Archive for October 2008
FSU by 7. (Even with Corey Surrency suspended).
Now for what everyone else has to say, since I’m short on time this week:
Andrew Carter - In capsule form
Tomahawk Nation - Q & A time with GT. (Thanks for all the links back guys… it’s a pleasure working with TN instead of seemingly against it.)
ChantRant - Rich has been on fire with articles lately… there’s a lot of really, really good stuff on ChantRant. Check out his Crystal Ball.
Nolesports.com - Favorite Bobby Bowden Halloween stories, on Steve Ellis’s blog.
FSU Softball:
The fall preseason is complete. So how did the Noles do? I have no idea, I didn’t get down to JoAnne Graf Field since my day job has been keeping me hugely busy. I do know that Seminoles.com did a horrible job of covering the fall scrimmages, and the only new news I have at this time is the 2009 FSU Softball Schedule. I just wonder why Lonnie Alameda’s assistants were never announced on the site, nor is there any real news from the post JoAnne Graf era.
FSU Football:
The FSU Football team is still in need of a sellout for Clemson and B.C. If you don’t believe me, just check out the splash page of Seminoles.com.
It’s the same as the preliminary one since nobody commented:
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| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | — |
| 2 | Texas Tech |  3 |
| 3 | Penn State |  1 |
| 4 | Alabama | 1 |
| 5 | Utah | 1 |
| 6 | Southern Cal | 2 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | — |
| 8 | Florida | 1 |
| 9 | Georgia | 1 |
| 10 | Boise State | 1 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 7 |
| 12 | Ball State | — |
| 13 | TCU | 2 |
| 14 | Tulsa | 2 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 9 |
| 16 | Florida State | 10 |
| 17 | Missouri | 1 |
| 18 | Ohio State | 5 |
| 19 | Brigham Young | — |
| 20 | Maryland | 5 |
| 21 | Oregon | 5 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 4 |
| 23 | LSU | 6 |
| 24 | California | 2 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 1 |
Corey Clark at the Tallahassee Democrat blogged about belief in the FSU Football team? Are you starting to believe? Clark’s big argument lies in the fact that FSU isn’t defined as great, but as good. Good teams win he says, and FSU has only 1 loss this season.
Am I a believer? Hell no, that’s out for 2008, and it was from the beginning.
How many times has FSU done this in the past 6-7 years? They start off great, only to get to a point in the season where they blow up. Looking at the schedule, GT, Clemson, BC, Maryland and Florida… it’s as easy to go 4-1 as it is 1-4. So am I believer in FSU football? Not yet, I need more proof that the character of this team can hold up.
Where is that final proof? In losing.
Looking back at the Wake Forest game, it’s obvious that FSU could have won that game had they been better prepared. They rebounded the next week, but at an early stage in the season it’s easy to do that. Plus, the Wake Forest game was the first game of 2008 against a non high school non FCS Division team. There can be lots of angles to take on a loss early in the year. But what happen now if FSU loses a tough game down the stretch? What is the psyche of the team? If the Noles lose to GT next weekend, are they going to get up for the talented-but-turmoiled Clemson Tigers? Or what if the Noles go to Maryland, lose (potentially giving up an ACC Title birth) and then lose to Florida? How would this team handle two losses to end the season?
I root hard for them each week, and I do enjoy watching them play (which is a huge upgrade from the past couple of years). Belief has a “blind faith” kind of connotation with me, and I refuse to think that FSU will end the year with only 1 loss, or that the Noles will win every close game they play. So no, I’m not a believer in this team, but I’m a fan of it, and that will never change.
Yes or No? Leave me a comment and explain why or why not? The verdict is still out with me…
Has Christian Ponder Impressed You Yet?
- Yes (84%, 69 Votes)
- No (16%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 82
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All new photo galleries are up… including the 2008 FSU Cheerleader Photo Album.
Also check out the photo gallery from the win over Virginia Tech… (pictured below is Tyrod’s only play of the game).
By Bill From Tampa
1. Welcome Virginia Tech. Hope you enjoyed your inaugural visit as ACC members to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium (or as Gene Deckerhoff sometimes calls it Doak Campbell Stadium at Bobby Bowden Field) . Certainly FSU fans were glad to host the Hokies.
2. What do you know; thirteen (as in thirteen straight FGs) IS a lucky number.
3. Clever ploy by the coaching staff in calling for the OL to get that five yard penalty so that Graham Gano could kick that sure thing 50 yarder.
4. With the offense struggling early on, came this question from Mrs. BFT. “Can we get some positive yardage on this series?” “Sure, we can do that” I replied. “No problem.” First down Smith loses two yards. Second down Easterling loses two yards on a flanker end around. Third down Ponder is sacked for a nine yard loss. Hell of a prognosticator aren’t I!!
5. Question now for Mrs. BFT: You’re sang the Michigan fight song after an Antoine Smith 39 yard touchdown why?
6. In perusing the VT message boards this week prior to the game there was this comment from one poster. “VT’s offense consists of Tyrod Taylor running for his life.” Extraordinary how accurate that assessment was. For one play anyway.
7. For the Raleigh News and Observer sports writer who said earlier this week “neither team will score more than twenty points”, would you care to re-think that prediction? Obviously that was someone who hadn’t been watching a whole heck of a lot FSU games this season.
8. With yet another wide open tight end scoring yet another touchdown against Florida State, here’s a thought. Has anyone thought to check Bobby’s contract for a stipulation that reads “the coaching staff shall be prohibited from implementing any strategies that remotely resembles covering the opposing team’s tight end”?
9. The good news for Auburn is the offense now is scoring more points since dismissing their offensive coordinator as was shown by the 17 scored on last Thursday night. The bad news is the defense gave up 34. If the Tigers are looking for fewer points in that area maybe they should hire him back only as the defensive coordinator. After all he is very familiar with low scores.
10. Just wondering if Kansas will be wanting to schedule Texas Tech as their homecoming opponent any time soon? I can’t imagine 63-21 losses make for festive homecomings.
Bonus Voraciously Random and Factiously Meaningless Thoughts
11. As the TV cameras scanned the extremely few fans left in the Jayhawk stands, there was a shot of one fan text messaging someone. One could only wonder if he was texting to his buddies something like “GOOD GOD, WE’RE GETTING OUR #%&^@((!!!()*#$* BUTTS KICKED!!!!” BTW, is there text message short hand for #%&^@((!!!()*#$*?
12. Proving that TV announcers have the same prognostication abilities as weathermen, stock market analysts, even sports writers, or the aforementioned moi (see #3), came this comment from the booth near the end of the first half of the Boston College/ UNC game with the score tied at 17. “This game has overtime written all over it.” Final Score UNC 45, BC 24.
13. Headline seen prior to Kentucky’s game with the gatros (their …) aka crocs of XXVI: “Defense Makes This UK Team Different” I’d certainly say 63-5 makes you different alright.
14. As LSU lined up on defense came the comment from the TV booth “Look at that line, they’ve got four ends out there” prompting this question from Mrs. BFT. “How do you have four ends on a line? There’s only two ends on a line.”
15. After a 33-7 thrashing by Notre Dame and an 0-7 start Washington Huskie fans are really wishing right about now that the Irish had NOT fired Ty Willingham.
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| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | — |
| 2 | Texas Tech | 3 |
| 3 | Penn State | 1 |
| 4 | Alabama | 1 |
| 5 | Utah | 1 |
| 6 | Southern Cal | 2 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | — |
| 8 | Florida | 1 |
| 9 | Georgia | 1 |
| 10 | Boise State | 1 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 7 |
| 12 | Ball State | — |
| 13 | TCU | 2 |
| 14 | Tulsa | 2 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 9 |
| 16 | Florida State | 10 |
| 17 | Missouri | 1 |
| 18 | Ohio State | 5 |
| 19 | Brigham Young | — |
| 20 | Maryland | 5 |
| 21 | Oregon | 5 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 4 |
| 23 | LSU | 6 |
| 24 | California | 2 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 1 |
Okay, time for some explanations:
Texas is easy to keep at #1. They made it through some adversity yesterday, and Oklahoma State is a pretty good team. Texas Tech has a scary good offense, so I’ve bumped them to #2, because I think they’ll score with anybody in the country, and I really think when they match up with Texas next weekend it should be #1 vs. #2. Penn State drops, even though they won at Ohio State because they only scored 13. If they win out they’ll play for a national title, so I’m not worried about them this week, and the same goes for Alabama, who beat Tennessee. Win and it will take care of itself.
Utah is overranked, I know it. But, if they keep winning I think they deserve to be up there.
Southern Cal is the best of the 1 loss teams, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma State aren’t too bad either. Boise State and Ball State are BCS eligible. Boise State is a better team than anyone thinks at this point, and Ball State doesn’t play anybody, but as I’ve said before winning games is tough, no matter who you play.
TCU moves up 2 by default, as does Tulsa who plays tonight. (On a Sunday? WTF)
And then we find the sneaky 1 loss teams. The Golden Gophers move up 9 spots and our beloved Florida State Seminoles make their poll debut right behind them. Minnesota should really only have two losses this season at most, who would have thought? And FSU has a tough remaining schedule, but if you step back and look at it, the ACC games are all winnable and Florida is a tough one, but it’s at home and doesn’t affect a shot at a BCS bowl. FSU fans should thank Miami for taking Wake Forest out yesterday, because the Noles now control their own destiny in the Atlantic Division.
Missouri moves up 1, Ohio State drops 5 with the loss to Penn State, BYU remains at 19. I don’t know what to do with them. Maryland moves up to #20. The Terps keep winning, even if the games are close. Oregon is #2 in the weak Pac-10, they’re back in the poll. UNC is solid, I think they deserve back in after a win over B.C. yesterday. LSU is suspect even at #23 and might exit the poll by the end of the season. Cal and UConn are my why not votes of the week…
Help me out… leave me a comment and let me know what I should change before I submit my final ballot!
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The Virginia Tech Hokies roll in to Doak Campbell Stadium this Saturday (kickoff is 3:30pm, be there and be loud). Lots of good stories out there for everyone, and after the links I’ll add some thoughts of my own to the mix.
Nolesports.com looks to the past to determine the future, but talking about Bobby Bowden’s very successful record over VT Head Coach Frank Beamer.
Tomahawk Nation (guys you are rapidly becoming a great blog, keep it up!) has a Q & A with Gobbler Country.
Scott Carter’s NoleInsider has a great article on Dekoda Watson.
Andrew Carter has some good tidbits from Bobby Bowden’s weekly teleconference on his Chopping Block blog.
And what about me?
I think the Noles SHOULD pull this one out, but I’m not sure if they will. Does FSU have the talent? Yes. But the defense needs to play all 4 quarters on Saturday and the offense has to make a couple of big plays, while not giving VT any big plays. Special Teams will be important again, and thankfully Graham Gano has been hot with his foot. Let’s hope he’s not overdue for a miss.
And one other thing, while I HATE the Hokie “Turkey Call” stuff… I do love their entrance at home…