Walters Football Site: NCAA Football Tournament: Elite Eight

Elite Eight - West

What is this?
Since NCAA Football desperately needs a playoff, why not create one? Sixteen teams were chosen (11 conference winners and five at-large bids) and placed into brackets. Dan Biggio, Sim Lucien 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. Georgia-West Virginia will be posted 12:00 Friday).

#1 USC (12-0) vs. #5 Notre Dame (9-2).
Friday, 10:30 ET

USC thinks it's invincible. USC thinks it cant lose. USC is right -- at least when it comes to this matchup.

Notre Dame played USC tough on Oct. 15, but a lot of other squads looked good against the Trojans. Fresno State went down to the wire with USC. Oregon and Arizona State both had leads in the first half. The Trojans' main problem is that they are often unfocused because they are far better than the opposition. The Notre Dame contest was no exception. Do you honestly think USC respected the Fighting Irish going into South Bend? USC was focused against UCLA and everyone saw what happened. Drew Olson was restricted to just 146 passing yards, while Dan Fouts started talking about quidditch.

USC's defense will come to play in this rematch. Notre Dame concluded its campaign by nearly losing to Stanford. The Trojans beat that team, 51-21.

Most people will expect a close game, but I don't see it that way.

USC 49, Notre Dame 20.

NCAA Dan's Take:
Rematch of their absolutely thrilling mid-season showdown in South Bend. This was a game that the Irish had in their grasp and should have won. But every team that has played USC the last few seasons probably shares the same thought -- if only we had contained Carson Palmer or Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart, or not turned the ball over, etc., etc. You know the old expression: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Well, Pete Carroll is, for the third year in a row, attempting to show the nation that USC is the best team in the land -- something basically unprecedented in the history of the sport.

By this time you are probably familiar with the personnel on both sides: the coaches, the strong armed QBs, the offensive lines and you have probably heard of that guy named Bush. Bottom line: Notre Dame had USC on the ropes last time, but could not seal the deal. It had its chance. The team may match up fairly well with the Trojans, however Pete Carroll's team remembers well the day the streak nearly ended at Notre Dame Stadium and will not let it happen again. Don't get me wrong, the Irish have the offensive firepower to score points against USC's defense. But USC will fire and fire back, and has a chance to hang 50 on the Irish this time around. Look for a shootout, but Pete Carroll's team just has too much offense for the Irish to match them.

USC 45, Notre Dame 34.

Sim's Take:
Another great rematch from the regular season will play out in this tournament. Notre Dame will come out very motivated after the questionable loss earlier this season. Charlie Weis� offense will more fine-tuned than some of the Patriots Super Bowl game plans. However, USC is in a zone. Pete Carroll will have the defense ready for anything Weis brings out. Reggie Bush will show the voters why he truly deserved the Heisman and continue to carry this team.

USC wins in the most exciting game of the Tourney.

USC 35, Notre Dame 31.

Winner: #1 USC

#2 Auburn (9-2) vs. #6 TCU (10-1).
Saturday, 4:30 ET

Walt's Take:
TCU's defense has been brilliant at times this year, but this game will not be one of those instances. Auburn's scoring unit is just too unstoppable. Quarterback Brandon Cox solidified himself as one of the top signal callers in the country, while no one was able to contain Kenny Irons this entire year. Irons ran for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Horned Frogs surrendered 239 yards on the ground to Air Force on Oct. 22, so how is the team supposed to contain one of the nation's top backs?

Quarterback Jeff Ballard played well this year for TCU, but I can't trust him to be able to engage in a shootout with an SEC powerhouse. Cinderella's carriage will turn into a pumpkin once this contest is over; the Horned Frogs will be eliminated.

On a side note, Auburn gets no respect. Why are the Tigers matched up with Wisconsin in the Citrus Bowl? They deserve better than that.

Auburn 56, TCU 24.

NCAA Dan's Take:
Look out for the Auburn Tigers. Auburn comes into this playoff format as a very dangerous team. In college football, it is always important to pay attention to teams that may have a slip-up or two early in the season, but really start to gel as a team later on. Particularly teams that are well-coached, as Auburn is. Besides, late in the year one has to like any team that plays a physical brand of football on both sides of the ball. Playing tough defense and running the football effectively are good places to start. Auburn meets all of these criteria.

TCU, on the other hand is one of those upset-minded teams. TCU is one of those teams like Gonzaga in the NCAA basketball tournament -- a lesser-conference team that you never want to face in a best-of-one postseason format because they are always thinking upset. However, TCU will meet their match against Auburn. After all, the Zags tend to upset a few teams, but ultimately they meet a team they just cannot stack up against man for man. This is the predicament the Horned Frogs will find themselves. Neither Robert Merrill nor Aaron Brown will be able to run the football with any sort of consistency against this stout Tiger defense. Not a shootout by any stretch but Auburn advances with a convincing victory.

Auburn 24, TCU 10.

Sim's Take:
Auburn is the best two-loss team in the NCAA, bar none. At the end of the season, they were playing as well as anyone in the game. TCU is simply overmatched in the contest. They are good, and very tough, but they just can�t match up to the level at which Auburn plays.

Auburn 41, TCU 10.

Winner: #2 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