New Brackets, Week 13 Schedule (11/18/08)

NEW BRACKETS

Perfect Health (2)
Alabama, Texas Tech

Alive and Kicking (8)
Utah, Boise St., Ball St., Texas, Oklahoma, Penn St., Florida, USC

Life Support (8)
BYU, Oklahoma St., Missouri, Georgia, Ohio St., Michigan St., Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

My Ranking of 18 teams
1. Alabama - unbeaten
2. Texas Tech - unbeaten
3. Texas - only loss to No. 2
4. Oklahoma - only loss to No. 3
5. USC - only loss on the road to 3-loss Oregon St.
6. Penn St. - only loss on the road to 4-loss Iowa
7. Florida - only loss at home to 4-loss Mississippi
8. Utah - unbeaten
9. Boise St. - unbeaten
10. Ball St. - unbeaten
11. Oklahoma St. - two losses to No. 2 and No. 3
12. Georgia - two losses to No. 1 and No. 7
13. Ohio St. - two losses to No. 5 and No. 6
14. Missouri - two losses to No. 3 and No. 11
15. Cincinnati - two losses to No. 4 and 3-loss UCONN
16. Michigan St. - two losses to No. 13 and 4-loss CAL
17. BYU - only loss on the road to 2-loss TCU
18. Pittsburgh - two losses to 5-loss Bowling Green and 5-loss Rutgers

Schedule
Ball St. at Central Michigan, 7 p.m., Wednesday
Michigan at Ohio St., Noon, Saturday
Citadel at Florida, 1:30 p.m., Saturday
Michigan St. at Penn St., 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Boise St. at Nevada, 4 p.m., Saturday
BYU at Utah, 6 p.m., Saturday
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Saturday
Texas Tech at Oklahoma, 8 p.m., Saturday

Thoughts
Four huge games this week, including my No. 2 Texas Tech heading to Norman to meet the No. 4 Sooners. An Oklahoma win would leave only Alabama as an unbeaten from the BCS conferences. The Crimson Tide still have Auburn and the SEC title game looming.

Utah can help cement its place in the BCS with a home win over BYU. A loss and Boise St. could take advantage and make the BCS.

Michigan St.-Penn St. and Pittsburgh-Cincinnati have more conference implications than national, but the Nittany Lions could stay in the hunt with a win.

New Brackets, Week 12 schedule (11/11/08)

NEW BRACKETS

Perfect Health (2)
Alabama, Texas Tech

Alive and Kicking (8)
Utah, Boise St., Ball St., Texas, Oklahoma, Penn St., Florida, USC

Life Support (11)
BYU, Tulsa, Oklahoma St., Missouri, Georgia, Ohio St., Michigan St., Florida St., North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

WEEK 12 SCHEDULE
Ball St. at Miami (Oh.), 7 p.m., Tuesday
Indiana at Penn St., 12 p.m. Saturday
Ohio St. at Illinois, 12 p.m., Saturday
Texas at Kansas, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
Georgia at Auburn, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
South Carolina at Florida, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
BYU at Air Force, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
North Carolina at Maryland, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Boise St. at Idaho, 5 p.m., Saturday
Missouri at Iowa St., 6:30 p.m., Saturday
USC at Stanford, 7 p.m., Saturday
Mississippi St. at Alabama, 7:45 p.m., Saturday
Boston College at Florida St., 8 p.m., Saturday
Oklahoma St. at Colorado, 8 p.m., Saturday
Cincinnati at Louisville, 8 p.m., Saturday
Utah at San Diego St., 8 p.m., Saturday
Tulsa at Houston, 8 p.m., Saturday

MY RANKING OF 21 ELIGIBLE TEAMS
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. USC
7. Penn St.
8. Utah
9. Boise St.
10. Ball St.
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma St.
13. Ohio St.
14. Missouri
15. Cincinnati
16. Michigan St.
17. BYU
18. Florida St.
19. North Carolina
20. Pittsburgh
21. Tulsa

Interesting week this week. Four of the 21 teams (Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Michigan St., Pittsburgh) are off, and the other 17 teams all play teams out of the bracket. The question becomes, how many of the 17 can take care of business? Of the 17, 13 play on the road.

New Brackets, Week 11 schedule (11/6/08)

NEW BRACKETS

Perfect Health (3)
Alabama, Penn St., Texas Tech

Alive and Kicking (8)
Utah, Boise St., Ball St., Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Florida, USC

Life Support (18)
TCU, BYU, Tulsa, Missouri, Georgia, LSU, California, Ohio St., Northwestern, Michigan St., Minnesota, Maryland, Florida St., North Carolina, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

SCHEDULE
Northern Illinois at Ball St., 8 p.m., Wednesday
Maryland at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., Thursday
TCU at Utah, 8 p.m., Thursday
Purdue at Michigan St., Noon, Saturday
Ohio St. at Northwestern, Noon, Saturday
Michigan at Minnesota, Noon, Saturday
Louisville at Pittsburgh, Noon, Saturday
Georgia Tech at North Carolina, Noon, Saturday
Baylor at Texas, Noon, Saturday
Georgia at Kentucky, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
San Diego St. at BYU, 2 p.m., Saturday
Utah St. at Boise St., 2 p.m., Saturday
Alabama at LSU, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Penn St. at Iowa, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Oklahoma at Texas A&M, 3:30, Saturday
Clemson at Florida St., 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Cincinnati at West Virginia, 7 p.m., Saturday
Kansas St. at Missouri, 7 p.m., Saturday
Florida at Vanderbilt, 8 p.m., Saturday
Oklahoma St. at Texas Tech, 8 p.m., Saturday
California at USC, 8 p.m. Saturday

Seven games this week feature two of the 29 teams still remaining. All but one team is in action as Tulsa has the week off. Three of the games are true elimination games as Georgia Tech against North Carolina, Ohio St. against Northwestern and Cincinnati at West Virginia all feature teams in the Life Support bracket.

If I had to rank the teams, here's how I would do it.

1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Penn St.
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Oklahoma St.
7. Florida
8. USC
9. Utah
10. Boise St.
11. Ball St.
12. Georgia
13. Ohio St.
14. Missouri
15. TCU
16. BYU
17. LSU
18. Maryland
19. California
20. Michigan St.
21. Northwestern
22. Minnesota
23. Cincinnati
24. Florida St.
25. North Carolina
26. Georgia Tech
27. Pittsburgh
28. West Virginia
29. Tulsa

New Brackets, Week 10 schedule (10/30/08)

We're down to 35 teams remaining in the race, but the bigger picture shows 20 of the teams on the brink of elimination. In any given week, you could see the field narrowed by a bunch.

Eight games feature two teams still alive, including a battle of two of the four BCS conference unbeatens when Texas travels to Texas Tech on Saturday night. Those games are in bold at the bottom.

NEW BRACKETS

Perfect Health (4)
Texas, Alabama, Penn St., Texas Tech

Alive and Kicking (11)
Utah, Boise St., Tulsa, Ball St., Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Florida, Georgia, USC, Minnesota, Florida St.

Life Support (20)
TCU, BYU, Missouri, LSU, Oregon, California, Ohio St., Northwestern, Michigan St., Notre Dame, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Boston College, UCONN, Louisville, West Virginia, South Florida, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

South Florida at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m., Thursday
West Virginia at Connecticut, Noon, Saturday
Wisconsin at Michigan St., Noon, Saturday
Northwestern at Minnesota, Noon, Saturday
Tulsa at Arkansas, 2 p.m., Saturday
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m., Saturday
Arkansas St. at Alabama, 3 p.m. Saturday
Missouri at Baylor, 3 p.m. Saturday
Florida at Georgia, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Clemson at Boston College, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Iowa St. at Oklahoma St., 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Oregon at California, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Florida St. at Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
BYU at Colorado St., 6 p.m., Saturday
Washington at USC, 6:30 p.m., Saturday
Louisville at Syracuse, 7 p.m., Saturday
Boise St. at New Mexico St., 7 p.m., Saturday
Texas at Texas Tech, 8 p.m., Saturday
TCU at UNLV, 8 p.m., Saturday
Nebraska at Oklahoma, 8 p.m., Saturday
Tulane at LSU, 8 p.m., Saturday
Utah at New Mexico, 9:30 p.m., Saturday

New brackets, Week 9 schedule (10/21/08)

Here are the new brackets as we lost five more teams this week, taking our total to 41.

Perfect Health (5)
Alabama, Texas, Penn St., Oklahoma St., Texas Tech

Alive and Kicking (18)
Utah, Boise St., Tulsa, Ball St., USC, Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Georgia Tech,
Florida St., Boston College, Ohio St., Northwestern, Minnesota, South Florida, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

Life Support (18)
TCU, BYU, Oregon, Arizona, California, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Michigan
St., Notre Dame, West Virginia, Louisville, UCONN, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech,
North Carolina

Week 9 Schedule
Auburn at West Virginia, 7:30 p.m., Thursday
Boise St. at San Jose St., 9 p.m., Friday
Texas Tech at Kansas, Noon, Saturday
Boston College at North Carolina, Noon, Saturday
Wake Forest at Miami (Fl.), Noon, Saturday
Cincinnati at UCONN, Noon, Saturday
Northwestern at Indiana, Noon, Saturday
Minnesota at Purdue, Noon, Saturday
Eastern Michigan at Ball St., Noon, Saturday
Kentucky at Florida, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
Oklahoma at Kansas St., 12:30 p.m., Saturday
UNLV at BYU, 2 p.m., Saturday
Duke at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m., Saturday
Oklahoma St. at Texas, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Georgia at LSU, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Virginia Tech at Florida St., 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Virginia at Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
N.C. St. at Maryland, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
UCLA at California, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
South Florida at Louisville, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Rutgers at Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Michigan St. at Michigan, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Colorado at Missouri, 6 p.m., Saturday
Wyoming at TCU, 6 p.m., Saturday
Alabama at Tennessee, 7:45 p.m. Saturday
Penn St. at Ohio St., 8 p.m., Saturday
Notre Dame at Washington, 8 p.m., Saturday
UCF at Tulsa, 8 p.m., Saturday
Oregon at Arizona St., 10 p.m., Saturday
USC at Arizona, 10:15 p.m., Saturday

Week 8 Preview (Part 1)

BYU at TCU, Thursday 8 p.m.

The Cougars are one of college football's most prolific passing programs ever, producing such quarterbacks as Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Heisman winner Ty Detmer. BYU still has that passing game working as it is eighth in the country in passing offense at 320.50 yards per game, and eighth in passing efficiency. The Cougars lead the Mountain West in passing offense, total offense and scoring.

But the Cougars have a new calling card as well, a very tough defense that has allowed 44 points in its five games against FBS opponents, including shutouts over UCLA and Wyoming. Including its win over Northern Illinois, BYU has allowed the second fewest points per game in the country, trailing only USC. The defense features some excellent linebackers in David Nixon, Matt Bauman and Coleby Clawson. They have helped the Cougars put up numbers good enough for the Top 20 Nationally in sacks, tackles for loss and turnover margin.

TCU's resume would look awfully similar to BYU's if not for one game - a 35-10 loss to prevous No. 1 Oklahoma. TCU is 5-1 against FBS competition, having allowed 38 points in the five wins. BYU is averaging more points and giving up less overall, but if you factor in the Oklahoma game and the fact that TCU is home, and well, this one is a toss up.

The Horned Frogs are led by a strong rushing attack that ranks 13th in the country, but no player averages more than 60 yards per game. In fact, quarterback Marcus Jackson leads the team in rushing.

BYU will have to account for linebacker Jerry Hughes in the passing game. Hughes has two intercpetions to go along with seven sacks, so he's a factor rushing and dropping into coverage.

Prediction: BYU 24, TCU 20

Best Games of Week 8

This week we'll try to preview the games of all five teams in the Perfect Health bracket, along with all the games in which two teams from the tournament play each other. I'll try to do a better job predicting these 13 games than I did last week's 11 big games where I went 5-6.

Those games are:

BYU at TCU, 8 p.m. Thursday
Mississippi at Alabama, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Missouri at Texas, 8 p.m. Saturday
Michigan at Penn St., 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Baylor at Oklahoma St., 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Texas Tech at Texas A&M, Noon Saturday
Virginia Tech at Boston College, 8 p.m. Saturday
Kansas at Oklahoma, TBA Saturday
Vanderbilt at Georgia, TBA Saturday
Ohio St. at Michigan St., 3:30 p.m. Saturday
LSU at South Carolina, TBA Saturday
Wake Forest at Maryland, Noon Saturday
California at Arizona, 10 p.m. Saturday