The common belief is that the teams in the SEC are always beating each other up, thus knocking each other out of contention for a national championship. This weekend is the start of the beatings that will likely ensue for the rest of the season in that conference. High profile SEC matchups (Alabama vs. Arkansas and South Carolina vs. Auburn, to name a couple) will result in at least two of the SEC's seven currently undefeated teams to suffer their first loss of the season. At least one Top 15 team will go down. Thanks to the top teams in the conference beating on each other this weekend, there will likely be a major shakeup in the rankings come Sunday. They branded two weekends ago Monster Saturday, but this weekend could be as monstrous as any in the SEC. After tomorrow, we will have a much clearer picture of who are the contenders and who are the pretenders down South.
Top 5 Games to Pay Attention to This Weekend
#1 Alabama at #10 Arkansas (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET)
Last year, the Alabama defense shut down Ryan Mallett on their way to a 35-7 drubbing. This year the Razorbacks should be in a much better position to challenge the Tide. For Arkansas, it all starts with the turnaround on defense. A team that ranked last in total yards per game given up last year now ranks second in the SEC, behind only Alabama. Alabama is still very strong on defense, which should make it hard for Ryan Mallett to do a whole lot more than he was able to last year. If the defense for Arkansas is as improved on defense as the statistics suggest, they should keep this game close enough for Mallett to give them a shot at winning.
My Pick: 27-17 Alabama
#12 South Carolina at #12 Auburn (Saturday, 7:45 PM ET)
I was pretty sure that Clemson was going to be able to knock off Auburn last weekend, and if it hadn't been for Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker being injured the entire second half, they may have won that game. That is why am very confident that South Carolina will be able to do what their rivals could not last Saturday night. I don't think it was Clemson's defense that lost them the game. They just couldn't find a way to score points in the second half when they needed to. South Carolina has the tendency to have the same problem, but I believe that they won't even need to score that much in order to beat the Tigers.
My Pick: 24-13 South Carolina
#24 Oregon State at #3 Boise State (Saturday, 8 PM ET
Oregon State was able to keep the game against TCU close thanks to a couple of interceptions thrown by Andy Dalton. If the Beavers want to upset the number three team in the nation, they are going to have to force turnovers yet again. Boise's Kellen Moore was able to lead Boise over Virginia Tech thanks in part to the fact that he took good care of the football. If he is able to do that again, then the talent on the Broncos roster will probably be the difference in this game. Oregon State has gone as far as to practice on a blue field this week in preparation for the Smurf Turf, so if that doesn't say anything about the impact of playing in Boise for opposing teams, I don't know what does.
My Pick: 44-28 Boise State
#22 West Virginia at #15 LSU (Saturday, 9 PM ET)
Although they are 3-0, LSU doesn't really look like one of the best teams in the SEC this season. Even though they average over 28 points per game scoring, their passing game hasn't been all that productive. West Virginia, on the other hand, has had a surprisingly good passing game so far. This game will likely be a battle between LSU's defense (which has been solid) and West Virginia's offense, in particular the passing game. If this game were in Morgantown, I may go the other way with my pick. However, at home, LSU is going to need a collapse similar to the one they had against North Carolina in the second half in order to lose this game.
My Pick: 30-17 LSU
#5 Oregon at Arizona State (Saturday, 10:30 PM ET)
Arizona State did a nice job in Madison last weekend, coming within a blocked extra point of overtime with Wisconsin. This weekend the Sun Devils face an entirely different offensive attack. Oregon has been putting the pedal to the metal offensively in all three of their games this season, scoring an average of sixty-three points per game. It would be one of the shockers of the entire season if the Sun Devils were able to beat Oregon, and I'm not saying that it's going to happen. Just keep an eye on this game if Arizona State is still hanging around in the second half.
My Pick: Oregon 44-17
5 More to Flip To
#16 Stanford at Notre Dame (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET)
I think Charlie Weis could have started 1-3 with this schedule too...
Temple at #23 Penn State (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET)
Temple looks to be the class of the MAC. They have the capability of making this one interesting.
UCLA at #7 Texas (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET)
UCLA handled a Texas team last week. Can they make it two in a row?
Kentucky at #9 Florida (Saturday, 7 PM ET)
If this game wasn't being played at The Swamp, I would give Kentucky a much better chance of winning this game. Still, I think they at least have as much of a chance as Tennessee did last week.
California at #14 Arizona (Saturday, 10 PM ET)
The Pac-10 is weird. Arizona looked great last weekend, and Cal looked terrible. It could be the exact opposite this weekend, and I wouldn't even be all that surprised.
Storylines for the Weekend
North Carolina is cooked
Oh, how the tables have turned on the Tar Heels. Three weeks ago, they were getting ready for a game with the LSU Tigers, hoping that a win would be a proving point that they were one of the better teams in college football this season. Now, thanks to multiple suspensions handed out by the NCAA, the Tar Heels may just want to make it a goal to finish with a winning season. If North Carolina loses this weekend at Rutgers (which I believe they will), they will have a hard time not thinking of the 2010 campaign as a lost season. This is a sad but good example of what can happen when players receive improper benefits and are caught.
The Heisman race will begin to take shape
Right now, the Heisman bubble is still very fluid. After this weekend, we should have a better sense of who is really competing for college football's top individual prize. Ryan Mallett and Mark Ingram face off, which will undoubtedly result in one gaining a leg up on the other. Kellen Moore will get his second (and possibly last) shot to perform in front of a national audience to make his case as a Heisman contender. Terrelle Pryor has a chance to pad his stats against an Eastern Michigan team that is just plain bad. We're still weeks away from really knowing who is fighting for the bronze bust, but the conversation is becoming more relevant.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label arizona state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arizona state. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
NCAAF: Pac-10 Preview
Overview
The Pac-10 would like to be considered as one of the best conferences in the nation with the likes of the SEC and the Big 10. Some years, it can be argued that the Pac-10 is as good as those other conferences, but it may be hard to make that argument this year. Other than a couple of teams, the Pac-10 seems to be made up of a collection of teams that may routinely have trouble beating teams from the likes of conferences such as the Mountain West, both in the regular and post-season. Thanks to NCAA sanctions, transfers of key players, and as mentioned before, trouble with teams from so-called "lesser" conferences such as the Mountain West, the Pac-10 may be largely overlooked. They'll have to rely on their top tier teams to keep the buzz about the Pac-10 alive. If the top teams fall, then this conference will be lumped into the category with conferences like the Big East, ACC, and Mountain West. For the Pac-10, that is devastating.
Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship
Oregon
Due to their favorable schedule and the fact that they are ranked so highly in the preseason poll, the Ducks should be able to hang around in the national championship picture for most of the season. Losing quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss is a disappointment for Oregon, but not necessarily a major one. They still have a senior leader in quarterback Nate Costa, and one can argue that running back LaMichael James would've actually been more instrumental in Oregon's success this season had Masoli still been around. If Oregon can keep the ship upright during their last five games (their hardest stretch of games this season), they have a shot at playing for the national title.
Watch Out! (Team That Could Surprise)
Stanford
I was debating putting Stanford into the "Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship Bid", but for now I'll hold off on the bolder of predictions and just say that they could surprise people. Last season, I think that Toby Gerhart gave the impression that he was the Stanford Cardinal. While he was one of the best players in the nation, that just isn't true. Thanks to sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck and fifteen other returning starters, the Cardinal could be just as good as or better than last year if they improve their defense.
Out-Of-Conference Game To Watch
Oregon State vs. Boise State (September 25th)
The truth is, if Boise State wins their opener against Virginia Tech, the focus will be on them in this game. However, if Oregon State also comes into this game undefeated (they have to play TCU in Arlington, TX and Louisville), then they have a chance to be thrust into the Top 15 or higher with a win against the Broncos. The Rodgers brothers are upperclassmen, so if there is going to be a season that the Beavers ride them into a BCS bowl, this is it. A win against the Broncos would surely put them on track to do just that.
In-Conference Game To Watch
Oregon vs. Stanford (October 2nd)
Since USC doesn't matter this year, this game should be the marquee matchup of the year. Last season, this game was an offensive shootout that ended in a 51-42 upset win for Stanford. Considering Stanford's shaky defense, it could be a high scoring affair again, with the winner being the favorite to capture the Pac-10 championship. A lot can go wrong leading up to this game, but chances are this one will still have the nation's attention.
Conference Predictions
1. Stanford (10-2, [7-2])
2. USC (11-2, [7-2])
3. Oregon (9-3, [6-3])
4. Oregon State (8-4, [6-3])
5. California (8-4, [5-4])
6. Arizona (5-7, [3-6])
7. Washington (4-8, [3-6])
8. UCLA (3-9, [3-6])
9. Arizona State (3-9, [1-8])
10. Washington State (1-11, [0-9])
- K. Becks
The Pac-10 would like to be considered as one of the best conferences in the nation with the likes of the SEC and the Big 10. Some years, it can be argued that the Pac-10 is as good as those other conferences, but it may be hard to make that argument this year. Other than a couple of teams, the Pac-10 seems to be made up of a collection of teams that may routinely have trouble beating teams from the likes of conferences such as the Mountain West, both in the regular and post-season. Thanks to NCAA sanctions, transfers of key players, and as mentioned before, trouble with teams from so-called "lesser" conferences such as the Mountain West, the Pac-10 may be largely overlooked. They'll have to rely on their top tier teams to keep the buzz about the Pac-10 alive. If the top teams fall, then this conference will be lumped into the category with conferences like the Big East, ACC, and Mountain West. For the Pac-10, that is devastating.
Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship
Oregon
Due to their favorable schedule and the fact that they are ranked so highly in the preseason poll, the Ducks should be able to hang around in the national championship picture for most of the season. Losing quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss is a disappointment for Oregon, but not necessarily a major one. They still have a senior leader in quarterback Nate Costa, and one can argue that running back LaMichael James would've actually been more instrumental in Oregon's success this season had Masoli still been around. If Oregon can keep the ship upright during their last five games (their hardest stretch of games this season), they have a shot at playing for the national title.
Watch Out! (Team That Could Surprise)
Stanford
I was debating putting Stanford into the "Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship Bid", but for now I'll hold off on the bolder of predictions and just say that they could surprise people. Last season, I think that Toby Gerhart gave the impression that he was the Stanford Cardinal. While he was one of the best players in the nation, that just isn't true. Thanks to sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck and fifteen other returning starters, the Cardinal could be just as good as or better than last year if they improve their defense.
Out-Of-Conference Game To Watch
Oregon State vs. Boise State (September 25th)
The truth is, if Boise State wins their opener against Virginia Tech, the focus will be on them in this game. However, if Oregon State also comes into this game undefeated (they have to play TCU in Arlington, TX and Louisville), then they have a chance to be thrust into the Top 15 or higher with a win against the Broncos. The Rodgers brothers are upperclassmen, so if there is going to be a season that the Beavers ride them into a BCS bowl, this is it. A win against the Broncos would surely put them on track to do just that.
In-Conference Game To Watch
Oregon vs. Stanford (October 2nd)
Since USC doesn't matter this year, this game should be the marquee matchup of the year. Last season, this game was an offensive shootout that ended in a 51-42 upset win for Stanford. Considering Stanford's shaky defense, it could be a high scoring affair again, with the winner being the favorite to capture the Pac-10 championship. A lot can go wrong leading up to this game, but chances are this one will still have the nation's attention.
Conference Predictions
1. Stanford (10-2, [7-2])
2. USC (11-2, [7-2])
3. Oregon (9-3, [6-3])
4. Oregon State (8-4, [6-3])
5. California (8-4, [5-4])
6. Arizona (5-7, [3-6])
7. Washington (4-8, [3-6])
8. UCLA (3-9, [3-6])
9. Arizona State (3-9, [1-8])
10. Washington State (1-11, [0-9])
- K. Becks
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