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