Jew Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 ^Why not? LSU & Bama are built to stop the run...neither team faced a passing offense anywhere close to what OSU had to offer this season.
Hilltopper39 Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 ^Why not? LSU & Bama are built to stop the run.... They're not built to stop the run they're built to stop anything. Both teams are more physical and more athletic at almost every position on the field then OSU or Stanford. neither team faced a passing offense anywhere close to what OSU had to offer this season. What about Georgia (30th in the NCAA passing yards) or Arkansas (13th overall passing yards)? Or remember that West Virginia team that scored 70 against Clemson last weekend? They were ranked 5th in the NCAA in passing yards yet still lost to LSU by 26, at home. OSU's offense would have given either one of those teams fits. I'm just not buying it. I'm not buying it either, it probably would have been a good game but LSU and Bama would have physically dominated OSU upfront. ^Regardless, I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that it was a boring game and didn't need to be a rematch. I agree the general consensus is that it was a pretty "boring" game, but the rematch was the logical choice for the title game. The teams aside - This game had the lowest BCS TV rating ever. Which I think is code for "We dont want to see a rematch - even if it is the best two teams" More proof we need a new system. I watched zero games because nothing interested me at all. Playoff? Id be watching every single game. Would be riveting to see who went where after each win. This system is flawed and worthless. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2012/01/bcs-championship-game-draws-lowest-ratings-ever.html Flawed? yes, but worthless is a little much isn't it? I mean come on, can anyone really argue the fact that the best team didn't win the championship ever since the BCS has been in place? Everyone wants to see a playoff? yes but does anyone think that in a playoff system this season the title game still woudn't have been LSU vs Bama? I don't think so. My biggest problem with the BCS system is that it makes every other bowl game basically an irrelevant exhibition game.
CoasterGuy06 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 OSU might have scored a couple of TDs on Alabama or LSU, but still would have lost by 20+
Jew Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) What about Georgia (30th in the NCAA passing yards) or Arkansas (13th overall passing yards)? Or remember that West Virginia team that scored 70 against Clemson last weekend? They were ranked 5th in the NCAA in passing yards yet still lost to LSU by 26, at home. Georgia and Arkansas both had their running games stopped, which made pass defense easy because you take away the play action/options. West Virginia still hung 463 passing yards on LSU, but had 2 turnovers...I'd say OSU (which is a pass first offense) could easily top that, and probably do a better job turning that into points given the fact Blackmon is a freak. Arkansas passing offense also averaged 87 yards less per game than OSU, WVU 40 yards less, and Georgia was actually the 48th ranked passing offense, 140 yards/game behind OSU... One more interesting stat: OSU put up 533ypg against top 25 teams in the AP poll...LSU: 283, Alabama: 358. They're not built to stop the run they're built to stop anything. Both teams are more physical and more athletic at almost every position on the field then OSU or Stanford. OSU was 12th in sacks allowed and 9th in TFL allowed...I'd say their O-line could hang. Their defense wasn't the best, but did also lead the nation in turnover margin... I mean come on, can anyone really argue the fact that the best team didn't win the championship ever since the BCS has been in place? USC (2004) and Auburn (2005), Boise State never got a chance to back up its undefeated record... Everyone wants to see a playoff? yes but does anyone think that in a playoff system this season the title game still woudn't have been LSU vs Bama? I don't think so OSU got 4 first place votes in the AP poll, so obviously some people out there disagree... But really, Let's be honest here, we're never going to agree on this...everyone in the college football debate is biased to their school/conference/etc. Edited January 12, 2012 by Jew
Hilltopper39 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 ^Yeah, I'm not trying to take anything away from OSU's offense I know they are one of the best in the country I just think that the Bama/LSU defense would have without a doubt ended up being the better unit on the field. Those sacks and TFL allowed numbers are a little misleading to me because the majority of defenses in the Big 12 this year were terrible! And OSU did lose on to an Iowa State team with 7 losses, I know there were some circumstances surrounding that matchup but that is the kind of game that an elite team finds a way to win. There is a good argument for Auburn 2005 and especially USC 2004 I will give you that but that's just the way the system is I guess, flawed somewhat but for the majority of the time (except for 2 of the 14 years it has been in place) they get the championship match up right. I still think that major college sports are moving towards four 16 team super conferences with some sort of a playoff but it might still be a ways away. Another thing I hate about the BCS title game is playing it as late as they do now makes it feel like it's really not even a part of the season. I mean Alabama had almost 6 weeks off before they played LSU, that's A LOT of time to get healthy and prepare for one game. As someone who played college football I can tell you that the football is a game of attrition, and the team you start the season with sometime looks nothing like the team you end the season with, and playing a game 5-6 weeks after your regular season finishes has to completely destroy any sort of continuity that you develop over the course of the season. LSU was playing so well at the end of the season this year that I think that if they played the BCS title game the week after the SEC title game it would have been a completely different matchup. Instead give Barrett Jones 6 weeks to get healthy and give Nick Saban 6 weeks to game plan and the results is what you saw Monday.
Homeboy23 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 You can't say anything about how good Alabama or LSU defense is until they actually play a team with a great offense which they haven't. I would love to see how they would match up with Boise or Oklahoma State.
shivtim Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 You can't compare the numbers to any other title game except last year's game. From 1998-2010 they were on basic network channels ABC and FOX. They are now on ESPN which will always have smaller numbers because you have to pay extra for it. You're exactly right. Although it was the lowest rated BCS championship game, it was the 2nd highest rated program in the history of cable television. Only last years Auburn/Oregon match-up beat it. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/alabama-lsu_game_draws_second-.html
Hilltopper39 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 You can't say anything about how good Alabama or LSU defense is until they actually play a team with a great offense which they haven't. I would love to see how they would match up with Boise or Oklahoma State. Did you ever actually watch Bama and LSU play on defense? They were statistically #1 and #2 in the country in total defense, while playing in the SEC. LSU beat Oregon, Arkansas, Georgia, West Virginia, and Alabama, while all 5 teams were ranked in the top 30 in total offense. In those 5 games against top 30 offenses LSU gave up an average of 16 points per game, and they weren't even as good as Alabama. Both teams were completely loaded with pros at every position on defense, they were nasty. Boise or OSU might have scored a few TDs, but it would have still been beatemdown. I was kind of pulling for an LSU or Bama vs. Boise game just to see Boise get destroyed.
Jew Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 ^Yeah, I'm not trying to take anything away from OSU's offense I know they are one of the best in the country I just think that the Bama/LSU defense would have without a doubt ended up being the better unit on the field. Those sacks and TFL allowed numbers are a little misleading to me because the majority of defenses in the Big 12 this year were terrible! And OSU did lose on to an Iowa State team with 7 losses, I know there were some circumstances surrounding that matchup but that is the kind of game that an elite team finds a way to win. ...And how were the offenses in the SEC? The highest rated SEC team was Arkansas, which finished 29th in total offense. 100 ypg behind Oklahoma State. Good defense in the SEC, or awful offenses? This is why we need a playoff. Even the often discussed +1 system would have answered this: Alabama's vaunted defense (USC's 2008 defense was statistically better BTW, for those throwing out the greatest of all time) vs. OSU's vaunted offense.
Hilltopper39 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 ...And how were the offenses in the SEC? The highest rated SEC team was Arkansas, which finished 29th in total offense. 100 ypg behind Oklahoma State. Good defense in the SEC, or awful offenses? I think it was a little bit of both, I mean 5 of the top 10 defenses in the country were in the SEC this season (Bama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida) where as the highest rated defense in the Big 12 besides Texas at 14 was Missouri at 60. I think you put a team like Arkansas in the Big 12 and they are easily a top 15 offense, but it you were to put a team like Stanford or Oklahoma in the SEC and they wind up somewhere in the mid 20s or 30s. I could be wrong but we'll see what happens next year when Texas A&M and Missouri play an SEC schedule. I like the concept of a +1, but some years it might be unnecessary. This year an Oklahoma State vs Alabama game where the winner would have played LSU would have been great. I would like to see they play that preliminary "playoff" game the week after the conference championships and allow the winner to advance to the BCS championship and the loser to advance to their respective BCS game.
Jew Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 ^Probably, but I'd also say that teams with more sophisticated offenses would light up the SEC as well. Arkansas is basically back in contention within the SEC solely because of their spread offense. They lost against Alabama and LSU because there is still a talent disparity, but lit up the rest of the SEC with relative ease. Hopefully next year will see USC play a SEC school, so we can settle this debate.
Hilltopper39 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 There's a good chance that will happen, I think USC is going to be really good next year. Some of the mid 2000's Pete Carrol USC teams were some of the best college football teams in recent history, and I think they're about to be back where they were. I don't know who from the SEC will be in contention again next year, but depending on who goes pro it will be probably LSU, Bama, Arkansas, and maybe Georgia. USC vs LSU , I wonder what the early lines on that are?
Jew Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) ^Georgia is like the hot chick who disappoints when you get in her bed. ALWAYS good on paper, but never has anything to show for it. LSU still has a lot coming back if the new QB lives up to the hype, so my money is on them. Bama is losing a lot with today's NFL announcements. Vegas has the early title odds at LSU 3/1, USC 6/1, Alabama 7/1, Oregon 9/1, Arkansas 12/1. Edited January 13, 2012 by Jew
larrygator Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 Hopefully next year will see USC play a SEC school, so we can settle this debate. It won't be settled even if USC was somehow to win because they would have to forfeit the championship in 5 years.
Jew Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) ^I think you are mistaking USC with Auburn. They will be on probation in a few years when the FBI is done investigating their big boosters. Definitely wont help the Pac-12 vs SEC argument. Edited January 13, 2012 by Jew
CoasterGuy06 Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 ^Probably, but I'd also say that teams with more sophisticated offenses would light up the SEC as well. Arkansas is basically back in contention within the SEC solely because of their spread offense. They lost against Alabama and LSU because there is still a talent disparity, but lit up the rest of the SEC with relative ease. Hopefully next year will see USC play a SEC school, so we can settle this debate. Arkansas scraped by both Ole Miss (one of the worst SEC teams in a decade), Vanderbilt, beat Troy by 10, in addition to their blowout loses to Alabama and LSU. Plus their offense is more pro style than spread, FWIW. Heck, call LSU and Alabama what you want, but LSU finished 17th in scoring offense and Alabama 20th. If the only two game of theirs that you watched were the two against each other than you come to the wrong conclusion about their offenses.
Jew Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) From what little I watched of Arkansas, it seemed to me like they mixed and matched the spread with pro-sets. But regardless, the point still stands: a more complex passing offense would most likely finish in the upper echelon of the SEC (as Arkansas is proving). But that only takes you so far, as Alabama and LSU can definitely out recruit the other SEC schools (and most of the country for that matter). Not saying LSU & Alabama were bad offensive teams. Just saying that the general argument of "BIG-12 doesn't play defense=inflated offensive numbers" is no different than "SEC offenses suck=inflated defensive statistics." BTW, speaking of recruiting...only 20 days till signing day! Edited January 13, 2012 by Jew
larrygator Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) thanks Charlie Weis, thanks. Joey - do you have a link to a website that shows he future out-of-conference games on team's schedules? I thought it was posted in this thread at one time but can't find it. EDIT: Nevermind, I found it. http://www.fbschedules.com/ Edited January 13, 2012 by larrygator
Jew Posted January 13, 2012 Posted January 13, 2012 ^I'm still bummed Charlie Weis left Notre Dame. The "schematic advantage" he had was great for USC.
Hilltopper39 Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Has anyone else heard any of these rumors about some things that might have happened within LSU's team leading up to BCS championship game day? They're probably just all rumors but some things are interesting. Arriving at the Superdome less than 2 hours before kickoff seems really strange... http://neworleansrising.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/is-there-smoke-is-there-another-reason-why-lsu-lost/ If that article is true, Les Miles sounds like a modern day Bud Kilmer.
larrygator Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) ^Wow seeing how the game played out I can't dismiss those rumors/allegations. I sat watching the game wondering when Miles would put Lee would be put into the game for a very ineffective Jefferson. It was clear the team needed a spark that Jefferson wasn't providing. Did LSU also have their team picture taken early for this game because they wanted to get it out of the way due to rumors of team dissension? I thought I heard that on Paul Feinbaum's Radio Show. Edited January 17, 2012 by larrygator
BeemerBoy Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Yeah, I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but I agree with Larry. Seeing how the game played out, those reports don't seem that unreasonable at all. No coach worth his weight wouldn't at least make a QB change at some point into the 3rd quarter.......unless it's a coach with an ego bigger than the state of Louisiana.
Hilltopper39 Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 ^^I never heard that, but arriving at the stadium barley 2 hours before game time couldn't have been their normal pre-game schedule. Everything about that game seemed very weird when it was going on, which further makes me wonder about these rumors. There was also some kind of altercation at the post game press conference involving T-Bob Heberet's dad (a former NFL player and local sports personality) confronting Les Miles but all of the reports about what happened are kind of unclear to me.
BeemerBoy Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) I'm thinking there's probably a considerable amount of boosters interested in all of this. It's actually more interesting than the game. I'm setting my DVR for the eventual 30 For 30 documentary! Edited January 17, 2012 by BeemerBoy
ernierocker Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 I didn't actually pay much attention. I had no clue that Russell Shepard didn't play a snap in the national championship game?!?!?
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