KENTUCKY 28 LOUISIANA MONROE 7
First Half Thoughts-
OFFENSE---
The goal for Kentucky is to have true freshman quarterback Morgan Newton do AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. The Cats were able to do that by going up 14-0 with a long run play and a punt return before half way through the first quarter.
Newton has done his job, but has thrown an interception. After the interception they inserted Will Fidler in a quarterback.
The rotating quarterbacks is NOT a way to win. With Kentucky at home, they SHOULD be starting the freshman, allowing him to make mistakes and ease his way into the game. The indecisiveness at who should start will be a detriment when they play SEC teams.
After the initial burst, there was complacency on offense.
DEFENSE---
Other than a few lapses the defense has played well. The Warhawks drove the ball down the field in 3 of their possessions but were only able to put the ball in the endzone once. The defense is allowing too many yards and has held the ball 6 more minutes that Kentucky. The defense to this point has given up only 26 yards on the ground which is impressive because coming into the game, the Warhawks have been ranked nationally in the rushing category.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS-
Kentucky has played well and is doing what the need to against a inferior opponent. With the way the schedule is layed out, a fourth bowl is in insight and Kentucky looks to be taking care of their business to this point in the game.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
HUGE HOMESTAND BEGINS FOR KENTUCKY
After last week's huge win at Auburn, Kentucky has three, on paper, winable games that could make end with the Cats becoming bowl eligible for the fourth time in four years. Here are the keys to victory against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks---
1) KEEP RUN GAME GOING- The running game has been huge for the Cats and must continue this week.
2) MORE WILDCAT-The more versitle the offense can be...the better for the Cats. Last week for 3 quarters the offense was anemic but putting Randal Cobb behind center led the Cats to victory for the first time in over 35 years against the Auburn Tigers...expect more of the WILDCAT for the rest of the season.
3) DONT OVERLOOK THIS GAME- What Kentucky does NOT need is a let down here. They need to score first and dictate pace of this game.
OVERALL PREDICTION-
Louisiana Monroe will be tougher than people expect. This should be a game in the fourth quarter...but Kentucky should win with superior talent.
KENTUCKY 20
Louisiana Monroe 13
1) KEEP RUN GAME GOING- The running game has been huge for the Cats and must continue this week.
2) MORE WILDCAT-The more versitle the offense can be...the better for the Cats. Last week for 3 quarters the offense was anemic but putting Randal Cobb behind center led the Cats to victory for the first time in over 35 years against the Auburn Tigers...expect more of the WILDCAT for the rest of the season.
3) DONT OVERLOOK THIS GAME- What Kentucky does NOT need is a let down here. They need to score first and dictate pace of this game.
OVERALL PREDICTION-
Louisiana Monroe will be tougher than people expect. This should be a game in the fourth quarter...but Kentucky should win with superior talent.
KENTUCKY 20
Louisiana Monroe 13
College Football Picks WEEK 8
Well, it us hard to beleive we are 8 weeks into the college football season. A lot has changed and the true National title competitors have emerged while pretenders have fallen back.
Entering the season, I was not sold on Oklahoma and with now 3 losses, I think it is fair to to that they weren't nearly as strong as everyone projected.
In the BIG 10 Ohio State was disappointing last week losing to PURDUE? That is just embarrassing. Iowa has a tough game and with a win they can basically sinch up the Big 10 title. This year Penn State again hasnt looked special but has been winning enough to sit with one loss.
PAC 10 also looks like a one team race with everyone else pretty even to one another. Oregon is technically in first but when the face USC, I project a change there.
ACC is a bunch of equally talented teams, that showed Thursday night when North Carolina lost a 24-6 fourth quarter lead to lose to the Seminoles.
Anyways on the way tomorrow will be an updated SEC Bowl Projections....Here is how WEEK 8 should shape out!
SEC GAMES PROJECTIONS
LAST WEEK- 4-2
OVERALL- 42-13
Arkansas @ Mississippi- This has been a letdown year for the Rebels, however this IS what I projected. They played well last year with no expectations, this year it was too tough to live up to the hype as they lost a lot of their offensive line and defense. Arkansas has been impressive. Ryan Mallet can bomb that ball out and makes the Razorbacks already next year’s darlings. In this game, look for Arkansas to battle closely against Ole Miss and pull out a win.
WINNER- ARKANSAS
Tennessee @ Alabama- This is a scary game for the Tide. Tennessee has had two weeks to prepare for this game and come off a dominating win against East rival the Georgia Bulldogs. However, Alabama has looked like the best team in the nation to this point in the season and should confuse Crompton enough to win. This game should be close though…
WINNER- ALABAMA
Vanderbilt @ South Carolina- Vanderbilt has been straight up disappointing this year and should lose another SEC game this week. South Carolina is on the other side of the spectrum. They have played very well, exceeding expectations of most and sit in the #2 slot in the SEC East. Stephen Garcia has played well and should cause the Gators problems at the end of the season.
WINNER- SOUTH CAROLINA
Auburn @ LSU- The Auburn Tigers started impressively at 5-0 and reaching the top-25, but the wheels have come off for the Tigers as they got crushed by Arkansas and upset by Kentucky. LSU is number 9 in the nation, but kind of like last year have looked unimpressive and have bent but somehow not completely broken….this week, I project another loss and the chinks in the armor to show.
WINNER- AUBURN
Florida @ Mississippi State- No chance for an upset here, the Gators are better than Mississippi State and should flat out win the game before half time.
WINNER- FLORIDA
Louisiana-Monroe @ Kentucky- Not sold on Kentucky, even after the comeback win in Auburn. Kentucky will get to start true freshman Morgan Newton at home for the next three weeks, which is ideally what they wanted if an injury did occur. If Newton can progress in these three weeks, Kentucky has 3 straight winnable games….which means at the end of this home stand, Kentucky can be bowl eligible for the 4th straight year. Louisiana-Monroe cannot be overlooked and should give Kentucky a game. The Warhawks average 30 points a game….game should be close and a turnover or slow start will cause the Cats to lose, but can’t project a letdown…
WINNER- KENTUCKY
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS
OVERALL- 23-11
ACC- MIAMI o Clemson
BIG 12- NEBRASKA o Iowa State
BIG EAST- WEST VIRGINIA o Uconn
BIG 10- NORTHWESTERN o Indiana
PAC 10- ARIZONA o Ucla
UPSET SPECIALS!!!---
· OKLAHOMA o Kansas
· MICHIGAN o Penn State
Entering the season, I was not sold on Oklahoma and with now 3 losses, I think it is fair to to that they weren't nearly as strong as everyone projected.
In the BIG 10 Ohio State was disappointing last week losing to PURDUE? That is just embarrassing. Iowa has a tough game and with a win they can basically sinch up the Big 10 title. This year Penn State again hasnt looked special but has been winning enough to sit with one loss.
PAC 10 also looks like a one team race with everyone else pretty even to one another. Oregon is technically in first but when the face USC, I project a change there.
ACC is a bunch of equally talented teams, that showed Thursday night when North Carolina lost a 24-6 fourth quarter lead to lose to the Seminoles.
Anyways on the way tomorrow will be an updated SEC Bowl Projections....Here is how WEEK 8 should shape out!
SEC GAMES PROJECTIONS
LAST WEEK- 4-2
OVERALL- 42-13
Arkansas @ Mississippi- This has been a letdown year for the Rebels, however this IS what I projected. They played well last year with no expectations, this year it was too tough to live up to the hype as they lost a lot of their offensive line and defense. Arkansas has been impressive. Ryan Mallet can bomb that ball out and makes the Razorbacks already next year’s darlings. In this game, look for Arkansas to battle closely against Ole Miss and pull out a win.
WINNER- ARKANSAS
Tennessee @ Alabama- This is a scary game for the Tide. Tennessee has had two weeks to prepare for this game and come off a dominating win against East rival the Georgia Bulldogs. However, Alabama has looked like the best team in the nation to this point in the season and should confuse Crompton enough to win. This game should be close though…
WINNER- ALABAMA
Vanderbilt @ South Carolina- Vanderbilt has been straight up disappointing this year and should lose another SEC game this week. South Carolina is on the other side of the spectrum. They have played very well, exceeding expectations of most and sit in the #2 slot in the SEC East. Stephen Garcia has played well and should cause the Gators problems at the end of the season.
WINNER- SOUTH CAROLINA
Auburn @ LSU- The Auburn Tigers started impressively at 5-0 and reaching the top-25, but the wheels have come off for the Tigers as they got crushed by Arkansas and upset by Kentucky. LSU is number 9 in the nation, but kind of like last year have looked unimpressive and have bent but somehow not completely broken….this week, I project another loss and the chinks in the armor to show.
WINNER- AUBURN
Florida @ Mississippi State- No chance for an upset here, the Gators are better than Mississippi State and should flat out win the game before half time.
WINNER- FLORIDA
Louisiana-Monroe @ Kentucky- Not sold on Kentucky, even after the comeback win in Auburn. Kentucky will get to start true freshman Morgan Newton at home for the next three weeks, which is ideally what they wanted if an injury did occur. If Newton can progress in these three weeks, Kentucky has 3 straight winnable games….which means at the end of this home stand, Kentucky can be bowl eligible for the 4th straight year. Louisiana-Monroe cannot be overlooked and should give Kentucky a game. The Warhawks average 30 points a game….game should be close and a turnover or slow start will cause the Cats to lose, but can’t project a letdown…
WINNER- KENTUCKY
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS
OVERALL- 23-11
ACC- MIAMI o Clemson
BIG 12- NEBRASKA o Iowa State
BIG EAST- WEST VIRGINIA o Uconn
BIG 10- NORTHWESTERN o Indiana
PAC 10- ARIZONA o Ucla
UPSET SPECIALS!!!---
· OKLAHOMA o Kansas
· MICHIGAN o Penn State
Sunday, October 18, 2009
SEC Midseason Bowl Projections
Well, we are 1/2 way through the college football season, so here is my SEC Bowl Pics as of right now...
MIDDLE OF OCTOBER SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide are playing the most complete football in the nation. Quarterback Greg McElroy has been very impressive in his first year as the starter throwing for 9 touchdowns and just one interception. The defense has dominated opponents only allowing 12.5 points a game. Alabama should run the table through the rest of their schedule and have a rematch in Atlanta against Florida for the SEC Championship….by the way Bama has played, they should have what it takes to beat Florida and head to the national title game.
SUGAR BOWL- Florida Gators
Florida has played well again this season, but it seems like they are not as dominant as last year’s squad. Like Alabama, they should go unbeaten through the remainder of the season but they don’t appear to match up well against Bama and so they land where Bama did last year- the Sugar Bowl.
Capital One Bowl- South Carolina Gamecocks
The Capital One Bowl usually takes the second best team in the SEC East. At the beginning of the season, I projected the Gamecocks would have a bad season, miss a bowl, and force Steve Spurrier out of Columbia. But, somehow, the offense is clicking and the defense has played well. The past few years the Gamecocks have stumbled down the stretch but, it looks like they should be strong enough to finish strong enough to finish with a #2 slot in the SEC East and head to
Orlando for the Capital One Bowl.
Cotton Bowl- LSU Tigers
Like last year it’s the offense that is problematic for the Bayou Bengals. The Tigers still must play Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss. With Bama going to the National Title game, the Tigers should fall to the next best West bowl game and play against a Big 12 school.
Outback Bowl- Ole Mississippi
Usually the Outback Bowl takes another East team, but with the Rebels likely to finish with a better record, Ole Miss should fall here.
Chic Fil A Bowl- Georgia Bulldogs
This has been a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs but as long as they DO NOT get upset by lesser teams they should land here on New Years Eve.
Music City Bowl- Auburn Tigers
Auburn has been a pleasant surprise in the SEC. Starting the season 5-0, it would be unlikely that the Tigers miss a bowl game. They will likely struggle against Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss, but should land in Nashville for the Music City Bowl.
Liberty Bowl- Arkansas Razorbacks
Due to proximity, the Razorbacks should land in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. Quarterback Ryan Mallet has been a pleasant surprise and with him coming back next year, the Razorbacks will be even more of a SEC threat next season.
Independence Bowl- Tennessee Volunteers
Not exactly what Volunteer faithful can be happy about, but Tennessee should get to 6 wins and become bowl eligible. With the worst record for SEC bowl teams, the Vols will land in the Shrevport Independence Bowl.
Papa Johns.com Bowl- NO ELIGIBLE TEAMS
MIDDLE OF OCTOBER SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide are playing the most complete football in the nation. Quarterback Greg McElroy has been very impressive in his first year as the starter throwing for 9 touchdowns and just one interception. The defense has dominated opponents only allowing 12.5 points a game. Alabama should run the table through the rest of their schedule and have a rematch in Atlanta against Florida for the SEC Championship….by the way Bama has played, they should have what it takes to beat Florida and head to the national title game.
SUGAR BOWL- Florida Gators
Florida has played well again this season, but it seems like they are not as dominant as last year’s squad. Like Alabama, they should go unbeaten through the remainder of the season but they don’t appear to match up well against Bama and so they land where Bama did last year- the Sugar Bowl.
Capital One Bowl- South Carolina Gamecocks
The Capital One Bowl usually takes the second best team in the SEC East. At the beginning of the season, I projected the Gamecocks would have a bad season, miss a bowl, and force Steve Spurrier out of Columbia. But, somehow, the offense is clicking and the defense has played well. The past few years the Gamecocks have stumbled down the stretch but, it looks like they should be strong enough to finish strong enough to finish with a #2 slot in the SEC East and head to
Orlando for the Capital One Bowl.
Cotton Bowl- LSU Tigers
Like last year it’s the offense that is problematic for the Bayou Bengals. The Tigers still must play Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss. With Bama going to the National Title game, the Tigers should fall to the next best West bowl game and play against a Big 12 school.
Outback Bowl- Ole Mississippi
Usually the Outback Bowl takes another East team, but with the Rebels likely to finish with a better record, Ole Miss should fall here.
Chic Fil A Bowl- Georgia Bulldogs
This has been a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs but as long as they DO NOT get upset by lesser teams they should land here on New Years Eve.
Music City Bowl- Auburn Tigers
Auburn has been a pleasant surprise in the SEC. Starting the season 5-0, it would be unlikely that the Tigers miss a bowl game. They will likely struggle against Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss, but should land in Nashville for the Music City Bowl.
Liberty Bowl- Arkansas Razorbacks
Due to proximity, the Razorbacks should land in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. Quarterback Ryan Mallet has been a pleasant surprise and with him coming back next year, the Razorbacks will be even more of a SEC threat next season.
Independence Bowl- Tennessee Volunteers
Not exactly what Volunteer faithful can be happy about, but Tennessee should get to 6 wins and become bowl eligible. With the worst record for SEC bowl teams, the Vols will land in the Shrevport Independence Bowl.
Papa Johns.com Bowl- NO ELIGIBLE TEAMS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
