Top 25
BCS-(AP)
1-(1) Notre Dame 12-0
2-(2) Alabama 11-1
3-(3) Georgia 11-1
4-(5) Florida 11-1
5-(6) Oregon 11-1
6-(7) Kansas State 10-1
7-(9) LSU 10-2
8-(8) Stanford 10-2
9-(10) Texas A&M 10-2
10-(11) South Carolina 10-2
11-(12) Oklahoma 9-2
12-(14) Nebraska 10-2
13-(13) Florida State 10-2
14-(15) Clemson 10-2
15-(16) Oregon State 8-3
16-(17) UCLA 9-3
17-(18) Kent State 11-1
18-(23) Texas 8-3
19-(21) Michigan 8-4
20-(25) Boise State 9-2
21-(19) Northern Illinois 11-1
22-(22) Northwestern 9-3
23-(24) Oklahoma State 7-4
24-(20) Utah State 10-2
25-(NR) San Jose State 10-2
*Ohio State is ranked #4 in the AP but ineligible for the BCS
Overrated
Michigan- I suppose B1G commish, Jim Delany would have a fit if he didn't have a few teams in the top 25, but how is Michigan still considered a top 25 team, and No. 19 at that? I realize that their four losses are against ranked opponents, but that the point. They've taken care of the other crap teams in the B1G, but haven't been able to beat any good teams this season. Their only win against a team with a winning record was at home, in overtime, against Northwestern.
Underrated
Florida- Lesson learned from last week. The Gators, who had struggled in previous weeks against lesser competition, had little trouble putting the Seminoles away on Saturday. The Gators out manned the 'Noles at the line of scrimmage and forced five turnovers. The Gators have answered the call nearly every week this season, with big road wins against Texas A&M and FSU as well as wins over LSU and South Carolina. Florida has played five teams ranked in the top 15 and are 4-1 in those games.
Jeremy's Top 25
1-(1) Notre Dame 12-0
2-(2) Alabama 11-1
3-(3) Georgia 11-1
4-(7) Florida 11-1
5-(5) Oregon 11-1
6-(6) Kansas State 10-1
7-(9) LSU 10-2
8-(10) Texas A&M 10-2
9-(11) Stanford 10-2
10- South Carolina 10-2
11-(12) Oklahoma 9-2
12-(4) Florida State 10-2
13-(15) Nebraska 10-2
14-(8) Clemson 10-2
15-(13) UCLA 9-3
16-(20) Kent State 11-1
17-(14) Texas 8-3
18-(16) Oregon State 8-3
19-(21) Northern Illinois 11-1
20-(22) Boise State 9-2
21-(24) Utah State 10-2
22-(17) Rutgers 9-2
23-(18) Louisville 9-2
24-(NR) Northwestern 9-3
25-(NR) San Jose State 10-2
In the mix- Michigan, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, San Diego State, TCU, Vandy
Nick's Top 25
1-(1)-Notre Dame
Notre Dame has asserted itself as the No. 1 team in the country as the only team to finish the season undefeated. I think everyone is writing them off against either Bama or Georgia but I don't think it will be that easy of a game against the Irish defense.
2-(2)-Alabama
I have said all season even after its loss that Alabama is the best team in the country. We will see if the Tide can get past a tough Georgia team to win the SEC Championship and meet the Irish in the title game.
3-(3)-Georgia
Could not ask for a better match up of 2-3 in the SEC Championship. Georiga and Aaron Murry are going to have to convert third downs to beat the Tide. The Dawg defense is tough and is going to need to be to stop the Tide rushing attack.
4-(4)-Florida
Big win for the Gators. When it looked like they were on the ropes and FSU was going to run away with the game, Florida forced some big turnovers to run away with the game themselves.
5-(6)-Texas A&M
If (Notre Dame's) Brian Kelly doesn't win coach of the year Kevin Sumlin should. I would have never guessed this team would have had such a great season in its first year in the SEC. It helps having a player like Johnny Manziel, but still great year for the Aggies.
6-(7)-Stanford
No one would have guessed that Stanford would be the best team in the Pac-12 this season, but a big win over Oregon and a possible Pac-12 title have them eyeing the Rose Bowl. Sadly enough the Cardinal will probably meet a three or four loss B1G team in the Rose Bowl.
7-(8)-Oregon
The Stanford loss knocked the Ducks out of the National Title game and now it looks like out of the BCS consideration too. I am not sure why they are still in consideration for a BCS game, but if Kent State takes care of business in the MAC title game I think it should make the jump to 16. Sorry Ducks. The flaw of this team has been playing from ahead all season and when they had to play from behind they did not know what to do.
8-(9)-Kansas State
Tough one this weekend for the Wildcats. Texas just lost at home to TCU and is looking for someone to take its revenge out on. That being said, Kansas State has its eyes set on the Big-12 title and a BCS berth. This has been a great team all season and if Collin Kline has a great game against Texas he could make a serious statement in the Heisman race.
9-(10)-LSU
The Tigers two losses this season came to the second and fourth ranked teams yet they stay all the way back at nine. I think this is a team with a great defense but an average offense and below average quarterback. The Tigers won't make the BCS this season but did the right thing locking up Les Miles and not letting him go to Arkansas.
10-(12)-South Carolina
This team has just kind of floated along in and out of the top 10 all season. It plays good defense but the loss of Marucs Lattimore could not be overcome.
11-(5)-Florida State
This team finishing the regular season like it did was sad. At the beginning of the season I would have picked it to meet the Tide in the National Championship game. I still think this is one of the better teams in the country, but they have some serious sole searching to do and need to learn how to win on the road.
12-(13)-Oklahoma
Whoever thought that the Sooners would be Longhorn fans? But this weekend a loss by Kansas State could move the Sooners up and give them an at large BCS berth.
13-(16)-Nebraska
The Huskers should win the B1G in just its second season, a down B1G, but still good chance at a Rose Bowl berth for the Huskers. Burkhead and Abdulla have taken this team on their back and run them all the B1G Championship game.
14-(17)-UCLA
I have to admit, I did not think this team was going to be worth anything at the beginning of the season. Even after a win over Nebraska I wasn't sold. After the Bruins handled USC two weekends ago I am actually looking forward to the Pac-12 title game. Even though Stanford beat up on UCLA last weekend I think it will be a tougher game on Friday night.
15-(11)-Clemson
Clemson's loss to South Carolina took it out of BCS at-large contention, but still a good season for the Tigers, 10 wins is nothing to shake your head at. If this team can improve on defense I think it could really challenge Florida State in the ACC.
16-(20)-Kent State
What a great year for Kent State and the MAC. If the Golden Flashes take care of Northern Illinois and win the MAC Championship this weekend they deserve at least BCS consideration. That would make them 12-1 with their only loss coming early season to a Kentucky team that looked a lot better then than it does now.
17-(21)-Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is in the same boat as Kent State a win in the MAC title game could put them in BCS consideration. The Huskies are also 11-1 and 12-1 should get them BCS consideration.
18-(23)-Utah State
Utah State has had a sneaky good year. This team should be able to use this good season to build momentum for its move to the Mountain West next season. Too bad for the Aggies but the WAC bowl tie ins will not get them a good game.
19-(15)-Oregon State
No matter the three losses, I think OSU is still a solid team. It ran into a buzz saw against Oregon last week, but a big bowl win would build this team some great momentum for next season.
20-(14)-Texas
Texas' loss to TCU at home was pretty inexplicable, but the Longhorns have a chance this weekend to make everything right with an upset of K-State. If this team could get settled at quarterback I think it would have a better chance to win. This defense also needs to be addressed for this team this week and in the offseason.
21-(22)-Boise State
Still not the Broncos teams of old, but this team has recorded a solid season. Will probably leave the MW as Co-Champs (that is if the Big Least doesn't crumble before they can make the jump). The Broncos seemed to improve as the season went on and look like a solid contender.
22-(NR)-Northwestern
Great season for the Wildcats not going to end in a BCS berth, but nine wins is good for any team.
23-(18)-Louisville
Louisville is coming off a tough loss to UConn and needs a win this weekend to secure a BCS berth. Great matchup with the Scarlet Knights this weekend.
24-(NR)-San Jose State
Another WAC team that has had a great season. This came out of no where. Like Utah State this team has built some great momentum before jumping to the MW.
25-(NR)-TCU
I know it is tough to put a four loss team in the top 25, but I like the way this team has played all season and a win over Texas in Austin is a great victory. Not a bad first season for Gary Patterson and the Frogs in the Big 12.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
1st Down: Week 13 Recap
Biggest Winner
Notre Dame- The Irish had big expectations going into the season. On paper, and with the schedule they had, it seemed like a BSC game might be possible. In reality, I think everyone expected another season of Notre Dame not living up to the lofty expectations. This Irish team completely blew apart every one's expectations and was the only team to finish the season undefeated (OSU is undefeated but so would any decent team in the B1G... and their on a post season ban) will appear in their first BCS Championship game in school history.
The MAC- The little conference that could doesn't seem so little. The MAC has seven bowl eligible teams and could have four teams finish with 10 wins. Not only that, but there is an outside possibility that Kent State could sneak into a BCS at large birth.
Biggest Loser
The ACC- The ACC went into this week with a golden opportunity to improve the reputation of the league with four games against SEC opponents. They finish the weekend with four losses to SEC opponents and, if it's possible, probably less respect then they went into the weekend with. The bell cows of the league, FSU and Clemson had big opportunities against some of the SEC elite (Florida and S. Carolina, respectively) and they each laid a big, fat egg. The Seminoles, who will play GT for the ACC Championship, still have a shot at a BCS birth, but a win over #4 Florida would have been huge for the program and the conference. Clemson, who was in the mix for an at large BCS birth, was also not up to the task as they just couldn't handle a superior Gamecocks squad. Wake Forest and Georgia Tech weren't expected to get wins against Vandy and UGA, but the ass kickings they received just made matter worse.
B1G- The Legends and Leaders conference gets to sit back and look up at its best team, Ohio State, go undefeated and forgo a BCS Championship shot and a post season appearance in general, further widening the gap between the conference and respectability. Instead of getting an Ohio State team that could probably compete with the big boys (I say probably because their conference schedule was as big of a joke as their non-conference schedule) we'll all get to see Nebraska or Wisconsin get their heads beat in by whoever they're unlucky enough to play in the Rose Bowl. The Huskers, who are 10-2 on the season would at least look respectable in a BCS game, but should Winsonsin win, and givin how the B1G's shaped up this year they probably will, the B1G champ would be 8-4 overall. SaWeet! Thanks Jim Delany.
Kinney vs. Kinney
With the Thanksgiving holiday, Nick and I only picked the Saturday games. Of the 12 games we picked, Nick and I agreed on nine, differing on Stanford-UCLA, Oklahoma-OK State and Michigan-Ohio State. Nick gets the nod on two of the three games we disagreed on, picking Stanford and Oklahoma, while I get the Buckeyes over the Wolverines.
It was a tough week of picks for both Nick and I, but Nick gets the nod this week, thanks to Stanford and OU.
Week 13 Talley
Nick- 7-5, season- 117-44 (.727)
Jeremy- 6-6, season- 103-40 (.720)
Thursday, Nov. 22
#16 Texas- 13, TCU- 20
The Longhorns weren't enough for the Horned Frogs on Thanksgiving. TCU's defense was reminiscent of seasons past as they bottled up, what had been a productive Texas offense.
Friday, Nov. 23
#7 LSU-20, Arkansas- 13
Oh, LSU... They're like a box of chocolates... Arkansas has been playing better football lately and this game was pretty much their season, so it's reasonable to expect them to come out swinging, but LSU shouldn't have needed all 60 minutes to put this team away.
#14 Nebraska- 13, Iowa- 7
With the win, Nebraska sews up an appearance in the B1G Championship game.
#23 Kent State- 28, Ohio- 6
Kent State gets their 11th win of the season putting down a sliding Ohio team. Good on ya, MAC!
#24 Arizona- 34, Arizona State- 41
ASU comes roaring back, putting up 24 points on 'Zona in the fourth quarter to get the win.
#25 Washington- 28, Washington State- 31 OT
And another never-should-have-been-ranked Pac-12 team falls...
Saturday, Nov. 24
#1 Notre Dame- 22, USC- 13
The Irish just keep doing what they do. They run the football, play lights out defense and don't beat themselves. Notre Dame's defense, led by Heisman candidate Manti Te'o, held a potent USC offense to just 281 yards and forced two turnovers. Freshman quarterback, Everett Golson was steady, throwing for 217 and Theo Riddick ran for 146 and a score. With the win, the Irish punch their ticket to the BCS Championship game.
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 31-17
-Nick- Notre Dame, 24-14
#2 Alabama- 49, Auburn- 0
A fitting end to a historically bad Auburn season. The Tigers would have needed a bit more than just a miracle to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa again and Cam Newton wasn't going to walk out of the tunnel and lead a comeback this time. Auburn managed a paltry 163 yards of offense and gave up 483 to Bama as the 'Tide roll into a meeting with Georgia for the SEC and a shot at Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game.
-Nick-Bama, 41-17
-Jeremy- Bama, 31-10
#3 Georgia- 42, Georgia Tech- 10
It was a long shot to begin with for GT and it was apparent from the beginning that it would be a long day for Yellow Jackets. Surprisingly, this Georgia Tech team will represent the ACC Coastal division in the ACC Championship game... at 6-6. On the flip-side, Georgia got an easy tune-up game as they head into a slug fest with Alabama for the SEC title and a shot at Notre Dame for the BSC title.
-Nick- Georgia, 38-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 30-14
#4 Florida- 37, #10 Florida State- 26
"This will be a slug fest and will likely come down to who can control the line of scrimmage and who doesn't turn the ball over." When I wrote this last week, I was thinking, based on the past few weeks, that it would be the Seminoles controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing the turnovers... Not so much. FSU turned the ball over five times and gave up 244 yards on the ground. The Gators had been battle tested and have won big games on the road against top 10 teams. The Seminoles soft schedule showed up here as they just weren't ready for the Gators.
-Jeremy- Florida State, 27-24
-Nick- FSU, 31-21
#5 Oregon- 48, #15 Oregon State- 24
Well, the Ducks wouldn't stay down long. For a quarter, it looked like Oregon might still be suffering a little Stanford handover, but the Ducks offense picked up speed in the third quarter and rattled off 28 straight points in just over ten minutes of play. The Oregon ground game, that was bottled up for 198 against Stanford, erupted for 430 yards on the Beaver defense, while the Oregon defense was all over OSU, forcing six turnovers.
-Nick- Oregon, 35-31
-Jeremy- Oregon, 41-38
#8 Stanford- 35, #17 UCLA- 17
In a preview of the Pac-12 Championship that will see these two team play again next week, Stanford was too much for the Bruins who lost for the first time since the beginning of October. The Cardinal controlled the line of scrimmage, gaining 221 on the ground. We'll see what happens this Friday in round two with a Rose Bowl birth on the line.
-Nick- Stanford, 28-21
-Jeremy- UCLA, 30-21
#9 Texas A&M- 59, Missouri- 29
It was a big game for the two SEC newbies. A&M jumped out on the Tigers and lead 48-7 going into half time. Quarterback Johnny Manziel had another epic performance, going for 439 total yards and five touchdowns. With the win, A&M finishes it's inaugural season in the SEC at 10-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. On the flip side, Mizzou struggled in its first season in the conference going 5-7 overall and finishing 2-6 in SEC play.
-Nick- Aggies, 45-17
-Jeremy- A&M, 38-17
#11 Clemson- 17, #12 South Carolina- 27
Put a cork in it Dabo. As it turns out this isn't quite the same Death Valley as the one the Gamecocks lost in, in October. A surprisingly low scoring game, was back and forth until a late forth quarter touchdown put South Carolina up 10 points and that was that. The Gamecocks held the potent Clemson offense to 328 yards (about 200 less than they'd been averaging) and sacked Tajh Boyd six times.
-Nick- Clemson, 45-38
-Jeremy- Clemson, 41-38
#13 Oklahoma- 51, #21 Oklahoma State- 48
Whew!!! What else would you expect from the Bedlam game? Oklahoma State got out to an early lead and were able to stay even or a score ahead of the Sooners through regulation with Oklahoma getting a four yard touchdown run by the "Bell-dozer" with 0:04 seconds left in the game to send it into overtime. The Sooners first lead of the game would be all they needed as running back Brennan Cley ran 18 yards for the game winner. With the win, OU keeps it's conference and BCS hopes alive.
-Nick- Sooners, 52-45
-Jeremy- OK State, 44-41
#18 Rutgers- 6, Pitt- 27
Pitt out Rutger'd Rutgers. The Panthers racked up 138 rushing yards, while holding the Scarlet Knights to only 50. With the win, Pitt snapped its two game losing streak and gives Rutgers its first conference loss of the season, mucking up the Big East race. Pitt gets one step closer to bowl eligibility and giving Louisville a breath of life to get a shot at the Big East Championship.
-Nick-Rutgers, 24-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 17-13
#19 Michigan- 21, Ohio State- 26
What a fitting end to an abysmal season for the B1G. The conference was pretty much awful from top to bottom and the only bright spot and respectable team is Ohio State who is not ineligible to win the B1G or play in a post season game. The Wolverines, who had high hopes and high rankings going into the season finishes 8-4 on the season but was pretty uncompetitive against top competition this season.
Nick-Michigan, 31-27
-Jeremy- Ohio State, 35-28
#20 Louisville- 20, UConn- 23 3OT
It seems this week that no one really whats to win the Big East. With the Rutgers loss Louisville had a chance to take control of the conference going into these teams season finale that will decide the winner of the conference. With this loss, they'll not only need to beat Rutgers, but they'll also need to finish ahead of them in the BCS standings.
-Nick-Louisville, 24-10
-Jeremy- Louisville, 28-17
IDLE
#6 Kansas State- next game- Dec. 1 vs. Texas
#22 Boise State- next game- Dec. 1 @ Nevada
Notre Dame- The Irish had big expectations going into the season. On paper, and with the schedule they had, it seemed like a BSC game might be possible. In reality, I think everyone expected another season of Notre Dame not living up to the lofty expectations. This Irish team completely blew apart every one's expectations and was the only team to finish the season undefeated (OSU is undefeated but so would any decent team in the B1G... and their on a post season ban) will appear in their first BCS Championship game in school history.
The MAC- The little conference that could doesn't seem so little. The MAC has seven bowl eligible teams and could have four teams finish with 10 wins. Not only that, but there is an outside possibility that Kent State could sneak into a BCS at large birth.
Biggest Loser
The ACC- The ACC went into this week with a golden opportunity to improve the reputation of the league with four games against SEC opponents. They finish the weekend with four losses to SEC opponents and, if it's possible, probably less respect then they went into the weekend with. The bell cows of the league, FSU and Clemson had big opportunities against some of the SEC elite (Florida and S. Carolina, respectively) and they each laid a big, fat egg. The Seminoles, who will play GT for the ACC Championship, still have a shot at a BCS birth, but a win over #4 Florida would have been huge for the program and the conference. Clemson, who was in the mix for an at large BCS birth, was also not up to the task as they just couldn't handle a superior Gamecocks squad. Wake Forest and Georgia Tech weren't expected to get wins against Vandy and UGA, but the ass kickings they received just made matter worse.
B1G- The Legends and Leaders conference gets to sit back and look up at its best team, Ohio State, go undefeated and forgo a BCS Championship shot and a post season appearance in general, further widening the gap between the conference and respectability. Instead of getting an Ohio State team that could probably compete with the big boys (I say probably because their conference schedule was as big of a joke as their non-conference schedule) we'll all get to see Nebraska or Wisconsin get their heads beat in by whoever they're unlucky enough to play in the Rose Bowl. The Huskers, who are 10-2 on the season would at least look respectable in a BCS game, but should Winsonsin win, and givin how the B1G's shaped up this year they probably will, the B1G champ would be 8-4 overall. SaWeet! Thanks Jim Delany.
Kinney vs. Kinney
With the Thanksgiving holiday, Nick and I only picked the Saturday games. Of the 12 games we picked, Nick and I agreed on nine, differing on Stanford-UCLA, Oklahoma-OK State and Michigan-Ohio State. Nick gets the nod on two of the three games we disagreed on, picking Stanford and Oklahoma, while I get the Buckeyes over the Wolverines.
It was a tough week of picks for both Nick and I, but Nick gets the nod this week, thanks to Stanford and OU.
Week 13 Talley
Nick- 7-5, season- 117-44 (.727)
Jeremy- 6-6, season- 103-40 (.720)
Thursday, Nov. 22
#16 Texas- 13, TCU- 20
The Longhorns weren't enough for the Horned Frogs on Thanksgiving. TCU's defense was reminiscent of seasons past as they bottled up, what had been a productive Texas offense.
Friday, Nov. 23
#7 LSU-20, Arkansas- 13
Oh, LSU... They're like a box of chocolates... Arkansas has been playing better football lately and this game was pretty much their season, so it's reasonable to expect them to come out swinging, but LSU shouldn't have needed all 60 minutes to put this team away.
#14 Nebraska- 13, Iowa- 7
With the win, Nebraska sews up an appearance in the B1G Championship game.
#23 Kent State- 28, Ohio- 6
Kent State gets their 11th win of the season putting down a sliding Ohio team. Good on ya, MAC!
#24 Arizona- 34, Arizona State- 41
ASU comes roaring back, putting up 24 points on 'Zona in the fourth quarter to get the win.
#25 Washington- 28, Washington State- 31 OT
And another never-should-have-been-ranked Pac-12 team falls...
Saturday, Nov. 24
#1 Notre Dame- 22, USC- 13
The Irish just keep doing what they do. They run the football, play lights out defense and don't beat themselves. Notre Dame's defense, led by Heisman candidate Manti Te'o, held a potent USC offense to just 281 yards and forced two turnovers. Freshman quarterback, Everett Golson was steady, throwing for 217 and Theo Riddick ran for 146 and a score. With the win, the Irish punch their ticket to the BCS Championship game.
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 31-17
-Nick- Notre Dame, 24-14
#2 Alabama- 49, Auburn- 0
A fitting end to a historically bad Auburn season. The Tigers would have needed a bit more than just a miracle to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa again and Cam Newton wasn't going to walk out of the tunnel and lead a comeback this time. Auburn managed a paltry 163 yards of offense and gave up 483 to Bama as the 'Tide roll into a meeting with Georgia for the SEC and a shot at Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game.
-Nick-Bama, 41-17
-Jeremy- Bama, 31-10
#3 Georgia- 42, Georgia Tech- 10
It was a long shot to begin with for GT and it was apparent from the beginning that it would be a long day for Yellow Jackets. Surprisingly, this Georgia Tech team will represent the ACC Coastal division in the ACC Championship game... at 6-6. On the flip-side, Georgia got an easy tune-up game as they head into a slug fest with Alabama for the SEC title and a shot at Notre Dame for the BSC title.
-Nick- Georgia, 38-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 30-14
#4 Florida- 37, #10 Florida State- 26
"This will be a slug fest and will likely come down to who can control the line of scrimmage and who doesn't turn the ball over." When I wrote this last week, I was thinking, based on the past few weeks, that it would be the Seminoles controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing the turnovers... Not so much. FSU turned the ball over five times and gave up 244 yards on the ground. The Gators had been battle tested and have won big games on the road against top 10 teams. The Seminoles soft schedule showed up here as they just weren't ready for the Gators.
-Jeremy- Florida State, 27-24
-Nick- FSU, 31-21
#5 Oregon- 48, #15 Oregon State- 24
Well, the Ducks wouldn't stay down long. For a quarter, it looked like Oregon might still be suffering a little Stanford handover, but the Ducks offense picked up speed in the third quarter and rattled off 28 straight points in just over ten minutes of play. The Oregon ground game, that was bottled up for 198 against Stanford, erupted for 430 yards on the Beaver defense, while the Oregon defense was all over OSU, forcing six turnovers.
-Nick- Oregon, 35-31
-Jeremy- Oregon, 41-38
#8 Stanford- 35, #17 UCLA- 17
In a preview of the Pac-12 Championship that will see these two team play again next week, Stanford was too much for the Bruins who lost for the first time since the beginning of October. The Cardinal controlled the line of scrimmage, gaining 221 on the ground. We'll see what happens this Friday in round two with a Rose Bowl birth on the line.
-Nick- Stanford, 28-21
-Jeremy- UCLA, 30-21
#9 Texas A&M- 59, Missouri- 29
It was a big game for the two SEC newbies. A&M jumped out on the Tigers and lead 48-7 going into half time. Quarterback Johnny Manziel had another epic performance, going for 439 total yards and five touchdowns. With the win, A&M finishes it's inaugural season in the SEC at 10-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. On the flip side, Mizzou struggled in its first season in the conference going 5-7 overall and finishing 2-6 in SEC play.
-Nick- Aggies, 45-17
-Jeremy- A&M, 38-17
#11 Clemson- 17, #12 South Carolina- 27
Put a cork in it Dabo. As it turns out this isn't quite the same Death Valley as the one the Gamecocks lost in, in October. A surprisingly low scoring game, was back and forth until a late forth quarter touchdown put South Carolina up 10 points and that was that. The Gamecocks held the potent Clemson offense to 328 yards (about 200 less than they'd been averaging) and sacked Tajh Boyd six times.
-Nick- Clemson, 45-38
-Jeremy- Clemson, 41-38
#13 Oklahoma- 51, #21 Oklahoma State- 48
Whew!!! What else would you expect from the Bedlam game? Oklahoma State got out to an early lead and were able to stay even or a score ahead of the Sooners through regulation with Oklahoma getting a four yard touchdown run by the "Bell-dozer" with 0:04 seconds left in the game to send it into overtime. The Sooners first lead of the game would be all they needed as running back Brennan Cley ran 18 yards for the game winner. With the win, OU keeps it's conference and BCS hopes alive.
-Nick- Sooners, 52-45
-Jeremy- OK State, 44-41
#18 Rutgers- 6, Pitt- 27
Pitt out Rutger'd Rutgers. The Panthers racked up 138 rushing yards, while holding the Scarlet Knights to only 50. With the win, Pitt snapped its two game losing streak and gives Rutgers its first conference loss of the season, mucking up the Big East race. Pitt gets one step closer to bowl eligibility and giving Louisville a breath of life to get a shot at the Big East Championship.
-Nick-Rutgers, 24-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 17-13
#19 Michigan- 21, Ohio State- 26
What a fitting end to an abysmal season for the B1G. The conference was pretty much awful from top to bottom and the only bright spot and respectable team is Ohio State who is not ineligible to win the B1G or play in a post season game. The Wolverines, who had high hopes and high rankings going into the season finishes 8-4 on the season but was pretty uncompetitive against top competition this season.
Nick-Michigan, 31-27
-Jeremy- Ohio State, 35-28
#20 Louisville- 20, UConn- 23 3OT
It seems this week that no one really whats to win the Big East. With the Rutgers loss Louisville had a chance to take control of the conference going into these teams season finale that will decide the winner of the conference. With this loss, they'll not only need to beat Rutgers, but they'll also need to finish ahead of them in the BCS standings.
-Nick-Louisville, 24-10
-Jeremy- Louisville, 28-17
IDLE
#6 Kansas State- next game- Dec. 1 vs. Texas
#22 Boise State- next game- Dec. 1 @ Nevada
Saturday, November 24, 2012
4th Down: Rivalry Week Picks
Thursday, Nov. 22
#16 Texas- 13, TCU- 20
The Longhorns weren't enough for the Horned Frogs on Thanksgiving. TCU's defense was reminiscent of seasons past as they bottled up, what had been a productive Texas offense.
Friday, Nov. 23
#7 LSU-20, Arkansas- 13
Oh, LSU... They're like a box of chocolates... Arkansas has been playing better football lately and this game was pretty much their season, so it's reasonable to expect them to come out swinging, but LSU shouldn't have needed all 60 minutes to put this team away.
#14 Nebraska- 13, Iowa- 7
With the win, Nebraska sews up an appearance in the B1G Championship game.
#23 Kent State- 28, Ohio- 6
Kent State gets their 11th win of the season putting down a sliding Ohio team. Good on ya, MAC!
#24 Arizona- 34, Arizona State- 41
ASU comes roaring back, putting up 24 points on 'Zona in the fourth quarter to get the win.
#25 Washington- 28, Washington State- 31 OT
And another never-should-have-been-ranked Pac-12 team falls...
Saturday, Nov. 24
#1 Notre Dame @ USC, 8pm ET, ABC
Notre Dame seems to rise to the occasion against it's tougher competition while USC tends to go the other direction. The Trojan's have lost three of four and they're about to face an Irish team that's on the brink of a BCS Championship appearance. I fully expect Notre Dame and it's top ranked scoring defense to stifle USC and it's back up quarterback. Irish win and play in their first BCS Championship game in school history.
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 31-17
-Nick- Notre Dame, 24-14
#2 Alabama vs. Auburn, 3:30pm ET, CBS
This game should be pretty ugly for the Tigers. In Bryant-Denny with a chance to make a statement in the national title picture, The Tide should roll in this game.
-Nick-Bama, 41-17
-Jeremy- Bama, 31-10
#3 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12pm ET, ESPN/ESPN 3D
Georgia is another team that is looking to make a national title statement and a blowout victory over Tech could have help them gain some momentum going into the SEC title game against Bama. Dawgs should be able to control the ball in this game and slow down the triple-option attack.
-Nick- Georgia, 38-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 30-14
#4 Florida @ #10 Florida State, 3:30pm ET, ABC
If you didn't look at the rankings it would be easy to think the 'Noles were the No. 4 team in the nation and Florida No. 10. The Seminoles have the nations 7th ranked scoring offense and 5th ranked scoring defense and few teams have been as dominant at home this season than FSU. The Gators have the nations 3rd ranked scoring defense but have really struggled offensively this season, especially the past few weeks. This being the rivalry it is, you can throw stats and records out the window. This will be a slug fest and will likely come down to who can control the line of scrimmage and who doesn't turn the ball over. I think the 'Noles, at home, get it done but it's going to be close.
-Jeremy- Florida State, 27-24
-Nick- FSU, 31-21
#5 Oregon @ #15 Oregon State, 3pm ET, Pac-12 Network
I think Oregon gets back on track this week. This game should be close though and it could end up like its game against Stanford did last weekend. The tough Oregon State defense could prove troublesome for the Oregon offense. This game should stay close, but I think the Ducks get the win.
-Nick- Oregon, 35-31
-Jeremy- Oregon, 41-38
#8 Stanford @ #17 UCLA, 6:30pm ET, FOX
Stanford is looking to continue its hot play with another top-25 victory. It will be tough to go get a win the Rose Bowl, but I think the Stanford front seven and its running game should get it a victory here.
-Nick- Stanford, 28-21
-Jeremy- UCLA, 30-21
#9 Texas A&M vs. Missouri, 7pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel should be able to control this game pretty well. Mizzou has had a tough first season in the SEC and I don't see this game being any different. The Aggies are looking to make a statement so expect this game to get out of hand pretty quick.
-Nick- Aggies, 45-17
-Jeremy- A&M, 38-17
#11 Clemson vs. #12 South Carolina, 7pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
This has to be the highest ranked these two teams have played in rivalry week in a long time. Both a very solid teams but I agree with Jeremy's overrated this week talking about South Carolina. I just think this team has not been able to recover from the loss of Marcus Lattimore. This should be a high scoring game and I think the high-powered Clemson offense gets the win here.
-Nick- Clemson, 45-38
-Jeremy- Clemson, 41-38
#13 Oklahoma vs. #21 Oklahoma State, 3:30pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
Bedlam! Another top-25 match up in this series. Interesting because it used to be Oklahoma State would only win this game in a upset matchup. I don't think the Cowboys will be able to hang this week. Stoops and the Sooners need a big win to keep their Big 12 hopes alive. I think in Norman the Sooners should be able to handle pretty well.
-Nick- Sooners, 52-45
-Jeremy- OK State, 44-41
#18 Rutgers @ Pitt, 12pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
At one point this season it looked like a Big East team would end up undefeated, but all fell out of the ranks. Rutgers has a tough defense and I think it should be able to handle an average Pitt team. Gary Nova is also one of the best quarterbacks in the country and he should pick apart the Pitt defense.
-Nick-Rutgers, 24-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 17-13
#19 Michigan @ Ohio State, 12pm ET, ABC
The Game. This game has become more and more intriguing with only one other undefeated team in the country now. Ohio State has a lot to play for if the AP will make the biggest mistake ever and split a national title. Michigan is looking to knock off its most heated rival and show them that they are for real. Michigan lost a lot to play for with Nebraska winning but I doubt it needs much motivation to get up for an undefeated Ohio State team. I think Michigan pulls off the shocker today.
Nick-Michigan, 31-27
-Jeremy- Ohio State, 35-28
#20 Louisville vs. UConn, 12pm ET, Big East Network/ESPN3
Louisville looked like it was on track to go undefeated and really mess up the national title picture, but a bad loss to Cuse dropped them very far. Louisville has a solid defense and I think it should be able to win this game for the Cardinals.
-Nick-Louisville, 24-10
-Jeremy- Louisville, 28-17
IDLE
#6 Kansas State
#22 Boise State
#16 Texas- 13, TCU- 20
The Longhorns weren't enough for the Horned Frogs on Thanksgiving. TCU's defense was reminiscent of seasons past as they bottled up, what had been a productive Texas offense.
Friday, Nov. 23
#7 LSU-20, Arkansas- 13
Oh, LSU... They're like a box of chocolates... Arkansas has been playing better football lately and this game was pretty much their season, so it's reasonable to expect them to come out swinging, but LSU shouldn't have needed all 60 minutes to put this team away.
#14 Nebraska- 13, Iowa- 7
With the win, Nebraska sews up an appearance in the B1G Championship game.
#23 Kent State- 28, Ohio- 6
Kent State gets their 11th win of the season putting down a sliding Ohio team. Good on ya, MAC!
#24 Arizona- 34, Arizona State- 41
ASU comes roaring back, putting up 24 points on 'Zona in the fourth quarter to get the win.
#25 Washington- 28, Washington State- 31 OT
And another never-should-have-been-ranked Pac-12 team falls...
Saturday, Nov. 24
#1 Notre Dame @ USC, 8pm ET, ABC
Notre Dame seems to rise to the occasion against it's tougher competition while USC tends to go the other direction. The Trojan's have lost three of four and they're about to face an Irish team that's on the brink of a BCS Championship appearance. I fully expect Notre Dame and it's top ranked scoring defense to stifle USC and it's back up quarterback. Irish win and play in their first BCS Championship game in school history.
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 31-17
-Nick- Notre Dame, 24-14
#2 Alabama vs. Auburn, 3:30pm ET, CBS
This game should be pretty ugly for the Tigers. In Bryant-Denny with a chance to make a statement in the national title picture, The Tide should roll in this game.
-Nick-Bama, 41-17
-Jeremy- Bama, 31-10
#3 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12pm ET, ESPN/ESPN 3D
Georgia is another team that is looking to make a national title statement and a blowout victory over Tech could have help them gain some momentum going into the SEC title game against Bama. Dawgs should be able to control the ball in this game and slow down the triple-option attack.
-Nick- Georgia, 38-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 30-14
#4 Florida @ #10 Florida State, 3:30pm ET, ABC
If you didn't look at the rankings it would be easy to think the 'Noles were the No. 4 team in the nation and Florida No. 10. The Seminoles have the nations 7th ranked scoring offense and 5th ranked scoring defense and few teams have been as dominant at home this season than FSU. The Gators have the nations 3rd ranked scoring defense but have really struggled offensively this season, especially the past few weeks. This being the rivalry it is, you can throw stats and records out the window. This will be a slug fest and will likely come down to who can control the line of scrimmage and who doesn't turn the ball over. I think the 'Noles, at home, get it done but it's going to be close.
-Jeremy- Florida State, 27-24
-Nick- FSU, 31-21
#5 Oregon @ #15 Oregon State, 3pm ET, Pac-12 Network
I think Oregon gets back on track this week. This game should be close though and it could end up like its game against Stanford did last weekend. The tough Oregon State defense could prove troublesome for the Oregon offense. This game should stay close, but I think the Ducks get the win.
-Nick- Oregon, 35-31
-Jeremy- Oregon, 41-38
#8 Stanford @ #17 UCLA, 6:30pm ET, FOX
Stanford is looking to continue its hot play with another top-25 victory. It will be tough to go get a win the Rose Bowl, but I think the Stanford front seven and its running game should get it a victory here.
-Nick- Stanford, 28-21
-Jeremy- UCLA, 30-21
#9 Texas A&M vs. Missouri, 7pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel should be able to control this game pretty well. Mizzou has had a tough first season in the SEC and I don't see this game being any different. The Aggies are looking to make a statement so expect this game to get out of hand pretty quick.
-Nick- Aggies, 45-17
-Jeremy- A&M, 38-17
#11 Clemson vs. #12 South Carolina, 7pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
This has to be the highest ranked these two teams have played in rivalry week in a long time. Both a very solid teams but I agree with Jeremy's overrated this week talking about South Carolina. I just think this team has not been able to recover from the loss of Marcus Lattimore. This should be a high scoring game and I think the high-powered Clemson offense gets the win here.
-Nick- Clemson, 45-38
-Jeremy- Clemson, 41-38
#13 Oklahoma vs. #21 Oklahoma State, 3:30pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
Bedlam! Another top-25 match up in this series. Interesting because it used to be Oklahoma State would only win this game in a upset matchup. I don't think the Cowboys will be able to hang this week. Stoops and the Sooners need a big win to keep their Big 12 hopes alive. I think in Norman the Sooners should be able to handle pretty well.
-Nick- Sooners, 52-45
-Jeremy- OK State, 44-41
#18 Rutgers @ Pitt, 12pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
At one point this season it looked like a Big East team would end up undefeated, but all fell out of the ranks. Rutgers has a tough defense and I think it should be able to handle an average Pitt team. Gary Nova is also one of the best quarterbacks in the country and he should pick apart the Pitt defense.
-Nick-Rutgers, 24-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 17-13
#19 Michigan @ Ohio State, 12pm ET, ABC
The Game. This game has become more and more intriguing with only one other undefeated team in the country now. Ohio State has a lot to play for if the AP will make the biggest mistake ever and split a national title. Michigan is looking to knock off its most heated rival and show them that they are for real. Michigan lost a lot to play for with Nebraska winning but I doubt it needs much motivation to get up for an undefeated Ohio State team. I think Michigan pulls off the shocker today.
Nick-Michigan, 31-27
-Jeremy- Ohio State, 35-28
#20 Louisville vs. UConn, 12pm ET, Big East Network/ESPN3
Louisville looked like it was on track to go undefeated and really mess up the national title picture, but a bad loss to Cuse dropped them very far. Louisville has a solid defense and I think it should be able to win this game for the Cardinals.
-Nick-Louisville, 24-10
-Jeremy- Louisville, 28-17
IDLE
#6 Kansas State
#22 Boise State
3rd Down: Rivalry Week
Game of the Week
Stanford at UCLA- No game has the implecations that this one boasts. Both teams are currently on top of their respectives side of the Pac-12. Stanford, having just knocked off Oregon, will win the Pac-12 North with a win over UCLA and in doing so will completely end Oregon's BCS title hopes as well as secure a rematch with UCLA in the Pac-12 title game, with Rose Bowl hopes on the line. UCLA has little to lose in this game, having secured their spot in the Pac-12 Championship with thier impressive win over USC last weekend.
Oregon at Oregon State- This game could have BCS title implecations if- Stanford loses to UCLA this weekend, which will put the Ducks back in the Pac-12 Championship, assuming they can take care of the Beavers. If Notre Dame also loses, there will be another spot in the BCS Championship open against the SEC winner. A one loss Ducks team could potentially get back in the mix if they can win the Pac-12.
If Notre Dame loses...
Notre Dame- obviously, all the Irish have to do is win and they're in.
Alabama and Georgia- win and they're in.
Florida- It's going to be tough without having a chance to win the SEC. Alabama and Georgia would both have to lose this weekend and if the Gators beat the 'Noles by 20, they might have enough juice to sneak into the BCS Championship. They'd probably need Oregon and K-State to lose too, secure it.
Oregon- The Ducks lost control of their fate's last week and now need some serious help to get back into the mix. The Ducks have to beat Oregon State this weekend and will need Stanford to lose to
UCLA this weekend to get into the Pac-12 Championship. Take care of that and hope for a Notre Dame loss and they'll be able to punch their ticket to Miami.
Kansas State- Like Oregon, the former No.1 Wildcats need some help. But, with a win over Texas and a Notre Dame loss, the Wildcats will have a good chance to get in. Might need a Ducks loss to really get a serious look.
LSU- Like Florida, it's hard to see a non-SEC champ making the BCS title game. The Tigers two losses make it even more unlikely. They would pretty much need everyone in front of them to lose this weekend and might need a few teams behind them to lose as well.
Stanford- This is where it could get interesting. If Notre Dame loses and Stanford can beat UCLA this weekend and the following weekend in the Pac-12 Championship, the Cardinal might be able to gain enough ground to get in the conversation. Would votes select a one loss Ducks team or a two loss, Pac-12 Champ that beat Oregon in Oregon? They'd need K-State to lose to Texas and probably a Florida loss.
Texas A&M- If it's a long shot for Florida and LSU, it's an even longer shot for Texas A$M. It's unlikely that, even if total chaos takes place ahead of them, that they'll be able to jump from No. 9 to No. 2. Besides, like LSU, if the BCS had to take a two loss SEC team and 'Bama and Georgia both lose this weekend, it would likely still be an Alabama or Georgia going with two losses than A&M.
Florida State- The 'Noles will need some serious help, but they have the best 'outside' shot in my opinion. Granted, there's going to have to be some chaos on top. First, the Irish have to lose. If the 'Noles can beat Florida, and I mean really beat the Gators (like by at least two touchdowns) they should gain some serious ground in the top ten- likely moving up somewhere between No. 4 to No. 6. The Nole's will also need a big blowout in the ACC Championship game against whichever garbage team they play. That said, big wins in their final two games will probably not be quite enough. They'll need help- K-State loss to Texas; Stanford to win this weekend, keeping Oregon out of the Pac-12 Championship. Should this all happen the voters will have some interesting decisions to make- does a one loss FSU have a better arguement than a two loss, Pac-12 Champ Stanford, or a one loss Oregon or Notre Dame?
Stanford at UCLA- No game has the implecations that this one boasts. Both teams are currently on top of their respectives side of the Pac-12. Stanford, having just knocked off Oregon, will win the Pac-12 North with a win over UCLA and in doing so will completely end Oregon's BCS title hopes as well as secure a rematch with UCLA in the Pac-12 title game, with Rose Bowl hopes on the line. UCLA has little to lose in this game, having secured their spot in the Pac-12 Championship with thier impressive win over USC last weekend.
Oregon at Oregon State- This game could have BCS title implecations if- Stanford loses to UCLA this weekend, which will put the Ducks back in the Pac-12 Championship, assuming they can take care of the Beavers. If Notre Dame also loses, there will be another spot in the BCS Championship open against the SEC winner. A one loss Ducks team could potentially get back in the mix if they can win the Pac-12.
If Notre Dame loses...
Notre Dame- obviously, all the Irish have to do is win and they're in.
Alabama and Georgia- win and they're in.
Florida- It's going to be tough without having a chance to win the SEC. Alabama and Georgia would both have to lose this weekend and if the Gators beat the 'Noles by 20, they might have enough juice to sneak into the BCS Championship. They'd probably need Oregon and K-State to lose too, secure it.
Oregon- The Ducks lost control of their fate's last week and now need some serious help to get back into the mix. The Ducks have to beat Oregon State this weekend and will need Stanford to lose to
UCLA this weekend to get into the Pac-12 Championship. Take care of that and hope for a Notre Dame loss and they'll be able to punch their ticket to Miami.
Kansas State- Like Oregon, the former No.1 Wildcats need some help. But, with a win over Texas and a Notre Dame loss, the Wildcats will have a good chance to get in. Might need a Ducks loss to really get a serious look.
LSU- Like Florida, it's hard to see a non-SEC champ making the BCS title game. The Tigers two losses make it even more unlikely. They would pretty much need everyone in front of them to lose this weekend and might need a few teams behind them to lose as well.
Stanford- This is where it could get interesting. If Notre Dame loses and Stanford can beat UCLA this weekend and the following weekend in the Pac-12 Championship, the Cardinal might be able to gain enough ground to get in the conversation. Would votes select a one loss Ducks team or a two loss, Pac-12 Champ that beat Oregon in Oregon? They'd need K-State to lose to Texas and probably a Florida loss.
Texas A&M- If it's a long shot for Florida and LSU, it's an even longer shot for Texas A$M. It's unlikely that, even if total chaos takes place ahead of them, that they'll be able to jump from No. 9 to No. 2. Besides, like LSU, if the BCS had to take a two loss SEC team and 'Bama and Georgia both lose this weekend, it would likely still be an Alabama or Georgia going with two losses than A&M.
Florida State- The 'Noles will need some serious help, but they have the best 'outside' shot in my opinion. Granted, there's going to have to be some chaos on top. First, the Irish have to lose. If the 'Noles can beat Florida, and I mean really beat the Gators (like by at least two touchdowns) they should gain some serious ground in the top ten- likely moving up somewhere between No. 4 to No. 6. The Nole's will also need a big blowout in the ACC Championship game against whichever garbage team they play. That said, big wins in their final two games will probably not be quite enough. They'll need help- K-State loss to Texas; Stanford to win this weekend, keeping Oregon out of the Pac-12 Championship. Should this all happen the voters will have some interesting decisions to make- does a one loss FSU have a better arguement than a two loss, Pac-12 Champ Stanford, or a one loss Oregon or Notre Dame?
Thursday, November 22, 2012
2nd Down: KinneyBroz Top 25
Top 25
BCS-(AP)
1-(1) Notre Dame
2-(2) Alabama
3-(3) Georgia
4-(6) Florida
5-(5) Oregon
6-(7) Kansas State
7-(8) LSU
8-(11) Stanford
9-(9) Texas A&M
10-(10) Florida State
11-(12) Clemson
12-(13) South Carolina
13-(14) Oklahoma
14-(17) Nebraska
15-(16) Oregon State
16-(18) Texas
17-(15) UCLA
18-(21) Rutgers
19-(20) Michigan
20-(19) Louisville
21-(22) Oklahoma State
22-(NR) Boise State
23-(23) Kent State
24-(NR) Arizona
25-(NR) Washington
Overrated
Georgia and Florida. I think they're both solid teams but they've both looked really vulnerable at times, especially the Gators. Florida needed help from Missouri and UL Lafayette in back to back home squeakers and even struggled a bit against Jacksonville State last week. The Gators offense is atrocious and if not for one of the best defenses in the nations, the Gators would be looking a much different season.
Georgia has played well recently, but I'd really like to see them dominate a quality opponent. They feel a little like paper tigers to me at this point. They're one and one against the top teams on their schedule, getting blasted by S. Carolina, then needing multiple turnovers to get past the Gators.
Underrated
It's interesting to me that Florida State is still on the outside looking in in this situation. The Seminoles are 10-1 with their only loss, though a bad loss, was on the road by one point. I'll give you the lack of strength in the ACC, but looking at what Oregon has gone through, is their schedule really that more difficult? They lost to the only quality team they've played this season and only dropped two spots. The Seminoles are still trying to dig their way out of their mid-season loss to NC State.
Are You Crazy?!?!
Jeremy's Top 25
1-(2) Notre Dame 11-0
Hard to argue with the 11-0 Irish being No. 1. We'll see if they can hold onto it.
2-(4) Alabama 10-1
The Tide were reborn with losses by K-State and Oregon. All in all, they're still probably the most well rounded team in the nation.
3-(5) Georgia 10-1
They Bulldogs have it all laid out for them. They're playing well and should give Alabama a run for their money in the SEC Championship game.
4-(6) Florida State 10-1
No one has gotten punished for their one loss this season like the 'Noles. They've shown signs that they can compete with the best in the nation and will get their chance this weekend against the rival Gators.
5-(3) Oregon 10-1
Huh... Oregon finally plays a quality team and guess what happens...
6-(1) Kansas State 10-1
It's tough to go undefeated and K-State found that out against Baylor. They're still in the hunt but will need some help to get back into the title conversation.
7-(7) Florida 10-1
Mega-defense, but the Gators offense will need to show some signs of life with a trip to Tallahassee coming up this weekend.
8-(8) Clemson 10-1
Same as the last 12 weeks. Clemson is an absolute juggernaut on offense but their defense is keeping them from getting much respect.
9-(9) LSU 9-2
Some weeks they look like one of the best teams in the nation. Other weeks... ugh.
10-(10) Texas A&M 9-2
I really like A&M, but there's just too many one loss teams ahead of them.
11-(12) Stanford 9-2
Big win over Oregon not only gives them control of the Pac-12 North, but could get them in the title game if all hell breaks lose.
12-(11) Oklahoma 8-2
The Sooners remind me a little of LSU. Sometimes they look absolutely dominant. Other times, not so much.
13-(15) UCLA 9-2
UCLA is quietly creeping up the polls. They took the fight to USC last weekend and will have a second chance at the Pac-12 crown.
14-(14) Texas 8-2
The Longhorns have put their mid-season struggles behind them and have one four straight.
15-(13) Nebraska 9-2
The Huskers have won five straight and will lock up their side of the conference with a win on Saturday against Iowa.
16-(16) Oregon State 8-2
The Beavers bounced back strong off their loss to Stanford, by dismantling the Cal Bears.
17-(19) Rutgers 9-1
The Scarlet Knights are in the drivers seat in the Big East.
18-(18) Louisville 9-1
Louisville had the week off after a tough loss to Syracuse. They're still in the hunt for a BCS birth if they can win their next two.
19-(22) Michigan 8-3
It's been an up and down year for the Wolverines, who have struggled against some of the tougher competition they've faced. They face their arch-rival, Ohio State, this weekend.
20-(20) Kent State 10-1
It's been a solid year for the MAC and Kent State.
21-(23) Northern Illinois 10-1
Potentially, headed for back to back meeting with Kent State for the MAC crown.
22-(24) Boise State 9-2
Though they haven't made the kind of noise this year that they have in the past, Boise has put together a solid season and can still win the MWC.
23-(NR) Oklahoma State 7-3
The Cowboys have been tough this season, despite a few tough losses. They've got a chance to cause trouble for in-state rival, Oklahoma this weekend.
24-(NR) Utah State 9-2
Utah State has come out of nowhere this season and just knocked off, then ranked Louisiana Tech.
25-(NR) Washington 7-4
The Huskies have done pretty well this season having played one of the toughest schedules in the nation. They've got big wins over Stanford and Oregon State.
Nick's Top 25
1-Notre Dame
2-Alabama
3-Georgia
4-Florida
5-Florida State
6-Texas A&M
7-Stanford
8-Oregon
9-Kansas State
10-LSU
11-Clemson
12-South Carolina
13-Oklahoma
14-Texas
15-Oregon State
16-Nebraska
17-UCLA
18-Louisville
19-Michigan
20-Kent State
21-Northern Illinois
22-Boise State
23-Utah State
24-Washington
25-Oklahoma State
BCS-(AP)
1-(1) Notre Dame
2-(2) Alabama
3-(3) Georgia
4-(6) Florida
5-(5) Oregon
6-(7) Kansas State
7-(8) LSU
8-(11) Stanford
9-(9) Texas A&M
10-(10) Florida State
11-(12) Clemson
12-(13) South Carolina
13-(14) Oklahoma
14-(17) Nebraska
15-(16) Oregon State
16-(18) Texas
17-(15) UCLA
18-(21) Rutgers
19-(20) Michigan
20-(19) Louisville
21-(22) Oklahoma State
22-(NR) Boise State
23-(23) Kent State
24-(NR) Arizona
25-(NR) Washington
Overrated
Georgia and Florida. I think they're both solid teams but they've both looked really vulnerable at times, especially the Gators. Florida needed help from Missouri and UL Lafayette in back to back home squeakers and even struggled a bit against Jacksonville State last week. The Gators offense is atrocious and if not for one of the best defenses in the nations, the Gators would be looking a much different season.
Georgia has played well recently, but I'd really like to see them dominate a quality opponent. They feel a little like paper tigers to me at this point. They're one and one against the top teams on their schedule, getting blasted by S. Carolina, then needing multiple turnovers to get past the Gators.
Underrated
It's interesting to me that Florida State is still on the outside looking in in this situation. The Seminoles are 10-1 with their only loss, though a bad loss, was on the road by one point. I'll give you the lack of strength in the ACC, but looking at what Oregon has gone through, is their schedule really that more difficult? They lost to the only quality team they've played this season and only dropped two spots. The Seminoles are still trying to dig their way out of their mid-season loss to NC State.
Are You Crazy?!?!
Jeremy's Top 25
1-(2) Notre Dame 11-0
Hard to argue with the 11-0 Irish being No. 1. We'll see if they can hold onto it.
2-(4) Alabama 10-1
The Tide were reborn with losses by K-State and Oregon. All in all, they're still probably the most well rounded team in the nation.
3-(5) Georgia 10-1
They Bulldogs have it all laid out for them. They're playing well and should give Alabama a run for their money in the SEC Championship game.
4-(6) Florida State 10-1
No one has gotten punished for their one loss this season like the 'Noles. They've shown signs that they can compete with the best in the nation and will get their chance this weekend against the rival Gators.
5-(3) Oregon 10-1
Huh... Oregon finally plays a quality team and guess what happens...
6-(1) Kansas State 10-1
It's tough to go undefeated and K-State found that out against Baylor. They're still in the hunt but will need some help to get back into the title conversation.
7-(7) Florida 10-1
Mega-defense, but the Gators offense will need to show some signs of life with a trip to Tallahassee coming up this weekend.
8-(8) Clemson 10-1
Same as the last 12 weeks. Clemson is an absolute juggernaut on offense but their defense is keeping them from getting much respect.
9-(9) LSU 9-2
Some weeks they look like one of the best teams in the nation. Other weeks... ugh.
10-(10) Texas A&M 9-2
I really like A&M, but there's just too many one loss teams ahead of them.
11-(12) Stanford 9-2
Big win over Oregon not only gives them control of the Pac-12 North, but could get them in the title game if all hell breaks lose.
12-(11) Oklahoma 8-2
The Sooners remind me a little of LSU. Sometimes they look absolutely dominant. Other times, not so much.
13-(15) UCLA 9-2
UCLA is quietly creeping up the polls. They took the fight to USC last weekend and will have a second chance at the Pac-12 crown.
14-(14) Texas 8-2
The Longhorns have put their mid-season struggles behind them and have one four straight.
15-(13) Nebraska 9-2
The Huskers have won five straight and will lock up their side of the conference with a win on Saturday against Iowa.
16-(16) Oregon State 8-2
The Beavers bounced back strong off their loss to Stanford, by dismantling the Cal Bears.
17-(19) Rutgers 9-1
The Scarlet Knights are in the drivers seat in the Big East.
18-(18) Louisville 9-1
Louisville had the week off after a tough loss to Syracuse. They're still in the hunt for a BCS birth if they can win their next two.
19-(22) Michigan 8-3
It's been an up and down year for the Wolverines, who have struggled against some of the tougher competition they've faced. They face their arch-rival, Ohio State, this weekend.
20-(20) Kent State 10-1
It's been a solid year for the MAC and Kent State.
21-(23) Northern Illinois 10-1
Potentially, headed for back to back meeting with Kent State for the MAC crown.
22-(24) Boise State 9-2
Though they haven't made the kind of noise this year that they have in the past, Boise has put together a solid season and can still win the MWC.
23-(NR) Oklahoma State 7-3
The Cowboys have been tough this season, despite a few tough losses. They've got a chance to cause trouble for in-state rival, Oklahoma this weekend.
24-(NR) Utah State 9-2
Utah State has come out of nowhere this season and just knocked off, then ranked Louisiana Tech.
25-(NR) Washington 7-4
The Huskies have done pretty well this season having played one of the toughest schedules in the nation. They've got big wins over Stanford and Oregon State.
Nick's Top 25
1-Notre Dame
2-Alabama
3-Georgia
4-Florida
5-Florida State
6-Texas A&M
7-Stanford
8-Oregon
9-Kansas State
10-LSU
11-Clemson
12-South Carolina
13-Oklahoma
14-Texas
15-Oregon State
16-Nebraska
17-UCLA
18-Louisville
19-Michigan
20-Kent State
21-Northern Illinois
22-Boise State
23-Utah State
24-Washington
25-Oklahoma State
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
1st Down: Week 12 Recap
Biggest Winner
Notre Dame and the SEC. For the first time all season, and at least the rest of this week, the Fighting Irish control their own destiny. Notre Dame, who's been stuck behind the best of the best all season now sits alone on top of the college football world and have at least secured a BCS bowl birth, if not a BCS Title shot.
The SEC is the other big winner of the weekend. After Alabama's loss to Texas A&M last week, it looked like the SEC reign over college football would come to an end. After Mike Slive finishes his thank you notes to Baylor and Stanford, he'll get to sit back and watch Alabama or Georgia move on to represent the SEC in their 7th BCS title appearance.
Hat's Off
Baylor- The Bears hadn't played anything resembling defense all season and had given up 40 or more points in five games this season. They're ranked 117th in the nation in scoring defense and 119th in the nation in total defense. That all changed, Saturday as the Bears defense consistently stifled Heisman front runner, Collin Klein and the Wildcat offense. Baylor held the No. 1 team in the nation to 362 yards and a mere 76 rushing for a team that was averaging over 200 coming in.
Stanford- No only did Stanford effectively knock Oregon out of a BCS title bid, but they also took control of the Pac-12 North and with a win next week over Pac-12 South leader UCLA, the Cardinal will be Rose Bowling.
Jim Mora- In his first year as head coach of the Bruins, Jim Mora has his team at 9-2 on the season and secured a spot in the Pac-12 Championship with their 38-28 win over rival USC last weekend.
Moving Forward
The BSC picture is about to get even messier. At the moment the title picture is nice and neat with the Irish on top and the winner of the SEC taking the other slot. It's not easy to be the No.1 team in the nation and the Fighting Irish still have to take a trip to SoCal and come away with a win. That's looking a lot more likely given the way USC has been playing lately and it looks like quarterback Matt Barkley will be unavailable.
Should Notre Dame go down, then what? K-State has yet to lock up the Big-12 and Oregon might not even get a shot at the Pac-12 championship. It's highly unlikely that the voters will put either team in the championship game if they don't win their conference. Who's left? An SEC vs. SEC rematch? Doubt it. Florida would be next in line in the SEC but they've got to go to Tallahassee and try to beat a Seminoles team that's an absolute juggernaut at home. So what about the 'Noles as the second team? Not likely. They're stuck at No. 10 in the BSC and even with a win over Florida and a win in the ACC Championship game, it's not likely that they'll be able to jump eight spots to get to No. 2. Who's that leave? K-State or Oregon could make it back to No. 2 if they're able to win their conference but that's not in their hands. Stanford is currently leading the Pac-12 North and sit at No. 8. Is it possible for a two loss Stanford team to come out of the Pac-12 to play in the BCS Title game? Yikes. At least that might expedite the play-off process.
Kinney vs. Kinney
With 20 games this weekend to pick from Nick and I agreed on 16 games. Fortunately, I picked three of the four correctly giving me my first weekly win, since week one. I also overtake Nick in win percentage. Tough break brosef!
Week 12 Talley
Nick- 15-5
Jeremy- 17-3
Season Talley
Nick- 110-39 (.738)
*Jeremy- 97-34 (.740)
*no picks week 7
No. 1 Kansas State- 24, Baylor- 52
Even a broken clock is right twice a day and out of the 12 games Baylor will play this season, they were bound to play defense in one of them, and boy, did they pick the right one! The Baylor defense was all over Collin Klein and the K-State offense, while the Wildcats were completely outmatched against Baylor's high powered offense.
-Nick, Kansas State 42-28
-Jeremy- Kansas State, 52-24
No. 2 Oregon- 14, No. 13 Stanford- 17
Not going South this winter. Not only did Oregon all but kiss their BCS title hopes away, they no longer control the Pac-12 North. The Stanford front seven was more than up to the task against the churn-and-burn Ducks offense.
-Nick, Oregon 38-24
-Jeremy- Oregon- 42-31
No. 3 Notre Dame- 38, Wake Forest- 0
The Irish defense had no trouble shutting down the Wake Forest offense, while Notre Dame's offense racked up 584 yards in a tune-up for next week's visit to SoCal.
-Nick, Notre Dame 31-13
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 30-10
No. 4 Alabama- 49, West Carolina- 0
Not a good week to be West Carolina. The Tide took their frustration out on the hapless Catamounts and now, thanks to Baylor and Stanford have a shot at getting back to the BCS title game.
-Nick, Bama 41-10
-Jeremy- Alabama- 45-6
No. 5 Georgia- 45, Georgia South- 14
After a slow start the Bulldogs took care of FCS, Georgia Southern. Aaron Murray threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns, but the Dawgs gave up 302 rushing yards. They'll need to shore that up with a Georgia Tech coming up.
-Nick, Dawgs roll 45-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 44-10
No. 6 Florida- 23, Jacksonville State- 0
The Gators took care of FCS, Jacksonville State, but for the fourth week in a row, their offense looked completely out of sync. The Gators only managed 23 points and 356 yards of offense.
-Nick, Gators 38-14
-Jeremy- Gators, 28-10
No. 7 LSU- 41, Mississippi- 35
Ah, Les Miles. Thanks for never letting us down. It took the Tigers all 60 minutes and a 21 point fourth quarter to get past Ole Miss.
-Nick, LSU 35-17
-Jeremy- LSU, 37-14
No. 8 Texas A&M- 47, Sam Houston St.- 28
Johnny Manziel might have moved into the top spot in the Heisman running with a K-St. loss and 360 yard, four touchdown performance against Sam Houston State.
-Nick, Texas A&M 48-24
-Jeremy- Texas A&M, 52-16
No. 9 South Carolina- 24, Wofford- 7
What's with the SEC this week? Maybe it's football karma for the SEC for giving us such crappy games in Nov. S. Carolina squeaked by Wofford, needing a strong fourth quarter to get past the FCS school.
-Nick, South Carolina 42-21
-Jeremy- S. Carolina, 38-12
No. 10 Florida State- 41, Maryland- 14
FSU locks up the ACC Atlantic with the win over Maryland. The 'Noles defense was stifling, allowing only 170 total hards against the struggling Terps.
-Jeremy- FSU, 34-17
-Nick, Noles, 24-17
No. 11 Clemson- 62, North Carolina State- 48
The offensive fire works continue for the Tigers... but the defensive ineptness also continues.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 57-24
-Nick, Clemson, 48-28
No. 12 Oklahoma- 50, West Virginia- 49
The Sooners get a last second touchdown to survive the feisty Mountaineers.
-Jeremy- Sooners, 54-37
-Nick, Sooners 48-45
No. 14 Nebraska- 38, Minnesota- 14
The Huskers lock up the B1G's Leaders division with a big win over Minnesota. The Huskers racked up 444 yards and limited the struggling Beavers to just 177.
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 41-20
-Nick, Nebraska 38-17
No. 16 Oregon State- 62, California- 14
Oregon State took out last weeks frustration on the suffering Cal Bears. The Beavers forced four Cal turnovers and Sean Mannion returned to throw for 325 and four touchdowns.
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 34-17
-Nick- Oregon State, 24-7
No. 17 UCLA- 38, No. 18 USC- 28
And the slide continues. UCLA jumped out to an early 24 point lead and held off a late Trojan's run, injuring quarterback Matt Barkley in the process. With the win, the Bruins earn a return trip to the Pac-12 championship.
-Jeremy- UCLA, 42-41
-Nick, USC 38-31
No. 20 Louisiana Tech- 41, Utah State- 48 OT
You can't outscore everyone. The completely lacking, Bulldog defense finally caught up with them against Utah State.
-Jeremy- Utah State, 41-31
-Nick, Louisiana Tech 56-50
No. 21 Michigan- 42, Iowa- 17
The Devin Gardner, Denard Robinson quarterback/running back duo worked pretty well for the Wolverines, as they blow past the struggling Hawkeyes. Gardner threw for 314 and three passing and three rushing touchdowns, while Robinson rushed for 98 yards.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 28-16
-Nick, Michigan 35-31
No. 22 Rutgers- 10, Cincinnati- 3
'Rutger-ball" wins again. It's not pretty but the Scarlet Knights get it done and stand alone at the top of the Big East.
-Jeremy- Cincinnati, 28-24
-Nick, Rutgers 31-17
No. 23 Texas Tech- 21, No. 24 Oklahoma State- 59
A 28 point second quarter helped Ok State blow past the free falling Red Raiders.
-Jeremy- Oklahoma State, 38-34
-Nick, Texas Tech 31-17
No. 25 Washington- 38, Colorado- 3
Well, hats off to the Buffs for making it interesting for a half- they went into the break, down only 7-0. But, the true Buffalo's showed up in the second half getting outscored 31-3 in the second half.
-Jeremy- Washington 38-17
-Nick, Washington 35-7
Thanks for reading!
As always, follow us on twitter @KinneyBrozCFB
Notre Dame and the SEC. For the first time all season, and at least the rest of this week, the Fighting Irish control their own destiny. Notre Dame, who's been stuck behind the best of the best all season now sits alone on top of the college football world and have at least secured a BCS bowl birth, if not a BCS Title shot.
The SEC is the other big winner of the weekend. After Alabama's loss to Texas A&M last week, it looked like the SEC reign over college football would come to an end. After Mike Slive finishes his thank you notes to Baylor and Stanford, he'll get to sit back and watch Alabama or Georgia move on to represent the SEC in their 7th BCS title appearance.
Hat's Off
Baylor- The Bears hadn't played anything resembling defense all season and had given up 40 or more points in five games this season. They're ranked 117th in the nation in scoring defense and 119th in the nation in total defense. That all changed, Saturday as the Bears defense consistently stifled Heisman front runner, Collin Klein and the Wildcat offense. Baylor held the No. 1 team in the nation to 362 yards and a mere 76 rushing for a team that was averaging over 200 coming in.
Stanford- No only did Stanford effectively knock Oregon out of a BCS title bid, but they also took control of the Pac-12 North and with a win next week over Pac-12 South leader UCLA, the Cardinal will be Rose Bowling.
Jim Mora- In his first year as head coach of the Bruins, Jim Mora has his team at 9-2 on the season and secured a spot in the Pac-12 Championship with their 38-28 win over rival USC last weekend.
Moving Forward
The BSC picture is about to get even messier. At the moment the title picture is nice and neat with the Irish on top and the winner of the SEC taking the other slot. It's not easy to be the No.1 team in the nation and the Fighting Irish still have to take a trip to SoCal and come away with a win. That's looking a lot more likely given the way USC has been playing lately and it looks like quarterback Matt Barkley will be unavailable.
Should Notre Dame go down, then what? K-State has yet to lock up the Big-12 and Oregon might not even get a shot at the Pac-12 championship. It's highly unlikely that the voters will put either team in the championship game if they don't win their conference. Who's left? An SEC vs. SEC rematch? Doubt it. Florida would be next in line in the SEC but they've got to go to Tallahassee and try to beat a Seminoles team that's an absolute juggernaut at home. So what about the 'Noles as the second team? Not likely. They're stuck at No. 10 in the BSC and even with a win over Florida and a win in the ACC Championship game, it's not likely that they'll be able to jump eight spots to get to No. 2. Who's that leave? K-State or Oregon could make it back to No. 2 if they're able to win their conference but that's not in their hands. Stanford is currently leading the Pac-12 North and sit at No. 8. Is it possible for a two loss Stanford team to come out of the Pac-12 to play in the BCS Title game? Yikes. At least that might expedite the play-off process.
Kinney vs. Kinney
With 20 games this weekend to pick from Nick and I agreed on 16 games. Fortunately, I picked three of the four correctly giving me my first weekly win, since week one. I also overtake Nick in win percentage. Tough break brosef!
Week 12 Talley
Nick- 15-5
Jeremy- 17-3
Season Talley
Nick- 110-39 (.738)
*Jeremy- 97-34 (.740)
*no picks week 7
No. 1 Kansas State- 24, Baylor- 52
Even a broken clock is right twice a day and out of the 12 games Baylor will play this season, they were bound to play defense in one of them, and boy, did they pick the right one! The Baylor defense was all over Collin Klein and the K-State offense, while the Wildcats were completely outmatched against Baylor's high powered offense.
-Nick, Kansas State 42-28
-Jeremy- Kansas State, 52-24
No. 2 Oregon- 14, No. 13 Stanford- 17
Not going South this winter. Not only did Oregon all but kiss their BCS title hopes away, they no longer control the Pac-12 North. The Stanford front seven was more than up to the task against the churn-and-burn Ducks offense.
-Nick, Oregon 38-24
-Jeremy- Oregon- 42-31
No. 3 Notre Dame- 38, Wake Forest- 0
The Irish defense had no trouble shutting down the Wake Forest offense, while Notre Dame's offense racked up 584 yards in a tune-up for next week's visit to SoCal.
-Nick, Notre Dame 31-13
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 30-10
No. 4 Alabama- 49, West Carolina- 0
Not a good week to be West Carolina. The Tide took their frustration out on the hapless Catamounts and now, thanks to Baylor and Stanford have a shot at getting back to the BCS title game.
-Nick, Bama 41-10
-Jeremy- Alabama- 45-6
No. 5 Georgia- 45, Georgia South- 14
After a slow start the Bulldogs took care of FCS, Georgia Southern. Aaron Murray threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns, but the Dawgs gave up 302 rushing yards. They'll need to shore that up with a Georgia Tech coming up.
-Nick, Dawgs roll 45-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 44-10
No. 6 Florida- 23, Jacksonville State- 0
The Gators took care of FCS, Jacksonville State, but for the fourth week in a row, their offense looked completely out of sync. The Gators only managed 23 points and 356 yards of offense.
-Nick, Gators 38-14
-Jeremy- Gators, 28-10
No. 7 LSU- 41, Mississippi- 35
Ah, Les Miles. Thanks for never letting us down. It took the Tigers all 60 minutes and a 21 point fourth quarter to get past Ole Miss.
-Nick, LSU 35-17
-Jeremy- LSU, 37-14
No. 8 Texas A&M- 47, Sam Houston St.- 28
Johnny Manziel might have moved into the top spot in the Heisman running with a K-St. loss and 360 yard, four touchdown performance against Sam Houston State.
-Nick, Texas A&M 48-24
-Jeremy- Texas A&M, 52-16
No. 9 South Carolina- 24, Wofford- 7
What's with the SEC this week? Maybe it's football karma for the SEC for giving us such crappy games in Nov. S. Carolina squeaked by Wofford, needing a strong fourth quarter to get past the FCS school.
-Nick, South Carolina 42-21
-Jeremy- S. Carolina, 38-12
No. 10 Florida State- 41, Maryland- 14
FSU locks up the ACC Atlantic with the win over Maryland. The 'Noles defense was stifling, allowing only 170 total hards against the struggling Terps.
-Jeremy- FSU, 34-17
-Nick, Noles, 24-17
No. 11 Clemson- 62, North Carolina State- 48
The offensive fire works continue for the Tigers... but the defensive ineptness also continues.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 57-24
-Nick, Clemson, 48-28
No. 12 Oklahoma- 50, West Virginia- 49
The Sooners get a last second touchdown to survive the feisty Mountaineers.
-Jeremy- Sooners, 54-37
-Nick, Sooners 48-45
No. 14 Nebraska- 38, Minnesota- 14
The Huskers lock up the B1G's Leaders division with a big win over Minnesota. The Huskers racked up 444 yards and limited the struggling Beavers to just 177.
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 41-20
-Nick, Nebraska 38-17
No. 16 Oregon State- 62, California- 14
Oregon State took out last weeks frustration on the suffering Cal Bears. The Beavers forced four Cal turnovers and Sean Mannion returned to throw for 325 and four touchdowns.
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 34-17
-Nick- Oregon State, 24-7
No. 17 UCLA- 38, No. 18 USC- 28
And the slide continues. UCLA jumped out to an early 24 point lead and held off a late Trojan's run, injuring quarterback Matt Barkley in the process. With the win, the Bruins earn a return trip to the Pac-12 championship.
-Jeremy- UCLA, 42-41
-Nick, USC 38-31
No. 20 Louisiana Tech- 41, Utah State- 48 OT
You can't outscore everyone. The completely lacking, Bulldog defense finally caught up with them against Utah State.
-Jeremy- Utah State, 41-31
-Nick, Louisiana Tech 56-50
No. 21 Michigan- 42, Iowa- 17
The Devin Gardner, Denard Robinson quarterback/running back duo worked pretty well for the Wolverines, as they blow past the struggling Hawkeyes. Gardner threw for 314 and three passing and three rushing touchdowns, while Robinson rushed for 98 yards.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 28-16
-Nick, Michigan 35-31
No. 22 Rutgers- 10, Cincinnati- 3
'Rutger-ball" wins again. It's not pretty but the Scarlet Knights get it done and stand alone at the top of the Big East.
-Jeremy- Cincinnati, 28-24
-Nick, Rutgers 31-17
No. 23 Texas Tech- 21, No. 24 Oklahoma State- 59
A 28 point second quarter helped Ok State blow past the free falling Red Raiders.
-Jeremy- Oklahoma State, 38-34
-Nick, Texas Tech 31-17
No. 25 Washington- 38, Colorado- 3
Well, hats off to the Buffs for making it interesting for a half- they went into the break, down only 7-0. But, the true Buffalo's showed up in the second half getting outscored 31-3 in the second half.
-Jeremy- Washington 38-17
-Nick, Washington 35-7
Thanks for reading!
As always, follow us on twitter @KinneyBrozCFB
Friday, November 16, 2012
Fourth Down: Week 12 Picks
Week 12 picks
No. 1 Kansas State @ Baylor-8 p.m. ET, ESPN
This could go two ways. I could be really high scoring or Kansas State could do what it has done to every other high powered offense play possession football and win big. Against West Virginia the Wildcats just played ball control and ended up winning 55-14. Agianst Oklahoma, K-State again played ball control and excellent defense and won. I see this just like the WVU game, Baylor (like WVU) cannot play defense and Collin Kline will go off. I think the Wildcats should be able to slow down the Baylor offense and win this handily.
-Nick, Kansas State 42-28
-Jeremy- Kansas State, 52-24
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 13 Stanford-8 p.m. ET, ABC
This is going to be the most physical defense Oregon has faced this season. I think the front seven of Stanford should be able to slow down the Ducks a little bit on offense. That being said, I do not think Stanford can slow down the Ducks enough to win. Oregon is going to get its points, but the quarterback situation at Stanford is so up in the air that I do not think the Cardinal can put up enough points on offense to hang with the Ducks. In Autzen the Ducks should win.
-Nick, Oregon 38-24
-Jeremy- Oregon- 42-31
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest-3:30 p.m. ET, NBC
The Irish are looking for style points to try and make their first National Title apperance in the BCS era. Notre Dame needs two dominating wins over Wake Forest and USC to have a chance at the title. Wake Forest is an average team and Notre Dame should win this pretty handily, but they have struggled the last couple games with below average teams. Even with their struggles latley I think the Irish will realize the opportunity they have and make a statement against Wake.
-Nick, Notre Dame 31-13
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 30-10
No. 4 Alabama vs. West Carolina-12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN3
After looking at the SEC lineup this week all I could do is laugh. I am not going to spend very much time on either of these games. Alabama is going to take out its frustration of losing to the Aggies on West Carolina.
-Nick, Bama 41-10
-Jeremy- Alabama- 45-6
No. 5 Georgia vs. Georgia South-1:30 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
Another FCS matchup for a top-10 SEC team. Georiga is going to use this game to gain some confidence before meeting the Tide in Atlanta in the SEC title game.
-Nick, Dawgs roll 45-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 44-10
No. 6 Florida vs. Jacksonville State-1 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
Florida has really come back to earth after climbing to No. 2 in the BCS standings during the middle of the season. The Gators almost lost to Louisiana Laffeyette last weekend in the Swamp. I don't expect them to struggle this weekend.
-Nick, Gators 38-14
-Jeremy- Gators, 28-10
No. 7 LSU vs. Mississippi-3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The only worth while SEC game of the weekend and it is still not that great of a game. Ole Miss is athletic and improved but still not ready to compete with the big boys in the SEC. LSU is too strong and athletic on defense for Ole Miss to be able to move the ball.
-Nick, LSU 35-17
-Jeremy- LSU, 37-14
No. 8 Texas A&M vs. Sam Houston St.-3:30 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
I find it funny that all of these top 10 SEC schools play FCS oppoenents this weekend. Sam Houston might be the toughest team any of them play, but I do not think the Aggies will have a problem at home.
-Nick, Texas A&M 48-24
-Jeremy- Texas A&M, 52-16
No. 9 South Carolina vs. Wofford-1 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
South Carolina has struggled to move the ball on offense after Marcus Lattimore was injured, but they shouldn't have a problem with Wofford this weekend.
-Nick, South Carolina 42-21
-Jeremy- S. Carolina, 38-12
No. 10 Florida State @ Maryland-Noon ET, ESPNU/WatchESPN
Florida State has really struggled on the road this season and I expect Maryland to make this a game for at least a half, especially with the Seminoles eyeing their annual game against Florida next week. Even with the road issues the Seminoles have had, I don't see a fifth-string linebacker beating this 'Noles team. Maryland has played well at times on defense this season, but they won't get any rest against a relentless FSU offense.
-Jeremy- FSU, 34-17
-Nick, Noles, 24-17
No. 11 Clemson vs. North Carolina State-3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2
Will NC State clip the Tigers too? Doubt it. Especially not at Death Valley. Clemson is technically still alive in the ACC race, but they're also right in the mix for an at-large BCS birth. Offensively, the Tigers are simply too talented and explosive to be contained by NC State. Clemson has yet to pull a "Clemson" (an inexplicable loss that derailes their season) but I don't see that happening this weekend.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 57-24
-Nick, Clemson, 48-28
No. 12 Oklahoma @ West Virginia-7 p.m. ET, Fox
This is an interesting game and I could see a situation where Oklahoma slips up against a West Virginia team who's trying to stop a four game skid and gets you at home. But, I've picked West Virginia twice against top 25 opponents and I'm not falling in that trap again. The Mountaineers have, arguably the worst defense in the nation and they won't be able to put up 40 or 50 points against this Sooners team.
-Jeremy- Sooners, 54-37
-Nick, Sooners 48-45
No. 14 Nebraska vs. Minnesota-3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Everything says Nebraska wins this game running away. But, this is the B1G and good luck picking games in this conference. Even so, the Huskers are on the verge of wrapping up the Legends division and I can't see them slipping up against this Minnesota team, expecially in Lincoln.
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 41-20
-Nick, Nebraska 38-17
No. 16 Oregon State vs. California-10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Oregon State suffered a tough loss last weekend to Stanford and I see them bouncing back against a Cal team that's having trouble doing anything well. Oregon State hasn't lost at home should take care of Cal as a tune up game for next week's matchup against Oregon.
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 34-17
-Nick- Oregon State, 24-7
No. 17 UCLA vs. No. 18 USC-3:05 p.m. ET, Fox
At the beginning of the season, this would have seemed like a no-brainer. As it sits this week, it's really anyone's guess. UCLA has played well for most of the season, except for a head scratching loss against Cal. USC has fallen a long way from the preseason No.1 with the ready-to-be-named Heisman winner in Matt Barkley. While Barkley has played extremely welll at times this season, his USC team has been all over the map and had some major struggles on the road. Overall UCLA gains more yards per game on offense and gives up about the same number of points on defense. The Bruins are also in control in the Pac-12 South and secure a shot at a rematch against the Oregon Ducks with a win. This should be a great game and the team with the most mental toughness and resolve will get the win... That's not USC.
-Jeremy- UCLA, 42-41
-Nick, USC 38-31
No. 20 Louisiana Tech vs. Utah State-4 p.m. ET, ESPN3
This is a great matchup of a high powered, high scoring offense against a solid, shut down defense. I'm going defense in this game and taking Utah State in the upset.
-Jeremy- Utah State, 41-31
-Nick, Louisiana Tech 56-50
No. 21 Michigan vs. Iowa-Noon ET, ESPN
Another B1G guessing game. Every time I put Michigan back in my top 25 they lose. However, I don't see that happening this week against Iowa. The Hawkeye's haven't beaten anyone of note this season and Michigan has been tough to beat at the Big House. Wolverines get it done.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 28-16
-Nick, Michigan 35-31
No. 22 Rutgers @ Cincinnati-Noon ET, Big East Network/ESPN3
This is an interesting matchup and a tough one to call. Rutgers is a solid team that rarely beats itself, but Cincinnati can score points and I don't think Rutgers can play from behind. I think Cincinnati gets a win at home and really muddies up the Big East.
-Jeremy- Cincinnati, 28-24
-Nick, Rutgers 31-17
No. 23 Texas Tech @ No. 24 Oklahoma State-3:30 p.m. ET
-Jeremy- Oklahoma State, 38-34
-Nick, Texas Tech 31-17
No. 25 Washington @ Colorado-1:30 p.m. ET, FX
Colorado. The closest thing to a free 'W'.
-Jeremy- Washington 38-17
-Nick, Washington 35-7
No. 1 Kansas State @ Baylor-8 p.m. ET, ESPN
This could go two ways. I could be really high scoring or Kansas State could do what it has done to every other high powered offense play possession football and win big. Against West Virginia the Wildcats just played ball control and ended up winning 55-14. Agianst Oklahoma, K-State again played ball control and excellent defense and won. I see this just like the WVU game, Baylor (like WVU) cannot play defense and Collin Kline will go off. I think the Wildcats should be able to slow down the Baylor offense and win this handily.
-Nick, Kansas State 42-28
-Jeremy- Kansas State, 52-24
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 13 Stanford-8 p.m. ET, ABC
This is going to be the most physical defense Oregon has faced this season. I think the front seven of Stanford should be able to slow down the Ducks a little bit on offense. That being said, I do not think Stanford can slow down the Ducks enough to win. Oregon is going to get its points, but the quarterback situation at Stanford is so up in the air that I do not think the Cardinal can put up enough points on offense to hang with the Ducks. In Autzen the Ducks should win.
-Nick, Oregon 38-24
-Jeremy- Oregon- 42-31
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest-3:30 p.m. ET, NBC
The Irish are looking for style points to try and make their first National Title apperance in the BCS era. Notre Dame needs two dominating wins over Wake Forest and USC to have a chance at the title. Wake Forest is an average team and Notre Dame should win this pretty handily, but they have struggled the last couple games with below average teams. Even with their struggles latley I think the Irish will realize the opportunity they have and make a statement against Wake.
-Nick, Notre Dame 31-13
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 30-10
No. 4 Alabama vs. West Carolina-12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN3
After looking at the SEC lineup this week all I could do is laugh. I am not going to spend very much time on either of these games. Alabama is going to take out its frustration of losing to the Aggies on West Carolina.
-Nick, Bama 41-10
-Jeremy- Alabama- 45-6
No. 5 Georgia vs. Georgia South-1:30 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
Another FCS matchup for a top-10 SEC team. Georiga is going to use this game to gain some confidence before meeting the Tide in Atlanta in the SEC title game.
-Nick, Dawgs roll 45-17
-Jeremy- Georgia, 44-10
No. 6 Florida vs. Jacksonville State-1 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
Florida has really come back to earth after climbing to No. 2 in the BCS standings during the middle of the season. The Gators almost lost to Louisiana Laffeyette last weekend in the Swamp. I don't expect them to struggle this weekend.
-Nick, Gators 38-14
-Jeremy- Gators, 28-10
No. 7 LSU vs. Mississippi-3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The only worth while SEC game of the weekend and it is still not that great of a game. Ole Miss is athletic and improved but still not ready to compete with the big boys in the SEC. LSU is too strong and athletic on defense for Ole Miss to be able to move the ball.
-Nick, LSU 35-17
-Jeremy- LSU, 37-14
No. 8 Texas A&M vs. Sam Houston St.-3:30 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
I find it funny that all of these top 10 SEC schools play FCS oppoenents this weekend. Sam Houston might be the toughest team any of them play, but I do not think the Aggies will have a problem at home.
-Nick, Texas A&M 48-24
-Jeremy- Texas A&M, 52-16
No. 9 South Carolina vs. Wofford-1 p.m. ET, GamePlan/ESPN3
South Carolina has struggled to move the ball on offense after Marcus Lattimore was injured, but they shouldn't have a problem with Wofford this weekend.
-Nick, South Carolina 42-21
-Jeremy- S. Carolina, 38-12
No. 10 Florida State @ Maryland-Noon ET, ESPNU/WatchESPN
Florida State has really struggled on the road this season and I expect Maryland to make this a game for at least a half, especially with the Seminoles eyeing their annual game against Florida next week. Even with the road issues the Seminoles have had, I don't see a fifth-string linebacker beating this 'Noles team. Maryland has played well at times on defense this season, but they won't get any rest against a relentless FSU offense.
-Jeremy- FSU, 34-17
-Nick, Noles, 24-17
No. 11 Clemson vs. North Carolina State-3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2
Will NC State clip the Tigers too? Doubt it. Especially not at Death Valley. Clemson is technically still alive in the ACC race, but they're also right in the mix for an at-large BCS birth. Offensively, the Tigers are simply too talented and explosive to be contained by NC State. Clemson has yet to pull a "Clemson" (an inexplicable loss that derailes their season) but I don't see that happening this weekend.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 57-24
-Nick, Clemson, 48-28
No. 12 Oklahoma @ West Virginia-7 p.m. ET, Fox
This is an interesting game and I could see a situation where Oklahoma slips up against a West Virginia team who's trying to stop a four game skid and gets you at home. But, I've picked West Virginia twice against top 25 opponents and I'm not falling in that trap again. The Mountaineers have, arguably the worst defense in the nation and they won't be able to put up 40 or 50 points against this Sooners team.
-Jeremy- Sooners, 54-37
-Nick, Sooners 48-45
No. 14 Nebraska vs. Minnesota-3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Everything says Nebraska wins this game running away. But, this is the B1G and good luck picking games in this conference. Even so, the Huskers are on the verge of wrapping up the Legends division and I can't see them slipping up against this Minnesota team, expecially in Lincoln.
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 41-20
-Nick, Nebraska 38-17
No. 16 Oregon State vs. California-10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Oregon State suffered a tough loss last weekend to Stanford and I see them bouncing back against a Cal team that's having trouble doing anything well. Oregon State hasn't lost at home should take care of Cal as a tune up game for next week's matchup against Oregon.
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 34-17
-Nick- Oregon State, 24-7
No. 17 UCLA vs. No. 18 USC-3:05 p.m. ET, Fox
At the beginning of the season, this would have seemed like a no-brainer. As it sits this week, it's really anyone's guess. UCLA has played well for most of the season, except for a head scratching loss against Cal. USC has fallen a long way from the preseason No.1 with the ready-to-be-named Heisman winner in Matt Barkley. While Barkley has played extremely welll at times this season, his USC team has been all over the map and had some major struggles on the road. Overall UCLA gains more yards per game on offense and gives up about the same number of points on defense. The Bruins are also in control in the Pac-12 South and secure a shot at a rematch against the Oregon Ducks with a win. This should be a great game and the team with the most mental toughness and resolve will get the win... That's not USC.
-Jeremy- UCLA, 42-41
-Nick, USC 38-31
No. 20 Louisiana Tech vs. Utah State-4 p.m. ET, ESPN3
This is a great matchup of a high powered, high scoring offense against a solid, shut down defense. I'm going defense in this game and taking Utah State in the upset.
-Jeremy- Utah State, 41-31
-Nick, Louisiana Tech 56-50
No. 21 Michigan vs. Iowa-Noon ET, ESPN
Another B1G guessing game. Every time I put Michigan back in my top 25 they lose. However, I don't see that happening this week against Iowa. The Hawkeye's haven't beaten anyone of note this season and Michigan has been tough to beat at the Big House. Wolverines get it done.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 28-16
-Nick, Michigan 35-31
No. 22 Rutgers @ Cincinnati-Noon ET, Big East Network/ESPN3
This is an interesting matchup and a tough one to call. Rutgers is a solid team that rarely beats itself, but Cincinnati can score points and I don't think Rutgers can play from behind. I think Cincinnati gets a win at home and really muddies up the Big East.
-Jeremy- Cincinnati, 28-24
-Nick, Rutgers 31-17
No. 23 Texas Tech @ No. 24 Oklahoma State-3:30 p.m. ET
-Jeremy- Oklahoma State, 38-34
-Nick, Texas Tech 31-17
No. 25 Washington @ Colorado-1:30 p.m. ET, FX
Colorado. The closest thing to a free 'W'.
-Jeremy- Washington 38-17
-Nick, Washington 35-7
Thursday, November 15, 2012
3rd Down: The Undefeated
Anyone want to play the 'what if' game? There has been a constant debate going on for weeks now, in college football about who would play Alabama in the national title game. Well, now that Alabama is out of the equation (for now), the conversation heats up with both BCS title spots up for grabs and three teams that can all make compelling cases for why they should play in the championship game. Nick and I thought it would be fun to talk about each one and what they've got working for, or against them regarding their bid for a BCS Title appearance. Chances are that as soon as we finish this blog, one of them will lose and this will be all for not but here goes.
Kansas State
Working for them- At the moment, K-State has the most important thing in the whole equation working for it- they're number one in the BCS, which I hear is important. Another perk the Wildcats have over No. 2 Oregon is that they don't have to play in a conference championship game, therefor have fewer opportunities to screw it up. I understand that this can really boost a team, as we often vote on give more important to what happens late in the season but, K-State is number one, and until they lose, they probably won't get jumped.
Another big plus for Kansas State is that they've got the current Heisman frontrunner on their team. Collin Klein brings a lot of attention to the Wildcats each week and with a highly visible game against Texas, that's sure garner a lot of coverage, that can only help you.
Working against them-I think the only thing working against this team right now is a home game against Texas to end the season. The Longhorns are surging right now and looking like a team that can beat the Wildcats. The other problem I see for this team is they have not played as well lately as they were early in the season when they beat Oklahoma and blew out both West Virginia and Texas Tech. The only thing that can keep this team from playing in the title game is for Collin Kline to fall back to earth and an unexpected loss to Baylor or Texas over the next two weeks. I honestly do not see this team losing and expect them in Miami on Jan. 7.
Oregon
Working for them- Probably the biggest thing Oregon has going for it right now is that every human poll out there loves the Ducks. They're ranked No. 1 in AP, Coaches Poll and Harris Poll. No one passes they eye test quite like the Ducks who's high flying, churn and burn offense, chews opponents up and spits them out- they're cranking out nearly 55 points and 325 rushing yards per game.
Working against them- We don't get to see them very often. Playing on the West Coast, the Ducks often don't start until 10pm or later on the East Coast.
Their schedule- let's face it, the Ducks strength of schedule is weak. If they win out, they won't have a single team on their schedule with fewer than three losses and will likely not have any opponents finish in the top 20.
Their conference title game could help them- if UCLA represents the Pac-12 South. I say that because, at the moment UCLA only has two losses. If they face USC, we'll be looking at three loss opponent who would get their fourth if the Ducks win, likely putting SC on the bubble of the top 25, further devaluing the Ducks already shaky strength of schedule.
Notre Dame
Working for them- They're Notre Dame. Like it or not, they still carry a lot of weight in college football and a nation title game with the Irish would bring in mega-ratings.
Working against them- Narrow, home wins over, Purdue (by 3), Stanford (in OT, by 7), BYU (by 3) and Pitt (by 3 in 3OT). You can excuse the close win over Stanford but the other three? At Notre Dame? That's hard to ignore.
Some BCS Title Game Scenarios:
Now that we have talked about what all three undefeated teams have going for and against them let's look at a few scenarios and title game possibilities. There is no way I can talk about every scenario without this blog going on for the rest of the season, but I am going to talk about a few that are very likley.
An Kansas State loss with Oregon and Notre Dame winning out:
Oregon-Notre Dame play for title.
An Oregon loss and K-State and Notre Dame winning out:
Kansas State-Notre Dame meet in Miami.
An Notre Dame loss and K-State and Oregon winning out:
Kansas State and Oregon meet in the championship.
All three undefeated teams win out:
If this happens I think the computers and the pollsters will choose a Oregon-Kansas State championship game.
All of those scenarios are pretty easy to imagine when it really gets crazy if all three undefeated teams lose or two of the three lose.
If both Kansas State and Oregon lose, with Notre Dame winning out and Alabama beating Georgia in the SEC Title game:
If this happens, the two best defenses in the country will meet in Miami. An undefeated Notre Dame team makes the National Title game and I think a one loss SEC Champion Bama team still makes the title game since Georgia will most likely be a top five team when they play in Atlanta.
If both Oregon and Notre Dame lose, Kansas State winning out and Bama still beats Georgia in the SEC Title game:
K-State meets Bama in the NC Game. If this happens I think the two best teams in the country will meet in the national championship. This is the game I have wanted to see all season long. Now after Bama struggled with an very talented quarterback in Johnny Manziel, I want to see how they handle Collin Kline.
If Kansas State and Notre Dame lose, Oregon wins out and Bama wins SEC:
This could be one of the biggest contrasts in styles with Oregon playing a fast paced game against an excellent Alabama defense. I think if this happens you will see what most people wanted to see at the beginning of the season.
If all three undefeated teams lost: This is where it gets really crazy and it is hard to even begin to imagine the scenarios. If this happens there are literally a thousand different ways this could go with Bama getting a shot to defend its title, Georgia beating Alabama and getting a chance at the title. I think we need to let the season play out a little more before we really make some assumptions.
Kansas State
Working for them- At the moment, K-State has the most important thing in the whole equation working for it- they're number one in the BCS, which I hear is important. Another perk the Wildcats have over No. 2 Oregon is that they don't have to play in a conference championship game, therefor have fewer opportunities to screw it up. I understand that this can really boost a team, as we often vote on give more important to what happens late in the season but, K-State is number one, and until they lose, they probably won't get jumped.
Another big plus for Kansas State is that they've got the current Heisman frontrunner on their team. Collin Klein brings a lot of attention to the Wildcats each week and with a highly visible game against Texas, that's sure garner a lot of coverage, that can only help you.
Working against them-I think the only thing working against this team right now is a home game against Texas to end the season. The Longhorns are surging right now and looking like a team that can beat the Wildcats. The other problem I see for this team is they have not played as well lately as they were early in the season when they beat Oklahoma and blew out both West Virginia and Texas Tech. The only thing that can keep this team from playing in the title game is for Collin Kline to fall back to earth and an unexpected loss to Baylor or Texas over the next two weeks. I honestly do not see this team losing and expect them in Miami on Jan. 7.
Oregon
Working for them- Probably the biggest thing Oregon has going for it right now is that every human poll out there loves the Ducks. They're ranked No. 1 in AP, Coaches Poll and Harris Poll. No one passes they eye test quite like the Ducks who's high flying, churn and burn offense, chews opponents up and spits them out- they're cranking out nearly 55 points and 325 rushing yards per game.
Working against them- We don't get to see them very often. Playing on the West Coast, the Ducks often don't start until 10pm or later on the East Coast.
Their schedule- let's face it, the Ducks strength of schedule is weak. If they win out, they won't have a single team on their schedule with fewer than three losses and will likely not have any opponents finish in the top 20.
Their conference title game could help them- if UCLA represents the Pac-12 South. I say that because, at the moment UCLA only has two losses. If they face USC, we'll be looking at three loss opponent who would get their fourth if the Ducks win, likely putting SC on the bubble of the top 25, further devaluing the Ducks already shaky strength of schedule.
Notre Dame
Working for them- They're Notre Dame. Like it or not, they still carry a lot of weight in college football and a nation title game with the Irish would bring in mega-ratings.
Working against them- Narrow, home wins over, Purdue (by 3), Stanford (in OT, by 7), BYU (by 3) and Pitt (by 3 in 3OT). You can excuse the close win over Stanford but the other three? At Notre Dame? That's hard to ignore.
Some BCS Title Game Scenarios:
Now that we have talked about what all three undefeated teams have going for and against them let's look at a few scenarios and title game possibilities. There is no way I can talk about every scenario without this blog going on for the rest of the season, but I am going to talk about a few that are very likley.
An Kansas State loss with Oregon and Notre Dame winning out:
Oregon-Notre Dame play for title.
An Oregon loss and K-State and Notre Dame winning out:
Kansas State-Notre Dame meet in Miami.
An Notre Dame loss and K-State and Oregon winning out:
Kansas State and Oregon meet in the championship.
All three undefeated teams win out:
If this happens I think the computers and the pollsters will choose a Oregon-Kansas State championship game.
All of those scenarios are pretty easy to imagine when it really gets crazy if all three undefeated teams lose or two of the three lose.
If both Kansas State and Oregon lose, with Notre Dame winning out and Alabama beating Georgia in the SEC Title game:
If this happens, the two best defenses in the country will meet in Miami. An undefeated Notre Dame team makes the National Title game and I think a one loss SEC Champion Bama team still makes the title game since Georgia will most likely be a top five team when they play in Atlanta.
If both Oregon and Notre Dame lose, Kansas State winning out and Bama still beats Georgia in the SEC Title game:
K-State meets Bama in the NC Game. If this happens I think the two best teams in the country will meet in the national championship. This is the game I have wanted to see all season long. Now after Bama struggled with an very talented quarterback in Johnny Manziel, I want to see how they handle Collin Kline.
If Kansas State and Notre Dame lose, Oregon wins out and Bama wins SEC:
This could be one of the biggest contrasts in styles with Oregon playing a fast paced game against an excellent Alabama defense. I think if this happens you will see what most people wanted to see at the beginning of the season.
If all three undefeated teams lost: This is where it gets really crazy and it is hard to even begin to imagine the scenarios. If this happens there are literally a thousand different ways this could go with Bama getting a shot to defend its title, Georgia beating Alabama and getting a chance at the title. I think we need to let the season play out a little more before we really make some assumptions.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
2nd Down: KinneyBroz Top 25
Top 25
BCS-(AP)
1-(2) Kansas State 10-0
2-(1) Oregon 10-0
3-(3) Notre Dame 10-0
4-(4) Alabama 9-1
5-(5) Georgia 9-1
6-(7) Florida 9-1
7-(8) LSU 8-2
8-(8) Texas A&M 8-2
9-(12) South Carolina 8-2
10-(10) Florida State 9-1
11-(11) Clemson 9-1
12-(13) Oklahoma 7-2
13-(14) Stanford 8-2
14-(16) Nebraska 8-2
15-(18) Texas 8-2
16-(15) Oregon State 7-2
17-(17) UCLA 8-2
18-(21) USC 7-3
19-(20) Louisville 9-1
20-(19) Louisiana Tech 9-1
21-(23) Michigan 7-3
22-(22) Rutgers 8-1
23-(23) Texas Tech 7-3
24-(NR) Oklahoma State 6-3
25-(NR) Washington 6-4
Overrated
I'm looking at S. Carolina here. I know they're in the SEC and they've got a big win over Georgia on their resume. But they've lost to the other two top teams they've face this season. A two point loss to at LSU is easy to forgive, but it's the 33 point blowout the suffered at Florida that really sticks out, as well as their "rebound" three point home win over Tennessee the following week. I think this is a solid S. Carolina team, but looking a some of the teams right behind them (Florida State and Clemson are both 9-1) I think they're slotted just a little too high.
The other team I see on here that just doesn't seem right is the Washington Huskies, and let me preface this by saying that I really like the Huskies. I think they're a solid team that's played one of the roughest schedules in the country- they've played five teams currently ranked in the top 25. That said, tough schedule or not, you've got to win and the Huskies got blown out in three of their four losses this season. I just can't see how the BCS can justify a four loss team being in the top 25, especially with the number of one and two loss teams out there.
Underrated
The most underrated team in the county is Texas A&M. Never overlook a team that travels to Bryant-Denny and comes away with a victory over the No. 1 ranked Tide. This team is led by Johnny Manziel at quarterback who after his performance against Bama has inserted himself into the Heisman race. This kid just continues to impress leading what should have been a rebuilding A&M team to a top 10 ranking. Kevin Sumlin has done an excellent job in his first season with the Aggies and has this team at the center of the national spotlight. Other than Manziel what has really helped the resurgence of this team is the return of the Wrecking Crew. The Aggie defense has recorded 29 sacks this season and is averaging 2.90 per game. If this team wins out it has a real chance at an at-large BCS berth considering its only losses have come to top-10 schools in Florida and LSU.
I am only going to spend a couple sentences on this but I have to mention it because I like getting the little guys some love. The MAC has been playing great football this season. It has six teams with seven or more wins so far and two teams with just one loss. Kent State and Northern Illinois are both top 25 schools and Toledo without a loss last week to Ball State is also top 25 worthy. I was not paying at all attention to this conference and all of sudden I looked up and they had two teams ranked. Just thought I would give the little guys a shoutout.
Are You Crazy!?!?
Looking ahead at the schedule and the possible bowl projections, Clemson might just be the luckiest one loss team in the country. The Tiger's only loss this season is to Florida State, who's in the drivers seat in the Atlantic Division and should represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl. That would seemingly leave Clemson out in the cold, but the 11th ranked Tigers could put themselves in position for an at large BCS bid if they can win out. With a game against rival South Carolina yet to play, it's not unreasonable to think that Clemson will be able to work its way up the rankings enough to earn an at large bid to the Sugar Bowl to take on, most likely, the number two team in the SEC (Georiga as it sits now).
If this scenario plays out, not only will a one loss, non-ACC champion Clemson team make it to a BCS game, but they'll get a much better BCS draw then the winner of the ACC, who will take on the winner of the Big East. So, while the ACC champ is suffering through a Rutgers or Louisville draw, Clemson will get a solid, marquee matchup against one the SEC big boys.
Jeremy's Top 25
1-(2) Kansas State 10-0
The Wildcats keep winning and with some solid wins on their resume, they assume the top spot.
2-(3) Notre Dame 10-0
Still some questions about how good this Notre Dame team is but they've taken down some good teams this season and after Wake Forest this weekend, they've got a big test coming up against USC the following week.
3-(4) Oregon 10-0
Oregon is a great team. But, like I've said all year, these guys need to beat someone. Hype and style points don't get you into the national title.
4-(1) Alabama 9-1
Tough loss for Alabama last weekend, but I'd still take this team over any other SEC team, and pretty much every other team in the nation.
5-(5) Georgia 9-1
Georgia is certainly trending up and will have two very winnable games before their SEC Championship match up against Alabama.
6-(6) Florida State 9-1
Juggernaut at home but pretty average on the road. The Seminoles have the ability to win every game they play.
7-(7) Florida 9-1
Florida has needed some serious help winning their last two games against Missouri and UL Lafayette. Gotta do better.
8-(8) Clemson 9-1
Big game against rival South Carolina coming up. If they keep winning, they're looking at an at large BCS birth.
9-(9) LSU 8-2
The Tigers are playing their best football of the season the past two weeks. Unfortunately, too little too late.
10-(14) Texas A&M 8-2
Huge win at Alabama last weekend. This team is really heating up and have made a big splash in their first season in the SEC.
11-(13) Oklahoma 7-2
Oklahoma keeps piling up the wins and could be playing for an at large BCS bid.
12-(15) Stanford 8-2
The Cardinal set itself up for a shot at the Pac-12 with their win over Oregon St. They've got a chance to stay alive with a trip to Oregon on Saturday.
13-(16) Nebraska 8-2
Well, someone had to win the B1G and the Huskers are in control.
14-(17) Texas 8-2
The Hook 'em Horns are making a comeback. Four straight wins and a chance to play spoiler to Kansas State on Dec. 1.
15-(18) UCLA 8-2
My hat's off Jim Mora. The Bruins are 8-2 and in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 South.
16-(12) Oregon State 7-2
Tough loss to Stanford, but this team's not out of it yet. Big game coming up against the in-state rival, Ducks.
17-(19) Louisiana Tech 9-1
Juggernaut offense, non existent defense.
18-(10) Louisville 9-1
Tough loss last weekend to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. If they win out they're still in the running for an Orange Bowl appearance.
19-(23) Rutgers 8-1
The Scarlet Knights are still alive in the Big East and get a shot at suddenly vulnerable, Louisville in the season finale.
20-(22) Kent State 9-1
Kent State is leading the way for a surprisingly competitive MAC.
21-(24) USC 7-3
The Trojans got back on track against ASU last weekend but still have a tough road ahead with games against UCLA and Notre Dame.
22-(NR) Michigan 7-3
The Wolverines are still kicking in the B1G and sit a game behind the Legends leading Huskers... (did I get that right?). With two conference games left there's still a shot an appearance in the B1G Championship game.
23-(NR) Northern Illinois 9-1
Another MAC team that just keeps winning.
24-(NR) Boise State 8-2
Probably not the season the Broncos were hoping for but 10 wins is pretty realistic.
25-(NR) UCF 8-2
The Black Knights are quietly putting together a solid season down in Central Florida.
Also ran: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Washington
Nick's Top 25
1-Kansas State (2)
The Wildcats have themselves in line to play for a national title. With just one tough game against Texas left this team could be in Miami on Jan. 7.
2-Nortre Dame (3)
I know the computers and most of the humans have Oregon over Notre Dame, but I don't the Ducks have played as tough of a schedule as Notre Dame has. The Irish keep winning close games and winning with defense.
3-Oregon (4)
I will admit Oregon is a good team, but it just has not played a good enough schedule to merit a top ranking. Sure call me a Pac-12 hater but I just don't believe. Every team in this conference beside the Ducks is going to have 2 or more losses this season.
4-Alabama (1)
Wow! What a game with the Aggies, but the Tide comeback did not quite get it done against A&M. I only dropped them three spots because I still think this is the best team in the country. The problem for the Tide is it does not control its own destiny for a chance at the title.
5-Georgia (5)
The Dawgs keep winning and have an outside chance at the national championship game with some losses and a victory over the Tide in the SEC title game.
6-Florida State (6)
I really like this FSU team. They do not play well on the road, but is as talented as any team in the country.
7-Texas A&M (11)
Big win for the Aggies. That is one of the tallest tasks in the country going to Bryant-Denny and downing the No. 1 Tide. Give this team credit for sticking with their game plan and putting Bama down early.
8-Florida (7)
Honestly watching the games on Saturday, I thought I was going to be dropping the Gators but they made a come back against ULL and won. I still had to drop them one spot for almost losing in the Swamp.
9-Clemson (8)
See Jeremy's explanation about Clemson above. This team has a great offense, but their defense just can play well enough yet to be a title contender.
10-LSU (10)
LSU doesn't move any where this week. This team is just waiting in the wings for someone above them to lose.
11-Oklahoma (12)
The Sooners have a big game coming up this weekend against a West Virginia team that is looking to get back on track. Don't expect that to happen this is a good OU team that should finish the season in the BCS conversation.
12-South Carolina (13)
Again see Jeremy's overrated above. I have to agree I like this teams defense but without Lattimore they are cannot move the ball as effectively.
13-Stanford (15)
Big win for the Cardinal last weekend over the Beavers of Oregon State. Stanford has another chance this weekend against Oregon to make a huge statement and put itself back in the BCS picture. Big thing to watch how the physical defense affects the Duck offense.
14-Texas (17)
The Longhorns are right back on track and Mack Brown looks like he has saved his job for now (stupid it was even in discussion anyway). There is no doubt this team can run the ball like crazy but its defense just has not been able to stop people this season.
15-Nebraska (16)
Nebraska has itself in line for a Rose Bowl berth. That being said this is kind of by default with Ohio State out of contention because of NCAA problems. The Blackshirt defense has played a lot better as of late and this running attack with Abdulla and Burkehead is for real.
16-UCLA (19)
The Bruins are a bit of a surprise this season and have some good wins but are just not quite ready to compete at a high level.
17-Rutgers (22)
The Scarlet Knights came back with a good win over a down Army team. The Knights showed why they have a top 15 defense allowing just seven points.
18-Louisiana Tech (18)
This team can really score, but its defense is horrible. The Bulldog defense looks pathetic allowing 55 points to Texas State.
19-Oregon State (14)
The Beavers had a close loss to Stanford last weekend, it what was actually an entertaining Pac-12 game where both teams played defense.
20-Kent State (21)
See my underrated above I like Kent State this s a good team this season in what has been a long time coming. It doesn't move up much this week but this team can play.
21-Northern Illinois (23)
Northern Illinois is a solid team with nine wins this season and looks like it will challenge for a MAC title.
22-Boise State (25)
The Broncos has sputtered this season, if you call 8-2 sputtering, which it is for a team that has the most wins of any team since 2000. No BCS this season for the Broncos but they still have a chance at a Mountain West title.
23-Michigan (NR)
Gutty win for Big Blue this weekend over Northwestern. The drive at the end of the game to send it into overtime was nothing more than miraculous.
24-UCF (NR)
UCF is having a solid season and for lack of anyone else to take this spot here it is. This team could win the C-USA title.
25-Louisville (9)
I know this is a little far for the Cardinals to drop but anytime you go play a bad Cuse team and get beat up on and don't even show up you get punished. The Cardinals are better than No. 25 but they need to start winning again before I will move them back up.
BCS-(AP)
1-(2) Kansas State 10-0
2-(1) Oregon 10-0
3-(3) Notre Dame 10-0
4-(4) Alabama 9-1
5-(5) Georgia 9-1
6-(7) Florida 9-1
7-(8) LSU 8-2
8-(8) Texas A&M 8-2
9-(12) South Carolina 8-2
10-(10) Florida State 9-1
11-(11) Clemson 9-1
12-(13) Oklahoma 7-2
13-(14) Stanford 8-2
14-(16) Nebraska 8-2
15-(18) Texas 8-2
16-(15) Oregon State 7-2
17-(17) UCLA 8-2
18-(21) USC 7-3
19-(20) Louisville 9-1
20-(19) Louisiana Tech 9-1
21-(23) Michigan 7-3
22-(22) Rutgers 8-1
23-(23) Texas Tech 7-3
24-(NR) Oklahoma State 6-3
25-(NR) Washington 6-4
Overrated
I'm looking at S. Carolina here. I know they're in the SEC and they've got a big win over Georgia on their resume. But they've lost to the other two top teams they've face this season. A two point loss to at LSU is easy to forgive, but it's the 33 point blowout the suffered at Florida that really sticks out, as well as their "rebound" three point home win over Tennessee the following week. I think this is a solid S. Carolina team, but looking a some of the teams right behind them (Florida State and Clemson are both 9-1) I think they're slotted just a little too high.
The other team I see on here that just doesn't seem right is the Washington Huskies, and let me preface this by saying that I really like the Huskies. I think they're a solid team that's played one of the roughest schedules in the country- they've played five teams currently ranked in the top 25. That said, tough schedule or not, you've got to win and the Huskies got blown out in three of their four losses this season. I just can't see how the BCS can justify a four loss team being in the top 25, especially with the number of one and two loss teams out there.
Underrated
The most underrated team in the county is Texas A&M. Never overlook a team that travels to Bryant-Denny and comes away with a victory over the No. 1 ranked Tide. This team is led by Johnny Manziel at quarterback who after his performance against Bama has inserted himself into the Heisman race. This kid just continues to impress leading what should have been a rebuilding A&M team to a top 10 ranking. Kevin Sumlin has done an excellent job in his first season with the Aggies and has this team at the center of the national spotlight. Other than Manziel what has really helped the resurgence of this team is the return of the Wrecking Crew. The Aggie defense has recorded 29 sacks this season and is averaging 2.90 per game. If this team wins out it has a real chance at an at-large BCS berth considering its only losses have come to top-10 schools in Florida and LSU.
I am only going to spend a couple sentences on this but I have to mention it because I like getting the little guys some love. The MAC has been playing great football this season. It has six teams with seven or more wins so far and two teams with just one loss. Kent State and Northern Illinois are both top 25 schools and Toledo without a loss last week to Ball State is also top 25 worthy. I was not paying at all attention to this conference and all of sudden I looked up and they had two teams ranked. Just thought I would give the little guys a shoutout.
Are You Crazy!?!?
Looking ahead at the schedule and the possible bowl projections, Clemson might just be the luckiest one loss team in the country. The Tiger's only loss this season is to Florida State, who's in the drivers seat in the Atlantic Division and should represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl. That would seemingly leave Clemson out in the cold, but the 11th ranked Tigers could put themselves in position for an at large BCS bid if they can win out. With a game against rival South Carolina yet to play, it's not unreasonable to think that Clemson will be able to work its way up the rankings enough to earn an at large bid to the Sugar Bowl to take on, most likely, the number two team in the SEC (Georiga as it sits now).
If this scenario plays out, not only will a one loss, non-ACC champion Clemson team make it to a BCS game, but they'll get a much better BCS draw then the winner of the ACC, who will take on the winner of the Big East. So, while the ACC champ is suffering through a Rutgers or Louisville draw, Clemson will get a solid, marquee matchup against one the SEC big boys.
Jeremy's Top 25
1-(2) Kansas State 10-0
The Wildcats keep winning and with some solid wins on their resume, they assume the top spot.
2-(3) Notre Dame 10-0
Still some questions about how good this Notre Dame team is but they've taken down some good teams this season and after Wake Forest this weekend, they've got a big test coming up against USC the following week.
3-(4) Oregon 10-0
Oregon is a great team. But, like I've said all year, these guys need to beat someone. Hype and style points don't get you into the national title.
4-(1) Alabama 9-1
Tough loss for Alabama last weekend, but I'd still take this team over any other SEC team, and pretty much every other team in the nation.
5-(5) Georgia 9-1
Georgia is certainly trending up and will have two very winnable games before their SEC Championship match up against Alabama.
6-(6) Florida State 9-1
Juggernaut at home but pretty average on the road. The Seminoles have the ability to win every game they play.
7-(7) Florida 9-1
Florida has needed some serious help winning their last two games against Missouri and UL Lafayette. Gotta do better.
8-(8) Clemson 9-1
Big game against rival South Carolina coming up. If they keep winning, they're looking at an at large BCS birth.
9-(9) LSU 8-2
The Tigers are playing their best football of the season the past two weeks. Unfortunately, too little too late.
10-(14) Texas A&M 8-2
Huge win at Alabama last weekend. This team is really heating up and have made a big splash in their first season in the SEC.
11-(13) Oklahoma 7-2
Oklahoma keeps piling up the wins and could be playing for an at large BCS bid.
12-(15) Stanford 8-2
The Cardinal set itself up for a shot at the Pac-12 with their win over Oregon St. They've got a chance to stay alive with a trip to Oregon on Saturday.
13-(16) Nebraska 8-2
Well, someone had to win the B1G and the Huskers are in control.
14-(17) Texas 8-2
The Hook 'em Horns are making a comeback. Four straight wins and a chance to play spoiler to Kansas State on Dec. 1.
15-(18) UCLA 8-2
My hat's off Jim Mora. The Bruins are 8-2 and in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 South.
16-(12) Oregon State 7-2
Tough loss to Stanford, but this team's not out of it yet. Big game coming up against the in-state rival, Ducks.
17-(19) Louisiana Tech 9-1
Juggernaut offense, non existent defense.
18-(10) Louisville 9-1
Tough loss last weekend to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. If they win out they're still in the running for an Orange Bowl appearance.
19-(23) Rutgers 8-1
The Scarlet Knights are still alive in the Big East and get a shot at suddenly vulnerable, Louisville in the season finale.
20-(22) Kent State 9-1
Kent State is leading the way for a surprisingly competitive MAC.
21-(24) USC 7-3
The Trojans got back on track against ASU last weekend but still have a tough road ahead with games against UCLA and Notre Dame.
22-(NR) Michigan 7-3
The Wolverines are still kicking in the B1G and sit a game behind the Legends leading Huskers... (did I get that right?). With two conference games left there's still a shot an appearance in the B1G Championship game.
23-(NR) Northern Illinois 9-1
Another MAC team that just keeps winning.
24-(NR) Boise State 8-2
Probably not the season the Broncos were hoping for but 10 wins is pretty realistic.
25-(NR) UCF 8-2
The Black Knights are quietly putting together a solid season down in Central Florida.
Also ran: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Washington
Nick's Top 25
1-Kansas State (2)
The Wildcats have themselves in line to play for a national title. With just one tough game against Texas left this team could be in Miami on Jan. 7.
2-Nortre Dame (3)
I know the computers and most of the humans have Oregon over Notre Dame, but I don't the Ducks have played as tough of a schedule as Notre Dame has. The Irish keep winning close games and winning with defense.
3-Oregon (4)
I will admit Oregon is a good team, but it just has not played a good enough schedule to merit a top ranking. Sure call me a Pac-12 hater but I just don't believe. Every team in this conference beside the Ducks is going to have 2 or more losses this season.
4-Alabama (1)
Wow! What a game with the Aggies, but the Tide comeback did not quite get it done against A&M. I only dropped them three spots because I still think this is the best team in the country. The problem for the Tide is it does not control its own destiny for a chance at the title.
5-Georgia (5)
The Dawgs keep winning and have an outside chance at the national championship game with some losses and a victory over the Tide in the SEC title game.
6-Florida State (6)
I really like this FSU team. They do not play well on the road, but is as talented as any team in the country.
7-Texas A&M (11)
Big win for the Aggies. That is one of the tallest tasks in the country going to Bryant-Denny and downing the No. 1 Tide. Give this team credit for sticking with their game plan and putting Bama down early.
8-Florida (7)
Honestly watching the games on Saturday, I thought I was going to be dropping the Gators but they made a come back against ULL and won. I still had to drop them one spot for almost losing in the Swamp.
9-Clemson (8)
See Jeremy's explanation about Clemson above. This team has a great offense, but their defense just can play well enough yet to be a title contender.
10-LSU (10)
LSU doesn't move any where this week. This team is just waiting in the wings for someone above them to lose.
11-Oklahoma (12)
The Sooners have a big game coming up this weekend against a West Virginia team that is looking to get back on track. Don't expect that to happen this is a good OU team that should finish the season in the BCS conversation.
12-South Carolina (13)
Again see Jeremy's overrated above. I have to agree I like this teams defense but without Lattimore they are cannot move the ball as effectively.
13-Stanford (15)
Big win for the Cardinal last weekend over the Beavers of Oregon State. Stanford has another chance this weekend against Oregon to make a huge statement and put itself back in the BCS picture. Big thing to watch how the physical defense affects the Duck offense.
14-Texas (17)
The Longhorns are right back on track and Mack Brown looks like he has saved his job for now (stupid it was even in discussion anyway). There is no doubt this team can run the ball like crazy but its defense just has not been able to stop people this season.
15-Nebraska (16)
Nebraska has itself in line for a Rose Bowl berth. That being said this is kind of by default with Ohio State out of contention because of NCAA problems. The Blackshirt defense has played a lot better as of late and this running attack with Abdulla and Burkehead is for real.
16-UCLA (19)
The Bruins are a bit of a surprise this season and have some good wins but are just not quite ready to compete at a high level.
17-Rutgers (22)
The Scarlet Knights came back with a good win over a down Army team. The Knights showed why they have a top 15 defense allowing just seven points.
18-Louisiana Tech (18)
This team can really score, but its defense is horrible. The Bulldog defense looks pathetic allowing 55 points to Texas State.
19-Oregon State (14)
The Beavers had a close loss to Stanford last weekend, it what was actually an entertaining Pac-12 game where both teams played defense.
20-Kent State (21)
See my underrated above I like Kent State this s a good team this season in what has been a long time coming. It doesn't move up much this week but this team can play.
21-Northern Illinois (23)
Northern Illinois is a solid team with nine wins this season and looks like it will challenge for a MAC title.
22-Boise State (25)
The Broncos has sputtered this season, if you call 8-2 sputtering, which it is for a team that has the most wins of any team since 2000. No BCS this season for the Broncos but they still have a chance at a Mountain West title.
23-Michigan (NR)
Gutty win for Big Blue this weekend over Northwestern. The drive at the end of the game to send it into overtime was nothing more than miraculous.
24-UCF (NR)
UCF is having a solid season and for lack of anyone else to take this spot here it is. This team could win the C-USA title.
25-Louisville (9)
I know this is a little far for the Cardinals to drop but anytime you go play a bad Cuse team and get beat up on and don't even show up you get punished. The Cardinals are better than No. 25 but they need to start winning again before I will move them back up.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
1st Down: Week 11 Recap
Biggest Winner
Rutgers- With the Louisville loss, Rutgers takes control of the Big East but still have three big conference games left on the schedule- at Cincinnati, at Pitt and home against Louisville.
Kansas State/Oregon- The Tide lose, it's easy to see that the number two and number three teams win. K-State and Oregon assume the top two spots in the BCS and now have the inside track on national title births.
Hat's Off
Texas A&M- Not only is Texas A&M coming off it's biggest win of the season, but the Aggies have put an exclamation point on what has been an outstanding inagural season in the SEC. The Aggies are 8-2 overall, 5-2 in SEC play and have been much more impressive in thier first season in the SEC than expected. While an SEC Championship is virtually out of the question, they've been able to establish themselves as a team to look out for moving forward.
Mack Brown- It wasn't long ago that this Texas team looked like the wheels were about to fall off on their season and they were staring down the barrell of back to back losing seasons. Hat's off to Mack Brown and shame on us for not giving the guy more respect. After back to back losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma, it looked like the Longhorns were finished. The offense was struggling, the defense looked terrible and this team looked like it was on the verge of collapse. Well, Texas has rattled off four straight victories and sits at 8-2 on the season and in third place in the Big-12. The Longhorns aren't out of the conference race yet and if a few things go their way, they have a chance at knocking off the current No. 1 team in the nation, K-State on December 1 and perhaps working their way in to the drivers seat in the Big-12. Good on ya, Mack!
UCLA- Tell me who saw this coming..? With two games to play, UCLA sits alone atop the Pac-12 South with a chance to put it away this weekend against rival USC. In Jim Mora's first season as head coach, the Bruins have looked pretty solid from week to week and have a nice win over B1G frontrunner, Nebraska. A win over the Trojans this weekend will ensure a rematch of last years Pac-12 Champion, Oregon.
Moving Forward
Moving forward I see a giant mess brewing at the top of the BCS standings. Looking down the road I do not see how Oregon is going to lose unless it is upset by USC in the Pac-12 title game. That being said I know it is at home this weekend but Stanford is a tough physical team that has a chance to really slow down the Oregon attack. No. 1 Kansas State has a tough game left against Texas but other than that should be able to cruise its way to the BCS title game. Notre Dame's only semi-tough game left is USC in LA. I am not sure what to think about that the Irish have been hanging on by a thread in some games this season, but have a championship caliber defense. With this being a three-horse race right now I am not really sure who will fall first. If one goes down the next will easily step in and play for the title game but if two or more of them lose get ready for chaos. I don't think I will talk about scenarios yet because I can't even think about them yet. Right now you better just plan on an Oregon-Kansas State National Championship game, but maybe in third down this week Jeremy and I will discuss some scenarios that could play out to end this season. What a year it would be for a playoff...oh wait that's still two years away!
Kinney vs. Kinney
Nick and I agreed on 16 of the 20 games that we picked this week and split. Nick taking Stanford over Oregon State and USC over ASU. I took Nebraska over Penn State and Michigan over Northwestern. We both missed on Alabama-Texas A&M and Louisville-Syracuse.
Week 11 Tally:
Nick- 16-4
Jeremy- 16-4
Season Tally:
Nick- 95-34 (.736)
*Jeremy- 80-31 (.720)
*no picks week 7
Picks
#1 Alabama- 24, #15 Texas A&M- 29
Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M defense were too much for the Crimsen Tide on this day. Manziel 345 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, while the Aggies forced three Alabama turnovers, including the dagger by A&M defensive back, Deshazor Everett on what would have been a go ahead touchdown with 1:36 to play.
-Jeremy- Alabama, 34-28
-Nick-'Bama, 24-20
#2 Kansas State- 23, TCU- 10
The Kansas State defense lead the way against TCU, holding the Horned Frogs scoreless through the first three quarters and only surrendering 274 and 10 points to go along with two forced turnovers.
-Nick-K-State, 38-21
-Jeremy- K-State, 35-31
#3 Oregon- 59, Cal- 17
Cal was able to stay within a touchdown of Oregon for just over two quarters with an early third quarter touchdown making it 24-17 Ducks. In the end, the Ducks did what the Ducks do- blow the doors off in the second half. After the Cal touchdown, Oregon rattled off seven straight touchdowns for the 59-17 win.
-Jeremy- Oregon, 52-21
-Nick-Oregon, 63-24
#4 Notre Dame- 21, Boston College- 6
The Notre Dame defense continues it's dominance, holding Boston College to two field goals and helping the Irish improve to 10-0 for the first time since 1993.
-Nick-Irish, 31-10
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 34-6
#5 Georgia- 38, Auburn- 0
Did you expect any other outcome against Auburn?
-Jeremy- Georgia, 38-17
-Nick-Georiga, 31-10
#6 Florida- 27, LA-Lafayette- 20
I was really surprised by this game. The Gators looked pretty bad in this game and it took a pretty tough effort to come back. What surprised me most is with what the Gators are playing for they have a chance at an at-large BCS berth but the looked very uninspired even at home.
-Nick-Florida, 41-17
-Jeremy- Florida, 30-13
#7 LSU- 37, Miss. St.- 17
Despite last week's loss to Alabama, LSU played, perhaps its best game of the season. They picked up right where they left off against a Mississippi State team that has now lost three straight. LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger had another solid outing, throwing for 273, two touchdowns and no picks.
-Jeremy- LSU, 24-10
-Nick- LSU 31-17
#8 South Carolina- 38, Arkansas- 20
South Carolina just keeps rolling along. After a couple early losses this team looks for real and looks like a BCS at-large contender. Arkansas gave the Gamecocks a game for the first half but couldn't hang/
-Nick-South Carolina, 45-10
-Jeremy- South Carolina, 37-21
#9 Louisville- 26, Syracuse- 45
And there you have it. In our picks last week, Nick and I mentioned that Louisville had been living on the edge this season. That finally caught up with them at the Carrier Dome as the Orange steamrolled giving Louisville its first loss of the season.
-Jeremy- Louisville, 31-20
-Nick-Louisville, 31-13
#10 Florida State- 26, Virginia Tech- 22, Thursday
The Seminoles take a good shot from the Hokies and survive a tough November road game.
#11 Oregon State- 23, #14 Stanford- 27
Hard fought game here. Two solid defenses going at it. Stanford needed a big win to gain some momentum for a big game against Oregon this week.
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 28-24
-Nick-Stanford, 20-17
#12 Oklahoma-42, Baylor-34
Good back and forth matchup as Baylor keep it close with the 12th ranked Sooners for most of the game. The Sooners win despite turning the ball over twice and giving up 252 rushing yards to Baylor.
-Nick-Oklahoma, 42-21
-Jeremy- Oklahoma, 45-28
#13 Clemson- 45, Maryland- 10
Clemson did what it had to do. Couldn't expect much more from Maryland starting linebacker at quarterback. Clemson still with an outside chance at a BCS game.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 44-21
-Nick-Clemson, 38-14
#16 Nebraska-32, Penn State- 23
Well Nick, that's what you get for picking against the Huskers at home. With the win over Penn State, Nebraska improves to 8-2 on the season and 5-1 in the B1G. With their head to head tie-breaker over Michigan, the Huskers are in the drivers seat of the Legends division.
-Nick-Penn State, 31-30
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 24-23
#17 Texas- 33, Iowa State- 7
Texas seems to finally be finding its stride. Iowa State is a solid team and did not look that way against Texas on Saturday. The Longhorns ran the ball very effectively against the Cyclones racking up 222 yards and looking like the Longhorns of old.
-Jeremy- Texas, 31-24
-Nick-Texas, 38-24
#18 UCLA- 44, Washington State- 36
UCLA holds on in a game that was a tail of two halves. The Bruins jumped out to a 37-7 halftime lead, only to be outscored 29-7 in the second half. UCLA now leads the Pac-12 South by a half a game and will face rival USC this weekend for a chance at a rematch against Oregon in the conference championship.
-Nick-UCLA, 38-17
-Jeremy- UCLA, 44-21
#19 USC- 38, Arizona State- 17
I called this game, but I did not think USC would dominate like it did. Both teams are above average at best but the combo of Barkley and Lee was too much for the Devils.
-Jeremy- Arizona State, 37-31
-Nick-USC, 38-27
#20 Louisiana Tech- 62, Texas State- 55
If there is one thing that this shows about Louisiana Tech is it can play offense, but that defense is horrible. Giving up 55 points to a Texas State team that is still in transition from FCS is pretty bad. If LaTech runs into a team that can play defense it is in trouble.
-Nick-Louisiana Tech, 56-35
-Jeremy- LaTech, 54-27
#22 Texas Tech- 41, Kansas- 34 2OT
Well, hat's off to Charlie Wies. Kansas has been surprisingly competitive against some of their Texas rivals (played TCU, Ok St. and Texas close) and Texas Tech was no exception. It took the 22nd ranked Red Raiders double overtime to finally take care of the Jayhawks who racked up 390 rushing yards against what was supposed to be a stout Tech defense.
-Jeremy- TTech, 41-17
-Nick-Red Raiders, 52-10
#23 Rutgers- 28, Army- 7
The Scarlet Knights got back on track with a good defensive win over Army. Rutgers defense show why it is ranked in the top 20 in the country.
-Nick-Rutgers, 28-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 24-13
#24 Northwestern- 31, Michigan- 38 OT
This game could have gone either way. Give it up to Michigan for winning without Denard Robinson, that included a game-tying drive at the end of the fourth. This just shows how up and down the B1G has been this season.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 30-28
-Nick-Northwestern, 35-31
#25 Toledo- 27, Ball State- 34, Tuesday
Toledo's top 25 home was very short lived after a loss to Ball State on Tuesday. Don't count out the MAC this season though, tough conference with some good teams.
Rutgers- With the Louisville loss, Rutgers takes control of the Big East but still have three big conference games left on the schedule- at Cincinnati, at Pitt and home against Louisville.
Kansas State/Oregon- The Tide lose, it's easy to see that the number two and number three teams win. K-State and Oregon assume the top two spots in the BCS and now have the inside track on national title births.
Hat's Off
Texas A&M- Not only is Texas A&M coming off it's biggest win of the season, but the Aggies have put an exclamation point on what has been an outstanding inagural season in the SEC. The Aggies are 8-2 overall, 5-2 in SEC play and have been much more impressive in thier first season in the SEC than expected. While an SEC Championship is virtually out of the question, they've been able to establish themselves as a team to look out for moving forward.
Mack Brown- It wasn't long ago that this Texas team looked like the wheels were about to fall off on their season and they were staring down the barrell of back to back losing seasons. Hat's off to Mack Brown and shame on us for not giving the guy more respect. After back to back losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma, it looked like the Longhorns were finished. The offense was struggling, the defense looked terrible and this team looked like it was on the verge of collapse. Well, Texas has rattled off four straight victories and sits at 8-2 on the season and in third place in the Big-12. The Longhorns aren't out of the conference race yet and if a few things go their way, they have a chance at knocking off the current No. 1 team in the nation, K-State on December 1 and perhaps working their way in to the drivers seat in the Big-12. Good on ya, Mack!
UCLA- Tell me who saw this coming..? With two games to play, UCLA sits alone atop the Pac-12 South with a chance to put it away this weekend against rival USC. In Jim Mora's first season as head coach, the Bruins have looked pretty solid from week to week and have a nice win over B1G frontrunner, Nebraska. A win over the Trojans this weekend will ensure a rematch of last years Pac-12 Champion, Oregon.
Moving Forward
Moving forward I see a giant mess brewing at the top of the BCS standings. Looking down the road I do not see how Oregon is going to lose unless it is upset by USC in the Pac-12 title game. That being said I know it is at home this weekend but Stanford is a tough physical team that has a chance to really slow down the Oregon attack. No. 1 Kansas State has a tough game left against Texas but other than that should be able to cruise its way to the BCS title game. Notre Dame's only semi-tough game left is USC in LA. I am not sure what to think about that the Irish have been hanging on by a thread in some games this season, but have a championship caliber defense. With this being a three-horse race right now I am not really sure who will fall first. If one goes down the next will easily step in and play for the title game but if two or more of them lose get ready for chaos. I don't think I will talk about scenarios yet because I can't even think about them yet. Right now you better just plan on an Oregon-Kansas State National Championship game, but maybe in third down this week Jeremy and I will discuss some scenarios that could play out to end this season. What a year it would be for a playoff...oh wait that's still two years away!
Kinney vs. Kinney
Nick and I agreed on 16 of the 20 games that we picked this week and split. Nick taking Stanford over Oregon State and USC over ASU. I took Nebraska over Penn State and Michigan over Northwestern. We both missed on Alabama-Texas A&M and Louisville-Syracuse.
Week 11 Tally:
Nick- 16-4
Jeremy- 16-4
Season Tally:
Nick- 95-34 (.736)
*Jeremy- 80-31 (.720)
*no picks week 7
Picks
#1 Alabama- 24, #15 Texas A&M- 29
Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M defense were too much for the Crimsen Tide on this day. Manziel 345 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, while the Aggies forced three Alabama turnovers, including the dagger by A&M defensive back, Deshazor Everett on what would have been a go ahead touchdown with 1:36 to play.
-Jeremy- Alabama, 34-28
-Nick-'Bama, 24-20
#2 Kansas State- 23, TCU- 10
The Kansas State defense lead the way against TCU, holding the Horned Frogs scoreless through the first three quarters and only surrendering 274 and 10 points to go along with two forced turnovers.
-Nick-K-State, 38-21
-Jeremy- K-State, 35-31
#3 Oregon- 59, Cal- 17
Cal was able to stay within a touchdown of Oregon for just over two quarters with an early third quarter touchdown making it 24-17 Ducks. In the end, the Ducks did what the Ducks do- blow the doors off in the second half. After the Cal touchdown, Oregon rattled off seven straight touchdowns for the 59-17 win.
-Jeremy- Oregon, 52-21
-Nick-Oregon, 63-24
#4 Notre Dame- 21, Boston College- 6
The Notre Dame defense continues it's dominance, holding Boston College to two field goals and helping the Irish improve to 10-0 for the first time since 1993.
-Nick-Irish, 31-10
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 34-6
#5 Georgia- 38, Auburn- 0
Did you expect any other outcome against Auburn?
-Jeremy- Georgia, 38-17
-Nick-Georiga, 31-10
#6 Florida- 27, LA-Lafayette- 20
I was really surprised by this game. The Gators looked pretty bad in this game and it took a pretty tough effort to come back. What surprised me most is with what the Gators are playing for they have a chance at an at-large BCS berth but the looked very uninspired even at home.
-Nick-Florida, 41-17
-Jeremy- Florida, 30-13
#7 LSU- 37, Miss. St.- 17
Despite last week's loss to Alabama, LSU played, perhaps its best game of the season. They picked up right where they left off against a Mississippi State team that has now lost three straight. LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger had another solid outing, throwing for 273, two touchdowns and no picks.
-Jeremy- LSU, 24-10
-Nick- LSU 31-17
#8 South Carolina- 38, Arkansas- 20
South Carolina just keeps rolling along. After a couple early losses this team looks for real and looks like a BCS at-large contender. Arkansas gave the Gamecocks a game for the first half but couldn't hang/
-Nick-South Carolina, 45-10
-Jeremy- South Carolina, 37-21
#9 Louisville- 26, Syracuse- 45
And there you have it. In our picks last week, Nick and I mentioned that Louisville had been living on the edge this season. That finally caught up with them at the Carrier Dome as the Orange steamrolled giving Louisville its first loss of the season.
-Jeremy- Louisville, 31-20
-Nick-Louisville, 31-13
#10 Florida State- 26, Virginia Tech- 22, Thursday
The Seminoles take a good shot from the Hokies and survive a tough November road game.
#11 Oregon State- 23, #14 Stanford- 27
Hard fought game here. Two solid defenses going at it. Stanford needed a big win to gain some momentum for a big game against Oregon this week.
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 28-24
-Nick-Stanford, 20-17
#12 Oklahoma-42, Baylor-34
Good back and forth matchup as Baylor keep it close with the 12th ranked Sooners for most of the game. The Sooners win despite turning the ball over twice and giving up 252 rushing yards to Baylor.
-Nick-Oklahoma, 42-21
-Jeremy- Oklahoma, 45-28
#13 Clemson- 45, Maryland- 10
Clemson did what it had to do. Couldn't expect much more from Maryland starting linebacker at quarterback. Clemson still with an outside chance at a BCS game.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 44-21
-Nick-Clemson, 38-14
#16 Nebraska-32, Penn State- 23
Well Nick, that's what you get for picking against the Huskers at home. With the win over Penn State, Nebraska improves to 8-2 on the season and 5-1 in the B1G. With their head to head tie-breaker over Michigan, the Huskers are in the drivers seat of the Legends division.
-Nick-Penn State, 31-30
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 24-23
#17 Texas- 33, Iowa State- 7
Texas seems to finally be finding its stride. Iowa State is a solid team and did not look that way against Texas on Saturday. The Longhorns ran the ball very effectively against the Cyclones racking up 222 yards and looking like the Longhorns of old.
-Jeremy- Texas, 31-24
-Nick-Texas, 38-24
#18 UCLA- 44, Washington State- 36
UCLA holds on in a game that was a tail of two halves. The Bruins jumped out to a 37-7 halftime lead, only to be outscored 29-7 in the second half. UCLA now leads the Pac-12 South by a half a game and will face rival USC this weekend for a chance at a rematch against Oregon in the conference championship.
-Nick-UCLA, 38-17
-Jeremy- UCLA, 44-21
#19 USC- 38, Arizona State- 17
I called this game, but I did not think USC would dominate like it did. Both teams are above average at best but the combo of Barkley and Lee was too much for the Devils.
-Jeremy- Arizona State, 37-31
-Nick-USC, 38-27
#20 Louisiana Tech- 62, Texas State- 55
If there is one thing that this shows about Louisiana Tech is it can play offense, but that defense is horrible. Giving up 55 points to a Texas State team that is still in transition from FCS is pretty bad. If LaTech runs into a team that can play defense it is in trouble.
-Nick-Louisiana Tech, 56-35
-Jeremy- LaTech, 54-27
#22 Texas Tech- 41, Kansas- 34 2OT
Well, hat's off to Charlie Wies. Kansas has been surprisingly competitive against some of their Texas rivals (played TCU, Ok St. and Texas close) and Texas Tech was no exception. It took the 22nd ranked Red Raiders double overtime to finally take care of the Jayhawks who racked up 390 rushing yards against what was supposed to be a stout Tech defense.
-Jeremy- TTech, 41-17
-Nick-Red Raiders, 52-10
#23 Rutgers- 28, Army- 7
The Scarlet Knights got back on track with a good defensive win over Army. Rutgers defense show why it is ranked in the top 20 in the country.
-Nick-Rutgers, 28-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 24-13
#24 Northwestern- 31, Michigan- 38 OT
This game could have gone either way. Give it up to Michigan for winning without Denard Robinson, that included a game-tying drive at the end of the fourth. This just shows how up and down the B1G has been this season.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 30-28
-Nick-Northwestern, 35-31
#25 Toledo- 27, Ball State- 34, Tuesday
Toledo's top 25 home was very short lived after a loss to Ball State on Tuesday. Don't count out the MAC this season though, tough conference with some good teams.
Friday, November 9, 2012
4th Down: Week 11 Picks
#1 Alabama (9-0) vs. #15 Texas A&M (7-2), 3:30pm ET, CBS
Another great matchup, brought to us by the SEC. Alabama is going to have to get over their win over LSU in a hurry. They're about to welcome in an A&M team that can score points in bunches and has one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country in quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel has 31 total touchdowns on the season and is averaging over 380 total yards per game. That said, it's been a different story against the other top SEC opponents Florida and LSU where Manziel has had his share of struggles. Expect a close one, but the 'Tide get it done.
-Jeremy- Alabama, 34-28
-Nick-'Bama, 24-20
#2 Kansas State (9-0) @ TCU (6-3), 7pm ET, FOX
I think this game comes down to one factor, does Collin Kline play or not. If Kline plays and performs at a high level like he has all season this could be a blowout. I noticed Jeremy put K-State in his upset alert and I think that is a smart call. Amon G. Carter is a tough place to play, especially since head coach Gary Patterson is 58-9 in his career at home. That being said, the Wildcats are averaging 44 points and allowing just 18 per game, and with a TCU team that has been so up and down on offense this season I do not think the Frogs will be able to move the ball well enough to win. I think that Kansas State should be able to handle this one on the road and keep its No. 2 spot in the BCS. If this team stays unbeaten I think it meets 'Bama in the title game.
-Nick-K-State, 38-21
-Jeremy- K-State, 35-31
#3 Oregon (9-0) @ Cal (3-7), 10:30pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
This one doesn't look good for Cal. They might be without starting quarterback Zach Maynard and Oregon is coming off a record setting performance against USC last week. The Cal's defense is ranked 64th in points allowed and 69th in rushing yards allowed which could be trouble with a Ducks offense that's putting up 341 rushing yards per game.. The Ducks should have no trouble running away with this one... get it? Running? Anyway, Quack-attack gets it done.
-Jeremy- Oregon, 52-21
-Nick-Oregon, 63-24
#4 Notre Dame (9-0) @ Boston College (2-7), 8pm ET, ABC
The Irish are looking for a rebound game and this is a great matchup to get back on track. The Eagles are 122nd in the country in rushing yards and against an outstanding Irish defense I do not see how they can move the ball. The Irish should be able to run away with this game.
-Nick-Irish, 31-10
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 34-6
#5 Georgia (8-1) @ Auburn (2-7), 7pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
The good news for Auburn is that Georgia has struggled a bit on the road this season. The bad news for Auburn. Well, they're Auburn. With a birth in the SEC Championship on the line, expect Georgia to put this game away early.
-Jeremy- Georgia, 38-17
-Nick-Georiga, 31-10
#6 Florida vs. LA-Lafayette, 12:21pm ET, SEC Network/ESPN3
Interesting to see a team step out of conference play the final two weeks of the season, but Florida is finished with SEC play and will host Lafayette and then travel to Florida State for its final two games. Not really going to spend any time on this the Gators should have an easy time with the Ragin' Cajuns.
-Nick-Florida, 41-17
-Jeremy- Florida, 30-13
#7 LSU vs. #21 Miss. St., 7pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
This night game in Death Valley will turn out differently than last weekend's night game in Death Valley. LSU played, arguably it's best game of the season and found a quarterback in Zach Mettenberger. Mississippi State has lost two in a row and a road game at LSU is not the place to get back on track.
-Jeremy- LSU, 24-10
-Nick- LSU 31-17
#8 South Carolina vs. Arkansas, 12pm ET, CBS
At the beginning of the season this game was built to have some major SEC implications now it is just another game for the Gamecocks to roll through in the SEC. Connar Shaw should be able to have his way in this game and pick apart a poor Arkansas defense. South Carolina is still in line for a possible BCS at-large berth and needs to keep making some statement wins.
-Nick-South Carolina, 45-10
-Jeremy- South Carolina, 37-21
#9 Louisville @ Syracuse, 12pm ET, ABC/ESPN3
Louisville has been living on the edge for much of the season, but are coming off one of their most decisive wins of the season last week. Syracuse has been handled by the top teams on their schedule and it will be more of the same this week.
-Jeremy- Louisville, 31-20
-Nick-Louisville, 31-13
#10 Florida State- 26, Virginia Tech- 22, Thursday
The Seminoles take a good shot from the Hokies and survive a tough November road game.
#11 Oregon State @ #14 Stanford, 3pm ET, FOX
The winner of this matchup will have an opportunity to play for the Pac-12 North title against Oregon later this month. Both teams play solid defense and both have had their own quarterback issues. The Cardinal offense got a jump-start last week with freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan, but he'll have his hands full against this Beaver defense. The matchup I'm looking at though, Oregon States passing attack that's averaging 306 per game against a Stanford pass defense that's ranked 104th in the nation. OSU pulls out a close one on the road. Bring on the Ducks!
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 28-24
I have to disagree on this one. Stanford's defense will play an inspired game and hold that OSU passing attack down. This is going to be a defensive battle, but like Jeremy said it comes down to quarterback play. I know it was against Colorado last week but I like the way Hogan stepped in and made big plays in that game. I like Stanford to win a close one here and gain some momentum before heading to Eugene next weekend for a major showdown with the Ducks.
-Nick-Stanford, 20-17
#12 Oklahoma vs. Baylor, 3:30pm ET
Oklahoma is looking for revenge after RGIII and the Bears beat the Sooners for the first time in school history last season. I think the Oklahoma should have a pretty easy time with this because Baylor has one of the worst defenses in the country. The only wrinkle here could be Baylor can score like crazy and if this game gets to be a shootout it could be interesting. Still the Sooners won't let the Bears score a ton of points since OU has the 17th best scoring defense in the country. Oklahoma should roll in this game at Norman.
-Nick-Oklahoma, 42-21
-Jeremy- Oklahoma, 45-28
#13 Clemson vs. Maryland, 3:30pm ET, ESPNU/WatchESPN
Maryland has a solid defense, but there's not way they can stay in this one. At home the Tigers will run the Terps and their backup linebacker/new starting quarterback out of town.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 44-21
-Nick-Clemson, 38-14
#16 Nebraska vs. Penn State, 3:30pm ET, ABC/ESPN2
In third down I put Nebraska on upset alert because I am not sure if another coach in the country has done a better job pulling his team through adversity like Bill O'Brien has. Penn State has been playing excellent defense as of late allowing just 17 points per game which is 14th in the country. See our third down for a little more on this but I still say it comes down to quarterback play and Matt McGloin is a much better quarterback than Taylor Martinez. Penn State goes to Lincoln and pulls off a shocker.
-Nick-Penn State, 31-30
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 24-23
#17 Texas (7-2) vs. Iowa State (5-4), 12pm ET, Longhorn Network
Texas has won three straight and will be glad to back in Austin after back to back road games. Iowa State will give the Longhorns a game but I don't think they've got what it takes to pull out a win.
-Jeremy- Texas, 31-24
-Nick-Texas, 38-24
#18 UCLA @ Washington State, 10:30pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
What a horrible debut season it has been for Mike Leach in Pullman. On the other side Jim Mora and his Bruins have a chance to win the Pac-12 South. UCLA is coming off a huge blowout over Arizona last weekend and is looking to keep playing at a high level. They should be able to run over Washington State easily in Pullman.
-Nick-UCLA, 38-17
-Jeremy- UCLA, 44-21
#19 USC (6-3) vs. Arizona State, 3pm ET, Pac-12 Network
ASU has lost three straight and one would think a game against USC would mean a fourth straight loss. But, USC has dropped their last two and have been pretty mediocre on the road this season. The Trojans need to stop the tail-spin if they want to stay in the hunt in the Pac-12 South. SC has given up 101 points and 1,318 yards the past two games. Do they get it figured out this week?
-Jeremy- Arizona State, 37-31
I know the Pac-12 has been up and down all season but I think USC gets back on track this week. I think Marquise Lee and Matt Barkley will be able to torch the ASU defense.
-Nick-USC, 38-27
#20 Louisiana Tech @ Texas State, 7pm ET, Longhorn Network
Louisiana Tech can score with anyone and Texas State is improving but still not ready to play with the big boys yet.
-Nick-Louisiana Tech, 56-35
-Jeremy- LaTech, 54-27
#22 Texas Tech (6-3) vs. Kansas (1-8), 12pm ET
Nothing turns around a two game losing streak like a game against the Jayhawks.
-Jeremy- TTech, 41-17
-Nick-Red Raiders, 52-10
#23 Rutgers vs. Army, 12pn ET, ESPNU/WatchESPN
After Kent State ended Rutgers BCS bowl game hopes, the Scarlet Knights should be able to get back on track against an up and down Army team. Gary Nova and the sixth-best scoring defense (14.3 ppg) should be able to lead the RU past Army.
-Nick-Rutgers, 28-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 24-13
#24 Northwestern (7-2) @ Michigan (6-3), 12pm ET, ESPN/ESPN 3D
Northwestern can stay alive in the race for the B1G with a win over Michigan. Michigan has been up and down this season, but they are undefeated at home in The Big House.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 30-28
I have to disagree once again. I know Michigan is undefeated at home, but I am still not sold on this Michigan team. I think even if Denard Robinson plays Northwestern should be able to get it done on the road. I like the way this team has played and has lost some close ones on the road and is ready for a breakout.
-Nick-Northwestern, 35-31
#25 Toledo- 27, Ball State- 34, Tuesday
Toledo's top 25 home was very short lived after a loss to Ball State on Tuesday. Don't count out the MAC this season though, tough conference with some good teams.
Another great matchup, brought to us by the SEC. Alabama is going to have to get over their win over LSU in a hurry. They're about to welcome in an A&M team that can score points in bunches and has one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country in quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel has 31 total touchdowns on the season and is averaging over 380 total yards per game. That said, it's been a different story against the other top SEC opponents Florida and LSU where Manziel has had his share of struggles. Expect a close one, but the 'Tide get it done.
-Jeremy- Alabama, 34-28
-Nick-'Bama, 24-20
#2 Kansas State (9-0) @ TCU (6-3), 7pm ET, FOX
I think this game comes down to one factor, does Collin Kline play or not. If Kline plays and performs at a high level like he has all season this could be a blowout. I noticed Jeremy put K-State in his upset alert and I think that is a smart call. Amon G. Carter is a tough place to play, especially since head coach Gary Patterson is 58-9 in his career at home. That being said, the Wildcats are averaging 44 points and allowing just 18 per game, and with a TCU team that has been so up and down on offense this season I do not think the Frogs will be able to move the ball well enough to win. I think that Kansas State should be able to handle this one on the road and keep its No. 2 spot in the BCS. If this team stays unbeaten I think it meets 'Bama in the title game.
-Nick-K-State, 38-21
-Jeremy- K-State, 35-31
#3 Oregon (9-0) @ Cal (3-7), 10:30pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
This one doesn't look good for Cal. They might be without starting quarterback Zach Maynard and Oregon is coming off a record setting performance against USC last week. The Cal's defense is ranked 64th in points allowed and 69th in rushing yards allowed which could be trouble with a Ducks offense that's putting up 341 rushing yards per game.. The Ducks should have no trouble running away with this one... get it? Running? Anyway, Quack-attack gets it done.
-Jeremy- Oregon, 52-21
-Nick-Oregon, 63-24
#4 Notre Dame (9-0) @ Boston College (2-7), 8pm ET, ABC
The Irish are looking for a rebound game and this is a great matchup to get back on track. The Eagles are 122nd in the country in rushing yards and against an outstanding Irish defense I do not see how they can move the ball. The Irish should be able to run away with this game.
-Nick-Irish, 31-10
-Jeremy- Notre Dame, 34-6
#5 Georgia (8-1) @ Auburn (2-7), 7pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
The good news for Auburn is that Georgia has struggled a bit on the road this season. The bad news for Auburn. Well, they're Auburn. With a birth in the SEC Championship on the line, expect Georgia to put this game away early.
-Jeremy- Georgia, 38-17
-Nick-Georiga, 31-10
#6 Florida vs. LA-Lafayette, 12:21pm ET, SEC Network/ESPN3
Interesting to see a team step out of conference play the final two weeks of the season, but Florida is finished with SEC play and will host Lafayette and then travel to Florida State for its final two games. Not really going to spend any time on this the Gators should have an easy time with the Ragin' Cajuns.
-Nick-Florida, 41-17
-Jeremy- Florida, 30-13
#7 LSU vs. #21 Miss. St., 7pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
This night game in Death Valley will turn out differently than last weekend's night game in Death Valley. LSU played, arguably it's best game of the season and found a quarterback in Zach Mettenberger. Mississippi State has lost two in a row and a road game at LSU is not the place to get back on track.
-Jeremy- LSU, 24-10
-Nick- LSU 31-17
#8 South Carolina vs. Arkansas, 12pm ET, CBS
At the beginning of the season this game was built to have some major SEC implications now it is just another game for the Gamecocks to roll through in the SEC. Connar Shaw should be able to have his way in this game and pick apart a poor Arkansas defense. South Carolina is still in line for a possible BCS at-large berth and needs to keep making some statement wins.
-Nick-South Carolina, 45-10
-Jeremy- South Carolina, 37-21
#9 Louisville @ Syracuse, 12pm ET, ABC/ESPN3
Louisville has been living on the edge for much of the season, but are coming off one of their most decisive wins of the season last week. Syracuse has been handled by the top teams on their schedule and it will be more of the same this week.
-Jeremy- Louisville, 31-20
-Nick-Louisville, 31-13
#10 Florida State- 26, Virginia Tech- 22, Thursday
The Seminoles take a good shot from the Hokies and survive a tough November road game.
#11 Oregon State @ #14 Stanford, 3pm ET, FOX
The winner of this matchup will have an opportunity to play for the Pac-12 North title against Oregon later this month. Both teams play solid defense and both have had their own quarterback issues. The Cardinal offense got a jump-start last week with freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan, but he'll have his hands full against this Beaver defense. The matchup I'm looking at though, Oregon States passing attack that's averaging 306 per game against a Stanford pass defense that's ranked 104th in the nation. OSU pulls out a close one on the road. Bring on the Ducks!
-Jeremy- Oregon State, 28-24
I have to disagree on this one. Stanford's defense will play an inspired game and hold that OSU passing attack down. This is going to be a defensive battle, but like Jeremy said it comes down to quarterback play. I know it was against Colorado last week but I like the way Hogan stepped in and made big plays in that game. I like Stanford to win a close one here and gain some momentum before heading to Eugene next weekend for a major showdown with the Ducks.
-Nick-Stanford, 20-17
#12 Oklahoma vs. Baylor, 3:30pm ET
Oklahoma is looking for revenge after RGIII and the Bears beat the Sooners for the first time in school history last season. I think the Oklahoma should have a pretty easy time with this because Baylor has one of the worst defenses in the country. The only wrinkle here could be Baylor can score like crazy and if this game gets to be a shootout it could be interesting. Still the Sooners won't let the Bears score a ton of points since OU has the 17th best scoring defense in the country. Oklahoma should roll in this game at Norman.
-Nick-Oklahoma, 42-21
-Jeremy- Oklahoma, 45-28
#13 Clemson vs. Maryland, 3:30pm ET, ESPNU/WatchESPN
Maryland has a solid defense, but there's not way they can stay in this one. At home the Tigers will run the Terps and their backup linebacker/new starting quarterback out of town.
-Jeremy- Clemson, 44-21
-Nick-Clemson, 38-14
#16 Nebraska vs. Penn State, 3:30pm ET, ABC/ESPN2
In third down I put Nebraska on upset alert because I am not sure if another coach in the country has done a better job pulling his team through adversity like Bill O'Brien has. Penn State has been playing excellent defense as of late allowing just 17 points per game which is 14th in the country. See our third down for a little more on this but I still say it comes down to quarterback play and Matt McGloin is a much better quarterback than Taylor Martinez. Penn State goes to Lincoln and pulls off a shocker.
-Nick-Penn State, 31-30
-Jeremy- Nebraska, 24-23
#17 Texas (7-2) vs. Iowa State (5-4), 12pm ET, Longhorn Network
Texas has won three straight and will be glad to back in Austin after back to back road games. Iowa State will give the Longhorns a game but I don't think they've got what it takes to pull out a win.
-Jeremy- Texas, 31-24
-Nick-Texas, 38-24
#18 UCLA @ Washington State, 10:30pm ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
What a horrible debut season it has been for Mike Leach in Pullman. On the other side Jim Mora and his Bruins have a chance to win the Pac-12 South. UCLA is coming off a huge blowout over Arizona last weekend and is looking to keep playing at a high level. They should be able to run over Washington State easily in Pullman.
-Nick-UCLA, 38-17
-Jeremy- UCLA, 44-21
#19 USC (6-3) vs. Arizona State, 3pm ET, Pac-12 Network
ASU has lost three straight and one would think a game against USC would mean a fourth straight loss. But, USC has dropped their last two and have been pretty mediocre on the road this season. The Trojans need to stop the tail-spin if they want to stay in the hunt in the Pac-12 South. SC has given up 101 points and 1,318 yards the past two games. Do they get it figured out this week?
-Jeremy- Arizona State, 37-31
I know the Pac-12 has been up and down all season but I think USC gets back on track this week. I think Marquise Lee and Matt Barkley will be able to torch the ASU defense.
-Nick-USC, 38-27
#20 Louisiana Tech @ Texas State, 7pm ET, Longhorn Network
Louisiana Tech can score with anyone and Texas State is improving but still not ready to play with the big boys yet.
-Nick-Louisiana Tech, 56-35
-Jeremy- LaTech, 54-27
#22 Texas Tech (6-3) vs. Kansas (1-8), 12pm ET
Nothing turns around a two game losing streak like a game against the Jayhawks.
-Jeremy- TTech, 41-17
-Nick-Red Raiders, 52-10
#23 Rutgers vs. Army, 12pn ET, ESPNU/WatchESPN
After Kent State ended Rutgers BCS bowl game hopes, the Scarlet Knights should be able to get back on track against an up and down Army team. Gary Nova and the sixth-best scoring defense (14.3 ppg) should be able to lead the RU past Army.
-Nick-Rutgers, 28-10
-Jeremy- Rutgers, 24-13
#24 Northwestern (7-2) @ Michigan (6-3), 12pm ET, ESPN/ESPN 3D
Northwestern can stay alive in the race for the B1G with a win over Michigan. Michigan has been up and down this season, but they are undefeated at home in The Big House.
-Jeremy- Michigan, 30-28
I have to disagree once again. I know Michigan is undefeated at home, but I am still not sold on this Michigan team. I think even if Denard Robinson plays Northwestern should be able to get it done on the road. I like the way this team has played and has lost some close ones on the road and is ready for a breakout.
-Nick-Northwestern, 35-31
#25 Toledo- 27, Ball State- 34, Tuesday
Toledo's top 25 home was very short lived after a loss to Ball State on Tuesday. Don't count out the MAC this season though, tough conference with some good teams.
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