As the college football season is winding down, the National Championship and Heisman races are heating up. This is around the time of year where analysts for sports programming stations reverse field and change their picks for awards and recognition. Once in a blue moon, however, there are analysts who happen to pick these correctly. The only one that comes to mind this year, though, is ex-coach Lou Holtz, and the only fathomable reason he is remotely close to picking correctly is because he is forever indebted to The University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame was not even ranked upon entering the 2012-2013 season, but as of this weekend, they punched a ticket into the BCS National Championship game and hold the number one ranking in each of the major polls. In the entire world of college football, only one man, Lou Holtz, picked them to be in the big NC, and that is only because he is faithful to the program. This being said, let's review this season's biggest Sleepers and Sliders.
Biggest Slider - The University of Southern California
USC came into the season loaded on both sides of the ball. They acquired Silas Redd, an all Big 10 running back who transferred from Penn State after the Sandusky debacle. Head Coach Lane Kiffin had already promised a Pac-12 Championship and national title game birth before labor day, and Heisman Trophy dark horse Matt Barkley had already punched his ticket to the NFL Draft with hopes of being the number one pick. Their receiving core and defensive line could potentially all be drafted within the top 3 rounds of the Draft in April. They are the USC of old.
In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend." USC sprinted out of the gate to a 2-0 start, having no trouble with their first two opponents. Palo Alto, home of the Stanford Cardinal, does weird things to people in September, though. The then-number-one Trojans were upset by the Cardinal 21-14. They rebounded nicely, however, winning four straight. Then the nightmare set in. The Trojans are 1-4 in their last 5 games, winning over only an unranked Arizona State team, while being beaten by Arizona, as well as rivals Notre Dame, UCLA, and Oregon. They finished the regular season at 7-5, and will likely receive a pity invite to a no-name bowl game in mid-December.
Biggest Sleeper - Notre Dame AND Kansas State
I have two sleepers on my list. The first, Notre Dame, is an easy choice. The Irish were unranked coming into the season and did not fare well in Brian Kelly's first year at the program. What most fans and analysts overlooked, however, was their returning core of starters, as well as their do-it-all sophomore quarterback, Everett Golson and Heisman hopeful senior linebacker Manti Te'o. They have had a rocky road, however, while stringing off twelve straight victories. They have had quite a few nailbiters, including three point victories over Stanford (in OT), BYU, Purdue, and Michigan State (in triple OT). They have earned their way to the top, no analyst can argue that. However, many wonder how much longer this miraculous run can last. We will all have to wait until the BCS National Championship game for the final verdict.
My second sleeper is Kansas State University. Prior to the Bill Snyder Era in Manhattan, Kansas, the Wildcats were one of the most dismal programs in the nation. While still not represented in the elites of the nation, Snyder and his staff have turned Kansas State into a respected program. The Wildcats rely on junior college transfers and the progression of incoming freshmen to maintain their success. They will not turn in outstanding recruiting classes, but by the time players are seniors, they are more than ready to perform on the field. The Wildcats have turned in an impressive 10-1 record and look to finish out the season with a W against Texas. If the Wildcats emerge victorious, they will earn a trip to the Fiesta Bowl, a prime time BCS bowl game.
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