Anyone ready for College Football?!?!

[Monte Butts]

I fully confess that I'm an absolute nut for my Crimson Tide, and just love college football in general. My wife always gives me a hard time about not knowing when we were dating that I was an addict because when she would call me on Saturdays from work I always said I was cleaning the apartment HA.

The SEC is going to be good from top to bottom this year with the teams on the bottom last year all improved (except Vandy and Tennessee which are both a question mark). Bama and Florida at the top both have a lot of holes to fill....I love the Bama offense but replacing most of the defense with Saban's complicated defensive schemes. Also, in an incredible scheduling snafu, every SEC team that plays Bama AFTER an off week.

Boise State has an easy road to the BCS and it will be interesting to see what will happen if it comes down to them or a 1 loss Ohio State (who I think will end up in the title game), Florida, Texas, etc.

Can't wait. Still haven't found tickets to the Bama vs. Penn State that I can afford though.:(

[Jim Poteet]

I fully confess that I'm an absolute nut for my Crimson Tide, and just love college football in general. My wife always gives me a hard time about not knowing when we were dating that I was an addict because when she would call me on Saturdays from work I always said I was cleaning the apartment HA.

The SEC is going to be good from top to bottom this year with the teams on the bottom last year all improved (except Vandy and Tennessee which are both a question mark). Bama and Florida at the top both have a lot of holes to fill....I love the Bama offense but replacing most of the defense with Saban's complicated defensive schemes. Also, in an incredible scheduling snafu, every SEC team that plays Bama AFTER an off week.

Boise State has an easy road to the BCS and it will be interesting to see what will happen if it comes down to them or a 1 loss Ohio State (who I think will end up in the title game), Florida, Texas, etc.

Can't wait. Still haven't found tickets to the Bama vs. Penn State that I can afford though.:(

Boise State could easily lose the opener when they play Virginia Tech. One loss and BSU can forget the BCS.

[Monte Butts]

Very true.

Or they could use it as a springboard....that is exactly what Bama did last year by beating Va Tech in the first game.

I still say that of all the top 10 teams, they have by far the easiest road, but when you don't play many heavyweights one loss will completely kill your chances. A 1 loss SEC team gets a look because of past history. Not really fair, but that is what would happen.

[Jim Franklin]

There's been alot of hype around here that almost all of the starters are back except the Jets Kyle Wilson and that should make this years team even better than last year's. I hope BSU plays well but I have my trepidations. Their second game with Oregon here will be the second test if they get by the first test. Oregon has been projected by some to take the PAC 10 or 12.

[Greg Farra]

Ohio State football is king here in Columbus. We're always ready for the season to start. Maybe one day we can beat an SEC school, but I'll try not to dream too much!
:smilies0262::smilies0262:

[Jim Poteet]

There's been alot of hype around here that almost all of the starters are back except the Jets Kyle Wilson and that should make this years team even better than last year's. I hope BSU plays well but I have my trepidations. Their second game with Oregon here will be the second test if they get by the first test. Oregon has been projected by some to take the PAC 10 or 12.

Bro. Franklin, I thought you were a Boise State fan. You don't even know who Boise Junior College plays. Their 3rd game is against Oregon STATE in Boise. There is a difference between Oregon and Oregon State.:)

[Monte Butts]

Bro. Franklin, I thought you were a Boise State fan. You don't even know who Boise Junior College plays. Their 3rd game is against Oregon STATE in Boise. There is a difference between Oregon and Oregon State.:)

You know, I should have caught that. I remembered looking up the schedule last night and being surprised by the Oregon comment as I only remembered 1 really top 20 team on the schedule.

Oregon State can be tough....there was a time during Bama's trial of Mike's (Dubose, Price, Shula) that there was a big push to bring Mike Riley back to his alma mater. He is a good coach.

[Scott Moseley]

Bro. Franklin, I thought you were a Boise State fan. You don't even know who Boise Junior College plays. Their 3rd game is against Oregon STATE in Boise. There is a difference between Oregon and Oregon State.:)

One is OU , the other OSU. A huge difference in some parts :)

[Jim Franklin]

One of those webfoots, Ducks or Beavers.

[Ryan Scott]

Oregon State is the better team this year. Coaches picked them 5th in the PAC-10 - I think ESPN had them third.

[Brian Hammons]

The Big East conferance doesn't get much respect on this board, but I am looking forward to seeing how WVU and Noel Devine fair this season. Plus freshman lineman Quinton Spain has been cleared by the NCAA to play... I'm always for the big guys!

Monte, How do the MSU Bulldogs stack up in the SEC?

[Monte Butts]

The Big East conferance doesn't get much respect on this board, but I am looking forward to seeing how WVU and Noel Devine fair this season. Plus freshman lineman Quinton Spain has been cleared by the NCAA to play... I'm always for the big guys!

Monte, How do the MSU Bulldogs stack up in the SEC?

I don't think just this board, but most of the sports world. Like it or not, past success or failure dictates how the conference and/or team is perceived. The same way Ohio State now has to be really great to get put in another BCS Championship, the SEC gets by maybe too much on rep gained from the top, and Notre Dame always seems to get more attention than their recent success (or lack thereof) should warrant.

I'm geographically less than an hour from Ole Miss and MSU so I get a lot of news from both. I have been so far really impressed with the attitude Dan Mullen has brought to Starkville....I think for the first time since Jackie Sherrill the Bulldogs believe they can win, and by stomping all over the heavily favored Ole Miss Rebels in last years' Egg Bowl, they are coming into this year with a lot of confidence.

That being said, I see them either being 8th or 9th in the SEC (a tossup between them and Ole Miss). They play in the West where they just will need more horses. They obviously won't be in Bama's class, Arkansas is supposed to be much improved this year in Petrino's system, and LSU and Auburn have a lot of talent this year. Their defense will be great and I think Rolf could be a good playmaker, but they need some help at the skilled positions.

Finishing ahead of Ole Miss would be huge though. Either program can be a sleeping giant by virtue of the giant talent pool in Mississippi that by and large gets raided heavily by the rest of the SEC. It is a little known fact that per capita Mississippi places more in the NFL than any other state. If either program could keep the top in the state from going to Bama, LSU, Tennessee, etc they could really build something.

[Brian Postlewait]

yep, for sure!