I think with better offensive playcalling Florida State should have won by at least 30 points. Its not often I agree with Matt Millen but he was right, if Florida State had just kept to the running game and kept pounding the ball on the ground throughout the game they would have dominated the game from the beginning. Florida State's offensive line was generally having their way with NIU's d-line (what did the announcers say, that FSU's o-line outweighed NIU's d-line by an average of 50 pounds?!?). And Florida State's overall team speed was something else. Jordan Lynch may be fast, but most of Florida State's defensive front 7 seemed faster than him! And Florida State's fullback was faster than NIU's entire defense.
I agree-on any given Saturday the top MAC teams can beat many if not most of the AQ teams. But you give a Top 15 ranked AQ team that's motivated to win a month to prepare for a MAC team and the AQ team will win 99 times out of a 100.
The gap is closing, I would make it 7 out of 10. Not long ago it was 99 out of 100 all laughers. Credit to FSU, they might have top 5 talent and speed kills.
You're right, speed kills and FSU has it. Whew! Were Nick Saban or Urban Meyer coaching FSU last night the score more likely would have been 50-7 or something like that. But C Money's right, NIU did the MAC proud against overwhelming odds-and Dave Doeren didn't do NIU any favors by leaving within 24 hours of beating Kent State in the MACC.
It is a shame we never saw Ohio's D with Carrie, Shaw, Scott, Huynh, Jones, Hastings, Moore, Lewis, Woseley, Moore and Hughes. I believe this would have been a fine BCS D, better than NIU's. The same coaches/system/formula that assembled that group will continue to work for Ohio and who knows, most of the returning roster athletes were more highly regarded recruits than were the graduating seniors. The highs keep getting higher and the lows are higher too.
Last Edited: 1/2/2013 2:20:53 PM by Bcat2