Official College Football Week 12 thread

[cartman]

The games grow in importance as we reach the end of the regular season. Still several teams with a shot at the BCS title game. Here are the match ups of Top 25 teams this weekend:

Oklahoma State at Texas
Georgia at Auburn

[JonInMiddleGA]

Ga Tech at Clemson Thursday night, a win for the Tigers eliminates a coastal division contender (Tech actually has a half-game lead in their division at the moment but would lose on tiebreakers to both Va Tech & Miami)

Miami at Duke, Va Tech (who seems to have the inside track on an ACC title game beatdown by FSU at the moment) goes to Maryland

[Chief Rum]

Friday night game is at the Rose Bowl, as UDub visits UCLA in an important game for both programs. Be prepared for lots of banter back and forth between me, Bug, dawgfan and Lathum, at least.

[Marmel]

Would it be considered the biggest upset of all time if Cuse knocks off FSU? They are 38.5 point dogs. The money line on Cuse opened at $22,000.

I just hope FSU has to keep their starters in for the second half.

[Umbrella]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Would it be considered the biggest upset of all time if Cuse knocks off FSU? They are 38.5 point dogs. The money line on Cuse opened at $22,000.

I just hope FSU has to keep their starters in for the second half.

I did a little research, and found that when Stanford beat USC in 2007, they were 41 point dogs. That's the only one I found higher.

However, I did see that Cuse beat Louisville that same season as 37 point dogs, so there's hope, I guess.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Friday night game is at the Rose Bowl, as UDub visits UCLA in an important game for both programs. Be prepared for lots of banter back and forth between me, Bug, dawgfan and Lathum, at least.

alreay have plans to go out and watch.

I think this game is a really good test to where we are at. I had no expectations of beating Stanford or Oregon, eventhough we should have beaten Stanford, but this is a game we should win if we truly have made progress.

We had a great tune up Saturday, looking really good against a somewhat improved CU team. Hopefully it carries over.

[Matthean]

MSU @ Nebraska. If MSU wins, it is them and OSU in the Big Ten title game. Michigan plays Northwestern in a game I'm trying to figure out how much I care about. If Michigan were to lose, there could be a legit chance of Michigan finishing at least tied for the bottom of the Legends division.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Friday night game is at the Rose Bowl, as UDub visits UCLA in an important game for both programs. Be prepared for lots of banter back and forth between me, Bug, dawgfan and Lathum, at least.

I was feeling moderately optimistic about this game until I saw Myles Jack go off on offense.

Strictly on paper, I think the Huskies should win - you look at how they compare in ratings by Sagarin, FEI, S&P and F+, and all of them have Washington rated higher by several spots.

But there's some concern about how Washington has managed on the road - a bit overblown in my opinion, but the meltdown at ASU earlier this year was a head-scratcher.

Really comes down to:
- Can the Huskies give Keith Price reasonable time in the pocket?
- Can the Huskies get pressure on Brett Hundley and wrap him up when they flush him?
- Can Bishop Sankey exploit a mediocre Bruin run defense?
- Can the Huskies keep Myles Jack from shredding them?

[BishopMVP]

Some fun Wednesday night MACtion this week. 9-1 Ball State at Northern Illinois.

[tarcone]

Iowa gets their 2nd bye to prep for Michigan and Nebraska. I think we get one, possibly both if we can run the ball.

[Crapshoot]

Stanford and USC should be a good game, I think USC looks a lot better under Ed Oregon, and they've played Stanford reasonably well the last couple of years.

[General Mike]

Rutgers is gonna lose to Cincinnati. Kyle Flood is gonna get axed? I hope so.

[RomaGoth]

Not sure if this was referenced in another thread, but I continue to be amused by Ohio State in all it's splendor:

Ohio State WR: Buckeyes would 'wipe the field' with Tide, Noles - CBSSports.com



I can't stand the SEC, but it is easily the best conference in the country right now and has been for several years. The idea that Ohio State would even be competitive against Alabama is comical.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by General Mike

Rutgers is gonna lose to Cincinnati. Kyle Flood is gonna get axed? I hope so.

His new stance on recruiting sure as hell should dictate it even before Saturday.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Logan

His new stance on recruiting sure as hell should dictate it even before Saturday.

I saw he's taking the no visits stance. That doesn't really work in today's college football (outside of a handful of teams that can get away with it).

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by RomaGoth

Not sure if this was referenced in another thread, but I continue to be amused by Ohio State in all it's splendor:

Ohio State WR: Buckeyes would 'wipe the field' with Tide, Noles - CBSSports.com



I can't stand the SEC, but it is easily the best conference in the country right now and has been for several years. The idea that Ohio State would even be competitive against Alabama is comical.

I know Stanford has the edge, but I would love to see Oregon play OSU. I don't even think Oregon would win by default, but Oregon can score, and I don't think OSU's defense is that elite yet from a physical standpoint. But seriously, OSU beat NW and Iowa by ten points. Nobody has been within 14 of FSU. If a physical team like Wisconsin can give OSU a run, I'm pretty sure 'Bama will be more than OK.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Stanford and USC should be a good game, I think USC looks a lot better under Ed Oregon, and they've played Stanford reasonably well the last couple of years.

Yep. Two fairly similar teams - very good defenses with physical and athletic front 7's, old-school offenses (though Stanford relies a lot more on power formations). USC is on a roll lately, enough so that I think they've got a shot even with their reduced number of healthy scholarship players.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Matthean

I know Stanford has the edge, but I would love to see Oregon play OSU. I don't even think Oregon would win by default, but Oregon can score, and I don't think OSU's defense is that elite yet from a physical standpoint. But seriously, OSU beat NW and Iowa by ten points. Nobody has been within 14 of FSU. If a physical team like Wisconsin can give OSU a run, I'm pretty sure 'Bama will be more than OK.

This already happened, in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Yes, I'm sure everything would be so "different" now. They're much better, we're much worse, blah blah blah.

I was trying to think if there were any recent Michigan players to say anything stupid in public that would have an actual impact to action on the field, unlike what Spencer said which is basically the equivalent of "I have confidence in our team."

I was trying to find an instance, but it was so Hart... I mean hard.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

This already happened, in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Yes, I'm sure everything would be so "different" now. They're much better, we're much worse, blah blah blah.

I was trying to think if there were any recent Michigan players to say anything stupid in public that would have an actual impact to action on the field, unlike what Spencer said which is basically the equivalent of "I have confidence in our team."

I was trying to find an instance, but it was so Hart... I mean hard.

2010 has no real impact on this season. There's a big difference in having confidence in your team and going out and saying your team would wipe the floor against the two highest ranked teams. There's no equivalent about it.

[MrBug708]

UCLA - UW, the blackout game. I'm going to it, should be interesting on how many people go. It's pretty foolish to schedule a 6pm game on a Friday in LA.

Should be a fun game. I think Mora really wants to beat UW.

Just saw Dawgfan's post. While statistically, UCLA isn't that great vs the ground game, their schedule has some pretty run first teams. Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona are all heavy run teams with great running QB's. It's going to be hard to stop them all where it positively helps their overall rankings.

I disagree on paper. I think UW's playcalling on offense is better right now. The play on the lines should be interesting. I think UCLA has a much better front 7 than UW and OL hasn't been a strength of either program close to a decade now, but can UCLA get Anthony Barr going again? What is UCLA going to do with Myles Jack? He looks like their best offensive threat right now, but he's still a defensive player first. Do we risk tiring him out on offense at the expense of the defense?

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Matthean

2010 has no real impact on this season. There's a big difference in having confidence in your team and going out and saying your team would wipe the floor against the two highest ranked teams. There's no equivalent about it.

It's all in semantics and your own personal interpretation. I am personally shocked and surprised that you've attached the most negative connotation you could to it. Shocked AND surprised.

[digamma]

On the ACC race, going into this week, Virginia (0-6) is the only team that doesn't have a chance to at least tie for the Coastal division title. There is the possibility of a 5 way tie at 5-3.

On the other side, Florida State has clinched.

[Kodos]

Time for the Wisconsin game. Should be pretty painful to watch, especially without our top RB and with our best safety out. Honestly, I give us a better shot at beating OSU. Wisconsin is a bad matchup for us, both in football and basketball.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by RomaGoth

Not sure if this was referenced in another thread, but I continue to be amused by Ohio State in all it's splendor:

Ohio State WR: Buckeyes would 'wipe the field' with Tide, Noles - CBSSports.com



I can't stand the SEC, but it is easily the best conference in the country right now and has been for several years. The idea that Ohio State would even be competitive against Alabama is comical.

Easily? I wouldn't say that at all. I do think the SEC is still the best conference in the country, but the gap between it and the Pac 12 this year is not so much. This seems an odd year to proclaim it "easily the best conference in the country right now".

Of course, you could certainly could have made that statement in each of the last several years, and I don't think anyone doubts the SEC is, in general, the top conference in football. Well, outside of the "American" and "National" conferences.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Yep. Two fairly similar teams - very good defenses with physical and athletic front 7's, old-school offenses (though Stanford relies a lot more on power formations). USC is on a roll lately, enough so that I think they've got a shot even with their reduced number of healthy scholarship players.

Wonder if that depth issue will come into play late in games, especially if Stanford just continues to bust out 8-9 linemen and powersets out there. I think grinding USC down will be a key part of their plans.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Wonder if that depth issue will come into play late in games, especially if Stanford just continues to bust out 8-9 linemen and powersets out there. I think grinding USC down will be a key part of their plans.

Possibly. I would think that the mobility of Hogan will prove even more important. The Trojans did a great job containing B.J. Denker, but Taylor Kelly gave them fits.

Another factor is how much does Gaffney have in the tank? After 45 hard-fought carries, how banged-up is he? How comfortable will Shaw be in subbing in Wilkerson, etc?

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Possibly. I would think that the mobility of Hogan will prove even more important. The Trojans did a great job containing B.J. Denker, but Taylor Kelly gave them fits.

Another factor is how much does Gaffney have in the tank? After 45 hard-fought carries, how banged-up is he? How comfortable will Shaw be in subbing in Wilkerson, etc?

Yeah, Shaw has a wealth of depth at RB (Wilkerson, Barry Sanders Jr, Rickey Seale), and just apparently refuses to trust any of them - he used Stefon Taylor the same way last year. Don't know why he isn't more careful about their usage.

[bob]

Georgia Tech needs to fire Paul Johnson. That is all.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

Georgia Tech needs to fire Paul Johnson. That is all.

Can't recruit, can't coach up ... that's a bad combination for a college coach no matter what scheme you run

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not much sadder than watching GT play a team that has actual D1 caliber athletes.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by bob

Georgia Tech needs to fire Paul Johnson. That is all.

I'm curious about this.

I turn 38 this weekend. Georgia Tech has won 8 games or more 11 times in my lifetime. Paul Johnson has 3 of those seasons and has a chance for a fourth this year.

I'm frustrated about tonight. I put my son to bed with tears in his eyes. But, we're asking Johnson to do a Yeoman's task. He's been given nothing he was promised on the academic side in terms of more majors and more academic exceptions.

Further there is no money to fire him and hire any coach worth a damn. A sure way to blow up the program is to bring in a retread willing to work for cheap.

2014 is going to be his most important year, most experienced team. If it is another 6 or 7 win season, I'm on board.

The difference I see between him and Gailey is that Gailey's teams would have packed it in down 20-0. This team didn't quit. They sucked for a lot of the game, but they didn't quit.

***And a big eff you to the Clemson scrubs and coaches laughing at the targeting penalty. That's all for me.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by digamma

This team didn't quit. They sucked for a lot of the game, but they didn't quit.

No, they didn't quit, that's true.

But they still sucked for a lot of the game ... and at some point enough of that is enough. One more loss to UGA should be his last.

Also, re: 8 wins this year ... that would require beating Georgia, but it would also come with beating 2 I-AA teams. The latter has to be at least a bit of an asterisk as far as the win total goes.

[Butter]

Found it amusing that the ESPN sideline reporter said that at halftime CPJ said that they couldn't execute their offense because they were so deep on their side of the field. Yes, that was it. Field position was stopping you from dominating.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Found it amusing that the ESPN sideline reporter said that at halftime CPJ said that they couldn't execute their offense because they were so deep on their side of the field. Yes, that was it. Field position was stopping you from dominating.

Couldn't possibly be the failure to recruit anybody who can catch a fucking kicked ball, nah.

[CU Tiger]

There may not be a better play caller in the country than Paul Johnson, he has an amazing knack to continually self scout, and tease and floss plays throughout a game.

That said, his personality would make it difficult to recruit even to a more traditional scheme. He is one of the more smug individuals Ive ever met in my life.

PJ probably owes Kevin Steele a couple million dollars, because he single handedly extended his tenure for a few seasons.

For the first time in 5 years Clemson has a legitimate Defensive line, which is the key to stopping an option team.

Last night was cold as hell for South Carolina but a fun game none the less.

[MrBug708]

Good Luck Husky fans!

[digamma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Couldn't possibly be the failure to recruit anybody who can catch a fucking kicked ball, nah.

All ACC kick off returner is out for the season. We're like down to the third or fourth string there.

Smelter had a bad night and got benched. Dumb comment by CPJ, but at the same time field position definitely huge played a part early.

[Lathum]

really surprised Vegas has us as 3 point dogs on the road. They are basically saying we are even against UCLA.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Lathum

really surprised Vegas has us as 3 point dogs on the road. They are basically saying we are even against UCLA.

Taking into consideration some key injuries to UCLA's line and running backs, and some of the inconsistency that has popped up in the Bruins gameplanning the past few weeks, I think of these teams as pretty evenly matched really, and tonight feels like a toss up. It should be a great game.

I do wish UCLA had Goines and White on the line and James in the backfield. Even if you also get back Kasen Williams, I still think the Bruins win that game going away, at the Rose Bowl at least. But with those injuries, they're a much less dominant offense.

[Logan]

Stop me if you've heard this before...there's going to be a story coming out in the next few days citing player abuse by a Rutgers coach. This time it's defensive coordinator Dave Cohen. This will get Kyle Flood fired.

edit: Basically it is one kid's word (who has now left the team) against the coach, claiming both physical and verbal abuse. No other players are corroborating the story at this time, although "sources" say that the physical abuse claim, at least, is a lie. Won't matter. After Rice, they'll both be gone.

[bob]

This is why Paul Johnson should be fired:

Since 2010 GT FB under CPJ’s leadership is:

0-4 vs. VT

0-4 vs. Miami

1-3 vs. Clemson

0-3 vs. UGA

1-14 vs. the “big-4” since the start of the 2010 season.

No other coach anywhere else survives that.

[bhlloy]

A 6pm rose bowl game is really going to fuck up my commute, so that's great.

I think UCLA at home should be a TD favorite at least, but I haven't really watched Washington this season so I may be underselling them.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Logan

Stop me if you've heard this before...there's going to be a story coming out in the next few days citing player abuse by a Rutgers coach. This time it's defensive coordinator Dave Cohen. This will get Kyle Flood fired.

edit: Basically it is one kid's word (who has now left the team) against the coach, claiming both physical and verbal abuse. No other players are corroborating the story at this time, although "sources" say that the physical abuse claim, at least, is a lie. Won't matter. After Rice, they'll both be gone.

Not sure how I feel about this. I'm really down on Flood right now, and wanted a change at least at the D coordinator position, but I don't like the idea of kids making false abuse claims. I'll just go back to doing this

[Chief Rum]

I am unlikely to be around or on until either well into the game or after it ends, so best of luck for a good game, dawg fans.

Go Bruins!

[Lathum]

This is not a good start

[BillJasper]

I still don't understand this desire college teams have to out-ugly each other. Those UCLA uniforms look terrible.

[mauchow]

Bad call against UW.

We'll see if Washington can get a safety here and get the ball back and make it a game before halftime..

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

I still don't understand this desire college teams have to out-ugly each other. Those UCLA uniforms look terrible.

They do, and I couldn't tell which team was witch from a distance now that I've put the game on. Such classic unis for UCLA and they continue to eff them up.

[MrBug708]

Frustrating game to be out, but I'm thrilled we won. I'd say half the stadium arrived in the second quarter. I hope they never do a Friday night game again. Surprised we got as many fans out as we did.

UCLA, while not the only team to have injuries, was down to one scholarship player at RB. (Not counting Jack as a RB). This goes with Hundley being the only scholarship QB.

Time to mix up the playbook with Jack. Teams obviously know what is coming. All it did was wear him down by the 4th quarter.

Miles looked pretty good. UCLA's DB's were atrocious.

On the trenches (OL and DL), 5 of the 8 players are true freshmen. Fuller was sat at halftime.

ASU really needs to lose tomorrow for me to feel comfortable. I don't think we lose to ASU at home.

The black uniforms didn't look great on the big screen (and I imagine on TV as well) but up close and person, they looked pretty nice. I bought one this week when I was in Westwood for the game. They just don't feel...UCLA. Back to the Light Blue/Gold for the last two games. UCLA is doing it because the players and fans want it. It's for one game or so, the old timers can deal with it.

USC is getting a lot of love. Way more than they should be. Can't believe that game got gameday.

[CU Tiger]

Cyrus lookes really good when he was in.