Closing Out the Season With Some Hum-Dingers
Last week gave us some memorable moments for the college football season and this is one guy who is predicting a lot of the same on this final weekend of the season. Let's take a brief stroll down memory lane from last week....
Greatest Finish Ever?
Maybe, maybe not, but it was a damn good Iron Bowl. If you haven't heard the Auburn radio call, give it a listen. It's an instant classic, almost more so than the actual game...but back to the game. We've beaten the last play to death (and if you haven't seen it you probably aren't reading this blog right now), but I want to highlight something else. What I find most impressive about this game is A) how Auburn was able to claw back from a 21-7 deficit to tie the game, including shutting out the Tide in the third quarter, and B) how Auburn was able to go on a game-tying drive in the last 90 seconds. THAT is what made that game great. Big kudos to Gus Malzahn (who just made himself a TON of money) for having those kids ready to play and focused. That is a hell of an Alabama team that they beat.
Having Balls Means Knowing It Won't Always Work Out.
That's Brady Hoke's motto. I'll tell you, I was 100% behind Hoke and his decision to go for the win at the end of that Michigan/OSU game - the Wolverines weren't going to win that game in OT and I think he knew that. I give them a lot of credit as they came out and shredded an Ohio State defense that's been pretty damn good this year. I'm not sure how much longer Hoke is in Ann Arbor, but I always like to see coach with stones who's not afraid to say f'ck it, let's just go for the win. When you're a .500 team and a double-digit underdog, you don't play it safe and go for the tie. Tough break, but good for you. On the flip side, say what you will about Urban Meyer, but it is extremely hard to win all your games in a season, I don't care what conference you are in....and they are going for 2 straight seasons. That's impressive. I'm not calling the Big 10 a power conference by any means, but those are still big time football programs. Urban Meyer continues to prove he's one of the best in the business...he's right up there with Saban right now, no question.
Kliff Has His Work Cut Out For Him.
As happy as I am with the outcome of the Texas/Tech game, I must say the last 5 games have been pretty disappointing for Kingsbury. Not to take anything away from a 7-5 season (which no one expected mind you), but I can't believe he didn't have that team more "up" for the Texas game. He of all people knows the importance of that game to Tech Nation and they flat-out laid an egg. Granted, Texas has better talent, but the injuries this Longhorn team has racked up are starting to get ridiculous. And not just "hampering" injuries - bona fide season ending injuries. Nevertheless, Tech should be competing better than that, especially with a coach who has been there and done that in this series. Tech will get better and I still say Kliff was a good hire, but the tough thing is now expectations are going to be higher than 7-5 next year and the Big 12 will only get better going into the next couple of seasons.
The 5 Million Dollar Man.
Let's be honest and fair. Sumlin has had a pretty good run in his first 2 years in College Station. He's certainly brought an energy to the program that had been lacking for a number of years. But let's also remember that Mr. Manziel has had a lot to do with that as well - and as a Longhorn, it certainly reminds me of a time when you-know-who was roaming the 40 acres. It's been a great revitalization of the program, no doubt. BUT, I think the University may have been a little hasty in throwing $5 Mil at Sumlin and here's why. I know the pay grade for high-profile, sought-after coaches is ridiculous these days, but $5 Mil is Saban, Mack, Stoops territory. Those are all guys that have been mainstays in their respective positions for a number of years and have brought consistent success. Sumlin, although 2 very good years is about to face adversity in College Station for the first time. Staring next year he'll have (likely): a brand new, inexperienced offensive line; a brand new, inexperienced quarterback; and a whole lot of other holes to fill - oh, and he's coming off a second season where he lost one more game than his first. Granted, he is bringing in a "top-rated recruiting class", but as with all recruiting classes, success will be determined in years, not weeks. At the end of the day, I think the Aggies got scared to death by the USC flirtations and jumped the gun - maybe a little too early. BUT, they want stability, they've got it (for now). I just don't think any of us know for sure what that stability will look like. Next year will be a fascinating year for the Aggies.
Enough of living in the past, man....let's look at this fine, COLD championship weekend...
Party in Waco.
You could probably cut 2 or 3 fingers off and still count on one hand how many times these words have been uttered. But tonight, shit gets real for Baylor fans. Regardless of the Okie State loss, an 11-1 season for the Bears would be a great feather in the continued success of this program, and more specifically, Art Briles' legacy. Don't be fooled by the TCU outcome for Baylor - a let down was natural given the bitch slapping they took to the Cowboys the week before. But trust me, this is Texas and Briles will have this team prepared.
On the flip side, Texas simply has to keep this game close to have a chance. Stick around, make a few plays, keep the game within 7-10 points into the fourth quarter and there's your chance. Easy as that. The two things Texas has going for them is they have a solid running game, and Baylor will be without one of its defensive leaders in the first half. This gives Case and company a chance to maybe make a couple of big plays and get some easy points. Sounds easy, but we'll see. I will caution Longhorn fans on one thing: expect to see a couple of series, especially early, where they try and establish the run with a lot of 3 and outs, punting on 4th and 7 because they're trying to soften up that defense to open up the passing lanes. Yes, it's frustrating at times, but expect to see it. That's how they roll.
At the end of the day, you guys know how I feel about Case McCoy (takeaway his 4 completions to Mike Davis and he was 6 of 15 for 27 yards)...I'm not a fan. But, these are the kinds of games he'll find a way to pull out of his ass in dramatic fashion leaving fans like me uber frustrated, but happy with the win. That sounds great, but Baylor has too many weapons and they are a much more physical team in the trenches. They'll keep Texas' pass rush at bay with the running game and quick reads. They'll have a perfect game plan for Texas, and it will show in the final score.
Baylor - 48
Texas - 28
Duke-ing it Out.
What a story this Duke Blue Devils team has been this year. Speaking of coaches who earned themselves some money....David Cutcliffe has done a fantastic job at this basketball/smart school. What's most impressive to me was the fashion in which they beat UNC to claim the division title, coming from behind in the fourth quarter. This is a team that is not used to playing for such lofty rewards, nor following through on them. Of course they don't have the horses to keep up with this loaded Seminole's team, but I'll tell you this - if I'm in Vegas, I'm taking Duke and the points. They won't beat FSU, but they won't lose by 28+ points either.
FSU - 41
Duke - 21
Urban Legend.
Say what you will about Urban Meyer and his coaching style and methods, but no one can deny the fact that he's one of the best in the business. Simply look at his track record. It's extremely hard to win all of your games in a season, especially in big-time conferences. He did it at Utah, he did it at Florida, and he's on the verge of doing it in back-to-back seasons at Ohio State. That's pretty amazing. But as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend. With the Big 10 having a less than stellar level of talent this year, it's fair to say that the Buckeyes will be facing their most formidable opponent this weekend in Michigan State....of course the exact same can be said about the Spartans. If I'm betting on quality of games this weekend, this one might take the cake as the top must-see game. Michigan State has the nation's top defense, but with a fairly schotty offense, while OSU is bringing in a solid defense that's been prone to breakdowns and inconsistencies this year (see the Michigan game), but with a dynamic offensive duo of Miller and Hyde. At some point, something has to give here. I'll say first one to 20 wins this one, and would be surprised if the winning team had many more than that. I'm taking Sparty here simply because great defenses can create frustration and breakdowns and that's what will happen to the Buckeyes. If OSU does manage to pull this one out, it will be on the play-making legs of Braxton Miller making a big play late to put them in field goal range of scoring the winning TD.
Michigan State - 23
Ohio State - 20
New-Look SEC.
I think we can officially say that gone are the days of these "vaunted SEC defenses" and look no farther than the game between Auburn and Missouri (2 teams who combined for 2 conference wins last year). Whereas the Big 10 is "first to 20", this could be a "first to 4" type game. Both teams are quite proficient on offense and can score in bunches. However, defensively, Missouri gets the edge here. Their front 7 are ridiculously good and they will get to the quarterback and wreak havoc. Malzahn will have a plan to counter that, don't you worry, but at the end of the day, Auburn's pass defense is next to last in the SEC and Missouri's offense will limit possessions for Auburn. Give me the Tigers in this one (hahahaha....get it?).
Missouri - 37
Auburn - 31
Left Coast Rematch.
Go look at what Stanford did to the Sun Devils earlier this season. It wasn't pretty, jumping out to a 39-7 lead pretty quick, holding on for a not-as-close-as-it-looks 42-28 win. Whereas I don't see that same scenario playing out here, I am taking Stanford here. With that said, ASU has done a great job in building and getting better each week this year. This will be a tough game for the Cardinal, but at the end of the day, Stanford's experience and coaching will take over here.
Stanford - 34
Arizona State - 28
Enjoy the weekend and stay warm folks. I'll start hitting NFL hard and heavy next week and into the holidays.
Greatest Finish Ever?
Maybe, maybe not, but it was a damn good Iron Bowl. If you haven't heard the Auburn radio call, give it a listen. It's an instant classic, almost more so than the actual game...but back to the game. We've beaten the last play to death (and if you haven't seen it you probably aren't reading this blog right now), but I want to highlight something else. What I find most impressive about this game is A) how Auburn was able to claw back from a 21-7 deficit to tie the game, including shutting out the Tide in the third quarter, and B) how Auburn was able to go on a game-tying drive in the last 90 seconds. THAT is what made that game great. Big kudos to Gus Malzahn (who just made himself a TON of money) for having those kids ready to play and focused. That is a hell of an Alabama team that they beat.
Having Balls Means Knowing It Won't Always Work Out.
That's Brady Hoke's motto. I'll tell you, I was 100% behind Hoke and his decision to go for the win at the end of that Michigan/OSU game - the Wolverines weren't going to win that game in OT and I think he knew that. I give them a lot of credit as they came out and shredded an Ohio State defense that's been pretty damn good this year. I'm not sure how much longer Hoke is in Ann Arbor, but I always like to see coach with stones who's not afraid to say f'ck it, let's just go for the win. When you're a .500 team and a double-digit underdog, you don't play it safe and go for the tie. Tough break, but good for you. On the flip side, say what you will about Urban Meyer, but it is extremely hard to win all your games in a season, I don't care what conference you are in....and they are going for 2 straight seasons. That's impressive. I'm not calling the Big 10 a power conference by any means, but those are still big time football programs. Urban Meyer continues to prove he's one of the best in the business...he's right up there with Saban right now, no question.
Kliff Has His Work Cut Out For Him.
As happy as I am with the outcome of the Texas/Tech game, I must say the last 5 games have been pretty disappointing for Kingsbury. Not to take anything away from a 7-5 season (which no one expected mind you), but I can't believe he didn't have that team more "up" for the Texas game. He of all people knows the importance of that game to Tech Nation and they flat-out laid an egg. Granted, Texas has better talent, but the injuries this Longhorn team has racked up are starting to get ridiculous. And not just "hampering" injuries - bona fide season ending injuries. Nevertheless, Tech should be competing better than that, especially with a coach who has been there and done that in this series. Tech will get better and I still say Kliff was a good hire, but the tough thing is now expectations are going to be higher than 7-5 next year and the Big 12 will only get better going into the next couple of seasons.
The 5 Million Dollar Man.
Let's be honest and fair. Sumlin has had a pretty good run in his first 2 years in College Station. He's certainly brought an energy to the program that had been lacking for a number of years. But let's also remember that Mr. Manziel has had a lot to do with that as well - and as a Longhorn, it certainly reminds me of a time when you-know-who was roaming the 40 acres. It's been a great revitalization of the program, no doubt. BUT, I think the University may have been a little hasty in throwing $5 Mil at Sumlin and here's why. I know the pay grade for high-profile, sought-after coaches is ridiculous these days, but $5 Mil is Saban, Mack, Stoops territory. Those are all guys that have been mainstays in their respective positions for a number of years and have brought consistent success. Sumlin, although 2 very good years is about to face adversity in College Station for the first time. Staring next year he'll have (likely): a brand new, inexperienced offensive line; a brand new, inexperienced quarterback; and a whole lot of other holes to fill - oh, and he's coming off a second season where he lost one more game than his first. Granted, he is bringing in a "top-rated recruiting class", but as with all recruiting classes, success will be determined in years, not weeks. At the end of the day, I think the Aggies got scared to death by the USC flirtations and jumped the gun - maybe a little too early. BUT, they want stability, they've got it (for now). I just don't think any of us know for sure what that stability will look like. Next year will be a fascinating year for the Aggies.
Enough of living in the past, man....let's look at this fine, COLD championship weekend...
Party in Waco.
You could probably cut 2 or 3 fingers off and still count on one hand how many times these words have been uttered. But tonight, shit gets real for Baylor fans. Regardless of the Okie State loss, an 11-1 season for the Bears would be a great feather in the continued success of this program, and more specifically, Art Briles' legacy. Don't be fooled by the TCU outcome for Baylor - a let down was natural given the bitch slapping they took to the Cowboys the week before. But trust me, this is Texas and Briles will have this team prepared.
On the flip side, Texas simply has to keep this game close to have a chance. Stick around, make a few plays, keep the game within 7-10 points into the fourth quarter and there's your chance. Easy as that. The two things Texas has going for them is they have a solid running game, and Baylor will be without one of its defensive leaders in the first half. This gives Case and company a chance to maybe make a couple of big plays and get some easy points. Sounds easy, but we'll see. I will caution Longhorn fans on one thing: expect to see a couple of series, especially early, where they try and establish the run with a lot of 3 and outs, punting on 4th and 7 because they're trying to soften up that defense to open up the passing lanes. Yes, it's frustrating at times, but expect to see it. That's how they roll.
At the end of the day, you guys know how I feel about Case McCoy (takeaway his 4 completions to Mike Davis and he was 6 of 15 for 27 yards)...I'm not a fan. But, these are the kinds of games he'll find a way to pull out of his ass in dramatic fashion leaving fans like me uber frustrated, but happy with the win. That sounds great, but Baylor has too many weapons and they are a much more physical team in the trenches. They'll keep Texas' pass rush at bay with the running game and quick reads. They'll have a perfect game plan for Texas, and it will show in the final score.
Baylor - 48
Texas - 28
Duke-ing it Out.
What a story this Duke Blue Devils team has been this year. Speaking of coaches who earned themselves some money....David Cutcliffe has done a fantastic job at this basketball/smart school. What's most impressive to me was the fashion in which they beat UNC to claim the division title, coming from behind in the fourth quarter. This is a team that is not used to playing for such lofty rewards, nor following through on them. Of course they don't have the horses to keep up with this loaded Seminole's team, but I'll tell you this - if I'm in Vegas, I'm taking Duke and the points. They won't beat FSU, but they won't lose by 28+ points either.
FSU - 41
Duke - 21
Urban Legend.
Say what you will about Urban Meyer and his coaching style and methods, but no one can deny the fact that he's one of the best in the business. Simply look at his track record. It's extremely hard to win all of your games in a season, especially in big-time conferences. He did it at Utah, he did it at Florida, and he's on the verge of doing it in back-to-back seasons at Ohio State. That's pretty amazing. But as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend. With the Big 10 having a less than stellar level of talent this year, it's fair to say that the Buckeyes will be facing their most formidable opponent this weekend in Michigan State....of course the exact same can be said about the Spartans. If I'm betting on quality of games this weekend, this one might take the cake as the top must-see game. Michigan State has the nation's top defense, but with a fairly schotty offense, while OSU is bringing in a solid defense that's been prone to breakdowns and inconsistencies this year (see the Michigan game), but with a dynamic offensive duo of Miller and Hyde. At some point, something has to give here. I'll say first one to 20 wins this one, and would be surprised if the winning team had many more than that. I'm taking Sparty here simply because great defenses can create frustration and breakdowns and that's what will happen to the Buckeyes. If OSU does manage to pull this one out, it will be on the play-making legs of Braxton Miller making a big play late to put them in field goal range of scoring the winning TD.
Michigan State - 23
Ohio State - 20
New-Look SEC.
I think we can officially say that gone are the days of these "vaunted SEC defenses" and look no farther than the game between Auburn and Missouri (2 teams who combined for 2 conference wins last year). Whereas the Big 10 is "first to 20", this could be a "first to 4" type game. Both teams are quite proficient on offense and can score in bunches. However, defensively, Missouri gets the edge here. Their front 7 are ridiculously good and they will get to the quarterback and wreak havoc. Malzahn will have a plan to counter that, don't you worry, but at the end of the day, Auburn's pass defense is next to last in the SEC and Missouri's offense will limit possessions for Auburn. Give me the Tigers in this one (hahahaha....get it?).
Missouri - 37
Auburn - 31
Left Coast Rematch.
Go look at what Stanford did to the Sun Devils earlier this season. It wasn't pretty, jumping out to a 39-7 lead pretty quick, holding on for a not-as-close-as-it-looks 42-28 win. Whereas I don't see that same scenario playing out here, I am taking Stanford here. With that said, ASU has done a great job in building and getting better each week this year. This will be a tough game for the Cardinal, but at the end of the day, Stanford's experience and coaching will take over here.
Stanford - 34
Arizona State - 28
Enjoy the weekend and stay warm folks. I'll start hitting NFL hard and heavy next week and into the holidays.
posted by The Bearden Wonder at 10:33 AM
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