CBJ Board Other Sports Thread: Part X

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If you want to compare to the SEC, there's also the head-to-head matchups in bowl season that will have to be seen. That unbeaten Iowa team that looks so tough now got destroyed last year by a Tennessee team that's basically a bunch of freshmen and sophomores and was also missing their overall top player in AJ Johnson.

And Auburn, which came into this season highly ranked, lost to Wisconsin.

And the Mississippi teams, both once in the top 5 last season, lost their bowl games. The reason they were highly ranked in the first place? SEC bias. To argue against it is pretty silly.

Iowa's high ranking this year is almost despite the fact its a Big 10 team that has been generally middling.

I have no dog in this race. I'm not a college football fan, generally, and don't have a favorite team or favorite conference. But there is quite obviously a sentiment that isn't fully defensible that SEC teams are good because they're beating other SEC teams which people think are good. To me, this doesn't diminish the SEC so much as it does the process, and college football in general.

 

[DarkandStormy]

If you want to compare to the SEC, there's also the head-to-head matchups in bowl season that will have to be seen. That unbeaten Iowa team that looks so tough now got destroyed last year by a Tennessee team that's basically a bunch of freshmen and sophomores and was also missing their overall top player in AJ Johnson.

I'm sorry, are we still playing the 2014 season in CFB or no?

 

[Mayor Bee]

And Auburn, which came into this season highly ranked, lost to Wisconsin.

And the Mississippi teams, both once in the top 5 last season, lost their bowl games. The reason they were highly ranked in the first place? SEC bias. To argue against it is pretty silly.

Iowa's high ranking this year is almost despite the fact its a Big 10 team that has been generally middling.

I have no dog in this race. I'm not a college football fan, generally, and don't have a favorite team or favorite conference. But there is quite obviously a sentiment that isn't fully defensible that SEC teams are good because they're beating other SEC teams which people think are good. To me, this doesn't diminish the SEC so much as it does the process, and college football in general.

Auburn has looked terrible for most of this season as well. Iowa sums up the term "generally middling", and somehow they're unbeaten.

The last part is basically that circular ESPN logic. Start with a baseline assumption that the SEC is far and away #1, then build from there. A bottom-feeding SEC team beating a top one would be a sign of the conference's strength; a bottom-feeding ACC team beating a top one would be a sign of that conference's weakness. It annoyed the hell out of me because, as an SEC proponent, it made all of us rational types look like ESPN-repeating clowns. And it really annoyed me because, as an amateur historian, the idea that the SEC has always been superior, or even has always been in the top half of major conference, is totally untrue.

All of that swill heard in the last 10 years about the SEC has largely originated from ESPN's mindless talking points. I can guarantee you that I never once heard the term "SEC speed" until after Florida hammered Ohio State, then somehow it reached critical mass soon...not among the general public or among SEC fans, but among the sports media.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

it made all of us rational types

lol.

 

[Fro]

switching gears a bit...this happened overnight, the "catfish" I had gotten to "know" on twitter, DM'ing a bit about recruiting and stuff...just an interesting eye opener as to you never know who ppl are

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-fo...ish-florida-gators-football-vernon-hargreaves

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

That offensive play calling today...

 

[Viqsi]

Well, that's now two of my teams that have pretty much no playoff hopes whatsoever.

At this rate, I expect the Crew to get shellacked tomorrow.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

132 yards lulz

50% of the offensive plays were QB draws it seemed like...maybe actually was

 

[The Jones Zone]

Elliot holding nothing back, ripping coaching/play calling

I think he'll wake up and regret he chose to make these statements, even though most all Buckeye fans I know feel the same

Ed Warinner should probably start looking for a new job now

 

[pete goegan]

A well-deserved loss, wretched in every phase of the game.

 

[EspenK]

A well-deserved loss, wretched in every phase of the game.

I can't say it any better.

 

[EspenK]

Elliot holding nothing back, ripping coaching/play calling

I think he'll wake up and regret he chose to make these statements, even though most all Buckeye fans I know feel the same

Ed Warinner should probably start looking for a new job now

Didn't hear his comments but I'm pretty sure I agree. It was like the ghost of Woody possessed the play calling and by golly we're going to run, run and run some more even if it doesn't appear to be working. The offense has been out of sync all year and it caught up with the Bucks today.

Edit: Just read his comments and like I said I agree with him 100%. Just a dumb, dumb offensive scheme. And the marvelous D forgot how to tackle at the most inopportune time. Wrap a guy legs- it make sit much harder for him to run that way.

 

[db2011]

Didn't hear his comments but I'm pretty sure I agree. It was like the ghost of Woody possessed the play calling and by golly we're going to run, run and run some more even if it doesn't appear to be working. The offense has been out of sync all year and it caught up with the Bucks today.

Edit: Just read his comments and like I said I agree with him 100%. Just a dumb, dumb offensive scheme. And the marvelous D forgot how to tackle at the most inopportune time. Wrap a guy legs- it make sit much harder for him to run that way.

Except they weren't running the GD RUNNING BACK. That's not Woody.

Not a surprise, they've played poorly all year. But with the talent they have, coaching is the issue.

 

[Mayor Bee]

His comments were completely accurate, and completely misguided. This is the type of stuff that you never vocalize, except maybe in private to the people who actually put said plan together and called said plays.

 

[SavesEmNot]

Yeah, it just wasn't a good day for Ohio State athletics.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Worst I've seen an OSU team since '11 MSU game, but probably '08 USC. The gameplan was pathetic. Execution was terrible. Outside of two botched plays by Sparty, that should have been 24-0 MSU.

 

[Fro]

at least the Crew are doing well...

also, seeing several outlets showing OSU vs UF in Citrus Bowl

 

[cslebn]

Didn't hear his comments but I'm pretty sure I agree. It was like the ghost of Woody possessed the play calling and by golly we're going to run, run and run some more even if it doesn't appear to be working. The offense has been out of sync all year and it caught up with the Bucks today.

Edit: Just read his comments and like I said I agree with him 100%. Just a dumb, dumb offensive scheme. And the marvelous D forgot how to tackle at the most inopportune time. Wrap a guy legs- it make sit much harder for him to run that way.

I think there's some credit where credit is due on the D though. MSU's line was finally healthy and they took it to a very gifted OSU front and most the game it didn't work, but time always wears on the D, especially one that isn't as deep (or isn't using the depth).

Those guys were gassed in the 4th and it was a testament to MSU I think not OSU playing poorly. That said, I would have stacked the box more if I were Fickle.

 

[Fro]

 

[Mayor Bee]

This is one of the weaker years for college football I can remember. There isn't so much a top team as much as a top five, and I don't think that top five is separated by very much from teams that are down around #12 or #15. And each team at the top has had multiple games where they've been fortunate to escape a vastly inferior opponent with a win.

Arguably the most impressive resume has been Bammer; they've got one loss to what was (at the time) a terrific Ole Miss team, and one close win against Tennessee. But outside of that, the weakness of the SEC West compared to previous years doesn't exactly create a sterling resume.

 

[pete goegan]

This is one of the weaker years for college football I can remember. There isn't so much a top team as much as a top five, and I don't think that top five is separated by very much from teams that are down around #12 or #15. And each team at the top has had multiple games where they've been fortunate to escape a vastly inferior opponent with a win.

Arguably the most impressive resume has been Bammer; they've got one loss to what was (at the time) a terrific Ole Miss team, and one close win against Tennessee. But outside of that, the weakness of the SEC West compared to previous years doesn't exactly create a sterling resume.

I agree, I see no clearly superior team anywhere. On any given Saturday...

Or, I suppose, the way things are for TV, any given day of the week!

 

[Mayor Bee]

I agree, I see no clearly superior team anywhere. On any given Saturday...

Or, I suppose, the way things are for TV, any given day of the week!

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

Does anyone here follow college wrestling?

If so, does OSU only beating Cleveland State 26-18 (came down to last match) raise any concerns about the Buckeyes?

By the way, I think Ohio State 26, Cleveland State 18 would be the score if the two played each other in basketball right now.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Does anyone here follow college wrestling?

If so, does OSU only beating Cleveland State 26-18 (came down to last match) raise any concerns about the Buckeyes?

By the way, I think Ohio State 26, Cleveland State 18 would be the score if the two played each other in basketball right now.

You think Ohio State could win a basketball game right now?

 

[EspenK]

This is one of the weaker years for college football I can remember. There isn't so much a top team as much as a top five, and I don't think that top five is separated by very much from teams that are down around #12 or #15. And each team at the top has had multiple games where they've been fortunate to escape a vastly inferior opponent with a win.

Arguably the most impressive resume has been Bammer; they've got one loss to what was (at the time) a terrific Ole Miss team, and one close win against Tennessee. But outside of that, the weakness of the SEC West compared to previous years doesn't exactly create a sterling resume.

But couldn't the top 5 not being that far from the teams ranked 12-15 suggest that this is a very strong year for college football?

I can buy the argument that there is no dominant team like last year when Alabama and Oregon were truly the cream of the crop

But I don't think this is a weak year.