Middle Tennessee at Louisiana Lafayette- Whoever wins becomes bowl eligible but I don’t think it matters. Hard to say if another Sun Belt team will get a bowl game. Then again, a Louisiana Lafayette win and a win by Arkansas State garners a three way tie. Not sure what the tie breaker looks like but I am pretty sure the BCS has nothing to do with it.
Thursday Dec 4
Louisville at Rutgers- Louisville wants a bowl. Win here and they are eligible. That’s all they can do. The rest is up to whatever bowl would want them.
Friday Dec 5
MAC Championship Game Ball State vs. Buffalo- Yeah you heard me, Buffalo already looks to have the schools second ever bowl bid but I am sure they would like a MAC championship to go with it. Ball State looks to continue their undefeated season and head into the best available Bowl game they can.
Saturday Dec 6
Pitt at Connecticut- I think all this really comes down to is playing for conference position and a better bowl. That’s all I have to say.
Conference USA Championship Game East Carolina at Tulsa- East Carolina started the season as the new trendy pick for a BCS buster after beating Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Later in the season Tulsa was 8-0 and in the mix as a BCS buster before losing two in a row. No more BCS talk now but they can still win the Conference USA title.
Army vs. Navy- All I have to say is tradition. And a great one. Anyone just get an amazing feeling at the end when they sing?
ACC Championship Boston College vs. Virginia Tech- Didn’t we see this before? Like a couple times last season. And earlier this season. Oh well, here we go again. Last season they split. BC won in the regular season VT won the championship. This year BC won again in the regular season.
Washington at Cal- Washington needs to win so that they aren’t the only team in the nation without a win. I don’t see it happening.
USC at UCLA- Corvallis, Oregon is full of UCLA fans. State College, Pennsylvania is full of USC fans. A UCLA win sends the Oregon State Beavers to the Rose Bowl. A USC win keeps USC in the Rose Bowl and Penn State would rather play a different team besides Oregon State, who they beat in Sept.
SEC Championship Game Alabama vs. Florida- The No.1 Alabama is the underdog in this game. While both teams look really good right now, I still believe that this year, THIS YEAR, the SEC is down. These two are the only truly good teams coming out of there right now.
Arkansas State at Troy- If Arkansas State wins both finish 5-2 in conference and would therefore split the conference title, Louisiana Lafayette could be in the mix. If it is just these two though, Arkansas State would then earn the automatic bowl bid and Troy should still get an at large bid.
Arizona State at Arizona- Arizona State needs to win just to get bowl eligible. If that happens a trip to Hawaii is possible to face Hawaii. A rematch of the 06 Hawaii Bowl in which the Sun Devils lost.
Big 12 Championship Game Missouri vs. Oklahoma- So this is what all the controversy has brought us. Oklahoma wins and they should go on to the National Championship Game. If they lose, the stuff hit’s the fan and the scenarios and arguments will run rampant.
South Florida at West Virginia- Remember the beginning of the season when everyone said to circle this one because this was the game that was going to decide the Big East? Yeah, this one isn’t deciding nothing except who gets the better of a couple of bad bowls.
Cincinnati at Hawaii- Cincinnati already locked up the Big East and is just trying to gain more momentum for their BCS bowl game. I actually went to this game in 2002 in which Hawaii won 20-19. There was a fight after the game. I think the Hawaii mascot tried to take on the Cincinnati team at one point.
Ok, so we have 10 BCS Bowl spots. We know Penn State, Cincinnati and Utah are in leaving 7 spots. USC is in unless they lose to UCLA in which case Oregon State gets back in. I wouldn’t think if USC loses they get they still get in so it appears only 1 Pac 10 team is in.
The ACC Champ is in but the runner up has no chance. Now we are down to 5.
I would think that no matter what Florida and Alabama should both be in. I can’t really see a scenario where either one is left out. Both are playing some of the best football right now. My opinion on his has nothing to do with them being in the SEC which I believe is in a down year. The winner to the National Championship Game the loser to the Sugar.
Down to 3 spots.
The Big 12 looks to get 2 spots as well. The Champion should go to the National Championship Game unless somehow Missouri pulls off the upset. Even still it would appear that Missouri would go to the Fiesta and a non-champion from the Big 12 could still make the National Championship Game. Lets just assume 2 Big 12 teams are in. Leaving just one spot.
The candidates really come down to 12-0 Boise State vs. 10-2 Ohio State. Boise State is perfect and won their conference title while Ohio State has 2 losses and did not win the Big 10.
Kiffin to Tennessee
Tennessee named Lane Kiffin as their new head coach. I cant really say I agree with the decision since he has no actual college head coaching experience. He is already putting together his staff which appears to include former Ole Miss coach Ed Ogeron. Kiffin and Ogeron worked together on the USC staff a few years back. Ogeron may not have been a successful head coach, but I will say he could recruit with the best of them.
Pelini Was the Right Hire at Nebraska
In his first year Nebraska tied for a share of the Big 12 North Division title. Given more time to bring in his recruits that fit his systems I have no doubt that Nebraska will start competing nationally again very soon.
Beaver Fans Left Holding Roses
It is a tradition in college football for the fans of teams on the verge of reaching a BCS bowl to bring an emblem of that bowl to throw on the field at the end o####ame. In Cincinnati, Bearcat fans threw Oranges down on the field as it appears Cincinnati will be going to the Orange Bowl. Ironic that they were playing the Syracuse Orange.
So what happens when the team loses that Bowl clinching game? Ask Oregon State. The Beavers lost the game that would have secured the Rose Bowl 65-38 at home to rival Oregon. Looks to me like there is going to be a lot of potpourri in Corvallis.
Dabo Sweeney Should be More the Interim
After being named the interim coach at Clemson, Sweeney did all he could to secure a legit shot at becoming the new head coach. Win games. Check. Beat rival South Carolina. Check. Gain bowl eligibility. Check. I guess winning a bowl would be next on the list.
From BCS to Barely Making a Bowl
Hawaii went from the Sugar Bowl to having to win one of it’s last 2 just to be eligible. Kansas made 7 wins with late heroics in a win over Missouri after winning the Orange Bowl last season. Defending National Champion LSU finished with just 7 wins. The after losing in over time to #1 Alabama, LSU had to stage one of the biggest comeback I have ever seen to over come Troy. Next they dropped the final two to Mississippi and Arkansas.
Western Michigan at Ball State- Well for Ball State the BCS is out but a potential perfect season is still on the table. Really though this one is for the MAC West or a share of it.
Thursday Nov 27
Texas A&M at Texas- Texas needs a few points here but how much style is there in playing a 4-7 team? Playing to win to keep Big 12 South and BCS hopes alive.
Friday Nov 28
West Virginia at Pitt-West Virginia still holding on to hopes of sliding into the Big East BCS spot. They need to win out and have Cincinnati slip up.
Fresno State at Boise State- Boise State already won the WAC and are behind Utah in the standings meaning they probably wont be getting the non BCS automatic berth. They can still hold on to a slim chance of an at large bid if they can hold on to finish out undefeated.
UCLA at Arizona State- Both are 4-6 and both have 2 games left, this being one of them. The winner needs to beat their rival in order to go bowling. The loser is out of bowl contention.
Saturday Nov 29
Georgia Tech at Georgia- No conference implications but a pretty good little rivalry here. Pretty much been owned by Georgia for a while now though.
Syracuse at Cincinnati- Cincinnati can grab the Big East out right and a BCS bowl if they win. Lose and everyone will laugh at them for losing to Syracuse.
Missouri at Kansas- Remember last year when this one was the game everyone was looking forward to? Well it was, and it was a fairly important one that doesn’t have the same implications this year as it did last season. Could still be a good one though.
South Carolina at Clemson- Really not all that important for anything much more than bragging rights. Maybe we will see another brawl.
Auburn at Alabama- Auburn has won like 6 in a row. Alabama is undefeated and #1 in the country. Something will be changing here.
Houston at Rice- Besides being a rivalry game and the two schools pretty much in the same city, they are in a three way tie at 6-1 with Tulsa for the lead in the CUSA West.
Oregon at Oregon State- Its called the Civil War and is one of the longest played rivalries in the country. Oregon State wins and they go to the Rose Bowl. Lose and USC wins the Pac 10 again and goes to the Rose Bowl again, provided they take care of their business. From 96-06 the home team won. In 07 Oregon State won in double overtime at Autzen to break that streak.
Florida at Florida State- Florida State has lost the last 4 in this in state rivalry. Florida is ranked higher and has one of the highest ranked scoring offenses and defenses.
Maryland at Boston College- Boston College needs to win in order to go to the ACC title game. Lose and Florida State goes instead. Maryland is just playing for bowl position.
Virginia at Virginia Tech- If Virginia Tech wins they play in the ACC conference championship game. If they lose Georgia Tech will represent the Coastal Division.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State- Oklahoma is coming off a huge win over Texas Tech. Still making their case for BCS title consideration and will help that case if they can win on the road .
Ball State at Central Michigan Was Everything I Hoped
I said I was waiting for it and I hope you all saw why. It was a great game. I really don’t feel I need to say more. If you didn’t watch the game, that’s your loss.
Um So the Big 12 South Representative Will Be….
Hmmm Texas beat Oklahoma, Texas Tech beat Texas and Oklahoma beat Texas Tech. I have been reading all sorts of scenarios as to what happens now and I still cant figure it out. I guess it comes down to the standings. Just what I wanted the opinions of a bunch of old dudes determines who plays for the conference title.
Notre Dame Has 6 Wins
Their 6 wins come from opponents that are a combined 20-49. They just lost to 3-8 Syracuse. Do they really deserve a bowl? Unless they somehow pull of the upset against USC next week, I vote no.
Oregon State Holds On
Oregon State was extremely close to losing its hold on destiny for the Rose Bowl. With less than 2 minutes left Oregon State was down by 1 and had 80 yards to the end zone. They managed almost the entire length of the field and in the most surprising move with the clock ticking away inside of 20 seconds, the opponent, Arizona, called a timeout. This gave Oregon State enough time to fall back and center the ball, spike it, and kick the game winning field goal. This was all with the starting quarterback and starting running back injured. The win sets up a Civil War that will decide the conference.
Utah the BCS Called
They said you will be in one of their bowls. Boise State and Ball State sorry, you were close, but try again next year. Now we wait to see where Utah is going and who they will play. There is still the slim chance a team like Boise State gets an at large bid but I don’t know that I see that happening.
Does LSU have a Defense?
I thought LSU’s defense was the cornerstone of the team. LSU has given up 400 yards in 3 games this season. In those 3 games, LSU has lost. 2 were at home, 1 was on the road. Along with those 2 home losses there was another. 3 home losses in one season. According to ESPN.com LSU lost all of 3 games at home between 2003 and 2007.
The Mountain West is Looking For More Than Just a Few New Coaches
Wyoming has fired Glenn. Chuck Long was let go at San Diego State. Rocky Long has stepped down at New Mexico. With the success at the schools at the top of the conference, coaches like Whittingham at Utah, Patterson at TCU, Mendenhal at BYU and Calhoun at Air Force are all in the rumor mills about coaching vacancies at BCS schools. That’s 7 out of 9 Mountain West Schools that could have new coaches next season.
The ACC Finally Makes Sense
For weeks now both divisions could go in the directions of a handful of teams. Now it comes down to just Florida State and Boston College in the Atlantic Division and Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech in the Coastal. Boston College and Virginia Tech need to win their final games or else the other team in the division will go on to the ACC Championship Game.
I Said It Before and I Will Say It Again…
Brian Kelly can coach. Back to back National Championships at Grand Valley State. Three years at Central Michigan and they won the MAC and went to a bowl. Kelly left for Cincinnati before the bowl game. He did coach Cincinnati in their bowl and they won. Cincinnati got 10 wins including a bowl win last season. Now in the 2nd full year under Kelly Cincinnati appears to be on their way to a Big East title and a BCS game. All that stands in their way is Syracuse.
Northern Illinois at Kent State- Really not much to this one. I don’t even think it is on tv. Northern Illinois could get bowl eligible with a win.
Wednesday Nov 19
Ball State at Central Michigan- This is one of the games I have been waiting for. Undefeated, Ball State going to play defending MAC champs, Central Michigan. Pretty much should decide the division.
Thursday Nov 20
Miami at Georgia Tech - Currently sitting on top of the ACC Coastal division, this game should decide the division.
Friday Nov 21
Buffalo at Bowling Green- Top of the MAC East here. Buffalo is #1 while Bowling Green is the #2.
Fresno State at San Jose State- In the WAC there are more bowl eligible teams than Bowls available. These two are playing for more wins to make the case as to why they shouldn’t be eligible and left out.
Saturday Nov 22
West Virginia at Louisville- West Virginia still alive in the conference title race. Louisville still looking for win 6 for a bowl.
Michigan at Ohio State- Remember like 2 years ago this was #1 vs. #2 and all eyes were on the game? Does anyone outside of Ohio and Michigan even care this year?
Tennessee at Vanderbilt- I wonder when the last time Vanderbilt was favored over Tennessee was. Vanderbilt is now playing for a better bowl.
Washington at Washington State- Can we change the name from the Apple Cup to the Futility Cup? Honestly the only thing I want to see is if Washington can get a win since they are the last team in the nation without one.
Stanford at Cal- The Big Game, Stanford needs a win for a bowl. Cal needs a win to stay alive for a decent one.
Boston College at Wake Forest- There are implications on the Atlantic division here but I don’t know what they are because then it involves all sorts of who wins and who loses in the rest of the division. But I know it means something.
Michigan State at Penn State- Rose Bowl implications here. Penn State gets there with a win. MSU needs all kinds of help if the win and hope to get there.
UTEP at Houston- For some reason this one just appeals to me. Seems like it should be a pretty good game. Probably a bit of scoring going on.
Air Force at TCU- Probably over looked due to the BYU at Utah game being played the same day but this one is just as big in the Mountain West thanks to the TCU win over BYU. Besides all that these two are still a part of the top of the conference.
Boise State at Nevada- Boise State is not really the same team on the road as they are at home. Well that used to be the case, they haven’t had much trouble this year. But if they relapse to how they used to be on the road, Nevada could give them trouble.
BYU at Utah- The Holy War and a BCS berth on the line. Utah wins they should be in the BCS. BYU wins and gets some help around the country they still have an outside shot at it. The last two have been decided by a total of 9 points and 3 years ago went to over time.
Oregon State at Arizona- Oregon State still in the lead of he Pac 10 for the Rose bowl. Win out they are in. they passed test #1 with Cal. Test 2 maybe harder as Arizona has beat a ranked team at home in November 4 years in a row.
Pitt at Cincinnati- The top of the Big East pretty much playing for the conference. I think Cincinnati would clench it with a win, which would then put more importance on next weeks West Virginia-Pitt game.
Louisiana Lafayette at Troy- Both are 4-1 in the conference and therefore are the leaders so obviously the winner takes over sole possession of 1st place in the conference.
Florida State at Maryland- Right now listed as the top teams in the ACC Atlantic. The winner takes the lead for now.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma- It has been a few weeks since we had a big ranked vs. ranked game in the Big 12. I am sure we all remember some of those others not to mention that this was a close one last year too.
If you look back at my thoughts and opinions articles through the weeks and then look at when certain coaches were let go you will notice that the week before Willingham and Fulmer were let go I mentioned it was getting to be about the time that the school make some changes. Now, last week I called out Syracuse and what happened today? Greg Robinson has been let go. I won’t call anyone out this week. You’re welcome struggling coaches.
Bryles and Cutcliffe
In my bold predictions to start the season I called for these two to take their schools to a new level right away. Last season Baylor was 0-8 and 3-9 and under Bryles this year is 2-5 and 4-7. Duke on the other hand was 0-8 and 1-11 last year but has gone 1-5 and 4-6 under Cutcliffe. Progress has been made.
New Uniforms at Oregon
Nike and the Ducks have done it again. Another new helmet, making 4 to choose from. This one is black although I hear it has some dark green to it. And the uniforms are a solid black instead of their previous black with green sleeves. On the shoulders, where Oregon normally has some diamond plate design, was what looked like wings. When Oregon first debuted the yellow helmets they lost and the helmets became unpopular, as though they were bad luck. The black ones now have a win so they will be a favorite for now.
Don’t Give Up
Well I thought we all learned after last season to never overlook an opponent but with Troy going up 31-3 on defending National Champions LSU I thought maybe I was wrong. What I did learn later is that even down 31-3 in the 4th quarter, never give up. A lot of LSU fans left early and missed one of the best comeback wins in all of college football. Honorable mention to Arizona who almost made the omeback but couldn’t quite get there.
Vanderbilt Going Bowling
Well they got their 6th win to become bowl eligible, now its just about playing for a better bowl. With a struggling Tennessee team coming up Vanderbilt could be at 7 wins. This will be their first bowl since 1982.
Rose Bowl Rematch
Right now Oregon State and Penn State are in control of their won destiny to make it to the Rose Bowl. Oregon Still needs to get through Arizona and rival Oregon. Penn State only has Michigan State left. Does anyone else really want to see a rematch o####ame that ended 45-14?
The Apple Cup
I am not sure how just yet but I think both Washington and Washington State will both find a way to lose this game. The worse part is I am sure this will take up valuable tv time over a game that will almost certainly be better.
Notre Dame Going Bowling
With a win over Navy, Notre Dame is bowling again. While it is good for the program after last years disaster season, I still feel this is one of those teams that shouldn’t get a bid until they are at 7 wins. Why do we reward average? 6-6 is really something to get excited over?
What’s Up With Tulsa?
A couple weeks ago they had like the best offense in the NCAA, were undefeated and looking like a potential BCS buster. Now they have lost 2 in a row and haven’t had more than 30 points in either loss. Suddenly they may even be a question mark to play for the Conference USA title.
Conference USA East
Tulsa isn’t the only question mark in the Conference USA title chase. The East has plenty of questions too. East Carolina was primed and ready to go, that is until they lost this week to Southern Miss. Now, while ECU is still in the lead, it just isn’t as secure as it would have been with a win.
Big MAC Time
What I mean is Ball State vs. Central Michigan this week. I have been looking forward to this one for a while now. If this isn’t a shoot out or doesn’t come down to the final minutes I will be greatly disappointed winner should have the inside edge to the MAC championship. The under card to this one is the fact that Buffalo plays Bowling Green. Neither team is as hyped in the MAC as the teams in the other game but Buffalo and Bowling Green currently sit 1 and 2 in the MAC East.
Hawaii Might Not Even Play in It’s Own Bowl
Hawaii is at 5-5 right now and has Idaho up next. Conventional wisdom would say they would get an invite to the Hawaii Bowl with a win. Unfortunately they have 13 games this season so they have to win 2 of the last 3. The other two games are Washington State and Cincinnati. All three games are at home. Idaho and Washington State are not very good teams at all. Then again Hawaii lost to Utah State this season too.
Ball State at Miami Oh- should be an easy one for Ball State to move them to 10-0 as they head into the tougher part of the schedule following this one. Up next Central Michigan and Western Michigan, the only other two teams that are bowl eligible in the MAC.
Wednesday
Buffalo at Akron- Both are 5-4 and at the top of the MAC East so an appearance in the MAC championship game is at stake. Also the winner moves to 6 wins so a bowl could also be in the cards.
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois- Central Michigan is still in the hunt for yet another MAC championship but they can’t be looking ahead to Ball State because Northern Illinois is one win away from bowl eligibility. They are motivated.
Friday
Cincinnati at Louisville- Cincinnati is still in the mix for the Big East title while Louisville is looking to play spoiler. Louisville needs another win for a bowl. Also to keep in mind, the number of games from the Big East that have been upsets on Thursdays and Fridays the past couple years.
Saturday
Texas at Kansas- Kansas has fallen down a little bit but is still one of the better teams in the Big 12 North. Texas wants to keep wining to keep their Championship hopes alive.
South Carolina at Florida- One of the only games featuring two ranked teams and I couldn’t be less excited. The way Florida is playing right now and at home does anyone expect a close one? I don’t .
North Carolina at Maryland- North Carolina is in the lead in the ACC Coastal while Maryland is still a contender in the Atlantic. I suppose this could be a preview of the ACC title game but with the way the ACC has been this year I am not so sure.
Cal at Oregon State- the Beavers need to win out to win the Pac 10 and go to the Rose Bowl. That means going through the other three teams in the conference going to bowls already all in a row. First up is Cal who is now playing for bowl positioning.
BYU at Air Force- With all the hype about Utah, TCU and BYU, Air Force has quietly gone 8-2 and 5-1 in MWC play. The only loss in conference being to Utah, the Falcons could still throw a wrench in to the seasons of BYU and TCU.
Arizona at Oregon- Currently at the 3 and 4 spot in the conference so hoping for 2nd place or a big slip up by the top teams to move up to the #1. Unlikely but still need to win here just in case.
Nebraska at Kansas State- Nebraska still has an outside chance at the North but I think Missouri would have to lose both of it’s final games.
Boise State at Idaho- Undefeated and still holding onto BCS hopes. I don’t think Idaho is going to offering much resistance.
USC at Stanford- Remember this one from last year? And this Stanford team is better. Do I need to say more?
Utah at San Diego State- Like Ball State and Boise State, Utah’s opponent doesn’t look to offer much challenge and they should come out still perfect.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky- Vandy was 5-0 and eyeing a bowl. Now they are 5-4 and hoping to make one. This is a good chance for them to make it.
UCLA at Washington- Washington is the last team without a win… in the country. This is one of their best chances to pick one up.
Stanford went 4-8 last season and has been able to improve to a 5 win season but would love to get 1 more for bowl eligibility. They had a shot against Oregon, but the Ducks scored with 6 seconds left for the win. Stanford needs to either beat USC or at Cal. Vanderbilt has matched the 5 wins they had last year by starting the season 5-0. Now they have lost 4 in a row. Their remaining schedule has them going to 6-4 Kentucky and # 24 6-3 Wake Forest. The good news is the game in between is at home against a struggling Tennessee.
Speaking of Teams on the Decline
Minnesota needs to watch out having now lost 2 in a row with a road game up next. Then again considering where they were last year, getting the 7 wins they did is still probably the biggest turn around for any team this season.
The ACC Could be the Conference With the Most Bowl Eligible Teams
They already have 8 and Virginia only needs 1 more win to get 6. Clemson needs 2 of it’s last 3. So does Duke. North Carolina State would need to win out. Based on who plays who it is possible that all 12 teams were bowl eligible. I just don’t see it happening that way.
The Pac 10 Will Not Fill All Their Bowls
7 Bowls and 5 eligible teams. As I mentioned before Stanford needs 1 more win to get to 6 while UCLA and Arizona State both need to win out. I do not believe any of that will happen.
Oregon State Still Controls It’s Own Destiny
I am sure anyone that follows college football knows this already. Oregon State still has three games remaining, all three against the next three teams in the Pac 10 standings. If they win out they could get to the Rose Bowl. Problem is I don’t think I want to watch it if it is Oregon State vs. Penn State.
Next Coach Out-Greg Robinson
It has been talked about since the start of the season. Everyone knew if Syracuse didn’t win then he was out. So now sitting at 2-7 it is obvious a winning season and bowl are out of the question. He should be out, now we just play the waiting game.
Texas Tech Has More People Believing
I questioned last week about the easy schedule and high ranking of Texas Tech. I said yes they beat Texas but let’s see how they do with more difficult opponents than the likes of Eastern Washington and Massachusetts. Now with back to back wins over top 10 teams and 3 in a row over ranked teams, they have me riding shotgun on the bandwagon. The question is how sturdy is my seat with as Texas Tech travels to #5 Oklahoma.
Miami at Buffalo- Yeah sure its on but I don’t think many will be watching. Even if Buffalo wins and moves to 5-4 and only needs one more win to be bowl eligible, and even if they win out to go to 8-4, I still don’t think they would get a bowl bid.
Wednesday Nov 5
Northern Illinois at Ball State- Ok this one should get some viewers. If for no other reason but to see if undefeated Ball State can stay perfect while playing a 5-3 Northern Illinois.
Thursday Nov 6
Maryland at Virginia Tech- Maryland now finds itself at the top of the ACC Atlantic while Virginia Tech is down to a tie for 4th in the Coastal. This is an ACC game but will be overshadowed by….
TCU at Utah- Two Mountain West teams ranked in the top 15. Utah wants to stay perfect while TCU looks to move up and have a shot at being a 1 loss team in the BCS. Of course when BYU and TCU played everyone expected a close game and we all know how that turned out.
Friday Nov 7
Nevada at Fresno State-Two teams that usually finish high in the WAC are just trying to make a bowl. Fresno does it with a win while Nevada needs this and another.
Saturday Nov 8
Ohio State at Northwestern- They are both ranked and 7-2. Really at this point it is just playing for position and bowl status.
Georgia Tech at North Carolina-A couple ACC teams playing jump rope with the rankings all season are playing eachother while both are on the ranked side.
Purdue at Michigan State- Michigan State has a shot at the Rose Bowl still if it can win out including beating Penn State in a couple weeks. Gotta beat Purdue first.
Louisville at Pittsburg- What’s up with Louisville losing to Syracuse two years in a row? Well if they want to go bowling they need to rebound and pick up their 6th by beating Pitt. Pitt already has 6 and is just trying to keep Big East title hopes going.
Georgia at Kentucky- Kentucky took out their frustration of getting destroyed by Florida by edging Mississippi state. Georgia just got beat down by Florida and looks to take it out on Kentucky.
Virginia at Wake Forest- Two players in the jumbled mess that is the ACC. I gotta believe both are still alive in the ACC race somehow.
Alabama at LSU- This will pretty much decide the West. Well almost even if Alabama loses they can still win out and win the west. Or so I read somewhere. Either way should be a good game.
Marshall at East Carolina- Both are 3-1 in conference and currently sit at the top of the East division. East Carolina at 1 and Marshall at 2. After that there is a couple games separation. So the winner should win the division.
Penn State at Iowa- Lots of people think this could trip up Penn State on their quest for a perfect season and BCS birth. They obviously need to win and win big.
Stanford at Oregon- Stanford is a player this year in the Pac 10. Both sit at 4-2 in the conference. Stanford needs a win to become bowl eligible. Stanford is riding momentum of beating WSU while Oregon may be reeling from losing to Cal.
Oregon State at UCLA- Oregon State needs to win out. If they do they win the Pac 10 and go to the Rose Bowl. More importantly USC doesn’t win the Pac 10.
Cincinnati at West Virginia- WVU currently sits at the top of the Big East. Cincinnati is just 1 game back in a tie for second. Obviously a big one in the conference.
Florida at Vanderbilt- Vanderbilt started 5-0 and is now currently riding a 3 game losing streak. I don’t usually make prediction but I think I see loss 4 here. Florida has just looked way to good lately.
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech- Ok yeah this is how many weeks in a row that we have seen top 10 Big 12 teams go at it?? Texas Tech wants to keep the momentum of knocking off #1 Texas going another week. Oklahoma State should provide just as good a game.
Cal at USC- Cal is another Pac 10 team that can win out and make the Rose Bowl. If they win out that means they win this one and beat Oregon State down the road. Again best part is USC doesn’t win the Pac 10 again.
Nothing against USC, just tired of seeing them win the conference.
Notre Dame at Boston College- This is one of Notre Dame’s handful of rivalry games. Both are 5-3 and so therefore the winner gets bowl eligible.
1 Loss or Not, Florida is Playing the Best Football Right Now
Yes I know they have 1 loss to an unranked Mississippi and yes, I know there are other teams out there that are undefeated, but no other team out there has done what Florida has done as well as they have done it. It’s one thing to beat ranked teams but it is another to beat them in the fashion Florida has done it. Not to mention the beatings they gave the other unranked teams.
Easy Schedule and a High Ranking
People questioned if Texas Tech was for real with what was viewed as an easy schedule that got them high in the rankings. They proved, at least for now, they very well could be the real deal. They held on long enough to beat #1 Texas and moved to 9-0 and #2 in the AP poll.
Crabtree Game Winner: The Catch of the Year
I hope every either saw this or caught replay, highlight, or just you tube it. Crabtree not only made a great catch but also showed his amazing talent to break the tackle, stay in bounds and tightrope the sideline. To see it play live was great and even though I am not a Texas Tech fan I still threw my arms up to signal touchdown when he crossed the goal line.
SEC Coaching Openings
Anyone interested? I think it is pretty safe to say that Tennessee and Auburn will be looking for new coaches pretty soon. I know it sounds a little crazy that with 1 bad season this could be the case but these are beyond your normal down seasons for these programs. The expectations for coaches at these institutions are a bit higher than normal and right now they aren’t being met.
Big 10 Great Finishes
Michigan States come from behind game wining field goal to get by Wisconsin was a great way to end the game. The Spartans are now 8-2 and in second place in the Big 10. An even better finish was the end of the Northwestern at Minnesota game. With the game tied a Minnesota had the ball when the pass was deflected by the receiver, off a defender and into the hands of another who then ran the interception in for the game winning touchdown.
The Sorry State of Washington
We all knew the two teams were bad but this weekend took them to a new level. Both Washington and Washington State were shut out on Saturday. North Texas won leaving the University of Washington as the only DIA school without a win. Washington State hasn’t scored since the second quarter of their Oregon State loss. That was 3 games ago. 10 full scoreless quarters.
The ACC
It doesn’t even make sense. Both divisions are all a mess. You have to play the big “What If” game to figure out who leads and who still has a chance at the conference championship game. Looking at the standings… I still don’t get it.
Tulsa Out
Tulsa fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, Non BCS teams, in their first and only game against a team from a BCS conference, Arkansas from the SEC. They weren’t in the best position to make a BCS game though as Utah, Boise State, Ball State, BYU and TCU were all ranked ahead of them. Now it is certainty they will not make a BCS bowl.
Buffalo at Ohio- Tuesday games have become pretty common. The only thing here is that if Ohio loses they have no chance at bowl eligibility.
Houston at Marshall- Houston is actually at 3-0 in the conference, right behind the more publicized Tulsa. If Houston can keep it up circle Nov 15 when Tulsa visits Houston. Marshall is still playing to get to a bowl.
Thursday
USF at Cincinnati- USF is ranked and yet they are in 7th out of 8 in the Big East. Cincinnati only has 1 place on them in the standings.
Saturday
West Virginia at Connecticut- Uconn is the ranked team and not West Virginia. The two currently sit at 1 and 2 in the Big East.
Central Michigan at Indiana- Central Michigan is still one of the top teams of the MAC and Indiana is a struggling team in the Big 10. Could be a big win for Central Michigan.
Northwestern at Minnesota- Two of the surprising teams in the Big 10 this season Minnesota finds itself at 7-1 while Northwestern is 6-2.
Air Force at Army- Game two in the Commander in Chief Trophy games. After this all that’s left is Army/Navy.
Kansas State at Kansas- Do they play for some sort of trophy in this? I really don’t know.
Tulsa at Arkansas- Tulsa needs the win to add a little credibility to their resume for a BCS bid. At 3-5 Arkansas just needs a win.
Pitt at Notre Dame- Well they are both 5-2 but I just don’t know that this will be all that great a game.
Oregon at Cal- Oregon is in a tie for first with USC(although USC holds the tie breaker) and Cal is just one game behind them. It is likely the winner could end up in the 2 spot in the conference with the outside chance at 1 should USC slip up again.
Florida State ate Georgia Tech- Florida State is now the highest ranked ACC team and Georgia Tech is trying to recover from a surprising loss to Virginia. There is a chance we see this again in the ACC title game.
Florida vs. Georgia- Cocktail party time. SEC East, SEC title and National title implications are once again on the line in one of the biggest rivalries in the game.
North Texas at Western Kentucky- Could be North Texas’ only shot at a win.
Washington at USC- Willingham has now resigned effective at the end of the season. How are the UW players going to play against USC now?
Boise State at New Mexico State- Boise State’s next step on the way to a perfect season.
Texas at Texas Tech- Oh two top 10 teams from the Big XII are playing again this week? Huh havent seen that all season long. Oh yeah about the game, lots of offense.
Sunday
East Carolina at UCF- Another Sunday night game in the conference USA. East Carolina may have lost the headlines after a fast start but they are still the leader in the CUSA East.
And fire Willingham already. They keep saying they will keep him through the year but my question is why?? I don’t think it would change the outcome of this year but to have next year set with someone who can start on the recruiting trail.
Virginia’s 180
They have now gone from last to the top of the ACC Coastal division in a matter of a couple of weeks. After losing 3 out of their first 4, including a loss to Duke, they have won 4 in row capped off the last 2 weeks by beating North Carolina and Georgia Tech back to back while both were ranked at #18. Question is can they keep it up for a few more weeks.
As good as Oklahoma State is Now
What can we expect next season? With what they could lose and what they hope to have back, the Cowboys will be a contender again next year. That’s all I have to say.
The Potential BCS Busters could be thanking the Big East
As it stands now South Florida is the highest ranked team in any poll at #23. The way the Big East is going they might not have a team ranked higher than 16 in the final BCS poll opening the door wider than usual for the likes of Utah, Boise State, Tulsa, Ball State, TCU and BYU.
Penn State Could Have the Easiest Road to the Title
From here on out they have only 3 games to go with two teams that have winning records. Going to Iowa could be a trap if they start looking to far ahead. Indiana shouldn’t be any trouble and finishing at home with Michigan State will probably be the toughest game but no on one there is ranked. Alabama still has to go to ranked LSU and a likely ranked Florida or Georgia in the SEC title game. Texas is going to ranked Texas Tech next and has to go to a currently ranked Kansas in a couple weeks. They still have to finish with a likely ranked team in the Big XII title game.
Oregon May Have Found their QB for the Future
Replacing a player like Dennis Dixon is no easy task and Oregon thus far has had people that have been doing ok but nothing to special. JC transfer Jeremiah Masoli has proven he can run the ball but so far has struggled in the passing game. While the run remains the Ducks primary offensive means, Masoli threw for 17 for 26 for 147 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Two weeks ago he only threw for 42 yards against UCLA. Oh yeah, he is only a Sophomore and Oregon QB’s tend to improve drastically from year to year.
Georgia-Florida Will Be Huge
The Cocktail Party will be the biggest game in the SEC this season. Both teams are rolling right now on offense. The game will once again have division, conference and National Championship implications. I just don’t want to see the Georgia players dancing again. Not that there was anything wrong with the reason for it, it just wasn’t good dancing.
A One Dimensional Offense Can Work
In Navy’s 34-7 win over SMU the Mids didn’t throw the ball one time. They instead ran the ball 77 times for 404 yards. The game was played in harsh weather of wind and rain which was less than optimal for throwing the ball anyway which may have also hurt SMU with June Jones’ offense which relies heavily on the pass.
Love in the Box
Dante Love attended the Ball State game yesterday for the first time since his injury. He watched the game from the coaches box. Ball State won 38-16 over Eastern Michigan and remains undefeated.
Penn State/Ohio State, Texas/ Oklahoma State Live up to the Hype
Of the big games for the day these two were clearly the most talked about and the didn’t disappoint. Penn State won when they intercepted Pryor’s pass at the end zone. Texas won when Oklahoma Sate was unable to hail marry to come from behind.
Ohio at Temple- Tuesday game in the MAC for…not much. Really the win here is just to stay eligible for a winning season. A loss puts either at 6 losses and a 6-6 at best season.
Thursday
Auburn at West Virginia- At the beginning of the season this was supposed to be a huge one between two ranked teams. Now neither is ranked and both need the win kinda badly.
New Mexico at Air Force- Everyone is talking about Utah, BYU and TCU in the Mountain West. Air Force actually has a 3-1 record in the conference and is just as in it as those other three. New Mexico, not so much.
Friday
Boise State at San Jose State- In all the WAC, these are the two that are undefeated in conference play. San Jose State has been something of a surprise in reaching for the top of the conference while Boise State is still eyeballing the BCS.
Saturday
Cincinnati at Connecticut- The Big East has barely started conference play but these two are still close to the top. There overall records has both with 5 wins. So the winner hit’s the 6 for bowl eligibility.
Boston College at North Carolina- This is a pretty decent one in the ACC. Both are at 5 wins so again bowl eligibility is on the line. North Carolina needs the win if it wants to even have an outside chance at the Conference Championship game.
Texas Tech at Kansas- A couple of ranked teams in the Big 12 going at it for yet another week. Lots of offense in this match up and Texas Tech is trying to stay perfect.
UNLV at BYU- UNLV started the season hot but is now 0-3 in Mountain West play. BYU needs to rebound from the loss to TCU last week.
Duke at Vanderbilt- Two of the more improved teams in the country. Vanderbilt is looking at this one for a 6th win to get them to bowl eligible for the first time in….well a long time.
Virginia Tech at Florida State- Anther big ACC game. Both at 5 wins looking for 6 for bowl eligibility and at 2-1 in the conference. A 3-1 record would suit either just fine. Virginia at
Georgia Tech- Virginia appeared to be helpless but has turned their season around since the start of the season. Georgia Tech has a 3-1 ACC lead and a 6-1 overall record.
Georgia at LSU- Now we got a couple top teams in the SEC playing it out. Georgia may well take a page from hated rival Florida on how to beat LSU and LSU will look to see what rival Alabama did to beat UGA. Could and should be good but something tells me one of these teams is going to run the other over. I’m not saying who though.
Michigan State at Michigan- In most states this one would be reserved fro rivalry weekend at the end of the season. In a reversal of rolls Michigan State is the apparent better team this year.
Oklahoma State at Texas- Texas has been playing ranked teams every week lately. This time we get 2 undefeated, top 10 teams in an after noon match up. I think this one will be another scoreboard burning, down to the wire game.
Alabama at Tennessee- This has to be the turnaround game of the season. Alabama has turned it around staring the season at 7-0 which is exactly the number of wins they had last season including their bowl. Tennessee has started 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference and finds itself in last place in the East after winning the division last season.
Penn State at Ohio State- Biggest of the game in the Big 10 of the year, so far and probably till the end of the season. Penn State is 8-0 overall and 4-0 in conference. Ohio State is 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. The winner has the inside track to the conference title.
Notre Dame at Washington- Everyone loves to build up these, old coach new team games. This will probably be the last time though since it looks like Willingham is gone pretty soon.
USC at Arizona- Arizona should have lost that game with Cal last week in order to save some luck for this week. Not that they aren’t a capable team they seem to have a history of just 1 big win later in the season.
Oregon at Arizona State- Good chance these two are somewhere in the mix for at least second place in the conference. Probably going to see some points in this one.
After losing to TCU, BYU fell to a ranking of 18 in the AP and 17 in the coaches poll. TCU jumped into the AP to 15 and from 24 to 15 in the coaches. This puts them behind Utah and Boise State. Thing is they are still ahead of the highest ranked team from the ACC. If either can win out and Utah and Boise State should lose and the ACC champion stays behind them, then they still have a chance at making a BCS bowl. There is no rule that says a team has to be undefeated to make a BCS bowl even though that has been accepted as the standard.
The Maryland Rollercoaster Continues
Has there been a more up and down team than Maryland? Struggles to beat Delaware and loses to Middle Tennessee State. The next game they beat a ranked California. They go on to beat Eastern Michigan and a ranked Clemsononly to lose their next game by a score of 31-0. This past weekend they again beat another ranked team in a 26-0 shutout of Wake Forest.
Where did Clemson and Wisconsin Go?
Both started the season ranked in the top 15 and now? Clemson is now 3-4 and 1-3 in the ACC. Wisconsin is now 3-4 and 0-4 in the Big 10. Both were considered favorites to challenge for their conferences but now I have to wonder if they are even going to make bowls.
Vanderbilt Bowl Hunting
Vanderbilt started the season at 5-0 but have now lost 2 in a row. All they really need is one more win to be eligible and with the next game against Duke it is very likely they will reach that 6th win. They might not make the BCS but for this program a bowl is a bowl.
My Mistake on Ohio State at Michigan State
Last week I made the statement that this would be a good one but boy was I wrong. No this isn’t the first time and I am sure it won’t be the last but this was just a bad one. It’s ok, I wasn’t the only one that got suckered on this one.
Washington State is the Worst team Ever
Now I don’t know the exact numbers but I don’t know it I could believe that there was another team that has been this bad. Washington State has 1 win and it was against DIAA Portland State. Despite that 1 win they have lost and lost bad. They have now given up 60 points in 4 conference games. Cal, Oregon, Oregon State and USC all topped the 60 point mark. In only the Portland State game did they even top 20 points.
Tough Enough to Wear Pink
It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and New Mexico State is doing their part. The end zones were pink. The players had pink socks, pink tape, and even the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness on the sides of their helmets. In the end they did lose the game to San Jose State, but I think something more important was won with the money raised for breast cancer awareness.
Tulsa is Still Underrated
Yes they are now in the top 25 but it sure did take a long time and they are barely in. 7-0 and the best offense in the country. Their lowest score was 37 and they just scored the highest point this season by notching up 77 on UTEP.
Florida State at North Carolina State- I got nothing here other than it is on. I guess Florida State is looking decent enough with a 4-1 record. If nothing else it gives the FSU fans more fuel for the “FSU is back” fire.
BYU at TCU- This one is more of a story. BYU is 6-0 and TCU is 6-1. TCU may be out of the BCS buster race but BYU is at the front. This one has Mountain West and BCS implications. BY has a potent offense and TCU has a fairly stingy defense.
Friday Oct 17
Hawaii at Boise State- Last year this one was for the conference. This year it’s more for Boise State to win the conference and to keep their hopes of crashing the BCS again alive.
Saturday Oct 18
Wake Forest at Maryland- Wake Forest is 2-0 in the conference so they need a win here to keep the lead. Maryland is 1-1 and a win will keep them in the hunt while a loss would all but knock them out.
Western Michigan at Central Michigan- This is the first of a series of MAC games that will shape out the MAC West. With both these teams and Ball State still undefeated in MAC play, this will be the first start putting things in their place.
Vanderbilt at Georgia- Both are 5-1 overall and are sitting at 1 loss in conference play. Both still have a shot at winning the division and making the SEC championship game.
Ohio State at Michigan State- Comparable numbers for this one too. Actually identical. Both come in at 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big 10. I think this one will see a lot of running as both have do all running backs in Wells and Ringer.
Middle Tennessee State at Louisville- Middle Tennessee upset Maryland and came up 1 yard short of an upset of Kentucky. The Blue Raiders would love to notch a win over Big East member Louisville.
Kansas at Oklahoma- After losing the Red River Shootout, Oklahoma now enters this game with the same record as Kansas. Both are now 5-1 and still hoping to make the Big 12 title game with the hopes of making the BCS Championship Game.
Miami at Duke- Actually an interesting looking match up this year. Miami is still rebuilding and Duke appears to be improved. Neither team has been overly consistent this year, so it will come down to who shows up to play.
Mississippi at Alabama- Mississippi already upset Florida and now tries to take one off a rested Alabama. The tide couldn’t overcome the bye week to secure the #1 spot and now have to make sure the time off didn’t slow them down.
Stanford at UCLA- This is for all the people out there that pretend to follow all of college football but don’t. Stanford is 3-1 in the Pac 10 and 4-3 overall. Stanford isn’t as bad a team as people think just because they were bad a few years ago. UCLA on the other hand isn’t very good.
Arkansas State at Louisiana Lafayette- A Sun Belt shaping game as both come in at 2-0 in the conference. Other than that I don’t know much on either team. I know ULL has a good running game and Arkansas State beat Texas A&M to open the season.
Florida International at Troy- Here is another one. Both teams are 2-0 in the Sun belt. Troy was expected to be here and playing for the conference. FIU on the other hand was not and was at a point where a 6-6 season would have been a surprise.
San Jose State at new Mexico State- The WAC has been fairly defined by Boise State, Fresno State and Hawaii. Here is a couple teams that are in the chase for now. SJS is 2-0 and NMS is 1-0 in the conference. Yeah I know it is early that’s why I said for now.
UTEP at Tulsa- Both enter 3-0 in conference play. That’s where the similar records ends. Tulsa is 6-0 and is playing for an undefeated season and an outside chance at a big time bowl. UTEP is pretty much playing for a conference championship game birth and a normal CUSA bowl.
Virginia Tech at Boston College- Interdivisional match up in the ACC. Virginia Tech comes in at 2-0 in the conference while Boston College is 1-1. BC needs to win to stay in the conference race.
Missouri at Texas- Texas has entered the murderous part of their schedule. They took care of Oklahoma and now have Missouri and Oklahoma State at home followed by a trip to Texas Tech all in a row. Missouri is trying to rebound after the loss to Oklahoma State.
Cal at Arizona- Cal is the only team that is undefeated in the Pac 10. Arizona was up until falling short against Stanford last week. If Arizona can upset Cal then the Pac 10 race opens up again.
LSU at South Carolina- LSU is still squarely in the SEC West fight while South Carolina is hoping to make a bowl game. I would expect a bit of a defensive battle.
What's to say?? I love college sports. I love watching, tv or live. Football, basketball, soccer, baseball, track, softball, lacrose, it doesn't matter what it is I love it all.
