Since today marks the beginning of college football's bowl season, I figured that now is a good time to look back at my 2010 College Football preview and see just how poorly I did in predicting what would happen this year. If you want to look back at my original picks, then check out the Canon Review College Football Preview and the Canon Review College Football Midseason Review .
ACC: In the Atlantic Division, I picked Boston College at the beginning of the season to emerge as the division champs, but a slow start thwarted the Eagles' hopes at a ACC Championship Game birth. My mideseason pick, Florida State, did just enough to emerge as the division champs, although if N.C. State had been able to beat Maryland in their final game, then I would have been wrong once again. In the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech was my pick at the beginning of the season, and despite a slow start, the Hokies reeled off an 11 game winning streak to easily capture the Coastal Division and win the ACC Championship Game against Florida State. Unfortunately for me, although I picked Virginia Tech at the beginning of the year, I changed my pick in midseason to Florida State. In hindsight, I should have just stuck with my gut, as Virginia Tech was far and away the top team in this conference, even though they lost to Division I-AA James Madison in the week's second game.
Big East: Pittsburgh was picked by many to represent the Big East in the BCS, but after another disappointing season, Pittsburgh fired coach Dave Wannstedt and will be playing in something called the BBVA Compass Bowl. My pick at the beginning of the season and at midseason was West Virginia, and in spite of a struggling offense, the Mountaneers had a strong defense and did finish in a three way tie for the conference lead. However, the Connecticut Huskies won the Big East crown after beating West Virginia and Pittsburgh in back to back weeks, and the Huskies will be making their first appearance in a BCS bowl game as they will get slaughtered by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. So, congrats to coach Randy Edsell, RB Jordin Todman, and the rest of the Huskies on a job well done.
Big Ten: Once again, I unwisely decided to change my original pick at midseason, the Wisconsin Badgers, and instead went with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Once again, I was quite wrong, as Wisconsin finished with an 11-1 record and average 43.5 points a game. Actually, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and the surprising Michigan State each finished with 11-1 records and 7-1 conference records, but because Wisconsin finished the season with the highest BCS ranking, they were the team chosen to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio State gets a birth in the Sugar Bowl, while Michigan State gets the honor of being the highest ranked team left out of the BCS, even though they beat Wisconsin. Go figure. As for Iowa, even though they handed Michigan State their only loss of the season, the Hawkeyes struggled down the stretch and finished the season with a 4-4 conference record in the Big Ten. At the end of the day, I think I will claim that I was right about Wisconsin winning the Big Ten, and conveniently forget to mentioned that I abandoned that pick in the middle of the season.
Big Twelve: In the Big Twelve's last year with 12 teams (next year, it will have ten teams, while the Big Ten will have 12 teams, how strange is that?), I am pleased to report that my Big 12 North pick, Nebraska, was spot on. I am not pleased to mention that I picked Texas to win the Big 12 South and the Conference. I certainly did not expect Texas to struggle mightily on offense without QB Colt McCoy, and the only comfort I can take in my mispick is that I was not alone in that regard. At least my mid-season pick, Oklahoma, came through in the end and took the Big 12 South crown. But the Sooners proved me wrong again, as they beat Nebraska in the Big 12 Title Game and won the conference, thwarting Nebraska's chance of winning the conference in their final year before playing in the Big 10 next year.
Pac 10: At the beginning of the season, I declared that the Pac 10 had no dominant team and that the Washington Huskies would emerge as the champions at the end of the year. I don't remember ever being so incorrect in my life. For one, Washington was inconsistent all year, especially their quarterback, Jake Locker. Also, there was not one, but two dominant teams in the Pac-10 this year, as the Oregon Ducks ran roughshod over everybody with a rapid-fire offense that landed them a spot in the BCS Championship Game. Also, Stanford dominated everyone in their path, with the exception of Oregon, on the way to an 11-1 record and a top-5 ranking in the BCS rankings. I also made the statement that Locker is the best player in the conference, but as Oregon RB LaMichael James and Stanford QB Andrew Luck proved, that was quite a misfire on my part as well.
SEC: The story of the year in the SEC was Heisman Trophy winning Auburn QB Cam Newton. Whether it was with his excellent play on the field, or allegations of illegal recruiting practices off of it, the buzz in the SEC revolved around Cam Newton and the SEC champion Auburn Tigers. While some experts, like ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, picked Auburn to win the SEC West, it would be safe to say that very few people saw Newton and Auburn having the season they had. I however, was also not expecting too much more than a mid-level bowl game from Auburn. Instead I went with Alabama to repeat as SEC Champions. Instead, the Tide lost three games and finished fourth in the SEC West. In the East, I had Florida as the pick to win at the beginning of the season, but their offense sputtered without Tim Tebow, so in midseason I switched to South Carolina. At last, one of my midseason changes paid off, as South Carolina beat Florida and won the SEC East, only to get slaughtered by Auburn in the SEC Championship Game.
Other Conferences: Of the five other conferences, only one of my picks, TCU in the Mountain West, proved to be correct. In the WAC, Boise State started the season ranked number three and won their first 10 games before falling to QB Colin Kaepernick and Nevada. The loss gave Nevada the tiebreaker advantage and the WAC crown. In the MAC, my preseason pick (Temple) didn't even make a bowl game (although they were eligible with an 8-4 record), and my midseason pick Northern Illinois lost to Miami of Ohio in the MAC Championship Game. Oddly enough, the MAC Title game was the last game for both coaches (Jerry Kill of NIU and Mike Haywood of Miami) as they moved on to bigger schools after the game. In Conference USA, my preseason pick was Houston, but an injury to QB Case Kessum derailed the Cougars, so I went with SMU in the midseason. That was also incorrect, as Central Florida triumphed over SMU in the C-USA Championship Game. In the Sun Belt, both my preseason pick (Middle Tennessee) and mid season pick (Troy) at least made a bowl game, but it was Florida International that took the Conference after a mid-season win against Troy gave them the tiebreaker advantage. So, in the other confrences, my prediction average was a nifty .200.
National Championship Game: Originally, I picked Alabama to battle Boise State. Since they didn't even win their respective conferences, you already know that that is wrong. At midseason, I had the wisdom to switch to Oregon at least, but I still believed in the Broncos and not only predicted a spot in the title game, but for Boise State to be the 2010 National Champions. Well, at the end of the day, it is Oregon and Auburn in a battle of two explosive offenses. This should be an exciting game, provided the month long layoff doesn't make the two teams rusty. If I had to choose a winner, I would go with Oregon, as they seem to be more talented than Auburn. But I wouldn't be surprised Cam Newton wins the game by himself a la Vince Young in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
Heisman Trophy: Let's take a look at my preseason top five, along with my darkhorse pick:
1. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
2. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
3. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
4. Case Kessum, QB, Houston
5. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Dark Horse: John Brantley, QB, Florida
I am pleased to report that of the six players listed above did not receive one single vote for the Heisman Trophy in 2010. Ingram and Devine failed to clear the 1,000 yard mark, Brantley was ineffective and eventually benched, Kesssum was hurt, Locker disappointed and Pryor was good, but not great. My midseason pick of Denard Robinson started the season on fire, but faded down the stretch. Still, at least he got some votes. The only comfort I can take is that at least I was not alone in not picking Cam Newton for the Heisman. Heck, he was ranked seventh among SEC quarterbacks in the preseason. Anybody that says they picked Newton at the beginning of the season to win the Heisman and lead Auburn to a 13-0 record is a liar, unless I see evidence to the contrary.
Well, overall I did not do so well. Out of the 11 conferences, I correctly picked the winner of three of them at the beginning of the season (Virgina Tech in the ACC, Wisconsin in the Big 10, TCU in the Mountain West). After making some adjustments in midseason, I somehow did worse and only got two correct (TCU, Oregon in the Pac 10). All I can say is that it is a good thing I don't gamble on college football, because I would be broke, or moreso than I already am. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The Canon Review 2010 College Football Preview Midseason Review
Believe it or not, the 2010 College Football season is halfway over. So, with that in mind, it's time to take a look at my picks before the beginning of the season and see just how poorly I've done. In case you want to look back at those picks, you can click the link here.
ACC: Originally, I had Boston College and Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game at the end of the year. Well, Boston College has not done as well as I had hoped, as they have had issues at the quarterback position. As for Virginia Tech, they have had a disappointing season as well up to this point, but still are in the lead in the ACC Coastal Division and gave N.C. State their only loss. With Georgia Tech and Miami both having up-and-down seasons of their own, Virginia Tech is still in prime position to clinch the Coastal Division title. As for the Atlantic division, it looks as if it's shaping up to be a two team battle between N.C. State and Florida State, with the October 28th battle between the two likely to decide which team will play in the ACC Championship game. If I were a betting man, I'd say Florida State will be the team that emerges, and ultimately wins the ACC.
Big East: It's highly likely that the WAC and Mountain West Conferences are better than the Big East, but since the Big East winner has an automatic spot in the BCS, they're going to get more attention. The Big East has only one team ranked in the top 25, which just happens to be my preseason choice to win the conference, West Virginia. On one hand, West Virginia is only a 6-point loss to #9 LSU. On the other hand, West Virginia isn't as consistent as one would like, as a near-loss to Marshall clearly showed. Although West Virginia is the favorite, the race is still wide open, as there's time for early disappointments Pitt and Connecticut to right the ship, and the surprising Syracuse Orangemen could be a factor as well. Overall though, I still feel pretty confident that West Virginia will take the conference.
Big Ten: Wisconsin was my preseason pick to win the conference, and if they beat #1 Ohio State at home this Saturday, then the Badgers have quite a good shot at winning the Big Ten. It would be silly to count out the Buckeyes, as they really have only two tough games (at Wisconsin, at Iowa) standing between them and a perfect season. Michigan may have college football's most exciting player in QB Denard Robinson, but their defense is offensive, and will keep them from being a serious threat. Michigan State is the other undefeated team in the Big Ten (Ohio State is also undefeated), and they get a break by not playing Ohio State this year. Iowa was thought to be a serious contender at the beginning of the year, and with home games against both Michigan State and Ohio State, Iowa may still be the favorite to win the conference. At the end of the day, even though I picked against Ohio State at the beginning of the year, I find it hard to choose against them now. But I'm doing it anyway, as I'm just not convinced that they can run the table. Give me Iowa this time around.
Big Twelve: I picked Texas at the beginning of the year, and that's going to be wrong. The Longhorns already lost to Oklahoma and are big underdogs this Saturday against a Nebraska team still angry over last year's defeat to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. It looks like Nebraska and Oklahoma will represent the North and South divisions, respectively, in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, both teams should face major challenges from rivals Missouri and Oklahoma State, respectively, as both teams are also undefeated. When the dust clears, I expect Nebraska to finish their final season in the Big 12 as the conference champion.
Pac Ten: I must say that I was spectacularly wrong in picking Washington to win the conference this year, as they have clearly shown not to be a championship level team at this point. I also felt that the race would be wide-open all season with a number of quality teams contending for the crown. Well, while the Pac Ten does have a plethora of quality football teams, the #2 Oregon Ducks have emerged as the clear favorites, especially after their big win against then #9 Stanford earlier this season. Yes, Arizona is also a very good team, but not quite at the level of Oregon. If there is one team that could derail Oregon from a championship season, it could be the Ducks' rivals the Oregon State Beavers. Yes, the Beavers have lost two games this season, but both of those losses came on the road against top 5 teams (Boise State, TCU). Plus, the Beavers looked mighty impressive in dispatching Arizona last week, and Oregon has to come to their home stadium at the end of the year. If the Beavers get past Stanford the previous week, then we could be looking at a de facto Pac Ten title game in the final week of the season. With all that said, I'm still picking Oregon to win the conference.
SEC: Alabama's loss to South Carolina last Saturday shook up the whole landscape of the conference. In the East, South Carolina is in the lead, and is really the only team in that division playing at a high level. The team's biggest test left is a trip down to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators in a game likely to decide the Eastern Champion. Since both Florida and Georgia have disappointed, it may be the Gamecocks' year to finally play in the SEC Championship Game. In the West, Alabama's loss leaves LSU and Auburn as the two lone undefeated teams in the conference. You can make the argument that LSU has been more lucky than good, and we shall see in the next two weeks just how good the Tigers are as they play both Auburn and Alabama in back-to-back games. Auburn has been powered by QB Cam Newton and a top-notch offense, and could very well take the Western crown. It would also be unwise to count out Arkansas. However, Alabama, despite their loss last week, is still the best team in the conference, and will prove that by winning the West and avenging their loss to South Carolina in the SEC Championship game.
Other Conferences: In the WAC, preseason favorite Boise State has not disappointed, beating BCS teams Virginia Tech and Oregon State thus far and currently ranking #3 in the polls. The Broncos have a tough test upcoming against Nevada, but should be able to win the WAC once again. Over in the Mountain West conference, TCU has a battle on their hands with Utah, and the two would be BCS-busters meet November 6th in Utah and what is likely to be the only loss for one of these two teams, provided Air Force doesn't shock TCU and Utah between then. I picked TCU at the beginning of the year, and I will not change my mind now. In Conference USA, QB Case Kessum's season ending injury has put preseason favorite Houston in a difficult spot and has opened the door for a number of teams to step in. Right now, that team looks to be SMU, so that's who I'll go with. Even though I picked Temple to win the MAC at the beginning of the season, last week's lost to Northern Illinois has convinced me to go in a different direction, as now I feel Northern Illinois will be the MAC champs. In the Sun Belt conference, Troy crushed my preseason pick Middle Tennessee St. last week by a 29 point margin, and very little stands between Troy and a conference title.
National Championship: With Alabama losing last week, I have had to change my original pick, as I feel that at least two teams will go undefeated and leave Alabama out of the title game. I still have Boise State playing for the title, but I have replaced Alabama with Oregon. This might prove to be advantageous for the Broncos, as they beat the Ducks last season. That, and the fact that Boise State has proven it can beat top-notch competition on a regular basis, is why I'm picking Boise State to shock the world and win the 2010 National Championship.
Heisman Trophy: Well, my preseason pick of Washington QB Jake Locker did not work out so well. As for my other contenders, Ohio State QB Terelle Pryor has done everything expected of him, while West Virginia RB Noel Devine has been good, but not great so far. Alabama RB Mark Ingram has battle injuries this season, and Houston QB Case Kessum is now out for the season due to injury. My darkhorse was Florida QB John Brantley, and well, that's just not going to happen this year, as Brantley has struggled this year. The current favorites right now are Pryor and Michigan QB Denard Robinson, who in spite of his poor performance last week against Michigan State, has put together one heck of a season thus far. Boise State QB Kellen Moore is getting some consideration, as are the Oregon Ducks duo of RB Lamichael James and QB Darron Thomas. Other than Robinson, Auburn QB Cam Newton may be the most valuable player to his team so far this season. Also, QBs Ryan Mallet of Arkansas, Andrew Luck of Stanford, and Nebraska's dual threat Taylor Martinez all could win the trophy with a monster second half. Ultimately, it's Robinson's to lose at this point, as long as he doesn't have another game like last week's. If not Robinson, look for Pryor or James to take home the Heisman.
Well, thanks for reading. Hopefully the second half of the College Football season will be as interesting as the first, and hopefully the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will run the table from here on out. Remember, if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
ACC: Originally, I had Boston College and Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game at the end of the year. Well, Boston College has not done as well as I had hoped, as they have had issues at the quarterback position. As for Virginia Tech, they have had a disappointing season as well up to this point, but still are in the lead in the ACC Coastal Division and gave N.C. State their only loss. With Georgia Tech and Miami both having up-and-down seasons of their own, Virginia Tech is still in prime position to clinch the Coastal Division title. As for the Atlantic division, it looks as if it's shaping up to be a two team battle between N.C. State and Florida State, with the October 28th battle between the two likely to decide which team will play in the ACC Championship game. If I were a betting man, I'd say Florida State will be the team that emerges, and ultimately wins the ACC.
Big East: It's highly likely that the WAC and Mountain West Conferences are better than the Big East, but since the Big East winner has an automatic spot in the BCS, they're going to get more attention. The Big East has only one team ranked in the top 25, which just happens to be my preseason choice to win the conference, West Virginia. On one hand, West Virginia is only a 6-point loss to #9 LSU. On the other hand, West Virginia isn't as consistent as one would like, as a near-loss to Marshall clearly showed. Although West Virginia is the favorite, the race is still wide open, as there's time for early disappointments Pitt and Connecticut to right the ship, and the surprising Syracuse Orangemen could be a factor as well. Overall though, I still feel pretty confident that West Virginia will take the conference.
Big Ten: Wisconsin was my preseason pick to win the conference, and if they beat #1 Ohio State at home this Saturday, then the Badgers have quite a good shot at winning the Big Ten. It would be silly to count out the Buckeyes, as they really have only two tough games (at Wisconsin, at Iowa) standing between them and a perfect season. Michigan may have college football's most exciting player in QB Denard Robinson, but their defense is offensive, and will keep them from being a serious threat. Michigan State is the other undefeated team in the Big Ten (Ohio State is also undefeated), and they get a break by not playing Ohio State this year. Iowa was thought to be a serious contender at the beginning of the year, and with home games against both Michigan State and Ohio State, Iowa may still be the favorite to win the conference. At the end of the day, even though I picked against Ohio State at the beginning of the year, I find it hard to choose against them now. But I'm doing it anyway, as I'm just not convinced that they can run the table. Give me Iowa this time around.
Big Twelve: I picked Texas at the beginning of the year, and that's going to be wrong. The Longhorns already lost to Oklahoma and are big underdogs this Saturday against a Nebraska team still angry over last year's defeat to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. It looks like Nebraska and Oklahoma will represent the North and South divisions, respectively, in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, both teams should face major challenges from rivals Missouri and Oklahoma State, respectively, as both teams are also undefeated. When the dust clears, I expect Nebraska to finish their final season in the Big 12 as the conference champion.
Pac Ten: I must say that I was spectacularly wrong in picking Washington to win the conference this year, as they have clearly shown not to be a championship level team at this point. I also felt that the race would be wide-open all season with a number of quality teams contending for the crown. Well, while the Pac Ten does have a plethora of quality football teams, the #2 Oregon Ducks have emerged as the clear favorites, especially after their big win against then #9 Stanford earlier this season. Yes, Arizona is also a very good team, but not quite at the level of Oregon. If there is one team that could derail Oregon from a championship season, it could be the Ducks' rivals the Oregon State Beavers. Yes, the Beavers have lost two games this season, but both of those losses came on the road against top 5 teams (Boise State, TCU). Plus, the Beavers looked mighty impressive in dispatching Arizona last week, and Oregon has to come to their home stadium at the end of the year. If the Beavers get past Stanford the previous week, then we could be looking at a de facto Pac Ten title game in the final week of the season. With all that said, I'm still picking Oregon to win the conference.
SEC: Alabama's loss to South Carolina last Saturday shook up the whole landscape of the conference. In the East, South Carolina is in the lead, and is really the only team in that division playing at a high level. The team's biggest test left is a trip down to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators in a game likely to decide the Eastern Champion. Since both Florida and Georgia have disappointed, it may be the Gamecocks' year to finally play in the SEC Championship Game. In the West, Alabama's loss leaves LSU and Auburn as the two lone undefeated teams in the conference. You can make the argument that LSU has been more lucky than good, and we shall see in the next two weeks just how good the Tigers are as they play both Auburn and Alabama in back-to-back games. Auburn has been powered by QB Cam Newton and a top-notch offense, and could very well take the Western crown. It would also be unwise to count out Arkansas. However, Alabama, despite their loss last week, is still the best team in the conference, and will prove that by winning the West and avenging their loss to South Carolina in the SEC Championship game.
Other Conferences: In the WAC, preseason favorite Boise State has not disappointed, beating BCS teams Virginia Tech and Oregon State thus far and currently ranking #3 in the polls. The Broncos have a tough test upcoming against Nevada, but should be able to win the WAC once again. Over in the Mountain West conference, TCU has a battle on their hands with Utah, and the two would be BCS-busters meet November 6th in Utah and what is likely to be the only loss for one of these two teams, provided Air Force doesn't shock TCU and Utah between then. I picked TCU at the beginning of the year, and I will not change my mind now. In Conference USA, QB Case Kessum's season ending injury has put preseason favorite Houston in a difficult spot and has opened the door for a number of teams to step in. Right now, that team looks to be SMU, so that's who I'll go with. Even though I picked Temple to win the MAC at the beginning of the season, last week's lost to Northern Illinois has convinced me to go in a different direction, as now I feel Northern Illinois will be the MAC champs. In the Sun Belt conference, Troy crushed my preseason pick Middle Tennessee St. last week by a 29 point margin, and very little stands between Troy and a conference title.
National Championship: With Alabama losing last week, I have had to change my original pick, as I feel that at least two teams will go undefeated and leave Alabama out of the title game. I still have Boise State playing for the title, but I have replaced Alabama with Oregon. This might prove to be advantageous for the Broncos, as they beat the Ducks last season. That, and the fact that Boise State has proven it can beat top-notch competition on a regular basis, is why I'm picking Boise State to shock the world and win the 2010 National Championship.
Heisman Trophy: Well, my preseason pick of Washington QB Jake Locker did not work out so well. As for my other contenders, Ohio State QB Terelle Pryor has done everything expected of him, while West Virginia RB Noel Devine has been good, but not great so far. Alabama RB Mark Ingram has battle injuries this season, and Houston QB Case Kessum is now out for the season due to injury. My darkhorse was Florida QB John Brantley, and well, that's just not going to happen this year, as Brantley has struggled this year. The current favorites right now are Pryor and Michigan QB Denard Robinson, who in spite of his poor performance last week against Michigan State, has put together one heck of a season thus far. Boise State QB Kellen Moore is getting some consideration, as are the Oregon Ducks duo of RB Lamichael James and QB Darron Thomas. Other than Robinson, Auburn QB Cam Newton may be the most valuable player to his team so far this season. Also, QBs Ryan Mallet of Arkansas, Andrew Luck of Stanford, and Nebraska's dual threat Taylor Martinez all could win the trophy with a monster second half. Ultimately, it's Robinson's to lose at this point, as long as he doesn't have another game like last week's. If not Robinson, look for Pryor or James to take home the Heisman.
Well, thanks for reading. Hopefully the second half of the College Football season will be as interesting as the first, and hopefully the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will run the table from here on out. Remember, if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Your Canon Review 2010 College Football Preview Extravaganza
Today marks the start of the 2010 College Football season. Normally, I'm pretty pumped about the start of a new season, but this year it seems like the college football season has sneaked up on me for whatever reason, so I'm not quite as excited as usual. Heck, it almost seems as if the NBA Finals just ended last week. I guess that time really does fly. Anyway, with the start of the college football season at hand, I decided to make a few predictions and see if any of them will hold up at the end of the season. Below are my picks for each conference champion, my prediction for the National Championship and winner, and my Heisman Trophy prediction. Let's get this started, shall we?
ACC: The good news is that the ACC seems to have more quality teams this year than in recent years, but don't expect any team from the conference to compete for a National Title. In the Atlantic division. Clemson has a talented defense but must replace All-American running back C.J. Spiller. Florida State returns All-ACC Quarterback Christian Ponder, but it might take more than a year to rebuild the defense, which was just awful last year. I expect Boston College to represent the Atlantic division in the ACC Title Game. RB Montez Harris is a premier playmaker, and an already tough defense gets a big boost from All-American LB Mark Herzlich's return from his bout with cancer. In the Coastal division, there are four teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the conference. Defending champ Georgia Tech returns playmaking QB Josh Nesbitt, but may have lost too many quality players to repeat this year. Miami has talent all over the field, but it remains to be seen if they can show consistency throughout the season. North Carolina may have the most talented team in the conference, but an offseason full of off-the-field issues may keep some of that talent, including star DT Marvin Austin and WR Greg Little, off the field. Virginia Tech is my pick not only to win the Coastal Division, but to also win the conference as a whole. Offensively, they have two running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans that have 1,000 yard seasons in their college career, while Tyrod Taylor is a playmaker at quarterback. Defensively, they only return four starters, but head coach Frank Beamer and Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster are two of the best and the business, and they should be able to build yet another strong defense in Blacksburg.
Big East: There are four teams with a legitimate shot at taking home the crown this year, but don't expect the National Champion to come from this conference. Defending champion Cincinnati has a new head coach and lost a lot of players from last year's team, but QB Zach Collars should be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. This may be Connecticut's best chance at winning a Big East crown, as they have a lot of returning starters coming back and RB Jordan Todman is one of the best in the nation. Even though Pitt lost to Utah tonight, they are too talented to dismiss from contention at this point, and RB Dion Lewis is a bonafide Heisman candidate. My pick, however, is West Virginia. Yes, they have questions at quarterback, but with receivers Jock Sanders and hotshot freshman Ivan McCartney, as well as Heisman candidate RB Noel Devine, the offense should be potent enough to complement a solid defense and bring coach Bill Stewart his first conference title.
Big Ten: Every team in the conference outside of Minnesota should have a decent chance at making a bowl game this year, but realistically there are only three teams with a legitimate shot at winning the conference this year. Ohio State is being thought of as a National Championship contender, and with good reason, as QB Terrelle Pryor leads a talented offense that complements their always stout defense. However, Ohio State has a tough schedule, playing Miami next week and other Big Ten powerhouses Iowa and Wisconsin on the road. Iowa, who wrapped up a stellar season last year with a win in the Orange Bowl, brings back a tough defense led by All-American DE Adrian Clayborn, but QB Ricky Stanzi must be more consistent this year. Wisconsin has a potential All-American in RB John Clay and a solid defense led by S Jay Valvi and LB Chris Borland, which I feel will be enough to get the Badgers the Big Ten title.
Big Twelve: Nebraska will win the Big 12 North, of this I am sure. Even though they lost DT Ndamukong Suh and their quarterback situation is questionable at best, the talent on the defensive side of the ball alone should be enough for Nebraska to steamroll over the other Big 12 North teams, escepially since Missouri recently dismissed RB Derrick Washington from their team. In the Big 12 South, it should once again be a battle between Texas and Oklahoma, although Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson may be good enough to upset a few of the big boys of the Big 12. Oklahoma has a strong defensive line, and with playmakers such as RB Demarco Murray and WR Ryan Broyles, they will be able to put up points. Texas lost a large amount of players, but as the saying goes, they don't rebuild, they reload. If QB Garrett Gilbert lives up to the hype, and I believe he will, than Texas will repeat as Big 12 champions.
Pac-Ten: The most wide open of the Power conferences this year, as there are six teams with a good shot at taking the title home. Defending champ Oregon has had a rough offseason, but with RB LaMichael James and DE Kenny Rowe leading a veteran team, the Ducks still must be taken seriously. USC still has oodles of talent on both sides of the ball, but a lack of depth could submarine Lane Kiffin's first season as head coach of the Trojans. Arizona has eight returning starters on offense, including QB Nick Foles, but in order to win the Wildcats must overcome an inexperienced defense. Stanford is led by QB Andrew Luck and coach Jim Harbaugh, two men many expect will be in the NFL sooner rather than later, but like Arizona, must become better on defense. Oregon State has two potential All-Americans in WR James Rodgers and RB Jacquizz Rodgers, and yes they are both brothers. If QB Ryan Katz develops quickly and if Oregon State can survive a tough early schedule, than the Beavers have a good shot. My pick, however, is Washington. QB Jake Locker is the best player in the conference and may be the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he is surronded by top notch skill players on offense. They have to get better defensively, but in a wide-open race, Locker and company will put up enough points and restore the Washington program to its previous heights.
SEC: In the West division, defending National Champion Alabama has to be the choice here. Yes Arkansas has Heisman candidate QB Ryan Mallett, and Auburn and LSU are tough teams as well. But the Crimson Tide are just too talented, with a core led by Heisman winner RB Mark Ingram and LB Donta Hightower. In the East, some are picking South Carolina as a potential dark horse, and they did look good tonight against Southern Miss. But I have a hard time believing that QB Stephen Garcia can lead the Gamecocks to glory, and coach Steve Spurrier may feel the same way. That basically leaves Florida and Georgia. While Georgia WR A.J. Green is a beast, and the offensive line is among the best in the nation, the Bulldogs may have a hard time adjusting to the new 3-4 scheme on defense. Plus, it would help if the Bulldogs didn't have a player arrested every week. That leaves Florida, who lost QB/Savior Tim Tebow and a host of other talented players, but coach Urban Meyer has a whole bunch of talented players willing to show what they can do, and they should do well enough to get to the SEC Championship Game. However, nobody's going to beat out Alabama this year, barring major injuries or suspensions, of course.
Other Confrences: Boise State and TCU are preseason top-10 teams who some feel have a shot at the National Championship. Therefore, it stands to reason that they are my picks to win the Wac and Mountain West conferences respectively. However, TCU will face a challenge from Utah and BYU on the way. In the MAC, Temple, led by sophomore sensation RB Bernard Prince, should be able to win that conference. Houston has the best team and the best player (QB Case Kessum), so they should be able to win the conference. Although, SMU and UCF may have something to say about that. In the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee St., led by dual-threat QB Dwight Dasher, should win easily if Dasher isn't suspended due to off-field issues. If he misses too many games, look for Troy to become the favorite.
National Championship Game: Boise State comes in to the season ranked number 3, and many people believe that if they get past Virginia Tech on Monday Night, they have a wide open path to the National Championship game provided that two or more major conference teams do not finished undefeated. Well, I'm going to say that the Broncos beat Virginia Tech and everybody else in their path, and will play for all the marbles. But the dream will end there, as Alabama becomes the first repeat national champion since the 1994-95 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Heisman Trophy: Well, if my PAC-10 prediction comes true, than Washington QB Jake Locker will have to put together a Heisman worthy season. Of course, you can't count out last year's winner, Alabama RB Mark Ingram. West Virginia RB Noel Devine and Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis also could easily put together huge seasons, and don't be surprised if Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Houston QB Case Kessum makes a run at the trophy as well. The preseason favorite seems to be Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, but I'll go slightly against the grain and select Jake Locker as the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. The top 5 contenders are:
1. Locker
2. Pryor
3. Devine
4. Kessum
5. Ingram
Dark Horse: Florida QB John Brantley.
Well, that was a little longer than I expected, but what can you do? Over the next few months, it will be fun to see whether I hit any of my predictions, or the 2010 College Football season proceeds to make me look like a fool. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
ACC: The good news is that the ACC seems to have more quality teams this year than in recent years, but don't expect any team from the conference to compete for a National Title. In the Atlantic division. Clemson has a talented defense but must replace All-American running back C.J. Spiller. Florida State returns All-ACC Quarterback Christian Ponder, but it might take more than a year to rebuild the defense, which was just awful last year. I expect Boston College to represent the Atlantic division in the ACC Title Game. RB Montez Harris is a premier playmaker, and an already tough defense gets a big boost from All-American LB Mark Herzlich's return from his bout with cancer. In the Coastal division, there are four teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the conference. Defending champ Georgia Tech returns playmaking QB Josh Nesbitt, but may have lost too many quality players to repeat this year. Miami has talent all over the field, but it remains to be seen if they can show consistency throughout the season. North Carolina may have the most talented team in the conference, but an offseason full of off-the-field issues may keep some of that talent, including star DT Marvin Austin and WR Greg Little, off the field. Virginia Tech is my pick not only to win the Coastal Division, but to also win the conference as a whole. Offensively, they have two running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans that have 1,000 yard seasons in their college career, while Tyrod Taylor is a playmaker at quarterback. Defensively, they only return four starters, but head coach Frank Beamer and Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster are two of the best and the business, and they should be able to build yet another strong defense in Blacksburg.
Big East: There are four teams with a legitimate shot at taking home the crown this year, but don't expect the National Champion to come from this conference. Defending champion Cincinnati has a new head coach and lost a lot of players from last year's team, but QB Zach Collars should be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. This may be Connecticut's best chance at winning a Big East crown, as they have a lot of returning starters coming back and RB Jordan Todman is one of the best in the nation. Even though Pitt lost to Utah tonight, they are too talented to dismiss from contention at this point, and RB Dion Lewis is a bonafide Heisman candidate. My pick, however, is West Virginia. Yes, they have questions at quarterback, but with receivers Jock Sanders and hotshot freshman Ivan McCartney, as well as Heisman candidate RB Noel Devine, the offense should be potent enough to complement a solid defense and bring coach Bill Stewart his first conference title.
Big Ten: Every team in the conference outside of Minnesota should have a decent chance at making a bowl game this year, but realistically there are only three teams with a legitimate shot at winning the conference this year. Ohio State is being thought of as a National Championship contender, and with good reason, as QB Terrelle Pryor leads a talented offense that complements their always stout defense. However, Ohio State has a tough schedule, playing Miami next week and other Big Ten powerhouses Iowa and Wisconsin on the road. Iowa, who wrapped up a stellar season last year with a win in the Orange Bowl, brings back a tough defense led by All-American DE Adrian Clayborn, but QB Ricky Stanzi must be more consistent this year. Wisconsin has a potential All-American in RB John Clay and a solid defense led by S Jay Valvi and LB Chris Borland, which I feel will be enough to get the Badgers the Big Ten title.
Big Twelve: Nebraska will win the Big 12 North, of this I am sure. Even though they lost DT Ndamukong Suh and their quarterback situation is questionable at best, the talent on the defensive side of the ball alone should be enough for Nebraska to steamroll over the other Big 12 North teams, escepially since Missouri recently dismissed RB Derrick Washington from their team. In the Big 12 South, it should once again be a battle between Texas and Oklahoma, although Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson may be good enough to upset a few of the big boys of the Big 12. Oklahoma has a strong defensive line, and with playmakers such as RB Demarco Murray and WR Ryan Broyles, they will be able to put up points. Texas lost a large amount of players, but as the saying goes, they don't rebuild, they reload. If QB Garrett Gilbert lives up to the hype, and I believe he will, than Texas will repeat as Big 12 champions.
Pac-Ten: The most wide open of the Power conferences this year, as there are six teams with a good shot at taking the title home. Defending champ Oregon has had a rough offseason, but with RB LaMichael James and DE Kenny Rowe leading a veteran team, the Ducks still must be taken seriously. USC still has oodles of talent on both sides of the ball, but a lack of depth could submarine Lane Kiffin's first season as head coach of the Trojans. Arizona has eight returning starters on offense, including QB Nick Foles, but in order to win the Wildcats must overcome an inexperienced defense. Stanford is led by QB Andrew Luck and coach Jim Harbaugh, two men many expect will be in the NFL sooner rather than later, but like Arizona, must become better on defense. Oregon State has two potential All-Americans in WR James Rodgers and RB Jacquizz Rodgers, and yes they are both brothers. If QB Ryan Katz develops quickly and if Oregon State can survive a tough early schedule, than the Beavers have a good shot. My pick, however, is Washington. QB Jake Locker is the best player in the conference and may be the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he is surronded by top notch skill players on offense. They have to get better defensively, but in a wide-open race, Locker and company will put up enough points and restore the Washington program to its previous heights.
SEC: In the West division, defending National Champion Alabama has to be the choice here. Yes Arkansas has Heisman candidate QB Ryan Mallett, and Auburn and LSU are tough teams as well. But the Crimson Tide are just too talented, with a core led by Heisman winner RB Mark Ingram and LB Donta Hightower. In the East, some are picking South Carolina as a potential dark horse, and they did look good tonight against Southern Miss. But I have a hard time believing that QB Stephen Garcia can lead the Gamecocks to glory, and coach Steve Spurrier may feel the same way. That basically leaves Florida and Georgia. While Georgia WR A.J. Green is a beast, and the offensive line is among the best in the nation, the Bulldogs may have a hard time adjusting to the new 3-4 scheme on defense. Plus, it would help if the Bulldogs didn't have a player arrested every week. That leaves Florida, who lost QB/Savior Tim Tebow and a host of other talented players, but coach Urban Meyer has a whole bunch of talented players willing to show what they can do, and they should do well enough to get to the SEC Championship Game. However, nobody's going to beat out Alabama this year, barring major injuries or suspensions, of course.
Other Confrences: Boise State and TCU are preseason top-10 teams who some feel have a shot at the National Championship. Therefore, it stands to reason that they are my picks to win the Wac and Mountain West conferences respectively. However, TCU will face a challenge from Utah and BYU on the way. In the MAC, Temple, led by sophomore sensation RB Bernard Prince, should be able to win that conference. Houston has the best team and the best player (QB Case Kessum), so they should be able to win the conference. Although, SMU and UCF may have something to say about that. In the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee St., led by dual-threat QB Dwight Dasher, should win easily if Dasher isn't suspended due to off-field issues. If he misses too many games, look for Troy to become the favorite.
National Championship Game: Boise State comes in to the season ranked number 3, and many people believe that if they get past Virginia Tech on Monday Night, they have a wide open path to the National Championship game provided that two or more major conference teams do not finished undefeated. Well, I'm going to say that the Broncos beat Virginia Tech and everybody else in their path, and will play for all the marbles. But the dream will end there, as Alabama becomes the first repeat national champion since the 1994-95 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Heisman Trophy: Well, if my PAC-10 prediction comes true, than Washington QB Jake Locker will have to put together a Heisman worthy season. Of course, you can't count out last year's winner, Alabama RB Mark Ingram. West Virginia RB Noel Devine and Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis also could easily put together huge seasons, and don't be surprised if Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Houston QB Case Kessum makes a run at the trophy as well. The preseason favorite seems to be Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, but I'll go slightly against the grain and select Jake Locker as the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. The top 5 contenders are:
1. Locker
2. Pryor
3. Devine
4. Kessum
5. Ingram
Dark Horse: Florida QB John Brantley.
Well, that was a little longer than I expected, but what can you do? Over the next few months, it will be fun to see whether I hit any of my predictions, or the 2010 College Football season proceeds to make me look like a fool. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Canon MST3K Review: The Giant Spider Invasion
With a name like The Giant Spider Invasion, you expect that giant spiders will invade Earth and cause a ruckus. Well, in that aspect this movie did not disappoint. However, the movie did manage to disappoint in nearly every other way possible. Yet The Giant Spider Invasion is one of those movies that is so bad that it's good, and made for a rather humorous episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The Giant Spider Invasion was made in 1975 and was directed by Bill Rebane, who made a career out of directing low budget horror films like this one. The movie stars a bunch of people that made their living doing guest spots on TV shows and playing small roles in movies, including Alan Hale (The Skipper on "Gilligan's Island") and Barbara Hale (no relation, but she did play the role of Della Street in the Perry Mason series). A few notes about this episode, and yes there are spoilers ahead:
- The movie takes a while to get going, choosing to introduce the characters of the film before the spiders start their invasion. This isn't a bad idea, however, the characters are so unlikeable that I just couldn't wait for the spiders to start killing people off. The worst of which is white-trash farmer Dan Kester (Robert Easton), who cheats on his wife, and tries to bed his much younger sister-in-law all in one night. His wife, Ev (Leslie Parrish), is a woman that is either drinking some alcoholic beverage or offering sarcastic remarks towards her husband, although it's hard to blame her considering the lout she's married to. Then there's the sherrif (Alan Hale), who seems like a pleasant enough fellow but spends the entire movie either eating or telling bad jokes or on the phone. Not to mention the stuck-up sexist NASA scientist Dr. J.R. Vance (Steve Brodie), who looks like a heavier Mean Gene Okerlund with a bad rug on his head, and sucks as a scientist to boot.
- The movie starts off with a giant explosion that takes place in Dan Kester's pasture at night. Dan, being the genius that he is, decides that now would be a good time to crash the bed instead of checking out the GIANT EXPLOSION on his property. At the very least, he could have got the heck out of there. Then again, I probably would have done the same thing. There's a man who crashes his motorcycle, and then something happens to him. You can't tell what, because the camera shot has no light whatsoever, and this would not be the first time that the film was shot in almost complete darkness.
- So, with a giant crash out in the middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin, NASA decides to send it's top man, Mean Gen, I mean, J.R. Vance, to meet with a Dr. Langer (Barbara Hale). This leads to a hilarious scene where the two meet, and Vance assumes that he's meeting Dr. Langer's husband, then her father, than her brother, before finally Dr. Jenny Langer informes the pig that it is actually she that has the appointment with a dumbfounded Vance. I guess J.R. Vance is a man from a simpler time, where women weren't astronomers and stay at home in the kitchen. Personally, I was hoping that Langer would slug Vance, but no such luck. Unfortunately, that was the last interesting scene in the movie involving the two until the end.
- Eventually, the giant spider makes his appearance after a subplot of the farmer and his wife finding that all their cattle have been mutilated, but they found diamonds in some rocks (Of course, they failed to notice the spiders that were in each rock, to the point where Ev fixed herself a Bloody Mary without noticing the spiders in the blender.) Normally, I'm not the type of person that roots for the monster or bad guy in films, but in this case, I was cheering for the Giant Spider as if the Falcons scored a touchdown. First the spider kills off Ev, which is unfortunate but not a big loss, but then the Spider disposes of both Dan and his lecherous Charles Manson look-a-like cousin Billy. The spider should have been given an award from the townspeople for that alone.
- The giant 'spider' in this film was actually a bunch of spider legs around a Volkswagen Beetle. In one scene where the spider attacks a slow-pitch softball game, you can actually see the tire tracks the 'spider' leaves behind in its wake. Well, at least it's better than some crappy CGI image of a giant spider that would be used in a film like this today.
Overall, this movie has a lot of issues. For one, there are multiple scenes where Alan Hale is talking on the phone with someone and you're supposed to hear what's being said, but the audio is so low that you can't make out what they are saying. There's a couple of other scenes where you can't hear what the characters are saying, and there are quite a few scenes that are so dark that there's no telling what's actually happening. The effects are cheesy at best, the acting is mostly second rate, and the plot is easy enough to follow, but full of holes. Nevertheless, it's such a cheesy movie that it's actually quite funny even without the digs given by Mike and the Bots, and there are certainly worse movies to watch. Overall, the movie would get about a 2.9 out of 10, but the episode is a solid 7 out of 10. Remember, if you have any ideas for future reviews, or comments about this or previous reviews, then send them to me either by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com or by leaving a comment on the blog.
- The movie takes a while to get going, choosing to introduce the characters of the film before the spiders start their invasion. This isn't a bad idea, however, the characters are so unlikeable that I just couldn't wait for the spiders to start killing people off. The worst of which is white-trash farmer Dan Kester (Robert Easton), who cheats on his wife, and tries to bed his much younger sister-in-law all in one night. His wife, Ev (Leslie Parrish), is a woman that is either drinking some alcoholic beverage or offering sarcastic remarks towards her husband, although it's hard to blame her considering the lout she's married to. Then there's the sherrif (Alan Hale), who seems like a pleasant enough fellow but spends the entire movie either eating or telling bad jokes or on the phone. Not to mention the stuck-up sexist NASA scientist Dr. J.R. Vance (Steve Brodie), who looks like a heavier Mean Gene Okerlund with a bad rug on his head, and sucks as a scientist to boot.
- The movie starts off with a giant explosion that takes place in Dan Kester's pasture at night. Dan, being the genius that he is, decides that now would be a good time to crash the bed instead of checking out the GIANT EXPLOSION on his property. At the very least, he could have got the heck out of there. Then again, I probably would have done the same thing. There's a man who crashes his motorcycle, and then something happens to him. You can't tell what, because the camera shot has no light whatsoever, and this would not be the first time that the film was shot in almost complete darkness.
- So, with a giant crash out in the middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin, NASA decides to send it's top man, Mean Gen, I mean, J.R. Vance, to meet with a Dr. Langer (Barbara Hale). This leads to a hilarious scene where the two meet, and Vance assumes that he's meeting Dr. Langer's husband, then her father, than her brother, before finally Dr. Jenny Langer informes the pig that it is actually she that has the appointment with a dumbfounded Vance. I guess J.R. Vance is a man from a simpler time, where women weren't astronomers and stay at home in the kitchen. Personally, I was hoping that Langer would slug Vance, but no such luck. Unfortunately, that was the last interesting scene in the movie involving the two until the end.
- Eventually, the giant spider makes his appearance after a subplot of the farmer and his wife finding that all their cattle have been mutilated, but they found diamonds in some rocks (Of course, they failed to notice the spiders that were in each rock, to the point where Ev fixed herself a Bloody Mary without noticing the spiders in the blender.) Normally, I'm not the type of person that roots for the monster or bad guy in films, but in this case, I was cheering for the Giant Spider as if the Falcons scored a touchdown. First the spider kills off Ev, which is unfortunate but not a big loss, but then the Spider disposes of both Dan and his lecherous Charles Manson look-a-like cousin Billy. The spider should have been given an award from the townspeople for that alone.
- The giant 'spider' in this film was actually a bunch of spider legs around a Volkswagen Beetle. In one scene where the spider attacks a slow-pitch softball game, you can actually see the tire tracks the 'spider' leaves behind in its wake. Well, at least it's better than some crappy CGI image of a giant spider that would be used in a film like this today.
Overall, this movie has a lot of issues. For one, there are multiple scenes where Alan Hale is talking on the phone with someone and you're supposed to hear what's being said, but the audio is so low that you can't make out what they are saying. There's a couple of other scenes where you can't hear what the characters are saying, and there are quite a few scenes that are so dark that there's no telling what's actually happening. The effects are cheesy at best, the acting is mostly second rate, and the plot is easy enough to follow, but full of holes. Nevertheless, it's such a cheesy movie that it's actually quite funny even without the digs given by Mike and the Bots, and there are certainly worse movies to watch. Overall, the movie would get about a 2.9 out of 10, but the episode is a solid 7 out of 10. Remember, if you have any ideas for future reviews, or comments about this or previous reviews, then send them to me either by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com or by leaving a comment on the blog.
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