garnet_gold - 05 June 2012 03:25 PM

Just curious…

Not since the 1996 Florida Gators had a team won a National Championship who never won it before.

Oklahoma State Cowboys last seaso…....oh wait, never mind. Oregon seems like the logical choice. Arkansas is they were to win it this season (I don’t think they have won one). I guess you can throw in VT and WVU for the hell of it as my top 4.

93N99 - 06 June 2012 06:10 PM

garnet_gold - 05 June 2012 03:25 PM

Just curious…

Not since the 1996 Florida Gators had a team won a National Championship who never won it before.

Oklahoma State Cowboys last seaso…....oh wait, never mind. Oregon seems like the logical choice. Arkansas is they were to win it this season (I don’t think they have won one). I guess you can throw in VT and WVU for the hell of it as my top 4.

Arkansas won it all in 1964. Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones, and Ken Hatfield were all on that team. One of the last all-white national title teams.

GoTigers712 - 06 June 2012 09:13 AM

I live in columbia,
Ive heard a lot of positive things coming out of Carolina’s camp, suprisingly more about the defense than latty coming back.

Still, ive heard a lot of positive things coming out of Clemson too, so moving up in the world

its a great day in south carolina lol

I think all fans have hope at this point of the year… All we ever hear coming from any team is good things… or “i think it’ll be better than last year”... its just natural to be hopeful right now.

fair enough, like ive said over and over again, for clemson it comes down to the depth of talent on the o-line. defense will be better, boyd will be better, WRs will be better. Not sure about RBs but a lot of that hinges on the O-line so again, thats my lynch pin for how well we do this season…that and how often Ron Cherry is the ref

no matter how good any team in the ACC is, the refs will offset most of it.

My list of teams that will be the best prospects to win their first championship:

1. Wisconsin (the Badgers have a good young coach, better and better national brand…which means better and better recruiting. They are in the winnable Big 10(11?) and will be a top team for years to come. One of these years they could run through the Big 11 schedule and have a shot to win it all.

2. Oregon (they had their shot against Auburn and they couldnt get it done, but they will be back…IF they don’t get busted for cheating before then…lots of smoke around that program)

3. Oklahoma State (almost made it to the big game last season, if it were not for a bad loss to Iowa State. They have big money boosters, nice facilities and solid recruiting. they will get their shot)

4. West Virginia (now in the Big 12, if they can get to 11 or 12 wins…they can get a bid to the playoffs in the coming years and make some noise. look for the ‘eers to continue to be a national player)

5. Utah (the Utes have been undefeated in other conferences before…and even beat Alabama in a BCS game. If they can pull a Stanford and win big in the Pac 12 one of these years…they could get a shot at a title)

6. Virginia Tech (the Hokies will move up this list very fast if they join the SEC. Right now, the ACC is holding their hopes down a bit…as I just dont see them beating FSU and Clemson consistently. If FSU and Clemson join the Big 12..V Tech will dominate the ACC or move to the SEC…I believe the SEC is their only shot at Championship aspirations…if they can compete against the SEC big boys.

I want so badly to believe that VT can be the next team up.  Bud’s defenses for the next 3 years will be unbelievable.  Logan Thomas might hang around for another year.  RB is stacked per usual, and the WR talent is there.  But the question mark on every VT team, every year is the OL.  It’s what usually gets us beat when we step OOC to play Bama, LSU, and USC (well, that and telling Danny Coale to “play it by ear” on a fake punt… IT WAS A CATCH!).  If the OL catches up to everything else, I think we’re in the conversation as the next team up.  It’s been 14 yrs. since we’ve played for a national title, and I want so badly to see them get back there.

As for everyone else, I think WVU has a lethal squad coming back this year.  Pains me to say it but their offense will be even more dynamic.  South Carolina could be a sleeper.  Not totally sold on Connor Shaw, but if Lattimore returns to even 90% form from last season they’ll be tough to handle.

6. Virginia Tech (the Hokies will move up this list very fast if they join the SEC. Right now, the ACC is holding their hopes down a bit…as I just dont see them beating FSU and Clemson consistently. If FSU and Clemson join the Big 12..V Tech will dominate the ACC or move to the SEC…I believe the SEC is their only shot at Championship aspirations…if they can compete against the SEC big boys.

The Hokies have beaten FSU 2 of the past 3 meetings (after a long list of butt-whoopins). 

VT has been beating Clemson like a rug for years.  As a matter of fact, before last year the Tigers hadn’t beaten the Hokies since 1989.  Not trying to flame Clemson fans here, but it’s a fact.  Last year, they returned the favor.  It was one season, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  I just hate revisionist history.

And while I’d love to see VT step into the SEC to boost recruiting, expand facilities, and generally play against much, much better teams it’s not really a forgone conclusion that the move would be “their only shot at Championship aspirations.”  I love my Hokies, but when/if we make that move I would expect our 10-win streak to end.  Probably 8-4 or 7-5 the first year.  We’d have to acclimate, but we have the resources, talent-rich state and fan base to get there.  But depending on how this new CFB Playoff format is panned out, the ACC may still provide an easier road to the title game.  I’m pro-SEC.  I want it badly because I love tailgating and talking football w/ Bama and Georgia fans, and I want those fans bringing 8,000 strong to Blacksburg every weekend as opposed to the 500 players, cheerleaders, parents and band that Wake and Maryland bring.

TheClubhouse_KB - 08 June 2012 12:51 PM

As for everyone else, I think WVU has a lethal squad coming back this year.  Pains me to say it but their offense will be even more dynamic.  South Carolina could be a sleeper.  Not totally sold on Connor Shaw, but if Lattimore returns to even 90% form from last season they’ll be tough to handle.

I think West Virgina has one of the best offenses in the country and one could certainly argue that they ARE in fact the best… but they really need to step up on defense to be championship caliber.

I think shaw comes back better than last year, but without the targets. Should be interesting. If Jefferies hadnt left then it be a different story. Id probably run the same option read every down in that case.

Wishbone formation, Jeffieres flanked out strong side, lattimore and wilds in the backfield.

Jeffries flys out, wilds out to the flats, TE wheel route, other receivers crossing routs short, far side of the field.  Now you have forced 1 on 1 with jefferies down field and can throw him the jump ball, if thats covered up you have wilds for the screen, and if hes being covered you can hand it off to lattimore up the gut. Shaw is also a mobile enough QB to be able to make some moves himself.

Now of course jefferies is gone, but im sure they have some other rediculous giant coming in this year