2006 NCAA Football Season

I was actually shocked that you didn't open it earlier.

As for my mighty Wolverines, I have high hopes for a team coming off a poor season with a shitty finish, (way too run out of bounds Ecker), two new coordinators, a good (potentially great) QB and a decent amount of starters.

Regardless of high hopes, I have no idea how the team will do. I can imagine another miserable output like last year or I could see myself at Rose Bowl 2007, I mean its Michigan. All I can be certain of is me calling Lloyd an asshole over 25 times a game.

Some writers don't see how Lloyd Carr is on the hot seat, but with great recruiting classes producing 3 and 4 loss seasons and a fanbase that has been pissed on by Lloyd for most of the last decade (the major reason why he's hated), I can understand.


(seeing the introduction of the olive branch thread, I preemptively apologize to GFC for the numerous times I'll call him a pussy this season)

This is going to be a very interesting year for my beloved 'Noles. There are still so many questions about the team. Is the O-Line improved? Can we get a pass/run balance? Is Jeff Bowden the Nepotism Anti-Christ or has he truly been hampered by items out of his control? Can Lorezno Booker play at the high level expected of him?

If only half of the questionable areas turn out to our advantage, and we beat Miami that first game, this may be a fantastic season for the Seminole Nation. The schedule this year with its 7 home games and almost all big ones (Florida, Clemson, BC) at home is a great advanatge we need to use to the fullest. However, if the O-Line has even one major injury, or Jeff Bowden's play calling stays the same, or we lose to Miami, this may be one long and painful season.

I'll say it now, look for Drew Weatherford in the Heisman voting next year. And we have some freshmen that will play right away and I have a really good feeling about this most recent class and the impact they will have locally as well as nationally.

JS

Well, it could be a rough year for my LSU Tigers.

They are absolutely loaded at the talent positions this year. Jamarcus Russell has another year under his belt at QB, and he is healthy. His 2 backups could probably start for a majority of the teams in Division 1 (Matt Flynn lit up Miami in the bowl game and Ryan Perrilloux, a redshirt freshman, was the #1 QB in the nation coming out of HS). At RB, Alley Broussard is back from injury, and he is a huge part of the O, because he is a big, bruising back. Keiland Williams, a freshman, is already being called "the next great college RB" by some.

The lines, while talented are inexperienced.

But its the schedule that scares me. @Auburn, @ Florida, @ Tennessee, @ Arkansas. Ouch.

Notre Dame's D is a big question mark but if they can get anything out of their highly touted freshmen secondary they could do something.

OSU losing 9 defensive starters is a huge loss (especially the quality) and that's why I question their ranking. But great school's replace those kinds of players and OSU is one of 'em.

West Virginia are a pretty scary team, especially being in the weak Big East. Their schedule is incredibly easy but the game @ Louisville should be a tough one. The winner of that game should win the Big East title and potentially could go undefeated.

This has to be one of the more wide open season's in awhile. It should be a good one.

Well the coaches poll got something right

OSU opening at number one is a little scary, but it's all about Sept. 9th against Texas. Having such a big game, number one versus number two so early in the season is going to be sweet though.

I know OSU lost a lot of defensive players, but their offense is as strong as it's been in ten plus years. Troy Smith is essentially a mini-Vince (Young) and if Ted Ginn can start to play at the beginning of the season instead of waiting till mid-season like he has the last two years - they are going to score, and score a lot. While last years OSU teams was defined by it's D, the Offense came alive (especially against ND) and will be the driving force of that team.

Plus, as hellPaso said, great teams replace players. It's the reason the same twenty or so teams dominate the NCAA every year.

I don't know how to react to the 4 UM players suspended for the FSU opener. Moss and Moore are 2 big contributers to UM's offense, so maybe that will help FSU. I always get nervous when FSU plays Miami, this year being no different. I think I'm actually more worried about the defense than the offense, for the first time in like 5 years. FSU will get ragged about their schedule this year, mainly for the likes of OOC opponents like Troy, Western Michigan, and Rice. But those teams got scheduled mainly due to the switch to a 12 game season, plus a pull out of Texas A&M from a home/home set of games. Alabama is on the schedule next year, and OU gets added another year or so down the line. So maybe it's time to take a year off on the OOC scheduling for once.

If it means anything, I started my FSU Dynasty on NCAA '07 last night, and beat UM 31-0. So here's hoping.

Hard to believe it's almost that time of year again. Love it.

As the resident Arkansas fan, I must say that I'm super-excited for this season. We've added some excellent talent, have 19 returning starters, and we've FINALLY added an offensive coordinator (I've wanted Gus Malzahn to be our OC ever since Nutt was hired in '98).

I don't have illusions of winning the SEC or anything, but our season can't go anywhere but up after the last 2 we've had.

The Hogs open with USC in Fayetteville. Now, I don't mean to sound like a looney homer, but if there ever was a time we could upset the Trojans, this would be it. We're at home, we're hungry, we're unpredictable, we have tons of talent on our team, we want revenge (I hope) for the squeaker in USC last year, and most importantly, the Trojans lost an insane amount of talent. USC is going to be really good still, but you never know...

WOO PIG SOOEY!

The lack of experience is definitely the key. OSU should be fine defensively but there's no way you can replace guys like Hawk and Carpenter right off the bat. Then they have their secondary to replace and the loss of their top receiver. Going down to Austin on Sept. 9th is pretty bad timing for the team. It may be too early to expect them to dominate like in years past.

I'll of course by at Bobby Dodd Stadium the night of 9/2 for ND vs GA Tech opener. I drive and/or fly 600+ miles to see ND games several times a year, no way I'm missing a game played a mere 35 miles away from my house.

I haven't had this much anxiety heading into a season in several years. Should be fun.

Yea, McFadden really thought that one through, eh? I loved the list ESPN put together recently of their All-NCAA dumbshits. Brilliant.

All I know is that we had USC right where we wanted them last year at 7-7. Then they got lucky and went on a 63-10 run to "beat" us. Without Bush, Leinart, White and Co. it'll be time for a little payback.

Good to finally see the thread, Gutt. I was getting a little anxious and would've posted today until I saw it.

I was expecting to see Michigan nestled cozily in its annual 7 spot, but 15 makes perfect sense. There's no way to tell how this relatively young team will respond after last year's shit-eating.

All the usual junk's being said about the changes to the coaching staff ("Sometimes teams need a change." "I see more intensity than I did last year!"), but in the end, no matter who the coordinators are, the team always seems to reflect Carr's personality. Burn the first two downs on the ground, throw a 5-yard out on third, punt, and hope like hell the defense holds up. That's not what I'd like to see this year.

I'd like to see more aggression this year on both sides of the ball. I'd like Steve Breaston to stop writing fucking slam poetry and start stepping it up as the top guy. They clearly tried to groom him last year and it didn't take. I'd like to see Mario Manningham come into his own, with the brilliant promise he showed last year. I'd like to see Mike Hart keep from tearing his vagina wide open. I'd like to see Kevin Grady a tiny bit lighter and a tiny bit meaner. I'd like to see a lead kept safe in the fourth quarter. I'd like to see Chad Henne stay upright, since the depth at QB worries me. I'd like to see Tyler Ecker cut inside instead of outside. I'd like to see LaMarr Woodley become The Man. I'd like to see the LBs make more of a name for themselves, since they're all so talented. I'd like to see Leon Hall grow into the shutdown corner we desperately need.

I'd like to see myself remain more positive than I usually do, even when I want to string Lloyd up by his fucking smirk.

I'd like to preemptively apologize for many of the regulars here for the arguments we'll no doubt rage into once the season starts (and before, and after). Nothing personal, guys.

My favorite part of the coaches poll, (other than Michigan ending up at 15 so I don't have read overrated this and disappointing that) is Spurrier gave Duke, who went 1-10 last year, a 25th place vote just to "let them know that I haven't forgotten what they did for me."

Bravo, Steve, bravo.

Oh, man... don't jinx us.

Seriously, though, the GT game does make me a little nervous. Simply because they have a great Defensive Coordinator and we don't. Everyone knows that Weis is one of the best offensive minds at any level of the game and that we're loaded talent-wise, but it's how ND performs on the other side of the ball that will dictate how far we can go this season. And, to put it mildly, I am no Rick Minter fan. In a nutshell, I think he plays pussy ball and his defensive schemes were fundamentally opposed to Weis' style of play last year. Word has it that Weis is being a bit more hands-on with the defensive philosophy of the team this year and I pray that's the case because Minter will lose at least one game this season otherwise.

I hear ya. And I certainly believe we can point points on the board against any team in the country.

But let's just put it this way: Rick Minter and his stubborn, wussy "bend but don't break" scheme is one of the biggest reasons why Ohio State is ranked preseason #1 in many polls. They schooled him in the Fiesta Bowl and we made their offense look MUCH better than it really is (which I believe everyone will discover about OSU this season).

Don't get me wrong... I don't begrudge OSU their #1 ranking (though it is curious since their defense won't resemble last year's at all) and they certainly deserved to be ranked ahead of ND going in to this season. But the fact of the matter is that their offense is pretty damn simple, yet they made ND's defense look High School in that bowl game. And my fear is that this can happen against many of the teams on our schedule this season if Weis hasn't truly kicked Minter in the ass.

On a side note, what a difference a couple of years (and a good coach) makes. During the Davie/Willingham era it was the defense that gave us any chance of winning. As much hype as Weis already gets I still don't think people realize just how much and how quickly he completely turned this team around on the offensive side of the ball. We literally went from one of the worst offensive teams in the country to arguably THE best... in ONE season. And even though many of us could see and feel it coming, it's no less astonishing.

I think people do realize how much he turned the O around. If they didn't we wouldn't be hearing half the shit we do. It's been Charliemania in the media since the Pitt win.

Minter has to allow the defense to be more aggressive this season. I don't want them standing around, allowing the other team's offense dictate the game like last season. Abiamiri could be the key to this aggression. He's been too inconsistent throughout his career but hopefully he can pull off a huge senior season, while living up to his pre-college hype, like Stovall did.

True, but I don't think any of us were expecting Stovall to have such a huge season last year. In the meantime, i'm gonna remain hopeful that Abiamiri can finally do something.

... which is probably the smart thing to do ever since David Gordon's kick split the uprights in November 1993.

Still, this is the most optimistic I have been about the ND football program on the whole since the peak of the Holtz era.

Isn't that sad? I hardened myself to be that way with FSU when the Rix era started. I get so that I have to record games sometimes and watch them later rather than torture myself by watching them live.

At least you bastards follow teams that have won a national title since 1964...and even that one is contested.

I have no illusions of the Hogs running the table and crushing someone in the BCS, but I'm just like you all...I'm highly pessimistic when it comes to my favorite sports teams (Hogs and Red Sox). For me, though, it's been well earned. ND and FSU? Not so much. But I do understand.

I can't say I fall in line with the first sentence, but definitely the second. I don't remember when I started taking Michigan athletics so damn personally, but it's become like a drug; the highs aren't as high as the lows are low. It's an ulcer waiting to happen.

Having said that, dammit, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Goddamn we got a lot of Irish fans here.

It'll be interesting to see how that approach would translate to the college level. Lots of players change positions early in their development, with lots of intensive coaching, but the NE way was to move guys around at a moment's notice. You wonder how young college players would respond. If nothing else it'll separate the football players from the athletes.

It seems like West Virginia is the fashionable pick du jour going into this season. The story on ESPN's front page today is just one I've seen.

I like the Mountaineers and I wish them well, but I still think of any Big East team, Louisville has the best chance to go all the way.

It's pretty much a toss up but you gotta expect the media to go apeshit over the team who had two freshmen players that led their team last year. West Virginia has definitely earned the hype they're receiving. They were dominating teams towards the end of last season. They beat Louisville (although the refs basically handed them the game), finished off the season torching Georgia in Atlanta and finished in the top 5 in the polls. White and Slaton are two incredible players and should only get better. They're schedule is a total cake walk too (Maryland is their big non-conference game). Atleast Louisville has to play Miami. But, they do have the advantage of playing at home verses WV.

That's it right there. Even if they run the table, I wonder if they'd be on the outside looking in if at least two other teams go undefeated because of the schedule.

Well the Sooners are my team so i'm always rooting for them. That being said i'm hoping we get some good QB play and Peterson coming out and having something to prove (a monster season please).

As for things closer to my domain. Its gonna be interesting to see USC (my favorite of the locals) and how they perform without Bush, Leinart, Lendale White etc.

edited

edited

Somewhat related to college football, Maurice Clarett is at it again:
Geez, where to start on this....

It's staggering to think how far he's fallen since the Fiesta Bowl in 2003. And it keeps getting worse. I don't know how, but I suppose it will until he's finally locked up or killed.

Coming soon...'The Longest Yard II' starring Maurice Clarett.

Clarett's got some serious, serious problems.

Somewhere Chris Connolly is smiling devilishly and twirling his moustache, knowing he'll have at least one Sports Century gig in the near future.

"Hey, tell your story about meeting Derek Jeter to someone who cares, retard. I'm back in the game!"

That's a possibilty, for sure, but I only see it happening if two teams who are ranked ahead of them in the initial polls go undefeated. I can only see 3 possible teams doing this.

Reporting in from the Penn State campus. It looks like JoePa and company will be using the 3-4 defense this season, and with the ridiculous depth we have at linebacker, it seems like a great idea.

Every publication I've read mentions Anthony Morelli as a potential hazard on offense, but he looked great in the spring drills and game. He doesn't have the legs that Michael Robinson had, but he's got one hell of an arm. And with the recievers that we've got, he seems primed for a pretty decent season.

The biggest worries in my book are the O-Line and the defensive secondary. Most of the guys that made those positions our strong points last season were all snatched up by the NFL.

As much as I'd love for them to do as great this year as they did last year, I have them coming in 3rd or 4th in the Big 10. The schedule this year is gonna be hell, especially the first month. Notre Dame and Ohio State... Thank god I'm optimistic.

Edited to add: What a crappy day for OSU fans...

7 catches, 70 yards. Doesn't sound like much of a loss.

Wow, how the mighty have fallen:

Willie Williams to transfer to Community College.

Man, he was huge on the recruiting map a few years ago. From UM to CC.

2 words.

Roll Tide!

My seats for ND vs GA Tech:



Man, they stick Visitors up in the boonies at Bobby Dodd, don't they? I guess that's normal. I'm just not as used to these crappy stadiums that are built in separate sections that go straight up.

Don't worry, Carl -- I'm sure all the ND fans will be able to move down to the thousands of unoccupied lower-level seats once the game starts!

Try the visitor's section at Clemson. You actually have to go up in a building separate from the stadium, and then cross a bridge to get the upper section.

I sat in a similar section, except on the left (by your picture) when I went to a GT-FSU game. Watch the endzone guys if ND starts winning big--when guys run into the end zone, the people sitting in those lower seats will throw beer and soda at them.

I guess that's better than dead fish ("haha, them Catholic boys eat fish! Get it?"), which is what they threw at us in 1980.

No loaves of bread as well? How pedestrian.

This would have been helpful down here last year for the Florida fans after we beat them 31-3 and lost Prothro in the process. Some Gator fans got the shit beat out of them as they left the stadium.