Our BCS National Championship Game picks

2009-09-08T11:20:16-04:00

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/t1_meyertrophy17.jpg" alt="T1_meyertrophy17" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: left;">Five of our eight writers predict that Urban Meyer will lift another crystal football tonight. Ron Schwane/Icon SMI </div> </div> Sweep contributors offer their quick picks for tonight's BCS National Championship Game: Stewart Mandel: Florida 45, Oklahoma 27 Tim Tebow and the Gators' plethora of speed guys will exploit Oklahoma's suspect defenders in space, and for the first time since Texas, the Sooners will be facing a defense that can slow then down a bit. Andy Staples: Oklahoma 45, Florida 38 Both offenses will score their share of points, and punts should be few and far between. The winner will force turnovers on defense and protect the ball on offense, and Oklahoma has done that better than anyone this season. Cory McCartney: Florida 38, Oklahoma 35 With all the offensive firepower, somebody's going to have to get a big play on defense to win this thing, and that somebody is the Gators. The young Florida defense may, at times, get winded by the breakneck pace of the Sooners' no-huddle attack, but a group that had 34 interceptions will find a way to force Sam Bradford into at least one uncharacteristic mistake. Arash Markazi: Oklahoma 38, Florida 35 I don't see any defense in the country being able to stop this Oklahoma offense. The Sooners set an NCAA record by scoring 60 points in five straight games and broke Hawaii's single-season scoring record of 656 in one less game by putting up a mind-boggling 702 points. They won't hang "half a hundred," as Barry Switzer used to famously say, but they'll hang just enough on Florida to return the "Big Game" moniker back to Bob Stoops' name. Gennaro Filice: Florida 45, Oklahoma 35 Boasting the No. 3 scoring offense and the No. 4 scoring defense, Florida's certainly the more complete team. And in a battle between the last two Heisman Trophy winners, I'm rolling with the 2007 recipient, Tim Tebow, who will be the best player on the field. A healthy Percy Harvin is just the icing on the cake. Texas fans may recognize my predicted score ... Our BCS National Championship Game picks

2009-01-08T06:45:03-05:00

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2009-01-08T06:45:03-05:00

2009-01-09T03:00:46-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/622/636/thumb/gatorhelmets.jpg 63 FL

WhoMan

Alachua 623276

Truly sophomoric intercepted throws.

236 the last one was a good throw and would have been a catch had it not been stripped by a def back who couldn't have played it any better 3919655

2009-01-10T10:07:47-05:00

AnonComment

Newport 587517

the last one was a good throw and would have been a catch had it not been stripped by a def back who couldn't have played it any better

246 That was actually the signature moment of the game. It pitted a woefully unprepared Oklahoma against a grittier Florida with a greater desire to win. It reminded us football at its best is not about sterile stats and robotic precision or arrogant bluster. It is about one-on-one physical matchups that simultaneously derive strength from and energize a collective heart. 3934941

2009-01-09T15:26:55-05:00

ProphetDTG

No City 616549

244 That's funny that a ND fan is bringing up consecutive bowls losses in general and BCS bowl losses in particular. Congrats on beating Hawaii and ending your record losing streak. Maybe Oklahoma can be fortunate next year to go 6-6 and draw an easy bowl opponent. 3928263

2009-01-09T16:28:26-05:00

1178

Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Kansas City 639966

That's funny that a ND fan is bringing up consecutive bowls losses in general and BCS bowl losses in particular. Congrats on beating Hawaii and ending your record losing streak. Maybe Oklahoma can be fortunate next year to go 6-6 and draw an easy bowl opponent.

245 why is it OK for fans of other teams to point out ND's bowl losses, but not for an ND fan to point out other team's bowl losses or losing streaks? 3929526

2009-01-09T15:26:55-05:00

ProphetDTG

No City 616549

2009-01-09T00:20:35-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/480/605/thumb/BB_4761_10.jpg 8757 FL

CRIMSONandTNERB

Orlando 481045

There is a Big 10/Big 12 bias that keeps sending teams like OU and Ohio State to big BCS bowl games. Over and over again these teams go and they keep losing. This year, Penn State came within 1 second of winning against Iowa and going to the BCS Title game ahead of Florida. It is time to give someone else a chance. Utah really deserved a chance to go in this year in lieu of Oklahoma. They have as much of a right to get blown out of a BCS bowl game, if it comes to that, as OU and Ohio State do.

218 WE lost the game....No it wasn't a blowout.....2 good teams played a hard hitting game without too many questionable calls.... I REALIZE that there is gonna be A LOT of crap written, but the Sooners have NOTHING to be ashamed of..... Congrats, again to the Gators......I knew I was right in wishing that AL would have beaten you in the SEC ttitle game..... 3918592

2009-01-09T13:26:22-05:00

1178

Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Kansas City 639966

WE lost the game....No it wasn't a blowout.....2 good teams played a hard hitting game without too many questionable calls....I REALIZE that there is gonna be A LOT of crap written, but the Sooners have NOTHING to be ashamed of.....Congrats, again to the Gators......I knew I was right in wishing that AL would have beaten you in the SEC ttitle game.....

243 5 BCS bowl losses in a row 5 bowl game losses in a row 3 BCS national championship losses in a row ouch 3925983

2009-01-09T00:08:27-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/480/605/thumb/BB_4761_10.jpg 8757 FL

CRIMSONandTNERB

Orlando 481045

214 Very weird.....I stated speaking to a friend from CT right before the 2nd half kickoff....He was getting the game 7 seconds before I was....He would tell me the play before the QB's were getting the snap..... 3918495

2009-01-09T13:24:16-05:00

1178

Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Kansas City 639966

Very weird.....I stated speaking to a friend from CT right before the 2nd half kickoff....He was getting the game 7 seconds before I was....He would tell me the play before the QB's were getting the snap.....

242 one of you probably had Satellite TV and one was watching over the air 3925877

2009-01-08T23:54:56-05:00

1729

CharMit

Las Vegas 24671

211 14 pts. Less than half the next lowest amount for OKLA all season. Of the 8 SEC teams in the bowls 5 of them either yielded the fewest points their opponent had made all season, or the second lowest total. Of the top 5 Big 12 offenses all five either fizzled or stumbled. I think this closes the book on the Big 12 offense vs SEC defense debate. However, congrats to OK for a great showing. 3918374

2009-01-09T13:20:31-05:00

1178

Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Kansas City 639966

14 pts. Less than half the next lowest amount for OKLA all season. Of the 8 SEC teams in the bowls 5 of them either yielded the fewest points their opponent had made all season, or the second lowest total. Of the top 5 Big 12 offenses all five either fizzled or stumbled. I think this closes the book on the Big 12 offense vs SEC defense debate. However, congrats to OK for a great showing.

241 Oklahoma also held Florida to its lowest scoring output of the season. So that proves nothing. Both defenses were ahead of the offenses, especially in the first half of a very sloppily played game. The only book that is closed is the one that has demonstrated definitively that you don't know what you are talking about. I also see you avoided predicting anything about this BCS champ game, so no doubt you will now pretend that you predicted this all along. I on the other hand predicted Florida would win by 11. I was one point off. (I did think both teams would score a few more touchdowns). 3925906

2009-01-09T12:48:34-05:00

Jim Sayer

No City 657142

240 I agree with AnnonComment's post, how boring, horrible, whatever... is it to be a viewer at home watching these college teams get up to the line, then get close to hiking the ball and then the majority of them stand up and look at the sidelines for what seems like hours and then eventually get the play started. Doesn't make for very good viewing. Just my opinion. 3925277

2009-01-09T09:25:00-05:00

AnonComment

Newport 587517

239 and what's with the three monkey sideshow on every play the ou qb looked like a poodle whose chain was being jerked before every snap ... hurry-up offense? more like hurry-up and get on with it ... the florida d must've been like guys make up your minds already 3921114

2009-01-09T01:00:45-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/480/605/thumb/BB_4761_10.jpg 8757 FL

CRIMSONandTNERB

Orlando 481045

Are you kidding me! If OU had any shame they should simply bow out of the post-season and give other Big 12 teams a shot. 5 straight bowl losses and we're talking hide-your-face-slink-into-the-night losses. Sooners have EVERYTHING to be ashamed of. OU should've man up and let Texas play the Big 12 championship. By the way how do you like my call Florida 30-16?

231 So tonight was a hide-your-face-slink-into-the-night loss? 3918990

2009-01-09T09:17:36-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/485/588/thumb/tcucheer.jpg 1144

TCUFan

486028

So tonight was a hide-your-face-slink-into-the-night loss?

238 crimsonandcream, i admire your guts for coming on here 3921025

2009-01-08T19:17:16-05:00

1729

CharMit

Las Vegas 24671

194 for TCUfan - Time to set the record straight. First of all I refused the offer of 14 pts and stated my belief that Ohio St would prevail without extra points. I also agreed to accept the title of 'total idiot' if Ohio St lost and I have already done so in a previous blog. But I was absolutely correct in predicting that the best of the Big 10 was on a level with the best of the Big 12. From the first time Alabama was voted #1 I stated that Alabama had dome nothing to justify its ranking. I thought that we had too little evidence to support that claim. But of course the problem for voters is if you don't vote an undefeated Bama as #1 who gets the vote. I stated from the first when Illinois ran roughshod over the Mizzou defense that Big 12 offenses had been over-hyped, and that without a defense Big 12 teams were in trouble if they met up with a real defense. The bowls have supported that clearly. 4 of the 5 Big 12 offensive powerhouses have stumbled or fallen in the bowls. I also missed the Penn St victory over Ohio St. But I was correct in saying that just because GA and Ohio St had a large number of returning starters, starters that had not done great the previous year, that neither team should be expected to win it all. I even suggested that Ohio St could easily finish with three of four losses this season, which they did. I missed a couple but I have had a satisfying year, thank you very much. I am sorry that my comments on the Big 12 have proven accurate. 3915032

2009-01-09T09:06:54-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/485/588/thumb/tcucheer.jpg 1144

TCUFan

486028

for TCUfan - Time to set the record straight. First of all I refused the offer of 14 pts and stated my belief that Ohio St would prevail without extra points. I also agreed to accept the title of 'total idiot' if Ohio St lost and I have already done so in a previous blog. .

237 well, the only one i care about really is that u said OSU would destroy TX and TX could not play a tough game. WRONG btw, who again did you say you root for? you've been on so many bandwagons this year and then jumped off it's incredible- LSU, AL, USC, the entire Big 10 who went what, 1-5 in bowl games, and of course now FL show some guts man, right or wrong. 3920795

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