Showing posts with label USC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USC. Show all posts

Sunday, October 1, 2017

The Morning After - No Sandman Needed

Clemson's defense swarmed the Hokies all night.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
Since Dabo Swinney took over Clemson, the Tigers are 5-0 against Virginia Tech - two games in Blacksburg, two in the ACC title game, and one in Clemson. Swinney's Tigers have scored 23, 38, 38, 42, and 31 points against Bud Foster's defenses. The Hokies have managed to score more than 17 points only once - last season's ACC Championship Game in which Clemson won 42-35. The other outcomes have been by two scores or more each, including Saturday night's 31-17 Tiger victory. When Dabo and VT meet, the beasts under the bed - as in the familiar "Enter Sandman" lyrics - are the Tigers waiting to put the Hokies to sleep.

1st Quarter
I admit it. I was foolish. I picked against Clemson again. My reasoning wasn't so much that I felt Clemson would play bad, but moreso that Virginia Tech would play up - College Gameday in town, night game at Lane Stadium, game circled since last year's ACC Championship Game, etc., etc.

I was wrong. I should've known. I should've listened. Dabo Swinney has built Clemson into a powerhouse. Clemson is no longer the program it was in the 90s and 00s. This program has won 10 games six straight seasons. It has played in back-to-back National Championship Games, winning the most recent one. It doesn't rebuild when its best playmakers move on. It reloads - for the most part with better players.

Kelly Bryant was once again tremendous in a hostile road environment. Clemson's defense was lights out. Until a garbage time touchdown, the Hokies had one touchdown drive. It lasted all of one play, two yards, thanks to a punt return to the two yard line. Virginia Tech couldn't sustain drives. The Hokies went three-and-out on four of their first five series. The one where they got a first down? They got one first down and punted. Dorian O'Daniel notched his second pick-six, this one to seal the deal. Austin Bryant also came up with a spectacular INT. It warranted Wide Receivers Coach Jeff Scott saying he needed to get Bryant a #WRU T-shirt. Bryant may also petition for a cornerback spot. He lined up on a fourth down out by the numbers and obliterated a wide receiver screen better than any defensive back ever has.

And that's what this team is. It's a team of freak athletes. Ones that play defensive end, but look like linebackers. Running backs with out of this world speed. And receivers with hands you swear have stick'em on them.

I spoke with a great friend of mine with whom I text throughout a lot of the Clemson games and I told him, this team is like a boa constrictor. They slowly wrap around the opponent and begin to squeeze. It's not flashy. There's not a lot happening like the quick strike rattle snake or the dancing cobra. Just a slow, methodical death grip. The more the opponents try to escape with trick plays and all the eye-candy moving shifts, the tighter the grip gets. Ask Louisville. Ask Auburn. And now ask Virginia Tech. The life of their team slowly slipped away. They saw it coming, but there was nothing they could do about it once face-to-face with the snak-, I mean, Tigers.

What a time to be a Tiger, y'all.

2nd Quarter
Let's back up to Friday night when Washington State knocked off USC on the Palouse. Luke Falk out-dueled Sam Darnold. It feels like this win effective eliminates USC from Playoff contention and we're only just now in October. On the other hand, we should be giving some serious thought to Washington State.

This is the second straight year that Mike Leach has Wazzu highly ranked. A loss in the Apple Cup to rival Washington ended hopes of a division title, but we could be well on our way to the Apple Cup winner deciding the Pac-12 North again. Washington looks like the better overall team, right now anyway. However, Washington State put the league on notice that it can take down anyone, including the Pac-12 favorite Trojans.

3rd Quarter
A couple of double-takes when looking at SEC games this weekend. First was Georgia destroying Tennessee in Neyland Stadium, 41-0. The Dawgs did it with a freshman QB, no less. Jake Fromm is playing like anything but a freshman. He's got Georgia all the way up to No. 5 in the rankings and many believe this team has a shot to dethrone Alabama. It certainly appears that UGA will represent the East, because Florida is meh and no one else looks competitive. As for Tennessee, I am shocked we haven't heard of Butch Jones' firing yet. It's inevitable, right? Sorry, but you don't lose on your home field 41-0 the week after chastising the media.

Then there was LSU. It's like the Bayou Bengals saw the Tennessee loss and wanted to one-up the Vols. Troy went into Tiger Stadium at night and tamed the Tigers. A 24-7 game ended 24-21 with Troy still on top, but aside from the late comeback, this one was all Trojans.

So let's recap the past few weeks. Mississippi State curb-stomps LSU 37-7, then gets embarrassed at Georgia 31-3 and at Auburn 49-10. LSU already has a terrible loss, nearly loses at home to Syracuse, then does lose to Troy. Ole Miss has back-to-back losses to Cal and Alabama, the latter by a score of 66-3 after having a bye week to prepare for the Tide. Vandy was the flavor of the week, until it played Alabama (and lost 59-0) and Florida (and lost 38-24). Texas A&M has a pair of seven-point wins over Arkansas and South Carolina, but the Aggies get to host Bama this weekend. The Gamecocks and all-world Jake Bentley scored 17 points to beat La Tech in the last minute 17-16, then scored 17 again and lost to A&M. In fact, they haven't scored more than 17 since Sept. 9.

This is the conference everyone thinks is the best top-to-bottom? Give me a break.

4th Quarter
The jury is still out on Oklahoma State, even though the Cowboys got a much-needed bounce-back win over Texas Tech, their ninth in a row in the series. OSU allowed the Red Raiders to score 14 straight to tie the game late, but got a Mason Rudolph TD with just over a minute to go to pull out the win. The Pokes get a bye week to regroup and refocus before hosting currently winless Baylor and then going on the road to Texas and West Virginia before Bedlam.

The Big 12 is a three-team race with Oklahoma and TCU at the top and OSU waiting in the wings if either of them stumble. OU plays both the Cowboys and Horned Frogs on back-to-back weekends to kickoff November, so we may not know much about the Big 12 race until then. Kansas State and West Virginia are also teams to watch, but both of them have out-of-conference losses holding them back for now.

Overtime
I'm going to use this space this week to blast the poll voters. First, your "votes" mean nothing. The only poll that matters is the one that comes out after the conference championship games. And that one isn't yours, it's the Playoff Committee's, who the folks diligently studying each contending team are doing a much better job ranking them than you are. Is that why you are so petty with your votes? Second, how can you rightfully look at Clemson's rΓ©sumΓ©, compare it to Alabama's, and think, hmm, clearly Alabama is the better team. Forty-four AP Poll voters out of 61 put Alabama on top. That is a change of +9 for Clemson, who only had eight first-place votes last week. This despite Clemson becoming the first team in college football history to beat three Top 15 teams before the calendar flipped to October. This despite Clemson going on the road and taking down the reigning Heisman winner and a hungry Hokie team by a combined 40 points. This despite Alabama's "best win" is over now unranked and 1-2 Florida State.

It's worse in the Coaches Poll, where Clemson gained just two additional first-place votes. Are y'all that scared of what Nick Saban might say at his press conference? Are you too prideful to drop almighty Alabama off their perch because, hey, another team not only looks as good or better, but has proven it on the field with their wins? Good for Bama beating Vanderbilt and Ole Miss like a drum. They should. Vandy was picked sixth in the East. A horrendous division, mind you. And Ole Miss was picked last in the West. So the Crimson Tide winning 59-0 and 66-3 isn't all that shocking, nor impressive.

You know what is? Clemson. Little ole Clemson who, "How are they gonna replace all those offensive stars?" is now 5-0 and owns a 92-44 point margin over THREE Top 15 teams.

Here's what I'll tell you. Keep us at No. 2. Seriously. Go ahead. Bow down to Bama. Praise Saban. Because all you're doing is giving Dabo more locker room material. You're feeding the "nobody believes in us" monster that YOU created. Vegas will probably tell you that Alabama is a 6-7 point favorite over Clemson if they were to play this week. And you'll listen like you always do. Thanks for giving us everything we need to go back to the Playoff again. And make it back to the title game where we will face Alabama again. And for the second time in three games, we'll prove we're better.

But you might believe that either.

Tiger Tweets









































-BtW
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Friday, September 29, 2017

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 5

BENched took a few chances and they went awry. It's early in the season, so that was expected. You live and learn and move forward. Going to try something a little different this week with the picks. Let's do it!

2017 Record
Overall: 55-16 (.775 win %)
Last Week: 9-8
Game of the Week Pick: 2-2
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

AP Top 10
Ole Miss at 1 Alabama
Saturday, 9 pm ET, ESPN
Alabama -27
Remember when the Rebels were a thorn in Nick Saban's side? They won't be again for a long, long time. Tide 51-12

GAME OF THE WEEK
Can the Tigers survive Lane Stadium?
2 Clemson at 12 Virginia Tech
Saturday, 8 pm ET, ABC
Clemson -7.5
We've arrived at the exact week of the season when I picked against Clemson one year ago. I took Louisville to down the Tigers last season. Fortunately, I was wrong. A year later, you'd think I'd've learned my lesson. I simply feel like this Hokie team is different. Yes, Josh Jackson is a freshman quarterback going against the best defensive line in the country. Yes, Clemson is battle-tested, having already defeated two Top-15 teams. Yes, Kelly Bryant played cool, calm, and collected in his first road start. But something feels much different than two weeks ago at Louisville. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic about my team. I don't have an Xs and Os breakdown of why I think Virginia Tech will win. To be honest, Clemson making it through September 4-1 would be a really good thing. If they are 5-0 after Saturday night, we could really be in for Bama-Clemson III. For now, I'll pull the reins back. Hokies 20-17

 (NOTE: After I typed this Thursday evening, I received my IPTAY package in the mail Friday afternoon and am having serious second thoughts. Perhaps that was a good omen? We'll see.)

3 Oklahoma - BYE

Indiana at 4 Penn State
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, Big Ten
Penn State -18
It would not be surprising to see Penn State have a bit of a hangover following last week's thrilling win at Iowa. Getting Indiana at home for that hangover game helps. Lions 31-16

5 USC at 16 Washington State
Friday, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
USC -5
I'm sensing either a wild shootout on the Palouse or a Friday night stinker. Wazzu is the trendy pick. I like Luke Falk slightly more than Sam Darnold right now. Statistically, Falk's having a much better season than the guy that's getting the Heisman love. I'm just not convinced the Cougs are ready to show out in primetime. Trojans 38-28

6 Washington at Oregon State
Saturday, 8 pm ET, Pac-12
Washington -26.5
Can't see this one being much of a game. The Huskies took it to Colorado last week. Expect even worse for the Beavs. Dawgs 52-7

7 Georgia at Tennessee
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Georgia -7.5
The Georgia-Tennessee game has been decided by eight points or less each of the past six years. Expect it to be close. Tennessee is winless in its last 24 games against teams ranked in the Top 10 since 2008. Expect Georgia to make it 0-25. Other Dawgs 34-27

8 Michigan - BYE

9 TCU - BYE

Northwestern at 10 Wisconsin
Saturday, Noon ET, ABC
Wisconsin -14.5
Somehow, this game will be low scoring and close because Big Ten football. Badgers 21-9

Must Watch
14 Miami at Duke
Friday, 7 pm ET, ESPN
Miami -6.5
Get your weekend started with an enticing matchup between two undefeated ACC Coastal schools. The Hurricanes found new life in the second half last week against Toledo. Duke used a balanced attack to knock off rival North Carolina. Both teams are looking to get a leg up in the standings. As much as I'd like to pick Duke and think David Cutcliffe has this team squarely in contention, Miami has too many weapons. Canes 34-20

 15 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
Saturday, 8pm ET, Fox
Oklahoma State -10.5
It seems like no matter what, Oklahoma State can't lose to Texas Tech. A night game in Lubbock is no cakewalk, though. Tortillas will be flying as will the football through the air. I'm guessing this one will be pretty high-scoring. Get your popcorn ready. Pokes 58-45

Keep An Eye On
Florida State at Wake Forest
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ABC
Florida State -7.5
How odd is it that we have winless Florida State visiting undefeated Wake Forest? FSU's troubles are highly concerning. No one can block up front and I wasn't overly impressed with freshman quarterback James Blackman. Wake may be able to get a steal here, but I'm sticking with the Noles to finally get a W. Noles 27-20

 24 Mississippi State at 13 Auburn
Saturday, 6 pm ET, ESPN
Auburn -9
So maybe Mississippi State isn't that good after all. And maybe Auburn's offense just needed to be completely healthy. Either way, this one could get ugly on the Plains. Auburn 40-17

 Cal at Oregon
Saturday, 10:30 pm ET, FS1
Oregon -15
Cal took USC to the brink and Oregon had trouble stopping Arizona State. It is full-on #Pac12AfterDark in Eugene. Ducks 45-42

-BtW
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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 
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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
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Sunday, September 17, 2017

The Morning After - Leaving No Doubt

Dabo Swinney doesn't like the term "defending" champions, rather he thinks of his new team as "attacking" champions. As in, they are attacking another championship. In Swinney's words, the Tigers left no doubt that they will be in the hunt once again this season.

1st Quarter
Kelly Bryant outplayed the reigning Heisman winner in his first road start.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
Y'all starting to believe that Clemson is more than Deshaun Watson? Look, this program has been built to last. There's a reason the Tigers have won 10+ games six straight seasons - and are headed for a seventh. There's a reason Clemson is one of the few teams that "looks like Alabama" when it steps on the field with Alabama. There's a reason Swinney continues to say, "The best is yet to come."

The Tigers dismantled Louisville, who admittedly is probably very much overrated at this point. The Lamar Jackson effect swept the nation, but the pundits let that cover up the fact that the Cardinals aren't very good anywhere else. Clemson showed up and showed out. The Tigers out-manned the Cards at every position on the field, including quarterback. Brent Venables schemed brilliantly against Jackson in his second try. Clemson left no doubt in its 47-21 win.

Unsung hero: Hunter Renfrow, who once again made several clutch catches.
Big Play of the Game: Dorian O'Daniel's 44-yard pick-six
Big Play of the Game II: Ray-Ray McCloud's 79-yard TD reception
Big Play of the Game III: Travis Etienne's 81-yard TD run

Kelly Bryant was sharp. His downfield accuracy is incredible. His vision and ability to keep his eyes downfield while scrambling reminds me so much of Watson. Several times this year he's scrambled, found an open receiver, squared up his shoulders and delivered a bullet on the numbers. That takes talent. And Bryant is showing he's a talented quarterback.

Watch out, world. Clemson may have lost Watson. And Gallman. And Williams. And Boulware. And Leggett. And Tankersley.

But they have Bryant. And Feaster. And Cain. And McCloud. And Joseph. And O'Daniel.

And the list goes on. Clemson is here for the long haul. Too much can happen between now and December, but a third straight Playoff trip is not a stretch. Let's take it one at a time, shall we? Beat Boston College.

 2nd Quarter
For three-and-a-half quarters, I was falling asleep watching a 1930s re-run of a Tennessee-Florida game. By some miracle, the game auto-switched to 2017 and got exciting late in the fourth quarter. Seriously though, neither team looked like its offense knew what a football or a goalline was. Then, fireworks.

Tennessee's comeback from down 10, twice, was lucky in itself. Florida was headed in for a 20-3 lead, but a Vol player stripped the ball just before the touchdown resulting in a touchback, not a touchdown. Tennessee proceeded to score to make it 13-10. Florida finally got its first offensive TD to extend the lead back to 10, but Tennessee stormed back to tie the game with about 40 seconds to go.

Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks chucked the ball 70 yards in the air and found Tyrie Cleveland on the other end sliding into the end zone for a most improbable Hail Mary at the buzzer for the win. I have to say, I felt good for the Gators after what they and the rest of the state of Florida has been through this past few weeks. The Miami-FSU game was postponed this weekend, so the Gators carried the proverbial Florida flag for the weekend. A win like that was very uplifting. It was also fun to watch.

3rd Quarter
Speaking of fun, man, can Texas and USC play every year? I didn't think Texas would go on the road and put up a fight against Sam Darnold and the Trojans. The Horns did and and it led to another classic between the two blue blood programs. Credit Tom Herman for having his team hyped up as a big underdog once again. He was notorious for doing that at Houston and it translated over to Austin.

But Darnold was clutch when he needed to be. After Texas took a three-point lead with 45 seconds to go, Darnold led the Trojans into scoring position with no timeouts in his pocket. In overtime, he fired a perfect pass on the first play to give USC the lead. In the second OT, he didn't need to do much except keep USC in field goal range.

For all Texas did well, it was a costly double-overtime fumble at the goalline that was the game-changer. With two losses and a conference slate still to go, it'll be difficult for Texas to get bowl eligible. The Horns may not be back yet, but Saturday night it looked like they are well on their way.

On the other hand, we all might have been a little premature in calling USC a Playoff team. The Trojans can certainly still get there. Todd Helton is a heckuva coach and there's talent all over the field. The road to the Playoff will be filled with bumps and how the Trojans navigate it will determine their fate.

4th Quarter
A pair of upsets gave the Pac-12 a bit of a black eye this weekend. UCLA went on the road to Memphis and fell to the Tigers 48-45 in a back-and-forth affair. Josh Rosen made one too many mistakes for a player many regard as one of the top QBs in the upcoming NFL Draft. In the nightcap, San Diego State dropped Stanford, 20-17, meaning the Cardinal have yet to win a game in the US this season. Remember, Stanford's lone win came against Rice in the season opener in Australia way back on August 26. Stanford has fallen twice now in Southern California - last week at USC and this week at SDSU.

Northern Illinois also pulled off an upset, this one perhaps more impressive because it came on the road. The Huskies went into Lincoln and scored a win against Nebraska. The Huskers have to be wondering if the Mike Riley hire was a big mistake. In his third year, Riley's Huskers haven't created an identity and now have a home loss to Northern Illinois, the same team that was beat by Boston College. Yikes.

 Overtime
It's only mid-September, but I cannot wait until Nov. 4. Why? Bedlam, that's why. Oklahoma State, led by Mason Rudolph, has one of the most prolific offenses this season. Rudolph ripped apart an awful Pitt secondary to the tune of 423 yards and five TDs in the first half! Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield continues to solidify his Heisman candidacy. Mayfield threw four more touchdowns in a blowout win over Tulane. He's yet to throw an interception this season. The showdown in Stillwater will be can't miss TV. ... Penn State notched its second shutout of the young season with a 56-0 win against overmatched Georgia State. The Nittany Lions are headed into Big Ten play with a ton of confidence on both sides of the ball. Everyone knew about Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley, but PSU has a stifling defense. ... Virginia Tech got off to a slow start against nemesis East Carolina. The Hokies turned it on in a hurry, turning a 17-7 deficit at the end of the first quarter into a 64-17 thrashing of the Pirates. Tech QB Josh Jackson threw for 372 yards and five TDs. The Hokies get a tuneup game against Old Dominion next week before hosting Clemson on Sept. 30. Blacksburg is going to be insane.

 Tiger Tweets




































-BtW
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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
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