We Now Enter the Doldrums

[Eric]

It's a sad day, but all good things must come to an end. Rest in peace, 2012 college football season

It's a shame we had to exit with such a clunker. But what are you guys looking forward to in this offseason? Who do you like heading into next year? I'm going to be following how a lot of Hoke's recruits develop in the spring. Most of his guys will be redshirt sophomores.

If I'm forced to make a premature national title pick, I'm going with Texas A&M (with one loss) versus [Insert Team]. I have no idea who will be the opponent here. I think Boise State will go undefeated in the Mountain West. I think Louisville will go undefeated in the Big East. I think Alabama will be 11-1. Clemson, if they get Boyd and Hopkins back, can go undefeated, but they play Georgia and South Carolina and Florida State, so I doubt they'll be undefeated. Texas, if Ash improves, can dominate a Big 12 that will be down next year (I think TCU is the only serious challenger in conference next year, but it's still deep and littered with land mine games). Notre Dame's schedule is too hard. Ohio State's schedule is soft, but I think they will play Michigan twice. Florida State's schedule is prime for a national title run, but they'll likely be breaking in Winston at QB, so that's a question mark. The Stanford/Oregon winner has a great shot, but Stanford gets Notre Dame later in the year and Oregon has the possibility of going on probation.

I think in the last year of the BCS, we're bound to have some chaos.

[Spence]

I can't say I'm sad to see this season end. It sucks not being able to go bowling.

[donovan]

I can't say I'm sad to see this season end. It sucks not being able to go bowling.

You've been stoic about it, but your penalty sucked. Was unjustified and chopped of the heads of the wrong people...no way you can justify that. Well...next year.....of course this is a lot like picking the winning lottery ticket on a practice run and then saying..OK now I will buy one.

And...thirty days and pitchers and catchers report!

[armchairqb]

Teams that I have my eye on in 2013:

Texas A&M, Stanford, UCLA, Ohio State, Vanderbilt(just if they could have a repeat of the season they just had).

I can't rule out another non-AQ BCS buster.

[Eric]

Teams that I have my eye on in 2013:

Texas A&M, Stanford, UCLA, Ohio State, Vanderbilt(just if they could have a repeat of the season they just had).

I can't rule out another non-AQ BCS buster.

I think the BCS buster will be Boise State. Washington is supposed to be a lot better, but if their offensive line continues to be a problem area, that's a spot that Boise can exploit easily. Boise opens at Washington and if they win that, I don't see any team other than Fresno (and maybe Air Force on one of their better days) who can knock off the Broncos. Northern Illinois has a shot to win all of their games with road dates against Iowa and Purdue, but with their performance against FSU, they will have a lot of doubters. Ohio returns their most important pieces and plays Louisville and a soft slate from then on out, but at the rate Louisville is progressing with Bridgewater at QB, I doubt they can pull off that upset. I don't think the Sun Belt or C-USA 2.0 has any realistic challengers.

[Spence]

I agree, but no matter what school it is, they always get the wrong guys. Bottom line, though, was there were lots of rumors surrounding that tattoos. I don't come down too hard on Tressel, he did what they said he did and he had to be fired, but he was between a rock and a hard place. A guy sends him an email of what was going on. A former Buckeye and local lawyer. Tressel open the email and he had two choices - do the right thing and be known as the coach who blows in his own guys or hit delete and hope it goes away. Things never go away, but it was a tough place to be in. The players shouldn't have traded their celebrity for tattoos or anything else, but that temptation is always going to be there and their are always going to be players to take what is offered. The players broke the rules. The head coach broke the rules. We got what we had coming. I believe in doing things the right way. I could cheat at golf almost everytime I play. What would I prove? I don't have to be the best, but I think you should always do your best.

I think Penn State is the one who got hosed. They absolutely could have punished the guilty parties without harming the players, fans, and innocent members of the coaching staff and they hammered the program. It was a terrible situation, but 99+% of the school was completely innocent. No players, mostly just the upper crust of the school.

[Spence]

Teams that I have my eye on in 2013:

Texas A&M, Stanford, UCLA, Ohio State, Vanderbilt(just if they could have a repeat of the season they just had).

I can't rule out another non-AQ BCS buster.

Next year is going to be a fun season. A&M is fun to watch. Hopefully lots of other teams will step up and make it a great season.

[Eric]

I think Penn State is the one who got hosed. They absolutely could have punished the guilty parties without harming the players, fans, and innocent members of the coaching staff and they hammered the program. It was a terrible situation, but 99+% of the school was completely innocent. No players, mostly just the upper crust of the school.

I still don't know what to make of Penn State's punishment. If I'm in the NCAA's shoes, it is probably harsh, but they had to do something for PR due to the fact that it was the biggest scandal in the history of sports. It's unfair to those uninvolved in my opinion, but what are you going to do.

[billybud]

By next season...we'll finally have heard about Miami's penalty.

Maybe they have strung it out so long that the public won't remember and there will be less outrage for a slap on the wrist.

[Eric]

By next season...we'll finally have heard about Miami's penalty.

Maybe they have strung it out so long that the public won't remember and there will be less outrage for a slap on the wrist.

I think the NCAA will let them off the hook. Miami's self-suspended twice now when they were bowl eligible both years (and would have qualified for the ACC title game with a chance at the Orange Bowl). It's what Ohio State should have done last season at 6-6. It would have saved them a loss in the Gator Bowl and a chance for bigger things (probably a national title game appearance) with Urban Meyer at the helm this year.

[Spence]

By next season...we'll finally have heard about Miami's penalty.

Maybe they have strung it out so long that the public won't remember and there will be less outrage for a slap on the wrist.

I think the NCAA will let them off the hook. Miami's self-suspended twice now when they were bowl eligible both years (and would have qualified for the ACC title game with a chance at the Orange Bowl). It's what Ohio State should have done last season at 6-6. It would have saved them a loss in the Gator Bowl and a chance for bigger things (probably a national title game appearance) with Urban Meyer at the helm this year.

The Ohio State AD has said that the NCAA was going to suspend them this season no matter what. I don't know if that is true or him saving face, but I think it was just as well. We weren't as good as our record.

[Cane from the Bend]

Yep . . .

Ohio St did well this year, no doubt, but Spence is right.

Notre Dame wasn't as good as their record . . . and because we had `Bama in the title game, we knew for certain.

If the Buckeyes would have played in the Championship . . . it would have been against ND.

Who knows what we would have gotten.

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[Swamp Daddy]

Well, it's a long haul until spring practice but basketball will take us most of the way. I often don't like the period between spring games and fall practice the most of all. Still summer yard work keeps me busy.

Swamp Daddy