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    The Big 10 took a step down last year and was not as strong as usual. Teams still made bowl games, but Big Ten teams were beaten badly in most of them. 

    This year may not be much different. Wisconsin is the favorite again, with Michigan, Nebraska and Michigan State close behind. These four teams all have a great shot at a BCS appearance this season. 

Montee Ball, Wisconsin

    Ohio State should be better than last year and post a winning record. But it will not be a record the Buckeyes are accustomed to, and they are still not bowl eligible. 

    Northwestern and Iowa figure to be the next best teams. Both the Wildcats and Hawkeyes will make a bowl game, but will hover around seven or eight wins. 

    Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana will not challenge for the Big 10 title, but they still can make lower-tier bowls this year.

    Minnesota is still a couple of years away and will remain in the cellar.

    The biggest disappointment this year will be Penn State. With the heavy sanctions, having no bowl game, people everywhere rooting against them, and this scandal hanging over their program, it will be hard for Penn State to win more then two games, especially with starters leaving. Penn State will have problems this year and for the years to follow.


Projected Standings:

Leaders:

1. Wisconsin 11-1 (7-1)

2. Ohio State 9-3 (5-3)

3. Illinois 6-6 (4-4)

4. Purdue 6-6 (3-5)

T5. Indiana 5-7 (1-7)

T5. Penn State 2-10 (1-7)


Legends:

1. Michigan 10-2 (7-1)

2. Michigan State 10-2 (6-2)

T3. Nebraska 9-3 (5-3)

T3. Northwestern 8-4 (5-3)

5. Iowa 8-4 (4-4)

6. Minnesota 4-8 (1-7)


Big Ten Championship: Wisconsin over Michigan

College Football Week 1 Recap

    College Football is back! I have not been able to make any new posts lately, as I have been busy with vacations and school starting back up. But college football is here again!

    One thing week one in college football is famous for is almost all the games matching up an FCS or very small school to an FBS team. If it were up to me, I would ban all contests between teams from different divisions. I understand the money it gives to the lower teams, and how it can get the FCS school good exposure for recruits (though I'm not sure how loosing 60-3 on ESPN will get u much recruiting help). Teams need to just stay  to playing other FBS schools. I don't want to see Nebraska play someone like Chattanooga, or Arkansas play Missouri State. Though I do love upsets like Sacramento State over Oregon State, or Richmond over Duke. But I think that FBS-FCS competition needs to be taken away.

    There were some big games though that were fun to see. #3 Oregon vs #4 LSU was an exiting game, and if Oregon did not have so many turnovers, it would have been a very different game. But turnover, after turnover, after turnover, mostly on special teams, lost this game for the Ducks. I think they really should also have some talks with their returners on when to call for fair catch. But LSU really had a good win and capitalized off of the turnovers by Oregon.

    The other big game was #5 Boise State playing #19 Georgia, as the Broncos looked to prove once more that they can run with the BCS teams. And they did as they really were just the better team here, and Kellon Moore completed 5 TD passes. Georgia, in their all red uniforms that made them look like Ketchup bottles, just could not get much going and lost 35-19.

    #14 TCU was not able to avoid upset vs Baylor in the shootout after a huge comeback in the 4th, and #16 Notre Dame lost to South Florida after extreme heat, and thunderstorms delayed the game.

Week 2 Top 25:


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

Next 5 in: South Florida 1-0, Georgia 0-1, Notre Dame 1-0, Utah 1-0, Houston 1-0


What To Watch Week 2:


Arizona @ #10 Oklahoma State, Thu, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN, Prediction: #10 OSU 44 ARZ 35

#22 Missouri @ Arizona State, Fri, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN, Prediction: #22 MIZZ 30 ASU 28

#18 Mississippi State @ Auburn, Sat, 12:00 PM ET, SEC Network, Prediction: AUB 28 #18 MSU 14

Nevada @ #9 Oregon, Sat, 3:30 PM ET, FX, Prediction: #9 ORE 39 NEV 33

Cincinnati @ Tennessee, Sat, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN2, Prediction: CIN 35 TENN 32

#14 South Carolina @ Georgia, Sat, 4:30 PM ET, ESPN, Prediction: #14 SC 32 UGA 29

Utah @ #25 USC, Sat, 7:30 PM ET, Versus, Prediction: #25 USC 41 Utah 38

Notre Dame @ Michigan, Sat, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN, Prediction: MICH 37 ND 30

Game Of The Week:

#1 Alabama @ #19 Penn State, Sat, 3:30 PM ET, ABC, Prediction: #1 ALA 38 #19 PSU 17

    Alabama goes in uninitiated, and shows why they are one of the best teams in college football and will go undefeated this season by beating up Penn State badly in Happy Valley. I just do not see Penn State putting up a fight.

Alabama

College Football Week 12 Recap

    As we head into rivalry week, lets take a look back at week 12 where a few teams played their last game of the season, and some last until a bowl.

    Because the top two teams in the country, and the #4 team didn't have a game this weekend because of byes,  the top 25 wont have much shuffling near the top. LSU had a scare against Ole Miss which could have lost the Tigers there national title hopes.

    The best game of Saturday would definitely be #7 Ohio State at #19 Iowa. Iowa was lucky in the penalties, and both of Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor's interceptions came from tipped passes that Iowa was lucky to grab. But at the end, Ohio State just played better football and escaped with a 20-17 point win.

    The Big 10's three best teams, which are Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan State, all have one loss and are tied at the top of the conference. If all three teams win this Saturday, Wisconsin and Ohio State will make the BCS while Michigan State will go to the Capital One Bowl. This all because if the three teams are tied, based on the BCS standings the top two will go to BCS bowls.

    Michigan State needs Northwestern to beat Wisconsin, or Michigan to beat rival Ohio State. But they will have there hands full with Penn State who is trying to get that extra win in order to get to a more prestigious bowl.

    However I feel that Penn State ill upset the Spartans, and play spoiler to their chances. After a loss Michigan State would need Wisconsin and Ohio State to both be blown out by Northwestern and Michigan, yet that is a long shot. Regardless of a win or loss, Michigan State should get ready for Orlando, Florida and a match up with either LSU or Alabama.

   I would like to point out that last week i predicted two upsets. The first one was #17 Texas A&M to beat #8 Nebraska by a score of 49-43. A shootout. But while A&M did pull off the upset, it ws a defensive struggle insted that was won by a small score of 9-6.

    The other game i predicted an upset in was #22 Mississippi State to beat #13 Arkansas. And while i was incorrect in the winner, I did come close as Arkansas won 38-31 in double-overtime.

Top 25

1. Oregon 10-0

2. Auburn 11-0

3. Boise State 10-0

4. TCU 11-0

5. Wisconsin 10-1

6. Ohio State 10-1

7. LSU 10-1

8. Stanford 10-1

9. Alabama 9-2

10, Oklahoma State 10-1

11. Michigan State 10-1

12. Arkansas 9-2

13. Oklahoma 9-2

14. Texas A&M 8-3

15. Virginia Tech 9-2

16. Missouri 9-2

17. Nebraska 9-2

18. South Carolina 8-3

19. Florida State 8-3

20. Nevada 10-1

21. Arizona 8-3

22. Iowa 7-4

23. N.C. State 8-3

24. Mississippi State 7-4

25. Northern Illinois 9-2

Next 5 in: Utah (9-2), Tulsa (8-3), West Virginia (7-3), Florida (7-4), Ohio (8-3)

What To Watch:

#2 Auburn @ #9 Alabama (Fri, 2:30pm ET, CBS) Prediction: ALA 30 AUB 28

#21 Arizona @ #1 Oregon (Fri, 7:00pm ET, ESPN) Prediction: ORE 44 ARI 20

#3 Boise State @ #19 Nevada (Fri, 10:15pm ET, ESPN) Prediction: BSU 45 NEV 3

#11 Michigan State @ Penn State (Sat, 12:00pm ET, Big 10 Network) PSU 27 MSU 17

Northwestern @ #5 Wisconsin (Sat, 3:30pm ET, ABC) Prediction: WIS 42 NW 21

Florida @ #19 Florida State (Sat, 3:30pm ET, ABC) Prediction: FSU 20 FLOR 14

#13 Oklahoma @ #10 Oklahoma State (Sat, 8:00pm ET, ABC) Prediction: OSU 39 OKL 37

   

College Football Week 11 Recap

    This Saturday of College Football can for certain be called "the week of the upset that never was" as #1 Oregon, #3 TCU, #8 Stanford, and #21 Nevada all experienced scares of loosing what they hoped for that season, as all had close games to the wire, but came out with the win.

    In fact, only three ranked teams lost this Saturday to unranked opponents. That being #14 Iowa, #16 Utah, and #18 Arizona. 

     But the majority of close, down to the wire games this weekend ended up not being in the underdogs favor.

    For the top ranked Oregon Ducks, they played Pac-10 foe Cal. Cal needs one more win to become bowl eligible, and next week have a game against #8 Stanford. 

    But to be sure of an invitation, the Golden Bears must win at least one of their games against the two top teams in the Pac-10, and then a win against Washington, who is in a similar position.

      It looked like Cal might be able to get that win as the halftime score was 8-7 at halftime in the Ducks favor. Near the beginning of the fourth quarter, Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio made a field goad, but took a step forward to early. This causing a penalty and a re-kick. 


    Now only needing to make a 29 yard field goal, Tavecchio missed. Cal stayed down 15-13, and that's how it stayed. And Cal could not pull off the victory.

    Similar situations occurred for #3 TCU who beat #25 San Diego State by four points. This game came right down to the end, but TCU escaped with the win.

    SDSU definitely showed they are legit, and while they will fall out of the Top 25, they should win out the rest and finish in the rankings. Utah is up next week, followed by UNLV. 
   
    I project a win for the Aztecs, due to the fact that Utah was supposed to beat Notre Dame and be motivated due to the whipping received at the hands of TCU. But an embarrassment came once more and they lost 28-3.

    Utah seems to have lost confidence. Two straight losses have shown an affect on this team, and they need to turn it around to salvage for a better bowl game then the likes of the Independence or Emerald Bowl.

    The other types of game that happened over the weekend were games where a top ranked team was behind for a lot of the game, but able to pull away with a big win. A good example of this went down in Columbus, Ohio were Penn State and Ohio State battled it out.

    The ninth ranked Buckeyes for Ohio State were down 14-3 at halftime in Columbus against the 6-4 Penn State Nittny Lions. An upset was sensed all over the state. But right out of the gate starting the second half, Ohio State went on a tear, and scored 35 unanswered points to beat Penn State 38-14, and remain keep BCS hopes alive.    


    The first half was rough for the Buckeyes, who gave up two touchdowns to Penn State quarterback Mathew McGloin. Penn State was tearing up the Buckeye defense, and Ohio State fans remembered this defense as the one who gave up 21 points in the first half to Wisconsin.


    In the second half however, it was a completly different story. McGloin threw two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns. Soon, after only gaining 17 yards after halftime, he was benched and backup quarterback Robert Bolden was brought in. But Bolden went 0/3 in pass completions and soon McGloin was put back in but could not do anything.
McGloin did have an apparent hand injury in the seconed quarter, but played through it.


    This could have been contributing to his problems and poor play.

    As for Ohio State in the seconed half, they played almost perfect football. The Buckeyes had three offensive touchdowns, and two defensive. If not for a Terrelle Pryor interception in the third while in the red zone, it very well could have had anothe six points.

    Regardless, Pryor had two touchdown passes. One was a three yard pass to tight end Jake Stoneburner, and another was a 58 yard pass that was intended for DeVier Posey, was then tipped by a Penn State defender, but snatched by Buckeye Dane Sanzenbacher for the touochdown.


    Ohio State running back Dan Herron added a touchdown starting the second quarter, making it 13 total touchdowns to his All-American worthy season. He also gained a career high 190 yards rushing on 21 attempts.

    In all, Ohio State can expect to jump in the rankings, and Penn State needs a win next week against the 4-6 Indiana Hoosiers to get into a respected bowl game.

    So many games this weekend came down to the wire, but not many were able to pull of the upset. So not much will change in the Top 25. But you can expect to see some shifts.

     TCU's victory over San Diego State was to close for comfort, and the Horned Frogs, while still having a tougher conference and more games, will not maintain the lead over Boise State and will move down a spot to #4. But a national title spot is not out of reach if Auburn or Oregon loose. They can always jump Boise State for that spot.

Top 25

1. Oregon 10-0
2. Auburn 11-0
3. Boise State 9-0
4. TCU 11-0
5. Wisconsin 9-1
6. LSU 9-1
7. Ohio State 9-1
8. Nebraska 9-1
9. Stanford 9-1
10. Alabama 8-2
11. Michigan State 9-1
12. Oklahoma State 9-1
13. Arkansas 8-2
14. Oklahoma 8-2
15. Missouri 8-2
16. Virginia Tech 8-2
17. Texas A&M  7-3
18. South Carolina 7-3
19. Iowa 7-3
20. Florida State 7-3
21. Nevada 9-1
22. Mississippi State 7-3
23. USC 7-3
24. Arizona 7-3
25. Temple 8-2

Next 5 in: Miami (FL) 7-3 N.C. State 7-3, San Diego State 7-3, Northwestern 7-3, Michigan 7-3

    Before we start What To Watch, I would like to point out that the reason Georgia State vs Alabama is on this list, is that this is Georgia State's first year of having a football team. The Panthers are 6-4, and have had a very impressive inaugural season. While they will most likely finish there first season 6-5 after a loss to the Crimson Tide, it is very hard to go above .500 in your first season. It would be worth your while to tune in to the Thursday night game, even for a possession or two to see this game on ESPNU. Congratulations Panthers on a great season and good luck in the future.

What To Watch

Georgia State @ #10 Alabama (Thu, 7:30pm ET, ESPNU) Prediction: ALA 59 GSU 7

Fresno State @ #3 Boise State (Fri, 9:30pm ET, ESPN2) Prediction: BSU 37 FSU 10

#5 Wisconsin @ Michigan (Sat, 12:00pm ET, ESPN) Prediction: WIS 34 MICH 21

#7 Ohio State @ #19 Iowa (Sat, 3:30pm ET, ABC) Prediction: OSU 31 IOWA 28

#16 Virginia Tech @ Miami (FL) (Sat, 3:30pm ET, ESPN) Prediction: VT 28 MIA 13

#22 Mississippi State @ #13 Arkansas (Sat, 7:00pm ET, ESPN) Prediction: MSU 34 ARK 28

#8 Nebraska @ #19 Texas A&M (Sat, 8:00pm ET, ABC) Prediction: TAM 49 NEB 43

#20 Florida State @ Maryland (Sat, 8:00pm ET, ESPN) Prediction: MARY 20 FSU 15