Sully's Big Blog! Commentary on College Football, Weekly Games, And Strange Statistics!

FCS Tourney Results from Saturday’s Games

 Wagner 9-3 / 7-1 vs Colgate 8-4 / 6-0 : Wagner, the champion of the Northeast Conference won a first round game against Colgate, the winner of the Patriot League, 31-20. This was Wagner 9th straight win as they held Colgate to 296 total yards … down from their 504 yards per game average!  The Seahawks also forced the Raiders into commiting 5 turnovers and were able to build a 21-7 as a result. Next up for Wagner is a coast to coast trip from Staten island to Cheney, Washington to face Eastern Washington, Champio of the Big Sky!

Coastal Carolina 9-4 / 5-1 vs Bethune-Cookman 9-4 / 8-0: Coastal Carolina, champions of the Big South took on Bethune -Cookman, Champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and came away with a 24-14 win in FCS Tourney 1st round action! The Chanticleers ( a dominate barnyard rooster … just in case you were wondering what a Chanticleer is/was/ or should be…) jumped to a 24 to nothing lead and held off a late rally by the Wildcats! Next up for Coastal Carolina is a trip to Norfolk, Virginia …. to face Old Dominion, winners of the Colonial Athletic Association!

South Dakota State 9-3 / 6-2 vs Eastern Illinois : South Dakota State an at-large entry from the Missouri Valley Conference  hammered Eastern Illinois, the Ohio Valley Conference Champion, 58-10! This game was never close after the opening quarter as the Jackrabbits jumped all over the Panthers,  building a 34-3 halftime lead! SDS ran for 435 yards and scored 6 rushing TD in this tail whipping! Next up for the Jackrabbits is a return trip to Fargo, North Dakota … to take on the defending Champs, North Dakota State. SDS lost to NDS, 20-17 on November, 10 in Fargo … should be a good one!

Stony Brook 10-2 / 5-1 Vilanova 8-4 / 6-2: Two at-large teams squared off in the first round of the FCS tourney … Stony Brook from the Big South Conference and Villanova from the Colonial Athletic Association! Stony Brook built a 14-0 halftime lead and extended it 20-3 in the fourth quarter. Villanova scored its first TD with 6:57 left in the game. The Seawolves are led by the nations leading rusher, Miguel Maysonet, who ran for 160 yards and scored two touchdowns! Next up for Seawolves is a trip across country … to Bozeman, Montana … to take on Montana State!

Posted in Bethune-Cookman, Big South, Coastal Carolina, Colgate, Colonial Athletic Association, Eastern Illinois, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, South Dakota State, Stony Brook, Villanova, Wagner University |

AQ Conferences VS Other AQ Conference

Here is a breakdown of the won/lost records of the six … so-called AQ/BCS Conferences …. when they played one another…. These conferences are listed below … ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, PAC 12, & the SEC! After reviewing what happened in these AQ Head to Head contests … you decide …. how bad the Big East is … they get beat up on ESPN as the weakest of the 6 AQ /BCS Conference … no question …. But not so fast , my friend …. When you compare them to the ACC or the Big Ten ….  What do you think? Forget ESPN … you decide …. based on the on-field results!

ACC: Took on 23 BCS Conference opponents …. Won 6 Lost 17!

Big 12: Played 7 BCS Conference opponents …. Won 4 Lost 3!

Big East: Battled 16 BCS Conference opponents …. Won 7 Lost 9!

Big Ten: Challenged 15 BCS Conference opponents …. Won 6 Lost 9!

PAC 12: Lined up 11 times against BCS Opponents …. Won 6 Lost 5!

SEC: Played 14 BCS Conference opponents …. Won 8 Lost 6!

For more details visit the Conference & Team Pages on Sully’s CFP and also review these teams on the Head to Head Page to get a statistical comparison to what happened… when they actually played outside of cyber-space!

Posted in AAC, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, PAC 12, SEC |

FCS Tournament Begins Today 11/24/2012

The FCS Playoff opens with four games on the slate …

South Dakota State 8-3 / 6-2 (Missouri Valley Conference … MVC) @ Eastern Illinois 7-4 / 6-2 (Ohio Valley Conference …. OVC) Game Location: Charleston, Illinois & Kick-off Time:  3:00 p.m. 

Bethune-Cookman 9-2 / 8-0 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference …. MEAC) @ Coastal Carolina 7-4 / 5-1 (Big South Conference … BSC) Game Location: Conway, South Carolina & Kick-off Time:  2:00 p.m.

Stony Brook 9-2 / 5-1 (Big South Conference … BSC) @ Villanova 8-3 / 6-2 ( Colonial Athletic Association … CAA) Game Location: Villanova, Pennsylvania & Kick-off Time  3:00 p.m.

Wagner 8-3 / 7-1 (Northeast Conference … NEC) @ Colgate 8-3 / 6-0 ( Patriot League … PL) Game Location: Hamilton, New York & Kick-off Tine  12:00 p.m.

This is the first round of the Tournament … 20 teams were invited … 10 were automatic invites for winning their respective conference and 10 received at-large bids. Twelve of the teams get a first round bye and 8 of the teams play … this will get the number of teams in the second round to 16 … and the teams will eliminate one another (8-4-2) until they get to the Championship Game. Automatic Qualifiers do not get byes … after the teams are selected ….. they are seated by a panel of NCAA & FCS administrators! Enjoy the games!

Posted in Big South, Charleston Southern, Colonial Athletic Association, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Patriot League |

SEC: Update 13 / Rivalry Week

LSU 9-2 / 5-2 @ Arkansas 4-7 / 2-5: Look for LSU to put an end to the Razorback’s suffering in 2012 ….  to do so early in this game and then for the “Mad Hatter” to ease off the gas! The sooner the faithful in Fayetteville show Interim coach, John L Smith the door the better for all concerned … including and especially for Smith! The home team has won this game 4 straight years  .. that streak will end this week …  Friday …. as LSU will hog-tie the Razorbacks in Little Rock!

Auburn 3-8 / 0-7 Alabama 10-1 / 6-1: As difficult as this may be  to believe .. Auburn is actually 7-1 in its last 8 games played in Tuscaloosa! I know you don’t believe that … I didn’t either …. so I checked and it’s true! The vast majority of the “Iron Bowl” games have been played in Birmingham … but in 1895, 1901, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 & 2010 the games were played in Tuscaloosa. The only time Bama beat Auburn, in Tuscaloosa, was in 2008, 36-0, @ Bryant Denny Stadium. Hard to believe … I know!!! Alabama leads the series, 41-34-1, the first game was played February 22, 1893 .. Auburn won 32-22, the largest point spread was enjoyed by the Tide 55-0 in 1948, highest scoring game was played in 1969, won by the Tigers 49-26 / lowest scoring contest was won by Bama, 3-0 in 1960, and finally, the longest winning streaks by both teams…  Bama 9 (1973-81) & Auburn 6 (2002 07)!

Mississippi State 8-3 / 4-3 @ Ole Miss 5-6 / 2-5: This will be the 109th meeting between Ole Miss & Mississippi State, this rivalry is the 10th longest running in college football history. The name Egg Bowl is / was reflective of the shape of the ball back in 1927 and the game is not actually a bowl game …. as it is played every year during the regular season! The first game was played back in 1901, Mississippi State won, 17-0, Ole Miss leads the series 60-42-6, the largest margin of victory, MSU 56 Ole Miss 0 in 1915, longest winning streak …. 13 … by Mississippi State from 1911-1925, & highest scoring game; Ole Miss 45 Mississippi State 30 … played on November 23, 2000!

Florida 10-1 @ Florida State 10-1: Last time the Gainesville crowd traveled to  Tallahassee, the Seminoles ended the Gators’ 6 game winning streak … with a 31-7 tail whipping @ Doak Campbell! This game is / has taken on the flavor of days gone by … when the Florida schools (Florida, FSU & Miami) were as good or better than anyone in the country! FSU has had a tough time gaining respect with the criteria programmed into the  computers that evaluate and rank FBS teams. This is primarily the fault of West Virginia … who broke a game contract with FSU when they entered the Big 12! Apparently, they did not want to play Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, Oklahoma State (Ok … I get it) … and …. oh yeah … the Seminoles in the same year! As a result, FSU had to play two FCS teams this year, Murray State (scheduled) & Savannah State ( to replace West Virginia) … this has really hurt them in how they are perceived in BCS ranking! FSU can flat out play and I, for one, am really looking forward to this game! Meanwhile, Florida is focused on FSU, pulling for USC vs the Irish … and another all SEC BCS National Championship is possible … Florida vs Alabama or Georgia! Stay tuned….

Georgia Tech 6-5  @ Georgia 10-1: Tech just became bowl eligible on 11-17 ….  with a home win over Duke @ Bobby Dodd Stadium. In fact, the Rambling Wreck have won three straight, ringing up the scoreboard to it damn near caught fire … the Wreck put a total of 143 points on Maryland (33-13), North Carolina (68-50) and Duke (42-24)! Meanwhile, at some level …. Georgia is getting ready for Bama in the SEC Championship and a possible invite to the BCS National Championship Game, in Miami, on January 7! The Yellow Jackets recent play has certainly caught the Dawgs attention and the need to be fully focused to stop the triple option or down goes Georgia!  If that happens  … then a Dawg win vs Alabama will simply mean that no SEC team will participate in the national championship game (depending on the outcome of the Gator/Seminole clash) ! Georgia needs to focus this week … Wreck the Tech … or something that has them functioning in all three phases of the game!

South Carolina 9-2 @ Clemson 10-1:  This is the 110th meeting between these teams… played every year since 1909! SC has won three straight … but the last time the Gamecocks won four in a row was 1951 through 1954! When SC traveled to Clemson in 2010, they posted a 29-7 tail whipping on the Tigers, in fact, this is largest margin of victory (22) for the Gamecocks since 1994! Clemson still has a shot at a BCS Bowl via an at-large bid … a win over USC …and they are on their way! A sad note …. Marcus Lattimore will miss this game,,, yet again … SC has won anyway … but how often can you go to battle without your best weapon?  This should be a great game!

Kentucky 2-9 / 0-6 @ Tennessee 4-7 / 0-6: Both coaches have been fired …The Vols were a major disappointment … while Kentucky was who we thought they were ….. Find a round ball and get the hoops up & running!

Missouri 5-6 / 2-5 @ Texas A&M 9-2/ 5-2: No question Texas A&M has added to the prestige of the SEC … Missouri … TBD! A&M made a great move leaving the Big 12 and the getting out of the shadow cast by the Longhorns! A couple more years like this one for the Aggies …. and the horns might / will be hanging in the shade!  A&M rolls in this one!

Posted in ACC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, SEC, South Carolina, Tennessee |

Sully’s Six Pack of Winners

West Virginia 5-5 -1 @ Iowa State 6-5: Enough is Enough said the spider to the fly … forget Mary Howitt’s 1829 poem warning about flattery & charm masking evil intent! WV’s defense has has enough … giving up 63 to Baylor, 45 to Texas… they actually won those two games, 49 to Texas Tech, 55 to Kansas State, 39 to TCU, 55 to Oklahoma State, & 50 to Oklahoma last week… all losses … since that Texas win! West Virginia lost last week in the final seconds to the Sooners, 50-49 …. couple that effort with the, 39-38, 2 overtime loss to TCU in week 10 … and it becomes clear ;that this team will not quit … even though they are now more criticized than ND’s former starting QB, Tommy Rees! This week the Mountaineers face ISU in Ames… they will be no deception in the Mountaineers demeanor no verbal misdirects .. no spider – fly illusions …. they mean to to beat ISU’s tail and become bowl eligible! Sully Says: Take the Mountaineers & give the point to the Cyclones!   

Rutgers 9-1 -2 @ Pittsburgh 4-6: Rutgers has struggled mightily vs Pitt, 8-21 all time in this series … but so much lately! Since the 2005 season, Rutgers is 5-2 vs Pitt and hammered the Panthers last year in New Brunswick, @ High Point Solutions Stadium, 34-10! Pitt is coming off a bye week … and has suffered two tough losses … in their last two games prior to their off week, @ Notre Dame, 29-26, in 3 OT’s and at U-Conn, 24-17! While the Scarlet Knights are coming off a big win at Cincinnati last Saturday, 10-3  and are in the drivers seat to win their fist ever Big East Championship! This motivating factor … plus…. the news broke this week that the Knights will be leaving the Big East, along with Maryland, to accept membership in the Big Ten! Given the above … Sully Says: take Rutgers as the 2 points will not be enough to climb out of the Pitt!

Notre Dame 11-0 -6.5 @ USC 7-4: “Oh no; here we go again”, says Billy McGuire, after polishing off his 23rd pint of Guinness and same number of Jameson chasers, “1938, SC 13 ND 0; 1964, SC 20-ND 17; 1970, SC 38-ND 28; 1980, SC 20 ND 3” he babbles … In each instance … SC ended ND’s perfect season … and did so … in the last game of the season! “And never forget 1948”, McGuire slobbers, “the infamous tie with those heathens, 14 all … and then … the Presbyterian controlled pollsters … voted those darlings from Michigan … MICHIGAN … ahead of my beloved Irish”! “Quiet”, says Tommy McGowan, ” have you no faith McGuire, what about 1947 (38-7) & 1952 (9-0) when the Irish ended SC’s perfect seasons … and do not forget 1927, (in Chicago) ND 7 SC 6; 1973, ND 23 SC 14; or 1995, ND 38 SC 10, …. where the Irish handed the Trojans their 1st defeat of those respective season”! And never … NEVER …. fail to give thanks for 1988 … when the #1 Irish traveled to that den of sinners … the LA Coliseum …. and through the Grace of God … Saint Lou smited the second ranked Trojans, 27-10!” ……  “By God … your right McGowan …. Dooley … I’ll have another to celebrate … and Tommy me boy … the savior that he is … he’s buying!” Sully Says: take the Irish and give the Barkley – less Trojans the points!

Florida 10-1  @ Florida state 10-1 -7: The Gators lead this series, which began in 1958, 33-21-2, but in the last 40 games played between these football powers, the winner/ loser tally has been remarkably close … with UF leading FSU, 20-19-1. The teams have split the last two games, the Seminoles won in Tallahassee, 31-7, in 2010 and the Gators won last year, in Gainesville,  21-7! Sully’s CFP Game Simulator has the Noles ahead of the Gators in 6 of the 8 categories it assesses! That said, the Seminoles pile up numbers in the relatively weak ACC …. where as Florida earns stats in the highly respected, defensive-minded SEC! Their can be no question ….. FSU is out to prove something in this game … they have been greatly devalued by the criteria that programmers have put in the computers to evaluate teams. They will bring their A game and Florida’s QB, Jeff Driskel, status is questionable for Saturday! Sully Says: take Florida State and give the Gators the chump!

Stanford 9-2 -1.5 @ UCLA 9-2: The last time UCLA lost four straight to the Cardinal was from 1928 through 1931! The last win for the Bruins was in 2008, 23-20, and then came Andrew Luck’s sophomore year in 2009 … and … well …  since then it has been light out for the Bruins. Luck is gone … but Stanford’s new Head Coach, Dave Shaw, is showing that Stanford is more than just about Luck …. and then some! The Cardinal come into this game having beaten the speed demons from Oregon, holding them to their lowest point production 14 (Stanford 17 UO 14 in OT),  since a 2009 game against Boise State, a 19-8 Duck loss! UCLA has won 5 straight coming into the Stanford tilt … including last week beating of USC 38-28! With the win over SC, the UCLANS won the South Division and the right to play in the PAC 12 Championship Game on November 30!  Stanford has also won 5 in a row and their win over Oregon a week ago, clearly outshines the Bruin win over the Trojans! If Stanford wins on Saturday, these teams will play again in the PAC 12 Championship Game … as the win will leave Stanford as the last man standing atop the North Division summit! Sully Says: Take Stanford and Give the 1.5 points to the Bruins in the Rose Bowl!

Ohio State 11-0 -3.5 @ Michigan 8-3: Last year Big Blue ended a painful seven game slide to the Bucks, 40-34, in the Big House! This year the faithful will gather at the Horseshoe, Michigan’s last win @ Ohio Stadium (Horseshoe) was in 2000, 38-26! That 2000 win also marks the last time Wolverines would have won 2 consecutive games in the series! Michigan leads in all time wins 58 to OSU 43 (Buckeye’s win in 2010 … vacated)! The first game played between these rivals was on October 18,1897 (Michigan won 34-0), largest margin of victory is enjoyed by the Wolverines 86-0 and Saturday will mark the 109th time the teams have met! OSU is on probation and as a result is banned from post season play… last week they De facto won the Leaders Division by beating Wisconsin, 21-14 in OT (Wisconsin will represent the Leaders in the Big Ten Championship Game… due to OSU situation) and Buckeye victory over Nebraska, 63-38 … again De facto … not De Jure … essentially means that they, (Ohio State) are the Big Ten champs! All that said… their accomplishments in 2012 will wilt …. if they fall to that “Team up North!!” This game will be a battle … Big Blue is still alive in the Legends race and needs to win and hope for an Iowa upset in Iowa City ….. of Nebraska! Ohio State has lived a charmed like this year … winning games that they struggled big time in or seemed to have lost … the Purdue game for one comes to mind … an OT 29-22 victory … when all seemed lost with just seconds left in Regulation! Michigan has also had some good fortune this season … their recent win vs Northwestern, an OT 38-31 … a hail Mary with seconds left in the 4th Quarter set up a tying FG to send the game into the extra period! Sully Says: OSU covers in the Horseshoe!

Posted in ACC, Big Ten, FBS Independents, Florida, Florida State, Iowa State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, PAC 12, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, SEC, Stanford, UCLA, USC, West Virginia |

The Bowling Season Cometh

There are 35 College Football Bowls…which require 70 teams to fill the spots and for a team to be eligible to fill one of those slots … it must have 6 wins …. if you play an 11 or 12 game schedule! One of the six wins can be against an FCS  opponent (a 63 scholarship program as opposed to FBS programs …. which must give 85 scholarships) ….  That said …. you cannot count two FCS wins toward the six …  in other words … if you play 2 FCS teams… only one can count toward your required 6 wins to become bowl eligible! Their are currently 124 teams playing football in the FBS …so lets see how many teams have the needed number of wins. I will present the data by reviewing each of the 11 conferences in the FBS and the four Independents!

SEC: 8 teams are currently bowl eligible … LSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, & Vanderbilt! Three teams can become Bowl eligible with wins next week: Missouri, Arkansas, & Ole Miss and 3 teams have lost 7 games and will not be bowling in 2012….. Tennessee, Kentucky, & Auburn. Just so you know…. the SEC is serious about winning…two of the three head coaches, whose teams did not qualify for a bowl …  have already been fired … (Derek Dooley @ UT & Joker Phillips @ UK…. are gone and Gene Chizik’s, Auburn’s Head Man, seat is hot… real hot!

Big Ten: 5 teams are have earned post season play … Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan, Northwestern, & Minnesota! While with wins this weekend … Michigan State & Purdue can become eligible! Iowa, Illinois, & Indiana have all lost at least 7 games  & as you know …. Penn State and Ohio State are out….. due to NCAA sanctions! The Big Ten for the first time … will place only one team in a BCS Bowl! This will cost the conference about 17 million dollars! Clearly … not “Chump Change”!!!

Big 12: 7 teams are ready to roll … Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, TCU, Kansas State, Iowa State, & Texas Tech! 2 teams have a chance … West Virginia & Baylor … they need one more win to get the required six victories… Kansas is the only Big 12 team that does not have a shot!

ACC: 7 teams are in … Florida State, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Miami, & Duke! One team needs one more win … Va Tech … while Boston College, Maryland, & Virginia do not have enough wins …. & North Carolina is out … due to NCAA sanctions!

PAC 12: 8 clubs have met the criteria and are eligible…. USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, & Washington. Four teams are out…. Washington State, Utah, Colorado, & California! Unlike the other leagues, all of the PAC 12 team’s post-season status’ have been determined! Eight are in … & … four are out!

Big East: 4 teams are in …. Louisville, Rutgers, Syracuse, & Cincinnati … 2 teams have a shot … Pittsburgh & U-Conn … but must win their final two games ….. While South Florida & Temple will be @ home for the bowling season!

Independents:  3 teams …. ND, BYU & Navy will be playing somewhere … while Army will be on leave during the Post-Season!!

Mountain West Conference: 5 teams are in … Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, Air Force, & San Diego State … while Wyoming, Colorado State, Hawaii, UNLV, & New Mexico are out … the MWC’s post season is determined …. nothing is left to decide … they are in or out as of 11/17/12…

Conference USA: 4 teams have qualified … Rice, Central Florida, East Carolina, & Tulsa … 2 teams have a shot but need to win their last game … Marshall & SMU … while 6 teams are out of the Post season … Southern Miss, UAB, Memphis, Houston, UTEP, & Tulane!

MAC: 6 teams from the Mid-American are in … Northern Illinois, Toledo, Ball State, Ohio, Bowling Green, & Kent State! One team has a chance if it can win its last game … Central Michigan, and 6 teams are out … Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Buffalo, Akron, & U-Mass!

WAC:  3 teams are in….The Western Athletic Conference will be dissolving after the 2012 season … they currently have only 7 teams in their league and two are leaving for the Sun Belt Conference next season! 3 teams are in the post-season … Louisiana Tech, Utah State, & San Jose State … while four are out … Idaho, New Mexico State, Texas State, University of Texas @ San Antonio!

Sun Belt Conference: 5 teams have qualified … Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Monroe, Western Kentucky, Arkansas State, & Middle Tennessee State … Troy needs one more win … and 4 teams are out … Florida International, Florida Atlantic, North Texas & South Alabama!

So… as of 11-17-12 ….  we have 64 teams that have reached the magic number of six wins (SEC: 8, Big Ten: 5, Big 12: 7, ACC: 7, PAC 12: 8, Big East: 3, Independents: 3, MWC: 5, C-USA: 4, MAC 6, WAC: 3, SBC: 5)  … There are another 14 teams (SEC: 3, Big Ten: 2, Big 12: 2, ACC: 1, PAC 12: 0, Big East: 2, Independents: 0, MWC: 0, C-USA: 2, MAC: 1, WAC: 0, SBC: 1)   that need one or two more wins to become bowl eligible ….  To fill each of the 70 spots we need six of the remaining 14 teams to reach their sixth win of the season…. check on the site’s… Team or Conference pages for more information re: who they have to beat? … are they @ home or on the road? and the win/loss history with that team since 2009?

Posted in AAC, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Navy, Notre Dame, PAC 12, SEC, Sun Belt, SWAC |

As Chaos Ensures, So too Comes Clarity

As the Irish prepare to face SC, a SECond challenge looms in the balance

For the first time in over 300 AP top 25 editions for college football, ND is #1, and they managed to do so in unanimous fashion.  After Oregon fell at home in OT to the Stanford Cardinal (a team ND beat at home in OT) and Kansas State was blown out by unranked Baylor, the Irish were all but assured the #1 spot, as they remain the only undefeated team in the country that is eligible for the championship game.  However, ND still must find a way to beat arch-rival SC on the road this coming week if they hope to play for it all.  With that in mind, here are our latest Bowl Projections – Stay tuned over the next few weeks, as we will be updating this regularly.

*As an aside note, Vegas has interestingly enough said that if the game indeed does happen like it is looking like, Alabama will be a 10 point favorite over ND.

BCS Title Game: Notre Dame vs Alabama

Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs Oregon

Sugar Bowl: LSU vs Oklahoma

Orange Bowl: Florida State vs Rutgers

Rose Bowl: Stanford vs Nebraska

Posted in AAC, ACC, Alabama, Big 12, Big Ten, Florida State, Kansas State, LSU, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, PAC 12, SEC, Stanford |

SEC: Week 12

Ole Miss 5-5 / 2-4 @ LSU 8-2 / 4-2: A West Division battle between two teams going in different directions. The Tigers have won 3 of their last 4 SEC games, while the Rebels lost their last two conference tilts. Surprisingly, Ole Miss has outscored LSU, 124 to 120, in their last five games in Baton Rouge … yet … have only one win to show for their scoring the greater number of points! Last year, the Bengal Tigers put the worst whipping, in the 100 game series, on the Rebels, 52-3, in their backward …. @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium!

Western Carolina 1-9 / 0-8 @ Alabama 9-1 / 6-1: The Mighty SEC is taking the week off… as six of their teams are taking on FCS opponents! Bama …. needs to avoid injury in this contest! Other than that … not really much to say… The Tide is 2-0 vs WC and won last meeting, 52-6!

Arkansas 4-6 / 2-4 @ Mississippi State 7-3 / 3-3: MSU won its first three SEC games and seemed ready to step up and challenge the SEC elite…. not so fast my friend … Bama, A&M, & LSU translated to three straight losses … same old … same old …. for the fellows from Starkville! The fact is, none of these games were close, Alabama, 38-7, The Aggies, 38-13, & LSU 37 Mississippi State 17! Former coach, Bobby Petrino’s off field decision making doomed his team for the 2012 season! Meanwhile, Interim coach, John L. Smith’s decisions in the market place … well … they at the very least … rival Patrino’s … in his not-so-private …. private life!  

Alabama A&M  7-3 / 6-3 @ Auburn 2-8 / 0-7: I’m not sure why Auburn scheduled an in-state FCS team … usually not a good idea …. as it tends to become their super bowl … a win for A&M … and the thing from which legends are born comes to pass! This motivating factor for AAMU coupled with the year the Tigers have had … well … stay tuned … as this could be interesting!

Sam Houston 8-2 / 6-1 @ Texas A&M 8-2 / 4-2: When A&M was shopping for a new conference … they should have considered the Southland Conference (not to be confused with the Southern Conference) as they are a perfect 16-0 against these teams & 10-0 vs Sammy Houston! Enough said!

Jacksonville State 6-4 / 5-3 @ Florida 9-1 / 7-1: Please note: This team…. Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley Conference) is from Alabama … not Florida … that would be simply … Jacksonville (Pioneer Conference). This is the first meeting between the Universities!

Georgia Southern 8-2 / 6-2 @ Georgia 9-1 / 7-1: Georgia is 5-0 vs Georgia Southern with the average win being 23 points! These teams last met in 2008, a 45-21 result! That said … this is a very good FCS team … lost to North Dakota State in the Semi final of last year’s FCS playoff and rushed for 302 yards againist Bama’s defense in 2011… let me say that again … 302 yards… against the best defense in the FBS in 2011!

Wofford 8-2 / 6-2 @ South Carolina 8-2 / 6-2: No one is buying into the identical records … this is a clear mismatch! USC has beaten this in-state opponent 15 straight times. In fact, the last time Wofford won …  the US was @ war … World War I … that right … 1917! Nothing to be learned from that game!

Tennessee 4-6 / 0-6 @ Vanderbilt 6-4 / 4-3: This is do or die for Derek Dooley! He needs to win this week in Nashville or … sad to say  … it is Signora for the coach! Even if they find a way … last week’s loss to Missouri may have sealed his fate! I, for one, hope not … I still believe given time (one last year in 2013) he can succeed in Knoxville! The Vols won this game in OT last year, 27-21 and have won 14 straigth times in Vandy’s Memorial Stadium! The last time the Commorders beat the the Volunteers at home was in 1982! Coach Dooley really … really … really … needs to make it 15 in a row in Music City!!! 

Syracuse 5-5 / 4-2 @ Missouri 5-5 / 2-5: The winner of this game becomes bowl eligible for the 2012 season. Both teams roll into the contest with 5 wins and seeking the required 6th win for the ticket needed to ride the Bowl Express in December! No small accomplishment for either team, given this was Missouri’s first experience in the Mighty SEC and Syracuse surviving a rough start to the 2012 season with an impressive win over an undefeated Louisville, 45-26, last week! The Orange are 2-0 vs the Tigers … but their last meeting was in 1987!

Samford 7-3 / 5-3 @ Kentucky 1-9 / 0-7: Joker Phillips, Kentucky’s Head Coach, was fired after a 40-0 pounding by Vandy on November 3! The Wildcats have not only been beaten in the SEC … they have been beaten badly … and have shown little to no improvement during the season! This is the first meeting between the programs and given the mental of the Kentucky players … well anything is possible …. in the mind!

Posted in Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, SEC, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt |

Big Ten: Week 12

Wisconsin (7-3 / 4-2) vs Ohio State (10-0 / 6-0)

Ohio State has lost 2 of the last three games in Madison, including a 31-18 loss the last time these two teams met here.  Last year the Buckeyes won in dramatic fashion off of a late hail mary from Braxton Miller, which ultimately led to a 33-29 Buckeyes victory, while also putting a dagger in the Badgers championship hopes.

Illinois (2-8 / 0-6) vs Purdue (4-6 / 1-5)

Last year Purdue jumped out to a 21-0 lead after 3 quarters.  It was not until the fourth quarter that the Illini started to get something going offensively, but by then it was too late, as Purdue held on to win by a score of 21-14.  The Illini have lost 6 of the last 7 in this series, as well as 4 straight home finales.

Michigan (7-3 / 5-1) vs Iowa (4-6 / 2-4)

Last year Michigan was down 8 points with a 1st and goal at the Iowa 3 yard line, but after 4 straight incomplete passes they turned the ball over on downs.  This ultimately led to a 24-16 Iowa victory, and it marked just the second loss of the season for Michigan, who finished the year 11-2.

Penn State (6-4 / 4-2) vs Indiana (4-6 / 2-4)

These two teams first met in Beaver Stadium in ’93, and Indiana has lost every game there since (0-7).  The average margin of victory for Penn State in this series at home is 21 points.  Penn State is a perfect 15-0 vs Indiana all time, regardless of where the game is played.

Michigan State (5-5 / 2-4) vs Northwestern (7-3 / 3-3)

Michigan State has won four straight games in this series, though last years game (31-17) was in doubt for most of the first half.  That is, until the Spartans recovered a fumble on their own 3 yard line, and then proceed to go on a 97 yard drive for a TD.  The game was essentially ended just a minute and forty seconds later when the Spartans returned a punt for a 57 yard TD, as Northwestern was never able to get the score close from that point on.

Nebraska (8-2 / 5-1) vs Minnesota (6-4 / 2-4) 

The last time the Gophers won in Lincoln was in 1960.  They have lost their last 6 games in this stadium, including being shut out four of those times.  The last time these two teams met here was in 1990, where Nebraska won by a score of 56-0.  Last year Nebraska score on their fist five possessions to roll onto a 34-0 victory.  The Cornhuskers are 20-4 in their last 24 home finales, and have won them by an average margin of 19 points per game.

 

Posted in Big Ten, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin |

ACC: Week 12

Virginia (4-6 / 2-5) vs North Carolina (6-4 / 3-3)

Virginia lost back to back games against North Carolina for the first time last year since the early 80’s (81-82).  They were doomed by two interceptions in UNC territory, which ultimately led to a 28-17 loss.  The last time these two teams met in Charlottesville, UNC won by a score of 44-10, which was the widest margin of victory for the Tarheels since 1959.  These two teams have played every season since 1919, which is good for the leagues oldest and longest running rivalry.

Maryland (4-6 / 2-4)  vs Florida State (9-1 / 6-1)

All time Maryland is 2-20 vs Florida State, including 5 straight losses by an average of 17 points.  Last year Maryland lost by a deceptive 41-16, as they scored with under 10 seconds left on the clock.  The last time these two teams played in College Park, FSU was up just 23-16 late in the fourth quarter before Maryland threw a int, which was returned for a 96 yard TD (30-16 FSU).

Georgia Tech (5-5 / 4-3) vs Duke (6-4 / 3-3)

Duke is 2-20 all time vs GT, and have lost 8 straight games by an average of 23 points.  Last years game was close (38-31 GT), and was only decided after an interception on the 44 yard line of GT with under 3 minutes to go in the game.

Clemson (9-1 / 6-1) vs North Carolina State (6-4 / 3-3)

Last year Clemson had a disastrous second quarter that included 2 fumbles, a punt return for a TD, 157 yards, and 17 points.  They never recovered, as North Carolina State went on to win by a comfortable score of 37-17.  Clemson has not dropped two straight in this series since ’02-’03.

Boston College (2-8 / 1-5) vs Virginia Tech (4-6 / 2-4)

Virginia Tech has won 4 straight in this series, and the last time these two teams met in Chestnut Hill, the Hokies shut BC out by a score of 19-0.  Last year BC manged to jump out to a 7-0 lead, but Va Tech responded by scoring the next 27 points (30-14 final). All time, BC is just 4-13 vs Virginia Tech.

Notre Dame (10-0 / 0-0) vs Wake Forest (5-5  3-5)

Last year was the first meeting between these two schools, and it started out promising for the Demon Deacons.  With just 28 seconds left in the half they managed to punch in a TD to go into the locker room up 17-10, but ND responded by scoring the next 14 points to take the game 24-17.  Wake mustered just 92 total yards in the second half off of 26 plays for zero points.

 

 

Posted in ACC, Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami FL, NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest |