Before I get to the games, I've gotten a bunch of questions about how I feel about the Big 12, the BCS controversy, and cake. Firstoff I love cake, it's delicious so that settles that. The Big 12 three way, which is not nearly as sexy as it sounds, creates a problem. What happened for those of you who were uninformed is that somehow it looks like the Big 12 south is going to end up in a three way tie between Texas Tech, Texas, and Oklahoma. Texas beat Oklahoma, Texas Tech beat Texas, and Oklahoma hammered Texas Tech so the tie breaker to decide who goes to the championship game for the Big 12 to play Missouri is BCS ranking. Currently Texas is the highest ranked of the three, but Oklahoma is right behind them with another ranked team to play this weekend. So if all three teams win this weekend then it's pretty likely that Oklahoma will be playing Missouri. However, the major gripe I have with this is that Oklahoma beat TT at Oklahoma, TT beat Texas at TT. Texas beat Oklahoma at a neutral site. So of the three games, the most meaningful to me is the Texas beating Oklahoma, because one of the measures of how to rank teams is which team would win on a neutral field, well in this case the question has already been answered for us. In my mind Texas should be playing for the Big 12 championship. Everyone assumes that whichever one of those three teams advances to the title game, they will win. But in truth Missouri certainly has the ability to beat any one of them, thus furthering the problem with the BCS championship game and it seems pretty likely that this would happen since the Big 12 championship has traditionally had it's fair share of upsets.
That brings us to the BCS controversy. There are really in my mind two big controversies this year. The first, and less talked about is the fact that there looks like there are going to be at least 1 if not two undefeated teams that will not be playing in a BCS bowl game. Currently it looks like Utah will get an automatic bid to a BCS bowl and Ball State (who still has to play in the MAC championship game which is not a gimme) and Boise State (who still has to play Fresno State which is not a gimme either). So that would mean that two teams with perfect records would be stuck playing in some no name loser bowl game rather then a huge one. Which I think is a shame. These three undefeated schools should play in the BCS game, and I understand that they aren't in a BCS conference, but they can't really help that, they can only play the schedule they have. It sucks because both Utah and Boise have won BCS games in the past when they were allowed to go. It's like the prom I guess, all three teams are pretty enough to be prom royalty, but since they didn't participate in enough extra curricular activities only one of them is allowed in to make out with the hot prom king and princes. The other two have to settle for getting felt up by their drunk overweight prom date while they sigh disappointed and keep checking the clock. Realistically Ball State will probably play Minnesota, which is a disappointing ending to a great season.
The far more prevalent BCS controversy is the fact that we're running kinda low on undefeated teams from BCS conferences. Only Alabama remains and most people think they are going to lose to Florida in the SEC championship game. So let's go ahead and assume that happens, and that whomever goes to the Big 12 championship from the big 12 south beats Missouri. That leaves us with 7 potential teams with 1 loss from BCS conferences to choose from for the national title game, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, USC, Texas Tech, and Penn State. Penn State is already finished for the year and they are Rose Bowl bound unless Alabama (twice), Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Florida and USC all lose, in which case they might play Utah in the BCS title game. But basically they are locked into the Rose Bowl and at this point it's probably too late to change that. But it still remains, how do you decide which of these 7 teams plays for the National title? Which one is better based on their one loss? We already described the Texas Oklahoma Texas Tech weirdness, so assume that if one of them wins the Big 12 championship game they would be one of the two teams. But then you have to say the winner of the Alabama and Florida game go to the title game as well and what would be a 11-1 USC team and a 11-1 Penn State team are left out in the dark. USC in fact would have to hope that Oregon State loses before the end of the year or USC would have to receive an at large bid to a BCS bowl and the Rose Bowl would be a boring matchup between Oregon State and Penn State, a game which Penn State already won easily this year. But at the heart of the question is which team with 1 loss is the most deserving? Or which loss told us more about the team?
Penn State lost because they played at Iowa and lost headset communications while Iowa won via ref interference (seriously one of the worst pass interference calls of all time) and a last second score. USC lost because they played at Oregon State and they couldn't tackle a guy who is like 5 feet tall. Texas lost because their freshman defensive backs couldn't handle the pressure at the end of the game. Texas Tech got completely outclassed in Norman by a motivated Oklahoma team. Oklahoma just got outplayed by Texas at a Neutral site. Florida lost because Mississippi had some variety of magic going for them on a Saturday afternoon. Of those losses I would say that USC's is bad because it might cost them the conference championship and therefore they shouldn't be in the title game. They also shouldn't have lost to a team that got blown out by another one loss team and lost to Stanford and Utah (who is undefeated). Penn State's loss is bad because Iowa isn't a great team, and it would almost be forgivable except for the fact that Penn State shouldn't have been in that close a game to begin with. So you are left guessing which of the teams left should be deserving of a national title game, the only thing that would solve all this is Alabama going undefeated for the rest of the season, then all this controversy would go away and all you would be left with is why when there were more then 2 undefeated teams left, did they not play each other for the national title game? Oh and also you are left wondering why the ACC and Big East are getting BCS spots. Fun stuff.
Comments:
"Navy should save the onsides kicks for Army! Ken"
Oh man this might be true, but can you believe how close that game became?
Friday Games:
Fresno State at #9 Boise State - The Boise State Broncos don't really have much to play for in this game other than pride. The have already won the WAC and they aren't going to pass Utah in the BCS standings so the best they can do is go undefeated and shake their fists at the BCS staff for not including them like an old curmudgeon shaking his fist for the damn teenagers to get off his lawn. Sucks but it's a way of life with no playoff. However if you get a chance check out Freshman Kellen Moore, who is astonishingly good for a freshman quarterback. He would be getting way more attention if this were any other year besides one in which the Big 12 has so many heisman quarterbacks. The Fresno Bulldogs have lost to Boise by an average of 29 points at Boise in the last 7 years, this game might be a little closer but the result should be the same. At the very least anyone who watches this game in HD will go blind from the bright blue Boise field.
Saturday Games:
#22 Georgia Tech at #11 Georgia - Rivalry game! It's a fun one too pitting the great Georgia Bulldog defense against the GT Yellowjacket triple option offense. Georgia really should shut down the run game which would leave the Jackets high and dry, which I guess as it goes for flying bugs isn't a bad place to be. A fun way for this game to go down is the traditional pro-style Georgia offense and NFL bound QB Matt Stafford have a shootout against the quirky triple option. But I think it's far more likely that Georgia wins for coach Mark Richt's 8th consecutive time in this peachy rivalry.
#4 Florida at #20 Florida State - Before the Florida Gators start thinking about national title hopes and beating Alabama, they had better get a handle on the FSU Seminoles. The most newsworthy thing about the Seminoles is in fact the performance of Safety Myron Rolle, who earned himself a Rhodes scholarship last weekend before he played in the second half against Maryland. FSU seems like such an unlikely place to have a football player with that kind of academic credential especially since half the team got suspended for cheating last year, but Myron will have to make the enviable choice whether to attend Oxford, or play in the NFL where he's projected to be a mid-round pick. For Florida, QB Tim Tebow looks to pad his own resume for a second Heisman by beating the Seminoles en route to a showdown with Alabama. He may have to work pretty hard considering how well FSU has played against the run this year, he may actually have to throw the ball more then 11 times like he did last week when he had a QB rating of 325.31 and went 9-11 with 3 touchdowns. Expect Florida to win, although you never know, maybe FSU will play beyond themselves in the hopes that Boston College loses and they get to go to the ACC championship. I was going to make a joke about some gators eating some native americans here, but I figured that was in bad taste, so I'll make a joke about the gators eating a delicious pumpkin pie, which tastes much better.
#23 Oregon at #17 Oregon State - "The Civil War" as this game has been dubbed, will determine if a 3 loss Oregon State team plays in the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10 champion, or whether a one loss USC team gets to go. The ducks of Oregon have had a pretty disappointing season. Which is pretty much the line used to describe every Oregon season, lots of potential, lots of expectations, mix in some failure, and you get Oregon year in and year out, also that describes me to a letter, damn. The Oregon State Beavers on the other hand have had a much better season then expected given that they started off the year losing to Stanford and then getting mauled by Penn State. The game may boil down to this, if freshman RB Jacquizz Rodgers plays then Oregon State has a great chance of winning, otherwise I expect this game to be much closer, likely ending in a victory for the ducks, which is a much more fearsome animal then a beaver. At least I think, have you ever been bitten by a duck? It hurts man.
#3 Oklahoma at #12 Oklahoma State - I don't even really feel like writing about this game, but the jist of it is that if the Oklahoma Sooners and QB Sam Bradford win then they will likely vault Texas and play in the Big 12 championship and then if they win that then National title game. If they lose to OK St. Cowboys and QB Zach Johnson then Texas Tech would get the honor of doing everything I just mentioned in the last sentence. Essentially it's going to be a shootout, because they both have really good quarterbacks, and not as good defenses. OK St. has a great chance to pull the upset, most think it's a forgone conclusion but don't be so sure, they beat Missouri earlier in the year and that could be the same recipie that stops the Sooners, but I still pick Oklahoma.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
College Football Weekend November 20th-22nd 2008
Happy almost the weekend notice to those of you who use this e-mail to judge such things (and I get comments every week to that effect). There are four points or themes or something that I have for this weeks column. The first is to inform everyone about all the fun stuff that is going on in College Football this weekend, this is the true rivalry weekend and thus the most fun weekend to watch. Second, to anyone who might be running a marathon this weekend, good luck, it sounds like absolutely no fun and I'm glad I have nothing to do with it. Third, to anyone who might happen to be my mother, happy birthday on Friday, aren't you impressed I totally remembered on my own and didn't even have to be reminded by one of my aunts? Incidentally your card might be late...because I didn't get a chance to go to the post office...and I don't know your address. Lastly I'd like to advise everyone that if you happen to be at the gym, and your roomate suggests you go to an ab class with him, don't go, it will be painful and humiliating and you know the effeminate gay guy teaching the class is thinking about how fat you are the whole time, also your stomach will hurt. So don't do it, I can't emphasize this enough, and if you keep going you are going to lose some of that portly fat guy look you've been perfecting for the last couple of years. Your first mistake was going to the gym to begin with. Also if your roomate suggests training for a triathlon with him, don't do it, it's even worse for your figure.
Enough of that, on to the football. This is my absolute favorite week of college football, the true rivalry week. It's when hearts and dreams are broken, it is when contenders become pretenders and then you eat a pretzel looking thing at halftime that gives you a stomach ache, or maybe it was that beer and malt liquor you were destroying before the game at tailgates...it's hard to figure out (btw Cubb thanks for buying me that pretzel a couple years ago when I had no cash on me and I had drank all that beer and malt liquor, you are a lifesaver). If you are the BCS committee you are praying that the season unfolds like so; Texas Tech and Alabama go undefeated and Utah, Boise, and Ball State all lose. That's it, pretty simple, it makes them look more valid. In my perfect world, Alabama, and Texas Tech lose, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, and Penn State all lose, vaulting Utah and Boise State into the national title game, and Ball State smokes Alabama in a bowl game and frogs learn to fly and a horse in memphis learns to play the piano. Between the two lurks what I call reality, a dark and dreary place where both Texas Tech and Alabama lose leaving Texas to play Florida in the national title game, also Utah and Ball State lose and Boise plays Oklahoma in the a rematch BCS bowl. For the record this is what I believe will happen.
Comments:
"Football is a barbaric sport marty, I can't believe you watch it. - Justin"
Ahem, then I guess that's why you spent all sunday night watching the redskins game with me?
"My question is this: at what point do you put Wake Forest in the national championship game based solely on how great they are overall, or what I like to call their "AWESOMEITUDE!!!", and don't worry about how many games they've lost or their strength of schedule or the fact that in 9 games they've figured out how to get into the end zone in only 2 of them. AWESOMEITUDE! - Ratty"
My head exploded when I read this, and also my spell check. But the good news is, that Wake could still win the ACC, and thereby go to a BCS game. Then again there are like 14 other teams in the ACC that could do the same thing. All I'll say about is that I'm getting a little weary of all the sister kissing going on in the ACC, someone needs to step up and just win the conference, but more importantly (and this is where half the people here stop reading forever) it's possible that right now every single team in the 12 team conference could go to a bowl game...thus making them the best conference in the country...I just threw up.
"Dude - the nursery rhyme theme was EPIC - you must do that again! That was hilarious - Brian"
The only thing epic about it was the amount of epic fail it contained. Also the biggest challenge was to remember all of the fables and such I knew. For reference, I apparently know alot, and this knowledge has garnered me the nickname "Pooh Bear" at the office. Because on our weekly quiz I was able to correctly guess the name of the forest in which Winnie the Pooh lived, but I was unable to remember how many ounces of beer there were in a pint...
Games:
#23 Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech - ACC game between two potential ACC champions, the Miami Hurricanes and the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets. Root for Georgia Tech because you hate Miami and GT's coach was the former coach at Navy and he brought his triple option attack to a major conference. I love it. Flip a coin in this one, it's basically any one's guess. Dr. Coin predicts the Yellowjackets in a close one.
North Carolina State at #22 North Carolina - Intrastate rivalry game (although I think Duke is UNC's real rival) between the UNC Tarheels and the NC State Wolfpack. If you get a chance, and I know I've said it a bunch of times this year. Take a look at UNC's QB Cameron Sexton, he has the throwing power of 20,000 Juggs machines. His pass would put a hole through my chest if I gave him the opportunity to pass to me. This is also one of the few games in the ACC where a team that could win the conference is playing someone that can't, so root for chaos, root for UNC to stay in the mix in the ACC. I'll take UNC in overtime.
Washington at Washington State - The 1-10 WSU Cougars VS. the 0-10 Washington Huskies...has there ever been a worse state for college football in one year than Washington? You might be asking yourself, "Marty, why are you writing about two terrible teams who have one win against a Division 1-AA team between them?" It's simple really, I do it because it's funny to me that two teams could be this bad in a major conference. It's also funny to me that I will be sitting through the entirety of this game, at a UW bar after I watch the Lehigh game at another bar. So to educate everyone, the Huskies are the ones in the purple who suck and whose coach has been fired at the end of the season, the Cougars are the ones in maroon who suck and who's coach has been fired at the end of the season. Unlike the NFL this game can't end in a tie so we won't have to see something as bad as the Philadelphia Eagles did last sunday...
#15 Michigan State at #8 Penn State - This is not the same Michigan State team that got hammered in the first game of the year against Cal, it does however remain to be seen if this is the same Spartans team that got hammered by Ohio State a little over a month ago. The Penn State Nittany Lions meanwhile would need a miracle to get to the national title game, but they still need to win this game to go to the Rose Bowl. Whomever wins this game would be guarenteed at least a share of the Big 10 title and if Penn State wins they would go to the Rose bowl, if the Spartans win they would have to hope that Ohio State loses to Michigan to get into a BCS bowl. Penn State has a crazy talented team like Anne Heisch crasy, they seem to be stacked all the way from running and passing threat QB Darrell Clark, to RB Evan Royster, and WRs Deon Butler and Derrick Williams. Michigan State will depend on RB Javon Ringer who is the third leading running back in the entire nation. Penn State has the advantage in every position group besides running back, and some might even argue that they are better there. I think the game will come down to whether MSU can stop the Penn State running attack, which I suspect they cannot, I think the Nittany Lions and legendary coach Joe Paterno finish strong, and take themselves to the Rose Bowl, which Joe naps through.
Boston College at Wake Forest - A game between two potential ACC champions, the Miami Hurri...I mean the BC Golden Eagles and the wake Forest Demon Deacons. Flip a coin in this one, it's basically anyone's guess. Dr. Coin predicts the Deacons win a close one at home. The shame of it being that the most exciting part of Wake Forest, their all-american kicker, has been hurt the last couple weeks and he probably won't play.
#14 Brigham Young at #7 Utah - Lots of people predicted at the beginning of the season that the Holy War (yes that is what they really call the game) would determine which one of these teams would be BCS busters, and whomever wins this does win the Mountain West conference. Unfortunately the BYU Cougars and QB Max Hall stumbled earlier in the year against TCU. But that doesn't mean it will be a cake walk for the Utes, Hall is one of the nations most efficient quarterbacks (don't you feel like this is true of every single BYU QB?) and they can run the ball pretty darn well too. But they don't run nearly as well as a Utah team who has allowed RBs Darrell Mack and Matt Asiata who have averaged almost 5 yards a carry all season. The biggest concern in this game is if the BYU defense, who has allowed a poor 4 yards a carry, can stop the Utes rushing attack, well that might be the second largest concern, the first being why any football rivalry would want to call itself the Holy War, of which I won't get into the intricacies of it, but I will say that I hope nobody sustains any injuries from any bible-like books that might be hurled. I'll take BYU to shock Utah out of a BCS bowl.
#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati - It's sad when at this point in the season the only 4 teams I've seen play from the Big East is UConn (because they played twice on friday night), Cincinnati (because they were on the big ten network against Oklahoma), West Virginia (because they played somebody who was on out here during not primetime) and Pitt (because they beat Notre Dame when no other games were on and I was folding laundry). Needless to say, I don't have alot to say about these teams because I haven't seen them much, and while I could lie to you and read about them and try to say things that I don't really know or understand since I've not seen them. I'm going to go a different route, I'm going to pick the winner based on whom has the prettier uniforms. The Pitt Panthers wear gold helmets with a kinda blueish-purple uniform with white. The Cincinnati Bearcats run a black with red scheme. Although I like red and black, I feel like those colors are overdone, they are so passe, so I like the Panthers, because of their pretty gold helmets that remind me of summers spent in Prague! (note: i've never spent a summer in prague)
Florida State at #25 Maryland - A game between two potential ACC champions, the Maryland Terrapins and the FSU Seminoles. Flip a coin in this one, it's basically anyone's guess. Dr. Coin predicts the Terrapins win a close one at home. The most fun in this game is it literally could go either way, Maryland at times has been the worst team in the ACC and at other times has been the best team in the ACC, they are in a way a metaphor for the rest of the league. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, always confusing.
#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma - The Sooners of Oklahoma against the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. No other game has more potential impact on who plays in the national title game than this one. This is essentially the Apex game from which all title possibilities flow forward from, it could validate the BCS's existence this year, or damn it to heck. If TT wins, they likely would get into the title game even if they lost the Big 12 title game. If Oklahoma wins it would be scramble to see whether they or Texas would get a nod to the National Title game assuming Texas wins out and wins the Big 12 title game. Graham Harrell is the QB of the Red Raiders and he will throw to and take Heisman votes away from his amazing receiver Michael Crabtree who will take Heisman votes away from Harrell and thus neither of them will win the race. QB Sam Bradford of the Sooners has had a great year and could lead the Sooners to a much deserved BCS game with a win. It is a very evenly matched game, but one can't help but think that Texas Tech would struggle on the road, since all their big games have been played at home in front of a riotous crowd which the team has really fed off of. Much has been made of how poorly Oklahoma's defense matches up against Texas Tech, and I'll just reiterate, that they were a much different team at home this year then they were on the road. So I'll predict a win for the home team.
Lehigh vs. Lafayette - What some of you may have been waiting for all year, my yearly Lafayette bashing session. Well guess, what, I'm going to rise above it this year, I'm not going to crack wise about all of the Lafayette teams fat promiscuous mommas. I'm not going to point out that their dumb HD screen fails to take away from the fact that they're stadium sucks and is ugly. I'm not going to mention how the school is in a shitty part of Easton and the people of that town have lost all decency and morals. I could mention how the Leopards always have black and dirty spots and that is a reflection on their souls, but I'm not going to. I could go on a rant about how the Lehigh Engineers are the best representations of scholar athletes in the country, but that would make me seem biased, which I am clearly not to either school. So instead I will just wish that the 144th playing of "The Rivalry" will be played with the best of sportsmanship, and hopefully Lehigh will overcome the 4 game win streak that Lafayette has going.
Enough of that, on to the football. This is my absolute favorite week of college football, the true rivalry week. It's when hearts and dreams are broken, it is when contenders become pretenders and then you eat a pretzel looking thing at halftime that gives you a stomach ache, or maybe it was that beer and malt liquor you were destroying before the game at tailgates...it's hard to figure out (btw Cubb thanks for buying me that pretzel a couple years ago when I had no cash on me and I had drank all that beer and malt liquor, you are a lifesaver). If you are the BCS committee you are praying that the season unfolds like so; Texas Tech and Alabama go undefeated and Utah, Boise, and Ball State all lose. That's it, pretty simple, it makes them look more valid. In my perfect world, Alabama, and Texas Tech lose, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, and Penn State all lose, vaulting Utah and Boise State into the national title game, and Ball State smokes Alabama in a bowl game and frogs learn to fly and a horse in memphis learns to play the piano. Between the two lurks what I call reality, a dark and dreary place where both Texas Tech and Alabama lose leaving Texas to play Florida in the national title game, also Utah and Ball State lose and Boise plays Oklahoma in the a rematch BCS bowl. For the record this is what I believe will happen.
Comments:
"Football is a barbaric sport marty, I can't believe you watch it. - Justin"
Ahem, then I guess that's why you spent all sunday night watching the redskins game with me?
"My question is this: at what point do you put Wake Forest in the national championship game based solely on how great they are overall, or what I like to call their "AWESOMEITUDE!!!", and don't worry about how many games they've lost or their strength of schedule or the fact that in 9 games they've figured out how to get into the end zone in only 2 of them. AWESOMEITUDE! - Ratty"
My head exploded when I read this, and also my spell check. But the good news is, that Wake could still win the ACC, and thereby go to a BCS game. Then again there are like 14 other teams in the ACC that could do the same thing. All I'll say about is that I'm getting a little weary of all the sister kissing going on in the ACC, someone needs to step up and just win the conference, but more importantly (and this is where half the people here stop reading forever) it's possible that right now every single team in the 12 team conference could go to a bowl game...thus making them the best conference in the country...I just threw up.
"Dude - the nursery rhyme theme was EPIC - you must do that again! That was hilarious - Brian"
The only thing epic about it was the amount of epic fail it contained. Also the biggest challenge was to remember all of the fables and such I knew. For reference, I apparently know alot, and this knowledge has garnered me the nickname "Pooh Bear" at the office. Because on our weekly quiz I was able to correctly guess the name of the forest in which Winnie the Pooh lived, but I was unable to remember how many ounces of beer there were in a pint...
Games:
#23 Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech - ACC game between two potential ACC champions, the Miami Hurricanes and the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets. Root for Georgia Tech because you hate Miami and GT's coach was the former coach at Navy and he brought his triple option attack to a major conference. I love it. Flip a coin in this one, it's basically any one's guess. Dr. Coin predicts the Yellowjackets in a close one.
North Carolina State at #22 North Carolina - Intrastate rivalry game (although I think Duke is UNC's real rival) between the UNC Tarheels and the NC State Wolfpack. If you get a chance, and I know I've said it a bunch of times this year. Take a look at UNC's QB Cameron Sexton, he has the throwing power of 20,000 Juggs machines. His pass would put a hole through my chest if I gave him the opportunity to pass to me. This is also one of the few games in the ACC where a team that could win the conference is playing someone that can't, so root for chaos, root for UNC to stay in the mix in the ACC. I'll take UNC in overtime.
Washington at Washington State - The 1-10 WSU Cougars VS. the 0-10 Washington Huskies...has there ever been a worse state for college football in one year than Washington? You might be asking yourself, "Marty, why are you writing about two terrible teams who have one win against a Division 1-AA team between them?" It's simple really, I do it because it's funny to me that two teams could be this bad in a major conference. It's also funny to me that I will be sitting through the entirety of this game, at a UW bar after I watch the Lehigh game at another bar. So to educate everyone, the Huskies are the ones in the purple who suck and whose coach has been fired at the end of the season, the Cougars are the ones in maroon who suck and who's coach has been fired at the end of the season. Unlike the NFL this game can't end in a tie so we won't have to see something as bad as the Philadelphia Eagles did last sunday...
#15 Michigan State at #8 Penn State - This is not the same Michigan State team that got hammered in the first game of the year against Cal, it does however remain to be seen if this is the same Spartans team that got hammered by Ohio State a little over a month ago. The Penn State Nittany Lions meanwhile would need a miracle to get to the national title game, but they still need to win this game to go to the Rose Bowl. Whomever wins this game would be guarenteed at least a share of the Big 10 title and if Penn State wins they would go to the Rose bowl, if the Spartans win they would have to hope that Ohio State loses to Michigan to get into a BCS bowl. Penn State has a crazy talented team like Anne Heisch crasy, they seem to be stacked all the way from running and passing threat QB Darrell Clark, to RB Evan Royster, and WRs Deon Butler and Derrick Williams. Michigan State will depend on RB Javon Ringer who is the third leading running back in the entire nation. Penn State has the advantage in every position group besides running back, and some might even argue that they are better there. I think the game will come down to whether MSU can stop the Penn State running attack, which I suspect they cannot, I think the Nittany Lions and legendary coach Joe Paterno finish strong, and take themselves to the Rose Bowl, which Joe naps through.
Boston College at Wake Forest - A game between two potential ACC champions, the Miami Hurri...I mean the BC Golden Eagles and the wake Forest Demon Deacons. Flip a coin in this one, it's basically anyone's guess. Dr. Coin predicts the Deacons win a close one at home. The shame of it being that the most exciting part of Wake Forest, their all-american kicker, has been hurt the last couple weeks and he probably won't play.
#14 Brigham Young at #7 Utah - Lots of people predicted at the beginning of the season that the Holy War (yes that is what they really call the game) would determine which one of these teams would be BCS busters, and whomever wins this does win the Mountain West conference. Unfortunately the BYU Cougars and QB Max Hall stumbled earlier in the year against TCU. But that doesn't mean it will be a cake walk for the Utes, Hall is one of the nations most efficient quarterbacks (don't you feel like this is true of every single BYU QB?) and they can run the ball pretty darn well too. But they don't run nearly as well as a Utah team who has allowed RBs Darrell Mack and Matt Asiata who have averaged almost 5 yards a carry all season. The biggest concern in this game is if the BYU defense, who has allowed a poor 4 yards a carry, can stop the Utes rushing attack, well that might be the second largest concern, the first being why any football rivalry would want to call itself the Holy War, of which I won't get into the intricacies of it, but I will say that I hope nobody sustains any injuries from any bible-like books that might be hurled. I'll take BYU to shock Utah out of a BCS bowl.
#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati - It's sad when at this point in the season the only 4 teams I've seen play from the Big East is UConn (because they played twice on friday night), Cincinnati (because they were on the big ten network against Oklahoma), West Virginia (because they played somebody who was on out here during not primetime) and Pitt (because they beat Notre Dame when no other games were on and I was folding laundry). Needless to say, I don't have alot to say about these teams because I haven't seen them much, and while I could lie to you and read about them and try to say things that I don't really know or understand since I've not seen them. I'm going to go a different route, I'm going to pick the winner based on whom has the prettier uniforms. The Pitt Panthers wear gold helmets with a kinda blueish-purple uniform with white. The Cincinnati Bearcats run a black with red scheme. Although I like red and black, I feel like those colors are overdone, they are so passe, so I like the Panthers, because of their pretty gold helmets that remind me of summers spent in Prague! (note: i've never spent a summer in prague)
Florida State at #25 Maryland - A game between two potential ACC champions, the Maryland Terrapins and the FSU Seminoles. Flip a coin in this one, it's basically anyone's guess. Dr. Coin predicts the Terrapins win a close one at home. The most fun in this game is it literally could go either way, Maryland at times has been the worst team in the ACC and at other times has been the best team in the ACC, they are in a way a metaphor for the rest of the league. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, always confusing.
#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma - The Sooners of Oklahoma against the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. No other game has more potential impact on who plays in the national title game than this one. This is essentially the Apex game from which all title possibilities flow forward from, it could validate the BCS's existence this year, or damn it to heck. If TT wins, they likely would get into the title game even if they lost the Big 12 title game. If Oklahoma wins it would be scramble to see whether they or Texas would get a nod to the National Title game assuming Texas wins out and wins the Big 12 title game. Graham Harrell is the QB of the Red Raiders and he will throw to and take Heisman votes away from his amazing receiver Michael Crabtree who will take Heisman votes away from Harrell and thus neither of them will win the race. QB Sam Bradford of the Sooners has had a great year and could lead the Sooners to a much deserved BCS game with a win. It is a very evenly matched game, but one can't help but think that Texas Tech would struggle on the road, since all their big games have been played at home in front of a riotous crowd which the team has really fed off of. Much has been made of how poorly Oklahoma's defense matches up against Texas Tech, and I'll just reiterate, that they were a much different team at home this year then they were on the road. So I'll predict a win for the home team.
Lehigh vs. Lafayette - What some of you may have been waiting for all year, my yearly Lafayette bashing session. Well guess, what, I'm going to rise above it this year, I'm not going to crack wise about all of the Lafayette teams fat promiscuous mommas. I'm not going to point out that their dumb HD screen fails to take away from the fact that they're stadium sucks and is ugly. I'm not going to mention how the school is in a shitty part of Easton and the people of that town have lost all decency and morals. I could mention how the Leopards always have black and dirty spots and that is a reflection on their souls, but I'm not going to. I could go on a rant about how the Lehigh Engineers are the best representations of scholar athletes in the country, but that would make me seem biased, which I am clearly not to either school. So instead I will just wish that the 144th playing of "The Rivalry" will be played with the best of sportsmanship, and hopefully Lehigh will overcome the 4 game win streak that Lafayette has going.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
College Football Weekend November 15th, 2008
First I'd like to apologize to last week, it was lower then even my low standards of excellence have come to accept, I will never again work nursery stories or fables or whatever into my column, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin. I will also need to stop making guarantees, after this one: The only guarantee that I will make is that only things that can disappoint me will happen ala Penn State making me sad. That was the worst pass interference call of all time. The refs hate Penn State. So if we apply the logic that only things that disappoint me will happen then you will see Utah, Boise, and Ball State all lose, Penn State doesn't go to a BCS game, and Ohio State somehow leapfrogs it's way to the title game against Alabama and afterwards, when Alabama has won, they both decide to join one another to form THE University of Alabama State Crimson Buckeyes, and they higher Bobby Petrino as their QB's coach and Chuck "The Chest" Amato becomes their linebackers coach. Then they make a law that there can never be a playoff and furthermore all non-BCS conferences will not be eligible for BCS games. Then they will outlaw the option and mandate scholarships for all football teams. To switch topics really fast I may be completely wrong minded about this but I think that losing to a lesser opponent is less of a deal then losing to a big name. Take Oklahoma and Texas, and then USC, Penn State and Florida as examples. The last three got caught in trap games where they lost, barely, and they have won handily every other game they've played. Whereas Texas and Oklahoma both lost to quality opponents and they have beaten all the lesser teams they've played. But in my mind I grade them as worse losses then the three teams that got trapped. Am I just dead wrong about this? Probably. Lastly, Why couldn't Penn State not just win out? I mean how many times do they have to get jobbed by the refs in their one loss? The last time they did it granted it was during the Texas/USC national title game but still. Anyways, this week has a pretty weak slate of games, we're talking puppy dog weak, which in football is not nearly as cute and cuddly.
Comments:
"I gotta admit that I am fairly disappointed with LSU this weekend. They certainly played a great game against a great team, but I just cannot believe that a Les Miles coached team has dropped a 3rd conference game. I expected them to come out and take it to Alabama. I guess this means that LSU is really down this year as a team.
Look for Florida to show up in the national championship game. There is no player in the land more focused and more determined than Tim Tebow right now. They are really spreading the ball around this year, so he may not put up Heisman numbers, but no QB in the nation leads an offense like Tim Tebow. Urban Meyer has these guys poised to make a run. Florida versus Alabama for the SEC title and the right to play for a national championship. The upcoming weeks should be fun! - Darius"
LSU I think is just missing that killer instinct. There is no way they should have lost 3 conference games, and they got blown up by Georgia, a team that I haven't thought was that good all year. So we'll see what happens, it's certainly going to be exciting. I'm not so sure about Florida either.
"So the number 1 team in the nation goes to a place where they have given up over 50 points twice and have no QB and needs overtime to win and that guarantees them to go undefeated in your mind? No way, The Fighting Tebows are going to knock them of in Hotlanta. Texas Tech is ridiculously good on offense and I think their offensive line should win the heisman. I am serious, why shouldn't they? Graham Harrell could take a nap in the pocket wake up make pancakes and the complete 75% of his passes without anyone breathing on him.- Forrest"
They are good, but he's going to need to squeeze some fresh orange juice with those pancakes, and what about making a sandwich for later? I want to see them beat Oklahoma in Norman, and then I'll have faith. LSU may have gotten blown out.in those other two games but they were a couple plays away from being very very close. So in a way my perception of Alabama has changed so that I actually think they have a chance to go undefeated the rest of the year. They took everything LSU had to offer and still won.
Games:
#25 South Carolina at #4 Florida - Lots of people have said that they think Florida has a great shot to get to the national title game if they can beat Alabama. Well it's not quite so simple, first they have to beat the Gamecocks and former Florida coach Steve Spurrier, who has won only once in the three times he's played Florida, but he's kept the games interesting every time, so who knows what the "Ole Ball Coach" has cooked up, maybe some pizza! South Carolina is lead by QBs Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia, who split time at the position last week, Garcia is a better athlete while Smelley is a better student of the game, which basically means he's bad but he knows the offense. The Florida Gators, are of course lead by former Heisman winner Tim Tebow who is as much a threat to run as he is to pass, and WR/RB/Butcher/Baker/Candlestickmaker Percy Harvin. This game is billed as the South Carolina defense versus the amazing Fighting Tebows offense, and although the Gamecocks might have the better defense, their offense is severely lacking and the last time I checked (last week) the Gators defense was pretty darn spiffy themselves. What confuses me is how a 7-3 team who hasn't beaten any ranked teams this year is back into the top 25? The only winning teams they've beaten were Wofford, who is a division below them, and they only won by 10 points, and umm Kentucky and Ole Miss both of whom have padded their schedules for the most part more then my sister padded her bra in middle school (although to be fair Ole Miss did beat Florida, but I wanted to make that joke work). But enough run on sentences. Florida has the firepower, they have the will power, and they have the…power power? Florida should win this game with ease, which would set them up for a final 2 games against Florida State and then Alabama in the SEC title game, hopefully for all the marbles and a chance to play for the BCS title.
The ACC - Rather than talk about all these games individually, I thought I would just have a quick prospective on the nation's most confused conference. As of now the ACC is still completely wide open with 9 teams that could possibly win the conference. In the Atlantic you have Florida State, Wake Forest, Maryland and even Boston College who could win that part of the conference and end up in the title game. On the coastal side there's North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Virgina, and Miami who could all with the conference, so basically as long as you don't go to Duke you are still in this thing. I can't tell you the ins and outs of who needs to win what and go dancing with whom while somebody else gets stood up for a lunch date to win it all. The only thing I've been able to learn is that Boston College, Maryland, and Virginia Tech all control their own destinies and if they win out they are in. It's a confusing league, with a plethora of possibilities and trying to predict what is going to happen is like herding cats, or trying to control a rambunctious puppy. Noth Carolina plays Maryland this week and all I can tell you is that Maryland is the least consistent team in the country, winning all their games against ranked opponents but getting stomped by Middle Tennessee State and the two big schools from Virginia. So if you go by that trend then the Terrapins are going to beat the 16th ranked Tarheels. Thursday night the VT Hokies play at Miami, a venue which has traditionally cause much stress and heartbreak for Tech fans, but who knows this year. A black cat could run across the field when Miami has the ball and then an errant pass gets intercepted by the ball boy who takes it to the house for 42 points and a Tech win. All possibilities are open, we just have to hope that there aren't any holes in the fabric of the universe during that game. BC also plays at Florida State in prime time, for that game I predict the Cinncinnati Bengals will be victorious.
Harvard at Pennsylvania - In the old nasty haunts of Franklin Field in Philadelphia these two Ivy league foes will face off to determine who will be most likely to take second place in the conference. Both teams lost to Brown so if Brown wins out then they would win the Ivy league. But that doesn't take away from this game, where the 5-3 Quakers face the 7-1 Crimson. Harvard are lead by Senior QB Chris Pizzotti who's highlights this year include him paying off the refs against Lehigh, and that time the guy he wanted to win the presidential election won. Penn on the other hand are lead by their defense, and a reasonably stout running game that goes for about 100 yards a game. As in all Ivy league games, this contest will be a game of wits, grit, strategy, grade inflation, and undersized athletes. If Harvard puts up over 27 points the game is won, because Penn has not once this year broken the 27 point barrier. Harvard has beaten most everyone Penn lost to pretty easily, so I look for the Crimson to roll in this game.
There aren't really too many other games that stick out to me as really sexy to watch. Which usually means there are going to be upsets, could be in any number of games but if I had to guess I'd go with these:
Mississippi State at #1 Alabama - Alabama is going to lose a game this year or so help me I will get a tattoo of Nick Saban on my chest
#6 USC at Stanford - A terrible Stanford team shocked USC last year, is this team terrible enough to be overlooked by USC?
# 7 Utah at San Diego State - You don't just come in here and try to enjoy our beautiful weather without paying for it…oh you do, everyone does…ok then have fun then, get a fish taco.
#9 Boise State at Idaho - Boise is in the unenviable position of bing behind Utah in the rankings, which means if they both go undefeated then only Utah is guaranteed a spot in a BCS game.
#3 Texas at Kansas - If Kansas hadn't lost to Nebraska last week I would have wrote about this game, but they did and I'm lazy so you know how that goes.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
College Football Weekend November 6th-8th, 2008
A slew of incredible games this week (starting on Wed night with Ball State vs. N. Illinois) and we might be witness to the same number of top 25 teams losing as we were last week given that so many of them are playing one another, although it may not be possible to get the level of excitement and quality finish we got at the end of the Texas/Texas Tech game. I mean if I'm a Texas fan I've got to be hating life. They had so many opportunities to win that game, but an interception slipped through someones hands, they miss a tackle here, the strong safety sneezes while running and tripped over his untied shoe and got his foot stuck in a bucket while he stepped on a rake. I mean the Texas band practically ran on the field. Also let's not forget (or ever forgive) Tulsa for breaking my heart by losing to Arkansas, how dare you, now I'll be a bitter old maid till the end of my days. It's tough to take sometimes, and already this year my heart has been broken by BYU, TCU, and Northwestern. Who's next? Boise State? Utah? Ball State? Please ladies, I need at least one date to the dance (although lord knows I've been to enough dances stag under the premise of "not wanting to be weighed down by a date" as a cover). So I'll just keep on dreaming about these undefeated Cinderellas.
Comments:
"Are you watching the texas v texas tech? !!!Me too!! Now i can make a clever contribution to your weekly email!!!- Tess"
You've finally made it after all!
"Oh it's not over!-Spike/Wiley"
How foolish i was to declare that Texas/Texas Tech game over, you were right, it wasn't over until the very end, and I'm sorry.
Games:
#12 TCU at #8 Utah - This game is on Thursday night. This is the beginning of a hellish stretch for the fairytale Utah Utes. They face defensive power TCU this week, San Diego State the week after, and then they finish the season at ranked darling BYU. What these boys need is a fairy godmother (yes before you groan I am planning on doing this entire update using fairy tale jokes) and it could be in the form of the Utes two big running backs Darrell Mack (which just sounds like the name of a big running back, or, perhaps a troll that lives under a bridge?) and Matt Asiata. The TCU horned frogs have a defense that ranks first in the country in rushing defense. They are like the deadly walls guarding the magical lamp that is TCU's ticket to the BCS game…But despite everyone I've seen in the national media talking about how Utah can't overcome the speed of TCU's defense, something about the determination of this Utah team is impressive. A commitment to the run and a strong defensive effort at home will be the key to Utah's victory, and it doesn't matter that they match up especially poorly against TCU. Sportswriters have raved about TCU's defense but they got killed by Oklahoma, embarrassed frankly, and Utah has more to play for. The just need to pull the thorn from the lions paw to be successful, think about it!
#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - I'm taking half of this game as my academic game of the week (for Northwestern obviously not for Ohio State). Northwestern has been the darling of the college football sportswriters this season partly because so many of them went to the journalism school there. They are led by senior QB C.J. Bacher, who has terrible stats but somehow has continued to win games in spite of himself. But the Wildcats haven't really defeated any team of consequence other than Minnesota and it very much could be a case of Paul Bunyan, where they never faced anyone till he lost to a chainsaw. Well the Ohio State Buckeyes are that chainsaw, and they have great offensive weapons in the form of RB Beanie Wells and freshman QB/Scrambling Machine Terelle Pryor. Northwestern got beat down earlier in the year when they faced a real running game against Michigan State, and the Buckeyes have a defense to match that running game. OSU may not be having the season it thought it might, but there's still an outside chance for them to get into the Rose Bowl if either Penn State somehow loses, or they place second in the Big 10, and Alabama or Texas Tech lose. It's a tangled web but just like the Ugly duckling, OSU has to keep plugging on until they turn into a swan. No trip down the rabbit hole in this game, just stark reality witch ends in a loss for the Wildcats.This is the week. This is the time that the Alabama Crimson Tide finally get off the pile of mattresses and realize they didn't feel a pea (they're going to lose ok, this is hard I don't remember that many fairy tales, we're going to have to start resorting to letters to the editor of Penthouse or Men's Health soon…those are fairy tales right? I mean I don't read or own and Penthouse's but they usually start with "I never thought this would happen to me…") and thus they do not get to be a princess.
#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - The LSU Tigers have been beat up in big games this year, they got beat down by Florida, they got beat down by Georgia and their porridge was too cold :( But I have a feeling that this is the week, now is the time for the Alabama Crimson tide to go down. And if it's not this week, then it's next week, or the week after it. This is going to be your typical SEC game, lots of hitting, lots of bruising defensive plays, and lots of surprise. Alabama's offensive line is one of, if not the best in the country, and running behind them is junior RB Glen Coffee who leads the nation in caffeine content except for CGNU QB Mike Redbull. LSU runs a two quarterback system, putting in either Andrew Hatch or Jarrett Lee at any given time. Alabama has a bruising defense, as fast as any in the country and big on the defensive line. But you never know, this is Alabama coach Nick Saban's return to the team that he once lead to a National Title, they remember his fake words, and his lies, and his cries for wolf. And they are out for revenge, there's some leftover hostility and it's going to take considerably less than a prick from a rose bush to make the Tigers go quietly into the night.
#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - It would be unwise to assume that the Red Raiders of Texas Tech are going to go unbeaten the rest of the way. Can The Cowboys of Oklahoma State be David to their Goliah? The tortoise to TT's hare? The Wall to their Humpty Dumpty? (Ok that last one is a bit of a stretch) I don't think so, I think the Cowboys are a good squad, but they would need to put on a performance like they did against Missouri to win. Meaning they would have to pressure the heck out of QB Graham Harrell so that he didn't have time to throw the ball. They would also have to stop the run game, which Texas was almost unable to do last week, and QB Zach Robinson would have to play out of his mind. It's not impossible, but TT just looked too darn good at home last week. If someone is going to give them a poison apple it will probably be at Oklahoma in the last week of the season. But who knows, Ok. St. has faced two big spread offense teams already, they beat down Missouri's Chase Daniel and held Jeremy Maclin in check, maybe they can do the same against TT's Michael Crabtree, who doesn't need to have Rapunzel lower her hair to climp the tower, he can jump that high (this is hurting me more then it's hurting you).
#21 California at #7 USC - The Cal Bears shocked Oregon in the rain last weekend, but sadly for them the Trojans aren't Chicken little and the sky isn't going to fall (it's also probably not going to rain). Southern California got its rain quota for the quarter out of the way last Saturday so it looks like a nice Southern California afternoon (they are all nice by the way). The Trojans need QB Mark Sanchez to continue firing away to all of USC's offensive weapons. Cal will have to hope that their QB tandem of Keven Riley and Nate Longshore can come through against a very tough USC defense, although it's not clear who will be starting both will probably see time. Hard to gauge which Cal team will show up, will it be the ones who beat Michigan State and Oregon? Or the ones that lost to pathetic Maryland? Since 2001, the Trojans under coach Pete Carroll have never lost a game in November, they are 24-0. Cal will pull out all the stops and do some fun things and maybe make a game of it for a half, but in the end as Agent Smith said, "You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson... " Well Cal is Neo, and unlike in that fairy tale (it counts ok...) Cal won't be coming back to the dead because nobody beats USC in November. USC wins big, Cal might keep it close for a half.
New Hampshire at Villanova - The 7-1 New Hampshire Wildcats at the 6-2 Wildcats of Villanova. The one thing they should do for this game is burn the mascot of the losing wildcat and that team should have to pick a new mascot, and then they could get Northwestern and Kentucky involved and have a Wildcat Playoff. Then some mysterious Wildcat with a moustache and a hood could come spilt an arrow in twain with another arrow to win it all and excape capture, we'll call him Sir Wildcat of Arizona. But these are two pretty good schools fighting for their playoff hopes and trying to win a conference. The Wildcats are lead by sophomore R.J. Toman, who is completing 70% of his passes, but he'll have to outplay the Wildcat's own sophomore Christopher Whitney. New Hampshire runs a pro style passing offense, and they usually have a handful of great possession receivers who run great routes, their running game consists of a lot of draws and trick plays. Villanova runs more of a traditional offense from the I-form, relying on the big offensive linemen to open holes. I'll take Villanova since I used to drive by the campus every time we used to visit my Grandfather. Should be a good game between to very academically competitive schools.
There are a number of games that I'm not writing about because of time this week, but I'd like to list them because they should be great games:
#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - UNC's Cameron Sexton has a cannon for an arm, check him out if you get a chance. I'll take the heels at home.
#13 Georgia at Kentucky - Can a decent Kentucky team catch an emotionally drained Bulldog team that lost to Florida last weekend? I say no.
Virginia at Wake Forest - If it hadn't of been for the other game I could have used this as my academic game of the week. However now I'll just say that UVA wins.
Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - Huge game in the Big East, which has become a national afterthought. WVU wins at home.
OK, that's all for me this week, but remember what Aesop told us in The Ass and the Lapdog, "Clumsy jesting is no joke"
Comments:
"Are you watching the texas v texas tech? !!!Me too!! Now i can make a clever contribution to your weekly email!!!- Tess"
You've finally made it after all!
"Oh it's not over!-Spike/Wiley"
How foolish i was to declare that Texas/Texas Tech game over, you were right, it wasn't over until the very end, and I'm sorry.
Games:
#12 TCU at #8 Utah - This game is on Thursday night. This is the beginning of a hellish stretch for the fairytale Utah Utes. They face defensive power TCU this week, San Diego State the week after, and then they finish the season at ranked darling BYU. What these boys need is a fairy godmother (yes before you groan I am planning on doing this entire update using fairy tale jokes) and it could be in the form of the Utes two big running backs Darrell Mack (which just sounds like the name of a big running back, or, perhaps a troll that lives under a bridge?) and Matt Asiata. The TCU horned frogs have a defense that ranks first in the country in rushing defense. They are like the deadly walls guarding the magical lamp that is TCU's ticket to the BCS game…But despite everyone I've seen in the national media talking about how Utah can't overcome the speed of TCU's defense, something about the determination of this Utah team is impressive. A commitment to the run and a strong defensive effort at home will be the key to Utah's victory, and it doesn't matter that they match up especially poorly against TCU. Sportswriters have raved about TCU's defense but they got killed by Oklahoma, embarrassed frankly, and Utah has more to play for. The just need to pull the thorn from the lions paw to be successful, think about it!
#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - I'm taking half of this game as my academic game of the week (for Northwestern obviously not for Ohio State). Northwestern has been the darling of the college football sportswriters this season partly because so many of them went to the journalism school there. They are led by senior QB C.J. Bacher, who has terrible stats but somehow has continued to win games in spite of himself. But the Wildcats haven't really defeated any team of consequence other than Minnesota and it very much could be a case of Paul Bunyan, where they never faced anyone till he lost to a chainsaw. Well the Ohio State Buckeyes are that chainsaw, and they have great offensive weapons in the form of RB Beanie Wells and freshman QB/Scrambling Machine Terelle Pryor. Northwestern got beat down earlier in the year when they faced a real running game against Michigan State, and the Buckeyes have a defense to match that running game. OSU may not be having the season it thought it might, but there's still an outside chance for them to get into the Rose Bowl if either Penn State somehow loses, or they place second in the Big 10, and Alabama or Texas Tech lose. It's a tangled web but just like the Ugly duckling, OSU has to keep plugging on until they turn into a swan. No trip down the rabbit hole in this game, just stark reality witch ends in a loss for the Wildcats.This is the week. This is the time that the Alabama Crimson Tide finally get off the pile of mattresses and realize they didn't feel a pea (they're going to lose ok, this is hard I don't remember that many fairy tales, we're going to have to start resorting to letters to the editor of Penthouse or Men's Health soon…those are fairy tales right? I mean I don't read or own and Penthouse's but they usually start with "I never thought this would happen to me…") and thus they do not get to be a princess.
#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - The LSU Tigers have been beat up in big games this year, they got beat down by Florida, they got beat down by Georgia and their porridge was too cold :( But I have a feeling that this is the week, now is the time for the Alabama Crimson tide to go down. And if it's not this week, then it's next week, or the week after it. This is going to be your typical SEC game, lots of hitting, lots of bruising defensive plays, and lots of surprise. Alabama's offensive line is one of, if not the best in the country, and running behind them is junior RB Glen Coffee who leads the nation in caffeine content except for CGNU QB Mike Redbull. LSU runs a two quarterback system, putting in either Andrew Hatch or Jarrett Lee at any given time. Alabama has a bruising defense, as fast as any in the country and big on the defensive line. But you never know, this is Alabama coach Nick Saban's return to the team that he once lead to a National Title, they remember his fake words, and his lies, and his cries for wolf. And they are out for revenge, there's some leftover hostility and it's going to take considerably less than a prick from a rose bush to make the Tigers go quietly into the night.
#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - It would be unwise to assume that the Red Raiders of Texas Tech are going to go unbeaten the rest of the way. Can The Cowboys of Oklahoma State be David to their Goliah? The tortoise to TT's hare? The Wall to their Humpty Dumpty? (Ok that last one is a bit of a stretch) I don't think so, I think the Cowboys are a good squad, but they would need to put on a performance like they did against Missouri to win. Meaning they would have to pressure the heck out of QB Graham Harrell so that he didn't have time to throw the ball. They would also have to stop the run game, which Texas was almost unable to do last week, and QB Zach Robinson would have to play out of his mind. It's not impossible, but TT just looked too darn good at home last week. If someone is going to give them a poison apple it will probably be at Oklahoma in the last week of the season. But who knows, Ok. St. has faced two big spread offense teams already, they beat down Missouri's Chase Daniel and held Jeremy Maclin in check, maybe they can do the same against TT's Michael Crabtree, who doesn't need to have Rapunzel lower her hair to climp the tower, he can jump that high (this is hurting me more then it's hurting you).
#21 California at #7 USC - The Cal Bears shocked Oregon in the rain last weekend, but sadly for them the Trojans aren't Chicken little and the sky isn't going to fall (it's also probably not going to rain). Southern California got its rain quota for the quarter out of the way last Saturday so it looks like a nice Southern California afternoon (they are all nice by the way). The Trojans need QB Mark Sanchez to continue firing away to all of USC's offensive weapons. Cal will have to hope that their QB tandem of Keven Riley and Nate Longshore can come through against a very tough USC defense, although it's not clear who will be starting both will probably see time. Hard to gauge which Cal team will show up, will it be the ones who beat Michigan State and Oregon? Or the ones that lost to pathetic Maryland? Since 2001, the Trojans under coach Pete Carroll have never lost a game in November, they are 24-0. Cal will pull out all the stops and do some fun things and maybe make a game of it for a half, but in the end as Agent Smith said, "You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson... " Well Cal is Neo, and unlike in that fairy tale (it counts ok...) Cal won't be coming back to the dead because nobody beats USC in November. USC wins big, Cal might keep it close for a half.
New Hampshire at Villanova - The 7-1 New Hampshire Wildcats at the 6-2 Wildcats of Villanova. The one thing they should do for this game is burn the mascot of the losing wildcat and that team should have to pick a new mascot, and then they could get Northwestern and Kentucky involved and have a Wildcat Playoff. Then some mysterious Wildcat with a moustache and a hood could come spilt an arrow in twain with another arrow to win it all and excape capture, we'll call him Sir Wildcat of Arizona. But these are two pretty good schools fighting for their playoff hopes and trying to win a conference. The Wildcats are lead by sophomore R.J. Toman, who is completing 70% of his passes, but he'll have to outplay the Wildcat's own sophomore Christopher Whitney. New Hampshire runs a pro style passing offense, and they usually have a handful of great possession receivers who run great routes, their running game consists of a lot of draws and trick plays. Villanova runs more of a traditional offense from the I-form, relying on the big offensive linemen to open holes. I'll take Villanova since I used to drive by the campus every time we used to visit my Grandfather. Should be a good game between to very academically competitive schools.
There are a number of games that I'm not writing about because of time this week, but I'd like to list them because they should be great games:
#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - UNC's Cameron Sexton has a cannon for an arm, check him out if you get a chance. I'll take the heels at home.
#13 Georgia at Kentucky - Can a decent Kentucky team catch an emotionally drained Bulldog team that lost to Florida last weekend? I say no.
Virginia at Wake Forest - If it hadn't of been for the other game I could have used this as my academic game of the week. However now I'll just say that UVA wins.
Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - Huge game in the Big East, which has become a national afterthought. WVU wins at home.
OK, that's all for me this week, but remember what Aesop told us in The Ass and the Lapdog, "Clumsy jesting is no joke"
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