NCAA football

[Champions of Nothing]

Texas falling apart in the 2nd half. Case McCoy with 2 picks in the 3rd quarter and just too many errors. Goodwin drops a sure TD in the endzone, and now they just fumbled in the red zone.

[VanJets]

From what perspective? Because I think he's a very solid college QB, but will be one of those guys getting little play from NFL teams. And I think he probably knows it, after all he's stayed at school long enough to be a graduate student. He might get drafted low, or invited to a camp as a non-drafted, but I don't know how much success to expect in the pros. I wonder if he'd think about playing in the CFL.

His situation reminds me a little bit of Graham Harrell a few years back. QB for Texas Tech and put up gaudy numbers in college (actually held the record for passing TD's when he finished). One of his favourite targets was highly drafted wideout Michael Crabtree. But Harrell was never drafted, tried out for the Riders but got cut, and at most recent notice was in the low levels of the Packers organization. His college passing record eventually was passed by Dan LeFevour at Central Mich, and he too, after a career of massive numbers, was still a low level prospect (drafted 6th round). It just speaks to how different college vs pro success is. Anyways, I wouldn't be too surprised to see Kellen Moore follow that mold.

EDIT: looked it up, and apparently Kellen is seen as little more than a 7th round pick. Kind of sad really.

Yeah not many people have him rated high at all. But I mean watching the kid play, I think he definitely has the potential to develop into something. He's insanely smart. I've seen him throw the deep ball, so I don't think arm strength is really an issue.

I'm not 100 percent sure, but I don't think Boise runs a spread offence, don't they run a version of the West-Coast?

I think he could be similar to Chad Pennington.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Indeed, Champions, the Horns did not hook them as they always seek to do.

Vanjets, Boise does run a more sophisticated offence than most college programs. And they'll be sad to lose Moore for sure. But if he does make it big, it'll be unexpectedly. Scouts aren't always right, but they're right a lot, and Moore just doesn't get the buzz that Luck etc are getting. The QB position is one of the harder ones to call though, and like you said a lot of that is just because of how hard it is to tell how smart these guys are. Running backs seem to never be busts, you can usually tell if a guy can play, but QB can be a crapshoot. Of course that's compounded by how good the team that drafts them is at protecting. David Carr is a perfect example of a guy who was unbelievable coming out of college (46 TD in his last year) and got drafted no. 1, but the Texans could not protect him and he got sacked like crazy, and never really became the big time player that his talent would've suggested.

Also, Big 10 championship game is very entertaining right now. Big 12 one pretty one-sided.

EDIT: As I type that, touchdown BADGERS! I have a weakness for them because Madison, WI is one of my favourite places I've ever been.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Gretzky's Mullet

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Also, seeing on the ticker that Clemson is probably going to win the ACC, so that'll shake things up a bit too.

[GodzillaDeuce]

I don't like saying it, but I'm cheering pretty hard for Wisconsin here

going for it on 4th downs, multiple 2pt convert attempts. I missed some of the game while eating but its pretty exciting right now

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Badgers! What a great game. If only every Big 10 game could be as awesome as this one. I just wonder how far Mich St will drop in the rankings and how that could impact the bcs.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Badgers! Getting revenge is sweet!

[TrevorForPrimeMinister]

Pretty decent day of college football..

I can't really say im surprised that Houston lost, they haven't even faced anyone in the top 50 all year, However I still had them winning. I had Houston,LSU, Baylor, OkSt, Wisconsin & Clemson winning today in the games that really mattered. Rose Bowl should be a great game, I'm really hoping that OkSt's convincing win will help them leapfrog 'Bama. I don't see it happening but there's always that outside chance.

Talking about Graham Harrell, I really like the guy. He's out 3rd string qb and from what i've seen him in pre-season and practice, I think he's a more than capable backup and better than most backups in the NFL. I Still remember seeing highlights from their bowl game against Minnesota a few years ago when he led a 31 point 4th quarter comeback to force OT then win in OT.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Pretty decent day of college football..

I can't really say im surprised that Houston lost, they haven't even faced anyone in the top 50 all year, However I still had them winning. I had Houston,LSU, Baylor, OkSt, Wisconsin & Clemson winning today in the games that really mattered. Rose Bowl should be a great game, I'm really hoping that OkSt's convincing win will help them leapfrog 'Bama. I don't see it happening but there's always that outside chance.

Talking about Graham Harrell, I really like the guy. He's out 3rd string qb and from what i've seen him in pre-season and practice, I think he's a more than capable backup and better than most backups in the NFL. I Still remember seeing highlights from their bowl game against Minnesota a few years ago when he led a 31 point 4th quarter comeback to force OT then win in OT.

Yeah, my most vivid memory of Harrell was in the game against Texas, the year when both teams and Oklahoma all tied for the best record in the Big-12. It wasn't his biggest statistical game, but it was in an upset of the then number 1 Longhorns, and trailing by one, he hit Crabtree for the winning TD with 1 second left on the clock, one play after almost throwing a pick. The fans in the "Black Hole" rushed the field, only to be shooed off as they reviewed the play and then let Texas receive a kickoff, which they couldn't convert into a touchdown. That game was one of the most memorable college games I've ever watched.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Robert Griffin III getting a lot of Heisman buzz lately. I think he might be the eventual pick.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Gretzky's Mullet

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Championship: LSU vs Alabama

Rose: Oregon vs Wisconsin (though the Badgers are obviously in tough against Michigan St in East Lansing)

Fiesta: Oklahoma State vs Houston

Orange: Virginia Tech vs Cincinnati (ugh)

Sugar: Stanford vs...hard to say, but it could, against all odds, be Michigan. This depends strongly on the outcomes of the conference championship games.

Well the Bowl schedule is out, and I got a few of the predictions right but a few others wrong.

Championship: LSU vs Alabama

Rose: Oregon vs Wisconsin

Fiesta: Oklahoma State vs Stanford

Sugar: Michigan vs Virginia Tech

Orange: Clemson vs West Virginia

As it happened, Houston choked away their bid in their conference championship, for which I am glad, because they were truly a deeply flawed team. Also, Clemson forced their way into the picture by upsetting the Hokies to win the ACC, though no one should be that surprised considering Clemson had already beaten them early in the year. Unfortunately, it means we have to see two ACC teams in the BCS, though I'm not exactly clear how we got no. 11 ranked Virginia Tech in ahead of no. 7 ranked Boise State. Michigan also somehow squeezed through, but no qualms there because they're extremely fun to watch. Of a bad lot, I'm glad West Virginia made it from the Big East, they do usually put on an interesting show, though I might still skip that one. I'm really looking forward to the Rose and Fiesta Bowls, and will watch the Sugar Bowl too.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Of the non-BCS bowls, there are some real stinkers (eg. Florida International vs Marshall, etc). But there are also a few possible gems. Ones I think could bear watching:

Las Vegas Bowl, Dec 22nd. Boise State vs Arizona State

Basically, Boise State is in it. That's always enough to get me to tune in. ASU was barely bowl eligible this year (lucky for them that USC wasn't), but might step up in the bright lights. They did beat USC this year, and lost a series of close, high-scoring games at the end of the season.

Hawaii Bowl, Dec 24th. Nevada vs Southern Miss

A little bit of a sleeper pick to be any good, for sure. And the erstwhile "UNR" is a flawed entity for sure. But watching Southern Miss for the first time this year in their win over Houston makes me think they're capable of putting on a good show. And Nevada, at the very least, have hung with some good teams this year. Plus, the spectacle from Hawaii is always pretty cool, though it's better when the Warriors are actually playing.

Holiday Bowl, Dec 28th. Cal vs Texas

Two usually mighty programs coming in a little below the usual standards, but still a compelling matchup between some big names trying to finish an offseason with a bang.

Alamo Bowl, Dec 29th. Baylor vs Washington

Baylor should win this one handily, but the appeal of it is in seeing Heisman candidate Robert Griffin III perform. He's worth the price of admission all by himself.

TicketCity Bowl, Jan 2nd. Houston vs Penn State

Sadly this, and the following two, all overlap on the 2nd, before the Rose Bowl starts. So no one will actually watch this one. Which is sad, because Penn State is obviously such a news item right now, and it would be interesting to actually see how Houston fares against a stronger opponent than they've faced all year.

Capital One Bowl, Jan 2nd. Nebraska vs South Carolina

Two teams with earlier BCS ambition, and with fanbases that tend to travel well. The Capital One Bowl is one of the bigger non-BCS bowls and often worth a look, especially being one of those Big Ten-SEC matchups that generate so much buzz.

Outback Bowl, Jan 2nd. Michigan State vs Georgia

Probably the non-BCS bowl of the year. Two teams that played for a bid in their conference championships and ultimately came up short (yet Virginia Tech gets in...wtf). And another Big Ten-SEC one to boot. Watch this game!

Cotton Bowl, Jan 6th. Arkansas vs K-State

The Cotton Bowl is almost the lost BCS bowl for me. It's got a huge purse, it often pits teams that were snubbed or ineligible for at large BCS bids, and it's got a huge amount of history and pageantry to go with it. And this year it's got two powerful programs from their respective conferences, playing on a day where there's no other bowls to watch. This one could be a real doozy.

[Baercheese]

nvm

Edited December 13, 2011 by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

[boxiebrown]

Can't wait for the Rose Bowl. Oregon and Wisconsin are two of the most fun teams to watch. That whole day should be great, actually.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Can't wait for the Rose Bowl. Oregon and Wisconsin are two of the most fun teams to watch. That whole day should be great, actually.

Indeed, I'm probably most excited for that game above all the other ones. But the Fiesta Bowl also has tons of promise, and the Outback Bowl right before is pretty compelling too.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Well, I think today I watch my first Bowl of the season. The "Maaco" Bowl in Las Vegas pits Boise State and Arizona State, today at 5 PM. Could be fun and it's the last time fans will get to see Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore in action (unless of course he makes the NFL).

[TrevorForPrimeMinister]

Boise dominated today.. it goes to show how screwed up the bcs is. There's no way a top 10 team should be playing before christmas, i'm not a Boise fan but come on clearly something's wrong here.

On another note; I called Barkley staying when their season ended, however I thought Kalil would stay if he decided to stay. I guess it makes sense since there's 3 or so tackles projected to go top 10 next year, but giving up a shot at a potential BCS Championship is tough.

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Boise dominated today.. it goes to show how screwed up the bcs is. There's no way a top 10 team should be playing before christmas, i'm not a Boise fan but come on clearly something's wrong here.

On another note; I called Barkley staying when their season ended, however I thought Kalil would stay if he decided to stay. I guess it makes sense since there's 3 or so tackles projected to go top 10 next year, but giving up a shot at a potential BCS Championship is tough.

Yeah, I had such high hopes for that game, but it turned out to be unwatchable. Such is the fate of a top team playing in a non-AQ conference. I looked into the qualifications for a BCS bowl and still don't get why Boise State wasn't offered a bid. To me one of the bigger garbage elements is that for them, missing the BCS means a trip all the way down to the pre-Christmas bowls. I think one of the bigger non-BCS bowls whose automatic tie-in got a BCS bid should've selected them, because the Sun Devils were really no match for the Broncos and made for basically a throwaway bowl with an elite team in it.

Barkley is probably thinking he'll play his way up to being one of the top QB's next year. He'd already probably have been in the top 5 or so at the position, behind Luck, Griffin and maybe the Sooners' Landry Jones. But next year, he'll probably be projected as the #1 QB overall, plus he will have the chance to compete for the National Championship, for which the Trojans will be a contender (not to mention that he will get to graduate, and he's a pretty good student). He probably doesn't want the only bowl he ever played in to be the Emerald Bowl. As long as he doesn't get hurt, this could be a very good decision for him.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Gretzky's Mullet

[Gretzky's Mullet]

Also, so far the two non-BCS bowls I thought had promise have turned out to be duds. Yesterday's Hawaii Bowl was grossly underattended, and neither team was really at their best. The Hawaii Bowl really needs to include Hawaii I guess. On the flipside, Nevada's running back is named Lampford Mark, which is pretty hilarious/awesome.

[TrevorForPrimeMinister]

Yeah, I had such high hopes for that game, but it turned out to be unwatchable. Such is the fate of a top team playing in a non-AQ conference. I looked into the qualifications for a BCS bowl and still don't get why Boise State wasn't offered a bid. To me one of the bigger garbage elements is that for them, missing the BCS means a trip all the way down to the pre-Christmas bowls. I think one of the bigger non-BCS bowls whose automatic tie-in got a BCS bid should've selected them, because the Sun Devils were really no match for the Broncos and made for basically a throwaway bowl with an elite team in it.

Barkley is probably thinking he'll play his way up to being one of the top QB's next year. He'd already probably have been in the top 5 or so at the position, behind Luck, Griffin and maybe the Sooners' Landry Jones. But next year, he'll probably be projected as the #1 QB overall, plus he will have the chance to compete for the National Championship, for which the Trojans will be a contender (not to mention that he will get to graduate, and he's a pretty good student). He probably doesn't want the only bowl he ever played in to be the Emerald Bowl. As long as he doesn't get hurt, this could be a very good decision for him.

Landry put up gaudy numbers, but I think Barkley is and will be better. Personally, I hate USC and USC QB's (ie Sanchez,Leinart,Palmer,John David Booty) but I think he's going to be the one to break the mold. Bray's the only other really good QB prospect for next year and the Vols football program has just fallen apart. You're bang on every point you keyed on, and I think it will make his stock rise.