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Post by heznfire on Sept 5, 2012 1:02:25 GMT -5
Team Accomplishments
National Champions: South Carolina (BCS Poll)/Tennessee (AP Poll)
ACC Champions: Maryland ACC Atlantic: Maryland ACC Coastal: North Carolina
Pac-12 Champions: California Pac-12 North: California Pac-12 South: USC (CPU)
SEC Champions: South Carolina SEC East: South Carolina SEC West: Texas A&M
Individual Accolades
Heisman Trophy: Tennessee RB Marlin Lane
Archives of future seasons will include all team records and individual accolades
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Post by beef1857 on Sept 5, 2012 11:05:20 GMT -5
The 2012 Vols came into the season with the nation expecting them to be the SEC's doormat. After the writers predicted the Volunteers to finish 12th out of the new 14-member SEC, Tennessee decided to let its on-field play do the talking.
Tennessee marched through non-conference play with a perfect record, turning heads along the way and garnering a national ranking. The Volunteers put up big offensive numbers behind the running of eventual Heisman Trophy winner Marlin Lane. When Lane's running lanes weren't there, quarterback Tyler Bray found his favorite passing options in Da'Rick Rogers and all-SEC Justin Hunter.
Defensively, Tennessee's new 3-4 scheme proved to be difficult for teams, and the Vols marched to an undefeated record going into the South Carolina game. In that game, which would be UT's only loss of the season*, the Vols went into halftime with a lead. They would later fall apart in the second half behind South Carolina's Connor Shaw-Ace Sanders combo.
The Vols would win the rest of their games and have a rematch with South Carolina in the national championship game. Because of the storied rivalry between the head coaches, Ozi03 and Beef 1857, the media were not allowed to watch the game in true European soccer fashion. What happened in that game is still disputed till this day, with the Coaches voting South Carolina the 2012 National Champion and the AP poll voting Tennessee #1.
* = Whether Tennessee finished the season 11-2 or 12-1 is a disputed fact.
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Post by deadrabbits23 on Sept 5, 2012 12:35:22 GMT -5
2012 Maryland Terrapins: (9-5) (7-2)
Maryland had a very rough start to their season. They lossed their first three games(non-conf games). After their week one loss, Maryland's head coach deadrabbits23 mysteriously was absent for the next two games.
He came back around week 4 and ignited a huge comeback for rest of the season. Maryland kept on winning very close games within its conference with two hiccups along the way. One of those conference losses ended in controversy. The scorekeeper totally marked down the wrong score and Maryland should have won. Starting RB Pickett was knocked out for the season around week 8. Backup RBs stepped up to fill the void. QB CJ Brown didn't put up great numbers but still found ways to lead his team to victory. Maryland's defense won a few games this season when the offense fluttered. Maryland ran a 3-4 base defense. 4 great senior linebackers lead the defense.
Even though at 7-5, Maryland won the ACC Atlantic division. Maryland then defeated North Carolina in overtime on a 4 down goaline stand in the ACC championship game. Maryland went on to win the Orange Bowl against SMU.
2012 ACC Champions
2012 Orange bowl Champions
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Post by heznfire on Sept 5, 2012 18:00:59 GMT -5
2012 Texas A&M Aggies: 11-3 (7-1, SEC)
The Texas A&M Aggies were projected to be a middle-tier SEC team in the preseason (8th in the SEC, 4th in the SEC West). Not much was expected of the SEC newcomers. Many pundits felt that Texas A&M was about to find out what "big boy" football was all about in the nation's top conference.
The Aggies jumped out to a solid start, registering a 3-1 record in the non-conference with wins against arch-rival Texas, California, and Maryland -- all by double digits. The lone stain on the non-conference slate was caused by North Carolina's new head coach, Janksteak. Janksteak and Heznfire's personal rivalry goes back seasons to their days in the Big Ten. Heznfire had a chance to end his seemingly never-ending losing streak to Janksteak, but North Carolina pulled out the win in a gutsy fourth quarter.
Despite the bitter loss to the Tar Heels, the Aggies had confidence heading into their first ever SEC conference game where they hosted the rival Razorbacks. A tight, competitive three-point win for Texas A&M was the beginning of much success for the Aggies in the SEC. Texas A&M ripped off wins in its first seven SEC contests -- although there was a score malfunction in Week 12 against Alabama -- to clinch the SEC West and berth in the SEC Championship Game. To add a cherry on top of a great 2012 conference slate, the Aggies beat their SEC West rival, Missouri, by a 30-17 score.
In the SEC Championship Game, with a shot to participate in the All-State Sugar Bowl, the Aggies were in prime position to earn a spot in a BCS Bowl, leading by 16 points in the fourth quarter. Then, the wheels feel off the tracks. Texas A&M's stout defense had nothing against South Carolina's five-wide, hurry-up offense. The Gamecocks hurried back, connecting on a 48-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining to take a 31-30 lead. The Aggies had one last shot after completing a long pass into South Carolina territory with five seconds left. Texas A&M lined up for a 53-yard field goal, facing a 5 MPH wind, and hit a perfect kick that seemed destined to go through the uprights ...
... except it fell one yard short.
The loss was particularly heartbreaking, and a win in the Capital One Bowl against Purdue could not overcome the pain. Coach Heznfire felt especially for the seniors, who had worked their tails off in an attempt to knock off the undefeated Gamecocks.
Nonetheless, it was a successful campaign for Texas A&M, finishing with an 11-3 (7-1 SEC) record while bringing in a Top 5 class. Hopefully, this will be the key building block in launching Texas A&M into the elite level of college football.
2012 SEC West Champions 2012 Capital One Bowl Champions
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Post by Janksteak on Sept 5, 2012 19:05:58 GMT -5
2012 UNC Tar Heels (10-4) (8-1)
My memory is kinda fuzzy regarding every game last season but here is what I DO remember. UNC came into the season with an average ACC squad anchored by a good RB and QB. Unfortunately for Coach Jank, his tar heels had the worst offensive coordinator in his tenure which caused the offense to be completely useless, leading to 2 straight non conference losses to begin the season against Washington and South Carolina.
Fortunately Coach Jank hired the right man for the job just in time for the perennial showdown with arch rival Coach Hez. After another back and forth game, the tar heels came out on top and extended the win streak against Hez for one more year. That win sparked the Tar Heels momentum leading them to win every game left on their schedule... up until the ACC championship game. Coach Rabbit's squad held up on a ridiculous defensive stand at their 4th and 1 in overtime as I went for the winning TD. This loss sent me to the Chick-fil-a bowl.
Mississippi State squared off against the Tar Heels in an absolute barn burner knocking off UNC 47-46 to take home that coveted chicken trophy.
2012 ACC Division Champs
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