Sooners and Alabama would be a classic match-up; Clemson and Tide would be too…Big Twelve review/Top 25

ALABAMA STAYS ON TOP-OKLAHOMA, CLEMSON, NOTRE DAME, GEORGIA, MICHIGAN IN THE HUNT

As the Alabama football team shut-out (29-0) a very lame LSU Saturday night on the road in Death Valley, Nick Saban should be happy that his Tide’s domination showed the college football world that they are better than just outstanding.  But as with every team, you are one week from going from the top to just one of the top teams.  Alabama has not been challenged this season and with three regular season games and the SEC title game to follow, this high powered team will have a couple of games where they could slip up.  Mississippi State next week in Tuscaloosa will be a game for a quarter or two. Following that game is a no-contest game with The Citadel, also at home. That game should have never been scheduled, let alone played.  And Coach Saban wonders why the stands at Bryant-Denney are not always full.  That game is an embarrassment to the Tide, the SEC, and Alabama.  A final home contest with Auburn will be a an opportunity for an upset and rival games are usually any-thing-can-happen tussles.   The SEC title game with Georgia will be a real test for Alabama, but with the way the Final Four teams are picked for the playoffs, a win by Georgia would put both schools in that elite group.  Notre Dame, Clemson, and Michigan need to worry if they go undefeated from here on out as one of these three will miss the big semi-final games.  Look for Michigan to be the team out. What a shame the playoffs are limited to four teams.

Predictions for the Final Four after the season is complete and the conference title games have been played:

#1 Alabama vs #4 Michigan

# 2 Clemson vs #3 Notre Dame

#5 Oklahoma out

#6 Georgia out

#7 Washington State out

#8 Univ. of Central Florida out

My Top Twenty-five (rankings do not reflect the committee’s rankings for the playoffs)

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Notre Dame

4. Oklahoma

5. Michigan

6. Georgia

7. West Virginia

8. Washington State

9. Ohio State

10. Univ. of Central Florida

11. LSU

12. Syracuse

13. Kentucky

14. Utah State

15. Fresno State

16. Boston College

17. Cincinnati

18. Iowa State

19. Michigan State

20. North Carolina State

21. Washington

22. Mississippi State

23. Texas

24. Florida

25. Army

Big Twelve Review

Oklahoma lucked out with their win in Lubbock.  The hot shot freshman quarterback Alan Bowman suffered a relapse of his collapsed lung of a previous game and did not play he second half of that game. OU’s and Tech’s defense could not stop the other’s offense and the game was still a nail-biter.  With Bowman, Tech might have pulled the upset. Now that is might.  Kyler Murray again proved the man as he passed for over 300 yards and ran for another 100. That had never been accomplished in OU history.  The Sooners continue to march to their two game set with West Virginia. That you Big Twelve for that double dip. The Big Twelve is run by imbeciles in my opinion.

Mike Gundy gave away the Baylor game with a poor fourth and three attempt late in the game, setting up a final Baylor drive to win in the last ten seconds. The play was not sound, the execution by “Corndog” Cornelius was awful, and the Pokes might be left out of a bowl because of the loss.  Congratulations Baylor.

Time for Coach Bill Snyder to hang’em up. The KSU loss at TCU looked bad as both teams are not good right now.

West Virginia and Texas played the game of the year in Austin.  UT is NOT back and give all the credit to Mountaineer head coach Dana Holgorsen as he had his team ready to meet the challenge.  Horn’s Down officials.  That officiating team did the worst job I have seen in my past memory.  You all need to be fired, immediately.

Iowa State beat Kansas and with that KU fired head coach David Beatty.  It was expected and Beatty will finish the year.

Big Twelve Rankings

1. West Virginia

2. Oklahoma

3. Iowa State

4. Texas Tech

5. Texas

6. Baylor

7. Oklahoma State

8. TCU

9. Kansas State

10. Kansas

Big Twelve Predictions  (Last week 3-2, Season 39-20)

Oklahoma will score plenty at home in Bedlam.  Look for  the Sooners to push 60, maybe 70 points.  Final:  OU 66 and OSU 31

West Virginia will rip TCU in Morgantown.  WV 38 and TCU 13

Kansas will upset Kansas State in the Little Apple.  KU 23 and KSU 21

Iowa State continues to roll with Baylor  ISU 38 and Baylor 17

Texas travels to Lubbock and the Horns lose their third in a row.  TT 31 and UT 30

National Predictions

Thursday, Nov. 8

North Carolina State 31 and Wake Forest 19

Friday, Nov. 9

Syracuse 49 and Louisville 18

Fresno State 37 at Boise State 28

Saturday, Nov. 10

Nebraska 38 and Illinois 17

Army 39 and Lafayette 14

Maryland 34 at Indiana 28

Univ. Central Florida 46 and Navy 13

Michigan State 24 and Ohio State 18

Texas Aggies 37 and Ole Miss 27

Florida 21 and South Carolina 18

Memphis 50 and Tulsa 32

Missouri 43 and Vanderbilt 29

Wisconsin 20 and Penn State 10

Duke 27 and North Carolina 14

Arizona State 39 and UCLA 20

Michigan 50 at Rutgers 6

Kentucky 24 at Tennessee 20

Alabama 35 and Mississippi State 14

Iowa 21 and Northwestern 18

Purdue 45 at Minnesota 19

Virginia Tech 21 at Pittsburgh 16

Washington State 34 at Colorado 29

Utah 28 and Oregon 14

Georgia 27 and Auburn 24

South Florida 21 and Cincinnati 20

Notre Dame 45 and Florida State 21

Arkansas 23 and LSU 21

Clemson 42 and Boston College 7

Stanford 25 and Oregon State 12

USC 27 and California 26

Feature photo:  Oklahoma running back Trey Sermon eludes a tackle by a Texas Tech defender during Saturday night’s game in Lubbock, Texas. Sermon rushed for 206 yards and averaged 7.9 yards per touch in the Sooners’ win over the Red Raiders. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World