The College Football Thread 8/30 - 9/3

[Art Sandusky 0]

As much as I hate 'em, Michigan might be unfairly voted against after this week. They're still really good despite a loss of biblical proportions. If they're 0-4 a month from now (certainly possible, but 2-2 more likely), then pile on all you want. Iggy's got this one right.

[cabbageboy 0]

Iggy, glad to see U of L so high on your poll. It's a bit early to even know though. Frankly I don't think GA Tech is remotely a top 10 caliber team (no one in the ACC is), they just beat a ND team that may well be hopeless this year. Let's see if Tech keeps it up.

 

The polls overall are idiotic. For instance why in the hell is Texas ranked #4 in the nation? They didn't do shit last year and from that first game they don't look to be all that good, yet I guess due to name alone they are in the top 5? Or VA Tech being #9. That's not as big of a problem though since LSU will roll them next week.

 

I always hear on ESPN and in the paper stuff like "We need to take the computers out of the equation! It needs to have more human factor!" Yeah that's just what we need, more emphasis on a bunch of coaches who don't watch half of the games and mainly vote along party lines for their own team and conference. Or media members fixated on a particular area or conference (Plaschke for Pac 10, Mariotti for Big 10, Paige for SEC, etc.).

 

But yeah, let's get rid of the computers who just look at overall results, game scores, SOS, and the like.

[teke184 0]

VT is high for three reasons that I can think of, none of which are particularly good.

 

 

1. They have a great defense. However, this is negated by a crappy offense.

 

2. They're getting sympathy votes due to the shooting tragedy

 

3. Their schedule is seen as soft outside of a trip to Baton Rouge. If they knock off LSU and then take care of business during the season and the ACC title game, they're going to be in the BCS Title Game.

 

 

 

My thoughts on the VT-LSU game this week-

 

 

LSU's defense and offense are both better than VT.

 

VT's QB will make a lot of mistakes, though not as many as MS State's QB did this week, and LSU will capitalize.

 

 

 

The big question mark will be special teams.

 

 

I'm unsure how good VT is at it, but LSU has been notoriously streaky at it over the past few years.

 

LSU's kickers tend to suck, blowing PATs on occasion and having trouble with FGs.

 

LSU's given up a number of blocked punts since starting a weird punt formation after Miles took over two years ago.

 

LSU, going back to the Saban days, has a habit of blocking kicks or making the kicker miss easy shots when they need it most.

 

(This goes back to 2003 with Auburn and Ole Miss's All World kickers blowing a ton of FGs, the Oregon State kicker missing about the only 3 PATs of his career against them in 2004, blocking kicks against Arizona State to mount a late comeback in 2005, etc.)

 

 

The big thing for me is the kick coverage, which has been abysmal at times.

 

New OC Gary Crowton, formerly of Oregon, has been put over the special teams and the results against MSU appeared to be much better than I've seen in the past.

 

 

 

 

Considering this is a home game for LSU, they have more talent than V-Tech, and they seemed to get rolling better in their warm-up game than V-Tech did, I'm predicting an LSU victory by about 7.

 

The main way I can see V-Tech winning will be if their D or special teams get them into good field position for drives.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Don't be modest, Teke. LSU will blow VT out of Death Valley.

[Secret Agent 0]

Hopefully LSU will blow VT out of the top 10 as well, if they haven't already after struggling against ECU.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I forgot that Chuck Amato as one of FSU's assistant coaches now. It was a thrill to see him and his ample breasts again.

[teke184 0]

Christ, is Florida State this bad or Clemson this good? Or both?

[teke184 0]

The more I watch this, the more I believe that LSU got an upgrade by losing OC Jimbo Fisher to Florida State and bringing in OC Gary Crowton from Oregon to replace him.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Did the Clemson Tiger just do a "you can't see me" gesture?

[teke184 0]

Not sure about that... I was too busy watching the Free Shoes U defense get punked.

[teke184 0]

Only 1 first down for FSU tonight? I think they're about 3 quarters away from marking Jimbo "Return to sender".

[teke184 0]

WOW... They got a 1st down run for 9.75 yards and ended the drive 2 plays later at 4th and 6 on a HUGE stop up the middle and a sack.

[Guest]

The more I watch this, the more I believe that LSU got an upgrade by losing OC Jimbo Fisher to Florida State and bringing in OC Gary Crowton from Oregon to replace him.

It was. Crowton is one of the best offensive coordinators in college football. Being stuck in Eugene kept people from noticing.

 

Wait until you see the trick plays that LSU implements as the season goes along. Boyohboy.

[teke184 0]

I wasn't denying it was an upgrade I was just wondering about the degree of the upgrade...

 

It was hard to separate Jimbo's weird calls from Miles and Saban until he left.

[teke184 0]

And FSU continues to pull failure from the jaws of mediocrity, as they blew at least two good chances at a first down and Spiller keeps pulling Reggie Bush moves out of his ass to juke the FSU defenders.

[teke184 0]

FSU blocks a Clemson punt and moves it to the 20.

 

Can they convert on this?

 

 

EDIT-

 

Not as of yet... They blew 3 plays at the 20 and now have it on 4th down around the 18.

 

 

FG from about 35 out.

[teke184 0]

Clemson answers with a kickoff return to the FSU 28.

 

 

This is going to get uglier in a hurry.

[teke184 0]

...

 

This is the gang that can't shoot straight.

 

 

FSU stopped Clemson in their territory, but they got an incidental facemask on the play, giving Clemson 5 yards and another shot at the 3rd down.

[teke184 0]

FSU is turning things around, with a little help from Clemson.

 

It's now 24-11 thanks to a FSU TD and a Clemson safety off a botched punt snap.

[teke184 0]

24-18 Clemson.

 

Things were falling apart for them, but the Clemson O has gotten moving again.

[Bored 0]

Storming the field after beating a team who lost six games last year? Ehhhhhh.

[cabbageboy 0]

Bored, I guess some people still think FSU is good or something.

[Guest]

I don't expect that from a school that's won a National Title in the past 30 years. Kentucky can get away with it for their football team, but Clemson? Come on now

[Secret Agent 0]

Clemson has a National Title to their name!?

 

 

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah, they beat Nebraska in the `81 Orange Bowl.

 

But seriously, last 30 years? That's like saying the Bears shouldn't have celebrated winning the NFC Championship because they won the Super Bowl 20 years earlier.

[iggymcfly 0]

If you want my end-of-week Top 25, you can just take Florida State out and plug in Clemson at #20. I'm still not really sold on the Tigers yet though. FSU was just missing their blocking assignments and dropping passes all night. The Tigers will probably end up at 8-4 or something, but that actually might be enough to make the ACC championship this year. BC is probably going to be their best competition in the Atlantic division as the other top ACC teams (GT, VT, Miami) are all in the Coastal.

[teke184 0]

I'll argue against Miami being considered a top team in the ACC Costal for the time being.

 

They've got a new coach in Randy Shannon but I wouldn't sell them as being on par with V-Tech or the Ramblin' Wreck yet.

[Guest]

Yeah, they beat Nebraska in the `81 Orange Bowl.

 

But seriously, last 30 years? That's like saying the Bears shouldn't have celebrated winning the NFC Championship because they won the Super Bowl 20 years earlier.

No, I mean running on the field and stuff and acting like your team just beat the best in the history of college football, when in fact you're playing a team whose offense doesn't belong on the same field as yours. That's bushleague. I would understand if they beat a top 5 team.

[2GOLD 0]

Any school in a power conference whose fans storm the field are losers. You are in the ACC, frickin act like it. Clemson is in a conference where if they start 5-0 and 6-0 then they can be ranked in the top 25. There is no reason for a team in any of the major conferences to have people rushing the field.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

But that's part of the atmosphere of college football!