Championship Weekend

Here we are, the last week of the college football regular season.  Lots of changes this year from the previous BCS era championship weekends.  First off, The Pac-12 and Big Ten both have title games now.  The Big 12 does not have an official one anymore.  On a national level, the BCS title game is almost certainly going to be a rematch of top ranked LSU and fellow SEC West powerhouse Alabama. 

With these circumstances, we have the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the games.

Or we could just cry about the system, it sucks.

No one I've talked to (and this includes folks from SEC country) wants to see a rematch.  We all think they are the two best teams, but firstly it is not fair to LSU, who beat Alabama already and did their job of going undefeated in the regular season.  Secondly, we have seen this game already, and it wasn't that good, not to say it will be the same game again, but let's try something new.

This year is the first year that I actually would have like the old bowl system.  LSU being the clear cut best team.  If the Tigers lose in their bowl game (wouldn't have been against Alabama in the old system) then the voters could just weigh the seasons of all the one-loss teams and choose a champion.  Just kidding, the voters would totally screw that up. 

Let's get to the games.

The Pac-12 Championship game debuts on Friday night.  Oregon hosts UCLA.  The Ducks are overwhelming favorites in this game.  The game has a solid chance of being the least compelling major conference championship game in the semi-storied history of major conference championship games.  It's going to be ugly.  Unless you are a Ducks fan or just want to watch a more athletic, better coached, smarter team at all facets of the game, absolutely destroy another team that backed it's way into the game, by having others lose and the best team in their division be barred from the contest.

If you find yourself watching this game on Friday, take the time to really watch the Oregon offense play a few drives.  They play offense like an old school hardcore album.  15 tracks, 30 minutes.  If you are watching with a buddy, play a game, try to predict the next play.  I doesn't matter if you are right, but if you are done speaking before they run the play.

Much more compelling games on Saturday, at least on the field. 

Let's start at noon with the Conference USA title game.  Southern Mississippi and Houston.  The main reason to watch this game is Case Keenum, the Houston QB, that has an outside chance at the Heisman and holds most of the career passing records for the whole NCAA.  The other reason is Southern Miss is ranked 24, this will be the first ranked team Houston plays this year.

Southern Miss has lost by 6 and 3 to Marshall and UAB respectfully.  Neither of those two teams are great, but they have not been blown out.  They also beat Virginia, a team that was one game away from making the ACC Championship Game.  Their QB Austin Davis has had a nice season.  Over 3,000 yards, with 24 TDs to 10 INTs.  He went 27-41 for 313 yards and 3 TDs, while throwing zero INTs in their biggest win at Virginia.  This game has a good shot at being the best and/or most exciting game of the weekend, and with Houston's BCS bid at stake, the drama will be there and will be real.

LSU heads to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to take on Georgia at 3:30 on Saturday.  Even with a loss, LSU is almost guaranteed a spot for the BCS Title anyway, so that drama is gone.  LSU has been considered the best team in the nation since they beat Alabama a month ago, and even before that a lot of people considered them the best.  What they put on the line Saturday is history.  LSU did it's job ever week this crazy season.  Playing in the toughest division in the toughest conference and throwing two probably major conference champions in their out-of-conference schedule for the hell of it, history is paying attention.  This LSU team, if it continues to do it's job, can start being mentioned with the other great teams in modern college football.  The 1995 Nebraska and 2001 Miami teams come to mind.  The Tigers main goal is a national title, which this game doesn't really effect, but history along with a SEC title will be on the line Saturday.

Georgia lost to Boise St. and a still healthy and intact South Carolina team to start the season.  After that they fell under the radar, Mark Richt was on the hot seat, the team was not on the same page, the season was in trouble of being an end of an era in Athens.  Like a boxer that gets knocked down in the first two rounds of a fight, then starts winning round after round after round, you thought the fight was over, but then the final bell rings and boom Georgia is the winner.  They have a chance to knock a team from the ranks of the undefeated and possibly the ranks of the all-timers.  If Georgia pulls the upset, Aaron Murray will be throwing the jabs.  Not putting up astronomical numbers like some of his counterparts, he putting up consistent good games, only four interceptions in his last seven games, compared to 19 scores and the ability to run of a first down or two.  To go along with those jabs, Isaish Crowell will have to be throwing the hay-makers.  He is expected to play and will need to make big plays (not an easy task against this defense) but the freshman can be explosive.  This game can be really close and really good, but LSU, like all of their other games, can blow this one open at any point.

Oklahoma St. hosts Oklahoma in the annual Bedlam game.  The Cowboys can still dream about playing for it all against LSU, but they would really need to beat Oklahoma convincingly.  I don't see that happening, if the roles were reversed and Oklahoma was still dreaming of BCS trophies, I'd be more inclined to go along with it, but when traditional underdogs in rivalries try to have a break-through season, it is rarely with a blowout.  This is a great QB matchup, Landry Jones is trying to cap of his season with a big game and try to cement his spot at the second best QB in the draft (assuming Matt Barkley declares).  Brandon Weeden is trying to make people forget about Iowa St.  The Incas played better defense against the Spanish than these Oklahoma teams will play on Saturday. 

The late game on Saturday is the Big Ten Championship.  A rematch between Michigan St. and Wisconsin.  The Spartans won the first game with a last second Hail Mary pass.  Wisconsin is the better offense, Russell Wilson and Montee Ball leading the way.  Michigan St. has the advantage on the defensive end, ranked 6th in the nation in points allowed, but they did give up 31 to Wisconsin.  The question is can the Spartans score 37 again this time.  They have done so four of the five times since that game, those four were against Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Northwestern, in the one against a decent Nebraska team, they scored 3.

Wisconsin will get their points.  Montee Ball's Yards-TDs game log this season:

63-1
118-2
91-2
88-2
151-4
148-3
115-1
85-1
223-3
166-2
224-2
156-4

That's a total of 1622 yards and 29 TDs.  On top of this he scored five touchdowns on the receiving end.  I believe that's Heisman worthy.

Clemson and Virginia Tech play for ACC bragging rights.  Clemson won the first match-up, but has fallen apart since.  VT will try to stay among the one-loss teams and would be in the BCS Title picture if they played even a somewhat decent schedule, but they didn't. 

Baylor and Texas play in the afternoon, if you haven't seen RGIII play, check him out.

The Picks

Another winning week for your highly-esteemed blogger.  3-2 to push me to a robust 15-10 on the season.

(10) Oklahoma (+3) at (3) Oklahoma St. 

Oklahoma has won 7 in a row in this rivalry, and this is a rare time where the Sooners are getting points.  Add that to Landry Jones playing his final Big 12 game and a chance to show the scouts that he should be the second QB taken, and Brandon Weeden propensity to throw the ball to the other team recently and two weeks to stew over the Iowa St. debacle.  I like Oklahoma here.

(1) LSU (-13.5) vs. (14) Georgia

The game is being played in Atlanta, but LSU will be well represented in the stands.  Georgia has a punchers chance in the game, but LSU's defense is just too strong and Jordan Jefferson is playing well.  If the spread was over two TDs I may stay away from it, but with the Tigers scoring on offense, defense and special teams, I'll lay the points.

(17) Baylor (-2.5) vs. (22) Texas

Robert Griffin III will be the best play on the field, Baylor beat Oklahoma and Texas is far worse than Oklahoma.  Texas his banged up at running back and do not have a sure-fire starter at QB.

(5) Virginia Tech (-7) vs. (20) Clemson

Clemson has fallen of a cliff with only one win in their last four games and that was by three against Wake Forest.  Other than shutting out Virginia last week, VT has not been dominating games recently, but Clemson can not get out of their own way in recent weeks and the Hokies want to get revenge.  Also, Logan Thomas and David Wilson is one of the nations best QB-RB duo and have been playing at their really high level.

San Diego St. (-8) vs. Fresno St.

San Diego St. is 4-3 in the Mountain West and Fresno St is 3-4 in the WAC.  The MWC has TCU and Boise St. and the WAC does not.  Also San Diego St. has Tony Gwynn as an assistant baseball coach, and San Diego is an awesome town.