Thoughts on the First College Football Playoff National Championship

Cardale Jones
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Coin Toss

Oregon, being the higher seed, got to call the opening coin toss. They chose heads and it was heads. The Ducks elected to receive. In the 2011 BCS Championship Game, Oregon called tails, the coin came up tails, and they elected to receive the kick as well. Oregon lost both games.

Missed Tackles

What lost the game for Oregon was the amount of tackles they missed. Multiple times, Cardale Jones bulldozed an Oregon defender, who had stopped the 6'5", 250 pound signal caller a few yards from a first down, and got a first down. The Ducks also had difficulty tackling running back Ezekiel Elliott and Jalin Marshall on kick returns. If Oregon tackled Jones or Elliott on a few third downs behind the first down marker, Ohio State would have punted more often, giving Oregon more chances to score. Oregon's inability to make a big tackle, especially on third down, was the team's downfall.

Turnovers

Ohio State had four turnovers. Oregon had one, an interception at the end of the game. While, it is never good when a team commits four turnovers, the Buckeyes need to be applauded for their ability on defense to make stops after turnovers and for the offense for forgetting about the turnovers. The Ohio State defense stopped the Oregon offense twice after turnovers, including one time inside the five, and gave up only ten points off of turnovers. That is very good when facing a fantastic Oregon offense. On offensive, Cardale Jones had a bad fumble and an interception, yet put that behind him to lead Ohio State to the victory. 

The Dropped Passes

Oregon scored first, stopped Ohio State on the Buckeyes' first possession, and looked to be rolling on their second possession. Then, on a 3rd and 3, Charles Nelson drops a pass and Oregon punts. On the next Oregon possession, Mariota throws a beauty to Dwayne Stanford on a 3rd and 12 that was guaranteed to be a big play. But, Stanford dropped it. On Ohio State's possessions after both drops, they scored a touchdown. Those two drops changed the whole momentum of the game. Oregon's offense was not the same after the drops, while Ohio State gained confidence and momentum.  

Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott
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Ezekiel Elliott may not have had an 80+ yard run like in the Big Ten Championship or Sugar Bowl, but he did have the best game of his career and won of the best performances of all-time in a championship game. He rushed 36 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs. Elliott could not be stopped Monday night. It seemed like every time he got his hand on the ball, he was running for eight or nine yards. Elliott was the best player on the field at AT&T Stadium. Right now, he is the best running back in the country.

76 Years Ago

The First NCAA Basketball Tournament was in 1939. Eight teams competed in the tournament. The final was between: Ohio State and Oregon. In this first tournament, however, Oregon pulled off the victory 46-33 behind John Dick's 13 points. 

Now What? Oregon

Before the game, it was almost guaranteed that Marcus Mariota would declare for the NFL Draft. Now, there are some murmurs that Mariota will stay for a final season at Oregon. While I love it when college players stay an extra year (or two), Mariota should go pro. It is his time to leave Oregon and become a professional. He is at a peak ranking (even after the championship) and is more likely to be highly criticized and lose his high ranking (ex: Jake Locker). Mariota's draft stock may fall slightly after the loss, but there are too many teams in need of a QB in the top ten, even top five, for him to slide to far down. The next QB for the Ducks will most likely be either Jeff Locke or Morgan Mahalak. With either of them, there is likely some struggles in 2015, but Oregon should still be a good team.

Now What? Ohio State

Cardale Jones, JT Barrett, and Braxton Miller
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The big question heading into the 2015 season for Ohio State is going to be the QB situation. Urban Meyer will have to chose from three high quality QBs: 2012 and 2013 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller, 2014 Big Ten QB of the Year JT Barrett, and starting QB of the Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl, and National Championship Cardale Jones. However, it is likely to be a two-horse race between Barrett and Jones, as Miller will graduate in the spring and be able to transfer and play immediately. Schools reportedly in the running for Miller are Florida State, LSU, Oregon, and Duke. All are better options than possibly sitting the bench at Ohio State. In the decision between Barrett and Jones, Meyer has to chose Jones. The man just won his first three starts in the three most important games of the season. He started and won the National Championship. While Barrett might have done that if he were healthy, Meyer can not base his decision on alternate timelines. He needs to base it on performance and success.

Notes on College Football Through Week 12

Nick Chubb
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Georgia's Late Push for the College Football Playoff

Georgia had an extremely impressive win over Auburn last night. They won 34-7, Auburn only scored on the first drive of the game. Todd Gurley returned for the Bulldogs and the duo of Gurley and Nick Chubb was unstoppable. Gurley had 29 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Nick Chubb had 19 carriers for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Both running backs tore up a very good Auburn defense. The only negative to come out of the game was that Gurley went down with a torn ACL in the fourth quarter and is out for the rest of the season. Georgia's two losses have not been good (38-35 loss to 5-5 South Carolina and a 38-20 loss to 5-4 Florida) and that will hold them back in the polls. However, if Georgia wins out, Missouri loses at least one more game, and Georgia beats the SEC West champ in the SEC Championship game, do they make the College Football Playoff? Yes, they have two losses, but, the quality of the Georgia team last night is championship worthy.

TCU's Devastating Win

TCU won on Saturday, 34-30. They came back from ten points down in the third quarter to win the game. While on the surface the win would be expected to help them in the polls, it is going to hurt them badly. This is because TCU beat Kansas.

Kansas has been the worst team in the Big 12 this decade. The have won only four conference games in the last six years. Even if TCU had won by ten points, it may have hurt them more then help in the polls. TCU will drop out of the top four and may even drop behind fellow conference mate, Baylor. There will not be a win this year that will hurt a team more than TCU's win over Kansas will hurt the Horned Frogs.

Melvin Gordon and Wisconsin's Chances

Melvin Gordon
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Yesterday's Nebraska vs. Wisconsin game was billed as the battle of the running backs. Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon were two of the three running backs in the country heading into yesterday's game. After the game, there was a clear number one back in the country.

Melvin Gordon ran for an NCAA record 408 yards on only 25 carries with four touchdowns in the Badger's 59-24 rout of the Cornhuskers. Gordon broke the previous record of 406 rushing yards, held by LaDanion Tomlinson, in only three quarters of action. If given the opportunity, Gordon would have rushed for 500 yards easily. The performance was legendary. Gordon is now the leading rusher in the country with 1909 rushing yards, 231 more yards than current runner-up Tevin Coleman of Indiana. He has vaulted himself into the top two of the Heisman race with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.

Wisconsin is now 8-2 on the year and is number one in the Big Ten West. They will need a lot of help to even have a chance of getting into the College Football Playoff. However, a strong finish can get them into a high-profile New Year's Day Bowl Game.

Thundering Under the Radar


The Marshall Thundering Herd are 10-0. They have won by an average margin of about 31 points. The closest margin of victory in a single game was 15 points. Quarterback Rakeem Cato is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the game. Running back Devon Johnson is top five in Division I in rushing yards and has only rushed for under 100 yards once (not including game vs. Southern Miss that he did not play in). The defense is stout and has been playing very well. Marshall is not going to get into the Playoff, which is expected, but they should get some recognition if they go undefeated. Going undefeated in mid-level conference is extremely difficult and they should be acknowledged for their accomplishments. 

Coastal Carolina and Harvard

Coastal Carolina QB Alex Ross
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Florida State and Marshall are the only undefeated teams left in the FBS. However, there are two other Division I teams that are undefeated: Coastal Carolina and Harvard, both FCS teams. Coastal Carolina is 11-0 with an average win margin of 21.4 points. The only game that threatened the Chanticleers perfect schedule was a 37-31 2OT win over Furman. Coastal Carolina has clinched the conference title and have one more game before the playoffs start. Harvard is 9-0 on the season. The Crimson have the best defense in the FCS, giving up only 11.0 points per game and only 12 touchdowns the whole season. Their offense is also good, averaging over 230 rushing yards and 230 passing yards per game. The Crimson have one more game, vs. Yale and it will decide the Ivy League championship. The game is getting national attention, as ESPN's College GameDay will be hosting from Cambridge on Saturday. 

Gerold Holliman

Holliman has the most interceptions in a season in this century with 13 and has three more games to play. The most interceptions in a season for an FBS player is 14 (Al Worley, 1968, Washington) and the most by any player across NCAA's three divisions is 15 (Ben Matthews, 2000, Bethel University (MN), DIII and Mark Dorner, 1987, Juniata College (PA), DIII). Both record are in damage of being broken. He has been a ball hawk at safety for the Louisville Cardinals. In this weekend's game at Boston College, Holliman had three interceptions. That was his fourth multi-interception game of the season. Holliman, a sophomore, is making a name for himself and becoming a legitimate top prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft. 

Division II and Division III Playoff Brackets Set

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The Division II and Division III brackets were released today. The DII bracket has 24 teams in four regionals, with the top two seeds getting byes. There are five undefeated teams in the bracket: Concord University (WV), Ferris State University (MI), Lenoir-Rhyne University (NC), University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State University-Mankato, and Quachita Baptist University (AK). Defending champions Northwestern Missouri State are the fifth seed in super regional three and will play Minnesota-Duluth in the first round.

In the DIII bracket, the bracket is lined up for a final between rivals University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (DIII Champs: 2007, 2009-2011, 2013) and Mount Union (OH) (DIII Champs: 1993, 1996-1998, 2000-20022005-2006, 2008, 2012). Both teams are undefeated, but will the road to the Stagg Bowl will not be easy. Other defeated teams include: Centre College (KY), Hobart College (NY), Johns Hopkins, The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX), MIT, The College of St. Scholastica (MN), Wartberg College (IA), and Wheaton College (IL), Widener University (PA).

College Football Playoff Top Four and First Four Out Through 12 Weeks

1. Florida State (10-0)
2. Oregon (9-1)
3. Alabama (9-1)
4. Mississippi State (9-1)

5. Baylor (8-1)
6. TCU (9-1)
7. Ohio State (9-1)
8. Georgia (8-2)

2014 College Football Preview: Games of the Week and Playoff Predictions

Week 1

Texas A&M @ South Carolina: A great way to start of the SEC season, this is South Carolina's game to lose.

Clemson @ Georgia: Whoever loses this game will be in a hole for the rest of the season, while the winner will have a step above the rest.

Wisconsin vs. LSU: A game that can have a large impact in both the SEC and Big Ten.

Week 2

Michigan State @ Oregon: This game could have major backlash in both the PAC-12 and Big Ten. If Michigan State loses, the Big Ten becomes wide open. If Oregon loses, they cannot lose again if they want to make the playoff.

Week 3

Georgia @ South Carolina: The two best teams in the SEC East play very early in the season. That means the loser will have time to recuperate and get better.

Week 4

Auburn @ Kansas State: An Auburn loss may ruin their chances of making the playoff while a Kansas State win may propel them to the top of the Big 12.

Clemson @ Florida State: Probably the biggest game on the ACC slate. Clemson is most likely the only ACC team to put up a big challenge to the Seminoles.

Week 5

UCLA @ Arizona State: Arizona State are an under the radar squad in the PAC-12. If they pull of the early season upset, it may springboard them to a PAC-12 Championships.

Stanford @ Washington: Two of the top three teams in PAC-12 North face off in a key match-up that will be very important.

Week 6

LSU @ Auburn: A big game in the SEC West with the loser having a lot of ground to make.

Week 7

Oregon @ UCLA: Two of the best quarterbacks in the country face off in the biggest game on the PAC-12 calendar. Both teams have the best chance of any PAC-12 team of making the playoff. The loser will have to climb back up and stay perfect the rest of the way.

Oklahoma vs. Texas: After Texas' annihilation of the Sooners last year, Oklahoma has a chip on their shoulder. Bob Stoops' squad will leave it all on the field.

Week 8

Washington @ Oregon: After the big game the week before, Oregon has to bounce back and face a very good Washington squad. Oregon may be vulnerable after their big game against UCLA, while Washington will be ready to fight.

Week 9

Ole Miss @ LSU: Ole Miss have an extremely talented squad but because they are in the SEC West, the Rebels are never given much publicity. But if Ole Miss pulls off the upset, they will become Playoff contenders.

Week 10

Stanford @ Oregon: A battle between old fashion smash mouth football and the new uptempo, speed offense will have major significance in the PAC-12. The winner will be the new favorite in the PAC-12 North.

Florida @ Georgia: When rivals face off, even the big underdog (in this case Florida) can pull off the biggest upsets (for example: Oklahoma-Texas last year).

Week 11

Alabama @ LSU: Always one of the biggest match-ups of the year, LSU-Alabama will be great agin this year. If LSU's Leonard Fourentte has a big game, LSU will pull off the upset.

Ohio State @ Michigan State: If Ohio State can stay successful without Braxton Miller, this game will be very important in the weak Big Ten. The winner will have a much easier time the rest of the season.

Baylor @ Oklahoma: The two best teams in the Big 12 face off for supremacy. The winner will most likely be the champion of the conference, or will finish second.

Week 12

Nebraska @ Wisconsin: If Ohio State and Michigan State falter, this match-up may become very important in the outlook of the Big Ten.

Week 13

North Carolina @ Duke: A big match-up in the Coastal Division of the ACC, these two rivals have this game circled. The winner will most likely be the ACC Coastal Division champion.

Week 14

Stanford @ UCLA: This game may play a big part in who plays in the following week's PAC-12 Championship. The loser may find themselves out of the Championship Game and out of Playoff contention.

Auburn @ Alabama: The Iron Bowl will be an exciting game. If both Alabama and Auburn are undefeated to this point, this game will be extremely important.

Week 15

PAC-12 Championship: Maybe the best game of the whole year if it is a rematch of UCLA and Oregon.

ACC Championship: Florida State will make it to this game and will win it.

SEC Championship: Always a great match-up of some of the best teams in the country. This year it will be LSU vs. Georgia.

Week 16

Navy vs. Army: Army-Navy is always a big game. It is always a fun game to watch and this year will be no different.

Four Playoff Teams

1. Florida State
2. UCLA
3. LSU
4. Oregon

Semi-Finals

LSU over UCLA
Oregon over Florida State

Finals

Oregon over LSU

2013 FCS Playoff Preview: Three Teams To Watch

North Dakota State

Brock Jensen
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The Bison are the number one seed in the tournament and that is well deserved. Not only are they the only undefeated team in the FCS, they have won the last two FCS titles and have not lost a game since October 13th, 2012. Some of their notable wins this season have been against Kansas State, an FBS team, Northern Iowa, and rivals South Dakota State. They have outscored their opponents by at least ten points in all but two games. Their offensive strength is their outstanding run game. Sam Ojuri averages 6.6 yards per run and John Crockett averages 6.1 yards. Their average rushing yards per game is 237.2 yards. QB Brock Jensen is highly-efficient; he has a 26-6 TD-INT ratio. Their defense allows under twelve points per game, which is best in the country, and is in the third in yards allowed per game with 243.0. They are not only stout on both sides of the ball, the Bison are great on special teams. Christian Dudzik has two punt returns for touchdowns while Ryan Smith has one. North Dakota State are the best team in the FCS and probably are better then some teams in FBS-AQ conferences. It is their title to lose.

Southeastern Louisiana

The Lions are the four seed in the playoffs and are destined to go far. They went undefeated in the Southland Conference that featured the FCS runner-up two years in a row, Sam Houston State, and 10-2 McNeese State. The offense is based around a extraordinary running game. Duel Threat quarterback Bryan Bennett leads the team in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Rasheed Harrell and Xavier Roberson are both high-quality players. On the defensive side of the ball, LB Isiah Corbett has sixteen tackles for a loss and seven sacks and DL Jacob Newman has 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Southeastern Louisiana is going to make a run.

Fordham

Michael Nebrich
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Two years ago, the Fordham Rams were 1-10 and one of the teams in college football. Now, they are 11-1 and in the FCS Playoffs. The team's only loss was to Lafayette on November 16th. The offense is passing-based and they have a great quarterback in Michael Nebrich. Nebrich leads the FCS in completion percentage at 74.9%, is second in passing efficiency at 175.4, and is in the top five in passing yards per game with 325.1. He also has 28 touchdowns to only six picks. The running game is pretty good as well. It is headlined by Carlton Koonce, who averages over 111 rushing yards per game. Fordham is a sneaky team that may surprise some people and make a run behind their star signal-caller. 

Great Slate of Football Games Over The Weekend

Florida State @ Clemson

Tajh Boyd
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This is the game of the weekend. Florida State (#5 in the AP Poll/#5 in the USA Today Poll) goes to Death Valley to meet another top five team, Clemson (#3/#4). This game has national impact. The winner will immediately become a challenger for the BCS Championship, while the other will be out of contention. Both teams have superstar quarterbacks. Clemson's signal caller is senior Tajh Boyd. Boyd has been a high-level quarterback in his first two years as the starter, but this year he has taken it to another level. His maturity shows in his ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. He has fifteen passing touchdowns compared to two picks. The Seminoles quarterback, Jameis Winston is a redshirt freshman and he has been outstanding. He has a completion percentage of about 73%, 17 passing touchdowns, and a passer rating of about 214. The key to this game will be the defense. Who will be able to quiet the opposing quarterback for at least a few possessions. This game will be a shootout and will come down to the wire. In the end, Clemson will pull out the win in the end.

UCLA @ Stanford

After Stanford (#13/#13) was upset the 4-3 Utah Utes, the balance shifted in the PAC-12. They became the third highest ranked team in country, falling behind 6-0 Oregon (#2/#2) and 5-0 UCLA (#9/#10), their opponent this week. UCLA's success has been centered around their good defense and quarterback Brett Hundley. Hundley is a very good quarterback and that is evident by last weeks game against Cal. He threw for 410 yards, three touchdowns, and completed 75.6% of his passes. For Stanford, quarterback Kevin Hogan struggled against Utah last week and Washington the week before. Hogan needs to put those two games behind him. If his struggles get in his head, it is going to be another long game for the junior QB. After a devastating loss last week, Stanford will be rejuvenated by the home fans and will take home the W against the Bruins.

Auburn @ Texas A&M

Nick Marshall
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After an awful season last year, the Auburn Tigers (#24/NR) are 5-1 and have returned to the top 25. This week, they face Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M (#7/#7). This is a big game for the Tigers. They beat a top 25 team in Ole Miss, but they lost to a top ten team, LSU. This game will show us where the Tigers rank in big time college football. If they win, when it's all said and done they may be a top 15 team. If they lose, they are a barely a top 25 team. For Auburn to win, quarterback Nick Marshal needs to be on his game. In their loss to LSU, the running game was working, with Tre Mason having a great game. Marshall, however, completed just over 50% of his passes and threw two picks. He needs to be a better play maker for Auburn to have a chance. For Texas A&M, the defense needs to the stop the run game and Johnny Football needs to be Johnny Football. I am not sure if the Auburn defense can stop Manziel and the the Aggie offense. Because of that, I am pick the Aggies to win by at least ten points.

Sam Houston State @ McNeese State

This is the FCS matchup of the week and it is a good one. Sam Houston State is number two in the FCS, while McNeese State is number eight. Both teams are 5-1, are 1-0 in conference, and are in the Southland Conference. Sam Houston State's only loss was to FBS school Texas A&M. the Cowboys lost to Northern Iowa. The Bearcats' offense is based around it's run game. Three of their four leading rushers average 7.0 yards per carry. Their main running back, Timot Flanders, already has nine touchdowns and 849 rushing yards. McNeese is more passing oriented, but running back Marcus Wiltz is coming off a great week and is having an excellent season. The Bearcats' are the better team, and they will beat the Cowboys. 

Cincinnati @ Detroit

This week, there are only two games where both teams have winning record. One is Denver-Indy. The other is surprising. It is not Houston-Kansas City, or Baltimore-Pittsburgh. No, its the Bengals against the Lions. The Lions have been a surprise team so far. They are currently tied for the lead in the NFC North with a 4-2 record. Their offense has been good, even with Calvin Johnson struggling with injury. Reggie Bush is running the ball very well, giving the offense a whole new dimension. On defense, they have been very good, led by LB DeAndre Levy who is having a career year. The Bengals are also 4-2 and are also in the led of their division the AFC North. Two of their wins have been against Green Bay and New England, both high quality teams. The Lions have surprised so far, and they will shock Cincinnati. 

Denver @ Indianapolis

Jim Irsay
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Not only is this a match-up between Super Bowl contenders, but it is also the return of Peyton Manning to Indy. There will be a ceremony for Manning before the game, but the comments flying around make it a little awkward. Colts owner Jim Irsay made some comments this week that "dis" Manning. He said that they have changed how they run the team with Andrew Luck as QB so they can win more then one Super Bowl. He also said that he loved the "Star Wars" numbers Manning put up, but those numbers didn't matter in the post season and they would not advance. He later apologized, but the damage was done. Instead of their being a happy and light atmosphere, it will be cold and awkward. The key to the game is going to the Colts defense. The Broncos are firing on all cylinders and for the Colts to have a chance to win will be if their defense comes up clutch. This is going to be a good game; however, Denver is unstoppable right now. The Colts will put up a fight, but Denver will improve to 7-0.

2013 College Football Preview: The Full Count's Preseason Top 15 Teams

1. Alabama: Can you place anyone else number one? The back-to-back champs may have lost players, but they can be replaced. They still have the best coach in the nation, Nick Saban and his two-time National Championship winning quarterback, AJ McCarron. Their defense is still one of the best in the nation, with eight starters returning and Saban as the mastermind. The Tide's offense is also one of the best in the nation. McCarron has two of his best weapons returning in RB TJ Yeldon and WR Amari Cooper. Yeldon is an explosive back and Cooper is a very good wideout. Alabama is looking to become the first ever three-time BCS champion and to win their fourth title in five years. 
2. Ohio State: The Buckeyes were the only team in FBS football to go undefeated. Yet they were not selected to go to BCS National Championship, or the Rose Bowl, or any bowl for that matter. That was because of bowl ban due to the tattoo scandal. This year, they might be even better. Braxton Miller is going to be great. He is one of the best duel-threat quarterbacks there is. Their defense is good, but not great. It would not surprise me if they are in a few shootouts. Ohio State has a good chance to make the title game, but their defense will need to work hard to get there.
3. Oregon: Chip Kelly is gone. But, he left the Ducks in excellent shape. New head coach Mark Helfrich was the offensive coordinator so he knows the offense and the team well. He also knows his quarterback, Marcus Mariota, very well. Mariota is an outstanding quarterback and a prefect fit for this offense. He is a favorite for this year's Heisman Trophy. The key to the Ducks success will not be Mariota, but De'Anthony Thomas. I have been waiting for Thomas to break-out. He has had some excellent games, but not an excellent season. He needs to be one of the top three running backs in the nation for Oregon to be in the national title game.
4. Clemson: I am a believer in Clemson. I believe this could be their year. Arguably, Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins make up the best QB-WR duo in the nation. They have three high profile games which will make or break their title and BCS hopes. The first is on Saturday against Georgia, the second is on October 19th vs Florida State, and the final game is against South Carolina on November 30th. The hardest of the three games will be "The Palmetto Bowl" against South Carolina in Colombia. If they lose any of these games, it most likely will be a loss to South Carolina. They will finish the season with one loss or better and will be in a BCS Bowl.
5. South Carolina: When you start to talk about Gamecock football, you need to begin with Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney is the best player in college football, no question. He is no fluke. It wouldn't surprise me his reaches 15+ sacks. With Clowney as the anchor, South Carolina's defense is sound. It's the offense the makes me wonder. I know that Steve Spurrier is a great offensive coach, but I don't trust his quarterbacks. Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson are good quarterbacks, but are lack consistency. Spurrier should just keep one QB as the starter for the whole year and stick with it. 
6. Stanford: Stanford is a high-quality team. David Shaw is one of the best coaches in the college game. His defense this year is going to be as stout as always. Their defense is one of the top three defenses in the game. Kevin Hogan is a good quarterback, but he is not going to put the team over the hump. In key games and situations, that could be detrimental. I don't believe they are as good as Oregon in the PAC-12, but they are still one of the best teams in the nation.
7. Louisville: They may be in one of the worst conferences in the country, but Louisville is a very good team. Teddy Bridgewater is one of the top prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft. He is a dynamic player. His arm is very strong and he is also very accurate. Their schedule is very easy. They do not have any tough games. They can easily go 12-0. The question will be then, do they deserve to be in the BCS National Championship.
8. Texas A&M: Johnny Manziel is the key to the Aggies season. We know he will be suspended for the first half of the opening game against Rice, but who knows if any other suspensions or scandals will occur again. If Johnny Football is not behind center for the A&M, their chance of winning goes down drastically. He may be a burden of the field, when he is on the field he is an enigma. Their will be a lot of distractions around the Aggies. Their success will be based on how Manziel handles himself and how the team handles the distractions and hype around them.
9. Florida: The Gators were a surprise team last year. The won eleven games, seven conference games, and made a BCS Bowl. This year, they look to return to a BCS Bowl. Jeff Driskel is a good quarterback, but I am not sure if he can reach the next level. Their running backs are inexperienced, but have a good potential. The defense, like last year, should be the strongest part of the team.
10. Georgia: Georgia is an interesting team. They are very good, but they have the hardest start to the season in the nation. They first face Clemson on Saturday and then South Carolina the next week. I think they will lose both games and start the season 0-2. That is the worst way to begin the season. They could always come back and finish the season strong (Prime example: 2010 Virginia Tech Hokies), but their schedule will still be difficult afterward. They have games against LSU and Florida. Aaron Murray may be one of the better pocket passer's in the game, but he can't win games by himself. This season could be great, but will more likely be a flop. 
11. Florida State: I like Jamies Winston as the starting quarterback. He has a great arm (He had eight assists in the outfield for the Seminoles baseball team in the spring). Jimbo Fisher made the right choice by making him the starting quarterback. Winston will get a lot of help from his two running backs, Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. Both of them averaged a little less then six yards per carry last season. Their defense is good with their defensive line being the headline. If Winston is good, the Seminoles may be a title game contender. 
12. LSU: The Tigers are bound for a good season. I think they can be slightly better this year then in 2012. Zach Mettenberger has one more year experience and has gotten much better. It wouldn't surprise me if he has a unnoticed breakout year. He will lead that offense to wins. Their defense will be good again and one of the best in the SEC. As always, the challenge for an SEC team will be the schedule. Their schedule is one of the toughest in the nation. If they can get through the season with just a few losses, they will be in good shape for a possible BCS Bowl.
13. Oklahoma: The Sooners have a new quarterback under center and it is not "the Belldozier". Redshirt freshman Trevor Knight won the job and I believe it was the right decision. Although I am a fan of Blake Bell, I was uncertain on his ability to throw the football consistently and his ability to stay in the pocket. Knight not only is a very good passer, he can also run very well. He has the potential to have a Johnny Manziel like season, without the off-the-field issues. Bell will still be utilized, but Knight will be the main guy. If Knight is as good as I think he can and will be, Oklahoma is in excellent shape. 
14. Texas: Texas is an interesting team. After an awful 5-7 season in 2010, the Longhorns record has improved to 9-4 last year. This year, their record could get even better. Quarterback David Ash is a solid player. He is a good team leader and knows how to run the offense. The player I am looking at to shine is Jonathan Gray. Gray has the potential to be a breakout star at running back. The defense is a question mark. It could be good or it could be bad. Only time will tell. 
15. Notre Dame: After making the BCS National Championship last season, the Fighting Irish's chances to returned were slashed drastically before the season even started when Everett Golson was suspended for the year. Now, without Golson, I don't think they will be close to making a bowl game. I don't trust Tommy Rees at quarterback. He has multiple chances to be the starter, but has never succeeded. Their defense is strong and will make up for the offense in certain situations, but not all the time. The Fighting Irish will lose a few games and make a decent bowl game.

Fiesta Bowl Museum: A Nice Place to Visit

While in the Phoenix area on vacation, I was looking for some sporting things to do. The Diamondbacks were out of town and I wasn't interested in seeing any preseason football things. On one of the maps of the area, I noticed the Fiesta Bowl Museum in Scottsdale. I had never heard of the museum before. I decided that I would find time to visit the museum. 

The Fiesta Bowl Museum is a small museum. It is not something you should plan a entire afternoon to see. It takes about fifteen to thirty minutes to walk around. There are two main rooms, one in the front of the facility and one in the back.

The room in the front is a welcoming room. There is a receptionist desk on the right in the front of the room. A few couches are placed in the room, while TVs show sports shows and the most recent Fiesta Bowl match-up. The main highlights of the room are the replica trophies.  In one cabinet, they had the trophies of the Walter Camp Award, Outland Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, Dick Butkus Award. Davey O'Brien Award, Doak Walter Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Fred Biletnikoff Award, and the Rotary Lombardi Award. The two biggest trophies in the room are the Fiesta Bowl Trophy and the Coaches Trophy. Those two trophies are the highlights of the museum.

The room in the back is set up like a conference room with tables and chairs. On the walls are helmets for all the FBS teams. Two helmets are placed facing each other due to their weekly match-up in college football. Around the room are little rooms that have small exhibits. One of the rooms is on Fiesta Bowl game and it's results, another on the Fiesta Bowl parade, and so on. They also have a Heisman Trophy and an Eddie Johnson Coach of the Year Award for visitors to look at and take pictures.

My favorite part about the museum is it's simplicity. You are not going to be overwhelmed with flare and unnecessary information. Everything in the museum is interesting and is relevant to the Fiesta Bowl. There are a lot of cool artifacts, including the helmets showing the week's match-ups and the jersey's of previous Fiesta Bowl contestants.

The Fiesta Bowl Museum is a cool place to visit. Every football fan, especially  a college football fan, should find a way to visit. I think the best part of the museum is that it is not going to take for ever to get through. It is must if you have time to fill in the Phoenix area.

Bowl Predictions For 2012-13

Top 5 Bowls Games This Year

Eddie Lacy
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1. The BCS Championship is always a good game. This year it is bound to be a slugfest between two defensive minded teams, the defending national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Both teams have top defenses that will keep each opposing team's point totals very low. The difference makers will have to be on offense. Alabama's QB AJ McCarron has been in this situation before and will be outstanding in the game. The two-headed running attack of Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon have a combined 27 touchdowns this season. Alabama's top offensive players don't even touch the ball. They have the best offensive line in the nation. The Notre Dame offense doesn't have real stars, except for maybe Theo Riddick. When Riddick is going, the team is going to be more efficient. The game will be decided by who can break through the opponent's defense.

2. The Fiesta Bowl is the best BCS Bowl excluding the championship. It features two teams that less then a month ago were pitted to play in the National Championship. They are the Oregon Ducks and the Kansas State Wildcats. Both teams offensive's start with the run game. Oregon has two of the top runners in the nation, Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas. Kansas State's Collin Klein is a great dual-threat QB. This game will be decided by whose defense can keep the opposing offense in check. If either defense let's the QB make plays, there will be a lot of quick scores. 

Johnny Manziel
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3. In my mind, the Cotton Bowl Classic is a BCS Bowl, without the BCS label. Last season, the teams in the Cotton Bowl had higher BCS rankings then the teams in both the Sugar and Orange Bowl. In 2011, it had two top 17 teams. This year is no different. It has two high profile schools, with high-profile QBs. Landry Jones and the Oklahoma Sooners against Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies. This match-up is a main event anywhere. What adds to the game is that Texas A&M left Oklahoma and the Big 12 to go to the SEC before the season. Oklahoma is not just representing themselves, they are representing the whole Big 12. The game is bound to be a thrilling shootout. We will see who will come out on top, the Faboulous Fresman Johnny Football or the Stout Senior Landry Jones. 

4. The Capital One Bowl always has a good match-up and this year is not an exception. On New Year's Day, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Both lost in their conference title games, with Georgia losing a heartbreaker and Nebraska getting blown out of the stadium. Both teams have very good QB's who have very different styles. Georgia's Aaron Murray is a skilled pocket-passer who has a very good arm. Taylor Martinez of Nebraska is a top dual-threat QB in the nation. The difference in the game will be Georgia's great defense led by LB's Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree. Both are in my top three LB's in the nation. They will decide the game.

Kolton Browning
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5. Independence Bowl has two very good mid-majors teams, the Ohio Bobcats and the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, pitted against each other. Louisana-Monroe shocked the nation by defeating Arkansas early in the season. Ohio started the season 7-0, but lost four of their last five games. This would be a good game to end that slump. Ohio's offense starts with RB Beau Blankenship. The junior HB has exactly 1500 yards on the season and averages 5.1 yards per carry on the season. Louisiana-Monroe's QB Kolton Browning leads the offense in both passing and rushing yards, with 2830 and 441 respectively. To win, the ULM QB needs to get the ball to his top receiver, Brent Leonard, who has over 1000 yards receiving on the season with 10 TDs. The winner of this game will need to take an early lead and count of their defense to stop the other team, while they score.

Bowl Predictions

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Nevada def Arizona

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State def Toledo

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State def BYU

Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: UCF def Ball State

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: East Carolina def Louisiana-Lafayette 

MAACO Las Vega Bowl: Boise State def Washington

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State def SMU

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Western Kentucky University def Central Michigan

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman: San Jose State def Bowling Green

Belk Bowl: Cincinnati def Duke

Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl: UCLA def Baylor

Advocare V100 Independence Bowl: Ohio def Louisiana-Monroe

Russell Athletic Bowl: Rutgers def Virginia Tech

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Texas Tech def Minnesota

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force def Rice

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Navy def Arizona State

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia def Syracuse

Valero Alamo Bowl: Texas def Oregon State

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: TCU def Michigan State

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: NC State def Vanderbilt 

Hyundai Sun Bowl: USC def Georgia Tech

Autozone Liberty Bowl: Tulsa def Iowa State

Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU def Clemson

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Mississippi State def Northwestern

Heart of Dallas Bowl: Oklahoma State def Purdue

Capital One Bowl: Georgia def Nebraska

Outback Bowl: South Carolina def Michigan

Rose Bowl presented by Visio (BCS): Wisconsin def Stanford

Discover Orange Bowl (BCS): Florida State def Northern Illinois 

Allstate Sugar Bowl (BCS): Florida def Louisville

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (BCS): Oregon def Kansas State

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Texas A&M def Oklahoma 

BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh def Ole Miss

GoDaddy.com Bowl: Kent State def Arkansas State

Discover BCS National Championship (BCS): Alabama def Notre Dame 

The First BCS Poll of 2012

For the second straight week in college football, at least two top five teams lost to teams outside of the top five. Last week, Florida State lost to North Carolina State, LSU was upset by Florida, and Georgia lost to South Carolina. This week, LSU turned the tables on South Carolina by defeating them and West Viginia got blown out by Texas Tech. With the first BCS Polls just coming out, here is my review of the first released BCS poll.

SEC Pinwheel featuring all 14 teams, with half of them in
the top 25 of the initial BCS Standings
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The power of the SEC is shown in the BCS. Alabama (#1 in AP Poll, #1 in USA Today Poll,) has been dominating in every game they've played. It is clear that they are well deserving of the top spot in the BCS Poll. I am surprised that Florida (#3, #4) was ranked second. The teams they have played are a main reason for their ranking so high. They beat two one-loss teams in Texas A&M and LSU. They also have South Carolina and Georgia up next. The first two one-loss teams in the BCS Poll are LSU (#6 ,#6) and South Carolina (#9, #8) at six and seven respectively. Both are well deserving of their spots, with close losses to highly ranked teams, as stated in the first paragraph. The other SEC teams in the Poll are Georgia (#13, #12), who are 5-1 and ranked 11th in the poll, undefeated Mississippi State (#15, #16) is in the 12th spot, and 5-1 Texas A&M (#20, #19) is ranked 18th. 

The SEC team that I find most interesting is the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Last year, they were 7-6 with a 2-6 in conference record. They won their bowl game against Wake Forest. They haven't faced much competition, but their upcoming schedule is tough. The toughest part of their roster is a three week period starting on October 27th to November 10th. It starts in Tuscaloosa with a game against Alabama , then a home game vs. Texas A&M.  Next they travel to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers. They have a good running game, led by LaDarius Perkins. In three of the last four games, Perkins has rushed for over 100 yards, including 179 vs. Troy. They also have a top fight receiver in Chad Bumpkins, who currently has 6 TD catches and averages 16.7 per catches. 

West Virginia dropped massively in the polls (#5 to #17, #4 to #15) after a surprising blowout against Texas Tech (#18, #20). I thought that they had a chance to make a run for an appearance in the BCS title game. It was a very unusual loss. The Mountaineers had no turnovers and have only five less first downs then the Red Raiders. The big factors were Texas Tech's Seth Doege had about 6 more average yards per pass then Geno Smith and West Virginia had five turnovers on downs.  For any team, that is going to put them in a hole. The big loss really put them in a hole, starting the BCS Poll at 13 and most likely out of the championship equation.

During  the last few years, the Big East has been the joke of the BCS. They don't have good teams and they don't deserve a BCS Bowl bid. They lost their most successful team in West Virginia. However, they have three undefeated teams left after seven weeks, Louisville (#16, #14), Rutgers (#19, #17), and Cincinnati (#21, #18). In the BCS Poll, Rutgers placed in at 15, Louisville is 16th and Cincinnati is 21st. Each team has had victories over teams from top conferences. The Scarlet Knights' big victory was against Arkansas, Louisville had a good victory over UNC, and the Bearcats of Cincinnati beat Virginia Tech. All teams are going to face off each other and whichever one can beat each other will most likely be in the BCS.

Beau Blankenship dives for the end zone
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There is only one team in the BCS Poll from a non-BCS conference, Boise State (#24, #22) who the BCS has at 22nd. However, if any mid-major should be in the first BCS Poll of the season should be the Ohio Bobcats (#25, NR). The Bobcats are one of the twelve currently undefeated teams , the only undefeated team from a mid-major conference, and the only undefeated team not in the Poll (excluding 7-0 Ohio State, whose ineligible for a bowl game). The Bobcats have a star running back in Beau Blankenship. Blankenship is second in FBS football with 951 rushing yards and his 1075 yards from scrimmage ranks him third in the country. In six of the team's games, he had 100+ rushing yards. Against UMASS, Blankenship had an incredible game, rushing for 269 yards on 43 carries, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, and 2 touchdowns. He is a top runner and if he is on, the whole team will be on.

College Football Preview 2012

Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead
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The Big Ten Conference has 2 favorites, Michigan and Wisconsin. Both teams have explosive play makers, Michigan's Senior QB Denard Robinson and Senior RB Montee Ball. Robinson passed for 2,173 yards and rushed for 1,176 more. Ball ran for 1,923 yards and 33 TDs and caught 6 more for a total of 39. However, there are a few other teams that can make their way into the championship game. Nebraska has a great QB-RB combination of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. Martinez is a great running QB and is decent at passing the ball. If Martinez improves his passing, Nebraska will be a force to be reckoned with. Michigan State just lost it's most successful QB in Kirk Cousins, but that doesn't mean they will struggle this year. They have a very good defense. Junior LB Denicos Allen was a monster with 18.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Junior DE William Gholston had 16.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. Senior DB Johnny Adams had 3 picks and had 147 INT return yards. Junior LB Max Bullough led the teams in tackles with 89, including 7.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. If the offense puts up some points, MSU will be a scary team to face.

Arkansas can be a top team in the nation, but it is not even ranked  a top 4 team in the their conference. The loss of head coach Bobby Petrino was big. However, the fact that they have an experienced QB in Tyler Wilson makes it less painful. Wilson threw for 3638 yards and 24 TDs last year, while throwing only 6 interceptions. He averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, 63.2 completion percentage, and a 148.4 passer rating. Vs. Texas A&M last season, he threw for 510 yards and 3 TDs. RB Knile Davis, who missed all of last season due to injury, is back and going to look to top the 1,322 rushing yards he put up in 2010. They have a tough schedule (All SEC teams do), but they get to face both Alabama and LSU at home. Even with their schedule, Arkansas has a chance to be a top team. 

Utah's transition from the MWC to the PAC-12 last year was good. They had a record of 8-5, came in 3rd in the South Division, and won the Sun Bowl against Georgia Tech. This happened with their starting QB missing the last 9 games of the season due to injury. The Utes can do even better this year if everyone stays healthy.  Starting RB John White is returning.  He rushed for 1,519 yards and 15 TDs. When Utah faced BYU, White sprinted for 174 years, averaging 7.9 yards per rush, and 3 TDs. They are going to need to run the offense around him. If they get him going, he will force extra defenders into the box, setting up play action. If they don't flood the box, keep giving him the ball, he will make plays and get the ball in the end zone. 

Collin Klein
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Kansas State had a great year last year, going 10-3, and participating in the Cotton Bowl. That was their 1st 10 win season since 2003. Duel Threat Quarterback Collin Klein is looking to have another stellar season, after throwing for 1,918 yards and running for 1,141 yards. To be successful again, the defense needs to do better against elite offenses. In their 2 regular season losses, they gave up 58 points to Oklahoma and 52 points to Oklahoma State. They also gave up 50 points to Texas A&M. Senior's LB Arthur Brown (101 tackles last year, 9.5 for loss), DE Meshak Williams (7 sacks, 10 tackles for loss), and DB Nigel Malone (7 picks last year) need to lead the defense. Their return game is great. Sophomore WR/KR Tyler Lockett was a monster in the return game, averaging 35.2 yards per return. If the defense isn't more productive, their season will not be as successful as last year.

There are 4 new teams playing FBS football this year. South Alabama was a FCS Independent and is now a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst moved from the Colonial Athletic Association to the MAC. Both Texas State and Universiry of Texas-San Antonio moved from the Southland Conference to the WAC. None are expected to make a very big impact, as they are not eligible to play for a bowl game.

Notes on FCS, Division II, Division III

• North Dakota State (#2 in the The Sports Network Poll and #1 in Coaches Poll), the 2011 FCS Champs, will try to repeat as champions
• Division 2's Pittsburg State (#1 in AFCA Coaches Poll and D2Football.com Poll) and Northwest Missouri State (#3 in both polls) face off at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13th
• University of Wisconsin-Whiterwater (#1 in AFCA Coaches Poll and D3Football.com Poll) looking to win their 4th consecutive Division III chapionship and 5th in the last 6 years