Apparently Phil Steele is saying OU will lose the NCG to........

[Salt City Sooner]

Florida State:

http://beyondthebets.com/2012/05/25/did-phil-steele-pick-florida-state-to-win-the-2013-national-championship-in-this-years-magazine/


Nole thread from someone who apparently has the mag:

http://floridastate.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1079&tid=155408296&mid=155408296&sid=1061&style=2

[OU_Sooners75]

Sorry, but every year that he picks OU, we falter somewhere and get knocked out of the BCSCG title picture.

No thanks Phil Steele....leave OU out of your predictions please!

With that said...I would be very surprised if OU loses less than 2 times this year.

[Widescreen]

If we have to play FSU in the national championship game, I love our chances.

[BoulderSooner79]

If we get to play FSU in the national championship game, I love our chances.

FIFY

[Jason White's Third Knee]

I don't believe in the Phil Steele curse. I think his mag is the best by a longshot. It's simply impossible to predict the champion. With attrition, dumb luck, etc everyone is just guessing.

Now the ea sports and sports illustrated curses are real.

[hawaii 5-0]

I'd be happy to get to the National Championship game.

5-0

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

If we have to play FSU in the national championship game, I love our chances.Appears we have their number. They are rabid to play us, but so far, we've dominated them.

[delhalew]

It was a hard fought game last year. Would stand to reason they would be better. Mike had another year to recruit and train the D. EJ should be more comfortable. I have them ranked number five.

[Widescreen]

It was a hard fought game last year. Would stand to reason they would be better. Mike had another year to recruit and train the D. EJ should be more comfortable. I have them ranked number five.
Kind of a conflict of interest for Mike to be running both defenses. ;)

[Breadburner]

Injuries and death tore us apart last year....

[OU_Sooners75]

Injuries and death tore us apart last year....

I would say not having backups ready for the moment hurt us more than Injuries. Death? Who died during the season?

Yes, the Box death was a very sad day in Sooner History. But it was in May, which OU had plenty of time to be ready...and we were for the most part.

We can blame injuries and whatever else. But ultimately it was the coaches jobs to get the players (all of them) ready for when the time came to play...and they weren't.

[delhalew]

Kind of a conflict of interest for Mike to be running both defenses. ;)

Lol. Damn Stoop brothers...to make matters worse, they all look alike. Pardon me. Mark is doing good work at FSU.

[SoonerNomad]

Florida State is loading up with athletes, especially at RB and in their defensive front, and may eventually get to the level where they start having more impact on the national title race. In my opinion, they won't get there with EJ Manuel. The next QB may be the one to take them to the next level, but Manuel just isn't the difference maker at QB needed to make the step to the highest level. They won't be playing in the national title game in the fall.

I love the Phil Steele magazine because the content is amazing. He is, however, sometimes too reliant on schedule issues. If a team has an easy schedule he gives that more credence than whether or not they have a solid QB that can't stay healthy.

I would probably disagree with him on Oklahoma making the title game this year too, but I am trying to stay optimistic.

[picasso]

Loading up with athletes? I hope and pray they aren't lifting weights.

I'm not sure how we had time to recover from the Austin Box death. One need look no further than how we performed when he played last season.

[Widescreen]

Florida State is loading up with athletes, especially at RB and in their defensive front, and may eventually get to the level where they start having more impact on the national title race. In my opinion, they won't get there with EJ Manuel. The next QB may be the one to take them to the next level, but Manuel just isn't the difference maker at QB needed to make the step to the highest level. They won't be playing in the national title game in the fall.
I'll bet Manual's as good as some of those crap SEC QB's that have won nat'l championships recently.

[OU_Sooners75]

Loading up with athletes? I hope and pray they aren't lifting weights.

I'm not sure how we had time to recover from the Austin Box death. One need look no further than how we performed when he played last season.

Well, though it was a sad day and sad time for OU and we fans. The Box death was more equal to a early departure to the NFL or graduation (as far as personnel impact).

I am not trying to disregard the emotional impact it had on the players and coaches at all. Losing Box was big, but OU had plenty of time to get someone there and ready. And I thought Wort did a pretty good job. Especially considering the DL couldnt keep the OL off of him last year.

[badger]

Much like people were picking against MJ's Bulls just because they were sick of them winning the NBA every year, I think experts are trying to predict non-SEC title games... but really, who is anyone fooling. The SEC owns two things in this country: Morbid obesity and the college football polls.

[Sooner91ATL]

An undefeated season next year (ergo national championship contention) would mean a lot of improvement in defense secondary and LB, a receiving corps of newbies steps up and performs like upperclassmen, Landry adjusts to life after Broyles, and all the stars align with no injuries, etc. This team has the potential to be in the discussion for B12 championship, but it could also legitimately lose 4 games. Recall that for the last few seasons we have lost to teams we had no business not beating by 21 points. So it shapes up to be an exciting season with what I hope are lowered expectations. I know mine are - should be able to enjoy it more that way.

UTEP in El Paso - unless all skill players eat some bad enchiladas on Friday night, a W. UTEP fans can be surprisingly loud.

Florida A&M in Norman - Unless the band is playing, a W

Kansas State in Norman - if we can lose to TT at home, we can lose to the cats with Snyder at the helm. I think this is a W but not like it was last year. More like the 2001 game.

TTech in Lubbock - We tend to lose here more than one would expect. Hard to say what happens. Should be a W but given track record, could end up an L. Visions of the manic hispanic running loose on Owen Field last year snagging TD balls is anguish.

Texas in D - best team doesn't always win. Could go either way if Fexas is resurgent or wants it more. Their QB is suck which gives us the edge of course.

Kansas in Norman - W

Notre Dame in Norman - should be a W but we are 1-8 all time versus the domers, and we haven't beaten them since people drank ovaltine and smoked cigarettes in doctors offices. Until we beat them, tough to bet on this one.

Iowa State in Ames - W. But they beat the pokers there last year so better come ready to play.

Baylor in Norman - W

West Virginni in Morgantown - L Best QB in Big 12 with two 1000 yard receivers returning. Unless their D is pathetic, will be tough to win there.

LosuR in Norman - W

TCU in Ft. Worth - tough game. Best D we will face all year perhaps. last game of year, TCU trying to prove they belong. If we are relatively injury free it could be a W. But at the end of a long season and brutal end stretch, could be an L.

Most at risk for L - K state, Notre Dame, fexas, taco tech, wava, tcu. I don't think any of these games are sure-thing Ws going on past two seasons' performance and current depth chart. Do I think we lose them all - no. Do I think we lose 2-3 - yeah.

[Salt City Sooner]

Texas in D - best team doesn't always win
I know that's true of the overall series, but it's been pretty reliable in the Stoops v. Brown era. 2008 is the only time that the consensus higher ranked team didn't win.

[badger]

I know that's true of the overall series, but it's been pretty reliable in the Stoops v. Brown era. 2008 is the only time that the consensus higher ranked team didn't win.

I wonder what Texas' grand plan for winning is this year. They've already tried lifting weights. Maybe this year they'll run some wind sprints :mack:

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I wonder what Texas' grand plan for winning is this year. They've already tried lifting weights. Maybe this year they'll run some wind sprints :mack:Mack's a beauty. A reall keeper! whookem, mofos!

[Widescreen]

I wonder what Texas' grand plan for winning is this year. They've already tried lifting weights. Maybe this year they'll run some wind sprints :mack:

They have that yellow line.

[Eielson]

Much like people were picking against MJ's Bulls just because they were sick of them winning the NBA every year, I think experts are trying to predict non-SEC title games... but really, who is anyone fooling. The SEC owns two things in this country: Morbid obesity and the college football polls.

I think part of it may be that even though everybody knows an SEC team will be in the championship game even if they have 3 losses, it's very difficult to pick the actual winner of the SEC. Winner of the Big XII? Oklahoma. Winner of the Pac-10? USC. Winner of the ACC? Florida State. Winner of the Big 10? Ohio State. Winner of the Big East? WVU (not anymore, but...).

Winner of the SEC? Alabama? Florida? LSU? Georgia (LOLOL)? Some random team who just bought a quarterback like Auburn? Nobody really knows.

The problem is that you can't just say "SEC Winner vs. Oklahoma" or "SEC Winner vs. FSU." Are FSU and Oklahoma both going to beat out all the SEC teams? No, but they have higher odds than any individual team from the SEC.

[badger]

They have that yellow line.

Oh sh!t, I have not heard about the yellow line? Are we doomed?

[Salt City Sooner]

I think part of it may be that even though everybody knows an SEC team will be in the championship game even if they have 3 losses, it's very difficult to pick the actual winner of the SEC. Winner of the Big XII? Oklahoma. Winner of the Pac-10? USC. Winner of the ACC? Florida State. Winner of the Big 10? Ohio State. Winner of the Big East? WVU (not anymore, but...).

Winner of the SEC? Alabama? Florida? LSU? Georgia (LOLOL)? Some random team who just bought a quarterback like Auburn? Nobody really knows.

The problem is that you can't just say "SEC Winner vs. Oklahoma" or "SEC Winner vs. FSU." Are FSU and Oklahoma both going to beat out all the SEC teams? No, but they have higher odds than any individual team from the SEC.
That one might not be as easy as you'd think. FSU hasn't won the ACC since 2005.

[badger]

That one might not be as easy as you'd think. FSU hasn't won the ACC since 2005.

Ja, they have Dabo fever last year... till WVU put 70 on em in the Orange Bowl,hehe

[Eielson]

That one might not be as easy as you'd think. FSU hasn't won the ACC since 2005.

Yeah, it's definitely not a lock for FSU, but they seem to be a preseason favorite by a fairly large margin. By my logic, OU vs. USC would be the pick to make. When you pick a team to win from the SEC, they may not even be in contention for the conference title late in the year, and that looks a lot worse than picking an 11-2 OU team that won it's conference.

[Sabanball]

I don't see it happening.

Phil Steele has really fallen off in the accuracy of his projections in recent years. What has FSU done recently that should make anyone think that they are 'back'? I'm certainly not convinced that they are. Jimbo has shown that he recruit talent but he has yet to show that he can mold and develop it into a great team. Right now, I'd have to give the nod to LSU over the 'noles to making it to the BCSCG. With Mettenberger at qb I think LSU will have all the pieces this yr.

As long as you guys have Stoops then you're always going to be a threat to make the title game--that's nothing new. Your schedule is more favorable to making a title run and having a senior qb will help your chances also.

[Widescreen]

Oh sh!t, I have not heard about the yellow line? Are we doomed?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2NuhofeW8M&feature=player_embedded

Be intimidated!

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2NuhofeW8M&feature=player_embedded

Be intimidated!Absolutely frightening. Gideon apparently thinks about it often, and look how it helped him play DB. Respect it!

[Salt City Sooner]

I don't see it happening.

Phil Steele has really fallen off in the accuracy of his projections in recent years. What has FSU done recently that should make anyone think that they are 'back'? I'm certainly not convinced that they are. Jimbo has shown that he recruit talent but he has yet to show that he can mold and develop it into a great team. Right now, I'd have to give the nod to LSU over the 'noles to making it to the BCSCG. With Mettenberger at qb I think LSU will have all the pieces this yr.

As long as you guys have Stoops then you're always going to be a threat to make the title game--that's nothing new. Your schedule is more favorable to making a title run and having a senior qb will help your chances also.
Agreed, but the thing is, I'm not sure that they're going to have to have a great team to have a great record this year. Like Nomad said, Steele takes the schedule into heavy consideration, & if you look at it on paper (which is all we've got to go on at this point), they for all intents & purposes, have a one game season (Thursday night in Blacksburg) unless someone on there is way better than expected:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/52/florida-state-seminoles

[sooneron]

Why are they saying how you better be running when you hit the yellow line and they're all really jogging and ****? ****ing retards.

[MI Sooner]

I don't see it happening.

Phil Steele has really fallen off in the accuracy of his projections in recent years. What has FSU done recently that should make anyone think that they are 'back'? I'm certainly not convinced that they are. Jimbo has shown that he recruit talent but he has yet to show that he can mold and develop it into a great team. Right now, I'd have to give the nod to LSU over the 'noles to making it to the BCSCG. With Mettenberger at qb I think LSU will have all the pieces this yr.

As long as you guys have Stoops then you're always going to be a threat to make the title game--that's nothing new. Your schedule is more favorable to making a title run and having a senior qb will help your chances also.

I think OU will have an easier schedule to run the table against LSU or Bama this year, although not dramatically so. This does remind me of how you made a similar comment last year, though. If I recall, I wanted to bet that OU's regular season SOS would be tougher than Bama's, but you declined. This year, I'd take the Bama side of that wager.

Sabanball, as someone who follows the SEC closely, I would be interested in your theories about how SEC team keep getting through the conference season undefeated. It seems to happen more in the SEC than in other conferences, especially lately (2011, 2010, 2009 x2, 2008). I'm can't delude myself enough to argue that the SEC hasn't been the best conference in recent years, and I think that they have the toughest places to play road games, on average. Both of these factors would tend to lead to teams being unable to run the table, but time and again, teams have? Is it just an abberation or what?

[Sabanball]

I think OU will have an easier schedule to run the table against LSU or Bama this year, although not dramatically so. This does remind me of how you made a similar comment last year, though. If I recall, I wanted to bet that OU's regular season SOS would be tougher than Bama's, but you declined. This year, I'd take the Bama side of that wager.

Sabanball, as someone who follows the SEC closely, I would be interested in your theories about how SEC team keep getting through the conference season undefeated. It seems to happen more in the SEC than in other conferences, especially lately (2011, 2010, 2009 x2, 2008). I'm can't delude myself enough to argue that the SEC hasn't been the best conference in recent years, and I think that they have the toughest places to play road games, on average. Both of these factors would tend to lead to teams being unable to run the table, but time and again, teams have? Is it just an abberation or what?

I'm not sure that I can definitively answer that question, but I think that you have to attribute it in part to the fact that during that time period you had 3 different heisman winners help lead their respective teams to championships(Tebow, Ingram, Newton). Tebow and Cam Newton especially were just phenomenal collegiate players. Of course, this past season NO SEC team finished undefeated.

[mainline13]

TTech in Lubbock - We tend to lose here more than one would expect. Hard to say what happens. Should be a W but given track record, could end up an L. Visions of the manic hispanic running loose on Owen Field last year snagging TD balls is anguish.



Referees in fear for their lives make enough atrocious calls to turn the tide. Or at least enough to turn the Sooners.

That and they seem to use 8 receivers. The league doesn't usually let them get away with that outside of Lubbock.

[Sooner70]

What page did Steele make his prediction on ? The mag hit the stands here yesterday, & I saw his bowl picks & he had FSU & OU in NCG, but I couldn't find his predictions on the bowls he projected.

OU has a pretty credible schedule. Steel picks it #20 in nation I think. Preseason ranked teams OU will play include Texas, OSU, ND, West Virginia, TCU. Can't sleepwalk thru that schedule. Hope OU has some receivers not suspended and a defense by time season rolls around, or it could be long season.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

OU has a pretty credible schedule. Steel picks it #20 in nation I think. Preseason ranked teams OU will play include Texas, OSU, ND, West Virginia, TCU. Can't sleepwalk thru that schedule. Hope OU has some receivers not suspended and a defense by time season rolls around, or it could be long season.Pretty much my sentiments, too. We've a lot to prove.

[VA Sooner]

Rather have Steele off the radar... better for us, better for our young atheletes.

[SoonerBorn85]

they all look alike.

White people? ;)