This week shapes up as the best set of games so far this year. It is the highlight of the non-conference schedule for some, and the SEC has some high-powered conference games this week.
Last Week: 18-2 Season: 34-6
There were a lot of easy games to pick last week. It'll be hard to go 18-2 again. I would have gotten creamed picking against the spread, though.
Oklahoma at Oregon: It's in the Northwest, and Oregon is a tough place to play. However, I'm going to make the homer pick of the week and pick the Sooners.
Nebraska at USC: Nebraska's not quite ready for prime time. I don't think the Trojans will embarrass them, though. USC.
Texas Tech at TCU: The Horned Frog Super Bowl. The first time two ranked teams meet in a regular season game at TCU since 1984. Give me the purple Kool-Aid, and give me the Frogs.
Kansas at Toledo: The Friday night special. The Jayhawks stunk up the field last week against Louisiana-Monroe. Toledo is a good team, as they are every year. Give me Max Klinger, and give me holy Toledo.
Iowa State at Iowa: The 'Clones have had the Hawks' number the last couple of years. Drew Tate is back for Iowa. Look for the Hawkeyes to get over the hump. Pick: Iowa.
Marshall at Kansas State: This is a tough one. Marshall got creamed by West Virginia, and beat Hofstra. K-State should have lost to Illinois State, and thumped Florida Atlantic. I'll take the home field and K-State.
Baylor vs. Washington State at Seattle: Both teams are coming off wins over inferior opponents. This is one Baylor has to have if they want to go to a bowl. However, I'll take Wazzu.
Texas at Rice: Puhleeze. Rice has been more competitive than expected, but this is Texas. Pick: Longhorns.
Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State: Another school trying to join the Big 12? This is Howard Schnellenberger's return to Oklahoma. He was a failed bit then, and it'll be a failed bit now. Pick: OSU.
Arizona State vs. Colorado: Why don't the Buffs schedule Chadron State? Pick: Fighting Sun Devils.
Missouri at New Mexico: This is the type of game the Tigers are known to lose. New Mexico is looking for some pride and respect, as they have a loss to Portland State on their record. I'll go with Mizzou, though.
Texas A&M vs. Army at San Antonio: There will be a great halftime show, especially if Army brings their Cadet band. The game won't be so good. Army vs. Terrorists: Army. Army vs. Aggies: A&M.
LSU at Auburn: Tigers vs. Tigers. Lots of people like Auburn to do something special this year. I'll pick them this week.
Florida at Tennessee: Are the Vols back this year? I don't know. I'll take the Gators this week.
Michigan at Notre Dame: The networks love this one. If it were up to NBC and ABC, these two teams would play each other every week. Notre Dame is as good as advertised this year, unfortunately. Pick: Irish.
Miami at Louisville: We're looking at a Miami meltdown, and Louisville is the real deal. Pick: The Ville.
Clemson at Florida State: The Noles almost laid a huge egg last week against Troy. Clemson blew one at Boston College. In the latest Bowden Bowl, the old man wins. Pick: FSU
Maryland at West Virginia: Thursday night game. West Virginia rolls on. Pick: Mountaineers.
Michigan State at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh is a sleeper in the Big East. The Spartans have a coach on the hot seat. The game is in the Burgh, and I'll take the Burgh.
East Texas Baptist at Howard Payne. Battle of the Baptists. Give me Howard's Pain. Pick: Howard Payne.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
NFL Comments
I watched parts of yesterday's NFL action. Actually, I watched Yahoo GameTracker and StatTracker as much as I watched the real thing. Honestly, right now I care more about my two fantasy leagues than the real-life results in the NFL. That will change later in the year, as teams become more defined, and the playoff picture becomes clearer.
I know the Colts are still pretty good, because I was beaten in a fantasy league this week by a team that had 4 Colts plus the Colts' defense. That's 5 out of 8 available positions.
I'm glad we didn't get that Seattle-Detroit snoozefest on Fox down here. 9-6. Ugh!
Perhaps I spoke too soon in calling the Buffalo Bills awful. They should have beaten the Patriots yesterday. The last team I slammed like that was in 2002, when, on a fantasy football message board, I called the Patriots putrid after week 2. They went on to win their first Super Bowl that year. I doubt if the Bills do the same thing this year, but they weren't awful yesterday.
I missed the second half of the Cowboys-Jaguars game yesterday, so I can't comment a whole lot. The Cowboys played great in the first quarter, then went in the tank. The Jags may be pretty good again this year, though.
I bet Brett Favre is wishing he hadn't come back to play this year. The Pack got sacked yesterday by their hated archrival, da Bears.
Reggie Bush looked pretty decent yesterday for the Saints. It's hard to tell if it was him or if it was the opponent, but I'm glad he's on my fantasy team.
That's it for now.
I know the Colts are still pretty good, because I was beaten in a fantasy league this week by a team that had 4 Colts plus the Colts' defense. That's 5 out of 8 available positions.
I'm glad we didn't get that Seattle-Detroit snoozefest on Fox down here. 9-6. Ugh!
Perhaps I spoke too soon in calling the Buffalo Bills awful. They should have beaten the Patriots yesterday. The last team I slammed like that was in 2002, when, on a fantasy football message board, I called the Patriots putrid after week 2. They went on to win their first Super Bowl that year. I doubt if the Bills do the same thing this year, but they weren't awful yesterday.
I missed the second half of the Cowboys-Jaguars game yesterday, so I can't comment a whole lot. The Cowboys played great in the first quarter, then went in the tank. The Jags may be pretty good again this year, though.
I bet Brett Favre is wishing he hadn't come back to play this year. The Pack got sacked yesterday by their hated archrival, da Bears.
Reggie Bush looked pretty decent yesterday for the Saints. It's hard to tell if it was him or if it was the opponent, but I'm glad he's on my fantasy team.
That's it for now.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Big XII Rankings
Texas really made my job harder after their performance against The Ohio State University. As a result, no one deserves to be ranked #1 this week. No one has earned it yet. This conference is so unimpressive at this point. OU and Nebraska go to the West Coast to defend the conference's honor this week.
(tie) 2. Texas. They still have more talent than everyone else, but they have to prove themselves all over again. Just like in the old days before Vince, Mack Brown is going to have to coach. That will be dangerous for them when they hit Fair Park in October. Back to earth for Bevo.
(tie) 2. Nebraska. The moment of truth is this week as the Children of the Corn hit SoCal for their game with USC. They've whipped two teams from Louisiana so far. This is an improvement over the first two years of Bill Callahan's tenure, when they struggled against similar teams.
3. Oklahoma. They looked pathetic in the first half against Washington. They looked good in the 3rd quarter, and pulled away from the Huskies. They'll need to play well Saturday at Oregon to win.
4. Texas Tech. Shaky overtime win at UTEP, but a win is a win. They have a big trip to Fort Worth this week.
5. Missouri. They Showed Me a little bit in beating Ole Miss like a rented mule.
6. Texas A&M. Halfway through their creampuff non-conference schedule.
7. Iowa State. Not great, but not bad, either.
8. Kansas. How do you barely beat Louisiana-Monroe? Not a good night for the Fighting Manginos.
9. Baylor. Beat Northwestern State like a drum.
10. Oklahoma State. Moving through their creampuffs easier than I thought they would. They had much less trouble with Arkie State than I expected.
11. Kansas State. Skunked Florida Atlantic.
12. Colorado. Will they win a game? The proud and mighty have fallen fast.
(tie) 2. Texas. They still have more talent than everyone else, but they have to prove themselves all over again. Just like in the old days before Vince, Mack Brown is going to have to coach. That will be dangerous for them when they hit Fair Park in October. Back to earth for Bevo.
(tie) 2. Nebraska. The moment of truth is this week as the Children of the Corn hit SoCal for their game with USC. They've whipped two teams from Louisiana so far. This is an improvement over the first two years of Bill Callahan's tenure, when they struggled against similar teams.
3. Oklahoma. They looked pathetic in the first half against Washington. They looked good in the 3rd quarter, and pulled away from the Huskies. They'll need to play well Saturday at Oregon to win.
4. Texas Tech. Shaky overtime win at UTEP, but a win is a win. They have a big trip to Fort Worth this week.
5. Missouri. They Showed Me a little bit in beating Ole Miss like a rented mule.
6. Texas A&M. Halfway through their creampuff non-conference schedule.
7. Iowa State. Not great, but not bad, either.
8. Kansas. How do you barely beat Louisiana-Monroe? Not a good night for the Fighting Manginos.
9. Baylor. Beat Northwestern State like a drum.
10. Oklahoma State. Moving through their creampuffs easier than I thought they would. They had much less trouble with Arkie State than I expected.
11. Kansas State. Skunked Florida Atlantic.
12. Colorado. Will they win a game? The proud and mighty have fallen fast.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Observations
Observations on the day in college football:
Any day OU wins and Texas loses is a good day.
What a performance by the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University. They replaced 9 starters on defense, and still dominated Texas tonight. Texas obviously misses Vince Young, a once in a lifetime talent. 30,000 people are going back to Ohio very happy.
It was a night of near misses. 1) Troy almost beat Florida State, as the Seminoles had to score two touchdowns in the last 5 minutes to win. Their winning touchdown was set up by an interception with 2 minutes to go. 2) Air Force lost at Tennessee, when they were stopped on a 2 point conversion with a chance to take the lead. They lost 31-30.
Hats off to New Hampshire. They followed up last year's 1-AA playoff trip with a convincing win today over Northwestern. Northwestern is recovering from the shock of coach Randy Walker's untimely death just before the beginning of summer practice. Nonetheless, it was a big win for New Hampshire.
From the Insult to Injury Department: Last week, Colorado lost to Montana State. Today, Montana State followed that huge win up with a loss to Chadron State, of the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The RMAC limits their schools to 28 scholarships, and Chadron State only has 22 football scholarships. This is compared with 63 scholarships for Division 1-AA, and 85 scholarships for Division 1-A. This begs the question, though: Who would win between Colorado and Chadron State? All is not well in Boulder, and not just because the Buffs lost to Colorado State today.
The NFL gets fully cranked up tomorrow. Go Cowboys!
Any day OU wins and Texas loses is a good day.
What a performance by the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University. They replaced 9 starters on defense, and still dominated Texas tonight. Texas obviously misses Vince Young, a once in a lifetime talent. 30,000 people are going back to Ohio very happy.
It was a night of near misses. 1) Troy almost beat Florida State, as the Seminoles had to score two touchdowns in the last 5 minutes to win. Their winning touchdown was set up by an interception with 2 minutes to go. 2) Air Force lost at Tennessee, when they were stopped on a 2 point conversion with a chance to take the lead. They lost 31-30.
Hats off to New Hampshire. They followed up last year's 1-AA playoff trip with a convincing win today over Northwestern. Northwestern is recovering from the shock of coach Randy Walker's untimely death just before the beginning of summer practice. Nonetheless, it was a big win for New Hampshire.
From the Insult to Injury Department: Last week, Colorado lost to Montana State. Today, Montana State followed that huge win up with a loss to Chadron State, of the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The RMAC limits their schools to 28 scholarships, and Chadron State only has 22 football scholarships. This is compared with 63 scholarships for Division 1-AA, and 85 scholarships for Division 1-A. This begs the question, though: Who would win between Colorado and Chadron State? All is not well in Boulder, and not just because the Buffs lost to Colorado State today.
The NFL gets fully cranked up tomorrow. Go Cowboys!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
College Picks: Week 1
Ok, this isn't really Week 1, but we're being consistent with the pros, who start this weekend. This week's picks:
Washington at OU: OU. The Huskies aren't ready for prime time yet. They're probably not even as good as last week's OU opponent, UAB.
The Ohio State University at Texas: TOSU. This will live up to the hype. The Buckeyes return the favor from last year's Texas win in Columbus.
Louisiana-Lafayette at Texas A&M: A&M. Lafayette is favored to win the Sun Belt. Maybe A&M should join that conference.
Texas Tech at UTEP: Tech. UTEP is pretty good, but Tech should be able to win this one. Look for a lot of points here.
Northwestern State at Baylor: Baylor. Is Northwestern State trying to join the Big XII? They played Kansas last week, and Baylor this week.
Oklahoma State at Arkansas State: OSU. Arkie State beat Army last week, and will give the Oklahoma Aggies all they want. OSU should win. I wouldn't put money on it, though.
Nicholls State at Nebraska: Nebraska. Are the Huskers trying to win the Louisiana state championship?
Colorado vs. Colorado State: Colorado State. I'm not picking Colorado for a while, after last week's debacle.
Ole Miss at Missouri: Missouri. This will be a pretty good game. Mizzou is at home, so I'll take them.
Louisiana-Monroe at Kansas: KU. Another Big XII school playing for the Louisiana state championship.
Florida Atlantic at Kansas State: KSU. K-State came dangerously close to being upset last week. FAU will be more competitive against KSU than they were against Clemson last week.
UNLV at Iowa State: ISU.
Penn State at Notre Dame: Notre Dame. I hate the Irish, but this is a pretty safe pick.
Georgia at South Carolina: SC. This is where the 'Cocks step up to the plate and take their place among the big boys of the SEC.
Arizona at LSU: LSU. This will be a tough game, but the Tigers should have enough in the tank to hold off 'Zona.
Tulsa at BYU: BYU.
UC Davis at TCU: TCU. The last time UC Davis played a Division 1-A team, they beat Stanford. TCU is a lot better than Stanford.
Minnesota at Cal: Cal. Will the real Cal please show up? They sure didn't last week in Knoxville.
Clemson at Boston College: Clemson
Edward Waters at Prairie View A&M: Prairie View
Last week: 16-4. I and a lot of others were disappointed in Cal's flop in Knoxville. The Vols wound up being pretty good. And, who would have thought that Colorado would lose to Montana State?
Washington at OU: OU. The Huskies aren't ready for prime time yet. They're probably not even as good as last week's OU opponent, UAB.
The Ohio State University at Texas: TOSU. This will live up to the hype. The Buckeyes return the favor from last year's Texas win in Columbus.
Louisiana-Lafayette at Texas A&M: A&M. Lafayette is favored to win the Sun Belt. Maybe A&M should join that conference.
Texas Tech at UTEP: Tech. UTEP is pretty good, but Tech should be able to win this one. Look for a lot of points here.
Northwestern State at Baylor: Baylor. Is Northwestern State trying to join the Big XII? They played Kansas last week, and Baylor this week.
Oklahoma State at Arkansas State: OSU. Arkie State beat Army last week, and will give the Oklahoma Aggies all they want. OSU should win. I wouldn't put money on it, though.
Nicholls State at Nebraska: Nebraska. Are the Huskers trying to win the Louisiana state championship?
Colorado vs. Colorado State: Colorado State. I'm not picking Colorado for a while, after last week's debacle.
Ole Miss at Missouri: Missouri. This will be a pretty good game. Mizzou is at home, so I'll take them.
Louisiana-Monroe at Kansas: KU. Another Big XII school playing for the Louisiana state championship.
Florida Atlantic at Kansas State: KSU. K-State came dangerously close to being upset last week. FAU will be more competitive against KSU than they were against Clemson last week.
UNLV at Iowa State: ISU.
Penn State at Notre Dame: Notre Dame. I hate the Irish, but this is a pretty safe pick.
Georgia at South Carolina: SC. This is where the 'Cocks step up to the plate and take their place among the big boys of the SEC.
Arizona at LSU: LSU. This will be a tough game, but the Tigers should have enough in the tank to hold off 'Zona.
Tulsa at BYU: BYU.
UC Davis at TCU: TCU. The last time UC Davis played a Division 1-A team, they beat Stanford. TCU is a lot better than Stanford.
Minnesota at Cal: Cal. Will the real Cal please show up? They sure didn't last week in Knoxville.
Clemson at Boston College: Clemson
Edward Waters at Prairie View A&M: Prairie View
Last week: 16-4. I and a lot of others were disappointed in Cal's flop in Knoxville. The Vols wound up being pretty good. And, who would have thought that Colorado would lose to Montana State?
NFL Picks: Week 1
It’s a great day! Today is the first day of the National Football League season, as the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers host the Miami Dolphins.
Below are my picks for Week 1. All picks are straight up, with no point spreads.
Thursday:
Miami at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, though the Dolphins should be much improved.
Sunday:
Philadelphia at Houston: Yuck. Even with a new coach, I don’t trust the Texans. Philly in this one.
Seattle at Detroit: The Seahawks return to the site of their Super Bowl debacle. Detroit has a new coaching staff, a new QB, and maybe a new attitude. I’ll go with the known quantity here, and take Seattle.
Atlanta at Carolina: The Panthers are the pick of many to go to the Super Bowl. They look pretty good to me for one week, at least. Carolina.
Baltimore at Tampa Bay: Steve McNair is the new QB in Baltimore. The Bucs are pretty good again. I’ll take the home field and the Bucs.
Buffalo at New England. The Pats may not be back in the Super Bowl this year, but the Bills are going to be awful. This is my pick in Survival Football for this week, and I’ll pick the Pats here, also.
Cincinnati at Kansas City: This will be a good game. I don’t know the over/under, but the over would would be a good bet here for a betting person. As for a winner, I’ll take the Bengals.
Denver at St. Louis: This would have been a great game in 1999. In 2006, I’ll take Denver.
New Orleans at Cleveland: Yuck, Part 2. It’s a good thing it is really hard for an NFL game to end in a scoreless tie. The Saints added some talent this year, and Cleveland’s not very good. I’ll pick the Saints.
New York Jets at Tennessee: Yuck, Part 3. I’ll draw straws on this one. Titans.
Chicago at Green Bay. Will the Pack be back? Not this week. The Bears win on the road.
Dallas at Jacksonville: The Jags are still pretty decent. The Cowboys will be improved. I won’t pick the Cowboys every week, but I’ll pick them this week. It’s Super Bowl or Bust for Big Bill.
San Francisco at Arizona: The new stadium officially opens in Glendale, and the Cardinals have the perfect opponent: the sorry 49ers. Pick-Arizona.
Indianapolis at NY Giants: The Manning Bowl. Indy lost Edgerrin James in the off-season, which will be bigger than anyone realizes. This game is outdoors in the Jersey swamps, and for one night, Eli will have his brother’s number. Actually, Tiki Barber will carry the Giants. Pick: Giants.
Monday:
Minnesota at Washington: The first game of the first scheduled Monday night doubleheader. The Redskins had a good year last year, and should be decent again. Pick: Washington.
San Diego at Oakland: I’m not staying up for all of this one. Not for the Raiders. The Chargers will be decent, and the Raiders will not. L.T. will run all over Oakland. Pick: San Diego.
Below are my picks for Week 1. All picks are straight up, with no point spreads.
Thursday:
Miami at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, though the Dolphins should be much improved.
Sunday:
Philadelphia at Houston: Yuck. Even with a new coach, I don’t trust the Texans. Philly in this one.
Seattle at Detroit: The Seahawks return to the site of their Super Bowl debacle. Detroit has a new coaching staff, a new QB, and maybe a new attitude. I’ll go with the known quantity here, and take Seattle.
Atlanta at Carolina: The Panthers are the pick of many to go to the Super Bowl. They look pretty good to me for one week, at least. Carolina.
Baltimore at Tampa Bay: Steve McNair is the new QB in Baltimore. The Bucs are pretty good again. I’ll take the home field and the Bucs.
Buffalo at New England. The Pats may not be back in the Super Bowl this year, but the Bills are going to be awful. This is my pick in Survival Football for this week, and I’ll pick the Pats here, also.
Cincinnati at Kansas City: This will be a good game. I don’t know the over/under, but the over would would be a good bet here for a betting person. As for a winner, I’ll take the Bengals.
Denver at St. Louis: This would have been a great game in 1999. In 2006, I’ll take Denver.
New Orleans at Cleveland: Yuck, Part 2. It’s a good thing it is really hard for an NFL game to end in a scoreless tie. The Saints added some talent this year, and Cleveland’s not very good. I’ll pick the Saints.
New York Jets at Tennessee: Yuck, Part 3. I’ll draw straws on this one. Titans.
Chicago at Green Bay. Will the Pack be back? Not this week. The Bears win on the road.
Dallas at Jacksonville: The Jags are still pretty decent. The Cowboys will be improved. I won’t pick the Cowboys every week, but I’ll pick them this week. It’s Super Bowl or Bust for Big Bill.
San Francisco at Arizona: The new stadium officially opens in Glendale, and the Cardinals have the perfect opponent: the sorry 49ers. Pick-Arizona.
Indianapolis at NY Giants: The Manning Bowl. Indy lost Edgerrin James in the off-season, which will be bigger than anyone realizes. This game is outdoors in the Jersey swamps, and for one night, Eli will have his brother’s number. Actually, Tiki Barber will carry the Giants. Pick: Giants.
Monday:
Minnesota at Washington: The first game of the first scheduled Monday night doubleheader. The Redskins had a good year last year, and should be decent again. Pick: Washington.
San Diego at Oakland: I’m not staying up for all of this one. Not for the Raiders. The Chargers will be decent, and the Raiders will not. L.T. will run all over Oakland. Pick: San Diego.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Twisted
I was having a twisted thought last night, as there was no football on TV, and there wasn't even any baseball on, as the Astros were rained out in Philly.
Twisted and unstable: I think college football should be played outdoors, on grass, on Saturday. However, I like those Tuesday and Wednesday night games from the MAC and C-USA in a weird sort of way. I guess that's why ESPN puts them on those nights, as there are people like me that will watch them. And, a conference like the MAC would rather have people in Texas watch them on TV than make it easier for alums to go to a game in a far-flung college town on a weekend.
Give me the MAC!
The power of the Worldwide Leader In Sports....
Ready for that two or three weeks of football every night...
Twisted and unstable: I think college football should be played outdoors, on grass, on Saturday. However, I like those Tuesday and Wednesday night games from the MAC and C-USA in a weird sort of way. I guess that's why ESPN puts them on those nights, as there are people like me that will watch them. And, a conference like the MAC would rather have people in Texas watch them on TV than make it easier for alums to go to a game in a far-flung college town on a weekend.
Give me the MAC!
The power of the Worldwide Leader In Sports....
Ready for that two or three weeks of football every night...
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Big XII Rankings
This week's Big XII rankings:
1. Texas. They're first until someone in the conference beats them. They'll probably lose this week, but Ohio State's better than anyone else they'll see all year.
2. Nebraska. The Huskers may be back, especially in a weak North. They have a moment of truth later this month as they travel to USC.
3. Texas Tech. They didn't hang 50 on SMU, but that may be improvement on SMU's part.
4. Oklahoma. They can move up if they take care of business against the U-Dub and win at Oregon.
5. Iowa State. They're not bad. Toledo's not chopped liver, and the 'Clones survived in overtime against them.
6. Texas A&M. The Aggies may be a little overranked here. They're going to have to prove something when the conference season gets here.
7. Missouri. The team from the Show-Me State needs to Show Me. (actually, a lot of other teams do, also)
8. Kansas. The Fighting Manginos continue to improve.
9. Oklahoma State. In the cupcake portion of their schedule, but they wouldn't have hung 50 on Missouri State last year, so they are improving.
10. Baylor. Continuing to improve, but disappointed in the loss to TCU.
11. Kansas State. Narrowly missed embarrassing upset loss to Illinois State.
12. Colorado. Dropped to the bottom with an embarrassing loss to Division 1-AA Montana State.
1. Texas. They're first until someone in the conference beats them. They'll probably lose this week, but Ohio State's better than anyone else they'll see all year.
2. Nebraska. The Huskers may be back, especially in a weak North. They have a moment of truth later this month as they travel to USC.
3. Texas Tech. They didn't hang 50 on SMU, but that may be improvement on SMU's part.
4. Oklahoma. They can move up if they take care of business against the U-Dub and win at Oregon.
5. Iowa State. They're not bad. Toledo's not chopped liver, and the 'Clones survived in overtime against them.
6. Texas A&M. The Aggies may be a little overranked here. They're going to have to prove something when the conference season gets here.
7. Missouri. The team from the Show-Me State needs to Show Me. (actually, a lot of other teams do, also)
8. Kansas. The Fighting Manginos continue to improve.
9. Oklahoma State. In the cupcake portion of their schedule, but they wouldn't have hung 50 on Missouri State last year, so they are improving.
10. Baylor. Continuing to improve, but disappointed in the loss to TCU.
11. Kansas State. Narrowly missed embarrassing upset loss to Illinois State.
12. Colorado. Dropped to the bottom with an embarrassing loss to Division 1-AA Montana State.
Props to the Big Sky
Yesterday, there were a lot of the so-called "bodybag" games in college football. These are games where a lower-level opponent, often from Division 1-AA, will play on the road at a higher-level opponent for a large payday, anywhere from 300,000 to 1 million dollars, without a return trip. For example, North Texas plays at Texas every other year, and plays at Oklahoma just about every other year for a big paycheck. Mid-to-lower level Division 1-A and Division 1-AA programs balance their budgets and fund sports with these bodybag games. The bigger programs normally get an easy win, and still laugh all the way to the bank. Fans get gouged, as OU is charging $57 per ticket for their game with Middle Tennessee State later this month.
The Big Sky Conference is one of the better leagues in Division 1-AA. This weekend, most of their members went on the road to pick up checks for games with Division 1-A opponents. Most of them took their licks, such as when powerhouse Montana was crushed by Iowa, 41-7, and Eastern Washington lost 56-17 at Oregon State. Northern Arizona gave Arizona State all they wanted, and was tied with them in the 4th quarter, before losing 35-14. But, the league scored not one, but two upsets on Saturday. Montana State went to Boulder and shocked Colorado of the Big XII, 19-10. Saturday evening, Portland State traveled to Albuquerque and defeated New Mexico, 17-6.
This is what is great about college football. Outside of the top 5 or 10 teams, anything can happen on a given Saturday, and often does.
Speaking of that, there is a Division 1-AA message board entitled: Any Given Saturday.
Props to the Big Sky..
The Big Sky Conference is one of the better leagues in Division 1-AA. This weekend, most of their members went on the road to pick up checks for games with Division 1-A opponents. Most of them took their licks, such as when powerhouse Montana was crushed by Iowa, 41-7, and Eastern Washington lost 56-17 at Oregon State. Northern Arizona gave Arizona State all they wanted, and was tied with them in the 4th quarter, before losing 35-14. But, the league scored not one, but two upsets on Saturday. Montana State went to Boulder and shocked Colorado of the Big XII, 19-10. Saturday evening, Portland State traveled to Albuquerque and defeated New Mexico, 17-6.
This is what is great about college football. Outside of the top 5 or 10 teams, anything can happen on a given Saturday, and often does.
Speaking of that, there is a Division 1-AA message board entitled: Any Given Saturday.
Props to the Big Sky..
Saturday, September 02, 2006
College Predictions: Week 0
Why is this Week 0? Because, the NFL starts next week, and it would be really confusing to have Week 2 of college football at the same time as Week 1 of the NFL. So, I'll borrow a page from Texas high school football. The UIL gives high schools here 11 weeks to play 10 games. This weekend is the one that was added to the schedule, so they call it 0 Week.
I'm going to pick 20 games every week. I'll pick every game in the Big XII Conference, plus other games I deem appropriate.
This week's lineup of Big XII games is really bad. It's all about the money.
UAB at OU: OU
North Texas at Texas: Texas
Louisiana Tech at Nebraska: Huskers
Montana State at Colorado: Colorado
SMU at Texas Tech: Texas Tech
The Citadel at Texas A&M: A&M
Missouri State at Oklahoma State: OSU
Murray State at Missouri: Missouri
Northwestern State at Kansas: KU
Illinois State at Kansas State: K-State
TCU at Baylor: Game of the week in the Big XII. I'll take TCU straight up.
Northern Illinois at Ohio State: TOSU, but it'll be closer than anyone expects. NIU is not bad.
Akron at Penn State: Penn State, but it'll be close, also.
Cal at Tennessee: Best game of the week. Cal is just too good for the Vols, even in Knoxville. Pick: Cal
USC at Arkansas: The Hogs will keep it respectable, but will come up short. Pick: USC
Vanderbilt at Michigan: Michigan
Rutgers at North Carolina: Tough pick. Rutgers
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech: Upset city in the George O'Leary Bowl. The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech.
Houston at Rice: U of H
Grambling vs. Hampton: Grambling
I'm going to pick 20 games every week. I'll pick every game in the Big XII Conference, plus other games I deem appropriate.
This week's lineup of Big XII games is really bad. It's all about the money.
UAB at OU: OU
North Texas at Texas: Texas
Louisiana Tech at Nebraska: Huskers
Montana State at Colorado: Colorado
SMU at Texas Tech: Texas Tech
The Citadel at Texas A&M: A&M
Missouri State at Oklahoma State: OSU
Murray State at Missouri: Missouri
Northwestern State at Kansas: KU
Illinois State at Kansas State: K-State
TCU at Baylor: Game of the week in the Big XII. I'll take TCU straight up.
Northern Illinois at Ohio State: TOSU, but it'll be closer than anyone expects. NIU is not bad.
Akron at Penn State: Penn State, but it'll be close, also.
Cal at Tennessee: Best game of the week. Cal is just too good for the Vols, even in Knoxville. Pick: Cal
USC at Arkansas: The Hogs will keep it respectable, but will come up short. Pick: USC
Vanderbilt at Michigan: Michigan
Rutgers at North Carolina: Tough pick. Rutgers
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech: Upset city in the George O'Leary Bowl. The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech.
Houston at Rice: U of H
Grambling vs. Hampton: Grambling
Friday, September 01, 2006
Patrick Cobbs Update
Patrick Cobbs, of Tecumseh High School and the University of North Texas, has been traded by the New England Patriots to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
From this corner, it looks like he's going to make the team, as the Steelers would be silly to trade a low-round draft pick on someone only to put them on the practice squad.
From the black and gold of Tecumseh to the black and gold of Pittsburgh...
From this corner, it looks like he's going to make the team, as the Steelers would be silly to trade a low-round draft pick on someone only to put them on the practice squad.
From the black and gold of Tecumseh to the black and gold of Pittsburgh...
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Projections: C-USA
Why am I doing projections on Conference USA? It's a local Division I-A conference. The quality of play here is not as high across the board, but it was highly competitive last year in the first year of its new configuration. The better teams here in a given year can compete in a BCS league from year to year, and the lower-level teams have to question their ability to compete at this level. All of these schools would like to be in a better league. But, they are where they are, and are trying to make the best of it.
In the East, Memphis is now the top dog. Location is the only thing that kept them out of the Big East last year, and they are now a higher-rung program in C-USA. They have a home game with UCF, which will decide the division champion.
In the West, I am projecting a three-way tie at the top between Houston, Tulsa, and UTEP. The Cougars will have wins over both Tulsa and UTEP, giving them the division championship and a trip to Memphis on December 1 to take on the Tigers in the C-USA championship game.
Projections:
East
Memphis 9-3 7-1
UCF 9-3 6-2
Southern Miss 6-6 5-3
UAB 4-8 2-6
East Carolina 2-10 2-6
Marshall 2-10 1-7
West
Houston 9-3 6-2
Tulsa 8-4 6-2
UTEP 7-5 6-2
SMU 7-5 5-3
Tulane 2-10 1-7
Rice 1-11 1-7
This conference has seven bowl contracts. So, that's who's going to all these new bowls! C-USA has contracts with the Liberty Bowl (champion), GMAC (Mobile), Birmingham, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (Fort Worth), Hawaii, New Orleans, and Texas (Houston) Bowls. I'm all over that Birmingham Bowl. :-) Is Hattiesburg going to have a bowl next year?
Seriously, SMU looks to return to a bowl for the first time since the Death Penalty in 1989. The new C-USA has been good for the Ponies, and maybe they shouldn't give up football, as the Old Gray Wolf on The Ticket in Dallas likes to say they should.
Tulane won't be going to a bowl this year, but, at this point, one year after Katrina, they are glad to have a university, and for them to have a football program is icing on the cake. They will play home games in the remodeled Superdome this year. That is an improvement on last year's hurricane-induced schedule of 11 games in 11 different locations, while bunking in an old dorm at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. They shouldn't give up football just yet.
In the East, Memphis is now the top dog. Location is the only thing that kept them out of the Big East last year, and they are now a higher-rung program in C-USA. They have a home game with UCF, which will decide the division champion.
In the West, I am projecting a three-way tie at the top between Houston, Tulsa, and UTEP. The Cougars will have wins over both Tulsa and UTEP, giving them the division championship and a trip to Memphis on December 1 to take on the Tigers in the C-USA championship game.
Projections:
East
Memphis 9-3 7-1
UCF 9-3 6-2
Southern Miss 6-6 5-3
UAB 4-8 2-6
East Carolina 2-10 2-6
Marshall 2-10 1-7
West
Houston 9-3 6-2
Tulsa 8-4 6-2
UTEP 7-5 6-2
SMU 7-5 5-3
Tulane 2-10 1-7
Rice 1-11 1-7
This conference has seven bowl contracts. So, that's who's going to all these new bowls! C-USA has contracts with the Liberty Bowl (champion), GMAC (Mobile), Birmingham, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (Fort Worth), Hawaii, New Orleans, and Texas (Houston) Bowls. I'm all over that Birmingham Bowl. :-) Is Hattiesburg going to have a bowl next year?
Seriously, SMU looks to return to a bowl for the first time since the Death Penalty in 1989. The new C-USA has been good for the Ponies, and maybe they shouldn't give up football, as the Old Gray Wolf on The Ticket in Dallas likes to say they should.
Tulane won't be going to a bowl this year, but, at this point, one year after Katrina, they are glad to have a university, and for them to have a football program is icing on the cake. They will play home games in the remodeled Superdome this year. That is an improvement on last year's hurricane-induced schedule of 11 games in 11 different locations, while bunking in an old dorm at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. They shouldn't give up football just yet.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Projections: Mountain West
The best and most competitive of the non-BCS conferences has traditionally been the Mountain West. This is where Utah became the only non-BCS school to crash the BCS party, with their undefeated season in 2004 and win over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
TCU came into the Mountain West with a bang last season, with only an embarrassing loss at rival SMU keeping it from an undefeated season. The rest of the conference had a hard time dealing with the speed of TCU, and coach Fisher DeBerry unintentionally made a racial issue out of it, as he addressed recruiting in the conference last year. TCU will take advantage of its location in the Metroplex to establish itself as a traditional power in its new league. The Frogs have two grudge matches this season with former Southwest Conference rivals Baylor and Texas Tech. I project the Frogs to win both games.
However, the Frogs have to travel to Salt Lake City. The Utes of Utah will be good again this season, and will hand the Frogs their only loss. The Utes will be forced to settle for a tie for the conference championship, as they will lose in Albuquerque to Los Lobos de Nuevo Mexico.
Projections:
TCU 11-1 7-1
Utah 10-2 7-1
BYU 7-5 5-3
New Mexico 8-4 4-4
San Diego St 6-6 3-5
Wyoming 5-7 3-5
Colorado St 4-8 3-5
Air Force 3-9 3-5
UNLV 3-9 1-7
Back on Saturdays: The Mountain West enters the first year of its new TV contract with CSTV. The schools quickly tired of prostituting themselves for exposure by playing Thursday and Friday night games on ESPN. The Worldwide Leader In Sports wanted to pay less for the new contract, and schedule more games on Thursdays and Fridays. Enter upstart cable channel CSTV. They offered the conference more money, and marquee status on their network. The league will no longer play those Thursday night games on ESPN or ESPN2. CSTV, now a division of CBS, later added some reach for their prime MWC games by placing them on OLN (soon to be Versus). The conference will lose some of the exposure they had on ESPN, but will be fine financially, and will regain a little bit of dignity. Good for them.
TCU came into the Mountain West with a bang last season, with only an embarrassing loss at rival SMU keeping it from an undefeated season. The rest of the conference had a hard time dealing with the speed of TCU, and coach Fisher DeBerry unintentionally made a racial issue out of it, as he addressed recruiting in the conference last year. TCU will take advantage of its location in the Metroplex to establish itself as a traditional power in its new league. The Frogs have two grudge matches this season with former Southwest Conference rivals Baylor and Texas Tech. I project the Frogs to win both games.
However, the Frogs have to travel to Salt Lake City. The Utes of Utah will be good again this season, and will hand the Frogs their only loss. The Utes will be forced to settle for a tie for the conference championship, as they will lose in Albuquerque to Los Lobos de Nuevo Mexico.
Projections:
TCU 11-1 7-1
Utah 10-2 7-1
BYU 7-5 5-3
New Mexico 8-4 4-4
San Diego St 6-6 3-5
Wyoming 5-7 3-5
Colorado St 4-8 3-5
Air Force 3-9 3-5
UNLV 3-9 1-7
Back on Saturdays: The Mountain West enters the first year of its new TV contract with CSTV. The schools quickly tired of prostituting themselves for exposure by playing Thursday and Friday night games on ESPN. The Worldwide Leader In Sports wanted to pay less for the new contract, and schedule more games on Thursdays and Fridays. Enter upstart cable channel CSTV. They offered the conference more money, and marquee status on their network. The league will no longer play those Thursday night games on ESPN or ESPN2. CSTV, now a division of CBS, later added some reach for their prime MWC games by placing them on OLN (soon to be Versus). The conference will lose some of the exposure they had on ESPN, but will be fine financially, and will regain a little bit of dignity. Good for them.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Projections: Pac-10
The self-proclaimed Conference of Champions appears to be in the mix for a championship again this year.
The USC Trojans lose a lot of talent after their run of the last three years. However, they have plenty of talent coming in. They will not be as good as they have been recently, but I only see one team on their schedule that can beat them. Props to them for scheduling Arkansas and Nebraska in non-conference, but the Pigs can't hang with them, and Nebraska will be improved, but unable to beat the Trojans in LA. That leaves Cal as the only team in the conference that can beat them. That game will be in November at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Cal will be very good. They will beat the Big Orange in Knoxville, and run the table until they hit Los Angeles in November. I see them losing only one game: at USC.
Projection:
USC 12-0 9-0
California 11-1 8-1
Oregon 8-4 6-3
Arizona State 8-4 5-4
Arizona 8-4 5-4
UCLA 8-4 5-4
Oregon State 7-6 3-6
Washington 4-8 3-6
Stanford 4-8 2-7
Washington St 3-9 1-8
The Pac-10 is introducing a novel concept: a total round-robin. With the NCAA's approval of the 12th game, the conference schools have decided to make that 12th game a 9th conference game. Everyone will play each other. There will be no freak accidents, such as a tie between undefeated teams. It makes competitive sense, but it also makes financial sense, as it is more cost-effective to play other conference teams every year than to schedule cross-country trips to play worthy non-conference foes. Ultimately, it is also more cost-effective to play a conference game than to schedule another body-bag game against the likes of Idaho, with the rise in guaranteed payouts for non-conference games.
The USC Trojans lose a lot of talent after their run of the last three years. However, they have plenty of talent coming in. They will not be as good as they have been recently, but I only see one team on their schedule that can beat them. Props to them for scheduling Arkansas and Nebraska in non-conference, but the Pigs can't hang with them, and Nebraska will be improved, but unable to beat the Trojans in LA. That leaves Cal as the only team in the conference that can beat them. That game will be in November at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Cal will be very good. They will beat the Big Orange in Knoxville, and run the table until they hit Los Angeles in November. I see them losing only one game: at USC.
Projection:
USC 12-0 9-0
California 11-1 8-1
Oregon 8-4 6-3
Arizona State 8-4 5-4
Arizona 8-4 5-4
UCLA 8-4 5-4
Oregon State 7-6 3-6
Washington 4-8 3-6
Stanford 4-8 2-7
Washington St 3-9 1-8
The Pac-10 is introducing a novel concept: a total round-robin. With the NCAA's approval of the 12th game, the conference schools have decided to make that 12th game a 9th conference game. Everyone will play each other. There will be no freak accidents, such as a tie between undefeated teams. It makes competitive sense, but it also makes financial sense, as it is more cost-effective to play other conference teams every year than to schedule cross-country trips to play worthy non-conference foes. Ultimately, it is also more cost-effective to play a conference game than to schedule another body-bag game against the likes of Idaho, with the rise in guaranteed payouts for non-conference games.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Which Division Is Better?
After reviewing the Big XII and SEC, which division is stronger?
SEC East: Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
Big XII South: Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State
If South Carolina keeps improving under Steve Spurrier, the SEC East will have a slight edge. That is, unless Dennis Franchione gets the Aggies where the Aggies think they deserve to be. A&M drags the Big XII South down in this comparison, but Tennessee is starting to give them a run for their money. For whatever it's worth, Tennessee beat A&M like a rented mule at the Cotton Bowl two years ago.
At the bottom, Baylor and OSU are improving, as is Vanderbilt. Vandy loses their first round NFL draft pick at quarterback, though, and will have to rebuild (is there such thing as rebuilding at Vanderbilt?). Kentucky is just plain bad.
It's a tough call. OU and Texas have been in 4 of the last 6 BCS national championship games. That counts for a lot. Also, the improvement of Baylor makes up for the relative disappointment of A&M.
Coming up: We go out west for the Pac 10 and Mountain West.
SEC East: Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
Big XII South: Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State
If South Carolina keeps improving under Steve Spurrier, the SEC East will have a slight edge. That is, unless Dennis Franchione gets the Aggies where the Aggies think they deserve to be. A&M drags the Big XII South down in this comparison, but Tennessee is starting to give them a run for their money. For whatever it's worth, Tennessee beat A&M like a rented mule at the Cotton Bowl two years ago.
At the bottom, Baylor and OSU are improving, as is Vanderbilt. Vandy loses their first round NFL draft pick at quarterback, though, and will have to rebuild (is there such thing as rebuilding at Vanderbilt?). Kentucky is just plain bad.
It's a tough call. OU and Texas have been in 4 of the last 6 BCS national championship games. That counts for a lot. Also, the improvement of Baylor makes up for the relative disappointment of A&M.
Coming up: We go out west for the Pac 10 and Mountain West.
Projections: SEC
That noise you hear is Phil Fulmer panicking over the latest development in the SEC: His nemesis and worst nightmare, Steve Spurrier, has elevated the South Carolina Gamecocks to the level of Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. Actually, there's not enough room at the top, as proven by the Vols' 5-6 season last year, and the Gamecocks passed the Vols in year 1 of the Spurrier era. Even bigger things are yet to come.
Urban renewal continues in Gainesville, as the Gators return to the top of the Eastern Division. They hold off Spurrier's Gamecocks toward the end of the season, and win a head-to-head tiebreaker. Georgia looks strong here, as well, but will wind up with losses to both the 'Cocks and the Gators. As for the Vols, they will improve to 7-5, good enough for a winning record and a bowl game. I'm not sure how excited they'll be about the Music City or similar bowl, but it'll be better than their stay home during bowl season last year.
In the West, the three-headed monster of Alabama, Auburn, and LSU lurks again. All three look strong, as usual. Alabama has the slight nod. They play at LSU, where they rarely lose in Tiger Stadium. Of course, Auburn visits Tuscaloosa, where they more than hold their own with the Tide. The Tide squeaks out in the Iron Bowl, and earn a trip to Atlanta for the SECCG (the national championship of the Confederacy), opposite the Gators.
East
Florida 10-2 7-1
South Carolina 10-2 7-1
Georgia 10-2 6-2
Tennessee 7-5 4-4
Vanderbilt 4-8 1-7
Kentucky 3-9 0-8
West
Alabama 10-2 6-2
Auburn 9-3 5-3
LSU 9-3 5-3
Ole Miss 6-6 3-5
Arkansas 5-7 2-6
Mississippi St 4-8 1-7
There are six teams in the conference that can play with anyone in the country: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU. Tennessee will be above average, but not on par with their teams in the recent past. Arkansas opens at home with a loss to USC, and will struggle with the conference heavyweights. I'm afraid Houston Nutt's days there are numbered. Surprisingly, I have Ole Miss with six wins. They have home games against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, and a favorable non-conference schedule. Vanderbilt is Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State is Mississippi State.
Urban renewal continues in Gainesville, as the Gators return to the top of the Eastern Division. They hold off Spurrier's Gamecocks toward the end of the season, and win a head-to-head tiebreaker. Georgia looks strong here, as well, but will wind up with losses to both the 'Cocks and the Gators. As for the Vols, they will improve to 7-5, good enough for a winning record and a bowl game. I'm not sure how excited they'll be about the Music City or similar bowl, but it'll be better than their stay home during bowl season last year.
In the West, the three-headed monster of Alabama, Auburn, and LSU lurks again. All three look strong, as usual. Alabama has the slight nod. They play at LSU, where they rarely lose in Tiger Stadium. Of course, Auburn visits Tuscaloosa, where they more than hold their own with the Tide. The Tide squeaks out in the Iron Bowl, and earn a trip to Atlanta for the SECCG (the national championship of the Confederacy), opposite the Gators.
East
Florida 10-2 7-1
South Carolina 10-2 7-1
Georgia 10-2 6-2
Tennessee 7-5 4-4
Vanderbilt 4-8 1-7
Kentucky 3-9 0-8
West
Alabama 10-2 6-2
Auburn 9-3 5-3
LSU 9-3 5-3
Ole Miss 6-6 3-5
Arkansas 5-7 2-6
Mississippi St 4-8 1-7
There are six teams in the conference that can play with anyone in the country: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU. Tennessee will be above average, but not on par with their teams in the recent past. Arkansas opens at home with a loss to USC, and will struggle with the conference heavyweights. I'm afraid Houston Nutt's days there are numbered. Surprisingly, I have Ole Miss with six wins. They have home games against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, and a favorable non-conference schedule. Vanderbilt is Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State is Mississippi State.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Projections: Big XII
The long awaited projections for the Big XII....
As has been the case in recent years, the balance of power in the Big XII Conference is in the South division. In the last six years, a team from the South has played in the BCS national championship game four times. In addition, Nebraska from the North has appeared there once.
It is really hard for me to be objective here, as I really, really like OU, and I really don't like Texas. I look for OU to move forward with quarterback Paul Thompson, thinking "Rhett who?". Texas will be good, as usual, but will sorely miss Vince Young, a once-in-a-lifetime talent. They have a problem in that they scheduled Ohio State this year. That's an "L" for them. Texas Tech will also be strong, and will beat the Longhorns in an ambush in Lubbock. Their talent level increases every year, and their worst luck is that OU and Texas are as good as they have ever been. The Red Raiders are knocking on the door.
North
Nebraska 9-3 6-2
Iowa State 7-5 4-4
Kansas 7-5 4-4
Missouri 6-6 3-5
Colorado 5-7 3-5
Kansas State 4-8 1-7
South
Oklahoma 11-1 7-1
Texas Tech 10-2 7-1
Texas 9-3 6-2
Texas A&M 7-5 3-5
Baylor 6-6 3-5
Oklahoma State 4-8 1-7
This year marks the return of the Nebraska Cornhuskers to the top of the Big XII North. They still won't be the caliber of their teams in the 90's, but they'll be good enough to win the North.
Where does the Oklahoma loss come? I really want them to go undefeated. But, I just don't see that happening. They'll lose somewhere they're not supposed to. I chose Kyle Field in College Station. This sets up an eerie parallel to 2002, the last season of R.C. Slocum in Aggieland. (Has R.C. been gone four years already?) As for the Aggies, they play two Louisiana schools (Tech and Lafayette), and two military schools (The Citadel and Army). Call it Cajuns and Corps. The Ags will struggle when they hit conference play, but will be able to get it together for one game against the Sooners at home. This will give them a winning record, and make them bowl eligible, but will it be enough to save Fran's job? Would they even want to go to the Texas Bowl in Houston?
Colorado has a schedule problem. They scheduled themselves out of a bowl, as they'll lose their home game with Arizona State, and between the hedges at Georgia. They're between a rock and a hard place, as it's hard for them to sell tickets for games against cupcakes when competing for entertainment dollars in the Denver metro area. They have to play decent teams to draw at the gate. Usually, they can hold their own, but they can't load up on lesser programs as other programs do in their non-conference schedule.
After 11 years, Oklahoma and Nebraska will finally meet in the Big XII championship game. Bill Callahan will drag the "hillbillies" comment back out, as he did on his last trip to Norman in 2004. Just as long as he doesn't call us "F'in" hillbillies again...
As has been the case in recent years, the balance of power in the Big XII Conference is in the South division. In the last six years, a team from the South has played in the BCS national championship game four times. In addition, Nebraska from the North has appeared there once.
It is really hard for me to be objective here, as I really, really like OU, and I really don't like Texas. I look for OU to move forward with quarterback Paul Thompson, thinking "Rhett who?". Texas will be good, as usual, but will sorely miss Vince Young, a once-in-a-lifetime talent. They have a problem in that they scheduled Ohio State this year. That's an "L" for them. Texas Tech will also be strong, and will beat the Longhorns in an ambush in Lubbock. Their talent level increases every year, and their worst luck is that OU and Texas are as good as they have ever been. The Red Raiders are knocking on the door.
North
Nebraska 9-3 6-2
Iowa State 7-5 4-4
Kansas 7-5 4-4
Missouri 6-6 3-5
Colorado 5-7 3-5
Kansas State 4-8 1-7
South
Oklahoma 11-1 7-1
Texas Tech 10-2 7-1
Texas 9-3 6-2
Texas A&M 7-5 3-5
Baylor 6-6 3-5
Oklahoma State 4-8 1-7
This year marks the return of the Nebraska Cornhuskers to the top of the Big XII North. They still won't be the caliber of their teams in the 90's, but they'll be good enough to win the North.
Where does the Oklahoma loss come? I really want them to go undefeated. But, I just don't see that happening. They'll lose somewhere they're not supposed to. I chose Kyle Field in College Station. This sets up an eerie parallel to 2002, the last season of R.C. Slocum in Aggieland. (Has R.C. been gone four years already?) As for the Aggies, they play two Louisiana schools (Tech and Lafayette), and two military schools (The Citadel and Army). Call it Cajuns and Corps. The Ags will struggle when they hit conference play, but will be able to get it together for one game against the Sooners at home. This will give them a winning record, and make them bowl eligible, but will it be enough to save Fran's job? Would they even want to go to the Texas Bowl in Houston?
Colorado has a schedule problem. They scheduled themselves out of a bowl, as they'll lose their home game with Arizona State, and between the hedges at Georgia. They're between a rock and a hard place, as it's hard for them to sell tickets for games against cupcakes when competing for entertainment dollars in the Denver metro area. They have to play decent teams to draw at the gate. Usually, they can hold their own, but they can't load up on lesser programs as other programs do in their non-conference schedule.
After 11 years, Oklahoma and Nebraska will finally meet in the Big XII championship game. Bill Callahan will drag the "hillbillies" comment back out, as he did on his last trip to Norman in 2004. Just as long as he doesn't call us "F'in" hillbillies again...
Monday, August 21, 2006
Preseason On The Road
Watching the Cowboys annihilate the Saints tonight in Shreveport, I was reminded of the days when pre-season games at neutral sites weren't that uncommon. In the past, a lot of preseason games were played in college stadiums, or in other places. Some cities have even used them in campaigns to attract an expansion team (example: Memphis). It's a good idea to have some of these games in places that would otherwise not even sniff a live NFL game.
Now, most NFL owners have the need to play these preseason games at home, so they can roll them into their season ticket packages and charge regular season prices for the opportunity to see some guys that will be working at Home Depot soon afterward.
Speaking of enterprising, I am reminded of when Jerry Jones took the Cowboys out to El Paso, and had them scrimmage in front of 40,000 fans against the Oilers (or was it the Raiders?). I think he took them to El Paso two years in a row, and also had them scrimmage in Shreveport against the Saints. It is great public relations for the team, and some extra money for the owner, but the players complained about the additional travel for a practice. The Cowboys are a big fish in the big pond of Dallas. In the smaller pond of El Paso, they are an even bigger fish.
Coming tomorrow: Projections for El Grande Doce (the Big XII).
Now, most NFL owners have the need to play these preseason games at home, so they can roll them into their season ticket packages and charge regular season prices for the opportunity to see some guys that will be working at Home Depot soon afterward.
Speaking of enterprising, I am reminded of when Jerry Jones took the Cowboys out to El Paso, and had them scrimmage in front of 40,000 fans against the Oilers (or was it the Raiders?). I think he took them to El Paso two years in a row, and also had them scrimmage in Shreveport against the Saints. It is great public relations for the team, and some extra money for the owner, but the players complained about the additional travel for a practice. The Cowboys are a big fish in the big pond of Dallas. In the smaller pond of El Paso, they are an even bigger fish.
Coming tomorrow: Projections for El Grande Doce (the Big XII).
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Projections: Big Ten
The Big 10 (ever wonder how these highly regarded institutions of higher learning forgot how to count?) never lacks for drama, as the teams pursue their holy grail, which is the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. National championships matter here (ask the folks in Columbus about 2002), but in these parts, the Rose Bowl is still the pinnacle of success and the ultimate goal.
Projections:
Iowa 11-1 7-1
Ohio State 11-1 7-1
Michigan 9-3 6-2
Wisconsin 9-3 5-3
Purdue 9-4 5-3
Penn State 7-5 4-4
Northwestern 7-5 3-5
Michigan St. 5-7 3-5
Minnesota 5-7 2-6
Indiana 5-7 1-7
Illinois 4-7 1-7
Iowa? What about Ohio State? Ohio State is getting a lot of love in preseason, as they should. They look pretty strong. I look for them to go into Austin and get revenge for Texas' win last year in Columbus. However, they will suffer their only loss when they venture into Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will be pretty stout as well. They will be undefeated when they visit the Big House, where the Michigan Wolverines will ruin their perfect season.
As usual, Michigan won't be bad. Unfortunately for coach Lloyd Carr, they'll lose to Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State. The reverse John Cooper effect could come into play, as continual losing to Ohio State is not tolerated in Ann Arbor. John Cooper recruited a ton of NFL draft picks, and beat everyone except Michigan, thus losing his job.
Look for the Hawkeyes to make a long-awaited return to Pasadena. Ohio State will appear in a BCS bowl, as well.
Also, further down in the standings, look for Purdue to bounce back into the bowl picture. Michigan State won't be so lucky, and will be looking for a new coach.
Projections:
Iowa 11-1 7-1
Ohio State 11-1 7-1
Michigan 9-3 6-2
Wisconsin 9-3 5-3
Purdue 9-4 5-3
Penn State 7-5 4-4
Northwestern 7-5 3-5
Michigan St. 5-7 3-5
Minnesota 5-7 2-6
Indiana 5-7 1-7
Illinois 4-7 1-7
Iowa? What about Ohio State? Ohio State is getting a lot of love in preseason, as they should. They look pretty strong. I look for them to go into Austin and get revenge for Texas' win last year in Columbus. However, they will suffer their only loss when they venture into Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will be pretty stout as well. They will be undefeated when they visit the Big House, where the Michigan Wolverines will ruin their perfect season.
As usual, Michigan won't be bad. Unfortunately for coach Lloyd Carr, they'll lose to Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State. The reverse John Cooper effect could come into play, as continual losing to Ohio State is not tolerated in Ann Arbor. John Cooper recruited a ton of NFL draft picks, and beat everyone except Michigan, thus losing his job.
Look for the Hawkeyes to make a long-awaited return to Pasadena. Ohio State will appear in a BCS bowl, as well.
Also, further down in the standings, look for Purdue to bounce back into the bowl picture. Michigan State won't be so lucky, and will be looking for a new coach.
Projections: Big East
The Big East enters their second year in their new configuration. Last year, West Virginia almost single-handedly saved the league's reputation with a win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. This year, the Mountaineers are looking for more. This is a surprisingly competitive league, though, so the 'Eers will find what Louisville found last year, after a pre-season full of hype: Don't take the conference lightly.
Projections:
West Virginia 10-2 5-2
Louisville 10-2 5-2
Pittsburgh 9-3 5-2
Rutgers 7-5 4-3
South Florida 6-6 4-3
UConn 7-5 3-4
Cincinnati 4-8 2-5
Syracuse 1-11 0-7
John, what are you thinking? West Virginia is good enough to go through their entire schedule undefeated. However, I am forecasting a wild scenario. West Virginia goes undefeated until they visit Louisville, when they visit Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Louisville wins the big game away from home. However, the Cardinals' fortune is short-lived, as they lose the following week on a trip to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Panthers get off to a 6-0 start, before losing three of their next four. Their last two games are at home, in the muck and mire of Heinz Field, against archrival West Virginia and Louisville. Yes, you guessed it, Pitt wins those two games, forcing a three-way tie for the conference championship. In that scenario, Pitt would normally be the conference champion with wins over the two other tied teams, West Virginia and Louisville. However, the Big East, in event of a tie-breaker, gives their BCS bid to the highest-ranked team in the BCS rankings. That will be West Virginia.
Convoluted enough? To be fair, West Virginia and Louisville are both good enough to run the table, go undefeated, and end up in Glendale in January. Weird things happen during a season, though, and I look for something really weird to happen here.
Projections:
West Virginia 10-2 5-2
Louisville 10-2 5-2
Pittsburgh 9-3 5-2
Rutgers 7-5 4-3
South Florida 6-6 4-3
UConn 7-5 3-4
Cincinnati 4-8 2-5
Syracuse 1-11 0-7
John, what are you thinking? West Virginia is good enough to go through their entire schedule undefeated. However, I am forecasting a wild scenario. West Virginia goes undefeated until they visit Louisville, when they visit Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Louisville wins the big game away from home. However, the Cardinals' fortune is short-lived, as they lose the following week on a trip to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Panthers get off to a 6-0 start, before losing three of their next four. Their last two games are at home, in the muck and mire of Heinz Field, against archrival West Virginia and Louisville. Yes, you guessed it, Pitt wins those two games, forcing a three-way tie for the conference championship. In that scenario, Pitt would normally be the conference champion with wins over the two other tied teams, West Virginia and Louisville. However, the Big East, in event of a tie-breaker, gives their BCS bid to the highest-ranked team in the BCS rankings. That will be West Virginia.
Convoluted enough? To be fair, West Virginia and Louisville are both good enough to run the table, go undefeated, and end up in Glendale in January. Weird things happen during a season, though, and I look for something really weird to happen here.
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