Pick 'em.

My dad and I have a $100 bet this year. We're predicting the standings of all the conferences for 2004, and the one who gets the most blanks right wins. If you've got the time, why not make your picks by the time the season starts?

• ACC


• Clemson
• Duke
• Florida State
• Georgia Tech
• Maryland
• Miami
• North Carolina
• North Carolina State
• Virginia
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest[/list:u:
]

• Big East


• Boston College
• Connecticut
• Pittsburgh
• Rutgers
• Syracuse
• Temple
• West Virginia[/list:u:
]

• Big Ten


• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Michigan State
• Minnesota
• Northwestern
• Ohio State
• Penn State
• Purdue
• Wisconsin[/list:u:
]

• Big XII (Championship Game)


• North


• Colorado
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Missouri
• Nebraska


• South


• Baylor
• Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State
• Texas
• Texas A&M
• Texas Tech


• Mid-American (Championship Game)


• East


• Akron
• Buffalo
• Central Florida
• Kent State
• Marshall
• Miami (OH)
• Ohio[/list:u:
]

• West


• Ball State
• Bowling Green
• Central Michigan
• Eastern Michigan
• Northern Illinois
• Toledo
• Western Michigan[/list:u:
]


• Mountain West


• Air Force
• Brigham Young
• Colorado State
• Nevada-Las Vegas
• New Mexico
• San Diego State
• Utah
• Wyoming


• Pacific-10


• Arizona
• Arizona State
• California
• Oregon
• Oregon State
• Southern California
• Stanford
• UCLA
• Washington
• Washington State


• Southeastern (Championship Game)


• East


• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Vanderbilt


• West


• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Auburn
• Louisiana State
• Mississippi
• Mississippi State


• Sun Belt


• Arkansas State
• Idaho
• Louisiana-Lafayette
• Louisiana-Monroe
• Middle Tennessee State
• New Mexico State
• North Texas
• Troy State
• Utah State[/list:u:
]

• USA


• Alabama-Birmingham
• Army
• Cincinnati
• East Carolina
• Houston
• Louisville
• Memphis
• South Florida
• Southern Mississippi
• Texas Christian
• Tulane[/list:u:
]

• Western Athletic


• Boise State
• Fresno State
• Hawaii
• Louisiana Tech
• Nevada
• Rice
• San Jose State
• Southern Methodist
• Texas-El Paso
• Tulsa


• Independents


• Navy
• Notre Dame


Pick the standings of all conferences, with the divisions separated. For the three conferences with championship games, predict the championship game. As for independents, pick the Navy/ND game winner.

Anybody wanna play?

I'm in, and thanks for the invite. (We're not hit up for the $100, though, right? ;D ) Let me review a couple more resources and I'll post prior to the first kickoff.

I will say in my initial guess I've pegged UGA to win the SEC and face Texas for the National title. Sorry, toot, but I think drawing UGA on the road this year will hurt you. And you know me, hyping the Dogs like that hurts.
:-/

Hell no! :)


I think LSU loses at UGA and at UF, going 9-2 en route to a second straight appearance in Atlanta. The UGA/UF winner goes to Atlanta. UGA has been favored in the past 82938562983 years but can't seem to get it together in that game--is this the year?

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D That's funny!

Yeah, I think so. The main reason being UGA's defense will be experienced against Mr. Leak and company, while the UGA offense should have a much better line for protecting David Greene. Ironically enough I feel UF will be better this year, but hype or no hype I feel the Dawgs have a solid, experienced squad. We'll see, though. Florida has had their number, and as you point out, it's a long one!

Here are my preliminary picks. I reserve the right to edit this before Aug 28.

• Southeastern - LSU
o East
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. Vanderbilt
5. South Carolina
6. Kentucky
o West
1. Louisiana State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi
5. Mississippi State
6. Arkansas

• Big XII - Oklahoma
o North
1. Missouri
2. Kansas State
3. Nebraska
4. Kansas
5. Colorado
6. Iowa State
o South
1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma State
4. Texas A&M
5. Texas Tech
6. Baylor

• Big Ten
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Iowa
4. Purdue
5. Wisconsin
6. Penn State
7. Minnesota
8. Michigan State
9. Northwestern
10. Illinois
11. Indiana

• Atlantic Coast
1. Florida State
2. Miami
3. Clemson
4. Maryland
5. North Carolina State
6. Virginia
7. Georgia Tech
8. Wake Forest
9. Virginia Tech
10. North Carolina
11. Duke

• Pacific-10
1. Southern California
2. California
3. Oregon
4. Oregon State
5. Washington State
6. Arizona State
7. Washington
8. UCLA
9. Stanford
10. Arizona

• Big East
1. West Virginia
2. Boston College
3. Pittsburgh
4. Rutgers
5. Connecticut
6. Syracuse
7. Temple

• Conference USA
1. Texas Christian
2. Southern Mississippi
3. Louisville
4. Memphis
5. South Florida
6. Cincinnati
7. Alabama-Birmingham
8. Houston
9. Tulane
10. East Carolina
11. Army

• Mountain West
1. Utah
2. New Mexico
3. Colorado State
4. San Diego State
5. Nevada-Las Vegas
6. Brigham Young
7. Air Force
8. Wyoming

• Western Athletic
1. Fresno State
2. Tulsa
3. Boise State
4. Hawaii
5. Texas-El Paso
6. Nevada
7. Louisiana Tech
8. Rice
9. Southern Methodist
10. San Jose State

• Mid-American - Toledo
o East
1. Marshall
2. Miami
3. Central Florida
4. Akron
5. Buffalo
6. Kent State
7. Ohio
o West
1. Toledo
2. Northern Illinois
3. Bowling Green
4. Western Michigan
5. Ball State
6. Eastern Michigan
7. Central Michigan

• Sun Belt
1. North Texas
2. Troy State
3. Louisiana-Lafayette
4. Louisiana-Monroe
5. Middle Tennessee State
6. New Mexico State
7. Utah State
8. Arkansas State
9. Idaho

• Independent
1. Notre Dame
2. Navy

I'm not really too good at these types of things, but I'll give it a go:

ACC:

1. Duke
2. North Carolina
3. Wake Forest
4. Georgia Tech
5. Virginia Tech
6. Virginia
7. Clemson
8. Maryland
9. North Carolina State
10. Miami
11. Florida State

Big East
1. Temple
2. Rutgers
3. Connecticut
4. Syracuse
5. Pittsburgh
6. Boston College
7. West Virginia

Big 10

1. Indiana
2. Illinois
3. Penn State
4. Northwestern
5. Michigan State
6. Minnesota
7. Wisconsin
8. Purdue
9. Iowa
10. Ohio State
11. Michigan

Big 12
North

1. Kansas
2. Iowa State
3. Colorado
4. Nebraska
5. Kansas State
6. Missouri

South

1. Baylor
2. Texas A & M
3. Texas Tech
4. Oklahoma State
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma

Big 12 Champion: Baylor

Conference USA

1. Army
2. East Carolina
3. Tulane
4. UAB
5. Cincinnati
6. South Florida
7. Houston
8. Memphis
9. Southern Miss
10. TCU
11. Louisville

MAC

East

1. Buffalo
2. Ohio
3. Kent State
4. Central Florida
5. Akron
6. Miami
7. Marshall

West

1. Easterm Michigan
2. Central Michigan
3. Ball State
4. Western Michigan
5. Northern Illinois
6. Bowling Green
7. Toledo

MAC Champion: Eastern Michigan

Mountain West

1. Wyoming
2. BYU
3. UNLV
4. New Mexico
5. Air Force
6. San Diego State
7. Colorado State
8. Utah

Pac-10

1. Arizona
2. Stanford
3. Arizona State
4. Oregon State
5. Washington
6. Washington State
7. Oregon
8. UCLA
9. California
10. USC

SEC

East

1. Vanderbilt
2. Kentucky
3. South Carolina
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Georgia

West

1. Mississippi State
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Auburn
5. Mississippi
6. LSU

SEC Champion: Vanderbilt

Sun Belt

1. Idaho
2. Louisiana-Monroe
3. Louisiana-Lafayette
4. Middle Tennessee State
5. Utah State
6. Arkansas State
7. New Mexico State
8. Troy State
9. North Texas

WAC

1. SMU
2. San Jose State
3. UTEP
4. Rice
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Nevada
7. Tulsa
8. Hawaii
9. Fresno State
10. Boise State

Independents

1. Navy
2. Norte Dame

BCS Bowls

Rose

Indiana vs. Arizona -- winner: Indiana

Fiesta

Eastern Michigan vs. Kansas -- winner: Eastern Michigan

Sugar:

Vanderbilt vs. Duke -- winner: Duke

Orange (National Championship)

Baylor vs. Temple -- winner: Temple

I hope I win. :-/

hey if your right, do you think temple will get to stay in the big east for next year ;D

No,

Upon the National Championship being crowned on Temple in the Orange Bowl on January 4, 2005, that very moment, Big 10 Commissioner Delaney would meet with the Temple Athletic Director, Temple University President out on the Pro Player Stadium field, along with all the celebrating players and coaches and ABC annoucers. Right when Temple is given the National Championship Trophy, Big 10 Commissioner Delaney grabs the ABC/Stadium microphone and says, "There is no need to even discuss this. The Presidents of the 11 fine universities of the Big 10 took a vote at halftime. Given that Temple was up 56 to 3 on Baylor, we decided to have an emergency phone conference. All the 11 Big 10 member university presidents voted unanamously to invite Temple University to be its 12th member effective July 1, 2006, if they won tonights game. The 11 Presidents gave me the unconditional authority to extend this invitation to Temple if you indeed won tonight's Orange Bowl. Temple University, you indeed did. We, the fine 11 universities of the great Big 10 Conference officially invite Temple University to be our 12 member. We would be honored and humbled if you would accept our offer for Big 10 membership. We wait for your response."

Upon hearing this, the Temple University President responds that he would have to hold an emergency Temple University Board meeting to vote on this issue. He says, "wait a minute, I have to call a the board members. This may take 15 minutes or so, but I think we can have a vote momentarily, and I can get back to you while were here, and tell you Temple University's response to this gracious offer from the Big 10 Conference."

Well, the Temple University President is able to assemble a phone conference from his cell phone and not 5 minutes late, the Temple University President says. "This is been an amazing year. We have seen the transformation of our great institution of Temple University in this last season. We had an incredible season caped off by this Cinderella National Championship win tonight here in the Orange Bowl. We are awed and honored by the invitation to join the Big 10, as the 11 member presidents of the great conference has extended to us. I have just completed an emergency phone conference with the Temple University Board has unanamously voted to accept the invitation from 11 university presidents to become the 12th member of the Big 10 Conference on July 1, 2006."

The crowd cheers, and all the sports announcers and the sports critics faint simultaneously across the nation. It was truly an odd moment in sports history.

Well okay, though I'm blooming late this year...only got really excited in the last week...busy summer...only just dawned on me that college football is less than 2 weeks away!! Hurrah!
ACC:

1. Florida State
2. Maryland
3. Miami
4. Georgia Tech
5. Virginia Tech
6. Virginia
7. Clemson
8. N.C. State
9. Wake Forest
10. N. Carolina
11. Duke

Big East:

1. Pitt
2. Rutgers
3. W.Virginia
4. Syracuse
5. BC
6. UConn
7. Temple

Big 10:

1. Iowa
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan State
5. Minnesota
6. Wisconsin
7. Purdue
9. Illinois
10. Northwestern
11. Indiana

Big 12
North:

1. Missouri
2. Kansas State
3. Colorado
4. Nebraska
5. Iowa State
6. Kansas

South

1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Oklahoma State
4. Texas Tech
5. Texas A&M
6. Baylor

Big 12 Champion: Texas

Conference USA:

1. Memphis
2. Southern Miss.
3. Louisville
4. TCU
5. South Florida
6. Cinncinatti
7. UAB
8. Houston
9. East Carolina
10. Tulane
11. Army

MAC

East:

1. Miami
2. Marshall
3. UCF
4. Akron
5. Ohio
6. Kent State
7. Buffalo

West

1. Toledo
2. Bowling Green State
3. No. Illinois
4. Western Mich.
5. Ball State
6. Central Mich.
7. Eastern Mich.

MAC Champion: Toledo

Mountain West:

1. New Mexico
2. Utah
3. UNLV
4. Colorado State
5. Air Force
6. San Diego State
7. BYU
8. Wyoming

Pac-10:

1. USC
2. Oregon State
3. Washington State
4. UCLA
5. Oregon
6. California
7. Washington
8. Arizona State
9. Arizona
10. Stanford

SEC

East:

1. Georgia
2. Tennessee
3. Florida
4. S. Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt

West:

1. LSU
2. Auburn
3. Ole Miss
4. Miss. State
5. Arkansas
6. Alabama

SEC Champion: Georgia

Sun Belt:

1. North Texas
2. Troy State
3. Arkansas State
4. New Mexico State
5. Utah State
6. MTSU
7. ULL
8. ULM
9. Idaho

WAC:

1. Boise State
2. Fresno State
3. Hawaii
4. Tulsa
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Nevada
7. Rice
8. UTEP
9. SMU
10. San Jose State

Independents

1. Norte Dame
2. Navy

I said I'd be in, now I'm in.

Part 1 of 3, the conferences with divisions:

SEC	Big 12	MAC
East	North	East
Georgia	Missouri	Marshall
Florida	Nebraska	Miami (O)
So. Carolina	KSU	UCF
Tennessee	Colorado	Akron
Vanderbilt	Kansas	Kent St.
Kentucky	ISU	Ohio
		Buffalo
West	South
Auburn	Oklahoma	West
LSU	Texas	Toledo
Ole Miss	OSU	BGSU
Alabama	A&M	W. Michigan
Arkansas	TTU	NIU
Miss St.	Baylor	Ball St.
		CMU
		EMU

Georgia has not only talent, but they have experience, motivation and LSU at home. I think they crack the Florida nut this year and beat Auburn in the Georgia Dome for a chance to play for a national title. Aka: A very long year for Tech fans. Sigh.

I’ve previously stated Texas will mimic Georgia in finally getting over the hump this year in the Red River Shootout. Methinks that was the lack of sleep from the new baby. The game may be closer, but Mr. Stoops and company have had the whole summer to plug the holes revealed in last year’s final two games. They also have motivation. So, appropriately enough, the two teams to meet for the national title game in an era rife with media money making the headlines will be exactly the two teams that first contested the NCAA “monopoly” years ago.

The Marshall would love to leave the MAC on top, but Toledo will remind the Herd that the conference is not without players. Marshall has the schedule and cachet to win their division, but the Rockets faithful make the short trip to Ford Field to help their team win the conf. title.

Part 2, the rest of the BCS:

ACC	BE	Big 10	Pac 10
FSU	WVU	Minnesota	USC
Miami	BC	Michigan	Cal
UVA	Uconn	OSU	Oregon
Maryland	Rutgers	Wisconsin	OSU
Clemson	Cuse	Iowa	ASU
GT	Pitt	PSU	WSU
VT	Temple	Purdue	UCLA
NCSU		MSU	Washington
Wake		Indiana	Stanford
Duke		N'western	Arizona
UNC		Illinois

FSU has no more excuses, and I expect their mindset to be better this year. Miami beat them twice last year, but they were close and FSU could spot the things they need to improve on. Once they do that, the schedule works in their favor.

I hope the BC – WVU contest is for all the marbles as that would make for great TV. I think both can enter the game undefeated in-conference but WVU will get the home field nod.

Minnesota has a favorable schedule save for the trip to Michigan. They may have the luxury of sacrificing that game and still win the conference. If there was ever a Gopher squad with the goods to pay the bill, this is it.

USC simply has too much for the PAC 10, IMO. With Cal coming to LA and with dreams of earning an undisputed title, they’ll at least win the conference.

and finally, Part 3. The rest of the non-BCS:

CUSA	MWC	WAC	Sun Belt
Memphis	Utah	Fresno St.	N. Texas
UofL	SDSU	Boise St	NMSU
TCU	CSU	Tulsa	Troy St.
So. Miss	New Mexico	Rice	Idaho
UAB	BYU	Hawaii	UL-L
Cincy	Wyoming	UTEP	MTSU
Houston	UNLV	La Tech	USU
USF	Air Force	Nevada	Ark. St
Tulane		SMU	UL-M
ECU		SJSU
Army

Memphis returns most of it’s starters, more importantly they know the league honors could be theirs for the taking for a long time to come. Should be fun watching them jockey with UofL and TCU for the league title, though.

Utah, Fresno St. and North Texas = three squads combining depth, talent and schedule to suggest they’ll win their conferences comfortably.

I realize there are a few games to go and this is truly an exercise in futility, but for the novelty of it I wanted to grade prognastic skills. Found I was a bust with the B10 and the MWC, while proving fair knowledge of the SEC. My overall pick for Oklahoma as a NC contender was on, while Tennessee foiled my predicitions for UGA (which, I can't say I'm sad about).

	Champion	Exact	w/in 1
SEC		3	10
B12		5	5
MAC		1	10
ACC	No	2	7
BE	No	1	4
Big 10	No	0	3
Pac 10	Yes	3	6
CUSA	No	2	7
MWC	Yes	1	2
WAC	No	2	4
Sun Belt	Yes	1	4