BCS Title Game Predictions
 

I'm torn on this one. On one hand, I do think that the Big 12 is overrated. UC was their best out of conference win. But, the SEC was up and down this year too, see Ole Miss beating TTU and Alabama losing to Utah. My gut says that Florida is too good all around for Oklahoma to handle, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Oklahoma put up 50.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

Florida 49 - Oklahoma 27

The Big 12 hasn't shown well in bowl games. They are allowing points at the same alarming clip, but aren't fairing as well offensively. Sure they have gotten some wins, but those games have been ugly.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

I still remained surprised at how people let conferences dominate how they think about individual teams. The conferences are not playing each other. The other teams in the conference have nothing to do with the two teams playing for the national championship. It's Florida against Oklahoma, not the Big 12 versus the SEC.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

I will use my tried and tested formula that accurately worked to predict last season's National Championship game, the World Series winner, and last season's Superbowl winner. I always pick the team I do not want to win. So this year the NCAA Football National Champion will be Florida.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

fla-30
uo-20

tex-27
ohio st. 20

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

I understand your frustration (I believe we've had this argument before), but conference play and performance gives us a context for each team. The fact that Texas Tech, a supposedly high level Big 12 team, lost to a mid-to-low level SEC team gives us a little context. I am not saying SEC > BIG 12, therefore, FLORIDA > OKLAHOMA. What I am saying is that I don't know what to think of Oklahoma. The SEC out of conference beat Clemson, FSU, ASU, TTU, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, and Boston College. The Big 12 beat WVU, Illinois, Northwestern, Clemson, Cincy, TCU, and possibly OSU. That provides some context. It does not provide a definitive answer (see Alabama - Utah). I see the SEC's OOC schedule as slightly stronger which helps Florida's argument.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

Well, the clear second best SEC team lost, and lost convincingly, to a Mountain West team. I just can't wrap my mind around how Ole Miss beating Texas Tech has anything to do with Florida versus Oklahoma. Texas Tech completely disappeared after the loss to OU. They were a completely different team.

Also, I think people put way too much stock in the sweeping implications of bowl games. For one, I think the fact that teams have 4 weeks to prepare for these games makes it difficult to draw the types of conclusions people want to draw. So much can change in that long of a timeframe preparing for a single game. Would the result of TTU again Miss have been different had they played in the middle of the season when TTU was playing at their best and Ole Miss was still trying to discover themselves? Maybe not, but I don't look at one game and draw absolutel conclusions. Ole Miss beat Texas Tech yesterday because they played better. I don't think it means anything other than that.

And I think there's some fear of calling out the SEC as weak, because afterall it's the SEC and you're likely to get railed on by the SEC contingent always in place to put all the other inferior conferenes in their rightful place. But I try to be as objective as possible and have no problem saying that while most years the SEC is obviously the strongest conference, this year they really weren't that good at all. So when folks try to discredit Big 12 teams because the conference wasn't that good, why don't they apply the same logic to Florida? Let's be realistic, who really did Florida beat this year other than Alabama in the title game? No one special, IMO. And even Alabama was never as good as they hype. So Florida is really the only top caliber team in the SEC this year, IMO. Don't get me wrong, I think they are REALLY good and probably the second best team in the country (I think USC would handle Florida quite easily in a bowl game), and will most likely win the BCS title game, but that's because they have a good team. They have a great offense and a pretty good defense. That has nothing at all to do with the SEC, who I think provided very little test to them this year.

You could go all over the place trying to map some kind of logical conclusions about conferences from bowl games. I don't care how many bowl games the Pac-10 won, I still think they were a very weak conference this year. Sample sizes of bowl games are way to small to draw solid conclusions, IMO. I so wish we saw more big time OOC conference games during the season. It would be easier that way.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

I saw an interesting stat the other day...

If Florida wins the game, it would only be the third time in history that a conference won 3 consecutive national titles.

The SEC did it last in 1978-1980 (Alabama, Alabama, Georgia). Before that, it was the Big 10 in 1940-1942 (Minnesota, Minnesota, Ohio State).

I look for the SEC to win it again this year: Florida 27 Oklahoma 24

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

Gators 38

Sooners 17

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

Mwm - I must say this. Using your logic in this and other cfb threads I've come to the conclusion that there are no good teams in the country this year. Except maybe Utah.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

A little hyperbole there, ya' think? It was a clever zinger, but not really true of my opinion at all. I'm not sure what I said to make you think that. Is it that I think the SEC is really two deep this year? My logic is that I don't judge individual teams as much as others based on what conference they play in or by the result of other bowl games by two completely different teams. That's it. I think there's a tendency to put too much emphasis on it. You can go in circles all day long trying to look at individual gams to draw conculsions on conferences based on games like Ole Miss and Texas Tech. If you want to go that route, then how about Ole miss beating Florida in Florida.Ole Miss then beats Texas Tech who was destroyed by Oklahoma. So if we're using the logic of who played who, then why is every picking Florida to win? I know I'mpicking them because I think they're just a better team, both in talent and in coaching. But it has nothing to do with Ole Miss beating Texas Tech.

I don't think there are many great teams this year, but a lot of good ones. I've said very clearly that I think Florida is a really good team. I think USC is an excellent team, and the best team in the country. Alabama is good, but I never thought they were a great team. Yes, Utah is good. Texas is pretty good, but I think Oklahoma is better even with the head to head result. I think Penn State is a really good team, but was just overmatched against USC with that much time to prepare playing at home.

But aside from that, I don't see all that much in the way of really good teams. Not even I thought Ohio State was worthy of a BCS bowl and thought it a travesty they got one.

But I think there is some merit to the idea that an increase in parity has led to fewer really good teams. I see a small handful of really good teams and then a bunch of above average ones.

I'm not sure what you want me to say. We're talking college football and I've expressed an opinion. Disagree if you like, but I don't see the need for the snarkiness. I have no problem if people see it differently thatn I do, but I was just offering a different viewpoint. Who do you think are the good teams that I don't?

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

Cal won three straight National Championships back in the 1920's as part of the Pacific Coast Conference.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

If what you are saying is aimed at me, I was trying to provide a context about the Big 12. All season long, the defense in the Big 12 was kind of a running joke with scores like 66-45 showing up with regularity. We have gotten to bowl season and those teams are still scoring points, but not at the same level, and they are giving up points, and big plays. I see Florida as good enough on defense to slow down Oklahoma. I don't think Oklahoma can slow down Florida.

I predict a championship game with 76 points being scored. It should be fun to watch.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

I saw where Cal won it in 1920--but then but then not again during that decade...You are not thinking about Cornell are you?

In any event, perhaps the stat I heard was involving the "modern era" or something like that.

Re: BCS Title Game Predictions
 

They won it in 1920, 1921, and 1922.

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div...nal_champs.php