Friday, August 28, 2015

If I Only Lived in Montana....The REAL Opening Of College Football Season - And My Predictions Part 1

Although I am sad to see another summer come to a close (especially since I did not get to display my beach body this season) the sadness I feel is tempered with the knowledge that the 2015 College Football Season is just about to start.  Did I say "tempered?  I meant FORGOTTEN!!!!!  Kick off is slated for September 3rd!

Geaux Tigers!!!  Guns Up, Raiders!!!  Sic 'em, Bears!

Hold on...college football actually opens on an obscure date in an obscure location, Missoula, Montana on August 29th, or tomorrow night, if you are picky.  The two teams are "obscure" as well, at least to me.  I know nothing about North Dakota State, and just as much about Montana, except that they are in the new FCS Division, which used to be the old AA division.  But I would watch Norma's Beauty College vs. Bradley's School of Business if they had football teams!  I do not care about obscure, as long as it is football!

In fact it turns out that the North Dakota State Bison football team is one of the most underrated schools playing football today, except that they are NOT underrated in their division.  Nor by certain FBS teams!  The Bison defeated Iowa State last year.  In 2013 the Bison defeated Kansas State, a team that went on to defeat no less than the Wolverines in the playoffs!  North Dakota State's record with FBS teams over the past ten years is 8-3.  Not too shabby. NOW, would you want to watch this opening game?  I think it would be a treat; however, unless by some lucky chance this game shows on ESPN I doubt if I will get to watch it. 

So the official opening of NCAA Football Season is September 3rd.  I will definitely be on hand for that day, and I am equally sure the lawnmower won't start, nor will the weed eater fire up.  In fact, I am thinking some person unknown may borrow these tools.  Hopefully he will not return them until well into February!

Last year I elected not to predict the winners of various college games or the rankings at the end of football season.  I had these predictions all ready to go, but as they proved to be 99.9 % wrong, it was a good thing I did not post them.  I realize most of you would wonder how I could doubt my own football predications, and I certainly understand that.  There was just something wrong with my vibes last year.  That proved to be a fortunate decision.

But this year...I am back, and my predictions for the 2015 season will be dead on!  Or was that "dead on arrival?"  So, with no further ado, here are my first round of predictions:

Aug. 29th - North Dakota State Bison VS Montana Grizzlies
                   North Dakota State Bison take this game rather easily, 37-7. 

Sept. 3rd -  There are three games, two of which involve Texas universities.
                  
TCU VS Minnesota Gold Gophers The Horned Frogs take this one, also easily, 49-3, but only if Minnesota has an accurate kicker.

Arizona Bobcats VS University of Texas - San Antonio
The Wildcats ended last year at #22.  I do not know much about UTSA football, but I believe the Wildcats will win this one.  Can UTSA make it game?  42 - 7

The third game (actually the first game of the day) I think will not be a squeaker.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets VS Alcorn State.
I am not getting any specific vibes on this game, but I see the Jackets (#16) pulling a skunk out of the hat while scoring at least forty points themselves.

As far my predictions for the various conference winners, here is part 1:

Big 12
Dave Campbell's staff as well as others have decided that TCU will be the conference champion, and Baylor will be a close second.  I think Art Briles will bring his team to a conference championship this year and defeat the Horned Frogs in the process.  Look for Baylor and TCU to be in playoffs once again, but both teams will win their respective bowls this year.  Obviously the game of the year in the Big 12 will be Baylor VS TCU...this game decides the conference!

For the Longhorns, this year should be better, after last year's disappointing bowl loss to Arkansas.  And for Coach Charles Strong, a strong finish is necessary to keep him out of the hot seat.  The folks in Austin want their team to be back in the top three.  I do not believe that will happen this year.

Texas Tech, under direction of Kliff Kingsbury, should have a better year for a couple of reasons.  For one thing, the guys are getting used to their coach.  For another, it appears that Kingsbury has settled on a quarterback this year, namely Pat Mahomes.  But...if the defense does not step up, the Red Raiders, my adopted team, will find themselves once again fighting to stay out of the cellar.  Bill Snyder and the Kansas State Wildcats will be fighting and clawing right behind Tech for the number five or four spot in the conference.  It too close for me to call at this point.

By the way, this spoiler alert is for TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma, to beware of the Cowboys of Oklahoma State.  This team will be good.  The Cowboys have little chance of winning the Big 12, but they have a great chance of rearranging the top three teams, and maybe sending one of the top three teams to a lesser bowl game.

Southeast Conference
The SEC is the conference most people focus on during the college football season, and with good reason.  Both the East and West divisions boast some of the most powerful teams in all of college football.  Some writers and coaches have picked the Georgia Bulldogs to win the East and the Crimson Tide of Alabama to lock up the West division.  My innards tell me that Missouri will push Georgia out of the top slot, and will then defend the East against Alabama for the conference playoff.  I believe that LSU, while not in contention for the top spot, will be the divisional spoiler.  Last year the South Carolina Gamecocks came in like a lion and went out like a deflated balloon.  But this year, they will be the spoilers in the SEC East.  Plus, the usual suspects will be in bowl games.  Look also for the SEC to hog most of the bowl wins this season.

LSU is my other favorite team.  Les Miles having TWO bad years in a row?  Not likely!  Look for LSU to be in the top three in the SEC West.

I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 of my college football predictions for 2015.  Part 2 follows in a later post.

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a sports expert, sports writer, or odds maker.  I cannot take any responsibility for any loss a person may suffer by following my score predictions.  EXCEPT if the person wins based on my predictions, I then require a fifty-fifty consulting fee.






 

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