2011/2012 Bowl Predictions – Week 4
The 2011/2012 bowl season has been surprisingly exciting so far, especially most of the BCS games. I wish my picks were just as exciting and fun, but they are not. There's nothing better than two MAC-level games and a Championship game, the most unpredictable types of games, to make it easy for me to end on a good note. Geez...
Bowl Season: 18-16 (52.9%)
Regular Season: 85-26 (76.6%)
Overall: 103-42 (71.0%)
1/7
BBVA Compass Bowl (12 p.m. ESPN)
SMU vs. Pittsburgh - June Jones had his name in the hat for the Arizona State job, but withdrew from consideration, opening the door for ex-Pittsburgh head coach, Todd Graham, to jump ship for Tempe. What does that mean? Nothing, but it's a funny connection, isn't it? Ok, maybe not.
Pitt has an interim coach and feels betrayed by Graham. They want to prove that they didn't need him. SMU still has their coach, but knows he was looking around for another job. Which team do you think will play harder?
Pitt 38, SMU 21
SMU 28, Pitt 6 - FAILURE
Chick-fil-A Bowl Preview: A Different Team
A lot has changed since Auburn last played a football game. Ted Roof "left" the coaching staff, Gus Malzahn will be a head coach next year, and Michael Dyer has some work to do if he wants to play in the Georgia Dome... next year. Needless to say, this is going to be a different Auburn team with a different vibe tomorrow night in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. But after the struggles this season, is that such a bad thing?
Let's just be honest, the defense hasn't been a real Auburn defense in three years. In fact, the last time the Auburn defense was really, really good was 2004 when Gene Chizik was running the show. Of course, there were some experienced, soon-to-be Pro Bowlers on that team, but we all know Chizik can coach defense.
All week the defensive players have talked about how intense Chizik has been with them. Eltoro Freeman showed his helmet in the Bowl Edition of "Auburn Football: Every Day" and it looked like it had been hit with a blue baseball bat. He said that was the main difference in Chizik coaching and what they were used to during this past season. I don't know about you, but I love to hear that. I'm not sure how much improvement can be made by one man in only few weeks time, but it sounds like the players have bought in and are enjoying the current situation.
2011/2012 Bowl Predictions – Week 3
This bowl season has been pretty bad for the 'Blogler. That's expected when you have a bunch of games that you'd normally ignore on a Tuesday night. Things are getting better, though, and so are my predictions. Now we get into the meat of the schedule so expect my average to skyrocket. Right... If you are looking for my predictions for today's games, they are on last week's post.
Bowl Season: 16-15
Regular Season: 85-26 (76.6%)
Overall: 101-41 (71.1%)
12/31
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl (11 a.m. ESPN)
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern - Is anybody else still sorta weird about Northwestern? I don't know about you, but every time they come to mind, I have visions of Kafka and the failed attempts by the football gods to give them the 2010 Outback Bowl. They will forever be emblazoned in my mind as the ultimate annoying gnat. Therefore, I want them to lose badly to the Aggies.
If not for the whole coaching switch in College Station, I think it would be an easy win, but you never know with interim coaches. I'm guessing the whole jump to the SEC will have the Aggies excited, so they'll have enough to pull it off.
Texas A&M 31, Northwestern 21
Texas A&M 33, Northwestern 22 - SUCCESS!
2011/2012 Bowl Predictions – Week 2
Well last week wasn't good at all. I missed the first four games of the bowl season, but come on, nobody has a clue on those. It's all really just a guess. How do you know which 6-6 MAC or WAC team will win? You just don't. So everybody that's in the 2011 WarBlogle.com Bowl Pick 'em that is currently ranked ahead of me, you just wait. I'm on a two-game winning streak. Blogle's coming on.
Bowl Season: 9-9
Regular Season: 85-26 (76.6%)
Overall: 94-35 (72.9%)
12/24
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (7 p.m. ESPN)
Nevada vs. Southern Miss - Last I saw, Nevada had sold about 10 tickets to this game. Southern Miss probably hasn't sold many more. Their team will be coached by an interim, and I'm pretty sure not too many people in Hattiesburg have plans to fly to Hawaii for Christmas Eve.
That being said, this game does have the potential to be pretty exciting. Nevada's offense is always fun, and Southern Miss runs a fast paced scheme as well. Auburn fans might want to watch this one given that USM's offensive coordinator, Blake Anderson, is supposedly on top of Gene Chizik's list.
Nevada 27, Southern Miss 21
Southern Miss 24, Nevada 17 - FAILURE
2011/2012 Bowl Predictions – Week 1
Another year, another passing grade as far as my overall season average is concerned. Let's hope I can say the same after this amazingly terrible bowl slate is done. I don't understand people who complain about bowls like they are ruining college football. Just don't watch them. The same caliber games, at least in this first week of games, are on par with what you'd see on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, and you don't watch those. So don't watch these. It's just another football game.
For each prediction post during bowl season, I'll start with Saturday's games and go up until the following Friday. As mentioned earlier, the first week is pretty bad. But what's better than no football on tv? Bad football on tv. Post your predictions in the comments below.
Bowl Season: 2-4
Regular Season: 85-26 (76.6%)
Overall: 87-30 (74.3%)
12/17
Gildan New Mexico Bowl (1 p.m. ESPN)
Temple vs. Wyoming - Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! This is what we start off bowl season with? A basketball school made famous by Bill Cosby and a team that purposely designed their colors and uniforms to look dingy and dirty like a cowpoke? All I know is that Temple has had one of their best years in their recent football history, but never doubt a cowboy in New Mexico.
Wyoming 34, Temple 17
Temple 37, Wyoming 15 - FAILURE
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (4:30 p.m. ESPN)
Ohio vs. Utah State -Mmmmmmmm.... this one just makes me hungry! Potato Bowl? Can I get some butter and cheese please?!?! Ok, I really am somewhat intrigued by this one, considering that Utah State is playing in it. I will obviously be pulling for them to win since that would make Auburn's win over them look a little better. Won't it? Please tell me it will.
Utah State 31, Ohio 10
Ohio 24, Utah State 23 - FAILURE
Championship Week Predictions
On top of the Iron Bowl outcome, I didn't do too well in last week's picks either. Only thing to do is to keep doing it, which is why I'm picking games this week even though Auburn is at home waiting on a bowl invitation.
Last Week: 5-4
This Week: 4-2
Overall: 85-26 (76.6%)
12/2
UCLA at Oregon (Pac-12 Championship) - If the Bruins do somehow upset the Ducks, would UCLA be the first team to ever hire a coach back only weeks after firing him. Think about it. How can a school fire a coach that just sent his team to the Rose Bowl? Oh well, it won't happen. Ducks big.
Oregon 63, UCLA 20
Oregon 49, UCLA 31 - SUCCESS!
12/3
Southern Miss at Houston (C-USA Championship) - Houston 56, UAB 13. UAB 34, Southern Miss 31. Yep, that's pretty much all I need to see.
Houston 45, Southern Miss 21
Southern Miss 49, Houston 28 - FAILURE
Alabama Preview: Will the Streak of Expectancy End?
Contrary to some reports, Auburn will actually be given the opportunity to share the same football field with Alabama tomorrow. I hear if Gene Chizik is on his best behavior, Alabama will return the favor and agree to play an actual 60-minute game against the Tigers.
That's awfully nice of the Alabama Crimson Tide, given that they have been handed a spot in the National Championship game and needn't play another game this season. Playing an unneeded game only puts players in danger of being injured and not being able to play in the big game. That Saban is a nice fella.
Can you tell I'm being sarcastic? Apparently it doesn't always translate through my 'blogling and tweeting. Anyway...
Is Alabama the better team this year? Sure. Would they beat Auburn at least eight out of ten times this season? Probably. Do they have more to play for than the Tigers do? Absolutely.
That's good and all, but the last time I checked, in the game of football, especially in a rivalry game, it only matters who the better team is for that day, for that one game, and it's not always who it's supposed to be.
Week 13 Predictions
I did pretty well last week. I correctly picked the entire worst SEC schedule in the history of football, but of course missed some of the big upsets from the "night college football blew up the world." Let's see how I fare with "Rivalry Week." What do you think?
Last Week 7-2
This Week 5-4
Overall: 81-24 (77.1%)
11/25
Arkansas at LSU - For some reason, the pundits say that even if Arkansas beats LSU, they would stay at #3 in the BCS. It's because they know for a fact that Alabama will beat Auburn, moving them up to #1, and then they think LSU wouldn't drop further than #2. That's just ridiculous.
Just because you've convinced yourselves that LSU is the team of the century and Alabama is the team of the century once removed, it doesn't mean they can't be unseated by a loss. Yes, LSU would have a claim to be in the NCG with only one loss, but Arkansas would only have one loss and would have just beaten the Tigers as well. Oh well, when Alabama loses, it won't really matter anyway. I'm pulling for Arkansas just for this stupidity alone.
Arkansas 30, LSU 21
LSU 41, Arkansas 17 - FAILURE
11/26
Georgia at Georgia Tech - Georgia is so good. They beat those mighty Kentucky Wildcats 19-10. What a great team. Georgia Tech will use their triple option attack to end the Dawgs' streak of knocking off the elite of the college football world.
Georgia Tech 28, Georgia 20
Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 17 - FAILURE
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