Predictions Recap - Week 8

Let's check how I fared in my predictions for the LSU game.

Prediction I
Auburn will have trouble passing, especially to the outside receivers. Catches will be few and far between for Adams and Zachery.

Your leading receivers for the game (by receptions):
Lutzenkirchen(7) Fannin(5) Blake(3)

Wrong
Your actual leading receivers:
Zachery(4) Adams(2) McCalebb(1)

I thought that Auburn would have to pass a lot more in this game than they have in the past, because LSU would shut down the run game. Um, yeah. That didn't happen. I also thought the LSU corners would lock down the outside receivers, forcing Auburn to get their yards a little at a time through their non-conventional receivers, but I underestimated Mr. Adams and Mr. Zachery. It won't happen again.


Your leading rushers for the game (by attempts):
Newton(27) Fannin(11) Dyer(9)

Wrong
Your actual leading rushers:
Newton(29) Dyer(15) McCalebb(4)

I was pretty close on the number of carries for Newton, but if I had predicted his rushing yards, I would've been off by about 100. Mike Dyer's knee was in better shape than I thought it would be; Mario's fumblitis was worse.

Prediction II
Jordan Jefferson will start at QB for LSU, but will only see the field sparingly after the third drive and not at all after an early third quarter interception. Jarrett Lee will see more success, throwing for 176 yards.

Wrong
I assumed Les Miles would try to take advantage of Auburn's glaring weakness in the secondary and that Jarrett Lee would be the better quarterback to perform that task. Auburn has a way of making mediocre quarterbacks look like studs. Instead, Miles opted to run the clock and play the field position game. Jefferson and Lee were actually about as even as you can get, stat-wise, but neither were all that effective the few times they were asked to pass. I didn't foresee LSU's best passer being a running back.

Prediction III
Verne and Gary are slowly getting over the loss of the much beloved Tim Tebow with the presence of a new hero in Cam Newton. Tebow name mentions will drop to a meager count of 4 in this broadcast.

Right?
I wasn't paying attention to this one very well, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I only counted 4 or 5 Tebow mentions. Most of them came as Verne and Gary were watching Cam inch closer to and eventually overtake Jimmy Sidle's rushing QB record.


Prediction IV
The last points will be scored with 7:48 left in the game. It will be a short run from Newton after an LSU turnover (with a Wes Byrum extra point, of course).

Close-ish
I was right in the fact that the game wouldn't be won at the last second, but I was wrong about how the points were scored. A short Newton dive vs. a 70 yard McCalebb run. Call it even? At least I nailed the Wes Byrum extra point portion of the prediction.

Prediction V
CBS will miss 2 Auburn snaps due to either a graphic blocking the screen, a promo for the latest CBS show that nobody watches, or the director lingering on a shot of this guy.

Wrong
CBS was ready for this one. Whenever the camera was away from the field during an Auburn drive, they had the picture-in-picture ready to make sure they were never late getting back to the action. They did miss one LSU snap, but as far as I noticed, none of Auburn's. We did get one shot of the back of our favorite fan's head, though.

Final Score
Auburn 28
LSU 17

Damn Close
Actual Final Score:
Auburn 24
LSU 17

It's the difference in a one possession game and a two possession game, but still, you can't get much closer than this.

Results
I was dead wrong on a couple of predictions, and fairly close on a couple. Overall, I did about as well as I was expecting. I'll throw out five brand new predictions before this week's game against Ole Miss. Let's see if I can get a few more close calls this time.