Last week: 16-4. Overall: 50-10
Last weekend was the so-called "Separation Saturday". Teams such as Notre Dame, LSU, and Oklahoma were separated from the ranks of the unbeaten, Miami was perhaps separated from its dynasty of the last 20+ years, and officiating was never more in question than in two separate incidents in Auburn, Alabama and Eugene, Oregon. Still, we march on through the season, and this week shapes up to be a dud compared to last week.
Predictions:
Middle Tennessee at Oklahoma: Middle Tennessee gets a big check. Oklahoma gets a big win. Pick: OU
Iowa State at Texas: First Big XII game of the year. It won't be a blowout, but Texas wins.
Oklahoma State at Houston: Houston looks to contend for at least a division title in C-USA. OSU looks to contend for 4th place in the Big XII South, despite their wins over three Class 5A high school teams. Should be a good game. I'll go with the home team, U of H.
Louisville at Kansas State: Louisville comes off perhaps the biggest win in school history, but have temporarily lost their star QB and RB. They won't need them this week. The Ville comes out of the Little Apple with a win.
Southeastern Louisiana at Texas Tech: Puhleeze. Tech needs this scrimmage in a big way, after last week's debacle in Fort Worth. Pick: Tech
Louisiana Tech at Texas A&M: The Ags barely escaped against the Black Knights of the Hudson. Louisiana Tech will stay on the field with the Aggies, but the Aggies should have enough to hold them off. Pick: A&M
Ohio at Missouri: Frank Solich returns to the Big XII with his Ohio Bobcats. Mizzou is on a roll. Pick: Misery
Colorado at Georgia: When this was scheduled, this was thought to be a great intersectional matchup. The Buffs are now on a collision course with 0-12. Pick: Georgia
South Florida at Kansas: The Fighting Manginos lost a heartbreaker last week. This will be a tight game, but the Jayhawks are at home. Pick: KU
Army at Baylor: The Black Knights of the Hudson return to Texas. Baylor needs this one. They're at home, though Army should have a good crowd from nearby Fort Hood at the game. Pick: Baylor
Troy at Nebraska: Nebraska goes from playing the Men of Troy (USC) to the Men of Troy, Alabama. Troy could have and should have beaten Florida State. They had a bit of a letdown against the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech. Look for Nebraska to win the game, but Troy could cover the points. Pick: NU
Tulsa at Navy: Tough road trip for the Golden Hurricane, as they get set to defend the option offense of Navy. Pick: Midshipmen.
Arizona State at Cal: Winner remains in race for second place in the Pacifist 10 behind USC. I don't trust Arizona State. Pick: Cal
Wisconsin at Michigan: The Wolverines whipped Notre Dame last week. Therefore, they are already being projected by some to be 11-0 when they meet Ohio State at the end of November. I'm not jumping on that bandwagon just yet. They'll handle Wisky at the Big House, though. Pick: Meechigan
Penn State at Ohio State: JoePa takes his young Lions to the Big Horseshoe On The Banks of the Olentangy. The Ohio State University looks way too strong for the young Lions. Pick: TOSU
Notre Dame at Michigan State: The Irish are reeling. The Spartans are starting strong, coming off a road win at Pittsburgh. The Irish go 0-for-Michigan. Maybe they should schedule Eastern Michigan. Pick: Michigan State
Boston College at N.C. State: BC visits Tobacco Road. The Wolfpack are in serious trouble, after back-to-back losses to Akron and Southern Miss. BC is a pretty good team. Pick: Boston College
Air Force at Wyoming: Two evenly matched teams. Air Force nearly knocked off Tennessee in Knoxville. Wyoming is tough at home. Give me Cowboy Joe. Pick: Wyoming
Alabama at Arkansas: The Pigs are hot, having won two in a row over Utah State and Vanderbilt. The Tide is still undefeated, as well. Alabama has a better team. Pick: Alabama
Hardin-Simmons at Louisiana College: Battle between two more obscure Baptist colleges. Paige Patterson is a graduate of Hardin-Simmons. That is irrelevant to football. My wife and most of my in-laws went there, as well. That is also irrelevant to football. HSU is a Division III powerhouse in Texas. Pick: Hardin-Simmons
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
NFL Week In Review
This is not to be confused with a stroll down NFL Boulevard. I'm not going all the way down that street.
Could we see Adrian Peterson in the same backfield with Vince Young next year? If the Titans are as bad for the rest of the year as they were against the Chargers, it is a definite possibility. Of course, the Raiders and Texans are right there with them on the same level of sorriness. At least the Texans and Titans play each other twice. Of course, the Colts and Jaguars have four games each against both of those teams. That gives both of them a leg up in getting to the playoffs.
I missed the Giants' comeback against the Iggles, as Fox sent the 3:00 Arizona-Seattle game here, instead, so as to not compete with the sorry Texans' 12:00 game. Philly is going to wish they had that one for the rest of the year. The G-Men didn't need to start 0-2.
Speaking of 0-2, the Redskins have that record. Mark Brunell is a goat in Washington today. I'm just glad Dallas got that win.
Guess who's back? The Baltimore Ravens. Sure, they've played the slow-starting Bucs and the sorry Raiders, but they still look good. They even have a little bit of offense. The AFC North (I almost called it the Central, its former name) is pretty stout, with the Ravens, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. The Brownies don't stand a chance.
There was another 9-6 snoozer yesterday. Denver and Kansas City are the guilty culprits. It took overtime for Denver to find another field goal to win.
Look who else is 2-0: the Saints. They have a big, big game next Monday night, as they re-open the Superdome against the 2-0 Falcons. That would be a fun ticket.
The Buffalo Bills are officially not awful. They got a big win on the road in Miami. The Dolphins are quickly becoming victim to high expectations. Maybe Nick Saban should have had dinner with the President during training camp, when he was invited. It's obvious that time spent with football hasn't produced the desired results.
Just when you thought they were going away, the Patriots are 2-0. And, stud rookie Laurence Maroney helped my fantasy team by scoring his first NFL touchdown. The Jets aren't as bad as I thought they would be, now that Chad Pennington is back and somewhat healthy.
That's enough comments for now. Gotta get back to this scoreless game (3rd quarter) between the Steelers and the Jaguars.
Could we see Adrian Peterson in the same backfield with Vince Young next year? If the Titans are as bad for the rest of the year as they were against the Chargers, it is a definite possibility. Of course, the Raiders and Texans are right there with them on the same level of sorriness. At least the Texans and Titans play each other twice. Of course, the Colts and Jaguars have four games each against both of those teams. That gives both of them a leg up in getting to the playoffs.
I missed the Giants' comeback against the Iggles, as Fox sent the 3:00 Arizona-Seattle game here, instead, so as to not compete with the sorry Texans' 12:00 game. Philly is going to wish they had that one for the rest of the year. The G-Men didn't need to start 0-2.
Speaking of 0-2, the Redskins have that record. Mark Brunell is a goat in Washington today. I'm just glad Dallas got that win.
Guess who's back? The Baltimore Ravens. Sure, they've played the slow-starting Bucs and the sorry Raiders, but they still look good. They even have a little bit of offense. The AFC North (I almost called it the Central, its former name) is pretty stout, with the Ravens, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. The Brownies don't stand a chance.
There was another 9-6 snoozer yesterday. Denver and Kansas City are the guilty culprits. It took overtime for Denver to find another field goal to win.
Look who else is 2-0: the Saints. They have a big, big game next Monday night, as they re-open the Superdome against the 2-0 Falcons. That would be a fun ticket.
The Buffalo Bills are officially not awful. They got a big win on the road in Miami. The Dolphins are quickly becoming victim to high expectations. Maybe Nick Saban should have had dinner with the President during training camp, when he was invited. It's obvious that time spent with football hasn't produced the desired results.
Just when you thought they were going away, the Patriots are 2-0. And, stud rookie Laurence Maroney helped my fantasy team by scoring his first NFL touchdown. The Jets aren't as bad as I thought they would be, now that Chad Pennington is back and somewhat healthy.
That's enough comments for now. Gotta get back to this scoreless game (3rd quarter) between the Steelers and the Jaguars.
Apology from the Pac-10
Hell froze over today in Walnut Creek, California. The Pac-10 Conference apologized for the blown calls in Saturday's game between OU and Oregon. They also suspended the game officials and replay officials one game.
It doesn't bring the win back, but their action acknowledges the error. This is more than the Big XII did after the Texas Tech debacle last year.
Of course, the B12 supervisor of officials quietly stepped down after the season.
The Sooners owe Washington a game in Seattle, scheduled for 2008. This action greatly increases the chances of that game remaining on the schedule.
The Pac-10 is the only conference that uses its own officials in home non-conference games against major opponents. All of the other major conferences use visiting or neutral officials in home-and-home series. For instance, OU used Big XII officials when they played at Alabama, and the Crimson Tide brought SEC officials to Norman when they played there. Hopefully, the Pac-10 will follow the rest of college football, and allow visiting officials in non-conference games.
It doesn't bring the win back, but their action acknowledges the error. This is more than the Big XII did after the Texas Tech debacle last year.
Of course, the B12 supervisor of officials quietly stepped down after the season.
The Sooners owe Washington a game in Seattle, scheduled for 2008. This action greatly increases the chances of that game remaining on the schedule.
The Pac-10 is the only conference that uses its own officials in home non-conference games against major opponents. All of the other major conferences use visiting or neutral officials in home-and-home series. For instance, OU used Big XII officials when they played at Alabama, and the Crimson Tide brought SEC officials to Norman when they played there. Hopefully, the Pac-10 will follow the rest of college football, and allow visiting officials in non-conference games.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Big XII Rankings and other related comments
Did I tell you this conference is pretty ordinary? The Big XII went 5-7 against the rest of the world this weekend. The league lost every time it met a quality opponent this weekend, losing to such teams as Oregon, USC, TCU, Iowa, Arizona State, Toledo, and Washington State. I don't know if Washington State is a quality opponent, but it was a road game against a team better than Louisiana Tech. That's 0-4 against the Pac-10. At least a conference team didn't lose to anyone like Rice or Florida Atlantic.
Rankings:
1. TCU. Wait a minute, they're not in the Big XII! However, they've now won their last four games against Big XII teams. They'd more than hold their own with Texas and Nebraska, also. The Frogs go to Austin next year. This year, they are on a collision course with the BCS, with their last tough game being against the Fighting Utes in Salt Lake City. Big win in a defensive struggle against Tech yesterday.
2. Texas. Best of a mediocre bunch at this point. Hung half a hundred on Rice yesterday.
3 (tie). Nebraska. Didn't embarrass themselves at USC last night, and covered the point spread. Still the favorite to win the North.
3 (tie). Oklahoma. Got screwed yesterday at Oregon, but should not have put themselves in that position. Still have a chance to be really good if they can get their heads right with ball, and can learn how to tackle for an entire game.
4. Missouri. Only undefeated team left in the conference. They've Showed Me that they won't lose to a mediocre team. Better than expected.
5. Texas Tech. What happened to that high-powered offense?
6. Iowa State. Tripped up by archrival Iowa.
7. Texas A&M. Almost, and should have, lost to ARMY. Army lost to Arkansas State. Fran's lucky to not be calling realtors today.
8. Kansas. Tough loss in double overtime at Toledo.
9. Baylor. Props for taking the road trip to Washington State. Didn't come back with the win.
10. Kansas State. I can't move them up with this schedule they're playing.
11. Oklahoma State. See Kansas State.
12. Colorado. Didn't lose to Arizona State by as much as I thought they would. Still, they'll be the underdog in every game from here on out.
Rankings:
1. TCU. Wait a minute, they're not in the Big XII! However, they've now won their last four games against Big XII teams. They'd more than hold their own with Texas and Nebraska, also. The Frogs go to Austin next year. This year, they are on a collision course with the BCS, with their last tough game being against the Fighting Utes in Salt Lake City. Big win in a defensive struggle against Tech yesterday.
2. Texas. Best of a mediocre bunch at this point. Hung half a hundred on Rice yesterday.
3 (tie). Nebraska. Didn't embarrass themselves at USC last night, and covered the point spread. Still the favorite to win the North.
3 (tie). Oklahoma. Got screwed yesterday at Oregon, but should not have put themselves in that position. Still have a chance to be really good if they can get their heads right with ball, and can learn how to tackle for an entire game.
4. Missouri. Only undefeated team left in the conference. They've Showed Me that they won't lose to a mediocre team. Better than expected.
5. Texas Tech. What happened to that high-powered offense?
6. Iowa State. Tripped up by archrival Iowa.
7. Texas A&M. Almost, and should have, lost to ARMY. Army lost to Arkansas State. Fran's lucky to not be calling realtors today.
8. Kansas. Tough loss in double overtime at Toledo.
9. Baylor. Props for taking the road trip to Washington State. Didn't come back with the win.
10. Kansas State. I can't move them up with this schedule they're playing.
11. Oklahoma State. See Kansas State.
12. Colorado. Didn't lose to Arizona State by as much as I thought they would. Still, they'll be the underdog in every game from here on out.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Disgusted
I have been a fan of the University of Oklahoma for 35 years. My dad and his dad were fans of OU before I was even thought of. I have watched countless games, seen 4 of 7 national championships, scads of conference championships, and numerous All-Americans and NFL draft picks. I have celebrated great wins and agonized over ugly defeats. The Sooners snatched defeat from the jaws of victory today in Eugene, Oregon, as the Oregon Ducks won on the scoreboard, 34-33. I am still disgusted. Out of all the OU losses I have seen in 35 years, only three come close: the late loss at USC in 1981 which led to a stretch of mediocrity unseen in the Switzer era; the tie against Texas in 1984, when two questionable calls gave Texas the opportunity to tie the Sooners 15-15; and last year's debacle in Lubbock, caused by questionable officiating which allowed Texas Tech to win. Today's game had more on the line, as there was still a national championship on the table this early in the season. There is also a Heisman Trophy on the line, as Adrian Peterson gained 211 yards today alone, on his way to probably becoming OU's all-time leading rusher. I'm disgusted by the whole thing.
First, on the officiating: The onside kick late in the game was obviously touched by an Oregon player before it traveled 10 yards. Even the ABC announcers agreed with that. The officials blew the call, then the replay officials screwed up the call even more. These officials were looking for the replay officials to do their jobs for them, and the replay official did not oblige.
Second, on the result: As I watched Garrett Hartley line up to try the final field goal attempt, I thought that it was great that he kicked four field goals up to that point, but I also thought: "We shouldn't put him in the position to kick four field goals". The Sooners got stuffed twice inside the Oregon 10, including the series that put us up 33-20. When we went up by 13 instead of 17, I became a little afraid, because it left a cracked window of opportunity. Sure enough, the Ducks took advantage of it. You have to knock the other team out. Oregon was down, but not out. At the end, they had one of the biggest wins in the history of their school.
Third, on the implications: Adrian Peterson is awesome. He played his tail end off, only for his team to lose. 211 yards in a winning effort does a lot more for the Heisman hopes. This team needed this win to get its swagger back, something left in Miami at the 2005 Orange Bowl after being horsewhipped by USC. All that resulted is even more doubt. This team could run the table the rest of the way, or could lose two or three more games.
There is still a lot to play for. A national championship is probably not in the cards this year. However, this team has not won a Big XII championship in two years. There is still a conference championship there for the taking, especially as mediocre as the conference is this year. I am not a "national championship or bust" fan. We have 7 national championships in 110 years of football. That would be 103 miserable seasons, for those so inclined. Sure, a National Championship would be nice, but that takes luck as well as skill. We were unlucky today, and made mistakes that put us in the position to lose the game. This team needs to play a complete game, and to let the cards fall where they may.
First, on the officiating: The onside kick late in the game was obviously touched by an Oregon player before it traveled 10 yards. Even the ABC announcers agreed with that. The officials blew the call, then the replay officials screwed up the call even more. These officials were looking for the replay officials to do their jobs for them, and the replay official did not oblige.
Second, on the result: As I watched Garrett Hartley line up to try the final field goal attempt, I thought that it was great that he kicked four field goals up to that point, but I also thought: "We shouldn't put him in the position to kick four field goals". The Sooners got stuffed twice inside the Oregon 10, including the series that put us up 33-20. When we went up by 13 instead of 17, I became a little afraid, because it left a cracked window of opportunity. Sure enough, the Ducks took advantage of it. You have to knock the other team out. Oregon was down, but not out. At the end, they had one of the biggest wins in the history of their school.
Third, on the implications: Adrian Peterson is awesome. He played his tail end off, only for his team to lose. 211 yards in a winning effort does a lot more for the Heisman hopes. This team needed this win to get its swagger back, something left in Miami at the 2005 Orange Bowl after being horsewhipped by USC. All that resulted is even more doubt. This team could run the table the rest of the way, or could lose two or three more games.
There is still a lot to play for. A national championship is probably not in the cards this year. However, this team has not won a Big XII championship in two years. There is still a conference championship there for the taking, especially as mediocre as the conference is this year. I am not a "national championship or bust" fan. We have 7 national championships in 110 years of football. That would be 103 miserable seasons, for those so inclined. Sure, a National Championship would be nice, but that takes luck as well as skill. We were unlucky today, and made mistakes that put us in the position to lose the game. This team needs to play a complete game, and to let the cards fall where they may.
Friday, September 15, 2006
NFL Picks-Week 2
Last week: 9-7. Once again, it's better to pick straight up, instead of against the spread.
This week's games:
Washington at Dallas: Clinton Portis is out, according to coach Joe Gibbs. Bad for my fantasy team, and bad for the Redskins. Pick: Dallas
Buffalo at Miami: The 'Phins are improved. Buffalo's not awful, but they're not great. Pick: Miami
Carolina at Minnesota: The Vikes are coming off of perhaps the surprise of the week, winning in the Monday Night extravaganza at Washington. Carolina is a favorite to go to the Super Bowl. Tough pick. I'll take the Vikings at home.
Cleveland at Cincinnati: The Battle of Ohio, Part I. Cincinnati is good. Cleveland is not. Cincy has uglier uniforms, but a much better team. Pick: Cincinnati
Detroit at Chicago: Detroit is playing outside on grass. Da Bears whipped the Packers last week. Not a good combo for Motown. Pick: Da Bears
Houston at Indianapolis: Lock of the week. Indy is good. Houston is not. Indy wins with half their brains tied behind their back.
New Orleans at Green Bay: The Saints open with two road games, but they are against sorry teams. Only question is: Are the Saints good enough to beat two sorry teams in a row? I'm not sure about that. Give me Green Bay.
New York Giants at Philadelphia: NFC East slugfest. Philly is on the way back, as Donovan McNabb has a new best friend: Donte Stallworth. The Eagles fly. Pick: Philly.
Oakland at Baltimore: Or is this Los Angeles vs. Cleveland? The Raiders are terrible. They just plain suck. They made the Chargers look like the '85 Bears last week. The Ravens have a much better defense than the Chargers. Lock of the week #2. Pick: Baltimore
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: The Bucs laid a big goose egg last week. The Falcons at least scored against Carolina. I lean toward the home field here. Pick: Atlanta.
Arizona at Seattle: Who would have ever thought this would be one of the better games of this or any week? The Cardinals are much, much improved. That won't be enough against the Seahawks. Pick: Seattle
St. Louis at San Francisco: The Rams opened with a win last week. The Niners appear to have bottomed out, but still aren't that great. Pick: St. Louis
Kansas City at Denver: The Chiefs have quarterback issues, big time. The Broncos failed to show up last week in St. Louis. They'll show up in Denver. Pick: Denver
New England at New York Jets: The teacher (Belichick) vs. the pupil (Mangini). The Pats are slipping, but have enough to handle the Jets. Pick: New England
Tennessee at San Diego: Tennessee is still rebuilding. The Chargers are pretty decent. Pick: San Diego
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville: Monday night in Jacksonville. Sounds like a trap for the defending world champions. Pick: Jacksonville
This week's games:
Washington at Dallas: Clinton Portis is out, according to coach Joe Gibbs. Bad for my fantasy team, and bad for the Redskins. Pick: Dallas
Buffalo at Miami: The 'Phins are improved. Buffalo's not awful, but they're not great. Pick: Miami
Carolina at Minnesota: The Vikes are coming off of perhaps the surprise of the week, winning in the Monday Night extravaganza at Washington. Carolina is a favorite to go to the Super Bowl. Tough pick. I'll take the Vikings at home.
Cleveland at Cincinnati: The Battle of Ohio, Part I. Cincinnati is good. Cleveland is not. Cincy has uglier uniforms, but a much better team. Pick: Cincinnati
Detroit at Chicago: Detroit is playing outside on grass. Da Bears whipped the Packers last week. Not a good combo for Motown. Pick: Da Bears
Houston at Indianapolis: Lock of the week. Indy is good. Houston is not. Indy wins with half their brains tied behind their back.
New Orleans at Green Bay: The Saints open with two road games, but they are against sorry teams. Only question is: Are the Saints good enough to beat two sorry teams in a row? I'm not sure about that. Give me Green Bay.
New York Giants at Philadelphia: NFC East slugfest. Philly is on the way back, as Donovan McNabb has a new best friend: Donte Stallworth. The Eagles fly. Pick: Philly.
Oakland at Baltimore: Or is this Los Angeles vs. Cleveland? The Raiders are terrible. They just plain suck. They made the Chargers look like the '85 Bears last week. The Ravens have a much better defense than the Chargers. Lock of the week #2. Pick: Baltimore
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: The Bucs laid a big goose egg last week. The Falcons at least scored against Carolina. I lean toward the home field here. Pick: Atlanta.
Arizona at Seattle: Who would have ever thought this would be one of the better games of this or any week? The Cardinals are much, much improved. That won't be enough against the Seahawks. Pick: Seattle
St. Louis at San Francisco: The Rams opened with a win last week. The Niners appear to have bottomed out, but still aren't that great. Pick: St. Louis
Kansas City at Denver: The Chiefs have quarterback issues, big time. The Broncos failed to show up last week in St. Louis. They'll show up in Denver. Pick: Denver
New England at New York Jets: The teacher (Belichick) vs. the pupil (Mangini). The Pats are slipping, but have enough to handle the Jets. Pick: New England
Tennessee at San Diego: Tennessee is still rebuilding. The Chargers are pretty decent. Pick: San Diego
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville: Monday night in Jacksonville. Sounds like a trap for the defending world champions. Pick: Jacksonville
Thursday, September 14, 2006
College Picks-Week 2
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
