Tag: Eddie Timanus

Notre Dame-South Carolina rated highly according to ‘bowl watchability’

Fair ranking?

The Gator Bowl between Notre Dame and South Carolina will be interesting to watch for a variety of reasons. Irish fans will want to see how their team functions without [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag] or [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag]. Gamecocks fans will be interested in whether their team can finish its season by winning four of its last five. For everyone else, this bowl ranks eighth on the watchability list, at least according to Eddie Timanus of USA TODAY:

“Clemson fans can be forgiven if they give this one a pass, but for the rest of the country, this clash of spoilers should be of interest. There is also bust potential either way, however, as neither team was especially consistent this season. The Gamecocks were red-hot over the last month, but the Notre Dame defense should give QB Spencer Rattler a challenge. Fighting Irish QB Drew Pyne is transferring out, so a ground-and-pound approach seems likely.”

The important thing for the Irish will be if Marcus Freeman can finish his first full season at the helm strong. Also, perhaps there will be a preview of 2023 in the form of an unlikely star beginning to emerge. Regardless, this game is not perceived as boring, at least not compared to most other bowls.

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MSU vs. Ohio State considered one of this week’s most impactful games in College Football Playoff race

Could Michigan State shake up the College Football Playoff this weekend?

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Could Michigan State shake up the College Football Playoff this weekend? A win over No. 4 Ohio State could certainly do that, making it one of Eddie Timanus’ CFP impact games of the week.

Timanus, who writes for USA TODAY, included MSU vs. Ohio State as one of his marquee games this week in his recent article titled College Football Playoff games of impact for Week 14. Here’s part of what Timanus had to say about the Spartans-Buckeyes match-up this Saturday:

“Now that the Buckeyes have been able to resume football activities, they’ll be heavily favored as they return to action. The Spartans, who just knocked off one undefeated division leader in Northwestern, will look to produce another shocker.”

Click here to read all of what Timanus’ wrote about this match-up and other playoff-impacting games this weekend.

MSU enters this match-up as a more than three-touchdown underdog, so it’ll certainly take a great effort from the Spartans to pick-up yet another upset.

Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 12 p.m. EST on Saturday. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.

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Gators at Aggies has College Football Playoff implications

Saturday’s game in Texas is one of five that will have a significant effect on how the CFP landscape looks at the end of Week 6.

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This weekend features a few contests with significant implications for the College Football Playoff, with the third-ranked Florida Gators’ game against the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies among one of the most important matchups played on Saturday.

According to USA TODAY Sports’ college poll editor Eddie Timanus, the game in College Station is among five major matchups fans should keep an eye on this weekend. Here is what he had to say about the Gator game.

Florida has handled its first two challenges by putting up big scores. They now make the long road trip to College Station, where the Aggies are in need of a signature performance to keep their waning hopes of competing for the league crown alive.

Gators QB Kyle Trask has played like the veteran he is, and TE Kyle Pitts, all but uncoverable at times, may have already locked up the John Mackey Award. If Buddy Johnson and the A&M LB unit devote too much energy to Pitts, Florida RB Dameon Pierce could take advantage. Texas A&M was hanging with Alabama for a while before a critical pick-6 in the second quarter. QB Kellen Mond is an experienced starter who should bounce back, but his offense as a whole has not been explosive. LB Ventrell Miller and the Gators’ back seven will look to keep it that way.

The other games with results that will shape the CPF landscape are No. 7 Miami (Fla.) at No. 1 Clemson, No. 12 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama at Mississippi and No. 18 Virginia Tech at No. 9 North Carolina. It is going to be one heck of a weekend for college football.

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Florida vs Ole Miss leads off impact games to watch on Week 4

The big day is nearly upon us as the SEC gets geared up to start its 2020 conference-only football schedule including three key matchups.

The big day is nearly upon us as the Southeastern Conference gets geared up to start its 2020 conference-only football schedule this Saturday, which includes three key league matchups among the many games being played.

USA TODAY Sports’ college poll editor Eddie Timanus took a look at the five biggest matchups this weekend, including the three from the SEC: the No. 6 Florida Gators at Ole Miss Rebels, the Kentucky Wildcats at No. 8 Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 5 LSU Tigers.

Here is what Timanus had to say about the Gators’ game in Oxford, Miss., this Saturday.

Noon ET, ESPN

We’ll start with the Gators, who hope to overtake Georgia in the East Division, hitting the road to Oxford for Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss debut.

The QB competition for the Rebels remained the subject of speculation as game week arrived, and the depth chart Kiffin released Monday shed little light on the situation. It is likely that strong-armed Matt Corral and speedster John Rhys Plumlee will both take snaps in the game, so DT Kyree Campbell and the Florida defense will be prepared for either. QB Kyle Trask is back to direct the Gators’ offense. His arsenal includes standout TE Kyle Pitts, who will command attention from Jacquez Jones and the Ole Miss LB corps.

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Gators News: September 18, 2020

We are about to enter the last weekend without SEC football as the Gators and their peers gear up to start the season on Sept. 26.

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Thank goodness it is Friday! We are about to enter the last weekend without Southeastern Conference football as the Gators and their peers gear up to start the season on Sept. 26. In the meantime, there is plenty of gridiron action to hold us over.

The top story today is the bold predictions for Week 3 offered by the writers at USA TODAY Sports. Shocking disappointments and better-than-expected performances are anticipated each weekend in wild world of college football.

Eddie Timanus, also at USA TODAY Sports, takes a look at the Week 3 games that will impact the College Football Playoff. Yes, we’re all well aware that this whole thing could come crashing down thanks to this pesky virus. But for now, let’s make the most of what we have.

Here is the latest from the Gator Nation.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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USA TODAY Sports releases preseason 2020 college football predictions

While most of the staff picked Alabama or Georgia to win the league title, USA TODAY Sports staff writer Eddie Timanus chose Florida.

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The Power Five officially kicked off its 2020 season last night as Miami beat UAB at Hard Rock Stadium, but everyone else in the ACC and Big 12 has to wait until Saturday get their seasons underway.

In anticipation of the first weekend of major college football, USA TODAY Sports released its predictions for the season. Several of their writers like the Gators’ chances to win the SEC, or at the very least make the College Football Playoff in addition to the SEC champion.

While most of the staff picked Alabama or Georgia to win the league title, writer Eddie Timanus chose Florida.

SEC: Florida – Ah, now this one’s a bit of a flyer. But the Gators look poised to overtake Georgia in the East, and that air of inevitability from Alabama has taken a hit.

Timanus was the only one that picked UF to win the conference, but others had it in the College Football Playoff field.

Digital Producer Jace Evans predicted an Alabama victory in the SEC Championship, with Florida making the CFP as the second team from the SEC. Columnist Dan Wolken did the same.

Jace Evans: Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida.

The three Power Five conferences that are playing this fall will get their champs in the Playoff. But what about the fourth position? Since we’ve already seen the committee pick two SEC teams in a normal year, I feel like they will have no hesitation doing so again.

Eddie Timanus: Clemson, Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama – There’s been some speculation that this might be the year the American champ – or maybe even another contender from the Group of Five – cracks the playoff field with the Big Ten and Pac-12 out of the picture and the SEC beating itself up with its conference-only approach. The bet here, though, is there will still be a pair from the mighty SEC. Sorry.

Dan Wolken: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame.

All of the writers picked either Clemson or Alabama to win the national title, and their Heisman pick was unanimously Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

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