There are a lot of teams that have tough challenges this week. Missouri travels to Nebraska, Michigan State travels to Iowa, and Auburn goes on the road to face Ole Miss. But the 1 team that is sure to be upset on Saturday is the #2 Oregon Ducks. Shhhhh… wipe the surprised look off your face and let me explain.
Anyone reading this blog right now is surely thinking “didn’t this guy see Oregon crush UCLA and Stanford?” To be fair, I’ll answer that question and say “yes”. But those aren’t the 2 games that have me thinking this will be an upset. Its Oregon’s other games that give me reason for concern. Here’s a quick breakdown:
-Oregon was tied at halftime against the Tennessee Volunteers. Sure, the Tennessee name carries some weight, but in reality that Volunteer team is the worst in the program’s last 20 years. They are currently (2-5) with an (0-4) record in the SEC.
-Oregon trailed 24-14 to Arizona State before rallying to win 42-31. Sure, Arizona State is a Pac-10 team, but they are the 2nd worst team in the Pac-10 and are below .500 at this point in the season for the 3rd straight year.
-Then, there is the game against Washington State. Oregon was down 14-8 to the Cougars and Oregon only led the Cougars by a score of 36-23 entering the 4th quarter. Washington State scored 23 points on the Ducks. We’re talking about the same Cougars team that only could manage 23 points against Montana State and 21 points against SMU.
Now, in Oregon’s other 4 games, they have played dominant football, beating UCLA, Stanford, Portland State, and New Mexico. So, what has been the difference in the performance of the team in these games? Simple. The 4 games that they played dominant football all happened in Autzen Stadium in Oregon (one of the toughest places to play in the country). The 3 games where they struggled… yep, you guessed it… all came on the road.
It just so happens that this week’s matchup with #24 USC comes on the road in what will be a sold-out, raucous, “Red Out” Coliseum. Add to that the fact that College Football Gameday will be there (they have been at the site of past 3 weeks of #1 upsets), and also keep in mind that USC had an extra week of preparation to get ready for this contest.
Lastly, we can all agree that Oregon is a speedy team. Maybe one of the fastest in America. The only thing that nullifies speed is.... speed, which is something that the Men of Troy are never lacking. This will be the fastest defense that Oregon will face all season.
So, while everybody else in America may be surprised when the Oregon Ducks go down Saturday night… if you took the time to read this blog… you wont be one of those surprised individuals.
Showing posts with label Upset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Upset. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Week 3 Upset Alert
Lots of solid games this weekend. Most of the favorites should win, but there are a few teams that need to listen to the sirens, because an Upset Alert is headed their way:
#7 Oklahoma - The Sooners were impressive against Florida State last Saturday in a 30 point win. Besides the obvious possibility of a letdown after such a hyped game, there is another reason for concern. The Sooners haven’t fared well against the MWC recently. We all recall their Week 1 loss to BYU last season and back in 2005, the Sooners lost their opener to TCU. Could a strong Air Force team that will control the time of possession upset Stoops Troops?
#4 TCU - Speaking of those Horned Frogs, they have truly gone from the hunter to the hunted. In an All-Texas affair, TCU will face the upstart Baylor Bears in Forth Worth, TX. While most people will scoff at this notion, they should recognize that this is the type of game where 1 superstar player can make all the difference. That possible superstar is Baylor’s Junior QB Robert Griffin III. If he gets it going early, the Bears have a chance.
#9 Iowa - The Hawkeyes have struggled recently against West Coast opponents on the road. They travel to Arizona to face the Wildcats on Saturday night. Not only will the Hawkeyes have to make a long road trip, but they will have to play one of the hottest offenses in America led by Heisman Trophy candidate Nick Foles.
#20 Michigan - After what we’ve seen in the first 2 weeks, people must think we’re crazy for including Michigan as a possible upset alert team when they are hosting the UMass Minutemen of the FCS division. But we all remember that 2007 home opener in which the Wolverines stumbled at the hands of FCS Appalachian State. Also, in an interesting side-note, UMass’s fellow Colonial Athletic Conference member, James Madison, rolled into Blacksburg last Saturday and upset #13 Virginia Tech. Hmmmmm….
We’re not saying that these teams will lose… we are just saying they better be wary.
#7 Oklahoma - The Sooners were impressive against Florida State last Saturday in a 30 point win. Besides the obvious possibility of a letdown after such a hyped game, there is another reason for concern. The Sooners haven’t fared well against the MWC recently. We all recall their Week 1 loss to BYU last season and back in 2005, the Sooners lost their opener to TCU. Could a strong Air Force team that will control the time of possession upset Stoops Troops?
#4 TCU - Speaking of those Horned Frogs, they have truly gone from the hunter to the hunted. In an All-Texas affair, TCU will face the upstart Baylor Bears in Forth Worth, TX. While most people will scoff at this notion, they should recognize that this is the type of game where 1 superstar player can make all the difference. That possible superstar is Baylor’s Junior QB Robert Griffin III. If he gets it going early, the Bears have a chance.
#9 Iowa - The Hawkeyes have struggled recently against West Coast opponents on the road. They travel to Arizona to face the Wildcats on Saturday night. Not only will the Hawkeyes have to make a long road trip, but they will have to play one of the hottest offenses in America led by Heisman Trophy candidate Nick Foles.
#20 Michigan - After what we’ve seen in the first 2 weeks, people must think we’re crazy for including Michigan as a possible upset alert team when they are hosting the UMass Minutemen of the FCS division. But we all remember that 2007 home opener in which the Wolverines stumbled at the hands of FCS Appalachian State. Also, in an interesting side-note, UMass’s fellow Colonial Athletic Conference member, James Madison, rolled into Blacksburg last Saturday and upset #13 Virginia Tech. Hmmmmm….
We’re not saying that these teams will lose… we are just saying they better be wary.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Week 2 Upset Alert
We’ll start our conversation this week with our Upset Alerts. There are 3 teams that better have their eyes Wide Open this Saturday and all 3 games involve SEC teams:
- #1 Alabama Crimson Tide - Some people might think this one is far fetched, particularly because Penn State will be starting a True Freshman QB (Robert Bolden). But Bolden is not the player that will be the most critical for the Nittany Lions. RB Evan Royster has all but been forgotten by most of America, yet he still has the talent to be one of the best RBs in the country. The Crimson Tide will once again be without star DT and NFL 1st Round prospect Marcell Dareus. If the Penn State O-Line can get nasty and create a few openings for Royster, it could really get them out to a good start. Then, utilizing a heavy dose of play-action passes, Bolden could take advantage of the young Bama secondary who is still shaky trying replacing 2 All-SEC CBs from 2009.
- #8 Florida Gators - By now, everyone has heard how poorly the Florida offense played in Week 1, only managing 26 first half yards against a Miami (OH) team that had all of 1 win in 2009. That poor offensive play included 13 botched shotgun snaps between C Mike Pouncey and QB John Brantley. The defense was stout, as expected, but if the offense could only manage 26 yards in a half against a poor team, how will it produce against the most athletic team in the Big East? The South Florida Bulls pack quite a larger punch than Miami (OH) and in the past 3 years, USF has upset ranked powerhouses West Virginia (2007, 2009), FSU (2009), and Auburn (2007). Could #8 Florida be the next victim?
- #7 Oregon Ducks - The Ducks went wild in week 1, beating New Mexico 72-0. They clicked on all cylinders and completely dismantled an inferior opponent. Now they take their high scoring show on the road to one of the biggest stadiums in all of sports: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN which will have more than 100,000 fans screaming Rocky Top on Saturday night. A lot of people will think I’m crazy with this one considering how talented Oregon is. But keep in mind, Tennessee is an SEC team and although they haven’t done great in their own conference over the past few years, they still have been recruiting Top notch southern talent and speed, so they will matchup with the Ducks better than almost any opponent on their 2010 Pac-10 schedule. Furthermore, this will be Sophomore Oregon QB Darron Thomas’s first career road start. Lastly, but also most importantly, Tennessee’s defense is coached by Justin Wilcox. Many of you will say “Who’s that?” Well, Wilcox just happens to be the former 2009 Boise State defensive coordinator. And if you recall he lead a unit that completely shut down Oregon’s fast paced attack and held them to 8 points in a early season upset (and that was with Heisman hopeful Jeremiah Masoli as the starter). Can he pull off the same magic on Saturday?
- #1 Alabama Crimson Tide - Some people might think this one is far fetched, particularly because Penn State will be starting a True Freshman QB (Robert Bolden). But Bolden is not the player that will be the most critical for the Nittany Lions. RB Evan Royster has all but been forgotten by most of America, yet he still has the talent to be one of the best RBs in the country. The Crimson Tide will once again be without star DT and NFL 1st Round prospect Marcell Dareus. If the Penn State O-Line can get nasty and create a few openings for Royster, it could really get them out to a good start. Then, utilizing a heavy dose of play-action passes, Bolden could take advantage of the young Bama secondary who is still shaky trying replacing 2 All-SEC CBs from 2009.
- #8 Florida Gators - By now, everyone has heard how poorly the Florida offense played in Week 1, only managing 26 first half yards against a Miami (OH) team that had all of 1 win in 2009. That poor offensive play included 13 botched shotgun snaps between C Mike Pouncey and QB John Brantley. The defense was stout, as expected, but if the offense could only manage 26 yards in a half against a poor team, how will it produce against the most athletic team in the Big East? The South Florida Bulls pack quite a larger punch than Miami (OH) and in the past 3 years, USF has upset ranked powerhouses West Virginia (2007, 2009), FSU (2009), and Auburn (2007). Could #8 Florida be the next victim?
- #7 Oregon Ducks - The Ducks went wild in week 1, beating New Mexico 72-0. They clicked on all cylinders and completely dismantled an inferior opponent. Now they take their high scoring show on the road to one of the biggest stadiums in all of sports: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN which will have more than 100,000 fans screaming Rocky Top on Saturday night. A lot of people will think I’m crazy with this one considering how talented Oregon is. But keep in mind, Tennessee is an SEC team and although they haven’t done great in their own conference over the past few years, they still have been recruiting Top notch southern talent and speed, so they will matchup with the Ducks better than almost any opponent on their 2010 Pac-10 schedule. Furthermore, this will be Sophomore Oregon QB Darron Thomas’s first career road start. Lastly, but also most importantly, Tennessee’s defense is coached by Justin Wilcox. Many of you will say “Who’s that?” Well, Wilcox just happens to be the former 2009 Boise State defensive coordinator. And if you recall he lead a unit that completely shut down Oregon’s fast paced attack and held them to 8 points in a early season upset (and that was with Heisman hopeful Jeremiah Masoli as the starter). Can he pull off the same magic on Saturday?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)