Week 5: Did We Learn Anything?
Week 5 may be the weakest week in the 2012 season. Don't get me wrong, there were some good games to watch. It all started with Stanford being upset by Washington.
So, where did I finish with my picks? 7-1 in week 5. You can call me out on my picks all you want. You can say I didn't have any risky picks, but if you look at the scores to those games you will see there was plenty of risk in my picks.
Georgia beat UT by 7 points.(A shoot-out, 51-44)
Miami beat NC State by 7 points. (On a last minute score)
Texas beat Oklahoma St. by 5 points. (On a last minute score)
Ohio State beat Michigan State by 1 point.
Nebraska trailed against Wisconsin but won by 3 points.
FSU beat USF 30-17. Not a great performance.
My only loss: Virginia Tech lost to Cincinnati.
West Virginia escapes Baylor. 70-63.
So besides ONE game, all my picks were decided by 7 points or less. That moves my season total to 21-8. I needed a strong finish in Week 5 because of the games ahead in Week 6. There are some good ones, but let's see what Week 5 taught us. (if anything)
LSU slips in the polls again. A season with high expectations coming in......and now LSU has to hope they finish in the top 15. Unless something changes with LSU, I don't see them in the top 15 at the end of the season. Yes I said it. Their performance the last two weeks has been everything but impressive, or convincing. LSU travels to the Swamp this week, and if they play the way they have been playing, then they lose that game without a question.
Alabama is #1. The voters all agree, Alabama is the team to beat. Call me crazy all you want, but I don't think they are that much different then LSU. Bama is better than LSU, but again, Bama has not been tested yet. Looking at their schedule, they may never be tested until the SEC Championship game. Nobody in the SEC west looks like the SEC of two or three years ago. Arkansas is terrible. Auburn is just downright bad. LSU looks average at best. Ole Miss isn't a good team and they held their own for awhile against Bama. Either way, Bama has their toughest stretch (which isn't that tough at all) over the next 4 to 5 weeks. You disagree? Tell me your thoughts, Email (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com) or post on our Facebook page.
Florida State moves to #3. There are people cracking jokes about the Seminoles' schedule all over the place. Yes, the ACC is the 4th or 5th best conference in the country, however, Clemson isn't anything to joke about. FSU still has to play Virginia Tech and the Florida Gators. The Hokies haven't been strong but anything could happen in that game. The Gators are looking pretty strong and if the Gators can beat LSU, then you are looking at a top 10 matchup in November. The facts are facts. FSU has beaten a ranked team (and Clemson is still ranked, unlike Michigan). LSU hasn't beaten a ranked opponent. In fact, FSU has another ranked team on their schedule. What about Alabama? How many ranked teams do they have on their schedule? TWO at this point. LSU and Mississippi State, and we all know both those teams look really scary, right? I am not saying the SEC is soft, but looking at Bama's schedule, it's not what LSU, Georgia, or Florida have to face. Bama has the easiest SEC schedule of anybody in the conference.
West Virginia is all offense and no defense. 70-63. 19 Touchdowns were scored in that game. It was a passing clinic for both QBs. Geno Smith put up crazy numbers. He has to be in the lead in the Heisman race. However, if WVU wants to be in the National Title hunt, they have to find some defense. Defense wins championships. They are fun to watch but they aren't that team that could win it all, yet. If the defense can settle down, then we might be talking about them in late November.
Georgia's defense isn't as scary as we thought. Georgia gave up over 200 yards rushing to a Tennessee team that struggles to run the ball. There is no doubt that Georgia may have the best offense in the SEC, but in the SEC, you have to have defense. The Bulldogs have to make the right adjustments this week. They are playing a much better offense in South Carolina this week, and it must be ready to stop the run. Lattimore and Connor Shaw won't be easy to stop.
This week didn't teach us anything special, other than you have to play your game. Nobody gets a pass because of their ranking. Just because you beat a ranked team last week doesn't mean you don't have to show up this week. Every game has to be played, and that will prove to be true again in Week 6. There are plenty of top 25 team matchups this week.
Don't like my thoughts on the SEC? Tell me about it. Send your questions, comments and/or reactions. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com
Next segment will be Reader Questions, so get them in.
Georgia beat UT by 7 points.(A shoot-out, 51-44)
Miami beat NC State by 7 points. (On a last minute score)
Texas beat Oklahoma St. by 5 points. (On a last minute score)
Ohio State beat Michigan State by 1 point.
Nebraska trailed against Wisconsin but won by 3 points.
FSU beat USF 30-17. Not a great performance.
My only loss: Virginia Tech lost to Cincinnati.
West Virginia escapes Baylor. 70-63.
So besides ONE game, all my picks were decided by 7 points or less. That moves my season total to 21-8. I needed a strong finish in Week 5 because of the games ahead in Week 6. There are some good ones, but let's see what Week 5 taught us. (if anything)
LSU slips in the polls again. A season with high expectations coming in......and now LSU has to hope they finish in the top 15. Unless something changes with LSU, I don't see them in the top 15 at the end of the season. Yes I said it. Their performance the last two weeks has been everything but impressive, or convincing. LSU travels to the Swamp this week, and if they play the way they have been playing, then they lose that game without a question.
Alabama is #1. The voters all agree, Alabama is the team to beat. Call me crazy all you want, but I don't think they are that much different then LSU. Bama is better than LSU, but again, Bama has not been tested yet. Looking at their schedule, they may never be tested until the SEC Championship game. Nobody in the SEC west looks like the SEC of two or three years ago. Arkansas is terrible. Auburn is just downright bad. LSU looks average at best. Ole Miss isn't a good team and they held their own for awhile against Bama. Either way, Bama has their toughest stretch (which isn't that tough at all) over the next 4 to 5 weeks. You disagree? Tell me your thoughts, Email (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com) or post on our Facebook page.
Georgia's defense isn't as scary as we thought. Georgia gave up over 200 yards rushing to a Tennessee team that struggles to run the ball. There is no doubt that Georgia may have the best offense in the SEC, but in the SEC, you have to have defense. The Bulldogs have to make the right adjustments this week. They are playing a much better offense in South Carolina this week, and it must be ready to stop the run. Lattimore and Connor Shaw won't be easy to stop.
This week didn't teach us anything special, other than you have to play your game. Nobody gets a pass because of their ranking. Just because you beat a ranked team last week doesn't mean you don't have to show up this week. Every game has to be played, and that will prove to be true again in Week 6. There are plenty of top 25 team matchups this week.
Don't like my thoughts on the SEC? Tell me about it. Send your questions, comments and/or reactions. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com
Next segment will be Reader Questions, so get them in.
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