Showing posts with label Oklahoma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oklahoma. Show all posts

Friday, October 13, 2017

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 7

Happy Friday the 13th! Be careful out there, they're predicting an upsetting weekend with no ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Will the big boys fall, or will the gap between the top and bottom widen a bit more?

2017 Record
Overall: 77-23 (.783 win %)
Last Week: 12-5
Game of the Week Pick: 3-3
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

AP Top 10
Arkansas at 1 Alabama
Saturday, 7:15 pm ET, ESPN
Alabama -31.5
The Crimson Tide looked mortal last weekend. Texas A&M hung around long enough to make the Bama faithful almost nervous. That spells doom for Arkansas. Tide 55-6

2 Clemson at Syracuse
Friday, 7 pm ET, ESPN
Clemson -23
Clemson travels to Central New York for an all orange battle. Last season, the Tigers hung 56 on the board on a Friday night in Boston. Not sure this squad will get that high, but I'm anticipating a blowout. Tigers 45-14 

3 Penn State - BYE

Missouri at 4 Georgia
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, SEC
Georgia -29.5
Georgia's Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are good enough that any quarterback could run the Bulldogs' offense. So far, Jake Fromm is playing well and he won't be tested by Mizzou. Dawgs 49-17

5 Washington at Arizona State
Saturday, 10:45 pm ET, ESPN
Washington -17.5
This one gets started late, much to the disdain of Chris Petersen. Washington shouldn't have any trouble, but the Sun Devils can score in a hurry. Other Dawgs 38-20

6 TCU at Kansas State
Saturday, Noon ET, FS1
TCU -6
With Jesse Ertz out, it feels like the Kansas State train is headed down the wrong tracks. TCU is looking to keep ahead of the rest of the Big 12 pack. Don't see this one being as close as the line predicts. Frogs 41-21

7 Wisconsin vs. Purdue
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, Big Ten
Wisconsin -17
Raise your hand if you can name Wisconsin's starting quarterback and running back. No one? Well, start paying attention to the Badgers. With an easy schedule the rest of the way, it's possible Wisconsin will reach the Big Ten title game undefeated. Badgers 38-14

8 Washington State at Cal
Friday, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
Washington State -15
Luke Falk and the Cougars were impressive in the second half at Oregon. The more folks doubt Mike Leach, the better Wazzu seems to play. A late Friday night in NoCal might be hazardous to some, but not this team. Washington State's defense is surprisingly good. Cougars 42-24

9 Ohio State at Nebraska
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, FS1
Ohio State -24.5
Oh look, Ohio State is scoring points against the bottom of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are back in the Top 10 by default. As long as JT Barrett and company don't have to face teams with a pulse, take OSU big. Buckeyes 45-17

10 Auburn at LSU
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Auburn -7
The Tigers versus the Tigers. Since not scoring a TD at Clemson and struggling with Mercer, the Auburn offense has found its rhythm. The Bayou Bengals are hard to figure out. Get blown out by Mississippi State (who since has been labeled a fraud), squeak by Syracuse (who lost to Middle Tennessee State), lose at home to Troy (who lost Wednesday to South Alabama), then beat Florida in the Swamp. War Eagle 31-10

Must Watch
Georgia Tech at 11 Miami
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ABC
Miami -5.5
Miami was dealt a big blow with starting running back Mark Walton's injury putting him out the rest of the year. The Canes finally picked up an emotional win at Florida State and now must prove they can prevent a letdown. Georgia Tech is right in the thick of the ACC Coastal race. The winner here has the inside track to the division title. Canes 35-30

GAME OF THE WEEK
It's known as "The Split" 'round these parts.
Burnt orange and Crimson split the Cotton Bowl at the 50-yard line.
12 Oklahoma vs. Texas (Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas)
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Oklahoma -8
With the Texas State Fair as its familiar backdrop, the Red River Showdown is second to none. Oklahomans hate Texas and the hate is reciprocated south of the Red River. A new era begins as Texas' Tom Herman and OU's Lincoln Riley etch their names in the books of this historic rivalry. Herman has been known to have his teams play up to their opponents and freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger has taken the reins under center. The Horns are 2-0 in conference play with back-to-back weeks against OU and Oklahoma State. A win over their crimson-colored rivals would signal the official "TEXAS BACK, Y'ALL!" However, Baker Mayfield and the Sooners are licking their wounds from a humbling loss to Iowa State. So far, OU has allowed 79 points in two Big 12 games, a far cry from the defensive effort put up in Columbus against the Buckeyes. Oklahoma is out to prove the ISU loss was a fluke. Make sure you're tuned in for this one. Sooners 41-37

 Utah at 13 USC
Saturday, 8 pm ET, ABC
USC -13
Utah suffered a heart-breaking loss last week at home to Stanford, which put a damper on this game. Now, both teams have a loss to a North Division foe. Still, this Pac-12 South battle will give the winner a leg up in the division. Sam Darnold needs a big game to restore his credibility. Utah just needs to bounce back after giving up 152 yards to Heisman candidate Bryce Love. In the Coliseum, the Trojans have the slight edge. Trojans 31-23

Keep An Eye On
24 Texas Tech at West Virginia
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPNU
West Virginia -3.5
Texas Tech has improved ever-so-slightly defensively, but the Red Raiders are not close to respectable on that side of the ball. West Virginia came close to taking down TCU last week. The Mountaineers love early home games against their Big 12 brethren, all of whom reside in Central Time. Mountaineers 45-37

Oregon at 23 Stanford
Saturday, 11 pm ET, FS1
Stanford -10.5
The good ole days of Stanford and Oregon being must-see Pac-12 action are gone. The Cardinal seem to be holding up their end of the bargain at 3-1 in the conference. The Ducks are 1-2 with this one and road games at UCLA and Washington still to come. Stanford's Love will be the difference maker and continues his march to the Heisman. Cardinal 30-20

 -BtW
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, October 8, 2017

The Morning After - Sluggish Saturday

A few ranked teams fell while others didn't look their sharpest. Yes, the calendar flipped to October and the race to the CFB Playoff is finally heating up. Conference matchups give us a much better indicator of who the real contenders and pretenders are. Let's take a deep dive into this weekend's action!

1st Quarter
Deon Cain torched WF early for a 28-yard score.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
After getting off to a very impressive start with two touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game, Clemson's offense sputtered to the finish line. It's happened in the past where it seems the first series or two of "scripted plays," as they say, work to perfection. Then, it's as if offensive play-caller Tony Elliott scrambles to find plays that work. Usually, things begin to click and everything works out, as was the case Saturday against Wake Forest. It's still bothersome and something I hope doesn't come back to bite us later.

As for the rest of the game, the best defense in the nation did its thing again, shutting out Wake through three quarters before giving way to the backups who allowed the Demon Deacons to score. Kelly Bryant getting hurt didn't help matters offensively. Backup Zerrick Cooper looked slightly lost and ill-prepared to enter the game. Hunter Johnson showed he was ready on his first drive, going 4-for-4 with a couple passes to fellow freshman Tee Higgins and a TD toss to tight end Cannon Smith.

The win gives Clemson a 6-0 record for the third straight season. It was the 20th straight over an ACC Atlantic division foe. It was the 11th straight overall, now the nation's longest active winning streak. And it assures the Tigers a spot in the AP Top 5 for a school-record 31st consecutive poll.

Tiger fans, these are the glory days. Enjoy them while they last. And beat Syracuse.

2nd Quarter
Speaking of not being able to finish, for the second straight game, the Oklahoma Sooners raced out to a double-digit lead only to see it slip away. Against Baylor, OU saw the Bears score 24 straight to take a 34-31 lead before rallying and pulling out a 49-41 win. It was a different story at home against the Iowa State Cyclones. OU's 24-10 lead turned into a 31-24 ISU lead. OU managed to tie it, but the Cyclones scored the game-winner and prevented the Sooners from rallying again.

It was a shocking upset of the No. 3 team in the land, but The Athletic's Matt Fortuna revealed this was the seventh straight season Oklahoma has lost as a game as a double-digit favorite. In most years, the Sooners have recovered and gone on to play in New Year's Six Bowls, or at least prevent the season from flopping completely. This, however, is a new squad with a new coach.

I told several folks prior to the season that I'd be interested to see how OU responds to adversity under new leadership. Can Lincoln Riley right the ship quickly, as Bob Stoops did so many times? Sooner Nation better hope he does because it is officially Texas Week.

On a grander scale, the Big 12's Playoff hopes now fall to TCU, the remaining unbeaten in the conference. The Horned Frogs have already knocked off Oklahoma State and West Virginia, meaning OU is their last major hurdle. As proven Saturday, though, no one in the Big 12 can be overlooked.

3rd Quarter
Of course Miami-Florida State came down to the wire. This time it wasn't decided by the kicking units. Florida State drove the field and scored with 1:24 to go to take a 20-17 lead. It was the first time James Blackman has looked like a capable quarterback. The Noles apparently left too much time, as Miami went 75 yards in 1:18 and scored on a wild pitch and catch to the front corner of the end zone.

With :11 to go and the ball inside the 20, the Canes decided they had time for one shot at a touchdown. Malik Rosier placed a perfect ball over the shoulder of Darrell Langham, who barely got across the goalline before his knee touched. The play was reviewed for quite some time. Several angles showed maybe it was a TD and maybe not. In the end, the play stood as called and the Canes ended a seven-game losing streak to FSU.

The win further pushes Miami into discussion of being a team to beat in the ACC Coastal Division. Florida State, on the other hand, is now 1-3 with games against Louisville, Clemson and Florida still remaining. Because of their cancelled game due to Hurricane Irma, three more losses would put FSU's final record at 5-6. Unless the NCAA grants some kind of waiver - or they benefit from not having enough teams bowl eligible and their APR scores are high enough - the Noles would be ineligible for a bowl. Quite the fall for a team that began the season No. 3 in the AP Poll.

4th Quarter
Luke Falk is the best player only about a third of the country knows. The Washington State quarterback is lighting up the Pac-12 and running Mike Leach's offense to perfection. Falk had another impressive night in Autzen Stadium against Oregon. He threw of 282 yards and three scores to lead Wazzu to a 6-0 record for the first time since 2001.

But the big story might be the Cougs' defense. WSU has looked impressive on that side of the ball. Last week, it was USC and Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold who were shut down (327 total yards, 164 pass yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT). This week, the Ducks were held to 278 total yards and 10 points at home. Oregon was averaging over 49 points per game and nearly 540 yards per game going in.

The opponents keep lining up, the analysts keep doubting, and Wazzu keeps knocking 'em off. Slowly but surely we're finding out that we need to take Washington State seriously. With a couple Top 10 losses this week, the Cougs will move into the Top 10, giving the Pac-12 - and the state of Washington - two highly-ranked teams.

It's also conceivable that Wazzu will be 9-0 (upcoming games against Cal, Arizona, and Colorado, each hovering .500) when the Cougs host Stanford on Nov. 4. If they get past the Cardinal, two road games at Utah and the Apple Cup at Washington loom large. That Apple Cup is going to be juicy.

Overtime
As for Washington, the Huskies quite simply are the class of the Pac-12. Washington has yet to be really tested and may not be for several more weeks. Up next is a road game at Arizona State, then home dates with UCLA and Oregon before a Friday night trip to Stanford. ... The Big Ten took a couple blows this weekend. First was the OU loss to Iowa State. Wait, OU is in the Big 12. Yes, but remember the Sooner team you saw that couldn't handle Iowa State is the same one that manhandled Ohio State at the Horseshoe. Later in the night, Michigan fell victim to "little brother" Michigan State at home. The Wolverines were at least expected to compete in the East Division, but games at Penn State and at home against Ohio State are still to come. The offensive struggles finally caught up to UM and are glaring going forward. ... NC State picked up a huge win Thursday night against Louisville, essentially knocking Lamar Jackson out of the Heisman race before it ever heated up. The win also asserted the Wolfpack as the hands-down contender to knock off Clemson in the Atlantic Division. NCSU hosts the Tigers on Nov. 4 in what could turn into the de facto division title game. ... As aforementioned, TCU is now the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have a slightly easy road to travel until Nov. 11 when they visit Norman. TCU will likely be the favorite in all except the OU game, and even then they might be the favorite in that one.

Tiger Tweets





















































-BtW
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, October 5, 2017

PTT: Prediction Time Thursday - Week 6

Much better week by my standards, but disappointed that I picked against Clemson. That won't happen again. Getting the picks started early this week since there is intriguing action beginning tonight (Thursday). Here's where things stand heading into October.

2017 Record
Overall: 65-18 (.783 win %)
Last Week: 10-2
Game of the Week Pick: 2-3
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

AP Top 10
1 Alabama at Texas A&M
Saturday, 7:15 pm ET, ESPN
Alabama -26
Alabama stomped Vandy and Ole Miss by a combined 125-3. While Texas A&M presents a slightly tougher challenge, the Aggies are far from being worthy competition for the Crimson Tide. It seems like this Bama team is on a mission. Jalen Hurts is playing at an extremely high level and showing why he was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman. Tide 42-13

Wake Forest at 2 Clemson
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN2
Clemson -21.5
In three conference games plus the game with Auburn, Clemson has looked much more impressive on the road than at home. Here comes Wake Forest, limping after a close but no cigar loss to Florida State. The Deacons' confidence might be shook, but they won't roll over in Death Valley. Kelly Bryant needs to prove the Tigers passing game should be taken seriously. Tigers 35-10 

 Iowa State at 3 Oklahoma
Saturday, Noon ET, Fox
Oklahoma -30
Baker Mayfield has been as close to perfect as one can be this season. He's yet to turn the ball over and is averaging just over four TD passes a game. Nothing changes here. Sooners 52-20

4 Penn State at Northwestern
Saturday, Noon ET, ABC
Penn State -13.5
Saquon Barkley is doing it all for the Nittany Lions. He'll get another chance to showcase his skills against a scrappy Northwestern squad. The Wildcats always play Penn State tough in Evanston. This PSU team is a little different. Lions 40-10

5 Georgia at Vanderbilt
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN
Georgia -17.5
The Dawgs are en fuego right now, having taken down Mississippi State and Tennessee by a combined 72-3. Alabama proved Vandy was a fraud, as all should've expected. Now Georgia gets to have its way with the Dores. Dawgs 35-6

Cal at 6 Washington
Saturday, 10:45 pm ET, ESPN
Washington -27.5
Cal is playing teams close, but sits 0-2 in Pac-12 play. Washington had a slow start at Oregon State, but pulled away big in the second half. Jake Browning can sling it and his main target Dante Pettis is fun to watch. At night in Husky Stadium, this shouldn't be close. Other Dawgs 48-14

Michigan State at 7 Michigan
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, ABC
Michigan -10.5
The last time these two got together in the Big House, all heck broke loose. Sparty pulled off the improbable victory on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown as timed expired. John O'Korn was second string to begin the season for a reason, but the Wolverines are simply better than their in-state rival. Wolverines 34-21

GAME OF THE WEEK
Kenny Hill has TCU in the Top 10 as we enter October,
a spot not many predicted the Horned Frogs would be.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)
23 West Virginia at 8 TCU
Saturday, 3:30 ET, FS1
TCU -13.5
This is a surprise for Game of the Week. Following WVU's loss to Virginia Tech, the Mountaineers have put up 56, 59, and 56 points to get the offense rolling (albeit against East Carolina, Delaware State, and Kansas). Last we saw TCU, the Horned Frogs walked out of T. Boone Pickens Stadium with a 13-point win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State. The Frogs behind Kenny Hill are looking like the Big 12 offense many thought they'd be. Defensively, Gary Patterson's team is living up to the expectation as well. That will be the difference Saturday. Frogs 41-27

9 Wisconsin at Nebraska
Saturday, 8 pm ET, Big Ten
Wisconsin -10.5
The Badgers keep chugging along while all the eyes are focused on the Big Ten East at the moment. Wisconsin hasn't received near enough praise, but they're probably OK with that. Nebraska needs a win bigtime. It'll be a great atmosphere to start, but once Big Red Nation realizes they can't compete with the big boys of the Big Ten, things will turn sour in Lincoln. Badgers 34-17

Maryland at 10 Ohio State
Saturday, 4 pm ET, Fox
Ohio State -31
Can anyone figure out Maryland? The Terps go on the road and put 51 points on Texas, then they lose at home 38-10 to UCF (who is a very good team, by the way). But it didn't stop there. Maryland knocked off an unbeaten Minnesota team on the road. Meanwhile, JT Barrett is looking better against weak competition, which is how Urban Meyer gets the respect back to his club. This may be close for a while, but Maryland can't hang that long with the Buckeyes. Bucks 45-17

Must Watch
17 Louisville at 24 NC State
Thursday, 8 pm ET, ESPN
Louisville -3
The atmosphere at Carter-Finley Stadium should be electric with the Wolfpack looking to assert themselves as the No. 2 team in the ACC Atlantic behind Clemson. Lamar Jackson still runs the show at Louisville, which means the Cards will put up some points. But NC State's defense can disrupt that just enough to get a big win. Pack 27-24

 13 Miami at Florida State
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Miami -3
Hurricane Irma forced this game to be moved here from what was supposed to be a Week 3 matchup. Now, the Noles look vulnerable and the Canes look like a Coastal Division contender. Whenever these two get together, it's fun to watch. There will be trash talk. There may be a scrum or two. And for some reason, this game loves to come down to the field goal units. Canes 24-23

11 Washington State at Oregon
Saturday, 8 pm ET, Fox
Washington State - 2.5
Luke Falk led Washington State to a huge win over USC last week at home. Now, the Cougars go on the road to a difficult place to play, Autzen Stadium. Mike Leach might think there are louder environments, but he didn't help his team out by calling out the Ducks faithful. I'm really excited for this one and hope it lives up to its billing. Cougs 44-35

 Stanford at 20 Utah
Saturday, 10:15 pm ET, FS1
Stanford -4.5
Bryce Love might be these best running back in the country west of Saquon Barkley. Love already has over 1,000 yards and has given Cardinal fans a good reason to forget about life without Christian McCaffrey. Rice-Eccles Stadium is no easy place to play, so I'm surprised to see the line this much in Stanford's favor. In fact, I'm buying undefeated Utah right now over two-loss Stanford. Utes 30-24

Keep An Eye On
Boise State at BYU
Friday, 10:15 pm ET, ESPN
Boise State -7.5
These two go back a long ways and the games are always hard-fought and down to the wire. They are two of the most recognizable non-Power 5 programs of the last decade. Even though BYU hasn't had quite the season it'd hoped for, they Cougars won't lay down at home. Boise State lost a stunner to Virginia two weeks ago, so the Broncos had time to regroup for the remainder of the season. What else are you gonna do on a Friday night? Broncos 31-17

LSU at 21 Florida
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Florida -2
Ah, finally LSU goes to Florida. Should be good times in Gainesville after last year's bicker-fest. Neither team is fun to watch, but the hatred from Gators fans toward LSU will make it enjoyable. Gators 20-10

 Kansas State at Texas
Saturday, 7 pm ET, FS1
Texas -4.5 
Is Texas back yet? It seems like every week we are hearing about the Horns and whether they are back or back to being meh. Kansas State hasn't played like many thought they would early on. The SnyderCats have a road loss at Vandy and a closer than expected win over winless Baylor. Can they go on the road and beat a fickle Tom Herman Texas team that is offensively-challenged? Honestly, who knows? Cats 24-20

-BtW
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, September 24, 2017

The Morning After - Survival Saturday

I called this weekend "sneaky good" and it delivered. A few upsets happened, beginning with Virginia knocking off Boise State Friday night on The Blue Turf, and many others were close to happening. My thoughts on the day that was college football Saturday.

1st Quarter
Kendall Joseph (34) was all over the field Saturday.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
Sandwiched between two tough road games, Clemson came away with a 34-7 win over Boston College in the proverbial trap game. No, this game was not a blowout as the score indicates. And no, Clemson fans weren't thrilled about a 7-7 score in the fourth quarter. What I am pleased with was that this team faced some adversity (again - think Auburn) and overcame it in a big way (again). Kelly Bryant's passing was off. The defense was letting BC into Clemson territory all game, but stiffened up. The offense had starting field position inside its own 10 yard line half the game. At the end of the day, Clemson was the superior team and the athletic advantage swung in the Tigers' favor midway through the fourth quarter.

Bryant ran for 102 yards and scored twice. Freshman running back Travis Etienne rushed for 113 yards and scored twice in the fourth quarter, giving Clemson the spark it needed. The Tigers outgained the Eagles 482-238, rushed for 342 yards, converted half their third downs (8 for 16), and had 27 first downs to BC's 12. Those were some of the highlights that stood out and what I will try to remember about this game going forward.

Going into next week, though, things need to be cleaned up. An offensive performance like those first three quarters will result in a loss Saturday night in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is fast and physical, much like Auburn. The difference? The Hokies have an offense. Clemson's defense will face its first team challenge. Stopping a one-man show (Lamar Jackson) is one thing, but slowing down the Hokies won't be easy. Beat Virginia Tech.

2nd Quarter
TCU waltzed into the house that T. Boone Pickens built and poked the Cowboys where it hurts most. See what I did there? The Horned Frogs put the Big 12 and the rest of the country on notice that not only does it have a defense that can slow down one of the most prolific offenses, but it has an offense that will contend with the best. Gary Patterson has TCU on the right track once again. I'd like to see a little consistency first before putting them in the Playoff. The Frogs have to go to K-State, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech, the latter two back-to-back. Long way to go.

As for OSU, that was a big bite of humble pie. Mike Gundy went on record as saying he didn't know how anyone was going to stop his offense. You've been served. But he's a man, he's 50! He can take it. His Cowboys now face the fact that they were beaten soundly at home and still have the entire Big 12 slate to go, including next week at Texas Tech, plus a late October-early November stretch at Texas, at West Virginia, and versus OU. And the blueprint for how to beat the Pokes is out there.

3rd Quarter
Georgia catapulted to the top of the SEC East with it's dominant win from start to finish over Mississippi State. BENched was wrong about which Bulldogs would show up to play. Kudos to Kirby Smart for making me look dumb. He had a great gameplan to stop MSU's Nick Fitzgerald. We saw freshman Jake Fromm grow up right before our eyes. I thought the big game atmosphere might get to him a bit. The opposite occurred. He was just 9-for-12 passing, but had 201 yards and two scores, including the beautiful flea-flicker for a 59-yard TD on the first play of the game.

Talk of Mississippi State being the team that could challenge Alabama in the West came to a halt. Now, the SEC is two teams - Bama in the West, and Georgia in the East.

4th Quarter
The Penn State Nittany Lions passed their first big test, one that many teams fail. Trace McSorley's touchdown pass as time expired gave college football the game of the year. It was an ugly game. No one will refer back to it as a season-defining win. The Lions will get credit, however, for winning a road game in a tough venue early in the season, something they failed to do twice last year (at Pitt and at Michigan). James Franklin's bunch showed resolve. They'll have a few more battles coming up, but Oct. 21 at home against Michigan is looming large.

On the Heisman front - and I hate to do this so early in the year - Saquon Barkley served notice to all the quarterbacks out there that he may be the most explosive player in the game. He juked, hurdled, and carried Hawkeye defenders all night. He won't get the glory of the game-winning score, but if not for him, it's likely PSU wouldn't have been in the game at all.

Overtime
After jumping out to a 28-10 lead, Oklahoma watched Baylor grab momentum and reel off 21 straight points to take a 31-28 lead in the third quarter. Baker Mayfield's third touchdown pass of the night gave OU the lead back and then the Sooners gave the Bears a Sermon, Trey Sermon that is. The freshman entered the game and carried the ball 12 times for 148 yards and two scores to put the game just out of reach enough. It was a scare OU fans didn't like to see, but Lincoln Riley gets a bye week to regroup before heading full steam into Big 12 play. ... NC State pulled off a shocker in Tallahassee, handing the Seminoles their second loss of the year in just their second game. The Wolfpack defensive front frustrated freshman QB James Blackman all game. FSU now goes back to the drawing board without a win and staring down an ACC schedule with current unbeatens Wake Forest, Miami, and Duke as their next three opponents, and of course Clemson down the road with Louisville and Florida as well. Serious question, will the Noles make a bowl game? Also serious question, is NC State Clemson's biggest threat in the Atlantic division? ... A&M and Arkansas produced a shootout in the Southwest Classic, with the Aggies winning another OT game against the Hogs, 50-43. Too bad all this game does is put one coach on the hotter seat and give the other fanbase reason to fret how their coach will screw up after this win. ... USC wasn't overly impressive in a win at Cal, but the Trojans forced six turnovers and pulled out a 10-point road conference victory. That's good enough for now. ... Michigan found its quarterback, John O'Korn, for now. The Wolverines had some offensive life at Purdue and get a bye week to get O'Korn more reps with the ones before hosting in-state rival Michigan State. ... I can't leave out the performance by Alabama. Man, that was scary. But just remember, that was a bunch of four- and five-stars beating up a bunch of afterthought recruits. No need to make this one bigger than it really is. ... Last but not least, #Pac12AfterDark gave us Washington doing to Colorado the same thing it did in last year's title game, Arizona State scoring an upset over the 24th-ranked Oregon Ducks, and Stanford racing past UCLA 58-34. Staying up late isn't easy, but it's usually worth it.

Tiger Tweets




































-BtW 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, September 22, 2017

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 4

Conference play is virtually in full swing now. The days of Power 5 vs. Mid-major are nearly over. After a strong start to the year, BENched is ready for the challenge of picking these tougher matchups. There's no real marquee game this week, but the slate is full of intrigue. Here we go!

2017 Record
Overall: 46-8 (.852 win %)
Last Week: 14-4
Game of the Week Pick: 2-1
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

AP Top 10
1 Alabama at Vanderbilt
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Alabama -18.5
Confidence is sky high in Nashville, as the Dores are set to host the Crimson Tide. Vandy is off to a 3-0 start, including a win last weekend over ranked Kansas State. No upset this weekend. Tide 27-9

Boston College at 2 Clemson
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN2
Clemson -34
Good chance this one is over by halftime. Clemson is riding a big wave of momentum after knocking off Auburn and Louisville in consecutive weeks. The Tigers are probably looking ahead to taking on Virginia Tech next week. BC gave up over 500 yards rushing to Notre Dame a week ago. Clemson's stable of backs and QB Kelly Bryant will have a field day. Tigers 45-3

 3 Oklahoma at Baylor
Saturday, 6:30 pm ET, FS1
Oklahoma -27.5
Will Baker Mayfield and the Sooners be able to name their own score? Probably. For some reason, I think this will be closer than most expect ... at first. Oklahoma rolls. Sooners 50-17

4 Penn State at Iowa
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, ABC
Penn State -11.5
Plenty of teams have stumbled in Iowa over the years. Just ask Michigan last year. Penn State is a different animal. The Nittany Lions seem to be one of the most complete teams in the country. Saquon Barkley is going to go off. Lions 45-13

5 USC at Cal
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ABC
USC -17
An underrated matchup between the Trojans and Golden Bears. Cal has already taken down an ACC and SEC team en route to a 3-0 start. USC needed a bit of a miracle to come back against Texas, but still remains the team to beat in the Pac-12. This one kicks off at 12:30 local time. Consider the Trojans on upset alert. Trojans 34-31

16 TCU at 6 Oklahoma State
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Oklahoma State -12.5
The high-powered Pokes are one of the scariest offenses in the nation. Through three games, OSU has outscored its opponents 59-0 IN THE FIRST QUARTER! TCU gave up 36 to SMU last weekend. Good luck, Frogs. Pokes 49-24

7 Washington at Colorado
Saturday, 10 pm ET, FS1
Washington -12
A rematch of last year's Pac-12 title game, the Huskies look to remain in the Top 10 and the firm leader in the North. Colorado has other plans and is upset it's not getting respect in the rankings. Phillip Lindsay will go over 140 yards for the third time this year and the Buffaloes score the upset. Buffs 33-28

8 Michigan at Purdue
Saturday, 4 pm ET, Fox
Michigan -10.5
Jeff Brohm has reinvigorated the Boilermakers to the point that this is actually a tricky spot for Michigan. The Wolverines are struggling mightily on offense. If Purdue can create a turnover or pile on some points early, watch out. Boilers 31-27

9 Wisconsin - OFF

UNLV at 10 Ohio State
Saturday, Noon ET, Big Ten
Ohio State -40
One of the few matchups this weekend to turn your eyes away from. Buckeyes 56-10

 Must Watch
NC State at 12 Florida State
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN2/ABC
Florida State -11.5
The Noles are back on the field for the first time since falling to Bama in Atlanta. FSU endured Hurricane Irma and its effects. In case you need a reminder, quarterback Deondre Francois is out for the season and in steps freshman James Blackman. Preseason expectations were squashed for NC State when the Wolfpack dropped their opener against South Carolina. Despite playing Marshall and Furman since, it hasn't been all rainbows and unicorns. Will FSU be sluggish? Can NC State score an upset in Tallahassee? Noles 26-17

 GAME OF THE WEEK
UGA (right) is the most well-known of the Bulldogs.
But Bully hay have something to bark about this weekend.
17 Mississippi State at 11 Georgia
Saturday, 7 pm ET, ESPN
Georgia -4
The battle of the SEC Bulldogs should be a good one. Mississippi State pulled off a stunner last week against LSU, not so much beating the Tigers, but how they did so: 37-7. Nick Fitzgerald's veteran leadership will be relied upon for MSU going Between the Hedges. That's where MSU has the advantage. Georgia, despite playing at home, has freshman Jake Fromm under center. He impressed in the road win at Notre Dame and has five TDs to one INT on the year. There's a good chance UGA lets its Big Dawgs eat and tries to play keep-away. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are averaging over six yards per carry. If Georgia can't put it in the end zone, though, it could be a long night in Athens. MSU Bulldogs 30-24

 20 Florida at Kentucky
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, SEC
Florida -2.5
Why are you tuning in? Because Kentucky is 3-0 and Mark Stoops may have his best Wildcats team yet. Oh, and Florida has won 30 straight games against UK. That seems impossible. Will the streak continue? Cats 17-13

UCLA at Stanford
Saturday, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
Stanford -7.5
Two Pac-12 teams walked into Group of 5 stadiums a week ago and stumbled away with deflating losses. UCLA, which lost to Memphis, and Stanford, which fell at San Diego State, now face off in a must-win California battle. The Bruins need a defense to back Josh Rosen (and they need Rosen to be sharper than he has been). The Cardinal are probably just happy to be home after spending the first three weeks in the air and on the road (vs. Rice in Australia, at USC, and at SDSU). Since Stanford already has a conference loss, this game holds slightly more importance for the Cardinal. If UCLA does go down, the heat will be turned all the way up on Jim Mora. Cardinal 35-30

Keep An Eye On
Texas Tech at Houston
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN2/ABC
Houston -7
Texas Tech is brutal on defense yet again. The Red Raiders gave up 45 points to Arizona State. Luckily, the Sun Devils are equally as bad on D and Tech got the win, 52-45. On the road at Houston in an early game (11 AM kick local time), against a Coug team hungry for another Big 12 win, this could spell the end of the Kingsbury era in Lubbock. Cougars 55-45

 Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN
Texas A&M -2.5
Like their West Texas counterparts, the Aggies too could see the beginning of the end of their head coach if they go down in Jerry World. When these two get together, it's always an exciting game. Arkansas had the week off to regroup following its loss to TCU. A&M needed a second half comeback to take down Louisiana-Lafayette, and even then Kevin Sumlin's seat hasn't cooled. The quarterback battle will be interesting to watch. Austin Allen is one of the league's better passers. Kellen Mond is trying to prove his worth for the Aggies. Arkansas is due in the series. Hogs 27-20

Duke at North Carolina
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPNU
Duke -1
If it was basketball, this is Must Watch material, probably Game of the Week. Alas, the Tobacco Road Rivalry doesn't quite have the same shine on the field as it does on the court. Duke has impressed early on, while North Carolina picked up its first win a week ago. Daniel Jones is the next David Cutcliffe prodigy and he has Duke on the rise in the ACC. Blue Devils 44-37

 Notre Dame at Michigan State
Saturday, 8 pm ET, Fox
Notre Dame -3
Another big game that is usually the game to be watching, ND and MSU have taken quite a few steps backward from their recent glory days. The oddsmakers have the Irish as a road favorite, which is surprising only because that tells me they don't have faith in Mark Dantonio anymore. Irish 24-21

-BtW
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, September 15, 2017

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 3

Another good week by BENched, but the matchups get harder to pick every week. This week doesn't present much in the way of "Must See" action, but plenty of college football across the landscape to enjoy. Let's get to the picks!

2017 Record
Overall: 32-4 (.889 win %)
Last Week: 15-2
Game of the Week Pick: 1-1
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

AP Top 10
Colorado State at 1 Alabama
Saturday, 7 pm ET, ESPN2
Alabama -28.5
Nick Saban gets a visit from another for SEC coach, as former Georgia assistant Mike Bobo brings his Rams down south. That should be all the drama surrounding this one as the Crimson Tide roll again. Tide 38-10

Tulane at 2 Oklahoma
Saturday, 6 pm ET, PPV
Oklahoma -35
Fresh off planting their flag in Ohio Stadium, the Sooners return home for a slightly easier matchup. Baker Mayfield is a Heisman front-runner and I'd expect to only see him for a half in this one. Sooners 66-13

GAME OF THE WEEK
Christian Wilkins and the Clemson defense is up to the task
against Lamar Jackson and Louisville.
3 Clemson at 14 Louisville
Saturday, 8 pm ET, ABC
Clemson -3
Last season produced a classic between Louisville and Clemson. Lamar Jackson was electric and nearly led the Cardinals to a last-minute comeback win. Instead, Clemson won its third straight over its new ACC foe. All three have been won by six points or less. This year, it's the reigning Heisman winner against the reigning National Champions. Everyone is excited to see if Clemson's dominant defensive line can contain Jackson. I think the linebackers are actually the key to the Tiger defense. Additionally, the Cards are struggling on the defensive side of the ball. They've held Purdue and North Carolina to a total of 68 rushing yards, but have allowed 677 passing yards in those two games. This could be the game Kelly Bryant shows off his arm and his wheels. Deon Cain had a huge game against Louisville last year and I wouldn't be shocked if he does again. Jackson is going to get his. However, this is Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables' second shot at stopping Jackson. Tigers 27-23

Texas at 4 USC
Saturday, 8:30 pm ET, Fox
USC -15.5
Yes, the 2006 Rose Bowl was a classic. No, Vince Young is not running out of the Texas tunnel. Trojans 45-21

Georgia State at 5 Penn State
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, Big Ten
Penn State -37
The Nittany Lions get a layup before conference play. Not much to see here. Lions 54-9

Fresno State at 6 Washington
Saturday, 9:30 pm ET, Pac-12
Washington -33
A week after going up against Alabama, the Bulldogs of Fresno State head up to Seattle to take on another top 10 team. Brutal scheduling, Fresno State. Huskies 52-17

Air Force at 7 Michigan
Saturday, Noon ET, Big Ten
Michigan -23
Michigan's defense is pretty good. But Jim Harbaugh may want to consider calling a search party to find his offense. Air Force won't be a pushover. Wolverines 33-20

Army at 8 Ohio State
Saturday, 4:30 pm ET, Fox
Ohio State -31
How will the Buckeyes respond from being embarrassed on their home field? If JT Barrett struggles here, there could be a QB change on the horizon. Like Air Force, Army won't go down easy. Buckeyes 38-16

9 Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh
Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN
Oklahoma State -11.5
Pittsburgh nearly knocked off the Cowboys last year in Stillwater. Mason Rudolph and Co. won't take the Panthers lightly. Expect a close game through halftime, but the Pokes pull away late. Cowboys 48-17

 10 Wisconsin at BYU
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ABC
Wisconsin -16.5
BYU's offense is struggling. A lot. Wisconsin gets to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Provo, Utah. They'll enjoy it more leaving with a win. Badgers 31-9

Must Watch
23 Tennessee at Florida
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Florida -4
The Vols stopped an 11-game losing streak to Florida a season ago. They needed a monster second half to do so. The Gators will look for revenge down in The Swamp. And they'll get it. Gators 25-17

Keep An Eye On
25 UCLA at Memphis
Saturday, Noon ET, ABC
UCLA -3
Josh Rosen and the Bruins travel East and apparently aren't getting respect from Vegas. Memphis had a game against UCF canceled due to Hurricane Irma, so the Tigers are still somewhat a question mark. What does Vegas know??? Bruins 38-28

Notre Dame at Boston College
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN
Notre Dame -13
It wasn't long ago that this used to be a yearly rivalry game and it was actually pretty good. BC's move to the ACC and both teams' slide into mediocrity or worse has dulled it up quite a bit. The Irish are looking for something to shake off the loss last week to Georgia. The Eagles just need something after struggling to win at Northern Illinois and getting blown out by Wake Forest. BC won't find it here. Irish 34-17

SMU at 20 TCU
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPNU
TCU -20
The Metroplex rivalry is more heated than one would think. SMU generally pulls off one upset a year. Will it be against the Horned Frogs, who may still be struggling with an offensive identity? Frogs 31-28

12 LSU at Mississippi State
Saturday, 7 pm ET, ESPN
LSU -7.5
This is more of a chance to see if LSU has really upgraded its offense. It's also a chance to see if Nick Fitzgerald can pull off another stunner in Starkville. The cowbells will be clangin'! Bulldogs 20-17

Kentucky at South Carolina
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, SEC
South Carolina -5.5
South Carolina gets its first home game of the season and the Gamecocks are hoping for some home-field magic against Kentucky. The Wildcats have defeated South Carolina three straight seasons. The line is close, but Jake Bentley and Deebo Samuel are too much for the Cats to handle. Gamecocks 37-20

Kansas State at Vanderbilt
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, ESPNU
Kansas State -3.5
Neither team has been tested with Vandy having defeated Middle Tennessee State and Alabama A&M, and K-State beating Central Arkansas and Charlotte. So this one is very much a toss-up. If there's an edge, it's probably with the Wildcats' offense. Jesse Ertz is back at the helm and has looked sharp so far. Wildcats 31-24

19 Stanford at San Diego State
Saturday, 10:30 pm ET, CBS Sports
Stanford -8.5
Bryce Love is most certainly the answer to who will fill Christian McCaffrey's shoes. The Cardinal suffered a tough loss at USC and now must try to rebound at SDSU. The Aztecs are not to be taken lightly. They won at Arizona State last week and are going for the Pac-12 sweep of their schedule. Ultimately, Stanford responds nicely. Cardinal 30-21

-BtW
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, September 10, 2017

The Morning After - Putting the D back in Death Valley

Saturday started with overtime amidst the corn between Iowa-Iowa State and finished with triple-OT on the Palouse between Washington State-Boise State. What a great day of college football that gave us a small sample of what to expect this season. Chaos. Fun. And more of those "WOW" moments.

1st Quarter
Clemson's defense stuffed Auburn's ground game,
holding the SEC Tigers to 42 yards.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
If you needed proof that Clemson is more like Alabama than anyone else, I hope you watched the Tigers sack Auburn. Eleven times. Clemson's defense is elite and it is what will carry Clemson all season. I mentioned during preseason that Clemson wouldn't win a lot of 35-31 type games, but more on the 17-14 side. Here we are. Clemson gets two quarterback rushing touchdowns and allows 117 yards to Auburn in a 14-6 slobber-knocker. Kelly Bryant has his work cut out for him, but FSU aside, there won't be a better defense he faces all year. By the team the Noles come to Death Valley mid-November, it's believable that Bryant and the Clemson offense could be humming.

As for Clemson's D, this marks the third game in the last four it hasn't allowed a touchdown dating to the 31-0 shutout of Ohio State in last season's Fiesta Bowl. Austin Bryant isn't a household name like Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, or Christian Wilkins, but he racked up four of Clemson's 11 sacks. Tre Lamar isn't Kendall Joseph or Dorian O'Daniel, but his impact was felt. As was K'Von Wallace's who filled in for the injured starter Van Smith. It's been a next man up mentality for the past few years. The difference is Clemson is recruiting more talented players every year.

The Tigers now face the defending Heisman Trophy winner in Lamar Jackson. This defense against that guy? Get your popcorn ready. Beat Louisville.

2nd Quarter
Oklahoma made THE statement win of the weekend over THE Ohio State University. Baker Mayfield was terrific at the Horseshoe and made it well-known that he was not pleased with his team's performance a year ago in this game. Mayfield finished 27-35 for 386 yards and three touchdowns, adding his name to the top of the early season Heisman contenders. What impressed me most about this game, though, was Oklahoma's defense. The Sooners showed out and proved a lot of folks wrong, including me. I don't think JT Barrett is a good quarterback and the Buckeyes have plenty of issues on offense, but OU has had defensive issues for several seasons. Saturday night in Columbus, they looked like a Playoff-caliber unit.

I was also extremely impressed with the adjustments Lincoln Riley made at halftime. This game was 3-3 at the intermission and OU was moving the ball between the 20s. They couldn't find a way to get points, though. That changed after Ohio State scored to make it 10-3 early in the third quarter. OU went on a 28-6 run the rest of the game. In-game adjustments define championship teams. Riley passed his first big test against the great Urban Meyer. The Sooners will likely be favored the rest of the way now and that Nov. 4 date in Stillwater is going to be must-see TV.

3rd Quarter
Despite a big day on the ground from Stanford's Bryce Love (17 carries, 160 yards and a TD), USC dominated the Cardinal to solidify its status atop the polls and the Pac-12. Quarterback Sam Darnold had a big day in the win. He went 21-26 for 316 yards and four TD passes. The Trojans also found a running game with two rushers going over 100 yards - Stephen Carr 11 carries for 119; Ronald Jones 23 for 116 and two scores. USC was 10-for-12 on third downs and amassed 623 yards of offense. This was the USC team that won its final nine games of 2016 and could very well be on its way to an undefeated season if it continues to play like that the rest of the way. That's a scary team out in LA.

4th Quarter
Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm out-performed expectations for Georgia on the road at Notre Dame. Fromm did just enough to give the Bulldogs a win in South Bend (or was it North Athens? Sheesh, there was a lot of red and black). He passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, but still looked like a freshman at times playing in a big road game. He turned the ball over twice, but overcame the mistakes to lead UGA down the field when it needed it most. As for Notre Dame, Brian Kelly could be on the final leg. Notre Dame isn't showing any signs of being an elite team and Kelly is showing his true colors in his press conference. Not a good look for the prestigious Catholic university.

Overtime
South Carolina's Deebo Samuel was at it again with another kick return for a score and two more rushing TDs as the Gamecocks continue to impress early on. South Carolina could very well be 4-0 heading into a late-September matchup at Texas A&M. The way the Aggies are looking, that could put Will Muschamp's team one win from bowl eligibility before October arrives. ... If anyone is going to give Oklahoma and Oklahoma State trouble in the Big 12, it'll be a team in purple. TCU and Kansas State look like that next tier of teams ready to contend with the big boys. The Horned Frogs struggled to put away Arkansas, but ended up with a 21-point win on the road. K-State has scored 55 points in back-to-back games against weak competition, but the Wildcats may be for real. We'll find out more when they travel to Vanderbilt this weekend. ... Oregon held on for a big win over Nebraska, 42-35, after leading 42-14 at halftime. The Ducks went into prevent offense mode for much of the second half. Nebraska tried to do its best Josh Rosen/UCLA impression, but came up short. That's a big win for Willie Taggart early in his Oregon career. ... Penn State absolutely dominated in-state rival Pitt. And then head coach James Franklin dominated Pitt in the postgame, saying Pitt's win against PSU last year was like their Super Bowl, but this was more like PSU beating Akron. Savage. ... It's clear that the rich keep getting richer - Alabama, Clemson, USC, Oklahoma, Penn State, etc. But the poor are getting poorer, as far as Power 5 bottom feeders go.

ACC - Syracuse lost to Middle Tennessee State; Virginia lost to Indiana
Big 12 - Kansas lost to Central Michigan; Baylor lost to UTSA
Big Ten - Rutgers lost to Eastern Michigan
Pac-12 - Arizona lost to Houston; Oregon State lost to Minnesota (48-14)
SEC - No losses, but Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M struggled with Eastern Kentucky, UT-Martin, and Nicholls, respectively.

When it comes to the "top to bottom" argument, there's not a P5 conference out there that can win that. 

Tiger Tweets
























-BtW
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)