It was an interesting week in the college game. There were some surprises of course and the cream is rising. It may well be that the teams that face off in the BCS National Title game have a least one loss on the season. This week my predictions were off to say the least at 10-10 for a grand total of 114-69. In my defense; who the hell can make accurate predictions this year? Sometimes I admit that my predictions are somewhat biased. In other words, I pick the winner by who I hope will win. Not usually though. I do try to be a least somewhat objective. That being said on to the analysis.
In the Sun Belt Troy suffered an unforeseen loss to the Warhawks of ULM. That is probably somewhat of an anomaly. I still predict the Trojans to run the table the rest of the way.
Who can predict anything in the ACC? At this point the thing is up for grabs. I would not have thought that Virginia would take down Miami and NC State made a very nice comeback on the Noles. Could Maryland actually be in the hunt? The teams in this conference are extremely hard to figure. Virginia Tech is at this time the only undefeated team in conference play and must be considered the front runner I suppose. Hard to say.
The Wac is the Wac. I have said this before and will try to refrain from saying it again. Boise State should run the table but Hawaii is a surprisingly good ballclub. Don't count out Nevada to continue to make some noise. Idaho better get on the stick. Pat Hill's club was off this week and can be a dangerous opponent for anyone depending on which team shows up.
The Mtn West is still between Utah and TCU. The issue will be settled shortly. Utah did not blow out AFA and predicted. I figured Air Force would play the Utes pretty tough. SDSU continues to play some good ball. Nothing else is of any consequence.
Oregon appears to be the top dog in the Pac 10 and a legitimate contender for the big BCS game. They must make it past OSU in the "Civil War" though. That may be a good one. A few weeks left until that one but I don't see the Ducks losing to anyone prior to that contest.
WVU had a disappointing outing against the Huskies of UConn. I am about to believe that Pitt may be the better team of the two. Syracuse continues to have a surprisingly decent season and is improving. Not much else is worth writing about. Still have not heard an updated status on the Rutgers player who was seriously injured the other week. Thoughts and Prayers.
Who is the best team in the Big Twelve? Nebraska it appears. They have a group of QB's who can get the job done. If one goes down as Martinez did, then there are two others that can lead a team. The Husker loss to the Horns is proving to be an anomaly. Big Ten beware. Husker nation is coming your way next year. That sucks for the Big Twelve as far as status goes but what can one do. The NCAA should not allow schools to move conferences at a whim. Enough on that subject. Baylor is proving to be a very good team led by one of the best QB's in college ball. TAMU surprised Tech but neither team is quality. Oklahoma got back on track as did the Cowboys. KSU will still make a decent bowl but is in reality not a very good team. There are too many bowls in my opinion.
The Big Ten is up for grabs apparently with some very good but perhaps not great teams in conference. MSU was taken down and that is not surprising really. I think they have been living on borrowed time for quite a while now. Still they are a pretty good club. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa and perhaps even MSU are all very good teams and would be able to beat anyone on any given day. Penn State can still play some ball. Coach Rich may be out at Michigan before it is all said and done. Northwestern is still a pretty fair ballclub and can be dangerous. Illinois just may be good enough to save Zook's job. They are a pretty decent team. I would put them on the level of Mississippi State probably. Well not quite.
CUSA is up for grabs. UCF beat ECU to put them in the drivers seat in the west but ECU is still not out of it. Perhaps USM may be a long shot still. In the eastern division Houston seems to have learned to play some ball with their third team QB at the helm. SMU is in it and perhaps Tulsa. Speaking of Tulsa, I watched most of the game against the Irish and I must say that I enjoyed seeing them get taken down by the Golden Hurricane on national television. I do not however like either of the head coaches for either team. Both are lacking severely in the class department. Enough of that. Really nothing else matters as far as play goes in this conference. Memphis is bad and Porter has a pretty big rebuild job ahead of him. UAB shows some flashes as does UTEP but neither is in contention at this point. Tulane may actually win five games this year and for the Green Wave that should be considered a huge success.
The SEC season is in full swing with Auburn looking like a major player in the BCS hunt. Alabama can not be counted out however. Not by a long shot. The Hogs will find more success as the year progresses and Mississippi State is a pleasant surprise. LSU is a mystery yet. We will see how things go for them. In the east South Carolina is in the drivers seat but Florida may overtake them. The eastern division of this conference is down this year. Richt is history I would wager even if he runs the table the rest of the way. An unlikely prospect. Vandy is Vandy.
The MAC is still up for grabs. Temple, Miami(OH), and Ohio University all are in contention in the east with Northern Illinois and Toledo contending for the west. The best team in conference is probably Temple but there is a good bit of football left to be played.
I will have the predictions for week 10 up before long. Have a good week.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Week Nine Predictions
This week has some good games scheduled and some very important ones as far as conference races are concerned. Time is of an issue here so on to the predictions for the week.
1. Boise State vs Louisiana Tech: This one kicks off in about one hour and should be won handily by Boise. Pick the Broncos
2. NC State vs Florida State: Both teams have overall identical records but FSU is 4-0 in conference. I think that this will be a close one and predict that the Seminoles will prevail. Pick FSU.
3. WVU vs UConn: WVU needs this one to get back on track and should be able to handle the Huskies. WVU must run the table from here on to gain in respect in the ranks of D1 college ball.
4. Louisville vs Pitt: Another important Big East match up with the Panthers being the better team. Pitt may be rebounding after a slow start and could still take the Big East. It is between the Panthers and WVU at this point. Look for Pitt to knock off Louisville. Pick Pitt.
5. Auburn vs Ole Miss: Auburn is number 1 in the BCS standings and must guard against the history of number one teams the last few weeks. I figured that Oregon would get the number one BCS spot but they did not. The Ducks are however number one in the AP. I pick Auburn to win this game but it may be closer than expected.
6. Oregon vs USC: Could USC knock off number one in the AP poll? Possible but not probable. Oregon is a darn good team and should prevail here. Go with the Ducks.
7. KSU vs OK State: This may be a good one. OSU is reeling after last week's loss to the Huskers and KSU began to come back on a surprising Baylor club falling just short. OSU will likely be without Blackmon who was apparently arrested in a DUI incident. He is a vital part of the Cowboy club. I pick KSU in a close battle.
8. SDSU vs Wyoming: SDSU is much improved and should have the talent to take down these Cowboys. It may be fairly close but I will go with the Aztecs here. Pick SDSU.
9. SMU vs Tulane: The Green Wave are actually playing better ball than is the norm. SMU was embarrassed last week against the Coogs. I think that SMU will have it back together and be able to win this one hands down. Go with SMU
10. Texas Tech vs TAMU: The Aggies are just not a good team. The Red Raiders are in disarray also. This may be a toss up and I will pick the Red Raiders here simply because I like them. Go with Tech.
11. Florida Atlantic vs Florida International: This is a low key rivalry game between two Sun Belt opponents. FIU is a good ballclub despite their record and FAU is a disappointment this year thus far. I will go with FIU in a tight one.
12. Baylor vs Texas: Usually this is a no brainer. Not this year. Texas is down and Baylor is playing some surprising ball. Briles is a good coach and the Baylor QB may be second to none in D1 ball. I will go with the Bears to pull off a minor upset here. Go with the Bears.
13. Utah vs Air Force: This may be a pretty good match up. AFA is a decent team and Utah is a downright good squad. I think that Utah will prevail here. AFA did not look good last week against TCU and will play better ball this week but will come up short. Pick the Utes.
14. Idaho vs Hawaii: The Vandals are a pretty good team for the WAC and Hawaii is a good WAC team. Hawaii probably has more talent but I will go with the Vandals to pull off the upset here. Go with Idaho.
15. Nebraska vs Missouri: This should be the game of the week. Mizzou took down the Sooners while the Huskers got back on track. I think that the Huskers are probably the better team but Mizzou may play very well and take this one. Go with the Bears.
16. East Carolina vs UCF: Another top notch game. ECU is supposed to be in rebuild mode but have been playing darn good ball. UCF is no pushover either. One of these teams may be ranked after this week and I think it will be the Pirates. Go with ECU.
17. Georgia vs Florida: Often this is huge game but not so much this year. Georgia seems improved as the season wears on and Florida is still a dangerous club. Both are a disappointment and I am fairly sure that Richt will lose his job after this season. Meyer is in no danger. I will go with Florida to take this one in a close one. Go with the Gators.
18. Arkansas vs Vanderbilt: The Hogs need this game to keep on track. They should get a victory here but Vandy can at times be pretty tough. I go with the Razorbacks in a fairly close game.
19. Chattanooga vs Elon: This is the IAA game of the week. The Mocs are playing better ball than is usually the case judging by their record. I know nothing about Elon. I will go with UT Chattanooga to win this one. Besides they have a cool name.
20. William and Mary vs North Carolina: I will pick this to be the potential shocker of the week. WMU is a very good team in a very tough IAA conference. NC is a decent team in a fair D1 conference. That may put them on fairly even footing. I think that we will have another upset here. The pundits will of course make a big deal out of it but top IAA teams in that region are usually pretty equal to mid level D1 teams. Earlier this year James Madison took down Virginia Tech in a game that may not have been an anomaly. I will go with William and Mary to prevail here. Mark it!!
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
1. Boise State vs Louisiana Tech: This one kicks off in about one hour and should be won handily by Boise. Pick the Broncos
2. NC State vs Florida State: Both teams have overall identical records but FSU is 4-0 in conference. I think that this will be a close one and predict that the Seminoles will prevail. Pick FSU.
3. WVU vs UConn: WVU needs this one to get back on track and should be able to handle the Huskies. WVU must run the table from here on to gain in respect in the ranks of D1 college ball.
4. Louisville vs Pitt: Another important Big East match up with the Panthers being the better team. Pitt may be rebounding after a slow start and could still take the Big East. It is between the Panthers and WVU at this point. Look for Pitt to knock off Louisville. Pick Pitt.
5. Auburn vs Ole Miss: Auburn is number 1 in the BCS standings and must guard against the history of number one teams the last few weeks. I figured that Oregon would get the number one BCS spot but they did not. The Ducks are however number one in the AP. I pick Auburn to win this game but it may be closer than expected.
6. Oregon vs USC: Could USC knock off number one in the AP poll? Possible but not probable. Oregon is a darn good team and should prevail here. Go with the Ducks.
7. KSU vs OK State: This may be a good one. OSU is reeling after last week's loss to the Huskers and KSU began to come back on a surprising Baylor club falling just short. OSU will likely be without Blackmon who was apparently arrested in a DUI incident. He is a vital part of the Cowboy club. I pick KSU in a close battle.
8. SDSU vs Wyoming: SDSU is much improved and should have the talent to take down these Cowboys. It may be fairly close but I will go with the Aztecs here. Pick SDSU.
9. SMU vs Tulane: The Green Wave are actually playing better ball than is the norm. SMU was embarrassed last week against the Coogs. I think that SMU will have it back together and be able to win this one hands down. Go with SMU
10. Texas Tech vs TAMU: The Aggies are just not a good team. The Red Raiders are in disarray also. This may be a toss up and I will pick the Red Raiders here simply because I like them. Go with Tech.
11. Florida Atlantic vs Florida International: This is a low key rivalry game between two Sun Belt opponents. FIU is a good ballclub despite their record and FAU is a disappointment this year thus far. I will go with FIU in a tight one.
12. Baylor vs Texas: Usually this is a no brainer. Not this year. Texas is down and Baylor is playing some surprising ball. Briles is a good coach and the Baylor QB may be second to none in D1 ball. I will go with the Bears to pull off a minor upset here. Go with the Bears.
13. Utah vs Air Force: This may be a pretty good match up. AFA is a decent team and Utah is a downright good squad. I think that Utah will prevail here. AFA did not look good last week against TCU and will play better ball this week but will come up short. Pick the Utes.
14. Idaho vs Hawaii: The Vandals are a pretty good team for the WAC and Hawaii is a good WAC team. Hawaii probably has more talent but I will go with the Vandals to pull off the upset here. Go with Idaho.
15. Nebraska vs Missouri: This should be the game of the week. Mizzou took down the Sooners while the Huskers got back on track. I think that the Huskers are probably the better team but Mizzou may play very well and take this one. Go with the Bears.
16. East Carolina vs UCF: Another top notch game. ECU is supposed to be in rebuild mode but have been playing darn good ball. UCF is no pushover either. One of these teams may be ranked after this week and I think it will be the Pirates. Go with ECU.
17. Georgia vs Florida: Often this is huge game but not so much this year. Georgia seems improved as the season wears on and Florida is still a dangerous club. Both are a disappointment and I am fairly sure that Richt will lose his job after this season. Meyer is in no danger. I will go with Florida to take this one in a close one. Go with the Gators.
18. Arkansas vs Vanderbilt: The Hogs need this game to keep on track. They should get a victory here but Vandy can at times be pretty tough. I go with the Razorbacks in a fairly close game.
19. Chattanooga vs Elon: This is the IAA game of the week. The Mocs are playing better ball than is usually the case judging by their record. I know nothing about Elon. I will go with UT Chattanooga to win this one. Besides they have a cool name.
20. William and Mary vs North Carolina: I will pick this to be the potential shocker of the week. WMU is a very good team in a very tough IAA conference. NC is a decent team in a fair D1 conference. That may put them on fairly even footing. I think that we will have another upset here. The pundits will of course make a big deal out of it but top IAA teams in that region are usually pretty equal to mid level D1 teams. Earlier this year James Madison took down Virginia Tech in a game that may not have been an anomaly. I will go with William and Mary to prevail here. Mark it!!
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Week 8 Analysis
This week did a little better with a 14-6 record for a grand total thus far of 104-59. There were some darn good games over the weekend and the better teams are rising to the top although it is still a very very difficult season to predict. Is Alabama going to run the rest of the schedule? Would Auburn be all that good without Cam Newton? Is Boise State ever going to get any respect? Just how bad is the Big East? A lot of questions left to be answered before it is all said and done. On to the analysis.
Sun Belt: The Trojans are the best team hands down. WKU recorded the their first Sun Belt. FIU is up an coming despite the record with MTSU and FAU a bit of a disappointment thus far. Looks like the Trojans for the New Orleans Bowl. I don't see how anyone else will make it.
Over in the SEC it appears that Georgia is somewhat back on track. It won't likely be enough to save Richt though. Tennessee has a long long way to go and Mississippi State is just not that bad of a football team. Auburn may now be the team to beat and could possibly play for all the marbles but Newton better stay healthy. If he goes down then Auburn is probably no better than Mississippi State; a good team but not one ready to challenge for the top spot in the SEC much less the national title. The Hogs will likely continue to win and should find themselves in a pretty decent bowl game. Florida is down of course but still a dangerous opponent for anyone. Of course Bama is not to be counted out for top spot in the SEC or the nation for that matter.
Oregon appears to be the class of the Pac 10 and a very very good ballclub. They need to be on the lookout for the Trojans this week. They may be the fourth number one in four weeks to be knocked out of that spot. Doubtful, but it is a strange season to be sure. Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State and perhaps Washington (despite their record) are the only other quality teams in conference.
The WAC is the WAC. Boise State will win hands down and should get a BCS appearance. Nevada and Hawaii are good teams with perhaps Fresno State and Idaho making a bit of noise yet.
The Mtn West is going to be between TCU and Utah. Probably TCU is the better team but the game has yet to be played. That is about it in conference. SDSU is much improved and Air Force is still a good ballclub.
The Big Ten is still rather interesting with Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State likely to be the teams to find themselves on top. MSU is still undefeated which is a bit surprising. Not sure if they are on par with the other two aforementioned teams. I put them on par with Iowa. Very good but not quite there yet. Time will tell. Northwestern is a good team and Illinois probably is not that bad. One can't forget about PSU and Purdue I suppose. They are decent teams and will go bowling. Michigan will lose at least two more before it is all said and done.
The Big East is terrible. WVU is still probably the best team despite the loss to Syracuse. Pitt may be improving. Not much else to say here.
The ACC is still up in the air. Va. Tech, Clemson, FSU and Miami appear to be the teams that are best in conference. I guess NC State can not be ruled out. All will go bowling. Not sure who will play for the ACC Championship though.
The SEC is a powerful conference or at least the Western Division. Five of six teams in the West are rated in the top 25 with two of them in the top 10. Pretty impressive. The East is down this year with only South Carolina ranked. I would not count out Florida to make a run in the East though. Which is the best team. I still go with the Crimson Tide.
The Big Twelve is starting to make some sense. Oklahoma has been playing on borrowed time and that was proven last week. Oklahoma State was somewhat of a pretender. Just how far has Texas fallen? There is some definite rebuilding going on in Austin. Baylor has made it into the top 25 for the first time in a long long time. The Aggies finally found someone they could beat and Nebraska is likely back on track after a dismal performance the other week against the Horns.
The Mid American is still a bit of mystery with a number of teams poised to play for all the conference marbles. I would keep Toledo, Northern Illinois, Ohio and Temple at the top of the list with Miami of Ohio still a longshot.
Over in CUSA Houston may be getting it back together a bit after taking down a pretty good SMU squad. The power this year certainly seems to be in the East with East Carolina and UCF looking very good. USM may still be in it. I would look for East Carolina to somehow sneak into the top 25 before it is all said and done. Ruffin is taking up where Holtz left off. The big game this week will be the UCF/ECU match up. That will likely set the course for those two squads for the rest of the year.
I will try to get some predictions for week 8 up as soon as possible. Have a good week.
Sun Belt: The Trojans are the best team hands down. WKU recorded the their first Sun Belt. FIU is up an coming despite the record with MTSU and FAU a bit of a disappointment thus far. Looks like the Trojans for the New Orleans Bowl. I don't see how anyone else will make it.
Over in the SEC it appears that Georgia is somewhat back on track. It won't likely be enough to save Richt though. Tennessee has a long long way to go and Mississippi State is just not that bad of a football team. Auburn may now be the team to beat and could possibly play for all the marbles but Newton better stay healthy. If he goes down then Auburn is probably no better than Mississippi State; a good team but not one ready to challenge for the top spot in the SEC much less the national title. The Hogs will likely continue to win and should find themselves in a pretty decent bowl game. Florida is down of course but still a dangerous opponent for anyone. Of course Bama is not to be counted out for top spot in the SEC or the nation for that matter.
Oregon appears to be the class of the Pac 10 and a very very good ballclub. They need to be on the lookout for the Trojans this week. They may be the fourth number one in four weeks to be knocked out of that spot. Doubtful, but it is a strange season to be sure. Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State and perhaps Washington (despite their record) are the only other quality teams in conference.
The WAC is the WAC. Boise State will win hands down and should get a BCS appearance. Nevada and Hawaii are good teams with perhaps Fresno State and Idaho making a bit of noise yet.
The Mtn West is going to be between TCU and Utah. Probably TCU is the better team but the game has yet to be played. That is about it in conference. SDSU is much improved and Air Force is still a good ballclub.
The Big Ten is still rather interesting with Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State likely to be the teams to find themselves on top. MSU is still undefeated which is a bit surprising. Not sure if they are on par with the other two aforementioned teams. I put them on par with Iowa. Very good but not quite there yet. Time will tell. Northwestern is a good team and Illinois probably is not that bad. One can't forget about PSU and Purdue I suppose. They are decent teams and will go bowling. Michigan will lose at least two more before it is all said and done.
The Big East is terrible. WVU is still probably the best team despite the loss to Syracuse. Pitt may be improving. Not much else to say here.
The ACC is still up in the air. Va. Tech, Clemson, FSU and Miami appear to be the teams that are best in conference. I guess NC State can not be ruled out. All will go bowling. Not sure who will play for the ACC Championship though.
The SEC is a powerful conference or at least the Western Division. Five of six teams in the West are rated in the top 25 with two of them in the top 10. Pretty impressive. The East is down this year with only South Carolina ranked. I would not count out Florida to make a run in the East though. Which is the best team. I still go with the Crimson Tide.
The Big Twelve is starting to make some sense. Oklahoma has been playing on borrowed time and that was proven last week. Oklahoma State was somewhat of a pretender. Just how far has Texas fallen? There is some definite rebuilding going on in Austin. Baylor has made it into the top 25 for the first time in a long long time. The Aggies finally found someone they could beat and Nebraska is likely back on track after a dismal performance the other week against the Horns.
The Mid American is still a bit of mystery with a number of teams poised to play for all the conference marbles. I would keep Toledo, Northern Illinois, Ohio and Temple at the top of the list with Miami of Ohio still a longshot.
Over in CUSA Houston may be getting it back together a bit after taking down a pretty good SMU squad. The power this year certainly seems to be in the East with East Carolina and UCF looking very good. USM may still be in it. I would look for East Carolina to somehow sneak into the top 25 before it is all said and done. Ruffin is taking up where Holtz left off. The big game this week will be the UCF/ECU match up. That will likely set the course for those two squads for the rest of the year.
I will try to get some predictions for week 8 up as soon as possible. Have a good week.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Number One is a Dangerous Spot
Last night Mizzou knocked off Oklahoma as predicted by yours truly. Last week the Buckeyes fell to the Badgers and the week before that Spurrier and Co. took down the Tide. I suppose Oregon will be the next Numero Uno. We will see in a few short hours. It is interesting that next week Oregon must play the USC Trojans. Could the Trojans make it four week in a row by knocking off a Number One. I certainly have mixed feelings. I dislike the Trojans and dislike this Kiffin who is making his USC coaching debut this year. It is almost un American to be a Trojan fan. I may dislike the BCS system even more. Next week may be "an enemy of my enemy is my friend" sort of thing. I have that much disdain for the BCS system. It may be hard but I might have to root for USC next week. I have not decided yet.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Oregon may be the real deal
The pounding that the Ducks put on the Bruins last night was pretty impressive. It may be that the Ducks are for real. I still do not believe they will end up in the "Big Game" though. Time will tell.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Week 8 Predictions
Let me see if I can do better this week than last week's banner 10-10 mark. There are some pretty good games coming up so without further yapping.....
1. UCLA vs Oregon: This may (or may not) be a pretty good game. UCLA has had some flashes but has also played like a team with no business in D1. Oregon is undefeated yet other than the game against Stanford, they have really faced no tough opponent. Oregon is the better team and will find a way to come out on top this Thursday.
2. West Virginia vs Syracuse: There is no real reason that WVU should not come out on top in this contest. WVU is the only real good team in conference.
3. Rutgers vs Pitt: Another Big East match up that may be somewhat interesting. Rutgers has the better record but has not been really very impressive. Pitt may be improving as the season rolls along and I will have to go with the Panthers here. Pick Pitt.
4. Michigan State vs Northwestern: I keep thinking of the game earlier this year where a Sun Belt squad near took down the Spartans. I think that the Wildcats may be poised for an upset here. Pick Northwestern.
5. Indiana vs Illinois: Neither team is really going anywhere. Perhaps a minor bowl if luck is with them. This game is probably about a toss up and I will go with Illinois to pull this one out. Why? I like their uniforms. Go with the Illini.
6. Mississippi vs Arkansas: The Hogs need this game to get healthy and should be able to take down the Rebs. I will go with Arkansas here in a possible blow out.
7. Miami Oh vs Ohio: This game may still have some implications in the race for the MAC Championship game. Probably not, but both teams do still have a theoretical shot. I think that Miami Ohio is playing some surprising ball and that Ohio has been underachieving a bit. I will go with the Bobcats in a close one.
8. Houston vs SMU: The Coogs are done this year. Earlier I would have probably picked Houston to take SMU down but not now. I go with SMU to win this one hands down.
9. Kansas St vs Baylor: This is perhaps the most interesting game of the weekend. KSU has shown that they can play some ball at times and Baylor is a pleasant surprise. I would put this game as about even but think that Baylor will pull this one out at home.
10. Nebraska vs Oklahoma St: The pretender will show themselves this week and it will not be the Huskers despite last week's dismal performance. Pick Nebraska.
11. LSU vs Auburn: If LSU has red zone problems they will lose. If Auburn doesn't improve on defense then they will find themselves on the outs. A hard to predict game this is but I think that LSU will edge the other Tigers in a very close game. Perhaps that will get people off Miles' back.
12. WKU vs Louisiana: WKU had their chances to record their first Sun Belt win last week, but it was not to be so. They will have their chances against the Cajuns but will likely fall just short again. Go with the Cajuns in this one. It may be close.
13. North Carolina vs Miami: This could be another interesting match up. Only if both teams bring their A game though. If either comes not ready to play they will be blown out. If both are ready, then it will be a good close game. I pick the Canes to prevail here.
14. Clemson vs Georgia Tech: Both seem to be improving and are probably rated about even. I will go with the Tigers in another close ACC match up.
15. Hawaii vs Utah St: Hawaii is showing some definate signs of playing good ball this year the hick up vs Colorado notwithstanding. Utah St has shown potential but luck has not been with them. I would imagine that Hawaii will continue their winning ways here. Go with the Warriors.
16. Oklahoma vs Missouri: Both are good teams but one of them is over rated. Guess which one? I think that the Sooners have been living large and the Tigers are quietly moving forward. Go with Mizzou here.
17. Washington vs Arizona: Washington bounced OSU last week and will most likely do the same this. I would put my money on the Huskies here. They are up and coming.
18. Wisconsin vs Iowa: Which is the better team here? That is hard to say. I liked the way the Badgers played ball last week against the Buckeyes and will look for them to pull this one out of the hat also. It may be close and Wisconsin better watch out for that "post upset" fall off that is pretty common. Just ask Spurrier. Go with the Badgers.
19. SFA vs Sam Houston: This Southland Conference tilt is the IAA game of the week. SFA will likely be back in the IAA playoffs and is the better team. This is a rivalry game though and all records can be thrown out the window. Pick SFA.
20 Air Force vs TCU: I pick this to be the potential shocker of the week. AFA fell off the pace last week against an up and coming Aztec squad. They will be mad and ready to knock off the big boy in conference. Do they have enough talent to do it? We will see. I still will go with the Frogs to take this one but look for the Falcons to give them all they can handle.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
1. UCLA vs Oregon: This may (or may not) be a pretty good game. UCLA has had some flashes but has also played like a team with no business in D1. Oregon is undefeated yet other than the game against Stanford, they have really faced no tough opponent. Oregon is the better team and will find a way to come out on top this Thursday.
2. West Virginia vs Syracuse: There is no real reason that WVU should not come out on top in this contest. WVU is the only real good team in conference.
3. Rutgers vs Pitt: Another Big East match up that may be somewhat interesting. Rutgers has the better record but has not been really very impressive. Pitt may be improving as the season rolls along and I will have to go with the Panthers here. Pick Pitt.
4. Michigan State vs Northwestern: I keep thinking of the game earlier this year where a Sun Belt squad near took down the Spartans. I think that the Wildcats may be poised for an upset here. Pick Northwestern.
5. Indiana vs Illinois: Neither team is really going anywhere. Perhaps a minor bowl if luck is with them. This game is probably about a toss up and I will go with Illinois to pull this one out. Why? I like their uniforms. Go with the Illini.
6. Mississippi vs Arkansas: The Hogs need this game to get healthy and should be able to take down the Rebs. I will go with Arkansas here in a possible blow out.
7. Miami Oh vs Ohio: This game may still have some implications in the race for the MAC Championship game. Probably not, but both teams do still have a theoretical shot. I think that Miami Ohio is playing some surprising ball and that Ohio has been underachieving a bit. I will go with the Bobcats in a close one.
8. Houston vs SMU: The Coogs are done this year. Earlier I would have probably picked Houston to take SMU down but not now. I go with SMU to win this one hands down.
9. Kansas St vs Baylor: This is perhaps the most interesting game of the weekend. KSU has shown that they can play some ball at times and Baylor is a pleasant surprise. I would put this game as about even but think that Baylor will pull this one out at home.
10. Nebraska vs Oklahoma St: The pretender will show themselves this week and it will not be the Huskers despite last week's dismal performance. Pick Nebraska.
11. LSU vs Auburn: If LSU has red zone problems they will lose. If Auburn doesn't improve on defense then they will find themselves on the outs. A hard to predict game this is but I think that LSU will edge the other Tigers in a very close game. Perhaps that will get people off Miles' back.
12. WKU vs Louisiana: WKU had their chances to record their first Sun Belt win last week, but it was not to be so. They will have their chances against the Cajuns but will likely fall just short again. Go with the Cajuns in this one. It may be close.
13. North Carolina vs Miami: This could be another interesting match up. Only if both teams bring their A game though. If either comes not ready to play they will be blown out. If both are ready, then it will be a good close game. I pick the Canes to prevail here.
14. Clemson vs Georgia Tech: Both seem to be improving and are probably rated about even. I will go with the Tigers in another close ACC match up.
15. Hawaii vs Utah St: Hawaii is showing some definate signs of playing good ball this year the hick up vs Colorado notwithstanding. Utah St has shown potential but luck has not been with them. I would imagine that Hawaii will continue their winning ways here. Go with the Warriors.
16. Oklahoma vs Missouri: Both are good teams but one of them is over rated. Guess which one? I think that the Sooners have been living large and the Tigers are quietly moving forward. Go with Mizzou here.
17. Washington vs Arizona: Washington bounced OSU last week and will most likely do the same this. I would put my money on the Huskies here. They are up and coming.
18. Wisconsin vs Iowa: Which is the better team here? That is hard to say. I liked the way the Badgers played ball last week against the Buckeyes and will look for them to pull this one out of the hat also. It may be close and Wisconsin better watch out for that "post upset" fall off that is pretty common. Just ask Spurrier. Go with the Badgers.
19. SFA vs Sam Houston: This Southland Conference tilt is the IAA game of the week. SFA will likely be back in the IAA playoffs and is the better team. This is a rivalry game though and all records can be thrown out the window. Pick SFA.
20 Air Force vs TCU: I pick this to be the potential shocker of the week. AFA fell off the pace last week against an up and coming Aztec squad. They will be mad and ready to knock off the big boy in conference. Do they have enough talent to do it? We will see. I still will go with the Frogs to take this one but look for the Falcons to give them all they can handle.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Something I Did Not Know about College Football. Imagine That
I have been informed by one of my thousands of readers (ha ha) that the team that beat Lamar University last Saturday was not the University of South Alabama regular squad. I thought that the entire program was club level football and I was apparently mistaken. There is an organization called the NCFA (National Club Football Association) and various schools field teams within this organization. The University of New Orleans along with others field club football teams exclusively and some major schools in D1 also have teams that compete in this organization. Texas Tech, Clemson, South Carolina and North Carolina are those "major" schools that have club level football. Maine competes in IAA and also fields a club team at this level. Apparently a club level football team is not sanctioned by the NCAA and is not subject to the same rules. This is pretty interesting and I think I will investigate further.
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