Since NCAA Football desperately needs a playoff, why not create one? 16 teams were chosen (11 conference winners and five at-large bids) and placed into brackets. Dan Biggio, Chad McCleary and I will take a look at each game and decide who we think will win the game. The team that moves on to the next round will be the team that gets two votes to win out of the three predictions. The predictions for each game will be posted during the time listed for each contest (i.e. Auburn-Utah will be posted 8:00 Monday).
#2E Auburn (15-0) vs. #3W Utah (14-0).
Monday, 8:00 ET
Walt's Take:
I have not watched a single minute of any college bowl game this year. I'm boycotting the bowls until they make a playoff, because every single bowl game is meaningless, including the Orange Bowl. If Auburn wins their real game tonight, there will be three undefeated teams left after the Orange Bowl.
Okay, my rant is over. I won't rant about the BCS until another disaster occurs next season. Let's move on to Auburn vs. Utah, the "real" National Championship.
Both Auburn and Utah shouldn't have problems scoring in this contest. The Utes have one of the most prolific aerial attacks in the country; Alex Smith has thrown for 2,952 yards, 31 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season. Receivers Paris Warren and Steve Savoy will be able to beat a very sound secondary that will be focused on stopping the run. Auburn permitted 228 rushing yards to Tennessee in the SEC Championship.
Meanwhile, the Tigers will wear down Utah's stop unit by running the ball with Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams. The Utes surrender 3.8 yards per carry and will get worn down by Auburn. Utah cannot focus on the run because Jason Campbell will torch their porous secondary, which yields 203 passing yards per contest.
This will be a close game until about the middle of the third quarter. Auburn should be able to pull away by consistently scoring against a worn-down Utah defense.
Auburn 38, Utah 28
NCAA Dan's Take:
This NCAA Championship game is good for college football; two undefeated teams meeting, with one of them-the Utah Utes-making it this far and not being from a "power" conference. Utah defeated what a lot of people consider to be the best team in the country in the Final Four, knocking out Pete Carroll's USC Trojans. Utah coach Urban Meyer could make a lot of Florida fans very excited about the future of Gator football if he can lead his Utah Utes to victory over the favored Auburn Tigers. With a victory, the Utes could make a statement too not only about their own program, but the potential to build a winner in other non-major conferences as well.
As for the matchups, this contest features a tremendous clash between the offensive firepower of Utah and the very stingy Auburn defense. Utah may have just knocked out a very strong Southern Cal team, but the Trojans do not possess quite the defense that the Auburn Tigers do. This will be far and away the toughest stop unit Alex Smith and Utah has faced all season. But the Utes will still find a way to put up some points and a lot of yardage.
However, I look for Auburn's great defense to create turnovers at critical junctures in this football game to prevent Utah from scoring at will, as they are accustomed to doing on just about every opponent they faced this season. As for Auburn's offense, Utah is not the best defense they will have faced, having beaten the likes of Georgia and Tennessee twice. Cadillac Williams will have a good day rushing the football, and Jason Campbell will have success through the air.
I look for the tempo of this football game to be at a slightly faster pace than Auburn is accustomed to playing, but I like Tommy Tuberville's team to be able to adjust and win this football game. Great defense can shut down great offenses, and that rule holds true for this championship game. I believe this is Auburn's year, the Tigers will be national champs.
Auburn 27, Utah 17
Chad's Take:
What a sensational year for the Utes. Not since BYU in 1984 has a so-called mid-major been this close to winning a National Championship. Incidentally, this Utah team would have beaten that solid BYU team by 3 touchdowns.
For those fans who actually have a life outside of college football, many might assume this was a one-hit wonder, but not so. Utah was 10-2 last year and might be considered a pre-season top 15 next year if not for head coach Urban Meyer’s departure to Florida. Everyone knows about Alex Smith and his 38 total touchdowns, but this team is more sound defensively than they get credit for. Any time a team averages almost 45 points per game and finishes off basically all of their competition by the mid-second quarter, the other squad is likely to have plenty of chances to score against a second- and third-string defense. Utah has been a notch above most any other team offensively all year. They have been just a click below the Okahomas and USCs on defense. Still, they were a superior team.
If Utah was a “click” below on defense, then Auburn was a “step” above everyone else. I feel they have been the most dominant team over the course of the season outside of Utah. They not only have had the athletes, they also have had the intangibles.
After under-performing a year ago and nearly losing their coach on an under-handed, SEC type “alumni” push for a new coach, the Tigers are hungry; they dominated a pretty stout SEC schedule. Auburn can and will beat you up and down the field running, throwing and smashing you in the mouth.
This is a hard game to gauge. I truly believe Utah is a more than worthy adversary for Auburn. However Utah has got out in front early against most of their foes, so if they are shell-shocked early by Auburn's speed and explosion, it could be a long night. However, there aren’t many coaches like Urban Meyer and there is only one Alex Smith. He has more panache and ability in this offense than anyone else in college football this year.
Alas, Auburn has more of everything than anyone else in college football.
Auburn 31, Utah 27
Winner: #2E Auburn
NCAA Football Tournament 2007
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
NCAA Football Tournament 2006
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
NCAA Football Tournament 2005
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
NCAA Football Tournament 2004
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
NCAA Football Tournament 2006
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
NCAA Football Tournament 2005
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
NCAA Football Tournament 2004
Brackets:
Championship / Final Four
Elite Eight - East / Elite Eight - West
Sweet Sixteen - East / Sweet Sixteen - West
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