Upset Special

It's Friday and the Upsets have already Started.

 

      Last night, Stanford went to Washington in control of their own destiny. Not anymore. Washington downed Stanford. It was the first time Stanford took the road test, and they showed that they have more weaknesses than some may have anticipated.

      So, is the Pac 12 wide open? It very well could be since Oregon has yet to be tested in conference play yet. Stanford's loss opens the door for USC, again. In fact, one could make the comparison to the SEC beating up on eachother. The PAC 12 may have three very good teams, but it may only produce one team in the top ten this season.

 

      Week 5 is already shaping up to be a good one. Who knows, we might be talking about Tennessee over Georgia by the time it's over.

 

Check us out one Facebook and give us a 'Like'

 

 

Two Minute Drill Reader Questions

 

 

      I received a couple of emails last night and this morning that I will go ahead and throw in this segment.

 

    Darnell writes: What is the likely hood there will be 3 or 4 undefeated teams going into Bowl Season? If so, who gets left out?

 

     It's funny you ask, I had just read an article about what some of the scenarios may look like come bowl season.

     As of right now, the teams that I think are relevant in that discussion are: Alabama, LSU, Oregon, FSU, South Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia. Just looking at those teams, you can take out at least two of them before conference championship games. After those games, you can remove one more. So, you can take out 3 SEC schools from that mix and that leaves one SEC team, Oregon, FSU, and West Virginia. Of those four teams left, I don't see Oregon making it through the PAC 12 and the conference championship without taking a loss. Is it possible? Yes, but it won't. I think it isn't too far off to say way could have 3 undefeated teams. In that case, body of work will factor in. The other key that some people forget, is conference championships. The Big 12 doesn't have a conference championship game. That will hurt West Virginia and I think they would be left out. FSU would have the advantage, even though they may have had the easier schedule. By, FSU having to play Virginia Tech twice, or at least it looks that way now, is a clear advantage.

      All this being said......It's very early to be talking about this. This is a discussion every season, and like every other season, this will work itself out. Thanks Darnell.

 

 

    Timothy writes: When will Florida be back in the discussion for a national championship? They are that good and nobody seems to give them the credit. GO GATORS!

 

     Really? National Championship talks for this season? First, Florida has to control the SEC East Division. I think you might be a little ahead of yourself on that one, Timothy. They have looked good so far this season, but I still ask..... who have they played? Texas A&M? While it was a tough game, that doesn't mean it was a tough team they beat. Tennessee? So you went to Knoxville and beat the Vols. Sorry, but look at Tennessee's wins right now. NC State, Georgia State, and Akron. And don't forget that your Gators trailed for a little more than a half in both of their 'tough games'. I tell you what, Timothy, if the Gators can beat LSU next week, then I will put them in my discussion.

 

     Thanks for the questions. You can send them in anytime. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com

     Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'.

www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day 

Week 5 Games to Watch

Upsets, Trap Games, Bragging Rights

 

      This week could have it all. Conference play is nearly in full swing and many teams are already facing some tough challenges. Last week it was Clemson at Florida State. This week its matchups like, Tennessee at Georgia, NC State at Miami, Ohio State at Michigan State, and Wisconsin at Nebraska. For others, it's a week where they are on upset watch. Florida State goes on the road for the first time this season and plays South Florida. Virginia Tech plays Cincinnati, and Baylor welcomes West Virginia to the Big 12. Lots of great action coming our way this weekend.

 

     14-7 through week 4. Not too bad but I need a solid week to get back on track, and this may be the one of the toughest weeks to make some picks.

 

 

     Tennessee at Georgia.

 

  

      Derrick Dooley is still looking for that first major win, now in his third year at UT. And it doesn't get any easier this week. Georgia is getting better every week.....maybe even every quarter. Georgia's defense is getting much of the attention with comparisons to that of LSU or Alabama. What do the Vols have to do to stay in this game and possibly pull the upset? First, they need to make sure they play four quarters. That cost them a big win against Florida earlier this season. Then they need to some how figure out how to run the ball. They have to be able to run the ball to set up their passing game. Even if they do everything right, I don't see them coming out on top. The Vols will need some help from Georgia. The Bulldogs will have to make some mistakes if Tennessee hopes to be in this game come fourth quarter. I am taking Georgia, 35-20.

 

 

     NC State at Miami.

 

    

     At the start of the season, I didn't even have this game on the radar. Miami may have taken a beating from Kansas State, but they are 2-0 in conference play. They could make some noise in the ACC Coastal Division. NC State is 2-0 as well. Both will be fighting for position in the ACC. There may be a little more on the line for Miami, though, they still have to play Virginia Tech. NC State has to play Florida State next week, so both programs need this win to stay alive in their division race. As crazy as it may look, I am taking Miami in this one. Hurricanes win, 28-24.

 

 

 

     Texas at Oklahoma State.

 

       Big grudge match here. Texas has won 12 of 14 meetings, but the trouble is that the two losses have come in the last two years. Texas is another one of those teams that could crack into the top 5 by season's end. They boast to have the defense to do it, and now the offense appears to be on the right track. I think defense will be the major difference in this game. Texas has a good one and Oklahoma State has two freshman quarterbacks playing. As much as some think this game will be close to the end, I just don't see it that way. Texas has too much talent, and Oklahoma State lost a lot of their talent last year to the NFL Draft. I have Texas, 30-13

 

 

 

   Ohio State at Michigan State.

 

   Michigan State looks like they have the best defense in the Big 10. Ohio State has an offense that doesn't look like they are where they need to be yet. On the flip side, Michigan State doesn't have a great offense and the Buckeyes' defense may be just good enough to cause problems for a struggling offense. Tough call in this one. The edge may go to Michigan State since it is in Michigan, but don't count out Urban Meyer. Which team has been tested more up to this point? Is it the Buckeyes? They have had to win some close games, and winning those close games could really boost their  confidence. Or is it Michigan State? The Spartans have had to face some tougher teams so far. I have to go with Ohio State. I said earlier this week that I thought Michigan State was a bad team just like Michigan. Ohio State wins, 21-17.

 

 

 

     Wisconsin at Nebraska.

   

     Now this could really be a good game. Nebraska wants to be more involved this season in the Big 10. By that I mean they really want to get to that conference championship. The Cornhuskers have the offense to do it, they just need the defense to step up. Wisconsin has an offense that is a mess right now and if their defense doesn't slow the Huskers down, then this could get ugly. Wisconsin has to find a way to run the ball. I just can't see the Badgers' offense being able to out score them, unless Nebraska comes out and just lays an egg. Nebraska has let me down before when I picked them, but I am going to go with them again this time. Nebraska wins, 31-17.

 

 

 

    Florida State at South Florida.

 

 

    FSU is coming off a huge win over Clemson last week. Are they focused going into this game? How will they deal with success? The Noles have to follow up a big win with what may be an even bigger win. The follow up game, the trap game, or whatever you want to call it, may be the biggest game in the first half of the season for the Noles. And for South Florida, how will they respond after losing two games they should've won? This is the game of the year for South Florida. They are going to come out fired up and ready to play. Much like last week, the Seminoles may have to weather the storm early but the second half will be the difference. I am sure Jimbo Fisher would love to have this game well in hand going into halftime, but anything could happen. South Florida has a mobile QB that could give them problems, but luckily for the Noles, they have already had a good test against a mobile QB in Tajh Boyd. Of course I have the Noles in this one. The offense will be focused and the defense will do its job against an overmatched offensive line. FSU wins, 42-13.

 

 

 

    Virginia Tech vs Cincinnati.

 

    The Hokies are on upset alert? Yes and they may be on the list every game from here on. Virginia Tech proved they are still vulnerable when they were owned by a terrible Pitt team a couple weeks ago. On paper, the Hokies are clearly better, but Cincinnati doesn't care about what it looks like on paper. Either way, this could be a game that comes down to the wire with the Hokies on the wrong end of it again. But it's Frank Beamer, right? So he takes a loss early in the season and then goes on a mad winning streak after that, right? At least that's been the case a few times the last five or six years. I don't think they lose this game. They may struggle but Logan Thomas has the ability to pull this game out. Hokies win, 27-20.

 

 

 

   Baylor at West Virginia.

  

   West Virginia gets conference play going at home against Baylor. The fans will be loud and the team will be pretty fired up for this game. Geno Smith is looking to continue his Heisman run with a strong win against Baylor. So far he has been brilliant, but as for the rest of the team, there are some pieces that don't look like they have found their place yet. Whether or not that shows in this game remains to be seen. There could be a lot of points scored in this contest. West Virginia doesn't have the strongest defense but it will be enough to keep Baylor in check. The Mountaineers should have no problem scoring. W. Virginia wins in dominant fashion, 41-17.

 

    That's it for my picks for Week 5. I have an open segment tomorrow. You can send me your questions or predictions for this weekend's action. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com  Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'. www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day

     Seminole Fans can check out Chantrant for more headlines for FSU football.

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

    

 

   

 

   

Reader Questions Week 4

Your Questions and Comments

 

     Yesterday I challenged you, the reader, to defend your teams and your conference. I called out the SEC West and a few of you responded. Let's see what some of you had to say about yesterday's segment.

 

     McKenzie writes: You are a Florida State guy, you have no room to talk about a weak conference. Why even compare the ACC with the SEC? Your post is every bit of what I would expect from a fan of a weaker conference.

 

     Let me clear this up right away. Read my last segment, I never compared the ACC to the SEC. I never mentioned them in the same paragraph. And I will go ahead and admit that there is no comparison. My point that I was trying to make? Simply that the SEC West is very vulnerable at this point. LSU looks terrible, and Alabama hasn't played anybody worth bragging about. Until they play somebody worth talking about, I won't buy into that they are the best team in the nation. Oddly enough, the way the rest of the SEC West is playing, the TIDE may never be tested.

 

 

     Christopher writes: Jeremy, I am a Alabama fan. You have some good points. After we beat Michigan I thought we were unstoppable. That is, until I have seen how Michigan has turned out. Same with Arkansas. The SEC West may be down but that just makes it easier for my Crimson Tide to get back to the BCS Championship. Sometimes I think the SEC gets respect for what they have done in the past and not what they are doing in the present. Your thoughts?

 

     You are right. Alabama looks like they have the easiest schedule in the SEC, now, with the way the rest of their division is shaping up. I understand the respect aspect of the polls, however, it has to be better balanced with what they have done recently, and I don't think that is being done up to this point of the season. Alabama is deserving of being #1 right now. They are the defending champs. That isn't my point, though. I am making the point that the SEC, as a whole this season, is down. BAMA is still great. LSU appears to be down. Arkansas was a preseason top 10 team and they are a joke. Auburn is a joke. Florida still is a question, and plenty of other teams in the SEC are still a question mark. In the next 3 to 5 weeks the SEC has a chance to improve its image, and in my oppinion, they really need to.

 

    Joshua writes: Boomer Sooner! My Sooners have the rest of the season ahead of them. Our goals are still in reach. Don't hate because we owned your Seminoles the last 2 years. Boomer Sooner!!

 

     You know when you are waiting for somebody to say something ignorant and it finally happens? Yep, that's how I feel about that one. You are right, they have the rest of the season ahead of them, but it doesn't look too good. I called out Sooner fans to let me know how they felt about Bob Stoops letting them down every year with that 'one loss', and this is the response Sooner nation has? Stoops must have you all under a spell or something. Thanks Joshua.

 

 

    That's it for this week's Reader Questions Segment. Remember you can send yours in to: jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'.  Seminole Fans and check out more reads at www.chantrant.com Don't forget to chime in on our poll question.

 

     

Week 4 Recap

 

Week 4 is in the Books

 

     Really a great weekend for college football. Truthfully, I think we have had four great weeks for college football. There hasn't been a bad week yet. Upsets, close games, come from behind victories, etc. You name it, we have had it. Let's take a look at what happened this past week.

 

     My picks took another shot this weekend. I finished 4-2 for the weekend. For the Season, I am 14-7. Who let me down this past week?

 

 

     BOOMER! SOONER! Yep, that's right. Oklahoma had that one game that they should win and they let everybody down. Bob Stoops has figured out a way to lose at least one game that they shouldn't the last 5+ years now. Kansas State went in to the Sooner's backyard and beat them straight up. No trick plays, nothing fancy....just straight up solid football. If you are an Oklahoma fan, I want to hear from you. I want to know just how frustrating this is for you guys. Seriously, send me an email. (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com)

 

     Missouri didn't show up for South Carolina. In the back of my mind I knew Carolina was the better team, but I really thought that maybe the Gamecocks would over-look them. Maybe Spurrier has finally changed the culture enough down there that they don't look over teams anymore? Either way, great win for South Carolina, bad pick on my part.

 

Who helped My Picks?

 

     Notre Dame over Michigan. How many more games can Notre Dame win this season? First off, who have they played? The entire state of Michigan got the kiss of death this season. Michigan State is terrible. And the Wolverines? Yeah, they are just as bad, if not worse. Notre Dame has beaten them both. Neither game was pretty and I think it's because Notre Dame is a pretender.  Remember when I wrote on here that Michigan would never see the top 10 the rest of the season...... I told you so. Michigan is a bad team. Michigan fans, I want your take on your Wolverines thus far. (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com) Michigan State is a bad team. The Irish are mediocre with a little luck.  Notre Dame is still a team in my mind that has to prove it against a top 10 team before they get any respect from me.

 

 

    LSU sneaks by Auburn. Really? Did this game really happen? Hey SEC fans, your conference appears to be pretty weak in the west division (besides BAMA, who again, hasn't played anybody). LSU should have blown this team out. Auburn got its one and only win of the season against UL-Monroe in OVERTIME. Missippi State looks like an okay team for now, but who in the west has played somebody worth bragging about? Don't you dare say Alabama over Michigan. The SEC East looks more respectable than the west right now. I thought the east would be fighting for 2nd and 3rd place in the SEC, and now I think it's the other way around. Just wait until October 6th when LSU has to play Florida in the Swamp. Florida is no Auburn. The SEC is a mess right now. We are four weeks into the season and still have no clue just how good Alabama is yet.  SEC fans, I am calling you out. I want to hear from you. Don't be scared. I am not trying to be a hater on the SEC but they still haven't shown me anything this season. I will give you the previous 6 years, sure. This season is a mess just four weeks in, and you can't ignore that. (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com)

 

       Check back tomorrow, it's your segment. Reader questions, comments, and reactions are on tap. Call me out on whatever you want. From this point on, I won't be 'sugar coating' anything. Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'.....or don't. Poll Question  is up and open for your own answers. Is the SEC West better than the SEC East? Is the SEC overrated based on the body of work so far?

 

     

Florida State is Back?

FSU Defeats Clemson

 

     

       ESPN's College Gameday was in Tallahassee. Fans on both sides were fired up for this game. The atmosphere around this game was electric. FSU is trying to return to the being one of the nation's elite programs. Clemson is trying to build off last season's success. One team came away from Saturday night's game closer to their goal. That team was Florida State.

 

     I attended the game, and it might be one of the best, if not the best, game I have seen since the late 90's to the early 2000's. FSU came out and got punched in the mouth early, but they never looked panicked. The Noles took every punch that Clemson had, trick plays and all. The defense gave up 37 points, but they made the stops when it counted. Florida State's offense was firing on all cylinders. The most balanced attack I have seen out of Florida State in a very long time. Granted, it wasn't against the best defense they will face this year, but it was still very impressive.

   

    The Seminoles trailed early in the third quarter 28-14. Doak was silent. I started wondering just how many more trick plays Clemson could come up with......but I looked at FSU's players and saw a calming confidence. It was almost as if they knew that if they could just take the lead, this game would be over. From that point on, it was all Florida State. The Seminoles went on a 35-9 run and crushed the Tiger's hope for an upset.

 

    What do we take away from this game? Is FSU back? Well, the Noles are certainly on the right track. What about Clemson? The Tigers have some work to do. One thing that Clemson better pay attention to; Clemson felt like the only way to score points in this game was with trickery. I am sorry, Tiger Fans, it only works for so long. Trick plays, Really? That was Dabo Swinney's great game plan. Use FSU's strength against them. It worked for about a half plus one play in the second half. You can't expect to win games against elite teams with trick plays. It was very clear early in this game that the Tigers were pulling out all the stops. Double passes, fake field goals, and misdirection screen passes......It will only take you so far.

 

       Florida State made a statement in this game. Now, they have to respond the right way after a big game. The Noles have to take care of business the way they are expected. It starts next week against South Florida.

 

    Check us out on Facebook. Don't forget to send in your questions and comments on week 4's action (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com).  Tomorrow I will recap the rest of week 4's key games and give a preview of what to watch in week 5's matchups.     

Week 4 Picks

My Picks for Week 4

 

    I am 10-5 through week 3 and looking to get back on track in Week 4. There are several solid matchups to watch this Saturday.

 

   I picked FSU over Clemson already.

 

 

  Vanderbilt vs Georgia.

 

  Vandy isn't the team many of us hoped they would be this season, but we pull for them anyway, right? In this game, Vandy is pretty well overmatched. It may start out close but the final score won't reflect that. The Bulldogs roll in this one, 31-10.

 

 

   LSU vs Auburn.

 

   This is the game that the Auburn Tigers get it back on track, right? I don't think so. The season just keeps getting longer for Auburn, and to think this was a team that won a national title just two years ago. For LSU, this will be a good game to iron out any wrinkles, and tweak some things before they really get into their SEC schedule. LSU beats Auburn, 38-7

 

 

   Missouri vs South Carolina.

 

   Now here is an SEC game that could come down to the wire. I am still not sold on South Carolina being a top ten team. Their defense is solid, but when are we going to see Lattimore carry this team like he has in the past? Connor Shaw is still nursing injuries. Missouri has injury concerns as well. If you are a Gamecock, you should be a little nervous for this game. Don't forget that this team played a pretty good game against Georgia already. Upset Alert! I am taking Missouri. Missouri wins 24-20.

 

 

  Kansas State vs Oklahoma.

 

  Another good in-conference matchup. Kansas State is really picking up some momentum, but will it be enough to win in Oklahoma? The Sooners are looking for some respect. I don't think they strike the fear into their foes as much as they used to. This game could turn into a scoring frenzy. Both offenses have weapons that could put up points in a hurry. I really like Kansas State, but the game is in Oklahoma. If this game was back in Kansas, I would give the edge to them. The Sooners are tough at home. Oklahoma wins 35-24.

 

 

   Michigan vs Notre Dame.

 

   Is Notre Dame legit? The Irish have revenge on their minds, at least against Denard Robinson anyway. Robinson gave the Irish fits last year, but I don't know if he is the same player this year. Maybe he hasn't gotten over the thumping from the Tide in week one. This will be a good close game. The pressure lies on Notre Dame. Their defense has to step up and contain Denard. I think the Irish will use a lot of similiar schemes that Alabama used to stop him. Difference is obviously the skill and talent of the players trying to execute those schemes. There will be some blown coverages and miscues, but the Irish are hot right now and I am going to test my luck with them. Irish win, 27-21.

 

 

    Check back for more updates. I am off to Tallahassee for the big game. ESPN College Game Day will be there and it will be CRAZY! Don't forget to hit us up on Facebook. Send me your questions, comments, and/or your reactions to all the big games this weekend, jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com 

Clemson at Florida State Preview

 

Clemson vs Florida State

 Finally, a top ten matchup worth talking about. These two teams have high hopes this season, and may all rest on this one game. Clemson hopes to repeat as ACC Champions. FSU hopes to win the ACC and contend for a National Title. Who has the advantage? Can Florida State put it all together this year and get back to where they used to be so consistently?

 

    There may not be too many clear cut advantages in this one, except for the Noles' Defense. Clemson's defense struggles to stop the run, and oddly enough, that's what FSU's offense does so well at this point. Florida State's defense has yet to give up a touchdown. Granted, they have played two FCS teams and Wake Forest, but even then I expected Wake would score at least a couple times. Clemson is no Wake Forest, though. The one obvious advantage is the defense and FSU has it.

 

 

  On the flip side, are there any advantages for Clemson? If there is, it has to be the play-makers they have on offense. Sammy Watkins, Tajh Boyd, Andre Ellington, Deandre Hopkins..... They all have proven they can make plays. FSU's offense is advertised as being 'LOADED'. That is true, but I don't believe they have proven they are the kind of play-makers that Clemson has, yet. I won't argue talent and speed, but Clemson has proven it. If FSU's want to prove they are loaded like everyone believes they are, then they have to prove it. FSU's has some great weapons, but who is going to step up and be "that guy"? They have so much talent, I just hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

 

   Speaking of FSU's loaded offense.....Does anyone know if FSU will use more plays from its playbook? Up to this point, many of the players and coaches still stand by their word. They all just laugh when asked about it. Some have said, "aww you guys hadn't seen nothing yet." Ej Manuel said it best, "Yeah I think we may have run about 3% of our playbook." This has to send chills up and down fans' spines. What is this offense truly capable of? Are they as 'LOADED' as advertised? I have a pretty good feeling we will see more of that 'iceberg' on Saturday night.

 

  Keys to Victory for Clemson:

 

  It starts up front for the Tigers. They have to be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. They may trick FSU's defensive line a couple times with misdirection, but that won't be there all game. And on the other side, Clemson has to contain the running attack by FSU. They have given up too many yards on the ground, even to lesser foes. Pressuring EJ Manuel will be key as well. He has only been sacked 3 times this year and they all came against Wake Forest. And lastly, Clemson needs to be able to weather the storm. It will be loud, and both teams will be fired up. If they get down early, they have to be able to stay with the game plan and grind it out for all four quarters.

 

 

  Keys to Victory for Florida State:

 

  The common factor for both teams is controlling the line of scrimmage. If FSU gets control, it could be a long day for Clemson. The battle in the trenches will be vital. Confuse Tajh Boyd. FSU ran more zone last year during the season, but this year they are looking like they will be mixing it up with more man coverage. If the Noles' defense can confuse him on some of his pre-snap reads, that will pay off in a big way. Score TDs in the red zone. FSU can't afford to have to settle for field goals inside the twenty. EJ Manuel is the X factor on offense. He has to get comfortable early. FSU would love to get him in his groove early in the game. The Ground Game. FSU has shown they can run the ball pretty well, now they need to do it against a quality opponent. When the ground game is rolling, it opens up play-action. 

 

    So, who do I have in this one? THE NOLES!! We have been waiting for FSU to return for some time now. I believe the wait just might be over. I am still the fan that says: "I am tired of the hype and I am tired of getting my hopes up.....I believe they can do it, just go out and prove it now, will ya?!?!"

  I have FSU beating Clemson and I will leave it at that.

 

 Check back tomorrow for my picks for the rest of the key matchups of Week 4. Check us out of Facebook. Don't forget to answer our poll question of the week: Clemson @ Florida State, Who do you have?

    

Week 4 Reader Questions

Week 4 Questions and Comments

 

    Every week I tackle your questions and comments. With what week 3 brought us and what week 4 could bring us, some of you had some good questions. Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'. This week's poll question: Florida State vs Clemson....Who do you have?

 

 

    Mark asks: "You picked USC to be in the National Title Game, well... They are out, so who would you put in the game at this point in the season?"

 

    Yep, my National Title picks took a pretty good hit last week, but since you are asking and giving me another shot at a pick.....I'd have to say Alabama. They were one of my other picks for the big game. If you recall, I had a few national title scenarios. Alabama was one of my less likely picks because repeating as champs is very hard to pull off. Now, we have had some teams play in back-to-back title games, but not win back-to-back. Alabama looks the part right now, but as I have said before, I still haven't seen them play a proven team, yet.

 

     xBIGxGAMEx writes: "I know you are excited for this weekend, and I know you will do a segment on the Clemson vs FSU game so I won't ask you to pick in this segment.........IF Florida State comes out on top, What are the chances they make it to the Orange Bowl?" GO NOLES!!!

 

 

    I thought nobody would ever ask. And thanks for the question 'xBIGxGAMEx'. Are you trying to protect your identity?

   IF the Noles come out on top, they have a great chance of getting to the Orange Bowl. Let's say there is an undefeated SEC school left, an SEC school with one loss, and an undefeated FSU. Last year the only reason you had a rematch was because there were no other undefeated high ranked teams left. I strongly believe that FSU would get to the title game over a one loss SEC team...... As long as an undefeated team outside the SEC is in the top 3 or 4 teams, there won't be an all SEC BCS Title Game.

    FSU will still have some tricky games after Clemson. Trap games like South Florida, and NC State. Then a Thursday night game in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech. If they go undefeated, they will be making plans for a trip in January to Miami, FL.

 

    Brandon asks: "I follow SEC football. I am pretty sure the West Division is down to just two teams. What about the SEC East? At the start of the season it looked like it was down to Georgia and South Carolina but now it looks wide open."

 

    The SEC East is pretty cloudy at this point. When in doubt, though, go with the favorites at the start of the season. I still think it comes down to Georgia and South Carolina. Florida still has to prove itself with a win over one of those two teams. Tennessee? As crazy as it sounds, they could upset Georgia.....or even South Carolina. At this point though, UT will be trying to play spoiler the rest of the way. So while it remains pretty cloudy at this point, I still have to roll with the favorites until another team can prove themselves against these two teams. One thing can be said 3 weeks into the season, though.....Georgia and South Carolina better take Florida seriously.

 

    Thanks for the questions, keep them coming. Send Questions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com . Check back tomorrow as I take a look at the 'GAME OF THE WEEK'...... And my picks for Week 4. Check us out on Facebook. This week's poll question: Florida State vs Clemson....Who do you have?



Week 4 Games to Watch

 

Week 4 Key Games

 

   What a week in college football! There were upsets, blowouts, and a couple of close games. The good news? There are big games this weekend that are likely to top last week's games. Here are this week's games to watch:

 

 

Vanderbilt @ Georgia

 

LSU @ Auburn

 

Missouri @ South Carolina

 

California @ USC

 

Kansas State @ Oklahoma

 

Michigan @ Notre Dame

 

Clemson @ Florida State

 

*Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'Like'.

 

 

  Which game will have more of an impact this weekend? Contenders or Pretenders? Is Notre Dame legit? Can Vanderbilt upset Georgia? Will Kansas State make a statement against Oklahoma? Is Florida State finally back? How will USC respond after the loss to Stanford? So many questions surrounding ONE Saturday. It doesn't get much better than this weekend's matchups. So many great games to watch, I hope you have some kind of DVR service. This is the week that we will learn more in one Saturday than we have in the previous three Saturdays combined. Thank goodness we don't have to worry about replacement refs in big games like these.

 

   Here are the updated AP poll standings:

 

1. Alabama                  11. Notre Dame

2. LSU                         12. Texas

3. Oregon                     13. USC

4. Florida State*            14. Florida

5. Georgia                    15. Kansas State

6. Oklahoma                16. Ohio State

7. South Carolina         17. TCU

8. West Virginia           18. Michigan

9. Stanford                    19. UCLA

10. Clemson                 20. Louisville

 

*This marks the highest FSU has been ranked since 2005 (the last year FSU won the ACC and played in the Orange Bowl)

 

 Number 1 and 2 look familiar. However, I am not sold that we will see the same matchup in the BCS title game. I think there will be at least one other team that will be undefeated, maybe even two teams, at end of the season.

 

 Next segment will be Reader Questions and Reactions to Week 3, and then I will take a closer look at some of this week's key matchups. Send your questions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and give us a 'Like'.

 

 



Week 3 First Take

 

Week 3 First Take

 

    Week 3 was full of surprises. From Virginia Tech's terrible showing against Pittsburgh, to USC falling to Stanford. Let's take a quick look at some of the games in this segments 'First Take'.

 

    I finished another weekend 3-2. This is back-to-back 3-2 weekends now. This brings my record to a 10-5 record 3 weeks into the season.

    I think it is safe to call Week 3 an UPSET WEEKEND. Starting with Pittsburgh destroying Virginia Tech, 35-17. Nobody saw this one coming, not even Pittsburgh. However, this is typical Virginia Tech fashion. They lose at least one game every season that they should win. For the Hokies, the question will be whether or not this team is able to respond like they have in past years.


Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'

Alabama holds off Arkansas.
 
     Holds off? Yeah, maybe not the best way to word that game. The Crimson Tide owned Arkansas from the opening kick off to the final whistle. 52-0. Arkansas was without Tyler Wilson, and it showed. Nick Saban kept his guys focused and kept them playing hard. What looked like a sloppy first half was just the way Saban liked it. Big win for Alabama, but again I am still skeptical. Arkansas lost to UL-Monroe a week ago. Michigan almost lost to Air Force. I still don't think Alabama has played a respectable opponent yet, in my opinion. I don't care what the rankings say and what conference they are from.

Florida downs the UT Vols.

     Gators 37, Vols 20. It was all Gators in the second half. I know UT thought they were back. Most of the media thought they were back. Guess what? They aren't back. This was the best chance for the Vols to beat the Gators. UT fans can't even give it the old 'there's always next year'. The Gators will be even better next year and the Vols will be looking for a new quarterback. Who knows, maybe even a new coach.

Florida State blanks Wake Forest 52-0

     Florida State puts up 52 and keeps the Demon Decons out of the end zone. I knew Florida State could dominate this game, but 52-0 isn't exactly the way I predicted it. And what about senior running back Chris Thompson? Last season against Wake Forest, it looked like it would be his last game after suffering a season (and almost a career) ending back injury. Chris didn't waste the chance to make it known to Wake Forest (and the rest of college football) that he had fully recovered and was ready for redemption. Thompson had two touchdown runs of 74 yards and 80 yards. He finished the day with 9 carries for 197 yards. The Noles passed their first ACC test. The other key stat to take from this game? The Seminoles' ground game finished with 385 yards rushing, which is the most thus far. FSU played two FCS schools and never came close to that total. The FSU offensive line is on the righ track, and they will be tested again next week against Clemson.

USC stumbles against Stanford.
 
    Stanford kept USC's offense in check and pulled out the victory, 21-14. So, just how good is Stanford? Was USC overrated? At this point it's still too early to tell. I think it may have been a combination of both. Stanford's confidence is through the roof now, and it could be tougher than expected to bring them down. A PAC12 that looked like it would come down to two teams (Stanford not being one of them), now is a mess. USC could say that it was luck, but Stanford knows that luck had nothing to do with this game. Stanford played a great game on both sides of the ball. When it came down to the wire, both sides would rise to the challenge. Great win for Stanford. Tough loss for USC. Tennessee fans would like to send a special thanks to Stanford for bringing a little joy back to their saturday.

Notre Dame beats Michigan State.

     Not that I would like to say, 'I told ya so'......but I did. I remember after posting that I thought Notre Dame would win this game, I heard on the radio and from several media outlets that they would be shocked if Notre Dame could score even one touchdown. Am I the only one who can see that Notre Dame is a solid team this year? Now, of course, the media will jump on the band wagon. Notre Dame dominated this game on defense. The offense managed the game and took what Michigan State's defense gave them. This just continues to build up the confidence of the Irish. Just wait until we are talking about an undefeated Irish team 6 or 7 weeks into the season. Okay, I may be just a little too far ahead of myself but we will see.

    Week 3 proved to be an exciting week. And there are some great matchups ahead in Week 4. Check back for more updates, and don't forget to check us out on Facebook. Reader questions can be sent to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com