NCAA Predictions Week 8

By Max Baez
For Football Reporters Online


Arkansas @ Ole Miss

Ole Miss has to be feeling pressure at this point. They’ve gone from highly acclaimed, to a top 5 team, to unranked. Quite a whirlwind. Arkansas gained as much momentum as you can from a loss, barely losing on the road to Florida in a game where many felt Arkansas was slighted by the refs. The story for Ole Miss has been the struggles of Jevan Snead, and while the Arkansas defense is respectable, it isn’t dominant. I think Snead has a bit of a revitalization this week, and that Houston Nutt leads the Rebels to victory over his old team.

Ole Miss 31, Arkansas 21


Clemson @ Miami

For whatever reason, Miami is only a 5.5 point favorite in this game. I don’t really understand how, considering Miami has looked great all year (with one exception in Blacksburg) while has mired in their normal mediocrity. Sure, Clemson hasn’t lost a game by more than 4 points, but they are 3-3, and one of their losses is to Maryland: that’s inexcusable. Look for Jacoby Harris and the Miami offense to have a great day, and look for Clemson to lose by more than 4 points.

Miami 28, Clemson 13


Penn State @ Michigan

This is a really intriguing game. Penn State has a very strong defense, but the offense is definitely a bit lackluster. On Michigan’s side, the opposite is the case: offense looks really good (especially when you consider they are starting a true freshman quarterback), while the defense looks so-so. I think Rich Rodriguez is a jerk, but for whatever reason, I have more confidence in this Michigan team than most. It’s probably because I’m that impressed with Tate Forcier. Watching the Penn State defense play the Michigan offense will be extremely exciting, and its best that this game is in the Big House because Penn State is probably the better of these two teams. To me, this game could go either way, but I actually like Michigan to pull the big upset. I’m going with this because at crunch time, I think Michigan is more likely to make the big play, even if their quarterback is so young, and because the game isn’t at Beaver Stadium.

Michigan 20, Penn State 17


TCU @ BYU

This is probably the best mid major matchup of the season. BYU, and their dynamic offense, against the tough defense of TCU. Both have already beaten BCS conference schools, with BYU topping Oklahoma and TCU winning on the road against Clemson. This should be a great one, especially with such a dynamic BYU offense going up against the tough TCU defense. However, TCU seems a bit stronger against the run, and BYU is an especially strong passing team. I expect Max Hall to get it done in the end, and for the Cougars to get a huge home win.

BYU 24, TCU 20


Oregon State @ USC

The only reason why this game is in this article is because USC has lost two of three to Oregon State. I’ve got a ton of respect for Mike Riley and the Oregon State program, but I don’t think they are as good as they were last year. They do have a decent record, and some decent wins against Arizona State and Stanford, but they will be no match for USC this year. Besides, USC only gets caught off guard once in a season, and UDub took care of that. Big day for the USC offense, and while Oregon State will probably put some points up (especially on the ground), USC will put up more.

USC 45, Oregon State 24


Five other games to watch: South Florida @ Pitt, Boston College @ Notre Dame, Tennessee @ Alabama, Auburn @ LSU, Texas @ Missouri

The Northwest Report Week 8

By Nick Haswell For Football Reporters Online

So much for this past weekend being a non-descript one in the Northwest college football landscape. With several of the teams having the week off and not many enticing matchups, Week 7 looked like a weekend to be forgotten. Instead, it will be a weekend to be remembered in the Northwest by fans, and one to be forgotten by several Northwest teams.
Here are some short recaps from each game this past weekend:

Game of the Week #1-Eastern Washington at Montana: It was hard to find one Game of the Week, as there were three great games this weekend. The first one matched up the Eastern Washington Eagles (4-2) against the top team in the Big Sky Conference, the Montana Grizzlies (5-0). Eastern needed the win to keep pace at the top of the Big Sky standings and for any hope of a postseason berth (depending on their appeal to the NCAA on this season’s postseason ban). Eastern took an early 10-2 lead, but Montana took a 20-13 lead into the half. The Griz scored another TD half way through the 3rd quarter to go up by 14, but the Eagles ended up tying the score before the end of the quarter. An 82 yard punt return for a TD by Marc Mariani put Montana back on top before EWU tied the score at 34 with fewer than 5 minutes left. Facing a 4th and Goal at the Eagles 1 with a little over a minute left, Montana’s Bobby Hauck went for the TD rather than kicking a go-ahead field goal. Chase Reynolds bowled over a defender at the goal line for the TD and the Grizzlies held on for the 41-34 win.

Game of the Week #2-South Dakota at Montana State: Just 166 miles to the east of Missoula, another great game was taking place in Bozeman between the South Dakota Coyotes (3-3) and the Montana State Bobcats (3-2). The game winded up going to overtime with the teams tied at 24. The Bobcats scored on a 36 yard TD pass from Cody Kempt, starting his first game of 2009, to Elvis Akpla on the 2nd play of overtime. South Dakota drove to the 3 yard line on their possession in OT, but a pass on 4th and Goal bounced off a wide open receiver’s hands in the end zone, allowing MSU to escape with a 31-24 win.
Game of the Week #3-Washington at Arizona State: The Washington Huskies (3-3) looked to be headed to OT versus the Arizona State Sun Devils (3-2) as the score was tied at 17 with under a minute left. But a curious 3rd and 1 pass play on their own 19 that went to complete and subsequent punt gave Arizona State the ball at midfield with less than 15 seconds left in the game. Sun Devil QB then stunned everyone watching by throwing to a wide open Chris McGaha down the middle of the field for the winning TD. A coverage break down by Husky FS Nate Williams left McGaha wide open on the final play.

Boise State at Tulsa: The Boise State Broncos snuck out of Tulsa with a 28-21 victory over the Golden Hurricane(4-2) to remain unbeaten at 6-0. Sophomore QB Kellen Moore led the balanced Bronco attack by tossing 3 TDs. RB Doug Martin added 112 yards rushing, including 83 in the 3rd quarter alone in his second game back from moving from the defensive side of the ball following the injury of starting RB D.J. Harper.

Hawaii at Idaho: DeMaundray Woolridge rushed for 4 TDs and added 81 yards rushing in Idaho’s victory over the Hawaii Warriors (2-4). The Vandals (6-1) are bowl eligible for the first time in a decade after gaining 420 yards of total offense in the win. QB Nathan Enderle bounced back from an off game last weekend by completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards and a TD.

Northern Arizona at Portland State: The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (4-2) blew out the Portland State Vikings 44-23 last Saturday. The Vikings (2-5) managed just 274 yards of total offense as starting QB Drew Hubel missed the game due to injury. Backup QB Connor Cavanaugh struggled in his place, completing just 11 of 23 passes and throwing 3 INTs. PSU also struggled on defense, allowing 458 yards of total offense.

Northern Colorado at Idaho State: Idaho State (0-7) missed perhaps their best opportunity for a victory in 2009 by losing to the Northern Colorado Bears (2-5) by the score of 30-7. UNC held ISU to negative 11 yards rushing and just 197 yards of total offense last Saturday. The Bengals now own the 4th worst offense in the FCS in total offense and have the worst rushing offense in the FCS at 26 yards per game. The previously dormant Bear offense came alive against the Bengal defense by gaining 435 yards of total offense.

This weekend’s games include all the Northwest teams in action this week. Let’s look ahead and preview each game and take a look at the keys to each game:

Game of the Week-Oregon State at USC: Oregon State (4-2) will have had two weeks preparation for this weekend’s game versus the USC Trojans. Is this another trap game for USC (5-1), after hanging on against Notre Dame and facing off against Oregon in Eugene next weekend? The Beavers will be looking to beat USC for the 2nd year in a row, and for the 3rd time in 4 years. The key to the game appears to be whether OSU will be able to slow down USC Freshman QB Matt Barkley enough to keep them in the game. OSU has had to break in 3 new starters in the secondary this season and the defense is currently 9th in the Pac 10 in pass defense.

Oregon at Washington: Will this weekend bring another down to the wire game for the Huskies? After 3 consecutive heart stopping finishes, UW (3-4) faces the top team in the Pac 10 standings, the Oregon Ducks (5-1). Oregon had an extra week to prepare for the Huskies after their win over UCLA 24-10 two weeks ago. The Ducks are still not certain that QB Jeremiah Masoli will be back to start against the Huskies. If he can’t start, Nate Costa will start his second consecutive game. UW’s defense has played better against the run the last few weeks, but they face the top rushing offense in the Pac 10 in the Oregon Ducks.
Washington State at California: California (4-2) got back on the winning track after a two game losing streak in defeating UCLA last weekend. Washington State (1-5) did not play last weekend. Wazzu ranks last in the Pac 10 in nearly every offensive and defensive category. Their best chance to keep it a close game is to throw the ball well against the susceptible Cal secondary.

Boise State at Hawaii: The Broncos (6-0) look to stay unbeaten on their visit off the mainland against the Warriors (2-4). Hawaii’s best bet to pull off the upset is to win the turnover battle and keep the nation’s most efficient passer, Kellen Moore, off the field.

Idaho at Nevada: Idaho (6-1) is on a 5 game winning streak and Nevada (3-3) has won their last 3 after losing their first 3 in 2009. Whoever wins the battle between Nevada’s rushing offense (#1 in the WAC) and Idaho’s rushing defense (#1 in the WAC) probably will win the game.

Montana State at Eastern Washington: A key game in the Big Sky Conference is this weekend between the Montana State Bobcats (4-2) and the Eastern Washington Eagles (4-3). A loss by either team would hurt their playoff chances, whereas a win would keep their hopes alive. EWU suffered a big loss last weekend when their top WR Aaron Boyce went out with a season ending injury. MSU’s defense boasts the best rushing defense in the Big Sky, but also is the worst against the pass, allowing more than 300 yards through the air per game. The Eagles top the Big Sky in rushing offense in the Big Sky at about 150 yards per game, but they also have an effective passing attack led by QB Matt Nichols.

Montana at Sacramento State: The #2 Montana Grizzlies (6-0) travel down to Sacramento to take on the 2-4 Hornets. The Griz have the top scoring offense in the Big Sky at 36.8 points per game, as well as the top scoring defense at 19.7 points per game. The Grizzlies appear to be a mismatch for the Hornets, as Sacramento State’s defense is 8th (out of 9) in total defense in the Big Sky in allowing almost 436 yards of offense per game.

UC-Davis at Portland State: The 2-5 Portland State Vikings face off against the 3-3 UC-Davis Mustangs in a non-conference matchup. Portland State faces a tough UC-Davis team who nearly defeated Montana earlier in the season and played Boise State tough into the 4th quarter. Portland State has to take advantage of a weak UC-Davis running game that averages only 55 yards per game to pull out a victory.

The Northwest Report Week 7
By Nick Haswell Football Reporters Online

It’s hard to believe that it’s about the mid-point of the 2009 college football season. It seems just a week ago that the Washington Huskies were coming into the season with a 14 game losing streak and battling the visiting LSU Tigers tough. For the most part overall, the 2009 season has lacked the drama or a defining moment. Actually, the defining moment so far in 2009 is probably Washington defeating #3 USC on a late second field goal. Football in the Northwest in 2009 has actually had perhaps some of the craziest and most controversial action. From Oregon’s LaGarrette Blount’s punch on Boise State’s Byron Hout on the season’s opening night to UW defeating Arizona on a tipped interception off Arizona WR Delashaun Dean’s foot, college football in the Northwest has not lacked excitement. Here’s to the rest of the season being as exciting in the Northwest, and hoping that it carries over to the rest of the college football nation the rest of the 2009 season.

Here’s a quick review of last week’s Northwest college football action:

Game of the Week- Arizona at Washington: Arizona beat UW everywhere on the stat book, but lost on the scoreboard. Arizona was able to keep Jake Locker and UW’s offense off the field with a short, quick passing game, but UW defensive coordinator Nick Holt adjusted just in time that led to Mason Foster’s 37 yard INT return for a TD to win the game36-33 on the same screen play that had given UW trouble all night long.

Stanford at Oregon State: Stanford came into Corvallis atop the Pac 10, but the Rodgers brothers dominated the Stanford defense in the 38-28 win. RB Jacquizz Rodgers gained a career high 189 yards rushing and scored 4 TDs, and also added 82 yards receiving. Older brother James contributed another 78 yards receiving and a TD.

Oregon at UCLA: Coming out of the halftime tunnel down 3-0, #13 Oregon put the game out of reach early in the 3rd quarter by returning the 2nd half kickoff for a TD and then returning an INT for another TD just 13 seconds later to go up 14-3. The Ducks would go on to a 24-10 victory in a game where the Oregon defense really dominated the UCLA offense, surrendering just 211 yards of total offense.

Arizona State at Washington State: When a team gets 6 turnovers, you would expect that team to win, except when that team is Wazzu. The Cougars managed just 181 yards of total offense, 99 of them on 1 play. Wazzu’s QBs were also sacked 12 times and the Cougars turned the ball over 4 times themselves. Overall, the Cougars weren’t really as close as the 27-14 final score would indicate.

Idaho at San Jose State: The Idaho Vandals are just one victory away from bowl eligibility after their come from behind 29-25 win over San Jose St. Starting QB Nathan Enderle struggled and was benched in the 4th quarter after throwing 2 INTs. It was RBs Princeton McCarty and DeMaundray Woolridge who picked up the struggling Vandal passing game as they combined for 218 yards rushing and 3 TDs.

Cal Poly at Montana: Montana scored 21 points in the 4th quarter as the Grizzlies beat the Mustangs 35-23. WR Marc Mariani caught 6 passes for 200 yards and 2 TDs, as the Griz overcame 5 turnovers to move to 5-0.
Weber State at Eastern Washington: Perhaps EWU was looking ahead to their game against Montana this weekend. Or Weber State has finally lived up to their preseason’s expectations after dispatching the Eagles 31-13. Matt Nichols threw for 354 yards and a TD, but threw 3 INTs and the Eagles turned the ball over 5 times overall.

Portland State at Northern Colorado: Portland State held on to a 23-18 win over Northern Colorado to improve to 2-4 on the season and win their first Big Sky Conference game in 2009.

Northern Arizona at Montana State: One week after defeating nationally ranked Weber State on the road, Montana State returned home ranked 24th but lost to Northern Arizona 23-10. The Bobcats held NAU to -16 yards rushing, but could only gain 11 yards themselves. NAU QB Michael Herrick carved up the MSU defense for 388 yards through the air and a TD.

Idaho State at Sacramento State: A 21 point 2nd quarter by Sacramento State kept Idaho State winless as the Hornets defeated ISU 38-17. A positive to take from the game is that the Bengals outgained the Hornets 368-335. But 2 INT returns for TDs in that 2nd quarter by Sacramento State sealed ISU’s fate.

And now let’s look ahead to this weekend’s games. It will be a quiet week in the Northwest this weekend as Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington State all have the week off. Boise State also beat Tulsa on Wednesday night 28-21.

Game of the Week- Eastern Washington at Montana: This is a critical game in the Big Sky Conference title race. If EWU wants to figure in the race, they must beat UM based on their loss to Weber State last weekend. It will tough to achieve though, as Montana has not lost at home in conference since losing to EWU in 2005.

Washington at Arizona State: Washington is riding high after their miraculous win over Arizona last weekend. They must travel on the road to Tempe though, where they’re looking for their first road win of the season. The Sun Devils defense ranks #3 in total defense and will give Jake Locker and the Husky offense a tough challenge.

Hawaii at Idaho: The Idaho Vandals are looking to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1999 by defeating Hawaii. Hawaii is coming into the game with a 3 game losing streak, whereas the Vandals are on a 4 game winning streak.

Northern Arizona at Portland State: Portland State snapped a 3 game losing streak with their road victory at Northern Colorado. Northern Arizona’s passing game will provide a tough challenge, as they are averaging close to 319 yards passing per game.
South Dakota at Montana State: The Bobcats are looking to rebound from their home loss to Northern Arizona last weekend with a difficult non-conference tilt versus South Dakota. USD’s offense is one of the most balanced in the nation, averaging 193 yards rushing and 249 passing.

Northern Colorado at Idaho State: Idaho State may have a chance at their first victory of the 2009 season, with 1-5 Northern Colorado visiting Pocatello. The game will match up two of the poorest offenses in the nation, as Northern Colorado averages just over 290 yards of total offense per game and Idaho State averages only 219 yards per game.

Week 7 NCAA Predictions

By Max Baez
Contributing writer Football Reporters Online

Last week, let’s just say my predictions went terribly. Too many road teams, and I overestimated Missouri, Auburn, and Georgia. This week, I still am picking two road teams (out of four, one game is a neutral site – I don’t think I even need to hint at what it is), but with a lot more confidence. Auburn was relatively unproven, Georgia simply isn’t very good (I should have realized this when they needed a last second field goal to beat Arizona State), but this week – let’s just say the teams I have picked on the road are established teams that will both be in BCS games. Now, for the picks:


Texas vs. Oklahoma

Ahhh, the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma was thinking they would be undefeated at this point (and much of the country was as well), but Sam Bradford’s injury and a tougher than expected Miami squad have caused Oklahoma to drop 2 early games, making this a must win if they want a chance to make a BCS bowl game. Texas, on the other hand, has coasted to a 5-0 record, with their hardest game so far being against a relatively average Texas Tech team. Texas has won almost all of their games big, but yet, has seemed to have something missing so far, and hasn’t looked like the national championship team people in Austin have been expecting. However, I do like Texas to win this one, as I feel that Texas has more talent overall and because I am expecting Colt McCoy to have a bigger day than Sam Bradford.

Texas 31, Oklahoma 20


USC @ Notre Dame

Now, it’s time to talk about America’s most overhyped team, Notre Dame. Except, they are ranked 25th, so I guess they really aren’t rated that high. When I watch Notre Dame play, I always feel like I’m watching a glorified high school team play. They never look that together, that in sync, and they never really look more athletic than their opponents, even though they outrecruit almost everybody every year. I don’t know what it is with them (actually, I do know what it is – their coaching staff doesn’t get enough out of their players.) Still, it’s been a good year for Notre Dame, and they are getting a lot out of one guy, Jimmy Clausen, who is starting to look like an elite quarterback. Is it enough to beat USC though? No, it isn’t, because even though Notre Dame recruits well, USC recruits better. They are also coached better, and play better. And last but not least, USC always wins big games. This isn’t Oregon State or Washington, this is Notre Dame, aka their rival that they beat into a pulp every year. Expect the same again.

USC 42, Notre Dame 13


Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech

This matchup will have a major impact on how the ACC shapes up. Georgia Tech is the last ranked team remaining on the Hokies’ schedule, and after this game, the schedule for Georgia Tech is pretty easy: their toughest game afterward is a home matchup with North Carolina. Georgia Tech has a smashmouth offense, and you normally associate good defense with that, but the D has been a bit lackluster for the Yellow Jackets their last two games, allowing 31 points against Mississippi State and 44 against Florida State (although GT did win both.) As for this game, it will be interesting to see how the VT defense matches up with the GT running game. However, I feel that the Hokies are a more complete team than Georgia Tech, and the key to this game for Virginia Tech is getting a lot of points on the board. If they fall behind early, it’s going to be tough to manage a comeback, especially since Georgia Tech keeps possession really well. However, I do expect Virginia Tech to get an early lead, and use that to cruise to victory.

Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 20


Missouri @ Oklahoma State

This game would definitely be more exciting if Dez Bryant played, so I’m hoping the NCAA reinstates him by game time. However, that won’t happen, but this should still be interesting. Missouri was stagnant last week after lighting up teams the first week of the season, so they are definitely going to be hungry for a win this week. Oklahoma State has a good defense, but they are susceptible to big plays, as we saw when they lost to Houston. Missouri is a big play offense, or at least they want to be one, because they certainly didn’t show that ability last week. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma State is a good enough offense with Zac Robinson at quarterback, and Missouri’s strength isn’t on defense, so I expect the Cowboys to have some success on that side. In the end, I do like the Tigers’ team, but more for the future than for now, and I don’t like them this week against a solid Oklahoma State team.

Oklahoma State 28, Missouri 17


California @ UCLA

You know when you’re in a casino, and you really want to bet on something, and don’t know which way to go? And the reason why you don’t know which way to go isn’t because you like both teams, but because you have no confidence in either team? That’s what this game is to me. Both do some things right. Cal, for example, is great at running the ball, and has a very solid secondary. UCLA is great overall on defense, especially in the front seven. On the other hand, these teams both do things poorly. For Cal, well, they’ve scored 6 points combined in their last two games – I don’t think I need to elaborate on that. UCLA is also not the best team offensively, scoring over 20 points in only 2 of their first 5 games, one of which was against San Diego State. So, don’t expect a lot of yards, especially in the air, where both have major deficiencies. As to this game, I have to pick someone, right? I see this one being decided by a field goal, and I’ll go with UCLA for two reasons: 1. I expect Cal to burnout, similar to how they did two years ago and 2. because I got burned picking too many road teams last week.

UCLA 13, Cal 10


Five other games to watch: Iowa @ Wisconsin, NC State @ Boston College, Texas Tech @ Nebraska, South Carolina @ Alabama, Stanford @ Arizona

AP Top 25
RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Florida (54)
4-0 1486
2 Texas (1)
4-0 1416
3 Alabama (5)
5-0 1404
4 LSU
5-0 1290
5 Virginia Tech
4-1 1200
6 Boise State
5-0 1185
7 USC
4-1 1108
8 Cincinnati
5-0 1004
9 Ohio State
4-1 994
10 TCU
4-0 940
11 Miami (FL)
3-1 931
12 Iowa
5-0 823
13 Oregon
4-1 676
14 Penn State
4-1 564
15 Oklahoma State
3-1 563
16 Kansas
4-0 513
17 Auburn
5-0 428
18 Brigham Young
4-1 403
19 Oklahoma
2-2 370
20 Mississippi
3-1 357
21 Nebraska
3-1 333
22 Georgia Tech
4-1 311
23 South Florida
5-0 238
24 Missouri
4-0 215
25 South Carolina
4-1 200
Dropped from rankings: Houston 12, Georgia 18, Michigan 22, California 24
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 157, Houston 142, Georgia 115, Stanford 50, Utah 31, Michigan 25, Boston College 12, Notre Dame 9, Pittsburgh 3, Arizona 2, West Virginia 2,

USA Today Poll
RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Florida (57)
4-0 1473
2 Texas (1)
4-0 1408
3 Alabama (1)
5-0 1366
4 LSU
5-0 1273
5 Virginia Tech
4-1 1141
6 Boise State
5-0 1133
7 USC
4-1 1123
8 Ohio State
4-1 1072
9 TCU
4-0 965
10 Cincinnati
5-0 937
11 Miami (FL)
3-1 750
12 Penn State
4-1 713
13 Oklahoma State
3-1 702
14 Iowa
5-0 655
15 Kansas
4-0 616
16 Mississippi
3-1 460
17 Oregon
4-1 433
18 Missouri
4-0 386
19 Auburn
5-0 369
20 Brigham Young
4-1 353
21 Oklahoma
2-2 346
22 Nebraska
3-1 329
23 Georgia Tech
4-1 278
24 South Florida
5-0 220
25 Wisconsin
5-0 156
Dropped from rankings: Georgia 14, Houston 15, California 19, Michigan 20
Others receiving votes: Georgia 148, South Carolina 128, Notre Dame 57, Houston 52, Stanford 43, Michigan 33, Utah 31, Boston College 15, Pittsburgh 6, Arizona 2, Arkansas 1, West Virginia 1, CENTRL MICHIGAN 1,