Dear Readers,
First and foremost, I apologize for last week when I was using Blake Corrum instead of Chase Brown as the Illinois RB. I guess the holiday blues and the rush to get things done got in my way. Corrum and Brown are among the best RBs in the nation, including the Big Ten. Once again, thanks EICH for pointing that error out to me. I saw that both players got limited playing time in road wins over their respective rivals.
All conference championship games have been paired up.This upcoming weekend is not the same without Alabama (SEC) playing in a conference championship game. Here are my Championship Game predictions! Georgia (East) will defeat LSU (West) in the SEC Championship Game. Michigan (East) will beat Purdue (West) decisively in the Big Ten Championship Game. TCU (1st place) will have a hard-fought win over Kansas State (2nd place) in the Big 12 Championship Game. USC (1st place) will have a hard-fought win over Utah (2nd place) in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Clemson (Atlantic) should be able to beat North Carolina (Coastal) in the ACC Championship Game but don’t count the UNC Tar Heels out of this game. UCF (2nd place) will have a road win over Tulane (1st place) in the AAC Championship Game.
Regardless of what happens this week, if anybody will win National Coach of the Year honors, it will be TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes or USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley. It wouldn’t surprise me there will be a split where the AP, FWAA, and AFCA has their official selection to decide who wins their version of National Coach of the Year. IF-ERR-when Michigan beats Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh should definitely win a National Coach of the Year award from some group, such as the Home Depot or Bobby Dodd Award.
In case you are wondering how Utah earned the right (as a 2nd place team over Oregon and Washington) to play USC (as the 1st place team), it came down to common opponents they each played since the Utes never played the UW Huskies this season or something else past step#2 (click on this link) to determine who should play against the Trojans. I wish the Pac-12 used overall records and then current winning streak before they could use the w-l mark against common opponents method for a tie-breaker. It really should be Washington (as the second-place team) playing USC, who would beat anyone in the 12th annual Pac-12 Championship Game. I still can’t believe Oregon blew a 31-10 lead before suffering a 38-34 road loss against Oregon State. Had the Ducks hung onto win, they would have clinched the 2nd place berth to play the Trojans. I hope to see the Huskies play in a New Year’s Six major bowl game and WIN IT!
Another week in which I had a hard time determining who should be on my Weekly Heisman Trophy Ballot. But this week I had a hard time looking at which three players really deserve to be on my weekly ballot. I did consider Texas RB Biajan Robinson and Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr to be on this week’s ballot. Since Tulane has a rematch home game against UCF in the AAC Championship Game, Spears’ best chance of making next week’s ballot is for the Green Wave to win, have over 100 rushing yards, and score 2 TDs-if a player on a power conference team loses a game and a berth in the ninth annual college football playoffs.
Speaking of Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr, IT SU((S that he isn’t a finalist for the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s best LB, this season. He is as good as last season. His stats, such as 17 TFLs, maybe less than last season but he was still a productive player for this Crimson Tide defense. He is one of the greatest LBs in school history because his 61 career TFLs are second-most in school history, including 34 TFLs last season. What a joke that is!
Speaking of Texas RB Bijan Robinson, I predict that he will be a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation’s best RB. Don’t be surprised that he wins that award. He would be the 3rd Texas RB to win that national individual honor since that award got started in 1990. I won’t be surprised to see Bijan skip the Longhorns’ bowl game to get ready for The 2023 NFL Draft and be a 1st-round selection. He has a reliable back-up RB like RB Roschon Johnson, who can make things happen with 6 rushing yards per carry.
The only non-conference championship game taking place this weekend is Akron at Buffalo because that game was postponed because of that severe snowstorm in Buffalo, N.Y.
Next week, we will finally crown conference champions and find out WHO’S IN (the playoffs that is and where) and all the bowl game pairings.
Sincerely, RICH
RICH’S WEEKLY HEISMAN TROPHY BALLOT
1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC
(267 total offensive yards and 4 TDs responsible for in the Trojans’ 38-27 home-finale win over rival Notre Dame. Passed 18-22, 232yards, and 1 TD. Rushed 9 carries, 35 yards, and 3 TDs of 5,3, and 16 yards. His 44 TDs responsible for is a single-season school record and fourth-most in Pac-12 history. His 3,712 passing yards lead the Pac-12 and seventh nationally.)
2. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
(Rushed 35 carries, 181 yards, and 2 TDs-of 11 and 2 yards-in the Green Wave’s 27-24 road win over Cincinnati Also had a 25-yard carry. His 28 career scoring TDs are ninth-most in school history
3. Michael Pennix Jr, QB, Washington
(519 total offensive yards and 5 TDs responsible for in the Huskies’ 51-33 road win over Washington State. Passed 25-43, 485 yards,3 TDs, and 1 INT. Rushed 2 carries, 34 yards, and 2 TDs of 30 and 4 yards-each scored in the 2nd quarter. His 4,354 passing yards are second-most for a single-season in school history and tenth-most in Pac-12 history. His 4,400 total offensive yards lead the Pac-12 and second nationally.)
RICH’S TOP TEN
1. Georgia
2. Michigan (4)
3. TCU
4. USC
5. Ohio State (2)
6. Tennessee (8)
7. Penn State
8. Alabama (9)
9. Washington (OTM)
10. Clemson (6)
OTHER TEAMS TO MENTION (OTM):
Tulane, UTSA, and Troy
RANKINGS ANALYSIS:
There is another week of moving and shaking in my top ten rankings like always…. The biggest happening is Michigan, who was ranked #4 last week, having a decisive 45-23 road win over Ohio State, who was ranked #2, in a battle of undefeated teams in the horseshoe. The UM Wolverines didn’t miss a beat after star players such as RB Blake Corrum and DE Mike Morris not having to play much because of injuries during this win over the Buckeyes. Michigan wins the Big Ten East Division title for a second straight season and will play against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game this SAT (8 PM, FOX). The Buckeyes needed Clemsona to lose and remain in the top five among my top ten teams after a disappointing and disastrous performance on senior day….Georgia remains #1 in my rankings after a 37-14 home-finale win over in-state rival Georgia Tech. After the Yellow Jackets had a 7-3 lead, the UGA Bulldogs really responded to eventually win this game decisively. This football team will play LSU, who are coming off a disappointing 38-23 road loss against Texas A&M this past SAT, in the SEC Championship Game this SAT (4 PM, CBS)…Speaking of Clemson, The Tigers moved down from #6 to #10 after suffering a 31-30 home-finale loss against in-state rival South Carolina, which ended a 40-game winning streak in home games. This loss against the Gamecocks also cost them a possible playoff berth. This football team will play North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game this SAT (8 PM, ABC)… No surprise that TCU had a decisive 62-14 home-finale win over Iowa State to remain ranked #3 with an undefeated 12-0 mark. That game was a foregone conclusion-just a matter if the Horn Frogs would cover the spread. TCU will play Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game this SAT (Noon, ABC)…USC took care of a big piece of business with a 38-27 home-finale win over rival Notre Dame, which ended a four-game winning streak against the Fighting Irish. The Trojans are still on a role after going from 4-8 last season to an 11-1 mark this season. THis football team will travel to Vegas for a rematch against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game this FRI (8 PM, FOX)….Tennessee moved up from #8 to #6 after a 56-0 road win over in-state rival Vanderbilt, which marked their first season with 10 wins since 2007. The UT Volunteers really made up for a disappointing 63-38 road loss against South Carolina from the week by shutting out the Commodores. Now, this football team is waiting to find out who they will play in a bowl game, which they hope is a New Year’s Six major bowl game, such as the Sugar, Orange, or Cotton Bowl….Penn State remains ranked #7 after a 35-16 home-finale win over Michigan State, which was no surprise to anybody such as the people from Happy Valley. The PSU Nittany Lions will be waiting to find out who they will play in a bowl game. The fans in Happy Valley hope this football team will play in a New Year’s Six major bowl game, which would likely be the Cotton Bowl…..Alabama moved a spot from #9 to #8 after a 49-27 home win over Auburn, whom they call a “cow college” and their little brother. The Crimson Tide needed losses from Clemson and LSU to move up a spot. You will see this football team in a New Year’s Six major bowl game-just a matter of which one-the Sugar or Orange Bowl. The big ? is what does the future hold for juniors QB Bryce Young and LB Will Anderson Jr. We know one of both will skip that upcoming bowl game and prepare for The 2023 NFL Draft…What a turnaround season that Washington is having. The Huskies went from an injury-plaguing 4-8 mark from last season to a 10-2 mark this season, including a 51-33 road win over in-state rival Washington State. It su((s that this football team won’t be playing USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game because Washington has a better overall record than Oregon and Utah, who share a 7-2 mark in Pac-12 conference play with the Huskies….I decided to have non-power conference teams such as Tulane, UTSA , and Troy among my OTMs because they are the last two teams who have a 10-2 mark, including a win over their respective opponent this past weekend. The Green Wave is coming off a 27-24 road win over Cincinnati to be a first-place team having a rematch home-finale game against UCF, who had a road win over Tulane two weeks ago to eventually earn a berth in this game, this SAT (4 PM, ABC). The Roadrunners are coming off a 34-31 comeback home win over UTEP to have a second straight season with 10 wins before a rematch home-finale game against North Texas, whom they had a 31-27 home win over the Mean Green last month. I must point out that this football overcame a 24-0 deficit to beat the Miners and remain on a current nine-game winning streak after a 1-2 start. Like UTSA, Troy is also on a current-nine-game winning streak after a 1-2 start. The Trojans are coming off a 48-19 road win over Arkansas State to clinch a share of the SBC West Division title (with South Alabama). Because of their road win over in-state rival South Alabama, this football team has a berth in the SBC Championship Game. Troy has a home-finale game against Coastal Carolina in the SBC Championship Game this SAT (3:30 PM, ESPN)…I can’t wait for the games this weekend….
GAMEBALLS and HELMET STICKERS
Florida State RB Trey Benson- Rushed 20 carries, 111 yards, and 3 TDs (9,1, and 17) in the FSU Seminoles’ 45-38 home-finale win over in-state rival Florida. Received 2 catches for 51 yards, including a 34-yard catch.
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall- Received 5 catches, 148 yards, and 2 TDs (52 and 43) in the Gators’ road loss against in-state rival Florida State.
UCF CB Davonte Brown– Made that game-winning PBU (on last play) to seal the Golden Knights’ 46-39 road win over in-state rival South Florida.
UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee- Rushed 8 carries, 133 yards, and 2 TDs (64 and 20) in the Golden Knights’ road win over South Florida.
South Florida RB Brian Battie- 253 all-purpose running yards in the USF Bulls’ home-finale loss against UCF. Rushed 19 carries, 144 yards, and 1 TD (14 yards). Also had a 68-yard carry. Returned 4 kickoffs for 100 yards, including a 38-yard kickoff return.
South Florida LB Dwayne Boyles- Produced 7 tackles (5 solo), 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries in the Bulls’ home loss against South Florida.
Florida Atlantic CB Dadae Hill- Produced 8 tackles (4 solo), 1 TFL, and 4 PBUs in the FAU Owls’ 32-31 home-finale loss against Western Kentucky.
Florida Atlantic LB Jaylen Wester- Produced 12 tackles (led team; 5 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 PBU in the Owls’ home loss against Western Kentucky.
Florida Atlantic RB Larry McCammon- Rushed 16 carries, 127 yards, and 2 TDs (48 and 4) in the Owls’ home loss against Western Kentucky.
FIU WR Rivaldo Fairweather- Received 8 catches, 152 yards, and 3 TDs (6,75, and 3) in the Panthers’ 33-28 home-finale loss against MTSU.
FIU LB Gaethem Bernard- Produced 12 tackles (8 solo) and 2 TFLs in the Panthers’ home loss against MTSU.
