We're right about at the halfway point of the season. Some things we know (Oregon is good. The Pistol is football's newest craze. Les Miles has replaced Nick Saban as Satan's pet project). Some things we don't (How will Taylor Martinez fare against stronger competition? Is Ohio State really the #1 team in the nation? How bad will things get for Penn State? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?). But things are definitely getting interesting. With Alabama proving to be mortal after all, the national championship race is as wide open as I can remember. You could make a pretty good case for any one of 8 or 9 different schools winning it all. We've got a bunch of really good teams, but none that are without their faults. So buckle up everyone. The next few weeks could be a wild ride. Now on to this week's observations.
You Suck. Yeah, You. I don't care how much you can bench, how many Monster energy drinks you can chug or how many Affliction shirts you own. Unless you've lost a body part during a game-and stayed in the game-you are a great big steaming pile of pansiness compared to Virginia Tech OL Greg Nosal.
Game tape of Nolan in action.
Now That's Motivation By now, everybody knows that New Mexico State football is really bad. But, on the plus side, the Aggie players still had the luxury of being football players, with all the girls, parties and other perks that went along with that stature. Until now. As Sports by Brooks alerted us last week, an unnamed person or persons distributed thousands of NSFW flyers around the NMSU campus, urging the local co-eds not to engage in, um, extracurricular activities with any of the football players until they won a game. (As the flyer so eloquently put it, "Once you score a win, then you can get it in.")
Crude though it might have been, the extra motivation apparently worked, as the Aggies snapped their 11-game losing streak with a 16-14 win over in-state rival (if you can call an 0-6 team who's even worse than you that) New Mexico.
I'm guessing Coach Walker's postgame press conference wasn't the highlight of the celebration.
New Math Les Miles is 49% football genius and 51% bats*%t insane. Or vice versa. Depending on the week.
"Les, did you remember to take your meds today?"
When the Lawyers Win, We All Lose Earlier in the week, the U. of Texas Athletic Department cracked down on an internet company that was selling Nebraska-themed shirts with the famed Longhorn logo upside down in preparation for this week's grudge match between the Huskers and the 'Horns. (FYI: Texas made over $10 million in royalties off of the Longhorn logo last year. I've always wondered how much of that came from Oklahoma fans who bought the Texas logo just to put it upside down. Never made sense to me. You do know you're aiding your enemy, right? OK, moving on.) But it raised a bigger question: shouldn't the makers of Angry Birds be paying royalties to Ball State?
Today marks the anniversary of one of the most infamous days in college football history (more below). So, I thought it might be a good time to do a now-and-then theme for this week’s Cynic’s Guide.
A Long Time Coming Today is the 20th anniversary of arguably the all-time worst officiating job in the history of college football. In the waning seconds of their game at Missouri, Colorado was not only given an extra down, but replays clearly showed that the Colorado QB carrying the ball on 5th down never got the ball across the goal line but was awarded a touchdown anyway. CU went on to win a share of the national championship, becoming not the first, nor the last, but certainly one of the most obvious beneficiaries of bad officiating. But football karma always catches up with you. And how far has CU fallen in the last 20 years? Instead of competing for national championships, this last weekend their fans rushed the field . . . after beating Georgia . . . who is 1-4.
“Gotta get pumped to help tear down the goal posts when we play Baylor in a couple weeks.”
Les Miles: The New Homer. In 1991, there was an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer saved the Springfield nuclear plant from a meltdown when he just happened to push the right button by playing Eenie Meenie Miny Moe. Later, the term “pull a Homer” was added to the dictionary with the definition “to succeed despite idiocy.” As such, I propose that LSU replace its mascot Mike the Tiger with Homer Simpson. I mean, what better representation of the term “pulling a Homer” is there than Les Miles? The man makes more boneheaded decisions and clock management blunders (see Exhibit A: the last minute of last week’s LSU/Tennessee game) by Week 5 every year than most coaches do in a career. And yet he still manages to pull out wins. It’s uncanny.
Previous mascot experience? Check.
Keep Your Friends Close . . . Earlier this week, North Carolina head coach Butch Davis said, “I’m sorry that I trusted John Blake.” Funny. That’s the same thing Oklahoma fans were saying in 1998.
“Remember that time when I was just a 12-22 coach, instead of a crook?”
Too Early to Pull the Plug? In 1983, Turner Gill was the triggerman for one of the most prolific offenses in college history. Gill, Heisman winner Mike Rozier and #1 overall draft pick Irving Fryar were the cornerstones of the "scoring explosion" that dominated football that year, but came up one play short in the national championship game. My, how things have changed. I’m usually a firm believer in giving new coaches at least 3-4 years to get their own players and systems in place before making any drastic moves. But I’ve gotta say that rule may be getting more flexible all the time in Lawrence, KS. Turner Gill’s tenure as the Jayhawks' head coach started off rough with a home loss to FCS North Dakota State. And, aside from an upset of Georgia Tech, has kept going downhill, most recently getting blown out, 55-7, by Baylor. (Yes, Baylor.) Gill has made more news for his “no cell phones the night before games and no girls after 10 pm” rules than anything the Jayhawks have done on the field.
Don’t worry, Jayhawks. Basketball season is almost here.
A Simpler Time Amazing fact of the day, courtesy of ESPN’s Ivan Maisel: Before this week, the last time Texas was unranked was October 15, 2000. Today, more coaches of ranked teams in that poll (Mike Bellotti at Oregon, Dennis Franchione at TCU, Lou Holtz at South Carolina and Bob Davie at Notre Dame) work for ESPN than are still at the same schools (Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and Bill Snyder—who left but has now returned—at Kansas State).
The last time UT was unranked, Meet the Parents was the #1 movie in America, the economy was good and most people had ever heard of BALCO, hanging chads, Al Queda or Justin Bieber. Ah, the good ol’ days.
Well, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth about the impending Armageddon of conference realignment, the bomb has finally dropped and we’re left with, well, pretty much what we already had. Nebraska moved to the Big 10. Colorado and (reportedly) Utah will be heading to the Pac-10. And Mountain West teams will soon be heading to the Smurf Turf of Boise State. But other than that, it all turned out to be much ado about nothing. But that doesn’t mean we can’t engage still in a little snap judgment. With that, here are (in no particular order) the Big 12(10) Winners and Losers in the expansion fiasco.
WINNERS
1. Texas. The big winners in all of this. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s hard not to respect the piece of Machiavelliangenius that Texas just pulled off. The Longhorns successfully managed to dupe the Pac-10, (most of) the rest of the Big 12 and the national sports media. And what did they get?
A potential new TV deal that will pay them even more.
Nine other schools now completely at the Longhorns’ mercy.
Making the five schools that didn't have a BCS conference invite sign over their share of the Nebraska and Colorado buyout money.
An even greater revenue disparity to their benefit.
Their own TV network.
A conference schedule that will, in all likelihood, put them just one game away from a shot at the national title every year.
In other words, everything they wanted from the beginning and then some. Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch put it best: “No one can say Horns never play anyone. They just played everyone.”
Forget the World Series of Poker. DeLoss Dodds is the real Texas Hold ‘Em Champion.
2. The Big 12 Teams Not Named Texas (Short-Term). If Dan Beebe can pull off his miracle TV deal he claims he can get, the TV package for all the schools will grow significantly. More importantly, the remaining Big 12 schools that didn’t have BCS conference invites are spared the indignity of having to beg the Mountain West or the MAC for membership.
3. The Big 10. They add one of the most successful programs in NCAA history that brings in big TV numbers. They finally get a conference championship game for a big money payday. And, by not jumping the gun to super-conference status right now, they leave themselves some wiggle room for Notre Dame future expansion.
4. Nebraska. Tom Osborne proved to be prophetic. Whether you agree with his opinion of them or not, it’s true that everything he lamented in the conference—the shifting of power to Texas, the unequal revenue distribution, the lack of a Big 12 network, etc.—not only will continue under the new Big 12, but appear to be getting even worse. For good or bad, the culture of the conference simply isn’t what it once was. Nebraska had become an outsider in its own conference and the move to the Big Ten was a natural one. Yes, the extra money ($22-$25 million instead of the $10 million they made in the Big 12) and the chance to leave Texas behind are nice, but perhaps even more important the move gives the Cornhuskers the stability and egalitarian culture lacking in the Big 12.
“What can I say, I TRIED to warn them.”
5. Chip Brown, Orangebloods.com. Yes, it seems a little slimy when a site trolling for subscribers and serving as a mouthpiece for the biggest player in all this is the one breaking the stories. And, sure, those stories weren’t always accurate (he broke both the report that Texas was joining the Pac-10 and that Texas was staying with the Big 12). But over the last week, he’s had ESPN eating out of his hand and become a household name with football geeks waiting on pins and needles for his next Tweet.
What do Chip’s sources say today?
6. Pot dealers. When Colorado and California get together for their first Pac-10 meeting, there may not be enough dope, tie dye or Phish cover bands to go around.
Tailgating in Boulder
7. Stewart Mandel, Sports Illustrated. The man predicted Nebraska’s move—three years ago.
8. The Red River Rivalry. With Nebraska out of the picture and no conference championship game, the annual Oklahoma/Texas shootout becomes a de facto conference title game and very likely a play-in game for a BCS title shot.
One of the biggest games in college football gets even bigger. Plus it has corn dogs.
9. T. Boone Pickens. Without having to compete with Phil Knight, Pickens can maintain his status as the biggest spender in the conference.
Lord Boone mingling with the commoners.
10. Arizona and Arizona State. Under the proposed Pac-10 expansion discussions, the Wildcats and Sun Devils would have been put in a western division with the six new schools from the Big 12. In other words, they would have to play Texas and Oklahoma every year. Now they can breathe a sigh of relief and still hold on to that pipe dream of making it back to the Rose Bowl someday. Plus, Bob and Mike Stoops don't have to worry about those awkward family reunions.
LOSERS
1. The Big 12 Teams Not Named Texas (Long-Term). This whole process showed one thing. Texas is the king, and everybody else in the conference exists for the sole purpose of doing the Longhorns bidding. If there was any doubt about who the top program in college athletics is, it’s over now. While the smaller schools in the conference are breathing a sigh of relief right now, I wouldn’t get too comfortable. The only reason the Big 12 exists today is because, right now, it is in Texas’ best interest. But the Longhorns won’t commit to anything long term (another reason Nebraska wanted out—UT refused to commit to anything past 2016), so the conference may be right back in this same position a few years from now when the new TV deal runs out. Texas is looking out for Texas. Period. And if the revenue doesn’t come in like projected or they think they can cut a better deal somewhere else, the rest of the Big 12 will all be scrambling for new homes.
Help, help, I’m being repressed!
2. Missouri. The Tigers have had their bags packed for months, not even trying to conceal their love affair with the Big 10. So to get stranded at the altar in favor of Nebraska had to sting quite a bit. Plus, they’re now stuck with a new TV deal where the revenue disparity will be even bigger than before and they have to play both Texas and Oklahoma every year. While they have to hold out hope that the Big 10 may expand somewhere down the line, the uncertainty of their immediate future has to have Mizzou hating life.
“I want to go to the Big Ten THIS much.”
3. Colorado’s Short-Term Future. Colorado tried to get ahead of the curve by jumping to the Pac-10, expecting the Big 12 to dissolve behind them. Because it didn’t, the Buffs are now on the hook for approximately $9 million over the next two years in lost revenue they owe back to the Big 12 as punishment for leaving.
And you thought CU fans were upset when they couldn’t come up with the money to buy out Dan Hawkins.
4. Oklahoma’s Self-Respect. The Sooners’ marching band is called the Pride of Oklahoma. After this week’s developments, they may have to rethink that. For some inexplicable reason, OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione kept finding ways to reiterate the fact that the Sooners would go wherever Texas went. While that move might (and I emphasize might) have been in OU’s best interest (at least in the short term), did it really help to paint the Sooners into a corner like that, take all other options off the table and basically admit that OU has become the Longhorns’ little sister?
C’mon, Joe. You guys are better than that.
5. Journalism. I, for one, will never trust any future article with the line “Sources close to the program say . . .” again. There was so much misinformation and outright deception going on that journalistic integrity was the first casualty in the Great Expansion Wars of 2010. And if someone wasn’t breaking incorrect stories, then someone else was running with that information and claiming it as their own.
I’m looking at you, Joe Schad.
6. Brett Favre. For the first time in years, the annual summer “will he or won’t he” retirement talk hasn’t been the biggest offseason story in football.
"Hello? Will somebody pay attention to me now?"
7. Big 12 Relevance. For some time, the Big 12 North division has largely been an afterthought. The winner of the Oklahoma/Texas game would go on, win the conference championship and then go on to the BCS. But there was always at least a little bit of intrigue, given the history of title game upsets (Texas in ’96, A&M in 98, Kansas State in ’03, etc.) and Nebraska’s recent resurgence. All that, however, goes out the window with the loss of the conference title game and no real competition for the Longhorns and Sooners. Barring some huge upsets, 9 of the league’s 10 teams will effectively be irrelevant on the college football scene by mid-October.
8. Dan Beebe’s Math. I took calculus in high school, and then clepped out my college math requirements. So I haven’t studied math in . . . let’s see, minus 18, times the circumference, carry the one . . . a lot of years. But I still can’t figure out how Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe figures that subtracting one of your better TV draws (Nebraska), scrapping a conference championship game and losing the Denver media market somehow adds up to almost doubling the conference’s TV contract.
9. The Pac-10. Here they thought they had Texas, the biggest fish in the college football sea, coming aboard. All they had to do was take their in-state rivals, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, with them. But then word got out that Baylor had friends in high places and that some Texas legislators were threatening to submarine the deal if Baylor wasn’t included in the package. So the Pac-10 tried to call their bluff, issuing a pre-emptive invitation to Colorado. However, the plan backfired and, instead of getting Texas as the jewel in their conference crown, they’re stuck with an underachieving Colorado program that just got hit with NCAA scholarship reductions.
10. Jerry Jones. Jerry had just secured the Big 12 Championship game for his new Taj Mahal in Dallas through 2013. Now it appears that there won’t be a title game past 2010.
Available for parties, weddings, rehearsals, bar mitzvahs...
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about conference expansion and realignment. At the top of that list is the Big 10’s expressed desire to expand to 14 or 16 teams. While much has been discussed (Notre Dame pipe dream, anyone?), the three most common—and logical—potentials to join the Big 10 are Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers.
After a great deal of thorough analysis over some frosty beverages, I’ve come to one carefully-reasoned conclusion—this is a marriage made in football heaven and everybody involved would have to be a complete freakin’ idiot to not pull the trigger on this deal.
Although somehow “Big 14” doesn’t have the same ring to it.
First, let’s look at what those three schools would gain from joining the Big 10.
Academics—Some colleges still have this crazy notion that universities exist for purposes other than supporting football teams (strange, I know). Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers—along with all 11 members of the current Big 10—are members of the American Association of Universities. If you’re known by the company you keep, AAU represents the cool kids in academic circles. Only 63 colleges and universities are members, but they receive 57% of all federal research dollars (more than $17 billion). 70% of U.S. Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with one of these schools. In other words, the Big 10, especially with the addition of these three schools, would have a whole lot more in the way of academic funding and prestige than the Big 12 or Big East can offer.
It’s no Heisman, but it’ll do.
Equality—Over the course of the Big 12’s history, Nebraska has been on the losing end of more than one 11-1 votes. And others in the Big 12 North have quietly grumbled about the power in the conference moving south. The current state of the Big 12 is very simple—whatever Texas wants, Texas gets. A TV contract that heavily benefits the big name schools? You got it. Moving the Big 12 title game to Texas permanently? No problem. The list goes on. In the Big 12, the rich (Texas and Oklahoma) keep getting richer. The Big 10 is much more egalitarian in its structure, with all members treated more or less equally. (For example, they are the only conference in which all teams share BCS money evenly).
Clap if you’re a fan of the Big 12
Money—The Big One. Let’s be honest, none of this talk would even be on the table if there wasn’t money—and a lot of it—at stake. Under their current football TV contracts, Nebraska and Missouri each pull in approximately $10 million annually, while Rutgers gets about $4 million. If the Big 10 expands, each school would get in the neighborhood of $22 to $25 million. I’m not great at math, but even I can crunch those numbers.
Warren Buffett is a Nebraska fan. And he knows a good deal when he sees one.
So what does the Big 10 gain from these three extra schools?
Money—Yes, it all comes back to money again. Don’t act surprised. With these three schools in the mix, you pull in the New York/New Jersey, Saint Louis and Kansas City media markets. And while Nebraska may be small in terms of population, it is a traditional power that routinely brings in the big TV viewership numbers appealing to advertisers. In other words, you’re going to have a whole lot of eyes watching these games. They way I understand the Big Ten TV contract, they get 10 cents per cable subscriber in non-Big 10 areas, but approximately 70 cents per subscriber in Big 10 markets. Take that net 60 cents per subscriber difference times the number of cable subscribers in New York City, New Jersey, Missouri and Nebraska and you’re talking about a pretty good chunk of change. And that doesn’t even include the revenue from a potential conference title game, additional bowl bids, etc.
The Big 10 Network gets a whole lot Bigger. And Tennier.
History—To be sure, the Big 10 is not lacking for history or storied programs. But the addition of Rutgers (played in the very first college football game in 1869) and Nebraska (5 national titles and a laundry list of national award winners) certainly wouldn’t hurt the conference’s record books.
Rutgers 6, Princeton 4. You can’t get more old school than that.
Other Sports—While the focus of most of the expansion talk has understandably been on football, Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers bring a lot to the table in other sports. For example, Missouri would be an immediate favorite for the baseball title. Nebraska volleyball would have a natural rival in Penn State as Final Four fixtures. And Rutgers women’s basketball has become a perennial contender.
Nebraska and Penn State have won 6 of the last 11 national championships in women’s volleyball, including the last three straight by PSU.
Are their downsides? Sure. Higher travel costs. The (potential) end of some traditional rivalries. Possibly fewer recruiting inroads in Texas for MU and NU. Some restructuring and rescheduling of the current Big 10. But are any of those reasons enough to say no to this deal? Absolutely not. At the end of the day, there’s really no good reason for this deal NOT to happen.
To this point in the season, Texas has quietly – but impressively – built an undefeated 5-0 record and no. 3 national ranking. After an overly impressive one-loss season in 2008 (where Texas was left out of the national championship game only because of a quirk in Big XII conference tiebreaker rules), the 2009 Longhorns have picked up right where they left off last year.
Critics are quick to point out that Texas hasn’t played anyone yet – as Rusty points out, the Longhorns best win so far came against an underachieving Texas Tech team. But before you turn your nose up too far, take a look at the numbers: Texas has a top ten offense, rolling up 480 yards and 47.2 points per game. The defense? Just as good: Texas is yielding just 233 yards and 15 points per game.
Now, all of that will be put to the test in the Longhorns’ biggest game of the year against their hated rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners. Even though the Sooners already have two losses, they came by a combined two points. And that was with their 2008 Heisman winning quarterback, Sam Bradford, on the shelf with a shoulder injury. Bradford returned last week against Baylor and hung 389 yards on the Bears – and most observers say that was a bad game for him! You can easily make the argument that this team would be undefeated had Bradford not gotten injured, and you know that he’ll be ready to go for this rivalry game.
Fortunately for Texas, they’ve got a superhero of their own in QB Colt McCoy. Perhaps no other person to have ever played QB for Texas has been so aptly named for the position. The gunslinger is the heart and soul of the Longhorns, and he absolutely plays his best on the big stage. Remember, it was McCoy who outplayed Bradford in this contest last year, leading his Texas team to a win over the Sooners. McCoy has put up gaudy numbers again this year, and he will challenge OU with both his passing and scrambling ability.
Oklahoma is an extremely good team, and even with two losses, they are still in position to win the Big XII South with a win against Texas. Texas, on the other hand, has unfinished business from 2008, and they need a win to stay in the national title hunt. This is always one of the best college football games of the year, and tomorrow’s matchup should not disappoint.
Texas is a 2.5 point favorite, and I think that’s a fair line. Watch for the Longhorns to squeak by the Sooners, 33-30.
Rusty's Take...
The Red River Shootout, one of the best and most storied rivalries in all of college football. In recent years, it's been a Big 12 Championship play-in game. You have to go all the way back to 1998 to find a team other than Texas or Oklahoma that made it to the Big 12 Championship game from the South. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, it's been this play-in game that's kept Texas out of the Big 12 Championship game for a number of years in the early 2000's. In fact, since 2000 the Sooners have posted 6 Red River wins to only 3 Texas victories, and have only gone to the Big 12 title game twice (2001 & 2005).
This year coming into the weekend's big noon kick-off, Texas may find itself with another large hurdle to leap and I'm not talking about Sam Bradford. Texas's top 2 RB's, Junior Vondrell McGee and freshmen Tre Newton have combined for over half of Texas's rushing attack this season, but will be watching the action from the bench with injuries this coming weekend. Their replacements, co-starters Cody Johnson and Foswhitt Whitaker have combined for only 123 yards on 29 carries, so far. The good news is that they have combined for 7 of the Longhorns 14 rushing TD's, but they've gotta get close to the goal line before they can score.
On the other side of the ball, the Sooners injury report looks a whole lost more promising. 2008 Heisman winner Sam Bradford came back last week in a warm-up game against Baylor. He looked a little rusty, but was still able to pass for almost 400 yards in a win. I imagine with a big game against his new buddy Colt McCoy this coming weekend, Bradford will be back in full force. In last year's losing effort, Bradford tallied 387 yards and 5 TD's, but it was a poor rushing attack that really sealed the deal. This year's attack looks a bit stronger, averaging almost 200 yards on the ground per week.
Make no mistake about it. OU's got a tough contest against Texas. Texas sports a top 10 offense, and top 5 defense. But unlike Oklahoma, who has played 2 ranked opponents, Texas only real competition so far has been Texas Tech, who hasn't exactly matched its previous year's success.
Now, before you start calling ole Rusty a hypocrite for picking against the Sooners just a few short weeks ago, realize the vastly different situation. Against, Miami, the Sooners were without Bradford, halfway across the country in hostile territory against an unknown team. This week, in Dallas, they face an opponent they are all too familiar with and Bradford's 100%. I anticipate a hard fought contest, but a clear OU win. Rusty's going with the Sooners, 31-24.
The Hill reports that President-Elect Obama congratulated the Florida Gators on winning the BCS Championship Game last night. But one has to question just how sincere he was about it as he while reiterated his want of a College Football Playoff:
"If I'm Utah, if I'm USC, or if I'm Texas, I may still have some quibbles. And you've heard my pitch. That's why we need a playoff."
(Note: if you haven’t voted yet, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you some kind of commie? Put the mouse down, go vote, then come back and read this. . . . OK, glad to have you back.)
While most athletes steer clear of the rough-and-tumble world of politics, sports figures stepping into the political realm is certainly not unheard of. Jim Ryun, Bill Bradley, Jack Kemp, Tom Osborne, J.C. Watts, Steve Largent, Jim Bunning and Heath Shuler, among others, have all served time in Congress. Lynn Swann ran for governor of Pennsylvania, and Charles Barkley has repeatedly said he’d consider running for governor of Alabama. So with that in mind, I decided it might be interesting to match up some notable college head coaches with their political counterparts.
Philip Fulmer/George W Bush
Once, both Fulmer and W were the most popular people among their respective constituencies (UT national title; GWB post-9/11). But through a series of poor decisions, bad personnel moves, weak battle planning and bad PR, both are now hovering around the 20% approval rating. And both will be out of a job in January.
Nick Saban/Karl Rove
Win at all costs. Doesn’t matter whose throat you have to cut or whose mother you have to trample on to get there. I was going to use Dick Cheney here, but Cheney has a heart problem, while Saban and Rove simply have no hearts.
Pete Carroll/Barack Obama
Cool, calm and collected even when given a setback. Each certainly knows how to appeal to the Hollywood crowd. They are revered by their respective organizations and reviled by their rivals. And while it’s possible that McCain may pull a 2007 Stanford, I’d still take Obama and give the points.
Les Miles/Joe Biden
Both have solid resumes and, on paper, are certainly qualified for their positions. But you also never quite know what kind of crazy comment will come out of their mouths.
Bill Stewart/John McCain
As a lifelong Republican, I can say that the GOP has a bad habit of giving their nominations not necessarily to someone who has a chance in hell to win, but to someone because it’s “their turn” (i.e. Bob Dole in 1996). The same apparently holds true at West Virginia. In the case of the Mountaineers head coach and John McCain, both are oldsters who got their positions not because they were necessarily the best candidate, but because they had “paid their dues.”
Rich Rodriguez/Sarah Palin
Was “the glamour pick” when the hire was first announced. Really fired up the base and made undecideds take notice. But as time has gone on, the luster has worn off and serious question marks have arisen. Despite providing an early boost in the polls, the two have now become anchors around their respective teams’ necks and are dragging them down.
Mack Brown/Hillary Clinton
Despite both having success on their own (Mack’s national title and winning three of the last four over OU; Hillary winning the NY Senate seat), both are still defined through the sizeable shadows of their partner/nemesis.
Joe Paterno/Ted Kennedy
Both are decidedly old school. Both are the subject of frequent jokes. Yet just when you think it’s time to count both of them out, they show up with a major legislative victory or an undefeated season.
Mike Leach/Ron Paul
Both from Texas. Both a little not right in the head. Both with some really crazy ideas that are just out there enough to attract a small but loyal following and make some waves on the national consciousness without ever being adopted by the powers-that-be.
Mark Mangino, Ralph Friedgen and Charlie Weis/The Federal Debt
I'm all for admiring the strengths and skills of the opposing team, but Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel took it to a new level when recently talking about Texas QB Colt McCoy.
For all you sports betting fiends out there, Rev switches up the pick ems this week, now offering picks based on weekly college football odds.
CONNECTICUT (-1 ½) at Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have to be considered the poster children for the ineptitude of the Big East conference this year in college football. Since knocking off then #3 Louisville in 2006, Rutgers has stumbled badly to an 11-12 overall record. With no Ray Rice to lean on, senior QB Mike Teel has played poorly, completing only 55% of his passes and has a paltry 3-7 TD to INT ratio. Connecticut was exposed in their 38-12 loss at North Carolina, but after a bye last week they should bounce back strong against one of the weakest teams (outside of Syracuse) in the Big East.
Michigan at # 3 PENN STATE (-23 ½): This pains me to write, but I have very little faith in this Michigan squad – so little hope, that I’m not even tempted by the 23 ½ points they’ll be getting at Happy Valley. Penn State has speed everywhere on offense and are scoring way too often (317 points on the season thus far) for Michigan’s beleaguered defense to handle. In losses to Notre Dame and Illinois, Michigan gave up 35 and 45 points, respectively. After Penn State’s rout of Wisconsin last week (48-7), I don’t think Penn State will have too much trouble scoring.
Western Michigan Broncos at CENTRAL MICHIGAN (+1 ½): With both teams entering this contest undefeated in conference play, the outcome of this game will go a long way toward determining the MAC champion this year. QB Tim Hiller leads Western Michigan with over 2,000 yards passing and 23 TDs this far into the season. Central Michigan on the other hand, doesn’t score a ton of points or put up gaudy numbers, but they do just enough to hang around and win games late. In the four games since their 56-17 blowout loss at then #2 Georgia, the Chippewas have gone 3-1 with an average margin of victory of 5.0 points. Considering their games are usually close, I’m going to take the underdog at home and run with the points.
#18 NORTH CAROLINA (-4 ½) at Virginia: I love UNC here. In just year two under Butch Davis, the Tarheels will challenge for top-dog status in the ACC as the season goes on. They face a Virginia team that has won two straight after early season struggles, but I just don’t think the Cavaliers stand much of a chance. Virginia’s averaging just 17.0 points a game vs. UNC’s 31.8. Did I mention I love UNC? #11 Ohio State at #17 MICHIGAN STATE (+3 ½) So far, no team has been able to hold down the Spartans’ super running back Javon Ringer – but then again, the Spartans haven’t played a team that is as good against the run as Ohio State. With the loss of DE Lawrence Wilson, the Buckeyes may be tempted to bring 8 men into the box to stop Ringer, and that may open things up just enough for MSU QB Brian Hoyer to hit some quick, intermediate routes downfield. Of course, Michigan State will likely be forced to do the same to stop OSU RB Beanie Wells, so much of the Buckeyes’ success will depend on how freshman QB handles his first true test against a top-flight opponent on the road. This one should be close, so I’m taking the Spartans and the points at home.
MIAMI (-4 ½) at Duke: Duke is one of the feel-good stories of the season in year one of coach David Cutcliffe’s stewardship. Cutcliffe is a fantastic offensive schemer and play caller – for proof, look at what his absence has meant to the Tennessee Volunteers this year. However, I expect Miami’s raw athletic ability will far outclass that of Duke; plus, the ‘Canes are 0-2 thus far in ACC conference play, so they should be out hungry for a win in this one.
ARKANSAS (+7 ½) at Kentucky: Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino returns to Lexington sporting a spotless record against the ‘Cats, having gone 4-0 vs. UK during his days at the helm of Louisville. Kentucky has an outstanding defense, but their offense is almost non-existent – they had 4 take-aways last week and still lost to South Carolina, 24-17. Compounding problems for UK is the loss of senior WR Dicky Lyons to a season-ending knee injury - without their top WR target available, the Cats seemingly will be very one dimensional from here on out. If Arkansas stops the run this weekend, they have a very real chance to win this game outright. That, and you know Petrino will have something devious cooked up for his former in-state rival.
#13 LSU at SOUTH CAROLINA (+2 ½): LSU was flat embarrassed last week against Florida, losing by 30 in the Swamp. Taking cues from that game, South Carolina’s superb defense will look to put a ton of pressure on LSU’s inexperienced QB tandem of Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch and force them into multiple turnovers. Plus, now that the ol’ Ball Coach has (for the time being) settled around the talented Stephen Garcia as his starting QB, the reins may be loosened a bit on the Gamecocks’ here-to-now bottled-up offense. I think they have a real shot at springing the upset outright in this one.
#25 CALIFORNIA (-2 ½) at Arizona: Outside of a no-show performance in their loss at Maryland, Cal is quietly enjoying a solid start to their season out West. The only remaining unbeaten in the PAC-10, Cal is ringing up 39.4 points per game. The numbers, meanwhile, say Arizona tops that with an average of 40.1 points a game – but if you throw out their 70-0 blowout of Idaho to open the season, Arizona’s scoring per game average drops to 34.2. Cal looks to be a little more balanced offensively than the pass happy Wildcats, and the Bears running game should grind them out a win this weekend in the desert.
#11 Mizzou at #1 TEXAS (-5 ½): Mizzou is coming off a crushing and unexpected loss at the hands of Oklahoma State last week. With this weekend’s matchup with #1 Texas next on the slate, it’s fair to say that it’s panic time in Columbia right now. Two losses in conference doesn’t necessarily kill their season, but it just may end any talk that the Tigers could play for the national championship. The number #1 ranking hasn’t been kind to those who’ve worn it this year, and Texas will have a big target on their backs this week against a desperate Mizzou squad. That aside … did you watch the Texas-Oklahoma game? Texas is pretty good – better than Mizzou, in my opinion. I’m taking the ‘Horns and giving 5 ½ here.
10 points: Minnesota (5-1) at ILLINOIS (3-2): Illinois hung 45 on Michigan last week in the Big House, and I’m betting the offensive keeps rolling against Minnesota. Illinois is an 11 point favorite heading in – I like them by two touchdowns, so I’m rolling with Ron Zook and Co. this week.
9 points: SOUTH CAROLINA (4-2) at Kentucky (4-1): The Ol’ Ballcoach is making his first appearance on this years pick ‘em list, and it couldn’t come at a worse time for Kentucky. The stakes are high in this game – the loser will most likely find themselves at the bottom of the SEC East standings come Monday. Steve Spurrier has absolutely owned UK dating back to his days with Florida, and South Carolina owns an 8-game winning streak vs. the Wildcats. UK played very well at Alabama last week … but I don’t know how much you can take away from that game, because ‘Bama looked flat after dominating the first quarter. South Carolina has the 2nd ranked defense in college football and they will pose a serious challenge to the Wildcats, who’ve experienced more than their share of offensive troubles thus far in the season.
8 points: #14 VANDERBILT (5-0) at Mississippi State (1-4): Five games into the season, and Vanderbilt is thisclose to being bowl eligible. Gene Frinkle himself would have to be banging the cowbell Saturday night in Starkville for Mississippi State to spring the upset.
7 points: #19 MICHIGAN STATE (5-1) at #22 Northwestern (5-0): Another feel good story for this football season, Northwestern, like their nerd brethren Vandy to the South, is 5-0. Northwestern will look to slow the game down and grind out a win, but I’m not convinced their run defense can completely shut down Spartans running back Javon Ringer, the second leading rusher in the NCAA. Northwestern is getting 3 points in this game, and I think they’re going to need them. Spartans in a close one.
6 points: Notre Dame (4-1) at NORTH CAROLINA (4-1): The Irish have looked great at home so far, but the smackdown they suffered at the hands of Michigan State is still ringing in my brain as this game approaches. I’m coming around to the Irish, but I’m just not convinced they can put together a complete game on the road. Plus, North Carolina is playing some pretty decent football right now. The Tar Heels are a 7 point favorite, and should cover here.
5 points: ARIZONA (4-1) at Stanford (3-3): Doesn’t it seem odd that ‘Zona runs the “Tony Franklin System”, yet Tony Franklin got canned at Auburn because he couldn’t do the same?
4 points: #17 Oklahoma State (5-0) at #2 MIZZOU (5-0): Though the Tigers have been on a roll as of late, the days of the Colorado fifth down dives into the end zone and miraculous Nebraska touchdowns and screw with the confidence of Mizzou fans everywhere. So a pessimist’s viewpoint might scream out, “TRAP GAME!!”, but the facts say it’s highly unlikely that Okie St. can keep up with the Tigers over four quarters. The Cowboys had T. Boone Pickens buy them a nice easy 5-0 start with the likes of Wash St., Houston, SW Missouri St, Troy, and the leftovers of Texas A&M. For the Cowboys, this will be the first big test against a Tigers team that simply looks too tough to stop. The Tigers pull away from the Cowboys late in the first half and never look back.
3 points: #6 PENN STATE (6-0) at #24 Wisconsin (3-2): Two weeks ago, I said Wisconsin had the easy path to the Big Ten title. Then they lost two straight. Let’s make it three in a row.
2 points: #3 LSU (4-0) at #12 FLORIDA (4-1): Since the BCS was created, this is the first time that the last two national champions (Florida ’06, LSU ’07) will meet in a regular season game. Remember last year’s game, how LSU and coach Les Miles repeatedly went for it on 4th down against the Gators? The Tigers escaped that one last year by the very narrowest of margins. This year’s game will be nearly identical, although I expect the roles to be reversed. The Gators were off last week following their shocking loss to Ole Miss, and I just can’t see them losing back-to-back conference games at home.
1 point: #5 TEXAS (5-0) vs. #1 Oklahoma (5-0): Forget about all the points that Texas has scored – the reason I like them here is their defense. Since swiping defensive coordinator Will Muschamp from Auburn at the end of last year, the Longhorns D has made a complete 180°. It’s been said that the only team that can beat Oklahoma is themselves, and I suppose that’s partly correct, but I really think you can’t look past the impact the Texas defense should have in disrupting the Sooner offensive machine. Bevo gets 6.5 points here and I’m calling the game for Texas outright.
You know it’s a strange year in college football when College Gameday is broadcasting from Vanderbilt. Fortunately, we’ve (finally!) got some good games coming up, with Oklahoma/Texas, LSU/Florida and Oklahoma State/Missouri leading the way. Still, there’s a lot of bad football being played, and here is your weekly commentary on some of it.
1. Bart Simpson for Yell Leader
Is there a team in America who has underachieved more than Texas A&M? I don’t mean just this year, I mean ever. Sure, this year is no bed of roses (2-3 record, a loss to Arkansas State, a near loss to Army and giving up three defensive and special teams TDs last week). But what has TAMU done historically? A&M hasn’t won a national title since 1939. They’ve had just two major award winners (John David Crow, 1957 Heisman, and Dat Nguyen, 1998 Lombardi and Bednarik). They have not won a bowl game since the creation of the Big 12 (their last bowl win was a 22-20 victory over Michigan in the 1995 Alamo Bowl). Since the days of Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings, the Aggies have won just eight conference championships since 1967, including three for Jackie Sherrill (1985-87) and four for R.C. Slocum (1991-93, 1998).
On paper, TAMU should be one of the nation’s dominant programs. Huge alumni and donor base. Massive recruiting hotbed. Respectable facilities. Rabid fan support. But while Aggie fans like to think of Texas and A&M as entries 1 and 1a in the state football hierarchy, nothing could be further from the truth. Even in good years. TAMU has slipped well behind Texas Tech as the second-best team in the state. And this year, I think that most would agree TCU has moved into the #3 spot with A&M battling the likes of Rice, Houston and Baylor for, at best, fourth place. Their only consolation is that North Texas is absolutely terrible and is occupying the cellar.
While we now know that there is no basement in the Alamo, if there was, the North Texas Mean Green would be there.
I’m not saying this to bash TAMU. I actually like the Aggies, in spite of some of their weird cultish, Kool-Aid drinking traditions. I say this because I think the 12th Man deserves better. While I can’t claim to know the recipe for the magic potion that would make A&M a national power, I do know that all the ingredients should be there.
2. Anyone Want Some Cheese?
Is it just me, or was there an inordinate of whining going on after games this week? Chase Daniel’s anonymous phantom spit allegations (put up or shut up, big boy). Rival Pac-10 coaches complaining about Pete Carroll violating NCAA rules about attending high school games (USC bend the rules? I’m shocked! Shocked, I say!) Jim Harbaugh complaining about the officiating in Stanford’s loss to Notre Dame (Although the game was at ND, it was a Pac-10 crew. And Lord knows they never make mistakes.) I guess, just like the Christmas shopping season, whining and excuses come earlier and earlier every year.
3. My Name is Earl, Football Style.
In some cases, however, criticizing the officials might be justified. (Credit for this find goes to The Wiz of Odds.) Fresno State was down 17 points to Hawaii, but was able to come back thanks in no small part to the help of 10 penalties for 82 yards on the Warriors, compared to zero penalties on the Bulldogs. But the clincher came in the first overtime, when Fresno State lined up for a field goal. You be the judge.
Look, we all know that kickers and punters taking a dive is nothing new. But getting a flag for something this bogus in such a key situation shouldn’t happen. Fortunately, the ball wide right.
4. When Television Contracts Go Horribly, Horribly Wrong
I may be getting a little ahead of myself here, but I found this very interesting and disturbing. Apparently, Fox Sports Net is contractually obligated to carry the November 22 Apple Cup game between Washington and Washington State. While there’s a lot of football to be played between now and then, there is a very good chance that game could pit a 1-9 team against an 0-10 team. That’s some gooooood watchin’.
5. Defensive Coordinators Need Not Apply.
If you’re like me and enjoy a good hard-hitting defensive slugfest, then for the love of God, avoid Columbia, Missouri this weekend. Missouri and Oklahoma State rank #2 and #3 respectively in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 106 points per game between them. OSU is second in the nation in rushing offense; Mizzou is third in passing offense. MU’s Chase Daniel is the Heisman frontrunner and OSU’s Zac Robinson, while overshadowed by Daniel and Sam Bradford, has been as good of a QB as there is in the nation. While both teams’ defenses are not as bad as they are sometimes perceived, let’s be honest—their only job this weekend is to act as a speed bump. I have no idea what the Vegas line on this game is, but take the over.
6. What’s in the Water in Oklahoma?
And while we’re on the subject of Oklahoma State, does someone out there smarter than me have the answer to this question: prior to this year, has any state ever had three D-1A teams be undefeated this late in the season? As of right now, #1 Oklahoma, #17 Oklahoma State and inexplicably unrated Tulsa are all sitting at 5-0. While Oklahoma may not be so great at such things as household income, education or health care, the Sooner State has got this football thing down cold.
I'm guessing Coach Walker's postgame press conference wasn't the highlight of the celebration. 
"Les, did you remember to take your meds today?"
