College Football 2013-14

The 12 O'Clock eastern start time you mentioned Matt for the UCLA-Neb game did not register at first, since my bro in-law Bruin fan had a noon bbq planned and didn't think they would start a game in Lincoln at 11 am (TV $$ at work). He calls me today in a panic that the game starts at 9. Throw in the terrible weather forecast and I'm switching the pick to the Huskers.

 

See, Lubbock = strange. If you saw any of that game, it was really weird. Tech's d surprised me, but TCU's offense really stunk too.

That start time probably tripped up UCLA to start, but man, once they woke up it was over.

I was wrong on texas. They showed they had some pride...for a half. Then they folded their tents and quit. So much talent, so incredibly soft. I don't see how Mack survives the season. He actually had the gall to mention winning the conference in the post game presser.

Arizona St kinda robbed the bank there, no? That ending felt very sketchy, esp the way the refs sprinted off the field.

I whiffed on U-Dub @ Illinois. The Illini stormed back and made it look closer, but they couldn't stop Bishop Shankey. Kid sounds like a private school in the NE.

And then there was the much hyped SEC Tide/Aggies tilt. Didn't see it going that way. If you told me Manziel would put up the numbers he did and that we'd score 42, I'd have thought we'd win. Our d didn't improve as much as I'd hoped with the starters returning. But I was proud of our guys for fighting back and making it a game. I was proud of our fans for staying to the end and not going for the exits like many places would have. And there's not a lot of shame losing by 7 to the #1 ranked, repeat defending Nat'l champs. Especially when we showed that if we'd won the turnover battle, we just might have beat them anyway. That pick 6 was a killer. Manziel and Evans are going to be even more fun to watch this year.

 

Matt I didn't think the Aggies D was the problem as much as the turnovers committed by the offense putting a dagger in the Aggies heart. Just my $0.02 worth.

 

Respect the Aggies for getting off the mat in the 4th quarter, and would have loved to have seen the D stop them and given Manziel a chance to tie it. Give it to the kid for being very gracious in defeat (both on the field after the game, and in the presser)

Only saw highlights of the crazy ending in Tempe, and as much as I hate the Scummies and would love to say the Badgers were cheated,the Wisconsin qb had a total brain cramp. The fact he didn't put his knee down, but left the ball on the ground was his fault. It was such a bizarre ending the refs had to be stunned by what transpired. If anything maybe they should have stopped it and gone to the replay booth, but it would have been ruled a fumble and ASWho ball.

Great day for this Pac 12 homer. Oregon could have put up 80 on Tennessee if they wanted, but called off the dogs at 59 points in the 3rd.

UDub beat up Illinois at Soldier Field. I know Chicago is full of Illini alumni, but they would have had a better chance if they actually played at home.

UCLA got down 18 points early, then outscored the Huskers 38-0 the rest of the way, in Lincoln.

Arizona? 38-13 over the Mighty UT-San Antonio (Matt's 5th favorite team).

 

I won't root for ut-anything. Ever.

 

I knew it was only a matter of time before you would be pulling for Arizona again.

And upon fuller review of the Arizona State-Wisconsin ending, the new headline reads; "Scum Devils Cheat to Win!!" Okay, ASU players had nothing to do with the incompetent officials, but it's always an appropriate headline . Was listening to radio and the Pac 12 released a statement saying the referees screwed up, and Wisconsin should of had another down. I'm sure this makes all the difference in the world to Wisconsin and the bitter taste is gone :roll: It does not matter if the knee of the Wisconsin QB hit the ground or not (in college football), as long as the motion to intentionally kneel takes place (which it clearly did, and the official acknowledged it as well).

 

Stave should have handed the ball to the ref rather than place the ball on the ground. When I was watching the game live, I didn't think he took a knee at first either and he only just confused his team, ASU and the refs. Plus Wisconsin was getting too cute. Just kick the damn field goal.

 

Not much to say about the big Louisville-Kentucky snoozer. The best team won, and Teddy probably cost himself the Heisman with an underwhelming performance. The next home game at Papa John's is a sellout against FIU, but I really don't think they have enough worthy opponents left to make a serious claim to the BCS national championship game. But they should be fun to watch if #5 stays healthy and gets back up on the horse.

 

The calm before the conference storm hits next week as most of the ranked teams are either on a bye or playing a cupcake. The games of the week are a couple of the rare conference games, and also serve as the upsets alerts;

#3 Clemson at NC State (tonight). The Wolfpack have knocked off some highly ranked teams in Raleigh over the years, and while Clemson having the extra time to prepare will probably see them through, it could get dicey. I'll take Clemson.

MIchigan State at #22 Notre Dame. The Spartans and Irish should be a 4 quarter affair, and it could come down to the kicking game. I'll take Sparty to pull off the upset (probably wishful thinking since I have a MSU alum buddy who will be in attendance)

Game of the Week:

#24 Arizona State at #5 Stanford. ASWHo is fresh off that crazy ending v Wisconsin, while Stanford traveled all the way to West Point and were underwhelming in a win over the Black Knights of the Hudson. I'm not buying the Cardinal's ranking, but would rather not pick a Scum Devil victory (even though it could happen). Go dancing tree!!

 

This used to be a huge w/e in college football....Tennessee v Florida. This w/e is a bit spare on matchups.

Upset Candidates

Kansas St @ texas (-7) - K St lost to North Dakota St in week 1, but MAN the horns are bad. Anytime texas is favored this season, it's going to be an upset candidate. In 8 of their last 13 games, the opposition's leading rusher has set a career high against texas. :shock:

Utah St @ USC (-7) - Chuckie Keeton of Utah St is an explosive and exciting qb. With all of the turmoil surrounding Kiffin and the Condoms, Utah St could pull the upset if they get off to a quick start.

Louisiana Tech @ Kansas (-9) - La Tech isn't the Cinderella story they were a year ago, but Kansas still stinks at football. Shame for them that Mangino lost the plot (fired for going Bobby Knight/Rutgers hoops coach on his players) b/c they were irrelevant before he arrived and reverted to form swiftly after he left. Not that he left them a choice.

Michigan St @ notre dame (-6) - Not impressed with either team but I hate notre dame, so like Joe, I'll be rooting for a Sparty win.

They don't call it "pulling a Clemson" for no reason, but I think Sweeney has finally put together a strong enough squad that they can avoid losing the obvious trap games with such regularity. Can't see NC St giving the Tigers trouble.

Tough call for my upset pick. I've had bad luck picking Sparty over notre dame in the past, so it's between the "other" Aggies from Logan, Utah or Kansas St. As they say in Texas, ride her til she bucks ya...so I'll pick against texas and take K St.

 

Games of the Week + A NEW FEATURE

#6 LSU at #9 Georgia. Former Georgia QB Zach Mettenburger returns to Athens in what should be a great game. The Dawgs record in big games ain't great, so will take LSU, but this could go overtime.

#14 Oklahoma at #22 Notre Dame. Have no idea how good the Sooners are, and they will be looking to avenge losing to ND last year. Brian Kelly doesn't have the offense the way he wants it, but notice that all the close games they used to lose under lesser coaches are now victories? Irish win.

#21 Ole Miss at #1 Alabama. Until someone proves otherwise; Tide

#23 Wisconsin at #4 Ohio State. Probably the 2 best teams in the Big 10 (sorry Justin). Urban Meyer has the Buckeyes rolling and they win.

New Feature (until Maryland loses); The HatterDon 'FEAR the TURTLE" Game of the Week; Maryland 4-0 at #8 Florida State. Okay this new feature will last one week, but let's go Terrapins!!!

Any other games that catch your attention?

Upset Alert:

#12 South Carolina at Central Florida. Don't let the directional name fool you, UCF has got talent, and George O'Leary (remember, he was hired to coach Notre Dame, but then had his resume fabrications blow up in his face) is a top notch head coach. Unbeaten in 3 games and that includes winning at Penn State last week, SC better be ready to go.

 

Little premature on the new feature, Joseph. The Mighty Turtles are on a bye week. They get FSU next weekend.

Will take LSU over Georgia. As mentioned, UGA doesn't have a good record in big games and their run d stinks. I do think it'll be a good close game.

Will take OU over notre dame. Hard to get a good read on this one based on what we've seen this year. nd is usually over-rated and their narrow victory over Purdue coupled with a defeat to Michigan look even worse now than they did at the time. The Belldozer is showing he can actually throw the rock and the Landthieves are a 3 pt favorite.

Ole Miss is better, but not good enough to win in Tuscaloosa. Their offense should have some success, but they're just not good enough on defense to pull an upset or probably even keep this all that close.

Two other games that catch my attention:

Texas A&M @ Arkansas. I realize the appeal of this one may be far greater for me than for others, but with the Johnny Football factor you never know. I don't think Arky can match us on the scoreboard but I'm curious to see how the new ground and pound Hogs look now that Bielema is in charge. Our defense was much improved against SMU, so Arky on the road is a step up in class and should be a good test to see how we're progressing. Vegas only has us as a 3 pt favorite.

Arizona @ Washington. Surprised you left this one off Joe, especially since both teams are undefeated. I'm happy to return to rooting against Zona and think the Snarlin Pups of Montlake should roll. That said, I've seen the Cats pull the upset in Seattle before and UDub is a somewhat modest 7 pt favorite.

Upset Special:

Wisconsin @ Ohio St. Buffalo and Cal were both able to hang fairly close with the Buckeyes until late despite having atrocious defenses. The Badgers have a much better defense and if Meyer gets caught up screwing with rotating qb's, you never know. I'm also not a fan of tOSU's tuneup game last week. Playing half speed against a team as bad as FAMU can make adjusting to the speed of a legit team more difficult. So I'll take the Badgers to pull the upset of the week.

While neither team is ranked, USC is a 7 pt dog @ Arizona St in the really really late game. I wouldn't be surprised to see SC get the win.

Another one, Oklahoma St is on the road at WV...with the dreaded early kickoff time. Aside from what MD did to them last week, the Neers have been better on defense. I don't think WV will win, but Okie Lite will likely struggle to cover the 21 pt spread.

 

Thanks for the correction for the New Feature Matt, and I only thought it would last one week :roll:

Didn't put the Arizona at UDub game because I think we'll lose by double digits. I was at the game in Tucson last year when my boys put 52 on them and the Huskies will be looking for payback. This is when the injury to our All-American WR Austin Hill will be felt.

Good call on SC, while Lane Kiffin's offense is in a word 'offensive' to Trojan fans, the D is the best in the Pac 12 by far.

 

Alright, trying this on a cellular device, so who knows how it will read. And apparently I can't see original posts. Testing memory. I liked Oklahoma early in the week and then started paying attention. I think ND might smoke them again. Matt, I think you're being modest. A&m by 3 td's today. I agree that ole miss doesn't have what it takes, which makes me a little happy. Upset for me, Golden Eagles get a win on the blue turf and no longer the longest losing streak in the country! Oh. And Az state rolls USC

 

Oh. And I think Georgia takes it. I think LSU is a little overrated

 

Take a bow Dtown, great college football game.

USC utterly quit in Tempe on Saturday night and Lane Kiffin was fired at LAX upon arrival at 3 AM. The rumors are already swirling, and make no mistake about it, it's one of the best 2 or 3 best college jobs in America.

 

You came close with USCe @ UCF yourself Joe. Me, I got OU right and while I didn't have the guts to call the outright win, I nailed the OSU/WV call.

Not surprised to see Kiffin go. Most schools will wait until the offseason, but if his team is quitting on him, might as well send the signal of change with an interim and hope you can at least work toward developing the players you have for next year.

 

at least i got something. Southern miss still in the winless column for 1.5 seasons. however, they are a 16 pt favorite this week. Keep in mind, they haven't scored 16 points in any game this season.

 

Some good games this week, with not a lot of obvious upset alerts, but will give it a shot anyway.

*rant of the week* This happened last year also, but SHAME on Alabama for their weakass schedule. They opened w/Va Tech, but their 3 other non-conference games; Colorado State, Georgia State (Sat.), and Chattanooga.. :evil:


Game of the Week; #4 Ohio State at #16 Northwestern. I'm sure a certain Northwestern grad can't wait for this one. Two weeks to prepare, coupled with it being a home game and the Wildcats have a shot. However, they must win the turnover battle by at least 2 takeaways. A little worried the Buckeyes wear down the NU D in the 4th quarter and Urban Meyer's teams always seem to find a way.

Michigan State at Iowa. Lax's Hawkeyes have quietly gotten over their opening loss to Northern Illinois (which doesn't seem so bad now w/how good NIU looks) and reeled off 4 straight wins. They make it 5 at home.

#15 Washington at #5 Stanford; Washington is capable of winning in Palo Alto, but the Huskies beat Stanford in Seattle last season so it's payback time.

**Upset Alerts; Won't go out on a limb and call for a win for either of these games, but a couple that could provide scares just because conference games lend themselves to close calls;

Georgia Tech at #14 Miami; Would seem like an easy win for the Canes, but if Tech gets a lead w/that offense and it could be a tough day.

#6 Georgia at Tennessee; A road game after an emotional victory against a team that is down, but has a good coach. The Dawgs will have to guard against coming in flat, which is very difficult to do.

***THE HATTERDON 'FEAR the TURTLE' Game of the Week; #25 Maryland (yes HD, they are ranked) at #8 Florida State. The Terps are 4-0, and their 37-0 thrashing of West Virginia looks better after WVU's upset win. They need to run the ball, and somehow put pressure on the Noles freshman phenom QB Jameis WInston. Will take FSU at home, but who knows, Maryland wins and HD might even comment on his namesake feature :shock:

 

Indeed very excited. Primetime on ABC and ESPN will be broadcasting GameDay live from Evanston. It's the biggest regular season game for the 'Cats that I can recall. And it's Homecoming. I can only imagine the level of buzz on campus this week...it's times like these that I wish I still lived in the area.

NU has been running the two-quarterback system (which as the old adage says actually equals zero quarterbacks), but they seem poised to prove it can work. And there's a reason Pat Fitzgerald's name has been tossed out in discussions for the USC (and possible Texas) vacancies. By all accounts he's the kind of coach every player wants, and he's done a remarkable job with the program since getting promoted to the big seat.

That said, I'm a realist. OSU is very, very good, and NU's record against them (just 1 win in the last 29 matchups) isn't what I would call encouraging. But I will be proudly wearing purple and hoping for something very Fulhamish to occur. And if it does? Well, watch out L.A. There will be a celebration on.