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Rose Bowl

Contenders to potentially play in the 2015 Rose Bowl

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After a wild week in college football, the Associated Press Top 25 has a drastically new look this week, with several major college football playoff contenders suffering losses. In one of the most memorable weeks in college football history, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma, Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins and Texas A & M all suffered losses, greatly impacting the outlook for the inaugural college football playoff. This season the Rose Bowl in Pasadena will hold one of the two college football semifinal games.

Here’s a look at the top contenders to potentially play in the Rose Bowl after the major upsets of the past week:

Florida State: The defending national champions take over the top spot in the AP poll and if they can go undefeated, should be a shoo-in for the national semifinals. Although the Seminoles have been undefeated, they haven’t been as impressive as a year ago. Two weeks ago the FSU gave up 41 points to North Carolina State, the second time they’ve given up over thirty points this season. The big test for Florida State will come on October 18 when they host undefeated Notre Dame.

Auburn: With Alabama losing the Auburn Tigers are now the highest ranked SEC team and currently in the driver’s seat to compete for the National title. This past week Auburn steamrolled the LSU Tigers in one of the more impressive performances of the college football season thus far. In a brutal upcoming schedule, the Tigers have five remaining teams currently ranked in the top fifteen on their schedule. If they can somehow navigate their schedule they’ll be a leading candidate to potentially play in the 2015 Rose Bowl.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have made an impressive rise to the top of the AP Poll with consecutive wins over top ten teams, LSU and Texas A & M. The Bulldogs can cement their ranking with a defeat of Auburn this coming Saturday. In addition to Auburn, the Bulldogs still play Alabama and Ole Miss, both ranked in the top ten. In quarterback Dak Prescott the Bulldogs have one of the most exciting players in all of college football.

Mississippi: In a remarkable turn of events, Mississippi joints Mississippi State in the AP top 5 after an impressive home victory over Alabama. In their first test of the season, Ole Miss came back from a halftime deficit to defeat Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. They’ll be tested immediately this coming weekend when they travel to College Station to face the Texas A & M Aggies.
Baylor: With Oklahoma losing the Baylor Bears are now the highest ranked Big 12 team, with a real shot to go undefeated. The Bears will get immediately tested this weekend when they host 9th ranked TCU. The Horned Frogs are coming off of an impressive victory over Oklahoma. Baylor has one of the most dynamic offenses in all of the college football under quarterback Bryce Petty.

Notre Dame: The Irish aren’t blowing teams out, but they are collecting victories over solid opponents, most recently their defeat of Stanford this weekend. Notre Dame has two remaining ranked teams on their schedule, Florida State, and Arizona State, as well as the season finale versus USC. If the Irish can manage to go undefeated they’ll have a strong case for the college football playoffs.

Arizona Wildcats: The most surprising team on the list, and the team that made the biggest rise in the polls, is Arizona. The undefeated Wildcats knocked off second-ranked Oregon in Eugene this past weekend, vaulting them from unranked to number ten in the country. Arizona has upcoming games versus UCLA, USC and Arizona State on their schedule. Although it’s unlikely if the Wildcats can go undefeated they’ll have a strong case for one of the two national semifinal games.

You can purchase Rose Bowl Tickets from Barry’s Tickets online or feel free to call our office at 866 708 8499 and speak with an actual staff member who has been to the 2015 Rose Bowl Stadium and help you with any questions you might have.BY: Chris M.

You can also check out where are the best places to sit at the Pasadena Rose Bowl to learn about all locations at the Bowl

Rose Bowl Seating

Rose Bowl

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Keys To The 2014 BCS Championship Game

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Rose Bowl Game

Rose Bowl

With the 100th Rose Bowl in the books thoughts now turn to Monday’s BCS Title game on the very same field. The Rose Bowl, host of the most venerable bowl game, has the honor of hosting the final BCS National Championship game. Florida State, led by Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, enters the game as the favorite to take home the title. With Monday looming, here’s a look at the three biggest things to watch:

Can Auburn pressure Jameis Winston?

Florida State has an experienced and healthy offensive line. If the Auburn Tigers are unable to pressure Winston with their without sending extra rushers they could be in for a long game. Expect Auburn to try to concede the shorter pass plays to Florida State and attempt to eliminate the game-breaking big plays. Winston has thrived in the face of pressure this season and the best way to defend him may be an effort to make Florida State work the ball down the field while not conceding the longer pass plays. If Auburn can force Florida State into field goal attempts in the red zone by utilizing the shorter field when the Seminoles get close to the goal line they may be able to outscore the Seminoles.

Can Florida State slow down the Auburn rushing attack?

Behind the trifecta of Tre Mason, Nick Marshall and Corey Grant the Auburn Tigers have the best rushing attack in college football, averaging 336 yards per game in the regular season, including a dominating 545 yards versus Missouri in the BCS title game. Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn is the master at keeping teams off-balanced and gashing them with a variety of rushing plays. He’ll face a Florida State team that allowed only 10.7 points per game this season, albeit against a less than powerful schedule. For Auburn to pull the upset they’ll need to hold Florida State to field goals rather than touchdowns while overpowering the Seminoles on the ground. A successful Auburn rushing attack can have the dual effect of wearing down the Seminoles while using valuable clock. The clearest path to victory for Auburn is to over-power Florida State with some classic SEC-style football.

Is Florida State ready for the physicality of Auburn?

The question looks silly on the outset with Florida State’s deep reservoir of talent, which rivals the top SEC schools. It’s a valid question though, mainly due to the schedule that Florida State has played this season. One only has to look back at the recent BCS history to understand the advantage the SEC has had in physicality during their near decade of dominance. High scoring offenses from power conferences such as Oregon and Oklahoma have found that the SEC often brings a higher level of size, strength and athleticism. The key for Florida State will be to weather the initial jitters and stay consistent with what they do well and their game plan. The Seminoles have as many future NFL players as the Auburn Tigers do, as well as a significant advantage and quarterback. If Florida State can hold onto the football and slow down the Auburn running game they should win going away.By: Chris Cabrera

Published by Barry’s Ticket Service.

Top Five Teams In BCS Standings

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Crimson Tide
With Oregon’s loss at Stanford this past Thursday the road to Pasadena and the College Football National Championship Game is clear for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida State Seminoles. Both Alabama and Florida State took care of business this weekend. The Crimson Tide put together a powerful second half to defeat the 13th ranked LSU Tigers going away. Florida State, coming off of last week’s destruction of the Miami Hurricanes, dispatched Wake Forest in blowout fashion. Both clubs have a couple potential road blocks in the remaining schedule but look destined to face off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on January 6th. Here’s a look at the top five teams in the BCS standings and their BCS point total.

1. Alabama (.996): Les Miles and the LSU Tigers gave the Alabama Crimson Tide a game for two and a half quarters before the superior Alabama attack took over and wore out the LSU defense. The Crimson Tide defeated LSU going away behind a strong performance from sophomore running back TJ Yeldon and the typical efficient passing game from AJ McCarron. The Tide is now 9-0 on the season and look to be on a collision course with their fourth BCS title game in five seasons. Alabama has three games remaining, a road matchup with Mississippi State followed by a non-conference game with Tennessee-Chattanooga, two games in which they’ll be heavily favored in. Alabama wraps up the season with their annual Iron Bowl with a rejuvenated Auburn team. The Tigers are thriving under first year head coach Gus Malzahn and are ranked 7th in the country. They’ll have home field advantage with the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

2. Florida State (.962): The Seminoles have the quality of victory and strength of schedule to reach the BCS title game even if Ohio State and Baylor finish undefeated. Beyond an ACC Championship game where the Seminoles will be heavily favored the Seminoles only “tough” remaining game is a season ending rivalry game with the Florida Gators. The Gators are 4-5 on the season and have their poorest offense in years. It’s hard to see the Gators mustering enough offense to overcome the Seminoles dominant scoring attack led by Jameis Winston. Look for the Seminoles to go undefeated.

3. Ohio State (.893):The Buckeyes, winners of 21 straight games, just don’t have the quality of opposition to reach the title game provided Alabama and Florida State finish undefeated. Currently only one team on the Ohio State schedule, Wisconsin, is ranked in the top 25. The Buckeyes are the victim of a Big Ten conference that is increasingly falling down the list of the best conferences in college football. If Florida State or Alabama lose things could get interesting, with Ohio State competing with Baylor, or perhaps a one loss team for the title game.

4. Stanford (.869): The one loss Cardinal has to be kicking themselves for losing a shocker at Utah earlier this season. With a victory over Oregon the Cardinal has the strength of schedule and impressive victories to reach the title game if not for their inexplicable loss versus the Utes. Should Florida State or even Alabama suffer a loss the Cardinal are a potential one loss representative in the title game. Their quality of opponent will only get better as they wrap up their regular season in the strong Pac 12.

5. Baylor (.862): The Baylor Bears are quickly becoming the Oregon of the Big 12 conference with their high-powered offense. With a back-loaded schedule the Bears strength of schedule will increase as the year winds down. Should they stay undefeated they’ll still need quite a bit of help to make the title game. A loss by two of the three undefeated teams would likely be necessary to help Baylor reach the title game.

By:Chris Michaels

Can Florida State Reach The BCS Title Game?

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Jameis Winston QB

Jameis Winston


So far this college football season the majority of BCS title game talk has focused on whoever comes out of the SEC (most feel Alabama), Oregon, Clemson and Ohio State. All four teams have a strong argument to make the title game if undefeated, with both Alabama and Oregon likely a shoe in if they make it through their conference schedule unscathed. Clemson, who defeated a very good Georgia team has a very good opportunity to represent the ACC in the title game if they run their schedule, including wins over Florida State and South Carolina. Ohio State, with the easiest schedule, is the most likely second tier contender to go undefeated but the Buckeyes will need a lot of help due to their poor strength of schedule. With all the talk of Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State and Clemson there may be a new contender with a path to the BCS title game. The Florida State Seminoles, fresh off a 63-0 destruction of Maryland, have a superstar quarterback in Jameis Wilson and a potential clear path to the title game if they can go undefeated.

Can Florida State reach the BCS title game? Here are three factors in their favor.

The Schedule: The Seminoles have three remaining games against teams ranked in the twenty, a home game against the University of Miami and trips to Clemson and Florida. If Florida State gets through those games unscathed they’ll finish above both Clemson and Ohio State in the BCS standings and potentially could finish above Oregon/Stanford based on the quality of their victories. Whether they can finish without a loss is a bigger question. Death Valley and Gainesville are hostile environments to play in and a home game against a resurgent Miami team will be a tough rivalry game. The good thing for college football fans is that we’ll find out very soon as FSU travels to Clemson on October 19th.

The Jameis Winston Factor: Freshman quarterback Jameis Wilson is quickly becoming a Johnny Manzeil-like phenomenon. He put together yet another incredible performance versus Maryland with several highlight reel plays. Winston has 17 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions on the season with a 73% completion percentage. Winston is a legitimate Heisman candidate and the most touted FSU quarterback since Charlie Ward. His presence has pushed Florida State back onto the national stage and just may have an impact on the important pollsters. If Winston continues is stellar play and the Seminoles continue to win his presence could be a factor in FSU leap-frogging Ohio State or perhaps Oregon/Stanford.

Florida State or Stanford? From a profile perspective both Stanford and Florida State have a similar argument for reaching the top spot in the BCS poll if they go undefeated. Both teams have a brutal upcoming schedule that includes three games against top fifteen teams. Both clubs are currently the second ranked teams in their respective conferences but have an opportunity to defeat Oregon and Clemson respectively to vault up the rankings. So what happens if both Florida State and Stanford finish their schedule without a loss? Could they both vault a one loss SEC team and play each other in the title game? If Alabama wins out and earns the top BCS spot where would these two clubs land? Who knows? The first BCS standings will tell us a lot and they’re scheduled to be released on October 13th. By:Chris Michaels

Famous Jameis Winston Continues to Impress

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Not long ago I wrote an article comparing Jameis Winston to Johnny Manziel. Throughout the entire article I pointed out how Johnny Manziel continues to make poor decisions off the field while Jameis Winston seems to be quite upstanding with amazing character. As the college football season progresses it looks as if Jameis Winston is here to stay. Some felt as if the first few games were just a fluke. After watching much of the first half of the Boston College game I can say that is not the case. Winston came out slow with a few incompletions. Most young quarterbacks would have hung their head; Jameis did not. He finished the first half strong with 216 yards and three touchdowns. Even though he started the game with a few incompletions he still ended up 9 of 13 for the half. This tells me that the kid can bounce back from a tough situation.

Jameis Winston is Mature

At one point in the first half of the Florida State at Boston College game the Seminoles were down 17-3. There are a number of experienced quarterbacks that would have tried to do too much and get their team back in the game with one play. Famous Jameis methodically worked down the field a few times. He gained his confidence with some completions. By the time the half was over the Seminoles had scored 21 straight points. This is the sign of a very mature young quarterback. Having watched thousands of hours of college football in the last decade I can tell you that quarterbacks like this do not come around often.

There are a number of young quarterbacks that burst onto the scene of college football and have a few impressive games early in their career. After defensive coordinators get some game film of these players it is harder to throw for the big yards. Jameis Winston is still very early in his career so it will be fun to watch his progression. It is often true that young quarterbacks go in one direction or the other. They continue to grow and mature both on the field and in the classroom. These are the quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck that go on to impressive professional careers. There are other quarterbacks that let the success get to their head and they stop doing the hard work needed to succeed. There are hundreds of quarterbacks that have a few great games but never amount to anything.

The fact that Jameis Winston is such a mature young man makes me believe he will be the quarterback that continues to study the game while also studying in the classroom. I do not think that is the case with Johnny Manziel. I think Johnny Football has other things on his mind. He enjoys partying and going out way too much. While Manziel is at the party Winston is in the film room watching game tape of the teams coming up. I think we can all agree that Peyton Manning became the amazing quarterback he is today because of hard work. Peyton does not have the best throwing motion nor is he the most skilled. What he has is the best work ethic in the game of football today.

The ACC Helps Winston

Something that diehard college football fans recognize is the conference in which an athlete plays will greatly determine their stats. The ACC is not considered one of the strongest conferences in college football so Jameis Winston will have several layup games. Boston College was one of those games. When the game was over Winston had 329 passing yards and four touchdowns. No one will make the argument that Boston College is even a decent team. Other terrible teams in the ACC include Wake Forest and UNC. The University of North Carolina Tar Heels gave up 55 points to a very bad ECU team. This means that Florida State will likely be able to drop about 50 on them. With the upcoming schedule being rather weak look for Jameis Winston to have a huge year when it comes to stats.

I am a numbers guy but I do warn my friends about looking at stats too closely. Recognize that stats do not mean everything. Johnny Manziel is going to have huge stats this year because the Texas A&M defense is terrible. Some quarterbacks might not have the best stats but they are great leaders and great players. As it looks right now, Jameis Winston is going to have amazing stats and he looks to be a strong leader. As mentioned earlier, this is not common when it comes to freshmen in college.

The biggest game Jameis Winston will have in 2013 will likely be the Clemson game. Unless something unusual happens in the next two weeks it looks as if Clemson will play Florida State as one of the top three teams in the country. If Florida State continues to win and a few other teams take a loss this could be an ACC matchup of two top five teams. This has not happened in a very long time. Tajh Boyd, the quarterback of Clemson, recently set the ACC record for most touchdown passes in a career. The press will eat this alive as it will be young against old. Tajh Boyd is a senior and he has taken his bumps and bruises along the way. Jameis Winston is still a freshman and he has a lot to learn over the course of the next several years. That does not mean he will not perform well against the Clemson Tigers this year.

This game will be played at Clemson on October 19th, 2013. Interestingly, the FSU Seminoles will go into the game off a bye week. This gives them seven extra days to prepare. One would think Florida State would have the advantage with this being the case. It should be one of the more enjoyable ACC games to watch in 2013. If Jameis Winston and Tajh Boyd are both healthy it will probably be a very high scoring game.

Tajh Boyd vs Jameis Winston

Any other year and I would say that Jameis Winston is a lock for ACC Player of the Year with this type of play. This year, he might not even get a handful of votes. Tajh Boyd has already thrown for over 1000 yards and 9 touchdowns in the very early part of the season. Tajh Boyd is also a senior so he has been around the block a time or two. This is going to garner him even more votes from the media. It will also be hard for Famous Jameis to have any chance at the Heisman because there are so many great quarterbacks throughout the country. In the southeast alone there are big names like Johnny Manziel, Tajh Boyd, AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray and Stephan Morris. All of these quarterbacks have had outstanding years in the early part of the season. This does not include names outside the southeast like Teddy Bridgewater and Marcus Mariota. As we continue to progress through the 2013 it might end up being the year of the quarterback.

Not too long ago I wrote the article, “Is 2013 the Year of the Athletic Quarterback?” Well, it looks as if that prediction is coming true. It is truly enjoyable to watch the great quarterback play in college football this year. One of the things many NFL fans say about college football is the quarterback play is substandard. That is not an argument this year. There are eight to ten college quarterbacks that will have a great future in the NFL. These young men are throwing the pigskin around every Saturday afternoon or night. If you have yet to watch college football this year I would suggest checking out some of the games on CBS, ABC, ESPN or Fox Sports. You will be shocked at the stellar play from the quarterback position.

I will be the first to admit that I am a college football homer. I watch very little NFL football as I love the fervor and passion of college football fans in small towns. I also love to see student athletes succeed. One of my joys is to see young men and women graduate from college and move on to bigger and better things. This is sometimes related to athletics, but many times it is not. I feel as if most NFL players do not have a future outside of their athletic ability. If they get hurt there are few ways they can make help society. This is not true with college athletes. While there are some that have no desire to get a college degree there are many that are enjoying the chance to get a free education while doing something they love. Check out these young men on Saturday and enjoy their love of the game.