Is it really week 14? Seems like just yesterday we were all getting ready for the season to start. It's basically rivalry week all over the country 1. ND at USC. Not much on the line other than getting a win. 2. Michigan at Ohio State. Big for OSU still need some style points to make the committee love you. 3. TCU at Texas ...tough game I think for the Horned Frogs, on the road against an improving Texas team. I think we can pull the upset, but if TCU has their way with us then it really helps their case. 4. LSU at Texas A&M...the new Aggie rivalry. If it takes it could be a good one. The schools are geographically close and their is bad blood. But the game is meaningful only to the teams/fans. 5. Neb at Iowa. I imagine a loss to the Hawkeye will not be well received in Lincoln. This is another border war, between two teams that don't have much history till Neb moved to the B10 6. Ark at Missouri... well Missouri was supposed to be dead by now having lost at both A&M and Tennessee but here they are getting a home game that is really for all the marbles. They are catching Ark at the wrong time though, the Hogs are on the rise and this game is huge for them. I hope Missouri wins. 7.Stanford at UCLA ....big game in the Pac12 8. AZ State at AZ ...huge game for teams and Pac12 9. GA.Tech at Georgia... means nothing both teams are done with conference schedule... but a rivalry game never the less. 10. Fla at FSU ...can Muschamp go out with a bang? Zoom did. 11. Miss State at Ole Mills....MSU. must win this game and look good doing it or they risk getting jumped by 5,6 or 7. 12. Baylor at Texas Tech... win or die for Baylor. 13. Auburn at Alabama...revenge to the max as well as win or die. 14. Wash at vs Wazzu...rivalry Apple Cup. 15. Oregon at Oregon State... win or die.
I saw, but didn't read, an article on Marshall. It's been talked about for several weeks now how unfair the playoffs are to Marshall, esp unfair how they aren't 't ranked in the top 25. Now good for Marshall for having an unbeaten season so far, but they play a week schedule and I don't see how anybody can say they are getting screwed. Now I'm sure somebody will bring up the Utah win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, the Boise State win over OU, and who could forget Louisville beating UF. But still I can't see how they are getting screwed in the playoff rankings. I bhope they get a good bowl game and beat some Power 5 conference team. But top 4 no way.
16. Tennessee at Vandy - Yes, Tennessee is a 17 point favorite in this one but two factors make me nervous: 1) Vandy has no hopes of a bowl game. They are like a wounded lion in these circumstances. They treat the last game of the year as their bowl game. 2) Tow of our best defensive players are still suspended. Missouri found the weakness without those players in the game and advertised it to Vandy. I still believe Vandy has no answer for the newly revived Tennessee offense and Tennessee will roll.
Well apparently a near brawl in last years Wisk/Minn game has led to a change in tradition. They are keeping Paul Bunyan's axe in the dressing room till the opposing team has left the field and then they can bring it out and celebrate. Wisconsin has won 11 years in a row. Also in the spirit of rivalries there is a Bell that is the trophy in the Duke vs North Carolina game. It get's painted the color of the school that wins. The North Carolina players did that and then took the paint to the locker room and defaced the visitors locker re oom. Now UNC will have to pay to have the locker room restored, apologies all around. The funny thing is that Larry Fedora sort of acts like he had no idea that this was going on, I guess he caught an early bus. :? :?
that's a shitty change. The dash for the axe is one of the best things in college football, even though it's been a while since Minnesota got to do it. There are worse things we can do as a society, like place lower emphasis on our own conduct and higher reliability on regulations to solve the problem.. but whatever, that's for another time. This game is so much fun.
I looked it up, this stupid rule is even worse than I thought. The winner of Paul Bunyan's Axe runs to the end zone after claiming the axe and then does a celebratory 'chopping down' of the goal post. It's just stupid kid fun. Well, 2 years ago, Coach Kill established a 'new' tradition of meeting in the end zone after every game. Somehow, Kill's 2 years trumps the previous 60something years since the Axe has been introduced. I was thinking Minnesota had a chance in this game, now I'm sure Wisconsin will thump them. Here's the video... this situation could have been A LOT worse than it was. http://youtu.be/zmpKLpeSaBs
1. ND at USC. Wow... It won't make you guys feel any better, but I'm really surprised by how the Irish finised. I thought you were on course for a big bowl... turnovers and injuries can do that - believe me I've seen it first hand. On the road... as always if EG can hold onto the ball you should have a good shot. 2. Michigan at Ohio State. Doesn't look like much of a game, but rivalries usually even the odds. Not so in this one. The Bucks have a double incentive to obliterate the Wovlies... 3. TCU at Texas - The weather will be nice, so I expect the Froggies to beat Charlie and Co pretty soundly. Get ready to face Arkie in a bowl game. 4. LSU at Texas A&M... Not a new rivalry... we've played and hated them for a long time. We've been stealing some players from the Hat... so he needs a win to slow us down. We need a win to steady the ship. QUESTION: Do the Aggies have any LB's left to field a defense? After losing 2 more in the 3rd quarter of the Mizzou game we didn't... 5. Neb at Iowa. No feel for this one. Iowa is not good, but the Huskers are listing badly... Flip a coin. 6. Ark at Missouri... Arkansas is still not a complete team. If the Reb offense hadn't continually dropped their defense into the grease that would have been a much more interesting game. If it was in Fayetteville I'd give the Hogs the nod, but in Columbia I'm guessing the Tigers squeak it out. Of course if BAD MAUK shows up... all bets are off. 7.Stanford at UCLA .... Surely the Bruin's have more at stake here, and home field so you'd think, but... 8. AZ State at AZ ... This one should clarify the division, and since they don't like each other to start, this should be one of the better games to watch. 9. GA.Tech at Georgia... I expect UGa to roll... which means they won't. Last time I watched GT, they were in the process of taking 5 turnovers from Pitt... never seen a game go haywire that fast before. 10. Fla at FSU ... Oh Lord... please, please, PLEASE let Muschamp get a win in his last game!! PLEASE!!!! 11. Miss State at Ole Miss.... The Rebs look like they are too beat up to get off the mat... which make me think they will give it a go. I just don't know if they have enough guns to keep this a fight for 60 minutes.. 12. Baylor at Texas Tech... Another of the embarrassingly BAD games on Baylor's schedule. If anyone deserves to be punished for a weak sched, it's the crew from Waco. 13. Auburn at Alabama... I would say "it's a rivalry game so all bets are off", but Bama has so many reasons stacked on reasons to be ready for this game... I think it'll end up a blow out. 14. Wash at vs Wazzu... C'mon Cougs, play a whole game! 15. Oregon at Oregon State... Please win Ducks... I want you to put the pedal to the metal on FSU, and show them what it's like to try to come back against a competent offensive team.
I feel like talking about Tennessee football for me is getting like it was for Cropdr talking Illinois football. :wink:
Tom, I hear everything you say about Tennessee. I've liked the Vols for years and am following their resurgence. So keep talking. I'm listening.
Down to the last throes of the regular season. FSU, Alabama, Oregon, and Miss State are in if they win, I think, but again it is a single elimination tournament for all except maybe FSU. All of the one loss teams still have a chance and also we have the conference championship games coming up, so we have another round in this "playoff". :shock:
Hopefully Oregon doesn't get the chance to see FSU in the playoffs... :wink: I don't agree that FSU can lose one of their two remaining games and still get in to the playoffs.
MCG, that's why I used the word "maybe". Although to be fair, why would they not still be in the hunt? Is Alabama losing to Ole Miss in the middle of the season better than FSU losing to Florida at the end of the season? Or Oregon losing to Arizona early? They will have as good an argument as anyone except maybe in the strength of schedule area. :?
Stu, Yeah it always has but I guess I thought maybe with a committee and all it might change. I'm not saying FSU should be in with a late loss but they would have as good an argument as any of the one loss teams would have. 8)
Vanderbilt coach is taking a page from Vandy history calling Tennessee "that school East of here". Just more motivation for Tennessee to unload on them. The key motivation is Vandy stands between Tennessee and bowl eligibility. We need the bowl practices!