Week 11 Predictions

The election is over and America has spoken...

and in the spirit of bipartisanship, I'd like to offer these 10 things that we can all (hopefully) agree upon...

1. This can apply to just about anything in life...

2. We can all use a little perspective on things...

3. Burritos are getting bigger by the day...

4. Popsicles rule...

5. There should be a reality show about the people of Wal Mart...

6. Chuck E. Cheese is much creepier now that I'm an adult than he ever was when I was a kid...

7. Escalators can be tricky...

8. People will do literally anything to lose weight (other than diet and exercise)...

9. Apple's marketing in China is brutally honest...

10. The only thing funnier than midgets...

are racist midgets...

Let's talk some football....

Top 25 Action

#16 Texas A&M @ #1 Alabama - 'Bama passed a HUGE test in Baton Rouge last week, as the Tide scored the game winning TD with under a minute left in the 4th quarter for a 21-17 victory.  Though still undefeated, the Tide did look vulnerable against LSU, especially against the run inside. QB AJ McCarron did just enough to pull out the win, but didn't look great.  The LSU D is stout, no about it, but 'Bama struggled at times.  The Tigers were even able to rip off chunks of yardage at times, especially through the air.  What does that mean for the Tide going forward?  We'll find out this week as they take on an Aggies offense that is exponentially more potent than LSU's.  A&M QB Johnnie Manziel has this offense humming right now.  They are hitting their stride at the right time. Having already lost to Florida and LSU, this game will more than make up for those losses and announce the Aggies as contenders in the SEC going forward.  The big difference and the deciding factor will be the home field advantage for the Tide.  31-20 Roll Tide.

#2 K State @ TCU - K State is in the driver's seat for BCS title game if they can win out.  They don't have to play in a conference championship game like the SEC or PAC 12 champ, giving them one less tough game to worry about.  QB Collin Klein is firmly entrenched as a Heisman candidate and Bill Snyder is the front runner for Coach of the Year by a wide margin.  Klein was injured in the Wildcats 44-30 win against Okie State last week but I'd be shocked if he didn't play this week.  TCU showed gigantic balls...

last week in their 2 OT win against WVU.  TCU elected to go for two and the win in Morgantown.  The gamble paid off big time and Horned Frogs came away 39-38 winners.  TCU is young and inconsistent but seems to be hitting their stride at the right time. If the Horned Frogs want to finish above .500 this year, they'll have to pull off an upset in one of their last few games.  It won't be this one.  36-23 K State.

#3 Ducks @ Golden Bears - Have you ever wondered what HC Chip Kelly's offense would look like in the NFL?  According to Oregon AD Mike Bellotti, it's inevitable that we find out. Ducks RB Kenjon Barmer went freaking off on USC last week, racking up 321 yards and 5 TD's in their win and forcing himself into the Heisman discussion.  Oregon's offense looked unstoppable and USC's D looked terrible. Sure, the Ducks gave up 51 points, but USC is supposed to be able to score with all the talent they have.  What the Trojans could not do was slow down the mighty Ducks.  The Golden Bears are not very good and their offense is in shambles right now.  HC Jeff Tedford's seat is extremely toasty right now.  56 - 17 Ducks....

and Oregon scored 2 TD's in the time it took me to write this.

#4 Notre Dame @ Boston College - Luck O' the Irish! Notre Dame remained undefeated in a 29-26 triple OT thriller against Pitt last week.  It looked like the Irish were doomed when they fumbled the ball as RB Cierre Wood was diving into the end zone in 2OT, but Pitt missed the ensuing game winning FG giving the Irish new life and eventually a victory.  It's not that Notre Dame played great and came back, it's that Pitt sucks...

The Irish have become masters at pulling out close games this year.  With only one tough game left, at USC a few weeks from now, it looks like the Irish could very well not lose this year.  Boston College is terrible and their HC Spaziani is getting fired at the end of the year.  37 - 3 Notre Dame.

#5 Georgia @ Auburn - If you're ever in Georgia, don't mess with their cheerleaders...

The Bulldogs have only lost one game and are in the thick of the BCS race with 3 winnable games left to go plus the SEC Championship game.  Georgia easily dispatched with Ole Miss 37-10 last week.  Much to the delight of Tigers fans...

Auburn finally won their second game of the season last week, destroying New Mexico State 42-7.  The Tigers are awful despite the win and with a winless SEC season on deck unless Auburn pulls a HUGE upset against Georgia or 'Bama, the vultures will be circling HC Gene Chizik's program in the off season.  And the Auburn President is already making plans to fire Chizik. 34-7 Georgia.

Ragin Cajuns @ #6 Gators - Florida unexpectedly struggled against Mizzou last week, pulling out a 14-7 win in an ugly game. The Gators D came up big, intercepting 4 passes on the day and holding the Mizzou O in check all game. Florida now needs Auburn to beat Georgia to earn a spot in the SEC title game.  The Ragin Cajuns are coming off a win against rival LA Monroe but are not a very good team.  Florida's D will stifle them and the offense will get something going eventually.  31 - 10 Gators.

#21 Miss State @ #7 LSU - LSU had the lead late against 'Bama last week but couldn't put away the Tide. The 21-17 loss is nothing to be ashamed of, but LSU is now an also ran in the SEC title race. The Tigers could still get an at large BCS birth depending on who else loses in the next few weeks.  The question is will the HC Les Miles have his squad ready to go after such an emotionally draining loss last week?  Miss State has proved they are a pretender after beating up on cupcakes earlier in the season. MSU has been destroyed by 'Bama and Texas A&M in consecutive weeks, and this game should be more of the same. 33-13 LSU.

Arkansas @ #8 South Carolina - Gamecocks RB Marcus Lattimore suffered a gruesome knee injury in the Gamecocks last game...

Knees should not bend like.  Fortunately the prognosis is better than expected and Marcus has a chance to recover and play football again.  Despite the loss of their best offensive weapon, USCe managed to hold off an inspired come back by the Volunteers en route to a 38-35 victory two weeks ago.  USCe had a bye week and should be able to retool their offense after losing Lattimore. This week they take on an Arkansas squad that struggled to beat Tulsa 19-15 last week.  I can't wait to see what kind of stupid shit HC John L. Smith does during the game and says afterwards.  38-17 Gamecocks.

#9 Louisville @ 'Cuse - Louisville remained undefeated with a 45-17 stomping of Temple last week.  QB Teddy Bridgewater continues to be one of the best QB's in the game today, it's just a shame he plays in such a crappy conference.  'Cuse has been up and down all season but does have a decent passing game, ranked 20th in the nation with 308 yards per game.  The Cardinals should be able to exploit a weak 'Cuse D and remain unbeaten this season. 37-21 Louisville.

#10 Seminoles @ Hokies - The Thursday night game!  This game will most likely be played before I post this, but I'm calling it 29 - 20 for the Noles right now.

#11 Beavers @ #14 Cardinal - The Beavers bounced back from their loss to UW the previous week and beat the Sun Devils 36-26 last week.  OSU is still in the hunt for a PAC 12 title, but must beat can't stumble again as they get ready for a date with their in state rivals Ducks as their last game of the season.  Stanford crushed Colorado last week 48-0, but then again, everyone besides Wazzu crushes Colorado.  This game will be strength on strength, as Oregon State's offense is matched up with Stanford's D.  Stanford ends with 3 ranked opponents, including Oregon next week.  A three game losing streak to end the year would not sit well in NoCal.  30-24 Beavers.

Baylor @ #12 Sooners - The Bears are 4-4 with a prolific offense that is leading the nation in passing at just under 400 yards per game.  As good as the Bears offense is, their D is equally as bad.  Baylor is giving up 39 points per game, ranking them 117th in the nation.  It's Bad News (for the) Bears as the Sooners O puts up 39 points per game, but their D only surrenders 18.  As always with the Big XII, look for a lot of offense with a few sprinklings of Defense.  45 - 35 Sooners.

Maryland @ #13 Clemson - The only thing Marlyand is winning this year is an ugly uniform contest...

In fact, if you google "ugly uniforms college football" just about all of the top results are Maryland.  Despite their horrendous uniforms, the Terrapins D isn't half bad this year, holding opponents to just under 22 points per game, but their offense is worse than A-Rod in the playoffs.  That's to be expected when you're down to your 5th string QB.  Maryland is riding a 3 game skid into this game.  Clemson has only 3 games left and has yet to begin their annual collapse. Could this game start the trend?  I'd bet it starts next week against NC State.  34 - 9 Clemson.

Penn State @ #16 Nebraska - The Nittany Lions dominated a lackluster Purdue squad last week, only allowing Purdue to score on their first and last possessions of the game. In between, PSU put up 38 points and moved the ball at will.  QB Matt McGloin was his usual efficient but unspectacular self, racking up 321 yards and two TD's with no turnovers.  PSU's ground game has come alive the past few weeks behind bruising RB Zach Zwinak.  ZZ isn't going to win any foot races, but he'll knock you off your feet and always seems to fall forward.  By the time the 4th quarter roles around, defenders do not want to tackle this kid.  Nebraska is on a 3 game winning streak and Huskers QB Taylor Martinez is in the mold of QB Braxton Miller, who gave the Nits defense fits a few weeks ago.  As goes Martinez, so goes the Huskers O.  Teams that run the spread option seem to wear down the Nits D, and this week will be no different.  Look for a tight game at the half but the Huskers will take control in the 4th as they wear down PSU's D.  28 - 24 Huskers.

Cyclones @ #17 Longhorns - The 'Horns D has played better in the past few weeks, helping Texas to a 3 game winning streak. Last week they held the Red Raiders to 22 points in a 31-22 win.  The offense has been coming around, and despite not putting up huge numbers, they still score 40 points per game. They Cyclones are trying to stay above .500 with an struggling offense and a D that's slowed down a bit from earlier in the season.  You can never count out a tough Cyclones squad, but playing at Texas is too much for the Cyclones to overcome.  40-24 Texas.

#18 Bruins @ Wazzu - UCLA's D came out of nowhere and absolutely crushed Arizona last week 66-10. We know Rich Rod loathes playing D, but this is what happens when you forego playing D entirely and your offense gets shut down.  This game was 42-3 at the half.  I guess Arizona didn't see this coming...

Wazzu is now on a 6 game skid that began with their epic collapse against the only team in the Pac 12 worse than them, Colorado.  HC Mike Leach just doesn't have the players to be competitive yet, and there are rumblings of him jumping ship to an open SEC job already.  You think Leach would relish the idea of taking over at Auburn and playing against the school that fired him, Texas A&M, every year?  Look Bruins RB Johnathan Franklin to have another big game. 49-17 Bruins.

Sun Devils @ #19 Trojans - A few weeks ago USC had it's backup QB put on the punter's jersey and take the field against Colorado, presumably just in case they wanted to fake punt, but Tricky Lane forgot it's against the rules.  Rules schmules!  Lane & USC were up to their tricks again against Oregon, this time, they were deflating the footballs after the refs checked them, and they were fined for tampering. Why you ask?  Because a deflated football is easier to grip, and therefore easier to throw and catch.  How'd that work out for the Trojans? Kiffen has already stated the student  USC lots 62-51 and the refs caught them deflating the balls.  Is there a coach in college football that does less with more than Lane Kiffin?  He's an A+ recruiter but a terrible coach.  And apparently an even worse Defensive coach, but when your Dad is your Defensive Coordinator, how do you fire him?  ASU is on a 3 game skid after starting 5-1, mostly by holding bad offenses in check.  Ever since the Sun Devils have started playing decent teams, their flaws have been exposed and this week will be no different.  The Trojans will release some frustration... 49-24 USC.

#20 LA Tech @ Texas State - LA Tech's offense has been hitting on all cylinders all season.  Even in their loss to Texas A&M, they put up 57 points.  The Bulldogs like to beat up on bad defenses, but you can only play who's on the schedule. With a prolific offense and a top 25 ranking, LA Tech HC Sonny Dykes will be on the short list for BCS conference programs looking for new head coaches this off season.  Texas State is trying to build a program and as expected, they're experiencing growing pains in their first year at the FBS level.  56-20 LA Tech.

Kansas @ #22 TX Tech - Jayhawks HC Charlie Weis has a unique play calling system...

and that system hasn't done shit this season.  The Jayhawks are terrible.  TX Tech has lost two in a row after their epic 3 OT win against TCU.  Their D has not looked nearly as good as it did earlier in the year, but if you can't get back on track against Kansas, then you'll never get back on track.  37-13 Red Raiders.

Army @ #23 Rutgers - Rutgers is no longer undefeated, losing to Kent State last week 35-23.  HC Kyle Flood has done a good job in East Brunswick this year after former HC Greg Shiano bailed on the program in February for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Rutgers QB Gary Nova threw six, SIX! picks last week, one of which was returned for a TD.  It's hard to win when your QB throws 6 picks.  Lucky for the Scarlet Knights, they take on a Black Knights squad that is one dimensional.  If Army can't run the ball, they have no offense, and no matter what, they have no defense.  Rutgers should get their 8th win this week before taking on a slumping Cincy squad next week.  35-10 Rutgers.

#24 Northwestern @ Michigan - This was the scene as Michigan left Minnesota last week...

Northwestern is a surprising 7-2 on the year, losing only to Nebraska and Penn State.  That's either a testament to the strong program HC Pat Fitzgerald is building, or an indictment of how weak the Big Ten is this year.  Northwestern runs the spread option running attack, much like the Wolverines.  But unlike the Wolverines, they have two capable QB's in Kain Colter, the runner, and Trevor Siemian, the passer.  Despite losing QB Denard Robinson, who has accounted for roughly 75% of the Michigan offense this year, the Wolverines dominated in their win 35-13 win against Minnesota last week.  QB Devin Gardner played well, throwing for 2 TD's and running for one more.  Gardner is not as fast as Robinson, but looks to be a much better passer.  Michigan's D, specifically LB Jake Ryan, who will be playing on Sundays, will be the difference in this game. 34-24 Michigan.

Ball State @ #25 Toledo - This game was already played on Tuesday night.  Yes, Tuesday night football. Big time.  Toledo lost by the way, 34-27.  Yawn.

Games of Note

Mizzou @ Tennessee - The Tigers played valiantly in The Swamp last week but couldn't overcome QB James Franklin's four INT's.   The Tigers are looking to get to .500 in their first year in the SEC.  Meanwhile, Derek Dooley is firmly entrenched on the coaching hot seat...

The Volunteers almost blew it last week against Sun Belt opponent Troy.  TN needed a 21 point 4th quarter to pull out a 55-48 win.  At this point a win is a win, no matter how bad the team played.  Both teams are 4-5 and disappointed in how their seasons have gone.  The winner has a good shot at a bowl game, the loser a good shot at a long off season.  36-33 Tennessee.

WVU @ Okie State - A month ago, WVU was setting defenses ablaze and was ranked #5 in the nation.  Pundits were discussing WVU's BCS chances and Geno Smith's Heisman hype was in it's infant stages.  A month later, the WVU offense has collapsed, the D still can't stop anyone and the Mountaineers are on a 3 game losing streak and unranked.  It's going to be a cold winter in Morgantown trying to figure out how it all collapsed...

Okie State is 5-3 and lost to K State 44-30 last week.  Everyone has lost to K State this year but it's the lack of D by the Cowboys that stands out.  This will come down to which D can actually make a stop.  My guess is the Cowboys improve to 6-3.  48-42 Okie State.

Upset of the Week 

Badgers @ Hoosiers - Wisconsin lost at home for the first time since 2009 last week, dropping a heart breaker in OT to Sparty.  The Badgers still struggle on offense despite their QB change.  The Hoosiers are looking to get back to .500 after beating Illinois and Iowa in consecutive weeks.  HC Kevin Wilson has done an admirable job in arguably the hardest program in the Big Ten to win at.  The Hoosiers are competitive every week even if they don't win, which is a lot more than they did before Wilson arrived.  They have a chance to make life really miserable for the Badgers this week and the Nittany Lions next week.  With nothing to lose against a vulnerable Wisconsin team, this is my upset of the week.  Get ready Badgers...

33-30 Hoosiers!