2015 College Football Week 1 Preview

We are now only about a week away from the start of the new college football season. It's the second season of the four-time playoff, which was a massive success last season. Just like you did last year, you cant count on SportsExaminer.blogspot.com to bring you all of your college football coverage. We'll have game recaps, Heisman rankings, and much more. In this article, we're going to preview Week 1, give our pre-season Heisman rankings, and give some post-season predictions.

Games to Watch:

The Week 1 slate is typically flat, but there are some interesting match-ups. Of course, fans are just excited for college football to be back, great games aren't really that important right off of the back. These five games could impress, however.

#2 TCU @ Minnesota- After just falling short of making the playoffs last year, TCU is expected to make it this year. They have a great team and definitely have the talent to go all the way. They will be tested right off the back however, by Minnesota. The Golden Gophers may be unranked, but they are a talented team who could possibly pull off of an upset.

Texas @ #11 Notre Dame- This is quite possibly the most anticipated match of the week. After Charlie Strong's disappointing first year in Arlington, the Longhorns are looking to bounce back and possibly contend for the Big 12 title. Before they challenge for the conference title though, they must take on Notre Dame, a team loaded with talent, like Sheldon Day and Jaylon Smith. The Fighting Irish will most likely pick up the win here, but don't expect Texas to go away quietly.

#20 Wisconsin vs. #3 Alabama- This is the only game this week that features two ranked teams, so this is obviously one of the biggest matches. Alabama

#1 Ohio State @ VA Tech- The defending champions are the clear favorites to win the championship this year, thanks to a talented squad full of players like Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliot. They had a great run last year that saw them beat some really talented teams, including Oregon and Alabama. Their only loss? Virginia Tech. Could the Hokies pull off another upset? It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility, as OSU is without a number of players for this game, including Bosa.

#6 Auburn vs. Louisville- Auburn is one of the dark-horse favorites to make the playoffs this year, and will be tested immediately by Louisville. The Cards may not be ranked, but they could make things difficult for the Tigers.

Heisman Watch:

It's a little ridiculous to have a Heisman watch before the season starts, but we need to star somewhere right? It's very rare that the pre-season favorite wins the Heisman, but it's happened in the past (see: Mariota, Marcus and Smith, Troy). There are a lot of contenders left off of this list, such as Connor Cook of MSU, RB Paul Perkins of UCLA, and Clemson slinger Deshaun Watson.

10. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- At one point last year, Prescott was leading the Heisman race and his team was #1. Then, the Bulldogs started losing and Prescott became an afterthought. This year, it looks like Prescott has another tough hurdle to handle. His team is projected to struggle this year, and that will certainly hurt his Heisman candidacy.

9. Derrick Henry, Alabama- Henry has been largely ignored since the Heisman talk began, and it's a little puzzling. He has already established himself as a very good player and Nick Saban's system is perfect to show off backs (think back at guys like Mark Ingram and T.J. Yeldon). Also, Alabama tends to rely more heavily on the run game when they have a new QB.

8. James Conner, Pittsburgh- Conner is one of the best running backs in college football and is one of the early favorites to win the Doak Walker award. The only thing holding him back from being a Heisman front-runner is his team, which isn't expected to do that well this year.

7. Malik Zaire, Notre Dame- This may be jumping the gun a little bit, but Zaire can be a real Heisman contender. He had an impressive debut last year against LSU and has a talented offense around him that can really help him succeed.

6. Leonard Fournette, LSU- Though LSU lost to Notre Dame last year (see above), Fournette put on an incredible performance that got everyone in Death Valley excited. Fournette is a legitimate superstar who can have a great season.

5. Cody Kessler, USC- Kessler spent most of last season on the Heisman bubble, but it looks like he will finally break through this season. He has a very talented offense around him and USC looks like the favorites to win the Pac-12.

4. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- It's not official, but it looks like Barrett has beaten out Cardale Jones for the starting job. Had he not gone down with a season-ending injury last season, Barrett could've been a Heisman finalist. Now, he could go all the way.

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia- The UGA back did a great job last season of filling in for the injured/suspended Todd Gurley last season. Now that he's the starter, look for him to put up great numbers while possibly leading Georgia to an SEC title.

2. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State- Elliot exploded onto the scene last season and was named CFP Offensive MVP. Many people have him pegged as the favorite, and it's not hard to see why. He's a tremendous talent on a loaded team.

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU- Boykin is the clear pre-season favorite to win the Heisman. Not only does he lead a very talented team, but he's the only one of the top 4 Heisman candidates from last year to be playing this season.

Draft Outlook:

This is a new feature we're adding this year. Each week, we will look at the draft status of notable players. It's a little early to really hone in on the draft, but when has timing ever stopped us? Some of the top prospects right now: Joey Bosa (DE) of OSU, Jaylon Smith (LB) of Notre Dame, and Scooby Wright III (LB) of Arizona. As you can see, it's a very defense-heavy draft. We'll talk more about it when the draft gets closer and closer.

Playoff Picture:

Again, it's a little early to talk about this, but it's always fun to make predictions. The overwhelming favorite right now is Ohio State, with its loaded talent. Alabama, TCU, and Oregon are amongthe other favorites, but it's way too early to tell.

Thanks for reading, and check back soon for more articles. 

2015 NBA Playoff Predictions

The NBA playoffs are starting again, and excitement is building up. 16 teams will do battle in order to find out who the best basketball squad in the world is. Each round one series starts this weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday. Before they get underway, we here at The Sports Examiner will do our very best to predict the outcome of each series and pick the eventual champ. Of course, this is the NBA playoffs, so anything can happen. Well, almost anything (sorry Nets fans). Let's get started.

First Round:

1. Golden State Warriors vs. 8. New Orleans Pelicans- This should be an easy win for Golden State. Sure, the Pelicans have Anthony Davis (unarguably the best player in the league under 23), but there's not much after that. Yes, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Omer Asik, and Eric Gordon are all goodplayers, but they've got nothing on the Warriors roster, which features the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Even the Warriors bench (with guys like Andre Iguodala and David Lee) would be able to measure up with the Pelicans starters. Winner: Golden State Warriors in 4

2. Houston Rockets vs. 7 Dallas Mavericks- This could be a very interesting match-up, as Dallas's roster has a number of veterans who have proven themselves in the post-season, including Dirk Nowitzki and Rajon Rondo. They've also got Chandler Parsons, who played with Houston last season. But is that enough to take down the Rockets? They're led by MVP candidate James Harden, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Jason Terry, a former Sixth Man of the Year. I wouldn't be totally surprised if the Mavericks won, but I don't think it'll happen. Winner: Houston Rockets in 6

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs- This match-up looks like it'll be the best one, as these are two teams who both have chance to win it all. However, in the post-season, it's always a smart bet to go with the Spurs. After all, they are the defending champions and have a roster full of players who are proven in the post-season, like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Manu Ginobili. The Clippers on the other hand, are not so proven in the post-season. Winner: San Antionio Spurs  in 6

4. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies- Though the Grizzlies have a lower seed, they get home-court advantage because they had more wins than the Blazers. That home-court advantage could come in use, as this is a close match-up. There are quality players on both teams (like Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge for Portland) and (Mike Conley and Marc Gasol for Memphis). This one could really go either way, but I'm going with Memphis, who is more battle-tested than Portland. Winners: Memphis Grizzlies in 7

1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 8. Brooklyn Nets- How the Nets got into the playoff, we're not really sure. There are better teams in the East, such as the Indiana Pacer or Detroit Pistons. Nonetheless, the Nets are here. Unfortunately, they're not going to be there much longer. There's a reason the Hawks picked up the best record in the East. They're a highly efficient team with a chance to go deep in the playoffs. Winner: Atlanta Hawks in 4

2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 7 Boston Celtics- Like with the Nets, we're a little surprised the Celtics are still here. Also like the Nets, it doesn't look like they have  much chance to make it past the first round. The Cavaliers are just too good to lose this early. Sure, the Celtics have a talented young roster (with guys like Marcust Smart, Jonas Jerebko, and Evan Turner) and have a great coach (Brad Stevens), but they are not enough to take down a team featuring LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. It's just not going to happen. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 4

3. Chicago Bulls vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks- Derrick Rose is finally back, but he is not at the level he once was. Even so, the Bulls are still good enough to take down the upstart Bucks. Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and the rest of the Bulls roster are more than capable of beating Milwaukee. There's really no chance of an upset here. Winner: Chicago Bulls in 4

4. Toronto Raptors vs. 5 Washington Wizards- Many people had the Raptors going far last year, but they couldn't even get past the first round. Could the same thing happen this year? The Wizards have a great roster (with guys like John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Nene Hilario), but they are nowhere near as hot as they were in the first-half of the season. The Raptors meanwhile, have guys like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Patrick Patterson, and are also colder than they were earlier in the season. The Raptors have a better chance at winning this series and the whole thing, but that's not really saying much, seeing as both of these teams are vast underdogs. Winner: Toronto Raptors in 6

Quarterfinals:

1. Golden State Warriors vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies- The Grizzlies may give the Warriors a bit of a challenge here, but it shouldn't derail the Warriors. They're much too talented of a team to get held up here. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph could create some problems inside the paint, but the Warriors have Draymond Green, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Winner: Golden State Warriors in 5

2. Houston Rockets vs. 6 San Antonio Spurs- This could all come down to experience. Save for Harden, Howard, and Trevor Ariza, the Rockets have no notable players with Finals experience. The Spurs on the other hand, have a roster full of guys with that experience. Seeing as these two teams can go toe-to-toe with each other, it is that experience that could push the Spurs forward. Winner: San Antonio Spurs in 7

1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 4. Toronto Raptors- While it wouldn't surprise me terribly if the Raptors won, I still have to go with the Hawks. After all, we are talking about one of the most efficient teams in the NBA. They play well together as a unit and will prove tough to beat. Toronto should put up a good fight, but it won't matter. Winner: Atlanta Hawks in 6

2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 3 Chicago Bulls- Compared to the beginning of the year, the Cavs have really come together as a team and gelled well. There were compatibility questions in the beginning, but those look to have been settled. It's hard to see the Bulls winning without Rose at 100%. This looks like it's the Cavs' series to lose. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6

Conference Finals:

1. Golden State Warriors vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs: This is a tough one to call. San Antonio is an extremely disciplined team that is more than proven in the post-season. Golden State on the other  hand, is a young team with a top-notch offense and defense. It's really hard to bet against the Spurs, so I'm going to go with them. Coach Gregg Popovich will no doubt find a way to slow down Golden State's explosive backcourt and Kwahi Leonard could prove problematic for the Warriors. Winner: San Antonio Spurs in 7

1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 2. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Hawks face their toughest test of the post-season when they take on the Cavs. Historically, the Hawks have had a hard time against King James, and their woes should continue here. Like with the Bulls, this is Cleveland's series to lose. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6

Finals:

6. San Antonio Spurs vs. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers: For the second year in a row, LeBron James meets the Spurs in the Finals. Last year, he did with the Miami Heat. This year, he's got a much better team. For the first time, James has an elite point guard in Kyrie Irving. He also has big man Kevin Love, who will create problems with the Spurs. There's no question this year's Cavs are better than last year's Heat. Remember, Dwayne Wade was nowhere near his full potential last year. But is it enough to overcome the Spurs? I think so. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 MVP: LeBron James

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back soon for more articles.

2015 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 Part 1

Now that the NFL and college football seasons are over, it's time for the biggest event of the NFL off-season: the NFL draft. It's one of the most anticipated and speculated about events of the year in terms of possible trades and draft picks. Since the scouting combine has yet to take place and the free agency period hasn't started yet, this is a very rough draft. Things always change in those two events. Think back to last year, when Jadeveon Clowney's combine performance all but guaranteed the Houston Texans took him in the first round. The actual draft takes place on April 30th in Chicago, so there should be more mock drafts until then. Let's get started with 1.0. In this article, we'll have the first sixteen picks of the 1st round. The next article will have the next 16.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: Mike Glennon hasn't been terrible, but he's definitely not a franchise QB. Lovie Smith needs someone else to run the helm, and Mariota is the perfect choice. An offense with him, Mike Evans, Doug Martin, and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins has scary good potential.

2. Tennessee Titans- Leonard Williams, DT, USC: I was going to go with Jameis Winston here, but I think that they'll opt to help out their defense (only five teams gave up more yards per game than the Titans last year). Besides, the Titans will be able to get a good QB, like Bryce Petty and Shane Cardenn, in later rounds.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska: Both the Jaguars offense and defense need all the help they can get, but as Blake Bortles continues to develop, the offense should get better. So, the Jaguars can use this pick to pick up one of the best defensive players in this draft: Nebraska's Randy Gregory.

4. Oakland Raiders- Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama: The Raiders offense was the worst in the league last year, so that needs to be addressed with this pick. Rather than draft a quarterback, it would be better to pick up the best WR in the draft and give Derek Carr a lethal weapon, especially on deep passes.

5. Washington Redskins- Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa: Believe it or not, but the Redskins actually had the 11th best passing offense in the league last year, and that was with three starting quarterbacks. Scherff is one of the top prospects overall, and it's hard to believe the 'Skins would pass up the opportunity to bolster their line.

6. New York Jets- Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford: This is a bit of a wild card pick, but it just could happen. New head coach Todd Bowles should be worried about the offense, and he may want to stick with Geno Smith and Michael Vick. He might even want to use a later pick for QB. In that case, he should get Peat, which should make the Jets rushing game (third in the league last year in ypg) even better.

7. Chicago Bears- Landon Collins, SS, Alabama: The Bears defense was abysmal last season, with the pass defense being especially bad. Collins is the best strong safety in the draft and will definitely help out.

8. Atlanta Falcons- Shane Ray, DE, Missouri: The Falcons gave up a league-worst 398.2 ypg last season, so this pick needs to be used on a defensive player. The Falcons will probably have a lot of options here, including Dante Fowler Jr. of Florida and Vic Beasley of Clemson, but I think they'll take Ray, who should fit well into Dan Quinn's defensive scheme.

9. New York Giants- Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida: General Manager Jerry Reese has a tendency to just draft the best player on the board, and if Fowler lasts this long, he should snap him off. Besides, Fowler would help patch the third-worst run defense in the NFL.

10. St. Louis Rams- T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh: The Rams defense was middle of the pack last year, and their first-round pick from last year (OT Greg Robinson of Auburn) was disappointing, so the Rams will probably take another offensive lineman. At 6'5" and 305 lbs., Clemmings has what it takes to make an impact for St. Louis.

11. Minnesota Vikings- DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville: This might be a reach, as there will no doubt be better players on the board than Parker, but this pick just makes sense. Parker was the #1 target of Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater in college, so the two already have great chemistry. The Vikings could also go with receiver Kevin White, but the fact that Parker played college ball with Bridgewater gives him the edge.

12. Cleveland Browns- Kevin White, WR, West Virginia: Since the Browns won't have Josh Gordon next season (and might also lose tight end Jordan Cameron), they're going to need a receiver. White will likely be the best receiver left, so the Browns will take him.

13. New Orleans Saints- Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson: The main reason the Saints didn't make the playoffs last year: their defense. The offense certainly wasn't a problem, as they put up more yards per game than any other team in the league. Beasley is a dangerous pass rusher and will give the Saints' D more bite.

14. Miami Dolphins- Danny Shelton, DT, Washington: The Dolphins could choose an offensive lineman to give Ryan Tannehill some protection, but it's more likely they use this pick on a defensive player. Shelton will probably be still on the board at this time, and his run stopping abilities will help the Dolphins out.

15. San Francisco 49ers- Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri: It doesn't seem like the 49ers need help at a specific position, at least not now. In that case, they could get Green-Beckham, who has great potential and could help out the third-worst passing offense in the game.

16. Houston Texans- Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State: I just can't see the Texans passing up on Winston if he's still here. He's too good of a QB for that to happen. The general consensus is that the Texans will take a defensive player here, but if Clowney is healthy, that shouldn't be much of a problem. The offense meanwhile, needs help, and Winston is the man for the job.

So there you have it, the first-half of round 1. Any surprises? Comment and let me know. Also, be on the lookout for the second-half soon.

NFL 2015 Playoff Predictions

The 2014-2015 NFL regular season is done, which means it is time for the playoffs to start. Wild-card weekend starts tomorrow, with Arizona taking on Carolina and Baltimore facing Pittsburgh. In this article, I'll give my predictions for the post-season, complete with Super Bowl MVP pick. Let me start with my predictions at the beginning of the season: I picked Seattle to beat Denver again, with Russell Wilson to win MVP. I correctly picked eight of the 12 teams to make the post-season, whatever that's worth. Let's get started.

Wild-Card Weekend:

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys- Thanks to Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, and Dez Bryant, the Cowboys offense has been fantastic this year. Their defense (projected to be among the worst in the NFL at the beginning of the season) has been surprisingly good. The Lions also have a great offense (thanks to guys like Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, and Matthew Stafford), and their defense is to-notch. New coach Jim Caldwell has done a great job of keeping this team together and focused.

This game will probably come down to the Lion's run defense against the Cowboys' run game. Ndamkong Suh will be playing on Sunday, which means Detroit does have a shot at slowing down Murray and Joseph Randle. Even if that happens however, Dallas still has its passing game. Remember, no QB had a higher QBR this season than Romo this season, and look for him to prove why on Sunday. The Lions' secondary has improved since last year, but it's still not an elite unit.
Pick: Dallas Cowboys

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers sneak into the play-offs after winning the disappointing NFC South with a losing record. The Cardinals meanwhile, are on a bit of a downward streak. Just a few weeks ago, they were on top of the NFC. Now, they're the fifth seed in the playoffs.

The Cardinals have a great defense, but the fact that they're playing with their third-string QB (Ryan Lindley) really hurts them. Lindley has yet to prove he can effectively run Arizona's offense, which is quite dangerous (especially with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and John Brown). The Panthers meanwhile, have a good offense and good defense (headed up by last-year's Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly). The Cards will put up a fight, but it won't be enough.
Pick: Carolina Panthers

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers: These division rivals (the AFC North, arguably the best division in the league) have had one of the biggest rivalries in the game over the last number of years. These two teams split their regular season meetings this year, with the Steelers winning the most recent one.

The Steelers are without their Pro-Bowl back Le'Veon Bell, so replacement Ben Tate (who they signed this week) will have to do. The Big Ben/AB combination has been lethal this season, and it should continue in the post-season. The Ravens are hot (their Week 17 win secured them a playoff spot), but they just can't match up to Pittsburgh.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts: The Bengals travel to Indy to take on the Colts, who won the AFC South (arguably the worst division in the NFL). The Bengals are 0-4 in the playoffs with Andy Dalton at the helm, and the fact that he got paid this summer probably won't change things. The Colts meanwhile, are lead by Andrew Luck, who plays well in big games. Neither one of these teams are really hot, so the winner will get some much needed momentum.

Based on those two things alone (and the fact that the Colts blew out the Bengals in October), I'm picking Indy. The Colts defense will probably be able to force some turnovers from Dalton, who threw 17 picks this season. This is a tough pick, but I'm going with the Colts.
Pick: Indianapolis Colts

Divisional Round:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers; Seattle didn't get off to a great start at the beginning of the season, but they have rebounded quite nicely, especially after parting ways with troubled WR Percy Harvin. The fact that the 'Hawks have home-field advantage definitely helps as well.

The Panthers just don't have what it takes to beat Seattle. Their passing game is no match for the Legion of Boom and their defense will find it hard to contain Beast Mode. This should be an easy win for Pete Carroll and Seattle.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys: This could be one of the best games of the playoffs, as these are two great teams. The Packers are hot after beating the Lions in Week 17 to win the NFC North and secure a first-round bye.

Aaron Rodgers had a great season and his offensive line (featuring guys like Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga) is arguably the best in the entire NFL. The 'Boys defensive front line will have a hard time going up against this, so look for the Packers' offense to shine.
Pick: Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts: Like the Seahawks, the Patriots struggled at the beginning of the season but rebounded very nicely. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick worked their magic yet again this year and are looking to win their fourth Super Bowl together.

Like with the Seahawks and Panthers, the Colts just don't match up to the Pats. Without Ahmad Bradshaw (who was injured in Week 12), the Colts' run game is pretty much neutralized and the Colts' defense isn't good enough to stop Touchdown Tommy.
Pick: New England Patriots

Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Last year's first seed, the Broncos are once again in possession of a first-round bye. They still have one of the best offenses in the league (arguably better, since tackle Ryan Clady is back) and their defense (featuring the likes of Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, and Aqib Talib) is markedly better since last year.

Bell should be back for this game, so the Steelers offense will be running on full-throttle. An upset is very possible, but the Broncos should be able to hang on for the win. The Steelers defense is not as formidable as it used to be, so Peyton Manning and the offense should be able to rack up the scoreboard.
Pick: Denver Broncos

Conference Championship:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers: These are the two best teams in the NFC, so it's only fitting that they should meet for the NFC title. They met in the first game of the season, which Seattle handily won. This time though, the result could be different.

I'm going with the upset here. The Packers have a good enough offense to survive the LOB and the Seahawks don't have a good enough passing game to match up with the Packers secondary. Of course, Seattle could prove me wrong and dominate, but an upset is certainly possible.
Pick: Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos: Like with the Pack and Seahawks, these are the two best teams in the AFC, so they should meet for the AFC title. Both of these teams are going to give everything they had, so this will be a good one.

I predict that the Denver secondary will shut the Pats' passing game down (with the obvious exception of Rob Gronkowski). The Pats' defense meanwhile, will struggle to shut down Manning and his receivers.
Pick: Denver Broncos

Super Bowl:

Green Bay and Denver will undoubtedly be a big game. These are two excellent teams with great coaches and two of the best quarterbacks in recent years. The press and fans will certainly be buzzing about this one.

Denver will no doubt have some extra fire, as they will want to prove all of their doubters from last year wrong. I think it is that extra fire that will push them over the edge, and give them a little extra oomph.
Pick: Denver Broncos MVP: Peyton Manning

Thanks for reading, enjoy the playoffs everyone. 

College Football Week 15 Recap

This was the last week of the regular season, and it was a fun one. Most of the games were conference championships, but they were fun. We'll get into the playoff forecast and all that, but we will also focus on the Heisman and other things. Since it was a small week, we're shortening the notable games and notable performances sections. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

The biggest game of the week was the SEC Championship, featuring #1 Alabama and #16 Missouri. As I said last week, I believe 'Bama is the best team in the country, and they proved it against Mizzou. The Tide won 42-13 to win the SEC title and secure a spot in the playoffs.

#4 Florida State faced one of their toughest games of the season when they took on #11 Georgia Tech with the ACC Championship on the line. Though the Yellow Jackets put up a great fight, the 'Noles hung on to secure a spot in the playoffs.

#5 Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship after destroying #13 Wisconsin in the title game. Remember, the Buckeyes were being led by their third-string QB, who had thrown only 19 passes in his collegiate career up to this point.

#22 Boise State handed unranked Fresno State their seventh loss of the season when they beat them 28-14 Saturday in the Mountain West championship game. The Broncos are now in the top 20 and have a shot at playing in one of the New Year's Day bowl games.

#2 Oregon and #7 Arizona met for the Pac-12 Championship on Friday night. The Ducks avenged their regular season loss to 'Zona by whooping the Wildcats 51-13 and earning a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoffs.

Notable Performances:

#20 Oklahoma and Oklahoma State met on Saturday in a Big 12 conference game. The Sooners were favored, but the Cowboys pulled out the upset to become bowl eligible. The deciding factor for OSU: a 92 yard punt return touchdown by Tyreek Hill, who had more than 200 yards in the game, which came from receiving, rushing, and returning.

#6 Baylor defeated #9 Kansas State to earn a share of the Big 12 championship. Helping lead the Bears to victory was senior receiver Antwan Goodley, who had nine catches for 116 yards and one score, a kick return for 19 yards, and one rush for 33 yards.

Baylor is co-champions with #3 TCU, who defeated Iowa State to earn a share of the Big 12 title. A big reason the Horned Frogs: Derrick Kindred who had three tackles and one interception, which he returned for 44 yards and a TD.

Heisman Watch:

Marcus Mariota is going to win the Heisman. It's as simple as that. No one has been more outstanding than him this season. It's very possible he could be the first ever unanimous Heisman winner. That's right, no one has ever won the Heisman unanimously, though Reggie Bush and Troy Smith did come close (both got more than 90%). Who else but Mariota deserves a first-place vote? J.T. Barrett suffered a season-ending injury last week, Jameis Winston had a terrible off-the-field season, Melvin Gordon was abysmal against OSU, Trevone Boykin isn't playing in the playoffs, and Cody Kessler lost too many games. Of course, it's no guarantee it will be unanimous. There is always some voter who will vote for someone else, either because they're trying to make a name for themselves or don't believe anyone should win the Heisman unanimously. Be that as it might, let's look at our final Heisman watch. The list is down to four competitors, and the top three are all going to New York. The players who dropped out: Dak Prescott, Cody Kessler, Gerod Holliman (none of them played this week), Jay Ajayi (he had an unspectacular game against Fresno State, and Bryce Petty (who will not be playing in the playoffs).

4. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 4)- Boykin had an excellent game against Iowa State. Not only did he throw for 460 yards and four scores, he also had the first receiving touchdown of his career. If he was playing in the playoffs, he would at least be #3 on this list.

3. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 3)- Cooper didn't score against Mizzou, but he did have 12 catches (an SEC title game record) for 83 yards. In doing so, he set the SEC single-season reception record with 115.

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconin (Last Week: 2)- Gordon could do absolutely nothing against the Buckeye defense, but he stays at #2. Remember, this guy had a fantastic season up to the Big 12 title game.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week- 1)- As I said before, Mariota is going to win the Heisman. He sealed the deal by accounting for five scores and 313 passing yards against Arizona in the Pac-12 title game.

Playoff Picture:

The playoffs are finally set. In the semi-finals, #1 Alabama takes on #4 Ohio State and #2 Oregon takes on #3 Florida State. The winners of those two games will meet in the championship. Ohio State moved into the four spot after TCU fell out of the three spot. What hurt TCU? Some speculate that it was the fact that it was co-champion, instead of winning the Big 12 outright. Baylor, the co-champion, should have won the championship outright. Had they won it, they could have made it into the top four.

How did OSU get into the top 4? Well for one, they destroyed Wisconsin. Had it been close, they might not have gotten the edge over a Big 12 team. The committee is supposed to take injuries into account, and the season-ending injury to J.T. Barrett could have been a crutch for the Buckeyes (no pun intended).

Games to Watch:

There are no games until December 20th, so I have just highlighted five bowl games which should be good.

Texas A&M and West Virginia take each other on in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Both of these teams were ranked earlier on in the season so they are both talented teams.On top of that, they both have talented offenses that could make this game really fun.

Notre Dame and LSU go one-on-one in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. The last time these two met, it was in the Sugar Bowl about eight years ago. LSU doesn't have a great offense, but good enough to make it interesting.

Washington and Oklahoma State are not exactly heralded teams, but they could have a fun encounter when they meet in the TicketCity Cactus Ball. The Cowboys are riding a hot streak since beating Oklahoma, and they could translate that to a win here.

Two top-notch teams clash when Kansas State takes on UCLA in the Valero Alamo Bowl on January 2nd. Both of these teams were considered playoff contenders at one point or another, so expect them to put up a good fight.

Georgia takes on Louisville in the Belk Bowl on December 30th, and this could be a great game. These are two talented teams which could be very good next year. This has the potential to be one of the best bowl games on the schedule.

Thanks for reading. Check back soon for more posts. 

College Football Week 14 Recap

This was the penultimate week of the college football regular season. Next week, most teams are not in action as the bulk of games being played are conference championships. As a result, this was a big week for a lot of teams. This week is also known as rivalry week, as a lot of rivalry games are played this week. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

The biggest game of the week was the Iron Bowl, which featured #15 Auburn travelling cross-state to take on #1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. These two had a great game last year and they had another fun game this year. Auburn kept it close, but 'Bama pulled away in the fourth quarter to seal the deal and avenge last year's loss.

Alabama will be playing in the SEC championship game next year against Missouri, the winners of the SEC East division. Missouri booked their spot in the title game by beating Arkansas 21-14. The Tigers are now ranked 16th.

Stanford has had a disappointing season this year, but they got a great win over #8 UCLA on Saturday. This caused the Bruins to drop seven spots in the CFP and knocked them out of the playoff hunt.

#13 Arizona State and #11 Arizona fought for the Territorial Cup and a spot in the Pac-12 championship game. The Sun Devils put up a great fight, but the Wildcats got a 42-35 win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

For the first time this season, Marshall is ranked. They entered the week at #24 and undefeated but are now unranked and have one loss. That loss came in overtime to Western Kentucky, ending the Thundering Herd's playoff chances.

The Georgia Tech/Georgia rivalry has not been very prevalent in recent years, but it was in full force this year. The #9 Bulldogs gave the #16 Yellow Jackets all they could handle, but Tech managed to pull off the upset and move up four spots in the rankings.

#18 Minnesota traveled to #14 Wisconsin to battle for the Paul Bunyan Axe and a spot in the Big Ten championship game. The Golden Gophers put up a good fight, but ended up losing 34-24. The Badgers will now play $6 Ohio State next week for the Big Ten title.

Notable Performances:

#9 Kansas State is still in the playoff hunt after their crushing 51-13 win over Kansas. Leading the way was QB Jake Waters, who went 21 for 27, accounted for more than 300 total yards, and had five scores. A performance like this next week could lead the Wildcats to a win, the Big 12 championship, and a spot in the playoffs.

Deshaun Watson hasn't been there all season for the Clemson Tigers, but he did account for four total touchdowns and go for 14/19 to end Clemson's streak of five straight losses to South Carolina, their in-state rivals.

#19 Ole Miss beat #4 Mississippi State to win the Egg Bowl and end the playoff dreams of the Bulldogs. A big reason Ole Miss won: receiver Evan Egram, who had five catches for 176 yards, giving him an incredible 35.2 average. Ole Miss is now #14 while Miss. State dropped six spots to number 10.

#25 Utah was challenged by Colorado, but the Utes hung on to make sure the Buffaloes ended their season without a conference victory. Sealing the deal for Utah was sophomore Dominique Hatfield, who had a pick-six in the fourth quarter.

You won't hear a lot about Buffalo's Joe Licata, but he had a great Friday night. Not only did he lead the Bulls to a 41-21 win over Massachusetts, but he went 20 for 27 and threw four touchdowns while doing it.

Heisman Watch:

I expected to make this list shorter, but it didn't happen, even though three players dropped off the rankings. Those three are Rakeem Cato (Marshall lost to Western Kentucky), J.T. Barrett (he suffered a season-ending injury on Saturday), and Brett Hundley (UCLA lost to Stanford). Barrett will probably still get some votes, but the fact that he won't be playing in the Big Ten title game or possibly a New Year's Day bowl game really hurts him. Let's see who made the list this week.

9. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: NR)- Kessler has been on and off this list more than anyone else, but he earned this spot. However, since his regular season is over, he could drop off again next week, depending on how everyone else does. He could get some wins, however.

8. Gerod Holliman, Louisville (Last Week: NR)- Holliman was on the watch list a couple weeks ago, but he finally gets onto this list after picking up his 14th interception of the season, tying an FBS record. Oh, and that interception came with 35 seconds left in the game to seal the deal for his team.

7. Jay Ajayi, Boise State (Last Week: NR)- It may seem like a stretch to put Ajayi on this list, but he's earned it. He had five touchdowns for Boise State to help them win their division. He is also ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards, second in carries, and tied for second in rushing touchdowns. If he turns in a great performance in the Mountain West championship game, he could get invited to New York.

6. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 4)- Prescott didn't have a great showing against Ole Miss and his team lost, but Prescott has had a great season overall. He still has a shot at making it to New York, depending on how many finalists there are.

5. Bryce Petty, Baylor (Last Week: 9)- Petty jumps four spots after accounting for 215 total yards and two touchdowns against Texas Tech. The Bears are now ranked fifth and face #9 Kansas State next week in the unofficial Big 12 title game. A strong performance there could take Petty to New York and Baylor to the playoffs.

4. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 5)- Boykin moves up one spot after leading TCU to a big win over Texas. The Horned Frogs are now ranked #3 and are in position to make the playoffs. Boykin's regular season ends next week against Iowa State, and a great performance then will only help his case.

3. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 8)- Cooper makes a huge jump up the rankings after breaking the Iron Bowl receiving record. The Crimson Tide receiver is fourth in the nation in receiving yards, tenth in receptions per game, and eighth in receptions. Those stats may not seem enough to make him a Heisman finalist, but they don't account for how integral Cooper is to the Alabama offense.

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Gordon has had an absolutely amazing season so far, and he still has to play in the Big Ten title game next week. He leads the nation in rushing yards, yards per game, and rushing touchdowns, and is eighth in rushing yards per carry. Oh, and he also leads the nation in all-purpose yards. Gordon's a Heisman finalist if I ever saw one.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 1)- As impressive as Gordon's season is, Mariota is still the Heisman front-runner. Against Oregon State on Saturday, Mariota went 19 for 25, accounted for more than 400 yards, and scored six touchdowns to help Oregon win the Civil War. The Sports Examiner's player of the week is all but guaranteed to win the Heisman this year. However, it's not completely guaranteed. Remember, Mariota had a dud game earlier this season against Arizona, the team he faces on Saturday in the Pac-12 title game. And, Gordon plays Ohio State for the Big Ten title, and the Buckeyes are without QB J.T. Barrett. If Mariota lays an egg against Arizona and Gordon has another Gordon-like performance against ASU, Gordon just might walk away with the Heisman.

Playoff Watch:

Let me start with this: Alabama is the best damn team in the nation. Excuse my language, but it's true. Sure, Oregon may have a more explosive offense and Florida State may have a better special teams unit, but none of them are as complete as the Crimson Tide. So, even if Alabama loses the SEC title game to Mizzou, they will probably drop to #4 and still make the playoffs. Come on, what voter is going to pass up a two-loss 'Bama team over a one-loss Big 12 team?

Alabama is the only near-lock to make the playoffs (they might not make it if Mizzou blows them out of the water). If Oregon and FSU lose, they could be out. But does that mean Arizona and Georgia Tech are in? Not necessarily, as there are other teams to consider, such as TCU and the Big 10 champ. If either one of those teams lose, and #6 Ohio State beats #11 Wisconsin, the Buckeyes should make the playoffs.

So what will happen? Alabama will almost certainly make the playoffs. I think Oregon avenges their loss from earlier in the season and FSU stays undefeated. I think the last spot will go to either Baylor (if they beat K-State) or OSU (if they beat Wisconsin). TCU won't win the Big 12 title, and that hurts them. There's really no room for another SEC team.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Obviously, you have to watch the conference championship games. The biggest one could be the ACC title game between #4 FSU and #11 GA Tech. The 'Noles have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot and the Yellow Jackets are sneaky good, so an expect could be brewing.

On Friday night, #7 Arizona and #2 Oregon clash for the Pac-12 title. The 'Cats beat the Ducks earlier this year, so an upset would not all be surprising. But if the Ducks win, they're in the playoffs for sure.

#9 Kansas State travels to #6 Baylor for one of the biggest Big 12 games of the year. Both of these two teams are 7-1 in conference play and the eighth win would put them at the top. This could be the best game of the week.

#16 Missouri is making their second-straight trip to the SEC championship game. Last year, they gave Auburn all they could handle. This year, they take on #1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide may be the best time in the country, but the Tigers are pretty darn good themselves.

#22 Boise State (10-2) is still hoping to play in one of the six New Year's Day bowl games. In order to be considered for that, they'll need to beat Fresno State for the Mountain West championship. Don't write off Fresno State however, they could make things difficult for the Broncos.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back next week for the final Heisman watch and CFP predictions. 

College Football Week 13 Recap

Let's be honest right from the start: this wasn't a great college football week. There were only two match-ups where both teams were ranked and there were very few games that were really close. Still, it's my job to recap the week in college football, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Let's get started.

Notable Games:

We start with #19 USC going cross-town to take on #9 UCLA. If the Trojans won, they would remain atop the Pac-12 South, if the Bruins won, they would move up to the top spot. Unfortunately for the Trojans, the Bruins were in control for most of the game and ended up winning 38-20 and are second in the Pac-12 South.

The biggest upset of the week was by far Arkansas, who has won only one out of their last 18 SEC games, beating #8 Ole Miss. The Bulldogs were at one point considered favorites to make the playoffs, now they're 8-3 and ranked 19.

In the recap for last week, I said to watch the Notre Dame/Louisville game. Not to brag, but that was arguably the best game of the week. The #24 Cardinals jumped out to an early lead, but the Irish came back and made it goal. Unfortunately for ND, they missed a late field goal and lost 31-28. Louisville is now ranked 22. 

Besides UCLA/USC, the only game between ranked Pac-12 teams was between #15 Arizona and #17 Utah. Though Wildcats freshman QB Anu Solomon, went down with an injury, Arizona still picked up a 42-10 win. The Wildcats are now ranked 11 while the Utes fell to 25. They are the only team on the CFP with 4 losses. 

#23 Minnesota edged #25 Nebraska in one of the most exciting games of the week. The Golden Gophers are now 8-3 overall, 5-2 in conference play, and are second in the Big Ten West, behind only Wisconsin. Could we see Minnesota play for the Big Ten title? It's certainly a possibility.

Coming off their upset over Texas A&M, #20 Missouri traveled to Knoxville to keep their dreams of two straight SEC East titles in a row. The Vols did put up a fight, but Maty Mauk and the Tigers held on for a 29-21 fight. Mizzou is now 6-1 in conference play, while Georgia (second in the division) is 6-2. 

While Missouri is trying to secure a spot in the SEC Championship, Wisconsin is trying to secure their spot in the Big 10 Championship. The #16 Badgers narrowly beat unranked Iowa 26-24 and kept their lead atop the Big Ten West. Second behind them is Minnesota, which is 5-2 in conference play.

Notable Performances:

In my recap last week, I told you to watch the Alabama/Western Carolina game, as it looked like it would be a total blowout. It wasn't as big of a blowout as expected, but the Crimson Tide still won pretty handily. Leading the way was sophomore Derrick Henry, who rushed for two touchdowns and had one reception.

UCLA may have beaten USC, but Arizona State is still first in the Pac-12 South. This week, they handed Washington State their eighth loss of the season in a 52-31 showing. The reason they won: QB Taylor Kelly, who threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns to lead the #13 Sun Devils to victory.

I spotlighted Brandon Doughty of Western Kentucky last week for his great performance against Army. His performance this week though, may have been even better. Against UTSA, he threw for 346 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Florida has been struggling this season, there's no doubt about it. They did however, become bow eligible this week by whooping Eastern Kentucky 52-3. The Gators were led by Jeff Driskel, who was 9 for 11 and threw three touchdowns and zero picks. He also rushed for eight yards and one score. 

Boise State jumped on to the rankings this week after destroying Wyoming 63-14. Junior Jay Ajayi, who has been producing well all season, had three touchdowns and 202 total yards for the #23 Broncos.

Heisman Watch:

I finally did it: I got rid of one spot on the Heisman watch. If I did put someone there (probably Cody Kessler), it would have felt forced. He doesn't have any chance of winning the Heisman or making it to New York. By the way, Kessler was #10 last week, but he falls off after the loss to UCLA. Let's get started. 

9. Bryce Petty, Baylor (Last Week: 9)- Petty didn't have a great week, but he did account for three scores against Oklahoma State. If he wants to get invited to New York, Baylor will have to make the playoffs. 

8. Amari Cooper, Alabama (Last Week: 6)- Cooper slips two spots after his performance against Western Carolina. He only had three catches for 46 yards before leaving with a bruised knee, The injury is not serious however, and he is good to go. 

7. Rakeem Cato, Marshall (Last Week: 9)- Well, it finally happened. Marshall is now ranked. The Thundering Herd is now ranked #24. Cato however, did not have a huge game against UAB. He only threw two touchdown passes and had one pick. 

6. Brett Hundley, UCLA (Last Week: 8)- Hundley moves up two spots after leading UCLA to a win over USC. He threw for four touchdowns and the Bruins are now ranked #8 and still have a shot at making the Pac-12 Championship game. 

5. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 5)- Boykin and his Texas Christian University Horned Frogs were off this weekend, so Boykin stays put at #5. If he wants to move up, TCU will have to make the playoffs. 

4. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 4)- After last week's slip, Prescott rights the ship after Mississippi State cruised to a 51-0 win over Vanderbilt. Prescott had four scores with 220 total yards for the Bulldogs. 

3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- Barrett went 25 for 35, threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 78 yards in OSU's win over Indiana. At this rate, Barrett is going to be invited to New York. 

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Gordon passed the 2,000 yard mark in Wisconsin's win over Iowa. Gordon is now the 17th person in FBS history to pass the 2,000 yard mark. He also had four catches for 64 yards. 

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon (Last Week: 1)- At this point, Mariota is guaranteed to make it to New York. His performance this year has been nothing short of spectacular and his team is ranked second in the country.

Playoff Picture:

Alabama takes on Auburn in Week 14 in the Iron Bowl. This should be a great game with huge playoff implications on the line. If 'Bama wins, they are going to make the CFP for sure. If they lose, they're out, and Mississippi State could be in. However, if Missouri wins the SEC championship they could make the CFP. The SEC presence in the CFP is up for grabs.

Games to Watch Next Week:

Of course, we have to start with the Iron Bowl. Auburn and Alabama have one of the best rivalries in college football and their game last year was amazing. They should have another great game this year. And of course, there are playoff implications on the line.

The first game of the week for a ranked team  this week is #5 TCU visiting Texas. This could be a potential upset. Remember, Charlie Strong's squad gave UCLA all they could handle earlier this year.

Speaking of UCLA, they take on David Shaw, Kevin Hogan, Ty Montgomery, and the rest of the Stanford Cardinals. Stanford hasn't had a great year, but they still have a talented squad. Look for them to give the Bruins all they can handle.

One of the best games of the week could potentially be #16 Georgia Tech taking on their in-state rivals #9 Georgia. These two teams are still in the hunt for the playoffs, so the loser will be eliminated from the hunt.

The Pac-12 South is still up for grabs, and two of the teams still in the hunt are #13 Arizona State and #11 Arizona. If they still want to go to the playoffs, these teams HAVE to win this game and then beat Oregon for the Pac-12 title.

Thanks for reading.