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.
vs 
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.
vs. 
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.
at 
I can’t believe I’m 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).
vs. 
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.
vs. 
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.
vs. 
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 Chief’s 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
There are way too many folks that take all this WAY too seriously for whatever reasons.
Try to keep it all in the correct perspective okay?
Thanks cf!
My undergrad was at a PAC-10 school, for me the Rose Bowl is the ultimate bowl. And the Tournament of Roses the ultimate parade! Then the BCS had to go screw that all up. They should leave the bowls and do separate playoffs if they wish. I do agree that "sportswriters" shouldn't have the ultimate say...I mean, after all, they are members of the LSM, aren't they???
Good luck to the Tigers in whatever bowl. You'll have fun! GG
Exactly! That's why I'm happy my beloved OSU Pokes NEVER are in the position of a Michigan or Florida....less stress this way! LOL
With a win over then BCS #5 (vastly overrated) Notre Dame, USC jumped Michigan (down from .9263 to .9216) by going from .9188 to .9460. Much of that was from voters switching who was #2, but a good bit was also strength of schedule.
Florida is behind Michigan, .8897 to .9216, so a similar point shift would jump them. Will enough voters switch (probably most that switched to USC will now move to FL rather than Mich.) and will the SOS and extra game over BCS #9 be enough? In a strange twist, the USC loss may actually slightly hurt FL's SOS gain.
USC got a .0272 boost last week, FL needs a .0320 boost (reduced by any Michigan slippage.)
OK, here's hoping that Florida gets screwed, Urban Myer and the SEC go nuts, and the BCS further implodes. Unfortunately if Florida does move up to BCS #2, that likely solidifies the BCS for several years, as the SEC is pacified and suddenly becomes a big defender of it again (SEC commish is head of the BCS.)
Anyone who hates the bogus fraud that is the BCS should be rooting for Michigan to hold on and get a rematch.
Dunno about that, but I think Florida might have played their way to the Title Game, while USC may well have screwed LSU out of the Rose Bowl..
UCLA has been very very good to UF this year. :)
Congrats Florida - GO GATORS
Now perhaps some voters won't want Florida because they don't want the same school to have both major college championships in the same year.
Hawaii's Colt Brennan will be going for the single-season passing TD record (just 3 short) against Oregon St. soon, I think. ESPN is showing a start at 11pm eastern, 12 eastern, or Sunday TBA, depending on where you look!
Rutgers ties it with West Virginia, 20-20.
Normally I'd say that is ridiculous, but we are talking about sportswriters, many of which are petty pantywaists. That sounds exactly like the logic the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice would use (a bandwagoning, flip-flopping, drama queen poof who will write things just to get a reaction) so sadly you may be on to something.
And Rutgers gets a big interception.
And Huskers are putting the hurt on Zero U!! Go Huskers!! PLEASE!
I hope not. That would be atrocious!
Rutgers inside WVU 25 --- Could we actually have RUTGERS and WAKE FOREST in the BCS????
Ironically Florida and Ohio State could conceivably end up playing in March for the basketball championship as well.
I hope this fire continues all half.
RUTGERS 23 WVU 20 --- Rutgers 3:55 away from the Orange Bowl.
It wouldn't surprise me! I have great respect for Meyer, Donovan, Tressel, and Matta. I think they are top-notch coaches, as well as mentors, all the way around.
Sooners block a field goal and run it back for a TD, but is called back because of a Nebraska delay of game penalty killed the play before it started.
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