This wacky college football season is drawing to a close, and although the spectre of a major Cam Newton fallout looms over any results on the field in the national title and Heisman races, that won't stop the kids from going out there and playing the games. Much of the national attention this week will be on the national title chase, and seeing if any of the teams in the hunt slip up. Well, that would be where that attention is focused, if those teams were playing this week. Only Boise State actually takes the field this weekend out of the four remaining undefeateds, and they get to play Friday night with the eyes of the nation on them. I don't expect them to stumble as they have been as consistent as anyone in the country. So, without the drama of undefeated teams on the ropes, as Auburn and Oregon were last weekend, and TCU early in their game as well, the focus will shift to the conference races. There will be plenty of drama in teams jockeying for better bowl position, and in many cases just trying to get bowl eligible. There are colossal games in the races in the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12. For many around the country, it would be a good time to focus on what is taking place on the field, and not think about things happening off of it. That goes for Auburn, who seems to hear more and more details about Cam Newton's father soliciting money from Mississippi State, although there have been no allegations of Auburn actually paying for Newton. It also goes for Southern Miss, who had three of their players shot and seriously injured in an altercation outside of a nightclub in Hattiesburg. Linebacker Martez Smith is paralyzed, Tim Green can't speak after being shot in the neck, , and defensive end Dedrick Jones was shot in the chest. Southern Miss would certainly like for things to get back to normal, but that won't be easy with three of their players absent from the squad. Mississippi State and Rutgers have both dealt with similar difficulties, as Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand was paralyzed in a game this season, and Mississppi State lost Eric Bell to cancer at just 20-years old this season. These tragic and difficult storylines have been everywhere this season, and hopefully there will be some more good on the field to help people move on. One lighter story for this weekend is the return of football to two popular baseball stadiums. The new Yankee Stadium never hosted football before, but will feature the Army-Notre Dame game on Saturday.However Wrigley Field, which hosts Northwestern and Illinois this weekend, was the longtime home of the Chicago Bears. These two games should be fun to watch if only or the novelty of seeing football played in these well-known baseball venues. It'll be fun to see a football get lost in the ivy (just kidding). Let's take a look at the big storylines and matchups around the country:
ACC -
Well the ACC has eliminated two more teams from the running for the conference title game. Clemson's defeat at the hands of Florida State knocks them out in the atlantic, while UNC's loss to Virginia Tech eliminates them from the coastal race. This week's ACC slate will be huge in determining those division winners, and could even see one division clinched. If the Hokies can defeat the Hurricanes, who are still without Jacory Harris, it would seal up their spot in the title game. In the atlantic, Florida State takes on Maryland in an elimination game. If Florida State were to lose this game, they would absolutely be eliminated, even if NC State loses to the Tar Heels this weekend, as they would have lost to both NC State and Maryland. If the Seminoles were to win, it would put the pressure on North Carolina State to win out in order to take the division crown. There are a couple of other games that bear watching this week, as Georgia Tech and Boston College have opportunities to get bowl eligible against Duke and Virginia respectively.
ACC week 12 picks - Boston College over Virginia, North Carolina State over North Carolina, Georgia Tech over Duke, Clemson over Wake Forest, Virginia Tech over Miami, Florida State over Maryland
Week 12 outlook - Boston College has really started to get things together in the second half of the ACC schedule. After losing their first 4 conference games, they have now won three straight over Clemson, Wake Forest, and Duke. Virginia should be the fourth in a row and will get the Eagles bowl eligible. They still aren't likely to roll up the points, but with that defense, they don't have to. Duke travels to Atlanta to take on that Georgia Tech triple option, and defense has been a problem for the Blue Devils so far. That said, the Yellow Jackets have lost three straight games and their quarterback is banged up. Duke will not be a pushover, but this is the last home game for the Tech seniors, and they don't want to go out with a loss. I expect the Yellow Jackets to get to the magic win number of 6 to get a bowl game. The Clemson Tigers also have a shot to get bowl eligible this weekend, and a game with Wake Forest should present little trouble for Dabo Swinney's boys. Wake continues to give up big point totals, and Clemson's defense can be smothering. North Carolina State gets a very tough UNC team this week, and the Wolfpack are in a must-win situation. They need to win this week, and next week against Maryland to lock up a rematch with Virginia Tech for the conference title and the automatic bowl berth. North Carolina has been shorthanded all season by suspensions, and injuries are starting to diminish the roster further. The running back situation is a motley crew at this point, and it will be on T.J. Yates to make things happen. I think Russell Wilson will feel the pressure of this game and will make some mistakes, but I think the Wolfpack overcome them in a close win on the road. Virginia Tech gets a chance to clinch the coastal division against Miami, and I think they will get the job done. Stephen Morris has been great the last two weeks for the 'Canes, finding Leonard Hankerson and Travis Benjamin often last week. Unfortunately for Morris, Virginia Tech's pass rush is much better than GT's, and Morris will really struggle to make the kind of throws he's been making when he's getting hit by the Hokies every chance they get. Tyrod Taylor has been the best player in the ACC all year, and I expect him to help the Hokies to a 9th win in a row. In the FSU-Maryland game, Christian Ponder's health will be a huge factor in the ball game. If he shows any ill effects of the elbow issues he's been dealing with the past couple weeks, the 'Noles shouldn't hesitate to give him the hook. They need to lean on the running game against a somewhat suspect Terp defense. The Seminoles also really need to buckle down defensively, as they really struggle in high-scoring affairs. FSU has only allowed 20 or more points 3 times this year, and they lost every one of those games. They have to make sure the Terrapins don't find an offensive rhythm early in this game, or they could be fighting to keep up all day. I think Florida State will win and put all of the pressure on North Carolina State to win out, but this one might not be easy if Ponder or the defense struggle early.
Big East -
Well, I finally got a Syracuse game right, even though they barely won, but Pittsburgh's loss just continues to display how mediocre this league is. It's hard to even be surprised when there is an upset in this conference. Pitt still has a leg up on the conference crown with the head-to-head W over Syracuse, and another win this week over South Florida would really put them back in charge. The league did finally get three teams bowl eligible last week in USF, 'Cuse, and WVU, but even if Pitt, UConn and Louisville get to 6 wins as well, it doesn't make this league any better. 6 bowl eligible teams mean nothing when the best team of the six is nowhere near the top 25 in the country. You may as well be playing in the MAC at this point.
Big East week 12 picks - South Florida over Pittsburgh, West Virginia over Louisville, Connecticut over Syracuse, Cincinnati over Rutgers
Week 12 outlook - It's time to just start picking against the favored teams here. South Florida is really starting to click over the past few weeks, and B.J. Daniels has been the catalyst. The defense is flying around much more the past few weeks making plays, and Pittsburgh is coming off of their worst loss of the year. The Panthers will try to make sure the Bulls don't beat them with Moise Plancher after Jordan Todman went off for over 200 yards last week, and I think the overemphasis on stopping the run will open up the play-action game early for Daniels. Pitt has struggled with offensive consistency, and I think they struggle enough this week to lose by a touchdown. West Virginia has been the best overall defensive team in the Big East, and it will have to live up to that billing to slow down Bilal Powell and the louisville ground game. I think they shut the Cardinals down, but the Mountaineers do need to score some points to win. Noel Devine needs to be utilized better in the red zone for WVU to come out on top, and I think Bill Stewart figures that out his week in a Mountaineer low-scoring win. Syracuse could benefit a great deal from a Pitt loss, but they will have to beat UConn to do so. The Huskies are really starting to show why many viewed them as a preseason contender for the Big East title with wins over West Virginia and Pittsburgh in their last two games. Zach Frazer was really the best qb option for this Husky team from day one, and things are clicking now that he's back in there. They are dedicated to Jordan Todman and the running game, and the defense has been good as well. I think they use fundamentals, just like Syracuse has been doing, to beat the Orange and get bowl eligible this weekend. 'Cuse won't go down easy, but someone has to lose this game. Rutgers and Cincy square off in a game to stay out of the Big East basement. Cincinnati's defense has been terrible, but Rutgers's offense has really had little continuity to it. They have gone back and forth between Chas Dodd and Tom Savage at quarterback, and an injury to Mohammed Sanu left them with a backup quarterback in the Wild Knight formation. Without consistent personnel on offense, I think the Bearcat D actually has an advantage for once, and Isaiah Pead, Zach Collaros, and Armon Binns will put up enough points to take down the Scarlet Knights.
Big 12 -
The power in the Big 12 South continues to swing from week to week. Only a few weeks ago, it was Baylor sitting alone at the top, but consecutive losses to Oklahoma State and Texas A&M have changed all of that. Oklahoma has rebounded from a miserable loss to Texas A&M, but the Aggies strong run of late has put them back in the hunt for the south title. Oklahoma State sits atop the division, and should take care of Kansas this week, but a showdown with Oklahoma in the bedlam game could be for all the marbles. The Aggies could still be a dark horse if they can take down Nebraska at home this Saturday night. Nebraska has already won the north, but they have plenty left to play for as a top 5 finish is likely if they win out.
Big 12 week 12 picks - Oklahoma State over Kansas, Kansas State over Colorado, Texas Tech over Weber State, Texas over Florida Atlantic, Missouri over Iowa State, Baylor over Oklahoma, Nebraska over Texas A&M
Week 12 outlook - Texas Tech starts their easy two game finish with a rout over Weber State. It's a little late in the season to be playing an FCS foe, but Alabama's doing it this week too. Texas takes on Florida Atlantic in a game that they should win easily, but very little has been easy for Texas after losing their past 4 games and 6 of 7. Howard Schnellenberger used to coach at Texas, but he will have the honor of losing to them this week. The talent gap is just too wide, and the Longhorns will avoid clinching a losing season for at least one more week. The Oklahoma State Cowboys get an easy matchup with Kansas this week, and Weeden, Blackmon, and Kendall Hunter should all have a great day as I expect the 'Pokes to roll up over 40 points in a snoozer. Colorado looked good in their first game without Dan Hawkins at the helm in a win over Iowa State, but Kansas State is a tougher challenge. The Wildcats have been great at running the ball, and I expect nothing short of 150 yards from Daniel Thomas in this one. It will be senior day at Folsom Field, but Cody Hawkins's father will be there as a proud parent, not a coach. The emotion of the day could lead to a big day for Hawkins, or a rough one. I think he struggles early, but settles in eventually, but by then KSU will have enough control for the win. Iowa State has been much better than expected this season, but losing to Colorado last week really could have deflated this team. They now must pull off a season closing win over a loaded Missouri team to get a shot to play in a bowl game. Blaine Gabbert and the Tigers will be just too much. Mizzou has had issues on the road, but I think they win by two scores over Austin Arnaud and the Cyclones. Oklahoma is about to fall into a huge trap against the Baylor Bears this Saturday. The Sooners have struggled in their three road games this season, with a narrow escape against a not so great Cincinnati team, and losses to Missouri and Texas A&M. There will no doubt be a few Sooners looking ahead to the bedlam game with Oklahoma State next weekend, and the Bears will really sneak up on OU in Waco. Robert Griffin III and the Bears offense has been very good so far this season, averaging over 33 points a game. Things in the Big 12 South have had a way of evening out among the competitive teams, and a Baylor win would play into that. I think Baylor pulls off the upset in a close shootout that the Sooners didn't prepare for, and if they lose, Oklahoma would clinch the south for the Cowboys. Nebraska gets one final major test before the conference title game, squaring off against Texas A&M at Kyle Field this Saturday night. The Aggie fan base is rabid, and they will really get going if A&M jumps out front early. Ryan Tannehill has been a much needed change at qb, and the team hasn't lost since the change. Nebraska is a different animal on defense than the Aggies have been facing, however. Several teams have put up large point totals against Baylor, Kansas, Texas Tech, and even Oklahoma to a degree. Nebraska on the other hand, has only given up more than 21 points to Oklahoma State and Iowa State, and the Cyclones only scored 24 in regulation. That blackshirt defense will make life hell on Tannehill, and the Aggies will really have to try to get the ground game working. Nebraska will need Taylor Martinez to be close to full strength to keep the Aggies guessing on defense, and I think the freshman quarterback will play very well and come out with a 10-point win.
Big Ten -
Things are still very unsettled in the Big Ten despite some big surprises in week 11. Iowa was knocked out of the race for the Big Ten title by Northwestern just a week after Indiana failed to take them down at the last second. Michigan state must be really frustrated by the fact that they lost so badly to the Hawkeyes as Iowa has done nothing but struggle since that game. Illinois missed a golden opportunity to get bowl eligible by losing to hapless Minnesota at home in Champaign. They'll need to beat Northwestern at Wrigley this weekend to get to 6 wins. Penn State looked to be on their way to a stunner against Ohio State, but the Buckeyes stormed back from down 14-3 at the half with 35 unanswered points after the break. While it was no surprise that Wisconsin took down Indiana, the 83 points they scored to do so were a complete shock, especially for such a conservative, run-heavy offense. It's actually the second time this season the Badgers have scored 70 or more. Bret Bielema is catching a lot of heat for running up the score, but he does seem to realize that he will need style points to have any shot to catch OSU in the BCS rankings if all three of the top Big Ten teams win out. As of now, all three teams need exactly one of the other two to lose to win the conference title. The Buckeyes need Wisconsin to lose, The Badgers need Michigan State to lose, and the Spartans need Ohio State to lose. If none of them lose, it goes to the BCS rankings, which for now, favor Ohio State.
Big Ten week 12 picks - Penn State over Indiana, Michigan State over Purdue, Wisconsin over Michigan, Illinois over Northwestern, Ohio State over Iowa
Week 12 outlook - Penn State should bounce back from a tough loss to the Buckeyes by dismantling a really shellshocked Indiana team. The Hoosiers will not quit, but it's likely too late for Bill Lynch to save his job, and the Nittany Lions are the more talented team. Sparty takes on a Purdue team that could only put up 16 points against the awful Wolverine defense. I expect them to score less against Michigan State, and I feel like the Spartans will get to 10-1 with a win by 3 scores. Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell will do most of the work for MSU. Illinois gets the good fortune of being the first team to play Northwestern after Dan Persa's injury. Persa was Northwestern's offense. I expect Illinois to mix up their defensive looks early to rattle the replacement quarterback, and I think the Fighting Illini give the fans at Wrigley reason to get out of the cold and hit the bars early with a blowout win. Mikel LeShoure and Nate Scheelhaase will have great field position all day if the defense does what it should, and they will capitalize on it early and often. They will not play as poorly as they have the last two weeks. Michigan is a real threat to Wisconsin this week. The Wolverines have been doing just enough on defense to keep themselves in games with that explosive offense. I expect the Badgers to have some success slowing U of M down, but if the Badgers try to win with a one-dimensional offense, Michigan will hang around, and the Wolverines are always tough at the Big House with that crowd behind them. The Badgers haven't won in Ann Arbor since 1994, but I think they break through in this game with a 7-14 point margin of victory. Ohio State gets a big time challenge this week in an angry Iowa Hawkeye team at Kinninck Stadium. The Hawkeyes are likely anxious to show that they are the team that throttled Michigan State, and not the team that squeaked by Indiana and lost to Northwestern. Unfortunately, Ohio State is more talented than Iowa. I don't expect Terelle Pryor to have a field day, but I expect him to do enough to win the game. Stanzi and Adam Robinson will play well, but the Buckeye defense has been pretty dominant so far this season. It will be that OSU defense that will be the difference in a close road win for the Bucks.
Pac-10 -
Well, the Pac-10 race continues to be Oregon and Stanford gaining separation from everybody else. Oregon did get a scare from the jekyll and hyde Cal Golden Bears. Cal lost for the first time at home last Saturday ofter winning for the first time on the road the week before. That doesn't mean things went as planned. Cal on the road struggled to beat the worst team in the Pac-10 WSU, a team they should have beaten easily. To follow that up, they came home and lost to Oregon by just 2 points, despite being heavy underdogs. While the end results were different, the strong play at home and poor play on the road continued for Cal. For Oregon, they didn't exactly gain any style points, but all they have to do is keep winning. It was also interesting to see the Ducks show a different side of their football team by grinding out the last 9+ minutes of the game in one drive to close out the Golden Bears. It's nice to know the Ducks have a tough, physical offense they can go to when they need it. Around the rest of the Pac-10, Washington State finally got a win in an upset of Oregon State. Stanford followed up a blowout win over Arizona with a close win over ASU. Arizona, however, continued to slide with a loss to USC that really has but their season in a tailspin. They now need a win over Oregon more than likely to end the regular season ranked.
Pac-10 week 12 picks - Washington over UCLA, Stanford over Cal, Oregon State, over USC
Week 12 outlook - Jake Locker should be back and rested after the bye week for the Huskies, and with all of UCLA's recent struggles, I think that's enough for Washington to take down the Bruins. Kevin Prince wasn't the most effective quarterback when he was healthy, but the Bruin offense has really gone in the tank without him. Richard Brehaut has been a more effective passer in completion percentage, but he has thrown just 2 touchdowns and 3 picks in the last 5 games. He also lacks the running ability of Prince, and I think the Huskies come out on top in Seattle. Cal is at home again, where they are always tough, but I think last week took a lot out of the Golden Bears. Harbaugh will send his offense out there to run it down Cal's throat, and the Cardinal should win comfortably. Realistically, everything from the last few weeks points at USC winning in Corvallis this weekend, but the Beavers are always trouble for the Trojans. OSU has won the last two meetings in Corvallis despite USC being highly ranked both times, including number one in 2008. USC has been coming together more and more each week, including their nice win over Arizona a week ago. Marc Tyler has provided a running game the past couple of weeks to balance the offense with Matt Barkley's fantastic passing. Oregon State's offense has really hinged on Jaquizz Rodgers, who was a critical part of the team that upset the Trojans in '08. I like Rodgers to have another big game on what is a pure gut call of Oregon State in a close one over USC.
SEC -
Both divisions in the SEC were wrapped up last Saturday, with neither clinching game being all that close. Auburn fell behind early against Georgia, trailing 21-7 in the first half. Then Cam Newton took over as always. He got a little help from Ontario McCalebb, who scored 3 TDs, but it was Newton shaking off the distractions off the field who put up almost exactly the 150 rushing yards I predicted for him while tallying 4 total touchdowns in a huge win. Now, just Alabama and South Carolina in the SEC title game stand between Auburn and the national title game. Cam Newton just has to stay eligible until then. In the east division, South Carolina finally won a division championship under the 'ol ball coach Steve Spurrier, and he had to beat his former team to do it. The Gators took the opening kickoff to the house, and then were outscored 36-7 the rest of the way. Florida didn't mix in their backup qbs enough to keep South Carolina off balance, as John Brantley threw 31 passes compared to 8 for Jordan Reed and Trey Burton combined. It didn't help that the Gators didn't stick with the run with just 20 rushes all game. Urban Meyer is normally an offensive genius, but he seems to lack that magic without Tim Tebow at quarterback. The Gamecocks just wanted this game more, and it showed. In other SEC action, Alabama crushed Mississippi State, Tennessee played as well as they have all year in a 38-point win over Ole Miss, and Kentucky got bowl eligible with a win over Vandy. There aren't many meaningful games this week, but the Iron Bowl next week will have everything riding on it.
SEC week 12 picks - Alabama over Georgia State, South Carolina over Troy, Florida over Appalachian State, LSU over Ole Miss, Arkansas over Mississippi State, Tennessee over Vanderbilt
Week 12 outlook - The Crimson Tide get a light workout against Georgia State to make sure they are rested and ready for Auburn. South Carolina gets a Troy team that is solid by Sun Belt standards, but any good SEC team should beat them with ease. Florida better not sleep on App St., who is 9-1 and among the best FCS teams in the country. The Gators should win easily, but Michigan can tell them how it feels to be unprepared for the Mountaineers. Tennessee came to life in a big way last week, and Vanderbilt is not as good as the Rebels. A win here by the Vols keeps them alive for a bowl berth with a win over Kentucky in the season finale. Mississippi State has had a great year, but it's time for the dream season to come apart a little bit. They should be able to get to 8-4 for the year, but Arkansas is just too good a team. I don't expect the Razorbacks to just roll over the Bulldogs, as Miss. St. can play some defense and Greg Childs is still out. Knile Davis will have to play well, and the Hogs' defense must play well against the run to make sure Arkansas doesn't let a winnable game slip away. I think the Bulldogs keep the game close in Starkville, but not close enough as the Razorbacks still win. In the other SEC game this week, LSU squares off against a stuggling Ole Miss team. The Tigers have been absolutely amazing on defense, and Ole Miss only put up 14 against Tennessee last week. I think LSU will win this game easily. They won't score 52 points like the Vols, but they certainly won't need to.
Best of the Rest -
The most important non-AQ teams are still Boise State and TCU, and both had big wins this past weekend. Boise handled theirs a little more smoothly than the Horned Frogs. Boise really didn't struggle against the lacksuster Idaho Vandals offense, holding them to just 14 points while putting up 52 of their own, and they quit scoring after the third quarter. TCU, meanwhile, fell behind 14-0 quickly to San Diego State in the first quarter before coming to life to take a 37-14 lead in the third quarter, but that wasn't the only threat. SDSU came back late to cut the gap to just 5 points with around 5 minutes left to play before TCU buckled down. The game made the Horned Frogs look vulnerable despite showing flashes of dominance for much of the game. Despite scoring 35 points, the Aztecs had only 7 first downs and gained 135 yards less than their season average. TCU has now clinched the MWC title, and has just a snoozer left against New Mexico. Boise is far from done with Fresno State this Friday, a trip to Reno to take on Nevada next Friday, and then a finale with Utah State. Many people feel Boise is getting treated unfairly to be behind TCU at this point, especially since the Broncos beat the Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl last season, but the Mountain West is simply stronger than the WAC so far this season. The MWC will likely have one more bowl team than the WAC, and currently have 4 teams receiving votes in the coaches poll, while the WAC has no more than 2 in any poll. While Nevada is a very dangerous team, Utah, San Diego State, and Air Force are tougher as a whole than the best challengers in the WAC. Conference-USA was opened up a bit as Central Florida was defeated by Southern Miss before the tragic shooting in Hattiesburg. The Knights still control their own destiny, but one slip up opens the door for Southern Miss or East Carolina. The west has SMU in control, but they must win out against Marshall and East Carolina to win the division. Houston and Tulsa are waiting in the wings in case of a stumble by the Mustangs. The MAC races are now much more decided with Temple losing a tough one to Ohio on Tuesday night. A couple of costly turnovers by the Owls have cost them a shot at the MAC title. Ohio needs only to beat Kent State next week, or have Temple take down Miami OH to ensure their spot in the MAC title game against Northern Illinois. Toledo would like to believe they are still alive in the west, but trust me, they're not. The only other conference race is the Sun Belt that no one cares about. Florida International is now in first after a win over Troy last Saturday, marking a great turnaround for head coach Mario Cristobal from when he first arrived on campus. The Panthers still must win two of their final three conference games to clinch the conference and get bowl eligible, which is doable, but far from a lock.
Other week 12 picks - Notre Dame over Army, Boise State over Fresno State, Utah over San Diego State, Air Force over UNLV, Northern Illinois over Ball State, East Carolina over Rice, Tulsa over UTEP, SMU over Marshall, Navy over Arkansas State, Central Florida over Tulane, Southern Miss over Houston, Nevada over New Mexico State, BYU over New Mexico, Hawaii over San Jose State, Florida International over UL-Lafayette, North Texas over UL-Monroe, UAB over Memphis, Middle Tennessee State over Western Kentucky, Utah State over Idaho, Western Michigan over Kent State, Buffalo over Eastern Michigan, Temple over Miami OH (Tue. 11/23)
Week 12 outlook - Tommy Rees wasn't exactly a revelation last Saturday, but the Irish defense was. They absolutely halted the Ute offense, and Army is a little too one-dimensional to have much more luck at Yankee Stadium. Boise State gets another tough team by WAC standards, and another blowout is still likely. The Broncos are just too explosive, and they should win by at least 20 points. San Diego State may have just announced their presence the last couple weeks, but Utah is out to prove they aren't a fraud after being dismantled by Notre Dame and TCU. I think they win a hard fought game over a very solid SDSU team that doesn't ever go quietly. NIU's win over Ball State will officially clinch the MAC West. Southern Miss will play inspired football after the difficult situation on campus this week, and the win over Houston will keep them alive for a division crown if UCF should lose a game. I doubt the Knights lose another one, however, as they get a weak Tulane team this week followed by a one-win Memphis team to close the season. ECU and Tulsa should win easily in C-USA to keep their own hopes at a conference title alive. SMU won't have it quite so easy with Marshall, but June Jones's boys should squeak one out. The BYU Cougars should get bowl eligible with a win over New Mexico. Florida International will get one win closer to locking up a conference title and a bowl berth by beating UL-Lafayette. And in a game next Tuesday, Temple will get a little bit of redemption after a tough home loss to Ohio by beating Miami OH to take second place in the division behind the Bobcats.
Conference Power Rankings -
1. SEC - South Carolina finally stepped up in the East, but the West still has five ranked teams, including an Auburn team slated to play in the national title game as of now.
2. Big Ten - Losses by Iowa and Illinois hurt the depth a little, but Wisconsin and OSU and MSU at the top are still all 9-1, and wins by Northwestern and Michigan make 6 teams at 7-3 overall or better in the Big Ten and the Nittany Lions at 6-4.
3. Big 12 - The depth has returned in the Big 12 with the emergence of Texas A&M, not to mention the continued exellence of Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Nebraska at the top.
4. Pac-10 - Oregon and Stanford are both still among the top 10 teams in the country, but there is little depth now as Arizona and Oregon State slide as USC gets a little something going despite not being eligible for postseason play.
5. ACC - The league is slipping into mediocrity as the top of the divisions have had trouble winning consistently (except Va. Tech), but still not slipping enough to drop below a non-AQ conference.
6. Mountain West - TCU keeps truckin, but SDSU joins Air Force and Utah as another big time team. BYU likely to be the fifth bowl eligible team.
7. WAC - Boise State is making the depth look worse by dismantling everyone else in the conference, but the Big East just has nothing going for it to move up.
8. Big East - Where is the frontrunner? No one jumps off the page at you with UConn, WVU, Pitt, USF, and Syracuse all still very much in the hunt for a league title.
9. Conference-USA - UCF's loss to Southern Miss takes away the league's only ranked team, and keeps C-USA behind the Big East for now.
10. MAC - Northern Illinois and Ohio U are headed towards a showdown for MAC supremacy, and either would be a respectable champ.
11. Sun Belt - Let's be honest, the first place team in the conference is just 4-5 overall, and no one here is bowl eligible yet. It has to be the worst conference in the country.
My Top 25 -
1. TCU - 11-0 (prev. 1)
2. Oregon - 10-0 (2)
3. Boise State - 9-0 (3)
4. Auburn - 11-0 (4)
5. Wisconsin - 9-1 (5)
6. Ohio State - 9-1 (6)
7. Nebraska - 9-1 (7)
8. Stanford - 9-1 (8)
9. LSU - 9-1 (9)
10. Michigan State - 9-1 (11)
11. Alabama - 8-2 (12)
12. Oklahoma State - 9-1 (14)
13. Arkansas - 8-2 (13)
14. Virginia Tech - 8-2 (16)
15. Oklahoma - 8-2 (18)
16. Iowa - 7-3 (10)
17. Missouri - 8-2 (21)
18. Nevada - 9-1 (20)
19. South Carolina - 7-3 (24)
20. Northern Illinois - 8-2 (25)
21. Texas A&M - 7-3 (UNR)
22. Mississippi State - 7-3 (19)
23. Miami FL - 7-3 (UNR)
24. Florida State - (7-3 (UNR)
25. Arizona - 7-3 (17)
Dropped from the rankings - Utah (15), Penn State (22), Kansas State (23)
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