Curator's Game of the Week Michigan State @ Ohio State This game is a prime example of why I oppose expanding the College Football Playoff past 8 teams. This is a playoff game. Someone will win and live to fight another day. Someone will lose and spend the post season in Florida, far from the title game in Indianapolis. I'm looking at this one and wondering who in their right mind thinks Ohio State is going to cover a 19 point spread against Mel Tucker's Spartans. Tucker is one of my two picks for Coach of the Year (more on that in my Upset Alert). His work in East Lansing has been exemplary, if not downright miraculous. e has won the hearts of the Spartan faithful and has the contract enhancements to prove it. These are not his recruits. This is a team playing inspired ball for a leader they have bought into, which means he has bought into them. The Buckeyes are obviously the favorites, although I'm still not convinced they aren't overrated. They need to survive two challenges from "that state up north" if thy want to get a chance to lose in the Playoff once again. There are a lot of marbles riding on this one, particularly in the Big Ten. If the Buckeyes are going to impress me, this is a good chance. Coach's Game of the Week Wake Forest @ Clemson Look back 4 months ago and tell me that you thought this would be “Game of the Week” worthy come November. Wow. I love college football. With a win, Wake Forest will officially secure the Atlantic Division and a trip to Charlotte to play for just their 3rd conference title in school history. The Demon Deacons win the ACC in 2006 and before that you have to go all the way back to 1970 when they rode a 6-5 record all the way to a championship. The job that Dave Clawson has done there and his method for doing it deserves a piece on its own. The irony of this matchup doesn’t escape me. It is a true changing of the guard. You can’t win the Atlantic if you can’t beat Clemson and it’s only right that you earn it the hard way with a win in Death Valley. Wake will lean on their explosive 500 yard per game offense that has only been held under 40 points on 3 occasions this year. They have been unstoppable on offense and that could spell bad news for a Clemson offense that has been struggling to find their footing all year. It paints a grim picture for the Tigers until you remember a few things. Brent Venables, a graduate of Garden City Community College (that will become important shortly) is still at the reigns of the Clemson Defense. They are allowing a stingy 15 points per game, good enough for 3rd in the Nation. While the odds are, even with a Clemson win, Wake will secure the division next week at Boston college, Tiger fans have an opportunity Saturday to say “not on my watch! It won’t be because of us!”. I expect Death Valley to be cranked up to 11 all day to make that explosive Wake offense earn every yard. The great Ric Flair used to say “To be the man you gotta beat the man!” and Clemson has been the man for quite some time. Prediction: Garden City takes 2 L’s this week and Wake rolls to Charlotte. Curator's Upset Alert Arkansas @ Alabama If you are going to put Alabama on alert, you need to have a good reason. My reason? My second candidate for Coach of the Year, Arkansas head coach, Sam Pittman. Like Mel Tucker, Pittman came into this coaching assignment in a bleak era for his program. But he has taken the kids on his roster, added a few recruits, and made them believe in themselves. I need to only point out the Texas A&M game here the Hawgs not only beat the Aggies, they took complete control of the game and embarrassed them. We've seen what this team is capable of. And with the greatest offensive line coach in the nation at the helm. this team is going to be about commitment to team. hard work, determination, and giving no thought of who gets the headlines as long as the team gets the W. This isn't your typical Alabama team. They can be beaten, which paves the way for this pick. But they are still Alabama and I don't expect them to roll over and take the L gracefully. The Tide will have the force of the Bryant-Denny congregation behind them and their playoff hopes ahead of them. They'll need their best effort to get through this one. Do not count out the Hawgs just yet. Coach's Game of Interest (Quite Literally) KJCCC Championship Game - Hutchinson CC vs Garden City CC, Wichita, Kansas If you are a reader who enjoys keeping up with division 1 recruiting I have the game for you! It won’t make ESPN, they won’t talk about it on the set of Gameday, but there will be as much talent on this field as any game in the country this week. The Kansas Junior College conference is the upper echelon of JUCO football. Ever wonder what happens to the highly rated, uber talented kids who are highly recruited but go unsigned because of their grades or other issues? They’re in this game. Ever wonder where the big names in college football go when they make an 18-year-old kid style mistake and get released from there programs? They’re in this game. How good can it be? Alvin Kamara and Cordarrelle Patterson who are currently 2 of the most explosive players in the NFL both played at Hutchinson. Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs and Nick Marshall of Auburn fame both went to Garden City along with the aforementioned Brent Venables. The list of alumni from this conference would astonish you and you can catch one final college game this SUNDAY at 2PM Eastern. Hutchinson is the defending Junior college Nation Champion from the spring season and Garden City is a perennial National power. The 2 teams played earlier this year in a classic in Garden city that saw Hutchinson come from behind to win 24-16. For those who may not have picked up on this yet, Hutchinson is the team that I coach and yes, this is a shameless plug. These guys are the ones we will write this segment about in the next 2 years. Take your opportunity to get to know their names now, and cheer on the ole coach while you’re at it. Go Dragons! Beat Garden! Curator's Picks (31-24) Ohio State over Michigan State Alabama over Arkansas Oklahoma over Iowa St Oregon over Utah Arizona St over Oregon St Coach's Picks (27-28) (One day he'll learn to not pick against Lane when the Curator is for him) Ohio State over Michigan State Alabama over Arkansas Oklahoma over Iowa St Oregon over Utah Arizona St over Oregon St
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ABG CFBThe Curator and other knowledgeable voices...mostly Southerners... on the subject Archives
November 2021
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