Chisoxfn

It is crazy that Iowa ranks 1st in the country in the combined computer tabulations in the BCS polls. It is why I think if they win-out, they'll jump Texas because they would have to go up in the human polls if they win out (especially considering one of those wins, would be a road win @ Ohio State). I still think Iowa loses at least one more game, but a man can dream can't he, haha I couldn't fathom winning road games @ Wiscy, PSU, MSU, and OSU in one season.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 26, 2009 -> 10:35 AM) Da is right, both Bama and Fla could have their way with any team in the Big Ten. Not only do they have the best defensive teams in the country, but offensively they can move the ball. I think a Big Ten team would have many many issues putting the ball in the end zone on both teams. I agree. I said as much in my most recent post. I was rather stating that I don't think the SEC is greater than some other conferences. For example, I think the Pac 10 could argue that they are the best conference in college football this year. Mainly because I buy into USC and Oregon both being top tier schools, Arizona is very good, Stanford is good, Cal is solid (tons of talent...two beatdowns but to the two top-tier teams i mentioned). UCLA is solid (they beat Tenn, not that I think UCLA would beat them if they played again this year). Washington is a solid poor football team (Locker is legit, they beat USC and played with LSU). Oregon State has a legit RB and could make some noise. WSU is just terrible though.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Oct 26, 2009 -> 10:28 AM) This is where I disagree with you. I was born and raised a Big 10 guy and used to hate the SEC, but having been a SEC follower the last 4 years, the SEC is the best in the country. The SEC has a great chance to have another National Champion this year and that would make 4 in a row for the conference. You might not be saying the SEC is worse than the Big 10, but you aren't saying they're better. They are, however, better. Y'all dominated SC last year, but it was Big10 #4 vs SEC #6. South Carolina was 7-5 in the regular season and you were 9-4. That was supposed to be a game Iowa wins. If by contrast, you had played the #4 team in the SEC, that would have been Ole Miss and you would have lost. No matter their slow start this year, Ole Miss ended last year as one of the Top 5 teams in the country. They dominated everyone they played in their last 4 or 5 games once the offense got rolling. They manhandled an 11-1 Texas Tech team. If by contrast the 4th best SEC team had played the 6th best Big 10 team, Ole Miss would have played Minnesota. That game would have been ugly. It would have been about 63-14 only b/c Ole Miss would have put all the backups in. That's no exaggeration. I know many of y'all don't follow the SEC much, but there's a reason Ole Miss was ranked so highly to start the season. They were nasty at the end of last year. As for this year: - Tennessee is the best 3-4 team in the country. We would beat 70% of DI teams right now. Our defense is ridiculous and the offense is starting to warm up after the Georgia 45 point performance and putting up 340 yards of total offense on the best defense in the country last week. - Ole Miss is starting to heat up late again like they did last year after a slow start. - Florida is Florida. They're not as good as in the past, but they win games. They would beat anyone in the Big 10. So would Bama. - LSU looks to be back on track and they have a young team, which is scary. - Auburn has hit a rough patch but is still 5-3. - Arkansas showed they can play with anyone when they should have beaten Florida and they have the 2nd worst record in the SEC. - Kentucky is on pace for a 4th straight bowl game. Pretty good for a traditional SEC bottom feeder. - Georgia can be dangerous with the best WR in the country in AJ Green; their defense is hit or miss though. - And Vandy is pretty good for being in last place. They would surely beat Illinois or Indiana who rank at the bottom of the Big 10. Can't wait for bowl season. Should be a lot of fun. Evan, I want to point out, in no way shape or form do I think the Big 10 is even equally as good as the SEC. I'm dumb, but not that dumb. SEC is far better. I think Alabama and Florida are both better than the top Big 10 team (Iowa or Ohio State or Penn State..I'll let you decide). I think LSU might be better too. Although I don't think any team other than potentially Florida (running on all cylinders) would blow-out any of the Big 10 teams I mentioned above. Note: I need to point out, that I would be intrigued as to how those teams would fare going into the Big 10 during the winter, but I do think Iowa, OSU, and Penn State all have pretty good defenses, Iowa's being in my biased opinion the best and ultimately enough to keep the game close, but I fear what the speed of those SEC defenses would do to Ricky Stanzi). To me the strength of the SEC comes from the next tier of teams. Tenn is solid, Ole Miss, Arkansas (great offense), Georgia (very talented), etc. Its a very deep conference. I do think a few people are sleeping on the quality of a Michigan State and Wisconsin who I think are the next tier of Big 10 schools and while MSU/Wiscy might contend against the next tier I talked about, that is only two schools and they'd still be under-dogs in there games against those SEC schools (which is a list much deeper than 2)...the rest of the Big 10 would get whiped out. I should also counter you Evan by saying that Iowa finished the season last year on fire. They'd have beat a lot of teams in the country at the end of last season. Not saying they beat Ole Miss, but they were very strong at the end of last year. It is pretty much an identical team as this year's teams except they had one of the best 3 running backs in the country (Shonne Green).

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 26, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) I was at the game yesterday (holy hell is the Bengals facility bad), and it was mind boggling how awful Nick Roach is. He was out of position every other play it seemed. Truly an awful experience yesterday. I was probably one of Urlacher's biggest haters, but Roach was completely exploited this week. Albeit there were plenty of other things wrong with the game, ie, how unprepared the squad was, the horrenodus oline, etc, but Roach was one of the biggest issues.

On another note, could Tommie Harris be better than I give him credit for? I've ripped on him, but he was out of todays game and our Dline was absolutely horrendous. I've also bashed and bashed Urlacher, but I think it is worth mentioning that a huge chunk of Cincy's completions occurred in the zone of the cover 2 that is ultimately the MLB's responsibility and you can tell Roach just isn't even close to what Url was on coverage. Basically put, I really think the Bears need a new coach because the cover 2 is getting absolutely exposded and the Bears don't have the great players who can make the soft-spot's of the cover 2 very minimal, instead, the holes are massive. Thats what having poor cover safeties and poor cover MLB's does. It is only one game, but my god, what a train-wreck.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Oct 25, 2009 -> 01:41 PM) The Bears defense really blows right now. Hillenmeyer and Roach are huge downgrades from Urlacher and Tinoisamoa and we don't have any impact players at DT. Add in a bad secondary and you have a bad defense. Also on offense, f*** running the ball. Let Cutler just throw on basically every play. The Bears defense is really bad. Briggs is the only above average player on the team. We have an aging Dline and the only reasons to be excited on the Dline are Gilbert, Melton, Adams, Harrison and I guess Mark Anderson (because he's young). We better hope those young guys figure it out because Harris is probably gonna get cut at seasons end, Ogunleye is average to a little above average (and not deserving of the funds he gets) and Brown is solid but not an impact DE and quite frankly for the Bears to have any sort of a D with the lack of secondary they have they need to have a plus plus pass rush. Than there are the LB's, where you have to hope Roach/Williams live up to there hype because Hunter is what he is and Briggs is well the stud of the D. In the secondary, you have to hope Manning/Aflava/Moore/Bowman figure it out because Payne isn't any good, Vasher is gonna be gone, and Tillman is solid (not great anymore) and getting older. The scary part is we have no picks to fix this problem next season so we have to really hope those guys I mentioned that are younger develop. On the offensive side, you should get excited about our WR's (Bennett, Hester, Knox plus our TE Olsen), our QB, and well I think we should still be excited for Forte (even though he's sucked this year) but than there is our oline. Pace is done, Kreutz is an average C at this point in his career, Omilaye has been awful...Garza is mediocre. Basically on the oline we have to hope Williams figures it out, Omilaye somehow does something, and that Beekman can be a starter at C cause we got nothing else.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 26, 2009 -> 09:15 AM) Honestly Dick, I expected more from you being a poster I generally really respect. Posting a pretty laughable list from rivals.com isnt really up to your standards. As far as the "talent" debate. A good coach makes his school a destination for talent. Being a college football head coach isnt 100% about the x's and O's, that would be a debate about coordinators. I agree Ferentz is a great coach, and I think he does alot with his school. But recruiting and developing talent is part of what he does as well, so you cant use that as something to discount someone like Tressel and Joe Pa just because they bring in better talent. If you look at straight results over the last 10 years or so in the Big Ten (because Joe Pa has been around for 80) you would have some problems finding a coach more dominant than Jim Tressel. If you think that he hides behind the OSU flag and that anyone with those facilities can win as many games as he does, take a look at what he did at YSU while he was there. There is only one other active coach in the country with more National Titles than Tressel. He was also a 4-time national coach of the year when at YSU. In case you were wondering only 18 other D-1 coaches have reached 200 wins in their careers. Pretty good company there. In D-1a he was only the second coach to make 4 consecutive appearences in the title game. obviously NOT dependant on how great his facilities were. I know alot of people hate OSU and thats fine, but if you sit down and look at the accomplishments of a coach that I criticize on a weekly basis, you would clearly see that currently he is the class of the conference and is in the top tier of coaches in the country. Ferentz is a good coach, and does ALOT with his team on the field, but you would be hard pressed to consider a man with a 73-53 record at his school as the best coach in the country, regardless of the sentiments on this board that Iowa is now better than the 72 dolphins. And that NFL stuff makes no difference. Every top College coach from Carroll on down are pinged for NFL jobs every offseason. And for the record, for all the stuff we say about Joe Pa and his age, the man has adapted to college football for DECADES and still is out recruiting, out coaching and out developing most of the coaching staffs around the country. He ABSOLUTELY should be part of the discussion. The debate for best coach in the big ten currently starts at ends between Jim Tressel and Kirk Ferentz. I think Rock has a point about recruiting being a part of the game, but you have to give some sort of factor to the fact that Iowa will never out-recruit Ohio State or USC. I'd love to say we would, but the reality is Ferentz does more with less than any coach in the country. Does that make him the best X's and O's guy in the country, not sure, but I think it puts him in the discussion as one of the best coaches at developing players and getting results on the field. Either way I think Ferentz has proven himself as an elite college coach, Iowa doesn't have an elite program, but the coach certainly is.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Oct 25, 2009 -> 09:51 PM) It takes a special kind of pathetic loser to consistently name call on a message board. Congrats on being that pathetic loser (and that's not a personal attack, because it's a fact that you fit that description if you attack somebody on a message board just because you run it). And btw, your football team is still a lucky, 9-3 or 8-4 type team taking advantage of a mediocre conference, no matter how many times you try and bully me and call me names on a message board (classy). The reason I don't pick on Alabama? They play in a real football conference. If Iowa played in the SEC and won at the last second every week, I'd leave them alone since they'd be playing the SEC. But they aren't, so I won't. I hope you enjoy the ass kicking and reality check in Columbus. When I get suspended or banned from this board for doing the same thing you do in this post, it will be pretty funny and a definition of your hyprocrisy. I thought this place was better than WSI, I was clearly mistaken. Well first off, I'll let you continue to live in your delusional make believe world where from one week to another someone is the worse football team in the world and complete hopeless, etc, etc, etc. Secondly, the SEC is an over-rated football conference and last I looked Iowa beat an SEC team last year in there bowl game and has beaten other SEC teams in this decade in bowl games (including LSU). Am I saying the SEC is worse than the Big 10, nope, but the SEC isn't the best conference in the land this year. The Pac 10 could easily play with the SEC. Iowa's also went to to toe with the Longhorns and other well respected programs under Ferentz. And you'll get suspended/banned because you have a long history of doing the above to countless posters over the years. I on the other hand, have no history of that.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Oct 24, 2009 -> 08:19 PM) It's not just tonight, they've been losing at some point in every game but two, have played in a close game in every game but one, etc. When two of your wins are because of two consecutive blocked field goals and a touchdown pass as time expires, you are lucky. They shouldn't apologize for it, but it's just the truth. The talent level thing you mentioned is why I still don't buy in though (besides all the close games, ugly games, and lack of offense) because eventually, lack of talent catches up with you. Beating a team with the talent of an Ohio State on the road would sell me though obviously, both on the team and their talent level. Shutup dumbass. They had to drive 72 yards for the win because of a fluke play that the Spartans pulled on Iowa. So no, that isn't lucky, thats good and doing what you need to. The Northern Iowa game was a beatdown the 2nd half. Iowa completed dominanted and left tons of points on the board. It happens and those weren't chip-shot field goals and they wouldn't have needed 2 blocks had they been smart and fallen on the ball after the 1st block like they could have. Figure it out. I don't see you blabbing about Bama being lucky cause they needed the luck of the missed field goal this week to beat Tenn or Florida being lucky for the calls and breaks they've gotten (see Arkansas game). Bottom line you need to play well and have things go your way a bit to be undefeated at this point of the season in college football. And you blab about the Arkansas State game...did you watch it, Iowa was up 2 TD's most of the game and Arkansas State scored a late TD with like no time left to make the score closer...but never was the game in jeaporday. Iowa also dominated the Wisconsin game in the 2nd half, Penn State game in the 2nd half, was up on Michigan most of the game (albeit they almost blew it). Hell, outside of the first week of the season, by the time you were into the middle of the 3rd Iowa had the lead in pretty much every game. Oh and Iowa also drubbed a ranked ARizona team.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Oct 24, 2009 -> 07:43 PM) They are the luckiest college football team I've ever seen outside of 2002 Ohio State, but I agree that they'll end up where they deserve (especially considering they still have to win in Columbus to go perfect). They are still a longshot for the title game though, the odds are still pretty strong that Texas and Florida or Alabama will go undefeated, and that would force the Hawkeyes to settle for Pasadena. I'll be interested to see how they would do in a bowl against a major opponent from the Big 12, SEC, or perhaps against USC though, because regardless of if they go 12-0 or not, that's who they are going to get in their bowl game. You can still consider me a doubter though, they'll have to win at Ohio State to fully convince me. Even with the Buckeyes down a bit this year, they are still the only team Iowa will play this year who has much better talent than them (I guess you could argue Penn State might too, but Iowa always beats them anyways), so if they win that, I promise to finally give them their due. I just can't do it yet because I have a hard time admitting i'm wrong in situations where it's not blatantly obvious such is the case . I don't know, the computer polls all really like Iowa and if they continue to win they'll move up in the human polls which actually should jump them over Texas (if both go undefeated). Especially with teams like Arizona making Iowa look better. That game @ Ohio State is gonna be tough, but I'm not even on that, I worry about each week cause its the big ten and anyone can win on any given day. And shut-up about the luckiest part. They were winning the game and fell behind on a great Michigan State play. Had Iowa pulled that play off, you'd have been blabbing about how they are the luckiest team ever. All I can say is wins against Arizona, @ Wiscy, @ Michigan State, @ Penn State, Vs Michigan are all pretty damn legit wins.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 24, 2009 -> 07:37 PM) The Hawkeyes only have one more road game left until the Bowl season. At Ohio State. They have had a tough Big Ten schedule this year. At PSU, Wisconsin, MSU and Ohio State and they don't get to play Illinois or Purdue. While it really hasn't been pretty except for the final scores, if they run the table, no one can say they don't deserve where they end up. They became only the 2nd team in Big Ten history to win @ Wisconsin, @ Michigan State, and @ Penn State. Michigan did it in 1997 or so when they won the co-national championship. Iowa now has to watch out about not being ready and getting too focused on the Ohio State game cause that is still a long ways away, but man will I be excited if we go to Ohio State still undefeated. If they somehow make it the whole way, I think they'll get into the championship game, but we shall see. I still have my doubts, either way, there defense is f***ing legit.

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Oct 24, 2009 -> 07:12 PM) What a drive my Michigan State. The hook and ladder on 3rd and 18, then the 30 yard touchdown pass. Iowa has over a minute and a half to score a TD. Ya, I would have died had we lost on that. Michigan State had two different 3rd and 17's and both times they converted them and went onto score. Very rare for Iowa to give up those type of plays, but they ended up doing just enough to win, but I'm ready to hear 101 tell me again just how lucky Iowa is. Stanzi was a mess most of the game and I was really dissapointed in Iowa's unwillingness to open up the offense cause they have some good WR's, but MSU played really strong defensively and was in Stanzi's face all day. Iowa ran the ball relatively well though and aside from one penalty, Bulaga had one of his better games.

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Oct 24, 2009 -> 07:03 PM) The ball looked out to me in the Iowa game. The ball was out, it wasn't reviewed because Iowa came up with the ball too.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Oct 24, 2009 -> 06:50 PM) Absolute bulls*** call in the Iowa game. They called that personal foul on MSU literally minutes after the play was over and it isn't like he launched with head. It was the right call though. Called late, absolutely, right call, yep. Helmet to helmet gets flagged everytime.

Danks ended up with 2 hits, one being a 2B and knocked in 3.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 09:23 PM) Iowa is going to be horrible, and I really can't see them improving. They were awful last year, didn't bring in a good recruiting class, and lost two of their three best players. Not to mention that they lost 5 of their top 8 scorers. Iowa will be beyond horrible. We have nothing.

QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 03:49 PM) Ellsbury would play LF then? He's awful out there in CF compared to Rios. Are you sure. I don't watch enough Boston games to make a full opinion, but I've always been very impressed with his defense. Maybe I'm biased cause i see a ton of web-gems with him in it though.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 03:41 PM) Really? I love Alexei, but Bard is wicked and Ellsbury is one of my favorite players. If we made Bard the 2010 closer - and I don't think that is a huge stretch BTW - then we'd have a closer, another righty setup man to push Pena into a specialist role where he has done well, we wouldn't have to rely on Linebrink, and we'd solve the OF and lead-off situations by pushing Rios to RF. All we'd need after that is a second lefty in the pen, a SS, and hopefully a big lefty bat. But we'd cut payroll in the deal, so we could sign a lefty to DH (Abreu? Damon? Matsui?) on a short-term deal, and then we could trade for a defense-first SS and another lefty reliever. That deal would rock, but I don't think it's realistic at all. On talent alone we rape the Red Sox IMO. I meant value as in terms of players. I think Alexei is pretty good and his value being a SS is very nice. Jenks is a good closer but would be a nasty set-up man. Bard has a great arm, but far more raw, so based upon pure performance (not factoring in contract, etc)...Jenks > Bard and Ellsbury and Alexei are relatively even (both play premium positions and both have flaws to there game). Basically put, I think it is a close match, although that isn't factoring in Jenks contract. Either way I have no clue what the BoSox rationale for that move would be, but if they want a SS and have someone else in mind at CF, than it could be an option and obviously it would give them one hell of a f***ing pen with Jenks/Paplebon. As a Sox fan, I'd be 1000% on board.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 03:26 PM) Agreed completely. Though Buster Olney said earlier today that he sees both Soxs trading. He mentioned Jenks and Alexei to the Red Sox for Bard, Ellsbury, and Okajima. Again.. that was his proposal. I'd be on-board. I love Bard and think he's got upside and while I'd hate to see Alexei go, I think Ellsbury gives the Sox an added dimension, plus gives the Sox financial flexibility. Value wise the BoSox maybe win out, but I love the idea of Bard and Ellsbury since both are cheap and ultimately I have a lot of confidence in Thornton as our closer and Bard as a potential closer in a year or two and a great set-up man.

QUOTE (East Side Z @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 02:56 PM) I finaly understand why people hate these message boards................. 12 million hits a month, a few thousand members...recognition by the Sox organization, yep, this place sucks pretty bad.

QUOTE (East Side Z @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) Again for the mentaly retarded here...........I never said I want 100% Nix to play 3rd base...........This was all about if Kenny moves Alexie and Beckham gets moved to SS...............Which is not outrages since ...for the last time is his NATRUAL position. Guys move positions. Dye was a natural shortstop. Konerko a natural catcher. Carlos Lee was a 3rd baseman. And thats just using Sox players as examples. It happens all the time.

QUOTE (East Side Z @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 02:51 PM) That's what Beckham said you dumb ass...........I think he would know better then me and you. Well thanks for playing the game, but you are now gone. Personal attacks are un-acceptable. But just because Beckham wants something doesn't mean its for the betterment of the team. Nick Swisher wanted more starts for the Sox last year and that would have been awful. I'm sure Linebrink wanted to pitch in more meaningful positions and I certainly bet Brent Lillibridge wishes he was still the starter, doesn't mean its going to happen.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 12:36 PM) Just out of interest, how many times did you watch Orlando Hudson and Brian Roberts play this year? I probably saw Hudson play 50-70 times. My dad is a die-hard Dodger fan and I live in Orange County so I get every Dodger game. Brian Roberts I only saw a few times.

QUOTE (East Side Z @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 12:44 PM) I think Nix can handle 3rd base ....thats all and you dont fine. Nix can handle 3B, but he doesn't have the premium arm to be a great defensive 3Bman. And he would be the worse offensive 3b in baseball.

QUOTE (East Side Z @ Oct 23, 2009 -> 12:23 PM) My point was I heard Beckham on the radio very recently and he said he PREFERRED to play short out all the positions he can play.And YES i trust him since he's played the DAMN position before. Konerko was a catcher growing up and played it into his minor league career. Doesn't mean I want him there.