Mr. College Football

By Winston

October 2, 2007 7:57 AM | Link to this

LSU will trip somewhere. Doesn’t it always? By the way, UF is 10-3 at Tiger Stadium since 1980. (www.GatorAlert.com)

By Everlasting Dawg

October 2, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this

Tony, I agree with that for the most part. I’d Love to see kentucky switch places with South Florida in your top 5.

By azcat225

October 2, 2007 8:34 AM | Link to this

Could be a replay of last year, with the two best conferences in the country (SEC and PAC10) cannibalizing themselves and a good—-not great—-Ohio State team slipping into the top spot. The Big10 is down again this year, way down. As far as Michigan goes, given the rocky nature of Carr’s tenure there, I’m not sure whether the Wolverines would be amped up or not if the Ohio St game is his last regular season game. They might just be flat as a pancake.

This past weekend was a stunner, but there seems to be one of those every season, doesn’t there?

By X-Man

October 2, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this

3 Gators questioned in shooting (http://209.200.252.69/~gnnsite2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1592&Itemid=47)

By KR

October 2, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this

The Auburn-LSU game is has a long tradition of strange events and outcomes. Expect the unexpected.

By Pago Pago

October 2, 2007 8:57 AM | Link to this

Very hard to imagine that UK and South Florida ranked ahead of the DAWGS! Maybe we should be looking at that South Florida coach?

By scootmandu

October 2, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this

One thing many aren’t aware of, concerning Wisconsin. The last 3 times they have played AT Ohio State, they have won.

The Badgers tend to play to the level of their competition. The ‘O’ is fine. The ‘D’ has been awful.

They have a lot of returning startes, but the seniors were the team leaders. Over time, I think the D will only get better.

I would be careful about discounting then just yet.

By scootmandu

October 2, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this

One thing many aren’t aware of, concerning Wisconsin. The last 3 times they have played AT Ohio State, they have won.

The Badgers tend to play to the level of their competition. The ‘O’ is fine. The ‘D’ has been awful.

They have a lot of returning startes, but the seniors they lost were the team leaders. Over time, I think the D will only get better.

I would be careful about discounting then just yet.

By 2N4YEARS

October 2, 2007 9:51 AM | Link to this

Winston : Make that 10-4. LSU isn’t the same as it was back in the ’80s-‘90’s.

By TheVOICE

October 2, 2007 10:13 AM | Link to this

Another Gator player arrested —- and IT’s Tim Tebow’s ROOMATE!!!! Talk about the kiss of death.

http://209.200.252.69/~gnnsite2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1620&Itemid=47

By andre moreau

October 2, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

winston—you sound like someone who has very little knowledge of LSU football..don’t we all know they had their worst decade ever the same decade spurrier coached (the 90’s). they may trip up somewhere, but I must tell you these Tigers, as banged up as they currently are, still are in their own class. The history of this series is streaky too. LSU has won 3 of last 5.

By andre moreau

October 2, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

winston—you sound like someone who has very little knowledge of LSU football..don’t we all know they had their worst decade ever the same decade spurrier coached (the 90’s). they may trip up somewhere, but I must tell you these Tigers, as banged up as they currently are, still are in their own class. The history of this series is streaky too. LSU has won 3 of last 5.

By Pitbull

October 2, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this

Hey Pago Pago, I will take Mark Richt over any coach out there. I hope he stays at UGA until he retires.

Thanks for the info on Gators’ arrests TheVoice. I hear Tim Tebow was the mastermind and the arrested players are expected to roll on Tim within the next 48 hours.

By Not Buying the Hype

October 2, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

This week’s top 10 is a laughing stock. South Florida, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Boston College? Get real. Look for another “Shake Up Saturday” on the horizon. Heck, look for a couple of Shake Up Saturdays this season. And if Cal is the 3rd best team in the nation I’m Elvis Presley.

By Fred

October 2, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

Although most of the country does not

want to acknowledge the other

undefeated Big East team. They are

number 1 in turnover margin and 4th

in scoring defense. The categories

that win games. Just ask Oregon

State. Beware the Bearcats!

By Wozzo the Wonder Dog

October 2, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this

I can imagine the dialog with “3 Gators questioned in shooting”:

Police: “Did you guys shoot the victims 37 times in the back?”

Perps (sorry, Gators): “Yes, I mean no. But if we did do it, they deserved it.”

Police: “Well, you’re all free to go and good luck against LSU.”

By DawgG

October 2, 2007 1:28 PM | Link to this

UGA ranked where they are is a joke.

By Bob

October 2, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this

The Bearcats? Har har har!

By David

October 2, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this

I love to follow college football and I know that you media folks try your best to know what you are talking about, but it never ceases to amaze me at how foolish you wind up looking throughout the year. There are always certain teams that are automatically placed in the top 10 regardless of how they finished the previous year or what they have coming back. You and your cohorts are always so sure about everything. just last week you wrote that LSU will have to play Florida twice. I notice that this week you state that LSU “may” have to play Florida twice. All writers try to come across as such experts and it is so obvious that you don’t know any more than the slightly above average fan out there. What makes it so aggravating is that you are the same folks who vote to determine who the Top 25 are each week. The writers who vote do such rediculously stupid things. For instance, Michigan began the year highly regarded as usual even before they ever played a game. Same with Texas, Oklahoma, UCLA, Ohio State, Wisconsin, etc. It’s always the same teams and of course Notre Dame is usually right in the pack near the top. Then the same goofballs who develop the pre-season top 25, vote that South Florida, who no one had as a pre-season top 25 team, is all af a sudden a top 5 team 5 weeks into the season and you give such credibility to other teams like Rutgers for cying out loud. I have no problem with South Florida receiving credit where credit is due, but top 5 because they upset an average Auburn team and an overrated West Virginia team. West Virginia is still getting credit based on the fact that they kicked Georgia’s butt two years ago. They’re just an average team. And what idiot determined that Florida should be a three TD favorite over Auburn??? How rediculous can you get to think that Florida would beat Auburn like that? Truth be told, there are only two teams that are really head and shoulders above the others…LSU and USC, and both will lose a game before the season is over. All the other teams can be shuffled around every week and realigned where you want them. With the exception of the SEC, no other conference has more than two decent teams in it. Oklahoma shouldn’t lose more than two games in a season if it tried to because the Big 12 is so pathetic. But for some reason, you writers love that conference. The SEC has been screwed out of a chance to play for the National Championship twice because of the Big 12. And both times the Big 12 team got the crap beat out of them…Oklahoma & Nebraska. I long for a playoff. Deciding who should play for a championship based on what you Bozo’s think is a joke!

By Dale

October 2, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this

LSU on a Saturday night in Tiger Stadium on national TV will only finish what Auburn started. Florida is limping and headed for a reality check. Against the #1 defense in the country, Tebeaux gets baptized. LSU 30-6—if they score at all. Not this year Gators. Bayou Bengals all night long—————

By COACH K

October 2, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this

FLORIDA AT DEATH VALLEY ON A COOL OCT NIGHT, TEBOW BETTER LEARN TO PASS BECAUSE THAT LITTLE SLIDE AND RUN WILL GET HIM KILLED, LSU DEFENSE WILL DOMINATE THIS TEAM AND THEY WILL WISH MIKEY THE TIGER GOT AHOLD OF THEM INSTEAD OF THIS DEFENSE #1 NOW AND AT SEASONS END GOOOOOOOOOOOOO TIGERS

By gdawginkalamazoo

October 2, 2007 3:02 PM | Link to this

Dale and Coach K, I hope you guys are correct! Geaux Tigers!

By jackets fan

October 2, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

Isn’t this why we love college football more than any sport? Just when you think you’ve got a handle on what the BCS picture looks like, you get a weekend like this past one where everybody erases their whole top 25 board and starts it from scratch. Every game matters, because a lot of the time it comes down to who you beat, who beat you, or how close was that win you had against a bad team. A team can look like a juggernaut one week and then look like a goat the next (Oklahoma and West Va). Or a team can be beat down a couple weeks in a row (Auburn, GT) but rise up to thump a ranked team (Clemson, Florida). Or a David (App St) can slay a Goliath (Michigan) only to be humbled by an even smaller David (Wofford). I love it!!! I can’t wait to see how things shape up this weekend.

By Chris

October 2, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Already putting Florida in the SEC Championship game? That is like the ole horse before the cart thing. Florida still has to play Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt. I would not pencil them in right now. This will be two defeats in teh SEC after Saturday night, so do not count UK out of Atlanta in early Dec.

By Braves Fan 79

October 2, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this

jackets fan: man you are dead wrong….college basketball…not college football is the best sport!
As a fellow GT fan i realize even if GT went undefeated last year they still would of been just like Boise state and finished 2nd or 3rd with NO shot at a title.
So what kinda sport is it that you can go undefeated and still have NO shot at a title!?? A BS sport…thats what. Man college football has about as much relevance as the WNBA to me. How can u even say u like the BCS…are u on CRACK!?? man lay off the pipe…and realize that college football is all talk and NO action! College football…the master of the paper champion!

By i like college football but...

October 2, 2007 3:37 PM | Link to this

i was listening to the heineken football show this sunday on the way to the dome and chuck oliver and beau bock were just screaming about how the current system is so great because it creates an “every week is a must win” season.

why would this not be true if you had an 8 conference div 1 where each conference winner played off for the national championship. every week would still be just as important because you have to win your conference. not having a playoff deprives college football of the most basic principle sports is about…and that’s winning down the stretch.

why are joe montana and tom brady arguably the two best qb’s in history? because they won when it mattered most.

By JustMe

October 2, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this

This is why it is CRAZY to rank teams before at least half-way through the season. Ranking them before hand is a dis-service to the fans and the players.

By Farrell

October 2, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Well, may the Gator football player arrested today isn’t guilty after all … http://209.200.252.69/~gnnsite2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1630&Itemid=47

By AC in boulder

October 2, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this

let’s see. 3 gators being questioned, team captain arrested, two players out for year from injuries on sat, yet another loss to auburn, and an impending beat down this sat. It’s a great week to be a gator hater! Go DAWGS!

By CKDawg65

October 2, 2007 4:12 PM | Link to this

Enough on Kentucky…they will have their 5 days in the sun and get exposed starting Thurs night. Beating Arkansas, Louisville, Fla Atlantic, Kent, and E Kentucky does not remotely equate to having to beat S Carolina, Fla, Tennessee, UGA, and LSU. They will lose between 3 and 5 games…book it.

By YANKEEDAWG

October 2, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this

I did not know Tebow had a car! Didn’t they say Joiner was retrieving his girlfriends car??

By AC in boulder

October 2, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

yeah, she wouldn’t let him back in the dorm if he didn’t get her car back and said she would ignore him in practice for the rest of the year!

By yellowblood

October 2, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this

Kentucky in the top 10 ? Ridiculous. If KY was in any other conference they would not be given the automatic 10 free rankings that all SEC teams get and they would be # 18. Yes, they have a good team but South Fla had to earn their ranking. KY is getting the SEC freebies which is the same that Notre Dame gets.

By This Is Next Year for the Gamecocks!

October 2, 2007 5:22 PM | Link to this

The way I see it, is that SC will be #1 in the SEC East on Monday b/c we will beat KY (but close) and LSU will beat FL. LSU will beat everyone, so count on them in ATL in December. Remember, the season is far from over for everyone. It gets me why UGA bloggers think they “deserve” better ranking and treatment. Get over it Dawgs, you won a National crown 27 years ago. We are in a new era. My pick outside of my Gamecocks is South Florida. It is nice to see a new face on the block. May Clemson fall out of the polls this weekend :) Thank you GT for stinging the Tigers!

By Don

October 2, 2007 5:31 PM | Link to this

I would say at this point that South Florida and Boston College have the best shot at going undefeated. The two best conferences this year by a long shot are the SEC followed by the PAC 10 and I’m not sure anybody in either conference will make it through their schedule undefeated. Lord forbid that Ohio State make it to the BCS championship game again but they also have decent shot at going undefeated. Chances are that the BCS championship game will have two teams playing that are not the best in the nation. Eight team playoff would solve the entire mess.

By jim

October 2, 2007 5:35 PM | Link to this

Spurrier still has two days to bolt off to Duke before Ky cleans his clock!

By Love Me Tender

October 2, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this

Hey Elvis…er, I’m mean “Not Buying The Hype” (posted on 10/2 @ 11:51AM)

I agree with you on Cal being the 3rd best team in the country …… They should be ranked 2nd; right behind USC!

PAC-10 RULES!!!!!!

And I’ll try not to step on your “Blue Suede Shoes” ………..

By heeldawg

October 2, 2007 6:35 PM | Link to this

A few observations based upon the above:

1.South Florida would be a middle-of-the-pack team in the SEC or PAC-10, and would lose at least three games. To have them ranked as high as they are is a joke. And if they have to play anyone half decent in a national title game, they will get waxed. Can youy imagine them against LSU or Southern Cal? Or even Ohio State?

(Okay, they might give Ohio State a game…)

1. The Cincy fan above is not just blowing smoke. The Bearcats are very underrated. Could win the conference, and will almost certainly play in a New Year’s Day Bowl game this season. Who’d a thunk it?

2. The Gamecock-Kentucky game this Thursday will be interesting. UK has no D; South Carolina has a ‘90’s offense that even Georgia has figured out (hey, it wasn;t Spurrier that beat the Dawgs; it was the Dawgs themselves, with some help from Jasper Brinkley and Patrick Nix). The Wildcats have the best player in the league (and maybe in the nation) in Andre Woodson. I think a Jasper-less SC defense will have trouble stopping the Wildcats, and UK has trouble stopping anybody. Ultimately, the Wildcats win this one in a shootout.

3. Even if South Carolina does beat UK, they will be tied for first in the East with Florida…who they have to play later in the season. I don’t see the Gamecocks beating UK, UT, Florida and Arkansas (all of whom they must play), so chalk up at least one more SEC loss for them. That means that if the Dawgs or Gators win out, the Ga-Fla game will be for the East title (and the right to be beaten down by LSU).

Lots of football to be played.

Still not the Gamecocks’ year. Never will be, in fact.

1. David is right on the money. Good post.

By GT

October 2, 2007 6:54 PM | Link to this

Upsets? What makes upsets, the expectations of knowledgeable or unknowledgeable people that place certain schools in positions that are earned by reputation or popularity as opposed to reality? Reality is never wrong; the rest is up for whatever they are worth. Tony is one of the few that keeps it between the ditches as the season drifts from week to week. South Florida has no lobby in the polls so we pretend they are not there. Poor Auburn, North Carolina and West Virginia spent a week depressed thinking they had lost or been upset by a unworthy opposition and even now no one is willing to say outside Tony, South Fla. is a top five team. Nor could they celebrate a win over Kan. State thinking it was no big deal until Texas got waxed. Ohio State who has the greatest lobby since the oil companies, even after they tried to talk instead of play their way to a NC last year is back dress up in there finest like nothing was ever spilled on them. And if they were that bad what makes any Big Ten school that good? Money, selling newspapers and television time. Okalahoma is hanging around like the dog at the back door too. Talking about oil lobbies they invited it. My eyes tell me BC should be in the top five, but all those experts are trying to beat them down incase they end up undefeated which I am thinking is in the offing. Must not be the following for BC that there is for the ND Irish with their own television network and winless. Just for once I would love to hear one of these egos say they were wrong about a team instead of how bad the team they picked played and the team they didn’t pick won because the team they didn’t pick was better but just pick that night to lay down. But then they would not be paid the thousands they get to do exactly what we do for free.

By NorCal Dawg

October 2, 2007 7:10 PM | Link to this

“i like college football but…” your post is well taken, but the thing I hate about other sports is that very fact that people always belittle regular season performance. If someone does great in the regular season (i.e., Alex Rodriguez in baseball), they always say “doesn’t mean anything unless he does it in the playoffs”. So the regular season is a waste of time or what?

I have been anti-playoff in college football, but I am warming to what you suggested above. Eight conference champions (or seven + independent ND if they play well enough) play in a tournament. Only one team from each conference can get in. It would still keep conference games just as meaningful and would render the polls meaningless since they wouldn’t factor into who plays for the NC.

Sad thing is is that, even though I am only 34 years old, an eight team playoff in college football will never happen in my lifetime. A four team playoff might happen, but that isn’t going to help any. There are more years where there is a clear cut top-two teams than there are years with a clear cut top-four. Still will be just as controversial.

By J Dawg

October 2, 2007 7:46 PM | Link to this

Kentucky should not be on the “watch list”. They have five tough games left: LSU, Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, UGA. I’d be shocked if they won more than two of those games.

By War Eagle

October 2, 2007 7:58 PM | Link to this

In the end, it will be USC and LSU. USC will falter before LSU, but if LSU does lose one conference game and wins SEC title, they will play for the NC. Dark horses include Ohio State, South Carolin, Wisconsin, South Florida, and Oklahoma.Florida, UGA. Auburn and Nebraska are one to two years away.

By MadMerf

October 3, 2007 12:11 AM | Link to this

Tony Barnhart “Mr. College Football”:

How about an unbiased opinion for a change? According to you, the top-ranked Bayou Bengals don’t stand much of a chance Saturday night against your mighty Gators over in Baton Rouge (I’ve heard your predictions on TV). In fact, your favorite team was caught looking past a dangerous and hungry Auburn squad to this weekend’s marquee matchup with LSU. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were totally outplayed AND outcoached by the “forgotten” Tigers.

Oh, look out! Those mad Gators are gonna tear the cajun’s apart! Tebow’s gonna run over Dorsey! Urban Meyer has something special saved up for Miles’ boys (not that the T.O. at the end of the Auburn game wasn’t “special”). Meyer is probably practicing his victory speech as we read, complete with a wet hanky and a tear or two. Pathetic!

These last two years must have been the time of your life, huh Tony? How many times have you slapped your wife in the bed while doing the Gator chomp in your sleep? How many times did it happen before she put your scaly butt on the couch with your nine-foot cuddly Gator pillow?

And after Florida staggers out of Louisiana Saturday night with loss number two, you’ll say that they were looking ahead to Kentucky. Tebow will need that week off following the game after facing a ‘real’ SEC defense for the second week in a row.

My prediction: He’ll need more than a week to recover.

GOOOOOO DAWGS!!!! BEAT THEM ‘BILLYS AND CALL ME SILLY!!!!

And GEAUX TIGERS!!

By Bill

October 3, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this

UGA fans predicting (hoping) for USC to lose to KY. Now that’s such a surprise. It’s tough when you have to depend on the misfortune of others. It all comes crumbling down for KY Thursday night. Spurrier didn’t come this far to lose to a team that he has beaten 14 straight times and that USC has beaten 7 straight. Karma is a b!tch.

By BMDPD

October 3, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this

I love chicken fans! I need someone to laugh at every day. They do crack me up. CEASE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOW! The CHICKENS HAVE WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Chickens, your team is average. They are no better than last year. The UGA team that beat themselves is a shaky and inconsistant team. You have beaten no one. Get over yourselves! Man, you South Carolinians earn your dumb reputation.

By Joey A

October 3, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this

David, your post was right on. I enjoyed it. Those are some of the same things I have been screaming for years. I personally think the pre-season rankings should be done away with as well. My reason is because, there could be, and usually are a few teams underneath those with a higher pre-season rank that are better teams. Not to mention some of the usual “media darlings” have cupcake schedules and play in cupcake conferences which doesn’t threaten them falling. Like I said, then you are stuck with better teams who won’t get a proper shot. I am sick of it. Why is Ohio State even up there. You know when they finally are paired with a real team, they will crumble. Look at last year, they had more talent than they do this year. What makes them think an outcome would be any different? My one disagreement is you considered USC one of the top 2 teams. USC has played nobody. USC has just survived some unranked teams. They do not impress me at all. Truthfully, there have been teams impress me at times this year but nobody has been consistently impressive. There has to be a playoff system implemented. Why do we leave the decision making up to the media? As for your point about Oklahoma, do you remember when they lost the Big 10 championship but still played in the National Championship game? What a joke! As for Love Me Tender’s post, wake up! The Pac-10 sucks! Your conference might as well be Division II. You have your 2 or 3 “media darlings” who are always made out to be super heroes. Your Pac-10 conference might appear to be tough because of the close games. Rules of logic: when you have two mediocre teams play, it should be close. It’s mediocre vs mediocre. Just wait. I wish your Pac-10 pathetics could run an SEC schedule for one year. Wait a minute, it wouldn’t be fair, you would actually have to “man-up.” The pollsters have it all wrong. Do they not bother to look at a strength of schedule?

By Joey A

October 3, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this

Correction to my last post. Oklahoma lost the Big 12 Championship and then played for the National Championship. I was so flustered with seeing Ohio State up in the polls I mistakenly put Big 10. I know someone out there was waiting to pounce on that one so I corrected it……..

By ARdawg

October 3, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this

War Eagle

I’ve watched your posts on the blog and you often time make sense. But not this time. South Carolina as a dark horse in the NC picture? Thats even more absurd than Georgia. Theres alot of football yet to be played by the deciding teams and it is quite possible there won’t be any SEC teams in the NC hunt. I haven’t drank any of the LSU is going to win it all kool-aid. LSU is yet to face the meat of it’s schedule which starts this week.

I fear it’s going to be another year of the SEC beating up it’s self so bad that some of the lesser teams i.e. Ohio St. South FL, W. Virginia, Texas or Oklahoma get a walk in to the NC game like happens so often.

This is the only drawback to beating ourselves up in conference. The positive side to it is the great football we get to see. The conference wide parity is about as close as I have ever seen. Don’t clock that LSU ticket in Atlanta just yet.

By Aztec Dave

October 3, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this

Before you get too high on L.S.U. take a look at their wins. Not a single quality opponent on the road.

By AZ Dawg

October 3, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this

I hate to change the subject, but… Are we doing it again recruiting wise? We have three running backs committed and only two offensive linemen committed. Both of the offensive linemen are from ‘Bama and have been offered by the Tide. It wouldn’t surprise me if we lost one or both of them before signing day. Do we really need three running backs this year? Don’t we need more linemen this year? I don’t get it. I know that running backs are more fun, but the line on both sides is the foundation of a good football team. Any thoughts?