If I was an unbiased and lazy gambler, there's no way I would put my money on VT. Let's look at the facts. From the outside looking in, you see:
1. Alabama winning 3 natties in 4 years and destroying all non-SEC teams
2. Alabama plays extremely well when they have extra time to prepare - In 2012, beat Mich 41-14 in opener and beat ND 42-14 in BCSCG
3. Alabama has a great QB, RB and WRs to complement an abusive Defense.
4. VT sucked in 2012, especially away from home going 2-5 with weak wins over BC and Rutgers.
5. Logan Thomas is an interception machine - nearly 1:1 TD to INT ratio
6. Who is VT's RB? - Somebody that has never taken a snap before
7. New Offensive Coordinator is terrible - In his last game as offensive coordinator at Auburn, he lost to Alabama 49-0. "Loeffler's offense" scored 0 points on Alabama.
8. Beamerball is dead - 2 return TDs (1 punt and 1 kick) and 0 punt blocks against FBS in 2012.
But, as VT faithful, we know the stats are skewed and VT will shock all of college football on Aug 31.
EDIT: Corrected 2-7 to read 2-5.
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1. I don't think they destroyed us. Last time i checked we were a non-sec team.
2. They had all summer to prepare for us that year
6. Who is VT's running back? - Someone who has never taken a snap before? (Hint- His initials are RMFW)
edit: I wasn't patient enough to read the last line. Will leave my post up for someone that visits this site and will actually agree with the first part. Turkey leg 4 u
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I found it interesting that the odds Bama is being given to win it all this year are similar to USC's during last year's preseason. I knew they were the preseason #1 but I didn't realize they were so heavily favored. It's tempting to wonder if maybe Alabama won't meet a similar fate, failing to live up to the preseason hype. I don't see anyway they collapse on the same scale USC did (I'm not sure any team has ever or will ever crash and burn so spectacularly) but I do think they might be slightly less invincible than they are currently portrayed.
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Alabama, at this point, is primed and ready every year. Last year was supposed to be a 'down' year for them given their losses in the previous draft. USC was supposed to reload like Carroll when they got off of probation, but what the pollsters didn't realize was that Lane Kiffin will never be the coach Carroll was. That program is in disarray and will continue to regress while he is there. Meanwhile, UCLA is becoming a decent team, RichRod is building Arizona and has a QB that can run his system, and Az State has exactly zero academic requirements and a 10:1 blonde-to-guy ratio. With Oregon being who they are, and Stanford taking all the smartest kids and the 'cool' factor having worn off of USC, I can't imagine them being back to 2004 level anytime soon.
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Oh, I agree. Whole-heartedly. I guess I was mainly just blown away by how wrong the pollsters were last year and how little preseason expectations can mean. And while it's tempting as a fan of an unranked team about to take on the consensus #1 to wonder if (and hope) they may be wrong again, I don't really think they are, at least in regards to Alabama. The circumstances at USC last year are nothing like what Alabama is looking at. I definitely expect them to be really, really good.
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In todays college football landscape every team goes through up swings and down swings. USC is a great example of this but so is Alabama. They were absolutely horrendous not that long ago but Saban has since turned that program around.
Texas won a national title not that long ago but now they have recently fallen into mediocrity and so did Auburn. It can happen any given year. All it takes is prospects not turning out how they are projected to, which leads to a sub-par year, which leads to less recruits and you see how this goes.
It could be Alabama this year, we dont know. I dont think anyone is going to see their sub-par year coming. You cannot have anything but lofty expectations for a team coming off back-to-back titles and winning it all 3 out of the last 4 years. They may win it all again this year, so of course they would then have high expectations next year.
My point is this; Alabamas run will end, not might end, WILL end. Its likely going to take a surprising season for it to happen but it will.
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I don't disagree with your point about the cyclical nature of program strength, but I think the examples you provide, in retrospect, all had predictable declines. Any program that has a great CEO-type coach will be a strong program, but I think it takes skilled position coaches and coordinators to make a football team great.
USC seems to me to be a program that was probably skirting the rules all along (same with Ohio State). Once their CEO left, it was up to someone else to pick up the pieces. If you saw Pony Exce$$, the Ron Meyer situation reflects this perfectly.
Texas is a great program and will always be pretty good. Even though they haven't been great recently, it took Vince Young to bring the national championship (much like, I think, it took MV7 to get us to the MNC game once). A good program can win the MNC with a transcendent player. We saw this with Auburn, too, and, again, I think they were skirting the rules all along.
But Alabama seems to be on the up and up, has a coach who might be the best in CFB history, and shows no signs of slowing down. It will take Saban leaving before that team declines. That isn't to say they'll win it all every year, but they're going to be preseason top three until he isn't there anymore.
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Agree with you 100% Horse. Whether you love or hate him, Saban is legit and a transcendental figure in the way he approaches the game. Andy Staples has a great article about the "Sabanization of College Football " and about how he approaches the game and the kids. He is a CEO and runs the program as such. He also focuses A LOT on soft skills like the mental side of the game.
He isn't my favorite person, but I have a huge amount of respect for what he's done and how good he is at it.
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Link not working
Lets try this
Motion to make university of "thanks for the paycheck" the unofficial nickname of UVA
Seconded.
All in favor?
Aye.
I guess that's kind of a back-handed compliment....
#beatbama = #beatvegas
If I was an unbiased and lazy gambler, there's no way I would put my money on VT. Let's look at the facts. From the outside looking in, you see:
1. Alabama winning 3 natties in 4 years and destroying all non-SEC teams
2. Alabama plays extremely well when they have extra time to prepare - In 2012, beat Mich 41-14 in opener and beat ND 42-14 in BCSCG
3. Alabama has a great QB, RB and WRs to complement an abusive Defense.
4. VT sucked in 2012, especially away from home going 2-5 with weak wins over BC and Rutgers.
5. Logan Thomas is an interception machine - nearly 1:1 TD to INT ratio
6. Who is VT's RB? - Somebody that has never taken a snap before
7. New Offensive Coordinator is terrible - In his last game as offensive coordinator at Auburn, he lost to Alabama 49-0. "Loeffler's offense" scored 0 points on Alabama.
8. Beamerball is dead - 2 return TDs (1 punt and 1 kick) and 0 punt blocks against FBS in 2012.
But, as VT faithful, we know the stats are skewed and VT will shock all of college football on Aug 31.
EDIT: Corrected 2-7 to read 2-5.
You redeemed yourself with that last line there.
Also, be sure to read the premise...
This is from the viewpoint of a casual outsider, not me.
Son...
1. I don't think they destroyed us. Last time i checked we were a non-sec team.
2. They had all summer to prepare for us that year
6. Who is VT's running back? - Someone who has never taken a snap before? (Hint- His initials are RMFW)
edit: I wasn't patient enough to read the last line. Will leave my post up for someone that visits this site and will actually agree with the first part. Turkey leg 4 u
*2-5 away from home
Other than that, yeah, obviously people who don't pay attention aren't going to think we have a chance.
yea, I meant 2/7 or 2-5. Thanks.
FYI, the money line is currently +700 and is steadily rising. It was +675 when I looked last week.
Maybe I should skip the game, go to Vegas, and get paid after we #BEATBAMA?
PAID IN THA SHADE!!
I found it interesting that the odds Bama is being given to win it all this year are similar to USC's during last year's preseason. I knew they were the preseason #1 but I didn't realize they were so heavily favored. It's tempting to wonder if maybe Alabama won't meet a similar fate, failing to live up to the preseason hype. I don't see anyway they collapse on the same scale USC did (I'm not sure any team has ever or will ever crash and burn so spectacularly) but I do think they might be slightly less invincible than they are currently portrayed.
Alabama, at this point, is primed and ready every year. Last year was supposed to be a 'down' year for them given their losses in the previous draft. USC was supposed to reload like Carroll when they got off of probation, but what the pollsters didn't realize was that Lane Kiffin will never be the coach Carroll was. That program is in disarray and will continue to regress while he is there. Meanwhile, UCLA is becoming a decent team, RichRod is building Arizona and has a QB that can run his system, and Az State has exactly zero academic requirements and a 10:1 blonde-to-guy ratio. With Oregon being who they are, and Stanford taking all the smartest kids and the 'cool' factor having worn off of USC, I can't imagine them being back to 2004 level anytime soon.
Where on earth did you get this. Love that the sunglasses just chill there.
Ran across this one a few days ago:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/kevintang/27-hellish-misuses-of-3d-animation-and...
And #4 should look familiar from the other day. The sheer ridiculousness of the horse GIFs made them necessary to use at some point here on TKP.
And I am so thankful for it. That Skyrim one made me laugh pretty good.
Ha, that was one of my favorites, too.
Oh, I agree. Whole-heartedly. I guess I was mainly just blown away by how wrong the pollsters were last year and how little preseason expectations can mean. And while it's tempting as a fan of an unranked team about to take on the consensus #1 to wonder if (and hope) they may be wrong again, I don't really think they are, at least in regards to Alabama. The circumstances at USC last year are nothing like what Alabama is looking at. I definitely expect them to be really, really good.
Just for reference, here is the preseason 2012 AP Poll .
In todays college football landscape every team goes through up swings and down swings. USC is a great example of this but so is Alabama. They were absolutely horrendous not that long ago but Saban has since turned that program around.
Texas won a national title not that long ago but now they have recently fallen into mediocrity and so did Auburn. It can happen any given year. All it takes is prospects not turning out how they are projected to, which leads to a sub-par year, which leads to less recruits and you see how this goes.
It could be Alabama this year, we dont know. I dont think anyone is going to see their sub-par year coming. You cannot have anything but lofty expectations for a team coming off back-to-back titles and winning it all 3 out of the last 4 years. They may win it all again this year, so of course they would then have high expectations next year.
My point is this; Alabamas run will end, not might end, WILL end. Its likely going to take a surprising season for it to happen but it will.
I don't disagree with your point about the cyclical nature of program strength, but I think the examples you provide, in retrospect, all had predictable declines. Any program that has a great CEO-type coach will be a strong program, but I think it takes skilled position coaches and coordinators to make a football team great.
USC seems to me to be a program that was probably skirting the rules all along (same with Ohio State). Once their CEO left, it was up to someone else to pick up the pieces. If you saw Pony Exce$$, the Ron Meyer situation reflects this perfectly.
Texas is a great program and will always be pretty good. Even though they haven't been great recently, it took Vince Young to bring the national championship (much like, I think, it took MV7 to get us to the MNC game once). A good program can win the MNC with a transcendent player. We saw this with Auburn, too, and, again, I think they were skirting the rules all along.
But Alabama seems to be on the up and up, has a coach who might be the best in CFB history, and shows no signs of slowing down. It will take Saban leaving before that team declines. That isn't to say they'll win it all every year, but they're going to be preseason top three until he isn't there anymore.
Agree with you 100% Horse. Whether you love or hate him, Saban is legit and a transcendental figure in the way he approaches the game. Andy Staples has a great article about the "Sabanization of College Football " and about how he approaches the game and the kids. He is a CEO and runs the program as such. He also focuses A LOT on soft skills like the mental side of the game.
He isn't my favorite person, but I have a huge amount of respect for what he's done and how good he is at it.
Does anyone know a website that will allow me to place a bet online?
We are #1's biggest trap game according to BR.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1743210-biggest-trap-game-for-every-t...