The College Football Thread 8/30 - 9/3

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

MSU/LSU first half has been pretty fun so far. Not spectacular, but a neat opener.

[MFer 0]

An LSU receiver just jacked a Miss St. defender up pretty good on a block.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

That was quite a hit.

 

Now LSU is starting to dominate in the second half.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Drake upsets #7 Illinois State 27-24.

 

Western Illinois is in a dogfight with #20 South Dakota State. Currently 23-23 in the 3rd OT.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Missisippi State is terrible. Maybe their defense will earn a couple of wins.

[teke184 0]

That was quite a hit.

 

Now LSU is starting to dominate in the second half.

People who haven't watched a lot of LSU football before tonight weren't expecting this... They were wondering WTF was going on when LSU didn't come in and immediately roll over MS State in the 1st half.

 

 

After having season tickets for years, I know that the team always starts slow in the first half of the first game. (Against ULM in 2003, Oregon State in 2004, Arizona State in 2005, etc.) That gets worse when they break in a new QB, like they're doing with Matt Flynn tonight. (He's started 1 game, the drubbing of Miami in the Peach Bowl 2 years ago).

 

They really get rolling in the 2nd half when they've got a second wind and the opposition is puking all over the field.

 

 

This is living up to that, with the DB corps getting 6 INTs, with Craig Steltz alone accounting for 3 of those.

 

Dorsey and the D-Line guys are starting to get good penetration now that the MS State O-Line guys are tired, with Dorsey getting one sack and the guys getting lots of pressure on the QB on the other plays.

 

 

[teke184 0]

Missisippi State is terrible. Maybe their defense will earn a couple of wins.

A bad team looks that much worse when you've got the athletes to wear them out.

 

 

Their running game will probably help them out if they can keep from chucking the ball away.

 

(1 of those 6 INTs should have been called back for an interference penalty, but most of the rest of them were due to them tossing the ball away due to pressure. He needs to learn to *down* the ball instead of throwing it into coverage against a talented and fast D)

[teke184 0]

LSU picked up a fumbled snap for turnover #7 by MSU tonight.

 

AFAIK, they just reached half of last year's takeaways total in tonight's game. (They didn't get a lot of takeaways last year)

 

 

EDIT-

 

And Ryan Perriloux just tossed a quick TD to Brandon LeFell to make it 45-0.

 

At this point, MSU needs to start waving white flags to get out of this at only 45-0. (The LSU 2nd and 3rd team guys are better than a lot of MSU 1st string players.)

[Bored 0]

Kent State beat Iowa State 23-14. Cyclones are looking at a potential 1-11 season.

[teke184 0]

Kent State beat Iowa State 23-14. Cyclones are looking at a potential 1-11 season.

Ouch.

 

They look to be setting a new low for the Big 12 North.

[cabbageboy 0]

You gotta love people pimping the SEC incessantly with the notion of "There isn't an off night in the conference!" I'd like to know what that crap was tonight for LSU with Miss St.

 

ESPN has gotten so full of shit with their college coverage. Like this stuff saying even a 1 loss SEC team should still make the title game over an unbeaten Big East team. Let's say WVU runs the table....how the hell is anyone from the SEC going to the title game considering WVU is #3 right now (with I'm assuming a 1 loss LSU or Florida)? These people are morons.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Big FCS Statline of the night...

 

Delaware RB: Omar Cuff. 30 Carries for 244 yards (8.1 YPC) and 6 TD in a 49-31 victory over William & Mary. To note, W&M QB Jake Phillips threw for 433 yards too.

[teke184 0]

You gotta love people pimping the SEC incessantly with the notion of "There isn't an off night in the conference!" I'd like to know what that crap was tonight for LSU with Miss St.

 

ESPN has gotten so full of shit with their college coverage. Like this stuff saying even a 1 loss SEC team should still make the title game over an unbeaten Big East team. Let's say WVU runs the table....how the hell is anyone from the SEC going to the title game considering WVU is #3 right now (with I'm assuming a 1 loss LSU or Florida)? These people are morons.

There are *few* off-nights in the conference, but if you go in thinking that, it won't be one for long.

 

(It used to be "No off nights, except Vandy", but the Mississippi schools have gone downhill severely over the past 5 years.)

 

 

Of the 12 teams in the SEC, the lower echelon is definitely Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and possibly Vanderbilt.

 

LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky all went bowling last year. That's about 3-4 more bowl teams than any other league last year, with Florida and LSU coming up big in BCS games.

 

 

[Guest rullmar]

You gotta love people pimping the SEC incessantly with the notion of "There isn't an off night in the conference!" I'd like to know what that crap was tonight for LSU with Miss St.

 

ESPN has gotten so full of shit with their college coverage. Like this stuff saying even a 1 loss SEC team should still make the title game over an unbeaten Big East team. Let's say WVU runs the table....how the hell is anyone from the SEC going to the title game considering WVU is #3 right now (with I'm assuming a 1 loss LSU or Florida)? These people are morons.

Let's say you actually mean "U of L", and that you're not a homer for said conference.

 

[ANKLELOCK 0]

You gotta love people pimping the SEC incessantly with the notion of "There isn't an off night in the conference!" I'd like to know what that crap was tonight for LSU with Miss St.

 

The best team in the conference playing the worst team? Maybe?

[teke184 0]

You gotta love people pimping the SEC incessantly with the notion of "There isn't an off night in the conference!" I'd like to know what that crap was tonight for LSU with Miss St.

 

The best team in the conference playing the worst team? Maybe?

Possibly. It depends on how bad Ole Miss is.

 

Miss State was certainly the worst team in the league LAST year.

 

 

 

This is the equal of Virginia Tech opening the year against Duke or UNC.

[Guest rullmar]

UNC will make a bowl this year.

[cabbageboy 0]

I used WVU instead of U of L in that scenario since they are currently higher ranked. Now I do think of someone like Rutgers or USF ran the table they would still be on the outs, and considering Rutgers' pathetic schedule it might be justified (USF is at least playing Auburn).

 

Here is one thing that makes me wonder about the SEC's greatness. Friggin UK finished 3rd in the East and made a bowl. I can't think of one decent team UK beat all last year, with the possible exception of Georgia, and UGA was crap last year and could barely beat Colorado.

 

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Why didn't Croom just bench his quarterback for the second half? My roomate (who is black) was yelling @ the TV for some kind of change to be made but Mississippi State stuck with their guy. He doesn't understand the mentality of black head coaches to stick by their quarterbacks even when they are playing horribly.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

black head coaches stick by their quarterbacks even when they are playing horribly.

So that explains Rex Grossman!

[2GOLD 0]

Big FCS Statline of the night...

 

Delaware RB: Omar Cuff. 30 Carries for 244 yards (8.1 YPC) and 6 TD in a 49-31 victory over William & Mary. To note, W&M QB Jake Phillips threw for 433 yards too.

 

The Delaware defense is going to kill us again this year. Last year this team could put up big points but couldn't stop anyone from scoring more. Looks like another year of shootout football with the Blue Hens. On the plus side, it'll make the games a hell of a lot of fun to watch for high scoring affairs. But in terms of having a good season and making the playoffs, anti acids will be needed.

 

 

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky all went bowling last year. That's about 3-4 more bowl teams than any other league last year, with Florida and LSU coming up big in BCS games.

I agree that the SEC appears to have this year's most talented crop of teams top to bottom, but the ACC and Big XII both placed 8 teams in bowls last year, and the Big Ten placed 7. The Big XII even had a 9th bowl eligible team in Kansas. Not sure the number of bowl bids is really a distinguishing factor between the conferences at this point, considering how many teams can get up to six wins just beating on the conference bottom feeders, Sun Belt teams, and I-AA schools.

[teke184 0]

Why didn't Croom just bench his quarterback for the second half? My roomate (who is black) was yelling @ the TV for some kind of change to be made but Mississippi State stuck with their guy. He doesn't understand the mentality of black head coaches to stick by their quarterbacks even when they are playing horribly.

It was an experience thing...

 

The second QB they put in was a true freshman who didn't have a lot of time in the system, even by freshman standards. (He missed a number of practices for some reason, so he was behind the rest of the class in some ways.)

[Art Sandusky 0]

Going to a bowl doesn't mean jack anymore when nearly half the teams do it. I never use that argument. I just tell people to check out a given CBS-broadcast SEC game and that's all I have to do. That's where their reputation lies for me, in the ability for the conference to produce one absolutely insane and intense game every week, and then maul teams from elsewhere after the season's over. I envision the conference as Thunderdome surrounded by a bunch of normal football players (mere spectators), and at the end of a whole season in there they lift the dome up and let the amphetamine-filled, weapon-holding, leather-clad beasts of speed and power loose on the regular guys.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Not sure the number of bowl bids is really a distinguishing factor between the conferences at this point, considering how many teams can get up to six wins just beating on the conference bottom feeders, Sun Belt teams, and I-AA schools.

Thoroughly unacceptable solution: stop letting schools do the last two. Restrict the BCS teams to playing amongst themselves. I'm looking at this from an outsider's perspective, i.e. someone who only follows professional sports, so the whole notion of competing against teams who are de facto ineliglible to win the same championship you're playing for (mid-majors) as well as teams who are actually ineligible to win said championship (Division I-AA) is patently ridiculous, and tantamount to the Yankees bloating up on the Toledo Mud Hens and Nippon Ham Fighters en route to a World Series. I know that's a big financial boon to the sacrificial lambs like the University of Buffalo or Wright State University when Wisconsin comes to beat up on you before winning another Citrus Bowl, but from a competitive standpoint, it's impure, unfair, and well, really, kind of stupid.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Well the Big 10 network is essentially the same three programs repeated over and over again.

[CanadianChris 0]

Pleasant surprise: I get Washington/Syracuse in HD tonight through the Super Sports package..

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Not sure the number of bowl bids is really a distinguishing factor between the conferences at this point, considering how many teams can get up to six wins just beating on the conference bottom feeders, Sun Belt teams, and I-AA schools.

 

I know that's a big financial boon to the sacrificial lambs like the University of Buffalo or Wright State University when Wisconsin comes to beat up on you before winning another Citrus Bowl, but from a competitive standpoint, it's impure, unfair, and well, really, kind of stupid.

 

Just felt like pointing out that the financial boon is largely why FCS teams play BCS teams (BCS gets an easy win... usually). Imagine how much money Murray State got playing Louisville in their 60-70K stadium (or however many it seats) compared to playing a fellow non-conference team in front of 6-7K. That money could in turn be used back on the college for scholarships to students or athletes.

 

As far as competition, it's no fun seeing dominant BCS teams like Michigan (although playing App. State should be a fun challenge I hope), Ohio State, Louisville, Wisconsin, etc. slaughter an FCS team but I do enjoy the "lower level" BCS teams like an Idaho, North Carolina, East Carolina, etc. taking on an FCS team where the play may be more level and allow for an FCS team to have a great chance at pulling off the "upset" while still maybe getting a larger gate than they could otherwise.

[Guest Vitamin X]

HarleyQuinn, you seem to have an affinity for Div I-AA squads. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but why is this?

[HarleyQuinn 0]

HarleyQuinn, you seem to have an affinity for Div I-AA squads. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but why is this?

 

Because nobody pays them any respect

 

In all seriousness though, I currently attend a D3 college that doesn't have a football program and I have a soft for the "underdogs" so seeing an FCS take on a BCS team and possibly beat 'em is always a joy. I also grew up watching Steve McNair in the mid-90's when ESPN would air his Alcorn State games and remember them more vividly than other college games in terms of my childhood. Plus... playoff system!

 

I also enjoy the DIAA/FCS because they don't have the exposure of DIA and those players/coaches truly revel/enjoy being in the spotlight when given the chance. The commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference last night was just gushing with gratitude about having an FCS game on CSTV and you could tell that it was genuine. It was a game on a station that probably isn't even that prominent but just getting exposure meant so much to the guy. How can you not love that?