2012 College Football Thread

[michaelskis]

It will be fascinating to see what happens with the current players on the team and those with letters of intent. That would be an interesting project to follow these players for the next 10 years to see where they go or stay and what happens after graduation. For the best of the best on the team who are looking at an NFL bid, why would they stay? I see the next 4 years of PSU football being full of guys who like to play the game, but don't have intentions to go pro.

It might not be the death penalty, but it is more like a slow, painful beating.

[Planit]

So 1/3 of the Legends Division is not eligible for bowl games now.

[hilldweller]

I wonder if the Big-10 kicks PSU out now.

[Hink]

I wonder if the Big-10 kicks PSU out now.

Won't happen. They are a strong university, with lots of other sports that are great.

[hilldweller]

Alright, enough about the PSU scandal.. who do you guys think will win the National title in 2012-13?

[btrage]

Alright, enough about the PSU scandal.. who do you guys think will win the National title in 2012-13?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it will be a team from the SEC

[Hink]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it will be a team from the SEC

Not this year.

I am putting money on USC, Oregon, or *Shutter* Michigan.


Although LSU is amazing this year....

[stroskey]

For the best of the best on the team who are looking at an NFL bid, why would they stay? I see the next 4 years of PSU football being full of guys who like to play the game, but don't have intentions to go pro.

It might not be the death penalty, but it is more like a slow, painful beating.

I see where you are coming from but I just don't see how this is all that bad. Even with "only" 65 scholarship players I still think they are head and shoulders above programs like Indiana, Washington State, and Duke, not to mention the FBS teams in mid-major divisions. There are mediocre players at most D1 schools that were never offered scholarships at top programs like Penn State and they seem to do alright. Iowa State vs. Okie State. Appalachian State vs Michigan, etc. The bowl ban is what I think hurts them the most - guys want to play in a bowl game and have a chance to make an impression on the national football landscape. I doubt upperclassmen would transfer out at this point for three reasons. First, others teams probably have their scholarships filled at this point. Secondly, It's hard to learn a new system from new coaches in just one year. Finally, they have built a team up and it's not easy to leave those guys regardless of the bowl ban. If you are NFL-bound why would you leave a system you are familiar with and can perform well in to be hit-or-miss with another team and possibly lower your draft status? I'm not saying Penn State will play "to their standards" for the next five years but they will still be better than half of the other D1 programs.

[hilldweller]

Not this year.

I am putting money on USC, Oregon, or *Shutter* Michigan.

Michigan would have to get past Alabama week 1 in Dallas. Not happening IMO, especially with Touissant suspended for his DUI.

USC will be great, and I think they'll beat Oregon again this year. My pick is Alabama (for the second year in a row).

[Brocktoon]

Alright, enough about the PSU scandal.. who do you guys think will win the National title in 2012-13?

I think the championship game will be USC vs. USC...with the winner being USC.

[Rygor]

So 1/3 of the Legends Division is not eligible for bowl games now.

It's the Leaders Division, actually. This opens up a small window of opportunity for those other schools in the division to rise up a little at least into the middle echelon of the B1G where Wisconsin and Iowa now lie.

[WSU MUP Student]

The fallout on the grid iron is starting to occur: One of Penn State's top recruits for 2013 has already switched his commitment from PSU to the University of Michigan.

I think we will see quite a few more of these types of scenarios, where those with letters of intent or underclassmen jump ship, happen pretty quickly. I don't think many of the upperclassmen, who have already invested a few years on the field with Penn State and who have proven their mettle will leave Happy Valley. If they have a legitimate chance of making it to the NFL, they are already on the radars of the scouts and getting one or two extra bowl games really won't make much of a difference for them at this point.

[hilldweller]

It's the Leaders Division, actually. This opens up a small window of opportunity for those other schools in the division to rise up a little at least into the middle echelon of the B1G where Wisconsin and Iowa now lie.

Is that a jab at UW? I'd put Wisconson at the top of the B1G as defending conference champions.

[Planit]

It's the Leaders Division, actually.

You are correct sir, my bad.

Leaders, Legends, whatever...get real conference names.

[Hink]

You are correct sir, my bad.

Leaders, Legends, whatever...get real conference names.

Like East and West Real clever.....

[Planit]

Like East and West Real clever.....

But at least you know (or have a better guess) which division a school is in. Arkansas would not be in the east, Georgia would not be in the west - that's easy to figure out.

[Planit]

Penn State now leads with the most vacated wins in NCAA (A dubious honor indeed). 'Bama is also near the top, but the seasons/wins they vacated were in successive years.

http://deadspin.com/5929290/here-are...llege-football



(Florida is not on this list, but Florida State is..tied with osu)

[hilldweller]

Did the NCAA not vacate wins as a punishment back in the 1980s and earlier?

[Bubba]

http://deadspin.com/5929290/here-are...llege-football

10. (tie) Georgia Tech

Seasons with vacated wins: 2009
Total wins vacated: 1

The Georgia Tech football team had a good year in 2009, going 11-3 and winning the ACC. Unfortunately, the team was forced to vacate its conference title game win because one of the players on the team had received $312 worth of clothes from a professional sports agent. That makes perfect sense, I guess.

Even I think that's idiotic on the part of the NCAA...and that's saying a lot.

[Planit]

Today, USAToday published the Preseason Top 25 poll, let's see how it compares with SI's Way Too Early poll:

Your wish is my demand................

Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples has already put out his "Way Too Early 2012 Rankings" and they are as follows:

1. Louisiana State Tigers
2. Southern California Trojans
3. Oregon Ducks
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
6. Michigan State Spartans
7. South Carolina Gamecocks
8. Oklahoma Sooners
9. Georgia Bulldawgs
10. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
11. Michigan Wolverines
12. Wisconsin Badgers
13. West Virginia Mountaineers
14. Clemson Tigers
15. Kansas State Wildcats
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers
17. Florida State Seminoles
18. Virginia Teck Hokies
19. Boise State Broncos
20. Stanford Cardinal
21. Texas Longhorns
22. Notre Dame Irish
23. Auburn Tigers
24. Oklahoma State Cowboys
25. Georgia Tech Yellowjackets

1. LSU Tigers
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
3. Southern Cal Trojans
4. Oklahoma Sooners
5. Oregon Ducks
6.Georgia Bulldawgs
7. Florida State Seminoles
8. Michigan Wolverines
9. South Carolina Gamecocks
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
11. West Virginia Mountianeers
12. Wisconsin Badgers
13. Michigan State Spartans
14. Clemson Tigers
15. Texas Longhorns
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers
17. Texas Christian Horny Frogs
18. Stanford Cardinal
19. Oklahoma State Cowboys
20. Virginia Tech Hokies
21. Kansas State Wildcats
22. Boise State Broncos
23. Florida Gators
24. Notre Dame Irish
25. Auburn Tigers

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...l/coaches-poll

[hilldweller]

Today, USAToday published the Preseason Top 25 poll, let's see how it compares with SI's Way Too Early poll:



1. LSU Tigers
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
3. Southern Cal Trojans
4. Oklahoma Sooners
5. Oregon Ducks
6.Georgia Bulldawgs
7. Florida State Seminoles
8. Michigan Wolverines
9. South Carolina Gamecocks
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
11. West Virginia Mountianeers
12. Wisconsin Badgers
13. Michigan State Spartans
14. Clemson Tigers
15. Texas Longhorns
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers
17. Texas Christian Horny Frogs
18. Stanford Cardinal
19. Oklahoma State Cowboys
20. Virginia Tech Hokies
21. Kansas State Wildcats
22. Boise State Broncos
23. Florida Gators
24. Notre Dame Irish
25. Auburn Tigers

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...l/coaches-poll

Looks a lot like last year's preseason poll, except for Michigan being ranked so high. Don't have any major arguments with it though.

[btrage]

Looks a lot like last year's preseason poll, except for Michigan being ranked so high. Don't have any major arguments with it though.

Michigan won't be that high for long after they get Rolled by 'Bama in Dallas.

[hilldweller]

Michigan won't be that high for long after they get Rolled by 'Bama in Dallas.

Tis' true. That game will be ugly.

As for USC and Oregon- these teams don't play anyone all year (except each other). The rest of the PAC-whatever-it-is is an absolute joke.

USC's schedule:
Sept. 1 -- Hawaii
Sept. 8 -- vs. Syracuse (@ E. Rutherford, N.J.)
Sept. 15 -- at Stanford
Sept. 22 -- California
Oct. 4 (Th.) -- at Utah
Oct. 13 -- at Washington
Oct. 20 -- Colorado
Oct. 27 -- at Arizona
Nov. 3 -- Oregon
Nov. 10 -- Arizona State
Nov. 17 -- at UCLA
Nov. 24 -- Notre Dame

Look out for that tough non-conference game against Syracuse in New Jersey... seriously does SU play D-1 football anymore?

Oregon's schedule might actually be worse:

September 1: Arkansas State at Oregon
September 8: Fresno State at Oregon
September 15: Tennessee Tech at Oregon
September 22: Arizona at Oregon
September 29: Oregon at Washington State
October 6: Washington at Oregon
October 18: Oregon at Arizona State
October 27: Colorado at Oregon
November 3: Oregon at USC
November 10: Oregon at California
November 17: Stanford at Oregon
November 24: Oregon at Oregon State

[Planit]

hilldweller, those look like big10 schedules - playing absolutely no one.

[hilldweller]

hilldweller, those look like big10 schedules - playing absolutely no one.

The Big-10 is going to deeper/tougher than the Pac 12 this year though IMO, so at least the in-conference games will be tough. I actually think Ohio St. should have been on the preseason top-25 list (and I'm absolutely not saying that to suck up to Hink).