I plowed through at least fifteen sheets of paper reviewing schedules, injuries, win-loss records, and returning starters.  I had no less than twelve different “final” lists, most of them completely different than the previous.  Interestingly enough, of all the teams that were added and removed, the only two teams that never wavered were Boise State and TCU.  My oh my how things have changed.

So without further ado, here is my prediction for what it’ll all look like when January comes and goes:

1. Ohio State
2. Auburn
3. Boise State
4. Texas
5. TCU
6. Florida
7. Iowa
8. Nebraska
9. Virginia Tech
10. Oklahoma

Yeah yeah, I know… trust me, I hate it too. Ohio State??? Seriously?  Yeah, but I couldn’t find with a better answer.  Alabama?  Nah, too many losses on defense and facing six rested teams coming off their bye week is (a) incredible, and (b) almost sure to provide at least one loss, and probably two.  I had Georgia in Florida’s spot until their star running back was arrested (I think this change occurred somewhere around list number eight).

And of course there’s the glaring lack of a Pac 10 team. I had Oregon firmly planted on almost every list I made, but the more I thought about Oregon sans Masoli, flashes of Oregon san Dixon kept flashing in my head and what a disaster that was.  A 10 – 2 Oregon makes the top 10, but a 9 – 3 team does not, and three losses is very possible.  That being said, Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma all have a very real chance of ending the year with two or fewer losses each, so hedging my bet, I rolled with three Big 12 schools and figure I’ll get at least two of them right, even though I have no clue which two it’ll be – at least that’s the theory.

Now onto the first week of action.  Despite what some have said (http://www.260hitters.com/?p=457), week one actually has an array of compelling matchups.

Pitt travels to Salt Lake City for possibly the most overlooked game of the week, as Utah seeks to dethrone TCU in the Utes final season in the Mountain West, while Pitt enters the year as the team with the target on their back in the Big East.  Pitt wins, but it won’t be easy.

Illinois and Mizzou face off in their traditional season opener that has become less and less relevant in world where the Big 12 North is always second fiddle (you heard me, Nebraska) and the Big Eleven hasn’t trembled at anything outside of the States of Ohio or Iowa (you heard me, Penn State).

Connecticut v. Michigan should be a fun game to watch as one team is rising rapidly in stature, threatening the establishment of their conference while the other is struggling to just find the win column and not continue the embarrassment of poor hiring practices and even worse records.  With Michigan favored by three, I took Connecticut on this game, but mostly just out of spite.

TCU looks to take advantage of Oregon State’s terrible road record in September, hosting the Beavers at Cowboy stadium in Arlington.  With the Horned Frogs eyeballing a trip to Glendale in January, a win over a ranked opponent to kick off the season should certainly help them on their path.  Let’s just hope the Beavers decide to show up dressed (link).  TCU wins by 17 (at least).  On a quick side note, with the addition of Boise State, the Mountain West Conference had its chance to really emerge as a legit conference only to be thwarted with the loss of Utah to the Pac 10 and BYU going all Indy on us.  That being said, this may be TCU’s year to edge its way into the title game as voters are more willing to look at a MWC team or Boise than ever before… but first they’ve gotta win.

The pirates of the Texas plains set sail without their Captain, as Mike Leach stays in Federal court while Tommy Tubberville assumes the helm of the pass happy, defense light, and unpredictable Red Raiders of Texas Tech.  Interestingly enough the Texas Tech AD retires after 14 years at the school and cowtowing an a 3^rd rate ESPN analyst.  I’d have given anything to be a fly on the wall on during the conversations that led to his dismissal.  For Tech’s handling of the situation alone, I hope the Red Raiders go 0 – 12, and facing off against SMU, they very well might be on their way.  Odds on Craig James doing that game anyone?

BCS buster Navy, yeah, I know, faces their first challenge (and potentially the downfall of my picks season) against the Terrapins of Maryland.  Navy’s spread offense is always fun to watch as they put Notre Dame in their place last year and came within inches of destroying Ohio State’s dream of a Roses, expectations for Navy are high, and so should the score.  Navy wins.

LSU and North Carolina is the ESPN Game Day location this week, and should prove to be a good game, but with LSU predicted to finish fourth in the SEC West, you know Les Miles and crew has a chip on their shoulder and North Carolina is extremely overrated in a conference that has some serious contenders – they just aren’t one of them.  LSU by 10.

Game of the Week

You can’t beat two top 10 teams facing each other in week one. Even if pre-season rankings are more useless than the Vice Presidency (bucket of warm spit anyone?), I think few would argue that Boise State and Virginia Tech finding their way onto the list was no misguided effort.  Facing off at the “neutral site” of the Hokies back yard (Washington DC), I have no doubt there’ll be more than a little (no pun intended) smurf blue in those stands, and a Bronco team that came ready to play.  Virginia Tech loses, and they have eleven games to work their way back into the Top 10… Boise State loses, and they’re done. Has Boise proven their worthiness over time? Absolutely, but as long as their schedule is in the WAC (i.e. one more year), then one loss is all it’ll take to keep Boise on the outside looking in.  Boise State wins, and wins with some flare… hopefully without the post game sucker punch.

Of course all that excitement is quickly diminished when Alabama takes on San Jose State, Texas takes on Rice and Ohio State faces Marshall.  Not exactly the mind bending excitement fans crave, but every team wants another week of practice before things start to get serious.  ‘Tis reality of simply winning at all costs, knowing it’s the only way to the BCS title game.  And with that comes non-conference scheduling, and my oh my, this year is no exception.

Let’s take a look at the non-conference schedules of Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon and Virginia Tech (each team favored to win their conference, and therefore need undefeated non-conference schedules for a trip to Glendale).

Alabama: San Jose St, Penn State, Duke, Georgia State (yes, that’s an actual school)
Ohio State: Marshall, Miami, Ohio, Eastern Michigan
Texas: Rice, Wyoming, UCLA, Florida Atlantic
Oregon: New Mexico, Tennessee, Portland State
Virginia Tech: Boise State, East Carolina, Central Michigan

Now I’ll admit that each of these schools has at least one “good” team on their schedule, but come on, how can you play Georgia State, Portland State, Rice, or Central Michigan, win the National Title and not stare at it knowing you completely worked the system to get there?  Because everyone else is doing it?

Well, at least we don’t have to talk, write or even think about USC this year.  Except to enjoy watching Lane Kiffin get what’s coming to him, in addition to all those numbers racking up in the L column.

Who’s Worth Watching

No doubt Alabama is the team to beat this year. Sure they replaced some key starters, but with the reigning Heisman winner and starting quarterback both returning to the lineup, the Tide should certainly keep on rolling.  Their first test will come in the second week as they host Penn State.  A fun little note about Alabama’s schedule, after Week Six, Alabama faces Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi State, skip a week and then Auburn.  Each of those schools face Alabama after a BYE week.  So all five schools should we well rested and ready to take their shot at de-throwning the reigning conference and national champions.

Ohio State seems to be the favorite pick for the Big 10 champion and National title game participant, at least everywhere outside of Michigan.  I’m less convinced of their supremacy, especially with Wisconsin and Iowa both hosting the Buckeyes while the Badgers and Hawkeyes each have Roses in their eyes and plenty of talent to back it up.  Not saying the Bucks won’t make it, but the road will be neither smooth nor easy.

Texas QB Gilbert has a total of one game under his belt, and it was a game he never wished for… at least not the way it came.  With the loss of their record setting QB, second greatest wide receiver in school history, and a slew of talent on defense, Texas appears just as much a wild card for the BCS as TCU or Boise.

Oregon looks to make a run on a wide open Pac-10, but without Masoli behind center, the Ducks may have more issues than just their terrible uniforms to worry about this year, especially with UCLA, Stanford and Arizona all eyeballing the Rose Bowl this year.

TCU, Iowa, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Arizona, Miami, and Navy (yes, Navy) all have BCS potential, while teams with ridiculously high and undeserving pre-season rankings such as Georgia Tech, Oregon State, and North Carolina likely have no direction but down in their future.

Conference on Top

Some have suggested that the ACC may be the toughest conference in the NCAA this year.  Yeah, I about spit my coffee out with that one too.  Sometimes I think that picking teams or conferences this far in advance is like watching trainers at your local gym.  Some are creative just for the sake of being creative, offering absolutely nothing in terms of sound logic, reason, or most of all, results.

The Big 10 seems to be working its way out of “rebuilding” mode (sans Michigan and Purdue) and making another run on greatness while the Big 12 has consistently shown itself to make an excellent bride’s made since the exit of Vince Young.

The Pac 10 rates somewhere below the Mountain West, though both conferences will get a boost when the realignment takes place and Utah and Boise both slide into their new conferences respectively.

All the talk, chatter and predictions are great, but if you want results, the SEC reigns supreme, and you know it kills me to put that in writing. Hard to argue with four national titles in four years, and it not like the Big 10 and Big 12 didn’t have their shots, they simply failed to capitalize.  So until someone steps up and removes the SEC with actual wins and not lame excuses or arguments, watch out for Alabama, Florida or any number of contenders from the deep south to charge into Glendale with a simple statement… “put up or shut up.”

“My son is an awesome player,” said Craig James, current ESPN analyst and football has-been. “So what if he doesn’t want to work hard, has substandard receiving numbers, and may drop five or ten passes a game, he deserves more.”

When asked about feelings regarding the demise of his alma mater, current Tech QB Taylor Potts responded, “James is getting routes across the middle as I lob them high and slow (this weekend).”

Qualified candidates to replace Mike Leach have been put on notice that, though the university might pursue and hire you, clashes in personality, ego, and not playing kids with certain last names will result in your termination just in time for bonuses to not be paid.

The Texas Tech football program is survived by Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree, and an empty trophy case.

A look back:

Wreck ‘em Tech!

BYU crushing Oregon State? It’s a start!
Wisconsin upsetting Miami? Sure, that’s pretty good.
Texas Tech suspending Mike Leach! Now we’re talking!

Since Leach is a lawyer and is in a court room as I type this article, let’s review the facts of the case. Adam James, a third-string receiver for Texas Tech, suffered a mild concussion on Dec. 16 and was sent to walk the track for the remainder of practice. On Dec. 17, James showed up to practice wearing sunglasses saying his doctor said it would help. In order to assist with his need to be out of the sun, Leach sent him to the equipment room for the duration of practice … and yes, accounts by all who have actually been there (minus Adam James), it’s an equipment room … not a shed, not a closet. No one is denying this happened … not James, not Leach.

Now let’s review the more important facts. Adam James’ dad is crybaby ESPN reporter Craig James, who is known at Texas Tech for complaining to the coaching staff and university officials frequently about his son’s playing time (“like a little league dad”). One other tidbit, Texas Tech AD Gerald Myers and Leach hate each other.

James’ complained to Myers, Myers told Leach to apologize, Leach refused, Myers suspended Leach. Got it? Is Tech going to fire Leach over this? Not if they have half a brain and don’t want a student, faculty, and alumni revolt on their hands. Is ESPN going to fire Craig James? Probably … and hopefully they’ll send Lou Holtz packing as well.

Now back to football.

Badger fanatic and long-time .260 Hitters reader Larry G. needed the .260 Hitters bump for Wisconsin’s matchup against Miami last night, and to make sure he got it, Larry flew in from Chicago to watch the game in my living room. Smart move on his part as the Badgers defense clobbered Miami, punching them in the face early and often. I guess being fast doesn’t do you much good when you’re constantly face down in the grass.

My inexplicable affinity for BYU only increased after a three-day trip to Salt Lake City earlier this month. Beautiful mountains, extremely polite citizens, not a piece of trash on the street … what’s not to like? Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to make the quick trip south to Provo, home of Max “I hate Utah and everything about them” Hall and the BYU Cougars. I did however, get to see them destroy Oregon State. Being that I don’t know the secret Mormon handshake, I’m pretty sure my opinion doesn’t count, but I’ve already started collecting signatures for Max Hall to be the next prophet.

On to games that haven’t been played yet … how about Oklahoma v. Stanford. The Stanford QB is out — who cares. How hard can it be to turn around and give it to the real Heisman winner Toby Gerhart? A cheerleader could do that. OU hasn’t had its QB all season, or the 13 other injured starters. Then you add the “who cares” factor. OU expected to put itself in that January 7 game. Now it’s 7 – 5 playing in El Paso… Stanford won this game before it ever began.

Keeping on the upset train, so far I’ve nailed BYU, Utah and Wisconsin (missing with my Texas A&M picks, thanks for that one Aggies), I’m going on a limb and picking Tennessee to beat Virginia Tech. It’s more SEC v. ACC than anything else, but this is one I just feel – which is about as reliable as thoughtful analysis, especially during bowl season.

Toughest game to call this season is no doubt tonight’s matchup between Arizona v. Nebraska. No. 20 v. No. 22… Pac 10 v. High school offense with a NFL-caliber defense. My money is on Arizona, but only because I think the Wildcats will score about nine points, and that should be more than enough against the Huskers.

In other games, I’m taking Ole Miss over Okie Lite, Texas Tech over Michigan State, Penn State over LSU, and Northwestern over Auburn.

For the BCS bowls, my picks are as follows:

Rose Bowl: Oregon over Ohio State. I just don’t have any faith in Ohio State, and Oregon has been looking really good.

Fiesta Bowl: TCU over Boise. TCU is just as good as Texas or Alabama this year, and it plans to show it.

Sugar Bowl: Cincinnati over Florida was my original pick. Then Urban said he was resigning after the game due to health reasons, which gave Cincy ZERO chance of winning. Then Urban went all Brett Favre and un-resigned, taking a leave of absence til the season started in an “I want to coach but not do the work” kind of move. That puts me back to Cincy, since Urban has plummeted down and off my list of likeable coaches.

Orange Bowl: My heart says Iowa, but my money says Georgia Tech.

Nat’l Title: The smart money is on Alabama. That being said, in 2005 the smart money was on USC and we all know how that turned out, but in the words of an anonymous Texas fan that I happen to live with, “yeah, but we had Vince Young then.” Well said.

I’m no Ducks fan. I was elated to see Boise stomp them in the season opener and giddy when Blount started throwing left hooks, yet I’ve noticed that I keep saying “I’m no Ducks fan, but…” What’s going on with all the buts? Then the camera panned to the 80K+ in Autzen stadium going absolutely crazy and it dawned on me. Ducks fans are true football fans, through and through. Unlike certain regional teams that I know of, where there’s a huge difference between a stadium when their team is 10 – 0 v. when they are 8 – 2 … not for the Ducks faithful, where every game is a game worth going to, staying long, and being loud. Granted, 75% of them are high on something – and it isn’t life – but you can’t blame them, they do live in Oregon. But if those nut jobs in Autzen aren’t inspiring, they are at the very least admirable. So yes, Go Ducks.

Oregon 37
Oregon State 34

In other games that matter, Cincinnati and Pitt launched an offensive showcase in weather conditions made for 3 – 2 scoring charts. After 58 minutes of play, Pitt went up 44 – 38, but PAT placeholder Andrew Jaocko managed to drop the perfect snap, placing Pitt in jeopardy of Natti’s incredibly effective offense. The remaining one minute and 39 seconds was all it took … well, it really took about one minute and three seconds for Cincy to drive, score, and yes, make the PAT for the win. If kickers are the most lonesome players on the team, where does that put the placeholder after going all Tony Romo circa 2007 playoffs?

The spread for the Big East title game was zero … Cincy won by a point. Amazing? Sure. FYI, the spread for the ACC title game was one, and the Fresno v. Illinois game was zero … the games ended with a spread of three and one, respectively. Now that’s just freaky.

Coaches’ Corner

Another note to you kids who want to be a big-time college football coach one day. When you take over a program and destroy it from being the most winning team in school history into one with consecutive losing seasons, a feat not accomplished since the 1960s, don’t talk. Just shut your piehole and maybe dust-off those books on how to win. And certainly, under no circumstances, go all melodramatic and compare what your team is going through to New Orleans and Katrina.

That’s right, he did. Your favorite coach (and mine) Rich Rodriguez, speaking at a team banquet, said, “It’s really kind of ironic that the New Orleans Saints overcame the hurricane a few years back. And we’ve had a few hurricanes of our own. We had a big hurricane in August, and it kind of hit us like a ton of bricks. But you had 120 young men and a bunch of people on the staff that said this is not going to tear our program apart.” He goes on and on with the analogy, digging that hole deeper and deeper. Nice comparison, genius, because in Michigan’s case, you ARE Katrina.

Back to football

While the SEC and Big East showed offensive flare, the Big 12 title game got down into the trenches, battling for each precious point.  At one point Nebraska finally seemed to seal the deal with a field goal to put the Huskers ahead by two with under two minutes to play. Unfortunately for them, a kickoff out of bounds and follow-up horse collar tackle put the Longhorns in field-goal range virtually without having to make a single play. But it wasn’t that simple for the Longhorns.

Texas golden boy Colt McCoy went all Les Miles with his clock management skills, rolling right and nonchalantly lobbing a 30-yard pass into the bleachers as the clock struck zero. Luckily for the Longhorns, the referee put one second back on the clock and the Texas kicker nailed a 46-yarder for the win. After the game, Colt told ABC, “I knew I had plenty of time…” Um, no you didn’t.

Was the referee right to put that second back on the clock? Sure. Does that mean Nebraska won’t stew about this for the next eight months with the mantra “We were one second away”? Nope. Sound familiar, anyone?

On a follow-up note, Texas better figure out something fast because though Nebraska’s defense is stout, it’s no Alabama … just ask Timmy.

Speaking of Bama, those fools from Tuscaloosa almost made the SEC title game look easy, routing national title favorite Florida 32 – 13. Tebow threw for 247 yards and rushed for 63, but red-zone performance was abysmal, including an end-zone interception. Bama just had too many rounds in its chamber, racking up almost 500 yards of offense, plus a 79-yard kickoff return, ending the longest current winning streak in college football.

And with that ends the college football regular season, minus one brouhaha scheduled for next Saturday, when the men of our nation’s military take the field, dedicated to selfless service to our country, placing honor, duty, and loyalty above contracts and sponsorships, destined to defend our country with their blood, sweat, and possibly their lives. Oh, and the other team on the field will be Navy.

GO ARMY!

Friday morning as the women folk prepared to go shopping, my mother came to give me with the bad news. Missing was a portable DVD player and various other items — nothing devastating, but certainly not a great start to my football-intensive day. But there’s more…

All great criminals (fictional and non) leave a calling card. Jack the Ripper had his grape stems, the Zodiac Killer sent cryptograms, the Joker and his Joker cards … you get the idea. Apparently the criminal masterminds who perpetrated this crime had seen a little too much TV and decided to leave their own calling card of sorts – their cell phone. That’s right. Right there on the driver’s seat, taunting me saying “bet you can’t catch me!” So what do I do? I pull up the ole address book, scroll, find the entry for “mom” and hit “dial.”

Oh, but it gets better. The phone didn’t belong to the perp, it belong to the perp’s mom. Oh yes. So “mom” was actually grandma. Suckers.

I got a name, I got a number, I got an address. Grandma was very helpful.

Next I call Norman’s finest, who respond with significantly more expeditiousness than I expected. I provided the evidence (cell phone) and information I had acquired. A neighbor joined us who had also been broken into, then out of the blue the cop asks me if I lost a DVD player. Why yes I did! Well, the idiots had been caught, were already in juvie being held, and they had property from what police estimated to be more than a dozen thefts. Genius!

Texas might have OU’s number in football, but when it comes to crime fighting, Norman wins hands down. Don’t agree? Let’s not forget the two dead bodies found in west campus with multiple knife wounds that Austin PD was treating as “suspicious.” Thanks Barney, go ahead and take the bullet from your pocket and load it up.

So back to the task at hand, off I go to the police station. While there, the owner of the cell phone left in my car also arrived. Let’s just say she and I didn’t exactly become best friends while in the waiting area. Property acquired minus a few trivial items, information given to the cops, I said I’d be happy to come back to testify or flip the switch, whatever they needed. I left. “Mom” was still in the waiting room.

Oklahoma 27
Oklahoma State 0

The Sooners might have come within a nose hair of going 6 – 6 this season, but it certainly wasn’t going to be on account of Mike Gundy and crew visiting from Stillwater. If there’s one place the Sooners don’t lose, it’s Norman, Oklahoma (but they certainly don’t mind losing any place else).

The weekend kicked off with a real defensive struggle between Texas and Texas A&M, ending in a soccer score of 49 – 39. It’s not every day that the Horns’ defense gives up more than 500 yards of offense, but thankfully the Aggie kicker couldn’t hit the side of a barn from the inside, nailing the coffin shut and greasing the Longhorns’ trip to Dallas for the Big XII finals against Nebraska.

Auburn put the scare in Alabama, leading the game until the final drive, when suddenly the Tigers’ defense decided to quit playing and let the Tide waltz into the end zone, ending the game and my dreams of TCU making the National Title game. Of course, FSU still had its game against Florida, but there’s a difference between hope and insanity.

BYU and Utah went down to the wire, as the Cougars edged-out the Utes by three in overtime. Apparently payback is a dish best served in the end zone, as Max Hall had a few comments regarding Utah and its treatment of his family during last year’s matchup. 

“I don’t like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything,” Hall said Saturday. “It felt really good to send those guys home.”

The Cougars (No. 14 BCS, No. 16 AP) beat the Utes (No. 25 BCS) for the third time in four years, and it was the last regular-season game of the senior’s career.

“I think the whole university and their fans and the organization is classless,” Hall added. “They threw beer on my family and stuff last year and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don’t respect them and they deserved to lose.” Well said.

Speaking of overtime, that was the mode of choice in the SEC as Tennessee and LSU both required a few extra minutes to put away Kentucky and Arkansas, respectively.

Kansas had the end of its six-game losing streak in hand, only to let it slip away in the final moments, extending its loss-o-rama to seven, placing Mangino’s legacy and employment in jeopardy, despite being named coach of the year a mere two season ago.

UCLA gave it the ole college try, but just didn’t have enough horses in the stable as USC continued its reign over LA, ending the match 28 – 7. Though not the most noteworthy game of the week, it does provide us with a learning point, so gather ’round kids.

Those of you who desire to be a football coach when you grow up, take note of Rick Neuheisel. When you are losing by two touchdowns with less than a minute to play and the other team has the ball and is content to just kneel and run the clock out, go ahead and let them. Don’t call timeout and try to force them to move the ball or punt like our buddy Ricky did. Because if you do, this might happen:

Keeping it on the West coast, if you missed Notre Dame v. Stanford, you missed a hell of a game. (ND 38, Stanford 45) Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart is a workhorse, moving the ball 205 yards on 29 times, racking up three touchdowns and even some Heisman chatter. I felt sorry for each linebacker who unsuccessfully tried to square-up against that freight train.

Of course it was only fitting that Charlie should lose the last game of his college career, as he dodged the media after the game, instead opting to let his players face the heat while he cowered in the locker room. You stay classy Charlie.

He was fired Monday.

1. Down by two scores, so you quickly get a TD with less than two minutes to play.
2. Successfully recover an onside kick.
3. 4th and 26, desperation play as the clock ticks down, pass to the five-yard line, one second on the clock
4. Field goal for the win… I MEAN, you have your QB spike the ball.

Brilliant. Because I guess Les Miles thought the clock doesn’t start on snap when he doesn’t want it to? We’ll skip the three paragraphs at what a mentally unstable, destined for a straight jacket, bonehead that man is, and let his decision-making speak for itself. Now, I was in New Orleans for about 48 hours before the game, so I’d like to think that my disdain for LSU wore off just a little and somehow contributed to the overall demise of Les “Let ‘er rip” Miles. Yes. Geaux Tigers.

If you’re curious about whether he really told his QB to spike the ball , start watching below at the 1:23 mark … Les’ story may say “no,” but the video says “yes.”

I got another number for you, Texas 51, Kansas 20. Ouch.

Or, do you like apples? Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma 13. How do you like them apples?

As the degradation of the Big 12 continues, Oklahoma is on pace for a 6 – 6 season, while the really “crazy” predictors had them at 8 – 4 this year, others had them in the title game, and yet crazier folks had them winning the title game. That’s a long way from 6 – 6, which is where the Sooners are destined to be after losing for the third time at home during Bob Stoops’ tenure at Oklahoma State. National title game to 6 – 6 in just eleven short months. Interesting.

Stanford was blinded by Roses and glory and forgot to win. With all the talk of Stanford’s rise to greatness (defeating USC and Oregon), the Cardinals slipped into euphoric Rose Bowl dreams while the Cal Bears came to town and took care of business. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

So either the Iowa defense is made of legendary player sure to go down in the college football hall of fame, or Minnesota’s offense is so horrible it couldn’t score on a Pop Warner team. How many tries does it take to score from the two-yard line? Apparently the answer is significantly more than four, as the Gophers proved so ineffective in the red zone it kind of made moving the ball those first 80 yards seem silly. It was actually painful to watch.

Florida and Bama beat up on FIU and Chattanooga, respectively. Good quality November football for sure.

Michigan managed to ensure back-to-back losing seasons – a feat not accomplished in Ann Arbor since the 1960s (RichRod bucking yet another tradition).

Don’t look now, but Temple is 9 – 2. Yeah, I didn’t believe it either.

Arizona took the Ducks of Oregon into double overtime before finally succumbing to a late-night field goal. The Wildcats also were in a position to grab some Pac 10 title, but as with Stanford, they forgot to win, which is what counts in any system on Earth, except, of course, the BCS .

Utah, BYU and TCU all took care of business. Army laid the wood to North Texas – yeah, that’s right.

Oh, and lookout. Apparently trick plays are now considered unsportsmanlike conduct in the Mountain West…

Ole Northwestern, that’s the “Stanford and Notre Dame are ok, but we’ve been kicking butt for years” Northwestern, wandered into Madison and showed the Badgers a thing or two about racking up a W, and not on a helmet, but where it counts … on the scoreboard.

And last but not least, when I was picking the games that Notre Dame would win and lose this year, I’m pretty sure their home game against UCONN was in the “W” column. Oops. Double overtime. Heisman candidate QB on one side. Big East record of 1 – 4 on the other. Let’s just say talent isn’t Notre Dame’s issue.

Parting Shot

As the year winds down and Texas, Florida, and Bama all keep winning, the Mountain West is poised to get shafted yet again. After Utah went undefeated and followed up with a good ole fashioned butt whipping of Bama in the Sugar bowl, the BCS apparently is incapable of learning any lessons at all, as TCU is likely destined to the same fate. The US Supreme Court tossed out discrimination decades ago, but it’s alive and well in college football.

Let’s start with the Texas / TCU discussion. Both are undefeated. Both have beaten ranked teams. Texas is No. 3 in the BCS standings, TCU is No. 4. To date, Texas has played two ranked teams: a No. 20 Oklahoma (now unranked) 16 – 13 and a No. 14 Oklahoma State 41 – 14. TCU beat No. 16 BYU (now No. 22) 38 – 7 and a No. 16 Utah 55 – 28. While Texas fans get excited about their chances in January, there’s little doubt that some question marks exist, as many wonder which Texas team will show up on any given Saturday. With that, if you have $10,000 to bet on Texas v. TCU at a neutral site, where would your money go? The question isn’t as easy to answer as you think.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan man turned Spartan slayer, took his Cardinal (it’s so weird not calling them “the Cardinals”) into the Coliseum and whipped some Trojan … er … butt. Funny how a 55 – 21 throttling on the road only gets you ranked one place higher than the team you vanquished, even with identical overall records. Oh the snobbery and resistance shown by voters in believing anyone is better than USC, including the three teams that have beaten them this year. “Nerds v. spoiled children” was how the game was described to me … and the nerds won.

Mr. Harbaugh, however, likely will have some decisions to make while his name is floating around the top of the proverbial list and sources have revealed that Rich Rod will be soon out of work. Shocking, I know, but as an 8 – 4 season morphed into a 5 – 7 finish, the “powers that be” seem to have had enough of his smug “It’s my way or the highway” ‘tude – especially when his way is 5 – 7. I heard WVU is looking for a new coach.

Speaking of looking for a new coach, that same birdie said Charlie my man Weis is on the same chopping block. After back-to-back losses to Navy and Pitt, and 2009 powerhouse Stanford remaining on the schedule, assistant coaches everywhere are dusting off the ole resume and converting to Catholicism, hoping to land a similar deal to the $18 million payout Charlie will get when he’s canned. Say what you will about his coaching, the man can negotiate a contract!

Back to football … it took Ohio State an overtime period at home to finally knock-off Iowa’s fourth-string team. With as many injuries as the Hawkeyes have suffered this year, it was amazing they even had enough players to field 11 on each side of the ball, but field they did, and stuck it too the Buckeyes for four quarters despite somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 dropped passes and three turnovers. But with the win comes another Buckeye Big Eleven title (assuming a win over Michigan, which we all know about assumptions, so let’s just call it a probable event), and a trip to the Rose Bowl to play … Oregon?

Oregon, oh Oregon, one day you are pathetic, then you’re hot. Next you’re horrific, then you’re unstoppable. What is your magic potion that you forget to take half of the time? Home Field Advantage, that’s what. The Duck’s Autzen stadium is a madhouse. Being cooped up inside for 11 months a year or deciding to chain yourselves together to save a tree that provides your father’s livelihood (and the clothes on your back) must result in a lot of pent-up aggression (no pun intended, Blount) that Duck fans unleash once they are lined up in a row (pun totally intended) and the game begins. Every big win the Ducks have had (three ranked teams) have been at home, while both losses, also against ranked teams, happened on the road. Good for the fans, bad for the bowl season.

Want to see a team that could win out and play in a BCS bowl game? God help me for saying this… Okie Lite. Good lord, what would a BCS stadium do with all that camouflage? The Cowboys are riding a 8 – 2 record (sorry, I can’t help the play on words today, it’s more a curse than a gift), with Colorado and Oklahoma left on the schedule. Win out and a 10 – 2 record could very well land them in the Fiesta Bowl. Granted there’s a lot of football still to play, and they aren’t a lock by any stretch, but this is probably the closest they’ve even been to January football.

TCU should win out and will play in the Sugar bowl (sad). Boise State may very well get an at large bid as well, though it doesn’t deserve it. Cincinnati has been entirely overlooked in all of this (it IS undefeated you know) and the Big East is rated higher than the Big 12 this year (deservingly so). Let’s not forget Pitt. That’s “9 – 1 Pitt” to you.

In games that have actually been played, Southern Carolina made a game of it against Florida, but to no avail. Alabama did its thing against Mississippi State. Texas took care of business in the first half against Baylor, and TCU made an example of Utah (wow, that was a beat down). Georgia Tech crushed Duke, Boise ran all over potato brethren Idaho, USC got spanked by Stanford (already discussed), and now I have to talk about Ohio State again after Iowa failed to keep them at bay.

Now for the fun part (at least for me). Below is my BCS bowl selection show. Yeah it’s early, and will likely change, but this is mostly who I would like to see play based on today’s standings if there was no change once the season ends.

BCS Title Game
Florida v. Texas

Rose Bowl
Oregon v. Ohio State

Orange Bowl
Cincinnati v. Oklahoma State

Sugar Bowl
Bama v. TCU

Fiesta Bowl
Georgia Tech v. Boise State

Pitt doesn’t get a BCS bowl since they’ll rack up their second loss at the end of the year against Cincinnati — and teams that lose their last game don’t get at-large BCS picks. I’d give anything for Boise to lay a goose egg and not get a good bowl; they haven’t done anything to deserve it except for beat up San Jose State.

And boldest prediction of this year’s BCS bowl season … I can guarantee you that Oklahoma won’t lose a BCS bowl this year. (You heard it here first, folks!)

Iowa
Michigan
Notre Dame
Kansas
Oregon
Cal
Penn State
Oklahoma

And the respective wins:

Indiana
Purdue
Navy
Kansas State
Stanford
Oregon State
Ohio State
Nebraska

Charlie, oh Charlie. You had a good run. You provided Notre Dame with some of its worst seasons in history, fought the good fight, had talent flock to you from far and wide, and you successfully dismantled a winning tradition. Yeah, you only have three losses this year, but something tells me that (a) you’ll likely have four, and (b) the ND alum aren’t too thrilled right now. But I could be wrong, and not to worry! RichRod will be taking a significant amount of the limelight for the next few days.

Speaking of my buddy Rich, let me pull up espn.com and take a look at the conference standings for the Big Eleven. Hmm, I can’t seem to find… oh, there you are! At the bottom. And when I say bottom, I mean dead last (such as my picks league score two or three weeks ago), tied with Indiana (now there’s some proud company) with a glaring 1 – 5 conference record. Ouch. But do not despair, oh Michigan fan. Yes, you lost back-to-back to Illinois and Purdue, but there is hope. Next week you play Wisconsin on the road (cake) and Ohio State at home (creampuff). That’ll save your season, right? How are you going to feel when your team is 5 -7 overall, 1 – 7 in conference play? Rodriguez was a good pick.

Northwestern took Iowa’s BCS title dreams and crushed them like a bug on the proverbial windshield. Defeating the Hawkeyes 17 – 10, the Wildcats took advantage of the Sports Illustrated Cover jinx on Iowa (and a QB injury), and though they have not propelled themselves into the forefront of Big Eleven football, they are certainly making waves next to schools such as Notre Dame and Stanford.

“Even though we’re similar academically, we’re in a little different boat as Stanford and Notre Dame,” said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. “We’ve been consistently winning since 1995. They’re still saying they can do it, but we’re doing it.”

Sport Illustrated further discussed the growing disparity (or the narrowing of similarities depending on one’s perspective). “Proud Domers would surely scoff at any comparison between their beloved Irish and the historically second-class squads in Evanston and Palo Alto, but is there really that much difference between the three programs these days? All three sport six victories this season. Northwestern just became bowl-eligible for the third straight season (compared with two for the Irish) and sixth time in seven years (five for Notre Dame). Stanford had been in rebuilding mode but now appears headed in the right direction thanks in part (see if this sounds familiar) to a gifted 6-foot-4 drop-back passer.” (si.com) Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Keeping things local, Penn State’s season wrapped up Saturday with its loss to the Buckeyes of Ohio State. In the most confusing conference this season, the Nittany Lions seem to still be searching for their identity, with Indiana and Michigan State left on the agenda to end their seasons somewhere around third in conference.

Oklahoma dropped yet again, moving its record to 5 – 4 on the season (3 – 2 in the Big XII), in a game that the ill-informed would describe as a defensive battle, and the observant would see as a complete failure on Oklahoma’s part to do anything on offence and maintain security of the football. And let’s be honest, this isn’t the Nebraska of old. Iowa State beat them for crying out loud, and they don’t beat anyone!

Texas, on paper, took care of business against visiting UCF, but for those who watched the game, the score did not reflect the Longhorn’s performance, and the voters noticed as Texas dropped below Alabama to No. 3 in the BCS standings. Despite Shipley setting the school record for receiving yards and the team putting up more than 500 yards of total offense, the game was less than impressive, leaving many to wonder if Texas simply played down to the level of its opponents, or if it still haven’t gotten things figured out yet?

On the West Coast, Stanford put the beat down on Oregon – a surprise to many, including those in the stadium. Though the Ducks still control their own Pac-10 destiny, their confidence has got to be shaky at best, and desperation kicking in at worst, as they announce the return of MMA fighter Blount to the team’s roster after being suspended for the “remainder of the season” after the Boise State game. I guess they don’t know what “remained of the season” actually means. (Kind of like the NY Life “Rookie of the Year” award.)

Bama beat LSU by nine. The spread for the game was nine. Freaky.

Florida beat Vandy even without Spikes… shocking. But not to worry, Mr. Spikes’ lesson in how to be a great example of moral fiber and class was absorbed and quickly put to use by Clemson defensive end Andre Branch (No. 40) (you’ll see him on the left-center of the screen).

And I was DYING to find a segue into this video, and this is the closest thing I could find. First of all, how can anyone be mean to BYU chicks? They are so nice. Plus, you know more than half the team members are likely moms. Something tells me the New Mexico chick is going to have a rough time with the Big Fella upstairs.

In preparation for this event, my son fixated on donning his costume, handcrafted by his maternal grandmother, to strut his stuff around the school. Once outfitted and ready for action, he marched over to his teacher and declared, with the authority only a child can muster, “I’m cute!” Even at such a young age it is ingrained in the human psyche that sometimes you just need to make a statement.

Texas 41
Okie Lite 14

Oregon 47
USC 20

We’ll get to the Texas game shortly, but first, the .260 Hitters’ helmet sticker goes to the entire Oregon team. Those of you who’ve read my stuff for more than a week know that I have roughly zero love for the Ducks of Oregon, but man oh man, did they look good last night (uniforms not withstanding). Offense, defense, special teams, the Ducks had USC’s number on speed dial and had no problems proving they could ring it early and ring it often. Oregon threw up 613 yards of offense, 391 on the ground, begging the question, “Where is that ferocious USC defense we’ve all be hearing about?” The Ducks moved into the No. 8 spot in the BCS, touting the highest ranking for a team with a loss on their record.

The traditional second-half offense of Texas showed up yet again in the first half of the football game. Amazing what happens when you play the entire four quarters. Those close games suddenly aren’t so close after all. Of course, having your defense rack up 14 on the scoreboard doesn’t hurt either, as the fleet of foot and hard-hitting Texas defense showed the Okie Lite offense what concussions are all about.

They say defense wins championships, and the Longhorn defensive squad had quite a game … one of those stand over the receiver who’s lying on his back with stars in his eyes while you beat your chest and glare down with one of those “I recommend you just lie there, because that’s your new station in life” kind of moments. And the voters agreed, catapulting Texas past Alabama, who has been a bit shaky over the past few games.

If Texas is a second-half team, then Iowa is fourth-quarter team. Having been trailing at the end of three periods in four games this season, the Hawkeyes remain undefeated, putting up 28 in the fourth against the Hoosiers. Now, in defense of Indiana, it is only used to playing two periods on hardwood, so it might have been a bit miffed when it was told there’s a third and fourth period to be played as well. Even with the routing by 18, Iowa is teetering on losing some BCS love as the Hawkeyes have come entirely too close to defeat at the hands of Northern Iowa, Arkansas State, Michigan State, and now Indiana. Hardly inspires national title confidence, but be that as it may, the Hawkeyes figure out a way to win … that’s more than 113 NCAA Div 1 (what is this FBS nonsense?) can say.

The Domers beat up on Washington State. LSU trounced Tulane. I’m sure someone watched, or at least noticed.

TCU beat the rebellion out of UNLV, sticking it to them 41 – 0. Ouch. I’m not saying it should have been close, but shutouts are relatively uncommon in college football and especially in conference play, but I suppose they do happen. Anybody want to sign up to face TCU in a bowl game? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Virginia Tech continues to swirl down the drain of mediocrity. After losing a close one to Georgia Tech, the two-loss Hokies apparently decided that fight and tenacity was no longer a commodity they wanted to deal in as they could not “shock the world” in true Florida State style, losing to North Carolina (yes, in football). The Tar Heels pulled the ole “kick a field goal with 0:00 left on the clock” trick, ending the game 17 – 14.

Other regulars at .260 Hitters know that I have had a slight affinity for Ohio State, based solely on an ESPN commercial featuring the crazy guy from the movie “Hoosiers.” In the commercial he’s a janitor in the Buckeye locker room running around, smelling players’ shoes, and explaining how the Buckeye helmet stickers are awarded. It was nonsensical, perfect to capture the imagination of a 10-year-old, and since that’s roughly where my mental development ended, the affinity has remained.

… that is until the sweater vest decided to try for an onside kick during the 45 – 0 routing of New Mexico State. Bye bye class and respect, hello Tressel now ranking among Nick Saban, Les Miles, Dennis Franccione and Rich Rodriguez as one of the most unlikeable coaches in the NCAA. An onside kick? Really? And I won’t even get into the double reverse pass into the end zone play you ran. And don’t give me that “we were working on our special teams” excuse. Show some class. You used to. And don’t take out your 0 – 9 record against the SEC frustration on New Mexico State, it’s not its fault … it’s your’s.

Vandy kept things relatively close and interesting until the second half of the game, when the Jackets decided they had had enough of these shenanigans and took matters into their own hands (i.e. 28 – 3 scoring drive after intermission), routing the Commodores (I can’t say (type) their name without laughing every time) 56 – 31.

South Florida took care of business against formerly ranked West Virginia Friday night, winning 30 – 19. South Florida is that one team this year I keep trying to show some props to, only to be let down in time for it to come roaring back and destroy some team it has no business beating. South Florida’s kind of like the Big Eleven this year – nobody can figure it out.

Speaking of the Big Eleven … Michigan is back, but gets demolished by (1 – 6, now 2 – 6) Illinois. Iowa is BCS national title bound, but can’t help but come within a nose hair of losing to teams you’ve never heard of. Penn State has dominated every team it has played, yet got it handed to them by Iowa. Purdue is the worst team in the nation regarding turnovers, sporting a 3 – 6 record, and just had its backside polished by Wisconsin 37 – 0, yet embarrassed Ohio State 26 – 18. Quantum physics is more straightforward than the Big Eleven this year, but what should you expect from a conference that can’t even count how many teams are on its logo?

Congrats to Texas A&M. You aren’t the worst team in the Big 12, and let’s be honest, there are several teams fighting for that honor … but don’t look now, you still have to play Baylor and Colorado.