Today's Picks

I am about to run out of the hotel so here goes:
Vandy-7
SC -7.5
ISU-1.5
LSU -6
All favorites I know but...

Chris Ault Retires

Longtime Nevada head coach and former QB, already a College Football Hall of Famer for his innovative coaching, stepped down after 28 years of coaching.  This is Ault's second retirement but this one should stick for the 66-year-old, who led the Pack on their rise from Division II to FCS level and now FBS.  Ault won at every level.  He also changed football in various ways, from being an early proponent of overtime to his recent development of the Pistol Offense, which is now employed by teams throughout the country.  Former charge Colin Kaepernick is living proof that Ault knows his stuff.  And in true Ault style he is purposely leaving with a ton of starters returning for next year so as not to screw his replacement.
Ault deserved to go out on top and I hate that his final game--indeed the final 46 seconds--featured a crazy 2-TD rally by opponent Arizona, who won the game 49-48.  But that is football I guess and Ault has been around long enough to know that no lead is safe in a game with little defense.  But I did love that his offense exploited every inch of field, flummoxing Arizona defenders with an unbelievably varied offense.  They just did not get the ball back one more time.

Today's Picks

Well my hot start to the bowl season has fizzled away.  Desperate to return to the win column I am going all in on Air Force (-1.5), Syracuse (+3.5), ASU (-13.5), Oregon State (-1.5) and TCU (-2.5).

Larry Morris RIP

There was a time, 60 years ago, when Georgia Tech was a national power.  Coached by Bobby Dodd, the Ramblin' Wreck enjoyed a 31-game unbeaten streak over the first years of the 1950s and produced dozens of All Americans and a number of future Hall of Famers.
Two of the best were a pair of centers named Morris, George and Larry.  George was captain and star of the 12-0 1952 unit while Larry anchored the team the following two years.  They both were tough, talented and smart and ferocious on defense.  Both Morrises would eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
It was at a Hall event that I had the pleasure of making acquaintances with George Morris.  He was a wonderful man, warm and gregarious.  I soon found out that the Morrises were not brothers and then found out that they were a lot closer than siblings in their retirement.  Larry, who starred in both college and pro ball, later suffered from dementia.  By the time I met George, in 2004, Larry was very sick and George was helping Larry's family as much as he could.  Although not brothers, they were linked by being teammates and George knew Larry would help his fmily if the roles were reversed.  Sadly George died from a heart attack in 2007.  Larry lived on until this December 19 when he died from complications of dementia at age 79.

Today's Picks

Ouch.  I lost two games yesterday in last minute and then watched the UCLA JV try to stop Baylor.  I really like La-Monroe and Texas Tech minus the points today and Rutgers in a close one. Good luck.

Today's Picks

Sorry but I was busy moving some of my books.  Does anyone want one?  Let me know.
I went with Bowling Green and Duke with the points and UCLA today.  I will write earlier tomorrow!

Today's Bowl Pick

Are we really at the point whereby 6-6 MAC teams earn bowl bids?  Why play the Little Ceasar's Bowl?  No one wants to play in that game (sorry Detroit).  No one will see it.  What is the point?
That .500 MAC team, Central Michigan, will square off against a very good Western Kentucky squad.  Central went 4-1 down the stretch to claim this bowl berth.  The cumulative record of the four teams they beat?  8-40.  You cannot make this up.  Their opponent tonight, Western Kentucky, struggled down the stretch, losing four of six after a great start to the season (5-1 with wins on the road at Kentucky, Arkansas State and Troy).  Their coach, Willie Taggart, has accepted the job at USF.  But this is a veteran Western squad and in a match-up of squads looking to pound the ball more often than most they should come out ahead by more than a TD.  Pick: Western Kentucky -6.

Merry Christmas to All

I hope everyone had a great day.  Have a great New Year's too.

Today's Picks

Busy with pre-Christmas activity so I will keep this short. I like Louisiana Lafayette laying 6.5 and Washington getting 5 today.  That's it. Enjoy.

Today's Pick

Predicting the outcome of tonight's Poinsettia Bowl via numbers is a testimony to just how difficult that can be.
For one thing, BYU generally owns San Diego State from their days together in both the WAC and MWC.  The Cougars are 27-5 in their last 32 meetings versus their former "rivals" and have done so by an average margin of 17.  Advantage BYU.
But the game is being played in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium, where the Aztecs play, and San Diego State went 6-1 at home this year.  Advantage San Diego State.
But San Diego is an easy trip from Salt Lake City and there are a large number of BYU fans in the San Diego.  Plus the BYU program has a history of playing in San Diego during bowl season from their seemingly annual trip to the Holiday Bowl a generation ago.  Weaken that previous SD State advantage.
But, this edition of BYU struggles against good competition, winning only five games against teams with eventual winning records the past three seasons.  Advantage SD State.
Then again, the Cougars under coach Bronco Mendenhall know how to play in the postseason, winning five of their past six bowl games.  Advantage BYU.
Now the most important numbers may be that San Diego State is 15th in the nation in rushing at 229y per game, with soph back Adam Muema rushing for 1,355y, while BYU is second in rush D (third in overall D) allowing only 84y per.  The team that wins this battle wins the game--or the team that adjusts better (eg the Aztecs throw the ball) wins the game.
I was leaning BYU -3.5 for most of the week BUT have switched last second to San Diego State (the lure of that half point) as I believe they are motivated to break a five-game losing streak, will run just enough at key times in the game and will get better QB play from new starter Adam Dingwell than BYU will get from banged up Riley Nelson.  Take the 3.5 in a game that will go well under the 48 o/u.

Coaching Changes

A ton of coaching upheaval is nearing an end and I would have to say that a majority of schools got it right in terms of finding the right man for their program.  Yeah I know that only time will tell but we can give some early analysis now and then crow about the ones we get right (while doing what the big name analysts do in ignoring the misses).
The most recent hire was that of Gary Andersen by Wisconsin.  Fortunately for Andersen the Badgers job opened late enough for him to coach Utah State to a win over Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, capping an excellent 11-2 season.  He can now focus his efforts on saving the current Wisconsin recruiting class and hiring a top-notch Big Ten coaching staff.  The no-nonsense, defensive first Andersen fits the mold of a Big Ten coach and should maintain the level of excellence expected in Madison for the past 20 years.  I would grade this hire an "A", especially in light of how late in the game the opening occurred.  I am also looking forward to see Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez coach the Badgers for the upcoming Rose Bowl.
I happened to see Alvarez on the day that his former coach Brett Bielema bolted for Arkansas but that was before the announcement.  As for Bielema I feel that he will do fine at Arkansas but he will have to work hard to change the culture there.  While he is smart enough to not blow up the roster in year one he will need to adapt to present talent and instill confidence in a shaken group of players.   I never felt that Bielema was an outstanding coach, despite his impressive record, and that he will miss the abundance of big offensive linemen that they grow up in Wisconsin.  I give this hire a "B" for Brett Bielema.
As surprising as Bielema's jump to Arkansas was the move from Texas Tech to Cincinnati by Tommy Tuberville was even more stunning.  After the fact the move made a little more sense in that his former AD at Auburn, Whit Babcock, has the same role with the Bearcats.  We also know that Tuberville and the Red Raiders were not a perfect marriage.  Now let's see where the Bearcats end up if the Big East continues to disintegrate.  I give this hire only a "B" but not because I have any doubt that Tuberville can continue Cincinnati's recent level of success.  I am worried that the Babcock-Tuberville combination will approach the NCAA rulebook with SEC eyes.
Former Cincinnati coach Butch Jones is now at Tennessee where the fans are longing for a return to the top 25.  Although patience is required with any new hire I am unsure how much Vols fans have after many years of mediocrity.  Tennessee is a tough job for one main reason.  While the expectations are tremendously high, the state does not have enough in-house talent to use as a base for the building of a championship squad.  Forget the SEC West, the powers that be in the East, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, all have a lot more local talent than Tennessee.  So Tennessee has to recruit well and it is hard to grade Jones on that (although it will be crucial that he still mines his Ohio contacts).  Right now it is a "C+" but only because I cannot image Tennessee beating conference powers with Jones at the helm.  But he is the best hire for the job because it is not as good a job as people think.
The SEC had even more jobs open up this year and Kentucky earned a "B+" for its hire of Mark Stoops, who will have a core of young talent to work with and a lot less pressure than Jones.  Better than most Stoops understands expectations and the importance of relying on people you respect and trust.  Kentucky football will never supersede the basketball program but Stoops should make it relevant again.
I am less excited about Auburn's hiring of Gus Malzahn as its head coach although the Tigers were hampered by the huge amount of money paid to the previous staff as they walked out the door, the expected sanctions coming soon from the NCAA and a fan base that refuses to take second fiddle to Alabama.  Sure the offense will fling the ball all over the place--and I love the hiring of Ellis Johnson as DC--but this Tigers situation will be unable to overcomes those hurdles and expectations.  This one is a "B-" as they really could have done a lot worse.
A hire I really like is that of Mike MacIntyre by Colorado.  Yes MacIntyre only had one good year at San Jose but considering he inherited a 2-10 squad and the program was thought of as lost, he did an outstanding job of building.  He will have to do the same in Boulder.  He gets a "B+".
So too Willie Taggert by USF.  Taggert will mine his Florida backyard and make the Bulls a tough team to beat no matter where they end up.
Two coaching hires that I will grade a "B" and will be looking at closely are Kliff Kingsbury at his alma mater Texas Tech and Dave Doeren at NC State.  Both are young guys who are taking over solid programs that were run by veterans.  They will need to win early to prove that they were worthy of the shot.

Today's Bowl Picks

There are bowl games today.  It's December 15. Crazy.
And I will watch most of it.  First up, kicking off in the morning out in Albuquerque, is the New Mexico Bowl with an interesting offensive match-up between Arizona and Nevada.  Both teams will score a lot of points, especially with the game being played so early in December as neither D will have a full month to prepare, and I love getting 9 or so with a Pack squad that could win outright.  Nevada Jr Stephon Jefferson has rushed for 1,703y as the featured back in coach Chris Ault's pistol O.  QB Cody Fajardo had a fine season at the helm of the O, rushing for 2,530y and rushing for 981y.  He has four different receivers with at least 40 catches as the Pack will keep Arizona guessing. Nevada's D struggled in November and needs to build off a solid second half performance in their final game loss to Boise State.  As for Arizona, they too need to score to win as their young D struggled down the stretch.  They actually have the leading rusher entering the game as Ka'Diem Carey totalled 1,757y on the ground, good for second nationally to Jefferson's 4th standing.  He is the national leader with 146y per game and rushed for 20 TDs.  Senior QB Matt Scott provides the aerial attack for Arizona, passing for 3,238y and 24 TDs.  As I said the offenses will score.  Which d will show up?
The pick: Nevada +8
The other game, The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, is notable for the presence of a very good Utah State squad, who should handle a banged up Toledo unit.  The Aggies may very well be the best non BCS team in the nation after going 6-0 in a competitive WAC.  They are 10-2, with a 2-pt loss at Wisconsin and a 3-pt loss at BYU as their only blemishes.  They may be disappointed to be playing on 12/15 but should be inspired to beat a Toledo squad who did well in the MAC conference that claimed the BCS spot. The Aggies D is stout and QB Chuckie Keeton threw for 3,144y and 27 TDs and RB Kerwynn Williams rushed for 1,277y.  The Rockets were hot through mid-season, winning 8 straight, but then lost their final two to lose a shot at the conference crown.  Their chances may hinge on the availability of QB Terrance Owens and RB David Fluellen, who were both hobbled with ankle injuries at season's end. They do have star WR Bernard Reedy ready to go after a regular season in which he caught 82 balls for 1,051y.  The key for the Rockets may be if Toledo's QB, either Owens or sub Austin Dantin, have the time to exploit Reedy against a terrific Utah State pass rush.
Pick: Utah State -10.5

Heisman Pick

This is a compelling Heisman race this year as there are so many ways a voter can go and be justified.  I am not one who views the award as a player of the year and put a great deal of emphasis on character and leadership.  I also feel that a player's overall body work can break a tie between an upperclassman and a younger player.  I have no problem with defensive players winning the award and would vote for players from any region.  I also watch so much college football that I could care less about a guy having a "Heisman Moment" whatever that is.
And so I would vote for Te'o.  He has everything I would look for in a candidate as he is as good as it gets in the character and leadership departments and is a brilliant backer.  He played well against a tough schedule and also did so for four full years.
I do not have a problem with Manziel being a first-year player but when his opposition has had a Hall of Fame career, he is at a disadvantage.  My main problem with Manziel is that his statistical advantage is not truly legit.  His offensive system produces more plays than the average team and the defenses he has faced this year have been mediocre at best apart from the defenses that had success against him (LSU, Florida 2nd half and Alabama 2nd half).  His top five passing games were against Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Mississippi State and SMU.  And his best rushing efforts were against La Tech, Mississippi, Miss State, SMU and Arkansas.  He threw 44 passes in their final game against Missouri, a game that they won by 30.  He threw 38 times against Arkansas despite A&M ultimately winning that game by 48.  I really like Manziel, but enough already with system QBs.

Army Versus Navy

The 113th edition of the Army-Navy game is upon us, which of course, means that another great college football regular season has drawn to a close.  But for those dealing with burnout or planning ahead to bowl games, please do yourself a favor and watch the game.

Bruce Smith

I am watching a great piece on Minnesota legend Bruce Smith on ESPN's OTL.  A tape of Smith's Heisman speech has come to light recently and it forms the centerpiece of the segment.  Smith, winning the award two days after Pearl Harbor, speaks eloquently of how America had changed two days prior and how his generation had a new challenge.  Great stuff and the young player's ability to touch on the sensitive subject shows just how more mature 21-year-olds were then compared to now.  Smith was soon in the Navy, while his 1939 predecessor, Nile Kinnick, would end up dying on a training flight less than two years later.  Smith would come home from the war although he died too young in 1967 from cancer.

New Hall of Fame Class

Jonathan Ogden is a big dude.  Big.  Nice guy too.  But he is big.  He dwarfed guys like Dave Casper, guys that we normally think of as large.
But what is funny about annually attending the National Football Foundation's press conference introducing the latest class of college hall of famers, which took place yesterday at the Waldorf Astoria, is that physically imposing players like Ogden are the rarities.  Most of the guys look like guys off the street, although of course it is not always easy to see "speed" if the main weapon the player used to gain consensus All American status was his ability to race by others.  The reality is that the majority of hall of famers are not the five star guys but the guys with the biggest heart (who also had talent, work ethic, coaching, etc).
The new hall of famer I interviewed the longest yesterday, Mark Simoneau, the great linebacker from Kansas State, epitomizes all of that.  Not a large guy, Simoneau's physical presence these days does not scream starting linebacker let alone consensus All American or long-time NFL veteran.  And not surprisingly he was not a big-time recruit out of Smith Center High School in Kansas.  Fortunately for him the one Division One program coming after him, Kansas State, was a perfect fit.  He had the talent, work ethic and chip on his shoulder after being overlooked by others and they supplied outstanding coaching and an opportunity to play right away.  He became a four-year starter, averaging exactly 100 tackles per season, for a Wildcats team that won 42 games.  And Simoneau can relate to today's Cats as his '98 team was 11-0 and one win away from a spot in the BCS title game before being upset by Texas A&M 36-33.  Although his NFL career was less heralded, he did play for close to a decade and did lead the Eagles in tackles in 2003.
I also talked for a bit with Steve Bartkowski, who definitely has the former pro-player-now-more-comfortable-on-the-golf-course look.  We laughed about how the game has changed where he could be an All America and future Hall of Famer based on throwing for 2,508y as a senior in 1974.  That is the target total for mid-season for some of the new guys.  We discussed the Falcons for a bit too and he is more active with them due to living in Georgia, although he looks forward to being active with the Hall of Fame in 2014 when it finally moves to Atlanta.  We also discussed Christmas shopping for our kids, but I won't bore you with that.
My other interview was with former Texas Tech defensive tackle Gabe Rivera, who is the rare player of Latin heritage honored for football.  Rivera is, of course, one of the poster children for wasted talent as his drunk driving accident in 1983, his rookie year with the Steelers, has kept him in a wheelchair ever since.  But this honor rightfully refocuses the attention on Rivera from what might have been to what was a truly excellent college football career.  Interior defensive lineman back in Rivera's day were known for speed while today's nose guards are behemoths.  "Senor Smoke" was both and occasionally unstoppable. He also is a proud San Antonio native and we discussed how unbelievable it is that of the 14 former players honored yesterday, four are from Alamo City.  Rivera, Scott Thomas, who was a star safety for Air Force in the 1980s, Ty Detmer, the former Heisman winner from BYU and ex Rice star QB Tommy Kramer are all products of San Antonio high schools. That is amazing.
I did not have a chance to talk to the others, Charles Alexander, Otis Armstrong, Hal Bedsole, Casper, Detmer, Kramer, Art Monk, Greg Myers, Ogden, Thomas, John Wooten and coaches Phil Fulmer, Jimmy Johnson, and R.C. Slocum. Congratulations also to the current players honored for their ability to do well in school and in the classroom and as volunteers.  All in all it was a great morning.

Lots to Say

I must admit that I never quite trusted Georgia last night.  Sure, they played very well for most of the game and they certainly deserved a better outcome.  And, no, I wouldn't give coach Richt shit at the press conference.  Perhaps the LSU game was still fresh in my--in all of our--memories.  Alabama was going to rally and there really wasn't anything that Georgia was going to do about it.  They did string it out to the very end and who knows what would have happened if that last pass was not tipped.  But it was tipped.  It was always going to be tipped.  Georgia was trying to win the bout on points.  You have to knock out the champ.
And now we wait.  All of the build up from August until today leads to a match-up that will attract a huge audience....more than a month from now.  Sure there is more college football from now until then, from Army-Navy through the Beef "O" Brady's Bowl to the Rose Bowl.  And I will watch way too much of it.  But the wait does suck.
But how can I complain compared to the kids on the Louisiana Tech squad?  9-3, with each loss to a bowl team including the crazy 59-57 near upset of "mighty" Texas A&M and the memorable game against eventual WAC champs Utah State that went into OT, and they will stay home this post-season.  Ironically they ended up being screwed by--well their AD--but also the inclusion of MAC champ Northern Illinois in the BCS which sent dominoes flying downward beginning with Oklahoma (whose BCS spot was lost which is fitting as their loss to Boise in January of 2007 is item A in the case for non BCS teams getting BCS bowl berths).  No matter who is to blame it is a real shame that we cannot watch La Tech play La-Monroe in Shreveport.  That would have been fun.
It's 1am here so i'll sign off for now but break down the best bowl games tomorrow.

Today's Picks

I enjoyed the games last night and hope today delivers something similar.  For today I like Georgia +8, Conn +4, TCU +6, Texas +11, Nevada +8, FSU -14, Wisconsin +3.  Too many dogs?
Meanwhile my luck continues as my high school Bergen Catholic beat nemesis Don Bosco is state semis last night.  Go Crusaders!

Big East Update

Ugggh.   Uggggggh.
Rutgers!  That was a frustrating game for every player and fan,  The Big East title was theirs for the taking.  I do not want to repeat what happened.  It was too painful the first time.  But it was typical Rutgers and they will now have to get excited to play in the Belk Bowl or some such second tier game.
As for Louisville, QB Teddy Bridgewater was fabulous.  Shaking off multiple injuries, Bridgewater rallied the troops in splendid fashion.  He truly is a star and will rightfully have a BCS showcase.  That game is huge for a Cardinals program hoping to move up in class with a new commitment to winning.  They have shown plenty of second half fortitude this year but cannot fall too far behind against another conference champion.

Four Team Playoff Blues

If Alabama wins Saturday then the nation will have a few weeks to get ready for a national championship tilt between the Tide and Notre Dame.  The Irish will still be knocked for, well, I am unsure what reasons, but generally most everyone will accept the pairing as the best way to decide the 2012 champion.
But what if the four-team playoff system, to begin next season, were in place this year?  To be honest it would be a problem-causer.  Let's say, for the sake of argument, that all of the favorites this weekend win their games.  So Notre Dame and Alabama, obviously, are in.  But what about spots three and four?  Kansas State and Florida?  That would leave both Oregon and Stanford out, plus the 2-loss SEC teams and FSU.  SI conducted a survey of 11 current administrators and they came up with Florida and Oregon.  So no KSU nor a Stanford team that could win the Pac 12 title and has already topped Oregon on the field.
Not sure making the playoffs larger would work as the main BCS conference champions should get automatic berths but that may not leave enough at large berths to count for Notre Dame, a Boise State type team and all of the talented second place teams from big conferences.  No one has explained where these games are going to be played either.  Go to 16 then the logistics get worse.
One thing is clear about the future of playoffs.  Money will be the driving factor.

Big Conference of the East/USA Update

To be honest, there is not much more to say about conference realignment.  Louisville is now going to the ACC and not the Big 12 and Rick Pitino is just going to have to deal with it.  As for football, well, the Cardinals should do okay but it is hard to know for sure until the ACC is rearranged.  Meanwhile more Conference USA teams are flocking to the Big East as it becomes the best of the second tier schools (in football, add a bunch a non football playing old timers in basketball).
On the field the battle of a future Big Ten team and future ACC team is the key one for the Big East on the season.  Due to tiebreakers, the winner of Thursday's Rutgers versus Louisville battle should be BCS bound.  The game should be competitive with Rutgers looking to pound the visitors on the ground while injured QB Teddy Bridewater hopes to shake off ankle and wrist injuries to lead Louisville.  Look for Rutgers to ride RBs Jawan Jamison and Savon Huggins, both expected to play after leaving the Pitt loss with injuries, to a decent 4th Q lead and then withstand heroic Bridgewater-led comeback.  Scarlet Knights by 3.

Kentucky Hires the other, other Stoops

I like the hire.  I was worried the Kentucky would try to get that idiot Petrino but they went to the coaching tree for Mark Stoops and he will get them competitive.  Not sure how high they could ever go but 7-8 wins is doable.  Get some hungry players who would prefer to be in the two-deep for Kentucky than on Alabama's bench.  Play hard and the fans will come--at least until hoops season.

View From Bennett Avenue

In discussing match-ups for the national championship game analysts have talked throughout November about the style similarities and differences between the top contenders.  One element of football that is taking center stage--thank God--is toughness as Notre Dame, Alabama, LSU, KSU, Florida, etc all game plan to beat up opponents while teams that try to out-athlete opponents have stumbled.  The team that best epitomizes the speed game, Oregon, fell to a Stanford team that was much tougher than the Ducks.
But you can't hit 'em if you can't catch them and the premium is now on very big players that can also move.  There are not that many of those guys and they tend to be collected by those top teams.So when you take a look at your favorite team's recruits pay attention to the big guys.  The rise to the BCS title game is much easier with guys like Nix, Tuitt and Te'o than Clausen.
As for this title game Notre Dame does match up well with both Georgia and Alabama and the game should be a good one.  Keep and eye on the very talented players up front as they will dictate the outcome of the game.

Big Night

That was a great win for Notre Dame, coming on the field of their bitterest rival.  And now they-we-I have to wait 45 days?  Let the countdown begin.
And what a way to seal an undefeated regular season.  It could not have been scripted any better.  I'll write more tomorrow as I am too drained now.

Today's Picks

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  The pro games that day failed to live up to the quality of my sister-in-law's turkey and sides but hopefully the college football slate today measures up.  And I hope you have cleared your day as there are a full day of intriguing match-ups.
Michigan +4 at Ohio State
I am going back and forth on which team has the better motivation.  OSU needing a win to wrap up a 12-0 season or Michigan, who can stop that from happening?  And so, since I believe we will be watching two highly motivated squads, it will come down to talent and I feel the talent level is pretty close.  Take the points and keep track of the big plays.
Georgia -13 hosting Georgia Tech
I am not much of a fan of this Bulldogs squad as they seem like a 9-3 team to me.  Thanks to a ridiculous schedule, however, they can make the national championship game with two straight wins.  They do own this series and Tech has been pretty mediocre this year.  Sure the pressure is on Georgia and that has killed the chances of others this November, but I do not see how an undermanned Tech team can take advantage.
Minnesota +8 hosting MSU
I am trying to focus on meaningful games but this spread just seems too lopsided for me.
Vandy -11.5 at Wake
The Deacs seemed to have shut it down for the season while the Dores are a bit under the radar.  Vandy to win by 20.
Duke +6 hosting Miami
Good luck getting a Canes team motivated after their spot in the ACC title game and a bowl game were taken away this week by school officials.  Meanwhile the Blue Devils want to put a stamp on one of their most successful regular seasons in decades.
Pitt -2 hosting Rutgers
Panthers will be focused on taking down a Rutgers squad that is ranked but not necessarily better.  The Scarlet Knights can lose this game by 100 and still make a BCS game with a win next week.  That is a big advantage for the home team.
Oregon State +10 hosting Oregon
Oregon spreads are all out of whack based on the team's rout of lesser lights for the first ten weeks of the season.  But now they play a tough Oregon State D the week after playing a tough Stanford D.  This game should go down to the wire and do not be tempted by the notion that Oregon will rout the Beavers to make up for last week.
South Carolina +4 at Clemson
Gamecocks have owned this series recently and do better in big games.
USC +6.5 hosting ND
I am just trying to jinx the Trojans.  Game could easily go down to a FG which could hurt a Trojans team struggling in the kicking game.
Good luck...

Two More For Big Ten

The tentacles of the big boys struck again yesterday with the announcement that Maryland and Rutgers will join the Big Ten Conference.  The conference is focused on making even more money for its members via future television deals as the primary reason for offering these two schools is access to Eastern markets.  I guess that is a good enough reason to water down your conference talent level (on the football field as they will certainly be a boost to other sports like women's basketball), but will ad sales continue to improve as the number of mediocre games increase?  Will a Wisconsin-Maryland football game excite anyone?  Keep in mind that the Baltimore-DC marketplace is pro oriented.  The Terps have to have a good team to attract attention and being that they stink in the worst BCS conference, how do we think that they will be any good in the Big Ten?  And does anyone really believe that the ratings of other Big Ten games will really improve by that much simply because a bad Big Ten squad plays nearby?  Getting people in Maryland excited for a Iowa-Nebraska game will take decades of promotion.
As a fan of Rutgers sports I must say that I have seen this all before.  Before joining the Big East Rutgers had a solid independent football team and one of the better sports programs in the Atlantic 10.  The football team, after bottoming out in the mid to late 1990s is now in good shape although hardly that much better than the better teams of the 1970s and 80s.  They have not even sold out every football game this season despite having an excellent season to date.  As for basketball, the program had its ups and downs before joining the Big East and made the occasional NCAA tournament--even advancing to the final four in 1976.  Since joining the BE they have been pretty awful and have not secured a tourney berth in that time (17 years), so I am unsure of the benefits for Rutgers athletics.  This is especially the case when considering that a lot of the increased money earned by being a member of the BE has had to go back into the programs with middling results.
This is be the case for both Rutgers and Maryland as they enter the Big Ten as a great deal of the extra money secured by joining the conference will be poured into the football programs to allow them to remain competitive while aslo being wasted on the increased expenses of away games to Lincoln and Madison, etc.
So, then, how does any of this help the Scarlet Knights and Terps?  I doubt they will be helped on the field.  All of the other Big Ten teams will now recruit New Jersey and Maryland better while taking advantage of the difference between their athletic programs and those of RU and Maryland on Saturdays the way UConn and Syracuse, etc, took advantage of the Rutgers basketball program.  Playing in the Big Ten should help the national stature of both schools but there are easier ways to do that.  My alma mater, Fordham, has bettered its national standing over the past 25 years without doing too much athletically.  So let me be on the record as saying these moves are ridiculous.  they remind me of the playground when the cool guys allow a nerd to join their game and the nerd dumps his friends only to get his ass kicked by the cool kids.  Just stick it out with the ones you know.

New Number One

The last time I saw an undefeated Notre Dame this late in the season was 1989 and that game (Miami) was a disaster.  Saturday, however, was a special day and I enjoyed it enough that some of those demons were exorcised. Some.
But let's not focus on the negative.  The day was a celebration of a senior class that fought through some bad times to reach as a high a level as possible.  One of the reasons that some very successful coaches do well early in their tenure--Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer winning national titles in year two of their reigns at OU and Florida--is that the inherited players are very hungry and will do what is needed to win.  Players like center Braxston Cave, tight end Tyler Eifert, defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, safety Zeke Motta and, of course, linebacker Manti Te'o, among others, epitomize this for the Irish.  Win two more game and these players and the rest of the senior class go out as champions.
As for the game itself the Irish were motivated to make a statement.  After three possessions they had a 21-0 lead and the ballgame was just about over.  And so all of the Notre Dame fans in attendance enjoyed a three-hour salute to the program, punctuated by Te'o triumphant 4th Q departure.
We all left with a smile.  Little did we know that more good news was to come.  My friend Tim and I ended up--after many bookstore purchases--in the Legends sports bar located near the stadium.  By the end of the evening we were leading the "Beat SC" cheers as both Kansas State and Oregon fell prey to the upset bug.  The Irish would return to their rightful place atop the polls for the first time since I was thin and had a decent amount of hair.
There is plenty more football to play and fortunes change dramatically by the week.  Saturday was a good day to be a Notre Dame fan.  Will we say the same about next Saturday?

Today's Picks

In beautiful Bluffton, Indiana en route to South Bend for the Notre Dame-Wake Forest game.  It is senior day and the festivities should be special because of the undefeated season and everyone's need to say farewell to the seniors--especially Manti.
More about that later.  As for picks:
Stanford +20.5
KSU -13
ND -24
UCLA +3.5
Rutgers +6
Michigan +1
Mississippi +19
Enjoy

Pac 12 Update

The Pac-12 is fairly new to the post-season conference championship game, with last year being the first one held, but it has very neatly presented us with a semifinal round of sorts this weekend. Oregon can wrap up the North title with a win over Stanford, while the Cardinal will be in the driver's seat should they pull off the upset.  Meanwhile traditional rivals USC and UCLA square off for the south crown.  Oregon has much more than a division crown riding on its game but does seem to have Stanford's number of late with wins by 23 last year (despite trailing by 7 at half) and 21 in 2010. Then again, the Ducks have had everyone's number out West having won 25 of 26 conference games since beginning of 2010 season (their one loss was by 3).  I expect Oregon to win a close one with Stanford having the advanatge of a better schedule to date and a healthier set of lines.
As for the battle for LA, it is good to see that game have meaning again.  USC has to turn their season around so the game should be a blast.  Bruins by a FG.

ACC Update

The first broadside this season against the BCS from a college football coach is the dominant story in the ACC.  Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is mad that his Seminoles are 10th in the BCS standings despite sitting at 9-1 on the season.  Three two-loss SEC teams sit directly in front of FSU and if we include the three one-loss SEC teams directly in front of them, the BCS considers Florida State as no better than the seventh best team if we combined the two conferences.  That is ridiculous.  But the Noles are a victim of their schedule which includes a good win against Clemson and, well, that's it.  Fisher knows this but hides behind the infamous "eye test" saying that anyone can see that his team is better than some of those ranked higher.  But what exactly does that mean?  These dopey eye tests have aided SEC teams for a decade now and it is ironic that someone is trying to use it against the SEC.  But eyes can lie--the eye test said that Alabama was better than Texas A&M.  Until the game began.  Fortunately for Fisher he still has one more game to change the way his team is perceived and that is when the Noles host Florida on 11/24.  Win that game and you make you point.  Ditto Clemson hosting South Carolina on the same day.  The ACC has been awfully quiet since September but can make a lot of noise on that day (Georgia Tech also plays Georgia and Wake butts head with Vandy on that day).
As for the ACC race Florida State should have no problem clinching the Atlantic this weekend when playing Maryland.  The Coastal is more confusing and probably will not be decided this weekend since Miami is playing out of conference.  Duke traveling to Atlanta is the game of the week and the Yellow Jackets should win to put pressure on Miami to beat Duke the following weekend.  The other game to watch is North Carolina State traveling to Clemson.
To repeat, the ACC is not getting any respect but can change that--to a degree--with a big day next weekend.

BCS Blues

In the current BCS standings we have another school atop the human polls that does not lead the computers and BCS in Oregon.  The Ducks are rightfully being punished by the machines for playing outside BCS conferences in September, although Arkansas State and Fresno State are fine clubs.  They also have had an unbalanced conference schedule as five of their seven conference wins have come against Pac-12 schools sporting losing conference records.  And so we will know a lot more about the Ducks in December after they have played Stanford, Oregon State and, should they get there, the conference title game.  Until then we can just marvel at their team speed while trying to remember the last time a national champion surrendered 51 points in a regular season game.
Kansas State is in the enviable position as the top-ranked team in the BCS standings.  The longer the season goes, however, the worse their schedule looks as not one of their out-of-conference opponents has a winning record and many of the Big 12 opponents they have beaten are tanking (West Virginia) or slowly drifting toward ho-hum status (Texas Tech and Oklahoma State).  The more we look at the Cats' body of work the more we grow bored.  Fortunately Texas woke up from its mid-season slumber and provides a nice final game opponent--assuming they beat TCU on Thanksgiving.
Notre Dame sits in first place in the computer rankings but third in the overall BCS rankings thanks to a weaker showing in the human polls.  The computers are attracted to an Irish schedule that eschews non BCS teams except for major independents while not punishing ND for too many close wins.  But, and this is the key, the voters have too many stumbling blocks to overcome when voting for Notre Dame.  The Irish do not have any conference affiliation, of course, and therefore do not get fellow conference coaches/writers voting them up.  The Irish were not over-ranked in preseason--for a change--and that costs them now as they have had to play catch-up.  Finally the Irish are not liked by some for the NBC contract, for being perceived as holier-than-thou and, well, for being able to do it the right way when others cannot--and some resent them enough to under-vote them.  By not beating Boston College by 50 points the Irish have allowed doubters and haters to label them unworthy.
Here is the biggest problem facing the big three undefeated teams.  Not one of them play a team from the SEC.  So the myth of SEC superiority--and they do occupy BCS slots four through nine--remains true despite less-than-spectacular results.  After all, how could Oregon, KSU and ND survive playing the SEC?  Please.  Georgia has wins against Buffalo, Missouri, Florida Atlantic, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi and Auburn and a blowout loss to South Carolina.  They still play Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech.  I am fairly certain that any of the big three undefeated teams would do just as well, if not better, than Georgia against that schedule.  But, of course, if any of the three teams lose one of their remaining games they will fall behind the Bulldogs--only because Georgia plays in the SEC.  I can do this will other SEC teams too.  And it is ridiculous.
It will take a few years for the SEC boost to go away and it will only happen if other schools win national titles and win head-to-head games.  That, of course, is difficult as the SEC rarely schedules any team with a chance to beat them.  So it will be up to bowl opponents this year and in the near future to prove that the SEC is not far superior to everyone else.

What We Learned Yesterday

Yesterday confirmed what we already knew about this season.  College football remains the greatest sport around and the SEC is overrated.  Nobody knew who Johnny Manziel was three months ago and there he was outclassing Alabama last night.  Sure A&M is now part of the SEC but the same cannot be said of Louisiana-Lafayette.  And wasn't the SEC too powerful for a Big 12 team to come in and improve?  Meanwhile out west Oregon continued to lose guys to injury but never stopped scoring in routing Cal.  Kansas State won another game with toughness, while Notre Dame did little to impress voters who remember the Irish struggles a lot more than the good moments.
But let's get back to the SEC as voters have made it painfully clear that if either Georgia or Alabama win out they will be the next in line should two of the remaining three unbeatens lose.  No one else need apply even if another one-loss team has a better resume. With so much football remaining the pressure is on the top three.
Meanwhile, let's hear it for Kent State who is ranked for the first time since the 1973 squad (coached by Don James and featuring NFL picks Gerald Tinker on offense and Jack Lambert pacing the D).  Beat Bowling Green Saturday and a ticket to the MAC championship will be punched.

Early Games

My god you have to feel for Northwestern, which just lost another close one they led late as Michigan won in OT. This really could have been a special year for the Cats.  At 7-3 they will now have to regroup before playing MSU.
Meanwhile Syracuse enjoyed their biggest win of the season as they easily knocked Louisville out of the ranks of the unbeatens, 45-26.  At 5-5 the Orange need to stay focused despite the huge win to secure bowl eligibility.
I did not see anything but the game-winning TD pass but that was a nice win for a Virginia team that had moderate hopes for this season.  Hopefully they can build on the excitement.
Then there is the upset in the Ivy League as UPenn grabbed first place by itself with a 30-21 win over Harvard.  Enjoy the big win but do not give the gained advantage away by blowing it at Cornell next weekend.
As for Florida, well the SEC is overrated.  Enough said.

Today's Picks

From this point on I will first pick the games involving the top teams before choosing a few others that stand out.
Texas A&M +13.5 at Bama: Making Zach Mettenberger look good last week does not bode well for a Tide defense living off past glory.  Johnny Manziel will give that D its toughest test of the season, while the A&M DE Damontre Moore will make Bama QB A.J. McCarron cry in a different way this week by adding to his NCAA-leading (in a 3-way tie) 11.5 sack total.
Cal +28.5 hosting Oregon: When focusing on remaining schedules for BCS contenders year-in-and-year-out the pundits over anaylize the obvious match-ups against opponents with good records and under analyze games agaisnt game lesser lights.  Sitting at 3-7 overall and 2-5 in conference the Cal Bears stink.  But they were not very good two years ago when they lost to then no. 1 Oregon 15-13 in a game in which they missed a chippy FG.  The Bears are 3-1 versus Oregon at home the past few years and may be playing for coach Jeff Tedford's job.  And for those who love trap games the Ducks played USC last week and Stanford and Oregon State the next two weeks.  Oregon wins, but does not cover.
TCU +7 hosting KSU: The Horned Frogs make it three straight underdog picks for me this week and they are obviously the one with the best chance of winning outright.  TCU coach Gary Patterson pisses off the rest of his fellow KSU alumni by upsetting the Wildcats by forcing KSU to pass.  Yeah you heard me.  They hope to make the Heisman favorite QB beat them through the air.  But as great a college player Collin Klein is, he is not 100% after last week's concussion and is not a great passer.  In his last two road games against teams that try to play D--and yes I am calling you out West Virginia--Klein threw for 187y and 0 TDs against ISU and 149y with 0 passing TDs against OU.  Yes he managed both of those wins brilliantly but the Cats O is not built on throwing the ball and lot.  Against TCU's top-ranked rush defense they may have to do something they are not comfortable.
Notre Dame -19 at BC: Okay wait a second.  The only team from the BCS top four that I picked to cover was my Irish.  But they will romp tonight over an out-manned but game Eagles squad.
Louisville -1.5 at Syracuse: Look, Louisville is certainly vulnerable as they are not used to being undefeated in November.   But the spread is ridiculous.
I also like Northwestern +10, Clemson -31, Auburn +15, Penn State +8, ASU +11, Washington +1, New Mexico +2, UCLA -15, TT -25.5, Louisiana-Lafayette +27.

The MAC does not have a football team in the chase for the BCS Title game.  Nor does it have a past champion and I am willing to bet that they never will taste national title game happiness.  And so MAC football teams play for love of game, pride and the conference championship with some secondary bowl spots mixed in.  And they do all of that very well.
Once again the MAC is providing very entertaining football for those lucky enough to tune every in midweek--and I do thank ESPN for that--as six squads, three in each division have at least 7 wins on the season and four in conference.  The league is so stout that Ohio, who opened the season 7-0 including a win at Penn State, now sits at 8-2, 4-2 after last night's loss to red hot Bowling Green.  They were eliminated from the MAC championship race just a few weeks after being ranked.  The Falcons, who are 7-3, 5-1 and one spot ahead of Ohio in the East race have control of their own destiny as they host first place Kent State this Saturday at noon.  If the Falcons win then they just have to beat Buffalo in the final game to wrap up the division.  If the Golden Flashes (8-1, 5-0) win, and they have won seven straight themselves including handing Rutgers their first loss of the season, then the East is theirs.  This game is a match-up of Bowling Green's great defense, ninth in the nation in points allowed at 15.1, versus a rush offense featuring two stud RBs on pace for 1,000y seasons in fleet junior back Dri Archer (97/892y, 10 TDs) and power back Trayvion Durham (190/897y, 11 TDs).  At 260, the soph Durham weighs about 100 lbs more than teammate Archer and they make a great big/little combo for Kent State.
The MAC West Division also has a showdown coming, next Wednesday the 14th, as second place Toledo travels to first place Northern Illinois.  The Huskies are 9-1, 6-0 and have won every game since an opening 18-17 loss to Iowa.  The defending Mid-American champs have scored at least 30 pts in every game since that loss behind dual-threat QB Jordan Lynch, who has thrown for 2,175y and 19 TDs and rushed for 1,342y and 16 more TDs.  Toledo, who has beaten Cincinnati and lost to Arizona in OT, will pose a big threat.  Their offense features RB David Fluellen, the nation's leader in rushing yardage at 1,381y.  Second place?  Lynch.  Toledo will be looking to avenge the 63-60 loss to Northern that cost them the West title last year.  It should be compelling TV once again this year.

Darrell Royal RIP

Those of you my age and older will remember when Darrell Royal was still active and considered a living legend while patrolling the Texas sideline.  Royal had lifted the football program at Texas from stately and tired when he took over in 1957 to the preeminent sports program in the state by the time he left after the 1976 season.  Royal's squads won or shared 11 Southwest Conference titles and he was the winningest coach in college football for that 20-year period.  His 1962 and 1969 teams won outright national championships and in 1970 they captured the UPI title.
Having been born in 1964 I really do not remember watching the famous 1969 Arkansas game or any other of the great moments of the 1960s.  The Royal I remember from the early to mid 70s seemed older than he was (he retired from coaching at age 52) as he carried the weight of a program that was as much a big business as a football team.  Royal's teams were not integrated until 1970 and that fact was used by coaches like Oklahoma's Barry Switzer on the recruiting trail.  Other recruits were bought away from the Longhorns and Royal struggled to maintain his level of excellence in a new world.  Yes the switch to the Wishbone helped but by the early 70s other programs had similar offenses with similar amounts of talent. Finally, after a 5-5-1 season in 1976, Royal was secure enough in his legacy and fed up enough with the b.s. of coaching to leave the sideline despite having a boatload of talent in place for a near national title run by his successor Fred Akers the following season.
Although a star DB/QB (his 18 career INTs is still a Sooner record and he led OU to an 11-0 record in 1949) at Oklahoma, Royal became the face of a Longhorn program that replaced his alma mater as the kings of the southwest.  He should be remembered for being an exceptional coach who did his best to win the right way.

Ivy League Update

Venerable Franklin Field will once again host an important football game as Penn hosts Harvard this Saturday with first place on the line.  Although Harvard has had the better season, sitting at 7-1 to Penn's 4-4, the two teams are tied atop the Ivy at 4-1 with the season ending 11/17.  And so the winner of this game can celebrate the assurance of at least a tie for the title.
Who will win?  I would not bet against coach Tim Murphy's Crimson.  Senior QB Colton Chapple leads the way, having thrown for 2,184y and rushed for 436y.  He has thrown 21 TDs, with only 4 INTs, and has rushed in 7 more.
While Harvard has won in more spectacular fashion--like last week's 69-0 humbling of Columbia--Penn gets the job done in ways that test the hearts of coaches and fans.  The Quakers rallied last week with two 4th Q TDs to beat Princeton, the first on a 15y INT return by DE C.J. Mooney and the winner on a 3y keeper by QB Billy Ragone.  For Saturday--and the game airs at noon Eastern on NBC Sports--I expect Harvard to win but they will have to withstand the inevitable Quaker rally.

What We Learned Saturday

Once again, Saturday was an excellent day of football and to be honest not enough was said about it.  One of the many hurdles facing college football is that Sunday belongs to the pros.  And so a great day of action, from Missouri's near upset of Florida at noon to San Diego State's win on the blue field over Boise that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning, was largely pushed to the back burner once coverage of the NFL began.  I bet if you asked 100 random college football fans if they even knew Boise State lost less than half would truthfully say yes.  Another problem is that we now focus a huge percentage of cfb coverage on the race to the two spots in the BCS championship game and with all of the top four undefeated squads playing meaningful games there was not room on the coverage plate for great and meaningful games like, say, Nebraska versus Michigan State.
But let's not focus on problems.  The sport is too wonderful for that.  It was fascinating to watch the Alabama win over LSU and Oregon's win over USC at roughly the same time in that the two games were stunningly different.  One game featured defense versus defense, the other offense versus offense.  Not surprisingly the D game was the one that went down to the wire with the better offense pulling out the late win.  While both Alabama and Oregon stamped themselves as favorites for the title game--even with Oregon still third in the current BCS--they both displayed vulnerabilities.  Of course you may need LSU's front seven to hang with Bama and USC's wideouts to hang with the Ducks, but they both can be beaten.
Ditto Kansas State and Notre Dame.  The biggest problem facing these two squads is that being in the BCS race in November is new territory for the players.  Heck neither was considered top ten material in August.  Look at KSU's next game, this Saturday against TCU.  The Wildcats and Horned Frogs are not that far apart in terms of talent, especially with the game being played at TCU and with some question over the health of KSU QB Collin Klein.  The biggest equalizer for the home team is that all of the pressure is on the visitors.  All of it, and for a program that has never played in a national championship game, that pressure is immense.  We have seen plenty of teams lose in similar circumstances, like Oklahoma State lose to Iowa State last November, and coach Bill Snyder needs no reminder than his own 1998 squad that lost on the last day of the season to tumble from a possible BCS title game berth.  Both Notre Dame and Kansas State must prove that they can stay focused and continue to bring a top effort for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile there are plenty of key games that have little effect on the BCS standings.  I'll break down the conferences during the week.

Great Day

How can you not love college football?  Awesome games, gutty performanes, teams rallying late and other teams taking care of business.  Hopefully Collin Klein is not hurt too bad.  Right now I am watching a huge Mountain West game as Boise attempts to rally from eight down.  They just scored but failed on 2-pt conversion.  The Aztecs, however, are controlling the clock. The day is not over yet.

Today's Picks

Let's get to it:
Louisville -16 hosting Temple
Clemson -12.5 at Duke
Stanford -28 at Colorado
Alabama -9 at LSU
Florida -17 hosting Mo
Michigan State +1.5 hosting Nebraska
Ohio State -27.5 hosting Illinois
Cincy -4.5 hosting Syracuse
Utah -11.5 hosting WSU
Michigan -11.5 at Minny
Oklahoma State +9 at KSU
Texas Tech -7 hosting Texas
Mississippi State +7 hosting A&M
ISU +12 hosting OU
USC +8 hosting Oregon
Good luck

Remembering Dad

It was easy thinking of my father, who passed away in 1989, this weekend as his favorite teams all posted memorable wins.  Dad was a huge fan of Notre Dame football, having gladly joined the ranks of the subway alumni 70 years ago after seeing the movie Knute Rockne-All American.  That movie came out in the fall of 1940 and by the following year Frank Leahy was beginning his legendary coaching career in South Bend with a 8-0-1 mark.  By 1943 the Irish won their first of four national championships under Leahy and eight-year-old Bobby Guido was hooked.  He was loyal to the team through good and bad and was proud that they addressed him as an alumni on mailings despite his not matriculating there (he became a very important person locally in Jersey without going to college until proudly getting his degree as his 40s approached at nearby FDU).  Notre Dame has not won a title since my father died and there is something to that I think.  He would be very happy that they have returned to the national top ten on the backs of a hard-hitting defense and tough offense and not some gimmicky crap.  And beating Oklahoma this weekend in Norman would have been cause to celebrate.  He remembered the days when playing teams like OU had a little extra something to them based not only on how talented the programs were when the rivalry began in the 1950s but also because of a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment directed at the Fighting Irish on trips to the Bible Belt or Deep South.
My father's favorite professional team was the baseball Giants, who played just north of his East Harlem home as he was growing up.  He told me about watching games through holes in the fence or by sneaking into the Polo Grounds.  He fondly remembered running up and down his street screaming after Bobby Thomson's home run in 1951.  The stunning sweep of the Indians in the 1954 World Series, as my father's teen years came to end, must have opened the eyes of the then high school dropout to the possibilities of life.  Their move to San Francisco a few years later brought life's realities home.  That the Giants, once the epitome of National League success, would endure 50-plus years of frustration and failure was somehow fitting punishment for their abandonment of the City.  And again, like ND football, the Giants would return to glory the old-fashioned way, with great pitching, good fielding and timely hitting.  He would have enjoyed the team's spirited October runs in 2010 and this fall.  That the Irish would beat Oklahoma on the same night that San Fran would take a commanding 3-0 lead on Detroit would have made my dad ecstatic.
Once the baseball Giants moved to California my father was left with only one local favorite (he liked the Knicks too but without the same passion as the others) in the New York football Giants (he stuck with the Giants as his baseball team and did not switch to the Mets when they were formed).  The football Giants were very good at his birth, very good when he became an adult and then very good during the last years of his life.  They had some bad years in between but he was there every Sunday watching anyway.  This Sunday's win over Dallas was not a pretty one but he would have enjoyed any win over Dallas after enduring many losses to the Cowboys back in the 60s and 70s.  That it led right into game four of the World Series made it even sweeter.
So, all in all, it was a pretty wonderful weekend of sports for me as proxy for my father.  As the fourth of five kids born to an extremely busy couple I learned at an early age that if I wanted my dad's attention I needed to like everything he liked.  And so I became a loyal fan of Notre Dame and both Giants teams, listening to Mutual radio broadcasts of the Irish with him (you could hear the loudness of Lindsay Nelson's jackets through the radio) or traveling to Shea with my dad and brother Bob to watch the Giants play the Mets (Jim Barr always seemed to be starting for SF).  While we did have fun watching the Irish upset Alabama to win the title in 1973 and then Texas for the 1977 championship, the game I remember watching with my dad the most from my younger days was the 1979 Cotton Bowl when Joe Montana led the rally past Houston.  To this day I can see him yelling at the Zenith when they showed some happy Cougar cheerleaders midway through the game that it was not over yet.  He was right.  And just how big a Notre Dame fan he was was cemented in 1987 when the surprising Giants under manager Roger Craig won the NL West and took on the Cardinals.  Game four of that entertaining series took place on the same day that a 3-0 ND team was playing Pitt.  While I went back and forth from the living room, where I had the baseball game on the television, to his room, where he was listening to the football game, he never lost focus on the football game (eventually lost by the Irish 30-22).  The Irish were his number one, even if Mike Krukow was pitching a gem.  I was home that day and not at a sports bar in the City because we had all lost my sister Jane on July 4th of that year and bonding again with him through sports was a way of supporting each other.
I am glad he got to enjoy Notre Dame's 1988 title-winning season. His own health spiralled down pretty quickly in the early part of 1989 and he died that April.  I miss him greatly and will light a candle for him and Jane at the grotto on Notre Dame's campus in November when I go for the Wake Forest game.

View From Bennett Ave

My view is of rain and wind.  No big deal yet but the storm should have a negative effect of any college teams without an indoor practice facility.  Good luck everyone.

What We Learned Yesterday

There was a theory I have had kicking around in the cranium for a bit but I needed confirmation.  And Notre Dame last night gave that to me.  The Big 12 rode fast-paced, pass-happy offenses to a lot of success in the first decade of the 21st century but are now paying the piper with defenses too soft to stop anyone tough enough to punch them in the gut.  Notre Dame ran all over the Sooners.  OU knew that Notre Dame wanted to run and they could not stop them.  ND rushed 39 times for 215y--a 5.5y average--and ran for 3 TDs including the 62y gallop by Cierre Wood in which he went right up the middle on the Sooners D with nary a touch. All of the extra cover corners Oklahoma needs when playing Texas Tech and Baylor,etc, are useless against teams like Notre Dame.
Conversely when OU tried to run they were thwarted by a defense that was much bigger than typically faced by a Big 12 offense.  The Sooners rushed 24 times for 15y.  And with the Irish defense keeping OU wideouts in front of them the longest pass completion was "only" 35y (compared to 50y for ND).  The sad reality for the Sooners and the Big 12 is that a team built to win the way OU does is not equipped to beat a top ten traditionally-built team.
The person who knows this as well as anyone is Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, who built a squad fast enough to hold Big 12 offenses in check while tough enough to win the line of scrimmage.  The problem with KSU, who has looked very impressive in conference, is that they played three out of conference games, all at home, against 3-6 Missouri State, 4-4 Miami and 3-5 North Texas.  The last out-of-conference test was in the Cotton Bowl last year, where Arkansas beat KSU 29-16.
What else did we learn yesterday?  It is tough to enter November undefeated, especially if it is not something you are used to doing.  And so Oregon State, Ohio, Rutgers and Florida all fell from the ranks of the unbeatens despite being favored yesterday while Mississippi State earned their first loss as a big dog to Alabama.  Only six unbeatens remain with Alabama (at LSU) and Oregon (at USC) having the toughest match-ups.

Picks

Last night's BE game was entertaining at least.  Hopefully an important slate of games today will deliver.
Duke +27.5 against FSU
Mississippi State +24 at Bama
Iowa State -2.5 hosting Baylor
A&M -15 at Auburn
MSU +6.5 at Wisconsin
NC State +7.5 at UNC
Georgia +6.5 versus Florida
Arizona +7 hosting USC
Kansas State -7 hosting Texas Tech
Ohio State -1 at PSU
Arkansas -6 hosting Miss
Notre Dame +11.5 at OU
Michigan +2.5 at Nebraska
New Mexico +14.5 hosting Fresno
Good luck

Big East Update

The three-way battle for the Big East title takes center stage tonight as undefeated Louisville hosts a Cincinnati squad that remains unblemished in conference play although it did lose its first game of the season on Saturday at Toledo.  The Bearcats have won four straight in this series but as a favorite of anywhere from 3-14 points.  The Cardinals are now a ranked team and considered the class of the conference.  Therefore they are favored by a field goal in a game that everyone expects to go down to the wire.
As a fan of the Big East I really hope this game proves to be captivating.  Both of these teams are--as of 3:15 my time anyway--remaining in the conference and the winner will find itself ranked entering the month of November.  And thanks to a World Series off day, NHL lockout and continued NBA preseason (when will that ever end?), this game does not have much competition beyond another college football game (Nevada at Air Force) that is slightly less important.  The Big East, for the first time in a very long time, is the top banana tonight and desperately needs a great game and good ratings.  This is a showcase opportunity for two teams that have talented and colorful players.  Both QBs, for example, deserve more national attention as Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater is very special and Cincinnati's Munchie Legaux, no slouch himself, will be inspired to keep pace.  With no horse in this race I will be rooting for a 30-27 epic that forces people to pay attention.  I'd take Cincy and the points but do not have much faith in that pick and, again, am rooting for a good game as much as I am rooting for either team.

ACC Update

Clemson is in a tough spot.  With the ACC down and Florida State ahead of them in the ACC Atlantic due to a head-to-head win, the Tigers can continue to win without making much of a sound nationally. They sit at 6-1 without anyone mentioning them in the best one-loss team category.  A win tonight versus Wake Forest does not change that.  The Tigers have to remain motivated to beat the remaining teams on their conference schedule, including a trip to Duke next week, and hope that FSU stumbles in conference along the way and hope that South Carolina is still a two loss team when they meet.   Of course even if everything falls into place for Clemson and they sweep their remaining games and pass FSU, they still are probably looking at an Orange Bowl berth against the Big East champion.  As for the game tonight, I not only have problems with motivation for Clemson but I do not have that same problem with Wake.  The Deamon Deacs remember last year's game that got away from them in the second half.  They sit at 4-3 and do not have a bowl bid secured as they will only be clear-cut favorites in one game the rest of the way.  It will take a big effort to corral the Tiger's weapons but Wake has managed that before--see their upset of FSU last year--and needs to get into Clemson's head early.  After all, Clemson is 1-9 in last ten Thursday night games while Wake sits at 4-0, including a 12-7 beating of the Tigers in 2008.
The big game Saturday should be the battle of first place teams when FSU hosts Duke.  But the Seminoles are a huge favorite as the Blue Devils' collapse against a struggling Virginia Tech weighs heavier on the minds of gamblers than the recent struggles of the Noles.  Yes Duke is a long shot but, since beating Clemson, FSU could not put away a 2-5 South Florida team until late, lost to a 5-2 No Carolina State and struggled against 20-point underdog Miami (4-4).  Florida State's leading rusher Chris Thompson has also been lost for the year but the depth at that position is outstanding.  My guess here is that FSU ups its lifetime record against Duke to 18-0 with a convincing win that falls short of covering.
The other key conference game takes place in Chapel Hill, where the Tar Heels host a North Carolina State team  that has blown up this rivalry of late with five straight wins.  But those wins are usually very narrow and this one should be no different.  I like the Tar Heels but feel the spread is too high.

Sun Belt Recap

After a thrilling OT victory over Western Kentucky Saturday, Louisiana-Monroe stands alone atop the Sun Belt at 3-0.  Thanks to 4 TD passes by QB Kawaun Jakes (25-32/308y), the Hilltoppers took a 28-7 2nd Q lead.  But ULM rallied behind stud QB Kolton Browning, who also threw for 308y and 4 TDs, tying game at 35 with 31 seconds left in regulation on a 12y TD pass to frosh WR Rashon Ceasar.  Both teams scored OT TDs on QB keepers but the Warhawks went for two after theirs and scored on another Browning-to-Ceasar hookup to win game.
Five teams are currently tied for second place behind ULM at 2-1, including two teams meeting tonight, Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State.  The home team is 11-1 in that series, which greatly favors the Ragin' Cajuns. Arkansas state did score 34 against Oregon in game 1, but the majority of that was compiled against second and third teamers.

What We Learned Yesterday

That I am glad I did not bother going to Morgantown for the KState game
The SEC is vulnerable
The Heisman race is wide open
That LSU is still ranked too high as the highest 1-loss team?  And why are they ahead of Oregon State?
That West Virginia does not deserve to be ranked.  Two straight disastrous losses after five wins over mediocre competition=dropped from rankings
That it is hard to believe that Alabama had never gone eight straight weeks atop AP poll in history
That FSU beating Miami bodes well for the president as every Democratic contender since 1988 has won the presidency in the years that FSU beats Miami; the Bushes won in years that Miami won the rivalry game
That I still cannot believe that Florida scored 44 pts despite totalling just 183y

Today's Picks

I need to eat some breakfast so let's get to it:
Northwestern +4.5 hosting Nebraska
Georgia -28 at Kentucky
Duke +10.5 hosting UNC
Maryland +3.5 hosting NC State
Temple +5.5 hosting RU
New Mexico +11 at Air Force
Alabama -21 at Tenn
Cal +3 hosting Stanford
MSU +10 at Michigan
FSU -18 at Miami
Florida -3 hosting SC
KSU +3 at West Virginia
Southern Miss -2.5 hosting Marshall

Good luck!

Big 12 Update

Proof that the state of things in college football is ever changing can be seen in the Big 12 this weekend as there are two matchups of Top 25 teams and neither features either Oklahoma or Texas.  The game getting the most hype will display two Heisman contenders at QB as Kansas State travels to West Virginia for a Saturday night clash.  The teams have not played each other since 1931 and, well, times have changed. Both squads are averaging more than 40 points per game but they each do that in drastically different fashion.  While the high-powered West Virginia attack gets the most ink, with QB Geno Smith already sitting on 2,271y and an unbelievable 25-0 TD-INT ratio, the KSU attack may hold the key to the game. QB Collin Klein cannot pass like Smith, nor Texas Tech's Seth Doege, who carved up West Virginia last week, but he can keep his offense on the field through his gritty, powerful running.  Klein has already rushed for 510y and 10 TDs and will be the focus of a beleaguered Mountaineer stop unit.  He will, however, need to pass too as the West Virginia secondary has been torn to shreds by most everyone they play. But becoming pass happy is not coach Bill Snyder's style and we can expect the Cats to be balanced. The Wildcats have already enjoyed a huge night road win in conference this season, in Norman last month, and are now 5-1 on the road in the conference since the start of last season.  The pick here is KSU in a close one.
The other big-time clash in conference will take place Saturday afternoon when TCU hosts Texas Tech.  Both teams stand at 5-1 but as I have said before the pressure is squarely on a Horned Frogs team that may not be favored in any game the rest of the season.  The Horned Frogs may have to win this one the old fashioned way, playing strong defense and keeping the offense simple and error-free.  With new starting QB Trevone Boykin at the helm expect a conservative offensive plan.  Head coach Gary Patterson has pulled off such a win before as he beat a ranked Red Raider squad in 2006 12-3.  The visitors need to put the big win over West Virginia behind them as they will need a completely different plan to beat the Horned Frogs.  Doege has thrown 4 interceptions total in Tech's five wins but 3 against OU in the team's sole loss.  Facing an aggressive TCU front seven featuring impressive freshman DE Devonte Fields, who leads the conference in sacks with 6.5, Doege will have display his new-found maturation.  My pick is TCU.

Conference USA Update

Houston and SMU continue their lopsided rivalry--Cougars have won six straight--tonight and the question may be whether anyone on a busy Thursday sports night tunes into this promising match-up.  Although we have yet to see the results on the field the Mustangs have gradually closed the talent gap on Houston and will look to derail the road team's hopes of hanging with Tulsa in the West standings.  The key to the game just might be a player who was injured for last year's game, big RB Zach Line of SMU, who must help his offense move the chains and keep the explosive Houston offense off the field.  To pull off the win, a win that could jump-start a second half surge to a bowl bid, Mustangs QB Garrett Gilbert must stop throwing picks (11 on the year including at least one in every game).  Not sure he can do that.  Meanwhile, QB Dave Piland has already attempted 309 passes for Houston including a whopping 77 in a loss to Louisiana Tech.  Piland has already reached the 2,000y mark (2,084y) for the season as the Coogs continue to air it out under new coach Tony Levine. The pressure will be on an injury-riddled SMU secondary.

Pac 12 Update

I am looking forward to tomorrow night's Oregon-ASU game as it is the first time this season that the Ducks are not double digit favorites (okay, it's 9.5).  Oregon has won seven straight in this series, and four straight in Tempe, but the Sun Devils can be buoyed by a gutty performance last season in which they led the Ducks by 3 in the 2nd half before losing by 14.  They also seem to have the offensive weapons in hand to fully implement new coach Todd Graham's offensive system.  They are 3-0 at home, with routs of Northern Arizona, Illinois and Utah.  With a daunting November schedule (at USC, at Cal, home vs Stanford, at Oregon State) awaiting them, the Ducks cannot afford to stumble here.  And since they have been away from the headlines due to a weak first half schedule, the Ducks could drop a spot or two without a strong performance.  As for ASU, this game is huge.  They sit in first in the Pac 12 South with a 3-0 record and an upset of Oregon will not only give them an extra leg up over second place USC but will force voters to not only rank the 1-loss Sun Devils but put them firmly into the top 20.  As for a pick, I'll take Oregon especially if I can get the 9.5 number.
I must admit I have a tough time dealing with Oregon's recent success.  I did root for them against Auburn in the BCS Title game as I felt the Tigers cheated and did not belong there, but the days of Oregon being a little guy challenging Southern Cal ended with the NIKE takeover of the sports department in Eugene.  They also seem to be bending, if not breaking, recruiting rules, but more on that subject when the NCAA finishes their investigation.
The Stanford-Cal hate-fest is the best Pac 12 match-up of Saturday.  The Bears have won two straight conference games but have lost two straight in the series.  The 115th edition of The Big Game should match last year's contest in excitement with both squads needing a win badly.  I will pick Cal in an upset as Stanford has had an emotional four-game stretch (win over USC, loss to Washington, OT win over Arizona, loss to ND) that has to be taxing.

Comparing Polls and BCS Rankings

With the release of the first BCS standings, the usual differences between computers and actual voters becomes clear.  The computers, of course, value actual results from the season in question while the voters place higher value on either what they predict will happen or on talent levels.  Therefore Alabama, who is considered the best team in the country, easily wins the voting polls but is only third in the computers averages due to a less-than-desired quality of opponent so far this season.  They remain the top dog in the BCS thanks to the dominance they have in the human polls.  The number two team in the polls, Oregon, however, is paying for a back-loaded conference schedule and poor out-of-conference group of victims and sits at three behind Florida.  None of this matters now since we have a long way to go but history does show us that some very deserving teams can be left out in the cold if they run out of time or opportunity to travel up to a top spot.  Or if they fail some BS "eye test" the supposed experts fall back on to give honors to their favorites over teams with better resumes.

What We Learned Yesterday

You have to play defense to be a top ten team these days.  Notre Dame learned that in a positive way; West Virginia in a negative way.
Alabama's preseason schedule has finally ended.
The crazy Texas A&M win over Louisiana Tech was fun but give me the ND-Stanford game (without the post-game crying) every time.  Still, that there is room for both at the top tier of the sport is a good thing.
Why is it that some QBs whose stats are a product of their pass-happy systems can be Heisman candidates, like Geno Smith, but some cannot, like anyone who has played for Texas Tech over the past dozen years.  Sure they never go to BCS games but neither did Baylor last season.
Who is the best 1-loss team?  That is hugely important because we rarely see two undefeated teams square off in the BCS title game.  Right now LSU is ranked that way but Oklahoma made a statement yesterday against an over-rated Texas club.  We have a long way to go but the SEC will always have an advanatge in this category.
College football is great.  But we knew that already.

Big East Update

Rutgers and Louisville, two of the three undefeated teams residing in the "mighty" Big East, have held serve today with conference wins.  Cincinnati should go through tonight with a win over a spunky Fordham squad, which will mean that the conference would get into the second half of October with three squads capable of sniffing the top ten (someday).
Being that this is the Big East the stakes are unbelievably high.  To the winner--a BCS bowl say the Sugar.  Second place? The Russell Athletic Bowl to be played on 12/28. 3rd? The mighty Belk Bowl played a day earlier.  And being that the conference is in between the era dominated by West Virginia and a new era that just may be dominated by Boise State, the pressure is on the three undefeateds to finish the job and get to play in January in a bowl people care about.
I do not want to forget Temple in all of this as they have jumped out to a 2-0 conference record.  They host Rutgers next week and will not lay down.  Louisville gets USF next week and had better not be looking ahead to the big match-up with Cincinnati the following Friday.  The Bearcats, meanwhile, stay out of conference with a road game against a very good Toledo squad that is 6-1 and looking forward for a chance to chase Cincy from the ranks of the unbeatens.
Should be a fun second half of the season for the Big East.

ACC Update

Midnight Madness basketball events are dominating ACC coverage this week and with the way the football season has gone so far the hoops season cannot start soon enough.  There is, of course, one story deserving more coverage and that is the 5-1 Duke Blue Devils.  5-1 Duke just does not sound right.  That Duke could wake up tomorrow in first place in Coastal Division does not sound right either.  That the Blue Devils could be ranked tomorrow--ranked for the first time since 1995--sounds a bit odd too.
Just win Duke--and feel how good all of those things can feel.

Picks

I went 4-2 last week and am ready to do even better this week.
Texas +3.5 versus OU
Duke +10 at Va Tech
Rutgers -7.5 hosting Cuse
PITT +3 hosting Louisville
Florida -8.5 at Vandy
Texas St -2.5 hosting Idaho
Auburn +5.5 at Mississippi
WASH +12.5 against usc
Oregon State +5.5 at BYU
Alabama -21.5 at Mo
West Virginia -4 at Texas Tech
Oklahoma State -27.5 at KU
Good luck

Farewell Beano

I find it somewhat cruel that Beono Cook has passed away during the college football season.  An unabashed fan of the sport, Beano honored me once with the kind things he said about my book.  There was no expert whose opinion mattered more to me.  In an era when when too many writers and broadcasters take themselves a bit too seriously, Beano never put himself above the sport he loved.  He will be missed.

Alex Karras

Although I grew up in the 1970s when Alex Karras was retiring from football and then continuing with a busy broadcasting and acting career, I want to pay homage here to his great college football career which seems to be treated as an afterthought by most obituaries.  The best way to honor Karras, who died earlier this week at 77, is to reprint the mini biography Bob Boyles wrote in our book The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia.
+++The first time Alex Karras spoke in front of a network television camera in 1957 he was a mumbling, nervous recipient of the Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman.  Jack Lescoulie of NBC's Today Show prompted the young tackle to say "some very corny things"--as Karras described in his biography, Even Big Guys Cry--such as "Without the big guys up front the little guys can't do it..."
It was hardly Karras' last appearance before a TV camera.  After an All-Pro career as a cat-quick defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, Karras replaced Emmy Award winner Don Meredith on the ABC Monday Night Football telecasts with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell.  Although the beloved Meredith proved a tough act to follow, Karras injected his own colorful persona into the threesome in the broadcast booth.  Karras added a sense of the bizarre; what was probably his best line captioned a sideline close-up of the steaming, shaved head of a big Oakland Raider: "That's Otis Sistrunk, Raiders defensive tackle...out of the University of Mars."
Karras' broadcast performances triggered several movie opportunities and he appeared in tremendously diverse roles in such films as "Paper Lion," "Blazing Saddles," and "Victor Victoria."  Karras played himself in "Paper Lion" and the trail hand Mongo in Mel Brooks' novel comedy, "Blazing Saddles," in which he stole the show in a legendary, hysterical gas-passing campfire scene.  His character opened "Victor Victor" as a macho bodyguard and ended it sleeping with a gay cabaret performer played by Robert Preston.  Karras also starred as the adoptive father of little Emmanuel Lewis in the TV series "Webster."  His actress wife Susan Clark became his co-star on several occasions, including the couple's wonderful portrayals of sports great Babe Didrickson Zaharias and her wrestler husband George.
Immaterial to his acting career was his one-year suspension in 1963 for betting on NFL games.  Not that gambling was Karras' first bit of misbehavior.  He admitted that he goofed around so much and grew overweight during his early years at Iowa that he got under the skin of coach Forest Evashevski so badly that they barked at each other constantly and even got into a knockdown-dragout wrestling match in the coach's office.  A let-down Evashevski had talked up Karras to the press prior to his tackle's sophomore year (1955), then in a tiff chose not to play Karras sufficiently so as to prevent him from even winning a letter despite his obvious talent.
Karras eventually came around and was voted All America for two straight seasons (1956-57) and won his Outland Trophy after his senior year.  Also, Karras was tapped second in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year of 1957.  No interior lineman has ever polled better, and since award recipient John David Crow of Texas A&M had an injury-slowed season, one wonders what might have been if voters had displayed even partially open minds about the importance of two-way tackles.
During all his glorious play, Karras, angry at what he considered poor treatment by Evashevski, asked for and received a policy of no interaction with the coaches.  He prospered, but it also distanced him considerably from a from an excellent group of teammates.  Strange as it may seem--while the football Writers Association pegged Karras as the top lineman in the country--his greatness failed to earn even the team's MVP vote in 1957.  Right guard Bob Commings, a popular team leader but one of the smallest linemen in the Big Ten, was the choice of Iowa players as the Chicago Tribune award winner for Hawkeyes MVP.  This occurred even though Commings had a rough time in the year's most important game in November.  Ohio State ran effectively against the Hawkeyes even without its injured, all-conference halfback Don Clark.  At halftime, a somewhat-frantic Evashevski felt compelled to move his tackles, Karras and Dick Klein, inside to the guard positions to better protect against the power runs up the middle of Buckeyes sophomore fullback Bob White.  Ohio State knocked the Hawkeyes out of conference title contention with a clutch drive by sending White smashing off tackle and through the weak right side of Iowa's line and steering clear of Karras at left defensive guard.
Karras and fellow defensive tackle Roger Brown of the Lions played so well in one game that it prompted no less an NFL idol than Vince Lombardi to force a change in NFL scheduling procedure.  Since 1951, the Green Bay Packers, for whom Lonbardi coached with great success from 1959-67, had served as the yearly Thanksgiving Day opponent for the traditional game in Detroit.  Karras and Brown so dismantled the Packers' offensive line in a 26-14 Turkey Day upset win over previously-undefeated Green Bay in 1962 that Lombardi convinved the league that it was unfair to have his Packers facing the fired-up Lions every Thanksgiving.  Within two years, a rotating schedule served up different opponents on the Lions' holiday table.  Although Karras and Brown made life miserable for star Packer guards Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston that Thanksgiving, Green Bay finished the season with a 13-1 record and beat the New York Giants for their second straight NFL championship.
The miserable way things have developed since that time 50 years ago, Detroit fans surely wish they still had the colorful Alex Karras playing in the middle of the Lions defensive line.+++

TCU Blues

It is hard to feel bad for a 4-1 club but TCU is in a tough spot during what has been a brutal calendar year.  It was supposed to be a glorious year for the Horned Frogs as they returned to the big boy conferences with their inclusion into the Big 12 after a string of dominant seasons while bouncing around in search of a home that would allow them better access to the BCS.  But perhaps that single-minded pursuit of acceptance by the powers that be cost them in the karma department as they have left behind a string of spurned partners (seemingly all of the non BCS teams west of the Mississippi) and suitors (the Big East).  And while none of those teams wants to see anyone hurt or unable to handle personal demons, they must be smiling about the struggles of TCU.
TCU's travail's began in February when four football players, including former All American LB Tanner Brock, were among 17 TCU students arrested in a drug selling sting.  Brock's roommate QB Casey Pachall admitted to police officers that he had just failed a drug test for marijuana use and that he had tried cocaine and other drugs.  He was not arrested and remained active on the team, somewhat controversially, although the four players who were arrested were thrown off a squad that had already lost key players to graduation.  Then in May senior RB Ed Wesley, who rushed for 2,442y and 21 TDs in his career, declared for the NFL supplemental draft.  In August three starters or co-starters were lost to injury and then in September the leading returning RB, Waymon James, was knocked out for the season with a knee injury.  Now with Pachall in rehab and done for the season the Horned Frogs will be fighting just to stay afloat.  The development of RS FR QB Travone Boykin will be crucial as the Horned Frogs tackle a brutal second half schedule.  Their next two opponents, Baylor and Texas Tech, are as good as the better teams TCU has played in the recent past.  After those two, TCU plays at Oklahoma State, at West Virginia, home against Kansas State, at Texas and then home against Oklahoma.  Good luck to the team and to Pachall as he works at turning his life around.

Pac -12 Report

The Pac-12 North race may have gotten a bit easier for expected (doesn't it seem like ESPN has crowned them already?) champion Oregon as Sean Mannion, the starting QB for undefeated rival Oregon State, is heading for surgery on his left knee for what appears to be "just" a torn meniscus or even a slightly damaged one.  Basically, once they open up the knee of the QB currently sixth in the nation in passing yards per game at 339.5 they will find out if he needs to miss 2-3 weeks or 2-3 months.  So he'll miss this week's game at BYU, who themselves lost QB Taysom Hill for this season on Saturday and returned former starter Riley Nelson to lead job.  That game should prove to be a defensive struggle.  Then OSU hosts Utah, a team that has yet to adequately replace their injured starting QB Jordan Wynn.  The Beavers can win both of those games with a decent performance from new starter Cody Vaz, who has not thrown a pass in a real game since 2010.  But Vaz will have to play at  higher level, or Mannion will have to return at or close to 100%, if the Beavers expect to hold up against a second half schedule featuring road trips to Washington and Stanford and the November 24 showdown with the Ducks.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  The inexperienced Vaz will need to play well this Saturday in Provo against one of the better defenses in the country if the Beavers wanrt to remain in the nation's top ten.  Let's see how he handles the new job.

What We Learned Yesterday

Once again--and it has been going on for years now--the Florida State Seminoles were over-rated.  What a surprise.  Like the Dallas Cowboys, who get picked to win the NFC East every year, the experts see a lot of talent and a weak ACC and proclaim the Noles as contenders for a national title and, like the current lot of cowboys, FSU disappoints.  Please let them sniff a conference title one year before showering them with praise the next.
The SEC is still getting too much respect.  There has been more buzz about the conference being weaker this season--and it is--but we still see three conference teams in the AP top four and LSU at number nine.  Florida is not yet the fourth-best team in the country and LSU has had one good effort on the season and that was a home blowout of a team (Washington) that has lost six of its last seven road games.  The conference has plenty of chances to get more press so we will see how this all shakes out.
It must be tough being the PR folks for the Big East conference.  With three programs undefeated and ranked in the top 25 you would think the job would be easy.  But no, there is absolutely no love for the conference.  Fortunately for the BE, those three teams are all expected (hey you never know) back next year and all will be heavy favorites for the next two weeks.
The Big Ten, meanwhile, is having its worst fears realized as Ohio State and Penn State are red hot and ineligible for the conference championship game.  Fortunately, having both of those programs look strong for the future is a great thing.  What happened to all those folks who had PSU down for years?
At least Louisiana Tech is finally ranked.  They have Texas A&M this Saturday night so let's see if they are still ranked come Sunday.

Great Day

I really enjoyed yet another trip to Michie Stadium this afternoon.  The weather threatened but never broke and the game between Boston College and Army was a thrilling one, even if neither team is going anywhere this post-season.
You have to hand it to the Army team and its supporters.  Sitting at 0-4, including losses at home to Northern Illinois and Stony Brook, the Cadets could have easily mailed in this game.  But with support from a lively crowd the Black Knights played hard and notched win number one on the season in exciting fashion.  After the game seesawed through 3.5 quarters, Boston College took a 31-27 lead on a 24y TD run on a reverse by WR Alex Amidon.  Army, who rushed for a whopping 516y against the beleaguered Eagles, then marched downfield 74y to the BC 1YL where RB Raymond Maples (34/184y) was stopped on 4th-and-goal with 2:09 remaining. But BC then showed why it is such a mediocre program these days by running three times without gaining a first down and then punting for only 34y.  So Army had plenty of time and the ball at the BC 38.  The Black Knights needed only three plays to score winning TD on QB Trent Steelman's 29y gouging run up Eagles gut.  Steelman rushed for 141y and 3 TDs.  The visitors then botched the ensuing KO to begin final possession at own 3 before being unable to move ball to Army side of the field.  Game over.

Picks, Picks and More Picks

Why elaborate when I am under .500.
So, here goes:
BC -10 at Army
Clemson -10 hosting Ga Tech
RU -8 against Conn
KSU -24 against KU
Purdue +3 at home versus Mich
Florida +3 hosting LSU
I am heading up to West Point for the game, number five for me this year. Walking those hallowed grounds in nice fall weather is a great joy.

Saban on No Huddle

I'll make it easy for you.  He does not care for it one bit.  And what Nick does not like he will tell you about.  The problem, of course, is that coaches are going to offenses like these to allow them entry into a level once reserved for power programs--think Baylor and before that Houston under Art Briles--and to, well, sell tickets.  Oregon was once a solid Pac 10 program.  Now?  One of the best and most popular football schools in the country.
My problem with what Saban said--besides the fact that I find most of what he says self serving--is that he brings up two reasons for why we should alter rules to discourage the use of the no huddle.  For one, he finds it dangerous for defensive players who, once they are winded and stuck on the field, are more prone to injury.  That is true but is player safety being considered when Alabama scheduled Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic and Western Carolina this year?  The other reality about player safety is that no huddles breed small, fast offensive players who must be in expert physical conditioning.  To stop that defenses must become smaller, quicker and better conditioned.  Overall, the game will become safer with players who look more like real people then the huge players of today who must be substituted for or they'll pass out.  Yes the game will look different, but do we really need guys weighing 350 lbs?  I know Nick likes them and does not want to adjust his game to defensive tackles who can see their feet when they look down.
The other part of his argument was over whether we, as football fans, want the game to look like the one played between Baylor and West Virginia. And I agree with him that those shoot-outs do the sport a disservice.  But, on the other hand, the two games played between Alabama and LSU last year were not much better and actually hurt the sport more in that they were watched by more people and the casual fan left those contests without an appreciation for college football.
One of the many things I love about college football is the great variety.  So keep quiet Nick and focus on a relaxing off week.