College Football 2013-14

I was at the Northwester/Ohio St game a few years back when Northwestern beat them. It was a great time and I was in the middle of the OSU fans and had to stay quiet in order to no upset the family, but still a blast. I'll go with the 'Cats again!

Joe, I normally agree with everything you have, but coming down on their schedule seems misplaced. They couldnt have predicted Va Tech blowing. Having 2 walkovers in 12 games, I have no problem with. I'm sure we could look at all top 25 teams and find scheduling issues. AZ State is an easy one that comes to mind. I will agree that Alabama got lucky in their SEC scheduling though and how the games fall there. but that's done by the SEC and rotates every year. I think that was just luck.

Don't think UGA will have a problem this week.

Southern Miss now up to a 17 point fav. Maybe I will finally have something to smile about.

CU 38.5 dogs to Oregon. Surely I can last a half!

 

I hear you Dtown (great story about being in the middle of Buckeye fans) and Bama does run the gauntlet normally in conference, but teams like LSU, South Carolina, Georgia do challenge themselves out of conference while the last few years Alabama hasn't. Every school has a cupcake, especially schools like Arizona or Colorado that are trying to get back to respectability, but Alabama is hosing their own season ticket holders by playing games that are over before they started.

One bit of good news for you on Sat. is it appears the fastest player in college football, DeAnthony Thomas won't be available for the Ducks.

 

oregon could play with 10 on both sides of the ball and win this game i'm afraid. but, there are upsets every year. maybe this is the one.

 

No Aggie game to soothe my weekly dose of Fulham disappointment this Saturday, I'm afraid. Here's an interesting tidbit. Last year, Aggie kicker Tyler Bertolet struggled and that has continued into this season so A&M switched to his backup v Arkansas. I didn't know it until I watched the game last weekend, but the backup is former FC Dallas goalie Josh Lambo. He went 1/1 on fg's (39 yds) and 6/6 on xp's.

Let's see...Northern Arizona, UNLV & UTSA (in their 3rd year as a program). How's that glass house of yours Joe? As stated above, at least Bama scheduled VaTech who is usually good. I'd like to see better non-conference matchups for all the power conferences but until you force everyone to do it, it just doesn't make a lot of sense if you're in a strong conference.

For my upset special this week, I'll go with Auburn at home v #24 Ole Miss. The Rebels are a 3 pt favorite. I was really tempted to go with Minnesota over Michigan. The Wolverines are a 19 pt favorite and have been very dicey this year. I don't like the Gophers to win, but I do like them to beat that spread.

I just don't think NU has enough to beat Ohio State. Hope it goes your way though, Tim.

I'll take Stanford over Washington. These two have had a few wild games in Stanford in the past but I just don't see U-Dub bagging the Cardinal 2 yrs in a row.

Unfortunately, I think FSU will beat the Turtles. This Maryland team is explosive and I really like them and I have my doubts about FSU as well. However, Maryland's history travelling to Tallahassee is terrible, and they've taken some good teams down there before. If this game was at Byrd I'd be all over a Terp upset. I'll be rooting for it though.

GT over Miami might be a good call Joe. Miami qb Stephen Morris has been battling an ankle that he re-injured last weekend. Still like the Canes b/c of that defense but if Morris struggles and it's close, anything can happen.

 

Matt, I did mention the Arizona schedule on my post above, and it's a good thing we did get those 3 wins since we have a QB that has only one flaw..he CAN"T throw it. :angry-banghead:

Almost put #12 UCLA on upset alert at Utah and the Bruins D had to make a stand at the end of the game to win 34-27. Utah had plenty of chances, but were hampered by the QB throwing 6 Ints.

 

HD, intrude away sir, I was hoping you took notice of our new feature on this thread (as long as Maryland stays undefeated), "The HD FEAR the TURLTE Game of the Week'. The Terps travel to Tallahassee Sat. so not sure how much longer the feature will feature

 

I'm sure Don has to be thrilled to have his name tied to that massacre. Apparently turtle soup was on special at Free Shoes U today.

Maybe we should rename the upset special the SoCalJoe "Oh So Close, But No Cigar" pick. That's 2 weeks running you've come within a whisker of nailing the upset pick. Good call on Georgia/Tennessee. I didn't know that Gurley and Marshall were injured, but still, that game wasn't even on my radar as a possibility from what I'd seen of Tennessee. Just a little less extra effort and the Vols are probably celebrating a signature win tonight.

Iowa St wuz robbed. Seems to happen a lot with the horns, but obviously I'm biased, so take that with the appropriate grain of salt.

Joe, you didn't really mention Arizona's schedule. You said they usually schedule one cupcake. I'll give you UNLV since they're a mid-major, but the other two are cupcakes of the highest order.

Just found out Ricky Williams (the sticky icky icky one) is coaching running backs at Incarnate Word, a local private university. Apparently he's off the pot now and wants to work towards being a head coach, but at an academics first, non-scholarship institution, not one of the big time football mills. He's a different cat and took a lot of stick for it while he struggled to figure things out, so good for him. I hope it works out for him. The kids at UIW love him.

 

Have to hand it to Aaron Murray who held Georgia together when it seemed every skilled offensive player got hurt. Matt, Marshall (along with 3 wry all got hurt during the game). Really feel for the Tennessee kid that fumbled while stretching for the goal line. Awesome that the Vols fans stood and applauded their team off the field after the loss.

Northwestern played their hearts out, and lead the entire game, but appeared to wear down in the 4th.

Stanford and Washington was terrific and the Cardinal held on for dear life at the end. Poor UDub, they left it on the field and now have to turn around and play Oregon next week.

Thanks for the update about Ricky Williams. Always found him to be a really interesting person even when typecast as the 'pot smoking weirdo'. He really had conflicting thoughts about football, but ended up having a very underrated NFL career.

 

That late touchdown by Ohio State has to be one of the worst (or best depending on which side you were on) backdoor covers of all-time.

 

Yep, read that the Vegas swing was in the neighborhood of $3-4million on that play, mostly in favor of the betters as lots of the money was on OSU to cover.

I've managed to emotionally recover from the game; it was quite the rollercoaster. NU proved they can absolutely match up with those guys...and the good news is there's still a potential rematch in the cards in the Big 10 championship game. And that could have a Rose Bowl berth on the line. There isn't much that would make me happier than seeing the 'Cats take the field in Pasadena on New Year's Day.

In any event, they acquitted themselves well, which in a big primetime game on national TV, will always be a good thing for the program.

 

Glad to see Michigan got back to destroying opponents. We should be undefeated before November. Thanks to our two barely win games, we are totally screwed in the polls. We could go undefeated and maybe not make it to the title game. Big Ten would probably scream bloody murder if a one loss Alabama or Oregon team go and Michigan doesn't with no losses. Unless we totally destroy a decent team and jump a few spots in one week, not sure how we get there.

 

Games of the Week:

The Red River Rivalry pitting Texas and #12 Oklahoma looks to be Mack Brown's last stand. More than likely the Longhorns will be blown out and Brown's tenure either will be over immediately or at the end of the season. Lots of candidates will line up for that job, the Bama D coordinator (name escaping me) would probably be the early favorite. A guy that they should take a look, but probably won't is Art Briles at Baylor. No one outside of Big 12 country is talking about them. Baylor is easily the most underrated team in the country. Three of Four games they have scored 70+ points, the other one? The Bears scored 69 :shock:

#2 Oregon at #16 Washington. There is a serious rivalry, for a many fans of each school this is a bigger game than their in-state one. Not sure how much the Huskies have left in the tank after the heartbreaking loss at Stanford, Ducks roll late.

#17 Florida at #10 LSU. Don't think the Gators have enough offense to beat LSU at Death Valley.

#9 Texas A&M at Ole Miss. The Rebels started out of the blocks great, but after 2 straight losses are looking to rebound. Not going to happen, Aggies to win going away.

**Upset Alert** sponsored by Harry's Horseshoe Company, 'Harry's; where close counts"

Okay, not sure if this is considered an upset, but according to the rankings... #19 Northwestern at Wisconsin. The Cats played their hearts out against Ohio State. the Badgers had a much needed bye week after two tough losses themselves, Wisconsin wins at home.

Staying in the Big Ten; #18 Michigan at Penn State. Sorry Justin, but not buying the Wolverines at all. They should get by the Nittany Lions, but I'll go with the upset. Penn State having ups and downs with their true freshman QB, but look for a good performance on Sat. Michigan has played one road game, and they barely beat one of the worst teams in college football UConn 24-21 in that one.

#25 Missouri at #6 Georgia. For no other reason than Georgia have all their skilled players besides Aaron Murray out for this game. The Dawgs will win, but it could get dicey.

***The SCJ Glutton for Punishment Game of the Week. Arizona at USC. I will be there tonight at the LA Coliseum to watch my alma mater in person. Fresh off a college game where our QB went 14 of 35 (in other words he can't hit water if he fell out of a boat) I will be there probably wondering why I paid to watch. SC stinks also, but firing Kiffin will probably have a positive effect. SC 27 Cats 16

 

The 4 team playoff is a year away, but it's a matchup like this week's Game of the Week that is indeed a playoff. The loser is more than likely done in it's quest for the Natty;

#5 Florida State at #3 Clemson. Doesn't get much bigger than this. The freshman QB Famous Jameis is the real deal and a future #1 pick. Is he ready to handle that sea of orange?? I like Taj Boyd also, but it was a little worrying that last week they were losing to Boston College at half (came back and won 24-14). I think FSU is a little better team, but Clemson is at home..Really difficult pick, but will take the Noles'.

#9 UCLA at #13 Stanford. There is a reason there is something in football called a 'trap game' (Big game, lesser opponent, Big game). The Cardinal fell into the trap and saw it's National Championship hopes dashed at Utah. Not sure how they will respond in this one. Toughest obstacle for the Bruins is how they handle being ranked in the Top 10, a team that loses a 4 -6 games a season can find it tough being undefeated. Really want to pick UCLA, but will take Stanford.

#24 Auburn at #7 Texas A&M. A coaching change and Auburn is one of the big surprises of the year. Should be a high scoring affair, but will take the Aggies to win despite that defense.

#22 Florida at #14 Missouri. Unfortunately for Mizzou their long time starting QB James Franklin is out. The Gators better find a way to win, because another loss and this season is going to hell in a handbag.

Upset Alert:

#20 Washington at Arizona State. The Huskies suffer from schedule fatigue against the Scumbags

#23 Northern Illinois at Central Michigan. I know nothing about these teams, but the MAC is super competitive.

 

Games of the Week;

#12 UCLA at #3 Oregon. Bruins O-Line is decimated, and the Ducks going to send a message.

Tennessee at #1 Alabama. Tennessee is showing signs of life, but Bama rolls.

#10 Texas Tech at #15 Oklahoma. The Sooners are College football's Sybill, you never know which personality shows up. I will go with the good one this week, because they are at home and Texas Tech will realize they are unbeaten this late in the season.

#2 South Carolina at #5 Missouri. Still not buying Mizzou, but Carolina has been a massive disappointment. Hard to predict how a team that had national championship aspirations plays when those dreams are dashed. The Tigers will lose, but not this week.


Upset Alert:

#6 Stanford at #25 Oregon State. Stanford better not be looking ahead to Oregon, because Oregon State has reeled off 6 wins in a row after a shocking loss to Eastern Washington to start the season. Sean Mannion is the most underrated QB in the country and Crooks is a great WR. The Cardinal will try and pound the rock and keep Mannion off the field.

 

Local View - Ohio
For the last few years, I sometimes opted to follow Cincinnati, over the Buckeyes, because they were more interesting and exciting to watch. Well, they still are more unpredictable, but their season is a relative disaster.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...i-bearcats-football-tommy-tuberville/2940769/

Is it Tommy Tuberville's fault? Don't think you can say that, he had nothing to do with a fatal crash that had to hurt team morale. On the other hand, it's his role to keep the team focused.

Meantime, Urban Meyer is unbeaten at OSU, 20-0, and the Bucks rolled up the perfect win against Penn State. As well as demonstrating to future opponents that taking Braxton Miller out of a game might not be a good idea, instead might get their asses handed to them.

And still the Bucks are rated 4th in BCS. Some seem to think that's 'unfair'. I have no problem with it. It doesn't affect a game score but does keep the 'psych-up' target smaller. My personal opinion is that Urban Meyer is the best head coach Ohio State has had since Woody. Except he's a better leader than Woody for the modern day.

 

Fog, as soon as the U of CIncinnati hired Tuberville I knew they were done. He is an average coach at best and the Bearcats program will suffer from his hiring for years to come. Whoever the Athetic Director at UC is, he/she made a huge error in Tuberville. I'm guessing they were sick of hiring great young, dynamic coaches (Dantonio, Kelly, Jones) that were successes at UC only to move on to bigger programs, and instead was looking for an older stable coach who wished to be there for the rest of their careers.. :doh:

 

Disagree a little on the Tuberville analysis. I think he's one of the more unethical coaches, but he managed to win at Ole Miss and Auburn (under probation I believe). I think he will be a good fit for Cincy, a school that has goals of BCS in a not so good conference. He won't be knocking on the door of National Championships, but should bring some consistent winning. just my .02.

 

Maybe it's the unethical side of him dtown that influences my opinion on him. He's doing fine w/Butch Jones recruits so far (6-2).

Games of the Week:

#7 Miami at #3 Florida State. The Canes will be found out this Sat. They are well coached, and improved, but have been squeaking by. The only way I see this being a game is if FSU watch tape of Miami against Wake Forest and North Carolina and are too overconfident.

#22 Michigan at #21 Michigan State. The Big Ten is down again, but this still is a great rivalry. Michigan is coming off a 63-47 win against a Indiana. Sparty has been rolling and the mistake filled loss at Notre Dame is their only blemish. Little Brother in East Lansing wins this one.

#18 Oklahoma State at #15 Texas Tech. Perhaps our Big 12 expert can shed some light on this one, since I have no idea what's going to happen other than the scoreboard operator being busy. How will Tech react after their first loss of season? It's at home so they have a chance, but will pick the Cowboys.

**Upset Alert**

No clear cut ones, but will give Lax's Iowa Hawkeyes a good shot to knock off #24 Wisconsin at home.