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.