Only 27 days until the college football season kicks off

[fishwax]

:woohoo:

The preseason coach's poll came out today ... http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/usatpoll.htm

USC is ranked number one, but it could be a pretty wide open season ... My team (the Oklahoma Sooners) should have a good season, perhaps a really good one if they can find a solid quarterback.

So how good is your team going to be this year?

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Utes should be good, but have a very tough schedule.

@ Oregon State
UCLA
@ Louisville
@ TCU
@ BYU

Ack, it'll be tough, but hopefully they're good enough to win most those games.

[fishwax]

6. The Utah v. Oregon State game is the highlight of opening night

That does look like a good schedule, though. Good luck to the Utes--I'll be pulling for them in every game save CSU and Wyoming ;)

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Need some revenge after the Pokes kicked our ass last year in Laramie.

I hate playing the Rams in Fort Collins, Sonny Lubick has owned the Utes there for years.

[fizzgig]

11. one of the few teams they've owned

the rams are expected to suck it up again this year

but damn, it's fun to catch a game at hughes...especially if it's uw or air force :D

[fishwax]

12. The last few years have been pretty underwhelming for the rams

especially after all the success (for pretty much the first time ever) in the first ten years that Sonny Lubick was there. At least last year they managed to beat Colorado again :rofl:

[Drunken Irishman]

16. I wonder if Lubick is kicking himself for not taking that Miami job...

After Butch Davis bolted for the Browns. Colorado State was coming off a fantastic 10-2 season where they won the Mountain West and beat Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. He was the leading candidate to replace Davis, but pulled out of the running and the job went to Larry Coker. The Rams had a mediocre 2001 season, then 2002 was their last really good season. I think CSU fans can trace the programs collapse to UNLV at the end of the year. CSU was 10-2 entering that game and then finished 10-4 after losing to UNLV and then TCU in the Liberty Bowl. In '03 they went 7-6 and then the bottom fell out in '04 when they went 4-7.

Poor Lubick, since 2003 he's gone 21-27, while Utah's gone 37-12.

[fishwax]

31. He was a candidate earlier in his career, too

He was actually an early front runner before Butch Davis took the job too. CSU was coming off conference titles. Before he showed up, they'd only been to, I think, two bowls in their entire history.

But he apparently loves the school and loves the area, and I think at that point he'd made the decision to retire at CSU, despite being courted again once Davis left. It's worked out well for him in the long run--hell, he's already got the field named after him, but you might be right that he'd'a been better off jumping ship this last time around. And you're right, they haven't been the same since that UNLV game.

[Drunken Irishman]

37. I remember the Utah-CSU game from 1994.

Ron McBride had been coaching the Utes for 4 years, while Lubick was in his second season. The Rams entered the game ranked like 12th in the nation, undefeated and coming off a huge win against the 8th ranked Arizona Wildcats. That game was one of the best in Utah history. I remember the Utes being up 7 with only a minute or so left. The Rams made an amazing drive and were down on Utah's 10, when Harold Lusk stepped in front of Hill's (I think that was his name) pass and returned it 100 yards to put Utah up 14 with hardly any time left in the game. Utah finished 10-2, jumping out to an 8-0 record before losing back-to-back games to the damn Lobos and Falcons. That CSU game was great, too bad Utah couldn't have gone undefeated that year though. Sadly, that was the norm with Ron McBride. Play well against teams you shouldn't beat, then lose to the ones you should stomp!

[fizzgig]

23. that's really the only game that matters

:D

[fishwax]

29. too bad the buffs are too scared to play the Rams on a neutral field or at Hughes

Those games at Mile High seemed to have quite an atmosphere (aside from the occasional riot) ... and how sweet would it be to have an actual home and home series? It's fun to imagine the Rams beating CU up at Hughes ...

[fizzgig]

33. you don't think mile high is neutral?

and i'd LOVE to see the game at hughes, but it's so small they couldn't make much money off it :eyes:

[fishwax]

36. I guess it slipped my mind that they moved it back to Mile High

I was remembering a few years back when they insisted the game be at Folsom or they wouldn't play. I completely forgot that they moved it back to Mile High again. :)

[pokerfan]

9. Oregon State is no longer a "U"

They were tired of being confused with Ohio State and OK State. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

So now they are just OS.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/310566_os06.html

[fishwax]

30. that's pretty funny

probably a good move on their part though. :)

[pokerfan]

32. For their next trick they will be changing their mascot

[MrCoffee]

2. Texas Fight!

Why doesn't Texas fall into the Gulf of Mexico?

Because Oklahoma sucks.

Hook 'Em!

[fishwax]

4. Boomer Sooner

Why is it so windy in Oklahoma? Because Texas sucks and Kansas blows.

Good luck to your team, though, at least until October 6th. :)

[pokerfan]

10. Since beating the Longhorns in the '03 Holiday Bowl

my team has fallen on hard times.

But our flag is always on ESPN Game Day.



The high point of last year was this drive against Auburn. Then they reinserted our starter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qeb83DEEX68

[Drunken Irishman]

17. Why did Doba pull him?

Sometimes coaches make me want to bang my head against the wall when they pull someone who's showing signs of being damn good. Utah's old coach Ron McBride SAT, yes SAT, Alex Smith behind TWO quarterbacks in the 2002 season on a red shirt. Then brought him out to play ONE freaking down against San Diego State, burning his red shirt and nearly forcing Smith to transfer because of it. Luckily Urban Meyer came to town, talked him into not transfering and the next thing you know, Smith goes 21-1 as a starter, guides Utah to an undefeated season in 2004, a Fiesta Bowl victory and becomes the #1 pick in the NFL draft.

[pokerfan]

26. He intended to give Rogers a series all along

This goes back to when Mike Price was the coach. During Jason Gesser's senior year he would always give backup Matt Kegel a series.

So Rogers comes in and promptly leads a 90 yard TD drive and as the announcer said, "igniting the team." The D was so inspired that they held Auburn to three and out on the next series.

Doba said that he thought about leaving Swogger in the game but felt that would have sent a "harsh message" to Brink. So Rogers never saw the field again until garbage time.

Former Cougar coach and radio color(ful)man Jim Walden was critical of Doba's decision. You will get a kick out of this article:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/moore/283807_moore05.html

"Where I disagree," Walden said, "is that (most coaches) act like (QBs) are porcelain. They're just football players. Stop that crap! If a guard misses three blocks, you get him the hell out of there. If a quarterback throws three passes into a crowd, you don't want to hurt his feelings? B.S. You kick him in the (butt) and get him out of there.

[gr8dane_daddy]

20. Hook'em Horns!

Number 4 on the list!


Why did God make Oklahoma? So Arkansas would have someone to make fun of... :P

[VenusRising]

3. I hope the Buckeyes do well this year.

I have faith in Jim Tressel. He has done an amazing job as coach, and I'm sure with the other leadership on the team to bring the new guys along it will be a great season regardless of how we do.

As long as we beat that school from "up north" it's a good season.

Go Buckeyes!! :bounce:

[fishwax]

13. I'm sure they'll have a good year

They get Wisconsin at home this year, right? That will help ... gotta travel to Michigan though. Alas, while that game is big every year, I don't think this season's game will match the hype and stakes of last year's ...

[cobalt1999]

5. My team won't be as good as last year

but last year was good enough! Go Gators!

[fishwax]

14. well, you never know

They're getting a lot of respect in the preseason polls ... it's been a long time since a team has won back to back undisputed titles, though ...

Congrats on last year--I'm sure it was fun for you to watch :toast:

[texas1928]

7. GO IRISH!!! FIGHT!!! and GIG'EM AGGIES!!!!!!!!!!

HEX TEX!!!!

[fishwax]

15. no texas tech?

The notre dame/a&m combination struck me as odd, so I had to check your profile to see where you were coming from ... Lubbock? The plot thickens ...

Regarding the Aggies, I must note that A&M has to travel to Norman this year, and bad things tend to happen when they travel to Norman ... but they ended last season on a high note :) (And the Sooner Nation thanks the Aggies for the assist on the conference championship :toast:)

[texas1928]

19. Can not stand tech.

People here think if you live here you have to live and breath tech. I only root for tech when they play TU. I hope Fran can get the Aggies act together and we can win a few more this year. I was so happy when we beat TU last year. It was a great end to the season. The Irish, I have always been an Irish fan. I die a little each time they lose.

[gr8dane_daddy]

21. I thought the end of your season was the Holiday Bowl against those bears?

How did it turn out? ;)

[texas1928]

22. Dude...

Don't be snotty...


:P


Man had to bring that up...



SHeeeSH Some people just have to be haters.




:P

[Lyric]

18. We're sitting pretty at #6 in that poll

Let's gooooo Mountaineers!

[greatauntoftriplets]

24. Northwestern didn't even make the list....

:cry:

[Mz Pip]

25. Go Bears

Every year I hope.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Rhythm]

27. WVU's in the TOP 10 again!!!

Let's go... Mountaineers!!

[WinkyDink]

28. PSU--Notre Dame, 09/08/07. Be there, or be square!

Go, LIONS!

[Blue_Tires]

34. are they any closer to getting rid of that bullshit nerd computer?

and finally getting a REAL playoff?

[Joey Liberal]

35. I can't wait - hope Notre Dame has a great year! n/t

[triguy46]

38. Hendrix College: Undefeated since 1960!

:woohoo:

[CatholicEdHead]

39. Wisconsin starts off as #7

That should be good, they can easily go higher.

/Gophers suck this year :(