Here's your guide throughout the 2017 CFB season!

[tnapucco]

Glad you think that ...Im sure 1 win every 11 years is acceptable eh..

Is your history book by your mirror?

 

[ktg8trgrl]

Is your history book by your mirror?

Meetings total 46
All-time series Florida leads, 26–20
Largest victory Tennessee, 45–3 (1990)
Longest win streak Florida, 11 (2005–15)
Current win streak Tennessee, 1 (2016–present)

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

On the first official day of the 2017 season, we saw South Florida sleeping for 15 minutes before waking up and beating San Jose, Colgate stunning Cal-Poly, and Colorado State opening it's new stadium in grand style...

Hawai'i vs. UMass - Box Score - August 26, 2017 - ESPN ...but the best moment came from little Amherst, where Hawaii won quite the thriller.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

LSU vs. BYU Moved from Houston to New Orleans Due to Hurricane Harvey

 

[belcherboy]

I know some of you crazy meeeechegan fans want so badly for Jimmy Jam to be in the same coaching class as Saban, the best CFB coach in the country right now. Here's the major problem w/ even mentioning Harbaugh's name & Saban in the same sentence. Saban has a complete CFB coaching resume, he's already won everything a HC can (and has done so multiple times). It's bizarre that so many ann arbor fans refuse acknowledge that JH hasn't won anything.

Now why is every other CFB coach in the country judged by their career coaching resumes yet Jimmy Jam seemingly gets a free pass? And I'm not talking shit about him right now...simply stating facts.

The reason I see it being unfair to judge Jimmy Jam so harshly right now is that he is doing basically the same thing Saban had done. Taking over programs that were dying and resurrecting them to national powers. Harbaugh isn't above criticism, but it's not like he didn't take a dead Stanford program and turn it into a powerhouse. Same thing with Michigan so far. Although he didn't get either over the hump, but he hasn't spent much time at the same program yet.

I think you should always compare apples to apples, so just take the first 7 years a college head coach and compare him to the best ones out there now. I don't think Harbaugh has done all that bad in comparison. He probably gets too much credit for sure, but I don't think it is unfair to compare the beginning of his career to that of other current great coaches. Him and Saban have pretty similar resumes when comparing the beginning of their careers so far. I don't think Jimmy Jam will ever touch Saban's later years, but I don't think it is that crazy to say that he seems to headed in that direction in terms of success.

 

[belcherboy]

false Saban won his conference the first year he was a coach

True, he won the MAC, so I guess they are nowhere near similar.

 

[Wamu]

The reason I see it being unfair to judge Jimmy Jam so harshly right now is that he is doing basically the same thing Saban had done. Taking over programs that were dying and resurrecting them to national powers. Harbaugh isn't above criticism, but it's not like he didn't take a dead Stanford program and turn it into a powerhouse. Same thing with Michigan so far. Although he didn't get either over the hump, but he hasn't spent much time at the same program yet.

I think you should always compare apples to apples, so just take the first 7 years a college head coach and compare him to the best ones out there now. I don't think Harbaugh has done all that bad in comparison. He probably gets too much credit for sure, but I don't think it is unfair to compare the beginning of his career to that of other current great coaches. Him and Saban have pretty similar resumes when comparing the beginning of their careers so far. I don't think Jimmy Jam will ever touch Saban's later years, but I don't think it is that crazy to say that he seems to headed in that direction in terms of success.

Stop only comparing Jimmy Jam to best current CFB coach in the country. Jimmy Jam isn't even the best coach in his own conference, let alone the country. And while he did a good job you're simply insane to say he turned Stanford into a "powerhouse". How did he turn the Cardinal into a powerhouse w/o winning a conference crown or a Natty?

And like I have said countless times yes JH is a good HC. But call me crazy for looking @ a coaches complete CFB coaching resume. It all comes down to what JH's resume looks like right now. Not looking into the future & playing a guessing game as to what he could accomplish. And as of right now his coaching resume in incomplete. Unlike Saban's or Meyer's.

It's bizarre that so many UofM fans insist on looking into the future rather than acknowledging what he actually done to this point in hopes of what would make JH a great CFB coach but the fact is he's very far away from that right now.

 

[belcherboy]

Stop only comparing Jimmy Jam to best current CFB coach in the country. Jimmy Jam isn't even the best coach in his own conference, let alone the country. And while he did a good job you're simply insane to say he turned Stanford into a "powerhouse". How did he turn the Cardinal into a powerhouse w/o winning a conference crown or a Natty?

And like I have said countless times yes JH is a good HC. But call me crazy for looking @ a coaches complete CFB coaching resume. It all comes down to what JH's resume looks like right now. Not looking into the future & playing a guessing game as to what he could accomplish. And as of right now his coaching resume in incomplete. Unlike Saban's or Meyer's.

It's bizarre that so many UofM fans insist on looking into the future rather than acknowledging what he actually done to this point in hopes of what would make JH a great CFB coach but the fact is he's very far away from that right now.

Ok, I simply used Saban because I thought that would be easy to debate when comparing the start of their careers. I thought they had comparable starts to their head coaching careers, but obviously you (and others) do not.

You are probably correct that Stanford isn't necessarily a powerhouse, but I often consider top 10 teams "powerhouses", and they definitely have done that a few times over the past decade, and I think Jimmy Jam was the catalyst for that with Stanford (they were pretty bad when he came to town). Sorry about that.

How do you measure a "good coach"? Obviously it seems like you take conference championships and national titles as a measuring stick, but I often use those when talking about "great coaches". I consider someone a "good coach" if they 1) can take a struggling program and make it respectable, and 2) win a lot of games. I think JH has done both those things with his teams so far. That is why I think Jim is a "good coach" right now, and seems to be headed toward the status of "great coach", but that label only comes with championships in my book.

It's kind of hard to judge his time at Michigan with him only coaching 2 seasons here. The only thing Michigan fans can really do is look forward, as looking backward only gives us 2 seasons.

 

[fishinabarrel]

Meetings total 46
All-time series Florida leads, 26–20
Largest victory Tennessee, 45–3 (1990)
Longest win streak Florida, 11 (2005–15)
Current win streak Tennessee, 1 (2016–present)

You do know @tnapucco is an Oklahoma fan, right?

 

[Wamu]

Ok, I simply used Saban because I thought that would be easy to debate when comparing the start of their careers. I thought they had comparable starts to their head coaching careers, but obviously you (and others) do not.

You are probably correct that Stanford isn't necessarily a powerhouse, but I often consider top 10 teams "powerhouses", and they definitely have done that a few times over the past decade, and I think Jimmy Jam was the catalyst for that with Stanford (they were pretty bad when he came to town). Sorry about that.

How do you measure a "good coach"? Obviously it seems like you take conference championships and national titles as a measuring stick, but I often use those when talking about "great coaches". I consider someone a "good coach" if they 1) can take a struggling program and make it respectable, and 2) win a lot of games. I think JH has done both those things with his teams so far. That is why I think Jim is a "good coach" right now, and seems to be headed toward the status of "great coach", but that label only comes with championships in my book.

It's kind of hard to judge his time at Michigan with him only coaching 2 seasons here. The only thing Michigan fans can really do is look forward, as looking backward only gives us 2 seasons.

So you think it's unfair to use conference crowns & Natty's as a reasonable measuring stick? Damn, okay. Oddly enough though all other CFB coaches are judged that way. So tell me this...why should JH be judged differently? And if you mention what he did in the NFL (because the NFL & CFB aren't the same) I will forever laugh @ you & consider you a UofM troll just like trustmeimright. You seem a lot more reasonable than that from the past discussions we've had.

It's just for me I can't call a CFB coach w/ an incomplete coaching resume a great coach. I think JH will get there sooner rather than later though.

 

[belcherboy]

So you think it's unfair to use conference crowns & Natty's as a reasonable measuring stick? Damn, okay.

Um...where did I say that? I'll repeat it again, I think you can be "good coach" without championships. I think there are plenty of good coaches without championships out there. IMO, you cannot be a "great coach" unless you have those. I thought I was pretty clear above, but obviously you still missed that.

Oddly enough though all other CFB coaches are judged that way. So tell me this...why should JH be judged differently? And if you mention what he did in the NFL (because the NFL & CFB aren't the same) I will forever laugh @ you & consider you a UofM troll just like trustmeimright. You seem a lot more reasonable than that from the past discussions we've had.

Again, I think we disagree on the distinctions of "good coaches" and "great coaches". I think Harbaugh falls under the label of "good coach". He can turn programs around, and wins a lot of games. That is good. Winning championships will get him in the "great" category of coaching IMO. He hasn't done it yet, so he remains in the "good" category of coaches in my book.

It's just for me I can't call a CFB coach w/ an incomplete coaching resume a great coach. I think JH will get there sooner rather than later though.

Neither can I, and I think I've been pretty consistent in stating that several times now. So we actually agree!

 

[Wamu]

Um...where did I say that? I'll repeat it again, I think you can be "good coach" without championships. I think there are plenty of good coaches without championships out there. IMO, you cannot be a "great coach" unless you have those. I thought I was pretty clear above, but obviously you still missed that.



Again, I think we disagree on the distinctions of "good coaches" and "great coaches". I think Harbaugh falls under the label of "good coach". He can turn programs around, and wins a lot of games. That is good. Winning championships will get him in the "great" category of coaching IMO. He hasn't done it yet, so he remains in the "good" category of coaches in my book.




Neither can I, and I think I've been pretty consistent in stating that several times now. So we actually agree!

What in the wide wide world of sports is going on when an Ohio State fan & a UofM fan actually agree on something? But yeah like I said before there's no doubt JH is a damn good HC. So what do you think of those yellow unis Your Boys will be wearing for the Florida game? I'm guessing you've seen them by now that's why I ask.

 

[belcherboy]

What in the wide wide world of sports is going on when an Ohio State fan & a UofM fan actually agree on something? But yeah like I said before there's no doubt JH is a damn good HC. So what do you think of those yellow unis Your Boys will be wearing for the Florida game? I'm guessing you've seen them by now that's why I ask.

Honestly, I'm not excited about them. I'm sure once I see them on the field, I'll probably warm up to them. I just hope Nike/Jumpman doesn't turn us into Oregon with different uniform changes throughout the season.

 

[Wamu]

Honestly, I'm not excited about them. I'm sure once I see them on the field, I'll probably warm up to them. I just hope Nike/Jumpman doesn't turn us into Oregon with different uniform changes throughout the season.

Good call on mentioning Oregon. And I also hope UofM doesn't go crazy w/ the uni combos.

 

[tnapucco]

You do know @tnapucco is an Oklahoma fan, right?

Not if it isn't on a Post-It note by her mirror.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Predictions for ALL of the early games

Good to see everyone is in a good (albeit playful) mood on this thread so far. But now with the season beginning tonight, it's time to get down to business. You know what that means! GAME PREDICTIONS!

Ahem... So here's what I think will happen on Thursday and Friday (excluding FBS vs. FCS games, or course):

Thursday:
(2)Ohio State 35 @ Indiana 21
Tulsa 17 @ (10)Oklahoma State 49
Florida International 20 @ UCF 26
Buffalo 7 @ Minnesota 24
Louisiana-Monroe 12 @ Memphis 31
New Mexico State 10 @ Arizona State 40

Friday:
(8)Washington 49 @ Rutgers 10
Utah State 7 @ (9)Wisconsin 27
Charlotte 20 @ Eastern Michigan 26
Navy 33 @ Florida Atlantic 20
Colorado State 24 vs. Colorado 27
Boston College 24 @ Northern Illinois 14

And don't forget to come here tomorrow, when I'll look at the games on this Labor Day Weekend!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Recap of yesterday's action

Now where to begin? Well...

Indiana DID make a game of it against the Buckeyes early on, but once Ohio State learned that the Hoosiers were a one-trick pony (no running game), that was that.
Arizona State won against NMSU, but the Aggies stole all of their press by keeping it close and having that awesome catch. Not good for the Sun Devils, who play Texas Tech next.
And finally, there was the FBS vs. FCS action. Georgia State was the first team to get crossed off my Christmas-card list (thanks to Tennessee State), UConn almost stumbled against Holy Cross...

Rhode Island vs. Central Michigan - Game Summary - August 31, 2017 - ESPN ...and Central Michigan needed 3-OT's to stop Rhode Island. JEEZ, CMU! I went to bed thinking you guys LOST that game; you scared the s--t out of me!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Games for Labor Day Weekend

In-between donating our time and money to helping out people impacted by Hurricane Harvey, we can watch these games for a escape this Labor Day Weekend. Let's get to:

The Top 10 Games of Week 1 (Part 2: Saturday through Monday)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Wyoming @ Iowa [12:00, Big 10 Network] (Beating out Cal @ North Carolina for the #10 spot is this fun-looking game that'll pit Wyoming's Josh Allen against a Iowa team that MAY not be ready for his passing attack.
The key for Iowa to win this game: Stop Josh Allen.
Key for Wyoming to win: Get help from people BESIDES Josh Allen.)

9. NC State vs. South Carolina {From Charlotte, NC} [3:00, ESPN] (South Carolina QB Jake Bentley is hoping for a improved O-line to help him out here in Charlotte in this barometer game. As for NC State, they're hoping that Ryan Finley can get the ball to Jaylen Samuels.)

8. Appalachian State @ Georgia [6:15, ESPN] (Why is Georgia's home opener against a Sun Belt team at #8? Because with Notre Dame coming up next week, Jacob Eason and Georgia has to come out here looking sharp. Plus, Georgia has no doubt seen what New Mexico ALMOST did to Arizona State... and they know App. State is a WAY better Sun Belt team that NMSU.)

7. Maryland @ Texas [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (It's Tom Herman's debut at Texas! ...Wait, you want more? OK, then think about this: If Texas comes out looking flat, do you think Maryland's offense can take advantage?)

6. Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech {From Atlanta} [8:00 Monday, ESPN] (Did you know that Georgia Tech used to be in the SEC many moons ago? And from what I've read, the Yellow Jackets have had a few tense games against Tennessee in the past. Well, with both teams breaking in new QB's I'm expecting a 21-14 type of game in Atlanta... just like the good ol' days.)

5. BYU vs. LSU {From New Orleans} [9:30, ESPN] (I know that the students of BYU care about the victims of Harvey as much as the next guy. But for a few brief hours, they'll be secretly pissed off about the whole situation. For what started as a neutral-site game in Houston had turned into a defacto-home game for LSU!
As for LSU, their concerns are more basic: Generate enough offense to stop a game Cougars team.)

4. West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech {From Landover, MD} [7:30 Sunday, ABC] (I wanted to put this game higher on the list, but I've heard that Va-Tech will be starting a freshmen at QB... and that's kinda put a damper on things. Still, it should be a great time in Landover as the "Black Diamond Trophy" will be fought over for the first time in over a decade.)

3. Michigan vs. Florida {From Arlington, TX} [3:30, ABC] (Good news: It's a Top-15 match-up in Cowboys Stadium between 2 household names in Michigan and Florida. Bad news: This may be a very ugly game as both offenses have question marks.
...Hey, I got more good news: At least the game should be close throughout.)

2. Texas A&M @ UCLA [7:30 Sunday, FOX] (You guys on Sportshoopla have been talking about the job security of Kevin Sumlin and Jim Mora all summer long. Well, it's finally time for the talking to end and the job-saving to commence! And I've heard that Texas A&M's QB battle STILL hasn't been resolved, so imagine how happy the Aggies will be if they manage to stun UCLA again.)

1. Florida State vs. Alabama {From Orlando} [8:00, ABC] (As if you need me to get excited about this monster contest.)

Best "Group of 5" game: Troy @ Boise State (I'll be paying very close attention to this QB battle between Troy's Brandon Slivers and Boise's Brett Rypien.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Louisville vs. Purdue (I'm not fooled by this game being in Indianapolis; Louisville will blow out the Boilermakers, 'cause they and Lamar Jackson's got something to prove this season.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: California @ North Carolina, Temple @ Notre Dame, Alabama A&M @ UAB, Kentucky @ Southern Miss, and Vanderbilt @ Middle Tennessee.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Labor Day predictions!

Sorry, I used up all my wit for the Top 10. Let me just show you my picks for all the big games coming up this Labor Day weekend (FBS vs. FCS games not included):

Top 25:
(1)Alabama 27 vs. (3)Florida State 21
Western Michigan 13 @ (4)USC 55
Kent State 7 @ (5)Clemson 40
Akron 9 @ (6)Penn State 41
UTEP 10 @ (7)Oklahoma 53
(17)Florida 20 vs. (11)Michigan 14
Georgia Southern 10 @ (12)Auburn 39
BYU 29 vs. (13)LSU 21
Appalachian State 20 @ (15)Georgia 33
(16)Louisville 47 vs. Purdue 10
(21)Virginia Tech 31 vs. (22)West Virginia 35
Maryland 17 @ (23)Texas 31
(25)Tennessee 27 vs. Georgia Tech 17

Other games:
Texas A&M 27 @ UCLA 33
Wyoming 23 @ Iowa 17
California 27 @ North Carolina 28
NC State 24 vs. South Carolina 27
James Madison 35 @ East Carolina 31

...And I'm done! I'll check back tomorrow and see if my "Rocky Mountain Showdown" pick holds up...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Recap of Friday's action

Actually, not much happened yesterday. Yes, Washington looked sleepy at first, but it IS hard to start your season on the road. And they did win 30-14.
Elsewhere Colorado won, Lane Kiffin lost his FAU opener...

Boston College vs. Northern Illinois - Box Score - September 1, 2017 - ESPN ...and Boston College found a way to beat NIU.