No. 2 Miami on the verge of losing to Pitt. Down 17-7 with four minutes to go.

After an early deficit, TCU in control against Baylor in the 4th quarter, up 42-22. They’ll play OU next weekend at Jerry World.

UH takes out Navy 24-14 to finish the regular season at 7-5.

The Hurricanes have flirted with disaster a few times. I didn't think they were really the #2 team in the country, but I also didn't think they would lose to this version of Pitt.

The ACC is hard to get a feel for this season. The two best teams in the conference have lost to two average to below average opponents.

As for Pitt, the Panthers beat the eventual national champs last year and the week 12 #2 team this year. These are good wins that they will be able to build on for sure; Pitt is not a one-hit wonder at this point.

Pitt closed it out. The Miami offense never got rolling, and Pitt's freshman QB showed up big.

UCF - USF game on. 7-7 early. Big stakes for the NY6 berth

I wish USF had won the Houston game. That would have made this a whole lot more interesting.

As it is, I think UCF will ultimately pull away. UCF has been consistently excellent this season.

(11-24-2017 03:58 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  As it is, I think UCF will ultimately pull away. UCF has been consistently excellent this season.

UCF 21 - USF 7. 2 mins left in 1Q

Former Rice WR (Grad xfer) Temi Alaka scores for USF.

NO WAY a 4-7 team beats a 10-0 team that is ranked #2!!! No way. To beat the #2 team they would have had to go 9-1.

(11-24-2017 05:07 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  NO WAY a 4-7 team beats a 10-0 team that is ranked #2!!! No way. To beat the #2 team they would have had to go 9-1.

The comment was pertaining to Rice. Not any and all teams in general.

I stand by my comment that there is no way a 4-7 Rice (or equivalent) even comes close to beating a #2 team. Heck, even comes close to beating a #42 team.

(11-24-2017 04:24 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 03:58 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  As it is, I think UCF will ultimately pull away. UCF has been consistently excellent this season.

UCF 21 - USF 7. 2 mins left in 1Q

USF making a comeback. down by 1 now (21-20 UCF) with 2 mins left in 1H. Would be a tie game but USF missed one XP.

(11-24-2017 05:11 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:07 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  NO WAY a 4-7 team beats a 10-0 team that is ranked #2!!! No way. To beat the #2 team they would have had to go 9-1.

The comment was pertaining to Rice. Not any and all teams in general.

I stand by my comment that there is no way a 4-7 Rice (or equivalent) even comes close to beating a #2 team. Heck, even comes close to beating a #42 team.

I believe it was 1964, when #2 UCLA and future Heisman winner Gary Beban came to HRS, and the Owls, who would finish 2-8, lost a close game when two owls collided in the end zone and the pass they were trying to intercept fell on the chest of a Bruin receiver.

I am sure my memory is faulty (I was there), but that's the way I remember it.

(11-24-2017 05:14 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:11 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:07 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  NO WAY a 4-7 team beats a 10-0 team that is ranked #2!!! No way. To beat the #2 team they would have had to go 9-1.

The comment was pertaining to Rice. Not any and all teams in general.

I stand by my comment that there is no way a 4-7 Rice (or equivalent) even comes close to beating a #2 team. Heck, even comes close to beating a #42 team.

I believe it was 1964, when #2 UCLA and future Heisman winner Gary Beban came to HRS, and the Owls, who would finish 2-8, lost a close game when two owls collided in the end zone and the pass they were trying to intercept fell on the chest of a Bruin receiver.

I am sure my memory is faulty (I was there), but that's the way I remember it.

1966 - I wasn't there but looked it up. 1966 Rice and now Rice are two different teams from two very different eras. 1966 Rice was still in a real conference, playing real teams - like a Syracuse or Pitt beating Clemson and Miami - unlikely but possible.

Rice 2017 edition is like a little league team or practice squad hoping to beat a college team of note. Not going to happen.

In my 12 years of being affiliated with Rice, we are something like 0-38 against top 50 teams. And none of them were really even close. How much more evidence do we need to conclude that is just isn't happening?

(11-24-2017 05:21 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Rice 2017 edition is like a little league team or practice squad hoping to beat a college team of note. Not going to happen.

In my 12 years of being affiliated with Rice, we are something like 0-38 against top 50 teams. And none of them were really even close. How much more evidence do we need to conclude that is just isn't happening?

I disagree. Just because you haven't witnessed a version of a Rice team in the last 12 years that can beat a college team of note doesn't mean it is impossible. As noted in another thread, Troy beat LSU this year and Troy was crap 3, 4, and 5 years ago. Upsets happen and Rice could make them happen with better coaching. I agree that the iteration of Rice teams we have seen the last 11 seasons were never going to win that type of game.

On an unrelated note, Kansas are 41 point underdogs to Ok State. Kansas and coach will likely finish with the same record as Rice and mentor, 1-11.

Beaty now has 3 total wins over 3 seasons, 2 of which are FCS.

Rice opened the 1966 season against LSU, Tennessee, and UCLA - before playing its SWC schedule.

(11-24-2017 05:25 PM)mrbig Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:21 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Rice 2017 edition is like a little league team or practice squad hoping to beat a college team of note. Not going to happen.

In my 12 years of being affiliated with Rice, we are something like 0-38 against top 50 teams. And none of them were really even close. How much more evidence do we need to conclude that is just isn't happening?

I disagree. Just because you haven't witnessed a version of a Rice team in the last 12 years that can beat a college team of note doesn't mean it is impossible. As noted in another thread, Troy beat LSU this year and Troy was crap 3, 4, and 5 years ago. Upsets happen and Rice could make them happen with better coaching. I agree that the iteration of Rice teams we have seen the last 11 seasons were never going to win that type of game.

Troy also hired a new coach and turned decidedly less crappy BEFORE beating LSU. Heck Troy lost to national champs Clemson by 6 last year. Troy of 5 years ago wasn't going to beat LSU - they couldn't even beat the sun belt consistently.

The point being made is not that Rice under new leadership will never be able to have an upset. The point is if Rice were to beat an LSU it would be after they improve.. and improvement means Rice beats teams they should beat. My point is Rice will not beat an LSU if we are 2-7, which means we have likely lost to 4 C-USA teams.

If Rice improves and beats C-USA, then yes an upset someday may be possible. But you do not go from losing to teams in the bottom 30 with regularity to shocking a top 25 team. There is a large middle ground that needs to be covered first.

(11-24-2017 05:25 PM)mrbig Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:21 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Rice 2017 edition is like a little league team or practice squad hoping to beat a college team of note. Not going to happen.

In my 12 years of being affiliated with Rice, we are something like 0-38 against top 50 teams. And none of them were really even close. How much more evidence do we need to conclude that is just isn't happening?

I disagree. Just because you haven't witnessed a version of a Rice team in the last 12 years that can beat a college team of note doesn't mean it is impossible. As noted in another thread, Troy beat LSU this year and Troy was crap 3, 4, and 5 years ago. Upsets happen and Rice could make them happen with better coaching. I agree that the iteration of Rice teams we have seen the last 11 seasons were never going to win that type of game.

Just sayin'. Upsets happen all the time, some of them really big. Saying that it can happen but it cannot happen with Rice is going a bit too far, I think. Might as well say that Appy State could never beat Michigan.

Yep, I think 2017 Rice might have a hard time against 1966 Rice. But 1966 Rice was a losing team playing playing a top ranked 1966 team. Upsets happen.

Upset

(11-24-2017 05:43 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:25 PM)mrbig Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:21 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Rice 2017 edition is like a little league team or practice squad hoping to beat a college team of note. Not going to happen.

In my 12 years of being affiliated with Rice, we are something like 0-38 against top 50 teams. And none of them were really even close. How much more evidence do we need to conclude that is just isn't happening?

I disagree. Just because you haven't witnessed a version of a Rice team in the last 12 years that can beat a college team of note doesn't mean it is impossible. As noted in another thread, Troy beat LSU this year and Troy was crap 3, 4, and 5 years ago. Upsets happen and Rice could make them happen with better coaching. I agree that the iteration of Rice teams we have seen the last 11 seasons were never going to win that type of game.

Just sayin'. Upsets happen all the time, some of them really big. Saying that it can happen but it cannot happen with Rice is going a bit too far, I think. Might as well say that Appy State could never beat Michigan.

Yep, I think 2017 Rice might have a hard time against 1966 Rice. But 1966 Rice was a losing team playing playing a top ranked 1966 team. Upsets happen.

Upset

You're comparing apples to oranges. The 1966 Rice team would have gone no worse than 9-3 playing against our 2017 schedule. Yeah, that team had a losing record, but played 75% of it's games against Top 25 caliber competition, and competed in many of them.

(11-24-2017 05:31 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:25 PM)mrbig Wrote:  

(11-24-2017 05:21 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Rice 2017 edition is like a little league team or practice squad hoping to beat a college team of note. Not going to happen.

In my 12 years of being affiliated with Rice, we are something like 0-38 against top 50 teams. And none of them were really even close. How much more evidence do we need to conclude that is just isn't happening?

I disagree. Just because you haven't witnessed a version of a Rice team in the last 12 years that can beat a college team of note doesn't mean it is impossible. As noted in another thread, Troy beat LSU this year and Troy was crap 3, 4, and 5 years ago. Upsets happen and Rice could make them happen with better coaching. I agree that the iteration of Rice teams we have seen the last 11 seasons were never going to win that type of game.

Troy also [hired a new coach[ and turned decidedly less crappy BEFORE beating LSU. Heck Troy lost to national champs Clemson by 6 last year. Troy of 5 years ago wasn't going to beat LSU - they couldn't even beat the sun belt consistently.

The point being made is not that [Rice under new leadership will never be able to have an upset. The point is if Rice were to beat an LSU it would be after they improve.. and improvement means Rice beats teams they should beat. My point is Rice will not beat an LSU if we are 2-7, which means we have likely lost to 4 C-USA teams.

If Rice improves and beats C-USA, then yes an upset someday may be possible. But you do not go from losing to teams in the bottom 30 with regularity to shocking a top 25 team. There is a large middle ground that needs to be covered first.

I think your point is this:

Rice under Baillif = impossible

Rice under Coach Newguy = now we're cooking.

I don't know if we ever upset anybody in Bailiff's eleven years. By upset, I mean winning a game we were expected to lose. But I don't care. Bailiff is toast. Rice will remain.

Never say never.

More upsets

"It happens more often than you'd think in college football, where underdogs seize unforgettable moments on the grandest of stages."

Imagine this year's record and scores if the team played the same schedule as the 1966 team. Lsu Tenn UCLA Texas Baylor tcu tech smut ark tamu. Do we score more than 10/game? Do we allow less than 35/game? Total bloodbath.