W.VA=No chance. I actually think Florida may be one of the 2 best teams, but lets just say their schedule is the antithesis of West Virginia's...
Early NC Game predictions
- Thread starter Teddy Dupay
- Start date
I have to disagree with you here AR182, and I think that would just be terrible for WVU players especially whose schedule was picked before they even attended the school and beat everybody and they dont get to play for a NC against a team that has already gotten beat that year, whata crock that would be, but iwth that schedule and the right combo of 1 loss teams it could happen, I just dont think it will because WVU doesnt start too far off the preseason polls.AR182 said:
Regardless, I think it will be ND vs WVU for NC. Just because both teams are loaded with talent and their schedules are easier than OSU, Fla or any other SEC team for that matter, USC and Texas or Okla.
If USC makes it to NC I will be buying ALOT of hats on this site because they are not even tested witha bunch of young guns and have to play ASU, ND, Ore, Cal..... and others. ASU will for sure beat USC no doubt in my mind, and 1 more of these teams maybe all of these teams put another loss in the USC column as well.
blgstocks...
respect you opinion & those of others who disagree. personally i hope that wvir. makes it to the nc game because rodriguez is one of my favorite coaches.
here is nd's schedule...
at georgia tech
penn. st.
michigan
at michigan st.
purdue
stanford
ucla
navy..in balt. md.
n.carolina
at air force
army
at usc
unless nd. improves their defense, i think they will not go undefeated.
respect you opinion & those of others who disagree. personally i hope that wvir. makes it to the nc game because rodriguez is one of my favorite coaches.
here is nd's schedule...
at georgia tech
penn. st.
michigan
at michigan st.
purdue
stanford
ucla
navy..in balt. md.
n.carolina
at air force
army
at usc
unless nd. improves their defense, i think they will not go undefeated.
Got to think At MSU will give them a problem, and USC at home is going to be a tough game...lets not forget USC outgained the Irish by quite a margin last year and probably should have won that game by 10-15 points statistically. USC looks weaker and the Irish look stronger, but at the Coliseum could be the difference.
i don't know how much weaker usc will be this year. while their offense won't be as high scoring as past years, their defense (according to magazines that i have read) will be considerably stronger.
No doubt their defense will be stronger, personally with a top 10 recruiting class for a few years in a row how your defense is anything but solid is beyond me and USC defense was never much good last year, I definitely think they step it up, but they will have to. There is no familiar recognizable faces on USC O, and a bunch of fresh faces, only time will tell with SC though.AR182 said:
Who do you think is most likely to beat ND of their schedule AR?
I think if anybody it will be Navy who can easily catch them by surprise and have not lost that much from their team that came on very strong last year.
i think navy is too light & will be pushed around by a larger team....but covering may be a different story.
i think nd's toughest games will be michigan & usc. but mich. st always tends to play well vs. nd..especially this year they are home.
besides w. virg.(who may lose to louisville), i don't see any team being undefeated this year. however if okla. can get past texas i think they have a good chance of being undefeated.
boy, i love talking football !!
i think nd's toughest games will be michigan & usc. but mich. st always tends to play well vs. nd..especially this year they are home.
besides w. virg.(who may lose to louisville), i don't see any team being undefeated this year. however if okla. can get past texas i think they have a good chance of being undefeated.
boy, i love talking football !!
Marra said:
What???
Total yards: USC 476 ND 416
Time of Poss.. USC 21:20 ND 38:40
ND led at half time and until the end of the game before the bush push. That was USCs first lead since the middle of the second quarter. ND was in complete control until the middle of the fourth quarter when ND's Anthony Fassano fumbled the ball on the USC 20 yard line. If ND scores they would have gone up by 13 pts and game over no last second heroics for Lienart and Bush.
It was a classic game between two great rivals... Both teams played about equal that came down to the very last seconds.
Lots of senarios........
Lots of senarios........
I don't even think that usc is the best team in the pac-10. imo, cal is tops with oregon and usc in the 2 and 3 slot....it appears that the winner of
osu/texas will have a good leg up, I like the
buckeyes in that one....at least preseason
as good as wvu may be, they always tend to play
down to the competition and lose some bone-headed type games.....that schedule is just a
joke. nd should be top 5-10. I don't believe
that oklahoma is a top 3-5, perhaps somewhere
between 5 and 10
then again..... :scared
Lots of senarios........
I don't even think that usc is the best team in the pac-10. imo, cal is tops with oregon and usc in the 2 and 3 slot....it appears that the winner of
osu/texas will have a good leg up, I like the
buckeyes in that one....at least preseason
as good as wvu may be, they always tend to play
down to the competition and lose some bone-headed type games.....that schedule is just a
joke. nd should be top 5-10. I don't believe
that oklahoma is a top 3-5, perhaps somewhere
between 5 and 10
then again..... :scared
gjn23.....Cal is gonna be real strong, it's certainly a possibility
I like the OSU side of that equation.
I like the OSU side of that equation.
deadprez...
here is what a college football writer for s.i. says about lsu....take it fwiw...
The Tigers are beset by at least three potential downfalls most pundits seem to be conveniently overlooking:
1. A quarterback controversy
Matt Flynn's Peach Bowl performance may have been the worst thing that could have happened to the Tigers, because these things almost never end well. JaMarcus Russell is a proven, clutch performer (see last year's Arizona State and Alabama wins), yet the first time he screws up, people are going to be calling for Flynn. That's a huge distraction.
2. Depleted offensive and defensive lines
Besides having a proven quarterback, experience on the two lines is, to me, the most important criteria to consider when assessing a team's preseason prospects. Do people not realize that LSU lost three all-conference O-linemen (Andrew Whitworth, Rudy Niswanger and Nate Livings) and two All-America defensive tackles (Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten)?
3. Running back is a huge question mark
Joseph Addai never got much pub, but he was a first-round draft pick, leaving the Tigers dependent on two tailbacks, Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent, who are both coming off of ACL injuries. If Broussard can return to his 2004 form, fantastic, but that's hardly a sure thing.
here is what a college football writer for s.i. says about lsu....take it fwiw...
The Tigers are beset by at least three potential downfalls most pundits seem to be conveniently overlooking:
1. A quarterback controversy
Matt Flynn's Peach Bowl performance may have been the worst thing that could have happened to the Tigers, because these things almost never end well. JaMarcus Russell is a proven, clutch performer (see last year's Arizona State and Alabama wins), yet the first time he screws up, people are going to be calling for Flynn. That's a huge distraction.
2. Depleted offensive and defensive lines
Besides having a proven quarterback, experience on the two lines is, to me, the most important criteria to consider when assessing a team's preseason prospects. Do people not realize that LSU lost three all-conference O-linemen (Andrew Whitworth, Rudy Niswanger and Nate Livings) and two All-America defensive tackles (Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten)?
3. Running back is a huge question mark
Joseph Addai never got much pub, but he was a first-round draft pick, leaving the Tigers dependent on two tailbacks, Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent, who are both coming off of ACL injuries. If Broussard can return to his 2004 form, fantastic, but that's hardly a sure thing.
when looking at national title winners (or matchups) you have to look at schedules AND pre-season rankings (unfortunately they matter).
some teams have no room for a loss (wvu, cal, ore)
while others can afford a loss early (to a strong team) and still have a realistic shot at the title game (nd, tex, osu, usc)
personally i dont see two undefeated teams this year and the potential for plenty of very good 1 loss teams is very high (which makes the pick very tough)
some teams have no room for a loss (wvu, cal, ore)
while others can afford a loss early (to a strong team) and still have a realistic shot at the title game (nd, tex, osu, usc)
personally i dont see two undefeated teams this year and the potential for plenty of very good 1 loss teams is very high (which makes the pick very tough)
I think ND played unreal against USC, and I give them credit, but watching the game it seems like they were always aided by key penalties in key situations, especially on that last scoring drive (I think two 15 yarders).
They were outran, out passed (with less time of possession, which means USC was just quick striking) and ND had 3 less penalties, and still lost. Turnovers were equal.
This game probably wont be so favorable from a TOP and penalty standpoint. Not to mention its at the coliseum.
On an unrelated note- what does everyone see in Cal?
I am a PAC 10 advocate and still trying to figure this one out. More importantly, what makes them getting mention for the NC, and ASU not cracking the top 25 on most lists?
I can't figure out how you can have that big of question mark at QB in Longshore/Levy or Ayoob, and be talked about as much as they have as an NC contender.
Weren't OCallahan and Phillip two of the best OLineman in the PAC 10, if not the country?
The LB look and interior line look very good, but they need outside pass rusher and their safties to step up to be a NC contender.
All in all, especially with Tedford and what he can do with QB's, Cal looks to be very solid. But NC contender after last year? Asking a lot, IMO.
They were outran, out passed (with less time of possession, which means USC was just quick striking) and ND had 3 less penalties, and still lost. Turnovers were equal.
This game probably wont be so favorable from a TOP and penalty standpoint. Not to mention its at the coliseum.
On an unrelated note- what does everyone see in Cal?
I am a PAC 10 advocate and still trying to figure this one out. More importantly, what makes them getting mention for the NC, and ASU not cracking the top 25 on most lists?
I can't figure out how you can have that big of question mark at QB in Longshore/Levy or Ayoob, and be talked about as much as they have as an NC contender.
Weren't OCallahan and Phillip two of the best OLineman in the PAC 10, if not the country?
The LB look and interior line look very good, but they need outside pass rusher and their safties to step up to be a NC contender.
All in all, especially with Tedford and what he can do with QB's, Cal looks to be very solid. But NC contender after last year? Asking a lot, IMO.
as for cal.....their two seemingly toughest games are on the road early and late, at tenn and at sc
win at tenn and they might be able to run the table until sc lifting themselves inp the top 5 of the bcs (at arizona is gonna be tough
...beat sc and they could vault into the top 2-3
i like their running game and their defense this year....their QB is a question and if ayoob is their qb then 3rd place in the pac-10 might be a reach, but i think longbons is going to win the battle and be fine....i also think their o-line will be solid, not spectacular.
as for asu......well, as you can see from my logo, fuk asu
i've got a feeling that their defense will let them down again and they will find their way to 4 losses (hopefully more)
win at tenn and they might be able to run the table until sc lifting themselves inp the top 5 of the bcs (at arizona is gonna be tough
...beat sc and they could vault into the top 2-3i like their running game and their defense this year....their QB is a question and if ayoob is their qb then 3rd place in the pac-10 might be a reach, but i think longbons is going to win the battle and be fine....i also think their o-line will be solid, not spectacular.
as for asu......well, as you can see from my logo, fuk asu
i've got a feeling that their defense will let them down again and they will find their way to 4 losses (hopefully more)
LSU has Les Miles. He is good for a loss all by himself every year. Plus as we have seen you just dont run the table in the SEC.
