Week 13 NCAA Predictions

By Max Baez
Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online

Alabama @ Auburn

The Iron Bowl. No one outside of Auburn thinks the Tigers have a shot, and for good reason. Auburn has lost four of six, with the defense being a bit shaky down the stretch. Alabama coming into town is certainly not good news, as they excel in every area of the game. Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide should cruise to victory and then get ready for the biggest game of the year next season, when Alabama will play Florida for a shot to go to the BCS Championship Game.

Alabama 31, Auburn 20


Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma

This is unbelievable, but a loss here means Oklahoma is a 6-6 team. Quite the fall for a team that was in the national title game last year and started the season ranked in the top 5, but injuries have clearly played a role. Oklahoma State has really had a great season, going 9-2 so far, even with the loss of their best player, Dez Bryant. Oklahoma’s defense has not been particularly strong this season, which is good news for the potent Oklahoma State offense. For whatever reason, Oklahoma is an 8 point favorite this week – guess reputation can go a long way sometimes. Okie State will go into Norman and claim victory.

Oklahoma State 35, Oklahoma 27


Utah @ BYU

Another episode of a vicious rivalry, which doubles as a culture war. Both teams are real solid this year, as has been the case most of the past few seasons. However, it has always felt like BYU has been a little better this year, even if they both have the same record. I like BYU in this one because of their explosive offense. Expect a solid day from QB Max Hall.

BYU 28, Utah 16


Georgia @ Georgia Tech

Georgia has had a disappointing year, Georgia Tech has not. The Yellow Jackets, playing in the ACC Championship Game next week, would certainly love to beat their in state rival for the second straight year. Considering how mediocre Georgia has been all season, that won’t be too tough a task. With the wishbone offense and some tough defense, Georgia Tech wins and prepares for the chance to make a BCS bowl game.

Georgia Tech 24, Georgia 10


Notre Dame @ Stanford

Will this be Charlie Weis’ last game? Will they let him coach the bowl game? It’s pretty clear to most that he needs to get fired, and this game will show exactly why. Stanford, with less talent, and a coach that has been there for less time, is going to absolutely work the Irish. Stanford had a tough break last week in the Big Game, but they still have an offense that will give Notre Dame fits – and the Irish are going to have a ton of trouble stopping Toby Gerhart. Notre Dame should put up good offensive numbers, but the Cardinal will pull away in the second half.

Stanford 44, Notre Dame 24


Five other games to watch: Nebraska @ Colorado, Pittsburgh @ West Virginia, Florida State @ Florida, Arizona @ Arizona State, Arkansas @ LSU

Week Eleven NCAA Predictions

By Max Baez
Reporter for Football Reporters Online

Ohio State @ Michigan

Yes, the great rivalry, Ohio State vs. Michigan……oh wait, one of these teams is pretty bad, the other is consistently overrated. Great. Okay, well it’s nice that these two still absolutely hate each other, making this game a whole lot more exciting. Michigan has been absolutely terrible the last month and a half, but they are at home, and the Big House is never easy to play in. However, Ohio State has pretty much owned Michigan over the last decade, and this will be Ohio State’s last opportunity to win a game this season, as they will get blown out by whoever they play in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State wins big, and Rich Rod gets to wonder if he keeps his job.

Ohio State 24, Michigan 7


LSU @ Ole Miss

The third and fourth. Ole Miss has been a disappointment, going from a top 10 team to unranked, with Jevan Snead being the biggest disappointment on the team. LSU has a good record, and wins the games its supposed to, although rarely looks that great doing it. I think this game has upset written all over it. Ole Miss looked pretty good last week in disposing Tennessee, and LSU’s penchant for being “just good enough” will cause them problems in this road game against a talented team. Look for Dexter McCluster to have another massive game in a big win for the Rebels.

Ole Miss 20, LSU 14


Cal @ Stanford

The Big Game! Cal looked good last week against Arizona, well, Arizona blew the game, but at least Cal showed some signs of life. Stanford though, damn! The way they beat USC, absolutely wrecking them and embarrassing them, was incredible. They are clearly a team that gets better every week, and at this point, I think a lot of people will vote for Toby Gerhart for Heisman. The Cardinal are one of the hottest teams in the country and are clicking at the right time, as they should be able to put up a lot of points and rule this rivalry for this season.

Stanford 38, Cal 20

UConn @ Notre Dame

I think at this point, the writing is on the wall for Charlie Weis. He simply hasn’t gotten the job done, and his recruiting victories haven’t meant a whole lot on the field. Notre Dame wants to be among the elite programs in America, and it simply isn’t going to happen under Weis. This is the type of game the Irish have lost under Weis too: home games against smaller programs with decent, but not great, teams. I can’t even count how many times the Irish have lost games like this the past few weeks. Look for a UConn win, and for Weis’ really hot seat to heat up more.

UConn 23, Notre Dame 20

Oregon @ Arizona

I was certainly very wrong about Arizona last week. When making my predictions, I forgot I was talking about Arizona, the team that shows life, but then chokes it away when it matters most. The bad news for Arizona is that they still control their own destiny to go to the Rose Bowl, which surely means that my alma mater will choke away the game this week against the high-octane Oregon offense. This should be an offensive shootout, but Arizona’s defense has struggled at times this year, and my gut instinct just tells me that Arizona will only start winning again when they don’t control their own destiny. After this week, they won’t (which, in turn, means they will beat ASU next week.)

Oregon 41, Arizona 34


Five other games to watch: UNC @ Boston College, Oklahoma @ Texas Tech, Air Force @ BYU, Penn State @ Michigan State, Kansas @ Texas

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

NCAA Predictions Week 6

By Max Baez
Contributing writer Football Reporters Online


Last week, we discovered a few things. Firstly, LSU may be a top 10 team (I still don’t think they are a top 5 team) for reasons I’ll discuss in a little bit (as their game against Florida is definitely the game of the week.) Secondly, the U is a 10 win team as they have already finished up their hardest games. Thirdly, I’m still wondering what happened to Cal. They did this a few years ago; remember when they were ranked second in the country then pretty much lost out to finish 6-6? They looked like a top 10 team early on, but I think they might not be able to recover from their collapse this season. They have looked like a bottom feeder the last two weeks, and while they have some solid talent, I think they will be mediocre from here on out, especially since they already know that they have no shot at getting to a BCS game. Anyway, for my top 5 games of the week:


Nebraska @ Missouri

I’m excited for a few years from now, when this game could be a battle of the Gabberts: Blaine for Missouri, and his brother Tyler at QB for Nebraska (Tyler is a HS senior headed to Lincoln next season.) However, this is a game of top 25 teams now, and while its probably still unfathomable to the Nebraska faithful that they don’t steamroll Mizzou every year, that’s the new reality for the Cornhuskers. Missouri has been a big surprise on the back of Blaine Gabbert, and I expect another win for the Tigers this week. The matchup of the great Missouri offense against the tough Nebraska defense should be a lot of fun to watch.

Missouri 24, Nebraska 17


Georgia @ Tennessee

An absolute must win for both. Tennessee already has three losses, Georgia has two. Tennessee’s season is lost with a loss, and considering how much talking Lane Kiffin did in the offseason, he can’t get away with it just because it’s his first season. Georgia is definitely the better team of the two, especially since Tennessee’s offense is barely an offense, but going to Neyland Stadium is never easy, and Tennessee is still pretty competitive on the defensive side of the ball. However, I really can’t pick against Georgia here. Too much on the line, and too much of a need for a W at this point of the season. The Bulldogs get the revival they need.

Georgia 20, Tennessee 13


Alabama @ Ole Miss

Remember when Ole Miss was a top 5 team? That once happened? Oh wait, it was two weeks ago. Okay, so we all know they never should have been ranked that high, but if they want to prove something, they will use this home game to knock off the Tide. Easier said than done, as Alabama has looked phenomenal this season. Jevan Snead really needs to turn it around for the Rebels if they want to be one of the better SEC teams, but playing the Alabama defense isn’t the best recipe for that. Bama is simply the more complete team, but this one will be close.

Alabama 21, Ole Miss 17


Florida @ LSU

Firstly, about LSU, I think I’ve figured it out. They don’t put up great numbers on offense or defense, so many think they are overrated and not that great. However, that’s not it. They are simply a team that knows how to win. They are that team that will underwhelm you all game, but keep it close, then in the end, have some big play and get the win. That’s what happened at Georgia last week, and they will have similar things happen to them all season. As for the Gators, we all know what the big question is. Will he play? How effective can #15 be? Really, in a road game this tough, the Gators need Tebow, otherwise LSU might just do what they did last week. However, the man who is literally God to the Gator faithful will play. He’s Tim Tebow, he doesn’t miss this game. He also doesn’t lose it.

Florida 28, LSU 17


Michigan @ Iowa

Which Iowa team will show up this week? Will it be the one that crushed Iowa State and soundly beat Penn State, or the one that needed two blocked kicks to beat Northern Iowa? How about that same team that squeaked out a win against Arkansas State? With Iowa, you just don’t seem to know this year, but they have managed to win every game so far. As for Michigan, that was a real tough loss last week, not only losing to Michigan State but doing it in overtime. It’s really terrible for them, especially since Sparty has been more a fairy this season. As for this game, I really like Michigan this year, outside of that game last week. I think Tate Forcier is one of the best freshmen in the country and could definitely be a Heisman quality player by his junior year. They can do good things on both sides of the ball, and can beat an inconsistent Iowa team. However, I’ve picked the road game in three of the other games on here, so can I really pick the road team in another? I think I’m going to have to trust my gut and do it.

Michigan 23, Iowa 13


Five other games to watch: Boston College @ Virginia Tech, Auburn @ Arkansas, Wisconsin @ Ohio State, Oregon @ UCLA, Arizona @ Washington

Last week: 3-2
Season to date: 11-4

Week five NCAA Predictions
By Max Baez
Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online

What a week last week was. Ole Miss showed it was certainly no where near a top five team, Miami flew back to earth, and Oregon skyrocketed off the planet. Definitely some intriguing games coming up this week as conference play is about to heat up, and maybe a few pretenders will be separated from the pretenders this week. Two games that really had potential to be marquee matchups (Oklahoma/Miami and Cal/USC) lost a good deal of their luster with Miami and Cal’s performances last week, but this week is really important for those two if they want to get into the BCS picture at the end of the season.

LSU @ Georgia

This is a tough game to predict. On one hand, #4 LSU is definitely not the fourth best team in the country, at least in my opinion. On the other hand, Georgia isn’t really that great either. They needed a last second field goal to beat Arizona State, a team that will probably finish in the bottom half of the Pac-10, and their defense hasn’t looked good in their other games. However, I do like the Bulldogs in this one, for two reasons. First is their home field advantage, and secondly, their offense has been pretty impressive. This could involve into a mini shoot out, and that’s why I like Georgia: their receivers are better (especially since they have AJ Green) and QB Joe Cox has been solid.

Georgia 42, LSU 31


Oklahoma @ Miami

Will Sam Bradford be back? That’s the big question going into this battle of elite programs. Miami’s comeback took a hit last week when they got drubbed by Virginia Tech, but at least they get to host the Sooners in this one. However, Sam Bradford or no Sam Bradford, Oklahoma is a really good team. Their defense has only allowed 14 points all season, and that includes games against two really good offenses in BYU and Tulsa. Miami is still on the upswing, but Oklahoma is simply the better team, and since Landry Jones has been playing well in place of Sam Bradford, I’m thinking the Sooners can win this one either way.

Oklahoma 24, Miami 14


USC @ Cal

This game would be way bigger if Cal had won last week. If so, this game would have been an opportunity for Cal to be a great position to win the Pac-10. However, last week Oregon cleared something up: Cal won’t be winning the Pac-10. Cal got beat in every way, and after being completely exposed, they get to face the Pac-10’s best team. Now, for USC, they simply don’t lose these types of games. They will lose to Oregon State or Washington, but not a Pac-10 power. It doesn’t matter if the game is on the road. USC is USC, and USC this game. Plus, Matt Barkley is supposed to be back, just adding fuel to the USC bandwagon (to win this game, at least).

USC 35, Cal 20


Auburn @ Tennessee

Auburn isn’t ranked in the top 25, but they haven’t looked like an unranked team. The firing of Tommy Tuberville (and subsequent hiring of Gene Chizik) was highly criticized, but things are looking great at Auburn, especially on offense. Tennessee is their toughest test so far this season, but the Volunteers haven’t looked particularly strong this season, with wins against miniscule programs and a loss against UCLA. Tennessee looks like they will improve in the future under Lane Kiffin, and they have some good players for the future like RB Bryce Brown, but Auburn’s lowest point total this season is 37 points, and they should score a good amount against Tennessee as well.

Auburn 38, Tennessee 30


Arkansas @ Texas A&M

This game was selected on default. Really, any of the five other games to watch could have been picked for this (well, maybe not the military academy one), but both of these programs are improving, and games at neutral locations are always fun, especially when it’s at a stadium with the biggest TV screen in the world (okay, well that’s bad logic, but the neutral site should give this game a unique atmosphere.) As for who is going to win, Arkansas looks like they are emerging faster than the Aggies. Their offense looks great, and QB Ryan Mallett is just going to get better with every game, so I’ll go with the Razorbacks. Bobby Petrino’s offense certainly looks a lot better this year than it did a year ago.

Arkansas 34, Texas A&M 20


Five other games to watch: Wisconsin @ Minnesota, Michigan @ Michigan State, Florida State @ Boston College, UCLA @ Stanford, Air Force @ Navy

Last week: 3-2
Season to date: 8-2

Week 4 NCAA FBS Predictions
By Max Baez Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online


The marquee story of the third week of the college football season were clearly the events in Seattle, where an uberconservative approach by USC caused them to lose to Washington. Aaron Corp showed why Matt Barkley was named their initial starter, and many are still wondering what in the world happened to Mitch Mustain. Lots of teams are starting up their conference schedules this week, which makes for a solid weekend of football. Now, for the five games to watch this weekend, at least in my mind:

Ole Miss @ South Carolina

I don’t know what’s up with South Carolina and playing on Thursday night, but this is already their second appearance there this year. Ole Miss is already ranked number four in the nation, and this is their first true test. South Carolina looks like they can be solid on both sides of the ball. Against North Carolina State, they were great defensively, while the offense looked great against Georgia. They haven’t put it together on both sides of the ball in a big game yet this year (they’ve only had two), but if they can, they can definitely pull the upset at home. Stephen Garcia looks like he will be a great QB for the future, but while part of me wants to take South Carolina and the upset, my gut is just telling me that the talented Rebels will pull out a close win.

Ole Miss 24, South Carolina 20


North Carolina @ Georgia Tech

These are definitely two rising programs, and you can say Georgia Tech has already risen after their performance last year. Georgia Tech was embarrassed last week at Miami, and took a major hit by the pollsters, falling out of both polls. While North Carolina is ranked, I don’t think they are the better team. They looked pretty flat in their one semi-difficult game this year, a road game at UConn, while Georgia Tech still has a strong run game and defense, outside of last week’s mishap. Georgia Tech gained a reputation as a tough team last season, and I think they are going to be real hungry this week, so expect them to run all over the Tar Heels.

Georgia Tech 28, North Carolina 10


Cal @ Oregon

Many have given up on Oregon after the bad start to the season against Boise State (and then losing LeGarrette Blount for the season), but Oregon has recovered nicely, with wins against Purdue and Utah. Cal is a solid all around team, but this game is going to be a test. Autzen Stadium is a very tough place to play, and you can guarantee that the Ducks don’t want to start the season 2-2. However, Cal matches up well against Oregon. The Oregon offense won’t be able to pass at all on Cal’s stellar secondary, and Cal will be able to stack the box and make themselves more effective against the run. My guess is that we will see Cal pull out the solid road win and put itself in a great position to start the Pac-10 season.

Cal 24, Oregon 13


Miami @ Virginia Tech

And here goes my upset of the week. Virginia Tech is good all around, just like they tend to be. Very well coached, good defense, solid offense – they are a very good team. They’ve also been tested, already playing Alabama and Nebraska. However, Miami looks electric this year. Jacory Harris is the real deal at QB (and looks better than his adversary in this game, Tyrod Taylor), and while the defense didn’t look good against Florida State, they really showed up strong against the vaunted Georgia Tech run offense. Miami has already won two big games, and they are filled with confidence. They’ve had two extra days than Virginia Tech to prepare for this one, and I think it will pay off, with Miami winning a close one. Jacory Harris could become a darkhorse Heisman candidate with a win here, if he hasn’t already.

Miami 23, Virginia Tech 20


Iowa @ Penn State

With a schedule featuring the likes of Akron, Syracuse, and Temple, Penn State better have the record it currently has: 3-0. Now, their first conference game of the year has Iowa coming to town, and the stars are well aligned for a Penn State win. Iowa has gotten off to a 3-0 start, but nearly lost to FCS team Northern Iowa, and simply doesn’t have the talent that Penn State has on either side of the ball. Also, Penn State will surely be out for revenge against the Hawkeyes. Penn State lost one game last year, which was at Iowa, and if they had won out, Penn State would have played for a national title. The circumstances simply favor a Nittany Lions victory.

Penn State 24, Iowa 7


Five more to watch: TCU @ Clemson, Arkansas @ Alabama, Arizona State @ Georgia, Texas Tech @ Houston, South Florida @ Florida State

Last week’s record: 5-0