Week 8

Buckeye Boredom! Now that the easy game versus Purdue is past... wait, that wasn't easy. Now that the Bucks have struggled with the lowly Boilers the rest of the season is seemingly a toss-up (minus the game with The School Up North) The Buckeyes begin a run of the gauntlet right now with the trip to MSU (6-1) , welcoming PSU (7-0), traveling to Evanston (5-1), and Champaign (Juice Williams anyone). The Buckeyes can win out and make the Rose Bowl or lose one or two and go Captial One/Outback Bowling. Records so far: Gomer (53-27) Chief (57-23)

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Gomer: This could get ugly, Todd Reesing and the rest of the Jayhawks are walking into a potential blowout at OU. The Sooners are coming off the heartbreak against Texas, so they will look to take out some frustrations on the 'Hawks. Sam Bradford didn't fall far out of the Heisman race so this game could be a nice rebound to get the bid going to pass Colt McCoy. KU: 17 - OU: 41

Chief: Kansas gets the distinct honor of playing the Sooners after a loss. Let’s not forget that Sam Bradford was brilliant last week against the Longhorns throwing 5 TD passes. Reesing and the Jayhawks are the epitome of smart play—they don’t turn it over or make dumb mistakes (penalties) very often. Regardless, the Sooners are really good. I think the Jayhawks are in for a major butt-whooping. Remember, Bob Stoops doesn’t call off the dogs. KU: 17—OU: 41

Missouri Tigers vs. Texas Longhorns
Gomer: The Rising Star's fall from glory will continue this week. I've said for a few weeks that Chase Daniel would arguably be one of the worst Heisman winners EVER, and thank the Lord for last week's clunker against the Cowboys (bang bang). Texas was able to pull out a thriller against the Sooners and are now in the driver's seat for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game against either 'Bama, USC, or Florida. The question of the day will be if Colt McCoy will be able to handle last weeks success and pick apart the average Mizzou defense. The other glaring question is if Texas will bring the pressure that the Pokes brought on Chase Daniel to help force him to make poor decisions. This should easily be the best game of the week. UM: 28 - UT: 38

Chief: Boy, those first picks were boring…well, I need to have an upset somewhere and here it is. The number 1 team in the country after an epic rivalry win last week will not hold sway in week 8. The Chase Daniel/Jeremy Maclin led Tigers enter DKR with a bad taste in their mouths after being beaten by a man…he’s 41. The Pokes beat the Tigers on the scoreboard, but Mizzou couldn’t get out of their own way last week. I think this week we see another Clash of the Titans with both quarterbacks doing everything to keep their teams’ dreams alive, but Chase Daniel has just enough to outduel Colt McCoy with that last second comeback everyone expected last week. Mizzou in my upset special squeaker of the week. UM: 31—UT: 30

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans
Gomer: The Bucks come into East Lansing with the defense showing some signs of life but struggling mightily on offense. The O struggled to put up any yardage on the 95th worst defense in the nation (Purdue, giving up 400yds/game) while offensive statistics have plummeted to make OSU the 94th worst offense in the nation (averaging 320yds/game). Michigan State has been solid in all aspects of the game... almost. Brandon Hoyer has matured throughout the last two seasons but consistenly shows poor decision making when pressure is on, problem is, the OSU d-line can't generate pressure (75th in the nation in sacks, 97th in tackles for loss). While the defense isn't getting the necessary pressure and the offense is sputtering, the Bucks tend to play much better on the road in the Big Ten the last few years than they do at home. I would not be surprised if Dantonio gets his first signature win as the head man in East Lansing, he is the D-coordinator I would do anything to have back on the side lines with Coach Tressel. If Ringer gets his Heisman groove on, we should worry, if he has less yards than Beanie, all is well for another week in Buckeye land. OSU: 19 - MSU: 17

Chief: Welcome back to 2003 Buckeye Nation! Last week, the offense couldn’t get a thing going while the defense remembered how good they were supposed to be. Malcolm Jenkins finally had a coming out party as the Bullets held the Purdue offense to 3 points on their longest field goal in school history. That being said, MSU is another animal. Javon Ringer leads the Spartan attack and this guy is good. The defense will have their hands full, but I think the edge at QB actually stays with the Bucks. Hoyer is terrible, and Pryor, while not perfect, is slowly getting better (if the coaches would start calling better plays (quick slants please!!!). MSU clobbered NU last week, but looked very suspect against a bad Iowa at home 2 weeks ago. I like Beanie and the Bucks to awaken on offense and Laurinaitis to hold Ringer to a mediocre day. This won’t mark the traditional MSU meltdown, but OSU take another step to the 3rd consecutive outright Big 10 title. OSU: 24—MSU: 13

Michigan vs. Penn State - Gomer: PSU - Chief: PSU
LSU vs. South Carolina - Gomer: LSU - Chief: LSU (close)
Virginia Tech vs. Boston College - Gomer: VT - Chief: VT
California vs. Arizona - Gomer: UA - Chief: Cal

Thursday Night Special...

Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack

Gomer: I've had quite the run of good luck picking the Wolfpack as the spoiler many times in the past, but I really can't even begin to justify it here. The Seminoles have played outstanding defense for the most part this season and finally showed some life in their offense in the rivalry game with the 'Canes. Christian Ponder should continue to improve and will help lead his team to victory in another nail-biter with versus the pack. FSU: 17 - NCST: 9

Chief: Bobby’s Noles enter Raleigh after a bye week following an ugly yet very satisfying win over arch-rival Miami. Yes, Miami put up 39 points on FSU, but the defense was much better than that. Miami only scored on turnovers and gadget plays. Whenever faced with a short field, FSU takes care of business. This week will be no different because while Miami is a team on the rise, the Wolfpack is dropping fast. That win over ECU is a distant memory as the Pirates have fallen off the map. Look for Ponder to shore up the mistakes (I’ll still say 2 turnovers), Smith to pound the ball, and the Nole defense to shut down the Pack on Thursday night. FSU: 31 - NCST: 6

BYU vs. TCU - Gomer: BYU - Chief: BYU

Rankings

These rankings are comprised of the old BCS formula, with one minor tweak of my own, I add in Collegefootballnews.com rankings. Something to note about their rankings, unlike AP and Coaches, CFN looks at how the team is playing, not necessarily how they could end up.

Update: One week until the official BCS standings are released

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. USC
5. Oklahoma
6. Oklahoma State
7. Florida
8. Texas Tech
9. Ohio State
10. Georgia
11. Utah
12. Boise State
13. BYU
14. Missouri
15. Michigan State
16. Virginia Tech
17. North Carolina
18. LSU
19. Kansas
20. Wake Forest
21. South Florida
22. TCU
23. California
24. Ball State
25. Vanderbilt

A few notes:
-The gap between #1 Texas has a sizeable lead over #2 Alabama (1.88-7.47)
-This week's most overrated team is: #18 LSU (11.50 rating by the human polls and 27.80 from the computers, a difference of 16.3)
-The most underrated teams is: #24 Ball State (28.25 rating by the human polls and 19.20 from the computers, a difference of 9.05)
-The Buckeyes have climbed to #9 in this "mock" BCS and are ranked either 11, 12, or 13 by the humans and as high as 5 and as low as 15 by the computers, a significant improvement over last week.
-Beating the Spartans will be a tough task for the Buckeyes but if they accomplish it will give them huge points in both the computers and humans leading into next week's showdown with #3 PSU


If the BCS selected today:

Rose Bowl (Big Ten vs. Pac-10)
Penn State vs. USC

Sugar Bowl (SEC)
Florida vs. Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl (Big 12)
Oklahoma vs. Utah

Orange Bowl (ACC)
Virginia Tech vs. South Florida

BCS Championship (#1 vs. #2)
Alabama vs. Texas

Not bad match-ups all around, of course there is the dumb rule of a maximum of 2 teams from any conference, here is how it would be in a perfect world with a play-in game to help satisfy those who demand a "play-off"

#1 Texas vs. #4 USC... Nice rematch, probably a very good game
#2 Alabama vs. #3 Penn State... Power house programs with a ton of history

#5 Oklahoma vs. #6 Oklahoma State... We get to see this game later this season

#7 Florida vs. #8 Texas Tech... Shootout for teams that don't play very good defense

#9 Ohio State vs. #10 Georgia... The early BCSNCG prediction but a nice consolation match-up

Week 7

What a thriller! The Buckeyes survived a scary road trip to Camp Randall and rode on the arms and legs of freshman QB Terrelle Pryor. I've started just going with my gut instinct for most games rather than use logic, because hey, it doesn't really matter. Records so far: Gomer (48-22) Chief (50-20)

Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Gomer: Bradford vs. McCoy in the Red River Shootout. This game will have a huge impact on the national title picture and the Heisman race. If the Horns are able to pull off the win they will have a lot of momentum heading into the toughest stretch of the schedule (OU, Mizzou, OSU, TT). I have heard a lot of knocks on UT's schedule thus far but looking at who the two teams have played the only major difference is the win over TCU for the sooners. The biggest reason OU should win is their balance on offense, between Bradford and Murray, OU is diverse where they need it. If McCoy gets hot this could get really interesting and vault him to the top of the Heisman list. UT: 24 - OU: 31

Chief: With all the great games this week, the Red River Shootout tops most peoples’ lists. The Big 12 this year has been a bastion of great QB play and this game has 2 of the best in McCoy and Bradford. Both of these QBs should be invited to the Heisman ceremony at year’s end. I like OU in this matchup as the Horns have played no one this year. OU’s schedule is not anything special, but TCU provided a little tune up. While the Horned Frogs will never be mistaken for the Horns, Bradford and Murray will be enough to stop McCoy and….McCoy. Texas doesn’t have the variety of weapons OU has and it will show in Dallas. UT: 20—OU: 38

Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Missouri Tigers
Gomer: Mike Gundy and the Pokes look to shock the country in probably the most underrated match-up of this weekend. These are two of the very best offenses in the country and two average-ish defenses, so in a sense this should look like a Pac-10 game. The best hope for the Cowpokes is to hope for a Mizzou lookahead to next week's game with the Horns. Both teams will put up ridiculous numbers, Chase Daniel will look good and probably solidify his chances at winning the Heisman (I might kill something or someone if he wins). I just have some funny feeling about the Pokes being the underdog and being nameless to the majority of the nation. OSU: 45 - Mizzou: 42

Chief: This Big 12 matchup should be one of the most exciting games of the year. Maybe the reason for the political correct change of the Red River Shootout is because the shootout of the week is in Columbia. The Pokes and Tigers has 2 of the most dynamic offenses in the country with Heisman frontrunner Chase Daniel and relative unknown Zac Robinson (also in the top 5 in passer rating), not to mention the stellar highlight reels Jeremy Maclin and Dez Bryant. Remember the Bengals/Browns game from a few years ago where TDs were scored every minute? Don’t blink in this one or you may miss 3 TDs. I like Mizzou for now in a close win because the Cowboys are still fairly unknown. Chase Daniel leads a game winning drive to keep the dream alive. “Get your popcorn ready!” OSU: 48—Mizzou: 52

LSU Tigers vs. Florida Gators
Gomer: Anything I've read speaks to the strength from the Tiger lines on both sides of the ball. While LSU should be able to dominate where it counts the real question is, which Tim Tebow will show up? So far this season we have not seen the Heisman Trophy winner of last year, it's not like he's been bad, but he hasn't been Heisman caliber. This game should be a classic and has huge national title implications because whoever wins will be in the drivers seat to make it to the BCS championship (A 1-loss SEC champion gets in over any other 1-loss team). Another tidbit; under Meyer and Tebow's leadership the Gators have never made a 4th quarter comeback. LSU: 27 - UF: 21

Chief: Does one of these teams have to win??? I would be just fine seeing both lose. This game has huge national title implications as a win for UF puts them back in the hunt and a loss ends all hope. LSU could always use another big road win to solidify their status as Auburn is petering out. Darnell Scott has been getting the hype, but 1 good half by LSU QB Jarrett Lee isn’t enough to make me a believer. For the Gators, look for Tebow to Harvin, Tebow to Harvin, Tebow to Harvin as usual. I’m pulling the trigger here. The Swamp, at night, is a brutal place to play. The Gators will be pumped and Tebow will run the show himself--just enough for an enormous win for Florida. LSU: 17—UF: 20

Penn State Lions vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Gomer: This game could easily be a trap game for the Lions. Wisconsin has fallen from National Title hopes to Rose Bowl hopes to just salvaging the season. Losing to lowly Michigan and a superior Buckeye squad in the final minutes can really do that to you. Is it possible we're looking at the "new MSU"? I don't think Wisconsin will become the team of yearly collapses but they are definitely backed into a corner at 0-2 in conference play staring 0-3 in the face. On the other hand the Lions have roared through their first 6 games but still can't quite crack the top 5 nationally. A win here for JoePa's possibly last squad, will solidify the collision course with 1-loss Ohio State in two weeks. Penn State's D-line will put lots of pressure on Evridge and the Badger running game and this game will not be as close as expected. PSU: 34 - UW: 20

Chief: Yikes…Can I pull it twice? Here’s a game of incredible proportions for these teams for 2 very different reasons. Penn State needs to keep winning to keep the national love affair with Joe Pa alive. Also, they enter a murderer’s row with games at Wisconsin, home vs. Michigan (don’t laugh, PSU hasn’t beaten Michigan since 96) and at Columbus. Wisconsin has become the cornered badger who is by nature going to be extremely dangerous. If Wisconsin learns to run the ball consistently and stops putting the game into Alan Evridge’s hands they have a chance. Bielema needs to circle the wagons and impart the urgency of this game. As the last big game on the schedule, the Badgers need this...but PSU is good when they’re on. I think they do just enough to crush the Badgers hopes for another year. This game will be much closer than the expert’s think, but the Lions put the finishing blow on the Badgers. Deciding factor? PSU’s band will be in Camp Randall. Wisconsin is questionable…God Speed Blue Band! PSU: 24—UW: 23 (Editor's note: PSU's band will not be allowed in the game as of 3:30pm Friday)
(Editor's note: Wisconsin's band WILL BE at the game as of 3:40pm Friday, which means PSU's pep band should be allowed in the game as well)

Purdue Boilermakers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gomer: It's almost a pity that this is Joe Tiller's final hurrah and his team is so terrible. The Boilers benched Senior QB Curtis Painter in last weeks joke against Penn State. The Buckeyes continue to struggle to put meaningful pressure on opposing QB's and will continue to struggle this week, not necessarily because of lack of effort but Painter is really good at getting rid of the ball quickly (for better or for worse). The Buckeyes have given up the most sacks in the Big Ten, even with Pryor, but with Beanie getting limited work and Boom out, this will be closer than expected (Bucks are favored by 19) because of both offensive struggles and JT's unwillingness to send out Tiller with a black eye. PU: 17 - OSU: 31

Chief: After all those great game that should run down to wire, it’s nice to have an easy one. The Bucks come off an epic win in Madison while Purdue continues to be an exercise in futility in West Lafayette. OSU is hitting their stride with the steady Beanie Wells grinding out chunks of yards and the flashy playmaker Terrelle Pryor. At season’s beginning, I had zero expectations of the boy from Jeanette. While the masses were calling for Mr. Pryor on Day 1, I expected no such changing of the guard. Even I have come to the side of the boy wonder. This guy is simply amazing, and with Beanie as another threat (not to mention some receivers who hopefully are prepared to explode), expect OSU to trample the hapless Boiler rush defense (last in the Big 10). It’s gonna be a short game in which the Bucks run, run, run while Painter enjoys the fine turf of Ohio Stadium. Bucks roll. PU: 7—OSU: 38

***On a personal note, if you happen to attend the Clash in Columbus, hang around for halftime as I was privileged enough to assist in the designing of the band’s halftime show—TV Land. See Stewie, Homer, crashing boats, and a salute to the bar where everyone knows your name, and more.***

South Carolina vs. Kentucky - Gomer: UK, Chief: USC
Notre Dame vs. North Carolina - Gomer: UNC, Chief: UNC
Michigan State vs. Northwestern - Gomer: MSU, Chief: MSU

Rankings

These rankings are comprised of the old BCS formula, with one minor tweak of my own, I add in Collegefootballnews.com rankings. Something to note about their rankings, unlike AP and Coaches, CFN looks at how the team is playing, not necessarily how they could end up.

Update: This week incorporates the first week of the Anderson & Hester Computer Poll

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Missouri
4. Texas
5. Penn State
6. LSU
7. Georgia
8. Southern Cal
9. Utah
10. Vanderbilt
11. Texas Tech
12. Ohio State
13. Boise State
14. Brigham Young
15. Florida
16. Virginia Tech
17. Oklahoma State
18. Michigan State
19. North Carolina
20. Kansas
21. Georgia Tech
22. California
23. Wake Forest
24. South Florida
25. Northwestern

A few notes:
-The gap between #4 Texas and #5 Penn State is large (10.47-)
-This week's big time overrated teams are #6 LSU (3 by the humans, 12.6 by the computers), #11 Texas Tech (8.75 by the humans, 19.4 by the computers), #14 BYU (9.5 by the humans, 20.2 by the computers), #15 Florida (10.25 by the humans, 23.8 by the computers), #20 Kansas (16.5 by the humans, 32.8 by the computers)
-The most underrated teams is #21 Georgia Tech (28.75 by the humans, 19 by the computers)
-The Buckeyes are ranked either 11 or 12 by the humans and as high as 7 and as low as 24 by the computers


If the BCS selected today:

Rose Bowl (Big Ten vs. Pac-10)
Penn State vs. USC

Sugar Bowl (SEC)
LSU vs. Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl (Big 12)
Missouri vs. Utah

Orange Bowl (ACC)
Virginia Tech vs. South Florida

BCS Championship (#1 vs. #2)
Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Not bad match-ups all around, of course there is the dumb rule of a maximum of 2 teams from any conference, here is how it would be in a perfect world with a play-in game to help satisfy those who demand a "play-off"

#1 Oklahoma vs. #4 Texas... Hey lucky for us, we get to see that match-up this weekend!
#2 Alabama vs. #3 Missouri... Very intriguing matchup, high-power offenses, blood-thirsty defense (from Bama), I'd pay to watch.

#5 Penn State vs. #6 LSU... Good match-up, class of the Big Ten vs. the mad hatter

#7 Georgia vs. #8 USC... What everyone thought would be the national title game when the season began, good matchup

#9 Utah vs. #10 Vanderbilt... Very interesting, I'd watch, but not many other than the NCAA FB diehards would.

Full Day of Football...

I finally was able to spend a complete day in front of the TV watching parts of many of the great games that went on this Saturday. From yesterdays docket I watched parts of: Penn State vs. Purdue, Michigan State vs. Iowa, Indiana vs. Minnesota, West Virginia vs. Rutgers, Notre Dame Stanford, Alabama vs. Kentucky, Illinois vs. Michigan, Florida State vs. Miami, Vanderbilt vs. Auburn, Texas vs. Colorado, Oklahoma vs. Baylor, North Carolina vs. Connecticut, Arizona vs. Washington, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, and Missouri vs. Nebraska... shew, it was a fun and full day for sure.

The Buckeyes looked good when they needed to. Wisconsin is a much better team than their record shows and they are staring 0-3 in the Big Ten in the face with undefeated Penn State coming to town next Saturday. The tandem of Pryor and Wells in the backfield, when used effectively, makes the Buckeye offense almost unstoppable. There are still far too many issues with the wide receivers and the defense. On the topic of defense, there were moments of brilliance, but more moments of "oh no" than anything else last night. While making stops when it really counts is what really matters, it is unnerving that the likes of Hill, Beckum, Evridge, and Clay were able to move almost at will in, out, and around the OSU D. It all comes down to the lack of pressure generated by the d-line that continues to be an issue this year.

Week 6 Picks

Another exciting weekend of college football awaits, we can only hope that it is half as exciting as last weekend. Yet again I fall back another game from Chief, what can you do, but keep making stupid picks? Gomer (40-21) Chief (42-19)


Illinois Illini vs. Michigan Wolverines
Gomer: Michigan got real lucky in what was one of many stunners last weekend. In the second half of the game versus Wisconsin, the Wolverines came out down 19-0 and were able to come back and win in the greatest comeback in Big House history, the second half is enough reason to give every remaining opponent on Michigan's schedule a shudder (yes even Ohio State). While RichRod would like to continue the momentum generated with the win over the Badgers, Juice Williams and the Illini are the antithesis of Wisconsin football and the Wolverine's will struggle to stop them, and Steven Threet will continue his mediocrity. UI: 34 - UM: 23

Chief: I don’t think the country has enough understanding how terrible the Michigan/Wisconsin game was. I did gain some respect for the Wolverine defensive line, but the secondary was helped immensely by an awful Badger QB. This game is very intriguing because Illinois is fighting to stay relevant while Michigan hopes to prove they’ve reloaded and not rebuilt. Illinois hung with PSU well, and UM can’t hold the ball. I expect the Illini to get an elusive road win in the Big House. UI: 20—UM: 10

Florida State Seminoles vs. Miami Hurricanes
Gomer: Knowing that my colleague is an alum of one of these two schools, I won't be too mean to the Seminoles. This used to be a game that had national title implications but until Bowden gets out of Tallahassee and Shannon's recruits mature, this game will not matter on a championship level. However this game is pivotal in the ACC race with both teams looking for their first conference victory. Miami's young talent led by Robert Marve will manage to score enough to keep down the typically inept FSU offense. FSU: 10 - UM: 13

Chief: Literally, a matchup for the ages. Remember the 90s when this was the annual game of the year? My how they’ve fallen, but both teams are looking to climb back into the spotlight. The Hurricanes lost on a last second pick in the endzone versus the Tarheels but looked good in the effort. FSU’s defense, in my opinion, is one of (if not the) best in the country. The Nole offense figured out last week vs. Colorado to pass to the guys in the red so they didn’t hand the game to the opposition. Look for the Seminole defense to smother the Cane offense and Christian Ponder to do just enough for a win in Miami (where wins for FSU are fleeting). FSU: 13—UM: 10

Auburn Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
Gomer: In doing some reading for this match-up it's amazing to believe that Vandy has not started a season 5-0 since 1941, well Commodores, here's your chance. Vandy has come through in two very close games while the Tigers have lost one really close game giving up the big play at the end when they needed a defensive stand most. So far my colleague and I have tossed around the idea if it's SEC Defenses that are so amazing, or if the offenses are really that bad. Well in this games case, we're gonna see a good bit of both. For little good reason other than playing at home, Vanderbilt makes a statement beating the Tigers for the first time since 1955. AU: 9 - Vanderbilt: 13

Chief: Gameday is in Vanderbilt. Let me say that again unless you think you misheard. Gameday is in Vanderbilt. The Dores are ranked for the first time in a long time and hope they continue their dominance of the SEC (again, never thought I’d say that). Auburn’s defense is very very good and their offense is…well the defense is very good (Taken from CFN). Vandy will have the energy to slow the Auburn ‘offense’, but the Tiger defense will end the Vandy dreams. AU: 10—Vandy: 3

Oregon Ducks vs. Southern Cal Trojans
Gomer: Typical Pac-10 game, Oregon has a decent offense (granted all their QB's are dead or dying), USC has an outstanding offense. Oregon has a terrible defense that can't stop the run or pass, USC doesn't know how to stop runs straight up the middle. Look for the Ducks to hang with the Trojans early but defensive pressure and the likes of Sanchez and McKnight will put the Ducks down with ease. If they don't, the Trojans can say goodbye to any chance at the BCS Championship or the Pac-10 crown. UO: 21 - USC: 38

Chief: The Trojans come off an epic loss in Corvallis (becoming a biannual event). Not to mention that the Ducks defeated USC last year. Talk about payback on their minds. Pete Carroll’s squad looked totally vulnerable last week (if only we played them last week) but UO got blasted by a mediocre Boise team in Autzen. USC looked mortal, but this is a week for revenge. UO: 17—USC: 55

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Gomer: The Badgers currently are on a tear in night games winning 21 of their last 22, home and away including winning 11 straight nighttime victories. The last time the Bucks visited Camp Randall it was 2003 and a night game in early October and the Bucks were looking to repeat as National Champions but were met with a raucous crowd, pouring rain, driving wind, and a load of smashmouth football they could not match. Tomorrow night much of the previously mentioned will be present but most importantly what's missing is a veteran QB with a National Championship on his resume, what the Bucks do have instead is one of the best running backs in the country that should help keep the pressure off of Pryor for most of the game. Unlike SoCal the Badgers do not have 5-star athletes at every position, so I like this match-up better than the Trojans, but I do not like our line play, on either side of the ball. If the D-line is unable to generate pressure on inexperienced QB Allan Everidge, it could be a long day of Everidge to Beckum and PJ Hill running up the middle. OSU: 17 - UW: 14

Chief: The game of the week still resides in Madison. Refer to my comments above about the UM/UW game. The commentators need to stop calling the UM win a Badger 2^nd half collapse. They weren’t anything special in the 1^st half, coming away with FG’s after the myriad Wolverine turnovers. The Buckeyes looked good last week, but doing it on the road at Camp Randall will be tough. Pryor and Wells need to be sharp and they will, Everidge (Wisconsin’s QB) will be the offensive star (for the Buckeyes), and Pryor will continue to impress—if Steve Threet can break off a big run, Pryor will hit multiple. OSU: 27 - UW: 17

Stanford @ Notre Dame: Gomer: ND - Chief: ND
Texas @ Colorado: Gomer: UT - Chief: UT
Connecticut @ North Carolina: Gomer: UNC - Chief: UNC
Washington @ Arizona: Gomer: Arizona - Chief: Arizona

Here's a coverage map for Saturday's NCAA FB games both at 3:30pm and 8:00pm. It's nice to see the majority (63%) of the country seeing the Buckeyes vs. Badgers, probably has something to do with USC losing to Oregon State and suddenly not as many people care about them and would rather see two 1-loss teams (OSU-Wisc) go at it in what should be a smash mouth affair.

Linkage:
http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/tv_radio/football/tv_clearances_fb.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=10410

Rankings

These rankings are comprised of the old BCS formula, with one minor tweak of my own, I add in Collegefootballnews.com rankings. Something to note about their rankings, unlike AP and Coaches, CFN looks at how the team is playing, not necessarily how they could end up.

Update: This week incorporates the first week of the Harris Interactive Poll

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. LSU
5. Penn State
6. Missouri
7. Georgia
8. Utah
9. Brigham Young
10. Boise State
11. South Florida
12. Texas Tech
13. USC
14. Virginia Tech
15. Ohio State
16. Vanderbilt
17. Oklahoma State
18. Wisconsin
19. Auburn
20. Kansas
21. Florida
22. Oregon
23. Connecticut
24. Michigan State
25. Kentucky

A few notes:
-The gap between #2 Oklahoma and #3 Texas is large (5.45-11.44)
-Alabama is #1 in every computer except for one that has been released thus far, and for good reason, they have dominated good and average opponent, except for that unexplainable struggle versus Tulane
-The computers hate Florida with an average ranking of 33.75, while the humans give the Gators a 10.75 average. Talk about overrated.

If the BCS selected today:

Rose Bowl (Big Ten vs. Pac-10)
Penn State vs. USC

Sugar Bowl (SEC)
LSU vs. Utah

Fiesta Bowl (Big 12)
Texas vs. USC

Orange Bowl (ACC)
Virginia Tech vs. South Florida

BCS Championship (#1 vs. #2)
Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Not bad match-ups all around, of course there is the dumb rule of a maximum of 2 teams from any conference, here is how it would be in a perfect world with a play-in game to help satisfy those who demand a "play-off"

#1 Alabama vs. #4 LSU... Can't happen because they'll play later in the regular season
#2 Oklahoma vs. #3 Texas... Again can't happen, they play in two weeks, this is why projections don't make complete sense at this point of the year.

#5 Penn State vs. #6 Missouri... Good match-up, class of the Big Ten (right now) vs. probable Heisman Winner
#7 Georgia vs. #8 Utah... Bloodbath, so many people were excited to see Hawaii vs. Georgia, look how that turned out
#9 Brigham Young vs. #10 Boise State... BYU has to play Utah, so these will shift around quite a bit

Week 5 Picks

Well Thursday night sure kicked off an exciting weekend of college football. There are lots of good match-ups this weekend, not all of them marquee, but lots of intra-conference matchups that will help shape the BCS landscape soon enough. I wouldn't be shocked if there was one more major upset this weekend. Here are the records so far: Gomer (33-18) (good pick of NCST over ECU, terrible pick of TAMU over Miami) Chief (34-17) (Solid all around)

P.S. Neither of us saw the Oregon loss to Boise, talk about ugly, the Pac-10's suckage makes the bashing of the Big Ten subside for now.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan Wolverines
Gomer: The Badgers have not won in Ann Arbor since 1994, that will change Saturday. While Michigan's run defense has been one of their few strengths, their offensive has been, well, offensive. Wisconsin's D is good, and healthy, these should signal a rough day for the Wolverine attack. P.J. Hill will have a slow start to his day but in the end put up decent numbers. Sam McGuffie will struggle but will hit a home run somewhere in there. UW: 28 - UM 13

Chief: A great matchup…a few years ago. Not as much this year. The Wolverines are hoping to use the ‘energy’ of the Big House to spark a rough start, but the Badgers will come in prepared. That win over Fresno was much more impressive than you think…and the UM loss to Notre Dame was just as bad as you think. Michigan will come out and show some heart with a flashy Threet, but the blue-collar Badgers will grind out a victory. UW: 31—UM: 13

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Gomer: The long slow fall back to Earth begins Saturday for the overrated Crimson Tide. Alabama was able to smoke a vastly unprepared and poorly coached Clemson team with 4 new linemen, and trounced an awful Arkansas team. Georgia is busting out the black jerseys to help "black out" the Tide on Saturday night and the Tide offense will struggle to get anything going in this intimidating environment. 'Bama: 10 - UGA: 24

Chief: Bama looks for a signature win to show they’ve returned to prominence, but I don’t think they can get that win between the hedges. The Black Out in Athens will unnerve the young Tide line to allow Knowshown Moreno to have a solid game while the Bulldog defense puts a hurt on everyone’s favorite 3-named QB Jon Parker Wilson. UGA VII chills on the ice as the Dawgs bring home a big win. Bama: 10—UGA: 17

Illinois Illini vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Gomer: PSU looks to continue its roll through the non-conference schedule right through the Big Ten. So far the Nittany Lions haven't played anyone of note, except for an Oregon State team who took the Trojans to the woodshed Thursday night. The Juice Williams led Illini could make this a game but the running game will be shutdown too easily making Williams have to throw to beat the Lions. Unless Juice has a game much like he did versus Ohio State last year, the Lions should win easily. UI: 14 - PeeSU: 35

Chief: The Zookers enter Happy Valley hoping to bring down the Nittany Lions who are riding high. Juice Williams looked like he could pass against Mizzou, but the Penn State’s secondary is much better than the Tigers’. I liked Penn State coming into this year and they have lived up against middling competition. Illinois will ‘up the quality opponent’ ante, but they aren’t the same without Mendenhall. I think Illinois covers a 14.5 point spread…but just barely. UI: 14—PSU: 28

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Gomer: Virignia Tech is walking into a trap when they visit Lincoln, Nebraska, also known as "Bo Pellini Land". Tyrod Taylor and the Hokie offense are going to be in for a long day, the Husker Blackshirts have not allowed a TD in the last eight quarters. The good news is that the Hokie D is one of the best in the nation and will help keep the Nebraska offense in check. I expect a low scoring affair. VT: 14 - Neb: 20

Chief: I really don’t care about this game-another matchup of two programs who used to be good. VT beat a flashy UNC team last week and the Huskers have beaten…no one of note. Bo Pelini may bring Nebraska back to relevance eventually, but VT will grind out a close win. Neither of these teams are anything to call home about. VT:20—NU:19

Minnesota Gophers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gomer: The Bucks look to get the offense rolling with the (limited) return of Beanie Wells to the backfield. Minnesota is a much improved team over last year and has just enough weapons to give OSU's D some fits. While the Minnesota D is marginally better than last year, Pryor will still continue to emerge as a play-making QB who doesn't quite have the touch down perfectly. Beanie will get about 15 carries while Boom still gets the majority in an effort to save Beanie for next weeks showdown in Camp Randall. UM: 20 - OSU: 35

Chief: BEANIE’S BACK!!! Bad news for Minnesota. The Gophers enter this game with a better record than the Buckeyes for the first time since 1999. They were completely inept last year, but Sophomore QB Adam Weber has really matured. I firmly believe that this Buckeye team has the ability to wake up and that Beanie will provide that spark. OSU has looked deflated in the last 3 games, but it’s Big 10 time. Beanie for 3 TDs and the Bucks remind the Big 10 whose conference this is. UM: 9—OSU: 38

Other Games that don't really matter:

Fresno State vs. UCLA: Gomer - FSU Chief - FSU
Colorado vs. Florida State: Gomer - FSU Chief - FSU
TCU vs. Oklahoma: Gomer - OU Chief - OU
Troy vs. Oklahoma State: Gomer - OSU Chief - OSU
South Florida vs. NC State: Gomer - USF Chief - USF

Rankings

These rankings are comprised of the old BCS formula, with one minor tweak of my own, I add in Collegefootballnews.com rankings. Something to note about their rankings, unlike AP and Coaches, CFN looks at how the team is playing, not necessarily what they have accomplished all season.

1. USC
2. Georgia
3. Wisconsin
4. LSU
5. Missouri
6. Alabama
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida
9. Texas
10. Utah
11. Brigham Young
12. Wake Forest
13. Boise State
14. Texas Tech
15. Ohio State
16. South Florida
17. Penn State
18. Auburn
19. TCU
20. Oregon
21. Vanderbilt
22. Virginia Tech
23. Kansas
24. Nebraska
25. Connecticut

A few notes:
-The gap between #2 UGA and #3 UW is huge (8.37-16.57) whereas the gap between #3 and #8 is small (16.57-19.51)
-The computers love #10 Utah. Average human ranking is 18.33 average computer ranking is 7.00, quite a bit of disparity. If they keep winning, they will have the biggest impact on the actual BCS bowl matchups.
-If the BCS was ran the way it should (no tie-ins) this is what your games would look like:

#1 USC vs. #4 LSU (play-in)
#2 Georgia vs. #3 Wisconsin (play-in)
#5 Missouri vs. #6 Alabama
#7 Oklahoma vs. #8 Florida
#9 Texas vs. #10 Utah

Surprisingly all intriguing match-ups, unfortunately here is what we would see using real system:

#1 USC vs. #2 Georgia... okay
#3 Wisconsin vs. #4 LSU... not bad
#5 Missouri vs. #10 Utah... I don't care
#12 Wake Forest vs. #7 Oklahoma... ugly
#16 South Florida vs. #15 Ohio State... intriguing

It Has Begun...


Terrelle Pryor made his first start as OSU's QB yesterday in front of 102,000+
While rushing for 66 yards on 14 attempts, TP was able to go 10/16 for 139 yards and 4, yes 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

All but one of the four TD passes was unimpressive, ducks thrown to relatively wide open receivers, so the passing still has plenty of room for improvement. His feet allowed him to keep plays alive, now I don't know for sure if he had to use his feet on any of the four TD passes, but the fact of the matter is his versatility allows more flexibility and can better forgive a porous offensive line.