SteveDeace
Well-Known Member
2010 College Football Report – Week 12
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. Stanford
2. Ohio State (7-1, 11-1)…Sugar Bowl vs. Auburn
3. Michigan State (6-2, 10-2)…Capitol One Bowl vs. LSU
4. Iowa (5-3, 8-4)…Insight Bowl vs. Missouri
5. Penn State (5-3, 8-4)…Outback Bowl vs. Florida
6. Illinois (4-4, 6-6)…Texas Bowl vs. Baylor
7. Michigan (3-5, 7-5)…Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina
8. Northwestern (3-5, 7-5)…Dallas Football Classic vs. Central Florida
9. Purdue (3-5, 5-7)
10. Minnesota (1-7, 2-10)
11. Indiana (0-8, 4-8)
BCS Crystal Ball
Projecting how things will finish based on what we know so far.
National Championship Game—Boise State (12-0) vs. Oregon (12-0)
Rose Bowl—Stanford (11-1) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)
Sugar Bowl—Ohio State (11-1) vs. Auburn (12-1)
Orange Bowl—Alabama (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2)
Fiesta Bowl—Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Oklahoma (11-2)
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 (11-0)…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 (10-0)…Ducks used the bye week to get healthy, especially the ankle of star running back LaMichael James.
3. Boise State (10-0)…Put on a clinic against Fresno State on national television in a primetime spot on Friday night.
4. TCU (10-0)…Horned Frogs had surrendered a total of 23 points in previous six games before giving up 35 to the Aztecs last Saturday.
5. LSU (10-1)…Sugar Bowl would love to have home “hometown†Bayou Bengals, but they’ll have to beat pesky Arkansas to get there.
6. Wisconsin (10-1)…Clearly the class of the Big Ten, but still might need some BCS style points to get to Pasadena.
7. Stanford (10-1)…Got its first win at Berkley in a decade and has 10 wins in the regular season for the first time since 1926.
8. Ohio State (10-1)…Just to show how soft the Buckeyes schedule has been that win at Iowa is their best one of the season.
9. Oklahoma State (10-1)…Mike Gundy is strong candidate for National Coach of the Year after leading Cowboys to first 10-win regular season in school history.
10. Michigan State (10-1)…Sparty was victimized by the Hawkeyes for the second time this season after they failed to hold on to late lead versus Ohio State.
11. Alabama (9-2)…Don’t think the defending national champions wouldn’t love to spoil arch-rival Auburn’s dream season in the Iron Bowl.
12. Arkansas (9-2)…Could make a case for at-large BCS berth with their fan following and exciting offense if they upset LSU this week.
13. Missouri (9-2)…Tigers were fortunate Iowa State played without its starting quarterback because they weren’t exactly impressive in Ames.
14. Texas A&M (8-3)…Mike Sherman’s risky quarterback switch has paid off, and the Aggies have won five straight since he made the move.
15. Oklahoma (9-2)…Sooners finally got a win away from Norman against a team with a winning record and now face bedlam for the Big 12 South Division title.
16. Virginia Tech (9-2)…Again clearly the class of a weakened ACC which wouldn’t be saying much except Hokies overcame a 0-2 start to get there.
17. Nebraska (9-2)…As goes Taylor Martinez so goes the Huskers, and T-Magic wasn’t working in College Station so neither did the Big Red.
18. South Carolina (8-3)…No letdown against Troy after clinching first SEC Championship Game appearance.
19. Nevada (10-1)…Wolfpack will have several schools’ fan bases rooting for them when they hoist Boise State this week.
20. Florida State (8-3)…Escaped College Park with the victory and is now poised to return to the ACC Championship Game.
21. Arizona (7-3)… Wildcats are the only Pac-10 team to never have played in the Rose Bowl because each year they lose a game or two they’re not supposed to.
22. N.C. State (8-3)…Russell Wilson’s decision to spurn Major League Baseball for now saved the Wolfpack’s season and their head coach’s job.
23. Utah (9-2)…After getting exposed the past two weeks Utes got a nice bounce-back win at San Diego State who gave TCU a scare.
24. Iowa (7-4)…Disappointing season for Hawkeyes, who have lost all four games when their defense failed to stop foes late in the fourth quarter.
25. Northern Illinois (9-2)…Nobody else is undeniably deserving of a ranking, so let’s give the nod to the Huskies who are undefeated in MAC play.
Honorable Mention:
26. Mississippi State (7-4), 27. Hawaii (7-3), 28. Penn State (7-4), 29. Pittsburgh (6-4), 30. Navy (8-3).
My Heisman Ballot
Our weekly rankings of the top three contenders for college football’s most coveted award.
1. Cameron Newton, Auburn…While something certainly smells rotten in the state of Denmark, we’ll keep him here until that scent can be verified.
2. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State…Every week every defense is geared up to stop him yet he keeps putting up video game numbers nonetheless.
3. Denard Robinson, Michigan…One more time we’ll list the first man in the sport’s history to rush for 1,500 yards while passing for over 2,000 yards in the same season.
Cheers & Jeers
Cheers to…Illinois running back Mike Leshoure, who rushed for a school record 330 yards at Wrigley Field against Northwestern, which was also the highest single game rushing total in FBS thus far this season.
Jeers to…USC which lost for the third year in a row to Oregon State, this time 36-7 Beaver squad that lost at home to Washington State the previous week. Adding injury to insult was what appeared to be a severe ankle injury suffered by quarterback Matt Barkley in the defeat.
Cheers to…Jim Tressel, who has now won an amazing nine straight games against Big Ten foes that were in BCS bowls the previous season. Tressel’s mastery of November continues as well, his November record improved to 28-4 with the 20-17 victory over Iowa.
Jeers to…Pittsburgh, which will probably set the record for the longest it has taken an automatic BCS qualifier to actually get bowl-eligible.
Cheers to…Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins, who gets this week’s Bon Scott Award for the way he’s responded since the Buffaloes fired his dad as the head coach. He’s guided Colorado to two straight wins and has six touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Jeers to…Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, who yet again was seen on camera gasping for air and failing to make any pivotal plays late in the fourth quarter that kept the opponent out of the end zone to preserve a victory. At this point Clayborn doesn’t deserve first team All-Big Ten let alone first team All-American.
Big Ones
Previewing the five biggest games of the next week.
Auburn at Alabama…Does the road to the national championship go through the yellowhammer state once again? Will the Cam Newton controversy be settled?
Boise State at Nevada…This is probably the biggest home game the Wolfpack have ever played.
LSU at Arkansas…At-large BCS berth could very well be on the line, and these two often play barnburners.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State…Bedlam in Stillwater will settle the Big 12 South Division title.
Arizona at Oregon…The last ranked team left on the Ducks’ pastry-soft schedule.
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. Stanford
2. Ohio State (7-1, 11-1)…Sugar Bowl vs. Auburn
3. Michigan State (6-2, 10-2)…Capitol One Bowl vs. LSU
4. Iowa (5-3, 8-4)…Insight Bowl vs. Missouri
5. Penn State (5-3, 8-4)…Outback Bowl vs. Florida
6. Illinois (4-4, 6-6)…Texas Bowl vs. Baylor
7. Michigan (3-5, 7-5)…Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina
8. Northwestern (3-5, 7-5)…Dallas Football Classic vs. Central Florida
9. Purdue (3-5, 5-7)
10. Minnesota (1-7, 2-10)
11. Indiana (0-8, 4-8)
BCS Crystal Ball
Projecting how things will finish based on what we know so far.
National Championship Game—Boise State (12-0) vs. Oregon (12-0)
Rose Bowl—Stanford (11-1) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)
Sugar Bowl—Ohio State (11-1) vs. Auburn (12-1)
Orange Bowl—Alabama (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2)
Fiesta Bowl—Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Oklahoma (11-2)
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 (11-0)…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 (10-0)…Ducks used the bye week to get healthy, especially the ankle of star running back LaMichael James.
3. Boise State (10-0)…Put on a clinic against Fresno State on national television in a primetime spot on Friday night.
4. TCU (10-0)…Horned Frogs had surrendered a total of 23 points in previous six games before giving up 35 to the Aztecs last Saturday.
5. LSU (10-1)…Sugar Bowl would love to have home “hometown†Bayou Bengals, but they’ll have to beat pesky Arkansas to get there.
6. Wisconsin (10-1)…Clearly the class of the Big Ten, but still might need some BCS style points to get to Pasadena.
7. Stanford (10-1)…Got its first win at Berkley in a decade and has 10 wins in the regular season for the first time since 1926.
8. Ohio State (10-1)…Just to show how soft the Buckeyes schedule has been that win at Iowa is their best one of the season.
9. Oklahoma State (10-1)…Mike Gundy is strong candidate for National Coach of the Year after leading Cowboys to first 10-win regular season in school history.
10. Michigan State (10-1)…Sparty was victimized by the Hawkeyes for the second time this season after they failed to hold on to late lead versus Ohio State.
11. Alabama (9-2)…Don’t think the defending national champions wouldn’t love to spoil arch-rival Auburn’s dream season in the Iron Bowl.
12. Arkansas (9-2)…Could make a case for at-large BCS berth with their fan following and exciting offense if they upset LSU this week.
13. Missouri (9-2)…Tigers were fortunate Iowa State played without its starting quarterback because they weren’t exactly impressive in Ames.
14. Texas A&M (8-3)…Mike Sherman’s risky quarterback switch has paid off, and the Aggies have won five straight since he made the move.
15. Oklahoma (9-2)…Sooners finally got a win away from Norman against a team with a winning record and now face bedlam for the Big 12 South Division title.
16. Virginia Tech (9-2)…Again clearly the class of a weakened ACC which wouldn’t be saying much except Hokies overcame a 0-2 start to get there.
17. Nebraska (9-2)…As goes Taylor Martinez so goes the Huskers, and T-Magic wasn’t working in College Station so neither did the Big Red.
18. South Carolina (8-3)…No letdown against Troy after clinching first SEC Championship Game appearance.
19. Nevada (10-1)…Wolfpack will have several schools’ fan bases rooting for them when they hoist Boise State this week.
20. Florida State (8-3)…Escaped College Park with the victory and is now poised to return to the ACC Championship Game.
21. Arizona (7-3)… Wildcats are the only Pac-10 team to never have played in the Rose Bowl because each year they lose a game or two they’re not supposed to.
22. N.C. State (8-3)…Russell Wilson’s decision to spurn Major League Baseball for now saved the Wolfpack’s season and their head coach’s job.
23. Utah (9-2)…After getting exposed the past two weeks Utes got a nice bounce-back win at San Diego State who gave TCU a scare.
24. Iowa (7-4)…Disappointing season for Hawkeyes, who have lost all four games when their defense failed to stop foes late in the fourth quarter.
25. Northern Illinois (9-2)…Nobody else is undeniably deserving of a ranking, so let’s give the nod to the Huskies who are undefeated in MAC play.
Honorable Mention:
26. Mississippi State (7-4), 27. Hawaii (7-3), 28. Penn State (7-4), 29. Pittsburgh (6-4), 30. Navy (8-3).
My Heisman Ballot
Our weekly rankings of the top three contenders for college football’s most coveted award.
1. Cameron Newton, Auburn…While something certainly smells rotten in the state of Denmark, we’ll keep him here until that scent can be verified.
2. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State…Every week every defense is geared up to stop him yet he keeps putting up video game numbers nonetheless.
3. Denard Robinson, Michigan…One more time we’ll list the first man in the sport’s history to rush for 1,500 yards while passing for over 2,000 yards in the same season.
Cheers & Jeers
Cheers to…Illinois running back Mike Leshoure, who rushed for a school record 330 yards at Wrigley Field against Northwestern, which was also the highest single game rushing total in FBS thus far this season.
Jeers to…USC which lost for the third year in a row to Oregon State, this time 36-7 Beaver squad that lost at home to Washington State the previous week. Adding injury to insult was what appeared to be a severe ankle injury suffered by quarterback Matt Barkley in the defeat.
Cheers to…Jim Tressel, who has now won an amazing nine straight games against Big Ten foes that were in BCS bowls the previous season. Tressel’s mastery of November continues as well, his November record improved to 28-4 with the 20-17 victory over Iowa.
Jeers to…Pittsburgh, which will probably set the record for the longest it has taken an automatic BCS qualifier to actually get bowl-eligible.
Cheers to…Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins, who gets this week’s Bon Scott Award for the way he’s responded since the Buffaloes fired his dad as the head coach. He’s guided Colorado to two straight wins and has six touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Jeers to…Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, who yet again was seen on camera gasping for air and failing to make any pivotal plays late in the fourth quarter that kept the opponent out of the end zone to preserve a victory. At this point Clayborn doesn’t deserve first team All-Big Ten let alone first team All-American.
Big Ones
Previewing the five biggest games of the next week.
Auburn at Alabama…Does the road to the national championship go through the yellowhammer state once again? Will the Cam Newton controversy be settled?
Boise State at Nevada…This is probably the biggest home game the Wolfpack have ever played.
LSU at Arkansas…At-large BCS berth could very well be on the line, and these two often play barnburners.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State…Bedlam in Stillwater will settle the Big 12 South Division title.
Arizona at Oregon…The last ranked team left on the Ducks’ pastry-soft schedule.
