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.