Five must-see bowls, five snoozers

The 2009-2010 bowl season is sure to produce some interesting storylines, even if the games may not be great.  In the Sugar Bowl, a top five offense will clash with a top five defense.  In Dallas, a Cotton Bowl matchup features two teams with explosive offenses who both have to feel disappointed to be in that game.  The day after Christmas, USC will play a bowl game.  Six days later, Bobby Bowden will coach his final game, against his former team.  Three days after that, two non-BCS schools will meet in a BCS bowl.

Here, I give you five bowls to watch even if it means skipping work or family reunions, and five bowls with which you can hit the snooze button.

Sleep through…

5)  Chick-fil-A Bowl:  When Virginia Tech meets Tennessee on New Year’s Eve, things will get ugly.  The Hokies have to consider this season a disappointment, yet they have a chance for another 10-win season under Frank Beamer.  The Hokie defense will make life miserable for a vanilla Tennessee offense and should win comfortably.  Alternative suggestion: start your New Year’s Eve plans early.

4)  Fiesta Bowl: Is the BCS really this scared?  Two of the past three years, a BCS buster has knocked off a powerhouse.  So logically, the BCS puts its two undefeated busters up against each other as to not ruin this system by having another Oklahoma or Alabama fall in the spotlight.  I thought the point of these teams making it to a BCS game was to see how they matched up with BCS schools.  Now we’ll never know.  Alternative suggestion: rewind time and put TCU up against Georgia Tech and Iowa against Boise State.

3)  Texas Bowl: Navy still has one more game to play, meaning they lose two weeks of preparation on Missouri, whom they will play on New Year’s Eve in Houston.  Not only that, but Navy can’t throw the ball.  In fact, they won a game this year in which they didn’t even attempt a pass.  If they try to run, Missouri will stuff it (12th in the nation against the run).  If they try to throw, they will be out of their element.  On the other side, the Tigers have scored at least 32 points in five straight games.  It won’t be close.  Alternative suggestion: see Chick-fil-A Bowl suggestion.

2)  Gator Bowl: That’s really nice of the Gator Bowl to invite Bobby Bowden to play his last game there.  So cute.  Too bad the whole nation will be watching a different 1 p.m. New Year’s Day bowl instead.  Bowden and Florida State do not belong in this game after a .500 finish.  Not only that, but they are going up against a talented West Virginia team which ended the season with wins over Pitt and Rutgers, and a near shocker in Cincinnati.  The ‘Noles don’t have a defense, and West Virginia will exploit that early and often.  Alternative suggestion: watch ABC (see below for why).

1)  Emerald Bowl: Yes, the most boring yet comedic thing to watch will be Boston College trying to move the ball on USC’s defense.  Despite the Trojans’ struggles this season, the defense has been relatively stable against bad offenses, and Boston College’s is ranked 97th in the country.  Give Pete Carroll a month to prepare for anyone, and they’re in trouble.  The Eagles don’t have a chance, especially in San Francisco.  Alternative suggestion: leave one Christmas present unopened so you have something to look forward to the next day.

Must-see games

5)  Holiday Bowl: What a dandy this will be.  Heisman candidate Ndamukong Suh and the ninth ranked Nebraska defense faces a top 20 defense in Arizona.  Normally I like Nebraska in this game, but the game being in San Diego neutralizes things.  Arizona is riding high after winning at USC, and Nebraska is feeling good about their “win” against Texas.  Double digits may be enough to win this game.

4)  Rose Bowl: The best BCS matchup features the perennial Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes and…someone other than USC.  This alone makes it a must watch, but considering it’s the Ducks, a team that got white-hot after an opening night loss to Boise State, it should be a classic.  Terrelle Pryor and Jeremiah Masoli should set off plenty of fireworks.

3)  Las Vegas Bowl: It’s amazing that a team can go from playing on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl to playing in a bowl on Dec. 22.  But that’s exactly what happened to the Oregon State Beavers after a heartbreaking loss in Eugene Thursday night.  In comes BYU, a team with lofty expectations before being trampled at home by Florida State, then TCU.  And if there’s anyone who can take apart the Beavers, it’s underrated senior quarterback Max Hall, who is ahead of Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and Kellen Moore in passing yards per game despite fewer passing attempts.  Buckle up for an offensive explosion.

2)  Poinsettia Bowl: Ironically, last year’s Poinsettia Bowl featured Boise State and TCU, with a final scored of 17-16.  This year the San Diego bowl game should be equally entertaining.  Two teams ranked in the preseason top 25 meet, and this will be about Utah’s defense trying to stop California’s Jahvid Best, who will be returning from a concussion suffered last month.  Both teams are out to prove that early season losses were a fluke.

1)  Capital One Bowl: The best bowl game of the season takes place in Orlando on New Year’s Day.  LSU will face Penn State, and if you recall, things were looking up for these teams in November.  Penn State had Ohio State coming to Happy Valley for the conference championship, while LSU actually held a lead on Alabama.  Neither team came through though, and wind up here instead.  The key to this game is LSU’s defense.  They must hold Penn State down, because the Tiger offense, ranked #108 in the country, won’t have a lot of opportunities against Penn State’s eighth ranked defense.

College football picks – TCU falls

TCU has made its way through a cupcake schedule without a blemish so far, but they haven’t played a team like BYU yet.  The Cougars made a splash with a 14-13 win over OU in Dallas on kickoff weekend, then have quietly flown under the radar after a blowout loss to Florida State.  Max Hall has already thrown for over 2,000 yards, good for third in the nation.  Harvey Unga is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and has nine rushing touchdowns.  The offense is averaging 35 points per game.  All in all, this team is clicking.  Meanwhile, TCU has struggled, especially on the road.  They’ve won their three road games by a combined 23 points against teams that are a combined 10-9.  The offense finally woke up last week in the drubbing of Colorado State, but what they will be able to do against a good team remains to be seen.  Last year TCU knocked BYU out of the BCS picture with a 32-7 win in Fort Worth.  BYU will return the favor this year.

(9) LSU 32, Auburn 25

(22) West Virginia 38, Connecticut 21

(20) Pittsburgh 40, South Florida 20

(13) Penn State 24, Michigan 23

(16) BYU 28, (10) TCU 21

UPSET SPECIAL:  Tennessee 27, (1) Alabama 24

Last week:  3-3
Overall:  26-16
Upsets:  5-2

College football rankings – Oct. 19

Same $***, different week.

That’s about all I can say after finding out that the coaches inexcusably ranked Florida #1 despite a dreadful performance in Gainesville against inferior Arkansas.  They must not know about Alabama, the team with the number one defense in America.  The team that has held four of its past five opponents to 7 points or fewer.  The team with road wins against Kentucky and Ole Miss, a neutral site victory against Virginia Tech, and wins against South Carolina, and that same Arkansas team by 28.  Florida’s only good win has been LSU, and they could still lose three more times.  Point is, it should be the AP guys who have BCS influence.  They got it right.  Again.  The coaches aren’t paying attention.  Good thing I am.  On to the rankings…

1)  Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) – It was foolish of me not to have them #1 last week, but they left no doubt with a dominating 20-6 win over South Carolina.  All of a sudden, Florida can’t score on Arkansas.  How will they score on Alabama?

2)  Florida Gators (6-0) – Gator fans are sending personalized thank you cards to Alex Tejada after he single-handedly kept Florida unbeaten Saturday.  The Razorbacks had plenty of chances, but couldn’t close.  The Hogs recorded six sacks.

3)  Texas Longhorns (6-0) – Here’s another team I’m not sure about.  In a down year for the Big 12, Texas has sleepwalked through its first three games.  Outgained by OU 311-269, the ‘Horns need to figure out what’s wrong with “O” before OSU.

4)  Cincinnati Bearcats (6-0) - The Bearcats were very impressive in a 34-17 win in Tampa.  Ask West Virginia or Kansas about playing in South Florida during the week.  It’s not easy.  A bigger issue for Cincinnti is the health of QB Tony Pike.

5)  Boise State Broncos (6-0) – Boise State has played two pretty bad games in a row, and the BCS is laughing.  They won’t have to feel obligated to put the Broncos in the discussion if they keep winning by seven points with this schedule.

6)  Iowa Hawkeyes (7-0) – I’m sold.  I had this team pegged for three losses by now, but they just keep winning ugly.  They held Wisconsin to 230 yards of offense, controlled the clock and scored 20 unanswered points after falling behind 10-0.

7)  Miami Hurricanes (5-1) – The ‘Canes enjoyed their second breather in a row, cruising to a 27-7 win at Central Florida.  They should have a third cupcake this week with Clemson, but have to go to Wake, UNC and South Florida this year.

8)  LSU Tigers (5-1) – The Tigers enjoyed the week off in preparation for Auburn.  They’ve already beaten three BCS conference schools on the road – all by one possession – and still go to Ole Miss and Alabama this season.  Trouble.

9)  USC Trojans (5-1) – What is the love affair with USC?  Fourth?  Really?  Remember, this is the same team that lost to Washington, a team that is 3-4 now.  I will give them credit for road wins against Ohio State, California and Notre Dame.

10)  Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) – The loss by Oklahoma leaves Oklahoma State and Texas as the only two unbeaten teams in Big 12 play.  Assuming both take care of business this weekend, it should make for an epic showdown in Stillwater.

11)  Oregon Ducks (5-1) – The Ducks get two weeks to prepare for their trip up north to face Washington.  If they win, then comes a chance at virtually eliminating USC from Rose Bowl contention.  My my, if it wasn’t for that Boise State game…

12)  Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) – The Iowa loss looks more legit every week.  So does this team’s defense, holding opponents to 7 or fewer in five of seven games.  They still need to win out and get some help if they want to smell roses.

13)  TCU Horned Frogs (6-0) – After taking a few weeks off, TCU finally showed up against Colorado State.  They outgained CSU 499-182 in the 38 point blowout.  The game of the week this week is a Mountain West game as TCU heads to Provo.

14)  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1) - The Jackets put three SEC schools on the schedule this year and finish with 11 straight against BCS conference teams.  The huge win over Virginia Tech put them back in discussion for a BCS bowl.

15)  BYU Cougars (6-1) – Oklahoma and Florida State have been down, so the schedule hasn’t been as impressive as the Cougars would have hoped.  Still, the TCU game Saturday should put them in the national spotlight again.

16)  Houston Cougars (6-1) – It’s hard to believe that a one-loss Conference USA team could be ranked this high just halfway through the season.  But they’ve earned it after playing three BCS conference teams and winning them all.

17)  Kansas Jayhawks (5-1) – Right behind the number one offense in America is number two.  Reesing, Brizcoe and Meier did their part against Colorado, but the defense played really bad again.  It’s a Big 12 loss KU couldn’t afford to have.

18)  Virginia Tech Hokies (4-2) – Um, run defense?  Virginia Tech forgot to bring theirs to Atlanta, giving up 309 yards on the ground to Georgia Tech.  The Hokies’ schedule gets easier as they chase another ACC crown.  UNC is next.

19)  Pittsburgh Panthers (6-1) – Dion Lewis is going to be a Heisman candidate before his college career is over.  The freshman ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns in Pitt’s win at Rutgers.  He is up to third in the nation in rushing.

20)  Ohio State Buckeyes (5-2) – Purdue was just 1-5 on the year before pulling off the Ohio State upset, leaving Illinois has the only Big 12 winless team.  For the Buckeyes, winning out still gives them the conference title and a Rose Bowl berth.

21)  Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2) – Since losing back to back road games in their home state, the Red Raiders have outscored opponents 142-52.  In their first game out of the state, new QB Steven Sheffield ripped the ‘Huskers for three TDs.

22)  Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-2) – Nebraska got absolutely embarrassed by Texas Tech at home, and failed to take advantage of a Kansas loss in the process.  The normally stout defense allowed 31 points after allowing just 40 all year.

23)  West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) – After the Auburn loss, it didn’t look like the Mountaineers were going to be very good.  But they’ve managed a 5-1 start thanks to Noel Divine’s 6.4 yards per carry.  Nothing but Big East games remain.

24)  Utah Utes (5-1) - I’m still not convinced that this team can play with anyone in the top 25, but they’ve won the games they’re supposed to win.  They have road games against TCU and BYU two of the final three weeks of the season.

25)  South Florida Bulls (5-1) – The Bulls couldn’t get anything going, specifically in the second half, against Cincinnati.  They’ll have plenty of chances to jump right back in the mix with West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Miami still to come.

10 college football games I’d love to see

The nonconference season is over except for a few games sprinkled in here and there.  Here are 10 games I would have loved to have seen in 2009 but didn’t.

10 - Iowa State vs Auburn because if Gene Chizik loses to his former team, Auburn will fire him, then interview Tony Dungy, Barack Obama and Albert Pujols before eventually hiring Rush Limbaugh.

9 – Washington State vs Colorado because I want to know who is the worst team among the BCS conference teams.  Too bad they both have a win already.

8 – Duke vs Idaho because both teams have better records than Florida State, Colorado, Louisville and Illinois.  Which game would draw a bigger crowd – this game at Idaho’s Kibbie Dome or a Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor?

7 - Texas vs Mississippi because Jevan Snead could finally show Texas that they made a mistake by not playing him.  Just like he showed South Carolina.  And Alabama.  Now Texas is stuck with this McCoy guy, who by the end of the year will have more FBS wins than anyone.

6 - Florida vs St. Louis Rams because everyone knows it would be funny seeing Florida win.  It’s fair to put the Rams in this category right?  They certainly aren’t “pros.”

5 - Alabama vs Houston because no one will care that Alabama wins by 50.  Case Keenum vs the #1 defense in the nation is all that matters here.  Of course, he could throw for almost 600 yards and five touchdowns, and still lose the game (see UTEP).

4 - Nebraska vs LSU because the defenses may outscore the offenses.  And because Bo Pelini would probably get a warm welcome in his return to Death Valley, right?  All kidding aside, this would actually be a very good game.

3 – Texas vs Penn State because neither team plays anyone better than my middle school team out of conference.  And because it would be a joy watching these two coaches go easy on each other.  Neither knows how the BCS system works – a.k.a neither coach knows how to run up the score.

2 – TCU vs anyone in the top 25 because three point wins over dismal ACC schools won’t help your BCS cause.  Neither will three point wins over Mountain West schools, although that conference may carry more merit than the ACC.

1 – Boise State vs anyone in the top 10 because after the Broncos flee flicker four times, do football’s hidden ball trick and not have any players get punched after the game, the nation will know that this team deserves its title shot.

College football rankings – Oct. 5

Although I got my upset correct for the fifth straight week, I dropped the ball on LSU/Georgia.  Is it time I give the Tigers some credit?  They are 5-0 with four BCS wins, including an impressive victory over Georgia in which they allowed just 13 points to a team that had put up 93 in two games against the SEC before Saturday.  They move up on my list, but will likely drop back next week because…

1)  Florida Gators (4-0) – …the Gators are coming to town.  Tim Tebow still hasn’t been cleared to practice or play, but I think the Gators can still win the game on defense alone.  Win this and it should be a red carpet to the SEC title game.

2)  Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) – The AP writers and coaches still have Texas at #2, and I don’t know why.  Alabama was impressive yet again in a 38-20 drubbing of Kentucky.  Ole Miss will be a stiff test Saturday in Oxford.

3)  Texas Longhorns (4-0) – A tuneup game against woeful Colorado is a great way for Texas to open the Big 12 season before the Red River Shootout.  With other teams in the conference falling like dominos, the strength of schedule looks weak.

4)  Boise State Broncos (5-0) – It wasn’t the Broncos we had been used to seeing, but rain will slow down any offense.  Still, an 18 point home win over an FCS team is not what this program needs if it wants to get its title shot.

5)  LSU Tigers (5-0) – The Tigers faced their first true test of the season and passed with flying colors, holding Georgia to just 45 rushing yards and controlling the clock.  Maybe I was wrong about them.  Or maybe Florida will prove me right.

6)  Cincinnati Bearcats (5-0) - Moving the Bearcats down is not a penalty; they are just the victim of a weak schedule.  Jacob Ramsey rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns against Miami-Ohio.  Undefeated South Florida is next.

7)  Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1) – The Hokies survived a major scare in Durham Saturday, escaping with a 34-26 win over Duke.  The ‘Devils found a way to score more points against Tech (26) than Nebraska and Miami combined (22).

8)  Miami Hurricanes (3-1) – Be honest and tell me if you really thought Miami would get through the opening month gauntlet 3-1.  Wins over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma make a pretty impressive resume.

9)  USC Trojans (4-1) – They may be the best one loss team in the nation.  Or maybe California is just bad.  Either way, the Trojans looked good in a 30-3 route of the Bears in Berkeley.  Next is a bye week before going to Notre Dame.

10)  Kansas Jayhawks (4-0) – The offense is firing on all cylinders, but Mark Mangino probably wants to improve the D.  They have two gimme games to do so with Iowa State and Colorado as the first two conference opponents.

11)  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1) – They put the brakes on in Bloomington and still came away with a 33-14 win.  Terrelle Pryor threw three TDs and ran for one.  If they get by Wisconsin Saturday, they should be 8-1 going to Happy Valley.

12)  Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1) – Oklahoma State has time to make up some ground in the rankings with the Longhorns and Sooners still on the schedule.  But first it’s a trip to College Station to face always pesky Texas A&M.

13)  TCU Horned Frogs (4-0) – TCU rocked SMU 39-14 Saturday.  The defense is in the top 10 in the nation again.  Eight different TCU players ran the ball in the game, making quarterback Andy Dalton’s life very easy.

14)  Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0) – Iowa’s huge win over Penn State was nearly followed by a catastrophic loss to Arkansas State.  Nevertheless, they’re 5-0 headed into a tough stretch against Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

15)  Oregon Ducks (4-1) – The Ducks are trying to make the disaster in Boise seem like a distant memory.  Oregon ran for 318 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-6 route over Wazzu.  LeGarrette Blount may be reinstated in time for USC.

16)  Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1) – The Lions rebounded from the Iowa loss by spanking Illinois in Champaign.  Unlike previous games, the offense showed up in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points to put the game away.

17)  BYU Cougars (4-1) – For the second straight week, Harvey Unga had a monster game.  This week he ran for 118 yards and a touchdown as BYU put the clamps down on Utah State.  Next up is a trip to Vegas to face UNLV.

18)  Oklahoma Sooners (2-2) – What a disappointment this season has been for OU and its fans.  Starting #3 in the country, the Sooners are already out of national championship contention, although a third straight Big 12 title is still possible.

19)  Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) – Nebraska leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just seven points per game.  They are also averaging 40.  Combine the two and it’s a dangerous combination.  Big 12 play kicks off Thursday.

20)  Auburn Tigers (5-0) – It’s always tough to win at Tennessee, but Auburn did just that to improve to 5-0 on the year.  The next four games will challenge the Tigers, starting with Saturday’s road test at Arkansas.

21)  Mississippi Rebels (3-1) – Ole Miss rebounded from a tough loss in Columbia with a solid defensive performance in a 23-7 win at Vanderbilt, but Jevan Snead threw three more picks.  He’ll have to step up Saturday when “Bama rolls in.

22)  Houston Cougars (3-1) – Houston gave up 58 points against UTEP.  That won’t win any games.  To make matters worse people probably looked at Case Keenum’s numbers (51-76, 535 yards, 5 TDs) and thought Houston won the game.

23)  Wisconsin Badgers (5-0) – Wisconsin is winning ugly.  What’s new?  The fact is, they are 5-0 and seem to have found offense.  John Clay is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and has rushed for seven touchdowns already.  Ohio State is next.

24)  South Florida Bulls (5-0) – South Florida hasn’t played anybody yet, but they have five wins and look confident.  The one-two punch of B.J. Daniels and Moise Plancher are tearing up the ground game.  They host Cincinnati Oct. 15

25)  Missouri Tigers (4-0) – Like South Florida, the Tigers haven’t had a schedule yet.  But like South Florida, they’re undefeated and gaining confidence.  Blaine Gabbert is fourth in the nation in pass efficiency at 168.67.

Only Texas can save Big 12

The conference that was supposed to rival the SEC for nation’s best has taken a bigger dive than   after an all too disappointing nonconference season.  Only three teams made it through undefeated, and the conference came up on the wrong end of just about every big game it played in.

There’s no more fitting place to start than in Norman.  The Sooners are 2-2 after going 12-1 and playing for a national championship.  Both losses came by one point on national television.  One against a Mountain West school (BYU) and the other against an ACC school (Miami).  Granted they were ranked, away from Norman and without the Heisman winner.  Still, two big games, and two losses for the Big 12.

Nebraska had Virginia Tech on the ropes in Blacksburg before the blown coverage of the century bailed the Hokies out.  Texas Tech and Oklahoma State both lost to a Conference USA school (Houston), who just gave up 58 in a loss to UTEP.  Texas A&M got steamrolled by Arkansas, Colorado lost to West Virginia…and Toledo…and Colorado State.  Iowa State got trucked by in-state rival Iowa.  Kansas State lost to UCLA.  Baylor lost to UConn. Texas didn’t even schedule a game against a BCS opponent.

In fact, the conference as a whole is just 4-6 against nonconference BCS opponents this season.  No one outside of the Longhorns have a prayer of making the national championship game, and recruits can’t be excited by these games.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten has two undefeated teams, and neither are from Happy Valley or Columbus.  The ACC has two top 11 teams, and neither is Florida State.  The Big East has a 5-0 team in South Florida.  And the SEC has three of the top four teams in the polls.

Other conferences are thriving at the expense of the Big 12.  A conference with such high expectations has failed to live up to them.  Conference play kicks in full swing next week, and only Texas can save this conference now.  Winning out gives them a shot at Florida, and a shot to give this conference some respectability.

SEC/Big 12 football challenge

My friend Kyle came up with what I think is a genius idea, though I’m sure it’s been talked about before.  College basketball has the ACC/Big 10 challenge and the Big 12/Pac 10 hardwood series.  Why can’t college football do that?  Kyle wants it to happen, and came up with a way that in can happen – all in one Saturday.  The SEC would play the Big 12, the Big 10 takes on the Pac 10, the Big East tangles with the ACC, and even the smaller conferences get in on the action.  Check out what he says…

I wanted to find out how conferences in major college football matched up with one another.  Big 12 vs. SEC, Big Ten vs. Pac 10, ACC vs. Big East, C-USA vs. MAC, MWC vs. WAC, Sun Belt vs. everyone else…top to bottom.  Basically, the best team from one conference plays the best team from another conference all the way to the worst playing the worst to see which conference gains bragging rights.  I alternated East vs. West, North vs. South and Coastal vs. Atlantic where needed so it wasn’t unfair to one particular division.

This project was much harder than I originally anticipated.  I think I worked on it for three hours, but it was very fun.  It would appear that all of the conference match ups were fair as, according to my predictions, no conference beat another conference by more than two games.  I need more of the season to occur to make some of these calls.  Some of these teams are undefeated with two FCS opponents while some of them are 0-2 against Division 1 Powers.  I randomized which teams got home games and which teams got road games.  Then I realized it wouldn’t be fair (you probably won’t play the same team next year so you may have two or three straight years with this day as a road game).  Some of these games were ridiculously close to call.  Penn St. over USC was tough because Penn St. has played no one, and you know Pete Carroll would have the Trojans ready at Penn St. Ohio St. going across the country to Oregon was tough too because both teams are worse than originally anticipated (I know OSU played well against USC, but a four point home win against Navy?)  In some of those games, I went with the home team by default.  If you have problems with any of my picks, I have reasoning behind all of them and I’d love to hear your opinion.  This format did produce some very intriguing games.

The teams without an opponent will inevitably play each other.  This gave me the perfect opportunity to set up the annual event of Navy losing to Notre Dame (except for 2007).  Everyone else gets a Sun Belt team.  Fun Stuff.

Both Kyle and I made our picks for every game, and we listed them below.  Here are a few points to remember:

- There is no room for subjectivity here.  All of these games are determined strictly by 2008 season results using the formula 1v1, 2v2, ect., and our picks are based on the 2009 season’s teams.

- You will notice that, for example, in the SEC/Big 12 series, the #1 Big 12 South team played the #1 SEC East team.  That means the #2 Big 12 South team plays the #2 SEC West team.  This way it’s not just divisions playing divisions.  That means next year the #1 Big 12 South team plays the #1 SEC West team and alternates from there.

- Home field is determined randomly, then alternates after that.  For example, in the SEC/Big 12 series, the SEC East #1 team (Florida) got the home draw, meaning the SEC East teams #3 and #5 also get home, while #2, #4 and #6 are away.  In the West, #2, #4 and #6 are home.

- This whole weekend would have to take place sometime in September as to not interrupt the conference season.

And now on to the games and picks!

SEC vs Big 12

Oklahoma at Florida
Kyle:  Florida
Jaryd:  Florida

Alabama at Missouri
Kyle:  Alabama
Jaryd:  Alabama

Texas at Mississippi
Kyle:  Texas
Jaryd:  Texas

Georgia at Nebraska
Kyle:  Nebraska
Jaryd:  Nebraska

Texas Tech at South Carolina
Kyle:  Texas Tech
Jaryd:  South Carolina

LSU at Kansas
Kyle:  LSU
Jaryd:  Kansas

Oklahoma State at Arkansas
Kyle:  Oklahoma State
Jaryd:  Oklahoma State

Vanderbilt at Colorado
Kyle:  Vanderbilt
Jaryd:  Vanderbilt

Baylor at Tennessee
Kyle:  Tennessee
Jaryd:  Tennessee

Auburn at Kansas State
Kyle:  Auburn
Jaryd:  Auburn

Texas A&M at Mississippi State
Kyle:  Texas A&M
Jaryd:  Texas A&M

Kentucky at Iowa State
Kyle:  Kentucky
Jaryd:  Kentucky

Results…
Kyle:  SEC wins 7-5
Jaryd:  SEC wins 7-5

Big Ten vs Pac 10

USC at Penn State
Kyle:  Penn State
Jaryd  Penn State

Ohio State at Oregon
Kyle:  Ohio State
Jaryd:  Ohio State

Oregon State at Michigan State
Kyle:  Oregon State
Jaryd:  Michigan State

Iowa at California
Kyle:  California
Jaryd:  California

Arizona at Northwestern
Kyle:  Arizona
Jaryd:  Arizona

Minnesota at Arizona State
Kyle:  Arizona State
Jaryd:  Minnesota

Stanford at Wisconsin
Kyle:  Wisconsin
Jaryd:  Wisconsin

Illinois at UCLA
Kyle:  UCLA
Jaryd:  UCLA

Washington State at Purdue
Kyle:  Purdue
Jaryd:  Purdue

Michigan at Washington
Kyle:  Washington
Jaryd:  Michigan

Results…
Kyle:  Pac 10 wins 6-4
Jaryd:  Big Ten wins 7-3

Big East vs ACC

Cincinnati at Virginia Tech
Kyle:  Virginia Tech
Jaryd:  Cincinnati

Florida State at Pittsburgh
Kyle:  Florida State
Jaryd:  Pittsburgh

West Virginia at Georgia Tech
Kyle:  West Virginia
Jaryd:  Georgia Tech

Boston College at Rutgers
Kyle:  Rutgers
Jaryd:  Rutgers

Connecticut at North Carolina
Kyle:  North Carolina
Jaryd:  North Carolina

Maryland at South Florida
Kyle:  South Florida
Jaryd:  South Florida

Louisville at Miami
Kyle:  Miami
Jaryd:  Miami

Wake Forest at Syracuse
Kyle:  Wake Forest
Jaryd:  Wake Forest

Results…
Kyle:  ACC wins 5-3
Jaryd:  Tied 4-4

Conference USA vs MAC

Ball State at Tulsa
Kyle:  Tulsa
Jaryd:  Tulsa

East Carolina at Buffalo
Kyle:  East Carolina
Jaryd:  East Carolina

Bowling Green at Rice
Kyle:  Bowling Green
Jaryd:  Rice

Southern Mississippi at Western Michigan
Kyle:  Western Michigan
Jaryd:  Western Michigan

Central Michigan at Houston
Kyle:  Houston
Jaryd:  Houston

Memphis at Temple
Kyle:  Memphis
Jaryd:  Memphis

Akron at UT-El Paso
Kyle:  UT-El Paso
Jaryd:  UT-El Paso

Marshall at Northern Illinois
Kyle:  Northern Illinois
Jaryd:  Northern Illinois

Eastern Michigan at Tulane
Kyle:  Tulane
Jaryd:  Tulane

UAB at Kent State
Kyle:  UAB
Jaryd:  UAB

Southern Methodist at Ohio
Kyle:  Ohio
Jaryd:  Ohio

Central Florida at Toledo
Kyle:  Toledo
Jaryd:  Toledo

Results…
Kyle:  Conference USA wins 7-5
Jaryd:  Conference USA wins 8-4

Mountain West vs WAC

Utah at Boise State
Kyle:  Boise State
Jaryd:  Boise State

Louisiana Tech at TCU
Kyle:  TCU
Jaryd:  TCU

BYU at Nevada
Kyle:  BYU
Jaryd:  BYU

Hawaii at Air Force
Kyle:  Air Force
Jaryd:  Air Force

Colorado State at Fresno State
Kyle:  Fresno State
Jaryd:  Fresno State

San Jose State at UNLV
Kyle:  UNLV
Jaryd:  UNLV

New Mexico at Utah State
Kyle:  Utah State
Jaryd:  Utah State

New Mexico State at Wyoming
Kyle:  Wyoming
Jaryd:  Wyoming

San Diego State at Idaho
Kyle:  Idaho
Jaryd:  Idaho

Results…
Kyle:  Mountain West wins 5-4
Jaryd:  Mountain West wins 5-4

Sun Belt, Independence and Leftovers

Navy at Notre Dame
Kyle:  Notre Dame
Jaryd:  Notre Dame

Troy at Indiana
Kyle:  Indiana
Jaryd:  Troy

Louisiana-Lafayette at Clemson
Kyle:  Clemson
Jaryd:  Clemson

Florida Atlantic at N.C. State
Kyle:  N.C. State
Jaryd:  N.C. State

Arkansas State at Virginia
Kyle:  Arkansas State
Jaryd:  Arkansas State

Florida International at Duke
Kyle:  Florida International
Jaryd:  Duke

Middle Tennessee State at Miami-Ohio
Kyle:  Middle Tennessee State
Jaryd:  Miami-Ohio

Louisiana-Monroe at Army
Kyle:  Army
Jaryd:  Army

Western Kentucky at North Texas
Kyle:  North Texas
Jaryd:  North Texas

Now what a weekend that would be!

College football rankings – Sept. 21

Washington should not be in the AP Top 25.  But if you’re still deciding between the AP and Coaches Poll, please choose AP.  The coaches still have USC in the top ten, Georgia as high as #17, North Carolina right behind them at #18, Missouri at #21 and Florida State at #25.  If you want a reason to complain about the BCS, look no further than these goons who somehow get to have a third of the influence in those rankings.  If you want an accurate poll, keep reading.

1)  Florida Gators (3-0) – Okay, so the Gators looked mortal on Saturday and now everyone is up in arms about their legitimacy.  So what if they only won by 10?  It’s the SEC, everyone comes to play.  Their first road game is this week.

2)  Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) – The Tide rocked North Texas 53-7, but I’m a little concerned because they only rushed for 260 yards.  Were they playing with Swine Flu?  All jokes aside, this team looks good.  SEC play starts Saturday.

3)  Texas Longhorns (3-0) – Colt McCoy looked terrible for much of the game, but the bottom line is a win is a win, especially revenge against Texas Tech.  The offense made some halftime adjustments, and the defense was good enough.

4)  Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) – The best defense in the nation strikes again.  For the third straight week, the D gave up single digits.  I hate their schedule though.  Four non-league games, all at home against weak teams.  Gross.

5)  California Golden Bears (3-0) – With USC’s loss, Cal takes a stranglehold on the Pac 10.  The offense wasn’t nearly as dominant in Minnesota, but they did enough to win.  Their first three Pac 10 games are against Oregon, USC and UCLA.

6)  Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) – This is the best 2-1 team in the history of college football.  It looks more and more like the Sooners will be fine with Landry Jones.  They’ve outscored their last two opponents 109-0, and have a bye before Miami.

7)  Boise State Broncos (3-0) – I think it’s safe to say they’ve found their offense is back, averaging 49.5 points per game since the ugly Oregon win.  But where was the defense in Fresno?  The Bulldogs put up 507 yards and 34 points.

8)  Mississippi Rebels (2-0) – They may have played well this week, but it was Southeastern Louisiana, so don’t think I’ve forgotten about the Memphis game.  We know they can score, but can the defense hold up against an SEC opponent?

9)  Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1) – Virginia Tech was outplayed by a better Nebraska team and got bailed out by blown coverage.  I don’t think they can hang with most top 25 teams, but for now they have to be here because of the schedule.

10)  LSU Tigers (3-0) - LSU jumps Oklahoma State simply because they’re undefeated, but there’s just something not right about them.  They aren’t explosive offensively, yet they’re winning.  They also beat the team that beat USC.

11)  Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) – The offense didn’t look nearly as explosive, but they were able to win on the road in the Pac 10.  Tony Pike had another nice day, going 31-49 for 332 yards, and the defense had another strong showing.

12)  USC Trojans (2-1) – I really hate putting USC here because they should be lower after that inexcusable loss.  But they can’t be behind the Buckeyes yet because they won that game, and we all know they’re out for blood now.

13)  Houston Cougars (3-0) – Houston has to love the scheduling gods.  After winning at Oklahoma State, the Cougars got the benefit of a bye week while their opponent this week, Texas Tech, had to go to Austin.

14)  Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) – The Bucks played their first complete game of the season in a 38-0 route at Toledo.  The USC loss looks worse now, but they should be safe until the Nov. 7 showdown in Happy Valley.

15)  Miami Hurricanes (2-0) – Miami impresses me more every week.  Two wins over two ranked opponents have Miami climbing fast.  Jacory Harris and company better be ready.  Virginia Tech is next in Blacksburg.

16)  Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1) – If teams are supposed to get better every week, Mike Gundy should be furious.  His Cowboys looked good beating Georgia, then lost to Houston and sleepwalked through the Rice game.

17)  Kansas Jayhawks (3-0) – The Jayhawks keep rocking, this time overcoming a slow start to put away Duke.  Todd Reesing has 806 yards with six touchdowns, and Dezmon Briscoe is averaging 20 yards per catch.

18)  TCU Horned Frogs (2-0) – All of a sudden TCU has the Mountain West bullseye after Utah and BYU fell last week.  The Horned Frogs rushed for seven touchdowns against Texas State-San Macros.

19)  Georgia Bulldogs (2-1) – The Bulldogs looked terrible offensively against Oklahoma State, then decided to light off the fireworks en route to a 2-0 SEC start.  The latest victim was Arkansas, who gave up 530 yards to the ‘Dogs.

20)  North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) – It took a late fourth quarter surge for North Carolina to pull away from East Carolina.  It gets tougher for the ‘Heels now, starting this week at Georgia Tech.

21)  BYU Cougars (2-1) – This team surprised me the most in week three.  As good as the defense has played all year, BYU let an inept FSU team walk into Provo and make them look like a joke.  Bye, bye, BCS.

22)  Pittsburgh Panthers (3-0) – The Pitt Panthers got their third win, but Navy didn’t make it easy.  Nevertheless, Pitt’s 3-0 and playing well.  Dion Lewis is sixth in the nation in rushing at 132 yards per game.

23)  Michigan Wolverines (3-0) – Rich Rod’s team is one win away from eclipsing last season’s win total.  The Wolverines have one more tuneup game this week before two tough road games in East Lansing and Iowa City.

24)  Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1) – Nebraska dominated Virginia Tech for 59 minutes, then forgot that they were supposed to actually cover Va Tech receivers.  Still, this team is dangerous.  Bo Pelini has them playing Husker football again.

25)  Auburn Tigers (3-0) – This spot is wide open in my rankings, but for now I’m giving it to the Tigers.  Auburn lit up West Virginia for 41 points, and they are one of four SEC West teams without a loss.

College Football Rankings – Sept. 15

Houston, I have a problem.  My problem is that I feel obligated to rank you after your dominating performance in Stillwater.  Yes I called it.  But now I have to back up my upset special by accurately ranking you among the big boys.  Welcome to the big show.  We’ll see how long you stay.

1)  Florida Gators – The Gators didn’t let a sluggish start keep them from their second straight 50+ point victory.  Tim Tebow threw four touchdowns and ran for another against Troy.  Tennessee is the next victim in the SEC opener.

2)  USC Trojans – The Trojans get the nod here after a gutty performance at the Horseshoe.  I picked Ohio State to win, but USC’s defense got the job done, and Matt Barkley’s last drive was mighty impressive.

3)  Texas Longhorns – I wanted to put Alabama here because they’ve had a more impressive resume to date.  Then Texas actually showed up, outscoring Wyoming 28-0 in the second half on the road.

4)  Alabama Crimson Tide – After the big win in Atlanta, the Tide had a major first half letdown before recovering in a 40-14 win over FIU.  For the second straight week, ‘Bama’s ground game racked up nearly 300 yards.

5)  Penn State Nittany Lions – The offense hasn’t been flashy, but when has that ever been the case?  Penn State shut down Greg Paulus and Syracuse, and four touchdowns was plenty.

6)  Boise State Broncos – Defense!  Defense!  Defense!  That seems to be the new motto this season in Boise following a shutout of Miami-Ohio.  The offense didn’t look too shabby either, putting up 48.

7)  BYU Cougars – In their second straight game played in an NFL stadium, the Cougars carried their momentum over from the OU game and whipped Tulane 54-3.  Florida State comes to Provo next for the home opener.

8)  Oklahoma Sooners – Yea, they’ll be okay.  Idaho State came at the right time on the schedule as Landry Jones got a good tuneup, throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns in a 64-0 route.

9)  California Golden Bears – Cal looks good.  Jahvid Best ran for 144 more this week as the Bears put up 59 against Eastern Washington.  The USC game could be a battle of unbeatens.

10)  Mississippi Rebels – I have a policy not to move any teams up or down in the rankings this early in the season if they don’t play.  This week should be a breeze before opening the SEC schedule with two raod games.

11)  Virginia Tech Hokies – Va Tech rebounded from a tough loss to ‘Bama with a thrashing of Marshall in the home opener.  Ryan Williams racked up three more rushing touchdowns, giving him five on the year.

12)  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – It wasn’t pretty.  At times, it was ugly.  But Georgia Tech sure made it a dramatic finish after blowing a 24 point lead by coming from behind to start the ACC season 1-0.

13)  Houston Cougars – Go ahead, call me ridiculous for putting the Cougars here.  But they did put up five more touchdowns in Stillwater than Georgia did, highlighted by a 21 point fourth quarter.

14)  Oklahoma State Cowboys – I’m honestly not shocked.  The defense looked good against Georgia, but I knew they had holes, and it showed Saturday.  They play in the best division in the NCAA, so there are opportunities to right the ship.

15)  LSU Tigers – For the second straight week, the Tigers scored a lackluster win over a low-level power conference school.  But in a rebuilding year winning is all that matters.  Going to Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss won’t be easy though.

16)  Cincinnati Bearcats – Forget that it was Southeast Missouri.  The Bearcats put up 70 and are absolutely on fire.  New quarterback Tony Pike has thrown three touchdowns in each of his first two games.

17)  Ohio State Buckeyes – No need to move these guys down too far.  They put up a gutsy fight against USC when many thought they’d get wiped out.  The schedule gets very easy for a while, so they’ll be creeping back up.

18)  TCU Horned Frogs – William and Mary beat Virginia in the opener, so given that, I was expecting more from TCU.  Nevertheless, winning in an ACC stadium is another step in the right direction for the Mountain West.

19)  Kansas Jayhawks – Kansas may be the best team never to crack the top 10 this season.  I’m in love with their offense, and the D showed up in El Paso too.  Winning a Big 12 South game would be a huge step.

20)  Nebraska Cornhuskers – Wherever Kansas is, you can be sure that Nebraska is right behind.  As I said last week, the teams are almost identical.  It could all change next week though when the Cornhuskers go to Virginia Tech.

21)  North Carolina Tar Heels – As impressed as I was with the Heels in week one, I was equally unimpressed with their effort at UConn.  A holding penalty by the Huskies bailed UNC out, but where was the offense?

22)  Georgia Bulldogs – I gave them the benefit of the doubt after losing to Oklahoma State on the road, but they came home and nearly lost to South Carolina.  The Bulldogs showed they can score, but the defense looked terrible.

23)  Pittsburgh Panthers – I’m still trying to figure out how Pitt beat Buffalo by 27.  Buffalo had over 100 more yards, more third down conversions, and more time of possession.  Ah, must have been turnovers.  The Panthers’ defense needs work.

24)  Michigan Wolverines – Freshman Tate Forcier completed 70 percent of his passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns as Michigan downed ranked Notre Dame.  The schedule is pillow soft for a while, so expect this team to rise more.

25)  Miami Hurricanes – They get a bye week after the big win in Tallahassee.  Next up is the home opener against Georgia Tech on Thursday night.  We’ll see if Jacory Harris can repeat the magic against another ACC opponent.

College Football Rankings – Sept. 8

A pathetic week of picks in which I only won four of my six games was saved by Miami coming through with three fourth quarter touchdowns to upset Florida State in Tallahassee.  It also earned them a spot in my top 25, which should at least count for something when you thinking about some of the rankings out there (see Coaches Poll).  On to my first rankings:

1)  Florida Gators – They are #1 if they keep winning.  Especially if they keep winning like that.  Next up – Troy.  Remind me to start my week two rankings at halftime.

2)  Alabama Crimson Tide – Greg McElroy sat behind Chase Daniel in high school, then won a state title as a starter.  Last year he sat behind John Parker Wilson.  Is there a trend here?

3)  Texas Longhorns – Alabama’s huge win combined with a nonchalant fourth quarter from the Longhorns puts them #3.  You would think after last year Mack Brown would know not to put it on cruise control.

4)  USC Trojans – 347 yards and six touchdowns on the ground sure is a good way to break in a true freshman quarterback.  I wonder what San Jose State was thinking leading 3-0 in the second quarter…

5)  Oklahoma State Cowboys – All the talk about offense, but the story here was defense in the new stadium.  The Bulldogs managed just three points after the first quarter.

6)  Penn State Nittany Lions – Joe Pa gains a game on Bobby despite losing the second half 7-0.  I’m convinced that the team leading 31-0 and giving up just eight yards at halftime is the team we’ll see a lot of.

7)  Boise State Broncos – Much like Oklahoma State, the Broncos put their offensive toys on hiatus and broke out the big D, holding Oregon without a first down until midway through the third quarter.

8)  BYU Cougars – You aren’t going to like two non-power schools in my top eight, but a win is a win, even without the Heisman winner in the game.  What a boost for the Mountain West.

9)  Oklahoma Sooners – Sam Bradford is expected to miss only 2-4 weeks.  With two easy home games and a bye, the Sooners have time to right the ship before the showdown in Miami.

10)  Mississippi Rebels – For three quarters I wasn’t convinced.  But the offense cranked up the jets in the fourth as Jevan Snead threw two touchdown passes in less than two minutes as Ole Miss ran away from Memphis late.

11)  California Golden Bears – Bradford’s injury could shine light on Jahvid Best, who ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries as Cal ripped Maryland by 39.

12)  Virginia Tech Hokies – Alabama’s offense should not be rushing for 300 yards against anybody, but Virginia Tech’s defense looked surprisingly soft.  At least this loss is better than last season’s week one fiasco.

13)  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – This is where the list of teams I was impressed with ends.  Georgia Tech is the best of the second tier teams after doing nothing impressive in a 20 point win over a FCS team.

14)  North Carolina Tar Heels – I’m giving Carolina the benefit of a high ranking after seeing how well The Citadel plays against other power conference teams early in the year in the past.

15)  Ohio State Buckeyes – It’s very unusual to see a Buckeye team lay an egg so early like they nearly did.  Next week’s showdown with USC will tell us a lot about what kind of Ohio State team this is.

16)  LSU Tigers – Nearly losing to Washington is inexcusable, even on the road.  That team went 0-12 last season.  Let’s hope SEC nation isn’t banking on this team to knock of Florida.

17)  Georgia Bulldogs – They weren’t supposed to beat Oklahoma State, but you have to be a bit concerned with the lack of offense against a Cowboy defense that isn’t very good.  No Stafford.  No Moreno.  Big problems?

18)  Notre Dame Fighting Irish – I don’t think anyone saw 35-0 coming.  Jimmy Clausen could be the way-too-early favorite for Heisman after throwing for 315 yards and four touchdowns against Nevada.

19)  TCU Horned Frogs – TCU is ready to jump into the Mountain West party.  BYU and Colorado State picked up wins over Big 12 schools, and TCU will visit two ACC schools over three weeks starting with the opener at Virginia Saturday.

20)  Kansas Jayhawks – This team is going to be better than where they’re ranked now, and we saw a glimpse of it Saturday.  We know about Reesing and the receivers, but how about five rushing TDs?

21)  Nebraska Cornhuskers – Nebraska and Kansas won by identical 49-3 scores.  Each starting QB threw two TDs and each team had five rushing TDs.  Can we fast forward to Nov. 14?

22)  Utah Utes – I want to give this team respect after last season, but a 35-17 win over Utah State isn’t doing it for me.  They could go undefeated again, but winning them all like that is ugly.

23)  Cincinnati Bearcats – The Bearcats surprised me by winning at Rutgers…by 32.  That’s right.  The defending Big East champs picked up right where they left off and then some.  They get West Virginia and Louisville at home.

24)  Pittsburgh Panthers – Right behind Cincinnati is Pittsburgh, which opened with an impressive week one win as well.  The Big East is wide open, but I think it comes down to Bearcats at Panthers on the season’s final day.

25)  Miami Hurricanes – A nice win at Florida State gives this team a shot in the arm to start the season.  Things don’t get any easier with Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma on the schedule next.