College Football 2016 Week 3 running thread

Projected to finish last? Northwestern went 10-2 last year, and has many of its players back.

My point is the Big 10 has three or four good teams, the rest are pretty shaky. Not as much depth as the SEC or Pac-12. And I'm saying this as a Big 10 alumni/fan.

The Oregon-Nebraska game should be a good gauge of things. Two teams in the upper half of their leagues matching up.

 

My first tenure-track gig was at Appalachian State. After I took it, my wife and I spent several months looking for housing, and we were struck by how many houses listed "meditation platform" among their amenities.

Also, that first fall I was stunned by the number of kids who'd come to an 8- or 9:30-am class reeking of marijuana. And I taught in the business school!

 

"Near last."

Northwestern was projected to finish fourth in the decidedly weaker West division. Illinois was projected for sixth.

Ohio State picked to win Big Ten in 2016 media preseason poll

The Big Ten has five of the top 16 teams in the nation right now. We'll know more in the next couple of weeks, but I don't see what the problem is if a couple of sucks start sucking. You might as well say the whole SEC is down because Mississippi State lost to FCS (which, granted, a lot of people tried to do).

 

Says more about the fact that the Illini were basically trash last year (though I think Lovie will probably bring them back to at least respectability fairly soon), whereas Western is the favorite to win the MAC.

 

South Alabama is a newer program, but they are an FBS team.

 

All right. Point being it's really stupid to look at the lower end of a conference as the barometer for that conference. I don't think anyone is taking Stanford out of the playoff running because Wazzu lost to EWU.

 

Are there any FCS teams left? Seems like everybody and his sister have been moving up to FBS.

 

Boone is wonderful, assuming you like a bit of hippy/granola in your college and mountain town. I was up there a ton as a SoCon beat writer and always enjoyed myself.

The drive to Boone, from every direction, is pretty shitty. Wherever Miami flies into, I suspect there is still going to be an hour-plus bus ride up steep hills and switchbacks. But better now than in November, when there might be snow and ice. That stuff made for some scary drives home after a game.

Kidd-Brewer Stadium is always a great environment and will be crazier than ever with Miami there.

 

In 1996, 111 teams played Div. I-A football. There were 18 bowl games.
In 2016, 127 teams play in what we now call the FBS. There are 41 bowl games.
Bigger is better. Umm...right?

 

At first lance, Ole Miss as a 9 1/2 point home dog looks pretty inviting. Then one remembers who is going to be on the visitor's sideline and what happened. that past two seasons between these two teams. If Satan gets the Rebs down, he and his minions won't even think about taking the foot off the gas.

 

Georgia -6.5 at Mizzou. Bet the farm on it. Both teams gave performances last week not indicative of what they are.

 

Of course, they said that last year heading into the game in Tuscaloosa.