Sometimes you're right, and sometimes you're very, very wrong. This week, I was very, very wrong, so here goes my attempt to explain myself.
Notre Dame, don't worry Irish fans, I'm shoveling the crow in by the fistfull. I picked OU to not only win the game, but handle the Irish easily. Notre Dame showed me a few things on Saturday, they have a top tier front seven, they have one of the best coaches in the country, and they're much more athletic than you think. Notre Dame made Landry Jones throw the ball in front of their secondary, closed down throwing lanes, stuffed the run, and mixed up the defensive looks they gave Landry. They ran the ball well, but the difference was Golson saved his best game for the Irish's biggest. He wasn't spectacular on saturday night, but deserves a ton of credit for that win. He made crucial throws on third down, he ran the ball very effectively in big spots, and looked relatively comfortable late in that game. I've done a 180 on the Irish, it took one Saturday night in Norman, Oklahoma for me to change my mind, and I'm picking Notre Dame to play Alabama in the National Championship. Oklahoma, let me down again, but this time I'm not sure the Sooners were better than the opponent, I really think they were outmatched by the physicality of the Irish. The Sooners will scrape themselves off the mat and get back to work, because they still have a good chance to get into a very good bowl game. With Kansas State in the drivers seat of the Big12 and Oklahoma needing the Cats to lose twice, it appears as though Oklahoma can do no better than second in the conference. If you're a Sooner fan, it's not what you wanted in August, but after Notre Dame just exposed every weakness Oklahoma has, and there aren't many, you've got to hope you can just cross the finish line without any more damage.
Georgia, reminded everyone that the Dawgs have a few athletes on the roster too. We've gotten so wrapped up in Florida and everything they can do defensively, we forgot Georgia has some incredible athletes and probably the best NFL prospect in the country. Mark Richt kept his team believing and just shut down Driskel and the Florida offense. Georgia doesn't have what it takes to beat Alabama, but I'm not sure anyone does. If they can stay focused and not have a let down against opponents they should be able to handle easily, Richt will take his team to Atlanta for the second time in two years. That's pretty good for a guy that finds himself on the hot seat every now and then. Florida was simply outhustled for the first time this year. The Gators looked so lost on saturday afternoon, and it appeared as though they weren't ready to be challenged by Georgia. I'm not sure if they got a bit overconfident or if Georgia is just that much better, but the Gators never really got it going offensively. Florida should finish out with a few easy wins before going on the road to take on the Seminoles. That should be an epic battle this year as both teams should be at or near the Top 10, it's been awhile since that was the case. If Florida can get that win, they'll be in really good shape to earn that second SEC BCS Bowl game invitation.
Alabama, is just rolling along in the best conference in football as if they were rolling through the WAC. No one is even close to moving the ball against the Tide, and it's apparent Saban has elevated his team to another level of football. The Tide can pound the rock like no one else, McCarron is #2 on my Heisman List, and that defense just doesn't give up points. I have the Tide in the National Championship game, but Lester and LSU have had the recipe to beat Bama in the past, and this one's in Baton Rouge, at night, where the Tigers just don't lose. This game isn't getting the same amount of noise the "Game of the Century" did last year, but it's very much a toss up game, if I had the guts to bet on this one, my money would be on the Tide, but I'm steering clear of this one and if I were you, I wouldn't bet against Lester and the Tigers this week. Mississippi State really couldn't get out of their own way on Saturday, but that's what the pressure of playing Alabama does to you. Mullen and Co should still be able to have a statement type season, it just won't be a SEC/Nat Champ type statement.
Kansas State did it again, they just keep winning and with a relatively soft back half of the schedule, you have to believe Snyder is in position to lead his team to an undefeated season, a Big12 Championship, and a possible BCS National Championship Game invitation. Now the debate will start on which two teams will get the nod if Bama, K-State, Notre Dame, and Oregon all go undefeated. My take, it should be the Tide and the Irish, but there are several obstacles between here and there for those two teams, Kansas State looks to have the easiest road, and by no means is it "easy." Texas Tech, it's amazing what happens when you play a team with a defense isn't it. The Red Raiders were completely outmatched in every phase of that game. It was actually difficult to watch how easy Klein and Co had it on Saturday. You expect more from a defense that's been ranked so high and a quarterback that seems to have been so efficient. The Red Raiders are still having a surprisingly good season, and a couple more wins should be enough to warrant a decent bowl game invitation.
Arizona, is now the second team to get to the Trojans, and with four winnable games coming up, the Wildcats could win the Pac12 South with a little help from Oregon next week. Rich Rod has them rolling and while the defense is prone to give up some big plays, the offense looks like they can score with anyone...except Oregon. USC, was stunned again, and all before the "big showdown," with Oregon. If the Trojans can get some stops and Barkley and Lee can get to that defense through the air, it could be close, but my guess is Oregon rolls, and Chip doesn't take his foot off the gas until the Ducks score 60+.
Washington got to Oregon State and the return of Mannion put the Beavers behind in the count as he threw 4 interceptions. Riley waited too long to pull him with a proven winner sitting on the bench in Vaz. Sometimes coaches get in their own way, and it was obvious early that Mannion wasn't going to be able to get it done. The Beavers just needed one more quarter with Vaz to get to the Huskies, but they made the change late and couldn't come back because of it. The Huskies now have two wins over top ten teams, and one glaring beat down to LSU. Oregon State, I'm afraid it's about to start falling apart, and just in time for the meat of the schedule. Figure out who you're going with under center and start trying to work it out from there. I hate to say this, because I love the Oregon State story, I love Riley, I love that defense that plays physical and shuts down the run, but this season looks a lot like one that could seriously get away from the Beavers at this point. I still think they're going to be pulling one surprising upset, but with the Ducks, Cardinal, Golden Bears, and Sun Devils looming, it would be great to finish the year 2-2 in those games.
SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1. Alabama - and few would argue
2. Kansas State - another big win and what looks like a smooth road to undefeated
3. Notre Dame - now has that signature win to hang their hat on
4. Oregon - needs to handle what appears to be a weaker USC than we thought
5. LSU - might not be in this spot next week, they need a strong performance
6. Florida - and the Gators have a win over the 5th ranked Tigers
7. Georgia - needed that win on Saturday, should play for an SEC Champ
8. Louisville - is taking care of business, cutting it close, but a win is a win
9. South Carolina - solid wins plus losses to #5 and #6...they deserve this spot
10. Mississippi State - a loss to Alabama doesn't mean you can't play football
11. Oregon State- better wins and a better loss than the Noles
12. Florida State - handled Duke easily
13. Texas A&M - is about to get tested, this week at Miss St, next week at Bama
14. Stanford - that loss at ND doesn't look so bad now does it
15. Oklahoma - still searching for that signature win of the season
16. Arizona - struggle early, but really playing well now
17. Clemson - still hasn't beaten anyone relevant
18. UCLA - the Bruins were almost forgotten, they've got a chance to make some noise
19. USC - doesn't really have that impressive win yet, but it could happen this week
20. Nebraska - nice performance on Saturday against shoelace
SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1. SEC - and the gap is getting wider every week
2. Pac12 - if you disagree here you should go back and watch the football games
3. Big12 - still seeking a signature non-conference win
4. Big 10 - it pains me to write you in right here
5. Big East - Rutgers needed a win over a "little sister of the poor," couldn't get it done
6. ACC - awful...awful...awful
SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1. Collin Klein (KSU) - Finally, people are seeing it the way I've seen it for several weeks
2. A.J. McCarron (BAMA) - has his Heisman campaign speech next week in Baton Rouge
3. Manti Te'o (ND) - had a big night in Norman, that stuff goes a long, long way
4. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - didn't get many carries, but toted it for nearly 12 yards each time
5. Johnny Manziel (A&M) - if you've seen him play, you wonder if he can do it against Bama
SpecialEdTeams Walker Watch
1. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - and the gap is widening
2. Johnathan Franklin (UCLA) - went for 164 on Sat, and has a 6.7 yd per attempt avg.
3. Ka'Deem Carey (ZONA) - 119 in an upset is worth one spot on my list
4. Mike Gillislee (FLA) - one bad performance doesn't take away from what he's done
5. Stepfan Taylor (STAN) - not his best, but he's having a great season
SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1. Marquise Lee (USC) - he's back! And setting every Pac12 receiving record there is
2. Terrance Williams (BAY) - goes for 190 in the loss, kid will play on Sundays
3. Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - Hogs keep losing, Hamilton keeps producing
4. DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - decent day, but needs to be better to get into top 3
5. Austin Hill (ZONA) - goes for 259 in the upset win...welcome to the list Mr. Hill
SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1. Eric Ebron (UNC) - nice game in the rivalry game win
2. Zach Ertz (STAN) - disappeared in the win, but got the win
3. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (WASH) - we need to see more from you
4. Chris Coyle (ASU) - weak night, and your team needed you to be better
5. Blake Jackson (OSU) - nice game in the win over TCU
