Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 13

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 Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 12

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!

Going Over Ksquared's Week 11 College Football Predictions

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!

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

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!

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

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

Going Over Ksquared's Week 9 NCAA Football Predictions

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

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).

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

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