All of the first round games were pretty one-sided, which wasn't much of a surprise. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the game with the closest margin was Texas' bout against Clemson. Whether that shows some weakness on the Texas squad or just a reflection of Clemson's experience, we're not sure. The second round mgiht demonstrate that.
The second round is played in traditional bowls, and (whether intentionally or not) there are some appropriate teams playing in those bowls.
Fiesta Bowl : #4 (6th seed) Penn State Nitanny Lions v #9 (3rd seed) Boise State Broncos : Unaligned Fiesta seems the appropriate game for the playoffs' sole Gang of Five representative. The Broncos have a strong offense, but their biggest plays are yards after the catch on mid-range passes. However, that is the region on the field where the Lions linebackers roam, and that's the strong point of Linebacker U. The Broncos may found trouble moving the ball. What's worse, they win by outscoring their opponents, as their defense is not stellar. Penn State will dominate. PENN STATE by 18
Peach Bowl : #7 (5th seed) Texas Longhorns v #14 (4th seed) Arizona State Sun Devils : Clemson was trying to get to this game, which often featured a top ACC team, but they didn't make it. Now it faces a former Big XII team, now in the SEC, and a former Pac-12 team, now in the Big XII. Arizona State was a wonderful surprise team this season, as much as Indiana was. They have talent and manage the ball very well. Penalties are few among the Sun Devils, but can they withstand the aggressive attack by the Longhorns? I don't think so. TEXAS by 14
Rose Bowl : #3 (8th seed) Ohio State Buckeyes v #1 Oregon Ducks : Now this one REALLY looks traditional. We have a former Pac-12 team facing a top Big Ten team. THAT'S what I call a Rose Bowl! This is the rematch of a game that Ohio State should have won, except they got a bit confused and screwed up clock management at the end of the game. They won't do that again, and the motivation to beat Oregon this time might be enough to propel the Buckeyes to a win. Either way, this will likely be the closest second round game. OHIO STATE by three
Sugar Bowl : #2 (7th seed) Notre Dame Fighting Irish v #5 (2nd seed) Georgia Bulldogs : The SEC Champ plays in the Sugar Bowl; that's tradition. This would have been an interesting game with Georgia QB Carson Beck playing. While the Bulldogs beat Texas without him, the Irish are an entirely different story. Their offense is intense, and their defense is a lot tougher than that of Texas. NOTRE DAME by 13
No comments:
Post a Comment