Posted on 11/30/2006 2:29:05 PM PST by MikefromOhio
Weekend Thirteen cleared up the BCS title picture a bit. USC won convincingly against Notre Dame while Florida failed to get the style points needed to make a run at the Trojans and Wolverines. With Arkansas losing to LSU, Florida only theoretically has a chance at the title game. The weekend was not without surprises as Texas lost for the 2nd time in a row while West Virginia eliminated itself from Big East and BCS contention by losing to South Florida. The weekend also featured some great finishes with BYU, Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee pulling games out late. This week is Championship Week. The conference championship games for the MAC, Conference USA, ACC, SEC and Big XII will be played. Each of those games, along with the Army-Navy game, is the feature this week.
The MAC champion goes to The Motor City Bowl in Detroit, MI to face either the 7th best Big Ten team or an at-large team. As the Big Ten is getting 2 into the BCS, it will be the at-large team. Central Michigan can score in bunches while Ohio is on a roll.
The winner of this game goes to the Liberty Bowl to play against an SEC school while the loser of this game will most likely be heading to Mobile, Alabama for the GMAC bowl against a MAC team (probably Central Michigan). Houston lost a close game to USM earlier this season while it was still in the post-Miami funk after nearly defeating the Hurricanes in Miami.
I cant believe Im actually going to pick this. Wake Forest is the better team. Georgia Tech has the weapons to win, but not the quarterback. Their defense will keep them in this game, but the pick is Wake. The winner goes to the Orange Bowl while the loser goes to the Chick-Fil-A bowl (formerly the Peach Bowl).
The winner of this game is going to the Sugar Bowl unless Florida wins big and something absolutely screwy happens in the BCS. Arkansas must win this game to get into the BCS at all. Otherwise, LSU is going. It comes down to if Florida will be able to score consistently or if Arkansas will be able to make some plays through the air. Special teams will play a big factor in deciding this game. That favors Arkansas. With LSU not playing this weekend, the loser of this game is probably relegated to the Capital One bowl.
The winner of this game is going to the Fiesta Bowl. A good old school match-up that will be played in the Big XII championship for the very FIRST time in the 10 year history of the conference. Since the loss to Texas back in October, Oklahoma has been on a roll. Nebraska, minus a slip up against Oklahoma State, has only lost to USC and Texas, which was a much better team at the time of the loss. I have to give the edge to Oklahoma. Bill Callahan gets too conservative in big games like this and I think the Oklahoma offense will be able to move the ball against the Nebraska defense. The loser of this game will go to the Cotton Bowl.
Army and Navy square off again. This year Navy is the home team. Navy is the better team but Army did almost knock off Texas A&M earlier this season. This game will win Navy the Commander in Chiefs trophy for the best service team. Navy is slated to go to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.
(2) USC (-13.5) at UCLA
USC 43 UCLA 17
(3) Michigan BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Rose Bowl
(5) LSU BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Rose Bowl
Connecticut at (6) Louisville (-27)
Louisville 42 Connecticut 21
(7) Wisconsin BYE
Next Game: Accepted bid for the Capital One Bowl
(10) Boise State BYE
Next game: projected to be in the Fiesta Bowl
(11) Auburn BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Outback Bowl
(12) Notre Dame BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Sugar Bowl
(13) Rutgers at (15) West Virginia (-10)
Rutgers 22 West Virginia 20
(14) Virginia Tech BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Peach)
(17) Tennessee BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Cotton Bowl
(17) Texas BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Gator Bowl
(20) BYU BYE
Next Game: accepted bid for the Las Vegas Bowl
Stanford at (21) Cal (-29)
Cal 43 Stanford 7
(22) Texas A&M BYE
Next Game: accepted bid to be in the Holiday Bowl
(25) Boston College BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Champs Sports Bowl
Texas A&M BYE
Next Game: accepted bid to be in the Holiday Bowl
Florida State BYE
Next Game: Accepted Bid to the Emerald Bowl
Oregon St. at (24) Hawaii (-7.5)
Hawaii 43 Oregon St. 40
Oops...
Forgot to change the dates...
Obviously today isn't the 24th of November and tomorrow isn't either.
:)
Here is a NFL game of "political note" this Sunday.
New Orleans Saints (BUSH) vs. San Francisco 49ers (GORE). Think there will be any controversies in this one?
Go Razorbacks.
I think LSU will give Michigan all it can handle or more. Any idea of sending ND to the Rose Bowl should be squelched.
Ah...Nebraska vs. Oklahoma to determine their conference championship. How nostalgic.
The only picks I'm gonna disagree with you on is the Big XII title game and Rutgers-WVU. For some reason, I like Nebraska in the Big XII and I'll get to the ACC in a minute.
As for the SEC game, I don't think Florida's offense, which has looked lousy the last few weeks, will be able to keep up with Darren McFadden and Arkansas.
Wake looks like a team of destiny in the ACC, and Georgia Tech is also struggling on offense; while in the Big East, I think West Virginia bounces back from the upset last week and knocks off Rutgers, sending Louisville to the Orange Bowl.
Finally, as big an Army guy as I am, I don't see them being able to stay with Navy for 4 quarters.
GO USC, BEAT ACLU!!
Pun intended.
The news we LSU fans have been getting out of Baton Rouge is that the Tigers going to the Rose is all but a done deal. A week ago, I'd have been surprised if we got a better bid than the Cotton, but Notre Dame getting absolutely annihilated by USC pretty much eliminated the Irish and LSU beating Arkansas must have impressed the folks out in California.
GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nah but I'd expect a recount...
outside of the BCS title game (figuring OSU-USC), LSU and Michigan will be the game to watch.
yep....
Kinda nice to see Oklahoma and Nebraska play for it for the first time in the Big XII
There's no way the Rose Bowl selects Notre Dame for a rematch against Michigan. LSU fans should be booking flights and rooms already.
Notre Dame shouldn't even be in the BCS, but they'll make it because of their national popularity.
yeah they'll probably get the Sugar Bowl and lose by multiple Touchdowns again
nah...
I think 20 points is a lot to cover for Navy, but I don't think this game will be really close.
Go Middies! BTT.
It just seems right.
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