Thursday, October 1, 2015

This week's special contributors: Sir Isaac Newton, George Santayana and Malcolm Gladwell


Last week’s record: 7-3; for the season, 13-6.

 
F=m x a.   # 13 Alabama @ #8 Georgia.  That’s the formula for Force. Sir Isaac Newton’s Second Law.  It’s also a suitable equation for this week’s Bulldogs-Tide game at Sanford Stadium in Athens which feature’s the SEC’s three, next-best running backs, behind LSU’s Leonard Fournette.  For the Tide, Mass X Acceleration=Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake.  For the Dawgs, it’s Nick Chubb.  For the prediction on this one, we turn to the stats.  It will likely boil down to third down efficiency and turnovers.  Projected winner:  Georgia.

Malcolm Gladwell can explain almost anything.  Or, so it seems.  # 6 Notre Dame @ # 12 Clemson.  In his book Outliers, Gladwell writes about how no one makes it alone.  He writes about the distinct advantages middle class kids have over poor ones. The same holds true for this game.  Have you seen Notre Dame on TV this season?  It’s difficult for a CFB fan not to have seen them.  Each of the Irish games has been on a major network. Seen Clemson?  Probably not, because, even though the Tigers are 3 and 0,  it’s been against Wofford, App. St. and Louisville.  Projected winner: Notre Dame.

The George Santayana maxim. "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.”  #1 Ohio State @ Indiana.  The Hoosiers boast the leading running back in the nation.  Jordan Howard has carried the ball 111 times for 675 yards and 4 TDs.  It’s been a quarter of a century since Indiana started a season 4 and 0.  However, OSU is 70-17 against Indiana. The Hoosiers are 0-15 against #1 teams and 0-5 against #1 OSU teams.  Is history an accurate predictor?  In this game???   Probably.  Projected winner: Ohio State.

Okay.  It’s not Twister, but it’ll do.  Texas Tech @ #5 Baylor (in Arlington, TX).  Last week, prior to a country music concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, hundreds of people participated in the Guinness Book of World Records record-breaking/setting largest game of Twister.  This week’s game between the Red Raiders and Baylor could possibly break some records, too, for offense. However, is there any gas in the Raiders’ tank after last week’s emotional back-and-forth loss to TCU?  Doubtful.  Besides, Baylor is the #1 offensive team in the FBS.  Projected winner:  Baylor.

Meanwhile, just a few miles west on I-20.  Texas at #4 TCU.  Speaking of whether there’s any gas remaining in the physical/mental/emotional tank after last week, the Horned Frogs (see above) host Texas in Ft. Worth.  The Frogs have the #2 offense in the nation.  QB Trevone Boykin has thrown 14 TDs this season---and has a 19-game streak, going back to last year, of a TD per game.  Texas has…desperation.  That will not be enough.  Projected winner:  TCU.

Now, some quick headlines…

People of West VA:  Your couches are safe this weekend.  #23 West VA @ # 15 OU.  Bob Stoops’ Sooners will use this ranked-team matchup as a tune-up for the Red River Rivalry against Texas next week in Dallas.  Projected winner: Oklahoma.
 
A team wearing maroon and white will win.  #21 Mississippi St. @ #14 Texas A&M.  Okay, granted the teams have only played eight times in their history and the series is tied 4-4, but the last time the Bulldogs took two consecutive games from the Aggies (the ‘Dogs won last year in StarkVegas) was in 1913 and 1915.  It’s a hundred years later, but history will not repeat.  Projected winner: Texas A&M.

Hoddy Toddy vs. Work ‘em silly.   #3 Ole Miss @ #25 Florida.  The Gators played two (at the time they played them) #3 ranked teams last year, losing both.  But, this is this year.  The gap between #3 and #25 seems great, but, maybe it’s not.  Projected winner: Florida.
 

For your CFB TV watching pleasure, the quintessential, easy-to-read guide: http://www.lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm

And…the links no fan should be without: 

·         Holly Anderson on Grantland…and her Twitter feed.  http://grantland.com/contributors/holly-anderson/      https://twitter.com/HollyAnderson

       ·         Chris Brown’s Smart Football:  http://smartfootball.com/#sthash.6LKlTyoi.Vau6GANv.dpbs

 

 

 

 

 

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