Assumption 1: LSU wins the rest of its games. In order for LSU to have a shot at the NC, all but one of the teams below must lose in order for LSU to get into the #2 spot. If you had to pick the possible losses for each of these teams, what would they be? USC Sep 25 at Stanford Oct 9 vs California Oct 16 vs Arizona State Oct 23 vs Washington Oct 30 at Washington State Nov 6 at Oregon State Nov 13 vs Arizona Nov 27 vs Notre Dame Dec 4 at UCLA Face it, USC is likely not going to lose. However, California may give them a challenge. Don't count out Notre Dame either. Oklahoma Oct 2 vs Texas Tech Oct 9 vs Texas Oct 16 at Kansas State Oct 23 vs Kansas Oct 30 at Oklahoma State Nov 6 at Texas A&M Nov 13 vs Nebraska Nov 20 at Baylor Kansas State would have been the pre-season favorite, but they have not played too well. Kansas State could very well do it again though. Georgia Oct 2 vs LSU Oct 9 vs Tennessee Oct 16 vs Vanderbilt Oct 23 at Arkansas Oct 30 vs Florida Nov 6 at Kentucky Nov 13 at Auburn Nov 27 vs Georgia Tech This Georgia thing will work itself out. Miami Sep 23 at Houston Oct 2 at Georgia Tech Oct 14 vs Louisville Oct 23 at N.C. State Oct 30 at North Carolina Nov 6 vs Clemson Nov 13 at Virginia Nov 20 vs Wake Forest Dec 4 vs Virginia Tech Is Florida State in the opposite division of Miami and do they play a conference championship game this year? If so, then Florida State can beat them. I don't see any other team on Miami's schedule beating them (and we thought USC had a tough schedule). Texas Sep 25 vs Rice Oct 2 vs Baylor Oct 9 at Oklahoma Oct 16 vs Missouri Oct 23 at Texas Tech Oct 30 at Colorado Nov 6 vs Oklahoma State Nov 13 at Kansas Nov 26 vs Texas A&M Texas is forever Oklahoma's biyatch. Sorry Mack. Ohio State Oct 2 at Northwestern Oct 9 vs Wisconsin Oct 16 at Iowa Oct 23 vs Indiana Oct 30 vs Penn State Nov 6 at Michigan State Nov 13 at Purdue Nov 20 vs Michigan Ohio State is barely winning football games right now. ANYBODY on their schedule can beat them. West Virginia Sep 25 vs James Madison Oct 2 at Virginia Tech Oct 13 at Connecticut Oct 21 vs Syracuse Oct 30 at Rutgers Nov 6 vs Temple Nov 13 vs Boston College Nov 25 at Pittsburgh Will probably go undefeated..... or NOT. They struggled to beat Maryland and will likely struggle in more games. I look for Virginia Tech to upset them. Tennesee Sep 25 vs Louisiana Tech Oct 2 vs Auburn Oct 9 at Georgia Oct 16 at Mississippi Oct 23 vs Alabama Oct 30 at South Carolina Nov 6 vs Notre Dame Nov 20 at Vanderbilt Nov 27 vs Kentucky Just win Tennesee. Win Win Win. Play LSU in the SEC championship. Lose to LSU there like you know you have demonstrated you are capable of. Tennesee wins and they play for NC. LSU knocks them out of the title game, again. California Oct 2 at Oregon State Oct 9 at USC Oct 16 vs UCLA Oct 23 at Arizona Oct 30 vs Arizona State Nov 6 vs Oregon Nov 13 at Washington Nov 20 vs Stanford Dec 4 at Southern Miss This is a team that is playing VERY well right now, perhaps the most impressive team so far this year. C'mon though, this IS Cal. Look for them to compete hard at USC though. Southern Miss, Washington, and Oregon are all very capable of beating them. Auburn Sep 25 vs The Citadel Oct 2 at Tennessee Oct 9 vs Louisiana Tech Oct 16 vs Arkansas Oct 23 vs Kentucky Oct 30 at Mississippi Nov 13 vs Georgia Nov 20 at Alabama Tubby is a wreckless coach and his coaching WILL cost Auburn a couple of conference losses. No way Auburn wins at Tennesee and Georgia loves to beat them on Jordan-Hare. Florida State Sep 25 vs Clemson Oct 2 vs North Carolina Oct 9 at Syracuse Oct 16 vs Virginia Oct 23 at Wake Forest Oct 30 at Maryland Nov 6 vs Duke Nov 11 at N.C. State Nov 20 vs Florida Florida State - meet your demise with Florida. You got over on them last year (damn refs) and they owe you some serious payback. Virginia Sep 25 vs Syracuse Oct 7 vs Clemson Oct 16 at Florida State Oct 23 at Duke Nov 6 vs Maryland Nov 13 vs Miami Nov 20 at Georgia Tech Nov 27 at Virginia Tech For starters, Florida State and Miami will beat Virginia. Realistically, I see Miami facing off against USC in the Orange Bowl. Thinking optimistically though, LSU will play Miami in the Orange Bowl. As long as I can remain optimistic about such things, my avatar shall live onward! :tigerhead Any thoughts form everyone else?
-- USC and OU will play in the Orange Bowl...Miami is going to have all kinds of trouble at Virginia...West Virginia should get by Va Tech and if they do they will be undefeated but will not be ahead of USC or OU in the Polls
There is no conference championship game in the ACC this year. The NCAA rule is that a conference has to have at least 12 teams in order to play a CG. They will probably have one next year when Boston College joins the ACC. At this point in the season who knows but its possible that there could be a lot of undefeated and one loss teams this year. USC, Miami and Oklahoma could all be unbeaten. LSU, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State (undefeated or 1 loss) Florida, Tennessee, Florida State plus non BCS schools Utah State and Boise State. What a mess it would be. Can anybody say PLAYOFFS?
things will sort out just like last year.. everyone is love with UGA..LSU on the road can win this game. Then the table will be set. ASU will Beat USC.. texas will lose. OU is the one out there that may not get beat at all....
I think that honestly OU or Texas has to lose twice. optimally speaking, USC will not lose unless something on the par with the Red Sea parting happens. The only chance Texas or OU has to lose is to each other, otherwise they'll both win out, and one of them will go to the Big 12 Title game and win that. My bet is OU will do it. Tubby is not as wreckless as you guys would like to think,but I think Tennessee will get it done against them in Knoxville, but Auburn will win the West and rematch with Tennessee for the SEC. Cal will lose, as will WV and Virginia, probably both to unranked teams so they'll drop down. LSU is probably staring down at least one more loss to either Georgia or Florida, so that will drop them down more if they climb up after other losses. Overall, the chances of LSU making the Orange are about as probable as a tornado ripping through a junkyard and assembling a fully functional 747. I predict USC and Oklahoma/Texas winner in the Orange, with the Big 12 rep winning it.
keep an eye on Arizona State to pull the upset at USC. I know I am crazy. if walter can put some numbers up in the air they have a great chance of beating them....
As a non-LSU fan, I am sure you were thinking the very same thing about LSU last year after the Florida loss. As a LSU fan, I would say LSU's chances of making the Orange Bowl are nowhere near as good as Oklahoma's chances of beating Texas. Then again, the latter is a sure thing so that's not really a very good comparison.
I had not given much thought to Arizona State but actually they are playing really really well and are an early season suprise. Good call.
Bah...... I knew they had decided on a championship game site and all but I did not realize BC did not join this year. When I think about it, I think perhaps they joined in basketball only for the first year. Darn.... It will be tough for Miami to get upset this season. Then again, if they do get upset it will be to a poorly rated team so they should drop far. Just thinking back to the nineties and LSU teams during that time period. As a fan, I hope and expect for my team to win every game, until a loss occurs. Even during the nineties, that first loss was always tough to take because ya just knew most hope of a NC was lost. Back then such thoughts were only wishful thinking anyways. Now though, seeing that first lost has much greater meaning because LSU is a contender each year. Playoffs would be so great for college football. *sigh*
