What did we learn on Saturday?
LSU isn't going to go away that easily. After last week the world was down on the Tigers, and for good reason, they looked pitiful offensively against Florida. Well, the offense didn't blow me away, but Lester did was Lester does best, keep his team in it and allow his athletes to make big plays when the game is on the line. You have to commend the Tigers for their effort against Lattimore and the way they disrupted Shaw all night, but the weaknesses in LSU's game are on the other side of the ball and are very apparent. The Tigers are much better than we thought last week, but probably not as good as we thought in August.
Mid-Term Grade - B+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
South Carolina had to impress you on Saturday, they were out gained and outplayed all night and still had a shot to win late. Shaw really struggled throwing the ball, but I'm not putting it all on him, the LSU defensive front caused so much disruption and Lattimore's struggles gave those NFL DE's the freedom to do whatever they wanted. The Gamecocks are not quite as good as we thought last week, but much better than we thought in August.
Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
Oklahoma just became my choice for the best 1 loss team outside the SEC. The Sooners dominated in all aspects of the game and downright embarrassed the Longhorns on Saturday. I felt sorry for Mack Brown at halftime, the poor guy just does not match up very well with Bob Stoops and it was proven again. Landry Jones gets a lot of credit for handling the Longhorns and making it look easy, but the defense in Norman has been the engineer of the last two wins. You have to wonder what happens if the Sooners get matched up against an Alabama, LSU, Florida, or South Carolina and get pushed around like they did against Kansas State. Has this team evolved into a more physical, more determined, more disciplined version of it's August self, or has the competition just gotten less physical? I'm leaning right down the middle, the dedication to give Millard the touches I've been begging Heupel for, and the middle of that defense finally pushing guys around, make it obvious this team has turned a corner, to what level, we'll know very soon. The Sooners are much better than we thought they were after the first 3 games, but not quite as good as we thought they'd be at the beginning of the season.
Mid-Term Grade - B
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)
Texas, well, I may be eating crow by year's end, but I'm hanging on to see if Mack Brown can right the ship and get Texas into a top tier bowl game. The fact that Texas has lost the physicality needed to compete every week in a top tier conference is disheartening and a change at the top might be all the 'horns need to get back into the upper echelon of the conference they claim to control. It's time for me to call Texas what they are, soft, very soft. I'm guessing it'll be more of the same, but I'm choosing to believe the current coaching staff can get this team to respond. If Mack gets 'em going, this is a BCS caliber roster, if the horns refuse to get more physical, it'll be a long season in Austin that ends with a change at the helm. With the body of work we've seen, the Horns aren't nearly as good as I thought they were two weeks ago, and not quite as good as we thought in August.
Mid-Term Grade - C-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Arkansas' season continues to be as wacky as their head coach's press conferences. They came out and looked invincible against Kentucky, downright unstoppable, and impenetrable on the defensive side. It was Kentucky so the Hog fans need not get too excited, or should they? I've seen Kentucky struggle against the entire SEC, but not like they did against the Hogs. The game was only a half and one drive and Arkansas finished with not only full game numbers, but a really well played full game. This one had all the makings of single game records and it's a shame the Hogs didn't have the opportunity to play it out and set all those records. Tyler Wilson threw for nearly 350 yards in the first half, he had 4 touchdowns and completed what felt like every throw. He's still having trouble throwing the ball deep, but the adjustment to taller, slower receivers has caused some issues, no longer can he just throw it as far as he can and know that J Wright and Joe Adams will catch up to it. If there was any hole in the Razorback offense on Saturday it was Wilson's struggles with the deep ball. The defense again looked suffocating and appeared to be all over the field, and all while the best defensive players coming into the season watch from the sidelines with injuries. We're learning a lot about kids like Will Hines, Otha Peters, and my new favorite freshman, AJ Turner. The back end of the defense could be better, but safety is not a position you just sign up for in this league, it takes a special player that's instinctive, can really run, and incredibly physical. The Hogs are not the team we thought they were in August, not even close, but as they find themselves you have to wonder if they may end up giving the back end of their schedule a lot of fits. The last three opponents Arkansas will face only have two losses between the three of them, could Arkansas play spoiler this year?
Mid-Term Grade - D+
Final Record Prediction - (6-6)
Kentucky, it's been a long season, but I want to warn you against putting all the blame on Joker, he's been dealt a crumby hand. The idea that Kentucky is going to turn their football program into a winner in a matter of two or three years with any coach is why the Wildcats are the permanent cellar dwellers of the SEC. The Wildcats are terrible, even worse than originally anticipated. Kentucky is getting one of the few F's I'm passing out at this Mid-Term session.
Mid-Term Grade - F
Final Record Prediction - (2-10)
Notre Dame is getting a lot of undeserved love right now, sure, the Irish have handled the teams on the schedule, but I'm concerned for the media members jumping on the Irish bandwagon before we really, truly know. The Irish are really struggling on offense and while we all agree their defense has been very impressive at some point they're going to have to score some points. I think BYU will give the Irish some trouble, but Notre Dame should be able to handle that one, it's the showdown with Oklahoma on Oct 27th that you have to worry about as an Irish fan. If Notre Dame can get to that game, go down to Norman, and really make it a game, I'll change my opinion, until then the Irish are a team that's best win came in overtime to the third or fourth best team in the Pac12. The Irish are much better than I thought they'd be in August, however, they're not quite as good as everyone seems to think.
Mid-Term Grade - B+
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
Stanford, you have to give the Cardinal a lot of credit, they hung in there and really challenged Notre Dame through the entire ballgame. I've been very impressed with the Luckless Cardinal, so much so that I'm giving them a grade a bit higher than the Cardinal faithful would probably like to see. At the beginning of this year I didn't think Shaw would get anything going without Luck running the show, I was wrong. Shaw is now one of the most respected coaches in College Football, and his team, well a couple wins here and there and the Cardinal could find themselves in the Rose Bowl this year. That's not my prediction though.
Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (8-4)
Alabama, what's left for me to say, they've handled everyone on their schedule with relative ease. They run the ball well, they play incredible defense, and their quarterback should be a finalist for the Heisman. I really can't find any holes in this Alabama team, but that doesn't mean they won't show up when the meat of the schedule arrives. The Tide have several tough games ahead and while, yes, they'll be favored in all of them, the mix is diverse enough that if Bama does have a weakness, it will be exposed. I don't think they have one and they're coached by the best coach in the business, this team should be able to handle the rest of them.
Mid-Term Grade - A
Final Record Prediction - (12-0)
Missouri, this season can't be over soon enough, it's getting ugly in Columbia. When you join a new league that does play some defense, fans shouldn't run their mouths about how they're going to roll through their schedule. Players shouldn't call opponents style "old man football," and your biggest commitment of all time shouldn't be burning one down during the season, or during his career. The Tigers are pathetic and after what I saw from the Wildcats on Saturday I think Mizzou will have a shot to beat Kentucky and get that lone SEC win of the year. The Tigers are one of the worst stories of the season, and this one's probably not going to have a fairy tale ending.
Mid-Term Grade - F
Final Record Prediction - (4-8)
Texas Tech has really surprised me, Tommy Tuberville just received his doctorate in defense, so he'll be going by Dr. Tuberville from here on out. Lubbock is a strange town and the Red Raiders do enjoy a significant home field advantage, not necessarily because the fans, or the facilities, but almost exclusively because of the weird feeling you get when you get off the plane in Lubbock, TX. Don't let me downplay the Red Raiders signature win on Saturday, it was a curb-stomping. People can talk about trap games and West Virginia's upgraded conference, and Lubbock's weird feel all they want, the fact of the matter is Dr. Tuberville, Seth Doege, and the Red Raider defense took Dana, Geno, Stedman, and Tavon behind the woodshed and beat them into oblivion. It wasn't close, it wasn't ever close, and the Red Raiders deserve all the credit for that. The season has gone much better than I expected in August and while Oklahoma reminded Dr. Tuberville that the Red Raiders won't be winning the conference, you have to believe after Saturday that this is a Tech team that could finish in the top half. I personally think it's going to be a disappointing end to a fantastic first half of the season.
Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (7-5)
West Virginia was really enjoying the new conference until this week, guess what Geno, in a real conference you have to play every week. The Mountaineers were outplayed in every facet of the game on Saturday and I'm sure Dana and Geno are ready to get into the film room and figure out how they're going to beat Kansas State. Here's a tip Dana, this one's on me, don't let Collin Klein run over your defense while your offense stands on the sidelines and watches the game, that's a recipe for a loss. The Mountaineers have one good win and one terrible loss, had they been able to go into Lubbock, take care of business, and come out with a W, my grade would be much different. At this point, I'm not sure how good West Virginia really is, I know they can throw it around and I know those receivers are playing some good football, but how much of that can be attributed to West Virginia's offense vs the porous defenses they'd faced up to this point. The schedule gets much more difficult, and lucky for Geno, he'll have a chance to get back to the top of the Heisman race. West Virginia right now is exactly who I thought they were at the beginning of the season, I have no idea what to expect from this team.
Mid-Term Grade - C+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Florida, just when I thought the Gators would go into a "zook" for a few years, Muschamp has Florida at the top of the SEC again. It's amazing to see the difference a year made with these Florida defenders and now that Muschamp has them playing National Championship level defense, it's just a matter of time before Brent Pease gets that offense into similar form. The athletes at Florida are second to none and they showed it against LSU. In my opinion Florida, not Alabama, should be number 1 in the polls, not because I think they're better, but because of the wins they've accumulated: at Texas A&M, at Tenn, and LSU. No one in the country can compete with those wins, but the schedule doesn't soften until Nov and I think the Gators could slip up in one of the next two. The always popular Florida vs Florida State at the end of the year could be a really big one for both teams, but definitely for the Gators. Florida is one of my few A+'s I'm giving out, we'll see if they can pass the next two tests with the same spunk.
Mid-Term Grade - A+
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)
Georgia got the much needed week off after getting hammered by the Visor and Marcus Lattimore, I'll be very surprised if this Georgia team doesn't take it out on lowly Kentucky this upcoming weekend. The Dawgs have one win over Tennessee that I'd call a good win, the rest of them are not very impressive and I'm wondering if this Georgia team doesn't have a few more let downs left in them. Only issue there is, they don't play anyone after Florida on Oct 27th. This team played an SEC schedule and drew Auburn and Ole Miss from the West and got Tennessee at home. If they lose to Florida decisively, I'm afraid it won't matter what they do the rest of the year, the Dawgs will be a dog, in my book.
Mid-Term Grade - C
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
Mississippi State is the Cinderella of the Ball so far, it's become obvious that Dan Mullen is a really, really good coach. I'd be shocked if he doesn't make a move at seasons end to Texas, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, or maybe even Nebraska. Mississippi State is a legitimate winner this season and they proved it against Tennessee on Saturday. The wins aren't the most impressive in the SEC, but they're winning, they're 6-0 and 3-0 in the best conference in the land, they play tremendous defense, rush the passer well, run the ball well, and their QB can make the throws when asked to. They needed this 6-0 start, even against a soft schedule to gain confidence going into the back half of a pretty brutal schedule. They'll get one more win this Saturday against Mid Tenn, but then they go to Alabama, get A&M at home, go to LSU, get Ark at home, and go to Ole Miss. I don't see the back half going nearly as well as the front half, but you have to give Mullen a lot of credit for having the Bulldogs in this position at the midway point.
Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Tennessee is the best 3 loss plus team in the country, they've proven they can get out there and play with the top tier of the SEC, but they haven't been able to get the wins. The Volunteers are a little shaky on defense, but are very proficient scoring the football, Tyler Bray is playing pretty well, completing 60% of his throws and has 16 TDs on the year. The WR's at Tennessee are explosive and athletic, the offensive line is doing enough to get the run game going and if you can keep Rajion Neal healthy, this kid can really eat up yards on the ground. You just look at the list of wins are get really depressed as a Vols fan, this is probably Dooley's last season, because I can't imagine them getting over the hump in the next two games, Bama at home then at South Carolina. The Vols are getting a fairly high grade, because I can't imagine another team in the country has a more difficult schedule and they've kept the games competitive into the fourth quarter.
Mid-Term Grade - B-
Final Record Prediction - (7-5)
Texas A&M is doing in the SEC what many thought Missouri would be able to do, compete. The Aggies went to the wire with the second best team in the country, housed Arkansas, and got their first taste of an SEC road victory against Ole Miss. The wins list isn't very impressive, and even if Arkansas does turn it on through the end of the year, no one can argue that the Hogs team that A&M destroyed, wouldn't have been able to compete in the Sun Belt at the time A&M put the beat down on them. I'm excited to see what Johnny 'Football' Manziel can come up with against a very, very good LSU defense. The game is in College Station, but I'm not sure 12 men will be enough for the Aggies. My guess, LSU rolls to an easy victory and the culture shock of the SEC finally sets in with Mr. Football. The rest of the schedule looks challenging, road games at Mississippi State and Alabama loom in November. A&M is much better than I thought they'd be in August, but I'm afraid it won't be enough to finish better than .500 in the SEC.
Mid-Term Grade - B+
Final Record Prediction - (8-4)
Ole Miss, the most underrated team in the West, has a chance to really surprise some people through the back half of a very difficult schedule. The Rebel Black Bears travel to Little Rock to take on a resurgent Arkansas team in two weeks, then to Athens to face Georgia, they get Vandy at home, but finish the season at LSU and with Miss St at home. If the Rebels can find 2 victories in there we have to call it a success. Obviously you'd hope they'd be able to beat Vandy at home, but we've seen Vanderbilt play some exceptional defense, then maybe they'll be able to get it done against the Hogs, or possibly Miss St at home. Chances are slim, so Ole Miss, while they're getting a good grade, is probably not making a bowl game in Freeze's first year.
Mid-Term Grade - B
Final Record Prediction - (5-7)
Auburn, you have to believe this is the last year for Chizik, it's time for the charade to end and the charismatic, National Championship winner to move on. Coaches on the radar have to include, Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino, Paul Rhoades, and Butch Jones. It's been a disaster of a season and only two years removed from a National Championship. The back half of the schedule doesn't point to a resurrection of this season either, games at Vandy and at Bama, Georgia and A&M at home. They do have New Mexico St and Alabama A&M left, so if you're Tiger fan you're hoping you can at least get those two. When Gene Chizik was hired, I thought it was a flop of a hire, I felt that way while they were hoisting the Crystal Ball, and my suspicions have been confirmed in one of the worst seasons of all time for a very proud football program.
Mid-Term Grade - F
Final Record Prediction - (4-8)
Clemson, the most overrated team in a terrible league, I'm actually becoming frustrated that anyone can still have them ranked among the top 25 teams. The skill players are incredibly athletic, but the Clemson Tigers went to the wire with the Auburn Tigers, then that defense gave up 27 to Ball State, 49 to Florida State, 31 to Boston College, and 31 to Georgia Tech. Even though these Tigers have only one loss, they're nowhere near as good as the media believes and just because they can beat up on a terrible conference, doesn't mean they deserve high marks for it. I will give Clemson one thing, they win the games, which is more than can be said for Florida State. They're not as good defensively as I thought in August, and they're about as good defensively. It was a one game/test season for the Tigers, and they didn't do very well on that test. If they can get to Nov 24th and beat a healthy South Carolina, I may adjust this grade.
Mid-Term Grade - C-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Florida State, I wish the ACC would start making a commitment to football, it's sad to watch this storied program beat up on the "sisters of the poor," in their own conference. The Seminoles have benefited from a very easy schedule and deserve zero consideration for a BCS bowl, however, the BCS is forced to take at least one team from every AQ conference, and the ACC will send one of those teams. At Virginia Tech in Nov looks like the most difficult ACC contest left on the schedule, but the Noles do get Florida at home on Nov 24th, a game that could make me change my mind about the Seminoles.
Mid-Term Grade - B-
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
Oregon took the week off and to this point, it seems like they've had every week off. The Ducks won't see similar athletes until Nov 3rd when they go down to LA to take on USC, but we've seen teams like Arizona State and Oregon State give the Ducks trouble. I don't think Stanford will have the offense this year to keep scoring with Oregon, but USC knocked them off last year, it'll be interesting to see if they can do it again this year, my guess is no. This is Oregon's best defense since Chip took the reigns, and this is the best quarterback I believe Chips had during his time there. Those two things make the rest of the Pac-12 look very manageable for the Ducks, problem is, if a team can come up and hit them in the mouth, slow down the run game, and force Mariota to beat them throwing the football into tight windows, I'm not sure Oregon would know how to handle that challenge. The Ducks are even better than I thought they'd be in August, and they keep proving it every week. They've yet to score less than 40, 50 thrice, and 60 once, this team is rolling and Mariota and Barner are the reasons why.
Mid-Term Grade - A
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)
Oregon State is right there with Miss State as the Cinderella of the Ball, just a different Ball over there on the West Coast. In a league that's traditionally a finesse league, the Beavers are bringing the physicality and it's working brilliantly. The Beavers beat a very run oriented Wisconsin team, then shut down the best rusher in the country in week 3, then snuck past Rich Rod and went to Provo and beat a very good BYU team. Mike Riley's story on College Gameday was tremendous, it just makes you want to route on the Beavers even more. I love the style of play and I enjoy even more watching a team that has a quarterback out and they can bring in the backup and give them a manageable game plan and board the buses outside a very good programs stadium with a win. Everything about Oregon State has been impressive, but the schedule is going to heat up even more, road games at Washington and at Stanford, and Oregon will be coming to Corvallis. Great season Beavers, and if the right things fall into place, we might see Oregon State in the Rose Bowl.
Mid-Term Grade - A+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
USC, the preseason favorite was out after week 3 with that surprising loss to Stanford. The Trojans haven't been near as dominate as Kiffin would like and while they're getting wins, they're just making it look so difficult. The schedule gets rough on the back end, trips to Arizona and across town to UCLA loom, while Oregon and Notre Dame are coming to the Coliseum. The Trojans should be able to handle the road contests, but the road is where they've struggled so far. This season isn't one of the mid 2000s Trojan seasons where we watched them just dominate everyone else, if the Trojans still have National Championship hopes, they better start playing like a National Championship team, because if you put them on the field with Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, LSU, or Oklahoma right now, the Trojans would get embarrassed.
Mid-Term Grade - C+
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1. Alabama - in my opinion, the best team to this point
2. Oregon - I know the BCS has Florida, but I think the Ducks are the superior team
3. Florida - another big win on Saturday and they'll be moving up
4. Kansas State - because they've had better wins
5. LSU - I think the Tigers would curb stomp the Irish
6. Oregon State - just keeps on winning
7. Notre Dame - smoke and mirrors and Manti Teo, the Irish need a reality check
8. South Carolina - Spurrier has a big one coming up on Saturday
9. Mississippi State - very deserving of this spot, 6-0 in the SEC
10. Oklahoma - lookout for the Sooners folks, now they have some momentum
11. Louisville - was Charlie kidding when he said he wouldn't leave
12. USC - the Trojans are winning, but not convincingly
13. Rutgers - has some nice wins, big games looming
14. Texas A&M - probably going to be moving down after this next week
15. Texas Tech - Dr. Tuberville has 'em playing some football in West Texas
16. Cincinnati - is much better than people are giving them credit for
17. Florida State - doesn't deserve credit as a team, but they have the athletes
18. Georgia - needed the bye week, let's see what they do down the stretch
19. Ohio - yes, Solich is on the Top 20 list, and Ohio looks like our BCS buster
20. West Virginia - has a chance to prove themselves on Saturday
SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1. SEC - the football has been 2009-2010 level football this year
2. Pac12 - is a lot of fun to watch, and no one is awake to watch it
3. Big12 - with OU back and the parity, the Big12 is closing the gap
4. Big East - 3 undefeated, ranked teams, better than the next two
5. ACC - blah
6. Big 10 - it's just, so, so bad, can the Big 10 have a mulligan?
SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1. Collin Klein (KSU) - and after Geno's loss, he's pulling away with it
2. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - is the reason Oregon's #2, not D. Thomas
3. Geno Smith (WVU) - was humbled in Lubbock, but I think he'll bounce back
4. AJ McCarron (BAMA) - slowly, steadily putting it together, needs to stay healthy
5. Johnny Manziel (A&M) - a Freshman? Yes, this kid is lighting it up, probably not for long
SpecialEdTeams Doak Walker Watch
1. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - can't be penalized for an off week
2. Mike Gillislee (FLA) - not his best against Vandy, but shows up in the big games
3. Ka'Deem Carey (ZONA) - on pace for 1200 yards and 18 touchdowns
4. Giovani Bernard (UNC) - at 8.3 yards per carry, you better believe he's on the list
5. Tevin King (LT) - Saturday was my first look, and I like what I saw
SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1. Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - and Lee has been replaced with an SEC guy
2. Marquise Lee (USC) - struggled mightily at Wash, needed a better game
3. Terrance Williams (BAY) - is pulling away in the receiving yards category
4. Stedman Bailey (WVU) - 14 TDs is a lot of TD catches
5. DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - quietly putting together an All-American season
SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1. Eric Ebron (UNC) - consistent performer, but a nice game against Miami
2. Jace Amaro (TTU) - exploded on the scene in a huge game, incredible performance
3. Chris Coyle (ASU) - slow and steady wins the race and he's been consistent
4. Zach Ertz (STAN) - needed more from you in South Bend
5. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (WASH) - great performance, almost got the Trojans
Texas Tech has really surprised me, Tommy Tuberville just received his doctorate in defense, so he'll be going by Dr. Tuberville from here on out. Lubbock is a strange town and the Red Raiders do enjoy a significant home field advantage, not necessarily because the fans, or the facilities, but almost exclusively because of the weird feeling you get when you get off the plane in Lubbock, TX. Don't let me downplay the Red Raiders signature win on Saturday, it was a curb-stomping. People can talk about trap games and West Virginia's upgraded conference, and Lubbock's weird feel all they want, the fact of the matter is Dr. Tuberville, Seth Doege, and the Red Raider defense took Dana, Geno, Stedman, and Tavon behind the woodshed and beat them into oblivion. It wasn't close, it wasn't ever close, and the Red Raiders deserve all the credit for that. The season has gone much better than I expected in August and while Oklahoma reminded Dr. Tuberville that the Red Raiders won't be winning the conference, you have to believe after Saturday that this is a Tech team that could finish in the top half. I personally think it's going to be a disappointing end to a fantastic first half of the season.
Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (7-5)
West Virginia was really enjoying the new conference until this week, guess what Geno, in a real conference you have to play every week. The Mountaineers were outplayed in every facet of the game on Saturday and I'm sure Dana and Geno are ready to get into the film room and figure out how they're going to beat Kansas State. Here's a tip Dana, this one's on me, don't let Collin Klein run over your defense while your offense stands on the sidelines and watches the game, that's a recipe for a loss. The Mountaineers have one good win and one terrible loss, had they been able to go into Lubbock, take care of business, and come out with a W, my grade would be much different. At this point, I'm not sure how good West Virginia really is, I know they can throw it around and I know those receivers are playing some good football, but how much of that can be attributed to West Virginia's offense vs the porous defenses they'd faced up to this point. The schedule gets much more difficult, and lucky for Geno, he'll have a chance to get back to the top of the Heisman race. West Virginia right now is exactly who I thought they were at the beginning of the season, I have no idea what to expect from this team.
Mid-Term Grade - C+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Florida, just when I thought the Gators would go into a "zook" for a few years, Muschamp has Florida at the top of the SEC again. It's amazing to see the difference a year made with these Florida defenders and now that Muschamp has them playing National Championship level defense, it's just a matter of time before Brent Pease gets that offense into similar form. The athletes at Florida are second to none and they showed it against LSU. In my opinion Florida, not Alabama, should be number 1 in the polls, not because I think they're better, but because of the wins they've accumulated: at Texas A&M, at Tenn, and LSU. No one in the country can compete with those wins, but the schedule doesn't soften until Nov and I think the Gators could slip up in one of the next two. The always popular Florida vs Florida State at the end of the year could be a really big one for both teams, but definitely for the Gators. Florida is one of my few A+'s I'm giving out, we'll see if they can pass the next two tests with the same spunk.
Mid-Term Grade - A+
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)
Georgia got the much needed week off after getting hammered by the Visor and Marcus Lattimore, I'll be very surprised if this Georgia team doesn't take it out on lowly Kentucky this upcoming weekend. The Dawgs have one win over Tennessee that I'd call a good win, the rest of them are not very impressive and I'm wondering if this Georgia team doesn't have a few more let downs left in them. Only issue there is, they don't play anyone after Florida on Oct 27th. This team played an SEC schedule and drew Auburn and Ole Miss from the West and got Tennessee at home. If they lose to Florida decisively, I'm afraid it won't matter what they do the rest of the year, the Dawgs will be a dog, in my book.
Mid-Term Grade - C
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
Mississippi State is the Cinderella of the Ball so far, it's become obvious that Dan Mullen is a really, really good coach. I'd be shocked if he doesn't make a move at seasons end to Texas, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, or maybe even Nebraska. Mississippi State is a legitimate winner this season and they proved it against Tennessee on Saturday. The wins aren't the most impressive in the SEC, but they're winning, they're 6-0 and 3-0 in the best conference in the land, they play tremendous defense, rush the passer well, run the ball well, and their QB can make the throws when asked to. They needed this 6-0 start, even against a soft schedule to gain confidence going into the back half of a pretty brutal schedule. They'll get one more win this Saturday against Mid Tenn, but then they go to Alabama, get A&M at home, go to LSU, get Ark at home, and go to Ole Miss. I don't see the back half going nearly as well as the front half, but you have to give Mullen a lot of credit for having the Bulldogs in this position at the midway point.
Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Tennessee is the best 3 loss plus team in the country, they've proven they can get out there and play with the top tier of the SEC, but they haven't been able to get the wins. The Volunteers are a little shaky on defense, but are very proficient scoring the football, Tyler Bray is playing pretty well, completing 60% of his throws and has 16 TDs on the year. The WR's at Tennessee are explosive and athletic, the offensive line is doing enough to get the run game going and if you can keep Rajion Neal healthy, this kid can really eat up yards on the ground. You just look at the list of wins are get really depressed as a Vols fan, this is probably Dooley's last season, because I can't imagine them getting over the hump in the next two games, Bama at home then at South Carolina. The Vols are getting a fairly high grade, because I can't imagine another team in the country has a more difficult schedule and they've kept the games competitive into the fourth quarter.
Mid-Term Grade - B-
Final Record Prediction - (7-5)
Texas A&M is doing in the SEC what many thought Missouri would be able to do, compete. The Aggies went to the wire with the second best team in the country, housed Arkansas, and got their first taste of an SEC road victory against Ole Miss. The wins list isn't very impressive, and even if Arkansas does turn it on through the end of the year, no one can argue that the Hogs team that A&M destroyed, wouldn't have been able to compete in the Sun Belt at the time A&M put the beat down on them. I'm excited to see what Johnny 'Football' Manziel can come up with against a very, very good LSU defense. The game is in College Station, but I'm not sure 12 men will be enough for the Aggies. My guess, LSU rolls to an easy victory and the culture shock of the SEC finally sets in with Mr. Football. The rest of the schedule looks challenging, road games at Mississippi State and Alabama loom in November. A&M is much better than I thought they'd be in August, but I'm afraid it won't be enough to finish better than .500 in the SEC.
Mid-Term Grade - B+
Final Record Prediction - (8-4)
Ole Miss, the most underrated team in the West, has a chance to really surprise some people through the back half of a very difficult schedule. The Rebel Black Bears travel to Little Rock to take on a resurgent Arkansas team in two weeks, then to Athens to face Georgia, they get Vandy at home, but finish the season at LSU and with Miss St at home. If the Rebels can find 2 victories in there we have to call it a success. Obviously you'd hope they'd be able to beat Vandy at home, but we've seen Vanderbilt play some exceptional defense, then maybe they'll be able to get it done against the Hogs, or possibly Miss St at home. Chances are slim, so Ole Miss, while they're getting a good grade, is probably not making a bowl game in Freeze's first year.
Mid-Term Grade - B
Final Record Prediction - (5-7)
Auburn, you have to believe this is the last year for Chizik, it's time for the charade to end and the charismatic, National Championship winner to move on. Coaches on the radar have to include, Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino, Paul Rhoades, and Butch Jones. It's been a disaster of a season and only two years removed from a National Championship. The back half of the schedule doesn't point to a resurrection of this season either, games at Vandy and at Bama, Georgia and A&M at home. They do have New Mexico St and Alabama A&M left, so if you're Tiger fan you're hoping you can at least get those two. When Gene Chizik was hired, I thought it was a flop of a hire, I felt that way while they were hoisting the Crystal Ball, and my suspicions have been confirmed in one of the worst seasons of all time for a very proud football program.
Mid-Term Grade - F
Final Record Prediction - (4-8)
Clemson, the most overrated team in a terrible league, I'm actually becoming frustrated that anyone can still have them ranked among the top 25 teams. The skill players are incredibly athletic, but the Clemson Tigers went to the wire with the Auburn Tigers, then that defense gave up 27 to Ball State, 49 to Florida State, 31 to Boston College, and 31 to Georgia Tech. Even though these Tigers have only one loss, they're nowhere near as good as the media believes and just because they can beat up on a terrible conference, doesn't mean they deserve high marks for it. I will give Clemson one thing, they win the games, which is more than can be said for Florida State. They're not as good defensively as I thought in August, and they're about as good defensively. It was a one game/test season for the Tigers, and they didn't do very well on that test. If they can get to Nov 24th and beat a healthy South Carolina, I may adjust this grade.
Mid-Term Grade - C-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
Florida State, I wish the ACC would start making a commitment to football, it's sad to watch this storied program beat up on the "sisters of the poor," in their own conference. The Seminoles have benefited from a very easy schedule and deserve zero consideration for a BCS bowl, however, the BCS is forced to take at least one team from every AQ conference, and the ACC will send one of those teams. At Virginia Tech in Nov looks like the most difficult ACC contest left on the schedule, but the Noles do get Florida at home on Nov 24th, a game that could make me change my mind about the Seminoles.
Mid-Term Grade - B-
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
Oregon took the week off and to this point, it seems like they've had every week off. The Ducks won't see similar athletes until Nov 3rd when they go down to LA to take on USC, but we've seen teams like Arizona State and Oregon State give the Ducks trouble. I don't think Stanford will have the offense this year to keep scoring with Oregon, but USC knocked them off last year, it'll be interesting to see if they can do it again this year, my guess is no. This is Oregon's best defense since Chip took the reigns, and this is the best quarterback I believe Chips had during his time there. Those two things make the rest of the Pac-12 look very manageable for the Ducks, problem is, if a team can come up and hit them in the mouth, slow down the run game, and force Mariota to beat them throwing the football into tight windows, I'm not sure Oregon would know how to handle that challenge. The Ducks are even better than I thought they'd be in August, and they keep proving it every week. They've yet to score less than 40, 50 thrice, and 60 once, this team is rolling and Mariota and Barner are the reasons why.
Mid-Term Grade - A
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)
Oregon State is right there with Miss State as the Cinderella of the Ball, just a different Ball over there on the West Coast. In a league that's traditionally a finesse league, the Beavers are bringing the physicality and it's working brilliantly. The Beavers beat a very run oriented Wisconsin team, then shut down the best rusher in the country in week 3, then snuck past Rich Rod and went to Provo and beat a very good BYU team. Mike Riley's story on College Gameday was tremendous, it just makes you want to route on the Beavers even more. I love the style of play and I enjoy even more watching a team that has a quarterback out and they can bring in the backup and give them a manageable game plan and board the buses outside a very good programs stadium with a win. Everything about Oregon State has been impressive, but the schedule is going to heat up even more, road games at Washington and at Stanford, and Oregon will be coming to Corvallis. Great season Beavers, and if the right things fall into place, we might see Oregon State in the Rose Bowl.
Mid-Term Grade - A+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)
USC, the preseason favorite was out after week 3 with that surprising loss to Stanford. The Trojans haven't been near as dominate as Kiffin would like and while they're getting wins, they're just making it look so difficult. The schedule gets rough on the back end, trips to Arizona and across town to UCLA loom, while Oregon and Notre Dame are coming to the Coliseum. The Trojans should be able to handle the road contests, but the road is where they've struggled so far. This season isn't one of the mid 2000s Trojan seasons where we watched them just dominate everyone else, if the Trojans still have National Championship hopes, they better start playing like a National Championship team, because if you put them on the field with Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, LSU, or Oklahoma right now, the Trojans would get embarrassed.
Mid-Term Grade - C+
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)
SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1. Alabama - in my opinion, the best team to this point
2. Oregon - I know the BCS has Florida, but I think the Ducks are the superior team
3. Florida - another big win on Saturday and they'll be moving up
4. Kansas State - because they've had better wins
5. LSU - I think the Tigers would curb stomp the Irish
6. Oregon State - just keeps on winning
7. Notre Dame - smoke and mirrors and Manti Teo, the Irish need a reality check
8. South Carolina - Spurrier has a big one coming up on Saturday
9. Mississippi State - very deserving of this spot, 6-0 in the SEC
10. Oklahoma - lookout for the Sooners folks, now they have some momentum
11. Louisville - was Charlie kidding when he said he wouldn't leave
12. USC - the Trojans are winning, but not convincingly
13. Rutgers - has some nice wins, big games looming
14. Texas A&M - probably going to be moving down after this next week
15. Texas Tech - Dr. Tuberville has 'em playing some football in West Texas
16. Cincinnati - is much better than people are giving them credit for
17. Florida State - doesn't deserve credit as a team, but they have the athletes
18. Georgia - needed the bye week, let's see what they do down the stretch
19. Ohio - yes, Solich is on the Top 20 list, and Ohio looks like our BCS buster
20. West Virginia - has a chance to prove themselves on Saturday
SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1. SEC - the football has been 2009-2010 level football this year
2. Pac12 - is a lot of fun to watch, and no one is awake to watch it
3. Big12 - with OU back and the parity, the Big12 is closing the gap
4. Big East - 3 undefeated, ranked teams, better than the next two
5. ACC - blah
6. Big 10 - it's just, so, so bad, can the Big 10 have a mulligan?
SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1. Collin Klein (KSU) - and after Geno's loss, he's pulling away with it
2. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - is the reason Oregon's #2, not D. Thomas
3. Geno Smith (WVU) - was humbled in Lubbock, but I think he'll bounce back
4. AJ McCarron (BAMA) - slowly, steadily putting it together, needs to stay healthy
5. Johnny Manziel (A&M) - a Freshman? Yes, this kid is lighting it up, probably not for long
SpecialEdTeams Doak Walker Watch
1. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - can't be penalized for an off week
2. Mike Gillislee (FLA) - not his best against Vandy, but shows up in the big games
3. Ka'Deem Carey (ZONA) - on pace for 1200 yards and 18 touchdowns
4. Giovani Bernard (UNC) - at 8.3 yards per carry, you better believe he's on the list
5. Tevin King (LT) - Saturday was my first look, and I like what I saw
SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1. Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - and Lee has been replaced with an SEC guy
2. Marquise Lee (USC) - struggled mightily at Wash, needed a better game
3. Terrance Williams (BAY) - is pulling away in the receiving yards category
4. Stedman Bailey (WVU) - 14 TDs is a lot of TD catches
5. DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - quietly putting together an All-American season
SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1. Eric Ebron (UNC) - consistent performer, but a nice game against Miami
2. Jace Amaro (TTU) - exploded on the scene in a huge game, incredible performance
3. Chris Coyle (ASU) - slow and steady wins the race and he's been consistent
4. Zach Ertz (STAN) - needed more from you in South Bend
5. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (WASH) - great performance, almost got the Trojans
No comments:
Post a Comment