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.
at 
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
I think somebody at CSTV is playing a joke.
It seems the Rivals South Carolina Board is down bit they are talking about it at the Miami boards
http://mb28.scout.com/fmiami20779frm1
I would be shocked if he did this especially since South Carolina is imporoving so. Poor Cocks if tis true
In this scenario , ND goes. The BCS Championship isn't awarded based on best two out of three.
LOL, I had heard earlier this week that SOS was a "sure thing" to go to replace Shula at Bama.
Spurrier isn't going anywhere.
It was an (dare I say it) instant classic. I'm sure the Michigan faithful cannot believe they put up 39 points and yet left Columbus on the L side of the column.
I believe Ohio State will defeat any of their potential one loss opponents in the Fiesta Bowl but which one of them do you think would give them the most difficulty?
As a Buckeye fan, I wholeheartedly subscribe to your view.
That, and the fact that Arkansas needs all the SOS they can get if they continue winning.
I'll say it again, Beano Cook had ND beating Ohio State in the National Championship game this spring. I'd be interested to know if he still thinks the matchup would turn out that way.
Bama and Vandy were tight, before Arkansas played Auburn at Auburn. That's the game that appeared to turn things around.
FWIW, Collin Cowherd had OSU v. Arkansas in the title game this past week.
Notre Dame is good, but they're overrated as usual because they refuse to play a challenging schedule. They can't get out of facing USC every year, but the only other really tough team they faced this year was Michigan, and they got blown out.
Anything can happen in a rivalry game, but I doubt they beat USC next week in their house.
And there's no way Notre Dame could beat Ohio State anywhere this year. OSU has far too much firepower.
You can't accuse a team that opens with Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, and Michgan Stare on back to back weeks of not playing a challenging schedule.
Any team that schedules Army, Navy, and Air Force in the same year and tries to ride that to the national championship is not being serious.
Compare that to who USC chose as non-conference opponents, for example. Arkansas (SEC west champs) and Nebraska (Big 12 north champs).
Indeed. But these schedules are made tears in advance. Last year, Tech beat Miami. This year, the Canes tanked, as did MSU. Those are the breaks, as is Arkansas - a team that has never gone to an Sec championship game - doing as well as the have done.
4 weeks into the season, the teams ND opened against were 11-1 against teams not named Notre Dame.
Fortunately, ND and USC will settle this on the field and with a Florida loss, the winner of that game should go.
The Amazing World of Herbstreit of ESPN
1. Before any games this year he breaks out: "UM will win the NC this year with their stud defense"
2. "If any SEC team goes through that schedule with only 1 loss and doesn't get to play for the NC, something is bad wrong with the system"
3. "Cal is the best 1 loss team"
4. Before the game..."No matter who loses the OSU-Mich game, they do NOT deserve a rematch"
5. Minutes after the game...."Michigan should probably get a rematch if USC loses"
6. "Michigan would beat Florida or Arkansas...BADLY"
7. "Florida is not the best team in the SEC....Arkansas is"
Now, I know there is an argument that hey I shouldnt pay attention to these guys. However I do feel that people like him and others at ESPN have some influence on the polss
BTTT
I think LSU will be picking Cotton on New Year's Day. There's no way they'll get the Capitol One and the Outback hasn't invited them since the late 80s. The Outback seems to be allergic to SEC West teams that aren't Bama or Auburn. Unless Florida sneaks into the BCS title game and Arkansas gets picked by another BCS bowl, the loser of the SEC title game will most likely get the Cap One setting up a great game with Wisconsin. Auburn will play their semi-annual game in the Outback while LSU goes to Dallas. I was just looking at the SEC standings, we have 9 bowl elible teams. That's amazing.
There is not going to be any rematch in the BCS...or I presume in any of the other bowl games. The bowl committees want fans in the hotels, restaurants and seats, and will make their picks based on those factors, not TV ratings.
It will particularly interesting to see how Greater Phoenix fares, with three bowl games in 11 days.
That was quick!
Ohio State junior Chris Brown shows off his souvenir piece sod that he pulled up from the 50-yard line at Ohio Stadium following Ohio State's victory against Michigan in a college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio.
Hawaii's quarterback Colt Brennan gives a shaka sign ( the Hawaiian signal for hang loose) during the fourth quarter of their college football game against San Jose State, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006. Brennan passed for 402 yards and five touchdowns as Hawaii rolled to its eighth straight victory by beating San Jose State 54-17 on Saturday night.
Louisiana State receiver Dwayne Bowe points to the stands after his touchdown-eception to tie the game late in the fourth quarter of their football game with Mississippi in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006. LSU won, 23-20, in overtime.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.