2009 College Football Predictions

[Marlow]

Bullshit! The way Florida AND LSU schedule non-conference games is a joke. . . . I believe the reason is cowardice.

I missed this the first time, jazzy. If you really believe this, you have much less of the BCS Big Picture than I gave you credit for. Both UF and LSU know exactly how the game is played and are doing it admirably. Both teams can be in the last bowl standing if they win out, no matter what anyone else does, and there's not many of them left.

[jules]

I think every time someone plays "the little sisters of the poor" they should get minus points. Florida has played several of them. The Pac-10 is the only conference that every team plays each other every year. If the SEC is so great, why don't they play each other every year instead of some directional schools?

[lonewolf]

i don't think any league should be so large that every team cannot play every other team in the league every year.

[jazzcyclist]

Bullshit! The way Florida AND LSU schedule non-conference games is a joke. . . . I believe the reason is cowardice.

I missed this the first time, jazzy. If you really believe this, you have much less of the BCS Big Picture than I gave you credit for. Both UF and LSU know exactly how the game is played and are doing it admirably. Both teams can be in the last bowl standing if they win out, no matter what anyone else does, and there's not many of them left.

Did you not read the last sentence of my post?

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.

I stand by my statement that both LSU and Florida are afraid to do home-and-homes with the likes of USC for fear of having their crystal football dreams turn into nightmares in September. But at least LSU will make the occasional trip to places like Blacksburg and Seattle. The Gators won't even leave the state unless they're playing a mandatory conference game. Yes, the bottom line is the crystal football, but I would like to see them play meaningful games in September the way USC does every year. And let me remind you that USC never has a problem with those cross-country road trips, it's those west coast teams that keep ruining their seasons.

[jazzcyclist]

I would however strongly contend that if you are an upper tier SEC, Big 12 or Pac 10 (an every once in a while big 10) you are IDIOTIC if you schedule home and home series with strong opponents. If the goal is to get to a BCS game (and particularly a BCS championship game) the risk/reward factor is not even close to being worth it. The BCS system has NEVER rewarded strong scheduling by people in the major conferences from day 1.

What about USC? They've been in two championship games despite their strong scheduling. And let's not forget that Tennessee took home the very first crystal football.

[Avante]

No school compares to USC as far as scheduling goes. While Florida is playing...(since 2004)

Eastern Michigan
Mid Tenn St
Wyoming
La Tech
Central Florida
So. Miss
Western Kentucky
West Carolina...who?
Troy
Florida Atlantic
Hawaii
The Citadel....hahahahaha!
Miami....ok cool!

The Trojans are playing...

Virginia Tech
Colorado State
BYU
Hawaii
Arkansas (couple times)
Fresno State
Nebraska
Notre Dame (numerous times)
Idaho
Virginia
San Jose State
Ohio State (couple times)

Totally different level of opposition there.

I'm all for playing 12 game schedules. You play everyone in your conference. If you need another game or two ok play somebody in a BCS conference if you're a BCS school. If not then play a team you won't be embarrashed over. There is no reason a Florida should ever play....The Citadel.

Getting back to USC. In the Pete Carroll era (2001-present) the Trojans have also played....

Kansas State
Auburn
Colorado

If there is another school out there that compares to that as far as level of non conference opponets goes....who?

[jazzcyclist]

To elaborate on Avante's point, in 2006, USC's three non-conference games were against Arkansas, Nebraska and Notre Dame. No SEC, Big 10 or Big 12 school has ever had a non-conference schedule like that. USC stands head and shoulders above everyone when it comes to scheduling, but there are a few other schools that deserve to honorable mention, like UCLA, Notre Dame, Florida State, Tennessee and Fresno State.

[Marlow]

So you want to have to play your starters the whole game every game and incur more injuries than the guys who can sit their starters at half? That's no way to reach the BCS Bowl. The season is NOT about who can schedule the macho-est; It's about who can manage their resources the best and get to the Title Game. UF is doing that.

[Avante]

So you want to have to play your starters the whole game every game and incur more injuries than the guys who can sit their starters at half? That's no way to reach the BCS Bowl. The season is NOT about who can schedule the macho-est; It's about who can manage their resources the best and get to the Title Game. UF is doing that.

Since the Pete Carroll era USC has won two national Championships (played for another one) and has had three Heisman winners. In bowl games...

2001..lost to Utah
2002..beat Iowa
2003..beat Michigan
2004..killed Oklahoma
2005..lost to Texas...(if Bush doesn't try that silly pitch out)
2006...beat Michigan
2007..beat Illinois
2008...beat Penn State

In that period of time USC has lost....17 games counting the two this season. In Carrolls first year they lost...6. Since then they have never lost more than 2 games in a season. So whatever they are doing there at USC is working.

Florida has been beaten 25 times since 2001.

In bowl games..

2001...beat Maryland
2002...lost to Michigan
2003...lost to Iowa
2004...lost to Miami
2005...beat Iowa
2006...beat Ohio St
2007...lost to Michigan
2008...beat Oklahoma

Looks like USC has been the more successful program for about the last 9 years or so. No need to mention all those pre-Carroll Heisman winning Trojans Mike Garrett, O.J.Simpson,Marcus Allen and Charles White 8-)

[jazzcyclist]

Since the Pete Carroll era USC has won two national Championships (played for another one) and has had three Heisman winners. In bowl games...

Looks like USC has been the more successful program for about the last 9 years or so. No need to mention all those pre-Carroll Heisman winning Trojans Mike Garrett, O.J.Simpson,Marcus Allen and Charles White 8-)

Actually USC has won only one National championship in the Pete Carroll era. Remember it's all about holding the crystal football while school-colored confetti rains down on you. At least that's what matters to the coaches and the players. As for the pre-Carroll Trojans, they also did something for the SEC that no SEC school could do, when in 1970, Sam Cunningham and his Trojan teammates traveled to Birmingham and annihilated the Crimson Tide in front of a stadium full of segregationists. Make no mistake, Cunningham's performance contributed more to the integration of the SEC than any of MLK's civil rights marches.

[jazzcyclist]

So you want to have to play your starters the whole game every game and incur more injuries than the guys who can sit their starters at half? That's no way to reach the BCS Bowl. The season is NOT about who can schedule the macho-est; It's about who can manage their resources the best and get to the Title Game. UF is doing that.

I want teams to entertain me in September AND bring home the crystal football in January.

[Avante]

Since the Pete Carroll era USC has won two national Championships (played for another one) and has had three Heisman winners. In bowl games...

Looks like USC has been the more successful program for about the last 9 years or so. No need to mention all those pre-Carroll Heisman winning Trojans Mike Garrett, O.J.Simpson,Marcus Allen and Charles White 8-)

Actually USC has won only one National championship in the Pete Carroll era. Remember it's all about holding the crystal football while school-colored confetti rains down on you. At least that's what matters to the coaches and the players. As for the pre-Carroll Trojans, they also did something for the SEC that no SEC school could do, when in 1970, Sam Cunningham and his Trojan teammates traveled to Birmingham and annihilated the Crimson Tide in front of a stadium full of segregationists. Make no mistake, Cunningham's performance contributed more to the integration of the SEC than any of MLK's civil rights marches.

As far as USC and the National Championship, I'm going with...

paste..

In the 2003 BCS National Championship Game, The Sugar Bowl , BCS #2 Louisiana State defeated BCS #1 Oklahoma 21–14. Meanwhile, BCS #3 USC defeated BCS #4 Michigan 28–14 in the Rose Bowl. USC finished the season ranked #1 in the AP poll and was awarded the AP National Championship; LSU, however, won the BCS National Championship title for that year, prompting a split national title between LSU and USC. In the wake of the controversy, corporate sponsors emerged who were willing to organize an LSU-USC game to settle the matter; nevertheless, the NCAA refused to permit the matchup.

Moving on...

There's no doubt that southern football knew if they planned on competing on a national level things would have to change. They weren't blind. Yes that Cunnigham performance gets a lot of credit for speeding things up, it was going to happen. No region in the country is as passionate as our southerners. Winning means more than skin color.

[Pego]

there are a few other schools that deserve to honorable mention, like UCLA, Notre Dame, Florida State, Tennessee and Fresno State

Notre Dame may play some tough opponents, but they don't play a conference schedule. To get through the BCS league is a lot togher than a non-conference schedule regardless of how tough it may be (ask Ohio St. after the Purdue loss).
As several people already observed, if ND wants to be a BCS player, let them join a BCS conference.

[donley2]

So you want to have to play your starters the whole game every game and incur more injuries than the guys who can sit their starters at half? That's no way to reach the BCS Bowl. The season is NOT about who can schedule the macho-est; It's about who can manage their resources the best and get to the Title Game. UF is doing that.

I want teams to entertain me in September AND bring home the crystal football in January.

As long as they get good crowds during September (and for many of these schools this is close to guaranteed) athletic directors and head coaches really could not care less what you want. They are businesses and they are run as businesses.

[jazzcyclist]

As far as USC and the National Championship, I'm going with...

paste..

In the 2003 BCS National Championship Game, The Sugar Bowl , BCS #2 Louisiana State defeated BCS #1 Oklahoma 21–14. Meanwhile, BCS #3 USC defeated BCS #4 Michigan 28–14 in the Rose Bowl. USC finished the season ranked #1 in the AP poll and was awarded the AP National Championship; LSU, however, won the BCS National Championship title for that year, prompting a split national title between LSU and USC. In the wake of the controversy, corporate sponsors emerged who were willing to organize an LSU-USC game to settle the matter; nevertheless, the NCAA refused to permit the matchup.

And I'll go with:

BCS Championship = Crystal Football
AP Championship ≠Crystal Football

The BCS Championship is something you win.
The AP Championship is something you're awarded.

BCS Championships photo

AP Championship photo