Final 2017 Regular Season Standings
1. Draper (51-17, 3-11 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (48-20, 0-14 upset)
3. Seeberg (47-21, 6-8 upset)
4. Hoying (44-24, 2-12 upset)
Bowl Standings 2017
1. Draper (23-8)
2. Hoying (20-11)
3. Seeberg (17-14)
4. Schweinfurth (16-15)
1. Draper (51-17, 3-11 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (48-20, 0-14 upset)
3. Seeberg (47-21, 6-8 upset)
4. Hoying (44-24, 2-12 upset)
Bowl Standings 2017
1. Draper (23-8)
2. Hoying (20-11)
3. Seeberg (17-14)
4. Schweinfurth (16-15)
Washington Huskies vs. Auburn Tigers
Draper: Not much time to research but this is the most intriguing game of the week to me. Washington is getting the hype this year, but they're making the annual trek to the south by strong preseason teams to face SEC teams on "neutral" turf (the death of the home-and-home is very sad). I think the location (Atlanta) gives the edge to the Tigers. While there's a good chance UW is the better team, pre conference games in SEC territory are usually predictable. The Tigers snip the Huskies in a close one (and the south won't shut up...) UW: 28--Aub: 31
Hoying: Eccchhh...I really don't trust either of these teams. Auburn is great for a couple of unexpected upsets every few years before showing they're catastrophically unprepared to deal with success. And Washington just hasn't been good since they beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl 27 years ago (fake good the last two years doesn't count). Tough to win in the Confederacy if you're not a general from Ohio, so we'll ride the Tigers until their season comes crashing down against LSU in a couple weeks. UW: 24--Aub: 27
Schweinfurth: I'm with Draper, I really want to watch this game as it has the potential to be a classic opening weekend game. Washington is playing for, not only the Huskies' national perception, but the entire Pac-12 (correct or not). Chris Peterson has shown he is willing to pull out all the stops in these big games, and has had months to plan this one out. A crazy trick play decides this one. Washington close. UW: 31--Aub: 28
Seeberg: Oh fabulous, another early season neutral site home game for an SEC team. At least it's against a relevant opponent. The PAC-12 was just annihilated last bowl season, and for its current king, a big out-of-conference W would certainly help the league's perception. Honestly if these two played ten times this season I'd be shocked if it was more than 6-4 one way or the other. I'm going with the Huskies (mainly because I want the south to shut up). UW: 34-- Aub: 27
Michigan Wolverines @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: Another intriguing game....in 1995. Actually, this is a nice litmus test for both teams. Notre Dame has been trying to bust into the conversation since they were smashed by Bama in the 2013 title game and Michigan is still searching for their first win of note since Harbaugh got there (that's actually a true statement). Will Shea Patterson get it done in Ann Arbor? Probably not, but that defense should prove problematic for the Irish. I don't know if this is a signature win, but it will start the hype train running (unrealistically). We all know beating a highly ranked preseason ND team means you're "back". ND: 14 -- UM: 17
Hoying: Speaking of fake good, let's welcome back Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines, fresh off a 5-loss season which featured a scoring average of 14.4 points per defeat. Now, you might say that was because the QB situation was SPS last season. And I would say that Chip Kelly, the most offensive...minded college coach maybe ever, just decided that outgoing Michigan QB Wilton Speight was good enough to start for him this season at UCLA. You might then say that Speight was hurt for most of last season and didn't play in any of their losses. And I might say...shut up. Anyway, the Maize and Blue now have a QB they can actually use: Shea Patterson, a transfer. Where have I seen this before...oh yeah, Jake Rudock back in 2015. Problem was, Rudock experienced a few growing pains in a season-opening loss to Utah. Add that to the fact that Harbaugh still hasn't won a road game of consequence at UM, and...argghhhh, I can't buy into the Irish either, especially against that nasty UM defense. ND: 13 -- UM: 16
Schweinfurth: I am not buying the Shea Patterson hype. I don't know if it's because I just didn't watch enough of him at MIss St. or it's the grad transfer thing. Harbaugh just hasn't developed a QB since Andrew Luck (or was Luck just that good?). I will say that the Meatchicken defense looks like it could be really good. Notre Dame is ranked, big woop. I really want history to continue with the Wolverines continuing that road losing streak to ranked teams, but, unfortunately, they are the better team. I guess this helps the B1G perception? Who cares, I still hate TUN. ND: 17 -- UM: 21
Seeberg: Hey, at least these two formerly relevant college football superpowers are playing each other again...except that means one of them has to win. Bleh. The good news is that TTUN might only be the fifth best team in the B1G. The bad news, however, is the four teams above them (OSU, PSU, Wisc, MSU, in whatever order you please) range from really good to daaammnnnnn. With even semi-competent quarterback play the Wolverines are a threat to win every game with that unfortunately nasty defense. Patterson may take awhile to get acclimated, but I don't see the Golden Domers scoring enough points to threaten late. Won't be pretty, but it'll keep the heat off Harbaugh- at least until the MSU and OSU contests. ND: 13-- UM: 23
Miami Hurricanes vs. Louisiana State Tigers
Draper: Will Jeauxy Burreaux lead the Tigahs into relevance? I think he could be the best QB in Baton Rouge in a long time, but the Canes got some serious swag back last year. This one is super tough and I believe Miami is the better team, but preseason SEC neutral site games.... I'll root for Burreaux to succeed (and Miami to fail), but I don't think LSU has the horses to stick with the speedy Canes. UM: 21 -- LSU: 17
Hoying: Speaking of Notre Dame, the last time we saw them was in a victory against Farmer Fran and the Tigers. Losing to the Irish in a bowl game is a tremendous embarrassment, about on the level of losing to Troy, but it's not like they're coming in on a 3-game streak of losing by double digits. No, that distinct honor belongs to the Hurricanes. But as I recall, Da U faced Notre Dame themselves last year. And how did that go...ah, yes, the Turnover Chain got to Brandon Wimbush & co. early and often and the Canes blew past them. The Chain's stranglehold isn't a warm welcome for any first time starter at QB, even a carpetbagging turncoat. UM: 31 -- LSU: 17
Schweinfurth: Let's be honest, LSU has more issues than who is going to play QB. Burrow is going to help out, but they have been so mediocre since Ogeron took over. Couple that with Miami is getting the swagger back and I just don't see LSU winning this game. UM: 35 -- LSU: 21
Seeberg: To me, Mark Richt is the modern-day college football equivalent of our beloved former Buckeye coach John Cooper. Pretty easy-going, excellent recruiter, and often ready to go out of the gate...before peaking WAY too early and crashing late in seasons time and time again. Unfortunately for Buckeye southern transplant Joey Burrow, this matchup is early in the season and I just don't think he's had enough time to mesh with LSU's...meh?...offensive talent. Hurricanes pull away late. UM: 27-- LSU: 13
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Florida State Seminoles
Draper: Mr. Francois returns under center for the Noles. Last year was extremely (extremely) disappointing, but expectations are reset for the 2018 season. I don't expect the moon, but the Noles need to come out of the gates firing. Their uniforms are stupid, but the warchant will lead Taggart's new squad to victory. I wonder how a new spread style will fly in Tallahassee. I think it's gonna be fun! VT: 17 -- FSU: 27
Hoying: Remember that one year when VT lost in week 2 to James Madison, and then went on to win the ACC? It doesn't have much bearing on this game, but it's really funny, and embarrassing for the ACC. Kind of like if Michigan had won the B1G after losing to App State. I mean, they were a win over the Buckeyes from doing so, and they would've split the title with Ohio State if they hadn't pooped the bed against Wisconsin. But Michigan lost their last two conference games, which got them demoted to the Capital One Bowl after the Rose Bowl passed them over for...Ron Zook and Illinois? College football is weird. Where was I? Oh yes, in that hilarious ACC season, the last team that tried (and failed) to stop James Madison's vanquished opponent from becoming ACC champions was *drum roll* Florida State! Can the Noles do better this year? I don't know. Depends on whether they have a coach who gives a crap and isn't just looking out for with his next big paycheck. Good thing they didn't just hire a jumping bean arriving at his third school in 3 years... VT: 31 -- FSU: 32
Schweinfurth: It is good to see Francois back under center after a stupid coaching decision torpedoed last season. Virginia Tech has been better since Beemer retired, but the 'Noles just have more talent. I'll take FSU, but the offensive style will provide some hiccups. VT: 20 -- FSU: 38
Seeberg: Squads dealing with a ton of different things in this matchup. Va Tech's offense should be better without a freshman QB under center, but the defense lost more than 2/3 of it's 2-deep, so both talent and depth will be stretched. The Seminoles went in the tank after Deondre Francois went down week 1 last year, but righted the ship to finish above .500. FSU gets Francois back, and week one at home, that's enough to convince me. VT: 20-- FSU: 31
Oregon State Beavers @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: Oregon State is terrible. The Bucks have been embroiled in this off field insane scandal, but I honestly don't see it affecting on field performance. Actually, I think this will be a statement push to show that while the coaching staff is off doing god-knows-what, they're laser focused on the game. I've seen the markets start to hedge the Bucks, but that's way to premature. This is all about the development and progress of Haskins. We won't learn much here, but I want to see maturity in the secondary, a step forward in WR play, and QB confidence. Give me that and a monster win and 'we good'. Oreg St.: 6 -- OSU: 52
Hoying: I hear a lot of talk about Urban, I hear a lot of talk about Dwayne Haskins, I hear a lot of talk about rebuilding the O-line and the secondary, and what I DON'T hear a lot about is our opponent. Whom are we even playing? The Angry Beavers? I get that OSU Pacific Time is supposed to be (and probably are) awful, but in the era of style points you can fail to impress if you don't take your opponent seriously. You can even lose (see above re: James Madison and App State). Just focus on getting to 1-0 and don't read too much into how the Buckeyes perform with regard to any particular unit; there'll be a lot of kinks to work out before the season begins in earnest against Rutgers. Oreg St: 14 -- OSU: 49
Schweinfurth: FINALLY, some football to talk about. Let's be honest, if we are tired of hearing about all the crap surrounding this program, imagine the players. This is going to be one ticked off team this year and I almost feel bad for the Beavers. They almost feel like a sacrifice being marched out. The Bucks are going to win, and it won't be close. I am looking to see how the linebackers operate and are they improved, how Dobbins and Weber are deployed (run the ball!), and how Haskins looks in his first start. It should be fun. Enjoy your first football Saturday of the year! Oreg. St.: 3 -- OSU: 55
Seeberg: I'm going to say this right now, in week one. As phenomenal as J.K. Dobbins is, Mike Weber is JUST as good, if not better, and when he finally got his hammy right late last season you saw that. Do NOT sleep on him. Now that that is out of the way, I'd like 30-35 carries between the two of them in this one, lots of sharp, intermediate level routes from the WRs (you know, the ones that have been almost entirely absent from the playbook the last couple of seasons), and workman like performance from the D. The only two concerns on this team should be QB (no experience, even less depth), and the back 7, but we should be able to run the ball, stop the run, and mash the opposing QB better than anybody else we play, and that alone is a solid recipe for winning. See you in the 'Shoe on Saturday everybody. Oreg St: 10 -- OSU: 45
Upset Special
Draper: FAU over OU
Hoying: Tennessee over West Virginia
Schweinfurth: UC over UCLA
Seeberg: Troy over Boise State
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