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A Breakdown of each game, Picks, Confidence Points, and Ranking the Games

New Mexico Bowl- Fresno St. vs. Wyoming, Dec. 19
Synopsis: The First Bowl. Fresno State possesses the nation’s leading rusher in Ryan Mathews while Wyoming is playing in its second bowl game since 1993. Wyoming ranks 99th in the Sargarin Rankings.
Picks: Travis: Fresno St.; Chip: Fresno St.
Confidence: 34; 34
Ranking: 31

St. Petersburg Bowl- Central Florida vs. Rutgers, Dec. 19
Synopsis: Rutgers has the 99th ranked offense, UCF the #4 ranked rush defense. UCF gets to play a defacto home game by playing in Tampa Bay.
Picks: UCF; Rutgers
Confidence: 4; 1
Ranking: 28

New Orleans Bowl- Southern Mississippi vs. Middle Tennesse, Dec. 20
Synopsis: Southern Miss’ Damion Fletcher is the career active leader in rushing with 5,224 yards while Middle Tennessee is in its 2nd bowl since moving up to Division 1.
Picks: Southern Miss; Southern Miss
Confidence: 16; 10
Ranking: 32

Las Vegas- Oregon St. vs. BYU, Dec. 22
Synopsis: The Let Down Bowl. Oregon St. was 4 points away from the Rose Bowl and fell all the way to Vegas while BYU had BCS dreams after beating Oklahoma only to be thumped twice and end up back in Vegas for the fifth straight year. OSU’s Mike Riley is 5-0 in bowl games.
Picks: Oregon St.; Oregon St.
Confidence: 24; 5
Ranking: 8

Poinsettia Bowl- Utah vs. California, Dec. 23
Synopsis: The Disappointment Bowl. Cal was ranked 6th in the country at one point and finished 6th in the Pac 10. Utah came off an undefeated season and lost 2 close games to Oregon and BYU. Utah has won 8 straight bowl games over 7 conferences while Cal has been mauled in all 4 of its losses.
Picks: Cal; Cal
Confidence: 7; 2
Ranking: 13

Hawaii Bowl- Nevada vs. SMU, Dec. 24
Synopsis: June Jones was paid the big bucks to resurrect SMU from the Death Penalty. In year 2, he has them in their first bowl game since 1983, ironically, back on the island from which he left. Nevada possesses the first team with three 1,000 yard rushers. Expect a lot of points.
Picks: Nevada; Nevada
Confidence: 30; 28
Ranking: 15

Little Caesers- Marshall vs. Ohio, Dec. 26
Synopsis: The Get Away From Family Bowl. Why else would you watch this? Marshall doesn’t rank in the Top 47 of any statistical category.
Picks: Ohio; Ohio
Confidence: 21; 4
Ranking: 33

Meineke Car Care Bowl- Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina, Dec. 26
Synopsis: Pittsburgh sensational freshmen running back Dion Lewis gets to face the #10 rush defense in the Tar Heels. Pitt was this close to winning the Big East and UNC will have about 70% of the crowd with the games in Charlotte.
Picks: Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh
Confidence: 20; 15
Ranking: 17

Emerald Bowl- USC vs. Boston College, Dec. 26
Synopsis: The Motivation Bowl. Boston College will be traveling across the country and may bring about 2-3 thousand fans while USC finished 5th in the Pac 10 after winning the conference seven consecutive years. BC will want to measure itself against the Trojans while USC will have to find an edge to prepare for next year.
Picks: USC; USC
Confidence: 28; 33
Ranking: 19

Music City Bowl- Kentucky vs. Clemson, Dec. 27
Synopsis: Clemson was oh-so-close to a BCS bid while Kentucky was oh-so-close to a New Year’s Day Bowl. This is a rematch of the game in 2005. Expect C.J. Spiller to get more than the 8 touches he did that year.
Picks: Clemson; Clemson
Confidence: 25; 6
Ranking: 18

Independence Bowl- Texas A&M vs. Georgia, Dec. 28
Synopsis: Texas A&M Jarrod Johnson against Georgia’s sive defense. Georgia’s offense against Texas A&M’s defense that averaged 48 points given up away from home. There should be some points scored.
Picks: Georgia; Georgia
Confidence: 18; 7
Ranking: 25

Eagle Bank Bowl- UCLA vs. Temple, Dec. 29
Synopsis: This is Temple’s first bowl since its 1979 Garden State Bowl and third all-time. UCLA finished 8th in the Pac 10 and had to wait for two weeks for Navy to beat Army and secure the last bowl spot.
Picks: UCLA; UCLA
Confidence: 19; 32
Ranking: 29

Champs Sports Bowl- Miami vs. Wisconsin, Dec. 29
Synopsis: Finally some ranked teams. The first matchup of ranked teams since the Vegas Bowl. The Canes get to play in Florida and coming off a 9-win season, the U, might be back. Wisconsin hasn’t beaten anyone in the Top 50 of the Sargarin rankings.
Picks: Miami; Miami
Confidence: 23; 14
Ranking: 16

Humanitarian Bowl- Bowling Green vs. Idaho, Dec. 30
Synopsis: Bowling Green’s Freddie Barnes is one of the top wide receivers in the country and Idaho is making its first bowl game appearance since 1998. Plus the smurf turf.
Picks: Idaho; Bowling Green
Confidence: 5; 8
Ranking: 34

Holiday Bowl- Arizona vs. Nebraska, Dec. 30
Synopsis: The Last Seconds Bowl. Arizona was 6 seconds from playing in the Rose Bowl. Nebraska 1 second from the Fiesta Bowl. A contrast in styles. Nebraska has no offense but one of the top defenses. Arizona has an explosive spread offense but it’s built on timing. It should be another low scoring game with a first one to 20 feel.
Picks: Arizona; Arizona (who’d you think we’d pick)
Confidence: 15; 9
Ranking: 6

Armed Forces Bowl- Houston vs. Air Force, Dec. 31
Synopsis: The nation’s top passing offense against the top passing defense. These teams are familiar with each other. They played in this bowl last year and the regular season. Enjoy the rubber match.
Picks: Houston; Houston
Confidence: 32; 17
Ranking: 14

Sun Bowl- Oklahoma vs. Stanford, Dec. 31
Synopsis: A case of bad Luck for Stanford. If QB Andrew Luck can’t play, Oklahoma will be able to stack the line against Toby Gerhard. As good as Gerhard is, the play action pass is what made Stanford so effective. We’ll see if he can go.
Picks: Oklahoma; Oklahoma
Confidence: 3; 12
Ranking: 9

Texas Bowl- Missouri vs. Navy, Dec. 31
Synopsis: A big contrast in styles. Missouri goes 5-wide and throws a lot to Denario Alexander, the nation’s leading yards per game receiver. Navy tries not to throw the ball and will triple option you at will. The Midshipmen have lost three straight bowl games by a total of 14 points.
Picks: Missouri; Missouri
Confidence: 27; 11
Ranking: 24

Insight Bowl- Minnesota vs. Iowa St., Dec. 31
Synopsis: Nothing screams bring in the New Year like two mediocre 6-6 teams. The bright side for the fans is New Year’s in Tempe is probably a little warmer than back home.
Picks: Iowa St.; Minnesota
Confidence: 6; 13
Ranking: 30

Chick-fil-A Bowl- Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee, Dec. 31
Synopsis: A big game for the ACC. The second straight year an ACC team ranked in the Top 15 will face an unranked SEC team. Last year, Georgia Tech was crushed by 35. This is the first time two schools have met since 1994 despite being 3-4 hours apart.
Picks: Virginia Tech; Virginia Tech
Confidence: 22; 21
Ranking: 12

Outback Bowl- Auburn vs. Northwestern, Jan. 1
Synopsis: Let the fat assing begin. Both teams are average and get to play on New Year’s Day. Northwestern has scored a few upsets in Big 10 play and Auburn is back in a bowl after missing one last year.
Picks: Auburn; Auburn
Confidence: 8; 30
Ranking: 20

Gator Bowl- West Virginia vs. Florida St., Jan. 1
Synopsis: Bobby Bowden’s final game. Fitting it’s against the team he coached for 10 years prior to leaving and becoming a legend at FSU. This is one of those games that you know FSU will go all out to try and send Bobby off a winner despite being a heavy underdog.
Picks: West Virginia; West Virginia
Confidence: 17; 29
Ranking: 11

Capital One Bowl- Penn St. vs. LSU, Jan. 1
Synopsis: The Overrated Bowl. Both of these teams didn’t really beat anyone and were blown out against good competition. Yet, somehow, someway, they’re ranked in the Top 15. Joe Paterno is Florida, go ahead and make the jokes.
Picks: LSU; LSU
Confidence: 9; 25
Ranking: 5

Rose Bowl- Oregon vs. Ohio St., Jan. 1
Synopsis: The Granddaddy of them All. Oregon’s basketball on grass and number 7 scoring offense against the Buckeyes’ number 5 scoring defense. Terrell Pryor was heavily recruited by Oregon but declined and Oregon settled with some guy that started #5 on the depth chart named Jeremiah Masoli. I wonder if Oregon will have some futuristic Rose Bowl jersey. The Big 10 hasn’t won this game since 2000.
Picks: Oregon; Oregon
Confidence: 29; 27
Ranking: 3

Sugar Bowl- Florida vs. Cincinnati, Jan. 1
Synopsis: The Runner Up Bowl. Both teams had national championship dreams. Florida was waxed by Alabama and Cincinnati drew the short straw of the undefeated teams. An impressive showing and an ugly BCS title game could give Cincinnati some AP votes. You wonder if Brian Kelly will switch his first place vote to Notre Dame. Oh yeah and it’s Tim Tebow’s last game.
Picks: Cincinnati; Florida
Confidence: 1; 31
Ranking: 4

International Bowl- South Florida vs. Northern Illinois, Jan. 2
Synopsis: The Hangover Bowl. This is just something to throw on the tube because it’s football. You have to wonder if some south Florida kids will be motivated for a trip to Toronto.
Picks: Northern Illinois; South Florida
Confidence: 10; 19
Ranking: 27

Papajohns.com Bowl- South Carolina vs. Connecticut, Jan. 2
Synopsis: UConn has never beaten an SEC team. That would be a nice reward for the difficult last month UConn had to suffer through.
Picks: South Carolina; South Carolina
Confidence: 2; 20
Ranking: 26

Cotton Bowl- Oklahoma St. vs. Mississippi, Jan. 2
Synopsis: The Low Expectations Bowl. Both teams started in the top 10 and both wilted under the pressure. Ole Miss is back for the second straight year. Both teams were pathetic in their rivalry games. Still it should be a shootout.
Picks: Oklahoma St.; Oklahoma St.
Confidence: 14; 23
Ranking: 10

Liberty Bowl- Arkansas vs. East Carolina, Jan. 2
Synopsis: Just watch Ryan Mallet throw. His arm has scouts creaming themselves. The turnovers will be the stat line. East Carolina forced 33, Arkansas 27.
Picks: Arkansas; Arkansas
Confidence: 31; 16
Ranking: 22

Alamo Bowl- Michigan St. vs. Texas Tech, Jan. 2
Synopsis: This is the Alamo’s last look at the slow Big 10. Tech should remind them that the spread offense is the way of the future and the Pac 10 is coming next year. If the Holiday Bowl gets great ratings, the Alamo will smile on its investment.
Picks: Texas Tech; Texas Tech
Confidence: 13; 18
Ranking: 23

Fiesta Bowl- Boise St. vs. TCU, Jan. 4
Synopsis: The Little Guy Bowl. This will be fun. Both are high octane offenses and strong defenses. A TCU blowout coupled with a sloppy Texas win could result in an AP National Title. While it’s annoying that neither of these teams will have a crack at the big boys, one is guaranteed to finish undefeated and two AQ teams get a shot in the BCS.
Picks: TCU; TCU
Confidence: 26; 22
Ranking: 2

Orange Bowl- Georgia Tech vs. Iowa, Jan. 5
Synopsis: A game of scheming. Iowa will have 33 days to prepare for the triple option offense of Tech. Ricky Stanzi will be healthy. I wonder what the ratings will be for this game since it’s the worst matchup of the BCS bowls. Iowa brought 50,000 people the last time to Miami.
Picks: Iowa; Georgia Tech
Confidence: 12; 24
Ranking: 7

GMAC Bowl- Central Michigan vs. Troy, Jan. 6
Synopsis: Great quarterback matchup. Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour and Troy’s Levi Brown. That’s all I’ve got.
Picks: Central Michigan; Central Michigan
Confidence: 33; 26
Ranking: 21

BCS National Championship Game- Alabama vs. Texas, Jan. 7
Synopsis: A $9 million coaching collision. Two storied programs. This game doesn’t need an introduction.
Picks: Alabama; Alabama
Confidence: 11; 3
Ranking: 1

High Tide in Pasadena, Horns Hook It In, Suh Me, Bearcats Claw Back, and a Fiesta for the Little Guy

Week 14, Oh the Huskers had us 100 seconds from chaos:

• The Tide rolled its way to the west coast. In a dominating performance, Alabama buried Florida to win the SEC Championship. The progression of Greg McElroy to complement Mark Ingram has made the Tide a balanced team. In three years Nick Saban has Alabama playing for the national title. I’d say that $32 million is paying off. And I’ll say it… a lot of people were happy to see Tim Tebow in tears.
• Oh so close by the slimmest of margins Texas is heading back to the Rose Bowl for another National Title shot. You have to wonder if Colt McCoy wasn’t pressured on the last play of the game if he doesn’t throw that away and the clock runs out. He can say what he want but it’s pretty obvious he didn’t know the clock. The criticism that would’ve ensued from that brain fart would’ve been talked about for awhile.
• For those of you who hadn’t seen Ndamukong Suh play, that’s why he’s going be rolling in a G5 and lots of money come the NFL Draft. He’s the best overall player in college football and his 4.5 sack performance against Texas was one for the ages.
• A botched PAT, quite possibly the worst way to lose in football let alone a conference title. Pittsburgh’s botched and Cincinnati’s subsequent touchdown gave the Bearcats an undefeated regular season, conference title, and Sugar Bowl bid. For the first time all season the Bearcats faced adversity down 31-10 in the first half and clawed all the way back thanks in large part from two big plays for Marty Gilyard. We’ll see how they do against the SEC.
• With Cincinnati leaping TCU in the final BCS Standings and the wide margin of votes in the Coaches Poll between Texas and TCU it’s very obvious that a non-BCS school will not likely ever play for the National Championship. However, big props to the Fiesta Bowl for taking on the challenge of pitting TCU and Boise State. This game will be measured on many levels: ticket sales, TV ratings, and quality of play. Good luck guys. The pressure’s on.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* Georgia Tech and Clemson played a hell of a game. C.J. Spiller did all he could for Clemson with 233 yards and 4 TD’s but Georgia Tech had the last say. It’s off to the Orange Bowl.

Big East
* 15 wins in a row for West Virginia over Rutgers, 9 wins, and a second place finish in the conference.
* Dave Teggart’s 42 yard FG gave UConn 7 wins and a bowl berth.

Big Ten
* I would say that deflected 2-point conversion was a good cap to a dismal season in Champagne.
* A week in Hawaii and a 51-10 pounding of the Rainbows. I’d say that’s a good vacation for Wisconsin.

Big 12
* I find it interesting the Bo and Carl Pelini were trashing Texas after the game telling them not to accept the trophy. It’ll be interesting when more comes out of that.
* Good luck Kansas trying to find someone to fill Mark Mangino’s big shoes. He was Kansas football and built the program up. You better hope you know what you’re doing.

Pac 10
* Arizona handed USC only its 3rd loss in 51 games at home, the first by a team not named Stanford. For UA it means a 2nd place finish in the conference and Holiday Bowl berth. As for USC they finish tied for 5th and it’s an Emerald Bowl bid. I don’t think many of us had that.
* I don’t know what that was from Cal but it was a loud statement by Washington. The Huskies rebounded with a 5-7 season after going winless. Now will Jake Locker come back and will they go bowling next season?

SEC
* Tim Tebow won’t win the Heisman after that game. He’ll go down as one of the greatest players in college football history and probably the best player the SEC has seen.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* Despite the Keenum to Cleveland connection, East Carolina won the Conference USA title. I guess it helps when you play the game at home.
* Dan LeFevour reached 148 career total TD’s setting an NCAA record for total touchdowns while in the process winning the MAC title and 11 games.

Good bye Bobby Bowden, Showdown Part II, The Real McCoy, Gerhard for Hardware, and Rivalry Week

Week 13, Who’s Rooting for Chaos?:

• Reports are that Bobby Bowden will retire as Head Coach at Florida State this week. It’s unfortunate that he can’t go out on his own terms but the truth is that FSU has become mediocre and frankly the fourth best program in his state. However, the big picture is he’s the second winningest coach is CFB history, nearly 40 years of excellence, two national championships, and lots of dramatic field goals. Thank you Bobby from all college football fans.
• Florida and Alabama. Where have we seen this before (and why not in the regular season)? Both teams got by their rivals (Bama barely) and the showdown that we’ve been anticipating since about Week 4 is set and ready. Will Bama get revenge or will Tim Tebow play for his 3rd national title? Strap it up boys!
• Colt McCoy had his signature Heisman game. In a back and forth affair against Texas A&M (the way it should be) McCoy totaled nearly 500 yards, including 175 yards on the ground, and won the shootout to keep the Horns in the championship race.
• Toby Gerhard is amazing. Another 200 yards. Another four touchdowns. Seriously, if this guy isn’t a Heisman finalist (and my pick as the winner) you can scream East Coast bias.
• Man there were some great rivalry games. Regardless of record, they always seem to be fun, close, and entertaining. So why isn’t the last game of the season? Stupid TV contracts. Put these games in the final week like they should be.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* The conference can’t feel good about the division winners with the waxing they took from mediocre SEC teams. Another black eye for the conference. Clemson and Georgia Tech, step yo game up!
* Nine wins for the U. Are they back? Maybe. Should be good to see them as a preseason Top 15 team next year.

Big East
* The Backyard Brawl had another great one. Does that win ease the pain for West Virginia fans from two years ago?… No way.
* Tony Pike’s first start since returning from injury, just another 6 TD’s. Poor guy would’ve been a Heisman candidate if he remained healthy.

Big Ten
* Season over
* Well Illinois took its beating. 3-8. What has happened to the Zooker?

Big 12
* Way to show up Oklahoma State. You have a potential Fiesta Bowl bid on the line and you come out and play like that?
* What a game in the Border War. What was with the play calling by Kansas? A QB draw from the end zone for a safety? WTF…

Pac 10
* UCLA-USC has gotten a lot more interesting. Timeout, bomb, taunt. It’ll be good for the next few years with Carroll vs. Neuheisel.
* It’s about damn time Arizona had a deflection go their way. Kyle Williams muffed punt and a Zendejas kicks a winning field goal in Tempe. Sounds familiar.

SEC
* The best game of the weekend might have been between LSU and Arkansas. What a duel by Mallett and Jefferson. It’s too bad it came down to a missed field goal.
* Egg to the face. Ole Miss continued to show it’s inconsistency with the beat down it took from Mississippi State.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* Boise State did its job by beating Nevada convincingly. With Oklahoma State’s loss they just need straight chalk and they should wind up back in the Fiesta Bowl.
* BYU won the Holy War in overtime. That means another trip to Vegas for the fifth straight year.

3 Games of Intrigue:
Florida vs. Alabama- I guess some people have been looking forward to this one. 1 vs. 2. It’s kind of like a playoff game in college football.
Oregon St. at Oregon (Thu.)- A Civil War for the ages. Winner goes to the Rose Bowl.
Texas vs. Nebraska- This is the biggest game. If Texas wins they go to Pasadena. If not, the trickledown effect will be wild. Nebraska will head to the Fiesta Bowl. Texas will take an at-large bid away and head to the Sugar Bowl and likely leave an undefeated Boise St. out of the BCS for a second straight year. Will it be TCU or Cincinnati in the title game? Lots of possibilities. If you like chaos, you like the Huskers.
Bonus: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh- Winner is the Big East champ. Another trickledown game. Will Cincinnati keep its national title hopes alive? If they lose, will they even get a BCS bid? Remember they only sold 13,000 tickets to the Orange Bowl last year. It might be hard to convince the Fiesta or Orange committees to select them as an at-large with the poor turnout from last year. From undefeated to Gator Bowl?

Ducks Smelling Roses, Geaux-Boy Tigers, Florida and Bama Survive, Cal Gets Lucky, and Notre Dame’s New Coach

Week 12, The Bowl Picture is Clearing Up:

• What a game in Tucson. Double OT, National TV, and the Rose Bowl on the line. Oregon was the last one standing in an old west shootout. Jeremiah Masoli’s 6th touchdown (3 pass, 3 rush) capped the 85 points, after he found Ed Dickson with 6 seconds left to send it to OT, and put the Ducks into a Civil War Showdown for the Rose Bowl.
• The refs screwed up. Still what poor clock management by LSU and the coaching staff for not recognizing the clock tick away costing LSU 16 seconds and after the hail mary, a game-winning field goal attempt. Granted if a sack isn’t taken, this doesn’t become an issue. Oh well.
• Florida and Alabama were able to survive their scrimmages with Florida International and Chattanooga winning by a combined 107-3. Shouldn’t there be a rule against playing these fucking games in November? What garbage.
• Despite 136 yards and 4 TD’s for Toby Gerhard (that’s 23 rushing TD’s), Andrew Luck played like a freshmen and threw an interception on the goal line with a minute left. Granted, why Jim Harbaugh channeled his inner Belicheck and went for it on 4th and 8 at his own 22 with 3 minutes left, 3 timeouts, and a 3 point deficit is beyond me. With Cal’s victory, it’s plausible that four teams will finish 6-3 in Pac 10 play. Good luck bowl selection committee.
• Charlie Weis is fired. So who are potential replacements? The obvious choice would be Brian Kelly of Cincinnati. He’s peaked at that program. Jim Harbaugh? Maybe. Stanford is stepping stone job and his name is as hot as it’ll be. But, what’s appealing about a job where you’ll be fired after 5 years? It’s been about 15 years since Notre Dame was relevant. 17 and 18 year olds don’t recognize the history but they do recognize 3 coaches in 8 years.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* Thanks to a long punt return and subsequent touchdown with 28 seconds left, Florida State survived the upset bid from Maryland and clinched bowl eligibility for the 28th straight year.
* Despite the many years of expectations, Clemson finally will play in the ACC Championship Game with its 34-21 victory over Virginia.

Big East
* I hope Rutgers enjoyed its stay in the Top 25. Pathetic showing losing to hapless Syracuse.
* You could tell how emotional UConn was after beating Notre Dame on National TV, giving the team its first win for Jesper Howard.

Big Ten
* Iowa’s shutout of Minnesota keeps them in at-large consideration for the Fiesta Bowl, ahead of Penn State.
* Another upset victory for Northwestern over Wisconsin as they finish the year with three straight victories and 8 wins.

Big 12
* Nebraska is headed to Arlington. Despite the home losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State the Huskers have regrouped, will win 9 games and take their shot at Texas.
* I find it a little unfair that all the Mark Mangino stuff is coming out now during Kansas’ losing streak. What I find more saddening is that none of his former or current players are defending him. Makes you wonder…

Pac 10
* Talk about shouldering the load. Shane Vereen carried 42 times for 193 yards and 3 TD’s to help give Cal the upset victory at Stanford. Vereen has come up huge in consecutive victories rushing for over 350 yards.
* UCLA has become bowl eligible with its victory over Arizona State. The only problem is there might not be a bowl for them. The Pac 10 only has 6 bowl affiliations and 7 eligible teams. Without a victory over USC, UCLA will finish alone in 7th place.

SEC
* 21 consecutive points for Kentucky gave them the win in Athens for the first time in 32 years. Georgia was really a preseason Top 15 team?
* Another 300 yards and 5 TD’s for Ryan Mallet. The Arkansas QB now has 28 on the season, 10 in the last two weeks.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* Nevada rushed for 575 yards in their 63-20 thrashing of New Mexico State. In the process, the Wolfpack became the first school in NCAA history with three 1,000 yard rushers. Congrats to Colin Kaepernick, Luke Lippincott, and Vai Taua.
* Freddie Barnes had 12 catches for 197 yards and 2 TD’s in Bowling Green’s victory over Akron.

3 Games of Intrigue:
Florida St. at Florida- Rivalry Game I guess but shouldn’t provide much drama and trouble. Just survive and advance
Alabama at Auburn- See above.
Texas at Texas A&M- Notice a theme?

Rosey Buckeyes, Toad’s Wild Ride, Now U-S-Don’t-C Us, Jackets Coasting, and Big B-EAST

Week 11, The Pac 10 is a wide open mess:

• It took overtime, and what a better way to win a conference title, and Ohio State punched its ticket to Pasadena. For the Buckeyes, despite being the Big 10’s power the last decade, this will be their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1997. For Iowa, a heartbreaking two weeks. Also, why is Kirk Ferentz taking a knee to force OT? You’re playing for playing for a conference title on the road with a backup QB and you want to go to OT?
• TCU is not a mid major. They are an established program. Who really wants to play this team in a bowl game? It’s not that they’ve beaten BYU and Utah or won at Clemson earlier this year, it’s the fact that they’re getting better each week. Really who has been more impressive the last few weeks? Two more cupcakes and it’s on the BCS. Now can they sneak into the title game?
• The Dynasty has come to end. Is USC rebuilding this year? Yes. But it’s not that they’re down as much as it’s the Pac 10 is better. Arizona and Stanford are no longer tomato cans. Washington will be better and both Oregon schools are solid. This conference is now nine deep. The talent is dispersed and USC will continue to win its share of conference titles and BCS bowl games, but no longer will they run through the conference like in previous years.
• I guess the triple option does work in a major conference. Georgia Tech clinched the coastal division of the ACC and now sit at 10-1. That said, do they really want to face a hot team like Clemson and C.J. Spiller in the championship game?
• Maybe the Big East isn’t so bad after all. Despite not having a team ranked in the preseason Top 25, it now possesses two Top 10 teams and a showdown in two weeks. Maybe, just maybe, two BCS bids.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* Clemson is about to join Georgia Tech in the title game. They’re rolling right now and just need to beat hapless Virginia to make it happen.
* You could tell Miami was uninspired with how flat it was against North Carolina. I guess when your conference title hopes are dashed, go down hard.

Big East
* Rutgers has rebounded from that opening day beat down to Cincinnati and have won 7 of 8.
* In the toilet bowl, it’s fitting that the home team would win 10-9. Congrats Louisville, you’re finishing 7th. Syracuse… consistent.

Big Ten
* Wisconsin racked up 469 yards of offense, including 229 on the ground as the Badgers pounded reeling . Michigan to improve to 8-2.
* Michigan St. and Minnesota each squeaked out field goal victories to become bowl eligible.

Big 12
* Colt McCoy tied the all-time career wins record at Texas as the Horns jumped out to a 40-0 halftime lead at Baylor.
* Nebraska gained control of the Big 12 North with a victory at Kansas coupled with a Kansas St. loss to Missouri. The Huskers can clinch the division with a victory in Lincoln against K-St. next week.

Pac 10
* That’s 106 points Stanford has racked up against Oregon and USC in consecutive weeks. Toby Gerhard amassed over 400 yards and 6 TD’s in the victories. He deserves a trip to New York.
* What a mess the Pac 10 race has become. Arizona’s loss and Stanford’s win opens the door for four teams to potential make the Rose Bowl. Oregon and Arizona are the only ones that control their own destinies.

SEC
* Dexter McCluster ran wild for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns as Ole Miss rolled Tennessee 42-17.
* Ryan Mallett set an Arkansas single season passing record as the Hogs beat Troy to clinch a bowl berth. Mallet went 23-30 for 405 yards and 5 TD’s on the day.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* Boise St. is trying to do their best to earn style points. A 38 point win over a 7-win Idaho team still might be enough.
* How about June Jones and Southern Methodist? With the 35-31 over UTEP, the Mustangs are bowl eligible in his second year. With his Houston’s loss, SMU can win the West division of conference USA with victories in their last two.

3 Games of Intrigue:
Oregon at Arizona- Winner controls its destiny for the conference title and the Rose Bowl.
California at Stanford- The Big Game. Stanford finishes conference play and could wind up in the Rose Bowl if things play out over the next few weeks.
Michigan at Ohio St.- Not much riding on this one, but tradition is tradition I guess.

Bama to Atlanta, Iowa Goes South, Cardinal Sin, Powerful Sea Men, and Technical Difficulties

Week 10, It works its way out right?:

• Alabama punched their ticket to Atlanta by beating LSU to clinch the SEC West. We now have a guaranteed Florida-Alabama SEC Championship Game. Now it’s a question if both stay the course and have another semifinal match to head to Pasadena.
• One undefeated down, 6 to go. Ricky Stanzi’s sprained ankle did in the Hawkeyes at home against Northwestern. Once he left the game, Iowa could not do anything offensively and the team that had been living dangerously finally got burned. Now Iowa heads to Columbus with the possibility of being eliminated from the National Championship race one week and the Rose Bowl the next. Capital One Bowl anyone?
• Trap game. Oregon came off their emotional win over USC and had their slim title hopes cut down by the Stanford Cardinal. Toby Gerhard ran for a school record 233 yards and 3 TD’s to make the Pac 10 race wide open and eliminate the conference from the national title race. Now if this happened in the SEC would it be because of the depth of the conference?
• On the cusp of Veteran’s Day, how about the Midshipmen of Navy winning in South Bend again? The 23-21 score doesn’t indicate the Navy was in control throughout most of the game. In addition to the win the Naval Academy likely just got Charlie Weis fired.
• Josh Nesbitt’s ability to convince Head Coach Paul Johnson to go for it on 4th and 1 in overtime gave Georgia Tech a victory over pesky Wake Forest. Despite the difficulty Tech now just one more win to clinch the Coastal Division.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* C.J. Spiller’s 232 yards and 2 TD’s allowed Clemson to pull away from Florida State and put the Tigers in position to clinch the Atlantic Division.
* In the Dick Vitale bowl North Carolina clinched bowl eligibility with a victory over Duke.

Big East
* Zach Collaros passed for 480 yards and ran for another 75 yards for 3 TD’s. Cincinnati amassed 711 yards of offense. What happens when Tony Pike is healthy?
* Pittsburgh forced 3 INT’s and the Panthers rolled Syracuse.

Big Ten
* Ohio State’s defense held Penn State to 201 yards and took control of the Big 10. For the Nittany Lions they are the obvious beneficiaries of a cake schedule for their high ranking.
* What happened to Michigan? That 4-0 start has taken a turn. A loss to Illinois and now a loss at home to Purdue and with Wisconsin and Ohio St. on the docket, a 5-7 record, 1-7 and last place in the conference is likely. Will the Rich Rodgriquez firing talk come back?

Big 12
* Remember when Oklahoma-Nebraska was relevant? Five Landry Jones INT’s led to a Huskers win. These teams are now a combined 11-7 this year. Oh those glory days.
* Bill Snyder is doing a helluva job in Year 1 at K-St. One more win and it’s a bowl game. Beat Missouri and the Big 12 North will be decided in Lincoln in two weeks. That would be old school.

Pac 10
* Jahvid Best was released from the hospital with a concussion. He’s out for this week’s game against Arizona but hopefully for him there are no lingering effects.
* Kevin Craft played the relief role and led UCLA to a comeback over Washington in a huge swing game. UCLA now has Washington St and then a home game against Arizona St for a bowl berth.

SEC
* What would Gator Nation’s reaction be if somebody eye gouged Tim Tebow?
* This is Week 10. Why are Furman, Northern Arizona, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, and Memphis on the schedule? What a fucking joke!

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* How does Tulsa line up on the wrong side of the direction of the kicker on an on-side kick? Honestly, that has to be the only time I’ve ever seen the return team outnumbered on an on-side kick.
* Boise State and the WAC have hired a PR staff to help out with a campaign to put them in the BCS picture. Here’s an idea, step your game up WAC. See the Mountain West. TCU, BYU, and Utah every year are in contention. Where’s Fresno State? Hawaii? You need quality wins and quality teams, not just one.

3 Games of Intrigue:
Iowa at Ohio St.- Winner goes to the Rose Bowl.
Utah at TCU- The Horned Frogs last speed bump. Win and they’re in the driver’s seat for a BCS bowl.
Stanford at USC- Remember this game two years ago? It won’t be a 41-point spread this year. In fact, another Stanford win wouldn’t be a surprise. Winner has an outside shot at the Rose Bowl.

Feeling Horny, Code Breaker, Hawk It Up, Way to Go Mountaineers, and Upon Further Review

Week 8, Got a Little Dicey for Some Unbeatens:

• What a showing by TCU. They went into Provo and just pummeled BYU. This wasn’t even a game. TCU jumped out to a 21-0 lead and Andy Dalton threw 3 TD’s. This is a signature win for TCU and the unbeaten season is there for the taking. While this is an impressive win, you have to wonder if BYU’s earlier home blowout loss to Florida State will hurt in the computers.
• If Alabama plays for the National Championship, Terrence Cody was to be a BIG reason why. After Saturday, he kept their dreams alive. Cody blocked a potential game winning FG against Tennessee, after blocking one earlier, to preserve the Crimson Tide’s unblemished record. No word on how much food he was awarded instead of a game ball. Probably a life size copy of Davey Crockett made out of baby back ribs.
• Better late than never. Ricky Stanzi showed some sack by hitting Marvin McNutt (that’s great writing) for a touchdown at the buzzer on 4th and goal to keep Iowa’s Rose Bowl and National Championship hopes alive. Iowa has come away with three nice road wins. Still the trip to Columbus looms.
• Big congratulations to the West Virginia Mountaineer fans who gave the Connecticut Huskies a standing ovation as they entered the field in honor of the late UConn cornerback Jesper Howard who was killed last weekend. Very classy. West Virginia picked up a big victory as well.
• College football’s replay system is looking worse every week. I don’t know how you could miss Florida’s Dustin Doe do his best Leon Lett impression and call that a touchdown or what the deal with not having or having HD TV’s to make things easier. We’re getting one a week. I say scrap it. If you want to keep replay go to the NFL challenge system. At least that makes the officials be decisive and accountable for their calls rather sit and wait on replay to figure it out.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* C.J. Spiller had a huge day filled with big plays including a 90-yard kickoff return and Kyle Parker’s 326 yards and 3 TD’s lead Clemson in their overtime upset at Miami.
* Georgia Tech snapped an 8-game losing streak at Virginia but more importantly with Miami’s loss, Tech now only needs to beat Wake Forest and Duke to wrap up the Coastal Division.

Big East
* Pittsburgh accumulated nearly 500 yards of offense as they routed South Florida 41-14 to improve to 7-1.
* Tony Pike was able to take the week off and Cincinnati still won by 31.

Big Ten
* They may not be all the way back just yet. Michigan suffered it third conference loss but this one was a beating by Penn State in the Big House. Penn State looks primed for a BCS at-large berth.
* Northwestern rallied from 25 down to win the swing game with Indiana. The Wildcats are now one victory away from bowl eligibility.

Big 12
* Colt McCoy looked great. Texas finally found some offensive rhythm and played its first complete game of the season.
* What an odd week. Kansas St. gains control of the North? Iowa St. wins in Lincoln for the first time since 1977? Texas A&M who was blasted by Kansas St. 62-14 who was throttled by Texas Tech 66-14 beats Texas Tech 52-30? WTF?

Pac 10
* Jeremiah Masoli’s return means the return of Oregon’s offense. They ran for 259 yards and smothered Washington all day.
* USC avenged last year’s lone loss by beating Oregon State. The one concern for USC has to be their defense. For the second straight week an opponent moved up and down the field at ease in the second half.

SEC
* Jordan Jefferson had a very efficient and effective day at QB as LSU blew out fading Auburn.
* Typical South Carolina. They let Vanderbilt hang around but came away with the one big play to edge out the 14-10 victory and clinch a bowl berth.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* The most exciting game of the week goes to Nevada and Idaho. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick combined for 408 yards (178 pass, 230 rush) and 6 TD’s in the Wolfpack’s 70-45 victory over the Vandals. Nevada rushed for 484 yards as a team.
* San Diego St. QB Ryan Lindley threw for 459 yards and 6 TD’s in the Aztecs 42-28 victory at Colorado St. His favorite target was Dominique Sandifer who caught 15 passes for 257 yards and 3 of those scores.

3 Games of Intrigue:
USC at Oregon- The winner is in the driver’s seat for the Rose Bowl and becomes the Pac 10’s one-loss representative for the National Championship
Texas at Oklahoma St- This looks to be the last hurdle in Texas’ National Title game appearance. A win and they look to be poised to finish 13-0 and be in Pasadena. Should OSU win, they become the favorite out of the Big 12.
Georgia vs. Florida- It’s Cocktail Party time. Florida has not looked good the last two weeks. Georgia is coming off a bye. Could this be a trap game? I doubt Florida treats it like that.

Red River Refund, Gator Escape, Rambling Wrecking Rankings, Boiler Up, and Clawing Up 

Week 7, Some Ugly Play and Games:

• That was ugly. Texas and Oklahoma combined to play one pathetic game. Fumbles, interceptions, overthrows, maybe the 11am local kickoff and hangover from the previous night on Market St still lingered. Either way, Texas caught a break when Sam Bradford re-injured his shoulder and were able to escape with a FG victory. A healthy Bradford and OU wins by two touchdowns.  Now shut him down for the rest of the season.
• Despite 4 turnovers and lethargic play, the Gators escaped on a FG at the buzzer. Arkansas was game but they should’ve won. They had two dropped TD passes and two missed FG’s. Essentially 14 potential points missed. This was probably Florida’s last major test before a collision with Alabama.
• Virginia Tech looked to be the 1-loss team poised to lead for the National Title shot. Oh well. Georgia Tech was the biggest hurdle remaining on their schedule and now the dreams are over. More importantly, there looks like a potential 3-way tie looming in the Coastal Division between both Tech’s and Miami. How does the ACC decide that?
• Another Top 10 upset occurred thanks to 1-5 Purdue’s beating of Ohio State. Maybe this will catapult Purdue but they’ll still probably finish with only another win or two. The Buckeyes turned the ball over five times. I understand the hype around Terrelle Pryor but why? He’s a mediocre thrower and as a runner indecisive. He’s had a horrible season and outside of the Big 10 he’d be an average QB in the SEC, Big 12, and Pac 10.
• Tony Pike got injured and that didn’t faze Cincinnati who cruised to a road victory against South Florida. Zach Collaros stepped in and proceeded to provide the game’s biggest play with his 75 yard TD run. Cincy is in great shape to run the table as Pitt and West Virginia are at home.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* Quietly Virginia has won three in a row to even their record. The two ACC wins have come on the road.
* I guess someone has to win the Atlantic. Maybe it’s Boston College. After a butt whooping last week to Virginia Tech, RB Montell Harris amassed 264 yards and 5 TD’s in a 52-20 pasting of N.C. State.

Big East
* UConn’s victory over Louisville is somewhat subdued after the sudden murder of CB Jaspen Howard.
* Dion Lewis’ 180 yards helped Pittsburgh improve to a quiet 6-1 with a victory over Rutgers.

Big Ten
* Ever so efficient Iowa came away with another solid road win at Wisconsin. With the Ohio St. upset, it’s Iowa’s conference to lose.
* Blair White had a huge day with 12 catches for 186 yards and 2 TDs in Michigan State’s 24-14 victory over Northwestern.

Big 12
* So much for the Big 12 North being back. All of the Big 3 (Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri) lost. For Nebraska, they’re not back. They were absolutely waxed by Texas Tech at home.
* With its 24-10 victory over Baylor, Iowa State snapped its 11-game losing streak in conference.

Pac 10
* Now those were some old school Pac 10 games. Cal started it by using 5 TD’s of over 40 yards to beat UCLA 45-26. The nightcap of Arizona surviving the 43-38 shootout with Stanford was fun. Almost 1200 combined yards and 450 yards passing for quarterback Nick Foles.
* After a fluke win the previous week, how about a breakdown to even things out? What a choke job by Washington. 13 seconds left and you allow a 50 yard TD pass in a tied game?

SEC
* Mark Ingram had 246 yards on the ground as Alabama wore down South Carolina.
* The opponents weren’t very good, but big rebound games for both Georgia and Ole Miss.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* Notre Dame is close but not quite there. They were at least competitive this time with USC and had a chance to tie the game in the red zone at the buzzer. But there will be no BCS. It’s Gator Bowl or bust.
* It wasn’t pretty but Boise St. did beat a decent Tulsa on the road. However, a TD margin of victory does not help the cause.

3 Games of Intrigue:
TCU at BYU- The only game between ranked teams this week. If TCU wants to crack the BCS this is the game that could leap them past Boise State and provide a big road victory in the computers.
Oklahoma at Kansas- This looked like the marquee game for Kansas a week ago but now it’s a question of who suffers a 2nd conference loss and sees their bowl games dwindle.
UCLA at Arizona- I’m a Wildcat, my dad a Bruin. It’s family fun. I’ll be there. And really this is a bad weekend slate of games.

Gators Chomp, Tide Rollin’, Huskers 4th Win, 93 Points, and Hawkeyed

Week 6, I’m told the dad of Arizona QB Nick Foles digs the site:

• Tim Tebow played, not particularly well, yet the Gators left Death Valley with a win. Why? The suffocating defense that held LSU to 3 points and 162 total yards. Florida’s offense has yet to get into a rhythm this year and it might take a few more games with Tebow’s injury but the defense brought back all 11 starters and it shows. As for LSU, the defense is great but the offense will not let them contend for a BCS bowl this year.
• If I had a vote in the poll, Alabama would be my #1. This has been the most impressive and complete team this season. They held Ole Miss to -1 yard in the first half and picked off Jevan Sneed four times. They’re the real deal. As for Ole Miss, the expectations were overblown and by the looks of it the SEC defenses have figured out Sneed in year two. He’s been bad.
• For those who turned off the Nebraska-Missouri game (like me) missed a big-time comeback. Nebraska trailed 12-0 going into the 4th quarter. The Huskers ran off 27 straight points, including three TDs in 3 minutes, to turn an embarrassing night into a runaway victory. It also prevented Missouri from winning three straight in the series since 1969.
• What a game in Tallahassee. Georgia Tech and Florida State amassed 93 total points, 1071 total yards, and 13 touchdowns in Tech’s 49-44 win. To be fair, the defenses did hunker down in the 2nd half as Tech only outscored FSU 21-9. Now those are some halftime adjustments. This is only going to make the Bobby Bowden mess that much more of a story.
• Iowa beat Michigan at home to remain unbeaten. Why then are the fans rushing the field? Come on Iowa, you’re not some mediocre program. You have Rose Bowl titles and BCS appearances to your name. There’s no need to overreact to beating a Michigan team that you should beat. Lame.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* The Dookies baby! Wait this is football? How about the day for senior QB Thaddeus Young? 40-50, 459 yards and 5 TDs in the Blue Devils 49-28 win over N.C. State. Duke is now at 3-3. Bowling anyone?
* Big win for Wake Forest in a swing game against Maryland. Riley Skinner had 4 TDs.

Big East
* Big comeback for Pitt after trailing UConn 21-6. They scored 18 straight points including a game-winning FG at the gun to move to 5-1.
* West Virginia rolled Syracuse 34-13. That’s now eight straight wins in the series.

Big Ten
* Wisconsin held Ohio State to 8 first downs and 185 total yards… and still lost by 18. Three return TD’s (2 int, 1 ko) helped the Buckeyes hand the Badgers their first loss.
* Michigan State made a switch to Keith Nichol at QB and he did just enough for the Spartans in their win over Illinois.

Big 12
* Sam Bradford returned and was ok in OU’s 33-7 beating of Baylor. The timing was a little off and he had quite a few dropped passes. But he looked comfortable and will be ready for Texas.
* Simply amazing. Texas Tech replaced injured QB Taylor Potts with Stephen Sheffield and all he did was go 33-41 for 490 yards and 7 TDs in Tech’s 66-14 of Kansas State.

Pac 10
* Wow. Call it a fluke. Call it luck. Whatever it was, it swung the pendulum in the Pac 10. Arizona dominated Washington most of the night until a screen pass hit the foot of receiver Delashaun Dean and caromed into the arms of Mason Forster for a game-winning TD. Arizona was primed to go to 4-1 and possibly its first top 25 ranking since 1998 while the Huskies would fall to 2-4 and face an uphill battle. Now UA is 3-2 and UW 3-3.
* Oregon State is back in its usual midseason form. Jacquizz Rodgers amassed 189 yards and 4 TDs on the ground as it rolled Stanford 38-28.

SEC
* So much for being ranked. After climbing into the Top 25 at 17 (why?), Auburn was thrashed by Arkansas 44-23. The Hogs eclipsed 200 yards rushing and built up a 34-3 lead before the Tigers tried to make it interesting.
* Georgia is the enigma of this conference. They played so well defensively against the LSU that they must’ve left the defense in Athens. I know Tennessee is improving but to allow 45 points to a team that essentially has gotten no quarterback play all season is embarrassing.

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* On National Armed Forces Day, TCU almost gave their BCS dreams to the Air Force Academy. The 20-17 squeaker will not help amongst the pollsters.
* The best individual performance of the weekend goes to Bowling Green WR Freddie Barnes. He caught 22 balls for 278 yards and 3 TDs in the Falcons narrow 36-35 victory over Kent State.

3 Games of Intrigue:
Oklahoma vs. Texas- The Red River Shootout. I will be there and you won’t. We’ll see if Texas gets its revenge for beating the Sooners last year and if OU can spoil the Horns title hopes and take control of the Big 12 south.
USC at Notre Dame- Big swing game. A USC win puts them back in the National Title race. A Notre Dame win and the Irish are in BCS contention. The loser is all but eliminated from a BCS at-large berth.
Cincinnati at South Florida (Thu.)- Both teams are undefeated and in the driver’s seat in the Big East. More importantly for Cincinnati this could be the marquee road win that boosts them into the Top 5 and gives them a realistic shot at a National Title.

Eye of the Tiger, USC is Still USC, Now U See Us, Cougars Crash, and Luck of the Irish

Week 5, We Finally Saw Some Chalk:

• What was a boring game between LSU and Georgia became the best finish on Saturday. Despite 57 minutes of sluggish play—er, great defense–the teams scored three touchdowns in the final minutes. With LSU’s victory, Death Valley will be rocking with #1 Florida coming to town. As for Georgia, this was a decent measuring stick and their defense finally played well, but they’re not amongst the SEC elite.
• For all that was written about USC being down and out after the Washington loss that can stop. USC is not going away anytime soon. Now up comes road tests with Notre Dame and Oregon later in the month to determine their BCS and Rose Bowl possibilities.
• Miami came away from their murderer’s row with a 3-1 record. Yes Oklahoma was not with Sam Bradford but still the U now has a favorable schedule the rest of the way and with their strength of schedule, they could be align with a 10-2 record and a BCS at large bid.
• Some much for Houston’s BCS dreams. Dropping a 58-41 decision, despite 536 yards and 5 TDs from Case Keenum, to a UTEP team coming off a 64-7 pasting to Texas the previous is a way to spell fraud. Conference games are always tough and UTEP had played a tough schedule, but Houston has to win that game and can’t give up 58 points.
• Notre Dame could be easily be 5-0 or 1-4 but they sit at 4-1. They’ve made big plays and held off Michigan St., Purdue, and this week Washington in overtime. It marked Charlie Weiss’ first overtime win (1-3). Now USC comes a calling in two weeks and we’ll see if Notre Dame continues has the Luck of the Irish on its side.

Some conference quick hits:
ACC
* N.C. State’s Russell Wilson threw a 2nd quarter interception in the Wolfpack’s 30-24 loss to Wake Forest. Wilson’t streak ends at a new NCAA record of 379 consecutive passes without a pick.
* Virginia got its first win of the year with a 16-3 win in Chapel Hill. I guess the just had to get all the FCS schools off the schedule and get into conference play. As for North Carolina, way to justify your preseason rankings.

Big East
* Everyone took care of business that should have.
* Greg Paulus threw 5 INTs. Go ahead and laugh Dookies.

Big Ten
* Ah what a freshmen can do to a fan base. Michigan’s Tate Forcier converted two huge drives including a touchdown pass with 2 seconds left to send Michigan and Michigan St. to overtime. Just when you think Michigan would win it, Forcier is picked in the end zone. The ups and downs of freshmen.
* Wisconsin came away with a big win for the 6th straight year over Minnesota to maintain Paul Bunyan’s axe. The Badgers sit at 5-0 but still haven’t really played anybody.

Big 12
* Now sitting at 2-2, Oklahoma is out of the national title picture. But now it can turn its attention to get Sam Bradford healthy, spoiling Texas’ season, and making a run at the Big 12 title and Fiesta Bowl bid. Landry Jones has a bright future ahead of him.
* Texas A&M fans learned a harsh reality during their 47-19 butt whooping to Arkansas… you’re not very good. There’s a reason you were picked at the bottom of the South. Expect a long season.

Pac 10
* Stanford looks to be on its way back and Toby Gerhard needs to start getting some Heisman Trophy consideration if this continues. At 4-1, the Cardinal are two wins from bowl eligibility but now the schedule gets tougher.
* Oregon State ended its 40 year drought in the desert. For the first time since 1969, the Beavers won in Tempe over Arizona State. Now at 3-2, we’ll see if that curses them for not being 2-3.

SEC
* Man Alabama looks good. They just steamrolled Kentucky in the second half and the late first half fumble return was a huge play. Another 200+ yards on the ground.
* Maybe the Gene Czick hire wasn’t so bad. Auburn sits at 5-0 after beating Tennessee and is ranked in the Top 25 (for now)).

Non-Automatic Qualifier (The New PC Term)
* One of the reasons Houston is out of the BCS chase is thanks to UTEP running back Donald Buckram. The junior rushed for 262 yards on 32 carries and 4 touchdowns in the Miners’ huge upset.
* And so it begins… In both polls undefeated Boise State dropped from 5 to 6 behind one loss Virginia Tech. With USC now sitting at 7, maybe the trickledown effect begins.

3 Games of Intrigue:
Florida at LSU- I guess you’ve heard about this one. The winner of this game the last three years has wound up playing for and winning the National Championship. Death Valley will alive under the lights. Here’s to hoping for a healthy Tim Tebow going against LSU’s defense.
Alabama at Ole Miss- Judgment week in the SEC. The earlier CBS game winner will have an inside track in winning the West. For Bama, a victory here and an undefeated regular season looks more realistic. If Ole Miss can pull it off it puts to rest the South Carolina loss and the West title runs through Oxford.
Nebraska at Missouri (Thu.)- Both teams are ranked but neither looks very impressive and the jury is still out. This is a measuring stick game. The winner looks to be the main competition for Kansas in the North. The loser could back track when the schedule gets harder to a 7-8 win team.