Here's how I see things playing out in the Big Ten as of this moment. I have eight teams making games after Wisconsin's win over Illinois.
Penn State: 12-0, 8-0 (BCS National Championship) — Either Texas or Alabama will lose, which means an undefeated squad coached by JoePa won't have 1994 repeat itself.
Ohio State: 10-2, 7-1 (Rose Bowl) — I will guarantee this happening if the Buckeyes win out because Illinois was a full game worse both overall and in the conference last year, and the Rose Bowl still wanted the Big Ten/Pac-10 battle.
Minnesota: 11-1, 7-1 (Capital One Bowl) — If that one loss wasn't to Ohio State, the Gophers might be a BCS squad.
Michigan State: 9-3, 6-2 (Outback Bowl) — Should feel fortunate if this is how it indeed plays out.
Iowa: 7-5, 4-4 (Champs Sports Bowl) — This depends on who selects first. For now, I'll assume it's Champs Sports, but if it is Alamo, then put the Hawkeyes in San Antonio.
Wisconsin: 6-6, 2-6 (Alamo Bowl) — Remember, it isn't about records, but money. Wisconsin fans have gotten use to going to Florida routinely.
Illinois: 6-6, 3-5 (Insight Bowl) — Would be a sea of orange in Tempe.
Northwestern: 7-5, 3-5 (Motor City Bowl) — Not as big a fan base as Wisconsin or Illinois.
In case you're wondering: I have PSU, OSU and Minnesota all winning out, Michigan State beating Wisconsin and Purdue, Iowa beating Illinois and Purdue, Wisconsin beating Indiana and Cal-Poly, Illinois beating Western Michigan and Northwestern, and Northwestern beating Michigan. That's how I got to these respective records.
— Brendan Stiles
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Other news from college football this past weekend
1. Colt McCoy is the front runner for the Heisman Trophy and anyone who questions this (cough, Lou Holtz, cough) is insane.
Did anyone else see he completed 29 of 32 passes against Missouri on Saturday? Any current or former player will tell you that is absolutely absurd. 29 of 32? And in a Big XII game? Geez.
Right now, Texas really does look like the best team, and I realize people will bring up how brutal the Longhorns' schedule is, but in all seriousness, do you really see a game on that schedule that they're going to lose? Granted, Oklahoma State has built a reputation on going up by 20 in the first half against Texas, only to lose by 20. Annually. Just look back at the last four seasons if you don't believe me. And keep in mind that if Texas is in the Big XII title game, the Longhorns can't play Oklahoma, so there will not be a game between now and December where they're not favored to win.
2. So USC won 69-0, huh?
Look, I know USC is a great team, but there's two things I need to say right now (one thing I said a month ago and will stick to): First of all, Washington State has to be the most garbage team in all of college football right now. Yes, I know Syracuse is terrible and the Cougars' Pac-10 rival, Washington, is winless at the moment, but just look at each of WSU's results. They're a joke. The one win is against PORTLAND STATE, for crying out loud, and the closest margin of defeat the Cougars have this year is 25 points against UCLA. Pathetic. Not only that, but last weekend's game against USC marked the FOURTH time this season already that WSU has surrendered more than 60 points to an opponent. How that defensive coordinator still has a job is beyond me. Bottom line here, this win for the Trojans is not that impressive.
Which leads me back to something I've said repeatedly: This Saturday, Tucson, Arizona will be the site of this weekend's biggest upset in college football. Yes, you heard me right, and feel free to hold me to this: The Arizona Wildcats are going to beat the USC Trojans.
I said before how USC has a tendency to lose games that are on the road, against a Pac-10 team it's clearly better than, and when the game is NOT being hyped up by ESPN or ABC. Guess what? This weekend's game AT Arizona is being televised by FSN. It's a 9 p.m. kickoff here in Iowa.
Before you continue to laugh and mock this prediction of mine, here's what you should know about Mike Stoops' squad: The Wildcats, just like USC, are 3-1 in the Pac-10 as we speak, and are coming off a win this past weekend at home over a ranked Cal squad. If Arizona wins, they get that abysmal WSU team and Oregon next on the road, then end the season with two home games against Oregon State and Arizona State. Aside from that Oregon game in Eugene, the Wildcats could easily run the table here. Can you imagine Arizona in the Rose Bowl? If they win this game, it's a real possibility.
Also keep this in mind: Stoops has a knack for beating Top 10 schools at home. Just look at the past three seasons - 2005, Arizona clobbered an undefeated UCLA squad, 2006, the Wildcats upset Cal right before the Golden Bears were going to play for a Pac-10 crown against USC, and just last year, when Oregon was No. 2 in the country, Arizona not only beat the Ducks and ruined their Rose Bowl/National title ambitions, but in the process, knocked out Dennis Dixon for good.
They say history tends to repeat itself, which is why I ultimately believe Arizona's coming out on top against the USC Trojans.
3. Ohio State has discovered an offense
It comes in the form of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. This kid has proven to be the real deal, and down the road, when he's a season veteran, Ohio State's going to be one scary team.
I had a feeling the Buckeyes would beat Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend, but never did I think it would be 45-7. Talk about a beatdown. The offense clicked, the defense clicked, Jim Tressel looks like a good coach again, and this week's game between Penn State and Ohio State is going to be a classic. Mark my words.
4. OK, so my BCS predictions from a while back look awful
So here's what I'll say knowing what I know right now:
ACC - Right now, Georgia Tech looks like the only team that doesn't leave you scratching your head, but the Yellow Jackets don't own the tiebreaker against Virginia Tech in that division, so I'm inclined to say the Hokies emerge and will face Wake Forest in the ACC championship. If this is the case, I'm going with Va. Tech to repeat as conference champs.
BIG EAST - Dave Wannstedt? Really? After Pitt beat South Florida, the Panthers actually look like the team to beat in that conference, which is amazing when you consider Iowa literally gave that game to Pitt back in Sept. 20. Nice job though rebounding from that Week One loss to Bowling Green. That game has proven to be a fluke.
BIG TEN - I'm having a real hard time deciding on who will win Saturday's game at The Horseshoe (I promise to make up my mind on this real soon, however). Ultimately, I believe both the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are going to play in BCS bowls, because after this week, I don't see either team losing any of its remaining game (Sorry, Iowa fans).
BIG XII - Texas. I don't need to say anymore other than "Damn you, Oklahoma, for making me look like an idiot."
PAC-10 - While I'm picking that big upset to happen this week, USC's still going to win the conference and play in the Rose Bowl. Let's not kid ourselves. If this does happen, I'll really want them to play Penn State instead of Ohio State.
SEC - My SEC West champion from the beginning of the year looks golden - Alabama, who is way better than I pictured them being, by the way - but I still believe Georgia can win the SEC title game, as long as the Bulldogs beat Florida next week. The winner of that game is winning the East Division, and while I don't see Georgia winning at LSU this week (that's the one game I always had the 'Dawgs losing because it's in Death Valley), don't forget Florida already lost to Ole Miss, so whoever loses next week's game in Jacksonville is really screwed.
BCS BUSTERS - If there is one, it will now be Utah ("Damn you, BYU!") My silver lining is I had the right state and the right conference, just the wrong team. By the way, how cool would a Florida/Utah BCS game be?
I'll stop here for now, but will continue to post down the road here.
- Brendan Stiles
Did anyone else see he completed 29 of 32 passes against Missouri on Saturday? Any current or former player will tell you that is absolutely absurd. 29 of 32? And in a Big XII game? Geez.
Right now, Texas really does look like the best team, and I realize people will bring up how brutal the Longhorns' schedule is, but in all seriousness, do you really see a game on that schedule that they're going to lose? Granted, Oklahoma State has built a reputation on going up by 20 in the first half against Texas, only to lose by 20. Annually. Just look back at the last four seasons if you don't believe me. And keep in mind that if Texas is in the Big XII title game, the Longhorns can't play Oklahoma, so there will not be a game between now and December where they're not favored to win.
2. So USC won 69-0, huh?
Look, I know USC is a great team, but there's two things I need to say right now (one thing I said a month ago and will stick to): First of all, Washington State has to be the most garbage team in all of college football right now. Yes, I know Syracuse is terrible and the Cougars' Pac-10 rival, Washington, is winless at the moment, but just look at each of WSU's results. They're a joke. The one win is against PORTLAND STATE, for crying out loud, and the closest margin of defeat the Cougars have this year is 25 points against UCLA. Pathetic. Not only that, but last weekend's game against USC marked the FOURTH time this season already that WSU has surrendered more than 60 points to an opponent. How that defensive coordinator still has a job is beyond me. Bottom line here, this win for the Trojans is not that impressive.
Which leads me back to something I've said repeatedly: This Saturday, Tucson, Arizona will be the site of this weekend's biggest upset in college football. Yes, you heard me right, and feel free to hold me to this: The Arizona Wildcats are going to beat the USC Trojans.
I said before how USC has a tendency to lose games that are on the road, against a Pac-10 team it's clearly better than, and when the game is NOT being hyped up by ESPN or ABC. Guess what? This weekend's game AT Arizona is being televised by FSN. It's a 9 p.m. kickoff here in Iowa.
Before you continue to laugh and mock this prediction of mine, here's what you should know about Mike Stoops' squad: The Wildcats, just like USC, are 3-1 in the Pac-10 as we speak, and are coming off a win this past weekend at home over a ranked Cal squad. If Arizona wins, they get that abysmal WSU team and Oregon next on the road, then end the season with two home games against Oregon State and Arizona State. Aside from that Oregon game in Eugene, the Wildcats could easily run the table here. Can you imagine Arizona in the Rose Bowl? If they win this game, it's a real possibility.
Also keep this in mind: Stoops has a knack for beating Top 10 schools at home. Just look at the past three seasons - 2005, Arizona clobbered an undefeated UCLA squad, 2006, the Wildcats upset Cal right before the Golden Bears were going to play for a Pac-10 crown against USC, and just last year, when Oregon was No. 2 in the country, Arizona not only beat the Ducks and ruined their Rose Bowl/National title ambitions, but in the process, knocked out Dennis Dixon for good.
They say history tends to repeat itself, which is why I ultimately believe Arizona's coming out on top against the USC Trojans.
3. Ohio State has discovered an offense
It comes in the form of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. This kid has proven to be the real deal, and down the road, when he's a season veteran, Ohio State's going to be one scary team.
I had a feeling the Buckeyes would beat Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend, but never did I think it would be 45-7. Talk about a beatdown. The offense clicked, the defense clicked, Jim Tressel looks like a good coach again, and this week's game between Penn State and Ohio State is going to be a classic. Mark my words.
4. OK, so my BCS predictions from a while back look awful
So here's what I'll say knowing what I know right now:
ACC - Right now, Georgia Tech looks like the only team that doesn't leave you scratching your head, but the Yellow Jackets don't own the tiebreaker against Virginia Tech in that division, so I'm inclined to say the Hokies emerge and will face Wake Forest in the ACC championship. If this is the case, I'm going with Va. Tech to repeat as conference champs.
BIG EAST - Dave Wannstedt? Really? After Pitt beat South Florida, the Panthers actually look like the team to beat in that conference, which is amazing when you consider Iowa literally gave that game to Pitt back in Sept. 20. Nice job though rebounding from that Week One loss to Bowling Green. That game has proven to be a fluke.
BIG TEN - I'm having a real hard time deciding on who will win Saturday's game at The Horseshoe (I promise to make up my mind on this real soon, however). Ultimately, I believe both the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are going to play in BCS bowls, because after this week, I don't see either team losing any of its remaining game (Sorry, Iowa fans).
BIG XII - Texas. I don't need to say anymore other than "Damn you, Oklahoma, for making me look like an idiot."
PAC-10 - While I'm picking that big upset to happen this week, USC's still going to win the conference and play in the Rose Bowl. Let's not kid ourselves. If this does happen, I'll really want them to play Penn State instead of Ohio State.
SEC - My SEC West champion from the beginning of the year looks golden - Alabama, who is way better than I pictured them being, by the way - but I still believe Georgia can win the SEC title game, as long as the Bulldogs beat Florida next week. The winner of that game is winning the East Division, and while I don't see Georgia winning at LSU this week (that's the one game I always had the 'Dawgs losing because it's in Death Valley), don't forget Florida already lost to Ole Miss, so whoever loses next week's game in Jacksonville is really screwed.
BCS BUSTERS - If there is one, it will now be Utah ("Damn you, BYU!") My silver lining is I had the right state and the right conference, just the wrong team. By the way, how cool would a Florida/Utah BCS game be?
I'll stop here for now, but will continue to post down the road here.
- Brendan Stiles
Big win for the Hawkeyes
This is the first of two entries I'll write about this weekend, with this pertaining solely to Iowa's win over Wisconsin last Saturday.
WOW!
I'm wondering if someone on the team read my entry regarding Shonn Greene and passed it on to him, because just after I said that he might not cut it once he got to the NFL, he puts up an absolutely ridiculous performance. (Seriously, what other superlatives describe what he did?)
25 carries. 217 rushing yards. Four touchdowns. Take that, Wisconsin.
As I mentioned in my article that ran in the DI, Greene displayed a little of everything - determination is something he himself brought up after the game, and boy, when you have a back that has been as determined as he has been, watch out.
And as if his performance against the Badgers wasn't enough, you have Pat Angerer record 16 tackles, and get interceptions on back-to-back series in the fourth quarter. Talk about one hell of a game.
It was good to see that the Big Ten is not completely insane since both Greene and Angerer received Big Ten Player of the Week honors earlier today. Obviously, they're well-deserved.
By the way, that one touchdown pass Ricky Stanzi threw to Allen Reisner that he caught one-handed? I realize in the press box that you're supposed to act objective, and while I wasn't cheering like the other 70,585 in the stadium (most of which in gold), I admit I couldn't stop laughing after Reisner caught that ball and literally walked into the end zone. I just couldn't believe what I witnessed, and quite honestly, I don't think anybody could.
All across the board, this was a solid effort by Iowa, and it really is nice to see them in a position to get a decent bowl game. I honestly feel if the Hawkeyes do somehow win out (that's asking a lot by the way because the only game they should be favored in is against Purdue), the Capital One Bowl would not be out of the question. If the Hawkeyes beat everyone except Penn State, who is currently ranked third in the country, then the Outback Bowl could be calling if Iowa's 5-3 in the conference and 8-4 overall.
Like the players, however, I'm going to really enjoy being able to stay at home and enjoy watching some other teams in action (I'm also excited upon hearing the news that the Illinois kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., next week. Hooray for sleep!)
- Brendan Stiles
WOW!
I'm wondering if someone on the team read my entry regarding Shonn Greene and passed it on to him, because just after I said that he might not cut it once he got to the NFL, he puts up an absolutely ridiculous performance. (Seriously, what other superlatives describe what he did?)
25 carries. 217 rushing yards. Four touchdowns. Take that, Wisconsin.
As I mentioned in my article that ran in the DI, Greene displayed a little of everything - determination is something he himself brought up after the game, and boy, when you have a back that has been as determined as he has been, watch out.
And as if his performance against the Badgers wasn't enough, you have Pat Angerer record 16 tackles, and get interceptions on back-to-back series in the fourth quarter. Talk about one hell of a game.
It was good to see that the Big Ten is not completely insane since both Greene and Angerer received Big Ten Player of the Week honors earlier today. Obviously, they're well-deserved.
By the way, that one touchdown pass Ricky Stanzi threw to Allen Reisner that he caught one-handed? I realize in the press box that you're supposed to act objective, and while I wasn't cheering like the other 70,585 in the stadium (most of which in gold), I admit I couldn't stop laughing after Reisner caught that ball and literally walked into the end zone. I just couldn't believe what I witnessed, and quite honestly, I don't think anybody could.
All across the board, this was a solid effort by Iowa, and it really is nice to see them in a position to get a decent bowl game. I honestly feel if the Hawkeyes do somehow win out (that's asking a lot by the way because the only game they should be favored in is against Purdue), the Capital One Bowl would not be out of the question. If the Hawkeyes beat everyone except Penn State, who is currently ranked third in the country, then the Outback Bowl could be calling if Iowa's 5-3 in the conference and 8-4 overall.
Like the players, however, I'm going to really enjoy being able to stay at home and enjoy watching some other teams in action (I'm also excited upon hearing the news that the Illinois kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., next week. Hooray for sleep!)
- Brendan Stiles
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Shonn Greene
For the type of season that Shonn Greene is having, he could be drafted if he decided to leave a year early for the NFL.
I honestly am not sure how he compares to other running backs in the country other than the guys I know of like Javon Ringer, who I could see being a durable NFL back, but not anything to write home about.
The one thing you have to keep in mind is that the pro game is much faster, so some of the moves we at Iowa are accustomed to seeing Greene make every Saturday in college might not translate as well. Plus, you have to factor what type of offensive line he would have in the NFL, because for as much credit as he deserves, the Iowa offensive line as a unit deserves just as much, with evidence being the balance Iowa has had offensively, plus the fact that second-string back Jewel Hampton had 114 rushing yards and three touchdowns last weekend against Indiana.
- Brendan Stiles
I honestly am not sure how he compares to other running backs in the country other than the guys I know of like Javon Ringer, who I could see being a durable NFL back, but not anything to write home about.
The one thing you have to keep in mind is that the pro game is much faster, so some of the moves we at Iowa are accustomed to seeing Greene make every Saturday in college might not translate as well. Plus, you have to factor what type of offensive line he would have in the NFL, because for as much credit as he deserves, the Iowa offensive line as a unit deserves just as much, with evidence being the balance Iowa has had offensively, plus the fact that second-string back Jewel Hampton had 114 rushing yards and three touchdowns last weekend against Indiana.
- Brendan Stiles
Thursday, October 9, 2008
previewing Iowa and Indiana
So Iowa is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten.
Not the start all of us in Hawkeye-land were hoping for.
I don't feel I need to explain the magnitude of Saturday's game to all of you, but I will anyway. It's huge.
Going back to what I said before, I refuse to call this a "must-win" because you should be wanting to win every game regardless. But given Iowa's circumstances right now, I'll use the cliche "do or die."
Simply put, if Iowa loses this game to an Indiana team that also is on a four-game losing streak, stick a fork in the rest of this season. Considering the rest of the schedule includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue, and Minnesota, none of those games should be considered guaranteed wins.
The turnovers are disgusting to watch right now, especially the ones in the red zone. Those are the kinds of things Iowa needs to improve off of because if they continue against the Hoosiers, then just imagine what happens against any of those other teams I mentioned, which probably have better defenses than Indiana does.
Now one positive I took away from the Michigan State game last week is that the Hawkeyes are beginning to become more aggressive. Perfect evidence of this is the fact that on two occasions during the fourth quarter, head coach Kirk Ferentz decided to go for the first down rather than settle for a field goal. If you read my commentary earlier this week, you already know my stance on this.
But the aggressiveness I'm eluding to is (for instance), throwing a deep ball on the ensuing play after Michigan State was called for encroachment. The play I'm referring to is the touchdown pass Ricky Stanzi threw to Andy Brodell. As a football fan, that's what I love to see out of an offense - burning defenses after they make stupid mistakes. Hopefully, more of that takes place this weekend and beyond.
More often than not, time of possession is usually overrated, but in this instance, I'm going to say it will factor in who wins on Saturday because the key for Iowa is going to be utilizing Shonn Greene again to the best of his abilities to set up the pass against a defense that, like the Hawkeyes, has a solid front four. Defensively, it will be staying home when Marcus Thigpen has the ball and not allowing Kellen Lewis to get behind anybody.
In other words, the basics that Iowa has excelled at, but without the turnovers, should be enough to put Iowa over the top on Saturday.
- Brendan Stiles
Not the start all of us in Hawkeye-land were hoping for.
I don't feel I need to explain the magnitude of Saturday's game to all of you, but I will anyway. It's huge.
Going back to what I said before, I refuse to call this a "must-win" because you should be wanting to win every game regardless. But given Iowa's circumstances right now, I'll use the cliche "do or die."
Simply put, if Iowa loses this game to an Indiana team that also is on a four-game losing streak, stick a fork in the rest of this season. Considering the rest of the schedule includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue, and Minnesota, none of those games should be considered guaranteed wins.
The turnovers are disgusting to watch right now, especially the ones in the red zone. Those are the kinds of things Iowa needs to improve off of because if they continue against the Hoosiers, then just imagine what happens against any of those other teams I mentioned, which probably have better defenses than Indiana does.
Now one positive I took away from the Michigan State game last week is that the Hawkeyes are beginning to become more aggressive. Perfect evidence of this is the fact that on two occasions during the fourth quarter, head coach Kirk Ferentz decided to go for the first down rather than settle for a field goal. If you read my commentary earlier this week, you already know my stance on this.
But the aggressiveness I'm eluding to is (for instance), throwing a deep ball on the ensuing play after Michigan State was called for encroachment. The play I'm referring to is the touchdown pass Ricky Stanzi threw to Andy Brodell. As a football fan, that's what I love to see out of an offense - burning defenses after they make stupid mistakes. Hopefully, more of that takes place this weekend and beyond.
More often than not, time of possession is usually overrated, but in this instance, I'm going to say it will factor in who wins on Saturday because the key for Iowa is going to be utilizing Shonn Greene again to the best of his abilities to set up the pass against a defense that, like the Hawkeyes, has a solid front four. Defensively, it will be staying home when Marcus Thigpen has the ball and not allowing Kellen Lewis to get behind anybody.
In other words, the basics that Iowa has excelled at, but without the turnovers, should be enough to put Iowa over the top on Saturday.
- Brendan Stiles
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