NCAA Football 2015

[grumbler]

Utah might be my auxiliary emergency team to cheer for this year.  Their performance since the first game makes me feel a lot better about that opening game seven-point loss by Michigan.

[katmai]

Utah might be my auxiliary emergency team to cheer for this year.  Their performance since the first game makes me feel a lot better about that opening game seven-point loss by Michigan.

Yeah If i'm gonna root for a Pac-12 team other than Huskies it is Utes.

[sbr]

I figured the Ducks would have a rough time this year; no one is going to have much success in the Pac-12 with inexperience at QB and in the defensive backfield.  Now that they have played some games things look even worse than I expected, which wasn't much.  Neither line looks very good; not only is Adams' finger still limiting him, apparently he is having trouble picking up the offense (though he has only been on campus for like 2 months); they are getting out played on special teams.

It will be interesting to see if they can turn things around, and if not how the natives will deal with their absurd expectations.

[Berkut]

As shitty as UDub was today looking better than Berkie's Wildcats. 

You know, I had this kind of feeling that this years Cats may be in trouble. The defense is just...terrible. I mean, really, really bad. Like some of those guys just don't belong on a D1 field bad.

This team will be lucky to go .500 in the Pac-12, unless something radically changes.

[derspiess]

You know, I had this kind of feeling that this years Cats may be in trouble. The defense is just...terrible. I mean, really, really bad. Like some of those guys just don't belong on a D1 field bad.

Getting rid of Casteel may help a bit.

[Berkut]

You know, I had this kind of feeling that this years Cats may be in trouble. The defense is just...terrible. I mean, really, really bad. Like some of those guys just don't belong on a D1 field bad.

Getting rid of Casteel may help a bit.

I can't decide - I don't know if Casteel is doing the best with what he has, or if his defense just isn't viable at this level.

The problem is that his defense requires a certain kind of player, and if you recruit that kind of player, you are not recruiting the kinds of players you need for a more traditional defense. So how can you switch once you are down that road?

Plus, it isn't like Arizona is out there contending for 5 star defensive tackles. They don't even consider Arizona, and they certainly don't with Casteel running the defense, and they probably don't even without him.

Casteel's defense supposedly lets the team go after really good, non-traditional (in the size sense) defensive talent. Those 3 star guys who are just not of the right size for their position, but are talented and presumably really fast.

That isn't really working out so great though.

[grumbler]

I can't decide - I don't know if Casteel is doing the best with what he has, or if his defense just isn't viable at this level.

The problem is that his defense requires a certain kind of player, and if you recruit that kind of player, you are not recruiting the kinds of players you need for a more traditional defense. So how can you switch once you are down that road?

Plus, it isn't like Arizona is out there contending for 5 star defensive tackles. They don't even consider Arizona, and they certainly don't with Casteel running the defense, and they probably don't even without him.

Casteel's defense supposedly lets the team go after really good, non-traditional (in the size sense) defensive talent. Those 3 star guys who are just not of the right size for their position, but are talented and presumably really fast.

That isn't really working out so great though.

We know Casteel's defense "works at this level" because it has worked.  At WV he had a top-ten defense a couple of years.  The problem with his defense is that it requires a lot of substitutions, and so you need backups that are as good as the starters.  It took him five years to build that at WV.  During the first few years, his defenses stunk.  As you say, though, his defense works with 3-star-type guys.  Reed Williams was a thee-star who became conference DPOY, IIRC.

[grumbler]

So, what's the closest joy to watching your team demolish a legit team ranked way above your own? 

Watching a team you've already played demolish the rep of a rival.

Last weekend, Michigan eviscerated the #22 team in the country, and vaulted from "no votes" in the rankings to #22 itself.

So, that's a great weekend, no?

It gets better.  #2 Michigan State is #2 by virtue of their three-point win over Orgon, at home.  Michigan has been unranked, no votes, due to its seven-point loss to Utah, on the road.

Utah destroys Oregon, on the road, by forty-two points! ESPN flips its prediction, and now argues that the #22 team in the country is the favorite over the #2 team in the country for their game on Oct 17.  Sparty goes berserk.  Sparty does not yet burn couches, but the moderator of the Rivals Sparty board predicts that "Harbaugh is going to ruin my life." No respect, etc.

Now, THAT's a weekend!

Don't sleep on Michigan because their offense is limited.  I said that their defense was near-elite, but I was wrong.  It is elite.  Against the 4th-hardest OOC schedule among the big 5, it ranks #2 in scoring defense, #3 in yards allowed, #2 in passing yards allowed, and #2 in rushing yards allowed.  If the offense can just stay decent, the team will win those 9 games I predicted.

[alfred russel]

I can't get too upset about Miami losing to Cincinnati. Miami isn't rebuilding, Cincinnati isn't very good, and the game isn't really a surprise.

It is just that Miami sucks. You can't say Miami isn't bringing in talent with 7 NFL draft picks last year. It isn't even that the old school Cane way doesn't work--Cincinnati is coached by an ex Cane coach from the glory days of the program.

95% of the fanbase would be thrilled if Al Golden was fired before coming back to campus. The other 5% are probably undercover Noles and Gators. Fuck that guy.

[Berkut]

I can't wait for college basketball to start!

[lustindarkness]

This year, Auburn is making it real easy to be a fan, I don't even have to watch the games!

[Valmy]

The last two weeks have left a deep hunger in me to see Texas breakthrough. I want it so bad now I can barely stand it. So sad since I have zero control over the outcome

Pumped for tomorrow's game. Beat TCU!

[Valmy]

The last two weeks have left a deep hunger in me to see Texas breakthrough. I want it so bad now I can barely stand it. So sad since I have zero control over the outcome

Pumped for tomorrow's game. Beat TCU!

LOL well how wrong was I? That might be the worst quarter of football I have ever seen. Coach Strong is going to be in serious trouble if this thing continues.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Problem:  The punt team can't seem to get that done, so they have to go for it, but if they get first downs and eventually touchdowns, the kicker is going to launch it out of bounds.

E: Also PATs and FGs are questionable.  Go for it every time in every situation.

[Valmy]

Problem:  The punt team can't seem to get that done, so they have to go for it, but if they get first downs and eventually touchdowns, the kicker is going to launch it out of bounds.

Well that and the offense and defense are being dominated. This is unbelievable. I had high hopes obviously but I was realistic enough to know a decisive loss was certainly in the cards. But they are totally outclassed, which is amazing after TCU struggled with Tech and SMU. This is a program destroying type loss. Amazing.

And of course Rose missed the kick. It is like he forgot how.