I led last week’s Autumn Wind with this: “The giants will fall – it’s just a matter of when, to whom, and who’s left standing at the end.” Well, the madness that is the end of the college football season has officially started. Stanford, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Michigan all went down, and A&M was trying to figure out a way to lose. And this weekend we’ve a very good UCF team @ Louisville (who hasn’t looked that impressive the last couple of weeks), Florida @ 6-0 Mizzou, undefeated UCLA traveling to the Farm to face a pissed off Stanford team, and of course Florida State at Clemson. The Top-10 was pretty much unchanged until this weekend. Safe to say we’re gonna see some changes again. With the exception of Oregon and Alabama who are both once again 4+ TD favorites.
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 7 Top-10 recap:
1. Texas finally showed up for the Red River Rivalry and took down Oklahoma. Mack Brown has saved his job for now, and don’t look now, but Texas is tied atop the Big 12. Not a bad place to be after week 7. But, it’s been proven so far that no one really wants to win the Big 12, so don’t be surprised if Baylor or Texas Tech wind up winning the conference and their BCS bowl spot.
2. Georgia was living dangerously with that crappy defense all year, and with all of the injuries and with running up against a red hot Missouri team, their number was up. Is Missouri going to compete for the SEC and the BCS? No. Did they actually help sort things out by beating Georgia? Yes. We no longer have to look at Georgia as the best one loss team out there. And, very impressive start by Missouri.
3. Call it a look-ahead game, or call it trouble in the making, but Clemson barely getting by Boston College is not a good sign coming up on the big weekend against Florida State. But, a win is a win no matter what; something Oklahoma, Michigan, Georgia, and Stanford would agree with.
4. Georgia’s loss to Missouri and Florida’s loss to LSU has South Carolina saying “remember us?” The Gamecocks seem to be playing better since they’re not in the spotlight anymore, but that’s soon to change. Maybe Clowney will quit being a baby and start playing like a pro? Otherwise, I think his draft stock is falling faster than….well, I promised years ago, I’d try to keep politics out of the Autumn Wind; so just insert either the House GOP or Obama’s approval rating. Oops. I went there.
5. Speaking of oops, Stanford ran into its match @ Utah. Let’s not be mistaken here, this was an upset, but not a huge one. Utah was only a nine point dog, and they play a similar style as Stanford. I was very high on Stanford this year, but after struggling against Army, and nearly letting ASU come back from a huge deficit, it was clear they weren’t going to compete for a National Championship. They can, however, play spoiler once again, to Oregon in the PAC-12 North.
6. But, Oregon shows no signs of slowing down. And while Washington gave them a game through three quarters, the Ducks finally had to play a fourth quarter; and wound up running away with it again. Oregon is licking its chops (do ducks have chops?) for a match-up against Alabama in the Championship.
7. Despite giving up 42 to A&M, Alabama is back in familiar territory; 2nd in the NCAA in scoring defense and once again in the Top-10 in total defense. I still think LSU is going to beat Alabama, or if not, South Carolina in the SEC Championship, but I do admit that Saban has taken this team to new levels. After the 2010 Championship team, Saban admitted the following year failures were his fault, and that he wouldn’t let that happen again. All he’s done (well, the team) is rattle off two more titles and in contention for a third straight. It’s good to be a Tide fan. But wait, isn’t the third weekend in October coming up?
8. The Michigan & Penn State game was an instant classic, and while Michigan was another undefeated team to lose this weekend, it’s almost like the pollsters saw it coming. The Wolverines kept beating everyone, but never really moved up in the polls. The Penn State program is rebounding incredibly well from the sanctions put in place after that awful situation that I’d rather not talk about.
9. Georgia was living dangerously all year with that great offense, but offensive defense. Now that they’ve lost twice, I declare A&M the new Georgia; they’re flirting with trouble. Sure, it’s fun to watch that offense put up points and come from behind, but eventually, they’ll run into trouble with a defense that can’t stop anyone. Hmmmm….November 23rd @ LSU?
10. Speaking of the Tigers, LSU’s win over Florida wasn’t impressive, but they got the job done. A win is a win, is a win. And LSU has shown they can win shoot-outs (well, except against Georgia), and tight, tough defense match-ups. I know declare you the best one loss team in the country.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (6-0) – Big win on the road.
#2 Ohio State (6-0) – Only 16.5 favorites against Iowa?
#3 Alabama (6-0) – Yeah, yeah; don’t worry, if you take care of business, you’ll be in the Top 2.
#4 Louisville (12-0) – Watch out for UCF!
#5 Clemson (6-0) – Are you about to be the best one loss team in the country?
#6 Florida State (5-0) – If you pull off the victory in Death Valley (sorry LSU), I’m a believer.
#7 LSU (6-1) – I’ve got you beating Alabama, so I gotta get you climbing the polls now.
#8 Texas A&M (5-1) – Imagine if you could’a stopped Alabama once or twice?
#9 Miami (5-0) – Uh, ACC is the second best conference? Where did that come from?
#10 UCLA (5-0) – But, you gotta beat Stanford this weekend, which I’m not sure you can do.
Rising Fast:
Missouri – Where did this come from?
Falling Faster:
Georgia – A ton of injuries, a horrid defense, and an even worse schedule finally caught up with you.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Marriota is really sneaking up on you. Can you get another signature win against FSU?
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Sticking with it, and hoping Ohio State loses here soon so we can get the Alabama/Oregon match-up we should’ve had last year.
Week 8 Big Games:
Florida @ Missouri – Florida has its share of injuries, but Missouri’s starting QB is out. Florida’s defense is light years better than Georgia, and Missouri will come out flat after that huge upset last weekend. Gators stay in contention in the SEC East: 27 to 24.
UCLA @ Stanford – UCLA is the undefeated team here; not Stanford. But, Stanford is back at home, and has owned UCLA recently; beating them last year to end the season and turning right around and beating them again in the inaugural PAC-12 Championship. Stanford is the type of team that gives UCLA fits. Kinda like Nebraska, but with an actual defense (sorry, Huskers). Stanford gets back on track: 30 to 24.
Auburn @ Texas A&M – Auburn’s a surprising 5-1, but they really haven’t played anyone other than LSU. A&M is fourth in the nation in scoring, but only 96th in scoring defense. Auburn will score, but they won’t be able to stop Johnny and company. Heck, Auburn gave up 24 to Washington State. A&M will get at least 50. Texas A&M 52 Auburn 27.
Week 8 Game of the Week:
Florida State @ Clemson – Maybe the game of the year so far; with both Florida State and Clemson avoiding their usual random upsets. Florida State comes in fresh off a bye, while Clemson comes in after a struggle against Boston College. Florida State has a much better defense, and Boyd has his match with FSU’s youngster QB Winston. FSU gets the win and propels into the National Championship debate: 45 to 41.
Until next time…
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Preview
About half-way through the season, and we’ve yet to see a signature upset (Miami over Florida is probably the closest), though Northwestern, Washington, and Tennessee nearly sent the Top-10 head over heels this weekend. Don’t worry. It’ll happen. It always does. And it always comes out of nowhere. The giants will fall – it’s just a matter of when, to whom, and who’s left standing at the end. I insisted early on that there were going to be multiple undefeated teams at the end of the season, and we’re still at 17 right now. But, we still have Oregon/Stanford/UCLA all playing each other, Alabama/LSU, Clemson/Florida State, Michigan/Ohio State, and Oklahoma/Texas Tech/Baylor all playing each other. But, Louisville still doesn’t play anyone (though they could be playing an undefeated Houston team soon) so even if they go undefeated they can’t get into the Top-2.
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 6 Top-10 recap:
1. Colorado took a page from the Autumn Wind and threw everything they had early at the Ducks. On-side kicks, gimmicks, etc. and actually jumped to a quick lead over Oregon. The problem is Colorado isn’t very good and Oregon is great. Oregon has a dangerous game this weekend at Washington, but UW is coming home after nearly pulling off the upset at the Farm against Stanford. Look for Oregon to roll again.
2. Notre Dame’s defense looked much better against ASU, with six sacks, but they still gave up 34 and needed a strong game from Rees to outscore ASU. Up next, after a bye, is USC. Glad I’ll be hunting that weekend; not sure I can stand the pain of watching Notre Dame lose to a Kiffin-less USC.
3. Georgia is living dangerously because of their defense. It cost ‘em the Clemson game. And, needed a last minute TD to beat LSU is one thing; but needing a last second TD to tie Tennessee is another thing. I still think Georgia is the best one loss team in the country, but that defense has to improve.
4. Ohio State looked a little sluggish in the first half against Northwestern. Not surprising, considering the battle they had last weekend with Wisconsin. Northwestern is a good team, and a win is a win for the Buckeyes. Unlike Louisville, if Ohio State finishes undefeated, they probably deserve to be in the Top 2, unless there’s an unbeaten from the SEC and PAC-12.
5. Anyone that had Florida State on upset alert against Maryland needs to have their college football credentials revoked. 63-0 against an undefeated Maryland team is a statement game. Nice job FSU.
6. We know Oregon’s offense is incredible, but what Baylor is doing is just ridiculous. More than 69 points every game, and something like 700+ yards of offense. Granted, they haven’t played anyone, but the still aren’t gonna play anyone considering they’re into their Big-12 schedule now. Regardless, those offenses are fun to watch.
7. Iowa State got screwed out of a victory over Texas by the replay officials. My two biggest pet peeves in college football right now are defensive pass interference calls when the offensive player is doing as much, if not more than, hand holding with the defense back; and instant replay calls that are clearly missed even after review. If they’re going to waste all of that time, get the right call made. With the technology and dozens of cameras out there, I haven’t seen many, if any, calls that aren’t clearly obviously. Yet mistakes are still made, and in the case of Iowa State this weekend, it cost them the game.
8. There’s been some grumbling that Condi Rice is on the NCAA playoff committee. I don’t get it. She’s smarter than most, very analytical, and is a huge football fan. No sooner than we get rid of the old system and people are already complaining about it. Should we go back to the system where a big percentage of the BCS is determined by a coaches poll where no coaches actually vote in the poll?
9. We’re about mid-way through, so let’s look at the conferences: SEC still reigns supreme, the PAC-12 is climbing, as is the ACC, the Big 10 is about what we thought it would be, the Big 12 is struggling, and the AAC is dead as expected (outside of Louisville). I actually give the nod to the ACC with how well FSU, Clemson, and Miami are playing (including two big wins over Georgia and Florida). SEC a close second, and PAC-12 a very close third. Of course, there’s lots of football to play.
10. Sarkisian definitely has Washington’s program moving in the right direction. Blowing out Boise State and UofSuck and nearly pulling the upset at the Farm in another memorable game of the week. But after a tough, late, loss to Stanford, they have to regroup for Oregon coming to town this weekend. And then heading to ASU the following weekend. Sark’s gotta hold the ship together the next couple of weeks if they’re going to try to stay in the picture in the PAC-12 North.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (4-0) – One of these days, the starters are gonna have to play in the second half. How’s their conditioning?
#2 Ohio State (6-0) – Survived a scare against a very good Northwestern team on the road.
#3 Stanford (5-0) – Yikes. Washington’s supposed to play like crap away from home.
#4 Alabama (5-0) – I know, I know, I’m nuts for having them at number 4.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – You’re toughest remaining game is Houston?
#6 Clemson (5-0) – Outta be scared about that FSU game next weekend.
#7 Georgia (4-1) – Yet another Top-25 opponent on the schedule.
#8 Florida State (5-0) – Okay, maybe you are legit this year.
#9 Oklahoma (5-0) – Is the Red River Rivalry even a rivalry anymore?
#10 LSU (5-1) – Your schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Rising Fast:
Virginia Tech – After losing to ‘Bama in week 1 everyone wrote off Beamer and company. They’ve rattled off five straight wins, and their schedule is favorable with only a road trip to Miami in November looking like a challenge. 10+ wins for this Va Tech team would be impressive.
Falling Faster:
Texas – They needed help from the refs to beat Iowa State, and they still have Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Baylor; not to mention games @ TCU and @ West Virginia. I’m not sure Mack Brown survives the season, and if another blow out happens in the Red River Rivalry, he may be done this weekend.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – I still like Boyd, but it’s gonna come down to how he does versus Florida State versus how Mariotta (Oregon) does versus Stanford. Mariotta has yet to need to play in a fourth quarter, and that’s hurt him – but 7 TDs in 2.5 quarters never hurts.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Or give me Oregon versus an SEC team. Oregon wins either way.
Week 7 Big Games:
Missouri @ Georgia – Missouri comes in at a surprising 5-0, and Georgia’s defense continues to show big holes. But, they’re back in Athens and Missouri won’t be able to keep up with the Dawgs offense. Georgia 45 Mizzou 27.
Oklahoma v. Texas – The Red River Rivalry has gone from a BCS-playoff-esque matchup to seeing how bad Oklahoma can beat Texas. Mack Brown needs a miracle to keep his job. Ain’t gonna happen this weekend. Oklahoma 52 Texas 38.
Oregon @ Washington – Washington probably has the best chance other than Stanford to beat the Ducks this year. But, Washington is going to be flat following the emotional loss to Stanford. And you can’t spot Oregon any points and expect to catch up. Ducks keep rolling: 52 to 31.
Week 7 Game of the Week:
Florida @ LSU – LSU’s offense versus Florida’s defense in this one. LSU’s scored 35+ and racked up 400+ yards in their first six games for the first time ever. But Florida’s defense is only giving up 217 yards/game and 12 points/game. But that’s come against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Not exactly LSU or Alabama or A&M offenses. LSU doesn’t lose at home, winning 28 outta 29 (losing to Alabama last year), and their offense just has too many weapons. LSU 24 Florida 13.
Until next time…
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 6 Top-10 recap:
1. Colorado took a page from the Autumn Wind and threw everything they had early at the Ducks. On-side kicks, gimmicks, etc. and actually jumped to a quick lead over Oregon. The problem is Colorado isn’t very good and Oregon is great. Oregon has a dangerous game this weekend at Washington, but UW is coming home after nearly pulling off the upset at the Farm against Stanford. Look for Oregon to roll again.
2. Notre Dame’s defense looked much better against ASU, with six sacks, but they still gave up 34 and needed a strong game from Rees to outscore ASU. Up next, after a bye, is USC. Glad I’ll be hunting that weekend; not sure I can stand the pain of watching Notre Dame lose to a Kiffin-less USC.
3. Georgia is living dangerously because of their defense. It cost ‘em the Clemson game. And, needed a last minute TD to beat LSU is one thing; but needing a last second TD to tie Tennessee is another thing. I still think Georgia is the best one loss team in the country, but that defense has to improve.
4. Ohio State looked a little sluggish in the first half against Northwestern. Not surprising, considering the battle they had last weekend with Wisconsin. Northwestern is a good team, and a win is a win for the Buckeyes. Unlike Louisville, if Ohio State finishes undefeated, they probably deserve to be in the Top 2, unless there’s an unbeaten from the SEC and PAC-12.
5. Anyone that had Florida State on upset alert against Maryland needs to have their college football credentials revoked. 63-0 against an undefeated Maryland team is a statement game. Nice job FSU.
6. We know Oregon’s offense is incredible, but what Baylor is doing is just ridiculous. More than 69 points every game, and something like 700+ yards of offense. Granted, they haven’t played anyone, but the still aren’t gonna play anyone considering they’re into their Big-12 schedule now. Regardless, those offenses are fun to watch.
7. Iowa State got screwed out of a victory over Texas by the replay officials. My two biggest pet peeves in college football right now are defensive pass interference calls when the offensive player is doing as much, if not more than, hand holding with the defense back; and instant replay calls that are clearly missed even after review. If they’re going to waste all of that time, get the right call made. With the technology and dozens of cameras out there, I haven’t seen many, if any, calls that aren’t clearly obviously. Yet mistakes are still made, and in the case of Iowa State this weekend, it cost them the game.
8. There’s been some grumbling that Condi Rice is on the NCAA playoff committee. I don’t get it. She’s smarter than most, very analytical, and is a huge football fan. No sooner than we get rid of the old system and people are already complaining about it. Should we go back to the system where a big percentage of the BCS is determined by a coaches poll where no coaches actually vote in the poll?
9. We’re about mid-way through, so let’s look at the conferences: SEC still reigns supreme, the PAC-12 is climbing, as is the ACC, the Big 10 is about what we thought it would be, the Big 12 is struggling, and the AAC is dead as expected (outside of Louisville). I actually give the nod to the ACC with how well FSU, Clemson, and Miami are playing (including two big wins over Georgia and Florida). SEC a close second, and PAC-12 a very close third. Of course, there’s lots of football to play.
10. Sarkisian definitely has Washington’s program moving in the right direction. Blowing out Boise State and UofSuck and nearly pulling the upset at the Farm in another memorable game of the week. But after a tough, late, loss to Stanford, they have to regroup for Oregon coming to town this weekend. And then heading to ASU the following weekend. Sark’s gotta hold the ship together the next couple of weeks if they’re going to try to stay in the picture in the PAC-12 North.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (4-0) – One of these days, the starters are gonna have to play in the second half. How’s their conditioning?
#2 Ohio State (6-0) – Survived a scare against a very good Northwestern team on the road.
#3 Stanford (5-0) – Yikes. Washington’s supposed to play like crap away from home.
#4 Alabama (5-0) – I know, I know, I’m nuts for having them at number 4.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – You’re toughest remaining game is Houston?
#6 Clemson (5-0) – Outta be scared about that FSU game next weekend.
#7 Georgia (4-1) – Yet another Top-25 opponent on the schedule.
#8 Florida State (5-0) – Okay, maybe you are legit this year.
#9 Oklahoma (5-0) – Is the Red River Rivalry even a rivalry anymore?
#10 LSU (5-1) – Your schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Rising Fast:
Virginia Tech – After losing to ‘Bama in week 1 everyone wrote off Beamer and company. They’ve rattled off five straight wins, and their schedule is favorable with only a road trip to Miami in November looking like a challenge. 10+ wins for this Va Tech team would be impressive.
Falling Faster:
Texas – They needed help from the refs to beat Iowa State, and they still have Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Baylor; not to mention games @ TCU and @ West Virginia. I’m not sure Mack Brown survives the season, and if another blow out happens in the Red River Rivalry, he may be done this weekend.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – I still like Boyd, but it’s gonna come down to how he does versus Florida State versus how Mariotta (Oregon) does versus Stanford. Mariotta has yet to need to play in a fourth quarter, and that’s hurt him – but 7 TDs in 2.5 quarters never hurts.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Or give me Oregon versus an SEC team. Oregon wins either way.
Week 7 Big Games:
Missouri @ Georgia – Missouri comes in at a surprising 5-0, and Georgia’s defense continues to show big holes. But, they’re back in Athens and Missouri won’t be able to keep up with the Dawgs offense. Georgia 45 Mizzou 27.
Oklahoma v. Texas – The Red River Rivalry has gone from a BCS-playoff-esque matchup to seeing how bad Oklahoma can beat Texas. Mack Brown needs a miracle to keep his job. Ain’t gonna happen this weekend. Oklahoma 52 Texas 38.
Oregon @ Washington – Washington probably has the best chance other than Stanford to beat the Ducks this year. But, Washington is going to be flat following the emotional loss to Stanford. And you can’t spot Oregon any points and expect to catch up. Ducks keep rolling: 52 to 31.
Week 7 Game of the Week:
Florida @ LSU – LSU’s offense versus Florida’s defense in this one. LSU’s scored 35+ and racked up 400+ yards in their first six games for the first time ever. But Florida’s defense is only giving up 217 yards/game and 12 points/game. But that’s come against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Not exactly LSU or Alabama or A&M offenses. LSU doesn’t lose at home, winning 28 outta 29 (losing to Alabama last year), and their offense just has too many weapons. LSU 24 Florida 13.
Until next time…
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Week 5 Recap and Week 6 Preview
Week 5 in the books, and not much has changed: Alabama found its defense and USC is still 100% behind Lame Kiffin (or not). Please Nebraska, please. Don’t even consider it.
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 5 Top-10 recap:
1. Alabama’s defense was very impressive in the 25-0 win over Ole Miss, but the same thing that plagued Alabama two years ago showed its face again. Failure to convert drives into points. Kicking FG won’t cut it against LSU; their last big game before a potential SEC Championship, and it comes after a bye. Georgia State and Chattanooga are still on the schedule? Really?
2. What’s impressed me more about Oregon this year compared to previous years is how they’re putting away teams early. They’d always go on their patented 3-4 TD run, but sometimes it wouldn’t happen until the 3rd or even 4th quarters. Now it is happening in the 1st quarter. A good test is going to be to see how Washington deals with Stanford this weekend and Oregon next weekend. If I were to game plan against Oregon, it would be this: I’d go for it on 4th down every time (unless it was 20+ yards). An 80 yard field is actually easier for the Ducks than a 25 yard field. I’d on-side kick following every score, even though they’d know it’s coming after the first and second time. The only way to beat Oregon is to increase your chances of having way more possessions than in a normal game. I dare Washington to try that. UCLA too. Stanford can potentially slow things down like they did last year, but I don’t see a loss on the Ducks schedule.
3. While Alabama tried to regain the SEC’s defensive reputation, the rest of the conference has not. Sure, there’s some incredible offenses out there, but the defenses are just horrible: A&M, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, etc., I’m looking at you.
4. Call it looking ahead, or call it something that happens every year, but Florida State is better than a 3-point first quarter against Boston College. Sure they’ve Maryland and Clemson coming up, but to be considered a serious National Championship contender, you can’t really struggle with a team that only scored seven points against USC.
5. With Oklahoma State’s loss at Morgantown, the Big-12 is wide open. Seven teams have a legitimate shot at winning the conference, and it appears right now that Oklahoma is the team to beat. But don’t count out Baylor, Tech, WestbyGod, TCU, Okie State, and even Texas.
6. The big difference between this year’s Notre Dame squad, and last year’s is that the offense has been putting the Irish in bad positions all year. You can’t spot Oklahoma 14 points in the first two minutes as a result of crappy offense, and not come close to stopping Michigan at all, and still expect the defense to work miracles. Rees is probably on pace to set records for worst completion % of all time (currently sitting at 53%).
7. Stanford rolling on all cylinders after looking flat against San Jose State and Army. The defense (specifically against the rush) is one of the best in the nation, and the offense continues to be efficient with both the run and the pass. Let’s see how they do against Washington this weekend in a revenge game – remember Washington upset Stanford last year in an ugly game.
8. The Buckeyes survived against Wisconsin, and I still think they’ll finish #2 in the country if they win out. Will they have a hangover game @ Northwestern this weekend? Hmmmm, I wonder what the first hlaf spread is? And, if Georgia is the best one loss team in the country, Wisconsin is by far the best two loss team in the country – the should’a-been-a-victory against ASU, and a close road loss at the Horseshoe.
9. ASU scored 42 in the 2nd half against USC. Lame Kiffin was greeted at the gate after the flight home to be fired in person. I wonder when he saw them on the tarmac if he was thinking the AD and President were still 100% behind him? ASU has certainly found its offense. In the last six quarters, they’ve put up 90 points against Stanford and USC, and this weekend they have the national spotlight against Notre Dame.
10. Five weeks in, and the game of the weeks have been great every week (unless you turned off the ASU/Stanford game at half-time last weekend). Georgia/LSU was another wonderful match-up of two really talented well-coached teams. After Georgia scored with a shade under two minutes left, I thought “uh oh” – this one really had the feeling of “last one with the ball, wins.” Georgia came up with a key stop, and Georgia continues to be the best one loss team in the country, with their sights set on a rematch with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (4-0) – The Ducks liked playing in the rain? Shocking…
#2 Ohio State (5-0) – Passed test #1.
#3 Stanford (4-0) – If they spank Washington like they spanked UofSuck, look out Ducks!
#4 Alabama (4-0) – Okay, you’re good, we get that.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – Played anyone yet?
#6 Clemson (4-0) – Remember us?
#7 Georgia (3-1) – Oh to have that Clemson game back…
#8 Florida State (2-0) – Look out for the Fighting Turtles!
#9 Oklahoma (4-0) – I guess you’re the best in the Big 12. For now.
#10 LSU (4-1) – You’re loss was to the best one loss team in football; and you had the ball last in a shootout against a crappy defense where you could’a won it. Would’a, could’a, should’a.
Rising Fast:
Baylor – First in nation in scoring at 70/game and second in the nation in scoring defense at 7.7/game. Okay, sure, they’ve only played Wofford, Buffalo, and Louisiana-Monroe; but – look at their next four: West Virginia, @ Kansas State, v. Iowa State, and @ Kansas. They’ll be 7-0 (and maybe still averaging 70/game) when Oklahoma comes to town on November 7th.
Falling Faster:
USC – Nothing makes me happier than USC sucking it up and Kiffin out of a job. UConn’s looking for a coach, Lane!
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – 311 yards, 3 TDs, and QBR of 91.0. In three quarters.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – It’s all coming together…now, LSU just needs to beat Alabama then lose to A&M the next game, and then A&M needs to lose to Ole Miss this weekend, and then Georgia needs to lose to Florida, and then….wait a minute; how exactly is the SEC Champion not going to get in the BCS Championship again? Oops.
Week 6 Big Games:
Maryland @ Florida State – Maryland is 4-0 and shut out West Virginia (who then beat Big 12 favorite Oklahoma Stat). Florida State looked great until they actually played someone, and then they found themselves in a hole against Boston College. This is the makings of a trap game with Florida State @ Clemson next. But, they have a bye week after this, so not a true trap. Florida State will struggle early again, but pull away in the end: FSU 31 Maryland 20.
Arizona State v. Notre Dame – At the beginning of the season, this one looked winnable for Notre Dame. Not anymore. ASU has been impressive on offense, even in their loss to Stanford, and their defensive line – led by Will Sutton – is going to force Tommy Rees into even more mistakes. ASU 34 Notre Dame 27
Ohio State @ Northwestern – Northwestern is a little overvalued. Sure, they’re 4-0, but that’s been against Cal, Syracuse, Western Michigan, and Maine. But, GameDay’s coming to town, and Ohio State is going to be a little flat early on after the big win against Wisconsin. Northwestern will jump ahead early, but they’re just not in the same picture as Ohio State. Buckeyes roll in the 2nd half: Ohio State 41 Northwestern 31.
Week 6 Game of the Week:
Washington @ Stanford – Revenge game for Stanford, but Washington is also better than they were last year. But, Washington just doesn’t play that well away from home. Stanford’s similar to last year’s Notre Dame team, in that their front seven control the game; but their offense hasn’t missed much of beat since Luck and the crew of NFL tight ends and backs left. Stanford with a big win: 31 to 17.
Until next time…
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 5 Top-10 recap:
1. Alabama’s defense was very impressive in the 25-0 win over Ole Miss, but the same thing that plagued Alabama two years ago showed its face again. Failure to convert drives into points. Kicking FG won’t cut it against LSU; their last big game before a potential SEC Championship, and it comes after a bye. Georgia State and Chattanooga are still on the schedule? Really?
2. What’s impressed me more about Oregon this year compared to previous years is how they’re putting away teams early. They’d always go on their patented 3-4 TD run, but sometimes it wouldn’t happen until the 3rd or even 4th quarters. Now it is happening in the 1st quarter. A good test is going to be to see how Washington deals with Stanford this weekend and Oregon next weekend. If I were to game plan against Oregon, it would be this: I’d go for it on 4th down every time (unless it was 20+ yards). An 80 yard field is actually easier for the Ducks than a 25 yard field. I’d on-side kick following every score, even though they’d know it’s coming after the first and second time. The only way to beat Oregon is to increase your chances of having way more possessions than in a normal game. I dare Washington to try that. UCLA too. Stanford can potentially slow things down like they did last year, but I don’t see a loss on the Ducks schedule.
3. While Alabama tried to regain the SEC’s defensive reputation, the rest of the conference has not. Sure, there’s some incredible offenses out there, but the defenses are just horrible: A&M, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, etc., I’m looking at you.
4. Call it looking ahead, or call it something that happens every year, but Florida State is better than a 3-point first quarter against Boston College. Sure they’ve Maryland and Clemson coming up, but to be considered a serious National Championship contender, you can’t really struggle with a team that only scored seven points against USC.
5. With Oklahoma State’s loss at Morgantown, the Big-12 is wide open. Seven teams have a legitimate shot at winning the conference, and it appears right now that Oklahoma is the team to beat. But don’t count out Baylor, Tech, WestbyGod, TCU, Okie State, and even Texas.
6. The big difference between this year’s Notre Dame squad, and last year’s is that the offense has been putting the Irish in bad positions all year. You can’t spot Oklahoma 14 points in the first two minutes as a result of crappy offense, and not come close to stopping Michigan at all, and still expect the defense to work miracles. Rees is probably on pace to set records for worst completion % of all time (currently sitting at 53%).
7. Stanford rolling on all cylinders after looking flat against San Jose State and Army. The defense (specifically against the rush) is one of the best in the nation, and the offense continues to be efficient with both the run and the pass. Let’s see how they do against Washington this weekend in a revenge game – remember Washington upset Stanford last year in an ugly game.
8. The Buckeyes survived against Wisconsin, and I still think they’ll finish #2 in the country if they win out. Will they have a hangover game @ Northwestern this weekend? Hmmmm, I wonder what the first hlaf spread is? And, if Georgia is the best one loss team in the country, Wisconsin is by far the best two loss team in the country – the should’a-been-a-victory against ASU, and a close road loss at the Horseshoe.
9. ASU scored 42 in the 2nd half against USC. Lame Kiffin was greeted at the gate after the flight home to be fired in person. I wonder when he saw them on the tarmac if he was thinking the AD and President were still 100% behind him? ASU has certainly found its offense. In the last six quarters, they’ve put up 90 points against Stanford and USC, and this weekend they have the national spotlight against Notre Dame.
10. Five weeks in, and the game of the weeks have been great every week (unless you turned off the ASU/Stanford game at half-time last weekend). Georgia/LSU was another wonderful match-up of two really talented well-coached teams. After Georgia scored with a shade under two minutes left, I thought “uh oh” – this one really had the feeling of “last one with the ball, wins.” Georgia came up with a key stop, and Georgia continues to be the best one loss team in the country, with their sights set on a rematch with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (4-0) – The Ducks liked playing in the rain? Shocking…
#2 Ohio State (5-0) – Passed test #1.
#3 Stanford (4-0) – If they spank Washington like they spanked UofSuck, look out Ducks!
#4 Alabama (4-0) – Okay, you’re good, we get that.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – Played anyone yet?
#6 Clemson (4-0) – Remember us?
#7 Georgia (3-1) – Oh to have that Clemson game back…
#8 Florida State (2-0) – Look out for the Fighting Turtles!
#9 Oklahoma (4-0) – I guess you’re the best in the Big 12. For now.
#10 LSU (4-1) – You’re loss was to the best one loss team in football; and you had the ball last in a shootout against a crappy defense where you could’a won it. Would’a, could’a, should’a.
Rising Fast:
Baylor – First in nation in scoring at 70/game and second in the nation in scoring defense at 7.7/game. Okay, sure, they’ve only played Wofford, Buffalo, and Louisiana-Monroe; but – look at their next four: West Virginia, @ Kansas State, v. Iowa State, and @ Kansas. They’ll be 7-0 (and maybe still averaging 70/game) when Oklahoma comes to town on November 7th.
Falling Faster:
USC – Nothing makes me happier than USC sucking it up and Kiffin out of a job. UConn’s looking for a coach, Lane!
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – 311 yards, 3 TDs, and QBR of 91.0. In three quarters.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – It’s all coming together…now, LSU just needs to beat Alabama then lose to A&M the next game, and then A&M needs to lose to Ole Miss this weekend, and then Georgia needs to lose to Florida, and then….wait a minute; how exactly is the SEC Champion not going to get in the BCS Championship again? Oops.
Week 6 Big Games:
Maryland @ Florida State – Maryland is 4-0 and shut out West Virginia (who then beat Big 12 favorite Oklahoma Stat). Florida State looked great until they actually played someone, and then they found themselves in a hole against Boston College. This is the makings of a trap game with Florida State @ Clemson next. But, they have a bye week after this, so not a true trap. Florida State will struggle early again, but pull away in the end: FSU 31 Maryland 20.
Arizona State v. Notre Dame – At the beginning of the season, this one looked winnable for Notre Dame. Not anymore. ASU has been impressive on offense, even in their loss to Stanford, and their defensive line – led by Will Sutton – is going to force Tommy Rees into even more mistakes. ASU 34 Notre Dame 27
Ohio State @ Northwestern – Northwestern is a little overvalued. Sure, they’re 4-0, but that’s been against Cal, Syracuse, Western Michigan, and Maine. But, GameDay’s coming to town, and Ohio State is going to be a little flat early on after the big win against Wisconsin. Northwestern will jump ahead early, but they’re just not in the same picture as Ohio State. Buckeyes roll in the 2nd half: Ohio State 41 Northwestern 31.
Week 6 Game of the Week:
Washington @ Stanford – Revenge game for Stanford, but Washington is also better than they were last year. But, Washington just doesn’t play that well away from home. Stanford’s similar to last year’s Notre Dame team, in that their front seven control the game; but their offense hasn’t missed much of beat since Luck and the crew of NFL tight ends and backs left. Stanford with a big win: 31 to 17.
Until next time…
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Week 4 Recap and Week 5 Preview
Can we just forget this weekend happened? Outside of a couple close (but extremely ugly) games (USC/Utah St., Michigan/UConn, & Michigan St./Notre Dame), this weekend was filled with 70-0 blowouts. It’s not even worth doing a Top-10 recap, because there wasn’t 10 things worth talking about (other than the River Dancin’ place kicker from Rice – google it if you didn’t see it).Conference play finally fires up, and we finally get some more ranked v. ranked games. Let’s get right to it.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (3-0) – Cal’s a pretty good warm up for PAC-12 play.
#2 Ohio State (4-0) – Wisconsin isn’t Florida A&M.
#3 Stanford (3-0) – Ah, you were sand-bagging it against Army.
#4 Alabama (3-0) – Pretty much everyone has you on upset alert this weekend. Except me.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – 12-0 may not be enough to get you in.
#6 Clemson (3-0) – Finally beat NC State, I see?
#7 Oklahoma State (3-0) – But look out for Baylor.
#8 Georgia (2-1) – Yet another huge game this weekend.
#9 Florida State (3-0) – Handed Bethune-Cookman their first loss of the year.
#10 LSU (4-0) – Everyone seems to be on the LSU bandwagon. Have fun in Athens.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Time to put up some stats in ACC play.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Sticking with it; Ohio State’s gotta get by Wisconsin though.
Week 5 Big Games:
Oklahoma @ Notre Dame – Notre Dame had no business beating OU in Norman last year, yet they did. Stoops played scared against the Irish defense last year, as did many teams. Notre Dame’s defense looked pretty good (finally!) against Michigan State. But that is the same Michigan State offense that is downright offensive. Tommy Rees is only completing around 50% of his passes, and I just don’t see how Notre Dame puts up enough points to beat the Sooners. Oklahoma 27 Notre Dame 17.
Ole Miss @ Alabama – Everyone seems to be putting Alabama on upset alert this weekend, after their defense was torched by A&M, and their offense didn’t show up against Colorado State. Call the Colorado State game a hang-over game, a trap game, or you name it; but I’m not putting much stock in that performance. Alabama will lose this year, but it won’t be to Ole Miss. ‘Bama 38 Mississippi 27.
Wisconsin @ Ohio State – All that matters in this one is the over/under on Mussburger saying “theeeeeeee BUCKeyes!” These two teams have played some very entertaining games in recent years, with Ohio State winning in O.T. last year and also prevailing the year before 33-29. Ohio State seems to be doing just fine without their starting QB, though I’m fairly sure he’ll be under center this weekend. Wisconsin showed some holes against Arizona State, and the Buckeyes will exploit those. Ohio State 34 Wisconsin 27.
Week 5 Game of the Week:
LSU @ Georgia – Georgia continues its horrific schedule; a third top-10 team just four games into the season. LSU’s offense has surprised lots of folks, and Georgia’s defense has shown lots of holes. LSU’s defense is as good as ever, but they’re on the road, in Athens, versus a battle-tested team that’s already gone blow to blow with Clemson and took down South Carolina. Georgia wins in a shootout 38-31.
Until next time…
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (3-0) – Cal’s a pretty good warm up for PAC-12 play.
#2 Ohio State (4-0) – Wisconsin isn’t Florida A&M.
#3 Stanford (3-0) – Ah, you were sand-bagging it against Army.
#4 Alabama (3-0) – Pretty much everyone has you on upset alert this weekend. Except me.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – 12-0 may not be enough to get you in.
#6 Clemson (3-0) – Finally beat NC State, I see?
#7 Oklahoma State (3-0) – But look out for Baylor.
#8 Georgia (2-1) – Yet another huge game this weekend.
#9 Florida State (3-0) – Handed Bethune-Cookman their first loss of the year.
#10 LSU (4-0) – Everyone seems to be on the LSU bandwagon. Have fun in Athens.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Time to put up some stats in ACC play.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Sticking with it; Ohio State’s gotta get by Wisconsin though.
Week 5 Big Games:
Oklahoma @ Notre Dame – Notre Dame had no business beating OU in Norman last year, yet they did. Stoops played scared against the Irish defense last year, as did many teams. Notre Dame’s defense looked pretty good (finally!) against Michigan State. But that is the same Michigan State offense that is downright offensive. Tommy Rees is only completing around 50% of his passes, and I just don’t see how Notre Dame puts up enough points to beat the Sooners. Oklahoma 27 Notre Dame 17.
Ole Miss @ Alabama – Everyone seems to be putting Alabama on upset alert this weekend, after their defense was torched by A&M, and their offense didn’t show up against Colorado State. Call the Colorado State game a hang-over game, a trap game, or you name it; but I’m not putting much stock in that performance. Alabama will lose this year, but it won’t be to Ole Miss. ‘Bama 38 Mississippi 27.
Wisconsin @ Ohio State – All that matters in this one is the over/under on Mussburger saying “theeeeeeee BUCKeyes!” These two teams have played some very entertaining games in recent years, with Ohio State winning in O.T. last year and also prevailing the year before 33-29. Ohio State seems to be doing just fine without their starting QB, though I’m fairly sure he’ll be under center this weekend. Wisconsin showed some holes against Arizona State, and the Buckeyes will exploit those. Ohio State 34 Wisconsin 27.
Week 5 Game of the Week:
LSU @ Georgia – Georgia continues its horrific schedule; a third top-10 team just four games into the season. LSU’s offense has surprised lots of folks, and Georgia’s defense has shown lots of holes. LSU’s defense is as good as ever, but they’re on the road, in Athens, versus a battle-tested team that’s already gone blow to blow with Clemson and took down South Carolina. Georgia wins in a shootout 38-31.
Until next time…
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Week 3 Recap and Week 4 Preview
Week 3 has come and gone and we know this: Alabama is still good, but A&M and Johnny Football can still score, the PAC-12 is much improved, the Big 10 isn’t; and the NCAA continues to state that they won’t pay their athletes (so I guess the boosters and agents will have to continue to fill that void).
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 3 Top-10 recap:
1. I saw some bad calls this weekend (the targeting call against Alabama’s DB, rightfully overturned; a series of strange/bad calls in the Thursday night TCU/Texas Tech game – a “fumble” into the endzone prior to scoring a TD resulting in a dead ball at the half yard line, a failure to adequately not call a fair catch, or whatever the explanation was) but the end of the ASU/Wisconsin game takes the cake as far as flat out bad calls. Sure, the play by the Wisconsin QB was boneheaded (I’ve never seen a player spot the bad like that), and the response by ASU thinking it may have been an ill-advised fumble wasn’t the problem. The problem was the refs letting the clock run out without even blowing it dead to discuss what was happening. And then not even looking at it after the fact! With replay happening on insignificant plays in the first quarter of games, the NCAA must include a rule that in the final minute of play, everything is reviewable. Notice how I haven’t said that this scenario cost Wisconsin the game. They still would’ve needed to make the FG. What a strange ending to an otherwise entertaining game.
2. You really shouldn’t need three 4th quarter TD’s to beat Purdue, Notre Dame. I hate to say it, the only reason the Irish have a chance this year is because of Tommy Rees. The defense (which was supposed to be as good, if not better, than last year’s squad) has not been good. And, the schedule doesn’t get any easier: Michigan State, Oklahoma, Arizona State, and USC. Then it calms down a bit with Air Force, Navy, and Pitt; only to end with BYU and Stanford. Looking more and more like 7-5 for the Irish.
3. Akron almost pulled an Appalachian State against the Wolverines. Hey Michigan, when you’re 38-point favorites at home, you probably don’t need to have to have a goal-line-stand to save the day against the Zips.
4. Nebraska gets shut out at in the second half at home, and the Blackshirts give up 38 straight points to UCLA. Yikes. Pelini better pack his bags. 85th in the nation in scoring defense is not good; especially when two of your first three were against Wyoming and Southern Miss. At least Wisconsin and Ohio State aren’t on the schedule, and overall the Big 10 is down. 9-3 may not be good enough for Pelini to keep his job.
5. Speaking of coaches on the hot seat, Nebraska could probably get a fair deal in a trade for Mac Brown. Texas has lost two straight, and have lost three straight to both Kansas State and Red River Rival Oklahoma. I know Mac wants to leave on his own terms, but he may want to start packing too.
6. The PAC-12 was 8-1 in non-con games this weekend, including 3-1 against the Big 10; and, Cal actually looked pretty decent against thee Ohio State. The Big 10 was 7-5, but six of those wins were Bowling Green, Akron (barely), Western Illinois, Youngstown State, Iowa State, and Western Michigan. The PAC-12 is flying high; the B1G is not.
7. Every time I changed channels from the A&M/Alabama game to the Oregon game the result was the same. Oregon was flying in for yet another score. But, the Ducks looked pretty crappy in the first quarter with lots of penalties and mental mistakes. You can get away with that versus a Tennessee, but not many quality teams. The offense looks better than ever, and the defense continues to improve. However, two of their three remaining toughest games are on the road: @ Washington, and @ Stanford. I still don’t see a PAC-12 team that’s gonna slow down the Ducks. They’ll be #1 soon, just wait for it.
8. In the most exciting game of the weekend that no one saw, Oregon State took down Utah 51-48 in overtime. If you’re into gambling, you may want to start looking at overs in these Beavers games. They’re scoring 43/game but are 110th in the nation in scoring defense, giving up 37/game. And their season ending schedule is brutal – v. Stanford, v. USC, @ Arizona State, v. Washington, and @ Oregon in the Civil War. It’s gonna be a long year for Oregon State fans – if there are any left.
9. A couple of things to take home from the A&M/Alabama game (yet again the game of the week that did not disappoint): Manziel’s two INTs cost A&M 14 points – one in the endzone and one returned by ‘Bama for a TD. Alabama’s defense gave up the most yards it ever has. Ever. Alabama’s offensive line looked great; but it was against A&M’s defensive line (remember the team that gave up 509 yards to Rice). Bottom line, ‘Bama’s the better team, and once they got the lead, it was clear that Saban and Co. wasn’t going to give it up.
10. The anti-playoff folks say that every week is a playoff. Well, even though there were many cupcake games on week 3’s schedule (yes, Michigan, Akron was a cupcake); check out what’s upcoming this weekend for the AP Top-25: #1 Alabama v. Colorado State, #2 Oregon (bye), #3 Clemson v. North Carolina State, #4 Ohio State v. Florida A&M, #7 Louisville v. Florida International, #8 Florida State v. Bethune-Cookman, #9 Georgia v. North Texas, #10 Texas A&M v. SMU, #11 Oklahoma State (bye), #12 South Carolina (bye), #13 UCLA v. New Mexico State, #14 Oklahoma (bye), #15 Michigan @ Connecticut, #16 Miami v. Savannah State, #17 Washington v. Idaho State, #18 Northwestern v. Maine, #19 Florida v. Tennessee, #20 Baylor v. Louisiana-Monroe, #21 Ole Miss (bye), #24 Wisconsin v. Purdue, and #25 Texas Tech v. Texas State. So, outside of #5 Stanford v. #23 Arizona State, #6 LSU v. Auburn, and #22 Notre Dame v. Michigan State, if there’s going to be any upsets this weekend, they’ll be huge upsets. Don’t expect the Top-10 to change much after this weekend.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (3-0) – Oregon’s so good they’re gonna score 59 on Bye.
#2 Ohio State (3-0) – At least one Big 10 team beat a PAC-12 team.
#3 Stanford (2-0) – My confidence in you is fading…struggling to put Army away? Let’s see how you do against Arizona State this weekend, back at the farm.
#4 Alabama (2-0) – Offensive output was surprising, defense looked the most vulnerable it has in years.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – Did you accept your Orange Bowl bid yet?
#6 Clemson (2-0) – Probably should be closer to #3 in my poll, but gotta wait until LSU beats Alabama and Oregon beats Stanford. And, you need to beat Florida State.
#7 Oklahoma State (3-0) – It figures that the year OU and Texas are really down, and Oklahoma State looks great, the eye of NCAA is peering down on the Cowboys for violations.
#8 Georgia (1-1) – You’ve got the offense to put up points on ‘Bama in the SEC Championship, but your defense isn’t much better than A&M’s.
#9 Florida State (2-0) – But, which four TD underdog will you lose to this year?
#10 LSU (3-0) – Mettenberger leads the SEC in passing efficiency. Yes, you heard that right. Not McCarron from Alabama, Johnny from A&M, Murray from Georgia, or Shaw from South Carolina. And LSU may have the best defense in the SEC.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Boyd had a bye; gets back at it Thursday night @ NC State.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – This requires Alabama losing somewhere along the way…
Week 4 Big Games:
Auburn @ LSU – Auburn’s off to a surprising 3-0 start, but LSU isn’t Washington State, Arkansas State, or Mississippi State. Then again, is LSU peeking ahead to next week’s road trip to Athens? Not this time. LSU may be the most balanced team in the SEC right now. LSU 34 Auburn 14.
Week 4 Game of the Week:
Arizona State @ Stanford – ASU comes in on a high note, with a wild win over Wisconsin. Stanford hasn’t been all that impressive through their two games, but they really haven’t had to be. The national spotlight will be on Stanford this weekend, as there’s no other match-ups of ranked teams, and the country wants to see if they are worth the hype. ASU’s gonna want to create some tempo, but Stanford’s going to want to slow it down. ASU is a much improved team, but they’re not quite ready for the big time. Stanford 31 ASU 27.
Until next time…
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 3 Top-10 recap:
1. I saw some bad calls this weekend (the targeting call against Alabama’s DB, rightfully overturned; a series of strange/bad calls in the Thursday night TCU/Texas Tech game – a “fumble” into the endzone prior to scoring a TD resulting in a dead ball at the half yard line, a failure to adequately not call a fair catch, or whatever the explanation was) but the end of the ASU/Wisconsin game takes the cake as far as flat out bad calls. Sure, the play by the Wisconsin QB was boneheaded (I’ve never seen a player spot the bad like that), and the response by ASU thinking it may have been an ill-advised fumble wasn’t the problem. The problem was the refs letting the clock run out without even blowing it dead to discuss what was happening. And then not even looking at it after the fact! With replay happening on insignificant plays in the first quarter of games, the NCAA must include a rule that in the final minute of play, everything is reviewable. Notice how I haven’t said that this scenario cost Wisconsin the game. They still would’ve needed to make the FG. What a strange ending to an otherwise entertaining game.
2. You really shouldn’t need three 4th quarter TD’s to beat Purdue, Notre Dame. I hate to say it, the only reason the Irish have a chance this year is because of Tommy Rees. The defense (which was supposed to be as good, if not better, than last year’s squad) has not been good. And, the schedule doesn’t get any easier: Michigan State, Oklahoma, Arizona State, and USC. Then it calms down a bit with Air Force, Navy, and Pitt; only to end with BYU and Stanford. Looking more and more like 7-5 for the Irish.
3. Akron almost pulled an Appalachian State against the Wolverines. Hey Michigan, when you’re 38-point favorites at home, you probably don’t need to have to have a goal-line-stand to save the day against the Zips.
4. Nebraska gets shut out at in the second half at home, and the Blackshirts give up 38 straight points to UCLA. Yikes. Pelini better pack his bags. 85th in the nation in scoring defense is not good; especially when two of your first three were against Wyoming and Southern Miss. At least Wisconsin and Ohio State aren’t on the schedule, and overall the Big 10 is down. 9-3 may not be good enough for Pelini to keep his job.
5. Speaking of coaches on the hot seat, Nebraska could probably get a fair deal in a trade for Mac Brown. Texas has lost two straight, and have lost three straight to both Kansas State and Red River Rival Oklahoma. I know Mac wants to leave on his own terms, but he may want to start packing too.
6. The PAC-12 was 8-1 in non-con games this weekend, including 3-1 against the Big 10; and, Cal actually looked pretty decent against thee Ohio State. The Big 10 was 7-5, but six of those wins were Bowling Green, Akron (barely), Western Illinois, Youngstown State, Iowa State, and Western Michigan. The PAC-12 is flying high; the B1G is not.
7. Every time I changed channels from the A&M/Alabama game to the Oregon game the result was the same. Oregon was flying in for yet another score. But, the Ducks looked pretty crappy in the first quarter with lots of penalties and mental mistakes. You can get away with that versus a Tennessee, but not many quality teams. The offense looks better than ever, and the defense continues to improve. However, two of their three remaining toughest games are on the road: @ Washington, and @ Stanford. I still don’t see a PAC-12 team that’s gonna slow down the Ducks. They’ll be #1 soon, just wait for it.
8. In the most exciting game of the weekend that no one saw, Oregon State took down Utah 51-48 in overtime. If you’re into gambling, you may want to start looking at overs in these Beavers games. They’re scoring 43/game but are 110th in the nation in scoring defense, giving up 37/game. And their season ending schedule is brutal – v. Stanford, v. USC, @ Arizona State, v. Washington, and @ Oregon in the Civil War. It’s gonna be a long year for Oregon State fans – if there are any left.
9. A couple of things to take home from the A&M/Alabama game (yet again the game of the week that did not disappoint): Manziel’s two INTs cost A&M 14 points – one in the endzone and one returned by ‘Bama for a TD. Alabama’s defense gave up the most yards it ever has. Ever. Alabama’s offensive line looked great; but it was against A&M’s defensive line (remember the team that gave up 509 yards to Rice). Bottom line, ‘Bama’s the better team, and once they got the lead, it was clear that Saban and Co. wasn’t going to give it up.
10. The anti-playoff folks say that every week is a playoff. Well, even though there were many cupcake games on week 3’s schedule (yes, Michigan, Akron was a cupcake); check out what’s upcoming this weekend for the AP Top-25: #1 Alabama v. Colorado State, #2 Oregon (bye), #3 Clemson v. North Carolina State, #4 Ohio State v. Florida A&M, #7 Louisville v. Florida International, #8 Florida State v. Bethune-Cookman, #9 Georgia v. North Texas, #10 Texas A&M v. SMU, #11 Oklahoma State (bye), #12 South Carolina (bye), #13 UCLA v. New Mexico State, #14 Oklahoma (bye), #15 Michigan @ Connecticut, #16 Miami v. Savannah State, #17 Washington v. Idaho State, #18 Northwestern v. Maine, #19 Florida v. Tennessee, #20 Baylor v. Louisiana-Monroe, #21 Ole Miss (bye), #24 Wisconsin v. Purdue, and #25 Texas Tech v. Texas State. So, outside of #5 Stanford v. #23 Arizona State, #6 LSU v. Auburn, and #22 Notre Dame v. Michigan State, if there’s going to be any upsets this weekend, they’ll be huge upsets. Don’t expect the Top-10 to change much after this weekend.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (3-0) – Oregon’s so good they’re gonna score 59 on Bye.
#2 Ohio State (3-0) – At least one Big 10 team beat a PAC-12 team.
#3 Stanford (2-0) – My confidence in you is fading…struggling to put Army away? Let’s see how you do against Arizona State this weekend, back at the farm.
#4 Alabama (2-0) – Offensive output was surprising, defense looked the most vulnerable it has in years.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – Did you accept your Orange Bowl bid yet?
#6 Clemson (2-0) – Probably should be closer to #3 in my poll, but gotta wait until LSU beats Alabama and Oregon beats Stanford. And, you need to beat Florida State.
#7 Oklahoma State (3-0) – It figures that the year OU and Texas are really down, and Oklahoma State looks great, the eye of NCAA is peering down on the Cowboys for violations.
#8 Georgia (1-1) – You’ve got the offense to put up points on ‘Bama in the SEC Championship, but your defense isn’t much better than A&M’s.
#9 Florida State (2-0) – But, which four TD underdog will you lose to this year?
#10 LSU (3-0) – Mettenberger leads the SEC in passing efficiency. Yes, you heard that right. Not McCarron from Alabama, Johnny from A&M, Murray from Georgia, or Shaw from South Carolina. And LSU may have the best defense in the SEC.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Boyd had a bye; gets back at it Thursday night @ NC State.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – This requires Alabama losing somewhere along the way…
Week 4 Big Games:
Auburn @ LSU – Auburn’s off to a surprising 3-0 start, but LSU isn’t Washington State, Arkansas State, or Mississippi State. Then again, is LSU peeking ahead to next week’s road trip to Athens? Not this time. LSU may be the most balanced team in the SEC right now. LSU 34 Auburn 14.
Week 4 Game of the Week:
Arizona State @ Stanford – ASU comes in on a high note, with a wild win over Wisconsin. Stanford hasn’t been all that impressive through their two games, but they really haven’t had to be. The national spotlight will be on Stanford this weekend, as there’s no other match-ups of ranked teams, and the country wants to see if they are worth the hype. ASU’s gonna want to create some tempo, but Stanford’s going to want to slow it down. ASU is a much improved team, but they’re not quite ready for the big time. Stanford 31 ASU 27.
Until next time…
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Week 2 Recap and Week 3 Preview
Week 2 is in the books, and in case you didn’t know, Oregon can score and score quickly, Notre Dame’s defense ain’t the 2012 crew that propelled the Irish to the National Championship game, Georgia’s still the best one loss team in the country, and whomever had Clowney as their preseason pick for the Heisman is an idiot. Oops.
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 2 Top-10 recap:
1. After Tommy Rees threw that INT towards the end of the first half and Michigan scored yet again, I thought that game was over. Yet, at the end, Rees and company continued to fight back (even though the defense continued to suck it up) and we had another classic Notre Dame and Michigan finish. I’m really gonna miss that series. So many good memories. One last time next year in South Bend.
2. Well, Western Kentucky isn’t going to bust the BCS this year. It’s really hard to win games when you turn it over five times in six plays in the first quarter. Even against Tennessee.
3. Washington State beat USC in the Coliseum for the first time in 13 years, and did so without scoring an offensive touchdown. I wonder if Pat Haden is still 100% behind Lame Kiffin? USC has now dropped six of their last eight, after being the AP Preseason #1 last year. When are these AD’s gonna realize that Lame ain’t Monte, and he isn’t head coach material? Last season, for the first time in 50 years, a team went from #1 to unranked. Now they only put up 193 yards against Washington State (not exactly ’85 Bears material)? And remember his “success” with the Raiders (5-15) or his one year with Tennessee (7-6)? I wish I could be paid millions of dollars for repeated mediocrity.
4. You’re seeing a swagger from A&M that I don’t think many expected this soon into their SEC tenure. Of course, it’s only been against Rice and Sam Houston State, but Johnny Autograph and company seem to have picked up right where they left off last year. Just in time for Alabama to come to town.
5. Texas loses to BYU and Oklahoma struggled against a not-so-good West Virginia team. Let’s face it, Texas and OU just aren’t that good. The Big 12 looks to be Oklahoma State’s unless this latest pay-for-play scandal creates some distractions.
6. Ohio State rolled over San Diego State, and they did so without Braxton Miller for most of the game. He’s still day-to-day with that knee injury, but it’s pretty clear the Buckeyes are a completely different offense without him. Their chances of running the table diminish pretty quick if he’s not healthy.
7. LSU’s offense is firing on all cylinders, and they still have a couple warm up games before heading to Georgia on September 28th. If the Tigers can pull off that upset, it’s pretty smooth sailing until November 9th @ Alabama and @ Texas A&M following a bye week. The SEC West will be decided those two weekends.
8. Missouri and Tennessee are the only undefeated teams in the SEC East. Raise your hand if you thought that would be the case after week 2. Of course five of Tennessee’s next six are @ Oregon, @ Florida, v. Georgia, v. South Carolina, @ Alabama. Better make hay against South Alabama in a couple weeks.
9. The look on the Virginia fans’ faces was priceless after Mariota went 71 yards untouched on a QB draw on 3rd and five on Oregon’s first possession. Oregon is for real.
10. Once again, the game of the week lived up to the hype as Georgia South Carolina exchanged hay makers for four quarters. Georgia’s got a pro-style offensive, but their defense is going to need to improve before the LSU game in a couple weeks. After the LSU game, their schedule lightens up, with only Florida remaining as a currently ranked team. And you know what they always say, better to lose early than late. That close loss to Clemson is already a distant memory.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (2-0) – 25.5 favorites @ Virginia and they won by nearly double that. Good luck traveling to Eugene, Tennessee.
#2 Ohio State (2-0) – Braxston Miller’s injury is cause for concern, but that again, you don’t play anyone until Wisconsin comes to town at the end of September.
#3 Stanford (1-0) – 3 TD victory over San Jose State, a team you only beat by FG last year. Don’t let me down, Stanford!
#4 Alabama (1-0) – The game we’ve been waiting a long time for…@ A&M.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – Okay, I’ll even give you the Cincy game now.
#6 Clemson (2-0) – Looking good, but I won’t be sold until you beat Florida State.
#7 Oklahoma State (2-0) – U.T. San Antonio exposed your defense. Then again, when has Oklahoma State ever had a defense?
#8 Georgia (1-1) – By far the best one loss team in football.
#9 Texas A&M (2-0) – Can you beat Alabama twice in a row?
#10 Florida State (1-0) – All of the sudden that game v. The U looks more difficult than your trip to the Swamp.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Needs a big game against Florida State, and no other stumbles along the way. Though Bridgewater at Louisville is close behind, putting up video game like numbers.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Ohio State needs to get healthy or they’ll be booted from this prediction even before the Wisconsin game. An Alabama loss this weekend and everyone will have Oregon #1 after they drop 60+ on Tennessee.
Week 3 Big Games:
UCLA @ Nebraska – Last year the Bruins surprised Nebraska. But that was in California, and not in Lincoln. And, how will UCLA be mentality after the tragic death of one of their players? Don’t think the Blackshirts improved much based on what they did against Southern Miss. Southern Miss hasn’t won a game since 2011. And, Nebraska did give up more than 300 yards in the first half to Wyoming in the opener. Emotionally, UCLA will be prepared. This game will come down to the turnover battle. Don’t expect UCLA to give up four times (including two pick sixes) like So. Miss did. UCLA beats Nebraska. Again. 37 to 31.
Tennessee @ Oregon – The only reason I have this as a big game is because it’s being played at the same time as Alabama @ A&M, so no one is going to watch. You really need to watch this Oregon team. They’re gonna be everyone’s #1 soon. Oregon 64 Tennessee 20
Wisconsin @ Arizona State – In another marquee Big 10 v. PAC 12 match-up, 20th ranked Wisconsin comes to the desert against unranked Arizona State. These teams are #1 and #2 in the nation in total defense right now, then again their first few opponents were crappy, with these teams winning the three games a combined 148-0. Remember that ASU nearly upset a much better Wisconsin team in Camp Randall two years ago, and this Wisconsin team struggled early in the year last year losing @ Oregon State. The biggest question is whether or not ASU’s defensive line can hold up to Wisconsin’s relentless rushing attack. Uh, have you seen Will Sutton?? And, interestingly enough, ASU comes in as a four point favorite. Oh, and ASU is 8-0 at home against the Big 10. Let’s make it 9-0. ASU 34 Wisconsin 31.
Week 3 Game of the Week:
Alabama @ Texas A&M – How do you even break down this match-up? Let’s rewind to last year…Alabama had just come home after an emotional come-from-behind win @ LSU @ night. A&M was hot, and Alabama was flat. A&M scored three quick TDs and it looked like Alabama was done. Then A&M missed that third extra point and all of the sudden momentum shifted. Alabama spotted the Aggies three TDs, committed three turnovers themselves, and yet still found themselves goal-to-go with a chance to win it in the fourth quarter. You know Saban and company have been scheming for this one since McCarron’s INT that sealed it for A&M. The key to this game will be if Alabama can retain its focus and composure; especially in front of a hostile crowd in College Station. A&M will score, and score quite a bit – this isn’t your 2011 or 2012 Alabama defense. And, this isn’t your 2012 Alabama offensive line that allowed that fourth quarter comeback against LSU, that second half comeback against A&M, and that dominant performance against Notre Dame. As much as I respect Alabama’s program, and as annoying as I find Johnny Autograph, I was even more shocked to see Vegas had Alabama as a seven point favorite. I think we’ll see something similar to the 2010 Alabama/Auburn game. Alabama just won’t have enough to slow down, or to keep up with A&M. Wrong team favored – A&M 27 Alabama 20.
Until next time…
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 2 Top-10 recap:
1. After Tommy Rees threw that INT towards the end of the first half and Michigan scored yet again, I thought that game was over. Yet, at the end, Rees and company continued to fight back (even though the defense continued to suck it up) and we had another classic Notre Dame and Michigan finish. I’m really gonna miss that series. So many good memories. One last time next year in South Bend.
2. Well, Western Kentucky isn’t going to bust the BCS this year. It’s really hard to win games when you turn it over five times in six plays in the first quarter. Even against Tennessee.
3. Washington State beat USC in the Coliseum for the first time in 13 years, and did so without scoring an offensive touchdown. I wonder if Pat Haden is still 100% behind Lame Kiffin? USC has now dropped six of their last eight, after being the AP Preseason #1 last year. When are these AD’s gonna realize that Lame ain’t Monte, and he isn’t head coach material? Last season, for the first time in 50 years, a team went from #1 to unranked. Now they only put up 193 yards against Washington State (not exactly ’85 Bears material)? And remember his “success” with the Raiders (5-15) or his one year with Tennessee (7-6)? I wish I could be paid millions of dollars for repeated mediocrity.
4. You’re seeing a swagger from A&M that I don’t think many expected this soon into their SEC tenure. Of course, it’s only been against Rice and Sam Houston State, but Johnny Autograph and company seem to have picked up right where they left off last year. Just in time for Alabama to come to town.
5. Texas loses to BYU and Oklahoma struggled against a not-so-good West Virginia team. Let’s face it, Texas and OU just aren’t that good. The Big 12 looks to be Oklahoma State’s unless this latest pay-for-play scandal creates some distractions.
6. Ohio State rolled over San Diego State, and they did so without Braxton Miller for most of the game. He’s still day-to-day with that knee injury, but it’s pretty clear the Buckeyes are a completely different offense without him. Their chances of running the table diminish pretty quick if he’s not healthy.
7. LSU’s offense is firing on all cylinders, and they still have a couple warm up games before heading to Georgia on September 28th. If the Tigers can pull off that upset, it’s pretty smooth sailing until November 9th @ Alabama and @ Texas A&M following a bye week. The SEC West will be decided those two weekends.
8. Missouri and Tennessee are the only undefeated teams in the SEC East. Raise your hand if you thought that would be the case after week 2. Of course five of Tennessee’s next six are @ Oregon, @ Florida, v. Georgia, v. South Carolina, @ Alabama. Better make hay against South Alabama in a couple weeks.
9. The look on the Virginia fans’ faces was priceless after Mariota went 71 yards untouched on a QB draw on 3rd and five on Oregon’s first possession. Oregon is for real.
10. Once again, the game of the week lived up to the hype as Georgia South Carolina exchanged hay makers for four quarters. Georgia’s got a pro-style offensive, but their defense is going to need to improve before the LSU game in a couple weeks. After the LSU game, their schedule lightens up, with only Florida remaining as a currently ranked team. And you know what they always say, better to lose early than late. That close loss to Clemson is already a distant memory.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (2-0) – 25.5 favorites @ Virginia and they won by nearly double that. Good luck traveling to Eugene, Tennessee.
#2 Ohio State (2-0) – Braxston Miller’s injury is cause for concern, but that again, you don’t play anyone until Wisconsin comes to town at the end of September.
#3 Stanford (1-0) – 3 TD victory over San Jose State, a team you only beat by FG last year. Don’t let me down, Stanford!
#4 Alabama (1-0) – The game we’ve been waiting a long time for…@ A&M.
#5 Louisville (12-0) – Okay, I’ll even give you the Cincy game now.
#6 Clemson (2-0) – Looking good, but I won’t be sold until you beat Florida State.
#7 Oklahoma State (2-0) – U.T. San Antonio exposed your defense. Then again, when has Oklahoma State ever had a defense?
#8 Georgia (1-1) – By far the best one loss team in football.
#9 Texas A&M (2-0) – Can you beat Alabama twice in a row?
#10 Florida State (1-0) – All of the sudden that game v. The U looks more difficult than your trip to the Swamp.
Heisman Watch:
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Needs a big game against Florida State, and no other stumbles along the way. Though Bridgewater at Louisville is close behind, putting up video game like numbers.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Ohio State needs to get healthy or they’ll be booted from this prediction even before the Wisconsin game. An Alabama loss this weekend and everyone will have Oregon #1 after they drop 60+ on Tennessee.
Week 3 Big Games:
UCLA @ Nebraska – Last year the Bruins surprised Nebraska. But that was in California, and not in Lincoln. And, how will UCLA be mentality after the tragic death of one of their players? Don’t think the Blackshirts improved much based on what they did against Southern Miss. Southern Miss hasn’t won a game since 2011. And, Nebraska did give up more than 300 yards in the first half to Wyoming in the opener. Emotionally, UCLA will be prepared. This game will come down to the turnover battle. Don’t expect UCLA to give up four times (including two pick sixes) like So. Miss did. UCLA beats Nebraska. Again. 37 to 31.
Tennessee @ Oregon – The only reason I have this as a big game is because it’s being played at the same time as Alabama @ A&M, so no one is going to watch. You really need to watch this Oregon team. They’re gonna be everyone’s #1 soon. Oregon 64 Tennessee 20
Wisconsin @ Arizona State – In another marquee Big 10 v. PAC 12 match-up, 20th ranked Wisconsin comes to the desert against unranked Arizona State. These teams are #1 and #2 in the nation in total defense right now, then again their first few opponents were crappy, with these teams winning the three games a combined 148-0. Remember that ASU nearly upset a much better Wisconsin team in Camp Randall two years ago, and this Wisconsin team struggled early in the year last year losing @ Oregon State. The biggest question is whether or not ASU’s defensive line can hold up to Wisconsin’s relentless rushing attack. Uh, have you seen Will Sutton?? And, interestingly enough, ASU comes in as a four point favorite. Oh, and ASU is 8-0 at home against the Big 10. Let’s make it 9-0. ASU 34 Wisconsin 31.
Week 3 Game of the Week:
Alabama @ Texas A&M – How do you even break down this match-up? Let’s rewind to last year…Alabama had just come home after an emotional come-from-behind win @ LSU @ night. A&M was hot, and Alabama was flat. A&M scored three quick TDs and it looked like Alabama was done. Then A&M missed that third extra point and all of the sudden momentum shifted. Alabama spotted the Aggies three TDs, committed three turnovers themselves, and yet still found themselves goal-to-go with a chance to win it in the fourth quarter. You know Saban and company have been scheming for this one since McCarron’s INT that sealed it for A&M. The key to this game will be if Alabama can retain its focus and composure; especially in front of a hostile crowd in College Station. A&M will score, and score quite a bit – this isn’t your 2011 or 2012 Alabama defense. And, this isn’t your 2012 Alabama offensive line that allowed that fourth quarter comeback against LSU, that second half comeback against A&M, and that dominant performance against Notre Dame. As much as I respect Alabama’s program, and as annoying as I find Johnny Autograph, I was even more shocked to see Vegas had Alabama as a seven point favorite. I think we’ll see something similar to the 2010 Alabama/Auburn game. Alabama just won’t have enough to slow down, or to keep up with A&M. Wrong team favored – A&M 27 Alabama 20.
Until next time…
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Week 1 Recap and Week 2 Preview
Week 1 is in the books, and my Top-10 is largely unchanged. I just flip-flopped Clemson and Georgia. I don’t get why the AP makes changes at the top when you don’t play or you still win. Does Stanford really look that bad by not playing that they drop in the polls? And does Oregon’s blow out against whomever they played (I really can’t remember) all of the sudden make them look better than Ohio State because the Buckeyes struggled at times against Buffalo? I’m glad the playoffs will be chosen by a committee rather than letting the human polls have such an impact…
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 1 Top-10 recap:
1. Do you think some of these schools are rethinking paying FCS teams a ton of money to come play? Seven FCS teams took down FBS schools this weekend, most notably Eastern Washington going into Corvallis and taking out the ranked Beavers and not so surprisingly North Dakota State taking out Kansas State in Manhattan. I mean, we knew K-State wasn’t going to be the team they were last year, and the Bison have a history of beating FBS teams (now 7-3).
2. Oh boy does Kevin Sumlin have his hands full with Johnny Autograph. Not only did the spoiled little rich kid make a mockery of himself against Rice, but after the stupid taunting penalty and bumping through his coach after Sumlin tried to talk to him, his response is to bench him for the rest of the game? If you really want to make a statement Kevin, bench him for the next game AND the first quarter against Alabama. Watching this spoiled little rich kid melt-down is supposed to be TMZ material for the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, not the defending Heisman winner. Oh, and did I mention this was Rice? If lowly Rice (who put up 509 yards of offense by the way) gets under Manziel’s skin this easily, imagine what Saban, C.J. Mosley and company are gonna do when Alabama comes to town in a couple weeks.
3. Washington’s “upset” of Boise pretty much eliminates the BCS buster for the year. If Washington can figure out how to win on the road, they’ve got a chance to make some noise in the PAC-12 North. And, they do get Oregon at home. Of course though, they’ll likely lose on the road @ Illinois this weekend.
4. When I mentioned Boise losing “pretty much eliminates” a BCS buster this year, keep an eye on the Western Kentucky @ Tennessee game this weekend. Western Kentucky could make it 2-0 against the SEC, and don’t think that won’t come into play if they end up running the table.
5. I’m torn on the NCAA’s new targeting rule – aka, the when in doubt, throw ‘em out rule. I understand the emphasis on player protection and the typical 15-yard penalty wasn’t deterring any hits. But, it’s football. Hard hitting is part of the game. Clowney’s hit against Michigan in the bowl game last year probably qualifies under this new rule. And I hate when I see players slide to avoid a hit to the mid section that results in a blast to the head. We’ll see what impact this new rule has, and so far I think the refs are batting about 50/50 when it comes to “correct” interpretation of the rule.
6. A few Top-25 teams escaped with wins this weekend; most notably Ohio State and Nebraska. Ohio State just looked slow, and Nebraska’s defense obviously hasn’t improved since last year. Being outgained by Wyoming in Lincoln is never a good thing. At least Ohio State and Wisconsin aren’t on the schedule.
7. The PAC-12 South is the only unbeaten conference or subconference after week 1. And with Utah and Colorado in the division, that’s saying something. Of course Utah barely got by Utah State and Colorado always struggles with Colorado State…
8. Speaking of struggles, Notre Dame didn’t give up a rushing TD until game 8 against Oklahoma last year, and already gave up one against Temple this year. That’s right, a team picked to finish in the basement of the Big East…errrrr….AAC scored a rushing TD against Notre Dame. Uh oh. But, Rees and the offense looked better than I thought they would; sadly, it won’t be enough to get by Michigan this weekend.
9. LSU had an efficient, balanced offense and stellar defense against TCU, yet the game was still in doubt into the 4th. Miles’ offensive looked good under their new offensive coordinator, but going 13-19 on 3rd down will always make an offense look good. LSU should cruise to 4-0 before they travel to Georgia on September 28th.
10. The game of the week lived up to the hype with Clemson holding off Georgia for a huge opening night win. Tajh Boyd is now in the Heisman discussion, and Sammy Watkins continues to live up to the hype at wide receiver. Ultimately, Clemson needed this one more to stay in the National Title hunt, but Georgia has to beat South Carolina this weekend, or they’re done.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (1-0) – 59 point favorites and they covered! And they’re crawling up the AP poll as well. Don’t worry, they’ll have you #1 soon enough.
#2 Ohio State (1-0) – A little hint; don’t let teams like Buffalo keep it close if you want to stay #2.
#3 South Carolina (1-0) – Gonna need to improve on both sides to have a chance this weekend against Georgia.
#4 Stanford (0-0) – Week 1 bye? Really?
#5 Alabama (1-0) – The defense and special teams looked great. The offense? Not so much…
#6 Louisville (11-0) – No that’s not a misprint. I’ve you 11-0 to save me the trouble of updating it every week. Note that I’m not sure you win @ Cincy to end the year…
#7 Clemson (1-0) – Impressive win to open the season. Next up: October 19th when Florida State comes to Death Valley.
#8 Oklahoma State (1-0) – Bring on the U.T. San Antonio Road Runners!
#9 Georgia (0-1) – By far the best one loss team in football.
#10 Florida (1-0) – What was Herbstreit smoking that he had you losing to Toldeo?
Heisman Watch:
Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina – If this is the kind of scrutiny he’s going to be under every game, he doesn’t stand a chance. I’ve never seen as much attention paid to whether or not a defensive lineman was in the game or not, if he had one hand or two hands on his knees during a huddle, how much he was breathing or not, etc. etc. etc. Yikes. Hope that’s just a week 1 thing.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Oregon looked great; Ohio State did not. But, unlike the AP, I don’t change rankings when you win.
Week 2 Big Games:
Florida @ Miami – Old rivals (errr….big regional game?) that haven’t met since 2008 are back at it for one last time. Florida’s defense picked up right where they left off last year. Miami’s not quite back to the Miami of old, but they’re on their way. I like Florida 27 to 17.
Notre Dame @ Michigan – The last three between these rivals have been chaos – Michigan blowing a 21-7 lead in 2010 only to score in the final minute to win it; Notre Dame blowing 24-7 4th quarter lead, ending with three lead changes in the final two minutes in 2011; and of course the ugliness of the 2012 game in which we realized that Notre Dame’s defense was legit, forcing six turnovers and holding Michigan to six points. There will be more points than the 13-6 version of last year. Let’s pick Michigan 23 to 20.
Week 2 Game of the Week:
South Carolina @ Georgia – Georgia had its heart stomped out in Death Valley last weekend, but they can get right back into it this weekend at home against South Carolina. In order for my prediction of an SEC-less BCS Championship, I need Georgia to win this one. And have Georgia beat LSU. And LSU beat Alabama, and Alabama beat A&M. Piece one starts this weekend: Georgia 34 South Carolina 24.
Until next time…
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 1 Top-10 recap:
1. Do you think some of these schools are rethinking paying FCS teams a ton of money to come play? Seven FCS teams took down FBS schools this weekend, most notably Eastern Washington going into Corvallis and taking out the ranked Beavers and not so surprisingly North Dakota State taking out Kansas State in Manhattan. I mean, we knew K-State wasn’t going to be the team they were last year, and the Bison have a history of beating FBS teams (now 7-3).
2. Oh boy does Kevin Sumlin have his hands full with Johnny Autograph. Not only did the spoiled little rich kid make a mockery of himself against Rice, but after the stupid taunting penalty and bumping through his coach after Sumlin tried to talk to him, his response is to bench him for the rest of the game? If you really want to make a statement Kevin, bench him for the next game AND the first quarter against Alabama. Watching this spoiled little rich kid melt-down is supposed to be TMZ material for the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, not the defending Heisman winner. Oh, and did I mention this was Rice? If lowly Rice (who put up 509 yards of offense by the way) gets under Manziel’s skin this easily, imagine what Saban, C.J. Mosley and company are gonna do when Alabama comes to town in a couple weeks.
3. Washington’s “upset” of Boise pretty much eliminates the BCS buster for the year. If Washington can figure out how to win on the road, they’ve got a chance to make some noise in the PAC-12 North. And, they do get Oregon at home. Of course though, they’ll likely lose on the road @ Illinois this weekend.
4. When I mentioned Boise losing “pretty much eliminates” a BCS buster this year, keep an eye on the Western Kentucky @ Tennessee game this weekend. Western Kentucky could make it 2-0 against the SEC, and don’t think that won’t come into play if they end up running the table.
5. I’m torn on the NCAA’s new targeting rule – aka, the when in doubt, throw ‘em out rule. I understand the emphasis on player protection and the typical 15-yard penalty wasn’t deterring any hits. But, it’s football. Hard hitting is part of the game. Clowney’s hit against Michigan in the bowl game last year probably qualifies under this new rule. And I hate when I see players slide to avoid a hit to the mid section that results in a blast to the head. We’ll see what impact this new rule has, and so far I think the refs are batting about 50/50 when it comes to “correct” interpretation of the rule.
6. A few Top-25 teams escaped with wins this weekend; most notably Ohio State and Nebraska. Ohio State just looked slow, and Nebraska’s defense obviously hasn’t improved since last year. Being outgained by Wyoming in Lincoln is never a good thing. At least Ohio State and Wisconsin aren’t on the schedule.
7. The PAC-12 South is the only unbeaten conference or subconference after week 1. And with Utah and Colorado in the division, that’s saying something. Of course Utah barely got by Utah State and Colorado always struggles with Colorado State…
8. Speaking of struggles, Notre Dame didn’t give up a rushing TD until game 8 against Oklahoma last year, and already gave up one against Temple this year. That’s right, a team picked to finish in the basement of the Big East…errrrr….AAC scored a rushing TD against Notre Dame. Uh oh. But, Rees and the offense looked better than I thought they would; sadly, it won’t be enough to get by Michigan this weekend.
9. LSU had an efficient, balanced offense and stellar defense against TCU, yet the game was still in doubt into the 4th. Miles’ offensive looked good under their new offensive coordinator, but going 13-19 on 3rd down will always make an offense look good. LSU should cruise to 4-0 before they travel to Georgia on September 28th.
10. The game of the week lived up to the hype with Clemson holding off Georgia for a huge opening night win. Tajh Boyd is now in the Heisman discussion, and Sammy Watkins continues to live up to the hype at wide receiver. Ultimately, Clemson needed this one more to stay in the National Title hunt, but Georgia has to beat South Carolina this weekend, or they’re done.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Oregon (1-0) – 59 point favorites and they covered! And they’re crawling up the AP poll as well. Don’t worry, they’ll have you #1 soon enough.
#2 Ohio State (1-0) – A little hint; don’t let teams like Buffalo keep it close if you want to stay #2.
#3 South Carolina (1-0) – Gonna need to improve on both sides to have a chance this weekend against Georgia.
#4 Stanford (0-0) – Week 1 bye? Really?
#5 Alabama (1-0) – The defense and special teams looked great. The offense? Not so much…
#6 Louisville (11-0) – No that’s not a misprint. I’ve you 11-0 to save me the trouble of updating it every week. Note that I’m not sure you win @ Cincy to end the year…
#7 Clemson (1-0) – Impressive win to open the season. Next up: October 19th when Florida State comes to Death Valley.
#8 Oklahoma State (1-0) – Bring on the U.T. San Antonio Road Runners!
#9 Georgia (0-1) – By far the best one loss team in football.
#10 Florida (1-0) – What was Herbstreit smoking that he had you losing to Toldeo?
Heisman Watch:
Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina – If this is the kind of scrutiny he’s going to be under every game, he doesn’t stand a chance. I’ve never seen as much attention paid to whether or not a defensive lineman was in the game or not, if he had one hand or two hands on his knees during a huddle, how much he was breathing or not, etc. etc. etc. Yikes. Hope that’s just a week 1 thing.
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Oregon v. Ohio State – Oregon looked great; Ohio State did not. But, unlike the AP, I don’t change rankings when you win.
Week 2 Big Games:
Florida @ Miami – Old rivals (errr….big regional game?) that haven’t met since 2008 are back at it for one last time. Florida’s defense picked up right where they left off last year. Miami’s not quite back to the Miami of old, but they’re on their way. I like Florida 27 to 17.
Notre Dame @ Michigan – The last three between these rivals have been chaos – Michigan blowing a 21-7 lead in 2010 only to score in the final minute to win it; Notre Dame blowing 24-7 4th quarter lead, ending with three lead changes in the final two minutes in 2011; and of course the ugliness of the 2012 game in which we realized that Notre Dame’s defense was legit, forcing six turnovers and holding Michigan to six points. There will be more points than the 13-6 version of last year. Let’s pick Michigan 23 to 20.
Week 2 Game of the Week:
South Carolina @ Georgia – Georgia had its heart stomped out in Death Valley last weekend, but they can get right back into it this weekend at home against South Carolina. In order for my prediction of an SEC-less BCS Championship, I need Georgia to win this one. And have Georgia beat LSU. And LSU beat Alabama, and Alabama beat A&M. Piece one starts this weekend: Georgia 34 South Carolina 24.
Until next time…
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