Bowl Game Predictions

Happy New Year's Eve!

Now for Some Bowl Games!

 

      I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday last week. Now that we have all the meaningless bowls out of the way, lets get into the big matchups.

 

      In action today:

 

   

      Vanderbilt vs NC State. It was a great showing for Vanderbilt earlier today. Vandy forced a season high FIVE turnovers and won their second straight bowl game. With this win it gave Vandy their 9th win of the season; which is the most wins for Vanderbilt since the early 1900's. Congrats to Vanderbilt and their fan base.

 

     Georgia Tech vs USC. Believe it or not, I knew Georgia Tech would have success against the Trojans' defense. As it stands at this point. It is in the 4th qtr and Georgia Tech has over 200 yards rushing and is ahead 21-7. This would be a huge statement for Georgia Tech even though USC is having a rough season. Perhaps more importantly, it would greatly help the ACC if the Yellow Jackets can come away with a win in this game.

 

      LSU vs Clemson. This is sure to be the most interesting game on New Year's Eve. On one side you have a high powered offense that can throw up points real fast, and on the other you have a very stingy defense. LSU is bringing the defense, and Clemson is bringing the offense..... Tigers vs Tigers. ACC vs SEC. Yet another chance for the ACC to salvage a little, and I emphasize a LITTLE, respect this season. The ACC had one of its worst seasons in over a decade. With a Georgia Tech win over the PAC-12 and a Clemson win over and SEC team, it would be a huge statement for the conference. It won't be easy. Clemson's only strength happens to work in favor of LSU's strength. Clemson's weakness? Well, it's in nearly every other part of their game. Clemson's defense has struggled all season. It will be a huge challenge for Clemson's defense. I am taking the Tigers in this one.... Tigers win 28-17.... No good? I guess I should clarify which Tigers... Nah, I will stick with the score and tell you which Tigers after the game.

 

 

*******FINAL SCORE UPDATE*******

          Georgia Tech defeats USC 21-7

 

       New Year's Day Action

 

      January 1, 2013 will bring on some good games.

 

 

      Michigan vs South Carolina. Michigan has had some late season success, but I don't think it will be enough in this game to come up with a win. South Carolina's defense will be too much for the Wolverines. If Michigan fans haven't heard of a defensive end named Clowney, they will be sick of him by the end of the first qtr.  South Carolina wins, 27-10. Chalk up another Bowl Win for the SEC.

 

 

      Georgia vs Nebraska. This certainly wasn't the bowl game Georgia was hoping for about a month ago, but I don't think they will lose too much focus. Nebraska has to be the team that is a little 'hungover'. They were crushed by Wisconsin, and that ripped a sure Rose Bowl right out of their hands. This may not be a 'Big Bowl' game, but it is a chance for the Cornhuskers to make a statement for the B1G Ten. If you haven't caught on to the theme yet, it clearly is on the minds of a bunch of teams that are playing against SEC teams in Bowl Games. Everybody wants a piece of the SEC. Everybody wants to be able to say that they beat an SEC team. Nebraska will have their shot. Georgia may have a little trouble with Martinez early on, but in the end, Georgia gets the win. Bulldogs win, 35-20.

 

 

 

          Wisconsin vs Stanford. Yeah, that's right. Wisconsin is representing the B1G Ten in the Rose Bowl against Stanford. And what a mess it would create if Wisconsin came away with the win. Don't think for one minute that Wisconsin doesn't have it in them to win this game. In fact, I like Wisconsin in this matchup. It will be a very emotional game for them and that may be the difference in this game. The big boys at ESPN and Vegas experts are saying Stanford by 6.5 points.....not me, I am taking Wisconsin and they will win, 31-24.

 

        Florida State vs Northern Illinois. There are some big story-lines surrounding this game. Whether it is NIU cracking into the BCS, Mark Stoops leaving FSU to become the Head Coach at Kentucky, or the fact that FSU hasn't won a BCS Bowl since 1999 (Let alone played in one since 2005). Don't be surprised if NIU comes out and punches Florida State right in the mouth. FSU has the distractions of so many things happening. They won the ACC for the first time since 2005; are they satisfied with just being there? The Noles will be without Mark Stoops. Could be a good thing, right? Some fans think Stoops played too conservative.....Yet they have one of the best defenses in the country. One of the more 'under the radar' topics has to be how FSU has fallen since their loss to NC State back in October. The Noles have steadily declined since that game. Sure, there were a couple of key victories after that game, but as far as the big picure, they have struggled. This is a game where Jimbo Fisher must call on his seniors......and the seniors better answer the call. Fisher has a rough record in games that his team is favored in, and this is another one of those games that has fans a wreck.

         ESPN and Vegas are giving the Noles a 13 point spread in favor of the Noles. This is a game that Florida State's superior players should win, no matter how bad the play calling might be.......FSU's speed and strength should be the difference. Noles win, 38-21.

        Check back for the Sugar Bowl Matchup between the Florida Gators and the Louisville Cardinals.

 

      

 

      



FSU Defensive Coordinator Search

Search for FSU's New Defensive Coordinator Coming to an End?

      According to sources from within FSU and at ESPN, Jimbo Fisher has his man for the defensive coordinator job. The question that remains is: When will the official announcement be made? Fisher is on record saying that the announcement will be made when the time is right. So who is the guy? 

 

    Jeremy Pruitt coaches defensive backs under Nick Saban. While I have not been impressed with the 'Saban coaching tree', I will give him his fair shot (not that the decision came down to me or anything). Of the candidates that were mentioned, I feel better about Pruitt. Names like Sal Sunseri, Gene Chizik, and Bob Shoop were eliminated....some because they were just rumors, and others because it was innaccurate reporting.  Pruitt may have came in under the radar for some fans, but it should come as little surprise since Fisher has so much respect for Nick Saban. The real interesting part in this hire, if it happens, Pruitt is a 3-4 scheme minded guy, whereas, FSU is currently a 4-3 defensive style. Will there be a change to the base defense at Florida State? Fisher has said he wants a guy who will be more aggressive, and at the same time be mindful of the way the roster looks going into the spring. That being said, FSU may not switch over to a 3-4 right away but fans can expect to see a few different wrinkles.

 

      What does this mean for FSU in the long term? Well, the good news is that Jeremy Pruitt will not be looked at for a head coaching job for awhile. That means Fisher could get five or six seasons out of him if he does a good job. This would help bring some stability back to the coaching staff and that becomes very important on the recruiting trail. And again, if Jeremy Pruitt is the guy and he wants to run the 3-4 defense in the future, he will need at least two seasons to install his scheme (Recruiting will change, and there may be a few position changes as well).

 

     So I want to hear from the Nole Nation this week; Is this the guy you want? Send me your thoughts for our Wednesday Reader Questions Segment. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com.

 

 

Bowl Season is Finally Here!

     Now that Bowl Season is in full swing I can finally start throwing out some predictions. However, I am going to try to stick to the big games (or what I would consider big games). Not that there hasn't been any good games yet, but I am looking forward to the big time matchups a little more, I think.... Nevada and Arizona was a great game to watch, especially in the final minute of the game in which Arizona scored TWO TDs to win the game. I am hoping this is a sign of things to come and that there will be some instant classics. Check back later as I start to release my bowl picks. And as always, you can send me your questions/comments and/or predictions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com. Wednesday is Reader Question Segment, so get yours in... 

Mid Week Update

Wednesday Mail-Blog

 

       It's time for the mid-week update and your questions. With the regular season and conference championships long gone, what's on the radar to talk about? The Heisman Trophy has been awarded. Coaching positions have been filled; or at least the important head coaching jobs have been. Then there are the rumors of more schools deciding to change conferences, but isn't that getting old now? And besides, who really cares if small schools are making the moves? We are only interested in the bigger schools moving now. So, what do we have to talk about? It's a little early to starting making predictions for bowl games and we are all tired of hearing about how Louisville, Wisconsin, and Northern Illinois shouldn't be in the BCS.

 

          I leave Wednesday's pretty wide open to answer your questions, react to your comments, and give you my thoughts on your predictions, etc. But I also want to at least find someting interesting to post. I could speculate on who Florida State and Jimbo Fisher are looking at for the defensive coordinator job, but again, it's speculation at this point. Then there is the mess at the 'U'. Miami is still waiting for the NCAA to finish its investigation and pass down their punishment. What about Bobby Petrino to Western Kentucky? What a hire that was, right?

 

      Oh well, this segment is on you anyway. I only received one question this week.....so lets see what one of you came up with.

 

 

Timothy writes: Enjoying the blog. I have emailed you a question or two before. One thing that I have been thinking about the last couple of weeks, The playoff system is coming, TV contracts are being ironed out, and teams are still thinking about moving to other conferences.... Where does the ACC fit in all this mess? It seems that at the rate they are going, the conference will be kicked to the curb and FSU, Clemson, Miami, and Virginia Tech will be forced to go elsewhere if they want to be relevant again.

 

       Thanks, Timothy. This is a very complicated and hard to predict situation. Yes, at the current rate, the ACC seems to be becoming less and less relevant in the big picture. However, the playoff system could salvage the ACC (or at least give it the boost it needs). The trouble with the ACC the last 8-9 seasons has been the traditional powers. Florida State, Miami, and Virginia Tech have been down. It was expected that adding Miami and Virginia Tech would help the conference's image because both those schools were performing at a high level. Miami played for a couple National Championships in 2001 and 2002. Virginia Tech had been a very consistent 'up and coming' team after their 1999 Sugar Bowl game for the National Championship (they lost to FSU).

     Anyways, I don't need to give you an entire history lesson..... At this point, Florida State seems to be headed back in the right direction and that will help the ACC. Clemson has finally started to be consistent, and they deserve some attention as well. I think the ACC will be fine. I'd say the biggest way they can help themselves is to make sure they get a team in the first playoff. If Florida State, Clemson, or Virginia Tech can claim one of those spots and COMPETE in the first season of the playoffs then the ACC won't be the punchline for many of the weak conference jokes.

    Outside of FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Miami, the rest of the conference needs to step up. North Carolina seems to be right on the edge of being a solid program. The addition of Louisville will help as long as they keep winning, of course. Surprisingly, Pitt could develope into a pretty good team as well. Pitt and Syracuse should be joining the conference as early as next season, if I'm not mistaken. The ACC may look rough right now, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Notre Dame is the other wild-card in all of this. Notre Dame will be partial members to the ACC here real soon, and I share the same theory that many others have. Notre Dame's football will join a conference within the next 5 seasons. And one thing is for sure, the ACC won't allow Notre Dame to be a member of another conference in football and still hold their partial membership to the ACC. It's not too far fetched.....Really it's not. The Academics line up with what the ACC stands for and the sports fit really well.

      So in the near future, the ACC needs Virginia Tech and Clemson to be in the top 15 consistently, Florida State and Notre Dame need to perform at a high level and be in the top 10 consistently, and Louisville needs to stay in the top 25. Will this solve all of their problems? No, but it will certainly help. The rest of the conference needs to start pulling their weight. Thanks again, Timothy, for your question.

 

       Don't forget you can send me your comments/questions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com. Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'. Check back later this week for more updates.  

Monday Update

Johnny 'Football' Wins Heisman 

      Johnny Manziel made history. He became the only first year player to win the Heisman Trophy. Was it really a surprise though? His numbers are better than Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Nobody else in the country means more to their team.

      

      The question on the horizon now, is can he do it again? Will he be able to have another season like this one? For a freshman to play as well as he has this season I think it's certainly possible. Obviously he has the greatest chance to repeat because he has three more years left. And, I'm not saying that he has to top this year's numbers in order to do it. He simply could put up equal numbers and that may be enough to do it again. I am looking forward to seeing more of Johnny 'Football' Manziel in the SEC in years to come. He is a very exciting player to watch and the scary thing is that he still has room for improvement. Just imagine if A&M can develope more weapons around him...... Only time will tell.
 

 

 

  Tennessee Hires Butch Jones

 

    Yes, this really happened. After the whole Charlie Strong mess; UT finally hired their new head coach. I'm sure many Tennessee fans were scratching their heads when this was announced. Butch Jones was Cincinnati's head coach. The good news for Tennessee is that he has a good record, unlike Derek Dooley. Up to this point, Jones has been a winner. He is 50-27 in six seasons as a head coach. That stat alone should have UT fans really excited seeing as they are used to a losing record over the last two or three seasons.

  

     Butch Jones is now scrambling to put his staff together. Former UT QB, Tee Martin, is in Knoxville today to meet with Jones, according to sources. He was UT's QB when the Vols won the 1998 National Championship. Martin served on Lane Kiffin's staff this season at USC as the receivers coach. It would be a huge plus for Jones to take Tee Martin. The former QB could really help with recruiting. Tee Martin won't be the only former Vol player to be on staff. Jay Graham, who served on Dooley's staff this season, will remain the running backs coach.

 

      Other names that look like they will serve on Jones' staff are secondary coach Willie Martinez, and linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen. Both served on Auburn's defensive staff this season. Jones' hasn't forgotten about some his guys at Cincinnatti, though. It is reported (according to ESPN) that he will be bringing in his offensive coordinator Mike Bejakian, and defensive coordinator John Jancek.

 

      Tennessee should be very excited, but in a cautious way. It's very promising to see him put together his staff so quickly. This will help tremendously on the recruiting trail. I wouldn't expect a huge improvement in the first season, but the second season under this staff could be the most exciting season for UT in six years. I know that doesn't sound great, but UT is looking for signs of hope and I believe this will be the coach that can restore UT's program.

 

     That's it for today. Don't forget that every Wednesday is Reader Question Segment. Feel free to send anything college football.....any team, any conference.                                          Send to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com. Also check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day.  

Thursday Update

Heisman Talk, and Coach Search

      When I updated this blog yesterday, Charlie Strong was the favorite to take over at Tennessee. He had all but held a press conference to accept the job. Knoxville was ready to throw a big 'welcome parade' Tennessee's AD had boarded a plane in Knoxville headed to an undiclosed location- according to sources. So what happened late yesterday afternoon?

 

      Head Coach Charlie Strong held a team meeting at 3:30 where it was thought he was telling the team that he was leaving. All the players were told not to speak to the media after the meeting. As it turns out, Strong turned down the job. By turning down the chance to coach at UT in the SEC, he said that Louisville is a better job than UT. Wow. And UT fans now have to be wondering why nobody wants to coach at their school.

   

       I love listening to the local sports radio here in Nashville. All I have heard most of the day are fans who are about to panic and fans who are now asking "what are the chances we can get Fulmer back?" Really? Vol fans have really fallen pretty far if they are back on the Phil Fulmer wagon. Then there are the fans that are blaming Lane Kiffin for the troubles they are having trying to find a coach. What did Kiffin do? Sure he had a few issues in the short term he was the coach, but that was a long time ago. While this is all very entertaining, all I can say is stay calm and be patient. Sometimes you get turned down by your first candidate (or in this case your third candidate). Either way, it's back to the drawing boards for Tennessee's AD.

 

 

 

      Now on to something that only has three candidates and we know one of them will win. The Heisman Trophy presentation is close. It's down to Johnny 'Football' Manziel of Texas A&M, Collin Klein of Kansas State, and Manti Te'o of Notre Dame. Manziel has to be the clear cut favorite here. However, there are those in power who refuse to vote for a freshman. That could open the door for one of the other two. Manti Te'o is the one guy that I feel doesn't belong in this grouping. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is a defensive player. It has everything to do with that he is not a SUPER LINEBACKER that he is made out to be. He is a very solid player, no doubt, but there are other linebackers with numbers much like his and some that are better. One guy that should come to mind when comparing their stats is Alabama's C.J. Mosley. Look at the stats:

   Manti Te'o

101 Tackles

46 were solo tackles

1.5 Sacks

7 Interceptions (this may be what gives him the edge)

4 Pass break-ups

 

   C.J. Mosley

99 Tackles

61 were solo tackles (well over half of his tackles)

4 Sacks

2 Interceptions

2 Pass break-ups.

 

    While Te'o may have a couple more total tackles and a few more interceptions, you can see that maybe Te'o gets a little too much praise. Yes, he is an impact player. He is a very important piece to the Notre Dame defense, but his numbers are not as amazing as they are made out to be. If he wins the Heisman, it won't be because of his numbers.......it will be because of the team he plays for.

 

    Collin Klein may have been the favorite for a longer period during the season, but he fell off a bit when he had a poor showing against Baylor. I think the only way Klein wins is if there are enough voters who are against giving it to a freshman and aren't on the Notre Dame wagon.

     Check back tomorrow for more updates. I am going to open up the email tomorrow as well. Send me your questions/comments and predictions. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com. Check us out on facebook and give us a 'LIKE'. www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day. 

Reader Questions Segment

Reader Question Wednesday

 

       With all th BCS discussion and the Heisman Trophy presentation days away, I actually didn't get any questions pertaining to either of those two topics. However, I did get a couple questions about a topic that has cast a shadow over those two topics. The number of coaching jobs that will be filled over the next few days/weeks has drawn so much attention.

 

 

 

      Ray, in Georgia, asks: Being the Noles fan that you are, who are you hearing will replace Mark Stoops. I've read in several other places that Fisher hopes to have this position filled by the end of next week. Any truth to that?

 

      Thanks for the question, Ray. As far as candidates are concerned, there are a few out there that have surfaced pretty fast. Let me shoot down a rumor that started on a radio show a couple days ago. I have looked into it, and even listened to the radio segment on a website. Gene Chizik is not being considered for this job. There, got that out of the way. The others I am reading about seem legit at this point.

       Bob Shoop (not to be confused with Bob Stoops). Shoop is the defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt. He has done a great job with what he has had to work with (much like Stoops when he was at Arizona). Also, it should be brought to everyone's attention that Jimbo Fisher has gone on record in saying that he wants somebody more aggressive and runs several different types of coverages. If there was a flaw with Stoops' defense at FSU, it was the obvious fact that they played 'bend but don't break' defense too much of the time. Fisher would like to have a DC that blitzes more.

 

       The other candidates; Geoff Collins (Mississippi State Co Defensive Coor.) Manny Diaz (former GA at FSU in 1998-99, now at Texas as Defensive Coor.).  I haven't heard any other names really.

      

       As far as when Fisher will make this hire, I have no clue. I'm not sure there is much truth to the 'by next week' comment. It would be great for recruiting if he can go ahead and get that taken care of before the bowl game.

 

 

        T.J. in Tennessee asks: Ok, so Auburn has a coach, Arkansas has a coach, even kentucky has a coach.... Who and when will Tennessee have a head coach?

 

 

        I'm glad you got your question in last night. I think today (or at the very latest, by the end of the week) you will hear who will take over at UT. The man that is receiving the most attention is Charlie Strong. I am hearing that name all over the place. Sorry UT, Gruden didn't want it. And according to more sources, Jimbo Fisher doesn't want it either. From what I am hearing, it's Charlie Strong's job if he wants it. So if he isn't the guy, then that's a pretty bad situation for the VOLS. Maybe UT is not the job everybody thought it was. But, I think Strong will take it... We'll see.

 

 

       Thanks for the questions. You can send your questions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com. Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'. Check back tomorrow for more updates. 

BCS Bash Tuesday

BCS Bash Tuesday

        We have all heard the saying "the BCS got it right". Well, when it comes to #1 vs #2, yes, the BCS gets it right (most of the time, anyway). However, when you say "the BCS got it right", that also refers to the rest of the BCS matchups. And this season I have to say that the BCS just proved why we need a play off system.

 

 

        Northern Illinois is ranked 16th and they are the MAC Champions. With the rules of the BCS, that gives NIU access to a BCS Bowl even though they are not part of an AQ conference. Instead of the BCS rewarding the teams that are great (Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, South Carolina, or even the SECOND BEST SEC TEAM; Georgia) It rewards teams like NIU, Louisville, and an 8-5 Wisconsin team. Yes, an 8-5 team is playing in the Rose Bowl. How many times have we said that the system is broken? Even when we are talking about just how the top 10 rankings look there are always people saying it's broke. The only game the BCS got right this season was the BCS Title Game.

 

        Why does the system work this way? I don't want to act like I know every rule the BCS has to follow, but I will tell you that we only have the smaller conferences to thank for this huge mess. You can say it started with Boise State a few years ago, but I think it pre-dates that situation just a little bit. Some of you may remember reading the stories about how congress may investigate the BCS under the suspicion that the BCS doesn't give access to the smaller conferences. Congress never went through with it (to my knowledge). The threat, however, made the BCS change its rules for qualifying for the BCS. Now as the rule stands, to my understanding, a team in a NON-AQ conference can qualify for a BCS Bowl if they win their conference and are ranked 16th or higher in the BCS standings.

 

       This system is now made to serve everyone, not just the teams that are great or deserving. Sure, it may sound great when you say "the BCS serves everyone" but that's not what it was made for...... It was made to reward those teams who played in an AQ conference. It was made for those teams that work so hard to get into the top 10 in the rankings. It was made for the team that finishes 6th (Georgia). But now, it has been changed. This isn't the first year this has happened, but this year it has drawn more discussion. All I can say at this point is "Come on 2014!"

 

       Will the Playoff system fix the issues we have now? No. There is no system that could solve all the issues that the current BCS system has right now. However, the playoff system will be better at getting to that #1 ranking. Think of how great it would be to see Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama, and Florida all participate in a four team playoff. Or for those who discount Ohio State because of their current bowl ban, insert Oregon. Will we get the four teams right every time? Maybe not. Will there be teams left out that deserve a shot? Yes, but the difference will be that there will be more chances of getting it right than getting it wrong. This year is a prime example of what could've happened in the playoffs. Take away the bowl ban from Ohio State, and you get Notre Dame and Ohio State in the picture. Then it's a huge debate for the other two teams. Kansas State, Oregon, Florida and Alabama all have ONE LOSS. Hey don't forget about NIU (12-1)......Yeah forget that.... The playoff system will keep that from ever happening...

 

 

       Okay, so we can't change the fact that Louisville and NIU are in the BCS.......but we can stop blaming the teams they are playing against for the mess created by the BCS. It isn't Florida's fault for having to play Louisville. It isn't Florida State's fault for having to play NIU. If you want to be mad at somebody, or a group for these matchups......take it out on the BCS and the VOTERS! The Voters could've prevented NIU from making it into the BCS. We can't control the computers (so they say, anyway) but we can control who we vote for in the rankings. The AP poll still has some weight to it and it could have stopped this. Now we have two teams ranked 16th or worse playing in BCS Bowls....Thank you, Associated Press. Thank you, BSC, excuse me...BCS.

 

         NIU is 16th in the AP poll. So the Associated Press is telling us that NIU is better than Nebraska, Michigan, and UCLA?!?!?! (Just to name a few that are ranked under NIU) Let me get this straight, Nebraska and UCLA played for their conference championships (they both lost; UCLA nearly won) and they aren't better than the MAC Champion? To you smaller conferences, please stop complaining and get out there and play teams from the SEC, Big 12, PAC-12, or even the ACC. I end with the most over-used phrase; "the system is broke." It will still be broke in two years but with less issues like this one (I hope).

 

      Check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'. Don't forget that Wednesday is Reader Questions Segment. Send me your questions/comments and/or predictions (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com)  

Conference Championships Recap

BCS Stage is Set

 

       There were some great games on Saturday and then there were some not so great games. No matter what, though, we now know who is playing who in the BCS Title Game. Lets run through a quick recap of what happened on Saturday.

 

       

       I won't drag this out..... Alabama

squeezed by Georgia. It was a classic SEC Championship. I hope that fans will give Georgia a little more respect now. It seemed as though more people were surprised by how well they played against Bama. Many fans don't realize this is how Georgia has played for most of the season. And I still stand by my previous statements; Alabama is not the team they were a year ago, or even two years ago. It was a great game that came down to the final play, and Alabama survived. Their defense didn't hold, they didn't make some miraculous play to end the game.....they simply survived.

 

       Big Ten Championship. Wow! Anybody see this one coming? 70-31? Really? Wisconsin just destroyed Nebraska. I wouldn't spend much time on this one, but I have to bring up something that has a little irony to it. Wisconsin was 7-5 coming into the game; much like Georgia Tech was 6-6 going into the ACC title game. Before anybody checks out for this.....both teams had a lot in common. Both were the THIRD best team in their division. Both got the chance to play in their conference championship because of post season bans on the two better teams. Both were facing 10-2 teams. Just imagine if Georgia Tech had been playing Nebraska..... sounds crazy but Georgia Tech might have had 700 yards rushing on that defense. ANYWAYS, Wisconsin (8-5) gets to represent the B1G TEN in the Rose Bowl. That couldn't be a bigger black-eye for the B1G TEN.

 

      Moving on........

 

      ACC Championship. FSU survives a late push by Georgia Tech and won its first ACC Title since 2005. Make fun of FSU all you want....give them all the criticism you want. Call out their weak schedule if you want to; but guess what? FSU is right where so many predicted them to be. FSU was picked to win the Atlantic Division. They did that. FSU was picked to win the ACC. They did that. How many times has this team been picked to do that since their last ACC Title? Your right, nearly every year, but this time the predictions proved to be right. In a season where there were higher expectations within the program, the Noles finally captured what had been missing for the last six seasons. It has to start somewhere......and three or four season down the road people aren't going to look back on the negative things that happened to this team in 2012..... they are going to look back and be able to point a finger and say "it started in 2012."

 

 

      PAC-12 Championship. Stanford took down UCLA for the second time this season (in back-to-back weeks actually). But it wasn't as easy as the previous week. I have to give UCLA a lot of credit. They had a great season and deserved to be in that game. Stanford did better than many expected. While most thought the PAC-12  Title was already in the Ducks' trophy case, The Cardinal had different plans.  Now they have their sites on the Rose Bowl against an 8-5 B1G TEN team (yes I went there again).

 

 

 

      BIG 12. Congrats to Kansas State, and honorable mention to Oklahoma. Kansas State took care of Texas on Saturday, which gave the Wild Cats their conference title. Great season for the Wild Cats and Collin Klein. He should be in the Heisman discussion. And now we will get to see that matchup that almost ended up being the BCS Title Game...... Kansas State vs Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. Should be a fun game to watch for sure....

 

 

      That's it for the big games.....I have one honorable mention to a team that has sparked more controversy in the BCS than any other team...... Northern Illinois is the 2012 BCS Buster. They are 12-1 and made it high enough in the rankings that they get a bid into a BCS game.... Which one? They will face Florida State in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day...... I will leave the BCS argument for tomorrow's post.

 

      Check back tomorrow for the BCS bashing party. Send me your questions and comments. (jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com) Check us out on Facebook as well, www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day