College Football Bonanza
Badger football Saturdays are over for the season. The beer gardens are put away and giant cans of beer are off the menu until next August. It's a sad time people. I love Badger hockey, but with no beer garden in the Kohl Center, it's just not the same. Oh well, at least we're still undefeated.
Speaking of which, there are six remaining undefeated teams. Here's how I think they'll do this week:
Arizona at #1 USC: Unless the Southern California skies open up and the game is played in monsoon conditions, Arizona doesn't stand a chance. USC is looking more and more like a National Championship game lock. The pick: USC
Nebraska at Oklahoma: You know, Oklahoma has quickly become my least favorite team. They have a gaudy ranking and yet, week after week, they barely escape defeat and give up loads of points (Texas excluded). They should lose, but they won't. They eke by until they get blow away in the title game and pundits everywhere will bemoan the fact that another team didn't play in their place. The pick: Oklahoma
#5 Georgia at #3 Auburn: I think Auburn is probably the best team in the country, but this will be a tough game. I'm tempted to pick Georgia on the theory that some of these undefeated teams have to lose, but it's at Auburn and I think that makes the difference. The pick: Auburn
#4 Wisconsin at Michigan State: In order to further denigrate the Badgers, you'll hear a lot about how "lucky" they are to play Michigan State when their quarterback, Drew Stanton, is either on the bench or not 100%. What the football talking heads won't say, however, is how lucky Michigan State (and Purdue and Northerwestern and Minnesota before them) is to catch the Badgers with their best player, Erasmus James, nowhere close to 100%. Even with half of James, the Badger defense is still awesome. I think the Badgers win easily unless the turnover bug hits them (that's what I'm scared to death of). As an aside, Coach Alvarez has a vote in the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll is anonymous. Coach Alvarez's team is 9-0. Why in the world won't Barry be a homer and give the Badgers a first place vote. I don't get it. Anyway, the pick: Wisconsin
#8 Utah at Wyoming: This is the game that'll make the Big Ten haters cry. Their precious Utah is going down. Ha Ha! I have no brilliant reasoning behind this pick except that Wyoming has creeped into the bottom of the rankings, so they're not that bad and the game is in Wyoming. I think Utah is probably already looking past everyone and thinking Fiesta Bowl. The pick: Wyoming
#13 Boise State at San Jose State: Like Utah, I suspect Boise State is busy reading their own press clippings. And, like Utah, they're on the road against an opponent that isn't completely horrible. So, like with Utah, I'll predict a shocking upset. The pick: San Jose State
There you have it. So far, I've only been right when I haven't picked upsets. But, you've gotta try, right?
Posted by at November 12, 2004 07:22 AM
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Comments
| # March 7th, 2005 6:48 PM Converted_Comment | |
I think the most depressing day of the year is the day after the last home football game. Fortunately we have one left next week. |
| # March 7th, 2005 6:48 PM Converted_Comment | |
even more depressing for me is the day after all of the bowl games end. what am i supposed to do then? i mean, sure, there is hockey, but it just isn't the same |
| # March 7th, 2005 6:48 PM Converted_Comment | |
that's why you should be a horse racing fan. Kentucky Derby season kicks in just as football is ending. it's perfect. |
| # March 7th, 2005 6:48 PM Converted_Comment | |
Oklahoma scrapes by lately, and the Nebraska Rivalry is big. It would be better if NE was hosting, but I'll still take Nebraska. Yeah, Auburn is tough and at home, but has also scraped by a few times. Georgia can surprise them. You didn't mention the Michigan State WRs arrested for making bombs and blowing them on campus (caught in the act). Wyoming has been flirting with the rankings all year, usually getting votes in human polls. The computer polls rank Wyoming's power well. Good shot for them with home field advantage. Good call. I can't pick SJ St, they haven't shown much. Regarding UW in the BCS ranking, the following teams are ahead of UW in various polls, so a loss by any works for us - alternately, losses by a top-25 team in a conference outside Big10 also helps us in the computer polls (schedule strengths). |
| # March 7th, 2005 6:48 PM Converted_Comment | |
"You didn't mention the Michigan State WRs arrested for making bombs and blowing them on campus (caught in the act)." "Wisconsin. Barry really has a vote in this year's polling? " "Wyoming has been flirting with the rankings all year, usually getting votes in human polls. " "The computer polls rank Wyoming's power well." Hawk, you have no idea what the hell you're talking about. |
| # March 7th, 2005 6:48 PM Converted_Comment | |
Opie??? Hellllooooo?? What are you talking about? You should ease up on whatever you're smoking. If the bomb-making arrested MSU WRs don't play, how did they get 19 receptions this season? "COACHES poll"?? Have you any idea what you're talking about? There are 117 Division IA NCAA Football teams. There are 61 Coaches currently voting in this year's Coaches Poll. How could somebody be so clueless as to think that each of the 117 Coaches is voting - you think some of the 61 voting Coaches are coaching more than one team? Human Polls vs. Computer Polls - very good, you're catching on a little, at least. The Human Polls are those balloted by Coaches (for the Coaches Poll - get it?) and the sport writers (for the AP writer's poll - get it?). The Computer Polls are the rankings provided by the 6 computerized lists, calculated using the formulas of Anderson & Hester; Richard Billingsley; Colley Matrix (Wes Colley); Jeff Sagarin; Kenneth Massey; and Peter Wolfe. Glad that you were able to comprehend that, at least. Yes, each Computer Rating system is polled each week for it's current Rank positions, as determined by the formulator/creator of that Computer Rating system (aka program). The BCS administration does not perform it's own calculations to tell the Computer Ratings what they will report - the BSC polls them, and the 6 each provide their ranking in return, much as the AP polls they writers each week and the writers provide their ranking to the AP. Glad you're making an effort to keep up to the rest of us. |