Ohio State vs. Florida

[Velocity]

It's the BCS National Championship Game. That's all there is to it. You can't say much else.

Ohio State
Well... where else to start. Troy Smith. The Heisman Trophy winner will be playing in his final game as an Ohio State Buckeye. And he'll finally be able to play for a national title. Troy's maturation has been a great story to witness, and the culmination of that is this. This season, Troy threw for 2507 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions. Oh and he completed 67% of his passes. This guy is the definition of an impact player.
Now for the vaunted Buckeye receiving corps. Let's see... Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Brian Robiskie, Roy Hall, even Brian Hartline have all contributed to the Buckeye passing attack. The biggest asset this group has is speed. Ted Ginn? World-class sprinter. Literally (almost made the Olympics). Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Robiskie have complemented Ginn well, and Roy Hall has come on as of late to be another weapon for Troy Smith to use. Great speed. And when all of these guys are on the field... look out. Things can get ugly, especially when you've got Troy Smith slinging the ball all over the place.
The two running backs that Ohio State features are also quality players. Antonio Pittman and Chris "Beanie" Wells have combined for 1738 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. And Beanie is just a freshman! Their two signature touchdowns have to be the runs against Michigan. Pittman is - contrary to his size - more of the inside, bang-it-in-there runner, and Wells is the speed around the outside. Antonio Pittman has been considered by some to be the overlooked piece to the Ohio State offense, but his 1100+ yards this year prove that he should not be overlooked at all.
The offensive line for Ohio State is anchored by Doug Datish, an All-Big Ten center. They've protected well for the run and the pass all year. When all of them are in sync, they leave Troy Smith with plenty of time to throw the ball and a plethora of holes through which Wells and Pittman can slice and dice for yards. They're a force, all right.
The defensive line holds the only two returning starters from the defensive unit of a year ago. Quinn Pitcock and Jay Richardson anchor the line that has also produced Vernon Gholston, a fiery sophomore that has given offensive lines headaches. Unfortunately, no place really gives stats for defensive players, so I can't really show the impact this line has had, but believe me. They've forced bad decisions and turnovers all year.
When we look at the Ohio State linebacking corps, we have to start with one guy. James Laurinaitis (took me two times to get his name right). A sophomore, he has really blossomed this season and has become a disruptive defender. I'm thinking he looks to be the next A.J. Hawk. He's flown around the field all year and made plays. Fumbles, interceptions, sacks - he's done it all. Marcus Freeman, donning the #1, has also come on strong this season, but Laurinaitis is the spark in this area of the defense.
The defensive secondary was one of the biggest question marks coming into the season, but it's safe to say they've done their job and shushed the critics. Rarely beat deep, this squad has a lot of speed. And this secondary features a great couple turnover-makers in Antonio Smith and Malcolm Jenkins. Beware these two.
And now for special teams! Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorius have performed well enough this season. Pettrey is still young, but he's grown and is much more consistent with his kicks. On the return side... Ted Ginn. 'Nuff said.

Florida
Quarterback... hm. Well, there's Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. A platoon, if you will. Leak is a four-year starter that only now has really matured and come into his own as a player and leader. He's been helped by Tebow, of course. Leak is a great passer, with 2729 yards, 22 touchdowns, and a 62.9% completion percentage on the season. Tim Tebow, conversely, is the team's leading rusher outside of DeShawn Wynn. He's got 7 touchdowns and 430 yards, in addition to 357 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. Urban Meyer has made this platoon system work... but it's never won a championship before.
The running back position has had its question marks, especially with DeShawn Wynn injured for a portion of the season. But he's healed now and ready to go. He has 630 yards and 5 touchdowns and averages 5.1 yards per carry. Aside from Wynn, there aren't really any other running backs worth mentioning here. The rest of their playmakers in the running game are Tebow and Harvin (coming up soon).
The wide receivers for Florida have been a bright spot for this offense that hasn't had a whole lot to write home about this season. Dallas Baker and Andre Caldwell lead this group of talented, fast receivers (897 yards, 9 TDs and 571 yards, 5 TDs respectively). Then there's Percy Harvin, who has done it all this season. He's small but AMAZINGLY fast. Only realized about midway through the season, he's torn it up the past few games. 367 receiving yards, 406 rushing yards, and 4 touchdowns... yeah he's good.
The offensive line for Florida is solid, but can be overwhelmed from time to time on the pass rush. This leads to sacks and knockdowns and hits, which do not bode well for Chris Leak's performance - he seems to get rattled after a couple big hits. In the rushing game, however - particularly the power game - this line is at its best. They do well against nearly every team, and the results are an average of nearly 160 rushing yards per game.
The Florida D-line is anchored by Jarvis Moss, and the main memory I have of him is getting up high enough to block the field goal at the end of the South Carolina game. He can play. He's a presence that must be attended to in the pass game, or else he'll tear up the offensive line and the quarterback. Look out for his height, too... he can deflect passes as well as any other lineman in the country.
The Florida linebacking corps... I haven't heard a lot about them. Obviously they've performed well, however, because a team can't be championship material without a good linebacking corps. They have the speed and the tenacity to keep running backs from breaking free too often from what I've seen of them (mainly the SEC championship game), and can hold down the best backs from gaining yards.
Florida's defensive backs are capable of covering any receivers in the nation. They're speedy, but on occasion they do get burned. Of course, that happens to any defensive secondary, but it's still a point to consider. They create plenty of interceptions and don't hesitate to come up in run support. The speed is what will be their greatest asset in this game - they'll need it, OSU's receiving corps is one of (if not the) fastest groups they'll face this year. Reggie Nelson, however, is a game-changer and game-breaker. His speed and size will be critical in breaking up those long passes to Ginn, Gonzalez and Robiskie. He's an amazing safety.
Special teams... well... Christ Hetland is 4/13 on field goals this year. Doesn't bode well in a close game. Otherwise, the special teams unit is very sound, especially the defensive side, where numerous kicks and punts have been blocked this year by the Gators. Their team speed, even on the interior, is key to this and may pose a hazard if/when Ohio State needs to punt the ball away.

Keys To The Game

Ohio State
Ohio State must be able to run the ball. We already know they can pass. Oh yes, they can pass. But to be successful, they have to have a healthy (and effective) dose of Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells.
The Buckeyes have to stay disciplined on defense. Don't let Urban Meyer's trick plays and unique system get the best of them... it's necessary for this, because one end-around to Percy Harvin could translate to a momentum-swinging touchdown.
Pressure Chris Leak. He gets rattled in the face of pressure and is more prone (but not significantly so) to turnovers. Either way... it is necessary to blitz Leak early to keep him from establishing a rhythm with his receivers. If that happens, then more long-yardage situations will come to fruition and Meyer won't be able to resort to Tim Tebow's running and trick plays to move the ball.
In a close game, keeping Florida from scoring touchdowns is critical. Hetland, Florida's kicker, is only 4/13 on the season. His longest is 33 yards. That's kicking from the 23-yard-line, folks, and that means Florida was on the 16- or 17-yard-line at the time. Clamp down near the red zone and they should be okay.
On a final note... Jim Tressel must outduel Urban Meyer. Both of these guys coach well in the big game. Tressel, however, has experience with games like this, and must not allow Meyer to get the best of him. Likewise, Ohio State can't get too full-headed. I know this'll be closer than people think, but do they? It will be up to Tressel and Troy Smith to keep everyones' heads on straight.

Florida
Florida must move the ball. They can't afford to punt much, or else Ohio State will just keep on scoring. Likewise, they must force turnovers. Ohio State is ninth in the nation in turnover ratio. Florida must create more turnovers than they commit in order to have a chance in this game.
Gotta score touchdowns. Hetland is inconsistent at best as a field goal kicker. That and Ohio State surely will be doing the same.
The Gators must pressure Troy Smith with a spy. If they decide to do so, they will have to trust the defensive backs in one-on-one coverage as the line and linebackers force Troy Smith to make decisions before he wants to do so. And if he gets out of the pocket, the spy hopefully can make a play to prevent Smith from getting upfield quickly and making plays with his legs. He can do that... he just hasn't this year.
Combat field noise. Glendale is like Ohio State's second home and there will be a definite advantage for Ohio State in terms of fanbase.

No matter which way you look at it, this is going to be closer than a lot of people think.

Ohio State: 35
Florida: 31

[Scruffy]

Ohio State is clearly the best team in the country and Florida's game is just barely above average. Leak will shine but it will be far away from being enough.

Ohio St: 34
Florida: 24

[Harris]

I think Florida is better than a lot of people think, they just struggled throughout the year. They're gonna have to show up and play thier best game of the year Monday, or it's gonna get ugly real fast.

Ohio State - 35
Florida - 28

[XZ]

...Meh.
I've been a buckeyes supporter for a while, but all that aside.
No way Florida can even keep it close.

Ohio State - 31
Florida - 14

[Fightingest Jester]

Florida lost to Auburn.
Auburn should have lost to Nebraska who is very mediocre this year.

Ohio State has this in the bag.

[HeedTheOmen13]

God this is why I stopped posting in the sports forums ..... damn buckeyes homerism ..... do any of y'all watch football or just believe what the media tell you? outside of receiver, Florida is easily faster than Ohio State at every position..... Florida will win this game and I will again laugh at the overhypedness of the Big Ten

[smashbro14]

God this is why I stopped posting in the sports forums ..... damn buckeyes homerism ..... do any of y'all watch football or just believe what the media tell you? outside of receiver, Florida is easily faster than Ohio State at every position..... Florida will win this game and I will again laugh at the overhypedness of the Big Ten
You HAVE to be joking. Yeah, none of us watch football.

OSU by at least 17 points. Florida will be out of this early. The Big 10 will be 3-0 vs. the overrated SEC teams in bowls.

[The Piano Man]

Yeah definitely OSU in a landslide. That one win against a good team really shows OSU is THE team to beat. UF didnt beat ANYONE. SEC having 8 bowl teams, pssh.

OSU- 362 (If Tressel pulls Troy Smith by the third
UF- -8 (UF will be so bad, they will enbody the only team they truly beat this year, Western Carolina.)

[Scruffy]

God this is why I stopped posting in the sports forums ..... damn buckeyes homerism ..... do any of y'all watch football or just believe what the media tell you? outside of receiver, Florida is easily faster than Ohio State at every position..... Florida will win this game and I will again laugh at the overhypedness of the Big Ten

The Colts are faster at almost every position than everybody in the NFL but does that make them the best defense? Speed don't mean much if you can't do anything with it, so before you go and criticize everyone else here, make a point better than Florida is faster.

[Velocity]

God this is why I stopped posting in the sports forums
We're all really sorry you left. :rolleyes:

Yeah definitely OSU in a landslide. That one win against a good team really shows OSU is THE team to beat. UF didnt beat ANYONE. SEC having 8 bowl teams, pssh.

OSU- 362 (If Tressel pulls Troy Smith by the third
UF- -8 (UF will be so bad, they will enbody the only team they truly beat this year, Western Carolina.)
I almost laughed. Almost. Because the dripping sarcasm was so obvious that it made your post completely unfunny.


If there is anyone here that can be a homer and a realist, it's me. And hey, I'm the first to admit that this game is going to be a lot closer than people think. My edge goes to Ohio State because of one player - Troy Smith.

No, not because he won the Heisman.
No, not because I'm a native Ohioan and a Buckeye fan.
No, not because it only makes sense that the key player be him.

It's because Troy Smith will not let Ohio State lose as long as he is in uniform. He'll do whatever it takes to win. You can't coach that. You can't learn that. It doesn't come through the mail as a birthday present from Aunt Betty. It's woven in his competitive fabric. That look in his eye in the big games? That's it.

That's why his best performances are in the big ones. And that's why Ohio State wins.

[Quagmire]

Ohio St - 35
Florida - 24

Troy Smith is unbelievable and always comes up big...or at least doesnt lose his team the game when playing in big games.

[The Piano Man]

Yeah Velo, I didn't know how far to go with it. THe internet is impossible to convey sarcasm with.

Troy Smith ain't Vince Young. And, Troy Smith HAS lost. To Penn State last year, if i remember, in a close one.

I am a homer to, (obviously) but the fact is the Gators shouldn't be blown out. They're too good.

[Velocity]

He's not Vince Young in terms of size. I'll agree with you there. But he's just like him in almost every other sense... except that delivery.

On another tangent, look at the revamped first post.

[Quagmire]

Troy Smith ain't Vince Young. And, Troy Smith HAS lost.
Did I ever say he has not lost a game? No...i just said he plays well in the games and his play doesnt cost his team the game...u know like throwing and no TDs. He had an okay game against Penn St...but wasnt down right horrible where his bad play was the big factor why they lost

[The Piano Man]

I'm not sure I agree with everything in that big post, but there is one thing that you need to correct. Earl Everette and Brandon Siler make up one of the best linebacking corps in the nation. You can look up their stats, and you will see they have great linebackers.

[HeedTheOmen13]

Ohio State played 2 good teams this year, meanwhile Florida played in a league that saw 9 teams go to a bowl game. That's 3/4 of the Conference!!!!! hell in any other conference Vanderbilt would have been at worse 7-5. I'm not saying that Florida is better because they are faster, I am saying they are better because they know how to win games. They make big plays when they need to, they never lose their focus and even have the better defense here. The Buckeyes put up better numbers this year, but that's because of 2 things: 1. Florida rotated quarterbacks and 2. The defenses are a helluva alot better in the SEC, hell in the South in general.

[smashbro14]

OSU went 7-0 against bowl teams, including two #2 teams. Florida lost to a bowl team who almost lost to Nebraska...

There's no way Vanderbilt would be 7-4 in the Big 10, ACC, or Pac-10. They're disgustingly bad.

[Harris]

Ohio State played 2 good teams this year, meanwhile Florida played in a league that saw 9 teams go to a bowl game.

Please don't start this again. Next thing you know, you're gonna go deep into the SEC and bring up some crappy team.

hell in any other conference Vanderbilt would have been at worse 7-5.

...Damn, too late.

I'm not saying that Florida is better because they are faster, I am saying they are better because they know how to win games.

And the Buckeyes don't?! Have you watched college football this year?

They make big plays when they need to, they never lose their focus and even have the better defense here.

People thought those exact same things about Michigan, too. And then OSU worked thier defense over.

[HeedTheOmen13]

oh yeah and ohio state's didn't get worked over? Only an idiot would say that the SEC isn't the best football conference in all of college football.

[Harris]

oh yeah and ohio state's didn't get worked over?.

Never said OSU had the better defense. Didn't even mention OSU's D at all, actually.

Only an idiot would say that the SEC isn't the best football conference in all of college football.

Assuming you're talking to me, when did I say that?

Maybe the SEC is the best, but that doesn't mean Florida is the better team.

[HeedTheOmen13]

Best team from the best conference... that's all I'm saying hell in a little over 24 hours we will see

[Harris]

Yes, but is the best team from the best conference better than Ohio State? We'll see tomorrow I suppose. :)

[Cyanide]

Hmm, lets see. I'm going to go with a 13-24 score, OSU winning.

[smashbro14]

Best team from the best conference... that's all I'm saying hell in a little over 24 hours we will see
Okay. We can all agree that the WAC is much, much worse than the ACC. Does that mean Wake would beat Boise State?

I can't wait till tomorrow night. :)

[Velocity]

I'm not sure I agree with everything in that big post, but there is one thing that you need to correct. Earl Everette and Brandon Siler make up one of the best linebacking corps in the nation. You can look up their stats, and you will see they have great linebackers.
I was hoping someone would get me something about the Florida linebackers/defensive backs. I couldn't find many stats anywhere (seems like many sites are content to just post the offensive statistics). If you wouldn't mind giving some of those stats to me I'd be happy to put them into the post.

...that and I forgot to mention Reggie Nelson...

Only an idiot would say that the SEC isn't the best football conference in all of college football.
Yay for trolling, smart guy. The SEC might be the best conference at the moment (and anyone can make a strong argument for the past couple years), but look at history and they... well, aren't. Not since Alabama under the Bear has there been a legitimate SEC dynasty/dynasty team.

The SEC is a great conference, yeah, but they aren't significantly better than the other BCS conferences at present.

[HeedTheOmen13]

The reason there isn't a dynasty in the SEC is because the league is so balanced and you see alot of teams competing for the same players..... Southern Cal is a "dynasty" in the Pac-10 because they get pretty much everybody on the west coast they want.

[Kleinbaum!]

People just don't realize how often football comes down to big plays. Look at yesterday's Jets-Pats games. I keep hearing people say the Pats dominated, but if the Pats don't get their hands on the backwards screen pass, who knows how things turn out.

The Florida/OSU game will hinge on big plays a lot more than it will hinge on who wins the rushing battle or who plays better down-to-down defense.

[Insane man]

I think Ohio State will win this game. i picked Auburn to meet them there earlier in the season right conference wrong school. I go with the Buckeyes because of troy smith. We all talk about GInn but don't sleep on Gonzalez whon ahs come up huge for them or Pittman. I think OSU wins it 35-27. Troy Smith is named MVP of the BCS championship.

[The Piano Man]

Velo, you were right. I couldnt find defensive stats. Odd...

But I heard two great stats, one: 6 out of 8 underdogs have won the BCS Championship.

AND Reggie Nelson and Ryan Smith have combined for 14 INT's, the most in the nation.

AHHHH! I wish I was there so BAD. Stupid school... and money.

[Velocity]

Velo, you were right. I couldnt find defensive stats. Odd...

AND Reggie Nelson and Ryan Smith have combined for 14 INT's, the most in the nation.
Yeah, I know how you feel. And I heard that same stat about Nelson and Smith.

I heard two of the stupidest people talking about this game, however. It was a local radio station... one of the people was a girl (Florida fan) going to a party where she was going to be the only Gator fan present. (Backstory: The guy DJ'ing at the time isn't from Ohio and doesn't quite know why the national championship was getting less hype than OSU-Michigan game.) She rambled on for a couple minutes and made no point whatsoever.

The guy after her is an Ohio State fan and knew absolutely nothing. He said OSU would win 27-13, and that Chris Leak is terrible, and that Florida won't hang with Ohio State at all.

I tried to call in so many times to set peoples' minds straight... but apparently they have maybe one phone line there and it was busy for the next half-hour. I'm a realist, first and foremost, and I was about to rip into them. Florida has amazing team speed, and Chris Leak - if he was "terrible" - wouldn't have been a four-year starter. People are so stupid...

I wanna be there. :(

[Cyanide]

I'm sick of all the analysis on ESPN, is anyone else? Thank God they're playing the damn game. The fact is neither team has played for a month, so either of these teams could look much differently then we were used to in the season

[Velocity]

It'll take about half the first quarter to get back up to speed, I think, but they'll be okay after that.

Both teams.

And I just heard one of the most idiotic guys on TV. He predicted a 21-point win for Ohio State and said Florida doesn't really have much of a chance.

How STUPID. Florida will make this a closer game than so many people think. Less than ten points is the margin of victory. I predicted 35-31, Ohio State, and I stand by that.

But Florida will have the lead for a decent portion of the game.

[HeedTheOmen13]

Do they know how to tackle at Ohio State or just rape a guy's face? This biased commentary is already getting on my nerves, I can understand it sometimes during the regular season, but in bowls? come on now especially the National Championship game

[Velocity]

Do they know how to tackle at Ohio State or just rape a guy's face?
Homosexual slur. Leave. (Keep in mind that raping a guy's face... when being a guy... yeah.)

It's not 10 minutes into the game, smart guy. Shut your face and let the game do the talking. Two extraordinarily short fields to begin the game... wait until they have to go 80 or more yards.

Also: What about Florida's tackling? That opening kickoff? Yeah, great job. Oh wait... they didn't have a chance.

[Beha]

Well, anyone else surprised about this turn of events? I just wish we had John Madden to contribute with his great commentating.

This is what you would call a good game, Mike.

lol

[Cyanide]

well, 34-14, not good for Ohio State, they need to completely turn around if they want to have a chance in the second half, although florida's offense hasn't had it that hard

[Velocity]

loljohnmadden

OSU can still come back. Remember the SEC Championship game. Big lead going into the half... and then Florida tanks in the third.

[Beha]

Yeah, I'm worried that Florida could come back in it a little cocky, but hopefully they learned their lesson the first time around.

[smashbro14]

Well, anyone else surprised about this turn of events? I just wish we had John Madden to contribute with his great commentating.

This is what you would call a good game, Mike.

lol
It's time for someone on Ohio State to step up and make a big play because that's what big playmakers do: step up. They make the big plays needed to step up their momentum. That's why they are called big playmakers.

But yeah, OSU looks very bad right now.

[Velocity]

It's time for someone on Ohio State to step up and make a big play because that's what big playmakers do: step up. They make the big plays needed to step up their momentum. That's why they are called big playmakers.

But yeah, OSU looks very bad right now.
Here's a guy channeling John Madden!

OSU looks horrible. 65 yards of offense?

[Beha]

Ohhh, the spirit of John Madden lives on....

Even in the NCAA, his presence is felt...

Really, only 65 yards? Wow... And to think how they opened too... Well, Iowa did that a few years ago. Returned opening kick-off for a touchdown, then was destroyed the rest of the game. Another case, perhaps?

[Velocity]

Probably not. Ohio State steps it up in the second half and makes it a game. They're #1 for a reason.

[Beha]

Yes, but even #1's can falter every now and again. That's one thing about football, it is so unpredictable, anything really can happen.

[The Piano Man]

If there is one thing UF has shown this year, it is that they have trouble playing a full game. I gotta say, this would be a NICE time to start playing one.

But I gotta say, this is some of the most fun I've had in a while. It sucks though, no UF fans around...

[Beha]

:wave:

Hi, pick me, the Lakeland, Florida, resident. Gator fan. Applied, most likely accepted, even though I'll probably end up going to University of Central Florida.

GATOR FAN, YAY!!

[HeedTheOmen13]

How is saying rape a homosexual slur? Okay the guy physically violated the guy's personal facial space...... but yeah I just love how Ohio State is running away with this game

[Velocity]

Right, so the Heisman curse lives on...

I told people that Florida's defense wasn't to be overlooked. I thought they might do decent, but even I was surprised by how well they've played this game. Yeah, I'll admit I guessed wrong, and that I thought Ohio State would put up 30+ on Florida, but that can't take away from the fact that I was right about Florida's defense. It's much better than people believed leading up to the game. I knew it would be tough. I just didn't foresee it being THAT tough. I was wrong too because I didn't think the defensive effort for Florida would be as good as it has been.

But I told my brother in the car today that Florida's defense can't be discounted. He believed Ohio State had a better defense, and statistically they may have been better. But I knew Florida would come out firing and their defense has been amazing. I won't diss Florida on that.

I will, however, diss on the playcalling and protection for Ohio State. This performance has been sad. The pass protection has been non-existent on the ends of the offensive line, and Troy Smith has not played up to his Heisman billing. It's pathetic. Antonio Pittman had a touchdown run early in the game... and they've run him, what, maybe four times since then? Nine rushes for Pittman. Three for Wells. The rush game was actually doing something, and we didn't go to it at all. Troy Smith was horrific.

So was the tackling and coverage by Ohio State. Even at halftime, NO ADJUSTMENTS. They kept running that zone defense and Florida kept throwing it underneath. No tackling whatsoever. Talk about a pathetic excuse for a defensive showing in this game.

[marasamune]

Yeah, the gators are owning us, it's goddamn horrible. :(

There is no way in hell we're coming back to win this. No freakin' way. Oh well, it was still a damn good season.

[HeedTheOmen13]

I'll give it to you Velocity, you have earned my respect for coming in here and admitting you were wrong; I just wonder how many of those idiots that ranted and raved about Ohio State being so great will show their faces.

[The Piano Man]

Hot off the grill! Deepfried in a big vat of WHOOPASS! :D

[marasamune]

Yo. I didn't do it in this thread, but I still believe Ohio State was the best team. I thought it would be a freaking slaughter, and it was. Just not in the way I thought it would be.

Heh, I talked SO. MUCH. TRASH.

[Velocity]

I didn't.

Because I knew that Florida had a defense to be reckoned with, that they would be out for blood, and that they were #2 for a reason.

[Ooze90]

Looks like you're going to have to change your signature...

Florida really deserved the Championship the way they played.

[HeedTheOmen13]

marasamune, I don't remember you ranting and raving, but hey at least you were man enough to admit it.

[Velocity]

Yo. I didn't do it in this thread, but I still believe Ohio State was the best team. I thought it would be a freaking slaughter, and it was. Just not in the way I thought it would be.

Heh, I talked SO. MUCH. TRASH.
Hey HTH. Reading is good.

Also, Troy Smith's stock is going to plummet.

[Tim!]

Hey HTH. Reading is good.

Also, Troy Smith's stock is going to plummet.
Well even though Matt Lienart lost his championship game in 2005 he was still one of the elite people to be drafted. I can only imagine that it is going to be the same way with Troy Smith, I would even say still a first round top 3 choice.

[Velocity]

First round, top three? What are you, my brother? (He thinks Troy could go #1.) He's anticipated to go on the first day, not the first round.

He won't be a top three pick. Those'll be taken by the likes of JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn (unfortunately), Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, and similar guys.

[Harris]

I think Florida is better than a lot of people think, they just struggled throughout the year. They're gonna have to show up and play thier best game of the year Monday, or it's gonna get ugly real fast.

Ohio State - 35
Florida - 28

Well, Florida cleaned house. Dominant performance. I was surprised at how well OSU did against Michigan's fast defense, but they just looked God awful all night long, especially in pass protection. It seemed every time Smith went to pass, he was running for his life. Towards the end of the game, he was flying out of the pocket, even if there wasn't that much pressure.

It really looked like OSU wasn't prepared well at all. No matter what Florida threw at them, they just couldn't stop it. Like Velocity said, it didn't seem like they made any half time adjustments, and they gave up on the run way too fast.

My hat goes off to the Gators and Urban Meyer. Congrats.

[smashbro14]

Well that was unexpected. The biggest surprise was how well Florida's defense was able to contain OSU. Sure, Ginn would have helped, but it's still an accomplishment to make Troy Smith look like it's his first day on the job. Then there's Florida's offense, which seemed to confuse the hell out of Ohio State. Oh well, I was wrong. Florida is too good at sports now. Congrats.

Well even though Matt Lienart lost his championship game in 2005 he was still one of the elite people to be drafted. I can only imagine that it is going to be the same way with Troy Smith, I would even say still a first round top 3 choice.
Leinart was supposed to be an early pick no matter what. If Ohio State won this game, then Smith still wouldn't have even been a first round pick. He won't be drafted until the second day now.

[DynoMite]

It amuses me to read the first page and see how many people ate their words. I've been pretty annoyed by people saying Florida had no chance.

And plus this makes Auburn look better! :D

Florida did play a great game. The defense was great, and the offense kept getting through. I knew they were setting up for a play with Tebow (sp?) all night. Then he did the left hand pass thing.

[Rick52]

First off, that stuff with the face isn't a homoslur by definition (though I definitely didn't need to visualize it when I first read it), so no warning, but yeesh, you gotta try to be cleaner than that. I mean, come on.

Secondly, ow. Michigan gets shut down by USC and then Florida runs over Ohio State, proving that not only were they #2, but also #1. I was wrong.

Good luck defending that title next year, Gators. ;)

[Rick52]

Merging this into the Florida-Ohio State thread because I already 'got my crow' there.

Edit:
Hot off the grill! Deepfried in a big vat of WHOOPASS!
Merged that post and this post into this thread.

[Scruffy]

I just saw the Ted Ginn incident and all I can say is lolololololol @ Ohio State.
Luckily for Ginn, the NFL has fines for organized celebration and is also trying to crack down in them. He won't have to worry about injuries after a big return in the pro game.

[HeedTheOmen13]

Ginn is a one trick pony.....anybody that thinks Troy Smith was anywhere near a first round draft pick clear needs to reevaluate their knowledge of the game of football.

[Harris]

Ginn is a one trick pony......

He had a few games this year where he really stood out, but he also had some where he dissappeared. I still think a lot of teams will drool over his speed.

anybody that thinks Troy Smith was anywhere near a first round draft pick clear needs to reevaluate their knowledge of the game of football.

That game will definitely hurt his draft stock. I still think a team might take a chance on him earlier then we expect, but it all might come down to things like his draft workout. :shrug:

Hard to say what some teams will do in the draft anymore, after Mario Williams went number one, and Vince Young was the first quarterback to be drafted.

[Scruffy]

Ginn is a one trick pony

Hester was a "one trick pony." If he can produce on returns the way he does at the next level, investing a first round pick in him seems like a fairly sound investment. He's also a decent 3rd or 4th option at WR.

[James89]

You dont take a WR in the 1st round to play the slot and return kicks.

I can take pride in the fact that I am the only one who picked Florida to win in the college pick em. I am also glad OSU lost cause

1. it shows they didnt deserve to be #1 throughout the whole year
2. Big 10 is over rated
3. SEC is the best conference
4. this game just screams play off. At least a plus one!!!

41-14. It was funny to read all the posts before the game started on how OSU would dominate. I think eveyrone should listen more closely to Omen, as he is the only one who predicted a Gator win. O wait, so did I. :D

[Harris]

1. it shows they didnt deserve to be #1 throughout the whole year

What? Name one other team that should have been ranked above them before last night's game, at any point during the season.

2. Big 10 is over rated
3. SEC is the best conference

It's tough to make a case one way or the other. Penn State beat Tennessee. Wisconsin beat Arkansas. Florida beat OSU. I'll give you that the SEC is the best conference, but not by a huge amount.

4. this game just screams play off. At least a plus one!!!

Unfortunately (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/01/08/bcs.nochanges.ap/index.html), we might be waiting awhile for a playoff.

[Scruffy]

You dont take a WR in the 1st round to play the slot and return kicks.

You do take high quality prospects in the early rounds and Ginn is just that. With some help to his hands and route running ability, he can be a #1 or #2 WR in the league. He's got the speed and agility to be one of the elites but don't necessarily have all this skills down yet.

[James89]

What? Name one other team that should have been ranked above them before last night's game, at any point during the season.

You could probably make a case for USC, as much as I hate to say that. And people obviously overlooked Florida.

[quote=Crosshair]Unfortunately (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/01/08/bcs.nochanges.ap/index.html), we might be waiting awhile for a playoff.

Stupid FOX. The year they buy the right to those bowl is the year the case for a playoff has its strongest support. Only 24 is saving them from being complete crap. Only good thing about that article was the link to the cheerleaders at the bottom of the page. :D

[Velocity]

I didn't predict a Florida win (obviously), but I knew it would not be an easy game for Ohio State (unlike soooo many others).

Of course, I don't think anyone (except maybe Omen) thought it'd be a blowout like that. It wasn't even an interesting game to watch. I spent more time online than watching the game. It was a snoozer of a blowout.

[Harris]

You could probably make a case for USC, as much as I hate to say that. And people obviously overlooked Florida.

Well of course it's easy to say they overlooked Florida now. But during the season when they lost to Auburn, or struggled past South Carolina, a number one ranking might seem a little off. Hell, even after they got the National Championship bid instead of Michigan or USC, people were complaining that they weren't good enough to be number two.

USC could make a strong argument too, even with losing so many starters and question marks all over at the beginning of the year, but OSU got the ranking and played so well throughout the year, it's hard not to say they deserved it.

Stupid FOX. The year they buy the right to those bowl is the year the case for a playoff has its strongest support.

It really sucks how one of the main reasons we won't see a playoff, for quit some time, is money.

[Scruffy]

It really sucks how one of the main reasons we won't see a playoff, for quit some time, is money.

Money is the main reason there will not be a playoff system ever. Companies pay big money to get their names on these bowl games and do you think a company like AT&T would be happy if they were the support for the first round playoff game?

[HeedTheOmen13]

First off I would like to inform you (no one in particular) that main reason why we will not see a playoff isn't money (extra games would mean more money), but because of a single evil, heartless being known as Jim Delaney, if I can find the link that was posted on the myspace college sports forum about this guy on yahoo, then I will bring it here.

Now for the purpose of this post:

A great deal of you ridiculed me for my prediction that Florida would beat Ohio State (grant you, I never gave a numerical prediction, because I don't care if I or a team I favor wins by one or 100, a win is a win, but it doesn't hurt to lay a whooping while winning) and alot of you had Ohio State winning big and I am taking the time to call out 5 individuals with almost direct quotes from previous posts in this thread (I don't feel like producing each quote from each post so I'll just retype them to the best of my accuracy from the notes I took from each post)

1.Gala:"Ohio State is clearly better" - better then The Citadel yeah, Florida, nope.

2.XZ: "No way will this game be close" - Yeah you were right, you just forgot that Florida didn't want it to be close.

3. Fighting Jester: "OSU has this game in the bag" - I wonder what game they had in the bag? I hear that Call of Duty 3 is a good game, which store did they buy it from?

4. The Piano Man: "Yeah definetely OSU in a landslide" - Apparently OSU was in the landslide and Florida took an alternative route and found themselves a national title.

This brings me to number five. Now this fifth person has annoyed the hell out of me in these sports forum recently so I am going to take great joy in shoving your idiotic prediction back in your face/computer screen.

5.smashbro14: "OSU by 17. Florida will be out of this game early." With the other 4 guys I put a light twist on theres and didn't humiliate them, but with you I am not going to merciful. The only thing Florida might have been out of in this game would be Tositito's dip because they were celebrating their asses off at halftime because they knew they just pwned the most overrated number one in the BCS Era. OSU by 17? you could have spotted them 17 and they still wouldn't have won, hell they would still need 2 scores to win. Maybe you meant they have 17 recruiting violations or pay their players 17 times as much money or hell run 17 times slower, no matter the excuse, you are still and idiot for picking them by such a large margin.

Crosshair, very few of your arguments make sense to me, Florida only lost to one team: Auburn at Auburn. You say that they struggled past South Carolina? Son, I am a loyal Gamecocks fan and I will tell you that their squad is far better than ours, but our coach is better than theirs (which is saying something considering that coach just won a national championship in a seemingly easy fashion) and that's what kept us in the game. The point is, great teams find a way to win/not lose a game whichever way you want to look at it. But if you want compare bad games, Florida's closest game outside of it's loss was to us, an 8-5 team at home. Ohio State's two closest games were to a Michigan team they played at home and only beat by three with the help of a questionable personal foul call and the Illinois game in which they went into Champaign and came out with a 17-10 win against a 2-10 Illinois team? Up until Southern Cal's loss I thought they were more deserving of the number one spot, because they were playing better, balanced football (this is coming from a person who doesn't like Southern Cal). Hell for a while I thought Michigan should have been number one given the fact that they too were one of the better more balanced teams in the nation. All this shows is that we need to do away with preseason polls and not have polls until week 4 when most teams have played at least 2 games so you can at least accurately judged their play instead of rewarding a 1-1 team with a top 25 spot just because you had them ranked high in the preseason.

[smashbro14]

5.smashbro14: "OSU by 17. Florida will be out of this game early." With the other 4 guys I put a light twist on theres and didn't humiliate them, but with you I am not going to merciful. The only thing Florida might have been out of in this game would be Tositito's dip because they were celebrating their asses off at halftime because they knew they just pwned the most overrated number one in the BCS Era. OSU by 17? you could have spotted them 17 and they still wouldn't have won, hell they would still need 2 scores to win. Maybe you meant they have 17 recruiting violations or pay their players 17 times as much money or hell run 17 times slower, no matter the excuse, you are still and idiot for picking them by such a large margin.
Okay, buddy. What exactly were you trying to do with this post? Everybody knows that they were wrong, but your self esteem was apparently so low that you have to call out everyone and make sarcastic, witty comments in an attempt to gain something I can't understand. Is it really necessary to brag and brag about this? What do you expect anyone to say to that? Is it so hard to say "Turns out I was right," and actually show respect for someone other than yourself? And I don't understand how I've been annoying you or whatever because I've never seen you before this thread, and I initially got a bad impression of you when you came in saying that you're the only one who watches football and that everyone's an idiot except you, and I can guarentee you that I wasn't the only one. "This is why I stopped posting in the sports forum." When did you start? You obviously never learned that sports aren't about bashing everyone who doesn't agree with something you say. If OSU won, nobody would have made a post such as this about you and TPM because we're actually mature and respect eachother. Can anyone blame someone for picking Ohio State? At least 3/4 of the country predicted an OSU blowout. Great, you picked a game right. Act like this has happened before and shut up. I can't believe you haven't moved on from this yet. If you expected to gain respect by picking Florida, then your ridiculous attitude really ruined any chance of that, pal. I know what I predicted, and if I still didn't know what the outcome would be, I would have made the same one 100 times out of 100. Thanks for reminding us what our statements were, and for humoring yourself by mocking me and everyone who you consider to be an idiot.

And just for the record, TPM was being sarcastic in his "OSU in a landslide" post, seeing how he's a Florida fan. If you had actually posted in this forum before, then you'd know that. Way to go, you made fun of someone who agreed with you.

Why don't you stop worrying about how you can annoy people who didn't agree with you and start worrying about the game itself and what will come from it?

Anyway, here's something relevant to the topic. I wouldn't put OSU 2nd like the final AP Poll did. I would have put them 3rd or 4th, behind USC, and maybe LSU. USC will be #1 next year in the preseason.

[Rick52]

We get it. Most of us were wrong. Some of us were wrong big time. Piano Man's sarcasm went unnoticed by you, apparently. The Big Ten is supposedbly the most overrated and evil conference ever devised by man, the evil version of man that is. The SEC is some sort of super duper godkingmonarchamps. We get it, so stop trying to troll people into arguing with you for what is no longer any good reason.

(That's a warning, btw, for the trolling. Any more crap outta you, and it's a forum block at the very least. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS POST, AND CONTINUE THIS TOPIC IN A MATURE, CIVILIZED MANNER)

Also, I gotta warn smashbro as well for biting the bait and throwing in a couple of slight trolls of his own.

[Velocity]

So about Ted Ginn's injury... lol Sprained foot because it got rolled under a teammate's during the celebration.

Sure, great job returning the kick, but... eh, unfortunate. He won't be able to work out for a few weeks which will hurt his speed come the Combine, providing he declares.

[Rick52]

I was watching the return live, thinking Ginn Speed > SEC Speed, but yeah, kinda silly how that all happened. Didn't seem like the OSU offense could really get anything going without him.

[Velocity]

Ohio State needed Nick Mangold and Orlando Pace again to deal with the defensive line...

[Harris]

Crosshair, very few of your arguments make sense to me.

Likewise my friend, likewise.

But if you want compare bad games, Florida's closest game outside of it's loss was to us, an 8-5 team at home. Ohio State's two closest games were to a Michigan team they played at home and only beat by three with the help of a questionable personal foul call and the Illinois game in which they went into Champaign and came out with a 17-10 win against a 2-10 Illinois team?

So it's alright for Florida to win by one over South Carolina, but not for OSU to win by three over Michigan, or seven over Illinois? Puh-lease. Come on man, you yourself said it.

The point is, great teams find a way to win/not lose a game whichever way you want to look at it.

Seriously, stop the bias.

It's really unneccessary, and quite rude, to come in here, take everybody's pregame posts, and critique them. There's no need to rub it in our faces. Congratulations on predicting the Florida win and all, I really mean it. But try to move on without gloating about it.

As for the SEC vs. Big Ten stuff, I'd agree that the SEC is better this year. Not by a lot, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. If you ask me, which conference is the best switches from year to year. Last year, the Big ten won three New Year's Day or BCS bowls. No one conference dominates every year.

[Rick52]

Okay you guys can stop replying to his post anytime now. :-\

[Freakish]

So about Ted Ginn's injury... lol Sprained foot because it got rolled under a teammate's during the celebration.

Sure, great job returning the kick, but... eh, unfortunate. He won't be able to work out for a few weeks which will hurt his speed come the Combine, providing he declares.

I'm pretty sure that Ginn is already a senior, but I could be wrong, so don't hold em accountable

[Scruffy]

I'm pretty sure that Ginn is already a senior, but I could be wrong, so don't hold em accountable

He's a Junior. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2727701)

Also just found out that his cross field buddy Antonio Gonzales (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2727947) declared

[HeedTheOmen13]

Likewise my friend, likewise.



So it's alright for Florida to win by one over South Carolina, but not for OSU to win by three over Michigan, or seven over Illinois? Puh-lease. Come on man, you yourself said it.



Seriously, stop the bias.

It's really unneccessary, and quite rude, to come in here, take everybody's pregame posts, and critique them. There's no need to rub it in our faces. Congratulations on predicting the Florida win and all, I really mean it. But try to move on without gloating about it.



Stop what bias?

I am not gloating I am simply saying that you should respect my opinion more in thise forums because against essentially every poster in here I was the only one right. I chose those people because of their overzealousness towards an Ohio State win. I never "critique" opinions unless it's a movie review and normally I just mention it to someone who says they won't see a movie because some writer would rather see a animated movie then a horror and I point that out to them. The purpose for doing that was to be witty, if I wanted to embarass them, I would come out with every single incorrect statement someone's made, but quite frankly none of you are worth the time and effort that would take. Gloating? gloating would me constantly say HAHAHAHA I TOLD YA SO YOUR DUMBASSSES **** Y'ALL ..... that's gloating, I'm simply pointing out the fact that most of you in one form or another questioned my intelligence with my pick of Florida and I would just like to put that fact back in your face and say 1. respct me or 2. you really are shallow beings who can not back up what you say behind the privacy of a cheatcode website sports forum.

[Insane man]

Thsi coming form a guy who says that T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a better receiver than Chad Johnson but i digress. yeah you picked a game right good for you but I love all this psot Florida love. Where was all this when the BCS put them 2? All I heard was Michigan deserves a rematch. I was one who though ohio State would win not by a blow out i thought it would be a close game. For all the flack he BCS took i guess i have to say they got it right and it pains me to say it.

[Velocity]

I am not gloating I am simply saying that you should respect my opinion more in thise forums because against essentially every poster in here I was the only one right.

...

I'm simply pointing out the fact that most of you in one form or another questioned my intelligence with my pick of Florida and I would just like to put that fact back in your face and say 1. respct me or 2. you really are shallow beings who can not back up what you say behind the privacy of a cheatcode website sports forum.
You got one thing right. Whoo-hoo. That doesn't immediately scream "respect me", you know. Consistently make correct arguments and that "respect" will come in no time.

but I love all this psot Florida love. Where was all this when the BCS put them 2? All I heard was Michigan deserves a rematch. I was one who though ohio State would win not by a blow out i thought it would be a close game. For all the flack he BCS took i guess i have to say they got it right and it pains me to say it.
Remember, America follows the media. The media immediately reacted like "omg Florida ftw" and, as such, everyone else did.

The BCS still left questions unanswered, in my opinion. Ohio State finished 12-1, Florida 13-1, Louisville 12-1, Boise State 13-0. Ohio State's only loss was the championship (duh), Florida lost to an Auburn team that finished 11-2, Louisville lost to Rutgers (who finished 11-2 also). Wouldn't it make sense to have these teams play off then? They're the only one-loss and undefeated teams in the nation.

[Rick52]

First of all, people being the only ones taking a particular side in a game/series is nothing new. I remember back in 04 when I was the only one who picked the Pistons to win the NBA Finals, and that was mainly because of hometown bias, but when they did win, I didn't act like a jerk to everybody, or at least not like how you've acted. But, with that...

but quite frankly none of you are worth the time and effort that would take.

I would just like to put that fact back in your face and say 1. respct me or 2. you really are shallow beings who can not back up what you say behind the privacy of a cheatcode website sports forum.

...another warning for trolling. So long.

[The Piano Man]

Well...

To get us back on track, I want to say something. Troy Smith. I wanted to say this last Tuesday, but I didnt have the time. The way he handled himself was truly amazing. I didn't like him for various reasons until that game. My respect for him has skyrocketed. He was trying to motivate his team in the 4th quarter, he said "Blame it all on me" and it was great.

Very good job Troy Smith.

[Scruffy]

Overzealous? #1 in every poll, picked by 90% to win, defeated #2 team twice. Ohio State showed that they were the best team in the regular season.


How is putting out how everyone else not saying you were right?


Ohio State is clearly the best team in the country and Florida's game is just barely above average. Leak will shine but it will be far away from being enough.


Also, in the future, try and quote people correctly. Quotation marks generally mean that you're copying what they say exactly, not rephrasing to make an obviously moderately thought out ridicule.

[Harris]

Well...

To get us back on track, I want to say something. Troy Smith. I wanted to say this last Tuesday, but I didnt have the time. The way he handled himself was truly amazing. I didn't like him for various reasons until that game. My respect for him has skyrocketed. He was trying to motivate his team in the 4th quarter, he said "Blame it all on me" and it was great.

Very good job Troy Smith.

I have to say I was impressed by his composure. Considering the play of his teammates (especially his offensive linemen) I don't think another quarterback in the country that could have done much better.

Just to bring up a new topic, does anybody else feel that some teams have way too much time off before bowl games? I'm certainly not blaming the OSU loss on it, but it's hard to believe that it didn't affect them somehow. They hadn't played a game since November 18th, and that's a huge amount of time off.