Cooper’s Corner: Thanksgiving Break
Alright folks this is an absolutely loaded Cooper’s Corner. It’s a long weekend and so there are a lot of predictions to get to. We are tackling weeks 12 and 13 in College Football, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give my World Cup group predictions.
Week 12 and Week 13 need to work in tandem to achieve a stellar ending to the College Football regular season. It seems that Ohio State is primed to walk into Maryland and dismantle the Terrapins in week 12 in order to stay undefeated for THE GAME. Michigan welcomes Illinois into the Big House in week 12 as well. 2 weeks ago this matchup seemed primed for intrigue as well but Illinois’ sloppy run of forum seems to make it evident that Tommy Devito and his Illini will need to overcome great adversity to get the win in Ann Arbor. The real question is, will JJ McCarthy the Michigan quarterback throw some deep balls and prime his arm for their big clash the next week. Ultimately Michigan and Ohio State will roll into week 13 in impressive forum both undefeated.
There is great drama in the PAC 12 in week 12, 9-1 USC will travel to 8-2 UCLA in one of College Football’s greatest rivalries. The Bruins would love nothing more than to end any hope USC has of going to the College Football Playoffs, on the national stage no less. Dorian Tompson Robinson, Zach Charbonet, and Jake Bobo will have the UCLA offense rolling and the USC defense hasn’t exactly been good as a result UCLA will come away with the victory ruining the Trojans chances to reach the CFP.
For anyone who wants to stay up till 10:30 on the east coast you will be treated to a crucial matchup between 2 8-2 PAC 12 teams Utah at Oregon. These 2 teams seem to always disappoint and personally this game is worthy of an equally disappointing tie. Unfortunately this is not possible and I predict that after a very close yet boring game Oregon will get the win.
Moving on to Week 13, rivalry week. It is the week that is universally circled on calendars across the college football landscape. Unfortunately the ranked matchups for week 13 are limited, yet intrigue abounds.
On Friday night there is a critical game in the American Conference that will likely decide not only the conference, but the New Year’s 6 bowl game spot. Cincinnati welcomes Tulane and the Ohio River will likely be green on Saturday because Tulane will run away with victory.
On Saturday Night the Shillelagh Trophy will be contested between Notre Dame and USC. Ultimately USC will find a way to win at home because Notre Dame offensively has not looked good this year.
The marquee matchup of Saturday will be THE GAME. Michigan will ride into Columbus to take on Ohio State in a battle of the undefeated teams. Whenever these teams play, passion, pride, bragging rights and intrigue are key features of the greatest rivalry in College Football. This year a spot in the BIG 10 Championship, and most likely the CFP Final 4 are at stake. Both teams have been waiting for this matchup since the last one was over, and Ohio State has looked to bolster its team against its dreaded foes up north. All eyes will be on Columbus on the 26th as Michigan tries to repeat and lengthen their winning streak against the Buckeyes. After many lackluster performances by the Ohio State offense I am very skeptical of CJ Stroud. Unlike his predecessors at Ohio State, Stroud struggles connecting with his receivers downfield. This has been a trademark of the OSU offensive attack against the Maise and Blue. The run game for the Buckeyes has not been consistent against good teams this season and Michigan’s front 4 have been absolutely electric this season. The one weakness of the Michigan defense is the big play. If OSU can create big plays consistently then they will have the edge, but I think that Michigan will be able to shut them down enough to rely on their offense to do the work. Michigan running back Blake Corum is an absolute work horse and legitimate Heisman Candidate. Corum plays with a boulder on his shoulder and looks primed to tear apart the OSU defense. When mixed in with Donnavan Edwards the Michigan run game is nearly impossible to stop. If Ohio State can limit the run the game will depend on JJ McCarthy and his arm. It has shown flashes in the past but there are questions of consistency. Ultimately Michigan is more ready than ever to take on Ohio State, and although they have improved greatly. In the end I think that a Heisman worthy performance from Corum and Stroud’s inability to hit the deep ball will result in Michigan escaping Columbus with a win, in an all time classic game.
Finally it would be remiss if I did not give my picks for World Cup Groups
Group A
1.Netherlands
2.Senegal
3.Ecuador
4.Qatar
Netherlands wins easily and after a close 2-3 battle Senegal gets through.
Group B
1.England
2.USA
3.Wales
4.Iran
England, a clear favorite finishes top, the USA staves off Wales after beating them in the group.
Group C
- Argentina
- Mexico
- Poland
- Saudi Arabia
Messi puts on an inspired performance in his last World Cup and Mexico beats out Poland handedly for second place.
Group D
- France
- Denmark
- Tunisia
- Australia
France will breeze through this group as will Denmark. Tunisia and Australia will likely flounder around getting minimal points.
Group E
- Spain
- Germany
- Japan
- Costa Rica
Spain will get a shocking win in the group stage, and Germany will get out but Japan and Costa Rica will make it interesting.
Group F
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Canada
- Morocco
This group is incredibly uninteresting, expect many draws but Belgium and Croatia 2 veteran teams should get the job done.
Group G
- Brazil
2.Switzerland
- Cameroon
- Serbia
Brazil should easily advance, and Switzerland should see through the group.
Group H
- Korea
- Portugal
- Uruguay
- Ghana
In my stretch pick I think that Korea is poised for a surprise run. The drama around Ronaldo will prevent Portugal from getting through number 1 in the group. Uruguay will nearly missout.
Ultimately this week is a wonderful week for sports, the moral of the story is turn on that TV and enjoy.
