2009 College Football Predictions

[Marlow]

Fine. I'll offer you a bet. Cinci vs. Ohio St. Even up. Marlow is welcome to join.

If Cincy is in Top 5 at the end of the year, I already owe him.

[jazzcyclist]

WAC=Big10 :roll: ?

Don't look now, but the Big-10 is ranked three conferences below the Big East!!

Why does that surprise you?

Wonder if Mark Dantonio still thinks it was a good move to leave Cincinnati for Michigan State a few years ago.

Fine. I'll offer you a bet. Cinci vs. Ohio St. Even up. Marlow is welcome to join.

When do they play again? I'll bet that Ohio State doesn't want any part of Cincinnati this year.

[guru]

Fine. I'll offer you a bet. Cinci vs. Ohio St. Even up. Marlow is welcome to join.

Are you kidding? Ohio State is definitely down this year, and the only place they'd have the edge on UC is at running back. The Bearcat defense would have a field day with Pryor.

[Pego]

Fine. I'll offer you a bet. Cinci vs. Ohio St. Even up. Marlow is welcome to join.

Are you kidding? Ohio State is definitely down this year, and the only place they'd have the edge on UC is at running back. The Bearcat defense would have a field day with Pryor.

Since it's unlikely, they would face each other in a bowl, it is a moot point. If they do though ;-), my offer of a friendly wager is on the table.

[mcgato]

..., but the personal foul call on Sheppard was criminal.

I'm a Gator fan, and I agree. The officiating crew was suspended for screwing up repeatedly.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4583642

[gh]

couple of talking heads on the radio this afternoon; one a local guy who is a Notre Dame alum and rabid Irish honk; the other was a national writer whose name I didn't catch. They were basically excoriating the BCS setup and how the voters (and the obviously flawed computer models) don't seem to account for strength of schedule, making all W's equal, so teams that play tougher schedules get screwed.

They were all over Florida, noting that the Gators have 5 games this year that their band could win. :-)

Also noted that there are 120 Div. I schools and only 4 have never played a II-A school: Notre Dame, USC, UCLA and Washington.

But this was the stat I liked most: Florida hasn't played a non-conference opponent outside the state of Florida since..... 1991!

[Bruce Kritzler]

Of course, both Miami and Florida State are in-state non-conference foes. You understand there is tons of pressure within the state to play these two teams (Florida State every year, Miami alternating years, I think?).
Florida also claims they need 6 home games every year to finance the total sports program at the school.

[guru]

Florida also claims they need 6 home games every year to finance the total sports program at the school.

Not entirely true. Men's basketball makes a surplus as well(but certainly football is the rainmaker).

[Marlow]

Florida hasn't played a non-conference opponent outside the state of Florida since..... 1991!

News Flash! When you play in the SEC, you don't need to play anyone else to prove yourself.

[jhc68]

[quote:33qpq1i0]gh wrote:
Florida hasn't played a non-conference opponent outside the state of Florida since..... 1991!

News Flash! When you play in the SEC, you don't need to play anyone else to prove yourself.[/quote:33qpq1i0]

Yeah, but playing Charleston Southern and Troy? C'mon, Marlow, you can't rationalize that nonsense. FLA could play a much more grown up schedule if they wanted to do so.

[jazzcyclist]

Florida hasn't played a non-conference opponent outside the state of Florida since..... 1991!

News Flash! When you play in the SEC, you don't need to play anyone else to prove yourself.

Bullshit! The way Florida AND LSU schedule non-conference games is a joke. Tennessee is in the SEC, and look at the teams they've played out of conference in the last decade, and most were home-and-homes. Furthermore, USC has arguably been the most respected team in college football over the last decade, but their non-conference schedule is something to be proud of. Why doesn't Florida play Miami every year? One of our local sports radio guys had one of LSU's dozens of associate athletic directors on to discuss LSU's scheduling, and he gave a cock-and-bull explanation that no one believed. When people try and blow smoke up your ass like that, they're usually hiding something. In the case of LSU and Florida, I believe the reason is cowardice. On the other hand, they have combined to take home four of the last six crystal footballs, so I guess your can't blame them for not wanting to risk traveling to Los Angeles only to get the same beatdown that Arkansas, Auburn and Tennessee have all gotten recently, or even worse, have those surfers guys travel east and humiliate you at the house that Bear Bryant built.

[jazzcyclist]

Florida also claims they need 6 home games every year to finance the total sports program at the school.

Since teams now play 12 games a year, the 6-game defense is a red herring. They must play four conference games at home (and four away) every year anyway. That leaves them four non-conference games to play with. Currently, they play all four of those non-conference games at home in odd numbered years, and three of them at home in even numbered years when they have to travel to Tallahassee. If all four of their non-conference games were home-and-homes, they would still play six home games every year.

[bhall]

Allow me to say I enjoyed Georgia Tech's victory over UVA yesterday. It isn't pretty ball but it is effective. Now they're cooking with gas. And thank you Clemson for slipping by Miami. I'd love to see the playoff system now more than ever because who wants to play the Triple Option with one week to prepare?

[mcgato]

Since teams now play 12 games a year, the 6-game defense is a red herring. They must play four conference games at home (and four away) every year anyway. That leaves them four non-conference games to play with. Currently, they play all four of those non-conference games at home in odd numbered years, and three of them at home in even numbered years when they have to travel to Tallahassee. If all four of their non-conference games were home-and-homes, they would still play six home games every year.

Note that the Florida-Georgia game is at a neutral site in Jacksonville. So this year Florida only has three home conference games. But Florida hasn't been hurt by their non-conference schedule, so they really have no reason to change it.

[jazzcyclist]

They must play four conference games at home (and four away) every year anyway.

Note that the Florida-Georgia game is at a neutral site in Jacksonville. So this year Florida only has three home conference games. But Florida hasn't been hurt by their non-conference schedule, so they really have no reason to change it.

Those neutral site games like Florida-Georgia and Texas-Oklahoma are a wash financially since the money is split 50%/50% every year which amounts to the same as a home-and-home series. However, I agree with your main point, that the bottom line is the crystal football.