Georgia Sports Blog FanShop

October 14, 2011

Half Way Home - Mid-Season College Football Review

I'll take a look at Georgia later this week or early next week, but I wanted to look around the college football landscape and see what has surprised me.
  • Expansion. Well, I'm not surprised, but it has been a story.  I've thought for a while TCU was headed some place other than football hell the Big East.  I guess Missouri's handling of trying to get out of the Big12 is a bit of a surprise.
  • Southern Cal's lack of defense.  I think Arizona State's improved play has everyone not in Tempe scratching their heads.  On the other hand, Monte Kiffin has looked like Monte Hall coaching this bunch.  
  • Hot seat talk about Dooley.  Hey, I'm not taking up for the guy.  I hate orange as much as the next guy.  However, any Tennessee fan that thinks fter 18 games, six of which are being played with essentially an all-star high school team, that Dooley isn't getting it done is an idiot.  He might not be the long term answer, but clamoring for a new coach now gets you a Mike Locksley type hire.  Not an improvement.
  • Oklahoma State's offense. Dude. They look like UNLV basketball in the 80's.
  • Texas A&M's first half play.  Wow, they are among the best teams out of the gates I have seen in a long time.
  • Texas A&M's second half play.  Wow, they suck.
  • Wisconsin's march through the B1G.  The Badgers called the Houston Nutt QB Transfer Clearinghouse and ended up with Russell Wilson from NCState.   Dude is 83 of 111 for 1391 yards and 13 TDs.  The Badgers have the easiest road to the BCS championship game at this point, with only road games against Michigan State and (snicker) Illinois between them and a rematch with Nebraska at Lucas Oil Stadium for the B1G championship.  Oh, and their defense is the tits.
  • Decided schematic advantages.
  • Georgia Tech throwing the football. Paul Johnson hates that newfangled shit, but it sure works.
  • Clemson at 6-0. Wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech? A coach named Dabo? Nah, no worries, man. Just living the upstate dream.
  • Auburn's defense.  They've made amends a bit with their strong performance against South Carolina, but they won early on mirrors and camera angles. Ted Roof has looked every bit the former head coach at Duke with the way his unit has tackled.
What about the season to this point has surprised you?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

So you think Dooley IS getting it done? The guy is 9-9 so far.

I'm not saying he's on the hot seat yet but saying someone is an idiot for thinking that he's not getting it done is, ironically, an idiotic thing to say. He's NOT getting it done. At least, not yet.

Tony Waller said...

As hard as it is for me to defend him, that he is at .500 dealing with the flaming bag of poo left there by Kiffin is a minor miracle. So many players recruited by The Kiffer is gone. Basically, one whole class. Add to that to the me first attitude fostered by the Kiffin regime. Dooley has his hands full.

I don't think he's Johhny Majors, if for no other reason than Mike Hamilton hired him (to be clear, I have plenty other reasons). I just think Tennessee fans are way more out of touch than normal if they can't see the two things above.

They celebrated the Kiffin hire. Now they are pissed they have fleas from being in bed with that dog.

bobElicious said...

Very much enjoy your analysis. Especially about CPJ. ha!

Anonymous said...

Uhhhh.... We have a head coach that's just barely over .500 over the past few years with his players, his coaches, etc... We've put up with being mediocre for the past four or so years. I think UT can give DD a little more time . . .

todd said...

I'm surprised that:

1) FSU is still struggling. There is such a vacuum in the ACC. I think VT is a very good program, not a great one. And yet neither FSU nor Miami can get their act together. Clemson may end up being more a consistent challenger than either the Noles or the Canes.

2) Tennessee fans are running out of patience with Dooley. Likewise, I hate them and I dislike anyone that is going to coach them, yes, even a Dooley. But for a bunch that thought Kiffin hung the moon and celebrated his every unethical move, you would think they would appreciate someone, anyone that is the complete opposite of that slime bag.

3) Urban Meyer isn't being called out more for his poor decision making with regards to recruiting which has turned UF into a finesse school in the ultimate power league.

4) No one has hired Gus Malzahn as a head coach yet. I wonder what is holding him back? Or is he doing as Richt did and interviewing for practice but waiting for a better job to come along?

5) Texas looks like a very mediocre team with a very easy schedule. Is this seriously the program that has almost destroyed an entire conference because they think they should be able to have their own network or become just like Notre Dame? Talk about bad timing? I thought they'd be more improved.

Something I'm not surprised at is the NCAA clearing Auburn and Cam. Once they bent over backwards to break the spirit of their own rule to find that Cecil Newton didn't violate any kind of rule for shopping his sn around, you knew this was going to have a smooth and cushy landing for AU. Had they wanted to punish them they had plenty to go including admissions of accepting money by several former players. With the NCAA, the FIX is still in.

Inspector G said...

Here's my surprise: FSU: In one of the premier states for recruits (and a top tier QB hotbed as of late) how in the hell is their best option at back-up QB be a 5'-9" 175 LB noodle arm named Clint Trickett. I know he is the OL coach's son but wow, what a fubar.

Tony Waller said...

Agreed on the FSU thing. Should have included that.

Anonymous said...

*) Clemson's 6-0 start appears less impressive as the ACC is watered down more than ususal.
*) Defense in the SEC East is very much down. The Dawgs appears to be playing the best in the divison on that side of the ball
*)Both USC's. With the skill players they have offense is awful. I thought the OBC would be able to hold Garcia together for 12 Saturday's. The fact that he did not leads me to beleive his coaching career is nearing an end VERY soon.
*) With all the hype around the first game of the season for Oregon and Boise, they have been anonymous since then.
*) The media bombardment that Oklahoma, Alabama & LSU are far and away the 3 best teams and the drop off begins there, is a real slight to Wisconsin. Wisconsin reminds me of an SEC team (minus some defensive speed).
*) TCU's fifteen minutes of fame is over.
*) Notre Dame is still not geting better. They will once again take advantage of a weak schedule. Be prepared for the national pundits to start telling us they are a top 15 team.

 
Copyright 2009 Georgia Sports Blog. Powered by Blogger Blogger Templates create by Deluxe Templates. WP by Masterplan