Capital One Bowl
December 8th, 2008 at 10:11 AM ^
i'm tempted to think it'll be close. like 27-21 georgia
December 8th, 2008 at 10:27 AM ^
Well Georgia I think is the equivalent to what we were last year, came into the season with a lot of hype and was decimated by injuries. I would like to say that if Georgia's defense doesn't heal up then Ringer can do well against them, but at the same time can MSU match up with UGA's offense? I will give the nod to UGA.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:44 AM ^
I think Georgia will kick MSU's arse.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:53 AM ^
georgia is overrated. state is overrated. it has the potential to either be really sweet or really lame.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:56 AM ^
That means the Big Ten is bad.
The SEC rolls.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:24 AM ^
.....but the Big 10 has covered the last four Cap One Bowls in a row.
My guess is UGA is laying double digits....and against good running teams all season, they've been plowed.
Ringer will have a huge game.
Sparty, closer than the experts think.*
*Opinion subject to change in the month between now and the game*
December 8th, 2008 at 11:28 AM ^
I think Georgia is better than OSU. And OSU beat Sparty by a gazillion.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:40 AM ^
I think Texas is better than OU. And OU beat TT by a gazillion.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:41 PM ^
Why do you think that Georgia is better than OSU? They don't have any big wins, and they got absolutely murdered by Bama and Florida. Plus they gave up 400 rushing yards and 45 points against Tech.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:45 AM ^
OSU hasn't beaten an SEC team since 1988.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:53 AM ^
The Georgia hype was so sickeningly overblown at the beginning of the season that each of their losses took a larger toll on their credibility than was merited. They lost to an Alabama team that would convince pollsters that they were the best in the country for weeks on end, and were blown the hell out by a Florida team which probably is the best in the country (I think the GA Tech loss was more of a rivalry "any given Saturday" fluke than anything else).
That said, I don't think MSU puts up much of a fight and if they do eke out a win, $20 bucks says Dantonio mentions Michigan in his presser.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:57 AM ^
He'll mention beating Michigan as a reason that they were the better team regardless of the outcome.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:00 PM ^
Georgia is the most overrated team in the country. (I live in GA and its halarious hearing the fans talk about the dawgs) That being said, Michigan state is a little shaky as well. I'd say screw Michigan state but I'm sick of the SEC thinking they are awesome. I might have to support the Big10 on this one.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:23 PM ^
UGA does have some crazy, deluded fans, but some of it is with merit. Remember, Knowshon Moreno did jump over that one guy that time. That should have sealed them at #1 all season, but the BCS is so screwed up that it just didn't work out that way.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:30 PM ^
haha. Stafford is very overrated in my opinion. Yes he is projected to be the number 1 or 2 nfl qb taken but, he is inconsistant and makes stupid passes. I talk to my ga fan friends all the time and they agree. Also, Knowshon Moreno has talent but, hes not a top 5 rb in my opinion. Overall, GA's players represent the team well.. in that they are overrated
December 8th, 2008 at 12:52 PM ^
"Knowshon Moreno has talent but, hes not a top 5 rb in my opinion."
Top 5 what? In the NCAA right now? Name 5 RBs better than Knowshon.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:10 PM ^
I think he meant projecting to the NFL.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:19 PM ^
Shonne Greene
Beanie Wells
LeSean McCoy
Chris Brown or DeMarco Murray
One of Javon Ringer, Clen Coffee or Joe McKnight
December 8th, 2008 at 1:41 PM ^
That's a solid list and I'll definitely agree with Greene and Wells, but I don't think McCoy is that much better than Moreno - on the same token, I've seen a lot more UGA than Pitt this year.
I don't buy Ringer as a better RB than Moreno.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:48 PM ^
IMO, Greene and Wells are the only 2 who I truly think are better, and the other 6 are guys that are a toss-up, putting KM anywhere from 3-9 in the country, so his assertion of 5th wasn't too far off.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:57 PM ^
ya I was thinking of something close to that list. Noshawn is all show. UGA is all show. but Ringer is probably similar to Noshawn minus the glamour. But the difference is Michigan state Rides on top of his shoulders as the main weapon, and UGA uses Noshawn as one of their weapons. In Mich states 2 blowouts handed to them by OSU and PSU, ringer got 16 and 17 carries respectively. If msu wants to win, they better use him 35+ times.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:04 PM ^
Moreno is better than Ringer. Georgia's offensive line was pretty banged up this year.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:15 PM ^
That's true, but MSU's O line is nothing to write home about. That and UGA had a good passing game which opened up the run. Everyone playing MSU knew Ringer was getting the ball and could key on him.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:21 PM ^
Dude, MSU had the ghost of Tony Mandarich working in its favor.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:41 PM ^
Steroids are a helluva drug.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:31 AM ^
Wait, it only seemed that way.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:33 PM ^
If we're projecting to the NFL, it's a different discussion, but if we're discussing who the top backs in major-conference college this year were, it would look something like this:
1. Shonn Greene (1729 yards, 6.2 ypc)
2. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma St. (1518 yards, 6.7 ypc)
3. Jahvid Best, Cal (1394 yards, 8.0 ypc!!!)
4. Jonathan Dwyer, GT (1328 yards, 7.0 ypc)
5. Donald Brown, UCONN (1822 yards, 5.4 ypc)
6. Glen Coffee, Alabama (1347 yards, 6.1 ypc)
7. Knowshon Moreno (1338 yards, 5.9 ypc)
I gave it to Greene just because he ran for the most yardage with an excellent (though not the best) ypc - I thought the total package was the best. Same with Kendall Hunter. Best's ypc is too absurd to ignore, and same story with Dwyer. If you're looking at a high-usage back, Brown had more yards, carries, and a higher YPC than Ringer or McCoy. Coffee and Moreno basically had the same year.
Not listed, but I'd take Devine, Jacquizz Rodgers, or Evan Royster before I took McCoy - and I'd take him before Ringer.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:46 PM ^
None of the USC or Oklahoma guys? They don't have the high yardage numbers because they play on primarily passing teams and they also don't have the benefit of being the only decent back on the team like most of the guys you listed. I think if you throw them onto most of those teams, their stats are just as high, if not higher.
Joe McKnight had about half as many total yards as the guys you list, but that's because they had 3 RB's with over 600 yards. McKnight was their leading rusher in total yards and had 7.7 ypc. Dirty.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:54 PM ^
Again, I'm just saying who had the best season. Is McKnight better than some of these guys? Sure. But a guy like Shonn Greene is more valuable to his team, merely because is he didn't take 270 carries, who would have? What on earth would their offense have done? McKnight didn't have as good a year because, frankly, USC didn't need him to.
But also, isn't it possible that McKnight didn't get more carries because he's not capable of the workload? I think that the ability to be used frequently, like Greene has, is valuable.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:17 PM ^
Well, I only say that because the request was to name 5 RB's "better" than Moreno, not 5 that had a better season or who were more valuable to their team. If that's the case, then I agree with you, but it is a slightly different argument.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:43 PM ^
Well, your argument is based on subjective arguments (I'm not saying McKnight isn't better), and mine is just looking at numbers. Numbers say those guys are better.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:50 PM ^
Chitown, you're a pretty smart guy, so I know you don't think that the best guy at any position is always the guy with the best stats. But there are two numbers you threw out, ypc and total yards. If it's total yards, then the best RB of the ones you threw out was the UConn guy, and I doubt you think he's the Doak Walker this year. If ypc is more important, then McKnight blows the other guys out of the water.
Sometimes ypc can be distorted when it's a guy that gets thrown in at garbage time or when it's a guy who has a very low number of attempts, but McKnight is the leading rusher on a top-5 team.
December 8th, 2008 at 5:34 PM ^
I just used numbers because it's objective. But, no matter how effective McKnight was in his touches, he only had 600 yards. That suggests that he probably can't carry a full load which, IMO, would make him "worse" than those that can, and do so at a high level.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:04 PM ^
I'm not sure it suggests he can't carry a full load, as that is merely one explanation. My take is that he is one of many capable 5-star running backs on the same team. And of those, he has the most yards and highest yards per carry. Most of those other teams don't have other viable options.
He also had 200 receiving yards and was their primary kick and punt returner. That's as much of a load to carry as a guy who ran for 1200 yards and wasn't a component of the pass or return game. Objectivity is good, but you can't be too close-minded about it.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:14 PM ^
I can see where you're coming from with McKnight, but I'd bounce a couple people off that list for Chris Brown and Demarco Murray. They BOTH have over a 1,000 yards, and Sam Bradford is their QB. Absurd.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:24 PM ^
USC is trying to avoid letting McKnight become too big of a star. The more famous he becomes, the more people there are who will investigate how many houses Pete Carroll bought him to convince him to come to USC. That's why he took him out of the game when he had 99 yards the other night instead of letting him get to 100.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:18 AM ^
Jahvids ypc average is ridic, but I think his numbers may be a little inflated because of that Washington game. Regardless the guy is fast.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:33 PM ^
UGA by 3 td's.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:34 PM ^
I had a MSU fan come up to me and say, "I saw that MSU is going to the Cap One Bowl. Where is Michigan going again?" Only possible response: "To the same bowl game MSU went to after the 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons."
December 8th, 2008 at 1:16 PM ^
I have yet to watch it all the way through. I heard it turns out pretty good.
I'm going to watch it instead of the MSU-GA Cap One Bowl, because I could not care less.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:13 PM ^
Bowl games can be weird so I never want to make a definite statement but I think Sparty gets blown out pretty good here. Any time they've gone up against a team with a pulse this year they've gotten crushed. Moreno and Stafford know the NFL teams will be watching and they'll be playing hard for the cash.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:28 PM ^
..."team with a pulse" you mean "BCS team", sure.
Georgia won a shootout with Kentucky. Yes, Kentucky. They lost a shootout to Georgia Tech (at home) and got crushed by the top 2 teams in the league.
Sparty lost a shootout with Cal (@Cal in the first game of the season) and got crushed by the top 2 teams in the league.
Looks like a good matchup to me, and is one of the top non-BCS bowls on my list. I loved wrecking FLA last year, and I'll be cheering for MSU to do the same to UGA.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:46 PM ^
......Jan 1 Bowl Games!!
C'mon people.....the Wings will be skating at Wrigley against the hated Hawks that afternoon.
That will be on my main screen that day.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:41 PM ^
i couldn't be more excited by an Original 6 matchup at a historic baseball venue on New Year's Day. Here's hoping Datsyuk scores a game winner in a hard snow for the outdoor game!!
December 8th, 2008 at 3:03 PM ^
I usually root for the BigTen to win all of their bowl games. But because Dantonio is such the tool that he would rather Michigan lose any game than go to the rose bowl.....I am hoping the Dawgs stomp his dumb ass.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:46 PM ^
This is a bad, bad matchup for the Big Ten. A healthy Georgia should roll.