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Are they who we think they are? Ohio State, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Duke, West Virginia, Oregon

Ohio State -3 ½ yes @ Penn St  “The Big 10 Quarter Finals Bowl”

Stanford @ Notre Dame -5 ½ yes “The Playoff Hopes Bowl”

South Carolina @ Kentucky -1 ½ no  “The SEC East Quarter Finals Bowl”

Mississippi @ LSU -11 ½ no  “The Must Win Bowl”

Syracuse @ Clemson 25 ½ no @  “The Fired Up Bowl”

Virginia Tech @ Duke -4 ½ no  “The League Hopes Bowl”

West Virginia -3 ½ yes @ Texas Tech “The Big 12 Quarter Finals Bowl”

Texas -8 yes @ Kansas St  “The Slippery Bowl”

Iowa St @ TCU -10 ½ no  “The Come Back Bowl”

BYU @ Washington -17 no  “The Who’s For Real Bowl”

Utah -2 ½ no @ Washington St  “The North & South Bowl”

Oregon 2 ½ yes @ Cal  “The Keep Hope Alive Bowl”

Picks – Underlined

These up and down teenagers on the field are drowning my picks. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson appear to be in a class all alone.

Washington St. lost,  Boston College lost,  Notre Dame won,  Alabama won,  Georgia won, West Virginia won,  TCU lost,  Oklahoma St. lost,  Oklahoma won,  Mississippi St. lost,  Stanford won,  Washington won

Washington St., Boston College, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia (close), West Virginia (big), TCU, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma (big), Mississippi St. (big), Stanford (close), Washington

Who said Herm Edwards is a questionable new coach hire and praised the hiring of Chip Kelly, Scott Frost, Willie Taggart, Kevin Sumlin and Chad Morris? The CFMinded.com motto “My view, your view, they don’t know.” My view is that they will all be successful in the long term.

Oklahoma 33  -18 @ Iowa St 21 “The Revenge Bowl” [Oklahoma 37, Iowa St 27 – Should have called this “The OU Defensive Coordinator Hot Seat Bowl” because this is what it turned into.]

LSU 20 @ Auburn 22 -10 “The Credibility Bowl” [LSU 22, Auburn 21 – Predicted the scores but not the team. LSU got credibility back. What a difference a quarterback can make.]

Boise State 37 – 2 ½ @ Oklahoma State 27 “The Impression Bowl” [Oklahoma State 44, Boise State 21 – Lesson for us all. Do not poke a cowpoke too much.]

Alabama 50 -21 @ Mississippi 25 “The Quarterbacks Bowl” [Alabama 62, Mississippi 7 – The Alabama quarterback and defense questions have been answered. Let’s move on.]

Ohio State 35 -12 @ TCU 19 “The Acting Coach Bowl” [Ohio State 40, TCU 28 – “They are who we thought they were” in the words of an NFL coach.]

USC 26 @ Texas 27 – 3 ½ “The Coach’s Hot Seat Bowl” [Texas 37, USC 14 – USC coaches will not be sitting this week. This team has the top 10 offense units on paper: Wide Receivers, Offense Line; the top 5 defense units on paper: Linebackers, Defensive Backs.]

Washington 27 – 4 ½ @ Utah 21 “The PAC 12 Hopefuls Bowl” [Washington 21, Utah 7 – Washington’s defense will win the PAC 12 against weak PAC 12 offenses.]

Oklahoma 33  -18 @ Iowa St 21 “The Revenge Bowl”

LSU 20 @ Auburn 22  -10 “The Credibility Bowl”

Boise State 37  – 2 ½ @ Oklahoma State 27 “The Impression Bowl”

Alabama 50  -21 @ Mississippi 25 “The Quarterbacks Bowl”

Ohio State 35  -12 @ TCU 19 “The Acting Coach Bowl”

USC 26 @ Texas 27  – 3 ½ “The Coach’s Hot Seat Bowl”

Washington 27  – 4 ½ @ Utah 21 “The Pac 12 Hopefuls Bowl”

Georgia 29 – South Carolina 18 “SEC Early East Bowl” South Carolina’s offensive line not good enough. [Georgia 41 – South Carolina 17;  Got it right about South Carolina’s offensive line] 

USC 33 – Stanford 31 “PAC Coaches Bowl” Stanford’s defensive line and defensive backs too week.  USC QB test. [USC 3 – Stanford 17; How foolish of me and the USC coaches to think a high school senior QB can lead this legendary program. USC has a top 15 defense and also a top 10 offense if an experienced QB was in place. The warm seat is getting hot.] 

Arizona State 25 – Michigan State 22 “Coach Excitement Bowl” Coach’s opposite excitement level is the story. [Arizona State 16 – Michigan State 13; Underestimating a very good coach with great motivational skills is dangerous] 

Arizona 32 – Houston 25 “Rematch Bowl” Coach Sumlin will have the inexperienced offensive line playing better with a running QB. Ed Oliver will show out. [Arizona 18 – Houston 45; Can’t fix an experienced offensive line in a week, no returning starters]

Georgia 29 – South Carolina 18 “SEC Early East Bowl” South Carolina’s offensive line not good enough. 

USC 33 – Stanford 31 “PAC Coaches Bowl” Stanford’s defensive line and defensive backs too week.  USC QB test. 

Arizona St 25 – Michigan State 22 “Coach Excitement Bowl” Coach’s opposite excitement level is the story. 

Arizona 32 – Houston 25 “Rematch Bowl” Coach Sumlin will have the inexperienced offensive line playing better with a running QB. Ed Oliver will show out.

August 30, 2018 post and [What had happened was…]

“Don’t laugh unless you did better on your picks.”

Washington 26 – Auburn 18 “Has Pac 12 Arrived Bowl” Peterson beat the higher ranked teams with less talented players at Boise St. Can he win with better players? [“Pac 12 almost arrived, but not yet, not yet.” Washington 16 – Auburn 21. Washington’s loss of an offensive tackle and tight end made the difference. We don’t give the offensive line enough credit.] 

Notre Dame 21 – Michigan 19 “Coach Prestige Bowl” Both highly visible coaches have top 10 talent. Home field gets Norte Dame the win unless Harbaugh is the superior coach. [“Coach Harbaugh lost this one.” Notre Dame 24 – Michigan 17. I picked this winner and almost the score.] 

Miami 24 – LSU 16 “LSU Future Bowl” Can LSU eliminate the “Can’t Recruit QBs” label? Semi-home game for LSU does not get them over the top. [“Future looks a lot better.” Miami 17 – LSU 33; What a difference a QB can make at LSU. What took you so long? Miami’s defense was ranked No. 3 in the nation – fooled me.] 

Florida State 38 – VA Tech 22 “Newer Coaches Bowl” First year coach with more talent verses third year coach. Taggart’s offensive scheming wins this one against weaker VA Tech linebackers. [“Newest coach lost.” Florida State 38 – VA Tech 22;  VA Tech coaches knew Florida State players better than Florida State coaches.]

West Virginia 32 – Tennessee 22 “Offense vs Defense Bowl” Holgorsen’s best team can’t blow this one unless D-coach Pruitt can become a Tennessee super hero overnight. [“Offense won the bowl.” West Virginia 40 – Tennessee 15. D-coach Pruitt is not a super hero yet.]

Washington 26 – Auburn 18 “Has Pac 12 Arrived Bowl” Peterson beat the higher ranked teams with less talented players at Boise St. Can he win with better players?

Notre Dame 21 – Michigan 19 “Coach Prestige Bowl” Both highly visible coaches have top 10 talent. Home field gets Norte Dame the win unless Harbaugh is the superior coach.

Miami 24 – LSU 16 “LSU Future Bowl” Can LSU eliminate the “Can’t Recruit QBs” label? Semi-home game for LSU does not get them over the top.

Florida State 38 – VA Tech 22 “Newer Coaches Bowl” First year coach with more talent verses third year coach. Taggart’s offensive scheming wins this one against weaker VA Tech linebackers.

West Virginia 32 – Tennessee 22 “Offense vs Defense Bowl” Holgorsen’s best team can’t blow this one unless D-coach Pruitt can become a Tennessee super hero overnight.

Which poll will win the best poll bragging rights for 2018? Twenty (20) preseason polls predict the top 25  teams.

CFMinded – College Football 2018 Preseason Polls 08-24-18

By: Dasol Mashaka, CFMinded.com   August 24, 2018