Big XII- ACC Championship Predictions

Ahh….it’s Championship game week. Some teams love it, some teams hate it, and for some teams, winning this one is the “big one” compared to winning a bowl game (no, I’m serious).

Here are my predictions for the Big XII and ACC Championship games, with the SEC and `Pac-10 Championship game’ between USC and UCLA coming later in the week. BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP—TEXAS VS COLORADO (Reliant Stadium, TX)

Who are we kidding? 11-0 Texas may have struggled to win at College Station and, until the second half, in Stillwater this season, but the Longhorns have outscored their opponents 541-172, which included a remarkable comeback win against Ohio State in the Horseshoe, one of the most difficult places to win in college football. QB Vince Young is a revelation, throwing for over 2,500 yards at a completion rate of over 60% and running for an equally nasty 793 yards. They also have a nasty running back in freshman Jamaal Charles, who’s put up 782 yards, and has 9 TDs. Oh, and if that’s not good enough, Ramonce Taylor has 460 yards with 11 TDs. This team can score, and score a lot. And their defense is pretty solid, too.

And what about 7-4 Colorado? After their 30-3 browbeating by Nebraska in Boulder, the Buffaloes are coming to the game looking haggard. They’ve only put up 292 points all season, and given up 173 points, and they’ve lost two games in a row. To be blunt, they wouldn’t be in this game if it wasn’t for Iowa State’s OT screw-up at Kansas.
Offensively, Joe Klatt’s pretty good through the air, throwing for over 2,500 yards this year, and RB Hugh Charles has over 800 yards on the season. Sure, it’s no Adrian Peterson, but it’s passable for the weak Big 12 North.

Colorado have a knack of pulling off surprises when you least expect it, but don’t expect anything from this one. At Reliant Stadium, in front of a partisan crowd, we know one thing- it’s going to get ugly.

PREDICTION: TEXAS 42, COLORADO 14

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP—-VIRGINIA TECH VS FLORIDA STATE (Jacksonville, FL)

This Virginia Tech vs Florida State was pretty much set in stone after 14-10 Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech. But it’s been a heck of a road to get there in the ACC, hasn’t it?

Virginia Tech’s vaunted defense is one of the best in the nation, only giving up an average of 10.6 points a game, with 16 interceptions, with four of these going back to the house. Their special teams aren’t too bad either,
And here’s the scary thing- led by Marcus Vick (1,800 yards, 14 TDs, 9 INT) and running back Cedric Humes and Brandon Ore, who, between them, have over 1,000 yards of rushing, the Hokeis offense averages 30.8 points a game, and can hurt you with the pass, the rush, or the option. And to help with the point scoring, the special teams that can block a field goal day and night- as Georgia Tech well know.

As for Florida State, their defense, spoken about in masterly terms after their win over Miami at the start of the season, gives up an average of over 21 points a game- including a recent 3 game losing streak that has seen the Seminoles give up a total of 89 points. They haven’t been helped by injuries- and a defensive line that gives up an average of over 111 rushing yards per game.

Offensively, Drew Weatherford is definitely a threat (he’s thrown for over 2,000 yards this year with 16 TDs), but he’s also an interception liability (he’s thrown 17 Interceptions). To say that he’s killed the Seminoles would be rough, but it’s also true. RB Lorenzo Booker’s a threat with 519 yards rushing all year- not bad if you consider that’s he’s a fill-in for injured starter Leon Washington.

Virginia Tech are the third-best team in college football, and they are the complete package. Expect them to pick off Weatherford at will and take it on the ground to the beaten-up FSU defensive line…if their defense doesn’t score all the points!

PREDICTION:  VIRGINIA TECH 30, FLORIDA STATE 14