Picks, Preview, and Prognostications-Week 5

Hello week five with plenty of picks to salivate over and spend all afternoon enjoying on the couch as the Crimson Tide are on the road.

Last week, I continued on the road of domination, going 5-2 once again, putting me at 10-4 the past two weeks. On the season, I am now 16-12 in Crimson White picks and worked my way into being tied for third.

Overall, the record sits at 46-20 on the season, putting me at 70% on the season.

Of course, that needs to continue if I want to brag some more, so here is what will (hopefully) happen this weekend:

@Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 21

Penn State 35, @Illinois 20

*Washington 28, @Notre Dame 24

@Stanford 35, UCLA 30

*Michigan 30, @Michigan State 28

Arkansas 48, Texas A&M 45 (in Arlington, TX)

Ole Miss 24, @Vanderbilt 17

@Boston College 30, Florida State 20

Georgia Tech 35, Mississippi State 21

* @Tennessee 17, Auburn 14

* @Georgia 27, LSU 24

* @Cal 24, USC 23

*Oklahoma 28, Miami 24

*Alabama 38, @Kentucky 7

Who is Kentucky Anyway?

The Wildcats are once again preparing for a top five team after playing the Florida Gators last week.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has already said that playing Alabama "will test our manhood" in front of the Big Blue Nation. Of course, Brooks just needs to wish that at least someone camping out in front of Memorial Coliseum for Big Blue Madness tickets shows up for the game.

On offense, Kentucky still has Mike Hartline at QB and no longer has to worry about Randall Cobb taking his job over as Cobb is now a full time wide out. The Wildcats are struggling to get things going on the offensive side of the ball to the point Rich Brooks has tweeted about it. The bad news for the Kentucky offense will be the missing link on the offensive line as RT Justin Jefferies will be out of the game. The trick for UK is going to be controlling the line and allow Hartline any time to make a play against the Crimson Tide.

On defense, Kentucky has been average for most of the season and took an absolute thrashing from Florida. Sure, Wyndham may have gotten a good hit on Tebow, but other than that, the Wildcats did nothing. Kentucky will also be in trouble in the secondary as Paul Warford will be out for the game, but Trevard Lindley is one of the better corners in the SEC. The only problem for Kentucky is that Alabama is no longer a one-trick pony on the outside. With so many options, the pressure will be on Kentucky to make all of the plays to even have a chance.

On special teams, Kentucky is replacing former kick returner Dicky Lyons, who was one of the good guys in the SEC. Also, Alabama has a history of long returns in Lexington, and Javier Arenas is itching to break one this season.

The keys for Kentucky in this game is starting fast and just pray for the best. The Wildcats have never played back-to-back teams ranked this high, and Coach Brooks has been very impressed in preparing for Alabama. He will get his chance to view the Tide in person Saturday morning while he fans continue to wait for basketball practice tickets.

Pass or Fail-Week 4

When four top ten teams, lose, there are plenty of fails to hit on during the week. The passes are what become difficult.

Sure, it may be easy to look at the underdogs in those games, but that would just be a boring post.

Anyway, here is this week's Pass or Fail.

Head of the Class: Run, Brandon, Run!!! This was way under the radar, but very much worth recognition. Kansas State kick return man Brandon Banks went off on Tennessee Tech on Saturday to make many team's fans feel better about their kickoff coverage. Banks had two kickoff returns on the afternoon, one after the Golden Eagles tying touchdown in the first quarter and another after halftime, both of which resulted in touchdowns. Banks went 91 yards on the first one, and tacked on an extra three feet for the second one, finishing with 183 kickoff return yards in the game. Banks is only the 12th man in NCAA history to return two kickoffs to the house in a single game.

Pass: Alabama's Defense is ferocious. While I sat watching Alabama in a 0-0 tie with Arkansas halfway through the second quarter almost, it finally donned on me that I should be happy it was still that way. Once Alabama got ahead, it was all but over because of the Crimson Tide's crushing defense. The Crimson Tide are second nationally in overall defense and rushing defense and eighth in passing defense. There have been few teams who have perennially had a stellar defense, but Alabama always seems to be in the top ten nationally in defense year in and year out. Of course, Alabama's swarming defense meant that...

Fail: Arkansas' air traffic controller took a week off. Ryan Mallett was looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC before his trip to Tuscaloosa, which resulting in a 12-35 afternoon, full of miscommunication, drops, and overthrows. The Razorbacks were held to their lowest offensive output of the season by far. Mallett will be a great QB this year, no doubt, and few defenses will be able to attack him like Alabama did, but Saturday was the worst he will look all season.

Pass: Iowa does it again. It would be one thing to say that Iowa just has Penn State's number, which finishing this decade 7-1 against the Nittany Lions would suggest such a thing, but this weekend was different. This was barely even a game as Iowa managed to dominate the game once things settled down. The Hawkeyes put up 21 unanswered points in Happy Valley in front of a very excited and hyped crowd who was all clad in white. Which leads me to believe...

Fail: White outs only erase any home team hope. Besides Penn State's debacle on national television and in front of the Gameday crew (and resulting in Iowa's ridiculous vaulting into the 13th spot in the AP), but Florida State continued the bi-polar world tour by laying an egg at home during a white out against South Florida....excuse me, a Matt Grothe-less South Florida team. Sure, both victors in these situations are still undefeated, but to lose in the fashion that both Florida State and Penn State bit the dust is really no excuse for ranked teams at full strength.

Pass: Oregon decides to punch back. (Ok, I promise, last LeGarrette Blount-Oregon-punch reference of the season[maybe]) After their dismal display to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks are now 3-1 after their Saturday thrashing of the Cal Bears, who were a little to zealous looking ahead to their match against USC this Saturday. Jahvid Best, who had been in my Heisman top five since the pre-season, fell flat on his face against what was perceived to only be a mediocre Oregon defense. Instead, the Ducks are starting to look better and better (as Boise State score more and more) and the noise of Autzen Stadium got to the Golden Bears.

Fail: Finders Keepers is the law in Texas, apparently. I know smaller schools enjoy rushing the field, even if they are the ranked team and beating a team that the polls say they should. However, you rush the field and take the goal posts (potentially) only. That is, unless you go to Houston. The Cougars are still looking for three helmets after Saturday's late win over Texas Tech incited a riot on the field. The program is not going to press charges as long as the helmets are returned, but it seems like someone enjoys their souvenirs a little too much.

Epic Fail: Remember when Ole Miss wasn't Ole Miss? Oh you're 60? Eh, still doesn't make a difference. There is something to be said about the only team in the SEC West who has still yet to make a trip to Atlanta, and once again, this year doesn't look to be the year. The Rebels lost their 6th straight SEC opener Thursday against South Carolina after being universally ranked too high based on one win last year. Ole Miss fell a ridiculous 17 spots in the polls after the loss and now look like a team bound for a return to mediocrity. The Rebs have not put a single half of consistent football together, much less beaten anyone worth writing home about. Sure, you can make the excuse for the boys from Oxford that they only played one Saturday game in September, but that doesn't excuse them from not showing up in the first half against Memphis or SE Louisiana. Who cares, they are gonna go 12-0 in the tailgate this season anyway.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 4

Another week in, another FOUR top ten teams take a tumble. (Go ahead, say five times fast before you move on)

The continued losing of the "best teams" is making putting together a top 25 harder and harder, especially with nine teams who are still unbeaten sitting outside the rankings done by the big boys.

So, after week four, who are the top 25 teams in the land by my standards?

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Virginia Tech
5. Boise State
6. Oklahoma
7. LSU
8. USC
9. Cincinnati
10. Ohio State
11. Penn State
12. TCU
13. Houston
14. Penn State
15. Oklahoma State
16. Mississippi
17. BYU
18. North Carolina
19. Miami
20. Cal
21. Georgia
22. Missouri
23. Michigan
24. Iowa
25. Kansas

Heisman Favorites

First off, and I am doing this out of spite and hilarity, but take a look at who Jon Goesslin from SI.com has as the number two player in America. You will laugh.

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
• Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
• AJ Green, WR, Georgia

Links

• You want Power Rankings, I'll give you Power Rankings. Here is Andy Staples from SI, who was in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, and the whole ESPN crew.
• Since this week got started a little late, here is the Forde-Yard Dash, one of my favorite reads each week.
• Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com's weekly column, On the Mark, with a look at who to bet on and bet against for the next two months.
• Stewart Mandel of SI.com looks at this season long and hard as a possible repeat of 2007.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications: Week 4

Here is yet another weeks worth of picks, but not much prognostications again this week with a heavy load of school work to precede Saturday.



Last week, I managed to get above .500 at 11-10 after a 5-2 weekend last Saturday. I am still dead last against the CW staff, but I am at least tied for that honor this week.


Overall, I am now 35-17 after three weeks, which is not a bad after a quarter of the season is over. Now its time for this weeks picks.

@ Penn State 34, Iowa 20

@Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 27

Notre Dame 31, Purdue 14

*Cal 35, @Oregon 31

*TCU 24, @Clemson 20

Pitt 20, @NC State 10

*North Carolina 24, @Georgia Tech 10

@Georgia 35, Arizona State 24

* @Stanford 28, Washington 27

* @Houston 45, Texas Tech 42

Florida 45, @Kentucky 21

LSU 35, @Mississippi State 17

* @Virginia Tech 20, Miami 17

* @Alabama 35, Arkansas 17

Who is Arkansas, anyway?

To say that Arkansas has a legitimate offense would be a huge understatement for Alabama's first SEC opponent.

The Hogs have really opened things up through the air since the arrival of Bobby Petrino last year. This season, the Hogs have the number one air attack with Ryan Mallett flinging the ball around the field.

Arkansas has plenty of targets this year despite the injuries to London Crawford and Lucas Miller. Sophomore receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, and Greg Childs have all stepped up this year, not to mention returning leading receiver DJ Williams, the tight end.

With so many options, Mallett could have a field day in the pocket if the offensive line holds with three juniors. The OL must also get holes against Alabama's tough front seven to give Michael Smith room to run if he does enter the game enough. The expectations out of Fayetteville are that Ronnie Wingo and Knile Davis will get their share of carries against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.

On Defense, Arkansas is once again less than stellar. Sure, this team can put up the points, but the defense can give them up just as quickly. The early loss of Isaac Madison in the secondary has hurt, but the fact still remains he may not make much difference. Georgia went over the top time after time against the Hogs, so the return of Julio Jones and the arm of Greg McElroy spreading it out to over ten receivers so far this season may feast on Arkansas.

On Special Teams, Alabama is the key no matter how you look at it. The Hogs don't have a legit kickoff or punt return specialist, but the Bama coverage will dictate how many yards and points the Hogs have in the game from the specialist.

The coaches are both the "experts" in their own realm, Saban and defense and Petrino and offense. Saban got the best of him last season, and there is a good chance Saban will get him again and force Mallett to throw underneath in this game. Alabama will just find the open receiver in this game, and if they can do that well, the Crimson Tide will be fine.

Wright, Adams, Childs

Pass or Fail-Week 3

Every week, there are those performances that make us all stand in awe at the television, and then there are those that cause the spinach dip to fly off the coffee table.

Every week, each of those performances are complied here on the blog, offering a chance to relive those great moments and those not so great moments when you were cleaning the dip off the dog.

Week three saw a lot out of quarterbacks, and then a few coaches ready to make excuses.

Head of the Class: Jacory Harris is on fiah!!! The Hurricanes have blown through two ranked opponents this season with two still to go, but most of the credit in these games can be attributed to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris who was 20/25 for 270 yards and three touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets last Thursday night. On the year, Harris is 31/59 with five touchdowns and has paced the Miami offense with consistent play. He will face a tough test this week in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, and the results will reflect largely on him, his team, and his Heisman hopes.

Pass: The one Rich Rod let slip away. The heading isn't a shot at Michigan, especially with Tate Forcier playing as well as he is right now, but it is more so that Ryan Mallett is that damn good. The Razorbacks quarterback has shown why he was such a highly recruited signal caller against Georgia, duplicating his fall scrimmage number of five passing touchdowns and 408 yards through the air. Mallett has yet to throw an interception this season, but will face an Alabama defense this week that is looking to add to their minuscule total of one on the season....that is, if his bullet of a ball can be caught by a defensive back without breaking their hand.

Fail: Oregon apparently has some green besides what they wear. For as much as the extremist fan talks about doing such a thing as this, Oregon fan Tony Seminary actually followed through with the threat of asking for his money back and got a $439 check signed by head coach Chip Kelly after Seminary complained about the Ducks performance in Boise on opening night. I personally don't believe Kelly should have paid the man half a G because his team got outplayed by a better team. If anything, Seminary should be charged more money for staying past the undercard to watch LeGarrette Blount go MMA on a Bronco.

Pass: Speaking of pass, that's all Landry Jones did. Who needs Sam Bradford when the moustache-wearing, gun-slinging Jones is out there throwing for a school record six touchdowns in Oklahoma's lopsided 45-0 win over Tulsa on Saturday. At a school that has plenty of history and a great run of recent quarterbacks (Jason White before Bradford), none of them could take advantage of a weaker team as much as Jones did. Jones may have one more game to shine before Bradford takes back over as the reigning Heisman winner began throwing once again earlier this week. All Sooner fans can take a deep breath knowing that not all is lost once Sam bolts for the money at the end of the year.

Fail: Blue Raider Football is for real! It was not so much a surprise to see Middle Tennessee State beat up on Memphis last week, but the fact the boys from Murfreesboro went up to College Park, Maryland and toppled the turtles is saying something....about Maryland and the ACC. The league is slowly fading into the dark depths of the BCS as an obscure league with no nationally prominent team. Sure, Virginia Tech and Miami are still up in the rankings, but both of those teams will surely end up with two loses at least once again this season. I know, I praised Miami not forty lines ago, but Virginia Tech and Oklahoma loom in the distance.

Pass: The legend of Greg McElroy continues to grow. It was impressive enough to watch Greg McElroy and the historic Crimson No. 12 grow up in the second half against Virginia Tech. Then he went all Ron Steele on us and broke a school record in only his second game as a starter. Saturday, G-Mac broke yet another record while going 13-15 in his half against North Texas. Starting with the second half against Virginia Tech, McElroy has completed 40 of 51 passes to 12 different receivers. McElroy has completed 66% of his passes this season, and if that trend continues, McElroy may emerge as Alabama's most legitimate Heisman contender in the school's history. Sure, it is early, but McElroy has it going right now.

Fail: USC's Christmas comes early this year...again. Watching the Trojans lose a game they shouldn't year after year has become commonplace in college football, but this is the second straight year Troy has been razed in the third week of the season. This season's loss came at the hands of the Washington Huskies, who, after losing every game last season, now have a winning streak after taking down the Trojans. There was a reason why I placed USC at No. 10 in the pre-season, and this game proved it all. New quarterback coming in (Matt Barkeley missing is no excuse), no go-to receiver, and replacing a lot on defense, including their entire linebacking core. Every now and then, teams like USC still have to rebuild, and this year is a rebuilding year...maybe. For all we know, the dynasty could be over.

Epic Fail: Urban Cryer is alive and kicking!!! There is only one thing that could beat USC falling on their face, and that would be Florida head coach Urban Meyer making an excuse a day about how Tennessee kept things close against the Gators on Saturday. Saturday night into Sunday, the first excuse emerged that UF was without three receivers. Sunday, apparently everyone in Gainesville came down with the flu. Monday, it became Florida's game plan to match the Vols idea to play conservative cause Lane Kiffin had chose not to win the game. All in all, Urban is finally realizing that Florida isn't the same team they were last year. Just as I mentioned about USC, Florida faces the issue of not having a go-to receiver this season, and it showed against the boys from Knoxville. The eye test is being applied, and it is now widely known that Florida is very vulnerable.