Figured I'd take a break from Buckeye talk today and give you some my thoughts about topics around college football outside my enclosed bubble of Ohio State...
- What a disaster occurring in Ann Arbor right now. As a professed Buckeye, I find myself a bit conflicted in regards to the "State Up North."
On one hand, this is my Darth Vader in life, the team I've hated ever since I was old enough to talk, and the team that destroyed National Championship hopes and dreams for me in '95 and '96. The pain and anguish that they are experiencing has me smitten with giddy delight.
On the other hand, winning six out of the last seven in "THE Rivalry" and watching national powerhouses Appalachian State and Toledo beat the Wolverweenies (on their home field, mind you) has almost watered down the rivalry for me.
But maybe the most frustrating part is why the Wolverines are an absolutely irrelevant 2-6 this season. I don't want excuses from Michigan fan about the people transferring or a new offensive system.
I could be completely wrong, because it has been less than a year, but I think Rich Rodriguez was a terrible hire for that university. Do you think Michigan would be 2-6 with Lloyd Carr at the helm still? No way.
Rich Rodriguez, in his "coaching wisdom," has decided to put square pegs in round holes with his personnel, and he has deserved everything he's gotten for it. Good coaches see their team's strengths and weaknesses and play to talent, not the scheme.
If you are Rich Rodriguez and you want to bring the spread option to Michigan, fine. It's your team, and you take it the direction you choose. But you recruit to the style and make the switch when you can make the commitment to that scheme.
Rodriguez ran people out of the program and has done an absolute disservice to the returning players of the Carr regime by having them try to run an offense they weren't recruited to.
One more indictment, and probably the most telling one, is the de-commitments coming from their current recruiting class. Kevin Newsome, Bryce McNeal, and William Campbell—three of the cornerstones to his first full recruiting class—have already evacuated, which tells me that the recruits don't buy Rodriguez's vision for the program.
Look back at Jim Tressel's first couple of recruiting campaigns...despite the Buckeyes' struggles in 2000 and 2001, Tressel was able to keep the 2000 recruiting class by Cooper relatively intact and build with following classes because the recruits bought his vision.
The same thing happened with Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, and Pete Carroll. You never saw the rash of de-commitments you are seeing in Ann Arbor.
Bet Michigan fan is wishing Mr. Yachtman (Bill Martin) would have been a bit more proactive in the Les Miles courtship, eh? What an abomination.
Much as I hate them, the school up north should NEVER be 2-6...if I was Michigan fan, I'd have Rodriguez flown back to Morgantown on my own dime immediately.
34 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment
GeorgiaDawg 8 months ago
SEC, SEC , SEC....
Just kiddin'... Good article Zuke. Enjoyed the rivalry talk from up North....
I would have to agree that the SEC may be down this year... there is still some game left to be played, so we will see how it plays out.
If my Dawgs can topple the "mighty, suddenly unbeatable" Gators today, the season will take on a whole new urgency for the Dawg Nation.
Go Dawgs!!
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Kristofer Green 8 months ago
Great article! I agree with all of your points. The ND talk is unbelievable. There are people who are actually asking, "Why isn't ND ranked?" I think you answered that question!
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Isaac Luber 8 months ago
ND sucks! Great article, Zuke! I've been saying to ND fans that they don't play anyone, but their like, "oooh, we won games! We almost lost to SDSU but we still beat them!" Just SHUT UP!!! Right, Zuke? Its annoying!
In my opinion, there is one great team, 2 good teams, and the rest of them are average or bad teams...this may surprise you. (In the SEC).
GREAT TEAM: Georgia! They overlooked Bama in their first game, but if they get a rematch they will demolish them!
GOOD TEAM (2nd Best in SEC): Florida! They had an upset loss at home against Ole Miss, but they have really come back. Don't expect them to beat the Dawgs, though.
GOOD TEAM (3rd Best in SEC): Bama. They're not that good. Seriously, everyone thinks they are unbeatable, but they have so many weaknesses, which includes their QB, passing game, second half performance, stamina, and so on, that I don't see how they're ranked 2. They got lucky against the Dawgs, who were overlooking them, but if Bama doesn't lose to LSU or to any team in the regular season, either Georgia or Florida would crush them in the SEC Championship game!
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Michael Inglis 8 months ago
Do you have any facts whatsoever that UGA overlooked alabama???
That has got to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard someone say on this website.
Usually when a team overlooks someone it's because they have a big game the next week. Do you know who UGA played the week after Bama. . . think about it, think about it. . . NOBODY, they were off!!!!!!!
Usually when you are playing the #8 team in the country not to mention it's was a conference game you aren't overlooking them. On top of that it was a night game in Athens and UGA brought out the almighty black jerseys. Do you know why they did that? Because they realized it was a big game.
Serioulsy, that was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.
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Colin Flosi 8 months ago
"GREAT TEAM: Georgia! They overlooked Bama in their first game, but if they get a rematch they will demolish them!
GOOD TEAM (2nd Best in SEC): Florida! They had an upset loss at home against Ole Miss, but they have really come back. Don't expect them to beat the Dawgs, though."
ROFL.
Don't expect them to beat the Dawgs?
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Isaac Luber 8 months ago
Michael, I didn't say looking ahead, I said overlooking, as in, they didn't think they were that good.
Colin...I thought Georgia was better. Now I have realized how good Florida really is. I think they are the one team who could beat us in the National Championship.
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onezuke18 8 months ago
I truly feel that Florida is the best team in the SEC, and are starting to fire on all cylinders. Georgia's a good football team, and Florida just waxed them out of Jacksonville this past weekend.
I also think Alabama would have trouble dealing with them at this point as well.
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Jeremy 8 months ago
Very nice. The SEC is a good league, but they have very average quarterback play at best and outside of Florida and sometimes LSU offenses are not very good, and I hate the response to that to say the defenses are so good that is why offense suffers.
Last I checked Oklahoma and Texas both have good offenses and defenses and they light up the scoreboard.
The defense is good in the SEC but the offenses is terrible. On a side note not sure how Alabama is ranked as high as they are. They have no quarterback and a so-so offense. I would bet that if Bama were in the Big XII South they would go 8-4 or 7-5
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Michael Inglis 8 months ago
OU and Texas has good defenses???
Is that why OU has given up 35, 31, and 45 the past three weeks?
And Texas isn't much better, 35, 31, and 24 the last three weeks?
And please don't say it is because they are playing good offenses because if you can only play good defense aganst teams with average to bad offenses then your defense isn't very good.
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Ray Bogusz 8 months ago
What does Charlie Weis being white and Catholic have to do with anything?
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onezuke18 8 months ago
It has to do with why Charlie Weis was given a massive extension of his contract when he was what...7 games into his first season, and Tyrone Willingham not getting a fair shake in South Bend.
You don't think race had anything to do with the hirings and firings at Notre Dame??? Honestly...
Here's a question for you Ray, and thanks for taking the time to read and comment by the way, but do you think Tyrone Willingham would've gotten through a 3-9 season at Notre Dame? But Charlie Weis did, and to this point, he has yet to prove that he can beat anyone of merit.
So that is why I made the white and Catholic comment...not because I just want to throw out racial smatterings against a university, because I think it has merit.
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Ray Bogusz 8 months ago
They knew that Ty Willingham had left the team with nothing.
And the reason they're keeping him now, and will continue to do so, is because of the big fat contract extension he got.
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onezuke18 8 months ago
Well Ray you got the big, fat contract extension part right. They signed Weis to an astronomical deal for a long...LONG time, what 10 years wasn't it? So the Notre Dame athletic department has kind of backed itself into a corner there.
Ty Willingham didn't leave Notre Dame with any talent??? The team that Charlie Weis had his beginning success with was Ty Willingham's players Ray. Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardja, John Carlson, Rhema McKnight, Anthony Fasano, Tom Zbikowski, Trevor Laws...Ty Willingham's guys.
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Ryan Raber 8 months ago
liked my picture, did ya? :-)
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Scott Glesner 8 months ago
I have just one question...why is it that there was only 1 game that had an SEC team play against a Big 12 team (Texas over Arkansas)? My conference ratings have the SEC just a hair over the Big 12, but the SEC still has a few OOC games to play out. The Big 12 decided to play all of their OOC games before conference games. And no, you can't say the Big 12 is better than the SEC since they are 1-0 versus them. If you say that, you then can say the ACC is better than the Big 12 since the ACC is 4-0 against the Big 12. In fact. these two conferences are 7-8 (Big 12) and 5-6 (SEC) against BCS teams (includes Notre Dame). Sometimes perception is stronger than reality...the other conferences are 11-7 (ACC), 7-7 (Big East), 6-7 (Big 10), and 5-8 (Pac-10) against the BCS members.
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Nathan Robite 8 months ago
Enjoyed the article! I follow the Wolverines purely because my best friend from high school is a rabid Michigan fan. But you really pointed out what we have discussed what has gone wrong with that program. I also echo your commentary on Notre Dame and the Big 12-SEC. Those Big 12 games have been some of the most exciting games of the season by far. The SEC isn't far behind, but this season would have to go to the Big 12.
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Jeff Contizano 8 months ago
The sad thing is all of your brilliant points about Michigan are wrong..
Justin Boren left because the off-season workouts were too "hard". Cambell is still probably going to commit he just felt he committed a little too early. McNeal wanted to be closer to home.. So yeah, again, your wrong.
And how, oh mighty couch-coach, do you change to the spread? This team is bad. No matter the scheme they are just not playing well, that's why a lot of freshmen are playing. So take your garbage and post it elsewhere.
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HD Handshoe -- BlockONation.com 8 months ago
Bitter much there Jeff?
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onezuke18 8 months ago
lol...well then Jeff, if I'm so wrong, then explain to me what Michigan's REAL problems are then to me, so I may fully understand the reason that Michigan is 2-7 on the season after they were coming into this season off a victory in the Capital One Bowl over a pretty damn good Florida team?
Explain to me why Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington chose to leave that program a year early when neither were going to be first round draft choices?
Explain to me why Justin Boren would leave Michigan (a place his father played), a place he loved, and was a All-Big Ten honorable mention, and a two year starter for your team, and would've been the best returning offensive lineman...to play at Ohio State???
And where are you getting that it was "too hard" for him??? From other Michigan fans who are pissed he left the program, and Rich Rodriguez who is so pressed to try and put his stamp on the program that he ran most of what established talent there was in Ann Arbor out. "Too hard for Justin Boren?"...yeah because Barwis is just the Hulk Hogan of training coaches. And Michigan fans have bought it. So, you are telling me the only personnel "tough enough" to handle Rich Rodriguez' death camps is this 2-7 squad?
As for me, "KING OF THE COUCH COACHES" self proclaimed by the way...how would I change to the spread? I would run the already established pro style attack that Michigan was previously running because I have existing talent that fits that attack better, and recruit for a year or so, telling the new recruits that we will be running the style of offense I (Rich Rodriguez), was running at WVU when we bring you (the recruit) and other recruits more suited to handle this offense a year or so from now.
And McNeal wanted to be closer to home huh? Because Minnesota is light years away from Michigan in distance. Bryce McNeal is probably going to end up at Minnesota now because right now, Minnesota is a better program headed in the right direction, and Tim Brewster is doing a helluva job up there.
So for my garbage posts...I'll post them here, and continue to post them here, and if you don't like the truth, don't read my articles. You have that option Jeff. All that said thanks for READING and commenting.
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Jeff Contizano 8 months ago
Yeah I admit was kind of pissed off when I read this, I apologize for that..
Players on the team admitted and told a lot of media officials Boren complained and didn't want to be a team player. I don't blame him for it, conditioning isn't always easy and he probably felt like he didn't belong.
I think to a point Rodriguez has handled the program wrong, in some ways. He came and kind of wanted to instantly make this "his team", but realized that he was foolish to do that and he probably did alienate some former players and fans alike.
McNeal admitted that he had committed to early and he wanted to be closer to home. Yes, Minnesota isn't that far away, thank you. But from what I hear he didn't like Michigan as much as anticipated and he's probably going to Minnesota or Colorado (weird pick).
As for the whole spread deal.. I don't know if it would be better either way. Threet is a below average quarterback at the moment and his passing game is really inefficient. The offensive line is running the same zone scheme as last year so that isn't really an excuse.. it's just youth, inexperience, and to be honest a lack of real talent.
We aren't a very good team regardless of what scheme we play.
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Michael Cline 8 months ago
I can totally relate to you concerning Michigan, OZ. I grew up 45 minutes from the Horseshoe, love the Buckeyes, hate Michigan. But watching them go down today to Purdue, securing a losing season, and missing a bowl bid for the first time in my life, almost made me feel sorry for them. Then I snapped out of it and just laughed.
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onezuke18 8 months ago
I hear you Michael...it is truly is sad. Michigan...no matter how much they are rebuilding, shouldn't be dropping games to Toledo and Purdue. And they shouldn't not be able to win 6 games and not reach a bowl game.
The worst part about it that he are two Buckeye fans, who hate Michigan, saying that everyone (Michigan fans, alumni, and board members) should be demanding more out of their program than what their getting this season, and they're snapping at us, instead of taking a cold hard look at their program and asking questions as to why it is, this staff can't beat the likes of Toledo or Purdue?
But I'm the "couch coach", what do I know?
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Michael Inglis 8 months ago
I just have one question to the author. . .
You site how Auburn and Miss State was an embarassing game because the score was 3-2, but how is that any less embarassing then some of these Big 12 scores where it's like 50-40 every game??
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onezuke18 8 months ago
Because the Big12 has quarterbacks...LEADERS...on their teams. The only good quarterbacks you have in the SEC are Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford and MAYBE Jevon Snead....3-2???....shut your mouth SEC fan....and be happy that you've brainwashed ESPN into buying the crap that you're even COMPARABLE to the Big12 this season. Oh I'm sorry Tennessee v. Auburn's 14-12 barnburner was SO MUCH better...shut your mouth...you're ignorant and biased. The Big 12 is a BETTER AND FAR MORE COMPLETE CONFERENCE THIS SEASON. And the fact that your objectivity can't admit it, shows exactly that.
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GatorJon 8 months ago
Wow, how shall I cope with an Ohio State fan calling the SEC overrated?
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onezuke18 8 months ago
lol....you laugh when I call the Florida Gators (which I assume you are a fan of, a great team.)? And the team which I give all the credit in the world for beating a team that I LIVE AND DIE FOR...yet you defend a conference....lol...............that just shows a regional inferiority complex....lol.....read my work before you comment GatorJon.....lol.....
stop blindly defending a conference GATORjon and defend YOUR TEAM....FLORIDA WHICH JUST BEAT GEORGIA 35-3 AND GAVE YOUR TEAM ALL THE RESPECT IN THE WORLD.....you're friggin SEC brainwashed...lol....
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Michael Inglis 8 months ago
I WROTE:
I just have one question to the author. . .
You site how Auburn and Miss State was an embarassing game because the score was 3-2, but how is that any less embarassing then some of these Big 12 scores where it's like 50-40 every game??
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ONEZUKE 18 WROTE:
Because the Big12 has quarterbacks...LEADERS...on their teams. The only good quarterbacks you have in the SEC are Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford and MAYBE Jevon Snead....3-2???....shut your mouth SEC fan....and be happy that you've brainwashed ESPN into buying the crap that you're even COMPARABLE to the Big12 this season. Oh I'm sorry Tennessee v. Auburn's 14-12 barnburner was SO MUCH better...shut your mouth...you're ignorant and biased. The Big 12 is a BETTER AND FAR MORE COMPLETE CONFERENCE THIS SEASON. And the fact that your objectivity can't admit it, shows exactly that.
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WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what to say after that. I asked a simple question to hear your opinion and you just lost it. Don't get your panties in a twist over something like that. Damn, son what are you on??? Is that roid rage that I just witnessed???
I actually agree with you overall view that the SEC is down this year and the Big 12 is up but there is no need for the attack. The point I was trying to make is that overall the SEC has no offense and overall the Big 12 has no defense. So you can't make fun of the SEC for not playing offense when the Big 12 doesn't play defense. It's the same thing except opposite ends of the spectrum.
I understand you are mad that your Ohio State Buckeyes are the laughing stock of college football and you've been raped the last two years in the NC but don't take it out on me. You probably watch them lose the NCAA Basketball Championship too, oh yeah and soccer so it's been a rough couple of years for your little 2nd rate school but again don't take it out on me. I'll tell you what, when your school can actually beat, i mean compete with an SEC school you let me know.
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onezuke18 8 months ago
"WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what to say after that. I asked a simple question to hear your opinion and you just lost it. Don't get your panties in a twist over something like that. Damn, son what are you on??? Is that roid rage that I just witnessed???
I actually agree with you overall view that the SEC is down this year and the Big 12 is up but there is no need for the attack. The point I was trying to make is that overall the SEC has no offense and overall the Big 12 has no defense. So you can't make fun of the SEC for not playing offense when the Big 12 doesn't play defense. It's the same thing except opposite ends of the spectrum.
I understand you are mad that your Ohio State Buckeyes are the laughing stock of college football and you've been raped the last two years in the NC but don't take it out on me. You probably watch them lose the NCAA Basketball Championship too, oh yeah and soccer so it's been a rough couple of years for your little 2nd rate school but again don't take it out on me. I'll tell you what, when your school can actually beat, i mean compete with an SEC school you let me know."
Let me answer a couple of your questions Michael...
When you asked the question of what "Damn, son what are you on???"...
-lol...at the time I took to respond to your post, I was "on", about a bottle of Jack Daniels finest. lol. Hanging out with friends and watching Florida beat the snot out of Matthew Stafford. And reading Michigan fans comments above^^^, about how Michigan is moving in the right direction as a program and that I don't know what I'm talking about. So I 'd like to apologize for the "roid rage" in my response. lol. I probably took it out on the wrong guy...but Jack Daniels will do that to a playa sometimes.
"I understand you are mad that your Ohio State Buckeyes are the laughing stock of college football and you've been raped the last two years in the NC but don't take it out on me. You probably watch them lose the NCAA Basketball Championship too, oh yeah and soccer so it's been a rough couple of years for your little 2nd rate school but again don't take it out on me. I'll tell you what, when your school can actually beat, i mean compete with an SEC school you let me know."
-But the statement above is where my problem lies. Even in my Jack Daniels roid rage, not once...did I mention the Ohio State Buckeyes. That wasn't even a part of the conversation. As a Buckeye fan, what am I going to say to SEC fan about anything??? We're 0-9 against the SEC, and have gotten our asses handed to us the last two times that we've played an SEC team. And if you read my articles, I give SEC all the the credit in the world for being a great, and normally the best conference in America. As a Buckeye fan, I have no arguement, because all you'd have to do is say scoreboard. But it had nothing to do with Ohio State...it had to do with the Big 12 and the SEC.
But this is exactly my point...going back to your original question; I just have one question to the author. . .
You site how Auburn and Miss State was an embarassing game because the score was 3-2, but how is that any less embarassing then some of these Big 12 scores where it's like 50-40 every game??
Why would you ask an original question like that, if you didn't want to argue the point that this year, the Big 12 is a better football conference? If you agreed with me to begin with, why wouldn't you just leave a comment conceding the point?
But now that I'm sober...lol...I'll answer your question...because quarterback play dictates the game. Simple as that. The quarterback play in the Big 12 this year is simply light years ahead of every other conference in America. Todd Reesing, Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell, Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Chase Daniel, Zac Robinson...these are all VERY GOOD quarterbacks. Quarterbacks dictate the game, and a quarterback who makes good decisions, and executes, can shread the best defenses.
Why do you think the Big Ten has been down for such a long time? Because other than Michigan until recently, and Troy Smith for Ohio State, name an OUTSTANDING quarterback in that conference? The quarterback play in that conference has been the definition of average for years now.
The quarterback play in the SEC this year outside of Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, and maybe Jevan Snead at Ol' Miss hasn't been very good. This is allowing good SEC defenses to shut down the offenses. Mike Hartline at Kentucky has been marginal, Jonathan Cromptons been benched in Knoxville, Casey Dick hasn't ever been any kind of a threat at Arkansas, Auburn has (Ohio State syndrome), and is allergic to the endzone...so those fast, physical SEC defenses look even better because there aren't many quarterbacks who have the talent to set the tempo against them.
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GatorJon 8 months ago
I'm pretty sure Michael just hit it on the head. Zuke, you seem to be taking out your frustration via your replies, which backs up the point of my previous post: Why should a Florida Fan or LSU Fan or SEC Fan put any credence in a comment from a jilted Ohio State Fan? I find your extrapolation of my simple question into my defending the SEC as a whole very curious. I also find your excessive use of "LOL" to be insincere. I'm guessing you wrote this piece so that you might bash away at the commentators as some sort of catharsis. I wish you well.
Florida won the game 49 to 10, by the way.
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onezuke18 8 months ago
Yeah sorry, turned the game off at 35-3 in the third quarter...still doesn't change my stance, and once again doesn't have one thing to do with Ohio State.
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Ryan Jelley 8 months ago
I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to tespectfully disagree with your take on the Michigan program. Michigan fans were aware this is what it was going to be like this year that is why you only see a small majority of people actually calling for Rodriguez's head.
And you were wrong about those decommitments maybe you should read this first. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/76031-wolverines-season-cannot-be-credited-for-wolverines-losses-in-recruiting-battles
And you guys better not act like the rivalry is diminishing because that is what is Michigan fans did when you guys went 2-10-1 under Cooper and look how that switched powers. Watch out this year because every new coach at Michigan who is a non-michigan man has beat the Buckeyes on their first try.
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HD Handshoe -- BlockONation.com 8 months ago
Ryan, SCum fans nationwide were predicting AT LEAST 8 wins and as many as 10 or 11....I've heard and seen it firsthand so don't tell me you all expected this....That's total BULLSHIT!
You never saw this coming even though we tried to tell you.....you're going to probably end up 3-9 as you might beat Northwestern....might...
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Ryan Jelley 8 months ago
Those fans that didn't do a little research first preicted 8 wins,obviously those fans that you saw and heard were bandwagoners because knowledgeable die-hard fans new it would be a rough year. everywhere Rodriguez goes he has a hard first its common knowledge for the die-hard Michiga fan. At Tulane, at Clemson, at West Virginia his offense never prduced the first becuase the personnel was not there and it is a complex system to learn.
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Michael Inglis 8 months ago
QB play doesn't dictate the game and if defantliy doesn't dictate which conference is the best. The SEC usually doesn't produce QB who put up great numbers.
John Parker Wilson owns the Alabama record for most TD in a career at 44 but in the Big 12 there will probably be a couple of QB who get that many TD this year alone.
As good as Mathew Stafford is and he'll probably be a top 10 pick he has never thrown 20 TD in a year. It's not because he isn't talented it's because he play's tougher defenses.
Do you really think that Sam Bradford would have thrown 36 TD in the SEC as a redshirt Freshman. Stafford only threw 7 TD as a redshirt freshman.
Grahm Harell threw 48 TD last year, not even Peyton Manning could reach 40.
The SEC is a run the ball conference and play good defense. That is the way they play down south. The Big 12 and SEC play two different styles of football.
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