Bama vs. ND. Who are you taking?

[Andrej]

The BCS NCG is right around the corner. Who are you picking to win?

[John E. Kelley]

Fighting Irish baby!! If my Skins can win the Super Bowl and my Irish the BCS all in the same year, all will be right in my world.

 

I realize that the odds of this are slim to none, but a guy can hope.

[trench]

I'm pulling for Notre Dame, Alabama has won 3 of the last 4, they need to be beaten.

[Daruya]

As much as I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate to even slightly appear to support Alabama, I have to stick with the SEC. I just wish LSU would have beaten the pants off of the elephant (instead of the reverse) so I wouldn't be in this distasteful position . . . But I absolutely REFUSE to say those 2 profane words and will close, instead, with War Eagle!

[balefired-ed2]

I hate both teams, but in light of how Bowl season has gone thus far, I think a Golden Domer victory is looking more likely.

[Rufae]

Hopefully Bama will because if ND wins, we will hear about it through movies and tv shows for the next 20 years (a la, Rudy)

[John E. Kelley]

Nah, we never hear about Lou Holtz's 1991 championship with ND.

[Cbinpdx]

I like the Crimson Tide.

[Andrej]

I think it's setting up to be a heavy weight collision, no doubt. Both teams are physical and stout in their running games on both sides of the ball. I think the Domer's QB is the "if" factor though. If he shows up to play and can use his athletic ability, Bama is in trouble.

 

Either way, it's gonna be an exciting match up. I'm not a fan of either team but I think games like this make the sport better as a whole. I'm pulling for the Irish on this one though, I'm tired of hearing the SEC homers bragging about their conference.

 

[SinisterDeath]

Don't watch college football, mostly cause unlike the NFL, there I don't really have a team I favor over any others. Closet I could possibly cheer for would be.. NDSU or MSU...

[Rufae]

Realistically, Alabama has shown to be vulnerable to long ball passers. ND doesn't have a good long ball passer. So Bama wins.

[Andrej]

Realistically, Alabama has shown to be vulnerable to long ball passers. ND doesn't have a good long ball passer. So Bama wins.

 

They've also been weak against mobile quarterbacks, ND certainly has that.

[Kamin_Majere]

Alabama takes it.  If Georgia would have been the opponent I would give the Irish a chance, but since they are stuck with Alabama across the field they are doomed.

 

I'm an Auburn fan, but I'll pull for the tide in any game but the iron bowl

 

Auburn > Alabama > Any SEC Team > does the rest of the country even play football? 

[Daruya]

LOL! Kamin, I like you! WAR EAGLE!

[Katiora]

I'm from alabama and a HUGE Alabama fan. So of  course i'm cheering for the TIDE! And I'm with you Kamin, except that I have to switch Bama and Auburn... Though I don't think i'll ever cheer for Mizzou... Regardless of them being SEC... >.> <.< 

 

ANYWAY... With the mobile quarterback thing... we were vulnerable against the mobile quarterback when they had a good long passing game... i.e. Texas A&M, when they did not have a good passing game we weren't so vulnerable... i.e. Michigan... 

 

I think this will be a pretty good game. I'm super nervous about it though. Alabama has not shown the best playing during stressful situations this year. And if the SEC bowl games are any indicator I might be sick... I have been severely disappointed in the SEC in bowl games so far... 

[balefired-ed2]

Alabama takes it.  If Georgia would have been the opponent I would give the Irish a chance, but since they are stuck with Alabama across the field they are doomed.

 

I'm an Auburn fan, but I'll pull for the tide in any game but the iron bowl

 

Auburn > Alabama > Any SEC Team > does the rest of the country even play football? 

 

If the SEC is that superior they should have dominated all of their bowl games, right?

 

As of now, they are sitting at 3-3.

 

The team considered by the polls to be the second best in the conference got their asses kicked up and down the field by Louisville. Georgia only scored 45 on Nebraska in a competitive game. South Carolina barely beat Michigan. LSU lost to Clemson.

 

I came into this bowl season thinking about laying money down on Alabama. Now I am glad that I didn't, and am thinking about dropping 50 on the Domers. You should look to your conference and realize that the rest of the country is catching up to you, real quick like.

[Andrej]

 

ANYWAY... With the mobile quarterback thing... we were vulnerable against the mobile quarterback when they had a good long passing game... i.e. Texas A&M, when they did not have a good passing game we weren't so vulnerable... i.e. Michigan... 

 

Michigan was out their starting running back that game due to suspension. Part of the reason why A&M's passing game is so good is because of the threat of the run. Whether it be Manziel or one of the backs, the threat of ripping off a good run is always there and consequently that will open up the passing game.

 

Regardless though, I think it's going to be a hard fought and physical game. Bama's O-Line is probably the best ND will face all season besides Stanford and likewise I think ND's front 7 will be the best Bama has faced all year. The key for them is to slow down the run game and force long yardage situations on McCarron

[Kamin_Majere]

 

If the SEC is that superior they should have dominated all of their bowl games, right?

 

As of now, they are sitting at 3-3.

 

The team considered by the polls to be the second best in the conference got their asses kicked up and down the field by Louisville. Georgia only scored 45 on Nebraska in a competitive game. South Carolina barely beat Michigan. LSU lost to Clemson.

 

I came into this bowl season thinking about laying money down on Alabama. Now I am glad that I didn't, and am thinking about dropping 50 on the Domers. You should look to your conference and realize that the rest of the country is catching up to you, real quick like.

 

Conference with most BCS bowl appearances: SEC (25)(31 if you count this years)

Conference with most BCS bowl game wins:  SEC (16)(19 if you count this years)

Conference with most championships: SEC (8)(this year unknown)

 

I was just goofing around and putting in a good natured jab at the end (hence the smiley) but yeah if you want to get right down to it... stats are stats and they say the SEC is the dominant force in college football.  Not to be mean to other conferences, but for the past decade you mine as well consider the SEC championship game the National Championship game 

 

Though i will say i wish Instead of the University of Missouri, the conference would have tried to get Clemson.  Clemson is an awesome team and i would have LOVED to see them join the SEC (though that would have given us way to many tiger mascots lol)

 

The SEC is middle of the road in most other sports but in football the conference cant be called anything but dominant

[Andrej]

Women's Softball in the SEC is pretty serious too. Where are you getting those stats from, by the way? Only two SEC teams this year went to BCS bowls; I think you're confused. BCS bowls refer to only the top 5: Fiesta, Rose, Orange, Sugar and then the NCG. Just FYI 

 

Honestly though, I wouldn't call the SEC the most dominant conference, sure the streak of championships looks nice but all it really shows is that the BEST TEAM is coming from that conference. It's hard to brag about being the toughest top to bottom when you have a school going 0-8 in conference play (UK). That's not depth. Outside of the top 3 teams in each division this season the other 8 schools combined for a losing record in conference play. SEC has some of the best teams, yes, but they aren't the deepest conference. Two of those top dogs were already knocked off by supposedly "lesser" teams. UF to UL and LSU to Clemson.

[Kamin_Majere]

True, the conference has won a lot of nationals in other sports in recent seasons, but its not really as dominant as it is in football. Though it is true, womens softball is right up there... those girls play for blood

 

Sorry about that, i went and recounted. The SEC has 24 total appearances with 16 wins as of last years bowls... not sure where i got the extra bowls from this year (i think i was just going by all of them)

So this year makes 26 total appearances and until the National championship still 16 wins.

(math is hard for us poor Alabama folk )

 

That's about 26ish percent of all BCS bowls have been one by a single conference, and about 60ish percent of the National Titles. I'd still say that's dominant. That leaves 74ish percent of the rest of the bowl games to be split with the other 10 major conferences and 40% of the championships to be split with the other 4 eligible conferences.

 

As to the depth, i'll give you that. The SEC really only has 4 or 5 solid teams with the rest simply being good to poor. On top of that this was the weakest year the SEC has had in a while. But conference play sucks in the SEC. The top dogs are going to destroy everyone else so the rest of the conference is stuck fighting for the scraps of whats left. Its harsh, but its the way of it i guess

 

 

I still dont understand why Clemson wasnt given more love in the rankings this year... they had an amazing team and i knew going in they would beat LSU. Louisville i didnt expect to beat Florida not by a mile, but they played an awesome game and deserved that victory, it was one of the best games this year to me (total opinion, but i really enjoyed watching it)

 

i love college football :)

[Andrej]

I'm with you there, I'm such a huge fan of college football I watch it religiously whenever I'm not deployed or gone for some type of exercise for work.

 

Clemson is a good team, I wasn't trying to bash them. I was especially impressed watching them take over that second half against LSU and watching Boyd connect with Watkins Lite (I can't remember his real name lol). I was just using that game as an example that the lauded top dogs of the conference had taken some tumbles themselves, but then again LSU has always been pretty pathetic on offense the last few years.

 

In the end it's all about perception though, and for whatever reason ESecPN will continue sucking on the teet that is college football. I'm just ready for this playoff system to start next season; it's definitely going to need to expand though. 4 teams just isn't enough

[Rufae]

Tennessee is sitting at home watching Vanderbilt win their bowl game on tv. That is all that matters to me. The rest is gravy.

[Kamin_Majere]

Yep 

I love college ball because you never know what will happen.  Its like polished chaos... just awesome

 

True, the play off system after a few seasons of getting it right will probably be the best bet for the over all sport.  I don't want it to go back to the multiple champions of yesteryear, but the BCS has always been heavily favorable to some teams and trashes others.  I mean if Alabama wins this year again it will be two in a row that wasn't a perfect season.  They probably were the best teams those years but it does seem Alabama is "blessed" by the BCS because last years all SEC national title showed how screwed up the BCS is if a perfect storm of events happen... though it did show that an all Alabama (Alabama vs Auburn) national title could happen if the oddest of events happened, that would have been sweet 

 

Hopefully the play off system will be constantly worked on for the next few seasons to make it a good system.

 

But yeah college football is defiantly tops in my books.  Its always fun to get behind your team and give the other guys trash about theirs. (being an Auburn fan i took the kings load of trash from my friends this year  )

[Kamin_Majere]

Double post goodness lol

[Katiora]

I only have one thing to say....... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!