Check out this highlight video of South Pointe High School (Rock Hill, South Carolina) product Jadeveon Clowney terrorizing anybody and everybody. This kid is ridiculous. I have never seen someone dominate in such a way that has the quarterback peeing his pants before the ball is even snapped to him.
Do you understand why he is the number one rated recruit this year? Clowney has yet to decide where he is going to school, but he has narrowed the list down to Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas Tech, and USC. In other words, all of the huge, storied programs that only get blue chip recruits year after year. Is it too late for him to add Boise State to the list? Send Coach Pete to South Carolina!
The most impressive thing is how fast he gets off the line. The tackle is sitting there watching his quarterback is getting a face mask buried in his rib cage before he even has the chance to fully come out of his stance and block Clowney. Basically, he looks like a once in a generation man/beast/yeti/monster/terror/player that anybody would be happy to have. It will be interesting to see where he decides to "further his education."
Showing posts with label LSU Tigers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LSU Tigers. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Bill Hancock Craps the Bed, Again
As if we, the oppressed college football fans of the United States of America, weren't sick enough of the heinous BCS system and its atrocities, Bill Hancock (the chosen "protector" of the BCS) has opened up a HUGE can of worms and fueled the anti-BCS fire into a blaze of brimstone-like hate for his recent comments. Go ahead and read it for yourself here and draw your own conclusions and ideas from the pile of garbage that it is.
Before I read this, what I perceived as the pageantry and excitement of a bowl game was what made me not want to give up the BCS system. In fact, I absolutely loved it more than any normal person should (read this post and see for yourself). Now I find myself back-peddling faster than a cornerback trying to cover Titus Young. This has made me realize that being able to travel to Mobile, Alabama to see your team play the Ohio Bobcats in the papajohns.com bowl does not make up for them missing out on the chance to prove themselves on the field. Call me a flip-flopper if you want, but a guy is allowed to change his mind when new evidence finds its way to the forefront.
The thing that upsets me the most and is beyond ridiculous is Hancock's tone. "TCU is lucky that they were even able to play in the Rose Bowl" is what he is saying.
If a playoff was in college football, who would be the George Mason? What 12 seed would upset a 5 and find themselves face to face with an Oklahoma or an Auburn? The athletes would tell stories for years and glory in the sack they got on Cam Newton, the interception of a Darron Thomas pass, scoring a TD on LSU, or almost upsetting Ohio State. That is what makes college sports so great. We see it every year in basketball, but not in football. It's not even an arguable point that the BCS is screwing us out of the chance to find a true national champion. But beyond that, it's screwing these players out of chance to make memories and stories that will last in their family lore forever. Miami (OH) vs. Middle Tennessee State does not do it for them like Miami (OH) vs. MIami (FL) would.
The main reason why I like college football better than the NFL is the fact that most of these kids play for the love of the game, for the chance to make the big play, pull the upset, have a chance to compete for something of value and worth, and to have something to enjoy during the stressful college years. Unfortunately, Bill Hancock makes them play his way because he loves money.
The fact that he has to justify himself over and over again in such adamant, condescending ways clearly proves that the system is broken. Our complaints make for a good start, but it's not enough. Eventually the uprising will be too much that not even a few out-of-context and possibly fake quotes from coaches and players that Bill Hancock throws at us will save his money-grubbing system.
It makes me think of Family Guy when during role call at the signing of the Declaration of Independence we learn that John Hancock's name used to be John Footpenis. Thus we see that in fact, Bill Hancock is a giant dick, regardless of the term for male anatomy that is used in his name.
Before I read this, what I perceived as the pageantry and excitement of a bowl game was what made me not want to give up the BCS system. In fact, I absolutely loved it more than any normal person should (read this post and see for yourself). Now I find myself back-peddling faster than a cornerback trying to cover Titus Young. This has made me realize that being able to travel to Mobile, Alabama to see your team play the Ohio Bobcats in the papajohns.com bowl does not make up for them missing out on the chance to prove themselves on the field. Call me a flip-flopper if you want, but a guy is allowed to change his mind when new evidence finds its way to the forefront.
The thing that upsets me the most and is beyond ridiculous is Hancock's tone. "TCU is lucky that they were even able to play in the Rose Bowl" is what he is saying.
If a playoff was in college football, who would be the George Mason? What 12 seed would upset a 5 and find themselves face to face with an Oklahoma or an Auburn? The athletes would tell stories for years and glory in the sack they got on Cam Newton, the interception of a Darron Thomas pass, scoring a TD on LSU, or almost upsetting Ohio State. That is what makes college sports so great. We see it every year in basketball, but not in football. It's not even an arguable point that the BCS is screwing us out of the chance to find a true national champion. But beyond that, it's screwing these players out of chance to make memories and stories that will last in their family lore forever. Miami (OH) vs. Middle Tennessee State does not do it for them like Miami (OH) vs. MIami (FL) would.
The main reason why I like college football better than the NFL is the fact that most of these kids play for the love of the game, for the chance to make the big play, pull the upset, have a chance to compete for something of value and worth, and to have something to enjoy during the stressful college years. Unfortunately, Bill Hancock makes them play his way because he loves money.
The fact that he has to justify himself over and over again in such adamant, condescending ways clearly proves that the system is broken. Our complaints make for a good start, but it's not enough. Eventually the uprising will be too much that not even a few out-of-context and possibly fake quotes from coaches and players that Bill Hancock throws at us will save his money-grubbing system.
It makes me think of Family Guy when during role call at the signing of the Declaration of Independence we learn that John Hancock's name used to be John Footpenis. Thus we see that in fact, Bill Hancock is a giant dick, regardless of the term for male anatomy that is used in his name.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bronco Chase's Bowl Picks, 7th Edition
Now that's more like it! As you already know, I started off this bowl season going about .500. That was before I reeled off and took home the "W" in 13 of the last 14 match ups. I had won eleven in a row before LSU snapped my streak much like Boise State did to Utah. All good things must come to an end. The most important and impressive thing is that I am 4-0 in BCS games.
Anyway, I come to you today with a heavy heart, reminiscing of days past. As soon as I click "Publish Post" today, I am done with actual games to write about on my blog. The season will be over. But do not fret my friends, Leon Rice has the Bronco mens basketball team cooking up something special in Taco Bell Arena. Let us go over the recap of my last batch of picks, and then I will unveil the winner of the National Championship game tonight.
Discover Orange Bowl
My prediction was Stanford wins 24 to 21
Final score: Cardinal 40, Hokies 12
AllState Sugar Bowl
My prediction was Ohio State wins 31 to 24
Final score: Buckeyes 31, Razorbacks 26
GoDaddy.com Bowl
My prediction was Miami (OH) wins 28 to 24
Final score: Redhawks 35, Blue Raiders 21
AT&T Cotton Bowl
My prediction was Texas A & M wins 24 to 21
Final score: Tigers 41, Aggies 24
BBVA Compass Bowl
My prediction was Pittsburgh wins 31 to 21
Final score: Panthers 27, Wildcats 10
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
My prediction was Nevada wins 28 to 21
Final score: Wolfpack 20, Eagles 13
Batch total: 5-1
Bowl totals: 22-12
Season total: 87-29
_____________________________________
As a reminder: if the word "prediction" has stars, then it is an upset. It will look like this:
*Prediction*:
Also, I have analyzed some of the games with a write up, but not all of them. I wrote on all the bowls were WAC teams are involved and the BCS Bowls. The others just have when, where, the bowl name, who's playing, and a score prediction. Finally, I am including these bowls in my season long record.
January 10th at 6:30 PM
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Glendale, Arizona
(12-0, 9-0 Pac 10)
vs.
(13-0, 8-0 SEC)
Line: Auburn favored by 3
This one is for all the marbles. Two of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NCAA and two of the worst defenses ever will face off with the National Title on the line. Cam Newton, is fresh off of buying, er winning the Heisman and is playing extremely well. Oregon is led by perma-lisped, and convicted criminal running back LaMichael James. The Tigers score an average of 42.7 point per game and the Ducks put up 49.3. Defensively, Oregon gives up 18.4 and Auburn allows 24.5. On paper, this looks like a fairly easy win for the Ducks. However, Oregon’s schedule has been JV compared to what Auburn has had to go through. Cal showed the world how to beat the Ducks. It involves an athletic, powerful defensive line that can get pressure on quarterback Darron Thomas and limit James in his yards per carry. Fortunately for the Tigers, they have just that, led by the man-yetti known as Nick Fairley.
It’s too bad we couldn’t see one of these great offenses versus a great defense in TCU or Boise State. Instead we will see a fast paced, high scoring affair in which many people will wish that there was a way for both teams to lose, blow up, die, or cease to exist in some crazy way. If you can’t tell, I don’t like either of these teams. If Auburn wins, Newton will feel even more entitled than he already does and it will teach our children that cheating, lying, and being dishonest pays off as long as you are a freak athlete and can will a team to win all by yourself. Also, we’ll have to hear for another year how amazing the SEC is. That fire will be fueled for a long time. If the Ducks win, we’ll have to sit here and hear it from their ridiculous, cocky, blow-hard fans about how awesome the Ducks are. Eugene will finally be known for something else besides being the place where “Animal House” was filmed. I don’t know if I want to live in a world where Oregon fan has free reign to talk as much junk as they will if their team wins. They easily forget that this is basically the same squad that lost to Boise State two years in a row, and it is basically the same Bronco team that beat/destroyed them.
In other words, the college football landscape will either be populated with SEC elitists, jumping on their soap boxes, throwing their Bibles to the side, brandishing their red necks and farmer tans in their overalls, and through missing teeth and gingivitis infected gums proclaim the flawed gospel that is football in the South. “We live, breathe, eat, and dream this stuff year round! Nobody can stop us!” Only to make things worse, Mark May will have a fit of pleasure in his pants just as he has the last 4 years when other SEC teams have won it all. I just can’t take his seeing ugly, elitist face on my TV screen building up that conference any more than he already has. Or we will see hemp bracelet-wearing, lucha libre mask-donning, unfounded cockiness-weilding Duck honk tooting his own horn and in the most condescending way imaginable talk smack to any other team that even looks at them, all in between lengthy bong hits and making the “O” with their hands (that looks strangely similar to another sign that symbolizes a part of the female anatomy…). It will be like the d-bag boyfriend who picks fights with another dude for thinking about looking at his girl. That is Oregon in a nutshell. This is the world we live in and unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. So here’s to hoping that a sniper perches himself in the rafters or press box of University of Phoenix Stadium and does us all a favor.
Anyway, the game will be high scoring. I think Auburn’s defense is better than it shows on paper and what was seen against some pretty good offenses in the regular season. Nick Fairley owns LaMichael James for most of the game. The lesser of two evils here is Oregon, I guess. I will be reluctantly rooting for the Ducks in Glendale tonight. I still do not like their chances. The main reason for my decision is my complete and utter loathing for all things SEC and Mark May related. I don't know if it will be this close.
Prediction: Tigers 45, Ducks 38
Bowl totals: 22-12
Season total: 87-29
Well there we have it. Make sure you are tuned into ESPN tonight to catch this one. It should be a high-scoring affair. Sit back and relax. But make sure you check back in tomorrow to get my take on the whole shebang.
Anyway, I come to you today with a heavy heart, reminiscing of days past. As soon as I click "Publish Post" today, I am done with actual games to write about on my blog. The season will be over. But do not fret my friends, Leon Rice has the Bronco mens basketball team cooking up something special in Taco Bell Arena. Let us go over the recap of my last batch of picks, and then I will unveil the winner of the National Championship game tonight.
Discover Orange Bowl
My prediction was Stanford wins 24 to 21
Final score: Cardinal 40, Hokies 12
AllState Sugar Bowl
My prediction was Ohio State wins 31 to 24
Final score: Buckeyes 31, Razorbacks 26
GoDaddy.com Bowl
My prediction was Miami (OH) wins 28 to 24
Final score: Redhawks 35, Blue Raiders 21
AT&T Cotton Bowl
My prediction was Texas A & M wins 24 to 21
Final score: Tigers 41, Aggies 24
BBVA Compass Bowl
My prediction was Pittsburgh wins 31 to 21
Final score: Panthers 27, Wildcats 10
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
My prediction was Nevada wins 28 to 21
Final score: Wolfpack 20, Eagles 13
Batch total: 5-1
Bowl totals: 22-12
Season total: 87-29
_____________________________________
As a reminder: if the word "prediction" has stars, then it is an upset. It will look like this:
*Prediction*:
Also, I have analyzed some of the games with a write up, but not all of them. I wrote on all the bowls were WAC teams are involved and the BCS Bowls. The others just have when, where, the bowl name, who's playing, and a score prediction. Finally, I am including these bowls in my season long record.
January 10th at 6:30 PM
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Glendale, Arizona
(12-0, 9-0 Pac 10)
vs.
(13-0, 8-0 SEC)
Line: Auburn favored by 3
This one is for all the marbles. Two of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NCAA and two of the worst defenses ever will face off with the National Title on the line. Cam Newton, is fresh off of buying, er winning the Heisman and is playing extremely well. Oregon is led by perma-lisped, and convicted criminal running back LaMichael James. The Tigers score an average of 42.7 point per game and the Ducks put up 49.3. Defensively, Oregon gives up 18.4 and Auburn allows 24.5. On paper, this looks like a fairly easy win for the Ducks. However, Oregon’s schedule has been JV compared to what Auburn has had to go through. Cal showed the world how to beat the Ducks. It involves an athletic, powerful defensive line that can get pressure on quarterback Darron Thomas and limit James in his yards per carry. Fortunately for the Tigers, they have just that, led by the man-yetti known as Nick Fairley.
It’s too bad we couldn’t see one of these great offenses versus a great defense in TCU or Boise State. Instead we will see a fast paced, high scoring affair in which many people will wish that there was a way for both teams to lose, blow up, die, or cease to exist in some crazy way. If you can’t tell, I don’t like either of these teams. If Auburn wins, Newton will feel even more entitled than he already does and it will teach our children that cheating, lying, and being dishonest pays off as long as you are a freak athlete and can will a team to win all by yourself. Also, we’ll have to hear for another year how amazing the SEC is. That fire will be fueled for a long time. If the Ducks win, we’ll have to sit here and hear it from their ridiculous, cocky, blow-hard fans about how awesome the Ducks are. Eugene will finally be known for something else besides being the place where “Animal House” was filmed. I don’t know if I want to live in a world where Oregon fan has free reign to talk as much junk as they will if their team wins. They easily forget that this is basically the same squad that lost to Boise State two years in a row, and it is basically the same Bronco team that beat/destroyed them.
In other words, the college football landscape will either be populated with SEC elitists, jumping on their soap boxes, throwing their Bibles to the side, brandishing their red necks and farmer tans in their overalls, and through missing teeth and gingivitis infected gums proclaim the flawed gospel that is football in the South. “We live, breathe, eat, and dream this stuff year round! Nobody can stop us!” Only to make things worse, Mark May will have a fit of pleasure in his pants just as he has the last 4 years when other SEC teams have won it all. I just can’t take his seeing ugly, elitist face on my TV screen building up that conference any more than he already has. Or we will see hemp bracelet-wearing, lucha libre mask-donning, unfounded cockiness-weilding Duck honk tooting his own horn and in the most condescending way imaginable talk smack to any other team that even looks at them, all in between lengthy bong hits and making the “O” with their hands (that looks strangely similar to another sign that symbolizes a part of the female anatomy…). It will be like the d-bag boyfriend who picks fights with another dude for thinking about looking at his girl. That is Oregon in a nutshell. This is the world we live in and unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. So here’s to hoping that a sniper perches himself in the rafters or press box of University of Phoenix Stadium and does us all a favor.
Anyway, the game will be high scoring. I think Auburn’s defense is better than it shows on paper and what was seen against some pretty good offenses in the regular season. Nick Fairley owns LaMichael James for most of the game. The lesser of two evils here is Oregon, I guess. I will be reluctantly rooting for the Ducks in Glendale tonight. I still do not like their chances. The main reason for my decision is my complete and utter loathing for all things SEC and Mark May related. I don't know if it will be this close.
Prediction: Tigers 45, Ducks 38
Bowl totals: 22-12
Season total: 87-29
Well there we have it. Make sure you are tuned into ESPN tonight to catch this one. It should be a high-scoring affair. Sit back and relax. But make sure you check back in tomorrow to get my take on the whole shebang.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Bronco Chase's Bowl Picks, 6th Edition
Now that's more like it! I have been suffering some tough bowl pick losses lately and I really needed a good day to make me feel better. I sure got it. I started off the new year at 4-0 before settling down to watch the two BCS Bowls that we were graciously offered by ESPN. TCU won the Rose Bowl. It was a great game and a few mistakes by Wisconsin (missed field goal, bad clock management at the end of the first half) cost them the game. Congratulations to the Horned Frogs. They won it for the non-AQ schools. Next came the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma found themselves in another lose/lose situation. If they win the game, then everybody says "Well they were supposed to. No biggee." But if the Sooners lose, the consensus is "They suck." But they took care of business and finally won a BCS game for Bob Stoops after 5 failed attempts. It was one of those games where Oklahoma dominated, but UConn hung around enough to not allow me to turn off the TV. Frustrating. I would venture to say this the Huskies are one of the worst teams to ever play in a BCS Bowl (2006 Pitt, 2008 Hawai'i). Another observation; did you notice that the vaunted SEC was 0-3 in bowl games before January 1st? Well things changed when Alabama blew out Michigan State, Mississippi State owned Michigan, and Florida hung tough against Penn State to send Urban Meyer off on a good note. Good for them. The conference really needed that boost. Anyway, let's recap the action and go from there.
TicketCity Bowl
My prediction was Texas Tech wins 35 to 28
Final score: Red Raiders 45, Wildcats 38
Outback Bowl
My prediction was Florida wins 24 to 21
Final score: Gators 37, Nittany Lions 24
Capital One Bowl
My prediction was Alabama wins 31 to 21
Final score: Crimson Tide 49, Spartans 7
Gator Bowl
My prediction was Mississippi State wins 35 to 34
Final score: Bulldogs 52, Wolverines 14
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
My prediction was TCU wins 21 to 18
Final score: Horned Frogs 21, Badgers 19
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
My prediction was Oklahoma wins 38 to 21
Final score: Sooners 48, Huskies 20
Batch total: 6-0
Bowl totals: 17-11
Season total: 82-28
__________________________
As a reminder: if the word "prediction" has stars, then it is an upset. It will look like this:
*Prediction*:
Also, I have analyzed some of the games with a write up, but not all of them. I wrote on all the bowls were WAC teams are involved and the BCS Bowls. The others just have when, where, the bowl name, who's playing, and a score prediction. Finally, I am including these bowls in my season long record.
January 3rd at 6:30 PM
Discover Orange Bowl
Miami, Florida
(11-1, 8-1 Pac 10)
vs.
(11-2, 8-0 ACC)
Line: Stanford favored by 3
I am really looking forward to this game. The Hokies have won 11 straight games after starting the season 0-2. The Cardinal’s only loss came at Autzen Stadium against Oregon. Both squads are playing extremely well and the Orange Bowl should be an epic clash. Virginia Tech is famous for their great defenses, but this year has been a down one for many people. I think Stanford actually has the better defense in this game. In college football, I would take Tyrod Taylor over Andrew Luck as far as play-making goes. Plus, the Hokies have three very talented and explosive running backs. The game will be close. The Cardinal will make enough stops throughout and possess the ball to keep Taylor off the field.
Prediction: Cardinal 24, Hokies 21
January 4th at 6:30 PM
AllState Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, Louisiana
(11-1, 7-1 Big 10)
vs.
(10-2, 6-2 SEC)
Line: Ohio State favored by 4
Arkansas earned their BCS Bowl the hard way this year. They faced a tough schedule and came out on top, losing only to Auburn and Alabama along the way. Ryan Mallett at quarterback is tough for anyone to stop, as well as the Hogs great receiving core. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have had a significantly week schedule and lost to the toughest team they played, which was Wisconsin. Still, Ohio States plays very well on defense and has the offense to compliment it well. Terrelle Pryor is developing into a very good pocket passer that uses his legs only when necessary. The Buckeyes are too talented and deep to lose this game. 2 BCS Bowl wins in a row for Jim Tressel. But more importantly, the Buckeyes finally beat an SEC team in a BCS Bowl game.
Prediction: Buckeyes 31, Razorbacks 24
January 6th at 6 PM
GoDaddy.com Bowl
Mobile, Alabama
6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt)
vs.
(9-4, 7-1 MAC)
Line: Miami (OH) favored by 2
Prediction: Redhawks 28, Blue Raiders 24
January 7th at 6 PM
AT&T Cotton Bowl
Arlington, Texas
(10-2, 6-2 SEC)
vs.
(9-3, 6-2 Big 12)
Line: LSU favored by 1
*Prediction*: Aggies 24, Tigers 21
January 8th at 10 AM
BBVA Compass Bowl
Birmingham, Alabama
(7-5, 5-2 Big East)
vs.
(6-6, 2-6 SEC)
Line: Pittsburgh favored by 3
Prediction: Panthers 31, Wildcats 21
January 9th at 7 PM
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
San Francisco, California
(12-1, 7-1 WAC)
vs.
(7-5, 4-4 ACC)
Line: Nevada favored by 10
The Eagles started off the season poorly. They were at 2-5 before rattling off 5 wins in a row to finish the season and secure a spot in a bowl game. It was their rugged defense against the run (top ranked in the nation) that has allowed them to get to this point. What is their reward? The top ranked rushing offense and one of the most prolific in the history of college football. It is strength against strength in San Francisco and it should be a lower scoring affair than one would think with the Nevada Wolfpack in the game. Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua will do enough to put their squad on top, even with a great Boston College defense trying to stop him. Colin Kaepernick is 0-3 as a starter in bowl games. He has already gotten the Boise State monkey off of his back, can he do the same thing in San Francisco? This will be his year. (On a side note, I hate Boston College. This one is personal.)
Prediction: Wolfpack 28, Eagles 21
Bowl totals: 17-11
Season total: 82-28
If you are paying attention, you know that I have only 1 bowl game left to pick, and it is the National Championship between Oregon and Auburn. I will be posting that as well as a detailed preview and analysis of the match up and what it means for college football. Until then, enjoy the end of a fantastic season and stay tuned to Bronco Chase for some stories, analysis, ideas, and whatever else I come up with.
TicketCity Bowl
My prediction was Texas Tech wins 35 to 28
Final score: Red Raiders 45, Wildcats 38
Outback Bowl
My prediction was Florida wins 24 to 21
Final score: Gators 37, Nittany Lions 24
Capital One Bowl
My prediction was Alabama wins 31 to 21
Final score: Crimson Tide 49, Spartans 7
Gator Bowl
My prediction was Mississippi State wins 35 to 34
Final score: Bulldogs 52, Wolverines 14
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
My prediction was TCU wins 21 to 18
Final score: Horned Frogs 21, Badgers 19
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
My prediction was Oklahoma wins 38 to 21
Final score: Sooners 48, Huskies 20
Batch total: 6-0
Bowl totals: 17-11
Season total: 82-28
__________________________
As a reminder: if the word "prediction" has stars, then it is an upset. It will look like this:
*Prediction*:
Also, I have analyzed some of the games with a write up, but not all of them. I wrote on all the bowls were WAC teams are involved and the BCS Bowls. The others just have when, where, the bowl name, who's playing, and a score prediction. Finally, I am including these bowls in my season long record.
January 3rd at 6:30 PM
Discover Orange Bowl
Miami, Florida
(11-1, 8-1 Pac 10)
vs.
(11-2, 8-0 ACC)
Line: Stanford favored by 3
I am really looking forward to this game. The Hokies have won 11 straight games after starting the season 0-2. The Cardinal’s only loss came at Autzen Stadium against Oregon. Both squads are playing extremely well and the Orange Bowl should be an epic clash. Virginia Tech is famous for their great defenses, but this year has been a down one for many people. I think Stanford actually has the better defense in this game. In college football, I would take Tyrod Taylor over Andrew Luck as far as play-making goes. Plus, the Hokies have three very talented and explosive running backs. The game will be close. The Cardinal will make enough stops throughout and possess the ball to keep Taylor off the field.
Prediction: Cardinal 24, Hokies 21
January 4th at 6:30 PM
AllState Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, Louisiana
(11-1, 7-1 Big 10)
vs.
(10-2, 6-2 SEC)
Line: Ohio State favored by 4
Arkansas earned their BCS Bowl the hard way this year. They faced a tough schedule and came out on top, losing only to Auburn and Alabama along the way. Ryan Mallett at quarterback is tough for anyone to stop, as well as the Hogs great receiving core. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have had a significantly week schedule and lost to the toughest team they played, which was Wisconsin. Still, Ohio States plays very well on defense and has the offense to compliment it well. Terrelle Pryor is developing into a very good pocket passer that uses his legs only when necessary. The Buckeyes are too talented and deep to lose this game. 2 BCS Bowl wins in a row for Jim Tressel. But more importantly, the Buckeyes finally beat an SEC team in a BCS Bowl game.
Prediction: Buckeyes 31, Razorbacks 24
January 6th at 6 PM
GoDaddy.com Bowl
Mobile, Alabama
6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt)
vs.
(9-4, 7-1 MAC)
Line: Miami (OH) favored by 2
Prediction: Redhawks 28, Blue Raiders 24
January 7th at 6 PM
AT&T Cotton Bowl
Arlington, Texas
(10-2, 6-2 SEC)
vs.
(9-3, 6-2 Big 12)
Line: LSU favored by 1
*Prediction*: Aggies 24, Tigers 21
January 8th at 10 AM
BBVA Compass Bowl
Birmingham, Alabama
(7-5, 5-2 Big East)
vs.
(6-6, 2-6 SEC)
Line: Pittsburgh favored by 3
Prediction: Panthers 31, Wildcats 21
January 9th at 7 PM
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
San Francisco, California
(12-1, 7-1 WAC)
vs.
(7-5, 4-4 ACC)
Line: Nevada favored by 10
The Eagles started off the season poorly. They were at 2-5 before rattling off 5 wins in a row to finish the season and secure a spot in a bowl game. It was their rugged defense against the run (top ranked in the nation) that has allowed them to get to this point. What is their reward? The top ranked rushing offense and one of the most prolific in the history of college football. It is strength against strength in San Francisco and it should be a lower scoring affair than one would think with the Nevada Wolfpack in the game. Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua will do enough to put their squad on top, even with a great Boston College defense trying to stop him. Colin Kaepernick is 0-3 as a starter in bowl games. He has already gotten the Boise State monkey off of his back, can he do the same thing in San Francisco? This will be his year. (On a side note, I hate Boston College. This one is personal.)
Prediction: Wolfpack 28, Eagles 21
Bowl totals: 17-11
Season total: 82-28
If you are paying attention, you know that I have only 1 bowl game left to pick, and it is the National Championship between Oregon and Auburn. I will be posting that as well as a detailed preview and analysis of the match up and what it means for college football. Until then, enjoy the end of a fantastic season and stay tuned to Bronco Chase for some stories, analysis, ideas, and whatever else I come up with.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Can Boise State Pass TCU by the End of the Year?
The answer is; yes. Yes they can. Obviously they have to win out and do it in convincing fashion. A blow out of Fresno State on Friday is a good start, but then they have to travel to Reno for a match up with the Wolfpack that is yet again looking like it will be a fantastic game. The final game of the year is at home against a terrible Utah State Aggie team and I am not worried about it at all. That means that we, as Boise State Broncos fans, have to do our part and more to cheer the team on to victory.
With that said, we all know that the BCS Rankings were released on Sunday and the Horned Frogs stayed in third. However, the Broncos cut their lead in half and have positioned themselves to jump in front by season's end if everything goes right. As easy as that sounds, it is much more complicated. One of my favorite blogs is obnug.com. It's ran through sbnation and you can write your own fanshots and read all the blogs and information on it. It is quite amusing oftentimes and also very informative. On the subject of BCS Rankings and where Boise State may end up, one of the followers (named MyDadTeachesatBSU) created a very educated post about the computers and how they work. Read through it here, probably more than once so as to take in as much as you can. I will take some parts that I find interesting and shed my own personal light on them.
Richard Billingsley's computer is ridiculous. The whole system where you only get points if you win, and you get more if it is deemed to be a "good win," is asinine. It does not take anything else into account, including how your opponents do in their past and future games. MyDadTeachesatBSU tells us "Billingsley's computers are not retroactive, meaning that he does not adjust point totals based on performance after a game is played, so Utah's loss to ND did nothing to hurt TCU, even though their large lead is based almost entirely on that win." That sucks. In the end, the writer gives us only a 10% chance of getting ahead of TCU in this particular computer. Lame.
Kenneth Massey's seems to be pretty fair. His numbers are based on a strength of schedule system. That means that with one game left for TCU (against a terrible New Mexico team), they have less to help themselves out than Boise State, who has three games left, one of which is a top 25 program in Nevada. "If Fresno can beat Cinci, VT keeps winning, and Baylor loses to Oklahoma, we will pass TCU in the Massey rankings." Good enough for me. Come on Hokies!
There is seriously something wrong with Jeff Sagarin's computer. The fact that it has Boise State ranked 12th is off the chart absurd! It is based on the performance of opponents and yet seems to take no account for what the team in question actually does on the field, other than saying "W" or "L." Just like Massey, we need Virginia Tech to win out, take the ACC Championship game, and for Baylor and Utah to continue to bite the dust. Fortunately, there is a good chance that exactly that happens.
Then there is Peter Wolfe. His disparity in what Boise State and TCU are ranked is preposterous. As MyDadTeachesatBSU tell us, "From what I have read and what I can tell, his rankings are based mostly off of performance against expected performance. So if you win a game you were supposed to win, then it doesn't do much for you. This is bad for BSU because we are supposed to win every game." While I agree with that, I want to add that TCU is supposed to win all of their games as well. But if it really is based on performance against expected performance, then why are the Broncos ranked so low compared to the Horned Frogs? According to this, Boise State has actually done better against the spread than TCU has. Something is definitely wrong with the Sagarin and Wolfe computers. This just adds fuel to the anti-BCS fire, especially since Wolfe is so secretive about his equations and logarithms that determine the rankings.
As I have mentioned, Boise State got a huge boost when they jumped TCU in the human polls on Sunday. But remember, those polls only account for 1/3 of the BCS standings. I also need to point out that only three of the six computers have Virginia Tech ranked, and that is keeping the Broncos so low in many of them. If the Hokies keep winning, including in the ACC Championship Game, all six will show them and it will boost the Broncos up even higher. Nevada being ranked so highly is great as well, as long as Boise State beats them. There is one last thing to add; the highest and the lowest computer rankings are thrown out for each team and they remaining four standings, coupled with the human polls, are averaged out to get the BCS Rankings (absurd, I know). The writer on obnug.com says, "If we are ahead in 3 computer polls and close in the other 3, then the voters will ultimately determine who is the highest non-AQ team, and since we just jumped them and we have 3 games left against better competition than their last game, I would say that we have about a 70-90% chance of finishing ahead of TCU." I like those odds. On the comment section of the same post, TheRooster13 gives us this;
"So let’s guess where TCU and BSU will end up in each computer.
(…in the order listed above.)
BSU: 4, 4, 4, 5, 9, 6
TCU: 5, 3, 5, 6, 8, 4
Taking out the top and bottom for each team we end up with
BSU: 4, 4, 5 ,6
TCU: 5, 5, 6, 4
I’m totally guessing here, but my point is, it doesn’t really matter which school is ahead in more computers, what matters is the relative position."
My conclusion; Boise State wins out and ends up third in the BCS Standings at the end of the season. If Auburn or Oregon lose, Boise State finishes 2nd. If both teams lose, we still finish 2nd, being jumped by LSU. If this is the case, the Broncos will play in the National Championship Game against either Auburn, Oregon (oh please yes!), or LSU. All I'm saying, is that this is for real folks. There is a definite possibility that this could happen. Enough teams behind the Broncos have lost and taken themselves out of consideration that we find ourselves on the cusp of a possible NC Game berth. I never thought it would be possible given the bias against non-AQ teams. We still need a little bit more of that chaos, but it could happen. Don't get your hopes up to high, but cheer for who we need to win, and against who we need to lose.
Also, did anyone see Kellen's pistols after the long bomb to Titus? Priceless!
This week is going to be a little different as far as my posts are concerned. Since I will be in Boise Friday getting ready for the game, I will not be able to put up anything. That means that instead of doing my Weekend Picks on Thursday, I will do them on Wednesday (which happens to be tomorrow!). Naturally, that means the Weekly PTW will be up on Thursday instead of its normal Friday spot. So check back in tomorrow and get yourself ready for the weekend!
With that said, we all know that the BCS Rankings were released on Sunday and the Horned Frogs stayed in third. However, the Broncos cut their lead in half and have positioned themselves to jump in front by season's end if everything goes right. As easy as that sounds, it is much more complicated. One of my favorite blogs is obnug.com. It's ran through sbnation and you can write your own fanshots and read all the blogs and information on it. It is quite amusing oftentimes and also very informative. On the subject of BCS Rankings and where Boise State may end up, one of the followers (named MyDadTeachesatBSU) created a very educated post about the computers and how they work. Read through it here, probably more than once so as to take in as much as you can. I will take some parts that I find interesting and shed my own personal light on them.
Richard Billingsley's computer is ridiculous. The whole system where you only get points if you win, and you get more if it is deemed to be a "good win," is asinine. It does not take anything else into account, including how your opponents do in their past and future games. MyDadTeachesatBSU tells us "Billingsley's computers are not retroactive, meaning that he does not adjust point totals based on performance after a game is played, so Utah's loss to ND did nothing to hurt TCU, even though their large lead is based almost entirely on that win." That sucks. In the end, the writer gives us only a 10% chance of getting ahead of TCU in this particular computer. Lame.
Kenneth Massey's seems to be pretty fair. His numbers are based on a strength of schedule system. That means that with one game left for TCU (against a terrible New Mexico team), they have less to help themselves out than Boise State, who has three games left, one of which is a top 25 program in Nevada. "If Fresno can beat Cinci, VT keeps winning, and Baylor loses to Oklahoma, we will pass TCU in the Massey rankings." Good enough for me. Come on Hokies!
There is seriously something wrong with Jeff Sagarin's computer. The fact that it has Boise State ranked 12th is off the chart absurd! It is based on the performance of opponents and yet seems to take no account for what the team in question actually does on the field, other than saying "W" or "L." Just like Massey, we need Virginia Tech to win out, take the ACC Championship game, and for Baylor and Utah to continue to bite the dust. Fortunately, there is a good chance that exactly that happens.
Then there is Peter Wolfe. His disparity in what Boise State and TCU are ranked is preposterous. As MyDadTeachesatBSU tell us, "From what I have read and what I can tell, his rankings are based mostly off of performance against expected performance. So if you win a game you were supposed to win, then it doesn't do much for you. This is bad for BSU because we are supposed to win every game." While I agree with that, I want to add that TCU is supposed to win all of their games as well. But if it really is based on performance against expected performance, then why are the Broncos ranked so low compared to the Horned Frogs? According to this, Boise State has actually done better against the spread than TCU has. Something is definitely wrong with the Sagarin and Wolfe computers. This just adds fuel to the anti-BCS fire, especially since Wolfe is so secretive about his equations and logarithms that determine the rankings.
As I have mentioned, Boise State got a huge boost when they jumped TCU in the human polls on Sunday. But remember, those polls only account for 1/3 of the BCS standings. I also need to point out that only three of the six computers have Virginia Tech ranked, and that is keeping the Broncos so low in many of them. If the Hokies keep winning, including in the ACC Championship Game, all six will show them and it will boost the Broncos up even higher. Nevada being ranked so highly is great as well, as long as Boise State beats them. There is one last thing to add; the highest and the lowest computer rankings are thrown out for each team and they remaining four standings, coupled with the human polls, are averaged out to get the BCS Rankings (absurd, I know). The writer on obnug.com says, "If we are ahead in 3 computer polls and close in the other 3, then the voters will ultimately determine who is the highest non-AQ team, and since we just jumped them and we have 3 games left against better competition than their last game, I would say that we have about a 70-90% chance of finishing ahead of TCU." I like those odds. On the comment section of the same post, TheRooster13 gives us this;
"So let’s guess where TCU and BSU will end up in each computer.
(…in the order listed above.)
BSU: 4, 4, 4, 5, 9, 6
TCU: 5, 3, 5, 6, 8, 4
Taking out the top and bottom for each team we end up with
BSU: 4, 4, 5 ,6
TCU: 5, 5, 6, 4
I’m totally guessing here, but my point is, it doesn’t really matter which school is ahead in more computers, what matters is the relative position."
My conclusion; Boise State wins out and ends up third in the BCS Standings at the end of the season. If Auburn or Oregon lose, Boise State finishes 2nd. If both teams lose, we still finish 2nd, being jumped by LSU. If this is the case, the Broncos will play in the National Championship Game against either Auburn, Oregon (oh please yes!), or LSU. All I'm saying, is that this is for real folks. There is a definite possibility that this could happen. Enough teams behind the Broncos have lost and taken themselves out of consideration that we find ourselves on the cusp of a possible NC Game berth. I never thought it would be possible given the bias against non-AQ teams. We still need a little bit more of that chaos, but it could happen. Don't get your hopes up to high, but cheer for who we need to win, and against who we need to lose.
Also, did anyone see Kellen's pistols after the long bomb to Titus? Priceless!
This week is going to be a little different as far as my posts are concerned. Since I will be in Boise Friday getting ready for the game, I will not be able to put up anything. That means that instead of doing my Weekend Picks on Thursday, I will do them on Wednesday (which happens to be tomorrow!). Naturally, that means the Weekly PTW will be up on Thursday instead of its normal Friday spot. So check back in tomorrow and get yourself ready for the weekend!
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