I was not as successful with my upset picks last week, so I am looking to rebound in week 8. As I look at the slate of games this week, I am finding it difficult to find multiple choices for this entry.
LSU @ Texas A&M Saturday 12:00pm
LSU is coming off of a big win against South Carolina where they played their best game of the season. If the Tigers can continue that play on the road this week, LSU should have little trouble against the Aggies. The problem is that I don't think this team can play back to back high level games, and their offense seems to really struggle on the road. I am really excited to see A&M freshman quarterback Manziel against the stout defensive line from LSU. The SEC opener of A&M vs Florida is shaping up to be one of the best games in the entire conference this season. TAMU has one of the best offenses in the conference, and the best rushing attack in the country, LSU prides itself on stopping the run. Something will have to break in this game.
Virginia Tech @ Clemson Saturday 12:00pm
Virginia Tech looked dead last week as they started down 20-0 against Duke in the first quarter. They roared back quickly to win 41-20. I think that win gave this Hokie team some confidence heading into the showdown at Clemson. On paper, this game doesnt look like it will be close, but the problem is that I have so little respect for the ACC that I think any team can beat another any week. Also, I don't like much about Clemson, so go Hokies.
Kansas State @ West Virginia Saturday 7:00pm
The Mountaineers are coming off a complete beat down last week against Texas Tech. I have to believe that they will have to bounce back this weekend. West Virginia kept flirting with close games the prior two weeks, and Tech was able to just knock them out at home. I think Geno Smith and company are refocused and will look like one of the best teams in the Big12 again this weekend. As much as I like Kansas State most years, I just really think they are over-rated in the top 5, and I am still a little upset that they were ranked higher at the end of 2011 than Michigan was. I know the Wildcat defense is one of the best in the no defense league, but I think Geno will be better at home and lead his team to a marquee victory.
Reach pick: Florida State @ Miami Saturday 8:00pm
I will use my logic from above, that I don't respect anyone in the ACC and really don't like Florida State. So, as bad as Miami looked against Notre Dame, I think they can bounce back and make this game a little more respectable against their rival. Now, this is a long reach, because the Seminoles could just as easily win by 45+ points.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
B1G Week 7 Recap
The B1G standings are becoming more clear as we ventured through another week of conference play. The thing that might be the most clear at this time is that the B1G is still really bad. Likely the best thing that happened on Saturday was Michigan’s dominating performance, but I already covered that so I will try to find some other encouraging outcomes from last week.
The Good:
Montee Ball is gaining confidence each week, and last week he busted out for 247 yards and broke the B1G record for career touchdowns. It is looking like Purdue is just not very good, but going for almost 250 yards is impressive against anyone. It will be interesting to see if he can turn things around to get back into the player of the year conversation.
Northwestern got a big road conference win against Minnesota. It doesn’t look like either team is great, but Northwestern is still in the division race after 3 weeks. This week will be a big test for the Wildcats against Nebraska. This falling under the good section is a pretty decent reach, so you can understand how little B1G teams accomplished last week.
The Bad:
Ohio State’s defense. The “best team” in the conference surrendered 49 points against Indiana. I know the Hoosier offense has improved a lot in year 2 of Kevin Wilson, but a top 10 team should not give up 50 points to any unranked team. They couldn’t tackle, they couldn’t get pressure on the quarterback, and they really seemed to miss their best linebacker Sabino. They will need to turn things around before playing Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan.
Purdue will fall under the bad section this week. Before conference play, many “experts” picked Purdue to make the B1G Championship Game this year, but so far they have lost 2 games by a combined score of 82-27. This is not the team that will be playing in Indianapolis, unless Hope turns things around to save his job.
The Ugly:
The Michigan State offense only scoring 13 points in a double overtime game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. This is the same team that gave up 32 points to a terrible Central Michigan team. I know Iowa has improved since that loss, but they do not look like a team that should be competing for a B1G title. The Spartans were likely looking ahead to this week against Michigan. They are going to need their passing game to step up in a big way if they are going to score points in Ann Arbor.
I would say that my conference rankings are as follows:
1. Ohio State (no change)
1. Michigan (up 1)
3. Penn State (no change)
4. Wisconsin (up 4)
5. Northwestern (down 1)
6. Nebraska (down 1)
7. Iowa (no change)
8. Michigan State (down 2)
9. Purdue (no change)
10. Minnesota (no change)
11. Indiana (no change)
12. Illinois (no change
Week 7: Illinois Recap
My blogging schedule has been all messed up this week due to a busy few days of work, but as the week draws to an end I will try to catch up on my normal articles. The Michigan football team played their most complete game of the season last Saturday, which might result in many fans being over-confident for the upcoming matchup with Michigan State. The Wolverines won their 4th game of the season based on some stout short yardage defense and a couple of innovative offensive play calls.
Anytime that your team gets a shutout, the first positive has to be the defense. I know Illinois is easily the worst conference team this year, but Michigan continued to improve on this side of the ball. The defensive line continues to grow into a strength, which makes the linebackers look like the best unit in the B1G. Illinois lost their starting quarterback early in the game, and they don’t really have any real downfield threats at receiver. So, the Michigan secondary was not tested much, if at all, in this game. Jake Ryan continues to grow into one of the best Michigan linebackers that I can remember watching. Craig Roh has also become one of my favorite players just because of how much he has given to this program. The guy is a 4 year starter, but at 3 different positions. Yes, he was one of the biggest recruits that Rich Rod got on the defensive side of the ball, and he might not have lived up to all of the expectations in regards to stats. This guy has done anything that the coaching staff has requested, and has been a plus defender all 4 years. The goal in the Rich Rod era was to have Roh play around 255 pounds, and not he is playing over 280 and is still making plays. Hats off to him, and on senior day please give him the recognition he deserves.
I really liked some of the offensive play calling against Illinois. Even though it was raining most of the game, Al Borges still decided to throw the ball more than I expected early on. Many different screen passes were called, with one going to Gallon for a long touchdown. Michigan was just better than the opponent across the ball from them on Saturday. The most important part though was Denard did not turn the ball over for the 2nd straight game. If he can keep the streak going this weekend, Michigan becomes much harder to beat.
Overall, Michigan beat Illinois like they should have (especially after Scheelhasse was injured), and there is not much we learned about the team this week. The offense does seem to be gaining some confidence and momentum in B1G play. The defense has been the most impressive. They are following in the footsteps of the 2011 team, and are just becoming extremely fun to root for. Michigan will have its 3rd difficult game of the season this Saturday. Michigan State has been the most disappointing team in the conference so far this year, but they have been known to play their best game against Michigan. Also, Denard has really struggled against aggressive, talented, defenses in his career, and the Spartans seem to have a very good game plan against him. It should be a fun game to watch, and a very disappointing afternoon if Big Blue finds a way to lose.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Week 7: Illinois preview
Welcome, folks, to the Illinois preview. Tomorrow's game will mark the half way point for the Wolverine season. This team is looking like they are following a similar path as in 2011, the defense is starting to really come together and Al Borges is still trying to put a spread wizard into a west coast passer's role. So far this season, Illinois has really struggled. They are 2-4, but their closest lose has been 17 points. Before any games kicked off, the Illini were expected to have one of the better defenses in the conference with many NFL-caliber players returning. At this point they would struggle to hold up against a slight breeze. This week's game could get out of hand quickly, but Michigan will have to fight off the urge to look ahead to Michigan State next week.
Illinois Run Offense vs Michigan Run Defense
Well, the Wolverine font 7 seem to be coming together very well. The defensive line is improving each week, which is allowing the linebackers to flow to the ball. The Illini rushing attack is focused around QB Scheelhasse. He is pretty elusive in the backfield and can create positive yards out of nothing. If he can get a few nice runs, it will pull some focus away from RB Young. Even if this does happen, however, Michigan should be able to control the line of scrimmage against this team. The offensive line has struggled to open up any running lanes. James Ross and Joe Bolden could see some significant playing time in this game. I like the linebacking unit as a whole to have a big game. Advantage Michigan
Illinois Pass Offense vs Michigan Pass Defense
As good as Scheelhasse is with his legs, he does not impress many with his arm. Combine that with the Illini's lack of play makers at receiver, and this could make for a long day for Illinois. Like I mentioned early, the Michigan defensive line should be able to control the line of scrimmage which could allow for open blitzing lanes for Jake Ryan. Illinois might try to stretch the field a little more than Purdue did last week, so it should give the secondary a little more of a challenge from a coverage perspective. I think Michigan will record at least one interception, and Raymon Taylor continues to improve. Hopefully this week will be a good tune up for what the Spartans will throw at them. Advantage Michigan.
Michigan Run Offense vs Illinois Run Defense
I expect Michigan's game plan to be very similar to what we saw last week in West Lafayette. The offensive line will be showcased in this game. I like the way the left side of the line is getting push right now, and the Illini defensive front does not offer as big of a challenge as Purdue did. I think all 5 guys have one of their best games in run blocking this season. It will be interesting to see how the carries are split up. Will Denard run 15+ times and leave Fitz with only 10-15 carries? Fitz needs to show some improvement with his field vision this week, and hopefully it results in a big day for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he doubled his total rush yards tomorrow. But, if he struggles again, how long will Hoke stay with him instead of Thomas Rawls. Either way, I think Michigan cracks the 200 yard rushing mark again which will control the tempo and time of possession because like Coach Hoke said, "I really like our defense when our offense is on the field." Advantage Michigan
Michigan Pass Offense vs Illinois Pass Defense
I doubt Denard will attempt many more passes than he did last week (16). The game might be closer than we would like, if he is forced to throw more. I think Michigan will run some simple routes to get the ball to Gardner and Funchess, but will likely not show many new routes this week. If Denard does throw more passes, the Illini defense will be reliant around if CB Hawthorne can play. He took a horrible looking shot last week and was knocked out with a concussion. He is Illinois' best cornerback. He would definitely slow Gardner down some. If he is not able to play, well it would be a long day for an over-matched secondary. Advantage Michigan.
After looking at 4 of the main categories of this football game, it seems pretty easy that I am picking Michigan to win tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be cold and rainy, so it will be interesting to see how it affects play calling and ball security. It will be important for the Wolverines to continue to focus of not turning the ball over. If they can finish the game with an even turnover margin or better, the Wolverines should have no problems getting their 4th win of the season. I like Michigan, 38-16.
Illinois Run Offense vs Michigan Run Defense
Well, the Wolverine font 7 seem to be coming together very well. The defensive line is improving each week, which is allowing the linebackers to flow to the ball. The Illini rushing attack is focused around QB Scheelhasse. He is pretty elusive in the backfield and can create positive yards out of nothing. If he can get a few nice runs, it will pull some focus away from RB Young. Even if this does happen, however, Michigan should be able to control the line of scrimmage against this team. The offensive line has struggled to open up any running lanes. James Ross and Joe Bolden could see some significant playing time in this game. I like the linebacking unit as a whole to have a big game. Advantage Michigan
Illinois Pass Offense vs Michigan Pass Defense
As good as Scheelhasse is with his legs, he does not impress many with his arm. Combine that with the Illini's lack of play makers at receiver, and this could make for a long day for Illinois. Like I mentioned early, the Michigan defensive line should be able to control the line of scrimmage which could allow for open blitzing lanes for Jake Ryan. Illinois might try to stretch the field a little more than Purdue did last week, so it should give the secondary a little more of a challenge from a coverage perspective. I think Michigan will record at least one interception, and Raymon Taylor continues to improve. Hopefully this week will be a good tune up for what the Spartans will throw at them. Advantage Michigan.
Michigan Run Offense vs Illinois Run Defense
I expect Michigan's game plan to be very similar to what we saw last week in West Lafayette. The offensive line will be showcased in this game. I like the way the left side of the line is getting push right now, and the Illini defensive front does not offer as big of a challenge as Purdue did. I think all 5 guys have one of their best games in run blocking this season. It will be interesting to see how the carries are split up. Will Denard run 15+ times and leave Fitz with only 10-15 carries? Fitz needs to show some improvement with his field vision this week, and hopefully it results in a big day for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he doubled his total rush yards tomorrow. But, if he struggles again, how long will Hoke stay with him instead of Thomas Rawls. Either way, I think Michigan cracks the 200 yard rushing mark again which will control the tempo and time of possession because like Coach Hoke said, "I really like our defense when our offense is on the field." Advantage Michigan
Michigan Pass Offense vs Illinois Pass Defense
I doubt Denard will attempt many more passes than he did last week (16). The game might be closer than we would like, if he is forced to throw more. I think Michigan will run some simple routes to get the ball to Gardner and Funchess, but will likely not show many new routes this week. If Denard does throw more passes, the Illini defense will be reliant around if CB Hawthorne can play. He took a horrible looking shot last week and was knocked out with a concussion. He is Illinois' best cornerback. He would definitely slow Gardner down some. If he is not able to play, well it would be a long day for an over-matched secondary. Advantage Michigan.
After looking at 4 of the main categories of this football game, it seems pretty easy that I am picking Michigan to win tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be cold and rainy, so it will be interesting to see how it affects play calling and ball security. It will be important for the Wolverines to continue to focus of not turning the ball over. If they can finish the game with an even turnover margin or better, the Wolverines should have no problems getting their 4th win of the season. I like Michigan, 38-16.
ALDS Recap: Tigers win series 3-2
It has been a while since I have blogged about the Tigers, but today just feels right with Detroit advancing to the ALCS for the second year in a row. I am glad that the work week has been slow because it allowed me to stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching some really good baseball.
I have been saying all season that even though the regular season record was disappointing for this year's Tiger team, if they could just get into the playoffs they would be a very tough out. Oakland found that out the hard way, which is a little disappointing because the Athletics had an unbelievable season. If Detroit failed to make the playoffs, Oakland would have been my rooting interest.
I want to take a look at the series as a whole and try to think of what we can expect moving forward against either the Evil Empire or the new kids on the block. The strength of the Oakland baseball team was their starting pitching, and I would definitely say the young guns lived up to that billing over this last week. The problem for them was, Detroit's was just better. People, do you understand just how good the starters were in these 5 games? For a roster built on scoring 6 runs a game, it turned out to be better at giving up 2 or less a game. The 4 pitchers combined to pitch 34.2 innings and gave up just 6 runs, 5 of them earned. That is a 1.30 ERA, for an entire playoff series! Of course Justin Verlander is the leader of this group, but I was impressed with the 3 other guys as well. We really didn't know what to expect from any of them, and I would say that 6 runs in 5 starts is pretty dang good.
The offense definitely struggled against the A's. It could be a testament to how good their starting pitchers are, but I think some of the blame falls on the 9 guys in with the old English D on their helmets. The approaches to many at bats were subpar, and I would like to see better in the games to come. Miggy and Biggy combined to go 9-41 (.220) with 1 home run and 3 RBI. Just looking at those numbers, it seems like a miracle that the Tigers are even moving on. These guys have carried the offense all season, they have to step up in the next series. It seemed there were multiple times that the Tigers were on the doorstep of breaking the game open, and knocking out the A's pitcher early. However, they failed to convert with RISP and took some bad cuts to end potential rallies.
The bullpen looks extremely shaky still, but this was to be expected. It is probably the biggest weakness of this team. The relievers pitched an even 10 innings against Oakland, but allowed 5 runs to score. I honestly do not feel safe with any of them coming into the game at this point. Benoit is not locating well at all, Valverde is barely breaking 90 mph and forgot about his split-finger, Coke is allowing right handed hitters to hit .390 against him, and Alburquerque is walking almost 1 per inning. I am just going to expect each starter to go 8 or 9, that seems realistic.
I could dive into the defense not tripping over itself, or Leyland's in-game decisions, but I want to vent about something that bothered me even more than the over-baked spud closer blowing game 4. Was anyone else annoyed with the announcers after game 3? It would have been sooner for me, but luckily MLB showed game 2 on MLB Network only so I had to listen to Dan & Jim. It could have been that getting 4 or 5 hours a sleep the two nights before played a factor, but last night I wanted to drop kick my tv to put me out of my misery (and if you know me, you know that I happen to like my tv). However, I came up with a better plan (thanks to the engineer in me), I turned the clowns on mute and listened to Dan & Jim with the 5 second radio delay and watched what happened on tv. It was amazing how much it calmed me down. Yes, we all know how great of a story Oakland was this year, but I don't need to hear about it between every pitch. Yes, the umpire called some pitches strikes that were out of the zone, but the zone was consistent for both teams in ALL 5 games. Also, since when is it considered "chasing a fast ball" when it halves the plate and crosses at your belt? If anything, that was a location mistake by JV last night. I get annoyed very quickly with baseball announcers, mainly because they have so much time to fill during a 3.5 hour baseball game in a playoff series with the same 2 teams every night. But, this does not give them an excuse to be completely mis-informed about my Detroit Tigers. They are getting paid for talking, shouldn't they at least be expected to talk about facts? All I can say is I hope we get assigned the A-team of announcers for the ALDS, or else Dan & Jim are going to be getting another listener very soon.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will either play tomorrow in New York or home against Baltimore. I have to admit that getting home field advantage shapes up perfectly for Detroit's rotation. Games 1 and 2 at home with Fister and likely Scherzer taking the mound, and then follow it up with JV in game 3 on the road. That looks pretty intimidating for opposing lineups. However, if we get to play the Yankees for the third playoffs in a row, we would have Justin still pitching game 3 when we come home to Detroit. Does anyone else feel pretty confident with Verlander at Comerica? Leyland really went with the matchups against Oakland (Berry and Avila out against lefties), but I would at least like to see Avila in the lineup more. Yes, Laird hit better against lefties this year, but Avila is our franchise catcher and I want to see him behind the plate every game. Other than this, I doubt the lineups will change much from what we saw this last week. All I know is that I am going to enjoy the remaining October baseball that the Tigers get to play in 2012. Let's go Tigers, and eat 'em up!
I have been saying all season that even though the regular season record was disappointing for this year's Tiger team, if they could just get into the playoffs they would be a very tough out. Oakland found that out the hard way, which is a little disappointing because the Athletics had an unbelievable season. If Detroit failed to make the playoffs, Oakland would have been my rooting interest.
I want to take a look at the series as a whole and try to think of what we can expect moving forward against either the Evil Empire or the new kids on the block. The strength of the Oakland baseball team was their starting pitching, and I would definitely say the young guns lived up to that billing over this last week. The problem for them was, Detroit's was just better. People, do you understand just how good the starters were in these 5 games? For a roster built on scoring 6 runs a game, it turned out to be better at giving up 2 or less a game. The 4 pitchers combined to pitch 34.2 innings and gave up just 6 runs, 5 of them earned. That is a 1.30 ERA, for an entire playoff series! Of course Justin Verlander is the leader of this group, but I was impressed with the 3 other guys as well. We really didn't know what to expect from any of them, and I would say that 6 runs in 5 starts is pretty dang good.
The offense definitely struggled against the A's. It could be a testament to how good their starting pitchers are, but I think some of the blame falls on the 9 guys in with the old English D on their helmets. The approaches to many at bats were subpar, and I would like to see better in the games to come. Miggy and Biggy combined to go 9-41 (.220) with 1 home run and 3 RBI. Just looking at those numbers, it seems like a miracle that the Tigers are even moving on. These guys have carried the offense all season, they have to step up in the next series. It seemed there were multiple times that the Tigers were on the doorstep of breaking the game open, and knocking out the A's pitcher early. However, they failed to convert with RISP and took some bad cuts to end potential rallies.
The bullpen looks extremely shaky still, but this was to be expected. It is probably the biggest weakness of this team. The relievers pitched an even 10 innings against Oakland, but allowed 5 runs to score. I honestly do not feel safe with any of them coming into the game at this point. Benoit is not locating well at all, Valverde is barely breaking 90 mph and forgot about his split-finger, Coke is allowing right handed hitters to hit .390 against him, and Alburquerque is walking almost 1 per inning. I am just going to expect each starter to go 8 or 9, that seems realistic.
I could dive into the defense not tripping over itself, or Leyland's in-game decisions, but I want to vent about something that bothered me even more than the over-baked spud closer blowing game 4. Was anyone else annoyed with the announcers after game 3? It would have been sooner for me, but luckily MLB showed game 2 on MLB Network only so I had to listen to Dan & Jim. It could have been that getting 4 or 5 hours a sleep the two nights before played a factor, but last night I wanted to drop kick my tv to put me out of my misery (and if you know me, you know that I happen to like my tv). However, I came up with a better plan (thanks to the engineer in me), I turned the clowns on mute and listened to Dan & Jim with the 5 second radio delay and watched what happened on tv. It was amazing how much it calmed me down. Yes, we all know how great of a story Oakland was this year, but I don't need to hear about it between every pitch. Yes, the umpire called some pitches strikes that were out of the zone, but the zone was consistent for both teams in ALL 5 games. Also, since when is it considered "chasing a fast ball" when it halves the plate and crosses at your belt? If anything, that was a location mistake by JV last night. I get annoyed very quickly with baseball announcers, mainly because they have so much time to fill during a 3.5 hour baseball game in a playoff series with the same 2 teams every night. But, this does not give them an excuse to be completely mis-informed about my Detroit Tigers. They are getting paid for talking, shouldn't they at least be expected to talk about facts? All I can say is I hope we get assigned the A-team of announcers for the ALDS, or else Dan & Jim are going to be getting another listener very soon.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will either play tomorrow in New York or home against Baltimore. I have to admit that getting home field advantage shapes up perfectly for Detroit's rotation. Games 1 and 2 at home with Fister and likely Scherzer taking the mound, and then follow it up with JV in game 3 on the road. That looks pretty intimidating for opposing lineups. However, if we get to play the Yankees for the third playoffs in a row, we would have Justin still pitching game 3 when we come home to Detroit. Does anyone else feel pretty confident with Verlander at Comerica? Leyland really went with the matchups against Oakland (Berry and Avila out against lefties), but I would at least like to see Avila in the lineup more. Yes, Laird hit better against lefties this year, but Avila is our franchise catcher and I want to see him behind the plate every game. Other than this, I doubt the lineups will change much from what we saw this last week. All I know is that I am going to enjoy the remaining October baseball that the Tigers get to play in 2012. Let's go Tigers, and eat 'em up!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
B1G Week 7 Preview
Overall, week 7 looks to be a pretty dull week in the B1G schedule. The top 2 teams in the conference rankings play the worst two teams, and the 3rd best team has a bye week. However, this week will have a major influence on the Leader's Division B1G Championship Game representative. Last week my picks to win the games went very well, but the details of how each team won were a little off. Lets see if I can do better this week.
Iowa (3-2) @ Michigan State (4-2) Saturday 12:00pm
As bad as Iowa played in the non-conference season, the Hawkeyes impressed me in their B1G opener against Minnesota. Yes, I know the Gophers aren't very good, but Iowa took care of business and didn't let the over-matched team hang around very long. This game should help sort out the contenders in the Legend's Division. The loser here is all but eliminated from the title game. I can guarantee that this game will look more like "Big Ten football" than the Nebraska vs Ohio game last Saturday. Both teams live and die with their giant running backs. I will venture to say that whichever guy ends up with the better yards per carry will end up on the winning side of this game. I am interested in seeing how Michigan State defends Iowa, because everyone knows their game plan. If Weisman is continually getting into the 2nd level of the defense, it could be a long game for Sparty. Also, if either team builds an early lead, it will be very difficult for the other to come back with their suspect passing attacks. As bad as Michigan State looked last week, I think they win a close low scoring game with a late score.
Northwestern (5-1) @ Minnesota (4-1) Saturday 12:00pm
This game is another key game for the Legend's Division standings. I think most people assume Northwestern is the better team here, but the loser of this one will likely stay in the cellar of the division. I am interested to see how Minnesota bounces back from getting dump trucked in their opener in Iowa City. Quarterback Gray should be back for this game, which will put a lot of pressure on the Wildcat defense. The same defense that gave up 22 points at Penn State last week. The Gophers really struggled to defend the run against Iowa, and unfortunately for them, the run game is Northwestern's strength. I think this one will be another close game, but in the end Northwestern's offense outscores Minnesota.
Wisconsin (4-2) @ Purdue (3-2) Saturday 12:00pm
I have selected this game as the marquee contest of the week. Not because either team is neccesarily that good, but because the winner has the inside track at reach Indianapolis. The Boilers had what they called their most important home game since 2007 last week against Michigan. The fans didn't show up, and the Wolverines man-handled Purdue. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back in this game. I think the Purdue defensive line will do a better job at defending the run this weekend. I doubt Wisconsin will get to 200 yards on the ground, let alone 300. If the Boiler linebackers can step up and make some tackles, Purdue could win this one by double digits. I doubt they can make enough consistent plays to control the game. Purdue's secondary was not tested much last weekend, but Wisconsin will need to put the ball in the air more than Michigan did. I predict Allen or Johnson to record another interception, but also for Abbrederis to break a big pass play open. Wisconsin does have a very solid defense, and their pass rush continues to improve. If they can get some pressure on TerBush, the Badgers will be very successful. I don't think either offense is really great, so I think Purdue will pull out a very close, much needed, win at home with more key defensive plays than Wisconsin.
Ohio State (6-0) @ Indiana (2-3) Saturday 8:00pm
Ohio State showed over the past two weeks that they are the class of the B1G. They have a very good shot at being undefeated when Michigan comes to town in late November. The Hoosiers might have played their best half of football last week against Michigan State, too bad football games have 2nd halves. Indiana is no match for the Buckeyes in this game, and their stadium offers very little home field advantage to make up that difference. It will be interesting to see how the Buckeye defense performs without their most experienced linebacker playing. Urban Meyer doesn't care about other team's feelings, so there is no reason to think that Braxton Miller will have less than 300 total yards in this one and the Buckeyes win by at least 30.
Iowa (3-2) @ Michigan State (4-2) Saturday 12:00pm
As bad as Iowa played in the non-conference season, the Hawkeyes impressed me in their B1G opener against Minnesota. Yes, I know the Gophers aren't very good, but Iowa took care of business and didn't let the over-matched team hang around very long. This game should help sort out the contenders in the Legend's Division. The loser here is all but eliminated from the title game. I can guarantee that this game will look more like "Big Ten football" than the Nebraska vs Ohio game last Saturday. Both teams live and die with their giant running backs. I will venture to say that whichever guy ends up with the better yards per carry will end up on the winning side of this game. I am interested in seeing how Michigan State defends Iowa, because everyone knows their game plan. If Weisman is continually getting into the 2nd level of the defense, it could be a long game for Sparty. Also, if either team builds an early lead, it will be very difficult for the other to come back with their suspect passing attacks. As bad as Michigan State looked last week, I think they win a close low scoring game with a late score.
Northwestern (5-1) @ Minnesota (4-1) Saturday 12:00pm
This game is another key game for the Legend's Division standings. I think most people assume Northwestern is the better team here, but the loser of this one will likely stay in the cellar of the division. I am interested to see how Minnesota bounces back from getting dump trucked in their opener in Iowa City. Quarterback Gray should be back for this game, which will put a lot of pressure on the Wildcat defense. The same defense that gave up 22 points at Penn State last week. The Gophers really struggled to defend the run against Iowa, and unfortunately for them, the run game is Northwestern's strength. I think this one will be another close game, but in the end Northwestern's offense outscores Minnesota.
Wisconsin (4-2) @ Purdue (3-2) Saturday 12:00pm
I have selected this game as the marquee contest of the week. Not because either team is neccesarily that good, but because the winner has the inside track at reach Indianapolis. The Boilers had what they called their most important home game since 2007 last week against Michigan. The fans didn't show up, and the Wolverines man-handled Purdue. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back in this game. I think the Purdue defensive line will do a better job at defending the run this weekend. I doubt Wisconsin will get to 200 yards on the ground, let alone 300. If the Boiler linebackers can step up and make some tackles, Purdue could win this one by double digits. I doubt they can make enough consistent plays to control the game. Purdue's secondary was not tested much last weekend, but Wisconsin will need to put the ball in the air more than Michigan did. I predict Allen or Johnson to record another interception, but also for Abbrederis to break a big pass play open. Wisconsin does have a very solid defense, and their pass rush continues to improve. If they can get some pressure on TerBush, the Badgers will be very successful. I don't think either offense is really great, so I think Purdue will pull out a very close, much needed, win at home with more key defensive plays than Wisconsin.
Ohio State (6-0) @ Indiana (2-3) Saturday 8:00pm
Ohio State showed over the past two weeks that they are the class of the B1G. They have a very good shot at being undefeated when Michigan comes to town in late November. The Hoosiers might have played their best half of football last week against Michigan State, too bad football games have 2nd halves. Indiana is no match for the Buckeyes in this game, and their stadium offers very little home field advantage to make up that difference. It will be interesting to see how the Buckeye defense performs without their most experienced linebacker playing. Urban Meyer doesn't care about other team's feelings, so there is no reason to think that Braxton Miller will have less than 300 total yards in this one and the Buckeyes win by at least 30.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Week 7 Upset Alert
The week following the first Monster Week of the 2012 season seems to lack any big time upset candidates. Even without many of the top rated teams getting pushed this Saturday, I can guarantee that it will be another great day of watching college football.
Fresno State @ Boise State Saturday 3:30pm
This pick is for a few reasons. The first is because I think Boise State is over-rated, even at number 24. I have watched a parts of a couple different games, and it is clear the Broncos lost most of their experienced talent from last year's team. They lack the play makers on both sides of the ball, but will likely make it through the season with only 1 loss. The second reason is because I am really sick of Michigan State fans claiming their schedule has been the toughest in the nation because they are the only team to play 3 ranked opponents so far. Never mind that Michigan has played two top 7 teams (Notre Dame eve has an outside shot at getting to the BCS Championship game against Alabama), and also the Spartans have played all three of these teams at home, whereas Michigan will play a total of ZERO ranked teams at home this season. So, normally I root for the Peterson led smurf-turfers, but I can't this year. Go Dogs.
Oregon State @ BYU Saturday 3:30pm
Well, like Desmond Howard, I am not buying into the Beavers just yet. I don't think they are very good. I know all of this hype will go away soon enough, when OSU gets to take on the Ducks. Their big time quarterback Mannion, who Wisconsin all but shut down, is out after knee surgery earlier this week. I know BYU does not have one of their best teams this season, but I think the Cougars can push Oregon State at home and make this game closer than most expect.
Tennessee @ Mississippi State Saturday 9:00pm
The Bulldogs might be the most overlooked team in the SEC this season, which is hard to do when ESPN likes using their College Football segments to solely talk about the conference. On paper, the Vols have their work cut out for them this week. I just have a feeling that Tyler Bray is able to get some confidence to start the game and keep the score close for most of this game.
The standard pick this week are Stanford over Notre Dame, Washington at home to push USC, and Vanderbilt to give Florida problems in Nashville as the Gators are likely looking to next week's showdown with South Carolina. I would love to see all of these teams lose this week, but I still don't know how good Stanford is especially on the road. USC will likely continue on a Rose Bowl mission and not lose focus for the rest of the season. Finally, the Commodores are just not very good and even if Florida starts slow, they are good enough to steam roll Vanderbilt.
Fresno State @ Boise State Saturday 3:30pm
This pick is for a few reasons. The first is because I think Boise State is over-rated, even at number 24. I have watched a parts of a couple different games, and it is clear the Broncos lost most of their experienced talent from last year's team. They lack the play makers on both sides of the ball, but will likely make it through the season with only 1 loss. The second reason is because I am really sick of Michigan State fans claiming their schedule has been the toughest in the nation because they are the only team to play 3 ranked opponents so far. Never mind that Michigan has played two top 7 teams (Notre Dame eve has an outside shot at getting to the BCS Championship game against Alabama), and also the Spartans have played all three of these teams at home, whereas Michigan will play a total of ZERO ranked teams at home this season. So, normally I root for the Peterson led smurf-turfers, but I can't this year. Go Dogs.
Oregon State @ BYU Saturday 3:30pm
Well, like Desmond Howard, I am not buying into the Beavers just yet. I don't think they are very good. I know all of this hype will go away soon enough, when OSU gets to take on the Ducks. Their big time quarterback Mannion, who Wisconsin all but shut down, is out after knee surgery earlier this week. I know BYU does not have one of their best teams this season, but I think the Cougars can push Oregon State at home and make this game closer than most expect.
Tennessee @ Mississippi State Saturday 9:00pm
The Bulldogs might be the most overlooked team in the SEC this season, which is hard to do when ESPN likes using their College Football segments to solely talk about the conference. On paper, the Vols have their work cut out for them this week. I just have a feeling that Tyler Bray is able to get some confidence to start the game and keep the score close for most of this game.
The standard pick this week are Stanford over Notre Dame, Washington at home to push USC, and Vanderbilt to give Florida problems in Nashville as the Gators are likely looking to next week's showdown with South Carolina. I would love to see all of these teams lose this week, but I still don't know how good Stanford is especially on the road. USC will likely continue on a Rose Bowl mission and not lose focus for the rest of the season. Finally, the Commodores are just not very good and even if Florida starts slow, they are good enough to steam roll Vanderbilt.
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