Football Future-see 2012: Bowl Edition

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10...4-1
Week 11...4-1
Week 12…4-1
Week 13…4-1
Week 14…2-3
Bowls…….7-3
Overall..…62-23

Review/Preview:
So it ended on a sad note, as I had a sub-.500 week to wrap up the regular season. Still, 55-20 is not bad. Now we go into Bowl Season, and we’ve got a ten game slate to project…so let’s get started…

The Games:

Hyundai Sun Bowl .....INCORRECT
USC vs Georgia Tech

I’m picking this game out of pity. Georgia Tech is 6-7, and yet they have a bowl game. Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech (9-3, best offense in the nation) is not even in a bowl thanks to the greed of their athletic director. If I were in charge of the NCAA, one of the first things I would do is remove Georgia Tech from this game and put LaTech in. But since that won’t happen, we’re left with what should be a dominating victory by Southern Cal. The Trojans are looking for whatever redemption they can find after a stirringly lackluster season. The Yellow Jackets may hang tight for a quarter, but I expect USC to cruise off in the second half. Trojans get the W.
FINAL SCORE: USC 49, Georgia Tech 17

Chick-fil-A Bowl .....INCORRECT
8 LSU vs 14 Clemson

To give you an idea of just how stacked the top half of the SEC is, LSU is not playing in a New Year’s Day bowl. Clemson is a stout offense, but like the ACC as a whole, they have times when they just don’t show up. LSU knows that they could’ve had so much more. If only that game against Alabama had been a minute shorter. But enough of the past. LSU QB Zack Mettenberger will look to get his team a bowl win, while Clemson QB Tajh Boyd (who had one of the quietest good seasons ever) will push his Tigers to do the same. Tigers win (ha!).
FINAL SCORE: LSU 28, Clemson 20

Outback Bowl .....CORRECT
10 South Carolina vs 18 Michigan 

A match-up of two teams who know they could’ve been so much more. South Carolina was bitten hard by the injury bug. Michigan looked to come out of the gate strong by taking on Alabama. While it was projected to be a close match, ‘Bama slammed Michigan and moved on. The Wolverines took some time to get over that beating. They managed a decent enough showing in the Big Ten, but not enough to even reach the conference title game. Now the Wolverines are slated to meet the Gamecocks in the Outback. South Carolina would like a win to close out an otherwise disappointing ten-win season. Michigan will keep it close, and may even lead for a bit, but I think the Gamecock defense adjusts in the second half and takes over for a touchdown victory. South Carolina wins.
FINAL SCORE: South Carolina 31, Michigan 26

Capital One Bowl .....CORRECT
7 Georgia vs 16 Nebraska

For a while, it looked as though the loser of the SEC Championship Game could tumble as far as the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Then the rumor began to circulate that the SEC may try to convince the Cotton Bowl to take the SEC runner-up. Now, we find that the SEC and the Big Ten met with the Capital One and convinced them to take the conference title game runners up. So we’re left with Georgia and Nebraska meeting in Orlando on New Year’s Day. Georgia is likely angry after coming up 5 yards short of the National Championship Game (Note, also, that Georgia lost by 4 points [and 5 yards] to the #2 team in the nation and fell from third to seventh…Kansas State lost by nearly 30 points to Baylor and fell from first to sixth…Georgia may see that similarity in poll placement as a reason to come out angry in this game). Nebraska was just handed their worst loss in recent memory. The Bulldogs offense is similar to Wisconsin’s, though I think Georgia’s offense is more explosive. Nebraska will be ready, but it won’t be enough. Dawgs win.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 49, Nebraska 20

AT&T Cotton Bowl .....CORRECT
9 Texas A&M vs 11 Oklahoma

The Cotton Bowl wound up with a BCS-level pairing of teams. This actually may be one of the best games we get all bowl season. Heisman-winner  Johnny Manziel leads the Aggies into Dallas to take on wizened QB Landry Jones and the Sooner offense. Texas A&M was the only team to figure out Alabama. Georgia came close, but the Aggies actually notched the win. I can see this being a close game, but in the end, the Aggies will prove too much for Oklahoma. And remember, Johnny Football is just a freshman.
FINAL SCORE: Texas A&M 33, Oklahoma 27

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl .....CORRECT
4 Oregon vs 5 Kansas State

If the 17th of November not happened, we’d be talking about this as the BCS National Championship match-up and the SEC’s streak would be over. Instead, Oregon and K-State are left with a consolation prize of sorts. The winner of this game will likely bounce up to 3rd in the final poll. Wildcats QB Collin Klein is a Heisman finalist and, with the exception of games played in Waco, can lead his team to victory anywhere. Oregon is led by an offense that moves only slightly slower than the speed of light. The Ducks will look to establish quick dominance, but Kansas State has a solid defense. Still, at the end of the day, I can’t see Oregon faltering in the Fiesta. Ducks win.
FINAL SCORE: Oregon 42, Kansas State 35

Allstate Sugar Bowl .....INCORRECT
3 Florida vs 21 Louisville

By virtue of finishing in the Top 3 Florida was guaranteed a spot in the BCS, thus eliminating Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and South Carolina from claiming the other spot open for the SEC. I’m not saying the Gators are undeserving. They played a monstrously difficult schedule; they beat 4 top ten teams, with their only loss coming to SEC runner-up Georgia. My biggest gripe with Florida is their on-again-off-again offense. Their defense might be the best in the nation. But their offense at times sputters and at other times stops. They shouldn’t have any trouble with Louisville. Gators feast on some red birds.
FINAL SCORE: Florida 42, Louisville 17

FedEx Orange Bowl .....CORRECT
12 Florida State vs 15 Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois is in a BCS game. I will repeat that. Northern Illinois is in a BCS game. The Huskies are 12-1, which I’m told is respectable. However, they are the first non-AQ team to reach a BCS game without being undefeated. They lost to Iowa, who was 4-8 overall, with only 2 Big Ten conference wins. The Huskies are in because they won the MAC and squeaked into the top 16 of the BCS. Here’s where the rules get wacky. A non-AQ team finishing in the Top 16 of the BCS and ahead of the champion of an AQ Conference receives an automatic invite to the BCS. Outside of beating Kent State in the MAC Championship, NIU’s biggest claim to fame this season is beating Directional Michigan by a combined score of 152-65. Florida State, meanwhile, had to run the gauntlet that is the ACC. Seriously, it’s not often that the ACC can be called a gauntlet. I really can’t see this game even being close, but it’s not even the biggest point spread as set by the bookies in Vegas. That dubious honor belongs to the Sugar Bowl match-up. Seminoles win.
FINAL SCORE: Florida State 35, Northern Illinois 18

Rose Bowl Game .....CORRECT
6 Stanford vs Wisconsin

Okay, this is going to take a moment, because I’m about to unload some frustration on behalf of football fans everywhere. As the bowl match-ups were announced, a certain analyst on a certain acronym sports station went very nearly berserk. He proceeded to lambast the long-standing BCS rule that only two teams per conference can get in. (The rule allows for three teams if two teams are in the national title game.) His argument was that Louisville, Northern Illinois, and Wisconsin did not deserve BCS berths ahead of Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas A&M, and South Carolina. I can see his argument, but at the same time, the rule in question has been in place since 1998. So we’re left with a 5-loss Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, because they won the Big Ten Championship Game. I actually have a hard time calling them champions. It’s not like ‘Bama or Georgia, who were by and large dominant all year, or Kansas State, who suffered one bad loss but still took the Big XII. Wisconsin only got into the conference title game because Ohio State and Penn State were ineligible. Then, inexplicably, Nebraska refused to show up and play Wisconsin, leading to a 70-31 Badgers victory. Stanford, meanwhile, took care of business in the PAC-12, beating UCLA in consecutive weeks. I can’t see Wisconsin having a repeat performance of the Big Ten title game. Stanford wins.
FINAL SCORE: Stanford 28, Wisconsin 21

BCS National Championship Game .....CORRECT
1 Notre Dame vs 2 Alabama

Alabama won one of the best SEC Title Games in recent memory, as it proved to be every bit the titanic slugfest it was projected to be. Of course, afterwards, a certain acronym sports station began casting Alabama as the greatest team ever and Georgia (more specifically, Aaron Murray) as the dumbest to ever play the game. But enough of that…we have a chance for a seventh straight SEC national champion. Notre Dame is good. They play SEC-level defense. I just don’t see them able to score enough points to knock off Alabama. The Tide rolls in Miami.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 33, Notre Dame 18

Football Future-see 2012: Championship Week

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10...4-1
Week 11...4-1
Week 12…4-1
Week 13…4-1
Week 14…2-3
Overall..…55-20

Review/Preview:
It’s championship week here at the Right Wing. The major conferences play their championship games this weekend. Some teams (Notre Dame) won’t play again until January. Some teams have major tests to determine postseason fates (the SEC Championship Game). Seriously, Notre Dame will have nearly 45 days between its last game and the National Championship Game. So here’s the slate for this week…

The Games:

PAC-12 Championship Game .....CORRECT
16 UCLA at 8 Stanford

Stanford just hung a 35-17 beating on UCLA in the Bruins’ home stadium. Now, six days later, they meet again, this time in Stanford’s home stadium. Such are the PAC-12 rules (the championship game is played in the home stadium of the team with the highest BCS ranking.) Neither team has aspirations higher than the Rose Bowl. Both teams know that Oregon is getting an at-large BCS bid. So they know, it’s win or go to a much, much lower bowl. I really can’t see Stanford losing this one at home.
FINAL SCORE: Stanford 26, UCLA 20

ACC Championship Game .....CORRECT
Georgia Tech vs 13 Florida State

I suppose this game has to be played, but c’mon, man…Who here really thinks that Georgia Tech is going to topple Florida State? An angry Florida State, I might add, coming off a disappointing loss to in-state rival Florida. Georgia Tech, likewise, was humiliated by an in-state rival. The Yellow Jackets fired the defensive coordinator earlier this year, and then the school’s athletic director walked away to take the job at conference rival Clemson. The rumor mill is buzzing that Paul Johnson may be the next to go, but Tech wrapped up a good bit of money in him. Still, what you are paying the coach does not put points on the board. Florida State rolls.
FINAL SCORE: Florida State 34, Georgia Tech 18

SEC Championship Game .....INCORRECT
2 Alabama vs 3 Georgia 

So this is the game everyone is waiting for…well, I say everyone…I doubt the PAC-12 is holding their breath on this one. Same goes for the Big Ten, ACC, Big East…Okay, we get it, you’re sick of the SEC. Well, to quote Ric Flair, if you want to be the man, you gotta beat the man, and for the last six years, the SEC has been “the man.” Now, Georgia and Alabama face off for the right to play Notre Dame and bring yet another crystal football to the SEC’s collective trophy case. Most prognosticators are simply placing Alabama in the BCS Title Game, but don’t count out Georgia. The Dawgs are playing their best football at the right time, and the defense can stop anybody. Win or lose, for either side, this is going to be one heck of a game. But you know where this is going…and I don’t think it’s too far out on a limb to make this pick…
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 24, Alabama 20

Big Ten Championship Game .....INCORRECT
12 Nebraska vs Wisconsin

The winner of this game is guaranteed a Rose Bowl slot. Nebraska is certainly playing the better football of these two, and a September victory over the Badgers showed Nebraska how to beat Wisconsin. Both teams have been hit with injury, and both teams have had their share of hard times (Nebraska losing 63-38 to Ohio State, Wisconsin losing to Oregon State, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Penn State). Look for Nebraska to win pretty handily in this one.
FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 35, Wisconsin 20

MAC Championship Game.....INCORRECT
21 Northern Illinois vs 17 Kent State

Kent State stands the better chance of these two teams of actually crashing the BCS party. If the Golden Flashes can reach the Top 16 in the BCS and be ranked ahead of the champion of an automatic qualifier conference, then they would be in. As it stands, no Big East team is even ranked, so that part of the equation holds. Now Kent State just needs some others to fall and the path to a BCS game, most likely the Orange Bowl, but possibly the Sugar (unlikely) opens up. For that reason alone, I’m taking Kent State to upset the apple cart and crash the party.
FINAL SCORE: Kent State 28, Northern Illinois 21

___The Right Wing Top Ten___

Massive changes in the Top Ten.

10. South Carolina Gamecocks
Giving us a total of six SEC teams in the top ten, the Gamecocks move back up by virtue of knocking off Clemson, leaving the ACC winless in their three biggest rivalry games with the SEC.

9. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford is one win away from playing the Big Ten champion in the Rose Bowl.

8. Texas A&M Aggies
Once again, Johnny “Football” Manziel is only a freshman.

7. Florida Gators
So Florida struggles against lower opponents and then takes over the fourth quarter and dominates Florida State…

6. Kansas State Wildcats
K-State did not play, so it’s hard to bump them down. A big time test waits this week in the form of Texas.

5. Louisiana State Tigers 
The Sugar Bowl will have a tough time choosing local LSU or suddenly-much-prettier Florida.

4. Oregon Ducks
Oregon trounced Oregon State, but it’s not enough to get the Ducks back in the national title hunt.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama would love to prove that they are once again the best team in the nation.

2. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia has a true fighting chance at playing for the national championship.

1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The only unbeaten team eligible for the Title…sorry Ohio State.

___Bowl Projections___

BCS National Championship Game: Notre Dame vs Georgia

I'm picking Georgia to beat Alabama, so that means a Dawgs vs Irish national title game.

Rose Bowl: Nebraska vs. Stanford

Nebraska should beat Wisconsin and Stanford should be able to handle UCLA at home, granting them both passage to the Rose Bowl.

Sugar Bowl: Rutgers vs Florida

Florida is locked into a BCS game, and the Sugar Bowl would love to have them. With our projection of Kent State making a BCS game, it pushes the Big East champion to the Sugar Bowl.

Orange Bowl: Florida State vs Kent State

Florida State should walk over Georgia Tech. But it looks like Kent State could bust the BCS by reaching the top 16 ahead of the Big East champion. I'm sure the Orange Bowl loves this idea.

Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs Oregon

The national championship game that could've been. Oregon and K-State is a dream match for the Fiesta.

Capital One Bowl: South Carolina vs Michigan

Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wisconsin

Outback Bowl: Alabama vs. Northwestern

Cotton Bowl: Texas vs Texas A&M

Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU vs Clemson

Football Future-see 2012: Week Thirteen

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10...4-1
Week 11...4-1
Week 12…4-1

Week 13...4-1
Overall..…53-17

Review/Preview:
Well...chaos has ensued. Oregon was toppled by Stanford just minutes after Baylor laid a 52-24 beating on Kansas State. We knew that two of the top three would have to lose for the SEC to get back into the national championship picture, and for the first time since 2007, the top two teams lost on the same day. So what's on our slate this week...

The Games:

5 Oregon at 15 Oregon State ....CORRECT

Oregon may have seen its chances at a national title completely destroyed by an overtime loss to Stanford. Remember, in the BCS era, it is better to lose early than to lose late. Just ask Georgia. Oregon now must try to reclaim some lost ground. They still have an outside shot at the PAC-12 title and a potential Rose Bowl berth. Oregon State keeps it close in the first half, but Oregon wins.
FINAL SCORE: Oregon 31, Oregon State 21

12 South Carolina at 11 Clemson ....CORRECT

South Carolina is depleted by injury, having lost star running back Marcus Lattimore to one of the more gruesome leg injuries you'll ever see. For that reason alone, I'm picking South Carolina to knock off Clemson this week. Clemson is a good team, but a solid defense can take them off their game, and South Carolina is a solid defense.
FINAL SCORE: South Carolina 27, Clemson 24

Georgia Tech at 3 Georgia ....CORRECT

Georgia tuned up for Tech's triple option by playing Georgia Southern last week. Tech is a faster team than Southern, but Georgia's defense is playing stellar football at the moment. The Dawgs beat Southern 45-14. Expect a similar outcome but a closer score as Georgia rolls into the SEC Championship Game with loads of momentum and a revealed-to-be-mortal Alabama as an opponent.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 35, Georgia Tech 17

4 Florida at 10 Florida State....INCORRECT

Believe it or not, Florida can sneak into the national championship game is Notre Dame loses. Florida must also beat Florida State, which will be a tall order, as the Gators' offense is not exactly awe-inspiring. Florida State should have enough firepower to take out Florida and carry momentum into the ACC Championship Game.
FINAL SCORE: Florida State 31, Florida 18

1 Notre Dame at USC ....CORRECT

Notre Dame's task is simple: win and you're in. The task became a touch easier after USC QB Matt Barkley was ruled out due to injury. That said, the Irish are better than USC and the ND Defense should carry the day.
FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 26, USC 17

The Right Wing Top Ten

Some changes in the Top Ten. Clemson drops out, simply because Stanford is playing great ball right now.  Just the Top Ten this week.

10. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford took down Oregon. That's enough to get into the top ten.

9. Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies are one of the hottest teams in the SEC and their Heisman candidate QB is just a freshman.

8. Florida Gators
There is no reason why Florida should’ve struggled the way they did against Jacksonville State. Gators hold at 8.

7. Florida State Seminoles
The ‘Noles are playing some pretty good football, but an end-of-year test against Florida remains.

6. Kansas State Wildcats
You don't lose that badly to Baylor and stay in the top five.

5. Louisiana State Tigers

LSU is going for style points and an at large BCS berth.

4. Oregon Ducks
Oregon lost in overtime to Stanford. Now Oregon may not play for the PAC-12 title, much less the national title.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide
All Alabama has to do is win their next two games and they will play for the national championship. They've not been this close to the title since last season.

2. Georgia Bulldogs
All Georgia has to do is win their next two games and they will play for the national championship. They've not been this close to the title in my lifetime.

1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame is the only undefeated team with postseason eligibility, so they assume the top spot on the rankings.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Twelve

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10...4-1
Week 11...4-1
Week 12…4-1
Overall..…49-16

Review/Preview:
Through eleven weeks I have a .750 winning percentage. Not too shabby. The perfect week has eluded me since Week 4, but that’s okay. Georgia has clinched a spot in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. Their likely opponent is Alabama, who Texas A&M just rendered mortal. The Dawgs know how to beat ‘Bama now, and some talking heads are already projecting Georgia to win the SEC. Of course, this comes with a price. If Kansas State, Oregon, and Notre Dame win out, then the SEC’s run of consecutive national champions is over. Of course, we still have two or three weeks left, so chaos can still ensue.

The Games:

13 Stanford at 2 Oregon ....INCORRECT

Oregon faces possibly their toughest test of the season in visiting Stanford. The Cardinal have taken down USC and Oregon State this season, but Oregon is a different beast altogether. Oregon has an offense second to none among major-conference schools. If Stanford is to have any chance in this game, they have to stop the Oregon run and the Cardinal offense has to jump out to an early lead. I don’t see that happening.
FINAL SCORE: Oregon 40, Stanford 20

12 Oklahoma at West Virginia ....CORRECT

The first of two Big XII games on our slate this week pits Oklahoma against West Virginia. The Mountaineers season started in very promising fashion, but they’ve since faltered. QB Geno Smith was the Heisman front-runner at one time, but his production vanished and now West Virginia, once a top ten team, is unranked. Oklahoma, meanwhile, is trying to make a BCS case. Sooners QB Landry Jones has been on-and-off leading this team, but against West Virginia, I think you can count on an Oklahoma victory.
FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 30, West Virginia 21

Georgia Southern at 5 Georgia ....CORRECT

Georgia Southern always plays Georgia decently well. The last time these teams met, Georgia was #1 in the country. Georgia went up 38-0 or so, and by then Coach Richt had put in the third string defense. Three garbage time TDs later, Georgia won 45-21, but it was enough for the voters to demote the Dawgs to #2. This year should be different. Georgia is playing for style points; trying to make a case for the BCS should the SEC Title Game not go their way. Big wins over Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech could go a long way toward making that case.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 48, Georgia Southern 10

23 Texas Tech at 24 Oklahoma State ....CORRECT

Big XII game number two is a match-up of ranked foes. Oklahoma State has danced on the periphery of the top 25 all season while Texas Tech has overachieved in the conference. The only known quantity in this game is that the loser will be unranked come next Sunday.
FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma State 31, Texas Tech 24

18 USC at 17 UCLA ....CORRECT

The Battle of Southern California comes Saturday. USC is just looking for a respectable season at this point, and UCLA might be overachieving. Lane Kiffin’s Trojans were recently caught deflating footballs…seriously. Perhaps USC’s season really is over (though some people are holding out hope for USC’s game with Notre Dame).
FINAL SCORE: UCLA 31, USC 28

The Right Wing Top Ten

Some changes in the Top Ten. Louisville is out, Texas A&M is in.  Just the Top Ten this week.

10. Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies became the first team to figure out Alabama. The scary thing for the SEC…Johnny Football is just a freshman.

9. Clemson Tigers
Clemson needs to keep up their pace if they hope for an at-large bid to the BCS.

8. Florida Gators
There is no reason why Florida should’ve struggled the way they did against Louisiana-Lafayette. Gators drop a spot.

7. Florida State Seminoles
The ‘Noles are playing some pretty good football, but an end-of-year test against Florida remains.

6. Louisiana State Tigers
LSU took Alabama to the brink, and then laid a 37-17 beating on Mississippi State.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide 
Alabama is no longer the best team in the nation.

4. Georgia Bulldogs
The Dawgs looked every bit a Top 5 team in dismantling Auburn 38-0. Now Georgia has game tape on how to beat Alabama, so the SEC Championship Game just got a bit more interesting.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish sit at #3, but they’ve not exactly been impressive the last two weeks. They’ll really have to blow some socks off, and hope for Oregon or K-State to fall, if they want to play for the crystal football.

2. Oregon Ducks
Oregon still gives up too much on defense. The Ducks count on the fastest offense in football to keep them ahead. It’s worked so far, but once they play a hardened defense you’ll see just how good Oregon actually is.

1. Kansas State Wildcats
I’ve said from the start that Kansas State had a tougher road than Oregon, simply because I value the Big XII higher than the PAC-12. But if they both win out, we’ll see who is better.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Eleven

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10...4-1
Week 11...4-1
Overall..…45-15

Review/Preview:
Week Ten saw me go 4-1, pushing my overall record to 41-14. The SEC race is winding down, as Georgia needs only win at Auburn (not exactly difficult) to take the East, and Alabama needs only win against either Texas A&M or Auburn to clinch the West. The other national conferences…well… The ACC has only 3 bowl eligible teams (including Duke). Kansas State looks like a lock in the Big XII. Louisville is wrapping up the Big East. Nebraska and Michigan are fighting for the right to play Wisconsin for the Big Ten title. Out west, it looks like Oregon will meet either USC or UCLA for the PAC-12 title.

Oregon put up 62 points on USC, but only won the game by 11. Alabama required a final-drive TD to beat LSU 21-17. The key difference between these two games is coaching mentality. In the SEC, coaches take the best athletes and turn them into superstar defensive players. In the PAC-12, and other conferences, coaches turn their best athletes into offensive-minded players. It may sound like a good idea, because you have to score points to win games…but six crystal footballs currently residing in the southeast beg to differ.

The Games:

11 Oregon State at 14 Stanford .....CORRECT

I’ll admit to my East Coast bias and own up to the fact that I know very little about these two Top 15 teams from the PAC-12. Oregon State was on a run earlier this year, but a loss to Washington slowed their roll. Stanford is in a somewhat similar situation. I’m honestly surprised that Stanford is playing as well as they are, given that Andrew Luck and Jim Harbaugh are both gone to the NFL.
FINAL SCORE: Stanford 27, Oregon State 24

15 Texas A&M at 1 Alabama .....INCORRECT

So long as Alabama keeps winning, there is no reason for them to not be #1. The Aggies have a high-octane offense, though. QB Johnny Manziel is playing good football and leading a squad that has recently dismantled Auburn and Mississippi State. Alabama is coming off a narrow win over rival LSU. ‘Bama QB A.J. McCarron needs to get his squad out to a fast start against the Aggies, or it could be a long, back-and-forth struggle in Tuscaloosa. But look for a Crimson Tide victory and an SEC Championship Game berth.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 26, Texas A&M 17

5 Georgia at Auburn .....CORRECT

For Georgia, the task at hand is simple: beat Auburn and punch your ticket to the SEC Championship Game. Don’t worry about anything else. Auburn, on the other hand, would just like a win, but I think even remotely staying in the game against the Dawgs will have to be looked at as a moral victory. Auburn is flat terrible this year, having only 2 wins (Louisiana-Monroe and New Mexico State), and losing 7 games by an average score of 30-14 (in contrast, Georgia is 8-1 on the year, winning by an average score of 37-21). Georgia lost WR Marlon Brown for the year, but they still have enough weapons, and a terrific freshman tandem at running back, to make any defense think twice.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 40, Auburn 7

21 Mississippi State at 7 LSU .....CORRECT

Who is Mississippi State? Are they the team who started 7-0 or are they the team who lost back to back games to Alabama and Texas A&M? The Bulldogs of Mississippi State are bowl eligible, but are looking for more. More wins means the possibility of greater exposure. And when you live in the shadow of Alabama and LSU, exposure is a good thing. But they have to go to Death Valley to play LSU. The Tigers just took Alabama to the wire before dropping the game in spectacular fashion. Look for an angry LSU team to take out some frustration on a suddenly foundering Mississippi State squad.
FINAL SCORE: LSU 30, Mississippi State 17

10 Florida State at Virginia Tech .....CORRECT

For the first time in a long time, I actually have an ACC match-up on the slate. Florida State is trying to regain some lost glory in a bid for at least an at-large BCS berth. The Seminoles travel to Blacksburg, which is no easy place to win. Then again, Virginia Tech is nowhere near the team we thought they’d be in the preseason. Look for Florida State to let Virginia Tech hang around in the first half, and then shut the door in the second half.
FINAL SCORE: Florida State 28, Virginia Tech 14

The Right Wing Top Ten

Some changes in the Top Ten. South Carolina is out, Louisville is in.  Just the Top Ten this week.

10. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville is 9-0 and leading the Big East. However, their biggest win of the season was an overtime victory over Cincinnati.

9. Clemson Tigers
Clemson needs to keep up their pace if they hope for an at-large bid to the BCS.

8. Florida State
The Seminoles stay put at #8 on our list. They have a big conference road game this week.

7. Louisiana State Tigers
LSU played one of the best games all season against Alabama…and still lost. The 7-2 Tigers still have 3 conference games left, but they are out of the SEC West race.

6. Florida Gators
The Gators will be pulling for Auburn like crazy. If Auburn can somehow upset Georgia, then Florida walks into the SEC Championship Game.

5. Georgia Bulldogs
A slow start turned into a dominating performance against Ole Miss. Georgia needs to win this Saturday at Auburn to lock in a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame at 4 and Oregon at 3 could work in the opposite order. Neither team really impressed me. Notre Dame went to triple overtime against Pitt. That’s right. Pitt.

3. Oregon Ducks
Oregon at 3 and Notre Dame at 4 could work in the opposite order. Neither team really impressed me. Oregon gave up 51 points and still won. That might work in the PAC-12, but come National Championship time, you’re likely to play an SEC team. You better have a defense then, because that’s what the SEC does best.

2. Kansas State Wildcats
K-State might be in a bad place. Collin Klein is hurt. How long he is out (assuming he even misses a game) could have huge ramifications on the National Title hunt and the Big XII race.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide 
One of these weeks I’ll get to type something other than Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Ten

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..2-3
Week 10....4-1
Overall..…41-14

Review/Preview:
A 2-3 week is never a good thing, and that’s my third 2-3 week this season, though the overall record stands at 37-13 (a roughly .740 winning percentage). With the exception of one match-up, every game this week features a clash of top 25 teams. The biggest game of the week is, without a doubt, LSU-Alabama, the de facto SEC West Championship game. The winner of that game basically punches a ticket to Atlanta to face Georgia, assuming Georgia wins against Ole Miss and Auburn.

The Games:

23 Texas at 18 Texas Tech .....INCORRECT

This Big XII clash marks, I believe, the third straight week that Texas Tech has appeared in the predictions. They’re 1-1 since I started picking their games, beating TCU and losing to Kansas State. Texas is a team that knows, deep down, that they should be better than they are. Mack Brown’s squad is having a bit of a disappointing season, although I know a long list of teams who would happily take 23rd in the rankings. But going into Lubbock is no easy task, as the Longhorns will find out.
FINAL SCORE: Texas Tech 24, Texas 21

16 Texas A&M at 15 Mississippi State .....CORRECT

Games in which the teams are ranked only one spot apart are hard to call upsets, but I am picking A&M to knock off Mississippi State, even in Starkville. The Bulldogs are coming of a demoralizing loss to Alabama, while the Aggies are riding high after putting up over 400 yards of offense in one half in Auburn. Aggies QB Johnny Football will lead his team to victory.
FINAL SCORE: Texas A&M 27, Mississippi State 21

Ole Miss at 6 Georgia .....CORRECT

The lone match-up on our slate not featuring two ranked teams (since I always pick the Georgia game). Georgia is coming off arguably their biggest win in the last several years, knocking off second-ranked Florida in Jacksonville. The Dawgs now control their destiny (I hate that phrase, it is an over-worn cliché that is actually semantically impossible) in the SEC East. Win out, Georgia, and you get to play for the SEC Championship.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 31, Ole Miss 14

24 Oklahoma State at 2 Kansas State .....CORRECT

If you told me that no SEC team would be allowed to play for the national title this season, then I would go all in on the Wildcats. QB Collin (Optimus) Klein leads one of the most balanced teams in the country to the field of battle against Oklahoma State. The surprising Cowboys are ranked 24th in the country, but I think it’ll be a short-lived ranking. It’s hard to win in Manhattan.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 28, Oklahoma State 14

1 Alabama at 5 LSU .....CORRECT

This is the third time in a year that the Crimson Tide is meeting the Tigers. The first time resulted in a 9-6 LSU victory. The second time resulted in ‘Bama keeping LSU from crossing midfield in a 21-0 National Championship Game debacle. What lies in store this time? Well, frankly, Alabama is the best team in the nation. They just knocked off Mississippi State, who might’ve been playing their best football in my lifetime. The Tide knows that a win here locks them into Atlanta. LSU knows the same thing, but I don’t think the Tigers have the strength to take down the mighty Tide.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 30, LSU 17

The Right Wing Top Ten

Some major changes to the RW Top Ten.  Just the Top Ten this week.

10. Clemson Tigers
Clemson needs to keep up their pace if they hope for an at-large bid to the BCS.

9. South Carolina Gamecocks
Don’t look for South Carolina to hang around the top ten for too long. Sadly, they’ve lost start running back Marcus Lattimore for at least the rest of this season…maybe longer.

8. Florida State
The Seminoles still have some big games coming up, but their complete destruction of Duke puts them in the 8-spot this week.

7. Florida Gators
Florida came out very flat against Georgia in the sloppiest game of the century.

6. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia came out on fire against Florida. The defense played its best game all year. Couple that with the fact that Florida’s offense played its worst game all year and you have a UGA win in Jacksonville.

5. Louisiana State Tigers
You get a week off, you move up one spot. Not bad, if you’re an LSU fan.

4. Oregon Ducks
You put up 70 on Colorado, only to watch Notre Dame leapfrog you. Just remember, Ducks, you are only now coming into the meat of your schedule. Those two teams currently ranked ahead of you have already played the worst of theirs. Also, you have a conference championship game. They don’t.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish took apart Oklahoma in a way I did not see coming. Brian Kelly’s squad is playing some great defense and is trying to make a case for the BCS National Championship Game.

2. Kansas State Wildcats
K-State looked every bit the #2 team in the nation in their dismantling of Texas Tech. The Wildcats may be the most balanced team, after Alabama.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide 
One of these weeks I’ll get to type something other than Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Nine

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Week 9…..0-0
Overall..…35-10

Review/Preview:
4-1 last week and 35-10 on the year. Not too shabby. Let’s see how things go this week. Once again, the #5 team in the country faces a huge challenge, as Notre Dame travels to Oklahoma. You also have the World’s Largest Outdoor Non-Alcoholic Fun-For-The-Whole-Family Event in Jacksonville. Kansas State faces yet another Big XII challenge, and two undefeated teams clash in the SEC West.

The Games:

11 Mississippi State at 1 Alabama

If anyone actually believed that an October 27 match-up of Alabama and Mississippi State would be a match-up of unbeaten teams, then I’m not sure I believe them. Mississippi State has played some of the best football in the program’s recent history this season, but their toughest challenge looms on Saturday. Alabama is the best around. This game may stay close for a bit, but Alabama will eventual pull away.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 35, Mississippi State 17

14 Texas Tech at 3 Kansas State .....CORRECT

Did anyone have Kansas State as the third best team in the nation at the start of the season? The Wildcats have played impressive football, going into Norman and beating Oklahoma and most recently going to Morgantown and knocking off the Mountaineers in “resounding thud” fashion. Texas Tech just played a triple overtime thriller against TCU. Kansas State should be able to further pad their résumé.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 38, Texas Tech 20

10 Georgia vs 2 Florida (at Jacksonville) .....THANKFULLY INCORRECT

Of all the games I’m picking this week, I’m writing out this entry last. Florida is playing as good as anyone in the country and Georgia, quite frankly, is struggling. Then again, this is the “Cocktail Party,” where strange things have been known to happen. The Dawgs could only muster 29 points against a Kentucky team that, just a week before, had surrendered 49 to Arkansas in a weather-shortened game. Perhaps Georgia was just looking ahead to the annual clash with Florida…I don’t know. What I do know is that Georgia has to step up their game if they intend to make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. I loathe picking against the Dawgs, but given the past few games…
FINAL SCORE: Florida 24, Georgia 21

5 Notre Dame at 8 Oklahoma

I’m thinking this might be Notre Dame’s toughest test all season, although a later date with USC still looms large on the calendar. The Irish are living and dying by their defense. Oklahoma has been an offensive juggernaut for the last two weeks. The average score to an Oklahoma game is 45-15 in favor of the Sooners. The Irish are averaging 26 points per game while giving up an average of less than 10 points per game. But Notre Dame hasn’t faced an offense quite like Oklahoma. This, to me, is a coin-toss game, but since I have to pick a winner…
FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 30, Notre Dame 23

Ohio State at Penn State

This battle of unranked teams makes the list because of the stories surrounding these programs. Ohio State is not bowl eligible this season. Penn State just had the last couple of decades wiped from the record books by the NCAA. How long will Buckeye’s QB Braxton Miller be out? Should Bill O’Brien be considered the coach of the year for the job he’s done at Penn State? These questions, and more, will be answered Saturday.
FINAL SCORE: Penn State 28, Ohio State 21

The Right Wing Top Ten (25)

Some major changes to the RW Top Ten (25)…the Top Ten get a blurb about why, but I’ll give you the whole Top 25, free of charge…

25. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. West Virginia Mountaineers
23. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
22. Cincinnati Bearcats
21. Michigan Wolverines
20. Northwestern Wildcats
19. Boise State Broncos
18. Ohio Bobcats
17. Louisville Cardinals
16. Clemson Tigers
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
14. Texas Tech Red Raiders
13. Florida State Seminoles
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
11. USC Trojans

10. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State is undefeated. I will repeat that. Mississippi State is undefeated.

9. Georgia Bulldogs
Okay, so Georgia struggled a bit against Kentucky. Popular opinion is that UGA was looking ahead to Florida.

8. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma beat Texas by 42, and then beat Kansas by 45. The next game is a big one, though. Notre Dame visits Norman this Saturday.

7. Oregon State Beavers
The toughest contest remaining for Oregon State is a November 24 home date with Oregon.

6. Louisiana State Tigers
LSU won a hard-fought battle against SEC newcomer Texas A&M. The Tigers have played some fairly good football since that loss to Florida.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame remains at #5, despite playing a lackluster game against BYU. The Irish still have Oklahoma and USC on their schedule, so they have plenty of time to make a title game case.

4. Oregon Ducks
Poor Oregon. They only ever win and yet they keep falling. I could see putting Oregon at #3 if they had kept their foot on the gas against ASU, but they didn’t. If Oregon had won by the margin K-State won by, then Oregon would be #3. But the Ducks are just now entering the meat of their schedule. The race to see who plays the winner of the SEC Championship Game should be fun to watch.

3. Kansas State Wildcats
There was no way I would’ve bet on K-State to do what they did to West Virginia. Collin Klein has the Wildcats rolling. If I were to predict a BCS Championship Game match-up right now, I’d have a tough decision between Kansas State and Oregon. For my money, K-State has the better credentials for a title game berth.

2. Florida Gators
Florida dismantled South Carolina. They made the Gamecocks look bad in almost every aspect of the game. In doing so, the Gators proved themselves a worthy second-place team.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide 
One of these weeks I’ll get to type something other than Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.

Football Future-see 2012: Week Eight

Record

Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Week 6…..2-3
Week 7…..5-1
Week 8…..4-1
Overall..…35-10

Review/Preview:
Back to five games this week, as last week’s six games were picked to fill an obligation from week one (Louisiana Tech vs Texas A&M). I went 5-1 last week…not bad. I just should’ve been smarter on the Red River Blowout. Georgia is back on the schedule this week. If you were wondering about which rankings I use (since the ranking in the picks don’t match the Right Wing Top Ten), just look at ESPN’s college football schedule. Whatever ranking they use, (Coaches Poll, AP, or BCS) is what I use. The last two weeks, the #5 team in the poll has gone down to defeat. Georgia was trounced by South Carolina, West Virginia was trounced by Texas Tech…and now #5 is Notre Dame, playing host to BYU. The pressure is on you, Brigham Young. Can you keep up the Curse of #5?

The Games:

6 LSU at 18 Texas A&M .....CORRECT

Texas A&M has adapted to SEC play far better than fellow newcomer Missouri. While Mizzou is 0-for-the-SEC, Texas A&M is 2-1 in conference play, losing only to Florida. Their upcoming run is tough, though, with LSU, at Auburn, at Mississippi State, and at Alabama comprising their next four games. Going 2-2 in that stretch is admirable. Anything more is impressive. 1-3 is more realistic. LSU is coming off a big win over South Carolina. The Tigers are looking to build up some momentum going into their November 3 match-up with top-ranked Alabama.
FINAL SCORE: LSU 24, Texas A&M 20

7 South Carolina at 2 Florida .....CORRECT

You want a game of the week? I got your game of the week. Connor Shaw leads the powerful Gamecocks into the Swamp to take on Jeff Driskel and the Gators. Both of these teams are in the toughest stretches of their respective seasons. Florida’s current run includes LSU, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Gamecocks had Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee. This might be a better game than last week’s LSU-SC tilt, and this one is very difficult to predict. I give the edge to Florida in the Swamp.
FINAL SCORE: Florida 31, South Carolina 28

11 Georgia at Kentucky .....CORRECT

The bye week came at the perfect time for Georgia. The Dawgs will have nearly two full weeks to stew on a 35-7 loss to Darth Visor and the Gamecocks. Kentucky, just last week, gave up 49 points to Arkansas…yes, that Arkansas. If the anemic Razorbacks can hang 49 on Kentucky, what can Georgia do to them? I would not want to be a Wildcat this Saturday.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 56, Kentucky 10

4 Kansas State at 13 West Virginia .....CORRECT

How ‘bout this? Two Big XII games on the slate. This is the bigger of the two match-ups. If not for South Carolina and Florida playing this week, Morgantown would’ve been a good destination for ESPN’s Gameday crew. For weeks the Mountaineer offense was putting up huge numbers. Geno Smith looked to have already secured the Heisman. Then they ran into a Red Raider buzz saw last week that held the WVU offense to 14 points and a mere 408 yards (the Mountaineers season average is somewhere around 540). The problem for West Virginia is that Kansas State is better than Texas Tech. If this game were at Manhattan instead of Morgantown the points would be worse.
FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 45, West Virginia 34

17 Texas Tech at 23 TCU .....INCORRECT

The other Big XII clash on our slate is a match-up of Texas Tech and TCU. Texas Tech is coming off a dismantling of then-#5 West Virginia. TCU is coming off a 28-point win over Baylor. I’m not really familiar with either team here, so I’m curious to see how close I can get on this pick. Going by the rankings, I guess that makes this an upset pick.
FINAL SCORE: TCU 27, Texas Tech 24

The Right Wing Top Ten (25)

In the initial release of the Right Wing Top Ten(25), I left USC off the rankings completely. Why? I was still thinking about them being banned from postseason play. They aren’t, anymore. So we’ll get them on this list. Sorry, Men of Troy. I’ll give you the whole Top 25, free of charge…

25. Texas A&M Aggies
24. Texas Tech Red Raiders
23. Boise State Broncos
22. Northwestern Wildcats
21. Iowa State Cyclones
20. Cincinnati Bearcats
19. Texas Christian Horned Frogs
18. Ohio Bobcats
17. Louisville Cardinals
16. Clemson Tigers
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
14. Florida State Seminoles
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs
12. Oklahoma Sooners
11. USC Trojans

10. Georgia Bulldogs (BCS #10: USC)
Georgia had a week to get over the humiliating loss at Columbia. I would not want to be a Kentucky Wildcat this Saturday.

9. Oklahoma Sooners (BCS #9: LSU)
Oklahoma not only won the Red River Rivalry game, they made Texas look bad…very bad.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks (BCS #8: Oregon State)
The Gamecocks lost a heartbreaker to LSU in Death Valley, so it’s nothing to be ashamed of. A one-loss SEC champion will most likely still play for the national championship.

7. Louisiana State Tigers (BCS #7: South Carolina)
LSU and South Carolina are, after Saturdays clash, basically on equal footing as far as I’m concerned. I really feel like, top to bottom, the SEC East is better this year than the West.

6. Oregon State Beavers (BCS #6: LSU)
Who, at the start of the season, would’ve pegged Oregon State to be a top ten team? Trouble is, it might not last. The Beavers QB is hurting, and without a QB in the PAC-12, your days are numbered.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (BCS #5: Notre Dame)
Notre Dame should’ve at least played an overtime against Stanford. The non-touchdown call on 4th-and-Goal really aided the Irish. Still, undefeated with their schedule is impressive.

4. Kansas State Wildcats (BCS #4: Kansas State)
Kansas State is 5-0 in one of the better national conferences, and is still flying under the radar. I don’t even have to change that description.

3. Florida Gators (BCS #3: Oregon)
The BCS says Florida is the #2 team in the country. As much as I love the SEC, I still think you should have only one team per conference in the national championship game. But Florida is a good team, and may prove to me that they deserve the #2 spot.

2. Oregon Ducks (BCS #2: Florida)
Possibly the fastest offense in the nation gives Oregon a stranglehold on second place.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (BCS #1: Alabama)
As I said last week, Alabama is simply the best team in the nation.