SteveDeace
Well-Known Member
Weekly Big Ten Crystal Ball
Projecting how things will finish based on what we know so far.
1. Wisconsin (7-1, 11-1)…Rose Bowl vs. Boise State
2. Iowa (7-1, 10-2)…Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama
3. Ohio State (6-2, 10-2)…Capitol One Bowl vs. LSU
4. Michigan State (6-2, 10-2)…Outback Bowl vs. Florida
5. Penn State (5-3, 8-4)…Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina
6. Illinois (4-4, 6-6)…Texas Bowl vs. Iowa State
7. Michigan (3-5, 7-5)…Insight Bowl vs. Kansas State
8. Purdue (3-5, 5-7)
9. Northwestern (2-6, 6-6)…Dallas Football Classic vs. Central Florida
10. Indiana (1-7, 5-7)
11. Minnesota (0-8, 1-11)
BCS Crystal Ball
Projecting how things will finish based on what we know so far.
National Championship Game—Auburn (12-1) vs. Oregon (12-0)
Rose Bowl—Boise State (12-0) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)
Sugar Bowl—Iowa (10-2) vs. Alabama (10-2)
Orange Bowl—TCU (12-0) vs. Virginia Tech (10-3)
Fiesta Bowl—Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Nebraska (12-1)
Weekly Top 25
If I had a vote in the AP Poll this would be my ballot based on how good I think the teams are right now.
1. Auburn (10-0)…Top two teams in the country are remarkably similar, but Tigers get the nod for #1 because they’ve played the tougher schedule.
2. Oregon (9-0)…How good is the Ducks’ offense? They came out flat against Washington and still scored 53 points.
3. Boise State (9-0)…Restored order in the WAC by resuming their rightful place alone at the top by destroying top contender Hawaii.
4. TCU (10-0)…Horned Frogs have now surrendered a grand total of only 23 points in their last six games.
5. LSU (8-1)…The Mad Hatter struck not once but twice to finally defeat his predecessor and put the Tigers in position for a BCS bid.
6. Wisconsin (8-1)…Started off a little flat coming off a bye week but then turned it on to run away from Purdue in the second half.
7. Stanford (7-1)…Cardinal probably hasn’t been ranked this high this late in the season since Jim Plunkett was winning the Heisman Trophy.
8. Michigan State (9-1)…Lost in the shuffle of an easy victory over Minnesota was a second consecutive shaky performance by Kirk Cousins.
9. Nebraska (8-1)…Didn’t so much beat Iowa State as much as it survived a final road trip to Ames without star quarterback Taylor Martinez.
10. Ohio State (8-1)…When you sit back and look at the Buckeyes’ schedule you come to the conclusion they’ve beaten exactly nobody.
11. Alabama (7-2)…There will be a new national champion this year, but Crimson Tide still has a shot at SEC Championship.
12. Arkansas (7-2)…Rolling into South Carolina and rolling the Gamecocks without their leading receiver was impressive.
13. Oklahoma State (8-1)…Don’t look now but look who is all alone in first place in the Big 12 South Division?
14. Missouri (7-2)…Tougher second half of the season schedule is starting to catch up to the Tigers, who have lost two in a row.
15. Oklahoma (7-2)…Remember when the Sooners were #1 in the BCS? Oklahoma is one of the best teams in the country at home, not so much on the road.
16. Arizona (7-2)…It looks as if the Wildcats will remain the only Pac-10 team to never have played in the Rose Bowl.
17. Iowa (7-2)…Absolutely escaped Indiana one week after dismantling of Michigan State. Which Hawkeye team shows up in Evanston this week?
18. Utah (8-1)…I’m not as impressed with TCU’s dominating win over Utes as many others because in my opinion Utah’s schedule was Charmin soft.
19. Virginia Tech (7-2)…Beat Georgia Tech, but it was the first time Hokies hadn’t put up 40 points in an ACC game.
20. Mississippi State (7-2)…Great story so far for the Bulldogs, but don’t be surprised if last week’s victory over Kentucky is their last one of the season.
21. Nevada (8-1)…It will be interesting to see if the Wolfpack handle the bulls eye of a national ranking better now than they did a month ago.
22. Penn State (6-3)…The legend of walk-on quarterback Matt McGloin continues to grow and the Nittany Lions’ running game is hitting its stride.
23. Florida (6-3)…Young Gators have taken a round-about way of getting there, but they again control their own destiny in the SEC East.
24. Michigan (6-3)…Young Wolverines one of just four teams in college football averaging over 500 yards of total offense per game.
25. Texas A&M (6-3)…Mike Sherman’s risky quarterback switch has paid off, and the Aggies have won three straight since he did it.
Honorable Mention:
26. Baylor (7-3), 27. South Carolina (6-3), 28. Hawaii (7-3), 29. N.C. State (6-3), 30. Illinois (5-4).
My Heisman Ballot
Our weekly rankings of the top three contenders for college football’s most coveted award.
1. Cameron Newton, Auburn…At this point it’s his award to lose. He’s so out in front he’s essentially lapped the field.
2. LaMichael James, Oregon…Almost seems like an average performance when he has 122 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
3. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State…Every week every defense is geared up to stop him yet he keeps putting up video game numbers nonetheless.
Cheers & Jeers
Cheers to…Joe Paterno, who is making a late run at Big Ten Coach of the Year at the ripe old age of 83 after rallying the Nittany Lions to three straight wins after a blowout home loss to Illinois left them for dead. Oh, and did I mention he got his 400th career win over Northwestern and did it with the biggest comeback of his long and storied career? Oh, and did I mention he’s doing it with a walk-on quarterback?
Jeers to…Bob Stoops, who has had a rough couple of weeks. First, he admitted he didn’t play to win the game against Missouri to avoid losing by a wider spread that would’ve impacted pollsters. Well, the good news now is that he doesn’t have to worry about what the pollsters think since Oklahoma is out of the BCS title hunt for good after losing at Texas A&M. Stoops mysteriously called six running plays on two drives inside the five yard line in the fourth quarter that led to exactly zero points.
Cheers to…Les Miles, who made two gutsy calls in the fourth quarter that directly helped LSU beat the defending national champs. First he called a reverse on a 4th-and-1 that resulted in a big play, and then he allowed inconsistent Jarrett Lee to let it fly on a converted third-and-long that iced the game away for good.
Jeers to…Those who pay too much attention to recruiting rankings and just assume great players are going to be replaced by the next highly-coveted prospect without skipping a beat. Case in point is Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert, one of the top recruits in the nation a couple of years ago who continues to stink up the joint in burnt orange this fall. Gilbert threw five interceptions that directly led to a 39-14 loss to Kansas State despite the fact the Longhorn defense only allowed 270 yards. Texas is now 4-5 and needs two more wins to be bowl eligible, with three home games remaining. Unfortunately, two of those three games are against ranked foes.
Cheers to…Kansas, which is showing some resilience in Turner Gill’s first season despite a poor record. For the second time this season the Jayhawks get the Bon Scott Award for testicular fortitude after overcoming a 28 point Colorado lead by scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter for the 52-45 victory.
Jeers to…Florida State, who is trying its best to blow the ACC Atlantic Division after two straight losses to N.C. State and North Carolina (this one on yet another missed field goal wide right). The Seminoles final three games are Clemson, Maryland, and Florida. None of those are gimmes.
Big Ones
Previewing the five biggest games of the next week.
Penn State at Ohio State…Nittany Lions are hot but only have one win in Columbus since joining the Big Ten.
Mississippi State at Alabama…Will be interested to see if the Crimson Tide stay motivated now that they’re out of the national title hunt.
South Carolina at Florida…Probably the last real shot the old ball coach has at both his alma mater and a return to the SEC title game.
Texas A&M at Baylor…Winner is still in the Big 12 South Division race. Yes, we’re reaching for compelling matchups here in a weak slate of games.
Georgia at Auburn… It’s the south’s oldest rivalry, that has to count for something doesn’t it?
Projecting how things will finish based on what we know so far.
1. Wisconsin (7-1, 11-1)…Rose Bowl vs. Boise State
2. Iowa (7-1, 10-2)…Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama
3. Ohio State (6-2, 10-2)…Capitol One Bowl vs. LSU
4. Michigan State (6-2, 10-2)…Outback Bowl vs. Florida
5. Penn State (5-3, 8-4)…Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina
6. Illinois (4-4, 6-6)…Texas Bowl vs. Iowa State
7. Michigan (3-5, 7-5)…Insight Bowl vs. Kansas State
8. Purdue (3-5, 5-7)
9. Northwestern (2-6, 6-6)…Dallas Football Classic vs. Central Florida
10. Indiana (1-7, 5-7)
11. Minnesota (0-8, 1-11)
BCS Crystal Ball
Projecting how things will finish based on what we know so far.
National Championship Game—Auburn (12-1) vs. Oregon (12-0)
Rose Bowl—Boise State (12-0) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)
Sugar Bowl—Iowa (10-2) vs. Alabama (10-2)
Orange Bowl—TCU (12-0) vs. Virginia Tech (10-3)
Fiesta Bowl—Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Nebraska (12-1)
Weekly Top 25
If I had a vote in the AP Poll this would be my ballot based on how good I think the teams are right now.
1. Auburn (10-0)…Top two teams in the country are remarkably similar, but Tigers get the nod for #1 because they’ve played the tougher schedule.
2. Oregon (9-0)…How good is the Ducks’ offense? They came out flat against Washington and still scored 53 points.
3. Boise State (9-0)…Restored order in the WAC by resuming their rightful place alone at the top by destroying top contender Hawaii.
4. TCU (10-0)…Horned Frogs have now surrendered a grand total of only 23 points in their last six games.
5. LSU (8-1)…The Mad Hatter struck not once but twice to finally defeat his predecessor and put the Tigers in position for a BCS bid.
6. Wisconsin (8-1)…Started off a little flat coming off a bye week but then turned it on to run away from Purdue in the second half.
7. Stanford (7-1)…Cardinal probably hasn’t been ranked this high this late in the season since Jim Plunkett was winning the Heisman Trophy.
8. Michigan State (9-1)…Lost in the shuffle of an easy victory over Minnesota was a second consecutive shaky performance by Kirk Cousins.
9. Nebraska (8-1)…Didn’t so much beat Iowa State as much as it survived a final road trip to Ames without star quarterback Taylor Martinez.
10. Ohio State (8-1)…When you sit back and look at the Buckeyes’ schedule you come to the conclusion they’ve beaten exactly nobody.
11. Alabama (7-2)…There will be a new national champion this year, but Crimson Tide still has a shot at SEC Championship.
12. Arkansas (7-2)…Rolling into South Carolina and rolling the Gamecocks without their leading receiver was impressive.
13. Oklahoma State (8-1)…Don’t look now but look who is all alone in first place in the Big 12 South Division?
14. Missouri (7-2)…Tougher second half of the season schedule is starting to catch up to the Tigers, who have lost two in a row.
15. Oklahoma (7-2)…Remember when the Sooners were #1 in the BCS? Oklahoma is one of the best teams in the country at home, not so much on the road.
16. Arizona (7-2)…It looks as if the Wildcats will remain the only Pac-10 team to never have played in the Rose Bowl.
17. Iowa (7-2)…Absolutely escaped Indiana one week after dismantling of Michigan State. Which Hawkeye team shows up in Evanston this week?
18. Utah (8-1)…I’m not as impressed with TCU’s dominating win over Utes as many others because in my opinion Utah’s schedule was Charmin soft.
19. Virginia Tech (7-2)…Beat Georgia Tech, but it was the first time Hokies hadn’t put up 40 points in an ACC game.
20. Mississippi State (7-2)…Great story so far for the Bulldogs, but don’t be surprised if last week’s victory over Kentucky is their last one of the season.
21. Nevada (8-1)…It will be interesting to see if the Wolfpack handle the bulls eye of a national ranking better now than they did a month ago.
22. Penn State (6-3)…The legend of walk-on quarterback Matt McGloin continues to grow and the Nittany Lions’ running game is hitting its stride.
23. Florida (6-3)…Young Gators have taken a round-about way of getting there, but they again control their own destiny in the SEC East.
24. Michigan (6-3)…Young Wolverines one of just four teams in college football averaging over 500 yards of total offense per game.
25. Texas A&M (6-3)…Mike Sherman’s risky quarterback switch has paid off, and the Aggies have won three straight since he did it.
Honorable Mention:
26. Baylor (7-3), 27. South Carolina (6-3), 28. Hawaii (7-3), 29. N.C. State (6-3), 30. Illinois (5-4).
My Heisman Ballot
Our weekly rankings of the top three contenders for college football’s most coveted award.
1. Cameron Newton, Auburn…At this point it’s his award to lose. He’s so out in front he’s essentially lapped the field.
2. LaMichael James, Oregon…Almost seems like an average performance when he has 122 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
3. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State…Every week every defense is geared up to stop him yet he keeps putting up video game numbers nonetheless.
Cheers & Jeers
Cheers to…Joe Paterno, who is making a late run at Big Ten Coach of the Year at the ripe old age of 83 after rallying the Nittany Lions to three straight wins after a blowout home loss to Illinois left them for dead. Oh, and did I mention he got his 400th career win over Northwestern and did it with the biggest comeback of his long and storied career? Oh, and did I mention he’s doing it with a walk-on quarterback?
Jeers to…Bob Stoops, who has had a rough couple of weeks. First, he admitted he didn’t play to win the game against Missouri to avoid losing by a wider spread that would’ve impacted pollsters. Well, the good news now is that he doesn’t have to worry about what the pollsters think since Oklahoma is out of the BCS title hunt for good after losing at Texas A&M. Stoops mysteriously called six running plays on two drives inside the five yard line in the fourth quarter that led to exactly zero points.
Cheers to…Les Miles, who made two gutsy calls in the fourth quarter that directly helped LSU beat the defending national champs. First he called a reverse on a 4th-and-1 that resulted in a big play, and then he allowed inconsistent Jarrett Lee to let it fly on a converted third-and-long that iced the game away for good.
Jeers to…Those who pay too much attention to recruiting rankings and just assume great players are going to be replaced by the next highly-coveted prospect without skipping a beat. Case in point is Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert, one of the top recruits in the nation a couple of years ago who continues to stink up the joint in burnt orange this fall. Gilbert threw five interceptions that directly led to a 39-14 loss to Kansas State despite the fact the Longhorn defense only allowed 270 yards. Texas is now 4-5 and needs two more wins to be bowl eligible, with three home games remaining. Unfortunately, two of those three games are against ranked foes.
Cheers to…Kansas, which is showing some resilience in Turner Gill’s first season despite a poor record. For the second time this season the Jayhawks get the Bon Scott Award for testicular fortitude after overcoming a 28 point Colorado lead by scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter for the 52-45 victory.
Jeers to…Florida State, who is trying its best to blow the ACC Atlantic Division after two straight losses to N.C. State and North Carolina (this one on yet another missed field goal wide right). The Seminoles final three games are Clemson, Maryland, and Florida. None of those are gimmes.
Big Ones
Previewing the five biggest games of the next week.
Penn State at Ohio State…Nittany Lions are hot but only have one win in Columbus since joining the Big Ten.
Mississippi State at Alabama…Will be interested to see if the Crimson Tide stay motivated now that they’re out of the national title hunt.
South Carolina at Florida…Probably the last real shot the old ball coach has at both his alma mater and a return to the SEC title game.
Texas A&M at Baylor…Winner is still in the Big 12 South Division race. Yes, we’re reaching for compelling matchups here in a weak slate of games.
Georgia at Auburn… It’s the south’s oldest rivalry, that has to count for something doesn’t it?
