Weekend Rewind 4 – 1

After a wild set of games last week, this past weekend delivered no chaos, just clarity to the national title race.  Many teams won in impressive fashion which was much needed for some fans bases before championship Saturday.  It also caused my predicted scores to be slightly off though I did go 4 – 1 bumping up my overall tally to 15 – 10.  One suggestion I will take into account for next year; picking against the spread. 

Ball punished Penn State's defense all game long
racking up over 150 yards on the ground.  

Prediction Wisconsin 48 – Penn State 20:  To start, it seemed like Badger fans were going to be in for another day of pulling their hair out as Penn State scored on their first drive due to defensive miscues.  However, Wisconsin ended up playing one of their best games all season putting 45 points up on the board, the most against Penn State all season.  Montee Ball continued to tack onto his Heisman numbers racking up 156 yards and four touchdowns. The defense had a nearly flawless performance which will hopefully continue into next week’s rematch with Sparty.  Wisconsin 45 – 7

Prediction Arkansas 27 – LSU 24:  At first, it seemed like this was going to be a great pick by me.  Arkansas found themselves in the lead by two scores just three minutes into the second quarter.  However, in the last 6 minutes of the half, LSU scored three touchdowns and did not look back.  LSU’s playmaker, Tyrann Mathieu helped propel this onslaught with a 92 yard punt return for a touchdown.  LSU proved once again that it is the best team in the land and it seems like they will be getting a spot in the national title game regardless of what happens against Georgia on Saturday.  LSU 41 – Arkansas 17

Prediction Michigan 28 – Ohio State 10:  In what was a much closer game than many anticipated, Michigan was still able to come out on top for their first win against OSU in seven games.  Both quarterbacks played their best ball all season yet it was Denard Robinson who stole the show.  He combined for five touchdowns with 170 yards on the ground to accompany 167 yards in the air.  Now Michigan must hope for a little help this Saturday in order to get a BCS bowl berth.  They are currently ranked 16^th in the BCS standings and need to move up to 14, I see it happening.  Michigan 40 – Ohio State 34

Bama's defense played one of their most
impressive outings all season long not
allowing a single offensive point.  

 Prediction Stanford 34 – Notre Dame 24: Due to Stanford’s loss to Oregon, this was Luck’s last chance to make a case for the Heisman.  223 yards and 4 touchdowns, overall not a bad performance considering it helped him pass John Elway’s all time touchdown record at Stanford. Three of his touchdowns came in the first half and were unanswered by the Irish.  Notre Dame once again played both their quarterbacks as Tommy Rees threw a pick and lost a fumble early in the game and rode the bench for the rest of it.  Stanford will now sit back and wait to see what BCS bowl they get an invite to.  Stanford 28 – Notre Dame 14

Prediction Alabama 28 – Auburn 24: Alabama played with a vengeance on Saturday as the taste of last year’s loss still stung in the mouth of some Bama players.  The Tide rolled to an early 14 – 0 lead thanks to two AJ McCarron touchdown passes of over 35 yards.  The Tigers struck back late in the first quarter but Trent Richardson stopped any chance of a comeback as he caught a five yard pass from McCarron.  Although there was a lot of talk about Richardson since he had over 200 yards, most of the praise should go to the defense.  Alabama let up zero points on the defensive end as Auburn scored a defensive touchdown and scored on a punt return.  They allowed only 9 first downs and 140 total yards.  It looks like we will have a defensive style national championship game this year.  Alabama 42 – Auburn 14

On the Indy Train

The Nittany Lions had the start they talked about all week.  They needed a quick strike to gain the momentum and take out the rowdy crowd in Camp Randall stadium.  That is exactly what they got after a sloppy running into the kicker penalty kept their first drive alive.  A few plays later, Matthew Mcgolin launched a 44 yard bomb to put six points on the board.   Yet, the seven points Penn State scored during that drive would be the last points they would score all game.

Russell Wilson continued his historic run this season
with 2 touchdowns and 186 yards on Saturday.  

The Badgers rolled through the Nittany Lions scoring 45 unanswered points to secure a spot in the inaugural Big Ten Championship game.  Russell Wilson demonstrated a flawless performance keeping drives alive with both his legs and his arm.  He helped the Badgers obtain 27 first downs converting over half of their third downs. 

Oh and then there was Montee Ball, rushing for 156 yards and FOUR touchdowns!  Even with this performance, he still might not get the amount of Heisman love he deserves.  Yet there is one thing he is in control of and that is helping the Badgers win a Big Ten championship.  He is running with a purpose and will not be denied of the end zone this Saturday or the championship. 

The defense finally lived up to it's ranking
of being fourth in the country.  

It is clear that Montee and Russell have one thing on their mind, Pasadena.  Yet, 28 and 16 were not the only Badger players who were having Rosey thoughts; numerous Badgers played some of their best games including Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis.   The two receivers combined for over 130 yards and two touchdowns.  

The defense also had one of their best overall performances on Saturday.  After the careless penalty and the broken coverage on the hail mary pass at the beginning of the first quarter, it seemed like it might be another ugly performance by the Badger D.  Yet, they were able to shake off the early touchdown and dominate the Nittany Lion offense from that point on.  They forced four turnovers and allowed less than 175 yards for 3 ½ quarters of play. 

A Badger fan could not have asked for a more solid performance for the last game of the regular season. Our defense has been incredibly inconsistent and has had a problem making tackles.   However with the performance on Saturday, I could not be more confident going into Saturday’s game.  Our offense is unstoppable and now our defense looks to be ready to take on Kirk Cousin’s and the Spartans. 

**Posts will be light this week due to my CFA exam on Saturday. I will have my take on Urban Meyer, new BCS rankings, Championship matchups etc...

Game Day Predictions

Conference rivalries. National title implications. Conference championship implications.  Heisman race. Iron Bowl.  Michigan Ohio State.  Need I say more, this weekend in college football is jam packed with must see games that will produce monstrous moments.  After last weekend’s wild outcomes, who knows what we are in store for and what top teams will fall. 

Penn State @ Wisconsin: A winner takes all match in Camp Randall for a trip to Indy to play in the first ever Big Ten Championship game.  Penn State boasts the third best defense in the country and has not given up more than 24 points all season.  Then there is Wisconsin, who has been averaging over 50 points a game while playing at Camp Randall.  Expect Montee Ball and Russell Wilson to be on a mission in this one as they don’t want to give up another chance for a crack at Michigan State.   Maybe after Montee’s four touchdowns in this one, he will get a little more Heisman love.  Wisconsin 41 – Penn State 20 

Arkansas @ LSU: Talk about controversy.  Even if Arkansas wins this game, there is a chance that they might not jump LSU in the BCS rankings and lose out on a shot at the BCS title game.  LSU’s offense is nothing to write home about but Arkansas has a quarterback, Tyler Wilson, who is.  Part of Wilson’s success is owed to his outstanding receiver core which will face its toughest match yet. LSU’s secondary is the best in the country and whoever wins this matchup I can see winning the game.  LSU will put up points but not enough to pull completely away.  Wilson will lead a late fourth quarter drive to deliver the Razorbacks a victory yet there will be no title game because of it.  Arkansas 27 – LSU 24

Ohio State @ Michigan: 8 years, it has been 8 years since the Wolverines have had a victory over the Buckeyes but the fans can smell blood this year.  If Brady Hoke wants to be the long term coach at Michigan, this is the game he needs to win.  Whether he wins a bowl game or not will be irrelevant compared to this game.  Denard is coming off one of the best games of his career and expect this game to be very similar.  Ohio State let up over 200 yards on the ground last week and it might not be that much this week but Robinson will have over 50 yards including two scores.  Due to this win, Michigan will most likely get a bid to head to the Sugar Bowl.  Michigan 28 – Ohio State 10

Notre Dame @ Stanford: The Andrew Luck train has slowed down significantly over the past two weeks yet he is still one of the top vote getters for the Heisman. My take is he is getting votes for his name compared to his performance this season.  The Cardinal should not overlook the Irish as they have been playing great football as of late.   Notre Dame’s QB, Tommy Reese, has the ability to make game changing plays but even if he does, I do not think the Irish defense will be able to contain Andrew Luck.  Luck will have a good game throwing for three TDs but with the lack of an appearance in the Pac 12 championship game, I do not think it will be enough to win him the Heisman.  Stanford 34 – Notre Dame 24

Alabama @ Auburn: The Iron Bowl, one of the fiercest rivalries in all of college sports.  Last year, Cam Newton marched into Bryant – Denny Stadium and erased a 24 point Crimson Tide lead on their way to a national championship.  The tables are turned this year as the Tigers now stand in front of the Tide for a bid to the national championship game.  Based on pure talent this game should not be close.  The Alabama line should be able to control Auburn’s front four and open up plenty of holes for Trent Richardson.  Barring a LSU loss, this will be Trent’s last chance to state his case for the Heisman as well.  His case will be very strong after this one as he puts up 150 yards and 2 touchdowns.  However, due to this being a rivalry game and the game being played in Auburn, I think this one will be closer than people think and I would not rule out a possible upset.  Alabama 28 – Auburn 24

Weekend Rewind: 3 -2

Fans from Norman, Eugene, Greenville, and Stillwater
were all devastated as their national title hopes were dashed. 

For how crazy this past weekend was, I am glad I was above .500. I am slowly increasing my winning percentage and am now 11 – 9.  Needless to say, I will have a lot of work to do next year.  There were many games that seemed to be gimmes this weekend but that was not the case.  Just ask the people in Norman, Eugene and Greenville.  Even Wisconsin’s game was a little too close for comfort.

Prediction Wisconsin 38 – Illinois 10:  It seemed like the Illinois’ players did not want their coach to go out without a fight and that is exactly what Wisconsin was in store for (Zook will most certainly be fired at the end of the season).  The Illini came out of the gates roaring to a 17 – 7 lead at half with the help of missed tackles on Wisconsin’s end.  But then it seemed like Bielema must have given a speech similar to Coach Yoast.  The defense did not allow any points in the second half and recorded four turnovers.  Oh yah, and then there was Montee Ball.  224 yards and three touchdown was just another day at the office for the most underappreciated Heisman candidate.   Wisconsin 28 – Illinois 17 

Denard played one of the best games of his career
as Michigan kept their BCS hopes alive. 

Prediction Nebraska 24 – Michigan 17: I could not have been more wrong about a game this weekend.  Denard took over this game both with his feet and his arm.  He threw for 190 yards while tacking on an additional 80 yards with his legs.  All in all he contributed to four touchdowns on the day as Nebraska had no answer for the Michigan offense. Nebraska’s dynamic duo on the ground, Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead, were held to a combined 85 yards and no touchdowns. Well, welcome to the Big Ten Huskers, you guys have some work to do.  Michigan will look to beat OSU this weekend for the first time since 2002 and earn a BCS at-large bid.  Michigan 45 – Nebraska 17

Prediction Ohio State 20 – Penn State 14: The score was right on, the teams were not.  At first, it looked like this game could have been uncharacteristically high scoring as the score at half was, PSU 20 – OSU 14.  However neither team was able to find the end zone in the second half giving Penn State its first win without Joe Pa at the helm since 1965.  The ground game controlled the fate of this one as each team had almost triple the amount of rushing yards as they did passing yards.  Penn State’s win set up a winner take all match in Camp Randall this Saturday for a bid to the first ever Big Ten championship game.  Penn State 20 – Ohio State 14

Prediction Kansas State 34 – Texas 28: This one was a close one but it was not as high scoring as anticipated.  Although the Texas defense dominated the game, Colin Klein and company still found a way to get the job done.  The Wildcats amassed only 121 yards of total offense but was able to find the end zone twice to barley pull this one out.  And who found the end zone, no one other than Mr. Klein.  He threw a 16 yarder in the second quarter and then rushed for another TD in the third after a David Ash interception.  The Wildcats have put themselves into a position for a BCS at large bid but will need a little help from the Buckeyes to get there.  Kansas State 17 – Texas 13

Case kept his BCS and Heisman hopes alive
with another flawless performance. 

Prediction Houston 58 – SMU 27: As expected, Case Keenum and company rolled the Mustangs last weekend yet it was the Cougar defense that dominated the game instead of the high power offense.  The defense held SMU to only 93 yards in the first half and did not allow any points on the board until the fourth quarter.  Keenum also had a great day throwing for over 300 yards and a score.  Houston is the most recent addition of the Non-AQ teams with hopes of crashing the BCS party.  They sit in a perfect spot at number 8 in the BCS standings right now yet have to face a tough Tulsa team this week and then conference foe Southern Mississippi in the CUSA championship game.  I wouldn’t be surprised, if they lose one of those games.  Houston 37 – SMU 7

Happy Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Enjoy the time with family, friends and of course the food but most of all enjoy the football.  The next five days will keep all fans on the edge of their seats with college rivalries, conference deciding games, NFL grudge matches and of course turkey football.

Football and Turkey, need i say more.  

Finally, we have three great games on Thanksgiving.  The combined record of the three teams playing today is 42 - 18, you cannot ask for better football.  For over a decade, we were always plagued with a terrible game due to the horrendous Lions, but they are back!  They host the undefeated Packers and are looking for their first Thanksgiving win since 2003 when they beat who else, the Packers.  We then have the Cowboys who are fighting for the division lead and play a hot Dolphin's team who have won the last three.  To cap off the night we have the Harbaugh bowl when Niners travel east to face the Ravens.

 The fun starts in an hour with the kickoff of the Lions - Packers.  I am calling in now, the Packers will lose their first game today and Lions fans will have something else to be thankful for on this great holiday.  The Cowboys will dominate at home as Romo plays his best ball in November and then the Harbaugh parents will be calling to console Jim, as his brother John and his Ravens take down the 9 - 1 49ers.  Have a great holiday everyone and check back later tonight for my college picks of the week.

Oh Hey Jared Berggren

The biggest question going into this year’s Badger basketball season was who would fill the absence of the big man following the departure of Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil.  At 6’ 10” and 6’ 8” respectively, those are some big shoes to fill.  Although, the Badgers are only four games into the season, they seem to have found their man to fill the void in the paint and at the arc, Jared Berggren. 

Berggren has done a great job of stepping up
as the big man for this year's Badger BBall team. 

The 6’ 10” junior has been the biggest surprise to Badger fans this season averaging 13.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season.  To some fans, this is somewhat of a shock while others will boast he has had the capability all along and just needed his chance.  Well, he most certainly has it now averaging 23.5 minutes a game. 

Although Leuer and Nankivil were two of the biggest guys on the court they had one talent that is not a typical characteristic of men of their size, three point shooting.  Last season, Nankivil shot 45.7% beyond the arc and Leuer did even better with a 46.2%.  Apparently Berggren knows he has to fill that void as well as he has shot a 41.2% from down town including a 4 – 4 performance in last night’s game.  

Hopefully a feature Berggren will add to the team this year is a bigger presence in the paint.  Currently he is averaging 1.5 blocks a game where Leuer and Nankivil combined for 1.3 blocks a game last season.

But Badger fans; let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  It is very impressive how Berggren has started and how the team as a whole has started, yet we have played cupcakes.  This is a great sign but let’s see how Berggren progresses throughout the season as he faces tougher opponents. Say next week when the Badgers travel to Chapel Hill to take on the number one team in the land.  

Tale of Two Halves

Watching the first half of Illinois game was some of the most frustrating football I have watched all year.  Illinois, a team who failed to score in the first half in their previous four games put up 17 points and 224 yards on the badgers.  A Wisconsin that was once dubbed as national title hopeful barley looked like Outback Bowl contenders in the first half of Saturday’s game.

Missed tackles plagued the Badgers
the entire first half on Saturday.

It was not so much the offense as it was the defense.  We knew defense wasn’t our strongest point but I did not think they were that bad.  The Illini moved the ball with ease against the Badger defense that had a major issues getting off the field.  One of the more important stats that every Badger fan should take notice to is time of possession.  

Our offense can be our best defense at times controlling the tempo of the game and keeping the opposition’s offense on the sidelines.  Yet in the first half, Illinois held the ball for 60% of the time.  The major cause to the lack of possession was missed tackles.  Every time it seemed like the Badgers were about to get the ball back, another missed tackle lead to a five yard gain keeping Ball and Wilson off the field for that much longer. 

An uncharacteristic fumble by Wilson in Illinois territory kept the Badgers under double digits in the first half.  In fact, had it not it not been for a special teams play, the Badgers might have been held to a goose egg in the first half.  Thankfully this time around, a botched punt led to points for Badgers rather than points against.  Had the Badgers not put these points on the board, I fear the second half would have been the continuation of the first half.

Montee Ball sparked a much needed
flame for a Badger comeback.  

Yet, that was not the case.  The Badgers looked like a different team in the second half and it started with Montee ball.  He ran with tenacity in the second half raking up 164 yards and two scores.  His performance in this game should move him into the top five Heisman candidates (although no one in Wisconsin gets any love).    Ball’s performance trigged a defensive performance that marked one of their best halves all season.  They forced four turnovers and held Illinois to 13 rushing yards after allowing over 130 in the first half.

So every Badger fan is asking the same thing, why we can’t play this style of football the entire game, especially on the road?  Why is it that when we play a good team, it takes us to be down by two scores to turn on the jets?  This cannot happen from here on out.  Sure we might be able to be able to come back against a sub-par offense like Penn State but we do not want to give Michigan State any momentum in the Big Ten championship game.  Even more important, our likely opponent in a possible Rose Bowl game would be the Oregon Ducks.  They have a high flying offense no Badger team has ever seen before.  The Ducks can score 21 points in five minutes even if a defense is not inept in tackling.   I hope Bielema knows tackling should be item number one in practice this week.   

Mid-Day Rant: BCS Computers

I am sick and tired of the BCS computers.  Earlier on, their hate of the Big Ten was somewhat justified, but now it is downright outrageous.   Please tell me how a four loss Texas team has a higher computer ranking compared to a two loss Wisconsin team.  Nebraska, a team who has three losses who Wisconsin stomped on earlier in the season has a higher ranking than the Badgers.

It is not only my Badger bias that hates the BCS computers.  Fan bases around the country should have beef with the CPUs.  Oklahoma State, a 24.5 point favorite, just lost to Iowa State.  Granted it was on the road, they were still a heavy favorite and should have at least dropped four or five spots in the polls. In the human polls, they dropped from two to sick, however in the average computer ranking, they dropped one spot to two. Oklahoma, suffered their second loss to a double digit underdog weekend, yet the computers still have them at 6.  

Are we not over this Big Twelve love yet CPUs?  The Big Twelve is looking identical to the Big Ten with no dominant team and extreme parity.  I would like to see the exact formulas for the computer rankings because I see no reason why the Big Twelve should be the favored conference.  If it was the Big Ten who was favored over the Big Twelve, we could be in the fight for a national title spot if the chaos continues which it most certainly will.  

The Perfect Weekend

Friday night as I was boarding my flight home, I expected a mild weekend ahead of me.  Hours of studying at the library complimented with a college football weekend that was average at best.  Two hours later I stepped off my flight to a flurry of tweets, #UPSETALERT.  By the time I crossed the New York – Connecticut state line, Brandon Weeden had thrown his third interception, this time in overtime.  It put the Cyclones within striking distance of being the next BCS buster.

Iowa State's upset win on Friday night triggered
a weekend of madness for college football.

 A few minutes later, Jeff Woody crossed the goal line trigging eruptions of euphoria for fans in Eugene, Norman and Tuscaloosa.  24 hours later, two of those cities were joining the fan base from Stillwater in utter disbelief.  The loss of the Cowboys was already stirring up the BCS rankings, yet the losses of the Ducks and Sooners sent the BCS system into a downwards spiral at warped speed.      

If you are a hater of the BCS system, like me, you were going off your rocker all day on Saturday as one top team lost after another.  This had to be one of the most memorable weekends of upsets in recent history.  National championship bids and Heisman hopeful dreams were all dashed at the hands of under dogs this weekend.   As long as it was not your team going down, you could not have asked for a better weekend.

We are now only five losses away from utter chaos for the BCS system (if there wasn’t enough already).  Within the next two weeks, the top five teams in the BCS rankings could all lose.  As of now, LSU is One, Bama Two, Arkansas Three, Oklahoma State Four, and Virginia Tech Five. I want to stress how insane this could be.  I know I wrote about this on Friday but imagine the following scenario.

USC quarterback, Matt Barkley, had one of the
best games of his career in Saturday's upset
win at Oregon.  

 Currently, it is very clear who will be in the national championship game, Alabama – LSU.  Yet it is very possible that both of these teams go down next week.  Bama travels to their most hated rival, Auburn and LSU has to play Arkansas followed by a matchup with Georgia in the SEC championship game if they can get past the Razorbacks.    I see LSU winning at Arkansas handing them their second loss but losing to Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs in Atlanta handing.  This would give LSU only one loss but it would happen in the last game of the season.  Also that weekend, Oklahoma State will lose to Oklahoma on the last game of the season receiving its second loss.  Lastly, Virginia Tech, the most overrated team in the top ten, will lose in the ACC championship game for a second time this season.

So in case you did not follow, LSU would have one loss that but that loss would come in the last game of the season.  Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Virginia Tech would all have two losses. The only other team with one loss would be Stanford, who barely survived a home game last night against Cal.  Then there is undefeated Houston and one loss Boise State.  Go ahead; pick your national championship because I have no idea who it should be.  This weekend was exactly what every college football fan needed, hope.  Who knows what will happen next, but it is bound to keep fans on the edge of their seats.  Either way, a playoff is looking more and more appealing to the BCS officials.  

Game Day Predictions

For many, this weekend is the calm before the storm before the last two weeks of College football.  Ranked matchups are few and far between and an upset of a top ten team this weekend seemed to be unlikely (Hey Cyclones!).  Even the College Gameday crew travels to Houston for the first time ever, as a pair of Conference USA teams battle and the Cougars try to keep their BCS hopes alive.  However with what just went down in Ames, who knows what this weekend will hold for CFB fans. 

Wisconsin @ Illinois:  Six weeks ago, this looked to be the Badgers toughest test on their schedule.  Yet the season took a turn for the worse for both these teams and only one has been able to right the ship since.   Illinois’s offense has completely fallen off the map in their four game losing streak averaging about 10 points a game.  Even if they put up 20, I do not see them being able to contain the Badgers.  Russell is in complete command at the helm of the 4^th ranked offense in the country.  I expect to see Montee pass the 30 TD mark tomorrow with both 16 and 28 getting more Heisman love after Weeden’s loss tonight.  Wisconsin 38 Illinois 10

Nebraska @ Michigan: If either of these teams has any hope of going to a BCS bowl, they must win to stay in the hunt.  Both teams have very similar offenses with a quarterback who can be magical on the ground but will make you cringe when they go to the air.   This will be a typical Big Ten game that is decided by the little things such as turnovers and penalties.  Denard has been a little bit more reckless with the football this season throwing six more interceptions than Martinez.  Expect Robinson to be flushed from the pocket forcing the ball and throwing a few late game turnovers.  This will allow Nebraska Back, Rex Burkhead, a chance to pack on the yards and close the game out for the Huskers.  Nebraska 24 – Michigan 17

Penn State @ Ohio State: The game of scandals!  The loser of this one will be officially eliminated from the Legends division race.  I personally do not think it will matter because Wisconsin will take care of business yet it could give the Badgers a little breathing room if the Buckeyes pull off a victory. I would be surprised to see more than 40 points in this one as Ohio State’s offense is 74^th in the country and Penn State’s is 102^nd.  Herron will bounce back from his performance last week and eclipse 100 yards for the fourth time in five weeks and get two scores to help lead OSU to the victory.  Ohio State 20 – Penn State 14

Kansas State @ Texas:  How Texas is still a ranked team is a mystery to me but then again so is Baylor.  The BCS computers seem to love these Big 12 teams but maybe that will change after this weekend.  That being said, I also don’t understand how Kansas State is getting 9.5 points in this game.  Apparently most of America has not been watching Colin Klein the past couple of weeks.  If I had not been making a case for Russell and Montee for Heisman over the past few weeks it would have been most certainly for Klein.  He leads the nation in rushing TDs so expect him to scurry in the end zone for at least a pair tomorrow.  Yes, you heard me right, Kansas State’s QUATERBACK leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and he is not too bad at throwing the ball either.  He is a hell of a leader and will be the X factor in the game tomorrow. Kansas State 34 – Texas 28

SMU @ Houston: College Gameday’s crew heads down to Houston for the first time in the show’s history. It just happens to be a historic time for the Cougars as well as they are on pace to attend their first ever bowl game.  This would be a huge boost for the football program in Houston as they have only won one bowl win in the past 30 years.  In fact, they have only attended 20 bowl games in school history.  The Cougars are led by Heisman hopeful Case Keenum who is shattering every record possible for quarterbacks.  It will be just another day in the office for Case tomorrow as the Mustangs an offensive weapon like Keenum.  The Cougars continue their undefeated run with a C-USA championship looming in the future with Southern Mississippi.  Houston 58 – SMU 27   

**On a side note, I also expect Iowa to lose tomorrow at Purdue. 

Bring on the Chaos

2013 will mark a pivotal moment not only for the die-hard college football fans but even the casual ones.  2013 will mark the last season of the current BCS contract out of the most recent four year deal.  Earlier this week, officials of the BCS met to discuss possible structural changes to the current system.  A number of different ideas were put out on the table including a playoff system, yet that did not seem to be the most popular idea.  

It is time for a new system.  

The majority of sources were stating the idea of getting rid of the qualifying BCS conferences.  This would allow the national championship game be up for grabs.  Essentially, this would give Houston, a current undefeated team with strength of schedule equivalent to the Little Giants, a chance to raise the crystal ball.  Sound ridiculous, I think so too. The way I see it, we would be rewarding a Conference USA team for playing a cupcake schedule all year long, it just doesn’t seem right.

 If the BCS system is so keen on giving these schools a chance to play for the national title, than the correct thing to do would be to set up a playoff system.  Although they might play a bunch of daisies during the season, they would have to face the gauntlet in the postseason playing the likes of Alabama and USC.  In my mind as well as many others, a playoff system would make so much sense.  Then why is this not being considered as a number one option?

Maybe in their eyes, they have always gotten the right matchups and never had a problem with two teams who have played for the national championship.  Looking back in the 13 years of the BCS, there have been only two years of real controversy. The first was the 2004 – 2005 college football season when Oklahoma was demolished by USC in the national title.  Both teams were undefeated yet there was a third, Auburn, who ended up finishing the season undefeated after winning the Sugar bowl.  I know shocking, an undefeated SEC team not being picked for the title game.  That scenario in the past couple of years would be unheard of.  The second year of dispute was the 2007 – 2008 season when there was no undefeated team and people were wondering who would be selected to play Ohio State in the title game.  It ended up being a two loss LSU team that took it to the Buckeyes triggering the fall from grace for the Big Ten.

A playoff system would prevent any discrepancy
in the future in who should play in the national title game. 

That being said, I think we know what needs to happen.  We need to give the BCS officials a reason to push for the playoff.  The media, celebrities, and fans have all stated their case for a playoff but it will never get done if it doesn’t come from the source, the BCS.  For this type of push, every fan needs to pray for chaos.  We need a scenario that the BCS formula cannot handle and the servers end up short circuiting.  Then and only then will we see a push from the BCS officials.  

 Although we are 11 weeks into the season, it is still very likely that this could happen this year. There could be a possible scenario where everyone would be scratching their head with who to place in the national title game.  Let’s start with the top two teams, because if they win out, it is certain they will be playing on January 9^th.  I have never bought into Oklahoma State as they do not have a great defense nor have they faced one.  I think we see them losing to the Sooners on the last game of the season which would knock them out of the race.  LSU still has to play Arkansas which is the 6^th team in the country and most likely a red-hot Georgia team in the SEC championship game.  If LSU knocks off Arkansas that would knock the Razorbacks out of the title talk but then if LSU loses to Georgia, they would most likely not get a bid.

Alabama Auburn is a fierce rivalry and no game
is a guaranteed win for either team in any season. 

So if those two teams lose, who would replace them?  Right now, 99% of America would say it would be an Alabama-Oregon championship game.  Many people are overlooking Bama’s last game of the season, at Aubrun.  Although, Auburn is nothing what it was last year, Roll Tide/War Eagle is one of the most intense rivalries in all of college sports and it is on the Tiger’s turf.  Out of the top four teams, Oregon has the easiest route to New Orleans.  Their toughest opponent left is USC at home but if they the Ducks do not come to play, they could easily be upset and see their title hopes dashed.  If the above scenario happens, 5 of the top 6 teams in the country could go down in the last three weeks, and then who do you pick?

Maybe it would be an undefeated Houston team to get the bid, but many think they will lose to Southern Mississippi at the end of the season?  How about Oklahoma who lost to a 28 point underdog earlier in the season? I personally don’t think the voters want to see Oklahoma get clobbered in another national title game.  Then there is Clemson but I see them losing at South Carolina next week. How about Virginia Tech, the only other top ten ACC team? Well they have to face Clemson in the ACC title game.  They lost by three touchdowns to them earlier in the year.  

Try and tell me you would not have fun filling out
this bracket in your office pool. 

As you can see, there are possibilities for chaos to occur in the remaining three weeks.  7 out of the top 8 teams could lose by the first weekend in December.  If this scenario would occur, I have no idea who I would want to see in the national title game.  I also have no idea how the computers would come up with the top two teams, hopefully the servers would overheat from the madness and crash.  Yet, in the end, we would need the top two teams to cause a national outcry for a playoff.  We need controversy, we need anarchy and then once we have it, the BCS officials will seriously consider a playoff. 

Weekend Rewind 3 -2

What was arguably one of the most exciting weekends in College Football this season has brought me above the .500 mark (8 -7).  My biggest weakness is the game of the week as I am 0-3 since the start of the blog.  That being said, bet against me when it comes to the Saturday night games.  

Prediction Wisconsin 51 – Minnesota 14:  Wisconsin did everything right in this game with the exception of special teams, go figure.   Russell Wilson had a flawless performance and boosted his case for Heisman.  He should not be the only one getting Heisman love, as Montee Ball broke the Big Ten touch down record against the Gophers.  Everything outside of the Badgers control also went perfectly on Saturday as both Penn State and Ohio State lost setting us up for a rematch with the Spartans on December 3^rd.   As long as Konz can get healthy and we have no other injuries, Badger fans should begin to look for flights to LAX.  Wisconsin 42 – Minnesota 13

Both the fans and the players showed an impression
sign of unity on Saturday in State College.  

Prediction Nebraska 20 – Penn State 10:  One of the best sights of the whole weekend was before kickoff in this game as players from both sides said a prayer for the victims in the Sandusky case.  Yet, other than an attempted come back at the end of the game, that was one of the only bright spots for Penn State fans.  Rex Burkhead was able to find the necessary holes running for 121 yards along with a touchdown in the third quarter to give the Corn Huskers a 17 – 0 lead.  Stephfon Green was able to find the end-zone late in the game but it was too little too late for the Nittnay Lions.  With a visit to Camp Randall in the future, Penn State fans can kiss their Big Ten Championship hopes goodbye.  Nebraska 17 – Penn State 14

Prediction Iowa 23 – Michigan State 21: I would first and foremost like to apologize to my readers.  All week I was thinking Michigan State but I let Iowa fans get the best of me.  It was a rookie mistake and I will not let any Iowa fan (especially John May) sway my opinion again.  Michigan State had control of this game right from the get go storming to a 31 – 7 halftime lead.  This was a first for the Spartans as they had only scored a total of 13 points in each of their three previous road trips.  Marcus Cocker had his worst performance all year gaining less than 100 all-purpose yards.  This has only happened once before in the first game of the season, however he was benched in that game for a first quarter fumble.  The Spartans have two easy games ahead of them and then a likely date with Bucky in Indy.    Michigan State 37 – Iowa 21. 

Prediction Georgia 31 – Auburn 20:  Do Georgia fans have a reason to smile or what!  Aaron Murray is getting better with each week and he still has two more years of eligibility.  He threw four touchdowns on 14 of 18 passes for 224 yards as the Bulldogs thrashed the Auburn Tigers.  Although Aaron Murray was magnificent it was the Bulldog defense that was completely dominant and gave Auburn no chance in this game.  They held the Tigers to only seven points and 195 yards of total offense which are two season lows for the Tigers, including the game with LSU.  Speaking of LSU, if I were them I would be worried with this Georgia team in my future for a potential match-up in the SEC championship game.    Georgia 45 – Auburn 7

LaMichael James was electric for the Ducks
all night long running for 146 yards and three touchdowns.

 Prediction Stanford 41 – Oregon 37:  This game was an offensive slug fest yet it was a different team and a different Heisman hopeful that stole the show compared to my prediction.  For the first eight minutes I was thinking to myself , “Maybe this will not be as high scoring as I thought”, after four consecutive punts.  Then an Andrew Luck interception lead to a quick touchdown followed by two point conversion and the Ducks were flying.  Lead by the revived Heisman hopeful, LaMichael James, the Ducks had a dominant ground attack racking up 232 yards.  Andrew Luck looked extremely average throwing two interceptions and fumbling once.  The Ducks have now put themselves back in the national title hunt yet will need some help to get there.  Oregon 53 - 30

Mid-Day Rant: Injuries

Groy should have no problem fitting in with the Wisconsin
offensive line with his size and game playing experience   

There is one thing that all coaches, players, fans and fantasy owners can agree on, they hate injuries.  There is nothing positive that comes out of an injury (with the exception of Tom Brady) and it could change the fate of your season or fantasy team.  Over the past week, there have been certain NFL teams that have suffered serious injuries that could possibly derail their super bowl hopes as well as college teams who have lost their key players. 

The Badgers are one of the teams who have suffered injuries over the last week, but lucky for Bucky, they should be just fine.   The only serious recent injury happened to red shirt junior center, Peter Konz.  He suffered a dislocated left ankle versus the Gophers and is expected to be out for two – four weeks. 

The good thing about Wisconsin is they are not on the short end of cheese curd eating, Spotted Cow drinking offensive lineman.  Replacing Konz will be red shirt sophomore Ryan Groy who has seen playing time in each game this season.  Groy, at 6-5 320 lbs, should have no problem clearing the holes for Montee Ball and James White over the next few weeks.   My estimation is we see Konz on the side lines until the Big Ten Championship (Baring any sort of collapse in Camp Randall or Champagne).

One team whose season has taken a turn for the worse due to injuries is the Houston Texans.  This season could not have lined up more perfectly for the Texans, with Peyton Manning out and a chance at a first round bye in the playoffs.  However on Monday, there were reports that quarterback Matt Schaub had suffered a season ending injury.  This is a devastating blow to the Texans as they now have Matt Lienhart manning the offense.  I would still expect the Texans to make the playoffs but would not expect them to get past the second round when they have to go through New England or Pittsburgh. 

Matt Schaub's injury is devastating not only to the
Texans but to any fantasy owner who had him as his QB.   

Not only was this a devastating loss for the Texans but for any fantasy owner who started Schaub over the past ten weeks.  I know this because I am one of those owners.  I am 9 -1 and was expecting to make a deep run in the playoffs with Schaub at the helm.  In any normal league, Schaub was a top ten fantasy point producing quarterback along with a top 25 overall fantasy producing player. Clearly losing him is a huge blow.  I was lucky enough to pick up both Matt Hassleback and Alex Smith.  I expect either of these QBs to put up enough points along with the respective supporting cast to weather the storm that is the fantasy football playoffs.  I would bet that other owners were not as lucky and will have to settle for the likes of Matt Moore and Tarvaris Jackson.  

Mid Day Rant: Papelgone

Apparently the Phillies have been too caught up in their
world series title to watch Papelbon over the past few years.

After a wild weekend of college and professional football, one would think today's rant would have to do about football. Yet, I have decided to go a different route and talk about the Redsox.  On Friday, Redsox closer signed a deal with the the Philadelphia Phillies for a four year, $50 million contract.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME PHILLIES!  Have you watched Papelbon erode over the past few years.  He is nothing compared to 2007 when he helped lead the Redsox to a world series.

As a Redsox fan, this does no bother me at all.  Good for Papelbon because he is robbing Philadelphia.  Like I said, he is nothing compared to what he used to be.  The Redsox are cleaning house and this was just another piece of our former world series puzzle to leave the Sox.  The off season will surely be an interesting one for the Redsox as we have a lot of work to do after this season's monumental collapse.  

The Forgotten Candidate

All season long, Wisconsin fans have known they have two possible Heisman candidates.  Yet, due to the free agent signing of Russell Wilson, most of the national attention had been on him.   It is deservedly so, Russell has been almost perfect and has the highest passing efficiency in the country.  Yet, up until recently, I haven’t even heard whispers of Montee Ball and Heisman in the same sentence unless you were talking to fellow Badger fans.  Yet this week, with the fall of Kellen Moore and Andrew Luck, the Heisman race has become wide open.

Montee powers his way into the end-zone for one of
his 27 touchdowns. 

However, it should not have taken the fall of these two superstars for Montee to be given some Heisman love.    For weeks Ball has been leading the nation in touchdowns and has been putting up numbers similar to Trent Richardson, the only running back getting numerous Heisman votes.  Including yesterday, Montee has had over 100 all-purpose yards in every game and has scored at least two touchdowns every week.  That is one stat that Trent Richardson cannot even boast.  In fact, there are four games in which Trent only had one touchdown or less.   The argument that Bama fans will give is that Trent has faced tougher opposition.  Although this might be true, each back has played three currently ranked teams. 

A strong argument for any Heisman hopeful is to break records.   After all, Case Kenneum started to receive Heisman votes because every week he seems to be breaking some record.  Yet if strength of schedule should hurt anyone, it should be Case as the Cougars SOS is 110/120. Just like Kenneum, Montee is breaking a few records of his own.  After yesterday’s game, he surpassed three former Big Ten players for the most touch downs in a season.  Although, it’s a long shot, he still could beat Barry Sander’s record of 37 touchdowns in one season.  He will have to have three or four scores over the next three games (includes Big Ten Championship), which is not out of the question.  He already had five games this season with three or more scores.

Montee has had no problem running
through defenders all season long. 

 Clearly Montee has the stats to bolster a cause for the Heisman.  As mentioned, he leads the nation in touchdowns.  He has the second most rushing yards out of any BCS conference running back with 1,242.  He is only behind Virginia Tech’s David Wilson, yet Ball has more all-purpose yards with an added 234 receiving yards.   By the looks of it, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Montee finish the season with at least 1,500 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards.   If you match those numbers with the last running back to win the Heisman, Mark Ingram, it is pretty much spot on.  Ingram finished his sophomore year with 1,658 rushing yards and 334 receiving yards with a total of 20 touch downs.  And let’s not forget about the kicker for Montee, he has a throwing touchdown to Russell Wilson.

 Before yesterday, it was understandable why Ball was not getting any Heisman love.  After this week, it will be downright insane if he does not have one vote.  The only down side for Ball is that Russell will be taking some of his votes away.  As a Badger fan that is fine with me, because I would rather see those two deliver us a Rose Bowl trophy compared to a Heisman trophy.  Either way, I would expect to see Russell or Montee to be in New York as a finalist.  If it is not Montee, he can always come back next year to make an even stronger case.  

Smellin' Roses

Hopes of a Rose Bowl season are alive for Badger
fans after a big day of football yesterday.

ALIVE,IT’S ALIVE, ITS ALIVEEEE!!!  Badger fan’s, our Rose Bowl dreams our back on track after the best day of football we have had all year.  Although we had aspirations of heading to New Orleans, after Halloween weekend it seemed like we might not even have a New Year ’s Day bowl.  However, after yesterday, destiny is back in our hands. 

As many expected, Nebraska was able to take care of Penn State.  I was more worried about this game after the Penn State scandal because I thought the players would be playing with a fire now that Paterno no longer roamed the sidelines.  Yet, their offense could hardly move the ball (Nebraska was not that much better) and fell just short of a game tying drive.  Penn State still has to lose one more game but with a trip to Camp Randall, I do not see that being an issue.

Purdue special team's blocked a crucial extra
point to send the game into overtime. 

Ohio State was the game that many over looked.  However, this was a classic trap game for any team.  Ohio State has two massive games ahead of them, Penn State at home and at Michigan.  It was very likely the players could have over looked this game especially since Purdue looked so weak in their last game against the Badgers.  Purdue had the lead for the majority of the game yet it looked like Ohio State was going to pull out a victory with a last minute touch down.  However, a blocked extra point sent the game into OT where the Buckeyes were unable to find the end zone.  Robert Marve’s one yard touchdown run squandered any hopes the Buckeyes had at a Rose Bowl berth. 

Then there were the Badgers, who seemed to playing like they were right at home against Minnesota.  For the eighth consecutive year, the Badgers were able to claim the Paul Bunyan Axe.  Although it was Minnesota, they had been playing their best football as of late and we had yet to win a true road game.  Every Badger fan should be impressed with our performance and should expect to see the same thing next week as we head to Champagne to take on the Illini.  We now seem to be on a collision course to play Michigan State in the first ever Big Ten Championship game.  The winner of course will head to Pasadena, and I can assure you that Russell and company have their sights set on SoCal.    

*The losses of Stanford and Boise State had major implications on the Heisman race as well which directly affect Russell Wilson and Montee Ball

Game Day Predictions

 The weekend ahead in college football is filled with story lines and drama and I am sure it will not disappoint.  If the Big Ten Race was not already hot enough, the Penn State mess is only adding more fuel to the fire.  The scene in Happy Valley should be like nothing we have ever seen before.  Prior to this week, this game had massive implications on the Big Ten division races.  Add the Sandusky scandal and it is must see T.V.  Here are the five for this week….

Wisconsin @ Minnesota: Wisconsin will have no troubles on this road trip.  Minnesota has only held Paul Bunyan’s Axe 4 times over the last twenty years and the way these programs are heading, it might be another twenty before they hold it again.  ‘Money Ball’ is guaranteed to break the Big Ten record of 27 touch downs this game with Russell contributing to at least one of those scores.  The Gophers are ranked 103^rd in the nation for points against while the Badgers are ranked 4^th in the nation for points for.  Folks, this one could get ugly.  Wisconsin 51 – Minnesota 14

Nebraska @ Penn State:  We all know the major story line for this game.  Yet, unknown to many outside the Big Ten, this game has crucial implications on the Legends and Leaders divisions.  If Nebraska wins, it knocks Penn State out of the driver’s seat for the Leaders division (factoring a guaranteed lose at Camp Randall).  If Penn State wins, Nebraska is pretty much eliminated from the Legends division race.  Each team boasts dominant backs and Nebraska Quarterback, Taylor Martinez, does better with his feet then his arm so do not expect to see many balls thrown in the air tomorrow.  In general Penn State has struggled to put up points and has too many distractions therefore I do not see them pulling this one out. Nebraska 20 – Penn State 10

Michigan State @ Iowa: Alright Hawkeye fans, I picked you last week against a Michigan team and you didn’t fail me so I will pick you again this week.  I was back and forth on this game and think both teams will score right around twenty.  Yet all Big Ten teams have suffered on the road this year and Michigan State has a history of falling in Iowa City.  The Spartans have not won a game in Kinnick since 1989.  The game will come down to a few big plays such as costly turnover or a bad penalty. I expect to see Marcus Cocker have a big game as the Spartans have struggled against the run in the month of October.  Iowa 23 – Michigan State 21

Auburn @ Georgia:  There has arguably been no hotter team in college football lately than the Georgia Bulldogs.  With South Carolina losing last week, the Bulldogs have set themselves up for a collision course with LSU for the SEC championship game.  This is a fierce rivalry and Auburn is coming off a buy so I do not expect Georgia to win by more than two scores.  The Bulldog’s sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray has also been playing his best football lately throwing for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in the last three games.  We will see him deliver key fourth quarter drives accompanied by key defensive stands to get the W for the Bulldogs.  Georgia 31 – Auburn 20    

Oregon @ Stanford: In last week’s marquee matchup, we saw a defensive bought; this week will be completely different.   Oregon and Stanford are two of the top five offensive juggernauts in the country.  I do not see either defense being able to slow down the opposition’s offense.  LaMichael James had over 200 yards in the three games leading up to his injury.  Last week, it seemed he finally got his legs back so I think we will see a similar performance out of him tomorrow.  Then there is Andrew Luck, need I say more.  It is nights like tomorrow in which Heisman Trophy winners are made and I think we see that out of Luck as he leads a late scoring drive clinching the victory for the Cardinal.  Stanford 41 – Oregon 37

Mid-Day Rant: Penn State Student Protests

Students I get it, you wanted a reason to gather in the masses last night, but was it justified?  Had we had the same situation two years ago in Wisconsin, I could guarantee you I would have been among the crowd on Bascom Hill.  Yet, was there any reason for thousands of you to march on campus last night?  The only reason I could come up with is in twenty years you can say, “Remember when JoePa was fired, I was there, I protested.”

Thousands of students gathered last night to protest
the firing of their beloved coach. 

 However, in twenty years from now, I will hope you will realize that the trustees made the right decision.  Paterno had to go!  Everyone who was involved in this situation had to be accountable for their actions.  Joe Paterno has been steering the ship at Penn State for 46 years and as any good captain would do, he has to go down with the ship. 

I am not solely blaming Joe Paterno either; he took the matter to the proper authorities who failed to act diligently.  At that point, Paterno should have done more and it is easy to say that you or I would have taken those necessary actions. Yet, I was not there; I was not in his shoes.  I tell myself, as does everyone else, that we would have taken the proper steps to prevent this from happening again.  However, nobody but the people involved can truly attest to what actions took place and what was actual said during those days in 2002. Personally, I think we are at the tip of the iceberg and within the coming months, we will hear a lot more details that will make us cringe.

By the end of the night, police were bringing out
the pepper spray to control crowds. 

But all of that is beside the point.  Collectively as a whole, Penn State failed the victims.  There were enough authoritative figures that caught wind of Sandusky’s appalling actions to stop him from committing the crimes over and over.  So as a whole, they failed the children.  Therefore, everyone involved needed be removed from their position of power.  There needs to be no blame game, no “I told him, so I did my job” in this situation.  There is no excuse that should allow any member party to keep a position at Penn State. 

Had Paterno been on the sidelines on Saturday, it would have just added more popcorn to the circus that, in no doubt in my mind, will take place at Beaver Stadium.  Since he is not there, maybe for those brief three hours, the students, fans, and players can enjoy a football game and put Sandusky’s disgraceful acts in the back of their minds.  Yet in the end, it is just football and the situation at hand is much bigger than some legendary coach’s record or a pig skin being thrown around. So students, the trustees made the right call so if there is a next time, think twice before you start throwing rocks and smashing car windshields. 

*Check back later for another article on Joe Paterno’s legacy.  

Mid-Day Rant: Rooting for the Enemy

The Corn Huskers have quickly climbed my list as one of my most hated teams and I do not think that loathing will be going away any time soon. Granted they have not surpassed Ohio St or Duke but they are on the short list of fan bases and teams I cannot stand.    However, this week causes me to do something that I very rarely do or enjoy doing, rooting for a team I despise.

Myself, along with every other Badger fan will
be rooting against Paterno in his last home game. 

As Badger fans, we have no choice but to swallow our pride because a win by Nebraska could change the tide of the Leaders race, again.  In order to get an outright bid to the Big Ten Championship game, we need to have Penn St lose a game (not including the one at Camp Randall), Ohio St lose a game and of course win out. 

The first two aspects of that scenario have a very real chance of happening this weekend.  Penn St has an awful offense and Nebraska needs to win if they want to have any shot at winning the division.  They have been playing inconsistent football and typically respond with a strong win after an awful performance, which they had last week.  As far as Ohio State, they have to head to Purdue.  This is a classic trap game for a team who has been extremely hot and has two big games ahead of them.  We even saw Ohio St sizzle off a little bit last week versus Indiana.  I think the Boilermakers are poised for a big upset win similar to what we have seen out of Iowa and Minnesota the last two weeks. 

*I came up with this rant prior to the outbreak of news in regards to the actions of former Assistant Coach, Jerry Sandusky, at Penn St.   These actions are horrific in nature and there are multiple people accountable in this situation. Yet the current Penn St. players, especially the seniors, do not deserve to have anything taken away from them this Saturday.  I would love to see the players win won for themselves this Saturday yet I am stuck rooting for the black shirts.  

Weekend Rewind: 3 – 2

Montee Ball is just three TD's away from breaking
the Big Ten Touchdown Record. 

I am stepping my game up and I am now batting .500 since the start of the blog.  Had Alabama actually recruited a kicker, I would have been 4 -1.   Special teams keep hurting my record but at least the Badgers didn’t this week. 

Prediction Wisconsin 49 – Purdue 10: The Badgers had no hangover this week.  As I predicted, Russell played a flawless game and put up Heisman numbers.  Montee came three TD’s closer to breaking the Big Ten touch down record which should happen against Minnesota on Saturday.  This upcoming weekend is very important for the Badgers not only in terms of keeping the Axe, but for the Leaders division race.   Every Badger fan should have their eye on the Nebraska and Purdue game.  A win by those teams will put us back in the driver’s seat.  Wisconsin 62 – Purdue 17 

Prediction Oklahoma State 51 – Kansas State 24:  If anyone deserves a game ball out of this game, it is Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein.  The senior quarterback played his heart out and came up just short of a tying touchdown in the last seconds of the game.  As predicted, the Cowboys put up a 50 spot on Kansas State yet their defense also gave up their fair share of points.  This leads me to believe that the Cowboys will not go unblemished through the season and will most likely fall to the Sooners in Stillwater on December 3rd.  Oklahoma State 52 – Kansas State 45

Prediction Iowa 28 – Michigan 27:  In one of the most exciting games of the weekend, Michigan was within inches of having an opportunity to tie the game in the last second. Iowa’s defense stopped Denard on four separate occasions in the last 20 seconds to seal the win.   For Iowa, it was Marcus Cocker rather than Vandenberg who stole the show with 132 yards and 2 touchdowns.  In all honesty, I wish Michigan had won this game.  I work with a number of Hawkeye fans who now think they will be playing in Indianapolis.  They forgot that they have to play Michigan State and at Nebraska in the next three weeks.    Iowa 24 – Michigan 16

Denard could not find the end-zone in the last minute
of the game severely hurting Michigan's chances in
the Legend's division.  

Prediction South Carolina 24 – Arkansas 21:  Wow was I wrong in this game.  It was not Arkansas who had a problem moving the ball on Saturday night, but the Gamecocks.  They had a total of 79 yards on the ground split between 8 guys on 33 attempts.  I guess Wilds was not up to the right replacement for the injured Lattimore.  Arkansas Quarterback, Tyler Wilson, had no problem with the South Carolina defense throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns.  This now gives Georgia sole control of their destiny into the SEC championship game…watch out LSU.  Arkansas 44 – South Carolina 28

Prediction Alabama 31 – LSU 27: Game of the century, more like game of the great defenses and middle school quarterbacks.  Alabama had more than enough chances to take this one home but could not capitalize on any chance they got.  At the end of the day, there was one thing that I learned from this game.  These teams are not invincible, are very beatable, and do not deserve a rematch in the NCG.  As a Badger fan, I would almost (AND I MEAN ALMOST) rather see us not make the Big Ten Championship game yet still get a bid to play in the Sugar Bowl to play, say… Alabama.  LSU 9 – Alabama 6