College Football: Retrospect by Popcornknife (Matt)

Well, we made it through a whole season, and while we didn’t get to deliver our previews and picks every week to you, we still had a lot of fun and still picked every game of the season. Ryan ended up winning our regular season picking contest by having a record of 619-194 (.761 win percentage) while I went 602-211 (.740 win percentage). So for our first year of doing this, I think we did pretty well. Now to look at how we did overall in terms of picking winners in conferences as well as how we did picking the National Championship and Heisman. The Heisman hasn’t been announced yet, but considering neither Ryan and I had an of the six people invited, I think it’s fair to say that we aren’t going to get that one right. Anyways, let’s look at the conferences

ACC

Actual Winner: Florida State

Matt’s Predicted Winner: Clemson

Ryan’s Predicted Winner: Miami

This conference was pretty strange from what we thought was going to happen in it. Clemson looked great in the beginning of the year and so did Miami but in the end, Duke somehow was able to surprise the nation and win their division and Jameis Winston came out and looks like the front runner for the Heisman and is now leading his team to a National Championship. Ryan and I were way off on this one.

AAC

Actual Winner: UCF

Ryan and Matt’s Predicted Winner: Louisville

Who would have thought any other team than Louisville would win this conference coming into the season? I don’t think anyone, besides maybe UCF fans, would have predicted them winning the conference. Louisville looked great all year but that one slip up against the now inaugural AAC champions, UCF, cost them not only a shot at the National Championship, but a conference title. Ryan and I were off on this one too, but not by much.

Big 12

Actual Winner: Baylor

Matt: Texas

Ryan: TCU

I was a lot closer with this one than Ryan was. Texas was one win away from winning the Big 12 but was unable to stop the Baylor Bears and the Bears find themselves in a BCS game for the first time ever. Ryan’s prediction was way off, TCU didn’t even find themselves in the race for the Big 12 title.

Big Ten

Actual Winner: Michigan State

Matt and Ryan’s predicted winner: Ohio State

Well, the Buckeyes almost won this conference. After going undeafted all the way up to the conference championship, the defense of Michigan State was too much for them and the Spartans find themselves in the Rose Bowl against Stanford, while Ohio State find themselves in a BCS bowl but not the one they were hoping to find themselves in.

Pac 12

Actual Winner: Stanford

Matt and Ryan’s predicted winner: Stanford

Yes! We finally got one right. This one was pretty tough to predict coming into the season, but somehow Ryan and I found a way to get this one right. Stanford looked solid all year and could have found themselves in the National Championship, but unfortunately that loss against Utah and that loss against USC has haunted them and they finish short of their dream of making the National Championship.

SEC

Actual Winner: Auburn

Matt: Florida

Ryan: Alabama

I’m not even sure I want to talk about how far off I was with this conference. Florida was completely terrible this year, not even bowl eligible and my Hoosiers had a better record than them. Ryan was a bit closer, with only a miracle Kick Six possibility being the difference there, but I don’t think anyone predicted that it would be Auburn vs Mizzou for the SEC Championship at the beginning of the year.

National Championship

Actual: Florida State vs Auburn

Ryan: Notre Dame vs Alabama

Matt: Florida vs Ohio State

Once again, Ryan and I were pretty close to being 50% right on the matchup for the National Championship, with only a Kick Six and Michigan State standing between us and that 1 out of 2 right in the National Championship

Heisman

Actual: TBA

Ryan: Tommy Reese

Matt: Braxton Miller

Once again, we were pretty far off on this one. However, if Braxton Miller hadn’t got hurt in the beginning of the season, I still think he would have had a bit more buzz around him, but those couple weeks off really hurt his Heisman hopes and the fact that his team is not in the National Championship also hurts him now.

So there you have it, it’s been a great season of previewing college football. I hope you have had as much fun reading these as we have had writing them. It’s not over yet though! Look out for our bowl predictions coming out soon.