Week 5 2011 Analysis

Their were quite a few interesting and important games last week. Things are starting to shake out a bit in the race for the "national title" although most teams are just getting their in conference schedules really underway. This week I was 15-5 on predictions for a total of 68-32 for the season. Not so bad but certainly no where near the goal of 80 per cent.

It seems that the Crimson Tide is the real deal for sure. Florida is going to have a tougher row to hoe before all is said and done without their starting QB.

South Carolina was exposed this week by a pretty good Auburn squad. Both teams are good but in no way will be a challenge to LSU or Alabama for the conference crown.

Over in the WAC it appears there is a good bit of parity. Fresno State is still probably the best of the bunch but the conference overall is just not good. Utah State, Hawaii and perhaps LTU or Nevada all have a shot at winning the WAC title. I was a bit surprised at the decent showing that Idaho had against a BCS opponent but was surprised that the Bulldogs of Fresno did not wallop Ole Miss.

I was pretty surprised at the beat down that Toledo gave Temple. I think this will be a preview of the MAC Championship game. I knew that Toledo was much better than their record and think that Temple had a bad outing. Ohio, Western Michigan and perhaps Ball State may figure in the race before all is said and done.

We now are starting to learn a little bit about the Longhorns. They look to be a pretty good team. Much harder tests lie before them though. Oklahoma was not tested and may factor in the race for the BCS "Championship." Time will tell.
The Aggies are doing what the Aggies do. That was to be expected though.
Perhaps the real surprise thus far may be KSU. They are uninteresting but seem to find a way to win. The win over Baylor was a good one for the program and they may be a factor in the conference race.

Is Clemson the real deal? It is hard to imagine but it appears that this may indeed be the case. Are they on the level of the top SEC teams? Wisconsin? Oklahoma? They may well be. They will need to run the table to stay in consideration for a chance at the national title. A one loss ACC team will not be considered while a one loss SEC team will. Just the way it goes.

CUSA is wide open at this point. Houston may be the best team but frankly they have not been that impressive. Still undefeated though. SMU took down a pretty good TCU team and they will likely be a factor in the race. Who else? Hard to discount UCF or Southern Mississippi. Tulsa may still have what it takes. Their QB is top notch but the coaching staff is certainly suspect.

Are the Cajuns 4-1? Hard to believe isn't it.? Of course the Sun Belt has a lot more in common with IAA ball than the SEC, but still, most "experts" picked ULL to win no more than one or two this season. Some of the bloom is off FIU, but they are still perhaps the most talented team in conference. Troy certainly can not be ruled out. They are always in the running to reach the New Orleans Bowl.

Does anybody other than Stanford play football in the PAC 12? USC does not matter. Oregon may be irrelevant also but for entirely different reasons.

Wisconsin may be the best team in the country. They are not getting the buzz that Alabama or LSU are getting but they could certainly compete on the field with the best of them. So far I would say that Bama, LSU, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are the best teams playing ball. Boise State, Clemson and perhaps one or two others (Oklahoma State? Stanford?) are nipping at their heels. There may be a few others to think start thinking about (Texas? KSU? Michigan?). We will see.

Before all is said and done some one will be on the outside looking in. That is one reason (among many) to scrap this silly BCS system.

Wow! Almost forgot. Notre Dame has a winning record now. I guess they will be clamoring for more television exposure.

So far it has been an interesting season with a lot of good football left to be played.

Stay tuned.