East Division:
Cincinnati
Louisville
Rutgers
Connecticut
South Florida
UCF
West Division:
Boise State
San Diego State
Air Force
Colorado State
Nevada
Hawaii
South Division:
Houston
SMU
Southern Miss
Louisiana Tech
Tulsa
East Carolina
North Division:
Ohio
Temple
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Army
Navy
The season would consist of 3 non-conference games, followed by an 8-game conference schedule, playing every other team in your division plus one team each from the other three divisions. Game 12 is a seeded 1-4 semifinal featuring the four division champs, and Game 13 is the conference championship.
Winner plays the 8th seed SEC team in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (13-0, 9-0, +34)
2) Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1, +17)
3) Alabama (11-1, 7-1, +18)
4) Stanford (11-1, 8-1, +13)
5) Oregon (11-2, 9-1, +13)
6) Arkansas (10-2, 6-2, +12)
7) Wisconsin (11-2, 7-2, +11)
8) Kansas State (10-2, 7-2, +10)
9) USC (10-2, 7-2, +8)
10) Michigan State (10-3, 7-2, +7)
11) Baylor (9-3, 6-3, +7)
12) Oklahoma (9-3, 6-3, +7)
13) Houston (12-1, 8-1, +7)
14) Georgia (10-3, 7-2, +4)
15) South Carolina (10-2, 6-2, +4)
16) TCU (10-2, 8-0, +4)
17) Michigan (10-2, 6-2, +3)
18) Virginia Tech (11-2, 7-2, +3)
19) Nebraska (9-3, 5-3, +4)
20) Southern Miss (11-2, 7-2, +4)
21) Clemson (10-3, 7-2, +2)
22) Penn State (9-3, 6-2, +1)
23) West Virginia (9-3, 5-2, -4)
24) Northern Illinois (10-3, 8-1, -5)
25) Auburn (7-5, 4-3, -5)
Texas (7-5, 4-5, -7)
Cincinnati (9-3, 5-2, -9)
Virginia (8-4, 5-3, -12)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 5-3, -6)
Notre Dame (8-4, 0-0, -6)
Florida State (8-4, 4-3, -11)
Rutgers (8-4, 4-3, -13)
2) Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1, +17)
3) Alabama (11-1, 7-1, +18)
4) Stanford (11-1, 8-1, +13)
5) Oregon (11-2, 9-1, +13)
6) Arkansas (10-2, 6-2, +12)
7) Wisconsin (11-2, 7-2, +11)
8) Kansas State (10-2, 7-2, +10)
9) USC (10-2, 7-2, +8)
10) Michigan State (10-3, 7-2, +7)
11) Baylor (9-3, 6-3, +7)
12) Oklahoma (9-3, 6-3, +7)
13) Houston (12-1, 8-1, +7)
14) Georgia (10-3, 7-2, +4)
15) South Carolina (10-2, 6-2, +4)
16) TCU (10-2, 8-0, +4)
17) Michigan (10-2, 6-2, +3)
18) Virginia Tech (11-2, 7-2, +3)
19) Nebraska (9-3, 5-3, +4)
20) Southern Miss (11-2, 7-2, +4)
21) Clemson (10-3, 7-2, +2)
22) Penn State (9-3, 6-2, +1)
23) West Virginia (9-3, 5-2, -4)
24) Northern Illinois (10-3, 8-1, -5)
25) Auburn (7-5, 4-3, -5)
Texas (7-5, 4-5, -7)
Cincinnati (9-3, 5-2, -9)
Virginia (8-4, 5-3, -12)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 5-3, -6)
Notre Dame (8-4, 0-0, -6)
Florida State (8-4, 4-3, -11)
Rutgers (8-4, 4-3, -13)
Saturday, November 26, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (12-0, 8-0, +31)
2) Alabama (11-1, 7-1, +18)
3) Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1, +13)
4) Stanford (11-1, 8-1, +13)
5) Oregon (10-2, 8-1, +13)
6) Arkansas (10-2, 6-2, +12)
7) Houston (12-0, 8-0, +12)
8) Michigan State (10-2, 7-1, +10)
9) Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1, +8)
10) Boise State (10-1, 5-1, +8)
11) Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2, +8)
12) Kansas State (9-2, 6-2, +9)
13) USC (10-2, 7-2, +8)
14) Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2, +6)
15) South Carolina (10-2, 6-2, +4)
16) Georgia (10-2, 7-1, +5)
17) Michigan (10-2, 6-2, +3)
18) Baylor (8-3, 5-3, +5)
19) TCU (9-2, 7-0, +3)
20) Nebraska (9-3, 5-3, +4)
21) Penn State (9-3, 6-2, +1)
22) Southern Miss (10-2, 6-2, -1)
23) Clemson (9-3, 6-2, -3)
24) West Virginia (8-3, 4-2, -5)
25) Texas (7-4, 4-4, -3)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 5-3, -6)
Notre Dame (8-4, 0-0, -6)
Northern Illinois (9-3, 7-1, -6)
Brigham Young (8-3, 0-0, -7)
Cincinnati (8-3, 4-2, -10)
2) Alabama (11-1, 7-1, +18)
3) Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1, +13)
4) Stanford (11-1, 8-1, +13)
5) Oregon (10-2, 8-1, +13)
6) Arkansas (10-2, 6-2, +12)
7) Houston (12-0, 8-0, +12)
8) Michigan State (10-2, 7-1, +10)
9) Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1, +8)
10) Boise State (10-1, 5-1, +8)
11) Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2, +8)
12) Kansas State (9-2, 6-2, +9)
13) USC (10-2, 7-2, +8)
14) Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2, +6)
15) South Carolina (10-2, 6-2, +4)
16) Georgia (10-2, 7-1, +5)
17) Michigan (10-2, 6-2, +3)
18) Baylor (8-3, 5-3, +5)
19) TCU (9-2, 7-0, +3)
20) Nebraska (9-3, 5-3, +4)
21) Penn State (9-3, 6-2, +1)
22) Southern Miss (10-2, 6-2, -1)
23) Clemson (9-3, 6-2, -3)
24) West Virginia (8-3, 4-2, -5)
25) Texas (7-4, 4-4, -3)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 5-3, -6)
Notre Dame (8-4, 0-0, -6)
Northern Illinois (9-3, 7-1, -6)
Brigham Young (8-3, 0-0, -7)
Cincinnati (8-3, 4-2, -10)
Friday, November 25, 2011
State of the Pac-12
Honestly, as we near the end of the season, the Pac-12 looks more or less the same as it did at the beginning: Two or three elite teams at the top, followed by a mass of mediocre teams logjammed in the middle, and then a handful of stragglers bringing up the rear.
The Good:
1) Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1) - I know that, technically, the Ducks ought to be behind Stanford, based on record, and USC, based on head-to-head record, but I would still pick the Ducks as the best team in the Pac-12. They also have the clearest path to the Rose Bowl, needing home wins against Oregon State and UCLA.
2) Stanford Cardinal (10-1, 8-1) - Can the Cardinal obtain an at-large bid to the BCS? They'll need a win tomorrow against Notre Dame, and end in the Top 4 in the final BCS standings, where they are currently 6th. Stanford has to fight against their inability to draw a large crowd at road games - i.e., in last year's Orange Bowl - and their weak schedule. Honestly, their best non-conference win is against Duke. At football.
3) USC Trojans (9-2, 6-2) - Will USC be back next year, when their bowl ban is lifted, but they will still have scholarship limitations? I will admit to being impressed by their showing this year, not just because they beat the Ducks but also because of their triple overtime loss to Stanford, and because of their outstanding consistency following their shaky 19-17 win over Minnesota to open the season. Having said that, how bitter sweet must it be for them to watch UCLA take their spot in the Pac-12 Championship?
The Middling:
4) Washington Huskies (6-5, 4-4) - I kept expecting Washington to make a move this year in the Pac-12. Both QBs Keith Price and Nick Montana have looked good this year, and both should be back next year. However, they're going into tomorrow's Apple Cup on a three game losing streak, and will need a win to preserve a winning season.
5) California Golden Bears (6-5, 3-5) - Here are Cal's records going back the past five years: 2006 (9-3) 2007 (6-6) 2008 (8-4) 2009 (8-4) 2010 (5-7). The Golden Bears never have been able to cross that threshold to an actual national power; and now, after a second consecutive year with at least five losses, they seem as far away from that goal as ever. What I am saying is that, in order to be considered an elite conference, the Pac-12 needs another elite program, and that program is supposed to be Cal.
6) Arizona State Sun Devils (6-5, 4-4) - But this year, at least, the Sun Devils were supposed to be that fourth elite team. Look at their schedule, and you can find at least three winnable games that they lost. (I would say at Illinois, at UCLA, and vs Arizona.) Arizona State lost those three games by a grand total of 8 points. How different would not only the conference, but the national, landscape be, if ASU were 9-2 and going back to Eugene for a rematch? Biggest disappointment of the year.
7) Utah Utes (7-5, 4-5) - Despite losing their first three Pac-12 games, Utah has served themselves very well in their first year in a BCS conference, recording wins against Oregon State, Arizona, UCLA, and Washington State. They also may have the most impressive non-conference schedule of any Pac-12 team thus year, notching wins against BYU and Pittsburgh. They flopped when they needed a win the most, however, giving UCLA the division win with their loss to 3-10 Colorado, as well as laying an egg at home against Arizona State in a 35-14 loss that ended up going a long way in deciding the division. Here's betting that Utah will be a force in the South Division for a while to come, though.
8) UCLA Bruins (6-5, 5-3) - I have already documented the travesty that has allowed the 6-5 Bruins to reach the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game. However, that's not the Bruins fault, who have actually improved considerably over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, they may be being set up for failure this year; if they lose to USC tomorrow, and then lose to Oregon/Stanford in the championship game, they will actually not qualify for a bowl game. Rose Bowl or bust, eh?
The Bad:
The Good:
1) Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1) - I know that, technically, the Ducks ought to be behind Stanford, based on record, and USC, based on head-to-head record, but I would still pick the Ducks as the best team in the Pac-12. They also have the clearest path to the Rose Bowl, needing home wins against Oregon State and UCLA.
2) Stanford Cardinal (10-1, 8-1) - Can the Cardinal obtain an at-large bid to the BCS? They'll need a win tomorrow against Notre Dame, and end in the Top 4 in the final BCS standings, where they are currently 6th. Stanford has to fight against their inability to draw a large crowd at road games - i.e., in last year's Orange Bowl - and their weak schedule. Honestly, their best non-conference win is against Duke. At football.
3) USC Trojans (9-2, 6-2) - Will USC be back next year, when their bowl ban is lifted, but they will still have scholarship limitations? I will admit to being impressed by their showing this year, not just because they beat the Ducks but also because of their triple overtime loss to Stanford, and because of their outstanding consistency following their shaky 19-17 win over Minnesota to open the season. Having said that, how bitter sweet must it be for them to watch UCLA take their spot in the Pac-12 Championship?
The Middling:
4) Washington Huskies (6-5, 4-4) - I kept expecting Washington to make a move this year in the Pac-12. Both QBs Keith Price and Nick Montana have looked good this year, and both should be back next year. However, they're going into tomorrow's Apple Cup on a three game losing streak, and will need a win to preserve a winning season.
5) California Golden Bears (6-5, 3-5) - Here are Cal's records going back the past five years: 2006 (9-3) 2007 (6-6) 2008 (8-4) 2009 (8-4) 2010 (5-7). The Golden Bears never have been able to cross that threshold to an actual national power; and now, after a second consecutive year with at least five losses, they seem as far away from that goal as ever. What I am saying is that, in order to be considered an elite conference, the Pac-12 needs another elite program, and that program is supposed to be Cal.
6) Arizona State Sun Devils (6-5, 4-4) - But this year, at least, the Sun Devils were supposed to be that fourth elite team. Look at their schedule, and you can find at least three winnable games that they lost. (I would say at Illinois, at UCLA, and vs Arizona.) Arizona State lost those three games by a grand total of 8 points. How different would not only the conference, but the national, landscape be, if ASU were 9-2 and going back to Eugene for a rematch? Biggest disappointment of the year.
7) Utah Utes (7-5, 4-5) - Despite losing their first three Pac-12 games, Utah has served themselves very well in their first year in a BCS conference, recording wins against Oregon State, Arizona, UCLA, and Washington State. They also may have the most impressive non-conference schedule of any Pac-12 team thus year, notching wins against BYU and Pittsburgh. They flopped when they needed a win the most, however, giving UCLA the division win with their loss to 3-10 Colorado, as well as laying an egg at home against Arizona State in a 35-14 loss that ended up going a long way in deciding the division. Here's betting that Utah will be a force in the South Division for a while to come, though.
8) UCLA Bruins (6-5, 5-3) - I have already documented the travesty that has allowed the 6-5 Bruins to reach the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game. However, that's not the Bruins fault, who have actually improved considerably over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, they may be being set up for failure this year; if they lose to USC tomorrow, and then lose to Oregon/Stanford in the championship game, they will actually not qualify for a bowl game. Rose Bowl or bust, eh?
The Bad:
Friday Night Lights
Colorado 17, Utah 14: This is one of those toilet bowl games, those cringe-inducing, bile rising games in which you find yourself shouting at the television, "Doesn't anyone want to bleeping win this game??" This one had it all: Turnovers. Penalties. Turnovers getting negated by penalties. Utah's kicker going 0 for 3 on field goals, including hitting the right upright with what would have been the tying score on Utah's last play of the game. But what makes it all worse is that this now guarantees that UCLA - 6-5 UCLA - will represent the South Division in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship game. UCLA, who lost to Texas 49-20, now gets a winner-take-all for the Rose Bowl.
LSU 41, Arkansas 17: @aaroninauburn had by far the best take on the Tigers today on Twitter: "LSU's ability to eat the other team's soul is unparalleled in my memory." That is exactly what they did against the Razorbacks, falling behind 14-0 before buckling down, Badgering up, and putting the clamps on the Arkansas offense. After the Razorbacks drove 73 yards and kicked a field goal in their first drive of the third quarter, they gained a grand total of 27 yards (with two turnovers) for the rest of the game. Also, add this to the highlight reel:
Now, let's talk implications.
The SEC Championship is set: AP #1 LSU against #13 Georgia. Even if the Bulldogs pull off the upset, I think that LSU's spot in the NC game has been secured. With their resume, a one-loss LSU team would still be heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Our attentions now turn to tomorrow's Iron Bowl. Should #2 Alabama beat Auburn, then (barring a mass mutiny among the voters) the NC game would be set between Alabama and LSU. But if - and it's a BIG if - Auburn should pull off the upset, then that re-opens the door for Oklahoma State, who would surely jump ahead of the rest of the crowd with a win over Oklahoma. Behind the Cowboys would stand Virginia Tech and Stanford, but both of those teams would have a tough argument, given their paper-thin schedules.
And, sadly, thanks to sanctions, scheduling, tie-breaker rules, and an absolute dearth of talent, the UCLA Bruins will play for the Pac-12 Championship. As I've said before, the Ducks will be their opponents should Oregon beat Oregon State tomorrow. Otherwise the Bruins will play Stanford. And even though they will be a bajillion-point underdogs against either of those teams, remember, it's just one game. And anything can happen.
LSU 41, Arkansas 17: @aaroninauburn had by far the best take on the Tigers today on Twitter: "LSU's ability to eat the other team's soul is unparalleled in my memory." That is exactly what they did against the Razorbacks, falling behind 14-0 before buckling down, Badgering up, and putting the clamps on the Arkansas offense. After the Razorbacks drove 73 yards and kicked a field goal in their first drive of the third quarter, they gained a grand total of 27 yards (with two turnovers) for the rest of the game. Also, add this to the highlight reel:
Now, let's talk implications.
The SEC Championship is set: AP #1 LSU against #13 Georgia. Even if the Bulldogs pull off the upset, I think that LSU's spot in the NC game has been secured. With their resume, a one-loss LSU team would still be heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Our attentions now turn to tomorrow's Iron Bowl. Should #2 Alabama beat Auburn, then (barring a mass mutiny among the voters) the NC game would be set between Alabama and LSU. But if - and it's a BIG if - Auburn should pull off the upset, then that re-opens the door for Oklahoma State, who would surely jump ahead of the rest of the crowd with a win over Oklahoma. Behind the Cowboys would stand Virginia Tech and Stanford, but both of those teams would have a tough argument, given their paper-thin schedules.
And, sadly, thanks to sanctions, scheduling, tie-breaker rules, and an absolute dearth of talent, the UCLA Bruins will play for the Pac-12 Championship. As I've said before, the Ducks will be their opponents should Oregon beat Oregon State tomorrow. Otherwise the Bruins will play Stanford. And even though they will be a bajillion-point underdogs against either of those teams, remember, it's just one game. And anything can happen.
My Top 25
LSU (12-0, 8-0, +31) - It may too late to get him back in the Heisman race, but Tyrann Mathieu secured LSU's BCS championship aspirations on Friday against Arkansas. The Razorbacks came out fighting, and led 14-7 in the second quarter, when Mathieu returned a punt 92 yards to tie the game. On Arkansas' next possession, Honey Badger caused a fumble that was recovered by LSU. Arkansas would score a grand total of 3 points the rest of the game. I'm willing to say that, even if they get upset by Georgia in the SEC Championship game, LSU's spot in the national championship is secured. Their schedule has just been so brutal, with wins over current BCS No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 10 Oregon, and No. 24 Auburn, with No. 13 Georgia still on the horizon. They would still be the best 1-loss team in the nation.
Alabama (11-1, 7-1, +18) - At one point in the Alabama-Auburn game, the Tigers had 14 points, but only 44 yards. They scored their only two touchdowns on 1) a recovered A.J. McCarron fumble in the endzone, and 2) a kickoff return to start the third quarter. For those of you keeping track at home, that means that Auburn's offense got outscored by their defense AND their special teams. I hate to admit it, but I'm convinced: LSU-Alabama rematch for the BCS National Championship game.
Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1, +13) - In my opinion, Oklahoma State is the only team who has an argument that they should be in the NC game instead of Alabama. If they beat Oklahoma, then they'll end the season with wins over BCS Nos. 9, 11, 18, and 25. But, as Mark May said, if the Cowboys were to meet the Tide on a neutral field, they would be two touchdown underdogs. So here's the question: Should the BCS-NC be a game of #1 vs. #2 regardless of conference, or should it be treated as a Bowl Game, matching the top teams from two different conferences? I don't know. But it'll be interesting if, if the Cowboys beat the Sooners, you see an exodus of voters abandon Alabama and endorse Oklahoma State instead. (Like the 1968 Democratic Convention?)
Stanford (11-1, 8-1, +13) -
Oregon (10-2, 8-1, +13) -
Arkansas (10-2, 6-2, +12)
Houston (12-0, 8-0, +12) - Congratulations to the Cougars for winning the Conference USA West Division with their 48-16 win over Tulsa. They will play Southern Miss for the conference championship, in a possible matchup of two top 25 teams with a possible BCS bowl invitation on the line for Houston.
Michigan State (10-2, 7-1, +10) - The Spartans have their first ever back-to-back 10 win seasons, and can get to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988 with a win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. Unfortunately, because of the realities of college football politics and the need to sell tickets, if the Spartans lose to Wisconsin, they'll probably drop out of the BCS altogether, their spot taken by hated rivals Michigan - who they beat 28-14 in October. It would be the second consecutive BCS snub for MSU, who played in the Capital One Bowl despite being co-Big Ten Champions with Wisconsin (Rose Bowl) and Ohio State (Sugar).
Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1, +8)
Boise State (10-1, 5-1, +8)
Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2, +8)
Kansas State (9-2, 6-2, +9)
USC (10-2, 7-2, +8)
Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2, +6)
Georgia (10-2, 7-1, +5)
South Carolina (10-2, 6-2, +4)
Michigan (10-2, 6-2, +3) - It wasn't pretty at the end, with the Wolverines having a potentially game sealing touchdown taken away after a review, and then a holding/personal foul penalty taking away another. But, in the end, they beat Ohio State 40-34, their first win in the rivalry since 2003. The Wolverines could also secure an at-large BCS bid, either the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl, which would be their first since the 2007 Rose Bowl.
Baylor (8-3, 5-3, +5)
TCU (9-2, 7-0, +3)
Nebraska (9-3, 5-3, +4) - The Cornhuskers ended their regular season with a convincing 20-7 home win over Iowa, with the Hawkeyes' only touchdown coming in garbage time. The win probably will not be enough to elevate Nebraska to BCS bowl as an at-large team, but they should get a chance to play against the SEC on Jan. 2 in the Outback Bowl or the Capital One Bowl.
Penn State (9-3, 6-2, +1)
Southern Miss (10-2, 6-2, -1)
Clemson (9-3, 6-2, -3)
West Virginia (8-3, 4-2, -5)
Texas (7-4, 4-4, -3)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 5-3, -6)
Notre Dame (8-4, 0-0, -6)
Northern Illinois (9-3, 7-1, -6)
Brigham Young (8-3, 0-0, -7)
Cincinnati (8-3, 4-2, -10)
Alabama (11-1, 7-1, +18) - At one point in the Alabama-Auburn game, the Tigers had 14 points, but only 44 yards. They scored their only two touchdowns on 1) a recovered A.J. McCarron fumble in the endzone, and 2) a kickoff return to start the third quarter. For those of you keeping track at home, that means that Auburn's offense got outscored by their defense AND their special teams. I hate to admit it, but I'm convinced: LSU-Alabama rematch for the BCS National Championship game.
Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1, +13) - In my opinion, Oklahoma State is the only team who has an argument that they should be in the NC game instead of Alabama. If they beat Oklahoma, then they'll end the season with wins over BCS Nos. 9, 11, 18, and 25. But, as Mark May said, if the Cowboys were to meet the Tide on a neutral field, they would be two touchdown underdogs. So here's the question: Should the BCS-NC be a game of #1 vs. #2 regardless of conference, or should it be treated as a Bowl Game, matching the top teams from two different conferences? I don't know. But it'll be interesting if, if the Cowboys beat the Sooners, you see an exodus of voters abandon Alabama and endorse Oklahoma State instead. (Like the 1968 Democratic Convention?)
Stanford (11-1, 8-1, +13) -
Oregon (10-2, 8-1, +13) -
Arkansas (10-2, 6-2, +12)
Houston (12-0, 8-0, +12) - Congratulations to the Cougars for winning the Conference USA West Division with their 48-16 win over Tulsa. They will play Southern Miss for the conference championship, in a possible matchup of two top 25 teams with a possible BCS bowl invitation on the line for Houston.
Michigan State (10-2, 7-1, +10) - The Spartans have their first ever back-to-back 10 win seasons, and can get to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988 with a win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. Unfortunately, because of the realities of college football politics and the need to sell tickets, if the Spartans lose to Wisconsin, they'll probably drop out of the BCS altogether, their spot taken by hated rivals Michigan - who they beat 28-14 in October. It would be the second consecutive BCS snub for MSU, who played in the Capital One Bowl despite being co-Big Ten Champions with Wisconsin (Rose Bowl) and Ohio State (Sugar).
Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1, +8)
Boise State (10-1, 5-1, +8)
Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2, +8)
Kansas State (9-2, 6-2, +9)
USC (10-2, 7-2, +8)
Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2, +6)
Georgia (10-2, 7-1, +5)
South Carolina (10-2, 6-2, +4)
Michigan (10-2, 6-2, +3) - It wasn't pretty at the end, with the Wolverines having a potentially game sealing touchdown taken away after a review, and then a holding/personal foul penalty taking away another. But, in the end, they beat Ohio State 40-34, their first win in the rivalry since 2003. The Wolverines could also secure an at-large BCS bid, either the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl, which would be their first since the 2007 Rose Bowl.
Baylor (8-3, 5-3, +5)
TCU (9-2, 7-0, +3)
Nebraska (9-3, 5-3, +4) - The Cornhuskers ended their regular season with a convincing 20-7 home win over Iowa, with the Hawkeyes' only touchdown coming in garbage time. The win probably will not be enough to elevate Nebraska to BCS bowl as an at-large team, but they should get a chance to play against the SEC on Jan. 2 in the Outback Bowl or the Capital One Bowl.
Penn State (9-3, 6-2, +1)
Southern Miss (10-2, 6-2, -1)
Clemson (9-3, 6-2, -3)
West Virginia (8-3, 4-2, -5)
Texas (7-4, 4-4, -3)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 5-3, -6)
Notre Dame (8-4, 0-0, -6)
Northern Illinois (9-3, 7-1, -6)
Brigham Young (8-3, 0-0, -7)
Cincinnati (8-3, 4-2, -10)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Power Rankings
1) LSU Tigers (11-0, 7-0) - Les Miles has the Tigers on the verge of their third national championship in eight years, an impressive feat for any program. LSU's only previous championship came in 1958. The Tigers did not begin the season ranked, but reached No. 1 on Oct. 25, after a 10-7 win over Florida. LSU finished the season 11-0, and went on to defeat #12 Clemson 7-0 in the Sugar Bowl to claim both the AP and Coach's championships.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1, 6-1) - Should the Iron Bowl be considered the best rivalry in college football? I think so, if you add the caveat "today" to the end. This year will mark the third consecutive year in which the game will carry BCS implications, and the last two years the winner of the game has actually gone on to win the national championship. However, this period still probably doesn't compare to the "glory days" of the Iron Bowl, from 1981-1986, when the game was decided on the last play four times.
3) Arkansas Razorbacks (10-1, 6-1)
4) Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-1, 7-1)
5) Stanford Cardinal (10-1, 8-1) - The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played in their first ever bowl game on January 1, 1925, in the 11th Rose Bowl against the Stanford Indians. Stanford was 7-0-1, and coached by Glenn "Pop" Warner, and the Irish were 9-0, coached by Knute Rockne, and featured the "Four Horsemen" running backs. Legend goes that it was during Rockne's trip to Pasadena that his wife dined with the wife of USC's athletic director Gwynn Wilson, and the two women got to talking about how much lovelier Southern California was in the winter than South Bend, and thus was born the annual tradition of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry. The game itself was dominated by Stanford, but three turnovers led to 21 Irish points, and Notre Dame pulled away for the win, 27-10. Stanford would not have to wait long, though, winning their first ever Rose Bowl 7-6 over Pittsburgh three years later.
6) Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1) - Saturday will mark the third consecutive season in which the Oregon-Oregon State Civil War Game will decide some kind of championship, conference or division. In honor of this, and in the general spirit of Thanksgiving, we should all take a moment to remember the 1983 Civil War Game. On a cold and rainy day in Eugene in November, the Ducks and the Beavers played to the last 0-0 tie in NCAA history, a game in which the teams combined for eleven fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals.
7) Houston Cougars (11-0, 7-0)
8) Boise State Broncos (9-1, 4-1) - It was this weekend last year that Boise State's BCS hopes went down in a 34-31 overtime loss to the Nevada Wolfpack. Boise State's rivalry with Nevada goes back to 1971, when the Broncos were in the Big Sky conference and Nevada was an independent. Unfortunately, this rivalry may be in jeopardy in the future, as the Broncos consider a move to the Big East while the WAC and the Mountain West continue to struggle for survival.
9) Michigan State Spartans (9-2, 6-1)
10) Kansas State Wildcats (9-2, 6-2)
11) Virginia Tech Hokies (10-1, 7-1)
12) Oklahoma Sooners (8-2, 5-2) - There may be no program more decorated or celebrated than Oklahoma, who has the most weeks at No. 1 in the AP poll, the 8th most wins of any program in college football, and has appeared in 44 bowl games. Oklahoma football, in fact, is 12 years older than the state of Oklahoma. The second coach for the Oklahoma Sooners was Vernon Parrington, an English professor and Pulitzer Prize winner who brought superior tactics with him from Harvard that led the Sooners to a 9-2-1 record from 1897 to 1900. My favorite quote from Coach Parrington? After being chased out of Oklahoma to U of W for his liberalism:
13) USC Trojans (9-2, 6-2)
14) Wisconsin Badgers (9-2, 5-2) - The Badgers are two wins away from earning their second consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl, a feat that they last accomplished during the 1998-1999 seasons, under coach Barry Alvarez. Wisconsin is 3-4 all time in the Rose Bowl, with their last win coming after the 1999 season, a 17-9 win over Stanford. That game featured Heisman Trophy winning running back Ron Dayne, who rushed for over 200 yards in the game, including a 64-yard run on a scoring drive in the third quarter that gave Wisconsin the lead for good.
15) Georgia Bulldogs (9-2, 7-1) - Saturday will be either the 104th or 106th game between Georgia and Georgia Tech, depending on who you ask. Their first match was on November 4, 1893, a 28-6 win for visiting Tech. According to historian Bill Cromartie:
17) TCU Horned Frogs (9-2, 7-0) - TCU won its first of two national championships after the 1935 season. The Frogs finished the season 11-1, their only loss 20-14 to undefeated Southern Methodist. They ended the season ranked fourth, and played #1 LSU in the Sugar Bowl. Rain had fallen in New Orleans for three days before New Year's, and the game turned into a mud-filled slugfest in the rain. Neither team gained more than 200 yards, and there were a combined seven turnovers. The Frogs' defense were the stars of the game, three times stopping the Tigers in the Red Zone, forcing them to come away with 0 points. TCU would win the game 3-2. With #2 SMU losing to Stanford 7-0 in the Rose Bowl, TCU claimed a championship by ending first in the now defunct Williamson Rankings.
18) Michigan Wolverines (9-2, 5-2)
19) South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2, 6-2) - The Battle of the Palmetto State dates back to 1896, a 12-6 victory for South Carolina over Clemson. However, the rivalry between the Gamecocks and the Tigers has been about more than just football. Clemson was founded in 1889 to provide a higher education option for the sons of poor farmers who could not get into South Carolina, which, along with banning women and African Americans after Reconstruction ended in 1877, had a student body that was overwhelmingly the sons of Confederate officers. South Carolina would continue to be the university of the state's privileged until after World War Two. Under pressure to accept veterans regardless of class or race, South Carolina opened its doors to a broad population, whereas Clemson began to be the more restrictive of the two schools; the first African American student to enroll at Clemson was in 1963.
20) Clemson Tigers (9-2, 6-2) - John Heisman coached Clemson from 1900-1903, amassing a 19-3-2 record, two conference championships, and gave the team their name (either after Heisman's previous employer, Auburn, or the current national champions, Princeton). However, he was never able to claim a national championship. Clemson's only national championship came in 1981, after an 11-0 record and 22-15 win over #4 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
21) Baylor Bears (7-3, 4-3)
22) Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3) - During the Great Depression, part of the WPA - that great endeavor by Washington D.C. to get Americans back to work - was the federal writers project, which compiled invaluable local histories, oral histories, and ethnographies from all 48 American states. Regarding Nebraska football, the FWP recorded:
24) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-3, 5-3) - Georgia Tech still holds the record for most dominant victory in college football history, a 222-0 win over Cumberland College in 1916. The story goes that, before the season, Cumberland College had officially ended their football program, and asked Georgia Tech to cancel their previously scheduled game. However, John Heisman, Georgia Tech's coach, refused Cumberland's request. Heisman was out for revenge for the baseball team's 22-0 loss to Cumberland the spring before, in which (according to Heisman) Cumberland had used professional players. The game went on as scheduled, with Cumberland fielding a team of student volunteers. Georgia Tech scored 16 touchdowns in the game (also a record) and never got a first down, as they scored from scrimmage on almost every snap.
25) Auburn Tigers (7-4, 4-2) - Despite beginning their rivalry in 1893, the Alabama Crimson Tide never played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, or in the town of Auburn, Alabama, until December 2, 1989. It was on this day that the No. 11 Tigers hosted the No. 2 Tide, with the SEC Championship on the line. Auburn jumped out to a 27-10 lead, and managed to hold on for the win, 30-20. Alabama would proceed from this game to lose to #2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl, while Auburn would defeat #21 Ohio State in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1, 6-1) - Should the Iron Bowl be considered the best rivalry in college football? I think so, if you add the caveat "today" to the end. This year will mark the third consecutive year in which the game will carry BCS implications, and the last two years the winner of the game has actually gone on to win the national championship. However, this period still probably doesn't compare to the "glory days" of the Iron Bowl, from 1981-1986, when the game was decided on the last play four times.
3) Arkansas Razorbacks (10-1, 6-1)
4) Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-1, 7-1)
5) Stanford Cardinal (10-1, 8-1) - The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played in their first ever bowl game on January 1, 1925, in the 11th Rose Bowl against the Stanford Indians. Stanford was 7-0-1, and coached by Glenn "Pop" Warner, and the Irish were 9-0, coached by Knute Rockne, and featured the "Four Horsemen" running backs. Legend goes that it was during Rockne's trip to Pasadena that his wife dined with the wife of USC's athletic director Gwynn Wilson, and the two women got to talking about how much lovelier Southern California was in the winter than South Bend, and thus was born the annual tradition of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry. The game itself was dominated by Stanford, but three turnovers led to 21 Irish points, and Notre Dame pulled away for the win, 27-10. Stanford would not have to wait long, though, winning their first ever Rose Bowl 7-6 over Pittsburgh three years later.
6) Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1) - Saturday will mark the third consecutive season in which the Oregon-Oregon State Civil War Game will decide some kind of championship, conference or division. In honor of this, and in the general spirit of Thanksgiving, we should all take a moment to remember the 1983 Civil War Game. On a cold and rainy day in Eugene in November, the Ducks and the Beavers played to the last 0-0 tie in NCAA history, a game in which the teams combined for eleven fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals.
7) Houston Cougars (11-0, 7-0)
8) Boise State Broncos (9-1, 4-1) - It was this weekend last year that Boise State's BCS hopes went down in a 34-31 overtime loss to the Nevada Wolfpack. Boise State's rivalry with Nevada goes back to 1971, when the Broncos were in the Big Sky conference and Nevada was an independent. Unfortunately, this rivalry may be in jeopardy in the future, as the Broncos consider a move to the Big East while the WAC and the Mountain West continue to struggle for survival.
9) Michigan State Spartans (9-2, 6-1)
10) Kansas State Wildcats (9-2, 6-2)
11) Virginia Tech Hokies (10-1, 7-1)
12) Oklahoma Sooners (8-2, 5-2) - There may be no program more decorated or celebrated than Oklahoma, who has the most weeks at No. 1 in the AP poll, the 8th most wins of any program in college football, and has appeared in 44 bowl games. Oklahoma football, in fact, is 12 years older than the state of Oklahoma. The second coach for the Oklahoma Sooners was Vernon Parrington, an English professor and Pulitzer Prize winner who brought superior tactics with him from Harvard that led the Sooners to a 9-2-1 record from 1897 to 1900. My favorite quote from Coach Parrington? After being chased out of Oklahoma to U of W for his liberalism:
With every passing year my radicalism draws fresh nourishment from large knowledge of the evils of private capitalism. Hatred of that selfish system is become the chief passion of my life. The change from Oklahoma to Washington marks the shift with me from the older cultural interpretation of life to the later economic.
13) USC Trojans (9-2, 6-2)
14) Wisconsin Badgers (9-2, 5-2) - The Badgers are two wins away from earning their second consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl, a feat that they last accomplished during the 1998-1999 seasons, under coach Barry Alvarez. Wisconsin is 3-4 all time in the Rose Bowl, with their last win coming after the 1999 season, a 17-9 win over Stanford. That game featured Heisman Trophy winning running back Ron Dayne, who rushed for over 200 yards in the game, including a 64-yard run on a scoring drive in the third quarter that gave Wisconsin the lead for good.
15) Georgia Bulldogs (9-2, 7-1) - Saturday will be either the 104th or 106th game between Georgia and Georgia Tech, depending on who you ask. Their first match was on November 4, 1893, a 28-6 win for visiting Tech. According to historian Bill Cromartie:
At one time early in the last half of the game, a stone was hurled at one of the Tech players, striking him a cruel blow in the head... At another time, one of the Athenians drew a knife and threatened one of the Techs' better players... The Techs were also poked and gouged with canes on plays toward the boundary lines... Some of the crowd had the privilege of the gridiron equally with the players.16) Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2, 6-1)
17) TCU Horned Frogs (9-2, 7-0) - TCU won its first of two national championships after the 1935 season. The Frogs finished the season 11-1, their only loss 20-14 to undefeated Southern Methodist. They ended the season ranked fourth, and played #1 LSU in the Sugar Bowl. Rain had fallen in New Orleans for three days before New Year's, and the game turned into a mud-filled slugfest in the rain. Neither team gained more than 200 yards, and there were a combined seven turnovers. The Frogs' defense were the stars of the game, three times stopping the Tigers in the Red Zone, forcing them to come away with 0 points. TCU would win the game 3-2. With #2 SMU losing to Stanford 7-0 in the Rose Bowl, TCU claimed a championship by ending first in the now defunct Williamson Rankings.
18) Michigan Wolverines (9-2, 5-2)
19) South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2, 6-2) - The Battle of the Palmetto State dates back to 1896, a 12-6 victory for South Carolina over Clemson. However, the rivalry between the Gamecocks and the Tigers has been about more than just football. Clemson was founded in 1889 to provide a higher education option for the sons of poor farmers who could not get into South Carolina, which, along with banning women and African Americans after Reconstruction ended in 1877, had a student body that was overwhelmingly the sons of Confederate officers. South Carolina would continue to be the university of the state's privileged until after World War Two. Under pressure to accept veterans regardless of class or race, South Carolina opened its doors to a broad population, whereas Clemson began to be the more restrictive of the two schools; the first African American student to enroll at Clemson was in 1963.
20) Clemson Tigers (9-2, 6-2) - John Heisman coached Clemson from 1900-1903, amassing a 19-3-2 record, two conference championships, and gave the team their name (either after Heisman's previous employer, Auburn, or the current national champions, Princeton). However, he was never able to claim a national championship. Clemson's only national championship came in 1981, after an 11-0 record and 22-15 win over #4 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
21) Baylor Bears (7-3, 4-3)
22) Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3) - During the Great Depression, part of the WPA - that great endeavor by Washington D.C. to get Americans back to work - was the federal writers project, which compiled invaluable local histories, oral histories, and ethnographies from all 48 American states. Regarding Nebraska football, the FWP recorded:
Football in Nebraska is more than a diversion for college students. A State university game is an event talked about and eagerly followed by rural and urban fans. If the day of a football game is not too cold or rainy, the streets of Lincoln are sure to be jammed with people and cars, brightened with pennants and chrysanthemums. The highways are crowded for miles around. Broadcasts of games are picked up in almost every store and gas station from Omaha to the western border; farmers sometimes neglect their cornhusking in the afternoon to hear the game over the radio.23) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (9-2, 5-2)
24) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-3, 5-3) - Georgia Tech still holds the record for most dominant victory in college football history, a 222-0 win over Cumberland College in 1916. The story goes that, before the season, Cumberland College had officially ended their football program, and asked Georgia Tech to cancel their previously scheduled game. However, John Heisman, Georgia Tech's coach, refused Cumberland's request. Heisman was out for revenge for the baseball team's 22-0 loss to Cumberland the spring before, in which (according to Heisman) Cumberland had used professional players. The game went on as scheduled, with Cumberland fielding a team of student volunteers. Georgia Tech scored 16 touchdowns in the game (also a record) and never got a first down, as they scored from scrimmage on almost every snap.
25) Auburn Tigers (7-4, 4-2) - Despite beginning their rivalry in 1893, the Alabama Crimson Tide never played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, or in the town of Auburn, Alabama, until December 2, 1989. It was on this day that the No. 11 Tigers hosted the No. 2 Tide, with the SEC Championship on the line. Auburn jumped out to a 27-10 lead, and managed to hold on for the win, 30-20. Alabama would proceed from this game to lose to #2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl, while Auburn would defeat #21 Ohio State in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Damn the Computers!
This is nonsense.
Last week, the six BCS computers ranked Oregon: 5, 3, 5, 7, 4, 4. (Avg: 4.67)
The same computers ranked Oklahoma: 4, 5, 3, 4, 6, 5. (Avg: 4.5)
Then Oregon lost to 9-2 USC 38-35, and Oklahoma lost to 7-3 Baylor 45-38.
This week, the computers have Oregon: 15, 6, 12, 13, 9, 10. (Avg: 10.83)
The same computers have Oklahoma: 6, 8, 4, 6, 6, 6. (Avg: 6.0)
What? In what world does this make sense? Why on Earth is Oregon dropped six spots by the computers for a loss to USC, but Oklahoma is only dropped 2 for a loss to Baylor?????
Actually, I know the answer. It's because the computers love the Big 12. That's because the Big 12 went 27-3 in non conference play this season. (The Pac-12 has gone 21-12.) Five of the computers still have Oklahoma State #2, and five of them also have Kansas State ranked ahead of Oregon. It would be interesting to see if the computers actually ending up vetoing an all SEC Championship by putting Oklahoma State ahead of everyone else.
Fine. But Oregon's losses are to LSU and USC. Oklahoma's are to Texas Tech and Baylor. Oregon's best win is against Stanford, Oklahoma's is against Kansas State. And one computer has Oklahoma 6th and Oregon 15th.
Last week, the six BCS computers ranked Oregon: 5, 3, 5, 7, 4, 4. (Avg: 4.67)
The same computers ranked Oklahoma: 4, 5, 3, 4, 6, 5. (Avg: 4.5)
Then Oregon lost to 9-2 USC 38-35, and Oklahoma lost to 7-3 Baylor 45-38.
This week, the computers have Oregon: 15, 6, 12, 13, 9, 10. (Avg: 10.83)
The same computers have Oklahoma: 6, 8, 4, 6, 6, 6. (Avg: 6.0)
What? In what world does this make sense? Why on Earth is Oregon dropped six spots by the computers for a loss to USC, but Oklahoma is only dropped 2 for a loss to Baylor?????
Actually, I know the answer. It's because the computers love the Big 12. That's because the Big 12 went 27-3 in non conference play this season. (The Pac-12 has gone 21-12.) Five of the computers still have Oklahoma State #2, and five of them also have Kansas State ranked ahead of Oregon. It would be interesting to see if the computers actually ending up vetoing an all SEC Championship by putting Oklahoma State ahead of everyone else.
Fine. But Oregon's losses are to LSU and USC. Oklahoma's are to Texas Tech and Baylor. Oregon's best win is against Stanford, Oklahoma's is against Kansas State. And one computer has Oklahoma 6th and Oregon 15th.
Bowl Predictions
BCS Bowl Games
BCS National Championship- #1 LSU (13-0) vs. #2 Alabama (11-1)
Rose - #5 Oregon (11-2) vs. #10 Wisconsin (11-2)
Fiesta - #3 Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. #4 Stanford (11-1)
Sugar - #7 Boise State (11-1) vs. #8 Houston (13-0)
Orange - #18 Clemson (10-3) vs. #20 West Virginia (9-3)
Tier One
Cotton - #6 Arkansas (10-2) vs. #13 Oklahoma (9-3)
Capital One - #9 South Carolina (10-2) vs. #12 Michigan (10-2)
Outback - #18 Georgia (10-3) vs. #15 Nebraska (9-3)
Gator - #19 Penn State (9-3) vs. #25 Auburn (7-5)
Chick-fil-A - #17 Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. Florida (7-5)
Alamo - #11 Kansas State (10-2) vs. Utah (8-5)
Champs Sports - #22 Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Florida State (7-5)
Insight - #16 Michigan State (10-3) vs. #21 Baylor (8-4)
Holiday - Texas (7-5) vs. Washington (7-5)
Sun - Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Arizona State (7-5)
Tier Two
Meineke Car Care - Iowa (7-5) vs. Missouri (7-5)
Belk - #23 Rutgers (9-3) vs. Virginia (8-4)
Music City - Wake Forest (7-5) vs. Mississippi State (6-6)
Pinstripe - Cincinnati (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (6-6)
Liberty - #24 Southern Miss (10-3) vs. Louisville (6-6)
TicketCity - Tulsa (8-4) vs. Ohio State (6-6)
Las Vegas - #14 TCU (10-2) vs. California (6-6)
Independence - Wyoming (8-4) vs. North Carolina (7-5)
St. Petersburg - SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6)
Tier Three
Poinsettia - Louisiana Tech (8-4) vs. San Diego State (8-4)
Hawaii - Nevada (8-4) vs. East Carolina (6-6)
Famous Idaho Potato - Air Force (7-5) vs. Utah State (6-6)
New Orleans - Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Illinois (7-5)
Little Caesar's Pizza - Northern Illinois (10-3) vs. Northwestern (6-6)
Military - North Carolina State (7-5) vs. Iowa State (6-6)
Armed Forces - Brigham Young (9-3) vs. Ohio (9-4)
Kraft Fight Hunger - Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) vs. UCLA (6-6)
BBVA Compass - Western Kentucky (7-5) vs. Tennessee (6-6)
GoDaddy.com - Toledo (8-4) vs. FIU (8-4)
All BCS Rankings and records are projected.
BCS National Championship- #1 LSU (13-0) vs. #2 Alabama (11-1)
Rose - #5 Oregon (11-2) vs. #10 Wisconsin (11-2)
Fiesta - #3 Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. #4 Stanford (11-1)
Sugar - #7 Boise State (11-1) vs. #8 Houston (13-0)
Orange - #18 Clemson (10-3) vs. #20 West Virginia (9-3)
Tier One
Cotton - #6 Arkansas (10-2) vs. #13 Oklahoma (9-3)
Capital One - #9 South Carolina (10-2) vs. #12 Michigan (10-2)
Outback - #18 Georgia (10-3) vs. #15 Nebraska (9-3)
Gator - #19 Penn State (9-3) vs. #25 Auburn (7-5)
Chick-fil-A - #17 Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. Florida (7-5)
Alamo - #11 Kansas State (10-2) vs. Utah (8-5)
Champs Sports - #22 Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Florida State (7-5)
Insight - #16 Michigan State (10-3) vs. #21 Baylor (8-4)
Holiday - Texas (7-5) vs. Washington (7-5)
Sun - Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Arizona State (7-5)
Tier Two
Meineke Car Care - Iowa (7-5) vs. Missouri (7-5)
Belk - #23 Rutgers (9-3) vs. Virginia (8-4)
Music City - Wake Forest (7-5) vs. Mississippi State (6-6)
Pinstripe - Cincinnati (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (6-6)
Liberty - #24 Southern Miss (10-3) vs. Louisville (6-6)
TicketCity - Tulsa (8-4) vs. Ohio State (6-6)
Las Vegas - #14 TCU (10-2) vs. California (6-6)
Independence - Wyoming (8-4) vs. North Carolina (7-5)
St. Petersburg - SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6)
Tier Three
Poinsettia - Louisiana Tech (8-4) vs. San Diego State (8-4)
Hawaii - Nevada (8-4) vs. East Carolina (6-6)
Famous Idaho Potato - Air Force (7-5) vs. Utah State (6-6)
New Orleans - Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Illinois (7-5)
Little Caesar's Pizza - Northern Illinois (10-3) vs. Northwestern (6-6)
Military - North Carolina State (7-5) vs. Iowa State (6-6)
Armed Forces - Brigham Young (9-3) vs. Ohio (9-4)
Kraft Fight Hunger - Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) vs. UCLA (6-6)
BBVA Compass - Western Kentucky (7-5) vs. Tennessee (6-6)
GoDaddy.com - Toledo (8-4) vs. FIU (8-4)
All BCS Rankings and records are projected.
Update on Conference Championships
Pac-12: Well, they've done it. By blowing a 10-point 4th quarter lead at home to 2-8 Arizona in the Territorial Cup, the Arizona State Sun Devils - who were once #18 in the country and 5-1 - have successfully eliminated themselves from contention in the Pac-12 South. (They've lost three in a row to UCLA, Washington State, and Arizona!) It's now down to two teams. Utah is in if they can win at home against 2-9 Colorado and if UCLA loses at USC. So what I'm saying is that the Bruins are going to the Pac-12 Championship.
Update: I guess I'm wrong. ASU can still win the division with a win against Cal and a UCLA loss to USC and a Utah win against Colorado, creating a 3-way tie that the Sun Devils would win. That's too bad. Of course, that'd be better than all three teams losing, which would send 6-6 UCLA to the conference championship.
The one silver lining on Oregon's 38-35 loss to USC is that it means it all comes down the Civil War. Ducks win, they go to the Pac-12 Championship as the North Division champs and are one win away from the Rose Bowl. Beavers win, and Stanford is in. And the Ducks get the Alamo Bowl.
SEC: Georgia, who, you'll remember, lost to Boise State 35-21, is in as the East Division champs.
#1 LSU still needs to beat Arkansas on Friday to win the West Division. If they lose, they can still get in if Alabama beats Auburn, and the Tide end ahead of Arkansas in the BCS rankings. (Likely, not assured.) If Arkansas beats LSU and Auburn beats Alabama, then Arkansas wins the division. If Arkansas beats LSU and Alabama beats Auburn and LSU falls behind both teams in the BCS rankings, then Alabama wins the division. Basically, if you like Chaos, root for Arkansas. If you like Order, root for LSU.
Big Ten: Michigan State is in, and will play the winner of Wisconsin-Penn State. Wasn't that easy?
ACC: Who cares? Clemson will play the winner of Virginia Tech-Virginia. They beat Virginia Tech 23-3 on October 1st, but haven't played Virginia.
Big 12: If Iowa State beats Oklahoma next weekend, Oklahoma State wins the conference. If Oklahoma wins, then it will be a winner take all between the Sooners and the Cowboys on December 3rd.
Big East: Oh, right. This is still a BCS conference... sigh.....
There are currently five teams with two conference losses in the Big East. Louisville (6-5) currently holds the tie breakers against West Virginia and Rutgers. Pittsburgh (5-5) holds the tiebreaker over Louisville. Cincinnati (7-3) holds tiebreakers over Louisville and Pittsburgh. Rutgers (8-3) holds tie breakers over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. West Virginia (7-3) holds tie breakers over Rutgers and Cincinnati.
One of these teams will be going to the Orange Bowl.
Update: I guess I'm wrong. ASU can still win the division with a win against Cal and a UCLA loss to USC and a Utah win against Colorado, creating a 3-way tie that the Sun Devils would win. That's too bad. Of course, that'd be better than all three teams losing, which would send 6-6 UCLA to the conference championship.
The one silver lining on Oregon's 38-35 loss to USC is that it means it all comes down the Civil War. Ducks win, they go to the Pac-12 Championship as the North Division champs and are one win away from the Rose Bowl. Beavers win, and Stanford is in. And the Ducks get the Alamo Bowl.
SEC: Georgia, who, you'll remember, lost to Boise State 35-21, is in as the East Division champs.
#1 LSU still needs to beat Arkansas on Friday to win the West Division. If they lose, they can still get in if Alabama beats Auburn, and the Tide end ahead of Arkansas in the BCS rankings. (Likely, not assured.) If Arkansas beats LSU and Auburn beats Alabama, then Arkansas wins the division. If Arkansas beats LSU and Alabama beats Auburn and LSU falls behind both teams in the BCS rankings, then Alabama wins the division. Basically, if you like Chaos, root for Arkansas. If you like Order, root for LSU.
Big Ten: Michigan State is in, and will play the winner of Wisconsin-Penn State. Wasn't that easy?
ACC: Who cares? Clemson will play the winner of Virginia Tech-Virginia. They beat Virginia Tech 23-3 on October 1st, but haven't played Virginia.
Big 12: If Iowa State beats Oklahoma next weekend, Oklahoma State wins the conference. If Oklahoma wins, then it will be a winner take all between the Sooners and the Cowboys on December 3rd.
Big East: Oh, right. This is still a BCS conference... sigh.....
There are currently five teams with two conference losses in the Big East. Louisville (6-5) currently holds the tie breakers against West Virginia and Rutgers. Pittsburgh (5-5) holds the tiebreaker over Louisville. Cincinnati (7-3) holds tiebreakers over Louisville and Pittsburgh. Rutgers (8-3) holds tie breakers over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. West Virginia (7-3) holds tie breakers over Rutgers and Cincinnati.
One of these teams will be going to the Orange Bowl.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
My Top 25
Fine! You can have your all-SEC championship! We didn't want to come any way! Poopheads!
1) LSU (11-0, 7-0, +25)
2) Alabama (10-1, 6-1, +16)
3) Arkansas (10-1, 6-1, +13)
4) Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1, +13)
5) Stanford (10-1, 8-1, +12)
6) Oregon (9-2, 7-1, +12)
7) Houston (11-0, 7-0, +11)
8) Boise State (9-1, 4-1, +7)
9) Michigan State (9-2, 6-1, +9)
10) Kansas State (9-2, 6-2, +9)
11) Virginia Tech (10-1, 7-1, +7)
12) Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2, +7)
13) USC (9-2, 6-2, +7)
14) Wisconsin (9-2, 5-2, +3)
15) Georgia (9-2, 7-1, +3)
16) Penn State (9-2, 6-1, +4)
17) TCU (9-2, 7-0, +3)
18) Michigan (9-2, 5-2, +2)
19) South Carolina (9-2, 6-2, +1)
20)Clemson (9-2, 6-2, +1)
21) Baylor (7-3, 4-3, +4)
22) Nebraska (8-3, 4-3, +3)
23) Southern Miss (9-2, 5-2, -2)
24) Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-3, -3)
25) Auburn (7-4, 4-2, -4)
Notre Dame (8-3, 0-0, -5)
West Virginia (7-3, 3-2, -6)
Rutgers (8-3, 4-2, -7)
Brigham Young (8-3, 0-0, -7)
Virginia (8-3, 5-2, -9)
Northern Illinois (8-3, 6-1, -7)
Iowa (7-4, 4-3, -13)
Utah (7-4, 4-4, -15)
1) LSU (11-0, 7-0, +25)
2) Alabama (10-1, 6-1, +16)
3) Arkansas (10-1, 6-1, +13)
4) Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1, +13)
5) Stanford (10-1, 8-1, +12)
6) Oregon (9-2, 7-1, +12)
7) Houston (11-0, 7-0, +11)
8) Boise State (9-1, 4-1, +7)
9) Michigan State (9-2, 6-1, +9)
10) Kansas State (9-2, 6-2, +9)
11) Virginia Tech (10-1, 7-1, +7)
12) Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2, +7)
13) USC (9-2, 6-2, +7)
14) Wisconsin (9-2, 5-2, +3)
15) Georgia (9-2, 7-1, +3)
16) Penn State (9-2, 6-1, +4)
17) TCU (9-2, 7-0, +3)
18) Michigan (9-2, 5-2, +2)
19) South Carolina (9-2, 6-2, +1)
20)Clemson (9-2, 6-2, +1)
21) Baylor (7-3, 4-3, +4)
22) Nebraska (8-3, 4-3, +3)
23) Southern Miss (9-2, 5-2, -2)
24) Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-3, -3)
25) Auburn (7-4, 4-2, -4)
Notre Dame (8-3, 0-0, -5)
West Virginia (7-3, 3-2, -6)
Rutgers (8-3, 4-2, -7)
Brigham Young (8-3, 0-0, -7)
Virginia (8-3, 5-2, -9)
Northern Illinois (8-3, 6-1, -7)
Iowa (7-4, 4-3, -13)
Utah (7-4, 4-4, -15)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Who Will Be In The Pac-12 Championship?
Unfortunately, someone has to represent the Pac-12 South Division in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship game. USC (8-2) is banned, so that means that one of three incredibly mediocre teams will be in the game: 5-5 UCLA, 6-4 Arizona State, or 6-4 Utah. If the game were tomorrow, 5-5 UCLA - who hasn't even qualified for a bowl game yet! - would get a one-game playoff for the Rose Bowl.
But who will it be? Here are the remainder of their schedules:
UCLA: vs. Colorado (2-9), @ USC (8-2)
Arizona State: vs. Arizona (2-8), vs. California (6-4)
Utah: @ Washington State (4-6), vs. Colorado (2-9)*
*Colorado plays 13 games this year because they had a road game at Hawaii.
Utah beat UCLA. UCLA beat Arizona State. Arizona State beat Utah.
UCLA needs:
1) To win out OR
2) To win once AND have Utah lose once AND have Arizona State lose once OR
3) To lose twice AND have Arizona State lose once AND have Utah lose twice
Arizona State needs:
1) To win out AND have UCLA lose once OR
2) To win once AND have UCLA lose twice
Utah needs:
1) To win out AND have UCLA lose once AND Arizona State lose twice.
If Utah wins twice and Arizona State and UCLA both win once, then there's a three way tie. The next tie breaker would be games played within the division, which Arizona State would win.
UCLA: 2-3
Arizona State: 4-1 or 3-2
Utah: 3-2
Hopefully either Utah or Arizona State will win out and be a respectable 8-4. But the odds are that a 6-6 UCLA will be in that championship game.
But who will it be? Here are the remainder of their schedules:
UCLA: vs. Colorado (2-9), @ USC (8-2)
Arizona State: vs. Arizona (2-8), vs. California (6-4)
Utah: @ Washington State (4-6), vs. Colorado (2-9)*
*Colorado plays 13 games this year because they had a road game at Hawaii.
Utah beat UCLA. UCLA beat Arizona State. Arizona State beat Utah.
UCLA needs:
1) To win out OR
2) To win once AND have Utah lose once AND have Arizona State lose once OR
3) To lose twice AND have Arizona State lose once AND have Utah lose twice
Arizona State needs:
1) To win out AND have UCLA lose once OR
2) To win once AND have UCLA lose twice
Utah needs:
1) To win out AND have UCLA lose once AND Arizona State lose twice.
If Utah wins twice and Arizona State and UCLA both win once, then there's a three way tie. The next tie breaker would be games played within the division, which Arizona State would win.
UCLA: 2-3
Arizona State: 4-1 or 3-2
Utah: 3-2
Hopefully either Utah or Arizona State will win out and be a respectable 8-4. But the odds are that a 6-6 UCLA will be in that championship game.
Ducks vs. Tide
I was hoping that we could get some idea of which one-loss team would be more deserving of a rematch in national championship, but I failed. It turns out that the Ducks and the Tide have almost exactly the same schedules, based on rankings and standings. The difference that tips the scales to Alabama's favor is their single FCS opponent is 9-1 Georgia Southern, whereas Oregon's was 1-9 Missouri State.
Some other interesting comparisons:
Oregon plays one more conference opponent than Alabama. So which is a more valuable win: Oregon's over Pac-12 Colorado (2-9) or Alabama's over MAC Kent State (4-6)?
Who do you pick: #8 Stanford or #6 Arkansas? #18 USC or #21 Penn State? #1 LSU by 13 in Dallas, or #1 LSU by 3 in OT in Tuscaloosa? Personally, I think the Ducks have had a tougher road when comparing the three ranked teams they have played. But that's my bias.
I believe that the SEC is a tougher conference than the Pac-12. But Alabama has had it pretty easy, getting to avoid playing #13 Georgia and #14 South Carolina. (Along with 4-6 Kentucky) Oregon, meanwhile, avoids 5-5 UCLA and 6-4 Utah, but could end up playing either of them in the Pac-12 championship. Unfortunately.
Oregon:
@ #1 LSU (10-0)
vs. Nevada (6-3)
vs. Missouri State (1-9)
@ Arizona (2-8)
vs. California (6-4)
vs. Arizona State (6-4)
@ Colorado (2-9)
vs. Washington State (4-6)
@ Washington (6-4)
@ #8 Stanford (9-1)
vs. #18 USC (8-2)
vs. Oregon State (2-8)
Opponent Record 62-58
- Missouri State
61-49
Alabama
vs. Kent State (4-6)
@ #21 Penn State (8-2)
vs. North Texas (4-6)
vs. #6 Arkansas (9-1)
@ Florida (5-5)
vs. Vanderbilt (5-5)
@ Mississippi (2-8)
vs. Tennessee (4-6)
vs. #1 LSU (10-0)
@ Mississippi State (5-5)
vs. Georgia Southern (9-1)
@ Auburn (6-4)
Opponent Record 71-51
- Georgia Southern
62-50
Oregon Alabama
@ #1 LSU (10-0) vs. #1 LSU (10-0)
@ #8 Stanford (9-1) vs. #6 Arkansas (9-1)
vs. #18 USC (8-2) @ #21 Penn State (8-2)
vs. Missouri State (1-9) vs. Georgia Southern (9-1)
vs. Nevada (6-3) vs. North Texas (4-6)
vs. Arizona State (6-4) @ Auburn (6-4)
@ Washington (6-4) @ Florida (5-5)
vs. California (6-4) vs. Vanderbilt (5-5)
vs. Washington State (4-6) @ Mississippi State (5-5)
@ Arizona (2-8) vs. Tennessee (4-6)
vs. Oregon State (2-8) @ Mississippi (2-8)
@ Colorado (2-9) vs. Kent State (4-6)
Some other interesting comparisons:
Oregon plays one more conference opponent than Alabama. So which is a more valuable win: Oregon's over Pac-12 Colorado (2-9) or Alabama's over MAC Kent State (4-6)?
Who do you pick: #8 Stanford or #6 Arkansas? #18 USC or #21 Penn State? #1 LSU by 13 in Dallas, or #1 LSU by 3 in OT in Tuscaloosa? Personally, I think the Ducks have had a tougher road when comparing the three ranked teams they have played. But that's my bias.
I believe that the SEC is a tougher conference than the Pac-12. But Alabama has had it pretty easy, getting to avoid playing #13 Georgia and #14 South Carolina. (Along with 4-6 Kentucky) Oregon, meanwhile, avoids 5-5 UCLA and 6-4 Utah, but could end up playing either of them in the Pac-12 championship. Unfortunately.
Oregon:
@ #1 LSU (10-0)
vs. Nevada (6-3)
vs. Missouri State (1-9)
@ Arizona (2-8)
vs. California (6-4)
vs. Arizona State (6-4)
@ Colorado (2-9)
vs. Washington State (4-6)
@ Washington (6-4)
@ #8 Stanford (9-1)
vs. #18 USC (8-2)
vs. Oregon State (2-8)
Opponent Record 62-58
- Missouri State
61-49
Alabama
vs. Kent State (4-6)
@ #21 Penn State (8-2)
vs. North Texas (4-6)
vs. #6 Arkansas (9-1)
@ Florida (5-5)
vs. Vanderbilt (5-5)
@ Mississippi (2-8)
vs. Tennessee (4-6)
vs. #1 LSU (10-0)
@ Mississippi State (5-5)
vs. Georgia Southern (9-1)
@ Auburn (6-4)
Opponent Record 71-51
- Georgia Southern
62-50
Oregon Alabama
@ #1 LSU (10-0) vs. #1 LSU (10-0)
@ #8 Stanford (9-1) vs. #6 Arkansas (9-1)
vs. #18 USC (8-2) @ #21 Penn State (8-2)
vs. Missouri State (1-9) vs. Georgia Southern (9-1)
vs. Nevada (6-3) vs. North Texas (4-6)
vs. Arizona State (6-4) @ Auburn (6-4)
@ Washington (6-4) @ Florida (5-5)
vs. California (6-4) vs. Vanderbilt (5-5)
vs. Washington State (4-6) @ Mississippi State (5-5)
@ Arizona (2-8) vs. Tennessee (4-6)
vs. Oregon State (2-8) @ Mississippi (2-8)
@ Colorado (2-9) vs. Kent State (4-6)
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Power Rankings
1) LSU Tigers (10-0, 6-0) - With Boise State and Stanford losing last night, the calls are growing louder for a BCS Championship rematch: Either LSU-Alabama or LSU-Oregon. I'm opposed to this, but we're fast running out of other options. The most likely is to revert to the idea that the winner of Oklahoma-Oklahoma State gets the other spot in the championship game, but if the Sooners win out, then we get the unpalatable notion of having a team that lost to 5-5 Texas Tech in the NC game.
2) Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-0, 7-0) - Hopefully, OK-State will end the season undefeated, and save us the trouble of picking from a host of one-loss teams to play LSU. When I turned on the TV yesterday morning, the Cowboys were already up on Texas Tech - that 5-5 team that beat Oklahoma - 42-0... in the second quarter. They went on to win 66-6, with Brandon Weeden going 31 for 37 for 423 yards and 5 TDs. At what point are the Cowboys considered the favorites against Oklahoma?
3) Oregon Ducks (9-1, 7-0) - I've gotten most of my predictions wrong this season (See: Boise State will play for a championship, or Alabama will beat LSU.) But I'm glad that I went against the tide and picked my Ducks to win this game. Stanford's defense had shown weaknesses against USC, Washington, and Oregon State, and last night Oregon was able to take advantage, averaging 5.0 yards per rush and LaMichael James run for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns. The real difference, though, was Oregon's
2) Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-0, 7-0) - Hopefully, OK-State will end the season undefeated, and save us the trouble of picking from a host of one-loss teams to play LSU. When I turned on the TV yesterday morning, the Cowboys were already up on Texas Tech - that 5-5 team that beat Oklahoma - 42-0... in the second quarter. They went on to win 66-6, with Brandon Weeden going 31 for 37 for 423 yards and 5 TDs. At what point are the Cowboys considered the favorites against Oklahoma?
3) Oregon Ducks (9-1, 7-0) - I've gotten most of my predictions wrong this season (See: Boise State will play for a championship, or Alabama will beat LSU.) But I'm glad that I went against the tide and picked my Ducks to win this game. Stanford's defense had shown weaknesses against USC, Washington, and Oregon State, and last night Oregon was able to take advantage, averaging 5.0 yards per rush and LaMichael James run for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns. The real difference, though, was Oregon's
Saturday, November 12, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (10-0, 6-0, +24)
2) Oklahoma State (10-0, 7-0, +19)
3) Oregon (9-1, 7-0, +16)
4) Alabama (9-1, 6-1, +15)
5 ) Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1, +13)
6) Arkansas (9-1, 5-1, +12)
7) Stanford ( 9-1, 7-1, +11)
8 ) Houston (10-0, 6-0, +10)
9) Clemson (9-1, 6-1, +7)
10) Boise State (8-1, 3-1, +6)
11) Michigan State (8-2, 5-1, +8)
12) Virginia Tech (9-1, 6-1, +6)
13) Southern Miss ( 9-1, 5-1, +4)
14) Nebraska (8-2, 4-2, +8)
15) Kansas State (8-2, 5-2, +7)
16) Wisconsin (8-2, 4-2, +2)
17) Georgia (8-2, 6-1, +2)
18) Penn State (8-2, 5-1, +3)
19 ) TCU (8-2, 6-0, +2)
20) USC (8-2, 5-2, +1)
21) South Carolina (8-2, 6-2, 0)
22) West Virginia (7-2, 3-1, 0)
23) Michigan (8-2, 4-2, -2)
24) Cincinnati (7-2, 3-1, -5)
25) Texas (6-3, 3-3, -1)
West Virginia (7-3, 3-2, -3)
Georgia Tech (7-3, 4-3, -4)
Notre Dame (7-3, 0-0, -6)
Florida State (7-3, 4-2, -6)
Virginia (7-3, 5-2, -8)
Brigham Young (7-3, 0-0, -8)
2) Oklahoma State (10-0, 7-0, +19)
3) Oregon (9-1, 7-0, +16)
4) Alabama (9-1, 6-1, +15)
5 ) Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1, +13)
6) Arkansas (9-1, 5-1, +12)
7) Stanford ( 9-1, 7-1, +11)
8 ) Houston (10-0, 6-0, +10)
9) Clemson (9-1, 6-1, +7)
10) Boise State (8-1, 3-1, +6)
11) Michigan State (8-2, 5-1, +8)
12) Virginia Tech (9-1, 6-1, +6)
13) Southern Miss ( 9-1, 5-1, +4)
14) Nebraska (8-2, 4-2, +8)
15) Kansas State (8-2, 5-2, +7)
16) Wisconsin (8-2, 4-2, +2)
17) Georgia (8-2, 6-1, +2)
18) Penn State (8-2, 5-1, +3)
19 ) TCU (8-2, 6-0, +2)
20) USC (8-2, 5-2, +1)
21) South Carolina (8-2, 6-2, 0)
22) West Virginia (7-2, 3-1, 0)
23) Michigan (8-2, 4-2, -2)
24) Cincinnati (7-2, 3-1, -5)
25) Texas (6-3, 3-3, -1)
West Virginia (7-3, 3-2, -3)
Georgia Tech (7-3, 4-3, -4)
Notre Dame (7-3, 0-0, -6)
Florida State (7-3, 4-2, -6)
Virginia (7-3, 5-2, -8)
Brigham Young (7-3, 0-0, -8)
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Power Rankings 11/05
1) LSU Tigers (9-0, 6-0) - Well, I underestimated LSU's defense. I'm sorry. I owe them an apology, especially defensive back Eric Reid, whose interception inside the red zone probably prevented what would have been the only touchdown of the game. The Tigers get a bye week next week against Western Kentucky before taking a trip to Mississippi. Trap game? Not likely. Last Week: #1. Next Game: vs. Western Kentucky
2) Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-0, 6-0) Last Week: #3. Next Game: at Texas Tech
3) Stanford Cardinal (9-0, 7-0) - Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. The Pac-12 game of the week is next week, when Stanford hosts Oregon. Both teams have had trouble defending the run lately, and the could portend a final combined score closer to 100 than to 50. Stanford has a little secret weapon named Andrew Luck, though, and his 26-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio on the year. Oregon's Darron Thomas isn't much worse though, with a ratio of 19-to-5. I guess I'm saying that I think turnovers might be the difference in this game. Last Week: #4. Next Game: vs. #7 Oregon.
4) Boise State Broncos (8-0, 3-0) - I'm always the first one to get to the BSU party, and the last one to leave. Both the AP and the Coaches have one-loss Alabama ahead of the Broncos, but not me. This is Boise State's year, I'm telling you; Oklahoma's gonna beat OSU, and Stanford will lose to the Ducks. Then the voters will have only LSU and Boise State left, at the end of the day. Or, we could just have Boise State beat Alabama 31-10 in the Sugar Bowl. I'm cool with that, too. Last Week: #5. Next Game: vs. #23 TCU
5) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1) - This is becoming my theme for the season: In order to be happy, says Aristotle, man must also be lucky. Alabama went 2 for 6 on field goals in their 9-6 overtime loss to LSU, and only one of those kicks was blocked. The Tide have two more tough road games ahead of them, at Mississippi State and at Auburn. They will now need a lot of help to get to the SEC championship game. Last Week: #2 Next Game: at Mississippi State
6) Oklahoma Sooners (8-1, 5-1) - The Sooners looked pretty scary/good taking apart Texas A&M 41-25, especially in forcing Aggies QB Ryan Tannehill into completing "only" 32 passes in 63 attempts and throwing 3 interceptions. Oklahoma will miss another Ryan, WR Ryan Broyles, who tore his ACL in his left knee. Oklahoma finishes the season at Baylor, home against Iowa State, and then at Oklahoma State for Bedlam. Last Week: #7 Next Game: at Baylor
7) Oregon Ducks (8-1, 6-0) - Maybe for the first time this year, I felt like the Ducks were playing to their full potential in the third quarter against Washington. Their hurry-up offense, their bend-don't-break defense, their fashion sense; all of it seemed to be working for them. Most importantly, their running backs all seemed at full strength, and that should give the Ducks some confidence going in to Palo Alto next week. Last Week: #8 Next Game: at #3 Stanford
8) Arkansas Razorbacks (8-1, 4-1) - After two sloppy wins, the Razorbacks looked good in their 44-28 win against South Carolina. They are also LSU's last obstacle, as they visit Baton Rouge on Nov. 25th for their season finale. Believe it or not, Arkansas can still win the SEC West if they win out, and maybe get some help from the voters. Now wouldn't that just spoil everyone's prefabricated narratives? Last Week: #9 Next Game: vs. Tennessee
9) Houston Cougars (9-0, 5-0) - Sorry, Cougars. After a month of stubbornly keeping them high in my rankings, I can no longer justify keeping them above the top bevy of 1-loss teams. I decided this after realizing that Louisiana-Lafayette is 8-2, and who in their right mind would have them in the top 25? I'm keeping Boise State high because I honestly believe that they could beat Oklahoma or Stanford or Alabama. But could a team like Houston hang with a team like Oregon? No. Last Week: #6 Next Game: at Tulane
10) Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0) - OK, I am now selling on Penn State. Please read this column from the Philadelphia Inquirer. The sports that we love can inspire us and fill us with joy. But they also make people lots of money, and therefore people are willing to commit the worst of sins for the sake of sports. Last Week: #13 Next Game: vs. #20 Nebraska
11) Clemson Tigers (8-1, 5-1) Last Week: #11 Next Game: vs. Wake Forest
12) Michigan State Spartans (7-2, 4-1) - This needs some explaining. Michigan State gets such a big boost not for beating lowly Minnesota but because: a) Nebraska's loss breaks their tie in the "Legends" division, b) Wisconsin won, and Michigan State has to stay ahead of them, and c) there needs to be some space between Clemson and Virginia Tech, because Clemson beat VT 23-3. Still, this is probably too high for the 2-loss Spartans. Last Week: #19 Next Game: at Iowa
13) Virginia Tech Hokies (8-1, 5-1) - I'm not quite sure what to do here. Virginia Tech has only one loss, but that was a 23-3 drubbing at home at the hands of Clemson. Also, VT's best win so far is probably against Wake Forest. All in all, the Hokies play what I think is one of the easiest schedules in college football; they played 0 games against non-conference opponents from a BCS conference, and play a grand total of 2 games against AP Top 25 teams. (No. 9 Clemson, and No. 20 Georgia Tech, next week.) And yet this team could very easily be going to the Orange Bowl. Again. Last Week: #14 Next Game: at Georgia Tech
14) Cincinnati Bearcats (7-1, 3-0) - My father-in-law went to med school at Cincinnati, and they just beat Pitt, where his father went to med school, 26-23. He sometimes calls me after he watches the Ducks play, and makes fun of their uniforms, or their propensity for getting arrested going 180 miles per hour down I-5. The point is, someone is going to win the Big East, and that someone will get to go to a BCS bowl. Maybe it will be Cincinnati. Last Week: #18 Next Game: vs. West Virginia
15) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8-1, 4-1) Last Week: #16 Next Game: vs. UCF
16) Kansas State Wildcats (7-2, 4-2) - That game almost broke my heart. A week after getting their butt's kicked by Oklahoma, the Fighting Snyders come out and play like champions against OK-State, losing 52-45 on three consecutive incomplete passes into the end zone. All is not lost in Manhattan, but here is another sad cruelty about college football: Two weeks ago, the Wildcats were entertaining national championship aspirations. Today, they're hoping that they get an invitation to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Last Week: #12 Next Game: vs. Texas A&M
17) Texas Longhorns (6-2, 3-2) Last Week: #20 Next Game: at Missouri
18) Wisconsin Badgers (7-2, 3-2) - Poor Wisconsin, poor Wisconsin. The Badgers are two plays away from being in line to play for the national championship. As it stands, however, they'll have a tough time even making it to the Big Ten Championship. To do so, they need to win out (against Minnesota, Illinois, and Penn State), and have Penn State lose at least one other game (to either Nebraska or Ohio State), and have Ohio State lose at least once more (to Purdue, Penn State, or Michigan). Is there any way for both Penn State and Ohio State to lose when they play each other Nov. 19? That would be good for the Badgers. Last Week: #21 Next Game: at Minnesota
19) Georgia Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1) - South Carolina's loss is Georgia's win, who are now alone in first place in the SEC East. And what happens when the Bulldogs pull off the upset-of-the-century against LSU in the SEC Championship game? Or even when Les Miles needs one of his patented "acts of God" to escape with a 28-27 win? Against a team that lost to Boise State in Atlanta by two touchdowns? Are you still going to want your LSU-Alabama rematch then? (Yeah, you probably will... ) Last Week: #23 Next Game: vs. #25 Auburn
20) Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2, 3-2) - Sorry, Nebraska fans, but I love that the Cornhuskers lost at home to Northwestern, 28-25. That game had all that I love in a college football game: Underdog coming up big on the road, back-up quarterback leading his team down the stretch, hilarious pictures of despondent home team fans. Onside kicks. An added bonus is the fact that this game has thrown the Big Ten into total chaos, and has more or less ended Nebraska's BCS chances. (Not entirely, though. Something tells me that there's still a lot of chaos to be had.) Last Week: #10 Next Game: at #10 Penn State
21) USC Trojans (7-2, 4-2) - Remember when Colorado use to have a football team? They're 1-9 this year, with losses including: 42-17 to USC, 48-14 to Arizona State, 45-2 to Oregon, 48-7 to Stanford, 52-24 to Washington. Sometimes consistency is not a good thing. Still plenty of time for the Buffaloes to ruin UCLA's or Utah's seasons, though! Matt Barkley's stat line against Colorado: 25 for 39, 318 yards, 6 TDs. Last Week: #25 Next Game: vs. Washington
22) South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2, 5-2) - I think that it has become painfully clear that the most damaging injury in college football has been Marcus Lattimore's torn knee ligament. Without him, South Carolina becomes a one-dimensional team on offense. It's also telling that an Arkansas team that only scored 14 points against Alabama hung 44 on South Carolina. There is still an achievement gap there. Last Week: #15 Next Game: vs. Florida
23) TCU Horned Frogs (7-2, 5-0) - Welcome back from the desert, Horned Frogs! And you're just in time for your showdown against Boise State! I'm not entirely crazy with this pick, as TCU sits just outside of the AP top 25 with 52 voter points. And look at their schedule: Their two losses are 50-48 to Baylor and 40-33 to SMU. And they have wins against Air Force, Brigham Young, and a pretty good Wyoming team. Their schedule has seven bowl eligible teams on it. But make no doubt about it - this is not last year's Rose Bowl squad. Case in point: Wyoming's 353 total yards. Also, Wyoming has a back-up quarterback named Colby Kirkegaard. That's cool. Last Week: NR Next Game: at #4 Boise State
24) Michigan Wolverines (7-2, 3-2) - Here's a nightmare scenario for you: Michigan beats Illinois (next week) and upsets Nebraska (on the 19th). Ohio State wins at Purdue and at home against Penn State. Penn State loses to Nebraska and Ohio State before rebounding to beat Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Michigan State tanks, losing at Iowa and at Northwestern. The Buckeyes then go into Ann Arbor on November 26th, with a winner-take-all trip to the Big Ten championship game on the line. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? No. Last Week: #17 Next Game: at Illinois
25) Auburn Tigers (6-3, 4-2) - Last Week: NR Next Game: at #19 Georgia
2) Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-0, 6-0) Last Week: #3. Next Game: at Texas Tech
3) Stanford Cardinal (9-0, 7-0) - Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. The Pac-12 game of the week is next week, when Stanford hosts Oregon. Both teams have had trouble defending the run lately, and the could portend a final combined score closer to 100 than to 50. Stanford has a little secret weapon named Andrew Luck, though, and his 26-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio on the year. Oregon's Darron Thomas isn't much worse though, with a ratio of 19-to-5. I guess I'm saying that I think turnovers might be the difference in this game. Last Week: #4. Next Game: vs. #7 Oregon.
4) Boise State Broncos (8-0, 3-0) - I'm always the first one to get to the BSU party, and the last one to leave. Both the AP and the Coaches have one-loss Alabama ahead of the Broncos, but not me. This is Boise State's year, I'm telling you; Oklahoma's gonna beat OSU, and Stanford will lose to the Ducks. Then the voters will have only LSU and Boise State left, at the end of the day. Or, we could just have Boise State beat Alabama 31-10 in the Sugar Bowl. I'm cool with that, too. Last Week: #5. Next Game: vs. #23 TCU
5) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1) - This is becoming my theme for the season: In order to be happy, says Aristotle, man must also be lucky. Alabama went 2 for 6 on field goals in their 9-6 overtime loss to LSU, and only one of those kicks was blocked. The Tide have two more tough road games ahead of them, at Mississippi State and at Auburn. They will now need a lot of help to get to the SEC championship game. Last Week: #2 Next Game: at Mississippi State
6) Oklahoma Sooners (8-1, 5-1) - The Sooners looked pretty scary/good taking apart Texas A&M 41-25, especially in forcing Aggies QB Ryan Tannehill into completing "only" 32 passes in 63 attempts and throwing 3 interceptions. Oklahoma will miss another Ryan, WR Ryan Broyles, who tore his ACL in his left knee. Oklahoma finishes the season at Baylor, home against Iowa State, and then at Oklahoma State for Bedlam. Last Week: #7 Next Game: at Baylor
7) Oregon Ducks (8-1, 6-0) - Maybe for the first time this year, I felt like the Ducks were playing to their full potential in the third quarter against Washington. Their hurry-up offense, their bend-don't-break defense, their fashion sense; all of it seemed to be working for them. Most importantly, their running backs all seemed at full strength, and that should give the Ducks some confidence going in to Palo Alto next week. Last Week: #8 Next Game: at #3 Stanford
8) Arkansas Razorbacks (8-1, 4-1) - After two sloppy wins, the Razorbacks looked good in their 44-28 win against South Carolina. They are also LSU's last obstacle, as they visit Baton Rouge on Nov. 25th for their season finale. Believe it or not, Arkansas can still win the SEC West if they win out, and maybe get some help from the voters. Now wouldn't that just spoil everyone's prefabricated narratives? Last Week: #9 Next Game: vs. Tennessee
9) Houston Cougars (9-0, 5-0) - Sorry, Cougars. After a month of stubbornly keeping them high in my rankings, I can no longer justify keeping them above the top bevy of 1-loss teams. I decided this after realizing that Louisiana-Lafayette is 8-2, and who in their right mind would have them in the top 25? I'm keeping Boise State high because I honestly believe that they could beat Oklahoma or Stanford or Alabama. But could a team like Houston hang with a team like Oregon? No. Last Week: #6 Next Game: at Tulane
10) Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0) - OK, I am now selling on Penn State. Please read this column from the Philadelphia Inquirer. The sports that we love can inspire us and fill us with joy. But they also make people lots of money, and therefore people are willing to commit the worst of sins for the sake of sports. Last Week: #13 Next Game: vs. #20 Nebraska
11) Clemson Tigers (8-1, 5-1) Last Week: #11 Next Game: vs. Wake Forest
12) Michigan State Spartans (7-2, 4-1) - This needs some explaining. Michigan State gets such a big boost not for beating lowly Minnesota but because: a) Nebraska's loss breaks their tie in the "Legends" division, b) Wisconsin won, and Michigan State has to stay ahead of them, and c) there needs to be some space between Clemson and Virginia Tech, because Clemson beat VT 23-3. Still, this is probably too high for the 2-loss Spartans. Last Week: #19 Next Game: at Iowa
13) Virginia Tech Hokies (8-1, 5-1) - I'm not quite sure what to do here. Virginia Tech has only one loss, but that was a 23-3 drubbing at home at the hands of Clemson. Also, VT's best win so far is probably against Wake Forest. All in all, the Hokies play what I think is one of the easiest schedules in college football; they played 0 games against non-conference opponents from a BCS conference, and play a grand total of 2 games against AP Top 25 teams. (No. 9 Clemson, and No. 20 Georgia Tech, next week.) And yet this team could very easily be going to the Orange Bowl. Again. Last Week: #14 Next Game: at Georgia Tech
14) Cincinnati Bearcats (7-1, 3-0) - My father-in-law went to med school at Cincinnati, and they just beat Pitt, where his father went to med school, 26-23. He sometimes calls me after he watches the Ducks play, and makes fun of their uniforms, or their propensity for getting arrested going 180 miles per hour down I-5. The point is, someone is going to win the Big East, and that someone will get to go to a BCS bowl. Maybe it will be Cincinnati. Last Week: #18 Next Game: vs. West Virginia
15) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8-1, 4-1) Last Week: #16 Next Game: vs. UCF
16) Kansas State Wildcats (7-2, 4-2) - That game almost broke my heart. A week after getting their butt's kicked by Oklahoma, the Fighting Snyders come out and play like champions against OK-State, losing 52-45 on three consecutive incomplete passes into the end zone. All is not lost in Manhattan, but here is another sad cruelty about college football: Two weeks ago, the Wildcats were entertaining national championship aspirations. Today, they're hoping that they get an invitation to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Last Week: #12 Next Game: vs. Texas A&M
17) Texas Longhorns (6-2, 3-2) Last Week: #20 Next Game: at Missouri
18) Wisconsin Badgers (7-2, 3-2) - Poor Wisconsin, poor Wisconsin. The Badgers are two plays away from being in line to play for the national championship. As it stands, however, they'll have a tough time even making it to the Big Ten Championship. To do so, they need to win out (against Minnesota, Illinois, and Penn State), and have Penn State lose at least one other game (to either Nebraska or Ohio State), and have Ohio State lose at least once more (to Purdue, Penn State, or Michigan). Is there any way for both Penn State and Ohio State to lose when they play each other Nov. 19? That would be good for the Badgers. Last Week: #21 Next Game: at Minnesota
19) Georgia Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1) - South Carolina's loss is Georgia's win, who are now alone in first place in the SEC East. And what happens when the Bulldogs pull off the upset-of-the-century against LSU in the SEC Championship game? Or even when Les Miles needs one of his patented "acts of God" to escape with a 28-27 win? Against a team that lost to Boise State in Atlanta by two touchdowns? Are you still going to want your LSU-Alabama rematch then? (Yeah, you probably will... ) Last Week: #23 Next Game: vs. #25 Auburn
20) Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2, 3-2) - Sorry, Nebraska fans, but I love that the Cornhuskers lost at home to Northwestern, 28-25. That game had all that I love in a college football game: Underdog coming up big on the road, back-up quarterback leading his team down the stretch, hilarious pictures of despondent home team fans. Onside kicks. An added bonus is the fact that this game has thrown the Big Ten into total chaos, and has more or less ended Nebraska's BCS chances. (Not entirely, though. Something tells me that there's still a lot of chaos to be had.) Last Week: #10 Next Game: at #10 Penn State
21) USC Trojans (7-2, 4-2) - Remember when Colorado use to have a football team? They're 1-9 this year, with losses including: 42-17 to USC, 48-14 to Arizona State, 45-2 to Oregon, 48-7 to Stanford, 52-24 to Washington. Sometimes consistency is not a good thing. Still plenty of time for the Buffaloes to ruin UCLA's or Utah's seasons, though! Matt Barkley's stat line against Colorado: 25 for 39, 318 yards, 6 TDs. Last Week: #25 Next Game: vs. Washington
22) South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2, 5-2) - I think that it has become painfully clear that the most damaging injury in college football has been Marcus Lattimore's torn knee ligament. Without him, South Carolina becomes a one-dimensional team on offense. It's also telling that an Arkansas team that only scored 14 points against Alabama hung 44 on South Carolina. There is still an achievement gap there. Last Week: #15 Next Game: vs. Florida
23) TCU Horned Frogs (7-2, 5-0) - Welcome back from the desert, Horned Frogs! And you're just in time for your showdown against Boise State! I'm not entirely crazy with this pick, as TCU sits just outside of the AP top 25 with 52 voter points. And look at their schedule: Their two losses are 50-48 to Baylor and 40-33 to SMU. And they have wins against Air Force, Brigham Young, and a pretty good Wyoming team. Their schedule has seven bowl eligible teams on it. But make no doubt about it - this is not last year's Rose Bowl squad. Case in point: Wyoming's 353 total yards. Also, Wyoming has a back-up quarterback named Colby Kirkegaard. That's cool. Last Week: NR Next Game: at #4 Boise State
24) Michigan Wolverines (7-2, 3-2) - Here's a nightmare scenario for you: Michigan beats Illinois (next week) and upsets Nebraska (on the 19th). Ohio State wins at Purdue and at home against Penn State. Penn State loses to Nebraska and Ohio State before rebounding to beat Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Michigan State tanks, losing at Iowa and at Northwestern. The Buckeyes then go into Ann Arbor on November 26th, with a winner-take-all trip to the Big Ten championship game on the line. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? No. Last Week: #17 Next Game: at Illinois
25) Auburn Tigers (6-3, 4-2) - Last Week: NR Next Game: at #19 Georgia
Bowl Predictions - Nov. 6
BCS Bowl Games
BCS National Championship - LSU vs. Boise State
Rose - Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta - Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Sugar - Alabama vs. Cincinnati
Orange - Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Tier One and Two Bowls
Cotton - Arkansas vs. Texas
Capital One - Georgia vs. Nebraska
Outback - South Carolina vs. Michigan State
Gator - Ohio State vs. Auburn
Chick-fil-A - Clemson vs. Florida
Alamo - Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
Champs Sports - Notre Dame vs. Florida State
Insight - Kansas State vs. Penn State
Holiday - Washington vs. Baylor
Sun - UCLA vs. Miami
Tier Three Bowls
Meineke Car Care - Missouri vs. Michigan
Belk - Georgia Tech vs. West Virginia
Music City - Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest
Pinstripe - Texas Tech vs. Rutgers
Liberty - Houston vs. Syracuse
TicketCity - Southern Miss vs. Iowa
Las Vegas - California vs. TCU
Independence - North Carolina vs. Air Force
St. Petersburg - SMU vs. Louisville
Tier Four Bowls
Poinsettia - Nevada vs. Wyoming
Hawaii - Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Famous Idaho Potato - Louisiana Tech vs. San Diego State
New Orleans - Marshall vs. Louisiana Lafayette
Little Caesar's Pizza - Illinois vs. Ohio
Military - Virginia vs. Navy*
Armed Forces - Brigham Young vs. UCF
Kraft Fight Hunger - Utah vs. Army**
BBVA Compass - Connecticut vs. Tennessee***
GoDaddy.com - Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
*If Navy doesn't have enough wins to qualify, their replacement will come from C-USA. Probably East Carolina.
** If Army doesn't have enough wins to qualify, I think their replacement will come from either the ACC or the WAC. So let's say.... Fresno State?
*** It'll be tough for either of these teams to become bowl eligible this year. BBVA Compass's fall back conferences are the Sun Belt and the ACC. So let's say they'll pick the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and their weird orange blob of a mascot.
BCS National Championship - LSU vs. Boise State
Rose - Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta - Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Sugar - Alabama vs. Cincinnati
Orange - Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Tier One and Two Bowls
Cotton - Arkansas vs. Texas
Capital One - Georgia vs. Nebraska
Outback - South Carolina vs. Michigan State
Gator - Ohio State vs. Auburn
Chick-fil-A - Clemson vs. Florida
Alamo - Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
Champs Sports - Notre Dame vs. Florida State
Insight - Kansas State vs. Penn State
Holiday - Washington vs. Baylor
Sun - UCLA vs. Miami
Tier Three Bowls
Meineke Car Care - Missouri vs. Michigan
Belk - Georgia Tech vs. West Virginia
Music City - Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest
Pinstripe - Texas Tech vs. Rutgers
Liberty - Houston vs. Syracuse
TicketCity - Southern Miss vs. Iowa
Las Vegas - California vs. TCU
Independence - North Carolina vs. Air Force
St. Petersburg - SMU vs. Louisville
Tier Four Bowls
Poinsettia - Nevada vs. Wyoming
Hawaii - Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Famous Idaho Potato - Louisiana Tech vs. San Diego State
New Orleans - Marshall vs. Louisiana Lafayette
Little Caesar's Pizza - Illinois vs. Ohio
Military - Virginia vs. Navy*
Armed Forces - Brigham Young vs. UCF
Kraft Fight Hunger - Utah vs. Army**
BBVA Compass - Connecticut vs. Tennessee***
GoDaddy.com - Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
*If Navy doesn't have enough wins to qualify, their replacement will come from C-USA. Probably East Carolina.
** If Army doesn't have enough wins to qualify, I think their replacement will come from either the ACC or the WAC. So let's say.... Fresno State?
*** It'll be tough for either of these teams to become bowl eligible this year. BBVA Compass's fall back conferences are the Sun Belt and the ACC. So let's say they'll pick the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and their weird orange blob of a mascot.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (9-0, 6-0, +23)
2) Oklahoma State (9-0, 6-0, +18)
3) Stanford (9-0, 7-0, +13)
4) Boise State (8-0, 3-0, +10)
5) Alabama (8-1, 5-1, +14)
6) Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1, +13)
7) Oregon (8-1, 6-0, +10)
8) Arkansas (8-1, 4-1, +11)
9) Houston (9-0, 5-0, +9)
10) Penn State (8-1, 5-0, +7)
11) Clemson (8-1, 5-1, +6)
12) Michigan State (7-2, 4-1, +7)
13) Virginia Tech (8-1, 5-1, +5)
14) Cincinnati (7-1, 3-0, +1)
15) Southern Miss (8-1, 4-1, +3)
16) Kansas State (7-2, 4-2, +6)
17) Texas (6-2, 3-2, +5)
18) Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2, +1)
19) Georgia (7-2, 5-1, 0)
20) Nebraska (7-2, 3-2, +3)
21) USC (7-2, 4-2, 0)
22) South Carolina (7-2, 5-2, -1)
23) TCU (7-2, 5-0, -4)
24) Michigan (7-2, 3-2, -5)
25) Auburn (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Washington (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Ohio State (6-3, 3-2, -6)
Arizona State (6-3, 4-2, -7)
West Virginia (6-3, 2-2, -7)
Illinois (6-3, 2-3, -7)
Florida State (6-3, 3-2, -7)
Notre Dame (6-3, 0-0, -7)
Iowa (6-3, 3-2, -9)
Virgina (6-3, 4-2, -9)
2) Oklahoma State (9-0, 6-0, +18)
3) Stanford (9-0, 7-0, +13)
4) Boise State (8-0, 3-0, +10)
5) Alabama (8-1, 5-1, +14)
6) Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1, +13)
7) Oregon (8-1, 6-0, +10)
8) Arkansas (8-1, 4-1, +11)
9) Houston (9-0, 5-0, +9)
10) Penn State (8-1, 5-0, +7)
11) Clemson (8-1, 5-1, +6)
12) Michigan State (7-2, 4-1, +7)
13) Virginia Tech (8-1, 5-1, +5)
14) Cincinnati (7-1, 3-0, +1)
15) Southern Miss (8-1, 4-1, +3)
16) Kansas State (7-2, 4-2, +6)
17) Texas (6-2, 3-2, +5)
18) Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2, +1)
19) Georgia (7-2, 5-1, 0)
20) Nebraska (7-2, 3-2, +3)
21) USC (7-2, 4-2, 0)
22) South Carolina (7-2, 5-2, -1)
23) TCU (7-2, 5-0, -4)
24) Michigan (7-2, 3-2, -5)
25) Auburn (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Washington (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Ohio State (6-3, 3-2, -6)
Arizona State (6-3, 4-2, -7)
West Virginia (6-3, 2-2, -7)
Illinois (6-3, 2-3, -7)
Florida State (6-3, 3-2, -7)
Notre Dame (6-3, 0-0, -7)
Iowa (6-3, 3-2, -9)
Virgina (6-3, 4-2, -9)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Power Rankings 10/30
1) LSU Tigers (8-0, 5-0)
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - There are two reasons why I'm picking Alabama to beat LSU next weekend. The first is homefield advantage. The second is their offensive line. Alabama's O-Line is big enough and deep enough to control the line of scrimmage, and this will allow Trent Richardson to slowly wear down LSU's defenders. Final score: Alabama 24, LSU 20.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-0, 5-0) - This was the first time that the Cowboys actually made my eyes pop. Intercepting Robert Griffin III twice? Taking a 35-0 lead into halftime? Baylor's not a bad team. On the other hand, they did give up over 600 yards of offense. If they were to play next week, Alabama would destroy this team.
4) Stanford Cardinal (8-0, 6-0)
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - At one point, it looked like Boise State would get to spend another bye week watching television, and watching more highly touted BCS conference teams pass them in the rankings. Instead, they got to see Clemson, Kansas State, and Wisconsin go down in flames, and Stanford barely escape. If you're a Boise State fan, then you want Oregon to beat Stanford and Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma State. Then the road should be clear for your long awaited national championship debut.
6) Houston Cougars (8-0, 4-0)- Case Keenum's state line in Houston's 73-34 win over Rice: 24 for 37, 534 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT. Who throws for nine touchdowns in one game? That's more than Penn State has had all season. Keenum now holds the record for most career touchdown passes with 139.
7) Oklahoma Sooners (7-1, 4-1)
8) Oregon Ducks (7-1, 5-0) - Man, that first half against Washington State looked terrible. The Ducks went into half time ahead 15-10, and their special teams had scored one of those touchdowns, and Wazzu's only touchdown had come on a pick-six against Darron Thomas. The good news? The Duck's bend-don't-break defense allowed only 125 rushing yards against the Cougars. That's something to build on as the Ducks hit the road for games at Washington and at Stanford.
9) Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1, 3-1)- For the second week in a row, the Razorbacks needed a big comeback to beat an inferior SEC opponent, this time against Vanderbilt, 31-28. Their competition gets stiffer down the stretch, with home games against South Carolina and Mississippi State, followed by a season ending road trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU.
10) Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-1, 3-1) - Nebraska's win on Saturday sets up a 3-way tie on top of the "Legends" division with Michigan and Michigan State. The Cornhuskers travel to Ann Arbor on Nov. 19th in a game that could decide the division champion.
11) Clemson Tigers (8-1, 5-1) - Maybe I ought to drop Clemson further for their 31-17 loss to Georgia Tech. The Tigers defense gave up 443 yards, 383 of which were rushing, and the offense turned the ball over four times. Beat Wake Forest on Nov. 12, however, and Clemson will punch their ticket to the ACC Championship game. Win that and they're in the Orange Bowl.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (7-1, 4-1)
13) Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0) - Ew. Gross. Penn State's 10-7 win over Illinois was maybe the worst football game that I have ever seen, snow or no snow. Congrats to JoePa on win #409, though, and the Nittany Lions now have a 2 1/2 game lead over Wisconsin in the "Leaders" Division. I'm not quite ready to sell on this team and their "incompetent quarterback play" (quote ABC) yet.
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas Longhorns (5-2, 2-2) - Who is the best team in the state of Texas? Honestly, I would have to go with the TCU Horned Frogs right now. I would actually spot them two touchdowns against the Texas A&M Aggies, because I hate Rick P(a)rry. But it's the good ol' Longhorns who have the inside track right now, with the hardest part of their schedule behind them. Losing to an SEC team by 20 in the Cotton Bowl should be their reward.
21) Wisconsin Badgers (6-2, 2-2) - Aristotle once said that, in order to be supremely happy, a man must also be lucky. The Badgers have the talent, but lady luck has not been on their side, as they lost another heartbreaker at Ohio State, 33-29. All is not lost, however; their remaining schedule is Purdue, at Minnesota, at Illinois, Penn State. There could be a lot on the line in that season finale against the Nittany Lions.
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC Trojans (6-2, 3-2) - How much should you punish a team for losing to a Top 5 team in quadruple overtime? USC was able to show an interesting weakness in the Cardinal: They rushed for only 146 yards, but averaged 6.6 yards per rush. I only watched the first half of this game, but why didn't Lane Kiffen stick with the run? Cue Barner. Cue Bennet. Cue Thomas. Cue Thomas. Cue James.
Dropped out: Texas Tech, Texas A&M
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - There are two reasons why I'm picking Alabama to beat LSU next weekend. The first is homefield advantage. The second is their offensive line. Alabama's O-Line is big enough and deep enough to control the line of scrimmage, and this will allow Trent Richardson to slowly wear down LSU's defenders. Final score: Alabama 24, LSU 20.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-0, 5-0) - This was the first time that the Cowboys actually made my eyes pop. Intercepting Robert Griffin III twice? Taking a 35-0 lead into halftime? Baylor's not a bad team. On the other hand, they did give up over 600 yards of offense. If they were to play next week, Alabama would destroy this team.
4) Stanford Cardinal (8-0, 6-0)
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - At one point, it looked like Boise State would get to spend another bye week watching television, and watching more highly touted BCS conference teams pass them in the rankings. Instead, they got to see Clemson, Kansas State, and Wisconsin go down in flames, and Stanford barely escape. If you're a Boise State fan, then you want Oregon to beat Stanford and Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma State. Then the road should be clear for your long awaited national championship debut.
6) Houston Cougars (8-0, 4-0)- Case Keenum's state line in Houston's 73-34 win over Rice: 24 for 37, 534 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT. Who throws for nine touchdowns in one game? That's more than Penn State has had all season. Keenum now holds the record for most career touchdown passes with 139.
7) Oklahoma Sooners (7-1, 4-1)
8) Oregon Ducks (7-1, 5-0) - Man, that first half against Washington State looked terrible. The Ducks went into half time ahead 15-10, and their special teams had scored one of those touchdowns, and Wazzu's only touchdown had come on a pick-six against Darron Thomas. The good news? The Duck's bend-don't-break defense allowed only 125 rushing yards against the Cougars. That's something to build on as the Ducks hit the road for games at Washington and at Stanford.
9) Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1, 3-1)- For the second week in a row, the Razorbacks needed a big comeback to beat an inferior SEC opponent, this time against Vanderbilt, 31-28. Their competition gets stiffer down the stretch, with home games against South Carolina and Mississippi State, followed by a season ending road trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU.
10) Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-1, 3-1) - Nebraska's win on Saturday sets up a 3-way tie on top of the "Legends" division with Michigan and Michigan State. The Cornhuskers travel to Ann Arbor on Nov. 19th in a game that could decide the division champion.
11) Clemson Tigers (8-1, 5-1) - Maybe I ought to drop Clemson further for their 31-17 loss to Georgia Tech. The Tigers defense gave up 443 yards, 383 of which were rushing, and the offense turned the ball over four times. Beat Wake Forest on Nov. 12, however, and Clemson will punch their ticket to the ACC Championship game. Win that and they're in the Orange Bowl.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (7-1, 4-1)
13) Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0) - Ew. Gross. Penn State's 10-7 win over Illinois was maybe the worst football game that I have ever seen, snow or no snow. Congrats to JoePa on win #409, though, and the Nittany Lions now have a 2 1/2 game lead over Wisconsin in the "Leaders" Division. I'm not quite ready to sell on this team and their "incompetent quarterback play" (quote ABC) yet.
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas Longhorns (5-2, 2-2) - Who is the best team in the state of Texas? Honestly, I would have to go with the TCU Horned Frogs right now. I would actually spot them two touchdowns against the Texas A&M Aggies, because I hate Rick P(a)rry. But it's the good ol' Longhorns who have the inside track right now, with the hardest part of their schedule behind them. Losing to an SEC team by 20 in the Cotton Bowl should be their reward.
21) Wisconsin Badgers (6-2, 2-2) - Aristotle once said that, in order to be supremely happy, a man must also be lucky. The Badgers have the talent, but lady luck has not been on their side, as they lost another heartbreaker at Ohio State, 33-29. All is not lost, however; their remaining schedule is Purdue, at Minnesota, at Illinois, Penn State. There could be a lot on the line in that season finale against the Nittany Lions.
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC Trojans (6-2, 3-2) - How much should you punish a team for losing to a Top 5 team in quadruple overtime? USC was able to show an interesting weakness in the Cardinal: They rushed for only 146 yards, but averaged 6.6 yards per rush. I only watched the first half of this game, but why didn't Lane Kiffen stick with the run? Cue Barner. Cue Bennet. Cue Thomas. Cue Thomas. Cue James.
Dropped out: Texas Tech, Texas A&M
Saturday, October 29, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (8-0, 5-0, +17)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (8-0, 5-0, +14)
4) Stanford (8-0, 6-0, +12)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Houston (8-0, 4-0, +8)
7) Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1, +12)
8) Oregon (7-1, 5-0, +8)
9) Arkansas (7-1, 3-1, +7)
10) Nebraska (7-1, 3-1, +9)
11) Clemson (8-1, 5-1, +6)
12) Kansas State (7-1, 4-1, +7)
13) Penn State (8-1, 5-0, +7)
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas (5-2, 2-2, +4)
21) Wisconsin (6-2, 2-2, 0)
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC (6-2, 3-2, -1)
Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2, -1)
West Virginia (6-2, 2-1, -1)
TCU (6-2, 4-0, -5)
Auburn (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2, -4)
Texas Tech (5 -3, 2-3, -5)
Illinois (6-3, 2-3, -7)
Notre Dame (5-3, 0-0, -8)
Florida State (5-3, 2-2, -8)
Syracuse (5-3, 1-2, -9)
Brigham Young (6-3, 0-0, -9)
Iowa (6-3, 2-2, -12)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (8-0, 5-0, +14)
4) Stanford (8-0, 6-0, +12)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Houston (8-0, 4-0, +8)
7) Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1, +12)
8) Oregon (7-1, 5-0, +8)
9) Arkansas (7-1, 3-1, +7)
10) Nebraska (7-1, 3-1, +9)
11) Clemson (8-1, 5-1, +6)
12) Kansas State (7-1, 4-1, +7)
13) Penn State (8-1, 5-0, +7)
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas (5-2, 2-2, +4)
21) Wisconsin (6-2, 2-2, 0)
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC (6-2, 3-2, -1)
Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2, -1)
West Virginia (6-2, 2-1, -1)
TCU (6-2, 4-0, -5)
Auburn (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2, -4)
Texas Tech (5 -3, 2-3, -5)
Illinois (6-3, 2-3, -7)
Notre Dame (5-3, 0-0, -8)
Florida State (5-3, 2-2, -8)
Syracuse (5-3, 1-2, -9)
Brigham Young (6-3, 0-0, -9)
Iowa (6-3, 2-2, -12)
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Power Rankings 10/23
1) LSU Tigers (8-0, 5-0) - Well, the day of Armageddon is set, with both LSU and Alabama undefeated and 1-2 going into their Nov. 5 showdown in Tuscaloosa. Neither side has shown much in the way of any weaknesses up to this point, so somebody's going to have to get creative. Here's a mild little prediction: Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson will both be on the field for more than one play during the game.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - The SEC is definitely the best conference in the nation, but is it the deepest? I only have four ranked SEC teams, compared to six for the Big 12, five for the Big Ten, and four for the Pac-12. The AP has five ranked SEC teams, five Big 12, five Big Ten, and four Pac-12. After Arkansas, there's really a steep drop in the level of competition. Another small prediction: Alabama will run the ball no less than 60% of the time, and will pass it no more than 40% of the time.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0, 4-0) - And just like that, it's the Cowboys who control their destiny in the Big 12. A lot of folks have been wondering why OK-State is valued so highly by the BCS computers, and I think I have something of an answer: 1) The Big 12's excellent non-conference record gives them an advantage against top schools from other conferences, 2) The computers value their non-conference wins over Arizona and Tulsa more than the humans, and 3) They have already beaten Texas A&M and Texas, two schools that the computers (and humans) absolutely adore.
4) Stanford Cardinal (7-0, 5-0) - So if I'm Chip Kelly, and I'm watching tape of the Cardinal's 65-21 dismantling of Washington, here's what I see: Stanford's 446 rushing yards, averaging 10.1 yards per play, with three different players rushing for more than 90 yards. I also see this: 1 punt, 0 turnovers. Oregon's linebackers better be ready.
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - I spent most of last evening getting ready to justify giving the Broncos a big drop in the rankings after they beat Air Force 37-26 on the Smurf Turf. They still get dinged, as the Falcons may have figured something out in their, "Don't let Kellen Moore touch the ball," strategy. However, the future for Boise State looks much rosier now with Oklahoma and Wisconsin out of the way, and with all four teams ahead of them still facing tough competition down the road. Also, congrats to Moore on tying Colt McCoy for the all-time wins record. Just for fun, his stat line: 23/29, 281 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
6) Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0) - Here's my problem with Clemson: With wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, they have had as hard of a road to 8-0 as anybody. (Except LSU, obviously.) But whenever I put them on that Platonic Neutral Field against Boise State, I can't see anyway in which they come out on top. The only kind of data I could back this belief up with is the ACC's mediocre 6-7 record against other BCS conferences, and conference losses to Temple and UCF. Still, that's not Clemson's fault, right?
7) Kansas State Wildcats (7-0, 4-0) - Kansas State could turn out to be either the biggest winner or the biggest loser from Texas Tech's upset of Oklahoma. The Wildcats host the Sooners next weekend, and I see two distinct possibilities coming out of that game: Either Oklahoma takes out their frustrations on an overwhelmed K-State, and come away with a 56-21 win, or they come stumbling into Manhattan, unable to focus, and fall to a focused and prepared Wildcats team, 42-28. The X-factor should be the Kansas State defense, which held Kansas to less than 4 yards per play and forced 2 turnovers in a 59-21 victory.
8) Houston Cougars (7-0, 3-0) - Is Houston the new Boise State? Even if they get locked out of the National Championship, an undefeated Boise State would still have enough street cred to get a spot in the Sugar Bowl (Tyrann Mathieu, meet Kellen Moore) or the Fiesta Bowl (Greatest Game Ever, part 2?) Unfortunately, a 13-0 Houston squad would probably get nothing better than the Liberty Bowl, where they'd get Vanderbilt, or Mississippi State, maybe Tennessee if they're lucky.
9) Oregon Ducks (6-1, 4-0) - Neither LaMichael James nor Darron Thomas played in Oregon's 45-2 win over Colorado. I'm so glad that Chip Kelly reads this blog. While he's here, he should read what I just wrote about #4 Stanford. (Also, 45 to two? What's up with that?)
10) Oklahoma Sooners (6-1, 3-1) - Yes! I am so glad that Oklahoma lost - I have been rooting against them since the season started, both because of my personal dislike for the Sooners and because I was always disgusted by voters putting them ahead of LSU/Alabama. However, I think that they should still be considered the favorites to win the Big 12, and, who knows? All it takes is a few more weeks of this type of insanity to get some of these one-loss teams back into the Championship discussion. But first they've got to get past K-State.
11) Michigan State Spartans (6-1, 3-0) - There are maybe a million things to love about the Michigan State-Wisconsin game. Here are some of mine: 1) The joy of watching a game as an uninterested spectator. If the Ducks had been in this game, I would have been an emotional wreck. Instead, I got to watch two teams I both feel vaguely friendly towards play an epic game. 2) The aesthetic of the Big Ten. Call it throw back or classic or whatever, but there is just something cool about watching the "Green Team" versus the "Red Team." Reminds me of this other game between "two teams clad in resplendent uniforms." 3) Kirk Cousins and Russel Wilson. Cousins got the better of the showdown this weekend, with a stat line of 22/31, 290 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs, but they both come off as good people, and it would be awesome to see a rematch in December.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (6-1, 2-1) - Arkansas had to rally from down 17 to beat bottom dwelling Ole Miss, 29-24. I don't really care, though, so let me talk about New Mexico. The Lobos - the worst team in FBS football for a while now - lost to TCU 69-0 on Saturday. There's no doubt that UNM is bad, but they also have a strangely hard schedule. In addition to TCU, they've also lost to Arkansas 52-3, Nevada 49-7, and Texas Tech 59-13. Still on the docket: Air Force and Boise State. The one good thing about being a crappy football team? People will pay you money to lose to them.
13) Wisconsin Badgers (6-1, 2-1) - What should the difference in the ranking be when the difference on the field was less than six inches? Here's a funny bit of trivia: The Big Ten and the ACC are the only BCS conferences to have had only one team represent them in the BCS National Championship Game. (Ohio State for the Big Ten, Florida State for the ACC.) This doesn't look like it will change any time soon for the Big Ten, but never say never. The Badgers still have the clearest road to the Big Ten championship, where they could get a rematch with either Michigan State or Nebraska.
14) Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0) - Congratulations to Joe Paterno for career victory #408, 34-24 over Northwestern. You want Penn State out of the rankings? You beat them, then. (Before I eat my words, combined record of Penn State's next four opponents: 22-7. Also, their logos, in order, spell I NOW. That's neat.)
15) Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1, 2-1) - The Big Ten spotlight will be on Lincoln next week, as the Cornhuskers host the surging Spartans. More than any other, this game will probably decide who will represent the "Legends" division in the Big Ten championship. It will also be by far the toughest game left for the Spartans, so if Nebraska wants to get to a BCS game this year, now is their chance to show they deserve it.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1, 3-1) - Despite getting their butts kicked by Clemson 23-3 two weeks ago, Virginia Tech is still in good shape to return to the ACC Championship, and, possibly, revenge game. Key to their hopes will be a Thursday night game at suddenly struggling Georgia Tech, on Nov. 10th. Here's betting that the Hokies will be more than ready for the Yellow Jacket's triple option attack.
17) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1)
18) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - One of the big losers of the Michigan State-Wisconsin game are the Wolverines. The Spartans remain a game ahead of them in the conference standings, and own the tie-breaker. Even with their relatively weak schedule ahead, Michigan is going to need a lot of outside help to contend for a conference championship.
19) USC Trojans (6-1, 3-1) - The Trojans' 31-17 win over Notre Dame was their ninth win over the Irish in their last ten games, although USC still trails the overall rivalry - dating back to 1926 - 43-34-5. USC also ended Notre Dame's four game winning streak, although the Irish, at 4-3, are still in a nice spot for a good bowl game. The rest of their schedule: Navy, at Wake Forest, Maryland, Boston College, at Stanford. Any Irish fan who is not happy with an 8-4 season has totally lost touch with reality.
20) Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1, 2-0) - Remind me to never mention the Big East again. One week after I start hyping West Virginia vs. Rutgers for the conference title, both teams lose in inglorious fashion to inferior teams. Cincinnati is now in the driver's seat as the only team left without a conference loss. Remember how terrible last year's Oklahoma versus Connecticut Fiesta Bowl was? No? Oh, right, I forgot. Nobody watched it.
21) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-1, 2-1) - Say hello to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, who are now 6-1, with wins over Virginia, Navy, and SMU, and are in the running for a C-USA championship. Also say hello to cornerback Marquese Wheaton from Phoenix, Arizona, who had two INTs in their 27-3 win over SMU, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
22) Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 3-1) - Welcome to the Lonestar section of my rankings. I have been hard on A&M, and the whole Big 12 as a conference, basically because I think they're all overrated. But the Aggies come in on top based on their head-to-head win over Tech and that their two losses so far are to #3 Oklahoma State and #12 Arkansas. They get Missouri at home before a Nov. 5 trip to Norman. Man, that's going to be a big day in college football!
23) Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2) - As absurd as it sounds in 41-38 game with over 1,000 yards of combined offense, the key to the Red Raiders' win was defense. Specifically that they held Oklahoma to "only" 124 yards rushing, meaning that the Sooners had no choice but to take to the air. Another key stat: Oklahoma was only 5 for 17 on third down conversions, which resulted in 7 punts and a 35:01-24:59 edge for Tech in time of possession.
24) Texas Longhorns (4-2, 1-2)
25) Washington Huskies (5-2, 3-1) - I had no idea who to put in this spot. I wanted Arizona State, but they can't come back into the top 25 until Illinois loses again. Georgia's coming up strong and fast, but they had a bye week, and their best win so far has been against 4-3 Vanderbilt. The other nominees were Syracuse, but I just couldn't bring myself to include another Big East team at #25, and BYU, who dominated in a 56-3 win over... Idaho State.... So the Huskies it is, who drop five spots after their loss to Stanford, and who get a chance at redemption next week against Arizona before back-to-back games against the Ducks and the Trojans.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - The SEC is definitely the best conference in the nation, but is it the deepest? I only have four ranked SEC teams, compared to six for the Big 12, five for the Big Ten, and four for the Pac-12. The AP has five ranked SEC teams, five Big 12, five Big Ten, and four Pac-12. After Arkansas, there's really a steep drop in the level of competition. Another small prediction: Alabama will run the ball no less than 60% of the time, and will pass it no more than 40% of the time.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0, 4-0) - And just like that, it's the Cowboys who control their destiny in the Big 12. A lot of folks have been wondering why OK-State is valued so highly by the BCS computers, and I think I have something of an answer: 1) The Big 12's excellent non-conference record gives them an advantage against top schools from other conferences, 2) The computers value their non-conference wins over Arizona and Tulsa more than the humans, and 3) They have already beaten Texas A&M and Texas, two schools that the computers (and humans) absolutely adore.
4) Stanford Cardinal (7-0, 5-0) - So if I'm Chip Kelly, and I'm watching tape of the Cardinal's 65-21 dismantling of Washington, here's what I see: Stanford's 446 rushing yards, averaging 10.1 yards per play, with three different players rushing for more than 90 yards. I also see this: 1 punt, 0 turnovers. Oregon's linebackers better be ready.
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - I spent most of last evening getting ready to justify giving the Broncos a big drop in the rankings after they beat Air Force 37-26 on the Smurf Turf. They still get dinged, as the Falcons may have figured something out in their, "Don't let Kellen Moore touch the ball," strategy. However, the future for Boise State looks much rosier now with Oklahoma and Wisconsin out of the way, and with all four teams ahead of them still facing tough competition down the road. Also, congrats to Moore on tying Colt McCoy for the all-time wins record. Just for fun, his stat line: 23/29, 281 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
6) Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0) - Here's my problem with Clemson: With wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, they have had as hard of a road to 8-0 as anybody. (Except LSU, obviously.) But whenever I put them on that Platonic Neutral Field against Boise State, I can't see anyway in which they come out on top. The only kind of data I could back this belief up with is the ACC's mediocre 6-7 record against other BCS conferences, and conference losses to Temple and UCF. Still, that's not Clemson's fault, right?
7) Kansas State Wildcats (7-0, 4-0) - Kansas State could turn out to be either the biggest winner or the biggest loser from Texas Tech's upset of Oklahoma. The Wildcats host the Sooners next weekend, and I see two distinct possibilities coming out of that game: Either Oklahoma takes out their frustrations on an overwhelmed K-State, and come away with a 56-21 win, or they come stumbling into Manhattan, unable to focus, and fall to a focused and prepared Wildcats team, 42-28. The X-factor should be the Kansas State defense, which held Kansas to less than 4 yards per play and forced 2 turnovers in a 59-21 victory.
8) Houston Cougars (7-0, 3-0) - Is Houston the new Boise State? Even if they get locked out of the National Championship, an undefeated Boise State would still have enough street cred to get a spot in the Sugar Bowl (Tyrann Mathieu, meet Kellen Moore) or the Fiesta Bowl (Greatest Game Ever, part 2?) Unfortunately, a 13-0 Houston squad would probably get nothing better than the Liberty Bowl, where they'd get Vanderbilt, or Mississippi State, maybe Tennessee if they're lucky.
9) Oregon Ducks (6-1, 4-0) - Neither LaMichael James nor Darron Thomas played in Oregon's 45-2 win over Colorado. I'm so glad that Chip Kelly reads this blog. While he's here, he should read what I just wrote about #4 Stanford. (Also, 45 to two? What's up with that?)
10) Oklahoma Sooners (6-1, 3-1) - Yes! I am so glad that Oklahoma lost - I have been rooting against them since the season started, both because of my personal dislike for the Sooners and because I was always disgusted by voters putting them ahead of LSU/Alabama. However, I think that they should still be considered the favorites to win the Big 12, and, who knows? All it takes is a few more weeks of this type of insanity to get some of these one-loss teams back into the Championship discussion. But first they've got to get past K-State.
11) Michigan State Spartans (6-1, 3-0) - There are maybe a million things to love about the Michigan State-Wisconsin game. Here are some of mine: 1) The joy of watching a game as an uninterested spectator. If the Ducks had been in this game, I would have been an emotional wreck. Instead, I got to watch two teams I both feel vaguely friendly towards play an epic game. 2) The aesthetic of the Big Ten. Call it throw back or classic or whatever, but there is just something cool about watching the "Green Team" versus the "Red Team." Reminds me of this other game between "two teams clad in resplendent uniforms." 3) Kirk Cousins and Russel Wilson. Cousins got the better of the showdown this weekend, with a stat line of 22/31, 290 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs, but they both come off as good people, and it would be awesome to see a rematch in December.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (6-1, 2-1) - Arkansas had to rally from down 17 to beat bottom dwelling Ole Miss, 29-24. I don't really care, though, so let me talk about New Mexico. The Lobos - the worst team in FBS football for a while now - lost to TCU 69-0 on Saturday. There's no doubt that UNM is bad, but they also have a strangely hard schedule. In addition to TCU, they've also lost to Arkansas 52-3, Nevada 49-7, and Texas Tech 59-13. Still on the docket: Air Force and Boise State. The one good thing about being a crappy football team? People will pay you money to lose to them.
13) Wisconsin Badgers (6-1, 2-1) - What should the difference in the ranking be when the difference on the field was less than six inches? Here's a funny bit of trivia: The Big Ten and the ACC are the only BCS conferences to have had only one team represent them in the BCS National Championship Game. (Ohio State for the Big Ten, Florida State for the ACC.) This doesn't look like it will change any time soon for the Big Ten, but never say never. The Badgers still have the clearest road to the Big Ten championship, where they could get a rematch with either Michigan State or Nebraska.
14) Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0) - Congratulations to Joe Paterno for career victory #408, 34-24 over Northwestern. You want Penn State out of the rankings? You beat them, then. (Before I eat my words, combined record of Penn State's next four opponents: 22-7. Also, their logos, in order, spell I NOW. That's neat.)
15) Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1, 2-1) - The Big Ten spotlight will be on Lincoln next week, as the Cornhuskers host the surging Spartans. More than any other, this game will probably decide who will represent the "Legends" division in the Big Ten championship. It will also be by far the toughest game left for the Spartans, so if Nebraska wants to get to a BCS game this year, now is their chance to show they deserve it.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1, 3-1) - Despite getting their butts kicked by Clemson 23-3 two weeks ago, Virginia Tech is still in good shape to return to the ACC Championship, and, possibly, revenge game. Key to their hopes will be a Thursday night game at suddenly struggling Georgia Tech, on Nov. 10th. Here's betting that the Hokies will be more than ready for the Yellow Jacket's triple option attack.
17) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1)
18) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - One of the big losers of the Michigan State-Wisconsin game are the Wolverines. The Spartans remain a game ahead of them in the conference standings, and own the tie-breaker. Even with their relatively weak schedule ahead, Michigan is going to need a lot of outside help to contend for a conference championship.
19) USC Trojans (6-1, 3-1) - The Trojans' 31-17 win over Notre Dame was their ninth win over the Irish in their last ten games, although USC still trails the overall rivalry - dating back to 1926 - 43-34-5. USC also ended Notre Dame's four game winning streak, although the Irish, at 4-3, are still in a nice spot for a good bowl game. The rest of their schedule: Navy, at Wake Forest, Maryland, Boston College, at Stanford. Any Irish fan who is not happy with an 8-4 season has totally lost touch with reality.
20) Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1, 2-0) - Remind me to never mention the Big East again. One week after I start hyping West Virginia vs. Rutgers for the conference title, both teams lose in inglorious fashion to inferior teams. Cincinnati is now in the driver's seat as the only team left without a conference loss. Remember how terrible last year's Oklahoma versus Connecticut Fiesta Bowl was? No? Oh, right, I forgot. Nobody watched it.
21) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-1, 2-1) - Say hello to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, who are now 6-1, with wins over Virginia, Navy, and SMU, and are in the running for a C-USA championship. Also say hello to cornerback Marquese Wheaton from Phoenix, Arizona, who had two INTs in their 27-3 win over SMU, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
22) Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 3-1) - Welcome to the Lonestar section of my rankings. I have been hard on A&M, and the whole Big 12 as a conference, basically because I think they're all overrated. But the Aggies come in on top based on their head-to-head win over Tech and that their two losses so far are to #3 Oklahoma State and #12 Arkansas. They get Missouri at home before a Nov. 5 trip to Norman. Man, that's going to be a big day in college football!
23) Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2) - As absurd as it sounds in 41-38 game with over 1,000 yards of combined offense, the key to the Red Raiders' win was defense. Specifically that they held Oklahoma to "only" 124 yards rushing, meaning that the Sooners had no choice but to take to the air. Another key stat: Oklahoma was only 5 for 17 on third down conversions, which resulted in 7 punts and a 35:01-24:59 edge for Tech in time of possession.
24) Texas Longhorns (4-2, 1-2)
25) Washington Huskies (5-2, 3-1) - I had no idea who to put in this spot. I wanted Arizona State, but they can't come back into the top 25 until Illinois loses again. Georgia's coming up strong and fast, but they had a bye week, and their best win so far has been against 4-3 Vanderbilt. The other nominees were Syracuse, but I just couldn't bring myself to include another Big East team at #25, and BYU, who dominated in a 56-3 win over... Idaho State.... So the Huskies it is, who drop five spots after their loss to Stanford, and who get a chance at redemption next week against Arizona before back-to-back games against the Ducks and the Trojans.
Snap Judgments
"You talk about an instant classic..." says the voice of Brent Musberger after Michigan State comes away with a 37-31 win over #6 Wisconsin on a last second Hail Mary pass from QB Kirk Cousins to QB-turned-WR Keith Nichol. When was the last time you ever saw a football game actually won on a Hail Mary? In our sports mythology, I suppose that the Hail Mary exists somewhere alongside the walk-off home run in terms of magical moments, of miracles. Except that walk-offs actually tend to happen all the time, and that, even though you can hold out hope forever, a football game is always never won on a Hail Mary.
My Top 25
1) LSU (8-0, 5-0, +17)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (7-0, 4-0, +13)
4) Stanford (7-0, 5-0, +9)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Clemson (8-0, 5-0, +12)
7) Kansas State (7-0, 4-0, +9)
8) Houston (7-0, 3-0, +7)
9) Oregon (6-1, 4-0, +7)
10) Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1, +7)
11) Michigan State (6-1, 3-0, +9)
12) Arkansas (6-1, 2-1, +6)
13) Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1, +6)
14) Penn State (7-1, 4-0, +6)
15) Nebraska (6-1, 2-1, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (7-1, 3-1, +4)
17) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
18) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
19) USC (6-1, 3-1, 0)
20) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
21) Southern Miss (6-1, 2-1, +1)
22) Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1, +2)
23) Texas Tech (5-2, 2-2, +1)
24) Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
25) Washington (5-2, 3-1, 0)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Syracuse (5-2, 1-1, -3)
Brigham Young (6-2, 0-0, -3)
Illinois (6-2, 2-2, -4)
West Virginia (5-2, 1-1, -2)
SMU (5-2, 3-1, -4)
Rutgers (5-2, 2-1, -5)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2, -6)
Wake Forest (5-2, 3-1, -6)
TCU (5-2, 3-0, -6)
Iowa (6-2, 2-1, -6)
Auburn (5-3, 3-2, -2)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
Notre Dame (4-3, 0-0, -9)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (7-0, 4-0, +13)
4) Stanford (7-0, 5-0, +9)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Clemson (8-0, 5-0, +12)
7) Kansas State (7-0, 4-0, +9)
8) Houston (7-0, 3-0, +7)
9) Oregon (6-1, 4-0, +7)
10) Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1, +7)
11) Michigan State (6-1, 3-0, +9)
12) Arkansas (6-1, 2-1, +6)
13) Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1, +6)
14) Penn State (7-1, 4-0, +6)
15) Nebraska (6-1, 2-1, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (7-1, 3-1, +4)
17) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
18) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
19) USC (6-1, 3-1, 0)
20) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
21) Southern Miss (6-1, 2-1, +1)
22) Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1, +2)
23) Texas Tech (5-2, 2-2, +1)
24) Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
25) Washington (5-2, 3-1, 0)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Syracuse (5-2, 1-1, -3)
Brigham Young (6-2, 0-0, -3)
Illinois (6-2, 2-2, -4)
West Virginia (5-2, 1-1, -2)
SMU (5-2, 3-1, -4)
Rutgers (5-2, 2-1, -5)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2, -6)
Wake Forest (5-2, 3-1, -6)
TCU (5-2, 3-0, -6)
Iowa (6-2, 2-1, -6)
Auburn (5-3, 3-2, -2)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
Notre Dame (4-3, 0-0, -9)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Power Rankings 10/16-10/22
1) LSU Tigers (7-0, 4-0) - After dismantling the Mississippi Rebels, Alabama coach Nick Saban said, "We're more like Joe Frazier than Ali. We have to pound it." Perfect - LSU can be Ali, winning by making the opponent make mistakes (Tennessee QB Matt Simms stat line in their 38-7 loss: 20 attempts, 6 completions, 2 interceptions), by controlling the tempo (Time of Possession: 38:19 - 21:41) and by outright explosiveness.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) - A lot of ink/pixels have been spillt praising the Tide's dominant defense. On Saturday against Ole Miss, their offense was on display: 52 points, 615 yards, 9.2 yards per play, 1 punt, 0 turnover. Trent Richardson accounted for 213 yards on his own, and scored 4 TDs.
3) Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0) - I could no longer justify keeping Oklahoma beneath Boise State after their 55-17 shellacking of Texas. Then, they reward me with a shaky win over bottom dwelling Kansas. The bottom line is this: Oklahoma's two best wins so far are against 3-3 Florida State and 4-2 Texas. They have yet to convince me of their elite status.
4) Boise State Broncos (6-0, 1-0)
5) Wisconsin Badgers (6-0, 2-0) - I was a little disappointed in Wisconsin's 59-7 win over hapless Indiana; it's nothing close to last year's 83-20 final. Things will get a little tougher for the Badgers next week, when they take the best offense in the Big Ten into East Lansing to take on Michigan State and their top-ranked defense.
6) Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0, 3-0) - So now that I have disparaged Oklahoma, let me turn around and praise them. Comparing common opponents is a dangerous game, but the Texas team that got dominated 55-17 by Oklahoma gave Oklahoma State everything they could handle in a 38-26 game. The Cowboys still have work to do if they want to pull off the upset at Bedlam.
7) Stanford Cardinal (6-0, 4-0) - More than any other team, the Cardinal have suffered from playing a weak schedule that doesn't lend itself to must-see-TV. Their smallest margin of victory so far is 26; however, their opponents combined record is 14-24. This may change, as USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame are still on the docket. However, only one of these teams is actually any good right now. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck's stat line: 23 for 36, 336 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
8) Clemson Tigers (7-0, 4-0) - In many ways, Saturday was a kind of "Separation Saturday," with three teams that we all kind of knew shouldn't have been undefeated - Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia Tech - all losing, while dominant teams like LSU, Alabama, and Wisconsin all rolled. For a while, it looked like Clemson would join the former group, the "Pretenders" division, as they went back and forth with Maryland. In the end, however, they prevailed, 56-45. Is it time now to move them into the "Contenders" division?
9) Kansas State Wildcats (6-0, 3-0)
10) Houston Cougars (6-0, 2-0)
11) Oregon Ducks (5-1, 3-0) - Yeah, I held my breath after Darron Thomas went down with an injury in the third quarter against Arizona State. But then freshman Bryan Bennet came in, and ran the blur offense the way it's supposed to, running for 64 yards and extending the Ducks' lead from 27-24 to 41-27. If I were Chip Kelly, I would seriously considering giving Bennet the start - and sitting and resting both Thomas and LaMichael James - in the Duck's next two games, against Colorado and Washington State.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1, 1-1) - I really feel bad for Arkansas. In any other conference, in any other division, they would be in the hunt for a conference championship and a likely BCS bid. But they're in the SEC West, buried beneath LSU and Alabama. This week was a bye for the Hogs, who handled Auburn 38-14 last week. They have road trips to Ole Miss and Tennessee before hosting South Carolina on Nov. 5. Call it the undercard to Muhammad "LSU" Ali vs. Joe "Alabama" Frazier.
13) Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 1-1)
14) West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0)
15) Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-0) - Another week, another ugly win over an inferior opponent for the Nittany Lions, this time 23-18 over Purdue. Don't look now, but Penn State's on top of the "Leaders" division.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1, 2-1)
17) Michigan State Spartans (5-1, 2-0) - Michigan State has now beaten Michigan for four straight years, matching their longest win streak, from 1959-62. More importantly, the Spartans have reinserted themselves into the Big Ten title talk. They are the only team in the "Legends" division without a conference loss, but this record will be challenged next week when Wisconsin comes to town.
18) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1) - You know those games? Those games that a team has absolutely no right to win, and yet, by some miracle, they win anyway? Auburn had about five of those games last year. South Carolina had one of those on Saturday, beating Mississippi State 14-12 on a fourth quarter jump ball in the endzone. If they manage to get back to the SEC Championship game, look back at this game as a favorable sign.
19) Illinois Illini (6-1, 2-1) - That was an incredibly frustrating game. The Illini lost at home to Ohio State 17-7. And, in ending their first 6-0 start since 1952, they did everything that they could do to lose it: Poor clock management, anemic offense, untimely turnovers. Coach Ron Zook has been able to build up a lot of goodwill by this historic run - on Saturday, he spent quite a lot of it.
20) Washington Huskies (5-1, 3-0)
21) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1)
22) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - This sounds familiar. Everyone rides high on Shoelaces Robinson and the Michigan offense until they run into a defense tougher than San Diego State. Against Michigan State, the Wolverines were held to 250 yards of total offense, and, tellingly, went only 3 for 15 on third down. If this team is actually better than the Michigan teams of the past, they will have to find a way to prevent a second-half collapse. This should be possible: They get next week off before hosting Purdue. Nine wins are still within reach, but probably not a conference title.
23) SMU Mustangs (5-1, 3-0)
24) USC Trojans (5-1, 3-1) - The Trojans are still a team in search of an identity. Matt Barkley should be considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but their defense remains suspect, and they don't have a dependable running game. I really wish that they could play for the Pac-12 Championship. With them ineligible, the South Division is exceptionally weak. USC begins the toughest part of their schedule when they visit Notre Dame next week; finishing the season 2-4 is not out of the question.
25) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-1, 2-0) - Fear the Scarlet Knights! Their defense is tied for first in the nation in forced turnovers, and had two more interceptions on Saturday in their 21-20 comeback victory over Navy. Of course, their freshman QB, Gary Nova, is still on a learning curve: 23/31, 271 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs. All eyes will be on Piscataway on Oct. 29, when West Virginia comes to town, in a game that could determine the Big East champ.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) - A lot of ink/pixels have been spillt praising the Tide's dominant defense. On Saturday against Ole Miss, their offense was on display: 52 points, 615 yards, 9.2 yards per play, 1 punt, 0 turnover. Trent Richardson accounted for 213 yards on his own, and scored 4 TDs.
3) Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0) - I could no longer justify keeping Oklahoma beneath Boise State after their 55-17 shellacking of Texas. Then, they reward me with a shaky win over bottom dwelling Kansas. The bottom line is this: Oklahoma's two best wins so far are against 3-3 Florida State and 4-2 Texas. They have yet to convince me of their elite status.
4) Boise State Broncos (6-0, 1-0)
5) Wisconsin Badgers (6-0, 2-0) - I was a little disappointed in Wisconsin's 59-7 win over hapless Indiana; it's nothing close to last year's 83-20 final. Things will get a little tougher for the Badgers next week, when they take the best offense in the Big Ten into East Lansing to take on Michigan State and their top-ranked defense.
6) Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0, 3-0) - So now that I have disparaged Oklahoma, let me turn around and praise them. Comparing common opponents is a dangerous game, but the Texas team that got dominated 55-17 by Oklahoma gave Oklahoma State everything they could handle in a 38-26 game. The Cowboys still have work to do if they want to pull off the upset at Bedlam.
7) Stanford Cardinal (6-0, 4-0) - More than any other team, the Cardinal have suffered from playing a weak schedule that doesn't lend itself to must-see-TV. Their smallest margin of victory so far is 26; however, their opponents combined record is 14-24. This may change, as USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame are still on the docket. However, only one of these teams is actually any good right now. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck's stat line: 23 for 36, 336 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
8) Clemson Tigers (7-0, 4-0) - In many ways, Saturday was a kind of "Separation Saturday," with three teams that we all kind of knew shouldn't have been undefeated - Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia Tech - all losing, while dominant teams like LSU, Alabama, and Wisconsin all rolled. For a while, it looked like Clemson would join the former group, the "Pretenders" division, as they went back and forth with Maryland. In the end, however, they prevailed, 56-45. Is it time now to move them into the "Contenders" division?
9) Kansas State Wildcats (6-0, 3-0)
10) Houston Cougars (6-0, 2-0)
11) Oregon Ducks (5-1, 3-0) - Yeah, I held my breath after Darron Thomas went down with an injury in the third quarter against Arizona State. But then freshman Bryan Bennet came in, and ran the blur offense the way it's supposed to, running for 64 yards and extending the Ducks' lead from 27-24 to 41-27. If I were Chip Kelly, I would seriously considering giving Bennet the start - and sitting and resting both Thomas and LaMichael James - in the Duck's next two games, against Colorado and Washington State.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1, 1-1) - I really feel bad for Arkansas. In any other conference, in any other division, they would be in the hunt for a conference championship and a likely BCS bid. But they're in the SEC West, buried beneath LSU and Alabama. This week was a bye for the Hogs, who handled Auburn 38-14 last week. They have road trips to Ole Miss and Tennessee before hosting South Carolina on Nov. 5. Call it the undercard to Muhammad "LSU" Ali vs. Joe "Alabama" Frazier.
13) Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 1-1)
14) West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0)
15) Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-0) - Another week, another ugly win over an inferior opponent for the Nittany Lions, this time 23-18 over Purdue. Don't look now, but Penn State's on top of the "Leaders" division.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1, 2-1)
17) Michigan State Spartans (5-1, 2-0) - Michigan State has now beaten Michigan for four straight years, matching their longest win streak, from 1959-62. More importantly, the Spartans have reinserted themselves into the Big Ten title talk. They are the only team in the "Legends" division without a conference loss, but this record will be challenged next week when Wisconsin comes to town.
18) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1) - You know those games? Those games that a team has absolutely no right to win, and yet, by some miracle, they win anyway? Auburn had about five of those games last year. South Carolina had one of those on Saturday, beating Mississippi State 14-12 on a fourth quarter jump ball in the endzone. If they manage to get back to the SEC Championship game, look back at this game as a favorable sign.
19) Illinois Illini (6-1, 2-1) - That was an incredibly frustrating game. The Illini lost at home to Ohio State 17-7. And, in ending their first 6-0 start since 1952, they did everything that they could do to lose it: Poor clock management, anemic offense, untimely turnovers. Coach Ron Zook has been able to build up a lot of goodwill by this historic run - on Saturday, he spent quite a lot of it.
20) Washington Huskies (5-1, 3-0)
21) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1)
22) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - This sounds familiar. Everyone rides high on Shoelaces Robinson and the Michigan offense until they run into a defense tougher than San Diego State. Against Michigan State, the Wolverines were held to 250 yards of total offense, and, tellingly, went only 3 for 15 on third down. If this team is actually better than the Michigan teams of the past, they will have to find a way to prevent a second-half collapse. This should be possible: They get next week off before hosting Purdue. Nine wins are still within reach, but probably not a conference title.
23) SMU Mustangs (5-1, 3-0)
24) USC Trojans (5-1, 3-1) - The Trojans are still a team in search of an identity. Matt Barkley should be considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but their defense remains suspect, and they don't have a dependable running game. I really wish that they could play for the Pac-12 Championship. With them ineligible, the South Division is exceptionally weak. USC begins the toughest part of their schedule when they visit Notre Dame next week; finishing the season 2-4 is not out of the question.
25) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-1, 2-0) - Fear the Scarlet Knights! Their defense is tied for first in the nation in forced turnovers, and had two more interceptions on Saturday in their 21-20 comeback victory over Navy. Of course, their freshman QB, Gary Nova, is still on a learning curve: 23/31, 271 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs. All eyes will be on Piscataway on Oct. 29, when West Virginia comes to town, in a game that could determine the Big East champ.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (7-0, 4-0, +16)
2) Alabama (7-0, 4-0, +14)
3) Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0, +13)
4) Boise State (6-0, 1-0, +8)
5) Wisconsin (6-0, 2-0, +10)
6) Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0, +12)
7) Stanford (6-0, 4-0, +6)
8) Clemson (7-0, 4-0, +11)
9) Kansas State (6-0, 3-0, +8)
10) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Oregon (5-1, 3-0, +6)
12) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
13) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
14) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
15) Penn State (6-1, 3-0, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (6-1, 2-1, +3)
17) Michigan State (5-1, 2-0, +3)
18) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
19) Illinois (6-1, 2-1, +2)
20) Washington (5-1, 3-0, +2)
21) Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1, 0)
22) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
23) SMU (5-1, 3-0, +2)
24) USC (5-1, 3-1, -1)
25) Rutgers (5-1, 2-0, -1)
Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0, -1)
Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1, +1)
Auburn (5-2, 3-1, -1)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Brigham Young (5-2, 0-0, -4)
South Florida (4-2, 0-2, -7)
Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1, -7)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Notre Dame (4-2, 0-0, -4)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
2) Alabama (7-0, 4-0, +14)
3) Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0, +13)
4) Boise State (6-0, 1-0, +8)
5) Wisconsin (6-0, 2-0, +10)
6) Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0, +12)
7) Stanford (6-0, 4-0, +6)
8) Clemson (7-0, 4-0, +11)
9) Kansas State (6-0, 3-0, +8)
10) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Oregon (5-1, 3-0, +6)
12) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
13) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
14) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
15) Penn State (6-1, 3-0, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (6-1, 2-1, +3)
17) Michigan State (5-1, 2-0, +3)
18) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
19) Illinois (6-1, 2-1, +2)
20) Washington (5-1, 3-0, +2)
21) Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1, 0)
22) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
23) SMU (5-1, 3-0, +2)
24) USC (5-1, 3-1, -1)
25) Rutgers (5-1, 2-0, -1)
Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0, -1)
Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1, +1)
Auburn (5-2, 3-1, -1)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Brigham Young (5-2, 0-0, -4)
South Florida (4-2, 0-2, -7)
Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1, -7)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Notre Dame (4-2, 0-0, -4)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
Monday, October 10, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (6-0, 3-0, +15)
2) Alabama (6-0, 3-0, +13)
3) Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0, +12)
4) Boise State (5-0, 0-0, +7)
5) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
6) Stanford (5-0, 3-0, +5)
7) Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0, +9)
8) Clemson (6-0, 3-0, +10)
9) Illinois (6-0, 2-0, +8)
10) Michigan (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Kansas State (5-0, 2-0, +7)
12) Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0, +6)
13) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
14) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
15) Oregon (4-1, 2-0, +3)
16) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
17) Texas (4-1, 1-1, +5)
18) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
19) Penn State (5-1, 2-0, +4)
20) Arizona State (5-1, 3-0, +1)
21) Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1, +2)
22) South Carolina (5-1, 3-1, -1)
23) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
24) Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
25) Baylor (4-1, 1-1, +1)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
Texas Tech (4-1, 1-1, -2)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
Florida (4-2, 2-2, +2)
Auburn (4-2, 2-1, -2)
Georgia (4-2, 3-1, -3)
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2, -6)
Iowa State (3-2, 0-2, -7)
2) Alabama (6-0, 3-0, +13)
3) Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0, +12)
4) Boise State (5-0, 0-0, +7)
5) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
6) Stanford (5-0, 3-0, +5)
7) Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0, +9)
8) Clemson (6-0, 3-0, +10)
9) Illinois (6-0, 2-0, +8)
10) Michigan (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Kansas State (5-0, 2-0, +7)
12) Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0, +6)
13) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
14) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
15) Oregon (4-1, 2-0, +3)
16) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
17) Texas (4-1, 1-1, +5)
18) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
19) Penn State (5-1, 2-0, +4)
20) Arizona State (5-1, 3-0, +1)
21) Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1, +2)
22) South Carolina (5-1, 3-1, -1)
23) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
24) Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
25) Baylor (4-1, 1-1, +1)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
Texas Tech (4-1, 1-1, -2)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
Florida (4-2, 2-2, +2)
Auburn (4-2, 2-1, -2)
Georgia (4-2, 3-1, -3)
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2, -6)
Iowa State (3-2, 0-2, -7)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Power Rankings 10/02
Ha-ha! My "system" of ranking is coming out with some pretty interesting results now - most notably Illinois at No. 9 and Kansas State at No. 12. The AP Poll has them 19th and 20th, respectably. Fine. But the AP also has Florida State and Texas A&M in the poll, two two-loss teams. And I know that they've both lost to quality opponents (Oklahoma, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Arkansas) but need I remind you all: The only goal in football is to win games. No one should be rewarded for a loss, even a "quality loss."
1) LSU Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - I wish that I could rank LSU and Alabama 1a and 1b. LSU looked like they were sleepwalking there a little bit in their 35-7 win over Kentucky, forcing only one turnover the entire game. But I guess you're allowed to do that when you only give up 155 total yards and don't allow a score until the fourth quarter.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0 , 2-0) - Time for my first "Totally Premature BCS Nightmare Scenario": #9 South Carolina (10-2) upsets #1 Alabama (12-0) 24-21 in the SEC Championship. #2 Oklahoma wins the Big 12 at 11-1, #3 Boise State is the only undefeated team at 12-0, and #4 LSU finishes 11-1. No other team has fewer than 2 losses. Who do you put in the BCS Championship?
3) Boise State Broncos (4-0, 0-0) - Boise State got some sort of catharsis in dominating rival Nevada 30-10. But the sad truth is that the Broncos have a much tougher road to the BCS this year than they did last year. By my count, they are going to have to run the table, and have no more than one other team go undefeated, and have at most one SEC team finish with one loss or fewer.
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0)
8) Clemson Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - The Clemson Tigers have now won back-to-back-to-back games against ranked opponents, (Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech) and have the inside track to reach the ACC title game. CB Xavier Brewer had his third interception of the season against VT.
9) Illinois Illini (5-0, 1-0) - Yeah, I may be a homer, considering that the Illini have won their last three games by a total of nine points, and needed two miracles to come back from 18 points down to beat Northwestern, 38-35. But they're also off to their best start since 1951, when they finished the season 8-0-1 and claimed a National Title by beating Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 40-7.
10) Michigan Wolverines (5-0, 1-0) - It may have been against lowly Minnesota, but Michigan sure looked like a complete team in a 58-0 rout. The football gods have blessed the Wolverines by not putting Wisconsin on their schedule, but they're still going to have to win at Michigan State if they want to reach the Big Ten championship.
11) Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)- Boo. Texas continues to be on the revenge path, this time winning at Iowa State 37-14. The worst part about it is that now ESPN will be losing their sh*t all week long about undefeated Texas versus undefeated Oklahoma. But remember, not counting Iowa State, Texas' previous opponents (Rice, BYU, UCLA) have a combined record of 6-8. Final score: Texas 17, Oklahoma 42.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (4-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Robert Griffin III: 23/31, 346 yards, 5TDs 1 INT.... oh, wait... wrong team. K-State has now won back-to-back thrillers against Miami and Baylor. Let's see if they can do it again next week against Missouri.
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0)
14) Houston Cougars (5-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Case Keenum: 30/46, 471 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. He also leads the country in passing yards per game, and has 14 TDs to 2 INTs for the season.
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0)
16) Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1) - I definitely expected Arkansas to beat Texas A&M. I didn't expect them to have to rally from down 17 to do it, though. They gave up 230 yards rushing to RB Christine Michael. Auburn and RB Michael Dyer are coming to town next week. Arkansas' defense has some work to do.
17) Oregon Ducks (3-1, 1-0) - For almost 30 minutes, the Ducks looked like an elite team in building a 35-3 lead over the Arizona Wildcats. Then they let their foot off the gas and allowed Arizona to score 21 consecutive points, before waking back up and cruising to a final 56-31 win. 3-1 Cal comes to Eugene on Thursday night. I bet the fans at Autzen will remember all those "injuries" the Bears suffered in last year's 15-13 thriller in Berkeley.
18) Florida Gators (4-1, 2-1) - There was about, maybe, 30 seconds in the first quarter of the Alabama-Florida game when I thought to myself, "Hey, Florida just might pull this off." Nope, wrong. The Gators now have to play at LSU, possibly without QB John Brantley. My question is, "Who now should be favored to win the SEC East?" Georgia Bulldog fans should be pricking up their ears.
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1)
20) West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1, 0-0)- With South Florida getting embarrassed at Pitt 44-17, West Virginia remains the only ranked Big East team. (They're #16 in the AP.) Sometimes I'm glad that the Big East is self-destructing. Then maybe we don't have to keep letting a 9-3 team go to the Orange Bowl.
21) Auburn Tigers (4-1, 2-0) - I like Auburn. They won ugly again, this time 16-13 over South Carolina in a game that had a total of 8 turnovers. Things get tougher for the Tigers, as their next three games are at Arkansas, vs. Florida, and at LSU. Winning just one of those games might be considered a positive outcome.
22) Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0)- I've ranked Penn State because I don't feel like I can punish them for a) losing to #2 Alabama or b) winning ugly 16-10 at a bad Indiana team. They'll have a chance to prove themselves again against Iowa next week. Also, it gives me six top 25 teams with big cats as their mascots. (Tigers, Tigers, Wildcats, Cougars, Tigers, Nittany Lions)
23) Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1, 2-0) - There's a whole platoon of one-loss Pac-12 teams that could be bunched up here at the bottom of the rankings. ASU gets the edge over the Huskies for now, because they have two quality wins over Missouri and USC, and Nebraska just got clobbered by Wisconsin while Illinois remains undefeated. The Sun Devils have a big showdown next week at Utah, a game which should decide the Pac-12 South.
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0)
1) LSU Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - I wish that I could rank LSU and Alabama 1a and 1b. LSU looked like they were sleepwalking there a little bit in their 35-7 win over Kentucky, forcing only one turnover the entire game. But I guess you're allowed to do that when you only give up 155 total yards and don't allow a score until the fourth quarter.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0 , 2-0) - Time for my first "Totally Premature BCS Nightmare Scenario": #9 South Carolina (10-2) upsets #1 Alabama (12-0) 24-21 in the SEC Championship. #2 Oklahoma wins the Big 12 at 11-1, #3 Boise State is the only undefeated team at 12-0, and #4 LSU finishes 11-1. No other team has fewer than 2 losses. Who do you put in the BCS Championship?
3) Boise State Broncos (4-0, 0-0) - Boise State got some sort of catharsis in dominating rival Nevada 30-10. But the sad truth is that the Broncos have a much tougher road to the BCS this year than they did last year. By my count, they are going to have to run the table, and have no more than one other team go undefeated, and have at most one SEC team finish with one loss or fewer.
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0)
8) Clemson Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - The Clemson Tigers have now won back-to-back-to-back games against ranked opponents, (Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech) and have the inside track to reach the ACC title game. CB Xavier Brewer had his third interception of the season against VT.
9) Illinois Illini (5-0, 1-0) - Yeah, I may be a homer, considering that the Illini have won their last three games by a total of nine points, and needed two miracles to come back from 18 points down to beat Northwestern, 38-35. But they're also off to their best start since 1951, when they finished the season 8-0-1 and claimed a National Title by beating Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 40-7.
10) Michigan Wolverines (5-0, 1-0) - It may have been against lowly Minnesota, but Michigan sure looked like a complete team in a 58-0 rout. The football gods have blessed the Wolverines by not putting Wisconsin on their schedule, but they're still going to have to win at Michigan State if they want to reach the Big Ten championship.
11) Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)- Boo. Texas continues to be on the revenge path, this time winning at Iowa State 37-14. The worst part about it is that now ESPN will be losing their sh*t all week long about undefeated Texas versus undefeated Oklahoma. But remember, not counting Iowa State, Texas' previous opponents (Rice, BYU, UCLA) have a combined record of 6-8. Final score: Texas 17, Oklahoma 42.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (4-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Robert Griffin III: 23/31, 346 yards, 5TDs 1 INT.... oh, wait... wrong team. K-State has now won back-to-back thrillers against Miami and Baylor. Let's see if they can do it again next week against Missouri.
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0)
14) Houston Cougars (5-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Case Keenum: 30/46, 471 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. He also leads the country in passing yards per game, and has 14 TDs to 2 INTs for the season.
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0)
16) Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1) - I definitely expected Arkansas to beat Texas A&M. I didn't expect them to have to rally from down 17 to do it, though. They gave up 230 yards rushing to RB Christine Michael. Auburn and RB Michael Dyer are coming to town next week. Arkansas' defense has some work to do.
17) Oregon Ducks (3-1, 1-0) - For almost 30 minutes, the Ducks looked like an elite team in building a 35-3 lead over the Arizona Wildcats. Then they let their foot off the gas and allowed Arizona to score 21 consecutive points, before waking back up and cruising to a final 56-31 win. 3-1 Cal comes to Eugene on Thursday night. I bet the fans at Autzen will remember all those "injuries" the Bears suffered in last year's 15-13 thriller in Berkeley.
18) Florida Gators (4-1, 2-1) - There was about, maybe, 30 seconds in the first quarter of the Alabama-Florida game when I thought to myself, "Hey, Florida just might pull this off." Nope, wrong. The Gators now have to play at LSU, possibly without QB John Brantley. My question is, "Who now should be favored to win the SEC East?" Georgia Bulldog fans should be pricking up their ears.
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1)
20) West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1, 0-0)- With South Florida getting embarrassed at Pitt 44-17, West Virginia remains the only ranked Big East team. (They're #16 in the AP.) Sometimes I'm glad that the Big East is self-destructing. Then maybe we don't have to keep letting a 9-3 team go to the Orange Bowl.
21) Auburn Tigers (4-1, 2-0) - I like Auburn. They won ugly again, this time 16-13 over South Carolina in a game that had a total of 8 turnovers. Things get tougher for the Tigers, as their next three games are at Arkansas, vs. Florida, and at LSU. Winning just one of those games might be considered a positive outcome.
22) Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0)- I've ranked Penn State because I don't feel like I can punish them for a) losing to #2 Alabama or b) winning ugly 16-10 at a bad Indiana team. They'll have a chance to prove themselves again against Iowa next week. Also, it gives me six top 25 teams with big cats as their mascots. (Tigers, Tigers, Wildcats, Cougars, Tigers, Nittany Lions)
23) Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1, 2-0) - There's a whole platoon of one-loss Pac-12 teams that could be bunched up here at the bottom of the rankings. ASU gets the edge over the Huskies for now, because they have two quality wins over Missouri and USC, and Nebraska just got clobbered by Wisconsin while Illinois remains undefeated. The Sun Devils have a big showdown next week at Utah, a game which should decide the Pac-12 South.
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0)
My Top 25: Oct. 02
1) LSU (5-0, 2-0, +12)
2) Alabama (5-0 , 2-0, +12)
3) Boise State (4-0, 0-0, +6)
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0, +8)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0, +4)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0, +8)
8) Clemson (5-0, 2-0, +9)
9) Illinois (5-0, 1-0, +7)
10) Michigan (5-0, 1-0, +5)
11) Texas (4-0, 1-0, +6)
12) Kansas State (4-0, 1-0, +6)
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0, +5)
14) Houston (5-0, 1-0, +5)
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0, +4)
16) Arkansas (4-1, 0-1, +3)
17) Oregon (3-1, 1-0, +2)
18) Florida (4-1, 2-1, +3)
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1, +3)
20) West Virginia (4-1, 0-0, +3)
21) Auburn (4-1, 2-0, +2)
22) Penn State (4-1, 1-0, +3)
23) Arizona State (4-1, 2-0, 0)
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1, +1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Baylor (3-1, 0-1, 0)
Tennessee (3-1, 0-1, 0)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
Iowa State (3-1, 0-1, -1)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
South Carolina (4-1, 2-1, -2)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
2) Alabama (5-0 , 2-0, +12)
3) Boise State (4-0, 0-0, +6)
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0, +8)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0, +4)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0, +8)
8) Clemson (5-0, 2-0, +9)
9) Illinois (5-0, 1-0, +7)
10) Michigan (5-0, 1-0, +5)
11) Texas (4-0, 1-0, +6)
12) Kansas State (4-0, 1-0, +6)
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0, +5)
14) Houston (5-0, 1-0, +5)
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0, +4)
16) Arkansas (4-1, 0-1, +3)
17) Oregon (3-1, 1-0, +2)
18) Florida (4-1, 2-1, +3)
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1, +3)
20) West Virginia (4-1, 0-0, +3)
21) Auburn (4-1, 2-0, +2)
22) Penn State (4-1, 1-0, +3)
23) Arizona State (4-1, 2-0, 0)
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1, +1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Baylor (3-1, 0-1, 0)
Tennessee (3-1, 0-1, 0)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
Iowa State (3-1, 0-1, -1)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
South Carolina (4-1, 2-1, -2)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Wearing My Lucky Underwear, Too
This is why sports fans start becoming superstitious: When I got home from work this morning and turned on the TV, Northwestern was leading Illinois 28-10. Since then, the Illini have scored 21 points in a row to take a 31-28 lead. From my perspective, what happened? Something about my turning the TV on changed the game, a kind theory-of-relativity, Schrodinger's cat, I change the game by the mere act of watching it!!
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