Zultan's Fearless Football Forecast for Week 12: Alabama Down.

A seismic shift in the gridiron status quo occurred in Week 11. Alabama fell from football heaven, their dreams of repeat glory squelched by “Johnny Football” and the Texas A&M Aggies last Saturday.

In the meantime outside SEC Land, the cream of the crop in the Big East, Louisville crashed and burned at Syracuse. 

Another undefeated went belly up.

Additionally, in Iowa City, the hometown Hawkeyes had their wings clipped by the Purdue Boilermakers 27-24. Can the Hawks get any lower?  No, they are officially in the basement of the Big Ten sitting beside Illinois, waiting for this season to blow over.

Ultimately Zultan went 7-3, losing those three contests last Saturday. Some of you equaled—but none surpassed Zultan in Week 11.

With only two weeks left in the regular season, the upcoming contests this Saturday become exponentially crucial as teams pray for bowl bids. The final BCS standings await the next two round of upsets.

Here is your next to last chance to outshine the premiere Pigskin Prognosticator.

Make your picks for Week 12 to try to outguess Zultan and see your name up in lights, figuratively speaking.

Game 1: Northwestern Wildcats at Michigan State Spartans

In Big Ten Land, Northwestern (7-3, 3-3) lost to Michigan in overtime last Saturday, 38-31. It was a tough road loss for the Wildcats who kept pace with the Wolverines step for step throughout the game. The loss left Northwestern down and out in Big Ten's Legends Division race.

Michigan State (5-5, 2-4) had a week off after losing a nail biter to Nebraska 28-24 at home. The Spartans always play close but loses just as often as they win sitting with a 5-5 record.

This Spartan team had its chances to excel but could not take the last step week after week. Michigan State still needs a win just to reach bowl eligibility.  It promises to be another tough one in East Lansing. Nonetheless...

Pick Michigan State to win at home.

Game 2: Iowa Hawkeyes at (21) Michigan Wolverines

The Iowa Hawkeyes (4-6, 2-4, Big Ten) get to finish this less-than-stellar year playing Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday followed by hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers the day after Thanksgiving.

A real treat for Hawkeye fans everywhere—pardon Zultan’s sarcasm. 

Overall, Iowa is young. They will learn their lessons from this season and come back in 2013 ready to take their place along with the rest of the conference—back in the thick of the Big Ten race with a better understanding of what it takes to win.

In the meantime, Michigan (7-3, 5-1) has a real chance to win out and contend for the top spot in the Legends Division. The Wolverines must hope that someone else defeats Nebraska because the Michigan lost their head-to-head contest with the Cornhuskers who continue to control their own destiny.

Pick Michigan to win at home.

Game 3: Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State (6-4, 4-2) made it a real contest against Nebraska last Saturday—for the first three quarters. But then, the Cornhuskers pulled away in the final fifteen as Taylor Martinez and crew wore out the Penn State defense. The Huskers won 32-23.

After back to back wins over Illinois and Iowa. Indiana (4-6, 2-4) fell hard in Week 11 to Wisconsin,  62-14.  That was a true reality check for the Hoosiers who hoped to make their way to bowl eligibility after two wins in a row.  Now Indiana must defeat both Penn State and Purdue for the miracle to happen.  There will, however, be no Cinderella moment in Happy Valley.

Pick Penn State to win at home.

Game 4: Minnesota Golden Gophers at (14) Nebraska Cornhuskers


Minnesota (6-4, 2-4, Big Ten) became bowl eligible last Saturday by defeating Illinois on the road.  The Gophers have not gone bowling since 2009. Jerry Kill and staff are making real progress in Minneapolis.

It is a good thing Minnesota had that feel good moment last Saturday because they probably will not be able to celebrate after their trip to Lincoln where the Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-2, 5-1) traditionally treat guests badly.

Pick Nebraska to win at home.

Game 5: Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers

This is one of the more intriguing of the Big Ten match-ups this Saturday.

Wisconsin (7-3, 4-2) returns to the conversation after pummeling the Indiana Hoosiers last Saturday. But, let’s face it. That does not really tell us much.

While the Badgers tend to play better at home, Indiana did not put up much resistance on defense. The Badger running backs trampled the Hoosiers. We expected as much—even the score pile on.

Ohio State (10-0, 6-0) ironically remains perfect in the 2012 season. Even though they cannot play in the postseason, the Buckeyes are being filled with Glory-ade by Urban Meyer and his coaching staff. So far so good...

Pick Ohio State to win on the road.

Game 6: Purdue Boilermakers at Illinois Fighting Illini
Purdue (4-6, 1-5) won their first Big Ten game of the season last Saturday by upending the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

The win may have saved Purdue Coach Danny Hope’s job at the helm of the Boilers. Certainly, if Purdue wins this Saturday on the road at Illinois, Hope will survive for another season in West Lafayette.

Their task of becoming bowl eligible is helped by the Boilers’ remaining games against winless Illinois this Saturday plus their last game of the regular season at home against Indiana. They could actually win both.

Illinois (2-8, 0-6) has watched their inaugural season under new coach Tim Beckman spiral down the drain. The Illini offense continues to sputter and their defense reacts too late. 

There will be time to retool and simplify for 2013.  In the meantime...

Pick Purdue to win on the road.

Game 7: (13) Stanford Cardinal at (2) Oregon Ducks

Out in PAC-12 Land the Ducks have to be quacking up—joyous that Alabama lost, paving the way for Oregon (10-0, 7-0) to play in the BCS National Championship Game. 

But, it is a dangerous spot for low flying birds. The Ducks must still face a ranked Stanford team this Saturday as well as ranked instate rival Oregon State in the final regular season game.  Additionally, the Ducks have some key defensive players hurt.

The true incentive remains—a win for the Ducks might move them to the No. 1 spot in the BCS standings.

Stanford (8-2, 6-1) needs to win this game to try to keep pace in PAC-12 North Division and pray that Oregon State can knock off the Ducks. Stanford is coming off a win over the Beavers 27-23 last Saturday.  Next week the Cardinal will be the Beavers biggest fans if Stanford can will this week in Eugene.  But it will not happen.

Pick Oregon to win at home.

Game 8: (18) USC Trojans at (17) UCLA Bruins


This is another Big Game in the PAC-12 South with the Division Title on the line.  USC (8-2, 5-2), whose pre-season expectations exceeded their capabilities, have lost to Stanford on the road, to Arizona on the road and to Oregon at home so far this season. Last Saturday they defeated Arizona State 38-17 at the Coliseum.

UCLA (8-2, 5-2) has lost to Oregon State 27-20 at home and at Cal 43-17.  The Bruins have won their last four games. Two of their wins have come over ranked teams including No. 16 Nebraska and No. 22 Arizona.

The game will be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The oddsmakers favor the Trojans by 3. It is a tough call. But Zultan is no chicken.

Pick UCLA to win at home.

Game 9: (23) Texas Tech Red Raiders at (24) Oklahoma State Cowboys


Oklahoma State (6-3, 4-2, Big 12) has a lot of football remaining with three games looming on their schedule. The one on Saturday will be played in Stillwater against Texas Tech—a team the Cowboys plundered last year 66-6.  It will not be the same kind of game this year.

This year the Cowboys have three losses—to Kansas State, Texas and Arizona.  Their swagger has been buried by the dust of defeat.

Texas Tech (7-3, 4-3) won their first four games, finally falling to earth when they faced Oklahoma in Lubbock—losing 41-20. Then they lost to Texas and to Kansas State.  The Red Raiders managed to get by lowly Kansas in OT last Saturday, escaping with a 41-34 victory.

Playing on the road, Texas Tech will not escape this time.

Pick Oklahoma State to win at home.

Game 10: (12) Oklahoma Sooners at West Virginia Mountaineers


The Oklahoma Sooners (7-2, 5-1) get to travel to Morgantown to face the dejected West Virginia Mountaineers (5-4, 2-4).  West Virginia’s season sank after shooting out to a  5-0 season start.

West Virginia, however, has now lost their last five games and are seriously wondering about their decision to leave the cozy confines of the Big East Conference. 

New head coach Dana Holgorsen has left something out of the Mountaineers game plan it seems.  Once the season ends, it will be back to the drawing board for the Mountaineers’ coaching staff.

In fact, West Virginia must eke out another win to become bowl eligible.  The Big 12 has become a true test under fire for the Mountaineers.

Meanwhile Oklahoma fans regard the season as a failure because the Sooners are not in  contention for the National Championship.  Oklahoma has lost two games this season to Kansas State and to Notre Dame.  They have one loss in the Big 12 but will, undoubtedly, come in second to Kansas State.

They will, however, win this game on Saturday.

Pick Oklahoma to win on the road.

Zultan's Fearless Football Forecast, Week 11

Another bleak week for the Mighty Zultan whose Big Ten teams waited until the very end to lose, making the agony that much greater.  Zultan went 6-4. Hordes did better.

Mom’s beloved Hawkeyes waited until the fourth quarter to give up the ghost. She has taken up volleyball.

Michigan State looked great, right up until the end when Nebraska rose up and stole the game in the blink of an eye. Those Cornhuskers give the All-Seeing Seer an unending headache, blurring his vision at critical junctures.

Outside the Big Ten, wouldn’t you just know Texas would show up with a complete game on both sides of the ball?? Plus, Zultan heard that the Mississippi State Bulldogs forgot to show up for the game, filling in with locals from the stands.

Now heading down the final stretch, the picks get harder deep into conference competition. Zultan seems to be teetering—not quite as cocky as he was during his “hot streak.”  Now is the time to make your picks and grab a little glory of your own.

Those who outguessed Zultan last week will be listed at the end of this article with tons of kudos for those souls bright enough to surpass the Mighty Zultan.

Game 1: Wisconsin at Indiana

Wisconsin (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten), who should win the Leaders Division in the Big Ten by default, travels to Bloomington to play Indiana (4-5, 2-3). The Badgers must win in order to hold onto their lead—allowing them to play in the Big Ten Championship game. You cannot, however, overlook the fact that the Badgers are breaking in a new quarterback this week.

Indiana’s offense has managed to win games this season. In this strangest of years in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers might actually hold the reins in the Leaders Division if they can get past Wisconsin.
The Hoosiers need two more wins to become bowl eligible—assuming anybody wants to play host to the Big Ten this year.  Not quite...

Pick Wisconsin to win on the road.


Game 2: (24) Northwestern at Michigan

Northwestern (6-3, 4-1 Big Ten) has a shot at winning the Legends Division if they can win this game on the road at Michigan (6-3, 4-1) who has similar ambitions.


The question of the week may be—will Denard Robinson be in the pocket his week? But the real question is: does it matter if he is there or not? 

Last week Devin Gardner did just fine taking over the quarterback spot for Michigan.

Northwestern has had a bye week to get ready for this game, pondering the inevitable quandary of whether the Wildcats can put up more offense than the Wolverines in Week 11 because they certainly cannot stop Michigan with their defense. 

Not an enviable spot to be in.

Pick Michigan to win at home.

Game 3: Purdue at Iowa

Buck up you downtrodden Iowa fans.

If you think this season is bad—harken back to those years between Forest Evashevski and Hayden Fry!  Iowa (4-5, 2-3 Big Ten) has a real opportunity here. If they can win the game against Purdue (3-6, 0-5) and draw even in the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes only need one more win to reach bowl eligibility.

That will free the Hawks to play spoiler when the Great Huskers come to town.  Nothing would make an Iowa fan happier.

Purdue has not managed a win in a long time, although they have played tough and come close on several occasions. Yet they remain winless in the Big Ten.

The Boilers will remain winless after Week 11 concludes.

Pick Iowa to win at home.

Game 4: Penn State at (16) Nebraska

Sneaky good. That is Nebraska (7-2, 4-1, Big Ten).

The Huskers lull you into believing they are mediocre, middle of the pack. Then they sneak up on you—kick your backside at the end of the game, pushing your nose in the mud as they trample over you on their way to the end zone.

They have become Big Ten bullies.

Penn State (6-3, 4-1) fields an awesome defense and an ever-improving offense.

The Lions have surprised everyone, escaping the shadow of the Sandusky horror-fest.

But they are playing in Lincoln where better teams have come to suffer bitter disappointment.

Pick Nebraska to win at home.

Game 5: Minnesota at Illinois

Minnesota (5-4, 1-4, Big Ten) will make their way to Champaign to face the Fighting Illini of Illinois (2-7, 0-5). The Gophers only need one more game to become bowl eligible in 2012.

It would be the first time since 2009 that Minnesota has gained post-season eligibility.

Illinois has huge problems at this stage.

They have lost 11 straight Big Ten games going back to last season. Hopefully they can salvage some building blocks from this year to begin building for success next year.

Pick Minnesota to win on the road.

Game 6: (15) Texas A&M at (1) Alabama

Newly transplanted Texas A&M (7-2, 4-2 SEC) took apart then-ranked No. 15 Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville last Saturday.


It wasn’t even close. Led by the Aggies star Johnny Manziel, A&M closed the door fast on this game—more than doubling the offense the Bulldogs could muster.

Meantime, Alabama (9-0, 6-0) was also on the road in their biggest game of the season to date—facing LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tide's season was on the line.

Alabama was behind as the clock ticked down but quarterback AJ McCarron used a screen pass when he saw a blitz coming his way. The result was a touchdown—a 28-yard run with less than a minute left on the clock.

What it showed was that Alabama is vulnerable. LSU did everything better but win.

If the Alabama faithful believe Texas A & M will come to Tuscaloosa hat in hand—that is not the case.

The Crimson Tide will have their hands full again this Saturday. But...

Pick Alabama at home

Game 7: (2) Kansas State at TCU

Previously ranked TCU (6-3, 3-3 Big !2) just scored a double overtime win over West Virginia in Morgantown last Saturday—39-38. After a shaky beginning in Big 12 play, TCU is beginning to grow into their offense sporting a legion of very young players.

On Saturday the Horned Frogs welcome No. 2 Kansas State (9-0, 6-0) into Fort Worth for another big conference game.

Kansas State just took care of Oklahoma State 44-30 last Saturday at home but will be traveling this week. It is hard to imagine that the Wildcats will have too many problems with the Horned Frogs.

But Bill Snyder never takes any team for granted which explains why his teams are always ready to compete.

Pick Kansas State to win on the road.

Game 8: (21) Mississippi State at (7) LSU

Here are two sorely disappointed and dejected teams.

LSU (7-2, 3-2, SEC) had the No. 1 team in the nation on the ropes but let them escape in the final moments, ending the Tigers' chances permanently to play in the national championship game once again.

LSU, however, will bounce back this week, hoping for a chance to play in a big BCS Bowl.

This while Mississippi State saw their game plan shredded by Texas A&M, marking the Bulldogs second consecutive loss of the season.

It appears that Mississippi State far exceeded expectations coming into this season. It seems further that the Bulldogs have peaked and may soon find themselves losing three in a row.

Mississippi State, however, still has a good chance to finish strong—by winning their last two games in the SEC. The Bulldogs could end with a 9-3 record. Nonetheless...

Pick LSU to win at home.

Game 9: (9) Louisville at Syracuse

Well finally, Zultan takes a look at the Big East whose teams usually fly ahead of the All-Seeing Seer’s crystal ball radar.  The Big East often plays early in the week for the sake of television while Zultan retains his focus on Saturday games.

The Louisville Cardinals are 9-0, 4-0 in Big East play. They have yet to play a ranked team. In fact, they will not play a ranked team until they meet No. 23 Rutgers on November 29—assuming Rutgers is still ranked by then. The Cardinals wins have been modest but they play consistent ball.

Syracuse (4-5, 3-2) has already lost to a couple of ranked teams and will lose to one more on Saturday.

Pick Louisville to win on the road.

Game 10: (11) Oregon State at (14) Stanford

Oregon State (7-1, 5-1, PAC 12) will travel to Stanford to play the Cardinal (7-2, 5-1) on Saturday.


It will be one of the more “watched” games of the weekend with two ranked PAC 12 teams hoping to emerge victorious.

Stanford has two losses on the season—against Notre Dame and against Washington. Their single win over a ranked team came in Week 3 over the USC Trojans. 

Oregon State defeated both Wisconsin and UCLA when those teams were ranked prematurely.  The Beavers also lost to Washington.

It looks like these two teams are evenly matched. But since they will be playing at home in front of fervent fans...

Pick Stanford to win at home.

The Final Word:

Many of you were sharper than Zultan this past weekend. Kudos!!  More than any other week this season—19 in all outguessed the All-Seeing Seer.  If this trend does not stop, Zultan will have to reduce the flamboyancy of his prose in order to make room to list his betters.

No one wishes that.

Here they are—the future stars of prognostication!

9-1
Bill Colyer - Greenville, SC
Michael Hall - Andrews, TX
John Zortman - Phoenix, AZ

8-2
Bill Fredrickson - Vista, CA
Kent Gleichman - West Des Moines, IA
Robert Reihm - Encinitas, CA
Dewey Oxberger - Wakefield, MA
Carl Stine - Kingman, AZ

7-3
Craig Bancroft - Coralville, IA
Lenny Cossman, Jr. - Parkersburg, WV
Eric Lawhead - Bolingbrook, IL
John O'Deen - Cedar Rapids, IA
Erick Schmidt - York, PA
Elihu Smails - Wakefield, MA
Rick "Turk" Steffens - Wilton Junction, IA
Eric Stipp - Dublin, OH
Dean Studt - Rockledge, FL
Skipper Woodham - Atlanta, GA
Kenneth Zuerner - Redmond, WA

Zultan's Fearless Football Forecast: Week Ten

It was a horrible day for a daring football prognosticator who swore Notre Dame was over-rated, who was sure the Gators were worthy of being ranked No. 2 and who predicted the Lions could best the Buckeyes at home in Happy Valley.

Like Icarus who flew too close to the sun—Mighty Zultan came too close to perfection. The Football Gods torched his flammable cloak, sending the All-Seeing One headlong into the sink hole of also-rans—where the rest of you dwell.

Except, of course the dozen or so who out-guessed Zultan last Saturday.

These distinguished prognosticators will be listed at the end of this article with appropriate kudos for those who rose above Zultan in Week 9.

Week ten promises even more untold surprises.

What unlucky unbeaten will fall? Will Nebraska manage to sustain their lead and win on the road? Can LSU change the course of football history in 2012?

Zultan was mortally wounded in Week 9—managing to go 5-5.  He is staggering under the weight of expectation.  Make your own picks in Week 10—go head-to-head with Zultan to defend your choices.

Game 1: Iowa Hawkeyes at Indiana Hoosiers

Iowa reaching (photo by blackheartgoldpants.com)

Indiana (3-5) scored a big win last weekend over Illinois—the Hoosiers’ first win in Big Ten play.

Fielding one of the most aggressive offenses in the Big Ten— after coming close so many times—Indiana will try to extend their feel-good win by defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes at home.

Iowa (4-4) comes into Bloomington after a lackluster performance against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Hawkeyes need to win this game in insure any hope of being invited to any bowl game.

Hopefully the Hawkeye walking wounded will return to the lineup this Saturday.

Even though the Hoosiers will sport a new-found confidence after their first Big Ten win—hopefully, the Hawks can soar again. Once more for Mom.

Pick Iowa.

Game 2: (20) Nebraska Cornhuskers at Michigan State Spartans

This game is one of several puzzlers for Zultan as he tries to unravel and make sense of Big Ten football this year.

Forget global warming, here is a real unfathomable mystery. Who might be good this year in the Big Ten? It varies from week to week—except for Ohio State who remains a non-factor in post-season play.

Last week, after knocking Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson out of the game, (20) Nebraska (6-2) defeated Michigan in Lincoln.

At the same time, Michigan State (5-4) ripped the rug out from under Wisconsin in OT, winning the game during the last ticks of the game clock.

Nebraska comes into East Lansing to play Michigan State whose defense should contain the Huskers if the unit is not stuck on the field the whole game. The real question remains—can the Spartans mount an offense? It looked promising last weekend at the end of their game against Wisconsin.

At home against the Huskers with a trip to a bowl game on the line...

Pick Michigan State

Game 3: Michigan Wolverines at Minnesota Gophers

Another tough pick especially since we are unsure of the status of Denard Robinson, Michigan’s premiere quarterback who was knocked out the Wolverine’s game with Nebraska last Saturday.

Without Robinson, Michigan (5-3) is just mediocre at best.

Minnesota (5-3) played great ball last Saturday, outgunning Purdue at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis 44-28.

Turnovers gave the Gophers quite a boost during the game. Their half-time lead proved too much for the Boilermakers to overcome in the second half.

With Denard Robinson, however, Michigan fields a better team on both sides of the ball—despite their loss against the Nebraska Cornhuskers last Saturday.

Pick Michigan

Game 4: Illinois Fighting Illini at Ohio State Buckeyes

Surely there is no question here.

As long as Ohio State (9-0) doesn’t make the mistake of trying to phone in this performance, the Buckeyes should take care of Illinois (2-6) without too much worry for the vocal Buckeye fans in the stands.

Ohio State remains perfect this season while the Fighting Illini have a long way to go to achieve success.

But, never discount this team whose season could be salvaged with a win over the unbeaten Buckeyes.

Still—the crystal ball predicts that will not happen.

Pick Ohio State.

Game 5: Penn St Nittany Lions at Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue (3-5) has been close to victory so many times this season. The Boiler’s record does not truly indicate their gridiron capabilities—except for the fact that they cannot close out a win. 

This is, however, a disastrous shortcoming, needing immediate change.

Last weekend, moreover, the Boilers suffered from multiple turnovers handing the game over to the Minnesota Gophers in the first half. Purdue must not repeat this trend against a highly disciplined Penn State team.

Penn State (5-3) could not bring down Ohio State in Happy Valley last Saturday. The Lions did not play a bad game—they were just not as good as Ohio State. If the Lions can keep that loss in perspective, Penn State should leave Ross-Ade Stadium with a victory over Purdue

Pick Penn State

Game 6: (16) Texas A&M Aggies at (15) Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State (7-1) lost their first football game of the season as they faced the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, Alabama. The Aggies lost 38-7, not scoring in the game until the last five minutes. The outcome was never in doubt.

Texas A&M (6-2) stomped on Auburn last Saturday, revealing first hand the condition of the Tigers in 2012. The Aggies have lost twice this season—to No. 24 Florida State in Week 2 and to LSU in Week 9.

This week Texas A&M must travel to Starkville to face the Bulldogs—fighting it out with LSU for the No. 2 spot in the SEC West—with no team wishing to finish lower.

Mississippi State has not played any ranked team except Alabama and the Bulldogs were powerless against the Crimson Tide.

Texas A&M has lost to two ranked opponents but did secure a win over Louisiana Tech when they were ranked.

But since the Bulldogs are at home...

Pick Mississippi State.

Game 7: (4) Oregon Ducks at (17) USC Trojans

Somehow the BCS’ cyclical reasoning has seen the Oregon Ducks (8-0) shunted to the No. 4 spot while the SEC gains ground playing against itself.

Zultan sees a big hole in the ranking system.

Nonetheless, the Ducks will have an opportunity to prove their worth this coming weekend. All they have to do is defeat an angry USC team in the Coliseum.

Easy enough? You have to remember that being upset by USC last year cost the Ducks a shot at playing for the national championship. Ducks do not forgive or forget.

Last weekend USC (6-2) was upset by Arizona 39-36 as turnovers cost the Trojans. But this weekend USC will be at home with all their senses attuned to defeating Oregon. Oregon ran over Colorado last Saturday, 70-14 in a game not as close as the score indicates. It was a mammoth blowout.

This Saturday it will be much closer for the Ducks.

Pick Oregon


Game 8: (1) Alabama Crimson Tide at (5) LSU Tigers

Last year these two teams were vying for the national championship as Alabama and LSU met in the BCS title game.  It was not a happy ending for the Tigers.

This Saturday they meet in Baton Rouge playing for the lead in the SEC West—giving the winner a leg up for BCS consideration.

Last Saturday Alabama (8-0) took care of previously unbeaten Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa 38-7. So far this season the Crimson Tide has not been challenged on the gridiron.

LSU, however, will challenge them.

LSU (7-1) suffered one defeat this season—to the Florida Gators 14-6. It was a defensive struggle in the trenches, so to speak. LSU has eased past a couple of teams, rarely dominating action on the field.

LSU is not the same team they were a year ago. Alabama is—and then some.

Pick Alabama

Game 9: (23) Texas Long Horns at (18) Texas Tech Red Raiders


Texas Tech (6-2) welcomes Texas (6-2) into Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday with both teams trying to keep their hopes alive for a Big 12 title.

That dream, however, seems to be receding into the sunset as Kansas State saunters toward the finish line—so far unscathed.

Last Saturday Texas held on to defeat Kansas as the game clock ticked down.

 This while Texas Tech was busy turning the ball over to Kansas State, suffering a big defeat at the hands of the Wildcats.

The Red Raiders have a big offense but suffer on defense, allowing too many points by the opposition.

On paper, this game belongs to Texas Tech. Zultan loves paper...

Pick Texas Tech

Game 10: (13) Clemson Tigers at Duke Blue Devils

In the meantime, the ACC lives on through the efforts of Clemson and Florida State.

In Week 8, however, the Duke Blue Devils became bowl eligible for the first time since 1994. That triumph came against North Carolina, however, and not against Florida State.

Against the Seminoles, Duke got slammed 48-7.

Duke may win a couple more times—but not next weekend when they face Clemson.

The Clemson Tigers (7-1) won against Wake Forest last Saturday 42-13. Their only loss this season was at the hands of (9) Florida State.

Duke, who remains tied for the top spot in the Coastal Division, will not be able to stop Clemson even in their own back yard.

Pick Clemson

The Aftermath

Last week Zultan went 5-5, losing more picks than he has all season long—in fact in two seasons. A dozen who challenged the All-Seeing Seer outguessed him. But no one was perfect or even missed by one.

One fellow traveler missed two—followed by two who missed three picks and eight who went 6-4.  

Following are the brilliant prognosticators who outshone Zultan in Week 9. Kudos! sojourners.

8-2
Kathi Sparks - No city given

7-3
Lenny Cossman, Jr - Parkersburg, IA
Chris Seberg - New Brighton, MA

6-4
Patrick Elliott - Ottumwa, IA
David May - Casselberry, FL
Robert Reihm - Encinitas, CA
Dennis Ristau - Eleva, WI
John Snyder - Huntington Beach, CA
Carl Spackler - Wakefield, MA
Carl Stine - Kingman, AZ
Dean Studt - Rockledge, FL
Skipper Woodham - Atlanta, GA

Zultan's Week 7 College Football Forecast

So close to perfection this past weekend. LSU failed to hold off the Florida Gators for four quarters—going down to defeat 14-6.

That was Zultan’s only loss this week—ending at 9-1 in week 6.

Only one of you bettered the all-seeing seer - Chris Humphreys who runs the the Sports Chump Blog
(sportschump.net). He scored a perfect 10-0.

Hmmmpf. I wonder what brand of crystal ball he uses??

The rest of you failed to outguess the mighty Zultan during week 6.  Perhaps week 7 will be better because it looks like a promising week for major upsets!

The brief respite for the Hawkeyes is over—not that much good happened during the Iowa “bye” week.  It seems that a few players partied themselves into a tight spot.

Consequently, I had to convince Mom that “The Register” went out of business and that "no news is good news" as far as the Hawkeyes were concerned.

This week the Hawks have to travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State. I will be slipping tranquilizers into Mom’s Bosco.

In the Leaders and Legends Divisions only Ohio State (8) and Michigan (25) are now ranked. The Big Ten Conference continues to sink in all football categories except making money—which is a favorable spot if you cannot excel on the gridiron.

The question now is can you outguess the Fearless One?  Are you willing to take a chance and live life on the edge like Zultan?

Forewarned: Week 7 is going to be rough. There are no easy contests this week.

Still, if you want a piece of the action—just make your picks and we will see who is better at predicting the future on Saturday.

Game 1: [Big Ten] Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State Spartans

First of all, the Spartans (4-2) are favored in this week’s game held in East Lansing.


Michigan State held off Indiana last weekend 31-27, winning the game in the fourth quarter showcasing a less than sterling outing against the Hoosiers.

Iowa, coming off a bye week after winning their Big Ten opener over the Minnesota Gophers, had some off-week issues that cloud the crystal ball’s forecasting ability.

What remains crystal clear is the image of Mark Weisman rushing for 177 yards with 155 of those coming in the first half as Iowa shot out to a 24-0 lead.

But, the Michigan State defense is considerably better than Minnesota’s. Plus, the game is in hostile territory for the Hawks.

Pick Michigan State to win at home.   (Do not tell Mom about this pick.)

Game 2: [Big Ten] Northwestern Wildcats at Minnesota Golden Gophers

Northwestern (5-1) lost their first game of the season against Penn State (4-2) last weekend—mainly because of a superior defensive effort in the second half by the Lions.

Then too, Penn State won the final fifteen minutes of the game hands down, 22-0.  That was enough to pull Northwestern off their undefeated perch as the Wildcats suffered their first defeat, 39-28.

Minnesota (4-1) also has only one loss on the season—to the Iowa Hawkeyes in week 5.

But the Gophers were without the talented Marqueis Gray sitting in the pocket, leading the Gopher offense.

Offense, however, will not be the issue for the Gophers, whether Gray returns or not.

The main problem for the Gophers will be defense—stopping the potent Wildcat offense.

Pick Northwestern to win on the road.

Game 3: [Big Ten] Wisconsin Badgers at Purdue Boilermakers

What has happened to Wisconsin? The Badgers (4-2) certainly have not performed as we expected at the start of the season.

But, of course, this is a down year for the Big Ten all around.

Last week against Illinois, it took the Badgers three quarters to work up enough speed and will power to overcome the fighting Illini.

Scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter was required in order to win the game over Illinois at home in Camp Randall Stadium.

Purdue (3-2) , on the other hand, could not stop the running attack of Denard Robinson. The Wolverine quarterback rushed for 235 yards on the day, scoring one touchdown on the ground as well as one through the air to Devin Gardner.

Purdue managed 13 points on the day but ultimately the Boilers were crushed by the Wolverines 44-13.
Saturday’s game played at West Lafayette should be a toss-up.

It is a tough, tough pick but ultimately the Badgers have more talent and at this point in the season, they will step it up in order to have a chance to end the season with decent numbers and a shot at a major bowl.

Pick Wisconsin to win on the road.

Game 4: [Big Ten] Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan Wolverines (25)

Last weekend Purdue had no answers when it came to stopping Denard Robinson and the potent offense of the Michigan Wolverines.

It stands to reason that the Fighting Illini will also be unable to stop the Wolverines—especially playing at home in front of Ann Arbor kin folk.

The Illinois squad seems lost this season. They have some good moments but not enough consistency on either side of the ball to win in the Big Ten—at least so far.

Their defense once again this season is severely lacking. You cannot win if you cannot stop the other
team from scoring at will.

Pick the Wolverines to win at home.

Game 5: [Big Ten] Ohio State Buckeyes (8) at Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana (2-3) played one heck of a game against the Michigan State Spartans (4-2) in week 6.

The Hoosiers—kept pace step for step until the fourth quarter when the Spartans stepped down hard on the accelerator to shoot past Indiana in the fourth quarter.

Cameron Coffman threw for 282 yards including three touchdowns and no interceptions against a very good Spartan defense.

The Hoosiers, however, gained only 35 rushing yards on the day which eventually led to Michigan State shutting them down in the fourth quarter.

Indiana, however, possesses a lot of untapped potential which seems to emerge week by week.

Ohio State (6-0), however, remains the one bright spot in the Big Ten, ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll in week 7. Last week, according to most, the Buckeyes “crushed” the Nebraska Cornhuskers to make the biggest statement so far.

The scope of the loss knocked Nebraska out of the top 25 in both polls, leaving a huge hole in the Legends Division or perhaps paving the way for Michigan to seize control.

Ohio State is, of course, ineligible for post season play.

But the Buckeyes continue to lead the conference in every conceivable manner—both good and bad.

Pick: Ohio State to win at Indiana.

Game 6: [SEC] South Carolina Gamecocks (3) at LSU Tigers (9)

This is a big game in the SEC and in the top 25.

South Carolina (6-0) must travel to Baton Rouge to do battle with LSU (5-1) on Saturday. Last weekend, of course, LSU lost their first game of the season to Florida (5-0) in Gainsville.

Perhaps the loss will serve as a wake-up call to the Tigers who may be resting on their laurels and their previous season’s success.

This week LSU welcomes in the Gamecocks of South Carolina who dominated No. 5 ranked Georgia last weekend in an unexpectedly lopsided game.

The Gamecocks rolled out 392 yards of offense against the Bulldogs who seemed flat and out of sync on the afternoon. South Carolina’s defense did its job convincingly.

So this week the Gamecocks must travel to Baton Rouge where no doubt they will find a newly inspired LSU team awaiting.

Pick LSU to win at home.

Game 7: [PAC 12] Stanford Cardinal (17) at Notre Dame (7)

Stanford (4-1) travels to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in week 7. Both teams are ranked in the top 25 and both have much yet to prove concerning their lofty college football rankings.
To date, Notre Dame remains undefeated while Stanford has suffered one loss on the season at the hands of the Washington Huskies.

Last week the Cardinal had to scramble to outmaneuver Arizona in overtime to secure the win.

Stanford so far has not fared well on the road. In fact, this will be only their second road test of the season.

They lost to Washington on the road and they will lose again to Notre Dame on the road.

Note: If the game were at Stanford, then Zultan would pick the Cardinal to win.

Pick Notre Dame to win at home in week 7.

Game 8: [Big 12] Texas Longhorns (15) at Oklahoma Sooners (13)

It is time for the annual Red River Rivalry game between Texas (4-1) and Oklahoma (3-1), played in Dallas for bragging rights in the Big 12.

The Sooners have already suffered one loss this season to Kansas State. The Sooners can afford no more losses if they wish to play in a BCS Bowl in January.

Texas lost last weekend at home to the West Virginia transplants who proved to have too much offense for the Longhorns to handle on Saturday.

Last second heroics sealed the game for the Mountaineers as they fell on an onside kick booted by Texas after a late fourth quarter score.

Oklahoma has an experienced leader in quarterback Landry Jones bolstered by his backfield. This extra
ingredient will be enough to turn the tide.

Pick Oklahoma to win this one in Dallas.

Game 9: [PAC 12] USC Trojans (11) at Washington Huskies

USC (4-1) had to scramble to win against Utah in week 6. The Utes shot out to a 14-0 early lead over the Trojans.

But that was before Matt Barkley and company turned the game around—coming back to win on the road 38-28.

Earlier in the season, USC was stunned—upset at Stanford—this after being the pre-season No. 1 ranked team in college football.

But the Trojans are slowly turning their season around and will no doubt finish strong.

The Washington Huskies (3-2), however, defeated Stanford the week after the Cardinal upended USC in a big upset of their own.

So far Washington has lost twice—to No. 2 ranked Oregon and to a No. 3 ranked LSU.
Playing in Seattle can be tricky. The Huskies like to play at home where the fans are very supportive.

But you have to favor the Trojans in this one.

Pick USC to win on the road.

Game 10: [SEC] Texas A & M (22) at [WAC] Louisiana Tech (23)

Louisiana Tech (5-0) has defeated Houston, Rice, Illinois, Virginia and UNLV so far this season. They are undefeated.

The game on Saturday is a makeup game postponed from August 30 when their game with Texas A & M (4-1) was interrupted by a hurricane.

Since then the Bulldogs have been waging a storm of their own, leading the WAC even though they have not played a WAC opponent yet this season.

Texas A & M lost their opener against then No. 24 ranked Florida 20-17. Since then, the Aggies have been undefeated against SMU, South Carolina State, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

These are a couple of high-scoring teams and this one promises to offer plenty of action and plenty of touchdowns.

But you have to pick a ranked SEC team over a ranked WAC.  That is my opinion anyway.

Pick Texas A & M to win on the road.

Zultan's Week 6 Fearless Forecast: Iowa, the Big Ten & the Top 25

Oh, the humanity! Zultan came within nine points of perfection, deceived by a dyslexic tremor on the crystal ball surface causing the big Z an unfortunate number reversal.

The Ohio State Buckeyes won by one slim point while Arizona missed by three points against visitors Oregon State—at home no less.

Finally the all-seeing seer failed to unveil the final 30-second comeback win for the Longhorns—41-36 over the hapless Cowboys of Oklahoma State.

Nine points in total for the three losses.

The result was that 18 of you surpassed Fearless Zultan’s predictions for Week 5.

You will all be listed at the end of this article along with obligatory salutations and appropriate accolades.

The good news, of course, is that the Hawkeyes won, defeating the Minnesota Gophers  at homecoming in Iowa City.

Mom is humming now, baking pumpkin pies and turning cartwheels in the backyard. Iowa is off next week so there will be at least two weeks of unsullied sanity in the Zultan household.

Other than Iowa and Minnesota, the rest of the Big Ten is in action with Michigan back after their loss at Notre Dame in week 4.

Only three Big Ten teams are now ranked—Ohio State at No. 12, Nebraska at No. 21 with Northwestern moving into the No. 24 spot.

Besides the Big Ten, there are also some compelling SEC, PAC 12 and Big 12 match-ups in week 6.
If  you want another piece of the action—just make your picks and we will see whether you can outguess the Fearless One equipped with his new and improved crystal ball.

Week 6 is the next installment in Zultan’s 2012 quest for prognosticating perfection.

Game 1: [Big Ten] Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana [2-2] came close a couple of times but could not stop Northwestern [5-0] from gaining a record-breaking 704 yards of offense last Saturday as the Wildcats scooted to an early  5-0 record in 2012.
Indiana fell to 2-2 when they lost their Big Ten opener. While the Hoosiers made a big comeback in the second half, they could not overcome their 27-0 deficit.

On Saturday Indiana plays host to a surly Michigan State [3-2] team reeling from their loss at the hands of Ohio State last weekend.

The Spartans had their chances to win the game against the Buckeyes but fell short when it mattered most.

Look for Sparty to take it out on the Hoosiers.

Pick Michigan State to win on the road

Game 2: [Big Ten] Northwestern Wildcats at Penn State Nittany Lions


Northwestern [5-0] hung on to defeat the Hoosiers last Saturday against a stiff comeback in the second half by Indiana [2-2].

Defense was not the order of the day for the Hoosiers or for the Wildcats as together the two teams rolled up 1,129 yards of offense in week 5.

Defense, however, will be the order of the day when Northwestern faces Penn State [3-2] on Saturday.
Since losing their first two games the Penn State defense has tightened while the offense has gelled into a cohesive unit able to move the ball.

The Wildcats should get a reality check on Saturday in Happy Valley.

Pick Penn State to win at home.

Game 3: [Big Ten] Illinois ‘Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers

Talk about unhappy campers at Camp Randall.

After rushing to a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter in their game in Lincoln plus holding a 20-10 lead at halftime, the Wisconsin Badgers [3-2] could not score after the first three minutes in the second half.

The Nebraska [4-1] defense shut them down hard.

Meanwhile the Cornhuskers chipped away at the Badger lead eventually overtaking them in the fourth quarter with a field goal—winning 30-27 in what turned out to be a defensive struggle in the second half.

Illinois [2-3], however, will not hold back the Wisconsin offense and the Badgers will begin making up some lost ground in week 6.

Pick Wisconsin to win at home.

Game 4: [Big Ten] Michigan Wolverines at Purdue Boilermakers

The Michigan Wolverines [2-2] have had two weeks to mull over their defeat at the hands of the Fighting Irish in week 4.

Meanwhile, the Purdue Boilermakers have climbed to 3-1 in the Big Ten— also losing to Notre Dame in week 2.
Last weekend the Boilers got past the Marshall Thundering Herd in a high scoring game.

Purdue scored big in the first half but had to rely on their defense to hold Marshall back as the herd  put up 27 points to Purdue’s 9 in the second half.

This weekend Purdue plays host to Michigan in week 6 as both teams play their conference opener in West Lafayette.

Although Purdue has a better record so far, expect Michigan to wear out the Boilers defense when Denard Robinson and company take the field.

Pick Michigan to win on the road.

Game 5: [Big Ten] Nebraska Cornhuskers (21) at Ohio State Buckeyes (12)

This is the biggest of the Big Ten games in week 6.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers [4-1] have to travel to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes [5-0], each with a chance to take a big leap in the top 25 poll.

Both teams escaped last week with hard-fought victories over quality opponents. Nebraska came back to win over the Wisconsin Badgers 30-27 while Ohio State fought off the Michigan State Spartans, winning 17-16.

This Saturday Nebraska must enter the Horseshoe in Columbus where few have escaped with a victory.

This week will be no exception.

Pick Ohio State to win at home.

Game 6: [SEC]  LSU Tigers (4) at  Florida Gators (10)

Both of these SEC teams are unbeaten and both ranked in the top ten.
Everybody expected LSU [5-0] to be good but Florida [4-0] has been a surprise.

LSU started out the year as everyone’s favorite, it seemed, but they continue to drop—even though the Tigers have not yet lost.

It is all a matter of scale.

The goal of college football has become more than winning—now you must dominate opponents.

This imperfect status will remain in effect until the SEC begins taking a toll on itself.

The carnage begins on Saturday with this contest.

It should be one of the best games on Saturday.

Pick LSU to win on the road.

Game 7: [PAC 12] Washington Huskies (23) at Oregon Ducks (2)

This is a crazy year in the PAC 12.

Two weeks ago the Washington Huskies [3-1] were upended by No. 3 LSU 41-3 in Louisiana. Last week, the Huskies dispatched No. 8 Stanford 17-13 in Seattle.

This Washington team has immense capabilities but the Huskies do not apply their gridiron prowess consistently.

This week the Huskies must travel to Oregon [5-0], playing in Autzen Stadium in Eugene.

No one should expect the Huskies to win against the Ducks playing at home because no one does.

Oregon has not lost so far in 2012. They have climbed to the No. 2 spot in the polls, trailing Alabama.
While the Ducks have some rough games ahead, this will not rank as one of those.

Expect the Ducks to dominate at home, defeating the Washington Huskies.

Game 8: [Big 12] West Virginia (8) at Texas Longhorns (11)

You have to wonder if Texas [4-0] has a surprise in store for the transplanted Mountaineers—greenhorn interlopers on the Texas landscape.

It is true that West Virginia [4-0] held back the late-charging Baylor Bears 70-63 in week 5. Baylor was only outscored by the Mountaineers in the third quarter.

This while Texas was visiting in Stillwater working to demolish the roadblocks the Cowboys tried to throw in their way.

While Oklahoma State gained more yards, Texas won the war scoring more points.

This will be a big game. But, in the final analysis, David Ash is no Geno Smith—at least not yet.
Pick West Virginia to win on the road.  

Game 9: [ACC] Miami Hurricanes at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9)

So far Notre Dame [4-0], in addition to defeating Navy, has had their way with the Big Ten— defeating Purdue, Michigan State, and Michigan—all of which has propelled the Fighting Irish into the top 10.

You have to wonder about the validity of Notre Dame's ranking at this point.

This coming weekend, Notre Dame welcomes the ACC's Miami Hurricanes [4-1] to South Bend to sample the special Irish brand of football.

Miami has secured wins over Boston College, Bethune-Cookman, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State with one loss to Kansas State out of the Big 12.

Is it enough? No.

Pick the Irish to win at home over the Miami Hurricanes.

Game 10: [SEC] Georgia Bulldogs(5)  at South Carolina Gamecocks (6)

To date Georgia [5-0] has defeated Buffalo, Florida Atlantic, Vanderbilt and Tennessee at home and Missouri on the road. Only Missouri [3-2] and Tennessee [3-2] have winning records.
South Carolina [5-0], on the other hand, has defeated Vanderbilt, East Carolina, UAB, Missouri and Kentucky with the same Missouri and East Carolina holding winning records, each at 3-2.

Therefore, you can conclude that their spots in the top ten are based on reputation and consistency in winning games they should be winning—that plus the fact that they both play in the SEC.

The game will be played in Columbia at Williams-Brice Stadium giving the Gamecocks home field advantage.

Pick South Carolina to win at home.

The Other Less Famous Prognosticators:

There were 18 who out-guessed the illustrious all-seeing seer last week.

Bow down before them.

Three had a perfect outing. Nine missed one and five missed two.
Zultan ended week 5 at 7-3.

Here are the more than competent 18.

10-0

Mark DeKalb – Davenport, IA
Kenneth Zuerner – Redmond, WA
Todd Melvin – Burlington, IA

9-1

John Carlson – Ottertail, MN
Kent Christen – Shiloh, IL
Lenny Cossman, Jr., - Parkersburg, WV
Jeff Coffey – Columbus, OH
Kenton Gleichman – West Des Moines, IA
Steve Mullen – Cedar Rapids, IA
Dean Pfeifer – Wolfboro, NH
John Snyder – Huntington Beach, CA
Keverly Swantz – Kalona, IA

8-2

Jack Fraenkel – San Francisco, CA
Jim “Boulder Hawk” Greer – Boulder, CO
Ken Ripp – Eau Claire, WI
Darrel Rohrer – Hebron, OH
Mike Suntken – Wakefield, MA
Skipper Woodham – Atlanta, GA

Join in the fun this coming week!

Mighty Zultan Predicts Winners in the 2011-2012 College Football Bowl Bonanza

Zultan is back by popular demand to make his annual bowl predictions after ending his 2011 prognosticating season in spectacular fashion—almost perfect in week 13.

No one did better than Zultan who went 9-1 during the final regular season weekend. Admittedly, there were a couple who tied the All-Seeing Seer—pure luck on their part.

The Big Z’s only loss came as Nebraska skinned the Iowa Hawkeyes, stomping the sinew out the seemingly lifeless birds.

Ah, well—time to look forward to the 2011 post season bowl games in all their stupefyingly meaningless splendor.

As Zultan surveyed the Big Ten and the other BCS and post New Year’s Day’s Bowl, this much was obvious—the only game that really means anything is the one on January 9 between LSU and Alabama. Yet even that one is not a perfect match-up in many people’s eyes.

But the hoopla is worth the price of entry. So join in the fun and click here. Make your own selections and see if you can top Zultan as he makes his Bowl Bonanza picks for selected bowl games.

This will be the last time you see the Mighty Zultan until the 2012 season rolls around again.


Dec. 27 Little Caesars: Western Michigan (MAC) vs. Purdue (Big Ten)

Purdue (6-6) made it back into post-season play for the first time since 2007 after overcoming Indiana in the Boilers last regular season game. The win over the Hoosiers made Purdue bowl eligible. While the December 27 bowl date may have saved Danny Hope’s job, a win in Detroit would secure that permanent step up—out of the Big Ten cellar for Purdue.

Who wants to go to Detroit in December? The Boilers are mighty happy to be there. Once there, Purdue will have to work very hard to contain the passing attack of Western Michigan (7-5). Passing is the Broncos’ game. Therefore, Purdue’s only chance at winning this bowl game hinges on the Boilers’ secondary.

Pick Purdue.




Dec. 30 Insight: Oklahoma (Big 12) vs. Iowa (Big Ten)

Mom went into anaphylactic shock upon hearing that her beloved Iowa Hawkeyes would be playing the Oklahoma Sooners in the Insight Bowl!

What about Missouri or Texas?” she wailed. “They would have been better choices!”

Regardless, like all Hawkeye fans, she has now convinced herself that Iowa can win the game. Iowa over Oklahoma?

The Sooners were pre-season favorites to be fighting for the National Championship on January 9. They remain one of  the premiere teams  in the country. Despite the warm and fuzzy feelings Iowa fans have for Bobby Stoops, the former Hawkeye will not relent once the game is underway.

Stoops will have his Sooners ready to stomp in the Insight Bowl. After the dust has settled, Mom will suffer through a very long off-season.  Sorry Mom.

Pick Oklahoma.



Dec. 31 Meineke Texas: Northwestern (Big Ten) vs. Texas A&M (Big 12)

This is a tough one. A&M looked to be in great shape. But the Aggies lost a couple of tough games in overtime and ended the season losing four of their last five games. All of A&M’s losses were to to ranked teams, except their overtime loss to Missouri.

Still, in their infinite wisdom, A&M fired coach Mike Sherman. Both teams field exciting quarterbacks with Ryan Tannehill leading the Aggies while Dan Persa occupies the pocket for the Northwestern Wildcats.

Sporting identical records with often ineffective defenses, the real question becomes—how will A&M do without Sherman? This one is being played in Texas. Northwestern will have it together better.


Pick Northwestern



Dec. 31 Kraft Fight Hunger: UCLA (Pac-12) vs. Illinois (Big Ten)

Talk about mirror images.  Here you have two teams with high profile coaches recently fired by their respective universities. UCLA gave Rick Neuheisel his walking papers while Ron Zook finally got the ax in Illinois.

Illinois started the year winning their first six games and ended the year losing their last six. It was a misfired rocket shot that climbed halfway, then plummeted to the earth caught in an inescapable death spiral. Illinois has already hired their new coach who will find some real talent on this team. UCLA is in deeper distress with less talent and less hope.

Pick Illinois



Jan. 2 TicketCity: Penn State (Big Ten) vs. Houston (C-USA)

Who could have believed the off-field destruction of a football team, a coaching legend and a major university in such a short time. Penn State had scratched their way to the top of the Big Ten Leaders Division, thanks to the off-season collapse of Ohio State and a stiff defense—when the Sandusky scandal blew the team out of the water.

Penn State should be no match for the high flying Houston team led by premiere quarterback Case Keenum. Houston had their eye on a much bigger prized than this bowl: but, the Cougars let up and lost their C-USA championship game. Will their hearts be into winning this one? Can Penn State get up off the floor to win this one? No, probably not.

Pick Houston



Jan. 2 Capital One: South Carolina (SEC) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten)

Ah, a Big Ten vs. SEC matchup—the unbeatable conference against the unable-to-win conference from America’s heartland. But Nebraska is new to the Big Ten and the Huskers have something to prove after their lackluster performance last year against Washington in San Diego.

The Gamecocks have had a great season, going 10-2, including a win over then ranked No. 17 Clemson. But this one will turn on the offensive running skills of Rex Burkhead and quarterback Taylor Martinez. South Carolina and Steve Spurrier do not do “bowls” well and this one will be no exception.

Pick Nebraska



Jan. 2 Outback: Michigan State (Big Ten) vs. Georgia (SEC)

At least, Michigan State does not have to play Alabama.  Instead, they face the Georgia Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl—again, an SEC team—but certainly no Alabama. Michigan State lost the inaugural Big Ten Championship game to Wisconsin, who moves on to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row.

Georgia, on the other hand, faced LSU for the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs played well for the first half but LSU wore them down and out. Essentially, Michigan State has more to prove in this game and more impetus to win it. The Spartans never get the respect they deserve and they will not quit until they are accorded the BCS red carpet.  Georgia had a yeoman-like season but they will not overcome the Spartans in the end.

Pick Michigan State 



Jan. 2 Gator: Ohio State (Big Ten) vs. Florida (SEC)

Ohio State, usually battling to get into the BCS Championship game, was busy this year battling just to become bowl eligible. Both high profile teams from Columbus and Gainesville went 6-6 in a 50/50 sort of year.
2011 was a transition year—it turns out from Urban Meyer to Will Muschamp and then from Jim Tressel to Urban Meyer when the former Floridan coach was hired to take over the reins for the Buckeyes. Pundits love this kind of sledgehammer irony.

Ohio State almost got their foot loose from the muck and mire when they moved Braxton Miller to their starting quarterback but the Buckeye inconsistency kept them in the middle of the Big Ten pack.

Muschamp, even with the help of Charlie Weis, could not get the Florida offense on track. There is nothing really to separate these two teams. Ohio State probably has more talent but Florida more focus.

Pick Ohio State



Jan. 2 Fiesta: Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. Stanford (PAC 12)

Oklahoma State could still finish No. 2 even being denied the privilege of playing in the BCS Championship game. If LSU beats Alabama again then the Crimson Tide will fall in the final polls and Oklahoma State will rise—assuming, of course, that the Cowboys can stop Stanford.

The same argument might apply to Stanford—although the PAC 12 was considerably weaker than the Big 12 this year. Stanford brings Andrew Luck, probably the best quarterback in college football, who only has to get by a Cowboy defense that ranks 100th in the nation against a passing attack. It could be one of Luck’s best bowls ever.

The Cardinal defense, on the other hand, must find a way to stifle the team with second highest scoring offense this season. There is just no way to stop the Cowboys from reaching the end zone unless you are Iowa State. It should be the best bowl game of the lot.

Pick Oklahoma State.



Jan. 2 Rose: Wisconsin (Big Ten) vs. Oregon (Pac-12)

Wisconsin finds themselves in the Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year. Last year the Badgers lost to TCU. This year Wisconsin has their hearts and minds set on winning the title. But to do so, the Badgers must get by Oregon. That is no easy task. The speed of Oregon is unlike anything the Badgers have faced this year and we all know that "speed kills."

This could prove to be an epic foot race as Badger Montee Ball and Duck LaMichael James try to out gain each other for yardage on the day. Wisconsin won the first Big Ten title game against Michigan State while Oregon State defeated UCLA for the PAC 12 championship. Both teams hoped for more but two losses doomed them to the “also ran” status for the BCS Championship game.  The Ducks will prevail in Pasadena.

Pick Oregon.



Jan. 3 Sugar: Michigan (Big Ten) vs. Virginia Tech (ACC)

One of the reasons that Michigan is playing in a BCS Bowl game is that the Wolverines are the luckiest team in college football, going 10-2. They played only four road games, losing at Iowa and at Michigan State but defeating both Northwestern and Illinois on the road. Otherwise the boys in blue got to stay home.

The schedule was to their advantage. True, Michigan’s defense has improved exponentially over last year and their offense is definitely more balanced. The true workhorse, however, is the quarterback Denard Robinson and he continues to be the reason Michigan wins. Now they get to play the ACC runner-up in the Sugar Bowl, mind you. The ACC is one of the weakest of the major conferences in the nation and Michigan only has to defeat their No. 2.

Pick Michigan

Jan. 4 Orange: Clemson (ACC) vs. West Virginia (Big East)

The Orange Bowl hosts the winners of the ACC, Clemson (10-3, 6-2)) against the winners of the Big East, West Virginia (9-3, 5-2). It marks the first time in 30 years that the Tigers have appeared in the Orange Bowl and their fans are loving it.

Suffering through growing pains, Clemson stumbled a couple of times during the season after winning eight straight—but righted themselves at the end of year defeating Virginia Tech for the conference title.

The Tigers are led by quarterback Tajh Boyd while Geno Smith leads the Mountaineer attack. West Virginia offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will, without doubt, have the Mountaineers ready to roll on January 4. But expect Clemson to be ready with their own explosive offense.

Pick Clemson.



Jan. 6 Cotton: Kansas State (Big 12 ) vs. Arkansas (SEC)

The last time Kansas State (10-2) faced Arkansas (10-2) on the gridiron was 1967—a few decades ago. Today, Arkansas continues to play their “also-ran” role behind the SEC curtain as backup to LSU and Alabama.

Kansas State, in the meantime, almost managed to upstage the more prestigious stars, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the Big 12. Losing twice to the Oklahoma teams, however, Kansas State failed to overtake Oklahoma State and ended up in second place in the conference.

Still the Cotton Bowl has been a good venue for the Wildcats but has never been a good environment for the Razorbacks who have compiled a 3-7-1 all-time record there. Will this year give the Hogs another win? Yes.

Pick Arkansas.



Jan. 9 BCS national championship: LSU (SEC) vs. Alabama (SEC)

Five field goals and a cloud of rust—so much for the BCS finale, Part 2 of the SEC Championship. Everyone says these are the two best teams in the country but will they say that after the game is over and if they do, who cares?

Zultan remains disappointed that all we get after a whole meaningless season is a replay of the LSU vs Alabama game. Ah well...when you have a imperfect system, you get imperfect results.

It would have been great to see how the Big 12 best did against the SEC best. Most agree these are the two top conferences in the nation. These are the two winners of their respective conference titles. Zultan agrees with Lou Holtz who said that in order to play for the national championship, you, at least, had to win your conference championship title.

Pick LSU


It has been a great season for Zultan, another inspiring performance by college football's best prognosticator. See you in 2012!

Zultan's Fearless College Football Predictions: Week 13

Chaos reigned over college football this past weekend as top-ranked and favored teams crashed and burned on surreal Saturday. Yet, in the midst of such upheaval, a pattern emerged. All of the “O” teams lost, as in Oh, No—not Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Ohio State—all losers in week 12.

This scenario would have revealed itself early if Zultan’s Mom had not dropped-kicked his crystal ball into the Iowa River after the Hawkeyes lost to Minnesota in week nine. The subtle floating clue remained hidden since the Big Z had no crystal ball to gaze into, granting him gridiron visions of the future. 

As it turned out, none of you detected this slight tilt in the prognosticating wheel of fortune either because not one of you out-guessed the all-seeing seer in week 12. Zultan went 7-3 and no one who entered the contest did better.  

Unfortunately for all of you, this is Zultan’s last regular season forecast—so make sure you click here to enter your guesses in dreaded and decidedly wicked week 13. Zultan shudders at the prospect of selecting winners in such a cursed week.  

This is your very last chance to better the Mighty Zultan in 2011—so take a spin.

Week 13 this marks the end of the schedule for several conferences. Now teams scurry to become bowl eligible—which forces respective athletic directors to sit by the phone, praying for a call from the selection committee inviting their team to the “bowl.”  

Zultan expects his fans will demand a special “bowl selection” prognostication from the all-seeing seer—which he will do if demand is high enough.  Let Zultan hear from you if you wish to challenge him in picking the winners of the ten biggest bowl games!

Game 1: Iowa Hawkeyes at (21) Nebraska Cornhuskers [Friday]

Well here it is at long last. Iowa (7-4, 4-3) must travel into desolate Lincoln Land to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3). This game has loomed large on the Hawkeye horizon even before the season began. The Iowa-Nebraska Big Ten border battle begins—this time west of the rambling Missouri River.

For 2011, the Cornhuskers are shucked and settled in the corn bin, awaiting spring and another season. Nebraska lost to Michigan last weekend, after squeaking by a demoralized Penn State Squad the weekend before. Plus, the Cornhuskers gave away a home game to the Northwestern Wildcats in week ten. Iowa, of course, is not faring much better, losing to pesky Iowa State, Penn State and Minnesota on the road and to a determined Michigan State squad at home on senior day. 

But this will be a battle to the death - right, Mom?  Mom agrees and decrees that Iowa will win.

Pick Iowa to win on the road.

Game 2: (3) Arkansas Razorbacks at (1) LSU Tigers [Friday]

What is there to say about this game except that it is critically important in determining the SEC Champion as well as who will play in the BCS title game on January 9 in New Orleans?  Who will win between these two top-five ranked teams? Arkansas (10-1, 6-1) has lost only to then No. 3-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

This Razorback team looks even better than the Arkansas team of a year ago. The Hogs, however, play the LSU Tigers (11-0, 7-0) who are ranked No. 1 and remain undefeated. It is hard to bet against LSU, especially with Arkansas once again on the road.

Pick LSU to win at home.

Game 3: (8) Houston Cougars at Tulsa Golden Hurricane [Friday]

Who are these red-hot Houston Cougars who have risen into the BCS top ten?  Yes, they are undefeated, standing (11-0, 7-0) in Conference USA play. But, really—the only team of note Houston has played and defeated this year is UCLA 38-34 in the first game of the season.

The Cougars are led by their star quarterback Case Keenum who has accumulated Heisman-like numbers in this 2011 season. Houston is playing for perfection against the unheralded Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8-3, 7-0). Zultan thinks Tulsa, even as a force of nature, will not be able to blow the Cougars down.

Pick Houston to win on the road.

Game 4: (14) Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats [Saturday]

If I were Michigan State (9-2, 6-1), I would be very worried about this game. After being declared the winner of the Legends Division and a lock to play for the first Big Ten Divisional Championship game, it would be a disaster to take this Northwestern team (6-5, 3-4) for granted. Just ask Nebraska.

The Wildcats still have sharp teeth and they can rip a complacent defense apart. The Spartans need to continue winning to increase their chances of placing big when it comes to post-season play. Zultan sees a “Rose” in their future. Northwestern, on the other hand, could really increase their attractiveness by winning this game against Michigan State.  

Pick Michigan State to win on the road.

Game 5: Ohio State Buckeyes at (15) Michigan Wolverines [Saturday]

This is what Michigan (9-2, 5-2) has lived for since Lloyd Carr retired in 2007—redemption and a win against perennial rival Ohio State (6-5, 3-4). The last time Michigan won a game against Ohio State was in 2003 in Ann Arbor. 

This year Brady Hoke has engineered magic with the Michigan squad by keeping the defense humming once again—a hallmark of great Wolverine football. Ohio State, reeling and trying to regain their equilibrium after the Tressel-scandal, is improving. The Buckeyes, however, will not be ready to stop the Denard Robinson-led Michigan offense.  

Pick Michigan to win at home.

Game 6: Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers [Saturday]

One more win for Purdue (5-6, 3-4) will make the Boilermakers bowl eligible—but Purdue waited until the last regular season game before this urgency seemed to set it. While Indiana (1-10, 0-7) is “the doormat” of the Big Ten in 2011, the Hoosiers have shown some spark on offense—enough so to make some of their opponents sweat a bit before clamping down.

The Boilermakers must go to Indiana to win their shot at post-season play and Purdue has not won on the road this year. Admittedly, Purdue has the better all-around team compared to the Hoosiers but will the good Purdue show up on Saturday?  

Pick Purdue to win on the road.

Game 7: Illinois Fighting Illini at Minnesota Gophers [Saturday]

Zultan predicts that Ron Zook will be history after this season—most assuredly if the Fighting Illini (6-5, 2-5) lose their final game on the road to Minnesota (2-9, 1-6). The Golden Gophers will be seeking to equal their win-loss record of 2010 by getting at least three wins. Jerry Kill has his team on the right path, attacking and believing.

You have to like the Gophers chances of winning this last home game of the season. Illinois, who began the year winning six games, will end the year losing six consecutive games. This is a good Illinois squad with lots of talent. They should be winning. Their losses must be blamed, therefore, on a lack of direction—of good, solid coaching.  

Pick Minnesota to win at home.

Game 8: (19) Penn State Nittany Lions at (16) Wisconsin Badgers (Saturday]

This game will determine which Leaders Division team will play Michigan State for the Big Ten Championship game. Penn State (9-2, 6-1) made that possible by defeating Ohio State in Columbus last Saturday. The Nittany Lions have not won in Ohio very often. The last two times were 1978 and 2008. Ohio State is not a very generous host when it comes to giving up games to opponents. 

This coming weekend, however, Penn State must travel to Camp Randall to face the Wisconsin Badgers (9-2, 5-2). The winner will move on to Indianapolis to play Michigan State on December 3 for the inaugural Big Ten Championship. The Nittany Lions showed real aggression, moving the ball while employing their typical stingy defense. But, the Lions will not be able to overcome the Badgers.

Pick Wisconsin to win at home.

Game 9: (2) Alabama Crimson Tide at (24) Auburn Tigers [Saturday]

Another SEC barnburner will be played on Saturday as the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1, 6-1) visit Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn to play the Tigers (7-4, 4-3). Gene Chizik’s Auburn team is hardly the same team that won the national championship in 2010. Auburn, however, is playing decently, perhaps better than most expected after the loss of legendary Cam Newton at quarterback.

Still this Tiger team will be no match for the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday.  Alabama is trying desperately to work their way back into the conversation about playing LSU again in the BCS title game on January 9 in New Orleans. They cannot afford to lose to Auburn at this year’s Iron Bowl.

Pick Alabama to win on the road.

Game 10: (17) Clemson Tigers at (12) South Carolina Gamecocks [Saturday]

No other team reflects the mindset of college football in 2011 more than the Clemson Tigers (9-2, 6-2) whose recent losses seem without merit—unpredictable and unexplainable. This once-top-ten-team flew high for an extended time, then hit a brick wall. First Clemson was 8-0 before they gave up the ghost against Georgia Tech—a team Clemson should have beaten.

The Tigers seemed to right themselves but then flew into another wall against North Carolina State last weekend. The Wolfpack had not defeated this Clemson team in seven years.  Let us just admit that Clemson did not focus on NC State, with their minds focused perhaps on this week’s contest against instate rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2, 6-2). Although Clemson leads in this perennial slugfest, South Carolina has won the last two encounters. It is one nasty rivalry.  

Pick South Carolina to win at home.

The Results from Week 12

No one did better than Zultan this past week. It marks the first time all season that the all-seeing one reigned supreme. Of course, admittedly, Zultan had some problems during the year, specifically, when he lost his crystal ball.

The 2011 season has been very challenging—not a remarkable one for the Big Ten—in fact, rather a down year on and off the field for the esteemed conference. The SEC did predictably well again. As the conferences all realign, expect a whole new world in college football in 2012. 

Until then, may the force improve your prognosticating abilities. Enroll in Zultan’s Forecasting Academy for six weeks of intense meditation training. You, too, can become the greatest college football prognosticator living outside of Iowa. 

Sayonara, gridiron gurus....