College Football Kickoff (Week 14)

Games of the Week

#20 Louisville Cardinals (9-2) at Rutgers Scarlett Knights (9-2)
Even though the Big East doesn't have a conference championship game, this is their de facto game.  Right now Rutgers leads the Big East and a win would give them the title.  But if Louisville wins that forces a 4 way tie and the team with the higher BCS ranking will get the title.  That team is likely Louisville.  Both teams come into this game with strong defenses, so expect this game to be low scoring.  The Cardinals do have the advantage on offense.  QB Teddy Bridgewater has slowed down, but he is still a dynamic player.  His play will be the difference in the game.
Prediction:  Louisville 14  Rutgers 13

#19 UCLA Bruins (9-3) at #9 Stanford Cardinal (10-2)
If you feel like this game is deja vu, your not alone.  Because we just saw it last weekend.  In that game Stanford laid the wood to UCLA with their power run game and physical defense to win the game 35-17.  They basically beat down the Bruins.  But there are some that felt UCLA didn't give it their all because they were holding back for this game.  Bruin fans better hope that was true, because last weeks game wasn't pretty.
Prediction:  UCLA 24 Stanford 31

#17 Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) vs #16 Kent State Golden Flashes (11-1)
Can you remember the last time that the MAC Title Game had both teams ranked?  Let alone both teams being in the top 20.  Maybe one of the teams, but not both.  But with the Huskies and Flashes enjoying record breaking years, it's only fitting that they face off against each other for the Conference Championship. Both teams come into this game with high powered offenses and like to score points.  So you may want to take the overs in this one.  Kent State features a pair of 1,000 yard rushers, while Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch was putting up numbers that had some thinking of putting him on their Heisman ballot.  The difference will be the defense and that favors the Huskies who are only giving up 17 points per game.  But they haven't faced a running attack like this one.
Prediction:  Northern Illinois 38  Kent State 31

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1)  vs #3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1)
Who says that college football doesn't have playoffs?  The SEC Championship game between the #2 and #3 ranked teams will have the winner go face off against Notre Dame in the BCS Championship.  Sounds like a semi final round if you ask me.  Much like every other SEC game, this is a match up of elite defenses.  If Georgia wants to win this game they'll need QB Aaron Murray to have a flawless game and not throw any INTs that has hurt him in previous games.  If Alabama wants to win this game they'll have to find running holes against a very stout Georgia run defense.
Prediction:  Alabama 14 Georgia 10

#15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2) vs Wisconsin Badgers (7-5)
A tale of two teams in this Big 10 Title Game.  This is Wisconsin's second straight Conference Championship game and they're looking to get back to their 3rd straight Rose Bowl.  Nebraska is in their first Big 10 Title Game and looking to win the Big 10 for the first time in school history.  The Huskers also haven't won a conference championship since 1999.  In their previous meeting this year the Huskers killed themselves with early turnovers, but fought back to win 30-27.  Nebraska is clearly the better team, but Wisconsin has the experience.
Prediction:  Nebraska 27 Wisconsin 24

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Coaches Corner

Gary Pinkel
Record at Missouri: 90-61
Bowl Appearances: 8

Gary Pinkel is no stranger to the coaching hot seat.  Pinkel's first four years at Missouri were pretty uneventful.  They never finished over 3rd in their division, despite having some talented teams.  The term "Pinkeled" was coined from the fact that he seemed to lose games because of bad coaching.  Pinkel's seat started to become warm and there were thoughts that another bad season could cause him to be fired.

2006 is when things started to change.  Pinkel was able to bring in a lot of talented players that would later go on to the NFL.  Guys like Jeremy Maclin, Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker, William Moore, Evander Hood, Blaine Gabbert and Sean Weatherspoon all were a part of the program at this time.  And because of all this talent, the Tigers were annual contenders to win the conference.  Missouri won the North Division of the Big 12 three of the next four years and were even ranked #4 in the final AP Standings.

So why would somebody like this now be on the hot seat? In 2011 most of that talent was gone from the program and Pinkel wasn't getting the same impact players in.  They finished the season 8-5.  This was Missouri's last year in the Big 12 and were moving to the SEC.

This past season was the Tigers first in the toughest conference in college football.  There wasn't a whole lot of expectations, but nobody thought the Tigers would be this bad.  Winning only 5 games all season and having their high powered offense sputter.  They finished 81st overall in passing.

Don't expect Pinkel to lose his job this year.  But word out of Columbia is that they aren't too pleased with the teams performance and Pinkel was out coached on a week end and week out basis.  If the administration wants to be a player in the SEC, they could make a move if it doesn't look like Pinkel will get the job done.

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What happened to....

Big East Contenders
Does anybody want to win the Big East this year?  I know teams are leaving left and right for better conferences, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't want to win the Big East Title.

For a better part of the season the Big East was a three team race.  Cincinnati, Rutgers, and Louisville were all in the running for the title and a birth in a BCS Bowl.  With the three teams playing each other in the final weeks of the season we would be treated to some good fought games.  Instead each  teams has dropped games to inferior competition.  Louisville lost consecutive games to Syracuse and UConn.  Rutgers lost to Kent State and Pittsburgh.  And Cincinnati lost to Toledo.  Now with Rutgers and Louisville playing, if Louisville wins we would have a 4 way tie.  They would have to look at BCS rankings to determine the winner.

Doesn't sound like anybody wants this title.  But nobody wants to be in this conference anymore, so I don't blame them.

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How about....

Texas A&M

For a school that has a lot to offer and has been thought to be a potential power school in college football, they really have underachieved.  I guess that's why they have always been considered a sleeping giant rather than a giant.  They struggled for years in the Big 12 to break through and with them going to the SEC West it looked like it could get even worse for the Aggies.

But lucky for them they were able to hire Kevin Sumlin from Houston to replace Mike Sherman.  They were also lucky that Sherman was able to get Johnny Manziel to come to A&M.  Under Kevin Sumlin's tutelage  Manziel has been the talk of college football and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.  The Aggies finished the regular season with a 10-2 record and a signature win over then #1 Alabama.  The Aggies weren't thought to be able to content in the SEC West, but this year they look like they can contend for years to come.

Maybe the Aggies were just a bad fit in the Big 12.  Maybe they needed to get out of Texas' shadow.  But anyway you slice it.  It's hard to ignore the season they are having.

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Player Spotlight

Tavon Austin

Height:  5'9
Weight:  172
School:  West Virginia
Year:  Senior
Position:  Wide Receiver

When West Virginia was enjoying a ton of attention for their early season success, it was QB Geno Smith getting most of the talk.  But one player that can't be ignored is Austin.

Austin is a jack of all trades.  He does most of his work out of the slot.  Austin uses his quickness to get of the line and in and out of cuts.  He has good hands and catches the ball cleanly.  He is also a force in the return game.  He gets to his top speed in a hurry and that allows him to break away from defenders.  Austin is at his best in the open field where his shiftiness and ability to change directions makes it impossible to take him down.  Surprisingly another strong suit we've seen is his ability to run the ball.  West Virginia has also used him as a running back and he even had 344 yards rushing against Oklahoma.  That's one game.

It's hard to compare Austin to another player because there really isn't anybody like him.  Easy comparisons would be Dexter McCluster or Percy Harvin.  But both of those players are a lot thicker than he is.  I don't see Austin holding up much in the NFL if he is going to be taking multiple hand offs.  Austin is starting to get some attention as a possible late 1st round pick, but it will be interesting to see how a team will use him.

Fixing the Big 12

With the recent news that Texas A&M making their intentions clear that they are exploring leaving the Big 12. That basically means that they are gone. That would leave the Big 12 with only 9 teams. That wouldn't be awful. They would still have Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri. Those four teams could carry a conference. But it would probably be a wise decision to look towards getting back to 12 teams with a the idea of having a championship game. SMU came out this week saying that wanted to be in the Big 12 if they were looking. That got me thinking. If I was in charge of the Big 12 (heck anybody could be better than Dan Beebe) which teams would I go after?

The teams I would be looking for don't necessarily have to fit geographically. That would be nice, but if you want the Big 12 to grow you need to get more eyes on your product. Notre Dame would obviously be my first choice, but there is no way they join. They want to stay Independent (and why wouldn't they) and if they were forced to join a conference it would probably be the Big 10. So with all that said, here is a look at the teams I would make invitations to.

Boise State Broncos. This would be one of my first choices. Boise isn't a big market, but they are nationally known and would bring a championship contender in. Their facilities are improving and they have a rabid fan base. Plus everybody would be wanting to see if they could make it playing in a big boys league.

TCU Horned Frogs. Along with Boise State this would be one of the first schools I'd target. TCU and Boise State are the top two non BCS teams out there. Plus TCU fits geographically and gives the conference a team in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex which is the #5 media market. Now I am aware that having Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech already gives you Dallas, but having TCU could help even more. I know that TCU has already joined the Big East for the 2012 season, but they would jump at the opportunity to get into the Big 12 where they wouldn't have to travel as much.

San Diego State Aztecs. Now San Diego State doesn't fit geographically, but they are a team that has the potential to make a big time jump. The team has improved under Brady Hoke and now Rocky Long should keep them on that path. Add in that their attendance has been improving lately which shows the interest. But what is most important is having a presence in Southern California. You would get the San Diego market (#28) plus having games in California could help teams recruit the area better.

Central Florida Knights. Much like San Diego State, Central Florida doesn't fit geographically but they are a team that is getting better and better and ready to start making a run at a BCS Bowl. UCF has also put a lot of money into improving their facilities. But what makes this move even better is that it gives you the Orlando market (#19) and a presence in the fertile recruiting grounds of Florida.

Houston Cougars. Here is another team that has had the ability to challenge for a possible BCS berth. Houston under Art Briles and now Kevin Sumlin have had the Cougars as regulars in the Conference USA Title hunt. Put them into the Big 12 and they might not challenge for the conference title right away, but they have proven that they could beat the likes of Texas Tech on a consistent basis. Add in that the Houston market is #10 nationally and they wouldn't require the current teams to travel much. Plus they are another team that has started investing a lot of money into their facilities.

If those teams don't work, here are some fall back options.

BYU Cougars. BYU thought that they would be a perfect fit when the Pac 10 wanted to expand, but they were passed over for Utah. So instead they decided to go Independent. But don't think for a second they wouldn't pass up the chance to join a BCS conference if they were invited. Now BYU is known for being difficult to work with, but they would give you a reputable program and because of the BYUTV network gives you eyes all over the country and some parts of the world. They wouldn't be my first choice but they would be an interesting fall back option.

SMU Mustangs. They have made it very clear that they want in, but they should be the ultimate fall back option. Now SMU has improved under June Jones, but they are no where ready to be competing in the Big 12 conference. The only thing they would bring to the conference is that they fit geographically and gives the Dallas market. But having Texas in the conference probably gives the conference the same amount of the Dallas market as SMU would. The only way I would invite them is if I had to invite somebody and nobody else accepted.

Overall if the Big 12 was able to get Boise State, TCU and either Central Florida or San Diego State they could be set up for a while. Heck even if TCU doesn't come and its just Boise State, Central Florida and San Diego State that would make them even more attractive and a better conference. But that's just my opinion. Let me know yours.

I just don't understand....Texas A&M to the SEC

Over the past couple of months one of the biggest stories in college football has been Texas A&M's desire to leave the Big 12 and enter the SEC. Now on the surface it seems like it would be a great fit. A&M would escape Texas' shadow and the SEC would have a presence in Texas. However when I look at this, I don't understand why this would be a perfect fit for both parties.

For the SEC it is. They would expand into Texas where there are 25 million more eyes on their product. Add in that they'll add one to three more teams to the conference and when they go to CBS and ESPN to negotiate their TV deal they'll pull a much bigger amount of money than they are currently getting. Another benefit for the SEC is that they'll have an even bigger access to the fertile recruiting grounds that Texas has to offer. With a team in the state, coaches will be able to go into there and tell the players that they'll get to play a game in their home state. This will make an already strong SEC, even better.

But for Texas A&M, going to the SEC doesn't make sense to me. Yes A&M will be getting away from Texas, who they feel is controlling the league. Yes they would be entering the premier college football conference in the nation. Yes they'll be going to a conference that is more stable. However, does anybody honestly think that they'll compete for championships in the SEC? When was the last time A&M contended for a Big 12 Title? Sure last year they only lost 2 conference games, but they haven't been to a single Big 12 Championship game in the past 12 years. If they stay in the Big 12 they get annual match ups against the likes of Kansas, KState, Iowa State, Baylor, and Texas Tech. Realistically they have to just beat Oklahoma or Texas. In the SEC only Mississippi, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky could be considered push overs. And they have to go up against Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia. They extra money they'd get from the SEC would be nice, but is it that much better than winning? Look at Oklahoma. They are one of the top college football programs in the country. But yet they haven't been going out and looking to leave the Big 12. That's because they get it. They know that all they have to do is win the Big 12 Conference and they'll have their shot at winning the National Title. Yeah they don't make SEC type of money, but because they are consistently playing for championships they get more exposure. You'd think you would see A&M have the same mindset. But I guess that hatred/jealously for Texas is just too strong.

But A&M has their mind already made up. Once they get the invite they'll be gone. They've already gone through the steps to make it happen. I just believe they'll be making a move that will set their program back significantly.