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
YEs lol. I would say its in the realm of possibility
OSU has the advantage of being the only big name program in a pretty large state. Imagine if Michigan only had UM instead of MSU, as well, or if Florida only had one major program, instead of three.
|
1.
|
Ohio State (63) |
12-0
|
1,575
|
1
|
|
|
2.
|
Southern California |
9-1
|
1,444
|
4
|
|
|
3.
|
Michigan |
11-1
|
1,428
|
2
|
|
|
4.
|
Florida |
10-1
|
1,407
|
3
|
|
|
5.
|
Arkansas |
10-1
|
1,302
|
6
|
|
|
6.
|
Notre Dame |
10-1
|
1,285
|
5
|
|
|
7.
|
West Virginia |
9-1
|
1,151
|
7
|
|
|
8.
|
LSU |
9-2
|
1,081
|
9
|
|
|
9.
|
Wisconsin |
11-1
|
1,053
|
10
|
|
|
10.
|
Texas |
9-2
|
994
|
11
|
|
|
11.
|
Louisville |
9-1
|
944
|
12
|
|
|
12.
|
11-0
|
862
|
13
|
||
|
13.
|
Auburn |
10-2
|
825
|
15
|
|
|
14.
|
Oklahoma |
9-2
|
795
|
16
|
|
|
15.
|
9-2
|
655
|
18
|
||
|
16.
|
Rutgers |
9-1
|
641
|
8
|
|
|
17.
|
9-2
|
561
|
19
|
||
|
18.
|
Boston College |
9-2
|
540
|
20
|
|
|
19.
|
Nebraska |
8-3
|
353
|
22
|
|
|
20.
|
Wake Forest |
9-2
|
343
|
14
|
|
|
21.
|
8-3
|
326
|
23
|
||
|
22.
|
8-3
|
265
|
17
|
||
|
23.
|
Brigham Young |
9-2
|
256
|
24
|
|
|
24.
|
8-3
|
174
|
25
|
||
|
25.
|
Hawaii |
9-2
|
97
|
NR
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Dropped out | |||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
| Others receiving votes | |||||
|
|
|||||
And no F$U or scUM in sight, as least I can take some solace in the polls.
OSU, like Michigan, Notre Dame, and USC, recruit nationally. But being the one big program in a state is a big advantage. The first thing Nick Saban did when he got to Baton Rouge was basically wall off the entire state. Three years later, he won a national title.
| Week 13 AP Top 25 |
| 1. Ohio State (65) 12-0 1,625 |
| 2. Michigan 11-1 1,502 |
| 3. USC 9-1 1,493 |
| 4. Florida 10-1 1,451 |
| 5. Arkansas 10-1 1,365 |
| 6. Notre Dame 10-1 1,307 |
| 7. West Virginia 9-1 1,144 |
| 8. Louisville 9-1 1,078 |
| 9. LSU 9-2 1,075 |
| 10. Wisconsin 11-1 1,049 |
| 11. Texas 9-2 1,028 |
| 12. Boise State 11-0 878 |
| 13. Oklahoma 9-2 856 |
| 14. Auburn 10-2 822 |
| 15. Rutgers 9-1 736 |
| 16. Georgia Tech 9-2 667 |
| 17. Virginia Tech 9-2 583 |
| 18. Boston College 9-2 516 |
| 19. Tennessee 8-3 404 |
| 20. Wake Forest 9-2 355 |
| 21. Brigham Young 9-2 325 |
| 22. California 8-3 302 |
| 23. Nebraska 8-3 258 |
| 24. Clemson 8-3 122 |
| 25. Hawaii 9-2 89 |
|
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES Maryland 55, TCU 16, Texas A&M 13, Penn State 6, Georgia 3, Arizona 1, Oregon State 1. |
| Complete Rankings |
Turned on ABC and they are playing a ND / USC preview already...
Well we are about to enter the Bowl season, which will show us which conference is better.
I do try to avoid building game pryamids like you did though. Each and every game is different.
In this football crazy state it doesn't surprise me. Sure they are the big name, but Ohio State would recruit well just about in any state given it's history, traditions and the on-field performance each and every year.
Michigan does just fine for itself as well as the Florida schools.
That's pretty smart of them actually.
That's their biggest game left, short of the conference championship games.
That OSU/Michigan game drew a huge rating.
When was the last time #2 lost to #1 and didn't drop in the AP Poll?
If you guessed 1945, you're right.
I would not have guessed that :)
I don't know, on one hand I not really in favor of a rematch simply for tradition purposes, but OTOH I still think Michigan is the 2nd best team in the nation....
http://www.ncaasports.com/football/mens/brackets/straight16_dyn/2006/FCS
For those that are interested, the Division I-AA playoff bracket has been announced (see above link).
The ball is still in USC's court. If they beat Notre Dame next weekend, they will have beaten the Big 12 north champ, the SEC west champ, plus Notre Dame. It would be hard to deny them the #2 position in anyone's mind except perhaps Michigan fans.
The position no.
But I think we've seen the two best teams on that field in Columbus.
That was just my answer to the Illinois score routine they were pushing.
With a 9 vote gap between USC and Michigan, if the Trojans win out, I don't see Michigan being able to stay even in the polls or BCS. Unless Notre Dame or UCLA beats them, I think SC will pull ahead when all is said and done.
I know.
I just ignore stuff like that for a reason.
Each game has different matchups and different players matching up against each other.
When the BCS poll comes out in a couple hours, USC will definitely be #2. The AP Poll is not used as a component in the BCS calculations, and with their leap in the Coaches Poll, it's a certainty.
The Irish won't roll over for USC, and it's doubtful UCLA will, either. But if USC gets through those teams, they'll be playing OSU for the title in January.
Yep, everyone who offers up anything other than lavish praise of OSU must be bitter or sour grapes.
Don't be such a homer.
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