Posted on 11/16/2006 2:36:27 PM PST by MikefromOhio
Weekend Eleven threw the entire BCS mess into an even bigger mess if that is possible. No fewer than 3 one loss teams lost (Texas, Auburn, Cal) while another one (Florida) needed to block 3 kicks to win their game 17-16 against South Carolina. This week is the week that just about everyone in the national media has been waiting for. The greatest rivalry in college football renews and that game finds that Ohio State is #1 and Michigan is #2 for the first time in the 102 game history of this game.
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It doesn’t get any better than this. For the FIRST time ever, an 11-0 Ohio State team will play an 11-0 Michigan team. For the FIRST time ever, the teams are ranked 1 and 2 in every major poll. For the FIRST time ever, the loser of this game will end up in the Rose Bowl. This is the best rivalry in college football, and this one clearly has the best setup of any of those previous 102 games.
Ohio State and Michigan have both played dominant defense and very well on offense. Ohio State has a Heisman candidate in Troy Smith and Michigan has a Heisman candidate in Mike Hart. Ohio State has a coach that has brought a new focus to this rivalry whereas Michigan has the coach who was so dominant in this rivalry that Ohio State was forced to make a change. Does it sound like I’m having issues picking this game? Really I’m not. Every comparison for these teams shows that Ohio State is better on offense while Michigan is better on defense except for scoring defense. In the end, this game will come down to who makes the bigger plays. I think Troy Smith, who has burned Michigan each of the previous two years, will make enough plays to allow Ohio State to win this game.
Western Carolina at (3) Florida (NL)
Florida 53 – Western Carolina 3
(17) Cal at (4) USC (-5.5) ****UPSET WATCH****
USC 38 – Cal 31
(5) Arkansas (-15) at Mississippi St.
Arkansas 39 – Mississippi St. 12
Army at (6) Notre Dame (-28.5)
Army 70 – ND 6
Just kidding….
ND 42 – Army 10
(7) Rutgers (-6.5) at Cincinnati ****UPSET ALERT****
Cincinnati 23 – Rutgers 20
Mississippi at (9) LSU (-27)
LSU 38 – Mississippi 13
South Florida at (10) Louisville (-16.5)
Louisville 44 – South Florida 20
(11) TEXAS BYE
Buffalo at (12) Wisconsin (-38)
Wisconsin 53 – Buffalo 0
Utah St. at (13) Boise State (-37.5)
Boise St. 34 – Utah State 10
(19) Virginia Tech at (14) Wake Forest (PICK) ****UPSET WATCH****
Wake 22 – VT 18
(15) Auburn (-3) at Alabama
Auburn 23 – Alabama 17
(16) Oklahoma (-20.5) at Baylor
Oklahoma 38 – Baylor 14
Duke at (18) Georgia Tech (-26.5) ****UPSET WATCH****
Georgia Tech 21 – Duke 3
(21) Maryland at (20) Boston College (-7)
BC 24 – Maryland 21
(22) Tennessee (-8.5) at Vanderbilt
Tennessee 31 – Vandy 17
New Mexico at (23) BYU (-26.5)
BYU 42 – New Mexico 20
(24) Nebraska BYE
(25) Clemson BYE
New Mexico hasn’t disappointed yet this year. I pick them, they lose. I pick against them, they win. I paper this one doesn’t look like it will be very close. Let’s see how this prediction goes….
BYU 42 – New Mexico 20
Texas A&M BYE
Western Michigan at Florida State (-16)
I never thought I would see the day that Florida State would be ONLY a 16 point favorite against a directional school. Now the good news for FSU fans is that Jeff Bowden has been canned resigned, but the bad news is that he’s still there the rest of this season.
FSU 41 – Western Michigan 12
No problem. Just put a spy on him all game long. That does leave one less person in coverage so I guess they'll just have to rely on single coverage when the buckeyes throw out 4 and 5 receiver sets. Leon Hall and Morgan Trent both have 4.2 type speed to cover Ginn and Gonzo, right? Let's assume that they do...
That just leaves Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie to cover. Problem solved. Oh wait we still have a TE to account for as well as possibly having to worry about Pittman coming out of the backfield...
There's a reason that the line has increased to 7 for this game. Too many weapons to try to match up against. The only exposure is going to be Michigan's secondary. Remember last years Fiesta? Speed Kills.
"And one can hope Yuma and ABQ will be at least warmer than it is here in Boise."
It was 90 degrees and windy here in Yuma today. My dad said it was 55 in Albuquerque. On a side note, it looks pretty good for Boise St's BCS hopes if they can run the table. I'm pulling for them. I hate the BCS, and anytime a so-called mid-major can stick it to them I'll be happy.
I'm not sure if I get Classic in this dorm room or not... I'll have to see about it.
Sometimes I really wish you could buy DVD box sets of a particular team's season.
34 Hours...
Weather in Columbus tomorrow? 47°/33° partly cloudy, perfect football weather...
Michigan by 4. 23-19....
Placemark.
Yes that block was awesome especially since they showed it 20 more times throughout the game.
He knocked down both guys.
"Coach, I got my clock cleaned so bad that I knocked down the guy behind me to."
ROFLMAO
That was hilarious last night.
The lead in to today's front page of the Contra Costa Times (Berkeley's backyard) Sports section:
"USC: EVERYTHING CAL ISN'T BUT WISHES IT WAS... another season to remember, another righteous victory coming... It's tradition. It's an entitlement. It's a birthright. And people hate USC for it. Especially people from Berkeley"
Isn't it great to be hated?
Yes! Go Cal!
Too bad that every top ten team will have to have 2, maybe 3 losses, before they'll let one-loss Florida sniff the National Championship game. UF came a knat's ass from beating Auburn at Auburn, but lost in great part because of a horrible call.
The Mighty Gators always seem to find a way to get the most points of any team in the stadium on that particular day, but they don't really do "style" scoring, which used to be frowned upon as "running up the score."
Unfortunately I do. Plus, thanks to the pollsters and the computers, even if Ohio State loses they'll get a rematch for the NC. As I stated earlier, all top 10 teams will have to have at least 2 losses for UF to get in the big game. Whatev.
As if this game couldn't get any bigger...
Friend of ours is a huge OSU fan....he got tickets from an old alum for $300. Told my husband they're going for $5,000 now.
Beat the Hippies!
"Beat the Hippies!"
Exactly...
Yes I have seen the story about the passing of Bo Schembechler.
I just wanted to ping the list for anyone who might not have seen it and also to express my condolences to the Schembechler family as well as the Michigan football family.
Thoughts and prayers to them.
FINALLY WE AGREE!!!
1. Rutgers is being penalized to some extent for what is viewed as a weak Strength of Schedule.
2. The Big East doesn't have the Power rankings of the SEC, Big Ten, or Pac10.
3. The computer polls favor Rutgers, whereas the human voting polls, which account for 2/3 of the BCS formula, don't.
Yet, 3 of the top 10 in the BCS are Big East schools. Empirically, this makes NO sense, indeed it is near impossible if you accept the premises of 1-3 above.
So, what gives?
Hypothetical question. If Ohio State and Michigan play to a tie tomorrow who should be number 1?
Time will tell. I'm gonna be torn if it comes down to the Buckeyes and the Gators, though. It hasn't been a problem for me so far, but this year, they are both good teams with good coaches.
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