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!
Showing posts with label Boise State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boise State. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
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
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.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Power Rankings 9/18
1) LSU Tigers (3-0, 1-0) - LSU held the Mississippi State Bulldogs to 52 rushing yards on Thursday, with an average gain per rush of 1.3 yards. I bet nobody scores more than 27 points on the Tigers this year. I also bet that they'll be 8-0 going into their Nov. 5th showdown with Alabama.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0, 0-0) - Alabama opens their SEC play against Arkansas next week in what should be the SEC game of the week. Just a hunch, but I bet that Arkansas won't have 450 yards of offense against the Alabama defense.
3) Boise State Broncos (2-0, 0-0) - Ohio State's loss to Miami ended their streak of 103 consecutive appearances in the AP Top 25 poll. The new current longest streak now belongs to Alabama, at 53. Second longest? Boise State, with 49.
4) Oklahoma Sooners (2-0, 0-0) - It's not that I think that Oklahoma is not as good or as talented as Boise State. It's that, if the National Championship were in two weeks, I would vote for the Broncos to play the SEC champ, not the Sooners. And it will probably stay that way until Nov. 5, when Oklahoma plays Texas A&M.
5) Stanford Cardinal (3-0, 1-0) - Andrew Luck was 20 for 31 in passing with 325 yards and 2 touchdowns in Stanford's 37-10 win at Arizona. More importantly, though? 0 turnovers and 0 second half points allowed. That's how Stanford's going to win the Pac-12. The Cardinal gets next week off before home games against UCLA and Colorado. Their next red-letter date will be Oct. 29, at USC.
6) Wisconsin Badgers (3-0, 0-0) - With Michigan State and Ohio State losing, and with Nebraska struggling at home, the Badgers are really separating themselves from the rest of the Big Ten. So far this season, they have outscored their opponents 135-24.
7) Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0, 0-0) - Oklahoma State's game 59-33 win against Tulsa didn't end until 3:55 am. They better get some sleep while they can; they have to travel to College Station to play Texas A&M in the Big 12 game of the week next week.
8) Texas A&M Aggies (2-0, 0-0) - I don't know why I have A&M ranked so high. Home wins against SMU and Idaho shouldn't garner that much respect. Also, they have been causing a lot of trouble lately. Win next weekend and I'll admit that they're legit.
9) South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0, 1-0) - Watching Marcus Lattimore rush for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns against Navy, I thought to myself, "There are only two defenses in the country that can stop this guy." And he's going to have to play one of them in the SEC championship game.
10) Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0, 0-0) - I would be starting to get nervous if I were a Nebraska fan. If you give up 29 points to Fresno State, and 38 to Washington, how many will the run happy honey Badgers put up on you? The Blackshirts have one more week to figure it out, as they have a road game next week at Wyoming.
11) Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0, 0-0) - Have fun being undefeated while it lasts, Arkansas. Four of your next five games are on the road, including at Alabama and at Texas A&M.
12) South Florida Bulls (3-0, 0-0) - This is where I am starting to deviate from orthodoxy. But the Bulls should be rewarded for scheduling tough and beating a Notre Dame team that may not be that bad. Also, they beat Florida A&M 70-17.
13) Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0, 0-0) - Virginia Tech is a tough team to get a handle on, as they have been lackluster in their last two wins against East Carolina and Arkansas State. We probably won't know much about them until Oct. 01, against Clemson, and Oct. 08, against Miami.
14) Baylor Bears (2-0, 0-0) - Like South Florida, I believe that Baylor ought to be considered a top 15 team until somebody proves me wrong on the field. Also, am I the only one who is starting to get excited Iowa State at Baylor on Oct. 08?
15) West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0, 0-0) - ESPN blogger Andrea Adelson wrote, "West Virginia is ready for LSU." She's wrong.
16) Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0) - Florida may not yet be ready-for-primetime in the SEC, and they are fast approaching back to back games against Alabama and LSU. However, some good news about their 33-23 win against Tennessee: They "allowed" -9 rushing yards, and intercepted Tyler Bray twice. The bad news? 16 penalties for 150 yards.
17) Clemson Tigers (3-0, 0-0) - Clemson ended Auburn's record 17-game winning streak - and streak of good luck - 38-24, avenging a heartbreaking OT loss last year. No time to celebrate though; Florida State is coming to town next week, followed by a trip at Virginia Tech.
18) USC Trojans (3-0, 1-0) - Matt Barkley passed for 324 yards and 5 TDs in USC's 38-17 win against Syracuse, the only Pac-12 win against an AQ team last weekend. Three of USC's next four games are on the road, including at Arizona State and at Notre Dame.
19) Texas Longhorns (3-0, 0-0) - Speaking of which... Texas got to exorcise some demons on Saturday, kicking UCLA's butt 49-20 after losing to the Bruins last year 34-12. And even though everyone thinks that the Big 12 is about to dissolve, I think that it's worth mentioning that the conference's current ten members are a combined 23-2 in non-conference play this year. Quite a way to go.
20) Illinois Illini (3-0, 0-0) - I had the surreal experience of watching Illinois' 17-14 win over Arizona State outside at a bar just a few blocks from Memorial Stadium, where the game was being played. The live sound of the roar of the crowd would reach my ears just about three seconds before the play aired on TV, so I could accurately predict whether each play was going to be good or bad for the Illini. This could be a serendipitous year for Illinois: Their next four games are: vs Western Michigan, vs Northwestern, at Indiana, vs Ohio State. They could easily be 5-1 or 6-0 going into the Ohio State game, and my question is, who will be the favorite then?
21) Iowa State Cyclones (3-0, 0-0) - The Cyclones may be my new favorite team in the Big 12. They had to rally from 10-0 to beat Connecticut 24-20, and have won their first three games by a combined total of 8 points. They host Texas next weekend, who they beat last year in Austin 28-21.
22) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-0, 0-0) - My bottom five is less teams that are good, and more teams that have played well up to this point. The Yellow Jackets set a school record of 768 yards of offense in a 66-24 rout of Kansas. Over their first three games, they are averaging 675 yards of offense per game.
23) FIU Panthers (3-0, 0-0) - We'll see how long FIU can sustain success without star receiver T.Y. Hilton. But they were able to beat UCF 17-10 largely without him, and should be considered the favorites to win the Sun Belt conference.
24) Michigan Wolverines (3-0, 0-0) - Because why not, that's why. They're undefeated. They beat Notre Dame. Denard Robinson is awesome, even if he sometimes throws the ball to the wrong team. And they could be 5-1 or 6-0 going into an Oct. 15 game at Michigan State.
25) Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0, 0-0) - See above. They beat lowly New Mexico 59-13, and host Nevada next weekend. Over/under 120?
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0, 0-0) - Alabama opens their SEC play against Arkansas next week in what should be the SEC game of the week. Just a hunch, but I bet that Arkansas won't have 450 yards of offense against the Alabama defense.
3) Boise State Broncos (2-0, 0-0) - Ohio State's loss to Miami ended their streak of 103 consecutive appearances in the AP Top 25 poll. The new current longest streak now belongs to Alabama, at 53. Second longest? Boise State, with 49.
4) Oklahoma Sooners (2-0, 0-0) - It's not that I think that Oklahoma is not as good or as talented as Boise State. It's that, if the National Championship were in two weeks, I would vote for the Broncos to play the SEC champ, not the Sooners. And it will probably stay that way until Nov. 5, when Oklahoma plays Texas A&M.
5) Stanford Cardinal (3-0, 1-0) - Andrew Luck was 20 for 31 in passing with 325 yards and 2 touchdowns in Stanford's 37-10 win at Arizona. More importantly, though? 0 turnovers and 0 second half points allowed. That's how Stanford's going to win the Pac-12. The Cardinal gets next week off before home games against UCLA and Colorado. Their next red-letter date will be Oct. 29, at USC.
6) Wisconsin Badgers (3-0, 0-0) - With Michigan State and Ohio State losing, and with Nebraska struggling at home, the Badgers are really separating themselves from the rest of the Big Ten. So far this season, they have outscored their opponents 135-24.
7) Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0, 0-0) - Oklahoma State's game 59-33 win against Tulsa didn't end until 3:55 am. They better get some sleep while they can; they have to travel to College Station to play Texas A&M in the Big 12 game of the week next week.
8) Texas A&M Aggies (2-0, 0-0) - I don't know why I have A&M ranked so high. Home wins against SMU and Idaho shouldn't garner that much respect. Also, they have been causing a lot of trouble lately. Win next weekend and I'll admit that they're legit.
9) South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0, 1-0) - Watching Marcus Lattimore rush for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns against Navy, I thought to myself, "There are only two defenses in the country that can stop this guy." And he's going to have to play one of them in the SEC championship game.
10) Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0, 0-0) - I would be starting to get nervous if I were a Nebraska fan. If you give up 29 points to Fresno State, and 38 to Washington, how many will the run happy honey Badgers put up on you? The Blackshirts have one more week to figure it out, as they have a road game next week at Wyoming.
11) Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0, 0-0) - Have fun being undefeated while it lasts, Arkansas. Four of your next five games are on the road, including at Alabama and at Texas A&M.
12) South Florida Bulls (3-0, 0-0) - This is where I am starting to deviate from orthodoxy. But the Bulls should be rewarded for scheduling tough and beating a Notre Dame team that may not be that bad. Also, they beat Florida A&M 70-17.
13) Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0, 0-0) - Virginia Tech is a tough team to get a handle on, as they have been lackluster in their last two wins against East Carolina and Arkansas State. We probably won't know much about them until Oct. 01, against Clemson, and Oct. 08, against Miami.
14) Baylor Bears (2-0, 0-0) - Like South Florida, I believe that Baylor ought to be considered a top 15 team until somebody proves me wrong on the field. Also, am I the only one who is starting to get excited Iowa State at Baylor on Oct. 08?
15) West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0, 0-0) - ESPN blogger Andrea Adelson wrote, "West Virginia is ready for LSU." She's wrong.
16) Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0) - Florida may not yet be ready-for-primetime in the SEC, and they are fast approaching back to back games against Alabama and LSU. However, some good news about their 33-23 win against Tennessee: They "allowed" -9 rushing yards, and intercepted Tyler Bray twice. The bad news? 16 penalties for 150 yards.
17) Clemson Tigers (3-0, 0-0) - Clemson ended Auburn's record 17-game winning streak - and streak of good luck - 38-24, avenging a heartbreaking OT loss last year. No time to celebrate though; Florida State is coming to town next week, followed by a trip at Virginia Tech.
18) USC Trojans (3-0, 1-0) - Matt Barkley passed for 324 yards and 5 TDs in USC's 38-17 win against Syracuse, the only Pac-12 win against an AQ team last weekend. Three of USC's next four games are on the road, including at Arizona State and at Notre Dame.
19) Texas Longhorns (3-0, 0-0) - Speaking of which... Texas got to exorcise some demons on Saturday, kicking UCLA's butt 49-20 after losing to the Bruins last year 34-12. And even though everyone thinks that the Big 12 is about to dissolve, I think that it's worth mentioning that the conference's current ten members are a combined 23-2 in non-conference play this year. Quite a way to go.
20) Illinois Illini (3-0, 0-0) - I had the surreal experience of watching Illinois' 17-14 win over Arizona State outside at a bar just a few blocks from Memorial Stadium, where the game was being played. The live sound of the roar of the crowd would reach my ears just about three seconds before the play aired on TV, so I could accurately predict whether each play was going to be good or bad for the Illini. This could be a serendipitous year for Illinois: Their next four games are: vs Western Michigan, vs Northwestern, at Indiana, vs Ohio State. They could easily be 5-1 or 6-0 going into the Ohio State game, and my question is, who will be the favorite then?
21) Iowa State Cyclones (3-0, 0-0) - The Cyclones may be my new favorite team in the Big 12. They had to rally from 10-0 to beat Connecticut 24-20, and have won their first three games by a combined total of 8 points. They host Texas next weekend, who they beat last year in Austin 28-21.
22) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-0, 0-0) - My bottom five is less teams that are good, and more teams that have played well up to this point. The Yellow Jackets set a school record of 768 yards of offense in a 66-24 rout of Kansas. Over their first three games, they are averaging 675 yards of offense per game.
23) FIU Panthers (3-0, 0-0) - We'll see how long FIU can sustain success without star receiver T.Y. Hilton. But they were able to beat UCF 17-10 largely without him, and should be considered the favorites to win the Sun Belt conference.
24) Michigan Wolverines (3-0, 0-0) - Because why not, that's why. They're undefeated. They beat Notre Dame. Denard Robinson is awesome, even if he sometimes throws the ball to the wrong team. And they could be 5-1 or 6-0 going into an Oct. 15 game at Michigan State.
25) Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0, 0-0) - See above. They beat lowly New Mexico 59-13, and host Nevada next weekend. Over/under 120?
Sunday, December 12, 2010
5 Bowl Games I'm Actually Excited About Watching...
... other than the BCS game, I mean.
With the dearth of exciting match-ups this bowl season, it's getting harder and harder for me to be looking forward to New Year's Day. But, always the optimist, I think I'll list five bowl games that I plan to go out of my way to watch. (Other than the BCS game, I mean. Go Ducks.) Maybe later I will post five games that I will go out of my way to avoid. Like Miami, OH vs Middle Tennessee in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Yeah, don't need to see that one.
1) Rose Bowl - No. 3 TCU vs No. 5 Wisconsin, Jan. 1: Would I be happier if either Stanford or Boise State were in the Rose Bowl? Yes, of course. But if the Grand Daddy of Them All had to pick a year to host a non-AQ team, this is a good one. No one has been better than the Badgers the last four weeks, beating Northwestern 70-23 and Indiana 83-20! Wisconsin has done this damage mostly behind an absurdly good running trio of James White (1,029 yds, 14TDs), John Clay (936 YDs, 13 TDs), and Montee Ball (864 YDs, 17TDs). TCU's defense is no slouch, though; they've held seven of their 12 opponents to seven points or less, and that includes BYU, Air Force, and No. 19 Utah.
2) Las Vegas Bowl - No. 10 Boise State vs No. 19 Utah, Dec. 22: I'm actually sad because I believe that I will be in flight from Chicago to Portland, Oregon while this game is on. Still, I'm glad that the Broncos were able to cut a deal letting them get out of playing in the Kraft Hungry Bowl. This will be a match-up of the two original BCS busters, and Utah's final game before joining the Pac-12. There is some talk about a conspiracy to prevent Boise State from ever getting to play an AQ team in a bowl game, but really, this is a better venue for them than beating up on 7-5 Boston College from the ACC would be.
3) Orange Bowl - No. 4 Stanford vs No. 13 Virginia Tech, Jan. 3: Pac-10 teams are 3-0 all time in the Orange Bowl, and this will be Stanford's first ever trip to this game. (Although this will change next season, because Colorado is 2-3 all time in the Orange Bowl.) Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is going to their third Orange Bowl in four years. They will be trying to extend their winning streak to 11 after opening the season with losses against Boise State and James Madison. No matter who wins, the real loser will be Discover Credit Cards and the city of Miami. If Stanford had finished one spot lower in the final BCS rankings, they could have picked Ohio State or maybe Nebraska instead and really filled the seats of Sun Life Stadium. Go Cardinal.
4) Capital One Bowl - No. 9 Michigan State vs No. 16 Alabama, Jan. 1: Ah, the credit card wars continue. Score one for Capital One, as this game should get higher TV ratings than any of the BCS games. It will be an interesting match-up of the overachieving Michigan State, who won a share of the Big Ten title and yet still got shut-out of the BCS, and under achieving Alabama, who was picked by everyone to be in the National Championship, but managed to finish 9-3 and in 4th place in the SEC. Go Spartans.
5) Texas Bowl - Baylor vs Illinois, Dec. 29: OK, so maybe nobody cares about this game outside of Ft. Worth and Champaign-Urbana. But guess what? The Baylor Bears were one of the feel good stories of the season, beating Texas before dropping their last three games of the season and finishing 7-5. Still, they will be going to their first bowl game since 1994. The Illini, meanwhile, can have some kind of closure on a heart-wrenching season that included losing 65-67 in triple OT to Michigan, a 34-38 loss to Minnesota on a last second touchdown, and a 23-25 loss to Fresno State to end the season. Still, it's a lot better than their 3-9 record last year. Go Illini.
With the dearth of exciting match-ups this bowl season, it's getting harder and harder for me to be looking forward to New Year's Day. But, always the optimist, I think I'll list five bowl games that I plan to go out of my way to watch. (Other than the BCS game, I mean. Go Ducks.) Maybe later I will post five games that I will go out of my way to avoid. Like Miami, OH vs Middle Tennessee in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Yeah, don't need to see that one.
1) Rose Bowl - No. 3 TCU vs No. 5 Wisconsin, Jan. 1: Would I be happier if either Stanford or Boise State were in the Rose Bowl? Yes, of course. But if the Grand Daddy of Them All had to pick a year to host a non-AQ team, this is a good one. No one has been better than the Badgers the last four weeks, beating Northwestern 70-23 and Indiana 83-20! Wisconsin has done this damage mostly behind an absurdly good running trio of James White (1,029 yds, 14TDs), John Clay (936 YDs, 13 TDs), and Montee Ball (864 YDs, 17TDs). TCU's defense is no slouch, though; they've held seven of their 12 opponents to seven points or less, and that includes BYU, Air Force, and No. 19 Utah.
2) Las Vegas Bowl - No. 10 Boise State vs No. 19 Utah, Dec. 22: I'm actually sad because I believe that I will be in flight from Chicago to Portland, Oregon while this game is on. Still, I'm glad that the Broncos were able to cut a deal letting them get out of playing in the Kraft Hungry Bowl. This will be a match-up of the two original BCS busters, and Utah's final game before joining the Pac-12. There is some talk about a conspiracy to prevent Boise State from ever getting to play an AQ team in a bowl game, but really, this is a better venue for them than beating up on 7-5 Boston College from the ACC would be.
3) Orange Bowl - No. 4 Stanford vs No. 13 Virginia Tech, Jan. 3: Pac-10 teams are 3-0 all time in the Orange Bowl, and this will be Stanford's first ever trip to this game. (Although this will change next season, because Colorado is 2-3 all time in the Orange Bowl.) Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is going to their third Orange Bowl in four years. They will be trying to extend their winning streak to 11 after opening the season with losses against Boise State and James Madison. No matter who wins, the real loser will be Discover Credit Cards and the city of Miami. If Stanford had finished one spot lower in the final BCS rankings, they could have picked Ohio State or maybe Nebraska instead and really filled the seats of Sun Life Stadium. Go Cardinal.
4) Capital One Bowl - No. 9 Michigan State vs No. 16 Alabama, Jan. 1: Ah, the credit card wars continue. Score one for Capital One, as this game should get higher TV ratings than any of the BCS games. It will be an interesting match-up of the overachieving Michigan State, who won a share of the Big Ten title and yet still got shut-out of the BCS, and under achieving Alabama, who was picked by everyone to be in the National Championship, but managed to finish 9-3 and in 4th place in the SEC. Go Spartans.
5) Texas Bowl - Baylor vs Illinois, Dec. 29: OK, so maybe nobody cares about this game outside of Ft. Worth and Champaign-Urbana. But guess what? The Baylor Bears were one of the feel good stories of the season, beating Texas before dropping their last three games of the season and finishing 7-5. Still, they will be going to their first bowl game since 1994. The Illini, meanwhile, can have some kind of closure on a heart-wrenching season that included losing 65-67 in triple OT to Michigan, a 34-38 loss to Minnesota on a last second touchdown, and a 23-25 loss to Fresno State to end the season. Still, it's a lot better than their 3-9 record last year. Go Illini.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
How Good Is Boise State Really?
"Dearth" is one of my favorite words. It is Old English in its origins, from dierth or deore. It is, itself, a very old word, first used in a recognizable form in the 1400s, and hasn't actually changed much since then. It is related to "dear," in the sense of something being valuable because there is a lack of it.
This week, there is a dearth of good college football games.
The top 3 BCS teams - Oregon, Auburn, and TCU - all have bye weeks this week. No. 4 Boise State (they're 3rd in the AP) crushed the Fresno State Bulldogs last night 51-0. I watched that game last night when I was out at a bar with Robyn and her library friends. At first I did really good. I sat with my back to the TV. I engaged in conversation. I listened. But then the bar started blasting salsa music. And the conversation turned to grad school departmental gossip. And I had another Manhattan. And I found myself craning my neck more and more often to watch the Broncos demolish the Bulldogs on that crazy blue field. (When I turned around, everyone had left the table to go salsa dancing.)
It's impossible to eyeball exactly how good Boise State is based on a game like they played last night. I would say that there were probably 3 plays when Kellen Moore made a pass that just made me go, "Oh my God!" But then there were probably 3 other plays when I said to myself, "Hmmm... Fresno State's defense really can't cover." That's the traditional knock against BSU: sure they're good, but they never really get challenged. However, I think that the WAC is better than a lot of people give it credit for being, and that Boise State may really just be that dominant.
Now, let's be absolutely clear: In a world where there are four undefeated teams at the end of the season, the Pac-10 and SEC champs get in before the WAC and MWC champs. But this season, against the six BCS conferences plus the Mountain West, the WAC is 11-15. That's not good, but it's respectable. This includes Boise's wins against Virginia Tech and Oregon State. It also includes Hawaii's win against Army, Nevada's wins against Cal and BYU. (And Fresno State's win against, um, Cincinnati.) It also includes Hawaii's 49-36 loss to USC, Utah State's 31-24 loss to Oklahoma, and San Jose State's 27-14 loss to Wisconsin. (Who currently leads Michigan 24-0.)
We'll know a lot more after Boise State plays #18 Nevada. But my point is this: If Auburn loses to Alabama, but then turns around to beat South Carolina and win the SEC, there is no way that they should get in to the NC ahead of an undefeated Boise State. The Broncos competition is stiff enough that, when added to their wins against Oregon State and the likely ACC champion Virginia Tech, they would be more deserving than any 1-loss SEC team.
This week, there is a dearth of good college football games.
The top 3 BCS teams - Oregon, Auburn, and TCU - all have bye weeks this week. No. 4 Boise State (they're 3rd in the AP) crushed the Fresno State Bulldogs last night 51-0. I watched that game last night when I was out at a bar with Robyn and her library friends. At first I did really good. I sat with my back to the TV. I engaged in conversation. I listened. But then the bar started blasting salsa music. And the conversation turned to grad school departmental gossip. And I had another Manhattan. And I found myself craning my neck more and more often to watch the Broncos demolish the Bulldogs on that crazy blue field. (When I turned around, everyone had left the table to go salsa dancing.)
It's impossible to eyeball exactly how good Boise State is based on a game like they played last night. I would say that there were probably 3 plays when Kellen Moore made a pass that just made me go, "Oh my God!" But then there were probably 3 other plays when I said to myself, "Hmmm... Fresno State's defense really can't cover." That's the traditional knock against BSU: sure they're good, but they never really get challenged. However, I think that the WAC is better than a lot of people give it credit for being, and that Boise State may really just be that dominant.
Now, let's be absolutely clear: In a world where there are four undefeated teams at the end of the season, the Pac-10 and SEC champs get in before the WAC and MWC champs. But this season, against the six BCS conferences plus the Mountain West, the WAC is 11-15. That's not good, but it's respectable. This includes Boise's wins against Virginia Tech and Oregon State. It also includes Hawaii's win against Army, Nevada's wins against Cal and BYU. (And Fresno State's win against, um, Cincinnati.) It also includes Hawaii's 49-36 loss to USC, Utah State's 31-24 loss to Oklahoma, and San Jose State's 27-14 loss to Wisconsin. (Who currently leads Michigan 24-0.)
We'll know a lot more after Boise State plays #18 Nevada. But my point is this: If Auburn loses to Alabama, but then turns around to beat South Carolina and win the SEC, there is no way that they should get in to the NC ahead of an undefeated Boise State. The Broncos competition is stiff enough that, when added to their wins against Oregon State and the likely ACC champion Virginia Tech, they would be more deserving than any 1-loss SEC team.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Who Has The Clearest Road to the BCS Championship?
1) Ohio State - The Buckeyes will probably have their most difficult test of the rest of the year this Saturday at #18 Wisconsin. After that, they should get two easy wins against Minnesota and Purdue, followed by a home game against Penn State that is suddenly looking a lot less vital after Penn State's home loss to Illinois. In all likelihood, the Big Ten will be decided on Nov. 20, when Ohio State travels to #15 Iowa. However, the Hawkeyes will need to be perfect going into that game in order for it to have major BCS implications. And the bottom line is that, aside from whoever is the eventual SEC champ, Ohio State has the best chance of making it to the National Championship with one loss.
2) Oklahoma - No one's road to the National Championship game is easy. But the Sooners have already passed their toughest challenges of the year, with impressive wins over Florida State and Texas. They're at #21 Missouri on Oct. 23, and finish their year at #20 Oklahoma State. Even though both of those teams are undefeated right now, the Sooners should still be heavy favorites in both of those games. It is very possible that UO will be undefeated going into the Big 12 Championship, and a 13-0 Oklahoma team should be a lock for the National Championship. Emphasis on "should".
3) Nebraska - The only difference between Nebraska and Oklahoma right now is that the Sooners have already beaten Texas, whereas Nebraska will get that chance this weekend. That starts a tough - although not brutal - stretch for the Cornhuskers when they play at Oklahoma State and host Missouri. If they survive undefeated, a Big 12 title match with Oklahoma would be a de facto national semifinal. Lose, however, and odds are they'll be playing for the rights to the Fiesta Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl alone.
4) Oregon - The good news for the #2 Ducks: Win and you're in. The bad news: "Winning" entails games at USC (Oct. 30), at Cal (Nov. 13), and at Oregon State (Dec. 04). The bad news, part 2: They'll probably have to run the table in order to have a shot at the National Championship. Even though the Pac-10 is probably the deepest conference in the nation this year, voters tend to not give the Pac-10 champ the benefit of the doubt when it comes time for selecting the BCS championships. A one-loss Ohio State or Oklahoma would most likely, get the nod before the Ducks, let alone the SEC champ.
5) Boise State - Of course the Broncos absolutely must win out in order to have a chance at the Championship game. But that's not going to be a problem for them, a November 26 trip to #19 Nevada notwithstanding. They'll be spending a lot of this year rooting for the other top teams in the country to lose. In a way, Boise State may have benefited the most from Alabama's loss to South Carolina. They'll still need at least three of the four teams ahead of them to lose at least once, and probably some more havoc in the SEC. Nevertheless, Boise State remains in a better position now for making it to the National Championship than they ever have before.
SEC Champ .... Nobody? South Carolina's 35-21 win over Alabama on Saturday turned the SEC on it's head. Even though the SEC is still the toughest conference in football, it's perceived weakness this year means that it's champion will not get a free pass to the BCS game. The conference's problem seems to be that no team has a clear path to the SEC title game with one or fewer losses. Auburn has Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama. South Carolina has Arkansas and Florida (and Clemson!). LSU has Auburn, Alabama, and Arkansas. And so on, and so forth. It's like football roulette. I'm not saying that we won't see an SEC team on the field in Glendale on January 10. But in a down year for the SEC, and with Boise State and TCU set to hold voters' feet to the fire, whoever wins in Atlanta this year will not automatically be booking their flights to Arizona.
2) Oklahoma - No one's road to the National Championship game is easy. But the Sooners have already passed their toughest challenges of the year, with impressive wins over Florida State and Texas. They're at #21 Missouri on Oct. 23, and finish their year at #20 Oklahoma State. Even though both of those teams are undefeated right now, the Sooners should still be heavy favorites in both of those games. It is very possible that UO will be undefeated going into the Big 12 Championship, and a 13-0 Oklahoma team should be a lock for the National Championship. Emphasis on "should".
3) Nebraska - The only difference between Nebraska and Oklahoma right now is that the Sooners have already beaten Texas, whereas Nebraska will get that chance this weekend. That starts a tough - although not brutal - stretch for the Cornhuskers when they play at Oklahoma State and host Missouri. If they survive undefeated, a Big 12 title match with Oklahoma would be a de facto national semifinal. Lose, however, and odds are they'll be playing for the rights to the Fiesta Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl alone.
4) Oregon - The good news for the #2 Ducks: Win and you're in. The bad news: "Winning" entails games at USC (Oct. 30), at Cal (Nov. 13), and at Oregon State (Dec. 04). The bad news, part 2: They'll probably have to run the table in order to have a shot at the National Championship. Even though the Pac-10 is probably the deepest conference in the nation this year, voters tend to not give the Pac-10 champ the benefit of the doubt when it comes time for selecting the BCS championships. A one-loss Ohio State or Oklahoma would most likely, get the nod before the Ducks, let alone the SEC champ.
5) Boise State - Of course the Broncos absolutely must win out in order to have a chance at the Championship game. But that's not going to be a problem for them, a November 26 trip to #19 Nevada notwithstanding. They'll be spending a lot of this year rooting for the other top teams in the country to lose. In a way, Boise State may have benefited the most from Alabama's loss to South Carolina. They'll still need at least three of the four teams ahead of them to lose at least once, and probably some more havoc in the SEC. Nevertheless, Boise State remains in a better position now for making it to the National Championship than they ever have before.
SEC Champ .... Nobody? South Carolina's 35-21 win over Alabama on Saturday turned the SEC on it's head. Even though the SEC is still the toughest conference in football, it's perceived weakness this year means that it's champion will not get a free pass to the BCS game. The conference's problem seems to be that no team has a clear path to the SEC title game with one or fewer losses. Auburn has Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama. South Carolina has Arkansas and Florida (and Clemson!). LSU has Auburn, Alabama, and Arkansas. And so on, and so forth. It's like football roulette. I'm not saying that we won't see an SEC team on the field in Glendale on January 10. But in a down year for the SEC, and with Boise State and TCU set to hold voters' feet to the fire, whoever wins in Atlanta this year will not automatically be booking their flights to Arizona.
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