Rivals Mail bag...delusion abroad...

[War Eagle!!!]

If they can do it …

 Chris in Troy, Ala.: Maybe I'm crazy, but why does it seem so far-fetched that Alabama could be in the BCS title game this season? Kansas went 6-6 in '06 and only lost one regular-season game in '07. Alabama returns almost everyone on offense, including a veteran quarterback. Also, those back-to-back top 10 recruiting classes don't hurt.

ANSWER:

 Though not intending to take anything away from Kansas, which had a remarkable 2007 season, Alabama's road is a lot more difficult.

The Jayhawks faced just three ranked teams last season, and only two that were ranked in the final Associated Poll. They lost to No. 4 Missouri and defeated No. 9 Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Kansas is in the Big 12 North, which last season had just two teams (Missouri and Kansas) with winning records. On the other hand, Alabama is in the SEC West, which boasted five bowl teams and four bowl winners.

Alabama's schedule is infested with preseason top-20 opponents, including No. 1 Georgia, No. 7 LSU, No. 9 Clemson, No. 10 Auburn and No. 18 Tennessee. Kansas would not have posted 12 victories against that grind.

Still, even though Alabama posted only seven victories last season and was unranked in the final AP poll, don't completely rule out the Tide's chances of getting into the national championship discussion. Three BCS national championship teams won eight games or fewer and finished unranked the year before winning the championship.

Two of those had coaches in their second year – Oklahoma with Bob Stoops in 2000 and Ohio State with Jim Tressel in 2002. The other was LSU with Nick Saban in 2003. Alabama has Saban in his second season.

Nice karma.

Jeez...talk about setting yourself up for dissappointment.

I can't tell if the guy writing the answer really believes this bullshit or if he is typing his response hoping not to loses a subscriber...

[JohnDeere]

alot of subscribers.......

[stewiegriffin]

they would think they had a shot at the MNC if the whole team broke it's legs and they had to play using cheerleaders and frat boys 

[Snaggletiger]

Is this any different than every preseason for the last milleneum?  Every year, Bammie is the dark horse team to take it all.  I've been listening to callers to various shows for the last two weeks and the Mullet Nation now have themselves completely convinced that "Them two running backs is pretty good, but they ain't no world beaters. And that there quarterback, he don't impress me none. All we gots' to do is stack the box and stop them two and then get the ball to Whoolio.  I'm takin' the Tahd in this one."

[Lurking Tiger]

I read that and was mildly amused. Saw something else on the sight that was interesting...

August 28, 2008


Jeremy Crabtree
Recruiting Editor

Now that the Class of 2008 is in school and preparing for the season, Rivals.com has recalculated its final team recruiting rankings to account for prospects who did not make it to campus with the rest of their classmates.
With the loss of several key recruits, including two four-star players to professional baseball, Alabama - the nation's No. 1 team on Signing Day - slides to No. 2. Notre Dame, which didn't lose a single recruit, pushes up to No. 1.

We fell also, but it's not that big a deal. At least we didn't have a cruitin' championship taken away from us.

http://rivals100.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=843421

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

I read that and was mildly amused. Saw something else on the sight that was interesting...

August 28, 2008


Jeremy Crabtree
Recruiting Editor

Now that the Class of 2008 is in school and preparing for the season, Rivals.com has recalculated its final team recruiting rankings to account for prospects who did not make it to campus with the rest of their classmates.
With the loss of several key recruits, including two four-star players to professional baseball, Alabama - the nation's No. 1 team on Signing Day - slides to No. 2. Notre Dame, which didn't lose a single recruit, pushes up to No. 1.

We fell also, but it's not that big a deal. At least we didn't have a cruitin' championship taken away from us.

http://rivals100.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=843421

Ouch!  You'll never see anyone from the Crapstone acknowledge this though.