Reader Questions Week 13

Reader Questions Week 13

 

      With the BCS in a mess, and it being rivalry week, there should be some good questions/predictions out there. Lets see what you've got for me this week.

 

        Jason Thompson writes: Ok, I see your frustration with the BCS, but just how much worse do you think it could get? You realize that if Notre Dame doesn't win this week, that the SEC will have the BCS Title game all to themselves, no matter who wins the SEC?

 

        Thanks for your question, Jason. You're right, it couldn't get much worse. The rest of the country is tired of seeing the SEC get all the credit for beating up on eachother. The SEC feels they have earned it with the track record they have built over the last six years.  Only one team from the SEC, in my opinion, has earned that much respect. The rest of the SEC is riding the wave. Alabama is the only team that deserves the credit they are getting (I still think it may be a little too much). If Notre Dame falls to USC, then Notre Dame has real problems, and they shouldn't be anywhere in the top ten. USC will be without Matt Barkley, and that should really help the Irish. Right now, it looks like Bama vs Notre Dame in the Championship game. I hope this is what you were looking for, Jason.

 

         Timothy writes: You're a Noles Fan, so I want to say congrats to the Noles for the win they will get this Saturday against my Gators. Do you really think it could go the other way? Our offense is terrible. We struggle against bad teams. If it was in the Swamp, I'd say we had a chance.....but I am not feeling it this year.

 

         Thanks? I think you underestimate your Gators, and I hope you didn't use your real name here, because some Gator fans might hunt you down after that. First, I won't give my prediction on the game until Friday. It's a rivalry game and anything can happen. If Florida State plays their 'A' game, then you are right, the Gators don't stand a chance (even with their 'A' game). Really though, the chances of FSU playing their 'A' game is about as good as the game being a shut-out in favor of FSU. If you had asked me at the start of the season, I would have said this game wouldn't mean much because the Gators weren't supposed to be ranked, let alone in the top 5. Florida didn't get high in the rankings by playing bad all season long. They got it done against solid teams. I would gladly trade records against top 10 teams. FSU has played ONE top 10 team this season, and it was Clemson. Florida has played LSU (win), South Carolina (win), Georgia (loss). While I think that at least two of those teams are overrated, it doesn't change their ranking at all. All I can say is relax and enjoy the week with family and enjoy the food. The game will be a good game either way. Just be glad that the game is back to having meaning again. What's better than Florida vs Florida State when both teams are ranked in the top 10?

 

         Next question came withouth a name.

This is totally off from what you have been talking about recently, but what about Vanderbilt? They are bowl eligible, AGAIN! And they could win 9 games. I know they aren't in the big picture, but it's big because it's VANDY! Your thoughts?

 

      Thanks for the your thoughts on Vanderbilt. Yes, it is nice to talk about Vanderbilt around Thanksgiving and it not be the punchline to a joke. But lets not get too carried away here. When I read your email, I knew I had to dig a little bit and find some interesting stats on Vanderbilt. I found one stat that must be brought into the open. At this point of the season, with only one week of regular season play left, there are 0 (ZERO) bowl eligible teams that Vanderbilt has beat...... Let me word that another way..... Of the 7 (SEVEN) teams Vandy has beat, 0 (ZERO) are bowl eligible teams. To make matters worse, if Vanderbilt beats Wake Forest this weekend that will make it 8 (EIGHT) teams that are not bowl eligible. For me, that stat is a HUGE eye-opener. They play in the SEC, and they have a pretty good conference record. Even the wins against SEC teams aren't impressive because none of them are headed to a bowl game (at this point). This actually is more evidence to show that the SEC is not where it has been in recent years.

       Let me get back on track with what you originally were asking me about. Ahhh yes, Vanderbilt going to a bowl game for the second straight year. Good for Vandy. Rumor has it, that they will be playing in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl......which is a pretty significant bowl......even more so for Vanderbilt. Coach Franklin has done a great job in his first two years. I hope he sticks around so he can get Vanderbilt to their first SEC Championship game. Was that too much? No, I really think Vanderbilt is within five or six years of that happening. The key will be recruiting, and UT staying in the dumps. As long as Franklin can pull in some recruits over the next couple seasons, I really think he could have this team where nobody ever thought they would be in a short amount of time. 

 

      Only three questions this week. I hope everybody has a Happy Thanksgiving. Check back on Friday for my key games and picks for the week. I will be traveling to Tallahassee, Florida for the BIGGEST GAME of the weekend. For those of you who are traveling, be safe.