What if South Alabama had played a regular Sunbelt schedule this season?

Now that the bowls have been picked and people are making travel plans to go root for their teams, it got me to thinking would South Alabama be able to make it to one of the three bowl games this year. If you already do not know Middle Tennessee, Florida International, and Troy each made a bowl game. In this hypothetical season I took what would be a normal Sunbelt schedule and I predicted how I thought the game would end up. Most Sunbelt schools play two higher level teams from conferences from the ACC, Big 12, or SEC, also play 1 mid-major game against a Conference USA opponent. I put South Alabama's schedule like this, University of Florida and University of Texas (two big schools), UAB (Mid-Major), then filled it out with conference games. So how would South Alabama far this season?

September 4- @University of Florida- Coming into the year ranked in the top 5 South Alabama would start the season on a low note. However, the game would be closer than most people expect. South Alabama would hang around for a half, possibly three quarters, but in the end Florida would pull away and win...UF 42 USA 21 (L)

September 11- UAB- This is the first game of the year most people would think South Alabama would have a chance at winning. UAB is not known for having a powerful football program. South Alabama would come out and be pumped up to play the first home game of the season and win the ball game...UAB 21 USA 31 (W)

September 18- @University of Texas- Just like the first game of the season South Alabama is playing against too great of an opponent in Texas. South Alabama collects their money but once again shows that for a half or three quarters they can play with a higher level conference team...UT 34 USA 17 (L)

September 25- Troy University- South opens up Sunbelt play against their in-state rival Troy University. Troy has won at-least a share of the Sunbelt championship 4 out 5 seasons. Troy comes into Mobile and steals a tough road win...Troy 21 USA 17 (L)

October 2- bye week

October 9- @ Arkansas State University- The Red Wolves featured the best throwing quarterback in the Sunbelt Ryan Applin but South Alabama's defensive schemes helped out the corners and safeties. They were able to defend the pass and frustrate Ryan Applin while getting the victory...USA 28 ASU 14 (W)

October 16-@ Florida International- Carrol to Hilton proved to be too much for the Jaguars as they would fall to 1-2 in SBC play....FIU 45 South 31 (L)

October 23- Florida Atlantic- South just proved to be to mentally and physically tough against Florida Atlantc. They would win their second conference game of the year...USA 30 FAU 10 (W)

October 30-@ North Texas- One the best programs in the SBC history as North Texas won the first three but since then it has not been so good. Lance Dunbar is the best overall runningback in the SBC but South is too strong...USA 24 UNT 3 (W)

November 6- Middle Tennessee State- The Blue Raiders Dwight Dasher is the best dual threat quarterback in the league and quite possibly top 5 in the NCAA. Besides Dasher MTSU does not have much help and the Jaguars have too many play-makers...USA 28 MTSU 21(W)

November 13- Western Kentucky- Head Coach Willie Taggart has this program on the rise as they have won two conference game. Bobby Rainey is the best running back in the SBC and top ten in the nation. South has a great duo of backs in Kendall Houston and T.J. Glover and the Hilltoppers defense is not as strong as the Jaguars....USA 35 WKU 21 (W)

November 20-Louisiana Lafayette- The Rajun Cajuns are a bottem feeder team in the Sunbelt and compete well but they do not have the players to compete with the Jaguars...USA 42 ULL 14 (W)

November 27- Louisiana Monroe- Frank Goodin is a player to watch for the Warhawks but overall as a team they are just not that strong...USA 35 ULM 20 (W)

Overall Record 8-4, Sunbelt Record (7-2)-Third Place Finish, Projected Bowl: Godaddy.com (Mobile, Al)

Championship Saturday!!!

Usually on this time of year we are only witnessing three championships being crowned--The Big 12, SEC, and ACC--but this year Big East will be decided as well. This has usually been a boring Saturday and was the worst Saturday in college football caused on three games "matter." This year I'm going to try and not look at it that way but rather as just another exciting Saturday in College Football. Of course, after Saturday is over we all know what Sunday means...Bowl Selections!!!!

This past two years this game has been more like a national semi-final game as the winner would go on and play in the National Championship game, however; this game still is an intriguing match-up, especially since both opponents have already played each other this year. University of South Carolina and Auburn University are both known for their offensives than their defense. I would expect this game to be high in points and low in defensive stops so this could come down to who has the ball last. Cameron Newton has been on a tear of late and thats not just with his legs. Earlier in the year if you stopped Newton's running game the offense would be non existent but later in the year he has gotten better at the passing game. Not only can he throw lasers ten to fifteen yards out but also thirty to forty yards down the field as well. However the key to Auburn's offense will be the offensive line and how they protect Newton and not just when he decides to tuck and run it but also when he drops back to pass. If you look back and notice in some Auburn games their line looks like it will take plays off and thats not a good thing with four senior starters. Auburns defensive key will be if linebackers Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes are able to stop South Carolina's rushing attack. Stephen Garcia can not win games on his own and will need the run support. Auburn stops Lattimore they stop the Gamecock offense. Stephen Garcia has grown into more of a mature quarterback since the last time they met, in other words Spurrier will not pull him with the game on the line. He has been the main reason for South Carolina's offensive success this late of the season. If he can continue to make smart plays then South Carolina should be in good shape in winning. The offensive key would be Marcus Lattimore. He is the best offensive player in the nation that is a freshman. If he is able to rush the ball with great effectiveness then Auburn's defense will be playing on the back of their heels the entire game. South Carolina's defensive key will be to stop or just be able to slow down Newton. Alabama showed how to do that last week for one half. South Carolina's defense must not give up the big plays either, Auburn has not been known to be able to sustain long drives.

Prediction- This game will be tight through the first half with South Carolina winning at halftime, but the Auburn coaches have been great at making halftime adjustments and that will be the difference...Tigers 35 Gamecocks 31

This is a rematch of the first ACC Championship game that was held in 2005. In 2005 Virginia Tech lost to Florida State 27-22. Can the Seminoles repeat what happen in 2005? If they are going to Christina Ponder will need to outplay Tyrod Taylor. Ponder came in this season as the best quarterback in the ACC, depending who you ask, and has not been able to live up to the billing. Of course injuries have played a part in it but usually all great quarterbacks play through the pain. If Ponder has the kind of game he is capable of then Seminoles will win but he will need help from his receiving corps if that is going to happen. Taiwan Easterling and Willie Haulstead both need to have major games to help out Ponder. The defensive key will be to make the Hokies one dimensional. If they are able to stop the rushing attack and make Taylor win the game on his arm Florida State should win the game. Virginia's Tech Tyrod Taylor is the best offensive play maker in the ACC. He can run and pass with effectiveness and if he is on his game Florida States defense will be in trouble. The key though to the offense will be what Tyrod gets from the rest of his backfield. If Ryan Williams and Darren Evans can be the tandem everyone before the season thought they could be then the offense should have no trouble moving the ball. Defensively if the Hokies cand get pressure on the Ponder and rattle his cage then it will make things easier.

Prediciton- Im going with Frank Beamers head coaching experience over Jimbo Fishers in this one but expect Florida State to be back sooner rather than later...Hokies 31 Seminoles 28

This year is a great match-up between old rivals that date back to the Big 8 days, Oklahoma Sooners vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers. How fitting is it that Nebraska is going to the Big 12 championship their last season in the Big 12 before moving on to the Big 10. Nebraska has won a Big 12 championship in every decade except this one so far. If they plan on winning it Taylor Martinez will need to step up BIG. The freshman has been great all year running the football and throwing but nothing is like the lights in Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Taylor will need to get the jitters out early and to help him out will need to be Niles Paul. If he is able to catch a couple of passes early in the game and get the confidence high for Martinez then offense should be clicking. On Defense the secondary is under watch as the Oklahoma passing attack is just as good as any in the nation. If the passing game goes then that will open up holes in the running game so the secondary needs to be able to be on lock-down against the Sooner receivers. Oklahoma's offense has had its up and downs this year but with the experience of Landry Jones there should not be any worries about being in the big time. Landry has proven to be in the nations talk as being a top ten quarterback this year and should show it in the Championship game. Demarco Murray is the key for the offense and the wild-card. If he is able to play the game full speed and not be slowed down by injuries then the offense will not be stopped. On Defense the defensive line will need to get pressure against the line of Nebraska and be able to stop their option running game. If they are able to make Martinez throw instead of run then their blitzes should confuse the Cornhusker offensive line.

Prediction- Nebraska's secondary is one of the best in the big 12 and their defensive front seven is stout and should make it a pain for Oklahoma's Landry Jones all night throwing the ball and they should continue their streak of winning a conference championship in every decade....Nebraska 35 Oklahoma 27.

Other top Games for the weekend

Connecticut @ South Florida- If UConn wins then they go to the BCS bowl as the Big East representative, lose then they do not and West Virginia goes. Watch out for B.J. Daniels the South Florida quarterback. If he has a great game then expect Bulls to upset Huskies...USF 28 UConn 14

SMU @ Central Florida- This is the C-USA conference championship game, the winner gets SEC's 7th best bowl team usually turns out the 8th depending on the BCS....UCF 31 SMU 21

Middle Tennessee @ Florida International- Florida International already has the Sunbelt Championship locked up but Middle Tennessee is playing for a chance to be bowl eligible....MTSU 21 FIU 20.

The Iron Bowl Version 2010

This years Iron Bowl is the most anticipated Iron Bowl in quite a while as both teams have plenty to play for, even though Auburn is playing for the ultimate prize and Alabama is trying to keep an outside shot at a BCS bowl. Most of the "experts" predict that Alabama would end up in the Capital One Bowl and Auburn in the Sugar Bowl, but again those are just projections.

This years game presents some interesting match-ups within the game but four are the most crucial. One is the Alabama Defensive line vs Auburn's offensive line, Auburns secondary against Alabama receiving corps, Alabama linebackers vs Cam Newton, and Kirby Smart vs Gus Malzahn.

If Alabama wants to even think about putting pressure on Cam Newton it all starts with Marcel Dareus, Josh Chapman, and Luther Davis. Those three are the biggest key and have most of this year sorta have been a let down. Alabama's weakest point going into the season was suppose to be the secondary but it has turned out to be the D-Line. On the flip side Auburn's line has done a good job in keeping Cam Newton safe all year and out of trouble. Then when Cam got into trouble and had to role out atleast one of the lineman was there to block the first guy. If Alabama is able to keep Newton in the pocket and not let him outside the pocket then it should bode well for the Crimson...EDGE- Alabama Defensive Line

Auburn's defense all year has lacked one thing and that is a solid secondary, especially did not help when Savage went out for the season. After seeing what A.J. Green did to Auburn's defense it will be hard pressed to not to expect Julio Jones have the same type of day. Especially from top to bottom Alabama has a better group of receivers overall than Georgia did and that leads to many believe that Alabama should be able to throw over 300 yards against the Auburn secondary....EDGE- Alabama Receiving

Cam Newton is the Heisman front-runner and is most likely going to win the prestigious award. Every week he always has to go against the opposing teams linebackers as most teams usually puts a spy on him. There is only one problem with that from the previous match-ups, Alabama has the linebackers that have similar size to Cam Newton. Courtney Upshaw and Donta Hightower both have the size to be able to take Newton down with one hit but speed will be the issue. That is what seperates Cam apart from most as he runs like a deer down the field and no one can stop him...EDGE- Cam Newton

Now its time for the coordinators as two of the best coordinators face off against each other in Kirby Smart and Gus Malzahn. Kirby Smart is known for having great defenses and this year is no different as the Tide is only allowing around 13 points per game. Its no surprise as Coach Nick Saban is able to use different schemes to confuse opposing teams quarterbacks, and Kirby Smart is no stranger to dial up blitzes. Gus Malzahn offenses are just as confusing as Smarts defenses. Malzahn always throws in new wrinkles and trick plays that always lead to touchdowns when you add Cam Newton into the mix you can forget about the Wildcat formation since Newton is a type of wildcat quaterback....EDGE- Gus Malzahn.

Prediction- Alabama is riding a twenty game winning streak at home and Auburn has not played in a stadium as loud as they will be in this weekend, the game should be close the entire time...Alabama 34 Auburn 31

College Football Predictions 11/20

Well there is three weeks left in the season and the SEC Championship game is locked up between South Carolina and Auburn, the Big Ten still have three teams with only one conference lost and the ACC, well its the ACC only Virginia Tech is a lock for the Title game. This weeks football games are not as strong as they have been the past couple of weeks as the SEC seems like its taking a bye as there is really no headline games this weekend, while the ACC and Big Ten conference have some pretty good games but the biggest storylines might just be the two football games being played in Major League Baseball Stadiums (Wrigley and Yankee stadium). But here it goes another week of theCheek20's Predictions!!!

Game of the Week- This week we head to the state that touches seven other states as The University of Tennessee takes on Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The reason why this is the biggest game of the weekend is because Tennessee has struggled this year and Vanderbilt well has just been Vanderbilt. Tennessee over the past couple of weeks have been playing better with freshman QB Tyler Bray and i would look to continue that success. It seems that Bray and WR Justin Hunter have finally found chemistry which is going to be scary for the rest of the SEC for years to come as they hooked up three time for 114 yards and two touchdowns. But do not count out the Vanderbilt defense as John Stokes and Chris Marve is one of the best duo of linebackers in the NCAA and Casey Heyward is starting to be known as a shutdown corner.

Predicition- Expect Tennessee to come out sluggish since they just defeated Ole Miss for their first SEC win last week but they should end up winning it in the fourth quarter...Tennesee 24 Vanderbilt 20

Other Games

Arkansas vs Mississippi State- Arkansas trying to get to the Cotton Bowl and with a win they should have it locked up...Ark 24 Miss State 21

LSU vs Ole Miss- Ole Miss has upsetted LSU the past two years which makes this very interesting but i wouldnt expect it this year...LSU 35 Ole Miss 21

South Carolina vs Troy- This has upset written all over it with South Carolina still celebrating their big victory over Florida last week, but Troy is a little down this year...USC 35 Troy 21

Florida vs Appalachian State- Florida will most likely score in the 60's after losing last week...UF 63 App State 14

Game of the Week- We head to College Park, Maryland and find the Florida State Seminoles against the Maryland Terrapins. Wait? What! Maryland is actually in the race for something this year? Yep the winner of this game will most likely end up playing Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. Florida State starts a senior in Christian Ponder who was out last week against Clemson. Maryland starts a freshman QB in Danny O'Brien and that match-up I would have to give Florida State the nod. Where the biggest edge is Florida State's defense against Marylands defense. Florida State defense is beginning to turn into the defenses' we are use to seeing in the 90's under Bobby Bowden, and that gives the Seminoles the biggest edge.

Predicition- With the Atlantic Division on the line Senior leadership is always key and Florida State has a Senior leader at the most key position...FSU 35 Maryland 21

Other Games

Miami vs Virginia Tech- Pre-season this looked like a key game in to see who was going to win the Coastal division now its just another game...Miami 14 VA Tech 17

Boston College vs Virginia- Virginia has already upsetted Miami, expect another one here..BC 14 Wahoos 17

NC State vs North Carolina- Russell Wilson is the best QB in the ACC. Period. NC State 24 UNC 17

Clemson vs Wake Forest- Another disappointing season with the up and down Clemson..Wake 21 Clemson 24

Duke vs Georgia Tech- Duke might be starting to playing its best ball but with senior day in Atlanta emotions will be running high...Duke 21 Ga Tech 42

Florida International vs Louisiana Lafayette- Florida International absolutely destroyed Troy last week en route to winning the de-facto Sun Belt Championship game, as long as the Golden Panthers win out then they will be partying in the Big Easy for the bowl season but you never know this is Sun Belt after all..FIU 35 LL28

Middle Tennessee vs Western Kentucky- After getting upset by the Mean Green last week expect the Blue Raiders to come out and take it to the lonely Hilltoppers..MTSU 42 WKU 21

North Texas vs Louisiana Monroe- North Texas is coming off a huge win by upsetting Middle Tennessee last week but dont expect a hang over as they look to continue their success...NT 35 La Monroe 31

Florida Atlantic vs Texas- Why cant the Owls go into Austin and win, Texas is down and out and most likely wont be playing hard so the Owls hang in there until the fourth...FAU 24 Texas 38

Troy vs South Carolina- See SEC section

Other Top National Games

Army vs Notre Dame- Notre Dame gets to face a military academy with the option as its major weapon. Also Yankee Stadium will be playing host to this game and might throw off both teams a little bit. Notre Dame is trying to get bowl eligible and needs this win..Army 21 ND 24

Illinois vs Northwestern- This is going to be the most bizarre game in the college football this year as both teams will be playing towards the west endzone...Illinois 24 Northwestern 23

Ohio State vs Iowa- Iowa's lost last week put them out of Big Ten contention for the title, now its Ohio States turn..Iowa 24 Ohio State 20

Texas A&M vs Nebraska- Nebraska is just too good for the Aggies to pull off the upset...Neb 31 A&M 21

Houston vs Southern Miss- Houston is looking to become bowl eligible still and going to the rock is no easy task but it can be done as UAB proved...Houston 31 Southern Miss 17

Should Alabama fans root for Auburn to win a National Championship this year?

Ok I know that its crazy but listen up! Alabama fans should be rooting for Auburn to win the National Championship if they make it, if in two weeks Auburn upends Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Do not throw stones at me yet, first read and think about it before you do any type of negative reactions.

First off, I know last year Auburn fans did not want Alabama to win the National Championship but Alabama fans here is where you can show you are different than Auburn fans. Just think about it for a minute if Auburn were to win, that would make it the first time in BCS history that two teams from the same state won the National Title in back to back years. How great would that be for the state and say about the football us in Alabama came to cheer for and love. It would most likely be for a good twenty to thirty years  that another state even comes close. If you look at other states like Florida, Texas, and California they only have one dominate team in the state and one of the states top team is on probation right now, ill let you figure out who that one is. The state of Alabama would be known as the best place to watch college football, something we all knew about already, now the nation can take a notice as well.

Secondly, College Football is what the state is know for nationally. Yeah we are known for it but most "experts" does not see Alabama as a top five state for college football. They see California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Ohio as places to watch the best collegiate football and most of those states only have one team. The reason Ohio is considered more than Alabama is because they have a consistent football team in Ohio State that constantly year in and year out win or contend for a Big Ten championship. And if Alabama only has one team every five or six year contend for an SEC Championship than we cant be put up there in regards of top states for college football.

Thirdly, Just think about the players that both teams would put in the NFL draft which in return would give the colleges better players and would make the football games more exciting to watch. The schools that produce the most NFL talent are from the Florida's, Texas', and Oklahoma's. The reason they are usually in the National Championship hunt. How would you like to see a graphic on ESPN and see that the state of Alabama produced the most NFL talent for that year. I think that would be pretty cool.

There are just a couple of reasons on why I think it would be good for the state of Alabama if Auburn was able to win the National Championship this year and either Alabama or Auburn were able to continue this success in the coming years. So what do you think, please leave a comment in the comment box.

College Football Predictions 11/13

Alright with the season coming down to the wire things are beginning to shape up in the world of college football. That does not mean that there are not meaningful games this weekend but then again its college football so every week is a playoff type game, so here are my predictions for the week:

 GOTW- This week we head down to the Swamp for the clash between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Florida Gators. Going into the season everyone predicted this game would be the game that would send the winner to Atlanta, most people did not think that both teams would have three conference losses each heading into the game. Both of the quarterbacks have not played up to the standard set for them but have not played too bad overall. South Carolina's secondary has not been able to get it together all season and do not think that they will be able to get it all together against a tough Florida passing attack. Florida needs two players to play superb in order for them to win: Jeff Demps and Chris Rainy. South Carolina will need Stephen Garcia to lead the offense and be able to throw and throw well against the gators secondary in order for South Carolina to win.

Prediction- South Carolina has had enough chances to pull away from Florida in the division but has yet to do it and they always struggle on the road...Florida 24 South Car 21

Other Games:

Alabama vs Miss State- Nick Saban can not lose two in a row...right? Alabama 17 Miss State 7

Auburn vs Georgia- Deep Souths oldest rivarly should be a good offensive match-up so plan for plenty of touchdown parties in this one...Auburn 42 Georgia 35

Ole Miss vs Tennessee- Derek Dooley's squad keeps improving each week while Ole Miss is still a question mark...Ole Miss 24 Tennessee 31

Kentucky vs Vanderbilt- Kentucky is looking to go to a bowl under first year head man Joker Phillips and will probably head to Nashville for the bowl season...Kentucky 24 Vandy 10

LSU vs La Monroe- Whats a great receipe after a tough physical game? An inferior in state opponent...LSU 49 La Monroe 21

Arkansas vs UTEP- Not even a contest....Arkansas 56 UTEP 12

GOTW- Just like in the SEC we head to Florida for this weeks GOTW and get to watch Clemson Tigers vs Florida State Seminoles. Expect Doak Campbell to be rocking. Christian Ponder has been the determining factor each game for the Seminoles and with tough Clemson defenses led by DaQuan Bowers do not expect Ponder to have a big game. That puts more pressure on the Florida State defense to do well and Clemson's offense might not have C.J. Spiller or Jacoby Ford but do not ever count out Kyle Parker and the Tiger offense. This game should be a great game that goes back and forth and if Florida State wins they seperate themselves from another team in the Atlantic division. 

Predicition- Florida States defense forces turnovers and sets the offense up in sort field situations...Florida State 17 Clemson 10

Other games

Boston College vs Duke- Boston College's defense will be the difference...BC 24 Duke 17

Maryland vs Virginia- Mike London beat Miami already this season expect another upset...VA 28 MD 14

NC State vs Wake Forest- Russel Wilson is poised to have a career type game...NC State 49 Wake 21

GA Tech vs Miami (Fl)- that option attack is just too hard to stop...GA Tech 28 Miami 14

VA Tech vs North Carolina- North Carolina is looking to give VA Tech its first loss in the ACC and they will...North Carolina 24 VA Tech 23

Troy vs FIU- Troy comes in a 4-1 in the conference and Florida International comes in at 3-1 in conference play so the winner of this game could easily be the Sunbelt champion. Troy has never lost to FIU and dont expect that to change...Troy 24 FIU 21

Western Kentucky vs Arkansas State- Ryan Applin is the best quarterback in the Sun Belt...Ark state 35 Western Kentucky 7

La Lafayette vs Florida Atlantic- Lester Jean has a career day for the Owls...Lafayette 14 FAU 31

North Texas vs Middle Tennessee- If Lance Dunbar can get it going against the blue raiders and the Mean Green defense is able to contain Dwight Dasher then expect the upset here...NT 28 MTSU 24

LSU vs La Monroe- Atleast they got a nice paycheck...LSU 49 La Monroe 21

Other top National Games:

Ohio State vs Penn State- This game is usually close but Penn State is struggling this season and Pryor to hard to contain..Ohio State 35 Penn State 21

Utah at Notre Dame- Utah just got crushed by rival TCU expect them to come out and play well against an underachieving Notre Dame squad....Utah 44 Notre Dame 34

Missouri vs Kansas State- Which Blaine Gabbert will show up? Bill Snyder just seems to always win the big ones even though K-State has not won against Missouri since 2005...Missouri 24 K-State 28

Oregon vs Cal- Oregon is looking to stay in the title hunt as they travel to Cal which is always tough at home...Oregon 35 Cal 14

Army vs Kent State- Army is looking to become bowl eligable since 1996 and should win...Army 24 Kent State 21

College Football Predictions 11/5

What a weekend it was last week as Missouri and Michigan State got blown out. Which helped shaped out the BCS even more. This week there are plenty of games with BCS implications on the line as Alabama takes on LSU, Arizona plays Stanford, and TCU travels to Utah. So there is still plenty of action to watch this weekend.

This week we head to Cajun country as LSU welcomes Alabama to Tiger Stadium. LSU and Alabama both are coming in with one conference lost a piece and the winner of this game could go on and play in a BCS bowl game/still have a chance to make it to Atlanta. The key match up in this game is LSU's defensive line against Alabama's offensive line. LSU defensive line's heaviest player checks in at 285 while Alabama's offensive line least heaviest player is 289. Its easy to see Alabama has the beef on the line but LSU's defensive line is a quick group and that is what they will be hoping gets them past Alabama's line. Another question is will Alabama's stand out freshman D.J. Fluker be able to play. If he is that gives Alabama a huge advantage. Another key for LSU is can Jordan Jefferson be able to throw the ball against the secondary of Alabama. Alabama's secondary is scary considering most of these guys are freshman and sophomores. Look for Jefferson go to Wide-out Randle on key downs. If Alabama can run the football like they were able to do the first month of the season then they should win the game.

Prediciton- Alabama home away from home is LSU's Tiger Stadium. Alabama is 16-3-1 since 1970 against LSU in Tiger Stadium so they will not be scared. Alabama is able to get the running game back on track...Alabama 21 LSU 18

Other Games:

South Carolina vs Arkansas- A must win for the Gamecocks if they want to win the East, Arkansas doesnt have Greg Childs, thats the difference...South Carolina 35 Arkansas 28

Florida vs Vanderbilt- Is Florida looking ahead to South Carolina? Doesnt matter...Florida 42 Vanderbilt 21

Auburn vs Chattanooga- If Auburn started their 5th string they would still win by 21....Auburn 56 Mocs 0

Tennessee vs Memphis- Memphis is just awful, Tennessee should get second win of season...Tenn 35 Memphis 14

Ole Miss vs Louisiana Lafayette- Its close at the end of the first half then the Rajun Cajuns get tired...Ole Miss 35 LA Lafayette 14

Georgia vs Idaho St- Georgia 43 Idaho St 12

Kentucky vs Charleston Southern- Anther blow out brought to you by a Div 1-A team playing a Div 1-AA opponent...Kentucky 50 CSU 0

This week we go to the Tar Heels and Seminoles game. Florida State lost last Thursday to NC State and looks to get back on track but North Carolina is only one win away from playing in a bowl game. Christian Ponder needs to go back to his old self if the Seminoles want a good chance to win. North Carolina needs to score points and T.J. Yates needs to have a flawless game against the tough Seminole defense for that to happen.

Prediction- Florida State has way too much offensive power against a depleted North Carolina defense...Florida State 42 North Carolina 21

Other Games

NC State vs Clemson- NC State is coming off an emotional win against Florida State, Russell Wilson is the difference...NC State 21 Clemson 20

Boston College vs Wake Forest- Wakes offense is struggling but i have a feeling they will be able to score on Boston College atleast enough to win...Wake Forest 24 Boston College 21

Miami vs Maryland- Miami offense should come alive...Miami 42 Terps 20

Duke vs Virginia- This would make a heck of a LaCrosse match-up...Duke 14 UVA 24

Troy vs North Texas- North Texas dominated the conference when it first came together but Troy as slowly taken over...Troy 24 NT 21

La Monroe vs FIU- Warhawks are on a roll after upsetting Troy last week but FIU's defense is stingy as any in the country...La Monroe 21 FIU 24

Florida Atlantic vs Western Kentucky- The two worst teams in the Sunbelt as both enter a game with a 1-3 conference record...FAU 7 WKU 3

South Alabama vs Henderson State- South is finished with the hardest part of their schedule and not welcomes an opponent they should handle pretty easily...South 56 Henderson State 7

Other Top National Games

Arizona vs Stanford- Quarterback plays a major role in this one as both teams have great quarterbacks but Luck is on Stanford's side...Stanford 35 Arizona 31

TCU vs Utah- A BCS buster elimination game. Both teams are looking to get to the National Championship as an non automatic qualifier but Andy Dalton has played in bigger games more often than Utah's Jordan Wynn...TCU 23 Utah 20

Oklahoma State vs Baylor- Robert Griffin has made Baylor a legitimate team and should be up for Heisman for getting Baylor ranked in the polls and BCS for the first time ever in the same season...Baylor 38 OK State 28

Michigan vs Illinois- Michigan needs one more win to become bowl eligible, they get it this week...Michigan 35 Illinois 31

Missouri vs Texas Tech- This is a big game for Missouri after getting beat by Nebraska last week and i think the wind went out of the Tigers sails and not to mention the game just happens to be in Lubbok this week which is not an easy place to win...Missouri 28 Texas Tech 31

Guest Picks

Josh Reed:

LSU over Bama

South over Henderson State

TCU over Utah

South Carolina over Arkansas

Ok State over Baylor

Stanford over Arizona

Austin Powell:

Bama over LSU

South over Henderson State

TCU over Utah

South Carolina over Arkansas

Baylor over Ok State

Arizona over Stanford

Bradley Wilkes:

Bama over LSU

South over Henderson State

TCU over Utah

Arkansas over South Carolina

Baylor over Ok State

Stanford over Arizona

College Football Predictions 10/30

Last week we the nation saw Cam Newtons Heisman touchdown run but can he beat an Ole Miss team that is starting to hit there stride and avoid for the fourth straight week the number 1 team in the nation losing on the road? Can the Trojans of USC switch roles and play spoiler to Oregon and knock the ducks out of the championship picture? The race for the SEC East crown is on as Florida plays Georgia and South Carolina takes on a struggling Volunteer team. Also in Big 12 action Missouri hits the road after an emotional win over Oklahoma to take on Nebraska.

Game of the Week: Florida vs Georgia in Jacksonville, Florida. This has not been much of a rivalry of late as Florida has won 17 of the last 20 against Georgia. The Gators and the Bulldogs both seasons have turned upside down the past three weeks as Florida has lost to Missississppi State, LSU, and Alabama while Georgia has crushed its competition Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Kentucky. If both win out they could win the east but Georgia will need South Carolina to lose two more conference games while if Florida wins out they will win the east. The key match-up in a game like this will be quarterback play. John Brantley for Florida has not had the season he has hoped for in replacing Tim Tebow thus far. The offense has looked lack luster to say the least especially after only scoring 10 points against Mississippi State. He will need to utilize his trackstars Chris Rainy and Jeff Demps on swing passes and the deep balls to have a good day. While at Georgia, their quarterback Aaron Murry needs to play stellar in order for the Bulldogs to win. If he stays composed and does not let the big stage get into his head then he should be fine and o yeah he might want to get the ball to A.J. Green a couple of times.

Prediction: Florida had a bye week, tweaked the offense, has more rested players than Georgia...Gators 31 Georgia 21

Other games:

Kentucky vs Missississippi State- The Bulldogs are in the top 25 for the first in a while, dont look now but i think Dan Mullen might be on the verge of building something...MSU 21 Kentucky 20

South Carolina vs Tennessee- South Carolina should have no trouble passing the ball or running...USC 41 Tennessee 14

Auburn vs Ole Miss- Heisman hopeful, most talked about team, every expert is picking Ole Miss to upset Auburn, Gene fires up the troops....Auburn 35 Ole Miss 20

Arkansas vs Vanderbilt- Ryan Mallet is going to have a monster day against the weak Commodore secondary...Ark 42 Van 14

Game of the Week: Wake Forest against Maryland. Now you may wonder why this could possibly be the GOTW but after Thursday Nights game between the Florida State and North Carolina State this was the last one left that seemed intriguing. If Maryland is able to win this game it would put them at 3-1 in the conference and them looking for a bowl bid as they would have six wins. But they still have their toughest part of the schedule coming up as they play Florida State and Miami (FL). Wake Forest has seen their winning ways diminsh over the past couple of years slowly. This year they are bringing in a 2-5 recod with a 1-3 league record. If they could win this game they have a great chance for a bowl bid.

Prediciton: Maryland is too strong for Wake this year and should win big...Mary 31 Wake 10

Other Games:

Navy vs Duke: Navy keeps momentum going and executes the option to perfection...Duke 14 Navy 31

Clemson vs Boston College- Clemson defense is too strong for the Eagle offense...Clemson 38 Boston College 20

Miami vs Virginia...Be patient Virginia fans your time is coming...Miami 41 Virginia 21

North Carolina vs William and Mary...Close until kickoff...UNC 42 W&M 10

Game of the Week: Keeping this one close to home. South Alabama host their toughest home competition Georgia State. South Alabama got an impressive win over a very talented UC Davis squad in California. South Alabama is playing their third big game in a row and emotions should really be high in this one. Georgia State's defense has had trouble stopping the run this year and South loves to run the football. With South again without Brandon Ross look for Kendall Houston to have a monstrous day and Santuan McGee having a solid back-up day. It ticked off Jaguars fans, players, and coaches when Georgia State got their football program on the front of ESPN magazine. I would look for South to come out and dominate.

Predicition- South's Play Action passing game will prove to be the difference and South remains undefeated for the season and for all-time...South 35 GA State 7

Other games

FIU vs FAU- The golden panthers defense will be the difference...FIU 28 FAU 14

Western Kentucky vs North Texas...Lance Dunbar has a field day....NT 31 WKU 7

Louisiana Lafayette vs Ohio- Should be a close one...Louisiana Lafayette 14 Ohio 17

Troy vs Louisiana Monroe- Troy is the best team in the Sunbelt. Period. Troy 32
Louisiana Monroe 12

Other big games:

Oregon vs USC- The Trojans are not use to playing the spoiler. Oregon offense is just too explosive...Oregon 35 USC 28

Nebraska vs Missouri- Missouri is still celebrating when they beat Oklahoma and is looking past Nebraska to make it to the championship game...Nebraska 28 Missouri 21

Baylor vs Texas- Imagine a world in which Baylor is ranked in the top 25 and Texas is not...now come back to reality...and nothing has changed...Baylor 25 Texas 22

Iowa vs Michigan Sate- Iowa is coming off tough lost gainst Wisconsin and face an unbeaten Spartan team...Iowa 21 MSU 20

The Saints struggles

Can Drew Brees and the Saints turn it around?

New Orleans Saints was at an all-time fan high coming off the Super Bowl win over Indianapolis Colts. There was Saints flags from New Orleans to Mobile to Beaumont all finally proud of being known as a Saints fan. Flash forward to now and the Saints seem to be back to being the Saints of old.  The Saints can still throw the ball as they are 5th in the NFL in passing but they are 27th in rushing. They can not win unless they can rush the football. They are coming off a lost this past weekend to the Cleveland Browns where Drew Brees threw three picks to a Browns defense that is not near the top of the league or known as being a scary defense. Right now they find themselves in third place of the NFC South, a division that is not strong at all. If you look at the Saints schedule and see all who they have beaten you can not be impressed at all. They beat a 2-4 Minnesota team, a 1-6 49ers squad, 1-5 Carolina, and a 4-2 Tampa Bay team. They beat the Vikings, 49ers, and Carolina by a combine ten points. They have beat three of the leagues worst team by a total of ten points. How is that even encouraging? The only team with a winning record they beat was 4-2, and granted they beat them 31-6 but this past weekend they let a rookie quarterback come into the dome and dominate them. Saints defense was a weak point last year but came up with big plays when needed but now it is just a hindrance. Granted running-back Pierre Thomas has been hurt but i did not know their offense was Pierre Thomas. He is an important part of it but not near all of it. You have receivers in Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, and Pro Bowler Marques Colston, the cub-bard is not dry from anything and o yeah on top of that they have Chris Ivory still in the back field. So its not like Drew Brees is throwing some shrubs off the middle school team. Luckily for the Saints there last nine games only two of them are against teams with great defenses (Pittsburgh and Baltimore). So they have seven very winnable games and should make the playoffs but i would not count on them to really go deep into the playoffs. O yeah and i don't think Atlanta is going to give up the division that easily. T

Just Another Saturday

This past Saturday we saw number one fall again...even though it was the BCS and not the team voted by the pollsters as number one. A Fig Newton is the difference between the battle of the Tigers. Cheese heads invade the corn field. SEC East is beginning to look a lot like the ACC. South gets its best win yet.

First lets start out with how awful Alabama has looked the past couple of games until the second half of the Tennessee game. If your Alabama and you are playing an under-sized and under maned Tennessee squad, you would think that you would be able to run the football against them with little trouble, right? Well the first half of the Third Saturday in October seemed liked Alabama just forgot how to run block and that Julio was the only player who was playing. Yes teams are keying in on the run because who would not when you have two great runners but its not them getting yards, it is that there seemed to be no blocking. For the past couple of games it has seemed like the opposition has keyed in on where Alabama likes to run it and how they are going to do it. Of course having a bye week before helps but Alabama should be making adjustments. We will see if they make any adjustments as they have a bye week this week before playing LSU in two weeks.

Well Missouri shocked the nation and beat Oklahoma this past Saturday. Missouri had lost seven straight and by a combined twenty-five points, so people getting them little chance to win was not so surprising. Missouri seem to follow the same game plan Wisconsin last week pulled off against Ohio State. Missouri got the ball rolling by returning the opening kick-off for a touchdown, then they attacked Oklahoma and did not let off the pedal and their defense stepped up and shut down Oklahoma's offense, which is not too shabby. So that made three straight weeks number one went down on the road against ranked opponents.

Of course with Oklahoma losing, Auburn had a chance to help themselves in the BCS. Well they went out and gave Cam Newton the ball and said here you go son do this again for us. And did he ever while during the game he eclipsed the SEC rushing record by a quarterback in a single season with four games to play in the regular season. But we all know about Cam Newton for Auburn, how about we talk about one of Auburns other stud in Nick Fairly. Did you seem him just play with the LSU offensive line? It was like they were just cardboard cut-outs filling in for real players. Nick Fairly is the reason Auburn was able to hold LSU to a minimum. Even though i don't think the LSU offense completed a pass all day but Fairly just put his hand down and shot straight forward through the gaps all day and had his way with the LSU offensive line.

The battle of the Big Ten got a little more clearer with Wisconsin's win over Iowa. Of course Wisconsin beat Ohio State last weekend and kept its Big ten conference championship hopes alive by beating the Hawkeyes this weekend. Now they will be rooting for Iowa as they take on undefeated Michigan State team, who controls its own destiny and doesn't have to play Ohio State either.

If Vanderbilt would have beaten South Carolina this past weekend then they would have controlled their own destiny on getting to the SEC Championship game....yes Vanderbilt would have represented the East if they won out...let that sink in. That is how crazy the SEC East is this year. No one wants to win it and are just trying to give it away, seems like a mini ACC. Georgia has been on a winning streak of late and if they beat Florida this weekend in Jacksonville, they have a good shot on coming back and winning the east. But ultimately if South Carolina wins out then they will win the east, if they are able to win out.

South Alabama went out west to play fun in the sun. South took on there toughest opponent to date and there toughest road contest as well and played well enough to win. South Alabama continues to improve and show that they are for real and are ready for the real schedule next year when they start playing Div 1-A opponents. South Alabama is for real people, i know its hard for anyone outside of Mobile to be able to take that seriously but its the truth. South will be fine when they finally transition to the full Div 1-A schedule, and should contend for a conference championship their first year. Next up they welcome Georgia State into Ladd. If you havent been reading the recruiting boards, you want to start this week as GSU fans are not at all impressed with the Jaguars and said they are "babied" and are no match against the Panthers.

Games to look forward to next week: Oregon vs USC, South vs Georgia State, Nebraska vs Missouri, Florida vs Georgia in Jacksonville

Predictions for College Football Weekend 10/23

The college football season is just now starting to really heat up. There are some great games on tap this weekend all across the nation. So if you have only one tv, you might want to go borrow one or steal one from your neighbor cause this weekend could possibly end up being the craziest out of all the weekends thus far.

Game of the week- This week we visit the plains of Auburn for the battle of the Tigers. LSU comes in with what could possibly be the luckiest undefeated record in the nation, barely escaping by Tennessee and scoring a late touchdown to upend Florida two weeks ago. Auburn is the most surprising team that is undefeated in the nation, everyone expected them to have a nine win season but still be undefeated? Thats an accomplishment in itself. The match-up is more like the luckiest undefeated vs the most surprising undefeated. So something has to give right? LSU will need Jai Eugene and Patrick Peterson to play top notch this weekend against Auburns offense and the defensive line will need to contain Newton in the pocket and not let him roll out. LSU's linebacker Sheppard will be key for the defense, if he can get to Newton on blitzes before he rolls out then they should hold Auburn's offense. Auburn's offense has been clicking like a well oiled machine most of the season, the only game when it seem like it struggled was against Mississippi State who also boast a heck of a defense. The key here will be Emory Blake, wide receiver, and if he can give Newton that slot receiver he can count on since Peterson will have Adams blanketed all afternoon.

Predicition- Lucky vs Surprising...Everyones luck has to run out at some point right? Auburn 24 LSU 14

Other games:

Alabama vs Tennessee- The Third Saturday in October is the SEC's best rivalry. Alabama 35 Tennessee 21

Ole Miss vs Arkansas- Nutt Bowl III, Nutt is 2-0 against Arkansas since joining Ole Miss, make it 3-0...Arkansas 42 Ole Miss 14

Georgia vs Kentucky- Everyone is finding out Kentucky can play more than basketball...Georgia 35 Kentucky 42

South Carolina vs Vanderbilt- Since the spotlight is off South Carolina expect them to dominate...South Carolina 35 Vanderbilt 7

Mississippi State vs UAB- The best recipe after a big upset, play the worst team in Conference USA so in case of a let down it will not show...Miss State 31 UAB 14

Game of the week- Miami (Fl) vs North Carolina was suppose to be a match-up that was going to have a major impact on the ACC race before the season started. Of course all of that was when North Carolina was intact with all of its first round NFL draft picks. The key for the Hurricanes will be Jacory Harris. Can he limit his turnovers and not give North Carolina extra opportunities. For North Carolina it will be the defense and causing the turnovers. Will they be able force Harris to make the same mistakes he has been doing all season?

Prediciton- With there backs against the wall North Carolina wins it by 10...North Carolina 27 Miami (Fl) 17

Other Games:

Boston College vs Maryland- Expect low scoring with both struggling offenses...BC 10 MD 3

Virginia vs Eastern Michigan- Yeah snoozer...VA 42 EMU 0

Viriginia Tech vs Duke- Dont worry Blue Devils basketball practice has begun...VA Tech 49 Duke 14

Clemson vs Georgia Tech- Can Kyle Parker finally put it together? Clemson 24 Georgia Tech 28

Middle Tennessee vs La Monroe- Dwight Dasher are 2-4 but have only played two conference games so expect them to start reeling off wins especially with a La Monroe team that had to come back against the worst team in collegiate football last week...MTSU 42 ULM 28

Florida Atlantic vs Arkansas State- Expect Arkansas State's QB Applin to have a huge day against a struggling Owl defense...Ark State 35 FAU 3

Western Kentucky vs La Lafayette- Expect the Hilltoppers to keep game close but lose another one...W Kentucky 14 La Lafayette 21

South Alabama vs UC-Davis- South Alabama won its first big road trip last week against Lamar 26-0. Now they get to take a cross country trip and head to California. UC Davis will be South's toughest opponent of their two year programs history of these past two years. Brandon Ross rushing will be missed heavily and Kendall Houston needs to have another big game in Ross' absence for South to have a chance. South Alabama 21 UC Davis 28

Other National Games:

Oklahoma vs Missouri- Bob Stoops has won seven straight by an average of 25 points over the Tigers. Expect it to be the same...Oklahoma 35 Missouri 10

Navy vs Notre Dame- You wouldnt think this would be a big game but just ask Charlie Weiss on how good Ricky Dobbs is at running the option...Notre Dame 21 Navy 20

Michigan State vs Northwestern- Michigan State is 7-0 for the first time since the dark ages. Kirk Cousins is a beast and expect him to have a huge game against the Northwestern defense...MSU 28 NU 14

Nebraska vs Oklahoma State- Nebraska lost a lil bit of its identity last week getting handled by Texas...now they have to play against an undefeated Cowboys team...Expect them to be ready and to win a close one..Cornhusk 24 Cowboys 21

Wisconsin vs Iowa- Both teams love big physical lineman...this game should be fun to watch in the trenches...Wisconsin 24 Iowa 23

Thoughts from another crazy Saturday!

This past Saturday saw the number one team in the nation go down on the road again. The WAC visited the SEC in Auburn this past weekend. How Boise now has no chance of getting to the National Championship game. The SEC East is everyones to win/lose however you want to look at it.

But first lets start with the Jaguars of South Alabama. South Alabama took theirs talents outside the state of Alabama for the first time this past Saturday and showed everyone they can play where ever. South Alabama took on Lamar in Texas and shut-out Lamar 26-0. The games keep getting bigger and further away from the state of Alabama as they head to California and take on a very good UC Davis team.

The upset bug was flying around Camp Randall on Saturday night when Ohio State fell to Wisconsin. Ohio State played a lot like Alabama did last week. They just went into the game and just viewed it as another game while Wisconsin made it their biggest game of the year. Wisconsin jumped out to a 21-3 lead at the Half. Ohio State would cut it to 21-18 but that is as close as they would have gotten as the badgers won 31-18. Ohio States defense just got plowed over by Wisconsin's running attack of Clay and White. Of course we usually see this year in and year out in college football that the number one team or top five teams lose their games in October, but it is always a surprise who they end up losing to. I for one love it when their is a lot of chaos in college football and the BCS starts getting more confused on what it will do in the standings. Especially this year when you have TCU and Boise State who will not lose a game this year.

Speaking of Boise State, they do not play any more top 25 teams this year since Nevada lost to Hawaii last night. Now Boise State really does not have a shot in getting to the national championship game since they only played two top 25 teams all year and one being Oregon State who lost to Washington last night so that bumped Oregon State out of the top 25. It just does not look good for the Broncos nation. So they might as well just get their plane tickets ready for Tempe again and face the Horn Frogs.

Did eveyone see Auburn and Arkansas get their WAC on this past Saturday. They accumulated for the highest scoring regulation SEC game in the conference's history. Ryan Mallet was knocked out with a concussion in the 2nd qtr but that did not stop Arkansas from scoring 43 points on the day, which would usually be enough to win on most days but Auburn amassed 65 points. Each week Auburn is quietly just moving up the polls and winning games while all the focus is still on Alabama. Auburn's secondary is still atrocious and will still cost them a victory this year. But if your Chizik you just thankful for another win and hopefully set up a winner take all Iron Bowl this November.

So the SEC East just keeps getting more and more bunch up as yesterday South Carolina had a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the pack but instead they go into Kentucky and lose to the Wildcats, who are not a bad football team, but should not beat a top ten opponent. What does Florida do with the gift Kentucky gave them? Lose to Mississippi State. A team that is on the rise but they are still not there at being a top tier team yet. With that lost Florida lost three straight games for the first time since 1988...yes pre-Spurrier. If your Urban Meyer you have got to be kicking yourself for letting go Cameron Newton and looking at what might have been if he was a gator. It looks like the east will come down to the South Carolina and Florida match-up, with the winner going to Atlanta and possibly with a .500 record in the SEC.

Some games of interest next week: LSU vs Auburn, South Alabama vs UC Davis, Florida vs Georgia, Alabama vs Tennessee, Miami vs North Carolina, Wisconsin vs Iowa

Thoughts from Upset Saturday!!!

With five teams in the top 25 sustaining upsets this Saturdays, how will the polls shake out? You have #1 Alabama, and #9 Arizona losing for the top ten teams. Then you have a team like #8 Auburn who just scratched by Kentucky but beat Alabama's team who Alabama lost to. Should Auburn move down after that performance or just stay at number 8. How far will South Carolina be moving up? All of that scenario  is just with one team. The polls should be interesting when they come out. But if you go by what Herbstriet and Musberger said on ABC Alabama should only move down to number four behind Ohio State, Boise State and Oregon. Here is how i see the top 10 shaking out when the polls come out on Sunday:
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Alabama
6. Oklahoma
7. Nebraska
8. Auburn
9. Arkansas
10. Utah

O MY! Les Miles has done it again! How on earth could Florida not play for the fake on a 52 yard field goal when they should have known that the mad hatter was most likely not going to kick it. Everyone that plays them should always leave two men back off the corners to cover the kicker run that LSU likes to do. I guess Meyer forgot about the South Carolina game that LSU pulled that one on.

Alabama fans don't panic. Alabama still has to play LSU and Auburn on their schedule so they could still make a chase for the National Championship game, if they get past South Carolina in the SEC Championship game. And I believe that Saban, given another chance, will be able to beat the Gamecocks then. Alabama has also gone through their toughest stretch on their schedule. Playing @Arkansas, Florida, and @ South Carolina would give any teams atleast one loss. Now just go out against two sub par SEC teams in Ole Miss and Tennessee and beat'em then recover during your bye week. Im sure any team in the nation would take a 19-1 twenty game record any day.

Did anyone watch the Florida State Miami game? I thought it would have been way closer than that. I mean its just the biggest rivalry in the state of Florida and Randy Shannon produces that kind of product on a national stage. Things aren't going to look good for Randy Shannon down the road if he keeps this kind of play up. Miami still has VA Tech, GA Tech, and North Carolina on the dock. If they play like they did tonight, you can forget about any ACC Championship game hope because they are going to be Emerald Bowl bound again.

Im sorry but this is not biased in anyway but Auburn has not impressed me yet. Yes Cam Newton has but Auburn as a team has not. How can you let a Kentucky team come back after being up 31-14. That shows that the defense is having a tough time making adjustments after half-time. And Kentucky's found a way to stop Auburn's offense. Kentucky's defense had given up 90 points the two previous weeks with Florida and Ole Miss scoring on them with ease. Auburn should be careful cause next week they are going to play a team that scores often and quick just like they do in Arkansas.

Oregon State finally got its big win of the season this past Saturday in beating Arizona. After they lost to TCU and Boise State in previous weeks. Does that mean that TCU and Boise State could go into the Pac-10 and win it, not really, but for that one game which both those team treat it like their national championship games, they shown that they can play with the big boys. Could they do it week in and week out? We will never know unless the Big 12 or Pac 10 extends them invitations.

I cant wait to see what next week brings us!

Predictions for College Football Weekend 10/08

We are about to reach the mid-way point of the college football season and have seen some great weekends for college football. This weekend could be the best with match-ups like Michigan-Michigan St., Alabama-South Carolina, Florida-LSU, Florida State-Miami, and USC-Stanford just to name a few. Ofcourse this weekend is not like seperation Saturday but there are still plenty of interesting story-lines. Can Alabama finish off the Gauntlet unbeaten? Can Stanford get back on track against USC? Will Florida State and Miami give us another classic? We will find all this out on Saturday but first thing first---The Predictions---

This weeks game of the week brings us to Columbia, South Carolina where a top offensive minded coach goes toe to toe with a top defensive minded coach. South Carolina is coming off a bye week. Alabama starts its stretch of six teams coming off bye weeks the week before they play the Crimson Tide. The offensive key for South Carolina starts and ends with the production of Stephen Garcia. Garcia has the experience to upset Alabama but will he be able to match the experience with production? The defensive key for the Gamecocks is the defensive containing the Alabama running-backs. For Alabama the offensive key will be Greg McElroy. Can he do better than last years game and also not make any mistakes. The defensive key for Alabama will be its young secondary.

Prediction: Alabama has won 19 straight games. South Carolina has not beaten a top two ranked team since around the time dinosaurs were ruling the Earth. Alabama's win streak goes to 20- Bama 35 S Car 31

Other Games:

Tennessee vs Georgia- Derek Dooley learn first hand about Les Miles' luck, Mark Richt better hope he can borrow some from Les...Tenn 24 UGA 28

LSU vs Florida- Florida got embarrassed last week in Tuscaloosa, LSU should have gotten an embarrassing lost against Tennessee in Baton Rouge...LSU 9 Florida 24

Arkansas vs Texas A&M- Old Southwest conference rivalry renewed...Two great college quarterbacks with two different styles. Mallets arm is the difference..Ark 35 A&M 21

Auburn vs Kentucky- Last year Kentucky went into Auburn and shocked the Tigers and won. Expect this year to be no different. This is my upset pick of the week: Auburn 21 Kentucky 24

Eastern Michigan vs Vanderbilt- Ill take CSI reruns...Vandy 35 EMU 7

Missississippi State vs Houston- With Case Keenum out, Houston better hope their receivers can step it up. Expect Mississippi State to show a dominating performance...MSU 35 UH 21

 We go down to the Everglades of Miami for this week ACC's GOTW. Florida State looks to slow down the high powered Miami offense. The key offensively for Florida State is can the experience offensive protect Chrisitan Ponder and give him enough time to throw to the receivers. The defensive key for the Seminoles will be containing Jacory Harris and not letting him run out of the pocket. Miami's offensive key will be the running game. If Miami's running-backs together amass over two hundred yards rushing then Hurricanes should win. The defensive key for the Hurricanes will be its defensive line getting pressure on Ponder and getting him to make errant throws.

Prediction- This game will be close threw out and the crowd should keep Miami in it until the end but the Chop will get the last word...FSU 21 Miami 20

Other Games:

Virginia Tech vs Central Michigan- Chip Chip Chippewas...atleast you could say that during the game and have fun....VA Tech 35 CMU 7

Virginia vs GA Tech- Mike London is still two years away from competing against the top teams in the ACC...Wahoos 10 Ramblin Wreck 31

Clemson vs North Carolina- This was considered to be one of the biggest games in the ACC during the preseason...now its just an elimination game....Tigers 24 Tar Heels 21

Navy vs Wake Forest- The option attack is tough to stop...Navy 35 WKU 28

Boston College vs NC State- The Tom O'Brien bowl...Old Team (BC) 28 New Team (NC State) 24

Western Kentucky vs Florida International- Both teams are a combined 0-8 on the season...Yikes...Someone has to win since there are no more ties...WKU 7 FIU 28

Arkansas State vs North Texas- Lance Dunbar and Riley Dodge leads North Texas to an upset victory...ASU 14 NT 17

Florida Atlantic vs La Monroe- Anyone wanna watch I Love Lucy? FAU 7 La-Monroe 35

South Alabama vs Missouri S&T- Last week South took out Kentucky Wesleyan by forty-nine points. Missouri S&T and Kentucky Wesleyan are in the conference...Expect the same results South 56 S&T 0

Other Top Collegiate Games:

Michigan vs Michigan State- Denard Robinson is the Heisman Frontrunner. Greg Jones is the Butkus award front runner. Should be a classic Big 10 match-up. Expect it to come down to the last drive. Michigan 28 Michigan State 24

USC vs Stanford- Its strange how much a year can make a difference. Any normal year USC is twenty point favorites. But Stanford has Luck on their side....USC 21 Stanford 35

Missouri vs Colorado- The twentieth year anniversary of the fifth down. Colorado got a huge win last week over a struggling Georgia team. Missouri needs to win this before they start the toughest stretch of their year playing Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Oklahoma...so a must win is an understatement. Colorado 21 Missouri 28...Dont expect a fifth down. 

Thoughts from Separation Saturday

Sorry to all of my followers out there that i did not do my predictions for the week. It was a really busy week and i was not able to do anything "extra" besides mainly school work. So with that said lets talk about this past weekend in the world of college football.

What was suppose to be the game of the week turned out to be just another dominating victory. The University of Alabama and University of Florida match-up usually brings an intensity unlike any other, on Saturday it looked like Florida left theirs in Gainesville. Alabama looked like it was ready for the game. They came out and drove the ball down the field and might have only gotten a field goal but they set the tone early. The turning point of the game had to be when Trey Burtons jump pass was picked off by Nico Johnson on 4th and goal. Head Coach Urban Meyer did the right thing to go for the touchdown there cause if it was an incomplete pass Alabama would have gotten the ball on their own two or a completion and Florida would be leading 7-3. As we all know that did not happen and Alabama kept that momentum throughout the whole and completely showed Florida once again that they are the team to beat in the SEC.

Les Miles is the luckiest, the most hated, and overrated coach in the nation. LSU should have lost the game yesterday against Tennessee but head ref Marc Curls was there to save him. The penalized Tennessee for have 13 men on the field on what was thought to be the last play of the game after LSU's center snapped the ball over the head of Jordan Jefferson with two seconds left. They got the call right in penalizing Tennessee but LSU was clearly not set for a second and on top of that after the snap LSU players took their helmets off and threw them on the ground which should have been a 15 yard penalty since the game technically was not over. So with another chance to run it in for winning score LSU does so and Derek Dooley gets screwed out of his first SEC win. This game also showed that Tennessee is not as bad as everyone thought they would be and that LSU well they are LSU the most overrated team in the SEC. There is no way they should be a top ten team in the nation or a top twenty team for that matter.

Who is the best running quarterback in the nation? Some would say Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor and others would argue Auburn's Cam Newton. While both would have good arguments but there stats or heart does not compare to Michigan's Denard Robinson. Michigan would not be undefeated if it were not for Robinson and his stellar play. Yesterday he had 5 total touchdowns complemented by 277 yards passing and 217 yards rushing in the Wolverines win over Indiana 42-35. To say that it is the Denard Robinson show would be an understatement. On the season he has 7 passing touchdowns with 8 rushing touchdowns and has thrown for over a thousand yards and has rushed for over nine hundred yards this season thus far. Robinson is clearly the front runner for the Heisman trophy at almost the half-way point of the season. If he continue to put these type of numbers up and Michigan can keep winning football games there is no reason to think why he would not be hoisting up the Heisman at seasons end.

Heres a couple of games for next week that you should look out for...Michigan vs Michigan State, Alabama vs South Carolina, Florida vs LSU, and Stanford vs USC.