Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Week 11 Scores - Looking Ahead to the Final Weeks of the season

Tigers Struggle Early, But Continue March Toward SEC Title Game
#1 LSU - 50
#5 Alabama - 33


Boom Goes The Dynamite, Clemson Wins On Last Second FG
Both Teams Face Stiff Challenges In Final Two Weeks, Still Alive For National Title
#3 Clemson - 27
#4 Florida State - 24


Gators Move Back Into Top 5 With Victory Over Gamecocks
#6 Florida - 49
#9 South Carolina - 7
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BCS Standings (and remaining big games):
1. LSU (@ ARK; vs. #4 FL in SEC Championship)
2. USC (vs. #5 Oregon; vs. #3 Clemson)
3. Clemson (@ #13 West VA; @ #2 USC)
4. Florida (vs. #6 FSU; vs. #1 LSU in SEC Championship)
5. Oregon (@ #2 USC)
6. FSU (@ #4 FL)
7. South Florida
8. Michigan (vs. #9 Wisc; vs. OSU)
9. Wisconsin (vs. #8 Mich)
10. Alabama
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Who Says There Is No Playoff In College Football??
As we enter the final few weeks of the season, all four RUTS teams remain alive in the national championship race. The team who has the easiest road to the title game is #3 Clemson, who has no user games remaining, although tough road tests against #13 West VA and #2 USC remain. Clemson, who is two final second FGs (against FSU and FL) away from being 0-3 in RUTS head-to-head games this season, looks like a lock to appear in its 5th consecutive national championship game. Who their opponent will be remains unclear.

#1 LSU will almost certainly finish the regular season 12-0, then head to Atlanta to face the #4 Florida Gators in the SEC title game. Here is where the real drama begins...

In a playoff scenario, the likes of which RUTS has never seen, in week 13, #4 Florida hosts #6 FSU in The Swamp. However, we estimate that heading into week 13, Florida will be ranked #4 and FSU, #5 at the very least. So, Florida and Florida State will be playing for the right to enter week 14 ranked #3.

Which means, for the first time in RUTS history, three teams will be ranked 1, 2, and 3 heading into conference title week. Which makes for even more drama...

#1 LSU will be playing Florida in the SEC title game. The Tigers have spent the last 3 seasons pouting at season's end, after choking away national title opportunities in the final week of the regular season (loss @ Miami in week 14 of season 2) and SEC title game (losses to Florida in seasons 3 & 4). Can the Tigers break the curse? If so, it looks to be a lock that LSU and Clemson will rematch in the national title game in Miami.

If Florida can knock off FSU in week 13, a semi-final matchup will pan out with the winner of the Florida/LSU SEC title game surely advancing to the national title game...adding another dramatic chapter to the already storied Tiger/Gator rivalry. If FSU knocks off Florida in the Swamp in week 13, the Seminoles will be rooting like never before for the Gators to knock off LSU in the SEC title game, the exact scenario that played out in season 3 when the Seminoles benefited from tha Gators upsetting LSU. So, as we see it, Florida controls the fate of 3 of the RUTS teams, and the way the Gators play in these final weeks will decide who will battle Clemson for the national championship.

Want to throw a wrench into the situation?

What if Florida beats LSU.....in the final BCS rankings, would a 1 loss LSU fall below a 2 loss Florida team or a 2 loss FSU team...each of which LSU beat in the regular season?

...My head hurts!

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