As promised, my sports fan friends, here is Part II of my predictions for conference winners and game scores for the 2015 NCAA Football Season. But before I present my predictions, here is how the predictions from Part I went:
First, my prediction for the opening game of the NCAA 2015 season went something like this:
Aug. 29th - North Dakota State Bison VS Montana Grizzlies
North Dakota State Bison take this game rather easily, 37-7.
Umm..., imagine my shock and chagrin when I saw this story:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/8/29/9225079/north-dakota-state-montana-game-final-score-result
Well, my prediction for this game was not all that close. In fact, I was, as some would say, WAY OFF! What should have been an easy win for the North Dakota State Bison, the defending champs of their conference, instead turned into a shoot-out that was lost in the 4th quarter when the underdog Montana Grizzlies scored ten unanswered points, including a touchdown in the last thirty seconds of the game. The final score: Montana 38 - North Dakota State 35. So the first game of the 2015 football season turns out to be one of the best upsets of the season as well.
So on this prediction I was just a tad off, but the outcome of this game was unexpected, to say the least, and just goes to prove the old adage...any given team can win on any given Saturday (or something like that!).
I predict, however, that in spite of this setback North Dakota will win their respective conference, as they have the past four years. As far as Montana, one of their strokes of fortune is that they have a relatively under-recognized quarterback whose first name starts with Carson...and in the tradition of Carson Palmer, Carson Wentz is a gem for this Montana team. In this particular game Carson Wentz racked up 198 yards and two passes for TD's. I will insert another prediction here, free of charge. Expect to hear the name Carson Wentz again...maybe not in Heisman discussions, but definitely in the pro draft in a couple of years.
Next prediction of Part I was this:
TCU VS Minnesota Gold Gophers
The Horned Frogs take this one, also easily, 49-3, but only if Minnesota has an accurate kicker.
At least I can say here that I indeed picked the winner. But beyond that this game befuddled my football spirits. I should have factored in that any team, including TCU, can be afflicted with the "first game of the season blahs." TCU came to play what should have been just another football game, and Minnesota came to try to get the upset! The Horned Frog won the game on the scoreboard, but the Golden Gophers held their own and certainly have nothing to be ashamed of in this opening loss to TCU. As for me, I should stop underestimating the underdogs. But TCU gets credit for a very shaky win, and I get credit for a 1/2 correct prediction.
Final Score: TCU 23 - Minnesota 17
Next prediction:
Arizona Wildcats vs. UT of San Antonio Roadrunners
Arizona 42 - UTSA 7
The good news is that I hit Arizona's score right on the head! The bad news is that I missed UTSA's score by THIRTY POINTS! UTSA very nearly pulled off what would have been another BIG UPSET of 2015. Once again I failed to factor in the Big School first game "blahs."
Final Score: Arizona 42 - UTSA 37
Next Prediction:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Alcorn State Braves
Georgia Tech (At least) 40 - Alcorn State 0
This was the third and final game of the week that I predicted, and I my "vibes" told me the Jackets would score a minimum of forty points and that the Braves would not cross the goal line.
As it happened, I picked the winner (no big surprise) but I slightly underestimated their offense and gave too much credit to the Braves' defense. The Jackets scored 34 points in the first quarter, fourteen points in both the second and third quarters, and only seven in the fourth quarter, at which time I am sure the fourth string had been pulled out of the game and the Jacket training staff finished the game. At this point the Braves were able to score, killing my prediction of a skunk out.
Final Score: Georgia Tech 69- Alcorn State 7
I suppose I was having opening season blahs, too, because my predictions were off, even when I picked the winners. Lets hope the sports writer voice in my head is a little more accurate for game week three.
And here are my predictions (feel secure in betting on them - or not):
(These are teams I love to watch, not necessarily the "big games.")
September 12th:
Kansas State Wildcats vs. UTSA Roadrunners
Kansas State 35 - UTSA 28
Given that both teams played last week and should now be over the "blahs" I believe that it is safe to say the Wildcats will eventually prevail in this game, but UTSA, having gained much confidence, will certainly make this an exciting game. Wildcats coach Bill Snyder will not let his team downplay UTSA's ability to achieve an upset, and he will prepare his team accordingly. On the other hand, the Roadrunners, having tasted near victory over a ranked opponent, will certainly be playing at their best. I think this game will be one of the more exciting games of the day, especially for San Antonio fans who see a team this year that they can get behind, a team that can win.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. University of Texas - El Paso Miners
Texas Tech 42 - UTEP 28
The Red Raiders have been "my" team for a couple of decades now, since the days of Sonny Cumbie, the great collegiate quarterback who is now, incidentally, the quarterback coach at TCU. The Red Raiders were famous for pulling victories out of the jaws of near-hopelessness in those days, and were also famous for being bowl dream "spoilers" for some of the more powerful teams of the old Southwest Conference. But the Raiders are still having their difficulties after last season, as we saw in their near loss last week. This week, though, I think the Raiders will be up for a game, and well they should be, because the Miners will definitely make this one a game. I believe Tech will put the game away in the third quarter, due to being in better overall physical condition than are the Miners.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma 28 - Tennessee 24
I do not like the Sooners team (have not since I was a teen) and I am basically "for" any team playing against Oklahoma. I wish that I could place the Volunteers in the winning column for this game, but I definitely get the feeling that the Sooners will take this game, but only by a touchdown. The Volunteers are a good team this year, as are the Sooners, but I believe the Sooners will hold out for the win. This is one prediction in which I hope the football "voices" talking to me are wrong.
Baylor Bears vs. Lamar Cardinals
Baylor 70 - Lamar 6
The Bears have an easy game this week, but they still need to focus on this game. We've already learned the adage...you know, anything can happen on any given Saturday. So the Bears need to be on their toes, but, barring some miracle ala Appalachian College's spectacular upset of the Michigan Wolverines in 2007, the Bears walk away with an easy win. The referenced Appalachian upset of the Wolverines was certainly unpredicted, and is still considered by many coaches and sports writers to be the biggest upset in college football of all time. But in the upcoming Bears vs. Cardinals game, I believe the Bears will play their usual game, and I expect that even the far end of the Baylor lineup will see action in this game.
Other games of interest
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Ball State Cardinals
A&M 56 - Ball State 28
The Aggies are a ranked team in the SEC, thus by definition a tough and dangerous team to play. On the other hand, Ball State will have one of their better seasons in 2015. Nonetheless, the Aggies will pound the Cardinals and will mount a pretty good defense as well. I may be crediting Ball too highly, because the Aggies' better conditioning will add another obstacle to the Cardinals in the fourth quarter. But this is my story and I am sticking too it.
Clemson Tigers vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers
Clemson 49 - Appalachian State 21
Clemson is a ranked team and Appalachian is a good team, but this time around the Tigers will be too much for the Mountaineers to handle. This is not the Appalachian team that stunned Michigan in 2007. It will be an interesting game and, if you are a Clemson fan, it will be a good game. The Mountaineers will be steady opponents but the Tigers take the game this year.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. University of Syracuse Orangemen
Demon Deacons 28 - Syracuse 21
Here is a prediction I am throwing in at no extra cost to my reader(s?). Why mention THIS game, you may ask? Fine, I'll tell you. The Demon Deacons and the Orangemen are two of my favorite mascots, and their football teams are the icing on the cake. I mean Demon Deacon? Orangemen? How cool is this? Here is another reason for this prediction. I believe this game will decide the cellar team in the ACC. Saturday's game may well be the last game of this season in which each team really has a fighting chance to beat another team. From here on, the schedule just goes south for either team. Both teams won their non-conference games last week, and both in big ways! But this week both Wake Forest and Syracuse will be playing nearly evenly matched teams.
Like I said, these teams have two of my favorite mascots, but in this upcoming came I predict that the Demon Deacons eventually take the lead, maybe after a brief shootout. Once the Demon Deacons pull ahead in the third quarter, however, the Orangemen will fold and give up on this game. A one touchdown lead may not seem like much, but I believe the Orangemen will just be too tired and demoralized at this point in the game to regain the lead.
Now, some more conference winner predictions:
Atlantic Coastal Conference
The sports writers and coaches have decided that the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will win their respective divisions of the ACC, while Virginia Tech and Clemson will occupy the number two slots.
My own prediction is that Clemson will overcome Georgia Tech for the title, and that the Seminoles will knock the Yellow Jackets back to number two, while North Carolina and North Carolina State battle for the number three slot. The Miami Hurricanes will be the spoilers this year and maybe take the number four slot, forcing one of the two North Carolina schools to settle for number five.
Here is another tidbit that will cost you nothing, my friends. This tidbit is that the Miami head coach, Al Golden, is in the HOT SEAT, maybe the hottest seat in all of NCAA football at the moment. Hurricane fans are clamoring for the glory days of yore when the Canes were a powerhouse team. Golden, starting his fifth season this year, has accumulated a 28-22 record. Fans, and regents, are not happy at all.
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The picker/predictors have decided that the Georgia Bulldogs will take the eastern division championship, with the Tennessee Vols taking second place. In the western division, Alabama is picked to win, while Auburn is expected to be number two.
My predictions:
East - 1 Georgia, 2 Tennessee. I pretty much go along with them on this one.
West - 1 Auburn, 2 Alabama. I expect that Auburn will surprise everyone and will be the Western division championship.
I hope my predictions have been entertaining for you, and I hope you follow my post as this weekend plays out. Who knows, maybe with my intrepid impressions of the future you may feel confident to bet on your favorite based on my projections. However, remember that I am in no way responsible for any losses you may incur. If you win loads of money, I will certainly expect a quarter of the earning as my fee.
First, my prediction for the opening game of the NCAA 2015 season went something like this:
Aug. 29th - North Dakota State Bison VS Montana Grizzlies
North Dakota State Bison take this game rather easily, 37-7.
Umm..., imagine my shock and chagrin when I saw this story:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/8/29/9225079/north-dakota-state-montana-game-final-score-result
Well, my prediction for this game was not all that close. In fact, I was, as some would say, WAY OFF! What should have been an easy win for the North Dakota State Bison, the defending champs of their conference, instead turned into a shoot-out that was lost in the 4th quarter when the underdog Montana Grizzlies scored ten unanswered points, including a touchdown in the last thirty seconds of the game. The final score: Montana 38 - North Dakota State 35. So the first game of the 2015 football season turns out to be one of the best upsets of the season as well.
So on this prediction I was just a tad off, but the outcome of this game was unexpected, to say the least, and just goes to prove the old adage...any given team can win on any given Saturday (or something like that!).
I predict, however, that in spite of this setback North Dakota will win their respective conference, as they have the past four years. As far as Montana, one of their strokes of fortune is that they have a relatively under-recognized quarterback whose first name starts with Carson...and in the tradition of Carson Palmer, Carson Wentz is a gem for this Montana team. In this particular game Carson Wentz racked up 198 yards and two passes for TD's. I will insert another prediction here, free of charge. Expect to hear the name Carson Wentz again...maybe not in Heisman discussions, but definitely in the pro draft in a couple of years.
Next prediction of Part I was this:
TCU VS Minnesota Gold Gophers
The Horned Frogs take this one, also easily, 49-3, but only if Minnesota has an accurate kicker.
At least I can say here that I indeed picked the winner. But beyond that this game befuddled my football spirits. I should have factored in that any team, including TCU, can be afflicted with the "first game of the season blahs." TCU came to play what should have been just another football game, and Minnesota came to try to get the upset! The Horned Frog won the game on the scoreboard, but the Golden Gophers held their own and certainly have nothing to be ashamed of in this opening loss to TCU. As for me, I should stop underestimating the underdogs. But TCU gets credit for a very shaky win, and I get credit for a 1/2 correct prediction.
Final Score: TCU 23 - Minnesota 17
Next prediction:
Arizona Wildcats vs. UT of San Antonio Roadrunners
Arizona 42 - UTSA 7
The good news is that I hit Arizona's score right on the head! The bad news is that I missed UTSA's score by THIRTY POINTS! UTSA very nearly pulled off what would have been another BIG UPSET of 2015. Once again I failed to factor in the Big School first game "blahs."
Final Score: Arizona 42 - UTSA 37
Next Prediction:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Alcorn State Braves
Georgia Tech (At least) 40 - Alcorn State 0
This was the third and final game of the week that I predicted, and I my "vibes" told me the Jackets would score a minimum of forty points and that the Braves would not cross the goal line.
As it happened, I picked the winner (no big surprise) but I slightly underestimated their offense and gave too much credit to the Braves' defense. The Jackets scored 34 points in the first quarter, fourteen points in both the second and third quarters, and only seven in the fourth quarter, at which time I am sure the fourth string had been pulled out of the game and the Jacket training staff finished the game. At this point the Braves were able to score, killing my prediction of a skunk out.
Final Score: Georgia Tech 69- Alcorn State 7
I suppose I was having opening season blahs, too, because my predictions were off, even when I picked the winners. Lets hope the sports writer voice in my head is a little more accurate for game week three.
And here are my predictions (feel secure in betting on them - or not):
(These are teams I love to watch, not necessarily the "big games.")
September 12th:
Kansas State Wildcats vs. UTSA Roadrunners
Kansas State 35 - UTSA 28
Given that both teams played last week and should now be over the "blahs" I believe that it is safe to say the Wildcats will eventually prevail in this game, but UTSA, having gained much confidence, will certainly make this an exciting game. Wildcats coach Bill Snyder will not let his team downplay UTSA's ability to achieve an upset, and he will prepare his team accordingly. On the other hand, the Roadrunners, having tasted near victory over a ranked opponent, will certainly be playing at their best. I think this game will be one of the more exciting games of the day, especially for San Antonio fans who see a team this year that they can get behind, a team that can win.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. University of Texas - El Paso Miners
Texas Tech 42 - UTEP 28
The Red Raiders have been "my" team for a couple of decades now, since the days of Sonny Cumbie, the great collegiate quarterback who is now, incidentally, the quarterback coach at TCU. The Red Raiders were famous for pulling victories out of the jaws of near-hopelessness in those days, and were also famous for being bowl dream "spoilers" for some of the more powerful teams of the old Southwest Conference. But the Raiders are still having their difficulties after last season, as we saw in their near loss last week. This week, though, I think the Raiders will be up for a game, and well they should be, because the Miners will definitely make this one a game. I believe Tech will put the game away in the third quarter, due to being in better overall physical condition than are the Miners.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma 28 - Tennessee 24
I do not like the Sooners team (have not since I was a teen) and I am basically "for" any team playing against Oklahoma. I wish that I could place the Volunteers in the winning column for this game, but I definitely get the feeling that the Sooners will take this game, but only by a touchdown. The Volunteers are a good team this year, as are the Sooners, but I believe the Sooners will hold out for the win. This is one prediction in which I hope the football "voices" talking to me are wrong.
Baylor Bears vs. Lamar Cardinals
Baylor 70 - Lamar 6
The Bears have an easy game this week, but they still need to focus on this game. We've already learned the adage...you know, anything can happen on any given Saturday. So the Bears need to be on their toes, but, barring some miracle ala Appalachian College's spectacular upset of the Michigan Wolverines in 2007, the Bears walk away with an easy win. The referenced Appalachian upset of the Wolverines was certainly unpredicted, and is still considered by many coaches and sports writers to be the biggest upset in college football of all time. But in the upcoming Bears vs. Cardinals game, I believe the Bears will play their usual game, and I expect that even the far end of the Baylor lineup will see action in this game.
Other games of interest
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Ball State Cardinals
A&M 56 - Ball State 28
The Aggies are a ranked team in the SEC, thus by definition a tough and dangerous team to play. On the other hand, Ball State will have one of their better seasons in 2015. Nonetheless, the Aggies will pound the Cardinals and will mount a pretty good defense as well. I may be crediting Ball too highly, because the Aggies' better conditioning will add another obstacle to the Cardinals in the fourth quarter. But this is my story and I am sticking too it.
Clemson Tigers vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers
Clemson 49 - Appalachian State 21
Clemson is a ranked team and Appalachian is a good team, but this time around the Tigers will be too much for the Mountaineers to handle. This is not the Appalachian team that stunned Michigan in 2007. It will be an interesting game and, if you are a Clemson fan, it will be a good game. The Mountaineers will be steady opponents but the Tigers take the game this year.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. University of Syracuse Orangemen
Demon Deacons 28 - Syracuse 21
Here is a prediction I am throwing in at no extra cost to my reader(s?). Why mention THIS game, you may ask? Fine, I'll tell you. The Demon Deacons and the Orangemen are two of my favorite mascots, and their football teams are the icing on the cake. I mean Demon Deacon? Orangemen? How cool is this? Here is another reason for this prediction. I believe this game will decide the cellar team in the ACC. Saturday's game may well be the last game of this season in which each team really has a fighting chance to beat another team. From here on, the schedule just goes south for either team. Both teams won their non-conference games last week, and both in big ways! But this week both Wake Forest and Syracuse will be playing nearly evenly matched teams.
Like I said, these teams have two of my favorite mascots, but in this upcoming came I predict that the Demon Deacons eventually take the lead, maybe after a brief shootout. Once the Demon Deacons pull ahead in the third quarter, however, the Orangemen will fold and give up on this game. A one touchdown lead may not seem like much, but I believe the Orangemen will just be too tired and demoralized at this point in the game to regain the lead.
Now, some more conference winner predictions:
Atlantic Coastal Conference
The sports writers and coaches have decided that the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will win their respective divisions of the ACC, while Virginia Tech and Clemson will occupy the number two slots.
My own prediction is that Clemson will overcome Georgia Tech for the title, and that the Seminoles will knock the Yellow Jackets back to number two, while North Carolina and North Carolina State battle for the number three slot. The Miami Hurricanes will be the spoilers this year and maybe take the number four slot, forcing one of the two North Carolina schools to settle for number five.
Here is another tidbit that will cost you nothing, my friends. This tidbit is that the Miami head coach, Al Golden, is in the HOT SEAT, maybe the hottest seat in all of NCAA football at the moment. Hurricane fans are clamoring for the glory days of yore when the Canes were a powerhouse team. Golden, starting his fifth season this year, has accumulated a 28-22 record. Fans, and regents, are not happy at all.
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The picker/predictors have decided that the Georgia Bulldogs will take the eastern division championship, with the Tennessee Vols taking second place. In the western division, Alabama is picked to win, while Auburn is expected to be number two.
My predictions:
East - 1 Georgia, 2 Tennessee. I pretty much go along with them on this one.
West - 1 Auburn, 2 Alabama. I expect that Auburn will surprise everyone and will be the Western division championship.
I hope my predictions have been entertaining for you, and I hope you follow my post as this weekend plays out. Who knows, maybe with my intrepid impressions of the future you may feel confident to bet on your favorite based on my projections. However, remember that I am in no way responsible for any losses you may incur. If you win loads of money, I will certainly expect a quarter of the earning as my fee.
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