The grind is over. It's time to let loose because there's no one left on our schedule who won't challenge us and fight us to the very end. Same goes for our TBD schedule, which could be an even more daunting task than what lies directly ahead. Forget about last year's epic three game gauntlet. The true test begins now.
The real battle for the East begins now.
Three teams left. In two weeks, one will emerge victorious and head to Indy with dreams of going even further. It might come down to who wants it more, who is hungrier. Make sure that team is us. The real battle for the East begins now.
Beat TSUN: Part 2 begins now.
Part 1 was a solid, but uninspiring success. But who can blame us for not caring about a directional school? It was the appetizer in a three-course meal. Now we're hungrier than ever. Beat TSUN: Part 2 begins now.
The Chase: Part 2 begins now.
Last year was all about embracing the underdog role. We surprised folks around the country week after week. This time around, there's no surprising anyone. We aren't the underdog. But that doesn't mean we will lose our edge in big games. We are still chasing. We're chasing back-to-back titles. The Chase: Part 2 begins now.
11-0 begins now. 24 straight wins begins now. 31 consecutive regular-season Big Ten wins begins now.
The final home game for our seniors begins now. Make it a good one.
I was on fire last week. Can I keep it going in week 12?
1. Oklahoma State implodes against Baylor in multiple-TD loss
Playoff hopes are still alive for both these teams, though the path is clearer for the Cowboys : win and they're in. But I expect an angry Baylor team to show up in Stillwater, as the Bears look to become a serious roadblock for Oklahoma State. Baylor makes things interesting in the Big 12 race with a 48 - 34 thumping of the Cowboys, who seem destined for a collapse.
2. Virginia Tech spoils North Carolina's special season in Beamer's final home game
The Hokies are 5 - 5, but have been competitive against all their opponents this year, even in their losses. They've picked up steam after beating Boston College and Georgia Tech but still look to get bowl eligible. With a coaching legend on the sideline for his final game in Blacksburg, these players will be giving it their all to send Frank out on a high note. The Tarheels have been playing lights-out since their week 1 loss but I think they fall victim to the trap game on Saturday. Hokies prevail, 30 - 27.
3. Ohio State drops 40+ on Sparty
Since the season opener, the Buckeyes have only exceeded 40 points twice, in wins against Maryland and Rutgers. Michigan State is undeniably the best team OSU will have faced so far, but the Spartan defense isn't quite as stingy as it has been the last two years. Still, they give up only 22 points per game on average and Ohio State has been inconsistent at times moving the ball. But I think this is where it all comes together for OSU's offense, as the Buckeyes make a statement in a 42 - 23 win.
4. Penn State ends Michigan's B1G hopes
The Wolverines were gashed on the ground by Indiana last week, and will have to get back to their earlier season form on defense to survive the Nittany Lions this weekend. Penn State is by no means an offensive juggernaut, but they always play considerably better at home. They've yet to lose one in Beaver Stadium in 2015 and I don't think they do this week. Nittany Lions knock off Michigan, 27 - 24.
5. An SEC team falls in non-league play
As usual, the rest of the country plays cupcakes while college footballs premier conference takes on some real competition. The SEC's non-conference gauntlet this week includes: Florida Atlantic, The Citadel, Idaho, Charleston Southern, Georgia Southern, and Charlotte. It's a tough slate, but the SEC is still expected to sweep the field, because S-E-C!, S-E-C!, S-E-C! However, I'm calling for a loss in there, despite how great the conference is. I just can't imagine the entire league making it through the weekend unscathed with that set of match-ups. And don't take my word for it, just listen to Alabama's Nick Saban talk up his FCS opponent.
It was the best week of the season so far for my bold predictions:
1. Oregon gives Stanford taste of their own medicine with upset win over Cardinal
This may be my best bold prediction of the year to date, as not too many people were expecting the Ducks to compete, let alone win this game. But win they did, with a score of 38 - 36, very close to my 37 - 34 prediction. With Stanford and Utah both losing their second games of the season, it now looks like a very real possibility that the Pac 12 will be excluded from this year's playoffs.
2. Oklahoma gets revenge on Baylor with double-digit win
Another prediction that I nailed, as the Bears struggled to move the ball consistently against a decent defense, and eventually fell to the Sooners, 44 - 34. There is still a lot of football to be played in the Big 12, but Oklahoma looks like they might be the top contender in that league. Their season finale showdown with Oklahoma State certainly looks like it could be a huge game, with serious playoff implications.
3. Slobs pave way for 300+ rushing yards vs Illinois
The Buckeyes were close, with 283 yards on the ground, but the Illini defense played much better than I expected overall and busted this prediction as a result. It's clear that the improved numbers for the Illinois defense show real progress on that side of the ball. But on the other side, Ohio State dominated on defense once again, allowing only 3 points and keeping the Illini from ever really threatening to end the Buckeyes' win streak. That said, OSU will have to be much better on offense going forward, as the competition gets drastically tougher from here on out, starting with Michigan State next week. For now, the Buckeyes will enjoy the 28 - 3 victory.
4. Iowa falls to Minnesota
The Gophers came up just short once again in their third straight week facing a ranked opponent. The Hawkeyes now need just one more win to clinch their division and a berth in the B1G championship. But they're likely eyeing much more than that, as they appear on the cusp of a top-4 ranking after a 40 - 35 win over Minnesota.
5. Missouri scores points
The Tigers not only scored points, but they exceeded their season scoring average with an offensive explosion of 20 points. And to top it off, it was even enough to beat BYU, who only managed 16 points. Perhaps the turmoil at Mizzou brought the football team closer together, rather than divide them as I thought it might. Or maybe BYU just isn't that good.
It was another wild finish for the Wolverines, but this time they managed to come out with the win despite being down by 7 with five seconds to play. They scored at the last possible moment, to send it to overtime and eventually came out on top. Perhaps the most surprising part of the game was not that the Hoosiers took Michigan to the brink, but how they did it. They ran on the Wolverines' vaunted rushing defense seemingly at will, especially late in the game. Indiana racked up 307 yards on the ground - nearly four times the average allowed by Michigan. It wasn't until Indiana finally attempted a pass in the second OT period, after 21 straight rushes, that the Hoosiers were stopped.
Harvard marching band pays tribute
A lot of university marching bands have done some pretty amazing stuff on the football field. Why can't the Ivy League-ers get in on the action too? Harvard did just that this weekend with this interesting formation. Can you read what they spelled?
That's right, they spelled "PENN"! They were of course honoring their opponent, University of Pennsylvania. That is what you guessed, right?
Ref tells Central Michigan band, cheerleaders to shut up
Isn't making noise kind of the point of home-field advantage? This ref doesn't think so and he was having none of it.
I decided that I will determine my rankings before the committee releases their top 25, but I will wait until afterwards to post them. That way, I can outline any major differences between my list and theirs. For example, this week, there is still the major difference of my top 4 including only the undefeated Power 5 teams (all of them now, with Baylor losing) and the committee having once-beaten Alabama and Notre Dame in theirs. I just think that a perfect resume trumps a one-loss record, even if that team has played a slightly tougher schedule. Some other big differences are that I have Houston and North Carolina much higher in my top 25, which again, shows that I am looking more favorably at the records and not weighing SoS quite as much. There are also some discrepancies in the 20-25 range, but really, there are a lot of choices for who could fill those spots and it doesn't matter that much at this point. For me, I see the lack of an elite team in the Pac 12 (with Utah and Stanford each taking losses this weekend) as evidence that it's one of the deeper leagues this year. They may not get a team in the playoffs, but they have some competitive 3-loss teams and that's why they round out the last 4 spots in my week 12 rankings.
The playoff field (for now):
1. Clemson (10-0), ACC
The Tigers had some trouble putting away Syracuse, but still have the strongest resume of any team, so they keep the top spot.
2. Ohio State (10-0), B1G ⇧1
The Buckeyes looked a little sluggish on offense against Illinois but had a dominating defensive effort. The performance on its own was not enough to justify a move up, but Oklahoma State's near loss to Iowa State was reason for the Cowboys to move down.
3. Iowa (10-0), B1G ⇧1
The Hawkeyes survived a good Minnesota team, and like Ohio State, move up because of Oklahoma State's struggles.
4. Oklahoma State (10-0), Big 12 ⇩2
The Cowboys needed a furious rally to beat the Cyclones, and that is why they dropped to number 4 in my rankings. They will have chances to climb, though, with games against Baylor and Oklahoma up next. But really, there is not much difference (in my mind) between any of my top 4 teams at this point.
Don't look ahead. We all know what's coming. But we can't look ahead. The moment after we look ahead, we will find ourselves looking back, wondering what went wrong. We can't look ahead.
Don't give back the Illibuck.
It's the first trophy we play for this year. Make sure it's not the last. Keep him in Columbus, where he belongs.
Don't sleep on the Illini.
They've caught us sleeping before and spoiled our quest for perfection. They would love to do it again and they are more than capable. Be ready and fight hard from the beginning. We can't be caught sleeping. Our honor defend.
Don't believe the hype.
Don't believe the hype about us. We are only as good as how well we play. All the previous wins and the accolades and our top 4 ranking don't matter on the football field. The only thing that matters is that we give everything we've got for our brothers. We will fight to the end.
Don't lose focus.
Remember why we play - and don't forget: this is a game. But it does matter. Because we play to remind ourselves that there is always something greater than ourselves. While we do battle on the football field, remember that there are those fighting on actual battlefields. Remember that there are people losing their lives and all that's at stake for us is the possibility of losing a game. That doesn't mean it doesn't matter. It might matter more because of that, actually. Fight hard because we're lucky and can enjoy life and freedom. Don't waste it. Fight hard for France. Fight hard for our country. For Ohio.
1. Oregon gives Stanford taste of their own medicine with upset win over Cardinal
Stanford has only beaten the Ducks three times since 2001, but each of those times Oregon entered the game favored and with possible championship aspirations, only to have their hopes ruined by a scrappy Cardinal team. This year, it's Oregon with the opportunity to play spoiler, as Stanford could be looking at a spot in the top 4 if they win out. The Ducks have steadily gotten better since their OT loss to Washington State, and while they haven't been the same team since Mariota left for the NFL, I think they find a way to win this game. Oregon stuns Stanford at home, 37 - 34.
2. Oklahoma gets revenge on Baylor with double-digit win
The Bears have embarrassed the Sooners a couple years in a row now, winning by a combined score of 89 - 26 over those two games. Vegas is predicting a close game in favor of Art Briles' team this year, and Baylor may indeed be playing with a chip on their shoulder after feeling disrespected by the CFP committee in consecutive weeks. But the Bears haven't faced a real challenge yet this season, while Oklahoma is much more battle-tested and, simply put, just looks like the better team to me. Baylor's offense stalls against the first quality defense they face, as Sooners win 38 - 28.
3. Slobs pave way for 300+ rushing yards vs Illinois
Ohio State has been running all over the Fighting Ilini since Meyer arrived in Columbus; the Buckeyes totaled 1067 yards on the ground in those three "rivalry" wins. But Illinois' run defense is decidedly better this year (allowing 139 yards per game vs 239 ypg in 2014, 238 ypg in 2013, and 193 ypg in 2012), and OSU's rushing attack is actually under-performing a bit compared to the previous 3 years as well (240 ypg vs 264 ypg in 2014, 308 ypg in 2013, and 242 ypg in 2012). But with Barrett back under center and the slobs starting to find their groove, I expect Ohio State to put up some big numbers on the ground. Zeke extends his streak of 100-yard games as the Buckeyes steamroll the Illini, 49 - 17.
4. Iowa falls to Minnesota
I'm picking on the Hawkeyes again this week. I actually really like Iowa - they play good, sound football and have beaten some decent teams. I just think the pressure of going undefeated will be too much for them to handle, and sooner or later they will lose. The Gophers could present an interesting challenge this week, as their defense should keep it close. I think Minnesota pulls off the upset, 24 - 20.
5. Missouri scores points
The Tigers' offense has been among the worst in the country this year, averaging a paltry 14.7 points per game, good for 127th (out of 128) among FBS teams. And that's even with early-season games against Southeast Missouri State, Arkansas State, and UConn. Considering the unrest in Columbia following the university president's resignation amid racial tensions, and the possible division even within the football team, I think we'll be lucky to see Missouri field anything resembling a competitive football team in their game against BYU this weekend. Throw in the fact that head coach Gary Pinkel just announced his retirement (due to health concerns) and you've got a recipe for an unfocused group of kids. BYU is no world-beater on defense, but they are in the top 40 in scoring defense nationally, so I think a shutout is a definite possibility. I'm going out on a limb, though, and saying that the Tigers put together at least one decent drive and score some points. Cougars still win, 20 - 3.
Clemson finally got over the hump and took down the reigning three-time ACC champions, Florida State. As a result, they won the Atlantic division and clinched a berth in the conference championship game. The 23 - 13 win solidified their spot at the top of the rankings as well. Maybe these Tigers won't have a letdown after all?
2. Alabama holds Fournette under 100 rushing yards
The LSU running back looked unstoppable in the Tigers' seven wins before Saturday's clash with the Crimson Tide. But against Alabama, Fournette looked pedestrian. He tallied only 31 yards on 19 carries as LSU fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, losing 30 - 16 to Alabama.
3. Ohio State's defense continues dominance on 3rd down, with conversion rate under 30% for Minnesota
The Silver Bullets dominated, but a late surge by the Gophers ultimately kept this prediction from materializing, as Minnesota converted 7 of 19 third downs, or 36.8%. Overall, it was still a brilliant defensive performance, which included a pick-six by Vonn Bell that provided a spark in a previously scoreless deadlock. The Buckeyes' offense was inconsistent, though, and it's now more apparent than ever that Barrett is the right QB for the job. It's a shame that the quarterback battle has progressed this way, though, as so many fans have forgotten or chosen not to acknowledge everything Jones has done for this team. Even with his struggles this year, he's done enough to win every game he's started in, including a 28 - 14 victory over the Gophers on Saturday night.
4. Hoosiers knock off undefeated Iowa
Indiana kept it close, but in the end they came up short once again against a superior opponent. The Hawkeyes remain undefeated with the 35 - 27 win and now look ahead to a potentially tricky night match-up with a decent Minnesota team.
5. I get all of these predictions wrong
So close...
Week 10 record: 1 - 4
Overall record: 12 - 38
Only six unbeatens remain, with lots of one-loss teams waiting in the wings
With LSU, Michigan State, TCU, Memphis, and Toledo all losing in week 10, we're down to just six teams with perfect records. Houston is the last unbeaten from the group of five, but likely won't get enough help to reach the playoffs even if the Cougars win out. And of the five undefeated Power 5 teams, at least two are guaranteed to lose before season's end because some will play each other. That means one or more one-loss teams will be in the playoffs. Right now the obvious first choice is Alabama, if they win out and claim another SEC title. But if they lose or if there are more upsets that allow other one-loss teams in, who's next? There are a slew of candidates out there, many with compelling arguments to be included. The winner of Notre Dame - Stanford could definitely be in the mix, or maybe even Utah, Florida, or Oklahoma if one of those teams wins out in impressive fashion. There's still a lot of football left to be played, but right now it's hard to guess who might get in, other than the remaining unbeatens.
Nebraska's luck turns around; Michigan State's luck runs out
Anyone who has payed attention to the Cornhuskers' season knows they're a better team than their record indicates. Five of their six losses were by 5 points or less, and four of those games were decided in the final seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime. The Spartans, on the other hand, have been on the right side of all of their close games this season - until now. Michigan State held a 12 point lead with less than two minutes to play, but a wild finish saw Nebraska score twice to win it, including a controversial call on the winning touchdown. The officials ruled that Brandon Reilly was pushed out of bounds before coming back onto the field to catch the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds left. I still don't see it, but the officials, and the Big Ten, have stuck with the original call. As a result, Cornhuskers ruined Michigan State's shot at a perfect season, as they beat the Spartans 39 - 38.
How 'bout them Hogs?
Arkansas trailed Ole Miss 52 - 45 in overtime, facing a daunting 4th-and-25 with the game on the line. What happened next was unbelievable:
I imagine that Alabama fans have to be drawing hearts around pictures of Bert after that wild finish, which erased the tie-breaker that Ole Miss held over the Tide. We already know that the win put Bert in the mood.
