Who really thinks USC is going to finish the season #1?

USC is definitely the team to beat, but all of their tough conference games are on the road this year: Cal, Oregon, ASU, and Washington are all away. Notre Dame obviously sucks, but USC will be their bowl game this year and that game is in South Bend, not to mention Nebraksa was in Lincoln. SC may have an easier schedule this year relative to previous years, but all of their "tough" games are on the road, so if they win out, it will be hard to argue that they don't deserve it.

I\'m glad West Virginia dropped to #5 despite winning, because they couldn\'t handle USC, LSU or Florida.

Gotta agree, I thought Nebraska would actually win, USC just toyed with them. Looks like speed still wins games.

Something tells me that, while USC may have it's best team ever, which is scary, they will drop one in conference, along with LSU. I am liking the Sooners more and more to get to the championship game. They are very good, and their schedule isn't that ominous, as long as they survive Texas (and they will).

A quote I picked up from ESPN College Gameday:

The arrogance and myopia of SEC Nation can be breathtaking. Few people outside Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart believed that Rich Brooks could coach. Nothing Brooks achieves in Lexington short of an SEC title -- not even the 40-34 victory over No. 9 Louisville -- ever will match how he took Oregon from the Pac-10 cellar to the 1995 Rose Bowl. Brooks can flat-out coach.

That's what this thread is really aout: the arrogant, inbred, redneck culture of the SEC. Before the season started, many observers were questioning whether USC was even beatable. With the running game shown in Lincoln, the answer seemes to be NO.

Florida has to play AT LSU, Georgia, and South Carolina. Oklahoma has to play Texas. All of these tough games are ahead of them. After USC going into Lincoln, the rest of the schedule looks easier than the others (especially with how bad ND sucks). I think Florida (with a running QB) would give USC the toughest game, but I doubt that they will get that far.

yep, SC has been pretty mediocre, all they have done is:

Have the nation's winningest active coach (67-12) 84.8%, 63-7 since his first 7 games-90%

Ranked in the AP top 10 for the past 56 games

Ranked number 1 for 33 weeks in a row, an AP record

Had a 33 game win streak

24 WINS OVER AP TOP 25 TEAMS-

3 Heisman trophy winners

2 National Championships

25 All-American first teamers

32 NFL Draft picks

average "loss" of only 4.3 points

5 BCS games in a row with a 4-1 record

9-1 agains Ucla and Notre Dame

Set Ncaa record of scoring 20 or more points in 63

Who gives a hoot if 3 different SEC teams have won bcs title games in the last 10 years.......

Fight On!

I ahve to admit that, while I am picking and rooting for Oklahoma at this point, I would really love to see a USC at LSU matchup in the Sugar Bowl, since nobody in the SEC seems to recognize their athleticism. Interesting how they can pound top-tier out-of-conference teams last year with relative ease, but they get tripped up in conference.

Don't be surprised if LSU and UF flip flop W's in their potential match-ups this year. True they play in the regular season, but I could easily see one winning that game, then a rematch in the SEC Championship Game which could just as well be won by the other.

Honestly, after watching UF on Saturday, they look scary. I think they would have a better chance of beating USC just because you have to discount LSU b/c of their coach. The pure saturation of talent at LSU is the only thing that could push them over the top.

I do not know if USC will win it all, though - the Pac-10 has really fortified itself each season and I could easily see Oregon or Cal pulling out a win.

Who did not see the blow out in Nebraska coming, seriously? The entire Big 12 is over-rated, with Oklahoma being the only team that is a legit NC contender (and no, I'm not forgetting Texas...they, too, are over-rated). Damn, even OU could be over-rated - they lost to freakin' Boise State last year!