A Good One In Memphis

UCF has won thier first bowl game ever over the Bulldogs of Georgia. A pretty good game. One can't help but wonder if Richt will be able to hold onto his job much longer. A 6-7 season is not likely to be tolerated more than once in Athens. O'Leary has a chance to build a pretty powerful program down in Orlando. He has been paying his penance with grace after allegedly fudging his resume a bit a few years back. Cost him the job at Notre Dame. Probably just as well.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year College Football Fans!!! A bit early but what the hey.

Nebraska Pusses Out

Apparently the Cornhuskers decided not to show up and play against a team that is vastly inferior. The Huskies are just not a good team but they sure put the wood to Nebraska last evening. Don't really know what the cause for the puss out was. Do you?

Was KSU Robbed by a Ref's Bad Call?

I very rarely criticize the officiating in college ball. With replay bad calls are easily overturned. Bad calls that are not merely judgment calls that is. In today's game the "Pinstripe Bowl" KSU was robbed, in my humble opinion, of the opportunity for a two point conversion by a ridiculous call from one of the officials. He called an "excessive celebration" penalty after a KSU touchdown when there was clearly no such celebration. Borderline at best. When an overzealous referee perhaps decides the the outcome of a game it diminishes the contest for players, coaches, and fans. That being said the Big XII is not looking very good in bowl games thus far. They better step up. Nebraska should help matters this evening in the Holiday Bowl. The outcome is almost a foregone conclusion.

Some Thoughts on Wednesday

Maryland as expected took down a ECU squad that really should not have been playing in a bowl game anywhere. As I have said before 6-6 does not qualify a team for the post season . At any rate, ECU was there and now finishes the season 6-7. I think that ECU is well coached and will be a power in CUSA in the years to come; just not this year. Maryland has lost a very good coach in Friedgen and I have already said my peace on that. It is a shame, but that is the game of college football as it stands now. Everyone has to win at least a conference championship it seems or the coach is in danger.
Baylor apparently did not show up to play. Good thing that OK. State came out in the Alamo Bowl or the "Big XII" (do we still call it that?) would be 0-3. I have never seen a more penalized team than the Bears and Briles needs to get a handle on that if he expects to make much noise in conference next year. Illinois should not have been there at 6-6 but alas, they did win and come away with a 7-6 record for the season. Zook may or may not be safe. We will see.
Oklahoma State came out and rampaged in their scrimmage in San Antonio against a below par Arizona team. Just was not a contest. The score was actually closer than the action on the field. Arizona is just not a good team. It would be nice if the Cowboys could have played a little bit better opponent than this. Hell, the Troy Trojans, the Sun Belt co-champs would have been a better opponent than the Wildcats. Oh well there are some fair games on tap today. I am sort of looking forward to the SMU/Army match up. That may be good. The "Pinstripe" Bowl in Yankee stadium should be an interesting novelty and actually perhaps a good game. Syracuse and KSU are improved teams. We will see what happens.
Good day and enjoy the games.

The Last of The "Big Fats" is Done

Big Fat Ralph Friedgen has won his final game at Maryland with a "bowl" victory over ECU. Good for him. Now he can go into unemployment as a winner. You see, I like Big Fat Ralph. Always have. He has done a far better than average job coaching a program that has at least two strikes against it to begin with. It is unlikely that Maryland will ever compete on a national level like their in conference rivals Va. Tech, FSU and Miami. Just the way it is. Similar to the Kentucky football program in the SEC. Just won't happen often. Maryland just can't get the type of recruits that would likely be able to start at say a Texas, Nebraska, Florida, or even a Virginia Tech. Part of the problem is that there are too many programs on the East Coast competing for the same players. This is ACC and Big East country along with the cream of the IAA programs in the country. Is there that much difference between a James Madison, Richmond, Delaware and a Maryland, North Carolina or Virginia. Not really. Indeed of all the above mentioned, the best team would be the Blue Hens. They may well be crowned IAA National Champs here in a few days. Now with that being said, Maryland is doing Big Fat Ralph Friedgen a disservice. There appears to be no real reason to let the man go. Big Fat Ralph is the last of the "Big Fats" to HC in the college game. Big Fat Tom Amstutz "retired" from coaching the Rockets of Toledo, and Big Fat Mark Mangino was unceremoniously dumped last year at Kansas. Apparently Mark yelled at a few players or something and hurt their feelings. Now the Jayhawk football program will settle where it historically does; at or near the bottom. Who else has turned Kansas football into a minor power? No one. Who will again? Probably no one. Now I like Turner Gil but I sure think he made an error in judgement taking over from Mangino. It is unlikely he will have the same success. I'll tell you what I think. In at least two of the three cases, the "Big Fats" have been discriminated against for being men of a certain girth. That's right! Everybody else is a victim of some sort, so why should they not use the "fat" card? Of course I jest, but I sure will miss the three "Big Fats." They are good coaches all and have done very well at schools where it can be a bit hard to win. Maryland, Kansas, and even Toledo will likely not have as much success without them. Good Luck to them in the future.

Independence Bowl

The game was as advertised. Boring as heck. Georgia Tech should not have even been there. About as fun as watching grass grown this game.

FIU Wins Their First Bowl Game Ever

FIU, a relatively new Sun Belt team, has taken down the Rockets of Toledo with a FG as time expired. This was a pretty good football game after all. Mario Cristobal will either have the choice to build the Panthers into a minor power much like Temple, CMU, Toledo, Troy State, Tulsa, etc. are or have been in recent years; or of course he can probably stay another year and then move on to "bigger and better things." The choice will be his sure.  I would like to see him stick around awhile but that is just me. It is a fine line coaches walk. Some choose to stay at a smaller school for ever it seems. Take a look at Coach Larry at Troy. Others want to build a rep and move on up. Classless Coach Kelley at ND for instance.  If a coach has those aspirations then it is best to strike while the iron is hot. Look at Schiano at Rutgers. A couple years ago he was a "hot property" and chose to stay in NJ. Now he may be stuck there. Actually he needs to start winning again or the Rutgers admin may soon look elsewhere. As for me, I like it when a coach sticks around a bit to try to build a powerful program. It shows class. Good win FIU. Oh, by the way, the Sunbelt is 2-0 in post season play. Not shabby at all.

Hawaii Did Not Show Up

A poor performance out of Hawaii sealed their fate last night in the "Sheraton" Hawaii Bowl. I did not see that coming. While Tulsa is a pretty good CUSA team, Hawaii has shown during the season that they can play some ball. Not last night. They looked pathetic. Bet they wish they had not let June Jones get away.

A Christmas Day Game I Miss

There was at one time a game played on Christmas Day known as the Blue/Gray Game. It was one of those all star type games where players from small schools, those from teams that did not go to bowl games, etc. got to showcase their talents for the pro scouts. I am not a real fan of the "all star" type games but for some reason I enjoyed this one. Guess it was just not profitable. Shame.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas college football fans. A day early but what the hey.

Bowl Predictions

In week 15 I was 3-2 in college football predictions which puts me for the year thus far at 163-114. Not so bad I suppose. Last week I did not have the time to work on my "expert" analysis and therefore did not put out any predictions. Last night I watched most of the "Beef O'Bradys" Bowl (the what?) and was surprised that USM allowed Louisville to come back on them. CUSA is starting off 0-2 in the post season. Anyway, the game reminded me to get the predictions up before the season was over. I find myself ready now to "run the table" for the rest of the year. Here you go....


1. Eastern Washington vs Delaware: The IAA Championship is at hand. The true winner in this division will be decided on the field. That is refreshing when compared to the fiasco in "big time" college ball. Delaware has been here before but I don't believe that EWU has. A couple of years ago the Blue Hens were a power with Flaco under center and they don't appear to have fallen much off the pace. I will go with Delaware in this contest. I do admit that I don't know much about EWU although they do have an outstanding won/loss record this year. I would suspect that both of these teams are better than some of the teams in D1 that are playing a post season game.

2. MAACO Bowl: This one starts in a few hours and pits an excellent Boise State team against a pretty good Utah squad. The Broncos must be very disappointed that they are not BCS busters this year but when one plays in the WAC, CUSA or Mtn West; one loss destroys any hope of a BCS game. With that being said; Boise State is hands down the better team here. I will go with the Broncos to roll.

3. Poinsettia Bowl: This should be a very good game between two pretty evenly matched opponents. When was the last time SDSU went to a bowl game? It has been a while. Brady Hoke came over from the MAC and has done wonders in San Diego. I hope that it is a destination job for him and not just another springboard. I think the game to be a toss up but I will go with SDSU to win in a close one. They are playing at home although it can be considered a semi home game I suppose for the Midshipmen. San Diego is a huge Navy town.

4. Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii takes on Tulsa here and I would imagine that CUSA will be 0-3 in bowl games after this one. Hawaii is a good team and Tulsa is just a good CUSA team. Go with Hawaii to win.

5. Little Caesars Bowl: This one should not even be played. While Toledo is 8-4 and perhaps deserves some sort of post season honors, Florida International is 6-6 in a weak conference. Now FIU has played some major teams tough this year but still 6-6 does not deserve a bowl game.  While I like Mario Cristobal and believe he will be coaching in the "big time" at some point, I don't think the Panthers should be in post season. That being said, the game could be actually pretty good. I will go with the Rockets to win in a close one.

6. Independence Bowl: This Bowl has been around for quite a few years and should have been able to get better teams than these. Air Force is fair at best and Georgia Tech is 6-6. 6-6? Yes. A bowl should not reward mediocrity. I will go with Air Force to win here in a close and probably uninteresting game.

7. Champs Sports Bowl: NC State and WVU is a pretty decent match up. Neither conference is very good but WVU probably is the best team in the Big East. Yes I know that UConn won the Big East but still I think WVU is the better of the two. The Mountaineers should be able to beat the Wolfpack but it might be close. Go with WVU.

8. Insight Bowl: Missouri should have gotten a bit of a better game than this one but those are the breaks. Mizzou does not have a huge national following like say the Huskers or the Longhorns. That probably has a good bit to do with it. That being said, they should have no problem with a fair at best Iowa team. I would go with the Tigers hands down in this contest.

9. Military Bowl: ECU vs Maryland may be a pretty good game although ECU at 6-6 should not be there. Will Big Ralph coach the Terps in this game? He apparently has been forced out as the coach at Maryland. Shame. I think that Maryland has the talent to win here but will have a fight on their hands. Go with Maryland.

10. Texas Bowl: This one is played in Houston and features Baylor vs Illinois. Baylor has been a pleasant surprise this year and is a well coached team led by an outstanding QB. Illinois is being rewarded for mediocrity. I wonder how much longer Zook will be able to hold on to his job. I think Baylor will win here. It is almost a home game for them.

11. Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State is probably deserving of something better than this. They face off with Arizona in this contest and will prevail with little problem. Go with the Cowboys.

12. Armed Forces Bowl: SMU is a good team for CUSA and will be a good team period in a year or two. Army is Army. They at least made it to 6-6 this year but will be 6-7 after facing the Mustangs. Go with SMU hands down.

13. Pinstripe Bowl: The what? Anyway this one is a contest between KSU and Syracuse. Syracuse actually had a pretty decent season. Be interesting to see how much better they will be next year. KSU is improving under Snyder and one can't help but wonder if he will eventually build them into a national power again. We will see. With all that being said, I will go with KSU to pull this on out of the hat.

14. Music City Bowl: This is an uninteresting contest between a 6-6 Tennessee squad and North Carolina. This one should not be played, but since it will be, I will go with the Vols to win. Someone has to.

15. Holiday Bowl: Could not Nebraska do better than this one? This will not be a contest. Go with the Huskers hands down. Washington should not even be here.

16. Meineke Bowl: Clemson vs USF is just not a match up that anyone should really be interested in Clemson should not be in the game and USF is a fair team at best. Someone has to win here and I will go with USF.

17. Sun Bowl: Notre Dame vs Miami may be a good game. ND is improved over recent years and Miami just can't seem to get over the hump. I think Coach Shannon should have been given a bit more time with Hurricanes but that is the way the game goes. I think that Miami will have the talent to win here. Go with the Hurricanes.

18. Liberty Bowl: UCF is the winner of CUSA and should be rewarded with a better opponent than Georgia. I will go with UCF here. They are a better team than many people know.

19. Chick Fil A Bowl: Here is a real bowl game. South Carolina is a good football team, although they are a bit inconsistent. Such is the case with the Noles. It will be a good game between two pretty evenly matched teams and I will go with Spurrier to have his kids ready for the win. Go with South Carolina.

20. Ticket City Bowl: Texas Tech vs Northwestern may be a good game. Texas Tech is not the same team they have been in the past and Northwestern may be better than their record. I will go out on a limb here and pick the Wildcats.

21. Outback Bowl: Florida vs Penn State: This may be a good game. Both of these teams are probably somewhat better than their records indicate. I think that State has the most talent this year and will win. Go with the Lions.

22. Capital One Bowl: Alabama will be able to beat Michigan State with relative ease. Bama has had a disappointing year but actually are a better team than their record. MSU, while a good team, is not quite as good as many think. I have watched them a number of times and they are easily beatable by a good team. Go with the Tide. I hate to say that. I really do.

23. Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs Michigan could be good. The Bulldogs had had a surprisingly good season and Michigan is Michigan. This will be a close one and I will go out on a limb and pick MSU for the win.

24. Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs TCU probably won't be as close as some would think. While I am always a fan of a BCS buster, I think that Wisconsin may well be the second best team in the country. They may have a bit of trouble adjusting to the fast pace of the Frogs' but once they do adjust they should be able to contain them. I will go with the Badgers here hands down.

25. Fiesta Bowl: UConn vs Oklahoma may or may not be a good game. Depends on which Sooners team shows up. It is debatable whether UConn should even be here but since they are, the game has to be played. I will go with the Sooners here to win with relative ease.

26. Orange Bowl: I refuse to call this the "Discover" Orange Bowl. There is just too much of that type of thing. Remember the classic games such as the Peach Bowl, and Citrus Bowl. Where are they now? They are called the Joe's Garage Bowl or some such shit. Now with that being said, I must say that this should be a very good game. Stanford is under appreciated nationally and Virginia Tech has certainly rebounded after a disastrous start to the season. Stanford is the only quality team in the Pac 10 other than Oregon and Virginia Tech is certainly the class of the ACC. This translates into some good football teams. I like Stanford's QB and like the way they play the game. It may still linger in the back of  the Hokie players minds their embarrassing loss to JMU. I think that Stanford will prevail in a very good, hard fought, and tough game.

27. Sugar Bowl is this year between Ohio State and Arkansas. Ohio State may be a marginally better team but the game still has to be played. I like the Hogs and will try not to be biased here. Mallett can be a brilliant QB and can also stink up the place. A lot like Garcia at South Carolina. While the SEC is top to bottom better than the Big X, Ohio State is probably the better team here and I will go with them to win. I hope not. At any rate it will be a big party in the French Quarter.

28. Go Daddy Dot Com Bowl: The what? Middle Tennessee should not be here. They were a disappointment this year. They have the best QB in the Sun Belt in Dasher but things just did not work out as planned. Miami of Ohio had a pretty decent year in MAC ball and are a good MAC team. They should win here. Don't you wish Danica Patrick would show up at halftime wearing nothing but some pumps? That is the only thing that would make this game worth watching.

29. Cotton Bowl: Now here is a game to watch. TAMU is much improved over the past and LSU is a BCS Bowl caliber team. While the Cotton is not a BCS Bowl, it perhaps should be. This game is pretty evenly matched and a lot depends on which team shows up on both sides. I think that LSU has more talent and will go with them here. Go with the Tigers.

30. BBVA Compass Bowl: Huh? Should this game even be played? Pitt had a disappointing year and Coach Dave is out. Kentucky football is Kentucky football. This will be close and I will go with the Panthers to pull this one out of the hat.

31. Fight Hunger Bowl: Nevada should be able to win this game over Boston College. There are so many bowls that the talent is diluted to the point that many games are just nonsense. Nevada, with one loss, deserves a chance to prove that they are a quality team. I will go with the Wolfpack here in a rout.

32. BCS "Championship" Game has Oregon taking on Auburn. This should be a no brainer but the game still has to be played. If Auburn shows up to play then the game is a foregone conclusion. If they don't then it may be a close one. I think the Tigers will show up and embarrass the Ducks. Go with Auburn.

Don't think I missed any bowl games (other than those already decided) but who knows for sure? There are way to many of them.

Bowls Begin and Championships are Decided

Due to time various matters taking precedence I did not get to put any predictions up for the start of the "Bowl Season" but will put the remainder up shortly. Yesterday there were three "bowl" games on tap and none were really worth watching. They were routs all. The most ridiculous; The New Mexico Bowl was between BYU and UTEP and resulted in a BYU rout. Thankfully I watched very little of the game. Both teams were 6-6 in regular season play and just being in a bowl was a bit of a stretch. A bowl game is not supposed to reward mediocrity. Oh well, so it goes. I do like Mike Price and believe he has done a commendable job in El Paso. It is arguably one of the hardest places to win in the country. Now the Humanitarian Bowl at least has some history behind it. The "Blue Field" Bowl has been around quite a while now. Unfortunately Fresno State decided not to show up. Perhaps there are just too many bad memories there for them to be successful against anyone on that turf. Of course NIU was led by an interim coach as Jerry Kill, like most successful MAC coaches, has moved on to "greener pasture." It will be interesting to see if the Minnesota job works out for him. He may have wished he had stayed in Illinois before all is said and done. The New Orleans Bowl at least is rewards a championship season for the Sun Belt. Troy shared the championship this year and was chosen to play in this contest. It was apparent that Ohio did not bother to show up and were easily handled by the Trojans. Solich is a good coach, but his bowl record with Ohio is dismal. I was a bit surprised at this outcome frankly. The Trojans have struggled a bit this year and I thought that Ohio would be able to take them. Not the case though.
In lower division ball the IAA title game is set between Eastern Washington and Delaware. Might be an interesting game. I watched Delaware some yesterday and they look like they can play  ball. Not real familiar with EWU.
UMD capitalized on a late turnover and beat Delta State by a field goal as time expired. Watched a bit of this one here an there. The undisputed D2 Champion was decided on the field of play. How novel is that?
Over in D3, UWW did it again. It seems like every year either they or their opponent, the Purple Raiders, are vying for the D3 Championship. I did not see this one which is a shame, I usually try to catch the D3 Championship game.

I will try to get the Bowl Predictions up as soon as possible. Have a good week

Big Stuff

It has been reported that Hawaii is the next evacuee from the WAC. Apparently they will be playing their football in the Mtn. West after next season. As of now four of the best programs have left or are leaving the WAC. Don't know who the WAC will replace these schools with. Perhaps try to convince some of the Big Sky conference teams to move up. Montana, Montana St. Idaho State and perhaps Eastern Washington might work. I don't know how long Louisiana Tech will stay in the WAC. It certainly is not a good geographic fit. They are probably looking for a home. I would imagine they will attempt to rebuff the Sun Belt if they came calling. Just conjecture mind you. Don't know if there has been any discussion on that issue. CUSA may be a good fit if and when the Unviersity of Houston moves to the Big "Twelve." Memphis may consider moving to the Big East if invited. There have been rumors of such a move due to the Tigers basketball program. The football program would just have to be tolerated in the Big East I suppose. On second thought, the Big East really is not of much account in football lately. Memphis sure would not hurt the conference. That of course would create an opening for La. Tech in CUSA.

In other news Al Golden has accepted the position of head coach at the University of Miami (FL). Probably a good move on Miami's part as Golden has proven to be one heck of a coach. It is a shame though. I would like to see Golden stay and build a power at Temple. Of course, if he stayed too long the bloom may come off his rose. Remember how Schiano was courted to leave Rutgers? He stayed in NJ and now the Scarlett Knights are playing about average Rutgers ball. Have not heard anyone mentioning Schiano for a major coaching position of late. Have you?

It looks as if Bo will be leaving Texas for the HC position at the University of Florida. Probably a good move on his part but not sure if he will be a good fit for the Gators in the long run. He was heir apparent at UT but I don't think Mack is going anywhere for a while. We will see how he does in Gainesville.

Oh and Newton has won the big trophy. Wonder how long it will be before he will be asked to give it back. I don't think that little story has run its course yet. We will see.

Next week I am looking forward to more IAA playoff games and D2 Championship contest. Delta State is a pretty good team but I do not know if they will be able to hang with UMD. Those guys looked pretty good in some horrific weather Saturday. Of course the game will be held in Alabama so weather may not be a factor.
The quarter finals in IAA will be played and as of now I am picking Villanova to go all the way again. Won't count out Georgia Southern or Delaware though. Could be interesting.

There are also a couple of bowl games in D1 on tap that might be pretty interesting although one game has two 6-6 teams involved. That is ridiculous. Might watch it though; I do like Mike Price and UTEP. If Mike did not have a taste for "titty dancers" he would would have gotten the Alabama job a few years back. He probably would have by now been fired by now by the Crimson Tide administration so really it is not a total wash out for him. As an recovering titty dancer aficionado myself, I wish him all the luck in the future.

I will be putting up some predictions for the coming week in the next day or two. Have a good week and enjoy the games.

More Bowl Games Than Necessary

I will be doing a bit of analysis on the upcoming "post season" in the D1 college ranks soon. That being said there are a whole lot of bowl games upcoming with some very good match ups and some that would kind of leave one scratching their head. For instance, I know that UConn is the winner of the Big East, but it does seem a bit odd to have an unranked team in a BCS Bowl. Kind of defeats the purpose it seems to me. Also there are a lot of teams going to bowl games with 6-6 records. That is sad and a bit ridiculous. There are too many bowl games to be sure. I understand a community wanting to host a bowl game, any bowl game, but it still dampens the "integrity" of the game. Lets take a look at the bowl game in New Mexico for instance. UTEP has lost 5 of the last 6 games and still gets an invite to this bowl. Their opponent, BYU, has not fared any better. While the game might be entertaining, perhaps even good, and somewhat of a boon to the local economy; it still is not a game that should be played. There should be no reward for mediocrity and that of course is what we have in this instance. Army will be 6-6 after their probable loss to Navy this Saturday; the last regular season game on the college schedule. They are going bowling regardless.  Do they deserve a Bowl Game? Not unless they beat Navy and go 7-5. Heck even 7-5 is a bit marginal for deserving a post season trip. A whole lot of these games are meaningless. Some are really a joke. I could be wrong but I'm not. On the bright side, there are IAA, D2 and D3 (don't forget NAIA) playoff games to hold interest until the "bowl season" begins for D1. Some of the IAA schools and perhaps even at least one D2 team are better than some of the teams going to bowl games in the upper division. That is sad.

Oregon and Auburn in the "Big Game"

Auburn has won the SEC Championship quite handily while the Ducks were, as predicted, winners against their cross state rival. The stage is now set for the "Big Game." Auburn is deserving and Oregon, while a very good team and tough rival, may not be. You see this is a product of the BCS system run amok. Now in the Bartender Cabbie System I would have to question the quality wins that Oregon has. The only team of any consequence other than the Ducks in the PAC 10 is Stanford. That is below par and unacceptable. Only one quality win for Oregon the entire year and they go to the BCS Championship Game. Again not that the Ducks are not a quality team and perhaps the right pick to play Auburn but one can sure question their schedule. Is the PAC 10 any better than the WAC which has three ranked teams? Probably not. Boise State has after all beaten 2 ranked teams and lost to one. Oregon has beaten one ranked team (as of end of reg season standings). HMMM. Does Oregon deserve any more of a shot than Boise State or Nevada? Perhaps and perhaps not. What about TCU. It could be argued that TCU has had as good of a season as Oregon. Does Oregon deserve a shot ahead of a one loss Big Ten team or a two loss SEC or Big XII team? Probably not this year. This is the system that we have that is ruining the game. The only thing that will cure this is some sort of legitimate play off system. I prefer the "old Bowl" system to this BCS non sense. As I have said before it is ruining the game.

Another "I have been informed"

There is some great football on today that I really want to watch and of course I have been informed that I will be helping with some Birthday festivities. No real problem there but it mainly involves being a chauffeur and having to sit through a kids movie. At least the local movie theatre has some good hot dogs. I usually don't like hot dogs but this place does them right. The dogs are tasty and the bread is steamy fresh. If one tries hard enough a silver lining can be found in just about anything. The day is not a total wash. I should be back for at least halftime of the SEC Championship game and will also watch some of the late games. I may just tape the SEC game and play catch up. Yes. That is what I will do.

Week 14 Predictions

Well the regular season is winding down and I think for now I will leave the nonsense that is the BCS alone and concentrate on the upcoming games. Last week I was 12-8 for a total thus far of 157-101. There are some great games on tap this week with some conference championship games along with customary rivalry games. Let us not forget also that the lower divisions are having their playoffs at this time. Something that can easily be done at the D1 level once the ruinous BCS system is out of the way. Wait. I said I would not talk about that crap. On to the predictions for week 14.

1. Arizona vs Arizona State: For those that care, this rivalry game of no consequence is on tap tonight. Wish there was something better to watch but there you have it. Arizona is a better team marginally and may be able to win this one. Go with the Wildcats.

2. Northern Illinois vs Miami of Ohio: The MAC Championship game will be on for your viewing pleasure Friday night. This may be a very good game but the Huskies may be a legitimate top 15 team. I would put my money on them to win. Go with Northern Illinois.

3. Illinois vs Fresno State: This one could easily be the nail in Zook's coffin or save him for a bit. Illinois needs this game. Fresno is a tough team to play anywhere and the Valley Dogs are at home. I will go with Illinois to win this one in a close one. They probably just have a bit more talent.

4. UCF vs SMU: UCF is a good team and SMU is a good team for a CUSA squad. I will go out on a limb here and pick SMU to edge the Golden Knights. Go with SMU.

5. Rutgers vs West Virginia: WVU needs this one to stay in contention for a BCS Bowl and should be able to get the win. Go with WVU.

6. Nevada vs Louisiana Tech: Nevada is a darn good football team and Louisiana Tech is just not. The game is in Louisiana which may help the Dogs some but probably not enough. Go with Nevada.

7. Utah State vs Boise State: There is disappointment on the blue field and the Broncs are probably let down. Even with a lackluster performance they will be able to take these Aggies down at home. Go with Boise State.

8. Florida State vs Virginia Tech: The ACC Championship game could be fairly interesting. Va. Tech has rebounded but they have not recovered totally in stature from their 0-2 start and loss to a IAA squad. FSU is better than expected this year and should be able to win here. It may be close but I will go with the Native Americans.

9. Auburn vs South Carolina: Guess who will finally lose one? Yep it will be the Tigers. Of course that depends a lot on which Gamecock team shows up. I think an upset is in the works here and I will go with Spurrier and Co. to pull this one out.

10. Nebraska vs Oklahoma: It will be a shame to see the Huskers leave the Big Twelve with a conference championship under their belt, but that is likely what we will have here. Big Ten take notice. The Huskers will likely dominate this usually below par league. Of course this year is an anomaly with at three teams being top 15 caliber squads. Usually this is not the case. At any rate the Huskers will take the Big Twelve Championship this year and the Big Ten next. Go with Nebraska in their contest with Oklahoma.

11. UConn vs USF: UConn needs this game but it will be hard to get sure. Of course there may be somewhat of a letdown at USF after last week's win over Miami. That can happen. I will still go with the Bulls here in this one. Both teams have top notch coaching and only fair talent.

12. UNLV vs Hawaii: Hawaii may perhaps be a legitimate top 25 squad this year. They will have no problem here. Go with the Warriors.

13. Oregon vs Oregon State: The "Civil War" can be a good game. Oregon State fell apart this year and unlikely will be able to hang with the Ducks, but that sure would make things interesting nationally if the Quackers do falter. We will see. I will go with Oregon to stay undefeated and play in the BCS "National Title" game.

14. Idaho vs San Jose State: Akey's club fell off pace a bit this year and will not go bowling but they are a hands down better team than the Spartans. Go with the Vandals.

15. Middle Tn vs FIU: FIU has only one loss in conference this year and should not lose this one. The Blue Raiders have been a disappointment this year. Dasher's NFL hopes may have been "dashed." At any rate FIU has done well in conference and given some "big boys" all they wanted. I will go with the Panthers.

16. USC vs UCLA: Does anyone really care? Some do I suppose and I will go ahead and pick UCLA to pull off a minor upset here.

17. Troy vs Florida Atlantic: Troy did not win the conference this year as I predicted but still can be a very dangerous team. FAU is better than their record and I will go with them to win in an upset. Go with the Owls.

18. Washington vs Washington State: Another game that no one cares about. Washington appears to be the better squad although I have not paid any attention to either. There just is not any reason to after all. I will go with the Huskies here. Their record is better in this weak conference.

19. SFA vs Villanova: This IAA play off game should be interesting. SFA is pretty good as is Nova. Now Southland Conference teams have not done well in IAA play offs of late and that comes to mind, but I think that the Jacks will pull this one out of the hat.

20. Appalachian State vs Western Illinois: Another IAA play off game on tap. It is hard to go against the Mountaineers and I won't do so here. Go with APSU.

Enjoy the games.

TCU to the Big East? Boy That Makes A Lot of Sense

It is being reported that TCU is to move to the Big East after one more season in the Mtn West. That is near as stupid as Louisiana Tech being in the WAC. This is a result of the BCS further ruining the game of college football. Ridiculous. TCU has no logical reason to make that move if it were not for the BCS system forcing schools to make drastic decisions. Granted TCU will compete well in the Big East and perhaps even dominate, but it is still a ridiculous move and is not good for the game.

Just How Good is Oregon?

Oregon is a good team. In my opinion they are a championship caliber squad. There is a wrinkle however. Only 4 teams in the PAC 10 have winning records. Other than an excellent Stanford squad, the other two are a decent Arizona team and a USC squad. USC does not count due to NCAA probation. Should this perhaps keep Oregon out of the conversation for the BCS Title Game? Perhaps it should. Should Oregon rightly be placed ahead of TCU which may have had at least near as tough of a schedule? An argument can be made that the Ducks should be ahead of TCU in the polls. Their sked was indeed marginally tougher with wins over Stanford and Arizona. TCU's only victory over a top 25 squad was a beat down of Utah. Hmm. Should Oregon be placed ahead of a very good Wisconsin, Michigan State or a darn tough Ohio State team?  Probably not. How about Arkansas or LSU? Perhaps they should and perhaps they should not. The SEC is hands down tougher than the PAC 10 in a bad year. Should they be placed ahead of a good Nevada or indeed even a Boise State team? An argument can be made that the Ducks should and also an argument otherwise. You see this is the system we have in place. The BCS system is ruining the game to be sure. As stated I believe Oregon can play with anyone but if we are just to go by the current "system" perhaps they should not be rated any higher than five in the standings. I would put Auburn, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, and perhaps TCU, LSU and Arkansas ahead of them. I would put the Bartender Cabbie Series up against the Bowl Championship Series any day. I couldn't do any more damage than the BCS has already done and continues to do.

Coach Randy Gone

It has been reported that Randy was fired after the Hurricanes OT loss to USF yesterday. Shame on the Miami admin. Shannon had an off year to be sure and the Canes did not live up to expectations but my money would have been on them contending for ACC honors next year. Perhaps even competing for a shot at the so called "National Title." Shannon will land somewhere and build a program that will be a winner. Good luck to him.

One Heck of a Friday

Did you see any of the games yesterday? Now that is college football at its finest. The outcomes were for the most part not to my liking but I have to admit I have possibly not seen a better day of college ball. I guess I should get started with the Ohio Bobcats. How in the heck did they allow themselves to lose this one?  There was only a chance to play in the MAC Championship game on the line. Solich is probably pretty hot at his kittens over that fiasco. Oh well, they will go bowling somewhere I am sure. There are too many bowls.
There is absolutely no excuse for the Tide to have not rolled the Tigers of Auburn. Cam is one hell of a player but the Tide had more than one opportunity to put Cam and Co. in the shade. Auburn was exposed for sure but is still probably the best team overall in the nation. Would likely win two of three against the likes of Oregon,  Wisconsin, LSU, Boise, TCU,  etc.
Oregon took care of Arizona as predicted. This team will likely, barring a meltdown against their cross state rival next week, be in the BCS Championship game. The worse case scenario is that they will be in the Rose Bowl.
Boise State was exposed. They are the better team of the two but let this one get away. The BCS aficionados were probably dancing in their underwear last night. Now no Broncs in a BCS game. That is a shame. It hurts the BCS system when a Boise State, TCU, Utah, etc. are "allowed" to compete and clean the clock of a BCS opponent. Boise would beat Nevada 4 out of 5 times but did not last night. Have to feel a bit sorry for the Bronco kicker. He will need to change schools after last night. He is a good kicker but like any pitcher in baseball, he had a bad night. Also like a pitcher, his bad night happened at the worse possible time for the club. A kicker is either a hero or a dog. It is the nature of the position. I would still put Boise State in the top six. They would beat any team in the BCS system with the possible exception of Auburn or Oregon 2 out of 3 times.

Today there are no games with real national implications with the possible exception of the TCU/New Mexico match up. TCU is a darn good team but is probably not going to get a chance at the national title. It would be a travesty to keep them out of a BCS bowl though. The LSU/Arkansas game could possibly still have some national implications. We will see. Their (LSU) only loss was to the Tigers of Auburn. If Bama had won yesterday I would have been forced to grudgingly root for Miles and Co. over the Hogs which is the ridiculous outcome of the extremely flawed and ruinous BCS system. As it is now, I will have to go with the Razorbacks to dash LSU's hopes. The game is in Little Rock which helps the Hogs, but there will be a lot of Tiger fans in attendance. Should be a good game.

I guess the only other game of really any importance is the Oklahoma State/Oklahoma game. It is in Stillwater and should be a hard fought and close game. Both are very good, but not great teams.

Some will say that the marquee Big Ten match ups mean something. But let us be honest, those games really mean very little. MSU is not national title material and Wisconsin fell earlier to Michigan State and is not  considered as a national contender. I would say that Wisconsin is the still best in conference. The Big Ten is much better this year. Ohio State and Michigan mean nothing other than being a storied rivalry game. Coach Rich should have stayed at WVU where he was building a national power. He will likely be run from Michigan after it is all said and done. Shame. He is a good coach a deserves better. He will likely land somewhere that is a better program if he indeed is fired. They might be doing him a favor to let him go.

Got to get back to the games.

Anything to Keep the BCS in Flux - Even Rooting for Alabama

Alabama should have won the game today but did not. The better team prevailed. At any time trying to chose between these two is like trying to chose who to root for in the Iran/Iraq war. Remember that conflict?  I never could figure out who to root for in that particular game in the only sport that really matters. As it is today I found myself rooting for the odious Tide. Why? It would have been nice to see Auburn lose to further damage the BCS. If Auburn would have lost the game I then would have had to root for LSU over my beloved Razorbacks. This is the kind of thing that the BCS system does. It messes up your loyalty. Not that I am a big LSU fan. I am not, but still would rather see those Tigers with a shot at national (and conference) honors than the Tigers from Auburn. There is still a chance for Auburn to lose in the SEC Championship game, but it is rather unlikely that the Gamecocks will prevail in that one. Auburn is such a good team. Incidentally I am rooting also for Oregon to fall to Arizona. It is a close one as of this writing. Anything to screw up the BCS system. Anything!! It is ruining the game.

Week 13 Predictions

Last week I was 13-7 with a total for the season thus far at 145-93. Pretty decent week. The cream has risen to the top and it is less likely (although not out of the question), that there will be any earth shattering upsets. One surprise in the MAC is the Temple meltdown that leaves Ohio in the driver seat for the chance to be the representative from the MAC East in the championship game against Northern Illinois. For Miami of Ohio to get into it, Ohio must lose to Kent State. An unlikely proposition to be sure. That being said, on to the predictions.


1. Ohio vs Kent State: For the Bobcats to miss out on the MAC Championship game they would have to lose this one. That is unlikely. Go with the Bobcats.

2. Texas vs TAMU: Texas is down and TAMU is an unusually good ball club this year. This is one of those game that one can throw the records out of the window, but with the Longhorns so far in the hole it is hard to see how they will win this one. Win this they will though. Mack will have his team fired up. This is their "bowl game" this year and they will surprise the Aggies. Go with Texas.

3. SMU vs ECU: SMU needs this game. ECU needs to regain some confidence and self respect. They were embarrassed by Rice last week. Both are pretty good teams for CUSA and it should be a tight one. I will go with the Pony's to take it. They have more to lose overall with a loss. Go with SMU.

4. West Virginia vs Pitt: Both of these teams have two conference games left and both still are in the hunt for the Big East title. WVU may be the better team but it is hard to tell. The game is at home for the Panthers and this helps. I will go with WVU in this toss up game.

5. Colorado vs Nebraska: What a difference a coaching change makes. Colorado is 2-0 since canning Hawkins. It is funny how a team often shows an immediate improvement when a "dead wood" coach is let go during mid season. That being said they are likely no match for the Huskers in Lincoln. Pelini and co were taken down last week in College Station which was a bit of a surprise and they will be ready to take out their frustration on a below par squad. Pelini was called out by the powers that be in the admin office at the university for his fiery temperament onfield. I have a question for those silly clowns. Do you want to win? If so then leave Bo alone. Nebraska is stupidly leaving an excellent conference for a "good" conference. True the Big Ten is better than normal this year but it is not the football power that it once was. Of course Ohio State is exempt as they usually are a power team year in and year out. That being said it would be well for Husker admin to leave Pelini to run his program as he sees fit. If that means an occasional game day flip out then so be it. Whew! Enough of that. I pick Nebraska to win in a blow out. I wish them no success in the Big Ten but they will of course soon dominate. I wish Colorado no success either in the Pac 10 where they just might be competitive once in a while.

6. Auburn vs Bama: The bloom is off the Rose at the flagship university but they are going to beat the Tigers this week. That would throw the BCS in a tizz and that is good. It is funny how one has to root for a team that they dislike just to keep the BCS system in disarray. Such is the state of the game. I will go with the Tide here.

7.  Tulsa vs USM: Both teams need this game. Tulsa has more to lose here and will likely be able to take the Golden Eagles down in Hattiesburg. Tulsa is the better team and should prevail. Go with the Golden Hurricane.
Addendum: The game is being played in Tulsa.

8. Arizona vs Oregon: Oregon may be tested here but probably not. I will go with the Ducks to win this one and be poised for the "civil war" against their cross state rival next week. The Ducks may well be in the BCS "Championship" Game when all is said and done. It is very likely. Go with Oregon.

9. Boise State vs Nevada: The Broncs may be tested, but like the above game, probably not. Boise State will be in a BCS bowl for certain (barring a loss here) but likely will again not get a chance to play for all the marbles. It would be interesting. On a good day they could beat any team in the nation and do so handily. Go with Boise State.

10. TCU vs New Mexico: TCU will likely have little problem agains the lowly Lobos. Boise will likely surpass them in the standings when all is said and done. TCU should also get a BCS game but will not play in the "Big" game. It would be a travesty to put Boise State and TCU in another bowl game but that is what the BCS will likely try. That is if they can not keep one of them out of the picture altogether. The BCS folk are certainly hoping for TCU or Boise to stumble this week. That would make it easy for them. The BCS is actually ruining the game. Go with the Frogs to roll here with ease. It will be little more than a scrimmage for them most likely.

11. San Diego State vs UNLV: The Aztecs have been a pleasant surprise this year. They are well coached and a team to reckon with in the MWC. They should have no trouble here. Go with SDSU.

12. Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma: Guess who will have two losses after this one. It will be the Cowboys. They are probably the better team but I think that the Sooners will prevail in this evenly matched game. It is a toss up but I would put my money on the Sooners.

13. ULM vs Louisiana (ULL): ULM is actually having a pretty good (for them) season this year and the Cajuns are just dismal. I think that the Warhawks are the better team and will put the final nail in the Cajun coffin. Hope not. I am a huge Cajun fan but once in a while one must at least try to be realistic. Go with ULM.

14. Idaho vs Fresno State: Idaho really needs this game and Fresno State is already going "bowling." Idaho has more to lose but may not have the talent to beat the Bulldogs this year. Both teams were recently utterly blown out by the Broncos but that was to be somewhat expected. Both of these squads are well coached with Enderle (Idaho) being hands down the better QB in this game. It is the Idaho D that will likely not be able to contain a pretty good Fresno State running game. Go with the Valley Dogs.

15. UAB vs Rice: For the first time this season Rice has shown that they can actually play this game. Their win over ECU must have been a huge boost to their confidence. UAB can actually play this game, despite their record. They are a better team than is indicated by the won/loss ratio. I will go with the Blazers to win this one. It may be close.

16. Troy vs WKU: Troy is not near as good as they normally are but still are a better team than WKU. Both teams are well coached but WKU does not have the talent to compete here. Go with the Trojans.

17. Florida vs FSU: This is a big rivalry game that can often mean a whole lot nationally. Not so much this year but still it should be a good game. I think that Florida may be the better team marginally and will go with the Gators here.

18. LSU vs Arkansas: This is a big one for both teams. More so for the Tigers. Both of these squads are very good with LSU being the better team. LSU is not totally out of the hunt in the national picture and the Hogs will get a very good bowl game. I am no fan of LSU as my Louisiana team is the Cajuns. Funny I know. I lived in Louisiana for years but just never became a "Tiger" I also lived in Arkansas for a good while and have always been a fan. I think that LSU will prevail here but it will be very very close. Go with LSU.

19. Grambling vs Southern: The Bayou Classic is the IAA game of the week. This is the game that can fill the Super Dome and gets more national attention than a great number of games that really matter. Grambling is the much better team this year and will win this one hands down.

20. Michigan State vs. Penn State: This is the potential shocker of the week. PSU is a pretty good football team as is Michigan State. I do believe that the Spartans have had a very good run of luck this year and are not quite the team that their record indicates. That being said, one can't argue with their record. PSU dose have the talent to win here but we will soon see if they can do so. I go with PSU. Not sure if it would be a real shocker but it would be an upset to be sure.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 12 Predictions

Last week I was a cool 12-8 for a grand total this season of 137-86. Fair I suppose. I will dispense week 11 analysis this week or at least for today. May get to it later in the week but doubt it. There were some pretty good games over the weekend although no earth shattering upsets. TCU, Oregon and even to some extent, Auburn were all tested. Boise as expected was not. OK State may be the real deal and TAMU is rising. Wisconsin and Ohio State are darn good teams and not out of the National Championship picture either. For those that care, Troy does not look like they may be the best team overall in the Sun Belt after all. They will likely still be in the New Orleans Bowl though. That being said - on to the predictions.

1. Ohio vs Temple: In about an hour or so this one kicks off. It is of extreme importance to both teams as the loser may well be out of the MAC West picture. Temple appears to be in the driver seat with Miami(OH) and the Bobcats nipping at their heels. Solich and Golden are both good coaches but Temple is probably the better team here. I will go with Temple to win this one. Go with the Owls.

2. Miami(OH) vs Akron: This one is important if Miami(OH) is to have a shot at the MAC West. It should be a breeze for the RedHawks as Akron has yet to win a game. I will go with the Red Hawks here.

3. Toledo vs Bowling Green: Another MAC contest. Yes. This could be important for the Rockets in the MAC East should Northern Illinois falter. Go with the Rockets. This has been an interesting conference this season.

4. Fresno State vs Boise State: Fresno is one of the two remaining WAC teams that may have a slight shot at dashing the Bronco's BCS hopes. Unlikely but stranger things have happened. I will go with Boise State here.

5. Northern Illinois vs Ball State: Yet another MAC game. The Huskies need to finish the rest of the season strong to stay ahead of Toledo. If they falter Toledo is back in it. Go with Northern Illinois.

6. West Virginia vs Louisville: WVU needs this win and some help to take the Big East crown. They should do their part here and beat Louisville. Go with WVU.

7. Troy vs South Carolina: A tune up game for the Gamecocks? Perhaps and perhaps not. Troy has fallen off somewhat and lost two conference games in a row. Very surprising. Spurrier is having a very good season thus far and should be able to beat Troy with relative ease.

8. Appalachian State vs Florida: Meyer may have his work cut out for him this week. App State is quite good but probably not up to beating most SEC foes. I will go with the Gators here but it may be closer than expected.

9. Kansas St vs Colorado: Dan Hawkins is gone in Boulder and that is good for the program. His son is still at QB though and that does not really bode well. The Buffs pulled off a minor upset last week over Iowa State and may have some confidence in themselves and believe in their "new start." Could be a good game. Depends on which KSU team shows up. Go with the Wildcats.

10. Illinois vs Northwestern: Illinois needs this game and perhaps may get it here. Zook for sure needs to win out the rest of the season for career reasons. There was no reason for the Illini to lose last week to the Gophers. Funny though how a new coach can pump life into a dismal team. Brewster is out in MN and that was probably a major reason for the win. This is very similar to what happened in Colorado. That being said, I will go with Illinois to pull off a minor upset over Northwestern.

11. Virginia Tech vs Miami: Both teams need this game and Va. Tech is probably the better team. Miami is better coached most likely and I will go with the Canes to pull off a minor upset here.

12. Florida Atlantic vs Texas: Texas should win this game over the Owls but the Sun Belt has played the big boys pretty tough this year and the Horns are just dismal. I still think that Texas will prevail. Go with the Horns.

13. UConn vs Syracuse: Both need this game and UConn must have this it to have any shot at all of staying in the hunt. Both have been playing pretty decent ball of late with UConn perhaps being the most "impressive." I think I will still go with the Orange here. It is a home game and Syracuse has been down for quite a while.

14. Houston vs Southern Miss: Another must win game for both teams to stay in their respective divisions. U of H did not look real good last week against Tulsa and USM took down UCF. I will go with the Eagles in a tight one. It depends a lot on which Coogs team shows up thoug.

15. Nebraska vs TAMU: The Huskers are likely not even a dark horse for the National Championship at this point but are still a darn good team. TAMU is much improved this year and will be at home. I think that Pelini is a much better coach than Sherman but Tannehill may be a better QB than Martinez at this point. This is a toss up and I will guess and go with the Huskers.

16. LSU vs Ole Miss: The Tigers had their scrimmage last week against their upstate Sun Belt foe. Ole Miss is just not a very good team but the Tigers have the potential to play down to their level. Probably won't happen but not out of the question. I will go with LSU here.

17. Utah vs SDSU: SDSU gave the Frogs all they could handle last week and Utah was made to look ridiculous against a below par Irish team. Utah will probably be back ready to play this week but it will be a close one. Both teams are well coached and talented and may be just about even. I will go with the Utes in a close one.

18. Arkansas vs Mississippi State: The Hogs are the better team but the Bulldogs are pretty decent. I think it will be close but give the Razorbacks the edge. Go with Arkansas.

19. Montana vs Montana State: This is the IAA game of the week. I have not paid too much attention to the Big Sky this year but both of these teams look pretty good. Montana is usually in the mix for a title shot and State is much improved over past years. I will have to go with Montana here.

20. California vs Stanford: I will pick this to be the potential shocker this week. Stanford is a good teams hands down and Cal can show flashes. Probably the talent of Stanford will prevail. They are well coached with a good QB while Cal is just well coached. Go with Stanford.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

No LFL in Oklahoma City

Apparently the mayor of Oklahoma City has declared that the LFL (Lingerie Football League) is not allowed in OKC (or at least allowed to lease public venues). What kind of Un American nonsense is that? Damn You Sir! Damn you.

Thursday Review

Thursday night UConn nipped the Pitt Panthers in a pretty good ball game. Pitt is still in the race as this is their first conference loss but certainly must guard against any further mishaps. All Big East teams are at least theoretically in the race for the Big East crown. This is a bit sad actually. Nobody seems to be anything better than just above average. Syracuse is probably the biggest surprise with a 6-3 overall record but they are 3-2 in conference play. This is still up for grabs.
ECU scored 27 fourth quarter points to overtake the Blazers of Birmingham in front of a crowd of about 20. The Blazers can at times show some flashes of good football and may have thought the game was in the bag. Not a good idea when faced with an ECU squad that can score points and do so quickly. Amazing comeback. ECU remains in the hunt for CUSA East although UCF is in the driver seat. The Boise/Idaho game starts shortly but the outcome is likely a foregone conclusion. Almost like the game has already been played. To quote Sam Elliot (almost) from the movie Gettysburg; "It has an odd stony quality about it, like it was already a memory." Well that is kinda a quote. Enjoy the games.

Miami of Ohio Still in the Hunt in the MAC East

Miami of Ohio Redhawks held off a fourth quarter charge by the Bowling Green Falcons and came out on top in the contest. The Hawks still have a shot in the MAC East. Still a lot of football left to be played. As of this writing UConn is up on Pitt by a field goal a minute into the second quarter. All Big East games are a must win for all teams as all are still at least theoretically in the race.

The MAC Saga

Last night Northern Illinois took out a pretty decent Toledo club in fine fashion. The second half was wild and wooley. On tap tonight is the Miami(OH)/Bowling Green contest. This game (and all others) are must wins for the Red Hawks. They are still in contention for the MAC East crown although they are a bit of a long shot. Bowling Green has had a dismal season and likely will not have the firepower to keep up. We will see. This MAC is an interesting and often under rated conference.

Hawkins is Gone and Northern Illinois Leads at Half

Dan Hawkins was canned by the University of Colorado for his dismal performance as HC of the Buffs. Who would have thought that a man who led Boise State to very good seasons would turn out to be such a bust in Boulder? If there was any doubt about his fate the meltdown last week against a very poor Jayhawk team should have erased said doubt. Such is the game. On a more important note, Northern Illinois leads the Rockets of Toledo at halftime 28-0. This decides who wins MAC West and goes to the conference championship game. 

Week 11 Predictions

The college football season is coming down to the wire and it has been an interesting and surprising year indeed. Who would have thought that Texas would be so far down?Snyder is bringing KSU back to respectability to be certain. Iowa State, Baylor and Mississippi State have been pleasant surprises also. It is no surprise that Notre Dame is mediocre. That appears to par for the course in South Bend. Even without Tim who would have thought that Florida would not be a player on the national scene this year? Not many I would guess. Well on to the predictions for week 11.


1. Pittsburgh vs UConn: Every game is a must win for each and every team in the Big East. Each has at least a theoretical shot at winning the title. Perhaps Pitt is the best team in conference and should go a long way to proving it shortly. Go with the Panthers.

2. Boise St vs Idaho: A tune up game for the Broncos before they meet with Fresno and Nevada. Akey does a pretty good job in Idaho and Enderle is a good QB but they will be no match for their cross state WAC rival.

3. UCF vs USM: UCF is in the driver seat in CUSA West but USM can be a dangerous opponent. I think that UCF has the talent to prevail here. Go with the Golden Knights.

4. Kansas ST vs Missouri: Missouri is probably the better team here and will get a nice bowl game but I think that KSU will prevail here with a minor upset. The Bears have to be depressed about how the last two games have gone for them. Go with the Wildcats.

5. Iowa St. vs Colorado: Iowa State is 5-5 which is darn good for them and Colorado is done. Perhaps they will do better in the PAC 10. Doubtful. I go with the Hawkeyes to take this one hands down.

6. Penn St vs Ohio State: This is a big game although PSU is not really going anywhere in conference. They should still get a good bowl. OSU must win to be considered still a contender for the National Title, much less the Conference Title. Another loss with knock them out of contention for both. I go with OSU to pull this out in a fairly close contest.

7. Georgia vs Auburn: Auburn will win this one but it may be a bit closer than expected. Georgia is steadily improving and may actually go bowling this year. I will go with the Tigers in a fairly close one.

8. San Diego St. vs TCU: This is one team that TCU should not let down their guard on. They are flush from the beat down of Utah last week and should be on the lookout for a let down. Hoke is a good coach and SDSU is a pretty darn good ballclub. I still will go with the Frogs to take this one hands down.

9. TAMU vs Baylor: This may be a good one. Both teams are probably pretty even and each is led by very good QB's. Briles is the better coach and the game is in Waco which may be the deciding factor here. I will go with Baylor in a shoot out.

10. Louisiana Monroe vs LSU: I will pad my stats here a bit. It is apparently homecoming in Tigerland. ULM may (or may not be) the second best D1 team in state but are going to be no match for the Tigers. Go with LSU.

11. Tulsa vs UH: This is an important game in the still open CUSA West. Tulsa is probably the better team as UH is playing with the third or fourth team QB at the helm. It will be an interesting game but I will go with the Cougars to pull this one out of the hat. Go with UH.

12. Rice vs Tulane: I wanted to go to this one but it does not look like that will happen. Neither team is very good but Tulane is probably marginally better. I will look for the Green Wave to win this one.

13. Nevada vs Fresno State: The Wolfpack are the better team but the Bulldogs are always a very dangerous opponent. The game is at home for Fresno and Pat Hill will have his club ready. I think they may pull off the upset here. Pick Fresno State.

14. Utah vs Notre Dame: Utah will be fighting mad when they travel to South Bend and will take it out on the Irish. Notre Dame will be out to prove something also after their loss to Tulsa but the Irish are just not a good team. Besides I dislike their coach. I will go with the Utes here in a rout.

15. UTEP vs Arkansas: Must be homecoming. The only problem is that UTEP, depending on which team shows up, is a tough opponent. Vittatoe is a good QB and Price is a stellar coach. This may be closer than expected but I will still pick the Hogs here.

16. Minnesota vs Illinois: This should be a win for the Illini over the hapless Gophers. Zook will need to finish strong to keep his job probably. I will go with Illinois here.

17. Oregon vs California: I wonder which Bear team will show up. They can be good and they can look just dismal. Either way it probably won't matter. Oregon will take this one with relative ease I suspect. Go with the Ducks.

18. Indiana vs Wisconsin: Wisconsin is good and Indiana is just not. Go with the Badgers.

19. Grambling vs Texas Southern: For the second week in a row I will pick a SWAC game (and TSU) to be the IAA game of the week. Grambling appears to be a pretty good SWAC team and TSU is better than they have been in a long long time. The game will be played in Houston and I think that Texas Southern will surprise. Go with TSU.

20 Mississippi State vs Alabama: This is the potential shocker of the week. The Tide must be let down after seeing any chance they have at a National Title shot going out the window. They still have a shot at the SEC though and should stay focused on that. Saban will likely emphasize this and his squad will beat the Bulldogs. It may be close and I could be wrong, but I will go with the Tide here.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 10 Analysis

There were some pretty good games on tap this last week and some surprises as is usual. I was 11-9 this week for a grand total of 125-78. Did anyone notice the prolific scoring that happened at various sites across the country? I don't guess defense is being played anymore. The biggest surprises to me were the Texas/KSU and the TCU/Utah contests. I figured that TCU would beat Utah but not in such a rout. I did not think that KSU would have what it took to beat Texas but beat them they did. In fine fashion. Can anyone say that TCU and perhaps even Boise State don't deserve a shot at the mythical "National Title?" I don't think that any legitimate commentator would deny that they are very very good teams and perhaps as good as any in the land. Does LSU actually have a shot at the title? They may need a little help but a one loss SEC team is certainly not to be counted out. What about Oregon? The PAC 10 is a bit weak but still Oregon is a darn good ballclub. What about Ohio State or Wisconsin? Both are quality teams in a conference that is better this year than it has been in the past. Can anyone count out Nebraska? Perhaps but perhaps not. I will wager there will be a lot of controversy before it is all said and done this year. Anything that further erodes the credibility of the BCS system is ok by me. Enought pontificating. On to the analysis of week 10.

In the Sun Belt Troy is still the team to beat although they do not appear to be quite as dominant as they have been of late. MTSU is a disappointment to be sure. Both of the Florida schools are dangerous teams despite their record and the two Louisiana squads are not real good. La Monroe is probably a step above the Cajuns. ASU had a nice win over MTSU the other night and North Texas along with WKU round out the bottom.

Conference USA is still pretty interesting. I was surprised that ECU was beaten so badly by a fair Navy squad. UCF came to Houston and proved a point. I was a bit surprised that UTEP took down the Mustangs of SMU. It always just depends on which Miner team shows up to play. They can be good at times. Tulsa made a statement the other week against the Irish and continued with a pummeling of Rice. Tulane played fairly apparently but fell to USM. Memphis was smashed by the Vols and I was a bit surprised at the margin of loss. Memphis is not good and Porter has a long way to go but the Tigers regard the Vols as a mortal enemy and usually get up for the game to at least turn in a fair performance. Not so Saturday. In the East, UCF looks to be poised to take it with ECU and perhaps USM still in the hunt. CUSA West is still up for grabs with Tulsa, Houston and SMU all in the race.

In the Mid American East the Temple Owls along with Ohio and Miami of Ohio are still in the race. Temple must face both teams and probably should not lose to either team. Each of them have only one conference loss with Temple having the harder row to hoe the rest of the way. They are probably the better of the the three teams though. In the West it is down to Northern Illinois and Toledo. Both are undefeated in conference play. They meet Tuesday and that may decide it although both have 2 more conference games in addition. An interesting and perhaps under rated conference this year.

The Pac 10 is down to Oregon. I don't think they will lose and they may be one of the teams in the National Championship game. They may be as good as anybody in the country. Stanford is a major player yet and should Oregon stumble, they will be in a good position. Oregon State lost to UCLA which damages their credibility somewhat and must face Oregon in the "Civil War." Arizona will go bowling in a decent game. Nothing else really matters.

The Big East is in shambles. It is hard to figure but the best teams in conference appear to be Pitt and WVU (despite a 1-2 conference record for the Mountaineers). Not a lot to say here. This conference is weak this year. Syracuse is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. Every team has at least three conference games left, some four. This race has a long way to go before being decided with every team having a theoretical shot at the title.

The WAC is still going to go to Boise State. They knocked off Hawaii in convincing fashion Saturday but must play both Nevada and Fresno before the season ends. Either of these teams has a slight shot of knocking them off the perch but it is not likely. Is Boise ready for the BCS. You bet!!

The Mountain West has been decided. The only question is whether TCU will have a major melt down in one of the remaining games. Doubtful but stranger things have happened. If they do not (melt down) the question would be if they are "National Championship" ready. They very well may be. Utah will get a nice bowl as will SDSU. The Aztecs are a pleasant surprise. I like Hoke and hope he sticks around awhile.

The ACC is still a bit of a mess. One division is still up for grabs with no team in conference really being a quality stand out club with the possible exception of the Hokies. Their early season loss to JMU is still affecting their standing in the college game. Their loss to Boise State can be forgiven, but not a loss to a IAA club.  Va Tech should win the Coastal as they are undefeated in conference play. Miami, their closest rival, has two conference losses. The Atlantic is still up for grabs with four teams having a shot. Florida State is in the driver seat with 4 conference wins and two losses. It is hard to say which will play Va. Tech for the ACC title.

The Big Twelve North is between Missouri and Nebraska with the Huskers being in the driver seat. Pelini is a hell of a coach and no mistake. Iowa State is a pleasant surprise this year and had the opportunity to knock the Huskers out of the possibility of a National Title. Granted Nebraska going to the BCS Title game is a bit of a long shot, but still a theoretical possibility. The South Division is really interesting with four teams still in the hunt. At this time OSU is the front runner with only one loss in conference with Baylor, Oklahoma and even the Aggies still in the race. Oklahoma should not have lost to the Aggies no matter where they played. Same actually for Missouri. TTU is not real good and the Bears should have beaten them. Baylor was capable of better play against the Cowboys but so it goes. Texas is done. Mack has a rebuild job on his hands for sure. The Kansas/Colorado game was interesting if inconsequential. The Jayhawks scored 35 points in the fourth quarter to upend the Buffs. Hawkins is done. This has been an interesting conference this year to watch.

The Big Ten has four teams still in the race for the conference crown with three of them having a possible shot at the National Title game. Wisconsin, MSU, Ohio State and Iowa all have only one loss in conference and in totality at this point. Iowa has two losses but only one is a conference game. It is still up for grabs. Four quality teams in this league instead of just one or two as is usually the case. The Michigan/Illinois game was a wild one indeed. Does either team have a defense. Both Zook and Rich are on the hot seat but may yet get to save their jobs. Northwestern let JOPA's squad back in and Paterno recorded his 400th victory (I believe). I like that old dude. They should let him stay as long as he wants. He has earned the right. Hopefully PSU won't "do him dirty" like FSU did to Bowden. Bobby also earned the right to coach until he felt the need to leave. Just the way it is.

The SEC may not always have the best team in the land but they seem to be hands down the best league year in and year out. Nothing really surprising there. The SEC East is up for grabs and does seem to be down this year. Florida is not the power this year that they normally are and South Carolina is a good but not great team. One of those teams will be in the SEC title game against a much stronger opponent from the West. Now we come to the other division. The SEC West has some powers that can play with anyone. Yes that includes the Crimson Tide. I would put the top three teams in this division up against anyone in the land and would suspect they would have a good chance of winning. Two of the other three teams in this division are quality also with only the Rebs being a poor team this year. Mississippi State has been a pleasant surprise. LSU needs Bama to beat Auburn for a shot at the SEC title game and I hate to root for the Tide and especially that Saban, but this is what it comes down to. Auburn and perhaps LSU are not to be counted out to play in the National Title game. The Tigers (LSU) still have to contend with the Hogs (and La. Monroe, Ole Miss) before it is all said and done. Not an easy proposition to say the least or at least the contest with the Arkansas. Auburn must of course play the Tide and get past a somewhat improved Georgia club. Still a very interesting race with a good bit of ball left to play.

I will try to get the predictions for this week up as soon as possible.

Pack Your Bags Dan Hawkins

Did anyone notice that Kansas (of all teams) scored 35 points in the fourth quarter to upend the hapless Buffs? This is a inconsequential game but I would have love to have watched that last quarter. Unbelievable. Hope your bags are packed Dan. You are done sir. Crazy crazy game this college football.

Good Games on at the Same Time

This afternoon there were two very good games on at the same time. Of course that would happen. Iowa St/Nebraska was one to watch and so was the LSU/Bama game. I had to flip back and forth. Probably watched more of the SEC game than the other. I am no real fan of LSU. Lived in Arkansas until my mid teams and then moved to Louisiana. More of a Hogs fan. My Louisiana team is the Ragin Cajuns so it goes without saying that what happens at LSU is of no real concern of mine. I do however dislike the Tide and Saban particularly. I enjoyed watching Saban and Co. fall to the Bayou Bengals in Death Valley. What a game it was and of course Miles successfully tried a little trickery. I wonder if the Tiger faithful will still be calling for Miles' head. If so they are fools.

Week 10 Predictions

It looks like there are some good games on tap this week and it also looks like it is Homecoming week for a lot of SEC schools. Some are playing down so to speak looking for the quick and easy victory to entertain the alum. Wonder if that will work out for all of them? I imagine someone will get embarrassed. On to the predictions for week ten.


1. Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech: This may or may not be a good game. Va. Tech has bounced back from a dismal start and Georgia Tech is fair at best. For either school a lot depends on which team shows up. Va. Tech is undefeated in conference, but that does not really say a whole lot. The ACC is certainly down this year. I will predict that the Hokies pull this one off however. Go with Va. Tech.

2. UCF at Houston: This could be a good one also. UCF had a nice win over ECU last week and is in the driver seat for CUSA East. Houston is still in contention for CUSA West despite losing QB's one and two. They are playing with the third "teamer" starting and seem to be getting back on track. I will go with the Coogs to pull off a minor upset here. Go with Houston.

3. NC State vs Clemson: Another interesting ACC game. NC State is still playing some decent ball and had a very nice come back win over FSU last week. Clemson is probably better than their 4-4 record. This could be a toss up but I will go with the Wolfpack here.

4. Illinois vs Michigan: Michigan is a disappointment and Illinois is playing about par for the course or perhaps even a little above. Rich will likely lose his job after this season and Zook is also on the hot seat. I think that Michigan has more talent but will look for Illinois to pull off an upset despite their dismal road record. Go with the Illini.

5.  Chattanooga vs Auburn: Can I pad my stats a bit? Why not? Auburn appears to be doing so here. I like the Mocs (I love that part of TN) and I do not like Auburn but of course Auburn is number one in D1 and Chattanooga merely plays in IAA. Auburn will win easily here but wouldn't it be great if......? One can hope.

6. TCU vs Utah: This is probably the game of the week or at least it should be. TCU and Utah are poised to be BCS busters but of course only one will prevail. I think that TCU is probably the better team but Utah is a damn good team in their own right. I would put Utah on the level as perhaps Oklahoma State and TCU perhaps as good as Wisconsin. I think TCU will take this one. Go with the Frogs.

7. Ohio vs Buffalo: The Bobcats need to keep on winning and get a little help to stay in contention in the MAC. They will do their part and win this one. Go with Ohio.

8. New Mexico St vs Utah St: Someone has to win here and I believe it will be the Aggies of Utah St over the Aggies of NMSU. They appear to have a bit more talent and should take this one. Go with USU.

9. Hawaii vs Boise State: Now here is a good one. BSU should be able to win this one but Hawaii is playing some darn good ball. It is doubtful that the Warriors will have the talent to keep up here but they are one of the few WAC teams that actually may have a (slight) shot of unseating the king. I will go with the Broncos here.

10. Alabama vs LSU: This may or may not be a good game. If Bama is to stay in consideration for the BCS "Big Game" they must run the table the rest of the way. There may be a hick up or two along the way but probably not Saturday. LSU will not win this one without some wicked voodoo working for them. Go with the Tide to roll.

11. Fresno State vs Louisiana Tech: Both of these Bulldogs need this one. La. Tech needs to get a little respect as does Fresno State. Pat Hill's club may be a bit disappointing thus far but they are always a very dangerous team. I will go with Fresno State to pull this one out of the hat.

12. Oklahoma vs Texas A&M: Can the Aggies make it three in a row? No. Not against this squad. The Sooners will roll here. Go with Oklahoma.

13. Troy vs North Texas: Troy will right the ship here. Dodge likely will not be the Mean Green coach next year. The Trojans will help him pack his bags. Go with Troy in a rout.

14. Arizona vs Stanford: This is a good PAC 10 game. I am still not a believer in Arizona but am for certain a believer in Stanford. I could be wrong. I will pick Stanford in a close game.

15. Texas vs KSU: This is probably pretty evenly matched game. KSU is not a very good team and Texas is for certain a disappointment this year. The Wildcats have trouble moving the ball and their defense is just adequate. The game is at home for the Wildcats and that should give them a slight edge but the Horns played extremely well against Nebraska in Lincoln. I will go with the Horns here.

16. Missouri vs Texas Tech: The Tigers need to show the country that they are truly for real. The were totally blown out last week. Tech is not a good team this year and Mizzou should be able to take them down. Go with Missouri.

17. Northwestern vs PSU: A toss up. I will go with the Lions for no particular reason. The game is pretty evenly matched as far as I can tell.

18. Arkansas vs South Carolina: This game will decide who is the best of the second tier SEC teams this year. Both are well coached with very talented but somewhat erratic QBs at the helm. I will give the Gamecocks the home field nod and pick them in a close game. Go with SC.

19. Texas Southern vs Southern: This SWAC game is the IAA game of the week. The Tigers have not played this well in years and Coach Cole must be doing something right in Houston. I am not familiar with Southern this year but they do not have a very good record at all. I will go with the Tigers to beat the Jags even though the game is in Baton Rouge. Go with TSU.

20 Louisiana vs Ole Miss: I pick this to be the potential shocker of the week. The Cajuns have not had a good season and it would be a boon to the program to beat an SEC team, albeit a weak one, on the road. I don't know if they have the talent but I know that the coaching staff have instilled the desire. Ole Miss players must be disappointed in themselves and may not really be all that interested. Go with the Cajuns to pull off the upset in Oxford.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 9 Analysis

It was an interesting week in the college game. There were some surprises of course and the cream is rising. It may well be that the teams that face off in the BCS National Title game have a least one loss on the season. This week my predictions were off to say the least at 10-10 for a grand total of 114-69. In my defense; who the hell can make accurate predictions this year? Sometimes I admit that my predictions are somewhat biased. In other words, I pick the winner by who I hope will win. Not usually though. I do try to be a least somewhat objective. That being said on to the analysis.

In the Sun Belt Troy suffered an unforeseen loss to the Warhawks of ULM. That is probably somewhat of an anomaly. I still predict the Trojans to run the table the rest of the way.

Who can predict anything in the ACC? At this point the thing is up for grabs. I would not have thought that Virginia would take down Miami  and NC State made a very nice comeback on the Noles. Could Maryland actually be in the hunt? The teams in this conference are extremely hard to figure. Virginia Tech is at this time the only undefeated team in conference play and must be considered the front runner I suppose. Hard to say.

The Wac is the Wac. I have said this before and will try to refrain from saying it again. Boise State should run the table but Hawaii is a surprisingly good ballclub. Don't count out Nevada to continue to make some noise. Idaho better get on the stick. Pat Hill's club was off this week and can be a dangerous opponent for anyone depending on which team shows up.

The Mtn West is still between Utah and TCU. The issue will be settled shortly. Utah did not blow out AFA and predicted. I figured Air Force would play the Utes pretty tough. SDSU continues to play some good ball. Nothing else is of any consequence.

Oregon appears to be the top dog in the Pac 10 and a legitimate contender for the big BCS game. They must make it past OSU in the "Civil War" though. That may be a good one. A few weeks left until that one but I don't see the Ducks losing to anyone prior to that contest.

WVU had a disappointing outing against the Huskies of UConn. I am about to believe that Pitt may be the better team of the two. Syracuse continues to have a surprisingly decent season and is improving. Not much else is worth writing about. Still have not heard an updated status on the Rutgers player who was seriously injured the other week. Thoughts and Prayers.

Who is the best team in the Big Twelve? Nebraska it appears. They have a group of QB's who can get the job done. If one goes down as Martinez did, then there are two others that can lead a team. The Husker loss to the Horns is proving to be an anomaly. Big Ten beware. Husker nation is coming your way next year. That sucks for the Big Twelve as far as status goes but what can one do. The NCAA should not allow schools to move conferences at a whim. Enough on that subject. Baylor is proving to be a very good team led by one of the best QB's in college ball. TAMU surprised Tech but neither team is quality. Oklahoma got back on track as did the Cowboys. KSU will still make a decent bowl but is in reality not a very good team. There are too many bowls in my opinion.

The Big Ten is up for grabs apparently with some very good but perhaps not great teams in conference. MSU was taken down and that is not surprising really. I think they have been living on borrowed time for quite a while now. Still they are a pretty good club. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa and perhaps even MSU are all very good teams and would be able to beat anyone on any given day. Penn State can still play some ball. Coach Rich may be out at Michigan before it is all said and done. Northwestern is still a pretty fair ballclub and can be dangerous. Illinois just may be good enough to save Zook's job. They are a pretty decent team. I would put them on the level of Mississippi State probably. Well not quite.

CUSA is up for grabs. UCF beat ECU to put them in the drivers seat in the west but ECU is still not out of it. Perhaps USM may be a long shot still. In the eastern division Houston seems to have learned to play some ball with their third team QB at the helm. SMU is in it and perhaps Tulsa. Speaking of Tulsa, I watched most of the game against the Irish and I must say that I enjoyed seeing them get taken down by the Golden Hurricane on national television. I do not however like either of the head coaches for either team. Both are lacking severely in the class department. Enough of that. Really nothing else matters as far as play goes in this conference. Memphis is bad and Porter has a pretty big rebuild job ahead of him. UAB shows some flashes as does UTEP but neither is in contention at this point. Tulane may actually win five games this year and for the Green Wave that should be considered a huge success.

The SEC season is in full swing with Auburn looking like a major player in the BCS hunt. Alabama can not be counted out however. Not by a long shot. The Hogs will find more success as the year progresses and Mississippi State is a pleasant surprise. LSU is a mystery yet. We will see how things go for them. In the east South Carolina is in the drivers seat but Florida may overtake them. The eastern division of this conference is down this year. Richt is history I would wager even if he runs the table the rest of the way. An unlikely prospect. Vandy is Vandy.

The MAC is still up for grabs. Temple, Miami(OH), and Ohio University all are in contention in the east with Northern Illinois and Toledo contending for the west. The best team in conference is probably Temple but there is a good bit of football left to be played.

I will have the predictions for week 10 up before long. Have a good week.

Week Nine Predictions

This week has some good games scheduled and some very important ones as far as conference races are concerned. Time is of an issue here so on to the predictions for the week.

1. Boise State vs Louisiana Tech: This one kicks off in about one hour and should be won handily by Boise. Pick the Broncos


2. NC State vs Florida State: Both teams have overall identical records but FSU is 4-0 in conference. I think that this will be a close one and predict that the Seminoles will prevail. Pick FSU.

3. WVU vs UConn: WVU needs this one to get back on track and should be able to handle the Huskies. WVU must run the table from here on to gain in respect in the ranks of  D1 college ball.

4.  Louisville vs Pitt: Another important Big East match up with the Panthers being the better team. Pitt may be rebounding after a slow start and could still take the Big East. It is between the Panthers and WVU at this point. Look for Pitt to knock off Louisville. Pick Pitt.

5. Auburn vs Ole Miss: Auburn is number 1 in the BCS standings and must guard against the history of number one teams the last few weeks. I figured that Oregon would get the number one BCS spot but they did not. The Ducks are however number one in the AP. I pick Auburn to win this game but it may be closer than expected.

6. Oregon vs USC: Could USC knock off number one in the AP poll? Possible but not probable. Oregon is a darn good team and should prevail here. Go with the Ducks.

7. KSU vs OK State: This may be a good one. OSU is reeling after last week's loss to the Huskers and KSU began to come back on a surprising Baylor club falling just short. OSU will likely be without Blackmon who was apparently arrested in a DUI incident. He is a vital part of the Cowboy club. I pick KSU in a close battle.

8. SDSU vs Wyoming: SDSU is much improved and should have the talent to take down these Cowboys. It may be fairly close but I will go with the Aztecs here. Pick SDSU.

9. SMU vs Tulane: The Green Wave are actually playing better ball than is the norm. SMU was embarrassed last week against the Coogs. I think that SMU will have it back together and be able to win this one hands down. Go with SMU

10. Texas Tech vs TAMU: The Aggies are just not a good team. The Red Raiders are in disarray also. This may be a toss up and I will pick the Red Raiders here simply because I like them. Go with Tech.

11. Florida Atlantic vs Florida International: This is a low key rivalry game between two Sun Belt opponents. FIU is a good ballclub despite their record and FAU is a disappointment this year thus far. I will go with FIU in a tight one.

12. Baylor vs Texas: Usually this is a no brainer. Not this year. Texas is down and Baylor is playing some surprising ball. Briles is a good coach and the Baylor QB may be second to none in D1 ball. I will go with the Bears to pull off a minor upset here. Go with the Bears.

13. Utah vs Air Force:  This may be a pretty good match up. AFA is a decent team and Utah is a downright good squad. I think that Utah will prevail here. AFA did not look good last week against TCU and will play better ball this week but will come up short. Pick the Utes.

14. Idaho vs Hawaii: The Vandals are a pretty good team for the WAC and Hawaii is a good WAC team. Hawaii probably has more talent but I will go with the Vandals to pull off the upset here. Go with Idaho.

15. Nebraska vs Missouri: This should be the game of the week. Mizzou took down the Sooners while the Huskers got back on track. I think that the Huskers are probably the better team but Mizzou may play very well and take this one. Go with the Bears.

16. East Carolina vs UCF: Another top notch game. ECU is supposed to be in rebuild mode but have been playing darn good ball. UCF is no pushover either. One of these teams may be ranked after this week and I think it will be the Pirates. Go with ECU.

17. Georgia vs Florida: Often this is huge game but not so much this year. Georgia seems improved as the season wears on and Florida is still a dangerous club. Both are a disappointment and I am fairly sure that Richt will lose his job after this season. Meyer is in no danger. I will go with Florida to take this one in a close one. Go with the Gators.

18. Arkansas vs Vanderbilt: The Hogs need this game to keep on track. They should get a victory here but Vandy can at times be pretty tough. I go with the Razorbacks in a fairly close game.

19. Chattanooga vs Elon: This is the IAA game of the week. The Mocs are playing better ball than is usually the case judging by their record. I know nothing about Elon. I will go with UT Chattanooga to win this one. Besides they have a cool name.

20. William and Mary vs North Carolina: I will pick this to be the potential shocker of the week. WMU is a very good team in a very tough IAA conference. NC is a decent team in a fair D1 conference. That may put them on fairly even footing. I think that we will have another upset here. The pundits will of course make a big deal out of it but top IAA teams in that region are usually pretty equal to mid level D1 teams. Earlier this year James Madison took down Virginia Tech in a game that may not have been an anomaly. I will go with William and Mary to prevail here. Mark it!!

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 8 Analysis

This week did a little better with a 14-6 record for a grand total thus far of 104-59. There were some darn good games over the weekend and the better teams are rising to the top although it is still a very very difficult season to predict. Is Alabama going to run the rest of the schedule? Would Auburn be all that good without Cam Newton? Is Boise State ever going to get any respect? Just how bad is the Big East? A lot of questions left to be answered before it is all said and done. On to the analysis.

Sun Belt: The Trojans are the best team hands down. WKU recorded the their first Sun Belt. FIU is up an coming despite the record with MTSU  and FAU a bit of a disappointment thus far. Looks like the Trojans for the New Orleans Bowl. I don't see how anyone else will make it.

Over in the SEC it appears that Georgia is somewhat back on track. It won't likely be enough to save Richt though. Tennessee has a long long way to go and Mississippi State is just not that bad of a football team. Auburn may now be the team to beat and could possibly play for all the marbles but Newton better stay healthy. If he goes down then Auburn is probably no better than Mississippi State; a good team but not one ready to challenge for the top spot in the SEC much less the national title. The Hogs will likely continue to win and should find themselves in a pretty decent bowl game. Florida is down of course but still a dangerous opponent for anyone. Of course Bama is not to be counted out for top spot in the SEC or the nation for that matter.

Oregon appears to be the class of the Pac 10 and a very very good ballclub. They need to be on the lookout for the Trojans this week. They may be the fourth number one in four weeks to be knocked out of that spot. Doubtful, but it is a strange season to be sure. Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State and perhaps Washington (despite their record) are the only other quality teams in conference.

The WAC is the WAC. Boise State will win hands down and should get a BCS appearance. Nevada and Hawaii are good teams with perhaps Fresno State and Idaho making a bit of noise yet.

The Mtn West is going to be between TCU and Utah. Probably TCU is the better team but the game has yet to be played. That is about it in conference. SDSU is much improved and Air Force is still a good ballclub.

The Big Ten is still rather interesting with Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State likely to be the teams to find themselves on top. MSU is still undefeated which is a bit surprising. Not sure if they are on par with the other two aforementioned teams. I put them on par with Iowa. Very good but not quite there yet. Time will tell. Northwestern is a good team and Illinois probably is not that bad. One can't forget about PSU and Purdue I suppose. They are decent teams and will go bowling. Michigan will lose at least two more before it is all said and done.

The Big East is terrible. WVU is still probably the best team despite the loss to Syracuse. Pitt may be improving. Not much else to say here.

The ACC is still up in the air. Va. Tech, Clemson, FSU and Miami appear to be the teams that are best in conference. I guess NC State can not be ruled out. All will go bowling. Not sure who will play for the ACC Championship though.

The SEC is a powerful conference or at least the Western Division. Five of six teams in the West are rated in the top 25 with two of them in the top 10. Pretty impressive. The East is down this year with only South Carolina ranked. I would not count out Florida to make a run in the East though. Which is the best team. I still go with the Crimson Tide.

The Big Twelve is starting to make some sense. Oklahoma has been playing on borrowed time and that was proven last week. Oklahoma State was somewhat of a pretender. Just how far has Texas fallen? There is some definite rebuilding going on in Austin. Baylor has made it into the top 25 for the first time in a long long time. The Aggies finally found someone they could beat and Nebraska is likely back on track after a dismal performance the other week against the Horns.

The Mid American is still a bit of mystery with a number of teams poised to play for all the conference marbles. I would keep Toledo, Northern Illinois, Ohio and Temple at the top of the list with Miami of Ohio still a longshot.

Over in CUSA Houston may be getting it back together a bit after taking down a pretty good SMU squad. The power this year certainly seems to be in the East with East Carolina and UCF looking very good. USM may still be in it. I would look for East Carolina to somehow sneak into the top 25 before it is all said and done. Ruffin is taking up where Holtz left off. The big game this week will be the UCF/ECU match up. That will likely set the course for those two squads for the rest of the year.

I will try to get some predictions for week 8 up as soon as possible. Have a good week.