With the end of the season, I thought it would be interesting to look back at what all of my picks from my previews were and compare them to the actual results. The results are cataclysmic.
SEC East:
1. Florida 12-0, 8-0 SEC (My pick: 12-0, 8-0 SEC)
2. Georgia 7-5, 4-4 SEC (My pick: 9-3, 6-2 SEC)
3. Tennessee 7-5, 4-4 SEC (My pick: 8-4, 4-4)
4. Kentucky 7-5, 3-5 SEC (My pick: 5-7, 1-7 SEC)
5. South Carolina 7-5, 3-5 SEC (My pick: 4-8, 2-6 SEC)
6. Vanderbilt 2-10, 0-8 SEC (My pick: 5-7, 2-6 SEC)
SEC West:
1. Alabama 12-0, 8-0 SEC (My pick: 11-1, 7-1)
2. LSU 9-3, 5-3 SEC (My pick: 9-3, 5-3 SEC)–ed. WOOHOO!
3. Ole Miss 8-4, 4-4 SEC (My pick: 11-1, 7-1 SEC)–ed. OVER-RATED! clap, clap, clap, clap, clap
4. Arkansas 7-5, 3-5 SEC (My pick: 8-4, 4-4 SEC)
5. Auburn 7-5, 3-5 SEC (My pick: 5-7, 2-6 SEC)
6. Mississippi State 5-7, 3-5 SEC (My pick: 1-11, 0-8 SEC)
Thoughts: Not as bad as I originally thought, although I was WAY off on Vandy, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. Despite me not being as far off as I thought, I don’t think Phil Steele is shaking in his boots thinking I’m coming after him.
PAC 10:
1. Oregon 10-2, 8-1 Pac 10 (My pick: 10-2, 8-1 Pac 10)
2. Arizona 8-4, 6-3 Pac 10 (My pick: 5-7, 3-6 Pac 10)–ed. I had them 8th in the Pac 10. Epic fail.
3. Oregon State 8-4, 6-3 Pac 10 (My pick: 9-3, 6-3 Pac 10)
4. Stanford 8-4, 6-3 Pac 10 (My pick: 5-7, 4-5 Pac 10)
5. USC 8-4, 5-4 Pac 10 (My pick: 12-0, 9-0)–ed. Good job, Pete Carroll.
6. California 8-4, 5-4 Pac 10 (My pick: 9-3, 6-3 Pac 10)
7. Washington 5-7, 4-5 Pac 10 (My pick: 3-9, 2-7 Pac 10)
8. UCLA 6-6, 3-6 Pac 10 (My pick: 7-5, 5-4 Pac 10)
9. Arizona State 4-8, 2-7 Pac 10 (My pick: 6-6, 4-5 Pac 10)
10. Washington State 1-11, 0-9 Pac 10 (My pick: 1-11, 0-9 Pac 10)
Thoughts: Well, I was right for the records of Oregon and Washington State, and way off on USC. I was not prepared for how good the PAC 10 was this year…1 through 9, I think it’s the best league in the country.
Conference USA East:
1. East Carolina 8-4, 7-1 C-USA (9-3, 7-1 C-USA)
2. UCF 8-4, 6-2 C-USA (My pick: 4-8, 3-5 C-USA)–ed. Another epic fail.
3. Southern Miss 7-5, 5-3 C-USA (My pick: 9-3, 6-2 C-USA)
4. Marshall 6-6, 4-4 C-USA (My pick: 6-6, 4-4 C-USA)
5. UAB 5-7, 4-4 C-USA (My pick: 2-10, 1-7 C-USA)
6. Memphis 2-10, 1-7 C-USA (My pick: 6-6, 4-4)–ed. Disaster.
Conference USA West:
1. Houston 10-2, 6-2 C-USA (My pick: 9-3, 7-1 C-USA)
2. SMU 7-5, 6-2 C-USA (My pick: 5-7, 3-5 C-USA)–What a coaching job by June Jones.
3. Tulsa 5-7, 3-5 C-USA (My pick: 7-5, 5-3 C-USA)
4. UTEP 4-8, 3-5 C-USA (My pick: 7-5, 5-3 C-USA)
5. Rice 2-10, 2-6 C-USA (My pick: 2-10, 2-6 C-USA)
6. Tulane 3-9, 1-7 C-USA (My pick: 2-10, 1-7 C-USA)
Thoughts: Two teams (UCF and SMU) wildly exceeded my expectations, while Memphis was a disaster. There’s a lot of truth to what Tommy West said about the administration, but the bottom line is, he deserved to get fired. He did a terrible job with this team.
Big East:
1. Cincinnati 12-0, 7-0 Big East (My pick: 8-4, 4-3 Big East)
2. Pittsburgh 9-3, 5-2 BE (My Pick: 7-5, 4-3 BE)
3. West Virginia 9-3, 5-2 BE (My pick: 9-3, 4-3 BE)
4. Rutgers 8-4, 3-4 BE (My pick: 10-2, 6-1 BE)–Way off on this one…schedule was set up for them…Ole Miss of the Big East.
5. Connecticut 7-5, 4-4 BE (My pick: 4-8, 2-5 BE)–Randy Edsall deserves to be in the discussion for National Coach of the Year…to lose a player mid season and still make a bowl game with a depleted roster was amazing. So close on so many losses also.
6. South Florida 7-5, 3-4 BE (My pick: 10-2, 6-1 BE)–I have an excuse on this one…Matt Grothe, all time total offense leader in Big East history, had a season-ending injury early in the season.
7. Louisville 4-8, 1-6 BE (My pick: 4-8, 2-5 BE)–I did predict Steve Kraigthorpe would get fired, so I did get that right.
8. Syracuse 4-8, 1-6 BE (My pick: 2-10, 0-7 BE)
Thoughts: I think it’s clear based on the evidence I knew nothing about the Big East.
Big 10:
1. Ohio State 10-2, 7-1 Big 10 (My pick: 11-1, 8-0 Big 10)
2. Iowa 10-2, 6-2 Big 10 (My pick: 8-4, 5-3 Big 10)
3. Penn State 10-2, 6-2 Big 10 (My pick: 11-1, 7-1 Big 10)
4. Wisconsin 9-3, 5-3 Big 10 (My pick: 6-6, 2-6 Big 10)–I’m actually glad I missed on Wisconsin this badly.
5. Northwestern 8-4, 5-3 Big 10 (My pick: 8-4, 4-4 Big 10)–Went out on a limb…I’ll definitely pat myself on the back for this one considering my picks look like post-WWII Stalingrad right now.
6. Michigan State 6-6, 4-4 (My pick: 8-4, 5-3 Big 10)
7. Purdue 5-7, 3-5 Big 10 (My pick: 4-8, 2-6 Big 10)
8. Minnesota 6-6, 3-5 Big 10 (My pick: 7-5, 4-4 Big 10)
9. Illinois 3-9, 2-6 Big 10 (My pick: 9-3, 6-2 Big 10)–This has to be my worst pick in any conference. That’ll teach me to trust Ron Zook.
10. Michigan 5-7, 1-7 Big 10 (My pick: 6-6, 3-5 Big 10)–Horrendous coaching job.
11. Indiana 4-8, 1-7 Big 10 (My pick: 2-10, 0-8 Big 10)
Thoughts: Other than Illinois, I didn’t do as horribly as I did in the other conferences. But 6 (!) games off on Illinois is hard to swallow.
Big 12 South:
1. Texas 12-0, 8-0 Big 12 (My pick: 11-1, 7-1 Big 12)
2. Oklahoma State 9-3, 6-2 Big 12 (My pick 11-1, 7-1 Big 12)–I didn’t think they’d lose to Houston. Go fake tan, Mike Gundy.
3. Texas Tech 8-4, 5-3 Big 12 (My pick: 8-4, 4-4 Big 12)
4. Oklahoma 7-5, 5-3 Big 12 (My pick: 11-1, 7-1 Big 12)–Bradford’s injury really hurt them.
5. Texas A&M 6-6, 3-5 Big 12 (My pick: 4-8, 1-7 Big 12)
6. Baylor 4-8, 1-7 Big 12 (My pick: 6-6, 3-5 Big 12)–Ditto OU on QB injury…this team is totally different with Robert Griffin.
Big 12 North:
1. Nebraska 9-3, 6-2 Big 12 (My pick: 9-3, 6-2 Big 12)
2. Missouri 8-4, 4-4 Big 12 (My pick: 4-8, 2-6 Big 12)–Epic fail. Again.
3. Kansas State 6-6, 4-4 Big 12 (My pick: 7-5, 4-4 Big 12)
4. Iowa State 6-6, 3-5 Big 12 (My pick: 4-8, 1-7 Big 12)
5. Colorado 3-9, 2-6 Big 12 (My pick: 8-4, 5-3 Big 12)–This wasn’t Division 1 football. This was intramurals.
6. Kansas 5-7, 1-7 Big 12 (My pick: 8-4, 4-4 Big 12)–This team totally imploded.
Thoughts: Well, at least I got the Big 12 title game right.
ACC Coastal:
1. Georgia Tech 10-2, 7-1 ACC (My pick: 9-3, 6-2 ACC)
2. Virginia Tech 9-3, 6-2 ACC (My pick: 11-1, 8-0 ACC)
3. Miami 9-3, 5-3 ACC (My pick: 6-6, 4-4 ACC)–They were much better than I thought.
4. North Carolina 8-4, 4-4 ACC (My pick: 8-4, 4-4 ACC)
5. Duke 5-7, 3-5 ACC (My pick: 3-9, 1-7 ACC)
6. Virginia 3-9, 2-6 ACC (My pick: 3-9, 1-7 ACC)
ACC Atlantic:
1. Clemson 8-4, 6-2 ACC (My pick: 10-2, 6-2 ACC)
2. Boston College 8-4, 5-3 ACC (My pick: 6-6, 3-5 ACC)
3. Florida State 6-6, 4-4 ACC (My pick: 9-3, 6-2 ACC)
4. Wake Forest 5-7, 3-5 ACC (My pick: 4-8, 3-5 ACC)
5. NC State 5-7, 2-6 ACC (My pick: 7-5, 4-4 ACC)
6. Maryland 2-10, 1-7 ACC (My pick: 4-8, 2-6 ACC)
Thoughts: I guess I was closer on this conference than any other, which isn’t saying much.
So there you go. The final verdict–my preseason predictions were entertaining, and so were the picks. Meaning, they sucked. Instead of checking my predictions next year to see who’s good, might still want to invest in the Phil Steele guide.
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