Ohio State vs. Florida

Here are the ratings again. Please take a look Jack.

 

Hmmmmm. Looks as if FSU (the last team beaten by UF) isn't as bad as some would like to suggest. They thoroughly beat the team that recently beat USC. USC had no offense against them. FSU's O scored 37. Hint: FSU didn't score 37 on UF's defense.

 

The SEC negotiates its bowl slots for its place teams, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., to play lower ranked teams from the other conferences in the bowls. In the games between teams that were evenly matched, Wisconsin, the #2-tied Big 10 team defeated Arkansas, the #2 outright SEC team. Oklahoma State and Alabama were closely matched, OSU won. The only other SEC matchup that was even in terms of strength of the SEC versus the team from the other conference was the South Carolina-Houston matchup, which SC squeaked out.

Having said that, I'm going to back away from my earlier prediction that Ohio State will walk all over Florida, and run up the score almost at will, to predicting an Ohio State win along the lines of 28-14, or perhaps 35-17. Too much time has passed since their last game, and that has a tendency to slow down the offense.

Although I absolutely can't stand any sports team that plays within 50 miles of the State of Florida, I am almost hoping they win the game. In the week between the Fiesta Bowl and the National Championship, it appears that Boise State has garnered enough press and coaching support to win the split national title if Ohio State loses, like USC did with LSU three years ago. They deserve it.

 

I wonder if Spurrier ever wonders what life would have been like had he stayed in "The Swamp" ???

Gators will "CHOMP!!! CHOMP!!!" 28-10

 

I'm for anything that destabilizes the BCS. A Florida win makes Boise State look really good (they'd be the only undefeated team).

I'm hoping for a UF win, but I'm not betting on it.

 

I predicted a FL win but I didn't think it would be that easy. Pure domination! And the first TD for OSU should not have counted as it was clearly holding on the play. FL could have probably scored at least another couple of touchdowns.

Troy Smith looked horrible! I thought he was a little overrated but I didn't think he was that bad. I wonder if this game hurts his stock?

Well, the SEC ended up 6-3 which was towards the top of all conferences...

 

This is why the Heisman should be awarded after the bowl games.

OSU= OVERRATED

 

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Just remembering you said this....

It wasn't even close, was it? OSU stomped. ND stomped. Mich dominated. Weak schedules caught up with all these teams.

 

Ohio State is now 0-8 against SEC teams in bowl games.
Florida is the first team to hold the men's BB title and football title simultaneously.

I'm not shocked Florida won. I am shocked Florida dominated. You could tell Ohio State could not match Florida's speed and athleticism. 51 days is a long time between football games, eh Bucks?

Will we hear any whining from OSU fans about Ginn's injury or any other excuse? Tressell is a class act, and Troy Smith handled the media well. Hats off to the Buckeyes for a great season.

 

Go Gators

This is so true!
Gators QB dominated the game, he picked the zone defence apart.

 

Thoughts:

• Long layoffs help the better coach. Troy Smith looked like a deer in the headlights.
• I don't think I saw one single long pass by Florida...that shows patience and discipline (you'd figure they'd have to chuck it a time or two).
• Upper eschelon SEC teams are at the next level. Auburn (probably), and LSU/Florida (definitely). Not sure anyone else is in their league right now. Middle of the Pack SEC teams (Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, SoCarolina, Kentucky, Georgia) are pretty competitive...no one got blown out in a bowl, and several teams were convincing in their wins.
• I don't think Florida loses a great deal, do they...besides Chris Leak (which IS a big loss)? Boy, that's scary.
• As I predicted, Boise State got a vote (or two?) for 1st place. Not that I agree with it, but after their win I figured it would happen.
• I did get tired of hearing the commentators talk about how the Florida faithful couldn't wait for Chris Leak to leave the building and anoint Tebow. That was too harsh. Too bad they also didn't talk about how those two young men are leaders because of their faith in God...but who would expect that discussed?
• The coaching fraternity in the SEC will be Scaaaaaary next year: Meyer, Saban, Spurrier, Tuberville, Fulmar...all either have won National Championships, or have had perfect seasons.

 

I wouldn't say they were overrated. A six week layoff evens the playing field for everyone involved. The year OSU beat Miami, Miami was clearly the better team. Same with USC last year. 51 days between games is like starting a new season all over again.

I give Florida credit. Their game plan, playcalling and team speed were far superior. Chris Leak looked really good, and Troy Smith looked awful. This will definately hurt his NFL stock.

 

RBell, calling Tennessee a middle of the pack team is laughable. The last two years have not been good, but this year was an improvement over last year's aberration and the recruiting class coming in shows Tennessee is still a national power. Ask California if Tenn is a mid-pack team. Finishing 2nd in the SEC East to the eventual national champion makes you middle of the pack? Please.

You are right about the coaching strength. Fulmer is joined by a pretty formidable cast.

PastorSBC: I lived in Cincinnati for a while, so I rooted for OSU, though I was glad the SEC disrespect was getting swallowed by the naysayers. Some say you have to root for your conference brethren. Maybe, but we recruit against those conference brethren. Then again, we recruit against everyone, and if you saw the Army HS all-star game, we win many of those battles. Not bad for a middle of the pack team, eh, RBell? :thumbs: At any rate, Meyer has Florida back in the national spotlight and I don't think they'll go anywhere for a while. The SEC is only going to get stronger.

 

It's looking even tougher to me for an SEC team to run the table. Now...not only do you have the murderous schedules, parity, but you have to face teams w/coaches that didn't just fall off the turnip truck.

Tom, I repent in sackcloth and ashes.

Tennessee is at the very top of the middle of the pack.:laugh:

(actually, them and Auburn would probably IMO make the 2nd tier, just under FL and LSU).

 

UT stands to have a top 5 recruiting class this year headlined by the nation's best CB and best LB. They're still in the running for the best DE and DT.

These guys seem to think Fulmer has what it takes to make them champions.

BTW, Meyer is beginning to run out of Zook's players. It remains to be seen if he can recruit the kind of D Zook built or if his O works without someone as smart as Leak.

You might want to hold off on the coronation.

BTW, Miles at LSU is bleeding assistants. His OC is going to FSU which is huge. Les is about to be exposed. Things aren't nearly as bleak for the Vols as many would like to think.

 

Scott, you don't think Fulmer can "make them champions"?

 

Florida and their coach proved that they belonged where they were, and my hat's off to them. I honestly thought the blowout would have been the other way. Had they played in mid-season, before the heisman hype, all the jockeying for the draft, and a 60 day layoff, it might have been different, but that's the way it goes in the BCS system. It almost seemed like Ohio State's players, and coaches, just flat out didn't care, that they've already got what they wanted out of this season and were content with whatever it was.

As for Boise State, the BCS has made that question one which will always remain open ended. They showed a lot more determination and guts in their game than the Buckeyes did, who is to say that with a national championship on the line, they couldn't have found Florida's weaknesses like Auburn did and exploit them?

I wasn't as impressed with the rest of the SEC, with the exception of LSU and Kentucky. Kentucky's win over a Clemson team that shouldn't have been invited to a bowl (and wouldn't have been if their coaches last name had been something other than Bowden) was entertaining. LSU's was exciting. The SEC's deliberate negotiation of their teams into bowls against lower finishing teams from other conferences generally produces predictable results, except that Arkansas and Alabama weren't supposed to lose to their inferior opponents. And no honest to goodness Volunteer fan could be anything but disappointed in their season. One of my colleagues took his pennant off his office wall, and says he's not putting it up again until Tennessee clobbers Florida next season.

 

Boise St may or may not be able to give FLA a game, but Auburn did not beat Florida...Florida beat Florida.

What? The Cap One bowl has the Big Ten #2 against the highest available SEC (usually since the SEC gets two BCS teams). The Outback pits the Big Ten # 3 against the next best SEC. The Cotton takes the next highest SEC team, preferably the SEC West champion or runner up if not in one of the other higher level bowls. Your assertion is without merit, and that's pretty true of all major conferences. Sometimes a bowl will pass on the affiliated team for economic reasons, but that's the bowl's perogative.

Your colleague is no Tennessee fan. Tennessee fans root for the Vols. Am I disappointed? Yes, in certain aspects. It was disappointing to lose close games late against FLA and LSU. It was disappointing to have 4 starters on the sidelines against ARK. 9 wins is never enough in Knoxville. But I'm pleased with modest improvements over 2005 and our recruiting class is shaping up to once again be back in the top 5 after being a dismal 20th last year.