Nothing makes a Big Ten game more exciting than hoping that Michigan will go for a 2 point conversion in the 4th quarter just to cover the spread. Instead I get a push bringing me to 2-2-1 on the week. By far, my best week in over a month, but much like UConn's "upset" of USF, when you look at it in the grand scheme of things, it really isn't that impressive.
Week 9: 2-2-1
Season: 17-27-1
At least the National Treasure (2-1 post season record) proved that he really is worth his $100 million contract. Say what you want about his shaky ALDS start, but Dice-K had more RBI in one at bat last night than A-Rod did in the entire 2007 post season. I'm just putting that out there. I watched Game 3 of the World Series at a sports bar in Foxwoods with a few buddies and Louis Tiant for a bachelor party. I'm not sure what was more surreal - watching El Tiante wander into the sports bar at Foxwoods handing out cigars, or my buddy walking over to him and asking for a picture while telling him that his Cuban sandwiches are delicious.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Week 9 - Now or never
After last week's debacle, maybe it isn't the plethora of upsets this season. Maybe its me. After all, I have no job, I'm still finishing my research project that I started in June, and now I'm 15-25 on the season. Things couldn't get much worse. At least I still have the Red Sox. In honor of the Olde Towne Team making it back to the Fall Classic (which yes, Dane Cook, we know there is only one of them), I'm picking 5 games this week with a New England-related theme. Plus I'll be throwing in my two cents when appropriate. Work with me here - I need more mojo to win games than Tony Pena does to get the Yankee managerial job.
Maurice Clarett nominee of the week:
Not necessarily a dumb arrest this week (since the person who did it hasn't been caught), but Florida State coach Bobby Bowden woke up on Sunday morning to find that someone had placed a large FOR SALE sign outside his home during the night. Bowden, whose Seminoles blew a fourth quarter lead to lose to in-state rival Miami, was good natured in his response to the incident, as reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. I'm just wondering why more people didn't pick up on the joke sooner and had to ask coach Bowden to clarify whether he was moving or not. I mean, can you really sell an entire nursing home that easily?
On to the picks
Home team in BOLD
#8 Virginia Tech -3 #2 Boston College
The obvious connection here is the Boston one. Boston sports are great right now - the Patriots are undefeated, the Red Sox are in the World Series, the Bruins are a stunning 5-3 with the best goalie in all of hockey. Throw in the impending reign of the Celtics' new Big Three, and things seem to be on the up-and-up for fans in the Hub. However, the oddsmakers think otherwise. VA Tech, one of the best 1 loss teams in the country, doesn't know who will be starting at QB, the Eagles have one of the top signal callers in the country in Matt Ryan (17 TDs, 2100+ passing yards), and oh yeah, they're still undefeated. I know this is a home game for the Hokies, and BC lost in their last trip to Blacksburg, but unless one of the Vick brothers decides to come back and suit up this week, it doesn't look too promising for the Hokies' offense. I'm going with Boston College and the points against Virginia Tech.
#10 South Florida -5.5 #23 Connecticut
So everyone knows that UConn is in New England, but how many of you know that USF has two DB's that grew up minutes from the Red Sox' Spring Training home in Fort Meyers? Yeah, I didn't either until I looked at the roster. After watching the Bulls lose to Rutgers, I'm not sold on their ability to finish on top of the Big East by season's end. That being the case, the Huskies' only "quality" win was against an overrated Louisville squad, and despite what my cousin David (who is in his first semester in Storrs) says, QB Tyler "I'm not related to Jared" Lorenzen and UConn definitely won't finish the year a Top 25 team. In fact, they could lose four of their last five games (USF, Rutgers, WVA, Cincy) and I wouldn't be surprised. I think that trend starts this week. I'll take South Florida on the road giving 5.5 points to UConn.
By the way, Joe Buck just informed me that Colorado Rockies' starter Jeff Francis' favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption and his favorite food is "a good hamburger." I'm glad you specified that for us Jeff - they're aren't too many of us that prefer bad hamburgers. Maybe if you were concentrating less on hamburgers and more on pitch location, Kevin Youkilis wouldn't have scored from first on a David Ortiz double.
Tim McCarver added this piece of wisdom - "When the runner hits third base, the next stop is home." Thanks for letting us know you're there, Tim. Where would we be without you?
Michigan -24 Minnesota
The first two I get, but Michigan-Minnesota? Two Big Ten teams? How does this fit in with the theme? I'm so glad you asked. Not only did David Ortiz start his career in Minnesota, but the Golden Gophers have a RB named R.J. Buckner. A bit of a stretch, yes, but so are Minnesota's chances against Big Blue in Ann Arbor. Not even the Gopher with the best last name in college football, Logan U'u can save them this week. Well, maybe if he convinces his teammates to wear I-AA uniforms this week. That seems to intimidate Michigan fans. Michigan is playing for their 7th straight win, a meeting Ohio State next month for the Big Ten championship, and (gulp) a chance at a BCS game in January. Minnesota is playing for . . . well they're just playing. Poorly. I'm going to take the Wolverines giving 24 points this week. By the way, this game is airing live on ESPN Classic. The irony is not lost on me.
Just in case you were wondering, there may still be only one . . . Oc-TOE-ber. We're waiting on Dane Cook for confirmation.
#11 Florida -10 #18 Georgia
My cousin Erin, the biggest Gator fan I know, is having her 30th birthday party at the biggest outdoor cocktail party I know. Even she would agree that Tim Tebow is doing a good job making people forget about Chris Leak by racking up 17 TDs passing and another 10 rushing. With Tebow at the helm, Florida is averaging 40+ points a game. Despite their back-to-back losses to Auburn and then #1 LSU, Florida could win this week, beat South Carolina in two weeks, and face LSU for the SEC title.
Tebow has been limited in practice this week with a sore shoulder, but as I just mentioned, he's run for 10 TDs this season. Even if he can't air out the long bombs, Tebow will find TE Cornelius Ingram, brother of Red Sox 1B Yukon Cornelius, (above) who has 21 receptions for 5 TDs. For Georgia, the key to this game is their defense. They're holding opponents to under 20 points this season, something that has happened to the Gators only once this year (in their loss to Auburn). I can't imagine that Georgia will be the second team to do it. Not even with Peabody, MA native (my hometown) Brad Arsenault on the Bulldogs defense. However, Florida is 4-9 against the spread in their last 13 road games. Florida giving 10 points seems a bit much, so I'll take Georgia getting 10 from the Gators.
In-Game Update: The Red Sox have batted around in the fifth, and 6 straight batters have reached against Rockies reliever Franklin Morales. I guess you could say Morales low right now for Colorado. Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week.
#4 Arizona State -3 #12 California
I guess when you're 7-0, you get the benefit of the doubt in the BCS rankings and the computer can somehow justify a #4 spot to a team whose opponents are a combined 20-31. Dustin Pedroia's alma mater isn't as good (in my opinion at least) as their #7 AP ranking - in fact I don't even think they're the best team in the PAC-10. This weekend will clear up a lot of things, the least of which will be which of the 5-7-9 teams in the nation have the best shot at a conference title, and which will drop out of the top 10. the Sun Devils Safety Troy Nolan is tied for third in the nation with 5 INT's this year leads a defense that has allowed more than 3 TDs only once this season. They'll have their hands full with Cal who is Hell-bent on winning after two straight losses (including last week to the Bruins of UCLA) all but crushed their shot at a January bowl game this season. Look for QB Nate Longshore who threw 3 TDs against UCLA to come out gunning in Tempe. I like the Golden Bears getting 3 points on the road.
One final note, if you had told me last week that not only will Eric Gagne be added to the World Series roster, but that there is a very good shot that he will come on to pitch a perfect inning to close out Game One of the series I would have thought you were crazy. I guess that only goes to show that there is only one . . . Octooooooooober!
Maurice Clarett nominee of the week:
Not necessarily a dumb arrest this week (since the person who did it hasn't been caught), but Florida State coach Bobby Bowden woke up on Sunday morning to find that someone had placed a large FOR SALE sign outside his home during the night. Bowden, whose Seminoles blew a fourth quarter lead to lose to in-state rival Miami, was good natured in his response to the incident, as reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. I'm just wondering why more people didn't pick up on the joke sooner and had to ask coach Bowden to clarify whether he was moving or not. I mean, can you really sell an entire nursing home that easily?On to the picks
Home team in BOLD
#8 Virginia Tech -3 #2 Boston College
The obvious connection here is the Boston one. Boston sports are great right now - the Patriots are undefeated, the Red Sox are in the World Series, the Bruins are a stunning 5-3 with the best goalie in all of hockey. Throw in the impending reign of the Celtics' new Big Three, and things seem to be on the up-and-up for fans in the Hub. However, the oddsmakers think otherwise. VA Tech, one of the best 1 loss teams in the country, doesn't know who will be starting at QB, the Eagles have one of the top signal callers in the country in Matt Ryan (17 TDs, 2100+ passing yards), and oh yeah, they're still undefeated. I know this is a home game for the Hokies, and BC lost in their last trip to Blacksburg, but unless one of the Vick brothers decides to come back and suit up this week, it doesn't look too promising for the Hokies' offense. I'm going with Boston College and the points against Virginia Tech.
#10 South Florida -5.5 #23 Connecticut
So everyone knows that UConn is in New England, but how many of you know that USF has two DB's that grew up minutes from the Red Sox' Spring Training home in Fort Meyers? Yeah, I didn't either until I looked at the roster. After watching the Bulls lose to Rutgers, I'm not sold on their ability to finish on top of the Big East by season's end. That being the case, the Huskies' only "quality" win was against an overrated Louisville squad, and despite what my cousin David (who is in his first semester in Storrs) says, QB Tyler "I'm not related to Jared" Lorenzen and UConn definitely won't finish the year a Top 25 team. In fact, they could lose four of their last five games (USF, Rutgers, WVA, Cincy) and I wouldn't be surprised. I think that trend starts this week. I'll take South Florida on the road giving 5.5 points to UConn.
By the way, Joe Buck just informed me that Colorado Rockies' starter Jeff Francis' favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption and his favorite food is "a good hamburger." I'm glad you specified that for us Jeff - they're aren't too many of us that prefer bad hamburgers. Maybe if you were concentrating less on hamburgers and more on pitch location, Kevin Youkilis wouldn't have scored from first on a David Ortiz double.
Tim McCarver added this piece of wisdom - "When the runner hits third base, the next stop is home." Thanks for letting us know you're there, Tim. Where would we be without you?
Michigan -24 Minnesota
The first two I get, but Michigan-Minnesota? Two Big Ten teams? How does this fit in with the theme? I'm so glad you asked. Not only did David Ortiz start his career in Minnesota, but the Golden Gophers have a RB named R.J. Buckner. A bit of a stretch, yes, but so are Minnesota's chances against Big Blue in Ann Arbor. Not even the Gopher with the best last name in college football, Logan U'u can save them this week. Well, maybe if he convinces his teammates to wear I-AA uniforms this week. That seems to intimidate Michigan fans. Michigan is playing for their 7th straight win, a meeting Ohio State next month for the Big Ten championship, and (gulp) a chance at a BCS game in January. Minnesota is playing for . . . well they're just playing. Poorly. I'm going to take the Wolverines giving 24 points this week. By the way, this game is airing live on ESPN Classic. The irony is not lost on me.
Just in case you were wondering, there may still be only one . . . Oc-TOE-ber. We're waiting on Dane Cook for confirmation.
#11 Florida -10 #18 Georgia
My cousin Erin, the biggest Gator fan I know, is having her 30th birthday party at the biggest outdoor cocktail party I know. Even she would agree that Tim Tebow is doing a good job making people forget about Chris Leak by racking up 17 TDs passing and another 10 rushing. With Tebow at the helm, Florida is averaging 40+ points a game. Despite their back-to-back losses to Auburn and then #1 LSU, Florida could win this week, beat South Carolina in two weeks, and face LSU for the SEC title.
Tebow has been limited in practice this week with a sore shoulder, but as I just mentioned, he's run for 10 TDs this season. Even if he can't air out the long bombs, Tebow will find TE Cornelius Ingram, brother of Red Sox 1B Yukon Cornelius, (above) who has 21 receptions for 5 TDs. For Georgia, the key to this game is their defense. They're holding opponents to under 20 points this season, something that has happened to the Gators only once this year (in their loss to Auburn). I can't imagine that Georgia will be the second team to do it. Not even with Peabody, MA native (my hometown) Brad Arsenault on the Bulldogs defense. However, Florida is 4-9 against the spread in their last 13 road games. Florida giving 10 points seems a bit much, so I'll take Georgia getting 10 from the Gators.In-Game Update: The Red Sox have batted around in the fifth, and 6 straight batters have reached against Rockies reliever Franklin Morales. I guess you could say Morales low right now for Colorado. Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week.
#4 Arizona State -3 #12 California
I guess when you're 7-0, you get the benefit of the doubt in the BCS rankings and the computer can somehow justify a #4 spot to a team whose opponents are a combined 20-31. Dustin Pedroia's alma mater isn't as good (in my opinion at least) as their #7 AP ranking - in fact I don't even think they're the best team in the PAC-10. This weekend will clear up a lot of things, the least of which will be which of the 5-7-9 teams in the nation have the best shot at a conference title, and which will drop out of the top 10. the Sun Devils Safety Troy Nolan is tied for third in the nation with 5 INT's this year leads a defense that has allowed more than 3 TDs only once this season. They'll have their hands full with Cal who is Hell-bent on winning after two straight losses (including last week to the Bruins of UCLA) all but crushed their shot at a January bowl game this season. Look for QB Nate Longshore who threw 3 TDs against UCLA to come out gunning in Tempe. I like the Golden Bears getting 3 points on the road.
One final note, if you had told me last week that not only will Eric Gagne be added to the World Series roster, but that there is a very good shot that he will come on to pitch a perfect inning to close out Game One of the series I would have thought you were crazy. I guess that only goes to show that there is only one . . . Octooooooooober!
Results
1-4 on the week, including absolutely blowing the shutout of the Irish by USC. As Devin said, "You took Notre Dame with the points? You really are bad at this." No kidding.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Week 8 - I really need to start picking those Thursday night games
After watching last night's "stunner" in New Jersey, I realized two things: 1) The Big East teams love to screw with football fans because they all take turns beating each other. It was great watching a bar full of Rutgers fans celebrate the win last night until my buddy Cheeques casually reminded everyone that the win actually hurts the conference. 2) Regardless of how badly a team misses their expectations during the season, everyone gets excited when they win a game against a ranked team that they were actually supposed to beat. I dare you to find one person who at the beginning of the season who would have called Rutgers' win over USF an upset. Rutgers should have been much better than their 4-2 schedule suggested, and no one could have expected that USF would have been undefeated and #2 in the nation. My point is, records don't always accurately depict how good a team is. That puts my 14-21 record in perspective, doesn't it?
Maurice Clarett nominee:
I'm going to nominate the Ball State athletic program for their role in a textbook loan scandal that has rocked the MAC. The football team lost 3 scholarships and was placed on probation for two years because of unidentified athletes who obtained $26,944 in books for classes in which they weren't enrolled. According to ESPN.com reports, in some cases, the athletes obtained more than one copy of a book, which they gave to others. In even worse news for Ball State, the softball team was limited to only 18 hours of athletic-related activities per week, and tennis financial aid will be reduced by .04 of one scholarship during the 2008-09 year. What next, the clarinet players will have the number of reeds they can carry in their instrument cases reduced?
On to the picks - home team in BOLD
USC -20 Notre Dame
After enduring a scary charter flight to South Bend, the Trojans seem confident that both QB John David Booty and RB Stafon Johnson will start on Saturday. Brushing off the flight in which USC's plane had to abort their first landing attempt due to a thunderstorm and severe turbulence, Booty said, ""It wasn't the worst flight I've ever been on," thus cementing his status as "tough guy of the week." Unfortunately for the Trojans, they are catching the Irish at a peculiar time in the season. Notre Dame followed up their lone win of the season by holding BC to 13 points in the first half last week. Never one to make things simple, beleaguered coach Charlie Weis has decided that his 3rd string QB Evan Sharpley will get the start on Saturday. USC is still stinging from their 1 point loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and is looking to reclaim their spot atop the PAC-10 with UCLA and Arizona State both having must win games this week. However, this could be a potential trap game for the Trojans with Oregon looming on the horizon. I don't think that Sharpley can pull off the upset, but he will make this one close. I'll take Notre Dame with the points.
Purdue -7 Iowa
1-3 Iowa takes on 1-2 Purdue in the battle of who is the Big Ten's second worst team. Granted, either of them could still beat any Big East or ACC Team because they're both Big Ten teams. Suuuuuuuure. The Hawkeyes are holding opponents to an average of 15 points per game this season. Unfortunately, they're only managing to put up 16 points of offense per game. On the other side of the field, the Boilermakers have lost two straight after going 5-0 to start the season. I'm really not sure how this game will turn out, but since it involves two Big ten teams, it is destined to be a classic. I'll take Purdue to cover the spread.
Ohio pk Toledo
In a match up of two mediocre field generals, Toledo's QB Aaron Opelt has thrown 4 TDs and 6 INTs this season while being sacked 4 times. Ohio's QB Brad Bower has thrown 6 TDs and 6 INTs with 16 sacks. You'd think Toledo has the edge in this game except for the fact that they lost to Buffalo(?) by ten last week. Since its a pick-em game, I'll flip a coin and take Ohio to win.
-On a side note, I'm listening to the TV in the background while writing this blog, and I just heard a commercial for a Halloween store that allows you to put costumes on layaway. What happened to parents putting their kids in jeans and a plaid shirt, stuffing them full of straw, and sending them out to Trick-or-Treat as a scarecrow? I love Halloween just as much as the next person, but costumes on layaway? Seriously? Just cut a few holes in a sheet, throw it over your head, and be a ghost. On second thought, in some parts of the country, you could be confused as showing your opposition to the Jena 6.
Back to the picks . . .
LSU -10 Auburn
LSU comes into this game playing their 5th ranked opponent in seven weeks. They were well on their way to a #1 BCS ranking until they stumbled at Kentucky las week. After starting 1-2 this season, Auburn has turned it around and is making their case for an SEC championship as well. With both teams giving up an average of less than 16 points per game, I'm guessing this match up will be less like the 43-37 barn-burner LSU had last week, and more like the 9-7 stalemate Auburn eked out against Arkansas. One thing is still bugging me about this LSU team. As good as the Tigers' defense is, I can't put my finger on the reason that they put up so many points each week. Despite my hesitation to go with the Bayou Bengals, Auburn is only outscoring their opponents by 10 each game, and that type of offensive output won't be enough to stop the Tigers. I'll take LSU giving ten points in this one as they make their way back into the BCS Top 2.
Syracuse -4.5 Buffalo
Not to criticize the Orange too much, but why would you schedule your Homecoming for last week against Rutgers when you could have waited a week for you game against Buffalo? I know there is the whole "in-conference game" thing, but aren't you supposed to play a team you have a chance of beating during Homecoming? This week, Syracuse is somehow favored against the Bulls, who are not only coming off of two straight wins and are looking for their longest win streak in longer than I can remember, but with a win this week, they could be (dare I say it) bowl eligible. Buffalo looks to take advantage of a Syracuse run defense that allowed Rutgers' Ray Rice to reach a season high with 196 yards rushing and tie a career high 3 TDs. Though Bufallo doesn't have Ray Rice, they do have James Starks who is averaging 2+ scores and 130+ yards per game over his last four starts. Syracuse has . . . a big orange mascot. I'll go with Buffalo taking the points over Syracuse.
Until next week . . .
Maurice Clarett nominee:
I'm going to nominate the Ball State athletic program for their role in a textbook loan scandal that has rocked the MAC. The football team lost 3 scholarships and was placed on probation for two years because of unidentified athletes who obtained $26,944 in books for classes in which they weren't enrolled. According to ESPN.com reports, in some cases, the athletes obtained more than one copy of a book, which they gave to others. In even worse news for Ball State, the softball team was limited to only 18 hours of athletic-related activities per week, and tennis financial aid will be reduced by .04 of one scholarship during the 2008-09 year. What next, the clarinet players will have the number of reeds they can carry in their instrument cases reduced?
On to the picks - home team in BOLD
USC -20 Notre Dame
After enduring a scary charter flight to South Bend, the Trojans seem confident that both QB John David Booty and RB Stafon Johnson will start on Saturday. Brushing off the flight in which USC's plane had to abort their first landing attempt due to a thunderstorm and severe turbulence, Booty said, ""It wasn't the worst flight I've ever been on," thus cementing his status as "tough guy of the week." Unfortunately for the Trojans, they are catching the Irish at a peculiar time in the season. Notre Dame followed up their lone win of the season by holding BC to 13 points in the first half last week. Never one to make things simple, beleaguered coach Charlie Weis has decided that his 3rd string QB Evan Sharpley will get the start on Saturday. USC is still stinging from their 1 point loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and is looking to reclaim their spot atop the PAC-10 with UCLA and Arizona State both having must win games this week. However, this could be a potential trap game for the Trojans with Oregon looming on the horizon. I don't think that Sharpley can pull off the upset, but he will make this one close. I'll take Notre Dame with the points.
Purdue -7 Iowa
1-3 Iowa takes on 1-2 Purdue in the battle of who is the Big Ten's second worst team. Granted, either of them could still beat any Big East or ACC Team because they're both Big Ten teams. Suuuuuuuure. The Hawkeyes are holding opponents to an average of 15 points per game this season. Unfortunately, they're only managing to put up 16 points of offense per game. On the other side of the field, the Boilermakers have lost two straight after going 5-0 to start the season. I'm really not sure how this game will turn out, but since it involves two Big ten teams, it is destined to be a classic. I'll take Purdue to cover the spread.
Ohio pk Toledo
In a match up of two mediocre field generals, Toledo's QB Aaron Opelt has thrown 4 TDs and 6 INTs this season while being sacked 4 times. Ohio's QB Brad Bower has thrown 6 TDs and 6 INTs with 16 sacks. You'd think Toledo has the edge in this game except for the fact that they lost to Buffalo(?) by ten last week. Since its a pick-em game, I'll flip a coin and take Ohio to win.
-On a side note, I'm listening to the TV in the background while writing this blog, and I just heard a commercial for a Halloween store that allows you to put costumes on layaway. What happened to parents putting their kids in jeans and a plaid shirt, stuffing them full of straw, and sending them out to Trick-or-Treat as a scarecrow? I love Halloween just as much as the next person, but costumes on layaway? Seriously? Just cut a few holes in a sheet, throw it over your head, and be a ghost. On second thought, in some parts of the country, you could be confused as showing your opposition to the Jena 6.
Back to the picks . . .
LSU -10 Auburn
LSU comes into this game playing their 5th ranked opponent in seven weeks. They were well on their way to a #1 BCS ranking until they stumbled at Kentucky las week. After starting 1-2 this season, Auburn has turned it around and is making their case for an SEC championship as well. With both teams giving up an average of less than 16 points per game, I'm guessing this match up will be less like the 43-37 barn-burner LSU had last week, and more like the 9-7 stalemate Auburn eked out against Arkansas. One thing is still bugging me about this LSU team. As good as the Tigers' defense is, I can't put my finger on the reason that they put up so many points each week. Despite my hesitation to go with the Bayou Bengals, Auburn is only outscoring their opponents by 10 each game, and that type of offensive output won't be enough to stop the Tigers. I'll take LSU giving ten points in this one as they make their way back into the BCS Top 2.
Syracuse -4.5 Buffalo
Not to criticize the Orange too much, but why would you schedule your Homecoming for last week against Rutgers when you could have waited a week for you game against Buffalo? I know there is the whole "in-conference game" thing, but aren't you supposed to play a team you have a chance of beating during Homecoming? This week, Syracuse is somehow favored against the Bulls, who are not only coming off of two straight wins and are looking for their longest win streak in longer than I can remember, but with a win this week, they could be (dare I say it) bowl eligible. Buffalo looks to take advantage of a Syracuse run defense that allowed Rutgers' Ray Rice to reach a season high with 196 yards rushing and tie a career high 3 TDs. Though Bufallo doesn't have Ray Rice, they do have James Starks who is averaging 2+ scores and 130+ yards per game over his last four starts. Syracuse has . . . a big orange mascot. I'll go with Buffalo taking the points over Syracuse.
Until next week . . .
Week 7 Results
2-3 on the week and 14-21 on the season. I really need to turn it around soon. At this rate, I won't even be bowl eligible. I'd make some sort of Joe Torre/George Steinbrenner joke here, but I don't have a job either so it really isn't that funny.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Week 7 - Looking to make up some ground
Yuck. My goal of trying to gain ground last week was as successful as Chien-Ming Wang's ALDS performance. At least I don't have a boss anymore so there isn't a chance I'll get fired like Uncle Joe. I guess that's the upside of not having a job - you can't get fired for blogging at 3 in the afternoon. The downside is you can't get paid for it either.
This week, relatives of the Gipper, George Gipp, had his body exhumed for reasons which were not made public. Family representatives denied that they wanted to make sure that with Notre Dame's rough start this year, his body was not actually spinning in his grave. In more news, I brought you the story last week that Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione admitted to giving a booster newletter inside info for a yearly membership fee. University officials said they will not fire the coach - yet - but are issuing him a "letter of admonishment." I'm guessing this whole thing wouldn't be such a problem if the Aggies hadn't lost to Miami by 17 last month and the fans weren't beginning to call for Franchione's job. Then again, what do I know about college football? I'm 12-18 this season.
This week's Maurice Clarett award goes to one of my favorite college football coaches ever - Joe Paterno. Joe Pa took a lot of heat this week after a story broke regarding a traffic incident with the grandfatherly head coach. According to Joe Pa on his radio show, he did not "flip out'' as previously reported by many media outlets, but he did confront a woman after she blew a stop sign near the State College campus this week. According to the coach, after blowing his horn at the offending car, the female driver stopped and he pulled up beside her. Paterno pointed his finger at the woman but assured fans and boosters, “I didn’t give her the finger.” Paterno went on to say, "I said, ‘Hey, don’t do that again because I took your license number,’ and I really hadn’t taken her license number. All of a sudden, somebody knocks on my window and I roll down the window and he says, ‘That’s my wife.’ And then I shouldn’t have said this, but I did; I said, ‘Well, that’s your problem.’” While the coach did not get out of his car, he said about 10 times a year he will stop a student driver on campus after the driver shows disregard for safety. The coach believes he was doing good.
I don't have too much to add here. Clearly this story got blown out of proportion. I always pictured Joe Pa as being more like the basketball ref named Whitey from Adam Sandler's "Eight Crazy Nights" than Walter Matthau from "Grumpy Old Men." I guess this only confirms that Joe Pa really is a do-gooder after all. He may still trail Bobby Bowden in all-time wins, but I'll bet he leads him in citizens arrests. Runners up this week - Mike Leach of Texas Tech who broke his arm when he fell off of his bike (yes he was sober), 100 LSU fans who bought "faux-ny" tickets to last week's game against the Gators, and Gator QB Tim Tebow who had so many threatening phone calls to his cell phone that he had to change his number. Rumor has it that LSU students were walking around campus with t-shirts printed with Tebow's number. I guess there's a reason the Tigers are number 1 - they sure have the fan support. On to the picks.
Home team in BOLD
Rutgers -15.5 Syracuse
I'm not sure what happened to Rutgers this season. After losing only two games last season, the Scarlet Knights have lost that many in the past two weeks. After falling from 10th to 21st, the boys representing the State University of New Jersey are now unranked. Even worse, Bon Jovi has yet to sell out their 10 shows at the Prudential Center this month. How much more disappointment can the Garden State handle? Syracuse, on the other hand, was picked apart by West Virginia last week in a game where the Mountaineers needed to show the world that their loss to South Florida was a one-time thing. This week, Rutgers looks to show the world that while they might not go 10-2 this year, they are better than their 3-2 record suggests. Ray Rice, who is third in the nation in rushing TDs, will look to exploit an Orange defense that has given up 19 rushing TDs this season. Even if they do manage to stop Rice, QB Mike Teel is averaging 300 yards and 2 TDs per game. Sorry, B, but Syracuse is not going to lose this by less than 3 scores. I'll take Rutgers giving the points.
VA Tech -12.5 Duke
Uh, this is the same Duke team that is 1-5 this season while scoring an average of 9 fewer points each week than they allow, right? And this is the same VA Tech team that is 5-1 and has only lost to LSU, right? I thought so. At least basketball season starts this weekend, which is a good thing for both Duke and Syracuse. I'll take VA Tech to beat the spread.
TCU - 6 Stanford
"The band is still on the field! The band is still on the field!" Can Stanford pull off two upsets in back-to -back weeks? I don't think so. On the other side of the field is a TCU squad that hasn't met expectations this season, and is currently sitting at 3-3. The Horned Frogs lost a tough one last week to Wyoming and are looking to right the ship this week. Tavita Prichard is getting the start this week for the Cardinal, and I have it on good authority that there is nothing that TCU hates more than QBs named Tavita. For TCU, they will be without DE Tommy Blake who will likely be out of football forever due to excessive stress. Not to make light of Blake's situation, but I've been without a paying job for the past 4+ months, I have rent, car insurance, and student loans to pay, and I don't have any great prospects on the horizons. Not to mention, I haven't had a solid bowel movement in a week. I'm just saying.
I'll take TCU giving 6.
Central Michigan -13 Army
MAC leader Central Michigan takes on Army this week, a week after the Black Knights came from behind and stunned Tulane 20-17 in overtime. I've never been a big fan of picking service academies to win games in which they're getting double digit points to a MAC team (okay so I can't think of this situation ever coming up before, but work with me here). However, this week seems different. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Army is giving up less than 21 points per game, and CMU has won 2 of their three games in barn-burner fashion. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the Chippewas' leading rusher is also their QB Dan LeFevour. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Army looks invigorated after winning in dramatic fashion last week. Whatever the reason, I think Army is better than ND State, and the Bison beat CMU by 30. I'll take Army with the points.
UTEP -1 East Carolina
Has it really gotten so bad that I'm picking Conference USA games this week? It sure looks like it. Here's what I know about these two teams:
1) UTEP has played all but one of their games this season in the state of Texas.
2) UTEP is averaging 49.3 points per game in their last three wins.
3) The Miners have a running back named Marcus Thomas who has more rushing TDs per game (2.2) than all of Notre Dame's running backs (2) this season.
4) Even though ECU's colors are purple and gold, they are not the best team in the nation this season.
5) ECU's mascot is a Pirate. Seton Hall's mascot is also a Pirate. Unfortunately, Seton Hall doesn't have a football team. If they did, maybe I'd go to a college football game. Probably not though.
6) The university is ranked one of the "Best Value Colleges" by The Princeton Review in 2008. That doesn't have much to do with their football team, but at least it gives students more money to buy beer - which is a good thing I guess.
Sinced I really couldn't find much to say about their football team, I don't like ECU's chances here. I'll go with UTEP giving a point.
Until next week, enjoy the games and the ALCS (well, at least those of you who don't root for chokers).
This week, relatives of the Gipper, George Gipp, had his body exhumed for reasons which were not made public. Family representatives denied that they wanted to make sure that with Notre Dame's rough start this year, his body was not actually spinning in his grave. In more news, I brought you the story last week that Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione admitted to giving a booster newletter inside info for a yearly membership fee. University officials said they will not fire the coach - yet - but are issuing him a "letter of admonishment." I'm guessing this whole thing wouldn't be such a problem if the Aggies hadn't lost to Miami by 17 last month and the fans weren't beginning to call for Franchione's job. Then again, what do I know about college football? I'm 12-18 this season.
This week's Maurice Clarett award goes to one of my favorite college football coaches ever - Joe Paterno. Joe Pa took a lot of heat this week after a story broke regarding a traffic incident with the grandfatherly head coach. According to Joe Pa on his radio show, he did not "flip out'' as previously reported by many media outlets, but he did confront a woman after she blew a stop sign near the State College campus this week. According to the coach, after blowing his horn at the offending car, the female driver stopped and he pulled up beside her. Paterno pointed his finger at the woman but assured fans and boosters, “I didn’t give her the finger.” Paterno went on to say, "I said, ‘Hey, don’t do that again because I took your license number,’ and I really hadn’t taken her license number. All of a sudden, somebody knocks on my window and I roll down the window and he says, ‘That’s my wife.’ And then I shouldn’t have said this, but I did; I said, ‘Well, that’s your problem.’” While the coach did not get out of his car, he said about 10 times a year he will stop a student driver on campus after the driver shows disregard for safety. The coach believes he was doing good.
I don't have too much to add here. Clearly this story got blown out of proportion. I always pictured Joe Pa as being more like the basketball ref named Whitey from Adam Sandler's "Eight Crazy Nights" than Walter Matthau from "Grumpy Old Men." I guess this only confirms that Joe Pa really is a do-gooder after all. He may still trail Bobby Bowden in all-time wins, but I'll bet he leads him in citizens arrests. Runners up this week - Mike Leach of Texas Tech who broke his arm when he fell off of his bike (yes he was sober), 100 LSU fans who bought "faux-ny" tickets to last week's game against the Gators, and Gator QB Tim Tebow who had so many threatening phone calls to his cell phone that he had to change his number. Rumor has it that LSU students were walking around campus with t-shirts printed with Tebow's number. I guess there's a reason the Tigers are number 1 - they sure have the fan support. On to the picks.Home team in BOLD
Rutgers -15.5 Syracuse
I'm not sure what happened to Rutgers this season. After losing only two games last season, the Scarlet Knights have lost that many in the past two weeks. After falling from 10th to 21st, the boys representing the State University of New Jersey are now unranked. Even worse, Bon Jovi has yet to sell out their 10 shows at the Prudential Center this month. How much more disappointment can the Garden State handle? Syracuse, on the other hand, was picked apart by West Virginia last week in a game where the Mountaineers needed to show the world that their loss to South Florida was a one-time thing. This week, Rutgers looks to show the world that while they might not go 10-2 this year, they are better than their 3-2 record suggests. Ray Rice, who is third in the nation in rushing TDs, will look to exploit an Orange defense that has given up 19 rushing TDs this season. Even if they do manage to stop Rice, QB Mike Teel is averaging 300 yards and 2 TDs per game. Sorry, B, but Syracuse is not going to lose this by less than 3 scores. I'll take Rutgers giving the points.
VA Tech -12.5 Duke
Uh, this is the same Duke team that is 1-5 this season while scoring an average of 9 fewer points each week than they allow, right? And this is the same VA Tech team that is 5-1 and has only lost to LSU, right? I thought so. At least basketball season starts this weekend, which is a good thing for both Duke and Syracuse. I'll take VA Tech to beat the spread.
TCU - 6 Stanford
"The band is still on the field! The band is still on the field!" Can Stanford pull off two upsets in back-to -back weeks? I don't think so. On the other side of the field is a TCU squad that hasn't met expectations this season, and is currently sitting at 3-3. The Horned Frogs lost a tough one last week to Wyoming and are looking to right the ship this week. Tavita Prichard is getting the start this week for the Cardinal, and I have it on good authority that there is nothing that TCU hates more than QBs named Tavita. For TCU, they will be without DE Tommy Blake who will likely be out of football forever due to excessive stress. Not to make light of Blake's situation, but I've been without a paying job for the past 4+ months, I have rent, car insurance, and student loans to pay, and I don't have any great prospects on the horizons. Not to mention, I haven't had a solid bowel movement in a week. I'm just saying.
I'll take TCU giving 6.
Central Michigan -13 Army
MAC leader Central Michigan takes on Army this week, a week after the Black Knights came from behind and stunned Tulane 20-17 in overtime. I've never been a big fan of picking service academies to win games in which they're getting double digit points to a MAC team (okay so I can't think of this situation ever coming up before, but work with me here). However, this week seems different. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Army is giving up less than 21 points per game, and CMU has won 2 of their three games in barn-burner fashion. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the Chippewas' leading rusher is also their QB Dan LeFevour. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Army looks invigorated after winning in dramatic fashion last week. Whatever the reason, I think Army is better than ND State, and the Bison beat CMU by 30. I'll take Army with the points.
UTEP -1 East Carolina
Has it really gotten so bad that I'm picking Conference USA games this week? It sure looks like it. Here's what I know about these two teams:
1) UTEP has played all but one of their games this season in the state of Texas.
2) UTEP is averaging 49.3 points per game in their last three wins.
3) The Miners have a running back named Marcus Thomas who has more rushing TDs per game (2.2) than all of Notre Dame's running backs (2) this season.
4) Even though ECU's colors are purple and gold, they are not the best team in the nation this season.
5) ECU's mascot is a Pirate. Seton Hall's mascot is also a Pirate. Unfortunately, Seton Hall doesn't have a football team. If they did, maybe I'd go to a college football game. Probably not though.
6) The university is ranked one of the "Best Value Colleges" by The Princeton Review in 2008. That doesn't have much to do with their football team, but at least it gives students more money to buy beer - which is a good thing I guess.
Sinced I really couldn't find much to say about their football team, I don't like ECU's chances here. I'll go with UTEP giving a point.
Until next week, enjoy the games and the ALCS (well, at least those of you who don't root for chokers).
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Week 6 Results
Did I just go 2-8? Um, yup, it seems that way. Special thanks to UCLA for starting a walk-on QB against a hungry Notre Dame team, and Wisconsin for proving everyone but me right this week. At least Temple won. That should be worth like 20 points. But it isn't.
Season Record - 12-18.
Season Record - 12-18.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Back to even
Once again, I'm at .500 (10-10) after going 3-2 last week. Since I missed a week, I'm picking a whopping 10 games this week. I'll give 5 the regular treatment, and try to fit in a witty one-liner for the rest. Let's hope this goes better for me than Chien-Ming Wang's start went for the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALDS. Yeah, I said it - get over it.
Mo' Clarett nominee of the week:
Dennis Franchione of Texas A&M was a close runner-up this week after announcing that he has stopped selling inside information on the Aggies to boosters in a newsletter (which by the way is $1200 per subscription). I'm not sure who these people are that would pay $1200 a year to learn whether or not a packup punter has a broken pinky finger or not, but then again, I went to a school without a football team. This week's nominee is Steve Budin, a Miami sports handicapper, who published a book claiming that the 1954 Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game was fixed by mobsters who "allegedly used a horse laxative to poison some of the Sooners' players." Riiiiiight. and the next thing you're gonna tell me is that there are NBA refs who blow their whistle more often in order to affect the outcome of games. I wasn't born yesterday you know. On to the games.
Home team in BOLD
Rutgers -4 Cincinnati
The Scarlet Knights' loss to Maryland last week shouldn't have been so surprising. Rutgers' three wins came against Navy, Buffalo, and Norfolk State - we're not exactly talking BCS teams here. Still, Maryland (and I hate to say this) is vastly underrated (we'll get to that later) at 3-2. Unfortunately for Rutgers, it doesn't get easier this week. Undefeated Cincy rolls into NJ looking to be the team in the Big East this year. Good luck to them. As laughable as the teams Rutgers beat may be, the five teams that have lost to the Bearcats are a combined 7-17 on the year. I fully expect Mike Teel and Ray Rice to have 2 TDs each and I really don't think that Cincy's QB Ben Mauk, a transfer from Wake Forest, will step it up against the Sacrlet Knight defense. Look for Rutgers to cover the spread and reclaim their spot atop the Big Easy . . . er . . . Big East.
Oklahoma -11.5 Texas (neutral site)
Oy vey. Who would have thought that after this game, one of these teams would be winless in the Big XII? Both teams are coming off of upset losses and are looking to exact a little revenge. Big questions for this game: Can Sam Bradford play well enough for Cheeques to justify his man-crush? Will Texas be able to get their special teams in order after giving up 2 punt returns for TDs? Has Colt McCoy fully recovered after throwing four picks and getting his bell rung last week? What kind of goodies will we see deep-fried at this year's Texas State Fair? The answers to all of this and more will be shown to us via the magic of television this Saturday! As for me, I think Sam Bradford and the Longhorns special teams will regain their form, I think Colt McCoy, despite having the best name for a QB, will have a shaky first half, and I'm looking forward to deep-fried cheeseburgers and pizza to clog my arteries. Screw you, Weight Watchers! I'm also going to say that unless Vince Young steps in for the slightly-concussed McCoy, Oklahoma will cover the spread.
UCLA -22 Notre Dame
I'm speechless. Seriously? 21 points here? My how the mighty have fallen. I have a buddy who loves the Irish and has no desire toeven watch this game. In fact, ABC may want to show Nancy Kerrigan's Haloween Skating Special instead. I'm not even sure Charlie Weis knows how to handle a 5 game losing streak. Even Michigan's ineligible player can't help the Irish win a game. Notre Dame has 2 rushing TDs, their QBs have more interceptions (5) than passing touchdowns (3), and they've only attempted four field goals this season (making just 2 of them). UCLA is 4-1, 3-0 in the PAC-10 (yes, they're in first place in USC's PAC-10) , and dismantled a Washington team that picked apart a Boise State team that has only lost one game out of their last 18. The key to this game will be quarterbacks. UCLA's are banged up, and Notre Dame's are just plain awful. On the other hand, Notre Dame can't go 0-6, can they? Unfortunately, yes, they can. And looking ahead on the schedule, they take on BC next week and then USC after that. Hey Charlie, maybe you guys should schedule Temple or Marshall next season - just a thought. UCLA covers the spread, and I might just buy the rights to www.fireweis.com myself.
GA Tech -3 Maryland
Mo' Clarett nominee of the week:
Dennis Franchione of Texas A&M was a close runner-up this week after announcing that he has stopped selling inside information on the Aggies to boosters in a newsletter (which by the way is $1200 per subscription). I'm not sure who these people are that would pay $1200 a year to learn whether or not a packup punter has a broken pinky finger or not, but then again, I went to a school without a football team. This week's nominee is Steve Budin, a Miami sports handicapper, who published a book claiming that the 1954 Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game was fixed by mobsters who "allegedly used a horse laxative to poison some of the Sooners' players." Riiiiiight. and the next thing you're gonna tell me is that there are NBA refs who blow their whistle more often in order to affect the outcome of games. I wasn't born yesterday you know. On to the games.
Home team in BOLD
Rutgers -4 Cincinnati
The Scarlet Knights' loss to Maryland last week shouldn't have been so surprising. Rutgers' three wins came against Navy, Buffalo, and Norfolk State - we're not exactly talking BCS teams here. Still, Maryland (and I hate to say this) is vastly underrated (we'll get to that later) at 3-2. Unfortunately for Rutgers, it doesn't get easier this week. Undefeated Cincy rolls into NJ looking to be the team in the Big East this year. Good luck to them. As laughable as the teams Rutgers beat may be, the five teams that have lost to the Bearcats are a combined 7-17 on the year. I fully expect Mike Teel and Ray Rice to have 2 TDs each and I really don't think that Cincy's QB Ben Mauk, a transfer from Wake Forest, will step it up against the Sacrlet Knight defense. Look for Rutgers to cover the spread and reclaim their spot atop the Big Easy . . . er . . . Big East.
Oklahoma -11.5 Texas (neutral site)
Oy vey. Who would have thought that after this game, one of these teams would be winless in the Big XII? Both teams are coming off of upset losses and are looking to exact a little revenge. Big questions for this game: Can Sam Bradford play well enough for Cheeques to justify his man-crush? Will Texas be able to get their special teams in order after giving up 2 punt returns for TDs? Has Colt McCoy fully recovered after throwing four picks and getting his bell rung last week? What kind of goodies will we see deep-fried at this year's Texas State Fair? The answers to all of this and more will be shown to us via the magic of television this Saturday! As for me, I think Sam Bradford and the Longhorns special teams will regain their form, I think Colt McCoy, despite having the best name for a QB, will have a shaky first half, and I'm looking forward to deep-fried cheeseburgers and pizza to clog my arteries. Screw you, Weight Watchers! I'm also going to say that unless Vince Young steps in for the slightly-concussed McCoy, Oklahoma will cover the spread.
UCLA -22 Notre Dame
I'm speechless. Seriously? 21 points here? My how the mighty have fallen. I have a buddy who loves the Irish and has no desire toeven watch this game. In fact, ABC may want to show Nancy Kerrigan's Haloween Skating Special instead. I'm not even sure Charlie Weis knows how to handle a 5 game losing streak. Even Michigan's ineligible player can't help the Irish win a game. Notre Dame has 2 rushing TDs, their QBs have more interceptions (5) than passing touchdowns (3), and they've only attempted four field goals this season (making just 2 of them). UCLA is 4-1, 3-0 in the PAC-10 (yes, they're in first place in USC's PAC-10) , and dismantled a Washington team that picked apart a Boise State team that has only lost one game out of their last 18. The key to this game will be quarterbacks. UCLA's are banged up, and Notre Dame's are just plain awful. On the other hand, Notre Dame can't go 0-6, can they? Unfortunately, yes, they can. And looking ahead on the schedule, they take on BC next week and then USC after that. Hey Charlie, maybe you guys should schedule Temple or Marshall next season - just a thought. UCLA covers the spread, and I might just buy the rights to www.fireweis.com myself.
GA Tech -3 Maryland
Maryland is coming off a big win at Rutgers, and is finally looking to show everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for them, they get the team that (in my opinion) is even more of a sleeper than they are - Georgia Tech. Here are the facts - the Yellowjackets have lost twice, to a VERY good BC Team (we'll see them in the Orange Bowl) and a surprising Virginia team. Yes, GA Tech has only one passing TD this season, but they have 15 on the ground (and Maryland has given up an average of 204 yards rushing and 2.3 TDs per game over their last three). Sorry, Terps, but Tashard Choice and Jonathan Dwyer are going to have a field day with you guys. I'm taking GA Tech to cover the spread.
Illinois -2 Wisconsin
As overrated as everyone thinks the Big Ten is, I'm not sure I agree with this line. Badger QB Tyler Donovan and RB P.J. Hill each have 9TDs on the year. Yes, those combined 18 scores came against the likes of Washington State and the Citadel, but you still have to be impressed. On the other side of the field, the Illini are looking to finish off Wisconsin, something they couldn't do last year as the Badger rallied for 18 points to win in Madison. This time, the games moves to Champaign, and every week, the Badgers look like they're on the brink of losing their first game. However, I think Wisconsin's defense will regroup and have enough to handle Illinois QB Juice Williams (who may have the second best name for a QB in college football). I'll take Wisconsin with the points.
The other five games . . .
Ohio State -7 Purdue - Welcome back to earth, Purdue. Congrats, you beat Notre Dame (who hasn't?) but you've never faced a team like OSU that features not one, but two running backs named Wells! I'll take the Buckeyes to cover.
Texas A&M -5.5 Oklahoma State
How cool is this? The second tier teams from each state are playing against each other too! Somehow, I don't think this one gets the same attention as the Red River Shootout. I'll go with the Aggies to cover.
USF -16 FAU
Wait, when did Florida Atlantic get good? This is the same team that went 2-9 in 2005, right? They're 3-2? Why wasn't I aware of this? This changes everything. Well, not really. FAU lost to ranked Kentucky last week, and I don't see them beating a ranked team this week. South Florida is creeping up the rankings, and should be the Big East BCS representative in January. I'll take the Bulls over the Owls.
Northern Illinois -4 Temple
This could be the week for the Owls. I'm taking Temple with the points. Seriously. Stop laughing.
Virginia -10.5 Middle Tenn
There is no way Virginia wins by less than 11 points. 1-4 MTSU has beaten Florida International this season. I guess they have one more win than Notre Dame . . . which is nice. Unfortunately, Virginia is 4-1 and boasts a big win over GA Tech. Their other three wins, not so impressive. However, I still like their chances over the Blue Raiders. I'll take Virginia giving the points.
That's it for this week - until then . . .
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