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

                                       WEEK 6 ACC WRAP UP
By Ralph Garcia & William Queen for Football Reporters Online
 
GEORGIA TECH – 49 FLORIDA STATE – 44
Coming into this game, Florida State looked to redeem its unpromising 2-3 record and turn their season around. Though they did put up a fight, the Seminoles still fell short of the W. Georgia Tech did what they do vs. every other team; run it down their throat. The Yellow Jackets stomped Florida State by going for 401 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. Luckily, the Seminoles managed to match the scoring. But then, the second half started. Sometimes, a team just goes flat after halftime and that’s exactly what happened here. They were up 28-21 at the half and then only managed 9 points the rest of the game. This game was just another blow to the new Florida State reputation. Head coach Bobby Bowden is getting older, bringing questions to their coaching staff, and with an overall record of 2-4, the Seminoles can’t afford to fall much further.
 
WAKE FOREST – 42 MARYLAND – 32
This is another key ACC match-up, which resulted in a Wake Forest hammering. Improving their record to 4-2, the Demon Deacons have quietly moved their way into the ACC title race. Quarterback Riley Skinner had another dominating game, throwing for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns. If I were a Wake Forest game, one thing that I would look out for is finishing the game. Maryland outscored them 15-0 in the fourth quarter. Though it was widely overlooked, another ACC team such as Virginia Tech or Miami may have made a fool of the Deacons if they don’t play 60 minutes. On a different note, Maryland, a team I had very high hopes for, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. I looked for the Terps to be one of the top contenders in the ACC Atlantic, but so far, they’ve only managed a 2-4 record.
 
DUKE – 49 NC STATE – 28
 
VIRGINIA TECH – 48 BOSTON COLLEGE – 14
The Hokies simply outmatched Boston College in this one. Producing more turnovers, total yards, and a better 3rd down conversion rate, Boston College was simply outmatched. 
 
MIAMI – 48 FLORIDA A&M – 16
Without doubt the easiest game for the Hurricanes this season, they didn’t disappoint, improving to 4-1 on the week. With Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech in the same side of the ACC as them, Miami cannot let its guard down.
 
NORTH CAROLINA – 42 GEORGIA SOUTHERN – 12
Causing six turnovers, the Tarheels flew through this one with an easy win. Though they were outscored by an odd 5-0 in the second half, it didn’t matter much; they were up 42-7 at the half.
 
VIRGINIA – 47 INDIANA – 7
Virginia continues to be consistently inconsistent, thrashing Indiana by a grand total of 40 points. Though, this is probably the most impressive win thus far for the Cavaliers.

Can UW Go From Winless to a Bowl Team?

By Nick Haswell-Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online

2008 was a forgettable year for the sports teams in the city of Seattle. The Seahawks had one of the worst records in the NFL at 4-12, ending the team’s consecutive NFC West run after 4 seasons. The Mariners finished with the 2nd worst record in Major League Baseball, behind the Washington Nationals. The Sonics fled town to Oklahoma City. The Washington Huskies basketball team underachieved and lost in the First Round of the College Basketball Invitational to Valparaiso at home. And then there was the Washington Husky football team. No one expected the Huskies to compete for the Pac 10 Conference title in 2008, but to think UW would finish the season without a victory would have been almost ridiculous. But the Huskies did finish the 2008 season with the school’s worst record at 0-12. That led to the firing of Head Coach Tyrone Willingham after 4 seasons that included a record of 11-37 with no bowl appearances. The Husky program had fallen on hard times, and it was hard to believe that in just 2000 that the program had finished with a #3 ranking after a Rose Bowl victory over Purdue. But since the firing of Rick Neuheisel in the summer of 2003 for lying about his participation in a NCAA Basketball Tournament office pool, UW has failed to record a winning season or make a bowl game.

The Huskies were determined to find a leader for their football program that could replicate the success of Don James. For anyone to achieve the level of success that James did at UW (153-57-2 record, 15 bowl games in 18 years, 6 Rose Bowls, and a 1991 National Championship) would be difficult. After conducting interviews with Fresno State Head Coach Pat Hill and Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach, UW hired USC Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian. The University of Washington Head Coaching job is a tough first assignment for a rookie head coach. But after just 6 games as head coach, it looks like the UW athletic department hired the right man to lead the program.

Going into the 2009 season, most prognosticators pegged UW to win 3 or 4 games. After 6 games, the Huskies have already won 3. A bowl game seemed like too much to expect for a team that went winless a season ago, was breaking in a new head coach, and had to compete in the Pac 10 Conference. But Steve Sarkisian has instilled a new attitude with these Huskies. One year ago, there was no fight left in these dogs. In 2009, one could see this would be a different team in the first game of the season, and this new fight in the Huskies was no more prevalent than in this past weekend’s game versus Arizona. Down 33-21 with less than 3 minutes left, UW came back to score 2 touchdowns in 18 seconds and held on to win 36-33.
With half the season left to go, has a good opportunity to reach the 6 win plateau and reach a bowl game for the first time since the 2002 season. Other than an almost certain win versus Washington State in the Apple Cup, though, the rest of the remaining schedule is not a cakewalk. The next four games will be a test to see where the Huskies can finish in 2009. There is only one home game, a visit from rival Oregon, in the next four games. Winning two of those games would go a long way toward helping the Huskies reach a bowl game. That might seem like a tall task to achieve, considering the Huskies have yet to win a game outside of Husky Stadium in 2009. But with Jake Locker at QB, and the new confidence brought to the Huskies by Steve Sarkisian’s staff, I wouldn’t bet against these Huskies.