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21 Nov 2012

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 12

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 12 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Notre Dame (11-0): The Fighting Irish shutout Wake Forest to draw within one game of the national title.  Oh, and Matt Barkley is injured now.
  2. Ohio State (11-0).  The Buckeyes took care of Wisconsin, which is a pretty good football team for the Big 10.  Nicely done.
  3. Alabama (10-1): Alabama beat Western Carolina.  Or West Carolina.  Or something.  Good grief.  Up next?  The Iron Bowl.
  4. Florida State (10-1):  The Seminoles demolished Maryland, who promptly quit the ACC.  Perhaps Western Carolina is looking for a new home?
  5. Florida (10-1): Florida did better against Jacksonville State than it did against Louisiana-Lafayette.  Huge game against the Seminoles looms.
  6. Oregon (10-1): The Ducks are good at putting up 50 points on inferior defenses (and USC).  Stanford exposed them.
  7. Kansas State (10-1): The Wildcats were cruising, until Baylor stopped them.  Still a great season no matter what happens in two weeks against Texas.
  8. Clemson (10-1): The Tigers have quite an offense this year.  We’ll see how they fair against the South Carolina defense.
  9. Georgia (10-1): Georgia beat up on Georgia Southern.  Another exciting SEC game last week.  Georgia Tech should provide slightly more resistance.
  10. Oklahoma (8-2): The Sooners eked by West Virginia to claim the final spot in the top 10.  Up next is rival Oklahoma State.
  11. Texas A&M (9-2).
  12. LSU (9-2).
  13. South Carolina (9-2).
  14. Nebraska (9-2).
  15. Louisville (9-1).
  16. Oregon State (8-2).
  17. Stanford (9-2).
  18. Michigan (8-3).
  19. Texas (8-2).
  20. UCLA (9-2).
  21. Oklahoma State (7-3).
  22. Rutgers (9-1).
  23. Boise State (9-2).
  24. Northern Illinois (10-1).
  25. Utah State (9-2).

* * *

121.  Illinois (2-9).  The Illini lost the pillow fight with Purdue.  Even Northern Illinois is ranked!

122. Washington State (2-9).  The Cougars were blown out by Arizona State.  Tough debut year for head coach Mike Leach.

123. Kansas (1-10).  Kansas was demolished by Iowa State, losing some momentum.  Well, as much momentum as a team can get with close losses.

124. Colorado (1-10).  The Buffaloes lost by 35 to somebody.  Sadly, this is a defense that WOULD benefit from having Greg Robinson.  Wow.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
15 Nov 2012

ACC Football Predictions for Week 12

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential struggled to a 4-4 record, making the overall record to a less-respectable 72-28.  On to the week 12 predictions:

Thursday November 15, 2012

North Carolina (6-4) @ Virginia (4-6), 7:30 p.m.  Don’t look now, but Virginia is surging toward a possible bowl game.  After beating bowl-eligible North Carolina State and potentially bowl-eligible Miami, it remains a possibility.  North Carolina just gave up 68 points to Georgia Tech.  Football, not basketball.  Unreal.  The defense will be better this week.  Still, the home team has more to play for.  Prediction: Virginia 31, North Carolina 28.

Saturday November 3, 2012

#10 Florida State (9-1) at Maryland (4-6), 12:00 p.m.  Maryland is a feel-good story this year.  But they are playing with a 5th string QB.  Florida State simply cannot lose this game and be taken seriously as “back.”  Sure, the temptation will be to look ahead to the huge rivalry game with equally impressive Florida.  But these are the games that elite teams win in the first half.  Prediction: Florida State 38, Maryland 6.

Virginia Tech (4-6) @ Boston College (2-8), 12:30 p.m.  As much as Virginia Tech has struggled this year, they still have a chance at a bowl game.  It would be cool if Virginia Tech and Virginia are both 5-6 heading into the rivalry game.  It’s hard to see Boston College stopping the Hokies from being in that position. Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 10.

South Florida (3-6) @ Miami (5-5), 3:00 p.m.  The Bulls have struggled with BJ Daniels.  It is hard to see them getting better now that he is lost for the season.  Meanwhile, Miami remains a complete enigma.  A win would be expected here, a loss would not be the least bit surprising either.  But the absence of Daniels and the Hurricanes being at home justify the prediction here.  Prediction: Miami 31 , South Florida 24.

North Carolina State (6-4) @ #11 Clemson (9-1), 3:30 p.m.  The Wolfpack have already ruined Florida State’s national title aspirations; why not ruin Clemson’s BCS bowl hopes too?  Clemson cannot be looking ahead to its rivalry game against South Carolina either.  Much like the Seminoles, the Tigers have to prove that they are elite by avoiding upsets–like last year.  Clemson is rolling and at home.  Prediction: Clemson 35, North Carolina State 20.

Duke (6-4) @ Georgia Tech (5-5), 3:30 p.m.  Who would have thought that this game would have Championship Game implications?  If Duke wins, they will go to the ACC Championship Game.  If Georgia Tech wins, they are still in the hunt for the same opportunity.  Duke has not been a very good road team this year.  Georgia Tech seems to be turning things around.  Prediction: Georgia Tech 42, Duke 31.

Wake Forest (5-5) @ #3 Notre Dame (10-0), 3:30 p.m.  The Fighting Irish have been coasting to their game with USC.  Frankly, if they do not start playing better, they will lose that game.  Brian Kelly will have to get his team motivated for this home game against the Demon Deacons.  Nothing about Wake Forest’s season suggest that they can win this game.  However, teams seem to rise to the occasion when they travel to South Bend.  Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Wake Forest 16.

Syracuse (5-5) @ Missouri (5-5), 7:30 p.m.  The Orange scheduling is just absurd.  Three of the four OOC games were against bowl-eligible FBS teams.  The fourth was against an FCS team, Stony Brook, that is 9-2.  And now they play at Missouri, who is desperate for the win to get to bowl-eligibility.  The Tigers are healthy now too.  Syracuse has struggled on the road and has a more-winnable game looming against Temple next week.  The Confidential is pulling for the Orange, but skeptical.  Prediction: Missouri 28, Syracuse 24.

Idle: Pittsburgh.

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
14 Nov 2012

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 11

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 11 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Oregon (10-0): The Ducks had no trouble dealing with Cal.  And Alabama’s loss opened up the #1 spot.
  2. Notre Dame (10-0): The Fighting Irish edged Boston College.  Up next is mediocre Wake Forest.  Not the week to be looking ahead to USC.
  3. Kansas State (10-0):  The Wildcats got by TCU, albeit without the offensive fireworks.  Up next is Baylor.
  4. Ohio State (10-0).  The Buckeyes had a week off to rest.  This week they travel to surging Wisconsin.
  5. Alabama (9-1): Alabama lost to Texas A&M to drop out of the top spot.  Still in prime position for a BCS berth.
  6. Georgia (9-1): Georgia destroyed a desperate Auburn team.  That justifies the leapfrog over the Seminoles.
  7. Florida State (9-1):  The Seminoles struggled to beat a fading Virginia Tech team.  They need to focus on Maryland this week and avoid the upset.
  8. Florida (9-1): Florida eked by Lousiana-Lafayette and has Jacksonville State next.  The real test is the looming battle with Florida State.
  9. Clemson (9-1): The Tigers keep on rolling–this time easily defeating Maryland.  An at-large BCS berth remains possible.
  10. Oklahoma (7-2): Again, if there is going to be a two-loss team in the top 10, how about one that lost to two teams in the top 4?  That’s the Sooners.
  11. Texas A&M (8-2).
  12. LSU (8-2).
  13. South Carolina (8-2).
  14. Nebraska (8-2).
  15. Louisville (9-1).
  16. Oregon State (7-2).
  17. Michigan (7-3).
  18. Louisiana Tech (9-1).
  19. Texas (8-2).
  20. Stanford (8-2).
  21. UCLA (8-2).
  22. Boise State (8-2).
  23. Cincinnati (7-2).
  24. Central Florida (8-2).
  25. Southern California (7-3).

* * *

121.  Illinois (2-8).  The Illini keep losing.  Again, though, Purdue is in the same boat and the two teams play in this week!  Classic pillow fight!

122. Boston College (2-8).  Boston College looked decent against Notre Dame.  Then again, Notre Dame is not a dominant, high-scoring team.

123. Kansas (1-9).  Kansas is losing by tighter margins than Colorado.  So they move up a slot.

124. Colorado (1-9).  The Buffaloes lost by 25 to somebody.  It they had played someone good, they would have lost by 50.   Just another level of terrible.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
13 Nov 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: Week 1

While there is plenty of football left to be played, basketball is now started.  Here are the Confidential’s ACC basketball rankings in Week 1:

  1. Syracuse (1-0).  With a win over ranked San Diego State, in San Diego, the Orange rightfully claim this spot.  For now.
  2. North Carolina State (1-0).  The Wolfpack destroyed Miami (Ohio), retaining the #2 position easily.
  3. Duke (1-0).  Duke beat a cupcake, but the polls had North Carolina leapfrog them.  Too soon for that.
  4. North Carolina (2-0).  Although North Carolina beat two cupcakes to Duke’s one, plenty of season left for a true justification to swap the two teams.
  5. Notre Dame (1-0).  The Fighting Irish struggled to beat Evansville.  But they won.
  6. Pittsburgh (2-0).  The Panthers are off to a good start.  Last year started strong too, until it imploded.
  7. Virginia Tech (2-0).  The Hokies are off to a 2-0 start, including a nice win over Rhode Island.  
  8. Miami (1-0).  Miami started the season with a struggle to beat Stetson.  Baby steps.
  9. Boston College (1-0).  This team had so much difficulty last year–every win is worthy of note. 
  10. Wake Forest (1-0).  The Demon Deacons are young, but undefeated!
  11. Georgia Tech (1-0). The Yellow Jacket’s season started nicely with a win over Tulane.
  12. Clemson (1-0).  The Tigers really took care of Presbyterian to start off the season.  Up next is Furman.
  13. Maryland (1-1).  The Terps played very well against Kentucky.  Look for this team to start rising up the rankings.
  14. Virginia (1-1).  No shame in losing to George Mason.  The defense is as good as ever.
  15. Florida State (1-1).  You cannot lose at home to South Alabama and expect to be ranked ahead of any teams.  Sorry Seminoles.

So there it is.  Agree?  Disagree?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
08 Nov 2012

ACC Football Predictions for Week 11

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential rebounded with a 6-1 record, improving the overall record to a respectable 68-24.  On to the week 11 predictions:

Thursday November 8, 2012

#10 Florida State (8-1) @ Virginia Tech (4-5), 7:30 p.m.  Last week, the Confidential held out hope that Virginia Tech would put it together.  Now?  The Hokies are under .500, with just three games left in the season.  Even if they lose this game, though, winnable games against Boston College and Virginia might allow Va Tech to back into a bowl.  If Florida State loses THIS game, not sure what else can be said about failing to live up to expectations.  The Kings of college football beat 4-5 teams.  Prediction: Florida State 37, Virginia Tech 17.

Friday November 9, 2012

Pittsburgh (4-5) @ UConn (3-6), 8:00 p.m.  Pitt has rallied nicely from that terrible 0-2 start to have a chance at a bowl game.  The schedule is favorable, with road games against the two worst teams in the Big East, UConn and USF.  Gotta get this win.  For UConn, it is unclear whether they will win again under Coach Paul Pasqualoni.  Teams have dominated UConn’s offense in the second half of games.  Pitt’s defense can do the same.  Prediction: Pitt 24, UConn 10.

Saturday November 3, 2012

#9 Louisville (9-0) at Syracuse (4-5), 12:00 p.m.  Want to know the last time Syracuse won a noon game?  1987 maybe.  The Orange simply cannot play well at the noon hour for some reason.  Meanwhile, Louisville presents a matchup that Syracuse will have trouble stopping–a mobile QB and good running backs.  Not that Syracuse cannot win.  It is just not likely enough to be worthy of a prediction.  Prediction: Louisville 34, Syracuse 15.

Miami (5-4) @ Virginia (3-6), 12:00 p.m.  Miami is a tough team to predict.  Just when you give up, they win.  When you buy in, they lose.  Meanwhile, Virginia was left for dead and destroyed North Carolina State.  Virginia has to win out to go to a bowl game. A very tough one to predict.  Prediction: Miami 22, Virginia 14.

Georgia Tech (4-5) @ North Carolina (6-3), 12:30 p.m.  To qualify for a bowl, Georgia will have to beat two of Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia.  Given that Georgia is a top 8 team, this week’s game is a must win.  Meanwhile, North Carolina has nothing to play for except pride.  The Confidential trusts the home team in this game.  Prediction: North Carolina 28, Georgia Tech 24.

Wake Forest (5-4) @ North Carolina State (5-4), 3:00 p.m.  This game is a North Carolina battle for a bowl.  With Notre Dame and Vanderbilt looming, the Demon Deacons need this one.  North Carolina State still has a game against Boston College.  A little less desperate.  The Wolfpack rebound this week.  Prediction: North Carolina State 28, Wake Forest 20.

Maryland (4-5) @ #13 Clemson (8-1), 3:30 p.m.  The Confidential is proud of the job that Maryland has done this year.  And the QB situation is surreal.  But Maryland just does not look capable of playing with Clemson.  If this is close, shame on the Tigers. Prediction:  Clemson 45, Maryland 10.

#4 Notre Dame (9-0) @ Boston College (2-7), 8:00 p.m.  Once upon a time, a terrible Syracuse team coached by Greg Robinson. who was fired earlier in the week and allowed to coach out the season, walked into Notre Dame and upset the Fighting Irish.  Boston College has not put its coaching staff in the same position.  Most importantly, it is Brian Kelly coaching Notre Dame, not Charlie Weis.  It should be ugly. Not close.  Best case scenario is looking ahead too much to Southern Cal.  Prediction: Notre Dame 28, Boston College 9.

Idle: Duke.

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
07 Nov 2012

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 10

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 10 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Alabama (9-0): Alabama beat LSU to stay on top of the nation.  The Crimson Tide cannot look past surging Texas A&M though.
  2. Oregon (9-0): The Ducks put up incredible offensive numbers against Monte Kiffin’s USC defense.  Who can stop Oregon?
  3. Notre Dame (9-0): The Fighting Irish almost saw their undefeated season disappear against Pitt.  Notre Dame cannot look past Boston College either.
  4. Kansas State (9-0):  The Wildcats got by Oklahoma State, but almost lost Heisman Candidate QB Collin Klein.  All three remaining games are against schools from Texas.
  5. Ohio State (10-0).  The Buckeyes keep on rolling, with a blowout win over Illinois.  A week off before playing Wisconsin.
  6. Florida State (8-1):  The Seminoles got a week off to prep for visiting Virginia Tech.  The Hokies are really struggling right now though.
  7. Georgia (8-1): Georgia got a basic win over Mississippi.  The Bulldogs are supposed to win that game.
  8. Florida (8-1): Florida eked by Missouri to get its 8th win of the year.  Up next is an SEC creampuff, Louisiana-Lafayette.
  9. Louisville (8-0): The Cardinals really took care of Temple this week.  Up next?  A trip to the Carrier Dome to face 4-5 Syracuse.
  10. Oklahoma (6-2): If there is going to be a two-loss team in the top 10, how about one that lost to two teams in the top 4?  That’s the Sooners.
  11. LSU (7-2).
  12. Clemson (8-1).
  13. South Carolina (7-2).
  14. Nebraska (7-2).
  15. Oregon State (7-1).
  16. Texas A&M (7-2).
  17. Michigan (6-3).
  18. Louisiana Tech (8-1).
  19. Texas (7-2).
  20. Stanford (7-2).
  21. Southern California (6-3).
  22. Toledo (8-1).
  23. UCLA (7-2).
  24. Boise State (7-2).
  25. Ohio (8-1).

* * *

121.  Illinois (2-7).  The Illini keep losing.  No conference wins.  But Purdue is in the same boat and the two teams play in two weeks.  A pillow fight!

122. Boston College (2-7).  Boston College’s winning streak stopped at one, with a loss to Wake Forest.  Now they get the Fighting Irish coming off a bad game.  Uh-oh.

123. Colorado (1-8).  The Buffaloes don’t just lose, they get destroyed.  The last team to dominate them?  Stanford by 48 points.

124. Kansas (1-8).  Kansas was rolled by Baylor.  The Wildcats chances of another win are slim.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
06 Nov 2012

Preseason ACC Basketball Rankings!

While there is plenty of football left to be played, basketball is ready to get started.  With that, here are the Confidential’s preseason ACC basketball rankings:

  1. Syracuse.  With apologies to North Carolina State, Duke, and North Carolina, Jim Boeheim has another great team.  And his best coaching jobs are when he has a young team that will listen to his advice.
  2. North Carolina State.  The Confidential is buying the hype.  If Florida State can win the ACC, why not the Wolfpack?  Looking forward to that early season tilt against Michigan too.
  3. Duke.  With the football team headed to a bowl game, fans have a reason to not pay full attention to the hoop squad.  But Dick Vitale will be smiling… Duke is loaded again.
  4. North Carolina.  Not many teams in college hoops have more talent than the Tar Heels.  #4 could be #1 if it all goes well.
  5. Florida State.  The Seminoles are looking to build off last season’s great finish.  These are good times to be a Florida State fan.
  6. Notre Dame.  If we are including Syracuse and Pitt, no reason not to include the Fighting Irish.  Mr. Brey has himself a decent squad again this year too.
  7. Miami.  Like Florida State, Miami is starting to take advantage of its ACC membership on the hardcourt.  Recruiting to Miami cannot be that hard, can it?
  8. Pittsburgh.  Last year has to be an anomaly, right?  Jamie Dixon is too good a coach to have two straight seasons without the Big Dance.
  9. Virginia.  Virginia’s unusual defensive schemes give offenses fits.  As the talent ramps up, this team will give many teams fits.
  10. Maryland.  The Terps have some talent and they certainly have a talented coaching staff.  Time to start winning more games.
  11. Virginia Tech.  The Hokies have a new coach, which could mean that they take a step back or a step forward from this projection.
  12. Georgia Tech. Things have to be better for the Yellow Jackets this year.  A new home arena should help juice the program up a bit.
  13. Clemson.  The Tigers are young.  But they have the depth to make some games very interesting this year.
  14. Boston College.  This team had to deal with youth last year.  This year will be a stepping stone to good things in 2013-2014.
  15. Wake Forest.  The Demon Deacons are very very young.  Going to be a long season, most likely.

So there it is.  Soon enough we’ll all find out whether the Confidential was on target.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Predictions, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
01 Nov 2012

ACC Football Predictions for Week 10

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential limped to a 4-3 record, making the overall record a respectable 62-23.  On to the week 10 predictions:

Thursday November 1, 2012

Virginia Tech (4-4) @ Miami (4-4), 7:30 p.m.  Well, who the heck knows?  Will it be the Virginia Tech team that took care of business against Duke or the one that lost to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati?  Will it be the Miami team that has won 3 conference games or the one that has been blown out by Notre Dame and Kansas State.  Actually, those two teams are pretty good, as are North Carolina and Florida State.  Miami has lost to the better slate of opponents.  Been a long long time since Frank Beamer was below .500 this late in the season.  In fact, it was 1992, the last time the Hokies did not win 7 or more games.  Again, this one could go either way.  Edge to home team.  Prediction: Miami 27, Virginia Tech 24.

Saturday November 3, 2012

Syracuse (4-4) @ Cincinnati (5-2), 12:00 p.m.  Want to know the last time Syracuse won 3 conference games in a row?  2001.  That was Syracuse’s last 10-win season.  In fact, Syracuse has only one 3 games in a row three times since that season.  In 2002, Syracuse beat Rutgers, Central Florida, and Virginia Tech.  In 2006, Syracuse beat Illinois, Miami (OH), and Wyoming.  In 2010, Syracuse beat Maine (FCS), Colgate (FCS), and South Florida.  Cincinnati’s schedule is the reason they are 5-2, but the Confidential cannot help but note that it is not 2014 yet.  There will not be a 3-game winning streak for the ‘Cuse.  Prediction: Cincinnati 24, Syracuse 17.

Georgia Tech (3-5) @ Maryland (4-4), 12:30 p.m.  Before the season, the Confidential would have predicted a 30-point win for the Yellow Jackets.  If Maryland had a QB, the Confidential would predict a win for Maryland.  Using a linebacker–even a struggling Georgia Tech team HAS to be able to win this game.  If not…. wow.  Prediction: Georgia Tech 24, Maryland 10.

Virginia (2-6) @ North Carolina State (5-3), 12:30 p.m.  Well, it is safe to say that Virginia has not lived up to expectations.  North Carolina State is right where it always seems to be–too good to look past, too bad to assume a win.  The Wolfpack have to be able to take care of a struggling Virginia team though.  That 6th win is sitting there hoping to be achieved.  Prediction: North Carolina State 28, Virginia 15.

Boston College (2-6) @ Wake Forest (4-4), 3:00 p.m.  Boston College got a win!  Boston College got a win!  Remember, this team closed strong last year.  But winning on the road, even against a vulnerable Wake Forest team, seems unlikely.  It’s games like these that may get the Demon Deacons a bowl.  And if they lose this one, they do not deserve a bowl.  Prediction: Wake Forest 20, Boston College 13.

Pittsburgh (4-4) @ #3 Notre Dame (8-0), 3:30 p.m.  On paper, Notre Dame has one big game left–its tilt against rival Southern Cal.  On paper, Pitt, Wake Forest, and Boston College do not pose a threat.  On paper, the favorite always wins.  In real life, the favorite occasionally gets upset.  But there is something about a Notre Dame coach named Kelly proving that the Fighting Irish are “back.”  They might not go undefeated, but this one seems to easy to predict an upset for Notre Dame to be looking past the Panthers.  Prediction:  Notre Dame 27, Pitt 17.

#13 Clemson (7-1) @ Duke (6-3), 7:00 p.m.  The ACC game of the week.  This is two weeks in a row for the Blue Devils.  Last week was terrible.  This week may be terrible again.  Clemson is not that much inferior to Florida State.  However, Duke is at home for this one–unlike its losses to Stanford, Va Tech, and FSU.  So Dick Vitale will not have to close his eyes during this game–it will be closer.   Not close.  Closer.  Prediction: Clemson 38, Duke 21.

Idle: North Carolina & Florida State

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
30 Oct 2012
2 Comments

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25 & Bottom 4: Week 9

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football, as well as the Bottom 4 BCS-level teams.  Here is the Week 9 version, with analysis of the top 10 and bottom 4:

  1. Alabama (8-0): Alabama keeps on rolling, with a romp over Mississippi State.   The LSU game should be fun!
  2. Oregon (8-0): The Ducks obliterated Colorado.  But what else is new?
  3. Notre Dame (8-0): The Fighting Irish are for real after defeating Oklahoma on the road.  They cannot look ahead to USC though.
  4. Kansas State (8-0):  The polls are starting to love Kansas State.  As well they should after yet another impressive win.
  5. Ohio State (9-0).  The Buckeyes keep on rolling, with a win over Penn State.
  6. Florida State (8-1):  The Seminoles get a week off after blowing out Duke.
  7. LSU (7-1):  And here come the SEC schools.  LSU took care of Texas A&M to improve to 7-1.
  8. Georgia (7-1): Georgia got a big win over Florida in Jacksonville.
  9. Florida (7-1): The Gators struggled offensively against Georgia, but are still a good team.
  10. Louisville (8-0): The Cardinals struggled against Cincinnati before pulling out the win to remain unbeaten.
  11. Oklahoma (5-2).
  12. Clemson (7-1).
  13. South Carolina (7-2).
  14. Mississippi State (7-1).
  15. Nebraska (6-2).
  16. Boise State (7-1).
  17. Southern California (6-2).
  18. Oregon State (6-1).
  19. Michigan (5-3).
  20. Louisiana Tech (7-1).
  21. Texas Tech (6-2).
  22. Stanford (6-2).
  23. West Virginia (5-2).
  24. Toledo (8-1).
  25. UCLA (6-2).

* * *

121.  Illinois (2-6).  With a loss to Indiana, Illinois is at the bottom of the B1G now.  Do they miss Ron Zook now?

122. Virginia (2-6).  With Boston College’s win over Maryland, Virginia drops to the bottom of the ACC barrel.  Enjoy.

123. Colorado (1-7).  The Buffaloes are just plain bad.  70-6 against Oregon.  Has any program fallen farther than Colorado?

124. Kansas (1-7).  Kansas played very well against Texas.  This isn’t the Texas of old, but kudos to the Wildcats for making a game of it.

So there it is.  If you do not like it… sorry.  But feel free to share your reasons why…

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , ,
25 Oct 2012
1 Comment

ACC Football Predictions for Week 9

The Confidential’s football predictions for this week’s games featuring ACC teams.  The Confidential surged to a 6-2 record, elevating the overall record to a respectable 58-20.  On to the week 9 predictions:

Thursday October 25, 2012

#14 Clemson (6-1) @ Wake Forest (4-3), 7:30 p.m.  Clemson needs to avoid a late season slump.  This is exactly the type of game that could easily lead to a loss and subsequent November swoon.  With the whole nation watching, Clemson needs to rise to the occasion.  Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons are still looking for a signature win this year.  It aint coming this week.  Prediction: Clemson 27, Wake Forest 17.

Saturday October 27, 2012

Temple (3-3) @ Pittsburgh (3-4), noon.  Temple has 2 Big East wins, while Pittsburgh has zero.  In the battle for Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh has the home field advantage though.  We’ll see how much pride the Panthers can display.  One has to figure that Pittsburgh will rise to the occasion.  Prediction: Pittsburgh 21, Temple 10.

North Carolina State (5-2) @ North Carolina (5-3), 12:30 p.m.  This is sort of the battle for North Carolina–at least with respect to the public Universities.  Both teams have been decent and the winner will get to 6 wins.  While there is no bowl eligibility for the Tar Heels, N.C. State has eyes on a bowl.  This is a tough one to call.  Prediction: North Carolina 28, North Carolina State 20.

Maryland (4-3) @ Boston College (1-6), 1:00 p.m.  At the beginning of the year, this would have seemed like a key game for Boston College to get a conference win.  Now, it is hard to envision Boston College defeating the surprising Terrapins.  With Maryland starting to smell a bowl game, and Boston College floundering, look for the visiting team to pull out a win.  Prediction: Maryland 21, Boston College 14.

Brigham Young (4-4) @ Georgia Tech (3-4), 3:00 p.m.  Brigham Young has had trouble scoring, which is usually not a problem for Georgia Tech.  But BYU looked great against Notre Dame.  Still, the Yellow Jackets have too much pride to let a team come into Atlanta and steal a win.  Prediction: Georgia Tech 28, Brigham Young 9.

Duke (6-2) @ #11 Florida State (7-1), 3:30 p.m.  The ACC game of the week.  Duke is bowl eligible, which may mean that they will have a let down.  And Florida State is at home.  This game will be the true test of just how far the Blue Devils have come.  After losing to Virginia Tech and Stanford on the road, the Confidential has to go with the Seminoles.   Prediction: Florida State 44, Duke 9.

Syracuse (3-4) @ South Florida (2-5), 7:00 p.m.  Florida State struggled to beat South Florida on the road.  Syracuse is a 3-4 team with no wins on the road.  If Syracuse wants to get to a bowl game, they will need to win this game.  If South Florida wants to go to a bowl, losing here would be catastrophic.  Syracuse wants to win, but the Bulls must win.  Prediction: South Florida 28, Syracuse 20.

The Confidential apologizes in advance for not picking your team.  A lot of close games here.  Feel free to share why we are wrong. 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Predictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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