In Reply to: I doubt even Wayne Cook believes .... posted by mh on August 07, 2024 at 09:58:04
We have enough talent to compete with them easy (well, not tOSU, but we don't play them - Michigan? we could compete with them and maybe win, esp at the Rose Bowl).
Oregon/Penn St? they are talented, but also going through MASSIVE changes - Oregon is reloading, but has a TON of turnover at key positions, exp QB (Gabriel good, but also struggled at times at OU as a transfer in a new system - will he do better than he did? Nix had years in the system, there will be dropoff), Penn St has been a program which doesn't live up to its talent and also changed offensive and defensive coordinators. Maybe that works for them, but maybe it doesn't - Allar was not very good last year, and their Running game was good, but very, very predictable.
IMHO, I can see the paths to us beating each of LSU/Ore/Penn St. We do have the talent if Foster/Bieniemy/Malloe can get them ready, and they stay healthy. All of them? I seriously doubt it (but if we win the 1st, it could be a huge snowball rolling downhill the next 2), but I think we'll get one of them at least (unless we lose to Indiana, and we have proof that the F/B/M coaching show has more work to do).
On the other hand, I did go to UCLA (we are optimists! ;) )