February 13 Game Day Predictions - Top 25/ACC

Last Saturday saw many underdogs come up big at home. There does not appear to be as much potential for that today, but there still should be some intriguing match ups.

· (1) KANSAS 85, Iowa State 66

· (2) KENTUCKY 71, Tennessee 60

· (5) VILLANOVA 84, Providence 71

· (6) PURDUE 74, Iowa 62

· (9) KANSAS STATE 77, Colorado 67

· (10) MICHIGAN STATE 65, Penn State 59

· (11) GONZAGA 74, San Diego 55

· (13) WISCONSIN 60, Indiana 53

· (14) TEXAS 73, Nebraska 57

· (15) BUTLER 80, Cleveland State 76

· (17) BYU 79, Air Force 62

· (18) NORTHERN IOWA 71, Bradley 68

· (19) NEW MEXICO 70, Utah 64

· (21) TEMPLE 70, Rhode Island 63

· PRINCETON 63, (22) Cornell 61

· (24) VANDERBILT 75, LSU 62

· SAN DIEGO STATE 75, (25) UNLV 74

ACC

· (7) DUKE 66, Maryland 62

· WAKE FOREST 68, (20) Georgia Tech 63

· MIAMI 68 at Clemson 62

· NC STATE 63 at North Carolina 58

· VIRGINIA TECH 74, Virginia 72

Championship Saturday Game Day Predictions

HOUSTON 42, East Carolina 28

·      There is not a team in the country that can stop Case Keenum and the Cougars’ offense. Houston earns the Conference USA title today.

WEST VIRGINIA 31, Rutgers 24

·      The Mountaineers have played great football in the last month of the season; a win today should secure a New Year’s Day bowl berth.

CINCINNATI 35, Pittsburgh 24

·      Tony Pike sent a statement to the rest of the country in his return to the starting line-up last week that he is for real.

USC 30, Arizona 28

·      The Trojans have got to put an end to this tailspin sometime.

FLORIDA 20, Alabama 17

·      It’s hard to argue this is not the unofficial national championship game. In a game where the defenses are the best in the country, Tim Tebow is the difference.

CALIFORNIA 34, Washington 28

·      The Golden Bears have played remarkably well in Javhid Best’s absense. Shane Vereen, his replacement, will be a household name in 2010.

CONNECTICUT 27, South Florida 23

·      Randy Edsall should be on everyone’s short list for national coach of the year.

CLEMSON 30, Georgia Tech 27 (OT)

·      The Tigers were so close to beating the Jackets in Atlanta back in September, and that was quarterback Kyle Parker’s second career start. He’s more experienced now.

TEXAS 40, Nebraska 17

·      To those of you that think Nebraska’s defense can stop Texas’s offense enough to give the Huskers a chance: get real.

WISCONSIN 38, Hawaii 24

·      The Badgers love ending their season with a trip to Honolulu, it’s even better when they win.

Last week: 8-7

Overall: 89-45 (66%)

 

On the Docket: Oregon-Oregon State

Where: Oregon

When: Thursday 7:30

Why it matters: Because it has everything a college football game will ever need. It’s one of the most heated rivalries in the nation, and this year it is the de facto Pac-10 Championship Game. The winner of Thursday night’s game will clinch the conference title and secure a spot in the Rose Bowl opposite Ohio State.

Neither team has been to the Rose Bowl in quite a while. This will be the first time since 2001 that a team not named USC finished on top of the conference.

Oregon comes in with a high-powered offense, led by the ground game combination of Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James. The duo has accounted for 1929 yards rushing this season and 23 touchdowns.

The Beavers feature an outstanding running game of their own, led by sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers. Rodgers is averaging 5.5 yards per carry while racking up 1313 yards in his first 11 games.

Just because the two teams rely heavily on the running game during this era of pass-happy spread offenses, don’t think they both can’t light up the scoreboard.

Oregon is seventh in the country in scoring at 37.7 points per game, while the Beavers are 21^st with 32.4.

Oregon State has the more productive passing game with senior quarterback Sean Canfield. With Canfield under center, Oregon State is averaging 291 yards passing per game.

Oregon State also boasts the best run defense in the Pac-10, holding opponents to 98.5 yards per game.

The Ducks have had mixed results against superb running backs this season. On Sept. 26, Oregon held Cal’s Jahvid Best to 55 yards on 16 carries in a 42-3 win. Last month against Stanford, Toby Gerhart gashed the Ducks for 223 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinal shocked Oregon 51-42.

Against teams that like to run the ball, the Beavers have fared remarkably well. They beat Stanford 38-28 and California 31-14. All three of their losses have come to teams that have a passing-oriented offense (Cincinnati, Arizona, USC).

Player to watch: Jeremiah Masoli’s performance is the key to this game. If he is able to throw the football with any success, the Ducks should celebrate late Thursday night.

If Oregon State is able to crowd the box with seven or eight defenders and play the Ducks’ running game, it will be a tough game.

Masoli has been one of the most clutch players this season, and hasn’t received nearly enough credit for it. He led the fourth-quarter comeback against Arizona two weeks ago, and also came up with huge drives in wins against Purdue and Utah.

He has played his best in the spotlight, so expecting him to play well against the Beavers is not far-fetched.

Who has the edge? If this were a neutral field game, I would take Oregon State in a heartbeat. I love the underdog in rivalry games, but because its at the “Autzen Zoo” in Eugene, it’s hard to give the Beavers an edge. On paper, Oregon State surprisingly matches up very favorably with the Ducks.

However, Chip Kelly is a better in-game coach than Mike Riley, even in his first year on the job. He’ll have an excellent game plan to score lots of points.

Also, Masoli is far more experienced than Canfield in atmospheres like the one this game will have. This game is literally too close to call.

Prediction: Oregon 41, Oregon State 37

Week 13 Game Day Predictions

CLEMSON 28, South Carolina 17

·      C.J. Spiller will be too much for the Gamecock defense to handle; Clemson’s defensive line will force Stephen Garcia into too many mistakes

NORTH CAROLINA 31, NC State 6

·      The Wolfpack offense has had enough struggles already before learning this week that offensive coordinator Dana Bible has been diagnosed with cancer.

WAKE FOREST 31, Duke 28

·      Both teams’ postseason hopes are dashed, and it’s the swan song for two great quarterbacks in Riley Skinner and Thaddeus Lewis.

OLE MISS 30, Mississippi State 24

·      Don’t be shocked if the Bulldogs pull off the upset, they’ve been close several times this year, but the Rebels are playing their best football of the season right now.

OKLAHOMA STATE 38, Oklahoma 21

·      Even with Zac Robinson’s status up in the air, the Cowboys are thrilled with the chance to stomp an already beaten down Sooner bunch.

FLORIDA 35, Florida State 14

·      This game could have been much more dangerous for the Gators if ‘Noles quarterback Christian Ponder was healthy.

 VIRGINIA TECH 34, Virginia 20

·      The Cavaliers pulled some tricks out of their bag last week, and head coach Al Groh says they have more where that came from. Sounds like the Cavs are going to pull out all the stops in what in all likelihood will be Groh’s final game in Charlottesville.

SOUTH FLORIDA 24, Miami 22

·      All signs are pointing towards a Bulls’ upset. For more reasons, see the previous blog entry.

ARIZONA 35, Arizona State 28

·      The Wildcats lost their shot at a first-ever Rose Bowl when they collapsed late last week against Oregon. Still, a win over the hated Sun Devils would take most of the sour taste from their mouths.

BOSTON COLLEGE 33, Maryland 28

·      The Terps have been the ACC’s worst team this season, no question. However, they have still given some teams fits, and the Eagles aren’t exactly the conference juggernaut.

BYU 38, Utah 30

·      This is the battle of the also-rans in the Mountain West; both were manhandled by TCU in hyped-up showdowns. Max Hall’s arm is the difference in an underrated rivalry today.

WASHINGTON 42, Washington State 21

·      This could be a tricky game for the Huskies, but the Cougars simply have no firepower to go up with anyone in the FBS.

ARKANSAS 30, LSU 27

·      This game could send two coaches in opposite directions. Bobby Petrino needs this win to be a springboard for his program’s revival. Les Miles needs this win to keep himself in good standing with Tiger Nation.

GEORGIA TECH 38, Georgia 24

·      If this were in Athens, the Bulldogs might have a shot, but Tech is simply the much better team in this game.

STANFORD 42, Notre Dame 39

·      Not too many people are giving the Irish a chance in this game, but don’t forget Jimmy Clausen is still under center, and he still gets to throw to Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. Toby Gerhart will run wild on the atrocious Notre Dame defense. All five Irish losses this season have come by a touchdown or less.

Last week: 9-4

Overall: 81-38 (68%)

 

Week Eleven Game Day Predictions

Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment.

Beware, college football fans. The eleventh week of the season could change everything. Not because there is a great number of match-ups of ranked teams or anything, but because of Mr. Murphy.

There are six undefeated teams remaining in the FBS. Two of them (Florida and Alabama) will eventually play each other, but there could still be five unbeaten teams at season's end.

Imagine the chaos! Five undefeated teams? There could be two BCS match-ups of unbeatens with another squad to spare. To say the BCS committee would be given hell does not even begin to describe it. The BCS needs a little help from Mr. Murphy.

GEORGIA TECH 34, Duke 28

• Duke will score points, but they won't be able to keep the Jackets from scoring more.

TENNESSEE 24, Mississippi 14

• The Rebels have yet to impress anyone against a top-notch defense. Monte Kiffin will have the Vols ready to win.

WAKE FOREST 28, Florida State 25

• Virginia native E.J. Manuel gets his first start in place of the injured Christian Ponder. That's one reason to keep an eye on that one.

VIRGINIA TECH 27, Maryland 6

• Maryland's starting quarterback Chris Turner is not expected to play; Ryan Williams is. Too bad for the Terps.

FLORIDA 31, South Carolina 10

• Is Steve Spurrier really an offensive genius? It doesn't look that way anymore.

STANFORD 31, USC 28

• Stanford's offense is better than USC's, seriously.

OHIO STATE 35, Iowa 7

• After Ricky Stanzi went down last week, the Hawkeyes could hardly move the ball against Northwestern, The Buckeyes have a bit more defensive talent than the Wildcats.

MIAMI 24, North Carolina 13

• The Hurricanes healed their offensive wounds last week with a beatdown of Virginia. They continue to roll today.

ARIZONA 38, California 21

• No Jahvid Best means Arizona will cruise tonight.

AUBURN 30, Georgia 23

• Mark Richt is a very, very good football coach. Some of his fan base is beginning to wonder about that.

OKLAHOMA 34, Texas A & M 31

• The Aggies offense is good enough to scare Oklahoma, but the Sooners just can't lose two straight games.

TCU 24, Utah 17

• The Utes have not lost to TCU since 2005, but Fort Worth has been waiting for this game since the end of last season.

PITTSBURGH 31, Notre Dame 28

• The Irish are great at heart-stopping endings, but Pittsburgh's offense might be the best they've faced all season.

OKLAHOMA STATE 38, Texas Tech 35

• The last team with the ball will win this game.

TULSA 34, East Carolina 27 (Sunday, 8:00 p.m.)

• The Golden Hurricanes have come dangerously close to beating Boise State and Houston. East Carolina is a step below those programs, and Tulsa gets its big win.

Last week: 6-10

This week: 63-28

My College Football projections- conference predictions/bowl projections

Josh Parcell 2009 College Football Projections

ACC

Coastal

1.      Virginia Tech

2.     Georgia Tech

3.     North Carolina

4.     Miami

5.     Duke

6.     Virginia

Atlantic

1.     Clemson

2.     Florida State

3.     NC State

4.     Wake Forest

5.     Maryland

6.     Boston College

Big East

1.     South Florida

2.     Cincinnati

3.     Pittsburgh

4.     West Virginia

5.     Rutgers

6.     Louisville

7.     Connecticut

8.     Syracuse

Big Ten

1.     Penn State

2.     Ohio State

3.     Iowa

4.     Illinois

5.     Minnesota

6.     Michigan

7.     Michigan State

8.     Purdue

9.     Wisconsin

10.  Northwestern

11.  Indiana

Big 12

North

1.     Nebraska

2.     Colorado

3.     Kansas

4.     Kansas State

5.     Missouri

6.     Iowa State

South

1.      Oklahoma State

2.     Texas

3.     Oklahoma

4.     Texas Tech

5.     Texas A&M

6.     Baylor

Pac 10

1.     Cal

2.     USC

3.     Oregon

4.     Oregon State

5.     Arizona

6.     UCLA

7.     Arizona State

8.     Stanford

9.     Washington

10.  Washington State

SEC

East

1.      Florida

2.     Georgia

3.     Tennessee

4.     South Carolina

5.     Kentucky

6.     Vanderbilt

West

1.     LSU

2.     Mississippi

3.     Alabama

4.     Arkansas

5.     Auburn

6.     Mississippi State

Conference USA

East

1.      East Carolina

2.     Southern Miss

3.     UCF

4.     Memphis

5.     Marshall

6.     UAB

West

1.     Tulsa

2.     Houston

3.     UTEP

4.     Rice

5.     SMU

6.     Tulane

Independents

1.     Notre Dame

2.     Navy

3.     Army

MAC

East

1.     Akron

2.     Buffalo

3.     Bowling Green

4.     Temple

5.     Ohio

6.     Miami OH

7.     Kent State

West

1.      Central Michigan

2.     Western Michigan

3.     Ball State

4.     Northern Illinois

5.     Toledo

6.     Eastern Michigan

Mountain West

1.     BYU

2.     TCU

3.     Utah

4.     Colorado State

5.     Air Force

6.     San Diego State

7.     New Mexico

8.     UNLV

9.     Wyoming

Sun Belt

1.     Troy

2.     Florida Atlantic

3.     Arkansas State

4.     Florida International

5.     Louisiana-Lafayatte

6.     Middle Tennessee State

7.     Louisiana Monroe

8.     North Texas

 

WAC

1.     Boise State

2.     Nevada

3.     San Jose State

4.     Fresno State

5.     Hawaii

6.     Louisiana Tech

7.     New Mexico State

8.     Utah State

9.     Idaho

Bowl Projections

National Championship Game – Florida vs. Oklahoma State

Sugar Bowl – LSU vs. Ohio State

Orange Bowl – Virginia Tech vs. South Florida

Fiesta Bowl – Texas vs. East Carolina

Rose Bowl – Cal vs. Penn State

GMAC – NC State vs. Central Michigan

International – Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo

Liberty – Tulsa vs. Arkansas

Cotton – Oklahoma vs. Mississippi

Gator – Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

Capital One – Alabama vs. Iowa

Outback – Tennessee vs. Minnesota

Chick-fil-a – Georgia vs. Clemson

Insight – Colorado vs. Michigan State

Music City – Wake Forest vs. Auburn

Sun – Oregon vs. West V\irginia

Armed Forces – Southern Miss vs. Col. State

Holiday – USC vs. Nebraska

Texas -- Navy vs. Texas Tech

Humanitarian – Boise State vs. Utah

Alamo – Illinois vs. Texas Tech

Papajohns.com – Louisville vs. South Carolina

Independence – Kentucky vs. Kansas

Emerald – Arizona vs. Miami

Champs sports – Florida State vs. Michigan

Meinke car care – North Carolina vs. Rutgers

Motor city – Akron vs. Wisconsin

Hawaii – Nevada vs. Houston

Poinsettia – BYU vs. Oregon State

New Orleans- Troy vs. Memphis

Eagle Bank – UTEP vs. Maryland

Las Vegas – Air Force vs. Arizona State

St Petersburg – Florida Atlantic vs. UCF

New Mexico – Fresno State vs. UNLV