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Select 17, Week 12

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 12, 2012

Texas A&M simultaneously pulled off its biggest win as a member of the SEC and former member of the Big XII last weekend. The Aggies and redshirt freshman superstar quarterback Johnny Manziel rocked the college football world by beating then-#1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. In doing so they cleared the path for Kansas State to play in the BCS Championship Game. All the Wildcats have to do is take care of business this weekend at Baylor then at home against a resurgent Texas Longhorns team two days after Thanksgiving. Kansas State emerged as the #1 team in the latest BCS standings, but they have to settle for the #2 spot in most polls – including this week’s BlogHawgs.com Select 17, where Oregon reigns supreme after picking up 6 of the 9 first place votes.

The Ducks looked strong once again on Saturday at Cal. They host Stanford this weekend in another late-season test. The Civil War awaits Oregon the following week, then a date in the Pac-12 Championship Game against either UCLA or USC. Meanwhile Notre Dame responded to its lackluster performance last week against Pittsburgh by knocking off Boston College on the road. The Irish head back home to take on Wake Forest this weekend before ending its regular season in the Coliseum against Southern Cal. Notre Dame has won ugly – key word, won – but will be tested by the Trojan offensive machine.

The SEC has six teams in this week’s BCS top 10 but none of them in the top three. Two teams have to lose before the SEC champion can realistically get a shot a seventh straight BCS crown. All three teams ahead of Alabama and Georgia (also sitting with one loss and a spot secured in the SECCG) have challenging games remaining, and one slip up could open the door just enough for the nation’s most powerful conference to once again appear in the last college football game of the season.

To the numbers…

Rank Team Votes LW
1 Oregon 150 2
2 Kansas St. 147 3
3 Alabama 125 1
4 Notre Dame 121 4
5 Georgia 120 5
6 Florida 100 6
7 LSU 90 7
8 Texas A&M 87 14
9 Florida St. 82 8
10 South Carolina 69 11
11 Ohio St. 65 10
12 Clemson 58 12
13 Stanford 47 16
14 Oklahoma 30 15
15 Oregon St. 21 13
16 Nebraska 20 17
17 Louisville 15 9

Others Receiving Votes: UCLA 13, Louisiana Tech 8, Texas 6, Rutgers 3

 

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Select 17, Week 11

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 6, 2012

The road to football Armageddon has been cleared thanks to late game heroics by Alabama and Notre Dame, a gritty home win by Kansas State, and a dominant offensive road performance by Oregon. As noted last week, all four teams have limited challenges remaining. This week, though, Bama has a suddenly tough game against Texas A&M and their high-powered offense. How will the Tide respond after an emotional win in Baton Rouge? Notre Dame travels to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College in the Catholic Bowl. Will their luck finally run out this weekend after two near/should-have-been losses at home in the past month? Kansas State hits the road this week to take on TCU, which has struggled quite a bit in its first season as a member of the Big XII. And Oregon hits the road again, this time heading to Berkeley to take on an unraveling Cal team.

If Alabama was playing on the road again this week, I’d be tempted to call for the Aggie upset. They run a completely different offense than Bama has seen this year and are playing with a ton of confidence right now. I’ll take the Aggies and 2 touchdowns (the line is currently Bama -13.5) but Bama to win. Notre Dame hasn’t looked very good offensively, but Boston College is pretty bad. The Irish should get to 10-0 this weekend. Kansas State needs to watch out for a road letdown,  but TCU’s defense – usually its strength – is one of the worst in the country this year. Bill Snyder should pick up another road win in his magical season back in Manhattan. Oregon looks to be the safest bet for a win, even if it’s on the road. The Ducks gave up a ton of points to Southern Cal, but they can easily score enough to beat a 3-7 California team with what most believe is a lame duck coach.

Georgia made up a lot of ground this weekend, narrowing the gap between them and Notre Dame to just one point in our poll. The Bulldogs play their annually rivalry game with Auburn this week, needing only a win against the pathetic War Damn Eagle Tigers to cinch the SEC East. A Bulldog win coupled with another lackluster Irish performance against a lousy team could knock Notre Dame down to a peg despite their undefeated record. Despite having 4 teams in the Top Ten, the SEC is just one Alabama loss from being a long shot to play for its 7th consecutive BCS championship.

To the numbers…

Rank Team Votes LW
1 Alabama (9) 153 1
2 Oregon 142 2
3 Kansas St. 137 3
4 Notre Dame 113 4
5 Georgia 112 6
6 Florida 100 7
7 LSU 89 5
8 Florida St. 83 8
9 Louisville 81 9
10 Ohio St. 70 10
11 South Carolina 62 12
12 Clemson 61 11
13 Oregon St. 45 13
14 Texas A&M 42 16
15 Oklahoma 31 17
16 Stanford 28 14
17 Nebraska 10 NR

 

Others Receiving Votes: Louisiana Tech 7, UCLA 7, Rutgers 2, Texas 1, Luck of the Irish 1

 

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Select 17, Week 10

Posted by Brett Kincaid on October 30, 2012

Are we really entering the 10th week of college football? My, my time drags when you’re not having any fun at all. I feel like the season should be over by now. After their second Little Rock meltdown of the season, it appears the 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks feel about the same way. Sitting at 3-5 with four games left on the schedule, Arkansas needs to win at least three games against Tulsa, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and LSU in order to even qualify for a bowl game this year. The Hogs will certainly be sizable underdogs at Columbia and Starkville, and again at home against LSU the day after Thanksgiving. Arkansas is actually laying 7 points at home this week to Tulsa (any takers?), but winning any of the other games would be considered an upset by anyone. The point: Arkansas will very likely miss a bowl game for the first time since 2008. The Hogs also missed post-season play in 2004, got to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2000 (losing it to finish with a 6-7 record), and missed bowl games in 1996 and 1992. Presidential election years have not been kind to the Razorbacks.

Other teams – like Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State, and Notre Dame – have no such problems. All four remain unbeaten this year, and all four could definitely end the season undefeated. The Crimson Tide and Ducks both face big challenges this weekend, though. Alabama must travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU, while the Ducks fly south to take on Southern Cal. The Fighting Irish is on let-down alert when they host Pitt on Saturday afternoon, while Kansas State has revenge on its mind Saturday night when Oklahoma State comes to the Little Apple.

Kansas State has the easiest path to perfection. If they can get past Okie State this weekend, they have road games left against TCU and Baylor, and Texas in Manhattan to end the season. After this weekend Notre Dame has a similarly weak field ahead of it with only a road trip to Southern Cal the real danger along with dates against Boston College and Wake Forest on its schedule.

The current #1 and #2 in the Select 17 poll have the most difficult schedules remaining. If Bama passes a huge test this weekend, they get a dangerous Texas A&M squad before slowing down with Western Carolina and Auburn before the SEC Championship Game – against either Georgia or Florida. Oregon plays three times on the road in the final four weeks. They’re at USC this weekend, then at Cal, home for Stanford, and at Oregon State for the annual Civil War. If they survive that schedule, they plan the Pac-12 Championship Game, likely against Southern Cal (again) or UCLA.

As you have probably realized at this point, the two teams with the clearest paths to Miami both avoid a conference championship game. If both Notre Dame and Kansas State finish undefeated, you can bet a one-loss SEC or Pac-12 champion will not make the BCS Championship Game – to the delight of many and murderous rage of many more. The good news, at least for people like me, is that this nonsense all comes to an end in the 2014 season when the 4-team playoff format finally helps college football settle its business on the field.

To the rankings…

Rank Team Votes LW
1 Alabama (9) 153 1
2 Oregon 138 2
3 Kansas St. 137 3
4 Notre Dame 121 6
5 LSU 108 5
6 Georgia 106 13
7 Florida 93 4
8 Floirda St. 84 10
9 Louisville 81 14
10 Ohio St. 68 12
11 Clemson 61 15
12 South Carolina 48 NR
13 Oregon St. 38 7
14 Stanford 29 NR
15 Mississippi St. 28 11
16 Texas A&M 26 NR
17 Oklahoma 17 8

Others Receiving Votes: Boise St. 10, Louisiana Tech 9, Southern Cal 4, Texas Tech 4, Rutgers 1

 

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BlogHawgs Heisman 5+1, Week 7

Posted by Brett Kincaid on October 16, 2012

Heisman 5+1 author, Kris Boyd

Be sure to follow @Heisman5plus1 on Twitter

Heeeeey!  We welcome back an actual warm body to fill the +1 spot (Editor’s Note: Even if it is Someone Named Beau Blankenship) .  Geno Smith lost, but looking at his line you would not have guessed WVU was destroyed.

Optimus Klein continues to carry K-State on his back.  Braxton Miller continues to give naysayers the finger.  The middle.  And, we have a freshman sighting!  Did you know Johnny Manziel’s nickname is “Johnny Football”?  Me neither.  They need to give that some more “pub”.

1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia  (2,271 yards passing, 75.3%, 25 TD’s, 0 INT’s)  Geno didn’t win, but going undefeated is not pre-requisite for winning the Heisman.  He’s still clearly the front runner.

2. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State  (1.074 yards passing, 66.9%, 7 TD’s, 2 INT’s; 510 yards rushing,  5.2 ypc, 10 TD’s)  Klein Sol cleaned up on the ground against the upset-minded Cyclones.  New week’s matchup between Kansas State and West Virginia could very well determine the Heisman race.

3. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State  (1,271 yards passing, 60.4%, 11 TD’s, 4 INT’s; 912 yards rushing, 7.1 ypc, 9 TD’s)  Ohio State probably should have lost against Indiana and Miller was not as impressive as his numbers looked.  That being said OSU still won and Miller still led them there.

4. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M  ( 1,680 yards passing, 67.4%, 14 TD’s, 3 INT’s; 676 yards rushing, 7.4 ypc, 10 TD’s)  Heeeeeere’s Johnny… (Editor’s Note: Manziel’salready nationally overused nickname was here but has been redacted to preserve my sanity)  TAMU has been handed a few games… one by Coach Freeze and one by officials, but still, a freshman putting up those numbers during wins in the SEC is impressive.

5. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon  (727 yards rushing, 6.3 ypc, 9 TD’s; 112 yards receiving, 1 TD)  Kenjon was OFF last week.  He did not have a BYE week.

+1. Beau Blakenship, RB, OHIO  (951 yards rushing, 4.8 ypc, 6 TD’s; 125 yards receiving, 1 TD) 

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