Damaramu

Holy triple posts batman!

Oregon: In 2001 the Ducks came into the season ranked in the AP poll for the first time ever and went 11-1 narrowly missing out on playing in the BCS title game. They did win 5 games that year by a combined 16 points and benfitted from +16 in turnovers. In 2002 they had to replace star QB Joey Harrington. The Ducks started out 2002 at 6-0 and were ranked #6 in the NCAA and considered a national titel contender by some, but went just 1-6 down the stretch and finished 3-5 in the Pac 10 being outgained by 84 ypg in conference play. Normally Bellotti has an NFL caliber RB, but he did not have one in 2003. Still, the Ducks started the season out great once again. They upset Michigan to open the season 4-0 and were #10 in the country appearing on the cover of SI. That appeared to jinx them and in a tree game stretch they were outscored by 88 points by Wash St, Utah, and Ariz St. They got a mircale win vs. Cal, trailing 17-7 in the 4Q but scored two late TD's, and finished the season a solid 8-5. Despite their 5-3 record in the league, they only outgained Pac 10 foes by 4.2 ypg and were actually outscored. this year they have just 17 lettermen lost and should recieve much stronger QB play now that Kellen Clemens has the job to himself. I think VHT RB Terrell Jackson will be a boost and the OL is solid. Defensively the Ducks have 5 starters back and rarely have many more than that. The Ducks defensive scheme also used to be unconventional but a lot of the Pac 10 teams now play it, they aren't able to cause as much disruption in their opponents game plan. Bellotti has had 9 straight winning years and will be able to record #10 as they are one of the Pac 10's top teams. the schedule maker was also kind as the one conf team they avoid happens to be USC. The key battle for UO in the conf is Nov 6th at Cal and they clearily should finish in the upper half of the Pac 10 standings. BTW he has them finishing 3rd in the Pac 10. I like there uniforms and I'm looking forward to the OU game. Should be the one non-conf game where OU doesn't slaughter there opponent. Seems how they will most likely destroy just about everyone in the conf. and Houston and Bowling Green.

*pulls out bazooka* I'll be back......

Man this guy Rodney keeps calling into the sports animal and trashing on Shaq now. Well first he was an insane Laker lover and even when they were down 3-1 to Detroit he was singing there praises and declaring that Detroit had no chance. He went on about how great Shaq was and now that Shaq wants to leave he's trashing on Shaq and saying "Kobe is 10x better than Shaq. Kobe will be better than MJ. Shaq sucks!" WTF!?!?!?!

Hey until Stoops came to town everyone spent there time dreaming of Switzer while watching 2-10 seasons.

I'll do his write up on Oregon tomorrow. I'm actually going to be in the stands for the Oregon game. And well Oklahoma has only lost 2 games at home since Stoops has been head coach. To Nebraska in 2001 and to OSU in 2001.

CLEMSON: In 2000 it appeared Tommy Bowden had CU on the verge of greatness as they opened the season 8-0 while outscoring foes by an average of 30.2 ppg. Unfortunately the team went just 22-16 in there next 38 games including their blowout loss to WF bringing pressure on him. CU had a tremendous finish to the season and are filled with confidence for this year. The 2002 version had just 11 starters returning and they only had 12 back in 2003 but still managed a 9-4 record. This season they have 14 starters back including QB Charlie Whitehurst and a top-notch recieving crop. After allowing an un-Clemson like 28.3 ppg in 2001 the D steadily has made strides allowing 26.8 and 19.2 ppg the last two years. They allowed just 12 ppg and 321 ypg over the last four games of 2003. With 7 starters back they should have an improved defense once again but the big question mark is the DL which loses four key players. The schedule is not easy and in ACC play they have to face 3 talented teams(FSU, Miami, UVA) all on the road. The Tigers could be favored in all their home games and should get to their 6th consecutive bowl game.

WEST VIRIGINIA: WHAT?? Every year there is a team or two that is not in my Top 10 or sometimes 20 in terms of talent but one that can have an impact on the national scene due to their schedule. WV is very experienced and is playing in the watered down Big East where the league champ still lands a BCS bowl. QB Rasheed Marshall has 8 other starters back on offense and the defensive front 7 also looks solid. My #76 rated schedule makes them a surprise team this year. CAL: Jeff Tedford is doing a great job as his team has overachieved two straight years. This year he has his most talented version yet, led by QB Aaron Rodgers and 15 returning starters altogether. Cal outgained Pac 10 foes by 112 ypg last year and suffered 4 last minute losses. They face just 5 teams that had winning records but one of those is USC and that is on the road. UTAH: Every year a non-BCS school flirts with grabbing a bid to the BCS bowl series and Utah has the best shot at running the table TY. QB Alex Smith had a great debut season with a 15-3 ratio. The Liberty Bowl Champs from last year have 7 starters back on each side of the ball and only 14 lettermen lost, a much more veteran unit. Their toughest non-conf games(Texas A&M, N Carolina) are at home and the MWC schedule is tailor-made for a perfect season. Overall they face my #85 toughest schedule. VIRGINIA: Al Groh has had some great recruiting classes and has done a fine job with very young teams the last two years. This year he has 16 starters back. UVA has my #2 rated O-Line and #2 set of LB's. They do have to travel to both Florida State and Virginia Tech in the tougher ACC this year, but are capable of a big season. ALABAMA: Mike Shula was in a tough situation last year as the 3rd HC in less than 6 months and did not get to install his schemes until August. This year should be much smoother and the Tide could be 7-0 when they travel to Tennessee. NOTRE DAME: I pride myself on having a very high % of my Top 40 make it to bowls or be bowl-eligible(37 last year). I am taking a gamble ith this pick as the Irish face a very tough schedule for the 2nd straight year. They should get better QB play this season and Ty Willingham's teams always do great when little is expected and that is the case this year.

Michigan State: Last year I said that Smith was stepping into a great situation as he inherited 6 starters on offense and 8 on defens with just 17 lettermen lost from the most underachieving team in NCAA in 2002. I mentioned that teams tend to buy into a new coach's program quicker when they have solid early season success and that the Spartans would be favored early on and would have a chance at opening 5-1. The Spartans did suffer a tough loss early when they led Lousiana Tech 19-7 but allowed 2 TD's in the last 1:09 including a last play TD. They still managed to open 7-1 and for the first time since 1968 MSU entered the Michigan with a better record than UM. I had called for a 2H stumble in Big 10 play, much like Minnesota did the previous year and that is precisely what happened. They did take advantage of a letdown Minny team in their 44-38 win as the Gophers were coming off a tough National TV loss but then lost to Michigan. Ohio st and Wisconsin in back-to-back-to-back weeks and were 5-3 in league play. Interestingly enough the Spartans were outgained by 14.1 ypg in Big 10 play but still managed a winning record thanks to being +11 in turnovers on the season. This year they once again have a veteran cast back with 7 starters on offense and 7 on defense. They must break in a new QB and have some question marks on the O-line and at RB. They may find it difficult to top last year's 27.9 ppg with an inexperienced QB. The defense played more to its talent level last seson allowing 10.7 ppg less than 2002's underachieving team. There are two keys to the Spartans season this year. The first is the performance of their new starting QB and the second is how the Spartans fare in crucial home gaves vs. cotending Big 10 rivals Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Smith still should get his team to his 8th straight bowl game.

I went and saw it again last night. It was still funny.

It does seem that there are certain teams that are ranked in the preseason no matter what....I disagree with his ranking of Florida State however: The Seminoles have underachieved in recent years including 2003 when Miami, Fl handed them 2 of their 3 losses. The ACC got a lot tougher this year, but FSU is capable of runnign the table IF QB Chris Rix can play good ball consistently and IF they can beat the 'Canes in Miami. Beating Miami anywhere has been trouble for Bobby Bowden and Rix has been the king of inconsistency so those are big IFs. FSU is strong along the lines with my #5 O-Line and #5 D-Line. Bowden may be running out of chances to win another National Title but has a shot at one this year. That's his Top 40 reasoning. Not his final thoughts on Florida State. I like Miami however so I root against the Seminoles. Not to mention that I root for Miami b/c I am still dying for the OU/Miami national title game that is teased at the beginning of every season.

No. I've seen pictures! Most of the guys are tiny skinny 15 year olds that never get any sun. And the chicks somehow are hot......except for the fat ones dressed as fairies.

The Lakers can make another run at the title and if they face up with the Pistons or another team like them then they'll fail again. They weren't very good and they are going to have to make some drastic changes to get good enough to beat a team like The Pistons.

Timmy Chang: Chang has had an injury plagued career and even was benched for their last two games last year but did not pout and responded with 475 yards and 5 TD's in there bowl win. He has an excellent offensive line and WR's to work with and only needs 2,218 yards passing to break the NCAA record. If he is healthy he will have that by midseason. They have tough WAC trips to Boise St and Freson St and host some Big 10 teams so pulling a few upsets would only aid his cause. He should be the NCAA's most prolific passer this seson and I give him a shot at a 5,000 yard season. Man.....bold predictions abound.

Hey lay off Phil. I was rooting for him to. And yeah I really enjoyed this Open because that course was a freaking monster.

So is it at all wrong that I now want to bang a girl doing cosplay? Just take her in the janitor's closet at a convention and bang her brains out? Maybe I should start frequenting these things. I'd probably be the best looking guy there..... *Damaramu convention sexual predator*

Oh and here's his preseason top 40: 1. Oklahoma 2. USC 3. LSU 4. Florida St 5. Georgia 6. Miami 7. Michigan 8. Texas 9. West Virginia 10. California 11. Utah 12. Ohio State 13. Florida 14. Virginia 15. Missouri 16. Kansas State 17. Tennessee 18. Wisconsin 19. Memphis 20. Oregon 21. Louisville 22. Auburn 23. NC State(T) 23. Hawaii(T) 24. Alabama 25. Minnesota 26. Texas Tech 27. Boston College 28. Boise St 29. Clemson 30. TCU 31. Iowa 32. Arizona St 33. North Texas 34. Fresno State 35. Marshall 36. Penn St 37. S Carolina 38. N. Illinois 39. Notre Dame 40. Purdue So take that for what you will. He gives reasoning for all of them so if you have a question as to why somebody is ranked so high or low just ask.

I thought this thread died with Kamui.

Anybody else want to know about there team?

Fulmer's 13 year record: 113-28. That's not fucking bad at all. That's really damn good actually. Man this magazine is great. Pick it up guys. I probably like it more b/c the writer has OU's cock in his mouth....but overall it's still a really good magazine with some good general information. I'm learning a lot about the other conferences around the country from it. Here's his 2003 Toughest Conference ratings: 1. SEC 2. Big Ten 3. Big XII 4. ACC 5. PAC 10 6. Big East 7. Mt. West 8. CUSA 9. MAC 10. WAC 11. Independence 12. Sun Belt Now here's his rankings for 2004: 1. SEC 2. Big 12 3. ACC 4. Big Ten(tie) 4. Pac 10 6. Big East(tie) 6. CUSA 8. Mt. West 9. MAC 10. WAC 11. Independence 12. Sun Belt So.....everyone agrees how tough the SEC is. He thinks the Big XII will be better which it should. And the ACC gets a leap there with the addition of some good teams. And the Big East is left at the bottom of the majors. Can't blame it though. What does the Big East have left? Nothing really. That ACC is getting good. Everyone better look out. They have good basketball teams. Good Football teams. And good baseball teams. They may just take over every sport soon.

USC: From 1950 to 1989 a period that ended with 3 consecutive appearances in the Rose Bowl, USC had only 8 seasons in which they lost at least 5 games. In the next 12 years they reached that 5 loss total 9 times and were onf ot he most underachieving teams in the country for a decade. Pete Carroll has officially brought the Trojans back and in 2002 they beat seven teams that were ranked in the Top 25 and destroyed UCLA, Notre Dame, and Iowa in the final 3 games by a 134-51 margin. USC finished 11-2 despite facing 11 teams that ended up in bowls and the nation's toughest schedule. That 2002 team outgained Pac 10 foes by an average of 126.3 ypg. Last lear they had to replace Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. Two of my 7 sets of power ratings called them #1 heading into last season and they simply took home the National Title in dominating fashion finishing with a 12-1 record. They outscored foes by an average of 41.1 to 18.4. Their only defeat in 2003 was a 3-OT loss to Cal. In all 3 years of Carroll's defense, the Trojans have produced more turnovers and have been +16, +18, and +20 the last 3 seasons. Just like last year, USC returns 6 starters on each side of the ball but this tim have an experienced QB. While USC has 27 lettermen lost(most in the PAC 10) they are loaded with NFL caliber talent at EVERY position. The Trojans are clearly one of the top teams in the NCAA again and will likely be #1 in the AP poll at the start of the year and deservedly so. All of my sets of power ratings call for the Trojans to achieve an undefeated season. If they manage that they will earn a spot in the Orange Bowl for the BCS National Title game, a game in which Trojan fans felt they should have been in last season. So he gives USC there credit. Interesting that he's calling for OU to be undefeated and the greatest team ever but at the same time he's calling for USC to be undefeated. What's this? An undefeated National Title game? That'll rock and it's a great selling point. "These two teams made it through the season undefeated....but now one of them has to take a loss home and the other takes the national title!"

OH NO! http://www.oklahomadodgeball.com/ It has begun.........maybe I should get a team together......

Top 4 Heisman Contenders: 1. Timmy Chang, Hawaii 2. Matt Leinhart, USC 3. Jason White, Oklahoma 4. Darren Sproles, Kansas State Funny thing is that I'm getting the general consensus from this magazine on the Big XII conference is "Oklahoma is winning it all the rest of the Big XII will have to eat there dust. Oh but Texas has a chance at the National Title....but they have to beat Oklahoma. Which they can't do." Which is actually true. My prediction is that Texas will never beat OU as long as Mack Brown and Bob Stoops are the head coaches. Bob Stoops is like the best coach in the country and Mack Brown......well he has problems.

CSU Rams: Sonny Lubick has recorded ten straight winning seasons which is the sixth best of current coaches. In the 100 years of football here, prior to his arrival, CS won or shared 9 conference titles. Lubick has rattled off six in the past 10 years, 2nd in the NCAA to Florida St. In 200 they finished #14 in the polls, their highest finish ever in a 10-2 season. In 2002 they appeared poised to top that total but lost their last two including the bowl. The team has now won at least 7 games for 10 straight years. Last year they had 15 starters inlcuding super AB Bradlee Van Pelt and only lost 13 lettermen. Coming off a 10-4 season, they suprisingly went just 7-6. They neede to win their last two games just to make it to a bowl. They did have a tough loss vs. Utah where they had the ball at the end of the game and fumbled and it was returned for a TD and were also upset by Wyoming. Despite their mediocre 4-3 MWC record, they outgained league foes by an avergae of 53.8 ypg, the second best mark in the league. One factor that has me exicted about Colo St. this season is the fact that they were -15 in turnovers last year(their worst mark in the Lubick era)and still managed to get to a bowl. This year they only have just 10 starters returning and must replace 20 lettermen. They do get 4 MWC home games. Even with the loss of Van Pelt, I think the offesne will be solid and still be one of the top in the league. My biggest question mark this year is the defense which has just 3 starters back and appears simply average in all areas. The 3 returning starters are Lubick's lowest ever. These are usually the type year's that Lubick does best. The last time he had only 10 returning starters was in 1999 and the team went 8-3 in the regular season, winning the conference title. With 4 conference home games, I expect them to contend once again and record the teams 11th consecutive winning season.

Here's his bowl predictions as well. ORANGE BOWL Oklahoma vs. USC ROSE BOWL Michigan vs. California SUGAR BOWL LSU vs. W Virginia FIESTA BOWL Texas vs. Florida St. CAPITAL ONE BOWLl Georgia vs. Ohio State COTTON BOWL Missouri vs. Alabama GATOR BOWL Miami vs. Notre Dame OUTBACK BOWL Wisconsin vs. Tennessee HOLIDAY BOWL Oregon vs. Kansas St. PEACH BOWL Virginia vs. Florida ALAMO BOWL Texas A&M vs. Minnesota SUN BOWL Penn vs. Oregon St. LIBERTY BOWL Memphis vs. Utah MUSIC CITY BOWL S. Carolina vs. Purdue INDEPENDENCE BOWL Texas Tech vs. Auburn HAWAII BOWL S. Mississippi vs. Hawaii LAS VEGAS BOWL UNLV vs. UCLA MOTOR CITY BOWL N. Illinois vs. Iowa INSIGHT BOWL Arizona St. vs. Boston College TANGERINE BOWL Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech