ACC Rankings after Week 3

The major disappointment of week one across the league had turned into some positives over the past few weeks, and you need look no further than the state of Florida for those good stories…

 

1) Miami.  The Canes proved themselves in a week one win over Florida State, but it was their defensive dominance over Georgia Tech last Thursday that really shocked people.  Jacory Harris’ name is already on some Heisman lists.

2) Virginia Tech.  The Hokies needed a miracle to pull off a win against Nebraska Saturday.  Really all they needed was Tyrod Taylor to start playing like a quarterback. 

3) Florida State.  The Noles looked lost a few weeks ago against Jacksonville State, but their beatdown of BYU Saturday showed that perhaps Papa Bowden hasn’t lost his touch.

4) North Carolina.  The Heels are getting it done defensively, holding opponents to 11 points a game.  A trip to Georgia Tech this weekend should really help us see just how real this team is.

5) Georgia Tech.  The Jackets tricky offense was held in check against Miami, gaining just 95 yards on the ground.  Paul Johnson knows how to coach, but he’s gonna have to find a plan B when those triple option plays stop working.

6) Clemson.  The Tigers D held Boston College to 59 yards of total offense Saturday, winning 25-7.  Problem is, the Tigers failed to score an offensive touchdown.  That must change quickly if the Tigers are gonna compete for the ACC Atlantic crown.

7)  Wake Forest.  Riley Skinner is solid at QB, and Jim Grobe is a solid coach.  Wake lacks big time playmakers, and that could hurt them the rest of the way. 

8)  Boston College.  The Eagles are in the top ten of the nation defensively, but much of that comes from 2 games against Northeastern and Kent State.  Offensively, things could be better.

9) NC State.  The Wolfpack’s Russell Wilson set the NCAA mark for passes without an interception Saturday against Gardner-Webb.  Looks like Tom O’Brien finally has his team playing offense, something we didn’t see in week 1 against South Carolina.

10) Duke.  The blowout against Kansas was expected, but finally Duke has a coach that isn’t content to just “field a team”.  David Cutcliffe has done well in recruiting and is gonna turn this team around in time.  Heck, at least they’re not last in the ACC.

11) Maryland.  In the first of our two ACC coaches that need to go segment, we question how Ralph Friedgen allowed MTSU to beat the Terps…again.  It took a last minute drive to win against James Madison a few weeks ago. 

12) Virginia.  How bad is Al Groh?  The Cavs can’t even hold on to a big lead against Southern Miss.  Losses to TCU and (gasp!) William and Mary should cement Groh’s fate.

NCAA Football Week One: Top Ten Games

10.  Western Michigan @ Michigan – Do or die time for Rich Rod and company.  Anything less than a 2 TD win here only darkens the cloud of his short tenure in Ann Arbor   Prediction: Michigan 35, W. Mich. 13

9.  Baylor @ Wake Forest -  This game was a lopsided affair last year in favor of Wake 41-13.  This year it should be much closer.  Two of the most underrated QB’s in action>  Robert Griffin (Baylor) and Riley Skinner (Wake).  Prediction: Baylor 27, Wake Forest 21

8. Cincinnati @ Rutgers-  Last year’s Big East champ meets one of this year’s favorites.  The Knights lose some big play makers, but a solid secondary should help them contain Bearcat QB Tony Pike.  Prediction:  Rutgers 23, Cincinnati 20

7.  South Carolina @ NC State-  The Wolfpack are much improved this year, starting with QB Russell Wilson.  The question will be can he lead this team past one of the SEC’s stingiest defenses?  Homefield advantage wins this one.  Prediction: NC State 24, S. Carolina 23

6.  Nevada @ Notre Dame- OK Irish fans, let’s hear it.  How great you’ll be this year, how you’re BCS bound, how 10 wins is a “worst case scenario”.  I don’t buy it yet.  Nevada had the 5th overall offense in the nation last year.  Hope Charlie Weis has his team focused.  Prediction:  Notre Dame 37, Nevada 31

5.  Miami @ Florida State- Who would’ve thought we’d see the day that this became an unappealing matchup of two “has beens”?  The Seminoles are creeping back to relevance, but they’re still a few years away.  Miami may be light years away.  Prediction: Florida St. 37, Miami 24

4.  Oklahoma vs. BYU- No doubt the Cougars will be ready for this game.  At a “neutral” site, BYU has the chance to play lead in a big upset.  Max Hall can throw the ball, and the Sooners porous pass D is bound to give up some yards.  Look for a shootout.  Prediction: Oklahoma 45, BYU 35

3.  Oregon @ Boise St.-  Is there anyone out there that doesn’t root for the team with the Blue Turf?  Boise State has managed to be one of the top college programs NOT from a BCS conference.  Should be fun to see their D try to contain Oregon’s potent offense.  Prediction: Boise State 31, Oregon 26

2.  Georgia @ Oklahoma St.- The Dawgs defense will have their hands full with a Cowboy offense that managed 40.8 PPG last year.  All their playmakers return, making this trip for Georgia a rough one.  Prediction: Oklahoma St. 39, Georgia 29

1.  Alabama vs. Virginia Tech-  The prime time special will feature two programs coming off BCS bowl appearances.  VT lost starting RB Darren Evans about a month ago, but the D is still in tact.  Look for a close, low scoring affair that goes down to the wire.  Prediction: Va. Tech 23, Alabama 20

Setting up the 2009-10 Bowl Matchups and Conference Winners

CONFERENCE WINNERS

SEC: FLORIDA over Alabama

BIG TEN: OHIO ST.

BIG 12: TEXAS over Kansas

ACC: VIRGINIA TECH over Florida St.

PAC-10: CALIFORNIA

BIG EAST: WEST VIRGINIA

MOUNTAIN WEST: TCU

CONF. USA: HOUSTON over East Carolina

WAC: BOISE ST.

MAC: CENTRAL MICHIGAN over Buffalo

SUN BELT: TROY

 

BCS BOWLS

TITLE GAME: Texas vs. Florida

ROSE: Ohio St. vs. California

SUGAR: Alabama vs. Boise St.

FIESTA: USC vs. Oklahoma St.

ORANGE: Va. Tech vs. W. Virginia

OTHER BOWLS

HUMANITARIAN: Colorado St. vs. Nevada

NEW MEXICO: Utah vs. La. Tech

POINSETTIA: BYU vs. Arizona

LAS VEGAS: TCU vs. UCLA

NEW ORLEANS: Southern Miss vs. Fla. Atlantic

ARMED FORCES: Tulsa vs. Air Force

HAWAII: East Carolina vs. Fresno St.

LIBERTY: Houston vs. South Carolina

MOTOR CITY: Michigan vs. Central Mich.

OUTBACK: Illinois vs. Georgia

CAPITAL ONE: Penn St. vs. Ole Miss

ST. PETERSBURG: Arkansas St. vs Marshall

PAPAJOHNS.COM: Cincinnati vs. MTSU

INTERNATIONAL: S. Florida vs. Bowling Green

TEXAS: Kansas St. vs. Navy

INDEPENDENCE: Nebraska vs. Kentucky

INSIGHT: Baylor vs. Northwestern

SUN: Colorado vs. Rutgers

ALAMO: Kansas vs. Iowa

HOLIDAY: Texas Tech vs. Oregon St.

COTTON: Oklahoma vs. LSU

GMAC: Wake Forest vs. Buffalo

EAGLE BANK: NC State vs. Memphis

EMERALD: Boston Coll. vs. Oregon

MEINIKE CAR CARE: Miami vs. Pittsburgh

MUSIC CITY: North Carolina vs. Auburn

CHAMPS SPORTS: Clemson vs. Michigan St.

GATOR: Ga. Tech vs. Notre Dame

CHIK-FIL-A: Tennessee vs. Florida St.

2009 ACC Football Preview

ACC PREVIEW

 

Each of my conference previews are determined in part by using a simple formula using certain nine variables to determine a teams ability to win games. These nine categories are as follows: Quarterback, RB/WR/TE, Offensive Line, DE/LB, Secondary, Coaching, Schedule Difficulty, Home Field Advantage, and Player Experience. Each team is ranked in descending order according to their strength in these areas. For example, the team in a conference with the best QB will be given a one, the second best rated team by QB will be given a 2, and on down through the remaining teams in that conference. This formula goes on for all categories. After all categories and teams are ranked, those rankings are added up to give the team’s a total score. The lower the score, the more likely a team will be successful this year and win more games than teams with higher overall scores. By no means is it an exact science, just my personal predictions for the upcoming season.)

 

 

The expansion of the ACC just a few years ago was supposed to bring a mediocre football conference into the realm of superiority. However, the opposite has happened. Florida State has fallen off from being a feared dynasty, Miami has embarrassed themselves on the field, and Clemson has yet to live up to lofty expectations. Can anyone in the ACC lay claim to national respect this year?

 

THREE BOLD PREDICTIONS

 

1. Half the league will finish with 8 or more wins. The league isn’t quite the caliber of the SEC, but it is turning out some programs who’s football prestige is growing. Most notably schools like Boston College, NC State, and North Carolina.

2. Another losing season will finally cost Al Groh his job. Can you remember a year where Groh wasn’t on the hot seat at Virginia? Last year, the Cavs finished 5-7, a year which included a few nice wins but more notably some really bad losses. Uva managed to lose to Connecticut and Duke by a combined 63 points. In this, Groh’s 9^th season, a winning record is more important than ever.

   

   Groh needs wins to avoid the axe. (Photo courtesy of weblogs.newsday.com)

3. Virginia Tech will finish ACC play undefeated. It’s certainly no surprise that the Hokies are ranked top of the conference, but they’ve got to end the ACC season with a clean slate. That could very easily happen this year, with the only real test coming on the road against Georgia Tech. If they do finish undefeated in conference play, it will be the fourth time in the five years of the ACC title game in which the Hokies have participated in the championship tilt.

 

THREE GUYS READY FOR DRAFT DAY

 

1. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson- With James Davis gone, Spiller is the Tigers’ featured back. His play making ability has led many college football talking heads to refer to him as the “Reggie Bush of the East Coast.” AS long as Spiller keeps things north-south and doesn’t try to dance too much (as has been his tendency), he’ll be a stud in the NFL.

   

   Is Spiller the most dynamic back in ACC history? (Photo courtesy of daylife.com)

2. Kam Chancellor, S, Va. Tech- The best defensive secondary in the ACC is led by the best DB in the league, Kam Chancellor. The senior DB has skills that set him apart, even though this is his first full season playing free safety. He’s got great range and can cover big spaces, which is exactly what you was a FS to do.

3. Dekoda Watson, LB, Florida St.- He’s got rushing abilities beyond most other Lbs in the league, and NFL scouts love him. He considered leaving early each of the last 2 seasons, and now as a senior, has a chance to fully polish his skills and look for a 1^st or 2^nd round draft spot.

 

THREE “CAN’T MISS GAMES”

 

1. Clemson at Georgia Tech, Sept. 10- Early season test between rivals. Can Dabo Swinney make his mark early in his first full season as the Tiger’s coach?

2. Va. Tech vs. Alabama, Sept. 3- Hokies fight for ACC respectability against tough Bama squad, who embarrassed Clemson in same game last year 34-10.

3. North Carolina at NC State, Nov. 28- Won’t be a decider in the ACC title hunt, but should be a great game to watch between two up and comers in the league. The Heels got trounced by the Pack last year 41-10.

 

 

THREE THINGS WE WON’T SEE THIS YEAR

 

1. Clemson in the ACC Title Game. Frustrations over Tommy Bowden’s ineptitude came to a head last season, and Bowden was politely asked to not let the door hit him on the backside on his way out of town. Dabo Swinney, a young Alabama kid takes over at the helm and did a decent enough job last season, guiding Clemson to wins in 5 of their last 7 games. However, they’re not at the level yet to be a title contender, at least not this season. Florida State will just edge them out for the Atlantic spot.

2. Duke making a bowl game. No question Dave Cutcliffe is making the Blue Devils into a recognizable program. It’s tough to climb out of the cellar after being there for years and years. Recruiting is improving, and students are starting to see that there is another sport other than basketball on campus. However, the Dukies aren’t quite there yet. Only 12 starters return, and a tough ACC slate won’t help break a 14 year bowl-less streak.

3. National respect for ACC football. It still is viewed as a basketball league, and nothing that takes place this year will change that. Even if VT stops Alabama in that season kickoff in Atlanta, most NCAA fans will refer to it as nothing more than an “old Big East team” knocking off a SEC team. For the ACC to climb back into national title discussions, teams like Clemson, Florida State, and Georgia Tech have to return to the programs they once were.

 

THREE REASONS TO WATCH THE BIG EAST

 

1. Tobacco Road: All 4 NC schools have shot at a bowl. Never in the history of college football have all 4 of the ACC schools from North Carolina been in bowl games in the same season. There’s a chance that could change this year. North Carolina and Wake Forest seem almost a lock in the pre-season to make bowls, and sleeper NC State has all the makings of a team destined for the post season as well. Duke, while unlikely to make a bowl, isn’t a definite lock to NOT make one. Could be interesting to see if all 4 can sneak into bowls in the same year.

2. Virginia Tech’s BCS Title run. If the schedule was completely flipped upside down, the big SEC/ACC clash between the Hokies and Crimson Tide would possibly be a de facto play-in game for a spot in the BCS title game. As it were, if VT can beat Saban’s Bama boys, Frank Beamer controls his own destiny.

   

   With 17 returning starters, the Hokies are looking BCS bound. (Photo courtesy of myspace.com/kennyowens)

3. To determine if Paul Johnson and his crazy run-the-ball-every-play system is for real. Georgia Tech was one of the strongest teams in the ACC last year, and it was all due to the fact that they dominated the running game. The Ramblin’ Wreck finished 4^th in the nation in rushing, thanks to Paul Johnson’s system and a young man named Jonathan Dwyer, picked by many as a Heisman dark horse this season. As good as the Jackets were as rushing, their passing game was equally as bad. Johnson will have to mix things up more, as he was exposed in an ugly Chik-fil-A Bowl loss to LSU 38-3.

 

BOWL QUALIFIERS

Clemson, Florida State, Boston College, NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami

 

 

Your College Bowl Viewing Guide and Prognostications

Unsure of what games to watch and what to ignore this upcoming bowl season?  Not to worry!  Yours truly has taken the time to weed out the snoozers and help ensure you don’t waste your time on meaningless games.  As some general rules of thumb, note the following:

-Games that include teams that you A) don’t know the names of any players, or B) don’t know any coaches, or C) you can’t even name any notable alumni from either school, those bowls are best avoided.

-Bowls named after food or companies that make food are generally good games. 

-Any bowl named after a website is likely not worth viewing.

-Yes, it is okay to continue to refer to the Chik-fil-A Bowl as the Peach Bowl.  Because dang it, that’s the way any SEC or ACC fan will always think of it, and you should too.

Now I’ve broken the bowls down into 4 categories, ranging from the worst games to watch to the best ones.  Now, on to the bowls!

 

The “I Forgot The Game Was Even On” Bowls

EAGLE BANK BOWL- Wake Forest vs. Navy

It’s rare to have a bowl game set up to rematch a regular season game, but that’s what we have here.  Navy won in Winston-Salem earlier this year thanks to some Demon Deac turnovers.  I think Jim Grobe has his team turned around here though and ready to play.  Wake Forest 27, Navy 24

NEW MEXICO BOWL- Colorado St. vs. Fresno St.

Colorado St. suprised some with 6 wins and a bowl bid in Steve Fairchild’s first year.  Meanwhile Fresno disappointed after many believed they were the BCS buster team to beat this year.  Fresno St. 37, Colorado St. 28

MAGIC JACK ST. PETERSBURG BOWL- Memphis vs. South Florida

Like Fresno, USF is another disappointing team.  Memphis is accustomed to playing in these lame duck bowls, but USF expects more now.  Look out for an emotionally letdown Bulls team to struggle.  Memphis 44, USF 41

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL- Southern Miss vs. Troy

Was there really not another company that could sponsor this bowl?  Sheesh, talk about lame.  Troy’s got a stingy D, and that may be the difference in this one.  Troy 26, So. Miss. 13

MOTOR CITY BOWL- Fla. Atlantic vs. Cent. Michigan

As fun as a trip to Detroit in late-December sounds, you gotta think the Owls would like to be a bit closer to home.  Look for a shootout between two exciting QBs.  CMU 41, FAU 38

INDEPENDENCE BOWL- No. Illinois vs. La. Tech

The city of Shreveport will be asking Santa to place some extra coal in the SEC’s stocking this year, as their ineptitude at getting 8 bowl eligible teams has forced the Independence Bowl to take No. Illinois instead.  Give a slight edge to the home-state team.  La. Tech 37, No. Illinois 31

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL- NC State vs. Rutgers

How the papajohns.com bowl doesn’t get played at Papa Johns Stadium is beyond confusing, but I digress.  Rutgers is down a bit this year, and struggled to get into a bowl.  NC State did as well, but after their start, any bowl bid granted was a nice consolation.  Tom O’Brien has the Pack playing well.  NC State 28, Rutgers 17

ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN BOWL- Maryland vs. Nevada

The Smurf Turf Bowl features the nation’s best rushing attack.  Nevada should be able to run all day on the Terps.  Question is will the Terps be able to keep up?   Nevada 31, Maryland 24

TEXAS BOWL- West. Michigan vs. Rice

One of the best passing offenses (Rice) vs. one of the worst pass defenses (WMU).  You do the math.  Rice 38, WMU 30

INSIGHT.COM BOWL- Kansas vs. Minnesota

Kansas certainly hoped for more, but none the less this could be an interesting game.  Minnesota played very well at times this year, but got bombed 55-0 in their finale against Iowa.  I give Kansas a slight edge.  Kansas 24, Minnesota 21

GMAC BOWL-  Ball St. vs. Toledo

What do Alex Rodriguez and Cardinal’s QB Nate Davis have in common?  Neither are clutch performers.  Davis was personally responsible for 5 turnovers in their MAC title game loss to Buffalo.  After that loss, this bowl game lost all interest it had to begin with (which was very little).  Toledo 34, Ball St. 28

 

The “I’ll Watch It If There Are No Reruns Of The Office, Family Guy, or Madden Nation On” Bowls

HAWAII BOWL- Hawaii vs. Notre Dame

So let me get this right: the Irish such it up, have an awful season, get a lame bowl bid, and STILL get a trip to Hawaii?  Something’s not right.  Hawaii isn’t the same team we’re used to either.  The Irish may actually win.  Notre Dame 26, Hawaii 23

ARMED FORCES BOWL- Houston vs. Air Force

Dynamic passing vs. dynamic running.  Passing score more quick points.  Houston 45, Air Force 39

BRUT SUN BOWL- Oregon St. vs. Pittsburgh

The Beavers were a Civil War win away from a rematch with Penn St. in the Rose Bowl.  Instead OSU gets to go to a bowl named after a cologne cheap enough for Wal-Mart to stock.  Nice.  Oregon St. 31, Pitt 27

MUSIC CITY BOWL-  Boston College vs. Vandy

Bowls just aren’t fair.  BC makes it to the ACC title game for the second straight year, yet gets stuck playing in a lame bowl in Nashville.  Vandy makes it to their first bowl since 1749, and they don’t even get to leave town.  Blech!  BC 27, Vandy 20

ORANGE BOWL- Cincinnati vs. Va. Tech

Yes, I know this is a BCS game, and as much as I want to see the ACC do well, the fact is as long as the Big East is sorta lame at football too, this game will have little meaning.  Still I like what Cincy has done under Brian Kelly, but VT has an incredibly talented defense to be so young.  VT 20, Cincy 14

LIBERTY BOWL- Kentucky vs. East Carolina

Kentucky has been a rather ho-hum SEC team this year, not having any big wins, but have remained competitive for the most part.  ECU shocked the world with beating VT, and managed to win the C-USA.  I think they come in a little more ready to play.  ECU 23, Kentucky 14

The “Worth At Least A Bag Of Popcorn” Bowls

LAS VEGAS BOWL- BYU vs. Arizona

BYU has been a consistent team all year.  Arizona seems to be finding it’s way back to football relevance.  Should be an interesting game to watch.  BYU 31, Arizona 29

MEINIKE CARE CARE BOWL- North Carolina vs. West Virginia

What has happened to the Mountaineers?  They were Big East title shoe-ins before this season started.  Now a bowl loss will leave many WVU fans questioning the Bill Stewart hire.  And just imagine how could the Tar Heels would have been if they had a healthy offense all season?  UNC 27, WVU 26

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL- Wisconsin vs. Florida St.

Bobby Bowden would like to get back to top ten status at some point before he retires.  This year’s team was certainly better than last year’s, and they get to play a downtrodden Wisconsin team, one of the most disappointing squads in Division I this year.  Florida St. 25, Wisconsin 18

EMERALD BOWL- Miami vs. California

The Hurricanes are slowly righting the ship, but a long trip out west against a very talented Cal team may prove to be too big a test for this young team to handle.  Cal 34, Miami 21

ALAMO BOWL- Missouri vs. Northwestern

Two exciting offenses matchup here, with a great passing attack against a strong running game.  Mizzou wanted more than this out of their season, but won’t turn down a chance to beat a Big 10 team.  Mizzou 37, N’western 28

HOLIDAY BOWL- Oklahoma St. vs. Oregon

The potent Cowboy offense will have to keep up with an equally impressive Duck offense.  The running game of Kendall Hunter proves to be the difference in this one.  Oklahoma St. 42, Oregon 37

OUTBACK BOWL- S. Carolina vs. Iowa

It should be fun to see the SEC’s best defense try to stop one of the best runners in the nation (Iowa’s Shon Greene).  We all know the track record of the SEC vs. Big 10.  I think Iowa plucks one away from the Ol’ Ball Coach here, however.  Iowa 23, S. Carolina 21

CAPITAL ONE BOWL- Georgia vs. Michigan St.

Another SEC/Big 10 showdown.  Can UGa shut down Javon Ringer?  I think this will be a close one, but the better QB wins.  That QB is Matthew Stafford.  Georgia 31, Mich. St. 28

SUGAR BOWL- Utah vs. Alabama

Another BCS game not making our top-tier of bowls.  Bama was one quarter away from playing for all the marbles.  Instead, they get the chance to flex their muscle and hand a non-BCS school their first loss of the season.  Consider mission accomplished.  Oh, and go ahead and mark Bama vs. Florida in next year’s SEC title game as well.  Alabama 30, Utah 17

INTERNATIONAL BOWL- Buffalo vs. UConn

Yep, that’s right.  A game not even played on U.S. soil makes it this far up the list.  That’s because Buffalo, who hasn’t been to a bowl since, well, bowls were invented, is the MAC champion.  They’ll get to matchup against the nation’s top rusher in Donald Brown.  Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was eager to see a MAC team play.  Buffalo 17, UConn 15

The “Order Me An Extra-Large Pizza Fully Loaded and a Twelve Pack of Mountain Dew Code Red and Don’t Dare Touch The TV for The Next 4 Hours” Bowls

POINSETTIA BOWL- Boise St. vs. TCU

It’s rare a non-BCS team bowl matchup brings such excitement, but with two teams as impressive as these are, you should mark your calendars to watch it.  Why?  First, Boise St. is undefeated.  Secondly, both teams are ranked in the top 11.  Third, Boise has the nation’s 13th best offense while TCU has the 2nd best defense.  This WILL be a good game, and maybe even the best bowl of them all.  TCU 24, Boise St. 22

CHIK-FIL-A, errr…PEACH BOWL- LSU vs. Ga. Tech

Boy did LSU fall off the map.  And just as quick as they did, Georgia Tech jumped on it.  After drubbing in-state rivals Georgia, the Ramblin’ Wreck hopes to accomplish a SEC fan’s worst nightmare: beat two huge SEC schools back-to-back.  Les Miles, good luck with stopping Jonathan Dwyer and the triple-option.  Ga. Tech 31, LSU 25

GATOR BOWL- Clemson vs. Nebraska

Go ahead, call me a homer, placing this game so high up the ladder.  First, you need to know the significance of this one.  This is the first meeting I believe of the two school’s since Clemson’s Orange Bowl win over the Huskers in 1981 to win the national championship.  Two months ago, Tiger fans would’ve been happy with any bowl.  Two first year coaches meet head-to-head.  Which QB will step up?  Cullen Harper or Joe Ganz?  Clemson 28, Nebraska 22

ROSE BOWL- Penn St. vs. USC

It’s hard to figure just how good Penn State is after their upset loss to Iowa.  They’ll matchup with the kings of the west and one of the best defenses around.  Not to mention it’s basically a home game for USC.  USC 39, Penn St. 24

COTTON BOWL- Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech

How Graham Harrell gets excluded from the Heisman list is beyond me, but here’s his chance to prove his worth (again).  Ole Miss has been a surprise team this year, and is looking to gain national exposure with a win over former BCS media darlings Texas Tech.  Texas Tech 40, Ole Miss 34

FIESTA BOWL- Texas vs. Ohio St.

So Mack Brown, your team beat Oklahoma on neutral ground by 10 points, and you didn’t get in the BCS title game?  Yep, it’s a messed up world.  But here’s your chance to prove you belong in Miami by hammering Ohio State.  Can Terelle Pryor show up in the clutch?   Texas 35, Ohio St. 24

BCS TITLE GAME- Florida vs. Oklahoma

This may be one of the best title game matchups we’ve seen in a while.  Certainly the best one since USC/Texas from a few years back.  Florida is just sick with talent and speed on both sides of the ball.  Oklahoma will hang 60 on anybody, no questions asked.  First one to 70 wins?  Okay, maybe not that much scoring, but it should be exciting to watch.

Florida 45, Oklahoma 41