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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2336718, member: 289"] Again this year I’ll be keeping track of those teams in contention for the very real four team College Football Playoff as well as those for my fictional creations, the Pesci Bowl, (named after short but feisty actor Joe Pesci), and the dreaded Ty-D Bowl, named after this product: [MEDIA=youtube]3DC_M2VgfVA[/MEDIA] The playoff is four the best four power conference-level teams in the country, (Notre Dame counts as aa power conference team). The Pesci Bowl is for the two best non-power conference teams. The Ty-D Bowl is for the two worst FBS teams in the country. The idea is to track the contenders through their coming schedules, which will tell us what games to look out for. I’ll start with the teams with perfect records: undefeated power conference and non-power conference teams and winless FBS teams. When there are fewer than 3 undefeated power teams or 2 non-power teams or 2 winless teams, then I’ll include the 1 loss and 1 win teams. But for now, we are looking at perfect records. THE PLAYOFF [B]Alabama[/B] 6-0 (258-62) ranked #1 in both polls 10/14 vs. Arkansas 2-3 ( 163-157) 10/21 vs. Tennessee 3-2 (121-128) 10/28 BYE 11/4 vs. Louisiana State 4-2 (152-113) 11/11 at Mississippi State 3-2 (156-108) 11/18 vs. Mercer 3-3 (181-113) (FCS) 11/25 at Auburn 5-1 (215-78) ranked #10/#11 Comment: The Tide should swamp everybody until Auburn, which could be another classic game. The winner of that will probably meet Georgia in the SEC championship. [B]Clemson[/B] 6-0 (210-68) ranked #2 in both polls 10/13 at Syracuse 3-3 (192-146) 10/21 BYE 10/28 vs. Georgia Tech 3-1 (146-76) 11/4 at North Carolina State 5-1 (213-142) ranked #20/#20 11/11 vs. Florida State 1-3 (74-94) 11/18 vs. The Citadel 3-2 (138-105) 11/25 at South Carolina 4-2 (161-126) Comment: if they can somehow get past the Syracuse challenge, NC State seems to be the only problem they will have the rest of the way. The Miami- Virginia Tech winner should be waiting in the conference title game. They’ve already beaten the Hokies. [B]Penn State[/B] 6-0 (238-54) ranked #3 in both polls 10/14 BYE 10/21 vs. Michigan 4-1 (136-68) ranked #17/#16 10/28 at Ohio State 5-1 (275-94) ranked #9/#8 11/4 at Michigan State 4-1 (112-82) ranked #21/#22 11/11 vs. Rutgers 1-4 (109-129) 11/18 vs. Nebraska 3-3 (167-160) 11/25 at Maryland 3-2 (169-182) Comment: If they can get past the gauntlet of the next three games, Wisconsin should be waiting for them in the Big Ten Title game. They’ve got a good chance to fail but also a good chance to prove themselves. [B]Georgia[/B] 6-0 (210-60) ranked #4 by the writers and #5 by the coaches 10/14 vs. Missouri 1-4 (136-200) 10/21 BYE 10/28 at Florida 3-2 (125-121) 11/4 vs. South Carolina 4-2 (161-126) 11/11 at Auburn 5-1 (215-78) ranked #10/#11 11/18 vs. Kentucky 5-1 (165-128) 11/25 at Georgia Tech 3-1 (146-76) Comment: After Missouri, they play nothing but good teams, especially Auburn. But the Bulldogs are pretty good themselves. [B]Washington[/B] 6-0 (258-61) ranked #5/#4 10/14 at Arizona State 2-3 (163-182) 10/21 BYE 10/28 vs. UCLA 3-2 (207-196) 11/4 vs. Oregon 4-2 (258-163) 11/10 at Stanford 4-2 (218-147) 11/18 vs. Utah 4-1 (160-92) ranked #23 in the coach’s poll [B]11/25 vs. Washington State [/B]6-0 (238-111) ranked #8/#9 Comment: Those last five games will be quite a challenge. So would Southern Cal in the Pac 12 title game. [B]Texas Christian[/B] 5-0 (222-98) ranked #6/#7 10/14 at Kansas State 3-2 (184-100) 10/21 vs. Kansas 1-4 (148-224) 10/28 at Iowa State 3-2 (169-130) 11/4 vs. Texas 3-2 (178-119) 11/11 at Oklahoma 4-1 (223-116) ranked #12/#12 11/18 at Texas Tech 4-1 (234-139) ranked #24 in the writer’s poll 11/24 vs. Baylor 0-5 (136-181) Comment: Upsets are common in this conference but the Oklahoma-Texas Tech stretch is the most likely to cost them. There is no Big 12 title game, so if they run the schedule, they are in. [B]Wisconsin[/B] 5-0 (201-71) ranked #7/#6 10/14 vs. Purdue 3-2 (148-104) 10/21 vs. Maryland 3-2 (169-182) 10/28 at Illinois 2-3 (89-148) 11/4 at Indiana 3-2 (148-128) 11/11 vs. Iowa 4-2 (173-112) 11/18 vs. Michigan 4-1 (136-68) ranked #17/#16 11/25 at Minnesota 3-2 (140-86) Comment: Every team they will play has a winning record except Illinois. But I think the Badgers are better than all of them. But that may not be true in the Big Ten title game. [B]Washington State[/B] 6-0 (238-111) ranked #8/#9 10/13 at California 3-3 (146-179) 10/21 vs. Colorado 3-3 (170-136) 10/28 at Arizona 3-2 (210-131) 11/4 vs. Stanford 4-2 (218-147) 11/11 at Utah 4-1 (160-92) ranked #23 in the coach’s poll [B]11/25 at Washington[/B] 6-0 (258-61) ranked #5/#4 Comment: They play no teams with a losing record and those last three could be tough. In 2008 An 0-10 Washington team played a 1-10 Washington State team in the “Apple Cup” game. This year they could both be 11-0 and thinking seriously of winning a national championship. [B]U of Miami[/B] 4-0 (148-69) ranked #11/#10 10/12 vs. Georgia Tech 3-1 (146-76) 10/21 vs. Syracuse 3-3 (192-146) 10/28 at North Carolina 1-5 (152-198) 11/4 vs. Virginia Tech 5-1 (200-82) ranked #15/#17 11/11 vs. Notre Dame 5-1 (240-101) ranked #16/#19 11/18 vs. Virginia 4-1 (153-106) 11/24 at Pittsburgh 2-4 (146-185) Comment: The “U” may be back but they’ve got a hard road ahead. Besides mighty Syracuse they play four one-loss teams. But they play them all at home. Clemson should be waiting in the ACC title game. PESCI BOWL [B]South Florida[/B] 5-0 (224-100) ranked #18/#15 10/14 vs. Massachusetts 0-6 (154-197) 10/21 at Tulane 3-2 (161-138) 10/28 vs. Cincinnati 2-4 (137-198) 11/4 vs. Houston 4-1 (136-81) 11/11 BYE 11/18 vs. Tulsa 1-5 (203-264) [B]11/24 at Central Florida 4[/B]-0 (190-63) ranked #22/#21 Comment: Houston and central Florida should offer some completion but this is the best mid-major in the country. Navy could be waiting in the conference title game. [B]San Diego State[/B] 6-0 (191-116) ranked #19/#18 10/14 vs. Boise State 3-2 (143-123) 10/21 vs. Fresno State 3-2 (160-120) 10/28 at Hawaii 2-4 (165-223) 11/4 at San Jose State 1-6 (105-294) 11/11 BYE 11/18 vs. Nevada-Reno 1-5 (135-205) 11/24 vs. New Mexico 3-2 (152-123) Comment: of all the undefeated squads in FBS, the Aztecs have the best show at 12-0. Also 13-0: the all the teams in the other division of the Mountain West have two losses and none of them are ranked. I remember when Don Coryell was coaching them. They wore black uniforms except for blood red helmets. They passed the ball all over the place and a young Dino Babers idolized them. This is what he’d like Syracuse to be someday. [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO9JTj21GjY"]SDSU football, 1987[/URL] (sorry for the bad sound) [B]Central Florida[/B] 4-0 (190-63) ranked #22/#21 10/14 vs. East Carolina 1-5 (133-287) [B]10/21 at Navy [/B]5-0 ranked #25/#24 11/4 at Southern Methodist 4-2 (263-186) 11/11 vs. Connecticut 1-4 (142-218) 11/18 at Temple 3-3 (115-156) [B]11/24 vs. South Florida [/B]5-0 (224-100) ranked #18/#15[B] [/B] Comment: If they can get past Navy, their game against South Florida could be between two undefeated schools schools. They won’t go 12-0, though: they’ve had a total of four games canceled between them due to the hurricanes. Still it could be the thing that will put these two programs into the national consciousness. UCF is in Orlando and has 64,000 students. USF is in Tampa and has 48,000 students. (Florida Had 54,000 and Florida State 32,000: Gainesville and Tallahassee are much smaller cities in north Florida). They remain potential giants in college football. [B]Navy[/B] 5-0 (186-138) ranked #25/#24 10/14 at Memphis 4-1 (212-176) [B]10/21 vs. Central Florida [/B]4-0 (190-63) ranked #22/#21 11/2 at Temple 3-3 (115-156) 11/11 vs. Southern Methodist 4-2 (263-186) 11/18 at Notre Dame 5-1 (240-101) ranked #16/#19 11/24 at Houston 4-1 (136-81) 12/1 BYE 12/9 vs. Army 4-2 (193-115) Comments: Rough seas ahead. No losing teams, an undefeated team and three one-loss teams, one of which is Notre Dame. USF would then be waiting in the C-USA title game. TY-D BOWL [B]Baylor[/B] 0-5 (136-181) 10/14 at Oklahoma State 4-1 (234-130) 10/21 vs. West Virginia 3-2 (219-132) 10/28 vs. Texas 3-2 (178-119) 11/4 at Kansas 1-4 (148-224) 11/11 vs. Texas Tech in Arlington ranked 4-1 (234-139) #24 in the writer’s poll 11/19 vs. Iowa State 3-2 (169-130) 11/24 at Texas Christian 5-0 (222-98) ranked #6/#7 Comment: Sic Transit Gloria! This is the school we wanted to be like, (on the field). Getting to the top is hard but staying there is harder if you aren’t one of college football’s blue bloods. And avoiding a wash-out won’t be easy if they can’t beat Kansas. [B]Charlotte[/B] 0-6 (77-186) 10/14 at Western Kentucky 3-2 (108-95) 10/21 vs. Alabama-Birmingham 3-2 (165-149) 10/28 BYE 11/4 at Old Dominion 2-3 (99-173) 11/11 vs. Middle Tennessee 3-3 (120-153) 11/18 at Southern Mississippi 3-2 (149-113) 11/25 vs. Florida Atlantic 3-3 (205-155) Comment: The good news: They don’t play any really strong teams the res tof the way. The bad news: They don’t play any really weak teams, either. [B]Georgia Southern[/B] 0-4 (61-158) 10/14 vs. New Mexico State 2-4 (181-193) [B]10/21 at Massachusetts [/B]0-6 (154-197) 10/28 at Troy 4-1 (120-93) 11/4 vs. Georgia State 2-2 (65-94) 11/9 at Appalachian State 3-2 (148-102) 11/18 vs. South Alabama 1-4 (118-154) 11/25 at Louisiana (formerly Louisiana-Lafayette, formerly SW Louisiana) 2-3 (185-231) 12/2 at Coastal Carolina 1-4 (135-188) Comment: A long time FCS power with many national championships that will never win another because they went for the big bucks in FBS, the Eagles find themselves at 0-4. But they’ll have several shots at cracking that goose egg, including one against another former FCS champ, UMASS. [B]Massachusetts [/B]0-6 (154 197) 10/14 at South Florida 5-0 (224-100) ranked #18/#15 [B]10/21 vs. Georgia Southern [/B]0-4 (61-158) 10/28 vs. Appalachian State 3-2 (148-102) 11/4 at Mississippi State 3-2 (156-108) 11/11 vs. Maine at Fenway Park 1-3 (93-95) (FCS) 11/18 at Brigham Young 1-5 (70-156) Comment: The Minutemen spent some unproductive time in the MAC and are now trying to go independent, which means they have to beg for games. Maybe they could beat old Yankee Conference rival Maine. Maybe they should go back to where they belong? [B]Texas- El Paso[/B] 0-6 (86 241) 10/14 at Southern Mississippi 3-2 (149-113) 10/21 BYE 10/28 vs. Texas- San Antonio 3-1 (141-72) 11/4 at Middle Tennessee 3-3 (120-153) 11/11 at North Texas 3-2 (194-170) 11/18 vs. Louisiana Tech 3-3 (168-159) 11/25 at Alabama-Birmingham 3-2 (165-149) Comment: UTEP, (formerly Texas Western), has had 21 seasons since 1972 in which they won 2 or fewer games. So this is familiar territory for them. The remaining schedule is like Charlottes: no great challenges but no easy marks, either. [/QUOTE]

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