Bzdelik is Building!

Posted on December 20, 2011 by JC

June 26, 2007 will always be known on the campus of Wake Forest University as the day a beloved coach had his life come to a tragic end.

From there Skip Prosser’s right hand man, Dino Gaudio, took over. Although he had moderate success with Prosser’s players, there was an obvious need to go in a different direction. It was a touchy situation as Dino was a loved figure, in my opinion due to his connection with Skip. But in 2010, Wake Forest turned to a former NBA coach who more recently had led Air Force to unprecedented success in his 2 seasons. Upon his hiring there was skepticism due to the fact his Colorado coaching stint was an utter failure.

All my friends have gone on the record to voice their displeasure with Wake’s struggles last year in Bzdelik’s inaugural campaign as coach. Let’s take a little closer look at this…

Coach Bzdelik inherited a depleted roster with almost no experience to lean upon. 5 freshman and 2 sophomores played pivotal roles throughout the season. Did the team have problems? Definitely, but it also has laid the foundation for a basketball resurgence. Coach Bzdelik brought in 4 top 100 players in the 2010 class and if you have some patience you will see the results.

Through 11 games this season, Wake is 7-4. The kids have already experienced the downs from a difficult 2010-2011 season and that experience will help to spearhead a solid season. I don’t see the NCAA tournament in their future this season, but i do see 18-20 wins and the trust to know that Coach B has them on the right track. Diehard fans will notice that the Bzdelik’s rebuilding plan was very similar to Coach Prosser’s method 6 years prior so if you trusted him then give Coach B a chance.

Fans, please just be patient…you have a true winner and you don’t want to run him off prior to seeing the fruits of his labor. Hey, UNC went 8-20 and 3 years later were cutting down the nets…foreshadowing, we’ll see.

Josh Caudill

Follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9

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UNC vs. Duke…5-for-5

Posted on December 20, 2011 by JC

Do you bleed Carolina Blue or Royal Blue? Do you prefer the Dean Dome or Coach K court? Every year we can debate who will rule the ACC and this year is no different. Both Duke and UNC boast talented teams that aim to make a serious run to cutting down the nets in Indianapolis at the Final Four. As much as the success is similar, the formula to reach that success is very different.

Duke Philosophy- They will never wow you athletically but Coach K will always get more out of his talent than any other coach in America. I liken Duke to a Ivy League school on steroids. The Blue Devis will run numerous sets with the goal of setting up an open shot on the perimeter or a layup or dunk for the big men. The mid-range game is not as much as a staple of the offense. Duke is less reliant on dribble penetration as their off the ball screen game is executed brilliantly.

UNC Philosophy- Whereas Duke is all about execution, Roy Williams system is predicated on run, run, run. This is not to say Coach Williams isn’t a great X’s and O’s coach but he wants to outrun and outgun you. You can never relax without having the ball forced up the court at breakneck speed. What is special about UNC’s system is that as fast as they play it is never out of control. When the pace is slowed down, UNC likes to play inside out and is much less reliant on the 3 point shot. It truly is the bonus ball for the Tar Heels as they are nearly unbeatable if that shot is going down.

Let’s compare the teams starting 5 and see who wins out:

PG: Advantage UNC

Duke- Seth Curry…Stephen’s little brother is a knock down shooter and learning on the go as a point guard. Probably the weak link on the starting unit, not due to his talent level but moreso due to the role he is being forced to play.

UNC- Kendall Marshall…Taylor made for Roy Williams system. He doesn’t have the footspeed of Ty Lawson or Raymond Felton but his court vision and passing ability is unmatched in College basketball.

SG: Advantage DUKE

Duke- Austin Rivers…Dynamic athelte with great quickness and a developing jump shot. He’s the one guy on the Blue Devils that can get his own shot when he wants. He is probably the key to how serious a run this Duke team can make.

UNC- Dexter Strickland…Defensive stopper. Strickland is an elite athlete but is still trying to learn when to go and when to slow down. Not a great shooter and takes shots that don’t make a lot of sense. Great defender that will have to slow down other teams best scorer.

SF- Advantage UNC

Duke- Andre Dawkins…Knock down jump shooter. Dawkins is an elite shooter but still needs to work on his quickness and ability to attack the basket. Decent defender.

UNC- Harrison Barnes…All-American. Maybe not the player everyone thought coming out of high school but highly skilled. Emerging post game to go along with a solid jump shot. Takes and makes big shots. Still needs to work on becoming a lockdown defender.

PF- Advantage UNC

Duke- Ryan Kelly…Not a great athlete but a good shooter and hard nosed defensive player. Needs to really emerge to help replace the play of Kyle Singler. Would be good if he could find a little mean streak.

UNC- John Henson…Elite Defender. Having a 7’5″ wingspan sure does help. He could hold all the shot blocking records if he stays in school long enough. Still emerging offensive game but has started to develop a turnaround jumper that would be tough to defend.

C- Advantage UNC

Duke- Mason Plumlee…Solid Post player. He is starting to put it all together. He has all the tools to be a solid college center. Great athlete with the ability to finish with contact. Good defender and rebounder but needs to stay out of foul trouble.

UNC- Tyler Zeller…Best running big man in College basketball. Makes it easy for Kendall Marshall by running the court and getting deep in the paint. Deft touch on the jump hook. Playing much better defensively and is known for taking charge after charge in the paint.

There you go…Starting 5 comparison for 2 of the top 10 teams in America. Who do I think is better? I am going with the experience and athleticism of the Tar Heels. They have been there and are hungry and there are just too many weapons for the Blue Devils to handle. I look forward to both matchups as they are sure to add another classic or two to the record books.

Josh Caudill

Follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9

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Not So Fast My Friend….

Posted on October 22, 2011 by JC

At first glance this week is a little on the small side of compelling games. Well, I ask that you look a little closer with me and I’m gonna convince you that are some upsets in the making. There are 10 undefeateds left in College football and I see 1 falling from the ranks this week.

Clemson has had a magical early season run from a middle of the pack ACC team to #7 in the country. That fairytale will come crashing down this Saturday when they meet up with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The one area Clemson has struggled with is the defense and the UNC offense has enough explosive athletes, such as Giovani Bernard and Dwight Jones, to exploit that and give Clemson’s D fits. UNC’s defense was much heralded in the preseason and hasn’t lived up to the hype but did come up with a strong 2nd half against Miami and look for them to shut down the running game and try to make Tajh Boyd beat them. UNC stuns Clemson 27-24.

All in all, I see 3 ranked teams losing to unranked teams(and possibly 4 as I am watching West Va. struggle with Syracuse).

Earlier this week I wrtote that the game had passed Joe Pa by and low and behold there are the Nittany Lions ranked #21 and 5-1. They can thank that soft schedule for that and now they meet up with Northwestern and QB Dan Persa. I have been dissapointed with the struggles of the Wildcats as I really expected them to push for an upper level finish in the Big 10. Nonetheless, look for Dan Persa to fling the ball around and Northwestern to shock Penn State in a low scoring affair. NW wins 20-17.

As for a Penn State guy that the game has not passed by, we come to the University of Miami head coach Al Golden. His team had a huge win last week against North Carolina that saved their season from really taking a bad turn. Now the young and improving Hurricanes take on Ga. Tech. Jacory Harris is playing like the highly thought of recruit he came in as 4 years ago. 3 straight games without a pick and the confidence is growing with every pass. Look for them to control the ball with Lamar Miller and to play just enough defense to pull off the upset 31-24.

There you go….your 3 ranked teams going down to unranked teams. Wait, wait, wait….I left out the biggest game of the day:

Wisconsin/Michigan State- This game will not be for the weak at heart. These are two teams that live and breathe Big 10 football. If you love the throwback game where you pound away at the opposition for 4 quarters then this is the game for you. The tandem of Montee Ball and James White versus the MSU tandem of Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell. I forsee this matchup as a wash with each getting there share of yards, so the difference makers will be the two Quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins has had a nice year but who do you trust in a big game? Cousins or the Heisman trophy candidate Russell Wilson. My money is on Wilson making all the right decisions and carrying the team in the 4th quarter with his arm to secure the victory. Wisconsin with a late score wins 24-21.

Well there you go everyone…The upsets and the marquee games up for your discussion. Its gonna be a fun Saturday. If you want to talk about the games while they are in progress follow me on over to http://sportsnetworkgroup.grou.ps and join in the discussion about all the day’s action in college football along with any other sports making news on the day. Until next time….this is JC and I am out!

JC
@Coach_JC9

http://sportsnetworkgroup.grou.ps

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The Top is clear…..but,

Posted on October 17, 2011 by JC

As we are nearing the halfway point of the college football season, it has become pretty clear who the top 8-10 teams are in America.  Here is your JC’s Top 5 for the week…

1.  LSU

2. Alabama

3. Oklahoma

4. Oklahoma State

5. Wisconsin

Those 5 teams(and you can add Boise State as 5a) are pretty much solidified at the top of everyone’s polls.  I want to take this time to highlight a team and a player that just keep finding ways to win.

Bill Snyder arrived at K-State, the first time, in 1989 and took over a program that was the cellar of all cellar dwellers.  Sports Illustrated dubbed them “Futility U” just before Snyder took over.  Over the next 17 years he directed this program from the bottom up to Big 12 to 11 straight bowl games, an undefeated regular season in 1998 and eventually conference champion in 2003.  He retired in 2005 and Ron Prince took over.  It didn’t take long for the program to revert to its old ways and by 2009 Snyder decided to try and do the unthinkable and rebuild the Wildcats one more time. 

In a time where coaches such as Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno have had the game pass them by and become irrelevant in major college football. Snyder has sparked a resurgence one more time and has K-State undefeated and up to #12 in the polls.  I for one thought this was just a nice little story and they would come back down to earth but they just keep finding ways to win.  The coaching is nice but you still need players and I want to introduce someone that won’t win the Heisman but he may be the most important player to his team than anyone in America….

Colin Klein-  Is he the fastest?  No.  Does he have a great arm? No. Is he the biggest? No.  Does he do anything oustanding? No.  What he plays with is incredible desire and will do just enough to will his team to victory.  He has accounted for all but 2 TD’s this year for K-State.  He won’t get a trip to the Heisman induction but I am all in on K-State as relevant and in Colin Klein as a man that will do his best Tim Tebow impersonation every week.

I know I have been absent a bit the last week but I am back and will have multiple blogs this week to get ready for the weekend’s games.  And let me be a Homer and say Great Win for “The U” against UNC this week.  If you want to talk with me and others that just love talking about sports, I am building a Sports Social Network at http://sportstalkplace.elgg.com.  I’ll love seeing you there.  You can also follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9. Until later this week….See ya!

JC

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No Contest!

Posted on October 11, 2011 by JC

The closest game this past weekend featuring a Top 10 team was a 22 point whipping Clemson put on BC.  Needless to say there were quite a few woodshed beatings handed out.

LSU handed Florida its 2nd consecutive lopsided loss with a 41-11 beatdown.  Florida was outclassed in every facet and it just shows how far they have to go to get back to national title contention.  Jacoby Brisset is a nice looking athlete but did anyone really expect him to keep them in the game with LSU.  RB Spencer Ware set the tone early with 2 first half TD’s and you could warm up the bus and head home early!  Is November 5th here yet?

Not much to say about Alabama.  An easy 34-0 victory over an overmatched Vanderbilt.  No surprise and just on cruise control til November 5th.

Red River Rivalry- No woodshed, major bloodshed.  It was an emphatic statement  that OU will be in the mix for the BCS championship. I thought Texas had enough to make it a game but they looked like a JV high school team playing St. Thomas Aquinas(#1 high school team in Amercia out of Florida)…End result was complete destruction.  I will admit it…I was wrong and Landry Jones was great but the OU defense was on a whole nother level.

One other game of note I wanted to mention was Oklahoma State/Kansas.  OSU put up 70!  On one hand that is super impressive, but on another isn’t that a little overkill?  My opinion….OSU is really, really good and I can’t wait til OU and OSU hookup for what I think will be a spot in the BCS Championship game!

Honestly it wasn’t the most exciting weekend with all the blowouts but we did see who the real contenders are. 

I want to give a shout out to a couple of teams that are flying under the radar but are still undefeated:

Georgia Tech- ACC teams usually are overlooked so I want to spotlight the Yellow Jackets.  They play an unconventional triple option offense that I just love.  To me its a video game offense cause if run right then the yards are just mind blowing.  They are averaging 360 yards a game on the ground and in turn allows them to be the most efficient passing attack in college football.   No one likes to play them and don’t look now but a matchup with #8 Clemson looms in 2 weeks.  ACC not looking quite so bad after all.

Michigan- I will be honest that I had very little faith in the Wolverines at the start of the year. I saw them as an 8 win team breaking in a new offensive system. But 2 weeks ago Brady Hoke finally unleashed his Heisman Candidate and let “shoelace” be his gamebreaking self.  Denard Robinson is the most electrifying player in the country and if his defense can give him just a “little” help then they should be favored in every game left in the regular season. 

I’m looking forward to this weekend.  The spotlight game that I’ll cover later in the week will be #9 Oregon/#18 Arizona State.  Have a great week and be on the look out for the unveiling of JC’s Top 5 on Wednesday! 

Follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9

JC

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Stay Focused!

Posted on October 8, 2011 by JC

There are only 3 games featuring ranked teams playing but don’t let that deter you from thinking it will be a boring weekend of football.  This is the weekend where if teams don’t stay focused and take care of business the rest of their season could lose its relevance.  But first let’s focus on those ranked matchups and then I’ll give you an upset special for the weekend….

LSU/Florida-  If you follow the weekly Top 5 you know I see LSU and Alabama as very similar teams.  Last week Florida lost by 4 touchdowns to Bama and I see a very similar result this week.  Freshman Jeff Driskel has no idea the environment he is walking into in Baton Rouge on Saturday.  LSU sophemore Tyrann Mathieu has burst onto the National scene as a playmaking CB and I forsee a another trip to the end zone some point today and to continue to rise in the Heisman list!  LSU wins 35-13.

OU/Texas- I am going to keep this short, sweet and to the point.  Texas has waited all offseason to let the nation know last year was an aberration and today is their chance to prove it.  The defense under Manny Diaz is improved and the increase in focus on running the ball will protect the young QB’s.  OU will score but Texas will shorten the game with the running game and look for David Ash and Case MCoy to make one big throw down the field.  Welcome back Texas!  Texas wins 27-24.

Arkansas/Auburn- Auburn wins with smoke and mirrors and very little defense.  The win over South Carolina was fools gold  as the Gamecock offense is horrible(outside of Lattimore).  Arkansas’s defense is better and so is their offense.  They take care of business 38-28.

Upset of the week-  Out of the ACC, the Univeristy of Miami pulls the upset on the road over Va Tech.  Jacory Harris is due to bust out as he has been playing better.  Va Tech is reeling after losing to Clemson and their QB really looks to be behind the learning curve so if Miami slows down David Wilson just a little bit they will pull off the upset.  Miami wins 23-17.

There’s my abbreviated report for today’s game.  Follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9 and I will be giving my opinion on the action throughout the day!

JC

 

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JC’s Top 5

Posted on October 6, 2011 by JC

Another week is in the books and the Top teams are beginning to separate themselves.  That is not to say that there aren’t a couple of teams in my view that are on the cusp of announcing they are ready to go toe-to-toe with the big boys of college football.  There isn’t a lot of change with my Top 5 but that could be altered this coming week.  Here is this week’s edition of JC’s Top 5….

1. LSU-  There isn’t a lot to complain about in Baton Rouge as LSU just keeps on rolling.  The defense was again dominant in holding Kentucky to 7 points.  Jarrett Lee, in my opinion, has solidified his position as starting QB even with Jordan Jefferson back in the fold.  Jefferson can play a little in the wildcat type formation but there is no need to mess with the good thing they have going.  2 headed monster at RB is getting the job done in a workmanlike effort, nothin flashy but just efficient.  The biggest return is Russell Shepard.  He adds a dynamic athlete to the passing game and can be electric on reverses or wildcat plays.  He should take some pressure off Reuben Randle and look for Jarret Lee to continue finding Shepard as the year goes along.

1a. Alabama- LSU didn’t do anything wrong but I just couldn’t in good conscience vote Bama number 2 after the woodshed beating they gave Florida. Not to toot my own horn, but I did say last week that Florida would be exposed. Alabama did that and then some. To walk in the swamp and embarrass the Gators like they did justifies them at least having a share of the top spot.  America, I would like to introduce you to your future Heisman finalist, Trent Richardson.  Do I think he’ll win?  No,  cause there are too many QB’s to outlast but he is another version of Mark Ingram with more explosiveness.  Those waiting for Mr. Richardson to explode on the national scene, look no further than 29 carries for 181 and 2 TDs in the Swamp.  Yep, he has arrived!

3. Oklahoma- Not a lot to say here but I would be a fool to drop a team that dropped 62 points this past Saturday.  Sure the opponent was a nobody like Ball State but with a rivalry game against Texas the following week it was an impressive show of focus to dismantle BSU the way they did.  Texas will be a new challenge and I will have more about that a little later.

4. Oklahoma State- They were idle but with needing to move someone into the Top 5 and truly believing OSU may be a National Title Contender they had to do a George Jefferson and move on up.  One more tuneup before a trip to Texas to see how “for real” they really are.

5. Wisconsin- Shhhhh…..everyone needs to listen up! There is one team that NO ONE is talking about but they just keep mowing teams down.  They relentlessly pounded a good Nebraska team into submission and Russell Wilson is on the short list of Heisman candidates.  When will the country wake up and see that no one has a more manageable schedule the rest of the way then Wisconsin?  Again tooting my own horn….I felt like they would handle Nebraska but to do it in the manner they did was very, very impressive.  I’m not putting them in the BCS Championship game yet but they have the inside track!

Who’s out-  Poor Boise.  I really like this team but when you play Nevada at home and only win by 20, it just doesn’t stack up with Wisconsin blowing out a Top 10 team.  I still think they are very, very good but will need a TON of help from the teams ahead of them(and behind) to get in the championship hunt.

Team sneaking up on everyone— Texas, Texas, Texas….Is this really the same team that sleepwalked through the season last year and made it look like the game had passed Mack Brown by. The Longhorns are back behind a solid running game with Malcolm Brown that resembles the earlier years of Mack Brown(pre- Colt Mcoy).  Are they legit? I certainly think they are and they are going to prove it this Saturday in the Red River Rivalry game with OU.  Welcome back!

This concludes this edition of JC’s Top 5.  I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing if someone wants to challenge my rankings.  Have a great week and enjoy the College Football Saturday! 

You can follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9

JC

 

 

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College Sports Daily Weekend Report

Posted on October 2, 2011 by JC

Contender/Pretender week has come and gone and its just a little more clear as to who the real contenders are.  The big games of the day turned into laughers(not a shocking development to me) as Alabama exposed Florida for a fraud and Wisconsin stymied Nebraska. 

On a sidenote…There may be a change atop the Top 5 rankings as Alabama looks really, really good and Wisconsin made Nebraska look like a JV team.  Inside track to the National Title game goes to—Wisconsin.

In my opinion those were predictable results, so I want to focus on the other big games of the day…

Clemson/VT-  Now, how about a little respect for the ACC and the Clemson Tigers.  They have taken down 3 ranked teams in a row and looked more impressive each week.  To walk into Blacksburg and dismantle the Hokies deserves some major recognition.  It would be one thing if they squeaked out a win but to win 23-3 is a statement.  Clemson is a team to be reckoned with.  They are clearly a Contender and as I previously have said could be this year’s Auburn!

Baylor/K State- This is the game that was the biggest shock to me.  What Bill Snyder is doing with less talent is pretty incredible.  I didn’t think they could handle the speed of Baylor but I was wrong. Collin Klein is doing his best Cam Newton impersonation as he is the complete offense for K State.  I don’t know how good this team is as its definitely not the team of the Michael Bishop era but Bill Snyder has them 4-0 and that is something that deserves respect.   Baylor is clearly a Pretender and can start preparing for their mid December bowl game.

Arkansas/Texas A&M-  Wow, This A&M team is like none I can remember.  They have dominated top 15 teams in the first half the last two weeks and completely fallen apart in the 2nd half.  There is no excuse for giving up 500 yards passing and being outscored by 22 points in the 2nd half.  3 points in the 2nd half against a bad Razorbacks defense is ridiculous.  Is it a conditioning issue or as I see it, its a coaching issue as Mike Sherman doesn’t seem to make any in game adjustments to turn the tide.  Too much talent for those kinds of lapses.  Give credit to Arkansas for hanging in there but A&M could be in for a tailspin.

Great weekend of football even if the big games turned into woodshed beatings. 

I’m going to leave you with my debut of the JC Sports Player of the Week.  It doesn’t go to the player with the best stats but to the player whose performance was most instrumental in their team’s victory.

This week’s recipient is Kansas State’s Collin Klein.  356 total yards and Klein accounted for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He is not as physically gifted as Cam Newton but he means just as much to his team.  He has them 4-0 and it can’t be disputed that they are still in the mix.  Congrats Collin and Good luck against Missouri….you’re certificate is on the way.

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Contender/Pretender Saturday!

Posted on October 1, 2011 by JC

Every year there is a Saturday that weeds out the teams that just wish they were in the discussion of the BCS.  Today could be that Saturday.  Some teams look good but have played nobody. Some have struggle but we know they have lots of talent.  Here is what I think will go down.  If you don’t like it, then let me hear, but don’t cry too much when it comes to fruition.  Here we go….

Alabama/Florida-  2 years ago I would have said this was a huge matchup but today I think it just has the look of a mismatch.  Charlie Weis has the Gators playing well on offense but they haven’t face a defense like they will today.  Too much speed and attitude for Florida to handle.  John Brantley has been improved but will step up in class against an Alabama defense allowing 8 points a game and that is after facing the offense of Bobby Petrino.  One line to describe AJ McCarron today….Don’t screw it up.  Just let your defense get you field position and let Trent Richardson get you to 2nd and 3rd and short.  If he doesn’t turn the ball over then its an easy 2 touchdown victory for the Crimson Tide.  Alabama wins 24-10.

Clemson/Va. Tech-  Is Clemson for real?  I think so.  Nobody outside of Blacksburg knows anything about the Hokies but 2 things are for sure. They will play solid defense and they will run the football.  Its the biggest challenge of the year for Clemson going on the road but I think with that high octane offense it will be just enough to get the victory. Clemson will score but I just don’t see enough playmakers for Va Tech(outside of David Wilson)  to take advantage of a poor Clemson defense.   Clemson 21-13.

Baylor/Kansas State-  It only takes one stat for me to pick the winner here.  Robert Griffin III has more touchdowns than incompletions. Just incredible.  I give K State credit for the win at Miami but let’s be honest, that Miami offense is not as dynamic as Baylor.  Its a step up in competition for the Wildcats and I just don’t think Colin Klein is good enough to continue to beat teams by himself.    Baylor takes K State to the woodshed 38-14.

Texas/Iowa State-  Iowa State has won 3 games by a combined 8 points.  Combine that with Texas looking to avenge last year’s shocking loss and you have the makings of a drubbing.  Texas looks like more like the Texas from when Ricky Williams was around with Freshman Malcolm Brown.  He is averaging over 5 yards a carry and I say if they lean on him a little more and let Case McCoy develop this could be a very dangerous team.  Too much motivation for the Longhorns and they win….27-13.

Nebraska/Wisconsin-  This is gonna be a fun game.  Nebraska’s debut in the Big Ten and it comes against in my opinion the class of the conference.  It will all boil down to Taylor Martinez being able to beat Wisconsin with his arm. They are going to load up the box and stop the option and force him to throw the ball. If he can then the Wisconsin defense will have to back up and the running game could explode.  I don’t think that happens and I think the Wisconsin offense is too diverse(whoulda thought that would ever be the case) with Russell Wilson giving them the run/pass option at QB and then the RB tandem of Montee Ball and James White. Wisconsin is the team that nobody is talking about for the National Championship but if they get past Nebraska look out cause they will be heavily favored the rest of the way.  Wisconsin wins 30-20 behind the throwing of Russell Wilson.

Bonus Game-  Arkansas/Texas A&M-  I have been talking prior about how I think the Big 12 has surpassed the SEC as the best conference in America and today Texas A&M will start to prove that.  In Jerry’s house, look for Ryan Tannehill to exploit a bad Arkansas defense and for A&M to slow down Bobby Petrino’s passing attack just enough to get the victory. This A&M defense did hold OK State to 3 points in the first half so there is some talent on that side of the ball.  A&M gets some respect back and crawls closer to the Top 10 with a 24-21 win over Arkansas.

Hope you like the previews…If you don’t agree then hit me with it and following the games we will see how I did and if I need to eat a little crow.  Have a great Saturday and wish me luck in my golf tournament…haha, I will need it!  Follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9 throughout the day.

JC

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SEC Who?

Posted on September 26, 2011 by JC

Over the past decade it has been a given that the SEC was the best conference in America. Don’t look now but the Big 12 or is it Big 9 or 10…I’m not sure, but they are making a statement to change that.

Just in the past week, Oklahoma has gone on the road to beat #5 Florida State (sure Clemson also beat FSU but I think you really can say Oklahoma beat them twice). Kansas State traveled to Miami and took care of the Canes and Oklahoma State and A&M put on an instant classic. Let’s also not look past Iowa State beating Iowa and Texas embarrassing UCLA just 2 weeks ago. I didn’t mean to leave out the Robert Griffin show with Baylor and their impressive performance beating TCU. It just goes on and on but no one even seems to notice. The entire conference has lost 3 GAMES and one of them was OK State and A&M.

Compare that to the SEC where other than Alabama or LSU, there may not be a GREAT team there. Anyone that has watched the “#10 ranked” South Carolina Gamecocks can see that they are only going as far as Marcus Lattimore is taking them. The defense is a disappointment and the slow starts will catch up with them as the year goes along. Auburn was exposed by an ACC team that struggled against Wofford, and Florida has yet to face a formidable foe (No, a future 5 loss Tennessee team doesn’t count). All the preseason prognosticators say, whoever wins the SEC deserves to play for the national title….I completely disagree.

 If you take LSU, who beat Oregon and “#15 ranked” West Virginia(that’s a ranking they didn’t deserve), out of the equation….the entire conference has 0 quality wins in the non-conference. The big bad SEC doesn’t even schedule Top 25 opposition; probably cause when they do little Boise State gives them a pounding and shows the country that the conference as a whole is overrated. If you wanna act like the big boys on the block then beat the big boys on the block!

 The tide is turning in the College Football world and it’s very interesting that the conference that almost disintegrated a few weeks ago may boast 3 of the top 10 teams in the country. Maybe Texas A&M should reconsider running to the SEC because with the talent on display in the Big 12, it would be a shame to keep the potential classics from the paying customers.

Follow me on twitter @Coach_JC9

JC

www.joshuacaudill.webs.com

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