Possible Surprises
September 3rd 2010 16:14
As football season finally kicked off last night, we got to see our first glimpse of top teams like Miami and Ohio State, and the upset Utah pulled off against Pitt. With this blog, I will be picking who I think could be surprises in their BCS conferences.
ACC- Many think I will say Miami, but that wouldn’t be enough of a surprise, so while I think Miami will win the ACC, my surprise team in the conference is... Boston College. To me picking FSU or either Tech was once again too light of a shocker, so I say BC. Clemson will be fairly good still, but without C.J. Spiller, there are big shoes to fill. The Boston College defense was in the top 20 of all the country in points allowed on defense, and will only be stronger with Mark Herzlich returning after his bout with cancer. That will only make their solid line-backing even better. I’m not saying for a second that this team will win the ACC, but with the kind of things that are going on at North Carolina (mixed with their tough schedule) and the fact I think BC will beat Clemson, the Eagles could finish higher than most people expect them to.
Big East- I’m actually going with Louisville on this one, and here’s why. They have an easier road schedule in-conference than teams like Connecticut and Rutgers. They have Cincinnati and South Florida at home, along with West Virginia and UCONN. They could surprise a team or two, but then again they also have the reputation of letting their season go south after a tough loss. Same is with S.Florida. The Bulls don’t finish well, and since Louisville has them late in the season, it could give them an even bigger advantage. Overall I think whether it be Louisville, USF, or Rutgers, there will be a team that disrupts the top three squads in the Big East.
Big Ten- 8 and 0. This will most likely be my boldest prediction. I believe, even with a game with Michigan State and another with Central Michigan, That Northwestern could start this season 8-0! No lie. Now that I say this, they most likely will promptly lose to Vanderbilt in their opener, but I really believe this team, one that hung with Auburn in their bowl game last year, could make a run to the top 4 teams in the Big 10. Of course after those 8 games, reality will set in when they have to face the likes of Iowa, Penn State, and Wisconsin, but with a W against Illinois, this team may at least match last year’s win total, or up it by a game.
Big 12- I really thought of saying Oklahoma State, but I didn’t. I ruled out Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, obviously, because their the front-runners. Missouri lost RB Derrick Washington to suspension indefinitely, so that helps rule them out. So to many a surprise, I’ll pick Texas A&M. Yes they are in the tougher division in the Big 12, the one with the Longhorns, Sooners, and Oklahoma State, but I like their chances with Jerrod Johnson under center. I think he is the real deal, and can lead this team to more than just a bowl appearance. This is going out on a limb, but I like the potential in the Aggies.
Pac 10- No I’m not going with Washington. Not a believer in Jake Locker, at least not yet. The team I will choose here is Oregon State. I thought about UCLA, but ultimately picked the Beavers. Yes they have games against TCU, Boise State, USC, and Oregon, but save for the game on the blue turf against the Broncos, they have all those games at home. Games at Stanford and against the Bruins won’t help their cause, but I think Mike Reilly’s crew will actually improve their record from last year.
SEC- I thought long and hard about this one, with two teams I had in mind. I finally choose Auburn over Arkansas for two reasons. Have you seen how weak the Razorbacks D is, and also because I think Cam Newton is going to have an amazing year. I think if healthy, Bama will beat Arkansas, but Auburn might be a tougher task in the Iron Bowl. This will be when Newton is fully adjusted to the offense and will be firing on all cylinders. They have Bama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina ALL at home. So yes, if there’s a team I like to surprise the two power-houses in the SEC, it’s Auburn.
ACC- Many think I will say Miami, but that wouldn’t be enough of a surprise, so while I think Miami will win the ACC, my surprise team in the conference is... Boston College. To me picking FSU or either Tech was once again too light of a shocker, so I say BC. Clemson will be fairly good still, but without C.J. Spiller, there are big shoes to fill. The Boston College defense was in the top 20 of all the country in points allowed on defense, and will only be stronger with Mark Herzlich returning after his bout with cancer. That will only make their solid line-backing even better. I’m not saying for a second that this team will win the ACC, but with the kind of things that are going on at North Carolina (mixed with their tough schedule) and the fact I think BC will beat Clemson, the Eagles could finish higher than most people expect them to.
Big East- I’m actually going with Louisville on this one, and here’s why. They have an easier road schedule in-conference than teams like Connecticut and Rutgers. They have Cincinnati and South Florida at home, along with West Virginia and UCONN. They could surprise a team or two, but then again they also have the reputation of letting their season go south after a tough loss. Same is with S.Florida. The Bulls don’t finish well, and since Louisville has them late in the season, it could give them an even bigger advantage. Overall I think whether it be Louisville, USF, or Rutgers, there will be a team that disrupts the top three squads in the Big East.
Big Ten- 8 and 0. This will most likely be my boldest prediction. I believe, even with a game with Michigan State and another with Central Michigan, That Northwestern could start this season 8-0! No lie. Now that I say this, they most likely will promptly lose to Vanderbilt in their opener, but I really believe this team, one that hung with Auburn in their bowl game last year, could make a run to the top 4 teams in the Big 10. Of course after those 8 games, reality will set in when they have to face the likes of Iowa, Penn State, and Wisconsin, but with a W against Illinois, this team may at least match last year’s win total, or up it by a game.
Big 12- I really thought of saying Oklahoma State, but I didn’t. I ruled out Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, obviously, because their the front-runners. Missouri lost RB Derrick Washington to suspension indefinitely, so that helps rule them out. So to many a surprise, I’ll pick Texas A&M. Yes they are in the tougher division in the Big 12, the one with the Longhorns, Sooners, and Oklahoma State, but I like their chances with Jerrod Johnson under center. I think he is the real deal, and can lead this team to more than just a bowl appearance. This is going out on a limb, but I like the potential in the Aggies.
Pac 10- No I’m not going with Washington. Not a believer in Jake Locker, at least not yet. The team I will choose here is Oregon State. I thought about UCLA, but ultimately picked the Beavers. Yes they have games against TCU, Boise State, USC, and Oregon, but save for the game on the blue turf against the Broncos, they have all those games at home. Games at Stanford and against the Bruins won’t help their cause, but I think Mike Reilly’s crew will actually improve their record from last year.
SEC- I thought long and hard about this one, with two teams I had in mind. I finally choose Auburn over Arkansas for two reasons. Have you seen how weak the Razorbacks D is, and also because I think Cam Newton is going to have an amazing year. I think if healthy, Bama will beat Arkansas, but Auburn might be a tougher task in the Iron Bowl. This will be when Newton is fully adjusted to the offense and will be firing on all cylinders. They have Bama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina ALL at home. So yes, if there’s a team I like to surprise the two power-houses in the SEC, it’s Auburn.
| 61 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
