Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
California vs. Air Force
Fort Worth, Texas
December 31
12:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
California
Record: 6-6 (3-6)
Record against bowl teams: 2-4
Best Win: Tennessee (9-4)
Worst Loss: Washington (4-9)
The Rundown: California had a great beginning to the season, winning the first five games and being ranked as high as #2 in the country. During that stretch, the Golden Bears picked up good wins against Tennessee and Oregon. The second half was the polar opposite. They lost six of their last seven games, with the only win by a field goal over Washington State. The defense was relatively constant all season, but the offense was much better in the first half. California scored over 100 points in the first half more than in the second half (219-114).
Air Force
Record: 9-3 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 2-3
Best Win: Utah (8-4)
Worst Loss: Navy (8-4)
The Rundown: Air Force is in my opinion the most surprising team in the country this year. Previous head coach Fisher DeBerry retired, and nobody knew what to expect. Troy Calhoun, the OC of the Houston Texans and Air Force alum, took over as the new head coach and led them to their first bowl game since 2002 and their first nine win season since 2000.
The Matchup: This game could easily go either way. California is obviously the more talented team, but they haven’t been living up to expectations since September. Air Force has had a great season, but like California their best wins were in September. The team that shows up to play and wants it the most will win this game.
The Pick: California
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Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State
Boise, Idaho
December 31
2:00 pm Eastern
ESPN2
Georgia Tech
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 1-5
Best Win: Clemson (9-3)
Worst Loss: Maryland (6-6)
The Rundown: Georgia Tech had the talent and the schedule to have a huge year, but underachieved so much that head coach Chan Gailey was fired after the regular season. Former Navy head coach Paul Johnson was brought in to fill the vacancy. Georgia Tech only beat one team with a winning record all season, a 13-3 victory over Clemson at home. The Yellow Jackets were beat soundly at home by three good teams: Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Georgia. The Georgia loss was the sixth in a row in that rivalry. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will coach them in the bowl game.
Fresno State
Record: 8-4 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 1-4
Best Win: Nevada (6-6)
Worst Loss: Texas A&M (7-5)
The Rundown: After last season’s disappointment, Fresno State is back to their winning ways. The offense was able to solve its problems and scored over 100 points more than last season (9.25 more points per game). Fresno State only beat one bowl team (Nevada), but pushed Texas A&M to three overtimes before losing when they failed to convert a two-point conversion. They also played Hawaii close, only losing by a touchdown.
The Matchup: Fresno State thrives on games like this where they have the opportunity to show everyone how good they are. Georgia Tech is in the middle of a coaching change and coming off a very lackluster year. Georgia Tech will have to find a way to get up for this game or Fresno will blow them away.
The Pick: Fresno State
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Brut Sun Bowl
South Florida vs. Oregon
El Paso, Texas
December 31
2:00 pm Eastern
CBS
South Florida
Record: 9-3 (4-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: West Virginia (10-2)
Worst Loss: Rutgers (7-5)
The Rundown: South Florida is growing into a Big East powerhouse and is beginning to get a lot of national attention. The Bulls won their first six games, including victories over Auburn, West Virginia, and UCF (combined record: 28-9). South Florida stumbled at Rutgers on a short week and then lost to Connecticut at Cincinnati. The three losses were by a combined 15 points, and all were to bowl teams. South Florida bounced back to win the last three, but it wasn’t enough to get into the Big East title race. The offense was greatly improved this season, averaging almost 13 more points per game, and the defense continued to be fast and strong.
Oregon
Record: 8-4 (5-4)
Record against bowl teams: 5-3
Best Win: USC (10-2)
Worst Loss: Arizona (5-7)
The Rundown: For the first nine games of the season, Oregon was arguably one of the best teams in the country and QB Dennis Dixon was the frontrunner for the Heisman by the end of that stretch. Those nine games included five wins over bowl teams including Arizona State and USC who both finished at 10-2. The only loss was against California by a touchdown. When Dennis Dixon was lost to a season-ending injury, this was simply not the same team. They lost the last three games, including any shot at a national or conference title. The lowest point was when they were shut out by a very average UCLA team.
The Matchup: I’ve dubbed this game the “What might have been?” bowl. I can’t help but wonder what might have been in Dixon had never been hurt. This Oregon team could very well be playing for in the National Championship game. And what would have been in South Florida had gotten a couple of balls bounce their way during that three game losing streak. They were 1-3 in close games. With a little more luck, they could also be playing in the National Championship game. The matchup itself all comes down to the fact that this Oregon team just can’t figure out how to win games without its star QB.
The Pick: South Florida
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Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Kentucky vs. Florida State
Nashville, Tennessee
December 31
4:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Kentucky
Record: 7-5 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: LSU (11-2)
Worst Loss: South Carolina (6-6)
The Rundown: This Kentucky team had a huge first half of the season, starting 6-1 including a triple overtime shocker where they knocked off top-ranked LSU. They also picked up good wins against instate rival Louisville, Sun Belt champion FAU, and Arkansas. The Wildcats were only able to win one more game out of the last five, including falling to rival Tennessee by a two point conversion in the fourth overtime period. Kentucky was led by QB Andre Woodson to have the fourth highest scoring offense in the SEC, scoring over 10 more points per game than last season.
Florida State
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 4-4
Best Win: Boston College (10-3)
Worst Loss: Miami (5-7)
The Rundown: Florida State had a slightly disappointing year, as they were expected to contend in the ACC. Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher was brought in to improve the offense, but scoring actually went down on his watch. In fact they only scored 12 points more than their opponents all season. Fisher was still rewarded with an agreement that he will replace head coach Bobby Bowden when he eventually retires. Florida State did have a difficult schedule, as they played eight bowl teams. They split those games, but they also lost to 5-7 Miami. The Seminoles will probably be remembered most this year for ruining Boston College’s chance at a perfect season. An academic scandal has recently rocked Florida State, and 36 players will not be going to the bowl game due to either suspension or injury. Many of these players could also lose playing time next season.
The Matchup: Florida State usually shows up big in bowl games, but the thin numbers can’t be ignored. Kentucky was able to dismantle a pretty good Clemson team in this same bowl game last year, and I expect a similar result again this year.
The Pick: Kentucky
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Insight Bowl
Indiana vs. Oklahoma State
Tempe, Arizona
December 31
6:00 pm Eastern
NFL Network
Indiana
Record: 7-5 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 2-4
Best Win: Purdue (7-5)
Worst Loss: Northwestern (6-6)
The Rundown: Indiana tragically lost head coach Terry Hoeppner in the offseason, but were able to fulfill his promise of a “13th game.” Bill Lynch took over the team and led them to their first bowl game since 1993. The schedule worked out nicely since they missed both Michigan and Ohio State. The only Big Ten team with a winning record that Indiana beat was Purdue in the final game with a bowl berth on the line. Both the offense and the defense put up much better numbers than last season. A couple of close losses against Penn State and Northwestern prevented an even bigger year for the Hoosiers.
Oklahoma State
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 2-5
Best Win: Texas Tech (8-4)
Worst Loss: Texas A&M (7-5)
The Rundown: Much like last season, Oklahoma State did just enough to get to a bowl game. The Cowboys had road woes all season, only winning at Nebraska and Baylor. Troy was able to upset them easily in the third week of the season. They lost close games against Texas A&M and Texas, but also won close games against Texas Tech and Kansas State. Some had predicted a big season for Oklahoma State, but the offense and defense actually put up worse numbers than last season.
The Matchup: This Oklahoma State team just never lived up to the high expectations it had. Indiana, on the other hand, exceeded all expectations and had a wonderful year. The good fortune they’ve had all season will continue into the bowl game.
The Pick: Indiana
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Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Clemson vs. Auburn
Atlanta, Georgia
December 31
7:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Clemson
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: Wake Forest (8-4)
Worst Loss: Georgia Tech (7-5)
The Rundown: Clemson had another successful season, but just missed a chance to play in the ACC Championship game when they lost to Boston College by a field goal. Clemson picked up good wins against Florida State in the opener and Wake Forest. They also hung 70 points on MAC champion Central Michigan and beat instate rival South Carolina. QB Cullen Harper had a great season in his first one as a starter, and he challenged Boston College’s Matt Ryan for best passer in the conference.
Auburn
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Florida (9-3)
Worst Loss: Mississippi St (7-5)
The Rundown: Auburn had another good year under head coach Tommy Tuberville. They won eight games, including the sixth straight victory over rival Alabama. They lost four games, but three were by six points or fewer, and one was in overtime. All four losses were to bowl teams. The three wins over bowl teams were all by a touchdown or less, but two of them were on the road. The Tigers split the six close games they played in.
The Matchup: This game is one of the best matchups of the bowl season and is one that I’m looking forward to the most. It’s also one of the most difficult to predict. Both head coaches were rumored to fill the Arkansas vacancy, but both stuck with their current positions and were given extensions. This game could easily go either way, but Clemson gets the nod since I think they are building towards a huge 2008 season.
The Pick: Clemson
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Outback Bowl
Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Tampa, Florida
January 1, 2008
11:00 am Eastern
ESPN
Wisconsin
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: Michigan (8-4)
Worst Loss: Penn State (8-4)
The Rundown: Wisconsin had a good season, but struggles on the road prevented any shot at the Big Ten title. Wisconsin lost to Illinois, Penn State, and Ohio State on the road. The other two road games were close wins against bad teams. The Badgers had one of the best defenses last year, but that was not the case this year. Instead of being the best defense in the conference, it was much more toward the middle of the pack this season.
Tennessee
Record: 9-4 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 5-4
Best Win: Georgia (10-2)
Worst Loss: Alabama (6-6)
The Rundown: Tennessee will be playing in their second straight Outback Bowl after representing the SEC East in the conference championship game. They lost that game to LSU, one of four losses on the season. The other three losses were on the road to bowl teams, but two of those teams finished just 6-6. The Volunteers had great success in close games, winning three in the regular season including two in overtime. The game against Kentucky went into four overtime periods and ended when Kentucky was unable to convert a two point conversion attempt. The defense had trouble all season, finishing only tenth in the conference in points allowed. Four times they gave up 40+ points (1-3), compared to last season when they never gave up any more than 33 points in one game.
The Matchup: Both of these teams won nine games, but neither did so very impressively. Tennessee did not play well in this bowl last year against Penn State, but that shouldn’t be the case again. As long as they are able to play as well as they are capable of, they should get the win.
The Pick: Tennessee
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AT&T Cotton Bowl
Missouri vs. Arkansas
Dallas, Texas
January 1, 2008
11:30 am Eastern
FOX
Missouri
Record: 11-2 (7-1)
Record against bowl teams: 5-2
Best Win: Kansas (11-1)
Worst Losses: Oklahoma (11-2) twice
The Rundown: Missouri made it the Big 12 Championship game by beating Kansas in the regular season finale and were just one win away from going to the National Championship game. Some highlights of the season include beating two BCS Bowl bound teams plus three other bowl teams. They were the only team to beat Kansas. Their Achilles heel was the Sooners of Oklahoma. Twice they beat the Tigers, first to ruin a chance at a perfect season, and then to prevent them from winning the conference. In my opinion, Missouri should definitely be playing in Orange Bowl instead of Kansas. They deserve the BCS bid instead of just a trip to the Cotton Bowl.
Arkansas
Record: 8-4 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 2-4
Best Win: LSU (11-2)
Worst Loss: Alabama (6-6)
The Rundown: Arkansas had an up and down season marked by outstanding play by RB Darren McFadden, but several losses against good teams. They obviously got an elite win over LSU in the regular season finale, but they needed three overtimes to get it. The only other bowl team they beat was Mississippi State. Arkansas did lose games to Alabama and Auburn by a total of five points, so they were also really close to a ten win season. Head coach Houston Nutt was offered an extension after the season ended, but due to restlessness within the fanbase he chose to resign. He was hired soon afterward by Mississippi to replace Ed Orgeron. Atlanta Falcons head coach Booby Petrino was brought in to fill the vacancy.
The Matchup: Arkansas was overmatched before their head coach left. You can never count a team with McFadden and Felix Jones in the backfield, but they will have their collective hands full with Missouri. QB Chase Daniel will lead Missouri to their first ever 12-win season.
The Pick: Missouri
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Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Texas Tech vs. Virginia
Jacksonville, Florida
January 1, 2008
1:00 pm Eastern
CBS
Texas Tech
Record: 8-4 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 2-4
Best Win: Oklahoma (11-2)
Worst Loss: Oklahoma State (6-6)
The Rundown: Texas Tech had another good year under head coach Mike Leach, but a couple of bad losses kept it from being a great year. Losses to Oklahoma State and Colorado by a combined nine points kept the Red Raiders out of the Big 12 Championship and potentially a BCS bowl. Texas Tech has had eight straight winning seasons under Leach, but he hasn’t been able to take them to a championship game yet. Tech had great breakout season by redshirt freshman WR Michael Crabtree who had 1861 yards and 21 touchdowns. They did get a huge win over Oklahoma, knocking them out of the national title hunt.
Virginia
Record: 9-3 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 4-1
Best Win: Connecticut (9-3)
Worst Loss: Wyoming (5-7)
The Rundown: Virginia had an interesting season, and it’s hard to get a good read on just how good they are. They beat four out of the five bowl teams they played, but also had bad losses to Wyoming and NC State. Also of the nine wins, six were by five or fewer points. All four wins against bowl team were close, including three by a single point each. That makes their worst case record 3-9. The Cavaliers have been getting lucky all season, who knows if that will carry on to the bowl game or not.
The Matchup: I wouldn’t be surprised if Texas Tech wins this game in a walk, or if Virginia wins on a last second field goal. The only thing that would surprise me would be a Virginia blowout.
The Pick: Texas Tech
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Capital One Bowl
Michigan vs. Florida
Orlando, Florida
January 1, 2008
1:00 pm Eastern
ABC
Florida
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: Tennessee (9-4)
Worst Loss: Auburn (8-4)
The Rundown: Florida followed up its National Championship with another winning season. The only team that really beat them all season was Georgia. The losses to Auburn and LSU were both close games. The Gators didn’t really get an elite win except for Tennessee, but QB Tim Tebow did win the Heisman trophy.
Michigan
Record: 8-4 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: Illinois (9-3)
Worst Loss: Appalachian State (FCS)
The Rundown: Michigan was a preseason contender for the national title, but an opening day loss to FCS member Appalachian State killed that dream. The next week they were lit up by Oregon as they still didn’t have any answer to the spread offense. Then they ripped off an eight game winning streak before losing the last two games. The disappointing season led to head coach Lloyd Carr turning in his resignation. They hired former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez to replace Carr.
The Matchup: This could be one of the most lopsided bowl games of the entire season. The team on Michigan’s schedule that most resembles Florida was Oregon. Oregon won that game 39-7 at the Big House. Now Michigan won’t have home field advantage or their head coach. Expect Florida to win without any problems.
The Pick: Florida
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Rose Bowl presented by Citi
Illinois vs. USC
Pasadena, California
January 1, 2008
4:30 pm Eastern
ABC
Illinois
Record: 9-3 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 5-2
Best Win: Ohio State (11-1)
Worst Loss: Iowa (6-6)
The Rundown: Illinois had a gigantic turnaround with a seven game improvement over last season. They went from 2-10 a year ago to 9-3 and a BCS bowl berth. The Illini were a questionable recipient of a BCS bid, but the powers that be wanted to have the traditional Pac 10 – Big Ten matchup in the Rose Bowl. Illinois’ best win was obviously against Ohio State to become the only team to defeat the Buckeyes in the regular season. They beat five bowl teams total, but three of them were by a touchdown or less. The three losses were close by a combined total of 20 points.
USC
Record: 10-2 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 4-1
Best Win: Arizona State (10-2)
Worst Loss: Stanford (4-8)
The Rundown: USC did win ten games and won the conference, but as one of the most talented teams in the country anything other than playing in the National Championship game has to be a disappointment. USC was victim to one of the worst losses of the season when they were beat at home by a Stanford team that finished with four wins. The Stanford loss was by a single point, and the other loss was at Oregon by a touchdown. While not necessarily their fault, the Trojans played a relatively soft schedule. They only played three teams with winning records, going 2-1 in those games. Road games to Notre Dame and Nebraska looked much more interesting in the preseason than they turned out to be. The offense and the defense put up similar numbers to last season, which explains the similar results.
The Matchup: Regardless of how much improved Illinois is this season, I’m still a little skeptical of Ron Zook as a head coach. I have a hard time believing he will be able to match wits against Pete Carroll on the opposite sideline. I know that USC has had its struggles this season, but I fell confident they will make a strong showing in the bowl game.
The Pick: USC
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Allstate Sugar Bowl
Hawaii vs. Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana
January 1, 2008
8:30 pm Eastern
FOX
Hawaii
Record: 12-0 (8-0)
Record against bowl teams: 3-0
Best Win: Boise State (10-2)
Worst Loss: N/A
The Rundown: Hawaii is the second straight WAC team to finish undefeated and break into the BCS but not play for a national title. I’m still amazed that a two-loss team will play for it all instead of an unbeaten team. The Warriors did have problems with a soft non-conference schedule and winning five close games. The OOC include two FCS teams, a two-win team (UNLV), and a four-win team (Washington). They were also pushed to overtime by two 5-7 teams, although both were on the road. Hawaii finished 3-0 against bowl teams including an impressive win over ten-win Boise State. The Warriors again had one of the top offenses in the nation and were led by Heisman candidate QB Colt Brennan.
Georgia
Record: 10-2 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 6-1
Best Win: Florida (9-3)
Worst Loss: South Carolina (6-6)
The Rundown: Georgia had great season with double digit wins, but were arguably overrated for certain reasons. Everyone seems to forget about the Bulldogs problems on the road. They needed overtime to beat Alabama (6-6), lost by three touchdowns to Tennessee, and only beat Vanderbilt (5-7) by a field goal. The only good road win was against instate rival Georgia Tech, who they beat 31-17. Couple the road issues with a loss at home to a mediocre South Carolina (6-6) team, and you have to wonder how good this team is. The Bulldogs did finish strong, winning their last five games against teams that finished with winning records. The only two really good wins they picked up were against Florida on a neutral site and Auburn at home.
The Matchup: Probably the most intriguing bowl game of the season is the Sugar Bowl. Hawaii hasn’t played an opponent of Georgia’s caliber yet this season, but they haven’t lost yet either. With Utah and Boise State winning BCS bowls previously, Hawaii is looking to be the latest non-BCS team to finish undefeated. Georgia is playing very well lately too and can’t be discounted. It will be interesting to see how well their defense can contain the high octane Hawaii passing attack. Hopefully this game doesn’t disappoint the high expectations I have for it.
The Pick: Hawaii
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Bowl Picks for December 26-30
Motor City Bowl
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
December 26
7:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Purdue
Record: 7-5 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 1-5
Best Win: Central Michigan (8-5)
Worst Loss: Indiana (7-5)
The Rundown: Purdue had a veteran, experienced team this season and could have been a surprise team In the Big Ten. Instead, the Boilermakers struggled against good teams and did just enough to get to a bowl game. Interestingly, the only bowl team that Purdue beat is the same Central Michigan team they are facing in the bowl game. The offense was much improved behind QB Curtis Painter and a talented receiving corps, and it averaged almost a touchdown more per game than last season. Purdue had climbed all the way to a 7-2 record before losing the last three games, including to Indiana on a last second field goal.
Central Michigan
Record: 8-5 (6-1)
Record against bowl teams: 1-3
Best Win: Ball State (7-5)
Worst Loss: North Dakota State (FCS)
The Rundown: Central Michigan was a dominant team in conference play with their only loss was by a field goal after they had already locked up the MAC West. Unfortunately the OOC was a completely different story. Other than a win against Army, they were blown out in the other four games. Kansas, Purdue, Clemson, and FCS-member North Dakota State all beat Central Michigan convincingly with a combined score of 211-57. The Chippewas are led by first year head coach Butch Jones, the former West Virginia WR coach and previously the OC for Central Michigan.
The Matchup: This game was already played once this season on September 15. Purdue won it easily with a final score of 45-22. Both teams have continued to play at the same level as they did on that game, so the only difference is that now it will be on a neutral field instead of Purdue having the home field advantage. That won’t be enough to change the outcome.
The Pick: Purdue
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Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Arizona State vs. Texas
San Diego, California
December 27
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Arizona State
Record: 10-2 (7-2)
Record against bowl teams: 4-2
Best Win: Oregon State (8-4)
Worst Loss: Oregon (8-4)
The Rundown: Arizona State had a huge year, winning 10 games under new head coach Dennis Erickson. The Sun Devils won their first eight games, including victories over bowl teams Colorado, Oregon State and California. The first loss came on the road against an Oregon team with a healthy Dennis Dixon. The other loss came against USC that almost completely knocked them out of the Pac 10 title race. While Arizona State did beat four bowl teams, three of them finished with 6-6 records, and three of them were at home. Both times they faced a top tier team, they were beaten soundly. Arizona State did a great job at winning all of the games they were supposed to, but they weren’t able to capture an elite win this season.
Texas
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-2
Best Wins: Texas Tech (8-4) and UCF (10-3)
Worst Loss: Kansas State (5-7)
The Rundown: Texas had another good season, but couldn’t do enough to win the Big 12 South. Texas lost to Kansas State and Texas A&M both for the second straight year, even though the Longhorns appeared to be the better team. Throw in a loss in the Red River Rivalry, and Texas finished with just a 5-3 record in conference. Texas did score a couple of good non-conference wins against UCF and TCU.
The Matchup: This game is often considered the first major bowl of the season, since it is usually the first to have two ranked teams participate in it. This year’s matchup should not disappoint. Arizona State won 10 games, but none against the caliber of opponent that Texas is. Texas has struggled at times this season, but I expect them to show up strong in the bowl game.
The Pick: Texas
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Champs Sports Bowl
Boston College vs. Michigan State
Orlando, Florida
December 28
5:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Boston College
Record: 10-3 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 5-3
Best Win: Virginia Tech (11-2)
Worst Loss: Maryland (6-6)
The Rundown: Boston College started off really hot, winning the first eight games and Matt Ryan garnered a lot of Heisman attention. First year head coach Jeff Jagodzinski was able to continue the success that former coach Tom O’Brien was able to build there. BC ended up losing the ACC Championship game to Virginia Tech, splitting the season series with them. Along with beating Virginia Tech, the Eagles also had good wins against Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Bowling Green, and Clemson. BC’s two losses in the season were to bowl teams, albeit mediocre ones in Florida State and Maryland.
Michigan State
Record: 7-5 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: Penn State (8-4)
Worst Loss: Northwestern (6-6)
The Rundown: Michigan State is also breaking in a new head coach in Mark Dantonio. Michigan State was competitive in every game they played, never losing a game by more than a touchdown. Also two of those losses were in overtime. Michigan State was the highest scoring team in the Big Ten this season and improved on their points scored by almost nine per game since last season.
The Matchup: Boston College has the nation’s best rush defense and will be going up against a power rush team. Michigan State has a good running game, but it will definitely have its problems in this game. Boston College should be able to win this game by forcing to the Spartans to have to beat them through the air.
The Pick: Boston College
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Texas Bowl
TCU vs. Houston
Houston, Texas
December 28
8:00 pm Eastern
NFL Network
TCU
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 1-4
Best Win: New Mexico (8-4)
Worst Loss: Wyoming (5-7)
The Rundown: TCU had a lot of preseason hype and started out well with a shutout victory against Baylor. Unfortunately, they lost the next two games and could never put more than two wins in a row. Other than the Texas game, TCU was never beaten by more than a touchdown. The Horned Frogs only picked up one quality win all season, a 37-0 shutout against 8-4 New Mexico. They didn’t beat another team with a winning record. TCU did finish 16th in the nation in total defense, but only third in the conference behind BYU and New Mexico.
Houston
Record: 8-4 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 0-4
Best Win: Tulane (4-8)
Worst Loss: East Carolina (7-5)
The Rundown: A quick look at Houston’s 8-4 record makes me think that they are a pretty good team. A closer look makes me wonder how good they actually are. While they did get eight wins, none of those games came against an opponent who won more than four games. It’s never a good sign when your two best wins are against Tulane and UTEP. The four losses came to bowl teams, and two of them were close games to East Carolina and Alabama. They had a chance to clinch the C-USA West title, but were blown out by Tulsa 56-7. Houston’s head coach Art Briles left after the regular season, taking over at Baylor.
The Matchup: I would have more faith in Houston if they still had Briles on the sideline, or if they had shown the capability to beat a good team. The game will be played in Houston, but the home field advantage will be minimal. I expect this to be a close game with TCU coming out on top.
The Pick: TCU
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Emerald Bowl
Maryland vs. Oregon State
San Francisco, California
December 28
8:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Maryland
Record: 6-6 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 3-5
Best Win: Boston College (10-3)
Worst Loss: North Carolina (4-8)
The Rundown: Maryland was a very average team this season, not doing anything to stand out either positively or negatively. They had one really good win against Boston College and one bad loss against North Carolina. Both of those games were decided by a score. They beat a couple of 7-5 teams and lost to five bowl teams.
Oregon State
Record: 8-4 (6-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Oregon (8-4)
Worst Loss: UCLA (6-6)
The Rundown: Oregon State started off a little slow out of the gate with a 2-3 record, but finished strong winning six of the last seven. While they were beaten badly at home by UCLA, the other three losses were on the road to teams that won nine or ten games. Good victories include winning at California when they were ranked #2 in the country, at #17 Oregon, and Utah.
The Matchup: This game appears to be a mismatch with Oregon State being the much better team. Maryland will also be traveling all the way across the country and may not have many fans in attendance. I think the Terps may be able to keep it close, but the Beavers should get the win.
The Pick: Oregon State
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Meineke Car Care Bowl
Connecticut vs. Wake Forest
Charlotte, North Carolina
December 29
1:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Connecticut
Record: 9-3 (5-2)
Record against bowl teams: 2-3
Best Win: South Florida (9-3)
Worst Loss: Virginia (9-3)
The Rundown: Connecticut was one of the biggest surprises this year; they won nine games and had a chance at the Big East title. The Huskies lost only one game in their first nine games, and that was by a single point on the road to a nine-win Virginia team. Along the way they picked up good wins against South Florida, Rutgers, and Louisville. Connecticut was beaten soundly in the other two losses, but it was against really good teams on the road. The loss against West Virginia was the game that decided the Big East race.
Wake Forest
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: Florida State (7-5)
Worst Loss: Nebraska (5-7)
The Rundown: Wake Forest lost the first two games of the season, but the ripped off a six game winning streak before splitting the last four games. Wake never picked up an elite win, but still beat three bowl teams and only had one bad loss. Only Clemson was able to blow out Wake Forest, the other three losses were by ten or fewer points.
The Matchup: Connecticut won a lot of games, but never beat a good team on the road. Since this game is almost a home team for Wake Forest, the Huskies may have some trouble. Also Jim Grobe is still one of the best coaches in the country, so the Demon Deacons get the nod.
The Pick: Wake Forest
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AutoZone Liberty Bowl
UCF vs. Mississippi State
Memphis, Tennessee
December 29
4:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
UCF
Record: 10-3 (7-1)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Wins: Tulsa (9-4) twice
Worst Loss: East Carolina (7-5)
The Rundown: This year UCF is most well known for the huge year that RB Kevin Smith is having. He was the nation’s leading rusher with 2448 yards and 29 rushing TDs. Smith also led the nation in scoring with 180 points (13.85 per game.) UCF beat Tulsa in the C-USA Championship game to give them their first conference championship. UCF never had a bad loss. The only home loss was against Texas by a field goal in their brand new stadium. The other two were on the road against bowl teams East Carolina and South Florida.
Mississippi State
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Auburn (8-4)
Worst Loss: South Carolina (6-6)
The Rundown: Sylvester Croom has finally turned Mississippi State around and brought them to their first bowl game since 2000. Along the way they beat Kentucky and Alabama when they were ranked and had another good win against Auburn. The Bulldogs struggled all year on offense and finished in the bottom ten in total offense. The defense was able to keep them in the games that they won.
The Matchup: The UCF offensive machine is firing on all cylinders, and even a strong Mississippi State defense isn’t going to be able to stop it. UCF also has an underrated defense, which should give fits to the Bulldogs anemic offense. This game could be a statement win for how far the UCF program has come in a short amount of time.
The Pick: UCF
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Valero Alamo Bowl
Penn State vs. Texas A&M
San Antonio, Texas
December 29
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Penn State
Record: 8-4 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Wisconsin (9-3)
Worst Loss: Michigan State (7-5)
The Rundown: Penn State was a great team at home and a mediocre one on the road. The only road games they won were against Indiana by five points and Temple. They lost to Michigan, Illinois, and Michigan State on the road. They went 6-1 at home, with the only loss coming against Ohio State. They were able to knock off Purdue and Wisconsin at home.
Texas A&M
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Texas (9-3)
Worst Loss: Miami (5-7)
The Rundown: Texas A&M is in transition as head coach Dennis Franchione resigned after a tumultuous five year tenure. The defensive coordinator Gary Darnell will coach them in the bowl game. Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman was hired to take over just three days after Franchione resigned. Sherman previously was an offensive line coach at A&M. The Aggies beat Texas for the second straight year, but the next best win was a triple-overtime thriller against Fresno State. A&M continued lose against Oklahoma and Texas Tech, and they also lost to Miami in a very down year.
The Matchup: Texas A&M has been a big soap opera for the past couple of months. Penn State isn’t a great team, but definitely hasn’t had to deal with any of the same drama. The more focused team gets the pick.
The Pick: Penn State
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PetroSun Independence Bowl
Alabama vs. Colorado
Shreveport, Louisiana
December 30
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Alabama
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-5
Best Win: Tennessee (9-4)
Worst Loss: Louisiana Monroe (6-6)
The Rundown: Alabama came into this season with the highest paid coach and grand expectations. Instead they barely finished with a .500 record and are headed to the same bowl game as they went to last year. Lowlights of the season included four consecutive losses to end the season and losing to instate rival Auburn for the sixth straight season. The Tide did pick up a good win against Tennessee, and none of the six losses were by more than touchdown. That’s a good sign for next season, but they still have to play Colorado in the bowl game.
Colorado
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 2-4
Best Win: Oklahoma (11-2)
Worst Loss: Iowa State (3-9)
The Rundown: Head coach Dan Hawkins and Colorado hit rock bottom last year and are crawling their way back up to the top of the Big 12 North. The Buffaloes were up and down all season, impossible to predict each week. They had great wins against Oklahoma at home and on the road against Texas Tech. They also were beat by Iowa State and Kansas State, and were blown out at home by Missouri. Keep your eye on LB Jordon Dizon, an exciting defender who should be all over the field making plays.
The Matchup: This should be a good game and could go either way. Both teams are led by elite coaches who are trying to reestablish winning traditions at programs that are in rebuilding mode. Colorado has more to prove, while Alabama was hoping for a better bowl game. In a close matchup, that might be enough to swing the vote in favor of the Buffaloes.
The Pick: Colorado
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
December 26
7:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Purdue
Record: 7-5 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 1-5
Best Win: Central Michigan (8-5)
Worst Loss: Indiana (7-5)
The Rundown: Purdue had a veteran, experienced team this season and could have been a surprise team In the Big Ten. Instead, the Boilermakers struggled against good teams and did just enough to get to a bowl game. Interestingly, the only bowl team that Purdue beat is the same Central Michigan team they are facing in the bowl game. The offense was much improved behind QB Curtis Painter and a talented receiving corps, and it averaged almost a touchdown more per game than last season. Purdue had climbed all the way to a 7-2 record before losing the last three games, including to Indiana on a last second field goal.
Central Michigan
Record: 8-5 (6-1)
Record against bowl teams: 1-3
Best Win: Ball State (7-5)
Worst Loss: North Dakota State (FCS)
The Rundown: Central Michigan was a dominant team in conference play with their only loss was by a field goal after they had already locked up the MAC West. Unfortunately the OOC was a completely different story. Other than a win against Army, they were blown out in the other four games. Kansas, Purdue, Clemson, and FCS-member North Dakota State all beat Central Michigan convincingly with a combined score of 211-57. The Chippewas are led by first year head coach Butch Jones, the former West Virginia WR coach and previously the OC for Central Michigan.
The Matchup: This game was already played once this season on September 15. Purdue won it easily with a final score of 45-22. Both teams have continued to play at the same level as they did on that game, so the only difference is that now it will be on a neutral field instead of Purdue having the home field advantage. That won’t be enough to change the outcome.
The Pick: Purdue
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Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Arizona State vs. Texas
San Diego, California
December 27
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Arizona State
Record: 10-2 (7-2)
Record against bowl teams: 4-2
Best Win: Oregon State (8-4)
Worst Loss: Oregon (8-4)
The Rundown: Arizona State had a huge year, winning 10 games under new head coach Dennis Erickson. The Sun Devils won their first eight games, including victories over bowl teams Colorado, Oregon State and California. The first loss came on the road against an Oregon team with a healthy Dennis Dixon. The other loss came against USC that almost completely knocked them out of the Pac 10 title race. While Arizona State did beat four bowl teams, three of them finished with 6-6 records, and three of them were at home. Both times they faced a top tier team, they were beaten soundly. Arizona State did a great job at winning all of the games they were supposed to, but they weren’t able to capture an elite win this season.
Texas
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-2
Best Wins: Texas Tech (8-4) and UCF (10-3)
Worst Loss: Kansas State (5-7)
The Rundown: Texas had another good season, but couldn’t do enough to win the Big 12 South. Texas lost to Kansas State and Texas A&M both for the second straight year, even though the Longhorns appeared to be the better team. Throw in a loss in the Red River Rivalry, and Texas finished with just a 5-3 record in conference. Texas did score a couple of good non-conference wins against UCF and TCU.
The Matchup: This game is often considered the first major bowl of the season, since it is usually the first to have two ranked teams participate in it. This year’s matchup should not disappoint. Arizona State won 10 games, but none against the caliber of opponent that Texas is. Texas has struggled at times this season, but I expect them to show up strong in the bowl game.
The Pick: Texas
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Champs Sports Bowl
Boston College vs. Michigan State
Orlando, Florida
December 28
5:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Boston College
Record: 10-3 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 5-3
Best Win: Virginia Tech (11-2)
Worst Loss: Maryland (6-6)
The Rundown: Boston College started off really hot, winning the first eight games and Matt Ryan garnered a lot of Heisman attention. First year head coach Jeff Jagodzinski was able to continue the success that former coach Tom O’Brien was able to build there. BC ended up losing the ACC Championship game to Virginia Tech, splitting the season series with them. Along with beating Virginia Tech, the Eagles also had good wins against Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Bowling Green, and Clemson. BC’s two losses in the season were to bowl teams, albeit mediocre ones in Florida State and Maryland.
Michigan State
Record: 7-5 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: Penn State (8-4)
Worst Loss: Northwestern (6-6)
The Rundown: Michigan State is also breaking in a new head coach in Mark Dantonio. Michigan State was competitive in every game they played, never losing a game by more than a touchdown. Also two of those losses were in overtime. Michigan State was the highest scoring team in the Big Ten this season and improved on their points scored by almost nine per game since last season.
The Matchup: Boston College has the nation’s best rush defense and will be going up against a power rush team. Michigan State has a good running game, but it will definitely have its problems in this game. Boston College should be able to win this game by forcing to the Spartans to have to beat them through the air.
The Pick: Boston College
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Texas Bowl
TCU vs. Houston
Houston, Texas
December 28
8:00 pm Eastern
NFL Network
TCU
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 1-4
Best Win: New Mexico (8-4)
Worst Loss: Wyoming (5-7)
The Rundown: TCU had a lot of preseason hype and started out well with a shutout victory against Baylor. Unfortunately, they lost the next two games and could never put more than two wins in a row. Other than the Texas game, TCU was never beaten by more than a touchdown. The Horned Frogs only picked up one quality win all season, a 37-0 shutout against 8-4 New Mexico. They didn’t beat another team with a winning record. TCU did finish 16th in the nation in total defense, but only third in the conference behind BYU and New Mexico.
Houston
Record: 8-4 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 0-4
Best Win: Tulane (4-8)
Worst Loss: East Carolina (7-5)
The Rundown: A quick look at Houston’s 8-4 record makes me think that they are a pretty good team. A closer look makes me wonder how good they actually are. While they did get eight wins, none of those games came against an opponent who won more than four games. It’s never a good sign when your two best wins are against Tulane and UTEP. The four losses came to bowl teams, and two of them were close games to East Carolina and Alabama. They had a chance to clinch the C-USA West title, but were blown out by Tulsa 56-7. Houston’s head coach Art Briles left after the regular season, taking over at Baylor.
The Matchup: I would have more faith in Houston if they still had Briles on the sideline, or if they had shown the capability to beat a good team. The game will be played in Houston, but the home field advantage will be minimal. I expect this to be a close game with TCU coming out on top.
The Pick: TCU
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Emerald Bowl
Maryland vs. Oregon State
San Francisco, California
December 28
8:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Maryland
Record: 6-6 (3-5)
Record against bowl teams: 3-5
Best Win: Boston College (10-3)
Worst Loss: North Carolina (4-8)
The Rundown: Maryland was a very average team this season, not doing anything to stand out either positively or negatively. They had one really good win against Boston College and one bad loss against North Carolina. Both of those games were decided by a score. They beat a couple of 7-5 teams and lost to five bowl teams.
Oregon State
Record: 8-4 (6-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Oregon (8-4)
Worst Loss: UCLA (6-6)
The Rundown: Oregon State started off a little slow out of the gate with a 2-3 record, but finished strong winning six of the last seven. While they were beaten badly at home by UCLA, the other three losses were on the road to teams that won nine or ten games. Good victories include winning at California when they were ranked #2 in the country, at #17 Oregon, and Utah.
The Matchup: This game appears to be a mismatch with Oregon State being the much better team. Maryland will also be traveling all the way across the country and may not have many fans in attendance. I think the Terps may be able to keep it close, but the Beavers should get the win.
The Pick: Oregon State
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Meineke Car Care Bowl
Connecticut vs. Wake Forest
Charlotte, North Carolina
December 29
1:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Connecticut
Record: 9-3 (5-2)
Record against bowl teams: 2-3
Best Win: South Florida (9-3)
Worst Loss: Virginia (9-3)
The Rundown: Connecticut was one of the biggest surprises this year; they won nine games and had a chance at the Big East title. The Huskies lost only one game in their first nine games, and that was by a single point on the road to a nine-win Virginia team. Along the way they picked up good wins against South Florida, Rutgers, and Louisville. Connecticut was beaten soundly in the other two losses, but it was against really good teams on the road. The loss against West Virginia was the game that decided the Big East race.
Wake Forest
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: Florida State (7-5)
Worst Loss: Nebraska (5-7)
The Rundown: Wake Forest lost the first two games of the season, but the ripped off a six game winning streak before splitting the last four games. Wake never picked up an elite win, but still beat three bowl teams and only had one bad loss. Only Clemson was able to blow out Wake Forest, the other three losses were by ten or fewer points.
The Matchup: Connecticut won a lot of games, but never beat a good team on the road. Since this game is almost a home team for Wake Forest, the Huskies may have some trouble. Also Jim Grobe is still one of the best coaches in the country, so the Demon Deacons get the nod.
The Pick: Wake Forest
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AutoZone Liberty Bowl
UCF vs. Mississippi State
Memphis, Tennessee
December 29
4:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
UCF
Record: 10-3 (7-1)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Wins: Tulsa (9-4) twice
Worst Loss: East Carolina (7-5)
The Rundown: This year UCF is most well known for the huge year that RB Kevin Smith is having. He was the nation’s leading rusher with 2448 yards and 29 rushing TDs. Smith also led the nation in scoring with 180 points (13.85 per game.) UCF beat Tulsa in the C-USA Championship game to give them their first conference championship. UCF never had a bad loss. The only home loss was against Texas by a field goal in their brand new stadium. The other two were on the road against bowl teams East Carolina and South Florida.
Mississippi State
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Auburn (8-4)
Worst Loss: South Carolina (6-6)
The Rundown: Sylvester Croom has finally turned Mississippi State around and brought them to their first bowl game since 2000. Along the way they beat Kentucky and Alabama when they were ranked and had another good win against Auburn. The Bulldogs struggled all year on offense and finished in the bottom ten in total offense. The defense was able to keep them in the games that they won.
The Matchup: The UCF offensive machine is firing on all cylinders, and even a strong Mississippi State defense isn’t going to be able to stop it. UCF also has an underrated defense, which should give fits to the Bulldogs anemic offense. This game could be a statement win for how far the UCF program has come in a short amount of time.
The Pick: UCF
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Valero Alamo Bowl
Penn State vs. Texas A&M
San Antonio, Texas
December 29
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Penn State
Record: 8-4 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Wisconsin (9-3)
Worst Loss: Michigan State (7-5)
The Rundown: Penn State was a great team at home and a mediocre one on the road. The only road games they won were against Indiana by five points and Temple. They lost to Michigan, Illinois, and Michigan State on the road. They went 6-1 at home, with the only loss coming against Ohio State. They were able to knock off Purdue and Wisconsin at home.
Texas A&M
Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-4
Best Win: Texas (9-3)
Worst Loss: Miami (5-7)
The Rundown: Texas A&M is in transition as head coach Dennis Franchione resigned after a tumultuous five year tenure. The defensive coordinator Gary Darnell will coach them in the bowl game. Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman was hired to take over just three days after Franchione resigned. Sherman previously was an offensive line coach at A&M. The Aggies beat Texas for the second straight year, but the next best win was a triple-overtime thriller against Fresno State. A&M continued lose against Oklahoma and Texas Tech, and they also lost to Miami in a very down year.
The Matchup: Texas A&M has been a big soap opera for the past couple of months. Penn State isn’t a great team, but definitely hasn’t had to deal with any of the same drama. The more focused team gets the pick.
The Pick: Penn State
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PetroSun Independence Bowl
Alabama vs. Colorado
Shreveport, Louisiana
December 30
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Alabama
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 3-5
Best Win: Tennessee (9-4)
Worst Loss: Louisiana Monroe (6-6)
The Rundown: Alabama came into this season with the highest paid coach and grand expectations. Instead they barely finished with a .500 record and are headed to the same bowl game as they went to last year. Lowlights of the season included four consecutive losses to end the season and losing to instate rival Auburn for the sixth straight season. The Tide did pick up a good win against Tennessee, and none of the six losses were by more than touchdown. That’s a good sign for next season, but they still have to play Colorado in the bowl game.
Colorado
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 2-4
Best Win: Oklahoma (11-2)
Worst Loss: Iowa State (3-9)
The Rundown: Head coach Dan Hawkins and Colorado hit rock bottom last year and are crawling their way back up to the top of the Big 12 North. The Buffaloes were up and down all season, impossible to predict each week. They had great wins against Oklahoma at home and on the road against Texas Tech. They also were beat by Iowa State and Kansas State, and were blown out at home by Missouri. Keep your eye on LB Jordon Dizon, an exciting defender who should be all over the field making plays.
The Matchup: This should be a good game and could go either way. Both teams are led by elite coaches who are trying to reestablish winning traditions at programs that are in rebuilding mode. Colorado has more to prove, while Alabama was hoping for a better bowl game. In a close matchup, that might be enough to swing the vote in favor of the Buffaloes.
The Pick: Colorado
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Bowl Picks for December 20-23
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Utah vs. Navy
December 20
9:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Utah
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: New Mexico (8-4)
Worst Loss: UNLV (2-10)
The Rundown: The season started out with a very strange first four game set that included a 44-6 victory over a ranked UCLA team and a 27-0 loss against UNLV. Injuries hit the offense hard during that stretch, and it was impossible to know which team would show up week to week. The later two-thirds of the season were much more consistent. Utah ripped off a seven game win streak that gave them an outside shot at the Mountain West crown. In their final regular season game, the Utes went on the road to face a BYU team that was unbeaten in conference. Utah pulled ahead with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, but BYU was able to answer back with a game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds left on the clock. Utah had won seven straight before pushing BYU to the limit, so this is a good team that is playing extremely well right now.
Navy
Record: 8-4
Record against bowl teams: 1-3
Best Win: Air Force (9-3)
Worst Loss: Delaware (FCS)
The Rundown: Navy is headed to its fifth straight bowl game, although this time it will be without head coach Paul Johnson. He accepted an offer to be the head coach at Georgia Tech after the regular season. Ken Niumatalolo, the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for Navy, was promoted to fill the vacancy. Niumatalolo plans to run the same triple-option offense that Johnson had so much success with. Navy won big games against the other two service academies and Notre Dame this season, but the Air Force game was the only win against a team with a winning record.
The Matchup: Navy will look the same as they have all season, but Johnson was a special coach. It will be very hard for the Midshipmen to continue their success, starting with this bowl game.
The Pick: Utah
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R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Memphis vs. FAU
December 21
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN2
Memphis
Record: 7-5 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 1-2
Best Win: Southern Miss (7-5)
Worst Loss: Mississippi (3-9)
The Rundown: According to rogerspoll.com Memphis played the weakest schedule of all the FBS teams this season. Even still, they won four games by just a field goal and another games by a single point. Worst case, this team is only 2-10 against the easiest schedule in the country. Memphis also lost two games by a combined six points, so best case they are 9-3. The Tigers are also 0-2 versus Sun Belt opponents this season, and they will be facing an FAU squad that is superior to both MTSU and Arkansas St.
FAU
Record: 7-5 (6-1)
Record against bowl teams: 0-4
Best Win: Troy (8-4)
Worst Loss: Louisiana Monroe (6-6)
The Rundown: It was not surprising that FAU had such a good year as I picked them to finish second in the conference. What was surprising is that they were able to beat a very strong Troy team in the regular season finale to claim the Sun Belt title. The Owls are led by head coach Howard Schnellenberger, arguably the best coach in the conference, or at least the only one that has won a National Championship. FAU is in its seventh year of playing football and just its third year at the FBS level, making it the youngest program to ever be invited to a bowl game.
The Matchup: Neither one of these teams had an impressive season, but both did enough to get to the postseason. This game is one of the most difficult bowl matchups to predict. It’s hard to pick a team that hasn’t beaten a Sun Belt team in two chances this season, but it’s just as hard to pick a team in its first bowl game and might suffer from the “just happy to be there” syndrome. The pick goes to the better head coach.
The Pick: FAU
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Papajohns.com Bowl
Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati
Birmingham, Alabama
December 22
1:00 pm Eastern
ESPN2
Southern Miss
Record: 7-5 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 1-4
Best Win: East Carolina (7-5)
Worst Loss: Rice (3-9)
The Rundown: Southern Miss was expected to contend for the C-USA title in the preseason, but ended up fourth in the East standings with only one win over a team with a winning record. Somehow the Eagles won all of their road conference games, but only won a single conference home game. Head coach Jeff Bower resigned at the end of the season, although it seems he was being pushed out by the athletic director. Bower will still coach the Golden Eagles in the bowl game. Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator Larry Fedora was hired to replace Bower.
Cincinnati
Record: 9-3 (4-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-1
Best Win: South Florida (9-3)
Worst Loss: Pittsburgh (5-7)
The Rundown: Cincinnati had a huge first year under new head coach Brian Kelly. The Bearcats had good wins over South Florida (9-3), Connecticut (9-3), Oregon St (8-4), and Rutgers (7-5). The three losses were all by a touchdown or less. Big East champion West Virginia only beat them by five points. This is a very good Cincinnati squad that probably thinks it should be playing in bigger bowl game, but I expect to do more than just go through the motions.
The Matchup: The most telling stat could be the teams’ opposite records against bowl teams. Cincinnati hasn’t had any trouble beating good teams while Southern Miss obviously has. Cincinnati is simply the better team here, so I don’t think they will have any trouble handling a Southern Miss team in the middle of a coaching transition.
The Pick: Cincinnati
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New Mexico Bowl
Nevada vs. New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
December 22
4:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Nevada
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 0-3
Best Win: Louisiana Tech (5-7)
Worst Loss: San Jose St (5-7)
The Rundown: Nevada fielded a young and inexperienced team this season, but they did just enough to make it a bowl game. Other than being blown out by Nebraska in the opener, the Wolf Pack never lost by more than eight points. Boise St needed four overtime periods and Hawaii needed a last second field goal to get wins over Nevada. The Wolf Pack never did get a signature win this season, but they get another chance in the bowl game.
New Mexico
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 1-3
Best Win: Air Force (9-3)
Worst Loss: UTEP (4-8)
The Rundown: New Mexico has put together another successful but largely unnoticed season as has been typical in the ten-year Rocky Long era. New Mexico played four teams with winning records, but only beat one of them. New Mexico won five of their six home games, losing only to a 10-2 BYU team. That’s a good sign since the bowl game is essentially a home game for them. Starting RB Rodney Ferguson has been declared academically ineligible for the bowl game, a big blow since has had over 1000 yards rushing in the past two seasons.
The Matchup: As long as the Lobos can overcome the loss of their star running back, the home team should have the advantage. If Nevada can pull out a win here, it could be a stepping stone for a big 2008 season.
The Pick: New Mexico
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Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
UCLA vs. BYU
December 22
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
UCLA
Record: 6-6 (5-4)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: BYU (10-2)
Worst Loss: Notre Dame (3-9)
The Rundown: In the preseason, UCLA looked primed for a big season and a shot at the Pac-10 title. Instead they became the definition of inconsistency, and it became impossible to know which team would show up each week. They were able to beat a very good Oregon St (8-4) team on the road 40-14, but then lost road games to Washington St (5-7) and Arizona (5-7). They were able to beat a 10-2 BYU team at home, but then lost to 3-9 Notre Dame. Making it to a bowl game was not enough to keep head coach Karl Dorrell from getting fired after the regular season. Dorrell will not stay to coach to bowl game, instead the team will be led by defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. As of this posting, the head coaching position has not been filled.
BYU
Record: 10-2 (8-0)
Record against bowl teams: 4-2
Best Win: Air Force (9-3)
Worst Loss: UCLA (6-6)
The Rundown: BYU had a spectacular year, being one of only two teams to finish undefeated in conference play. BYU did lose two OOC games, but both were on the road to bowl teams. This team was only 18 points away from an undefeated season. The Cougars also finished with a nine-game winning streak, and will look to extend that in the bowl game.
The Matchup: These two teams met up in the second week of the regular season, and UCLA earned a 27-17 victory. Since then the two teams have been going in opposite directions. UCLA was up and down for the rest of the year, while BYU lost the next game and then won out. BYU should win this game easily.
The Pick: BYU
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Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
East Carolina vs. Boise St
December 23
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
East Carolina
Record: 7-5 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: UCF (10-3)
Worst Loss: Marshall (3-9)
The Rundown: East Carolina is going to their second straight bowl game, after just missing a shot at playing in the C-USA championship game. They would have finished ahead of UCF in the East if either the Southern Miss or Marshall game had gone the other way. East Carolina finished the season with a winning record, but only outscored their opponents by a total of five points over a 12-game season. The Pirates won only half of their games against bowl teams, but two of those losses (Virginia Tech, West Virginia) were against teams that made it into BCS bowls.
Boise St
Record: 10-2 (7-1)
Record against bowl teams: 3-1
Best Win: Fresno St (8-4)
Worst Loss: Washington (4-9)
The Rundown: Boise St followed up last season’s unbeaten campaign with another season with double-digit wins. Their only loss in conference was to an undefeated Hawaii team. Boise St did beat three bowl teams this season, although the Nevada game took four overtimes to decide. While Hawaii’s offense deservedly gets a ton of attention, the Broncos did a ton of scoring too. They averaged over 42 points per game and more than doubled their opponents scoring output.
The Matchup: This game will face two young and successful head coaches that have had their names flying about other head coaching vacancies. It seems certain that this will be a well-coached and high-scoring affair. Another thing that seems certain is that Boise St will be on top when the smoke clears.
The Pick: Boise St
Utah vs. Navy
December 20
9:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
Utah
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: New Mexico (8-4)
Worst Loss: UNLV (2-10)
The Rundown: The season started out with a very strange first four game set that included a 44-6 victory over a ranked UCLA team and a 27-0 loss against UNLV. Injuries hit the offense hard during that stretch, and it was impossible to know which team would show up week to week. The later two-thirds of the season were much more consistent. Utah ripped off a seven game win streak that gave them an outside shot at the Mountain West crown. In their final regular season game, the Utes went on the road to face a BYU team that was unbeaten in conference. Utah pulled ahead with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, but BYU was able to answer back with a game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds left on the clock. Utah had won seven straight before pushing BYU to the limit, so this is a good team that is playing extremely well right now.
Navy
Record: 8-4
Record against bowl teams: 1-3
Best Win: Air Force (9-3)
Worst Loss: Delaware (FCS)
The Rundown: Navy is headed to its fifth straight bowl game, although this time it will be without head coach Paul Johnson. He accepted an offer to be the head coach at Georgia Tech after the regular season. Ken Niumatalolo, the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for Navy, was promoted to fill the vacancy. Niumatalolo plans to run the same triple-option offense that Johnson had so much success with. Navy won big games against the other two service academies and Notre Dame this season, but the Air Force game was the only win against a team with a winning record.
The Matchup: Navy will look the same as they have all season, but Johnson was a special coach. It will be very hard for the Midshipmen to continue their success, starting with this bowl game.
The Pick: Utah
----------------------------------------------------
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Memphis vs. FAU
December 21
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN2
Memphis
Record: 7-5 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 1-2
Best Win: Southern Miss (7-5)
Worst Loss: Mississippi (3-9)
The Rundown: According to rogerspoll.com Memphis played the weakest schedule of all the FBS teams this season. Even still, they won four games by just a field goal and another games by a single point. Worst case, this team is only 2-10 against the easiest schedule in the country. Memphis also lost two games by a combined six points, so best case they are 9-3. The Tigers are also 0-2 versus Sun Belt opponents this season, and they will be facing an FAU squad that is superior to both MTSU and Arkansas St.
FAU
Record: 7-5 (6-1)
Record against bowl teams: 0-4
Best Win: Troy (8-4)
Worst Loss: Louisiana Monroe (6-6)
The Rundown: It was not surprising that FAU had such a good year as I picked them to finish second in the conference. What was surprising is that they were able to beat a very strong Troy team in the regular season finale to claim the Sun Belt title. The Owls are led by head coach Howard Schnellenberger, arguably the best coach in the conference, or at least the only one that has won a National Championship. FAU is in its seventh year of playing football and just its third year at the FBS level, making it the youngest program to ever be invited to a bowl game.
The Matchup: Neither one of these teams had an impressive season, but both did enough to get to the postseason. This game is one of the most difficult bowl matchups to predict. It’s hard to pick a team that hasn’t beaten a Sun Belt team in two chances this season, but it’s just as hard to pick a team in its first bowl game and might suffer from the “just happy to be there” syndrome. The pick goes to the better head coach.
The Pick: FAU
----------------------------------------------------
Papajohns.com Bowl
Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati
Birmingham, Alabama
December 22
1:00 pm Eastern
ESPN2
Southern Miss
Record: 7-5 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 1-4
Best Win: East Carolina (7-5)
Worst Loss: Rice (3-9)
The Rundown: Southern Miss was expected to contend for the C-USA title in the preseason, but ended up fourth in the East standings with only one win over a team with a winning record. Somehow the Eagles won all of their road conference games, but only won a single conference home game. Head coach Jeff Bower resigned at the end of the season, although it seems he was being pushed out by the athletic director. Bower will still coach the Golden Eagles in the bowl game. Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator Larry Fedora was hired to replace Bower.
Cincinnati
Record: 9-3 (4-3)
Record against bowl teams: 4-1
Best Win: South Florida (9-3)
Worst Loss: Pittsburgh (5-7)
The Rundown: Cincinnati had a huge first year under new head coach Brian Kelly. The Bearcats had good wins over South Florida (9-3), Connecticut (9-3), Oregon St (8-4), and Rutgers (7-5). The three losses were all by a touchdown or less. Big East champion West Virginia only beat them by five points. This is a very good Cincinnati squad that probably thinks it should be playing in bigger bowl game, but I expect to do more than just go through the motions.
The Matchup: The most telling stat could be the teams’ opposite records against bowl teams. Cincinnati hasn’t had any trouble beating good teams while Southern Miss obviously has. Cincinnati is simply the better team here, so I don’t think they will have any trouble handling a Southern Miss team in the middle of a coaching transition.
The Pick: Cincinnati
----------------------------------------------------
New Mexico Bowl
Nevada vs. New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
December 22
4:30 pm Eastern
ESPN
Nevada
Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Record against bowl teams: 0-3
Best Win: Louisiana Tech (5-7)
Worst Loss: San Jose St (5-7)
The Rundown: Nevada fielded a young and inexperienced team this season, but they did just enough to make it a bowl game. Other than being blown out by Nebraska in the opener, the Wolf Pack never lost by more than eight points. Boise St needed four overtime periods and Hawaii needed a last second field goal to get wins over Nevada. The Wolf Pack never did get a signature win this season, but they get another chance in the bowl game.
New Mexico
Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Record against bowl teams: 1-3
Best Win: Air Force (9-3)
Worst Loss: UTEP (4-8)
The Rundown: New Mexico has put together another successful but largely unnoticed season as has been typical in the ten-year Rocky Long era. New Mexico played four teams with winning records, but only beat one of them. New Mexico won five of their six home games, losing only to a 10-2 BYU team. That’s a good sign since the bowl game is essentially a home game for them. Starting RB Rodney Ferguson has been declared academically ineligible for the bowl game, a big blow since has had over 1000 yards rushing in the past two seasons.
The Matchup: As long as the Lobos can overcome the loss of their star running back, the home team should have the advantage. If Nevada can pull out a win here, it could be a stepping stone for a big 2008 season.
The Pick: New Mexico
----------------------------------------------------
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
UCLA vs. BYU
December 22
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
UCLA
Record: 6-6 (5-4)
Record against bowl teams: 4-3
Best Win: BYU (10-2)
Worst Loss: Notre Dame (3-9)
The Rundown: In the preseason, UCLA looked primed for a big season and a shot at the Pac-10 title. Instead they became the definition of inconsistency, and it became impossible to know which team would show up each week. They were able to beat a very good Oregon St (8-4) team on the road 40-14, but then lost road games to Washington St (5-7) and Arizona (5-7). They were able to beat a 10-2 BYU team at home, but then lost to 3-9 Notre Dame. Making it to a bowl game was not enough to keep head coach Karl Dorrell from getting fired after the regular season. Dorrell will not stay to coach to bowl game, instead the team will be led by defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. As of this posting, the head coaching position has not been filled.
BYU
Record: 10-2 (8-0)
Record against bowl teams: 4-2
Best Win: Air Force (9-3)
Worst Loss: UCLA (6-6)
The Rundown: BYU had a spectacular year, being one of only two teams to finish undefeated in conference play. BYU did lose two OOC games, but both were on the road to bowl teams. This team was only 18 points away from an undefeated season. The Cougars also finished with a nine-game winning streak, and will look to extend that in the bowl game.
The Matchup: These two teams met up in the second week of the regular season, and UCLA earned a 27-17 victory. Since then the two teams have been going in opposite directions. UCLA was up and down for the rest of the year, while BYU lost the next game and then won out. BYU should win this game easily.
The Pick: BYU
----------------------------------------------------
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
East Carolina vs. Boise St
December 23
8:00 pm Eastern
ESPN
East Carolina
Record: 7-5 (6-2)
Record against bowl teams: 3-3
Best Win: UCF (10-3)
Worst Loss: Marshall (3-9)
The Rundown: East Carolina is going to their second straight bowl game, after just missing a shot at playing in the C-USA championship game. They would have finished ahead of UCF in the East if either the Southern Miss or Marshall game had gone the other way. East Carolina finished the season with a winning record, but only outscored their opponents by a total of five points over a 12-game season. The Pirates won only half of their games against bowl teams, but two of those losses (Virginia Tech, West Virginia) were against teams that made it into BCS bowls.
Boise St
Record: 10-2 (7-1)
Record against bowl teams: 3-1
Best Win: Fresno St (8-4)
Worst Loss: Washington (4-9)
The Rundown: Boise St followed up last season’s unbeaten campaign with another season with double-digit wins. Their only loss in conference was to an undefeated Hawaii team. Boise St did beat three bowl teams this season, although the Nevada game took four overtimes to decide. While Hawaii’s offense deservedly gets a ton of attention, the Broncos did a ton of scoring too. They averaged over 42 points per game and more than doubled their opponents scoring output.
The Matchup: This game will face two young and successful head coaches that have had their names flying about other head coaching vacancies. It seems certain that this will be a well-coached and high-scoring affair. Another thing that seems certain is that Boise St will be on top when the smoke clears.
The Pick: Boise St
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Week 15 Top 25
1 - Hawaii (4)
2 - Oklahoma (5)
3 - LSU (6)
4 - Ohio St (3)
5 - Virginia Tech (8)
6 - Missouri (1)
7 - West Virginia (2)
8 - Georgia (9)
9 - USC (10)
10 - Kansas (7)
11 - South Florida (12)
12 - Boston College (11)
13 - Illinois (16)
14 - Clemson (13)
15 - Boise St (14)
16 - Arizona St (17)
17 - BYU (18)
18 - Florida (19)
19 - Texas (20)
20 - Cincinnati (22)
21 - Oregon (15)
22 - Tennessee (21)
23 - Virginia (23)
24 - Connecticut (24)
25 - Wisconsin (25)
Added - none
Dropped - none
Notes:
* Illinois jumped up three spots despite not playing a game since before Thanksgiving. I looked closer at their resume and decided I had been underrating them. Kansas also dropped three spots, because although they won 11 games, only two came against teams that finished with winning records (Central Michigan, Texas A&M).
* Missouri dropped from first place to number six, which may seem like a lot considering that they lost to my #2 team at a neutral site. Truthfully, I have the top six teams rated extremely close, so that five-spot fall is nearly as bad as it looks. West Virginia on the other hand, deserves to fall five spots after losing at home to Pittsburgh with their National Championship hopes on the line.
2 - Oklahoma (5)
3 - LSU (6)
4 - Ohio St (3)
5 - Virginia Tech (8)
6 - Missouri (1)
7 - West Virginia (2)
8 - Georgia (9)
9 - USC (10)
10 - Kansas (7)
11 - South Florida (12)
12 - Boston College (11)
13 - Illinois (16)
14 - Clemson (13)
15 - Boise St (14)
16 - Arizona St (17)
17 - BYU (18)
18 - Florida (19)
19 - Texas (20)
20 - Cincinnati (22)
21 - Oregon (15)
22 - Tennessee (21)
23 - Virginia (23)
24 - Connecticut (24)
25 - Wisconsin (25)
Added - none
Dropped - none
Notes:
* Illinois jumped up three spots despite not playing a game since before Thanksgiving. I looked closer at their resume and decided I had been underrating them. Kansas also dropped three spots, because although they won 11 games, only two came against teams that finished with winning records (Central Michigan, Texas A&M).
* Missouri dropped from first place to number six, which may seem like a lot considering that they lost to my #2 team at a neutral site. Truthfully, I have the top six teams rated extremely close, so that five-spot fall is nearly as bad as it looks. West Virginia on the other hand, deserves to fall five spots after losing at home to Pittsburgh with their National Championship hopes on the line.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Week 14 Preview
* Championship Weekend starts off with the MAC Championship Game held at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Miami Ohio (6-6) will play defending champion Central Michigan (7-5). Central Michigan had to replace head coach Brian Kelly, who left in the offseason to take the Cincinnati job. The Chippewas didn't lose a step, at least not in conference play. The only loss was to Eastern Michigan by three points after they had already clinched the MAC West. The Chippewa offense is a veteran high-powered passing attack led by QB Dan LeFevour (3175 yards, 22 TDs). The defense has struggled at times and often needs the offense to bail it out. Miami is coming off a rough 2-10 season and did just enough to win the MAC East. The RedHawks bowl hopes live and die with this game. If they win, they will represent the MAC in the Motor City Bowl. If they lose, they will fall to 6-7 and no longer be bowl eligible. In 12 games they have been outscored by 58 points, an unusual sign for a team without a losing record. The numbers are slightly skewed by blowout losses to Cincinnati and Colorado, but they also account for five wins by a touchdown or less. They also have the distinction of being the only team to lose to Minnesota this season. This Miami team is the exact opposite of Central Michigan. They average only 20 points per game and rely heavily on their defense, who will be led by its star LB Clayton Mullins. The RedHawks will need for the defense to step up, since they don't have the firepower to win a shootout. The Pick: Central Michigan
* This year's C-USA Championship Game is a rematch of the 2005 game, which Tulsa beat UCF 44-27. Tulsa is led by first year head coach Todd Graham, after Steve Kragthorpe left to take the Louisville job. Tulsa finished the season 9-3 and is looking for its first 10-win season since 1991. Tulsa only lost two games in conference, but one of them was to UCF 44-23. Tulsa is first in the country in total offense and ninth in scoring offense. They are led by QB Paul Smith, who has put up amazing numbers (4327 yards, 39 TDs). George O'Leary has led UCF to its second championship game in his four-year stint as head coach. UCF finished with a 9-3 record with only one conference loss (East Carolina). The Knights are led by RB Kevin Smith, who leads all rushers in the country with 2164 yards and 25 TDs. Both offenses will be on display on Saturday. UCF does have the better defense and the home field advantage. The pick: UCF
* Virginia Tech and Boston College will meet in the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville, Florida. This will be a rematch of an earlier meeting in which Boston College won 14-10 by getting two touchdowns in the last two minutes of the game. A BCS bowl bid is on the line, as the winner will represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl. Boston College continues the trend of first year coaches taking their team to a conference championship game. Jeff Jagodzinski replaces Tom O'Brien, who left for the NC State vacancy. Boston College finished the season 10-2 with the two losses coming after the Virginia Tech game to Florida St and Maryland. The Eagles then beat Clemson to clinch the Atlantic division. The Eagles are led by senior QB Matt Ryan who has thrown for 3953 yards and 28 TDs. Virginia Tech sports an identical 10-2 record, but its only conference misstep was the game against Boston College. A game that had the defense pitching a shutout for the first 58 minutes. Virginia Tech has been improving all season long, and is playing its best ball now. The Pick: Virginia Tech
* The SEC Championship Game has LSU squaring off against Tennessee in Atlanta, Georgia. A BCS Bowl bid is on the line, as the winner will likely play in the Sugar Bowl. LSU is arguably the most talented team in the country, but has lost twice. Both losses came in triple overtime, including against Arkansas last week which killed any chance of a shot of playing in the National Championship game. On the other hand, Tennessee has won its last five games, including a four overtime thriller against Kentucky last week. The Pick: LSU
* The biggest game of the weekend is the Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas. Missouri and Oklahoma square off for the second time this season. Oklahoma won the first meeting 41-31, but that was with the home field advantage and Missouri was without its RB Tony Temple. It will e interesting to see how those two changes will affect the outcome. If Missouri wins, they will play for a National Championship. If Oklahoma wins, they will play in the Fiesta Bowl and Missouri will probably get an at-large BCS bowl berth. Missouri is currently the top-ranked team in the country and are coming off a huge neutral-site win over previously unbeaten Kansas. The prolific offense is led by QB Chase Daniel (3951 yards, 33 TDs). His chances of winning the Heisman are largely dependent on how well he plays in this game. A big game and a win will almost guarantee him the trophy. The Tigers have scored at least 31 points in every game this season and has only had one win by a touchdown or less (Illinois 40-34). Oklahoma has one of the top teams in the country, but saw its national title hopes disappear with a loss at Texas Tech two weeks ago. This team has struggled much more on the road than at home, including the losses to Texas Tech and Colorado and the close wins against Texas and Iowa St. The offense has scored more than Missouri's, but has less yardage. The offense is led by redshirt freshman QB Sam Bradford (2670 yards, 32 TDs). Bradford had great numbers in his first year, but that was mostly due to being behind one the nation's best offensive lines. This should be a hard fought battle between two of the best teams. The Pick: Missouri
* A quick rundown of other important games this weekend. FAU travels to Troy in a Sun Belt championship game of sorts. The winner wins the conference and gets an invite to the New Orleans Bowl. Troy should win and improve to 9-3. UCLA travels to USC in a game that has Rose Bowl implications. If USC wins, they will be going to Pasadena as the Pac-10 champs. If UCLA wins, then there will be a cluster at the top of the conference standings. BYU travels to San Diego St in a makeup game to try to win its tenth game and go undefeated in conference play. West Virginia hosts Pittsburgh needing a win to go to the National Championship game. The Mountaineers have already locked up the Big East and a BCS bowl. Don't expect them to falter against a subpar Pitt team with so much on the line. Hawaii hosts Washington and will try to finish the season unbeaten, thus earning an at-large spot in the Sugar Bowl.
* This year's C-USA Championship Game is a rematch of the 2005 game, which Tulsa beat UCF 44-27. Tulsa is led by first year head coach Todd Graham, after Steve Kragthorpe left to take the Louisville job. Tulsa finished the season 9-3 and is looking for its first 10-win season since 1991. Tulsa only lost two games in conference, but one of them was to UCF 44-23. Tulsa is first in the country in total offense and ninth in scoring offense. They are led by QB Paul Smith, who has put up amazing numbers (4327 yards, 39 TDs). George O'Leary has led UCF to its second championship game in his four-year stint as head coach. UCF finished with a 9-3 record with only one conference loss (East Carolina). The Knights are led by RB Kevin Smith, who leads all rushers in the country with 2164 yards and 25 TDs. Both offenses will be on display on Saturday. UCF does have the better defense and the home field advantage. The pick: UCF
* Virginia Tech and Boston College will meet in the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville, Florida. This will be a rematch of an earlier meeting in which Boston College won 14-10 by getting two touchdowns in the last two minutes of the game. A BCS bowl bid is on the line, as the winner will represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl. Boston College continues the trend of first year coaches taking their team to a conference championship game. Jeff Jagodzinski replaces Tom O'Brien, who left for the NC State vacancy. Boston College finished the season 10-2 with the two losses coming after the Virginia Tech game to Florida St and Maryland. The Eagles then beat Clemson to clinch the Atlantic division. The Eagles are led by senior QB Matt Ryan who has thrown for 3953 yards and 28 TDs. Virginia Tech sports an identical 10-2 record, but its only conference misstep was the game against Boston College. A game that had the defense pitching a shutout for the first 58 minutes. Virginia Tech has been improving all season long, and is playing its best ball now. The Pick: Virginia Tech
* The SEC Championship Game has LSU squaring off against Tennessee in Atlanta, Georgia. A BCS Bowl bid is on the line, as the winner will likely play in the Sugar Bowl. LSU is arguably the most talented team in the country, but has lost twice. Both losses came in triple overtime, including against Arkansas last week which killed any chance of a shot of playing in the National Championship game. On the other hand, Tennessee has won its last five games, including a four overtime thriller against Kentucky last week. The Pick: LSU
* The biggest game of the weekend is the Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas. Missouri and Oklahoma square off for the second time this season. Oklahoma won the first meeting 41-31, but that was with the home field advantage and Missouri was without its RB Tony Temple. It will e interesting to see how those two changes will affect the outcome. If Missouri wins, they will play for a National Championship. If Oklahoma wins, they will play in the Fiesta Bowl and Missouri will probably get an at-large BCS bowl berth. Missouri is currently the top-ranked team in the country and are coming off a huge neutral-site win over previously unbeaten Kansas. The prolific offense is led by QB Chase Daniel (3951 yards, 33 TDs). His chances of winning the Heisman are largely dependent on how well he plays in this game. A big game and a win will almost guarantee him the trophy. The Tigers have scored at least 31 points in every game this season and has only had one win by a touchdown or less (Illinois 40-34). Oklahoma has one of the top teams in the country, but saw its national title hopes disappear with a loss at Texas Tech two weeks ago. This team has struggled much more on the road than at home, including the losses to Texas Tech and Colorado and the close wins against Texas and Iowa St. The offense has scored more than Missouri's, but has less yardage. The offense is led by redshirt freshman QB Sam Bradford (2670 yards, 32 TDs). Bradford had great numbers in his first year, but that was mostly due to being behind one the nation's best offensive lines. This should be a hard fought battle between two of the best teams. The Pick: Missouri
* A quick rundown of other important games this weekend. FAU travels to Troy in a Sun Belt championship game of sorts. The winner wins the conference and gets an invite to the New Orleans Bowl. Troy should win and improve to 9-3. UCLA travels to USC in a game that has Rose Bowl implications. If USC wins, they will be going to Pasadena as the Pac-10 champs. If UCLA wins, then there will be a cluster at the top of the conference standings. BYU travels to San Diego St in a makeup game to try to win its tenth game and go undefeated in conference play. West Virginia hosts Pittsburgh needing a win to go to the National Championship game. The Mountaineers have already locked up the Big East and a BCS bowl. Don't expect them to falter against a subpar Pitt team with so much on the line. Hawaii hosts Washington and will try to finish the season unbeaten, thus earning an at-large spot in the Sugar Bowl.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Week 14 Predictions
Thursday, November 29
Rutgers at Louisville
Friday, November 30
Fresno St at New Mexico St
Saturday, December 1
Navy vs. Army (Baltimore)
FAU at Troy
Louisiana Tech at Nevada
UCLA at USC
Oregon St at Oregon
BYU at San Diego St
California at Stanford
North Texas at FIU
Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Arizona at Arizona St
Washington at Hawaii
C-USA Championship Game
Tulsa at UCF
MAC Championship Game at Detroit, Michigan
Miami Ohio vs. Central Michigan
ACC Championship Game at Jacksonville, Florida
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech
SEC Championship Game at Atlanta, Georgia
LSU vs. Tennessee
Big 12 Championship Game at San Antonio, Texas
Missouri vs. Oklahoma
Rutgers at Louisville
Friday, November 30
Fresno St at New Mexico St
Saturday, December 1
Navy vs. Army (Baltimore)
FAU at Troy
Louisiana Tech at Nevada
UCLA at USC
Oregon St at Oregon
BYU at San Diego St
California at Stanford
North Texas at FIU
Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Arizona at Arizona St
Washington at Hawaii
C-USA Championship Game
Tulsa at UCF
MAC Championship Game at Detroit, Michigan
Miami Ohio vs. Central Michigan
ACC Championship Game at Jacksonville, Florida
Boston College vs. Virginia Tech
SEC Championship Game at Atlanta, Georgia
LSU vs. Tennessee
Big 12 Championship Game at San Antonio, Texas
Missouri vs. Oklahoma
Monday, November 26, 2007
Week 14 Top 25
1 - Missouri (4)
2 - West Virginia (3)
3 - Ohio St (5)
4 - Hawaii (6)
5 - Oklahoma (7)
6 - LSU (1)
7 - Kansas (2)
8 - Virginia Tech (10)
9 - Georgia (11)
10 - USC (13)
11 - Boston College (14)
12 - South Florida (18)
13 - Clemson (19)
14 - Boise St (12)
15 - Oregon (8)
16 - Illinois (20)
17 - Arizona St (9)
18 - BYU (22)
19 - Florida (21)
20 - Texas (16)
21 - Tennessee (23)
22 - Cincinnati (24)
23 - Virginia (15)
24 - Connecticut (17)
25 - Wisconsin (25)
Added - none
Dropped - none
2 - West Virginia (3)
3 - Ohio St (5)
4 - Hawaii (6)
5 - Oklahoma (7)
6 - LSU (1)
7 - Kansas (2)
8 - Virginia Tech (10)
9 - Georgia (11)
10 - USC (13)
11 - Boston College (14)
12 - South Florida (18)
13 - Clemson (19)
14 - Boise St (12)
15 - Oregon (8)
16 - Illinois (20)
17 - Arizona St (9)
18 - BYU (22)
19 - Florida (21)
20 - Texas (16)
21 - Tennessee (23)
22 - Cincinnati (24)
23 - Virginia (15)
24 - Connecticut (17)
25 - Wisconsin (25)
Added - none
Dropped - none
Week 13 Wrapup
My Picks:
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Week 11 38-17 (69.09%)
Week 12 42-10 (80.77%)
Week 13 36-12 (75.00%)
Season 557-185 (75.07%)
-------------------------------
* Top-ranked LSU lost its regular season finale to Arkansas in triple overtime, the second such loss this season. While LSU is still going to play for the SEC Championship against Tennessee, a national title is all but out of the picture.
* Missouri topped Kansas is the highly anticipated Big 12 North battle. The Tigers won the North and will play Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game. Kansas still has a decent chance at a BCS bowl, depending on how the rest of the season shakes out.
* Hawaii beat Boise St to win the WAC conference and move one big step closer to an unbeaten season.
* BYU beat Utah to win the Mountain West conference.
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Week 11 38-17 (69.09%)
Week 12 42-10 (80.77%)
Week 13 36-12 (75.00%)
Season 557-185 (75.07%)
-------------------------------
* Top-ranked LSU lost its regular season finale to Arkansas in triple overtime, the second such loss this season. While LSU is still going to play for the SEC Championship against Tennessee, a national title is all but out of the picture.
* Missouri topped Kansas is the highly anticipated Big 12 North battle. The Tigers won the North and will play Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game. Kansas still has a decent chance at a BCS bowl, depending on how the rest of the season shakes out.
* Hawaii beat Boise St to win the WAC conference and move one big step closer to an unbeaten season.
* BYU beat Utah to win the Mountain West conference.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Week 13 Saturday Predictions
Saturday, November 24
Miami at Boston College
Maryland at NC State
South Florida at Pittsburgh
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Tulane at East Carolina
Buffalo at Kent St
Tennessee at Kentucky
Miami Ohio at Ohio
SMU at Memphis
Wake Forest at Vanderbilt
Utah at BYU
UTEP at UCF
Temple at Western Michigan
Tulsa at Rice
Arkansas St at Southern Miss
Notre Dame at Stanford
Oregon at UCLA
Georgia at Georgia Tech
Utah St at Idaho
Duke at North Carolina
Oklahoma St at Oklahoma
Texas Southern at Houston
Connecticut at West Virginia
Kansas St at Fresno St
Nevada at San Jose St
Western Kentucky at North Texas
Ball St at Northern Illinois
UAB at Marshall
Florida St at Florida
UNLV at New Mexico
Washington St at Washington
Louisiana Monroe at Louisiana Lafayette
FAU at FIU
Clemson at South Carolina
Cincinnati at Syracuse
Alabama at Auburn
TCU at San Diego St
Missouri at Kansas
Miami at Boston College
Maryland at NC State
South Florida at Pittsburgh
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Tulane at East Carolina
Buffalo at Kent St
Tennessee at Kentucky
Miami Ohio at Ohio
SMU at Memphis
Wake Forest at Vanderbilt
Utah at BYU
UTEP at UCF
Temple at Western Michigan
Tulsa at Rice
Arkansas St at Southern Miss
Notre Dame at Stanford
Oregon at UCLA
Georgia at Georgia Tech
Utah St at Idaho
Duke at North Carolina
Oklahoma St at Oklahoma
Texas Southern at Houston
Connecticut at West Virginia
Kansas St at Fresno St
Nevada at San Jose St
Western Kentucky at North Texas
Ball St at Northern Illinois
UAB at Marshall
Florida St at Florida
UNLV at New Mexico
Washington St at Washington
Louisiana Monroe at Louisiana Lafayette
FAU at FIU
Clemson at South Carolina
Cincinnati at Syracuse
Alabama at Auburn
TCU at San Diego St
Missouri at Kansas
Week 13 Preview
* A huge weekend of college football kicks off on Thanksgiving night as the Arizona St Sun Devils host the USC Trojans. If Arizona St wins, they will finish at worst tied with Oregon for Pac-10 lead. USC needs to win just to stay in the hunt for the conference crown. Both teams are coming off a bye week. One problem Arizona St has is the lack of a signature win. So far the best win was against California at home. The Sun Devils are tougher at home, but struggle when away. Of the four road games, one was a loss (Oregon), and two were decided by three and four points (Washington St, UCLA). USC is no road warrior either, losing to Oregon and winning closely at Washington and California. A lot is pointing to a Arizona St victory, but I'm calling USC just because I think they are the better team.
* Eight games are being played on Friday, with the headliner being Boise St at Hawaii. Both teams are undefeated in conference and have a lot on the line in this game. The winner of the game will be the WAC Champion and could very well play for in a BCS Bowl. Hawaii is currently ranked 15th in the BCS Standings, and Boise St is 19th. No matter which team wins, they will get their most impressive win of the season in this game. Hopefully it will be enough to move the winner into the top 12 of the BCS Standings and into a guaranteed BCS Bowl.
* The biggest of several great games on Saturday is the Missouri - Kansas matchup at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The winner will play in the Big 12 Championship game and will have the best the shot to play in the National Championship game. Kansas is the lone undefeated BCS team, but haven't been tested as much as they will be against Missouri. In the Jayhawks four road games, three were decided by eight points or less (Kansas St, Colorado, Texas A&M). The Jayhawks also have only beat three teams with winning records, and those teams are all only 6-5 (Central Michigan, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St). While Kansas is no doubt a great team, it is still an unknown how they will play against another great team like Missouri. On the other hand, Missouri has played a tougher schedule, but has also lost once. Missouri beat 9-3 Illinois on a neutral field, and 8-4 Texas Tech and 6-5 Texas A&M at home. Their loss was at 9-2 Oklahoma. On a neutral field, I give the edge to Missouri. The next question is whether an 11-1 Kansas team without a signature will go to a BCS Bowl. I doubt they will, although there aren't going to be many other teams with only one loss out there.
* The ACC Coastal Division will be decided on Saturday in the Virginia Tech at Virginia game. Both teams have identical records, 6-1 in conference and 9-2 overall. Virginia has won six close games this year, five of them by one or two points. They also have losses to mediocre Wyoming and NC State teams. The Cavaliers did just put out a very impressive showing at Miami two weeks ago, winning 48-0. They are also coming off a bye week and will have home-field advantage. Virginia Tech has only had one win within a touchdown, 17-10 over North Carolina. Their two losses were against better teams too. They were blown away at LSU and lost on a last second touchdown against Boston College. Virginia just seems to be a good team that has been lucky for most of the season, while Virginia Tech looks like they are a really good team. I'm calling the Hokies in a close one.
* The Big East will be decided when Connecticut travels to West Virginia on Saturday. Connecticut has been one of the most surprising teams in the country, posting a 9-2 record thus far. The Huskies have won all of their home games, although two of them were decided by controversial calls. They won road games at Duke and Pittsburgh, but lost at Virginia and Cincinnati. The Cincinnati game was such a lopsided loss (27-3) that it raises a red flag. Connecticut has been able to beat strong teams such as South Florida and Rutgers at home, but have not proven that they can do it on the road. Let's not forget that Morgantown, West Virginia is one of the toughest places in college football to play. The best thing Connecticut has going for them is a strong rush defense. It is currently ranked 34th in the country, although it will be tested heavily on Saturday. West Virginia has only lost one game thus far, and have only had two wins decided by a touchdown or less. The Mountaineers are also playing for more than just a Big East title. If the Big 12 teams pick each other off or if LSU loses, West Virginia will be in prime position to play for a National Championship. They currently are third in the BCS Standings, but Missouri will probably jump to #2 if they win out. West Virginia will find a way to win this game.
Other games with conference title implications:
* Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee represents the SEC East in the title game with a win or Georgia, whose conference slate is complete, goes with a Kentucky win.
* Oklahoma St at Oklahoma - Oklahoma clinches the Big 12 South with a win. An Oklahoma St win and a Texas win means Texas wins the South.
* Utah at BYU - BYU clinches the Mountain West with a win, or Utah still has a chance with a win.
* UTEP at UCF - UCF clinches C-USA East with a win. East Carolina wins the East with a win and a UCF loss.
* Tulsa at Rice - Tulsa clinches C-USA West with a win. Houston wins the West with a Tulsa loss.
* Eight games are being played on Friday, with the headliner being Boise St at Hawaii. Both teams are undefeated in conference and have a lot on the line in this game. The winner of the game will be the WAC Champion and could very well play for in a BCS Bowl. Hawaii is currently ranked 15th in the BCS Standings, and Boise St is 19th. No matter which team wins, they will get their most impressive win of the season in this game. Hopefully it will be enough to move the winner into the top 12 of the BCS Standings and into a guaranteed BCS Bowl.
* The biggest of several great games on Saturday is the Missouri - Kansas matchup at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The winner will play in the Big 12 Championship game and will have the best the shot to play in the National Championship game. Kansas is the lone undefeated BCS team, but haven't been tested as much as they will be against Missouri. In the Jayhawks four road games, three were decided by eight points or less (Kansas St, Colorado, Texas A&M). The Jayhawks also have only beat three teams with winning records, and those teams are all only 6-5 (Central Michigan, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St). While Kansas is no doubt a great team, it is still an unknown how they will play against another great team like Missouri. On the other hand, Missouri has played a tougher schedule, but has also lost once. Missouri beat 9-3 Illinois on a neutral field, and 8-4 Texas Tech and 6-5 Texas A&M at home. Their loss was at 9-2 Oklahoma. On a neutral field, I give the edge to Missouri. The next question is whether an 11-1 Kansas team without a signature will go to a BCS Bowl. I doubt they will, although there aren't going to be many other teams with only one loss out there.
* The ACC Coastal Division will be decided on Saturday in the Virginia Tech at Virginia game. Both teams have identical records, 6-1 in conference and 9-2 overall. Virginia has won six close games this year, five of them by one or two points. They also have losses to mediocre Wyoming and NC State teams. The Cavaliers did just put out a very impressive showing at Miami two weeks ago, winning 48-0. They are also coming off a bye week and will have home-field advantage. Virginia Tech has only had one win within a touchdown, 17-10 over North Carolina. Their two losses were against better teams too. They were blown away at LSU and lost on a last second touchdown against Boston College. Virginia just seems to be a good team that has been lucky for most of the season, while Virginia Tech looks like they are a really good team. I'm calling the Hokies in a close one.
* The Big East will be decided when Connecticut travels to West Virginia on Saturday. Connecticut has been one of the most surprising teams in the country, posting a 9-2 record thus far. The Huskies have won all of their home games, although two of them were decided by controversial calls. They won road games at Duke and Pittsburgh, but lost at Virginia and Cincinnati. The Cincinnati game was such a lopsided loss (27-3) that it raises a red flag. Connecticut has been able to beat strong teams such as South Florida and Rutgers at home, but have not proven that they can do it on the road. Let's not forget that Morgantown, West Virginia is one of the toughest places in college football to play. The best thing Connecticut has going for them is a strong rush defense. It is currently ranked 34th in the country, although it will be tested heavily on Saturday. West Virginia has only lost one game thus far, and have only had two wins decided by a touchdown or less. The Mountaineers are also playing for more than just a Big East title. If the Big 12 teams pick each other off or if LSU loses, West Virginia will be in prime position to play for a National Championship. They currently are third in the BCS Standings, but Missouri will probably jump to #2 if they win out. West Virginia will find a way to win this game.
Other games with conference title implications:
* Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee represents the SEC East in the title game with a win or Georgia, whose conference slate is complete, goes with a Kentucky win.
* Oklahoma St at Oklahoma - Oklahoma clinches the Big 12 South with a win. An Oklahoma St win and a Texas win means Texas wins the South.
* Utah at BYU - BYU clinches the Mountain West with a win, or Utah still has a chance with a win.
* UTEP at UCF - UCF clinches C-USA East with a win. East Carolina wins the East with a win and a UCF loss.
* Tulsa at Rice - Tulsa clinches C-USA West with a win. Houston wins the West with a Tulsa loss.
Week 13 Top 25
1 - LSU (2)
2 - Kansas (3)
3 - West Virginia (5)
4 - Missouri (6)
5 - Ohio St (7)
6 - Hawaii (8)
7 - Oklahoma (4)
8 - Oregon (1)
9 - Arizona St (9)
10 - Virginia Tech (10)
11 - Georgia (12)
12 - Boise St (13)
13 - USC (11)
14 - Boston College (19)
15 - Virginia (14)
16 - Texas (15)
17 - Connecticut (16)
18 - South Florida (20)
19 - Clemson (17)
20 - Illinois (21)
21 - Florida (22)
22 - BYU (23)
23 - Tennessee (24)
24 - Cincinnati (18)
25 - Wisconsin (25)
Added - none
Dropped - none
Five matchups between ranked teams occur this weekend:
4 Missouri at 2 Kansas (Kansas City)
12 Boise St at 6 Hawaii
17 Connecticut at 3 West Virginia
13 USC at 9 Arizona St
10 Virginia Tech at 15 Virginia
2 - Kansas (3)
3 - West Virginia (5)
4 - Missouri (6)
5 - Ohio St (7)
6 - Hawaii (8)
7 - Oklahoma (4)
8 - Oregon (1)
9 - Arizona St (9)
10 - Virginia Tech (10)
11 - Georgia (12)
12 - Boise St (13)
13 - USC (11)
14 - Boston College (19)
15 - Virginia (14)
16 - Texas (15)
17 - Connecticut (16)
18 - South Florida (20)
19 - Clemson (17)
20 - Illinois (21)
21 - Florida (22)
22 - BYU (23)
23 - Tennessee (24)
24 - Cincinnati (18)
25 - Wisconsin (25)
Added - none
Dropped - none
Five matchups between ranked teams occur this weekend:
4 Missouri at 2 Kansas (Kansas City)
12 Boise St at 6 Hawaii
17 Connecticut at 3 West Virginia
13 USC at 9 Arizona St
10 Virginia Tech at 15 Virginia
Week 12 Wrapup
My Picks:
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Week 11 38-17 (69.09%)
Week 12 42-10 (80.77%)
Season 521-173 (75.07%)
-------------------------------
* The first big story is Oregon losing to Arizona and falling out of the National Championship picture. Arizona St moves into first place in the Pac-10 standings, although they host USC this upcoming weekend. If USC wins, Oregon will move back into first place, with tiebreaking wins over Arizona St and USC.
* The second big story is Oklahoma losing to Texas Tech. The Sooners had a chance to play for it all, but now find themselves tied with Texas for first place in the Big 12 South and needing a win over Oklahoma St in the finale just to make it to the Big 12 Championship game.
* Ohio St beat Michigan to win the Big Ten title. The Buckeyes are still holding out hope of making to the National Championship with a couple of upsets in the next two weeks.
* Boston College punched their ticket to the ACC Championship game with a win over Clemson. Even if the Eagles lose to Miami next week, they still have wins over Clemson and Wake Forest to guarantee them a spot in the conference title game. They'll play the winner of the upcoming Virginia - Virginia Tech game.
* Miami Ohio's shutout victory over Akron put them in the MAC Championship game against Central Michigan. The only points scored in that contest were by a fourth-quarter fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
* Utah St beat New Mexico St for their first win of the season. FIU is the lone remaining winless team.
* Minnesota finished the year at 1-11, with the lone win in double-overtime over Miami Ohio in the second week of the season.
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Week 11 38-17 (69.09%)
Week 12 42-10 (80.77%)
Season 521-173 (75.07%)
-------------------------------
* The first big story is Oregon losing to Arizona and falling out of the National Championship picture. Arizona St moves into first place in the Pac-10 standings, although they host USC this upcoming weekend. If USC wins, Oregon will move back into first place, with tiebreaking wins over Arizona St and USC.
* The second big story is Oklahoma losing to Texas Tech. The Sooners had a chance to play for it all, but now find themselves tied with Texas for first place in the Big 12 South and needing a win over Oklahoma St in the finale just to make it to the Big 12 Championship game.
* Ohio St beat Michigan to win the Big Ten title. The Buckeyes are still holding out hope of making to the National Championship with a couple of upsets in the next two weeks.
* Boston College punched their ticket to the ACC Championship game with a win over Clemson. Even if the Eagles lose to Miami next week, they still have wins over Clemson and Wake Forest to guarantee them a spot in the conference title game. They'll play the winner of the upcoming Virginia - Virginia Tech game.
* Miami Ohio's shutout victory over Akron put them in the MAC Championship game against Central Michigan. The only points scored in that contest were by a fourth-quarter fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
* Utah St beat New Mexico St for their first win of the season. FIU is the lone remaining winless team.
* Minnesota finished the year at 1-11, with the lone win in double-overtime over Miami Ohio in the second week of the season.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Week 13 Tuesday - Friday Predictions
Tuesday, November 20
MTSU at Troy
Thursday, November 22
USC at Arizona St
Friday, November 23
Central Michigan at Akron
Nebraska at Colorado
Mississippi at Mississippi St
Wyoming at Colorado St
Arkansas at LSU
Toledo at Bowling Green
Texas at Texas A&M
Boise St at Hawaii
MTSU at Troy
Thursday, November 22
USC at Arizona St
Friday, November 23
Central Michigan at Akron
Nebraska at Colorado
Mississippi at Mississippi St
Wyoming at Colorado St
Arkansas at LSU
Toledo at Bowling Green
Texas at Texas A&M
Boise St at Hawaii
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Week 12 Saturday Predictions
Saturday, November 17
Syracuse at Connecticut
Maryland at Florida St
FAU at Florida
North Carolina at Georgia Tech
Ohio St at Michigan
Pittsburgh at Rutgers
Kent St at Temple
Tulsa at Army
Northwestern at Illinois
Kentucky at Georgia
Missouri at Kansas St
North Texas at Arkansas St
Bowling Green at Buffalo
Mississippi St at Arkansas
Georgia Southern at Colorado St
Idaho at Boise St
Utah St at New Mexico St
San Diego St at Air Force
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
BYU at Wyoming
Duke at Notre Dame
Louisiana Monroe at Alabama
Tulane at Rice
UCF at SMU
Purdue at Indiana
Penn St at Michigan St
Wisconsin at Minnesota
LSU at Mississippi
UAB at Memphis
Marshall at Houston
Miami at Virginia Tech
California at Washington
Western Michigan at Iowa
Iowa St at Kansas
Northern Illinois at Navy
NC State at Wake Forest
New Mexico at Utah
Oregon St at Washington St
Oklahoma St at Baylor
Louisiana Lafayette at FIU
San Jose St at Louisiana Tech
UNLV at TCU
Southern Miss at UTEP
Boston College at Clemson
West Virginia at Cincinnati
Louisville at South Florida
Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Syracuse at Connecticut
Maryland at Florida St
FAU at Florida
North Carolina at Georgia Tech
Ohio St at Michigan
Pittsburgh at Rutgers
Kent St at Temple
Tulsa at Army
Northwestern at Illinois
Kentucky at Georgia
Missouri at Kansas St
North Texas at Arkansas St
Bowling Green at Buffalo
Mississippi St at Arkansas
Georgia Southern at Colorado St
Idaho at Boise St
Utah St at New Mexico St
San Diego St at Air Force
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
BYU at Wyoming
Duke at Notre Dame
Louisiana Monroe at Alabama
Tulane at Rice
UCF at SMU
Purdue at Indiana
Penn St at Michigan St
Wisconsin at Minnesota
LSU at Mississippi
UAB at Memphis
Marshall at Houston
Miami at Virginia Tech
California at Washington
Western Michigan at Iowa
Iowa St at Kansas
Northern Illinois at Navy
NC State at Wake Forest
New Mexico at Utah
Oregon St at Washington St
Oklahoma St at Baylor
Louisiana Lafayette at FIU
San Jose St at Louisiana Tech
UNLV at TCU
Southern Miss at UTEP
Boston College at Clemson
West Virginia at Cincinnati
Louisville at South Florida
Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Monday, November 12, 2007
Week 12 Tuesday - Friday Predictions
Tuesday, November 13
Toledo at Ball St
Wednesday, November 14
Akron at Miami Ohio
Thursday, November 15
North Texas at Arkansas St
Oregon at Arizona
Friday, November 16
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan
Hawaii at Nevada
Toledo at Ball St
Wednesday, November 14
Akron at Miami Ohio
Thursday, November 15
North Texas at Arkansas St
Oregon at Arizona
Friday, November 16
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan
Hawaii at Nevada
Week 11 Wrapup
My Picks:
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Week 11 38-17 (69.09%)
Season 479-163 (74.61%)
-------------------------------
* Ohio St lost leading to a cluster at the top. Kansas and Hawaii are still unbeaten, but aren't at the top. Kansas will need to win out to make it to the National Champioship game, and Hawaii will need to win out just to make it to a BCS Bowl game. Oregon and LSU look like the favorites to make it now.
* The only teams that are still undefeated in conference play are Kansas, Central Michigan, BYU, Hawaii, Boise St, and Troy.
* FIU and Utah St are the only winless teams left, but FIU has its best chance this season to get a win on Saturday when they host 2-8 Louisiana Lafayette.
* So far this season I have picked 13 teams correctly every week. They are
- Arizona St
- Arkansas St
- Baylor
- FIU
- Fresno St
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- UAB
- Virginia Tech
- Wake Forest
* There have been 11 teams that I have struggled with picking all year long and have missed 5-6 time each: They are:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Iowa St
- Kent St
- Louisville
- Maryland
- Miami
- Ohio
- UCLA
- Utah
- Virginia
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Week 11 38-17 (69.09%)
Season 479-163 (74.61%)
-------------------------------
* Ohio St lost leading to a cluster at the top. Kansas and Hawaii are still unbeaten, but aren't at the top. Kansas will need to win out to make it to the National Champioship game, and Hawaii will need to win out just to make it to a BCS Bowl game. Oregon and LSU look like the favorites to make it now.
* The only teams that are still undefeated in conference play are Kansas, Central Michigan, BYU, Hawaii, Boise St, and Troy.
* FIU and Utah St are the only winless teams left, but FIU has its best chance this season to get a win on Saturday when they host 2-8 Louisiana Lafayette.
* So far this season I have picked 13 teams correctly every week. They are
- Arizona St
- Arkansas St
- Baylor
- FIU
- Fresno St
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- UAB
- Virginia Tech
- Wake Forest
* There have been 11 teams that I have struggled with picking all year long and have missed 5-6 time each: They are:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Iowa St
- Kent St
- Louisville
- Maryland
- Miami
- Ohio
- UCLA
- Utah
- Virginia
Week 12 Top 25
1 - Oregon (2)
2 - LSU (3)
3 - Kansas (4)
4 - Oklahoma (5)
5 - West Virginia (6)
6 - Missouri (7)
7 - Ohio St (1)
8 - Hawaii (9)
9 - Arizona St (8)
10 - Virginia Tech (12)
11 - USC (13)
12 - Georgia (16)
13 - Boise St (14)
14 - Virginia (15)
15 - Texas (18)
16 - Connecticut (11)
17 - Clemson (22)
18 - Cincinnati (20)
19 - Boston College (10)
20 - South Florida (24)
21 - Illinois (25)
22 - Florida (19)
23 - BYU (UR)
24 - Tennessee (UR)
25 - Wisconsin (UR)
Added - BYU, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Dropped - Michigan, California, Texas Tech
2 - LSU (3)
3 - Kansas (4)
4 - Oklahoma (5)
5 - West Virginia (6)
6 - Missouri (7)
7 - Ohio St (1)
8 - Hawaii (9)
9 - Arizona St (8)
10 - Virginia Tech (12)
11 - USC (13)
12 - Georgia (16)
13 - Boise St (14)
14 - Virginia (15)
15 - Texas (18)
16 - Connecticut (11)
17 - Clemson (22)
18 - Cincinnati (20)
19 - Boston College (10)
20 - South Florida (24)
21 - Illinois (25)
22 - Florida (19)
23 - BYU (UR)
24 - Tennessee (UR)
25 - Wisconsin (UR)
Added - BYU, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Dropped - Michigan, California, Texas Tech
Friday, November 9, 2007
Week 11 Saturday Predictions
Saturday, November 10
Indiana at Northwestern
North Carolina at NC State
South Florida at Syracuse
Penn St at Temple
Wake Forest at Clemson
Michigan at Wisconsin
Minnesota at Iowa
Michigan St at Purdue
Colorado at Iowa St
Texas A&M at Missouri
Kansas St at Nebraska
Alabama at Mississippi St
Arkansas at Tennessee
Georgia Tech at Duke
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
Air Force at Notre Dame
Colorado St at New Mexico
Houston at Tulsa
Boise St at Utah St
Rice at SMU
Arizona St at UCLA
Auburn at Georgia
Illinois at Ohio St
Texas Tech at Texas
Wyoming at Utah
Florida St at Virginia Tech
Connecticut at Cincinnati
Louisiana Lafayette at MTSU
New Mexico St at San Jose St
Navy at North Texas
Arkansas St at FAU
Kent St at Northern Illinois
East Carolina at Marshall
Memphis at Southern Miss
Troy at Western Kentucky
Grambling St at Louisiana Monroe
Baylor at Oklahoma
Stanford at Washington St
UTEP at Tulane
Virginia at Miami
UCF at UAB
Florida at South Carolina
USC at California
Louisiana Tech at LSU
Boston College at Maryland
Kansas at Oklahoma St
Washington at Oregon St
Fresno St at Hawaii
San Diego St at UNLV
Indiana at Northwestern
North Carolina at NC State
South Florida at Syracuse
Penn St at Temple
Wake Forest at Clemson
Michigan at Wisconsin
Minnesota at Iowa
Michigan St at Purdue
Colorado at Iowa St
Texas A&M at Missouri
Kansas St at Nebraska
Alabama at Mississippi St
Arkansas at Tennessee
Georgia Tech at Duke
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
Air Force at Notre Dame
Colorado St at New Mexico
Houston at Tulsa
Boise St at Utah St
Rice at SMU
Arizona St at UCLA
Auburn at Georgia
Illinois at Ohio St
Texas Tech at Texas
Wyoming at Utah
Florida St at Virginia Tech
Connecticut at Cincinnati
Louisiana Lafayette at MTSU
New Mexico St at San Jose St
Navy at North Texas
Arkansas St at FAU
Kent St at Northern Illinois
East Carolina at Marshall
Memphis at Southern Miss
Troy at Western Kentucky
Grambling St at Louisiana Monroe
Baylor at Oklahoma
Stanford at Washington St
UTEP at Tulane
Virginia at Miami
UCF at UAB
Florida at South Carolina
USC at California
Louisiana Tech at LSU
Boston College at Maryland
Kansas at Oklahoma St
Washington at Oregon St
Fresno St at Hawaii
San Diego St at UNLV
Monday, November 5, 2007
Week 11 Tuesday - Friday Predictions
Tuesday, November 6
Central Michigan at Western Michigan
Wednesday, November 7
Ohio at Akron
Thurday, November 8
Louisville at West Virginia
TCU at BYU
Friday, November 9
Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan
Rutgers at Army
Central Michigan at Western Michigan
Wednesday, November 7
Ohio at Akron
Thurday, November 8
Louisville at West Virginia
TCU at BYU
Friday, November 9
Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan
Rutgers at Army
Week 10 Wrapup
My Picks:
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Season 441-146 (75.13%)
-------------------------------
* Both Arizona St and Boston College fell from the ranks of the unbeatens this weekend. Now only Ohio St, Kansas, and Hawaii remain undefeated.
* I'm not sure how many people have noticed this, but Connecticut is 8-1 with the lone loss coming at Virginia by a single point. The Huskies are that close to being undefeated.
* Speaking of Virginia and single point victories, the three Cavaliers wins over the past four weeks have all come by one point. They've also had two two-point wins and a five-point win. In fact, the only two teams that they have really beat are Duke (24-13) and Pittsburgh (44-14), both at home.
* Another team that is falling apart is Maryland. They've lost their last three and stand 1-4 in conference. With a home game against Boston College and road games against Florida St and an improving NC State team, the Terrapins might not win again.
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Week 10 43-11 (79.63%)
Season 441-146 (75.13%)
-------------------------------
* Both Arizona St and Boston College fell from the ranks of the unbeatens this weekend. Now only Ohio St, Kansas, and Hawaii remain undefeated.
* I'm not sure how many people have noticed this, but Connecticut is 8-1 with the lone loss coming at Virginia by a single point. The Huskies are that close to being undefeated.
* Speaking of Virginia and single point victories, the three Cavaliers wins over the past four weeks have all come by one point. They've also had two two-point wins and a five-point win. In fact, the only two teams that they have really beat are Duke (24-13) and Pittsburgh (44-14), both at home.
* Another team that is falling apart is Maryland. They've lost their last three and stand 1-4 in conference. With a home game against Boston College and road games against Florida St and an improving NC State team, the Terrapins might not win again.
Week 11 Top 25
1 - Ohio St (1)
2 - Oregon (7)
3 - LSU (5)
4 - Kansas (4)
5 - Oklahoma (6)
6 - West Virginia (8)
7 - Missouri (10)
8 - Arizona St (3)
9 - Hawaii (9)
10 - Boston College (2)
11 - Connecticut (14)
12 - Virginia Tech (15)
13 - USC (11)
14 - Boise St (13)
15 - Virginia (18)
16 - Georgia (19)
17 - Michigan (20)
18 - Texas (24)
19 - Florida (21)
20 - Cincinnati (UR)
21 - California (22)
22 - Clemson (UR)
23 - Texas Tech (UR)
24 - South Florida (12)
25 - Illinois (UR)
Added - Cincinnati, Clemson, Texas Tech, Illinois
Dropped - Purdue, Wisconsin, Alabama, South Carolina
2 - Oregon (7)
3 - LSU (5)
4 - Kansas (4)
5 - Oklahoma (6)
6 - West Virginia (8)
7 - Missouri (10)
8 - Arizona St (3)
9 - Hawaii (9)
10 - Boston College (2)
11 - Connecticut (14)
12 - Virginia Tech (15)
13 - USC (11)
14 - Boise St (13)
15 - Virginia (18)
16 - Georgia (19)
17 - Michigan (20)
18 - Texas (24)
19 - Florida (21)
20 - Cincinnati (UR)
21 - California (22)
22 - Clemson (UR)
23 - Texas Tech (UR)
24 - South Florida (12)
25 - Illinois (UR)
Added - Cincinnati, Clemson, Texas Tech, Illinois
Dropped - Purdue, Wisconsin, Alabama, South Carolina
Friday, November 2, 2007
Week 10 Saturday / Sunday Predictions
Saturday, November 3
Iowa at Northwestern
Ball St at Indiana
Clemson at Duke
Wisconsin at Ohio St
Purdue at Penn St
Syracuse at Pittsburgh
Wake Forest at Virginia
NC State at Miami
Vanderbilt at Florida
Kansas St at Iowa St
Nebraska at Kansas
Troy at Georgia
Northwestern St at Mississippi
East Carolina at Memphis
Colorado St at BYU
Tennessee Tech at Auburn
Navy at Notre Dame
San Jose St at Boise St
Buffalo at Miami Ohio
Texas Tech at Baylor
UTEP at Rice
FIU at Arkansas St
UCLA at Arizona
Cincinnati at South Florida
Michigan at Michigan St
Texas at Oklahoma St
Army at Air Force
Marshall at UCF
Maryland at North Carolina
Louisiana Lafayette at Tennessee
Louisiana Tech at Idaho
Utah St at Fresno St
LSU at Alabama
New Mexico at TCU
Washington at Stanford
Missouri at Colorado
Arizona St at Oregon
Southern Miss at UAB
MTSU at Lousiana Monroe
Eastern Michigan at Toledo
Rutgers at Connecticut
Tulsa at Tulane
South Carolina at Arkansas
Oregon St at USC
Florida St at Boston College
Illinois at Minnesota
Texas A&M at Oklahoma
Wyoming at San Diego St
Washington St at California
Sunday, November 4
SMU at Houston
Iowa at Northwestern
Ball St at Indiana
Clemson at Duke
Wisconsin at Ohio St
Purdue at Penn St
Syracuse at Pittsburgh
Wake Forest at Virginia
NC State at Miami
Vanderbilt at Florida
Kansas St at Iowa St
Nebraska at Kansas
Troy at Georgia
Northwestern St at Mississippi
East Carolina at Memphis
Colorado St at BYU
Tennessee Tech at Auburn
Navy at Notre Dame
San Jose St at Boise St
Buffalo at Miami Ohio
Texas Tech at Baylor
UTEP at Rice
FIU at Arkansas St
UCLA at Arizona
Cincinnati at South Florida
Michigan at Michigan St
Texas at Oklahoma St
Army at Air Force
Marshall at UCF
Maryland at North Carolina
Louisiana Lafayette at Tennessee
Louisiana Tech at Idaho
Utah St at Fresno St
LSU at Alabama
New Mexico at TCU
Washington at Stanford
Missouri at Colorado
Arizona St at Oregon
Southern Miss at UAB
MTSU at Lousiana Monroe
Eastern Michigan at Toledo
Rutgers at Connecticut
Tulsa at Tulane
South Carolina at Arkansas
Oregon St at USC
Florida St at Boston College
Illinois at Minnesota
Texas A&M at Oklahoma
Wyoming at San Diego St
Washington St at California
Sunday, November 4
SMU at Houston
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Week 10 Thursday / Friday Predictions
Thursday, November 1
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Friday, November 2
Temple at Ohio
Akron at Bowling Green
Nevada at New Mexico St
* In the preseason, I was certain that Georgia Tech was on their way to the ACC Championship game. Now I can't imagine them winning this game, even though the Yellow Jackets have home field advantage and a bye week to prepare.
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Friday, November 2
Temple at Ohio
Akron at Bowling Green
Nevada at New Mexico St
* In the preseason, I was certain that Georgia Tech was on their way to the ACC Championship game. Now I can't imagine them winning this game, even though the Yellow Jackets have home field advantage and a bye week to prepare.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Week 10 Top 25
1 - Ohio St (1)
2 - Boston College (2)
3 - Arizona St (6)
4 - Kansas (7)
5 - LSU (3)
6 - Oklahoma (4)
7 - Oregon (12)
8 - West Virginia (5)
9 - Hawaii (11)
10 - Missouri (9)
11 - USC (8)
12 - South Florida (10)
13 - Boise St (17)
14 - Connecticut (21)
15 - Virginia Tech (13)
16 - Purdue (20)
17 - Wisconsin (22)
18 - Virginia (15)
19 - Georgia (UR)
20 - Michigan (UR)
21 - Florida (16)
22 - California (19)
23 - Alabama (23)
24 - Texas (UR)
25 - South Carolina (18)
added - Georgia, Michigan, Texas
dropped - Kentucky, Texas Tech, Cincinnati
2 - Boston College (2)
3 - Arizona St (6)
4 - Kansas (7)
5 - LSU (3)
6 - Oklahoma (4)
7 - Oregon (12)
8 - West Virginia (5)
9 - Hawaii (11)
10 - Missouri (9)
11 - USC (8)
12 - South Florida (10)
13 - Boise St (17)
14 - Connecticut (21)
15 - Virginia Tech (13)
16 - Purdue (20)
17 - Wisconsin (22)
18 - Virginia (15)
19 - Georgia (UR)
20 - Michigan (UR)
21 - Florida (16)
22 - California (19)
23 - Alabama (23)
24 - Texas (UR)
25 - South Carolina (18)
added - Georgia, Michigan, Texas
dropped - Kentucky, Texas Tech, Cincinnati
Week 9 Wrapup
My Picks:
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Season 398-135 (74.67%)
-------------------------------
* Boston College and Arizona St both picked up big signature wins in dramatic come-from-behind fashion. I'm starting to think that Matt Ryan is going to win the Heisman, mainly because there just aren't many candidates that have both the statistics and wins.
* Kansas is also proving more each week that they are for real. They easily could have stumbled during either of the past two weeks with road games against Colorado and Texas A&M. Looking at the rest of their schedule, the Big 12 North could come down the last weekend of the regular season with a huge matchup against Missouri at Kansas City.
* It's hard to imagine Ohio St or Michigan losing before their final game, so that game should decide the Big Ten. Wisconsin has a chance against both of them, but they haven't lived up to their preseason expections.
* Connecticut has replaced Virginia as the most surprising team with one loss.
* Is it possible to have six teams in one division closer that they are the SEC East? One team is 6-3, two are 6-3, and three are 5-3. Georgia may be the favorite with just two home games in conference left. Tennessee does have the tiebreaker over Georgia, but has to travel to Lexington. If both of them lose, then it's anybody's game.
* Remember when Michigan St was 4-0? They've now lost four of their last five games and are 1-4 in Big Ten play.
* Troy is crushing all of its competition in the Sun Belt. They are going to be a 9-10 win team this year, depending on if Georgia is ready for them this weekend or not.
* Buffalo has won three of the last four and currently the leader of the MAC East. They and Air Force are the leaders for under-the-radar surprise team of the year.
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 9 38-14 (73.08%)
Season 398-135 (74.67%)
-------------------------------
* Boston College and Arizona St both picked up big signature wins in dramatic come-from-behind fashion. I'm starting to think that Matt Ryan is going to win the Heisman, mainly because there just aren't many candidates that have both the statistics and wins.
* Kansas is also proving more each week that they are for real. They easily could have stumbled during either of the past two weeks with road games against Colorado and Texas A&M. Looking at the rest of their schedule, the Big 12 North could come down the last weekend of the regular season with a huge matchup against Missouri at Kansas City.
* It's hard to imagine Ohio St or Michigan losing before their final game, so that game should decide the Big Ten. Wisconsin has a chance against both of them, but they haven't lived up to their preseason expections.
* Connecticut has replaced Virginia as the most surprising team with one loss.
* Is it possible to have six teams in one division closer that they are the SEC East? One team is 6-3, two are 6-3, and three are 5-3. Georgia may be the favorite with just two home games in conference left. Tennessee does have the tiebreaker over Georgia, but has to travel to Lexington. If both of them lose, then it's anybody's game.
* Remember when Michigan St was 4-0? They've now lost four of their last five games and are 1-4 in Big Ten play.
* Troy is crushing all of its competition in the Sun Belt. They are going to be a 9-10 win team this year, depending on if Georgia is ready for them this weekend or not.
* Buffalo has won three of the last four and currently the leader of the MAC East. They and Air Force are the leaders for under-the-radar surprise team of the year.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Week 9 Saturday / Sunday Predictions
Saturday, October 27
Pittsburgh at Louisville
North Carolina at Wake Forest
West Virginia at Rutgers
Indiana at Wisconsin
Ball St at Illinois
Michigan St at Iowa
Northwestern at Purdue
Colorado at Texas Tech
Mississippi St at Kentucky
Akron at Buffalo
Central Michigan at Kent St
Delaware at Navy
FIU at Arkansas
Iowa St at Missouri
Miami Ohio at Vanderbilt
UNLV at Wyoming
SMU at Tulsa
Arizona at Washington
Louisiana Tech at Utah St
USC at Oregon
Memphis at Tulane
South Florida at Connecticut
Florida at Georgia in Jacksonville
Clemson at Maryland
Minnesota at Michigan
UAB at East Carolina
Nebraska at Texas
Baylor at Kansas St
Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
Lousiana Monroe at FAU
Idaho at Nevada
Virginia at NC State
Rice at Marshall
Utah at Colorado St
Mississippi at Auburn
Ohio at Bowling Green
UCLA at Washington St
Stanford at Oregon St
Kansas at Texas A&M
MTSU at North Texas
Troy at Arkansas St
Northern Illinois at Toledo
South Carolina at Tennessee
Duke at Florida St
Ohio St at Penn St
Houston at UTEP
California at Arizona St
New Mexico St at Hawaii
Sunday, October 28
UCF at Southern Miss
Pittsburgh at Louisville
North Carolina at Wake Forest
West Virginia at Rutgers
Indiana at Wisconsin
Ball St at Illinois
Michigan St at Iowa
Northwestern at Purdue
Colorado at Texas Tech
Mississippi St at Kentucky
Akron at Buffalo
Central Michigan at Kent St
Delaware at Navy
FIU at Arkansas
Iowa St at Missouri
Miami Ohio at Vanderbilt
UNLV at Wyoming
SMU at Tulsa
Arizona at Washington
Louisiana Tech at Utah St
USC at Oregon
Memphis at Tulane
South Florida at Connecticut
Florida at Georgia in Jacksonville
Clemson at Maryland
Minnesota at Michigan
UAB at East Carolina
Nebraska at Texas
Baylor at Kansas St
Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
Lousiana Monroe at FAU
Idaho at Nevada
Virginia at NC State
Rice at Marshall
Utah at Colorado St
Mississippi at Auburn
Ohio at Bowling Green
UCLA at Washington St
Stanford at Oregon St
Kansas at Texas A&M
MTSU at North Texas
Troy at Arkansas St
Northern Illinois at Toledo
South Carolina at Tennessee
Duke at Florida St
Ohio St at Penn St
Houston at UTEP
California at Arizona St
New Mexico St at Hawaii
Sunday, October 28
UCF at Southern Miss
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Week 9 Thursday / Friday Predictions
Thursday, October 25
Boston College at Virginia Tech
Air Force at New Mexico
Friday, October 26
Boise St at Fresno St
* The Boston College @ Virginia Tech matchup is the game of the week. Both are undefeated in conference play, and both are coming off a bye week. Boston College is trying prove that they deserve to be in National Championship discussions as they begin the toughest part of their schedule. Virginia Tech is shooting for the ACC Championship game, and will fall behind upstart Virginia if they don't win.
Boston College at Virginia Tech
Air Force at New Mexico
Friday, October 26
Boise St at Fresno St
* The Boston College @ Virginia Tech matchup is the game of the week. Both are undefeated in conference play, and both are coming off a bye week. Boston College is trying prove that they deserve to be in National Championship discussions as they begin the toughest part of their schedule. Virginia Tech is shooting for the ACC Championship game, and will fall behind upstart Virginia if they don't win.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Week 8 Wrapup
My Picks:
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Season 360-121 (74.84%)
-------------------------------
* South Florida was the only unbeaten to lose this week, so five remain.
* Conversely, Colorado St won its first game, leaving only three winless teams.
* Louisville has lost to Syracuse and Connecticut this year. I felt like this needed to be mentioned.
* North Dakota St topped Minnesota, making them undefeated against FBS teams (2-0) and FCS teams (5-0) this season. I'd be surprised if FBS teams continue to schedule the Bison in the future.
* Central Michigan and UCLA remind me of each other, because even though both have suffered some bad losses this season, both are undefeated in conference play.
* Vanderbilt over South Carolina is just one of many surprising upsets this season, but it did make the SEC East race tough to call now. All of the teams have at least two conference losses, and only Vanderbilt has three.
* Missouri just knocked Texas Tech's Graham Harrell out of the Heisman race (1 TD, 4 INTs) with its lopsided 41-10 victory.
Week 1 58-12 (82.86%)
Week 2 52-9 (85.25%)
Week 3 46-19 (70.77%)
Week 4 45-15 (75.00%)
Week 5 44-15 (74.58%)
Week 6 37-19 (66.07%)
Week 7 39-16 (70.91%)
Week 8 39-16 (70.91%)
Season 360-121 (74.84%)
-------------------------------
* South Florida was the only unbeaten to lose this week, so five remain.
* Conversely, Colorado St won its first game, leaving only three winless teams.
* Louisville has lost to Syracuse and Connecticut this year. I felt like this needed to be mentioned.
* North Dakota St topped Minnesota, making them undefeated against FBS teams (2-0) and FCS teams (5-0) this season. I'd be surprised if FBS teams continue to schedule the Bison in the future.
* Central Michigan and UCLA remind me of each other, because even though both have suffered some bad losses this season, both are undefeated in conference play.
* Vanderbilt over South Carolina is just one of many surprising upsets this season, but it did make the SEC East race tough to call now. All of the teams have at least two conference losses, and only Vanderbilt has three.
* Missouri just knocked Texas Tech's Graham Harrell out of the Heisman race (1 TD, 4 INTs) with its lopsided 41-10 victory.
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