Expert Sports Analysis

Best and Worst of the NFL - Week 5

2010-10-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Let's call it Opposite Day! It's easy to call the Lions and the Bills the worst teams in the league and it's easy to name the Saints, the Steelers, and the Packers the most talented, but what about the worst of the best and the best of the worst? Now, that's fun!

BEST team with 1 win: Dallas Cowboys
The Vikings are a very close second here, but the Cowboys we all saw in the first two weeks won't show its face again.

WORST team with 3 wins: Chicago Bears
Even with Jay Cutler, the Bears have some major issues...and now they don't even have him.

BEST team without a win: San Francisco 49ers
Almost went with the Panthers here, but the 49ers just have too much talent to keep this losing streak - plus, they get to play every team in the NFC West...twice.

WORST team with 2 wins: Arizona Cardinals
Take your pick of first-place teams in the NFC West - Seattle, St. Louis, and Arizona all aren't getting it done, but the Cardinals have the most question marks.

BEST team with 2 wins: Indianapolis Colts
This one was easy. Peyton Manning will bring this team back from their temporary lull.

Some notes on the upcoming games for the above teams:

The Cardinals will have a very tough time with the Saints this weekend starting an undrafted rookie in Max Hall at quarterback. This will definitely test the resolve of Arizona's struggling defense.
Who would have thought that the Chiefs would be the undefeated of the two teams in the Colts-Chiefs matchup (and the Colts at just .500). Incredible.
Dallas-Tennessee should be a great matchup, but if the Titans aren't careful, I could see Romo ripping them up after beating a very good Houston team.
The Bears are last in rushing and allowed double-digit sacks last week - not good when going up against an angry Panthers team that needs to play well as not to get booed out of their own stadium.
The football Gods have taken pity on the 49ers by making Kevin Kolb the starter in this game. Vick would have given them fits. Instead, I think they come out the victors here.

NCAA Football 2010: Week 5 Predictions

2010-10-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. Okay, it's been longer than awhile. But have no fear, I have only become wiser over the last year, whch means even better predictions (I hope).

So, without further ado!

#7 Florida at #1 Alabama - 8:00pm ET
Wow, we only had to wait 5 weeks for what could be a December Championship matchup. Nice. Strap in, boys and girls - this will be a bruiser. Even though Alabama is coming off an emotional and physical matchup with Arkansas (and Florida conversely is not), the Tide still has too much all-around skill and discipline. This game comes down to execution and nobody has his team execute when it matters better than Nick "I'll never be Bear Bryant but I'm a pretty damn close second" Saban.
Crimson Tide 24 - Gators 23

#2 Ohio State at Illinois - 12:00pm ET
Conference play finally starts in the Big Ten (thank goodness - au revoir, Eastern Michigan and Austin Peay) and it's not a good thing for the Illini. Ohio State is the best in the land at forcing turnovers on defense and has arguably the hardest quarterback to gameplan for on offense. This game shouldn't be close.
Buckeyes 32 - Fighting Illini 10

#3 Boise State at New Mexico State - 8:00pm ET
For the record, I am NOT on the Boise State train. I still think the best thing to come out of that state is the potato. If you've ever criticized Ohio State or Florida for plaing cupcakes, then I better hear you yelling for the next 12 weeks, because the Broncos have a BUNCH of them. Boo to Virginia Tech and Oregon State for being less-than-platinum. Let's pray Nevada stays healthy over the coming weeks.
Broncos 52 - Aggies 10

#9 Stanford at #4 Oregon - 8:00pm ET
When do you know college football has truly begun? When your remote never leaves your hand because your flipping between three games at once. Gotta love this matchup - the smart, bruising style of Jim Harbaugh vs. the speedy, opportunistic Chip Kelly. Could go either way, but I think Oregon cleans up their act after a questionable performance against a better-than-advertised Arizona State team.
Ducks 38 - Cardinals 32

#5 TCU at Colorado State - 2:00pm ET
Ummm....not close. TCU is good. Colorado State is not good.
Horned Frogs 45 - Rams 13

#21 Texas at #8 Oklahoma - 3:30pm ET
The Red River Rivalry is not what it could have been due to a very poor performance last week from both teams (Oklahoma barely escaping against a down Cincinnati team and Texas getting slaughtered by a middle-of-the-road Pac-10 team in UCLA). Oklahoma still has a chance at a National Title and I think that motivation takes over in this game. Texas keeps it close, but drops to 3-2.
Sooners 32 - Longhorns 29

LA Monroe at #10 Auburn - 12:00pm ET
I'd like to say that this is a scare-game for Auburn, but it's not. Cam Newton could hand the ball off 55 times and win this game big (and should).
Tigers 31 - Warhawks 3

#11 Wisconsin at #24 Michigan State - 3:30pm ET
One of the best matchups of the week on paper. And that's saying a lot with Penn State-Iowa also on the slate. I have watched Wisconsin struggle in every game except against Austin Peay last week and I think that finally catches up with them. Michigan State wins a big one for their recovering coach and Greg Jones continues to make his case for Defensive Player of the Year by stopping John Clay cold.
Spartans 23 - Wisconsin 21

Tennessee at #12 LSU - 3:30pm ET
How in the world is LSU the 12th best team in the country? Their defense has been just okay against very mediocre competition and if their not careful, a Tennessee team that has absolutely nothing to lose could beat them here. I'll go high risk, high reward and say Les Miles gets embarrassed in his own backyard against fans that have been known to call for his head after big losses.
Volunteers 24 - Tigers 16

#16 Miami at Clemson - 12:00pm ET
Clemson could easily take this game if Jacory Harris continues his loose demeanor with the ball (namely, handing it to his opponents), but I think Miami will come out fired up, knowing this is a bit of a scare game. Finally, their talent shows, they execute, and Harris gets some support from his mistake-prone wide receivers.
Hurricanes 34 - Tigers 17

#22 Penn State at #17 Iowa - 8:05pm ET
If only because everyone in the country is counting Penn State out of this game, I feel like I should go with the Nittany Lions. But I'm not. I'm going with the rest of the country. Iowa is much better than they played in Arizona and they'll play better tonight at home.
Hawkeyes 27 - Nittany Lions 20

Washington at #18 USC - 8:00pm ET
When was the last time USC was 4-0 and NOT in the top 10? I don't know (because I don't have a stat team to track it down for me), but it would have been unheard of in the last few years. If you don't think those sanctions are having a media-effect, your not living in reality. Doesn't matter in this game, though, because the Huskies are terrible (sorry Mr. Locker).
Trojans 41 - Huskies 28

#19 Michigan at Indiana - 3:30pm ET
I don't think I've EVER seen Heisman hype gain momentum as fast as it has for Denard Robinson. I wonder if "hype" ties it's shoelaces...I'll I know is if this guy stays healthy, the Big Ten is better from top to bottom and "The Game" could be competitive this year (and those are both good things for college football). Indiana can definitely score and should give the Wolverines a run for their money, but a healthy Robinson is just too good and won't be stopped again this week.
Wolverines 38 - Hoosiers 34

Virginia Tech at #23 North Carolina State - 3:30pm ET
Wow, has the ACC been more irrelevant than right now? The answer is no. At least, not in recent history. I'd like to see Virginia Tech lose every game the rest of the season solely so Boise State has less of a case, but that's not realistic and I think North Carolina State finally gets what's coming to them. Like Pizza the Hutt in SpaceBalls, the ACC continues to eat itself until it no longer exists.
Hokies 23 - Wolfpack 21

#25 Nevada at UNLV - 10:00pm ET
GOOOOOO Wolf Pack! Who wouldn't love to see Nevada clear their slate and go undefeated? It would mean Boise State has lost and we can stop using the words Championship and Broncos in the same sentence. That's enough for me. I'm going to go buy some Nevada-blue pom-poms.
Wolf Pack 38 - Rebels 17

Arizona Cardinals 2009 Red and White Practice LIVE

2009-08-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Arizona Cardinals "Red and White" Game

For the entire play-by-play transcript for the "Red and White" game and links to some other Cardinals training camp articles:
Arizona Cardinals Examiner

How the Arizona Cardinals match-up with: the Jacksonville Jaguars

2009-07-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Week 1 - @Jacksonville, Jacksonville Stadium
Sunday, Sept. 20th, 1:00 PM, FOX

All-time series: Jacksonville 2 - Arizona 0
Last 10 games: Jacksonville 2 - Arizona 0

Interesting Stat: In two games, Jacksonville has outscored Arizona 68-27

Quarterback
Jaguars - Let's just say that if David Garrard gets injured for any amount of time, the Jags are in big trouble. After releasing Cleo Lemon so they didn't have to pay a back-up quarterback $3 million a year to ride the pine, the Jaguars were left with, well, nothing. Todd Boeckman didn't even play that much in college, nonetheless the pros, and Todd Bouman is 106 years old. To make matters worse, Garrard's not even all that good.
Cardinals - If you ask me if I want Garrard or Warner, I pick Warner. If you ask me if I want Garrard or Leinart, I pick Leinart.
Edge: Cardinals, because their back-up is better than the Jags starter.

Running Back
Jaguars - Much like the quarterback position, the Jaguars are sparse at running back. This being the first year in a good while that the Jacksonville fans won't be able to see Fred Taylor on the field, Maurice Jones-Drew will have to become a 30-carry back for the first time as well. The question then becomes, "Can he do it?" I think he can, but as is the case with most shared-carry backs that move into the featured roll, I expect his production (per carry) to go down. If a solid back-up can be found in rookie Rashad Jennings, Alvin Pearman, or Chauncey Washington, there is a chance the run game won't suffer the loss of Taylor too much...but don't count on it.
Cardinals - "Lean" and "Mean," Tim Hightower and Chris "Beanie" Wells. have huge potential, but as you will hear me reiterate again and again before the season starts, they are wholly unproven. Potential in no way equals production and I cannot in good objective standards annoint them...yet.
Edge: Jaguars, if Maurice Jones-Drew stays healthy.

Wide Receiver
Jaguars - Another trouble area for the Jaguars, although landing veteran Torry Holt does help matters at least. Without Holt, this write-up would be very easy: they're bad. However, there is a lot of youth here, and like the Cardinals run game, has a lot of potential. Reggie Williams is solid, but not mind-blowing (he didn't have over 55 yards in any game last year); Mike Thomas was a stud at the University of Arizona and should see playing time quickly if he pays attention in training camp; the other Mike, Mike Walker, had some games last year that looked promising, so he could easily become Garrard's second or third option; and the rest will be figured out in the pre-season, with the young receivers battling it out (all with a chance to play).
Cardinals - This comparison is kind of sad, really. I mean, c'mon, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston vs. Holt, Williams, and Thomas? Let's just say that if you add all the receiving yards of the wide receivers currently on the Jaguars roster (not counting Jones-Drew, a running back), it is less than Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin by themselves.
Edge: Cardinals, with no explanation needed.

(continued)

For the rest of the article, go to: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15203-Arizona-Cardinals-Examiner~y2009m7d8-How-the-Arizona-Cardinals-matchup-with-the-Jacksonville-Jaguars

Krag Klages is the Arizona Cardinals Examiner

How do the Arizona Cardinals Matchup with: the San Francisco 49ers

2009-07-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Week 1 - @Arizona, University of Phoenix Stadium
Sunday, Sept. 13th, 4:15 PM, FOX

Week 14 - @San Francisco, Candlestick Park
Monday, Dec. 14th, 8:30 PM, ESPN *Monday Night Football

All-time series: San Francisco 19 - Arizona 16Last 10 games: Arizona 6 - San Francisco 4
Interesting Stat: 4 out of last 12 games have gone into overtime

Quarterback
49ers - Another quarterback battle is in store for a team that desperately needs a leader. It really comes down to the returning starter, Shaun Hill, and the 2005 number-one draft pick, Alex Smith. If history is any indication where this is going, Shaun Hill will come out of this thing the victor, expecially with Singletary's love for the blue-collar type quarterback.
Cardinals - No brainer, here. Apart from any injury set-backs (which is a possibility, even in the pre-season), Kurt Warner will be the starting quarterback for the Cardinals. Sorry, Leinart, you've got at least another year of waiting.
Edge: Cardinals, by a mile.

Running Back
49ers - Frank Gore is an outstanding back and the new rookies, Glen Coffee (Alabama) and Kory Sheets (Purdue), could be two great additions to what has been a one-man show. That said, if the offensive line doesn't create better opportunities, it doesn't matter who's behind them.
Cardinals - "Beanie" Wells dropping to #31 in the draft was just one more indication that the winds are changing for the Arizona Cardinals. They needed a big, bruising running back more than anything else and they think they've found it in Wells. Paired together with the speedy edge-rusher, Tim Hightower, the Cardinals could quite possibly have the next great tandem in the NFL. Tim Hightower and "Beanie" Wells - I shall from here on out call them "Lean" and "Mean," respectively.
Edge: 49ers, as the Cardinals are too young and unproven.

Wide Receiver
49ers - This receiving corps is a couple of veterans (Arnaz Battle and Isaac Bruce) followed by a bunch of babies, albeit a bunch of very talented babies. Whoever ends up at quarterback better be able to get rid of the ball fast and on target, because these guys can catch and these guys can run. Michael Crabtree needs to prove himself in the NFL before I start comparing him to Larry Fitzgerald like many other media pundits, but even I can admit that his potential is unmatched at his age.
Cardinals - It's too bad for the 49ers that the Cardinals have the best wide receiving corps in the country, because the 49ers are pretty solid themselves. But, alas, Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin make up the best one-two punch in football, hands-down.
Edge: Cardinals, but not by as much as you might think.

(continued)

To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.examiner.com/x-15203-Arizona-Cardinals-Examiner~y2009m7d6-How-do-the-Arizona-Cardinals-matchup-with-the-San-Francisco-49ers

Krag Klages is the Arizona Cardinals Examiner

Days until First Game of College Football Season

2009-06-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

Cardinals Training Camp Schedule - 2009

2009-06-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to azCardinals.com for this bit of insight - it is the current training camp schedule for the Cardinals this summer:

Friday, 7/31/09
9:05-10:30 AM
3:05-5:05 PM

Saturday, 8/1/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Sunday, 8/2/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Monday, 8/3/09
9:05-10:30 AM
3:05-5:05 PM

Tuesday, 8/4/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Wednesday, 8/5/09
9:05-10:30 AM
7:05-9:10 PM (Lumberjack Stadium)

Thursday, 8/6/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Friday, 8/7/09
9:05-10:30 AM
3:05-5:05 PM

Saturday, 8/8/09
11:30-1:20 PM

Monday, 8/10/09
9:05-10:30 AM
3:05-5:05 PM

Tuesday, 8/11/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Wednesday, 8/12/09
7:30-8:30 AM (Walk Thru)

Sunday, 8/16/09
4:15-5:30 PM

Monday, 8/17/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Tuesday, 8/18/09
9:05-10:30 AM
7:05-9:10 PM (Lumberjack Stadium)

Wednesday, 8/19/09
3:05-5:05 PM

Thursday, 8/20/09
9:05-10:30 AM

Starting almost a week later than last year and ending one day earlier, the workout is a bit shorter, but there are still plenty of opportunities to go see your beloved Cardinals in beautiful and temperate Flagstaff, AZ.

Cardinals Sign 4th Round Pick Toler

2009-06-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Cardinals have confirmed that they have signed their fourth-round pick from St. Paul's College, cornerback Greg Toler.

Toler's story is one of a lot of obstacles and strife, but he has overcome all adversity to end up here: a 3-year, $1.5 million deal, with a $316,000 signing bonus. Good for him.

Toler comes into a great situation with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Bryant McFadden in the secondary and should be able to learn quickly and contribute fairly early. It still might be a year before he has a consistent impact, but when he develops, putting him next to DRC and McFadden should have teams a little more worried about throwing the ball against the Cardinals.

A Quick Look at the Arizona Cardinals 2009 NFL Draft Picks

2009-06-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Cardinals’ eight 2009 Draft Picks and their possible impact:

RB Chris “Beanie” Wells – The big, bruising Ohio State running back has had some injury problems through college, but if stays healthy, he could be the next great back in the NFL.

OLB Cody Brown – Brown is a solid outside pass rusher, which is exactly what the Cardinals were looking for with this pick. If he works on his mobility and getting around blocks, he could have an impact earlier than expected.

S Rashad Johnson – This Alabama Safety could definitely see playing time this year if he bulks up. His ability is unmatched at the position, but he needs to get bigger to compete with NFL wide receivers.

CB Gregory Toler – This little-known player out of tiny St. Paul’s College was overlooked by everyone in the draft, but his story is one of overcoming obstacles and he could end up being a great cornerback. Give Toler a year or two.

OG Herman Johnson – If Johnson keeps his weight in check (he is on record as the biggest player in LSU football history) and works on his mobility (I repeat, he is a BIG boy), he could be a very solid blocker for a sometimes-lacking Cardinals offensive line.

DE Will Davis – With the Cardinals' depth at this position, look for Davis to be more of a developmental project. Good upside, but needs work.

RB LaRod Stephens-Howling – The sleeper of the entire draft, the Cardinals love LaRod’s upside (and his speed) – look for him to make an immediate impact on special teams.

OG Trevor Canfield – A pick-and-pray draft pick, Canfield will be a total bust or an amazing value. Then again, the offensive line can use anyone at this point.

Days until First Game of College Football Season

2009-06-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Days until First Game of College Football Season

2009-05-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

NCAA Graduation Success Rates by Sport

2009-04-21T12:25:00.001-07:00

While reading an as-usual-funny article by ESPN's TMQ (Tuesday Morning Quarterback), I stumbled upon a link to the NCAA's athletic GSR's (Graduation Success Rates) . I thought, for fun, I'd publish the men's graduation rates here, from top sport to last:

Sport GSR
Lacrosse 88
Water Polo 87
Fencing 86
Gymnastics 86
Ice Hockey 83
Swimming 83
Tennis 83
Volleyball 83
Skiing 82
Rifle 80
Golf 79
Soccer 79
CC/Track 74
Wrestling 72
Baseball 68
Football(FBS) 67
Football(FCS) 65
Basketball 62

Not so surprisingly, Baseball, football, and basketball are dead last, I think mainly because so many of these athletes graduate early to go into the professional realms. What did surprise me was that the FCS colleges, formerly Division II, had such a low rate since most of these players do not go into the NFL. I would be curious to hear what people think of that anomaly.

A little surprising, on the positive side, was that the ice hockey GSR's were so high. Different from the powerhouse counterparts, hockey players obviously are staying in school longer. This may have something to do with the level of competition and how difficult it is to make it into the NHL.

Any other thoughts from people are certainly welcomed. And sorry I haven't posted in so long.

What Should the Super Bowl Cardinals Do Next?

2009-03-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the Cardinals have signed Warner...Check. They have gotten a new shut-down cornerback in McFadden from the Steelers...Check. So what should happen next? What is the future of Boldin? Who should they go after in the draft?

Here's what they OUGHT to do:

1. The Kansas City Chiefs filled a HUGE need at quarterback by paying for Matt Cassel (smart move, KC), so the next logical step is to get Cassel a receiver to throw to.

Anquan Boldin enter stage right.

The Cardinals should trade the unhappy Boldin to the Chiefs for this year's first AND third round picks. Now, the Cardinals' first three rounds looks like this:

Round 1 - #3 Pick
Round 1 - #31 Pick
Round 2 - #63 Pick
Round 3 - #67 Pick
Round 3 - #95 Pick

2. They can get TWO huge needs in the first round instead of settling for later, less-worthy draft-picks. My suggestions would be to take Aaron Curry, DB from Wake Forest with the #3 pick and Donald Brown, RB from Connecticut with the #31 pick.

Get a not-so-bad tight-end with #63 or #67 and grab value-players with the other two. Done.

Kurt Warner Has Outlasted the AFL

2009-01-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting timeline:

1971 - Kurt Warner is born
1987 - The AFL begins
1995 - The Iowa Barnstormers are added to the AFL
1995 - Kurt Warner signs a contract with the Iowa Barnstormers
1997 - Kurt Warner makes AFL history as one of the best AFL quarterbacks to date
1998 - Kurt Warner signs a contract with the St. Louis Rams
1999 - Kurt Warner achieves NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and a Super Bowl Ring
2001 - Kurt Warner is named NFL MVP
2009 - AFL season cancelled
2009 - Kurt Warner plays in NFC Championship game (and possibly the Super Bowl)

Kurt Warner has officially outlasted the AFL.

John Wooden Quote of the Day

2009-01-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

-John Wooden (1910-Present)

The Biggest Rivalries in College Sports

2009-01-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Before I even begin, let me get this part out of the way: I will forget/omit/leave out/ignore/not care about/miss some rivalries, by accident or on purpose. That's the nature of these lists and exactly what prompts discussion. That said, if you think there's one I've missed, definitely leave your comment, but don't get all riled up about it...Simply leave your comment, with your argument as to why, and be ready for someone else to tell you why you're wrong.

Secondly, I have not decided on a certain total number (like Top 10 or Top 20) and we'll see how long it goes, but they ARE ranked in order of most storied/most hated/most traditioned/most whatever I decide. Because there are so many ways to measure this sort of generalized topic, I have no real metric (or conglomeration of metrics) that I am using...just my own intuition and opinion, so once again, you are welcome to let me know where I've gone wrong.

Now, without further ado, the list...

1. Duke-North Carolina (basketball) - This rivalry is so big, I'm guessing someone from North Carolina will come on here mad because I've written Duke first (and some Duke fan will use that fact to support his argument of Blue Devil superiority). It is certainly the most bitter in-state rivalry ever known.

2. Ohio State-Michigan (football) - If you disagree with me on this one, read "The Ten Year War," by Joel Pennington and then tell me it isn't the most heated rivalry in college football. At one point, in 1968, #2 Ohio State scored a touchdown against #4 Michigan late in the fourth quarter to go up 50-14 and Woody Hayes sent his team onto the field to go for TWO points. Michigan was obviously furious and after the game, when Woody was asked why he did it, he famously replied, "Because I couldn't go for three." Now that's cold...

3. Alabama-Auburn (football and baseball) - After the first two rivalries, the list gets tight, but the hatred between these two schools is palpable before gameday. This is one of the experiences on my checklist-for-life...I've heard of wars more amicable than this.

4. Army-Navy (football) - Not only is this one of the most storied rivalries in football, but the series is almost dead even, which just adds to the tradition of this great game. Plus, Lee Corso LOVES this game and who can argue with Lee Corso!

5. Harvard-Yale (football and rowing) - Okay, the rowing part is kind of a joke (although it IS officially the oldest collegiate athletic competition), but the football part is not. This is the third-oldest football game ever played and is still a bloody battle on the field. I don't think there's a series with more 6-3 finals in all of college football, which means defense (and vicious hitting) rules the day more often than not. It's know as "The Game" for goodness sake.

6. Minnesota-Wisconsin (hockey) - It's hard to put any hockey rivalry ahead of most football and basketball matchups simply because of the sport's more limited fanbase, but if there is one, this is it. These two teams have been playing each other a long time and have hated each other just as long. If you want to see the best hockey game ever played, watch this game every year. And if that doesn't convince you, check this out: Minnesota believes they lead the series 142-74-15, while Wisconsin has it down as 142-75-15...they can't even agree on their records. Also, both schools have 5 NCAA titles to their name, an even-steven tie.

7. Oklahoma-Texas (football) - The "Red River Shootout," as it is commonly known, is not called so because it is played near the Red River. In fact, the game is played in Dallas, almost exactly half-way between the two schools, making it one of the few rivalries in college sports that is played at a truly neutral location. No, it is called the "Red River Shootout" because technically, whichever team's state wins the game, well, um, they own the Red River that separates the two states for that year. I think that's bigger than a trophy...but that's just me.

8. Kentucky-Louisville (basketball) - Many rivalries occur due to location and this matchup is no different. The only two major higher learning institutions in the state, these two teams are bitter rivals. So much so, that from 1959-1983, these two teams didn't even play due to the hatred...Now that's hate. Add to that the recent Rick Petino fiasco (he coached for Kentucky and then went to Louisville) and you've got fuel for the blazing fire that rages inside the state of Kentucky.

9. Florida-Georgia (football) - I almost had this as an honorable mention, but a story that broke earlier this year made me put it back into the mix. When schools are closing due to sports, it's a big deal, and when it occurs during a regular season game, well, it's a rivalry.

That'll do it. I guess nine is the magic number. In my mind, these are in a league of their own and when I think of who might be next on my list, I can think of a boat-load that all kind of tie as "next." Hence, I think it's the top 9 and then "the rest."

For the sake of those that are left, here are some honorable mentions, this time in no particular order: Notre Dame-USC (football), USC-UCLA (football), Indiana-Purdue (basketball), Florida State-Miami (football), California-Stanford (football), Mississippi State-Ole Miss (football), and Clemson-South Carolina (football).

The Big 12 - My Question Answered

2009-01-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

Back at the end of October, I posed a semi-rhetorical question about the Big 12. Could the Big 12 quarterbacks (and Big 12 offenses) really be THAT good, or is it possible that the Big 12 secondaries (and Big 12 defenses) are just that bad? At the time, I truly didn't have an answer to that question. But since the bowl games, I feel like I have some statistics that make the answer to that question a little clearer...Read on.

Below are the average regular season points and total yards of each Big 12 bowl-eligible team:
Oklahoma - 54.0 / 562.1
Texas Tech - 44.6 / 536.2
Texas - 43.9 / 476.4
Missouri - 43.2 / 497.5
Oklahoma State - 41.6 / 489.3
Kansas - 32.7 / 431.3
Nebraska - 36.2 / 458.3

Now, let's take a look at the points scored and total yards of each team in their bowl game:
Oklahoma vs. Florida (SEC) - 14 / 363
Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss (SEC) - 34 / 469
Texas vs. Ohio State (Big Ten) - 24 / 468
Missouri vs. Northwestern (Big Ten) - 30 / 311
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon (PAC-10) - 31 / 469
Kansas vs. Minnesota (Big Ten) - 42 / 446
Nebraska vs. Clemson (ACC) - 26 / 361

Now the difference between their averages and their bowl game performances:
Oklahoma - (-40) / (-199.1)
Texas Tech - (-10.6) / (-67.2)
Texas - (-19.9) / (-8.4)
Missouri - (-13.2) / (-186.5)
Oklahoma State - (-10.6) / (-20.3)
Kansas - +9.3 / +14.7
Nebraska - (-10.2) / (-97.3)

Every team in the Big 12 except one, when playing other top tier teams from the SEC, Big Ten, PAC-10, and ACC, fell dramatically in their offensive production.

The average drop in points was 13.6 (a HUGE double-digit decrease).
Their average drop in yards was 80.6.

You can draw your own conclusions from these stats, but as far as I'm concerned, the drop in offensive production against good teams outside the Big 12 gives far more credibility to the argument that the Big 12 defenses just simply weren't that good.

Not to take everything away from the talent that exists at quarterback in the Big 12 (because there IS talent), but I still believe Tebow got hosed out of his second Heisman because of McCoy and Bradford's inflated stats against weak secondaries.

Ksquared's Picks for the Next Round of the NFL Postseason

2009-01-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

I have decided that this will be short and sweet so I don't embarrass myself too much...There is so much parity in the NFL anymore, any one of these teams could win the whole darn thing. Here goes nothin'...

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans - Saturday, January 10th - 4:30 pm ET
Tennessee 13 - Baltimore 10

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday, January 11th - 4:45 pm ET
Pittsburgh 20 - San Diego 17

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers - Saturday, January 10th - 8:15 pm ET
Arizona 32 - Carolina 28

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants - Sunday, January 11th - 1:00 pm ET
New York 24 - Philadelphia 17

Arizona is my only true upset, but it is a biggy...

Why I picked how I did:
I like Tennessee because of the amount of time to prepare.
I like Pittsburgh because of the immense home field advantage.
I like the Cardinals because they are more motivated than any team in the playoffs.
I like New York because nobody should pick against Tom Coughlin in the postseason.

And done!

So did the BCS get it right? How about the AP?

2009-01-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

After all was said and done, if we all take a step back and look at this thing from what we have to work with, did the BCS get it right? How about the AP poll, which doesn't necessarily have to agree with the BCS (although in this case it did)?

Here is the final AP poll:
1. Florida (48)
2. Utah (16)
3. USC (1)
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Penn State
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon
11. Boise State
12. Texas Tech
13. Georgia
14. Mississippi
15. Virginia Tech
16. Oklahoma State
17. Cincinnati
18. Oregon State
19. Missouri
20. Iowa
21. Florida State
22. Georgia Tech
23. West Virginia
24. Michigan State
25. Brigham Young

From top-to-bottom, in my opinion, I think this is pretty darn close to how the teams stack up.

Here's my own FINAL top 25:
1. Florida
2. USC
3. Utah
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Alabama
7. Penn State
8. Ohio State
9. TCU
10. Boise State
11. Oregon
12. Texas Tech
13. Georgia
14. Mississippi
15. Oklahoma State
16. Virginia Tech
17. Cincinnati
18. LSU
19. Oregon State
20. Missouri
21. Iowa
22. Florida State
23. Georgia Tech
24. West Virginia
25. Brigham Young

Added: LSU
Dropped: Michigan State

When you really look at it, there's not a whole lot of changes. I think Georgia Tech is a good team and LSU absolutely crushed them, and seeing as LSU's schedule was one of the toughest in the country, I have them FAR above the AP. Because of LSU's addition, someone had to get kicked out and I think Michigan State is the worst of the other 25 teams. I also dropped TCU below Penn State and Ohio State. Other than that, the only other changes were flip-flopping Virginia Tech-Oklahoma State, Oregon-Boise State, and the big one, Utah-USC. This last one I struggled with, but in my mind, put those two teams on the field and USC comes out victorious.

Bottom-Line: The BCS got the National Champion right, even if it didn't get the National Title game right, but in no way does that excuse the fact that a playoff in some sort would be beneficial for the fans, the media, and the sport in general. I don't care what it is...a plus-1, a four-team system after the bowl games, an 8-team system instead of bowl games, Ksquared's new conferences and playoff system, anything! Look at the top four teams in the AP and my poll - Florida, Utah, USC, Texas...Give or take Oklahoma and you've got a pretty sweet semi-finals, no matter how you cut it.

One last note: I predicted Florida to have 446 total yards with 1 turnover, Oklahoma to have 374 yards with 2 turnovers, and Florida winning the Title. In the end, Florida had 480 total yards with 2 turnovers, Oklahoma had 363 yards with 2 turnovers, and Florida won the Title. How's that for ending the year on a high-note?

As we close out the College Football season, thank you to everyone who follows and reads this blog...You are the reason I do this, truly. Though it is obvious my first love is college football, I will find other things to write about going forward (including college recruitment and Spring games), so stay tuned!!!

Ksquared's BCS National Championship Bowl Prediction

2009-01-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!

Doesn't it seem like we've waited for a year and a day for this game!?! I'm already starting to look at recruiting classes for next year and we don't even have a National Champion in college football yet...So, without further ado...

January 8, 2009 - Fedex BCS National Championship Game - Miami, FL
#2 Florida vs. #1 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET
The Good: What's not to like? Two Heisman trophy quarterbacks, two explosive offenses, and two very disciplined defenses. This is the right matchup for the Championship, regardless of what you read in the media (wait, I am the media, aren't I?)...Anyhow, There aren't two more balanced teams in football and their major common denominator is leadership at quarterback, which just can't be argued. Look for a VERY physical game and a game dominated by speedy special teams play and hard-hitting defense.

The Bad: USC and Utah are left on the outside looking in...And they shouldn't be. I point especially to Rick Reilly's nicely written column about any argument against Utah being the National Champion (and the fact that there isn't one). Other than that, with the BCS being what it is, this game is the best we've g0t, which really isn't all that bad.

The Ugly Prediction: I am siding with the rest of the country on this one. Florida will make Oklahoma pay for a soft secondary and the Gator D will make enough big plays to limit Bradford to a less-than-Heisman performance. Oklahoma keeps it close with an offensive line that continues to create gaps for it's fast running backs, but special teams rules the night and Florida wins that matchup, hands-down.

Florida
Rushing: 122 yards
Passing: 324 yards
Turnovers: 1

Oklahoma
Rushing: 164 yards
Passing: 210 yards
Turnovers: 2

Florida 31 - Oklahoma 26

Ksquared's Dumbest-Day-To-Have-A-Bowl-Game Bowl Prediction

2009-01-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

After USC manhandled Penn State, there's no doubt that the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl went to the top of the list as the next most anticipated bowl game. When all's said and done, I truly believe this will be the second most exciting BCS bowl game next to the Florida-Oklahoma matchup. And I can't wait. So, without further ado...

January 5, 2009 - Tostito's Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, AZ
#10 Ohio State vs. #3 Texas - 8:00 pm ET
The Good: These two teams have recently battled twice in a very memorable home/away regular season matchup, with both teams coming away victorious on one occasion. The quintessential rubber match is now...and it should be a good one. Beanie Wells is healthy, Colt McCoy is more confident than ever, Terrelle Pryor is more experienced, both defenses have multiple impact players who will be playing on Sunday next year, Coach Tressel is finally comfortable with the new system under Pryor, Coach Brown is raving mad after another BCS snub.......shall I go on? What's not to like about this matchup? TCU proved Boise State doesn't belong here (the only argument against the game I considered when this matchup was announced) and I can't imagine a better Fiesta Bowl than this one. Because I am in Phoenix, and as is customary in my many sports endeavors, I will be attending this game. I expect a showdown.

The Bad: I have to work the entire day because the stupid television execs and BCS decision-maker big wigs (NOT the Fiesta Bowl) decided it should played on Monday, January 5th. Dumb. That said, it is the only thing I don't like about this game. These teams are evenly matched and though most people expect Texas to dominate this game, I just don't see that happening.

The Ugly Prediction: Ohio State has started FAST the last three big games they've played in (Ginn touchdown return against Florida, Wells run for touchdown against LSU, and a fluid first-drive against USC) and they have lost BIG in all three. I expect an opposite turn-of-events in this game. Pryor's nerves will probably get the best of him early on and the Longhorns' D will come out angry, making for some Ohio State stumbling and bumbling. On the flip side, McCoy's newfound experience and maturity will do well for Texas at the start and they should be able to gain some yards early. And then the fun will truly begin. Texas leads 10-0...Everyone settles into the game and the real battle ensues...It's 17-14 at half-time (either way)...The dog fight is on...It comes down to a few key plays in the fourth quarter (for the sake of a truly ugly prediction, I will go with a rare McCoy interception and a HUGE return by Ray Small)...Drum roll please...
Ohio State 27 - Texas 24

Ksquared's Day After New Year's BCS Bowl Predictions

2008-12-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

Maybe the most lopsided bowl game (at least on paper), here's a rundown and prediction for what could also be the biggest upset of the year.

January 2, 2009 - Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, LA
#4 Alabama vs. #6 Utah - 8:00 pm ET
The Good: Utah is undefeated and could top Boise State's upset of Oklahoma with a win here, which will keep people watching for the first half. And if it stays close, nobody will change the channel. Utah got it's Christmas gift late as it was announced that Alabama's top offensive lineman, Andre Smith, has been suspended for this game...and though Alabama has more depth than most teams, his dissapearance could be a huge factor in opening holes for RB Glen Coffee and protecting QB Parker Wilson. Also, Utah has everything to play for and Alabama, after an amazing run that ended in dissapointment, might have trouble getting up for a less than National Championship finish. It's almost like the football Gods want this to be a close game. Because Alabama is good enough to be in the National Championship (and is just unlucky that it plays in the SEC), if Utah does somehow pull this out, there is definitely an argument that Utah is the best team in the country...Interesting case for the non-BCS schools.

The Bad: All that said, this will likely still NOT be a close game. Even with Andre Smith out, Alabama has star players at every position, including the aforementioned Coffee and Wilson, as well as the true freshman stand-out Julio Jones (can you believe we will see at LEAST two more years of this kid?). More importantly, Utah is overmatched at almost every position on the other side of the ball, too. If Utah gets over 200 yards of offense, I will be surprised. This one could end up VERY lopsided.

The Ugly Prediction: No Boise State-like love, no non-bcs school supporting argument, no David beats Goliath storyline...This won't be pretty from the get-go. Not only will Saban have his kids up for this game, but when you piss off the God of football (which Florida did), you're going to get the wrath of something evil and nasty. Utah, I pity you...May Saban have mercy on your soul.
Alabama 41 - Utah 14

Ksquared's New Year's Day BCS Bowl Predictions

2008-12-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

As we watch bowls that take longer to say than can keep us awake (like the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl), the anticipation for the big games grows every day. And since every bowl game is almost wholly unpredictable, I will naturally try and predict them...at least, the ones that matter. First off, here are the up-and-coming New Year's Day bowls.

January 1, 2009 - The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi - Pasadena, CA
#8 Penn State vs. #5 USC - 4:30 pm ET
The Good: If asked which bowl game people are most looking forward to, besides the National Championship, this is usually the first game out of their mouths...and for good reason. USC and Penn State have both only lost one game and this classic Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup actually does have all the interworkings of a great game. Penn State's "Spread HD" offense has been pretty flawless and USC's linebacker-stacked defense has been called the best of all time by some experts. Not to mention the fact that Penn State is the "real" Linebacker-U and USC's offense has shown signs of mortality at times. Taking all of that into account with the fact that Penn State beat the team that beat USC, 45-14, and this game may surprise everyone a bit.

The Bad: Penn State barely beat an Ohio State team that got CRUSHED by USC and both of these teams lost to conference foes in very weak conferences. This game could go either way: a high-scoring game with both offenses clicking or a low-scoring game with both defenses playing up to their potential...and nobody wants to see the latter in the Rose Bowl. But it could be worse...It could go exactly as most experts think and USC could completely blow out an oversized, overmatched Penn State, just like they did to the Buckeyes. Big Ten fans, pray to the football Gods that this doesn't happen, or if it does, that Ohio State can find a way to beat Texas. Otherwise, Big Ten respect will be at a premium throughout the 2009 season.

The Ugly Prediction: To steal a line from the flamboyant Lee Corso, "Closer than the experts think!" Penn State will come to play, but since USC is basically playing a home game and in no way will overlook this Penn State team, the offense will make a couple of big plays and the defense, though giving up more points than usual, will play well enough to win. Anytime Pete Carroll has had this much time to prepare, you are asking for trouble.
USC 30 - Penn State 24

January 1, 2009 - Fedex Orange Bowl - Miami, FL
#12 Cincinnati vs. #18 Virginia Tech - 8:30 pm ET
The Good: These two teams are coming off very impressive finishes, with Virginia Tech winning one of the most topsy-turvy conferences of all time and Cincinnati surprising everyone in the country with their number-one status in the high-powered Big East. This is a great matchup on paper, as Cincinnati's offense can score at will at times and Virginia Tech's defense and special teams can give opposing teams absolute fits. Don't expect Virginia Tech to have too much success on offense, but as is the usual against ACC teams, it might not matter. This could be a very close game, and one that should be fun to watch.

The Bad: Tickets to this Orange Bowl have gone for as low as $1 on Ebay and many people may decide to go to bed early to recover from their New Year's Eve hangovers rather than watch this game. Also, if Cincinnati plays as well as it can and Virginia Tech has one of those "ACC breakdowns," this game could end-up being hugely lopsided. For the simple fact that I will be watching, I hope that's not the case.

The Ugly Prediction: "The Bad" happens and Virginia Tech is embarrassed. Cincinnati has too much firepower and too much time to prepare schemes for the Tech defense and the Hokies offense will sputter the entire game. I think the Bearcats want this game more than Virginia Tech does and it should show come New Year's evening.
Cincinnati 28 - Virginia Tech 10

Ksquared's New College Football Regular Season/Playoff Scenario - PART II

2008-12-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

Now that we have all of the new conferences set, the next step is to determine how the scheduling works so that every team has as much chance as every other team at making the playoffs. And actually, this is fairly straightforward.

First off, because there are 12 new conferences and we are looking for an easy 12-team playoff system (very similar to the way the NFL does it), it goes to reason that the winner, and ONLY the winner, of each conference will qualify for the playoffs. In order to make sure we have a TRUE winner for each conference, every team must play every other team within their conference.

This is scheduling point #1.

Secondly, because there are ten teams to a conference and it is a true round robin, the least amount of games a team can play is nine. Obviously, this is not enough, as a regular season in college football is usually 12 (without a conference championship). I submit that instead of 12, each team play 11 games, giving each team two games that are nonconference.

This is scheduling point #2.

With only 11 games in a season instead of 12 or 13, the season can end a little earlier (or at least at the same time in late November or early December) and the playoffs can begin sooner.

This is scheduling point #3.

The layoff between the end of the season and the continuation of play is now a much smaller window and every team will end their season at exactly the same time.

This is scheduling point #4.

The playoffs will then continue throughout December and end at the beginning of January, keeping the season the same length it is now.

This is scheduling point #5.

So let's recap. With this new regular season/playoff scenario, we have done 5 things to the scheduling of college football:

1. Every team plays every other team in their conference, giving each team the same chance to make the playoffs as every other team (money, recruiting, and size of school aside...more on that later).
2. Every team gets two nonconference games in which to continue rivalries, keep renewed interest in big games between big names not in the same conference, and create new rivalries (note that these non-conference games will have an effect on three-way tie-breakers, so they DO matter...more on that later).
3. The playoffs begin in early December, keeping the window between the end of the regular season and playoffs small, in turn keeping fan and media hype high with very little break.
4. Every team ends at the same time and thus has the same time to prepare for every game (except for teams with BYE weeks, which they will earn and deserve the extra time to prepare...more on that later).
5. The entire season, from first kick to naming a National Champion, will be the same length it is now, as most fans and pundits agree that the length is fine as it is and I don't think it needs to be messed with.

The questions that arise from this new system are many, I know, and I will get to them in good time, but for now, keep rolling with me in Part III as I explain exactly how the playoff system works and how conference champions are determined when ties are present.

"Where, Oh Where, Will LeBron James Go?" Part II

2008-12-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

As promised, here’s a run down on some of the King’s more probable options for 2010:

New York Knicks
This is the team that got the most votes in the ESPN poll and the one that has had the most talk. Knowing that LeBron James wants to win championships, I can't really see him going to New York unless they make some moves to get some better players. He's not going to leave Cleveland to go play in New York just because it's New York. He wants to win and you win with good players. Not only do they need to get players that will make LeBron feel like they could win a championship, but they also have to clear out enough CAP room to be able to pay him what he wants. The Knicks have two years to try and build a team that would fit this criteria, and as I see it, it doesn’t seem all that likely.

Euroleague Team
A Euroleague team wouldn't bring LeBron James an NBA Championship. It would, however, bring James other things such as a big fat paycheck and International fame; something I'm sure King James would enjoy, but he hasn't came right out and said it yet. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he did ponder, “You never know....I can't throw all my eggs in one basket. There's going to be a lot of opportunities for me in 2010 to decide if I want to stay with Cleveland or if I want to go elsewhere. Could I ever imagine [playing internationally]? No. Is it a possibility? Yes.” He was also quoted as saying, “I haven't talked to any of them at all....So it's kind of a rumor that was put out there...With the right opportunity, you never know. I love basketball. So I'll play basketball anywhere.”

One of his Olympic teammates, Carmelo Anthony, said, “If somebody throws $50 million on the table for me...We can talk.”

Another teammate, Chris Paul, said, “What would you do? Show me a person that's not going [to take the money]...Maybe Bill Gates.”

So you can see that a big pay check from a Euroleague team could easily sway a person to go overseas and play ball and though LeBron has made it clear that a championship is his main priority, a Euroleague team could still be a viable option.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is the place where LeBron James's NBA legacy has started and the place where the Cavaliers would like it to see it end, I’m sure. Lebron James has expressed the need for better players around him and the team has made moves to try and bring players in that they think would work best for him. So far, however, they haven't found the right mix to win a championship. James isn't out of Cleveland yet and if the Cavs find the players the fit in with James, then I could definitely see him staying in Cleveland.

LeBron James has said, “I am focused on the team I am on right now and winning a championship.”
He has also has said about the Cavs, “I think we have made strides since I have been here. We have gotten better every year and I think this year is probably the best team we've had since I have been here. You got to see how the season plays out. Just because you have a different team, with different players, doesn't automatically guarantee you a championship. I have to be smart about things and be patient.”

So can the Cavaliers put together that championship team before 2010 to keep James in Cleveland? That is the multi-million dollar question.

2010 is still two years away and a lot can change from now to then, but one thing will stay the same: LeBron James wants to win championships. For teams that want to acquire King James, they will have to build a championship team for him to play on. The team that builds the best team in the next two years will have the best shot at grabbing James from free agency; it’s that simple. There will be a lot for James to think about in the near future and with plenty of scenarios, it’s still anyone’s guess as to where he might end up. The safe money is on Cleveland, with his roots, his home, his family, and a huge fan support already in place, but after looking at the options, there's no telling how many other teams may jump into the mix as 2010 grows closer. You never know, he might end up on a team that isn’t even listed in that ESPN poll…Who knows…Not James, not ESPN, and definitely not me!

This blog is courtesy of Bertman. A big thank you to him!

Check out Bertman’s fresh sports blog, “Sports Never End” for more great sports info, where sports truly never end.

Ksquared's New College Football Regular Season/Playoff Scenario - PART I (continued)

2008-12-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

As promised, below are my 12 new college football conferences.

As you will see, I kept a very even distribution of BCS and non-BCS teams, which was the top priority. Also, where it was possible to do so, I tried to keep rivalries intact by putting the two rival teams in the same conference. Lastly, I focused on location and did my best to keep all of the teams fairly close to their specific region.

This was my criteria, in order of priority:
- Ten teams to a conference
- Even ratio of BCS to non-BCS throughout all conferences
- Traditional rivalries
- Location of school

Here are the 12 new conferences, in no particular order:

North Pacific Conference (NPC)
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Stanford
Boise State
Idaho
Fresno State
San Jose State
San Diego State

Pacific Mountain Conference (PMC)
USC
UCLA
California
Arizona State
Arizona
Hawaii
Nevada
Utah
Utah State
UNLV

Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC)
Texas
Texas Tech
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Colorado State
New Mexico
New Mexico State
Brigham Young
Air Force

American Plains Conference (APC)
Kansas
Kansas State
Nebraska
Baylor
Texas A&M
Missouri
Tulsa
Wyoming
Arkansas
Arkansas State

Gulf Coast Conference (GCC)
LSU
Florida
Mississippi
Mississippi State
South Florida
UTEP
Houston
Rice
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe

Middle South Conference (MSC)
Alabama
Auburn
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
TCU
North Texas
Tulane
Louisiana Tech
Southern Methodist

South Atlantic Conference (SAC)
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Miami (FL)
Florida State
South Carolina
Clemson
Southern Mississippi
Alabama-Birmingham
Troy
Middle Tennessee State

Atlantic Coastal Conference (ACC)
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Duke
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Central Florida
Memphis

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)
Penn State
Cincinnati
Louisville
West Virginia
Wake Forest
Western Kentucky
Akron
Kent State
Marshall
Miami (OH)

Northeastern Conference (NEC)
Connecticut
Maryland
Rutgers
Boston College
Army
Navy
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Temple
Buffalo

Great Lakes Conference (GLC)
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana
Purdue
Notre Dame
Ohio
Bowling Green
Toledo
Ball State

Midwestern Conference (MWC)
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Iowa State
Illinois
Northern Illinois
Northwestern
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
Central Michigan

This is definitely a work in progress (I even switched some teams and titles of conferences while transferring from paper to computer), so any feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Let me know what you think.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Championship Week

2008-12-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

The culmination of an entire season comes down to this day for many teams and there has never been more on the line as far as the National Championship is concerned. Here's who I think parties the night away:

#1 Alabama vs. #4 Florida - 4:00 pm ET - Atlanta, GA
My Take: Percy Harvin's loss is a MUCH bigger impact than the critics are making it out to be. His speed and athleticism is unmatched...I don't care who else is on the Gators roster. That said, Florida is playing all around football better than anyone in the country right now, even better than Alabama. If Florida can hold Alabama to under 125 total yards rushing, they will win. If not, and Coffee and Ingram go nuts, Parker Wilson will have passing lanes and Alabama scores more points on Florida than anyone has this year.
My Prediction: Alabama shocks the nation, Coffee runs like a madman, and Saban assures himself a spot in Alabama history
Alabama 32 - Florida 28

#20 Missouri vs. #2 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET - Kansas City, MO
My Take: Missouri is PUMPED for this game as nobody in the country is giving them a chance to win this one.
My Prediction: I agree with the country
Oklahoma 41 - Missouri 30

#5 USC at UCLA - 4:30 pm ET
My Take: The best behind-the-scenes story in this game is both rival coaches giving up one timeout so USC is able to wear dark-color jerseys. The reason that's the biggest story of the game is because it's already been decided.
My Prediction: UCLA gets off the bus...and then gets back on
USC 49 - UCLA 7

#13 Cincinnati at Hawaii - 11:30 pm ET
My Take: Cincinnati can't be looking past this game. Hawaii may not have Colt Brennan, but if they're game is clicking, they can still put up points, especially at home. I sense a possible upset here.
My Prediction: Brian Kelly will have his boys ready to play...No upset
Cincinnati 38 - Hawaii 24

#17 Boston College vs. #25 Virginia Tech - 1:00 pm ET - Tampa, FL
My Take: Great game...maybe the second best game of the day. Two stout defenses and two quarterbacks with low expectations at the beginning of the season who have come on strong as of late. FINALLY, this conference is decided!
My Prediction: Both defenses win their battles, but Boston College gets one more field goal
Boston College 13 - Virginia Tech 10

#23 Pittsburgh at Connecticut - 12:00 pm ET
My Take: Two of the best running backs in the country go head-to-head and both should have big days. This will be a fun game to watch and really could go wither way. Too bad for Pitt that it's in Connecticut.
My Prediction: Brown outruns McCoy as Connecticut's offensive line has it's best blocking game of the season
Connecticut 29 - Pittsburgh 21

BONUS PICKS

East Carolina at Tulsa - 12:00 pm ET
My Take: The fact that this game is even relevant speaks volumes about these two programs. It truly could go either way here, but I think home field advantage makes a difference.
My Prediction: Tulsa gets the crowd into it early and East Carolina ends the season 180-degrees from how they started
Tulsa 52 - East Carolina 38

Navy vs. Army - 12:00 pm ET - Philadelphi, PA
My Take: Army wants this SO bad...
My Prediction: Too bad...Navy runs for over 250 yards...again
Navy 28 - Army 17

Arizona State at Arizona - 8:00 pm ET
My Take: This was supposed to be a battle for second or third place in the PAC-10...Instead, ASU's just trying to get into a bowl game. No matter, this will be a total dog-fight, as this is one of the most bitter rivalries in college football. If Rudy Carpenter can actually complete a pass, the Sun Devils have a chance.
My Prediction: Arizona State saves their offense for the last game of the season and actually moves the ball. Arizona plays well, but can't finish and misses a last-second field goal
Arizona State 23 - Arizona 21

South Florida at West Virginia - 8:00 pm ET
My Take: Just like the Duel in the Desert, this was supposed to be a HUGE game with big conference implications. Nope. People across the nation are pissed off that they have to decide between Arizona State-Arizona and South Florida-West Virginia for their Saturday night game.
My Prediction: Even though nobody is watching from home, there is a lot of excitement in Morgantown and South Florida ends a bad season on a bad note
West Virginia 24 - South Florida 17

Okay everyone, that's it for the regular season! I hope you all enjoyed the predictions and the witty banter. Come on back for my bowl predictions once they are announced. And as always, be safe...Cheers!

Ksquared's New College Football Regular Season/Playoff Scenario - PART I

2008-12-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know there are a lot of opinions out there on the topic of a playoff system in college football, but I have a problem with all of them for one simple reason: they are all based on the current college football landscape. There's no way we can figure out this crazy season we call college football using today's normal thought processes. Hence, my playoff system (and yes, it is a playoff system) is based on a whole mess of changes, beginning with the conferences themselves and moving to change the way we see the regular season.

If I had the power, here's what I would do:

1. NEW CONFERENCES
First and foremost, with the way the conferences are broken out, we have too much segregation of "good" and "bad" conferences (BCS vs. Non-BCS). I would lump all of these teams together.

Currently, we have 11 conferences with 1 independent bundle (12 conferences total, technically). Half (6) of these conferences are BCS teams, while half (6) are not for a total of 65 BCS teams and 55 non-BCS teams.

Now, let's make ALL of them BCS teams. This is where it gets a little complicated. Take the 55 non-BCS teams and distribute them as follows:
- ACC gets 8 teams
- Big 12 gets 8 teams
- Big East gets 12 teams
- Big Ten gets 9 teams
- PAC-10 gets 10 teams
- SEC gets 8 teams

If you do the math, EVERY conference has 20 teams.

Now, let's make these conferences more manageable. Create 12 NEW conferences that each have 10 teams, with each conference getting a very similar ratio of the BCS teams and the non-BCS teams (though we do NOT refer to teams this way anymore since all teams are created equal from now on).

What we have just done is even the playing field. I understand that there are many considerations to be figured in with this new system of conferences (size of schools, location of schools, money, recruiting, etc.), but this can be overcome with the right coaching and administrative backing (see Boise State).

In fact, at first glance, it may seem like this new system hurts the non-BCS teams, but in reality, coaches and alumni from the BCS schools would probably be more upset, as they can no longer play the "Big Conference-Big Money-Big TV exposure" card on the recruiting trail and will now have to seriously compete against "smaller" schools.

Let's look at an example of two of the new conferences (I will publish ALL of Ksquared's new conferences later):

Ksquared's MSC (Middle South Conference)
Alabama
Auburn
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Kentucky
TCU
North Texas
Tulane
Louisiana Tech
Southern Methodist

Ksquared's GCC (Gulf Coast Conference)
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Florida
South Florida
UTEP
Rice
Houston
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe

At this point, I can already sense the skepticism, but just hold your horses...It will all begin to become clear how this system is beneficial in the long run as the new breakdown continues. Stay tuned for the next new element, scheduling.

Part II will go over the new regular season schedule with these new conferences in play.

"Where, Oh Where Will LeBron James Go?" Part I

2008-11-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that LeBron James could leave the Cleveland Cavaliers when his contract expires in 2010. There are many opportunities out there for King James, but which one is right for him? If he wanted, he could stay in Cleveland and hope for better days; he could go to the big stage and play in New York; or he could take a big pay check and go play on a Euroleague Team. There are other options that have been talked about as well, like going to Detroit or New Jersey. One thing is for sure, everyone is waiting for an answer.

An ESPN poll titled, “Which team will LeBron James play for in 2010-11?” has drawn 20,000 votes and the results are in:

New York – 35%
Cleveland – 30%
New Jersey – 14%
Detroit – 11%
Euroleague Team – 11%

According to this poll, people see James playing in New York in 2010 and Cleveland coming in at a close second. The other options seem less likely to the public at the moment. This is just an opinion of 20,000 people and definitely not a bunch of informed experts, but it is interesting nonetheless. The choice comes down to what LeBron James wants and I’ll tell you what he wants: he wants Championships.

Every great athlete is at some point measured by Championship rings and LeBron does not want to have a zero by his name when he is through. In my mind, this will play the biggest role in where he decides to go. He has been quoted as saying, “When I decide to make that decision, you know, it is basically to put me in a position where I feel like I can win multiple championships. If it's staying here, then I will be here. If it's moving elsewhere, then I will have to look at all my options.” It's clear what LeBron James wants and the team that can make that championship a possibility is where he is most likely go.

Stay tuned for PART II in the coming days where I will take a look at three of his more probable options.

Check out Bertman’s fresh sports blog, “Sports Never End” for more great sports info, where sports truly never end.

42-7??? At the Half???

2008-11-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Unbelievably, Oklahoma is absolutely dominating Texas Tech on EVERY front:

running game
passing game
special teams coverage
offensive line
defensive line
wide-receiver coverage (man-to-man and zone)
scheming
coaching
pressure on the quarterback
protecting the quarterback
yards after catch
yards after first contact

And one VERY important aspect of the game not measured with statistics, but always the most influential:

PASSION

I have seen a lot of football games in my life, but I have never seen a game so unbalanced with two teams so closely matched. Most coaches will tell you that when you're down like Texas Tech is, the only thing you can do is GET BACK TO BASICS.

Everyone needs to do their assignment and do no more. If everyone does their job, they have a chance. If they can dig deep and find a passion that didn't exist in the first half, they have a chance. This Texas Tech team can score a lot and in a hurry, so they have a chance. But they HAVE to play with passion.

We will see if the Red Raiders come out in the second half with any emotion at all. This will truly test their will, their heart, and their character both as individuals and as a team. This is when the real personality of a team is shown...Adversity shows all.

Fundamentals and Passion...That's it. And that's only to have a chance. Good luck.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 13

2008-11-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

The semi-snoozer that was Week 12 has come and gone - Now on to Week 13, which is slated to be a hurricane of big games. The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry never ceases to please and the Texas Tech-Oklahoma game looks to be an incredible offensive shoot-out, not to mention all of the bowl game implications.

Without further ado...

#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma 32

Citadel at #4 Florida - 1:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 63 - Citadel 3

#14 Brigham Young at #7 Utah - 6:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Brigham Young 23 - Utah 21

#15 Michigan State at #8 Penn State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 18 - Penn State 17

#9 Boise State at Nevada - 4:05 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 38 - Nevada 21

Michigan at #10 Ohio State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 40 - Michigan 10

Air Force at #16 TCU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 17 - Air Force 10

#17 Ball State at Central Michigan - Friday, 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 32 - Central Michigan 24

Mississippi at #18 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 32 - Mississippi 17

#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Cincinnati 27 - Pittsburgh 20

#21 Oregon State at Arizona - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Arizona 21 - Oregon State 17

North Carolina State at #22 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: North Carolina 31 - North Carolina State 10

#23 Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - Miami (FL) 9

Florida State at #25 Maryland - 7:45 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 24 - Maryland 17

So here's how it shakes down:

Texas Tech owns their destiny after a HUGE win in Norman
BYU answers Boise State's (and the BCS Panel's) prayers
Michigan State pulls out a squeaker in Happy Valley
Ohio State clinches a Rose Bowl berth (with the PSU loss)
Cincinnati takes care of business to put them in total control of the Big East
Arizona gives USC their deserved Rose Bowl shot (a USC-OSU rematch)
Georgia Tech eliminates Miami from the Top 25 (and puts themselves back in)
and Maryland continues their schizophrenic persona.

There you have it. Enjoy this awesome action-packed Saturday and be safe! Cheers!

Ksquared's Sports Quote of the Day

2008-11-14T16:05:00.001-08:00

Vince Lombardi is one of the greatest coaches of all time, and though he had a lot of great sayings, some of them very well-known, this one is probably my favorite. It opitimizes his arrogance, competitiveness, optimism, and general outlook on coaching.

"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time."
- Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)

The Path(s) to the NCAA Football National Championship

2008-11-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

Every fan of a team in the top 10 still has aspirations of a National Championship; some are delusional, and yet some are justified. Here's a breakdown of how each team could find themselves in Miami come January.

1. Alabama
- Win out the season and beat Florida in the SEC Championship. Most pundits are picking Florida to win that game, and I have to agree with them, but Alabama's still in good position.

2. Texas Tech
- Win in Norman and then wipe the floor with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship...That's it. Easy. Their destiny is in their hands.

3. Texas
- Oklahoma beats Texas Tech and then loses to Oklahoma State...Texas wins out and beats Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. This is not a likely turn of events. Though the Longhorns are ranked above the Sooners, they are not in control of their own destiny, nor are they in good position, as referenced by the above scenario. Texas is an interesting phenomenon at #3.

4. Florida
- Win out the season and beat Alabama in the SEC Championship. Florida actually has a pretty easy path...that is, if you consider King Saban an easy path.

5. Oklahoma
- Beat Texas Tech at home and wipe the floor with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Sitting at number 5, Oklahoma is actually in pretty good position to jump #3 Texas and has control of their own destiny.

6. USC
- This is where it gets complicated. USC's chances hinge on the Big 12 and SEC falling within their conferences down the stretch, in addition to USC winning out the season. Here are some of the possibilities:

Big 12 Falters #1 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma AND Baylor, Texas loses to Kansas, and Oklahoma loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Falters #2 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma, Texas loses to Kansas, Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Falters #3 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and Texas loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.

SEC Falters #1 - Alabama loses to Mississippi State or Auburn and then beats Florida in the SEC Championship AND two of the three Big 12 teams ranked above USC lose one more game.
SEC Falters #2 - Florida loses to South Carolina or Florida State and then beats Alabama in the SEC Championship AND two of the three Big 12 teams ranked above USC lose one more game.

Two words: not likely.

7. Utah, 8. Penn State, 9. Boise State, and 10. Georgia
Three words: not a chance.

And there you have it - A heavyweight fight between the SEC and Big 12. And if everyone beats each other up so bad that no one is left standing, USC has a chance.

Other than that, if I'm #7-#10, I'm just hoping I don't lose to a lesser opponent and fall out of BCS contention...forget the National Championship.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 12

2008-11-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

No earth-shattering games this weekend (it's all being saved for next weekend), but there are some games that are closely-matched, which lends itself to a tough week of picks. If I want to hit my .800 goal, this needs to be a big week, so without further ado...

Mississippi State at #1 Alabama - 7:45 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Mississippi State 10

#3 Texas at Kansas - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 45 - Kansas 28

#25 South Carolina at #4 Florida - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 32 - South Carolina 17

#6 USC at Stanford - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: USC 55 - Stanford 6

#7 Utah at San Diego State - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Utah 30 - San Diego State 17

Indiana at #8 Penn State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 24 - Indiana 17

#9 Boise State at Idaho - 5:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 42 - Idaho 10

#10 Georgia at Auburn - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 31 - Auburn 17

#11 Ohio State at Illinois - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 32 - Illinois 17

#12 Missouri at Iowa State - 6:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 49 - Iowa State 24

#13 Oklahoma State at Colorado - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma State 40 - Colorado 20

#14 Ball State at Miami (OH) - FINAL
What Happened: Ball State 31 - Miami (OH) 16
What It Means: Absolutely nothing, which is why I didn't even bother to pick it. I love this Ball State team, but there isn't a thing anyone can do about that schedule.

#16 North Carolina at Maryland - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: North Carolina 17 - Maryland 16

#17 Brigham Young at Air Force - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Brigham Young 38 - Air Force 28

Boston College at #19 Florida State - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 24 - Boston College 21

Troy at #20 LSU - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 47 - Troy 7

#22 Cincinnati at Louisville - Friday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Louisville 30 - Cincinnati 28

#23 Tulsa at Houston - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Tulsa 35 - Houston 14

#24 Wake Forest at North Carolina State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Wake Forest 24 - NC State 13

Both the Boston College-Florida State and North Carolina-Maryland games are giving me fits. North Carolina and Maryland are about as even as two teams can be in almost every offensive and defensive category and Boston College's defense is the perfect antithesis to Florida State's offense. North Carolina leads Maryland in one category and it is the most important one: points scored per game, hence my prediction. And I think the young Florida State offense will put together another good game at home to pull out a close one.

Happy weekend watching! Cheers!

Are The 9-0 Tennessee Titans For Real?

2008-11-11T19:06:00.001-08:00

I'm going to break this down very simply. Usually, I like to give an opinion one way or another on this team or that, but this time will be different. This time, the facts will tell the story for me.

Let's start with the "weakness" - Offense:
Points/game - 10th
Rush Yards/game - 6th

Now, the fun begins - let's do Special Teams and Intangibles:
Penalty Yards - 12th
Kick Touchbacks - T-5th
Punts inside 20 - T-1st
Avg. Kick Return - 1st

And the clincher - Defense:
Rush Yards/game - 8th
Sacks - 7th
Total Yards/game - 5th
Interceptions - T-2nd
Points/game - 1st

I think we're done here...

Ksquared's Revised College Football Bowl Predictions

2008-11-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

New Mexico Bowl:Colorado State vs. Nevada

St. Petersburg Bowl: West Virginia vs. Marshall

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: TCU vs. Arizona

Eagle Bank Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. Navy

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. UTEP

San Diego Cty. Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Air Force vs. Hawaii

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Stanford vs. Fresno State

Motor City Bowl: Iowa vs. Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati

Champs Sports: Virginia vs. Northwestern

Emerald Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State

Independence Bowl: Kansas State vs. Tennessee

PapaJohns.com Bowl: South Florida vs. Kentucky

Valero Alamo Bowl: Illinois vs. Missouri

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: San Jose State vs. Wake Forest

Texas Bowl: Colorado vs. Rice

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: BYU vs. East Carolina

Brut Sun: Nebraska vs. California

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Maryland vs. Ole Miss

Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Kansas

Chick-fil-a Bowl: North Carolina vs. Auburn

Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. South Carolina

Capital One Bowl: Ohio State vs. LSU

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Georgia vs. Oklahoma

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Tulsa vs. Vanderbilt

International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Western Michigan

GMAC Bowl: Houston vs. Ball State

Rose Bowl presented by Citi: Penn State vs. USC

Fedex Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Pittsburgh

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Boise State

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Utah

Fedex BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Texas Tech

Notes: Two non-BCS teams in BCS games...Texas Tech, who was ranked 14th in the Preseason Coaches Poll, has a chance to win it all...The Orange Bowl would be a snoozer, so hopefully I'm wrong...Ohio State-LSU would actually be a fun Capital One Bowl and Georgia-Oklahoma would be a sweet Cotton Bowl.

Ksquared's Revised College Football Top 25

2008-11-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Time for a little shuffle, shuffle...

1. Texas Tech - Alabama is playing well, but NOBODY is playing better than the Red Raiders.
2. Florida - They are playing the most balanced football on both sides of the ball than anyone up to this point.
3. Alabama - Many people have them number one, but head-to-head, I don't see even Saban beating Florida or Tech right now.
4. Texas - I can't see them beating any of the top three teams. Funny that their fate rests in the hands of Oklahoma...And yet, if Oklahoma wins, could jump Texas in the BCS standings and take the Big 12 South anyway.
5. Oklahoma - The Sooners are NOT better than Texas, but if they beat Texas Tech, voters will have a hard time not leap-frogging them above Texas.
6. USC - Still playing solid ball, but their offense has not been impressive at all. Just go to the Rose Bowl already.
7. Penn State - This was bound to happen...Cold, rainy weather can kill a spread offense - even a spread HD - and guess what, it's November.
8. Boise State - Top-to-bottom, I truly believe Boise State is better than Utah...Too bad we'll never know.
9. Ohio State - Buckeye fans across the nation will be rooting for Michigan State to do what Ohio State couldn't - beat Penn State. PSU wins, PSU goes to the Rose Bowl, MSU wins, OSU goes to the Rose Bowl...Pretty simple.
10. Utah - Utah definitely has some good wins, but I'm still not convinced they are a top-eschelon team - Michigan and TCU does not a tough schedule make.
11. Oklahoma State - They showed signs of brilliance and I think everyone was rooting for them to make a run...Alas, it was not to be.
12. Georgia - If Georgia had some defense, they would be a heck of lot better...Unfortunately, they don't.
13. Missouri - Same as Georgia.
14. LSU - It is tough to see LSU this far down, but they've earned it. They've lost twice to ranked teams at home.
15. Ball State - After watching a full game of Davis throwing the ball, I have to drink a little of the Dave Letterman kool-aid...This team matches up with almost anybody.
16. Michigan State - Sure you're in the Top 25, but anyone below Ball State should be looking towards next year. Anyone except ACC teams, of course, who are still battling for an Orange Bowl bid.
17. Florida State - Bobby Bowden is back! Now, Florida State fans, it is finally time to start cheering. The Seminoles look like a renewed team right now with a very young offense.
18. Pittsburgh - Which team will show up this week - the team that beat South Florida or the team that lost to Rutgers?
19. North Carolina - Wouldn't a Florida State-North Carolina ACC Championship matchup be great?
20. Cincinnati - What a great story this is...With a win over Pitt, the Bearcats could be looking at a Big East title.
21. TCU - Just 3 points from giving Boise State a clear shot at a BCS bowl bid...And now TCU is on the outside looking in.
22. Brigham Young - BYU is still overrated in most polls, but they are definitely a scoring machine.
23. Virginia Tech - I have to give Mr. Beamer some respect...Virginia tech is playing some good football right now. It's not going to be enough, but they are better than I gave them credit for earlier this season, if it's any consolation.
24. Tulsa - Who else do I put here?
25. South Carolina - and here? There aren't enough teams that are worthy.

And there you have it. Again, note that I never made a pre-season poll and that I pick my Top 25 fresh from the current conference standings alone and who I think would win in head-to-head match-ups. If you disagree, tell me why I'm wrong...I'd love to hear from you.

Coming up next: Ksquared's Week 12 Predictions.

Cheers!

Going Over Ksquared's Week 11 College Football Predictions

2008-11-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

Not my best week, by any means, but still solid. More importantly, one team solidified themselves as a true National Title contender (Texas Tech) and another dropped out of the race altogether (Penn State). Oh, and Nick Saban is still God.

#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 32 - LSU 17
What Happened: Alabama 27 - LSU 21 (OT)
What it Means: Miles is losing his reputation as the overtime King and Saban is establishing himself as one of the most talented college coaches of our time. Alabama is now set up for an easy run to the SEC Championship and is he can pull out a victory there (probably against Florida), he will have taken 'Bama to the National Championship game in his SECOND season!

#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma State 30
What Happened: Texas Tech 56 - Oklahoma State 20
What it Means: Texas Tech is legit. I expected them to win, but Oklahoma State is a pretty darn good team and I didn't expect it to be a blowout. When my revised Top 25 comes out in a bit, I have to put them number one, even above God Saban. They just look too dominant on offense. Somebody tell me, who can possibly stop that passing attack?

#3 Penn State at Iowa - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 30 - Iowa 14
What Happened: Iowa 24 - Penn State 23
What it Means: Everyone who is not a Penn State fan can breathe a collective sigh of relief - the chances of seeing a Big Ten team in the National Championship game after Penn State's loss is nearly nil. Barring a loss to Michigan State, Penn State looks like a lock for the Rose Bowl where they will probably get a shot against USC.

Baylor at #4 Texas - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 48 - Baylor 21
What Happened: Texas 45 - Baylor 21
What it Means: Nothing. Ho hum.

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 28 - Vanderbilt 3
What Happened: Florida 42 - Vanderbilt 14
What it Means: Vanderbilt continues to prove how overrated they were at the beginning of the season and Florida continues to win in an impressive fashion. Florida is going to be looking forward to facing Alabama in the SEC Title game...They better not look too far ahead, though, as they've had trouble with Spurrier and South Carolina in the past.

#6 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Texas A&M 21
What Happened: Oklahoma 66 - Texas A&M 28
What it Means: Bob Stoops has no mercy and Oklahoma wants style points. Style points, however, won't matter if they can't take care of business against Texas Tech next week. And, yet again, the game of the century is happening next week. How many "Games of the Century" can there be in two seasons?

#21 California at #7 USC - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: California 24 - USC 21
What Happened: USC 17 - California 3
What it Means: USC's offense is overrated (reference Arizona and California), but they're defense is for real. Cushing and Maualuga are by far the best DB tendem in the league and they will both be playing on Sunday. It's a good thing, too, because the USC offense has sputtered as of late.

#12 TCU at #8 Utah - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 31 - Utah 17
What Happened: Utah 13 - TCU 10
What it Means: I underestimated the Utah defensive front. This team can definitely step it up when it needs to. The TCU defense did it's job, but because the offense couldn't produce, they can wave bye-bye to a BCS bid (and Boise State can wave with them).

Utah State at #10 Boise State - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 35 - Utah State 10
What Happened: Boise State 49 - Utah State 14
What it Means: Nada. Boise State, who may be a better team than Utah, has less quality wins (wins like this one), and will miss out on a BCS bid, even going undefeated.

#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 3
What Happened: Ohio State 45 - Northwestern 10
What it Means: Pryor is not going away any time soon. His first real taste of failure (in football and in college) did nothing but make him stronger. Talk about domination...Ohio State wiped the floor with what looked like a pretty good Northwestern team.

#13 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 38 - Kentucky 13
What Happened: Georgia 42 - Kentucky 38
What it Means: Georgia continues to unimpress. They're defense is like swiss cheese, with holes all over the place. This is a Kentucky team that Florida beat 63-5. Sorry Georgia, maybe next year.

Kansas State at #14 Missouri - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 50 - Kansas State 35
What Happened: Missouri 41 - Kansas State 24
What it Means: As much as Texas' victory over Baylor.

San Diego State at #15 BYU - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 32 - San Diego State 24
What Happened: BYU 41 - San Diego State 12
What it Means: Surprisingly little. BYU already punched it's ticket to obscurity.

Northern Illinois at #17 Ball State - Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 42 - Northern Illinois 21
What Happened: Ball State 45 - Northern Illinois 14
What it Means: In the one game critics truly thought Ball State could lose after beating Indiana, they didn't. They won huge. I think everyone's kind of wondering just how good this team is. We'll never know.

Purdue at #18 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 32 - Purdue 20
What Happened: Michigan State 21 - Purdue 7
What it Means: Michigan State has a bye and one more big game to prove they are deserving of a Top 25 spot and a big bowl bid. However, even if they beat Penn State, they need Ohio State to lose another game, which doesn't seem likely at this point.

#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - North Carolina 13
What Happened: North Carolina 28 - Georgia Tech 7
What it Means: Who knows what the heck anything means in the ACC?!? Georgia Tech looks good, then they look horrible. North Carolina looks horrible, then they look good. Maryland looks horrible, then good, then bad, then great, then amazing, then horrible again. Everyone in this league is schizphrenic. Go ahead, I dare you to predict who goes to the Orange Bowl in January.

Clemson at #22 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 26 - Clemson 17
What Happened: Florida State 41 - Clemson 27
What it Means: Florida State continues to impress, but as stated above, this conference is as unstable as Brittany Spears and FSU has two tough games upcoming which will determine who plays in the ACC Championship. I have to say, a Florida State-North Carolina Championship game would be a good one.

#23 Maryland at Virginia Tech - 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Maryland 34 - Virginia Tech 10
What Happened: Virginia Tech 23 - Maryland 13
What it Means: Anything can happen on any given day in the ACC. My worries with the Terps were put at ease at the start of the game when Scott ran onto the field. And then they got outmuscled for the rest of the game. I give up.

Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 25 - Cincinnati 18
What Happened: Cincinnati 26 - West Virginia 23
What it Means: Cincinnati played a great game and put themselves in a pretty good position in the Big East. The fate of the Bearcats is in their hands and if they can beat Pittsburgh at home in a couple of weeks, they are looking at taking the conference. Kudos to Brian Kelly for making believers out of his squad.

My worst week yet, I went 13-6, bringing my season total to 87-26 (.770). Again, nothing to shake a stick at, but for me to hit my goal of .800, I am really going to have kick some butt next week...and I expect to.

Stay tuned for my revised Top 25 as well as my revised Bowl Projections. Cheers!

Sports Quote of the Day

2008-11-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

An anonymous football referee, when asked to describe his job:

"Trying to maintain order during a legalized gang brawl involving 80 toughs with a little whistle, a hanky, and a ton of prayer."

How Michigan State wins the Big Ten...Huh?

2008-11-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

As improbable as it sounds, here's how it shakes up:

Ohio State wins out and finishes the season 10-2 (7-1)
Michigan State wins out, including beating Penn State, and finishes the season 10-2 (7-1)
Penn State loses to Michigan State and finishes the season 11-1 (7-1)

And this is where the Big Ten tie-breaker rules come into play. Here's what you need to know:

Head-to-head, OSU over MSU, MSU over PSU, and PSU over OSU - No winner
Ohio State has played the most FBS (formerly Division II) teams during the season, so they are eliminated from contention
Head-to-head with two remaining teams, MSU over PSU - MSU winner
MSU is Big Ten Conference Champion

There you have it. Simple, right?

Buckeyes Suspend Player, Father Answers With Unbelievable Immaturity - Like Father Like Son?

2008-11-06T08:02:00.001-08:00

I usually don't get opinionated past who I think will win a game and why, but this article sort of got my blood boiling. Here's the article...take a look: Ray Small Suspended and Father Responds.
First of all, Ken Small's accusation that the coaching staff of the Buckeyes are "intentionally blowing his whole career" is just ludicrous. How could Ohio State possibly benefit from doing that? Nothing in Tressel or his coaching staff's history would even hint at something so vicious. And to make an accusation with such enormity, you better have proof to back that up.

Ken, just because you moved from Cleveland to Columbus to be closer to your meal-ticket, I mean, your son, by no means gives you the right to intervene any time you don't think your son is treated fairly, which brings me to my second point.

Part of growing up in this country is gaining autonomy from your parents and making mistakes and learning from them - on your own. Sure, some kids make more mistakes than others and there are times when a child might need to lean on his parents for advice and sometimes financial help, but by becoming involved in the everyday dealings of his son, Ken Small is hindering an important period of Ray's growth.

So here's my bottom-line: Ken Small's irresponsible and offhanded comments are hurting the university because of negative press. Ken Small's comments are hurting the Buckeye football program by becoming a distraction and a nuisance. And finally, and most importantly, Ken Small's comments are hurting his son's growth both as a person and a football player. As a person, Ken is not allowing Ray to take responsibility for his own actions, an important part of growing up, and as a football player, by making this a National storyline, Ken has just given every NFL team a good look at what the Small family is all about and, right or wrong, will reflect badly on Ray's NFL draft resume filed under "character issues."

Hey Ken, who wins here? Real smart. Like father, like son.

Some Quick Notes From Around the College Football World

2008-11-05T11:56:00.001-08:00

Though I have Maryland winning against Virginia Tech this weekend, I have become somewhat doubtful with reports that Da'Rell Scott will not be even close to 100% come Saturday. He is an integral part of keeping the Terps offense balanced and without him churning for tough yards, the Hokies stout defense will have a field day picking off passes in deep coverage. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my pick, hoping the offensive line will step it up just a notch knowing that Scott will need some running roon to be successful.
Another worrisome pick that comes to mind is my upset of California over the much-touted USC. With Riley out again this week (and it looks like that is the case), if the pick-happy Longshore comes to play, my pick won't jsut be wrong, it will look ridiculous. Longshore has zero turnovers and I maintain my pick (which I am doing), but even one turnover and I think USC takes this game.
I expect Terelle Pryor and the Buckeyes to respond with resounding confidence against Northwestern this Saturday. Though bye weeks have not been good to them in the past, this week is different...The Buckeyes are pissed (and more unified than ever)...And I do not believe that the same uneasy Pryor we saw two weeks ago will be playing against the Wildcats.

Ksquared vs. Todd McShay - The winner is...

2008-11-05T08:21:00.001-08:00

You be the judge...

PRE-GAME
Todd McShay:
"The Longhorns will take care of business in Lubbock for three reasons. First, Orakpo and Kindle will apply more pressure on Harrell than he is accustomed to seeing...
Prediction: Longhorns 41, Red Raiders 31"

Ksquared:
"...As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory.
Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45"

RESULT
Texas Tech 39 - Texas 33

POST-GAME
Todd McShay:
"The most surprising aspect of Saturday night's upset in Lubbock -- at least from my vantage point -- was Texas Tech's dominance in the trenches...The experienced Red Raiders offensive line provided Harrell with Secret Service-like protection..."

Ksquared:
"And so it was, as Tech made it's National Championship hopes a much more realistic possibility."

And by a landslide...

Obama...Hope...Promise...American Pride

2008-11-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Politics in a sports blog? Just this once...

This is historic. Though I knew I would be dissapointed if America voted against Obama and for four more years of the same methodologies, what I didn't expect was the immense pride I felt when it was announced that America had voted Obama the next President.

More than relief, for maybe the first time in my life, I felt real and true pride. Pride in front of the rest of the world and pride in the evidence of our equality.

Tomorrow is a new day. We have done our part today.

Thank you America.

"There is a New America every morning when we wake up. It is upon us whether we will it or not." - Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 11

2008-11-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Here we go again...And before anyone gets up in arms, I know I have not done a recap of my last predictions (I just didn't want to brag too much). My overall record now is 74-20 (.787), which is not quite at my goal of .800.

Texas Tech made my upset of the week happen, but can they sustain their spot in the top 2? They have a couple of tough games in a row, starting with Oklahoma State this week. Alabama also gets it's first test while holding on to the #1 spot and playing at LSU is no easy task.

#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 32 - LSU 17

#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma State 30

#3 Penn State at Iowa - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 30 - Iowa 14

Baylor at #4 Texas - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 48 - Baylor 21

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 28 - Vanderbilt 3

#6 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Texas A&M 21

#21 California at #7 USC - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: California 24 - USC 21

#12 TCU at #8 Utah - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 31 - Utah 17

Utah State at #10 Boise State - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 35 - Utah State 10

#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 3

#13 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 38 - Kentucky 13

Kansas State at #14 Missouri - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 50 - Kansas State 35

San Diego State at #15 BYU - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 32 - San Diego State 24

Northern Illinois at #17 Ball State - Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 42 - Northern Illinois 21

Purdue at #18 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 32 - Purdue 20

#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - North Carolina 13

Clemson at #22 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 26 - Clemson 17

#23 Maryland at Virginia Tech - 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Maryland 34 - Virginia Tech 10

Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 25 - Cincinnati 18

Taking a closer look at some of the big games, I think Alabama and Texas Tech both do their duty this weekend; Tech winning at home on a high and Bama with great momentum after a solid win the week before.

The big upset of the week is of another USC loss (this time at home, which is almost unheard of), but I just think California is playing well enough to score some points early and take the game. Another semi-upset is Georgia Tech over North Carolina, though some would argue that it isn't too much of an upset. North Carolina just has too many question marks right now.

And there you have it...Have fun, be safe. Cheers!

Texas Tech has done it, Georgia Tech and Maryland in good position, Florida looks incredible

2008-11-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Some news and notes from the wild weekend of college football.

And I quote a very well-written sports blog, "As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory." And so it was, as Tech made it's National Championship hopes a much more realistic possibility.
With Georgia Tech's win over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland are in prime position to get into a nice little bowl game. In fact, as predicted in a very intelligent sports blog, Maryland is in great position to take the spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl. At the very least, Maryland is in control of it's own destiny now. Win out the season, and the Terps' struggles early-season are forgotten.
Florida actually may be the best team in college football right now and if they continue to play well into December, Alabama will be in trouble in the SEC Championship. Florida should be watching the Big 12 situation closely, as a couple losses from one Big 12 team to another would clear the path for them to be back in the National Championship, as predicted in this famous sports blog.

A few shameless plugs and some great predictions...That's what this blog is all about!

Stay tuned for going over this past weekend's predictions and what it means to the BCS layout, as well as the predictions going forward. Cheers!

Think Georgia-Florida is a Big Game???

2008-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

No, it's not a snow day...No, it's not the flu...No, it's not a hurricane...It's a football game...and Georgia school districts are closing.

It's not out of celebration, either, but out of necessity.

Isn't college football great?!

NCAA Football Bowl Predictions

2008-10-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

Per a GREAT request, I offer my first Bowl Predictions of the season. For sure as a top 5 team will fall, I will be amending this list, but as it stands, here's my take.

Let's start with the snooze-fests and work our way to the National Championship:

New Mexico Bowl: Air Force vs. Nevada
St. Petersburg Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Marshall
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: TCU vs. Arizona
Eagle Bank Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. Navy
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. UTEP
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. Hawaii
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Stanford vs. Fresno State
Motor City Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Central Michigan
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati
Champs Sports: Virginia vs. Northwestern
Emerald Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State
Independence Bowl: Kansas State vs. Tennessee
PapaJohns.com Bowl: South Florida vs. Kentucky
Valero Alamo Bowl: Illinois vs. Missouri
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: San Jose State vs. Wake Forest
Texas Bowl: Colorado vs. Rice
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Utah vs. East Carolina
Brut Sun: Nebraska vs. California
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Florida State vs. Ole Miss
Insight Bowl: Iowa vs. Kansas
Chick-fil-a Bowl: North Carolina vs. Auburn
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Vanderbilt
Capital One Bowl: Minnesota vs. LSU
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame
AT&T Cotton Bowl: Georgia vs. Texas Tech
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Tulsa vs. South Carolina
International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Western Michigan
GMAC Bowl: Houston vs. Ball State

Rose Bowl presented by Citi: Ohio State vs. USC
Fedex Orange Bowl: Maryland vs. West Virginia
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Texas
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Fedex BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Penn State

Random Notes:
Texas Tech beats Texas, Texas Tech loses a game or two, Florida beats Georgia, Florida wins SEC Championship by beating Alabama...Done.

If what I predict happens, people will probably be calling the Sugar Bowl the true National Championship.

This could be the season of rematches with Boise State-Oklahoma and Ohio State-USC.

The ACC isn't very strong top-to-bottom against other conferences, but they are definitely the hardest conference to figure out to this point. The next two weeks should clear things up a bit.

ESPN's Bruce Feldman and Ksquared on the Same Page

2008-10-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Bruce Feldman's picks very closely matched my own, which could be a bad thing looking at his winning percentage on the year, but I'll take the credibility boost anyway! We only disagree on the Texas Tussle, but we both agree it's going to be high scoring and close.

Note: My picks were up and loaded before Bruce's. Hmmm, interesting.

#1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech - Game Summary Breakdown

2008-10-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here it is - my second GSB of the season, and a much different game than the first. Offense rules the day in Lubbock, TX and it may come down to the team that can make a stop that takes the game. Without further delay...

Offense - Texas Longhorns
Everything centers around the athletic play of Colt McCoy, but it's not necessarily all about his passing game. He is a mobile quarterback and with averages of 32 pass attempts per game and 40 runs per game (some of these are McCoy scrambling for yardage), Texas has one of the best balances of run and pass in the nation. And this is the key. As a defense, the only possible way you can beat Texas is to confuse the offensive line with different blitz packages, take away the run early, and contain McCoy when he gets flushed out of the pocket. The phrase, "You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them," applies here.

Offense - Texas Tech Red Raiders
Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree are the most dangerous pair in the entire league, with both players on the Heisman list, and deservedly so. Tech's offense is 3rd in points per game, 2nd in yards per game, 1st in pass yards per game, and 1st in receptions per game. But Tech fans have seen offensive numbers like this before. What makes this Mike Leach Texas Tech team so special is that even though they only rush 25 times per game (3rd to last in the country), they are still putting up 138 rushing yards per game. It is in this equation that lies the secret to Tech winning this game. In the first half, if Texas Tech can keep the Texas defense honest with just a few good runs, the passing game will remain open long enough to keep the game close. Keep it close, and I truly believe Texas Tech has the upper hand with it's dominant power-offense.

Defense - Texas Longhorns
The defensive front for the Longhorns may be the best they've ever had. Orakpo, Houston, Miller, and Melton (doesn't that sound like a law firm?) have a combined 25.5 tackles for loss resulting in a total of 118 yards that they have cost opposing teams. Deeper than that, however, if this team has a weakness, it is the secondary. They only have 5 interceptions on the year and have given up 335 passing yards per game. Granted, they play in the pass-happy Big 12, but they have not faced as dominant a duo as Harrell and Crabtree. Pressure on Harrell will definitely be key, but getting through one of the toughest offensive lines in football won't be easy. If Harrell has time to pass, his wide receivers will find a way to get open and the Texas secondary will finally be exposed for what it is.

Defense - Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech will not be able to stop Texas like Oklahoma State did, but with an offense like the Red Raiders have, it may not matter. A couple of big stops will be key. Since getting Texas to third down may happen seldomly, stopping McCoy in these situations is going to be huge. Watch for the Texas Tech secondary to key on Jordan Shipley, Texas' big-time wide receiver, especially in the Red Zone. If they can contain the receivers, Tech's spy on McCoy better not lose containment or the coverage won't matter. The Texas Tech secondary, by the way, has 14 takeaways on the season, good for 3rd in the country. If they can get a couple more against Colt "80% completion percentage" McCoy, they'll be in pretty good shape.

Special Teams:
Texas definitely has the upper-hand in the punt game (if anyone ever punts), but I don't think punting is going to be a factor in this game at all. Field position will be decided more by the returns than the kicks, and most likely, kick returns rather than punt returns. In the kick return category, the two teams from the Lonestar State are almost dead even with Texas having a better kick return average by four-tenths of a point. And so, short and sweet, unless a punt or field block occurs, special teams really shouldn't be too much of a factor.

Key Matchups:
DE Brian Orakpo vs. LT Rylan Reed
This will be THE matchup of the game, as nobody this year has been able to stop Orakpo. But nobody is Texas Tech, either, and Reed is one of the best in the game. This is the kind of battle that you always hear announcers say is won "in the trenches," which, for those of you who may not get it, is a war metaphor. This will be a mini-war in the midst of a major war.

WR Michael Crabtree vs. The Entire Texas Secondary
It will take the entire secondary, working together, communicating perfectly, and constantly in motion to even begin to contain what is maybe the best talent the wide receiver position has ever seen. An announcer last week compared him to Larry Fitzgerald, which I think is apt...unfortunately for the Longhorns.

QB Colt McCoy vs. QB Graham Harrell
Though they are not directly battling on the field, both of these incredible talents will have a national stage in which to showcase their talents...and the winner may just end up taking home the Heisman. Whichever quarterback wins this game definitely has the upper-hand in the race.

Ksquared Prediction:
Here we go: two huge Big 12 teams, two great coaches, two powerhouse offenses, and three Heisman candidates. Orakpo and the Texas D-line will have to get pressure on Harrell in order to stop the Red Raider offense and the Tech senior duo of McBath and Charbonnet will need to bring down an interception or two to keep McCoy on his toes. If either quarterback completes over 75% of his passes and finds seams throughout the game, the other team will lose. Though offense is the specialty in this game, defense is the key. As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory.

Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45

Ksquared's Week 10 NCAA Football Predictions

2008-10-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

So far, if you've bet my teams to win, you've made money in Vegas...Let's see if I can step it up a notch this week. Also, as some very astute folks pointed out, I did not have many upsets picked last week, which is sometimes how it goes, but this week is a different story...Read on.

#1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45

Arkansas State at #2 Alabama - 3:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 38 - Arkansas State 10

Nebraska at #4 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 52 - Nebraska 21

Washington at #5 USC - 6:30 pm ET
My Prediction: USC 48 - Washington 10

#6 Georgia vs. #8 Florida, in Jacksonville, FL - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 26 - Georgia 20
(Florida dances in the Bulldog endzone)

Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma State 48 - Iowa State 24

#10 Utah at New Mexico - 9:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Utah 30 - New Mexico 10

#11 Boise State at New Mexico State - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 32 - New Mexico State 13

#13 TCU at UNLV - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 27 - UNLV 10

#14 Missouri at Baylor - 3:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 48 - Baylor 30

#15 Florida State at Georgia Tech - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 21 - Florida State 20

Northwestern at #17 Minnesota - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Minnesota 17 - Northwestern 14

#18 Tulsa at Arkansas - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Tulsa 62 - Arkansas 21

Tulane at #19 LSU - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 42 - Tulane 10

#20 Brigham Young at Colorado State - 6:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 34 - Colorado State 13

Wisconsin at #21 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 34 - Wisconsin 28

#23 South Florida at Cincinnati - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: South Florida 41 - Cincinnati 24

#24 Oregon at California - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oregon 45 - California 20

West Virginia at #25 Connecticut - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 32 - Connecticut 30

Just like last week and the week before that, the game of the century is happening this week! Enjoy your college ball this weekend...And be safe. Cheers!

Going Over Ksquared's Week 9 NCAA Football Predictions

2008-10-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Let's see how I did this week:

My Prediction: Texas 45 - Oklahoma State 38
What Happened: Texas 28 - Oklahoma State 24
What It Means: Oklahoma State is unofficially out of the National Title race...Texas only has one more game that has any resemblence of a Frasier-over-Ali knockout and it's Texas Tech this weekend.

My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Tennessee 10
What Happened: Alabama 29 - Tennessee 9
What It Means: Tennessee is still struggling, and will continue to struggle...Alabama is in prime position to make Saban a literal God.

My Prediction: Ohio State 32 - Penn State 27
What Happened: Penn State 13 - Ohio State 6
What It Means: The nation breaths a sigh of relief as Ohio State is all but eliminated from a third straight National Title appearance...Next to Ball State, Penn State is in the best position in the country to run the table, but are they in the best position in the country?

My Prediction: Oklahoma 52 - Kansas State 10
What Happened: Oklahoma 58 - Kansas State 35
What It Means: Not much...Oklahoma continues to roll and Kansas State still plays in the toughest conference in NCAA football.

My Prediction: USC 48 - Arizona 17
What Happened: USC 17 - Arizona 10
What It Means: USC continues to unimpress and Arizona is still a thumbnail away from being great...and Mike Stoops is still a thumbnail away from being fired.

My Prediction: Georgia 24 - LSU 21
What Happened: Georgia 52 - LSU 38
What It Means: LSU joins Ohio State on the outside looking in...Georgia gets a chance to get back in the National Title picture with a win against Florida this weekend.

My Prediction: Texas Tech 41 - Kansas 38
What Happened: Texas Tech 63 - Kansas 21
What It Means: Kansas, even more so than Kansas State, is simply unlucky to be in the Big 12...Texas Tech has a chance to shock the world and go to the National Championship by beating Texas this weekend.

My Prediction: Florida 31 - Kentucky 17
What Happened: Florida 63 - Kentucky 5
What It Means: Florida is BACK...Kentucky is NOT.

My Prediction: Boise State 20 - San Jose State 0
What Happened: Boise State 33 - San Jose State 16
What It Means: San Jose State will not win the WAC...Boise State could still get shutout of a BCS Bowl Game if Utah beats TCU.

My Prediction: TCU 24 - Wyoming 9
What Happened: TCU 54 - Wyoming 7
What It Means: Wyoming is still a non-factor...TCU has outscored opponents 140-28 since the loss to Oklahoma and has only Utah standing in their way of a MWC Championship.

My Prediction: Missouri 49 - Colorado 28
What Happened: Missouri 59 - Colorado 0
What It Means: Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tiger were pissed...Colorado was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My Prediction: South Florida 31 - Louisville 24
What Happened: Louisville 24 - South Florida 20
What It Means: Louisville is ahead of South Florida in the Big East (what?) and actually looks pretty good (huh?).

My Prediction: Pittsburgh 28 - Rutgers 10
What Happened: Rutgers 54 - Pittsburgh 34
What It Means: Armageddon is upon us.

My Prediction: Georgia Tech 24 - Virginia 10
What Happened: Virginia 24 - Georgia Tech 17
What It Means: We all continue to scratch our heads as Louisville, Rutgers, and Virginia, who all looked like sickly stray dogs at the beginning of the season, win in the same week.

My Prediction: Tulsa 69 - UCF 38
What Happened: Tulsa 49 - UCF 19
What It Means: Tulsa has brought down it's "average scoring per game" statistic.

My Prediction: Ball State 32 - Eastern Michigan 17
What Happened: Ball State 38 - Eastern Michigan 16
What It Means: I'm a genius predicting games and Ball State still hasn't played anybody worthwhile.

My Prediction: BYU 48 - UNLV 20
What Happened: BYU 42 - UNLV 35
What It Means: Nothing...BYU had its chance.

My Prediction: Northwestern 32 - Indiana 17
What Happened: Indiana 21 - Northwestern 19
What It Means: Northwestern was overrated, which isn't a surprise.

My Prediction: Minnesota 32 - Purdue 20
What Happened: Minnesota 17 - Purdue 6
What It Means: Minnesota actually has itself in contention for a nice bowl game...Purdue will battle it out against Michigan this weekend for "Worst of the Big Ten."

My Prediction: Florida State 17 - Virginia Tech 16
What Happened: Florida State 30 - Virginia Tech 20
What It Means: Everyone in the country has to start listening to the annoying Seminole fans again...Virginia Tech is still overrated.

And my final tally is: 15-5...Bringing my grand total for the season to: 59-16 (.787). Not bad, but I want to finish the season over .800, so I'll have to pick up my game this week. Stay tuned!

Willingham's Replacement, Penn State Doesn't Deserve the NC, Florida-Georgia Game Huge, Other Notes of Interest

2008-10-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

From around the country, here's the buzz:

Rivals.com, with many supporters, believes Penn State doesn't deserve the National Championship berth...No matter what. I can't say I can argue the point with any intelligent banter. And so the uproar begins, and only moments after a Penn State win over Ohio State that makes a Nittany Lions undefeated season likely. Enough uproar, and as I have predicted earlier, Penn State, even undefeated, will be nowhere near Miami come January.

It kind of goes without saying that the winner of Texas at Texas Tech this weekend will determine the favorite for the Big 12's donation to the National Championship game, but as Chris Low from ESPN writes, Alabama may not be the shoo-in that everyone thinks, making the Georgia-Florida game just that much more meaningful. If Alabama loses even one game, he believes, there will be no time to climb back up the polls. Florida and Georgia, on the other hand, already took their beating and have begun their climb back to the top, so whoever comes out of the game in Jacksonville unscathed may be the favorite to go to Miami.

If you haven't heard about Texas Tech's new PAT kicker, read this. The kid's story could be turned into a made-for-TV-movie for sure. The question is, how does the story end?

After Ty Willingham's announcement that he will voluntarily step down as Washington's head coach at the end of the season, Dennis Dodd is already conjecturing as to who the replacement will be.

Does anyone care about the ACC right now? No? Then don't read Heather Dinich's breakdown of the ACC finishing possibilities...but if you're a college football fan at all, it's actually pretty intriguing. Even if you don't care about the ACC, read this heartwarming story about a certin Duke Blue Devil's emotional victory after the Vanderbilt upset this weekend (thanks to Heather again for this link).

Buckeyes, You're Now Huge Penn State Fans

2008-10-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

After the hard-fought battle last night that ended up being decided just as the pundits predicted, with a mistake by an inexperienced freshman quarterback, everyone in Columbus and around the nation that roots for the Scarlet and Gray should now be rooting for Penn State White.

The reason is simple: If Penn State misses a chance at the National Championship and instead goes to the Rose Bowl, Ohio State will be looking at a Capital One bid...not exactly where Buckeye fans were hoping to be when Laurinaitis, Jenkins, and Robiskie decided to forego the pros to finish their last year in college.

Here's how it could play out:

Penn State wins out the remainder of the season, goes to the National Championship to face mighty Texas, and Ohio State gets a rematch against USC in the Rose Bowl.

Penn State wins out, voters don't want to see a Big Ten team get demolished in the National Championship for a third straight year, and a one loss Florida faces Texas in the big game (with two Heisman trophy quarterbacks facing each other). Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl and Ohio State gets the Capitol One.

Penn State loses to Michigan State, God knows how, and the Nation breaths a collective sigh of relief as the top of the BCS polls are clear of Big Ten teams. In this case, Michigan State is the likely Big Ten Champion and the Rose Bowl committee chooses two non-Big Ten teams. This is worst-case scenario for any Big Ten fan, but especially for the Buckeyes.

The Big 12 - Power Quarterback or Weak Secondary?

2008-10-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this while watching Texas Tech and Oklahoma score touchdowns on almost every drive...Is it really the QB's? Or could the secondaries just be that poor? And how do you tell?

Sure Orakpo and the Big 12 D-lines are solid, but what about the cornerbacks and safeties? You would think that if the secondary matched up AT ALL with the wide receivers that you wouldn't see 40 and 50 points on the Big 12 scoreboard every week.

I truly don't have an answer here and I welcome any insight you in the Peanut Gallery might provide.

Here's my take (which, by the way, does not answer the question at all): The Big 12 QB's - McCoy, Reesing, Harrell, Robinson, Bradford, Griffin, Daniel, Hawkins, Freeman - are good, there's no doubt about that. They all had pretty good high school careers, were highly recruited, and have had good coaching along the way, I'm sure. But I don't care how good a bunch of quarterbacks are, if half the conference has passing completion percentages in the high 60's and 70's, there's something wrong with who they're passing against.

Which brings us to the Big 12 secondary. I'm sure these guys traveled the same route as the quarterbacks (good high school career, highly recruited, good coaching), so where is the disconnect? Do they put all of the truly talented players on offense in the Big 12? If you're fast, savvy, and athletic, do you become a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver automatically down South? I can't imagine the Big 12 does things much differently than the rest of the country, so it would be hard to believe that to be true.

Maybe the Big 12 should start playing some of their quarterbacks in the secondary...Players have played both sides of the ball before...So, why not? Obviously, that's not the answer, but it does seem odd that almost the entire conference has been so successful in the passing game and I'm not totally sold that the Big 12 quarterbacks are that good.

Any ideas? Because, so far, I can't figure it out...

Buckeyes, Penn State, Lose-Lose Situation Tonight?

2008-10-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

Every college football fan in the country has heard the rumblings: the Big Ten is weak.

Whether you are an SEC fan, a Big 12 fan, or just a college football fan in general, you have seen some of the better teams, possibly your team, get shut out of the national championship because of an undefeated or one-loss Big Ten team. Most fans outside of the Big Ten feel that because their conferences are stronger and their schedules tougher, weaker and less deserving teams are showing up to do battle in the Big Game, and to a point, I can't argue against those feelings.

Which brings me to the question many people are asking before tonight's football action: What will become of the BCS situation after the Penn State-Ohio State game?

My answer will delight SEC, Big 12, Pac-10, WAC, MWC, ACC, and Big East fans country-wide. Penn State and Ohio State will BOTH lose tonight, and here's why...

Result #1: Penn State defeats Ohio State BIG (more than 15 points)
Effect: Ohio State still can't win big games and Penn State just beat an overrated Ohio State team, giving Penn State exactly zero quality wins on the year. Penn State stays at #3, but drops when strength of schedule really starts to come into play at the end of the season. USC has the same problem, so they're in trouble, but Alabama, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, and Oklahoma State all have a shot of jumping Penn State if any of them can stay at one-loss or less. In this scenario, Penn State could make it to the National Championship, putting a Big Ten team there for a third straight year, but even in best-case situation for the Big Ten, which this is, I predict the National Championship will be SEC vs. Big 12. Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl and Ohio State finally feels the effects of losing big to two SEC teams in two National Championships in a row.

Result #2: Penn State defeats Ohio State CLOSE (less than 15 points)
Effect: Ohio State still can't win big games and Penn State just beat a mediocre Ohio State team who got beat down by USC and is strugling behind a freshman quarterback who has potential, but a lot of growth to come. Penn State stays at #3, and on down the line, even going undefeated, voters trump the computers and vote a one-loss USC, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, or Oklahoma State above them. Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl and Ohio State finally feels the effects of losing big to two SEC teams in two National Championships in a row.

Result #3: Ohio State defeats Penn State CLOSE (less than 15 points)
Effect: Penn State was overrated and Ohio State plays a schedule full of cupcakes. Everyone references the USC game on Sept. 13th to prove that no matter what, Ohio State can not be ranked above USC, and since USC has a bad loss to Oregon State and also plays in a currently-weak conference, voters keep USC capped at #2 or #3 and Ohio State never goes above #4 (even if the computers have them #2). Ohio State goes to the Rose Bowl where they get a rematch with USC or play a two-loss SEC or Big 12 team and have a chance to start to rebuild their reputation with a win. The next year, they are ranked between 10 and 20 in the polls.

Result #4: Ohio State defeats Penn State BIG (more than 15 points)
Effect: Penn State was overrated and Ohio State plays a schedule full of cupcakes. Everyone references the USC game on Sept. 13th to prove that no matter what, Ohio State can not be ranked above USC, and since USC has a bad loss to Oregon State and also plays in a currently-weak conference, voters keep USC capped at #2 or #3 and Ohio State never goes above #4 (even if the computers have them #2). Here's where Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" makes all the difference. Win close and you've done nothing to redeem yourself...Win big and you have started on the road less traveled - the road to winning big in big games - the road to redemption. Instead of starting their reputation-rebuild in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State gets its second big win against a good SEC or Big 12 team and the turn-around occurs. The next year, they are again ranked in the top 10, and possibly top 5, in the preseason polls and some of the national noise dies down.

Final Results: There is very little chance of a Big Ten team arriving in Miami and even if they do, if Penn State loses, the national rally cry against the Big Ten will only get louder. The Big Ten will continue to suffer from a negative image perception across the country. The only hope if you're a Big Ten fan are quality wins against good bowl teams across the board, which means Minnesota and Northwestern have never been more important to the Big Ten's reputation.

Here's how I see it playing out:

Penn State or Ohio State in the Rose Bowl
The other of Penn State/Ohio State in the Capital One Bowl
Minnesota and Northwestern both in decent bowl games

The perceptual upswing begins if all four of these teams win their bowl games. I realize that this is an extreme statement, but anything less just gives the rest of the country more fuel for the fire.

If you're a Big Ten fan, pray that whoever wins this game wins it BIG and that the rest of the Big Ten continues to win. Anything short isn't the road less traveled by.

Fantasy Football Sleepers - Week 8

2008-10-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

My Mewelde Moore and Wes Welker picks should have gotten you some big points (if you had listened). This week, I've got some dandies for y'all:

1. Deuce McCallister, RB, New Orleans - With Reggie Bush out, McCallister should get close to 20 carries and in effect, should put up some solid points as a #3 running back. Start him if you have an opening. I'm guessing he won't be on the waiver wires (although, many people who had drafted him at the beginning of the season might have let him go by now), but if you have him, this is the week to use him. *see my comment post

2. Brad Johnson, QB, Dallas - Another sleeper by default...Without Tony Romo, Johnson is the guy and there's no way an offense like Dallas, regardless of the quarterback, won't put points on the board. A warning, however, that he is a last resort and only if you have no other choice.

3. BenJarvis Green-Ellis, RB, New England - This is my pick-of-the week. Most leagues should still have this undrafted rookie on the wire and with Morris out again, he should rack up some good yardage and could get some short-yardage TD's. After New England's passing display last week, look for the St. Louis' secondary to be backed-up in zone coverage most of the game, making for some nice holes in-between the tackle-box.

4. Lance Moore, WR, New Orleans - Every wide receiver on this New Orleans offense should get some catches against a pretty soft San Diego secondary, so expect Moore to gain you some nice points. I include him here because he should still be available on waiver wire, but like Johnson, only pick him up if you are in dire need of a #2 or #3 wide receiver.

5. New York Jets ST/D - This is my second favorite pick of the week. The Jets defense has not played very well as of yet this season, but they will be hungry to get after a sputtering Kansas City offense that will playing it's third-string quarterback and most likely will be without Larry Johnson again. This is the only week I would suggest starting the Jets, but it is a good one to do so.

There you have it. As stated, Green-Ellis and the Jets D are my "Best Picks," and both are probably available to pick up right away. And JP, if you're reading this, Coles and Cotchery should both definitely start this week against a horrible Kansas City team. They aren't sleepers by any means, but I thought I'd throw it in for good measure.

Week 9 Top 25 College Football Predictions

2008-10-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's official - the standings, I mean - The BCS Standings came out this past week, so we now have an "official" Top 25. It looks like voters are punishing Florida for a bad loss to Ole Miss and it also looks like the voters are continuing to punish Ohio State for it's last two National Championship losses. There is, however, a rare unanimous decision for the #1 spot in Texas. We'll see if they can hold on this weekend against a very good Oklahoma State team.

Without further ado...

#6 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas - 3:30 pm ET
It's too bad ESPN is really the only news source for sports, as their entire coverage has centered around their featured game, Penn State at Ohio State. In reality, this game probably has more National Championship implications. I think most pundits expect this game to be more lopsided than it will end up, which could be adding to the absence of coverage. If this game were in the Cowboys backyard, I might actually pick them, but in Austin, the crowd and the excitement will just be too much for Oklahoma State to handle. Closer than most think, but a Texas victory nonetheless.
My Prediction: Texas 45 - Oklahoma State 38

#2 Alabama at Tennessee - 7:45 pm ET
Tennessee is one of this year's major dissapointments and Alabama is one of this year's biggest surprises...In with the new and out with the old. Alabama wins this one big after a tight one against Kentucky the week before. Saban will have his kids focused and ready to play. The Tennessee crowd will try and pretend like it matters, but after the first quarter, they'll be silent once again.
My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Tennessee 10

#3 Penn State at #9 Ohio State - 8:00 pm ET
What more can I say here that I haven't already said. Pryor's from Pennsylvania, Clark's from Ohio...that's kind of cool. Since joining the Big Ten, Penn State has never won in the Horseshoe...that's kind of sad. Ohio State hasn't had a Freshman start at quarterback since the 1970's and the kid's 5-0 in his college career...That's kind of badass. As stated before, if this game was in Happy Valley, I give the edge to Penn State, but Columbus has been waiting to take it's revenge out on another highly ranked team since USC and they will be ruthless in the stands. Chalk this game up to the 12th Man and the Buckeyes edge the Lions to jump back into the top 5 in the standings.
My Prediction: Ohio State 32 - Penn State 27

#4 Oklahoma at Kansas State - 12:30 pm ET
Not a whole lot of explaining needed here...Oklahoma is going to have a field day and will let some of the third-stringers get work in the fourth quarter. If Kansas State stays within 35 points, I will be surprised. Boomer Sooner!
My Prediction: Oklahoma 52 - Kansas State 10

#5 USC at Arizona - 10:15 pm ET
This one is going to be closer than what we all thought at the beginning of the season. It was supposed to be USC's game at Arizona State that caused a stir in the state of Arizona...Instead, ASU is the embarrasment and UofA actually has hopes of winning the PAC-10. You heard it here first, those hopes will be smashed this weekend. Most years, I would say this is a huge trap game for USC and that Arizona has a chance to upset, but USC already had it's upset and I can guarantee that Carroll won't let them lose their fire going forward. We saw what happened to Washington State when they got in the way. USC - Big.
My Prediction: USC 48 - Arizona 17

#7 Georgia at #13 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
Another great matchup this weekend that has gone largely overlooked. This is a VERY important game for both of these teams, as a chance to go to the SEC Championship game could slip away from the loser. Imagine, we are only half-way through the season and either Georgia or LSU will, for all intensive purposes, be eliminated from Championship contention. This is a very tough game to pick as the Bayou is always a tough place to play, but I think Georgia muscles this one out. I'm taking Stafford to get back into form and have a Heisman-like day.
My Prediction: Georgia 24 - LSU 21

#8 Texas Tech at #23 Kansas - 12:00 pm ET
Some experts think this is a major trap game for Texas Tech and have gone so far as to pick Kansas to win this one, but I don't think so. Kansas' secondary is way too suspect for Harrell not to score on almost every drive down the field, so even if Reesing throws a few touchdowns, it won't matter. I'll take the over on this game and Tech to keep on winning.
My Prediction: Texas Tech 41 - Kansas 38

Kentucky at #10 Florida - 12:30 pm ET
I don't like Kentucky's chances here at all. They're coming off a tough loss to a good Alabama team, they're playing in the Swamp, and Florida has been rolling with Percy harvin back at full speed. Not to mention that Urban Meyer has had an extra week to scheme and come up with tricky little SEC plays.
My Prediction: Florida 31 - Kentucky 17

#12 Boise State at San Jose State - Friday, 9:00 pm ET
Another game that many are picking to be close that I just don't think will be. Boise State has shown no signs of letting up and San Jose State is no real threat. Boise State's defense has been solid, while San Jose has had trouble scoring. That spells s-h-u-t-o-u-t.
My Prediction: Boise State 20 - San Jose State 0

Wyoming at #14 TCU - 6:00 pm ET
There is no way TCU has a let-down after a great win against BYU and being in front of their home crowd. If Wyoming wants to win, they'll have to hope TCU's entire first-string defense gets the flu.
My Prediction: TCU 24 - Wyoming 9

Colorado at #15 Missouri - 6:30 pm ET
Oh, poor Colorado. They are the unfortunate souls who have to be next. Since Missouri's two-game slide, both the fans and the players are going to be taking out their anger on someone...and that someone is Colorado. Chase Daniel plays best with a chip on his shoulder, and after the last two games, I guarantee he's heard some critics reiterate his size-issue in relation to the NFL. This will lead directly to touchdowns...a lot of them.
My Prediction: Missouri 49 - Colorado 28

#16 South Florida at Louisville - 3:30 pm ET
This is my "be careful" game of the week. I am going with South Florida, but with reservations. Louisville has been pretty insignificant this season, not because they have been losing (Kentucky and Connecticut are respectable losses), but because their wins have been against nobodies. I'm not sure anyone really knows how good the Cardinals are and they are at home in this one. I'm taking South Florida by a touchdown, but I won't be surprised at all if somehow the Bulls figure out a way to lose.
My Prediction: South Florida 31 - Louisville 24

Rutgers at #17 Pittsburgh - 3:30 pm ET
Rutgers is BAD this year. BAD. Other than Connecticut, Morgan State is their only other victory. I guess this could be one of those start-out-slow-finish-big years, but I'm not seeing it. There are problems on every side of the ball and there just isn't enough time in the season to figure it all out. On the other hand, Pittsburgh's McCoy has started to play like he was supposed to all along and the Panthers are truly looking like the team that everyone had picked to win the Big East at the beginning of the season. If they can beat West Virginia later in the year, it will be smooth sailing for the Panthers, and they know it.
My Prediction: Pittsburgh 28 - Rutgers 10

Virginia at #18 Georgia Tech - 3:30 pm ET
Virginia has shown some flashes of brilliance lately, but so has Georgia Tech. And I don't think the Yellow Jackets will let their fans down being at home. I will say this...If Virginia wins its third conference game and fourth game in a row overall, I will be a believer of this turnaround season everyone's talking about. Until then, I'm picking Georgia Tech by two touchdowns.
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 24 - Virginia 10

UCF at #19 Tulsa - Sunday, 8:00 pm ET
Tulsa has put up HUGE points on everyone they've faced and this game is no different. David Johnson has 31 touchdown passes in 7 games, which puts him on pace for over 50 on the year. Though there isn't a team worth a hoot in their conference, with numbers like they have, who cares. If you score 77 points in a game, I don't care who you're playing, it's amazing.
My Prediction: Tulsa 69 - UCF 38

Eastern Michigan at #20 Ball State - 12:00 pm ET
I admit, though I am a fan of the MAC, I am not a fan of Ball State. Like Tulsa, Ball State also plays inconsequential teams...unlike Tulsa, they have a defense...but also unlike Tulsa, they need that defense because they don't put up over 50 points every game. I have Ball State losing to both Central and Western Michigan the last two games of the season. The question is, how far will they move up the polls before their long drop?
My Prediction: Ball State 32 - Eastern Michigan 17

UNLV at #21 Brigham Young - 2:00 pm ET
I still don't like BYU, but I like them a lot more now that they are where they belong. UNLV is no match and Max Hall will have a field day throwing the ball. That game at Utah is going to be the back-breaker at the end of the season, which should vault Utah into a BCS game over Boise State and kick BYU into a meaningless bowl.
My Prediction: BYU 48 - UNLV 20

#22 Northwestern at Indiana - 12:00 pm ET
This should have been a pretty good game, but Indiana has underdelivered and is overmatched by a soft-scheduled Northwestern team. Northwestern will still lose three more games this year to Minnesota, Ohio State, and Illinois (in that order), but for now, they can enjoy their Top 25 stay.
My Prediction: Northwestern 32 - Indiana 17

#24 Minnesota at Purdue - 12:00 pm ET
Minnesota, to me, is the surprise of the season. Adam Weber has been playing out of his mind and has shown he has true Senior leadership abilities. Other than an "I'll take it" loss to Ohio State, they shouldn't lose another game. I'll take the Gophers to go the distance and finish tied for second with Penn State in the Big Ten. I know, I know, it's early and there's a lot of football to be played, but I stand my ground.
My Prediction: Minnesota 32 - Purdue 20

Virginia Tech at #25 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
This is a pretty even matchup, though no one outside of Virginia and Florida cares. I don't expect much scoring, but I do expect Florida State to win at home in a close one. After this win over a mediocre Virginia Tech team, you'll have Seminole fans crying that they're back...Listen, you're not back...You'll lose at LEAST three more games this season, so hold your horses.
My Prediction: Florida State 17 - Virginia Tech 16

And that'll do it...It's getting late here in AZ, so I'm hitting the sack, but be sure to check back tomorrow for my Fantasy Football Sleepers. And as always, be safe this weekend, especially you night-game crowds (I'm talking to you Columbus - No car fires please).

Cheers!

#3 Penn State at #9 Ohio State - Game Summary Breakdown

2008-10-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's my first ever official Game Summary Breakdown. All of my GSB's will be broken down into Offense (both teams), Defense (both teams), Special Teams, Key Matchups, and the Ksquared Prediction.

ESPN Gameday will be in Columbus, OH before the game and it will be the feature game Saturday night at 8:00 pm ET.

Offense - Penn State:
Penn State ranks 11th in Yards/gm and 7th in Points/gm, making them one of the toughest offenses to stop in the nation. Granted, they haven't played too many stout defenses, but in any league, the numbers they are putting up is still impressive. What I like most about this offense is the many different ways they gain their yardage, as they use everything from the I-Formation to a deep shotgun spread in order to move the ball. This makes it difficult to scheme against them. That all said, the Nittany Lions have not faced a defense of Ohio State's caliber and this will be a huge test for Daryll Clark (QB), Evan Royster (RB), and the explosive Derrick Williams (WR). Williams, though not the top receiver catch-wise for Penn State, has big play ability, and Joe Pa uses him in a multitude of ways, including run plays and screens. The wide-receiver screen play has burned Ohio State many times this year and I expect Penn State to try this one early and often. Look for some nifty plays with Williams and a hefty running attack with Royster to keep the superb Ohio State linebackers pulled tight in order to open up deep passing plays. If the Lions connect on a couple of these deep balls, it could be a long day for the defense and could put some major pressure on Ohio State's sometimes sputtering offense.

Offense - Ohio State:
At the beginning of the season, everyone thought we would be talking about Chris "Beanie" Wells (RB) for Heisman and the Boeckman to "Brians" connection at this point in the season. Instead, everyone's talking about Wells' health and Terrelle Pryor's (QB) amazing talent and composure as a true Freshman starter. Not exactly where the Buckeyes thought they'd be, but not at all a bad spot to be in. Wells is looking better than ever and with Pryor's run-threat addition to the backfield, the Ohio State offense looks like a different kind of dangerous. What makes this combination so dangerous is the threat itself, keeping everyone on the defensive side on their heels until they know who has the ball. This opens huge holes for both Pryor and Wells and these are two VERY good open-field runners. When everything's clicking, just like Penn State's offense, the linebackers get frozen watching the backfield and it creates easy passing lanes for the inexperienced Pryor to loft balls into. And this MUST happen for the Buckeyes to be successful against a stout Penn State defense. If Wells and Pryor get stopped early and Pryor is forced to throw downfield, he is liable to make mistakes, which could turn into interceptions and some game-changing plays. Brian Robiskie (WR) and Brian Hartline (WR) can both be huge playmakers if Pryor has the time and the space to get them the ball, but the Buckeyes gameplan will definitely be feet-first, air-second.

Defense - Penn State:
A candidate for "Linebacker U," Penn State consistently puts tough defensive players on the field and this year is no different. Their front seven top-to-bottom is stronger than Ohio State's and they have held offenses to 263 Yards/gm, good for 8th in the country. This is good, but it is relative as they have not truly faced an intimidating offense yet this year. What worries we most in this game, and what I think might be the difference in winning or losing, is their inability to stop the one running quarterback they faced this year in Juice Williams from Illinois. Penn State gave up 189 rushing yards in that game (almost 100 more than their average) and at times, it looked like Illinois was moving the ball with ease. If the Lions allow that kind of movement down the field against the Buckeyes, they'll never get out from between the lines and could tire by the 3rd and 4th quarters. The key for Penn State on Saturday is assignments...Everyone from the safeties to the defensive linemen need to stay home and do their job. If players consistently miss their mark, Pryor and Wells will run circles around them and could put up a lot of points like they did against Michigan State. If this happens, expect the very stout Buckeye defense to stay strong (both because they are experienced and because they won't be on the field as long) and hold the Lions. However, if Penn State can fill the gaps and make some early stops, watch out. Keep an eye on Aaron Maybin (DE), as he has an incredible 10 sacks already this year.

Defense - Ohio State:
Ohio State's defense got torched against a very skilled USC offense, but hopefully they've learned a thing or two since that game. The key for Ohio State comes down to what has been a weakness throughout the season, including against USC: the defensive front four. Getting pressure on Clark is going to be imperative in order for the Buckeyes to force Penn State into mistakes and create turnovers. If Clark has time behind a suspect Penn State offensive line, he will make the Buckeyes pay for it all day long with his skilled receivers (reference Sept. 13th against USC). If, however, Heyward (DL), Abdallah (DL), and Worthington (DL) can create some pressure in the pocket, Laurinaitis (LB), Freeman (LB), and Jenkins (CB) should have a field-day hawking balls. Look for a possible surprise game from Kurt Coleman (CB) as well, as he has shown flashes of brilliance at times but has yet to have a true breakout game. Pressure, forced throws, and three-and-outs - That is the key to a Buckeye victory. I have no worries about Ohio State stopping the run, so if they can do the above consistently, Penn State's offense will stay off the field.

Special Teams:
On every side of the ball except punting, Penn State gets the nod here. The Nittany Lions' Kevin Kelly (K) is perfect in extra points and has made 12 of 14 field goals, with his long being from 52. There's no doubt that if this game gets close, he could be a huge factor. Also impressive on Penn State's side is their kick return game. Derrick Williams averages 32 yards every time he returns the ball, so if I were Ohio State, I simply would not kick it to him. On punt returns, he is averaging just over 10 yards per return, but he is still a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball. Punting is where Ohio State may have the upper-hand, which could be important knowing this is a game of two very good defenses and that field position could be at a premium. Ohio State, don't kick it to Williams...Penn State, kick it to Ray Small as much as you can. Small has butter fingers, which is why you may see Lamaar Thomas, a true freshman, returning kicks for some or all of the game.

Key Matchups:
Ohio State defensive line vs. Penn State offensive line
This is going to be an important battle, and one that I don't think anyone can predict. The Penn State O-line has been shaky at times, with linemen being pushed into Clark in the pocket, while the Ohio State D-line has been mediocre at best, with only one game so far where we have seen them get pressure on the quarterback.

Derrick Williams vs. Malcolm Jenkins
I expect Jenkins to be Williams' shadow the entire game. Penn State has other good wide receivers, but if early on, Jenkins can prove that he can cover Williams man-to-man, it opens up a world of possibilities for the Buckeye defense. Conversely, if Jenkins can't run with Williams early, Ohio State will have to double-cover and play zone which could open up some gaping holes. Watch this match-up closely at the beginning of the game.

Pryor and Wells vs. Penn State linebackers
Navorro Bowman leads the Nittany Lions in tackles (by a long shot), so he is key, but the help around him is pretty solid too with Tyrell Sales and Josh Hull. If Pryor and Wells can make these guys miss or just simply get to the second level and if they can do it often, the Buckeyes will score.

Ksquared Prediction:
This should live up to all the hype and will no doubt be a hard fought Big Ten game. No more "three yards and a cloud of dust," this game will be decided by two very talented quarterbacks from the other team's state. A slight edge goes to the Buckeyes on defense due to the experience in big games, but Penn State gets the nod on offense for athleticism at all three key positions: quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. When a game is this even, sometimes you just have to go with the home team, and in this case, being at home is a huge factor. The Horseshoe is one of the most difficult places to play in the country and more than anyone on the field, this will help Terelle Pryor, who might have had some problems had this game been in Happy Valley. It is not in Happy Valley and the Bucks will be ringing the Victory Bell.

Ohio State 32 - Penn State 27

Ref Tackles Player - This is Unbelievable!

2008-10-22T15:44:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen this yet, you need to.

I am willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt in that he might have just been protecting himself, but that twitch action towards the player is what has me looking twice.

Check this out:

Maybe North Texas should sign this guy...

Ksquared's NCAA Football Top 25

2008-10-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

And revised once again...Here it is.

The Top 25 as seen through the eyes of Ksquared
1. Texas - God Saban is good, but Texas just beat Oklahoma AND Missouri, back-to-back...That's unnatural in this day and age.
2. Alabama - Saban, period.
3. Oklahoma State - They have had more impressive victories than Penn State and though they will be tested this weekend, a loss does not do too much damage (and I think they will finally lose).
4. Texas Tech - What? Three Big 12 teams in the Top 5??? Yes, that is correct. Harrell has proved me wrong and I am now drinking the Kool-Aid.
5. USC - Who knows truly how good this team is, but I do know they're better than Ohio State, hence the #5 ranking.
6. Ohio State - No one wants to to see them here, but this is where they belong. They are better than Penn State right now (and will prove it this weekend) so why should I wait to put them here. USC, you better hope they don't face you again in the Rose Bowl with an experienced Pryor and a healthy Wells.
7. Oklahoma - They are still a great team, but they could be the most volatile within the Top 25, looking at their schedule...It is grueling.
8. Florida - And their climb will continue...Their loss was a bad one, but if they win out, watch out. They could climb their way back into the National Title picture.
9. Penn State - Spread HD is looking very sharp. We'll see if they can stay in the picture this weekend...I am not so confident.
10. Georgia - I am now waivering a little with this Bulldog team. This weekend could speak volumes, but winning in Louisiana is never easy.
11. Utah - The Utes and the Broncos are neck and neck...What I wouldn't give to see them play each other.
12. Boise State - They have looked like the Boise State that beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl not so long ago. I repeat, I wish I could see them play Utah.
13. LSU - I like this team, but they have some growing to do...Next year should be their year.
14. Tulsa - Still putting up gaudy numbers, albeit against sub-par teams. Still, it's impressive.
15. Pittsburgh - This is a different team than what started the season...I expect them to make a nice little run here at the end and possibly be in BCS bowl contention.
16. Kansas - Even if they lose again this week, I still can't drop them much farther because they are playing top echelon teams.
17. South Florida - If they hadn't lost to Pittsburgh, they'd be higher, obviously, but that loss doesn't look so bad right now.
18. Missouri - Another team that could lose two more games and still be in the top 20 simply because of the conference.
19. TCU - Great win against an overrated BYU team. This defense can run with the best in the country.
20. Boston College - The ACC is beating itself up, but BC looks solid.
21. Minnesota - Their only loss? Ohio State. Adam Weber has this team looking VERY good right now. The Northwestern game will be interesting.
22. Georgia Tech - Again, who knows who's best in the ACC. They've all lost to each other and there's no rhyme or reason to it...All I know is they are ALL middle-of-the-pack type teams.
23. Arizona - Huh? They finally put together a couple of good wins? Hold strong against USC this weekend and even if they lose, I might move them UP the rankings. Too bad about that Stanford loss...
24. BYU - Now, this is where they OUGHT to be. They are still a great team, but they are NOT top 10 material.
25. Northwestern - I'm not totally sold that this is a legit top 25 team, but their wins are wins and I can't put anyone else here.
26. Florida State - they haven't proved enough yet...I need to see some more quality wins. The next two weeks will be very telling.

Added: Florida State (#26), Northwestern, Arizona, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Boston College, TCU

Dropped: California, Ball State, North Carolina, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt

I was wrong about Vanderbilt, as they have dropped two in a row, but I maintain my stance on Virginia Tech and Auburn, both overrated. I will soon be going over my predictions and looking into the future to next week...Stay tuned.

Thank you to the anonymous blogger who pointed out that I had mistakenly left USC out of the mix...I felt bad deleting Florida State since they became odd-man-out, so they get kudos at #26.

All changes are in italics.

Going Over Ksquared's NCAA Football Predictions - Week 8

2008-10-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

So, how did I do? Well, let's just say, the game of the week wasn't what me or the rest of the country thought it would be, but I did get some upsets to fly. Check it out:

My Prediction: Missouri 44 - Texas 42
What Happened: Texas 56 - Missouri 31
Oh, how wrong was the country on this one? An ESPN poll showed that almost 67% of the nation had picked Missouri to win this game, myself included. Texas and Colt "I am more of a man than Mike Gundy" McCoy are proving to everyone that they belong in the National Championship. Can they keep up this kind of efficiency? That is the question. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are next on the dockett...Man, the Big 12 is exciting this year!

My Prediction: Alabama 32 - Ole Miss 14
What Happened: Alabama 24 - Ole Miss 20
Closer than I thought, but Alabama pulled out, classic Saban style. I don't care if Alabama wins the rest of their games by one point, if they run the table, they should be in the National Championship (however unlikely that is).

My Prediction: Penn State 31 - Michigan 10
What Happened: Penn State 46 - Michigan 17
this game was closer than the score indicates. Michigan was leading for most of the first half, in fact. But, like any good team, Penn State played better when it mattered and game through with a pretty nice victory. This week will be their "final" test...Get past what looks like a snowballing Buckeyes team and you have a clear path to the NC.

My Prediction: Oklahoma 34 - Kansas 30
What Happened: Oklahoma 45 - Kansas 31
As predicted, Kansas kept it close, but Oklahoma was the better team and there was no way they were letting another Big 12 team beat them. It's just too bad for Kansas that they're in the Big 12, because they have a pretty solid team...Kansas could have 3 or 4 losses by the time the season's over and still would be one of the top 15 teams in the country in my book.

My Prediction: USC 50 - Washington St. 21
What Happened: USC 69 - Washington St. 0
USC just showed the glaring disparity between the top and bottom of the PAC-10. It also would have been nice if Washington State would have showed up for the game.

My Prediction: Texas Tech 36 - Texas A&M 28
What Happened: Texas Tech 43 - Texas A&M 25
This game would have been 36-25 if Tech wouldn't have scored a touchdown with hardly any time to go...and I would have looked like a genius. Instead, it was still a good prediction and though Tech didn't look perfect, they still look dangerous.

My Prediction: Oklahoma State 45 - Baylor 16
What Happened: Oklahoma State 34 - Baylor 6
Many pundits were talking about a potential upset...I'm not sure why. Were they watching the same Ok. State-Missouri game as I was? The Cowboys are for real, which is why I have them in the top 5 in my new Top 25 rankings.

My Prediction: TCU 23 - BYU 20
What Happened: TCU 32 - BYU 7
I was right and wrong, but more right than wrong. TCU came through with the upset and BYU has finally been proven in their overratedness...I just underestimated the TCU defense, which looks incredible. Good for you, TCU, and welcome back to the Top 25.

My Prediction: Georgia 24 - Vandy 10
What Happened: Georgia 24 - Vandy 14
One of my best predictions of the week, Georgia played well enough to win and Vandy just couldn't keep up. Applause to Vanderbilt for a nice run and here's looking to rebuilding the program around some big game victories. Watch out for the Commodores in the years to come.

My Prediction: Ohio State 30 - Michigan State 20
What Happened: Ohio State 45 - Michigan State 7
It happened...Pryor and Wells both had a good game. And it wasn't pretty for Michigan State. With Pryor looking better and better and Wells getting healthier, Penn State is going to have their hands full. Let's not forget, too, that Ohio State's D held Javon Ringer and the Michigan State offense to 7 points. "Spread HD" comes to Columbus and it better be razor sharp to beat the Buckeyes in their own house.

My Prediction: LSU 35 - South Carolina 17
What Happened: LSU 24 - South Carolina 17
Closer than I thought, but very SEC-like, LSU played just well enough to keep South Carolina down. Just like Kansas, it's too bad the Gamecocks play in the SEC...they would be a top echelon team in most conferences.

My Prediction: Utah 28 - Colorado State 18
What Happened: Utah 49 - Colorado State 16
Another big victory for Utah and they keep rolling over teams. As I wrote in my Top 25 rankings, I wish upon wishes I could see Utah and Boise State battle it out on the field. They are both so good and I can't really decide who's better.

My Prediction: Boise State 38 - Hawaii 24
What Happened: Boise State 27 - Hawaii 7
Defense ruled the night in a game that usually ends with a total point total over 75. Boise State is looking good down the stretch and should be able to get to a BCS bowl...but wait, what's that in front of them? Another BCS buster...Yep, Utah is still ahead of them in the polls. Could that change? Or could we have an undefeated Boise State team out of a BCS bowl game?

My Prediction: Virginia Tech 17 - Boston College 10
What Happened: Boston College 28 - Virginia Tech 23
One of my few mistakes this week, it actually proved me right. I wrote earlier that I thought Virginia tech would fall from grace, and they have, just sooner than I thought. BC is looking good even without Matt Ryan. But who the heck knows who is best in the ACC anymore...

My Prediction: North Carolina 25 - Virginia 24
What Happened: Virginia 16 - North Carolina 13 (OT)
I knew it would be close, but I thought for sure NC would come out on the winning end of it. Not to be, so instead, a Virginia team that hadn't scored a point on Richmond going into the fourth quarter earlier in the season actually looks pretty darn good. For turnaround of the year, Virginia could be getting the award.

My Prediction: South Florida 41 - Syracuse 14
What Happened: South Florida 45 - Syracuse 13
Another pretty nice prediction on my part, this game went as planned. South Florida is a great team and their loss to Pittsburgh doesn't actually look all that bad anymore. I expect them to make a run, but no way do they make a BCS bowl game.

My Prediction: Maryland 24 - Wake Forest 20
What Happened: Maryland 26 - Wake Forest 0
Schizophrenic...It's the only way to describe Maryland this year. No one knows if they're going to come out and play on any given day and though I thought they would pull this one out, never would I have predicted a shut-out. Wake Forest, wave goodbye to the Top 25.

My Prediction: Pittsburgh 28 - Navy 21
What Happened: Pittsburgh 42 - Navy 21
I thought Navy's defense would play better, but McCoy is looking better and better and decided to give Navy a taste of their own medicine. He rushed for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns. This guy might just be playing on Sundays.

My Prediction: Arizona 32 - California 20
What Happened: Arizona 42 - California 27
Again, I did expect Arizona to pull this one out after a dissapointment against Stanford the week before, but the way they did it is what made it impressive. Watch out USC, this Wildcat team could actually give you a game down in Tucson this weekend. They won't win...but hey, at least it won't be 69-0.

There you have it - I ended this week 16-3 with a few upset predictions, which gives me a grand total of 44-11 (.800) - Not bad, if I do say so myself. This coming week looks to be a tough one, so stay tuned for my "Expert" predictions in the coming days. I don't know about you, but I will be glued to my TV for the Ohio State-Penn State game. Be safe all!

Fantasy Football Sleepers - Week 7

2008-10-17T16:19:00.001-07:00

Quickly, here's who to grab off the waivers if they're still available:

1. Sammy Morris, New England, RB - At this point, the most consistent back for New England. If you need a #2 or #3 RB because of bye weeks, he could be a nice replacement.

2. Wes Welker, New England, WR - Another New Englander, this time because Moss is going to be covered all day by Champ Bailey and Welker is due for a breakout game.

3. Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh, RB - With Willie Parker out, Moore is going to see the carries and will be racking up the points. Pick him up as a #2 or #3 back.

4. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City, RB - Another backup playing a full game this week, with Larry Johnson out, Charles could be a nice replacement. Careful here, however, because the Chiefs are going against a stout Titans defense. I would go with Moore or Morris before Charles.

5. Kevin Walter, Houston, WR - Houston is playing Detroit...Enough said.

I admit, my Le'Ron McClain pick last week was a VERY bad one, but Jackson AND Frerotte ended up being pretty solid scorers. I really like Moore and Walter this week.

Week 8 Top 25 College Football Predictions - Short Version

2008-10-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

Another Short Version - I figured you all didn't want to hear my ramblings anyway!

#11 Missouri at #1 Texas - 8:00 pm ET
Missouri 44 - Texas 42

Mississippi at #2 Alabama - 3:30 pm ET
Alabama 32 - Ole Miss 14

Michigan at #3 Penn State - 4:30 pm ET
Penn State 31 - Michigan 10

#16 Kansas at #4 Oklahoma - 3:30 pm ET
Oklahoma 34 - Kansas 30

#6 USC at Washington St. - 3:30 pm ET
USC 50 - Washington St. 21

#7 Texas Tech at Texas A&M - 12:00 pm ET
Texas Tech 36 - Texas A&M 28

Baylor at #8 Oklahoma State - 3:00 pm ET
Oklahoma State 45 - Baylor 16

#9 Brigham Young at TCU - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
TCU 23 - BYU 20

#22 Vanderbilt at #10 Georgia - 12:30 pm ET
Georgia 24 - Vandy 10

#12 Ohio State at #20 Michigan State - 3:30 pm ET
Ohio State 30 - Michigan State 20

#13 LSU at South Carolina - 8:00 pm ET
LSU 35 - South Carolina 17

Colorado State at #14 Utah - 2:00 pm ET
Utah 28 - Colorado State 18

Hawaii at #15 Boise State - Friday, 8:00 pm ET
Boise State 38 - Hawaii 24

#17 Virginia Tech at Boston College - 8:00 pm ET
Virginia Tech 17 - Boston College 10

#18 North Carolina at Virginia - 3:30 pm ET
North Carolina 25 - Virginia 24

Syracuse at #19 South Florida - 12:00 pm ET
South Florida 41 - Syracuse 14

#21 Wake Forest at Maryland - 12:00 pm ET
Maryland 24 - Wake Forest 20

#23 Pittsburgh at Navy - 3:30 pm ET
Pittsburgh 28 - Navy 21

#25 California at Arizona - 10:00 pm ET
Arizona 32 - California 20

It all starts with a great game tonight, and remember, the top team has fallen lately on Thursday night and it could happen to BYU against TCU. Counting the Friday game in Week 3, 5 out of the 7 early week games have resulted in the higher seed losing, and twice they were top 10 teams. Let the games BEGIN!

Going Over Ksquared's Football Predictions

2008-10-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

Some very good games this week, with Saturday starting off with a GREAT one. The Red River Shootout lived up to the hype, Florida took care of business, Penn State looked incredible, and Oklahoma State has kept it's National Champioship hopes alive (when's the last time anyone could write THAT?). Here's how I faired...

My Prediction: Wake Forest 28 - Clemson 24
What Happened: Wake Forest 12 - Clemson 7
What ever happened to Thunder and Lightning?

My Prediction: Oklahoma 32 - Texas 24
What Happened: Texas 45 - Oklahoma 35
WHAT A GAME!! Lived up to the hype and could have gone either way. Colt McCoy...Welcome to the next level. I will never refer to you as "Baby" McCoy again. Oklahoma, the way NCAA football works, you are absolutely still in it.

My Prediction: Oklahoma St. 54 - Missouri 48
What Happened: Oklahoma St. 28 - Missouri 23
Another AMAZING game...And I look like a genius. Though the defense in this game came out of nowhere. I will say it right now...Look out for the Cowboys. They are coached by a "MAN" who is "40" who is also brilliant and has some very good talent.

My Prediction: LSU - 18 - Florida 16
What Happened: Florida 51 - LSU 21
My major mistake of the week...Like everyone else in the country, I either overstimated the skill on LSU (which is likely) or underestimated the team chemistry of Florida (which I am NOT totally sold on yet). Florida needs to win a couple more big games before I forget about the egg against Ole Miss...It looks like voters have a short memory, though.

My Prediction: Penn State 34 - Wisconsin 20
What Happened: Penn State 48 - Wisconsin 7
Yikes! What happened to Wisconsin this year? Many pundits picked them to win the Big Ten and they are 0-3??? Penn State looks better than ever...Circle it on your calendar - Penn State AT Ohio State. In the Horseshoe...If the Buckeyes get past Michigan State, that game on Oct. 25th will determine the Big Ten Champion.

My Prediction: Texas Tech 49 - Nebraska 25
What Happened: Texas Tech 37 - Nebraska 31
There was no way I was picking against Harrell this week and he proved once again why I think he is the #1 QB prospect going into the NFL draft.

My Prediction: USC 31 - Arizona St. 14
What Happened: USC 28 - Arizona St. 0
Yaaaawwwnnn...B-O-R-I-N-G. ASU should be embarrassed and USC should not be jumping up into the top 6 in the polls, neither the Coaches (#4) NOR the AP (#6). And the shame of it is, they don't play anyone worthwhile the rest of the season. However, picture this: USC runs the table, Ohio State beats Penn State and also runs the table...and we have a rematch in the Rose Bowl in USC's back yard again. Sweeeet.

My Prediction: BYU 38 - New Mexico 13
What Happened: BYU 21 - New Mexico 3
Ho hum...BYU wins another game against another totally inferior opponent. I pray that BYU gets beat at some point here in the near future, because I don't want to see a team that barely beat Washington, a VERY inept team, go to a BCS game.

My Prediction: Georgia 36 - Tennessee 28
What Happened: Georgia 26 - Tennessee 14
Pretty much as planned, and yet, I was not impressed by Georgia in this game. The Bulldogs need to be careful...I predict they lose two out of the next three games.

My Prediction: Ohio State 30 - Purdue 10
What Happened: Ohio State 16 - Purdue 3
Ohio State's defense looked good again, but you would think with Pryor AND Wells in the backfield that you could at least score a touchdown. That said, Wells was on limited carries and I don't think anyone really knows what this offense looks like at full strength. We'll know soon (*see Michigan State and Penn State the next two weeks).

My Prediction: Vandy 20 - Miss St. 14
What Happened: Miss St. 17 - Vandy 14
I was close on the score - wrong about the outcome. I am disspointed because the Commodores were starting to become the feel good story of the year. Instead, they will become the victims of a few more losses now that the air has been taken out of their Cinderella balloon.

My Prediction: Utah 44 - Wyoming 32
What Happened: Utah 40 - Wyoming 7
I gave Wyoming too much credit, although Utah was very stout on defense. I like Utah right now more than any other non-bcs team, including BYU. Head-to-head, I think the Utes beat the Cougars.

My Prediction: Boise St. 34 - Southern Miss 14
What Happened: Boise St. 24 - Southern Miss 7
Actually one of my closer predictions (sadly). I thought the Broncos would have a better day on offense, but it didn't matter...The Broncos look very good and I place them right behind Utah and BYU.

My Prediction: Kansas 40 - Colorado 24
What Happened: Kansas 30 - Colorado 14
As I expected, Kansas came out on fire and Colorado never got going. Nobody's talking about Kansas in the Big 12 because of their early loss to South Florida, but watch out. They could sneak up on some people.

My Prediction: Auburn 18 - Arkansas 3
What Happened: Arkansas 25 - Auburn 22
This is exactly why I didn't have Auburn in my Top 25. They are not that good. Arkansas? Seriously? Maybe last year, but losing to the Razorbacks this year is just miserable.

My Prediction: North Carolina 28 - Notre Dame 18
What Happened: North Carolina 29 - Notre Dame 24
My best prediction of the week, I did not think it would be quite as close as it was. I figured Notre Dame's 18 would come as they were driving at the end of the game. Instead, North Carolina was the one catching up. But catch up they did.

My Prediction: Michigan St. 33 - Northwestern 30
What Happened: Michigan St. 37 - Northwestern 20
Another very good prediction on my part. Northwestern, in my opinion was a little overrated, as many thought they would win this game. Trust me when I say this is only the beginning of the Wildcats' losing ways.

My Prediction: Ball St. 52 - Western Kentucky 28
What Happened: Ball St. 24 - Western Kentucky 7
Much like the Oklahoma State-Missouri game, the defenses stepped up in a game that should have gone the way of the offense. I didn't watch this game (as I'm sure many of you did not), but I'm guessing it was a yawner. Boo to Ball State for not really playing anyone this year. It's not really their fault, but we won't know how good they are this year...ever.

Drum roll please...
14-4 again this weeek. For a total of 28-8. For College football, I'll take it. Though I am predicting better numbers for next week, you watch! Stay tuned!

Week 7 Top 25 College Football Predictions - Short Version

2008-10-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

No witty comments this week, but here are my predictions:

Clemson at #21 Wake Forest - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
Wake Forest 28 - Clemson 24

#5 Texas vs. #1 Oklahoma - Neutral Field - 12:00 pm ET
Oklahoma 32 - Texas 24

#17 Oklahoma St. at #3 Missouri - 8:00 pm ET
Oklahoma St. 54 - Missouri 48 (My upsest of the week)

#4 LSU at #11 Florida - 8:00 pm ET
LSU - 18 - Florida 16

#6 Penn State at Wisconsin - 8:00 pm ET
Penn State 34 - Wisconsin 20

Nebraska at #7 Texas Tech - 3:00 pm ET
Texas Tech 49 - Nebraska 25

Arizona St. at #8 USC - 3:30 pm ET
USC 31 - Arizona St. 14

New Mexico at #9 Brigham Young - 6:00 pm ET
BYU 38 - New Mexico 13

Tennessee at #10 Georgia - 3:30 pm ET
Georgia 36 - Tennessee 28

Purdue at #12 Ohio State - 3:30 pm ET
Ohio State 30 - Purdue 10

#13 Vanderbilt at Mississippi St. - 2:30 pm ET
Vandy 20 - Miss St. 14

#14 Utah at Wyoming - 2:00 pm ET
Utah 44 - Wyoming 32

#15 Boise St. at Southern Miss - 8:00 pm ET
Boise St. 34 - Southern Miss 14

Colorado at #16 Kansas - 12:30 pm ET
Kansas 40 - Colorado 24

Arkansas at #20 Auburn - 5:00 pm ET
Auburn 18 - Arkansas 3

Notre Dame at #22 North Carolina - 3:30 pm ET
North Carolina 28 - Notre Dame 18

#23 Michigan St. at Northwestern - 3:30 pm ET
Michigan St. 33 - Northwestern 30

#25 Ball St. at Western Kentucky - 7:00 pm ET
Ball St. 52 - Western Kentucky 28

There you have it! One upset and that's it...Everything else as planned. Enjoy some of the best games of the season this weekend. Texas-Oklahoma and Ok. State-Missouri are going to be Big 12 classics! Everyone remember to be safe too.

Cheers!

The Most important Top 25 in College Football...mine

2008-10-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here's how I see it as of right this second. Note that this could change at any moment...This is college football after all.

And I did NOT do a preseason poll, so I am not influenced by previous hopes or predictions. Let that be known.

Top 25 as seen through the eyes of Ksquared
1. Alabama - How could you put God Saban below anyone right now?
2. Oklahoma - A popular #1, but I think to this point, the Tide has proven more.
3. Missouri - If their defense was a little better, I would have them above Oklahoma.
4. Texas - They look great, but can they win out with McCoy being their leading rusher?
5. LSU - If a top 5 team could possibly fly under the radar, they are doing it.
6. Texas Tech - Same comment as Missouri - Tech, you need to tighten up on D.
7. Vanderbilt - I like these guys...a lot. They prove that T-E-A-M is greater than I.
8. Georgia - They're still a great team, but they need to win out to stay in the top 10.
9. USC - Another great team that shouldn't have lost and MUST win out to stay afloat.
10. Penn State - I don't think they are as good as everyone thinks they are, but we'll see.
11. Utah - They haven't beaten a GREAT team, but they do have some good gritty wins.
12. Ohio State - A solid team, if not erratic, and can only get better under Pryor.
13. Oklahoma State - Talk about an explosive team, the energy these guys have is incredible.
14. Boise State - They're doing it again. Too bad their coach will find a better job next year.
15. Florida - How is this offense NOT producing??? I have no clue, but it's not.
16. BYU - The last game of the season will tell all...and I have Utah pulling it out.
17. South Florida - Tough loss to Pitt, but by the end of the season, it shouldn't be a bad loss.
18. Virginia Tech - They haven't impressed me and I don't think they'll be this high for too long.
19. Michigan State - Ringer makes Hoyer look better and hence the Spartans are contenders.
20. North Carolina - This team is GOOD. They beat what is a very good UCONN team.
21. Ball State - They look phenomenal...Navy and Indiana are no North Texas.
22. Pittsburgh - They are starting to become what everyone thought they'd be. Watch out.
23. Tulsa - We'll never know how good they are...they don't play a good team all season.
24. Kansas - That loss to South Florida looks killer now...Reesing hasn't looked too solid.
25. California - I know they beat Michigan State, but I still don't think they're the better team.

There are some conference patterns, for sure...and it is not coincidence. You will notice a lot of the Big 12 and SEC teams up top and you'll see a lot of the ACC and Big East in the bottom half. That's the way it should be, in my book.

Big 12 - 6
SEC - 5
Big Ten - 3
ACC, Big East, PAC 10, Mnt. West- 2
MAC, CUSA, WAC- 1

Fantasy Football Sleepers - Week 6

2008-10-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Per request, these are my Top 5 Fantasy Football sleepers for this week. Now, understand that I am defining a FFS in which you might own this player as a #3 or #4, but this week, for some reason, he looks good to put up some points.

1. Gus Frerotte, QB - If you have him, start him. If you don't have him, pick him up from the waiver wire if he's available (my guess is he will be). I wouldn't normally start him over an Aaron Rodgers or Kurt Warner, but this week, he is playing the Lions. It is easy to find the first FFS most weeks by just looking at the players going up against the Lions. I wouldn't be surprised if Gus puts up 25-30 points this week.

2. Tim Hightower, RB - I guess by this point, some might not consider him a sleeper, but in my book, any backup running back is a tough Fantasy starter, especially if you are backup to Edgerrin James. If you have James, still start him, because Wisenhunt loves to pound the ball and you'll get 15 points just on yards alone, but I would put Hightower in there this week as well seeing as he will grab the touchdowns at the goalline. I do have some reservations because they are playing Dallas, but as we've seen in past games, the Dallas defense is not too intimidating.

3. Vincent Jackson, WR - This would never have been a "sleeper" last year, but he has been stuck behind Chris Chambers as the #3 wide receiver this season and his numbers reflect it. With Chambers most likely sidelined with an injury, Jackson becomes the #2 and against a New England secondary that has suffered lately, I expect him to give you a solid 15 or more points. Start him as a #2 in most leagues.

4. Redskins D/ST - This might scare a lot of you, as the Redskins haven't put up more than 7 points in a game yet this season. However, consider this: they have not been negative the entire season and they are playing the Rams this weekend. I expect Bulger's return to be more of the same for St. Louis, with a stout Redskins running defense stuffing them early. This will force Bulger to put it in the air and, at least this year, could turn into turnovers. Don't start the Redskins if you own the Vikings, Giants, or Eagles, but past that, go for it.

5. Le'Ron McClain, RB - If you've been following Fantasy Football at all, you know this isn't really a sleeper, as he has put up gaudy numbers, but just in case you've been walking around in fantasy land with your eyes closed (and the rest of your league has too), pick this guy up! He is the Ravens goalline back and is putting up almost as much yardage as McGahee in some games. Against Indianapolis this week, I expect another solid game. This is a great #2 or #3 back behind your #1. Consistency is key.

If you have any of your own sleepers or thoughts on mine, let me know. The only way I can improve this blog is with your help. Thanks especially to J.P. for the request and for being my MOST loyal follower!

Week 5 NCAA Football Recap

2008-10-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Week 5 ended up with not a whole lot of shake up. Not that it was boring by any means, but because everything went so smoothly, expect HUGE games and matchups this coming week and a much more exciting football weekend. Oklahoma-Texas and Missouri-Oklahoma State are just two of the GIANT bowl-implication games to be had. Here's how I faired in my predictions...

My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Baylor 10
What Happened: Oklahoma 49 - Baylor 17
Bradford was near perfect...again. The game of the season is now going to happen as planned and it is going to be a good one. If you watch any game this next week, watch Oklahoma-Texas. This will be one for the ages.

My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Kentucky 3
What Happened: Alabama 17 - Kentucky 14
After Alabama's HUGE victory over Georgia, it was reported that Nick Saban worked his kids to near exhaustion so they didn't get a big head. They didn't have a big head, but they DID look tired against Kentucky. Saban has been a little easier on them this week so far and if they are well rested, Ole Miss could be in trouble.

My Prediction: Missouri 43 - Nebraska 35
What Happened: Missouri 52 - Nebraska 17
As predicted, the "Blackshirts" are nowhere to be seen. After Pelini ran his mouth about shutting out the Tigers, Nebraska proceeded to give up an ungodly amount of points. But don't worry, Nebraska, you're no worse than the rest of the teams Missouri has played this year. Chase Daniels is staring the Heisman in the face and Missouri looks SCARY good so far. They will be tested against Oklahoma State this weekend, where the score could be 115-98.

My Prediction: Texas 52 - Colorado 10
What Happened: Texas 38 - Colorado 14
McCoy looked good, Texas' defense looked stout, and Colorado looked confused. Hawkins just got a nice extension to his contract and it looks like he's going to need it for Colorado to be a contender. Not this year, Buffs. Next week will make or break the Longhorns' season.

My Prediction: Penn State 42 - Purdue 17
What Happened: Penn State 20 - Purdue 6
How good is this Penn State team? I'm not sure we truly know yet. How good is Curtis Painter? Well, not that good, apparently. The Boilermakers have a big hill to climb and I wouldn't want to be a Purdue fan in the next few coming years...it looks bleak. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, have their biggest problem on the sidelines as to whether or not Joe Paterno will coach from the field or from the press box...What a great problem to have.

My Prediction: Kansas State 52 - Texas Tech 49
What Happened: Texas Tech 58 - Kansas State 28
My mistake of the week, for sure, and to all the Red Raiders fans (and Harrell), I apologize. Texas Tech held strong against an inferior opponent and looked flawless in the process. Instead of having a horrible game like I was predicting, Harrell came out and had one of his best games of the season. So much for parity in college football...Tech was the better team on the field and they proved it.

My Prediction: Brigham Young 65 - Utah St. 10
What Happened: Brigham Young 34 - Utah St. 14

I'm not sure why Max Hall and the Cougars took two quarters off, but it didn't matter. Brigham Young cruised to an easy win that was not as close as the score indicted. At one point, I remember Utah St. making a sack in the 4th quarter with about 3 minutes left and celebrating as if it was a Pontiac Game Changing Performance play. Unfortunately for the Aggies, it was not.

My Prediction: USC 40 - Oregon 6
What Happened: USC 44 - Oregon 10
One of my best predictions of the week, USC showed everyone that they are still for real. Oregon is a pretty strong team in the PAC-10 and USC beat them almost as bad as they beat Ohio State. Everyone in LA is holding their breath that Sanchez is okay and ready to go this weekend, because Arizona State, though they have looked abominable so far, could give them a run for their money.

My Prediction: South Florida 33 - Pittsburgh 13
What Happened: Pittsburgh 26 - South Florida 21

Myself, and thousands of South Florida fans, were embarrassed. The Bulls killed themselves with penalties, Pitt's defense was stout the entire game, and the Panthers controlled the game clock. With those ingredients, South Florida didn't deserve the win and Pittsburgh may deserve another shot at the Top 25. It sounds weird to say it since Pitt lost to Bowling Green earlier this season, but if the Panthers can beat UCONN the last game of the regular season, they could win the Big East.

My Prediction: Florida 31 - Arkansas 0
What Happened: Florida 38 - Arkansas 7
Again, what used to be Arkansas is no more and Florida laughed at them the entire game. The Razorbacks didn't have a chance all game, won't have a chance all season, and may be looking at a pretty long next few years. I won't be surprised to seem some shake-ups in coaching staff this year and the next.

My Prediction: Vanderbilt 19 - Auburn 10
What Happened: Vanderbilt 14 - Auburn 13
A great game and a defensive battle, as expected. Some thought Vandy's offense would be stifled by Auburn's stout D, but the Commodores shined through once again. Interesting to note that Vanderbilt is last in the SEC in offense and third-to-last in the SEC in defense and yet are atop the standings. Their fairy-tale might be coming to an end with very tough in-conference games, but who knows, maybe THIS is the year.

My Prediction: Ohio State 35 - Wisconsin 10
What Happened: Ohio State 20 - Wisconsin 17
MUCH closer than I thought. Wisconsin did a pretty good job on defense and had Pryor confused at times. But when push came to shove, the young true Freshman did not dissapoint...He made plays when the game was on the line and that is the test of a major talent. The Badgers might actually lose three conference games in a row, which NO ONE predicted at the start of the season. We'll see if they can upset a hot Penn State team this week.

My Prediction: Utah 48 - Oregon State 38
What Happened: Utah 31 - Oregon State 28

Closer than I thought it would be, which made for great football. As I predicted, Moevao needed to have a good game to beat Utah. Too bad for Oregon State that their defense couldn't make a stop when it needed to. Props to Moevao and props to Sakoda, the Utah kicker. The teams were fairly even on the field, but Utah outlasted the Beavers. A great game that could have gone either way.

My Prediction: Kansas 52 - Iowa State 3
What Happened: Kansas 35 - Iowa State 33
I think Kansas has been overestimated all season long and I did it again this week. Their defense had major holes in it and they are not scoring like most people thought they would when the season started. The Big 12 is MUCH too competitive for Kansas this year.

What Happened: Boise State 38 - Louisiana Tech 3
The Bulldogs didn't have a chance. Boise State has looked solid all season and didn't let up at all against Louisiana Tech. The blue turf had some major negative effects on the visitors from Louisiana.

My Prediction: Virginia Tech 21 - Western Kentucky 3
What Happened: Virginia Tech 27 - Western Kentucky 13
This game went pretty much as planned, with neither team really impressing anyone. If I could make my own Top 25 (which I will do in the next couple of days), Virginia Tech would not be in it. They still don't have the kind of chemistry on offense that warrants a high grade for a complete team.

My Prediction: Oklahoma State 45 - Texas A&M 23
What Happened: Oklahoma State 56 - Texas A&M 28
Another game that went as planned. Referencing my above explanation, I have Oklahoma State as the opposite of Virgina Tech...the Cowboys have been underrated all year and are just starting to hit their stride. Next week will be THE ultimate test and if they can pull off the game of their lives, they could be a major factor in the polls and the BCS in the near future.

My Prediction: Fresno State 34 - Hawaii 17
What Happened: Hawaii 32 - Fresno State 29 (OT)
Fresno State should be VERY dissapointed with themselves. Everyone has held them on a pedestal only to see the Bulldogs let them down. Nobody loses to Hawaii that's worth a darn this year. And Fresno State has dropped far out of the polls because of it...and deservedly so.

My Prediction: Connecticut 24 - North Carolina 23
What Happened: North Carolina 38 - Connecticut 12
Shouldn't the Tarheels have the Top 25 number in front of their name? These guys are for REAL this year and are proving to everyone that the ACC is not totally dead yet. After a slow start, the conference is starting look like what everyone expected them to be. Props to Carolina for taking this one and doing it handily.

There you have it - My 14-4 week (not counting Boise State's game)...I will post what I think to be the Top 25 shortly, so stay tuned.

Why the Big Ten can't compete with the SEC and Big 12...yet

2008-10-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Look, it's not Rocket Science that the SEC and Big 12 are the two best conferences in the country, but what is a little more confusing is WHY that is the case. After all, Pennsylvania and Ohio are two of the biggest recruiting pipelines in the country. Why does it seem like the SEC and Big 12 keep on beating up on the "slow" Big ten? I'm going to answer this question with some Fact vs. Fiction statements. Read on...

Fact: The SEC and Big 12 have recruited better all-around athletes in the last 5-8 years.
Fiction: The Big Ten is slow.
Reasoning: Look, the Big Ten is NOT slow. You don't have success like the Big Ten has had (regardless of the National Championships) without having speed. Whoever started this ridiculous rumor should be fired...and anyone continuing to spread this rumor should be fired and then hidden from the public.

That said, there is a difference between the conferences, but it is not as simple as speed vs. no-speed...It is overall athleticism. A talented athlete has more than just speed and the SEC and Big 12 have had better success recruiting this kind of talent.

Fact: The Big Ten has as many NFL prospects as the SEC and Big 12
Fiction: The Big Ten has just as much talent as the SEC and Big 12
Reasoning: Sure, the Big Ten has a ton of NFL prospects, sometimes more than the SEC and Big 12 in the last few years, but it is because the Big Ten has up until recently been recruiting "position" players. These types of players fulfill their role perfectly, but can't necessarily make big things happen on their own. In college, big-play type players can directly affect the outcome of a game, hence the success of the SEC and Big 12 (Tim Tebow and Vince Young, anyone?). In the NFL, however, things change.

In the NFL, your position is your job and because everyone's doing their job well, you have to too. It is the reason players like Graham Harrell are projected higher than Tim Tebow going to the NFL and why Vince Young has struggled mightily at the next level. Everyone in College football would rather have Tebow than Harrell because of his big-play ability, but in the NFL, that's simply not enough.

Bottomline: If I'm an NFL scout, I go to just as many Big Ten games as the SEC and Big 12, but when it comes to building a football team at the NCAA level, I am on the recruiting trail looking for athletes with big-play ability. The Big Ten is starting to figure out what the SEC and Big 12 already knew, but it's going to be a couple of years before the results begin to show. Terelle Pryor is definitely a step in the right direction.

College Football Week 6 Top 25 Overview

2008-10-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here we go, another wild week of college football. How can anyone predict the madness that happens on a weekly basis? The answer is no one can, but I am going to attempt it anyway.

I love college football more than any other conglomeration of sports teams for the simple fact that constant chaos ensues...and the fans that support this chaos are some of the most passionate in the world. Without further ado, here goes nothing...

#1 Oklahoma at Baylor - 12:30 pm ET
Not this time Mr. Non-ranked Team. The target on the back of Sooner Nation can be seen from space, I've been told...and Baylor doesn't have the firepower to hit that target.
Prediction: Sooners 45 - Bears 10

Kentucky at #2 Alabama - 3:30 pm ET
Tide Country is MAD with football-fever right now and I would hate to be the team walking into their house this week...sorry Kentucky (you beat Middle Tennessee by 6 points). Saban will have his kids ready and the fans will be brutal. Tide rolls on.
Prediction: Tide 34 - Wildcats 3

#4 Missouri at Nebraska - 9:00 pm ET
This one could be interesting. Pelini is starting to bring back the old Nebraska ways and though they had a tough week with a close loss to V. Tech, they are looking better every game. Allowing 35 points to Tech is never a good sign (which means the "Blackshirts" are a long way off), but I expect this game to be competitive. Top-5 upset here is a possibility, but not probable.
Prediction: Tigers 43 - Huskers 35

#5 Texas at Colorado - 7:10 pm ET
Another top-5 upset possibility. Notice I said possibility. Last year's Colorado probably had a better shot than this year's Colorado. Especially against this year's Texas. "Baby" McCoy finally looks like a man and is throwing and running like that other Texas quarterback that won a National Championship. Even at #5, Texas may be underrated.
Prediction: Longhorns 52 - Buffaloes 10
note: Texas has won 52-10 three times out of four games - I have to go with the odds here.

#6 Penn State at Purdue - 12:00 pm ET
Big Ten matchups always mean upset alert, but Penn State showed it's true colors against Illinois and they were pretty. Curtis Painter has fully underachieved this year and with Penn State's freak-like defense, it won't get any better this week. Penn State BIG.
Prediction: Lions 42 - Purdue 17

#7 Texas Tech at Kansas St. - 3:30 pm ET
I may be out of mind for saying this, but I think Texas tech is one of the most overrated teams in the country. Sure, their offense is VERY dangerous, but one bad game by Harrell could be curtains for the Red Raiders' title hopes...and I am predicting that bad game here. Crazy, I know, but I think the 'Cats will be up for this game and so will the crowd. The score might end up 532-485, but someone will turn the ball over one too many times and I think that someone is Harrell.
Prediction: Wildcats 52 - Raiders 49

#8 Brigham Young at Utah St. - Friday, 8:00 pm ET
Sorry Utah St...Nothing really needs to be said. The locker room pep talk should be, "Let's not get skunked tonight! Now go run around on the field!" No one on Utah St. will earn their scholarship this Friday, but at least they won't get shutout.
Prediction: Cougars 65 - Aggies 10

#23 Oregon at #9 USC - 8:00 pm ET
This should be a fun game to watch, but there is no doubt USC is going to be PISSED. And if you're the dirt in front of that bulldozer this week, God help you. A fun game, but I don't hink a close one. Oregon will wish they hadn't left Eugene.
Prediction: Trojans 40 - Ducks 6

Pittsburgh at #10 South Florida - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
I've got nothing good to say about Pittsburgh except that everyone liked them before the season started. Too bad the season started. They may be 3-1, but that does not tell the story - loss to Bowling Green, sneaking by lowly Buffalo, and barely beating nothing Syracuse. South Florida has looked great thus far and I expect them to make make the Panthers look silly.
Prediction: Bulls 33 - Panthers 13

#12 Florida at Arkansas - 12:30 pm ET
Urban Meyer will have no mercy and Arkansas will mourn the loss of McFadden and Jones for one more week. If Arkansas even scores a point, I will be surprised...and I am predicting likewise.
Prediction: Gators 31 - Razorbacks 0

#13 Auburn at #19 Vanderbilt - 6:00 pm ET
I am definitely drinking the Vandy Kool-Aid. This may be their best chance in years to be a contender. On the other side of this game, I do not like Auburn's look this year...they've been sloppy and inconsistent. Auburn's defense is Tuberville-classic, but in this game, if the D doesn't score, Auburn might not either. Vanderbilt has had two weeks to prepare, on top of the fact that their win over Ole Miss looks even better now.
Prediction: Commodores 19 - Tigers 10

#14 Ohio State at #18 Wisconsin - 8:00 pm ET
Wells and Pryor in the same backfield is SCARY. What do you defend? Stop Beanie and you open holes for Pryor...Stop Pryor and open holes for Beanie...Stick eight in the box and stop them both and Pryor will beat you deep. I would hate to walk into Camp Randall after their tough loss to Michigan last week, but I don't think the Badgers defense will be able to handle the tandem backfield. If Wisconsin's not careful, they could start the Big Ten season 0-3 (Penn State next week)...I think they will.
Prediction: Buckeyes 35 - Badgers 10

Oregon State at #15 Utah - Friday, 9:00 pm ET
Before last week, this looked like a ho-hum game for Utah. Now, it looks like a major trap game. We all saw Rodgers run through, yes THROUGH, USC's stout defense, including Utah. I fully expect the Utes to take away the running lanes this week, so it will come down to whether or not Moevao can throw the ball downfield with accuracy. Look for Moevao to struggle in the first half, giving Utah even more reason to plug the middle, and then watch him light up the scoreboard in the second half...and still come up short. This is another game that could be a triple-digit combined score.
Prediction: Utes 48 - Beavers 38

#16 Kansas at Iowa State - 12:30 pm ET
Oh, poor cyclones...Let me take this lopsided opportunity to give another reason why I love college football. Even though there isn't a chance of Iowa State winning this game, the stands will be rocking for kickoff. But then again, shortly there-after, they will be silent. Quothe the Cyclones nevermore.
Prediction: Jayhawks 52 - Cyclones 3

Louisiana Tech at #17 Boise State - Wednesday, already happened
I couldn't even type as fast as Boise State killed Tech.
Score: Broncos 38 - Bulldogs 3

Western Kentucky at #20 Virginia Tech - 1:30 pm ET
Virginia Tech has not looked great this year, but Western Kentucky is one of the worst teams in football, in my opinion. Hokies will win and win big...and Beamer's Special Teams won't even be needed.
Prediction: Hokies 21 - Hilltoppers 3

Texas A&M at #21 Oklahoma State - 7:05 pm ET
None of Oklahoma State's wins this year have been over quality opponents, so you would expect them to struggle in their fifth gam eof the season. However, A&M is not a quality opponent. Oklahoma State goes to Missouri next week 5-0.
Prediction: Comboys 45 - Aggies 23

Hawaii at #22 Fresno State - 10:00 pm ET
I think Fresno State is a bit overrated and that a team like Michigan State deserves to be in the top 25 more so than they do, but compared to Hawaii, Fresno looks like the best team in football. They at least will be the best team on the field.
Prediction: Bulldogs 34 - Warriors 17

#24 Connecticut at North Carolina - 7:00 pm ET
Oddly enough, this was the hardest pick for me of any of the games this week. If my Texas Tech upset happens, I'll feel pretty confident about the rest. This one, however, should be close. These are two up-and-coming programs and two fanbases that are expecting a lot out of their teams. If it was in Connecticut, I would give it to Connecticut by ten points. With it being in Carolina, I'll have to give Connecticut the slight edge and say the eke out a victory.
Prediction: Huskies 24 - Tarheels 23

Well boys and girls, there you have it. Feel free to give me the business with any games you just KNOW I have wrong. Texas Tech fans, I expect some noise. Utah State fans, I suggest you stay quiet.

To the roar of a college football game,
Ksquared