The 2011 season is just under one month away, and I thought I'd take some time to give my
Official $.02 Completely Accurate and Guaranteed Take-it-to-the-Bank-in-Las Vegas Predictions on how I think the season will go.
So starting from the bottom (#10) and finishing with who I think will win the Big 12...er, Big 10...wait, who the hell can explain to me why a name change wasn't a good idea??!
Here we go, with each team's opponents listed and my prediction for a win or loss:
#10
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Predicted record: 2-10
Predicted bowl: none
McNeese State - W
Northern Illinois - W
@ Georgia Tech - L
Texas Tech - L
@ Oklahoma State - L
Oklahoma - L
Kansas State - L
@ Texas - L
@ Iowa State - L
Baylor - L
@ Texas A&M - L
Missouri - L
Quick, name 2 players on the KU team. Can you even name the Head Coach? Thought so. When does basketball season start?
#9
IOWA STATE CYCLONES
Predicted record: 3-9
Predicted bowl: none
Northern Iowa - W
Iowa - L
@ UConn - W
Texas - L
@ Baylor - L
@ Missouri - L
Texas A&M - L
@ Texas Tech - L
Kansas - W
Oklahoma State - L
@ Oklahoma - L
@ Kansas State - L
Paul Rhoads is a good coach. Iowa State is not a good program. Next...
#8
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Predicted record: 5-7
Predicted bowl: none
Eastern Kentucky - W
Kent State - W
@ Miami, FL - L
Baylor - L
Missouri - L
@ Texas Tech - L
@ Kansas - W
Oklahoma - L
@ Oklahoma State - L
Texas A&M - L
@ Texas - W
Iowa State - W
Their best players are Tennessee's leftovers (the Brown brothers). Brutal trip to Coral Gables, and 3 straight against the teams picked to finish 1-2-3 in the league. The second go-round for Bill Snyder isn't looking too rosy so far.
#7
TEXAS LONGHORNS
Predicted record: 6-6
Predicted bowl: Pinstripe
Rice - W
BYU - W
@ UCLA - W
@ Iowa State - W
Oklahoma (in Dallas) - L
Oklahoma State - L
Kansas - W
Texas Tech - W
@ Missouri - L
Kansas State - L
@ Texas A&M - L
@ Baylor - L
Count me in as one of the people who think last year was not an aberration for the Horns, but moreso a 3-4 year trend. They will start the season 4-0 and will move up to #10 in the polls because "They're Texas." Will get blasted at the State Fair by the Sooners and then at home by the Pokes. A 6-2 start will quickly turn sour, much the same way last season did, and will have the Horns lose their last 4. The Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, NY) will feel they hit the jackpot, because they will love to invite one of the nation's premier programs to the Big Apple and, well, because "They're Texas" and will face them against the hometown favorite Syracuse Orange. And Texas will beat them by 40.
#6
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Predicted record: 6-6
Predicted bowl: Meineke Car Care
Texas State - W
@ New Mexico - W
Nevada - L
@ Kansas - W
Texas A&M - L
Kansas State - W
@ Oklahoma - L
Iowa State - W
@ Texas - L
Oklahoma State - L
@ Missouri - W
@ Baylor - L
Tech has a decent amount of talent, has recruited well the last several years, and has a good head coach in Tommy Tuberville (he took Auburn to an undefeated season in 2004). They'll win their first two against a patsy schedule, and then I think they trade wins and losses for the next 7 games and finish 1-3 in their last 4. They'll have enough wins to get to Houston for the bowl game, where they'll probably play Michigan. At least THAT would be entertaining!
#5
BAYLOR BEARS
Predicted record: 7-5
Predicted bowl: Holiday
TCU - L
Stephen F. Austin - W
Rice - W
@ Kansas State - W
Iowa State - W
@ Texas A&M - L
@ Oklahoma State - L
Missouri - L
@ Kansas - W
@ Oklahoma - L
Texas Tech - W
Texas - W
I think Art Briles and RGIII finally help the Bears break through...sort of. For as bad as this program was for so long, 7-5 is a pretty decent goal for this team. Plus, the road schedule is just ROUGH (they play the projected 1-2-3 teams all on the road). They'll get a nice reward and a trip out to San Diego to play Arizona State, and the Holiday Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the must-watch bowl games over the last 8-10 years.
#4
MISSOURI TIGERS
Predicted record: 8-4
Predicted bowl: Alamo
Miami, OH - W
@ Arizona State - W
Western Illinois - W
@ Oklahoma - L
@ Kansas State - W
Iowa State - W
Oklahoma State - L
@ Texas A&M - L
@ Baylor - W
Texas - W
Texas Tech - L
Kansas - W
No one is talking about Gary Pinkel's squad. Perfect opportunity for them to show up at the end of the year and have people saying "Hmm, I didn't know Missouri was actually THAT good after losing Blaine Gabbert." I think they lose to all three teams projected to finish 1-2-3 and then a surprise loss to Texas Tech for no other reason than because there's always a few of those every year where you watch College Football Live on Saturday night at midnight and go "How in the hell did Missouri lose to Tech?!"
#3
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Predicted record: 11-1
Predicted bowl: Cotton
Tulsa - W
@ Florida State - W
Missouri - W
Ball State - W
Texas - W
@ Kansas - W
Texas Tech - W
@ Kansas State - W
Texas A&M - W
@ Baylor - W
Iowa State - W
@ Oklahoma State - L
They'll impress the world with a big win at #5 Florida State in the second week of the season (FSU is good, but they're incredibly overrated and still a year away. If this game was played next year in Tallahassee, I would change my prediction) They'll throttle Texas and beat up on the weaker teams in the league. They'll impress everyone again when they beat a very good A&M team in a showcase game on Saturday night on ABC. Of the top 3 teams I have projected, their schedule is the easiest (toughest conference road game outside of Stillwater is....Waco??). I think they are #1 or #2 when they come to Stillwater on Thanksgiving weekend....and I think an 11-1 Oklahoma team ranked inside the top 5 or 6 of the computers will get left out of the BCS (only 2 teams from a conference can play in a BCS bowl)
#2
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Predicted record: 11-1
Predicted bowl: BCS (Sugar)
Louisiana-Lafayette - W
Arizona - W
@ Tulsa - W
@ Texas A&M - L
Kansas - W
@ Texas - W
@ Missouri - W
Baylor - W
Kansas State - W
@ Texas Tech - W
@ Iowa State - W
Oklahoma - W
This is tough, picking my Pokes to not win the Big 12. But realistically, the road schedule is just too tough and although I think they'll only lose 1 game, I think that game will be to a team the BCS computers will have just barely ahead of them at season's end. I think the game in College Station could be another thriller similar to last year's epic battle at Lewis Field, and I expect an 8-game winning streak to end the season, culminated with a thrilling Bedlam victory over the Sooners and a trip to Na'wlins for the Sugar Bowl against probably LSU and The Mad Hatter (and former OSU coach) Les Miles.
#1
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Predicted record: 11-1
Predicted bowl: BCS (Fiesta)
SMU - W
Idaho - W
Oklahoma State - W
Arkansas - W
@ Texas Tech - W
Baylor - W
@ Iowa State - W
Missouri - W
@ Oklahoma - L
@ Kansas State - W
Kansas - W
Texas - W
This is a tough call and could go a number of different ways, but I think A&M finally steps up to the expectations and inches closer to joining the elite programs of college football (if you want to argue with me why I think they could join such a distinct group of powerhouses, I'd be more than happy to provide evidence and engage in discussion). They will be 8-0 going to Norman, but won't be able to break through just yet there, where they haven't won since 1997. Will win the Big 12 because to the computers, the A&M loss @ Oklahoma will look better than the Oklahoma State loss @ A&M. A trip to Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl probably against Oregon or Wisconsin.
And if you're curious as to who I have playing in the National Title game on January 9th in the Big Easy....
#1 Alabama
#2 Boise State
The fun is about to begin, my fellow Brethren of Bullet!
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