Our Official 2016 Regular Season thread

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin

In other late-night news, Stanford scores a win over Notre Dame 17-10, which I'm gonna guess is not sitting well right now in South Bend.
Then there was Colorado winning again, Washington State being a late bloomer again...

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin - Game Summary - October 15, 2016 - ESPN ...and Ohio State winning perhaps the best game of the week against Wisconsin.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

North Dakota State loses

South Dakota State vs. North Dakota State - Game Recap - October 15, 2016 - ESPN

Oh! Almost forgot about this little nugget from the FCS: South Dakota State stunning their arch-rival North Dakota State... AT North Dakota State!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7 Recap

And finally, it's time for "What We've Learned This Week!"

What I learned this week is...

1. Oh! South Florida vs. Temple WILL decide the AAC East this year! ...I wasn't worried.

2. Speaking of the AAC, that conference is sorta hoping that next week, Houston crushes SMU 59-0.

3. I guess Ohio State CAN be in a close game this year... and win it!

4. ESPN is already starting to talk about West Virginia being a playoff contender. Wait, doesn't TCU play the Mountaineers next week? Uh oh...

5. Florida International is leading the C-USA East. I'm not joking.

6. The ACC Coastal could be decided this year by the ACC WHEEL...OF...DESTINY!

7. Could the Utah vs. Colorado match-up decide the PAC-12 South? Not if UCLA (Utah) and Stanford (Colorado) have anything to say about it.

8. Troy has a chance of making a "New Year's Six" game! A very-tiny chance, but still a chance.

And finally, Nick Saban's not immortal! I don't care what he did in Knoxville; there is NO chance in hell he's going undefeated this year! ...Right?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Big 12 issues go deeper with uncertain future following expansion talks

Oh, great. Does the Big 12 not want to stay relevant? I mean, no Houston in the Big 12?! No Florida teams getting an invite?! Ugh.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8 Top 10

Before I begin my segments for this week, let me say something to the Chicago Cubs: You guys saw Cleveland winning the AL Pennant yesterday, right? Well, if you guys win the NL Pennant, ratings for the World Series could be the highest in world history! So make it happen, OK?

With that out of the way, let's get to...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2016 (Week 8)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. BYU @ Boise State [10:15 tonight, ESPN] (I'll be honest with you guys; this spot on the list has been a hot potato for me this week. First I wanted to go with Purdue @ Nebraska, but then Purdue fired their head coach Darrell Hazell, so there went that pick. Then I wanted Memphis @ Navy, mainly because Memphis will be seeking revenge against the Midshipmen for that 45-20 loss last year.
But finally, I decided to go for star-power and picked the game in Boise. Brett Rypien has been great for Boise as they're 7-0, but BYU is on a roll as well; they've won 3 straight and just crushed an SEC team last week. Jamaal Williams will decide if BYU makes it 4-in-a-row.)

9. Ole Miss @ LSU [9:00, ESPN] (It's a battle of ranked teams, but really this game is about psyche's. How will Ole Miss respond after Arkansas crushed any major dreams they might have had? And as for Ed Orgeron, we'll see how good he is at handling the troops in Baton Rouge.)

8. NC State @ Louisville [12:00, ABC] (They HAD it! They HAD it and they BLEW it! Poor NC State was just ONE field-goal away from making Clemson cry their eyes out, and they blew it. Now they gotta deal with Lamar Jackson and Louisville, and it could get ugly.
Or maybe not; we'll see if NC State can get to Jackson like they got to Deshawn Watson.)

7. Colorado @ Stanford [3:00, PAC-12 Network] (Winning at Notre Dame was a good pick-me-up for Stanford fans, but now they're thinking "Aw, man... We're not gonna lose at home to a nobody like Colorado, are we?" And I think McCaffrey won't be enough for Stanford to stop the resurgent Buffaloes; Ryan Burns will have to make some plays.)

6. Miami @ Virginia Tech [7:00 tonight, ESPN] (It'll be a cool night in Blacksburg, but neither Miami nor Va-Tech will care. Not after North Carolina and Syracuse [respectfully] dampened their spirits last week. So now this rivalry match-up is all about survival in the crowded ACC Coastal, and the running game will play a BIG part here.)

5. Arkansas @ Auburn [6:00, ESPN] (Much like LSU, Auburn will be under the microscope this week while dealing with an Arkansas squad that saved their season last week. Mainly because Auburn is a 10-point favorite in this game [according to Vegas]. Is Arkansas being disrespected, or does Vegas knows something we don't know? We'll find out.)

4. TCU @ West Virginia [3:30, ABC or ESPN2] (The sleeper game of the week. West Virginia is still unbeaten, but Gary Patterson is still at TCU. So if Kenny Hill is on his game for the Frogs, West Virginia may be in trouble.)

3. Wisconsin @ Iowa [12:00, ESPN] (It's now "do-or-die" time for BOTH teams, as this "Battle for the Heartland Trophy" has a lot on the line. Wisconsin's still in the Top 10, but it they lose to Iowa they'll be 1-3 in conference entering the Nebraska game. As for Iowa, a win here means they're back in the hunt for the Big 10 West title...)

2. Ohio State @ Penn State [8:00, ABC] (Why is this game at #2? Well, it's because of a simple question that needs answering: How long can Ohio State keep up this blistering pace? It'll be raining in "Happy Valley", and Penn State's QB is doing all-right this year, so it'll be a big test for the Buckeyes.)

1. Texas A&M @ Alabama [3:30, CBS] (Everyone has been praising Alabama's defense and special teams, saying how many points they've scored recently. Well, if A&M stops those 2 units, what is 'Bama left with? I think this Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban will find out. And by the way, Trevor Knight's beaten the Tide once before...)

Best "mid-major" game: Memphis @ Navy (Despite missing out on the Top 10, this game is still not to be missed. Memphis is looking to pop the bubble the Midshipmen are in right now... just like Navy did to them last year.
Game with the best chance to be a bust: North Carolina @ Virginia (The Tar Heels are off a good win over Miami, and they're feeling confident. That doesn't bode well for the struggling Cavaliers.
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Purdue @ Nebraska, Oklahoma @ Texas Tech, Washington State @ Arizona State, and Utah @ UCLA.

...Hold on a second, folks! My countdown isn't over yet! Next post, I have a surprise for you...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8- Group of 5 Special

This is a pleasant surprise! Normally the "Group of 5" conferences don't get interesting until November, but whilst I was compiling my latest Top 10 there were quite a few good games left over. So I'll show you what to watch away from the big conferences in...

The Top "Group of 5" Games of the Week​

(All times are Eastern)
5. Troy @ South Alabama [7:30 tonight, ESPNU] (South Alabama has had a good year so far, beating teams like Mississippi State and a ranked San Diego State. Problem is, they're 0-3 in their own conference. For their sake, let's hope they can stop the Troy Trojans at home.)

4. Old Dominion @ Western Kentucky [7:00, check local listings] (The Monarchs have been doing well so far in C-USA, but now they must play the Hilltoppers. A Hilltoppers team, by the way, that has it's offense running now thanks to their QB Mike White.)

3. Central Michigan @ Toledo [12:00, WatchESPN] (This starts a rough patch for the Rockets, as they must play 3 games in 11 days. First up for them is Central Michigan, who is at a healthy 5-2 with Cooper Rush going over 2,000 yards already this season.)

2. South Florida @ Temple [7:00 tomorrow, ESPN] (South Florida is a very-quiet 6-1 right now, and they can take a commanding lead in the AAC East if they beat Temple. That is, if they can handle the rainy conditions.)

1. Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan [3:30, WatchESPN] (When they entered MAC play, Western Michigan was expecting a lot of challengers to their throne. They've never dreamed that Eastern Michigan would be one of those challengers, let alone a threat to their division.
Yet, here we are. It's a big in-state rivalry game, and the Broncos will part with their undefeated season if they underestimate the Eagles here.)

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8 predictions

Sorry for taking so long. I've been doing something that I've been putting off for a while: Recording my records from the last few prediction segments I've done.
Week 5: 13-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 12-5

Man. I HAVE to get better at this. Let's hope Week 8 goes to my liking:

(6)Texas A&M 31 @ (1)Alabama 28
(2)Ohio State 32 @ Penn State 24
Illinois 14 @ (3)Michigan 40
Oregon State 20 @ (5)Washington 41
NC State 17 @ (7)Louisville 38
Purdue 18 @ (8)Nebraska 31
(10)Wisconsin 27 @ Iowa 21
(11)Houston 54 @ SMU 14
TCU 45 @ (12)West Virginia 38
BYU 34 @ (15)Boise State 41
(16)Oklahoma 47 @ Texas Tech 41
(17)Arkansas 26 @ (21)Auburn 20
(19)Utah 28 @ UCLA 24
Eastern Michigan 21 @ (20)Western Michigan 35
(22)North Carolina 37 @ Virginia 20
(23)Ole Miss 31 @ (25)LSU 28
Memphis 35 @ (24)Navy 24

Other big games:
Miami 24 @ Virginia Tech 21
South Florida 37 @ Temple 21
Colorado 28 @ Stanford 34
Washington State 43 @ Arizona State 38

...And I'm done! I'll check back tomorrow...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Friday's action

South Florida vs. Temple - Game Summary - October 21, 2016 - ESPN

Hey! Maybe my luck's turning around! The team I picked to win the whole AAC just upset South Florida! Now let's hope Temple can keep this going.

In other news, California needed 2-OT's to defeat the Oregon Ducks 51-48. Wait a minute... Doesn't that mean that Oregon has now lost 5 in a row? Uh oh...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Early football action

I know a lot of great games are going on right now, so I'll keep this post brief. What happened early on?
Well, Lamar Jackson's still the Heisman front-runner, Syracuse is 4-4 , Texas is in even more trouble...

Hawai'i vs. Air Force - Box Score - October 22, 2016 - ESPN ...and finally, Hawaii shocks everyone by beating Air Force in 2-OT's, matching Syracuse at 4-4.
P.S: I picked Air Force to win the Mountain Division in preseason, and now they're 1-3 in conference. Dammit.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Colorado vs. Stanford

Ugh... Things have been a little ugly so far today. 'Bama finds a way to piss people off again, Nebraska out-muscles Purdue late, and West Virginia wasn't scared in the slightest by TCU.

Colorado vs. Stanford - Game Summary - October 22, 2016 - ESPN And then there was this one in Palo-Alto. For Colorado, they don't care if it was ugly; they've won AT Stanford and are now bowl-eligible... ALREADY!
As for Stanford, take a wild guess how they're feeling right now.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Houston vs. SMU

Houston vs. SMU - Game Summary - October 22, 2016 - ESPN

My god... Southern Methodist just stole EVERYTHING from Houston! A "New Year's Six" bowl game, their shot at the AAC championship, Tom Hermen getting a job at a "Power 5" school... it's GONE, all GONE!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Ohio State vs. Penn State

Ohio State vs. Penn State - Game Summary - October 22, 2016 - ESPN

God: "Good news, Dolgevillefootballfan! I got rid of that powerhouse bully for you! All I needed was a blocked field goal, and Penn State was golden!"
Me: "Uh, God? Wrong undefeated national powerhouse. I wanted Alabama."
God: "Oh... Dammit."

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Shootouts (Part 1)

The other fun thing that happened last night was a number of shootout games. There was Utah holding off UCLA, ensuring College GameDay will be coming to Salt Lake City in 6 days.
Also, there was Western Michigan beating Eastern Michigan 45-31, Missouri holding off Middle Tennessee 45-51- Wait wait wait, WHAT?!

Middle Tennessee vs. Missouri - Game Summary - October 22, 2016 - ESPN WHAT?! Missouri LOST to Middle Tennessee?!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Shootouts (Part 2)

Sorry for that interruption. Now where was I... Oh yeah, the shootouts!

There was also UTEP winning over UTSA 52-49 in 2-OT's, Kentucky winning 40-38 over Mississippi State at the buzzer, Wyoming over Nevada 42-34, and Washington State winning in Tempe, Arizona.

But of course, the game between Oklahoma and Texas Tech takes the cake. I mean, their numbers speak for themselves.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8 Recap

And finally, it's time for "What We've Learned This Week in College Football"!

What I learned this week is...

1. I'm SO sorry for making you mad, honorable Nick Saban! All I can do is ask for your humble forgiveness! PLEASE forgive me...

2. Don't feel bad, Tom Herman. I'm sure USC will still offer you a job after the season.

3. Next week, it's gut-check time once again for the Clemson Tigers as they visit Florida State. Ditto for Washington against Utah.

4. Speaking of the ACC, Syracuse is now 4-4. The Orange's season is now an unqualified success!

5. West Virginia just proved it CAN win a big game. How about you, Baylor? I mean, you DO have to travel to a beyond-desperate Texas next week.

6. As I speak right now, 9 teams are in the running for the Conference USA title.

7. Pay attention to Boise State vs. Wyoming next week, folks! If Houston can lose to SMU, Boise can lose here.

And finally, some important news. Starting next week, I'll be starting coverage on the FCS! Conference races over there are heating up, and I'll be there to sift through all of it. See you there!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 9 Top 10

What's the weather like right now in Central New York? I'm sure none of you guys really care, but here's the forecast: Snow, snow, and then a lot of rain. In other words, a big pile of winter crap.
Oh well. Let's stay warm with...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2016 (Week 9)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Boise State @ Wyoming [7:00, CBS Sports Network] (Jeez, Michigan State. In preseason, EVERYONE thought your rivalry game with Michigan was gonna be a Top 10-level game. But your defense turning into mush... God almighty.
So instead, Boise State finds it's way into the Top 10 for the 2nd week in a row. And I smell an upset; Wyoming has finally found it's footing under Craig Bohl, all thanks to it's running game.)

9. Georgia vs. Florida {From Jacksonville, FL} [3:30, CBS] (Ah yes, the ol' stand-by in the SEC East. Florida is in control of it's destiny in the East, but something tells me we'll have a more exciting game than the 27-3 Florida romp we got last year. It all depends on Georgia's QB's waking up and getting a grip.)

8. Auburn @ Ole Miss [7:15, SEC Network] (After Arkansas and LSU beat the Rebels, many of their fans are done with Ole Miss in 2016, saying "I'm done. Never again will I watch them in 2016. Never." And Auburn is looking pretty good now, especially after last week.
But like Depeche Mode once sang "Never again is what you swore the time before." So we'll see what happens if Chad Kelly and the Rebels has some pride left.)

7. Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh [7:00 tonight, ESPN] (Here, there are no Depeche Mode references. No desperate teams. This is just a big game in the ACC Coastal, with a share of the division lead on the line. Keep an eye on the QB match-up: Neither Jerod Evans nor Nathan Peterman will make too many mistakes.)

6. Northwestern @ Ohio State [3:30, ESPN] (One loss on the road, and now everyone is questioning Ohio State. Urban Meyer is saying "We have to play a lot better", and worse, their next opponent has a good offense. Uh oh! Didn't we say the same thing when Michigan State beat the Buckeyes last year? And didn't Ohio State play out of their minds right afterwards? ...Clayton Thorson, you better have the game of your life if you want the Wildcats to win this week!)

5. Baylor @ Texas [3:30, ABC] (Look. I'm not gonna rehash the whole Charlie Strong thing again; ESPN is probably doing that right now. Just know that Texas DID defeat Baylor last year, and that a lot of points will be scored in Austin come Saturday. The only question left is, will Baylor have more points than the Longhorns when it's over?)

4. West Virginia @ Oklahoma State [12:00, FOX] (Such is the life of a national title contender. One minute you're happy after smacking TCU, the next you gotta go to Stillwater and face Oklahoma State. A Oklahoma State team, by the way, that now has Mason Rudolph and the others running beautifully. But look on the bright side, Mountaineers! If you win THIS one, we'll take you seriously as a potential playoff team!)

3. Washington @ Utah [3:30, FOX Sports 1] (Hey, Washington! All of a sudden, those wins you have over Stanford and Oregon aren't looking too good. Don't worry, though. If you win at Utah [who'll have College Gameday and a nasty defense waiting for you], the critics will be back on your side! Oh, and don't underestimate Utah's QB Troy Williams, either.)

2. Nebraska @ Wisconsin [7:00, ESPN] (So finally, FINALLY, we'll see how tough Nebraska really is. Wisconsin's defense is one of the best in the country, and it'll be up to Tommy Armstrong to find a way around it. But to me, the game will be decided with Nebraska's defense; if THEY stop the Badger attack, they can leave Camp Randell with a win.)

1. Clemson @ Florida State [8:00, ABC] (Clemson hasn't won at Florida State since 2006. So let me put it to you this way, Tigers: If you don't do it this time, no more shot at the national title in 2016, OK? It's as simple as that.)

Best "Mid-Major" game: Boise State @ Wyoming (As I said earlier, Wyoming has come alive this year, and it'll be interesting to see if they can push the mighty Broncos.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Michigan @ Michigan State (Don't worry, Spartans! If your defense doesn't repeat it's bad performance it had against teams like Indiana, BYU, and Maryland, you'll have a chance here. That's a BIG if, though.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: California @ USC, Army @ Wake Forest, Texas Tech @ TCU, and Tennessee @ South Carolina.

A special segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Smaller schools preview

Now let's look at what's going on outside of the major conferences. First, here are...

The Top 5 "Group of Five" Games this week (Excluding Boise State @ Wyoming)​

(All times are Eastern)
5. Middle Tennessee @ Florida International [7:00, WatchESPN] (Right now, the Blue Raiders look like the best team in Conference USA. But FIU has been playing with purpose since they gave Ron Turner the boot, so let's hope MTSU stays focused.)

4. New Mexico @ Hawaii [11:59, check local listings] (Nick Rolovich is returning some good vibes to the Hawaii football program; did ANYONE have the Warriors with a 3-1 conference record at this point? Now let's see if Hawaii can keep it going as New Mexico comes to visit.)

3. Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern [7:30 tonight, ESPNU] (Despite being at 4-3, the Eagles of Georgia Southern aren't worried. That's because they know that by beating the rival Mountaineers, they'll be right back in the Sun Belt race. Yet if Taylor Lamb balls out, App. State will keep rolling.)

2. Ohio @ Toledo [7:30 tonight, CBS Sports Network] (Yes! A good ol' in-state rivalry to warm up the body! This one should be fun, especially if Ohio finds a way to slow down the Toledo offense.)

1. The entire AAC slate (Yes, I'm cheating here. But seriously, almost every game in the American Conference this week has something on the line! First, we'll have Navy trying to keep the good times going at South Florida's expense. Then, Houston tries to win back it's pride against UCF, while Temple tries to stay atop the AAC East against Cincinnati.
And then in the nightcap, Tulsa goes to Memphis for a game that should be a shootout. So don't miss any action from the mighty AAC this week!)

As for you guys in the FCS, let me point you to some important games from this area that'll take place this week:


Big Sky: Weber State @ North Dakota, Montana @ Eastern Washington
CAA: Stony Brook @ New Hampshire
MEAC: Florida A&M @ North Carolina A&T
Missouri Valley: Western Illinois @ South Dakota, North Dakota State @ Northern Iowa
Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois @ Jacksonville State
Patriot: Fordham @ Lehigh
Pioneer: Stetson @ Dayton, San Diego @ Marist
SWAC: Prairie View @ Jackson State, Southern @ Alcorn State
Southland: Central Arkansas @ SE Louisiana

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 9 predictions

Will chaos reign? With Alabama off this week, maybe not. But this week should be fun nonetheless, so here are my picks:

(2)Michigan 41 @ Michigan State 27
(3)Clemson 30 @ (12)Florida State 35
(4)Washington 34 @ (17)Utah 27
(5)Louisville 47 @ Virginia 17
Northwestern 10 @ (6)Ohio State 42
(7)Nebraska 20 @ (11)Wisconsin 24
(8)Baylor 38 @ Texas 40
New Mexico State 7 @ (9)Texas A&M 57
(10)West Virginia 30 @ Oklahoma State 36
(13)Boise State 35 @ Wyoming 16
(14)Florida 17 @ Georgia 21
(15)Auburn 38 @ Ole Miss 32
Kansas 10 @ (16)Oklahoma 50
(18)Tennessee 32 @ South Carolina 17
(22)Navy 20 @ South Florida 27
(24)Penn State 27 @ Purdue 14
(25)Virginia Tech 26 @ Pittsburgh 21

...And I'm done (finally)! Ranking-wise, things have been quiet, so this week I'm expecting some major changes. Check back later to see if I'm right, OK?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Early football action

Sayyyy... Things were actually pretty exciting early on. First, Ohio defeats Toledo for the first time in 3 decades. Then South Florida wins against Navy, no doubt delighting the playoff committee.

Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh - Game Summary - October 27, 2016 - ESPN And then, there was this little gem from Pittsburgh.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Louisville vs. Virginia

Louisville vs. Virginia - Game Summary - October 29, 2016 - ESPN

A lot of people are pretty shocked that Louisville had to use all 60 minutes to defeat Virginia today.
But I know how this happened: Louisville went into the game thinking "Ha! Virginia's only 2-5, we got this. Just let Lamar run a few times, and we can go home..."
Then in the 3rd quarter: "Oh! Virginia one of our rivals! Oh crap, we gave up another TD!" and then the fur would fly.

P.S: Ohio State just defeated Northwestern. And that game was actually the same as this one if you look real close. Ditto for Michigan's game against Michigan State.