Bowl Picks, Waitress Please Bring Some More Bowl Picks

I think I've got cabin fever. Bowl season kicks off Saturday. If 6-6 BYU and UTEP does not get you excited than nothing will. Don't worry, I am not going to go into a college football playoff discussion or mock the horrible names of the bowls or say there are too many (well I will slightly). Let's take a look at all 35(!) bowls and I will make a horrible educated guess on who will win. Read on....for entertainment purposes only of course.


New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 18, 2:00 pm, Albequerque
BYU(6-6) vs. UTEP (6-6)

The Match-up: The first bowl has become the standard for mediocre match-ups. Here we have BYU who certainly fell off this year and UTEP who finished 4th in Conference USA...in their division. In the course of the meal of bowl season, this is the saltine you popped in before the party starts.

The Wild Card: Mike Price still coaches at UTEP. Anytime someone remembers that he does they usually include a joke about his unceremonious firing from Alabama. I won't go there Mike, hope all is well.

The Pick: UTEP. BYU gets distracted by the enchantment of New Mexico as some kind of black magic that goes against Mormonism.


uDrove Humanitarian Bowl
Dec. 18, 5:30 pm, Boise
Northern Illinois(10-3) vs. Fresno State(8-4)

The Match-Up: Northern Illinois went undefeated in MAC play but lost in the championship game. The last three games before the title game they outscored their opponents 195-54. You may think they missed out on a superior bowl but the team that beat them is playing in GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile. Fresno gets the chance to travel...somwhere they already played this year.

The Wild Card: Pat Hill's mustache. That thing will not move unless a heavy dose of mineral spirits are applied.


The Pick: Fresno State gets the pick because the familiarity with the Smurf Turf.


R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 18, 9:00 pm, New Orleans
Ohio(8-4) vs. Troy(7-5)

The Match-up: When the Sun Belt and the MAC get together, you can throw out the records. If you can't get up for this match-up in the middle of December than there is a serious problem with your sports fandom.

The Wild Card: Most famous alum from each school? For Ohio it has to be Paul Newman, all apologies to Piper Perabo and Peter King. For Troy, some dude named Manley Johnson who is Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Edge, Ohio.

The Pick: Going with the Bobcats in this one, Frank Solich whips his kids intoa frenzy come mid-December.


Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl
Dec. 21, 8:00 pm, St. Petersburg
Southern Miss(8-4) vs. Louisville(6-6)

The Match-up: I'm sure Cardinal fans are breathing a sigh of relief that Charlie Strong is staying put. Not just from a performance point of view, but this team has gone through coaches like free bread at an Italian restaurant. Louisville squeaked in to bowl eligibility and were all over the place on the field in terms of results. They did blank BCS bound UCONN 26-0 so that counts....for something. Southern Miss was 8-4 but had two one point losses in conference play. That means they are a very good Conference USA team, take that as what you will.

The Wild Card: I do enjoy how we get the single quotation marks bracketing the O in Beef 'O' Brady's. Have you ever been to one of these? I have a few times. When I was in my "out of college but no clue what I'm doing" phases I was a door to door salesman. Yes, there was a clever title like Sales Associate tagged on there but that's essenitally what I was. It was the worst job I've ever had and this was before the economy went in the complete crapper. I did learn a lot about life and about people though. One of our clients was Beef 'O' Brady's. We met at a location in South Carolina and spoke with the manager. After getting some details we headed out. Now, this was basically a pyramid scheme and the guy who was running it was as shady as Calipari on an extra slicky oil day. So off I would go into some random middle class neighborhood trying to convince people that if they bought this sheet of coupons, they would save money on the multiple trips they were obviously planning to that restaurant for the next year. Hell of a way to make a living. The sick thing was is that I was good at it; I was coming back to the office having sold a stack of the coupons and getting paid straight commision. Every night I got home with a wad of cash. Problem was this job was going nowhere, I hated everyone that worked there, and I was working 72 hour weeks. The final straw is when they sent me into the ghetto of Gastonia, NC and expected me to sell a bunch of pizza coupon books. Anyway that's what Beef 'O' Brady's reminds me of, those years in my 20s that I'll never get back.

The pick: Louisville. I think Charlie Strong is going to lead the Cards to bigger and better things in the future.


MAACO Las Vegas bowl
Dec. 22, 8:00 pm, Las Vegas
Utah(10-2) vs. Boise State(11-1)

The Match-up: Easily the best early bowl game and probably one of the best bowl games period. Riddle me this? When Utah beat Bama in the Sugar Bowl a few years ago, people made the excuse for the Tide that they were let down from their loss against Florida in the SEC Championship game. This year the supposed exact same thing happend to the Utes. They had their game of the year against TCU, at home with their whole season riding on it. TCU obliterated them which sent them into a spiral (said spiral consisted of losing at Notre Dame, they won the rest of their games). Now all that was said was that it was hurtful to TCU's case. On Boise's side their poor kicker is probably running around pointing out to everyone that even if Boise had beaten Nevada like they should have the Broncos would not have been in the national championship game. He did cost them a Rose Bowl bid though and lots and lots of money.

The Wild Card: As much as these two teams wanted better bowl games, the players have to be happy with the locale. Vegas baby, those upper classmen must be especially happy. Not that Vegas is probably big on checking IDs nowadays, they need the money. These guys get to play before Christmas as well, so they will get to spend the holidays at home. As much as it hurts for neither team to make the BCS, they at least get a nice swag bowl to play in.

The Pick: I like how Whittingham gets a team ready for bowls, but Boise has a lot of frustration to get out and they are the better team. The foot will not be taken off the gas pedal in this one.


S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia bowl
Dec 23, 8:00 pm, San Diego
Navy(9-3) vs. San Diego State(8-4)

The Match-up: Scrappy San Diego State from the Mountain West gets a virtual home game against a tough Navy team. They mentioned this during the Army-Navy game on Saturday, but the Navy seniors have accomplished quite a bit in their career. That includes 4-0 against Army, 3 Commander in Chief trophies, 4 bowl games and a 35-17 record. Impressive.

The Wild Card: Of course it has to be the triple option. Navy is so successful because Ricky Dobbs their QB can throw it down the field when he has to and they do have some athletes on defense as well. There is always the "month to prepare" thing about the option, but it doesn't always work like that. Giving someone time to do something does not mean they will always do it right.

The Pick: Maybe I was just too impressed with a win over a rebuilding Army team or their destroying of Notre Dame but I think Navy runs wild.


Sheraton Hawaii bowl
Dec. 24, 8:00 pm, Honolulu
Hawaii(10-3) vs. Tulsa(9-3)

The Match-up: Both of these teams quietly put together spectacular records and feature high-power offenses. I expect this game to be similar to the Boise-ECU shootout from years back in this bowl which introduced most of us to Chris Johnson.

The Wild Card: Hawaii playing at home of course. How many "Wow Hawaii is in the Hawaii bowl?" jokes have you heard so far? Yeah I lost count to. Next person that says that to you should be met with the retort of "I heard the NFC West was a bad division this year."

The pick: Hawaii. Can never get enough of that Haka.


Little Caesars bowl
Dec. 26, 8:30 pm, Detroit
Florida International(6-6) vs. Toledo(8-4)

The Match-up: FIU has been unfairly targeted by anti-playoff pundits as a horrible team that would get an automatic bid under the 16-team playoff framework. They really don't deserve that label. They are just a small FBS team doing what they can. Their opening 4 games were Rutgers(lost by 5), Texas A&M(lost by 7), Maryland(lost by 14), and Pitt(got shelled by 27). That definitely will skew your final record. Toledo's logo is phallic in nature (all I got).

The Wild Card: I know recognition can be geopgraphical when it comes to food chains but this bowl did accomplish what Little Caesars wanted; it got people talking about the place. Granted, most of that chatter was in the form of, "Wait, Little Caesars is still around?". I saw them dissapear in Charlotte when I was a little kid and the only one I saw in Miami was a horribly shotty one that I would never buy food in. Yet now they host a bowl, even if a craptastic one.

The Pick: FIU. The Panthers have been battle tested, while Toledo's biggest win was ...Purdue?


AdvoCare V100 Independence bowl
Dec. 27, 5:00 pm, Shreveport
Air Force vs. Georgia Tech

The Match-up: Are you ready for some sweet triple Option on triple option action? The 117th ranked pass offense vs. 119th ranked pass offense. 2nd ranked rushing attack vs. 1st ranked rushing attack. This game may very well be over by 7 pm.

The Wild Card: I've never Paul Johnson. I'm sure he's somewhat of a nice guy but the man looks as miserable coaching a football team as I've ever seen. Never seems happy, his halftime interviews are usually pretty snappy, and he constantly gets on his players. I know perception is hardly reality from the outside of a TV, but it looks like the man dislikes the game, his team, and anyone who tries to talk with him.

The pick: Air Force. The Falcons handled Navy and Army so I don't think the Georgia Tech triple option led by a replacement QB will befuddle them.



Champs Sports bowl
Dec. 28, 6:30 pm, Orlando
West Virginia(9-3) vs. NC State(8-4)

The Match-up: Pretty intriguing game here. Bill Stewart has really done a fine job considering how many people were counting on him to fall on his face. He hasn't sniffed a title game but they have had solid records and bowls. The amazing thing about NC State is that despite having the most even-keeled, stable personality as their coach the Wolfpack are the same old Wolfpack. Up and down, good and bad, wild game Wolfpack that had a shot to lock up the ACC Atlantic but failed against Maryland.

The Wild Card: I've been somewhat familiar with these two fanbases. I won't throw the term 'unrealistic expectations' out there but they can be hard on their teams. Whoever loses this game will have their fans rabble-rabbling.

The Pick: NC State. I think we see the good Wolfpack, the bad Mountaineers, and the ugly cheerleader who made the team because they had to fill the fatty requirement.


Insight bowl
Dec. 28, 10:00 pm, Tempe
Missouri(10-2) vs. Iowa(7-5)

The Match-up: Both teams rode their high hopes to the top of the unrealistic expectations mountain only to see them take the log plume into the lazy river of moderately good bowl placement. Did that analogy blow your mind? Mizzou got the nod for this game of Nebraska even though the Huskers played for the Big 12 title. When reached for comment the Big 12 said "Cuz fuck them, that's why."

The Wild Card: Iowa may be having some problems with players so it appears there is more cause for concern than the team losing 5 games.

The Pick: Mizzou. I know that the conventional pick is "tough" Big Ten team over the spread speed team but I think the issues off the field and Iowa's lack of focus hurts them.


Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
Dec. 29, 2:30 pm, Washington D.C.
East Carolina(6-6) vs. Maryland(8-4)

The Match-up: I know Maryland is a little salty that they slid down the bowl pole and landed in a less glamourous bowl, but there are a few upsides. They only won 2 freaking games last year so they should be happy to be there, they play against a very beatable opponent, and the bowl is close to home so they should travel well. East Carolina also deserves some kudos for making another bowl after Skip Holtz skipped town (a-thank you).

The Wild Card: I think we all have the same question right now: The fuck is a Northrop Grumman? According to their website:

"At Northrop Grumman, corporate responsibility is a key component of our business and operating strategies. We take pride in conducting our business with a broad perspective, taking into account our customers, our employees, our shareholders, and the environment and communities in which we operate.
As we continue to grow as a company, we remain committed to maintaining the highest of ethical standards, embracing diversity and becoming an ideal corporate citizen. We do so by implementing our core values: taking responsibility for the quality we put forth, delivering customer satisfaction, demonstrating leadership as a company and as individuals, acting with integrity in all we do, valuing our people, and regarding our suppliers as essential team members."

I consider myself a patriot but seriously one thing I do not trust are defense contractors. Our defense budget is bloated with a bunch of crap we don't need and that has no effect on keeping us safe. Look at all that sweet talking, doesn't fool me. This company is making a shit ton of money an you and I are footing the bill for it.

The Pick: Maryland. Ralph Friedgen is either highly under or over appreciated and I can't decide which.


Texas bowl
Dec. 29, 6:00 pm, Houston
Illinois(6-6) vs. Baylor(7-5)

The Match-up: The magic of bowl season! Two teams not expected to be assured of bowls this year and whose records reflect that but there is always room at the table. Houston better be prepared to be Zookified. Baylor is worth watching just for Robert Griffin.

The Wild Card: Texas bowl. Is this really the best we could do? Should we have expected anything else from the home of a franchise named 'The Texans'? Seriously a few moments of thought could produce better branding. The Jalapeno classic, the Steer bowl, the BBQ bowl.

The Pick: Baylor. Seriously this might be the toss-up of the lot.


Valero Alamo bowl
Dec. 29, 9:15pm, San Antonio
Oklahoma State(10-2) vs. Arizona(7-5)

The Match-up: Arizona had quite a thud ending to their regular season. Losing to rival Arizona State because they couldn't make their extra points. Oklahoma State had a great season but fell just short against Oklahoma in a barn burner. Should be a good offense-defense match-up in this one.

The Wild Card: Alamo bowls have been highly attended and highly entertaining lately. The last five years the margin of victory has been an average of 6 points.

The Pick: Arizona. I think Okie State gets ditracted while Arizona focuses in. Stoops will be all over them while Blackmon begins thinking NFL, Holgorsen denies coaching rumors, and Gundy doesn't shine T Boone's shoes exactly the way he wants them the first time.


Bell Helicopter Armed Forces bowl
Dec. 30, noon, Dallas
Army(6-6) vs. SMU(7-6)

The Match-up: Army makes it all three service academies in bowl games, and that's a good thing. These guys will never compete for national titles (most likely) but they have all found systems that fit what they do and give the young men who are going to serve a chance to compete on the field. SMU made the CUSA championship game but couldn't beat UCF. June Jones continues to emit positive vibes for the program.

The Wild Card: I wonder how SMU views the 'Pony Excess' 30 for 30? Source of their biggest success and shame.

The Pick: SMU. I've watched every Black Night game this year save one and the one thing I do know is Army is horrid against the pass. I am not saying this as a dig on the young men, they put forth great effort, they just have not been able to stop the forward pass mechanism.


New Era Pinstripe bowl
Dec. 30, 3:20 pm, Bronx
Kansas State(7-5) vs. Syracuse(7-5)

The Match-Up: The Cuse is in the house! Back in a bowl for the first time since 2004. Doug Marrone doing his miracle worker performance. Kansas State delivered a curse of the vampiric performance by bringing back Bill Snyder and returning to bowl glory.

The Wild Card: These two teams met in the 2001 Insight bowl and also the 1997 Fiesta Bowl when Donovan McNabb was under center and Paul Pasqualoni was chomping salami on the sideline.

The pick: The Cuse. Things can open up nicely for the Orange in the Big East if Marrone keeps the momentum going.


Franklin American Mortgage Music City
Dec. 30, 6:40 pm, Nashville
North Carolina(7-5) vs. Tennessee(6-6)

The Match-up: Two teams that had pretty ugly 2010 campaigns get a nice bowl game! Seriously, not a long trip for either school and they get nice bowl swag (up to $500 value per NCAA rules) and the schools get a little money in the pocket. Especially Tennessee since they will no doubt travel well. North Carolina will be discussed in the context over the players lost over the course of the season due to NCAA investigation. Catfish loves to hear about this every single 2 minutes of every UNC game played this year. Tennessee made a bowl game after Lane Kiffin bolted for the west coast. The Vols really had a bad season, barely beating UAB in overtime after dropping a game at LSU where they out Les Miles'd the Tigers.

The Wild Card: I know this will only infuriate Catfish more but I have to wonder where Butch Davis' head is at. Does he want to stay at Carolina long term? I thought by now he would have had them in the ACCCG (granted I thought the same thing about Randy Shannon). I can't really see him being an attractive hire for any school or NFL team. I was never really sure about him being happy to stay for a long time in Chapel Hill though. Everyone there seems to be more focused on getting the basketball program back on track and worrying about Duke though.For the school and Butch, it just might be one of those old axioms that Huey Lewis pontificated so poetically.



The Pick: Carolina. Call me a fool for thinking the ACC takes down SEC speeeeeeeeeeeed in this one.


Bridgepoint Education Holiday
Dec. 30, 10 pm, San Diego
Nebraska(10-3) vs. Washington(6-6)

The Match-up: It's deja vues all over again. Braska went to UW earlier this year and beat that ass 56-21. We already mentioned the Insight bowl passed on them, but now it turns out Big Red is likely to lose money by traveling to this bowl. Clearly, the Big 12 sent the Huskers out with this clear message:



The Wild Card: The Jake Locker debate is sure to continue all the way through the draft. Some "experts" think he is the real deal, others look at his numbers. Is playing on a bad Washington team (but they finished 3rd in the Pac 10!) enough of an excuse for his bad numbers. Some are just enamoured with his physical tools. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I saw Kyle Boller throw a ball from the 50 yard line on one knee through the uprights at the combine.

The Pick: Nebraska. But it won't be the blowout it was during the regular season. Not because Washington is not that bad, but because Nebraska will sleep walk through it.


Meineke Car Care bowl
Dec. 31, noon, Charlotte
South Florida(7-5) vs. Clemson(6-6)

The Match-up: The Meineke Car Care bowl knows where its bread is buttered the last few years. They try their best to include a team that will get a local draw to Charlotte. Now a lot of bowls do this, because it is all about revenue for these non-profit organizations. UNC the last two years, West Virginia and now Clemson will put some butts in the seats. Oh, the game. Clemson is having an identity crisis which is what happens when your head coach is named Dabo. South Florida is going to be a top 25 team again soon with Skip Holtz at the helm.

The Wild Card: This game used to be played around Christmas. I am going home to Charlotte for Christmas but now they moved the game to the first New Year's Eve bowl. I would have ponied up some money for some cheap upper decker seats. Your loss Meineke!

The Pick: Clemson in a slopfest.


Hyundai Sun bowl
Dec. 31, 2 pm, El Paso
Notre Dame(7-5) vs. Miami(7-5)


The Match-up: Call me biased but I think the Sun Bowl made an excellent choice in creating this match-up. It has got people talking. It is always good to renew a rivalry, especially when one side of them had turned tail and ran from the rivalry. However, this is not the glory #1 vs. #2 match-up we saw back in the 80s. Both programs have had a rough year. Notre Dame has surged at the end of the year while Miami fell flat on their face and now have a new coach (who won't coach the bowl game). I dread this game as a Miami alum only because losing to Notre Dame is high on the list of my intolerable sports occurences. The Canes have offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland performing interim duties for the bowl game, and so far he says the attitude has been strong for Miami. Notre Dame has been very quiet so far, with Brian Kelly surely cooking up a good game plan.

The Wild Card: This game being on at 2 in the afternoon assures that I will be beyond intoxicated before the night even arrives on New Year's. Which is fine, I am not a big fan of New Year's. If Miami loses then I will be indentified as the lumped mass on the couch while everyone makes the final countdown.

The Pick: Notre Dame(/vomits). Like I said I am excited about the Al Golden hire, Jimmy Johnson agrees with me, but Notre Dame is a team hitting their stride with a sharp coach and Miami has no clue what its identity is. Miami will be in the game because of their superior size on the O-line and fast players on the outside. Notre Dame will win because of their continuity with the players filling in for injured ones and Miami's mistakes. If there is one thing we can be guaranteed it is that Miami will have stupid penalties and mental lapses. It is their M.O. this year. The Michael Floyd-Brandon Harris match-up will be very spicy by the way. Heart says Hurricanes but head knows better.


AutoZone Liberty bowl
Dec. 31, 3:30 pm, Memphis
Georgia(6-6) vs. Central Florida(10-3)

The Match-up: The Fightin' O'Leary's had a very strong season this year. Their 2 losses to BCS opponents were by a combined 11 points. How good are they? I am still not sure, they won CUSA but is a bowl game against a very so-so Georgia team this year a proper indicator? It will be in perception, Georgia is still a school from the SEC so if they win it is a very distinguished notch on UCF's belt.

The Wild Card: Coach Mark Richt. Is he on the hot seat? Should he be? My answers would be no and no but with a new AD in place and expectations always high to borderline unrealistic you never know.

The Pick: Georgia. Am I being a homer for my friend Beck? Possibly, but then again AJ Green is a freaking monster.




Chick-fil-A bowl
Dec. 31, 7:30 pm, Atlanta
South Carolina(9-4) vs. Florida State(9-4)

The Match-up: Runner-ups from the ACC and Big East meet in the Georgiadome. This bowl rarely dissapoints, always an entertaining game if you decide to tune in on New Year's eve. The Gamecocks won the SEC East only to get destroyed against Auburn. F$U took the Atlantic crown in the ACC only to get run over by Virginia Tech. This sets up a pure bragging rights game here. The Visor takes on Jimbo.

The Wild Card: Spurrier is a gmablin' man. He yanks QBs and calls unconventional plays at certain times. Since this bowl game as no tangible consequence for him, I look for a huge bag o' tricks to be opened on the Seminoles.

The Pick: F$U. Jimbo will have the offense working and I think Sakerlina's improvised offensive gameplan implodes.


TicketCity bowl
Jan. 1, noon, Dallas
Northwestern(7-5) vs. Texas Tech(7-5)

The Match-up: Well this is just a let's have a bowl for the hell of it. Northwestern always plays tough under Pat Fitzgerald but are without their QB who broke his leg on the winning TD pass over Iowa. I honestly have not seen much of Texas Tech this year. Have no idea how much Leach residue is on the squad.

The Wild Card: Remember when there was always a 11 am Citrus bowl on New Year's day? I miss the before noon game.

The Pick: Texas Tech. Northwestern heads south to play Texas undermanned.


Outback bowl
Jan. 1, 1 pm, Tampa
Florida(7-5) vs. Penn State(7-5)

The Match-up: This is one of those SEC/Big Ten match-ups that are guaranteed to involve big name programs every year even if the teams did not perform that well. Florida has speed and talent but have been very inconsistent this year. Penn State started off looking like it was headed for a historically bad year but was able to make some headway in the Big Ten.

The Wild Card: It is literally painful for me to watch Joe Paterno do anything these days. The man earned his choice of exit years ago so we are all held to watch him patrol the sidelines, slur his speech in interviews, and not be able to hear radio show hosts:



The Pick: Florida. With a month to practice and tune up I think the Gators get their playmakers in the right places, even if those playmakers were arrested on felony charges earlier this season.


Capital One bowl
Jan. 1, 1 pm, Orlando
Alamaba(9-3) vs. Michigan State (11-1)

The Match-up: If you were handed the records and teams seperately, most people would have thought Bama would never have 3 losses. This is no doubt a step down for the program after two consecutive BCS bowls, one being the title game. Like I said earlier there were many who were quick to give the Tide a pass for the Sugar Bowl loss to Utah, so you would think if Michigan State wins here there will be the same types of comments. Sparty did everything it could to win the Big Ten, except for one October day in Iowa that went horribly wrong. This should be a great power on pwoer match-up.

The Wild Card: Mark Ingram, the forgotten player of 2010. He had a knee problem and was not as dominant as last year obviously but still had 856 yards and 11 touchdowns on a 5.6 ypc clip. How will this affect his draft status? I'm not sure but the man is still a powerful runner.

The Pick: Michigan State. I think the Spartans will come into this game dead focused and with more to prove than Alabama.


Progressive Gator bowl
Jan. 1, 1:30 pm, Jacksonville
Mississippi State(8-4) vs. Michigan(7-5)

The Match-up: Bulldog Nation must have lost pounds in sweat over Dan Mullen the last few weeks. Metioned for both the Miami and Florida jobs, Mullen appears to be staying put for the time being. Rich Rod may not be staying put, but at least he shared his love for Josh Groban with the world.

The Wild Card: Should be interesting to see how Mississppi State handles Denard Robinson. After starting the year with insane numbers, he cooled off a bit in conference play but still put up gaudy numbers. MSU played Cam Newton to a 17-14 loss, but that was early in the year before Auburn really got rolling.

The Pick: Mississippi State. I like the weakness of Michigan's defense over the stregth of Michigan's offense.


Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
Jan. 1, 5:00 pm, Pasadena
Wisconsin(11-1) vs. TCU(12-0)

The Match-up: It's BCS time! I am really looking forward to this game. If you are one of the 5 people that read here you know that I admire TCU. If there is one way they can answer the bell outside of winning the title it will be to beat the big, bruising Wisconsin in the Grandaddy of them all. The Badgers had one loss in a rainy field in East Lansing, but other than that they have trounced the competition. TCU once again ran through the regular season, notching some impressive wins but not as much as they did last year.

The Wild Card: Gary Patterson's defensive scheme. Wisconsin wants to use their hulking line to run it all over the Frogs, mixing in some sure throws for Scott Tolzein. How will the 4-2-5 handle it?

The Pick: I've been a TCU bandwagon navigator for 2 years now. No use jumping off now, Horned Frogs in a "stunner".


Tostitos Fiesta bowl
Jan. 1, 8:30 pm, Glendale
Connecticut(8-4) va. Oklahoma(11-2)

The Match-up: UCONN is not a BCS success story. They are in an unfortunate situation. They are the weakest BCS team, playing far from their home, and will most likely going to cost themselves a lot of money. They play Oklahoma which to the delight of Big 12 traditionalists (if they exist) vanquished Nebraska on their exit out of the conference. The Sooners have their own BCS demons to slay.

The Wild Card: How many people are going to watch this game outside of the panhandle area? My guess is not many. Probably a lot of frowny faces in the Fiesta Bowl board room.

The Pick: UCONN! No I'm just kidding, too much talent on the Oklahoma side.


Discover Orange bowl
Jan. 3, 8:30 pm, Miami Gardens
Stanford(11-1) vs Virginia Tech(11-2)

The Match-up: Stanford had one bad night against one of the teams playing in the title game. Virginia Tech had two bad games to start the season. The glaring note for Tech is that they lost to FCS James Madison. However, since that game they rolled and have been classic Tech on defense and explosive on offense. Andrew Luck is expected to be the #1 pick in April, but first Bud Foster gets a month to prepare and take a crack at him.

The Wild Card: The idea for spreading the BCS games out were so that they could get each game in prime time and hence better chance to rake in advertising dollars. However, with games such as these on weekdays it makes it harder for the fanbases to travel. It's easy to take the vacation for New Year's, but now you're asking people to take vacation past January 1. Furthermore, in this economy, people in general are not as willing to travel just for a game when watching at home is just as entertaining. Now I get that some schools are bulletproof to this and that iswhy they get the BCS nod if allowed. It starts to beg the question on whether those schools should just break off and form their own superconference.

The Pick: Stanford. Jim Harbaugh is as coveted as his star QB. Other colleges, NFL teams will be after him but if he chooses to stay at Stanford (they are going to offer him a big deal) he could bring a title shot to the school should he continue on this pace.


Allstate Sugar bowl
Jan. 4, 8:30 pm, New Orleans
Ohio State(11-1) vs. Arkansas(10-2)

The Match-up: Same old song. Ohio State after another dominant Big Ten season faces off against an SEC opponent on an indoor track. The Buckeyes are 0-9 against the SEC in bowls. Here is a big opportunity for them to break that streak against an Arkansas team that is much stronger offensively than defensively.

The Wild Card: Ryan Mallet. He's thrown 30 TDs and has the ability to carve up a defense. Ohio State is not going to sit back though.

The Pick: Arkansas. I had Ohio State winning it all this year, and in truth they have noly lost once, but they are far from battle tested. A lot of their wins look unimpressive now. That's not their fault, Miami was supposed to be a quality non-conference game and they never faced Michigan State because of the conference rotation.


GoDaddy.com bowl
Jan. 6, 8:00 pm, Mobile
Middle Tennessee(6-6) vs. Miami(OH)(9-4)

The Match-up: I hate any lower level bowl that is played after January 1st. This bowl will be played by a 6-6 Sun Belt team and MAC champion Miami who just lost their head coach to Pitt on a Thursday night in Alabama.

The Wild Card: Never a fan of the GoDaddy commercials. I understand they are pushing their brand and must do so by outlandish means, but Danica Patrick unzipping some jumpsuit doesn't get me excited to register a domain name.

The Pick: Middle Tennessee because I like how they refused to pander to the geographic labels that every other school uses. Forget using directional indicators such as north, south, eastern, southwestern; they are just somewhere in the middle.


AT&T Cotton bowl
Jan. 7, 8 pm, Dallas
LSU(10-2) vs. Texas A&M(9-3)

The Match-up: I read somewhere that the chairman of the Cotton Bowl(or some such person) made an anti-playoff rant and one of the reasons he gave was that he wanted to preserve the tradition of the Cotton Bowl. What is left of the tradition of this game? It's no longer played on New Year's Day during the daytime, and it's not even being played in the Cotton Bowl. The days of Thrill Hill are long gone.

The Wild Card: Has there ever been more of a wild card in a college football game than Les Miles? Whether his team pulls one out of their ass, or he calls a gutsy fake on a 4th down while chewing grass you never know what you will see. In their bowl game last year Les had another interesting display of clock management so we can only hope for a repeat performance.

The Pick: LSU. A&M came on really strong at the end of the year but Les Miles playing in Jerry Jones' house? Combustable.


BBVA Compass bowl
Jan. 8, noon, Birmingham
Pittsburgh(7-5) vs. Kentucky(6-6)

The Match-up: Really people? A full week after New Year's we have a compass bowl in Alabama between two weak teams.

The Wild Card: Kentucky QB Mike Hartline was arrested a week ago for being "drunk in public".

The Pick: Disenchanted program who just lost their stache against middling SEC team that just had their QB arrested. I'm going with Kentucky for reasons I know not.


Kraft Fight Hunger bowl
Jan. 9, 9 pm, San Francisco
Nevada(12-1) vs. Boston College(7-5)

The Match-up: Ugg. I have bowl fatigue already and they haven't even started yet. This is Nevada's prize for knocking off Boise? I hope they travel well and their team has a great experience because from the outside, this is a Sunday night bowl game that starts at 9 pm eastern.

The Wild Card: BC lost all 5 of their games in succession. Their best win was over....Clemson?....Syracuse? Wow they have a shitty resume.

The Pick: Nevada. /fires pistol formation in the air


Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Jan. 10, 8:30 pm, Glendale
Oregon(12-0) vs. Auburn(13-0)

The Match-Up: Finally, we come to the game that will crown a mythical national champion. Oregon's spread it out high octance offense against Auburn's Newton spread. The expectation is a fast-paced high-scoring affair but with so much time off between games (37 days) who knows how the teams will respond once they are out there. What if Newton's shoulder goes dead like McCoys did last year? I expect one or both teams to come out rusty, nervous or a combination of both (rusvous?).

The Wild Card: What is Oregon going to do to stop Cam. We've already seen that SEC defenses cannot contain him and he is impervious to NCAA regulation. I think you have to attack him. If you sit back he either will wait for a running lane to open up or he will fire it downfield. Oregon's best bet is to creat chaos at the line of scrimmage.

The Pick: Oregon. I know, another contrary to SEC dominance pick. Ohio State smashed Oregon's offense up last year in the Rose Bowl as well. However, I think Chip kelly is going to take what he learned from that game and use it to make a better performance. Auburn's defense is stout at the line with Fairly but I think Oregon is going to avoid his presence using their hurry up mode and outside speed. Both teams will score, but in the end I think Oregon wins the turnover battle and take it by 10.

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His Name Is Al Golden

This was his past.

This is his present and future:



I went from cautiously optimistic at the time of the hire to pumped and confident after yesterday. I think this was a great fit. As Kent Brockman once said, "From now on we'll all be taking golden showers. What?"

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It's Friday, so Go Army

Tomorrow Army and Navy will meet on the field of friendly strife for the 111th time. A great read on the history can be found here. The Black Knights of Army have not won since 2001 but the program is back on the upswing. They will attend their first bowl game since 1996 when they face SMU in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. Navy had another strong year, but not as good as last year. All three of the academies are playing bowl games this year, with Air Force winning the Commander in Chief's trophy after wins against both Army and Navy.

Army's last game was a debacle against Notre Dame in the new Yankee Stadium in which they only mustered 3 points and those came in the first quarter. Since both they and Navy run versions of the triple option it is interesting to see how they attack each other. I have a feeling the game comes down to a few wrinkles the teams have thrown into their offensive gameplan and who executes them. It is a great tradition and a great chance for these young men along with the armed service men and women they represent to be recognized. Speaking of traditions, one of them is for the Cadets and Middies to craft videos for the upcoming battle. Here is one such video that was obviously made in the Army camp and (I'm guessing) in the spirit of fun. Since I'm rooting for them tomorrow, they get the honors.

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A Requiem For Randy Shannon: What This Says About The U

Did Randy Shannon deserve to be fired?

Yes. Let me repeat what I said on Monday: you will not find a better man in college football coaching anywhere. Randy Shannon overcame tremendous odds just to make it to Miami, let alone be a part of three national championship teams. Only a horrible person who passes themselves off as a Hurricane fan would hold any hostility toward him. That being said, the man was not cut out to be the head coach of this team. It hurts to type it but it is the truth.

Shannon did wonders in the classroom and off the field. His grad rates were bested only by Army and Navy and his APR score was even better than Stanfords. His single arrest during his tenure came when Robert Marve, who would later transfer to Purdue, broke a car mirror during a fight with his girlfriend. Those accomplishments are commendable, they are praiseworthy, and they are what got him his contract extension last year and would have kept him at UM another season. I believe in these goals the program as much as anyone, but it cannot be the single driving force behind football at your school if football is your main source of athletic revenue. Ideally, you want to run a clean program that is successfull academically and win football games. Shannon only gave you one of the two.

Can I pinpoint the problem? No. I have heard various stories from everywhere. Yes, I have a few (very few) contacts on the inside that I heard rumblings from. Shannon was too loyal to certain players, Whipple was forced on Shannon and the two never got along, the players didn't agree with Whipple's playcalling, etc. The bottom line was the performance on the field. 28-22, 16-16 in a mediocre ACC, 0-2 in bowl games. The final game against South Florida was an appropriate final straw. The Canes out-matched the Bulls on paper with first-year coach Skip Holtz setting out to rebuild the program. Miami went scoreless in the first half. Then with the game tied at 10, Storm Johnson seemingly saved the day with a 71 yard scamper. Yet in crunch time, the Canes let a true freshman walk-on who was replacing the injured starter B.J. Daniels march down the field for the tying TD. South Florida won in overtime. The Randy Shannon era was encapsulated in a nutshell.

Going 7-5 with the talent on this team is simply inexcusable. The great recruiting classes Shannon pulled in have matured in age, but not development. All year long, asinine penalties, lapses in concentration, and foolish turnovers costs them games. Shannon never even came close to playing for an ACC title and when he did, the team choked. For all the good that Shannon did, one of the basic tennants of coaching at Miami is winning games playing in big time bowl games. His failure to accomplish these goals and the regression of his results deservedly led to his firing.

While I mentioned above the off the field work Shannon did let me ask you something: did the perception of Miami's football program ever change? College football is an old boy system. Just look at the schools that stay on top on the bowl system in place opertaing under the guise of non-profits. People hold onto old ideals, whether it is the "magic" of Notre Dame or the "tradition" of southern football. The point is the detractors still subscribed to the theory that the U was a bunch of thugs. So the academic progress should strictly be an insitutional goal, and not used as a public item. No one was mentioning Miami's successes in this area while Shannon was coaching, but once he was fired people came out supporting him for that reason alone.

Now that the Gruden rumors seem to be dying away, Miami has a real chance to turn the corner like they did way back with Schnellenberger, with Jimmy, and with Butch Davis. If they get the right coach that can use the talent and fertile recruiting grounds famously termed the "State of Miami" by Schnellenberger then Miami should be competing for a BCS bowl every season. There is a notion being floated around that Miami is short on money and facilities. Once again, this is people working on notions that are old and out-dated. The issue of playing in Sun Life Stadium is what it is, there will never be an on-campus football stadium and there are much worse places to watch a game than Sun Life. Considering Edgerrin James helped get a new weight room built and NFL players still spend their summers there working out and that The Rock donated money to get new locker rooms built, I'd say facilities are on doing okay. They don't have a behemoth museum like some schools but you definitely are not left wanting. Add to this a new $5 million plan to renovate the athletic center does not give the appearance of struggling either.

The other factor when it comes to money is the firing itself. Shannon had just signed a four-year extension before the season, which came with a buyout. Someone had to step up and swallow that money for the school because the athletic department itself sure as hell was not footing the bill. Then added to that AD Kirby Hocutt is reportedly willing to offer $3-4 million per year for a new coach. There is clearly some money in the coffers at the U.

Miami has a niche in college football. It is not your traditional big conference school that churns out mobs of mouth-breathing fans every year. Our fraternity of fandom is pretty small, almost minuscule compared to the football powers. But it's one I am proud to be a part of. When I traveled down to the U this October and partied and tail-gated with what turned out to be a 60% full Sun Life Stadium, I couldn't care less about a full house. I was there to support my team with others I knew cared as much about them as I did. The value of your football program is not measured in attendance, how well your fans travel, or message board traffic. Miami has risen to the upper echelon of college football with a low rating in all those categories. The U is the exception to the rule, gate crashers that turned college football on its side and some people are never willing to let that go. We cannot duplicate our history but we can build on it. This year there will most likely be a Hurricane taken in the first round after a one year absence. Prior to that it had been 20 years straight. The strength of the U is the former players who come back and connect with the present players to show them it is a special thing to wear the U on their helemt. That may come off sounding cheesy but it is true. The strength of the U is players like Santanna Moss, who were not highly recruited but played with a chip on their shoulder and were willing to outwork anyone else.

Miami needs a coach who will foster this strength but not let it keep the program from moving forward. Acknowledge the past, but make your own destiny in the record books. Unlike when Shannon took over, the cupboard is full of talent that is waiting for someone to take them to the next level. There's nothing we can do but wait. If I had to throw a name out there since it seems clear that Gruden will not become the coach, it is Dan Mullen. He knows the state, he knows offensive football, and he has finished with a better record than Miami this year with far less talent.

I hope Randy does well wherever he goes and he is still appreciated for all the years he put in, but as Tom Petty once said, it's leaving time.

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But He Gets To Play

According to facts of the case agreed upon by Auburn University and the NCAA enforcement staff, the student-athlete's father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market the student-athlete as a part of a pay-for-play scenario in return for Newton's commitment to attend college and play football. NCAA rules (Bylaw 12.3.3) do not allow individuals or entities to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.

via

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Frogs Are Outside Looking In

BLINK BLINK went the little Horned Frog one day,
BLINK BLINK went the little Horned Frog.
BLINK BLINK went the little Horned Frog one day,
and his eyes went BLINK BLINK BLINK.

CHUG CHUG went the BCS one day,
SMUSH SMUSH went the little Horned Frog.
His eyes didn't go BLINK BLINK anymore,
Because they all got eaten by a dog.

A slight variation on a song I used to sing at Camp Eagle Rock as a kid. The little green frog was replaced by the symbol of TCU (which is actually a lizard but when it blinks it shoots blood out of its eye). I thought about changing the last word to strength of schedule but why kill a good rhyme?

The common sentiment in college football this year, and football in general, is that things are wide open. It is good from a spectator point-of-view, every week brings new exciting games with wide sweeping implications. However, with all these new contenders it makes it even more confusing when media, fans, and pollsters rely on reputation prior season performance to place these teams. Now granted there is a long way to go before the season is over. Undefeateds still may fall, Alabama has a great chance of sneaking back into the picture, and we may very well see a logjam at the front of the line.

TCU is one of the best teams in the country. That is not an opinion, it is a fact. They are a great team. The confines of the current system however will not allow them to make the BCS title game in Glendale, even if they go undefeated. I am not going to argue about whether the system is just or not, it is what it is. I simply want to show that the Horned Frogs are playing for a statement BCS game in January, not the crystal trophy. More after the break.

Have you watched TCU play a game? Seriously? More than one? This team is as good defensively as anyone. We will get to the weaker schedule but if Gary Patterson was preparing for any quality opponent I would bet on his defense to make a strong showing. The Frogs rank number 1 in the country in average points allowed, with 9.0. Nine points a game in today's spread it out, fly around college football. They held the high octane offenses of SMU and Baylor under their season averages. Baylor was held to 10 points, while they average nearly 35. The loss of DE Jerry Hughes, who was a beast for them last year led everyone to discount the defense from where it was last year. So far they have proven to be just as good. Gary Patterson is a damn good coach, the incident with the concussed player doesn't speak well for him, but

The offense has not been far behind. They've scored under 30 only once (a 27-0 victory over Colorado State) and rank 7th in points scored. Again, their competition has not been upper-tier all the way through but when you dominate opponents like this consistently, it shows you are that good.

Good enough to make the title game? Again, not under this system. It is not a lack of respect. People know TCU is good. They hear about them constantly and some people give them more credit for not railing against the system the way the folks in Boise seem too. As far as watching them, sometimes it is not that easy. The Mountain West has its own network and sometimes there games are Versus. That right there is not a recipe for eyeballs on your team. They had a showcase against Oregon State in Cowboy Stadium on ESPN on opening weekend, but it aired opposite LSU-North Carolina so not everyone was watching. Most would watch highlights or scan the boxscore. Oregon State is being used as a barometer this season. They played both TCU and Boise State. They are clinging to a top 25 ranking right now but an overtime loss in Washington has them sitting at 3-3. They did manage to beat #9 Arizona making them as of now the only team to play three top 10 teams. The Beavers are a good team, but will their record reflect it after they get through the rest of their schedule? The loss of James Rodgers did not help.

TCU's other BCS opponent this year was Baylor, who wasn't expected to be seen as a quality opponent but the Bears have are thus far undefeated in Big 12 play. As noted above the Frogs hammered Baylor 45-10, but don't expect the strong ranking from Baylor to hold up. They still have Texas, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma on the schedule.

Last year, TCU played at Virginia (not a good team but still a BCS opponent on the road, in Death Valley against Clemson, at BYU (they were ranked 16 at the time they played them and were much better than this year), and Utah at home. It was a schedule that was not too far above the slate they have this year but all the chips began to fall in front of them. After they destroyed Utah 55-28 when gameday came to their campus, people began to take note. The Alabama-Florida winner was guaranteed to get to Pasadena but Texas needed a fortunate clock stoppage and a last second field goal to get the other spot. TCU was left waiting in the wings, 3 in the polls, 4 in the BCS. They were instead forced into the Fiesta Bowl against fellow non-AQ Boise State. Boise had a month to craft their offensive attack, which had routed opponents all year. TCU was up to task as they held them to just 10 points. The difference turned out to be a fake punt from their own 33 for the Broncos in a 17-10 win. It was a bitter defeat, because TCU knew this was the only game when a majority of the country was watching. The Frogs beat the Broncos in 2008 in the Poinsettia Bowl but the stakes were not as high. TCU quarterback Andy Dalton had a nightmare game, throwing 3 picks and constantly derailing offensive drives. I still feel TCU was the better team but you have to prove it on the grand stage.

The leader of the horned frogs, which are actually lizards, rocks a mock turtle.

Enter this year, with everyone talking about Boise State. Mainly because they had a Labor Day showdown with Virginia Tech at FedEx Field. They also did quite a bit of talking about the BCS and how they deserved their shot, since they were also passed over for the title game last year. TCU entered lower in the polls but once again have beaten everyone out there on their schedule. They now sit at #4 in all the polls and the BCS. It seems so tantalizingly close. Another huge showdown with the now #8 ranked Utah in two weeks looms. How far will that vault them if they win? Enough to make up for playing bottom-feeders New Mexico and UNLV? The weakness of those two teams will likely spell doom as far as the computers are concerned. According to the Sagarin poll, the Frogs have the 62nd ranked schedule. It is the biggest factor working against them. If any of the other undefeateds (Oregon, Michigan State, Missouri, Auburn) don't lose, they get to the title game before TCU. A one loss Alabama team gets in ahead of TCU. If TCU is undefeated and there is a one loss Ohio State, Wisconsin, Auburn, Oklahoma, Missouri, etc. team sitting there it is a tough call. Also, what about Boise? Let's say Auburn wins out (don't think they will) and everyone else has one loss. If TCU and Boise are the only other undefeateds does that mean it is down to those two for a shot at the title? Right now it appears the advantage is in TCU's favor from the computers, but Boise is ahead in the polls. Which means they will be ranked number 2 right behind an undefeated Auburn. Will the computers be enough to get TCU ahead of Boise?

To even get to that scenario, TCU needs to win out, which I think they will. Will they get their shot? I remain doubtful. A lot of dominoes have to fall their way. The hardliners in college football will be pointing to TCU's schedule, saying the tough road of a undefeated/1-loss BCS school holds more weight. I cannot sit here and disagree with them. TCU is a victim of what conference it plays in and big schools hesitant to play them consistently. Will that change in the future? Utah is leaving for the Pac 12 next year. Boise is coming in. That seems a swap rather than an upgrade. The ability of playoff expansion, or a plus 1 would give schools like TCU that extra opportunity. If a school from a non-AQ is deemed to have a high rank early in the season, plays quality BCS schools in its non-conference, faces top 25 teams multiple times during the year, and goes undefeated there should be a way to get them an opportunity to face the other worthy teams. Many would disagree, and say the non-AQs don't face the week in, week out tests that BCS conference schools do. Others would argue that there is an opportunity for teams like TCU to make the title game, if all the other AQ schools fall by the wayside. The bottom line this year is that the last scenario is all TCU can hope for. Despite the upheaval in football this year I don't see it happening. The Frogs will remain a great team, but one watching the title game instead of playing it in.

Ratings and rankings were drawn from the polls, but most of the info was based on this week's Sagarin rankings.

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Stylin' and Profilin'

Back at work today after my 3 day weekend down at The U. What a weekend, and not just from a football standpoint. The Canes got a 33-10 win over North Carolina and I got to see a lot of old friends, eat at all the old haunts, and threw (more than) a few back. The fairweather fans had flown after the F$U game, and Sun Life only sat 60% full. That didn't stop the ridiculous tailgate we had going, the local talent from being on full display, or our spirits from being dampened. If Miami plays with that kind of energy and passion the rest of the year, I don't care if it results in losses. Even the stoic Randy Shannon was body bumping players.

A 15 yard penalty for Shawn Spence riding Brandon Harris like a horsey and Orlando Franklin bringing his Ric Flair impression to the table was refreshing.


We are going to try to focus on college football this week, as we have slightly ignored it. Work is busy so who knows what we get to. I'll have to manage my timeouts better than Kirk Ferentz.

gif via

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Costly Coaching Errors Costing Teams

I am doing my best not to let this post come down as high and mighty or give the impression that I am omnipotent. I'm not going to harp on how I was once a coach, because the sport I coached was completely different from football and did not involve the split-second decisions I will be discussing. Nor am I suggesting that I could do a superior job to the men patrolling the sidelines on Saturday and Sunday. However, with all that said (which was my tribute to "I don't want to disrespect my teammates but..") there has been a multitude of mistakes made by coaches in end-of-game management this season. Perhaps coaches have always been making these errors but in the era of DVR, instant replays, and week-long second guessing they have been magnified even more. A few examples and extrapolating after the jump.



While there have been many examples to pull from, these are some that stick out from the season.

Scenario #1

I know the Packers-Bears Sunday night game took place weeks ago, but it sticks out in my mind. The Packers were driving with the game tied 17-17 when James Jones fumbled the ball on right in front of the Packers sideline to set up the winning Bears' field goal. This started a very odd chain of events. Packers coach Mike McCarthy decided to challenge the fumble. The ball clearly was fumbled and kept in-bounds by the Bears defense. McCarthy essentially tossed away a timeout. Then as the Bears drove deep into the Packers' red zone they were allowed to run down the clock to four seconds as Robbie Gould kicked the game-winner.

Scenario #2

This is from a game probably most of America did not see but I attended this past Saturday. After Rutgers stormed back with 14 fourth-quarter points to tie Army at 17. Rutgers then pinned Army deep and forced a punt. The Scarlet Knights took the ball to the 31 yard-line with no time outs and about 33 seconds left. Now they did not haphazardly lose those timeouts, they used them on Army's previous possession to stop the clock and get the ball back. From there Rutgers coach Greg Schiano ran a horribly drawn-up QB scramble to get the ball on the correct hash for his kicker. The play lost two yards so here is the ball at the 33 which makes for a 50 yard try. Did I mention this was in the New Meadowlands Stadium where the wind was blowing at a light 20 mph? Army then granted Rutgers a reprieve by calling timeout to set-up their defense. Rutgers then spends the timeout trying to figure out what to do at which point the QB misplaces his helmet and costs the team a delay of game penalty. Back another 5 yards, out of FG range. The next play by Rutgers results in an Army sack and ends any chance of winning in regulation. Rutgers did win in overtime 23-20.

Scenario # 3

South Carolina, or Sakarlina as they are becoming affectionately known as, was happily blowing the doors of Kentucky 28-10. Then the Wildcats produced a furious rally. The Gamecocks trailed 31-28 down the stretch but were able to get the ball down to Kentucky's 20 yard line. With the clock stopped at 11 seconds South Carolina called a timeout, their last one. Then, the old ball coach called in a deep pass play to go for the win. Stephen Garcia threw into double coverage, the ball was tipped and intercepted by Kentucky. Instead of a 37-yard field goal to tie the game, the game was over.

Scenario # 4

The granddaddy of them all. Much like end of the movie se7en, the conclusion of the Tennessee-LSU game will be puzzled over and studied and followed forever. With LSU driving late in the game down 14-10, this happened.



Is it saying too much that both coaching staffs lost their grip on this game? After the Vols somehow let LSU march down the entire field on them, it turned into a goal line stand. LSU decided to run the ball on 3rd down with 30 seconds and no timeouts. I guess that would be fine except they seemed to have no clue what they were doing once the play failed. They then scrambled some kind of mess onto the field and would have had the clock run out on them only their center snapped it before the clock ran out. Of course Jordan Jefferson was not prepared and the snap went into the backfield and should have ended the game. That is, until it was revealed the Vols were equally as insane in their final defensive stand. After stopping the Tigers on 3rd down, Tennessee reacted to the LSU panic by panicking themselves. They tried to match the Tigers with substitutions and got caught on the very wrong side of mathematics. They ended up having 13 players on the field after they had 3 guys run on and 3 start to run off, only to have two of those running off turnaround and run back on. What they should have done was stand pat with their personnel, or at least make sure they had 11 on. Vince Dooley was furious and indignant at the end of the game but the refs gave the Vols time to make substitutions, they just botched it. They already had goal line personnel in there, just call a defense and stand firm, LSU clearly had no idea what to do. In this case, gross incompetence was outdone by ludicrous incompetence.

Now these four examples are all different, but the theme runs the same: coaches need to be prepared for these situations. Often times the announcers and/or analysts talk about how players need to step it up at the end of halves and games. While true, the coaches need to be able to make these decisions quickly and correctly. We hear all the time about players practicing end of game situations, the two-minute drill routine. Coaches should be using these situations to put themselves in the right mind for when they arise in the games. Clearly, a lot of them are not.

In the NFL, using challenges and timeouts wisely often goes by the wayside. Coaches can be great at the X's and O's but all that can go out the window if the team is scrambling around during the final minutes and you are taking 45 seconds to make a decision that needed to be made 20 seconds ago. Poor clock management is nothing new, and Eagles fans can probably tell you all about Andy Reid and bad decisions.

In the college game, it just appears that most coaches figure they will know what to do when the time comes. There is only so much time they can work with the players each week (right Rich-Rod?) and so much devotion is paid to getting schemes right, end of game planning may go to the backburner. Ironically a lot of times a closely contested game comes down to making the right plays and calls as the clock winds down. Either through practice or prior preparation (get a laminated sheet for situations even) a coach should know what they are going to do within 5-10 seconds of a situation presenting itself. It is not an easy task, but then again neither is coaching.

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Lighting a Candle for Catfish

Catfish has been hard at work making morning drives less grueling and more insightful. He's also been hunkered down in his lair creating a MASS device which will make him the most powerful NBA GM in the galaxy (outside Rigel 7 of course). As football season enters the conclusion of its first month back, Catfish has been welcomed back with two colossally bad football teams. First, we have the Carolina Panthers. We knew the team was going to be bad, but in all honesty were we really expecting this only three weeks in?

It's hard to mark down a definite win for the Panthers, and they still play the Rams and Browns. Maybe San Francisco's dumpster fire will burn brighter in week 7 for the Panthros to steal a win. Perhaps that is a bit harsh, John Fox is a solid coach, if a bit resistant to change. One thing is certain: when Saints host Carolina this Sunday I expect Charles Godfrey and the rest of the Panther defense to get lit up like a Manora. I'm sure when they return home to face the Bears the next week it will be a joy seeing Julius Peppers give maximum effort all game as Carolina struggles again on offense.

On the college side, Catfish's beloved Tar Heels have not had any easier go of it. After almost taking the opener off the silver platter Les Miles held out for them, UNC fell to Georgia Tech. They bounced back last week against Rutgers thanks in large part of the return of Bruce Carter. Carter was one of the many defensive stars the Heels had sitting out. The defense will keep improving as the year goes on and they get players back but will the offense, especially the playcalling, get in gear? They face interstate rival East Carolina this Saturday which is by no means a gimme. [Update: Yahoo not making things easier]

It can't be easy to stomach but then again I guess it is not as bad as being a Cleveland sports fan. At least they didn't name a horrible social network movie after you Catfish....oh wait.


(Emu getting crushed via)

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Just in Case We Had Forgotten, ACC Reminds Us How Bad Their Football Is

It seems like this is an annual admission of the horribleness of ACC football based on their early season non-conference performance. There were four big out of conference match-ups for the conference on Saturday and true to form the ACC lost them all.

My Canes were impressive only in the kicking game and in their ability to vomit, bleed, and defecate on themselves at the same time during their 36-24 loss at Ohio State. Not many were expecting the Canes to go into the Horseshoe and beat the Buckeyes, yet the manner of their play was highly disappointing. Jacory Harris threw four interceptions and missed open receivers for touchdowns. Receivers dropped passes. Offensive linemen had multiple false starts. Interceptions were dropped. Only the returners were the ones who brought their best game to Columbus. A lot of credit goes to the Buckeyes for their consistent, solid play. They took advantage of the Canes mistakes. Once again the question has been asked if the Canes are back and once again the answer is a resounding "NO,GTFO LMAO ROFL kthxbai."

A lot of people were high on Florida State in Norman. Some people were very confident. Oklahoma woke up from its scare against Utah State and clobbered the Seminoles. The 47-17 win by the 10th-ranked Sooners stopped any talk of Jimbo taking FSU back to the upper echelon of national prominence.

Surely the reigning ACC champion would make us proud right? Georgia Tech had to go on the road to the wonderland that is Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks lost to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State last week, failing to score more than 3 points. Turner Gil did quite a motivation job over the week as they racked up 28 points on #15 Georgia Tech in a 3 point win. Kansas was not exactly seen as a powerhouse in the BCS picture before their loss to North Dakota State, so quite the letdown from the Jackets.

Last and probably least, we have the Hokies. I have long called Virginia Tech the flag-carriers for the conference. They got a BCS win during the conference's long drought, they win 10 games or close to it year after year. Yet after an opening week loss to Boise State in what was essentially a home game, V-Tech had an incomprehensible loss in Blacksburg. FCS (powerhouse?) James Madison came into town and beat the Hokies 21-16. Tech fans were devastated but no one felt the pain of the loss more than Boise State. It is now impossible for the Broncos to make the BCS title game, even if they go undefeated.

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It's the Friday of Fridays

To me it is another lifetime. January 3rd, 2003. I was a senior at the University of Miami. Myself and two friends drove from Coral Gables to Tempe Arizona for the BCS national championship game. We drove there in a Honda Civic. As I stood on the bench seats for the fateful 4th down play, dehydrated from the salt on the Tostitos chips they were handing out, I watched as the ball went incomplete and as I was being dragged to the ground by my friends and fellow fans my peripheral vision caught a yellow dot come from out the opposing endzone...

Days later, munching a soggy Whopper in Burger King with my then girlfriend and her father I vowed that I would never recover from this loss. It is the kind of silly promise you make to yourself when you are young and full of misguided purpose. How could we turn it over 5 times? Why did Taylor (RIP much love) take that pick out of the endzone and let Clarett strip him? How did Roscoe fumble that long pass? What happened to Willis' knee (answer: it exploded)? Why did the refs wrong us?

It is only years later I have come to grips with reality, the sports world at large, and this game. A 60-ton hammer called life is mostly responsible. You see, when I was at the U I lived a charmed life. Not to get bragadocious but I got poon on the reg, was in phenomenal shape, hung out with a group of teammates that were just as crazy and didn't give a shit just like me, did a bunch of stupid acts that should have resulted in myself getting arrested or seriously injured, gave no thought to the future only the present. In short, I had swagger. The type of U swagger that the school is loved or hated for now. I was in a sports utopia as well; not only were the Canes dominating in football, but out of nowhere the Patriots won the 2001 Super Bowl. I was feeling invicible.

As I look back now, the moments since I graduated to now have made me much more of a regular, thoughtful person. I still cheer for Miami with every molecule I have, but I don't have any illusions. I still apreciate the "old days" and have respect for what Miami did to college football in the 80s, and like to make swagger jokes and throw up the U. It is all in jest at myself and support the guys on the field though, I don't live by that credo and how could I? I didn't create it. The program went into a free-fall after that night in Tempe. I had my own issues to sort out as well and now as I stand here over 7 years out of college I like to think I can look at the world lucidly. Miami lost the national title game to Ohio State, plain and simple. I still steadfastly maintain the call by back judge Terry Porter was horrible and incorrect but I'm over the game. People who have heard me argue about why the call was so erroneous might raise an eyebrow about me not being bothered by the result of the game anymore but it is true. Only the call and people defending the call upset me. Just like if the pass interference was never called Ohio State fans would be upset over the call of Gamble's catch going out of bounds late in the 4th quarter. In summation game:lost, call:shitty and wrong.

This brings us to tomorrow. A game I have been waiting years for. When I say years, I don't mean the seven since the Fiesta Bowl. I mean the 2 or 3 since this game was announced. I don't think revenge can be exacted if the Canes pull off the upset. A lot of former players have been preaching that to the current players and some of the current players have said that in one form or another. Who am I to tell them different? The game means different things to different people. I just want Miami to win to have a landmark victory against one of the programs I dislike the most and to see if they can move forward into national contention again.

I will not get into chalk talk about this game. Both teams have been preparing for a long time for it and knows what the other one will try to do to win. The game will come down to who can impose their will in the trenches and who takes care of the ball better. I think at home, in possibly wet conditions (60% chance of rain last I heard) Ohio State gets it done. I want to see the Canes fight though, unlike their effort last year in Blacksburg, and prove they can compete on the same field as the Buckeyes. Next year, when Jacory Harris and the rest of the baby Canes are seniors I expect them to be in the title hunt, but that won't happen unless they step up this year.

Chasing revenge can be more damaging to you than your target. They say the best revenge is living well. Miami got screwed more in 2000 than 2002. They cannot go around college football skulking as Edmund Dantes anymore. It's time to leave the Canes of the mid-2000s behind and begin the new chapter, one that hopefully includes winning. Tomorrow as I watch the game with some fellow U-grads, I will drink I will curse, I will bitch about calls, I will get as worked up as I ever have about a sporting contest but after it is over I will not feel that revenge was either enacted or missed out on.




Type rest of the post here

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2010 College Football Predictions: The BCS

BCS Title Game: #2Ohio State vs. #1Alabama
Fiesta: Cinicnnati(Big East) vs. Nebraska(Big 12)
Orange: Virgina Tech(ACC) vs. Wisconsin(At-large)
Sugar: Florida(At-large) vs. Texas(At-Large)
Rose: Boise State(At-large) vs. Oregon(Pac Ten)
BCS CHAMPION: Ohio State (/vomits)

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2010 College Football Predictions: The SEC

The final conference on our preview is the best in the country, but they are not head and shoulders above all the others. Listen to a fan of one of their teams, even one that hasn't won anything in years, and they will make you aware of this status. When they point to the BCS trophy case though, there are not many arguments against it. It will be the usual suspects at the top of the conference. I'm listening to my Canes take on FAMU so let's get through this.


WEST


1. Alabama- Tide will be good once again. They have their sites set higher than just repeating in the SEC and they should. They did lose a lot of players on defense, but that is Saban's specialty. He has Hightower coming back and plenty of talent to replace those that left. The offense coming back intact is what has me high on Bama. McElroy has plenty of confidence. Ingram going down is a negative but Richardson is right there to fill in. The game against Penn State I don't expect to be close, the game at Duke will be interesting but a Bama win. The road through the SEC is never easy but Alabama on paper should win every game they have on that schedule.

2. Arkansas- Ryan Mallet has done something quite impressive; he has made everyone forget how much of a douche Bobby Petrino is, at least temporarily. There is a lot to like on the offensive side of the ball, but the Hogs defense wasn't up to snuff last year. They should improve on D this year but not enough to take them to elite status but since they do play in the SEC, 3 or 4 losses will get them a ton of respect.

3. Auburn- Hey, Gene Chizzik is a douche too. Seems to be a trend among most SEC coaches although Lane Kiffin leaving did reduce the douche factor. The dynamic offense leads the way for Auburn but the defense gave up 27.5 points a game last year. I don't think War Eagle beats Bama but they will have some surprises for the other schools in the SEC. Their week 3 match-up against Clemson is intriguing.

4. LSU- I asked Les Miles to write up a detailed preview for me about how the team will fair this year but he did not get it in on time. HEY-yoooooooooo. Seriously though, LSU will be tough defensively but not score a lot of points. Have a great day!

5. Ole Miss- Houston Nutt did not get Masoli playing this year, but the guy will play. Having to sit out a year after trying to take advantage of a rule and you got convicted of robbery and stopped in your car smoking pot is not the largest tragedy I've ever seen. I'm interested to see what Ole Miss does without McCluster to lean on.

6. Mississippi State- Dan Mullen inspired some people last year to have hope for the future. .500 is the best they can hope for this year.

EAST

1. Florida- It's gotten to the point where reporters ask new QB John Brantley if he is tired of answering Tebow questions, then ask him ten consecutive Tebow questions. Florida is not as good as last year, but they will be good enough to win the East, barely.

2. Georgia- The Mark Richt hot seat talk is beyond stupid. The guy has led Georgia to an outstanding first decade of the new century. He should have at least two more 8-5 seasons in him until the heat turns up. This year should not be one of those years. Despite a new QB taking over, the line and the RBs should be the focal points of the offense. Of coursee AJ Green will help at wideout. Georgia's biggest challenge may be staying out of the police blotter, which they did enough to in win the Fulmer Cup.

3. South Carolina- How to make a South Carolina season: Start with high expectations from fans somewhat unrealistic, then add a strong start including an impressive win over a non-BCS team, mix thoroughly and add some cumin, then increase the ranking around the top ten, proceed to have the foundation fall apart resulting in a jovial collapse and poor bowl game performance. Ta-daaaaaa.

4. Tennessee- Derrick Dooley won't convince anyone he can hang in the SEC until he wins. That is all people in Knoxville care about at this point. Star players beating up cops? Who cares, just get us to the point where we aren't losing 6 games anymore.

5. Kentucky- Joker Phillips presents an excellent opportunity for UK students to come to the game dressed in Dark Knight attire. Yep, all I got.

6. Vanderbilt- Bobby Johnson headed on down that road in the offseason. That rumor about the nerds inheriting the turf was greatly exaggerated.

Player to watch: AJ Green, Georgia
Exceeds Expectations: Arkansas
Fails Expectations: LSU
In-conference game to watch: Florida at Alabama, Oct. 2
Out of conference game to watch: Alabama at Penn State, Sep. 11
SEC CHAMPION: ALABAMA

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2010 College Football Predictions: The Big Ten

Many people think the Big Televen was the big winner out of the conference reorginization that happened over the summer. However, there are some traditionalists out there that think it is the ending of the world that the conference will be split into two divisions when Nebraska joins and makes it the Big Tweleve in 2011. I understand there can be some resistance to change, many fear change. Since I have no emotional attachment to the subject my thought is to just move on and be happy you added one of the best programs in college football and now your BCS teams won't be stale in big games from sitting out almost two months. Most of all, like most people wanted the Ohio State-Michigan game will remain the last game of the regular season. One mouth-breathing tradition preserved at a time.

1. Ohio State- The Bucks are the big dog in the yard, and have been for the decade. I'm taking my disdain for them out of the equation here, I think OSU is going to have a very good year. I'm not expecting fireworks from Terrelle Pryor in the passing game, he won't be facing Oregon so the 300 yard passing games won't be raining down upon us. I do expect him to improve in not turning the ball over. The Sweater Vest has received some criticism for his conservative game tactics, but those tactics have lead Ohio State to be a fixture in the BCS. The Rose Bowl win silenced some critics but not all. If Ohio State makes it to Glendale this year for the BCS title game like I think they will, Tressel and the Bucks will have a chance to silence the entire nation.

In terms of the Big Ten, they have some challenges ahead. At Wisconsin, and at Iowa. The rest of the Big Ten schedule should be doable and that includes Penn State at home. I think they will drop one of those two but it will not cost them one of the top 2 spots. Yes there is a lot of hoopla around week 2 and Miami's visit to the Shoe. I am going to plug my ears that week because I don't want to relive 2002. Winning that game for either team will be huge, but it does nothing in regards to that night in Tempe. Neutral field or South Florida I would give the Canes more of a shot, but I think OSU wins by 10.


2. Wisconsin- Badgers are big and bruising. Their offensive line averages 320 pounds and they have John Clay who is already established as a big time college football running back. They made a statement last year in Orlando beating up Miami in the trenches. This is the quintessential Big Ten power team. Their schedule is pretty luke warm outside of conference but in conference play they face Iowa and Ohio State in back to back weeks. I think big things will be happening in Madison this year, perhaps a BCS at-large, but just shy of national title talks.

3. Iowa- A lot of chirping is coming from the folks over at Kinnick this year. After an improbable string of close victories and comebacks, the Hawkeyes capped the year by winning the Orange Bowl in impressive fashion. There's no doubt Adrian Clayborn is half man, half bear-pig and McNutt at wide receiver needs to be mentioned simply because his name is McNutt. The Hawkeyes need to be more consistent and I know that sounds strange for a team that did as well as them but after a certain amount of time, luck runs out for us all. That said this team is very capable of making its own luck.

4. Michigan State- My word their OOC schedule is appaling. If you are pumping Notre Dame up as your bigtime showdown outside the Big Ten then you know its bad. I know, rivalry game, flags were planted and all that but sheesh. Therefore, I think MSU will get the confidence early on to thrive and build themselves up for the Clemson of the midwest we all know they are. Wisconsin coming to East Lansing has upset alert written all over it. Avoiding Ohio State also helps. But then I am sure some losses will be smattered here and there, like at Iowa and at Northwestern that will crush conference hopes. I feel another trip to Florida for a bowl game, Capital One, Outback, Champ Sports, something.

5. Penn State- The mood is somber when Joe Pa is brought up nowadays. I wonder how the conversations about the legend go in Happy Valley, because outside of there the talk turns downright morbid. We are basically at the point where people are waiting for Paterno to die because he will not retire. He has earned the right not to, but it makes for skin-tearing when the team beings to struggle. Joe quited doubters last decade after PSU won two Big Ten titles and made BCS bowl appearances but now those accomplishments don't seem to justify keeping an aged coach around. It's too early to say but there are rumors about a paucity of recruits coming in. It is a sad commentary but I think other schools are telling recuits not to go to PSU because of JoePa. Unfortuantely any talk of Penn State in the media will begin and end with this topic, which will adversely affect the team. A bowl game waits for the Lions, but not as good as one they want.

6. Northwestern- It's hard not to root for a guy like Pat Fitzgerald. He is doing at Northwestern what many people thought was possible but not likely: create a consistant winner. Now can he elevate them to a higher status? It would be an amazing thing if he could. The Wildcats don't exactly reload so easily and offensive line losses and the loss of Mike Kafka will metamorphosize into a slighty worse team this year.

7. Purdue- The Robert Marve era has begun in West Lafayette. Having seen everyone of Marve's games when he played at Miami, I can say that the guy is athletic. His throwing can be erratic and he can try to force the ball at times, and while had had to sit out last year he also tore up his knee and had to sit out for awhile. I think Marve can help Purdue reach for that .500 mark this season, especially with the easy OOC that only has Notre Dame as an opener. Just don't go thinking he is a savior for the Boilermakers.

8. Michigan- As we slog down to the end of the Big Ten, there are some teams that make you shake your head, but Michigan makes you scratch it. People are not sure where to peg this team. Rich Rod is installing his program theory in a conference that is completely counter to it. He has not brought in the best players even for his system and now there are rumors of his seat heating up even though he has not had a full recruiting cycle there. A lot of questions will be answered in Michigan's first two games. UCONN comes to the Big House and then they travel to South Bend. If they lose both of those, it is going to get ugly in Ann Arbor.

9. Minnesota- The Gophers lost their fast white receiver? How will they ever recover.

10. Indiana- At least the Hoosiers know where they stand in football. They want to make a bowl, and get some bowl money, and not be seen as a complete smushsmortion of a football team so they scheduel Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron, and Arkansas State out of conference.

11. Illinois- It's been said that Ron Zook pisses intensity. It appears he has a urinary tract infection because there has been nothing intense about the Illini the last couple years.

Player to watch: John Clay, Wisconsin
Exceeds expectations: Michigant State
Fails expectations: Penn State
In-conference game to watch: Ohio State at Wisconsin, Oct. 16
Out of conference game to watch: Miami at Ohio State, Sep. 11

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