Saturday College Football Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Events
Posted on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 07:24:02 AM EST
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Week 2 of the college football season presents "big" games in the Midwest (the only real big games occur outside of the Big Ten, but I digress.)

Notre Dame gets to beat up a lousy Michigan team and as a result will be treated as a national contender. Strangely enough, Notre Dame is only a 3 point favorite in this game. Sure the game is in Ann Arbor, but come now, when has Ann Arbor ever provided a home field advantage? For all the talk of the 110,000, it is one of the quietest crowds in college football. Besides, Notre Dame is actually decent this year. Michigan remains awful. Notre Dame by 20 points.

USC travels to Columbus to play the Buckeyes tonight. Jim Tressel is probably the best coach in college football. I really think he gets the most out of a group of players that are consistently overrated. Consider Terrell Pryor, the Ohio State QB. Easily the most overrated player in college football today. A below average quarterback who is treated as a superstar. USC has better players than Ohio State and their own great coach in Pete Carroll. USC has a better team, but a freshman QB. Columbus, unlike Ann Arbor, does provide a real homefield advantage. While USC is better, Tressel and Ohio State will find a way to win a squeaker, defying the oddsmakers, who have SC as a 7 point favorite. More . . .

In other games, I like East Carolina (6.5 point dogs) to upset West Virginia, Iowa (-6) to beat AND cover over Iowa State (a MileHi Hawkeye special), and the Cadets of Army (+1) to beat Duke.

The game of note in the SEC today is Georgia vs. South Carolina. Georgia is a 7 point favorite between the hedges. I like South Carolina with the points and probably to win. Watching Georgia last week against Oklahoma State, it is clear that Joe Cox is a terrible QB and Georgia has no manner of replacement for Knowshon Moreno. The pressure placed on the Georgia defense is immense. I think South Carolina, shockingly, has better players than Georgia. and I think Spurrier is a better coach than Richt. and I think Georgia loses a lot at home. I like South Carolina in that game.

Florida, my favorite team, plays Troy in the Swamp today. We'll have a better idea about Florida after today, but we probably won't know how good they are until a Saturday night in October in Baton Rouge.

What games are you following today? Also, I like Serena, Nadal and Wozniacki in the tennis today, weather permitting.

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Saturday College Football Open Thread | 28 comments (28 topical)

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Obama needs a military objective in (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by Militarytracy on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 08:02:19 AM EST

Afghanistan. He needs to be very clear about his goals. Then do it and leave. But he's giving no indications that he understands this. We had no mission in Iraq and look what happened. We don't even know when to go home. Of course Bush and Cheney never intended that we would leave because Cheney was getting some oil come hell or high water. Oh the days, when the oil was going to pay for the war.

Well said MT. Query to BTD: (none / 0) (#14)
by FoxholeAtheist on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 03:21:01 PM EST

Is this an all-topics open thread or a sports open thread? If it's the latter, the Friday Night Open Thread is still going - all topics.

[ Parent ]

MT, interesting turn of phrase re. iraq (none / 0) (#16)
by FoxholeAtheist on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 03:32:04 PM EST

Cheney was getting some oil come hell or high water.

Last night, on Bill Maher, one of the guests was talking about the environmental crisis and he said that in the near future "the liquid we'll be fighting over will be water instead of oil".

Oh gawd, how long will it be before we start hearing that Canada is a threat to US national security. Canada has a good amount of oil, but they're really up to their necks in water.

[ Parent ]

I think the Pentagon report (none / 0) (#26)
by Militarytracy on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 09:54:35 AM EST

was released in 2004. It was online and I read it, it may still be. It outlines what even the Pentagon is projecting will likely happen with global warming and how it may endanger America in the future, even though global warming is a hoax.

[ Parent ]

MT, you're being ironic right? (none / 0) (#27)
by FoxholeAtheist on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 10:33:27 PM EST

With that last phrase:

global warming is a hoax.

I haven't read the Pentagon report on the national security risks of global warming. But I recommend the PNAC Report - which you may have already read.

[ Parent ]

: Yes, I'm being ironic (5.00 / 1) (#28)
by Militarytracy on Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 08:37:07 AM EST

It gets to me that most conservatives that I know keep insisting that global warming is a hoax. And the military is full of conservatives. And in 2004 the Pentagon puts out a study about the expected affects of global warming on our national security. How could the Pentagon be sucked into this hoax? Why won't conservatives who act like the military is above making errors talk about the global warming that the Pentagon sees? Even the West Point graduate with a degree in nuclear physics hanging around this place insists that global warming is a leftwing hoax. I keep telling myself he's young, haven't brought up the report yet. You have to be gentle with our idealistic young or they just build bigger walls walling you out :) My daughter discovered that the only news he watches is Fox, and then as only daughters can do she began to explain to him that this is a problem for her mother.....and he asked why it was problem for her mother that he wants to hear the truth? We're going to have to be kind with this one. It is a long way to fall.

[ Parent ]

BTD (none / 0) (#1)
by Natal on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 07:41:41 AM EST

we in the Big Ten are not going to take the bait but I will say if UM can put a rush on Clausen it'll be a lot closer than 20 points.

: yeah, like.... (none / 0) (#18)
by NYShooter on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 08:22:27 PM EST

Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34

[ Parent ]

IMO, USC will easily handle OSU (none / 0) (#3)
by Dadler on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 08:15:09 AM EST

Better athletes, better speed, deeper team, the only way OSU wins is if USC gets intimidated by the crowd, which I just can't see happening. Freshman QB, sure, but I just don't see OSU overcoming their roster disadvantages. And like you said, Tent, they are ALWAYS overrated.

It's been more subdued in A (none / 0) (#4)
by oculus on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 10:14:12 AM EST

squared ever since the cheerleaders were no longer from the men's diving and gymnastics teams. Too tame now but the marching band is still the world's best. GO BLUE!!!

Awful loud... (none / 0) (#15)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 03:23:04 PM EST

...in the Big House today. The ESPN Game Day talking heads were going on about Michigan being the "sleeper" team in the Big Ten this year.

[ Parent ]

: And lo and behold they won! (none / 0) (#24)
by oculus on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 01:48:46 AM EST

[ Parent ]

Interesting picks (none / 0) (#5)
by Steve M on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 10:28:42 AM EST

I think the jury is still out on which of Michigan/ND is any good this year. U-M does have some young talent that has them buzzing in Ann Arbor. But I feel you can never go wrong predicting disaster in what will be the short-lived Rich Rodriguez era.

Today will be a funny day in that everyone in the Big Ten is unabashedly rooting for Ohio State. A lot of regional pride is on the line, as it is every other year when we lose the big intersectional matchup 35-3.

But come on, who can follow college football when we already know the Gators will hoist the trophy? Just give it to them already, and bring on basketball season.

Where is your... (none / 0) (#7)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 10:48:07 AM EST

...Spartan pride, Steve?!? This could be their year to go all the way!

[ Parent ]

Maybe! (none / 0) (#8)
by Steve M on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 10:52:04 AM EST

When we won the Rose Bowl my freshman year I never imagined that more than 20 years would go by with no return trip. At this point I am just happy the program has returned to respectability.

[ Parent ]

OK... (none / 0) (#12)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 02:34:01 PM EST

...maybe not all the way this year. That's a tough one--losing a close game to Central Michigan at home.

[ Parent ]

Well (none / 0) (#13)
by jbindc on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 03:12:24 PM EST

As a Central Michigan alum, I probably annoyed my downstairs neighbors as I was jumping around for joy and promptly emailed a friend (MSU alum) who tried to trash talk me through email yesterday. :)

Oh, and as a CMU marching band alum, I might add that when I was there, we did a training video for both MSU and U of M to show them how to march in a style that was more current than 1955. :)

[ Parent ]

: Hehe (none / 0) (#17)
by Steve M on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 04:32:40 PM EST

Lots of my high school friends went to Central. Fire Up Chips!

[ Parent ]

I'm torn. (none / 0) (#6)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 10:44:12 AM EST

Do I put aside my distain of Michigan and Ohio State aside and root for them to win for the good of the Conference or indulge my baser instincts and hope they get their hats handed to them?

Do I root for Michigan to win because I really don't want to listen to this ND = National Champ contender nonsense all season long or do I root for UM knowing a win will result in all kinds of "we're back!11!" delusion? OSU and USC? Geez that's like choosing between a stroke or a heart attack--I really don't want either.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Too bad that UM, OSU, USC and ND can't all lose today.

One thing for sure, 6 point dogs on the road or not, Go Hawks!

I don't follow collegiate (none / 0) (#9)
by brodie on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 11:22:38 AM EST

gridiron action as closely as I used to, so it's something of a surprise, even a disappointment, to learn that UM, besides having a questionable head coach, also has a questionable team to field. Here's hoping they can exceed low expectations and actually put a team out there that's worthy of the school's outstanding fight song and their funky helmets and quality home uniforms.

Especially when they go up against the overhyped and overexposed ND squad. Notre Dame -- like rooting for General Electric. In fact, last I checked, the team is basically sponsored by GE, what with their unique tv network contract with NBC. People like George Steinbrenner, Donald Trump, Jack Welch, and Gordon Gekko will be cheering on the Irish today.

SC vs OSU. I'm not in the tank for the Trojans, unless they're playing a major outside the Pac-10, especially a team from either Dixie or the state of Ohio. Never been much of a fan of things from that state -- its politics or its sports teams or its Jerry Springer. John Glenn being a rare, minor exception. Oh, they do have some interesting ancient anomalous structures there too -- Serpent Mound, and the several gigantic geometric mounds. Intriguing puzzle all that.

But OSU to me still means ugly gray uniforms and cluttered helmets and RW wacko Woody Hayes -- a neanderthal bully known for long brutal practices and for punching opposing players.

Though I'm a Bay Area guy, I'll be pulling for SC and their rookie QB today ...

I'd just prefer Rutgers didn't lose. (none / 0) (#10)
by snstara on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 11:24:18 AM EST

Especially after last week's whuppin'.

Morale around the place plummets dramatically, and then we all start grumbling about the stadium costs.

The fact that I can score free tickets for the game on Facebook is not a good sign...

Well BTD... (none / 0) (#11)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 02:21:52 PM EST

...your MileHi Hawkeye special was on the money. Not only did they cover the spread, they demolished it.

Lots of true/RS freshmen playing and playing very well for the Hawks. Like to see that! The future is bright.

Poor sad Cyclone fans. This was their bowl game and they got manhandled.

Go Hawks!

Oops! (none / 0) (#19)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 08:45:49 PM EST

BTD: "Notre Dame by 20 points."

Off by 24, counselor.

Hawaii is on the road today, and beating up a weak Washington State team - 35-13, late in the 3rd. And my alma mater, the University of Washington, finally snapped its 15-game losing streak by beating Idaho, 42-23.

: Congrats... (none / 0) (#20)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 09:12:14 PM EST

...to U-Dub for getting off the snide! No doubt wherever he is, Don James is smiling tonight.

[ Parent ]

Barkley played well (none / 0) (#21)
by MKS on Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 11:54:51 PM EST

but McKnight won it for USC.

I still think Aaron Corp is better than Barkley-- who threw a ton of INTs his senior year in high school.

Why is no one mentioning Cal? (none / 0) (#22)
by cymro on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 12:12:00 AM EST

Typical myopic East Coast bias, I guess ;-)

I'm not on the east coast ... (none / 0) (#23)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 12:23:49 AM EST

... and I'm not mentioning Cal, either, because whipping up on I-AA Eastern Washington is hardly noteworthy. ;-)

But then, no one in Div. I can afford to look past such teams these days. Hawaii really had to struggle to beat Central Arkansas in last week's opener at Aloha Stadium - five turnovers tend to make things difficult for you - and Florida State came within a minute tonight of losing to I-AA Jacksonville State. The final score of 19-9 is very deceptive, as the Seminole scored 12 points in the final 40 seconds to finally erase a longstanding 9-7 J-State lead.

[ Parent ]

: Cal should be included ... (none / 0) (#25)
by cymro on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 02:09:12 AM EST

... in any discussion that includes USC, because USC's national ranking depends on the assumption that they will beat Cal this year, which is in doubt.

[ Parent ]