What A Day!

Above is video from the last few moments of one of the greatest upsets in the history of college football, Appalachian State's 34-32 stunner over Michigan. I'm sure there's been a bigger upset, but one would have to look long and hard to find it. Some things to take from it:

* Appalachian State is not chopped liver. They have won two consecutive national championships in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. They are better than at least half of the teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and would qualify for a bowl game playing in any of the BCS conferences.

* Appalachian State will have a hard time finding a FBS (I-A) team to play them in the future. This will affect their athletic budget, as they got $400,000 for this trip to Michigan alone.

* If ASU does not win the FCS national championship, it will be a stunner, but would also be a severe disappointment on the heels of this monumental upset.

* This blog predicts Lloyd Carr will retire as Michigan coach at the end of the season, to be replaced by Michigan alum Les Miles, currently the coach at LSU.

* This was a great first game for the Big Ten Network.

Just down the road in South Bend, I had pity for poor Notre Dame. Georgia Tech beat the Irish like a rented mule, 33-3. I expected a little more from the Irish. It's going to be a long year under the Golden Dome.

More comments on today's events in college football in a future post.

Appalachian State University is HOT HOT HOT

In honor of one of the biggest (if not the biggest) upsets in the history of college football, this blog presents one of the cheesiest public relations videos ever produced.

This was produced to present to friends and potential donors of Appalachian State University. It now lives as an Internet and YouTube legend.

Even when the weather is cold, Appalachian is Hot, Hot, Hot!

Ugly Uniform Of The Day

A new football season brings a new round of ridiculous uniforms. It would be really hard to top what I saw last night.

Syracuse got thumped by Washington, 42-12. Even worse than the score were the uniforms they wore. This blog ripped on the Orange for last year's uniforms. This year, some good changes were made, but the combination screams UGLY!!

Helmets: The blue "S" looks fine. It gives a somewhat modern look to the uniform.

Jerseys: It is good for a team called the Orange to wear orange jerseys. I had a hard time with the Orange wearing blue at home.

Pants: Orange pants are fine to wear on the road with white jerseys. At home, the combination of orange helmets, orange jerseys, and orange pants are hideous. White pants would improve this uniform greatly.

If the stripes were horizontal, these would have been mistaken for prison uniforms. As it is, they looked like pumpkins out on the field.

It was a bad night in Syracuse, unless you're a Washington Husky. They're counting the days until basketball season.

NFL Predictions, Part 3

As promised, after a long wait, this blog's projections for the AFC are now ready.

The strength of the NFL is definitely in the AFC. While the NFC has several good-but-not-great teams, the AFC has some beasts. There are teams here that would be Super Bowl contenders in the NFC but will struggle to make the playoffs in the AFC.

In the AFC East, the New England Patriots improved themselves with the addition of WR Randy Moss. This combined with a weak East division gives the Patriots a cakewalk into the playoffs. The New York Jets will be competitive, and would really like to trade places with the Giants to be in the NFC. Some pick Buffalo to be decent. I don't. Their schedule really works against them. Miami will be woeful.

AFC East Projections
New England 12-4
NY Jets 7-9
Buffalo 3-13
Miami 2-14

The AFC North looks to be really, really strong. The Baltimore Ravens will ride their defense to a dominating season. Right behind them will be the rebounding Cincinnati Bengals with their high-flying offense. Pittsburgh will be pretty good, but would be a Super Bowl contender in the NFC. Cleveland will be pathetic.

AFC North Projections
Baltimore 13-3
Cincinnati 12-4
Pittsburgh 9-7
Cleveland 4-12

In a later post, this blog will look at the AFC South and West divisions.

NFL Predictions, Coming

I haven't forgotten about the AFC. Those projections will be coming over the weekend. Stay tuned..

College Football Predictions, Week 1

It's hard to believe, but the greatest sport in the world returns Thursday night. That of which I am speaking is college football. With that comes the first weekly installment of predictions.

Once again, I will predict and comment on 20 games each week. I will pick all games involving Big 12 teams, plus other games of interest. Without further adieu, here are this week's picks:

North Texas at Oklahoma: Todd Dodge finds out there is a big difference between coaching Southlake Carroll against Richland or Haltom and coaching North Texas against the mighty Sooners. Pick: OU
Kent State at Iowa State (Thursday): Gene Chizik makes his debut as Cyclones coach against a team picked by some to win the East division of the MAC. This will be a tight game, but Iowa State comes through at home. Pick: ISU
Arkansas State at Texas: Arkansas State earns a big paycheck for their athletic department, while Texas gets a win. Pick: Texas
Colorado vs. Colorado State at Denver: Breakfast at Invesco Field, as this game kicks off at 10 AM local time. Both teams stunk last year, and don't look to be much better this year. Pick: Colorado
Missouri vs. Illinois at St. Louis: Could this be a future conference matchup in the Big 10? The Tigers aren't worried about that right now, as they look to be contenders in the Big 12 North. Pick: Missouri
Nevada at Nebraska: Nebraska starts with a respectable non-conference opponent in Lincoln. Huskers start off well this week. Pick: Nebraska
Baylor at TCU: TCU has a good team. Baylor is a bottomfeeder with little hope in sight. Pick: TCU
Oklahoma State at Georgia: Cowboys go between the hedges for a showdown with the Bulldogs. Some see this as a potential upset. I don't. Pick: Georgia
Central Michigan at Kansas: This is a make-or-break season for Mark and the Fighting Manginos. Win #1 comes in Lawrence against the defending MAC champions. Pick: KU
Montana State at Texas A&M: The last time Montana State visited a Big 12 school, they came away with a win at Colorado. That won't happen this time. Pick: Aggies
Kansas State at Auburn: We now know Bill Snyder is no longer the K-State coach, as he never would have scheduled a deadly road trip to the Loveliest Village on the Plains. KSU will wish they were back home playing a directional school. Pick: Auburn
Texas Tech at SMU (Monday): Tech gets to play a winnable game in front of alumni, students, and recruits in Dallas. Pick: Tech
Tennessee at Cal: Last season, Cal went to Knoxville as a national championship contender, only to be humbled by the Vols. This year, Cal gets revenge as Smokey visits Berkeley. Pick: Cal
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame: Battle of the Gold Helmets. This will be one of the better games of the weekend, but the Irish will have too much magic for the Ramblin' Wreck. Pick: ND
Wake Forest at Boston College: Wake Forest begins defense of their ACC championship with a Weekend In New England. I have a hard time picking against BC here, though I'm not sure which team is better. Pick: BC
Washington State at Wisconsin: The Cougars aren't afraid of anyone, and take the trip to Madison to face the Badgers. It's hard to win in Madison, and Wazzu won't be that fortunate. Pick: Wisconsin
Purdue at Toledo: Rockets look to recover from a rare losing season, and have a home game against a Big 10 team. This will be a good game, and the Boilers will have to fight for a win. Pick: Purdue
Houston at Oregon: The Coogs make their way to the Northwest to face the Ducks. Ducks go quack all over the Cougars. Pick: Oregon
Florida State at Clemson (Monday): The Bowden Bowl. Papa Bobby Bowden replaced five assistant coaches in the off-season in an attempt to restore FSU to glory. Clemson hasn't been the same since FSU joined the ACC in 1992. Death Valley will be rocking. Clemson has won three of the last four in this series. Make that four of the last five. Pick: Clemson
UMass-Dartmouth at Worcester Polytechnic Institute: This isn't Dartmouth of the Ivy League, but the University of Massachusetts campus at Dartmouth, MA. They went 5-4 last season, while WPI went 3-6. Pick: UMass-Dartmouth.

NFL Projections, Part 2

Today, as promised, this blog will project the South and West divisions of the NFC.

The New Orleans Saints, last year's feel-good story, return for more as they look to defend their division championship. The Saints will successfully defend that title and return to the playoffs. They also have a good chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, behind QB Drew Brees and RB Reggie Bush.

The Carolina Panthers will bounce back strongly this season to contend for a playoff spot. Tampa Bay will be mediocre, and the Atlanta Falcons will wallow in the damage brought on by soon-to-be convicted felon Michael Vick.

Projected Standings:

New Orleans 12-4
Carolina 11-5
Tampa Bay 4-12
Atlanta 3-13

The West division has been touted by some as the most improved division in football. I'll believe it when I see it.

The Seattle Seahawks will be the class of the division once again. San Francisco showed a lot of improvement last season, but will slip back this year. St. Louis will have a high-flying offense, and not much more (they better have a high-flying offense, as I have Marc Bulger as QB in both of my fantasy leagues). The Arizona Cardinals will be the Cardinals once again, showing flashes of brilliance and not much else.

Projected Standings:

Seattle 10-6
St. Louis 7-9
Arizona 6-10
San Francisco 5-11

NFL Projections, Part 1

I apologize for the delay between posts. I've been out of town for work, and had family in from out of town this week.

As promised, this blog will also project results for the National Football League. Picking a 16-game season in advance is a lot trickier than projecting college football results. There is a lot more parity in the NFL, and a horrible team one year can be a good team the next.

We will begin in the NFC. Today, this blog will project the NFC East and NFC Central.

In the East, the Philadelphia Eagles will once again be the team to beat, with quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook. But, right with them will be the Dallas Cowboys, with new head coach Wade Phillips. The New York Giants look to slip just a bit, while the Washington Redskins will be hapless as long as Daniel Snyder owns the team.

NFC East Projections:
Philadelphia 11-5
Dallas 11-5
NY Giants 7-9
Washington 5-11
(Philadelphia wins the division on a tiebreaker)

In the Central, the Chicago Bears return to defend their NFC championship. The Bears look to be good once again, in spite of quarterback Rex Grossman. Detroit will be much-improved, while the Green Bay Packers will be fair to mediocre. The Minnesota Vikings are projected to bring up the rear here.

NFC Central Projections:
Chicago 11-5
Detroit 7-9
Green Bay 7-9
Minnesota 6-10

Next: NFC South, NFC West

Turning Thirty

Tonight, I got in the car and heard that the sad sack Rangers set a modern major league record by scoring 30 runs in one game against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. I'm in shock.

The Rangers only led 5-3 going into the top of the sixth inning, before going on an unprecedented tear. They scored nine runs in the sixth, 10 in the eighth, and six in the ninth. Wow. Texas won the game, 30-3.

I haven't seen any highlights or heard any comments. For the Baltimore bullpen, this is a meltdown of massive proportions.

The Rangers, even when they are horrible, never cease to be interesting. For Baltimore, this is yet another black mark on a once-proud franchise.

I'm in shock.

NCAA Projections-Bowls

A set of pre-season projections would be incomplete without predictions for post-season bowl games.

Bowl Championship Series:

BCS National Championship Game, New Orleans: USC vs. Oklahoma
USC should make it to this game, a rematch of the 2004-05 Orange Bowl in which the Trojans laid a beating on the Sooners. The Sooners make it here thanks to the Georgia Bulldogs, who take out previously unbeaten LSU in the SEC championship game. I look for USC to win the national championship.

Rose: Michigan (Big 10 champ) vs. LSU (at-large)
Fiesta: Texas (at-large) vs. Hawaii (at-large)
Orange: Virginia Tech (ACC champ) vs. Penn State (at-large)
Sugar: Georgia (SEC champ) vs. Rutgers (Big East champ)

The team that gets royally hosed in this scenario is West Virginia. They are projected to go 11-1, but are passed over in favor of Penn State, Texas and LSU for BCS bowls. The Big East allows their bowl partners to choose Notre Dame over a Big East team if available, and the Gator Bowl would do just that. This relegates 11-1 West Virginia to the Texas Bowl. It also sends 10-2 Louisville to the Papajohns.com Bowl.

Non-BCS bowls:

Citrus: Ohio State vs. South Carolina
Outback: Wisconsin vs. Florida
Gator: Notre Dame vs. Florida State
Cotton: Missouri vs. Arkansas
Holiday: Nebraska vs. UCLA
Chick-fil-A: Clemson vs. Auburn
Insight: Iowa vs. Kansas
Sun: Cal vs. Texas Tech
Independence: Oregon State vs. South Florida (Neither the Big 12 nor the SEC will have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill these slots)
Alamo: Purdue vs. Texas A&M
Texas: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
Las Vegas: Arizona State vs. TCU
Emerald: Miami vs. Oregon
New Orleans: Troy vs. Houston
Liberty: Southern Miss vs. Alabama
Papajohns.com: Louisville vs. Memphis
New Mexico: Utah vs. East Carolina (WAC will be unable to fill this slot)
Armed Forces: UTEP vs. Cincinnati (Mountain West will be unable to fill this slot)
Champs Sports: Indiana vs. Georgia Tech
Music City: Maryland vs. Tennessee
Meineke Car Care: Wake Forest vs. Pittsburgh
Poinsettia: Navy vs. BYU
GMAC: Tulsa vs. Northern Illinois
Hawaii: Arizona vs. Fresno State
Humanitarian: Boise State vs. Boston College
Motor City: Toledo vs. Northwestern
International: Pittsburgh vs. Ohio

Projections: Epilogue

I haven't forgotten the conference championship games. They will end up as follows:

MAC: Toledo over Ohio
C-USA: Southern Miss over UTEP (homefield advantage for the Eagles)
ACC: Virginia Tech over Florida State
Big 12: Oklahoma over Nebraska
SEC: Georgia over LSU. LSU will enter undefeated, but the game is in Atlanta. The Bulldogs knock the Tigers out of the BCS national championship game.

NCAA Projections: SEC

The last conference projection in this blog is for the SEC.

I love the SEC. It is perhaps my favorite conference. I'm not fanatical about any of the teams, but I love to see them beat up on each other. It's Southern fried football at its best.

The East division is traditionally the toughest in college football. Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee are perennially strong. Now, South Carolina, in the third year of coach Steve Spurrier, looks to make that threesome a quartet. When we last saw the Florida Gators, they were making mincemeat out of Ohio State in the national championship game. The Gators will always be good as long as Urban Meyer is the coach. This year looks to be a relative down year for the Gators, but only due to the schedule. Florida must travel to LSU and South Carolina. I look for them to lose both of those games.

Georgia will win the East division, in spite of a loss to Florida. Georgia never beats Florida, no matter how good they are. I'll go with history there. The new wrinkle to this division, though, has been added by the Gamecocks of South Carolina and their coach, Steve Spurrier. The 'Cocks continue to improve. They will pass Tennessee in the SEC pecking order. This is not good news for Vols coach Phil Fulmer. Just when the Vols were through with Spurrier, their nemesis ends up at South Carolina and becomes a pain in the Big Orange posterior there.

In the West, LSU looks to be favored in every game they play. I think they will be very good, and their toughest opponents are at home. Arkansas has a Heisman Trophy candidate in Darren McFadden, but enough off-field controversy for the National Enquirer. Auburn will be pretty decent, and Alabama will bounce back under new coach Nick Saban.

SEC Projections:

East
Georgia 11-1 7-1
Florida 10-2 6-2
South Carolina 9-3 5-3
Tennessee 7-5 4-4
Kentucky 5-7 2-6
Vanderbilt 4-8 1-7

West
LSU 12-0 8-0
Arkansas 9-3 5-3
Alabama 8-4 5-3
Auburn 8-4 4-4
Ole Miss 4-8 1-7
Mississippi State 3-9 0-8

NCAA Projections: Pac-10

Stuck in a time zone two or three hours behind most of the rest of the country lies the Pac-10 Conference. These guys really don't mind, as they perceive themselves as California cool, whether they are in California or not. There are some pretty good football teams on the West Coast, as well.

This conference plays a true round-robin schedule. When the NCAA allowed teams to play a 12-game schedule, the Pac-10 decided to make the extra game a ninth conference game. So, every team in this conference plays every other team every year. What a novel concept! Not many bodybag games against the likes of Louisiana-Lafayette for this conference. They choose to play each other. This drives up power ratings and ticket sales.

There is a juggernaut in this conference known as USC. USC is a well-oiled football machine. Five-star recruits are lining up to play there, and the Trojans are sending plenty of players on their way to the NFL. Any time the Trojans lose, it's an upset. This conference is USC's to lose. The Trojans should be favored to win every game. They have some dangerous road games at Notre Dame, Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State. However, I think the Trojans are good enough to win those games and finish 1st in the final BCS standings. There is currently a great tongue-in-cheek message board thread on the greatness of USC at OUInsider.com.

The rest of the conference is pretty good, but not awesome. I look for all of them to beat up on each other. UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, and Oregon State should all be bowl-eligible. Washington, Washington State, and Stanford look to bring up the rear.

Projected standings:

USC 12-0 9-0
UCLA 9-3 6-3
California 8-4 5-4
Oregon 7-5 5-4
Arizona 7-5 5-4
Arizona State 7-5 4-5
Oregon State 6-6 4-5
Washington 3-9 3-6
Washington State 3-9 1-8
Stanford 2-10 1-8

NCAA Projections: Big 12

I'm back in Texas today, and it's fitting that I project the Big XII Conference.

The Big 12 has become increasingly top-heavy, with the power residing in the South Division. Oklahoma and Texas are leading an arms race, and it's all the rest of the conference can do to keep up. Any time either OU or UT lose, it's an upset. That won't change this year.

The South division is comparable to any group of power schools in America. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State are dangerous. However, they can't keep up long-term with the big dogs in Norman and Austin. Baylor has made huge strides under coach Guy Morriss, but can still only muster four or five wins per year.

On the other hand, the North division has been weak for the last few years. The division appears to have bottomed out, but as long as Nebraska is not national championship caliber, the North will be perceived as weak.

In the South, OU and Texas are head and shoulders ahead of everyone else. OU is strong at all positions except quarterback, where an untested player will line up behind center. Texas has a load of athletes as well, and hopes for QB Colt McCoy to be healthy. McCoy's injury last season led to two late season losses to Kansas State and Texas A&M. I predict one loss between the two teams: in Dallas on October 6, when the Sooners break a two-year losing streak to the Longhorns. OU will run the table at 12-0, and Texas will finish 11-1.

There will be a coaching change in College Station at the end of the year. Dennis Franchione faces a suicidal schedule this season, as the Fightin' Texas Aggies must travel to Miami, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Missouri. It would be an accomplishment to win one of those road games, much less more than one. It would be hard for any team this side of the NFL to run the table against that road schedule. In addition to that, Texas visits Aggieland with revenge on their mind, following last year's A&M win in Austin. Aggie boosters are already passing the hat to raise money for the buyout of Coach Fran. He would probably already be gone, but the Aggies pulled off that season-ending upset over hated archrival Texas, preserving his job for another year.

In the North, this should be the year of the Missouri Tigers. Missouri looks to be a good team with a favorable schedule. However, I don't trust them in big games. I don't really trust the modern-day Nebraska Cornhuskers in big games, either. However, something has to give when the Huskers visit Columbia in October. I look for Nebraska to escape Columbia with a win, and to win the North championship. The rest of the division looks pretty mediocre.

Big XII Projections

North
Nebraska 9-3 7-1
Missouri 10-2 6-2
Kansas State 5-7 3-5
Kansas 6-6 2-6
Iowa State 4-8 2-6
Colorado 3-9 1-7

South
Oklahoma 12-0 8-0
Texas 11-1 7-1
Texas Tech 8-4 4-4
Oklahoma State 6-6 4-4
Texas A&M 6-6 3-5
Baylor 4-8 1-7

Good Commentary, Or A Bunch Of B.S.?

The great Barry Switzer is the official retired football coach of this blog. Known in Oklahoma as The King, Switzer won three national championships as coach of the Sooners, then came out of retirement to win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Barry has signed a couple of media deals for this football season. He will appear on the tube with Jimmy Johnson on the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show. The two ex-coaches will review both college and pro football games and events, as Fox expands its role as the home of the Bowl Championship Series. Barry has also signed a deal to provide analysis for XM Satellite Radio. He will comment on college football daily on their sports talk channel.

Barry Switzer is a colorful individual. He has made many personal mistakes in the past. However, he is a knowledgeable football commentator, and is entertaining, to boot. His weekly radio appearances with the Hardline on the Ticket in Dallas are the stuff of legend, and even turned some public opinion in his favor as a result. He is never at a lack for words or for stories.

NCAA Projections: Big Ten (Or, Where Hooters Meets William Henry Harrison)

Today's blog post comes from Hooters in King of Prussia, PA. My wife won't come here with me, and I won't bring my kids here, but I like the wings and the free wi-fi. I'm serious!

Pennsylvania is Big Ten country, or it has been for the last 15 years since Penn State became the 11th member of the conference. With that in mind, I will project The Conference That Can't Count.

This conference is made up of big state schools with big enrollments, big stadiums, big alumni bases, and big TV markets. Well, all of them except Northwestern, who brings a big TV market and a history with the rest of the conference. The biggest and baddest of those schools are the triumvirate of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan. For what it's worth, Wisconsin has given them a run for their money in recent years, in both football and basketball.

Last year, Ohio State and Michigan were undefeated at the end of the season, heading into their matchup in Columbus. Ohio State went on to lay an egg in the BCS national championship game, while Michigan got creamed by USC in the Rose Bowl.

This year, it's the Wolverines' turn to win the conference. The Maize and Blue look really strong, and get Penn State and Ohio State on their home field in Ann Arbor. I look for Michigan to trip up on a late-season road trip to Wisconsin. Outside of that, they would be a strong candidate for the BCS national championship game.

Penn State will also come up big this year. I have them losing only one game: a mid-season trip to Michigan. This will put them in contention for a BCS at-large berth, as they would lose the tiebreaker to Michigan in my projection.

Ohio State will be good, as usual. However, they won't be so lucky in trips to Penn State and Michigan, and will have to settle for a nice bowl trip to Florida.

Wisconsin and Iowa will both be good, but not quite on the level of the top three teams in the conference. I wouldn't want to play either of those teams, though.

Purdue, Indiana, and Northwestern will also be bowl-eligible. In Indiana's case, it's a big deal. The Hoosiers haven't been to a bowl since William Henry Harrison fought the Battle of Tippecanoe. They are also dealing with the tragic loss of coach Terry Hoeppner, who died recently from brain cancer.

Big Ten Projected Standings:

Michigan 11-1 7-1
Penn State 11-1 7-1
Ohio State 10-2 6-2
Wisconsin 9-3 5-3
Iowa 9-3 5-3
Purdue 7-5 4-4
Indiana 7-5 3-5
Northwestern 6-6 2-6
Illinois 5-7 2-6
Michigan State 5-7 2-6
Minnesota 5-7 1-7

NCAA Projections: Big East

Who would have thought three years ago that the Big East would be equal in strength to, if not stronger than, the ACC? The ACC had pilfered three of the Big East's strongest members (Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College). The Big East was left in survival mode, and picked up Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida. Granted, the only thing East about those schools is their time zone. But, it's all about survival, and the Big East survived with its BCS automatic bid intact.

Fast forward to 2006. West Virginia came off of their Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, which saved the reputation of the conference. Rutgers had their best season in recent history, and almost completed a rise from the dregs of college football to the BCS. And, Louisville was a field goal against Rutgers away from an undefeated season and a spot in the BCS national championship game. The 'Ville went to finish 12-1, including a pasting of Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl.

Rutgers, West Virginia, and Louisville all look to be strong again this year. The schedule favors Rutgers to win the conference this season. As a matter of fact, I predict the Rutgers hype machine to be in full force, as they will be in contention for a spot in the BCS national championship game. The Scarlet Knights will win their first 11 games, before losing in the last week of the season as they travel to Louisville. Still, the Scarlet Knights will win the league in a tiebreaker over West Virginia.

West Virginia looks to be stout as well, with Heisman candidate Steve Slaton. The Mountaineers will only lose when they travel to Rutgers. They will also be 11-1, and could very well find themselves in a BCS bowl.

Louisville will be no pushover. But, I look for them to lose in back-to-back November road trips to West Virginia and South Florida. The Cardinals will win 10 games this season.

Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Cincinnati, and South Florida will all be bowl-eligible. The Panthers look to be the best of that group. Syracuse will bring up the rear.

Big East Projection:

Rutgers 11-1 6-1
West Virginia 11-1 6-1
Louisville 10-2 5-2
Pittsburgh 7-5 4-3
Cincinnati 6-6 3-4
Connecticut 6-6 2-5
South Florida 6-6 2-5
Syracuse 3-9 1-6

NCAA Projections: ACC

Yesterday, we barely dipped our toes into the BCS water by projecting Notre Dame and its independent cousins Army and Navy. Today is the first of my projections for BCS conferences. We begin in the ACC.

The ACC has begun its expansion era with a thud. The conference originally expanded to 12 teams with the idea of matching Florida State and Miami in a championship game most years, if not every year. Instead, Virginia Tech won the league in 2004, an 8-4 Florida State team won the first championship game over favored VT in 2005, and Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech last year in a 9-6 snoozer at a half-full Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville. Needless to say, the ACC didn't expand for Wake Forest to win championships in front of an empty stadium. It expanded in an attempt to become a mid-Atlantic version of the football revenue-generating SEC. Instead, it has diluted its product. Whereas before it was Florida State and the Eight Dwarfs, now it is just a bunch of good but not great teams, with a horrible Duke team thrown in for good measure.

In the Atlantic Division, Florida State looks to rebound after an uncharacteristic 7-6 season. Bobby Bowden brought in four new assistants to provide new blood. The Seminoles always recruit well, and will bounce back to win this division. Wake Forest won't go away quietly. They'll represent themselves well, and may be a bit better than last year's conference champion. Maryland will have a good season, Clemson and Boston College look to be middle-of-the road, while N.C. State looks to rebuild after stealing coach Tom O'Brien from conference rival Boston College.

Florida State 10-2 7-1
Maryland 8-4 6-2
Wake Forest 9-3 5-3
Clemson 7-5 4-4
Boston College 6-6 3-5
N.C. State 3-9 1-7

In the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech is top dog (no Mike Vick pun intended). They'd have a great chance to go undefeated, but they have this thing called a date at LSU in Week 2. Good luck with all that. Still, they'll earn a date with Florida State in Jacksonville on December 1. Georgia Tech will earn their normal 7 wins. Miami will bounce back in the future, but not this year. They'll also win 7 games. North Carolina and Virginia look to be below average, while I expect Duke to go winless for the second year in a row. That doesn't really matter, as Duke is a basketball school.

Virginia Tech 11-1 8-0
Georgia Tech 7-5 5-3
Miami 7-5 4-4
North Carolina 5-7 4-4
Virginia 5-7 1-7
Duke 0-12 0-8

Editor's Note: I will be blogging more sporadically for the next four days. I leave Sunday evening for a work-related trip to the City of Brotherly Love, a/k/a Philadelphia. I will have my computer with me, but cannot guarantee any posts after Sunday. More BCS conference projections are coming, as are NFL projections.

NCAA Projections: Independents

There are only three independents playing major college football: Notre Dame, Army, and Navy. All find it beneficial to not be part of a conference at this time. All of these schools wear varying shades of solid gold helmets. All of these schools are also historical powers that have seen better days. That includes Notre Dame, their national TV contract notwithstanding.

Notre Dame looks to be good, but not great in the 3rd year of the Charlie Weis era. They can't make up their mind on being part of the Big Ten or the Pac-10. They play four Big Ten schools in a row, and also play three Pac-10 schools. The Irish will lose to Penn State, Michigan, UCLA, and USC. They play eight other teams they should be able to beat. This will put them in one of the Big East bowl games, most likely the Gator Bowl.

Navy is in line to win their 5th consecutive Commander-In-Chief Trophy. They should be able to knock off both Air Force and Army to do so. The Midshipmen will lose to Notre Dame for the 44th time in a row. Navy has not defeated Notre Dame in my lifetime. They also have several winnable games, and will go to a bowl, most likely the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

Army is improving, but may not show it in the results on the field this year. The Black Knights of the Hudson will lose to archrival Navy, and will suffer yet another losing season.

Independents Projections:

Notre Dame 8-4
Navy 8-4
Army 3-9

From the Penthouse to the Outhouse and Back

This is a pretty incredible story.

A few years back, Rick Ankiel was the next big thing as a young pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. All of a sudden, he flamed out. It was as much mental as it was physical. He made a couple of attempts to make it back to the big leagues as a pitcher before he quit pitching in 2005. He went back to the minor leagues, and developed into a power-hitting outfielder.

Fast-forward to 2007. Ankiel has been leading the Pacific Coast League in home runs, hitting 32 dingers for the Memphis Redbirds. He got called up to the big club this week. Tonight, he hit a three-run shot as the Cardinals beat San Diego, 5-0.

This is awesome stuff. It was a wild thing to watch his pitching career crash and burn almost overnight. It is even more incredible to watch him go back to the minor leagues, pick up another position, and get back to the bigs as a position player.

My hat is off to Rick Ankiel. Hopefully, he'll stay in the big leagues.