Article Data Imported from Previous NDL SiteFor Your Consideration ....
Article By: It's absolutely heartbreaking to work so hard for something and not be rewarded for it. Just ask Steamrollr22 and the 13-0 Texas Tech Red Raiders from Season 15. Or ask 6ftdeep and the 14-0 Nebraska Cornhuskers from last season. And as we live in a world where a playoff in college football is nonexistant, someone's dreams of capturing a national championship will be shattered yet again this season. But before we dive into the three teams in question here, I want to take a moment to spotlight some coaches and teams who had tremendous seasons, but fell just short of reaching their ultimate goal.
CLOSE, YET SO FAR...
#4 Southern Miss Golden Eagles 12-1 (8-1 C-USA) huskerskev84
Was it EA or his infant child that caused his demise in the Conference USA Championship game against Rice? Detractors would say Southern Miss plays in an inferior conference. I would say he beat tough teams like Virginia Tech, Memphis, and perennial C-USA powerhouse Randawg and the Houston Cougers while cruising to an undefeated regular season with a team that has only had a winning record five times in NDL history. It takes a real man to stomach going undefeated 3 times throughout the season only to fall short in his final game. Props Huskerskev84.
#5 Wisconsin Badgers 11-1 (7-1 Big 10) BIGmike
Of all the teams BIGmike could have lost to this year in the Big 10, Michigan was probably not on anybody's radar. Mike has been to the promise land plenty of times but continues to show his dominance year in and year out.
#6 Alabama Crimson Tide 11-1 (7-1 SEC) BFiVL
One could argue to see a rematch between Alabama and LSU in a national championship game. A 26-13 victory for the Tigers didn't really settle anything. The Tide's weak non-conference openers in Army, Fresno State, and Iowa (teams that combined for 9 wins this season) won't help their cause. But an average margin of victory of nearly 20 points per game against the remaining SEC opponents puts Alabama (and BFiVL) among the elite of the season.
#10 TCU Horned Frogs 11-1 (8-0 MWC) LytezOut
A triple-overtime loss to a sub-par Kansas State team was probably not what TCU had in mind to open their season. They bounced back nonetheless, knocking off tough non-conference opponents Pittsburgh and #16 Florida State, as well as being tested by #17 Utah (who soared to a 10-2 record themselves). TCU has proved to be the king of the Mountain West in recent years and should find themselves with an at-large bid into the BCS.
#7 Texas Tech Red Raiders 11-1 (7-1 Big 12) and
#9 Nebraska Cornhuskers 11-1 (7-1 Big 12) have yet to play the Big 12 Championship as of the time of this writing. Both of these teams deserve major props as well in their impressive seasons.
THE GREAT DEBATE...
How will we, the coaches, vote when it comes down to it? There are three undefeated teams all worthy of making the Big Dance. All three are from BCS conferences as well. Here's a rundown of the highs (and lows) of each of those teams this season.
#3 USC Trojans 12-0 (9-0 PAC-10) Daw1git
Opponent record: 61-83 (.424)
Average Margin of Victory: 16 points
Quality Wins: at #12 Arizona (45-27), vs. #13 Notre Dame (35-14)
Just Squeeked By: at Standford (20-17), at Oregon State (31-27)
Best Team Stat: Points Against (18.17), Conference Rank: 1, NDL Rank: 7
Having not played a conference championship game, the USC Trojans may be on the outside looking in. The lack of that final game could hurt the Trojans, but they've still put together a pretty impressive resume along the way. The annual game with Notre Dame highlighted their non-conference schedule but weaker opponents in Minnesota and Army don't bode well in voters eyes. QB Matt Barkley might very well be the front runner for the Heisman this season, throwing for over 3000 yards with 28 TDs and only 6 INTs. Daw1git looks to return to the big game for the first time since losing with the Iowa Hawkeyes in Season 10.
USC had ONE game simmed.
#2 Miami Hurricanes 13-0 (9-0 ACC) JohnnyP
Opponent record: 75-83 (.475)
Average Margin of Victory: 12 points
Quality Wins: vs. Virginia Tech (41-20)
Just Squeeked By: at #22 Clemson (29-27), vs. #16 Florida State (22-19), vs. North Carolina (24-20)
Best Team Stat: Total Pass Yards (322.54), Conference Rank: 1, NDL Rank: 10
It wasn't easy knocking off #16 Florida State twice in one season. But the 'Canes did, at a combined 7 points nonetheless. Wins weren't necessarily pretty for Miami this season, with an average margin of victory of just over 12 points per game, but a win is a win. In his short time in the NDL, JohnnyP has proven himself to be one the the elite in the NDL, previously taking BYU to two straight Mountain West titles.
Miami had ONE game simmed.
#1 LSU Tigers 13-0 (9-0 SEC) shel311
Opponent record: 82-76 (.519)
Average Margin of Victory: 20 points
Quality Wins: vs. #18 Ohio State (29-17), at #15 Florida (38-17), vs. #13 Notre Dame (28-17), vs. #6 Alabama (26-13)
Just Squeeked By: None.
Best Team Stat: Points Against (11.92), Conference Rank: 1, NDL Rank: 1
There is absolutely no doubt Shel and the LSU Tigers are the #1 team in the NDL. The stiffling defense and explosive offense combine for a tough matchup for even the best of players. Shel has been here before; in his 4th season as LSU coach, Shel took the Tigers to consecutive NDL Championship wins in his first two seasons with the team. Opponents didn't seem to give the Tigers much competition this season. The closest game for LSU came with a home win against #18 Ohio State where the Tigers still won by 12 points.
LSU had ONE game simmed.
It's pretty clear LSU will yet again be in the title game. Who will they play?
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