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Top Ten Things I’m Thankful for in 2011

November 23, 2011 By 1 Comment

Thankful

This article has become somewhat of a tradition for me at CFTT.  I love doing it really.  Sometimes, we need to stop and reflect on those things in life that are a blessing when our lives are so hectic and busy.  You never know when you might not be here.  It is so easy to complain and be upset with so many things.  In light of that, I am always in awe of friends who work to make life better for others, setting aside their own problems.

You can review my previous “Thankful” articles.  The first one I wrote was in 2007.  The next one was in 2008.   I skipped 2009 because it was a very hard year.  I resumed the “Tankful” articles in 2010 in two parts.  It will be just a one part article this year.  Bear with me.

A place to sleep

I am under no illusions.  I could be homeless.  We all could at any moment.  Thankfully I am not, but had circumstances been different for me, I might be today.  I am thankful for having a place to sleep.

In that light, I am thankful for those who minister to the homeless.  It is really a thankless job.  No one really cares except for a few very loving, dedicated people.  There is Aaron in Little Rock, AR who works with the homeless camps.  Further, what is really heart

Aaron Reddin

Aaron Reddin (left) from the Van

breaking, is that homelessness effects so many of our Veterans as well as children. The people who work with and for the homeless are my heroes!

Diverse Friends

I am so fortunate to have friends all over the country.  I am also fortunate that they are diverse.  My friends are single parents, musicians, tech geeks, sports fans, art lovers, black, white, and other assorted ethnicities.  I learn so much from my friends who have different view points and backgrounds as mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Too many friends that look “like me” only makes me inward focused and keeps me from learning how to view life from another vantage point.

Hyundai (My Car)

I got a new (to me) car in 2011.  It is a Hyundai, and I am real impressed with my Sonota.  If you’re looking for a new car, you might want to check them out.

Health

In spite of some ongoing issues, I am reasonably healthy.  I am healthy enough to go to work and create things such as websites and blog posts.  I am thankful for that.  I have had a lot of issues in the past 15 years, but it’s not enough to keep me down.  I am fortunate.

Virtual Mentors

I have been educated the past three or four years, and I have not gone back to school to do it.  I’ve learned a lot about running blogs and websites and using social media from a whole host of “virtual mentors.”  I am very thankful for them!

Pumpkins!

the source for pumpkin pie :)

Pumpkin

This goes without saying.  I love pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread.  Pumpkin can be described as a hybrid between a vegetable and a fruit, yet, some how, we turn it in to one of the best pies!

Cats

I know most guys like dogs, and I also like dogs, but, for me, I have always loved cats.  Cats have also always liked me.  I think cats are some of the prettiest animals on this planet.

Grace

I need a lot of grace, and I am thankful for it.  Both from God and my family and friends!

Family

I love my family and am thankful for them.  I am really thankful I get to be near them again and spend time with them.  My nephew and nieces are growing up and I am getting to see them mature in to young men and women.

My writers at Dfwfootball

Many of you have visited Dfwfootball.net.  This website/blog has done real well the past year, and the difference has been the addition of Chase Rader, Roger Corralez and Daniel Durany.  These guys have contributed a great deal of time and labor to help this become a much more efficient blog.  We started a podcast recently, and the things that are in store for Dfwfootball is fun to think about.

None of it is possible without Roger, Daniel and Chase  Thanks guys!

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens

CFTT Top Ten Week 13: BCS Chaos turns in to Nightmare

November 20, 2011 By 2 Comments
Razorbacks

Flickr/fayettevilleflyer

Ah, BCS Chaos.  The guys from the Bowl Championship Series like to say that the chaos is what makes the BCS exciting, but this might be a bit much.  With a host of one-loss teams sitting behind LSU and Oklahoma State waiting to make an argument for who should play in the title game, it got real interesting real fast.

It wasn’t enough that Oklahoma State loss in Ames, IA on one of the saddest days in the history of the school, but Oklahoma lost in the final few seconds in Waco against Baylor and Oregon lost at home to a surging, yet ineligible, USC team.  Just like that, we have lost the best of the rest to multiple losses, and no on really knows who will play in January for the title.

Further, the Hogs, Arkansas that is, should be celebrating its chance to make the BCS title game after knocking off Mississippi State and setting up a showdown with LSU in Baton Rouge this week, but one of its players inexplicably past away on Sunday.  Suddenly, the thought of a BCS title does not seem so important.  Hog and Cowboy fans are mourning.

Finally, it’s safe to say that the SEC West is by far the toughest division in the entire country.  Now, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas are 1-2-3 in the polls.  That is ridiculous.

So, this thing is not decided by a long shot.  Hang on for the ride, and until we have a playoff, this is what we will get every year.

1.  LSU

2.  Alabama

3.  Arkansas

4. Virginia Tech – The Hokies will want that game back with Clemson, and just might get it in the ACC Title game. First, they have to win at the ranked Virginia Cavaliers.

5. Stanford- What do I do with these guys.  They actually lost to Oregon but beat the same USC team that Oregon failed to beat home.

6. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys loss at Iowa State isn’t quite as bad as it looks.  It’s always tough to play at someone else’s place. It was a tough day for the Cowboys on Friday.  The Cowboys may bounce back big against the Sooners.

7. Houston - The Cougars dominated a good SMU team with the pressure of ESPN Gameday on campus.  Next, they go to Tulsa to finish off the C-USA West Division. Then, on to the C-USA Title Game and then on to a BCS Bowl game.

8. Oregon – The Ducks are probably the best of the 2 loss teams. They might have been heading to a straight national title game had they not lost to USC at home. Of course, they way this year is playing out, they still might get there.

9. Georgia – The Dogs are one of the hottest teams in the country. They will make for a dangerous opponent in the SEC title game.  Whichever team goes from the SEC West better bring their A game.

10. Oklahoma – First the Sooners turn in a inexplicable performance against Texas Tech at home, and then they failed to take Baylor seriously in Waco. They have to go to Stillwater next weekend, and, while I know they will be ready, it might not be enough.  Passing teams seem to bother them.

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CFTT Top Ten Week 12: And then there were two . . . well, three

November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Boone Pickens Stadium

Flickr.com/Jesse Wilson

This past weekend helped us ironed out some uncertainties in the BCS.  No really, it did!

Now we are down to two contenders and one BCS Buster, and the Buster ain’t (yes I said ain’t) who you think.

With a BCS game on the line in the Fall chill air of Boise, ID, the Broncos left it all up to a walk on kicker, and the pressure got to him as he pushed the kick to the right.  The game was a great game between Boise State and TCU, an epic battle of two conference powerhouses.  I hoped you DVR’d it, because they will not be conference rivals next season as TCU leaves to go to the Big XII.  Casey Pachall established him as an emerging superstore in Fort Worth, and it will be interesting to see how he delivers over the next couple of years for the Horned Frogs.  Boise fails the BCS test for the second year in a row.

And now, the new BCS Buster is . . . . . the Houston Cougars.  That’s right, the only other major team left with an unbeaten record is Case Keenum and company from Houston.  They are dominating the C-USA right now and heading for a showdown against Southern Miss for the C-USA title.  First, the Cougars have to play SMU and Tulsa to complete the perfect regular season.  Win out, and the Cougars will get some BCS money and a little bragging rights for the C-USA.

The two left who have the best chance of playing for the BCS Championship is the LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.  All each team needs to do is win out.  Yep, that’s easier said than done.  Both teams have games left with premium teams.  If either team loses, well then, we will just have to endure another pageant.

1.  LSU- The Tigers woke up in the second half against a much improved Western Kentucky team.

2. Oklahoma State - Some think that Iowa State is a possible trap game for the Cowboys. The game is Ames.  What do you think?

3.  Alabama – The Tide bounced back with a road win against Mississippi State.  They have a money game left before the Iron Bowl.

4.  Arkansas – The Hogs have quietly moved up in the polls.  The Razorbacks have shook off a loss at Alabama, injuries and some very slow starts along with two straight road games starting at 11:20 am.  They put it all together this past weekend against Tennessee.

5. Oregon – The Ducks are the best of the Pac 12, and once they finish everyone off, they get a chance to see if they can slide in to the BCS Championship game for a second year in a row.

6. Oklahoma – The Sooners are at Baylor and home against Iowa State.  Then comes the Bedlam Series with the other Oklahoma team.

7. Clemson – The Tigers have unfinished business.  First, finish off the ACC, then beat their longtime in-state rival, South Carolina.  Then, probably a rematch with Virginia Tech.

8. Virginia Tech – The Hokies know this season is far from over.  Can they get another shot at Clemson?

9. Stanford - The Cardinal is a good team.  However, they haven’t seen anything like Oregon.  One loss is not bad.

10. Houston – The Cougars are the top non BCS team.  They are 10-0 with some pretty tough games left on the schedule.  Their offense is a machine.  The Cougars average 628.8 total yards per game.  Insane!

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , , ,

CFTT Top Ten Week 11: The Chaos begins for the BCS

November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Boise State's blue turf

Flickr: @andrewghayes

It began a few weeks ago when Oklahoma forgot they had a game and Texas Tech came in and knocked them off.  They followed that up with a beat down of Kansas State.  With those two games, there were two less undefeated teams.  The build up had begun to find out who would be the SEC representative in the BCS National Championship Game.  LSU and Alabama just played the “Game of the Century” without either team scoring a touchdown!

Now, it’s just LSU left in the SEC.  They have the inside track to the BCS Title Game, right?  Oh, but here is where things get interesting.  LSU still has games left including Arkansas whom they have a tendency to have a letdown against.  Three of the past four games the Razorbacks came away with the victory including one when the Tigers were ranked, well, number one.

OU will play Oklahoma State.  What’s going to happen there?

Now, in the Pac 12, Stanford still has to play a surging Oregon Duck football team.  Oh, this could get interesting.  What if all of the contenders lose?

What if Boise is the only undefeated team when the dust settles?

hmmm. . . . . .

1.  LSU--The Tigers are at the top.  Can they stay there?

2. Oklahoma State–The Cowboys have their best shot at a national championship.  They are a slow starting team but they have shown great resolve and are explosive in the second half.

3. Stanford–The Cardinal continue to win and have made it to their biggest game with Oregon without a loss.  Find the game, it’s for the Pac 12 title and shot in the national championship game.

4. Alabama–The Tide made some mental and coaching errors costing them the game against LSU.  They can only hope they get another shot.  They will be Razorback fans in a few weeks.

5.  Boise State–If they Broncos beat TCU and win out, they will have another BCS on their resume.  Barring some real BCS chaos, they won’t have a real chance to play for the national championship.

6. Arkansas–The Razorbacks have a healthier defense with Jake Bequette back, and they are awaiting Tank Wright, their other defensive end.  In the mean time, they have built some depth on that side of the ball.  They have found a little bit of a running game and the receivers are healthy.  They will be dangerous the rest of the year.

7. Oregon–The Ducks did not like how the championship game ended last year.  They are the ones who want the rematch with LSU.

8. Oklahoma–The Sooners loss to Texas Tech may keep them from playing for the national title.  They can still mess up Oklahoma State’s chances.  Mark December 3rd on your calendars.

9. Clemson–Sometimes it’s just best not to play.  Such was the case for Clemson.  If they win out, they will play in a BCS game.  They have Wake at home and then two road games including a chance for some bragging rights against South Carolina.

10. Virginia Tech–Remember what I said about Clemson, you know, about the bye week?  Well, it applies here too.  The Hokies only loss this season, to Clemson.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , , , , ,

CFTT Top Ten Week 10: BCS or Bust!

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Gameday at Alabama

Yes, Gameday will be there! source: Flickr/bz3rk

Well, ten weeks in and we have the newest version of the “Game of the Century.”  Fans have been waiting several weeks to see LSU travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama.  LSU is number one in the BCS standings while Alabama is number two, and it isn’t even close.  Both teams have been drilling teams.

So, the “Game of the Century” is this Saturday, and, according to BCS supporters, it serves as a semi-final to the national championship game.  Problem is, both teams have a lot of football left to play.  Alabama, amongst others, will have to play their rival Auburn while LSU will close out hosting Arkansas, a team that has had their number recently.  Therefore, it is far from a semi-final, but, assuming the winner doesn’t lose, it will decide one half of the national title game.

Who will be their opponent?

1.  Alabama

1.5.  LSU

3.  Oklahoma State– The Cowboys are resilient, and they are winning.  Defeat the Sooners on December 3rd and they will play in the national championship game.  But wait!  They still have games left against Kansas State (this Saturday), at Texas Tech and at Iowa State, all teams who are pretty salty and able to upset a team.

4.  Stanford–Just a few years, Jim Harbaugh took the Cardinal in to USC’s LA Coliseum and knocked off the once mighty Trojans.  In almost a complete role reversal, Stanford escaped with an overtime victory showing that, maybe, it’s defense isn’t that good.  The Cardinal still have four games left including a showdown with Oregon.

5.  Boise State–Each week the Broncos are on national display.  They have to show that they are BCS worthy, and they have already done that.  TCU (November 12th) and at San Diego State (November 19th) are their biggest challenges left.

6.  Arkansas–The Hogs have a supreme passing game, but they are just “getting by” with their defense.  The close game at Vanderbilt is not as bad as it looks because Vandy is pretty good.  They get a chance to show their worth as they host South Carolina this week.

7.  Oregon–The Ducks lost their first game of the year against the number one team (BCS) in the land have found their way back in the national picture.  The Ducks still have a chance to play in the title game again.  Watch what happens if OU beats Oklahoma State and the Ducks knock off Stanford.  They could get another shot at LSU.

8.  Oklahoma–The Sooner destroyed Kansas State.  The guys on the Dfwfootball radio show called this.  The Sooners got embarrassed against Texas Tech and made the Wildcats pay for it.  If the Sooners past the next three tests, December 3rd will Bedlam.

9.  Nebraska–Have the blackshirts returned?  Not sure I’d go that far, but this a formidable team.  If Taylor Martinez is rolling, the Cornhuskers are tough.

10.  Clemson/Michigan–The Tigers had a roll going, but only playing 2 games on the road caught up with them this past Saturday as they lost to Georgia Tech.  The Wolverines have looked pretty good thus far, but they have the loss to Michigan State.  I wouldn’t want to play either team on any given Saturday.

Check out the Dfwfootball Radio show on Saturday, November 5th at 10 am.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , , , , ,

CFTT top Ten Week 9

October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
BCS 2010 Logo

Inside the BCS

And so, the chaos begins.  Ah, the world of BCS football.  Every week I get an email from them telling me how great their system is while watching other normal sports decide the best team on the field in some kind of playoff.  As week speak, the Rangers and Cardinals are engaged in a compelling back and forth World Series.  The NFL are beginning to see where teams rank as they head toward their playoffs, and the Football Championship Sub division (I-AA) are starting to see conference leaders emerge as they get ready to decide their champion. . . . wait for it. . . . get this. . . . . on the field with a playoff!

So now, we are headed to the end of October where contenders are starting to lose games and the BCS digs itself in as the best we have to decide a champion.  Sometimes, they get the two best (or top two) teams in their “mythical” national championship game, but sometimes several teams finish with a legitimate argument to play for that title.

Here is a scenario for you.   LSU beats Alabama and then loses to Arkansas where the BCS will probably decide who plays the SEC East winner for the SEC title.  Let’s say they win the SEC title with one loss. Who will it be? Add to that, Stanford goes undefeated as does Clemson and Boise State.  Further, Oklahoma State emerges with the Big XII title and undefeated.  You would then have a one loss SEC team, undefeated Stanford, Boise State, Clemson and Oklahoma State as they do not play each other.  Whom do you pick to play for the national championship?


Now, the madness and chaos is part of the appeal of college football, but even the most hardcore fan would have to agree that would be too much.  Much of that scenario depends on several teams winning 13 games and against some pretty good football teams. Most likely this will not be the scenario.  We probably will have to pick amongst a handful of  one-loss teams to play an undefeated SEC Champion.  Time will tell.  At least, at this point, college football is not boring anymore!

1.  Alabama — After yawning in the first half against Tennessee, the Tide Rolled.  No really!  They get the week off for the “Game of the Century.”

1.5  LSU – The Tigers look scary good.  I can’t wait until November 5th!  I might make a trip to our new Buffalo Wild Wings to watch it!

3.  Oklahoma State – This offense is unbelievable.  Can their defense hold up?

4.  Stanford — All the Cardinal can do is when the games they have to play.  They go to USC this week, and then, circle November 12th as that will be their showdown with Oregon.

5.  Boise State — The Broncos are good.  Unfortunately, they don’t get a chance to prove it every week, and if they have a slight let down and don’t play as well against a conference team, it doesn’t look good.  Win out and they go to a BCS bowl, but they will have to hope to land in a BCS conference when the game of musical chairs are finished to get the chance to play for a national title.

6.  Clemson — Who is this team and what did they do with the Tigers?  They are having a magical run which should end in a BCS bowl, but they don’t get enough strength from the ACC to play for a national title.

7.  Arkansas — The Hogs gave their fans severe heartburn Saturday as they started slow, again, in Oxford against Ole Miss.  The game wasn’t as close as the score in the second half, but Houston Nutt will always be ready for the Razorbacks.  The Hogs still have problems with their defense not getting it done.  They usually improve in the second half, but it is after the Hogs start slow.  The Razorbacks need to correct if they don’t want to be BBQ pork against LSU.

8.  Kansas State — What can I say about the job Bill Snyder has done?  They have gotten better every week.  Much is being made about Oklahoma or Oklahoma State winning the South division and the Big XII title, but I think the Wildcats will have something to say about that.

9.  Oregon — Don’t look now folks, but the Ducks have waddled their way back in to the national picture.  If they knock off Stanford, there will be a BCS trip in store.

10.  Wisconsin — The Badgers are good and poor scheduling didn’t allow them to play an away game until this past week.  They played a pretty good Michigan State team on the road and was sound asleep until the second half.  Once they woke up, they came roaring back only to see one of the weirdest, strangest, craziest “hail Mary” passes to be completed against them by the Spartans.  If that game had gone in to overtime we might be talking differently about them.  I still wouldn’t want to play the Badgers.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , , ,

CFTT Top Ten Week 8

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Amber Leigh

Amber Leigh Hartman is a Texas Rangers fan! and a friend of CFTT :)

It’s getting ridiculous really.  No, I am not talking about the play on the field this year in college football, although, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are clearly, so far, the best teams in the country.  I am talking about conference realignment and the BCS.  Really?  A merger between the Mountain West and the Conference USA bringing a total to 22 teams for a football-only league?

Now, there is a realignment watch as we all have to keep up with who is inviting whom (or is whom is inviting who) to what conference and where teams will be playing next year. Is this whole BCS thing an anti-trust issue?  That may be as ridiculous, but it is obviously an I-am-close-to-souring-over-college-football thing!

I have been a proponent, and I have said it before, that I think we should go to a playoff.  What we are creating is a mad dash to play musical chairs so that teams could be in a conference who is allowed to play at the big table once the music stops.  Essentially, as if it wasn’t enough before, we are heading down to a more pronounced version of the haves and have-nots as Dan Wetzel put it back in September.

The Big 12 nearly died last month.  They fired their commissioner to save it.  It’s time to stop this madness and have a playoff to determine the national champion in the Bowl Championship Subdivision!

I’ve said my peace.  Now to move on.

1.  Alabama–I think they should just go ahead and award Trent Richardson the Heisman Trophy.  He will hurt your team in multiple ways.

1.5.  LSU–This Tiger team is out to prove everyone wrong, including me!  They keep winning and winning big.  The showdown in Tuscaloosa is looming on November 5th.

2.5 Oklahoma–The Sooners are by far the class of the Big 12.

4. Wisconsin–This week is the Badgers’ biggest challenge to date, trying to score on the Michigan State defense.  Russell Wilson has this.


5.  Oklahoma State–The Cowboys took it to Texas early in Austin, but let the Longhorns back in the game.  It looked a little different than when the Horns played Oklahoma.  They are at Columbia this week to play Missouri in a potential trap game.

6.  Stanford–The Cardinal keep winning.  The get a surging Washington team at home this week.

7.  Boise State–What can I say?  I really think that the Broncos are good, but weaker competition makes it hard to gauge.  It also hurts a team from getting better.  The Big 12 should do the right thing and invite Boise in now.

8.  Clemson–The Tigers survived a good Maryland team on the road.  Clemson hasn’t played too many teams on the road yet, but they get their chance the rest of the season playing at Georgia Tech, at North Carolina State and at South Carolina.  They really have a chance to show this team is different.

9.  Arkansas–The Razorbacks probably got better during their bye week.  They have their backs and receivers healthy, but they are still missing DE Tenarius Wright.  The Hogs travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss in a game that fans will always point to.

10.  Kansas State–As long as Bill Snyder is coaching the Wildcats, anything is possible.  Snyder is the original Big 12 magician, and these guys are dangerous.  After Kansas in the Border Rivalry this week, they get Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M back-to-back-to-back, but they get before finishing with Iowa State and Texas.  They have a long way to go, but this team looks seasoned.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , , , ,

CFTT Top Ten Week 7

October 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Texas vs. OU

Flickr: bpwilker

OU put a whipping on the Texas Longhorns, and they showed everyone that Texas isn’t quite grown up yet. Landry Jones is the real deal as a quarterback. However, the Sooners eeked out a paltry 90 yards rushing against the Horns and I’m just not sure that would work against an SEC team.

Meanwhile, in the SEC, it’s all Alabama, and LSU too. The Tide rolled over Vandy. LSU defeated Florida one week after Alabama did. Are you comparing scores because they were about the same, however, the Tide did it in Gainesville.

1.  Alabama — See above

1.5  LSU — We are eagerly awaiting November 5th in Tuscaloosa!

2.5 Oklahoma — The Sooners move up .5 this week with their impressive win over Texas.

4.  Wisconsin – The Baders are badgering the Big 10.

5.  Oklahoma State — Brandon Weeden is rewriting the possibilities and so are the Cowboys.

6.  Stanford — It’s tough for the Cardinal to stay on the top.  Unfortunately, the schedule just doesn’t help.

7.  Boise State — The Broncos are on a different level from their opponents.  That Georgia win is looking better each week.

8.  Clemson — The Tigers keep winning.  Their only drawback is that they have played only one road game.  The did pick up the win at Virginia Tech, but their two final tests are at Georgia Tech and at South Carolina.

9.  Arkansas – The Razorbacks are gutsy.  What most people don’t know is they have not been healthy this year and they have still found a way to beat Texas A&M and Auburn.  The Hogs will be healthy and their game at LSU should be great.

10.  Michigan — The Woverines are pretty good.  How good is hard to say as they have not played a ranked opponent, but that changes this week as they get cross state rival Michigan State.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens

CFTT Top Ten Week 6

October 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Clemson Football

Source: www.flickr.com/photos/scmikeburton/

Alabama made gator bait out of Florida while LSU rolled.  Did anyone really expect anything different?  Of course!  These are the two best teams in the land.

What’s wrong with Texas A&M?  Two weeks in a row they have collapsed in the second half.  Of course, that was to two pretty good teams, but still, couldn’t they have at least won one of those games?

Don’t look now folks, but folks believe that Texas is relevant again.  Some kid named McCoy seems to be helping the Longhorns along.  This is going to make the Red River Rivalry worth watching, huh?  Is this a trap game for Oklahoma?

1.  Alabama

1.5  LSU

3.  Oklahoma–The Sooners have to play Texas this week.  They probably thought a couple of weeks ago, that the Longhorns wouldn’t be ranked.  Surprise!  They are.

4.  Wisconsin–The Badgers get the jump over Stanford after laying the wood to Nebraska.

5.  Stanford–The Cardinal keep rolling, it just doesn’t seem impressive against the Pac 10 right now.

6.  Oklahoma State–The Cowboys had a bye week after their dramatic comeback victory at Texas A&M. Up next is a date with Kansas Jayhawks.

7.  Boise State–The Broncos avenged their only loss last year.  The Mountain West is having a bit of a down year, and the Broncos need TCU to bounce back greatly to help their cause.  The Boise win over Georgia is looking better each week.

8.  Clemson–I was not sold on the Tigers, but now, they have won games over three straight ranked teams.  Two of them were at home, but they were big wins and they are in the drivers seat for the ACC Atlantic Division title.

9. Michigan–Is it possible for a coach to turn a team around so quickly?  Brady Hoke has it rolling in Ann Arbor. Denard Robinson is looking like a complete quarterback, not just one who runs with the football.  Further, the only time Michigan has given up more than 10 points was to Notre Dame in the early season win.

10. Arkansas–The Hogs won a wild one over Texas A&M.  The Razorbacks came out looking like they wished they were still in Fayetteville, but turned it on in the second half.  The Hogs may have found some kind of a running game lat in the game when Dennis Johnson and Broderick Green showed some surprising runs.  The defense has had major injury problems, but if they get healthy, they might get on a roll.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , ,

CFTT Top Ten Week 5

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Another week is in the books, and slowly but surely, we are starting to see who the truly great teams are and who the pretenders are. Alabama dominated Arkansas in Tuscaloosa and looks like a national title contender. And then, there is LSU. They seem to go on the road and do the unbelievable, continue to win. The Tigers are for real.

1.  Alabama–See above

LSU's death valley

Flickr: Shoshanah's

1.5  LSU–See above

3.  Oklahoma–The Sooners beat Mizzou, but I’m not sure that the Tigers are as good as they have been in recent years.  A ten point victory at home is so-so.

4.  Stanford–The Cardinal really don’t get to prove their worth against A+ competition, but at least they are clobbering teams.

5.  Wisconsin–The Badgers whipped South Dakota.  Up next?  The Cornhuskers.  Let’s see how this goes down.

6.  Oklahoma State–The Cowboys beat Texas A&M, my number 6 team and they did it at Kyle Field.  I think this team contends for the Big 12 South Title.  Look for the December 3rd vs. Oklahoma to settle the Big 12 South division title and give the winner the best chance at winning the overall title.

7.  Nebraska–I’m not sure about the blackshirts.  They’ve given up a lot of points.  Russell Wilson just may have a lot of fun Saturday.

8.  Boise State–This train may not be derailed this year.  They Broncos get to avenge last year’s only loss to Nevada.

9.  Florida–The Gators get their crack at Alabama this week, so it may be just one in week in the top ten.  They’ve been scoring a lot of points this year, but, no offense to Kentucky, Tennessee, UAB and Florida Atlantic, this is the Tide’s defense.  It’s gonna be tough.  At least its in Gainesville.

10.  Virginia Tech–What do you get when you mix a smothering defense, spectacular special teams and great athleticism on offense?  Well, LSU of course, but also, Virginia Tech.  They Hokies are good. . .. again.

Filed Under: 2011, Top Tens Tagged With: , ,
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