More Bowl Talk

Last night this season's edition of the Alamo Bowl was written in the history books. There was just not much defence played. Was there? Baylor is a very good team but the defense has been suspect all season. One can easily see why the Bears were not in a "BCS" game year. Perhaps it is an Art Briles thing? Remember he came from the University of Houston where stellar offense and atrocious defense has been perfected.  I wonder if Baylor could have traded their defense with that of Texas. Now that would be a team that would be very difficult to stop. Oh well......victory was theirs none the less.

Today there are a slew of bowl games on tap. Only one team in the bunch is a top 25 squad (Oklahoma). Is anyone really all that interested in Iowa State vs Rutgers? C'mon. Oklahoma va Iowa? Probably the best game of the day will be the Tulsa/BYU match up. BYU has had a pretty good season and Tulsa, with Kinne behind center, is a good CUSA team. Might be worth watching. Or not.

Mack May Be On The Hot Seat Next Season

The Longhorns had a less than stellar year. A trip with a win to the Holiday Bowl just don't cut it for Texas fans. I would guess that Mack better reach a "BCS" game next year or at least one of the top tier non BCS games (Cotton or whatever they now call the "Citrus") or there will be blood.

There are a handful of teams that have fan expectation of competing for a "National Championship" year in and year out. Texas is one of them. The last time the Longhorns had a shot was a couple years back when Colt was "injured" in the title game with the Tide. Subsequently they were routed. Since then?......

It is interesting that some of these schools just have expectation of being in serious competition every year for the National Title. Florida, LSU, Bama, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame (strange isn't it?), Texas Agriculture (stranger still), USC, Ohio State, Michigan and perhaps Oregon must be among the elite or a coach won't be around long. The fans at WVU, Va. Tech, Wisconsin, Arkansas, PSU, Miami, FSU, with perhaps UCLA (hard to believe I know), and Michigan State are almost as unrealistic. Boise State and BYU (Notre Dame lite) are somewhat special cases with often unrealistic expectations from their fan base.  At any rate, only two teams play for the title every year. 

It is damn hard to get there.

The Holiday Bowl

Texas pulled this one out of the hat. It was difficult to watch two very mediocre teams go at it. I actually thought that Cal would find a way to score a few more than the Longhorns. Texas has a very good defense but a barely competent offense. The Longhorn D certainly won another one for them. It would have been interesting to see just how far the Horns would have gone this season if they had any kind of offense at all. Their defense kept them in games resulting in a few wins that they probably should not have.

As it stands now. I would put the Longhorns perhaps the fifth (maybe sixth) best squad in the Texas college ranks. Yes I am counting IAA Sam Houston State in the mix. They would have a better than even shot at beating them this year.

Mack is well liked by the Texas faithful but there are some rumblins'. He needs to get his boys to step it up next season or it could well be his last.

Ho Hum

Last night Mizzou beat a rather forgettable North Carolina team in the Independence Bowl. Perhaps the bowl execs should have picked teams that "travel well." There was almost no one in attendance. It could be that even the fans of either team did not want to make the trip to Shreveport to watch two mediocre teams battle it out. Oh well.......I didn't watch much of it either.

Tonight the Belk Bowl (the what?) "must" be played.  Louisville and NC State both come in at 7-5 and it should be a fine match up. A" drop everything and watch" type of contest. The game is to be held in Charlotte so there might be a few State fans in the seats.

Before I forget, we also have the Little Caesars Bowl on this evening. The powerhouse WMU Broncos meet with the 6-6 Purdue Boilermakers. This might actually be a pretty good game and Detroit is within driving distance of the fan base of both schools but still it is unlikely that Ford Field will be sold out. After all that would require a trip to Detroit. Who wants to do that?

Let's see....Wednesday night the Military Bowl kicks off with Toledo and Air Force going at it. AFA is the best of the service academies this year, but that does not say a whole lot. A pretty good MWC team is about what we have with the Falcon squad. Probably not much more than that. Toledo is a good MAC team but that might be all. Pretty similar records and someone has to win. Toledo is probably the better team. They may be a bit better than their record. This one might actually be a good game, but really....Should it even be played at all?


The Holiday Bowl is another ho hum game. It has traditionally been a bowl for those that are just not quite up to snuff though. There will be fans in the seats most likely. Both schools have a large fan base and a lot of them are some pretty affluent folk. They may have nothing better to do than brave the frozen tundra in San Diego to watch a game. Wish I could join them. The game itself is borderline garbage, but a trip to San Diego would be something to look forward to.


Some of these "bowl" games are just a waste of time. I suppose someone makes some money somewhere, but do we really need to see such uninteresting match ups in the post season?

WAC 0-3 in 2011 Bowls

Last night USM beat a fairly decent Nevada Wolfpack team to send the WAC to 0-3 for the bowl season. LA. Tech gave TCU all they could handle the other night but came up short and Utah State let one slip away against Ohio earlier in the bowl season. It is quite possible that the WAC is the weakest link in D1 ball. I do believe the Sun Belt and MAC are tougher conferences.

Where is the Blue/Gray Game When Needed

I miss the Blue/Gray game. If you remember it was played on Christmas Day for years and gave some of the lesser lights in the game a chance to showcase their talent before NFL scouts. It was fun to watch. I miss it.

I suppose it is customary in Western society to wish others a Merry Christmas and I do so now.

Coaches with Character and Cowardice Issues

A couple of coaches have been called out by ESPN. If the college football gods at that particular network are saying someone is a scumbag (well they stopped just short) then I guess one can take it to the bank. Can you guess who is tops on the scumbag list? Yep Todd Graham and Brian Kelly. I would submit, in the particular case of Graham, that he is not only scum but a coward. He did not have the decency to tell his players at Pitt that he was leaving. Perhaps he was frightened. He should be.

Those commentators are only saying what we observers of the college football world have been saying all along.

Character matters!!!

Craig James Senator?

Craig James, late of ESPN, is running for the U.S. Senate. He is a scumbag sure but if it gets his blabbering mouth off college football broadcasts then I say "go for it."

WAC 0-2 At This Point

The Mountain West finally got a victory under their belt with TCU's hard fought victory over the LA. Tech Bulldogs. It looked for while like TCU was not up to par. Perhaps they just didn't want to be there? They did find a way to win though. They are by far the better team but Louisiana Tech has nothing to be ashamed of. TCU is probably every bit as good as say a Stanford or Clemson.

There was some speculation that Dykes was under consideration for the Houston job but it appears he (says) he is with Louisiana Tech for the long haul. We will see.

Tonight is the MAACO Bowl (of Las Vegas) and we will get to see one of the better teams in the land playing 6-6 Arizona State. The television folk were trying to play this one up. That is their job sure, but for us fans this a ho hum game to say the least. Boise got ripped off in the grand scheme of things but that is nothing unusual. Most likely the only way for ASU to hang tough would be if the Bronco players just don't show up enough to give effort. I am sure they don't really want to be there but I think that the coaching staff and seniors will not allow any "drop off" in play.

Next year the Bronco's will be in a "BCS" conference. OF course with the departures from that league it is now no more of a power than CUSA (assuming it ever was). I have heard it called "Mountain West East" a time or two. There is some truth to that.

By the way, thus far I am not doing real well in Bowl predictions. There is time to step up though. Like TCU, perhaps I just didn't want to "be there" with the early games.

Another One in the Books

The Beef O' Brady Bowl (the what) is in the history books. I watched part of the game but had to switch over to Bomb Patrol Afghanistan. That is an interesting program and I watched the whole hour in its' entirety. Then back to the game. Score still the same. Did not miss much apparently.

Marshall with a game time 6-6 record has improved to 7-6. FIU was predicted to win the SBC but had somewhat of a meltdown. FIU is probably the better team but did not come through last night. The Sun Belt is beginning to get the respect from the "major" conferences in the past few years. There have been too many "upsets" for it to be otherwise.

I would submit that any 6-6 school from any conference is not bowl worthy. There were very few fans at the game last night and it seemed really like a waste of time for all concerned. It is hard to get excited about at 6-6 club. The minimum wins should be eight to qualify for a post season bid.

On a related note; it seems that FIU HC Mario Cristobal is being considered for the job at Pitt. "Stay where you are" would be my advice to him.

Tonight TCU meets WAC Champion Louisiana Tech. There are those who say that this is a complete mismatch and it well may be. At least the Horned Frogs are going to play a legitimate conference champion and bowl worthy opponent. Boise State got ripped off with a truly "who cares" game. None of the "big time" schools want any piece of BSU or TCU for that matter. It tends to be embarrassing for the BCS. Can't have that.

Next year TCU will be in the Big Twelve and BSU has chosen to play in the Big East. To get any respect at all schools have to flee to a BCS Conference. This works out well for TCU. The Big Twelve is a geographic fit. BSU and SDSU to the Big East? That is stupid.

Among the other faults of the corrupt BCS system is that it damages regional rivalries and affiliations. It needs to go.

Late Congrats

Congrats to St Xavier (Ill) in their victory over Carroll (MT) in the NAIA National Champhionship Game. These small schools are certainly under the radar but a title means every bit as much to them and their fans as those in the "big time." I hope some money was spent in the little town of Rome, GA. Times are hard.

And The Rest of the 2011 Bowl Predictions

I have not started off all that well in predicting the early bowls but....does it really matter? On to the rest of the predictions for this season.


10.  Independence Bowl. NC vs Mizzou: This one is just not interesting to say the least. I am glad that each team here has won more than six games though. Probably a toss up but I will go with Mizzou to win.

11. Little Caesars Bowl: WMU vs Purdue: Another stinker. Purdue at 6-6 does not deserve to be here. WMU? Marginal. I have watched Purdue lose to Rice this season and that says a lot. A whole lot. Go with the Broncos here.

12. Belk Bowl. Louisville vs NC State: And yet another game that should not be played. NC State is marginally the better team here and should win. I will go with the Wolfpack in a close one.

13. Military Bowl. Toledo vs Air Force: Air Force has had a decent year and Toledo was somewhat of a disappointment. The Rockets are the better team and will win this one.

14. Holiday Bowl. California vs Texas: Ho hum....The Longhorns have a good defense and a horrible offense. I would imagine that IAA Sam Houston State would have a good chance of beating them. The Bears are well coached buy just not that good either. Someone has to win though and I will go with Cal.

15. Champs Bowl. Florida State vs Notre Dame: At least these two teams have won 8 games. That should be the minimum to qualify for the post season. FSU did not live up to the pre season hype but they are building. The Irish are just darn lucky to be here. I will go with the Seminoles in this one.

16. Alamo Bowl. Washington vs Baylor: If the Bears had not had a mid season melt down then would be looking at a BCS appearance. A very good team. Washington? Not so much. I will go with Baylor here with relative ease. I think right now Baylor could play with anyone.

17. Armed Forces Bowl. BYU vs Tulsa: This may be a good game. BYU has actually had a good season and perhaps don't get their due. Tulsa is a good CUSA team but probably not much more. It may be close but I will go with Tulsa to upset the Cougars.

18. Pinstripe Bowl. Iowa St vs Rutgers: This might be a good game. It probably should not be played but it may be fun to watch none the less. Iowa State at 6-6 actually has had a successful season. .500 for the Cyclones is a pretty good season. Rutgers is a pretty good Big East team but that really does not say a lot. I will go with the Cyclones here in a close one.

19. Music City Bowl. Mississippi State vs Wake Forest: Two 6-6 teams going head to head. Interesting. I suppose since both schools are within driving distance of Nashville that the game will put some money into the community. At least that is something. The game itself? Trash. I will go with Wake Forest to edge the powerful Bulldogs.

20. Insight Bowl. Iowa vs Oklahoma: The Sooners will win this one hands down. They are probably better than their record. Iowa may not be as good as theirs.

21. Car Care Bowl: TAMU vs Northwestern: This one is stupid. At least it is not named after a furniture store this year.  What are the Aggies even doing in a bowl? Northwestern also for that matter. The Aggies should win this game but probably won't. Horrible team for some reason. At least Sherman is gone and that has to help somewhat. Go with the Wildcats to edge the crew from College Station.

22. Sun Bowl. Georgia Tech vs Utah: This might be a decent game. Utah did not do real well this year and Georgia Tech has proven again to be pretenders. Go with the Utes in a close one.

23. Fight Hunger Bowl. UCLA vs Illinois: Well I have seen it all now. A team with a losing record playing in the post season. Illinois imploded this year and UCLA is just horrible. Go with Illinois. It may be close.

24. Liberty Bowl: Cincy vs Vandy: May be a pretty good game. Both schools are within driving distance of Memphis so there may be somewhat of a crowd. U of C is probably the better team but I think that Vandy will find a way to win.

25.Chick fill a Bowl. Virginia vs Auburn: The Cavs have improved greatly this season and Auburn fell off. That was to be expected though. This will be a close game and I will go with Virginia to win in an upset.

26. Ticket City Bowl: Houston vs PSU: PSU can't score. Houston can. Houston has some issues, as usual, on defense but should be able to run up the score here. Go with the Cougars. I feel bad for the PSU players. This season has been a disaster for them. I don't mean on the field of play.

27. Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs Florida: The Gator used to be a big time bowl. Not so much anymore it seems. Two 6-6 teams going at it. It appears that the locals just want to fill the stadium instead of having a quality match up. I will go with the Gators. I don't know why.

28. Capital One Bowl. Nebraska vs. South Carolina: This may be good. Both team are pretty decent but far from even approaching greatness. Both are well coached and it will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. It is a toss up and I will go with South Carolina simply because I dislike the Cornhuskers. So much for objectivity.

29. Outback Bowl. Michigan State vs Georgia: This is a good game. Both are very good teams that had a few hick ups along the way. Georgia started out slow and that hurt them. MSU may be the better team here. Hard to say. Another toss up? I think so. MSU will find a way to beat the boys from Athens.

30. Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Oregon: Another excellent match up. Both of these teams could, on a good day, be able to hang with Bama or LSU. I think the team from the frozen tundra will find a way to win here.

31. Fiesta Bowl. Stanford vs Oklahoma State: I actually think that Oklahoma State should be in in the "big game" but wasn't asked my opinion. The Cowboy are the better team here and will win. It may not be easy though.

32. Sugar Bowl. Michigan vs Virginia Tech: Boy New Orleans will see the money flowing in this year. Last night there was a larger than usual crowd at the New Orleans Bowl and now this and then of course the big game. Wow. I wonder what the economic impact is for the city with all this going on. Now the Sugar Bowl has always been a bit like Mardi Gras. A lot of boobies will be flashed and some folk will find themselves in Central Lock Up before all is said and done. That will suck for them but it is something they can tell their grandchildren. Oh yes. The game. Michigan will win. Virginia Tech has had a good year sure but they could not find a way to handle Clemson. That says something for sure. I would go with the Wolverines.

33. Orange Bowl: WVU vs Clemson: This is a BCS game? Oh well. Such is the system. That being said it may just be a good game to watch. WVU may be somewhat the better team but we will see. I go with WVU to win a close one.

34. Cotton Bowl: KSU vs Arkansas: An excellent match up. The Cotton really is one of the big bowls. Both of these are very very good teams but both have also had just a bit of luck to get where they are. This is a toss up but I think that the Hogs will have a hard time stopping the boring, but effective, offense of the Wildcats. Go with KSU in a very close game.

35. BBVA Compass Bowl. SMU vs Pitt: Well that P.O.S. Graham had done to the Panthers what he is known for doing. Winning with the prior coaches' players and then scooting. Oh well. This might yet be a good game. SMU is building and Pitt is in dissaray now. I go with the Mustangs to take advantage of that and edge the Panthers in a close one.

36. Go Daddy Bowl: Arkansas State vs Northern Illinois: A good game most likely. ASU coach has run off to Mississippi for some reason and that may hurt the Indians, err Red Wolves, somewhat. NIU is the better team and will win this one is a close one.

37. IAA (FCS) Championship Game: North Dakota State vs Sam Houston State: This will be a good game. I have watched both teams this year and have concluded that either would be able to compete in Division I this year. I think, after watching ND State yesterday, that they may be marginally the better team. I will go with the Bison to edge the Bearkats. The FCS (IAA), along with D2 and D3 do it the right way.

38. BCS "National Championship" Game: LSU vs Alabama: We have been here before. Hopefully there will be a bit more offense this time. LSU is the better team but will they be able to win? We will see. I go with another very close game that the Tigers will pull out of the hat.

It has been an interesting season for sure. The PSU thing has been a distraction and again the BCS system has caused further damage. It is best to just focus on the games instead of the nonsense.

More on This Graham

It is being reported that Todd Graham did not have the decency (cajones?) to meet with the Pitt players after deciding to take the job at Arizona State. Typical. Todd Graham a douchebag? Who knew? Well actually I think a lot of folk know this. More learning every day.

The Bowl Season Begins 2011

There was some fine Division I football played yesterday. No exaggeration. The MAC is 2-0 thus far and the MWC is 0-2. The Sun Belt is 1-0 and the WAC starts off at 0-1.

I did not watch much of the Temple/Wyoming game but it appears that Temple played the way they should have played all season. I still submit they are (or should be) the best team in the MAC.

Ohio surprised me a bit with a come back on the Aggies of Utah St. The last minute or so of that game was exciting and fun football.

The Cajuns are also a bit of a surprise. I thought that SDSU would handle them even in front of a hostile crowd at the "Mercedes" Super Dome. This coach seems to be the real deal. Wonder how long before he jumps to a "better" program.

Yep it was a fun day of football what with bowl games and lower division playoff games on tap.

Next up? The Beef O'Brady Bowl (the what?). This is one that should probably not be played. I will watch though being a fan of both the Sun Belt and CUSA.

Interesting Football

Last night I had two televisions going and watched both the DIII Championship Game and a IAA semi final. Pretty good football games. Congrats (again) to UW Whitewater.

Today Pittsburg State has won the D2 Championship by taking down Wayne State. Pretty good game also.

The best game of the day so far though was the ND State/Georgia Southern match up. The Bison pretty much took it to the boys from Georgia. If you recall this is the same Georgia Southern team that gave the Crimson Tide quite a problem a few weeks back. It is glaringly apparent to me that the best teams in IAA are capable of competing very well in the "Bowl Championship Subdivision." I would say that Georgia Southern would give the Georgia Bulldogs one hell of a hard time. It would think that Sam Houston State would certainly give most D1 teams in Texas fits, and I would bet that ND State could beat most of the Big Ten on any given day. Montana would probably have no trouble winning the WAC.

Now ND State will face off with SHSU in what should be a great game. These "lessor" divisions determine their national champion the real way. The right way. The BCS is ruining "big time" college ball. Give it some time and it will utterly destroy it.

Early Bowl Predictions 2011

So far this season I sit at 198-82 in the won/loss column. I will try my hand at some of the early bowl prediction and see where I land.

Before we get to all that however, I must congratulate UW Whitewater for again besting the Purple Raiders of Mt Union to become the Division III Champs. Also last night I watched the SHSU/Montana game and was quite impressed. The game was not near as close as the score. SHSU shot themselves in the foot with penalties but for the most part had their way with the Grizz. They are probably the 2nd or third best team in the Texas college ranks.  Will the Bearkats have what it takes to defeat Georgia Southern (who will win today) for the IAA Championship? We will see. On to the predictions.......



1. Pittsburg State vs Wayne State: Pittsburg State has been here before. One of the top programs in D2. They will be crowned division champion today. Go with the Gorillas.

2. Georgia Southern vs North Dakota State: I am going with Georgia Southern here. They gave the much ballyhooed Crimson Tide quite a scare earlier this season. I wish they would have won. North Dakota State is not far removed from D2 and has done a very good job in the IAA ranks. I will go with the team from Georgia to win and meet SHSU in the big game. Any team in the IAA semi finals would be a top 25 team in the ranks of D1 this year.

Now we come to the bowls. Too many of these games are of the "who cares" variety to be sure. A lot of 6-6 records there. 6-6 does not a post season team make in my humble opinion but no one asks me. I don't know why. That being said.....

3. New Mexico Bowl. Temple Vs Wyoming: Temple was a bit of a disappointment this year and Wyoming had a pretty good MWC season. A decent MWC team these Cowboys. This may be a good one and I will go with Wyoming in a close one.

4. Idaho Potato Bowl. Utah State vs Ohio: Utah State had a better than expected year but at 7-5 it is a bit hard to say they deserve a post season bid. Ohio had a good year in the Mid American and possibly deserves to go somewhere. Idaho it is...Utah State will again play above their potential here and win this one. Go with these particular Aggies from Utah.

5. New Orleans Bowl. San Diego State vs Louisiana Lafayette: Both teams had pretty darn good seasons. The Cajuns are a good Sun Belt team and SDSU is a good MWC team. This might be a good game. A good bit of money will be spent in the French Quarter and it would be nice to be there. Which team is the better? Probably SDSU. The Cajuns loss to Arizona is enough to give anyone pause. I will go with the Aztecs here to win. Hope not though. I am a Cajuns fan through and through. All apologies to Jayhawk.

6. Beef O'Brady's Bowl. FIU vs Marshall: This one should not be played probably. FIU is marginally deserving of a post season of sorts but Marshall is not. FIU was disappointing this season and I have not heard Mario Cristobal's name being thrown around  as much now as the next "savior" of a downtrodden "big time" program. That being said, the Panthers should be able to take it to the Herd. Go with FIU.

7. Poinsettia Bowl. TCU vs Louisiana Tech: Tech deserves this bowl as the winner of  the WAC. That conference race was down to the wire. TCU perhaps deserves somewhat of a better game, but it is not to be so. The Bulldogs may surprise though. They are a pretty good, very under the radar, team. It may be close but I will go with the Frogs here.

8. MAACO Bowl. Arizona State vs Boise State: This is hands down the most stupid of all the bowl games this year. Boise State belongs in a BCS, or a least a top tier non BCS bowl. Arizona State deserves no post season game at all. It is likely the Bronco players really don't want to be there and that may make the game somewhat closer than it should be. Boise State will win though. Probably rather easily.

9. Hawaii Bowl. Southern Miss vs Nevada: USM deserves a bowl and I suppose this one is decent. Nevada took it down to the wire in the WAC but fell just short. USM is the better team this year and should win this one. They do have a tendency to play down to the competition though. Remember the UAB game? They will have to bring the team that beat Houston and leave the squad that lost to the Blazers at the airport.


I will put the rest of the Bowl Predictions up later in the week. Have a good time and enjoy the games

SHSU

Tonight Sam Houston State squares off with Montana in a IAA semi final game. Montana has certainly been here before. SHSU? Not so much. I am going to go out on a limb here and pick the Bearkats to pull this one out of the hat. Win or lose one thing we do know for sure....Some "bigger" programs will be calling on Willie Fritz before long. Perhaps as early as tomorrow.

This Graham Guy? Unreal

It seems that the much traveled Todd Graham has bolted from Pitt to ASU. Imagine that. This guy is nothing more than mercenary scum and if this doesn't prove it....what will? The fans of Rice and Tulsa could have told the Pitt faithful what they were getting with this POS. Funny thing, he is perhaps no great shakes as a coach anyway. He wins with previous coaches' recruits. He is more talented at fooling college administrators than Franchione ever was.

I remember a short few years back when Todd bolted Rice for Tulsa. The Marching Owl Band made an ass of him when Tulsa came calling to Rice Stadium. He demanded an apology. None was forthcoming. The "MOB" pulls no punches and apologizes to no one. I recently went to a Rice game and saw a person with a "Who knew that Todd Graham was a douche bag?" t shirt. There are a whole lot of people who are learning a bit about this Graham. "Douche bag" is a rather mild way to describe this dude. I can think of a few others.

Well I Guess It is Official

It certainly appears that reports of Sumlin moving on to TAMU are correct. His mistake. Oh, and Jim Mora Jr. is now the HC at UCLA. Uh, OK.............

Football Today

There is (was) some college football being played today. The storied Army/Navy match up is in the books. Not really of much interest to most people (even service members) as neither team amounts to much and it is an officers' party anyway.

Over in IAA SHSU advanced further into the playoffs with a beat down of Montana State. I am happy for them but I look at the history of the Southland Conference in this tournament. Not so good. It could be things will work out for the boys from Huntsville this season though. Montana and of course Georgia Southern are strong teams in IAA. They are still in the hunt. North Dakota State is not too far removed from D2 ball and they are doing quite nicely in IAA. Interesting tournament this.

Over in D2 Pittsburg State and Delta State square off this evening. Good D2 programs both. They will meet Wayne State in the Championship game. Might be something to watch.

Of course Mt. Union will be in the D3 Championship. It almost goes without saying that the Purple Raiders will be there. They will meet either UW Whitewater or St Thomas (MN) for the right to be named national champion.

There is a huge difference between national champion in the lower ranks and "national champion" in the BCS. The lower divisions have a real tourney while Division I just has a corrupt system.

Ridiculous and criminal is this BCS.

Another Coach Makes A Stupid Mistake?

First it was Meyer to Ohio State. Not a smart move. Then we have Leach going to WSU. Even less of a smart move (to say the least). Now apparently (if the news reports are correct) Kevin Sumlin will be heading to TAMU. Now that is exceptionally idiotic.

Sumlin has done a great job in Houston although, in all honesty, it is debatable if he would amount to much without Case Keenum behind center. Hard to say. If last year is any indication.......
Be that as it may. Sumlin should certainly know better than to get mixed up with the crew from College Station. He has been there before as an assistant. The old "fool me once" saying comes to mind. Or perhaps it is the "touching a hot stove twice to make sure it burns" thing. Either way Sumlin is making a major mistake. So it goes......

One hopes the reports are erroneous.

Pat Hill Out At Fresno State. That Is Stupid

It is amazing what "administrators" do sometimes. Firing Pat Hill is perhaps one of the dumbest moves I have seen in a while. Yes the Bulldog program has been down a bit the last couple years. Yes they could not ever seem to deal with Boise State. Yes the "play anyone/anytime" policy of Hill's hurt his won/loss record. No matter. Hill is a darn good HC and would be an asset to a host of programs in D1 or IAA.

Those who made this decision are idiots. Mike Sherman is available for hire though and that ass Franchione may already be looking for an excuse to "move up." Anyone stupid enough to fire Hill may just be dumb enough to give either of those two a try.

You never know.

BCS Honks and Hacks

Well the BCS has done what it is designed to do. So say the BCS hacks on ESPN anyway. In reality it has again been a disaster.

Is Alabama really deserving of another shot at LSU? Perhaps so. Perhaps not. Is OSU not just as deserving? How about Stanford or even Boise State? Why do Clemson and WVU get to play in a "big game" and Boise not?  Criminal. Now I guess the Broncos are going to be playing a 6-6 ASU team in some no name bowl.  What a joke. Why are KSU and Arkansas not playing in one of the "big games" either? The Cotton is a top notch destination sure but it does not have the payday of a "BCS" bowl.

I will say for the hundredth time that the BCS is ruining the game. It must go. Perhaps those silly OWS protesters could get involved in something that (perhaps) can be changed. Maybe they will bring a noose.......

Week 14 (2011) Analysis

This week I was 15-5 for a total of 198- 82. Actually I was 15-4 having inadvertently only done 19 games but why quibble? I will count the forgotten game as a "loss." Now in just a few short hours the bowl selections will begin. There will be some disappointed folk out there. The BCS just does not work. It will not work and is ruining the game. Yes I know I am beating a dead horse here but so be it.

Houston has blown their chance for a "major" bowl with the beat down taken at the hands of the Golden Eagles. Have to take care of business in this sport or you will find yourself on the outside looking in. The BCS honks are happy about this one I can assure you. Did not someone tell the USM crew that their victory was costing the conference millions? Do they not understand economics?

OSU made a case for being included in the BCS "National Championship" game. They made Oklahoma look just darn horrible. I think the average fan would rather see a OSU/LSU match up than another boring Bama/Tiger tilt. The Tigers have already proven to be better than the Tide. Well sort of anyway. They did win the game and that is all that matters. Could the Tigers handle the Cowboys? Probably so. It should be proven on the field though.

Virginia Tech has played themselves out of the argument. Their fans won't have a leg to stand on if they bray about being left out of the picture. Clemson has beaten them twice this year. That says something. Clemson is no great shakes. A good ACC team sure. That is about it.

Boise State still in the picture for BCS? We will see.

It will be interesting to see where WVU fits in. They edged the Bulls which is nice for them but....Do they really belong in a "BCS" game?

Wisconsin got a bit of revenge. A couple of different bounces of the ball this year and we would be talking about them as a national title contender. They are a fine football team.

Baylor is playing darn good ball right now. They went through a rough patch and destroyed their chances at a BCS bid. No one would like to face them right now though. Care to take bets about how well the Aggies will do in the SEC? Thought not. Wonder where KSU will fit in. Houston, Va Tech and the Sooners were ranked ahead of the Wildcats and all lost. Hmmmmm.

Arkansas State is a good under the radar football team. Are they just Sun Belt good or are they just plain good? That is a question that will be answered somewhere. They have had a fine year and perhaps should sneak into the BCS Top 25. Congrats to the Cajuns for going 8-4 and making it to the New Orleans Bowl. 8-4 is just above average sure, but it is a huge step up in Lafayette.  WKU had a better than expected year and North Texas seems to be trending upward (as they say). FAU at least won one game for old Howard. I will miss him. FIU and Troy (especially) were a bit of a disappointment.

Over in IAA  (along with D2 and D3) ball they determine the National Champion the right way. Some darn good teams in the "FCS." Sam Houston State is the only undefeated team but they are in the Southland Conference. The SLC does not typically do real well in the play offs. SHSU did take care of business yesterday however but it was pretty close.
In my opinion this will come down to Montana, Montana State, or Georgia Southern. One of those squads will be the champ when all is said and done. At least one of these teams would be a D1 top twenty (or at least top 25) squad.

In a few hours we will see where everybody lines up in the bowl picture. There will some howling from the folk at OSU I would wager. They will have a valid point.

Championship Weekend

Championship weekend begun last night. NIU came storming back on Ohio. I thought they would do just that. Ohio is a good MAC team but NIU is a pretty good team period. Oregon beat UCLA rather easily. I did not watch that game. It was a foregone conclusion who the victor would be. It looks as if Oregon chose not to run up the score.

Would UCLA be a destination for a good coach like Kevin Sumlin? I would like to see him stay in Houston but it is likely he will be heading to the "big time." Sometimes that works out. Often not. Ask that douche bag (as he is known at Rice) Todd Graham.

Sherman Out in Aggieland

Well Mike Sherman got the axe over at TAMU. That is not a surprise. He had a lot of talent to work this this year and the team just did not measure up. Not surprising. I didn't figure him for much. Not the scumbag that Franchione was of course, but he is no R.C. Slocum.

There is speculation that TAMU (along with Arizona State) is interested in Kevin Sumlin. He would be making a huge mistake to mess with either program. ASU will rarely be a force in the PAC 12 and the Aggies will do well to go 6-6 in the SEC. They may have to "schedule down" in their non conference games to pad the stats even to become "bowl eligible. If anyone is going to have any success whatsoever in College Station it needs to be a coach very familiar with the SEC. Yes Sumlin would make a huge mistake messing with those folk in College Station.

It would be nice to see him stay with the Cougars for a while but perhaps it is wise to strike out when hot. Sooner or later there will be a drastic falling off in Houston and he will be stuck or worse.  He could get "Schianoed." If he were to leave to take any job I would like him to make the move to Texas Tech. I am pretty sure that Tuberville will be the next to fall.

He should stay away from Arizona State and most certainly TAMU.

Mike Leach!! What Are You Thinking?

It is being reported that Mike Leach is to be the new HC at Washington State. Really Mike? You couldn't do better than that? UCLA is available as is Kansas. Oh well.........Of course the admin at Kansas ran off Mangino for being "rude" to his players. They probably couldn't roll with "The Pirate." Their loss (in both cases).........

Meyer Again

It appears that Urban Meyer will be the new HC at Ohio State. Of course he has been denying (lying about) this for a while now. If I recall he did the same thing when he was the HC at Utah. Meyer is a bit of a loon it seems, but he does win games. Any university that wants to upgrade probably can't go wrong with Meyer. After a while he will tire of the gig and move on but he will get some results while employed.



I am not certain why he would chose to work in Columbus though. The "Big Ten" is not what it once was. There are better jobs available (and soon to be available).

Texas Tech would be a good fit perhaps. It is high time for Tuberville to move on and the TTU faithful would probably welcome Urban. I think that Kevin Sumlin would be a better fit for that job frankly but......

Texas Agriculture should certainly be in the market for a new man. Sherman ain't the guy. Those in College Station are always "looking for a coach to take them to the next level." Perhaps Meyer would be the guy. He knows the SEC and if the Aggies hope to have any success at all in that league then they will certainly need new blood at the helm.

UCLA: This storied program has been down for quite a few years. Yes I know they will in the in PAC 12 "Championship Game" this week and that says something about the conference as a whole. That being said, the Bruin program is in need of a new HC now.  It would probably be a better gig than the Ohio State thing. Of course the traffic in LA.........

If Meyer's ego needs a big time program so be it. If not he could take a look at UAB. Calloway resigned and the Blazers are in desperate shape. If Meyer wants again to be looked at as a "miracle man" this would be the job to take. Alabama and Auburn fans would hate it. Meyer might actually be able to talk some regional blue chippers into coming to his program at the expense of the "big boys."

Ole Miss is in need. Now that is a tough gig. If Meyer took that job and performed miracles then the Reb faithful might begin to believe he could change water into wine.

Howard is retiring over at Florida Atlantic. It would be interesting to see if Urban could build this program into a BCS buster. A lot of good recruits in Florida and he might just get some of those blue chippers to buy into his spiel.

I am not sure if Kansas would be a better job than Ohio State but it has been proven that, with the right staff, the Jayhawks can be quite competitive on the gridiron. Meyer would probably be one of the few coaches that could pull that off.

Yep there are a lot of jobs available with more coming available soon. Meyer should have held out for a better gig.

Week 14 (2011) Predictions

Other than the Army/Navy match up this is the final week of the  D1 season. There are some interesting games on tap including conference championship contests. Should be interesting.


1. WVU/South Florida: I have not paid as much attention to the Big East as I probably should have. It is, as usual, just not quite ready for prime time. WVU does seem to be possibly the best of the bunch but they are probably not quite as good as I would have thought. That being said, they should be able to handle the Bulls. Go with WVU.

2. Ohio vs NIU: Both are good MAC teams. Not so sure they would do real well outside of conference but decent teams none the less. NIU is probably the better squad here and I will go with them to claim the title. Go with the Huskies.

3. Iowa State vs KSU: KSU is a good team. Iowa State can be dangerous at times. Go with KSU in a close one.

4. USM vs Houston: The Coogs are probably a legit top 10 team. They have had a very easy schedule though. Last week's beat down of Tulsa proved a few things. USM can be very good but also rather bad at times. Go with the Coogs here. It may be closer than most think.

5. Utah State vs NMSU: These Aggies are better than their record. They will beat the Aggies of NMSU. Go with UTSU.

6. Wisconsin vs MSU: Wisconsin, even with only two losses, is a disappointment somewhat. They have the talent to be competing for the national title. Not going to happen though. MSU is a pleasant surprise. Better than expected. They likely don't have what it takes to beat the Badgers though. Go with UW.

7. VTU vs Clemson: VTU is hands down the better team here. Clemson has proved to be Clemson. A good team but just not quite a national power. Go with VTU in a possible rout.

8. Fresno State vs SDSU: The Bulldogs have been disappointing. SDSU has built a pretty good season. Go with the Aztecs here.

9. Georgia vs LSU: The big game this weekend for sure. Georgia has recovered from a horrible start and LSU has proven all doubters (including me) wrong. Not that the outcome is a given though. LSU must be on their game. Georgia will be fired up and ready for an upset. It won't happen but it may be a close game. Go with LSU.

10. Boise State vs New Mexico: Boise State will win. The only question is whether or not they decide to run up the score.

11. Texas vs Baylor: Texas has a good defense. Very good. They will certainly need it. Baylor is hot right now and could possibly, at this point, play with anyone. It will be very close but the Longhorns will fall just short. I am not quite sure they are a top 25 team this year. Go with the Bears.

13. Troy vs Arkansas State: Are the Red Wolves a legitimate top 25 team? They are not ranked but perhaps they should be. Troy has been a major disappointment this season. They will want to go out on a winning note though. It will be close but ASU will prevail.

14. ULM vs FAU: Can the Owls win another one before Howard retires? Yes. They will beat the Warhawks. It will be close.

15. UCLA vs Oregon: UCLA is still looking for a coach to propel them above mediocrity. Oregon's only "bad" outings were against some darn good football teams; LSU and USC.  If USC was eligible, they would likely be in the top 5 or 6. Oregon will win here with ease.

16. Wyoming vs Colorado State: The Cowboys are a pretty good Mtn West team. They have built a decent season and should win this one against the Rams. Go with Wyoming.

17. Old Dominion vs Georgia Southern: Georgia Southern is a top squad in the  IAA ranks (yes I know it is now called FCS. Not by me though). If they were in D1 it is entirely possible they would be a top 25 team. They will handle ODU with ease.

18. Stony Brook vs SHSU: The Seawolves have had a good season. It will come to an end though after their contest with SHSU. The Southland Conference teams do not usually do real well in the IAA play offs but SFA will likely have little problem Saturday.

19. UCA vs Montana: This might be a good game. Montana is, as usual, in contention for the title. UCA is not far removed from D2 ball and has done a fine job in the IAA ranks. Montana likely has more firepower and will prevail in a close one.

20. Montana State vs New Hampshire: I have watched NH this year a bit and they look pretty good. Montana State seems to be on the right track also. I really know nothing about them. I will go with NH to win here. Someone has to and that is my guess.

There are some top games this week for sure. It is interesting that again, for the most part, all the usual suspects are there in the IAA ranks. There is some very good football being played at that level. I would put Montana, NH, JMU, App State, SHSU and Northern Iowa up against a whole lot of D1 teams, even some in the BCS Top 25, and expect a very good game.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 13 (2011) Analysis

This week I was 13-7 or a total of 183-77. There were some good games over the weekend with the most important arguably being the Iron Bowl, LSU/Arkansas and Houston/Tulsa match ups. The conference races are pretty much decided and of course there are quite a few teams that should be sitting home but have become "bowl eligible" the last couple weeks.......

LSU is hands down the number one team in the land. One gets the feeling that the only teams with any real chance of beating them are Alabama and/or USC. The "national title" game may well be a rematch with the TIde and the Trojans are irrelevant (this year).

South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt were all victorious over their ACC opponents. The only fly in the SEC ointment was the FSU victory over the Gators. That was predictable though.

It looks as if Ohio and Northern Illinois will square off in the MAC Championship. I would have though this year it would have been Toledo/Temple but they fell by the wayside.

I had a feeling that PSU were pretenders all along. They have had trouble scoring all season oh and Michigan finally got one on the Buckeyes. Illinois has pulled a Texas Tech and seen their season implode.

Louisiana Tech has taken the WAC crown. They are a pretty good football team. Good luck to them

FAU finally won one. I was hoping that Howard's last season as a college HC would not be winless. I always liked that old dude. The Cajuns were at least competitive in their contest with Arizona. Really they probably should have won that one. A 4 loss season in Lafayette is a success believe me. They can build on it.  Arkansas State is hands down the best team in this conference. Funny, WKU, ASU, and ULL were predicted to be the bottom three in conference and wound up 1,2,3......So much for all those professional analysts.

Boise State continues to roll. What bowl will they end up in I wonder? SDSU has had a pretty good season as has Wyoming. TCU is saying good bye to the MTN West with a very successful season also.

Orgeon and Stanford are the only teams ready for the big time in the PAC 12. Good teams both. If USC were able to compete this year they would be right there. No one else is worth mentioning frankly.

The Baylor/TTU game was a good as I expected. It was a fun game and for a while there I thought the Raiders would be able to win this one. The "Texas/TAMU game is in the books. Neither team is real good but it is a damn shame that this storied rivalry is ruined. Oklahoma sure wishes they had the Red Raiders now instead of earlier in the season the Texas Tech was actually a good football team. TTU has imploded. KSU was idle and should be able to beat Iowa State next week but the Cyclones have proven to be dangerous at times.

The Big East is the Big East. Is Cincinnati in the driver seat there? I think I read this somewhere. Maybe it was WVU. Not sure it really matters.

The Coogs have one more game left. The BCS hounds are praying they are upended by USM I am sure. Houston will likely win and they will demand and deserve a seat at the table. I would like to see them matched with Stanford or perhaps Oklahoma State in the post season.

Other than the Army/Navy game, the season winds down this coming week. In addition to those games I will be looking at some of the lower division playoff contests. That is the way a real national champion is determined. Unlike this corrupt BCS nonsense we have in Division I.

Go Coogs

Houston beat a pretty good Tulsa team yesterday. It was pretty much a beat down. The game certainly did not get the attention of the LSU/Arkansas match up among the regular college football fans but it was most definitely one of the most important games for the BCS hacks and honks. Perhaps even more important for them than the aforementioned big game. Why? Those who run the current system do not want any non team from a non AQ conference crashing the corrupt BCS party. You can imagine the rejoice that went on when Boise State was (sort of)taken off the table. If the Coogs can take of business in the CUSA Championship game they will have to be allowed in. If Boise State finishes strong they should get in also. All is not lost though. Both teams have not finished play but if they do finish strong.....Well, the BCS could just pit them against each other. That would be typical and would prove nothing.

The BCS is ruining the game. Have I not said that before?

The End of an Era?

Last night the 'last' Texas/Texas Agricultural game was played. At least for a while. This year neither team is quite ready for prime time. The Horns have an atrocious offense and the defense keeps them in games. TAMU just has issues period. With the talent on that squad/...? The coaching staff has to be to blame. Texas won the game with a last second field goal sending the Aggies off to the SEC on a losing note. That was just a football game though and pretty much beside the point.

This particular match up begun in the 1890's, and has continued for every year since. Now some arrogant fools, on both sides, are ruining it because they can't get along? Does anyone have a noose? It is ridiculous. It is a travesty. It is criminal

The multitudes who read my work know that I am far from an Aggies fan. I take issue with kids running around in military style uniforms who have no intention of joining any branch of the service. Now some do join of course and they have my respect and gratitude. It is those who do not become real service members who are offensive to me. As a veteran I take great offense to this. Also I live among these Aggies and the whole "worship" of the institution is vaguely cult like. This too is beside the point.

The problem is, it seems to me, is that those in College Station can not abide playing second (or third) fiddle in the Republic. While Aggie sports can easily be replaced by TCU or Houston (if invited) from strictly a prowess stand, the program can not be replaced when one looks at history. The Longhorn/Aggie match up is part of Texas. It is one of the premier games in college football and it is fun. Can you imagine ending the USC/UCLA rivalry? Auburn/Alabama? Ohio State/Michigan? Florida/FSU?  Or a host of other regional rivalries that get less attention. It is the same thing. It is ridiculous. We have already seen the Oklahoma/Nebraska rivalry fall by the wayside. Now this!!!!

Now the Aggies have run off to the SEC where they will be about on par with Mississippi State or Ole Miss. Possibly a step above Kentucky on the gridiron. Their basketball program has had some recent success but in the SEC, basketball, with the exception of the Kentucky program, is somewhat of a sideshow. 

These arrogant folks in leadership positions at both schools have nothing on the BCS when it comes to ruining a wonderful sport. It is sick and they should all be ashamed of themselves.

I guess it shouldn't matter to me. I am, after all, a Southeastern Conference man. It does matter though damn it.

Now where is that noose?

Thoughts on the Big Twelve

It is reported that BYU is not interested in joining the Big East. Perhaps they would be interested in the Big XII? That conference has lost 4 teams now. Nebraska to the Big Ten; Colorado to the Pac 12; and now Mizzou and TAMU to the SEC. Texas Christian more than replaces Colorado and WVU (reported to be making the move) is a more than suitable replacement for Mizzou. BYU, while not a replacement for the Aggies or Huskers, would be a decent fit. The program is somewhat better than the one in College Station, and they do have a rather large and rabid fan base.

The addition of the University of Houston would be a very good fit for the conference also. Houston can field some very good football teams and, with the right coaching/recruiting staff, could again be a force in roundball. Their baseball program is top notch. Perhaps the Big Twelve should look there to upgrade back to a twelve team league.

Actually two Texas private schools could be considered. Rice and SMU. Rice does not have the fan base in football but the would bring a top notch baseball program along with a decent basketball program to the table. SMU brings decent programs to the table although their is a lack of a large fan base also. The lack of a large fan base at either school may be an issue.

Another program that could be looked at is Texas State. This school is making the transition to Division I and perhaps could be considered. Again the fan base thing has to be considered though.

A decent program to think about might be Louisiana Tech. They would jump at the chance to affiliate with a "major" conference. The facilities are decent and they can, at times, field a very competitive football team. Some recruits, who are considering the SEC, may well take a look at Louisiana Tech (and by extension some other Big Twelve schools) to play ball and further their "education." The addition of Louisiana Tech would give the Big Twelve more of an inroad into SEC territory.

To be considered a top conference the Big Twelve needs to "upgrade" again to twelve teams. While it is impossible to fully replace the Aggies or the Huskers, there are some viable options out there.

Adios Mofo's

In a few short hours the TAMU/Texas game will commence. There will be blood. The Aggies will be heading to mediocrity (at best) in the SEC and have destroyed this storied rivalry. This one really can't be blamed on the scramble to get into a "BCS" conference. This just has to do with petty petulance.
Also (and here we get to the crux of the matter) those fans in the SEC are not going to take kindly to a bunch of children "playing soldier." Those students who are actually going into the military after graduation will get a pass and have our gratitude of course. As for the rest? Most folk quit "playing army" around the sixth grade.

Honking on a Monday Morning

Last week there have been some tragedies that really put things in perspective. Cliche I know but true.

Arkansas tight End Garrett Uekman was found dead in his dorm. Cause unknown. These hidden problems are a ticking time bomb it would seem.

A plane crash has taken the lives of coaches affiliated with the OSU women's basketball program.

A vehicle accident killed some folk in the parking lot at the Harvard/Yale game.

What can one say? The time will come for all of us. Onto happier thoughts.......



The SEC West has LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas ranked number 1,2,3 in the BCS standings. Same in the AP poll. When was the last time something like that has been seen? For all of the SEC haters out there....well.. In your face. I have said before that the SEC may not always have the best team in the land but is always, hands down, the toughest conference in college football. There are never more than one or two true "cupcakes" in conference in any given year. I have heard that there is already a D1 college playoff system; the SEC schedule. Not true of course but it has a nice ring to it. That has been proven pretty accurate in recent years though I must say.

Houston is now ranked 8 in the BCS poll. They have a tough game ahead with Tulsa and, should they win, against USM in the CUSA championship game. Should they run the table they should be ready to battle a top tier team in a BCS game. No I don't want to see them facing the Big East representative. That would prove very little. That is the kind of thing the BCS does however. I am getting ahead of myself. They still need to run that table and it won't be easy. Should they falter, well, the BCS honks would love that, but it would not diminish the fact that the Coogs have had a fine year.

I note that Boise State is ranked ahead of the Cougars in the BCS standings. Not sure I get that one but the Broncos have lost to a ranked opponent while the Coogs have not yet played one. Could both squads, should they finish strong, get a BCS game? Probably not. If they did you can bet that they would be pitted against each other which will of course prove very little. The BCS system is protective to say the least and only grudgingly will give a non AQ team a chance to prove their metal.

Such is the system we have.

Week 13 (2011) Predictions

This week looks like it will shape up to be pretty important in various races and indeed even the "BCS" standings. It has been a very fun season thus far with more to come. Any major surprises in store? You bet. Read on.


1. Miami (Oh) vs Ohio: The Bobcats should solidify their entrance into the MAC Championship game with a victory here. They will do so. Go with Ohio.

2. Texas vs TAMU: Which team is better? On paper the Aggies are the better squad. Who will win? The Longhorns. They will send the silly Aggies off to the SEC in fine fashion.

3. Eastern MI vs Northern Illinois: A very important game in the MAC. The Huskies will win here in fine fashion. Will it get them into the MAC Championship game? Not sure. At any rate, Go with NIU.

4. Toledo vs Ball State: As above. Will a Toledo victory be enough to get them into the big MAC game? Not sure how that works. Toledo has lost to NIU but NIU was defeated by Central Michigan. The Chippewas were schooled last week by the Rockets. Be that as it may, I think it will be a moot point. I look for Ball State to upset the Rockets.

5. Houston vs Tulsa: This game has BCS implications. Houston is darn good but Tulsa has the talent to win. Tulsa has a very good albeit under the radar QB and offense. Houston's defense is a bit suspect. It will be a good game and I look for the Coogs to pull this one out of the hat. The BCS hacks are praying otherwise I am sure.

6. Arkansas vs LSU: This one is huge. Arkansas has had a few bad outings and are darn lucky to have beaten Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. The Hogs were schooled by the Tide but that was rather early in the season. LSU has had a questionable outing or two also. The game with the Hilltoppers comes to mind. This has become a rivalry and the Hogs often seem to find a way. They will do so and upset the Tigers in Baton Rouge.

7. Utah vs Colorado: The Utes are light years away from domination in the PAC 12 but have built a decent season none the less. Look for them to crush the woeful Buffs. Go with Utah.

8. UTEP vs UCF: UCF is a disappointment. Much more was expected from the Knights this season. UTEP is UTEP. The game is a toss up and I will go with the boys from El Paso to edge the Florida crew.

9. Ohio State vs Michigan: Remember when this game mattered? No longer. An interesting match up sure and a storied rivalry but just no longer very important in the grand scheme of things. That being said, I think that Ohio State will find a way. Record, and to some extent talent, can be thrown out the window in this one. Go with the Buckeyes.

10. Wyoming vs Boise State: The Broncos will be again on the outside looking in in the national picture but really have no reason to be ashamed of their season. Wyoming is a pretty good under the radar squad. They won't have what it takes to upend the Broncs though. Go with BSU.

11. Alabama vs Auburn: Another huge game. Records out the window. Auburn is capable and there are certainly some chinks in the Tide armor that could be exploited. Georgia Southern found a way to take advantage of them and played a commendable game. LSU certainly found them although to be fair the Tide found some things for teams to exploit on the Louisiana Tigers. That being said, I go with Auburn to upset the Tide in a very close one.

12. ULL vs Arizona: Can the Cajuns go out west and take care of business? Perhaps. I will go out on a limb and pick the Cajuns to take down this ridiculously sad BCS program. Go with ULL.

13. Florida St vs Florida: This game does not matter this year but will in the future be huge. Both are in rebuild mode. More was expected of both teams this season but both have fallen off to the wayside. FSU is probably the better team marginally and I will go with them to pull one out of the hat.

14. USC vs UCLA: This one has not mattered in a long time. USC is a good team but totally irrelevant. Well maybe not. They spoiled Oregon's chances of sneaking back into the national picture last week. UCLA at least has a winning season at this point. USC is the better team and will win here. It may be close.

15. Tulane vs Hawaii: More was expected from the Warriors this year. Nothing was expected of Tulane and of course that is what the Wave gave us. Hawaii should have little difficulty here. The problem is staying motivated. That can be an issue for any team that is basically playing for nothing. Hawaii is the better team and will win.

16. Texas Tech vs Baylor: Both teams have not played to their potential. The Red Raiders in particular have completely imploded. It may be a good  game though. If the bad Baylor team shows up they will lose as long as the "good" Red Raider squad comes to town. I think the Bears will find a way to win here though and edge the Raiders in a high scoring and fun game.

17. Clemson vs South Carolina: I think that Clemson is probably slightly the better team here. The final nail in their coffin was driven in last week though in their embarrassing loss to the Wolfpack. That being said, I will go with South Carolina here.

18. Notre Dame vs Stanford: This is a rivalry of sorts. The Irish are irrelevant but have built a better than average season. The bloom is off the rose at Stanford somewhat but they should have what it takes to knock off the boys from South Bend.

19. New Mexico State vs Louisiana Tech: The Bulldogs need to keep the throttle wide open here. They are in position to have a very fine season and don't want the woeful Aggies to spoil it. It may be close but Tech will find a way to win.

20. Memphis vs Southern Miss: The Eagles will be out to prove that their loss to UAB was an anomaly (which it was). They will take it out in the Tigers here and win by a rather large margin.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 12 (2011) Analysis

Week 12 of the 2011 season is in the books. What a week it was. Oregon, Clemson, and Oklahoma all fell to two losses on the season while OSU was stunned by a very average (at best) ISU squad. This certainly has the potential to damage to credibility of the BCS system which, for any purist, is a good thing. Last week I personally had a 13-7 record for a total of 160-80 thus far. A lot of football left to be played so...... on to the analysis.


 In the Big Twelve two vaunted programs have fallen by the wayside (in the national picture). OSU and Oklahoma both suffered losses. OSU's only loss thus far came was at the hands of Iowa State which dooms them from competing in the BCS  "Championship Game."
Baylor finally played to their potential and all but ruined the Sooners season. Baylor is a much better team than their record indicates. They have not been able to really jell this year and that is a shame.
Somehow or other KSU held off Texas. A horrible game to watch it was. Another win though for the Wildcats though. They are a pretty good team.
Have you ever seen a program implode like the Red Raiders? Me either.

LSU crushed Ole Miss. That was really to be expected. The Hogs had a very good outing against the other Mississippi school setting the stage for a very big game.
Bama, Auburn, South Carolina and Florida held off IAA opponents. I was not totally certain that Georgia Southern, Samford or Furman would come out on the losing end. Very good IAA programs all. If Georgia Southern was in Division I,  they would likely be a top 25 team. I would place them along the lines of a Southern Mississippi, TCU , Tulsa or Florida State.
Georgia won the SEC East and will represent that division in the SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs bounced back from a dismal start and are playing some good football. Kentucky did hang tough with them though and that gives some reason for pause.

Miami is "bowl eligible." I am getting tired of hearing that phrase bandied about this late in the season. If a team is not "bowl eligible"at this point, then perhaps they just don't deserve a post season bid. A six win team does not a bowl team make in my humble opinion. There are just a few too many bowl games to be sure. The 'Canes certainly have not played to their potential this year. Reminds me a bit of Baylor.
FSU is just not quite there yet. Give it another year or two.
Clemson fell off the pace with their loss to NC State. Any small chance of "sneaking in" is out of the question. A loss to Georgia Tech and now a woeful NC State squad? A two or three loss year though can certainly be considered successful for these Tigers.
No one is really considering Va. Tech for the "Big Game" at this point either. The loss to Clemson certainly diminishes their chances. LSU would have to lose (perhaps twice) along with Alabama, Stanford and perhaps even Oklahoma State before the Hokies become a consideration.
Nothing else is really worth discussing in the ACC.

Same really with the Big East. Not worth examination. Someone has to win the conference though. I am not getting into the whole complicated equation though. It is early and frankly just not worth the effort.

Arkansas State has won the Sun Belt and accepted a bowl bid apparently. A good under the radar team are the Red Wolves.
The Cajuns have had a very surprisingly good year also. They may be able to beat Arizona in the season finale.
WKU has made huge strides also. Hats off to Coach Willie.
North Texas has shown some improvement and may be a contender next season.
FIU and Troy have been disappointing this season. FIU has a winning record but certainly have not played to their potential.
I hope Coach Howard wins one game before he finally retires from the game. His team (FAU) is dismal to say the least though. Oh well, it could be worse. I have heard no reports of buggery coming out of any of Howard's programs.

Louisiana Tech has shown folks that they are a very dangerous team. LSU gets all of the attention in state but these Bulldogs are pretty darn good.  They have rebounded nicely from a 1-4 start and are in the driver seat to take the WAC.

Boise State bounces back and will end up with a fine season. Another year of not running the table though certainly sticks in the craw of the faithful.
TCU has certainly salvaged their season and have turned out to be a pretty good team.
Wyoming is having a good year and SDSU has nothing to be ashamed of either.

Houston a BCS buster? A lot of football left to be played. They beat a better than the record SMU squad yesterday pretty handily but must face off with Tulsa next week. Tulsa is capable to be sure. If the Coogs win that one they still have a pretty tough opponent in the CUSA Championship Game. Running the table is not a foregone conclusion for Houston at this point. What if they do though? What will happen when LSU loses to Arkansas or is tripped up in the SEC Championship Game? What if Auburn "upsets" Bama in he Iron Bowl? What then? Will U of H still have a shot at the mythical BCS national title? Not likely. The system is rigged against non AQBCS is ruining the game? I think I have.

Oh yes the Big Ten. Well MSU has won whatever division they are in (Leaders? Legends? Whatever). They have had a pretty good year. PSU bounced back after their loss last week to the Huskers by taking down the Buckeyes. That is good for the players. The entire coaching staff needs to go at this point though. I mean right now. They may not all be complicit in the Sandusky episode but you know they had to be at least aware of rumors. Coaches talk. A complete house cleaning is in order.

Oregon is now out of the national picture. I found myself rooting for USC to win just to further damage the credibility of the BCS system. That is a shame. What can one do though if one is a purist? Stanford held off Cal but some programs have to implode at the wire before they are to be considered for the "Big Game."

Have a good week.

Urban Renewal Somewhere?

Now Urban is telling folk that there has been no offer from Ohio State. Hmmmm....Perhaps he is lying again? Remember he said something similar I believe just before leaving Utah. Wonder if he told the Bowling Green faithful something along those lines also. I don't know. Anyway he would be a fool to take the job in Columbus. There will be better jobs opening soon. TAMU will be in need of a HC and if anyone is capable of getting the Aggies to be at least competitive in the SEC it would be Meyer. Tuberville probably will be out at Texas Tech. Doesn't Ole Miss need a HC? Isn't that nut Nutt leaving?
Maybe he would like a to keep a low profile with a bit less stress and take over from Howard at FAU? Not near as much money as available in Ohio I'm sure but a better position none the less. He could certainly coach a smaller school and no one would really blame him. He does not have anything to prove.

There will be much better jobs available soon. If Meyer does indeed want back in the game he should wait a bit. 

Meyer to Ohio State

Urban Meyer considering Ohio State? Of all places. The "Big Ten" is only somewhat relevant in the race for the national crown, but Ohio State??????? May as well take a job in the ACC or Mtn West. I just don't think Meyer is quite that obtuse. Do you? A proven former coach in the SEC has no business messing around with an inferior conference. Better to take a decent ACC or "Big Twelve" job. The glory days of the Big Ten (or whatever it should be called) are long past. Nebraska's move to that conference was certainly explainable. The want to be relevant again. Things have not really worked out quite yet for them but give it a year or two.

These reports concerning Meyer must be wrong. Or not.

Well Well Well

OSU has fallen to Iowa State. Did not really see that one coming. Did you? Now what is the BCS to do?Will they (it?) be able to deny Houston (should they run the table) a shot at a BCS berth? What will happen when the Hogs upset the Tigers? It is a shame when one roots against the BCS system instead of rooting for the teams they like. It is not supposed to be like that. Is it? The BCS needs to go.

Let us prepare for "occupation" I say. Bring your condoms but you can leave the soap at home.

A Couple Of Thoughts

Well this didn't take long. Now some in congress want to hold hearings on the issues at PSU along with the less well publicized scandal at the Citadel. Political grandstanding!! Now there are some rumblings of something similar going on with the Syracuse basketball program. Be that as it may, there are laws to handle such abhorrent behavior and the last thing needed is those in national office putting in their two cents worth. They should clean their own house first and foremost. I would wager there is a fair share of illegal diddling that goes on in that den of sociopathology in DC.

Well Gary Pinkel, HC at Mizzou, has been suspended for one game after his arrest on suspicion of DWI. Pretty fair I guess. At least he is not implicated in buggery.

USM was taken down by a woeful UAB squad last night. A bit of a surprise to say the least. UAB is dismal but does seem to play up at times against superior competition. They (USM) should be still be in the CUSA championship game but they do need to take care of business next week against the Tigers. The loss to UAB will certainly knock them out of the top 25 though and that is a shame.

I hear that Bob Davie is to take over the reins at New Mexico. Not a good move Bob. Not a good move. Are you that desperate for a HC position? New Mexico is one of the hardest places to win in the college game. I don't care who coaches there. It is considered a good season if the Lobos reach the .500 mark.

Tonight OSU travels to Iowa State for a tune up before the big game with the Sooners. I think that this team has the good sense to take care of business and not look ahead. We will see. I look for them to remain undefeated and then of course get upset by the Sooners. Same thing may happen to LSU. They might suffer a loss from the Hogs in a couple weeks. That should make a fine mess for the BCS to sort out.

Week 12 (2011) Predictions

The regular season is starting to wind down but most conference races have not been decided. Still a good bit left to be played. Some of the top teams went down last week and it is likely there will be at least one other before all is said and done. It is sad when one is tempted to root against the BCS system instead of favorite schools. Such is the sad system we have in D1 ball. On to the predictions.

1. NIU vs Ball State: This could be a team that will trip up the Huskies in their quest to become MAC Champion. Probably not although it may be an interesting game. Go with NIU.

2. Ohio vs Bowling Green: Ohio must win here if they want to go all the way in the MAC. They have been proven to play down to their competition this year. I think Solich will find a way to win. Go with the Bobcats

3. Southern Miss vs UAB: The Eagles should have very little trouble here. Go with USM.

4. North Carolina vs Virginia Tech: The Hokies (or Clemson for that matter) are not really being discussed as serious contenders for the national crown. Of course being in the ACC and with one loss already.......That being said it is time for a slip up on the part of the Gobblers. Go with the Heels in an upset.

5. Toledo vs Central Michigan: Toledo is a good team but they must win out and hope for NIU to implode. Central Michigan has been down a good bit this year and the Rockets should be able to handle them. Go with Toledo.

6. Oklahoma St vs Iowa State: These Cowboys are quite possibly the best team in the land. They should be able to handle Iowa State pretty easily. Of course nothing is a sure bet until the gun sounds. Go with Oklahoma State.

7. Cincinnati vs Rutgers: I suppose someone has to win the Big East. Cincinnati seems about as good as any of them but the Knights have been known to pull a few surprises. Go with Cinc. in a close one.

8. Kansas vs TAMU: It is a sad state of affairs the Aggies find themselves in. Kansas also for that matter. It would not be out of the question for the Jayhawks to sneak up on this moribund squad. Probably won't happen though. The Aggies can't be that bad. Can they? Go with TAMU to become "bowl eligible."

9. Georgia Southern vs Alabama: Must be homecoming for a lot of schools in the SEC. This one won't be quite as easy for the Tide as people think. An excellent IAA school is every bit as good as a mid level D1 team. While the Tide will roll here it may be pretty close. I have often thought that the IAA schools, especially the Eastern ones, compete well with the ACC and Big East for recruits. That may be one reason why both of the conferences are usually just not quite up to snuff. It can't be argued that some of the eastern teams in IAA are always right there competing for a national championship while those in the ACC and Big East are always on the outside looking in.

10. Arizona vs Arizona St: Someone has to win and I will go with the team with the better record. Go with Arizona State.

11. Arkansas State vs MTSU: The Indians err Red Wolves could solidify their conference crown with a win here. They will do so.

12. Tulsa vs UTEP: Tulsa has some of the best talent in the league and may have a shot at the title game. UTEP is UTEP. Hard place to win. They can surprise though and I think that they will win here by a nose. Go with UTEP in a close one.

13. SMU vs Houston: The Pony's can be dangerous. They are probably a year away from being a very good team. Houston will have their hands full but will come away with a victory.

14. Mississippi State vs Arkansas: The Bulldogs are a bit of a disappointment this year but still can be pretty dangerous. The Hogs have a tendency to play down to their competition at times but that would be a mistake here. Go with Arkansas in a close one.

15. Louisiana Tech vs Nevada: This will probably decide the winner of the WAC. Both are better teams than given credit for. LTU will surprise here in an upset of sorts. Go with the Bulldogs.

16. LSU vs Ole Miss: There is something just a bit off with the Tigers. They are an excellent team but they are beatable. Of course Ole Miss ain't the team to do it. Go with the Tigers here.

17. Oklahoma vs Baylor: Oklahoma is by far the better team here and will find a way to lose this one. I go with Baylor in an upset. It is about time they begin to play up to their potential.

18. Boise State vs SDSU: The Aztecs are a pretty good team. Boise State has blown it again. The Broncos are the better team but they must keep their heads up or they will find themselves with another loss on the season. Go with BSU in a close one.

19. KSU vs Texas: This could be a good game. KSU is certainly a good team but far from great. Texas is a decent team but just not quite good. I think that KSU will win another close one here.

20. Clemson vs NC State: These Tigers are going to win here but they won't get any more respect from the "professional" analysts. Clemson is a good team; along the lines of a Wisconsin or Nebraska. Light years away from LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State and perhaps Oregon. They will win against the woeful Wolfpack though.

Have a good week and enjoy the games.

Week 11 (2011) Analysis

There were quite a number of exciting games yesterday and a couple of "stunning upsets." Who will be number one when the BCS poll comes out later today? Will it be LSU or Oklahoma State? The Tigers are beatable and will lose before the end of the season. OSU? Maybe not. Anyway my won/loss this week was 14-6 for a season total of 147-73. On to analysis.

The MWC looks like it should belong to TCU. It is unlikely they will lose their next two conference games. Boise State will now be relegated to a high third tier bowl. One loss in this conference takes away any chance of a BCS game. The Broncs should also run the table for the rest of the season, but it is irrelevant.

Arkansas State will win the Sun Belt. They have beaten both WKU and ULL and should be in the New Orleans Bowl. Troy has certainly fallen off the pace this season and FIU was a disappointment somewhat. It would be nice if coach Howard at FAU would win at least one game before he retires. He is one of the icons of the game.

The WAC is down to Nevada and LTU. Nevada solidified their position with their victory over Hawaii and LTU kept the ball rolling with a non conference win over a "BCS" conference foe. Of course beating Ole Miss is no great shakes, but a win is a win. Next week the two square off in what may decide who will be conference champ. Nevada has two more games after that one; one being against Utah State. Those Aggies can be dangerous.

Speaking of Aggies....It is about time for those in College Station to start looking for a new coach to "bring them to the next level." Haven't we heard that one before? They better do something quick as next year they begin their career as the laughingstock of the SEC. Kansas State righted the ship with the exciting win over these same Aggies. Both teams tried their best to give the game away. Penalties seem to have been the Aggies downfall yesterday. It is always something.
Texas is in rebuild mode but still very dangerous to any opponent. Mizzou also leaves for the SEC where they will be near bottom of the pack. Strange isn't it?
Baylor almost blew it against the worst team (arguably) in the Big Twelve. They should really be a better team then they have turned out this season. Hard place to win and Briles is doing as good a job as can be expected in Waco.
Now we must discuss Oklahoma State and TTU. TTU has had flashes of brilliance this season and has also looked just pathetic. It is time for Tuberville to go. OSU may be the best team in the land. After watching the Tigers of Louisiana.......There are definitely some chinks in the Bengals armor.

It is said (and rightfully so) that the SEC is the toughest conference in the land. That however does not necessarily mean that they have the best team in the country as a member. Having watched LSU, Alabama and Arkansas this season it may be a bit of a stretch to say that any one of them is the "best team in the land." LSU certainly did not look like it against Sun Belt foe WKU last night. At least in the first half. Ignorant fans discount the SBC but coaches know that those schools are ascendant and can surprise a "top" team on any given day. LSU still has a couple left to be played and the Hogs certainly loom large on the sked. Bama also meets up with Auburn and one can pretty much throw records out the window.

Oregon exposed Stanford somewhat last night. Stanford is a lot like Boise State. A great team that rolls over inferior competition and must step it up when facing quality opposition. Boise generally does so. Stanford? Jury is still out. No one else in PAC 12 play is relevant at this point.

One has to feel for the kids at PSU. The NCAA should allow those who feel the need to transfer without penalty. As for the rest of the league.....Wisconsin is a bit of disappointment as is Nebraska. MSU and Michigan are decent but not really worth discussing at this point in the season.

The Big East is the Big East. These teams seem to beat up on each other each week and there is no clear cut squad that stands out. Someone does have to emerge as champion and will get a BCS game. The conference is mediocre to say the least.

Ohio and NIU appear to be poised to move into the MAC Championship game. Temple and Toledo still are in the race. Both have to play catch up and hope for some help.

Clemson clinched their division in the ACC. Just in case anyone is really interested.

Houston has a couple of tough games ahead against SMU and Tulsa. The Mustangs have fallen off the pace but can certainly be dangerous. Tulsa is a good CUSA squad. It is entirely possible that the Coogs could lose one of the next two. USM has solidified their position as the leader in CUSA East with their win over their last remaining dangerous foe. Unless they completely implode they will be in the CUSA Championship game against either Houston or Tulsa.

Have a good week.

What Then?

I have refrained from mentioning the scandal that is unfolding at PSU. It is a shame really that JOPA will now be more remembered for this filth than for his accomplishments and contributions to the game. However if the allegations are accurate, then Paterno certainly deserves what he gets. It reminds me a bit of (actually goes well beyond) the Roger Clemens scandal. Clemens will be more remembered for steroid use and (alleged) criminality than for what he has done on the field of play. Such is life.

Now PSU should probably just cancel the rest of their season and the NCAA should allow players to transfer to any university to continue the "career" without the sanction of sitting out a year (as is done when transferring from one D1 program to another). Of course it appears that PSU will continue with the season. With only one loss at this point it is not out of the realm of possibilities that the Lions could sneak into the BCS "National Championship" game. Unlikely? Very. A mathematical possibility? Of course.

If, for whatever reason, the top teams in the land implode (ie Stanford, OSU, LSU, Alabama, Boise State, Houston, (ok maybe not), Oregon, Oklahoma, Clemson, and Arkansas), then PSU would be right there in the mix. How would that look sports fans? What would that say about our collective priorities?

Think about it.

PSU should cancel the rest of the season out of a sense of decency. Perhaps cancel all sports this season until this works itself out. Why other sports? Coaches talk. You can't tell me that coaches of other sports have not heard some rumor about this Sandusky and his antics. It is likely a well known dirty little secret.

This makes the scandals at Miami and OSU look pretty tame. It is up there with the Baylor basketball mess of a few years back. It is a stunning turn of events.

Strange Happenings and a Few Other Things

It looks as if Mizzou will be joining the SEC as speculated. WVU has apparently been invited to join the Big Twelve. Some lower rent Big East schools are making the move to the ACC and the Big East is trying to raid to survive. I have not heard about a CUSA/Mtn West merger in a while. Where will all of this end? It has become somewhat ridiculous. Blame the BCS system and lack of NCAA control on this mess.

Jerry Sandusky has apparently been accused of diddling young folk. Is the priesthood the next stop for Sandusky? This will become a pretty big scandal as apparently some in the PSU administration had some knowledge that old Jerry was an (alleged) perv. Wonder where this little episode will lead.

The Miami issues have dropped out of the "news" of late but it is doubtful that the story has ended yet. Ditto with Ohio State.

TAMU has perhaps some of the best talent on the field and just can't seem to buy a win. Good. I have been telling you that Sherman ain't the man. It will be interesting to see the Aggies be middle of the pack at best in the SEC.

Texas Tech is schizophrenic. Don't they have pills for that? Tuberville is not the man for the job in Red Raider country.

Andrew Luck looks a bit like a neandrathal.

Sumlin is again being mentioned as possibly moving on to greener pastures. He has been very successful at Houston as was his predecessor. Sumlin should hold out for a good job. Ex Houston coach Art Briles has done a commendable job at Baylor but that is one hard place to win. If Sumlin is offered something along the lines of Kentucky, North Carolina State, etc. etc. it would be to his advantage to stay put.  There has been rumors that Mike Leach would consider the Houston job if Sumlin decides to move on. That would be a good fit.

I have not heard a lot about big name schools looking at Mario Cristobal (FIU coach) of late. The Panthers have imploded and I guess the bloom is off Mario's rose a bit. He is doing a good job in south Florida though and it would be nice to see him stay a while. One doesn't want to get a Todd Graham type reputation. That guy is a scumbag.

WKU and ULL are in the running in the SBC? Things are looking up for both of these schools apparently.

Brady Hoke will wish he had stayed in sunny San Diego before all is said and done and Al Golden will have wished he stayed in cold Philadelphia if the Miami scandal really heats up. And it will.

Turner Gill should have stayed in Buffalo. He was building a program. I give him one more year at Kansas before he is unceremoniously given the boot.

Why is it that no one else but Snyder can win football game at KSU? Is it the work of Beelzebub?

Just a few thoughts.

Week 11 (2011) Predictions

This week has some pretty interesting match ups although the schedule is somewhat anti climatic after what transpired last week. Oh well. The games have to be played. On to the predictions.

1.NIU vs Bowling Green: After a rocky start to the season the Huskies have righted their ship and will be a factor down to the wire. They did handle a very good Toledo team last week and should be able to do the same with these Falcons. Go with NIU.

2. Houston vs Tulane: The Coogs playing another late mid week game. They should be able to handle the horrible Green Wave of Tulane. The hard stretch of UH's sked starts in a couple weeks and they may need this scrimmage to get things fine tuned. Go with the Coogs.

3. Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech: Ga Tech has been exposed somewhat and VA. Tech is a good, but not great team. I have never really liked this Coach Frank but he certainly does something right. I think that the Hokies will roll here. Could be wrong.

4. Michigan vs Illinois: This may be a good game. We will see. Illinois has fallen off but the Wolverines have certainly been exposed as pretenders also. Michigan is probably the better team here but I will go with the Illini in a minor upset. Hoke should have stayed in sunny SoCal.

5. Auburn vs Georgia: The Bulldogs have sort of a charmed life this year. No LSU, Alabama, or Arkansas on their regular season schedule. They have already lost to South Carolina and were also beaten by that team that fans just don't want to take seriously. Funny that the fans don't think highly of Boise State, but college coaches around the country damn sure do. At any rate....Georgia is a pretty good team but they are certainly beatable. Even by an Auburn squad. Go with the Tigers to "upset" the Bulldogs in this one.

6. Miami vs FSU: This will be a good game. Both teams are pretty decent and FSU is ascendant at this point. They very well may be a factor nationally next season. Which team is the better at this point? Probably FSU. I will go with them to win this rivalry game.

7. Texas vs Mizzou: The Longhorns are not a team to be trifled with. They have some problems at QB but things certainly seem to be improving. Mizzou can be very dangerous to just about anyone also. Depends on which team shows up to play. I go with Texas in a very close one.

8. Florida vs South Carolina: The Gamecocks have to run the table the rest of the way and hope that Georgia falters. This has become a rivalry game to some extent and it might be a very good one. Florida will be back next year but the same may not be said about South Carolina. They need to win now. I think that Spurrier will have a few tricks up his sleeve and pull this one out of the hat. Go with South Carolina.

9. TAMU vs KSU: Things get somewhat easier this week for the Wildcats. They have had a rough past couple weeks. TAMU has the talent to beat them though but there is just something missing. I go with KSU in a close one.

10. Oklahoma State vs TTU: I wonder which Tech team will show up this week. Will it be the horrible one or the exceptional squad? Either way it may not matter. I go with the Cowboys to win. The margin depends on which Red Raider personality shows up.

11. Tennessee vs Arkansas: The Hogs can't let up. It has been proven that they will play down to their competition. That would be a mistake here. If the Hogs play ball then they should win handily. If not? Well.....I go with the Razorbacks in a close one.

12. WKU vs LSU: This one is a no brainer. WKU has become a pretty good Sun Belt team and Coach Willie has done a wonderful job in bringing them to that level but they do not belong on the same field here. A cakewalk for the Tigers. I think that Les will call off the dogs in the second half. If WKU prevailed then it would certainly be the upset of all time. Wouldn't that be something to talk about?

13. UAB vs Memphis: This one will decide not much of anything other than which team is not quite as terrible as the other. Calloway is likely on the hot seat and Porter may be also, but he probably deserves another season to attain a winning record. Memphis may or may not win here but someone has to. I pick the Tigers.

14. Florida Atlantic vs FIU: This has become an under the radar rivalry game. FIU has been a disappointment this season and not much was expected out of Howard's bunch. Still one would think they would win at least a game or two. I pick them to do so here in an upset. Go with FAU.

15. LTU vs Ole Miss: LTU is in the running in the WAC and this non conference game seems to be somewhat of a distraction. Ole Miss is playing for nothing really but the Bulldogs don't want to get off track with a loss. I think that LTU will prevail in a close call. They are better than many people give them credit for.

16. Maryland vs Notre Dame: The Irish are bowl eligable. Oh boy. I guess we will get to see more of them on television now. All snide comments aside, they seem to be a pretty fair team and should be able to handle the Turtles. Go with Notre Dame.

17. TCU vs Boise State: If there is one team in the MWC that can give the Bronco's problems then it is this squad. It is good that the game will be played on the blue field. I think Boise will prevail here but it may not be easy.

18. Hawaii vs Nevada: This one is very important in the race for the WAC crown. Nevada is probably the better team here and I will go with them to win a very good and close game.

19. ULL vs Arkansas State: This one may perhaps decide who will be the SBC Champion. Still some football left to be played though but these teams (and WKU) appear to be the cream of this conference. It would be better for the Cajuns to be playing in front of a home "crowd" but alas they are not. I think the Indians err Red Wolves will school the boys from south Louisiana. Go with ASU.

20. Alabama vs Mississippi State: These Bulldogs can be dangerous but the Tide are on a whole other level. Alabama will be out to prove that they are worthy of more than a second tier bowl and will be out to crush their competition. MSU is in the way. Of course the Tide could just roll over and petulantly call it quits. I would not expect that from a "he who remains nameless" coached team though. Go with the Tide to roll. No pun intended.

Have a good week and enjoyh the games.

Week 10 (2011) Analysis

Well things went much better this week. 17-3 is pretty Vegas like and the total for the season is 132-67. Of course one or two of my predictions were almost "sure bets" but what the hey.


It looks like the LSU Tigers can be considered the number one team at this point. Oklahoma State is right there in the mix also. I would not go so far as to rule Oklahoma or Alabama out of the mix right now though. One loss in the SEC or Big Twelve does not automatically disqualify one from the "big game at the end." Next week must be homecoming for the Tigers and they should not have any trouble with WKU. The Hogs still loom large (very large) on the Tiger schedule though. I would not just go and proclaim the the "national champs" just yet. There were some obvious chinks in their armor that need to be resolved.

The Big Twelve is the Cowboys to lose. They need to watch out for Oklahoma though. They are still in the running. See above concerning the chances to make it to the BCS Championship.

Boise State will run the table in the MTN West. Will it be enough to get them into a BCS game? Probably so. I find it amusing when some say that the Bronco's are underserving and would not make it in a BCS conference. Have you noticed who normally comes out on top when the Broncs meet a BCS foe? Have you noticed who is afraid to schedule them (Nebraska)? Nuff said.

Houston continues to roll and USM will win the CUSA east. The Eagles and Cougars don't meet in the regular season this year but will likely square off in the championship game. USM has it relatively easy from here on out with the only pitfall perhaps being the game with UCF. The Coogs on the other hand have to meet very dangerous Tulsa and SMU teams. Do I think the Coogs will run the table? No. Ono of their opponents may sneak up on them. They should have the record to be the representative from CUSA West though.

The WAC is finally starting to shake itself out a bit. Well sort of. Quite a number of teams have a least a theoretical shot but it looks like it will come down to Nevada, LTU, or Hawaii. We will see how things play out.


The SBC is getting pretty interesting at this point. ULL squeeked by their upstate rival yesterday and ASU continues their winning ways. It is perhaps best to not overlook WKU at this point. Wille is doing an excellent job for his alma mater. Someone has to win the conference and that may be decided next week when the Red Wolves and Cajuns square off. Should be a good game. Like I said though. The Hilltoppers can not be ruled out at this point.

It looks like the only teams playing any football in the PAC 12 are Stanford and Oregon. USC is irrelevant. Stanford may be on the outside looking in when it comes time to pick the teams for the "Big Game." That would be the BCS system for you.

I did not pay any attention to any ACC games this week except the FSU/BC game the other night. Does it really matter?

Same for the Big East. I did not that WVU has been exposed as a pretender though. I did not expect that when the season began. I figured that if there was one team in that sad conference that was a real legitimate threat that it would be the Mountaineers.

There are some pretty good football teams in the Big Ten. No one is really talking much about PSU and that may well be because they seem to win without really scoring any points to speak off. A defensive team they appear to be. Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio State and Nebraska have all been exposed as just not quite up to snuff this year. I am a bit surprised how Wisconsin has fallen off. They did get healthy against Purdue yesterday though. That is no great shakes really. Purdue dropped one agains Rice this season. Oh, and so much for Nebraska dominating the conference. I was wrong there. This season at least.