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ABG College Football
Our Coverage of a Storied Southern Tradition

The ABG Poll - 10/30/18

10/30/2018

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Alabama remains atop the poll as the consensus #1 ad nauseam. The Top 4 remain unchanged from last week. Georgia used their impressive victory over arch rival Florida to jump Michigan in the standings. Oklahoma's lopsided victory over Kansas State helpd them to skip above Central Florida, who maintains the 8th spot this week. The Buckeyes move up to 9th and West Virginia bbumps Kentucky out after the Wildcats barely survive their battle with Missouri. Week 10 promises to be a big one with two "Top 12" match ups and almost every team in the poll facing a serious challenge this week. Look for a lot of movement in the poll next week.
The Poll

Rank   Team          Points     Last Week
1.    Alabama              50 (5)          1
2.    Clemson              45                2
3.    Notre Dame         37                3
4.    LSU                      35                4
5.    Georgia                27                7
6.    Michigan              22                6
7.    Oklahoma            16                9         
8.    UCF                     12                8
​9.    Ohio State             9                10
10.  West Virginia         5                NR
       
Also receiving votes: Kentucky 4, Washington State 3
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Week 9 Recap

10/27/2018

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Georgia cruised to a victory over Florida and Washington State beat Stanford- two games chosen in C&C as the Games of the Week and then lived up to the hype. Also, both Upset Alerts proved to be good calls as Northwestern knocked off Wisconsin 31-17 and Oklahoma State outlasted Texas 38-35.
Three Games That Mattered
6 Georgia 36 Florida 17
The Dawgs out gained the Gators by 154 total yards and took advantage of 3 Florida turnovers to knock off their longstanding rival and continue to control their own destiny in the SEC East. The win sets up a big match up in Lexington next week against Kentucky with the winner of that game being crowned as the SEC East champ.
10 Kentucky 15 Missouri 14
The Wildcats stay alive in the SEC East with a late score to beat Missouri. The Cats trailed late and it looked like their Cinderella season might come to an end. But Kentucky has made a season out of doing what it takes to survive for another week. They did that on Saturday and now they face Georgia for the de facto SEC East Championship game.
5 Texas 35 Oklahoma State 38
Texas is back. Or at least they were. The Longhorns came up short in Stillwater as OSU’s walk-on turned starting QB had a career night. Native Texan Taylor Cornelius went 23/34 for 321 yds and 3 TDs. Not bad for a player who received 0 D-1 offers. The loss likely eliminates Texas from playoff contention. It may also cost them a spot in the Top 10.
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Curator & Coach - Week 9

10/26/2018

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Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week
Georgia vs Florida in Jacksonville

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. This is what Southern football is about. Rivalry, tradition, and grit. If both teams were unranked this game would still draw the attention of the Peach and Sunshine States. With an SEC East title hanging in the balance, this one matters even more. Kirby and the Dawgs are coming off a disappointing loss while Mullen and the Gators have turned around after a slow start. Both teams have a chance to make a statement. One team will be out of the playoff picture. Take all the stats and comparisons, wad them up and throw them in the trash. This is Georgia-Florida.

​
​Upset Alert
Wisconsin @ Northwestern

The Wildcats have beaten Purdue and Michigan State. They played Michigan to the wire. They had a dramatic comeback to beat Nebraska when it looked out of reach. They’ve only had two games this year that were decided by more than five points. Wisconsin came into this season with big expectations, most of which remain unfulfilled. If it gets late and Northwestern is close, or even ahead, the psychology will kick in and the Badgers will choke. That is a harsh assessment but Wisconsin has one game this year decided by fewer than 10, a 21-24 loss to BYU. If the Badgers want to win they have to start early, build a lead and keep it. Mark my words, if it gets close, Wisconsin is in trouble.
Coach Drew Burnham
Game of the Week:
Washington State @ Stanford

If the PAC 12 is to make an appearance in the playoffs this year the Cougars are their only hope. With only 1 loss and a tough enough schedule remaining to make a statement, every week is do or die for Leech and the boys. There is zero margin for error.Washington State is the sneaky team that no one is talking about right now. How will the tempo and flash of the Cougar offense match against the size and strength of Stanford’s ground attack? 2 absolute offensive wizards in Leech and Shaw square off. It’sfire and ice and it should make for one heck of a game to watch.

Upset Alert
​Texas @ Oklahoma State

College football is just better when Texas is good, and right now, Texas is good. The Pokes have been on a skid the last 2 weeks and this game may seem prime for a beating. It may deliver on that assumption. However, this would be an extremely easy game for the Horns to overlook and Oklahoma St. is powerful enough on offense to keep themselves alive. Ehlinger should be able to play for Texas, but off the shoulder sprain last week will he be 100%. In order to win this one they are going to have to be able to score and that may be a small hindrance to them. Add to that the phenomenal job the OK St. PR staff has done hyping this game and the return of Barry Sanders for the game. The environment will be huge and that always fuels a good upset. I feel good about this one. For the sake of the ABG top 10 pollsters I hope I’m right. Go Pokes.
​
Curator’s Picks (45-35)
​Clemson @ FSU
Wisconsin @ Northwestern
Vandy @ Arkansas
Purdue @ Sparty
Georgia vs Florida
Iowa @ Penn State
NC State @ Syracuse
TAMU @ Mississippi State
Kentucky @ Mizzou
Washington @ Cal
Coach’s Picks (46-34)
Clemson @ FSU
Wisconsin @ Northwestern
Vandy @ Arkansas
Purdue @ Sparty
Georgia vs Florida
Iowa @ Penn State
NC State @ Syracuse
TAMU @ Mississippi State
Kentucky @ Mizzou
Washington @ Cal
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ABG Poll - 10/23/18

10/23/2018

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Yes, Bama continues to be the consensus #1. After a stunning loss to Purdue, in which they were completely dominated in every aspect of the game, Ohio State drops from #2 to #10, receiving a total of only 3 points from two ballots. The winners all advanced in the poll, except UCF who dropped a spot in this volatile and unforgiving poll. Kentucky has eased back in at #10
The Poll

Rank   Team          Points     Last Week
1.    Alabama              50 (5)          1
2.    Clemson              44                2
3.    Notre Dame         38                4
4.    LSU                      36                5
5.    Texas                   20                6
6.    Michigan              24                8
7.    Georgia                23                8         
8.    UCF                      12                7
​9.    Oklahoma              8                10
10.  (Tie)
​       Kentucky               3                NR
       Ohio State             3                2

        
Also receiving votes: Florida 2, NC State 2
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Week 8 Recap

10/20/2018

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Another exciting weekof college football. There were several surprises, Purdue being the biggest. The Coach called the upset this week as Washington State proved to be too much for Oregon. Let’s take a closer look.
3 Games That Mattered
8 Michigan @ Michigan State

No one on the Wolverine team was around the last time Michigan beat Sparty. In fact, these players weren’t even teenagers then. Even as the favorites, Michigan was still expected by many to lose. But they put a full game together and outlasted the Spartans on their home field. It was a win Michigan desperately needed. They remain in the running to the Big Ten and even the playoff.

Mississippi State @ 5 LSU
The Tigers have one of, if not the most impressive resumes in college football. A win over Mississippi State might have been expected but wasn’t guaranteed. With the Ohio State loss, this win likely boosts LSU into the Top 4. It was an important win at just the right time.
2 Ohio State @ Purdue
All the Buckeyes needed was to keep winning. Sitting in the #2 spot was a sure entry into the playoff. But the Boilermakers had other plans. David Blough threw for 378 yards, 170 of those to Rondale Moore. On defense Purdue had four critical stops in the Red Zone and did not allow a Buckeye TD until the 4th quarter. Far from a fluke upset, the Boilermakers seized control of the game early and then dominated both sides of the ball all night. The punctuation was a pick-6 late in the 4th. Purdue has now won 4 games in a row. Where this game matters is that it drops OSU out of the Top 4 and perhaps even the Top 10. Pollsters will have to look hard at this game if the Buckeyes finish the season on the playoff bubble.
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Curator & Coach - Week 8

10/19/2018

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Curator Sam Burnham
Upset of the Week
8Michigan @ Michigan State
 
Sparty was good to me last week in this column. I may have been the only person who wasn't dressed in green who thought the Spartans could pull that off in Happy Valley. I tend to believe they can do it again. Michigan is riding high after a big win over Wisconsin last week. But this is still Michigan we're talking about. Harbaugh consistently struggles against Ohio State and Sparty. With home field advantage and whatever Harbaugh's curse is, the Spartans are more like the favorites coming into this one. I think the wolverines keep it close but I don't think they keep it close enough. 

​Game of the Week
Mississippi State @
5LSU
LSU took a huge step foward last week. I don't think anyone could have predicted the score to be that lopsided. On the other side, the Bulldogs have losses to Kentucky and Florida. But they also have a blowout of Auburn two weeks ago. LSU needs this game much more than MSU. With a win they continue to control their own destiny in the SEC West. The Bulldogs have nothing to lose and can be a bit more relaxed in their approach. 

Most importantly, this is an SEC football game in Baton Rouge. Expect a physical game with a lot of defense. This may not even be the closest game of the weekend but if you are a traditionalist, as I am, you'll probably love this one. There's just something about a game in Death Valley, It never seems to disappoint.
​
Coach Drew Burnham
Upset of the Week
10Oregon @ Washington State
Coming off a highly emotional game last week vs. Washington, you have to think that the Ducks are flying high and feeling invincible. That is not a great position to be in heading into the home of the pirate himself, Mike Leech. The Cougars are also riding high after a sneaky 5-1 start to their season and sliding into the top 25 this week. Neither of those accomplishments will overly impress the Ducks, but will still fuel the fire leading
Wazzu into battle. I like this matchup. Watch for some creative play calling in
key situations (3rd down and in the red zone) from Leech.

Game of the Week
10NC State @ 2Clemson
​Is this the defacto ACC title game? With both teams unbeaten it certainly starts to feel that way. NC State survived a scare last week from Boston College, likely due to looking ahead to what they had to know was their biggest test of the season. Looking past lesser opponents has been a reoccurring theme for them (see the nail biter vs. James Madison in week 1). This opponent will obviously not be overlooked. I believe that Clemson is a contender this year, but obviously not “the team to beat” that they have been in recent years. NC State has done a great job of building that culture into one that expects to win, I just don’t think it’s quite developed enough to handle this one, when both sides know what to expect. They’ve done enough that the element of surprise is gone for the Wolfpack and I believe that will keep them from taking this one.
Curator's Picks (38-32)
Michigan @ Sparty
Oklahoma @ TCU
Auburn @ Ole Miss
UVA @ Duke
Colorado @ Washington
NC State @ Clemson
Mississippi State @ LSU
Ohio State @ Purdue
Vandy @ Kentucky
Arizona @ UCLA
Coach's Picks (40-30)
Michigan
@ Sparty
Oklahoma @ TCU
Auburn @ Ole Miss
UVA @ Duke
Colorado @ Washington
NC State @ Clemson
Mississippi State @ LSU
Ohio State @ Purdue
Vandy @ Kentucky
Arizona @ UCLA
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AGB Poll - 10/16/18

10/15/2018

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Predictably Alabama remains atop the poll this week. While the order varies from ballot to ballot, the teams in the Top 5 are mostly consensus with only one ballot excluding LSU in favor of UCF. There are 4 teams making an appearance this week who were not in the poll last week. The consensus in the Top 5 fades toward the bottom of the poll. The variety at the bottom of ballots led to a three way tie for 10. With no reasonable tie breaker, the tie stands and we wait to see how these teams do in coming weeks. 
The Poll

Rank   Team          Points     Last Week
1.    Alabama              50 (5)          1
2.    (Tie)
       Clemson              40                4
       Ohio State           40                3
4.    Notre Dame         37                4
5.    LSU                      30               10
6.    Texas                   20               10
7.    UCF                     18                7
8.    (Tie) 
       Georgia                15                2         
       Michigan               15               NR
10.  (Tie)
        NC State               3                NR

        Oklahoma              3                NR
        Oregon                  3                NR   

​
Also receiving votes: West Virginia 1
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Week 7 Recap

10/13/2018

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This week brought 4 losses and some close calls in our Top 10. Georgia, West Virginia, Washington, and Penn State lost. Of that group, only Georgia lost to a team in our Top 10. So expect big changes this coming week.
3 Games That Mattered

2 Georgia @ 10 LSU
Due To injures Georgia was playing with a very young offensive line. That and 4 turnovers led to Georgia struggling against a very good LSU defense. The Tigers dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for over 7 more minutes than the Dawgs. LSU’s offense ran 81 plays to Georgia’s 64. The win should have LSU heading back up the poll and still very much in the running for a playoff bid.
8 Washington @ Oregon
The Coach made this one his Game of the Week and it lived up to that selection. An Oregon TD in overtime put them up by 3 and ended the game. With 2 losses Washington is now likely out of the playoff picture, at least for now. They’d need a lot of help to get back in at this point.
Michigan State @ 9 Penn State
The Curator called this upset. Michigan State went into Happy Valley and stunned the Nittany Lions. Penn State is likely eliminated from the playoff and would need a lot of help to get in the Big Ten Championship Game.
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Curator & Coach - Week 7

10/12/2018

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Curator Sam Burnham

Game of the Week

2 Georgia @ 10 LSU
Both of these teams need this one. More then that, they each need to dominate the other to build the momentum they need to survive the meat of their respective schedules. LSU needs to bbounce beack from the tough loss at Florida. Georgia needs to prove, mostly to themselves, that they are on a similar level as Bama. That means the Dawgs have to run the football and dominate the tough LSU defense. That means better play on the line and enough passing to keep the Tigers honest. The Tigers aren't going to go down easy in Death Valley.

Upset Alert
Michigan State @
9 Penn State
The breaks haven't fallen right for Sparty this year. But historically speaking they are great at playing the role of spoiler. Penn State is still in the hunt, with some help. But Michigan State can change that this weekend. With two losses and two more big games ahead, they are fighting for a decent bowl and for pride. Expect them to be scrappy and ready to play. Penn State is good, but not great and that will aloow the Spartans to eke this one out. 
Coach Drew Burnham

​Game of the Week

8 Washington @ Oregon
The Quack Attack is highly underrated after getting off to a 4-1 start with the only blemish coming by way of a 7 point loss to a solid Stanford team. Washington has rebounded after their opening night stumble to Auburn. If there is any chance at the stars aligning for them to find their way back into the playoff, they have to take advantage of a day game against one of their last remaining tough tests
where the country can see them. They can still get in, but they’re on thin ice from here out and they need a statement win.


Upset Alert
Baylor @ 10 Texas

​Everyone is through the roof about Texas after their win in the Red River Shootout last weekend (rightfully so). However, they tend to play to the level of their competition as shown by the fact that only 1 of their games this year have been decided by more than 1 score. They’re used to being in tight games, which could help them down the stretch, but this Baylor team can score. Classic letdown win situation. Can Texas handle the emotions and stay on track?


A quick note to point out a few teams flying under our radar. Our poll is limited to a Top 10. That makes it a bit exclusive. There are some notable exclusions at present. Colorado, NC State, South Florida, and Cincinnati are all undefeated and unranked in our poll. Keep an eye on this bunch. With Top 10 teams facing stiff opposition and these teams laying in wait, at least one of these teams might sneak into next week's poll. 
Curator's Picks (33-27)
Florida @ Vandy
Tennessee @ Auburn
Duke @ Georgia Tech
Louisville @ Boston College
Georgia @ LSU
TAMU @ South Carolina
Washington @ Oregon
Michigan State @ Penn State
Wisconsin @ Michigan
Colorado @ Southern Cal
Coach's Picks(38-22)​
Florida @ Vandy
Tennessee @ Auburn
Duke @ Georgia Tech
Louisville @ Boston College
Georgia @ LSU
TAMU @ South Carolina
Washington @ Oregon
Michigan State @ Penn State
Wisconsin @ Michigan
Colorado @ Southern Cal
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The ABG Poll - 10/9/18

10/9/2018

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This week has some movement in the polls. Clemson found some redemption this week but also three of the Top 10 lost. Auburn has dropped out and Oklahoma went from being ranked 6th to not even receiving a vote this week. LSU falls in the poll but remains on board for now. 11 Teams are on the poll due to a tie for 10th.
The Poll

Rank   Team          Points     Last Week
1.    Alabama              50 (5)          1
2.    Georgia               44                2
3.    Ohio State           37                3
4.    (Tie)
       Clemson              34                7
       Notre Dame         34                4
6.    West Virginia       25                8
7.    UCF                     14                NR
8.    Washington          13               10
9.    Penn State           11               NR
10.  (Tie)
        LSU                       5                5

        Texas                     5                NR
​
Also receiving votes: Florida 3
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