Record
|
||
Week 1
|
8-2
|
|
Week 2
|
5-0
|
|
Week 3
|
2-3
|
|
Week 4
|
4-1
|
|
Week 5
|
2-3
|
|
Week 6
|
2-8
|
|
Week 7
|
4-1
|
|
Week 8
|
3-2
|
|
Week 9
|
2-3
|
|
Week 10
|
2-3
|
|
Week 11
|
4-6
|
|
Week 12
|
3-2
|
|
Week 13
|
3-2
|
|
Week 14
|
5-5
|
|
Total
|
49-41
|
0.544
|
The season is rumbling toward the end, and so far it looks like
Alabama, Florida State, and Oregon are locks for the playoff. Right now,
Mississippi State is also considered part of the top four by the playoff
committee, meaning we would have FSU vs Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Alabama vs
Mississippi State in the Sugar Bowl. But the chaos situation is still in play.
It’s entirely possible that anyone in the group of four listed above, plus
Georgia, UCLA, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Arizona, or Arizona State could make the
playoff. Granted, some teams, like Georgia, need help from other teams. But as
we saw in 2012, chaos can still ensue.
The Games:
LSU at Texas A&M (Thursday,
7:30pm, ESPN)
Talk about a match-up of underwhelming proportions. Both LSU and TAMU
have fallen off the map after hot starts. Neither team is playing for a major
bowl game berth, so this is a lot of pride on the line. It’s difficult to go
into College Station and leave with a W, so watch how the Aggie defense
prepares for LSU. Arkansas proved that the Tigers can be shut down completely,
so the Aggies may try to duplicate their success. I’m not really given to
either of these teams, but I think home field counts for enough to get the
Aggies over the hump. TAMU wins a close game.
Final Score: TAMU 24, LSU 21
INCORRECT: LSU won 23-17
INCORRECT: LSU won 23-17
5 TCU at Texas (Thursday,
7:30pm, Fox Sports1)
Alright, TCU, this has trap game written all over it. A Thanksgiving
night game in Austin. Another chance to state your case for the selection
committee. And a Texas team hungry for a win over someone highly ranked. If TCU
isn’t careful they could find themselves on the losing side of a playoff
rattling upset. But I don’t think that happens. The Horned Frogs are simply too
deep and too well coached to allow the Longhorns to get the jump on them. TCU
wins going away.
Final Score: TCU 40, Texas 20
CORRECT: TCU won 48-10
CORRECT: TCU won 48-10
13 Arizona State at 11 Arizona (Friday,
3:30pm, Fox)
Arizona State, I have thought all year, was better than Arizona. And I think they prove it Friday. The Wildcats basically shot up the rankings off the back of beating Oregon. Arizona State should win this game, but it's possible Arizona keeps it closer than most people think. Sun Devils win.
Final Score: Arizona State 31,
Arizona 24
INCORRECT: Arizona won 42-35
INCORRECT: Arizona won 42-35
16 Georgia Tech at 9 Georgia (Saturday,
Noon, SEC Network)
Some people are sending a lot of love Georgia Tech’s way in this game,
but I don’t see it. Tech has to travel to Athens, where Georgia still has Nick
Chubb, who is well-rested and ready. Georgia has Hutson Mason, who, while he
may lack the yardage of other QBs, is the most accurate quarterback in the SEC.
Georgia has a defense that grows more fierce by the game, especially in the
front seven. The Jackets will run the ball, of that there is no doubt. But
Georgia has enough defensive speed to contain their attack and win this game
for the 13th time in 14 tries. There will be no scoreboard watching in Athens,
as Missouri takes on Arkansas on Friday. By kickoff of this game, Georgia will
know if they have a date in Atlanta next weekend. Dawgs roll.
Final Score: Georgia 45, Georgia
Tech 27
INCORRECT: Georgia Tech won 30-24 in OT
INCORRECT: Georgia Tech won 30-24 in OT
South Carolina at 21 Clemson (Saturday,
Noon, ESPN)
Thanks to injury and deflated expectations, several games on the slate
have lost their luster. This is one of them. South Carolina was supposed to be
a playoff contender, but injuries and a weaker-than-expected defense sent the
Gamecocks into a tailspin. Clemson really took off when freshman QB Deshaun
Watson took over. Then Watson got hurt and Clemson has crumpled. Other than
wounded pride, this game does not mean much in the grand scheme of college
football in 2014. This is probably a coin-toss game, but I don’t usually go
against the SEC, if I can help it. Gamecocks win.
Final Score: South Carolina 28,
Clemson 21
INCORRECT: Clemson won 35-17
INCORRECT: Clemson won 35-17
4 Mississippi State at 19 Ole
Miss (Saturday, 3:30pm, CBS)
The Egg Bowl held a lot more meaning just a month ago, but the sudden downfall of Ole Miss and the continual way Mississippi State hovers in the top four has taken away the shine from this match up. Bulldogs QB Dak Prescott seems to have fallen from the Heisman race. For Ole Miss, the once vaunted Landshark defense has given way to a weaker defense that just gave up 30 to Arkansas. That said, this is a rivalry game, and weird things happen. I'm calling for the upset here, as Ole Miss makes a late field goal to win by 3.
Final Score: Ole Miss 24,
Mississippi State 21
CORRECT: Ole Miss won 31-17
CORRECT: Ole Miss won 31-17
Notre Dame at USC (Saturday, 3:30pm,
Fox)
A game that typically has national implications doesn't mean a whole lot this year. At worst, this game will hurt the case Florida State is making to reach the playoffs, as the Noles barely escape Notre Dame in Tallahassee. Notre Dame has lost some games it should have won (FSU, Northwestern) and has fallen a long way from that 2012 National Championship Game appearance. I think Notre Dame wins here, but I think it's a close game and the Irish need a late TD to go ahead. Irish win.
Final Score: Notre Dame 27, USC
21
INCORRECT: USC won 49-14
INCORRECT: USC won 49-14
Florida at 3 Florida State (Saturday,
3:30pm, ESPN)
This is the last time we will see Will Muschamp as the head coach of
Florida. He resigned a few weeks back, effective the end of the FSU game. For a
coach who has been on the hot seat since the start of last season, Muschamp has
the chance to throw the entirety of college football into chaos. Defeat Florida
State, which is totally doable, and watch the playoff rankings collapse in on
themselves. But it is Florida, and even though they beat a flat Georgia team,
they’re still lacking something. Jameis Winston, so long as he doesn’t get into
further trouble with the law, is apparently free to do whatever he wants at
FSU, and he can somehow engineer victories from the jaws of defeat. FSU sneaks
by a fired up Florida.
Final Score: Florida State 21,
Florida 17
CORRECT: FSU won 24-19
CORRECT: FSU won 24-19
10 Michigan State at Penn State
(Saturday, 3:30pm, ABC)
I wanted to put a Big Ten game on the slate, as they’ve been a tad
under-represented here on the picks, and normally Michigan-Ohio State would
fill that slot, but Michigan is so far down I don’t see them contending too
closely with the Buckeyes. So instead, here’s Michigan State, once the hope of
the Big Ten, traveling to Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions. Michigan
State is obviously the better team in this game, but Penn State is slowly
coming around under former Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin. Sparty rolls.
Final Score: Michigan State 35,
Penn State 17
CORRECT: Michigan State won 34-10
CORRECT: Michigan State won 34-10
15 Auburn at 1 Alabama (Saturday,
7:45pm, ESPN)
If Alabama was smart, and we know Nick Saban is smart, then he had his
team studying the game tape of what Georgia did to humiliate Auburn. Alabama is
basically as deep at running back as Georgia, deeper at WR than Georgia, and
better on defense, so this should be a blowout. But Auburn will definitely be
looking for a rebound game. Nick Marshall won’t let the Tigers stay down for
long. Still, I don’t think it’s enough. I see ‘Bama rolling in the second half
and claiming a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
Final Score: Alabama 34, Auburn
21
CORRECT: Alabama won 55-44
CORRECT: Alabama won 55-44
The Right Wing Top Ten
The Associated Press Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll both feature a
Preseason version. I even posted a “Preseason Top Ten,” or something to that
effect, a while back. I never intended to use that poll as a basis for the
Right Wing Top Ten, though.
15. Oklahoma Sooners (last
week: NR)
14. Arizona State Sun Devils (last
week: 15)
13. Arizona Wildcats (last
week: 14)
12. Wisconsin Badgers (last
week: 13)
11. Kansas State Wildcats (last
week: 11)
10. Marshall Thundering Herd (last
week: 10)
Why: This is probably all
the love Marshall is going to get. Their schedule simply is too weak.
9. UCLA Bruins (last week: 12)
Why: UCLA smacked USC in the
face and then didn’t stop...
8. Georgia Bulldogs (last
week: 8)
Why: Georgia beat down their
tune-up opponent ahead of a rivalry game with Georgia Tech
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (last
week: 7)
Why: So long as Ohio State
keeps winning they’ll hold position. Indiana gave them a momentary scare,
though.
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs (last
week: 6)
Why: Beating Vanderbilt is
nothing special this year, so Mississippi State holds its place without
movement.
5. TCU Horned Frogs (last
week: 5)
Why: TCU remains on the
outside looking in of my top four...
4. Baylor Bears (last week: 4)
Why: I know most polls have
TCU ahead of Baylor. I happen to place some emphasis on the head-to-head win
Baylor has over the Frogs..
3. Oregon Ducks (last week: 3)
Why: Oregon is a
playoff-bound team, assuming they survive the Civil War and the PAC-12 title
game.
2. Florida State Seminoles (last
week: 2)
Why: The only reason I have
FSU ahead of Oregon is that pesky 0 in the loss column.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (last
week: 1)
Why: Alabama did what they
needed to do in their tune-up for the Iron Bowl. Now Auburn is all that stands
between the Tide and a berth in Atlanta.
Bowl Projections
It’s the time of year again. Time to unveil some bowl projections. These
projections have nothing to do with my previously listed Top Ten.
Sugar Bowl (playoff semifinal):
Florida State vs Oregon
Rose Bowl (playoff semifinal):
Alabama vs TCU
Cotton Bowl (group of five):
Mississippi State vs Baylor
Orange Bowl (group of five):
Clemson vs Michigan State
Peach Bowl (group of five): Georgia
vs Marshall
Fiesta Bowl (group of five):
Ohio State vs Arizona State
Citrus Bowl (ACC/B1G vs SEC):
Georgia Tech vs Missouri
Outback Bowl (B1G vs SEC): Nebraska
vs Ole Miss
