As a preliminary indication, I think Texas is now safely assured of a slot in the Big 12 title game. While the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll ranks Oklahoma second and Texas third, only one single point separate the two teams. So, for all intents and purposes, they're tied. The Harris Poll also gave Texas a bump, pushing them from fourth, one slot behind Oklahoma, to third, one slot ahead of Oklahoma. That lead is a mere 6 polling points, but Texas had a sizeable lead heading into the weekend with the computers. Oklahoma should rise there, but not enough to overcome Texas' large advantage.
We'll see what happens this afternoon, but it appears to me that we're looking at Texas-Missouri for the Big 12.
UPDATE: Scratch my idiocy. Apparently the OK State game was enough to send Oklahoma not only over Texas in the computers, but all the way to #1. Go figure......
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Chaos it is
Well, the likely scenario has played out, and Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma tied for first in the Big12 South. The winner of Alabama-Florida is guaranteed one title game slot, but the other is in total chaos at this point. My money says Texas gets a bump in the human polls tomorrow, holding onto the 2nd BCS slot and sending the Longhorns to the conference title game, despite my contrary statement from yesterday. Oklahoma looks strong, but I think the head-to-head loss against Texas will cause voters to put UT over OU. Could easily go the other way too, but regardless, the same problems are presented. What happens if they lose to Missouri there?? Could a 1-loss Alabama get in ahead of Oklahoma and USC for a rematch with the Gators? Or could USC hop everyone because Oklahoma would have missed the conference title game on a technicality? And what about Texas Tech? Any way you look at this, it's messy. And if Mizzou can take care of whoever they see next Saturday, it's going to get even more messy, likely the worst since the inception of the BCS.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Where we stand, pre-Week 14 Edition
Once again, as seems to be occurring every single season these days, we've got massive chaos atop the BCS picture. Alabama is the only team with a perfectly clear route into the title game (see: JUST WIN YOUR GAMES), and we've got all the makings of a fantastic mess between 2/3/4/ here, particularly as it relates to the Big 12. Today's scenario: Three things could happen between Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. Texas has already taken care of business, so the whole thing is out of their hands at this point.
Scenario 1 - Oklahoma defeats Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech defeats Baylor. We end the season with a 3-way tie at 7-1 in conference in the Big 12 South. This sends us to BCS ranking as the tie-breaker, which, as of today, is Texas. But that lead is precarious at best; the Longhorns lead the Sooners, .9209 to .9125. And Oklahoma's computer ranking, the only area where they trail Texas, is sure to rise if they beat OK State. My guess is that Oklahoma would pass Texas in the BCS were this scenario to play out. But, on the other hand, there's the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma head-to-head, and the human voters may use that to punish Oklahoma preemptorily in order to prevent this type of a result from occurring.
Scenario 2 - Oklahoma defeats Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech loses to Baylor. This one is significantly less likely to happen... but who knows??? Here, we'd have Texas and Oklahoma alone at 7-1, and Texas' head-to-head victory sends them to the Big 12 title game with the inside track on slot #2 to the title game.
Scenario 3 - Texas Tech defeats Baylor, but Oklahoma loses at Oklahoma State. The Sooners have had plenty of difficulty on the road against their in-state rivals, and this year's Cowboys team is the best in recent memory. In this scenario, Texas Tech and Texas tie, and Tech heads to the Big 12 title game based on its head-to-head victory. But there's a catch: Tech is all the way down at 7th in the BCS standings. Can they get into the BCS title game with a loss? My bet is no. Here's where it really gets fun. We've got 1-loss Texas, who did not play in its conference title game, with the likely inside track here. But, what happens if Alabama drops the SEC to Florida, and both teams have 1 loss? Might it be possible to see an all-SEC national title game? I think there's a solid chance of that.... On the other hand, assuming USC wins out, they have a chance to hop everyone in the human polls. So, here, we're looking at the SEC winner versus Texas, SEC loser, USC, or Texas Tech. Still a hell of a lot of possibilities out there.
Which scenario do I find most likely? Well, I think Oklahoma is the second best team in the country at the moment, behind only Florida. I think we'll see Stoops' squad take care of business in Stillwater at Boone Pickens Stadium (seriously, wouldn't T. Boone have been just as happy to keep donating money without you losing the naming rights to him? I mean you could have had even more money if you just found a corporate sponsor....), but Oklahoma has been known to have its off days before. I would not be shocked to see OKState take this one. And then we'll see total chaos in the BCS picture. If I had to pick, I'd say an OK loss sends Texas into the title game, but Alabama with 1-loss may sneak in ahead of the Longhorns.
Elsewhere in BCS Bowl news, The Pac-10 , Boise State, and Ohio State have some major stakes riding on this weekend's games. The BCS has 10 total slots, with 6 going to the FCS Conference Champions, and the other 4 being at-large bids. Utah has already locked down an at-large slot (unless Boise could hop them in the BCS standings, but that seems impossible). Conference champions are (1) SEC - Florida of Alabama; (2) Big 12 - TBD; (3) Pac-10 - USC or Oregon State; (4) ACC - Who the hell knows?; (5) Big East - looks like Cincy; and (6) Big-10 - Penn State. Plus, Utah has a guaranteed slot. Now, clearly, both Florida (unless Florida loses to FSU) and Alabama will get BCS games, so that fills 8 slots. Almost certainly, The Big-12 will get 2 slots - the champ and then a second of Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. That fills 9 slots. The Pac-10 can fill the 10th slot if Oregon State can beat Oregon tomorrow. That would give the Beavs a share of the conference title, and they win the head-to-head with USC = they go to the Rose Bowl. USC is also sure to find its way into the last BCS slot so long as they can win out, which they should do easily.
If, however, Oregon State should lose, Ohio State and Boise State would be the next two teams in line, and it's up to the open bowl game to choose which team to take. Ohio State clearly has the larger traveling crowd and fan base, but BSU's upset win over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl is still fresh in people's memories, and I think there is a decent chance, particularly if the Fiesta is the bowl in question, which it is likely to be, that Boise goes over Ohio State.
And on that note, I'll leave the reader to judge for him or herself how off-base I am. Also, we could just wait for the results to confirm all my conjecture and speculation, and leave this post completely unsaid, but what fun would that be? Enjoy the games this Turkey Weekend!
Scenario 1 - Oklahoma defeats Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech defeats Baylor. We end the season with a 3-way tie at 7-1 in conference in the Big 12 South. This sends us to BCS ranking as the tie-breaker, which, as of today, is Texas. But that lead is precarious at best; the Longhorns lead the Sooners, .9209 to .9125. And Oklahoma's computer ranking, the only area where they trail Texas, is sure to rise if they beat OK State. My guess is that Oklahoma would pass Texas in the BCS were this scenario to play out. But, on the other hand, there's the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma head-to-head, and the human voters may use that to punish Oklahoma preemptorily in order to prevent this type of a result from occurring.
Scenario 2 - Oklahoma defeats Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech loses to Baylor. This one is significantly less likely to happen... but who knows??? Here, we'd have Texas and Oklahoma alone at 7-1, and Texas' head-to-head victory sends them to the Big 12 title game with the inside track on slot #2 to the title game.
Scenario 3 - Texas Tech defeats Baylor, but Oklahoma loses at Oklahoma State. The Sooners have had plenty of difficulty on the road against their in-state rivals, and this year's Cowboys team is the best in recent memory. In this scenario, Texas Tech and Texas tie, and Tech heads to the Big 12 title game based on its head-to-head victory. But there's a catch: Tech is all the way down at 7th in the BCS standings. Can they get into the BCS title game with a loss? My bet is no. Here's where it really gets fun. We've got 1-loss Texas, who did not play in its conference title game, with the likely inside track here. But, what happens if Alabama drops the SEC to Florida, and both teams have 1 loss? Might it be possible to see an all-SEC national title game? I think there's a solid chance of that.... On the other hand, assuming USC wins out, they have a chance to hop everyone in the human polls. So, here, we're looking at the SEC winner versus Texas, SEC loser, USC, or Texas Tech. Still a hell of a lot of possibilities out there.
Which scenario do I find most likely? Well, I think Oklahoma is the second best team in the country at the moment, behind only Florida. I think we'll see Stoops' squad take care of business in Stillwater at Boone Pickens Stadium (seriously, wouldn't T. Boone have been just as happy to keep donating money without you losing the naming rights to him? I mean you could have had even more money if you just found a corporate sponsor....), but Oklahoma has been known to have its off days before. I would not be shocked to see OKState take this one. And then we'll see total chaos in the BCS picture. If I had to pick, I'd say an OK loss sends Texas into the title game, but Alabama with 1-loss may sneak in ahead of the Longhorns.
Elsewhere in BCS Bowl news, The Pac-10 , Boise State, and Ohio State have some major stakes riding on this weekend's games. The BCS has 10 total slots, with 6 going to the FCS Conference Champions, and the other 4 being at-large bids. Utah has already locked down an at-large slot (unless Boise could hop them in the BCS standings, but that seems impossible). Conference champions are (1) SEC - Florida of Alabama; (2) Big 12 - TBD; (3) Pac-10 - USC or Oregon State; (4) ACC - Who the hell knows?; (5) Big East - looks like Cincy; and (6) Big-10 - Penn State. Plus, Utah has a guaranteed slot. Now, clearly, both Florida (unless Florida loses to FSU) and Alabama will get BCS games, so that fills 8 slots. Almost certainly, The Big-12 will get 2 slots - the champ and then a second of Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. That fills 9 slots. The Pac-10 can fill the 10th slot if Oregon State can beat Oregon tomorrow. That would give the Beavs a share of the conference title, and they win the head-to-head with USC = they go to the Rose Bowl. USC is also sure to find its way into the last BCS slot so long as they can win out, which they should do easily.
If, however, Oregon State should lose, Ohio State and Boise State would be the next two teams in line, and it's up to the open bowl game to choose which team to take. Ohio State clearly has the larger traveling crowd and fan base, but BSU's upset win over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl is still fresh in people's memories, and I think there is a decent chance, particularly if the Fiesta is the bowl in question, which it is likely to be, that Boise goes over Ohio State.
And on that note, I'll leave the reader to judge for him or herself how off-base I am. Also, we could just wait for the results to confirm all my conjecture and speculation, and leave this post completely unsaid, but what fun would that be? Enjoy the games this Turkey Weekend!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Week 13 Preview
A few rivalry games kick off the weekend, and the real action happens at night on Saturday when we see a matchup of Top-5 teams yet again from the Big 12. This preview will be brief, but I want on the record for these games...
(15) Michigan State at (8) Penn State - The Nittany Lions may have a hard time rebounding from their recent collapse against Iowa, but they still have the Rose Bowl on the line. Nittany Lions 27, Spartans 19.
Michigan at (10) Ohio State - Buckeyes just have too much talent for Rich Rodriguez to overcome. A win would be a feather in Michigan's cap heading into 2009, but it's not to be. Ohio State 30, Michigan 10.
(21) Oregon State at Arizona - The Beavers proved to the nation that they're for real with last week's victory against Cal. I'm openly rooting for them to be this year's Pac-10 Rose Bowl Representatitve... but I've got a funny feeling about this one. Arizona will make this one hell of a ballgame... but the Rogers brothers will make a play at the end to hold on. Next week in the Civil War might be a much different story though. Beavers 32, Wildcats 30.
(14) BYU at (7) Utah - This blogger hopes like hell that the Utes can keep making a mess out of the ridiculousness that is the BCS. A win here puts them through their difficult schedule, and means they're a lock for a BCS berth unless something shocking happens. And I have to wonder if there isn't a scenario under which the 12-0 Utes might possibly make it to the national title game... (See Losses by Texas, TexTech, Oklahoma, USC, Florida, and Alabama - HEY, IT COULD HAPPEN!!!) Max Hall can play, but BYU isn't as good as its ranking, and hasn't been all year. Utah 31, BYU 28.
CO-GAMES OF THE WEEK: The BEST and the WORST MATCHUPS OF WEEK 13
(2) Texas Tech at (5) Oklahoma - The Red Raiders have undeniably proven themselves to the entirety of the country's college football fanatics with victories over Texas and a blowout win over Oklahoma State. Can they pull of the third leg of the murderous Big-12 South schedule? My bet is no. Oklahoma remains the second-most talented team in the nation behind Florida, and a late collapse against the Longhorns is all that stops this matchup from being the battle of two undefeateds late in the season. Plus, the game's in Norman, OK. Sooners 39, Red Raiders 35.
WASHINGTON (0-10) AT WASHINGTON STATE (1-10 - BUT really 0-10 with a win against a non-FBS team) - A battle of 0-20 titans in Pullman, WA. Without question, this is the worst Apple Cup in history... and, as some have termed it already, might better be knows as the "Crapple Cup of 2008." But that's really what makes this an intriguing game. Which terrible squad can avoid becoming the official bearer of the title of "WORST COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM OF 2008"? Both teams, frankly, suck on offense. Both teams, frankly, suck on defense. Both teams, frankly, suck on special teams. So what gives??? Washington simply has much more talent on the field, albiet extremely young talent. This game could go two ways, but both ways should have the same outcome. (1) Both offenses are so inept that no one can score at all. And no, it WILL NOT be because of good defense. (2) Both defenses are so inept that even Ronnie Fouch and/or Kevin Lopina will throw for 5 Touchdowns. And no, it won't be because either QB is the second coming of either Mark Brunell or Drew Bledsoe. That I can guarantee you. Ultimately, the Huskies get out of the winless hole, winning this one either 9-3, or 56-40. GO DAWGS!!
And on that note, enjoy the weekend! We've got both the best and worst matchup of the season, so sit back and watch 'em both and enjoy college football's second to last weekend of the regular season!!
(15) Michigan State at (8) Penn State - The Nittany Lions may have a hard time rebounding from their recent collapse against Iowa, but they still have the Rose Bowl on the line. Nittany Lions 27, Spartans 19.
Michigan at (10) Ohio State - Buckeyes just have too much talent for Rich Rodriguez to overcome. A win would be a feather in Michigan's cap heading into 2009, but it's not to be. Ohio State 30, Michigan 10.
(21) Oregon State at Arizona - The Beavers proved to the nation that they're for real with last week's victory against Cal. I'm openly rooting for them to be this year's Pac-10 Rose Bowl Representatitve... but I've got a funny feeling about this one. Arizona will make this one hell of a ballgame... but the Rogers brothers will make a play at the end to hold on. Next week in the Civil War might be a much different story though. Beavers 32, Wildcats 30.
(14) BYU at (7) Utah - This blogger hopes like hell that the Utes can keep making a mess out of the ridiculousness that is the BCS. A win here puts them through their difficult schedule, and means they're a lock for a BCS berth unless something shocking happens. And I have to wonder if there isn't a scenario under which the 12-0 Utes might possibly make it to the national title game... (See Losses by Texas, TexTech, Oklahoma, USC, Florida, and Alabama - HEY, IT COULD HAPPEN!!!) Max Hall can play, but BYU isn't as good as its ranking, and hasn't been all year. Utah 31, BYU 28.
CO-GAMES OF THE WEEK: The BEST and the WORST MATCHUPS OF WEEK 13
(2) Texas Tech at (5) Oklahoma - The Red Raiders have undeniably proven themselves to the entirety of the country's college football fanatics with victories over Texas and a blowout win over Oklahoma State. Can they pull of the third leg of the murderous Big-12 South schedule? My bet is no. Oklahoma remains the second-most talented team in the nation behind Florida, and a late collapse against the Longhorns is all that stops this matchup from being the battle of two undefeateds late in the season. Plus, the game's in Norman, OK. Sooners 39, Red Raiders 35.
WASHINGTON (0-10) AT WASHINGTON STATE (1-10 - BUT really 0-10 with a win against a non-FBS team) - A battle of 0-20 titans in Pullman, WA. Without question, this is the worst Apple Cup in history... and, as some have termed it already, might better be knows as the "Crapple Cup of 2008." But that's really what makes this an intriguing game. Which terrible squad can avoid becoming the official bearer of the title of "WORST COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM OF 2008"? Both teams, frankly, suck on offense. Both teams, frankly, suck on defense. Both teams, frankly, suck on special teams. So what gives??? Washington simply has much more talent on the field, albiet extremely young talent. This game could go two ways, but both ways should have the same outcome. (1) Both offenses are so inept that no one can score at all. And no, it WILL NOT be because of good defense. (2) Both defenses are so inept that even Ronnie Fouch and/or Kevin Lopina will throw for 5 Touchdowns. And no, it won't be because either QB is the second coming of either Mark Brunell or Drew Bledsoe. That I can guarantee you. Ultimately, the Huskies get out of the winless hole, winning this one either 9-3, or 56-40. GO DAWGS!!
And on that note, enjoy the weekend! We've got both the best and worst matchup of the season, so sit back and watch 'em both and enjoy college football's second to last weekend of the regular season!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Let the trash talk begin in earnest
This is probably the worst Apple Cup ever. I'm sure this can be proven with mountains of statistical evidence, but digging it all up would be too depressing. Let's just put it this way. Washington is 0-10... and an 8.5 point FAVORITE over 1-10 and historically bad Washington State.
So in a perverse sort of way, this could be the best Apple Cup ever. The only thing that could make this season worse for both teams would be a lose to an equally inept cross-state rival.
So let the trash talk begin, once more, with feeling. I'm not even a Husky fan, per se, but if I was, this would be my opening salvo, probably with a droll caption about the academic quality of WSU:
So in a perverse sort of way, this could be the best Apple Cup ever. The only thing that could make this season worse for both teams would be a lose to an equally inept cross-state rival.
So let the trash talk begin, once more, with feeling. I'm not even a Husky fan, per se, but if I was, this would be my opening salvo, probably with a droll caption about the academic quality of WSU:
Friday, November 7, 2008
Week 11 Preview, abbreviated edition
Going to shorten this post for the week because of lack of time and lack of a deep slate of games.
(5) Florida at Vanderbilt - Vandy just can't seem to get its 6th victory to become bowl eligible. It won't happen here, and it may not happen at all. Gators roll. Florida 56, Vanderbilt 7.
(21) Cal at (7) USC - The Golden Bears have fought hard this season, but they're simply outmatched in this one. USC 37, Cal 20. And ABC, you suck for broadcasting this game on the West Coast over the Oklahoma State-Texas Tech matchup.
(11) Ohio State at (24) Northwestern - The Wildcats are coming off a nice victory against Minnesota last week. Don't expect the same against the Buckeyes. Ohio State 23, Northwestern 13.
(20) Georgia Tech at (19) North Carolina - This is an absolutely critical matchup in the ACC. Paul Johnson has done an absolutely incredible job in his first year at the Yellow Jacket helm, and Butch Davis has built NC back into a solid program that looks like it will become a Top-15 program nationally. Home field pushes the Tar Heels over the top in a close game. North Carolina 27, Georgia Tech 24.
GAMES OF THE WEEK - Two for the second straight week
(9) Oklahoma State at (2) Texas Tech - The Red Raiders showed the world that they can play with anyone last week. The defense was better than most people thought, especially up front on the D-Line. Oklahoma State remains one of the nation's most underrated teams. Can Tech get up for a second consecutive brutal game? My bet is yes. Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma State 35.
(1) Alabama at (16) LSU - The national media has unfairly punished LSU for its two losses, despite those losses coming against Florida, who I believe is the best team in the country, and Georgia. Alabama remains unbeaten, and gets (in some fashion at least) Terrance Cody back in the middle of its defensive line this week. But for all of their victories, the Crimson Tide are still completely untested. Blowing out Georgia early was impressive, but as this blogger observed before the Florida game, the Bulldogs are erratic this season and you never know if good Georgia or bad Georgia will show up on any given week. On the back of Charles Scott and Keiland Williams, LSU springs a huge upset and throws the BCS into further levels of chaos. LSU 27, Alabama 21.
Enjoy the weekend.
(5) Florida at Vanderbilt - Vandy just can't seem to get its 6th victory to become bowl eligible. It won't happen here, and it may not happen at all. Gators roll. Florida 56, Vanderbilt 7.
(21) Cal at (7) USC - The Golden Bears have fought hard this season, but they're simply outmatched in this one. USC 37, Cal 20. And ABC, you suck for broadcasting this game on the West Coast over the Oklahoma State-Texas Tech matchup.
(11) Ohio State at (24) Northwestern - The Wildcats are coming off a nice victory against Minnesota last week. Don't expect the same against the Buckeyes. Ohio State 23, Northwestern 13.
(20) Georgia Tech at (19) North Carolina - This is an absolutely critical matchup in the ACC. Paul Johnson has done an absolutely incredible job in his first year at the Yellow Jacket helm, and Butch Davis has built NC back into a solid program that looks like it will become a Top-15 program nationally. Home field pushes the Tar Heels over the top in a close game. North Carolina 27, Georgia Tech 24.
GAMES OF THE WEEK - Two for the second straight week
(9) Oklahoma State at (2) Texas Tech - The Red Raiders showed the world that they can play with anyone last week. The defense was better than most people thought, especially up front on the D-Line. Oklahoma State remains one of the nation's most underrated teams. Can Tech get up for a second consecutive brutal game? My bet is yes. Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma State 35.
(1) Alabama at (16) LSU - The national media has unfairly punished LSU for its two losses, despite those losses coming against Florida, who I believe is the best team in the country, and Georgia. Alabama remains unbeaten, and gets (in some fashion at least) Terrance Cody back in the middle of its defensive line this week. But for all of their victories, the Crimson Tide are still completely untested. Blowing out Georgia early was impressive, but as this blogger observed before the Florida game, the Bulldogs are erratic this season and you never know if good Georgia or bad Georgia will show up on any given week. On the back of Charles Scott and Keiland Williams, LSU springs a huge upset and throws the BCS into further levels of chaos. LSU 27, Alabama 21.
Enjoy the weekend.
Heisman Watch, Week 11
After last week's games, we've seen massive movement in the Heisman rankings.
(1) Michael Crabtree, WR, Soph., Texas Tech
(2) Graham Harrell, QB, Sr., Texas Tech
(3) Colt McCoy, QB, Jr., Texas
(4) Sam Bradford, QB, Soph., Oklahoma
(5) Tim Tebow, QB, Jr., Florida
Tebow makes his way back onto the list not on personal numbers, but on the success of his team and his entire offense in surging for the last four weeks. Sam Bradford has been a constant here pretty much the entire season, and could certainly still win the award if things break Oklahoma's way. Colt McCoy drops out of the top spot by virtue of their loss to TTU last week, although he did play a solid game. Graham Harrell made play after play, none of them spectacular, and all of them solid, for the Red Raiders, as he has done for his entire career. And Michael Crabtree tops the list on the back of his amazing touchdown to win the game against the Longhorns.
On another note, I'm 99% certain that these will be the five finalists by the time we get to the end of the season (although we could see a Penn State player pop on here as well). And further, we haven't seen a Heisman crop as EVENLY spaced as this in many many many years. Last year, it was clear it was either Tebow or McFadden. While I've ranked the top 5, it is far from clear that it will be a 2-way race this season.
(1) Michael Crabtree, WR, Soph., Texas Tech
(2) Graham Harrell, QB, Sr., Texas Tech
(3) Colt McCoy, QB, Jr., Texas
(4) Sam Bradford, QB, Soph., Oklahoma
(5) Tim Tebow, QB, Jr., Florida
Tebow makes his way back onto the list not on personal numbers, but on the success of his team and his entire offense in surging for the last four weeks. Sam Bradford has been a constant here pretty much the entire season, and could certainly still win the award if things break Oklahoma's way. Colt McCoy drops out of the top spot by virtue of their loss to TTU last week, although he did play a solid game. Graham Harrell made play after play, none of them spectacular, and all of them solid, for the Red Raiders, as he has done for his entire career. And Michael Crabtree tops the list on the back of his amazing touchdown to win the game against the Longhorns.
On another note, I'm 99% certain that these will be the five finalists by the time we get to the end of the season (although we could see a Penn State player pop on here as well). And further, we haven't seen a Heisman crop as EVENLY spaced as this in many many many years. Last year, it was clear it was either Tebow or McFadden. While I've ranked the top 5, it is far from clear that it will be a 2-way race this season.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The woeful State of Washington's college football
To be honest, I can't express this idea any clearer than ESPN's Ted Miller. Read away, sports fans....
I would also add, however, that the two programs are heading in vastly different directions. WSU appears to have no talent inside the program whatsoever. The Cougs are recruiting well this year, nabbing most of the top in-state athletes, but Washington already has the athletes needed to be successful in the program, albeit as freshman and sophomores. WSU has more bad years to look forwards to, whereas if UW makes the right coaching hire, the team should have a decent chance at a bowl game next season.
I would also add, however, that the two programs are heading in vastly different directions. WSU appears to have no talent inside the program whatsoever. The Cougs are recruiting well this year, nabbing most of the top in-state athletes, but Washington already has the athletes needed to be successful in the program, albeit as freshman and sophomores. WSU has more bad years to look forwards to, whereas if UW makes the right coaching hire, the team should have a decent chance at a bowl game next season.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Week 10 Recap
Well, Week 10 has come and gone, and it came with a surprise or two. Did relatively well on predictions (including the Firing of Phil Fullmer), and got both of the two big games of the weekend correct. Texas-Texas Tech was an all-time classic, and any football fan should find the complete game somewhere and watch it from start to finish. A brief comment on the BCS and the current state of the national championship race:
(1) It is extremey unclear which 1-loss team has the inside track on the second BCS title slot. Texas maintains its lead at the moment, but has no tough games remaining on its schedule, which should drop the Longhorns in the computer averages (where they are currently third). Florida seems like the logical squad to me, but Oklahoma is not far behind, and still has games against #2 Texas Tech and #9 Oklahoma State. Then we've got #8 Utah, which still has its most difficult games in front of it (BYU and TCU). Is it possible that an undefeated Utah might get in the mix? Then we've got USC, the bottom of the pack at the moment, but virtually assured to rise as teams above them lose games.
(2) It is becoming likely that we'll see two mid-major conference teams amongst the 10 in the BCS. Boise State and Utah remain undefeated, and TCU isn't far behind. Plus, BYU could still climb back into the discussion.
All for now. We've got a couple great matchups again this week, including TCU-Utah, Alabama-LSU, and Oklahoma State-Texas Tech. Look for predictions on these games and others on Thursday or Friday.
(1) It is extremey unclear which 1-loss team has the inside track on the second BCS title slot. Texas maintains its lead at the moment, but has no tough games remaining on its schedule, which should drop the Longhorns in the computer averages (where they are currently third). Florida seems like the logical squad to me, but Oklahoma is not far behind, and still has games against #2 Texas Tech and #9 Oklahoma State. Then we've got #8 Utah, which still has its most difficult games in front of it (BYU and TCU). Is it possible that an undefeated Utah might get in the mix? Then we've got USC, the bottom of the pack at the moment, but virtually assured to rise as teams above them lose games.
(2) It is becoming likely that we'll see two mid-major conference teams amongst the 10 in the BCS. Boise State and Utah remain undefeated, and TCU isn't far behind. Plus, BYU could still climb back into the discussion.
All for now. We've got a couple great matchups again this week, including TCU-Utah, Alabama-LSU, and Oklahoma State-Texas Tech. Look for predictions on these games and others on Thursday or Friday.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fulmer: Fulminated
Phil Fulmer is out at Tennesee, according to a source-y report from ESPN's Chris Low. This comes as little surprise as the Vols are in real danger of a second losing season in four years. (The biggest shock of all to some Orange partisans may have been who reported it.)
If this really is the end, the reflection, rumination and rumor-mongoring will have only just begun. The coaching carousel will now be launching into hyperdrive, and once it stops, the debate over whether a tectonic shift has occured in the SEC East will begin in earnest. I will gleefully take part in this discussion.
But it should not go without saying that for more than a decade, Fulmer was among college football's elite coaches. As time passes, he'll probably be remembered more for the good times -- most notably the 1998 national championship -- than anything that happened since. For now, though, the only fresh emotion on the banks of the Tennessee is pain. Part of it has been a decline in recruiting -- including one big recent flop -- and part of it has been off-the-field trouble. I even addressed the concept of stagnation in an earlier post. But these things only fed into the main problem: The Vols just don't win enough games anymore. Sometimes it is as elementary as that.
If this really is the end, the reflection, rumination and rumor-mongoring will have only just begun. The coaching carousel will now be launching into hyperdrive, and once it stops, the debate over whether a tectonic shift has occured in the SEC East will begin in earnest. I will gleefully take part in this discussion.
But it should not go without saying that for more than a decade, Fulmer was among college football's elite coaches. As time passes, he'll probably be remembered more for the good times -- most notably the 1998 national championship -- than anything that happened since. For now, though, the only fresh emotion on the banks of the Tennessee is pain. Part of it has been a decline in recruiting -- including one big recent flop -- and part of it has been off-the-field trouble. I even addressed the concept of stagnation in an earlier post. But these things only fed into the main problem: The Vols just don't win enough games anymore. Sometimes it is as elementary as that.
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