Thursday, December 1, 2011

Golden Globes Preview

With the Golden Globe nominations coming up in a couple of weeks, it seems appropriate to take a stab at some nomination predictions, as well as make fun of how ridiculous and predictable it is. The Globes love star power and do not care about reviews. If Meryl Streep, Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, etc. are in a movie or Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, etc. direct a movie, then that is normally enough for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to give it massive Globes love. So, I will predict the categories (even the TV ones for fun), and then I will make a lineup of what the HFPA would do if they would indulge themselves in their shameless star power-hungry voting. For most of these, I will maintain some sense of legitimacy, though. I mean, if they had their choice, Al Pacino would be nominated for Jack and Jill, so I will keep it at least somewhat tame. Here it goes with the TV stuff, followed by most of the film categories:

(winners in Italics)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE

Jane Lynch – Glee

Margo Martindale – Justified

Sofia Vergara – Modern Family

Betty White – Hot in Cleveland

Evan Rachel Wood – Mildred Pierce

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE

Ty Burrell – Modern Family

Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones

Paul Giamatti – Too Big to Fail

Guy Pearce – Mildred Pierce

Edward James Olmos – Dexter

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

Taraji P. Henson – Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story

Katie Holmes – The Kennedys

Elizabeth McGovern – Downton Abbey

Rachel Weisz – Page Eight

Kate Winslet – Mildred Pierce

BEST ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

Idris Elba – Luther

Ethan Hawke – Moby Dick

William Hurt – Moby Dick

Greg Kinnear – The Kennedys

Barry Pepper – The Kennedys

BEST MINISERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE

Downton Abbey

The Kennedys

Mildred Pierce

Page Eight

Too Big to Fail

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY/MUSICAL

Christina Applegate – Up All Night

Zooey Deschanel – New Girl

Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie

Tina Fey – 30 Rock

Melissa McCarthy – Mike & Molly

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY/MUSICAL

Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock

Steve Carell – The Office

Ashton Kutcher – Two and a Half Men

Matt LeBlanc – Episodes

Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY/MUSICAL

30 Rock

The Big Bang Theory

Glee

Modern Family

New Girl

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Maria Bello – Prime Suspect

Claire Danes – Homeland

Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife

Anna Paquin – True Blood

Katey Sagal – Sons of Anarchy

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad

Michael C. Hall – Dexter

Sean Bean – Game of Thrones

Timothy Olyphant – Justified

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

Game of Thrones

The Good Wife

The Killing

BEST ANIMATED FILM

The Adventures of Tintin

Cars 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

Winnie the Pooh

Explanation: This one just comes down to the fact that Johnny Depp is the voice of one of the characters. Rango takes this in a route.

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

Bridesmaids

The Descendants

The Ides of March

Midnight in Paris

Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy

Explanation: This is always difficult because there is always a screwdriver thrown in there, like It’s Complicated in 2009. This is as close as I could come, yet I still had to leave out Moneyball, which took the New York Film Critics award and most of the likely Best Picture nominees.

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

David Fincher – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life

Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Steven Spielberg – War Horse

Explanation: The Globes love their big name directors, and that is reflected here. This is a very safe, unexciting list, actually.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris

Clint Eastwood – J. Edgar

Angelina Jolie – In the Land of Blood and Honey

Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Steven Spielberg – War Horse

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Sandra Bullock – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Marion Cotillard – Midnight in Paris

Jessica Chastain – The Help

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

Octavia Spencer – The Help

Explanation: The Globes love Sandra Bullock and fluff box office hits like The Help. Since McCarthy is probably winning her TV category, I doubt she will take this too.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Sandra Bullock – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Scarlett Johnansson – We Bought a Zoo

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

Gwyneth Paltrow – Contagion

Natalie Portman – Your Highness

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn

Albert Brooks – Drive

Brad Pitt – The Tree of Life

Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method

Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Explanation: The HFPA cannot get enough of Hollywood’s Golden Couple, so Pitt is almost a shoo-in here. They also like their veteran and European actors. I am really confident in this group.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Sasha Baron Cohen – Hugo

George Clooney – The Ides of March

Tom Hanks – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Jonah Hill – Moneyball

Brad Pitt – The Tree of Life

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY/MUSICAL

Cameron Diaz – Bad Teacher

Julianne Moore – Crazy Stupid Love

Kirsten Wiig – Bridesmaids

Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn

Kate Winslet – Carnage

Explanation: There is a lot of star power in this group, and I kept it somewhat realistic. I have a feeling that someone from The Artist will sneak in or maybe something random like Amy Adams for The Muppets, but I just do not know who to take out.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Cameron Diaz – Bad Teacher

Jodie Foster – Carnage

Julia Roberts – Larry Crowne

Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids

Kate Winslet – Carnage

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY/MUSICAL

Matt Damon – We Bought a Zoo

Johnny Depp – The Rum Diary

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Tom Hanks – Larry Crowne

Owen Wilson – Midnight in Paris

Explanation: This is one of the categories where the Globes get really stupid. This is a fairly strong mix of their ridiculousness and realistic predictions. I feel like Wilson, Dujardin, and Damon are locks for this category, and the other two could be any mix of superstar actors.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Jim Carrey – Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Johnny Depp – Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Johnny Depp – The Rum Diary

Johnny Depp – Rango

Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Tom Hanks – Larry Crowne

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY/MUSICAL

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Carnage

Midnight in Paris

The Muppets

Explanation: For this category, the Globes are most unpredictable. Last year, it included The Tourist, Red, and Burlesque. Yeah, this is just a wild guess.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Bridesmaids

Glee: The 3D Concert Movie

The Hangover: Part II

Larry Crowne

New Year’s Eve

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis – The Help

Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Emma Stone – The Help

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Explanation: Streep is winning, obviously. The others are just fillers. None of them can take it from her.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Anne Hathaway – One Day

Zana Marjanovic – In the Land of Blood and Honey

Kristen Stewart – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

Emma Stone – The Help

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

Antonio Banderas – The Skin I Live In

George Clooney – The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar

Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Explanation: Four of these choices are obvious. Banderas is really just a stab in the dark. They usually love Almodovar movies, and Banderas seems to have the international star power that they usually like to incorporate into theirlineups. It’s a pretty solid group nonetheless.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

George Clooney – The Descendants

Daniel Craig – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Justin Timberlake – In Time

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

A Dangerous Method

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Help

Hugo

War Horse

Explanation: This is a tough category this year. There are movies made by the most popular directors in the world. There are films like The Help that made unbelievable amounts of money at the box office, something that the Globes love to see. Then there is A Dangerous Method, which is a Cronenberg movie, whose last two films inexplicably got nominated in this category after almost no precursors. This is as close as I can come to figuring this out.

The HFPA Dream Lineup:

Hugo

The Ides of March

In the Land of Blood and Honey

J. Edgar

War Horse


So, what do you think? Am I missing any other big name actor that the HFPA loves? Let me know what you think or post your own in the comments.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

2011 College Football Potential Playoff - Nov. 27

Click here to read last week's article.

I know this is me just living in a fantasy world, but this discussion is so much fun to have. Looking at the bracket after this week's action, no new teams have found their way into the dance. Only one team lost this week, but it was to the unstoppable Bayou Bengals. Here is what the top 16 look like today.

LSU Tigers
1. LSU (SEC leader)
Only one more hurtle to go for them to end up undefeated. Even if they lose that game, they could still end up #1 going into the postseason.

Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Alabama (At large #1)
Their regular season is over since LSU took their division. With that said, they are a lock in the playoff and can only move up from here. If LSU loses in the SEC Championship game, they could easily end up #1 in the land heading into the postseason.

Oklahoma State Cowboys
3. Oklahoma St. (Big 12 leader)
They play Oklahoma in the Bedlum game next week. If they win, they wrap up the Big 12 championship and the #3 seed. If they lose, they fall to #7 or #8. Either way, they should be a lock in the playoff barring some unforeseen upsets in championship games.

Stanford Cardinal
4. Stanford (At large #2)
The highest ranked Pac-12 team cannot win their conference after their loss to Oregon. However, their season is over so they are in the same boat as Bama. They are a lock in the playoff and can only move up if Oklahoma St. loses.

Virginia Tech Hokies
5. Virginia Tech (ACC leader)
They always seem to be up in the discussion every year. However, they have yet to beat anyone with a top 25 rank as is shown by them staying put and Stanford jumping over them. They will have to if they want to clinch their spot in the playoff. They play Clemson in the ACC Championship who they lost to earlier in the year, but Clemson has undergone a monumental collapse the last month. Another loss to Clemson puts the Hokies in jeopardy of missing the playoff.

Houston Cougars
6. Houston (C-USA leader)
A big win this week against Tulsa bumped them up a couple spots in the rankings. They still have one more big game against Southern Miss. in the Conference USA Championship. A win could move them up even higher. A loss could easily knock them out of the playoff. This year's Cinderella story could lose its slipper before the ball.

Boise State Broncos
7. Boise St. (At large #3)
In reality, if Boise St. makes that field goal against Nevada we could be talking about an LSU-Boise St. National Championship. In my little fantasy world, as long as they take care of business against New Mexico they will have a tough matchup on the Smurf Turf in the first round.

Arkansas Razorbacks
8. Arkansas (At large #4)
Honestly, they fell way too far after their loss to LSU. They have only lost two #1 and #2 so far this season. With that said, they are in the playoff as long as there aren't some upsets that force at large bids to go to the likes of LSU, Virginia Tech, and possibly Houston.

Oregon Ducks
9. Oregon (Pac-12 leader)
As long as they beat UCLA at home in the championship game, which is extremely likely, they get the automatic bid as Pac-12 Champ. They lose, which is highly unlikely, they are out. Simple as that.

Oklahoma Sooners
10. Oklahoma (At large #5)
They have to beat Oklahoma St. to stay in the bracket. A loss in Bedlum knocks them out.

Michigan State Spartans
11. Michigan St. (Big 10 leader)
Most people think they will lose in the Big 10 Championship to Wisconsin, but they are still the higher ranked team so they get the spot for now. Wisconsin slides in if they win. It really is a toss up though.

TCU Horned Frogs
12. TCU (MWC leader)
Easy game against UNLV left to clinch the MWC title. A loss knocks them out and opens up another spot for someone else.

Northern Illinois Huskies
13. Northern Illinois (MAC leader)
Since conference play started, they have been on a roll. They now have to beat a sneaky Ohio team in the MAC Championship to wrap up their automatic bid.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
14. Louisiana Tech (WAC Champ)
This spot is clinched for Louisiana Tech since their season is over.

Louisville Cardinals
15. Louisville (Big East leader)
I don't know what to do with this conference. Louisville has gotten hot lately and ended their season strong. With their season over, it is all up to everyone else if they get this spot. If Cincinnati loses, they are in no matter what West Virginia does as they hold the head-to-head tie breaker. If Cincinnati wins and West Virginia loses, Cincinnati gets the spot since they hold the tie breaker over Louisville. If both Cincinnati and West Virginia win, it is a three way tie which means the tie breaker goes to BCS standings which puts West Virginia in the playoff. It's a mess.

Arkansas State Red Wolves
16. Arkansas St. (Sun Belt Champ)
They have one more game against Troy, but since they beat Western Kentucky they hold the tie breaker. That means Arkansas St. is in no matter what happens next week. They need a good showing to possibly get a better matchup in the first round.

Potential Bracket Busters
These are the only teams that have any shot of breaking up this top 16.

Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas St. - They are currently in position as the 6th at large team. If Oklahoma loses and Kansas St. beats Iowa St., the Wildcats should be in.

Clemson Tigers
Clemson - They have gone from potential National Championship contender to long shot for a chance in the postseason. However, they have beaten Virginia Tech before, and if they do it again they are back in the dance.

West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia - No one is in control of their own destiny in this conference, however they are the likely choice even though Louisville is the current leader.

Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati - They need a a win and an upset of West Virginia to South Florida (which is unlikely, but in the Big East, who knows). It seems like a long shot though.

Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin - A lot of people say they are the favorite to win the Big 10, but it will take a tough win against Michigan St.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Southern Miss - They have had some bad losses, but they are a tough team that could give Houston problems in the C-USA Championship. An upset puts them in.

Ohio Bobcats
Ohio - They have been playing really well and will give Northern Illinois a tough game in the MAC Championship. This game should be fun to watch to see who gets this spot.

UCLA Bruins
UCLA - Technically they have a shot. Logically, they really don't. Beating Oregon at home is next to impossible. However, it has already been done by one LA team this year.

Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia - No one has been able to beat LSU so far. The only way Georgia does is if LSU has a let down after a rough schedule and not really necessarily needing a win to be in the top 2.


First Round Matchups

Arkansas State Red WolvesLSU Tigers
#16 Arkansas St. at #1 LSU
Shouldn't be a problem for LSU considering everything else they have faced this year.

Oregon DucksArkansas Razorbacks
#9 Oregon at #8 Arkansas
Oregon has had trouble with SEC teams in the past because of their size. Will they have trouble in Arkansas?

Northern Illinois HuskiesStanford Cardinal
#13 Northern Illinois at #4 Stanford
The Cardinal's defense should be able to slow Northern Illinois's offense. The Luck of the Cardinal.

TCU Horned FrogsVirginia Tech Hokies
#12 TCU at #5 Virginia Tech
The Hokies haven't played anybody. TCU is one of the toughest teams to beat in the nation. Always look at the 5/12 matchup for an upset.

Louisiana Tech BulldogsOklahoma State Cowboys
#14 Louisiana Tech at #3 Oklahoma St.
This would most likely be a shootout as most games are with the Cowboys this year, but Oklahoma St. would most likely out-score them like they usually do.

Michigan State SpartansHouston Cougars
#11 Michigan St. at #6 Houston
The rugged, physical, grind-it-out Spartans against the speedy, pass-happy Cougars. It could be an interesting clashing of styles.

Louisville CardinalsAlabama Crimson Tide
#15 Louisville at #2 Alabama
Bama should roll Louisville like a lower level SEC team like Kentucky. You never know though.

Oklahoma SoonersBoise State Broncos
#10 Oklahoma at #7 Boise St.
Why does it seem Boise St. always ends up playing a familiar foe from the past? Another classic would most likely ensue.

There it is. After next week we get to set the bracket for good and start filling it out. Wouldn't it be amazing to fill out a bracket for college football as well as college basketball. Holiday Madness!!!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

College Football Playoff Potential - Nov. 22

Read last week's update here.

After another crazy week of college football, we once again had some crazy shakeups in the polls and shakeups in what could be the greatest postseason in all of sports if they let it be done right. Again, every conference champ gets an automatic bid with 5 at large bids determined by BCS standings which makes a 16 team playoff. Here are the teams that would make the playoff if the season ended today.

LSU Tigers
1. LSU (SEC leader)
After another solid SEC win at Ole Miss, LSU once again faces another big time opponent next week with Arkansas coming into Baton Rouge. They need to dodge yet another bullet to just get to the SEC Championship game and have a shot at this automatic bid.

Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Alabama (At Large #1)
Bama backed their way back into the runner-up spot and could back into the SEC Championship or even the #1 spot in the polls if LSU slips up this week. Just don't lose like you tried to do against Georgia Southern.

Arkansas Razorbacks
3. Arkansas (At Large #2)
The LSU-Arkansas game would be an example of a game that would lose some weight under this system because both teams have pretty much wrapped up a spot in the bracket where this week they will be fighting for a chance to play in the National Championship. However, Arkansas loses this game in a playoff system and they have a tough matchup in the first round instead of a lower level conference champ like the top 3 would have.

Oklahoma State Cowboys
4. Oklahoma St. (Big 12 leader)
After an embarrassing loss to Iowa St. they should have dropped further. However, due to some other big losses they not only drop just 2 spots but hold onto the lead in the Big 12. They have to bounce back in a hurry for Bedlum against Oklahoma or else they will be facing a potential road game in the first round only a couple weeks after being #2 in all the land.

Virginia Tech Hokies
5. Virginia Tech (ACC leader)
As long as they keep winning, they will be a force in the playoff. However, they have a rivalry game next against a surging Virginia and then a conference championship against Clemson, who gave them their one loss. So "just keep winning" will be a challenge.

Stanford Cardinal
6. Stanford (At Large #3)
This happens twice right now in the polls: a team gets an at large spot that has a higher overall rank than their conference leader. Stanford could end up in the top 4 once it's all said and done. Watch out for Notre Dame though. Luck against the Irish.

Boise State Broncos
7. Boise St. (At Large #4)
Boise found their way back into the bracket after some losses last week. As long as they keep winning, they will end up bringing a tough opponent to the Smurf Turf in the opening round and become a dark horse to take it all.

Houston Cougars
8. Houston (C-USA leader)
They just keep winning. Last week they were on the road playing a winnable game, and now they would be hosting a home game. Before it's all said and done, they could (and should) end up even higher. The ultimate wild card is a team that has won every game they have played and everyone overlooks.

Oklahoma Sooners
9. Oklahoma (At Large #5)
The last at large goes to Oklahoma, but with a loss in the Bedlum game knocks them out of the playoff picture after a costly loss to Baylor. A win against OK St. not only moves them up, but would clinch them the conference.

Oregon Ducks
10. Oregon (Pac-12 leader)
The biggest challenge Oregon has left is the Civil War against Oregon St. which is never an easy game. However, even with the loss to USC they can win out and take the conference with more losses overall than Stanford.

Michigan State Spartans
11. Michigan St. (Big 10 leader)
The brutal war for control in the Big 10 currently has Michigan St. coming out on top, but it could easily be Penn St. or Wisconsin if they win the championship game, or even Michigan if Sparty slips up against Northwestern. Just ask Husker fans, it can happen.

TCU Horned Frogs
12. TCU (MWC leader)
One more win and they wrap up this spot thanks to the Boise St. win. With that game being against UNLV, it looks likely they will be a fighting for some upsets in the bracket.

Northern Illinois Huskies
13. Northern Illinois (MAC leader)
This team just keeps winning and looking good doing it. However, a slip up in the MAC Championship against Ohio knocks them out. These conference championships in the smaller conferences can become like Championship Week in March Madness. Win and you're in. Lose and you're out. No matter who you are.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
14. Louisiana Tech (WAC leader)
Tech played their way into this spot by beating Nevada last week. With a win against New Mexico St. they clinch it.

Arkansas State Red Wolves
15. Arkansas St. (Sun Belt leader)
Undefeated in conference puts them in the field with only two overall losses to two strong big conference teams. They won't be a complete cake walk. The Sun Belt champ is always a scary team to face in the bowls.

Louisville Cardinals
16. Louisville (Big East leader)
With a loss by Cincinnati, the top of the forever depleted Big East barely has a .500 record. They have to beat South Florida still which will not be easy. This spot will most likely end up going to a team like Rutgers if (or when) Louisville slips up again.

Teams on the outside looking in
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas St. - Loss from Oklahoma against OK St. puts them in.

Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia - Major upset in the SEC Championship mixes everything up and thrusts the Bulldogs into the automatic bid in the SEC and takes an at large bid away from someone like Boise St. Thinking about this scenario in the reality that is the BCS, what if Georgia beats LSU/Bama/Arkansas in the SEC Championship game? Georgia goes to the Sugar Bowl automatically and due to the rule that only one at large bid can come from each conference you will most likely not be allowed to have a 1/2 National Championship. For instance, let's say Arkansas beats LSU this week. That would most likely put Bama at 1, Arkansas at 2, and LSU at 3. Now let's say Bama loses to Georgia in the SEC Championship. That puts Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Arkansas becomes #1, LSU goes to #2, and Bama drops to #3 or lower. Arkansas would be in the National Championship, but LSU as the #2 team in the nation would not be allowed to because there would already be 2 SEC teams in the BCS. If Bama doesn't fall any further than #3 after losing to Georgia, you would be forced to have Arkansas play the #4 team in the country in Oklahoma St./Virginia Tech/Stanford. Talk about chaos! Even if LSU beats Arkansas, as long as Georgia wins the SEC Championship game it is impossible in the current system for two SEC teams to play in the National Championship. I don't know about you, but I'll be rooting for the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game so the BCS would have to be questioned by everyone.

Michigan Wolverines
Michigan - A big rivalry win against Ohio St. might put them in position to take a spot if someone slips up.

Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin - The likely champ in the Leaders division of the Big 10 can hop into the dance with a payback win in the rematch against Sparty in the first Big 10 Championship game.

Clemson Tigers
Clemson - They have looked terrible the last month, but a win against Virginia Tech (who they already beat once this year) in the ACC Championship puts them back in no matter what they do this week against South Carolina.

Teams Dropping Out of the Dance
Clemson Tigers
Clemson

Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati - A bad loss to Rutgers dropped them down in the standings of one of the weakest conferences in all college football. They probably won't recover, especially after losing their QB.

Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada - After losing to Louisiana Tech, they have to pray for an upset to get back into consideration.

First Round Matchups
Here is what the first round would look like if it were to start this weekend.

Louisville CardinalsLSU Tigers
#16 Louisville at #1 LSU
LSU would show everyone once again how good they are and how bad the Big East is.

Oklahoma SoonersHouston Cougars
#9 Oklahoma at #8 Houston
Houston has worked its way up to a home game, but playing Oklahoma could be a tough matchup. They had a better chance of winning last week as a 10 seed. Winner gets LSU in the next round which would eliminate either team.

Northern Illinois HuskiesOklahoma State Cowboys
#13 Northern Illinois at #4 Oklahoma St.
You have to think the Iowa St. game will not happen again for the Cowboys. However, Northern Illinois can sneak up on you in a similar way to what the Cyclones did. Nothing is a guaranteed win for Oklahoma St. right now.

TCU Horned FrogsVirginia Tech Hokies
#12 TCU at #5 Virginia Tech
The Hokies look strong, but they haven't really played anybody either. On paper Virginia Tech should win this game, but Boise St. was supposed to beat TCU too. The Horned Frogs are a good enough team to repeat the upset too. Just like March Madness, watch out for the 5/12 matchup.

Louisiana Tech BulldogsArkansas Razorbacks
#14 Louisiana Tech at #3 Arkansas
The Razorbacks should roll in this game as they continue to improve week after week, but never underestimate a team with nothing to lose and everything to win like Louisiana Tech who is always a tough win.

Michigan State SpartansStanford Cardinal
#11 Michigan St. at #6 Stanford
What an interesting matchup! These are two teams that are very physical and don't necessarily play a flashy style of football. I could see this game being a 17-16 or 13-12 final score with the defenses out there with either team coming out on top. Either one of these teams would give Arkansas problems in the next round too.

Arkansas State Red WolvesAlabama Crimson Tide
#15 Arkansas St. at #2 Alabama
Bama should roll fairly easily over Arkansas St., however like I said the Sun Belt is always a tough win.

Oregon DucksBoise State Broncos
#10 Oregon at #7 Boise St.
These two teams always seem to be drawn toward each other. The Broncos have the physical presence on defense to give the Ducks trouble, and they would be back on the Smurf Turf after not even being in the bracket last week. This is becoming a classic rivalry.


So there is the latest update. Stay tuned for what next week brings us as the majority of regular seasons end in college football.