5. #8 Cincinnati @ #21 South Florida Thursday Night 6:30 PM CDT EPSN
The likely de-facto Big East championship game happens tonight! I know the Big East is a BCS conference, but I'm still considering this game like a BCS buster special. Undefeated Big East teams are not looked on very highly in most season. West Virginia a couple years ago was the exception, but people are very skeptial about Cincinnati and South Florida this season. And I am no different. The conference is weak, but to be fair, both teams have some good out of conference wins. Cinci has beaten Oregon State on the road, and South Florida has beaten Florida State. Even in a down year, that is a good win for USF. Cincinnati QB Tony Pike is a Heisman candidate and needs a national stage to showcase his talents. ESPN's Todd McShay seems to like him already, so that will help. But Thursday night will go a long way for his Heisman candidacy. November 13th vs. West Virginia will help too. South Florida is missing their start quarterback Matt Grothe, but B.J. Daniels has stepped up very nicely. Cincinnati is giving 2.5 in this game, but I still take them because of the Tony Pike factor 31-20.
4. #4 Virginia Tech @ #19 Georgia Tech 5:00 PM ESPN2
The likely ACC Coastal championship game is on the line this weekend in this matchup. Miami is still waiting in the wings in that division, but the loss to Virginia Tech head-to-head will hurt. Of course if Georgia Tech wins, its all out the window. We all know about Tech's amazing ground attack. Jonathan Dwyer leads the team in yards. QB Josh Nesbit leads in carries, but only as a 3.9 YPC average. Have to factor sacks into that equation too though. Anothony Allen is another one....and he is a BURNER as the second running back. Through the air, Tech isn't spectacular with only 5 TD passes on the year. Virginia Tech has been nearly unstoppable this year save the Alabama game. They maybe should have lost to Nebraska, but otherwise have looked good. Tyrod Taylor hasn't look spectacular through the air, but he is keeping the ball out of the defense's hands with an 8/1 TD/INT ratio. Ryan Williams is really filling in nicely with nearly 1/2 of the team's total carriers on the season and a 5.8 YPC average. Va Tech is getting 3.5 in this game....but thats not nearly enough. 31-17 Hokies.3. #22 South Carolina @ #2 Alabama 6:45 PM ESPN
It's going to be a tough game, but don't count out South Carolina in this game. They are just one play away from being undefeated and have beaten a very good Ole Miss team. Stephen Garcia is coming into his own as a quarterback with over 60% completion percentage. No one has really stepped up on the ground as of yet however. Brian Maddox has the most carries but only a 3.1 YPC average. The Gamecocks like to spread the ball around on offense, which Alabama does have issues stopping at times. 6 cocks have at least 10 catches on the year. And Steve Spurrier LOVES to beat Alabama and hasn't played in Tuscaloosa since he was at Florida. But Alabama has been the most impressive team in the nation to date. Greg McElroy as more than filled in for John Parker Wilson (although that wasn't all that difficult really) and guys like Ingram and especially Richardson on the ground are making Tide fans ask "Glen Coffee Who?" Alabama has four running backs that could start on many elite teams. Ingram leads the offense wit 659 yards and 7 touchdowns. Richardson is developing into a superstar already just 1/2 the way into his true freshman season. 4 receivers have at least 10 catches with the leading receiver, Marquis Maze, having just 242 yards. But this means Alabama no longer relies on Julio to make all the catches. Eventually, he will be freed up on single coverages and be able to run wild again. Alabama is giving 17.5 in this game...and that sounds about right. I am tempted to take USCe to stay within the spread, but I just can't do it. Alabama 31-10.2. #6 USC @ #25 Notre Dame 2:30 PM NBC
Two of the top three media darlings are up against each other this weekend in South Bend. If only Tim Tebow could ref the game and everyone that matters according to the media would be in one place! I hate to say it, but Jimmy Clausen does look pretty good. 68% completion, 12 TD, just 2 INT. Armondo Allen on the ground has been as good as expected. Golden Tate is an ELITE receiver with 33 catches, but with the injury to Michael Floyd, Tate will see a lot of double coverages and won't see much open space. Since the Nevada game, Notre Dame has played every game within a touchdown with the biggest margin of victory being a 7 point overtime win against Washington. USC isn't the USC of old either. Matt Barkley is healthy and ready to go, but isn't overpowering from the QB position. Joe McKnight gets the majority of carries and has a 7.1 YPC, but isn't a between the tackles runner. Stafon Johnson is, but he is out for the year, at least. Allen Bradford does well as an inside runner, but Johnson was the goal line touchdown machine. USC probably has 5 backs that could tote the rock if called upon. Damian Williams leads the receiving corps with 24 catches. Beyond Williams, no one has really stepped up. And the USC defense has given up just 43 points this season. USC is giving 10, not enough. 38-13 Trojans. If not, count Jimmy Clausen as your Heisman winner already.1. #20 Oklahoma @ #3 Texas 11:00 AM ABC
The Red River Rivalry. Still want to call it the shootout, but sadly we don't do that anymore. God forbid we discuss a shootout in TEXAS! Not like that ever happened or anything like that. But I digress. This match up might not have some of the luster it did in recent years, but its still a top notch game. Oklahoma's national title hopes are likely dead, but its conference title hopes are not. An OU victory could likely mean a Texas team not winning its conference but still being in line as a top one loss team to play in the title game. Sam Bradford is back and looks as good as ever. Granted, it was just Baylor he was playing against. The Sooners have a two headed monster of Demarco Murray and Chris Brown at running back. Both have over 70 carries and both have a near 5 YPC average. OU is giving up just 8.4 PPG on defense. But Texas is the top team in the nation outside of the SEC for a reason. Despite the head to head victory in last year's game, Texas was shut out of the national title game. That will not happen this year since OU already has two losses and Texas knows that. They also know that if they do not win their conference (Division for that matter) that they are unlikely to get the BCS nod over another 1 loss conference champion, or even an undefeated mid major. Colt McCoy is probably the leader for the Heisman at this point and is playing spectacularly. The Horns top two running backs, Vondrell McGee and Tre' Newon are dinged up and may not play. Foswhitt Whittaker figures to take over as the top back if they cannot go and looked just fine last weekend when called upon. The Horns have 3 receivers with at least 20 catches led by Jordan Shipley with 47 grabs already on the year. Shipley, Dan Bucker, and converted quarterback John Chiles make for a potent trio of receivers that will be all over the OU defense. Texas does give up a little more than OU with 15 PPG. Vegas has Texas giving 3.5 in this one, don't worry though. It will be close, it always is, but Texas in a surprising defensive game 24-13.
Mark Ingram has actually started to garner a few Heisman votes. He doesn't have a chance in hell of winning of course, but hey, he's only a sophomore. Given the sheer number of talented RBs we have I wouldn't be surprised if he's simply not played enough to get a Heisman, but hey - what's a Heisman compared to championships? Who do you think was happier last year? Oklahoma fans for the Heisman or Florida fans for the national championship?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, we have a lot of talent on the team and I am impressed on the field and in interviews at the way every player is so team-oriented, and it shows in how everything is clicking. South Carolina can be dangerous, but I just don't see them coming close to pulling the upset.
It would be strange to see a team not win their conference and go to the championship... but not the strangest thing that's happened of course
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be unprecendented for a team to not win the conference but play in the title game. 2003 Oklahoma lost in the conference title game, still played in national title game.
ReplyDeleteThis goes into the whole conference title game inequity that I'll talk about more in a couple of weeks that really gets me angry but that year USC didn't have to play in a title game which is probably why Oklahoma still went. May end up with a scenario like that again this season.
As for Ingram, the only Heisman chance he has is to get like 30-40 carries a game for like 150 and a touchdown or 2 every game from here on out. But I like our offense the way it is and don't wanna say I hope that doesn't happen...but I want to win way more than see someone win the Heisman. Although I see Richardson pushing for it in two years.