Desert Sapper's Blogistan

I am So Sick of Conference Smack...

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:28:16 +0000

Look, unless every single time a team in your conference takes the field against a team from another conference, you don't have a claim to 'best conference in the universe' or whatever the claim is. ALL of the major conferences are good. They all have good-great teams (depending on the year). They all have bottom-feeding crappy teams. They all have middle of the road teams. If one conference has more teams in bowl games or more wins in bowl games, I can almost guarantee it is by the slimmest of margins.

I suppose this argument is aimed mostly at the SEC. If there were truly a conference of uber-teams (as SEC fans claim their conference to be), everybody in the league would be 6-6 at the end of the year. Everybody in the SEC can't win the SEC, or everybody would have an SEC championship. When was the last time either Mississippi won a championship of any kind? How about Vandy, South Carolina, or Arkansas? The answer to the last two questions is Ole Miss in 1963 (Mississippi State last won in 1941) and never. If anything, the Big 10, with only two schools - Indiana and Minnesota - not winning a title since 1967, has a better claim to greatness on that account. Every team in that conference has at least won 2. You can point to a different team winning the championship every year since 2004, which proves what exactly? That different teams got hot in those years, but no one team has proved to be dominant? You can point to no team winning back to back since Tennessee from '97-'98. Hell, you could talk about the bowl games this year. I don't care. I'm just sick of conference smack. To all the lower tier teams in the SEC: No, your team is not great simply for playing in the SEC. No, the SEC is not the NFL. No, a top team from the other conferences would not finish 6-6 in the SEC. So shut up. Your team is just as much of a bottom feeder as Stanford, Baylor, Syracuse, Northwestern, or Duke (okay, well, maybe not quite Duke). Some of those teams have actually won their conference recently.

So who do I think is the #1 conference? As the title implies, I don't. There is no #1 conference in America trophy (other than that BS thing that ESPN hands out, and I'm relatively certain the MWC won that thing this year). LSU was the #1 team, because they beat Ohio State. Does that make the SEC a better conference? No. Not any more than Mizzou beating Arkansas (a team that beat LSU in Baton Rouge, mind you) by 31 points makes the Big XII a better conference. Not any more than unranked Michigan beating 9th ranked Florida by 6 (and should have been more) makes the Big 10 a better conference.

Some teams are better than others. That's where the conversation should be. Conference smack is for the birds.

Post Bowl Playoff Rant

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:26:30 +0000

Yet another year of crappy BCS games (only KU v. Va Tech was worth watching). Yet another year of the ratings tanking on the Championship game. Yet another year of my Sooners falling to pieces in a BCS Bowl. Time to rant.

I feel like before I begin my rant, I should at least mention a few decent non-BCS bowls.

1. Capital One Bowl (Formerly known as the Florida Citrus Bowl). Michigan 41 - Florida 35. This was arguably the best of the lot. Florida gave the Wolverines everything they could handle; mostly due to four turnovers, Tim Tebow, and Percy Harvin. The Big Blue seniors pulled it out for Lloyd Carr for the first time in their four years in Ann Arbor. Big, emotional win. Positive: Michigan seniors finally winning a bowl game. Negative: Incoming Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez (formerly of alma mater WV) stating that he and his wife could keep the same color scheme in their house, thanks to the similarity between the colors of WV and UM. Sort of an insult to injury thing, don't you think there, coach?

2. Gator Bowl. Texas Tech 31 - Virginia 28. Tech managed to do what it has done many other times before: overcome. The Raiders were down 28-14 in the fourth quarter to the Cavs, but managed to overcome that deficit, some critical penalties, and a fumble to pull it out on a last second Alex Trlica Field Goal. Positive: Tech pulling out a last second victory over a more talented UVA team. Negative: Howie Long's kid (Chris Long, who had his number retired in the last home game of the season against Va Tech) lost a heartbreaker in his last collegiate game.

3. Pointsettia Bowl. Utah 35 - Navy 32. Surprisingly, this game was very exciting, with a 50 point second half, coming down to the final minute, and suffering from a questionable call. With Utah up 28-25, Jerome Brooks caught a 3-yard pass from QB Brian Johnson and fumbled while diving for the corner of the end zone. The ball bounced off the pylon out of bounds. The Refs could have (and probably should have) called it a Navy touchback, but the call on the field withstood review. Not that it mattered too much. Navy stuffed Ute RB Darrell Mack on the next play to turn the ball over on downs. But instead of the 20, they were on the 1. Which led to Navy turning the ball over on downs four plays later at their 9. Which ultimately led to a Utah TD anyway. Navy scored a TD in response. They even recovered the onside, but Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada threw a pick to Ute safety Joe Dale to seal it. Positive: What an exciting end to a hard-fought game! Negative: As new Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said after the game, ''More than anything, I feel for our seniors. I'll coach again.'' So while the Navy seniors lost their second straight Bowl (2005 Car Care Bowl), the Ute seniors won their 4th straight bowl (some of them, the redshirt seniors have 5 bowl rings).

4. Armed Forces Bowl. Cal 42 - Air Force 36. Tedford benched DeSean Jackson and Robert Jordan for a quarter for an unknown team disciplinary problem. Gee, that'll teach 'em coach. Air Force proceeded to build a 21-0 lead in that same expanse of time. As soon as Jackson hit the field he caught a 40 yard acrobatic TD, and Jordan finished with a team-leading 148 yards and a TD on 6 catches. Air Force rallied late, but failed to score a 2 point conversion (not really sure why 4 points is better than 6) and recover a late onside kick. The game nearly ended brilliantly, especially after starting AF QB Shaun Carney (also the Falcons' leading rusher on the day) went down with a knee injury on a play that could have put the Falcons ahead. Positive: Tedford punished his leading receivers for team disciplinary issues. This shows courage. Negatives: Tedford only punished his leading receivers for a quarter. This shows that he was only doing it for the press. Air Force QB Shaun Carney got injured.

5. Independence Bowl. Alabama 30 - Colorado 24. No, it wasn't for anything particularly grand. A winning record, perhaps, but not much else. But the Buffaloes, down at one point 27-0, rallied inspiringly behind QB Cody Hawkins, only to fall short in the end. With enough time left, who knows? Maybe Colorado would have even ended the season with a winning record. Positive: Two mediocre teams really managed to make it a battle in the closing minutes. Negative: Colorado started the game as flat as a pancake.

So, now that you've heard about the good bowls, let me rant about the abomination called the BCS. As I see it, the other bowls match teams of perceived equal strength, in an effort to produce the best game possible. This year, it worked for the most part. The BCS, on the other hand, took the best bowls and turned them into a disgrace, all for the sake of creating a big money 'championship game' which pits the beauty pageant winner of the #1 vote vs. the beauty pageant winner of the #2 vote. The rest of the so-called major bowls get one headliner and one crap-shoot of a team. So we saw Illinois get dismantled by a good USC team instead of a good UGA team playing a good USC team. We saw UGA dismantle Hawaii, when UH and Illinois would have matched up well. I'm not sure what to say about OU, and that Fiasco Bowl against WV, but KU and WV deserved to play, as did (in my opinion) OU and Va Tech. Ohio State got trounced in what amounted to a home game for LSU, but I expected that, as I noted in my post before the bowls. LSU's BCS games consist of 4 Sugar Bowls, all four of them wins. So what do I think should happen? An 8 team playoff. I really don't care how you do it. Take the top 8 from the BCS, take all of the 6 major conference champs and the two highest ranked wildcards, whatever. Maybe take the top 8 conference champs. All I know is, we need to have a playoff like every other real sport, with the higher seed hosting the game, and determine bowl matchups and a championship matchup from that format. For those that missed it, here is the plan I proposed out of boredom before the bowls started:

The champions of all Major Conferences are invited to play (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big XII, Big East, Pac 10).

Two at-large teams (who must be either independant or the champion of their respective conference) are invited to play.

The games are played at the home of the higher ranked team (based on the BCS poll). Two weeks of games seed the teams for the bowls, with the championship alternating among the four BCS sites. Games start after everyone takes their final. So you have something like this in 2007:

15 December 2007

Game 1 BYU (Mountain West Champs, BCS #17) @ Ohio State (Big 10 Champs, BCS #1)

Game 2 Hawaii (WAC Champs, BCS #10) @ LSU (SEC Champs, BCS #2)

Game 3 West Virginia (Big East Champs, BCS #9) @ Va Tech (ACC Champs, BCS #3)

Game 4 USC (Pac 10 Champs, BCS #7) @ Oklahoma (Big XII Champs, BCS #4)

22 December 2007

Game 5 BYU/tOSU winner v. USC/OU winner

Game 6 UH/LSU winner v. WV/Va Tech winner

1 January 2008

Game 5 loser v. Game 6 loser in Orange

Game 4 loser v. Game 2 loser in Fiesta

Game 3 loser v. Game 1 loser in Rose

2 January 2008

Game 5 winner v. Game 6 winner in Sugar

The pageantry continues, because the Major Bowl game matchups are decided before Christmas (also allowing hype).

You are only talking about 2 more games than what teams already play and the home crowds get to see an extra big matchup or two.

It won't mess with the bowl games we already have in the dead period (between 20 december and 1 January), except that you have two games in addition to the three bowls on that day (and the major networks get two big matchups to air).

It doesn't mess with the academic integrity, given most schools have finals before these playoffs would start.

Everyone still makes a ton of money and it is more evenly distributed (ie; no TWO BCS games for the BCS conferences...but the little guys get a shot at the dough if they manage to make it up high enough AND win their conference).

Fans get a real champion.

I felt like it bore repeating, especially after the results of the BCS Bowls. Yes, you might have some blowout opening round games. Big deal. At least it would allow you to seed out the bowl games to have something more competitive. And it would allow a champion. After the bowls, I think I can see how it might have played out:

Ohio State probably would have romped on BYU in the shoe

LSU would have probably clobbered Hawaii in Baton Rouge

West Virginia would have probably beat Va Tech in Blacksburg (great matchup, though)

USC would have probably clobbered OU even in Norman (at least from the way the Sooners played West Virginia)

So in the second round, I figure

USC beats Ohio State in the shoe in a close one (100,000 bucknuts make it close)

LSU beats West Virginia in Baton Rouge

1 January Bowl matchups (in my opinion):

Ohio State v. West Virginia in the Orange

Oklahoma v. Hawaii in the Fiesta

Va Tech v. BYU in the Rose

LSU v. USC in the Sugar for the championship

If it makes better sense to everyone to keep the Pac 10/Big 10 matchup in the Rose (which, contrary to popular opinion has only been around since 1947 -- before that it was the Pac 10 vs. all takers*), we can do that. The Cotton Bowl can host the fourth BCS bowl. I just can't imagine why the Rose has to be so selfish in all this. The grandaddy may have been the first bowl, but the game wasn't even played there from 1902-1916 in favor of chariot races. Yippee. From 1916-1947, one Big 10 team (Ohio State in 1921) played. With that in mind, Illinois could have played Arizona State in the Rose Bowl, and BYU and Va Tech could have played in the Cotton. Believe me, once Jerry World is complete in Arlington, the Cotton Bowl will seem like a pretty nice venue for a bowl game. Maybe the nicest out there.

I'd be okay with just taking the top 8 of the BCS, too (although that means some non-conference champs in the mix for the national title). My bottom line is just that I want to see a real system to determine a champion, and a real matchup in the bowls. Look at the matchups in round 1:

By the BCS,

#8 KU @ #1 tOSU
#7 USC @ #2 LSU
#6 Mizzou @ #3 Va Tech
#5 UGA @ #4 OU

Wow. How can we not go for a playoff like this? These would be EXCITING games to watch. Who's on board?

*The matchup of the Big 8 in the Orange existed since 1954, but that was broken in favor of the ACC in the Orange and the Big 8 (now Big XII) in the Fiesta by the BCS. I'm still miffed about that, but don't get me started.

The long wait...

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:02:07 +0000

So now we wait. The bowls start next week, but is the Poinsettia Bowl really something we just can't miss? This wait is what prompts so many to start arguing the merits of a playoff system, and I can't say that I necessarily disagree.

The bowls have a brilliant history, marked by great games, great tradition, pageantry, and more. They represent the greatness of allowing so many teams to end their season with a win, and 5 teams as BCS Bowl game winners (with one winning the 'national championship' on the field after a game of #1 in the polls vs. #2 in the polls).

The playoffs have a history, as well. A history in what was once called Division 1AA football (now called the 'Football Championship Subdivision' or FCS). There, the teams lineup, just as in every professional league, for a playoff, that ends with a championship on the field.

The FCS has a true champion, but no pageantry. Arguably, the FBS (formerly known as Division 1A) is exactly the opposite. All pageantry, but missing a true champion at the end.

Sure, LSU and Ohio State deserve to play for the championship. Arguably, so do all the other conference champions this year. Nobody has really stood head and shoulders above the rest this year. So here we are in the age old argument. Playoffs v. Bowls.

Some have said they can coexist. Have the bowls, then play a 'plus 1' game. That sounds nifty, but what happens when we have a year like this?

Ohio State, LSU, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, USC, and even West Virginia and Hawaii have a claim for a shot at the title. So who gets to play in the 'plus one'? The winner of Ohio State-LSU, I'm guessing. Maybe the winner of OU-West Virginia. But if USC, Hawaii, and Va Tech all win, then what? They're all conference champs. They all have similar win-loss records (only Hawaii is undefeated). So you have 5 teams that all deserve to play in the 'plus one' and you get the same beauty pageant that you have right now. Two will play. Three will be left to flap in the breeze.

So I say this.

Keep the bowls. Yes, keep them. But have a playoff, too. Make the decision like this...

The champions of all Major Conferences are invited to play (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big XII, Big East, Pac 10).

Two at-large teams (who must be either independant or the champion of their respective conference) are invited to play.

15 December 2007

Game 1 BYU (Mountain West Champs, BCS #17) @ Ohio State (Big 10 Champs, BCS #1)

Game 2 Hawaii (WAC Champs, BCS #10) @ LSU (SEC Champs, BCS #2)

Game 3 West Virginia (Big East Champs, BCS #9) @ Va Tech (ACC Champs, BCS #3)

Game 4 USC (Pac 10 Champs, BCS #7) @ Oklahoma (Big XII Champs, BCS #4)

22 December 2007

Game 5 BYU/tOSU winner v. USC/OU winner

Game 6 UH/LSU winner v. WV/Va Tech winner

1 January 2008

Game 5 loser v. Game 6 loser in Orange

Game 4 loser v. Game 2 loser in Fiesta

Game 3 loser v. Game 1 loser in Rose

2 January 2008

Game 5 winner v. Game 6 winner in Sugar

The pageantry continues, because the Major Bowl game matchups are decided before Christmas (also allowing hype).

You are only talking about 2 more games than what teams already play and the home crowds get to see an extra big matchup or two.

It doesn't mess with the academic integrity, given most schools have finals before these playoffs would start.

Fans get a real champion.

The end. My $2.50 ($.02 after taxes).

Week 15

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:07:58 +0000

Fortunately, my Sooners beat the #1 team in the country by 3 TDs on a neutral field to win the Big XII. Unfortunately, LSU managed to steal the SEC from Tennessee, who seemingly controlled most of the game. That win by the Tigers made it impossible for my Sooners to leapfrog into the national championship with the WV loss to Pitt. The love affair that everyone has with LSU, stemming from the way they started the season, and not so much with where they are now, coupled with the Sooners' inability to survive without Sam Bradford at Texas Tech, made the Ohio State-LSU matchup inevitable. I feel bad that the Buckeyes have to play LSU in New Orleans. My Sooners had to do that once, and it didn't really seem fair then, either. Oh well. If any year screams: 'PLAYOFF', it's this year, one that saw a two-loss team selected over other worthy two-loss teams to play a one-loss team that very few think is worthy for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. How hard would it be to take all the conference champs in the BCS games, start it all in mid-December, and finish with a true championship on 1 January? It's not hard, but giant green dollar signs flash in my head whenever I think about it too hard.

Given that the Bowl season is so long (long enough to institute a playoff, perhaps?), I will talk about what I see as the five most intriguing matchups and then I'll talk BCS.

To start things off, it seems like a whole lot of blah, then BAM! Arizona State takes on Texas in the Holiday Bowl on December 27. The Sun Devils were in the race for the national title after Oregon fell apart, then they got crushed by USC. They finished with a tough rivalry win over the Arizona Wildcats and are sitting at 10-2. The Texas Longhorns were reeling in October after back to back losses to K-State and to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout. Then the door opened, allowing a faint glimmer of hope, before rival Texas Aggies kicked the door shut with a big 'senior' cavalry boot. So, the Longhorns slinked away to mediocrity, watching their rival the Sooners clobber Mizzou to win the Big XII and head to the BCS. Meanwhile, Texas finds itself heading back to the Holiday Bowl. Which team will step up to regain their earlier glory?

Central Florida and Mississippi State square off in what could be a very good football game in the December 29 Liberty Bowl. It will be worth watching, at the very least, to see Kevin Smith. If you've never heard of him, you will. He could break Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record in this game. He'll need 181 yards to do it, and the Bulldogs will be looking to shut him down. Call them the salvation of the Magnolia State. I'm relatively certain the folks in that state that produces something like the most awesome football players per capita can't stand to have both egg bowl teams in the SEC cellar. At least Sly Croom is finally proving his mettle. Will the Knights send Smith off in style, or will the Bulldogs prove that you just can't run against the SEC?

January 1 has some potential for magic, starting with the Outback Bowl at 1100 between Wisconsin and Tennessee. The Vols were very close to winning the SEC Championship game and blew out everybody's 'hottest team', the UGA Dawgs in Neyland. The Badgers proved their mettle last year against Arkansas, while the Vols lost to Penn State in last year's edition of this game. If both teams come into this game healthy, it could be an excellent, excellent football game. Will the Badgers show up the SEC again, or will the Vols prove that things are back on track in Rocky Top?

Thirty minutes later, Mizzou takes on Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. The big rivalry between these border states is in roundball, but expect a big contingent of hopping mad Tiger fans as they take on the Hawgs in Dallas. The final edition of the BCS rankings had the Tigers in 6th and the Kansas Jayhawks at 8, but the BCS chose the Jayhawks over the Tigers, a team that beat them in Arrowhead Stadium for their only loss of the season. Go figure. So, if I was a Mizzou Tiger, which I am most assuredly not, I would be pretty pissed. This game should be a fun send-off for Darren McFadden, but the Mizzou D will be stacked to destroy him. Will the Hawgs give D-Mac the sendoff he deserves, or will the Tigers crush Arkansas in a fit of rage?

At 1300, Michigan tackles Florida in the Capital One Bowl. Senior-laden as big Blue has been this year, it has struggled mightily, beginning with the loss to App State, and ending with yet another loss to Ohio State. Both teams had the potential to be great this year (Florida coming very close to knocking off the Bayou Bengals and Michigan hanging in a very defensive game against tOSU) but fell short. Tim Tebow, recently labeled a 'system QB' by Hawaii's June Jones (who also claims his QB, Colt Brennan is not a 'system QB', but the best in the land), will be looking to single-handedly beat the Wolverines. Will the Maize and Blue send off Lloyd Carr in style, or will the Gators chomp down on the mean little furry bastards?

Which brings me to the BCS games, some of which could be very fun to watch.

The nightmare that is the BCS this year kicks off with the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day at 1630. Likely, this will be the most nightmarish of the bunch. Unless USC comes in thinking about Illinois what damn near everybody else in the country thinks about Illinois, namely that they don't belong. If that is the case, and if the Illini have to hear all week long about how great USC is, and how unworthy they are, maybe, just maybe, this could be a great game. Again, that's all a big maybe. Historically, Pete Carroll has prepared his Trojans better than anybody else for the post-season, and this is the Rose Bowl, which is like a home game or better for the men of Troy. However, if J Leman gets even a scrap of the disrespect that's likely to spew forth from the media about the Rose Bowl, he might just treat USC like he did tOSU. And if he does that, look out. Will the Illini justify their BCS bid, or will the Trojans win yet another Rose Bowl?

Next in the lineup, the Sugar Bowl at 2000, featuring a lineup not unlike last season's Oklahoma v. Boise Fiesta Bowl. We all know how hot-firing, winning streak-bearing OU fared in that game. The Broncos carried it to OT on trick plays and gadgets, but they won in a storybook ending, blah, blah, blah... I hope UGA is ready for Colt Brennan, or it could get ugly. This guy is very, very good, and June Jones is very adamant that he IS NOT a 'system player'. But Tim Tebow is. Right. We shall see, as the Dawgs will have a likely much larger contingent in New Orleans than the Warriors, and will be out for blood (especially given their last Sugar Bowl performance). I'm not sure if I should be excited about this matchup or worried for the sake of the team formerly known as the Rainbows. Will Colt Brennan light up UGA, or will the Dawgs show everyone that only the big boys belong in the BCS?

OU plays West Virginia on Wednesday, 2 January at 2000 in a game of nearly championship contenders. IF OU didn't lose Sam Bradford in the first quarter against Texas Tech (or flub the game away against Colorado), IF West Virginia didn't fall apart at home against Pitt, these teams could have been playing for all the marbles in New Orleans instead of watching on January 7 from their comfy couches at home. But the IFs did happen, and both teams are banished (well, not really, but it sounds soooo dramatic) to the desert to play each other for a slightly different prize. West Virginia is awesome at running the football. Oklahoma is awesome at stopping the run. Something's got to give. This might just be the matchup of the postseason. Maybe even better than the BCS Championship game. Will OU reestablish that long-lost Sooner postseason dominance, or will the Mountaineers stomp a mudhole in the Rufneks in Glendale?

In a game that seemed strangely improbable even a few nights ago, the Kansas Jayhawks face the Va Tech Hokies on Thursday night (gah, Thursday night again!) in Miami. Don't discount this one. Once KU got its offense going against Mizzou in KC, they were damn near unstoppable. They just got started a little too late. Va Tech features a DOMINANT Defense (note the capital D). The offense, whether featuring Sean Glennon or Tyrod Taylor will move the football. KU, given that they got beat by Mizzou and still made the BCS over Mizzou, given that they 'haven't played anybody', and given that they haven't been this good since their offense featured Gale Sayers, will be totally disrespected all week by the media. Va Tech better watch that they don't say anything to piss the Jayhawks off. Everyone should remember that the Jayhawks are named for the group that crossed into Missouri bearing hatchets, machetes, and pitchforks to deal with people that pissed them off nearly 150 years ago. Of course, KU is also a basketball school. Will Kansas come into the Orange Bowl mad enough to make a difference, or will the Hokies put them in their place?

Backdoor, blah blah, whatever. LSU and the Ohio State deserve to play for all the marbles as much or more than anybody else. The Tigers lost only in triple OT this year (of course, they were close to losing a couple more, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades). The Ohio State 'played nobody' (there's that thing again -- whatever it means), lost at home against the Fighting Illini, and won the rest. Everyone will point to last year's embarrassment of a national title game, when the Florida Gators exposed the hell out of tOSU. Gone are Troy Smith and Ted Ginn. Back are James Laurinaitis and a DOMINANT Buckeye D. That's not to say that the LSU D is not equally dominant, but much will depend on what percentage of back Glenn Dorsey is. Make no mistake, his heart and soul drive the Tiger D. If this were a different day and age, we would likely have some form of split champion this year. Will the Bayou Bengals Geaux, or will the Buckeyes redeem themselves and the entire Big 10?

Stay Tuned, sports fans, these questions and more will find an answer this bowl season.

My Top 10 going into the Bowls:

1. Oklahoma - Nobody else beat #1 by three TDs last Saturday

2. the OSU - They are still Big 10 Champs and only lost once.

3. Hawaii - I know, I know, but they are the only undefeated left

4. LSU - Their losses were in Triple OT

5. UGA - White hot team heading into the bowls

6. Mizzou - Only losses are to OU

7. Kansas - Only loss to Mizzou

8. USC - Handled ASU and beat rival UCLA

9. Va Tech - Beat BC for Big East

10. West Virginia - Mental meltdown at home v. Pitt

Week 14

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:45:57 +0000

Another wild and woolly College Football week. On Thursday, we watched USC finally look like the team everybody hyped them as before the season started, when they annihilated #7 ASU in Tempe by 20 points. On Friday, we watched #1 LSU lose another 3 OT game, this time at home to unranked Arkansas. Then Texas dropped its second straight 'Lone Star Shootout' to unranked A&M (who followed the win over their biggest rival by firing Dennis Franchione). UGA, Oklahoma, and Florida all hammered their in-state rivals, while the Iron Bowl managed to live up to its legacy, Auburn edging Alabama by a TD. Which brings us to the game most of the country had been waiting for: the border war between Mizzou and KU. Mizzou came out swinging, and KU was flat through most of the game, trailing 21-0 at one point before finally getting back into the game late in the fourth. The Jayhawks clawed and scratched their way back into it and only trailed by 6 points with a minute left and a ton of momentum, before Quarterback Todd Reesing was sacked in the endzone for a safety. End one cinderella story. KU is no longer undefeated. But Mizzou, surprise of all surprises, is the number 1 team in the land.

Which brings us to where we are this weekend.

LSU, despite their latest thrilling overtime defeat to an unranked opponent, is still ranked #5 in the country and is still headed to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game against a somewhat surprising Tennessee team. As in, surprising that they managed to win the SEC East despite glaring blowout losses to Cal, Florida, and Bama. It is a Jeckyl and Hyde prospect for UT. This same team plastered UGA and Arkansas (yes, the Arkansas that won last week in triple OT in Baton Rouge). This same team did what LSU could not: beat Kentucky in Overtime in Lexington. By the same token, the Vols also beat Vandy and South Carolina by the skin of their teeth. The Vols will need to find a way to move the ball against the #3 total D in the country, while stopping a pretty potent offense that scored more than 40 points per game this year. The question of the week in the SEC: Which Vols show up this time?

The Hokies earned a rematch against the BC Eagles in the ACC Championship game this Saturday in the best way imaginable for a Hokie fan: by beating UVA in Charlottesville. It was a dominant performance, one that featured two great QBs for Va Tech: Sean Glennon and true frosh Tyrod Taylor. The emotional rollercoaster following the tragedy in Blacksburg is nearing its apex. At the same time, BC is fighting for a BCS berth, as well, in another storybook season. Will the Hokies be heading to the Orange Bowl, or will Matt Ryan climb back into Heisman consideration?

So, Kansas had its season crushed by the Mizzou Tigers. The Tigers are #1 across the boards, and they earned a rematch with the Oklahoma Sooners. OU beat the Tigers in Norman by 10 points the last time they played. Now it will be on neutral turf. Chase Daniel is still in pursuit of the Heisman Trophy, and a win would likely secure not only that, but a trip to New Orleans and a chance for the first National Championship in Missouri history. But the Sooners have plans of their own. Despite soul-crushing upsets at Texas Tech and Colorado, OU has stood strong in the face of adversity, blasting in-state rival Oklahoma State by 32 points last weekend. Phenom Sam Bradford set the NCAA record for most TDs in a season by a freshman last saturday, and the Sooners pushed the Cowboys all over the field on the way to more than 300 rushing yards. Will Boomer Sooner be the song of the day in San Antonio, or will Mizzou win its first Big XII title?

Army-Navy is not just a rivalry, it is the rivalry. Say what you will about any other rivalry, but very few hold such importance across the globe. In times of war, the importance of the game is even more significant. With men huddled around television sets in morale tents in Iraq and Afghanistan, the mood will be intense until that one play breaks free. And although the reciprocal is equally voiced by my brothers in arms on boats, in planes, and walking the ground in dangerous places around the world, there is no question for me on this: GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!

So, finally, we reach the battle royale in So-cal. UCLA travels to USC to battle in the coliseum in a game that could decide who travels to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. The Trojans are up for the contest, and humiliated ASU in Tempe last week to jump back into the picture. Meanwhile, the Bruins shutout a Dennis-Dixon-less Oregon. Will the men of Troy smell roses, or will their cross-town rivals do them in?

Stay tuned sports fans. All of these questions and more find an answer this week. Championship week.

My top 10:

1. West Virginia - Talk about a statement game - 66-21. Ouch.
2. Mizzou - Looked awesome until the fourth quarter
3. Hawaii - looking more and more like the best WAC team ever
4. Kansas - much better 4th quarter nearly dug them out
5. Ohio State - Big 10 Champs
6. Oklahoma - Very powerful performance against O-State
7. USC - Finally looking like a championship team
8. LSU - Twice a loser in Triple OT? Ugh.
9. UGA - 6 game winning streak since getting belted by UT
10. Va Tech - Great performances since the loss to BC

Wk 13

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:01:32 +0000

I apologize if I have nothing profound to say this week. I watched Oregon lose their QB in the first quarter against Arizona and proceed to lose with Brady Leaf at the helm. Then on Saturday, probably in karmic retribution to all the Sooner fans that cheered Dennis Dixon going down (along with the National title hopes of his team), Sam Bradford went out in the first quarter to Texas Tech, and the Sooners proceeded to lose with Joey Halzle at the helm. Granted, Halzle is not to blame. His 4th Quarter heroics nearly put the Sooners back in it. But alas, it was not to be. This week features games to determine the Big XII Championship Game Matchup:

Texas takes on A&M in College Station. Texas has some hope to go to San Antonio with a win.

OU hosts O-State. With a win, they're in.

KU hosts Mizzou. The winner goes to San Antonio. Who'd a thunk the Mo-kan would be for the Big XII North? Goes to show what preseason stuff is worth.

Arkansas travels to LSU on Friday. As very little a shot as I give them, an Arkansas upset would complete the circle of life.

And of course, the Iron Bowl. Always intense, always fun to watch.

Stay tuned and watch what happens.

My Top 10:

1. KU - Still unbeaten

2. LSU - Looking strong

3. Hawaii - still alive after a close call

4. Mizzou - very good team

5. West Virginia - best run offense in the nation

6. Ohio State - made michigan look non-existant

7. Arizona State - in contention for the Pac 10

8. UGA - playing as well as anybody right now

9. Oklahoma - Came back late, but not enough

10. Oregon - Better hope Leaf starts playing well

Wk 12

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:39:56 +0000

Ohio State fell victim to the curse. No chance LSU was going down to La Tech. So the upstart Illini came into the 'shoe and made it happen. It appears LSU has dodged some sort of bullet as #2, as Oregon finds themselves in the unenviable position of #2, and LSU is back at #1. Oregon must travel to Arizona, and LSU must travel to Ole Miss. Granted, neither team is likely to pull off a victory over the top two in the country, but that's what makes college football exciting. Everybody but Kansas and Hawaii has lost this year, and it is doubtful (however possible) that either of those two will escape undefeated.

So the game we all were waiting for, Ohio State's trip to the Big House, is not what we thought it would be. Both the Buckeyes and Wolverines lost last weekend, to Illinois and Wisconsin, respectively. This game is still for the Big 10, thanks to the losses on both ends. It should be an interesting and exciting game, and Big Blue is looking to avenge the last three seasons' disappointment. Will the Wolverines claim the Big 10 title and complete their recovery from the Appalachian State loss, or will the Buckeyes get back on track for the national championship?

Boston College, once the wearer of the cinderella slipper, reached midnight a couple weeks ago, and is now struggling. They must now travel to Clemson, where they face a Tiger team that struggled mid-season against the Techs, and is now back in full form, hammering Wake Forest last week by 34 points. This game is seemingly for full control of the Atlantic Division driver's seat. The winner will face one of the two Virginia schools for the ACC crown on December 1. Will BC take the reigns, or will Clemson kick them to the curb?

Kentucky barely beat Vandy last week to stay alive after dropping the two games following their upset of LSU. Amazingly, they are still able to win the East with some help. They must first take care of UGA and UT. If they do, and Florida and South Carolina get beat, they own the SEC East. But I digress... UGA is in a much more feasible position. If they beat UK, and Tennessee loses a game, they travel to Atlanta. Tennessee is in if they win out (by virtue of the beatdown they handed out in Neyland in the beginning of October). So, now that you've seen all the math of the SEC and your head is hurting, let's be simple...Will the Wildcats produce another upset, or will the Dawgs step up between the hedges?

Oklahoma has been impressive at times and at others, well...not so much. The Sooners struggled with Baylor's spread offense for a half last week...in Norman. Now they must travel to Lubbock, where Bob Stoops is 2-2, to face a better version of the same spread. Tech got in the kind of game Mike Leach relishes last week: a score-a-thon. They lost, but they also put up 43 points on the Texas Longhorns. Leach has probably been rubbing his hands together for the past year, waiting to get the Sooners back in the land of the pirate. Stoops has probably been showing his players the video of the last time the Sooners were in Lubbock...they lost 21-23 on the last play of the game. Will the Sooners avenge getting 'jobbed in Lubbock' in 2005, or will Leach's Raiders pull off the upset, yet again?

Which brings us to Thursday night. Oregon, sporting a Heisman candidate in Dennis Dixon, flashing fancy Nike uniforms, and sporting one of the best offenses (if not the best) in the country travels down to Tucson to take on the Wildcats. Mike Stoops' 3rd year with 'zona has had its ups and downs. Losing to BYU, New Mexico, Oregon State, and Stanford was not so good. Winning at U-dub and last week against UCLA has them thinking about a potential (albeit far-fetched) bowl bid. A bowl bid that would require beating the top two teams in the conference: Oregon and arch-rival Arizona State. OK, so the likelihood is comparable to the likelihood of McDonald's opening a franchise on Mars next year, but the possibility is there, and it is enticing. Will Oregon roll Arizona in Tucson, or will the Wildcats pull off the biggest upset anybody can think of right now?

Stay tuned, sports fans, these questions and more find an answer this week.

My top 10:

1. KU - Bam! That's all Okie State heard.

2. LSU - Goin' down to Oxford

3. Oregon - Dixon looks good

4. OU - Sooners allowed 21 to Baylor...Tech?

5. Mizzou - Looking toward showdown with KU

6. WV - Unstoppable running game

7. UH - Maybe the most dominant WAC team ever

8. ASU - Tough but close loss to Oregon

9. UGA - Wow. Auburn is still shocked.

10. the OSU - shocked by Illini, waiting for the battle in the Big House

Week 11

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:23:11 +0000

Illinois, once the cinderella of the Big 10 (when this season started) is now tasked with the unenviable trip to the 'shoe to take on the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State proved last week against Wisconsin that it has much more than just a powerful D. The Bucks have a superior offense to balance it out, and QB Todd Boeckmann is doing more than just not making too many mistakes, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 23 TDs. Chris Wells is living up to the expectations he set as a prep standout, and is a tough player for any D to game plan for. The Illini, on the other hand, only lost to Iowa in a bad fashion (in the sense that they really should have won, but 6 points was not enough). They lost to a good Michigan club and a good Mizzou club. They beat Wisconsin and Penn State and buried everybody else they played, including Minnesota last week. Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams are dangerous when they touch the football, not to mention Arrelious Benn. Will the Illini bring enough firepower, or will the Buckeyes prove dominant yet again?

USC travels to Berkley in their annual clash with Cal. Surprisingly, no Pac 10 title is on the line like everybody thought at the beginning of the season. The Trojans have seemingly stumbled from their lofty perch, dropping the shocker at home to Stanford and a tough one in Autzen stadium to Oregon a couple weeks ago. Similarly, Cal lost back-to-back-to-back games to Oregon State, at UCLA, and at Arizona State before overcoming their skid (barely) against Wazzu last week. Will the Trojans reestabilish themselves, or will Cal hand them a third loss?

Florida State travels to Blacksburg a week after doing what the Hokies could not: beat BC. Now the Hokies must fight to stay atop the ACC Coastal standings with hopes of potentially challenging BC to a rematch. Will the Hokies reign supreme, or will the Noles turn out the lights in Blackburg?

In what may have been pegged as a fight for the Big East Title at the beginning of the season, Louisville travels down to Morgantown to take on West Virginia. The Cardinals have suffered through 4 losses by a touchdown or less (and a few agonizingly close victories), disappointing many that pegged them as the class of the Big East. Meanwhile the Mountaineers' only loss (and only close game this year) was in Tampa to a tough South Florida team. Will Louisville regain some pride, or will Steve Slaton and Pat White run roughshod on the Cardinals D, or both?

Auburn travels to UGA in what always amounts to an entertaining slugfest between the hedges. Both are trying to stay alive for the SEC Championship Game, with UGA leading the SEC East. While Auburn's hopes for the SEC West title are slim, with LSU leading the pack, the Bulldogs are very much alive. This is the last game for Auburn prior to a two-week break before the Iron Bowl. Will the Bulldogs stay on top of the East, or will Auburn lay it all on the line and keep a small glimmer of hope alive?

Stay tuned, sports fans. All these questions and more will find an answer this weekend.

My top 10:

1. the OSU - waiting for the battle in the Big House

2. LSU - Survived Tuscaloosa unscathed. Anybody else?

3. KU - When will the Jayhawks lose?

4. Oregon - Great O, tough D

5. OU - Sooners blasted the Aggies

6. Mizzou - Looking toward showdown with KU

7. WV - Unstoppable running game

8. UH - Maybe the most dominant WAC team ever

9. ASU - Tough but close loss to Oregon

10. BC - At home loss to FSU

Week 9 Complete...On to Week 10

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:29:53 +0000

Finally, a week without a top 5 shakeup...sort of. Oklahoma got leapfrogged in the AP and Coaches poll by Oregon, who proved they belong at the top of the Pac 10 by beating USC. Question is whether they will stay there. This week they host undefeated Arizona State (who beat Cal last weekend). The most exciting game turned out to be the rainy Thursday night game in Blacksburg, VA. Va Tech was given a ton of credit, but it was Matt Ryan who proved his mettle, leading the Eagles to a come from behind victory in a very tough venue. UConn beat South Florida in a somewhat surprising effort, and UGA pulled out the cocktail party to beat Florida by nearly two TDs. Who is the team to beat in the SEC East? Ohio State dominated the hell out of the Nittany Lions, and really shouldn't be challenged until they travel to the Big House for their annual battle with the Michigan Wolverines. On to Week 10.

Texas A&M travels to Norman to take on the Sooners. The Sooners control their own destiny at this point, but an Aggie win would put them back in the driver's seat, by virtue of their win over Okie State earlier this season. The Sooners have had a week to prepare, while the Aggies suffered a stinging loss in College Station to the surging Kansas Jayhawks. Will the Sooners prove that their struggles against Iowa State were the exception, or will the Aggies rule in Norman?

In what may be the game of the week, LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to take on the strange animal that is the Crimson Tide. If the same Tide that walloped the Vols 41-17 shows up, les Tigres may be in for a wild ride. If the Tide that lost close games to UGA and FSU (and needed luck to win at Ole Miss, I might add) shows up, it could be a foregone conclusion. The one thing in Nick Saban's favor is that he had two weeks to get ready for LSU. The biggest thing going against him is that Les Miles had the same two weeks to get ready for Bama. Which team made the best use of their two weeks and is Bama really ready for prime time?

Mizzou, possibly the best team in the North division of the Big XII and now ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 1981, travels to Boulder to take on the resurgent Buffaloes. The Tigers struggled a bit at home against the Iowa State Cyclones, leading by only a TD late in the 3rd quarter before pulling away, and must travel to a very dangerous venue (remember that the Buffs handed South leader Oklahoma their only loss of the season here at the end of September) to take on an inspired CU team. The Buffs are fresh off a close win in Lubbock against pinball machine scoring Texas Tech. Colorado actually dominated much of the game before the quick strike Red Raiders put up two late scores to pull within 5. This Buff defense, which intercepted Graham Harrell 4 times, is for real. Will Mizzou move one step closer to San Antonio and the Big XII Championship Game, or will Colorado make itself bowl eligible?

Florida State, still lacking an identity late in the season, finally broke a losing skid by toppling the Duke Blue Devils. Now they must travel to Baaston to take on the Cinderella-ish BC Eagles. It doesn't seem to favor the Seminoles, especially with the two extra days that BC has had to prepare following their victory in Blacksburg Thursday night. Still, if Bobby Bowden has shown anything, it is resilience and cunning. His team will be prepared to take the fight to the Eagles. Will the Noles suck the wind out from beneath the Eagles' wings? Better question -- will the Noles wear those ridiculous 'Unconquered' black unis in Boston?

In a game that I'm relatively certain nobody pegged as a 'game to watch' before the season started, Arizona State travels to Autzen stadium to take on the skyrocketing Oregon Ducks. Both teams did the impossible last week, the Ducks stunning the ever-present USC Trojans and the Sun Devils slapping the Cal Bears silly. Who knew? ASU, undefeated and rolling, now must face the vaunted spread-and-score offense and wiley Dennis Dixon. In the land of soul-crushing sound and look-the other-way officiating (sorry, couldn't help that jab at Oregon home-cooking). Did nobody else notice the blatant holding on nearly every play by the Ducks last week? If they could do it last week, they can do it again. Will the Sun Devils remain atop the Pac-10 (and in the top 5 of the BCS), or will the multi-colored Oregon Ducks climb that ladder?

Stay tuned, sports fans. These questions and more find an answer this week.

My top 10:

1. the OSU - waiting for the battle in the Big House

2. BC - High atop the ACC and unbeaten

3. ASU - Unbeaten so far. Tough test at Oregon

4. LSU - Tough test at Bama

5. KU - When will the Jayhawks lose?

6. Oregon - Great O, tough D, home cooking

7. OU - Sooners get aTm after two weeks off

8. Mizzou - Looking like the best of the North

9. WV - Best running team in the country

10. UConn - Did they really beat USF last week?

Week 8 Complete -- To Week 9

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:15:45 +0000

Being #2 is hazardous to your football health.

Let it be proclaimed: You don't want to be #2. Not this year anyway. Yet another #2 has fallen. A week after Cal fell to Oregon State and two weeks after Stanford pulled off their miracle over USC, it was South Florida falling to Rutgers on the road. I would be lying if I said it wasn't expected. All the characteristics of an upset were in place. On the road, on Thursday, at night, with a huge bullseye plastered on their collective chests, the South Florida Bulls' hopes for a perfect season crumbled. South Carolina's unexpected loss to Vandy was shocking. Alabama's punking of Tennessee was shocking.

Before the weekend, I never would have guessed that LSU beating Auburn in Baton Rouge would be shocking, but it was. Auburn had LSU beat. Down by only a point, LSU had not called a time out and only 6 seconds were left on the clock when they hiked the ball. Was it to kick the game-winning Field Goal? No. It was to have Matt Flynn launch a 22-yard pass to Demetrius Byrd in the end zone as time expired. After the game, coach Les Miles sounded as if he didn't even realize what happened. Obviously happy that they survived, he kept alluding to having enough time on the clock. Perhaps after reviewing the tape, he'll have a different take on it. Skin of their teeth.

And yet, the most surprising thing in my eyes was a lack-luster performance by the Oklahoma Sooners at bottom-feeder Iowa State. The painful Sooner performance was enough to allow unbeaten Arizona State and once-beaten Oregon to leapfrog the Sooners despite losses by three teams in their vicinity. Apparently, the computers don't like the Sooners' schedule. OU is #4 in both the AP and Coaches polls, but 6th in the BCS thanks to the computers. I suppose it is only fair play that the Sooners now take a hit from the same computers that put them into the 2004 Sugar Bowl after losing the Big XII championship game.

This week, like last week, begins on a Thursday night, as the #2 (gulp!!) BC Eagles must travel to Blacksburg to take on the Va Tech Hokies. Again, on the road, on Thursday, at night, with a huge bullseye plastered on their collective chests. The Eagles have one of the best QBs in the country in Matt Ryan, who has thrown for 2,148 yards and 17 TDs with only 6 INTs enroute to BC having a perfect record through 7 games. The Hokies, on the other hand, got derailed by LSU in Baton Rouge in week 2 48-7. Since then, they have stayed perfect, blasting Clemson two weeks ago 41-23 in Death Valley. Will the BC Eagles escape the curse of #2, or will the Hokies maintain their perfect conference record?

Florida and Georgia meet up for their annual Cocktail Party (oops...the NCAA might hunt me down and murder my children for saying it out loud) in Jacksonville. It should be a fun one. UGA has been struggling to find an identity much of the season. They got blasted at Tennessee, but won at Bama. They lost close to South Carolina, but won close against the same Vandy team that beat South Carolina this past weekend. About the only thing in the Bulldogs' favor is the two weeks they have had to prepare for this. UF, once among the favorites for the BCS championship, finally got back on track in Lexington this past weekend after dropping back to back games to Auburn and at LSU. The Gators are still in the hunt for the SEC East, and beating the Dawgs would put them one step closer. Will Tim Tebow further his Heisman claim, or will the Dawgs pull out a win in J-ville?

USC, another odds-on favorite at the beginning of the season for the national championship, lost a ton of respect when they lost at home to bottom-feeder Stanford. Last week, they became the second team this season to blank the Notre Dame Fighting (pffffft) Irish 38-0. They did it in South Bend. The Trojans haven't really dominated anyone of note. At the same time, they've only lost once. Whether the ratings beating they took is worthy will be evident this weekend when they travel to Autzen stadium to take on the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks, in contrast, have stomped on everybody they've played (to include Michigan in the Big House). Everybody but Cal at the end of September. Cal won by a TD for the first time in Autzen stadium since 1987 on September 29. Will USC regain their swagger, or will the Ducks prove they belong in the top 5?

Ohio State must travel to Happy Valley to defend their top spot against the Nittany Lions. Penn State won by 5 points at Indiana this past weekend, which complements Ohio State winning by a touchdown against Michigan State in the Shoe. Beaver Stadium will doubtless be packed and roaring come game time. The Buck D is stifling, but the offense has been questionable at times. Will the Bucks survive their first road test, or will the Lions roar for Joe Pa?

Cal must travel to fiery Sun Devil Stadium for a matchup between nationally ranked Pac 10 teams. Arizona State is in the top 5 of the BCS for the first time this season. The biggest win for the Sun Devils was a week 2 drubbing of Colorado in Tempe. Many are wondering how real the Devils are. Beating the Bears would go a long way toward establishing that. Cal is on a two game skid, after becoming the second #2 to fall two weeks ago to the Beavers of Oregon State, and losing last week to the same UCLA Bruins that Notre Dame stomped in their only win. Before questioning Cal's strength, one should recognize that they handed Oregon their only defeat a few weeks ago in Eugene, and they beat Tennessee by two TDs to start the season. Which team will establish legitimacy in the desert?

Stay tuned, sports fans. These questions and more find an answer in week 9.

My Top 10 for this week:

1. the OSU - tough test at Penn State

2. BC - tough test at Va Tech

3. ASU - Unbeaten so far. Tough test vs. Cal

4. LSU - Gutsy? Crazy? Take your pick.

5. KU - When will the Jayhawks lose?

6. Oregon - Great O

7. USC - Best performance last week

8. OU - Sooner D is only reason they beat ISU

9. UF - Did what LSU couldn't last week

10. Mizzou - Dominant against TTech last week

College Football Week 8

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:59:47 +0000

Bang. Bang. Two more top 5s bite the dust.

Week 7 was very exciting. Kentucky pulled off a triple-OT stunning upset of top-ranked LSU. The Tigers had looked unbeatable before traveling to Lexington and failing to get the TD in the 3rd OT. Then Cal lost to Oregon State, and I do mean LOST to Oregon State. The Bears were in the red zone with a few seconds left. And they ran the ball. With no time outs. Yeah. Brilliant. So that put the Ohio State in the top spot, followed by South Florida, BC, OU, and LSU (I guess enough people thought the UK win was a fluke). In other news, Boise pulled off a quadruple-OT win over Nevada Sunday night on the smurf turf. Colin Kaepernick was looking a little like Vince Young in the Rose Bowl shortly before being tackled short of the goal line on the two point conversion to seal an amazing 69-67 win for the Broncos that proved just how much more fun college football is to watch than the NFL version several channels away at the same time.

The week begins with South Florida traveling to Piscataway, NJ to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Thursday night. The Scarlet Knights just ended a two game skid by beating the Syracuse Orange. They have big play potential, but struggled against Cincinnati and Maryland. I guarantee you James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) will be in the crowd for this one. The Bulls, on the other hand, are extremely dangerous and fired up. They just blasted a Central Florida team that held their own against Texas. They've won at Auburn and they beat West Virginia. This team is real enough that they might just deserve that #2 ranking. Will they prove it, or will Tony Soprano's Knights do the talking?

Two high-flying spread offenses collide as 6-1 Texas Tech travels to Columbia on Saturday to take on the 5-1 Mizzou Tigers. Mizzou is coming off a tough loss to the #4 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, while the Red Raiders crushed Texas A&M 35-7 in Lubbock. The Tigers hung tough in Norman, even taking a brief lead, before a series of mistakes allowed the Sooners to capitalize for the win. Tech's lone loss came in a 49-45 shootout at Oklahoma State on September 22. Graham Harrell is playing very well, but the Raiders will need some kind of pirate magic in their defense to slow down Chase Daniel and Mizzou. Which score-a-thon spread offense will prevail in Columbia?

Auburn, ever the upset minded team under Tommy Tuberville, is looking to hand the LSU Tigers their second straight loss. After a defensive slugfest against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, the Auburn Tigers are on a 4 game tear, including an upset win in the swamp over the Florida Gators. Les Miles and his LSU Tigers, despite a horrifically nail-biting 3-OT loss in Lexington, Kentucky, are still in the top 5 of everyone's poll. They are a tough team at home, among the toughest in the nation, but if Auburn could win in the swamp, they could win anywhere. Even in Baton Rouge. Which Tiger will prevail deep down in Loosiana: Aubie or Mike?

Kentucky, facing the second part of a scary home double-header, must now take on Tim Tebow and the Urban Gators. They must feel pretty fortunate to get both LSU and Florida in Lexington, but at the same time, having to play both is hardly a godsend, especially considering it is in consecutive weeks. It will be very tough for Andre Woodson and the Wildcats to inspire a repeat performance of their (now mentioned for the third time) triple-OT victory from last week. Florida, however, is hardly the seemingly unbeatable juggernaut they were last year. In fact, they are on a two-game losing streak following a home loss to Auburn and a road loss to LSU. Maybe Tebow and company can take solice in the fact that Kentucky's mascot is not a Tiger. Will Woodson and company pull off another stunning upset, or will Super Tim prove his mettle in Lexington?

Michigan, once the whipping boy of the entire nation for their loss at home to App State (and a severe beatdown in the big house to the Oregon Ducks in week 2), are now sitting pretty just below rival Ohio State in the Big 10 standings atop a five game winning streak. The streak is impressive, considering the rocky start of the Wolverines, the beat downs of Notre Dame (38-0) and Purdue (48-21), and the defensive victory over Penn State in Week 4. Illinois has played beyond most expectations, partly due to a recruiting boom with the arrival of Ron Zook at the helm. Losing to Mizzou in week 1 was tough. Losing at Iowa last week was even rougher, considering how the Illini lost. Eddie McGee seemingly had the game won with a receiver open in the endzone at the end of the game. His relief of Juice Williams would have been justified. Enter Brett Greenwood of Iowa. In one of those undefinable moments of football, McGee seemed to throw the ball right into Greenwood's breadbasket for an INT. Game over. Now they play host to a white hot Michigan team in Champagne. Will the Wolverines extend their winning streak, or will the Fighting Illini regroup at home?

Stay tuned, sports fans. These questions and more find an answer this weekend.

My Top 10 for this week:

1. the Ohio State - still standing

2. BC - good QB play and a tough D

3. USF - possibly the best in the country?

4. ASU - unbeaten and looking strong

5. OU - big win at home against Mizzou

6. UK - biggest win in program history last week

7. South Carolina - Tough, tough D

8. KU - yup, til somebody beats them

9. LSU - tough loss in 3OT on the road

10. Cal - I shouldn't even put them in the top 10 after the worst clock management in history

Week 7

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:34:32 +0000

SHAZAM! Buster Douglas KO's Iron Mike Tyson...Oh, Wait, Wrong Sport...

Well, well, well. Another week of top 10 teams going down. USC went down to a gutty Stanford club in the Coliseum, Wisconsin predictably lost to an upstart Illini team, and Florida came out on the short end of the stick in Baton Rouge. South Florida struggled against FAU, while Ohio State and BC dominated Purdue and BG respectively. The Stanford Cardinal's performance in LA is the stuff of legend, beating everybody's unbeatable team, in their house, on two amazing 4th down conversions. Simply put, what college football is all about.

Oklahoma won the Red River Shootout last weekend, catapulting them up to #6 (and consequently dropping the Longhorns to #23), while Mizzou blasted the Cornhuskers to jump up to #11. Mizzou is undefeated, and a bit of a surprise, while the Sooners were expected to be undefeated (granted the win in Dallas), and are a bit of a surprise the other way. The loss in Boulder was painful for the Sooner nation, but the team bounced back against Texas and now faces a Mizzou team that put on an even bigger show against the depleted Husker D than did USC a few weeks ago. Will the Tigers move on to 6-0, or will the Sooner Schooner triumph in Norman?

Purdue lost some legitimacy when they got trounced at home by the Ohio State University last week. Michigan lost a lot of legitimacy when they lost at home to Appalachian State (a point of fact that has been beaten into the Big Blue fan base for weeks now). Will Big Blue reclaim the big house, or will the Boilermakers step up?

LSU travels to Lexington to take on a surprisingly tough Wildcat team. The Tigers have looked positively unbeatable this year, and manhandled the same Gamecocks that thrashed UK last week. Andre Woodson has shown himself to be a legitimate candidate for the Heisman trophy (among other things). Glenn Dorsey (LSU DT) has been spoken of as a potential candidate for the *gulp* Heisman trophy. Dorsey is as dominant as any D-Lineman I've seen in years. I doubt anybody will give him serious Heisman consideration down the stretch, but that doesn't mean he's not legitimate. It just means the Heisman is an overinflated award that doesn't go to the BEST player in College football. Will Woodson establish his claim to the Heisman in a game for the ages, or will Dorsey make another big statement on the national stage?

Colorado beat Oklahoma. Yes, they lost big on the road to ASU, and yes, they lost close to a tough FSU D, but they did more to reestablish the Big XII North than any other team in the Big XII. Except, that is, for the team they play this week: K-State. K-State has beaten Texas two years straight. These two teams combined to beat the two perennial National title contenders of the Big XII South. Cody Hawkins has shown how well a freshman can play in his father's offense. Big Josh Freeman and Ron Prince have reinvigorated what was once the best team in the Big XII North. K-State stumbled against Kansas last week, while Colorado buried Baylor. Will the Buffs step up, or will purple power prevail?

Georgia Tech's visit to Miami looked promising before the start of the season. Now that Miami has lost twice and the Yellow Jackets thrice, it doesn't look as promising. At the same time, Miami lost to Oklahoma in Norman (by a lot), and lost last week to former Miami head coach Butch Davis and North Carolina. Time will tell, but Randy Shannon was a player and assistant under Davis and may take some time to adjust to playing his former mentor. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, has lost two games by a total of 7 points, and got beat at home by Boston College, the current #4 team in the country. Big wins at Notre Dame and against Clemson have been overshadowed by a muffed punt that led to a TD and a missed field goal last week against the Terps of Maryland. Will the Canes get back into the ACC hunt, or will the Yellowjackets climb above .500?

Stay tuned, sports fans. These questions and more will find their answers this weekend.

My Top 10 for this week:

1. LSU

2. The OSU

3. Cal

4. BC

5. USF

6. Mizzou

7. ASU

8. South Carolina

9. OU

10. USC

Week 6 Games and Notes

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 06:43:58 +0000

Wow...Just WOW

5 top 10 teams bit the dust in what could easily be remembered forever as 'Upset weekend'. First, West Virginia dropped to USF in Tampa Friday night. Then OU lost at Colorado on a last second field goal. Meanwhile, Texas was getting thumped by K-State in Austin, Rutgers was getting beat by the Terps in Piscataway, and Florida was falling to Auburn in Gainesville. Never did I expect to see such upheaval in one weekend. This is why we all love College Football. There's nothing else like it on earth.

We begin with the Red River war, which took a huge hit this weekend when both teams, who would have been in the top 10 going into Saturday, lost (Texas by 20 points at home to K-State!. Yet, this is still OU-Texas, and it does still mean a great deal (hey, the loser is 0-2 in the Big XII). Granted, it may not launch the winner into a champioonship driver's seat of any kind, but it is going to be exciting, emotions will run high, and the game will be for more than bragging rights. Will Stoops regain his dominance of the series, or will Mack run his streak to three games?

Nebraska, after struggling mightily for the third straight week, visits Columbia to face the unbeaten Tigers. Mizzou wants hop into the driver's seat in the Big XII North, but Bill Callahan better win quick. His seat is engulfed in flames right now. Will the hungry Tigers stake their claim, or will Big Red jump in front of the North yet again?

Kentucky is rolling right now. Andre' Woodson is apparently the real deal, and he has been demonstrating his prowess weekly. His 301 yards and 5 TDs last week came against Florida Atlantic. South Carolina is not Florida Atlantic, especially not on Defense. The Cocks have been powerful on D, wrecking everybody but LSU along the way. Will UK emerge with a big win in South Carolina, or will the ol' ball coach show everybody how it's done?

Florida's trip to Red Stick was supposed to be the be all-end all game of this weekend. Unfortunately for the Gators, Auburn proved how beatable a defending National Champ can be. That won't diminish from how much is on the line in this game, however. Especially for the Bayou Bengals. National Title hopes are still on the line for them, and the BCS championship is in their backyard this year. Will LSU emerge as the dominant team in the SEC, or will Tim Tebow will a victory over the staunch Tiger D?

Purdue (5-0) is like Rodney Dangerfield. They get no respect (not even from me, apparently). They have slammed every patsy they've played, to include Notre Dame last week (although the Irish got closer than anybody else to beating the Boilermakers). If it's respect that Purdue wants, it can earn that respect this week against the Buckeyes. Ohio State is emerging as a Top 10 team again, spanking Minnesota last week. The Bucks must visit West Lafayette to remain atop the Big 10. Will Purdue climb into the ranks of the respected, or will Ohio State show why it is the top team in the Big 10 right now?

All of these questions and more are bound to find an answer this weekend, so stay tuned.

My Top 10:

1.LSU

2.USC

3.Ohio State

4.Cal

5.Kentucky

6.USF

7.BC

8.Wisconsin

9.Mizzou

10.OU

My Website

CFB Week 5

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:11:30 +0000

Oklahoma faces its first road test a week before the traditional showdown in the Cotton Bowl. Colorado may not be fully back to where they were under Gary Barnett, but coach's son Cody Hawkins is certainly doing his fair share of bringing the Boise State offense to Boulder. The Sooners, of course, have proven to be the most dominant offensive team in college football through the first four games. Will Dan Hawkins' Boise trickeration rear its head against the mighty OU juggernaut, or will Boomer Sooner ring loudly in Colorado?

Who in the preseason would have thought that West Virginia and South Florida would mark a meeting of Big East heavyweights? Probably nobody. The Mountaineers and their powerful ground game must make the journey to face the same team that knocked off the Auburn Tigers two weeks ago. Last week, the Bulls stomped a Butch Davis-coached North Carolina Team. Will the Bulls reign in Tampa, or will Steve Slaton and Pat White declare themselves the class of the Big East once again?

The mighty Cal Bears, who have been touted as 'the only team that can take down USC in the Pac-10', must make the dreaded trip to Autzen stadium to battle the surprisingly tough Oregon Ducks. The Bears' marquee win was over the Vols in week 1 and the ducks stomped Meechigan in the big house.
Neither victory seems all that impressive in retrospect, but each of these teams is averaging more than 40 points/game. The Ducks average nearly 50 points. Will the fluorescent yellow and green ducks have the last quack orm will canard be on the menu for the Bears?

K-State travels to Texas in a repeat of the game that began the Longhorn slide at the end of last season. You can bet Mack's gang will have it out for the Wildcats. After dropping the season opener at Auburn, the cats have stomped their last two opponents (one was Division FCS Missouri State, but still). Texas struggled in their season opener with Arkansas State and against TCU (before pulling away). Then they nearly got beat by the Central Florida Knights on the road before stomping a mudhole in the Rice Owls. Which Texas team will show up, and will the K-State Wildcats be ready?

The Spartans are 4-0 as they travel to Camp Randall Stadium to take on the equally undefeated Wisconsin Badgers. Will Wisconsin prove its mettle and stay perfect, or will Michigan State start a new chapter in the Big 10?

Week 4

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:26:36 +0000

Franchione and company have racked up a 3 game winning streak to start the season, while Miami lost in Norman to the Sooners in week 2. Don't count these Canes out, though, especially not at home. A&M rallied to beat Fresno in week 2, but has blasted both ULM and Montana State (I know). This game could get interesting if the Aggies get rattled in the Orange Bowl. Will Miami get back on track, or will A&M pull out a big one in Coral Gables?

South Carolina surprised everyone when they beat UGA in Athens. Defense has been the big surprise for these Gamecocks. Everyone knew they would be good, but I doubt many saw them eating up the Dawgs. LSU, on the other hand, has been everything everyone in Baton Rouge expected and hoped for. They have positively dominated opponents on both sides of the ball. Will Early Doucet's absense make a difference, or will the Tigers Geaux, Geaux, Geaux?

Both Penn State and Michigan buried Notre Dame. Michigan got off to a Rocky start (losing to App State close and Oregon bad), while the Nittany Lions have stomped all three of their opponents (FIU, Buffalo, and the aforementioned ND). Will the Lions exploit a questionable Wolverine secondary, or will the Blue rule the Big House once again?

The Red Raiders of Texas Tech have been averaging 51 points a game (no surprise against SMU, UTEP, and Rice), but they have a point differential of 30. The Oklahoma State Cowboys, in contrast, have not lived up to their billing as the 'greatest offense in the world', getting punked by UGA and Troy. Granted, Troy is not the joke many think they are, and it was in Athens, but still. Will Mike Gundy's offense regain its reputation, or will the Red Raiders fly all over Boone Pickens Stadium in a display of Mike Leachian O?

UK shocked many when they beat Louisville last week. Senior QB Andre Woodson has passed for 743 yards and 9 TDs (with 0 INTs) in three games. He is showing himself to be the real deal. Arkansas got stunned at Bama last week. Darren McFadden, however, is looking to reestablish his Heisman hype. Will Woodson pass all day, or will D-Mac show off the arm and legs that have made him so famous?

Stay tuned, sports fans. All these questions and more get answers in Week 4.

Week 3 Games and Notes

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:09:13 +0000

BC visits the ATL to take on a good Georgia Tech team. BC is coming into A-town after smacking down former coach Tom O'Brien and his NC State Wolfpack. The seven turnovers the Eagles caused and RB Andre Callender's 158 yards and 2 TDs made it look easy. Meanwhile, the Yellowjackets are fresh off a tune-up game against Samford (a Baptist school from Birmingham, AL) after drubbing the Notre Dame Fighting (heh) Irish in South Bend. In the Samford game, RB Tashard Choice had 110 yards rushing IN THE FIRST QUARTER. I know, it was against a FCS (formerly I-AA) school nobody outside of the deep south has ever even heard of, but still. So, will the Ramblin' Wreck, stick it to the Eagles, or will the boys from Beantown squash the flying stingers in the ATL?

Tennessee travels to Gainesville to battle the #5 Gators. The defending national champs have yet to face a challenge, beating Western Kentucky (yawn) and Troy (eh) in consecutive weeks. Their defense has seemed mildly questionable at times, and Tim Tebow has lived up to his billing as the next Alex Smith (2005 Draft Pick #1) Tennessee lost at Cal by two TDs (payback for the beatdown they put on to start last season) and clobbered Southern Miss in Neyland. Tennessee is very talented (as always) and so is Florida. Can Timmy Tebow put on a brilliant show of superhuman strength, or will the Vols reign in the Swamp?

USC must venture into Lincoln, which has sold out its last 283 games (dating to a 1962 game against Mizzou) to face the sea of red. So the boys of Troy can expect a record crowd (something tells me everybody in the state of Nebraska tried to get tickets to this one), a fired up team, and a lot of noise. Sam Keller, who by many accounts should have been the starter at Arizona State last year, looks poised. The Husker D looks like it is on its way back to mid-'90s black shirt form. On the other hand, Nebraska nearly lost to Wake Forest and their second string QB last week. USC played a very controlled brand of bland football against the Idaho Vandals two weeks ago. It was a blowout (38-10), but not as impressive as most thought it should have been, especially coming on the heels of Oklahoma's 79-10 crushing of North Texas on Fox Sports Net. USC was everyone's golden team coming into the season. Will the Trojans march into Lincoln and solidify their top spot, or will the Huskers rekindle their golden years with a victory over #1?

Arkansas, whose late run for the SEC West crown had people buzzing in the post-season, must visit the resurgent Crimson Tide, whose $5M purchase of former Dolphins coach Nick Saban had people buzzing in the offseason. Arkansas has only played one game. They buried Troy, and Heisman candidate Darren McFadden showed off his legs and his arm. The Tide smacked Western Carolina in the mouth, then nearly let their game against the Vandy Commodores slip away last week. Can Arkansas prove that last season was no fluke, or will the Tide Roll?

The Buckeyes visit the Huskies in what could be a memorable matchup. Ohio State beat Jim Tressel's old school Youngstown State (a FCS squad) pretty good, then their offense scored every point in their game against Akron last week. Yeah, Akron's Brion Stokes tackled Ohio State RB Chris Wells in the end zone for the Zips' only points, but the Ohio State D didn't give up any points. Not very impressive from a team that took it all the way to the BCS Championship Game a year ago. The Huskies, on the other hand, buried Syracuse there in week 1 and ended the longest winning streak in the nation last week by beating Boise State. Is Ty Willingham's Washington for real or will the Bucks dominate in Husky Stadium?

All these questions and more will be answered this week, sports fans...so stay tuned.

Week 2

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:08:25 +0000

This week should be interesting.

OU hosts Miami for the first meeting between the two teams since the 1988 National Championship Orange Bowl that pitted #1 OU against #2 Miami (Switzer vs. Johnson). Although both teams dominated their competition last week (OU beat UNT 79-10 and Miami beat Marshall 31-3), only OU is ranked this time. Miami's 7-6 record may be the biggest factor in them not being ranked, but Coach Randy Shannon looks to right the Hurricanes rather quickly with a bevy of talent and a hard-nosed approach to competition. Although it is unclear how good these two teams truly are, it should be an exciting game. Can the Hurricanes rekindle their prior dominance or will the Sooner Schooner run roughshod over the U in Norman?

Va Tech visits LSU for what should be a classic defensive battle. Both teams are loaded and ranked in the top 10. The Tigers smacked down Mississippi State last week 45-0 and the Hokies (in a game that was colored by a pre-game homage to the victims of the massacre) beat the ECU Pirates 17-7. LSU is looking for a crystal football, but will Beamer ball prove to be too tough a test?

Oregon travels to Michigan in the first game post-apocalypse. After the Wolverines lost in the Big House to "lowly" (FCS back-to-back champion) Appalachian State, everybody and their brother was calling for Lloyd Carr's job. Oregon pulled an upset in Autzen over Meechigan a few years ago that knocked them out of the top 10. This will be the true test for the Wolverines as they try to rebound. Can they find the motivation to overcome their funk, or will the Mighty Ducks pull off upset #2 against the Big Blue?

The TCU Horned Frogs travel down to Austin in a battle that once figured heavily in the race for the Southwest Conference. Now the Longhorns, who barely pulled off a win over the Arkansas State Indians last week, are looking to make a statement. But TCU is not a team to be taken lightly. They blanked Baylor 27-0 without standout Defensive End Tommy Blake. Coach Gary Patterson has built a Tier-II dynasty in Dallas, and could boost his team up with another win over a Big XII Powerhouse (the Horned Frogs beat Oklahoma in Norman in the 2005 Season opener). Will Texas and Sophomore QB Colt McCoy show TCU what a BCS powerhouse can do, or will the Frogs hop into the upper half of the Top-25?

South Carolina and Steve Spurrier travel down to Athens for a game against Mark Richt's Georgia Bulldogs. UGA manhandled Oklahoma State last week 35-10, while the Gamecocks just barely pushed Louisiana-Lafayette out of Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC. The Ragin' Cajuns gave 2nd String QB Chris Smelley and 3rd String QB Tommy Beecher a run for their respective money. UGA, on the other hand, put the O-State Cowboys away early in the second half, behind the passing of Sophomore QB Matt Stafford (18/24, 234 Yds, 2 TDs). The UGA Defense was solid, sacking Cowboy QB Bobby Reid 5 times. Will the return of Gamecock starting QB Blake Mitchell be enough, or will the Bulldogs eat SC for lunch?

All these questions and more will be answered this weekend, sports fans. Stay tuned.

Preseason Post #1

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 06:24:02 +0000

I don't know how many years in a row this is, but USC is once again...

#1 USC is in its own universe of talent. Once again, USC has all the talent to take their game all the way to the Sugar Bowl and the National Championship. What happens along the way is the reason we watch college football.

Why? The offense is led by John David Booty, who seems to be in a great rhythm now as the QB. His inaugural campaign produced 3,347 yards and 29 TDs (to 9 INTs), which was surprisingly not enough to garner the Heisman attention of his predecessor (Arizona Cardinals starter Matt Leinart), but it was enough to get some All-America consideration this year, especially after his brilliant performance (27/45 for 391 and 4 TDs) in the Rose Bowl against what many considered (prior to January) to be the second best team in the country. Three Linemen return for the offense, and they are road-graders. The real strength of Troy, however, is on the other side of the football. Their Defense is likely going to be the best D in the country this year. Starting with the line, DT Sedrick Ellis and DE Lawrence Jackson both return (and both could have made the leap to the NFL last year). Incoming freshman DE Everson Griffen may have been the best prep player in the country last year. Although unlikely, it could be interesting to see if he competes early for PT. The LBs are probably the best unit in the country. Rey Maualuga is a stud in the middle, and Brian Cushing is not the same outside backer he was when he got juked out of his jock by Vince Young in the 2006 Rose Bowl. He is mature, bigger, and very very fast. Keith Rivers looks equally unstoppable on the other side. The Trojans are so good in the secondary, they could start anybody in the two-deep. Overall, this is the most complete team coming into the season. How that translates is going to be fun to watch.

Why Not? Ummmm...inexperience at Receiver? Nah...the Trojans have yet to slip in talent at receiver this decade. Junior WR Patrick Turner, Sophomore Flanker Vidal Hazelton, and Senior Tight End Fred Davis should be just as dominating as their predecessors. Losing Ryan Kalil (a stalwart for four years at Center) will hurt the O-Line, but senior Matt Spanos should be sufficient. USC needs consistent running from their high-school All-American backfield. None of these 'Five-Star Recruits' has done much on the D-I level. Chauncey Washington led the group with 744 yards and 9 TDs, and CJ Gable looks to have the most upside (434 yards and 4 TDs). None of them have shown their inner Reggie Bush or LenDale White yet, but that's a pretty high bar. The only thing that might hurt USC is a big head. UCLA/Oregon State/InsertpatsyPac10schoolhere could catch USC off guard. And that's pretty much it. USC will have to beat itself. Nobody else looks as complete right now.

Instant Impact? It could be just about anybody they are bringing in. Once again, USC is bringing in a 'Who's Who' of prep talent. DE Everson Griffen and RB Joe McKnight top the list, but RB Marc Tyler, LB Chris Galippo, and WR Ron Johnson are easily among the best at their position, as well. Likely, the Trojans are too loaded for any of these guys to see significant time, but I'm going with Griffen.

Computer Access Granted

Mon, 28 May 2007 05:39:20 +0000

Well, I made the drive from A-Town to Fort Leonard Wood yesterday. I took 20W to Birmingham, 78 to Memphis, 63 to Houston, MO, and 17/AW the rest of the way. I left at about noon and got in around 2300. So about an 11 hour drive. This was the first time I've taken the southern route. It was a much nicer drive until I reached Memphis. 78 turns into Lamar Ave when you hit M-Town. Let me tell you about Lamar: it's pretty ghetto. I came rolling into town with my dogs in the backseat and I must have looked a little redneck as I drove in. The real problem wasn't the 26" rims on a Hummer crowd, though. It was the confusion with linking into 63. You actually have to take 55N toward St. Louis before you can link into 63. I did not know this. I did get on 55, but when I didn't see 63, I took 40W to Little Rock, before turning around at the Arkansas Welcome Center. Luckily, I ran into a wonderful lady at the desk that pointed me in the right direction. So here I am...back at Fort Leonard Wood...yippee.

Apologies for lack of posting...

Tue, 15 May 2007 07:22:45 +0000

ALCON,

I haven't posted in a few days, because I've been prepping to move. I will be out of the net for at least the next few weeks. I hope y'all can understand. I'll be back to full posting form soon. God Bless.