Blogpoll Ballot Week 12

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	--
2	Michigan	--
3	Southern Cal	5
4	Florida	1
5	Arkansas	5
6	LSU	1
7	Rutgers	8
8	Wisconsin	1
9	Louisville	5
10	West Virginia	2
11	Notre Dame	3
12	Texas	7
13	Wake Forest	6
14	Auburn	8
15	Tennessee	4
16	Oklahoma	--
17	Georgia Tech	--
18	California	5
19	Boise State	1
20	Maryland	--
21	Virginia Tech	--
22	Hawaii	--
23	Nebraska	1
24	Boston College	2
25	Brigham Young	1

Dropped Out: Oregon (#23), Texas A&M (#25).

Blogpoll Ballot Week 11: It's Been Awhile!

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	25
2	Michigan	24
3	Florida	23
4	Louisville	22
5	Texas	21
6	Auburn	20
7	LSU	19
8	Southern Cal	18
9	Wisconsin	17
10	Arkansas	16
11	Tennessee	15
12	West Virginia	14
13	California	13
14	Notre Dame	12
15	Rutgers	11
16	Oklahoma	10
17	Georgia Tech	9
18	Boise State	8
19	Wake Forest	7
20	Maryland	6
21	Virginia Tech	5
22	Hawaii	4
23	Oregon	3
24	Nebraska	2
25	Texas A&M	1

Dropped Out:

Blogpoll Week 5

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Auburn	--
2	Southern Cal	--
3	Ohio State	--
4	Louisiana State	--
5	Michigan	--
6	Florida	--
7	Texas	--
8	Louisville	--
9	West Virginia	--
10	Virginia Tech	--
11	Iowa	1
12	Georgia	1
13	Tennessee	--
14	Clemson	12
15	Notre Dame	1
16	Florida State	1
17	TCU	1
18	Cal	6
19	Oregon	--
20	Oklahoma	3
21	Nebraska	--
22	Georgia Tech	4
23	Michigan State	1
24	Miami (Florida)	2
25	Houston	1

Dropped Out: Boston College (#15), Arizona State (#20), Alabama (#25).

Blogpoll Week 4

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Auburn	25
2	Southern Cal	24
3	Ohio State	23
4	Louisiana State	22
5	Michigan	21
6	Florida	20
7	Texas	19
8	Louisville	18
9	West Virginia	17
10	Virginia Tech	16
11	Georgia	15
12	Iowa	14
13	Tennessee	13
14	Notre Dame	12
15	Boston College	11
16	Clemson	10
17	Florida State	9
18	TCU	8
19	Oregon	7
20	Arizona State	6
21	Nebraska	5
22	Michigan State	4
23	Oklahoma	3
24	Cal	2
25	Alabama	1

Dropped Out:

Week 3 Picks "Separation Saturday"

It's a weak title, but it is fitting since my picks have been pretty weak. My quick two cents for this week's seven games featuring top 25 teams.

1. LSU-Auburn - I like Auburn, not because the Tigers are my pick to win the national title, but because the game is on The Plains. Auburn 13, LSU 7.

2. Michigan at Notre Dame - Part thinks Michigan will expose the overrated Irish, but its hard to pick against Charlie, Brady, and Touchdown Jesus. Notre Dame 28, Michigan 24.

3. Nebraska at USC - This could get ugly. Nebraska is improved, but only Trev Alberts would pick the Huskers. USC 38, Nebraska 20.

4. Florida at Tennessee - I like the Volunteers only because they are at home. Tennessee 23, Florida 17.

5. Miami at Louisville - This will be a statement game for Louisville, Miami is not good, and could get embarrassed. Louisville 30, Miami 17.

6. Oklahoma at Oregon - The Ducks are for real, the Sooners are not. Oregon 38, Oklahoma 24.

7. Texas Tech at TCU - TCU is looking good, while Tech had trouble at UTEP. This is a make or break game for the Frogs BCS chances. Texas Tech 31, TCU 28.

Week Two Picks

The Biggest Games(ranked by significance)

1. Ohio State at Texas- The first time in 10 years No. 1 vs. No. 2 will go head to head. Games don't get much bigger than this, especially in September. Ohio State has the obvious advantage on offense and Texas has the obvious advantage on defense. The game will fall on the shoulders of Texas freshman quarterback Colt McCoy. If he can make plays with few mistakes, the homefield advantage will be enough for Texas to pull out the win. Texas 28, Ohio State 26.

2. Penn State at Notre Dame- The Irish will win this game, but will it be close or a blow-out? Penn State QB Anthony Morrelli should have some success against the Notre Dame secondary, but Brady Quinn will shred the Nittany Lion secondary. Penn State's linebackers will have to step up their game, if the Nittany Lions expect to have a chance to win. Notre Dame 31, Penn State 21.

3. Clemson at Boston College- The Eagles looked like awful last week against Central Michigan, while Clemson blew out Florida Atlantic. With that said, Clemson looks like the easy pick, even on the road. However, Boston College should be able to control the clock and be able to eek out the upset win at home. Boston College 29, Clemson 28.

4. Georgia at South Carolina- Arguably the toughest game to call this week. South Carolina's defense was great last week, albeit, it was Mississippi State. Georgia is still unproven, and playing on the road this early has all the makings of an upset. If South Carolina can get the ball into WR Sydney Rice's hands 7-10 time in this game, the Gamecocks should come out on top. South Carolina 13, Georgia 10.

5. Oregon at Fresno State- Can Pat Hill pull out the victory? Oregon looked unstoppable last week against Stanford, but it will be a whole different story away from Eugene. The 'Dogs matchup well with the Ducks, and the homefield has proved to be the difference the last three times these schools have met. Fresno State 34, Oregon 32.


3 Potential Upsets........

What will happen- Fresno State beats Oregon. See above.

What might happen- Nevada surprises Arizona State. ASU looked bad against Weber State, while Nevada was just a few plays away from upsetting Fresno State.

What is unlikely to happen- North Carolina upsets Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels tanked at home last week against Rutgers, but VA Tech could be in for a surprise this week.

A Betting man? Surefire Picks!

UCLA (-27.5)) vs. Rice - UCLA looked very good last week against Utah, Rice will score some points, but the Bruins will hit 50 in this one.

Tennessee (-19.5) vs. Air Force - The Vols could tank this week, but the offense should continue to roll.

Texas Tech (-7) at UTEP - Are you kidding me? This will be a high-scoring affair but Tech will outscore the Miners by double-digits.

Last Week's Picks

Blogpoll Ballot Week 2

Blogpoll released!

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Auburn	25
2	Southern Cal	24
3	Ohio State	23
4	Texas	22
5	LSU	21
6	Florida State	20
7	Florida	19
8	Michigan	18
9	Notre Dame	17
10	Iowa	16
11	Louisville	15
12	West Virginia	14
13	Tennessee	13
14	Clemson	12
15	Georgia	11
16	Virginia Tech	10
17	Miami (Florida)	9
18	Oregon	8
19	Nebraska	7
20	Oklahoma	6
21	Penn State	5
22	Texas Tech	4
23	Pittsburgh	3
24	UCLA	2
25	Arizona State	1

Dropped Out: (17) Cal, (22) Boston College

Week One Picks

The Biggest Games(ranked by significance)

1. Miami at Florida State- Neither team is ranked in the top 10 and both are coming off of bowl losses -- FSU almost upset Penn State in the Orange and Miami was blown by LSU in the Peach. Miami brought in Rich Olsen to run the offense. Olsen comes from the NFL but was a Miami assistant in the 90's. His job is to turn QB Kyle Wright and the offense into the juggernaut it once was. FSU QB Drew Weatherford has a complete season under his belt, but unless FSU utilizes RB Lorenzo Booker, the offense will not improve. FSU's defense must rebuild and the Miami offense will be more potent than last year's unit. This game has not been that high-scoring the last few years, but Miami will top 20 points and win at home. Miami 24, Florida State 20.

2. Cal at Tennessee- Jeff Tedford is known for his offense, but it’s the defense that will carry Cal this season, especially early on. Tennessee rehired David Cutcliffe to run the offense and tutor QB Erik Ainge. Ainge has all the pressure in the world to produce, and Cal is not the most ideal opening game. Cal 27, Tennessee 13.

3. Notre Dame at Georgia Tech- This could be the upset of the opening weekend, but the Yellow Jackets secondary will be at a disadvantage all night. On the other hand if Tech QB Reggie Ball can get the ball into the hands of Calvin Johnson, the Jackets have the shot at the upset. Brady Quinn will kick off his Heisman campaign is glorious fashion. Notre Dame 41, Georgia Tech 24.

4. USC at Arkansas- Easily one of the most intriguing match up this Labor Day weekend. Can USC's offense continue its greatness with Bush, Leinart, and White? How will Josh David Booty respond playing against a decent team on the road, with revenge on its mind? Arkansas Darren McFadden is still questionable for the game and if he is no where near 100%, the 'Hogs don't have a shot at win. As good as the USC offense has been the last few years, people tend to forget Pete Carroll is a defensive guru. USC 28, Arkansas 6.

5. Washington State at Auburn-Underrated match up, winner could be a national title sleeper. Honestly, if Washington State won at Auburn, don't you think they would be considered one of the better teams in the nation? It might be a stretch, but Washington State should have closer to 9-2 last season instead of 4-7. Auburn on the other hand, is my preseason No. 1 and rightfully so, the Tigers are loaded and talented. Some receivers have to emerge for Auburn to take it the distance, and WSU will be good challenge early on. Auburn 38, WSU 21.

6. Utah at UCLA-A fun matchup that could go a long in determining who will play in the one of the five BCS bowls. A Utah win will certainly signal the start of unbeaten BCS crashing season. A UCLA loss could be the final straw for Bruin head coach Karl Dorrell. True UCLA fans were not fooled by last season's 10 win season. UCLA 34, Utah 30.

3 Potential Upsets........

What will happen- Baylor beats TCU. The Bears are not as bad as they used to be. And TCU is not as good as its 11-1 record of a year ago.

What might happen- BYU surprises Arizona. The Wildcats are coming off of a 3-8 season, BYU almost beat Cal in the Las Vegas Bowl.

What is unlikely to happen- Hawaii upsets Alabama. The Warrior defense is awful, but the Alabama offense is not going to score too many points either.

A Betting man? Surefire Picks!

West Virginia (-22)) vs Marshall - The Herd will have a tough time containing White and Slaton.

North Texas(+41) at Texas - The 'Horns are going to roll, but covering 41 will be tough with a new QB, even against the Mean Green.

Utah State (+12.5) at Wyoming- Plenty of offensive weapons for the Aggies, and they might win this one straight up.

Bowl Predictions

I love to predict bowl games. I have drafts I wrote down from as early as January. I just didn't get around to posting them on the blog. There will be 32 bowls this year, including the BCS National Title game in Glendale, AZ. Three new bowls -- actaully four if you include the former Houston Bowl, which is now the Texas Bowl -- join the lineup, the International Bowl, Birmingham Bowl and the New Mexico Bowl. And one other, the Fort Worth Bowl, has changed its name to the Armed Forces Bowl.

New Orleans Bowl - SMU 8-4 vs. Troy 7-5
New Mexico Bowl - Nevada 8-4 vs. Colorado State 6-6
Poinsettia Bowl - Fresno State 10-2 vs. BYU 8-4
Birmingham Bowl - Southern Miss 8-4 vs. Virginia 6-6*
Armed Forces Bowl - TCU 8-4 vs. UTEP 7-5
International Bowl - Rutgers 6-6 vs. Akron 6-6
Motor City Bowl - Toledo 8-4 vs. Oregon State 7-6*
GMAC Bowl - Northern Illinois 10-3 vs. UCF 8-5
MPC Computers Bowl - Boise State 10-2 vs. North Carolina 7-5
Hawaii Bowl - Hawaii 9-4 vs. Washington State 7-5
Liberty Bowl - Tulsa 10-3 vs. Ole Miss 7-5
Emerald Bowl - Arizona State 8-4 vs. Maryland 7-5
Las Vegas Bowl - Oregon 8-4 vs. Utah 10-2
Texas Bowl - Baylor 6-6 vs. South Florida 8-4
Independence Bowl - Alabama 7-5 vs. Iowa State 7-5
Music City Bowl - Geogia Tech 7-5 vs. South Carolina 8-4
Insight Bowl - Wisconsin 8-4 vs. Texas A&M 7-5
Meineke Car Care Bowl - Navy 10-2 vs. Boston College 9-3
Alamo Bowl - Kansas 9-3 vs. Purdue 8-5
Sun Bowl - Arizona 8-4 vs. Pitt 9-3
Champs Sports Bowl - Virginia Tech 9-3 vs. Michigan State 8-4
Gator Bowl - Miami 10-3 vs. Oklahoma 9-3
Holiday Bowl - Cal 9-3 vs. Texas Tech 9-3
Cotton Bowl - Nebraska 10-3 vs. Arkansas 8-4
Peach Bowl - Clemson 9-3 vs. Georgia 9-3
Outback Bowl - Penn State 8-4 vs. Tennessee 9-4
Capital One Bowl - Florida 9-3 vs. Iowa 10-2
Fiesta Bowl - Texas 12-1 vs. West Virginia 11-1
Sugar Bowl - LSU 9-3 vs. Louisville 11-1
Orange Bowl - Florida State 11-2 vs. Michigan 10-2
Rose Bowl - Ohio State 10-2 vs. Notre Dame 10-2
BCS National Championship - Auburn 12-1 vs. USC 11-1

*no eligible conference team available

Pac-10 Predictions

Order of Finish
1. USC 11-1 (8-1)
t2. Cal 9-3 (6-3)
t2. Arizona 8-4 (6-3)
t2. Oregon 8-4 (6-3)
t5. Arizona State 8-4 (5-4)
t5. Washington State 7-5 (5-4)
t7. Oregon State 7-6 (4-5)
t7. UCLA 6-6 (4-5)
9. Washington 2-10 (1-8)
10. Stanford 2-10 (0-9)

SEC Predictions

Order of Finish
West
1. Auburn 12-1 (8-1)*
t2. LSU 9-3 (5-3)
t2. Arkansas 8-4 (5-3)
4. Ole Miss 7-5 (4-4)
5. Alabama 7-5 (3-5)
6. Mississippi State 4-8 (1-7)

East
t1. Tennessee 9-4 (6-3)*
t1. Florida 9-3 (6-2)
t3. Georgia 9-3 (5-3)
t3. South Carolina 8-4 (5-3)
5. Kentucky 4-8 (1-7)
6. Vanderbilt 3-9 (0-8)

*Auburn defeats Tennessee in SEC Championship game.

Big XII Predictions

Order of Finish
West
1. Texas 12-1 (8-1)*
2. Oklahoma 9-3 (6-2)
t3. Texas Tech 9-3 (5-3)
t3. Texas A&M 7-5 (5-3)
5. Baylor 6-6 (3-5)
6. Oklahoma State 4-8 (1-7)

East
1. Nebraska 10-3 (7-2)*
t2. Kansas 9-3 (5-3)
t2. Iowa State 7-5 (5-3)
4. Colorado 5-7 (3-5)
t5. Missouri 6-6 (2-6)
t5. Kansas State 5-7 (2-6)

*Texas defeats Nebraska in the Big XII Championship game.

WAC Predictions

Order of Finish
t1. Boise State 10-2 (7-1)
t1. Fresno State 10-2 (7-1)
t3. Hawaii 9-4 (5-3)
t3. Nevada 8-4 (5-3)
5. Utah State 4-8 (4-4)
t6. Louisiana Tech 5-8 (3-5)
t6. Idaho 4-8 (3-5)
8. San Jose State 3-8 (2-6)
9. New Mexico State 2-10 (0-8)

Sun Belt Predictions

Order of Finish
t1. Troy 7-5 (6-1)
t1. Louisiana-Lafayette 8-4 (6-1)
t3. MTSU 6-6 (5-2)
t3. North Texas 5-7 (5-2
t5. Arkansas State 3-9 (2-5)
t5. Florida Atlantic 2-10 (2-5)
t7. Louisiana-Monroe 2-10 (1-6)
t7. Florida International 1-11 (1-6)

MAC Predictions

Order of Finish
West
t1. Northern Illinois 10-3 (8-1)*
t1. Toledo 8-4 (7-1)
3. Central Michigan 6-6 (5-3)
4. Western Michigan 4-8 (3-5)
5. Ball State 3-9 (2-6)
6. Eastern Michigan 0-12 (0-8)

East
t1. Miami Ohio 6-7 (5-4)*
t1. Kent State 6-6 (5-3)
t1. Akron 6-6 (5-3)
t1. Ohio 6-6 (5-3)
5. Bowling Green 6-6 (4-4)
6. Buffalo 1-11 (0-8)

*Northern Illinois defeats Miami Ohio in the MAC Championship.

CUSA Predictions

Order of Finish
West
1. Tulsa 10-3 (8-1)*
t2. SMU 8-4 (5-3)
t2. Houston 8-4 (5-3)
t2. UTEP 7-5 (5-3)
5. Tulane 2-10 (1-7)
6. Rice 0-12 (0-8)

East
t1. UCF 8-5 (6-3)*
t1. So Miss 8-4 (6-2)
3. Memphis 7-5 (5-3)
t4. UAB 4-8 (3-5)
t4. ECU 3-9 (3-5)
6. Marshall 3-9 (2-6)

*Tulsa defeats UCF in CUSA Championship game.

Big Ten Predictions

Order of Finish
t1. Ohio State 10-2 (7-1)
t1. Michigan 10-2 (7-1)
3. Iowa 10-2 (6-2)
t4. Penn State 8-4 (5-3)
t4. Michigan State 8-4 (5-3)
t4. Purdue 8-5 (5-3)
7. Wisconsin 8-4 (4-4)
t8. Minnesota 5-7 (2-6)
t8. Northwestern 4-8 (2-6)
10. Illinois 4-8 (1-7)
11. Indiana 4-8 (0-8)

Big East Predictions

Order of Finish
1. Louisville 11-1 (6-1)
2. West Virginia 11-1 (6-1)
t3. Pitt 9-3 (5-2)
t3. USF 8-4 (5-2)
5. Rutgers 6-6 (3-4)4-8
t6. UConn 4-8 (1-6)
t6. Cincinnati (1-6)
t6. Syracuse 3-8 (1-6)

Neglected Not Forgotten

For the few readers that still frequent this blog, I apologize for the lack of content. But between work, family, the Fresno State Football Blog, the Bark Board and another new FS blog (which officially launches sometime next week), something had to give -- and unfortunately it had to be MDG CFB.

But I am still going to add my season picks, and provide weekly picks every Thursday or Friday, so check back or just check in every day for the Hottie of the day.

It is the best time of the year, college football is just two days away.