Let's talk college football

[Roblar]

BOOMER SOONER!

I want a NC run, but I expect either 9-3 or 10-2.  ...especially after losing two key parts of the offensive line this week.  :(

I'm also a bit partial to Michigan - got family and friends with connections there.

[bamagrad03]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

I'm not a fan of USC but Silas Redd is that good and will make USC that much better plus I think the D will be slightly better this year.

As for me I'm a Notre Dame fan and I don't know what to think I mean they have talent but they need to clean up all the mistakes. If they play well I could see them going 9-3 or 8-4 with the chance of a miracle season 10-2. I just don't see them being able to beat Oklahoma on the road and USC plus I could see them dropping a game to Michigan, Michigan St, or Miami. I hoping they don't do what they have been doing blowing leads by stupid mistakes.

Redd is a good back, but for USC, I'm not sure he's a game changer. SC's struggles haven't been on offense really. He didn't do much against Bama the two times we played PSU. But our defense is setup to stop the run first, he'll probably have better luck on the west coast.

Notre Dame...for some reason they haven't been able to put it all together. But I'll tell you, I'm really high on Brian Kelly. That guy's a great coach.

BOOMER SOONER!

I want a NC run, but I expect either 9-3 or 10-2.  ...especially after losing two key parts of the offensive line this week.  :(

It's really gonna depend on how your Oline holds up. You had a tough blow yesterday with another injury to an olineman. If you're able to keep your QB healthy, and your defense can make some stops - OU could be right in the thick of it.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by bamagrad03

Redd is a good back, but for USC, I'm not sure he's a game changer. SC's struggles haven't been on offense really. He didn't do much against Bama the two times we played PSU. But our defense is setup to stop the run first, he'll probably have better luck on the west coast.

Notre Dame...for some reason they haven't been able to put it all together. But I'll tell you, I'm really high on Brian Kelly. That guy's a great coach.

It's really gonna depend on how your Oline holds up. You had a tough blow yesterday with another injury to an olineman. If you're able to keep your QB healthy, and your defense can make some stops - OU could be right in the thick of it.

Brian Kelly..... He may be a great coach but he's definitely too quick to promise his players that he is going to stick around - followed by turning his back to them and leaving for a greener payroll. He did it to CMU, he did it to Cincinnati, and I wouldn't put it past him to do it to Notre Dame should someone offer him more money.

Personally, I don't blame him for leaving CMU for Cinci, or for leaving Cinci for Notre Dame. I see that as a promotion. The problem that I had with all of that was the timing involved and his pointless promises to players. If you don't make a promise to players or coaches or the university, you can simply leave at will if something comes up and people will understand. Promising people all of this glory and many years of success, followed by leaving to South Bend before your players even play in their first major Bowl game though... that's pretty classless.

[bamagrad03]

Originally Posted by Spyder

Brian Kelly..... He may be a great coach but he's definitely too quick to promise his players that he is going to stick around - followed by turning his back to them and leaving for a greener payroll. He did it to CMU, he did it to Cincinnati, and I wouldn't put it past him to do it to Notre Dame should someone offer him more money.

Personally, I don't blame him for leaving CMU for Cinci, or for leaving Cinci for Notre Dame. I see that as a promotion. The problem that I had with all of that was the timing involved and his pointless promises to players. If you don't make a promise to players or coaches or the university, you can simply leave at will if something comes up and people will understand. Promising people all of this glory and many years of success, followed by leaving to South Bend before your players even play in their first major Bowl game though... that's pretty classless.

I'm sort of torn on this whole thing. On one hand, I think coaches should just keep their mouths shut. On the other, I realize that their job is like few in existence as it relates to media microscope. Any of us want to leave for another job, we just quietly interview until we find one and put in a notice.

Good coaches get asked, literally every press conference, if they are going elsewhere. And he has a responsibility to these kids to get them to play as well as possible - for them even more than for him. And if telling them he's gonna hang around assuages any would-be concerns in these kids head...and helps them mentally by giving them one less thing to worry about...I can certainly see why he'd do it.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by bamagrad03

I'm sort of torn on this whole thing. On one hand, I think coaches should just keep their mouths shut. On the other, I realize that their job is like few in existence as it relates to media microscope. Any of us want to leave for another job, we just quietly interview until we find one and put in a notice.

Good coaches get asked, literally every press conference, if they are going elsewhere. And he has a responsibility to these kids to get them to play as well as possible - for them even more than for him. And if telling them he's gonna hang around assuages any would-be concerns in these kids head...and helps them mentally by giving them one less thing to worry about...I can certainly see why he'd do it.

I agree with you for sure, however his timing was god awful. I mean he literally left Cinci while they were preparing for their bowl game. That would definitely take some wind out of their sails. I also think it motivated some of them because some of the kids would naturally take on the attitude of "Okay you MF, you're going to leave us? I'll show you that we're better than you think and just as good without you", etc. etc.

These kids thought they had a coach to follow through with how far they went and the very next day he's doing a presser in South Bend. That's how I thought the whole thing was really shady and not very "christian-like" ( catholic) of the future coach of one of the most well-known religious schools in the country. Though, as with anything in life, money and power make people walk.

I can't blame the guy for taking a promotion, I just fault him for how he did it. In that position, in Cinci, the right thing to do would have been to call off all interviews with other schools, stop listening to offers and shut out everyone questioning his future until after Cinci finished their bowl game. Then, you can be open and honest about offers you're interested in or have received.

[lumpuckeroo]

You can see from my avatar who my team is, I'll just be happy for a win, maybe two, and then bring on basketball!!!!!

[bamagrad03]

Here's a pretty phenomenal read on football in the south (it has an obvious slant, but well worth the read for you yankees ) http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8240383/rick-bragg-explains-history-traditions-south-obsession-football-espn-magazine

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by Spyder

I agree with you for sure, however his timing was god awful. I mean he literally left Cinci while they were preparing for their bowl game. That would definitely take some wind out of their sails. I also think it motivated some of them because some of the kids would naturally take on the attitude of "Okay you MF, you're going to leave us? I'll show you that we're better than you think and just as good without you", etc. etc.

These kids thought they had a coach to follow through with how far they went and the very next day he's doing a presser in South Bend. That's how I thought the whole thing was really shady and not very "christian-like" (catholic)  of the future coach of one of the most well-known religious schools in the country. Though, as with anything in life, money and power make people walk.

I can't blame the guy for taking a promotion, I just fault him for how he did it. In that position, in Cinci, the right thing to do would have been to call off all interviews with other schools, stop listening to offers and shut out everyone questioning his future until after Cinci finished their bowl game. Then, you can be open and honest about offers you're interested in or have received.

I understand your point but that's not how college football works and Kelly knew he was leaving for ND for a while but he can't let the news out until the deal is done or let all the air out of the current team. If he follows your idea of the right thing to do he doesn't get the ND job because they can't wait for him no major university would wait period. The schools need to hire coaches fast for recruiting the quicker the hire the faster he is there trying to save commitments and get some of his guys. People still say when a new coach is hired that he will need a couple years to get his guys in there but reality is if you can't show something in 3 or 4 years you will probably get fired.

[NuclearMike]

Originally Posted by bamagrad03

Who's your team? How are they gonna do this year?

I went to Northern Illinois.  They;re 22-6 the last two years and I expect at least 9 wins (with a new QB) and a bowl win.

By the way, the only time NIU played Alabama they won, on the road, 19-16.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by NuclearMike

I went to Northern Illinois.  They;re 22-6 the last two years and I expect at least 9 wins (with a new QB) and a bowl win.

By the way, the only time NIU played Alabama they won, on the road, 19-16.

And the only time I remember you guys playing us (Fresno State) it was a really good, close game.  (Sarcasm alert)  I had to look it up to make sure I had it right, but we went there in 1990 in the middle of a 8-2-1 season and lost .... 73-18.

Whoops.

EDIT:  Wait, I just noticed that you guys came out west to start the '91 season and politely allowed us to return the favor ... 55-7.  Whew, now we're even.

[bamagrad03]

Originally Posted by NuclearMike

I went to Northern Illinois.  They;re 22-6 the last two years and I expect at least 9 wins (with a new QB) and a bowl win.

By the way, the only time NIU played Alabama they won, on the road, 19-16.

Yes. The Shula years. Those were the dark ages, we don't mention that. Also, you had Michael Turner, which never hurts.

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by NuclearMike

I went to Northern Illinois.  They;re 22-6 the last two years and I expect at least 9 wins (with a new QB) and a bowl win.

By the way, the only time NIU played Alabama they won, on the road, 19-16.

Yeah... thanks for picking the scab off of that wound.

I was at that game.  Thankfully I got to go to the BCS game against LSU to wash that awful taste out of my mouth.  Only took almost a decade.

[NuclearMike]

Originally Posted by bwdial

Yeah... thanks for picking the scab off of that wound.

I was at that game.  Thankfully I got to go to the BCS game against LSU to wash that awful taste out of my mouth.  Only took almost a decade.

That year NIU also beat Maryland and Iowa State, both ranked, as was Alabama, at the time that they played.  They then lost a conference game to #21 Bowling Green (they were #12 overall and #11 in the BCS after starting 7-0), and dropped out of the top 25 with a second loss.  At 10-2 they didn't get a bowl invite that year.  It's tough rooting for a MAC school sometimes, but I've kept my loyalties with them.  They start this year with Iowa at Soldier Field in Chicago.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by NuclearMike

That year NIU also beat Maryland and Iowa State, both ranked, as was Alabama, at the time that they played.  They then lost a conference game to #21 Bowling Green (they were #12 overall and #11 in the BCS after starting 7-0), and dropped out of the top 25 with a second loss.  At 10-2 they didn't get a bowl invite that year.  It's tough rooting for a MAC school sometimes, but I've kept my loyalties with them.  They start this year with Iowa at Soldier Field in Chicago.

I know your pain ... same holds true for a Big West/WAC/Mountain West school.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Spyder

I can't blame the guy for taking a promotion, I just fault him for how he did it. In that position, in Cinci, the right thing to do would have been to call off all interviews with other schools, stop listening to offers and shut out everyone questioning his future until after Cinci finished their bowl game. Then, you can be open and honest about offers you're interested in or have received.

That's not really fair.  If he tried that the job would have been gone.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

USC! Biggest contender against USC right now is Oregon. If we beat Oregon and win the rest, I see a national title game with USC vs. someone in the SEC.

When is this not true?

The last time neither USC or Oregon didn't have a share of 1st place at the end of the year was 1999.

[Dakota Atkinson]

I'm a student at the University of Iowa and they've always been my favorite team since I was a little kid. The running back situation is all sorts of messed up, but we always have loads of potential so we should be fine. Solid qb, solid receivers, solid defense. I'd be happy with 8-4, 9-3. Hopefully 10 w's

[k-troop]

I'm a dual grad:  Texas and Army.  Texas for grad school only, but I've been a Horns fan since birth--so it counts!