***2010-2011 College Football Thread***

[mooby]

Originally Posted by GMScud

First of all, full disclosure, Florida had an awful year. They're in rebuilding mode for sure. I think they can win the SEC East next year, but they won't be a title contender again until 2012 given how young they are on both sides of the ball.

Ponder has had elbow problems during the second half of the season, and just had it drained a few days before the game. Manuel gave them a better chance to win this week because Ponder couldn't throw without excruciating pain.

Since the James Madison loss, Va Tech has played really, really well. I don't hate them at all. But I think the ACC (and Big East) sucks something awful this year, so that plays a big part of their success. Va Tech wins year in and year out, sure. But they just can't seem to sniff the big one, despite being talked about pretty much perennially as a title contender. That was my only point. Not hating.

They're most likely gonna play Stanford in the Orange Bowl. That will be a nice game.

I can definitely agree with you about VT being called a title contender going into every year, but never getting to the big game. I thought our best shot would've been this year had they not lost their first two, but once again this team showed resolve. In past seasons they had gotten off to hot starts only to lose a couple along the way, and in 2008/09 they rebounded to win the ACC, but this season was definitely unlike any other.

The way they played against Boise State, and then the way they played against JMU made me think we just wouldn't be able to overcome the losses we had suffered after '09, but once again they refused to let it get them down and now they have rebounded to win 11 straight. Now they obviously aren't a title contender but I will be happy if they can continue to represent the ACC by winning their bowl games. I'd rather be the Orange Bowl winner than the Chick-Fil-A bowl winner like they were last year against Tennessee. And 7 straight seasons of 10 or more wins shows that they've been consistent even through turbulent times. I hope we can get into the championship game discussion someday but I think it would take an undefeated season to make that happen.

And yes I agree the Big East does suck something awful this year. WV has a choking problem MLMDUB, but unlike a certain NFL team we both root for, at least they win enough games that puts them into position to choke, whereas the Redskins just have not played good football since the first half of the '08 season. That's not choking, that's just being bad. I'm getting off track here though.

As for Ponder being out, sure it might've helped, but it wasn't like Manuel played so bad. The picks obviously didn't help, but who knows, with the injury problems Ponder has had who's to say he would've done any better? At least Florida State had a nice rebound season.

And I'm quite happy and definitely looking forward to watching VT play Stanford in the Orange Bowl. I think they will be ready for this test, whereas I don't think they were ready for Boise State in the first game of the season.

And MLMDUB, as for Cam Newton I don't think he's a bad football player, he's the opposite actually. The kid is awesome on the field, and that's undeniable, I just think that he tends to take his success for granted, and I do believe he knew what his pops was doing when he tried to extort money in exchange for his son's commitment. His pops just set it up so that if their cover was blown Cam Newton wouldn't take any heat from the NCAA. And he doesn't exactly have a positive track record, it's not like he decided to leave Florida because they didn't give him pt behind Tim "Jesus of Florida" Tebow.

As for the title game this will def. be interesting to watch. Give me 2 teams who have never been before over a consistently top 5 team like Ohio State or USC of past years. I think Auburn wins in the end, simply because they are the better team (and I think Cam Newton will make a bigger difference than LaMichael James) and the SEC is obviously the premier conference.