Well, the BCS Title game picture almost became more clear yesterday, but late comebacks by Alabama and Notre Dame kept the picture clouded. Notre Dame seems to have 1 more hurdle to climb in USC, Bama has A&M/SEC title game, Oregon has Stanford/OSU/PAC-12 title game, and K-St has TCU and Texas.
The K-St season may hinge on Collin Klein's health this week. TCU is pretty good on D and has an athletic QB that could give their D problems. I think Notre Dame is going to struggle keeping up with USC's offense, leaving the SEC champ to play Oregon if the Ducks can win out, which I think they will.
Consider this situation...
UGA wins out and meets unbeaten Bama in the Dome
K-St falls to TCU or Texas
Oregon loses to USC in PAC-12 title game
Notre Dame loses to USC
Who does the SEC winner play? Not Oregon, a non-conference champ. I think in this scenario there are 3 teams that could make a strong case.
1). 1-loss Conference champ K-St, especially if they lose with Klein not playing
2). Notre Dame, with several quality wins
3). Florida State, if they win out and capture the ACC and knock off the Gators
Who would get your vote? It's K-St, regardless of the Klein situation in my opinion...
Poll for 11/4
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Kansas St
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. South Carolina
9. Ohio St
10. Florida St
11. Oregon St
12. Texas A&M
13. Louisville
14. Clemson
15. Stanford
16. UCLA
17. Nebraska
18. Oklahoma
19. Mississippi St
20. Texas
21. Michigan
22. USC
23. Texas Tech
24. Oklahoma St
25. TCU
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The fall of the unbeatens begins...
It happens every October. The first BCS rankings are released, and everyone wants to know what unbeaten will be left out of the BCS Title game. But it happens every October, upsets and crazy plays mess up everything and these teams end up playing themselves out of the race. Saturday, our list of unbeatens went from 11 to 6, and expect that to dwindle down even more the next few weeks.
Most interesting BCS argument now is not Oregon/K-St/Notre Dame, those teams will sort themselves out soon enough. What's really interesting to consider, though, is what happens if LSU beats Alabama in Baton Rouge next week. That would give us a likely 1- loss SEC Champ. Could a 12-1 Bama be left out if 2 of the Oregon/K-St/ND trio remain undefeated? I think so.
Poll for 10/28
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Kansas St
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Ohio St
9. Florida St
10. South Carolina
11. Louisville
12. Mississippi St
13. Clemson
14. Oregon St
15. Texas A&M
16. Oklahoma
17. Stanford
18. Texas Tech
19. UCLA
20. Nebraska
21. Arizona
22. USC
23. Oklahoma St
24. Toledo
25. Louisiana Tech
Most interesting BCS argument now is not Oregon/K-St/Notre Dame, those teams will sort themselves out soon enough. What's really interesting to consider, though, is what happens if LSU beats Alabama in Baton Rouge next week. That would give us a likely 1- loss SEC Champ. Could a 12-1 Bama be left out if 2 of the Oregon/K-St/ND trio remain undefeated? I think so.
Poll for 10/28
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Kansas St
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Ohio St
9. Florida St
10. South Carolina
11. Louisville
12. Mississippi St
13. Clemson
14. Oregon St
15. Texas A&M
16. Oklahoma
17. Stanford
18. Texas Tech
19. UCLA
20. Nebraska
21. Arizona
22. USC
23. Oklahoma St
24. Toledo
25. Louisiana Tech
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Oregon/Bama on collision course
Two more dominant performances by what appears to be the 2 best teams in the nation Saturday really have college football fans drooling over the chance to see these 2 strong teams go at it in January. Both teams have some big obstacles, as USC is as talented as anyone and Florida appears to be back as a legit top 5 team. But, after blowing out another opponent yesterday, the Ducks and Tide seem to be the the top 2. Kansas State and Notre Dame are certainly other wild cards, but K-State has a really tough finishing schedule and Notre Dame has that talented USC team along with a really good Oklahoma team.
We will have much more sorted out next week as Bama plays unbeaten Miss St, K-State plays a hot Texas Tech squad, Florida battles Georgia, and Notre Dame gets USC. Should be fun...
Poll for 10/21
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Kansas State
5. Notre Dame
6. LSU
7. Oregon State
8. Oklahoma
9. Mississippi State
10. Ohio State
11. Louisville
12. Rutgers
13. USC West
14. USC East
15. Georgia
16. Texas A&M
17. Michigan
18. Florida State
19. Texas Tech
20. Clemson
21. Ohio
22. Stanford
23. UCLA
24. Nebraska
25. TCU
We will have much more sorted out next week as Bama plays unbeaten Miss St, K-State plays a hot Texas Tech squad, Florida battles Georgia, and Notre Dame gets USC. Should be fun...
Poll for 10/21
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Kansas State
5. Notre Dame
6. LSU
7. Oregon State
8. Oklahoma
9. Mississippi State
10. Ohio State
11. Louisville
12. Rutgers
13. USC West
14. USC East
15. Georgia
16. Texas A&M
17. Michigan
18. Florida State
19. Texas Tech
20. Clemson
21. Ohio
22. Stanford
23. UCLA
24. Nebraska
25. TCU
Sunday, October 14, 2012
CFB thoughts...
Some thoughts as more top 5 teams go down week after week...
The Big East has a chance to play a pretty high profile game on Thanksgiving night if Rutgers and Louisville keep winning. If those 2 are unbeaten and ranked in the top 10 heading into that game, it will really boost that league.
The Big 12 is a mess. Kansas State looks to be a legit top 10 team but still has WVU, Baylor, TCU, Texas, and OSU to play. Likely a 1 loss champion and another season without a BCS title game team unless K-St wins 'em all.
Speaking of K-St, Collin Klein may be your Heisman winner after the WVU-Geno Smith meltdown yesterday. AJ McCarron will still get soe hype, Braxton Miller has been unreal, and Matt Barkley may get back in the race, but Klein has my vote today.
I watched a bit of the MSU-Iowa game yesterday and am saying goodbye to that league for the season. Just dreadful offense, running 4 yard outs on 3rd and 12, and the result is Iowa leading the Legends Division - the same Iowa that lost to 2-4 last in the MAC Central Michigan. See ya next year.
Poll for 10/14
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Notre Dame
5. Kansas St
6. LSU
7. South Carolina
8. Ohio St
9. Oregon St
10. Oklahoma
11. Missississi St
12. Georgia
13. Texas Tech
14. Louisville
15. Rutgers
16. USC
17. Florida St
18. Texas A&M
19. Clemson
20. Stanford
21. Cincinnati
22. West Virginia
23. Michigan
24. TCU
25. Northwestern
The Big East has a chance to play a pretty high profile game on Thanksgiving night if Rutgers and Louisville keep winning. If those 2 are unbeaten and ranked in the top 10 heading into that game, it will really boost that league.
The Big 12 is a mess. Kansas State looks to be a legit top 10 team but still has WVU, Baylor, TCU, Texas, and OSU to play. Likely a 1 loss champion and another season without a BCS title game team unless K-St wins 'em all.
Speaking of K-St, Collin Klein may be your Heisman winner after the WVU-Geno Smith meltdown yesterday. AJ McCarron will still get soe hype, Braxton Miller has been unreal, and Matt Barkley may get back in the race, but Klein has my vote today.
I watched a bit of the MSU-Iowa game yesterday and am saying goodbye to that league for the season. Just dreadful offense, running 4 yard outs on 3rd and 12, and the result is Iowa leading the Legends Division - the same Iowa that lost to 2-4 last in the MAC Central Michigan. See ya next year.
Poll for 10/14
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Notre Dame
5. Kansas St
6. LSU
7. South Carolina
8. Ohio St
9. Oregon St
10. Oklahoma
11. Missississi St
12. Georgia
13. Texas Tech
14. Louisville
15. Rutgers
16. USC
17. Florida St
18. Texas A&M
19. Clemson
20. Stanford
21. Cincinnati
22. West Virginia
23. Michigan
24. TCU
25. Northwestern
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Braves back in postseason
I guess that's what you call it - the postseason...although the losers of the WC play-in game certainly won't feel like postseason teams. But, it's nice to be in that game and not shaking our heads at another failed regular season.
The WC play-in game is interesting considering you get to set your roster just as you would for a series, even though there's just one game. So, the Braves for instance, could keep Boscan, Constanza, Baker, and Overbay along with their core guys because there's no need to keep more than 7-8 pitchers for the game. I'd keep my regular relievers plus 1 starter just in case it goes extras.
As for the starters, it appears Medlen will get the start, which I think is the right move. Win, and you've got Hudson-Minor for your home games and Maholm-Medlen-Hudson for games 3-5.
Anything can happen in a 1 game scenario, but the Cards are certainly a strong playoff club, I would guess either Wainwright or Lohse pitches the WC play-in game, but what makes them a scary opponent in the postseason is the possibility of facing Wainwright-Lohse-Lynn-Carpenter in a long series. Brave post-season foe Carlos Beltran is always a tough out, and we all saw David Freese and Allen Craig hit well in big games last season.
However, the guy that scares me the most is Yadier Molina. He is an outstanding hitter and always seems to come up big for that team when they need him.
I think it's an advantage for the Braves that St Louis hasn't seen Medlen since May 28th and that was as a reliever. I like the Braves post-season chances, I just hope we get to see them in a traditional post season series.
I want Friday, October 5th to be a springboard to a Braves run, not a final farewell to one of the greatest Atlanta athletes of all-time.
The WC play-in game is interesting considering you get to set your roster just as you would for a series, even though there's just one game. So, the Braves for instance, could keep Boscan, Constanza, Baker, and Overbay along with their core guys because there's no need to keep more than 7-8 pitchers for the game. I'd keep my regular relievers plus 1 starter just in case it goes extras.
As for the starters, it appears Medlen will get the start, which I think is the right move. Win, and you've got Hudson-Minor for your home games and Maholm-Medlen-Hudson for games 3-5.
Anything can happen in a 1 game scenario, but the Cards are certainly a strong playoff club, I would guess either Wainwright or Lohse pitches the WC play-in game, but what makes them a scary opponent in the postseason is the possibility of facing Wainwright-Lohse-Lynn-Carpenter in a long series. Brave post-season foe Carlos Beltran is always a tough out, and we all saw David Freese and Allen Craig hit well in big games last season.
However, the guy that scares me the most is Yadier Molina. He is an outstanding hitter and always seems to come up big for that team when they need him.
I think it's an advantage for the Braves that St Louis hasn't seen Medlen since May 28th and that was as a reliever. I like the Braves post-season chances, I just hope we get to see them in a traditional post season series.
I want Friday, October 5th to be a springboard to a Braves run, not a final farewell to one of the greatest Atlanta athletes of all-time.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Things we learned Saturday
Thoughts on the first Saturday I was able to sit and watch games all day...
1). Clemson still has the same issues on D - couldn't stop the run, couldn't defend the pass, couldn't get off the field on 3rd down. FSU is good, but to be considered elite, you have to get stops in big games and can't give up 50.
2). Bill Snyder is still getting it done at age 72 - After Snyder left after the 2005 season, Ron Prince went 17-20 and the Wildcat faithful called on Coach Snyder to get them back to their winning ways of 95-03. Sure enough, the Cats look strong again with solid defense and great QB play.
3). Rutgers has an excellent shot at making some noise this year - after surviving their toughest stretch of the season undefeated (@ USF, @ ARK), the Scarlet Knights come home for dates with UConn and Syracuse. After that, they get Temple, Kent St, and Army. Look for Rutgers to be 9-0 and in the top 10 heading into Thanksgiving week.
4). Who will the Big-10 representative be in the Rose Bowl this year? Ohio State is the lone unbeaten but is not bowl eligible this year. My guess? Purdue. The Boilers played ND better than either Michigan school and other Leaders division teams Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana have not looked good early on. Let's go with Purdue over Nebraska in the Big 10 Title game.
5) The Oregon D really may be the best in the Chip Kelly era. Now, Arizona wasn't a top 35 opponent, but they have been strong on O and have some good skill players. Their upcoming games with Stanford and their trip to LA later in the year should be interesting.
6). Can Dooley survive October? The Vols were sky-high 8 days ago and even through 2 quarters against Florida. However, the Vols issues on D and inability to run the ball are very glaring now and yesterday's game against Akron (a team UCF beat by 40) was a 1 TD game with 10 minutes left in the 4th. So, at 3-1, will Derek Dooley still have his job on November 1st if they lose their October games (@UGA, @ Miss St, vs Bama, @ South Carolina)? I say yes, as long as they compete and he will have a chance to win out and get to a bowl to buy him another year. A 20+ point loss to say UGA and Bama may get him on the outs.
7). Not many top-tier games next week, but October 6th gives us Florida-LSU, UGA-USC, Texas-WVU, and Nebraska-OSU. We will have some teams fall off the Title Game chase after these games are played.
RSM poll 9/23
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida St
4. Georgia
5. LSU
6. Notre Dame
7. Kansas St
8. South Carolina
9. Florida
10. Stanford
11. West Virginia
12. Texas
13. Clemson
14. USC
15. TCU
16. Ohio St
17. Oregon St
18. Mississippi St
19. Oklahoma
20. Rutgers
21. Purdue
22. Iowa St
23. Cincinnati
24. Louisville
25. Michigan St
1). Clemson still has the same issues on D - couldn't stop the run, couldn't defend the pass, couldn't get off the field on 3rd down. FSU is good, but to be considered elite, you have to get stops in big games and can't give up 50.
2). Bill Snyder is still getting it done at age 72 - After Snyder left after the 2005 season, Ron Prince went 17-20 and the Wildcat faithful called on Coach Snyder to get them back to their winning ways of 95-03. Sure enough, the Cats look strong again with solid defense and great QB play.
3). Rutgers has an excellent shot at making some noise this year - after surviving their toughest stretch of the season undefeated (@ USF, @ ARK), the Scarlet Knights come home for dates with UConn and Syracuse. After that, they get Temple, Kent St, and Army. Look for Rutgers to be 9-0 and in the top 10 heading into Thanksgiving week.
4). Who will the Big-10 representative be in the Rose Bowl this year? Ohio State is the lone unbeaten but is not bowl eligible this year. My guess? Purdue. The Boilers played ND better than either Michigan school and other Leaders division teams Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana have not looked good early on. Let's go with Purdue over Nebraska in the Big 10 Title game.
5) The Oregon D really may be the best in the Chip Kelly era. Now, Arizona wasn't a top 35 opponent, but they have been strong on O and have some good skill players. Their upcoming games with Stanford and their trip to LA later in the year should be interesting.
6). Can Dooley survive October? The Vols were sky-high 8 days ago and even through 2 quarters against Florida. However, the Vols issues on D and inability to run the ball are very glaring now and yesterday's game against Akron (a team UCF beat by 40) was a 1 TD game with 10 minutes left in the 4th. So, at 3-1, will Derek Dooley still have his job on November 1st if they lose their October games (@UGA, @ Miss St, vs Bama, @ South Carolina)? I say yes, as long as they compete and he will have a chance to win out and get to a bowl to buy him another year. A 20+ point loss to say UGA and Bama may get him on the outs.
7). Not many top-tier games next week, but October 6th gives us Florida-LSU, UGA-USC, Texas-WVU, and Nebraska-OSU. We will have some teams fall off the Title Game chase after these games are played.
RSM poll 9/23
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida St
4. Georgia
5. LSU
6. Notre Dame
7. Kansas St
8. South Carolina
9. Florida
10. Stanford
11. West Virginia
12. Texas
13. Clemson
14. USC
15. TCU
16. Ohio St
17. Oregon St
18. Mississippi St
19. Oklahoma
20. Rutgers
21. Purdue
22. Iowa St
23. Cincinnati
24. Louisville
25. Michigan St
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Lots of CFB stuff to get to...
I have a lot of college football thoughts after week 3, including a few teams that appear to be back to elite status. USC was mixed in with Bama and LSU this offseason, assuming they were all of a sudden back where they were under Pete Carroll. Well, having elite, NFL quality skill players doesn't cover up problems on D and the O-line - just ask 2008 Georgia.
The PAC-12 is off to a good start, even if they may not get a team in the title game again. Oregon St, Arizona, Stanford, Oregon, and even UCLA are off to perfect starts. Arizona State looks better with Todd Graham and Cal put forth a great effort against Ohio St yesterday. It's not all good, though,mas Utah fell to Utah St and Colorado was down 55-0 to Fresno in the 1st half.
So, if the Bama-LSU winner is in the title game as most people expect, who are some of the candidates to face them? In order right now...
1) Texas/Oklahoma winner - both teams have loads of talent and there is no championship game to get through. West Virginia has started strong, but I don't think they have the depth to hang with these 2.
2) Florida St - the Noles look very stout and if they beat Clemson next week, they may move to #1 on this list
3). Oregon - They have to go to USC, but they've won there before. USC could get some help and beat the Ducks twice and squeak in as a 1-loss team.
4). Notre Dame - can the Irish do it? If they run the table with their schedule, they are in.
5). Bama/LSU loser - it's happened before!
RSM poll week 3
1). Alabama
2). LSU
3). Oregon
4). Florida St
5). Georgia
6) Stanford
7). Oklahoma
8). South Carolina
9). Notre Dame
10) Florida
11) Ohio St
12) Clemson
13) Texas
14) USC
15) Mississippi St
16) West Virginia
17) Kansas St
18). Arizona
19). TCU
20). UCLA
21). Rutgers
22). Michigan
23). Baylor
24) Cincinnati
25). Northwestern
The PAC-12 is off to a good start, even if they may not get a team in the title game again. Oregon St, Arizona, Stanford, Oregon, and even UCLA are off to perfect starts. Arizona State looks better with Todd Graham and Cal put forth a great effort against Ohio St yesterday. It's not all good, though,mas Utah fell to Utah St and Colorado was down 55-0 to Fresno in the 1st half.
So, if the Bama-LSU winner is in the title game as most people expect, who are some of the candidates to face them? In order right now...
1) Texas/Oklahoma winner - both teams have loads of talent and there is no championship game to get through. West Virginia has started strong, but I don't think they have the depth to hang with these 2.
2) Florida St - the Noles look very stout and if they beat Clemson next week, they may move to #1 on this list
3). Oregon - They have to go to USC, but they've won there before. USC could get some help and beat the Ducks twice and squeak in as a 1-loss team.
4). Notre Dame - can the Irish do it? If they run the table with their schedule, they are in.
5). Bama/LSU loser - it's happened before!
RSM poll week 3
1). Alabama
2). LSU
3). Oregon
4). Florida St
5). Georgia
6) Stanford
7). Oklahoma
8). South Carolina
9). Notre Dame
10) Florida
11) Ohio St
12) Clemson
13) Texas
14) USC
15) Mississippi St
16) West Virginia
17) Kansas St
18). Arizona
19). TCU
20). UCLA
21). Rutgers
22). Michigan
23). Baylor
24) Cincinnati
25). Northwestern
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