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Well, it looks like Michigan has made the expected move. I think they may have gotten themselves in a loop here. If they go with a coach running a more conventional offense, he will struggle trying to adapt current personnel to it, just like Rich Rodriguez did. This could be interesting.

I was surprised he lasted this long. I think the royal a$$ kicking they received in the bowl game was probably the last straw lol... This is coming from a Big Blue and Tide fan!

On a side note, glad to see Alabama make a nice appearance and win their bowl game!
 
Well, it looks like Michigan has made the expected move. I think they may have gotten themselves in a loop here. If they go with a coach running a more conventional offense, he will struggle trying to adapt current personnel to it, just like Rich Rodriguez did. This could be interesting.

If you can play defense it almost doesn't matter what offense you run.
 
Well, it looks like Michigan has made the expected move. I think they may have gotten themselves in a loop here. If they go with a coach running a more conventional offense, he will struggle trying to adapt current personnel to it, just like Rich Rodriguez did. This could be interesting.

According to ESPN it isn't official yet. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5988308

Counting down the time until it becomes official! Now let the rumors swirl on who will be the next head coach. I haven't heard if there are any rumors but then again I haven't had much time to check.
 
Right. More often than not, no-defense teams lose on the big stage, and it's usually not very close.

I don't know if I believe that old "defense wins championships" line much anymore. Looking at BCS bowl participants (I know your feeling, but let's just agree almost all the BCS teams were pretty good), there are some surprising stats. Only three teams in the top 20 of total defense made it to BCS games. On the other hand, 7 of the top 20 in total offense made it to a BCS bowl. In fact, 3 of the teams with in the top 20 list of total defense didn't even make it to a bowl game, vs. only 1 in the top 20 total offense.

The old cliche about turnovers is true, though. Of the top 20 teams in turnover margin, all but one were in bowls. Eight of them were in BCS bowls. I still believe in the modern game, a very good offense and average defense will win more than a very good defense and average offense.

Oh yeah, have fun with stats here
 
I don't know if I believe that old "defense wins championships" line much anymore. Looking at BCS bowl participants (I know your feeling, but let's just agree almost all the BCS teams were pretty good), there are some surprising stats. Only three teams in the top 20 of total defense made it to BCS games. On the other hand, 7 of the top 20 in total offense made it to a BCS bowl. In fact, 3 of the teams with in the top 20 list of total defense didn't even make it to a bowl game, vs. only 1 in the top 20 total offense.

Maybe, but I think this year is an anomaly. Think about the recent "national champs" and almost all of them played great D. Some of them played great O, as well, but defense was really the common denominator, wasn't it? Check these stats out (Total D rank in parentheses)...

2009 Alabama (#2)
2008 Florida (#9)
2007 LSU (#3)
2006 Florida (#6)
2005 Texas (#10)
2004 USC (#6)
2003 LSU (#1) / USC (#30)
2002 Ohio St. (#23)
2001 Miami (#6)
2000 OU (#8)

So far, Ohio State is dominating Arkansas. I'm surprised to see them doing so well.

Arkansas is another one of steve's "defense optional" teams and it's showing. For all the success he's had there the last couple of years, Petrino doesn't really run a classic SEC-type program at Arkie, does he?
 
Maybe, but I think this year is an anomaly. Think about the recent "national champs" and almost all of them played great D. Some of them played great O, as well, but defense was really the common denominator, wasn't it? Check these stats out (Total D rank in parentheses)...

2009 Alabama (#2)
2008 Florida (#9)
2007 LSU (#3)
2006 Florida (#6)
2005 Texas (#10)
2004 USC (#6)
2003 LSU (#1) / USC (#30)
2002 Ohio St. (#23)
2001 Miami (#6)
2000 OU (#8)



Arkansas is another one of steve's "defense optional" teams and it's showing. For all the success he's had there the last couple of years, Petrino doesn't really run a classic SEC-type program at Arkie, does he?

I suppose that defense may not be the #1 factor, but can be the difference between "a BCS bowl game" and "THE BCS bowl game".

Anyway, can we give Arkansas back to the Big 12? They are embarrassing the SEC! Don't they know SEC teams don't lose to Ohio State? :)

I want to see what he does without Ryan Mallet next year. I would say I want to see what OSU does without all those "suspended" players next year, but they will still probably have a cakewalk.
 
I suppose that defense may not be the #1 factor, but can be the difference between "a BCS bowl game" and "THE BCS bowl game".

Fair enough, but anytime you have auto-berths from crappy conferences you're going to water down your stat pool.

Anyway, can we give Arkansas back to the Big 12? They are embarrassing the SEC! Don't they know SEC teams don't lose to Ohio State? :)

Arkansas was never in the Big 12 ;), and no, they can't come join us because the Little 10 is not going to be around much longer. How about we come over and join y'all instead? We'll be there just as soon as Dan Beebe is done playing with Monopoly money. Should be about two years from now.
 
Fair enough, but anytime you have auto-berths from crappy conferences you're going to water down your stat pool.



Arkansas was never in the Big 12 ;), and no, they can't come join us because the Little 10 is not going to be around much longer. How about we come over and join y'all instead? We'll be there just as soon as Dan Beebe is done playing with Monopoly money. Should be about two years from now.

Whatever, it may as well be the SWC again. :)

Don't go the the SEC. The SEC West is hard enough as it is. We don't need anymore good teams. Our best season in over a decade and we finish 5th in the division. Maybe Baylor can come over and play. We need another smart-kid school to balance Vandy.

Unrelated: Just saw the Big "10" commercial. Still no "Losers" and "Laughingstock" division names.
 
Don't go the the SEC. The SEC West is hard enough as it is.

You realize you're talking to an Aggie, right? :p

And Baylor isn't a smart kid school - however it's a fantastic place to pick up hot chicks that will do anything to piss off their conservative Baptist parents. ;)
 
You realize you're talking to an Aggie, right? :p

And Baylor isn't a smart kid school - however it's a fantastic place to pick up hot chicks that will do anything to piss off their conservative Baptist parents. ;)

OK, let me rephrase that "Expensive Private School". They have a good medical program there. My sister-in-law works for Baylor medical in Ft. Worth. I wonder if they have any of said chicks there.

And we have Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Mississippi Black Bears. Just being able to read makes kids smart compare to those schools. :D
 
OK, let me rephrase that "Expensive Private School". They have a good medical program there. My sister-in-law works for Baylor medical in Ft. Worth.

That's true, their medical school is pretty good. And damn, Baylor girls....mmmm....

I'm sorry, what was I saying?
 
That's true, their medical school is pretty good. And damn, Baylor girls....mmmm....

I'm sorry, what was I saying?

Damn, no wonder my brother has been trying to get me to move there. He just couldn't come out and say it with the wife around. I KNEW I should have held out for that TX job instead of the one I accepted. But, hey, at least I'll be living on the beach at the new job. :)

BTW, Texas needs to stop throwing around some of that "Monopoly money" and leave our defensive coordinator alone. Come on, the guy has only been here one year. We barely got to know him. Well, other than the face that he's pretty good.

Edit: Wow, Mallet has go to stop hitting these receivers in the worst spot: the hands.
 
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Looks like Arkansas isn't quite ready to lay down and die. Fantastic play by the TE on that two-point conversion and the D is actually playing pretty well in the second half.

Baylor isn't a smart kid school

What he said. Baylor isn't a terrible school by any stretch, but comparing it to Vandy is ludicrous.
 
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