tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41421209505300247352024-02-08T05:39:32.338-06:00Sports Blog To Be Named LaterAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-91864772636001558992010-09-25T17:13:00.005-05:002010-09-29T19:09:15.401-05:00#1 Alabama def. #10 Arkansas 24-20Very convincing game for Alabama. They weren't at their best by any means, especially on defense. But after an incredible start for Mallet and the Razorbacks died down with the game still in reach, it started to look like an inevitably that the Tide would win. Good on them for weathering the storm until Ingram and their O- and D-lines could save them.<br /><br />Mallett, for his part, was unimpressive. My games of the week of late seem to be designed to sink the draft position of top quarterbacks. Mallett still tends to miss throws high (Gary Danielson suggested that this was the result of poor footwork, which certainly seems possible) and he throws too hard on the underneath passes. A great arm isn't such a huge asset if you can't control it. His last two mistakes were killers for Arkansas - an interception three feet high that kick started Alabama's go-ahead touchdown drive and the ill-fated throwaway that iced the game. I suppose being the goat is an ever-present danger if you're a quarterback, but this was a very unfortunately timed for a guy who wants to win the Heisman and be the top QB taken.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-77389413563065604362010-09-21T21:50:00.004-05:002010-09-24T09:44:07.749-05:00Game of the Week<span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, September 25<br />2:30PM</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">#1 Alabama at #10 Arkansas</span><br />Lots of talk about Ryan Mallett as the first or second quarterback taken in next year's draft. When I've watched him in the past, my impression has been: great arm, great leadership, good instincts, poor mobility, tends to miss high. I'm excited to see the 2010 version and he really couldn't have a better stage: this will likely end up being the premiere SEC matchup of the year. Alabama hasn't played anyone particularly impressive (Penn State is rebuilding!), so this is their chance to show that they're back in 2009 form. Big Questions:<br />Can Alabama's defense stop Mallett?<br />What are the Razorbacks going to do about Mark Ingram?<br />Prediction: I'll be rooting for the Razorbacks (woo pig sooie!), but based on last year, I'd have to say Mark Ingram rolls and carries the Tide with him.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-65022926553955962282010-09-19T15:09:00.000-05:002010-09-21T22:09:51.827-05:00#8 Nebraska def. Washington 56-21The best thing I can say about this game is that the weather in Seattle looked fantastic. Even in low definition! Other than that, it was a bit of a sleeper. Despite an absolutely raucous home crowd, UDub QB Jake Locker played perhaps the worst game of his career and Nebraska's Taylor Martinez pretty much showed him how it was done with nearly 300 total yards and FOUR touchdowns. During the rare moments when Martinez wasn't holding the ball, tailbacks Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead ably stepped in. Nebraska's power running game shredded the Huskies defense to the point that Martinez only <span style="font-style: italic;">attempted</span> 11 passes. The only misstep they had was when, up 21-7 and rolling, they inexplicably switched to Cody Green, who promptly fumbled and was removed.<br /><br />The commentary this week is about 10% Taylor Martinez' coming out party and 90% Locker's draft status. I really don't understand how Locker's draft position could have changed at all. Before this game, what did we have? A stand-up kid from Ferndale, WA with off-the-charts athletic ability and a 98mph fastball who was labeled as a #1 pick not because of his polish, but because of his potential. I think we're in exactly the same position now. If you thought he was worth the project after three losing seasons, I don't see why you would change your mind now.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-33232316907330480622010-09-16T21:16:00.003-05:002010-09-18T15:04:08.771-05:00Game of the WeekI'd like to watch #8 Nebraska at Washington, but ABC has not announced its lineup yet. If that one doesn't work out, the game of the week will be #9 Iowa at #24 Arizona. I'll check the listings again tomorrow!<br /><br />UPDATE: I do indeed get Nebraska at Washington...but only in low def. I think I can make out what's going on though! Anyway, it'll be nice to check out the progress of both teams. Nebraska is playing it's first non-cupcake after a breakout 2009, at least on defense. Their offense struggled last year under Zac Lee, but believe there's a new QB in the mix.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Washington lost to BYU, but should make a bowl game for the first time in a while. And it's always fun to check on Jake Locker, the probable #1 pick in the NFL draft.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Nebraska should be stronger on both lines and shouldn't have too much trouble, but if the Cornhuskers can't contain Locker, Washington could be able to keep it close. Let's say Nebraska by 10.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-65161237361934081722010-09-12T11:45:00.003-05:002010-09-16T21:11:59.638-05:00#2 Ohio State def. #12 Miami 36-24This one really wasn't as close as it sounds. Ohio State scored eight times to Miami's four and two of three 'Canes' TDs were on special teams. The Buckeyes just settled for field goals on five of those eight. If they had had a real quarterback and just slightly better kick coverage, it would have been more like 48-14. <br /><br />Pryor...well, you know my feeling on Pryor. It is very likely that we will never again see an athlete of this caliber - this big, this fast, this strong. But athletic ability makes a decathlete, not a quarterback. Pryor doesn't seem to understand the finer points and he doesn't have the touch. He's too quick to run, he throws too hard on underneath passes, too soft on the long balls, and he's really not very accurate. Think of the star Ohio State receivers of the past few years. Robiskie, Hartline, Sanzenbacher (I'd go on, but Michigan fans can't be listing Buckeye receivers all day) - does your mind instantly conjure an image of these guys leaping through the air to make an incredible catch? You know why that is? Pryor doesn't hit 'em between the numbers. The first OSU drive was ended by a relatively un-pressured Pryor throw at least three feet over the receiver's head. Thereafter, they pretty much ran the QB draw on 3rd and long, just like they have for the past two years.<br /><br />As unimpressive as Pryor was, Jacory Harris was worse. It's true that he didn't get a lot of help from his receivers, but four interceptions is bad no matter which way you slice it. About the best thing I can say for him is that he just keeps on keepin' on, which can't be easy when you weigh 145 pounds.<br /><br />Overall, not a great win for the Buckeyes, but they did well to keep the momentum even through Miami's special teams fireworks.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-37073640270198244822010-09-07T21:35:00.003-05:002010-09-07T21:41:34.719-05:00Game of the Week<span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, September 11th</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2:40 PM CDT: #12 Miami at #2 Ohio State</span><br />This is a bit of a throwback to the Big Ten brawn vs. the South speed games. Can Ohio State continue the momentum from last year’s Rose Bowl or will Miami’s speedy defensive ends contain Terrell Pryor enough to show that that game was a fluke? Has Jacory Harris cleaned up the interceptions from a year ago?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction:</span> Didn't manage to see either team last week, but just based on who's back from last year, gotta take the Buckeyes.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-29124584358311072812010-09-07T21:31:00.003-05:002010-09-07T21:34:57.424-05:00Pretenders No MoreCollege football season started with a bang this past weekend as former upstarts TCU and Boise State proved they’re ready to play with the big boys this year. Well, at least the mid-sized boys who were willing to play them (let’s see if anyone is willing to do it next year…). I thought both games were QB stories, actually:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Boise State def. Virginia Tech 33-30 </span><br />I’ve been saying for three years that Tyrod Taylor is not a legitimate D1 quarterback (search the blog for Tyrod!) and I stand by my decision. Here’s the difference: After Virginia Tech inexplicably tries to pass for the first down on 3rd and 8 instead of taking another 35 seconds off the clock, Boise State gets the ball back down 4 points with 1:47 on the clock and no timeouts. No matter, because Kellen Moore needs only 38 seconds to take his team 56 yards to pay dirt. Seems like they might have left too much time (1:09) on the clock, right? Not a chance, because without the threat of the scramble, Taylor can’t attack through the air. Essentially, he’s not a dual threat quarterback the way Jake Locker is or Michael Vick was. Taylor has both skills, but they must be used in tandem. Boise State contained him just enough in the early going to make it too late for the Hokies at the end. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TCU def. Oregon State 30-21 </span><br />Another senior quarterback with all the intangibles leads his team to victory over a team with an overrated quarterback. Oregon State’s Ryan Katz, however, is overrated in a different way. I’m pretty certain he’ll be an NFL quarterback. Fantastic arm, throws a nice deep ball, and he did show some resilience. But he’s not ready yet, and he was asked to do too much too soon. The result: a fade down the stretch which culminated in a snap over his head that effectively ended the game. Andy Dalton may be just the opposite. Probably doesn’t have the tools to be an NFL quarterback, but his experience meant everything. It wasn’t one of his better games, but he made plays with his legs, and showed his toughness and his leadership in overcoming two bad interceptions.<br /><br />So, what does it all mean? On one hand, Oregon State and Virginia Tech are elite teams in name only. They don’t have the horses to hang with the Tide or the Buckeyes and beating them may only prove that TCU and Boise State belong in the top 25, which everyone already knew. On the other hand, what do these mid-majors have to do? They’ve beaten everyone in their path and everyone else is too scared to get in their path. <br /><br />Here’s my take: In general, I think you need sustained success to be a true contender and these programs both appear to have gotten lucky on a quarterback other schools misjudged. It could very well be a flash in the pan that will be gone next year when these guys graduate. But it’s hard to ignore the fact that Boise State burst onto the scene by beating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2006 season. That was a while and 2 quarterbacks ago. If you consider the recruiting push they’d get from being in the national championship game and the ungodly number of talented football players in California paired with the watering down of the pac-10, they have a real shot at sustained success. TCU, maybe not so much. There’s a reason you hear Andy Dalton compared with Sammy Baugh so much – there hasn’t been anyone else like them at TCU. And yes, there’s a large talent pool in Texas, but UT, A&M and even SMU now that June Jones is there have a pretty good pull. And the SEC and Big 12 are much harder to contend with for players. <br /><br />Advantage: Boise State. I’ll be rooting for them this year.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-11610846586592252312010-01-08T09:25:00.003-06:002010-09-07T21:56:24.309-05:00College Football: A Guide to the Bowls<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, January 7, 7PM<br />National Championship Game: #2 Texas vs. #1 Alabama<br /></span><span>The real grandaddy of 'em all!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Gotta go with Alabama here. They've looked a lot more balanced on offense and Nebraska gave the Tide's supremely more talented defense a blueprint for how to stop the Longhorns.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: Alabama def. Texas 37-21<br /></span><span>Just about every year, the national championship game reminds me of why I like the NFL better. This one was certainly no different.</span><span> Really just a big fat disappointment on so many levels. McCoy was out in about 30 seconds (I found it quite amusing when he said after the game that he'd never been hurt before - I think he's been injured in about 50% of the games I've seen him play. Watch for this issue in his NFL career too), which was doubly unfortunate because it looked like he was actually going to generate some offense. Texas' defense, and especially Sergio Kindle, gave it a pretty good effort, but couldn't overcome the lack of production on the other side of the ball. Alabama sure looked good against Florida, but things were different here, as they made embarassing special teams errors, gave up two long touchdowns to a backup QB who stared down Jordan Shipley on every play, and didn't get their first 3rd down conversion until the 4th quarter. McElroy's definitely trended down towards his average and gave a conservative performance that most of the high school quarterbacks in the country could have equaled. Mark Ingram played okay when he wasn't drinking pickle juice on the sidelines to stop cramping (seriously? cramps are keeping you out of a good chunk of the <span style="font-style: italic;">national championship</span> game?), but I only saw him really break three or four tackles and I'd have to give most of the credit to the offensive line. His little freshman backup outplayed him. Speaking of Alabama's vaunted offensive line, where were they on the five sacks of the apparently broken-ribbed McElroy? When the most compelling story is that a freshman backup quarterback transformed from the least accurate passer in Longhorns history to sort of okay, I'd say you have a lemon.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span><span>Another moronic 4th down interception. Alabama calls for that fake punt (a whole new level of moronic), the punter throws the ball a few yards short of the first down and Blake Gideon intercepts it. Okay, but why not knock it down and take possession 20 yards closer to the end zone? Maybe you could have had a TD instead of a field goal. Why does no one ever notice this?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Announcing Commentary: </span><span>Brent was okay, I guess, but is Herbstreit losing it? He had volume modulation issues all night, didn't speak for the first three minutes, and referred to the QBs as Gilbert Brown and Brett McElroy.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Wednesday, January 6, 6PM<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GMAC</span> Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy<br /></span><span>Last chance to see Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LeFevour</span></span><span> and the scrappy little Chippewas!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I know absolutely nothing about Troy, and looking at their schedule, the only teams they've played that I've even heard of are Arkansas and Florida...and they got killed. Look for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lefevour</span> to lead his team to victory in his last game.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Central Michigan def. Troy 44-41<br /></span><span>A heck of a lot better than the national championship game. I wouldn't mind watching these two teams, and especially these two quarterbacks, play more often. I was a little surprised that the defenses didn't fare better, since it looked for all the world like the two teams were running the same offense.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>It was a fantastic cap to Dan LeFevour's prolific career, but Troy QB Levi Brown also looked good, very accurate (if a <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>awkward runner!). </span><span>You'd think that all of those field goals early would have hurt the Chippewas, but they came back with just enough at the end. Kudos to LeFevour for dealing with all those dropped passes!</span><span> </span>Hope to see both quarterbacks in the NFL.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span><span>I know that CMU had an interim coach, but I still have to quibble with some of the decision making. First, down 24-19 in the third quarter, the Chippewas faced a 4th and 2 near midfield and punted. Their defense hadn't really stopped Troy all night and they didn't here either. Only a subsequent kickoff return TD by the shifty Antonio Brown kept it from slipping away. Later the Chips were down 34-27 when a terrific LeFevour pass brought the ball inside the 5-yard line with 1:26 to go. Troy called its final timeout. CMU then called two pass plays in a row, the second of which scored a touchdown with 1:17 to go. Why not run down the clock at least a little? Instead, they left enough time for Levi Brown to drive for the tying field goal.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Tuesday, January 5, 7PM<br />Orange Bowl: #10 Iowa vs. #9 Georgia Tech<br /></span><span>This is a pretty good matchup and I'll be anxious to see how Iowa does. Georgia Tech's rushing offense is powerful, but the Hawkeyes defense is built to stop just such an attack. They will, however, have to account for WR Jonathan Baldwin and his ridiculous stat lines (i.e. Thrown to: 3, REC: 2, YDS: 137, TD: 2). Georgia Tech's defense has been very inconsistent and I'm not sure the ACC has the kind of giant linemen rushing attack that the Hawkeyes are going to bring.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction: </span><span>One of the main reasons the triple option works is that it requires extra prep time that opponents generally don't have. Iowa has it now and I think they'll be ready. Iowa in a low scoring one.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Iowa def. Georgia Tech 24-14<br /></span><span>I really thought Iowa's Big Ten-ness was going to come back and bite them here. They dominated the game early, but failed to put it away when they had the chance, and GT climbed right back in on Ricky Stanzi's standard early pick-six. Luckily for the Iowa, their defense was fantastic all night and Jonathan Dwyer gave them a present by inexplicably running backwards into his own end zone on a stuffed run on the Yellow Jackets' second to last possession. Sometimes, you can't make all the plays yourself. Hats off to the Hawkeyes for their first big bowl win since 1959. They've got a lot of this team coming back, so look for them to make some noise next year.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chuckle at the TV Moment: </span>I loved Iowa's fake FG call up 17-14 in the 4th quarter, but K Daniel Murray probably shouldn't be running sweeps!<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Monday, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">January</span> 4, 7PM<br />Fiesta Bowl: #6 Boise State vs. #4 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">TCU</span><br /></span><span>They should probably rename this one the 'This Proves Nothing' bowl.</span><span> These two teams are obviously pretty talented, but we were wondering how talented they were next to the big powers, not next to each other. Still, two accomplished offenses and one good defense should be at least entertaining to watch.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction:</span><span> Good defense trumps good offense. As long as it stays disciplined on the trick plays and wacky (WAC-y?) formations, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">TCU</span> should be golden.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Boise State def. TCU 17-10<br /></span><span>Definitely not what anyone expected out of this one. TCU started the game by spotting the Broncos to a defensive touchdown (an especially bad idea when you're playing a team that's known to have weak defense), and while they didn't make any more mistakes like that, they never really seemed to be the aggressor in this one. I thought the most telling moment came in the third quarter. TCU was down 10-7 and just plodding along when Boise State turned it over near midfield. The Frogs drove into the red zone and it seemed like they finally might wake up a little. But then: QB keeper, QB keeper, hopeless screen pass, FG to tie. No life, then or ever. Most surprisingly, the story of the night was the Broncos' defense, which held TCU to 36 rushing yards and intercepted Andy Dalton three times. Might be time to stop doubting Boise State.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Saturday, January 2, 8PM<br />Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech<br /></span><span>Lots of drama to go around here. Texas Tech has no coach and a very suspicious electrical closet that may or may not be surrounded by police tape, and Michigan State has had about half of its team suspended. It's hard to tell who's going to show up and what kind of mood they'll be in.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction: </span><span>Michigan State is occasionally good and has a decent quarterback in Kirk Cousins, but they've shown a real inability to get the job done when it counts. </span><span>Despite the circus in Lubbock, I think the Red Raiders will take this one.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Texas Tech def. Michigan State 41-31</span><br />Well, Texas Tech did take this one, but it was a very good showing by Michigan State. The Spartans mixed it up nicely and may have set the record for most trick plays in one game by a Big Ten team. Things were progressing quite nicely until QB Kirk Cousins threw what is fast becoming his patented late game interception with five minutes to go. This one was particularly egregious, as he threw from one hash all the way over to the other sideline. Hey kid, your arm's not *that* good. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders don't have Mike Leach, but they still has his potent offense, and they used their speed to great advantage, particularly at the end of the game. Both teams did a pretty good job on defense, but the Spartans couldn't stop 'em when it counted.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment:</span> The Mike Leach controversy is a tough situation. We don't know the facts now and we may never know them. So it's pretty sad to see an adult Raider fan in the stands with a sign that has 'Leach' in a heart and 'Adam' in a circle with line through it. Unless you're Leach, Adam James, or the trainer (who seems to have taken Adam's side by the way), you have no idea what happened and it's pretty low to pick on a 20-year-old kid. I guess ethics isn't exactly the specialty in Texas football, but it's pretty sad to be a 40-year-old bully.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Saturday, January 2 1PM<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Papajohns</span>.com Bowl: South Carolina vs. Connecticut<br /></span><span>Another interesting matchup here. Connecticut has quietly had a pretty good season, especially if you consider the fact that their five losses were by a <span style="font-style: italic;">combined</span> 15 points. And South Carolina has been inconsistent, which is becoming par for the course for them, but they've also got some big wins, most notably a convincing 34-17 thrashing of Clemson in the regular season finale.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>And</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia has been getting better with every game this season.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span><span>Spurrier is well on the way to having the weapons he's been waiting for in this one and he'll have the Gamecocks ready to go.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: UConn def. South Carolina 20-7<br /></span><span>South Carolina must be the most inconsistent team in the history of college football. In this game alone, they dropped 12 passes (9 on offense and 2 INTs on defense), committed three stupid personal fouls (and one dubious roughing the passer penalty), fumbled more than once including a snap that ruined a FG attempt, overthrew about 10 open receiveres, and made some of the worst decisions of all time. The Huskies' two-headed rushing attack looked good, but they got a gift here. Spurrier said after the game that it was a "sad, sad effort" and he was correct.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Yell at the TV Moment: </span><span>South Carolina went for a 4th and 19 in that no man's land where it's just a little too far to kick a field goal. QB Stephen Garcia threw a jump ball inside the 10 which was intercepted by UConn's Robert Vaughn. The interception gave the ball to UConn inside the 10, while simply knocking the pass down would have give the ball to UConn 25 yards upfield. This happens a lot and the announcers <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> say anything!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Friday, January 1, 7:30PM<br />Sugar Bowl: #3 Cincinnati vs. #5 Florida</span><span><br />This game was somewhat interesting to begin with, but has been made much more interesting by the coach drama on both sides.</span><span> The questions here are on defense for both teams. Does Cincinnati have the size and speed to hold Florida? Can Florida recover from the Alabama debacle quickly enough to stop the Bearcats' short passing game?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction: </span><span>I've been tempted to pick Cincinnati since the matchup announcement, but the Brian Kelly debacle happened.</span><span> Florida rolls over a flat Cincinnati defense. <span style="font-size:78%;"> (Go Bearcats)</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Florida def. Cincinnati 100-24</span><span><br />Okay, well, I think it was more like 50-24, but it felt like about 1,000,000-24. Nightmarish couple hours for the Bearcats and their fans. Really though, they ought to keep their heads up - being utterly overmatched and playing poorly are two different things.</span><span> Really makes you wonder exactly how good Alabama is, doesn't it?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Yell at the TV Moment: </span><span>I know you Gators aren't exactly premed, but was it really a good idea to gatorade ice bath a man with heart problems?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Friday, January 1, 3:30<br />Rose Bowl: #8 Ohio State vs. #7 Oregon<br /></span>The Pac 10 has done very poorly up to this point in the bowl season. That said, Ohio State has done poorly against all decent teams for the last three years.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction:</span> Despite my love for the Big Ten, I am officially done being embarassed by the Buckeyes. And, if there's anything Oregon should be able to stop, it's a running quarterback. Ducks run away with it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Ohio State def. Oregon 26-17</span><br />I am very disappointed with this game. After years, YEARS, of Ohio State embarrassing the Big Ten in national games, they convincingly win this one, just so they can remain teetering on the edge of respectability. I assume this is a ploy to get to next year's championship game so they can get blown out there. I will say that this was the best game plan I've ever seen Tressel come up with and by far the best game that Terrelle Pryor has ever played and it leaves lots of questions. Was this a one-time fluke or the sign of things to come in 2010 for the Buckeyes? How much did the Pac-10's incredible terribleness factor into this? This is the marquee game for a surprising run by the Big Ten conference in the Bowl games - is it for real?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, January 1, 12PM<br />Capital One Bowl: #13 Penn State vs. #12 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">LSU</span><br /></span><span>This may be the most intriguing bowl <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">matchup</span> of all. In general, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">LSU</span> is pretty good at the Big Ten <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">beatdown</span>, but it's definitely an off year for them. From Penn State's perspective (and that of the average college football fan), a win against the SEC is a win against the SEC.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction</span>: Really tough call here. Penn State usually doesn't do too well against teams that have a game plan that deviates wildly from 'run up the middle'. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">LSU's</span> game plan won't be that, but the question is, will it be a game plan they can execute with the talent they have? Breaking news: a recent search of my friend the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">internet</span> tells me that resident Tiger battering ram Charles Scott will not play.</span><span> I'm really afraid that I'm just picking this because I want it so bad (ironic because I barely even consider Penn State part of the Big Ten), but I think the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Nittany</span> Lions can take this one.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Penn State def. LSU 19-17</span><span><br />I'm delighted to see the Big Ten get a win over the SEC, but I do have to admit that the terrible field conditions were a big help. LSU is iffy this year for sure, but we might have had a different outcome had they been able to use their speed advantage. I'm a big advocate of the go for the throat and put the game away when you have the chance, and I really thought Penn State's conservative play calling (<span style="font-weight: bold;">FOUR</span> FG from inside the 10? Is that a new record?!?) was going to kill them, but they held the ball when they had to.</span><span> Another notch in JoePa's cap.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Friday, January 1, 10AM<br />Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn<br /></span><span>Yep, it's the Big Ten thing again. I grew up about a mile from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Northwestern's</span> home stadium, so though I'm not a huge fan, I sometimes can't resist. QB Mike Kafka is a great athlete and fun to watch and this is one the Cats might be able to win.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I'm going to go with my Chris Todd jinx (despite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Northwestern's</span> leaky defense) and pick the 'Cats in a sloppy squeaker.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: Auburn def. Northwestern 38-35 (OT)<br /></span><span>Wow, was I close to calling this one perfectly! It was a </span><span>sloppy squeaker all the way (eight turnovers? eight?) and if Northwestern had a halfway competent kicker, they would have won! It would also have helped if Mike Kafka hadn't been on a mission to equal his season interception total. Auburn looked dominant in the first half, but didn't quite put it away and, despite giving up completely on their running game, the 'Cats took advantage later on.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Hilarious Moment: </span><span>Didn't it look like Northwestern hadn't informed their substitute kicker (who may or may not have been 12 years old) that they were going to fake the field goal? When they all shifted and snapped the ball, he was still standing in his kicking stance looking confused.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, December 31, 2:30PM<br />Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Missouri<br /></span><span>Probably the least interesting of the ones I'm watching, but I do like to watch that triple option.</span><span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Mizzou</span> QB Blaine <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Gabbert</span> was bothered by an ankle injury for the latter part of the regular season, so it will be nice to see him healthy again.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction: </span><span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Mizzou</span> should show a little better here than they did in their regular season, but I still think Navy's discipline wins the day.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Navy def. Missouri 35-13</span><span><br />Second straight 'fantastic execution by a service academy' game today! Navy was relentless on both sides of the ball, and prolific enough on offense to ovecome three turnovers in the red zone. Mizzou, for its part, had the same problem it has had all year: hard to win if you can't get anything at all going on offense.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Yell at the TV Moment: </span><span>What in the world was with those QB draws that Missouri kept calling? Every single one ended in a four yard loss. I can <span style="font-style: italic;">look</span> at Blaine Gabbert and tell you that a draw is not a good idea.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Thursday, December 31, 1PM<br />Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. #21 Stanford<br /></span><span>If someone had told you at the beginning of the season that this would be a good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">matchup</span>, could you ever have believed it? Oklahoma's had a pretty terrible season, but Stanford has quite a bit less talent. A chance to see how the Cardinal perform on a national stage once again and also to see what's happened to Oklahoma since they fell off the radar after their loss to Texas.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span><span>I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I have to go with Stanford. Despite what the media would have you believe, they're not all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Gerhart</span>. Sophomore QB Andrew Luck is very efficient, especially considering his limited experience, and I expect the extra practice time will help him a lot.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Oklahoma def. Stanford 31-27<br /></span><span>I'd like to say in my defense that I didn't realize that Andrew Luck was not going to play for Stanford. If he had played, I'm pretty certain they would have won. Instead, their game plan was indeed Gerhart Gerhart Gerhart and though they managed to do that out of about 27 different formations, eventually the Sooners caught on. Still Stanford did a good job to hang on. Every time it seemed like it was about to get out of reach, they caught a break or blocked a punt or got an interception. They just didn't have quite enough (quarterback) in the end.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Yell at the TV Moment:</span><span> I hate when the announcers aren't even paying attention. After one Stanford drive, Craig Bolerjack raved about how Harbaugh trusted backup QB Tavita Pritchard in the red zone. They had called four running plays, one out of the wildcat, for which Pritchard wasn't even on the field. Now that's trust...</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Thursday, December 31, 11AM<br />Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force<br /></span><span>This isn't one I'd typically be too excited about, but I wouldn't mind one more chance to see onetime Heisman candidate Case <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Keenum</span> play for the Cougars. Air Force has also had a nice little season and purportedly has a pretty solid defense. It will be tested by Houston's air attack.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span><span>I want to go with my gut and take the scorers, but Air Force played tight with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">TCU</span> and with Utah, which is more impressive than any wins Houston has. Falcons over the Cougars (get it?)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Air Force def. Houston 47-20</span><span><br />Say what you want about service academy football, but you can't argue with the execution. Air Force was this game on solid blocking, accurate throws, disciplined coverage, and just enough creativity to keep the Houston defense guessing. It obviously wasn't Houston's best game, but they would have been outclassed either way.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Moment of the College Football Season, Hands Down: </span> Air Force calls its final timeout with just under 20 seconds to go in the first half and the ball inside the Houston 10-yard line. They attempt to run a play, but the quarterback falls down with :12 on the clock. Air Force, knowing it can't stop the clock, has their field goal team ready to go. They sprint on to the field from the 30-yard line in formation, line up and snap the ball with :03 to go. The kicker drills the field goal, and they jog into the locker room without even a celebration. Beautiful.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Wednesday, December 30, 7PM<br />Holiday Bowl: #20 Arizona vs. #22 Nebraska<br /></span><span>Well, I'm not all that interested in this as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">matchup</span>, but I'd like to take advantages of all my chances to see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Ndomukong</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Suh</span>. He'll be matched up against a very calm quarterback in Arizona's Nick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Foles</span>.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction:</span><span> Well, I don't know that Arizona's O-line is so solid, so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Suh</span> really should cause some problems for them. That said, I doubt Bo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Pelini</span> managed to pull an offense (or a rabbit) out of his hat in the last couple of weeks. I'll be rooting for Nebraska, but I think Arizona scores just enough and stops 'Husker RB Roy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Helu</span> Jr. just enough to take this one.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Nebraska def. Arizona</span><span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">33-0</span><br />Wow. I thought the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">SMU</span> win was a surprise, but THIS was a surprise. Nebraska's first touchdown was completely set up by its defense and I thought, well, okay, par for the course. But then the 'Huskers rushing attack exploded!</span><span> Which set up the short passing game very nicely. Nebraska had some new looks and clearly used their extra practice time to good advantage (I think they may have equaled their point total for the whole rest of the season), but you gotta wonder what Arizona has to say for itself.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>Your defense has to be </span><span>pretty terrible to make <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Zac</span> Lee look like an efficient passer.</span><span> All joking aside though, kudos to Bo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Pelini</span> - the Huskers are back and I bet they can't wait until next year.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cry at the TV Moment: </span>Nick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Foles</span>' stat line: 9/30, 48 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">yards</span>, INT<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, December 29, 7PM<br />Champs Sports Bowl: #15 Miami vs. #25 Wisconsin<br /></span><span>Oh, y</span><span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">ou</span> know me, I try to keep up with the Big Ten.</span><span> </span><span>Miami's success has been well documented this year, but </span><span>Wisconsin has pretty quietly had a decent little season as well with defeats at the hands of top Big Ten teams Iowa and Ohio State and a 'we shall never again speak of this' loss to Northwestern.</span><span> Wisconsin relies heavily on John Clay in the run game, but Miami should have that handled and it will be up to QB Scott <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Tolzien</span> to pick up the slack. Meanwhile, the Badgers will have their hands full with 'Canes QB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Jacory</span> Harris and his corps of speedy receivers.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span></span><span>Gotta like Miami in this one.</span><span> I can't imagine the Badgers can keep up with this kind of team speed.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Result: Wisconsin def. Miami</span><span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">20-14</span><br />Oh, Wisconsin, I apologize one million times for doubting you. I guess I have to point out that even Northwestern could have taken down this flat and beat up Miami team, but it's still a great, great, great win for you and for the Big Ten!</span><span> Miami was quite a bit speedier, but they really only showed it in the first 20 and last 175 seconds of the game. Otherwise, Wisconsin's fantastic D-line pressure, bruising running game and, most surprisingly, laser accuracy from QB Scott <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Tolzien</span> (product of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Fremd</span> High School in Palatine, IL!) rendered speed a moot point.</span><span> It was old school versus sandlot and old school won tonight - love it!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>Man, broadcasting is for idiots these days. Wisconsin's 1st TD drive was as follows: a lovely pass down inside the five, one run up the middle, and a sweep into the end zone. After the extra point, ESPN went to commercial, came back, and <span style="font-style: italic;">recapped the drive</span>. Who needs a recap of a three play drive?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Random Note: </span>If you had watched only the action *between* snaps, you would definitely have concluded that Miami won in a blowout. Man can those guys celebrate! Meanwhile, good old Wisconsin kept it close to the vest.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, December 28, 4PM</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia</span><br />Nice of these guys not to conflict with the Bears on Monday Night Football. If you haven't gotten a chance to see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Aggies</span> QB Jerrod Johnson, you'd be wise to take advantage of this chance. Johnson has completed 60% of his passes for 28 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">TDs</span> and only 6 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">INTs</span> and has rushed for 455 yards with 93 of them coming in his spectacular game against the Longhorns. Sophomore <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">WR</span> Ryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Tannehill</span> is also a backup QB and you can expect a trick play or two from him. On the other side, an off year for Georgia (despite incredible talent A.J. Green at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">WR</span> spot) presents a chance for the Big 12 to make a statement.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>This should be a pretty high scoring game. As high as I am on the young <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Aggies</span>, Georgia has a better record against a much stronger schedule. If Mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Richt</span> can keep his players disciplined, Georgia should have the talent to win this one.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Georgia def. Texas A&M 44-20</span><br />So I saw the final score of this one before I watched the game and was pretty darn confused when I watched the teams feel each other out for almost the entire first half. How in the world was Georgia going to get to 44 points when it hadn't scored with 2:35 to go in the 1st half? But then, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Aggies</span> special teams entered the fray and what a disaster! Jerrod Johnson and the hurry-up offense were actually fairly successful (471 total yards) and would have had A&M right in the game, but it's pretty darn hard to overcome four huge special teams gaffes (blocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">FG</span>, kick off return TD, blocked punt recovered on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Aggies</span> 2, and a snap over the punters head, also in A&M territory). Georgia, for its part, gained 366 yards, but I think about 150 of them came on bull rushes in the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">th</span> quarter when the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">Aggies</span> defense was exhausted.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>None really, other than the announcers mispronouncing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Washaun</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">Ealey's</span> name as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">Washaun</span> Early (that's right, the easy one). I was way too involved in the Bears' overtime win to get that excited about this one!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, December 26, 7PM</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. #24 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">USC</span></span><br />It's kind of amazing that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">USC</span> is still ranked after a string of terrible conference losses, but maybe its their consolation for failing to qualify for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">BCS</span> for the first time in eight years. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Haven't gotten a chance to check out BC this year, but a quick glance at their schedule reveals that they haven't beaten a decent team all year. And even with a shaky QB and without half of their skill players, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">USC</span> still qualifies as a decent team. Trojans should take this one easily.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">USC</span> def. Boston College 24-13</span><br />Usually I leave the conspiracy theories to my mother, but I'm pretty certain this game was fixed. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">USC</span> got an awful lot of help from the refs, both in booth reviews and dubious 3rd down penalties. Hilariously, it probably didn't need to be fixed, since BC has a 25-year-old freshman pitcher for a QB. Football players throw to players while baseball players throw to spots and judging by the number of passes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">Shinskie</span> threw behind his guys, he hasn't quite learned the difference. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">USC</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">should </span>have taken this one easily, but didn't for two reasons: 1) The combination of RB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">Montel</span> Harris and the BC offensive line was terrific and 2) Barkley still isn't quite ready to go. Despite all of the praise earlier this year, Pete Carroll knows it too. Nothing says 'I don't trust my quarterback' like a receiver screen behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 5.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>Eh, not a yell really - this was a reasonably calm one to watch...but this announcing team is rapidly becoming hard to deal with. Rod Gilmore occasionally says interesting things, but then Joe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">Tessitore</span> immediately repeats it, which is pretty annoying.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Random note: </span>I certainly won't argue that Taylor Mays is a once in a lifetime physical specimen, but if he's so good, why does every big play go right through where he was standing at the snap?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, December 26, 3:30PM</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66">Meinecke</span> Car Care Bowl: #17 Pitt vs. North Carolina</span><br />Tough consolation prize for a team that nearly got the Big East Conference's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67">BCS</span> bid. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_68">UNC</span> has been very Jekyll and Hyde this year, so it'll be interesting to see not only how they match up with the Panthers, but which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_69">UNC</span> team shows up.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Dion Lewis will run wild and Pitt's defense should be able to put a damper on the Tar Heels anemic offense.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: Pitt def. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_70">UNC</span> 19-17</span><br />This kind of game was really par for the course for the Panthers this season. Dion Lewis runs wild, Bill <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_71">Stull</span> is uneven at best while the announcers praise his every move, Dave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_72">Wannstedt</span> is seriously <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_73">outcoached</span>, and Pitt leaves it up to chance in the end. Butch Davis and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_74">UNC</span> had a terrific game plan - the play mix on offense was fantastic and took advantage of the skills of T.J. Yates (it's tempting to think he's terrible, but he's really just inconsistent), Greg Little, and especially Ryan Houston (where did this guy come from?) - but didn't quite have the talent to carry it out. They probably also should have rethought leaving the middle of the field wide open on every 3rd down.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>Greg Little, what a maroon! He's got some serious talent, but punting the ball into the stands after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_75">UNC's</span> first TD was one of the dumber things I've seen all year. If I were a pro scout, this kind of boner would make me think twice about drafting a guy. Later in the game, he bowled over the sound guy on the sideline and walked past him onto the field without so much as a glance to see if he'd killed him. Nice kid.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, December 24, 7PM</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_76">SMU</span></span><br />I always like to watch Nevada's pistol offense and when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_77">Wolfpack</span> QB Colin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_78">Kaepernick</span> gets going, he seems to cover five yards with each step. I also wouldn't mind a chance to check out former Hawaii coach June Jones' new charges at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_79">SMU</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Nevada RB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_80">Vai</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_81">Taua</span> has been ruled academically ineligible and I don't know who his backup will be, which makes this hard to pick. I haven't seen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_82">SMU</span> play this year, but looking at their schedule, their best moment is a 28-21 win over East Carolina, which isn't spectacularly impressive. When in doubt, I usually go with the scorers, so I'll say the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_83">Wolfpack</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_84">SMU</span> def. Nevada</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">45-10</span><br />Another coming out party for a true freshman quarterback. In this case it was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_85">SMU</span> starter Kyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_86">Padron</span>, who torched Nevada's secondary all day (though it is worth pointing out that he had enough time to salt, cut, and eat a steak dinner before throwing on most plays). Had I realized that both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_87">Taua</span> *and* Luke <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_88">Lippincott</span> were out, I might have picked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_89">SMU</span>, but the Nevada offense was the least of its problems on a very sour ending note to its season. I said I hadn't seen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_90">SMU</span> play this year - judging by their complete <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_91">unpreparedness</span>, apparently neither had the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_92">Wolfpack</span> defense.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>Why was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_93">SMU</span> throwing deep up 38-3 with 8 minutes left? I guess we didn't need much more proof that June Jones was a jerk, but this was low even for him.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, December 23, 7PM</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Poinsettia Bowl: #23 Utah vs. California</span><br />I'm not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_94">particularly</span> interested in either of these teams, but this is a good match up between two teams who should be playing each other more often. Cal RB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_95">Jahvid</span> Best will not play after that gruesome concussion, but his replacement, Shane <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_96">Vereen</span>, is pretty good in his own right and will be the center of the Bears' offense. Utah is a pretty well-balanced team and will be looking to prove itself against a major conference team.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I haven't seen Utah this year, but their three losses came at the hands of Oregon, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_97">TCU</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_98">BYU</span> and they were close against Oregon and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_99">BYU</span>. Meanwhile, Cal had an up and down season and was blown out by Oregon, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_100">USC</span>, Oregon State and, improbably, Washington. The Utes have a good blueprint and I think they'll win in a close one.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: Utah def. California 37-27</span><br />This was one of those games that felt like a blowout but never quite was. What it was, however, was a real coming out party for Utah freshman QB Jordan Wynn, who was almost unfailingly calm and accurate. Cal did go up 14-0 early, but then returned to being embarrassingly outcoached as usual. It's really, really hard to believe that Kevin Riley is the best QB on Cal's roster. In the second quarter, Utah realized that RB Shane Vereen was Cal's only weapon and then it was all over for the Bears. A not-so-great cap to a really disappointing season for Cal - seriously overrated early, blown out a couple of times in conference, beaten by a Mountain West team in a bowl game.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>Two specific coaching complaints for Jeff Tedford. Down 30-21 with 9 minutes remaining and facing a 4th and 3 near midfield, why punt? You need two scores and your defense needs a stop either way. And a minor complaint: Cal's first play from scrimmage was a fake reverse and then the expected Vereen run up the middle. Come on, you're the favorite and Vereen is your workhorse. Forget the trickeration and just block.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, December 22, 7PM</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Las Vegas Bowl: #18 Oregon State vs. #14 Brigham Young</span><br />Here's a chance to see two quarterbacks who should have their names called in April. Oregon State's Sean Canfield and BYU's Max Hall will both be playing in their last collegiate games. Canfield looks more like a prototypical NFL passer and has come charging out of the gates this year after an inconsistent career. Meanwhile, what Max Hall lacks in size and arm strength, he makes up in accuracy and leadership.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>The Beavers have more weapons (particularly the Rodgers brothers) and should be able to take this one, though they'll have to be sure and account for Cougars LB Coleby Clawson (he of injuring Sam Bradford fame).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Result: BYU def. Oregon State 44-20</span><br />Well, the wind certainly didn't help here (it's not often that you see two punts under ten yards and a goalpost net fiasco so severe that a costumed mascot tries to help), but as I mentioned above, this really was the story of two quarterbacks. Correct analysis, incorrect prediction. Max Hall went out in style with some help from twin backfield beasts Harvey Unga and Manase Tonga, while Sean Canfield can't be excited about what he did to his draft prospects. Not only was he inaccurate, the Beavers looked like a team without a leader, which shouldn't happen with a senior quarterback. BYU stacked the box and decided to hold the Rodgers brothers in check and make Canfield beat them. Successful game plan, especially when Mike Riley isn't in an 'adapt the Beavers game plan' mood. OSU was thoroughly outcoached and outplayed.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yell at the TV Moment: </span>What in the world was Mike Riley thinking with that fake punt on their first drive of the 4th quarter? Yes, it was 4th and relatively short, but you're in your own territory and your offense has been terrible. Even if you pick up the first down, what are the odds that you then drive the rest of the field? Punt the ball and hope for better field position next time.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-27811355867884180712009-12-06T23:06:00.007-06:002009-12-09T10:04:47.830-06:00College Football: Week 14 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#7 Oregon def. #16 Oregon State 37-33</span><br />I learned all I needed to know about this game in the first half of the first quarter. Oregon's first possession lasted only about 30 seconds and 5 yards before Jeremiah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Masoli</span> was intercepted. Oregon State promptly drove 22 yards to the end zone and Oregon was down 7-0 just over three minutes in. I think the way a team reacts to adversity says everything, and what did Oregon do? Marched 77 yards in 8 plays to tie the game. All in all, it was a good showing for Beavers QB Sean <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Canfield</span> and the magnificent Rodgers brothers, but the trio of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Masoli</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">LaMichael</span> James and returned bruiser <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">LeGarrette</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Blount</span> was too much to handle. On to Pasadena.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Central Michigan def. Ohio 20-10</span><br />Man, I love small time football. Big time record set here though, as Central Michigan quarterback Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">LeFevour</span> became the all time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">FBS</span> leader in touchdowns. Congrats Dan, hope to see you in the NFL. Oh yeah, the game. Kind of slow, I guess, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lefevour</span> was good, as was Chippewa RB/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">WR</span> Antonio Brown. Ohio's QB Theo Scott had some good moments, but was for some unclear reason unable to throw a screen pass, which made it very hard for him to run his offense. He also pretty much gave up any chance to win when he was sacked out of field goal range with the Bobcats down 20-10 in the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">th</span> quarter. Live and learn...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#5 Cincinnati def. #15 Pittsburgh 45-44</span><br />Some teams just love to lose. Michigan State, the Buffalo Bills, and now we can add Pitt to the list. This is the second week in a row they blew a game in which they were obviously the better team. Cincinnati didn't look too good either, seemingly hampered by the snow and also by a massive <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">team wide</span> choke in the first half. Looked a little like Brian Kelly didn't have his team ready to play, which of course makes me wonder what the Fighting Irish brass thought. So can Cincinnati stop Dion Lewis? No. Lewis was good, but Pitt's offensive line dominated and Lewis often wasn't touched until he already had a three yard gain. Can Pitt keep the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Bearcats</span> from scoring 50? Technically yes, but not really. Did I jinx Bill <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Stull</span>? Complicated. He wasn't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">particularly</span> good, but then again, when your running back has 50 touches, how involved can you be? Generally, a shootout doesn't come down to one play, but then the Pitt holder dropped the extra point snap. D'oh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arizona def. #18 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">USC</span> 21-17</span><br />How the mighty have fallen! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">USC</span> somehow forgot AGAIN that McKnight is their best weapon and instead put Mr. Barkley in some tough situations he wasn't experienced enough to handle. The Trojans also used all of their second half timeouts before the closing minutes of the game, which hurt 'em a bit in the end. Maybe this is just because I'm used to them being so good, but it looks like they aren't really trying. And what do you get for that? 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">th</span> in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Pac</span>-10 and a bowl date with the Jesuits of the Northeast.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#2 Alabama def. #1 Florida 32-13</span><br />I feel kind of stupid for blowing this call. I knew Alabama had a more complete team and I also knew that Florida basically hadn't played a decent team all year (someone called it a 12 game preseason). I just overestimated the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Tebow</span> factor. As did <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Tebow</span>, obviously. And Urban Meyer. And for a lone Florida drive before the half, it looked like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Tebow</span> might lead them back into the game. But while Florida's offense was by no means good, the game was lost by the defense, which was on its heels from the very beginning of the game. Alabama put together several incredibly long drives and I actually think what you saw was a 49-13 blowout hampered by Alabama's plodding (although steady) offense. Good news for Texas (and excuse me for being vulgar): <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">McElroy</span> probably shot his wad on this one. It's hard to imagine him playing so far above himself twice in a row.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#3 Texas def. #22 Nebraska 13-12</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Blech</span>. If you take this game and the Oregon/Boise State travesty at the beginning of the season, you have disaster bookends to the regular season. Texas looked really really really tight. I kept thinking they would get over it and just throw short passes to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Shipley</span> all night, but they never did. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Cornhuskers</span> had a fantastic defensive game plan (kudos to Bo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Pelini</span> for providing Alabama with a blueprint) and possibly the best punter/kicker I've ever seen, but on the other side of the ball...well, an ESPN column referred to them as "the team that offense forgot". No matter how many sacks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Ndamukong</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Suh</span> has, 32 yards in an entire half of football just isn't going to get it done. And so, despite the fact that Texas was completely unable to protect Colt McCoy, despite the fact that Texas had significant trouble with a very mediocre team, they're going to the national championship.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>After Nebraska intercepted Colt McCoy on Texas' first drive, they faced a 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">th</span> and 1 in field goal range and Bo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Pelini</span> decided to go for it, which I thought was incredibly dumb. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Pelini</span> has to know how god-awful his offense is. Even if you make the first down, what are the odds that you make two more and score the touchdown (they didn't, by the way, and kicked the field goal anyway)? And if you don't make it, wow, momentum right back to Texas. I'm usually in favor of making an early game statement, but this was an early game bluff.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>During the Civil War, ESPN displayed a stats comparison between Colt McCoy and Nebraska QB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Zac</span> Lee. That's just mean.....Have you ever seen slower crawling than that Oregon lineman's attempt to pick up that Ducks fumble in the backfield? It looked like a slow motion replay.....Sad play of the week: Oregon State is lucky to have a really crappy punt called back because of a false start. On the second iteration, the punter does even worse.....After <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">USC</span> fullback Stanley <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Havili</span> was called for a personal foul for spiking the ball in frustration after a play, the announcers said they didn't think that should be a penalty. I disagree wholeheartedly. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Havili</span> spiked the ball five yards out of bounds forcing the ball boys to crawl under the bench to get it. Despite our incredible ability to tolerate them from athletes, temper tantrums are definitely unsportsmanlike conduct.....Tim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Tebow</span> really needs to work on his poker face. I understand that it was disappointing, but who cries during a blowout? You have so much time to get used to the idea!.....Did anyone notice Blake Gideon dropping an INT in much the same manner as he did last year against Texas Tech? Almost cost his team a national championship two years in a row.....Great <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Musburger</span> quote: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Ndamukong</span> is dominating! (He was though. Great to see a defensive player invited to the Heisman ceremony)Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-684214177005640642009-12-02T22:17:00.002-06:002009-12-02T22:39:38.105-06:00College Football: Week 14 Preview<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, 8PM: #16 Oregon State at #7 Oregon</span><br />The Civil War (you gotta love <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">matchups</span> that have special names), Beavers and Ducks, and the battle for who beats Ohio State in the Rose Bowl (I was apparently incorrect about Oregon clinching the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Pac</span>-10 with the win over Arizona, but I got that from ESPN, so you can blame them!).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Well, I watched a couple of Oregon State games last year, but I haven't seen them this year which means I haven't had a look at former and now again starting quarterback Sean <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Canfield</span>. But put the fact that the Beavers were routed at home last year with the fact that they have to go into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Autzen</span> tomorrow night and you've got yourself a Ducks win. Quack quack.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, 7PM: Ohio vs. Central Michigan</span><br />This will be Central Michigan QB Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Lefevour</span>’s third MAC Championship game in four years. I can’t really say I know how good of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">matchup</span> it will be, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lefevour</span> is always fun to watch and it will be a good nationally televised chance for him to show his stuff to the NFL so he should be ready to go. Remember, this is a guy whose numbers have been better than <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tebow</span>’s!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Gotta go with the Chippewas here. They've had a great season, including beating Michigan State in September, and they won't drop the ball here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 11AM: #5 Cincinnati at #15 Pittsburgh</span><br />Pitt made this one quite a bit less exciting by letting West Virginia beat 'em last weekend. Still, it's for the Big East championship and the automatic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">BCS</span> bid, which could have big implications for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">TCU</span> and Boise State.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Tough one here. Can <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Cincy's</span> weak defense stop Dion Lewis at all? Can Pitt hold the ball long enough to keep the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Bearcats</span> from scoring 50? Will I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">contine</span> to jinx Bill <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Stull</span>? In the end, I think a quick scorer beats a plodder (spoken like a true disappointed Big Ten fan) and I have to pick Cincinnati.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 2:30PM: Arizona at #18 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">USC</span></span><br />This year is the entire <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Pac</span>-10's chance to knock of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">USC</span>, so it's fun seeing who takes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">advatage</span> of it. I was impressed with Arizona QB Nick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Foles</span>' performance against Oregon and I'd like to see if he can duplicate it here. Meanwhile, it will be nice to check in on the Trojans, who I haven't seen since they were steamrolled by Oregon.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Arizona's on a nice little high after beating rival Arizona State and I think they'll ride it out here. Plus, I learned my lesson about picking <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">USC</span> in the Oregon game...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 3PM: #1 Florida at #2 Alabama</span><br />The Granddaddy of 'em All. No wait, that's something different. But this one's exciting nonetheless, since it functions like a national semifinal for the second straight year. I just hope Florida will be showing off those white helmets again - those were nice.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I do think Florida's defense will have some trouble with Ingram, but you just can't bet against <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Tebow</span> in these situations. Alabama does have a good defense, but all it takes is a couple of touchdowns. And frankly, I'd rather see a Florida-Texas championship game. Go Gators.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 7PM: #3 Texas vs. #22 Nebraska</span><br />Big 12 Championship and the last chance for Texas to crumble and give us a little more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">BCS</span> intrigue. Bo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Pelini's</span> team can always be counted on for some decent defense even if the offense and QB <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Zac</span> Lee are a little...lacking.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Texas. Not even close.<br /><br />For anyone who isn't so into the above games, it might be worth it to watch #21 Houston at East Carolina or South Florida at Connecticut. I'd watch the latter myself if I were going to be home. But alas, people's birthdays take precedence :)Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-53105365193413124242009-11-30T20:22:00.006-06:002009-12-03T09:07:43.898-06:00College Football: Week 13 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#5 Cincinnati def. Illinois 49-36</span><br />Can't say I learned too much here. As expected, Cincinnati has a fantastic offense (that misdirection shovel pass was sweet!), but unfortunately has the kind of defense that allows a team like Illinois to drop 36 points. Illinois has a great talent in Arrelious Benn (how in the world did Ron Zook get him to Champaign?!?), but Juice, despite some improvement, is basically still the same inaccurate quarterback we kept having to watch three years ago. The Illini made a decent show of it, but just couldn't keep up with Pike and the Bearcats in the end.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">West Virginia def. #9 Pittsburgh 19-16</span><br />Wow, terrible (and pretty boring) showing for Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers. My mom thinks that <span style="font-style: italic;">I </span>might be the jinx for Pitt QB Bill Stull (didn't I do this to Auburn's Chris Todd as well?) and whatever the cause, he looked only marginally better than his bowl performance last year (i.e. the worst performance ever by a quarterback) and did essentially nothing of note until he finally managed to hit Baldwin for the game tying touchdown. Unfortunately, Pitt's defense hadn't gotten it done all night against a relatively one note (Noel Devine) Mountaineer offense and they didn't fare any better at the end. Nice little season saver for West Virginia, but Pitt really should have rethought letting this one get away.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#6 Boise State def. Nevada 44-33</span><br />I have to give credit to Nevada for showing some life after being down 20-0 in what seemed like about 30 seconds. Unfortunately, it was all they could do to keep it respectable. Boise State actually didn't pass particularly well (and might have tossed Kellen Moore's invite to the Heisman ceremony down the drain), but their running game more than made up for it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">South Carolina def. #18 Clemson 34-17</span><br />I thought this game was a very interesting lesson in momentum. We already know that South Carolina is capable of some good things, but has serious trouble with inconsistency, especially on offense. I hadn't seen Clemson play before this game, but most accounts seem to suggest that they're a pretty good team. Knowing all of this, you have to look at Clemson's two fumbles, one at the outset of each half. Both killed successful drives, one with Clemson already up 7-0 and the other with Clemson down 17-7. What changes if the score becomes 14-0 in the first quarter or 17-14 in the third? Clemson had a few nice pass plays to TE Michael Palmer and redshirt freshman QB Kyle Parker looks like he might be the real deal, but overall, the day belonged to the Gamecocks. Nice win for Mr. Spurrier at home.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#17 Miami def. South Florida 31-10</span><br />Wow. I did say Miami would win because of its speed, but I didn't expect this. The Hurricanes dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and quickly flattened both the crowd and the Bulls. Kudos to the Bulls for waking up a little in the second half (hopefully, that's the preview of leadership to come from B.J. Daniels in the future), but this was steamroller just about all the way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#15 LSU def. Arkansas 33-30 (OT)</span><br />Though I really want to hate the SEC, I have to admit that you can almost always count on these games for some entertainment. My goodness does Trindon Holliday have an impact on games. Whether he's speeding by on kick returns, slashing from the running back position, or yes, muffing punts to keep Arkansas in the game, you never forget he's on the field. Impressive for a guy of that size, though it's hard to tell if we're looking at the next Darren Sproles or just a nice cog in LSU's gimmicky offense. Arkansas had some serious problems, most notably lack of pass protection and Ryan Mallett's throws sailing, but found some success in the running game in the second half. That <span style="font-style: italic;">killer</span> Jordan Jefferson interception (LSU leading 17-6 and in Arkansas territory) helped too. The fall: Arkansas' terrible prevent defense on LSU's tying drive and of course, the missed field goal in OT. Just when you thought SEC kickers were getting it together!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stanford def. Notre Dame</span><br />I was actually pretty disappointed by this game. Neither team showed any defense whatsoever and I thought the coaching was suspect for both sides. Notre Dame called a quarterback sneak on 3rd and 2 in the second quarter (your QB already has a black eye!) and had to give the ball back to Stanford for the winning drive because it chose a running play on 3rd and 2 at midfield when its passing game hadn't been stopped at all. On the other side, well, I admit I've watched quite a bit of Notre Dame "film", but Harbaugh and his staff presumably did too, which is why I'm baffled as to how they possibly could have been fooled by Jimmy Clausen lining up at wideout for the Wild Leprechaun then jogging into the backfield and throwing a touchdown pass to a wide open Michael Floyd. Mr. Harbaugh, the Irish have run that exact play before and your safeties should have been prepared or at least watching the second of the two people who is playing out of position in the formation. Anyhow though, the game went pretty much as predicted - Toby Gerhart was next to unstoppable on the ground, Jimmy Clausen was next to unstoppable through the air and Stanford had the ball last. I will say that Stanford QB Andrew Luck looked polished. I wonder if there's any chance that Gerhart will stick around for another year in Palo Alto.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>On Stanford's final drive, a fantastic Gerhart run brought the ball down to the Notre Dame 3 yard line, where the Irish called their second timeout with 1:03 to go. If I'm Mr. Harbaugh, I'm thinking "hmm, we've been ripped apart on defense all night and I'd rather not give Clausen the chance to tie it. Wait, I don't have to! I can kneel three times and let my Notre Dame-transfer kicker boot the game winning field goal. Or, if I don't want to leave it to one snap, I can kneel once or twice to be sure Notre Dame calls its final timeout and maybe eat a little time and then let Gerhart bash his way in." Charlie Weis realized it and the Irish did not try to stop Gerhart from scoring on first down. So the Irish got the ball back with 59 seconds and one timeout. Only the monumental collapse of the Notre Dame offensive line (bad time for the only two sacks given up!) saved the Cardinal from this blowing up in their faces. And even so, the Irish had a last second shot at the end zone. Is there some kind of etiquette I don't know about here?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>Boise State, if you want to know why you're not being taken seriously, it might be things like a failed two point conversion in the first quarter that injures your #1 receiver.....Friday's ESPN coverage was generally hilarious - did you catch the Now/Ahead/Later teasers for topics the commentators would ignore the game to discuss? How about the 'Jared the Galleria of Jewelry Score Alert'?.....It seems to me that defensive offsides and intentional grounding should not be offsetting penalties. If the defender wasn't offsides, the quarterback probably wouldn't have had to ground the ball.....Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett looks much more polished than at the beginning of the year, but still moves really awkwardly, like his feet are too big - wonder if this is a puppy thing that will go away as he matures or if he's always going to move poorly.....Um, why is Toby Gerhart so incredibly exhausted all the time? I realize he has a bruising style, but he's not the only one. Does he need to be in better shape? Is it just because he's a big guy? I can't imagine NFL teams love to see that.....Stanford fullback Owen Marecic is also their backup middle linebacker. A couple weeks ago, starter Clinton Snyder was unable to go, and Marecic <span style="font-style: italic;">started both ways</span>!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-87281671556171466942009-11-26T15:15:00.005-06:002009-11-28T01:02:18.682-06:00College Football: Week 13 Preview<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, 11AM: Illinois at #5 Cincinnati</span><br />A much better matchup since Illinois woke up long enough to save Ron Zook's job. Also, Tony Pike returns as the Bearcats starter, which should settle down their offense a little. The key is the defense, which will need to stop the run to give the offense as many possessions as possible.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Cincy by 2 scores - bring on the Panthers!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, 6PM: #9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia</span><br />The Backyard Brawl! One more tuneup for Pitt before the matchup with Cincinnati. The Mountaineers aren't great, but Noel Devine always gives them a chance. Pitt's defense will be tested in the run game.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Pitt! Their LeSean McCoy replacement should be able to keep up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, 9PM: Nevada at #6 Boise State</span><br />Hard to see Boise State tripping here, but it's always fun to watch Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick. Blue turf is a minus though.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Boise State passing attack will be way too much for Nevada to handle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 11AM: #18 Clemson at South Carolina</span><br />I actually haven't seen Clemson this year, so I'd like to see if they deserve their ranking and get a look at Heisman candidate C.J. Spiller. South Carolina can be good but is fantastically inconsistent - it's always interesting to see which Gamecocks team shows up.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Clemson, I suppose.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 2:30PM: #17 Miami at South Florida</span><br />Haven't checked in on Miami since I jumped off the bandwagon several weeks ago. A game at the always dangerous Bulls is a good chance.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>This is a hard one, since I'm not certain how good Miami has turned out to be. That sad, Florida teams always have a speedy defense, so I'm counting on the Hurricanes to contain B.J. Daniels. Miami in a closer game than it should be.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 6PM: Arkansas at #15 LSU</span><br />Back to my old buddy Ryan Mallett, who's having a pretty fantastic year. Meanwhile, LSU is coming off a terrible loss at Ole Miss and probably needs this one to stay ranked.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Even though I once swore I would never pick against LSU in a night game at Tiger Stadium, I'm going to pick the upset. Arkansas has gotten better with every game while LSU seems to be on its way down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 7PM: Notre Dame at Stanford</span><br />Charlie Weis' job is probably a foregone conclusion at this point, but it's still a big game for Jim Harbaugh and the Cardinal. A lot of eyes will be on this one, which means that Toby Gerhart has a good chance to add to his Heisman resume.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Stanford. Notre Dame will put up a good fight on offense, but there's no way they have an answer for Gerhart.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-69217891436609797922009-11-25T14:41:00.004-06:002009-11-26T15:15:31.607-06:00College Football: Week 12 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#10 Ohio State def. Michigan 21-10</span><br />Not too much mystery here - you can't turn the ball over six times and expect to win, particularly against a team as conservative as Ohio State (1 turnover). That said, Michigan had every opportunity to win. The Buckeyes were run run run as expected (Pryor was 9/17 for only 67 yards!) and Michigan contained it somewhat even if they couldn't stop it and the stats were strikingly even (well, evenly depressing). Here's to a better Michigan, and thus a better Big Ten, next year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Connecticut def. Notre Dame</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 33-30 (2OT)</span><br />This is really Notre Dame's MO now - offense keeps it close, Golden Tate runs wild, defense is unable to stop the run despite the announcers telling us several times how fantastic Kyle McCarthy is. So I suppose the Irish will get rid of Charlie Weis and I have to say, I think that's a good idea for more than just the wins and losses. I've been a Notre Dame hater my entire life, but even I can admit that they were always classy and I think that's changed under Weis. In this game alone, the Irish had two late hits, LB Brian Smith yelling "what's my mother fucking name" after intercepting a pass, and countless strutting after routine plays. At one point, Tate took a line drive punt back about 15 yards and then was tackled by the first player to touch him and then taunted the UConn sideline. Really? If Notre Dame can't win or be counted on to behave, who are they?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mississippi def. LSU 25-23</span><br />Only caught the second half of this one, but it was plenty. It was a pretty even game and definitely the Runnin' Rebels best of the year. Snead was serviceable and McCluster was fantastic as usual - sweet halfback pass! - but Mississippi wasn't prolific enough to put the game away the way they should have (particularly up 22-17 and inside the 10-yard-line in the 4th quarter). Add in a blocked FG return for LSU and you have a close enough game to produce that bizarre ending - see below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#11 Oregon def. Arizona</span><br />Very entertaining game! Oregon started off great, but then appeared to be possibly trying to throw the game. The one plus of this was that I could<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>kind of see the team that lost to Boise State, which made my 'alien abduction' theory less plausible. Anyhow, AZ QB Nick Foles took good care of the ball and even made some nice plays, but his defense couldn't contain Masoli and LaMichael James and you know the rule: if you can't stop the run, you can't win. Oh, and Ducks WR Jeff Maehl had a terrific Johnny-on-the-spot-type game, which definitely helped set up the run.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment:</span> Definitely the end of the LSU-Ole Miss game. LSU has the ball at the edge of field goal range, about 30 seconds left. QB Jordan Jefferson moronically takes a sack closer to midfield with 26 seconds left and LSU strangely waits until there are just nine seconds left to take the timeout. Jefferson throws a Hail Mary that's caught just inside the 20, but there's not enough time to get another play, either a spike or the game winning field goal off. Obviously, Miles handled the clock poorly and even worse, sold out his quarterback and didn't own up to his mistake after the game. But his real failing, in my opinion, is not considering the possibility that the ball could end up outside the end zone. He has to know that his quarterback can only throw the ball 40 yards!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry has really fallen - the ABC cameras caught a lot of Wolverine fans yawning in the stands.....In UConn's first set of downs in OT#1, the ball was spotted near the 15 and the refs brought out the chains to measure. You gave them the ball at the 25, right? So is it at the 15 or not?.....Oh no, UGA died!.....Arizona and Oregon appeared to be trying to out-do each other in terms of ugly uniforms. Oregon had white names on white jerseys while the Wildcats appeared to be wearing some sort of red unitards.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-22839998173394829342009-11-19T21:46:00.004-06:002009-11-21T18:18:14.391-06:00College Football: Week 12 Preview<span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 11AM: #10 Ohio State at Michigan</span><br />Because I have to. I'm considering watching in the fetal position. Here’s the thing though – Michigan, for all its troubles this season, can score, and the Buckeyes’ scheme completely prevents them from putting games away. So if Michigan focuses on run defense, they could keep the game pretty close. That’s what I’ll hope for. If it doesn’t work out, I can always look forward to the Buckeyes getting stomped by Stanford/Oregon in Pasadena!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Ohio State. Michigan doesn’t have the defense to keep even this sad-sack offense in check.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 1:30PM: Connecticut at Notre Dame</span><br />ND returns to the friendly lepre-confines (bah dump bah!) for a must-win. Connecticut’s offense is up to the task, but the defense is weak. As just about the entire college football world knows by now, this description also applies to Notre Dame. I do think it will be evenly matched, but here’s the thing: ND needs needs needs this game. They may not have ever needed a game like they need this one. They're 2-3 in their last 5 games, fighting like hell not to finish 6-6, and facing a very good Stanford team next weekend.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Close as always for the Irish, but they'll make sure to get this one.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Saturday, 2:30PM: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">#8 LSU at Mississippi</span><br />This one's really only a maybe, but if I'm home on Saturday afternoon I'll probably at least check it out. Under normal circumstances, this would be an easy LSU win. But Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster is on a tear, the Tigers are missing Charles Scott, and the game is in Runnin’ Rebel-land, all of which serve to even the playing field (haha).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>If Jarret 'Pick Six' Lee was starting again, I'd pick Ole Miss, but Jordan Jefferson returns from a sprained ankle this week. So Geaux Tigers, but I expect this to be Mississippi's best game to date.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 7:00PM: #11 Oregon at Arizona</span><br />Probably the game of the week in a very weak week (I'm just full of puns tonight). I have to say I don’t really know much about Arizona. The last time I saw them was against Iowa back in September and they’re apparently a decent team now, which means they must look pretty darn different. QB Matt Scott (whom I last referred to as "supremely ineffective" has been benched in favor of Nick Foles and the Wildcats have (sort of...) turned things around. Meanwhile, Oregon can take the Pac-10 with a win here.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Oregon’s had some ups and downs this year, but the Pac-10 title would go a long way towards making this an 'up' season. The Ducks (and their uniforms) should be too much for the Wildcats to handle.<br /><br />Extra game for the mountain dwellers: see if you can get Air Force-BYU in the afternoon game. Air Force came within 3 points of TCU back in October and BYU QB Max Hall is one win away from passing Ty Detmer for the school record.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-12325581559191624602009-11-16T21:35:00.003-06:002009-12-29T23:51:31.560-06:00College Football: Week 11 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#5 Cincinnati def. #25 West Virginia 24-21</span><br />I had an absolute blast at this game. Our seats were at the 20-yard line, 13 rows up, which was perfect since the first ten rows pretty much had a butt view of the UC bench. Though it certainly wasn't the Bearcats best showing, Cincinnati has a spectacular offense made even better by the combination of Zach Collaros running the ball and Tony Pike throwing daggers. Isaiah Pead is also a pretty nice option on the running attack. The problem, of course, is on the other side of the ball. West Virginia had no pass attack to speak of. Actually, they had no offense at all outside of the extremely slippery Noel Devine and the occasional Jarrett Brown scramble. But the Bearcats still had a heck of a time stopping them, which isn't a good sign. Conclusion: dream season for UC, it's a blast to see how thrilled the students are, they'll have something of a challenge in Illinois and maybe a bit of a David v. Goliath at Pitt (really wish I'd seen that ND game!), and although I'm on the fan bandwagon for good, it's hard to see them avoiding a blowout at the hands of a big school. They'd have to score on pretty much every possession.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#12 Pittsburgh def. Notre Dame 27-22</span><br />Embarassingly, I got home on Sunday all excited to watch this game (and I had even managed to avoid finding out the score) and I didn't have it recorded. Not sure how that happened, but I am quite disappointed, particularly since Bill Stull reportedly had a good game and I'd definitely have to see that to believe it. Still, it sounds like I called it more or less right - Clausen was pretty good and kept 'em in it, but ultimately couldn't overcome their hapless defense. The road doesn't get a whole lot easier for Notre Dame, whose schedule was much harder this year than it originally seemed. Connecticut comes to South Bend this weekend and then the Irish close out the regular season at Stanford. They can take down Connecticut if they can stop turning the ball over, but Stanford should kill 'em. And I have to say, I think Charlie Weis needs both games to keep his job.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>I caught the end of the Iowa-Ohio State game and am now weeping for the Big Ten. After Ohio State barfed up a 14-point lead in eight minutes in the 4th quarter, they got the ball with 2:42 left and the score tied at 24. Play selection: 3 runs, a 3-yard pass, and a pass stopped behind the line of scrimmage. Tressel-ball, my ass. That's just peewee football. Iowa's possession didn't make matters any better. After stopping the negative pass on 3rd down, Iowa calls timeout and gets the ball back on its own 33 with 52 seconds left. Play selection: rush, delay of game, rush to end game. Yeah, I know you got a freshman QB but a) he's played well and b) why not at least take a shot down the field with 20 seconds or so? All you need is a field goal! The general rule is that if you don't play to win, you won't, but I guess they couldn't both lose.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>Good for Northwestern for beating Illinois. The Wildcats are never as bad as you think.....Cincinnati's stadium (second oldest to Penn) really is terrific. Right in the middle of campus, brick all around, small enough that every seat in the house has a great view - kind of felt like a high school state championship game.....Apparently, we were all part of the largest crowd in Bearcats history - just over 35,000.....What an incredible moment when Tony Pike returned for a touchdown pass a few minutes into the game. The crowd <span style="font-style: italic;">loved</span> it!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-65177070098675417202009-11-11T21:57:00.003-06:002009-11-11T22:24:21.851-06:00College Football: Week 11 PreviewAnother light week, because I'm headed to Cincinnati to see my very own live college football game at what Brent Musburger informed me last weekend is the second-oldest stadium in the country!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#25 West Virginia at #5 Cincinnati</span><br />Zach Collaros is getting the start for the Bearcats over Tony "Wally Pipp" Pike and while you know I like Tony Pike (and pocket passers!), I'm excited to see Collaros in action. I won't settle for less than 500 yards of total offense. While Cincinnati should win on paper, West Virginia, and particularly Noel Devine, can be a slippery little bugger. And they held UConn to 24 points, which greatly bests the Cincy's defensive "effort" against the Huskies. At the very least, it's hard to see the Bearcats scoring 50 points on the Mountaineers, so their relatively inexperienced defense will have to show up.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Cincinnati has this game, then a rapidly improving Illinois team comes to visit, then they end the regular season with what could be the game of the year at #12 Pitt. This is the meat of their season and Coach Kelly will have their eyes on the prize. Go Bearcats!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Notre Dame at #12 Pittsburgh</span><br />I'm going to try to convince my friends to watch this one on Saturday, but there's a lot of talk about going out to dinner, so I'm going to tape it so I can watch it at home if necessary. Big game somehow not diminished by Notre Dame's hilarious loss to Navy last weekend. Pitt QB Bill Stull is reportedly playing well (he couldn't be worse than last year, really) and it sounds like the Panthers are the real deal. If Notre Dame can get this one on the road, it will do a lot towards silencing the critics.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Tough, because I haven't seen Pitt this year (which is why I will be scouting them for Cincinnati!). But the Irish defense has been lit up by all of the halfway decent teams it has faced and I have no reason to believe that Pitt will fare any differently. Jimmy Clausen will throw for about 800 yards, but it won't be enough...I hope.<br /><br />Really bummed I'm not going to be able to get #16 Utah at #4 TCU - Mom and Dad, will you watch this one if you get the chance?<br /><br />The oldest stadium is at the University of Pennsylvania, in case you were wondering :)Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-31432632543100252962009-11-09T22:37:00.004-06:002009-11-10T22:46:53.547-06:00College Football: Week 10 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#3 Alabama def. #9 LSU</span><br />I have to say, I'm not in love with this year's LSU team. They're really gimmicky and they tend to be without the talent and execution to back it up. Still, they had a pretty good chance for a win and might have had it had Jordan Jefferson been able to continue. I admit that I had completely forgotten about Jarret 'Pick-Six' Lee from last year. He seems to have tried to correct his 'touchdowns for the wrong team' problem by becoming an exceptionally slow decision maker. This didn't serve LSU particuarly well and ensured a giant problem once battering ram Charles Scott was hurt. Alabama seemed like the same old Alabama to me - inaccurate McElroy, good defense, a big Julio Jones play, MARK INGRAM - and has clinched the SEC West title and a probable date with Florida in the championship game.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">#16 Ohio State def. #11 Penn State 24-7</span><br />Conservative as a Republican debate, this one. As usual, Ohio State relied heavily on the scrambling ability of Terrelle Pryor and apparently Penn State hadn't watched the USC tape, because they were unable to keep him in the pocket. Add that to the fact that the Buckeyes absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and Tressel and Pryor both can breathe a little easier this week. You have to like Joe Paterno for what he's done for Penn State and for college football in general, but there were a few times in this game where the Nittany Lions looked a little old...and sad. Big Ten Championship is now the Buckeyes' for the taking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#5 Cincinnati def. Connecticut</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 47-45</span><br />I think Tony Pike just got Wally Pipp-ed! Cincy coach Brian Kelly continues to insist that a 100% healthy Pike would be his starter, but it would be pretty hard to take the job away from Zach Collaros, who played one of the most perfect games I've ever seen. UConn, led by QB Zach Frazer (apparently a Notre Dame transfer) and RB Jordan Todman, put up a pretty good showing in a game essentially without defense, but it's pretty darn hard to win when you give up nearly 500 passing yards and over 700 total yards.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>LSU scored a touchdown with 3:19 left in the 3rd quarter to go up 15-10 and Les Miles inexplicably decided to go for the two point conversion. Sure enough, Alabama kicked a FG at the beginning of the 4th quarter - wouldn't 16-13 be better than 15-13. The Tide added a touchdown and a field goal later in the quarter and LSU was left with a 24-15 deficit. Again, wouldn't 24-16 be better? What was he thinking?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>Not only did I call the games wrong this weekend, I *chose* them wrong. I taped LSU/Alabama and Ohio State/Penn State, but I REALLY wish I'd taped Oregon/Stanford and Navy/Notre Dame - go Midshipmen!.....Got some bonus coverage of the end of the Wake Forest/Georgia Tech game and it was exciting. Wake kicked a field goal in its overtime possession and then the Yellow Jackets went for a 4th and 1 en route to scoring a winning touchdown. Kudos to Paul Johnson for having faith in his run game.....Likewise, I loved how Cincinnati went for it on 4th and 1 in field goal range up 40-38 late in the game.....Not much solace, I suppose, but Penn State punter Jeremy Boone made a spectacular tackle on Ohio State punt returner Ray SmallAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-8308740968529479282009-11-05T19:04:00.005-06:002009-11-06T18:35:21.223-06:00College Football: Week 10 PreviewLight week due to a severe lack of interesting games. I'll finish this up tomorrow when ABC releases its games, but here's what I'm thinking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 2:30PM: #9 LSU at #3 Alabama / #16 Ohio State at #11 Penn State</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SEC</span><br />This one has serious national championship implications, which kind of depresses me, since neither of these teams is all that good. Alabama's defense has been impressive but, unfortunately for the Tide, its defense seriously outshines its offense. QB Greg McElroy is a decent replacement for John Parker Wilson, but that isn't saying a whole lot. LSU has looked a little closer to form in the last few weeks, but are still missing the kind of talent they've had in the past. <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I would expect a relatively low-scoring game, which means it should come down to mistakes. Mr. McElroy unfortunately leads the field here. Geaux Tigers.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Ten</span><br />This game means more to Penn State, which can all but secure a BCS berth with a win here. Meanwhile, Ohio State has a lot to prove in the midst of an up and down season and questions about its coach, its quarterback, and its offensive scheme. A big win on the road would do a lot to quiet the critics.<br />Prediction: Last year's game was close, but as I remember was played in the rain, which greatly favored the Buckeye's run-heavy offense. This year, OSU will have to play fair, square, and Beanie-free. Penn State should be embarassed if they can't pick up this one.<br /><br />*I wish I could record three games at once so I could catch Oregon at Stanford on Comcast Sports Net.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 7PM: Connecticut at #5 Cincinnati<br /></span><span>Cincinnati's quest to stay unbeaten (and be horribly disappointed come bowl selection time) runs into a Connecticut team that is reeling after a teammate's murder and a season-ending injury to QB Cody Endres. The Huskies are only 4-4, but one of those wins was over Baylor when the Bears still had QB Robert Griffin<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>and all losses came by four points or less.</span><span> They're a serious underdog here, but then again, the Bearcats have everything to lose.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Prediction: </span><span>I'm headed to a Cincinnati game next weekend and I wholeheartedly expect to see one of the nations few remaining undefeated teams.<br /></span>Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-52734848330117396702009-11-02T21:31:00.004-06:002009-11-05T19:03:51.140-06:00College Football: Week 9 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">South Florida def. #21 West Virginia 30-19</span><br />You guys know I love Matt Grothe. Really, I do. But B.J. Daniels is the kind of athlete that can make your memory really, really short. Whether through the air or on the ground, he absolutely overwhelmed the Mountaineers in this game. The Bulls' defense did their part as well, holding the shifty Noel Devine to just 39 yards. South Florida is trying hard to avoid the quick start/disappointing collapse combination that they've shown in the past two seasons and this is a good start.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Illinois def. Michigan 38-13</span><br />Ugh, this was an ugly one. The Illini looked the best they've looked since last year, but this was the same old Michigan story. Missed tackles, utter confusion against a running quarterback, blown coverages, boneheaded decisions by punt returners, bizarre play calls and fumbles. Starting to look very familiar. Michigan is the only FBS team Illinois has beaten this year and the Wolverines should be very, very embarassed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#1 Florida def. Georgia 41-17</span><br />You may find Gary Danielson annoying and he does have a strange obsession with Tim Tebow, but the guy knows what he's talking about. He pointed out near the end of the first quarter that Florida had abandoned that straight up the middle offense (read: constant dive plays) and gone back to its true 2008 spread and he was right on the money. Undisciplined play from Georgia (big surprise) didn't help matters any, but Florida looked unbeatable on offense last year and looked a heck of a lot better this weekend than they had all year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#3 Texas def. Oklahoma State 41-14</span><br />Not a thrilling one here. It looked like Oklahoma State was trying to set the single game record for most incomplete passes to hit the receiver's hands. And the Cowboys were utterly unable to generate any pass rush on defense. I'm not totally sold on Colt McCoy, but we already discovered against Missouri (and, well, all of last year), that if you give him enough time, he'll pick you apart. Oklahoma State was way behind very quickly and doesn't really have the guns to play catch up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#10 Oregon def. #5 USC 47-20</span><br />Man, I really wish I'd picked Oregon! I was totally going to (I swear), but then I just couldn't imagine the team I saw back at the beginning of September ever even managing to get dressed correctly (I know, I know, arguable considering their uniforms). I will say that I didn't know at the time that half of USC's receiving corps wasn't coming to the game. But to be honest, USC's offense did just fine. Barkley had plenty of time to throw and though he sorely missed tight end Anthony McCoy, they moved the ball all right. But that became moot in a hurry, as Oregon absolutely gashed the Trojans on the ground. You'll often see a team come out and mow down the field on the first drive only to do little else after the defense makes adjustments. I kept waiting for the Trojans to wake up and play contain in the pocket, but they never did (or never could). Great, great, great game for the Ducks and especially for QB Jeremiah Masoli! Speaking of Masoli, he's 5'11/220 - I wonder how many NFL scouts watching the game wrote "OUR NEW TAILBACK"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>It was more like a 'cry in front of the TV' moment, but it was very depressing to watch Michigan fail on four successive plays from the one-yard line. The Michigan football program I grew up with had many flaws, but scoring from the one-yard line wasn't one of them. And my Desmond Howard jersey and mini football from the late '80s say tradition is very important in Wolverine-land. So I appreciate the improvement from last year and I'm willing to give RichRod another year or two, but I'm worried he'll lose sight of the reason the fans are sticking with him.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />In other news:</span> I did manage to watch the second half of the Indiana/Iowa game. A perfect storm there: the Hawkeyes like to cut it close and the Hoosiers like to blow leads.....I thought it was pretty funny that Tate Forcier was wearing a complete fleece muffle under his helmet - he may be in trouble come winter.....It is incredibly hard to not make constant juice jokes when watching Illinois. The Juice has been <span style="font-style: italic;">squeezed</span>!.....Verne Lundquist informed us that Georgia was playing "like a leaking old boat" right after he told told us that they were wearing black helmets that matched their black "slacks".....Georgia's punter, Drew Butler, is the son of former Bears kicker Kevin Butler. Wonder if his teammates call him Butthead or if they're too young (and too not-from-Chicago) for that.....Did you notice how Brent Musberger was getting annoyed at the refs for interrupting his monologues?.....Anyone catch the Auburn/Ole Miss 'attack of the overrated' matchup? Me neitherAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-5293474339122252112009-10-30T17:21:00.000-05:002009-10-30T18:57:05.428-05:00College Football: Week 9 PreviewSurprising result in the UNC-Virginia Tech game last night. I didn’t watch because of both other plans and the fact that both teams have been disappointing, but it sounds like it was pretty exciting. Embarrassing loss for the Hokies in Blacksburg.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, 7PM: #21 West Virginia at South Florida</span><br />Quick little check-in on the Big East here. I will be a proud attendee of a West Virginia/Cincinnati game in two weeks and a little scouting never hurt anyone. Speaking of Cincy, I’ll be interested to see how South Florida’s young team bounces back from last week's loss to the Bearcats.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Haven’t seen the Mountaineers this season, but a look at their schedule reveals that:<br />a) they lost to Auburn, who as you may recall, was awful against Arkansas<br />b) their only game decided by fewer than 10 points was a win over Connecticut in which they were outgained 501-387<br />I predict a bounceback game, and an upset, for B.J. Daniels and the Bulls.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 11AM: </span>Nothing. This time, it's a selection of not only poor Big Ten games, but poor Big 12 games as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 2:30PM: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Channel Flip: Michigan at Illinois / Georgia vs. #1 Florida</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Ten</span><br />Tough year for Illinois, but after having Michigan lose the last two games I’ve watched (and going one for their last four), I could use a pick-me-up. Hopefully, I’ll get a pretty convincing one<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Michigan bounces back, and against a (barely...) D-I team this time!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Cocktail Party</span><br />A more interesting game than it appears on the surface. Yes, Florida is ranked #1, but they’ve looked pretty darn shaky lately. And Georgia put up 52 points on Arkansas, who you might remember did a wonderful job shutting down the Gators.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction:</span> Unfortunately, Georgia's blowout loss to Tennessee makes them unpickable. And I still say the Gators are due for a blowout!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 7PM: Channel Flip: #3 Texas at #14 Oklahoma State / #5 USC at #10 Oregon</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Big 12</span><br />Last trip wire for the Longhorns on their way to the championship? Plus a chance to test my ‘Zac Robinson is a more talented Colt McCoy’ theory. I sure wish the Cowboys had Dez Bryant.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Texas. Try as he might, Robinson won't be able to keep 'em in this one.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pac Ten</span><br />I usually don't get to see the West Coast games, so I'm thrilled to get this one. Oregon has made quite a comeback since playing in the world's worst game on September 3rd and has impressive wins over Utah, Cal, and Washington. Meanwhile, USC has only this game in the way of a decent shot at the national championship game. (Well, unless they're planning to lose another ridiculous one, which is always a possibility.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>This one's hard. Playing at Autzen is a major home field advantage for the Ducks. And USC has a really bad habit of playing down to opponents. But in the end, I really can't imagine the Oregon team I saw winning this game, even if they are better. Trojans.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-4353538468407896962009-10-26T21:35:00.007-05:002009-12-30T00:01:43.984-06:00College Football: Week 8 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">Florida State def. North Carolina 30-27</span><br />I guess Florida State thought that playing Jekyll and Hyde by game was too boring, so this time, they did it by half! In the first half, they looked really undisciplined, which I thought reflected very poorly on their beleaguered coach. They missed blocks, committed penalties, had trouble with the play clock - ugly stuff. But they apparently all found phone booths to change in for the second half, so all's well that ends well. UNC, for its part, has discovered some extra talent since I saw them last. WR Greg Little and RB Sean Draughn (great name!) played a nice game, but they couldn't overcome the incredible accuracy of second half Christian Ponder. You can see the Tar Heels again on Thursday night (at Virginia Tech) if you like, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#13 Penn State def. Michigan 35-10</span><br />As much as it stinks to watch your team get killed, it was hard to be really upset about this one. Michigan was very clearly outmatched all day. Penn State played its usual brand of conservative football, did a great job getting to manageable 3rd down situations, and executed when it counted. Meanwhile, the Wolverines had trouble executing and seemed to always be looking at 3rd and 11. And turnovers. Oh, turnovers. Nothing could be as bad as that 2008 Michigan/Notre Dame game, but the steady stream of turnovers in the driving rain brought back some bad memories.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Notre Dame def. Boston College 20-16</span><br />Didn't get to watch this one, but it sounds like about par for the course: Notre Dame is clearly the better team despite a relatively weak defense, Notre Dame drags it out until the very end and then emerges victorious...at home. Do they ever play away?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#2 Alabama def. Tennessee 12-10</span><br />Just caught a few minutes here, but oof, an ugly one. Once Tennessee's offense catches up with its defense, they'll really have something. And Alabama still looks ripe for a 'whoopin...but not from the Vols.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#1 Florida def. Mississippi State 29-19</span><br />I guess sometimes you have to win ugly. I really called the wrong top 3 blowout last week. Two weeks ago, I figured, 'well, Tiger Stadium is a hard place to play', but this Florida team really looks hard-pressed to score points. And considering that the defense was a bit cut off at the knees without Brandon Spikes, they needed points in this one. Add that to two interceptions returned for touchdowns, serious problems in the red zone, and some really questionable decision-making (three straight Tebow rushes with goal to go? throwing out of your own end zone up 16 points with four minutes left? punt returner picks up a bouncing kick at the 1 yard line?) and Florida almost let this one get away. I can't believe I forgot about the Dan Mullen angle last week (former Florida offensive coordinator/Tebow confidant, current Mississippi head coach), but I'd have to say he got the best of this matchup, even in a loss.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#3 Texas def. Missouri 41-7</span><br />Not too much to talk about here, other than Texas' offensive line, which was fantastic! You can't give a passer as accurate as Mr. McCoy as much time as the Tigers did without giving up a lot of points - 41 to be exact. The Longhorns defense was decent as well, but the Tigers really handicapped themselves with their lack of running game. Incomplete passes on first down are a pretty big killer of drives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>Back to the inappropriate celebrating. Up 22-13 with under 10 minutes remaining, Florida LB Dustin Doe intercepted a Tyson Lee pass and headed for the end zone with no one in front of him. He began high-stepping at the five yard line and was stripped very close to the goal line by hustling Mississippi State WR Brandon McRae. Replays appeared to suggest that Doe was stripped short of the goal line, but the play stood as a Florida touchdown (I believe Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen has lodged a formal complaint). The real question, of course, is what in the world was Mr. Doe thinking? Score the touchdown, and *then* make a fool of yourself.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>Close calls for Alabama and Iowa this weekend - seems like no one wants to step up and be #1......Wussy punt decisions ruled the day - Florida State, down 17-3 in the second quarter, faced 4th at 4 at the UNC 45 yard line and punted, Penn State looked at 4th and 3 from the Michigan *33* and sent up a net 20 yard punt.....Matt Millen informed us during the Penn State/Michigan game that a pass "becomes a lateral if it's backwards".....They said before the Florida game that LB Brandon Spikes was 'on call', that he would play "if they needed him". Doesn't having an undefeated season call for your best effort? Either you're hurt or you're not.....While the hyper-religious athlete thing sort of creeps me out, I have to say I love how Tebow helps up defenders that tackle him.....I feel that it is my duty to let you know that Dartmouth has snapped the nation's second longest losing streak with a convincing 28-6 victory over ColumbiaAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-83652738985814981922009-10-21T22:32:00.004-05:002009-10-23T12:42:51.700-05:00College Football: Week 8 Preview<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, 7PM: Florida State at North Carolina </span><br />This ACC matchup is worth a look just to see a) if North Carolina can come with anything that even remotely deserves that top 25 ranking they used to have and b) which Florida State team shows up. When FSU QB Christian Ponder is good, he’s fun to watch and they’re playing for Bobby Bowden’s pride right now.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I have to go with the Jekyll & Hyde Seminoles here. Consistency has been an issue, but they’re considerably more talented.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 11AM: </span>...nothing. I have a wide selection of terrible and pointless Big Ten matchups. Might take a quick look at Oklahoma State/Baylor just to watch Zac Robinson.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 2:30PM: </span>Definitely <span style="font-weight: bold;">#13 Penn State at Michigan </span>plus looks at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boston College at Notre Dame</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tennessee at #2 Alabama </span>if there's enough time.<br />Michigan's back at home this week, which is good because the Big House appears to be the only place they can play well. It's unclear what their quarterback situation is, relative to both Forcier's concussion and Robinson's recent success. Like last year, Penn State has looked good against all opponents except Iowa.<br />The SEC matchup is intriguing and I'm sure I'd be paying more attention to it if I weren't such an unabashed Michigan fan. I thought Alabama (with the exception of Mark Ingram) looked very weak last week against South Carolina. If safety Eric Berry and the Tennessee defense are ready to go, we could have ourselves a (shockingly low scoring) game.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction(s): </span>Michigan has looked mighty disorganized lately. I think the Nittany Lions can take 'em, even in Ann Arbor. Notre Dame should be able to handle a BC squad whose best win is over shaky Florida State. And as much as I'd like to, Tennessee just doesn't have the offense for me to pick the upset. In fact, they sometimes have no offense at all. Tide rolls.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 6:30PM: #1 Florida at Mississippi State</span><br />I may not actually be able to catch this one depending on Saturday plans, but if you call yourself a college football fan, you gotta check in on #1 every once in a while. And actually, the Bulldogs played very close with LSU and may have an outside shot at the Gators.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Tebow and company are due for a return to form. I'll be hoping for an Bulldogs upset and expecting a Gators blowout. In all honesty, though, the Gators have nothing to play for. They could lose this one and still get into the national championship over an undefeated Iowa.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 7PM: #3 Texas at Missouri</span><br />Speaking of unimpressive top teams, Texas has played exactly two legitimate opponents - Oklahoma and Texas Tech, against whom the Longhorns looked terrible. Missouri isn't exactly the New Orleans Saints, but when Gabbert is on (and he says his ankle is ready to go), they can score in a hurry. If their defense has a good game, they could be a challenge for the Texas McCoys, especially in Columbia.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Ugh, sorry to contradict my own interest-generating statement above, but gotta go with Texas. They can smell the championship bid now and they'll get the job done.<br /><br />*If any of you Pacific coasters can watch Oregon/Washington and report, I'd much appreciate it!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-26359691782024767022009-10-20T22:21:00.004-05:002009-12-30T00:09:30.581-06:00College Football: Week 7 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#8 Cincinnati def. #21 South Florida 34-17</span><br />Another in an increasingly long string of sloppy Thursday night games. This certainly wasn’t Cincinnati’s best game, but they managed to pull it out in the end thanks to the running of backup QB Zach Collaros and some very undisciplined play from South Florida. I’m generally a pretty big fan of Bulls coach Jim Leavitt, but add the dropped passes and penalties to the fact that South Florida apparently couldn’t figure out that Collaros wasn’t ready to pass and this game didn’t reflect well on the man who has built the program from scratch. Still, the Bulls have a fairly young team behind freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels and a lot to look forward to in the future.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">#3 Texas def. #20 Oklahoma 16-13</span><br />This one was a disappointment for a lot of reasons. The obvious one is the re-injury to Sam Bradford, who could easily be the Detroit Lions starting QB right now (okay, maybe there is an upside for him!). I thought Oklahoma outplayed Texas everywhere except the scoreboard. They got great pressure on Colt McCoy, especially after Texas mysteriously abandoned their misdirection running game, and replaced their own weak running game with very effective screens to DeMarco Murray. Take away any one of the Bradford injury, the Bubba Franks fumbled punt, or the Oklahoma pass interference penalty that set up the Texas touchdown and I think it's a (rather sloppy) Sooners win.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#11 Iowa def. Wisconsin</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">20-10</span><br />Solid Big Ten game here. Wisconsin put most of its offense on the shoulders of John Clay and Iowa's defense is the core of the team, but this game really came down to quarterback play. Wisconsin's pass blocking was a little lacking (as it has been all year) and Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi certainly benefited from a great game from tight end Tony Moeaki, but overall the teams played relatively evenly, allowing for Tolzien's interceptions and Stanzi's efficient 218 yards to make the difference for their respective teams. Look out Ohio State (who loses to Purdue?!?), the Hawkeyes are coming.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#6 USC def. #25 Notre Dame 34-27</span><br />The more I think about it, the more I realize that this game was actually almost exactly what we all should have predicted. Notre Dame hangs on Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate (why in the world didn't USC keep track of Tate in the slot?!?) to stay close in the first half, USC uses its superior talent and Notre Dame’s relatively weak defense to pull away in the second half, USC starts thinking about Will Ferrell and Spike Lee (who were at the game) and allows a weaker opponent back into the game. In the end, the combination of Clausen's late game heroics (who does he think he is - Forcier?) and a veritable smorgasboard of dubious penalties fell just short for the Irish in the face of Barkley's 380 passing yards and the relentless pressure of the USC defensive line.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#19 Georgia Tech def. #4 Virginia Tech</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">28-23</span><br />Another one of those strange games where you sort of think that the losing team is better even after they have proved they aren't. I think the monotonous nature of that triple option offense has a lot to do with that. It seems like Georgia Tech is just spinning its wheels, but then suddenly they're up 21-10. And though I remain unimpressed with Tyrod Taylor (well, other than his unreal ability to avoid tacklers 1 on 1), the Hokies seemed to have the edge in speed. The best I can figure is that a running offense makes for very long Georgia Tech drives and ultimately short games - the Hokies just ran out of time. Virginia Tech was a rather silly #4, but it's still a big win for the Yellow Jackets and a nice statement especially for their defense just a week after giving up approximately 1 million yards to Florida State.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#2 Alabama def. #22 South Carolina</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">20-6</span><br />This was my second look at both Alabama and South Carolina and, well, I wasn't too impressed. While it was amusing that both quarterbacks had their first pass picked off, the game never really got a whole lot better. The South Carolina offense sputtered ineffectively all night, and sometimes even comically, as when they failed at three straight fade right calls at the goal line and then kicked a field goal. I was kind of waiting for Steve Spurrier to attempt to steal QB Stephen Garcia's jersey in order to play in his place. Meanwhile, poor play from QB Greg McElroy meant that the Tide had to lean heavily on RB Mark Ingram, who luckily responded with a monster game. Alabama stays undefeated, but loses a lot of style points.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>I try not to complain about the refereeing because I'm aware it makes me sound like a child, but I think the refs have a lot to be ashamed of on the last drive of the Notre Dame game. On a critical 4th down play, receiver Robby Parris made the catch just across the first down marker and a USC player pulled him down by his neck. Parris's foot was firmly planted in the turf at the time and I wouldn't be surprised if his ACL was torn. Unfortunate, but part of the game. No bone-crushing hit, no snap-back, no helmet to helmet contact. Inexplicably, the refs call a personal foul for 'targeting a defenseless player.' Apparently it is now 'targeting a defenseless player' to <span style="font-style: italic;">tackle </span>him. I guess you're supposed to subtly alert him to your presence first. On a subsequent play, the Trojans broke through the Irish offensive line for the 347th time in the game. They chased Clausen out of the pocket and then gave him a shove after he threw the ball. Simple shove within a split second of the ball being thrown, one hand on the chest, Clausen went down on his back. I admit I've seen similar plays deemed as penalties. but it's ticky tacky, especially with less than 30 seconds left! Let the players play the game. When I remember the final drive, I should remember Clausen's heroics or USC's defense, not your stupid stripey face. I was half afraid they were going to find a way to put the ball in the end zone. Notre Dame was awarded five first downs by penalty on Saturday! The refs may not have affected the outcome of the game, but it wasn't for lack of trying.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>I was watching the Cincinnati-South Florida game with a friend who mentioned that Tony Pike bears an uncanny resemblance to "a 30-year-old French dude." Good quarterback though, hope he's okay.....Tough media day for Longhorns receiver and Colt McCoy co-dweller Jordan Shipley. Herbstreit accidentally called him Jeremy Shockley and Brent Musberger referred to him as "the roommate".....Down 10-3 with 3:22 left in the first half, Iowa got the ball on its own 21 and proceeded to run three times and punt to Wisconsin. Why were they so reluctant to try to tie it?.....The announcer during the Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech game informed us all after a nice play by a receiver on a long pass that there was no "analyzation" necessary.....Michigan and Penn State join the too little too late club with respective clubbings of Delaware State and Minnesota. Meanwhile, Ohio State joins the too little right now club with an embarassing loss to Purdue!.....I also watched the Missouri-Oklahoma State game (can't get enough!), which wasn't particularly interesting other than Barry Sanders' induction into the Cowboys Hall of Fame, but I have to wonder why Zac Robinson isn't in Heisman contention. He's like Colt McCoy with more foot speed and a stronger arm.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-65131493044935543612009-10-14T22:09:00.008-05:002009-10-28T09:32:20.387-05:00College Football: Week 7 Preview<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, 6:30PM: #8 Cincinnati at #21 South Florida</span><br />I told you in <a href="http://anniesnider.blogspot.com/2009/09/college-football-week-1-wrap-up.html">Week 1</a> to get yourself a look at Cincinnati QB Tony Pike - if you didn't do it, here's your nationally televised chance. Huge game for the unbeaten Bearcats against a South Florida team that has gotten a major spark from backup quarterback B.J. Daniels (starting QB Matt Grothe went down in week 3 with a torn ACL). And Bulls coach Jim Leavitt, who built the program from scratch, is always good for some entertainment (of both the play calling and sideline antics variety). Somewhat irrelevantly, I'm headed to Cincinnati to see the Bearcats take on West Virginia in November and I'd really, really like them to be undefeated at that time.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction:</span> Tough since I haven't seen South Florida this year. It's hard to imagine they could keep up with Cincy's high octane offense. Cincinnati must find a way to keep Bulls DE George Selvie out of Tony Pike's face, but if they can do it, they'll win big. Arrgh. Bearcats by 10.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 11AM: </span>Two games taped and watched quarter by quarter to avoid crawler spoilers!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#20 Oklahoma vs. #3 Texas (Neutral Site)</span><br />College football fans, even outside the Big 12, have been looking forward to this one since last year. Oklahoma’s drop out of the national championship race does dull the excitement a little, but not as much as you might think. The Sooners have their Heisman trophy winner back, a lot to prove after losses to second tier teams BYU and Miami (relax, Mormons and 'Canes fans: I mean this in the sense of ‘not a recent threat to win the national championship’), and can still play spoiler. Fans in Norman will appreciate ruining the Longhorns season almost as much as a national championship.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>This will be by far the best opponent to date for both teams, so it's a tough call. In the end, I haven't seen Oklahoma put together a game against a good team, with or without Bradford. And Texas does have that win over Tech. So....Texas in another wildly entertaining shootout.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#11 Iowa at Wisconsin</span><br />I realize it’s not on the scale of the Oklahoma-Texas matchup, but this is a huge Big Ten game between undefeated Iowa and a better-every-week Wisconsin team that is 5-1 with its only loss coming at the Horseshoe. Even though this should be an old school run-first football game (admittedly, I thought that about Iowa last week and I was…wrong), I would guess that this one will come down to the quarterback play. Badgers QB Scott Tolzien was originally a long shot to get the starting job, but he’s managed games well, even in the Horseshoe. Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi has been somewhat shaky, particularly at the beginning of games, but has stepped up in a big way when his team needs him. Consistency will be the key here.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I have to take Iowa here. They have a more experienced quarterback, more big play threats, and a faster defense.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 2:30PM</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">#6 USC at #25 Notre Dame</span><br />The last few years of this series have been embarrassingly lopsided, but this is the best start for a Notre Dame team in quite a while. Taylor Mays and the rest of the USC defense will be by far the best Jimmy Clausen and the Domers have seen. Meanwhile, the Trojans have a quality win at Ohio State (hey, you know I hate ‘em, but you have to admit that their defense is legit), but have been largely untested since then. Word on the street is that rookie QB Barkley gets better with every game – he’ll have to prove it here. Read: we’re about to find out right now how good both teams are.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>I sort of hope both teams lose, but failing that, a lot of people are saying either USC wins big or Notre Dame wins in a close game and I’d have to agree with that. Since the Trojans are far superior in talent (albeit possibly inferior in the ‘caring about winning’ sense) and have already proved themselves in a hostile environment, I have to go with the USC big scenario. Plus, it’d be fun to watch!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 5PM: #4 Virginia Tech at #19 Georgia Tech</span><br />I have to admit that it's possible that my intense dislike of run first quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor has kept me from giving Virginia Tech a fair shake, so I'm going to watch this one so I know for sure. Georgia Tech is probably not a worthy opponent for the Hokies, but that triple option offense can explode without warning, particularly if they don't have to play from too far behind, so you never know.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>VT's defense is reportedly good enough to handle a simple attack like this one. I'll take the Hokies by two touchdowns.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 6:45PM : #22 South Carolina at #2 Alabama</span><br />More interesting than it looks at first glance. This is the beginning of a three game home stretch for the Tide and the next two opponents are Tennessee and LSU, whom you might remember as prominent opponents of the top-ranked Florida Tebows. If Alabama wins these games convincingly, they could be looking at a #1 ranking. So yes, Alabama should beat up on the Gamecocks, but they'll be on their way to some serious respect for doing it. I also haven't seen the Tide play yet and I'm anxious to compare 'em to the Gators.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction: </span>Tide rolls.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142120950530024735.post-38960469162747551772009-10-12T21:33:00.002-05:002009-10-16T14:10:21.150-05:00College Football: Week 6 Wrap-Up<span style="font-weight: bold;">#21 Nebraska def. #24 Missouri 27-12</span><br />They should really think about canceling Thursday night college football on grounds of dreadfulness. Between Oregon-Boise State (probably the worst game of all time), Mississippi-South Carolina, and this stinker in the pouring rain, Thursday nights have been the pinnacle of awful football. Nebraska's D-line did a good job of pressuring Blaine Gabbert (his bum ankle suffered on the first drive didn't help either), but essentially, this game was won in an ugly flurry of three Nebraska touchdowns helped mightily by Gabbert's first two career interceptions. The only bright spot: national television coming out party for Husker DE Ndamukong Suh (say it with me: En-dom-ah-ken Soo) . A few more games like that and he'll be in the Heisman talk. I heard that five inches of rain fell in Columbia on Thursday - I think the Tigers drowned.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arkansas def. #17 Auburn</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">44-23</span><br />So did Auburn choke or were they simply overrated to begin with? Chris Todd looked just like I remembered, totally overwhelmed, and the whole team appeared to be sleepwalking in the first half. When they finally did wake up in the third quarter, their much ballyhooed no-huddle offense looked frantic. Todd's fumbled snap under center on 4th and 1 was a pretty good summary of the Auburn's day: unprepared, unenthusiastic, ineffective. Mallet looked just like I remember him from Michigan: huge arm, huge potential, a long way to go.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#9 Ohio State def. Wisconsin 31-13</span><br />Poor, poor Badgers. They did a great job containing the Ohio State offense (most OSU points were either scored or set up by the defense and special teams) and established an effective running game (I'm not sure I've ever seen a team run an up-tempo *running* attack before), but in the end, their pass blocking didn't cut the mustard, their inexperienced QB was clearly affected by the rush, and some crucial mistakes forced them to play from behind and took the pressure off of Terrelle Pryor. Still, the Badgers weren't anywhere near as bad as this score would suggest and I'll be looking forward to their matchup with Iowa.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">#1 Florida def. #4 LSU 13-3</span><br />I was really disappointed with LSU here. First of all, Florida ran the dive basically every other play and gained positive yardage nearly every time. Strike one. The Tigers offense (what is it with all Tigers teams losing this week?) was unimaginative, particularly on third down, and it's extremely odd that they run their option from six yards in the backfield. Makes for a lot of instances with a ten yard run, two broken tackles, and a two yard gain. Strike two. And, as always, Tebow did what he had to do to win. He ran when they needed him and passed efficiently when they needed that. Three strikes. On the plus side, Florida looked pretty ripe for a whoopin' from Alabama, didn't they?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />#12 Iowa def. Michigan 30-28</span><br />Despite the close score, I thought Iowa pretty handily outplayed Michigan. Ricky Stanzi threw what is becoming his standard pick-six early and that plus more kick return magic from Darryl Stonum kept the Wolverines in the game even though they turned the ball over three times and allowed 200 Iowa passing yards in the first half. The Michigan defense abandoned its poor tackling long enough to get the offense the ball with a chance to win, but the Wolverines (inexplicably minus their boy wonder) couldn't quite get it done. Two down for Iowa, two (Wisconsin and Ohio State) to go. I'll be rooting for them!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: </span>Don't ask a flanker to do a quarterback's job. Yes, Denard Robinson led the previous touchdown drive, but did you happen to notice that he did it with his legs? You're only down two points despite being outplayed and your defense gets you the ball back in time for the two minute drill, you've got the 4th quarter kid in your quiver and you sit him...to teach him a lesson? So we get the wild Wolverine (the MaizeCat? This is harder than you would think) instead and Robinson miraculously manages to move the ball a few yards before throwing the completely predictable overthrow INT. Hey, lesson learned, RichRod.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In other news: </span>What is with the Huskers and quarterbacks named Zac? Wasn't one of the last ones hilariously named after president Zachary Taylor? Will there be a whole flood of Zacs coming up?.....Speaking of Zac Lee, how in the world did he not recover that fumbled snap after jumping on top of it?!? They might want to check him out to make sure there's not a giant hole in his torso.....A lot of Tigers fans had clearly painted their chests with water based paints, which didn't mix well with the rain. Gotta love that Mizzou education.....Great fake FG touchdown for the Badgers, but you could definitely tell that holder/safety Chris Maragos had practiced that diving reach for the end zone move about a million times with his little friends in junior high.....The Red Lobster Scholar Athlete during the Florida-LSU game was some LSU kid with a 3.3 GPA in Kinesiology. Awesome.....In soccer news, Slovenia beat Slovakia 2-0. Gotta love the crawler.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986096635078095239noreply@blogger.com0