Category: College Football (Page 25 of 296)

      Fade Material: College Football Championship Week Predictions

      December 3, 2011 /
      Louisiana State University head coach Les Miles looks on ahead of his team’s NCAA football game against Western Kentucky in Baton Rouge, Louisiana November 12, 2011. REUTERS/Sean Gardner (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      By God, I had a winning week last Saturday.

      After what seemed like a good 62 months of solid .500 efforts, I won three of four last Saturday as Oregon, Wisconsin and South Carolina all covered. (Georgia Tech was my main loss as they struggled to keep up with Georgia.) That puts my season record at 29-21-2 against the spread this year and with this being the final week, it looks like I’ll finish above .500 on the season. FANTASTIC.

      Georgia @ LSU, 4:00PM ET
      Like most morons with an opinion, I think the Tigers will handle the Bulldogs rather easily in the SEC title game today. Aaron Murray has had a fantastic season for Georgia but LSU’s defense makes quarterbacks of all talent levels look silly. And while the Dawgs’ defense has been solid, I think the Tigers will eventually wear down Georgia in the second half. Usually LSU is a bad bet as a double-digit favorite but the Tigers are on a mission this year. They’ve easily been the best team in the nation.
      THE PICK: LSU TIGERS -13

      Virginia Tech @ Clemson, 8:00PM ET
      For weeks I waited for Clemson to have one of its Clemson-like games and choke on applesauce. But following their back-to-back wins against Maryland and North Carolina in mid-October I said you know what? The Tigers are for real. Stop waiting for them to crash and burn because it’s not going to happen. The very next week they crapped themselves in a lousy 31-17 effort versus Georgia Tech as I ate massive amounts of dirty, dirty crow. The Tigers haven’t been the same since that loss to the Yellow Jackets and the Hokies haven’t been the same since they lost to Clemson 23-3 earlier in the year. VA Tech hasn’t lost since that October 1 game against the Tigers and I don’t expect Frank Beamer’s squad to lose tonight either.
      THE PICK: VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES -6.5

      No. 10 Oklahoma @ No. 3 Oklahoma State, 8:00PM ET
      I really, really like Oklahoma State. I think the Cowboys are extremely fun to watch and Brandon Weeden gives me hope that at 29, I can still quarterback a BCS team to a major bowl as soon as I get around to it. Do you feel a “but” coming on? Because it is. BUT, the Cowboys haven’t beaten the Sooners in nine years. For whatever reason, OK State has a complex when it comes to Oklahoma and I like getting the hook. It makes me feel secure, like health insurance. (Although my health insurance company loves to bend me over so hopefully the Sooners won’t do the same.)
      THE PICK: OKLAHOMA SOONERS +3.5

      Michigan State @ Wisconsin, 8:17PM ET
      Talk about a lack of respect for the Spartans: Wisconsin is a 9.5-point favorite in this game? Michigan State might not have the same talent offensively but the Spartan defense should keep this game close throughout. I was one of the people who said the Badgers would roll against the Spartans back in October but MSU showed something that night. Whether you thought the Spartans’ Hail Mary should have counted or not, Sparty proved that it could hang with the Badgers. Granted, that game was in East Lansing but MSU has a habit of playing well when nobody expects them to win.
      THE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS +9.5

      Check out College Football Point Spreads at Bullz-Eye.com.

      College Football, External Sports

      Report: Mike Leach hired by Washington State

      November 30, 2011 /

      Bruce Feldman and others are reporting on Twitter that Mike Leach will be named as the new head football coach at Washington State.

      Leach has been sitting tight waiting for the right opportunity after he left Texas Tech in a controversial breakup at the end of the 2009 season. He’s been hanging out in Key West and doing some announcing. Leach is widely considered to be one of the best offensive minds in college football and he turned the Texas Tech program into consistent winners. His overall record at Texas Tech was 84–43.

      Meanwhile, Washington State has become an embarrassment in the PAC-12 under Paul Wulff, going 9-41 over the past 4 years. To put it in perspective, Wulff is coming off his best season with the Cougars at 4-8. Washington State isn’t considered to be on of the marquee programs of the PAC-12, but the school has had some excellent teams over the years and has produced some good quarterbacks like Drew Beldsoe and high draft picks like Ryan Leaf.

      Leach has helped to develop some excellent college quarterbacks. He coached Tim Couch at Kentucky and Couch became the #1 pick in the NFL draft. At Oklahoma he coached Josh Heupel and he coached Graham Harrell at Texas Tech. Michael Crabtree was considered the best receiver in college football under Leach’s supervision.

      It looks like a great fit for both parties involved. Leach will bring a high-powered offense and some attitude to a program that has hit rock bottom. The PAC-12 is competitive, but Leach comes from the equally competitive Big-12 where he battled the likes of Oklahoma. Leach probably won’t elevate Washington State above USC and Oregon, but he’ll likely make them competitive. He should also do well with recruiting given his history of coaching scoring machines.

      Leach also brings some baggage as well, so he’s a high risk/high reward candidate. The Adam James incident was ugly for Leach and for Texas Tech. For that reason, he didn’t get serious consideration from the biggest programs. For example, I couldn’t see Leach being considered for the open UCLA job. But Washington State is perfect. Given their recent history, what do they have to lose? At the same time, it’s a big enough program where Leach could do some serious damage and build a dangerous football team.

      College Football, External Sports, News

      Urban Meyer and Ohio State

      November 28, 2011 /
      Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller (5) is tackled by Wisconsin lineman Kevin Claxton (9) during the second quarter of their NCAA football game in Columbus, Ohio, October 29, 2011. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Ohio State has scheduled a press conference for 5:15 to announce Urban Meyer as the new head coach of the Buckeyes. This is naturally a coup for Ohio State, even though the hire comes with some risk. We’ve seen that Urban Meyer can be a little flaky, and all indications are that he’ll be trying to achieve a work/life balance with this new job that he never achieved in Florida. Can he be as successful without be obsessive with his devotion and time? We’ll see. Will he stick it out if things get tough? Who knows.

      That said, it’s a great fit as Meyer is from Ohio and this is his dream job.

      Todd McShay has an excellent analysis of Meyer’s approach to coaching and his offense and how that fits with the current Buckeye roster. You need a membership on ESPN to read the whole thing but it’s definitely worth it. McShay is an excellent analyst and I always learn something reading his stuff. Bottom line – Meyer will probably work right away to recruit more versatile and speedy playmakers to fit into an already talented roster. But, it looks like he has his quarterback:

      So what does all that mean for the Buckeyes’ talented true freshman QB, Braxton Miller? It means it’s time to go to work.

      I think Miller is loaded with talent and he has the ideal physical skill set to excel in Meyer’s system. He has a big, sturdy frame and still has room to add muscle. Miller has very good arm strength (check out his 54-yard TD strike against Michigan) and he’s a more sudden athlete than former Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor.

      From what I’m told, Miller also has a strong work ethic, leadership potential and toughness (both mental and physical). If that proves to be the case, winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy are attainable goals for Miller. But he needs to be willing to pay the toll — and it won’t be cheap.

      Miller showed a lot this season, and he also showed where he needs to put in serious work. He is a great runner. He’s very elusive with devastating cutting ability. Terrelle Pryor was a beast once he got going, but Miller is better in tight spaces. He can also throw the ball, but he missed three open throws against Michigan that would have changed the game. He has to work on his accuracy, and since he was a true freshman we can all expect him to improve in that area.

      The Buckeyes will be replacing their starting center and two starting tackles next year, so there will likely be some growing pains. But the overall roster is stacked with talent. If Meyer can bring in a couple of playmakers, the Buckeyes will be dangerous right away.

      College Football, External Sports

      After final full week of season, Heisman race still wide open

      November 26, 2011 /
      Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (C) celebrates a touchdown with teammates Stephan Taylor (33) and Ryan Hewitt (R) against Oregon State during the second half of their NCAA football game in Corvallis, Oregon, November 5, 2011. REUTERS/Steve Dipaola (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      By this time in most college football seasons, we know who is winning the Heisman Trophy. Not this year, however, as there are several contenders that are still very much in the race.

      After today’s games, nobody separated themselves from the field, and nobody fell out. It’s been that kind of year.

      Here’s a look at how I would vote if the Heisman Trust ever decided to give a vote to a guy who writes two posts a week on a blog:

      1. Andrew Luck, Stanford: What’s that you say, this is a cop out? I say nonsense. Luck has had a great year statistically leading a Stanford team that doesn’t have a single wide receiver who will play a significant role in the NFL. He’s doing this with tight ends, people, which makes it more impressive. Yes, the offensive line is great, and yes, he had a bad day against Oregon. Although I’d argue his bad day against Oregon had a lot more to do with not having receivers. And it wasn’t really all that bad. He had a big-time performance against Notre Dame today, but it wasn’t enough to really distance himself.

      2. Trent Richardson, Alabama: He’s the best player in college football, but his performance against LSU might hurt him. Nobody does anything against LSU, but for a lot of voters and viewers, that was one of their few times seeing him play. He went off in the Iron Bowl today, but that’s a bad Auburn defense, and there was very little hype around that game, despite the fact Gameday was there.

      3. Matt Barkley, USC: I fear voters will ignore Barkley because of USC’s probation, but he’s been ridiculous this year. As I write this, Barkley is destroying UCLA. Sure, that’s not that awesome, considering it’s UCLA, but he’s done it to most defense. Barkley and the Trojans got off to a slow start, which is probably what’s hurting him more than anything, because anyone that has followed the Heisman knows it’s all about getting your name in early and maintaining.

      4. Robert Griffin III, Baylor: He might have lost his chance at this award tonight. Not because of the injury, because that’s well out of his hands. But his backup, Nick Florence came in and went nuts, and I have a feeling people are looking for any reason to not give this award to a player from Baylor. Don’t get me wrong, without Griffin, Baylor certainly isn’t in the Top 25, but he struggled against a suspect Oklahoma State defense, and that’s the game that will be weighed with his performance against Oklahoma. OK, who am I kidding, the Oklahoma game wins out.

      5. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU: He won’t win it because of the suspension, but if Richardson is the nation’s best player, he’s the second, and it’s pretty close. Mathieu proved again Friday with a punt return touchdown against Arkansas that he impacts the game more than any defensive player in the country. Plus, he has the nation’s best nickname: Honey Badger.

      College Football, External Sports

      Michigan gets the monkey off its back, beats Ohio State

      November 26, 2011 /
      Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson (C) celebrates with teammates after his diving touchdown into the end zone against Ohio State during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Michigan November 26, 2011. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook (UNITED STATES) – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      The streak is over. It had been 2,926 days since Michigan had last beat Ohio State, but today, the Wolverines ended that, picking up a 40-34 win against the Buckeyes in a thrilling game at the Big House.

      Courtney Avery picked off a Braxton Miller pass in the final minute of the game to seal the win for Michigan, which is now 10-2 with a legitimate chance to be selected to a BCS bowl. In fact, at this point, I’d be surprised if the Wolverines were passed up by the Sugar Bowl, which is very likely going to have two at-large choices thanks to the SEC likely putting two teams in the national title game.

      It was an improved defense that had Michigan in that position heading into today, but it was Denard Robinson that finished the job. The junior quarterback had the best game of his career in what was really a must-win situation for the Wolverines (more on that in a second). He was 14-of-17 for 166 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 170 yards and two scores. He’s had statistically better games, but this is the one that Denard will be remembered for in Michigan.

      As to the must-win declaration: With Ohio State in the state it was in this season, and with Urban Meyer coming on board, if Michigan didn’t win this year, it might have been a while before the Wolverines found a way to win against the Buckeyes. Brady Hoke has done a great job in Year 1, but he’s led a bit of a charmed existence thanks to a very weak Big Ten, an 8-game home schedule, and his chief rival — both on the field and in recruiting — being hampered by a rough season on and off the field. He’s taken advantage and deserves credit for doing so — he should make no apologies for dragging a fading program back to 10-2 — but had he lost this game, a lot of the goodwill he has built up might have been gone.

      It nearly was, had it not been for the erratic arm of Braxton Miller. The Ohio State freshman looked brilliant in spots, especially running the football, but he missed a lot of open receivers and cost the Buckeyes at least two sure touchdowns with overthrows. The second came on the final drive, as DeVier Posey had double-moved J.T. Floyd into oblivion and was running free down the sidelines.

      The thought of Miller with some more seasoning and in Urban Meyer’s offense should scare not only Michigan fans and the rest of the Big Ten, but the rest of the country. Those two will win a lot of games together.

      But not today. No, today belonged to Michigan, which isn’t thinking about all of that other stuff while celebrating the only thing that matters in Ann Arbor, beating Ohio State.

      College Football, External Sports, News

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