Friday, September 11, 2009

A few predictions

Ohio State-USC: everything says that the Trojans should win big. They are bigger, faster, stronger, better coached, more poised, etc. They dominated in their game last week, taking a little while to get going, but were rolling starting in quarter number two. Ohio State, in the mean time, struggled against the Navy rushing attack. They didn't get good play from their O-line either. Pryor made some bad decisions with the football: tucking and running when he should have passed, passing when he should have tucked and ran, etc. However, this is college football: the superior team does not always win. You don't think the Buckeyes will be motivated as the underdogs AT HOME, after hearing for 9 months how USC was going to roll them? Pryor goes Vince Young on the Trojan D, leading them to a game-winning TD late in the game. Either that, or USC blows them out by 28. Ohio State 24, USC 20.

ND-Michigan: another storied Big Ten program an underdog at home. I guess the odds-makers have caught on to the reality about the Big Ten: they are not good. Lucky for Michigan, Notre Dame isn't that great yet either. This is a big game for both teams, both coaches, but only one of them can win. I'm going to pick the Irish with a slight lead going into the 4th, then things unraveling for the defense and freshmen QBs of the Maize and Blue and the game getting out of hand. Notre Dame 31, Michigan 13.

UConn upsets UNC, 27-18.
Fresno State lays a beatdown at Camp Randall 24-13 over Wisconsin.
Iowa's field goal defense can't save them this week: they fall 31-21 to Iowa State.
Wyoming's valiant defensive effort falls a little bit short (OK, so a lot short: I know they are praying for a Wyoming Monsoon tomorrow afternoon): Texas 34, Wyoming 9.
OK State outscores Houston in the most exciting game of the day: OSU 52, Houston 35.
TCU beats Virginia 17-6.
Washington ends the losing streak! Huskies 41, Idaho 13.
West Virginia does not start a losing streak to East Carolina: WVU 31, ECU 20.
Tennessee and UCLA will reveal their true colors tomorrow after some creampuffs in week one. I think Tennessee is the better football team, but it's tough to say without having seen much. Rocky Top 35, UCLA 24.
Georgia 13, South Carolina 3: offensive explosion for the Bulldogs between the hedges.
Air Force 23, Minnesota 20 (OT)...what are the odds the Gophers lose the same way they won last week?
Kansas 42, UTEP 24.
Oregon rebounds with a nice win over Purdue in the kind of game I expected from the Ducks-Broncos game last week: Ducks 38, Boilermakers 31.
Oregon State edges UNLV in a fairly close game: Beavers 27, UNLV 17.
Utah probably survives this trap game though I think it will be interesting to see how they respond with a young QB on the road for the first time. Defense will probably have to win this game because Utah relies solely on their game plan and sucks at halftime adjustments: Utah 24, San Jose State 17.

On a side note: Colorado got blasted by Toledo tonight, 54-38. The Buffaloes are done this year, perhaps as a program as well. I don't see how they get to even 6 wins this year. There isn't a WR/RB on the CU roster that would start for Toledo (and that is not to take anything away from Toledo who also notched a win in the Big House last year, but no Big 12 school should be short on the talent side of things to a MAC school: and don't give me that potential talent crap, put up or shut up). Darrell Scott is a perfect example: may be a gifted athlete, but he cannot find a hole in the running game unless it is gaping, and he's worse as a return guy. He just keeps running into his own blockers.
The Colorado DBs could not cover anybody, even on plays where Toledo only sent two guys out on passing routes. They couldn't stop the running game: no penetration, shoddy tackling, you name it, CU had issues with it! How on earth will they compete in the Big 12? Blame a lack of experience, blame a lack of speed, blame whatever you want: Coach Hawkins has been there long enough to have recruited SOME speed and given good players SOME experience.
I am all for giving a guy a legitimate shot, but it became clear to me tonight that Dan Hawkins is not the right fit for the job at CU. He can be a successful coach somewhere else, but he does not mesh with the culture at CU, which is turning into a losing culture. If he doesn't go soon, the program might be lost forever. The cupboard is already bare, and it will only get worse if he's allowed to hang around the kitchen too much longer.

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