In 2010, San Jose State went 1-10 and didn’t win a single game in the WAC. Last year, the team went 5-7 and 3-4 in the WAC. Mike Macintyre did such a nice job getting the team going in the right direction that he picked up a contract extension through 2017. Can the Spartans keep progressing in their final year of play in the WAC?
Many will remember Utah State for their loss in game one of the 2011 season. The Aggies absolutely had the defending champion Auburn Tigers beat, but they let them off the hook in the last two minutes. Still, this team deserves lots of credit for putting it back together and finishing with a solid 7-6 record in 2011.
Texas is in a somewhat similar situation, on a big-picture scale, as the Florida Gators: a super prestigious football program that was among the nation’s elite just a few seasons ago, but has recently fallen on hard times. The fact that an 8-5 2011 record portrays “hard times” at UT should speak volumes for the high pedigree of this program under head coach Mack Brown. Still, the Longhorns need to right the ship.
Even with a program like Oklahoma, as steady as it comes, this is a team that’s ready to go to the big stage right now. The Sooners were ranked #1 in the AP poll last season, but injuries to their top RB and WR spurred the team to hit turbulence, and finish at 10-3.
In 2012, Boston College has the returning starters to be a much improved team from a year ago – which is a good thing indeed, because not much went right for the Eagles in 2011. The Eagles had a pop-gun offense and were outgained by virtually every conference foe, on their way to limping home with a 4-8 record.
Randy Edsall, the man that built the Connecticut football program from literally nothing (as far as the FBS is concerned) to a 2010 BCS bowl participant (the Fiesta Bowl vs. Oklahoma) took over Maryland a year ago with an aggressive approach. Things were going to be done Edsall’s way, and if you didn’t like it, you could leave. This is precisely what QB Danny O’Brien did, as he transferred to Wisconsin to do graduate work and play for the Badgers.
Head coach Mark Richt enters his 12th season as the main man Between the Hedges at Sanford Stadium, holding the clipboard for the Georgia Bulldogs. Various times during his tenure, he has been on the hot seat and also been lauded for being a brilliant motivator.
The 2012 Senior Bowl pits some of the best college seniors from the North against some of the best seniors from the South in what has become a major showcase for anyone hoping to have their name called in this April’s NFL Draft.
This is a match-up between two teams that have not met each other since the year 2001. The difference is that this time they meet in what many consider to be the Granddaddy of all Bowl Game–the 98th Edition of the Tournament of Roses.
It hasn’t always been pretty for the Ole Ball Coach and his South Carolina Gamecocks, but the bottom line speaks loudest, which is Carolina beating unbeaten and ranked #10 in the FBS.
The Stanford Cardinal welcome in the UCLA Bruins after beating them handily, 35-0 at the Rose Bowl just one year ago.
The SMU Mustangs have been using some weak competition to straighten out their game after a disappointing opener against Texas A&M. They come into the weekend on a three game winning streak and they have given up just 7 points over the last two games.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers receive a special welcome to the Big Ten Conference by being forced to play at Camp Randall Stadium this Saturday. The Cornhuskers fan base travels extremely well, and the Badgers faithful will be rocking in this Saturday night game in Madison.
Wrigley Field was the site of last year’s matchup between these two teams, but they’ll be back in Champaign for this week’s contest. Dan Persa has missed the last three games for Northwestern, but he is listed as probable for this one.
Both Minnesota and Michigan have a new coach this season. Jerry Kill and the Gophers have had a very tough start to the season, while Brady Hoke and the Wolverines are 4-0. The Golden Gophers are widely regarded as the worst team in the Big Ten at this point, but in this conference anything can happen.
The general feeling about Maryland is that the Terrapins are a “good” 1-1, as they took down Miami in Week 1 and gave West Virginia a tough run in Week 2. If Maryland wants to push Florida State for the ACC crown, though, it has to start a winning streak over its next few games. Can the Terps handle Temple at home this week?
