Central Florida defeated Ball State to win the 2012 Beef O' Brady's Bowl
I was unable to get to a computer before Saturday's games, but on paper I had Boise State over Washington, and Louisiana Lafayette over East Carolina. I'm now 5-1 on bowl picks. Here are the recaps for those bowl games, and then the preview for tonight's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Wrap-up will be in my next post. Merry Christmas to everyone!
Beef O' Brady's Bowl: Central Florida 38, Ball State 17
Central Florida jumped all over Ball State in the first half of this game and Ball State never recovered. Central Florida scored the first 13 points of the game, on two Latavius Murray touchdowns; A seven-yard touchdown reception, and a two-yard touchdown run. Central Florida had the extra point blocked, but it wasn't a costly mistake. Ball State went down the field on their next drive and made it a 13-7 game. With 5:50 left in the first half, Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles scrambled into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown run. Bortles then completed a pass for a successful two-point conversion.
Latavius Murray wasn't done making an impact in this game yet, as he caught another score with just five seconds left in the first half, which sent UCF into the locker room with a 28-7 lead, putting this one virtually out of reach. Ball State was able to put 10 up in the second half, but they still couldn't stop Central Florida as UCF widened their lead and won this game 38-17. Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles completed 22 passes, and went over the 3,000 yard mark for the season in this game. Bortles became the school's first 3,000 yard passer since 2002. His three touchdown passes in this game ties the Beef O' Brady's Bowl record. Central Florida finished with 10 wins in their last season before joining the Big East Conference. Ball State fell to 9-4, and had a six game winning streak snapped.
Louisiana Lafayette held on to win the R+L Carries Bowl against East Carolina
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana Lafayette 43, East Carolina 34:
Louisiana Lafayette started this game out strong, but this game became a rather interesting one as it came down to the wire. Louisiana Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway accounted for the one first quarter touchdown in this game as he scored on a 12-yard rushing touchdown. ULL started out the second quarter quickly, as Harry Peoples had a 10-yard touchdown lead to put the Ragin' Cajuns up 14-0. About a minute later East Carolina running back Reggie Bullock put the Pirates on the board, scoring on a five-yard rushing touchdown. The Cajuns quickly recovered from that, putting up two scores on rushing touchdowns by Alonzo Harris; One a six-yard score, the other a 68-yard score.
Eastern Carolina didn't panic in this game, and they put up 14 points on two Shane Carden touchdown passes, to go into the locker room trailing by 10 after a ULL 50-yard field goal by Brett Baer. The third quarter was all East Carolina as they rallied to tie the game after a 45-yard field goal from Warren Harvey, and another rushing touchdown by Reggie Bullock, this one from 13-yards out. ULL scored a touchdown late in the quarter after Terrance Broadway connected with Javone Lawson for 14-yard touchdown strike. The extra point was blocked, and the Cajuns held a 37-31 lead going into the final quarter. East Carolina added a field goal to bring them within three, but Louisiana Lafayette put up two field goals and were able to hang on to defeat the Pirates 43-34. This game was very exciting, and it really came down to the end.
Look for Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr to rip apart SMU in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Preview: Fresno State vs SMU
How They Got Here:
Fresno State: Fresno State had a good season this year, going 9-3, and 7-1 in the Mountain West, earning a share of the conference title. The Bulldogs have a very explosive offense behind Derek Carr, who has thrown for 3,742 yards on the season, to go with his 36 touchdown passes.Fresno State was 12th in scoring this year, averaging 40.3 points per game this season. Fresno State picked up key wins against San Diego State, Nevada, and Air Force this season.
SMU: The Mustangs of SMU went 6-6 this season, and recorded a 5-3 record in Conference USA to make them bowl eligible this season. SMU has a decent passing offense behind junior quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who threw for 2,720 yards this season and 14 touchdowns. This team had an up and down season, and picked up some key wins against Houston and Tulsa.
Prediction: SMU can't fall behind in this game and I look for Fresno State to exploit this team's weaknesses fairly easily. The Bulldogs passing game and balanced rushing attack will be too much for the Mustangs to handle, Fresno State wins this match-up 37-24.
BYU Linebacker Kyle Van Noy had a huge game in their Poinsettia Bowl Victory over San Diego State
San Diego County Poinsettia Bowl: BYU 23, San Diego State 6
This was a game that featured very little offense, especially in the first half, as San Diego State held a 6-3 lead going into the half. The second half was a completely different story, as BYU stepped it up on defense, especially linebacker Kyle Van Noy, as he scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, and also ran an interception back for a score. He was undoubtedly the deciding factor in this game, as BYU scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to win the game 23-6.
I picked San Diego State in this game, so I am now 2-1 on bowl picks this season.
The knights of Central Florida will square off against Ball State tonight for the Beef O' Brady's Bowl
Beef O' Brady's Bowl:
How They Got Here:
Central Florida: The Knights of Central Florida had a good season this year, finishing with a 9-4 record in the Conference USA. Central Florida has a high powered offense that has been putting up 35 points per game this season, and its only losses came against Missouri, Ohio State, and Tulsa (twice). Central Florida lost the Conference USA Title Game to Tulsa, which put them in the Beef O' Brady's Bowl instead of going to the Liberty Bowl. Central Florida had some key wins over East Carolina, SMU, and Rice.
Ball State: The Cardinals of Ball State also had a good season as they went 9-3, represent the MAC conference, and look to pick up their first ever bowl win tonight against UCF. Ball State is 0-5 all time in bowl games heading into tonight's match up against the Knights. Ball State played a tough schedule this year, as the MAC Conference surprised some people by getting Northern Illinois to a BCS Bowl, and having seven teams in the conference be bowl eligible. Ball State relies on their explosive offense, but they don't play that great on defense, as they are ranked 91st in points allowed in the nation. Ball State picked up some key victories against Southern Florida, Ohio, Toledo, and Central Michigan.
Prediction: I picked against defense last time, as I picked San Diego State over BYU, and with Central Florida having such an explosive offense I have to go with the Knights in this match-up. Ball State will keep it close, but if they make a mistake Central Florida will take advantage of it, and I think that will be the difference. Central Florida wins this high scoring affair, 42-38.
Back in March, all the talk in the NFL draft was about who to pick, Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. Looking back now, not to many people would believe that Russell Wilson is having arguably a better season than both of these supposedly can't miss prospects.
Wilson, the 24 year old rookie out of Wisconsin, quickly earned the starting quarterback job in Seattle over former Packers back-up Matt Flynn. Wilson was always criticized for being small, and was told he couldn't be an NFL quarterback. That being said, Wilson has proven all of the people who doubted him. He has thrown for 2,697 yards and 21 touchdowns in 14 games this season. For a rookie, that is very impressive. What is even more impressive is that he is limiting his mistakes. Wilson has only thrown nine interceptions this year, while Andrew Luck has thrown 18 interceptions. Robert Griffin III has thrown only four interceptions on the season while throwing for 18 touchdowns, causing most people to push for Robert Griffin III to be rookie of the year, but don't over look what Wilson is doing in Seattle. He has this team at 9-5, and the Seahawks look hungry to make a run in the playoffs this season.
Arizona running back Ka'Deem Carey had a big game in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Arizona 49, Nevada 48
This game was a thrilling start to the 2012 bowl season. This high scoring affair was decided late in the final quarter, as the Wildcats rallied from a 21 point deficit to defeat the Nevada Wolf Pack, 49-48. Arizona was down 13 with just under two minutes remaining.
Arizona knew they needed a miracle. Arizona quarter back Matt Scott kept his composure, and took the team down the field for a much needed touchdown. Then with no timeouts, Arizona had to attempt an onside kick. Then the unthinkable happened. The onside kick was executed to perfection. Scott then rallied the Wildcats and led them down the field throwing a two yard strike to wide receiver Tyler Slavin, who scored the game winning touchdown. The Wildcats kicked off this year's bowl season with a heck of a game. Both teams combined for 1,237 yards of total offense. Turnovers really killed Nevada late in this game, as two fumbles were the Wolf Packs downfall. Arizona back Ka'Deem Carey ran for 172 yards and three touchdowns in the win. He is only a sophomore, and he could contend for the Heisman Trophy next season. He's definitely a player to watch.
I picked Arizona in my preview post, so after this game I am 1-0 in Bowl Picks.
Utah State running back Kerwynn Williams ran all over Toledo
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State 41, Toledo 15
This game was close for three quarters, but got way out of hand. Toledo never had a chance in the second half as Utah State running back Kerwynn Williams exploded in the 4th quarter, having two rushes of of more than 50 yards. Williams finished the game with 235 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
I picked Utah State in the preview, so after this game I am now 2-0 in Bowl Picks.
San Diego State will square off against BYU in this years Poinsettia Bowl
San Diego County Poinsettia Bowl:
How They Got Here:
BYU: The Cougars of BYU had an up and down year this season, going 7-5 as an Independent.They started out the year 2-0, with routs of Washington State and Weber State, but dropped their next two games against Utah, 24-21, and Boise State 7-6. BYU then destroyed Hawaii, and took a 6-3 victory over Utah State. BYU had a rough schedule this year, and their next two games came against two top 10 opponents. BYU lost both games, 42-24 to Oregon State, and 17-14 to the top ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. BYU finished the year out on a high note, winning three of their last four games against Georgia Tech, Idaho, and New Mexico State. BYU mainly relies on their 5th ranked defense to win them games. Five of their games were decided by a touchdown or less.
San Diego State: The Aztecs of San Diego State went 9-3 this season, and won a share of the Mountain West title. The Aztecs opened up the year with a loss against Washington, but defeated Army 42-7 the next week. The Aztecs got in a close game the following week, as they edged North Dakota 49-41. San Diego State then dropped two contests against San Jose State and Fresno State. The Aztecs then got on a roll winning seven straight games to wrap up their year at 9-3, and are playing in the Poinsettia Bowl for the second time in three years. Some key wins for the Aztecs are their victories over Boise State, Air Force, and Nevada.
Prediction: BYU does have the 5th ranked defense in all of college football, but I am looking for San Diego State running back Adam Muema to have a big game, and he will need to in order for San Diego State to pull out the victory. Muema, a sophomore, rushed for 1,355 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. The Cougars are the favorite, but look for them to slip up as San Diego State wins this low scoring affair 17-13.
Andrew Luck and the Colts are in a good position to make the playoffs
Last week was an awful week to start picks, most of the games not going the way most people would have predicted, that being said this week looks like it will be a week of great games. Last week I went 6-10 on picks, and I'm looking to do better this week. My picks are as followed:
Arizona looks to defeat Nevada in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Saturday marks the official start of the college bowl season. Bowl season will kick off with the Gildan New Mexico Bowl which is a match up between the Wildcats of Arizona and the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: How They Got Here: Arizona: The Wildcats of Arizona started the season out strong by racking up three wins early, defeating Toledo in overtime, crushing Oklahoma State, and blanking South Carolina State 56-0. The Wildcats then were crushed by a powerful Oregon Ducks offense, gave Oregon State a closely contest game, they lost, and then fell to the Stanford Cardinal in overtime.
Arizona started turning their season around by beating Washington and then #9 USC, 39-36 despite an amazing game from USC receiver Marqise Lee.The next week Arizona was embarrassed by UCLA, losing 66-10. That improved their record to 5-4. Arizona finished out their season by beating Colorado and Utah, while losing their final game against in state rival Arizona State in a 41-34 thriller. The Wildcats finished at 7-5.
Nevada: The Wolf Pack of Nevada started off hot but had a disappointing end to their regular season. Nevada started out 6-1, but a bad couple of games made the Wildcats finish out 7-5, and put them in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Nevada had early wins in the season against California, Northwestern State, Hawaii, Texas State,Wyoming, and UNLV. Then some close games went against the Wolf Pack, as Nevada lost an overtime game to San Diego State and a close game to Boise State, nearly pulling off the upset.
Prediction: Both of these teams rely heavily on the running games, Arizona having Ka'Deem Carey, who is a sophomore running back who put up amazing numbers this season, with 1,757 yards and 20 scores. Nevada has junior running back Stefphon Jefferson, who rushed for 1,703 yards, and 22 touchdowns. Both offenses put up high numbers, while both teams have mediocre defenses that allow a ton of points. Expect this game to be a high scoring see-saw battle, the winner being the team that makes the least amount of mistakes, or the team who has the ball last. I see Arizona coming out on top in this one because Ka'Deem Carey is a machine, and I honestly think he could have been a legitimate Heisman candidate, even though Johnny Manziel deserved to bring home the trophy. Matt Scott, the quarterback of Arizona will play well against Nevada, and will be the difference in this game. Look for Arizona to get the stop they need late, to win this thriller.
I think Arizona wins this game 45-42.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:
Chuckie Keeton of Utah State looks to lead the Aggies to victory over Toledo
How They Got Here:
Utah State: The Aggies of Utah State had a solid year this season, picking up 10 wins, and going undefeated in the WAC. Utah defeated Southern Utah, and finally defeated Utah for the first time in 15 years, 27-20 in overtime. Utah dropped only two contests all year, and that was a 6-3 loss to BYU, and a 16-14 loss to Wisconsin. The Aggies rely heavily on defense, as they rank eighth in points allowed in the nation, giving up just 15.4 per game. The team also is a good offensive team, as they rank in the top 40 in passing and rushing in the nation. Key wins for Utah State include victories over Utah, Louisiana Tech, and San Jose State.
Toledo: The Rockets of Toledo are representing the MAC, and had a solid season going 9-3 on the year. The Rockets rely mainly on their offense, as they put up around 33 points per game. Key wins for this team include wins over Cincinnati, Central Michigan, and Wyoming.
Prediction: I think that the Aggies will shut down the Toledo offense with their strong defense, and Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton will be too much for the Rockets to handle, as Utah State wins 34-21.
Aaron Hernandez celebrates a touchdown in the Patriots 42-14 victory
The Texans were ready to make a statement in Foxborough against Tom Brady and the Patriots, but unfortunately this wasn't the statement that they wanted to make. New England jumped ahead early and made this a laughable 42-14 blowout victory. The Texans just couldn't stop Brady, who went 21/35 for 296 yards, and four touchdowns. Aaron Hernandez was on the receiving end of two of Brady's touchdown passes, as he snagged eight passes for 58 yards and two scores. The Patriots just ran away with this one, leading 21-0 at the half. The Texans were held scoreless until the third quarter, when Arian Foster scored on a one yard touchdown run. This game was over when Brandon Lloyd caught a 37 yard pass from Brady after being wide open off a play fake to running back Stevan Ridley, to put New England up 21-0. The Patriots destroyed the then 11-1 Texans. The Texans fell to 11-2 and the Patriots improved to 10-3 on the season.
I also had a rough week, as I went 6-10 in NFL game picks for week 14.
Vince Young scores the game winning touchdown in the 2006 National Title
Ahh, the greatest time of the year. Christmas is coming, and college football will be on almost every single day of the week. Couldn't ask for anything better. With Bowl Season right around the corner, I thought I would recap some of my favorite, and what I believe to be the Top 5 BCS Bowl Games in recent memory.
#5 2010 National Title (1) Auburn 22, (2) Oregon 19
This was a great game played by two great teams.Oregon got out to an early 11-7 lead after Oregon converted the two point conversion with a fake extra point that was an option play to the Kicker Rob Beard,(which is an awesome name by the way). Auburn's defense held Oregon's explosive rushing offense to only 81 yards. Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, and running back Michael Dyer had amazing performances. Dyer ran for 143 yards on 22 carries, including a pivotal 37 yard rush late in the game when Dyer stayed up, avoiding being down which set up the game winning 19 yard field goal by Wes Byrum. Cam Newton threw for 265 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the National Championship victory.
This game was nuts. It was a match up of two of the best of offenses in the nation, featuring number one overall draft pick Andrew Luck of Stanford, and first round quarterback selection Brandon Weeden, and wide receiver Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State won the game on a 22 yard field goal in overtime. Both teams scored back and forth in this game, and Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle scored with 1:51 left in the game to send it to overtime. Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards for three scores, and Andrew Luck threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Justin Blackmon of the Oklahoma State Cowboys racked up all kinds of numbers as he caught eight passes for 186 yards, and three touchdowns. He was named the offensive player of the game.
#3 2006 Orange Bowl (3) Penn State 26, (22) Florida State 23, Triple Overtime
As a Penn State fan, I had to get this game in here somewhere. I just had to. This game was a triple overtime thriller, and Penn State finally won it on a field goal from kicker Kevin Kelly.
#2 2007 Fiesta Bowl Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 Overtime
The trick plays from the underdog Boise State team still give me chills every time I watch this. All hope was lost as Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky threw a pick six late. Then the miracles started happening. It was fourth down with just seconds left in the game. Boise State coach Chris Petersen called a Hook N' Ladder play, where one wide receiver comes on a crossing route, and after catching the ball laterals to another player running a shorter crossing route across the field. Boise State executed it to perfection and tied the game with virtually no time left. Then after scoring Chris Petersen faced a huge decision. He could either go for it, to try to win the game in overtime, or just kick the extra point. He had guts and decided to go for it all. He called for a Statue of Liberty play, where the quarterback pump fakes with his throwing hand, while placing the ball behind his back for the running back to take. They executed it brilliantly as Boise State got the two point conversion and won the game 43-42.
#1 (2) Texas 41, (1) USC 38
Vince Young running the ball into the end zone on this play to win the National Title is one of the most memorable moments in all of College Football. This is one of the greatest games of all time, if not the greatest. Watch as Vince Young carries his team to the title by scoring with only seconds left.
With the college football season in the books, it's that time again. Time to announce the Heisman Trophy winner for 2012. Three players are headed to New York for the Trophy Presentation, those three men being Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, also known as Johnny Football, and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. All three players had a great year, but only one really has a chance of winning the award, with Manziel being the favorite to haul in the hardware. That's something really impressive considering he is only a freshman.
Manziel has thrown for 3,419 yards on the season, while completing 68.3 percent of his passes. Manziel threw for 24 touchdowns, and also made an impact on the ground this season, rushing for 1,181 yards, and 19 scores. He burst right onto the scene as a freshman, and if he doesn't take home the trophy this year, there's a very strong chance that he will his sophomore or junior season. Collin Klein and Manti Te'o both had an amazing year, but neither one really will come close to winning this trophy. Te'o is at a disadvantage because only one person has ever won the Heisman that was a defensive player, and that was Charles Woodson for the university of Michigan back in 1997. Klein is great, but he isn't Johnny Football.
Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M should bring home the Heisman.
The NFL switched from Reebok uniforms to Nike in 2012
In 2012 the NFL made a major change on the football field. The NFL switched the jerseys from Reebok to Nike. At first the rumours of completely different Nike Pro Combat uniforms for all 32 teams was a scary thought in the minds of all NFL Fans. There are many sketches that you can find of uniforms, and here is a picture of what some of these look like.
Will we see these in 2013?
You can tell by looking at them that some of these aren't that bad. The Eagles uniforms, as well as the New England Patriot uniforms look very cool. The sketches of the Steelers, Dolphins, Chiefs, Chargers, and Bengals are all very very ugly. You can take a look at all these from the bleacher report link below.
Personally I find the pro combat uniforms to be something that will only be present at the University of Oregon, where Nike has it's headquarters. These uniforms would really scare some people, and have numerous NFL teams playing in jerseys ugly enough to make you sick.
The NFL should avoid wearing anything as ugly as these Maryland uniforms
Philly fans are definitely angry with the Eagles woes
Philadelphia. The city of brotherly love has become the city of unhappy Eagles fans. The Eagles now sit at 3-8, and are in last place in the NFC East division. It truly is a troubling situation in Philadelphia to say the least. Head coach Andy Reid has been on the hot seat for as long as I can remember, and without some sort of miracle he is as good as gone. The Eagles have been looking to improve after last year's so called "Dream Team" underachieved to an 8-8 record. The Eagles haven't done anything except lose this season. The only success this team has had was beating the Browns to open the year, and somehow beating the Ravens in a very close game, and pulling out a win over the Giants at home.
Now the Eagles are without Michael Vick, who suffered a concussion, and they lost LeSean McCoy to the same injury. Many people have been pinning the losses on quarterback Michael Vick, so the fans finally got a taste of what Nick Foles could do as the starter for this team, and that is absolutely nothing. Foles has committed six turnovers in only three games so far this year. He can't save this team. This week the Eagles lost DeSean Jackson for the rest of the year with broken ribs and released an under performing Jason Babin. This team is in need of some sort of a miracle. The Eagles are going to be looking for a new coach, and here are possible fits for this team:
Tony Dungy
Bill Cowher
Jon Gruden
Chip Kelly
Let's start out by saying Jon Gruden is crap. Don't hire him. Don't. You think Reid is bad, this guy won't do a thing. Chip Kelly is a great coach at the university of Oregon, coaching the Ducks to a National Championship Game appearance two years ago against Cam Newton and Auburn. He lost the game, but he burst onto the scene as a good coach. He is great in college football, but I can see him being a Nick Saban type. Saban has won three National Championships, two with Alabama, and one with LSU. That being said, Saban was a career 15-17 in his head coaching stint in the NFL. He isn't fit for the NFL, and neither is Kelly.
Every Eagles fan right about now
That leaves us with two men who could possibly turn this team around. Bill Cowher, and Tony Dungy. Dungy is 139-69 as a head coach in the NFL. He turned around an awful Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, and with Peyton Manning he took the Colts to the Super Bowl in 2006 and won the game over the Chicago Bears. He will bring in the culture change that the Eagles need, and maybe he can work a little magic. This man is known to be able to do so. The only thing is, I feel that it is highly unlikely for him to leave broadcasting to coach this team. I don't blame him.
Bill Cowher would bring everything that Dungy would bring, but he would do something that Andy Reid just doesn't seem to want to do. RUN THE BALL! LeSean McCoy is an amazing back. When the Eagles give him the ball, they win. So why wouldn't you give him the ball? Sounds easy to me. Plus Cowher would make this team play defense, which they also don't do. Cowher and Dungy would bring in a new attitude, but I think Cowher is a possibility for this team, and if they land him, it could be huge in Philadelphia.
Why do they not give him the ball at least 25 times a game? Unreal.
The Steelers are normally the face of the AFC North and challenge the Baltimore Ravens for the division title. This year the Steelers are in a world of trouble. The Steelers sit at 6-4, which if the playoffs were to begin now, they would be the sixth and final seed in the AFC North. One problem. The Bengals are only a game behind Pittsburgh, and the Steelers injury list is filled with key pieces to their team.
The biggest injuries being the injuries to star safety Troy Polamalu and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Without Ben, back up Byron Leftwich took Roethlisberger's starting postion going into their game against Baltimore last week. Leftwich looked great often, taking the Steelers straight down the field in their ugly "bumble bee" throwback uniforms for a touchdown. Leftwich showed inability to make certain throws in the game and took a beating from the Ravens defense. He suffered two broken ribs and an injured shoulder in the 13-10 loss.
Here was Leftwich's 31 yard rushing touchdown against the Ravens.
The biggest problem for the Steelers is the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are sitting at 5-5, one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The Steelers currently hold the tie breaker defeating the Bengals 24-17 on Sunday Night Football earlier this season.
The Bengals have a very easy schedule remaining this season, as they will face the Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, and Eagles, who are all under .500. The big games will be the final two as the Bengals face the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and finish with a game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers will be without Roethlisberger for 3-6 weeks, and with Leftwich out the Steelers will have to look to back up Charlie Batch to lead the team.
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are the new number 1
Last Saturday the college football world was turned completely upside down as the number one and two teams in the nation suffered their first losses. Kansas State was completely embarrassed by Baylor, losing to the Bears 52-24. Oregon fell to Stanford, 17-14 in overtime. This catapulted the third ranked Irish to the top in this weeks rankings. Notre Dame has never been ranked first in the BCS standings, and hasn't been number one since it was ranked first in the AP Poll in 1993. The top 10 looks like this:
1. Notre Dame
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Florida
5. Oregon
6. Kansas State
7. LSU
8. Stanford
9. Texas A&M
10. Florida State
The major issues with this poll is how far Oregon and Kansas State fell. Kansas State is better than Florida. Florida will have its hands full with Florida State this weekend. Florida will have to shut down the high powered offense of Senior quarterback EJ Manuel. Manuel has completed 68.8% of his passes, while also throwing for 21 touchdowns. The Seminoles have averaged 42.9 points per game while giving up just 13.1. The Gators average 25.8 points per game, while giving up 11.7. This game will probably be a low twenties to mid thirties game. Look for The Seminoles to have to find a running game to open up passing lanes. The Gators are 3-1 against the Top 25 this season.
Oregon lost to a tough Stanford team to get their first loss. Oregon fell much further than necessary as well, as they should be sitting at number four instead of the Gators. Notre Dame has gotten very lucky in two games this season that it should have lost. The Fighting Irish were a blown call away from a loss to Stanford, and the luck of the Irish continued against Pittsburgh as they pulled out a 29-26 victory in triple overtime.USC is looking less likely to upset the Irish this weekend without quarterback Matt Barkley who suffered an injury last weekend against UCLA, but with the receivers that the Trojans have I can see them giving Notre Dame a run for their money. The Top 10 in the polls should be like this:
USC and UCLA set to renew their rivalry this weekend as UCLA hosts USC Saturday at 3:05. The last couple meetings are ones that UCLA would like to forget, as the Bruins have lost 12 of the last 13 games, including an embarrassing 50-0 loss last season.
UCLA hopes to paint the Victory Bell trophy Bruin blue this year and show the country that they can finally beat the Trojans. The Bruins come in at 8-2 but still are a three point underdog in the game. USC has lost three games this year, those losses being a 21-14 loss to Stanford, a 62-5 loss to Oregon, and an embarrassing upset loss to Arizona 39-36.
UCLA is looking for a big game from RB Jonathan Franklin, who has 1,210 rushing yards this season, to go along with eight TDs. If they can have a good running attack against USC that will really open up the passing game. Look for WR Joe Fauria to have a good game against the Trojans. The 6'7" wide receiver creates huge match up problems against shorter cornerbacks. Fauria has recorded 31 receptions for 417 yards, and nine scores. USC hopes to creates the similar defensive problems for USC with wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods.
The athletic directors of both schools are asking for good sportsmanship, from fans and the teams. USC will not complete their pre game ritual this week of stabbing the midfield logo.
There is a lot of bad blood between these cross town rivals, and UCLA has something to prove this year. This game should be a closely contested high scoring affair. The winner of this game controls the PAC-12 South division. I predict that UCLA will finally
beat their rival USC, in a 42-36 thriller.
Thanks to Texas A&M, there was some madness in the new BCS Standings. Texas A&M pulled out a huge upset over the number one Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Johnny Manziel played a great game, and shocked the Crimson Tide. With the loss, Alabama fell in the polls, and shook things up a bit, opening the door for controversy. This week's top 10 looks like this:
1. Kansas State
2. Oregon
3. Notre Dame
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. South Carolina
10. Florida State
There are a couple controversial things about these rankings. First, Oregon should be number one, not Kansas State. The next problem is Texas A&M jumping from 15 to number eight in just one week. Sure they upset the number one team in the nation, but they just jumped too many teams in one week. Don't get me wrong, they were very impressive against Alabama, but they still have two losses, and a few teams they jumped would be very competitive with the Aggies.
Oregon should be the top team in the BCS Poll. They continue to impress by putting up points and rolling over teams. Though they will face another tough test on their schedule as they finish up the year with Stanford and will play their rivalry game known as the Civil War, against in state opponent Oregon State. If Oregon can finish the year undefeated they should be playing for the championship, which they will do if they manage to stay unbeaten. Kansas State has a rougher schedule, but they don't dominate the game like Oregon does. I really want to see Kansas State matched up with Oregon. Either team could really come out on top. Both teams have great offenses; Oregon's being the more explosive offense. Oregon's defense scares me though, as they have given up 51 points to USC, 34 points to Arkansas State, 25 to Fresno State, and 26 to Washington State. Kansas State on the other hand is a very solid defensive team and wouldn't allow Oregon to put up the 54.8 points that they average per game.
Notre Dame is really favored by the computers and with that help if they can go 12-0 they may be able to jump Kansas State to play Oregon in the Title, assuming that all three teams go 12-0. Notre Dame isn't as good as Kansas State or Oregon but may be able to get a good push from the computers to get them there. That is the problem with the BCS. Ever since its installment issues like that have come up many times. The four team playoff next season can't get here soon enough. Though to put that in perspective, if there was a playoff, the 1 and 2 seeds would host the 3 and 4 seeds. So Kansas State would play Alabama at home, and Oregon would get Notre Dame at home. The problem? Alabama is MUCH better than Notre Dame. How things will come into shape will be interesting to say the least. Until then, enjoy college football, and get ready for what is hopefully a great bowl season.
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and team celebrate the upset victory over Alabama
Johnny Manziel knew that to beat Alabama it was going to take a great game from him. He was up for the challenge. Alabama came into the game ranked number one in the BCS, and they may have saw their national championship hopes fall apart. After Alabama had to claw it's way to a 20-17 win against LSU last week, an upset was in the air Saturday. The Crimson Tide suffered their first loss of the year at home to the Aggies of Texas A&M.
The Aggies jumped all over Alabama in the first quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points. Christine Michael ran for two scores, and Johnny Manziel threw a 10 yard pass for a touchdown to wide receiver Ryan Swope. Alabama then found a running game as Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon scored on rushing touchdowns in the second quarter to make it a six point game going into the half. The game was up for grabs entering the third quarter but Alabama made some costly mistakes. Alabama had three turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble. Alabama threw an interception on their last drive. They were able to hold A&M and forced them to punt but Alabama linebacker Tyler Hayes committed a neutral-zone infractions with 40 seconds left, giving the Aggies a first down and the game.
Johnny Manziel played a great game going 24/31 for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He put himself in the Heisman race with this victory. Manziel has been having a great season but this game really caught some attention. Manziel became the second freshman quarterback to beat the AP number one on the road.
Oregon running back Kenjon Barner makes a statement for the Heisman
A few close games nearly shook up the BCS this week, but Alabama and Notre Dame were able to recover late to avoid losing their first game of the season. The Top 10 looks like this:
Alabama
Kansas State
Oregon
Notre Dame
Georgia
Florida
LSU
South Carolina
Louisville
Florida State
The only real change here is Notre Dame. Notre Dame really struggled this week and nearly stumbled against an awful Pittsburgh football team. The Panthers showed up ready to play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, as Pitt running back Ray Graham ran for 172 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame entered the fourth trailing 20-6 but rallied to force overtime. In triple overtime, Pitt had to settle to a field goal, and that doomed the Panthers chances for a huge upset as Everett Golson led the Irish down the field and scored on a one yard rushing touchdown to win the game.
Golson made some big plays down the stretch in this game to keep Notre Dame's title hopes alive. Golson went 23/42 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Pitt was one big play from defeating the Irish and that is a big reason why Oregon finally gained a little bit more respect and jumped them in the polls.
Alabama is again the number one team in the country. The Crimson Tide fell behind LSU and trailed 17-14 in the 4th quarter of the game. LSU came out ready to play, even though they didn't play the greatest, they rallied and held a late lead. Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron refused to lose. McCarron drove the team down the field with just under a minute left, throwing a wide receiver screen pass to T.J. Yeldon who scored from 28 yards out to give the Crimson Tide the lead for good. Alabama continues to win games, and the defense continues to be lights out. The defense is only allowing opponents to score an average of 9.1 points per game. They are playing lights out, and with a defense like that this team doesn't need that many points to win. I'm interested to see how Alabama responds after a close game like that to LSU. They face a very good Texas A&M team this week. Johnny Manziel is having a great Freshman year for the Aggies, and he will be a huge offensive threat that Alabama will have to keep in check to win the game.
Kansas State continues to win, and they played very well in their match up against Oklahoma State this week, beating the Cowboys 44-30. Collin Klein got hurt in this game, but he should play in their week 10 match up against TCU. Kansas State continues to impress, as they now have quality wins over Miami, Oklahoma, Iowa State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and if they beat TCU that will also be a big win for the Wildcats. This team's rushing attack is a main strength, while they get the job done throwing the ball when they have to. The Wildcats are a great overall team, and deserve to be a top three team but personally Oregon is just better. Kansas State holds an edge over Oregon mainly due to their better strength of schedule.
Oregon should be the number two team in the nation, by far right now. Oregon is just putting up so points and got a huge win over USC this weekend, defeating the Trojans 62-51. Oregon running back Kenjon Barner made a strong statement about who should be hoisting the Heisman Trophy as he rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns, which is just unreal. The Ducks offense tore USC apart and the defense held its ground when it needed a stop to keep them undefeated. Oregon will play Stanford and Oregon State yet this year to wrap up their season. Oregon will have to hope that either Alabama or Kansas State loses because without a loss by either of those teams they may get snubbed from the National Title Game, and end up playing in the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is still a great BCS Bowl, but Oregon would have to feel snubbed being undefeated and sitting out the Title game.
You can see by this video of the highlights of the Oregon USC game, just how explosive Oregon is as a team. They are in good shape for a championship, as long as Kansas State or Alabama stumbles. Alabama will face a tough test against Texas A&M so we will see if they can avoid a setback after the hardly fought game against LSU.
What the Top 5 Should Be:
Alabama
Oregon
Kansas State
Notre Dame
Georgia
I agree with the Top 5 for the most part, other than Oregon being number three in the country. They are the second best team. They just are.
