Unleash Hell
Well-Known Member
I posted this as as a note on facebook, and thought I would share here. I butched a lot out to fit in a post on AB.
Here is my annual college football and buff preview, I always like to do these and then look at them after the season to see how accurate I was (I’m usually far off with my predictions)I hope you all enjoy and GO BUFFS!
10 questions for the 2011 college football season
1. Does the SEC win a 6[SUP]th[/SUP] straight national championship? YES. The SEC will prove once again they are the top conference in college football. I think Alabama has the best chance at representing the SEC’s 6[SUP]th[/SUP] straight national title. LSU could also potentially be the winner in the BCS title game if they can knock off Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I don’t see any other SEC team as being a true national title contender this year, but South Carolina and Georgia could be dark horses for the conference title.
2.Who has the best chance at unseating an SEC team from the top? Oklahoma, Stanford, Oregon and Virginia Tech are my top national title contenders after Alabama and LSU. My darkhorse candidates are Florida State, Boise state, Nebraska and Texas.
3.Who will be this year’s version of the 2010 Texas Longhorns, going from very good to bad? I have my eyes on two programs for this category. Auburn and Ohio State. Auburn’s transition from ’10 to ’11, is very similar to Texas’ transition from ’09 to ’10. Auburn lost the majority of their starting lineup from their national championship team including Cam Newton. Auburn also has a much more difficult schedule than last year and they will have a target on their back. Ohio State lost their star QB, other starters, plus their head coach after a scandalous off season.
4.Does a non AQ go undefeated creating yet another controversy at the end of the year? NO. I think the most likely candidates are Boise state and TCU. I’m calling for Georgia to beat Boise in Atlanta and TCU to lose to Boise state in Boise. Utah used to be the other contender; however with their move to a AQ conference, they are no longer in the mix.
5.Who is the most overrated team? Arizona State. Considered by many to be the favorites to win the Pac-12 south, ASU lost a lot of key players for the season to injury and suspensions this summer. ASU also went 6-6 last year, and are just one game above .500 in 5 seasons under Erickson at ASU.
6.Who is the most underrated team? Virginia Tech. Their schedule sets up very nicely for a possible undefeated regular season and trip to the national championship game.
7.Which program that is in a new conference will have the most success right out of the gate? Nebraska. I am calling for the huskers to be a dark horse national title contender with a pretty favorable schedule. If they can get by Wisconsin in Madison, look out!
8.Who are some teams with favorable schedules who could do big things? South Carolina, Mississippi st, Georgia, Florida State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Nebraska.
9.Who will win the Heisman? Landry Jones of Oklahoma. A lot of the Heisman voting anymore is political with the award usually going to a quarterback or running back that is in the national title game. I’m calling for Oklahoma to reach the title game against Alabama. Landry Jones has a great O-line and an array of weapons. He is primed for a big season. Other possibilities are Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Oregon RB LaMichael James and Alabama RB Trent Richardson.
10.Who are the top 5 active coaches? 1. Nick Saban Alabama, Chip Kelly Oregon, Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, Gary Patterson TCU, Frank Beamer Virginia Tech.
CU Buffs 2011 game by game predictions
@ Hawai’i
2010 Hawai’i: 10-4
Series: tied 1-1
Last meeting: 2010 CU won 31-13 in Boulder.
Game tidbits: Cu is coming into the game riding a 17 game road losing streak. Only 2 of the last 11 CU head coaches have won their debut. CU is 0-2 since 1997 when not opening against CSU.
Coach Embree has emphasized this as a must win game since he was hired back in December. He knows that the buffs have to get the road losing streak snapped. Honolulu is a tough place to play, and it will not be easy for the Buffs. CU should be able to score some on the Hawai’i defense and a ball control rushing game is just enough to outdo the Warriors potent offense and CU ends their road losing streak. COLORADO 38 HAWAI’I 35 1-0
California
2010 Cal: 5-7
Series: Cal leads 3-2
Last meeting: 2010 Cal won 52-7 in Berkeley
Game tidbits: CU allowed2 defensive TD’s in last year’s blowout loss and turned the ball over 5 times.
Last year’s embarrassing loss to Cal has stuck with the team all year long. Colorado flat out did not show up to the game. California is a much different team on the road and Colorado is a much different team at home. Expect this to be a much different game than last year. A close game like the Hawai’i game, but the home field advantage and Cal’s recent struggles on the road make this a close win for CU. COLORADO 31 CAL 27 2-0
Colorado State (@ Denver)
2010 CSU 3-9
Series: CU leads 60-20-2
Last meeting: 2010 CU won 24-3 in Denver
Game tidbits: CU did not allow CSU to penetrate the red zone at all in last year’s meeting.
Colorado dominated a bad CSU team last year. I expect a much closer game this year. However the game won’t be as close as the final score. CSU is still a bad team, coming in to this season fresh off a 44-0 whopping at the hands of their border rival Wyoming. COLORADO 26 CSU 17 3-0
@ Ohio State
2010 Ohio State: 12-1
Series: Ohio State leads 3-1
Last meeting: 1986 Ohio State won 13-10 in Columbus
Game tidbits: CU has not scored more than 20 points in a game in 4 meetings with the Buckeyes. CU is 1-5 on the road after playing CSU since 1997.
With a defensive minded coach taking over for Jim Tressel, and the Buckeyes without Terrell Pryor, I don’t expect the Buckeyes to score a lot. The Buckeyes do have a solid defense remaining and a very hostile home field advantage in the “shoe”. This will be a low scoring game for the most part, but there will be no doubt as to who the better team is at the end. OHIO ST. 24 COLORADO 10 3-1
Washington State
2010 Washington St. 2-10
Series: CU leads 4-2
Last meeting: 2004 CU won 20-12 in Seattle
Game Tidbits: This is CU’s first official Pac-12 conference game. (Cal game doesn’t count as conf game as it was previously scheduled before CU joined the Pac-12).
Washington State could very well be the worst team that is in a BCS conference. CU won as many games last year (5) as Washington State has in the last 3 years combined. I will be shocked if the Cougars give the buffs a close game let alone upset the Buffs in Boulder. COLORADO 45 WASHINGTON ST. 17 4-1
@ Stanford
2010 Stanford: 12-1
Series: tied 3-3
Last meeting: 1993 Stanford won 41-37 in Palo Alto
Game Tidbits: Home team has won 5 straight in this series.
As much as I am confident about the Buffs chances against Washington State, I have about zero confidence that the Buffs go in to Palo Alto and get a win. The Buffs have an inexperienced secondary going up against a possible #1 NFL draft choice in Andrew Luck. I picked Stanford to win the Pac-12, and pray for CU’s secondary in this game. STANFORD 49 COLORADO 24 4-2
@ Washington
2010 Washington: 7-6
Series: tied 5-5-1
Last meeting: 2000 Washington won 17-14 in Boulder
Game tidbits: Buffs have dropped the last 2 to Washington after previously winning 3 straight in the series.
This was one of the tougher games for me to pick. Washington did lose Jake Locker to the NFL, and the Huskies were lucky to get to a bowl last year. Locker is gone, but they still have more talent than CU and the game is on the road. It wouldn’t surprise me that much if the buffs went in to Seattle and pulled the upset, but it’s going to be tough. WASHINGTON34 COLORADO 21 4-3
Oregon
2010 Oregon: 12-1
Series: CU leads 8-7
Last meeting: 2002 Oregon won 38-16 in Fiesta Bowl
Game tidbits: The last 3 meetings have been in bowl games (CU going 2-1 in those bowls). This is the first time since 1987 that the game is on one of the schools campuses. CU is 61-30-5 all time on homecoming. CU has played Oregon the most out of the original Pac-10 teams.
Like the Stanford game, I really don’t see much of a chance for CU being in the game late, let alone upsetting the Ducks. The high flying ducks are loaded at the skill positions once again, and while they did lose a lot on the O-line, it won’t matter by the time we play them, they will once again be looking like a high powered well oiled machine on offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if Colorado hangs with the ducks for a half or so, but if the ducks take off in the second half like they did last year, it can get real ugly in the blink of an eye. One thing to keep an eye on however, is if Oregon can keep up their up tempo offense going at full throttle in the rarified rocky mountain air? That is one thing the Ducks’ offense has yet to face. OREGON 52 COLORADO 28 4-4
@ Arizona State
2010 ASU: 6-6
Series: ASU leads 2-0
Last meeting: 2007 ASU won 33-14 in Tempe
Game tidbits: In only two meetings, CU led early in both, but lost in blowouts.
ASU has been picked by many to win the Pac-12 south this year. While I think the Devils can be a dangerous team at times, especially at home, I think they are the most overrated team in the country this year. They have not impressed me at really anytime under Erickson, and give me no reason to think they are a championship caliber team. However this is a game that scares me. It is on the road, and CU has not fared well in two other recent meetings with the Devils. It will be a much closer game than the last two meetings with ASU, but the home field is the difference. ARIZONA STATE 36 COLORADO 31 4-5
USC
2010 USC: 8-5
Series: USC leads 5-0
Last meeting: 2002 USC won 40-3 in Boulder
Game tidbits: SC is the only program that CU has not beaten in a series that is more than 4 meetings. SC has outscored CU 138-24 in 5 meetings.
CU has not favored well against SC in this series, but I expect that to change this year for several reasons. While still a very good and talented team, SC is down right now. This game will be played at night in November and the air could be pretty chilly for these so cal boys. This is also CU’s 4[SUP]th[/SUP] annual blackout game. CU is now 3-1 in these blackout games, all the previous blackout games, the opposition has outclassed CU with talent. The fans will be rabid, the weather could be chilly, the air will be thin, and I’m calling CU to get their first ever victory over the Trojans. SC could just as easily blow CU out of the water with a potent passing game, but I have had a good feeling about this one for a long time. COLORADO 34 USC 32 5-5
Arizona
2010 Arizona: 7-6
Series: CU leads 12-1
Last meeting: 1986 Arizona won 24-21 in Boulder
Game tidbits: Buffs had won all 12 meetings with Zona before dropping the last meeting. CU has only lost 2 times in the home finale since 1987 when not playing Nebraska.
Arizona could easily be limping into Boulder with a 2-7 record and their confidence shaken with a brutal schedule to the first half of the season. CU will be fresh off an upset over USC. CU is historically good on senior day, especially when not playing Nebraska. This will be a hard fought win over the Wildcats. COLORADO 31 ARIZONA 28 6-5
@ UCLA
2010 UCLA: 4-8
Series: UCLA leads 4-2
Last meeting: 2003 CU won 16-14 in Boulder
Game tidbits: CU has won the last 2 meetings. The 2002 CU win in Pasadena was a key turnaround point to that season. This is the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] meeting with former CU coach Rick Neuheisel . Neuheisel is 2-0 against his former team, both wins coming when he was coach at Washington.
This game could go either way, and this is probably my biggest on the fence prediction of this season. UCLA has not been great under Neuheisel, but they have shown flashes like upsetting Texas in Austin last season. They are capable of being dangerous. The Buffs will be coming in high off wins over USC and Arizona and will need only one more win to become bowl eligible. I’m actually calling for the buffs to have a letdown game here and the Bruins slip away with the win. UCLA 24 COLORADO 14 6-6
@ Utah
2010 Utah: 10-3
Series: CU leads 30-24-3
Last meeting: 1962 Utah won 37-21 in Salt Lake City
Game tidbits: An old rivalry renewed. CU and Utah played every year from 1903-1958. This will be the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] different conference these two programs will be in together.
The battle of the two new members of the Pac-12, and an old rivalry renewed. This could go a couple ways. One is Utah gets beat up in a season where they are not used to playing good competition every week and coming in with their confidence shot. Or they could come in to this game needing a win to clinch the south division title. My bet is on the second option. Utah draws a pretty favorable schedule in their first year in the Pac-12, avoiding matchups with powerhouses Stanford and Oregon. I picked Utah to win the south division, and they will come into this game pumped up. UTAH 27 COLORADO 17 6-7
Here is my annual college football and buff preview, I always like to do these and then look at them after the season to see how accurate I was (I’m usually far off with my predictions)I hope you all enjoy and GO BUFFS!
10 questions for the 2011 college football season
1. Does the SEC win a 6[SUP]th[/SUP] straight national championship? YES. The SEC will prove once again they are the top conference in college football. I think Alabama has the best chance at representing the SEC’s 6[SUP]th[/SUP] straight national title. LSU could also potentially be the winner in the BCS title game if they can knock off Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I don’t see any other SEC team as being a true national title contender this year, but South Carolina and Georgia could be dark horses for the conference title.
2.Who has the best chance at unseating an SEC team from the top? Oklahoma, Stanford, Oregon and Virginia Tech are my top national title contenders after Alabama and LSU. My darkhorse candidates are Florida State, Boise state, Nebraska and Texas.
3.Who will be this year’s version of the 2010 Texas Longhorns, going from very good to bad? I have my eyes on two programs for this category. Auburn and Ohio State. Auburn’s transition from ’10 to ’11, is very similar to Texas’ transition from ’09 to ’10. Auburn lost the majority of their starting lineup from their national championship team including Cam Newton. Auburn also has a much more difficult schedule than last year and they will have a target on their back. Ohio State lost their star QB, other starters, plus their head coach after a scandalous off season.
4.Does a non AQ go undefeated creating yet another controversy at the end of the year? NO. I think the most likely candidates are Boise state and TCU. I’m calling for Georgia to beat Boise in Atlanta and TCU to lose to Boise state in Boise. Utah used to be the other contender; however with their move to a AQ conference, they are no longer in the mix.
5.Who is the most overrated team? Arizona State. Considered by many to be the favorites to win the Pac-12 south, ASU lost a lot of key players for the season to injury and suspensions this summer. ASU also went 6-6 last year, and are just one game above .500 in 5 seasons under Erickson at ASU.
6.Who is the most underrated team? Virginia Tech. Their schedule sets up very nicely for a possible undefeated regular season and trip to the national championship game.
7.Which program that is in a new conference will have the most success right out of the gate? Nebraska. I am calling for the huskers to be a dark horse national title contender with a pretty favorable schedule. If they can get by Wisconsin in Madison, look out!
8.Who are some teams with favorable schedules who could do big things? South Carolina, Mississippi st, Georgia, Florida State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Nebraska.
9.Who will win the Heisman? Landry Jones of Oklahoma. A lot of the Heisman voting anymore is political with the award usually going to a quarterback or running back that is in the national title game. I’m calling for Oklahoma to reach the title game against Alabama. Landry Jones has a great O-line and an array of weapons. He is primed for a big season. Other possibilities are Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Oregon RB LaMichael James and Alabama RB Trent Richardson.
10.Who are the top 5 active coaches? 1. Nick Saban Alabama, Chip Kelly Oregon, Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, Gary Patterson TCU, Frank Beamer Virginia Tech.
CU Buffs 2011 game by game predictions
@ Hawai’i
2010 Hawai’i: 10-4
Series: tied 1-1
Last meeting: 2010 CU won 31-13 in Boulder.
Game tidbits: Cu is coming into the game riding a 17 game road losing streak. Only 2 of the last 11 CU head coaches have won their debut. CU is 0-2 since 1997 when not opening against CSU.
Coach Embree has emphasized this as a must win game since he was hired back in December. He knows that the buffs have to get the road losing streak snapped. Honolulu is a tough place to play, and it will not be easy for the Buffs. CU should be able to score some on the Hawai’i defense and a ball control rushing game is just enough to outdo the Warriors potent offense and CU ends their road losing streak. COLORADO 38 HAWAI’I 35 1-0
California
2010 Cal: 5-7
Series: Cal leads 3-2
Last meeting: 2010 Cal won 52-7 in Berkeley
Game tidbits: CU allowed2 defensive TD’s in last year’s blowout loss and turned the ball over 5 times.
Last year’s embarrassing loss to Cal has stuck with the team all year long. Colorado flat out did not show up to the game. California is a much different team on the road and Colorado is a much different team at home. Expect this to be a much different game than last year. A close game like the Hawai’i game, but the home field advantage and Cal’s recent struggles on the road make this a close win for CU. COLORADO 31 CAL 27 2-0
Colorado State (@ Denver)
2010 CSU 3-9
Series: CU leads 60-20-2
Last meeting: 2010 CU won 24-3 in Denver
Game tidbits: CU did not allow CSU to penetrate the red zone at all in last year’s meeting.
Colorado dominated a bad CSU team last year. I expect a much closer game this year. However the game won’t be as close as the final score. CSU is still a bad team, coming in to this season fresh off a 44-0 whopping at the hands of their border rival Wyoming. COLORADO 26 CSU 17 3-0
@ Ohio State
2010 Ohio State: 12-1
Series: Ohio State leads 3-1
Last meeting: 1986 Ohio State won 13-10 in Columbus
Game tidbits: CU has not scored more than 20 points in a game in 4 meetings with the Buckeyes. CU is 1-5 on the road after playing CSU since 1997.
With a defensive minded coach taking over for Jim Tressel, and the Buckeyes without Terrell Pryor, I don’t expect the Buckeyes to score a lot. The Buckeyes do have a solid defense remaining and a very hostile home field advantage in the “shoe”. This will be a low scoring game for the most part, but there will be no doubt as to who the better team is at the end. OHIO ST. 24 COLORADO 10 3-1
Washington State
2010 Washington St. 2-10
Series: CU leads 4-2
Last meeting: 2004 CU won 20-12 in Seattle
Game Tidbits: This is CU’s first official Pac-12 conference game. (Cal game doesn’t count as conf game as it was previously scheduled before CU joined the Pac-12).
Washington State could very well be the worst team that is in a BCS conference. CU won as many games last year (5) as Washington State has in the last 3 years combined. I will be shocked if the Cougars give the buffs a close game let alone upset the Buffs in Boulder. COLORADO 45 WASHINGTON ST. 17 4-1
@ Stanford
2010 Stanford: 12-1
Series: tied 3-3
Last meeting: 1993 Stanford won 41-37 in Palo Alto
Game Tidbits: Home team has won 5 straight in this series.
As much as I am confident about the Buffs chances against Washington State, I have about zero confidence that the Buffs go in to Palo Alto and get a win. The Buffs have an inexperienced secondary going up against a possible #1 NFL draft choice in Andrew Luck. I picked Stanford to win the Pac-12, and pray for CU’s secondary in this game. STANFORD 49 COLORADO 24 4-2
@ Washington
2010 Washington: 7-6
Series: tied 5-5-1
Last meeting: 2000 Washington won 17-14 in Boulder
Game tidbits: Buffs have dropped the last 2 to Washington after previously winning 3 straight in the series.
This was one of the tougher games for me to pick. Washington did lose Jake Locker to the NFL, and the Huskies were lucky to get to a bowl last year. Locker is gone, but they still have more talent than CU and the game is on the road. It wouldn’t surprise me that much if the buffs went in to Seattle and pulled the upset, but it’s going to be tough. WASHINGTON34 COLORADO 21 4-3
Oregon
2010 Oregon: 12-1
Series: CU leads 8-7
Last meeting: 2002 Oregon won 38-16 in Fiesta Bowl
Game tidbits: The last 3 meetings have been in bowl games (CU going 2-1 in those bowls). This is the first time since 1987 that the game is on one of the schools campuses. CU is 61-30-5 all time on homecoming. CU has played Oregon the most out of the original Pac-10 teams.
Like the Stanford game, I really don’t see much of a chance for CU being in the game late, let alone upsetting the Ducks. The high flying ducks are loaded at the skill positions once again, and while they did lose a lot on the O-line, it won’t matter by the time we play them, they will once again be looking like a high powered well oiled machine on offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if Colorado hangs with the ducks for a half or so, but if the ducks take off in the second half like they did last year, it can get real ugly in the blink of an eye. One thing to keep an eye on however, is if Oregon can keep up their up tempo offense going at full throttle in the rarified rocky mountain air? That is one thing the Ducks’ offense has yet to face. OREGON 52 COLORADO 28 4-4
@ Arizona State
2010 ASU: 6-6
Series: ASU leads 2-0
Last meeting: 2007 ASU won 33-14 in Tempe
Game tidbits: In only two meetings, CU led early in both, but lost in blowouts.
ASU has been picked by many to win the Pac-12 south this year. While I think the Devils can be a dangerous team at times, especially at home, I think they are the most overrated team in the country this year. They have not impressed me at really anytime under Erickson, and give me no reason to think they are a championship caliber team. However this is a game that scares me. It is on the road, and CU has not fared well in two other recent meetings with the Devils. It will be a much closer game than the last two meetings with ASU, but the home field is the difference. ARIZONA STATE 36 COLORADO 31 4-5
USC
2010 USC: 8-5
Series: USC leads 5-0
Last meeting: 2002 USC won 40-3 in Boulder
Game tidbits: SC is the only program that CU has not beaten in a series that is more than 4 meetings. SC has outscored CU 138-24 in 5 meetings.
CU has not favored well against SC in this series, but I expect that to change this year for several reasons. While still a very good and talented team, SC is down right now. This game will be played at night in November and the air could be pretty chilly for these so cal boys. This is also CU’s 4[SUP]th[/SUP] annual blackout game. CU is now 3-1 in these blackout games, all the previous blackout games, the opposition has outclassed CU with talent. The fans will be rabid, the weather could be chilly, the air will be thin, and I’m calling CU to get their first ever victory over the Trojans. SC could just as easily blow CU out of the water with a potent passing game, but I have had a good feeling about this one for a long time. COLORADO 34 USC 32 5-5
Arizona
2010 Arizona: 7-6
Series: CU leads 12-1
Last meeting: 1986 Arizona won 24-21 in Boulder
Game tidbits: Buffs had won all 12 meetings with Zona before dropping the last meeting. CU has only lost 2 times in the home finale since 1987 when not playing Nebraska.
Arizona could easily be limping into Boulder with a 2-7 record and their confidence shaken with a brutal schedule to the first half of the season. CU will be fresh off an upset over USC. CU is historically good on senior day, especially when not playing Nebraska. This will be a hard fought win over the Wildcats. COLORADO 31 ARIZONA 28 6-5
@ UCLA
2010 UCLA: 4-8
Series: UCLA leads 4-2
Last meeting: 2003 CU won 16-14 in Boulder
Game tidbits: CU has won the last 2 meetings. The 2002 CU win in Pasadena was a key turnaround point to that season. This is the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] meeting with former CU coach Rick Neuheisel . Neuheisel is 2-0 against his former team, both wins coming when he was coach at Washington.
This game could go either way, and this is probably my biggest on the fence prediction of this season. UCLA has not been great under Neuheisel, but they have shown flashes like upsetting Texas in Austin last season. They are capable of being dangerous. The Buffs will be coming in high off wins over USC and Arizona and will need only one more win to become bowl eligible. I’m actually calling for the buffs to have a letdown game here and the Bruins slip away with the win. UCLA 24 COLORADO 14 6-6
@ Utah
2010 Utah: 10-3
Series: CU leads 30-24-3
Last meeting: 1962 Utah won 37-21 in Salt Lake City
Game tidbits: An old rivalry renewed. CU and Utah played every year from 1903-1958. This will be the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] different conference these two programs will be in together.
The battle of the two new members of the Pac-12, and an old rivalry renewed. This could go a couple ways. One is Utah gets beat up in a season where they are not used to playing good competition every week and coming in with their confidence shot. Or they could come in to this game needing a win to clinch the south division title. My bet is on the second option. Utah draws a pretty favorable schedule in their first year in the Pac-12, avoiding matchups with powerhouses Stanford and Oregon. I picked Utah to win the south division, and they will come into this game pumped up. UTAH 27 COLORADO 17 6-7
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