12:00 PM
Western Carolina @ #3 Florida (9-1)
Gee, I wonder.
My Pick: Florida
Confidence (out of 5): 5
Buffalo (2-8) @ #15 Wisconsin (10-1)
GEE. I WONDER.
My Pick: Wisconsin
Confidence: 5
Maryland (8-2) @ #23 Boston College (8-2)
BC's somewhat overrated, but I still imagine Maryland's luck has to run out sometime. I'll be wary, but I absolutely cannot pick the Terps unless they're playing, say, Duke.
My Pick: Boston College
Confidence: 2
Connecticut (4-5) @ Syracuse (3-7)
This worries me. Unless they upset Louisville, UConn needs to win this and against Cincy at home next week to be bowl-eligible. Fun fact: UConn has never lost a home game in November since going I-A, so the Cincinnati game doesn't worry me. If the UConn I saw against Pitt shows up here, it's no contest. But can they do it on the road? If the typical UConn team of this year shows up, it's about a pick 'em. I probably would pick them anyway, but the Huskies' performance last week only cements it.
My Pick: Connecticut
Confidence: 1
Indiana (5-6) @ Purdue (7-4)
Who knows with Indiana. Purdue is one of the many all-offense, no-defense teams that seem in vogue. Or is that en vogue? Whatever. I'll bet against the "good Indiana" showing up away from home, but if the Hoosiers do, they could easily blow Purdue out.
My Pick: Purdue
Confidence: 1
Iowa (6-5) @ Minnesota (5-6)
I think I've officially given up on that Iowa breakthrough game where they look like the superbadass team that I've always felt they could show up as at any moment. I'm still picking them to win, since Minnesota is terribly mediocre (if even that), but it probably won't be as lopsided as it should.
My Pick: Iowa
Confidence: 2
Miami (5-5) @ Virginia (4-6)
Virginia has 4 wins? How the hell did that happen? Let me guess...I remember the Wyoming game, Duke and UNC probably, and I'll say a I-AA. Now to look it up...oh, NC State. Well, good for them. Miami actually hasn't been all that awful lately, with their losses mostly coming due to bad luck rather than a lack of effort. If they lose here, then they're just cursed. Or Wright or James got injured.
My Pick: Miami
Confidence: 3
Michigan State (4-7) @ Penn State (7-4)
Don't worry Spartans, it'll be over soon.
My Pick: Penn State
Confidence: 3
NC State (3-7) @ North Carolina (1-9)
You know what? I'm picking the upset. NCSU's dead in the water, as the aforementioned loss to Virginia shows, and...okay, I can say this. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Okay. Here I go. AND....Joe Dailey has been pretty decent lately (ignore the GT game). Okay, I'm going to stop before I blow my own mind anymore.
My Pick: North Carolina
Confidence: 1
12:10 PM
#11 Oklahoma (8-2) @ Baylor (4-7)
Baylor wouldn't have a chance with Shawn Bell. Without, sigh. Poor Baylor.
My Pick: Oklahoma
Confidence: 4
12:30 PM
#16 Tennessee (7-3) @ Vanderbilt (4-7)
If Vanderbilt could beat Tennessee last year in Knoxville, I definitely think this year's Commodores have a puncher's chance. Tennessee's weakness is the run defense, and Vandy is actually a decent running team, but, well, there's a difference between Vandy and Arkansas.
My Pick: Tennessee
Confidence: 2
Middle Tennessee State (7-3) @ South Carolina (5-5)
MTSU's the class of the Sun Belt, not that that 6-0 conference record doesn't make that immediately apparent. Louisiana-Lafayette had that fluke win over Houston, so it's not like a SBC team can't pull off an upset, but I really doubt it'll be here. SC's a pretty good team, they've just had some bad luck here and there. And this is a game where they can afford it.
My Pick: South Carolina
Confidence: 3
Temple (1-10) @ Navy (7-3)
Ah, hell, let's just name Temple the new Temple.
My Pick: Navy
Confidence: 4
1:00 PM
Illinois (2-9) @ Northwestern (3-8)
Intriguing. Illinois hung close with Ohio State, but NW actually put up a lot more yards in getting blown out. I'll go with the Wildcats since they have the propensity to put up more yards, and I'm not sure the Illini can keep up.
My Pick: Northwestern
Confidence: 1
Louisiana-Monroe (2-7) @ Kentucky (6-4)
Seven wins? Really?
My Pick: Kentucky
Confidence: 3
1:30 PM
Duke (0-10) @ #19 Georgia Tech (8-2)
Duke, sadly, is no UNC. As much as I hate the basketball team, I kind of have some pity for football. And it will continue here.
My Pick: Georgia Tech
Confidence: 4
2:00 PM
Central Florida (3-7) @ Tulane (3-7)
Southern Miss held Tulane to 85 total yards last week. At Tulane. The USM defense is good, but not THAT good. UCF is no peach, but I have more confidence in them than the Green Wave.
My Pick: Central Florida
Confidence: 1
Western Michigan (7-3) @ Florida State (5-5)
Now that Jeff Bowden's gone, watch FSU put up forty-plus. And I'm not sure if I'm kidding. They really should win this game. If they don't, then...well, I wouldn't be surprised. God, I wouldn't be surprised.
My Pick: Florida State
Confidence: 2
Houston (8-3) @ Memphis (1-9)
Well, Houston DID lose to Louisiana-Lafayette. That's about the only hope for the Tigers here. If they're even as good as Louisiana-Lafayette.
My Pick: Houston
Confidence: 4
Missouri (7-3) @ Iowa State (3-8)
I can't imagine ISU is this bad, so I can see some regression (well, progression) to the mean and the resulting upset. Probably not gonna happen, though.
My Pick: Missouri
Confidence: 2
Oklahoma State (6-4) @ Texas Tech (6-5)
Oh God, this is gonna be a shootout. Honestly, this is about even, and I can't really give much analysis past "HOLY FUCK! PASSING YARDS!" Push goes to the home team.
My Pick: Texas Tech
Confidence: 1
2:30 PM
#8 Arkansas (9-1) @ Mississippi State (3-7)
Arkansas is definitely capable of being upset. Doubt this is the team to do it, although to the Bulldogs' credit, they have improved from the "FUCKING HORRIBLE" they were earlier in the year.
My Pick: Arkansas
Confidence: 3
Army (3-7) @ #13 Notre Dame (9-1)
Man, how does Notre Dame do it against this SUPER-HARD INDEPENDENT SCHEDULE? The Irish are going to win, but I think it's a damning statement that I would barely bat an eye if whoever the Army QB is (is it still David Pevoto?) threw for over 300.
My Pick: Notre Dame
Confidence: 4
3:00 PM
Utah State (1-9) @ #13 Boise State (10-0)
Ian Johnson will probably be out with a collapsed lung. Hell, take out the lung and put it at running back, the Broncos would probably win.
My Pick: Boise State
Confidence: 4
East Carolina (6-4) @ Rice (5-5)
Rice's win over Tulsa was luck, but the Owls are actually a decent team, and definitely one capable of beating ECU. Still, the Pirates offense is humming, and I have more confidence in them just because, you know, Rice? Really? The Owls winning wouldn't shock me at all, though, especially in the parity-tacular C-USA.
My Pick: East Carolina
Confidence: 1
Tulsa (7-3) @ SMU (5-5)
Tulsa's the much better team, and the Golden Hurricane will probably be focused after that Rice loss. Eep.
My Pick: Tulsa
Confidence: 4
3:30 PM
#1 Michigan (11-0) @ #2 Ohio State (11-0)
This one's getting its own post.
#10 Auburn (9-2) @ Alabama (6-5)
Auburn is again an inconsistent team in my eyes. Hm...Auburn playing a highly-motivated team with a strong defense, but a suspect offense that has looked good at times earlier in the year? HMMM. Now where did I see that before...
My Pick: Alabama
Confidence: 1
Arizona (5-5) @ Oregon (7-3)
Arizona's Cal win was purely because of mistakes by the Golden Bears, and their game against Wazzou was about even. Does Arizona have a chance? Yes. But is Oregon the better team? Yes.
My Pick: Oregon
Confidence: 2
Kansas State (7-4) @ Kansas (5-5)
I'm shocked that Kansas is .500, I could've sworn they were worse. Still, bleah. KSU, oddly enough to me after that Illinois State near-loss to start the year, seems like an above-average team. KU definitely has a chance at home, but I don't really have that much confidence in the Jayhawks.
My Pick: Kansas State
Confidence: 2
Oregon State (6-4) @ Stanford (1-9)
Five words: Stanford is still really bad.
My Pick: Oregon State
Confidence: 3
4:00 PM
New Mexico (5-5) @ #24 BYU (8-2)
UNM, like KSU, has gone from embarrassing themselves against a I-AA to being a pretty decent little team. The Lobos will probably get killed here, though.
My Pick: BYU
Confidence: 4
San Diego State (2-7) @ TCU (7-2)
Last week's win over UNLV showed that SDSU still has a pulse. TCU could put an end to that here, though.
My Pick: TCU
Confidence: 3
Wyoming (5-6) @ UNLV (1-9)
I have a feeling in my bones that says "upset", but I think Wyoming will be motivated, staring bowl eligibility in the face against an underperforming team.
My Pick: Wyoming
Confidence: 1
4:30 PM
UTEP (5-5) @ Marshall (4-6)
Marshall, bleh. They've gone from "pretty bad" to "kind of okay, I guess" over the year. UTEP's quite underperformed this year; that could change here. Unless Marshall gets really motivated because of their movie. Whenever that's out. Is it out soon? Who knows. Or really cares all that much. Except Marshall fans.
My Pick: UTEP
Confidence: 2
5:00 PM
Idaho (4-6) @ Fresno State (2-7)
They've gotta. Right?
My Pick: Fresno State
Confidence: 2
6:00 PM
Louisiana-Lafayette (4-5) @ Florida International (0-9)
Their coach just quit, so FIU is dead in the water. Not really much to say here. Smell the exciting Sun Belt action.
My Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette
Confidence: 3
6:45 PM
Washington (4-7) @ Washington State (6-5)
UW will be motivated and all, but that loss to Stanford pretty much shows what happens when a one-man team loses that one man.
My Pick: Washington State
Confidence: 3
7:00 PM
#21 Virginia Tech (8-2) @ #18 Wake Forest (9-1)
Virginia Tech is a talented team and can obviously win, but Wake Forest is the best team in the ACC. Oh crap, why's I say that. Dammit, now my brain is bleeding.
My Pick: Wake Forest
Confidence: 1
Arkansas State (5-5) @ Troy (5-4)
Troy's undefeated in the Sun Belt, but they haven't faced MTSU (the other SBC undefeated), or Arkansas State, who I feel is their next-best Sun Belt competitor. ASU has a pretty good running attack, and I have a pretty good hunch.
My Pick: Arkansas State
Confidence: 1
Florida Atlantic (3-7) @ North Texas (3-7)
I'll go with the team not playing for a lame duck coach.
My Pick: Florida Atlantic
Confidence: 1
7:30 PM
South Florida (7-3) @ #12 Louisville (8-1)
Kind of weird that this is between the #3 and #4 teams in the Big East. USF would have a chance at home, as last year showed, but between Louisville wanting revenge for that game, revenge for the Rutgers game, and just being a better team, watch out now.
My Pick: Louisville
Confidence: 3
Utah (6-4) @ Air Force (4-5)
Two obnoxiously inconsistent teams. I'd give Utah the talent advantage, plus the Utes are on a bit of a roll.
My Pick: Utah
Confidence: 2
7:45 PM
#9 Rutgers (9-0) @ Cincinnati (5-5)
This could be a trap game, as Cincinnati is a thoroughly decent team. Perhaps Cincinnati can pull off the upset by lulling Rutgers to sleep since the Bearcats are so boring and there is nothing to say about them.
My Pick: Rutgers
Confidence: 2
8:00 PM
#17 Cal (8-2) @ #4 USC (8-1)
USC's the better team. Cal's loss to Arizona may have helped the Golden Bears here, though; they'll be focused, and they actually played much better than the Wildcats, with Nate Longshore's 3 picks being what cost them the game. Still, at USC? Meh.
My Pick: USC
Confidence: 2
Mississippi (3-7) @ #7 LSU (8-2)
This could be quite the fun whooping.
My Pick: LSU
Confidence: 4
Nevada (7-3) @ Louisiana Tech (3-7)
Kind of a boring game to talk about. Nevada's a very good WAC team. Louisiana Tech, very much not so.
My Pick: Nevada
Confidence: 3
UAB (3-7) @ Southern Miss (6-4)
The average USM team this year would beat UAB, especially at home. The fact that they just finished shutting Tulane the heck down makes this pick that much easier.
My Pick: Southern Miss
Confidence: 3
10:15 PM
UCLA (5-5) @ Arizona State (6-4)
What a kind of uninteresting game between two teams with kind of an offense. These two just vanish and show up intermittently, so I'll just call it a crapshoot and...hey, why not, flip a coin. Make it interactive. For me. Who is typing this. Heads UCLA, tails Arizona State. Because Sun Devils have tails. Heads.
My Pick: UCLA
Confidence: 1
11:05 PM
San Jose State (6-3) @ Hawaii (8-2)
Time to test out a new catchphrase. THE COLT BRENNAN MOTHERFUCKING LIGHTSHOW! WITH LASERS! AND LIGHTS! AND TOUCHDOWN PASSES!
My Pick: Hawaii
Confidence: 3
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Week 12 Rundown: Thursday and Friday
THURSDAY
7:30 PM
#5 West Virginia (8-1) @ Pittsburgh (6-4)
Pittsburgh's sliding. They still have some talent, particularly QB Tyler Palko and RB LaRod Stephens-Dowling, both of which looked good against UConn. However, that Pitt defense? Ehhhh, not so much. If the defense steps up, I could actually see the upset, but that's a big if.
My Pick: West Virginia
Confidence (out of 5): 2
Akron (5-5) @ Ohio (7-3)
Ohio's on a five-game winning streak, the last two of which were solid but unimpressive. Akron's a solid if consistent team, and QB Luke Getsy's a good one. Ohio's probably the better team at this point, and definitely the hotter one, but it really could go either way.
My Pick: Ohio
Confidence: 1
FRIDAY
6:00 PM
Eastern Michigan (1-9) @ Kent State (5-5)
Kent's tailing off horribly, but EMU has just been crap this year. I give EMU a fighting chance because of MAC parity, but if they can't win most of their other games, I don't think they can win this one on the road.
My Pick: Kent State
Confidence: 3
Central Michigan (7-3) @ Northern Illinois (5-5)
Garrett Wolfe's tailed off pretty bad, and CMU's the class of the MAC. Weird, huh? Wolfe is still capable of having a huge game against anyone, anytime, and this fits into both those extremely broad categories, so I give the Huskies a chance. CMU's the clear fave, though.
My Pick: Central Michigan
Confidence: 2
7:30 PM
#5 West Virginia (8-1) @ Pittsburgh (6-4)
Pittsburgh's sliding. They still have some talent, particularly QB Tyler Palko and RB LaRod Stephens-Dowling, both of which looked good against UConn. However, that Pitt defense? Ehhhh, not so much. If the defense steps up, I could actually see the upset, but that's a big if.
My Pick: West Virginia
Confidence (out of 5): 2
Akron (5-5) @ Ohio (7-3)
Ohio's on a five-game winning streak, the last two of which were solid but unimpressive. Akron's a solid if consistent team, and QB Luke Getsy's a good one. Ohio's probably the better team at this point, and definitely the hotter one, but it really could go either way.
My Pick: Ohio
Confidence: 1
FRIDAY
6:00 PM
Eastern Michigan (1-9) @ Kent State (5-5)
Kent's tailing off horribly, but EMU has just been crap this year. I give EMU a fighting chance because of MAC parity, but if they can't win most of their other games, I don't think they can win this one on the road.
My Pick: Kent State
Confidence: 3
Central Michigan (7-3) @ Northern Illinois (5-5)
Garrett Wolfe's tailed off pretty bad, and CMU's the class of the MAC. Weird, huh? Wolfe is still capable of having a huge game against anyone, anytime, and this fits into both those extremely broad categories, so I give the Huskies a chance. CMU's the clear fave, though.
My Pick: Central Michigan
Confidence: 2
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Feely Top 25: After Week 11
#1 Michigan (11-0, #1 LW)
#2 Ohio State (11-0, #2)
#3 Florida (9-1, #6)
#4 USC (8-1, #7)
#5 West Virginia (8-1, #8)
#6 Texas (9-2, #3)
#7 LSU (8-2, #10)
#8 Arkansas (9-1, #11)
#9 Rutgers (9-0, #17)
#10 Auburn (9-2, #4)
#11 Oklahoma (8-2, #14)
#12 Louisville (8-1, #5)
#13 Notre Dame (9-1, #12)
#14 Boise State (10-0, #13)
#15 Wisconsin (10-1, #16)
#16 Tennessee (7-3, #15)
#17 Cal (8-2, #9)
#18 Wake Forest (9-1, #23)
#19 Georgia Tech (8-2, #18)
#20 Nebraska (8-3, #22)
#21 Virginia Tech (8-2, #20)
#22 Texas A&M (8-3, #19)
#23 Boston College (8-2, #24)
#24 BYU (8-2, --)
#25 Clemson (8-3, #25)
NOTES!
3-9 took forever to figure out. Yes, I think LSU is better than Arkansas. WVU, again, shouldn't have lost the Louisville game. I don't get why Texas is out of the top 10 in the actual polls; they're still an elite team and McCoy should hopefully be fine after the bye week.
Rutgers is legit, and moves up accordingly.
Oklahoma is back -- that defense is playing well, and that offense seems to be able to get things done one way or another.
Notre Dame has no defense. Just to remind you.
Tennessee's as good as they've ever been, Arkansas was just a bad matchup.
After GT's horrible day, Wake is actually the best team in the ACC. I'm as confused as you are.
Oregon or Maryland would probably be #26. Clemson struggled, but they're still better than the ducks, and Maryland, again, is a total fraud.
#2 Ohio State (11-0, #2)
#3 Florida (9-1, #6)
#4 USC (8-1, #7)
#5 West Virginia (8-1, #8)
#6 Texas (9-2, #3)
#7 LSU (8-2, #10)
#8 Arkansas (9-1, #11)
#9 Rutgers (9-0, #17)
#10 Auburn (9-2, #4)
#11 Oklahoma (8-2, #14)
#12 Louisville (8-1, #5)
#13 Notre Dame (9-1, #12)
#14 Boise State (10-0, #13)
#15 Wisconsin (10-1, #16)
#16 Tennessee (7-3, #15)
#17 Cal (8-2, #9)
#18 Wake Forest (9-1, #23)
#19 Georgia Tech (8-2, #18)
#20 Nebraska (8-3, #22)
#21 Virginia Tech (8-2, #20)
#22 Texas A&M (8-3, #19)
#23 Boston College (8-2, #24)
#24 BYU (8-2, --)
#25 Clemson (8-3, #25)
NOTES!
3-9 took forever to figure out. Yes, I think LSU is better than Arkansas. WVU, again, shouldn't have lost the Louisville game. I don't get why Texas is out of the top 10 in the actual polls; they're still an elite team and McCoy should hopefully be fine after the bye week.
Rutgers is legit, and moves up accordingly.
Oklahoma is back -- that defense is playing well, and that offense seems to be able to get things done one way or another.
Notre Dame has no defense. Just to remind you.
Tennessee's as good as they've ever been, Arkansas was just a bad matchup.
After GT's horrible day, Wake is actually the best team in the ACC. I'm as confused as you are.
Oregon or Maryland would probably be #26. Clemson struggled, but they're still better than the ducks, and Maryland, again, is a total fraud.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Week 11 Recap
#1 Michigan 34, Indiana 3
...the Steve Breaston show? The Michigan WR was probably offensive POTG, with 3 catches for 103 yards and a score. Mike Hart only had 19 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown, but that's still fine. And better than Troy Smith's worst games. I really don't get why Hart's not in the Heisman discussion, especially over Brady Quinn. Oh, and the Michigan defense had a big day, holding the inconsistent if pretty good Indiana offense to just 165 yards.
#2 Ohio State 54, Northwestern 10
318 yards for Northwestern? At least it was mostly through the air, or else I'd be even more concerned for the Michigan game. But there's obviously good news, as Troy Smith was back to his Heismanesque form, going 12/19 for 185, 4 TDs and a pick. If Smith had put up another bad game, there'd be very little drama for the Michigan game (well, except for all the, you know, drama), but OSU's kept some intrigue going.
Kansas State 45, #3 Texas 42
Texas actually still gained 421 yards, so the game was about statistically even, but one only wonders how they would've done with Colt McCoy. McCoy was actually 4/4 for 51 yards before being knocked down, and even though Jevan Snead threw for 190 and a TD, it was on only 13/30 passing. KSU QB Josh Freeman comprised the whole of the Wildcat offense pretty much, gaining 269 and a 3/1 TD/INT ratio. KSU has pretty much erased any images of that close season-opening win against Illinois State, while the McCoy injury puts some intrigue into that game against Texas A&M.
Georgia 37, #4 Auburn 15
Just when Auburn had put all my concerns about inconsistency to rest, Brandon Cox implodes for only 35 yards, a TD and 4 INT on 4/12 passing. The biggest thing to take from this game is Matthew Stafford finally having a good game, going 14/20 for 219 and a score. Georgia has some optimism going into the GT game, while Auburn's back down to what I thought of them a few weeks ago.
#17 Rutgers 28, #5 Louisville 25
Rutgers outplayed Louisville. RUTGERS. Rutgers? RUTGERS. Mike Teel was better than his 8/21 line would suggest, and Ray Rice is back to legit Heisman candidate after running for 131 and 2 scores. Just the way Rutgers came back from such a miserable first half, and how they were able to constantly get to Brohm...God. RUTGERS. They're legit, people.
#6 Florida 17, South Carolina 16
437-412 was the final yardage battle, so it was as close as the score. SC's two TDs surprisingly came on the ground, thanks to Mike Davis and his 94 yards. Both QBs had good days. There's really not much to say from the numbers, but Florida needs to tighten things up on defense. SC is a good team, but they seem starcrossed this year. Almost the anti-Maryland, but we'll get to them.
#7 USC 35, #21 Oregon 10
Oregon won both the turnover battle (3-2) and the yardage battle (407-356), but the latter is somewhat misleading. Both of Oregon's turnovers came in their own half of the field, so USC didn't have to go far to score. Not all that one-sided, as the Ducks were obviously able to get some stuff done against the USC D, but the Trojans seem pretty clearly the class of the conference, especially after the Cal loss. Line of the game: USC RB Chauncey Washington's 15 carries for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns.
#8 West Virginia 42, Cincinnati 24
Yawn. Cincinnati's a decent team, Slaton (148, 2 TD) and White (93, 2 TD) run over everyone. Nothing to see here, move along.
Arizona 24, #9 California 20
Only line of the game that matters is Cal QB Nate Longshore's: 17/36, 250, TD, 3 INT. Those 3 picks don't happen, Cal probably wins the game. Not a huge reason for worry for the Golden Bears; they're still a very good team, but downgraded from BCS contender to, well, that. Arizona could make a bowl!
#10 LSU 28, Alabama 14
Pretty close game, but LSU was the better team easily. John Parker Wilson was essentially the entire Crimson Tide offense throwing for 291 and 2 scores with a pick. JaMarcus Russell had an insane day, however, completing 18 of 21 for 207 and 3 scores. LSU is an insanely good 2-loss team. Bama...meh.
#11 Arkansas 31, #15 Tennessee 14
Tennessee has such bad rush defense that the Arkansas running back threw for a touchdown. Or something like that. So, yeah, Darren McFadden's line: 30 carries, 181 yards, 2 TD, and a 12 yard TD pass to Marcus Monk. A bad matchup for Tennessee, so nothing really's proven beyond the already known "these are two very good SEC teams."
#12 Notre Dame 39, Air Force 17
Same old, same old. Brady Quinn has another big day (14/19, 207, 4 TD) against a subpar defense, and the defense raises a lot of questions. This week's: How does Shaun Carney pass for almost as many yards (205) as Quinn?
#13 Boise State 23, San Jose State 20
SJSU QB Adam Tafralis (17/23, 273, 2 TD) had a good day, while Jared Zabransky (14/20, 181, INT) had one fairly worse. Of course, Zabransky was bailed out by RB Ian Johnson (29 car, 149 yards, TD), but the most important number for Johnson is probably "1 collapsed lung." The Broncos should be fine against Utah State, but that regular season finale at Nevada now looms.
#14 Oklahoma 34, Texas Tech 24
Nice rebound game for Paul Thompson, I'd say, as he had 309 and a 2/1 TD/INT on 24/31 passing. No other spectacular stat lines, but the OU defense had a good day, holding TTU to pretty much only their 250 passing yards. Which is pretty good for playing against the Red Raiders. Sooners are back, baby.
#16 Wisconsin 24, Iowa 21
Wisconsin failed to pull a mini-Michigan again and stop the Iowa run, but the Hawkeyes ran decently against the Wolverines, so...nevermind. Drew Tate had a good game (10/31, 170, 3/1 TD/INT), but his game looks worse when compared to Badger backup Tyler Donovan (17/24, 228, 2 TD). Wisconsin's obviously a pretty good team. Iowa, on the other hand, is just decent. No shame in that.
#18 Georgia Tech 7, North Carolina 0
...ugh. GT RB Tashard Choice (32 car, 119 yards, TD) had the only game worth mentioning.
#22 Nebraska 28, #19 Texas A&M 27
About even. Stephen McGee rebounded from a bad day to throw for 244 and run for 58, so good for him. Two pretty good teams, and if they played this game ten times, it'd probably go 5-5. Yep.
#20 Virginia Tech 23, Kent State 0
Three FGs and one of the TDs was by the VT defense. A rare blowout that doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
#23 Wake Forest 30, Florida State 0
Wow. Wake's defense just dominated here, holding FSU to 180 yards and forcing 4 turnovers. Just complete domination. Or complete offensive incompetency by FSU. Either or. I still don't buy Wake as a terribly elite team, but they're sadly as legit as anyone in the ACC, especially after GT and VT's dismal performances this week. They sure as hell beat Maryland.
#24 Boston College 28, Duke 7
Good for them. Not much to say. BC is indeed better than Duke.
#25 Clemson 20, NC State 14
Not exactly confidence-inspiring. Clemson needs QB Will Proctor to play well to return to form, but Proctor only had 146 yards and threw for a 1/2 TD/INT ratio. Thankfully for the Tigers, NCSU's Dan Evans played worse, going for only 95 and 2 picks. Basically, Clemson's playing at the end of the year how they usually do in the beginning.
Akron 31, Buffalo 16
Nice day for Zips QB Luke Getsy: 13/20, 272, 4 TD. Yep.
Arizona State 47, Washington State 14
Well these two teams are reversing fortunes quite quickly, as this was complete ASU domination. Wazzou could only gain 59 rushing yards, and Sun Devils QB Rudy Carpenter had a huge day, going 15/24 for 339 and a 3/1 TD/INT ratio. Damned if I know what to make of the Pac 10.
Oklahoma State 66, Baylor 24
Baylor QB Blake Szymanski (could've sworn it had more consonants last week) was a one-man team, but unfortunately got forced into 3 picks. The OK State racked up over 400 yards thanks to a rotating cast of characters. Baylor's lost without injured QB Shawn Bell, OK State could be a contender next year.
BYU 55, Wyoming 7
Completely one-sided. BYU QB John Beck: 20/26, 313, 2 TD. Yep, the Cougars are the second-best mid-major in the country.
Central Michigan 31, Western Michigan 7
Pretty one-sided. CMU's easily the elite team in the MAC. And I'm not sure what to make of that. Oh well, they'll probably lose next week. Stupid MAC.
Utah 35, Colorado State 22
The Utes had 526 yards, proving again that they are frustratingly inconsistent.
Connecticut 46, Pittsburgh 45 (2 OT)
Won on a two-point conversion, this will be the best game this year nobody saw. Including the 1/3 of my fellow UConn fans that left during the third quarter. For shame. DJ Hernandez looked like an actual I-A quarterback, going 20/29 for 164 and 4 TD, and ran for 130. And frosh RB Donald Brown gave even more hope for the Huskies' future, running for 205 and 2 TD. Really, the Huskies winning was astounding, especially in such an offensive shootout, as they failed to contain Pitt QB Tyler Palko (20/25, 234, 3 TD and 1 rushing) and RB LaRod Stephens-Dowling (154, 2 TD). Regarding this year, UConn's staring bowl-eligibility in the face, while Pitt is sliding as badly as anyone in the nation. As for the future, UConn's is now considerably brighter than it was (thanks to having an actual QB), while Pitt? Well, Wannstedt's recruiting gives reasons for optimism, the question is if Wannstedt's coaching will negate it.
Hawaii 61, Louisiana Tech 17
Colt Brennan is once again scary: 27/40, 406, 4 TD, INT. Oh, and 60 rushing yards and a TD on the ground. Yeesh.
Kentucky 38, Vanderbilt 26
Vandy won the yardage battle 641-627. Jesus. Most of it was passing, too, as Vandy's Chris Nickson threw for 446 (and a TD with 2 picks) and UK's Andre' Woodson outdid that with 450 and 4 TD. Vandy easily could've won this if not for turnovers; they had 2 fumbles in addition to Nickson's 2 INTs. Vandy could be very good very soon. Eep.
Maryland 14, Miami 13
Teams Maryland has outgained this year: William & Mary. ...yep. Not to say some of those haven't been close, but still, Maryland should be 5-5, not in the ACC title hunt. They're like the David Eckstein of college football. They're like, TAKE THAT, STATISTICS-MAN. WE KNOW HOW TO WIN! Sigh. And no you don't, apparently, as I doubt the strategy of "worse offense and worse defense than our opponents" will go very far.
Minnesota 31, Michigan State 18
Michigan State is inexplicably horrible. Well, it's kind of explicable, it's 95% coaching. Still, jeez.
Rice 41, Tulsa 38
Tulsa gained 568 yards, but 4 turnovers were the killer here. Rice is close to bowl eligibility. Really. Tulsa's still the #2 team in C-USA.
Southern Miss 31, Tulane 3
Tulane was held to only 85 yards. Well done, Golden Eagles. USM deserves to win the C-USA East, and hey, they control their destiny.
Stanford 20, Washington 3
=-o. But both teams suck. Washington's just lost without Isaiah Stanback. Sigh.
...the Steve Breaston show? The Michigan WR was probably offensive POTG, with 3 catches for 103 yards and a score. Mike Hart only had 19 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown, but that's still fine. And better than Troy Smith's worst games. I really don't get why Hart's not in the Heisman discussion, especially over Brady Quinn. Oh, and the Michigan defense had a big day, holding the inconsistent if pretty good Indiana offense to just 165 yards.
#2 Ohio State 54, Northwestern 10
318 yards for Northwestern? At least it was mostly through the air, or else I'd be even more concerned for the Michigan game. But there's obviously good news, as Troy Smith was back to his Heismanesque form, going 12/19 for 185, 4 TDs and a pick. If Smith had put up another bad game, there'd be very little drama for the Michigan game (well, except for all the, you know, drama), but OSU's kept some intrigue going.
Kansas State 45, #3 Texas 42
Texas actually still gained 421 yards, so the game was about statistically even, but one only wonders how they would've done with Colt McCoy. McCoy was actually 4/4 for 51 yards before being knocked down, and even though Jevan Snead threw for 190 and a TD, it was on only 13/30 passing. KSU QB Josh Freeman comprised the whole of the Wildcat offense pretty much, gaining 269 and a 3/1 TD/INT ratio. KSU has pretty much erased any images of that close season-opening win against Illinois State, while the McCoy injury puts some intrigue into that game against Texas A&M.
Georgia 37, #4 Auburn 15
Just when Auburn had put all my concerns about inconsistency to rest, Brandon Cox implodes for only 35 yards, a TD and 4 INT on 4/12 passing. The biggest thing to take from this game is Matthew Stafford finally having a good game, going 14/20 for 219 and a score. Georgia has some optimism going into the GT game, while Auburn's back down to what I thought of them a few weeks ago.
#17 Rutgers 28, #5 Louisville 25
Rutgers outplayed Louisville. RUTGERS. Rutgers? RUTGERS. Mike Teel was better than his 8/21 line would suggest, and Ray Rice is back to legit Heisman candidate after running for 131 and 2 scores. Just the way Rutgers came back from such a miserable first half, and how they were able to constantly get to Brohm...God. RUTGERS. They're legit, people.
#6 Florida 17, South Carolina 16
437-412 was the final yardage battle, so it was as close as the score. SC's two TDs surprisingly came on the ground, thanks to Mike Davis and his 94 yards. Both QBs had good days. There's really not much to say from the numbers, but Florida needs to tighten things up on defense. SC is a good team, but they seem starcrossed this year. Almost the anti-Maryland, but we'll get to them.
#7 USC 35, #21 Oregon 10
Oregon won both the turnover battle (3-2) and the yardage battle (407-356), but the latter is somewhat misleading. Both of Oregon's turnovers came in their own half of the field, so USC didn't have to go far to score. Not all that one-sided, as the Ducks were obviously able to get some stuff done against the USC D, but the Trojans seem pretty clearly the class of the conference, especially after the Cal loss. Line of the game: USC RB Chauncey Washington's 15 carries for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns.
#8 West Virginia 42, Cincinnati 24
Yawn. Cincinnati's a decent team, Slaton (148, 2 TD) and White (93, 2 TD) run over everyone. Nothing to see here, move along.
Arizona 24, #9 California 20
Only line of the game that matters is Cal QB Nate Longshore's: 17/36, 250, TD, 3 INT. Those 3 picks don't happen, Cal probably wins the game. Not a huge reason for worry for the Golden Bears; they're still a very good team, but downgraded from BCS contender to, well, that. Arizona could make a bowl!
#10 LSU 28, Alabama 14
Pretty close game, but LSU was the better team easily. John Parker Wilson was essentially the entire Crimson Tide offense throwing for 291 and 2 scores with a pick. JaMarcus Russell had an insane day, however, completing 18 of 21 for 207 and 3 scores. LSU is an insanely good 2-loss team. Bama...meh.
#11 Arkansas 31, #15 Tennessee 14
Tennessee has such bad rush defense that the Arkansas running back threw for a touchdown. Or something like that. So, yeah, Darren McFadden's line: 30 carries, 181 yards, 2 TD, and a 12 yard TD pass to Marcus Monk. A bad matchup for Tennessee, so nothing really's proven beyond the already known "these are two very good SEC teams."
#12 Notre Dame 39, Air Force 17
Same old, same old. Brady Quinn has another big day (14/19, 207, 4 TD) against a subpar defense, and the defense raises a lot of questions. This week's: How does Shaun Carney pass for almost as many yards (205) as Quinn?
#13 Boise State 23, San Jose State 20
SJSU QB Adam Tafralis (17/23, 273, 2 TD) had a good day, while Jared Zabransky (14/20, 181, INT) had one fairly worse. Of course, Zabransky was bailed out by RB Ian Johnson (29 car, 149 yards, TD), but the most important number for Johnson is probably "1 collapsed lung." The Broncos should be fine against Utah State, but that regular season finale at Nevada now looms.
#14 Oklahoma 34, Texas Tech 24
Nice rebound game for Paul Thompson, I'd say, as he had 309 and a 2/1 TD/INT on 24/31 passing. No other spectacular stat lines, but the OU defense had a good day, holding TTU to pretty much only their 250 passing yards. Which is pretty good for playing against the Red Raiders. Sooners are back, baby.
#16 Wisconsin 24, Iowa 21
Wisconsin failed to pull a mini-Michigan again and stop the Iowa run, but the Hawkeyes ran decently against the Wolverines, so...nevermind. Drew Tate had a good game (10/31, 170, 3/1 TD/INT), but his game looks worse when compared to Badger backup Tyler Donovan (17/24, 228, 2 TD). Wisconsin's obviously a pretty good team. Iowa, on the other hand, is just decent. No shame in that.
#18 Georgia Tech 7, North Carolina 0
...ugh. GT RB Tashard Choice (32 car, 119 yards, TD) had the only game worth mentioning.
#22 Nebraska 28, #19 Texas A&M 27
About even. Stephen McGee rebounded from a bad day to throw for 244 and run for 58, so good for him. Two pretty good teams, and if they played this game ten times, it'd probably go 5-5. Yep.
#20 Virginia Tech 23, Kent State 0
Three FGs and one of the TDs was by the VT defense. A rare blowout that doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
#23 Wake Forest 30, Florida State 0
Wow. Wake's defense just dominated here, holding FSU to 180 yards and forcing 4 turnovers. Just complete domination. Or complete offensive incompetency by FSU. Either or. I still don't buy Wake as a terribly elite team, but they're sadly as legit as anyone in the ACC, especially after GT and VT's dismal performances this week. They sure as hell beat Maryland.
#24 Boston College 28, Duke 7
Good for them. Not much to say. BC is indeed better than Duke.
#25 Clemson 20, NC State 14
Not exactly confidence-inspiring. Clemson needs QB Will Proctor to play well to return to form, but Proctor only had 146 yards and threw for a 1/2 TD/INT ratio. Thankfully for the Tigers, NCSU's Dan Evans played worse, going for only 95 and 2 picks. Basically, Clemson's playing at the end of the year how they usually do in the beginning.
Akron 31, Buffalo 16
Nice day for Zips QB Luke Getsy: 13/20, 272, 4 TD. Yep.
Arizona State 47, Washington State 14
Well these two teams are reversing fortunes quite quickly, as this was complete ASU domination. Wazzou could only gain 59 rushing yards, and Sun Devils QB Rudy Carpenter had a huge day, going 15/24 for 339 and a 3/1 TD/INT ratio. Damned if I know what to make of the Pac 10.
Oklahoma State 66, Baylor 24
Baylor QB Blake Szymanski (could've sworn it had more consonants last week) was a one-man team, but unfortunately got forced into 3 picks. The OK State racked up over 400 yards thanks to a rotating cast of characters. Baylor's lost without injured QB Shawn Bell, OK State could be a contender next year.
BYU 55, Wyoming 7
Completely one-sided. BYU QB John Beck: 20/26, 313, 2 TD. Yep, the Cougars are the second-best mid-major in the country.
Central Michigan 31, Western Michigan 7
Pretty one-sided. CMU's easily the elite team in the MAC. And I'm not sure what to make of that. Oh well, they'll probably lose next week. Stupid MAC.
Utah 35, Colorado State 22
The Utes had 526 yards, proving again that they are frustratingly inconsistent.
Connecticut 46, Pittsburgh 45 (2 OT)
Won on a two-point conversion, this will be the best game this year nobody saw. Including the 1/3 of my fellow UConn fans that left during the third quarter. For shame. DJ Hernandez looked like an actual I-A quarterback, going 20/29 for 164 and 4 TD, and ran for 130. And frosh RB Donald Brown gave even more hope for the Huskies' future, running for 205 and 2 TD. Really, the Huskies winning was astounding, especially in such an offensive shootout, as they failed to contain Pitt QB Tyler Palko (20/25, 234, 3 TD and 1 rushing) and RB LaRod Stephens-Dowling (154, 2 TD). Regarding this year, UConn's staring bowl-eligibility in the face, while Pitt is sliding as badly as anyone in the nation. As for the future, UConn's is now considerably brighter than it was (thanks to having an actual QB), while Pitt? Well, Wannstedt's recruiting gives reasons for optimism, the question is if Wannstedt's coaching will negate it.
Hawaii 61, Louisiana Tech 17
Colt Brennan is once again scary: 27/40, 406, 4 TD, INT. Oh, and 60 rushing yards and a TD on the ground. Yeesh.
Kentucky 38, Vanderbilt 26
Vandy won the yardage battle 641-627. Jesus. Most of it was passing, too, as Vandy's Chris Nickson threw for 446 (and a TD with 2 picks) and UK's Andre' Woodson outdid that with 450 and 4 TD. Vandy easily could've won this if not for turnovers; they had 2 fumbles in addition to Nickson's 2 INTs. Vandy could be very good very soon. Eep.
Maryland 14, Miami 13
Teams Maryland has outgained this year: William & Mary. ...yep. Not to say some of those haven't been close, but still, Maryland should be 5-5, not in the ACC title hunt. They're like the David Eckstein of college football. They're like, TAKE THAT, STATISTICS-MAN. WE KNOW HOW TO WIN! Sigh. And no you don't, apparently, as I doubt the strategy of "worse offense and worse defense than our opponents" will go very far.
Minnesota 31, Michigan State 18
Michigan State is inexplicably horrible. Well, it's kind of explicable, it's 95% coaching. Still, jeez.
Rice 41, Tulsa 38
Tulsa gained 568 yards, but 4 turnovers were the killer here. Rice is close to bowl eligibility. Really. Tulsa's still the #2 team in C-USA.
Southern Miss 31, Tulane 3
Tulane was held to only 85 yards. Well done, Golden Eagles. USM deserves to win the C-USA East, and hey, they control their destiny.
Stanford 20, Washington 3
=-o. But both teams suck. Washington's just lost without Isaiah Stanback. Sigh.
Week 12 Rundown: Tuesday and Wednesday
TUESDAY
7:00 PM
Ball State (3-7) @ Toledo (4-6)
Ew. Hanging in there with Michigan aside, Ball State hasn't been very good. Toledo's at least slightly outgained some opponents and is riding kind of a wave of momentum. Kind of. Who knows in the MAC, though.
My Pick: Toledo
Confidence (out of 5): 1
WEDNESDAY
7:30 PM
Miami of Ohio (1-9) @ Bowling Green (4-6)
BGSU's inconsistent. Miami of Ohio is pretty consistent, however, they're consistently bad.
My Pick: Bowling Green
Confidence: 1
7:00 PM
Ball State (3-7) @ Toledo (4-6)
Ew. Hanging in there with Michigan aside, Ball State hasn't been very good. Toledo's at least slightly outgained some opponents and is riding kind of a wave of momentum. Kind of. Who knows in the MAC, though.
My Pick: Toledo
Confidence (out of 5): 1
WEDNESDAY
7:30 PM
Miami of Ohio (1-9) @ Bowling Green (4-6)
BGSU's inconsistent. Miami of Ohio is pretty consistent, however, they're consistently bad.
My Pick: Bowling Green
Confidence: 1
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