College Football 2011: Picking the Winners in the Big Must-Win Games of 2011
Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) There are several contenders in college football this year for the ultimate prize and each of these contenders has one and sometimes two must win games in 2011 that will determine if they end up champs or chumps.
Let's take a look at the likely list of contenders and their must win games this season. These are teams that you may not have thought of as contenders before, but a win in this game could propel them right into the mix.
This list is in no particular order and is not reflective of any order. If you made this list, you are considered a contender.
Contender: Boise State: Big Must Win Game: Sept. 3rd: @ Georgia in Atlanta
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Yes Boise has to play some good teams late in the schedule like TCU later in the year, but if they lose the first game against a mid tier SEC team, they will never be in the talk for a championship in 2011. The big BCS buster may get busted right off the bat.
Even though the game is in a dome, it wouldn't surprise me to see them keep the humidity and temperature up to help wear down the out of state Broncos. If there's ever a need for home cooking, this is it.
Georgia may not be a top tier SEC team, but they are SEC tough and physical with a quarterback that could be coming into his own this year.
The combination of many things make this a worrisome game for the Broncos. Mark Richt being on the hot seat, home field advantage for Georgia, the and humidity in September and the fact that Boise's offense won't have much time to work out kinks against a decent SEC defense.
Early bold prediction: Georgia busts the Boise bubble and sets up the chance for Boise to spoil the season for TCU later in the year once they get rolling.
Contenders: Alabama and LSU: Big Must Win Game - Nov. 5th at Alabama
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The winner of this game goes to the SEC Championship Game to face a much weaker SEC East team and then the winner goes on to a possible BCS Championship Game if recent history follows suit.
Every year the media keep saying that a one loss SEC team has as much right as most undefeated teams to be in that game and given the strength of the SEC this year, a one loss champion is highly likely.
But if one of these two teams emerges from this game undefeated, then you are going to be looking at the nation's number one team going into the final crucial weeks.
In all likelihood, this game could be the defacto national championship game.
Contenders: Oklahoma and Florida State - Big Must Win Game - This game, Sept. 17
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This early season contest will propel the winner into national championship talk and ruin the chances of the loser.
Oklahoma is already a preseason favorite but a Florida State win could make them the media's darling for all that hype and talk.
Florida State comes in to the game with a huge revenge factor and chip on their shoulders from the absolute beating they took in Oklahoma last season in that 47-17 debacle.
The Seminole defense got better and better as the year went on and now they're ready to show just how nasty they've become. With two cupcakes before the OU game, look for them to spend the first two weeks of the season preparing for the Sooners instead of the cupcakes.
Oklahoma plays Tulsa and only has one game to play before FSU.
Since FSU will have played twice as many games as OU to get "loosened up", the heat and humidity of a Southern Saturday in September and good old home field advantage, look for the 'Noles to upset OU and jump into the national title talk years ahead of what many people thought.
This win could put FSU in a title game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Contenders: Oregon and LSU: Bib Must Win Game: This Game, Sept. 3rd at Dallas
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This game could knock Oregon from any BCS title talk with a loss and it could dent LSU's chance as well although LSU could more easily recover from a loss here than Oregon.
This seems to be the year of the good Northern teams coming South to play a big September game in all this heat and humidity even if it is indoors at Jerry's World.
Auburn's defense held Oregon to just a few points in the BCS title game in a tough physical contest. LSU can do the same. The winner in this game will be among the title talk contenders for the entire first half of the year.
It's going to be a close game, but the home cooking, (LSU should have LOTS more fans), humidity and big Southern linemen end up making the difference for a close LSU win.
Contender: Stanford: Big Must Win Game: Oct. 29th at USC
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Sure, Stanford is going to have to have to play Oregon later in the year and then there will be a first ever Pac 10 conference championship game to have to make, but neither may matter if the Cardinals from Stanford don't get by a tough at home USC team first.
This win could give them the confidence to finish up big and maybe run the table for the regular season.
Also should they lose this game, the Oregon vs Stanford game won't have as much luster on it, but I look for Stanford to pull this one off and set up an interesting end of season in the Pac 10.
Contenders: Texas A&M and Oklahoma State: Big Must Game - Sept. 24th at Texas
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Both these teams come into this game undefeated and both are going to be fighting Oklahoma for the top team in the conference. A loss will kill any title talk and the winner of this game will have a shot at the conference championship as each team will have to play Oklahoma later.
So you could say the winner of this game and Oklahoma set up yet another must win for both teams to continue any title talk.
Things are coming together in Aggie land and when it's a close pick 'em kind of game as this one looks to be, take the home team.
That means the Texas A&M Aggies pull this one off.
Contenders: Wisconsin and Nebraska: Big Must Win Game - Oct. 1st at Wisconsin
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The winner of this game starts getting a little title buzz and the winner will end up playing Ohio State just after this game for Nebraska and Oct. 29th for Wisconsin.
This year though, there will be a conference championship and the winner of that game will go to the Rose Bowl, but a loss from any contest prior to that will take them out of any title talk.
This is a much more evenly matched game than it may appear, but Wisconsin is at home and has a head full of steam from last season and should prevail in a close one.
Contenders: Michigan State and Ohio State: Big Must Win Game- Oct. 1st at OSU
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Both teams finished last season's regular schedule with only only one loss and that one loss cost both a shot a playing in the BCS Championship Game. The loser of this game can expect the same treatment from the BCS this year.
Ohio State's troubles are well documented and could only get worse, but that in itself may be the reason they do so well. The best advice they'll get all season is don't focus on what you have no control over, just focus on winning.
Though OSU is having five players sit out the first five games, they still have plenty of firepower for this all important fifth game of the season.
Michigan State returns a whole lot of starters from last year's great team and they feel like they have something to prove after the absolute butt kicking they received from Alabama in the Capital One Bowl Game.
A win here would propel them into serious consideration for not just the league title, but some national BCS consideration and that's just what will happen when they eek out a close victory.
And That's It for the Contenders in Must Win Big Games
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I value your input and comments and if you think I've left off a contender that's in a "must win" game please let me know in the comment section.
I value all input you give me and I thank you for participating in this slide show.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
