Last Friday was possibly the worst day of the year for me. Well, actually, it was the worst day of the year. Starting with Alabama's complete meltdown against Auburn, and ending with Boise State's similar meltdown against Nevada, I realized that a dream had died. The outside chance that Boise State would meet TCU in the national championship, and thus become a catalyst for the progression of a playoff for college football, dissolved as quickly as Alabama's lead in the second half. While it is unlikely that there will be mass chaos in college football this year, my hope was renewed on Tuesday morning when TCU announced their intentions to leave the Mountain West Conference for the Big East starting in 2012. While this weekend may prove to be nothing more than going through the motions of conference championship games, let it be known that the dream has not completely, and never will, die.
5 Games to Pay Attention To
#1 Oregon at Oregon State (Saturday, 3:30 PM EST)
Before the beginning of the season when I gave my predictions for every college football team, I predicted that Oregon would end the season at 9-3. While that prediction was obviously off-base, one of the games I felt Oregon would lose was the annual Civil War battle against in-state rival Oregon State. After an entire season of observation of both teams, I no longer feel that is going to be the case. Oregon is only going to be beat by a team that can stop their high octane offense. In some of my previous Weekend Previews, I have felt confident about a few teams' chances against the Ducks (California, Stanford, Arizona, and Arizona State). Those teams have the best defenses in the Pac-10, and were the only teams in that conference, in my opinion, capable of bringing down the Ducks. Unfortunately, Oregon State has a defense that gives up a little over 400 yards per game, and ranks behind all the aforementioned teams in that category. With that being said, the only thing that supporters of chaos in the BCS can hope for is that the intensity of an in-state rivalry will motivate a sub-par Beavers defense to play far better than they have all season. While I'm in that category of fans, I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening.
My Pick: Oregon 49-35
#2 Auburn vs. #18 South Carolina (Saturday, 4 PM EST)
To start, let it be known that is it much tougher to beat a team the second time around. This game may not be as much about South Carolina being able to stop Auburn as it may be about them being able to exploit Auburn's defense. When Auburn has been in trouble this season, it has been because teams have picked on Auburn's weak defensive secondary. Alabama did it with Julio Jones, Georgia did it with A.J. Green, and South Carolina has already done it once this season with Alshon Jeffery. If Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia can hook up with Jeffery early and often, we may see something similar to last Friday to start the game. That will open up the running game, and could put Auburn in a precarious position in the second half. Alabama had the game against Auburn won; they just beat themselves. If South Carolina can start off similarly, it will be up to them not to self-destruct.
My Pick: 37-34 South Carolina
#20 Florida State vs. #12 Virginia Tech (Saturday, 7:45 PM EST)
Talk about a game featuring a couple of programs that have turned it around. Jimbo Fisher, in just his first season as head coach of Florida State, has led the Seminoles back to where fans in Tallahassee feel they should be every year. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has quietly reeled off ten straight wins since dropping their first two games of the year, which included a loss against FCS opponent James Madison. While this game has no implications other than a trip to the Orange Bowl, it is still an interesting matchup. Virginia Tech is still a team that relies heavily on the run, even though quarterback Tyrod Taylor is a duel threat that can beat you through the air. Florida State's chances of success will likely hinge on how senior quarterback and leader Christian Ponder plays. He has the ability to play like an All-American, but is unpredictable. If we get to see Ponder at his best, then this will be a great game.
My Pick: 28-20 Virginia Tech
#13 Nebraska vs. #10 Oklahoma (Saturday, 8 PM EST)
Like the ACC championship game, this matchup has no real implications other than a trip to a BCS bowl for the winner. For Nebraska, it would be a storybook ending to their time in the Big 12; a win against rival Oklahoma that would give them their first overall Big 12 title since 1999, just as they head off for the Big Ten next season. For Oklahoma, this game could be somewhat of a redemption game. After reaching number one in the BCS rankings late in October, the Sooners promptly fell from the top spot after a loss to Missouri. Then, Oklahoma was largely forgotten after a loss against Texas A&M two weeks later left them in danger of not even qualifying to play for the Big 12 Championship. If Oklahoma can get a win against the Cornhuskers, some of the sentiment that they are inconsistent against quality teams this season could go away. Nebraska, on the other hand, would like to prove that they do in fact bring an offense with them to games against quality opponents. Expect this to be a close one.
My Pick: 31-27 Nebraska
Connecticut at South Florida (Saturday, 8 PM EST)
You may be wondering why this is a top five game to pay attention to this weekend. Well, believe it or not, one of these teams is playing for an outright Big East crown. If Connecticut can win this weekend against the Bulls, they will be the Big East champions. At 7-4. With an automatic bid to a BCS bowl. While Michigan State, at number seven and 11-1, will likely not play in a BCS bowl. As unfair as it may seem, it isn't a sure thing that UConn will even win this game. South Florida has been competitive in all but one game this season, and even made their case as arguably the third best team in Florida by beating Miami last weekend. If the Bulls do happen to beat the Huskies, then they have the slim chance of being tied atop the Big East standings with four other teams. And you thought the BCS formula was a mess...
My Pick: 28-24 Connecticut
5 More to Flip To
#24 Northern Illinois vs. Miami (OH) (Friday, 7 PM EST)
The RedHawks have been the turnaround story of the season, after going 1-11 in 2009. Northern Illinois isn't your average MAC team, though...
SMU vs. UCF (Saturday, 12 PM EST)
See what kind of looks people give you if you tell them you're going to watch the SMU vs. UCF game. Seriously, try it...
Utah State at #9 Boise State (Saturday, 3 PM EST)
You thought Wisconsin ran up the score? I wouldn't want to be the team that has to play Boise State after the loss they endured last Friday.
Washington at Washington State (Saturday, 7 PM EST)
The Huskies can become bowl eligible for the first time in Jake Locker's career if they can beat rival Washington State for the Apple Cup. That would make a whopping four Pac-10 teams bowl eligible.
USC vs. UCLA (Saturday, 10:30 PM EST)
I honestly just ran out of games I thought were interesting.
Storylines for the Weekend
The Cam Newton Rule
The general feeling from people associated with college football is that the ruling on Cam Newton's eligibility sets a bad precedent. Assuming that college football does not realize this would be ignorant. If the NCAA were to rule Newton ineligible, then you can bet that there would be lawsuits filed by both the Newton family and the University of Auburn. Rather than deal with that mess, the NCAA just decided that it would be better to let Newton play, then institute a rule (which we'll dub "Cam's Rule" for now) that prevents such actions from occurring in the future. So, to all you fathers out there making calls to your "agent buddy" to discuss how much your son is worth this very moment, sorry. It's not going to be allowed next season.
My Conference Re-Alignment Predictions, Part II
My prediction as to what the college football landscape will look like in the near future in order to accommodate a playoff will be posted soon. Check back tomorrow, as I will hopefully have it posted by then. If you haven't seen my original prediction, you can read it here. However, be warned that my original predictions are pretty off-base with TCU's recent announcement to join the Big East.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label oregon state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oregon state. Show all posts
Friday, December 3, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Happy 100th!
If you don't understand the title of this post, here's the explanation: this post is my 100th on the blog. Although I only get about six views per week, and there are only about four die-hard readers of the blog, I can honestly say that it's those six views and four die-hard readers per week that have kept me writing. So, I'd like to extend a big thanks to you guys, and to anyone who has read even one of my posts. Hopefully my writing stimulates your mind, and keeps you interested in the many stories that are constantly developing in the sports world. That's really what opinionated journalism is all about. So, here's to 100 more, and hopefully bigger and better things in the future!
This weekend was an interesting one in college football. While I wasn't overly surprised about Oregon's close game with Cal, I think it finally opened the eyes of many people who are already placing the Ducks in the national championship game. They are beatable, and while Arizona and Oregon State may not instill the utmost confidence that number one will go down, we saw this weekend that it is possible. With every win, the pressure amounts for the Ducks. I honestly think that the Oregon State game will be the toughest of the year for Chip Kelley's team. The game will be played in Corvallis, and I think that Oregon State will be up for the game. It could make what has been an overly disappointing season for the Beavers little bit more bearable heading into the offseason if they could upset the Ducks.
Although people's eyes were opened to the fact that Oregon may not be untouchable, people still seem to be ignoring another team out West that may be just as good, if not better, than the Ducks. Last Friday, Boise State manhandled in-state rival Idaho, beating the Vandals 52-14. At one point, the Broncos were up 28-0...in the first quarter. It truly looked like a game in NCAA Football 11; the Broncos could do no wrong early on. Idaho isn't exactly a total slouch, either. Although the Vandals do have some defensive issues, this is a team that went to Nebraska earlier this season and gave the Cornhuskers fits the entire first half, before bowing out 38-17. I don't want to get into the cliché argument about Boise State's strength of schedule, but I am getting pretty sick and tired of hearing from all the Boise bashers that haven't even watched Boise State play other than against Virginia Tech. I know that most people have lives and don't watch the Friday night WAC battles, but thanks to my inability to get a date now and again, this source of entertainment is my best friend. The bottom line is, it doesn't matter who Boise State is playing; they look like a team capable of playing heads up with anyone in the country. Also, Boise has a date in a couple of weeks with a very solid Nevada team, who earlier this season took it to that same Cal team that gave Oregon fits this past weekend. One more thing; with every passing week, Boise’s win over Virginia Tech continues to look better. Since their 0-2 start, the Hokies are undefeated, and look to be headed for an ACC championship.
In other news, I think I may actually watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead this weekend. This is really one of the first races this season that I've actually been interested to watch. If you would have told me that three years ago, I would have said you were crazy. However, I think that sums up the state of NASCAR right now. Jimmie Johnson not being in the lead, yet having a chance, is the best thing that could have happened to the sport. Since Johnson began his tear of consecutive Spring Cup championships almost five years ago, the sport has lost a significant portion of its fan base, for multiple reasons. Although it's doubtful that one race will turn the tide in the right direction for NASCAR, ending the season with a potential thrilling points finish can't hurt the sport. When NASCAR implemented the Chase for the Cup system back in 2005, I'm sure that they thought this type of excitement at the end of the season would be the norm. Although it has been anything but (with the void-of-personality Jimmie Johnson racking in the titles with ease), it will be nice to see what we thought we were getting every year with the Chase for the Cup format.
Now that college basketball has begun, I thought that I'd mention one of my favorite events of the entire year. Starting November 16th (that's tomorrow) at 12 a.m., the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon will begin. Basically, ESPN will be broadcasting games all day, until 12 a.m. the next day. That's right; you can be sipping your morning coffee while determining whether the Monmouth team you're watching will be able to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Not only is this a cool event in that it is out of the ordinary, but it also gives teams (such as Monmouth) a chance to play on national television, which is an opportunity they may not have again until February, when ESPN does their Bracket Buster Weekend.
- K. Becks
This weekend was an interesting one in college football. While I wasn't overly surprised about Oregon's close game with Cal, I think it finally opened the eyes of many people who are already placing the Ducks in the national championship game. They are beatable, and while Arizona and Oregon State may not instill the utmost confidence that number one will go down, we saw this weekend that it is possible. With every win, the pressure amounts for the Ducks. I honestly think that the Oregon State game will be the toughest of the year for Chip Kelley's team. The game will be played in Corvallis, and I think that Oregon State will be up for the game. It could make what has been an overly disappointing season for the Beavers little bit more bearable heading into the offseason if they could upset the Ducks.
Although people's eyes were opened to the fact that Oregon may not be untouchable, people still seem to be ignoring another team out West that may be just as good, if not better, than the Ducks. Last Friday, Boise State manhandled in-state rival Idaho, beating the Vandals 52-14. At one point, the Broncos were up 28-0...in the first quarter. It truly looked like a game in NCAA Football 11; the Broncos could do no wrong early on. Idaho isn't exactly a total slouch, either. Although the Vandals do have some defensive issues, this is a team that went to Nebraska earlier this season and gave the Cornhuskers fits the entire first half, before bowing out 38-17. I don't want to get into the cliché argument about Boise State's strength of schedule, but I am getting pretty sick and tired of hearing from all the Boise bashers that haven't even watched Boise State play other than against Virginia Tech. I know that most people have lives and don't watch the Friday night WAC battles, but thanks to my inability to get a date now and again, this source of entertainment is my best friend. The bottom line is, it doesn't matter who Boise State is playing; they look like a team capable of playing heads up with anyone in the country. Also, Boise has a date in a couple of weeks with a very solid Nevada team, who earlier this season took it to that same Cal team that gave Oregon fits this past weekend. One more thing; with every passing week, Boise’s win over Virginia Tech continues to look better. Since their 0-2 start, the Hokies are undefeated, and look to be headed for an ACC championship.
In other news, I think I may actually watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead this weekend. This is really one of the first races this season that I've actually been interested to watch. If you would have told me that three years ago, I would have said you were crazy. However, I think that sums up the state of NASCAR right now. Jimmie Johnson not being in the lead, yet having a chance, is the best thing that could have happened to the sport. Since Johnson began his tear of consecutive Spring Cup championships almost five years ago, the sport has lost a significant portion of its fan base, for multiple reasons. Although it's doubtful that one race will turn the tide in the right direction for NASCAR, ending the season with a potential thrilling points finish can't hurt the sport. When NASCAR implemented the Chase for the Cup system back in 2005, I'm sure that they thought this type of excitement at the end of the season would be the norm. Although it has been anything but (with the void-of-personality Jimmie Johnson racking in the titles with ease), it will be nice to see what we thought we were getting every year with the Chase for the Cup format.
Now that college basketball has begun, I thought that I'd mention one of my favorite events of the entire year. Starting November 16th (that's tomorrow) at 12 a.m., the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon will begin. Basically, ESPN will be broadcasting games all day, until 12 a.m. the next day. That's right; you can be sipping your morning coffee while determining whether the Monmouth team you're watching will be able to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Not only is this a cool event in that it is out of the ordinary, but it also gives teams (such as Monmouth) a chance to play on national television, which is an opportunity they may not have again until February, when ESPN does their Bracket Buster Weekend.
- K. Becks
Friday, September 24, 2010
NCAAF Week 4 Weekend Preview
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
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
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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