the best coach who played for the Bear' 2633995

2008-09-01T15:19:58-04:00

1737

CharMit

Las Vegas 24671

for etc_04 - You are right about SEC scheduling and patsies. But if you look over the conference there is a great improvement from last year, in general. It is also right to expect that the SEC teams start some home & home series. The problem has been that the SEC could make money without traveling, but in the interest of competition that needs to change. The Big 10 has some good coaches, but most schools are not as fanatical as SEC boosters in demanding the best, and making money available. It is not an accident that the SEC attracts the best coaches. Also too many schools try only to find the best person with ties to the school, as Michigan did for so many years, instead of the best available. Watch what happens at Washington, Ariz & maybe Pitt & Clemson. I doubt that you see the same results when they seek new coaches as you have seen with recent SEC schools. 2633856

2008-09-01T14:43:51-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/491/882/thumb/OSU_Wells.jpg 401 OH

etc_04

Athens 492322

"As difficult as the SEC is, it doesn't justify a total patsy out-of-conference schedule." Thank you. LSU fans always seem to be the most reasonable, offering more than "Go Gators". Takes brilliance there. And the SEC coaches definitely get the props from the media, but the Big 10 has some good coaches getting jobs, RichRod (say what you want look where WVU is), Mark Danantonio (sp?), and Bret Bilemma are solid coaches. I'm looking forward to what they'll bring to the table. But I'm off for now, 3:00 tee time 2633695

2008-09-01T12:47:20-04:00

1737

CharMit

Las Vegas 24671

for jayddrew - The SEC has the coaches, the facilities, and soon ESPN total exposure, but I think there is more involved here. If you notice the top 25 recruiting classes the last few years the bulk of the teams play in the warmer climates. I think schools like OSU, ND & maybe Mich will hold their own, but I think all but the PAC 10 and SEC will suffer from this trend. 2633367

2008-09-01T12:43:19-04:00

Vaweukunde

Columbia 202416

Tommy Bowden. Enough said. 'Bama wans't that good and Clemson wasn't that bad. Saban was clearly shocked at how dominate the victory was. Bowden is THE WORST coach that has ever walked God's green earth, just beating out Vic "the Comedian" Koenning and Rob "the Bad Scientist" Spence for the title. Geez a **** loo could we get a little help down here in Clemson? 2633340

2008-09-01T12:33:51-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/149/552/thumb/lsu-tiger.jpg 148 LA

Jayddrew

Shreveport 149852

By the way, the conference debate is fun, and we've got bragging rights right now. Schlitz, your argument doesn't hold water. Saban is in his second year at Bama following a stint in the NFL, Miles is 4th year at LSU, Spurrier just came back from a stint in the NFL, and Meyer just came from Utah. The only long-termer is Fulmer. Sure, recruiting is huge. But the SEC has the better coaches. Money talks! (I won't comment on our priorities!) 2633344

2008-09-01T12:28:32-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/149/552/thumb/lsu-tiger.jpg 148 LA

Jayddrew

Shreveport 149852

LSU fan, here. Yes, our non-conference schedule is horrible. The only hope we have is that the SEC is so tough, our BCS rating will be good because of it. As difficult as the SEC is, it doesn't justify a total patsy out-of-conference schedule. I'm sure it's tough to get BSC quality teams to play us, but home-and-home series would not be turenddown by the likes of other BCS teams. Much like the NFL has a scheduling system, the NCAA needs to line up the BCS conferences and make them rotate yearly. Imagine starting next year with OhioSt vs Georgia, Michigan vs Alabama and LSU vs Wisconsin! 2633291

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<img src="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/images/sweep/Alabama.Clemson.jpg" height="335" align="textTop" alt="" width="425" style="width: 425px; height: 335px" />By Stewart Mandel, SI.comI realize the weekend's not over yet, but hey -- this thing's a Sunday tradition.1. That the ACC will not surrender its punch-line status. Another year, another glorious start for the nation's wannabe superconference. It began Thursday night with N.C. State's nationally televised 34-0 shellacking at the hands of South Carolina and continued Saturday with Virginia Tech (11-3 a year ago) falling to East Carolina, Virginia (9-4) losing 52-7 at home to USC and of course league favorite Clemson laying a colossal egg against Alabama in front of a national, prime-time audience.However, the biggest blunder in ACC country Saturday took place in the sky. A pair of parachuters who were slated to deliver the game ball for North Carolina's opener against McNeese State inadvertently landed eight miles away -- <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/unc/story/1200990.html">at Duke's stadium.</a> "In about five years," said concerned UNC associate AD Rick Steinbacher, "maybe this will be funny." Oh no -- it's plenty funny right now.2. That Alabama may have the next Glenn Dorsey on its hands. Tide fans spent the offseason drooling in anticipation over the arrival of freshman WR Julio Jones, and while Jones did not disappoint in his debut, the truly astonishing newcomer was defensive tackle Terrence Cody. Clemson's offensive line had no answer for the freakish 6-foot-5, 365-pound junior college transfer, who could be seen storming into the Tigers' backfield over and over. Clemson's vaunted rushing attack netted zero -- yes, zero -- total yards.With such a rare combination of size and speed, Cody -- who, as legend has it, began the year nearly 30 pounds heavier yet could be seen on the basketball court "dunking and doing 360s with the ball," Tide center Antoine Caldwell said this summer -- looks like the same kind of one-man wrecking crew as the former LSU star. Foes will have no choice to double or triple-team him, which, in 'Bama's 3-4 scheme, frees up all kinds of gaps for the linebackers.  3. That Mark Sanchez will be just fine, thank you. Technically, Sanchez was not a first-time starter -- he filled in for the injured John David Booty in three games last season - but Saturday's Virginia game was the junior's first as "the man" for USC. All he did was torch the Cavaliers for 338 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-35 passing. The most encouraging aspect of Sanchez's performance was that it included several deep balls to his receivers (albeit mostly after USC had built a comfortable first-half lead), an area in which the Trojans were sorely lacking last season. He hit Ronald Johnson for a 49-yard touchdown and Patrick Turner for a 42-yard gain, while Arkansas transfer Damian Williams finished as USC's leading receiver (seven catches, 91 yards). One word: Scary.4. That I picked the wrong <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/specials/preview/2008/08/27/crystal.ball/">Pac-10 surprise team</a>. There's nothing like sticking your neck on the line, putting your faith in a team that nobody else deemed remotely fit to be ranked in the Top 25 -- then watch that team lose its opening game to Stanford. Thanks, Beavers.But it may well be that losing to Stanford is longer the indignity it once was. The buzz over the offseason was that Jim Harbaugh's team is steadily improving, and it's been a long, long time since the Cardinal ran the ball the way they did Thursday night. Toby Gerhart, who gained 140 yards in his lone performance last season prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury, carried 19 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. If he and the offensive line keep it up, look for Stanford to reach its first bowl game since 2001. 5. That the injury gods are not smiling on Georgia. If this is to be the storybook, national-title season Dawgs fans have been dreaming about since January, they're going to have to defy one of the sport's long-held assumptions: That the breaks have to go your way. Having already lost starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant for the year with a preseason ACL tear, the nation's No. 1 team watched starting DT and senior leader Jeff Owens go down with his own knee injury a quarter into the Dawgs' season opener against Georgia Southern. While an MRI is still pending, the Atlanta Journal Constitution says Owens is <a href="http://www.ajc.com/uga/content/sports/uga/stories/2008/08/30/georgia_georgia_southern.html">likely out for the season.</a>While Owens was a productive player, Georgia is fairly stacked at defensive line. Still, this is hardly the type of stuff you associate with dream seasons, especially for a team that is already facing the nation's most daunting schedule. Of course, Owens' injury may wind up seeming like a drop in the hat compared to the injury vigil currently taking place with <a href="/blogs/post/241938">the nation's No. 2 team.</a>

The Sweep

New York 479813 1260