Saturday Notes in a Sunday 10/12

*The State of Mississippi must be smiling from ear to ear this morning.  After an unparallelled Saturday last week that saw both Ole Miss and Miss State beat top 10 teams, they backed it up with another excellent performance.  Ole Miss went to Kyle Field and beat the pants off of the Aggies.  The score in the 4th quarter was 35-7 before A&M added some window dressing.  The Rebel Defense forced 3 turnovers including a pick 6.  They also limited the Aggies to 1.5 yards per rush.  This unit is really, really freaking good.  In Starkville, the Bulldogs took down Auburn 38-23.  This was a sloppy game including 8 total turnovers.  Dak Prescott threw 3 INTs but MSU was able to overcome them with a sturdy ground game and stout defense.  Personally I would like to see both of these teams go undefeated, and meet in the Egg Bowl to decide who wins the SEC West and who goes to the playoff.  Then again it is completely  possible that both of these teams make the playoffs in that event.

* Baylor beat TCU 61-58 Saturday afternoon/evening, in ridiculous, come from behind fashion.  I have a few points on this game.  First, this game was entirely too long.  A 2:30 start should not end after 7, as this one did.  This game illustrates the need to have a running clock, similar to the NFL.  This would at least make games more manageable length wise for TV and fans.  I have to think it would make things far more palatable all the way around.  Secondly, the game was won in suspicious fashion.  I have long been critical of Big 12 officiating and their inequity showed in this game.  TCU went for a 4th down where a questionable call was not made.  On the following possession, Baylor had a nearly identical 3rd down and got the call.  It was absolutely horse shit and it essentially decided the game.  I hate it when the zebras essentially decide the game.  Third, am I supposed to be impressed with a win in which you allowed 58 points?  I am not.  If I am on the committee, I absolutely consider the fashion in which the game is won.  A good, playoff worthy team, does not allow 58 points to anyone.  A win is a win, I suppose, but color me not impressed with the Bears Saturday.

*I made a lot of preseason predictions.  Some are hits, and others, well, not so much.  One of which was that UCLA would be awesome, a playoff contender, and certainly the winner of the Pac 12 South.  Well I was 100% wrong on all accounts.  The Bruins are the biggest underachiever in College Football this season.  They have been terribly inconsistent, and at times, downright poor.  Saturday they took it on the chin to Oregon.  Dont let the final score fool you, at one point in the 4th quarter it was 42-10.  Oregon only faced 7 3rd downs all afternoon!!!  Kudos to the Ducks for beating this dog in every conceivable way.  That is what good teams do.  Perhaps the Bruins were taking notes.

*Say what you want about Charlie Strong and his heavy handed approach in Austin.  The man can coach a defense.  He has already turned the Horns into an excellent group.  Texas out gained Oklahoma by 250 yards and limited them to just 1 3rd down conversion in the loss at Fair Park in Dallas.  That is what happens when a team gives up both a kickoff return and a pick 6 in a ball game.  The point is, the Texas Defense is already there, thanks to coach Strong who has this unit playing with an edge.  The rest of the club needs work, and lots of it.  Going forward I am confident he will make the other units competent and along with a stout defense, make UT a winner.

*Is the honeymoon over in Lubbock for Coach Bro?  After showing a lot of promise last season, Texas Tech has had a rough first half to 2014.  Their 2 wins were over Central Arkansas and UTEP by single digits.  Their 4 losses are by totals of 21, 10, 32, and most recently 3 to West Virginia at home.  That is not a good trajectory.  I realize Kingsbury got an extension, but this start cannot give a whole lot of hope to the Red Raider faithful.  If you are a Tech fan, please weigh in.

STOCK UP
Miss State- This is the best team in the country right now.
Ole Miss- A case can be made that they should be number 1 after such an impressive road showing.Duke- A road defeat of a ranked foe lands the Blue Devils on the stock up list.
Minnesota- The Golden Gophers are 5-1 and 2-0 in league play for the first time since ’04.
Washington- A solid, sound defeat of a conference opponent.  UW is 5-1 and looking good.
Notre Dame- 6-0 again.  A date with the Noles looms.

STOCK DOWN
Illinois- Another conference game in which they were not competitive.  Is Tim Beckman going to get canned?
Missouri- Getting shut out at home makes one wonder why this team was ranked to begin with.
Oklahoma State- Any team that come close to letting Kansas beat them deserves to be on the stock down list.
Texas Tech- Coach Bro has no answers in Lubbock.
Vanderbilt- a 1 point win over Charleston Southern including 0 2nd half points.  Jeees.

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Notes and Such 3/8

*Notre Dame kicked off spring practice with perhaps the most important addition in College Football.  QB Everett Golson returns from a season in exile due to a cheating scandal could be a major player for the Irish.  Though he is only a sophomore, his importance is massive.  In Golson’s Freshman campaign, the Irish had an undefeated regular season.  Golson was the straw that stirred the drink.  Last year, under Tommy Rees, the offense lacked that true difference maker.  Golson’s stats aren’t eye popping, he completes less than 60% of his passes with a 2/1 TD to Int ratio.  Those stats aren’t great, but if you watch him he has the “it” factor.  Typically there is a lot of growth from Freshman to Sophomore year as a starting QB.  Add in another year and something special could be on tap.  If he used his season away wisely, and refined his craft, I expect a big season from him and for Notre Dame.

*The best move of the week was made by the administration at North Texas.  Dan McCarney received a 5 year extension after leading the Mean Green to a 9 win season and a bowl win.  McCarney has done a remarkable job there in Denton.  The program was in shambles when he arrived and he has rejuvenated it.  Here are North Texas’ win totals from 2005 until McCarney’s arrival in 2010: 2,3,2,1,2,3.  That is abysmal.  It doesn’t get any worse, and McCarney turned that into a 9 win team in 3 seasons.  Incredible.  The extension of McCarney is highly deserved.  I suspect with the train on the tracks, the Mean Green will see plenty of prosperity under the leadership of Coach McCarney.  The powers that be in Denton deserve major kudos for extending and further committing to him.

* An absolutely excellent read from Sam McKewon.  His knack for explaining the great game is terrific.  Once again, this article is plenty Husker-centric.  But the points he makes can be applied almost any team.  The Omaha World Herald has one of the best sports writers around.  I highly, highly recommend this article.  Its a fantastic read.
http://sports.omaha.com/2014/03/05/spring-football-tim-becks-task/#.UxfJN4VXcw8

*I’m calling it now.  Texas Tech will be sorry.  This week Tech QB Michael Brewer became a graduate transfer, eligible immediately to play.  He chose to transfer to Virginia Tech.  Last fall the Red Raiders had a 3 headed QB race which was won by Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb.  Brewer was considered 3rd.  Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma, after what he called a “miscommunication” with the staff.  Now Brewer departs, leaving only Webb, who was the most successful of the 3.  But this fall, when Webb succumbs to some type of injury and Kliff Kingsbury’s squad doesn’t have an adequate backup, they will wish they had done more to keep Michael Brewer.  Kingsbury has much to learn.  Perhaps most notably the value of a backup QB.

*Fun Nugget of the week- Over the last 20 games, Alabama leads all SEC teams with a 17-3 record.  Who is 2nd? Its a tie between South Carolina and Vanderbilt.  Vanderbilt?  Think about that a minute.

Weekly List- Top 5 Ugliest Uniforms
Like last week, this list will highlight my personal tastes.  Some will resent their inclusion on this list.  Just remember, its my list.  Don’t agree?  Chime in with your thoughts.
1)Kansas State– The Wildcats ain’t got no alibi.  The purple with the silver and that logo on the helmet is as UGLY as it gets.
2)Miami- In a word, yuck.  Whoever thought green and orange were a good combo should be fired.  Its disgusting.
3)North Carolina- Sharp, good looking basketball colors don’t seem to translate to the gridiron.  Carolina blue just isn’t a good football color.  They compensate by adding black into the mix and a stupid foot on their helmet from time to time.
4)Clemson-Purple and Orange?  That is a recipe for disaster.  The paw print is pretty cool but nothing looks good with purple and orange.  Yuck
5) Wyoming- The pee and poop color combination is impossible to overcome.  The Cowboy logo doesn’t do them any favors either.

A Couple of Thoughts From Around the Rest of the Sports World

March Madness is coming folks.  I love this event.  It is so exciting.  The first weekend of action is the best 4 non football days on the sports calender.  I always make sure I take off of work and prepare to be slothful.  The crockpot is always in use, the brews flow freely and at an unusually early hour.  Its a major event for me.  What I love most about the first weekend is the nonstop action. This game is beginning, that game is ending, there is an upset in the making over here, a game winning shot over there.  Before you know it everyone in your pool has had their bracket busted and winning the damn thing is a matter of survival.  Fantastic stuff.

This week my Nebraskteball team went to Bloomington Indiana for a very important game.  The Huskers won, thankfully.  But my big takeaway was the gloriousness of Assembly Hall.  That place is a true gem, and their fans are as enthusiastic as any nationwide.  This years Hoosiers will not be mixed in with the best of all time.  Yet when it came time to make noise for the home team, they answered the bell.  Hoosier fans should be awfully proud of that venue and the spirit their squad demonstrated the other night.  This observer was left in awe.

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Looking ahead to week 8

Its going to awful hard to top last week.  There were upsets all over the place and thrilling finishes galore.  This week has an awful lot to live up to.  Lets take a look at some top matchups.

Texas Tech @ West Virginia- A few weeks ago I wrote off the Mountaineers.  I figured they were Dog feces after getting shut out by Maryland.  Then they beat the bejesus out of Oklahoma State in Morgan town.  This shocked the hell out of me and has restored my faith in them.  The Red Raiders will be starting their second Freshman QB in Davis Webb.  I think its going to be too much for Tech and they fall to West Virginia.

Florida @ Missouri- Do the Tigers have the maturity to forget about last week’s MONSTER win and focus on a team at home minus James Franklin?  I say no.  Give me the Gators.  Their Defense will feast on a backup QB.

Auburn @ Texas A&M- The Aggies are coming off an absolute thriller in Oxford.  It was perhaps the most excititng game I have watched this season.  This week Auburn comes to town for a game that will not be short on firepower.  The Auburn Offense is averaging 287 yards per game while The Aggie Defense ranks 96th in the country for points allowed.  We know The Aggs can score but can they come up with the necessary stops to win the game?  I don’t think so.  This game is my upset special.

UCLA @ Stanford- The big stunner last weekend has Stanford losing to Utah.  There is no time for a hangover for The Cardinal as this week they get a very good UCLA team.  UCLA is led by Brett Hundley whose Offense is averaging 45 points per game.  But the Bruins have yet to play a Defense like this one.  The Stanford front 7 is as good as any in the country.  This one will be fascinating.  Give me the home team.

USC @ Notre Dame- A classic matchup even though neither team is very good.  Give me Notre Dame.

Washington @ Arizona State- The Huskies have to forget about last weekends loss to Oregon and take to the road against the Sun Devils.  Arizona State smoked Colorado last week but Washington will be a much tougher test.  This game pits 2 terrific QBs against each other.  Taylor Kelly and Keith Price are 2 of the best this conference has to offer.  Ill take Price to take his team on the road and come out with a victory.

LSU @ Ole Miss- I still think Ole Miss is a good team despite 3 straight losses.  They are simply in a tough stretch in a tough league with a TON of young players.  This team is still dangerous to a team like LSU.  After a big game against Florida perhaps LSU comes out a bit flat.  I like the Tigers in this one but I think it will be closer than most experts would have you believe.

Florida State @ Clemson- This one is going be be fantastic.  2 great teams, both with a ton at stake.  I think whoever wins is a frontrunner in the National Title chase.  Clemson has the edge at QB with Boyd.  He has the skins on the wall and thus the upper hand.  Clemson is also at home.  But give me the Seminoles in this one.  I think the bright lights might be a bit much for the Tigers.  Either way this one is a cant miss.

looking ahead to week 3

Looking back I think that was a pretty good week of football, especially for week 2.  Georgia impressed me the most in their GIGANTIC win over South Carolina.  I think the BYU/Texas game was the biggest surprise.  I thought BYU was pretty good and that Texas was overated, I even thought the Cougars would keep it close.  But I could have never predicted what went down.  Lets take a look ahead to week 3.

TCU @ Texas Tech (Thursday)- TCU loses Casey Pachall, and has to go with Trevon Boykin full time.  The crowd in Lubbock will be electric.  This one will be fun.

UCLA @ Nebraska- The Bruins roll into Lincoln where questions surround the Defense.  Needless to say Im jacked about this game.  The key for the Huskers will be slowing down Brett Hundley.

Alabama @ Texas A&M- The coverage of this game will be nauseating.  I sense many people are going to be really let down by this one.  The A&M defense is a real question mark.

Tennessee @ Oregon- Butch Jones and the Volunteers head out west.  Can the Vols pose any kind of challenge to the Speedy Ducks?  Probably not

Iowa @ Iowa St.- The Cy-Hawk series is always fun to watch.  Even when the teams arent very good.  These two dont like one another.  I think Iowa takes it to State.

Ohio St. @ Cal- Northwestern went out there an handled their business.  Now we get to see the Buckeyes go out there and play the very same team.  That is worth keeping an eye on.

Washington @ Illinois- 2 teams that have impressed in the early season square off.  Give me the Huskies in this one.

Boston College @ USC- Fire Kiffin!!!!

Ole Miss @ Texas- After Ole Miss the Horns have K-State and Oklahoma.  If Texas loses Saturday it could mean the train is coming off the tracks in Austin.  That alone is reason enough to watch.  Oh wait its on the Longhorn Network, so you probably wont see it.

Wisconsin @ Arizona St.- Perhaps the best game of the week.  Im interested in both of these squads but havent gotten the chance.  Ill put on a pot of coffee for this one.

GAMBLERS CORNER– a few lines to keep an eye on.  Last week I went 4 of 5 on my suggested lines.  God Damn Gamecocks.
Texas Tech +3 vs. TCU
Stanford -28.5 @ Army
Arkansas -22 vs. Southern Miss
Tennessee +28.5 @ Oregon
Notre Dame -21 @ Purdue

Oh brother

Its not football season until you feel the remorse of a bad wager.  Well, its football season here.  I took Texas Tech -5 in  Dallas @ SMU.  This game is unique in that the 2 starting Qbs went to the same high school.  Lake Travis High School in Austin is a football power for years and has produced many terrific player.  Anyway its tied at 3 early on but the Ponies offense is moving the ball with ease.  It looks like my parlay will go down in flames before it ever stood a chance.  Oh brother.

Sunday Ponderings

A few thoughts come to mind.  Disregard them if you wish.

My sports betting website came out with lines for week 1.  Here are a few that struck my fancy.

Texas Tech -6 @ SMU.  Kliff Kingsberry will want to make a point in his first game.  Not to mention that Tech is just plain better than SMU.  I don’t think the Ponies are any good anyway.

Ohio +21@ Louisville.  Ohio is a solid team and Im just not sold on Louisville.  I’m not saying the Fightin’ Frankies will beat the Cards but that is awful big number.

Nebraska -28 vs. Wyoming- seems doable but I lack the stones to bet on my boys.

Iowa -3 vs Northern Illinois-  Am I missing something here?  The Orange bowl participant is an underdog to a team that didnt qualify for a bowl?

Wisconsin -44.5 vs. Umass.  Good lord that’s a big number.

Of course I don’t advocate gambling.  These spreads are for entertainment purposes only.

Jen Floyd Engel once again shows why she is the worst columnist in sports.  In the following article she compares Johnny (autographed) Football with Rosa Parks.  File this away in the “you’ve got to be fucking kidding me” file.

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/johnny-manziel-case-was-tipping-point-in-ncaa-hypocrisy-080813

Paying college players is a hot button issue at the moment.  I for one wouldn’t mind seeing the players receive some kind of compensation.  I wouldn’t want it to be excessive, but a little pocket money wouldn’t bother me one bit.  I’m sure it would bother players in non revenue generating sports who wouldn’t receive these benefits.  It would bother the schools who currently aren’t paying players.  But for the casual fan like me, I would be fine with it.  How to make it work is the real chore.  Any suggestions?  I’m all ears

I must say I’m glad college football doesn’t have preseason games.  The NFL’s preseason provides too much in terms of curbing my appetite for its product.  When college football arrives Ill be so starved for it that I will watch any piece of crap game ESPN rolls out in front of me.  Once the NFL starts if I don’t like the game, I can generally pass.  Sure the early season in college football can be a bit sloppy, but its sloppy for everyone.  This is why conference play shouldn’t start for a few weeks.  Let teams get their feet wet, then start the meaningful games which will determine conference champions.

We are down to 20 days until the first Saturday folks.  I’m sure you can tell I’m excited.