Gators and Trojans lost...

[YardRat]

If 'Bama can win and Oklahoma whup Notre Dame, this could shape up to be a pretty good week of college football.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I'm sad USC lost. I really wanted to see a pro style offense with great WRs and a QB take on Bama's D.

[YardRat]

Oh well...three out of four isn't bad.

[Night Train]

I'm sad USC lost. I really wanted to see a pro style offense with great WRs and a QB take on Bama's D.

I'm not. Lane Kiffin needs to be exposed for the self serving @ss he is. AD Pat Hayden should can him.

[cookie G]

I'm sad USC lost. I really wanted to see a pro style offense with great WRs and a QB take on Bama's D.

It might take a pro offense, period. I don't know how you go 2 years, in modern football, of holding teams to 8 points and 200 yards a game.

Anyone can lose of course, but the only contenders for the NC game with a chance of creating a crack in their D is Oregon.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I'm not. Lane Kiffin needs to be exposed for the self serving @ss he is. AD Pat Hayden should can him.

He's been exposed. The guy was caught cheating against Colorado, a team he was expected to, and did, beat by 6 touchdowns.

It might take a pro offense, period. I don't know how you go 2 years, in modern football, of holding teams to 8 points and 200 yards a game.

Anyone can lose of course, but the only contenders for the NC game with a chance of creating a crack in their D is Oregon.

I don't think Oregon can do it, TBH. Oregon's offense is built on tempo and misdirection. That works in midseason, when everyone's nursing injuries and they only have a few days to prepare. But Bama would have close to five weeks to do nothing but decode their options and condition their defense to keep up. That's why Auburn held them in check and Bama's D is far better than Auburn's. IMO, the only team that can really do it would be a team with elite WRs who can get open deep and a QB who can hit them there, to force Bama to pull back their ferocious linebackers.

[cookie G]

I don't think Oregon can do it, TBH. Oregon's offense is built on tempo and misdirection. That works in midseason, when everyone's nursing injuries and they only have a few days to prepare. But Bama would have close to five weeks to do nothing but decode their options and condition their defense to keep up. That's why Auburn held them in check and Bama's D is far better than Auburn's. IMO, the only team that can really do it would be a team with elite WRs who can get open deep and a QB who can hit them there, to force Bama to pull back their ferocious linebackers.

I'm not sure Oregon, or anyone else could either. I agree about the Alabama being able to cover the misdirection plays. I've felt for some time now that they are the most disciplined aggressive team as I've seen in a long time.

They might blitz a lot, but they don't get burned by screens, bubble screens, or reverses. Their guys have it hardwired into their brains to cover their assignment first before moving on to another area. I can't remember seeing a team that will consistently have 2 or 3 guys waiting for someone on a reverse.

You never know though. I still think Oregon has the athletes to create space, something I don't see with the other NC contenders.

Meh, maybe give the Miracle Worker a shot. It could be a repeat of 2003, when some were calling Oklahoma's D one of the greatest of all time (they were good, but weren't really one of the best of all time)



He just needs to sneak Darren Sproles onto the field somehow

[tampabay25690]

Bama is on another level right now.
Oregon is 2 1 sided to compete vs Bama.

[EricStratton]

Bama is on another level right now.
Oregon is 2 1 sided to compete vs Bama.

If Alabama played Oregon in November I think it would be competitive but given 5-6 weeks to prepare in the current bowl system Nick Saben is to good.

[tampabay25690]

If Alabama played Oregon in November I think it would be competitive but given 5-6 weeks to prepare in the current bowl system Nick Saben is to good.

Best coach by far in college ball.
The big problem that Oregon always has an issue with the speed on the elite defenses.
U can't just run a option draw every play vs good defenses

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Best coach by far in college ball.
The big problem that Oregon always has an issue with the speed on the elite defenses.
U can't just run a option draw every play vs good defenses

Right, because the best defenses have the speed to keep them from fearing either the HB or the QB, so they stay in their assignments comfortably.

[cookie G]

Best coach by far in college ball.
The big problem that Oregon always has an issue with the speed on the elite defenses.
U can't just run a option draw every play vs good defenses

If I was a coach, from Pop Warner through the NFL (especially Wanny), I'd be DVR'ing Alabama - LSU tonight. (Well, I will anyways).

And it would be required viewing for my players and my coaches, with the line, "this is how you play defense".

It isn't so much WHAT they play, it is HOW they play. Sure, Bama blitzes, they can show different looks, they disguise blitzes well...

But more importanlty,

People do their jobs. People play their assignments first. People aren't taken in by play fakes. They read and react soooo well.

If the buzzword of "scheme" in past years, the buzzword of this year is "discipline". The good D's are showing it. The bad ones aren't.

The Bills could take a lesson from them.

[cookie G]

Damn, thought the SEC played itself out of the NC game for a second.

Defense wasn't quite what it has been but that was still a hard hitting game.

Sorry...Oregon -Bama for the title, it just has to be.

That offense and that defense have to get together.

[YardRat]

Great game last nite.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

If I was a coach, from Pop Warner through the NFL (especially Wanny), I'd be DVR'ing Alabama - LSU tonight. (Well, I will anyways).

And it would be required viewing for my players and my coaches, with the line, "this is how you play defense".

It isn't so much WHAT they play, it is HOW they play. Sure, Bama blitzes, they can show different looks, they disguise blitzes well...

But more importanlty,

People do their jobs. People play their assignments first. People aren't taken in by play fakes. They read and react soooo well.

If the buzzword of "scheme" in past years, the buzzword of this year is "discipline". The good D's are showing it. The bad ones aren't.

The Bills could take a lesson from them.

We've been taking players directly off those defenses and they haven't kept it up in the pros.

I hate Dave Wannestadt.

[DraftBoy]

Damn, thought the SEC played itself out of the NC game for a second.

Defense wasn't quite what it has been but that was still a hard hitting game.

Sorry...Oregon -Bama for the title, it just has to be.

That offense and that defense have to get together.

Blah, we've already seen that with Oregon-Auburn. Yes Oregon's offense is better then they were v. Auburn, but Alabama's defense is light years ahead of where Auburn was. Sadly though I do agree, with no Conference Title Games for either Kansas State or Notre Dame (should they all remain undefeated) the human polls will move Oregon up based on that extra game enough to turn the BCS in their favor imo.

I expect today's rankings to be;
1. Alabama
2. Kansas State
3. Oregon
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia

- - - Updated - - -

Great game last nite.

Great games all day yesterday, ND goes 3 OT's, neither Oregon or Kansas State can quite put away and blow out either opponent. Good day of College Football.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Blah, we've already seen that with Oregon-Auburn. Yes Oregon's offense is better then they were v. Auburn, but Alabama's defense is light years ahead of where Auburn was. Sadly though I do agree, with no Conference Title Games for either Kansas State or Notre Dame (should they all remain undefeated) the human polls will move Oregon up based on that extra game enough to turn the BCS in their favor imo.

I expect today's rankings to be;
1. Alabama
2. Kansas State
3. Oregon
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia

- - - Updated - - -



Great games all day yesterday, ND goes 3 OT's, neither Oregon or Kansas State can quite put away and blow out either opponent. Good day of College Football.

We saw it last year in the Cowboy Classic. Oregon-LSU. It was not pretty. Oregon's offense simply sputters against a defense with speed and time to prepare.

[cookie G]

We saw it last year in the Cowboy Classic. Oregon-LSU. It was not pretty. Oregon's offense simply sputters against a defense with speed and time to prepare.

Oregon was the only team to score more than 21 points on LSU, and one of only 2 to have more than 300 yards. (excluding the NC game).

I don't know who's offense didn't sputter against them.

- - - Updated - - -

We've been taking players directly off those defenses and they haven't kept it up in the pros.

I hate Dave Wannestadt.

maybe an SEC coordinator to go along with the SEC players.

Kirby Smart!!

[cookie G]

Blah, we've already seen that with Oregon-Auburn. Yes Oregon's offense is better then they were v. Auburn, but Alabama's defense is light years ahead of where Auburn was. Sadly though I do agree, with no Conference Title Games for either Kansas State or Notre Dame (should they all remain undefeated) the human polls will move Oregon up based on that extra game enough to turn the BCS in their favor imo.

I expect today's rankings to be;
1. Alabama
2. Kansas State
3. Oregon
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia

- - - Updated - - -



Great games all day yesterday, ND goes 3 OT's, neither Oregon or Kansas State can quite put away and blow out either opponent. Good day of College Football.

Well, you can have another all SEC NC game, but people hated that, even though LSU and Bama were clearly the 2 best teams in the country last year.

Kansas St. would make a better story than game. There would be some good photo ops of Saban and Snyder together, but neither says much to the media anyways, so the build up would be subdued.

Notre Dame...no...just no. They needed help from the refs to beat Pitt.

Louisville, Ohio U. or Kent St. i guess you could do the Rocky thing, giving an unknown a shot at the title.

Someone has to be in it.

[DraftBoy]

Well, you can have another all SEC NC game, but people hated that, even though LSU and Bama were clearly the 2 best teams in the country last year.

Kansas St. would make a better story than game. There would be some good photo ops of Saban and Snyder together, but neither says much to the media anyways, so the build up would be subdued.

Notre Dame...no...just no. They needed help from the refs to beat Pitt.

Louisville, Ohio U. or Kent St. i guess you could do the Rocky thing, giving an unknown a shot at the title.

Someone has to be in it.

One call from the refs (which they did blow) is hardly needing them to win the game, that's a ridiculous comment. I mean we overcame two redzone turnovers to win the game. I would personally prefer Kansas State or just crowing Alabama myself to replaying any of the other crappy previous BCS games.