Since the media is all aflutter this week with coach interviews, player ranks, and preseason polls, I thought I'd do a couple rankings of my own. This is just quick hits, folks. No explanation, no endearing commentary. I'll be doing the Big 12 today, and the Big East and ACC later this weekend.
1. West Virginia
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Kansas State
5. Oklahoma State
6. TCU
7. Texas Tech
8. Baylor
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas
...okay, so maybe a little endearing commentary. I think it's important to point out that I have West Virginia on top not just because I'm a fanboy (let's be honest, it was a factor), but because I think Oklahoma is almost as overrated this year as they were last year when they were the preseason #1 team in the land. They're going to be good again- almost certainly a top 2 finish in the conference- but just like last year when I had Oklahoma State taking the conference, I have the quote-unquote "second-best team" beating out the Normanites for all the gravy.
Other things to consider- Kansas State is being vastly overlooked and underrated by basically everyone on Earth. I don't think they have athletes to compete with the likes of Texas or the other top two teams, but they're head and shoulders above the rest of the conference and capable of knocking anyone off.
I wish people would hop off the respective crotches of Baylor and Oklahoma State. This is not a complex concept. The primary reasons their teams were good are now gone. They aren't going to pick up right where they left off. There will be major steps backward.
TCU will have a middle of the pack intro season. Their schedule gets pretty brutal down the stretch.
Texas Tech will finish ahead of the "other teams." They'll be noticably better, too. I'm thinking bowl eligible.
Iowa State will have another middling year, but will stage another huge upset.
Kansas will continue to remind their fans why they appreciate basketball so much.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
2012 Bowl Forecasting/Phil Steele is a Moron
The Blog hasn't forgotten about you folks. The Blog does, however, have a second job that is consuming around 50-60 hours a week. Thankfully, Phil Steele has shaken me from my work-induced, apathetic coma.
I enjoy Phil Steele. He has a sleek, shiny website that really makes this blog look like a piece of shit (just being honest). But hey, sometimes a glossy coat of paint can't hide the inner machinations of a complete moron. Phil Steele, I'm calling you out.
Pop Quiz: Take a peek at Steele's 2012 bowl projections. Which of the following best describes these pairings?
A. Utterly Rediculous
B. Completely Idiotic
C. Entirely Wrong
D. Another Superlative Adverb/Degrading Adjective Combination
E. All of the Above
If you chose E, then congratulations! You have won a modicum of intelligence that apparently other bloggers in the field seem to have misplaced.
I won't make you read through all the projections listed on Steele's site-- bowl games are getting to be a bit like Redskin losses, it's just getting entirely too hard to keep track of them all-- so for your convenience, I will list the important ones below:
Rose Bowl: USC vs Wisconsin (C4G Bullshit Meter: 3/10)
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs Michigan St (C4G Bullshit Meter: 4/10)
Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs Alabama (C4G Bullshit Meter: 7/10)
Orange Bowl: Oregon vs USF & BCS National Championship: FSU vs Oklahoma (C4G Bullshit Meter: temporarily broken due to excessive BS)
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs Arkansas (C4G Bullshit Meter: 5/10)
Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs Georgia (C4G Bullshit Meter: 2/10)
Outback Bowl: Nebraska vs Florida (C4G Bullshit Meter: 3/10)
Gator Bowl: Iowa vs South Carolina (C4G Bullshit Meter: 6/10)
Alamo Bowl: Stanford vs West Virginia (C4G Bullshit Meter: 5/10)
ChickFilA Bowl: Clemson vs Tennessee (C4G Bullshit Meter: 7/10)
Okay, so that's a lot to process. But most of that boils down into the following couple of take-away notes:
1. Oklahoma will win nearly every Big 12 game next year, if not go outright undefeated.
2. Florida State will go undefeated and win the ACC championship.
3. Wisconsin will win the Big 10 for the third straight year, followed (in order) by Michigan, MSU, Nebraska, and potentially Iowa.
4. After Oklahoma, Texas will finish second in the Big 12, followed by Oklahoma State, then West Virginia.
5. USC and LSU will each lose at least twice.
6. Georgia will win the SEC East, but the SEC West will have three of the four best teams. (LSU, Bama, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Tennesse, South Carolina in that order.)
Okay, so I'm gonna start at home in the Big 12. Thinking that Oklahoma and WVU will be 1 and 2 in some order is typical. Throwing Texas in there, understandable. Throwing OSU in... it's not unheard of, but I certainly wouldn't base postseason predictions off of it.
The Big 10 is a little hairy too. I think Nebraska is being entirely undervalued, but I'm okay with Wisconsin winning. Steele gets a stamp of approval here.
This is the point at which Steele seems to lose his sanity.
The Big 12 is deeper than the hole Leonidas kicks that Persian douchebag into in 300, and there's no way on Earth Oklahoma (or for my money, anyone else in the Big 12) is going to run through that gauntlet unscathed. Oklahoma will not play for the national championship. And Florida State? Is a response even necessary for that? I'm gonna just let that one go, and list it as charity next time I fill out my taxes.
Of course, placing FSU in the title game has far reaching implications. Steele informs us that he doesn't believe an ACC school will be up to snuff for the Orange Bowl in FSU's absence, so the OB selection committee will choose to take Oregon as an at large. They will of course play South Florida. Who else would be better to cap a tale that starts with Florida State not reaching its expectations than another perenially underachieving Florida school? It's all so poetic and flowery. And as they say in the League, pretty damn Frittata.
And let's not forget about Texas' at large BCS bid, or South Carolina having an even worse year than 2011. Ha. Right.
Steele makes some understandable concessions, and follows them up with some downright laughable ones. So for the sake of his education, here's by best shot at predicting the unpredictable:
BCS Title Game: LSU vs USC
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh
Orange Bowl: Clemson vs Oklahoma
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Nebraska
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Oregon
Cotton Bowl: Texas vs Alabama
Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs Arkansas
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs South Carolina
Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs Mississippi State
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs Washington
ChickFilA Bowl: Florida State vs Tennessee
I enjoy Phil Steele. He has a sleek, shiny website that really makes this blog look like a piece of shit (just being honest). But hey, sometimes a glossy coat of paint can't hide the inner machinations of a complete moron. Phil Steele, I'm calling you out.
Pop Quiz: Take a peek at Steele's 2012 bowl projections. Which of the following best describes these pairings?
A. Utterly Rediculous
B. Completely Idiotic
C. Entirely Wrong
D. Another Superlative Adverb/Degrading Adjective Combination
E. All of the Above
If you chose E, then congratulations! You have won a modicum of intelligence that apparently other bloggers in the field seem to have misplaced.
I won't make you read through all the projections listed on Steele's site-- bowl games are getting to be a bit like Redskin losses, it's just getting entirely too hard to keep track of them all-- so for your convenience, I will list the important ones below:
Rose Bowl: USC vs Wisconsin (C4G Bullshit Meter: 3/10)
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs Michigan St (C4G Bullshit Meter: 4/10)
Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs Alabama (C4G Bullshit Meter: 7/10)
Orange Bowl: Oregon vs USF & BCS National Championship: FSU vs Oklahoma (C4G Bullshit Meter: temporarily broken due to excessive BS)
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs Arkansas (C4G Bullshit Meter: 5/10)
Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs Georgia (C4G Bullshit Meter: 2/10)
Outback Bowl: Nebraska vs Florida (C4G Bullshit Meter: 3/10)
Gator Bowl: Iowa vs South Carolina (C4G Bullshit Meter: 6/10)
Alamo Bowl: Stanford vs West Virginia (C4G Bullshit Meter: 5/10)
ChickFilA Bowl: Clemson vs Tennessee (C4G Bullshit Meter: 7/10)
Okay, so that's a lot to process. But most of that boils down into the following couple of take-away notes:
1. Oklahoma will win nearly every Big 12 game next year, if not go outright undefeated.
2. Florida State will go undefeated and win the ACC championship.
3. Wisconsin will win the Big 10 for the third straight year, followed (in order) by Michigan, MSU, Nebraska, and potentially Iowa.
4. After Oklahoma, Texas will finish second in the Big 12, followed by Oklahoma State, then West Virginia.
5. USC and LSU will each lose at least twice.
6. Georgia will win the SEC East, but the SEC West will have three of the four best teams. (LSU, Bama, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Tennesse, South Carolina in that order.)
Okay, so I'm gonna start at home in the Big 12. Thinking that Oklahoma and WVU will be 1 and 2 in some order is typical. Throwing Texas in there, understandable. Throwing OSU in... it's not unheard of, but I certainly wouldn't base postseason predictions off of it.
The Big 10 is a little hairy too. I think Nebraska is being entirely undervalued, but I'm okay with Wisconsin winning. Steele gets a stamp of approval here.
This is the point at which Steele seems to lose his sanity.
The Big 12 is deeper than the hole Leonidas kicks that Persian douchebag into in 300, and there's no way on Earth Oklahoma (or for my money, anyone else in the Big 12) is going to run through that gauntlet unscathed. Oklahoma will not play for the national championship. And Florida State? Is a response even necessary for that? I'm gonna just let that one go, and list it as charity next time I fill out my taxes.
Of course, placing FSU in the title game has far reaching implications. Steele informs us that he doesn't believe an ACC school will be up to snuff for the Orange Bowl in FSU's absence, so the OB selection committee will choose to take Oregon as an at large. They will of course play South Florida. Who else would be better to cap a tale that starts with Florida State not reaching its expectations than another perenially underachieving Florida school? It's all so poetic and flowery. And as they say in the League, pretty damn Frittata.
And let's not forget about Texas' at large BCS bid, or South Carolina having an even worse year than 2011. Ha. Right.
Steele makes some understandable concessions, and follows them up with some downright laughable ones. So for the sake of his education, here's by best shot at predicting the unpredictable:
BCS Title Game: LSU vs USC
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh
Orange Bowl: Clemson vs Oklahoma
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Nebraska
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Oregon
Cotton Bowl: Texas vs Alabama
Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs Arkansas
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs South Carolina
Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs Mississippi State
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs Washington
ChickFilA Bowl: Florida State vs Tennessee
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