Strapped for time...driving to Charlotte for the Panthers game...quick picks.
USF over WVU
Oregon over California
Clemson over Georgia Tech
Purdue over Notre Dame
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Week 4
Shaking Things Up: Week 4 is 'upset week'
Syracuse over #18 Louisville. Michigan over #10 Penn State. #22 Georgia over #16 Alabama. Miami over #20 Texas A&M. There were a couple of other near-upsets, too. A few things were business as usual, though...LSU, USC, and OU all rolled.
I went 4-0 with my picks this week, including three upsets. Can't accuse me of picking obvious, cupcake games. My overall 2007 record is 10-3...maybe I should find a bookie...
1. There you are, Buckeyes...
Ohio State struggled, struggled, struggled...and then finally exploded and put up 58 points on Northwestern. They're making a push to really move up from being a good team to being a great, national title contender team. They lost a lot of players from last year, especially on offense, but with the young talent they have they'll only get better with every game. Watch out for the Buckeyes; suddenly they're the favorites to win the Big Ten.
2. Can Michigan win the Big Ten?
In short, yes. They knocked off Penn State to open league play with a victory, and if they can do the same against the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Purdue then they can. It's not likely, but with Mike Hart running the ball they'll have a chance. I still think Ohio State or Purdue will win it. If Hart can keep up putting up 150+ yards a game and wills his team to victory after victory, expect him to be hoisting the Heisman at the end of the season.
3. Matt Flynn vs. Ryan Perriloux, who does LSU ride?
Is there a quarterback controversy down in the bayou? This pair couldn't be more different. Flynn has patiently waited his turn, a quiet fifth year senior who lets his play speak for itself. Perriloux came out of high school proclaiming he would win 4 Heismans and be better than Vince Young. In his defense, Perriloux seems to have cleaned up his act this season. I don't think there's a controversy at LSU--Flynn is the unquestioned starter. I can see a set-up being used like Florida did last season with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, however...use one to pass and the other to switch things up as a running threat.
4. Goodbye, Lousville...and goodbye, Brohm's Heisman
Brian Brohm is still the best quarterback in the country; too bad his defense might be more effective just stepping off the field, letting the other team score, and leaving Brohm and the offense on the field all game. Louisville falls out of the top 25 after a loss to Big East bottom feeder Syracuse, who some said wouldn't win a single game this season. For those unfamiliar with the Big East, this would be like Duke beating Virginia Tech. Oh well, Louisville will still go to a bowl...just more like on Dec. 23 instead of in 2008. Brohm should just start preparing for being reunited with Bobby Petrino in Atlanta next season.
5. Is Kentucky for real?
Can the Wildcats win the SEC East? Yes, absolutely. Florida's remaining schedule includes @LSU, @Kentucky, vs. Georgia, @South Carolina, @Florida State. The Gators will lose at least one, if not two, of these games. Kentucky will lose one or two as well, and Georgia has already lost one and will lose a second. If Kentucky can survive with only one SEC loss, they have a very legitimate chance to win the SEC East and face LSU in the SEC Championship. Andre Woodson didn't put up huge numbers vs. Arkansas, but he was efficient and effective.
Heisman Race
There was a big shake-up in the Heisman running this week. The award is supposed to go to the best college football player in the country, but unfortunately it goes to the best player on a good team. Mike Hart, Brian Brohm and Darren McFadden are the most hurt by this. Colt Brennan sat a game out with an ankle injury, severely hurting his Heisman hopes. But this kid from Texas Tech has the nation asking, Colt who?
1. Tim Tebow, QB Florida (1,454 total yards, 17 total TD's)
2. Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia (617 total yards, 10 total TD's)
3. Ray Rice, RB Rutgers (492 total yards, 9 total TD's)
4. Curtis Painter, QB Purdue (1,290 passing yards, 16 passing TD's)
5. Graham Harrell, QB Texas Tech (1,962 passing yards, 19 passing TD's)
On the Bubble: Colt Brennan, Dennis Dixon, Andre Woodson, Mike Hart, Brian Brohm, Darren McFadden
Golden Top 25
1. LSU
2. USC
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. West Virginia
6. Ohio State
7. Texas
8. California
9. Wisconsin
10. Rutgers
11. Clemson
12. Boston College
13. Oregon
14. Kentucky
15. Georgia
16. Virginia Tech
17. Purdue
18. Hawaii
19. South Florida
20. Penn State
21. Missouri
22. South Carolina
23. Arizona State
24. Cincinatti
25. Alabama
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Week 4 Picks
Apparently it's SEC week for college football...
1. #12
2. #10
This is a tough game to call...which Wolverines team will show up? True freshman Ryan Mallett is touted as being even better than Jimmy Clausen--but that's not saying much.
3. #22
This is another hard game to predict. Nick Saban is definitely off to a great start in his first year at
4. #21
Heisman candidate Andre Woodson makes his national debut as he's broadcast on ESPN2, and he'll make the most of it. Expect him to put up Heisman-worthy numbers...I'd expect no less than 300 yards and 3 TD's. On the other hand,
Sunday, September 16, 2007
More Questions
I went 3-0 with my picks, and I actually picked Kentucky to upset Louisville but didn't put it on this blog. If you don't believe me you can ask my roommate who is now short $20 because I bet him the Wildcats would pull off the upset. However, since it wasn't posted here, I won't count it. Through Week 3 my overall record is 6-3.
As is typical of most questions in the world, the answers we received last week just opened the door for more questions to arise this week. The top four teams are clear: USC, LSU, Oklahoma and Florida. After that, teams ranked 5-25 could all be interchangeable. It seems none of them want to step up and solidify their rankings, and the result is the most unclear and jumbled Top 25 in recent history.
More Questions, Less Answers
1. Who is going to make it out of the brutal SEC?
I can already see it happening: Florida beats LSU, South Carolina beats Florida, Kentucky beats South Carolina, Georgia beats Kentucky...this conference just continues to ruin each other's seasons. The class of the SEC, without question, are LSU and Florida. The problem is that any other SEC team, on any given week, can get their act together and knock them off. This isn't really a surprise, not anymore than Tiger Woods winning the FedEx Cup, but this year the SEC seems even more determined to beat each other up and lessen the chance of having a delegate in the BCS Championship. The most recent victim: Arkansas. Why do they even play Casey Dick? A one-legged meth junkie would be more adept at playing the quarterback position. They might as well just line up McFadden on a direct snap every play. The only positive notes for the SEC this week are that Florida's defense is getting better with every game and that Kentucky is for real.
2a. When will West Virginia lose?
They're incapable of blowing teams out; even bad teams. That means that sooner or later one of these bad teams will stick around long enough to pull off the upset, or WVU will remain undefeated only to get blown out more forcefully than Mt. St Helens when they finally meet a respectable opponent. They're only ranked so high because they were up there before the season...realistically they're a #15-#20 team. My prediction: they'll fall to South Florida on Sept. 28.
2b. When will Texas lose?
I don't know what they're putting in the water down there in Austin, but I'd wager it's large doses of NyQuil because that team looks just plain drowsy. They're even more incapable of blowing out a team than West Virginia; it seems like every week Texas is fighting off an upset. Colt McCoy somehow, after a great freshman campaign, managed to get worse. Aren't college kids supposed to get drastically better with age? The Red River Shootout, assuming the Longhorns can beat Rice and Kansas State (two big ifs considering how Texas has been playing), will be like a shootout where only one side actually has guns.
3. What about the Pac 10?
Really, #11 UCLA? You lost to Urban Meyer-less Utah by 38 points? Cal's victory over Tennessee has been somewhat diminished by Florida's drubbing of the Volunteers. So much for the Pac 10 being the best conference in the country--after all, only Pac 10 fans had been saying that anyway. USC is the only team worth anything out west.
4. Will Notre Dame win a game?
Even Jimmy Clausen can beat Duke. But that'll be the only game the Irish win. If Notre Dame doesn't go to a bowl game and Weis isn't fired, expect the sports nation to unleash a flurry of racism allegations against the university...and ironically, Ty Willingham is having himself a nice little season so far at Washington--not even close to the recruiting mecca that Notre Dame is--despite losing this week to Ohio State.
Heisman Race
1. Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii (1,296 total yards, 16 total TD's)
2. Ray Rice, RB Rutgers (492 total yards, 9 total TD's)
3. Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia (465 total yards, 9 total TD's)
4. Tim Tebow, QB Florida (1,028 total yards, 13 total TD's)
5. Curtis Painter, QB Purdue (952 passing yards, 13 passing TD's)
On the bubble: Matt Ryan, Andre Woodson, Dennis Dixon, Darren McFadden, Brian Brohm
Golden Top 25
1. USC
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
From here on, it's in a very ambiguous order. None of the teams #5-#25 have established themselves. Most of these teams are ranked highly because they haven't lost.......yet.
5. West Virginia
6. California
7. Wisconsin
8. Penn State
9. Ohio State
10. Texas
11. Rutgers
12. Clemson
13. Boston College
14. Kentucky
15. Oregon
16. South Carolina
17. Alabama
18. Virginia Tech
19. Hawaii
20. Louisville
21. Purdue
22. South Florida
23. Georgia
24. Texas A&M
25. Missouri
More Questions, Less Answers
1. Who is going to make it out of the brutal SEC?
I can already see it happening: Florida beats LSU, South Carolina beats Florida, Kentucky beats South Carolina, Georgia beats Kentucky...this conference just continues to ruin each other's seasons. The class of the SEC, without question, are LSU and Florida. The problem is that any other SEC team, on any given week, can get their act together and knock them off. This isn't really a surprise, not anymore than Tiger Woods winning the FedEx Cup, but this year the SEC seems even more determined to beat each other up and lessen the chance of having a delegate in the BCS Championship. The most recent victim: Arkansas. Why do they even play Casey Dick? A one-legged meth junkie would be more adept at playing the quarterback position. They might as well just line up McFadden on a direct snap every play. The only positive notes for the SEC this week are that Florida's defense is getting better with every game and that Kentucky is for real.
2a. When will West Virginia lose?
They're incapable of blowing teams out; even bad teams. That means that sooner or later one of these bad teams will stick around long enough to pull off the upset, or WVU will remain undefeated only to get blown out more forcefully than Mt. St Helens when they finally meet a respectable opponent. They're only ranked so high because they were up there before the season...realistically they're a #15-#20 team. My prediction: they'll fall to South Florida on Sept. 28.
2b. When will Texas lose?
I don't know what they're putting in the water down there in Austin, but I'd wager it's large doses of NyQuil because that team looks just plain drowsy. They're even more incapable of blowing out a team than West Virginia; it seems like every week Texas is fighting off an upset. Colt McCoy somehow, after a great freshman campaign, managed to get worse. Aren't college kids supposed to get drastically better with age? The Red River Shootout, assuming the Longhorns can beat Rice and Kansas State (two big ifs considering how Texas has been playing), will be like a shootout where only one side actually has guns.
3. What about the Pac 10?
Really, #11 UCLA? You lost to Urban Meyer-less Utah by 38 points? Cal's victory over Tennessee has been somewhat diminished by Florida's drubbing of the Volunteers. So much for the Pac 10 being the best conference in the country--after all, only Pac 10 fans had been saying that anyway. USC is the only team worth anything out west.
4. Will Notre Dame win a game?
Even Jimmy Clausen can beat Duke. But that'll be the only game the Irish win. If Notre Dame doesn't go to a bowl game and Weis isn't fired, expect the sports nation to unleash a flurry of racism allegations against the university...and ironically, Ty Willingham is having himself a nice little season so far at Washington--not even close to the recruiting mecca that Notre Dame is--despite losing this week to Ohio State.
Heisman Race
1. Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii (1,296 total yards, 16 total TD's)
2. Ray Rice, RB Rutgers (492 total yards, 9 total TD's)
3. Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia (465 total yards, 9 total TD's)
4. Tim Tebow, QB Florida (1,028 total yards, 13 total TD's)
5. Curtis Painter, QB Purdue (952 passing yards, 13 passing TD's)
On the bubble: Matt Ryan, Andre Woodson, Dennis Dixon, Darren McFadden, Brian Brohm
Golden Top 25
1. USC
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
From here on, it's in a very ambiguous order. None of the teams #5-#25 have established themselves. Most of these teams are ranked highly because they haven't lost.......yet.
5. West Virginia
6. California
7. Wisconsin
8. Penn State
9. Ohio State
10. Texas
11. Rutgers
12. Clemson
13. Boston College
14. Kentucky
15. Oregon
16. South Carolina
17. Alabama
18. Virginia Tech
19. Hawaii
20. Louisville
21. Purdue
22. South Florida
23. Georgia
24. Texas A&M
25. Missouri
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Week 3 Breakdown and Picks
1. #22 Tennessee at #5 Florida
The kind of season each team is having is irrelevant. These two SEC power houses always play each other close, which is why this rivalry is quickly become one of the most intense match-ups in the country. Two potent offenses will attack two questionable defenses for the right to jump to the top spot in the SEC East. This game will be a traditional shootout, a score for score slug-fest that'll make fans think Steve Spurrier is back at the reigns of the Florida offense. In the end, Florida has more talent and The Swamp...but as is typical of this annual, the outcome will be decided in the last two minutes. Florida in a close, high scoring affair.
2. Notre Dame at Michigan
Usually this early-season rivalry decides which team has serious BCS potential and which team is destined for a lesser bowl. In 2007, however, the most this game will decide is whether the winner has a chance to go to a bowl at all. Michigan's performance the past two weeks has made Britney Spears' VMA "dance" look like a perfectly choreographed piece of art. Notre Dame hasn't exactly been Chris Brown, either. The outcome of this game is irrelevant in the larger scheme of things, but I think Michigan takes it. Notre Dame doesn't have the spread offense that has shredded Michigan this season; in fact, Notre Dame has one of the worst rushing attacks in the nation. Mike Hart might be able to jump back into the Heisman race if he can carry Michigan to a victory like he promised after the loss to Oregon. Michigan.
3. #21 Boston College at #15 Georgia Tech
Matt Ryan is severely under the radar. He's far and away the best quarterback in the ACC (who else? Kyle Wright? The now-benched Sean Glennon?) and is the Eagles' resident Heisman candidate. Georgia Tech has a Heisman hopeful itself in do-it-all runningback Tashard Choice, who has put up ridiculous numbers so far this season. Boston College's defense ranks fourth in the nation, though, and that's what will decide this game. A good running game versus a good run defense. Personally I think they'll void each other out and the outcome will be based on the passing attacks--and senior Matt Ryan has the experience. Boston College, but close.
The kind of season each team is having is irrelevant. These two SEC power houses always play each other close, which is why this rivalry is quickly become one of the most intense match-ups in the country. Two potent offenses will attack two questionable defenses for the right to jump to the top spot in the SEC East. This game will be a traditional shootout, a score for score slug-fest that'll make fans think Steve Spurrier is back at the reigns of the Florida offense. In the end, Florida has more talent and The Swamp...but as is typical of this annual, the outcome will be decided in the last two minutes. Florida in a close, high scoring affair.
2. Notre Dame at Michigan
Usually this early-season rivalry decides which team has serious BCS potential and which team is destined for a lesser bowl. In 2007, however, the most this game will decide is whether the winner has a chance to go to a bowl at all. Michigan's performance the past two weeks has made Britney Spears' VMA "dance" look like a perfectly choreographed piece of art. Notre Dame hasn't exactly been Chris Brown, either. The outcome of this game is irrelevant in the larger scheme of things, but I think Michigan takes it. Notre Dame doesn't have the spread offense that has shredded Michigan this season; in fact, Notre Dame has one of the worst rushing attacks in the nation. Mike Hart might be able to jump back into the Heisman race if he can carry Michigan to a victory like he promised after the loss to Oregon. Michigan.
3. #21 Boston College at #15 Georgia Tech
Matt Ryan is severely under the radar. He's far and away the best quarterback in the ACC (who else? Kyle Wright? The now-benched Sean Glennon?) and is the Eagles' resident Heisman candidate. Georgia Tech has a Heisman hopeful itself in do-it-all runningback Tashard Choice, who has put up ridiculous numbers so far this season. Boston College's defense ranks fourth in the nation, though, and that's what will decide this game. A good running game versus a good run defense. Personally I think they'll void each other out and the outcome will be based on the passing attacks--and senior Matt Ryan has the experience. Boston College, but close.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Solving the Puzzle
I went 3-3 with my picks for Week 2.
This week was typical of being early on in a college football season. There were a few surprises, and a few banal outcomes, but since it's at the beginning of a season do we really know what is a surprise and what's expected? The top teams are obvious...USC and LSU...but after that, how much do we really know? Do we have a factual basis, from watching on-field play, for saying West Virginia is #3 and Penn State is #14? No. Not yet.
But weeks like Week 2 are the kind where we begin to find out how good (or bad) these 2007 squads actually are. A lot of people had been whispering that Virginia Tech was overrated, and without them getting clownstomped by LSU we wouldn't have known that. Florida's defense was questionable after losing 9 starters from last year's national championship team, and now that Troy put up 31 on them we can say definitively that the Gators' defense does have serious holes. In this vein, my analysis of NCAA Week 2 is entitled:
The Truth: Separating the Men from the Boys
1. Michigan.....This is not a good football team. I, like a lot of sports fans, really believed that they had just had an off day against a good football team in their loss to Appalachian State. Surely they would bounce back, play with a fire in their eyes and a chip on their shoulders, and demolish Pac-10 foe Oregon. That's why I said that the Wolverines would win big, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Michigan's defense is more porous than a cooking strainer, Henne should have gone pro, and Mike Hart is their lone bright spot. Hart has had a hell of a season already, and will continue to do so; it's a shame that a defense unable to stop a spread offense lost him the Heisman. From the way he has played on the field and remained calm, collected, and motivated off the field, Hart has surely won over the hearts of many NFL scouts. You had better bet the words "toughness," "character" and "leader" are written on all of his scout sheets. The Big Blue faithful are in for a woeful season--guaranteed losses against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Penn State. They'll be lucky to go to a bowl game.
2. And speaking of Ohio State...They haven't looked good, either. They were only up 3-2 on Akron at halftime and won by an unimpressive 20-3 score. The Big Ten was a powerhouse last year with the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Even though Penn State has joined the elite ranks, Ohio State and Michigan have fallen way off. That's the truth here: gone are the days, at least for 2007, of OSU and UM dominance of the Big Ten. Either Wisconsin, Penn State, or dark horse Purdue will win it this year.
3. SEC maybe not as powerful as some thought? From top to bottom, the SEC has traditionally been the strongest conference. I am not saying they have the best teams, I'm saying that they have the highest number of quality, competitive teams than any other conference. With the exception of Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, every SEC team has a chance to beat any given team in the nation on any given night. With Auburn and Georgia--two teams with national championship aspirations--losing this weekend the SEC was dealt a powerful blow. Even though Georgia lost to another SEC team, South Carolina, the Gamecocks aren't as good of a team in the long run and won't contend for a national title. So it was a loss for the SEC as a whole. The truth here is that the SEC isn't as strong as many people thought: even though LSU and Florida are some of the best teams in the country, it was believed that Tennessee and Georgia would be up there as well. Using simple math, one could say we found out that the SEC is about half as good as we thought it was.
4. Mid-majors struggle...Boise State lost and Hawaii had to use overtime to beat Louisiana Tech. With such teams putting up gaudy numbers and perfect records it might have been thought that they were as good as some of the elite teams. But would Oklahoma lose to Washington by two touchdowns, or would USC only beat Louisiana Tech by a point in overtime? The truth here is that although these mid-majors are good teams with the propensity to upset the big boys, they're right where they belong: ranked #20-#25 and no higher.
5. Oklahoma is for real...So they lost Adrian Peterson to the NFL draft and are starting a redshirt freshman at quarterback. Obviously 2007 would be a rebuilding year, right? Wrong. Sam Bradford continues to impress and Malcolm Kelly has just appeared as a blip on the national radar. Watch out for Oklahoma...after Week 2, they are the unquestionable #3 team in the country.
Heisman Race
1. Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii (964 yards passing, 11 total TD's)
2. Brian Brohm, QB Louisville (776 yards passing, 10 total TD's)
3. Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas (151 yards rushing, 2 total TD's)--inactive in week 2
4. Ray Rice, RB Rutgers (359 yards rushing, 5 TD's)
5. Tashard Choice, RB Georgia Tech (306 yards rushing, 4 TD's)
on the bubble: Tim Tebow, Steve Slaton, Patrick White
Golden Top 25
1. USC
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. West Virginia
6. Wisconsin
7. Texas
8. California
9. Penn State
10. UCLA
11. Louisville
12. Rutgers
13. Tennessee
14. Nebraska
15. Arkansas
16. Ohio State
17. Clemson
18. Virginia Tech
19. Georgia Tech
20. South Carolina
21. Oregon
22.Georgia
23. Hawaii
24. Boston College
25. Texas A&M
This week was typical of being early on in a college football season. There were a few surprises, and a few banal outcomes, but since it's at the beginning of a season do we really know what is a surprise and what's expected? The top teams are obvious...USC and LSU...but after that, how much do we really know? Do we have a factual basis, from watching on-field play, for saying West Virginia is #3 and Penn State is #14? No. Not yet.
But weeks like Week 2 are the kind where we begin to find out how good (or bad) these 2007 squads actually are. A lot of people had been whispering that Virginia Tech was overrated, and without them getting clownstomped by LSU we wouldn't have known that. Florida's defense was questionable after losing 9 starters from last year's national championship team, and now that Troy put up 31 on them we can say definitively that the Gators' defense does have serious holes. In this vein, my analysis of NCAA Week 2 is entitled:
The Truth: Separating the Men from the Boys
1. Michigan.....This is not a good football team. I, like a lot of sports fans, really believed that they had just had an off day against a good football team in their loss to Appalachian State. Surely they would bounce back, play with a fire in their eyes and a chip on their shoulders, and demolish Pac-10 foe Oregon. That's why I said that the Wolverines would win big, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Michigan's defense is more porous than a cooking strainer, Henne should have gone pro, and Mike Hart is their lone bright spot. Hart has had a hell of a season already, and will continue to do so; it's a shame that a defense unable to stop a spread offense lost him the Heisman. From the way he has played on the field and remained calm, collected, and motivated off the field, Hart has surely won over the hearts of many NFL scouts. You had better bet the words "toughness," "character" and "leader" are written on all of his scout sheets. The Big Blue faithful are in for a woeful season--guaranteed losses against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Penn State. They'll be lucky to go to a bowl game.
2. And speaking of Ohio State...They haven't looked good, either. They were only up 3-2 on Akron at halftime and won by an unimpressive 20-3 score. The Big Ten was a powerhouse last year with the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Even though Penn State has joined the elite ranks, Ohio State and Michigan have fallen way off. That's the truth here: gone are the days, at least for 2007, of OSU and UM dominance of the Big Ten. Either Wisconsin, Penn State, or dark horse Purdue will win it this year.
3. SEC maybe not as powerful as some thought? From top to bottom, the SEC has traditionally been the strongest conference. I am not saying they have the best teams, I'm saying that they have the highest number of quality, competitive teams than any other conference. With the exception of Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, every SEC team has a chance to beat any given team in the nation on any given night. With Auburn and Georgia--two teams with national championship aspirations--losing this weekend the SEC was dealt a powerful blow. Even though Georgia lost to another SEC team, South Carolina, the Gamecocks aren't as good of a team in the long run and won't contend for a national title. So it was a loss for the SEC as a whole. The truth here is that the SEC isn't as strong as many people thought: even though LSU and Florida are some of the best teams in the country, it was believed that Tennessee and Georgia would be up there as well. Using simple math, one could say we found out that the SEC is about half as good as we thought it was.
4. Mid-majors struggle...Boise State lost and Hawaii had to use overtime to beat Louisiana Tech. With such teams putting up gaudy numbers and perfect records it might have been thought that they were as good as some of the elite teams. But would Oklahoma lose to Washington by two touchdowns, or would USC only beat Louisiana Tech by a point in overtime? The truth here is that although these mid-majors are good teams with the propensity to upset the big boys, they're right where they belong: ranked #20-#25 and no higher.
5. Oklahoma is for real...So they lost Adrian Peterson to the NFL draft and are starting a redshirt freshman at quarterback. Obviously 2007 would be a rebuilding year, right? Wrong. Sam Bradford continues to impress and Malcolm Kelly has just appeared as a blip on the national radar. Watch out for Oklahoma...after Week 2, they are the unquestionable #3 team in the country.
Heisman Race
1. Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii (964 yards passing, 11 total TD's)
2. Brian Brohm, QB Louisville (776 yards passing, 10 total TD's)
3. Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas (151 yards rushing, 2 total TD's)--inactive in week 2
4. Ray Rice, RB Rutgers (359 yards rushing, 5 TD's)
5. Tashard Choice, RB Georgia Tech (306 yards rushing, 4 TD's)
on the bubble: Tim Tebow, Steve Slaton, Patrick White
Golden Top 25
1. USC
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. West Virginia
6. Wisconsin
7. Texas
8. California
9. Penn State
10. UCLA
11. Louisville
12. Rutgers
13. Tennessee
14. Nebraska
15. Arkansas
16. Ohio State
17. Clemson
18. Virginia Tech
19. Georgia Tech
20. South Carolina
21. Oregon
22.Georgia
23. Hawaii
24. Boston College
25. Texas A&M
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Week 2 Breakdown and Picks
Week 2 Picks
1. #9 Virginia Tech at #2 LSU
This is the "it" game of Week 2 by a wide margin. Two staunch defenses, two perennial bigtime programs, two giant question marks at QB. I've had the privilege of visiting LSU a few times because it's my mom's alma mater, and let me tell you, a game in Death Valley is a religious experience. I've been to many college football games, including at Tennessee and at Clemson, but Baton Rouge has got to be in the top 10 toughest places to play in the country. Sean Glennon hasn't lived up to expectations yet at VT, and has a tendency to get rattled. He'll crack under the pressure and fall victim to the same LSU defense that had six interceptions last week. LSU.
2. Miami at #5 Oklahoma
What happened to the Hurricanes? Ever since Ken Dorsey graduated they've had Florida State syndrome at the Quarterback position. You know such a powerhouse program in the football-hungry state of Florida will be back one of these years, but 2007 isn't it. Couple that fact with Oklahoma's young talent and you have the recipe for a beat down. The score will be close, but the game won't. Oklahoma by 13.
3. #17 TCU at #7 Texas
I want to pick TCU more than I want to have my own island barely sticking above the surface of an ocean of beer. Texas looked less than impressive last week against Arkansas State, but they have homefield advantage and a higher level of talent. My head says Texas, my heart says TCU, and my gut says "it's a Thursday night, why are you analyzing college football games sober?" I'm following my heart (and my gut) and going with TCU in a very close, nailbiter of a game. TCU by 2.
4. South Florida at # 17 Auburn
This is a tricky one. Auburn didn't look good last week and USF is one of those mid-major teams trying to break through into the top tier, like Louisville has. Auburn doesn't usually have two down games in a row, so I think War Eagle bounces back and wins.
5. #16 Nebraska at Wake Forest
Wake Forest had a great season last year, surprising just about everyone in the nation. I can't see them doing it again in 2007, especially after losing in week 1 to Boston College. Not to mention that Nebraska is on a team on a severe upswing after acquiring QB Sam Keller. Nebraska.
6. Oregon at Michigan
This all I'm going to say: Michigan. Big.
1. #9 Virginia Tech at #2 LSU
This is the "it" game of Week 2 by a wide margin. Two staunch defenses, two perennial bigtime programs, two giant question marks at QB. I've had the privilege of visiting LSU a few times because it's my mom's alma mater, and let me tell you, a game in Death Valley is a religious experience. I've been to many college football games, including at Tennessee and at Clemson, but Baton Rouge has got to be in the top 10 toughest places to play in the country. Sean Glennon hasn't lived up to expectations yet at VT, and has a tendency to get rattled. He'll crack under the pressure and fall victim to the same LSU defense that had six interceptions last week. LSU.
2. Miami at #5 Oklahoma
What happened to the Hurricanes? Ever since Ken Dorsey graduated they've had Florida State syndrome at the Quarterback position. You know such a powerhouse program in the football-hungry state of Florida will be back one of these years, but 2007 isn't it. Couple that fact with Oklahoma's young talent and you have the recipe for a beat down. The score will be close, but the game won't. Oklahoma by 13.
3. #17 TCU at #7 Texas
I want to pick TCU more than I want to have my own island barely sticking above the surface of an ocean of beer. Texas looked less than impressive last week against Arkansas State, but they have homefield advantage and a higher level of talent. My head says Texas, my heart says TCU, and my gut says "it's a Thursday night, why are you analyzing college football games sober?" I'm following my heart (and my gut) and going with TCU in a very close, nailbiter of a game. TCU by 2.
4. South Florida at # 17 Auburn
This is a tricky one. Auburn didn't look good last week and USF is one of those mid-major teams trying to break through into the top tier, like Louisville has. Auburn doesn't usually have two down games in a row, so I think War Eagle bounces back and wins.
5. #16 Nebraska at Wake Forest
Wake Forest had a great season last year, surprising just about everyone in the nation. I can't see them doing it again in 2007, especially after losing in week 1 to Boston College. Not to mention that Nebraska is on a team on a severe upswing after acquiring QB Sam Keller. Nebraska.
6. Oregon at Michigan
This all I'm going to say: Michigan. Big.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Week 1: Really?
There are few things more anticipated than the opening of the college football season--a teenage boy's first time, a 21st birthday, retirement--but NCAA opening day is the only one that actually makes good on its promised excitement. Let's face it, a first time is awkward and short-lived, a 21st birthday is an hour of fun and four hours of vomiting, and retirement just means you're old. Week 1 of college football, however, brings such joys as Appalachian State upseting #5 Michigan, Virginia Tech continuing its healing process by winning their first home game, California avenging their embarrassing loss to Tennessee in 2006, and Colt Brennan of Hawaii throwing for 416 yards and 6 touchdowns...in one half.
I'll be updating this blog every Monday with my thoughts on the weekend's games, my personal top 25, and my perception of the Heisman race. I'll also update every Thursday with my match-up breakdowns and picks. Without further ado, I introduce you to my first ever weekly thoughts section, entitled:
"Really?"
1. Appalachian State beat Michigan. By now, this story has been shoved down our throats more times than Lindsay Lohan has done cocaine. So I won't spend too much time on it. I won't call it the greatest college football upset of all-time like everyone else is. Why not? Because we don't know how good Michigan is going to be. They could lose 8 or 9 games for all we know. If Michigan has a good season, then I will jump on the bandwagon and praise it as the most impressive upset in history. The bottom line is that Appalachian State is an extremely good football team and could easily compete in the ACC (which isn't saying much...sorry ACC fans), and I personally am a bigger fan of the 2006 Boise State upset of Oklahoma. But for one weekend, don't you wish you went to ASU? If you're attending UNCW I can all but guarantee you either 1) did get accepted to App. State or 2) could have gotten into App. State. I was one of the former, and even just for a few hours, I severely questioned my decision making capabilities.
2. Notre Dame impales itself on Clausen's spikey hair. There's nothing I enjoy more than watching Notre Dame struggle. They haven't been good in 15 years and yet every year ESPN and other national media outlets give them more airtime than USC, Texas, Florida, LSU, and Ohio State combined. It's ridiculous. Their last bowl win came in 1994. Since the turn of the millenium Notre Dame has been in five bowl games, including three BCS bowls, and lost by an average of 22.4 points. At some point you have to ask yourself, does Notre Dame deserve to be in these high-end bowl games? The answer is absolutely not, and this sums up everything wrong with college football today: ND gets ratings (money), so almost every single game is broadcast on NBC and they are routinely voted into bowl games they don't belong in. On a related note, does anyone like Jimmy Clausen? He looks like Sonic the Hedgehog and Lee Hotti mated, then dyed their son's hair blonde. I've only seen the kid in interviews and I want to punch him in the face; he comes off that much as a pretentious jackass.
3. SEC continues reign as the strongest conference. So what, Tennessee lost to Cal. Florida, Georgia, LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama all looked phenomenal. These teams are not only competing for the SEC title, but every single one of them has a legitimate national title shot. You want a dark-horse, a sleeper? Look no further than Andre Woodson and his Kentucky Wildcats. And you can't count out Tennessee, either. They could easily run the table, win the SEC, and be on their way to a BCS championship appearance. Example: 2006 Florida. A fun fact: every single SEC team won this week except for Tennessee, and most of them in convincing fashion. And who ever said Tim Tebow can't throw? He only managed 300 yards and 3 TD's in a shortened game before he was relieved by ultra-talented true freshman Cameron Newton.
4. Big time QB's leading not-so big time programs (except for one). Let's take a test. I've always been a big fan of matching sections; they're the easiest to cram for.
1) 34/40, 416 yards, 6 TDs
2) 16/21, 375 yards, 4 TDs
3) 21/23, 363 yards, 3 TDs
A) Brian Brohm
I'll be updating this blog every Monday with my thoughts on the weekend's games, my personal top 25, and my perception of the Heisman race. I'll also update every Thursday with my match-up breakdowns and picks. Without further ado, I introduce you to my first ever weekly thoughts section, entitled:
"Really?"
1. Appalachian State beat Michigan. By now, this story has been shoved down our throats more times than Lindsay Lohan has done cocaine. So I won't spend too much time on it. I won't call it the greatest college football upset of all-time like everyone else is. Why not? Because we don't know how good Michigan is going to be. They could lose 8 or 9 games for all we know. If Michigan has a good season, then I will jump on the bandwagon and praise it as the most impressive upset in history. The bottom line is that Appalachian State is an extremely good football team and could easily compete in the ACC (which isn't saying much...sorry ACC fans), and I personally am a bigger fan of the 2006 Boise State upset of Oklahoma. But for one weekend, don't you wish you went to ASU? If you're attending UNCW I can all but guarantee you either 1) did get accepted to App. State or 2) could have gotten into App. State. I was one of the former, and even just for a few hours, I severely questioned my decision making capabilities.
2. Notre Dame impales itself on Clausen's spikey hair. There's nothing I enjoy more than watching Notre Dame struggle. They haven't been good in 15 years and yet every year ESPN and other national media outlets give them more airtime than USC, Texas, Florida, LSU, and Ohio State combined. It's ridiculous. Their last bowl win came in 1994. Since the turn of the millenium Notre Dame has been in five bowl games, including three BCS bowls, and lost by an average of 22.4 points. At some point you have to ask yourself, does Notre Dame deserve to be in these high-end bowl games? The answer is absolutely not, and this sums up everything wrong with college football today: ND gets ratings (money), so almost every single game is broadcast on NBC and they are routinely voted into bowl games they don't belong in. On a related note, does anyone like Jimmy Clausen? He looks like Sonic the Hedgehog and Lee Hotti mated, then dyed their son's hair blonde. I've only seen the kid in interviews and I want to punch him in the face; he comes off that much as a pretentious jackass.
3. SEC continues reign as the strongest conference. So what, Tennessee lost to Cal. Florida, Georgia, LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama all looked phenomenal. These teams are not only competing for the SEC title, but every single one of them has a legitimate national title shot. You want a dark-horse, a sleeper? Look no further than Andre Woodson and his Kentucky Wildcats. And you can't count out Tennessee, either. They could easily run the table, win the SEC, and be on their way to a BCS championship appearance. Example: 2006 Florida. A fun fact: every single SEC team won this week except for Tennessee, and most of them in convincing fashion. And who ever said Tim Tebow can't throw? He only managed 300 yards and 3 TD's in a shortened game before he was relieved by ultra-talented true freshman Cameron Newton.
4. Big time QB's leading not-so big time programs (except for one). Let's take a test. I've always been a big fan of matching sections; they're the easiest to cram for.
1) 34/40, 416 yards, 6 TDs
2) 16/21, 375 yards, 4 TDs
3) 21/23, 363 yards, 3 TDs
A) Brian Brohm
B) Sam Bradford
C) Colt Brennan
The correct answers are 1) C, 2) B, 3) A. Are you kidding me? Colt Brennan threw for those stats in one half. HE COULD HAVE THROWN FOR 1000 YARDS AND 10 TDS IF HE HAD STAYED IN THE GAME. That's better than some QBs hope for in a season. Hand him the Heisman already.
5) Coaches on the hot seat...already. Bobby Bowden got rid of his entire coaching staff and Florida State is still losing. Hmmm, who is the only coach at FSU that didn't get fired? Maybe they should fix that. Lloyd Carr, despite having a 113-36 career record at Michigan including five Big Ten titles and an AP national championship in 1997, has his neck stretched out under an executioner's axe. About 53 percent of ESPN's SportsNation voters said Carr should be fired. Come on, really? Michigan missed the national championship by two points last year. Ah, and Charlie Weis. All I have to say about this is hahahahahaha.
Heisman Race
1. Colt Brennan, Hawaii (34/40, 416 yards, 6 TDs)
2. Brian Brohm, Louisville (16/21, 375 yards, 4 TDs)
3. Darren McFadden, Arkansas (24 carries, 151 yards, 1 TD)
4. Mike Hart, Michigan (23 carries, 188 yards, 3 TDs)
5. Tim Tebow, Florida (13/17, 338 total yards, 4 TDs (1 rushing))
On the bubble: Ray Rice, Tashard Choice, Steve Slaton, Patrick White, Ian Johnson
Golden Top 25
1. USC
2. LSU
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Florida
6. Oklahoma
7. Wisconsin
8. California
9. Georgia
10. Texas
11. Ohio State
12. Penn State
13. Virginia Tech
14. UCLA
15. Rutgers
16. Auburn
17. Nebraska
18. Boise State
19. Arkansas
20. TCU
21. Michigan
22. Hawaii
23. Clemson
24. Tennessee
25. Texas A&M
Two notes: yes, Michigan stays in. In Mike Hart I trust. And no Georgia Tech...as you should have figured out by now, I don't think stomping on Notre Dame is that big of an accomplishment.
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