Since last I have looked at this, a few bowls have offered bids. The teams in italics have accepted.
Dec. 20 - Pointsetta Bowl
Utah vs. Navy
Dec. 21 - New Orleans Bowl
Troy vs. Memphis
Dec. 22 - Las Vegas Bowl
BYU vs. UCLA
New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State vs. New Mexico
Papajohns.com Bowl
Cincinatti vs. Southern Mississippi
Dec. 23 - Hawaii Bowl
East Carolina vs. Nevada
Dec. 26 - Motor City Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Indiana
Dec. 27 - Holiday Bowl
Oregon vs. Texas
Dec. 28 - Emerald Bowl
California vs. Maryland
Champs Sports Bowl
Clemson vs. Penn State
Texas Bowl
TCU* vs. Houston
Dec. 29 - Alamo Bowl
Michigan vs. Texas A&M
Liberty Bowl
Central Florida vs. Mississippi State
Dec. 29 - Meineke Car Care Bowl
Connecticut vs. Florida State
Dec. 30 - Independence Bowl
Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
Dec. 31 - Insight Bowl
Colorado vs. Oklahoma State
Chick-a-fil Bowl
Boston College vs. Arkansas
Music City Bowl
Florida State vs. Kentucky
Humanitarian Bowl
Boise State vs. Georgia Tech
Sun Bowl
Oregon State vs. South Florida
Armed Forces Bowl
Purdue* vs. Air Force
Jan. 1 - Capital One Bowl
Illinois vs. Florida
Gator Bowl
Virginia vs. Texas Tech
Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma vs. Auburn
Outback Bowl
Tennessee vs. Wisconsin
Rose Bowl
Ohio State vs. Arizona State
Sugar Bowl
LSU vs. Kansas
Jan. 2 - Fiesta Bowl
USC vs. Hawaii
Jan. 3 - Orange Bowl
Georgia vs. Virginia Tech
Jan. 5 - International Bowl
Bowling Green vs. Rutgers
Jan. 6 - GMAC Bowl
Ball State vs. Tulsa
Jan. 8 - BCS National Championship Game
Missouri vs. West Virginia
* Teams replacing conference tie-ins that don't have enough bowl eligible teams
Look for the complete, real, rundown after Dec. 2 and then come back for my thoughts on every bowl game as they happen. By all means though, disagree with me now...
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Who'da Seen That One Coming?
Arkansas outlasting LSU? Missouri manhandling KU? Well, I called that one. But didn't think the Tigers would fall...
You know, I had a point to this when I started it, but it disappeared.
Just keep Sean Taylor in your prayers.
UPDATE: Taylor passed away early Monday morning after being shot in the leg during a home invasion. He leaves behind an 18-month old daughter and the thoughts and prayers of everyone here are with his family and teammates as they cope with this tragic loss.
R.I.P. 21
You know, I had a point to this when I started it, but it disappeared.
Just keep Sean Taylor in your prayers.
UPDATE: Taylor passed away early Monday morning after being shot in the leg during a home invasion. He leaves behind an 18-month old daughter and the thoughts and prayers of everyone here are with his family and teammates as they cope with this tragic loss.
R.I.P. 21
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thoughts on The Border Battle, or, We Brought the Damned Noise
A few years ago, when it looked like I was going to be relocating to Cary, North Carolina (right outside of Raleigh) to live with my ex, people would invariably quiz me--politely--on my allegiances to sports teams. When I'd mention that I was an Ohio State Buckeyes fan, I'd get asked, almost without exception, "What's the deal with Michigan?" or "Do you guys really hate Michigan THAT much?"
This brings to mind a conversation that I had when I was on Duke's campus (and proudly wearing one of my scarlet and grey shirts). I had about a half hour to kill, and ended up talking to a guy in a Duke Blue Devils hoops jersey. Not surprisingly, we had a good conversation about college sport rivalries, but I swear, he tried to logically dissect why OSU fans loathe/detest/wish fire on Michigan. Every time someone down there would ask me why I hate Michigan so much, I'd simply ask them why they hate UNC, to the point where I know it drives some of them into damn near a feeding frenzy. There's no rhyme or reason to it--it just simply IS. Browns and Steelers fans know what I'm talking about. Ditto Duke and UNC fans. Same with Yanks and BoSox people. You can't define why the rivalry--and the hatred/animosity that's part of it--drives us to curse at the TV, set Michigan shirts on fire, and constantly invoke the spirit of Woody Hayes. We're products of our environment--and our environment around here is largely delineated, especially in mid-to-late November, by the OSU/U of M game.
Me? I've been an OSU fan all my life. Blame my dad, if you must. But my allegiance fills me with a dark yearning to see my enemies from Michigan crushed like the cockroaches they are, and to hear the sobbing lamentations of their women and children.
I revel in it.
I know you do too.
That's why, last Saturday, nothing pleased me more than seeing over 100,000 Michigan fans weeping into their blue-and-gold clothing like little girls with skinned knees. It was glorious.
The game itself, however, was kind of underwhelming. It was cold, gray, and rainy at the Big House, and with the exception of OSU's Beanie Wells, both teams looked like they were phoning in their performances at best. Mario Manningham decided he wouldn't make any receptions. Todd Boeckmann had a little Slip n' Slide-style fun. Henne and Hart, Michigan's two offensive leaders who were taking their last shots at beating Tressel's boys, made the gutsy decision to play through their respective injuries, but were non-factors. OSU's defense stiffened up nicely after a while, though, and we went home with the win.
Only 360 days till the next one...
PS: it was one of those moments that was small but emblematic, but I thought it was appropriate for the coin toss that they used one that had Woody's face on one side, and Bo's face on the other. They had probably the greatest college sports coaching rivalry in recent memory--we're talking Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader level here--and it was a good way to immortalize the two of them.
This brings to mind a conversation that I had when I was on Duke's campus (and proudly wearing one of my scarlet and grey shirts). I had about a half hour to kill, and ended up talking to a guy in a Duke Blue Devils hoops jersey. Not surprisingly, we had a good conversation about college sport rivalries, but I swear, he tried to logically dissect why OSU fans loathe/detest/wish fire on Michigan. Every time someone down there would ask me why I hate Michigan so much, I'd simply ask them why they hate UNC, to the point where I know it drives some of them into damn near a feeding frenzy. There's no rhyme or reason to it--it just simply IS. Browns and Steelers fans know what I'm talking about. Ditto Duke and UNC fans. Same with Yanks and BoSox people. You can't define why the rivalry--and the hatred/animosity that's part of it--drives us to curse at the TV, set Michigan shirts on fire, and constantly invoke the spirit of Woody Hayes. We're products of our environment--and our environment around here is largely delineated, especially in mid-to-late November, by the OSU/U of M game.
Me? I've been an OSU fan all my life. Blame my dad, if you must. But my allegiance fills me with a dark yearning to see my enemies from Michigan crushed like the cockroaches they are, and to hear the sobbing lamentations of their women and children.
I revel in it.
I know you do too.
That's why, last Saturday, nothing pleased me more than seeing over 100,000 Michigan fans weeping into their blue-and-gold clothing like little girls with skinned knees. It was glorious.
The game itself, however, was kind of underwhelming. It was cold, gray, and rainy at the Big House, and with the exception of OSU's Beanie Wells, both teams looked like they were phoning in their performances at best. Mario Manningham decided he wouldn't make any receptions. Todd Boeckmann had a little Slip n' Slide-style fun. Henne and Hart, Michigan's two offensive leaders who were taking their last shots at beating Tressel's boys, made the gutsy decision to play through their respective injuries, but were non-factors. OSU's defense stiffened up nicely after a while, though, and we went home with the win.
Only 360 days till the next one...
PS: it was one of those moments that was small but emblematic, but I thought it was appropriate for the coin toss that they used one that had Woody's face on one side, and Bo's face on the other. They had probably the greatest college sports coaching rivalry in recent memory--we're talking Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader level here--and it was a good way to immortalize the two of them.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Who You Got?... Bowls, Week 2
I'm gonna do this the easy way this week and go top down. A few of these aren't official but may as well be. There really aren't the shocks that we get around say Tournament Time with selections. Ok, here we go. And to clear some things up, I saw Oregon losing, didn't see Oklahoma and a functioning retard I may be, but as of last week Kansas didn't look to me that they'd be a. winning the Big 12 or b. getting an at-large BCS bid with so many other good teams. Some things have changed since last Wednesday, so I'm gonna claim 50-50 clairvoyance.
BCS National Championship Game (BCS #1 vs. BCS #2)
LSU vs. Missouri
- Am I too high on the Tigers? Possibly. But after Chase Daniels and crew plow past Kansas and a reeling Oklahoma, they'll take over the "coveted" #2 spot.
Orange Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Virginia Tech vs. Connecticut
- I love an underdog story and with a victory over WV on Saturday (which I think is possible) UConn takes the Big East automatic bid and becomes part one of this year's cinderella story. VaTech will walk on either BC of Clemson making this the feel-good game of the season.
Fiesta Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Oklahoma vs. Hawaii
- Despite losing the Big 12 Title game, OU should be snapped up as the Fiesta Bowl hook-up. Hawaii finishes the cinderella story by going to a BCS game with an unblemished record. Will the Sooners fall to a WAC team in a BCS game for the 2nd straight year? We shall see.
Rose Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Ohio State vs. Arizona State
- ASU takes care of business Thrusday night against the Trojans and earns this spot. Ohio State is all but a lock as the Big Ten Champions. No, they won't be jumping anyone to get back up to #2. And by the way, this is coming from a Bucks fan but that's what they get for scheduling Youngstown State and 2 MAC teams. Schmucks.
Sugar Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Georgia vs. Oregon
- UGA will get this as the SEC runner-ups, the Ducks get this assuming that they can finish the year by winning out without Dennis Dixon.
Okay, now that I've done most of the stuff for which I'll take flack for, here's the rest.
GMAC Bowl (C-USA #2 vs. MAC)
Central Florida vs. Miami, OH
- UCF loses the C-USA title game to Houston and promptly gets this bid. Same deal for Miami, who will fall to CMU on Dec. 1 and then pick this up. Quite a turnaround from last year. Shane Montgomery doing a tremendous job taking this team from 1-11 last year to a bowl this year.
International Bowl (Big East vs. MAC)
Rutgers vs. Bowling Green
- My Falcons get back to a bowl after thrashing UT for the Peace Pipe on Friday. Problem is that Ray Rice will probably run all over us in his collegiate finale.
Outback Bowl (Big Ten #3 vs. SEC #3)
Michigan vs. Tennessee
- Lloyd Carr gets one more New Year's Day game. Will a victory here, or even just getting here, be enough to save Phil Fulmer?
Cotton Bowl (Big 12 #2 vs. SEC #2)
Kansas vs. Auburn
- KU's cinderella season gets stopped in KC by Missouri, but they'll play on New Year's Day. Still not a bad turnaround for a team from the dismal Big 12 North. Auburn will be playing with some fire down the stretch.
Gator (ACC #3 vs. Big East/Big 12/Notre Dame)
Virginia vs. West Virginia
- Some dominos have to fall into place for this but after a WV collapse and upset, they get to the Big East's #2 bowl.
Capital One Bowl (Big Ten #2 vs. SEC #2)
Illinois vs. Florida
- Ron Zook finally gets to take on his former team. And does this look like a great game in the making, Juice vs. Tebow. Oh yes.
Armed Forces Bowl (Pac-10 #6 vs. MWC)
South Carolina vs. New Mexico
- South Carolina gets here because the Pac-10 won't have enough bowl eligible teams to fill out their ties. New Mexico has been a solid team that no one outside of the Mountain time zone has seen.
Sun Bowl (Pac-10 #3 vs. Big 12/Big East)
California vs. Louisville
- I get stuck here on this one, Louisville gets to a bowl if they upset Rutgers in 2 weeks. So that half is very iffy.
Humanitarian Bowl (WAC vs. ACC #8)
Boise State vs. Maryland
- Another bowl game on the Smurf Turf for the Broncos. That is what teh school has become known for. I swear I saw a recruiting commercial recently where they made everything blue. It's become part of the school's marketing. Helluva thing to be known for, but I'm not here to judge.
Music City Bowl (SEC vs. ACC #5/6/7)
Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech
- I got nothing here, it's a roulette between FSU, GT, and Wake. Really good to see Sylvester Croom in a bowl game. He's done an excellent job at turning around this program.
Chick-a-fil Bowl (SEC #5 vs. ACC #2)
Arkansas vs. Clemson
- Another roulette pick for me here in the PEACH Bowl, fuck this over-sponsored crap. More on that to come. The SEC secondary bowls here are all between, the Razorbacks, Alabama, and Kentucky.
Insight Bowl (Big Ten #6 vs. Big 12 #6)
Indiana vs. Nebraska
- Forget about Callahan's job in this one. This game is for Hep.
Independence Bowl (Big 12 #7 vs. SEC)
Texas A&M vs. Kentucky
- I got nothing really, I'm down to picking the leftover eligible teams for these games.
Meineke Car Care Bowl (ACC #5/6/7 vs. Big East #3)
Wake Forest vs. Cincinatti
- Cinci moving on up, hopefully to a BCS game in the near future.
Liberty Bowl (C-USA #1 vs. SEC #6)
Houston vs. Alabama
- You pick'em.
Alamo Bowl (Big Ten #4/5 vs. Big 12 #5)
Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State
- Not where the Badgers hoped to be, but still a bowl and in a down year for the Big 10 this is better than where they were picked to be preseason.
Texas Bowl (Big 12 #8 vs. C-USA #6)
Ball State* vs. Southern Mississippi
- Ball State gets the nod here because the Big 12 won't have enough elegible teams.
Champs Sports Bowl (ACC #4 vs. Big Ten #4/5)
Boston College vs. Penn State
- How the mighty have fallen.
Emerald Bowl (ACC #5/6/7 vs. Pac-10 #4)
NC State vs. Oregon State.
- Meh.
Holiday Bowl (Big 12 #2 vs. Pac-10 #2)
Texas vs. USC
- A Rose Bowl rematch with far less on the line, USC falls out of a Jan.1 bowl for the first time since 2001.
Motor City Bowl (MAC vs. Big Ten #7)
Central Michigan vs. Michigan State
- Mac Champs come back to Ford Field to play the surpising Spartans under 1st year head coach Mark Dantonio.
Hawaii Bowl (WAC vs. C-USA #5)
Fresno State vs. East Carolina
- For the first time in awhile, Hawaii will not be at home for the holidays...
Papajohns.com Bowl (Big East vs. C-USA #3)
South Florida vs. Tulsa
- Hey, another former #2!
New Mexico Bowl (MWC vs. WAC)
Air Force vs. Nevada
- The Falcons build a very good 9-3 season very quietly...
Las Vegas Bowl (MVC#1 vs. Pac-10 #5)
BYU vs. Purdue*
- Pac-10 won't qualify enough teams so Purdue slips in the back door and heads to Sin City.
New Orleans Bowl (Sun Belt #1 vs. C-USA #4)
Troy vs. Memphis
Poinsetta Bowl (MWC vs. at-large)
Utah vs. Navy
- Navy is the only lock here, they've already accepted the bid to start the bowl season.
December 20 starts the most fun a college football fan could ever have.
Let the arguing begin.
So have a Happy Thanksgiving and kick back and watch the Packers and the Lions tomorrow.
BCS National Championship Game (BCS #1 vs. BCS #2)
LSU vs. Missouri
- Am I too high on the Tigers? Possibly. But after Chase Daniels and crew plow past Kansas and a reeling Oklahoma, they'll take over the "coveted" #2 spot.
Orange Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Virginia Tech vs. Connecticut
- I love an underdog story and with a victory over WV on Saturday (which I think is possible) UConn takes the Big East automatic bid and becomes part one of this year's cinderella story. VaTech will walk on either BC of Clemson making this the feel-good game of the season.
Fiesta Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Oklahoma vs. Hawaii
- Despite losing the Big 12 Title game, OU should be snapped up as the Fiesta Bowl hook-up. Hawaii finishes the cinderella story by going to a BCS game with an unblemished record. Will the Sooners fall to a WAC team in a BCS game for the 2nd straight year? We shall see.
Rose Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Ohio State vs. Arizona State
- ASU takes care of business Thrusday night against the Trojans and earns this spot. Ohio State is all but a lock as the Big Ten Champions. No, they won't be jumping anyone to get back up to #2. And by the way, this is coming from a Bucks fan but that's what they get for scheduling Youngstown State and 2 MAC teams. Schmucks.
Sugar Bowl (BCS vs. BCS)
Georgia vs. Oregon
- UGA will get this as the SEC runner-ups, the Ducks get this assuming that they can finish the year by winning out without Dennis Dixon.
Okay, now that I've done most of the stuff for which I'll take flack for, here's the rest.
GMAC Bowl (C-USA #2 vs. MAC)
Central Florida vs. Miami, OH
- UCF loses the C-USA title game to Houston and promptly gets this bid. Same deal for Miami, who will fall to CMU on Dec. 1 and then pick this up. Quite a turnaround from last year. Shane Montgomery doing a tremendous job taking this team from 1-11 last year to a bowl this year.
International Bowl (Big East vs. MAC)
Rutgers vs. Bowling Green
- My Falcons get back to a bowl after thrashing UT for the Peace Pipe on Friday. Problem is that Ray Rice will probably run all over us in his collegiate finale.
Outback Bowl (Big Ten #3 vs. SEC #3)
Michigan vs. Tennessee
- Lloyd Carr gets one more New Year's Day game. Will a victory here, or even just getting here, be enough to save Phil Fulmer?
Cotton Bowl (Big 12 #2 vs. SEC #2)
Kansas vs. Auburn
- KU's cinderella season gets stopped in KC by Missouri, but they'll play on New Year's Day. Still not a bad turnaround for a team from the dismal Big 12 North. Auburn will be playing with some fire down the stretch.
Gator (ACC #3 vs. Big East/Big 12/Notre Dame)
Virginia vs. West Virginia
- Some dominos have to fall into place for this but after a WV collapse and upset, they get to the Big East's #2 bowl.
Capital One Bowl (Big Ten #2 vs. SEC #2)
Illinois vs. Florida
- Ron Zook finally gets to take on his former team. And does this look like a great game in the making, Juice vs. Tebow. Oh yes.
Armed Forces Bowl (Pac-10 #6 vs. MWC)
South Carolina vs. New Mexico
- South Carolina gets here because the Pac-10 won't have enough bowl eligible teams to fill out their ties. New Mexico has been a solid team that no one outside of the Mountain time zone has seen.
Sun Bowl (Pac-10 #3 vs. Big 12/Big East)
California vs. Louisville
- I get stuck here on this one, Louisville gets to a bowl if they upset Rutgers in 2 weeks. So that half is very iffy.
Humanitarian Bowl (WAC vs. ACC #8)
Boise State vs. Maryland
- Another bowl game on the Smurf Turf for the Broncos. That is what teh school has become known for. I swear I saw a recruiting commercial recently where they made everything blue. It's become part of the school's marketing. Helluva thing to be known for, but I'm not here to judge.
Music City Bowl (SEC vs. ACC #5/6/7)
Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech
- I got nothing here, it's a roulette between FSU, GT, and Wake. Really good to see Sylvester Croom in a bowl game. He's done an excellent job at turning around this program.
Chick-a-fil Bowl (SEC #5 vs. ACC #2)
Arkansas vs. Clemson
- Another roulette pick for me here in the PEACH Bowl, fuck this over-sponsored crap. More on that to come. The SEC secondary bowls here are all between, the Razorbacks, Alabama, and Kentucky.
Insight Bowl (Big Ten #6 vs. Big 12 #6)
Indiana vs. Nebraska
- Forget about Callahan's job in this one. This game is for Hep.
Independence Bowl (Big 12 #7 vs. SEC)
Texas A&M vs. Kentucky
- I got nothing really, I'm down to picking the leftover eligible teams for these games.
Meineke Car Care Bowl (ACC #5/6/7 vs. Big East #3)
Wake Forest vs. Cincinatti
- Cinci moving on up, hopefully to a BCS game in the near future.
Liberty Bowl (C-USA #1 vs. SEC #6)
Houston vs. Alabama
- You pick'em.
Alamo Bowl (Big Ten #4/5 vs. Big 12 #5)
Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State
- Not where the Badgers hoped to be, but still a bowl and in a down year for the Big 10 this is better than where they were picked to be preseason.
Texas Bowl (Big 12 #8 vs. C-USA #6)
Ball State* vs. Southern Mississippi
- Ball State gets the nod here because the Big 12 won't have enough elegible teams.
Champs Sports Bowl (ACC #4 vs. Big Ten #4/5)
Boston College vs. Penn State
- How the mighty have fallen.
Emerald Bowl (ACC #5/6/7 vs. Pac-10 #4)
NC State vs. Oregon State.
- Meh.
Holiday Bowl (Big 12 #2 vs. Pac-10 #2)
Texas vs. USC
- A Rose Bowl rematch with far less on the line, USC falls out of a Jan.1 bowl for the first time since 2001.
Motor City Bowl (MAC vs. Big Ten #7)
Central Michigan vs. Michigan State
- Mac Champs come back to Ford Field to play the surpising Spartans under 1st year head coach Mark Dantonio.
Hawaii Bowl (WAC vs. C-USA #5)
Fresno State vs. East Carolina
- For the first time in awhile, Hawaii will not be at home for the holidays...
Papajohns.com Bowl (Big East vs. C-USA #3)
South Florida vs. Tulsa
- Hey, another former #2!
New Mexico Bowl (MWC vs. WAC)
Air Force vs. Nevada
- The Falcons build a very good 9-3 season very quietly...
Las Vegas Bowl (MVC#1 vs. Pac-10 #5)
BYU vs. Purdue*
- Pac-10 won't qualify enough teams so Purdue slips in the back door and heads to Sin City.
New Orleans Bowl (Sun Belt #1 vs. C-USA #4)
Troy vs. Memphis
Poinsetta Bowl (MWC vs. at-large)
Utah vs. Navy
- Navy is the only lock here, they've already accepted the bid to start the bowl season.
December 20 starts the most fun a college football fan could ever have.
Let the arguing begin.
So have a Happy Thanksgiving and kick back and watch the Packers and the Lions tomorrow.
Brian Billick, Crybaby
I broke my USB drive so in lieu of getting any real work done today, I post with great furvor. After stopping by ESPN so check the headlines, I saw this: Ravens to express concers over FG call to NFL That's right, Brian Billick is going to bitch about the right call being made. Phil Dawson's 52-yd field goal to send the Browns and Ravens to OT on Sunday hit the left goal post then seemingly bounced off the crossbar and out. One official signaled no good and the other rushed over to him to talk. A pow-wow in the end zone followed and, from what the refs are saying, one got on the headset to confim that they could not review the play, which is correct under NFL rules. The video clearly showed the ball hitting the curved support behind the crossbar and bouncing back, which is a good FG. The Browns went on to win 33-30 on the foot of Phil Dawson, who banished the last week's shame at Pittsburgh where the game-tying FG dropped in front of the crossbar. So now, the Ravens are gonna bitch. And they're only gonna bitch because they lost. The refs are now in a damned if yo do, damned if you don't situation. If they blow a call, legitimatly, a coach jumps all over them and they catch hell. Here they are getting it right, and a coach is jumping all over them because the call didn't go his way. So for unmatched whining in the face of a OT loss that equaled a season sweep by the Cleveland Browns, congrads Brian Billick, you are the proud recipiant of this week's Shut The Fuck Up Award!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Who You Got?... Bowls
I know we've got a few more weeks in the season, but it's never too soon to start looking forward to the best season of the year... bowl season. Now I know I may be the only one who considers those 3 1/2 weeks a holiday and I'm pretty sure that I am the ONLY guy who tapes all 32 games to help him get though the spring and summer without college football. I'm an addict and I know it. So let's look at the numbers and try to crunch out some projections.
BCS National Championship Game - (BCS #1 vs. BCS #2)
LSU vs. Oklahoma
Sugar - (BCS vs. BCS)
Georgia vs. Hawaii
Orange - (BCS vs. BCS)
Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Fiesta - (BCS vs. BCS)
Missouri vs. Clemson
Rose - (BCS vs. BCS)
Oregon vs. Ohio State
GMAC - (C-USA #2 vs. MAC)
Central Florida vs. Miami (Ohio)
International (MAC #3 vs. Big East #4)
Bowling Green vs. South Florida
Capital One - (Big 10 #2 vs. SEC #2)
Illinois vs. Florida
Gator - (ACC #3 vs. Big 12 #4/Notre Dame/Big East #2)
Virginia vs. Texas
Outback - (Big 10 #3 vs. SEC #3/4)
Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Cotton - (Big 12 #2 vs. SEC 3/4)
Kansas vs. Tennessee
Humanitarian - (WAC vs. ACC #8)
Boise State vs. North Carolina State
Chick-a-fil - (ACC #2 vs. SEC #5)
Clemson vs. Alabama
Alamo - (Big Ten #4/5 vs. Big 12 #4/5)
Penn State vs. Kansas State
Meineke Car Care - (Big East #3 vs. ACC #5/6/7)
Connecticut vs. Georgia Tech
Champs Sports - (ACC #4 vs. Big 10 #4/5)
Boston College vs. Michigan
Insight - (Big 12 #6 vs. Big 10 #6)
Nebraska vs. Iowa
Liberty - (C-USA #1 vs. SEC #7)
Tulsa vs. Kentucky
Sun - (Pac-10 #3 vs. Big 12/Notre Dame/Big East)
USC vs. Oklahoma State
Music City - (ACC #5/6/7 vs. SEC #6)
Florida State vs. Arkansas
Texas - (Big 12 #8 vs. C-USA)
South Carolina** vs. Southern Mississippi
Holiday - (Pac-10 #2 vs. Big 12 #3)
Arizona St. vs. Texas
Independence - (SEC #8 vs. Big 12 #7)
Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M
Emerald Bowl - (Pac-10 #4 vs. ACC #5/6/7)
Oregon State vs. Wake Forest
Motor City - (Big Ten #7 vs. MAC #1/2)
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
Hawaii - (WAC vs. C-USA)
Fresno State vs. Houston
Armed Forces - (MWC vs. Pac-10 #6)
Air Force vs. Ball State*
New Mexico - (WAC vs. MWC)
Nevada vs. Utah
PapaJohns.com - (C-USA vs. Big East #5)
East Carolina vs. Rutgers
New Orleans - (Sun Belt #1 vs. C-USA)
Troy vs. Memphis
Las Vegas - (Pac 10 #4/5 vs. MWC #1)
California vs. BYU
Pointsetta - (MWC vs. Navy/at-large)
New Mexico vs. Navy
* Pac-10 not projected to have enough bowl-eligible teams
** Big 12 not projected to have enough bowl-eligible teams
Do I think Kansas can beat Oklahoma? No. And that's why OU will jump both KU and Oregon to face LSU. Of course the Bayou Bengals could screw everything up and lose in SEC title game or in the next two weeks. We'll see. Look for an updated projection next Wednesday and a few conferences bids could be all figured out by then...
BCS National Championship Game - (BCS #1 vs. BCS #2)
LSU vs. Oklahoma
Sugar - (BCS vs. BCS)
Georgia vs. Hawaii
Orange - (BCS vs. BCS)
Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Fiesta - (BCS vs. BCS)
Missouri vs. Clemson
Rose - (BCS vs. BCS)
Oregon vs. Ohio State
GMAC - (C-USA #2 vs. MAC)
Central Florida vs. Miami (Ohio)
International (MAC #3 vs. Big East #4)
Bowling Green vs. South Florida
Capital One - (Big 10 #2 vs. SEC #2)
Illinois vs. Florida
Gator - (ACC #3 vs. Big 12 #4/Notre Dame/Big East #2)
Virginia vs. Texas
Outback - (Big 10 #3 vs. SEC #3/4)
Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Cotton - (Big 12 #2 vs. SEC 3/4)
Kansas vs. Tennessee
Humanitarian - (WAC vs. ACC #8)
Boise State vs. North Carolina State
Chick-a-fil - (ACC #2 vs. SEC #5)
Clemson vs. Alabama
Alamo - (Big Ten #4/5 vs. Big 12 #4/5)
Penn State vs. Kansas State
Meineke Car Care - (Big East #3 vs. ACC #5/6/7)
Connecticut vs. Georgia Tech
Champs Sports - (ACC #4 vs. Big 10 #4/5)
Boston College vs. Michigan
Insight - (Big 12 #6 vs. Big 10 #6)
Nebraska vs. Iowa
Liberty - (C-USA #1 vs. SEC #7)
Tulsa vs. Kentucky
Sun - (Pac-10 #3 vs. Big 12/Notre Dame/Big East)
USC vs. Oklahoma State
Music City - (ACC #5/6/7 vs. SEC #6)
Florida State vs. Arkansas
Texas - (Big 12 #8 vs. C-USA)
South Carolina** vs. Southern Mississippi
Holiday - (Pac-10 #2 vs. Big 12 #3)
Arizona St. vs. Texas
Independence - (SEC #8 vs. Big 12 #7)
Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M
Emerald Bowl - (Pac-10 #4 vs. ACC #5/6/7)
Oregon State vs. Wake Forest
Motor City - (Big Ten #7 vs. MAC #1/2)
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
Hawaii - (WAC vs. C-USA)
Fresno State vs. Houston
Armed Forces - (MWC vs. Pac-10 #6)
Air Force vs. Ball State*
New Mexico - (WAC vs. MWC)
Nevada vs. Utah
PapaJohns.com - (C-USA vs. Big East #5)
East Carolina vs. Rutgers
New Orleans - (Sun Belt #1 vs. C-USA)
Troy vs. Memphis
Las Vegas - (Pac 10 #4/5 vs. MWC #1)
California vs. BYU
Pointsetta - (MWC vs. Navy/at-large)
New Mexico vs. Navy
* Pac-10 not projected to have enough bowl-eligible teams
** Big 12 not projected to have enough bowl-eligible teams
Do I think Kansas can beat Oklahoma? No. And that's why OU will jump both KU and Oregon to face LSU. Of course the Bayou Bengals could screw everything up and lose in SEC title game or in the next two weeks. We'll see. Look for an updated projection next Wednesday and a few conferences bids could be all figured out by then...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Latest On BCS
The newest BCS poll has been released and shows a lot of changes at the top. With the 28-21 loss to the Illini, the Buckeyes have dropped to #7. This is justifiable because (and keep in mind that I am an OSU fan whenever they're not playing Notre Dame) I do not truly feel that they could win a game against anyone in the old or new Top 10 (except for maybe VT who probably couldn't beat anyone in the Top 15). Anyway, here's now it looks now:
1) LSU 9-1
2) Oregon 8-1
3) Kansas 10-0
4) Oklahoma 9-1
5) Missouri 9-1
6) West Virginia 8-1
7) Ohio State 10-1
8) Arizona State 9-1
9) Georgia 8-2
10) Virginia Tech 8-2
LSU is a shoe-in if they win out. No one has a better strength of schedule than the Tigers and as long as they are conference champs, they deserve a spot in the championship game. Oregon has only one blemish on their record, a 31-24 loss to then-#2 California. They've earned my respect and are probably the best team in the country when all is said and done. However, #3 Kansas would be my pick for #2 if both they and Oregon win out. I could not justify keeping an undefeated team out of the championship when everyone else at the top has at least one loss (sorry Hawaii, this does not apply to teams who play no one but patsies all season). The Jayhawks have had only two games where it looked like they were mortal, and after the crushing victory over Nebraska it is pretty obvious that they are for real.
None of this should take away from the great seasons of the other teams at the top, but lets face it, the probability of two of those top three teams losing another game is not good (although there are several weeks left and the #2 teams have not been lucky this year). Oklahoma may be better than anyone, but too many close games have cost them in both computer points and voters' polls. Missouri has been spectacular, but unless they can defeat Kansas they won't even finish in the Top 10 (two losses for anyone with their schedule is one loss too many). They need to win out and have three of the four teams ahead of them lose to get in. Overall, I'd say the BCS has it right this year unless they let an undefeated Jayhawks team remain #3 in the final poll. That being said, there are enough quality teams and enough upsets this season to support any argument for a playoff system.
1) LSU 9-1
2) Oregon 8-1
3) Kansas 10-0
4) Oklahoma 9-1
5) Missouri 9-1
6) West Virginia 8-1
7) Ohio State 10-1
8) Arizona State 9-1
9) Georgia 8-2
10) Virginia Tech 8-2
LSU is a shoe-in if they win out. No one has a better strength of schedule than the Tigers and as long as they are conference champs, they deserve a spot in the championship game. Oregon has only one blemish on their record, a 31-24 loss to then-#2 California. They've earned my respect and are probably the best team in the country when all is said and done. However, #3 Kansas would be my pick for #2 if both they and Oregon win out. I could not justify keeping an undefeated team out of the championship when everyone else at the top has at least one loss (sorry Hawaii, this does not apply to teams who play no one but patsies all season). The Jayhawks have had only two games where it looked like they were mortal, and after the crushing victory over Nebraska it is pretty obvious that they are for real.
None of this should take away from the great seasons of the other teams at the top, but lets face it, the probability of two of those top three teams losing another game is not good (although there are several weeks left and the #2 teams have not been lucky this year). Oklahoma may be better than anyone, but too many close games have cost them in both computer points and voters' polls. Missouri has been spectacular, but unless they can defeat Kansas they won't even finish in the Top 10 (two losses for anyone with their schedule is one loss too many). They need to win out and have three of the four teams ahead of them lose to get in. Overall, I'd say the BCS has it right this year unless they let an undefeated Jayhawks team remain #3 in the final poll. That being said, there are enough quality teams and enough upsets this season to support any argument for a playoff system.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Highlight of Sunday Night, or, Don't Try to Stop a 340-Pound Defensive Lineman
That rumbling you may have heard on Sunday afternoon, sometime around 2 or 3ish perhaps, was not attributed to the deeply buried and ancient faultlines that run through our section of the Midwest. Local US Geological Survey crews were baffled by the phenomenon, which only lasted for an approximate 20-second span, until one of them turned on the NFL on Fox. Great panic and confusion was avoided when the cause of the tremors was identified as a 66-yard screen-pass interception return for a TD by Shaun Young, the 340-pound defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions.
Seriously--did you SEE that replay? I missed most of the game, but when I saw the highlight, it was literal poetry in motion. I don't mean that in the graceful sense of the word, mind you--Shaun's a big boy, and no force on Earth or the heavens above could've stopped him. MOSES couldn't have changed his course. And certainly not Selvin Young, Denver's running back (not exactly a lightweight at 210 pounds, either), who made a valiant effort to tackle Shaun, and got a stiff-arm so glorious, I'm amazed that Selvin still has his tonsils. Hell, Selvin's lucky that Shaun didn't EAT him.
Note to the Denver Broncos: whichever high school team you sent to Ford Field last Sunday, I certainly hope you're at least paying for the limo service to the prom. They took a pounding for you guys, and although you tried to disguise things by having Mike Shanahan present, we weren't fooled.
Shaun's return was a pretty good metaphor for being a Lions fan this season...the team isn't always pretty, but they've got some wikkid bad momentum behind them now. I'll admit it; I was one of the people who rolled their eyes and wondered how much ganja had been smoked when Kitna said that he'd be surprised if Detroit didn't win at least 10 this season. We've all heard it before, and even though I rolled my eyes at him, I expected him to say nothing else. QB's are historically the battlefield generals of football, and no matter what, they always have to display confidence for the sake of the team (possible exception for this rule could be made for David Carr or Cleo Lemon).
Detroit's thing has always been that they've had decent tools to get the job done, but always lacked cohesiveness to win games. Yes, Barry Sanders was the best running back the team will probably ever see (no slight to Kevin Jones or Billy Sims, but Barry really was one of the greats), but the QB situation was always unstable, and has been up to the signing of Kitna. Joey Harrington, Jeff Garcia, Scott "What Were They Thinking?" Mitchell, etc. Coaching was always kind of dodgy--Wayne Fontes would get us to the playoffs only when being publicly threatened with getting canned, Dick Jauron was a placeholder, and Marty Mohrninweg was, well, himself. The receiver corps was a work in progress; for every step forward (Roy Williams) that was taken, two were taken backwards (Charles Rogers, Mike Williams). It took time to get THAT particular recipe perfected, but like I've said before, with Shaun McDonald, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, and Mike Furrey onboard now, things are clicking nicely.
How nicely? Detroit's one game out of first in the NFC North, behind the Packers and Brett "Don't Call Me Old" Favre. We've already swept Chicago for the season, and THAT felt good to do. Kevin Jones seems to be back to his old form. The defense is playing a good mix of aggressive and preventative schemes. The offensive line is actually protecting Kitna. And Kitna's finally reigning in the amount of picks that he was throwing around this time last year.
Credit also has to go to Rod Marinelli, whose tough, no-frills, one-snap-at-a-time approach is paying off; and to Mike Martz, the Offensive Coordinator, who needs to be kept around at any cost. Millen--if you're reading this, I'd choose the child you're least attached to, and offer it as sacrifice for Martz. DON'T let him go, for the love of God.
In all, it's a good time to be a Lions fan. Special shout out to the Browns fans, too...life's grand, ain't it?
Seriously--did you SEE that replay? I missed most of the game, but when I saw the highlight, it was literal poetry in motion. I don't mean that in the graceful sense of the word, mind you--Shaun's a big boy, and no force on Earth or the heavens above could've stopped him. MOSES couldn't have changed his course. And certainly not Selvin Young, Denver's running back (not exactly a lightweight at 210 pounds, either), who made a valiant effort to tackle Shaun, and got a stiff-arm so glorious, I'm amazed that Selvin still has his tonsils. Hell, Selvin's lucky that Shaun didn't EAT him.
Note to the Denver Broncos: whichever high school team you sent to Ford Field last Sunday, I certainly hope you're at least paying for the limo service to the prom. They took a pounding for you guys, and although you tried to disguise things by having Mike Shanahan present, we weren't fooled.
Shaun's return was a pretty good metaphor for being a Lions fan this season...the team isn't always pretty, but they've got some wikkid bad momentum behind them now. I'll admit it; I was one of the people who rolled their eyes and wondered how much ganja had been smoked when Kitna said that he'd be surprised if Detroit didn't win at least 10 this season. We've all heard it before, and even though I rolled my eyes at him, I expected him to say nothing else. QB's are historically the battlefield generals of football, and no matter what, they always have to display confidence for the sake of the team (possible exception for this rule could be made for David Carr or Cleo Lemon).
Detroit's thing has always been that they've had decent tools to get the job done, but always lacked cohesiveness to win games. Yes, Barry Sanders was the best running back the team will probably ever see (no slight to Kevin Jones or Billy Sims, but Barry really was one of the greats), but the QB situation was always unstable, and has been up to the signing of Kitna. Joey Harrington, Jeff Garcia, Scott "What Were They Thinking?" Mitchell, etc. Coaching was always kind of dodgy--Wayne Fontes would get us to the playoffs only when being publicly threatened with getting canned, Dick Jauron was a placeholder, and Marty Mohrninweg was, well, himself. The receiver corps was a work in progress; for every step forward (Roy Williams) that was taken, two were taken backwards (Charles Rogers, Mike Williams). It took time to get THAT particular recipe perfected, but like I've said before, with Shaun McDonald, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, and Mike Furrey onboard now, things are clicking nicely.
How nicely? Detroit's one game out of first in the NFC North, behind the Packers and Brett "Don't Call Me Old" Favre. We've already swept Chicago for the season, and THAT felt good to do. Kevin Jones seems to be back to his old form. The defense is playing a good mix of aggressive and preventative schemes. The offensive line is actually protecting Kitna. And Kitna's finally reigning in the amount of picks that he was throwing around this time last year.
Credit also has to go to Rod Marinelli, whose tough, no-frills, one-snap-at-a-time approach is paying off; and to Mike Martz, the Offensive Coordinator, who needs to be kept around at any cost. Millen--if you're reading this, I'd choose the child you're least attached to, and offer it as sacrifice for Martz. DON'T let him go, for the love of God.
In all, it's a good time to be a Lions fan. Special shout out to the Browns fans, too...life's grand, ain't it?
Thursday, November 1, 2007
What's the sports world coming to...
...when Martina Hingis is doing coke?!?
Link from ESPN
I mean really, we have doping scandals and steroid busts, asterisks and Congressional hearings. But tennis? And COKE?!?!? Is nothing sacred anymore? At this point, would hearing about something like Pete Weber running a meth lab or Phil Mickelson having an acid trip and going all apeshit at the 17th hole of Augusta surprise you? Well, it shouldn't. It's not just the "big game" athletes anymore, folks. Soon you'll see Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants' names on a list in some pharmacy in Florida. Curlers? Try stoners. And Talladega and Daytona won't be the only tracks that NASCAR's elite worry about. We are in the Drug Age of sports - integrity is non-existent at this point, so the best thing we can do is strap in, shoot up, and go with the flow. Oh yeaaaaaaaaaah. That's the stuff.
Link from ESPN
I mean really, we have doping scandals and steroid busts, asterisks and Congressional hearings. But tennis? And COKE?!?!? Is nothing sacred anymore? At this point, would hearing about something like Pete Weber running a meth lab or Phil Mickelson having an acid trip and going all apeshit at the 17th hole of Augusta surprise you? Well, it shouldn't. It's not just the "big game" athletes anymore, folks. Soon you'll see Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants' names on a list in some pharmacy in Florida. Curlers? Try stoners. And Talladega and Daytona won't be the only tracks that NASCAR's elite worry about. We are in the Drug Age of sports - integrity is non-existent at this point, so the best thing we can do is strap in, shoot up, and go with the flow. Oh yeaaaaaaaaaah. That's the stuff.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)