Sports
2018-2019 College Football Bowl Predictions
With another Bowl season soon upon us, let's look who will win all 41 Bowl games this season
03 December 2018
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With another Bowl season soon upon us, let's look who will win all 41 Bowl games this season
There's no other school I could picture myself at because of all the amazing experiences I have had here during my first three months living in C-U. Go Illini!
The college making decision was nothing but easy--I was down to two amazing schools, journalism programs, and marching bands, but in the end, as I prepare to finish my first semester of college in Champaign, IL, I could not be more happy with the school I chose--the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Here are some of my top reasons I am in love with UIUC, the best school in the Big Ten.
The Nation's Premier College Marching Band has given me a college experience like no other. With it, I have established lifelong friendships, learned critical time management skills, and had the most fun while marching at all hours of the day with my 375 person family.
During my college search, one of the most important factors for me was staying close to home. I wanted to have the option to come home on occasional weekends, and loving my hometown to begin with, it would have been too hard and too far out of my comfort zone to go somewhere farther than two and a half hours away.
I grew up as a Purdue fan my entire life, cheering on Big Ten teams for as long as I can remember. I love being on a big campus, having a large student population, going to live sporting events, and having a fun college town environment throughout the Champaign-Urbana area.
I could not be happier with where I'm living. Newman has the best food, greatest staff, an amazing sense of community, and the location could not be better as it is a 30-second walk to the Quad!
Late study night and forgot to eat dinner until 10 p.m.? Green Street. Realize you are out of dorm snacks and need more chips in your room? Green Street. Themed party over the weekend and need a Hawaiian shirt? Green Street.
Yes, every student on campus is aware of our football team's standings, but that doesn't hold us back from attending games at Memorial Stadium as we cheer the Illini on to a hopeful victory! The atmosphere between the fans, alumni, the student section, and band section builds throughout the stadium, making the games more enjoyable and fun for everyone, even on those 20 degree days.
Being two hours from Chicago, a lot of singers will stop in Champaign on their way to other big city stadium concerts, meaning student priced tickets to some of the best names in music, like Dan and Shay this past October.
In my experience so far, I have enjoyed classes, and I am glad I have the professors and TAs that I do! They are all knowledgeable, accommodating, and caring, showing that they only want the best for their students as we prepare for internships, jobs, and careers after college.
Krannert is home to six different theaters and performance venues. Whether you're catching a play, concert, or anything in between, the performances at Krannert are always top notch, and I love having a lively and modern performing arts venue on campus.
INI! Yell this anywhere you go and you're sure to get a response. Illini are everywhere because here, you are connected with global companies and partners to help you get where you want to be, and because of that, Illini are found worldwide. ILL!
I'm so thankful to be attending a world-class university like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. There's no other school I could picture myself at because of all the amazing experiences I have had here during my first three months living in C-U. Go Illini!
Michigan State defeated Indiana 35-21 in Bloomington
The Spartans beat the Hoosiers 35-21 on Saturday Night. The Spartans started off hot with two touchdowns in the first quarter. The Hoosiers got on the board with their own touchdown in the second quarter. Spartans lead the way into halftime, 21-7. The third quarter was scoreless for the Hoosiers, while the Spartans added another Touchdown. The Hoosiers had a comeback in the fourth quarter but it was too little too late, adding two touchdowns, compared to the Spartans's one for the quarter.
The final score was 35-21. Brian Lewerke had 14/25 for 213 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Matt Coughlin had a surprise touchdown, with a brilliant call on the Michigan State coaching staff, "Rocks." Jalen Nailor had a great night to start his college career, with a touchdown, and an interception that he ran in for a touchdown. On the other side, Peyton Ramsey was 32/46 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Spartans will host Central Michigan on September 29. My pick, MSU 35 CMU 14. Go Green.
Penn State fans are coming in hot with hilarious memes and cackle-worthy tweets, while Ohio Staters are stuck with the only (and untrue) defense of "lol penn state sux!"
With the Penn State and Ohio State rivalry (which OSU claims isn't a thing, but we all know that isn't true) at its boiling point in anticipation for Saturday's big game, the tweets are flying. With the long-time used hashtag, Ohio State Hate Week, is blowing up and definitely does not disappoint. Penn State fans are coming in hot with hilarious memes and cackle-worthy tweets, while Ohio Staters are stuck with the only defense of "lol at penn state! we dont care about you!!! Stop trying to be rivals with us!! Your town is in the middle of nowhere!!!"
Here are some classic, yet hilarious tweets from this wonderful week in college football rivalries:
Pumpkins, cozy sweaters, and hayrides oh my!
Now that Labor Day weekend is over with, it brings a close to the end of the summer. Even though most of us live for summer, fall is the best season by far. Who doesn't love campfires, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and most of all-football? Not to mention the gorgeous weather that graces our presence. Here's why fall should be your #1 season.
The beginning of fall starts with a bang as college and professional football kicks off. College tailgating is unlike any other, and the atmosphere on game day is electric. It doesn't matter whether you enjoy the game or not, football is a great way to have the time of your life with your friends. Plus, Big10 football is a spectacle whenever teams from the conference play each other.
You can't deny that pumpkin patches are one of the most fun places you go during the year. Getting to wander around, picking out your pumpkin while laughing with your friends over who has the best or weirdest one is a great way to rack up memories in college. You can also go to a cider mill and go apple picking, or pick up some of the delicious cider that's perfect for some fall cocktails!
Fall fashion is absolutely the best out of any other time in the year. Sweater, jeans, and boots combo is unbeatable. Since the weather is still fair, you don't have to add too many layers to keep warm like you do during winter. You can never have too many sweaters or booties to complement your outfit. Scarves, hats, and other accessories are perfect for keeping you warm and stylish.
As many of you know, during college, clubs or organizations plan hayrides for their members to attend. Hayrides offer a chance to connect with new members or returning ones and build brand new relationships. Plus, they are a riot to go to. You can design your own jug, and plan the perfect outfit to add to your instagram portfolio.
Halloween in college is one to never forget. There are so many different options to chose from, and the photo opportunities are endless. Whatever you decide to be, the creativity never stops flowing in trying to create the perfect college outfit. Freeform's 31 Days of Halloween will be on, creating the perfect spooky environment.
If my five reasons aren't enough to convince you why fall is the greatest season, then I hope you can realize it on your own. It brings a sweet aftertaste to summer, convincing us why we endure the heat all the summer to enjoy the positives fall brings. Happy falling everyone!
Who looked good? Who looked bad? Who just made you feel sad?
The college football season has officially begun, with the first slate of games taking place this past weekend. Although it is just the start of the season, some teams may have already ended theirs in week one. Others, however, may have pushed themselves into the conversation of contenders.
This one was a tough watch. Not just because of the 30-minute weather delay, but because we keep convincing ourselves that this is the year that Texas will go back to the old days. Everyone wants to talk about how much talent there is in the state of Texas and how they should be loaded. But let me ask you this, how many 5 star recruits have Texas signed in the last two years (Tom Herman era)? One just one. Georgia had eight last year alone. For a state that is reportedly littered with great football players, they can't seem to get any. Yes, recruiting isn't everything, just look at Paul Chryst in Wisconsin or David Shaw at Stanford. Both of those guys put out pretty good teams year in and year out with marginal players. But how many conference championships have they won in the last few years? How many college football playoffs have they been too? At the end of the day, you need really good players to be in the running for a championship, which is what Texas is chasing. I believe that this is another case of questionable coaching.
Even if you can't get eight five star recruits a year, you should still have enough talent to beat Maryland without their head coach. To me, I think Hermans seat should be getting a bit toasty. Not hot, but more like the crappy seat warmers in a car. You appreciate the option of a warm spot to rest your trunk, but in reality, it's actually kind of uncomfortable. But yeah I have questions about Tom Herman. When asked about what he thought was the reason they lost the game, instead of giving a sane answer he ended up quoting "Of Mice and Men."
"Lennie wanted so badly to touch the rabbit and play with the rabbit — he squeezed it so hard, he killed the rabbit," Herman said.
WHAT.
So not only is this dude a giving us a literature lesson, but he thinks the reason they lost is that they TRIED TOO HARD? Oh no, I'm having Bob Diaco relapses.
As of now the Heisman hype for Will Grier seems to be legit. Sure it was against a pretty poor Tennessee team but it's better than putting up these kinds of numbers against a Furman or Appalachian State. Grier shredded the Volunteers' secondary by throwing for nearly 430 yards and five touchdowns. The biggest takeaway from this game if you are playing WVU in the future is to not let Grier get comfortable. You could see in the first half how he was sort of shaking off the rust as the offense only put up 13 points. But once he got a half of football in him, he leads the offense to a 20 point third quarter beat down.
Some may question if this kind of production can be sustained throughout the whole year. I mean just look at last year. They crushed the teams they were supposed to beat and lost the toss-up games against the ranked teams. Well, I'm willing to argue that by around week 10 they will already be deep in the playoff conversation. Why week 10? Because that's when they play their first ranked opponent in TCU. I don't know how they got away with this. Their schedule is essentially a 9- week warmup until they play the mighty horn frogs, who might I add may not even be ranked by then.
But I can guarantee that Oklahoma, who might I add also looked really good this weekend, will surely be ranked. Will West Virginia be good enough to take down the Sooners? I don't know, probably not. But that's a long ways off.
I'm going to be honest, the last couple of years the SEC's glory days had seemed to be behind them. It was quickly turning into a one team conference until last year with the emergence of Georgia, Auburn, and sort of Mississippi State. But after a dominating 13-1 weekend, with quality wins like LSU over Miami, Auburn over Washington and the rest of the teams in the conference blowing out their opponents (except for Tennessee) the southeastern conference took it upon itself to inform the nation that it's back.
Let's start with Auburn over Washington. It was essentially a playoff game in week one, and both teams came out with a win or go home mentality. Both were extremely physical and bot needed big-time plays from their offense. What impressed me the most about Auburn was their defensive line. They disrupted the run game, and also had Jake Browning running for his life at times. I hate to say it, but the way the Tigers performed last Saturday gave me the impression that the Iron Bowl will once again be a winner take all.
Although that game was very impressive, the one I had the most fun with was with LSU over Miami. I always kind of had a soft spot for LSU because of Saban's roots there, and who doesn't love coach O. Based off of last season I really wasn't expecting very much from them. Yet by halfway through the first quarter I could see that this LSU was here and ready to rumble. They absolutely mugged the hurricanes and even stole the turnover chain schtick. It was mean, offensive, noisome, rude and I loved it.
What truly put the SEC head and shoulders over everyone else was the play from the proclaimed "best and deepest conference" the Big 10. Sure they were 11-2 on the weekend, but it was the substandard play from the top teams that really surprised me. Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State all looked really poor. Sure Michigan lost to Notre Dame but there was so much hype about how this was going to be the year for them, Harbaugh's never had a more talented quarterback, it's the best defense in the country, blah blah blah. But at least they didn't have to host such a tough team like Appalachian State to start the year. My goodness was that tough to watch. How does one let a small school like that come INTO YOUR STADIUM put up 38 points and nearly pull off the win in over time? I'm looking at you too MSU, letting Utah State hang around all game long.
Can't say I'm too upset though. I hope that the SEC is the deepest conference again. Maybe people will actually stay through half-time this year.
Remember when I said that people will stop leaving before halftime this year? Well if nothing happens Tua Tagovailoa then that trend may not run its course for a few more years. The battle between Jalen and Tua was actually not that much of a battle at all. Tua looked WAAAAAYYYY better than Jalen. Anyone could see that there was just a different kind of energy when Tua was out there. It's not to say that Jalen is a bad player though. I'm sure we, Bama would have stomped on Louisville no matter who the quarterback was, it just would have looked differently. But the fact of the matter is that Tua can run almost as good as Jalen can, but he is a million times better at passing.
The quarterback position wasn't the only position that showed it's offensive depth. The tide goes 4 deep at running back and receiver, accompanied by an offensive line that performed ok but wasn't at full strength. That kind of combination should terrify whoever steps in Bama's way. The defense will always be among the best in college football, but if the offense is said to be even better? We may be looking at a cake walk.
Even though we, in fact, learned a lot about the teams in the first week of the season, people can't forget that it is in fact... the first week. Things change, coaches make adjustments, players get hurt, players get healthy etc. But until those kinds of things happen, I'd love to keep overreacting to small sample sizes.