2013 Mini-Preview

    It has been a very long time since I have posted on here. However, I intend to continue my weekly updates for all of the college football, as I did last season. As the kickoff of the 2013 season begins in a few hours, here is my pre-season top 25 poll, along with a mini-preview for each team.

Top 25

1. Alabama - Poised for another title, someone needs to knock them off.

2. Ohio State - They're on their way, but not quite talented enough to knock off the SEC's best.

3. Oregon - Don't expect many bumps from Kelly's departure.

4. Georgia - Explosive offense will be interesting against the tough defense's in the SEC.

5. Clemson - Ready to break away from underachieving stereotype, dark horse title contender.

6. Texas AM - Off field distractions could derail this team, but should be able to contend.

7. Stanford - Could this be the year? Hopes are high, but championship might be out of reach.

8. South Carolina- While youthful, has experience where it matters most. SEC title dark horse.

9. Louisville - Cupcake schedule will help them, but if not careful will get tripped up.

10. Florida State - Appears to be them and Clemson for the top of the ACC.

11. Michigan - Better than most people think, good chance for BCS bowl berth.

12. LSU - Easily could surprise. Don't count them out vs Alabama.

13. Florida - Will need better QB play to get into BCS. Defense will carry team.

14. Oklahoma State - Out of OU's shadow, OSU is ready to take back the Big 12 title.

15. Notre Dame - Won't be as good as last year, brutal schedule once again.

16. Texas - All offense this year, will look like the rest of the Big 12.

17. Oklahoma - Will look to rebound from a down year.

18. UCLA - Looking to take the next step, Bruins could steal a Pac 12 title if it falls right.

19. Boise State - MWC is tougher, and BSU may find themselves unraked when its over.

20. TCU - Will bounce back from down year and could get a share of Big 12 title.

21. Northwestern - After a great 10-win season, should repeat that total this year.

22. Nebraska - Offense is there, will need defense to step it up after late season collapse.

23. USC - A couple years away, but needs 9+ wins to save Kiffen's job.

24. Oregon State - Could pull surprises, but stuck behind STAN and ORE in Pac 12 North.

25. Wisconsin - After sneaking into Rose Bowl last season, will push on with new coach.


Next 12 In:

26. Michigan State
27. Northern Illinois
28. Kansas State
29. Baylor
30. Virginia Tech
31. Arizona State
32. Washington
33. Miami (FL)
34. Fresno State
35. Vanderbilt
36. Utah State
37. Arizona

College Football Week 11 Recap

    The college football season is winding down, but the action is only heating up as conference races are becoming more clear.

    The five bowl-eligible undefeated teams were cut down to just three. #10 Louisville had an ugly loss to Syracuse. The Cardinals were not in much discussion of the national title yet, but the loss derails any hopes of it. A BCS-berth is still in the mix though.

Texas A&  M quarterback Johnny Manziel

    But the biggest upset was #1 Alabama's loss to #15 Texas A& M. The Aggies were under question as to whether they could compete in the nation's best conference. They solidified themselves in the SEC with a win over one of the most dominate teams with the win over Alabama. 

    Aggie's freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel's play has given him national attention, but he has had games similar to this one many times this season. Manziel, who was just a 3-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com, has taken college football by storm and has a very bright, Heisman-type, future ahead of him.

     With the losses by Alabama and Louisville, it leaves Kansas State, Notre Dame, and Oregon as the only undefeated teams renaming  Ohio State still is 10-0 but is intelligible for the postseason. It would be very interesting to see how the Buckeyes would be viewed with the other three if they were bowl eligible. But as for the other three, there is no clear-cut decision on who the best two are.

    Notre Dame has played the toughest schedule this season, and the only tough game left is vs. USC. The Irish have impressive wins over Michigan State, Michigan, Miami (FL), Stanford, BYU, and Oklahoma. But there are some close wins that could hurt them to Purdue and a 3OT win over Pittsburgh.

    Oregon has the toughest remaining schedule, with games vs Stanford, Oregon State, and Pac-12 South champion. That game will either be vs. UCLA or USC, who play each other this Saturday. Oregon already has a win over USC this year but has not played UCLA. Schedule wise, the Ducks have wins over Arizona, Washington, and USC - quite a few less then Notre Dame. Wins over Stanford and Oregon State, along with a Pac 12 championship win, will close that gap however.

    Kansas State also has tough games coming up vs. Baylor and Texas. The Big 12 has been brutal to teams, and Kansas State has been the only one to avoid a loss. Impressive wins include Miami (FL), Oklahoma, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and TCU. A win over Texas will add to that list.

    In the end, I see all three of these teams winning out. That is where serious problems arise. All have a good case for a spot in the big game. Oregon is the best team in my opinion, and second is Notre Dame. That would create the best-possible title game at this point. A loss to one of these schools will clear up a lot of confusion, and like what we saw happen to #2 Oklahoma State last year, you can't sleep on any of these remaining opponents.


Top 25

1. Oregon 10-0
2. Notre Dame 10-0
3. Kansas State 10-0
4. Ohio State 10-0
5. Georgia 9-1
6. Florida State 9-1
7. Florida 9-1
8. Alabama 9-1
9. Texas A&M 8-2
10. Clemson 9-1
11. LSU 8-2
12. Stanford 8-2
13. South Carolina 8-2
14. Oklahoma 7-2
15. Texas 8-2
16. Nebraska 8-2
17. Louisiana Tech 9-1
18. USC 7-3
19. UCLA 8-2
20. Kent State 9-1
21. Louisville 9-1
22. Oregon State 7-2
23. Kent State 9-1
24. Michigan 7-3
25. Texas Tech 7-3

Next 5 In:

Northern Illinois 9-1
Central Florida 8-2
Cincinnati 7-2
Wisconsin 7-3
Rutgers 8-1

Other Schools to Watch:

Northwestern 7-3
Tulsa 8-2
Boise State 8-2
San Diego State 8-3
Ohio 8-2
Toledo 8-2
Mississippi State 7-3
Utah State 8-2
San Jose State 8-2


What To Watch

Toledo (8-2) @ Northern Illinois (9-1)
Wednesday, 9:00pm ET, ESPN2

Quietly, the MAC is having its best season as a conference in a long time. Toledo and Northern Illinois are two of the top teams in the conference, and they will have a big clash this Wednesday. A win for Northern Illinois clinches the MAC West division and puts them in Detroit for the MAC title game, and they should clinch that with a win over the Rockets.

Northern Illinois 45 Toldeo 37

Rutgers (8-1) @ Cincinnati (7-2)
12:00pm ET, Big East Network/ESPN3

Rutgers does not have a conference loss this year, and that gives them the small edge over Louisville for the Big East championship. But will that hold? This Cincinnati Bearcats squad is one of the most underrated in the country, and they should drop Rutgers.

Cincinnati 31 Rutgers 20

#18 USC (7-3) @ #19 UCLA (8-2)
3:05pm ET, FOX

A loss for USC will ruin all hopes the Trojans have for a BCS-berth, and they desperately need a win here. UCLA has quietly had a very good season, but USC is just too powerfull. They may not have played to their full abilities this season, but they should this week and take down their rival.

USC 48 UCLA 27

#12 Stanford (8-2) @ #1 Oregon (10-0)
8:00pm ET, ABC

The two best teams in the Pac-12 North go at it, and Oregon's explosive offense should give them another win on their way to the title game. Stanford will put up a fight, but this one won't be very close.

Oregon 56 Stanford 39


Other Predictions

Ball State 35 Ohio 26
North Carolina 28 Virginia 19
#4 Ohio State 27 Wisconsin 17
Michigan State 24 Northwestern 20
#6 Florida State 38 Maryland 10
#24 Michigan 28 Iowa 14
#23 Kent State 27 Bowling Green 24
Central Florida 37 Tulsa 35
Mississippi St. 35 Arkansas 28
Washington 42 Colorado 17
Arizona State 37 Washington State 20
Miami (FL) 34 South Florida 21
Georgia Tech 17 Duke 15
#2 Notre Dame 24 Wake Forest 7
#11 LSU 31 Ole Miss 14
#16 Nebraska 37 Minnesota 14
#25 Texas Tech 37 Oklahoma State 31
#10 Clemson 31 NC State 13
Purdue 21 Illinois 14
#17 Louisiana Tech 44 Utah State 40
Missouri 36 Syracuse 34
#14 Oklahoma 34 West Virginia 28
#3 Kansas State 52 Baylor 27
UTEP 24 Southern Miss 14
Arizona 39 Utah 34
BYU 23 San Jose State 20
#22 Oregon State 35 California 27


BCS Bowl Projections:
Projections based on predicted team performance for rest of season.
* = At large selection

Championship: #1 Oregon over #3 Kansas State

Rose: #2 Notre Dame* over #16 Nebraska

Fiesta: #5 Georgia* over #14 Oklahoma*

Sugar: #8 Alabama over #10 Clemson*

Orange: #6 Florida State over #21 Louisville


   

College Football Week 4 Recap

    Week 4 was filled with some big games, and almost all of them came down to the wire.

    The Big 10's woes continued. This week, many teams struggled vs non-BCS opponents. #14 Ohio State had some bumps vs UAB, #18 Michigan State only pulled away at the end vs Eastern Michigan, and Wisconsin continued their trend of problems vs small schools with an 11-point win vs lowly UTEP.

Ohio St. running back Jordan Hall vs UAB

    And the upsets of Big 10 teams persisted. Iowa lost to Central Michigan at home, and Illinois lost to Louisiana Tech by 28 points at home. It didn't help either that #16 Michigan lost to #13 Notre Dame.

    Penn State was able to pick up another win vs Temple, and Minnesota quietly is 4-0 after a win against Syracuse. Right now, the best team in the Big 10 may be #21 Northwestern. The Wildcats are 4-0, with wins vs Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Boston College and South Dakota.

    #3 LSU survived a potential major upset vs Auburn, #6 South Carolina pounded Missouri, and Arkansas is quickly becoming the biggest disappointment of the season after a loss to Rutgers.

    #19 Kansas State looks like they are legit this year, and #4 Oklahoma looks a bit overrated, as the Wildcats beat the Sooners 24-19 in Oklahoma's first test.

   #2 Florida State also proved that they are back as one of the nation's best in their win over #9 Clemson 49-37.


 Top 25:

1. Alabama 4-0
2. Florida State 4-0
3. LSU 4-0
4. Oregon 4-0
5. South Carolina 4-0
6. Georgia 4-0
7. Texas 3-0
8. West Virginia 3-0
9. Notre Dame 4-0
10. USC 3-1
11. Stanford 3-0
12. Kansas State 4-0
13. Oklahoma 2-1
14. TCU 3-0
15. Ohio State 4-0
16. Clemson 3-1
17. Louisville 4-0
18. Michigan State 3-1
19. Florida 4-0
20. Oregon State 2-0
21. N.C. State 3-1
22. Northwestern 3-0
23. Michigan 2-2
24. Mississippi State 4-0
25. Boise State 2-1

Next 5 In: Virginia Tech 3-1, Nebraska 3-1, Rutgers 4-0, Cincinnati 2-0, Ohio 4-0


What To Watch:

#11 Stanford (3-0) @ Washington (2-1)
9:00 pm ET, ESPN

This is a must-win for the Huskies. They have now become an afterthought to the rest of the PAC 12, and if they can win this one, they can get back into the picture. They do have a chance, but Stanford might just be too much for Washington.

Prediction: Stan 37 UW 24   

Arkansas (1-3) @ Texas A & M (2-1)
12:20 pm ET, SEC Network

It's now or never for Arkansas. A fourth loss to anyone but Alabama or LSU will already make this season a disappointment. TAMU is in a prime position to win a big game vs an SEC-foe.

Prediction: TAMU 31 Ark 28

#15 Ohio State (4-0) @ #18 Michigan State (3-1)
3:30 pm ET, ABC

Both these teams can take controll of the Big 10 with a win. Ohio State has not looked good, and has been slow to start vs all opponents this year. Michigan State was feeling hungover after a loss to Notre Dame, and had problems vs Eastern Michigan last week. Should be intresting.

Prediction: MSU 27 OSU 21  

#7 Texas (3-0) @ Oklahoma State (2-1)
7:50 pm ET, FOX

Oklahoma State is out to prove they are still one of the best teams in the Big 12, and that the Arizona loss was a fluke. After Oklahoma's loss to Kansas State, this game could be a battle for the top of the Big 12 South. Oklahoma State's offense has been explosive, and I am calling the upset here.

Prediction: OSU 48 Texas 41

#17 Lousiville (4-0) @ Southern Miss (0-3)
8:00 pm ET, CSTV

Louisville is on a hot start, and despite USM's struggles, they are a talented team. The Eagles could put up a fight here, but Louisville should pick up their fourth win. 

Prediction: UL 30 South Miss 17  

  

ACC Preview

    
Big East   Big 10   Big 12   Pac 12   SEC   Other Conferences   Bowls and Top 50

    
   
    The ACC should be much improved this year. Florida State and Virginia Tech are dangerous teams that can contend for a national title. Clemson and N.C. State are darkhorse BCS teams, and Georgia Tech is a bowl game lock as well.

    

    As for the rest of the league, all the other teams have a shot at a bowl, but easily could fall just short. Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, and Duke could easily go bowling. North Carolina would be a lock if not for a bowl ban. 

    Only Miami (FL) and Wake Forest should have a loosing record this year. Miami is rebuilding but NCAA sanctions hanging over their head will only hurt this team. Wake Forest is the weakest team in the conference. 

Brandon Jenkins (#49), Florida State

Projected Standings:

Atlantic:

1. Florida State 11-1 (7-1)

T2. N.C. State 10-2 (6-2)

T2 Clemson 8-4 (6-2)

4. Maryland 5-7 (3-5)

5. Boston College 6-6 (2-6)

6. Wake Forest 3-9 (1-7)

Coastal:

1. Virginia Tech 11-1 (7-1)

2. Georgia Tech 8-4 (5-3)

T3. North Carolina 5-7 (3-5)

T3. Virginia 5-7 (3-5)

T3. Miami, FL 4-8 (3-5)

6. Duke 5-7 (2-6)

ACC Championship: Florida State over Virginia Tech

College Football Week 13 Recap

   We now are entering the last week of college football and it is conference championship week. A time for teams to show why they are worthy of a BCS bid. Each conference championship has a lot riding on it.

LSU QB Jarrett Lee

    In the SEC, #1 LSU will take on #14 Georgia. LSU has been the best team all season. There is no question about it. The SEC East is weak this year, especially if Georgia will be representing them in the title game. Don't let Georgia's record (10-2) fool you, the three teams from the SEC West they did not end up playing are the three best in #1 LSU, #2 Alabama, and #5 Arkansas. The only other teams they played that even are even ranked are #6 Boise State and #13 South Carolina, both losses. LSU wins by a huge margin on their way to the title game.

    In the Big 10, it is a rematch between #10 Michigan State and #16 Wisconsin. Last time, MSU won on a 54-yard Hail Mary as time expired to win 37-31. The winner this time will go to the Rose bowl, and the loser possibly could get into the Fiesta Bowl to play the loser of Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, or the winner of that game, if Alabama gets into the title game. Either way, it will be a great game and hopefully be down to the wire once again.

    In the Pac 12, the North featured arguably the best four teams in the Pac-12 (minus bowl-banned USC), and will send Oregon to take on 6-6 UCLA in the title game. UCLA, the team people said may be the worst team in the Pac 12 in the pre-season, managed to go 6-6, but by no means can compete with Oregon. The Ducks will tromp the Bruins.

    The ACC has #9 Virginia Tech which has been on a tear lately, playing #23 Clemson who started undefeated but has dropped two straight games and has fallen mightily - winner will go to Orange Bowl.

    The Conference USA will feature undefeated #6 Houston and #22 Southern Miss. Houston is a team all about offense, and has one of the best in the history of the NCAA. But they have played a very easy schedule, and out of all non-BCS teams to go undefeated in the past few years, they may be the least talented one to date. Two teams come to mind if you think of "all offense" teams in BCS conferences this year. Both in the Pac 12, and they are Arizona and Washington State. Both went 4-8 playing average schedules. This would most likely be Houston's fate if they played in a BCS conference, and they will most likely not put up a fight for any team in a BCS bowl. But for this game, Houston will win and cap off a 13-0 season heading into a bowl game.


Top 25

1. LSU 12-0
2. Alabama 11-1
3. Oklahoma State 10-1
4. Stanford 11-1
5. Arkansas 10-2
6. Boise State 10-1
7. Oregon 10-2
8. Houston 12-0
9. Virginia Tech 11-1
10. Michigan State 10-2
11. Oklahoma 9-2
12. USC 10-2
13. South Carolina 10-2
14. Georgia 10-2
15. Kansas State 9-2
16. Wisconsin 10-2
17. Michigan 10-2
18. Baylor 8-3
19. TCU 9-2
20. West Virginia 8-3
21. Nebraska 9-3
22. Southern Miss 10-2
23. Clemson 9-3
24. Ohio 9-3
25. Texas 7-4

Next 5 In: Penn State 9-3, Florida State 8-4, Cincinnati 8-3, Arkansas 9-2, Virginia 8-4

What To Watch:


Conference Championships (* Neutral Site)

*#24 Ohio @ Northern Illinois, Fri, 7:00pm ET, ESPN2, Prediction: OHIO 66 NIU 59

UCLA @ #7 Oregon, Fri, 8:00pm ET, FOX, Prediction: ORE 45 UCLA 7

#22 Southern Miss @ #6 Houston, Sat, 12:00pm ET, ABC, Prediction: HOU 55 USM 40

*#14 Georgia @ #1 LSU, Sat, 4:00pm ET, CBS, Prediction: LSU 37 UGA 14

*#9 Virginia Tech @ #23 Clemson, 8:00pm ET, ESPN, Prediction: VT 38 CLEM 30

*#16 Wisconsin @ #10 Michigan State, 8:00pm ET, FOX, Prediction: WIS 35 MSU 34

OSU QB Brandon Weeden

Regular Games:

UConn @ Cincinnati, 12:00pm ET, ESPN,
Prediction: CIN 27 UCONN 21

Iowa State @ #15 Kansas State, 12:30pm ET,
Prediction: KSU 20 ISU 10

#25 Texas @ #18 Baylor, 3:30pm ET, ABC,
Prediction: BAY 31 TEX 20



Game Of Week:

#11 Oklahoma @ #3 Oklahoma State, 8:00pm ET, ABC, Prediction: OKL 45 OSU 42

College Football Week 8 Recap

    We passed the half way point in College Football this weekend and it might have been the most exiting weekend this season.

    One game though, will go down in history as one of the best ever. #16 Michigan State hosted #6 Wisconsin in East Lancing, which may be a preview of the Big 10 Championship this December. Wisconsin went up 14-0, but the Spartans came back and at half it was 23-14. Then in the forth the tables turned and Wisconsin had all the momentum. The game was tied at 31-31 with just a few seconds left. Everyone expected overtime when it happened.

    The play will go down as one of the biggest in history, right up with Doug Flutie's hail mary pass to beat Miami, or Colorado's hail mary to upset Michigan. But with four seconds left, Kirk Cousins threw a hail mary pass to the endzone that was tipped, and caught my Michigan State tight end Keith Nichol. Nichol then pulled about four defenders across the goal line before being pulled back. After review, it was determined that the ball crossed the goal line and Michigan State won 37-31.

    Here is a video of the play and reaction from both teams:

    #3 Oklahoma was also taken down by Texas Tech. After a lighting storm that delayed the game ended, Texas Tech just outplayed the Sooners all game and fended off a late comeback to win. #1 LSU and #2 Alabama demolished Auburn and Tennessee, and #7 Clemson, #5 Stanford, and #4 Oklahoma State proved again why they are to be taken seriously.

Top 25


1. LSU 8-0
2. Alabama 8-0
3. Stanford 7-0
4. Oklahoma State 7-0
5. Boise State 7-0
6. Oregon 6-1
7. Clemson 8-0
8. Arkansas 6-1
9. Kansas State 7-0
10. Wisconsin 6-1
11. Michigan State 6-1
12. Oklahoma 6-1
13. South Carolina 6-1
14. Nebraska 6-1
15. Virginia Tech 5-1
16. Texas A &M 5-2
17. Michigan 6-1
18. Houston 7-0
19. USC 5-1
20. Texas Tech 5-2
21. Arizona State 5-2
22. Penn State 7-1
23. Cincinnati 6-1
24. Georgia 5-2
25. Baylor 4-2

Next 5 In: Syracuse (5-2), Iowa (5-2), Southern Miss (6-1), BYU (6-2), TCU (5-2)


What To Watch: 


#11 Michigan State @ #14 Nebraska, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN, Prediction: MSU 24 NEB 17

Purdue @ #17 Michigan, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN2, Prediction: MICH 25 PUR 13

#25 Baylor @ #4 Oklahoma State, 3:30 PM ET, ABC/ESPN2, Prediction: OK ST 59 BAY 40

Illinois @ #22 Penn State, 3:30 PM ET, ABC/ESPN2, Prediction: PSU 21 ILL 10

#24 Georgia @ Florida, 3:30 PM ET, CBS, Prediction: FLOR 28 UGA 10

#10 Wisconsin @ Ohio State, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN, WIS 24 OSU 10

#7 Clemson @ Georgia Tech, 8:00 PM ET, ABC, CLEM 45 GT 36

#3 Stanford @ #19 USC, 8:00 PM ET, ABC, STAN 50 USC 32

Game Of The Week:


#12 Oklahoma @ #9 Kansas State 


3:30 PM ET, ESPN, Prediction:

Oklahoma 37 Kansas State 24


    Oklahoma will not be rattled much from an upset lost to Texas Tech. They will play at a high level as they have for much of this season and overpower a Kansas State team that may be a bit overrated. Oklahoma wins by about two touchdowns and leads for most of the game.