But Tebow did emerge victorious, capturing Florida’s second crystal football in three years, and cementing his name in football history, all while turning water into Gatorade. As Brad Robinson pointed out, Dominique Franks was wrong when he stated that if Tim Tebow were in the Big 12, he’d be the fourth best quarterback. Statistically speaking, he would not be fourth, he’d be fifth. The Big 12 order would be:

Sam Bradford (OU)
Colt McCoy (UT)
Graham Harrell (TT)
Chase Daniel (MU)
Tim Tebow (FU… and that doesn’t stand for Florida University)

In other news, Texas emerged from Phoenix with the win, but it wasn’t enough to catapult them to anyone’s number one vote, as the Longhorns needed an end of game drive to win in a game they were favored by nine and a half, ending the season 3rd and 4th on the Coaches and AP polls respectively.

Utah got quite a bit of love, capturing 16 No. 1 votes in the AP poll, after their trouncing of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. USC captured one AP vote… wonder what paper that guy writes for. The Mormons are returning somewhere around 13 starters next year, nine of which are on defense, which dominated Alabama (and everyone else they played this year).

Texas Tech got caught in the “we should be in a BCS Bowl” funk as Ole Miss wiped the field with the Red Raiders. Oklahoma State was run down from behind by the Ducks or Oregon in a fourth quarter flurry, leaving the Cowboys seeing nothing but webbed feet and tail feathers.

USC rolled over Penn State, much to no one’s surprise, continuing the Trojan’s dominant streak over Big Eleven teams. Speaking of the Slack 10, they must have had enough of my taunting as the West Coast boys went 5 – 0 this bowl season, which is more than any other conference can say.

I’ll miss Joe Pa’s inability to name his own players, Lou Holtz and the cotton balls he shoves in his mouth before the cameras roll, RichRod ignoring every tradition possible and insulting fans along the way, Nick Saban repeatedly denying that no, he is not the devil, Les Miles racking up the worst record for a defending national championship team in history, coaches and players saying “no one can beat us this year” forgetting about the teams that already beat them that year, the Mountain West being more dominant than half the BCS conferences, and the Big Eleven’s inability to count past 10.

I’ll miss my Mormon brethren (politely) kicking butt and taking names, Miami filling penitentiaries like they’re stadiums, Iowa ruining teams’ seasons and the “Wreck Em Tech” Red Raiders. I’ll miss Mack Brown and his burnt orange teeth, Bob Stoops throwing for the end zone when the score is 50 – 7, Michigan losing to, well, everyone, and Southern Carolina filing yet another copyright claim.

But more than anything, I’ll miss Charlie Weiss and his half-hearted Fighting Irish, where mediocrity is success and “smug” is the official team cologne.

Good-bye 2008 football season, where polls are popularity contests and winning doesn’t always equal success.

That’s the thing about bowl games. You just never know who is going to show up, and who is going to leave their cleats (and spirit) at home. Being of the certain football team proclivity that I happen to be, bowl season of late has been a time for wanton hope and crushed dreams. No doubt that has a lot to do with my less than enthusiastic meandering through the endless stream of nonsensical bowl sponsorships (papajohns.com bowl?), with the end looming on the horizon, both literally and figuratively. I swear if USC wins one more Rose Bowl I’ll….

USC won the Rose Bowl for the third straight year. Penn State showed some promise in the first quarter, but the talent and point deficit was more than the Nittany Lions could handle as the Trojans went on to win 38 – 24. Despite how one may feel about the Trojans, it’s hard to deny they come to play in the month of January. With regards to their place in the rankings, Pete Carroll announced “I don’t think there’s anyone that can beat the Trojan’s this year.” (except for Oregon State)

Not only did the Gamecocks lose the Registered Trade Mark bowl with the other USC, they got obliterated in the Outback bowl too. Iowa had to qualms about destroying Southern Carolina, as the Hawkeyes took advantage of SC handing out turnovers like party favors.

You know “that guy” that never ever wins at anything. No matter what the sport, competition, or spelling contest, he just can’t win. But then, on that one magical day, he stumbles across that opponent that’s truly more pathetic than he is, and victory is won. But he doesn’t stop there, he flaunts his first win of the millennium, wagging his index finger in the air like a Super Bowl Champion, beating his chest, and doing this ridiculous dance that he saw on ABC the week prior. You know that guy. Last week, Notre Dame was that guy. Clearly establishing themselves as the best team in the country after beating Hawaii in the most ignored bowl this year (even more ignored than the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl), the Domers were wagging those fingers and trying to figure out the “hang loose” hand gesture. Come on guys, at least pretend like you’ve been there before. I realize your last bowl victory occurred when your quarterback was 10 years old, but you don’t have to act like it.

Nebraska stepped up and took care of business against Clemson. Probably the most advantageous matchup the Huskers could have hoped for, but this bowl win was certainly a big boost for (the other) Big Red.

LSU destroyed Georgia Tech much to my dismay. Though I’m not sure the win was enough to get Les Miles off the coaches’ hot seat. Not too many defending national champs go 8 – 5 the following year, but I hope he stays there forever. With Gene Chizik moving into the SEC to clean up on recruiting, look out Saban, Miles, and Urban, you’re days are numbered. Nothing says “come play for me” like ending the season with an 0 – 10 run. Good work Auburn. Good work.

There’s still plenty more football to come as Texas Tech is set to wipe Ole Miss off the face of the map (something even Florida couldn’t do at home), Utah clashes with Bama in a game that I hope is nowhere near the blowout it should be, Tulsa will play Ball St in a game that will be watched because it will be the only game on TV, Texas will beat up on Ohio State (again… and again), and then there’s the National Title game set for January 8th, of which I have no comment.

The bowls continue and my standing in my picks league is sure to diminish with every final score that scrolls across the ESPN ticker. But that doesn’t stop me from watching, hoping, and praying, that one day, just once, I’ll actually get a bowl game right, and that, for god’s sake, January won’t end in catastrophe.

Even for Ball State, who is 12 – 0, as the Cardinals still have to play Buffalo in the MAC conference title game (take note Slack 10 and Big Eleven, even the MAC has a conference title game). Ball State recently turned down a bid in the Humanitarian Bowl against co-undefeated team Boise State. The reason? The bowl is hosted at Boise State’s football stadium. Pretty sure the Ball State faithful aren’t flying to the land of potatoes and crystal meth to be blinded by a blue field.

On a quick side note, ND is keeping Weis around for at least another year. Whew. I was worried they would get rid of him!

BC and Virginia Tech play for the ACC title, which is probably the most evenly paired title game this year. Both teams are 9 – 3 and fighting for a bid in the Orange Bowl, even if there are a dozen teams ahead of them that are more deserving. BC wins.

Washington plays Cal, set your Tivo. The hopes of the NCAA are on UCLA to beat cross town “rival” USC and send Oregon State to the Rose Bowl. Not because there is any love for the Oregon State, but the world is tired of rewarding USC for being a decent team in a horrible conference. Lastly in the Sack 10, Arizona plays Arizona State. Sooner fans would love for Arizona to go 0 – 12 every season and bring Mike Stoops back to Norman, but since that isn’t likely, the Wildcats are set to beat ASU by 17.

Season let down South Florida takes on West Virginia in their final Big East matchup. After last year’s surge and “establishment” as a legit football school, South Florida shrunk back into obscurity going 7 – 4 this year and just 2 – 4 in conference. Kind of like ECU’s turn around, only without the speed of greased lightning the Pirates used.

The game to watch this weekend is No. 1 Alabama as they get drubbed by No. 4 Florida. Is Alabama a bad team? Of course not. Have I beat up on them all season? You bet I have. So let’s take a quick look at Alabama and why they have a less than favorable chance to beat the Gators. You know this is coming… Strength of Schedule. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a thousand times. Who has Alabama played? Just being in the SEC does not mean a great SOS. Let’s see here… Clemson (7 – 5, fired their coach), Tulane, Western Kentucky, Arkansas (losing record), Georgia (legit tough game, even if Ga lost to Ga Tech), Kentucky (basketball school), Tennessee (no comment), Arkansas State (seriously?), LSU (National title defenders turned 7 – 5 (unranked) mediocre team), Mississippi State (fired coach), Auburn (Preseason top 10 turned losing record, fired coach). So again I ask, who have they played? Georgia. That’s it. Bama beat Kentucky by three, and Ole Miss by four. Number one team in the country? Sure, for now, they haven’t lost, but then again, so has Utah, and they’ve actually played more than one ranked team this year. Florida wins.

BCS benefactor Oklahoma travels to Kansas City to face long time whipping boy Missouri. Mizzou’s only two losses last season were at the hands of the Sooners, but with three losses on their record this year, the Tigers take the short trip to Arrowhead thinking “eh, what’s one more?” The 17 point favorite Oklahoma needs a solid win to pad Bradford’s Heisman resume and pick up steam to reach Miami on January 8th.

When Army takes the field Saturday afternoon, you can ensure it will invoke more than just a few memories. Past Army-Navy games were some of the best football experiences of my life. What makes the annual clash so profound is that there is much more than just football behind the curtains. These boys turned men are playing for more than just their school, but for their brothers, friends, and fellow members of the Corps. Having entered West Point while the country was at war, knowing they will graduate and very quickly join that war, they take the field to represent those that came before them, those that fought on fields and in deserts, and those who never returned, knowing one day they too may not return. They play for the same reasons they one day will fight, because they believe. And when the final cannon is sounded, and the dust has settled, at the end of the game, the war, or their stay in this life, “may it be said ‘well done’ be thou at peace.” Go Army.

In significantly less interesting news, Alabama blew out Auburn 36 – 0 as Nick Saban went all classy on the Tigers, calling timeout immediately before the ball was snapped on an Auburn field goal attempt. Way to really save those three points in the most gutless move in football, Nick.

Florida crushed Florida State 45 – 15 in a rain infested Tallahassee as the Gators used the Seminoles for practice in preparation for next week’s matchup against Alabama. As the Gators slipped and slid their way to victory, the Noles couldn’t come up with anything to stop the momentum, proving yet again why Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas to bed.

Ole Miss destroyed Miss. State 45 – 0 and the Bulldog’s coach’s job along with it.

The other Bulldog’s in the SEC found out what a real team from Georgia is capable of as the ACC Yellow Jackets put on a show that did not involve a lot of end zone tribal dancing. Kind of makes that pre-season No. 1 ranking seem kind of silly, now doesn’t it?

Notre Dame decided to slug it out with USC before the game started in some warm up shenanigans. Too bad for the Irish, the boys from SC are better street fighters than the Irish, let alone football players (which we already knew anyway). 38 – 3. Pathetic. This season just won’t be complete until Wies and RichRod face off in a no holds barred cage match and decide once and for all which of the two has been the most detrimental to mankind, let alone football.

Texas Tech showed some colors that people were afraid would peek through after last week’s demolition by Oklahoma, as the Red Raiders trailed Big XII punching bag Baylor 28 – 14 in the third quarter. With this game went Harrell’s legitimate Heisman hopes, and Tech’s likelihood of a BCS bowl game. After going into OT with Nebraska at home and trailing Baylor by a 50% margin, it’s just too much for the voters to get behind.

In the second most important game affecting the BCS landscape, Oregon State laid it all on the line against the Oregon Ducks, and Oregon State got punched in the mouth. As I watched the score grow and grow, I couldn’t believe the game was that lopsided, but when I saw it on TV, it was even worse. Intrastate rivalries can be very heated things, and Oregon is no different. Though the Ducks had nothing to play for except beating the team they hate the most, apparently that was more than enough to bring the wood and put a good ole fashioned beat down on the Beavers.

The most important game in the BCS landscape took place in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where the Sooners beat Okie Lite (a team not hated by the Sooners, simply not respected), 61 – 41, in what proved to be enough to vault the Sooners ahead of Texas in the BCS polls and into the Big XII title game. Now about that BCS…

As Texas fans display their math skills, conveniently forgetting their six point loss to Texas Tech, unfortunately for them, the voters and BCS computers did not. Additionally, their four point victory over Oklahoma State at home loomed large as the Sooners took down the Pokes by 20 on the road. Throw in three non-conference games against teams with losing records, their fourth was Rice, and the computer quickly started giving points to Oklahoma and taking them away from Texas.

That being said, Texas got shafted. There’s no way around it. Texas played four ranked teams, beating three of them, and losing on the final play of the game to an overachieving Texas Tech. They beat the team that jumped them by 10 points on a neutral site. How do they not deserve to play in the Big XII title game?

Of course, if you use the “head to head” logic, Texas Tech should be ranked ahead of Texas, and if Oklahoma hadn’t destroyed Tech, they would be. Which takes us back to strength of schedule and margin of victory, which in the end was what put Oklahoma ahead of Texas. Oklahoma faced five ranked opponents, beat four, one of which won their conference, and did so as the top scoring team in the country. If they didn’t go, they would have been shafted.

But, that’s what the BCS Conference commissioners wanted. They signed up for it. And I guess that’s fine with everyone else, because they still have their jobs, despite ignoring the protests of every football coach in existence. This is the system they wanted, and this is the outcome they have accepted prior to the games even being played. Don’t like it? I can think of a whole bunch of Texas fans who don’t like it very much either.

And for the naysayers who argue a playoff system will lessen the importance of regular season games, well, think about this. If there was an eight team playoff, each team included would have zero or one loss, and if you used today’s BCS rankings to pick those eight teams, 12 – 0 Boise State would not be included. Still think those regular season games aren’t as important? Every team with two losses or more would be playing in the NIA tournament this winter.

In the end, it takes one thing to get a National Title. Win. Simply win. Don’t lose even a single game. Win and you are there (minus Auburn a few years ago). Lose, and it’s no longer in your control. Bama wins out and they are the national champs, no questions asked. Lose and they are not. So you want a national title? Don’t lose. It’s that simple.

That being said, we are down to the final week of regular season play for the BCS conferences, and what a ride it has been. Traditional “rivals” in most cases, though that is hardly the case, face off from Thursday through Saturday in some games that will surely impact the final Top 25, but could even affect who will make the big dance, and who will play in the All State Toilet Bowl. One thing is for sure, of all teams, Penn State has the most to lose as facing Oregon State is a very real possibility, and who wants to face a team they CRUSHED in the regular season once a again in the Rose Bowl. Win, and it was expected. Lose and it’s huge. Sometimes you just can’t win, even if you do score more points.

Florida takes on Florida State in Tallahassee. This is a must win (aren’t they all?) before the Gators face off against Bama in the SEC Championship game, and it’s certainly not some warm up. The Noles have been playing solid ball lately, and home field advantage is a very real thing (just ask Lubbock and Norman). And don’t forget about ALLLLLLL those Noles’ players that were suspended against Maryland will be back in action, even if they are wearing US Marshal ankle bracelets.

Kansas and Missouri face off in their traditional end of season game. Sadly for the Jawhawks, the 2008 version of this game will look strikingly like the 2007 version of this game, only without a trip to the Orange Bowl as a consolation prize.

Georgia Tech takes on Georgia in a game that only means something to the Yellow Jackets. Depending on which Tech team shows up will mean the difference between a close win or a blowout defeat, but with the way they have been playing, Georgia Tech should escape with another “W” on their record.

Auburn at No. 1 Alabama. Well, 14 weeks ago I would have said this would be a great match up, now, well, let’s be honest here. “It’s a rivalry, it’s a rivalry…” blah blah blah. Bama had better win, because a two loss team isn’t making a BCS Bowl (minus Oregon State), and Florida has got your number Saban.

The Civil War kicks off in Corvallis as Oregon State hosts the Oregon Ducks. With the Slack 10 title and Rose Bowl in their future, it’s not likely the Beavers will slip this late in the game, particularly with their record for finishing seasons.

The Aggies hope that lightning can strike a third time as they look to make it three in a row against the University of Texas. Favored by 35 points, the Longhorns don’t have much to fear against the Aggies, but you could have said the same thing last year, and the year before that. That being said, this year the Longhorns have something to play for, a Big XII and National Title, neither of which were in the picture in the past two years, and both of which are certainly worth an Aggie beat down (as if “just for the fun of it” wasn’t enough). Horns win by a lot, but hopefully not too much.

The Sooners of Oklahoma look to continue their Draconian like play against the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. Playing on the road in Stillwater, the Sooners know they need to make yet another statement in order to make up the .008 points they trail Texas by in the BCS polls. Playing a ranked team on the road can certainly do it, but they can only control what they do, and beating Okie Lite by 30 would certainly help. Not to mention that Mike Gundy has been regrettably quiet this year, giving me oh so little to write about. Perhaps he should make his journalist lashing an annual event? We can only hope.

On a final note, .260 Hitters wants to congratulate Myron Rolle (safety for the Florida State Seminoles) for his biggest career reception, the Rhodes Scholarship. Of all the emphasis placed on sports in our society, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a true “student athlete” be rewarded for his incredible efforts off the field, as well as on. Good luck at Cambridge and throughout the rest of your journey.

Purdue took out some pent up aggression on Indiana, as they sent their coach home after his final game with a 62 – 10 victory.

Clemson manned up and finally won a game, beating the hot and cold Cavaliers.

Tennessee!!! Where did THAT come from? You guys looked like…well… a football team. I was shocked. Did those Vandy players keep asking you multiplication table questions during the game or something? You guys looked pretty mad out there. Good work. Only three more wins to go and you’ll be up to .500.

Notre Dame. Now fellas, every week I pick against you, and almost every week, I’m right. But you were playing Syracuse. Cuse fans have been wearing paper bags over their heads since week three. They were 2 – 8 going into this game. How could I NOT pick you to win? And what did you do? You, well, were yourselves. Overrated and under performing. Of your entire schedule, this game was your give-me. Instead you got embarrassed. That’ll teach me to ever, EVER, pick you guys to win again. I should have known better. Rules are rules for a reason. ALWAYS pick against ND. Always.

Florida hung 70 on the Citadel. Fortunately for the Gators, they have a conference title game against the No. 1 team in the country (potentially) or their games against the Citadel and Florida State would give them no momentum in the polls to go anywhere.

BCS dream busters Iowa put the shellacking on Minnesota, winning 55 – 0. The spread for the game was 5.5. You think they didn’t see the “.” in there and had money on the game?

Duke is now 1 – 6 in ACC play. I knew they had it in them.

Washington State pulled out for their first Division 1 victory in OT against the cross state Huskies, in the Rotten Apple Bowl. The fact that Washington couldn’t pull out a win in this games goes to show how far down they have truly gone. God speed to whoever takes over this program. You’ve got your work cut out for you.

Cal beat Stanford, yadda yadda yadda… TCU beat Air Force, hummina hummina hummina….

Hawaii won while the modern world slept.

LSU lost to Ole Miss, 31 – 13 (at home). After last week’s near catastrophe to Troy (at home), the LSU faithful (and donors) are getting restless as the defending National Champs are 7 – 4 overall and 3 – 4 in SEC play. Has Les lost his luster? That didn’t take long, now did it?

Holy War was waged in Salt Lake City as the Utah Utes dropped the A-bomb on less-than-beloved BYU, winning 48 – 24. One of three games that directly impacted the BCS Bowl system, this rivalry game was not televised (at least this side of the Rockies), which is a relief because I definitely wanted to see Rice play Marshall. Such clear discrimination against my Moron brethren is unacceptable, but they’ll have their day as the Utes are BCS bound and they’re bringing their wives with them.

Ball State is still undefeated (not sure if anyone noticed), and Boise State escaped with a win against Nevada, ensuring their WAC title and some decent bowl in mid-December.

Texas and Texas A&M kicked back for the weekend as they prepared for their end of season match up.

The last time Mike Leach won in Norman was 1999 when he was the Sooners’ offensive coordinator. Saturday’s effort kept that streak intact as the Sooners routed Texas Tech 65 – 21, sending the Big XII South and the BCS into a frenzied mess of who should be ranked where, and who will be going to Kansas City in December. The clear MVP for the game was Oklahoma’s defense, which came alive (finally). As the Red Raiders started the game misfiring, the Sooner D could smell blood and spent the rest of the night glued to Tech’s offense with multiple pass disruptions, tackles for losses, and an interception.

While Texas fans cheered on OU, those cheers turned silent as the score grew and grew, knowing a blowout would not be in their best interests. Though Texas, Tech and OU still have a game to go, Oklahoma has the biggest hurdle as they take on cross-state nuisance Oklahoma Lite in Stillwater, while Texas hosts the Aggies and Tech finishes the year against Baylor. Regardless of the outcome, only one school will be happy and the others will feel robbed. Isn’t the BCS great?

Army travels to Rutgers with the hopes of not having batteries thrown at them or receiving profane verbal abuse from the high class student section. Perhaps a reminder that Army’s football team goes to the rifle range and close combat training course in their spare time?

Tennessee and Vandy play a game that matters to everyone inside the four borders of the state, and to no one outside the state. In Phil’s second to last hoorah, the 7 – 3 Volunteers are looking to at least keep it respectable and not let the cross-state nerds beat them into submission.

No. 4 Florida plays the Citadel … at home. Funny how the whole “strength of schedule” thing always keeps a team juuuuuust out of the national title game. The SEC has not been wrought with Top 10 teams this year, and well, it’s the Citadel. Bad move.

Notre Dame looks to keep their 7 wins per season average alive by winning one last give-me against Syracuse. Well, it would be a give-me for just about anyone else, but you never know with Weis’ crew. He won’t answer questions about his job security, and why should he? He’s on par with the previous 13 years of tradition, why should he be expected to do anything different. Give em that smug look Charlie, you’re alright!

With three one loss teams hanging out in the Big Eleven (well, at least one loss teams in conference play) this weekend’s Ohio State v. Michigan game will be only slightly less interesting than Michigan State v. Penn State. Penn State is fighting to keep their BCS Bowl hopes alive while Michigan State is likely not to get a BCS Bowl even with a win, despite sharing in the Big Eleven title with Ohio State (assuming the Buckeyes win). But, as I’ve said before, that’s why they play the games. I’m going with Sparty as my upset pick this week. I think JoePa’s impending hip surgery will do the Nittany Lions in.

Air Force plays TCU, yada yada yada… Stanford plays Cal, hummina hummina hummina….

BYU v. Utah. Now THERE is a game worth watching. Big time BCS busters look to (politely) bust each other’s skulls as Utah dreams of making it to the top (crazier things have happened) and BYU looks to win out and ruin their cousin’s season. Don’t expect much trash talk before, during or after the game, but do expect a great football game and something to keep you occupied before the Tech/OU kickoff.

Oregon State has two relatively decent hurdles to cross before they land in the Rose Bowl. First is Arizona. While I would normally be on the side of the Wildcats, the idea of USC not making the Rose Bowl is just too much to handle, and I think Mike Stoops would agree (though clearly he’d rather win). Oregon State finishes seasons strong, and if that label continues, they should fare well in Tucson before finishing the year against the Ducks.

Iowa at Minnesota… Pitt v. Cincinnati (that may actually be a decent game, both are ranked, but I’m getting tired of typing…)

The Big XII South (unofficial) Championship game is Saturday night in Norman, Oklahoma, as the Texas Tech Red Raiders seek their first conference title… ever. Having won two of the last three matchups with Oklahoma, the No. 2 Red Raiders appear to be in the driver’s seat towards a conference and (potentially) national title… but that is by no means a given. Under Bob Stoops, the Sooners are 59 – 2 at home (and currently have the longest home winning streak in NCAA). Under Stoops, the Sooners have never lost to Texas Tech at home. Texas Tech is known for laying a goose egg at the most inopportune of times, and this weekend would certainly qualify for being inopportune. Not only do the Sooners have the chance to play spoiler, but they also have the chance to put themselves right back in the national scene, as a three way tie with Tech and Texas would potentially put the Sooners on top as their strength of schedule has the highest ranking among the teams, which may be the deciding factor in the BCS ranking process.

Without a Tech loss, Texas is out of the title game (conference and national). With a Tech loss, it’s still not a given for the Longhorns, but a chance is always better than no chance, and the Sooners are Texas’ only chance. I’ll be handing out t-shirts on Friday.

Oregon State, in dramatic fashion, remains atop of the Pac 10 conference with a late pick six to seal the win against the Golden Bears. Oh, you thought USC was winning the Pac 10? Yeah, not so much.

It is a rare moment indeed that I will verbally cheer for Navy. Sure, quietly I’ll wish the other service academies do well…but to voice any form of encouragement for the midshipmen is, well, a less than regular occurrence. But yesterday it was “anchors away” in the Burges household as the midshipmen came roaring back with two touchdowns and two on side kick recoveries, but in the end, it was too little too late. In the last 14 years, Notre Dame has averaged seven wins per season. Since being average is what Notre Dame is used to, they certainly have the right coach for the job as the 6 – 4 Irish should be Syracuse next weekend and have zero chance of beating USC.

Back to back safeties (my favorite rule in football) propelled Wisconsin past Minnesota, as the Badgers retain possession of Paul Bunyan’s axe, while the Gophers are relegated to cleaning Babe’s stall. In a game that Minnesota had managed quite, well, a 40+ yard passing play to the one yard line and eventual score evened things up, but a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that led to a safety, followed by another possession by the Gophers that culminated in an end zone sack (second safety) made the difference in the game as Wisconsin won by three.

Spurrier was welcomed back to the swamp with hugs and kisses, then sent home with a 56 – 6 loss(a career worst). Florida’s loss to Ole Miss is nothing but a distant memory now as the Gators are firing on all cylinders and picking up steam as they plow towards the SEC Championship battle against Alabama. During highlights of the game on another channel, the TV announcer commented he’d like to see Florida play USC in the National title game. My remote control doesn’t work anymore. By the way, Florida is beating their SEC opponents by an average of 49 points. Incredible.

Speaking of USC, Stanford put the scare into Pete Carroll’s soul early in the game, going into the half tied at 17, but in the end, USC was just too much for the Tree’s to handle. After it was apparent USC was going to win, I quickly switched cheering as I had picked USC to beat the spread, and beat the spread they did, til Stanford gave USC one final (explicative) and scored a meaningless touchdown to ruin the spread.

LSU scored 30 points in the 4th quarter to avoid the most embarrassing home loss in school history. Amazing. The Crimson Tide continue to roll (11 – 0).

BC upset Florida State 27 – 17. Ohio State beat Illinois 30 – 20.

Brad Robinson’s double shocker upset this week came up a bit short as Air Force lost to BYU, 38 – 24. The Falcons went into the half with the lead, but BYU manned up and laid the wood to Air Force, scoring 24 points in the second half. Just like in Iraq, when things start getting dicey, the Air Force magically runs out of fuel and returns to base… I guess they learn that lesson early.

Make no mistake about it. .260 Hitters has “Big Love” for BYU this year, however, when the TV broadcasters started on a vignette about how two of the BYU players are brothers-in-law because they are married to a pair of sisters, I immediately started jotting down a myriad of jokes, every single one of which is completely inappropriate.

Continuing down my path to Mormonism, the Utah Utes put a good Bible thumping on the heathens at San Diego State, winning 63 – 14. One final test remains for the Utes as they face their intrastate brethren with big plans to bust up the BCS bowl system. Don’t make me start naming teams who will get automatic bids that in no way, shape or form deserve it.

Baylor beat Texas A&M 41 – 21. “Poor Aggies” (I literally got three text messages yesterday with that exact phrase… I love it).

Nebraska sprang to life against Kansas State, scoring 56 points including a 21 point fourth quarter just for the fun of it, as lame duck Kansas State (1 – 6 in Big XII) looks at the calendar wishing December would just get here already.

Oklahoma and Tech enjoyed a bye week as they prepare for next week’s showdown in Norman.

Texas kept themselves in the running for the Big XII Championship game, and potentially the National title game, as they had no issues putting 35 points in the board in Lawrence. The Jayhawks made a game of it in the first half, but as the clock ticked on, the Longhorns depth and talent overwhelmed Mangino’s crew. Jordan Shipley, for whatever it’s worth, is .260 Hitters pick for Texas’ MVP this year. Yes Colt McCoy is a Heisman hopeful, but Shipley gets it done when the Longhorns need it most, and he does it in every situation. Kickoff return for 6, punt returns for six, fake field goals where he clears seven feet of air for the first down. Pro prospect or not, he’s clearly the team’s superman.

Ohio State takes on Illinois. Depending on which Buckeye team shows up will determine if the win is single digit or double digit. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Wells appears to be healthy, and that’s all it should take for an easy Ohio State win.

No. 14 Ball State remains undefeated. Before you put them in a BCS Bowl, remember that one of their “rivals” is Miami of Ohio. But then again, the Big East and ACC both have automatic bids into the BCS. You think Ball State could beat Cincinnati? Probably.

Speaking of Cincy, the two loss Bearcats take on Louisville in their quest to win the Big East. Name eight teams deserving of a BCS bowl game… Cincy on your list? Yeah, me either.

Penn State takes on Indiana in their quest for the Rose Bowl. This week Indiana will fall victim to the Nittany Lions as they prepare for their final test against one loss (and potentially Rose Bowl bound) Michigan State. Penn State, however, better not look too far ahead. They did that last week, and we all saw how that ended.

Minnesota and Wisconsin face off. Oh, you kowwww that’s gonna be a gosh darn good ruckus.

Southern Carolina is finally ranked, but after they leave the swamp, we can be rest assured that will change. Will Spurrier is discussing a guaranteed victory for his chickens, Meyers and Tebow are plotting how many different ways they can score to hang 50+ on the scoreboard as they pick up steam towards Alabama.

Mississippi State has beaten Alabama the last two years in a row. I can think of 49 states and half of the 50th that would give a month’s pay for them to make it three in a row.

BYU faces Air Force in their final game before taking on conference leading Utah. Air Force will be no give-me as BYU has underperformed in almost every game since their upset loss to TCU in mid-October.

For those of you keeping score, the Mountain West has three teams in the BCS Top 25. The Pac 10 has two. The SEC has five in the Top 25 and the Big XII has three in the Top 5 and five in the Top 25.

Oregon and Arizona are both lurking in the Slack 10, waiting for Oregon State and/or USC to slip and open the door. Sadly for one of them, Oregon and Arizona play each other on Saturday and will end one of their hopes for a decent bowl game. Unranked and disrespected, the entire Pac 10 except for USC are struggling to get any national attention, except for Oregon State who is Rose Bowl bound if they win out… think on that.

Speaking of the Rose Bowl, USC takes on Stanford this weekend. Anybody remember 2007? Stanford does. And you KNOW Pete Carroll does. If only I had set my DVR.

After enduring a losing streak to Notre Dame that dated back to the 1940’s, Navy snapped their plummet against the Notre Dame last year in dramatic fashion. This year, the Midshipmen look to make a streak of their own and take down Notre Dame two years in a row, and perhaps seal Charlie Weis’ life long career change to Krispy Kreme taste tester.

Texas A&M plays Baylor… stop laughing.

Mike Gundy has been so calm and boring this season… it’s killing me. And his team is actually pretty good… what is this world coming to?

Tech and OU have the weekend off as they prepare to throw the ball for a combine 1,000 yards next weekend, and Texas is suffering from multiple injuries as the hobble into Kansas (as if any amount of injuries would change the outcome of this game).

Clever Tech fans… (click image to enlarge)

Speaking of sealing the deal, Iowa sealed Penn State’s fate with a game winning field goal to upset the undefeated Nittany Lions and send JoePa back to the old folk’s home to drown his sorrows in a tall glass of Ensure. I had an interesting conversation with a Penn State alumn only a few hours after their loss, who matter of factly stated that JoePa is not senile, he only acts senile. Whatever it takes to help you sleep better at night. No doubt Penn State has been successful, but I wonder if JoePa can name his starting lineup?

If you missed TCU v. Utah on Thursday night, then you missed one hell… er… heck of a game. A defensive struggle throughout, the TCU kicker misses a 40+ yard field goal with 2:45 left on the clock, and TCU with a 10 – 6 lead. Then, doing something they haven’t been able to do all night, the Utes engineer a nine play, 80 yard drive, for an incredibly dramatic go ahead score in the biggest game in Utah history. Only down side, they scored too fast, giving TCU 45 seconds to create their own drive, but alas, the Mormons prevailed over the Christians, and Utah remains undefeated… poor goal posts.

The Gators put the beat down on Vandy, despite inserting their fourth string somewhere around the half. Urban Myers knows that style points won’t help his cause, only winning will, and getting his guys reps will go a long way when rotating his players against Bama in early December.

The one time I have ever cheered for LSU, they looked phenomenal, blocking the (would be) game winning Crimson Tide field goal. Oh but then Harvard man forgot he wasn’t playing Yale, and tossed the interception in the end zone, all be giving the game away after 60 hard fought minutes. Poor Les Miles… well, poor me. After the game a Bama fan shot and killed two LSU fans, who were reportedly friends with each other. You stay classy Alabama.

Boise State still lingers undefeated, but it appears the Mountain West is getting all the love, and Hawaii’s performance last year isn’t helping their cause.

Georgia squeaked by Kentucky, 42 – 38, but still managed to move up two spots in the BCS poll, from 12 to 10. Notre Dame hung a goose egg on Boston College’s 17 points. I guess that answers THAT question.

USC looked mediocre at best as they struggled to survive against Cal. After scoring 17 points on Cal’s 30th ranked defense, the pundits are already gearing up for another USC anointed Rose Bowl as Oregon State is slated to lose because that is how the networks want it. Granted, the Beavers do have Cal, Arizona and Oregon, certainly the better half of the Slack 10, but let’s be honest, none of them are ranked and none have shown many reasons why they should be (except for Arizona, who should be ranked because that’s how I want it to be).

Washington improves to 0 – 9.

Wisconsin… good god Wisconsin came back from the dead and laid the wood to Indiana. 55 – 20. What conference do they think they are in? The Big XII? Bowl hopes have been revived in Madison (or wherever U. Wisconsin calls home), even if that bowl may be the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl.

Ball State is still undefeated, and people are paying more attention to Boise State. The MAC just doesn’t do it for people, even if it is a tougher conference than the Slack 10 or Big East.

Texas got things back on track to finish out their season with a solid win over Baylor. The Bears faked like it was going to be a game, tying the Longhorns 14 – 14 in the first quarter, but it didn’t take long for Texas to simply out run, out pass, out defense, and simply out man Baylor en route to a 45 – 21 win.

The Oklahoma Sooners once again put 28 points on the board in the first quarter of yet another blowout. In fact, OU, Texas, and Texas Tech all crushed their opponents. Grants, hanging over 60 points on Texas A&M is ALWAYS a good time, it’s just not the same without Coach Fran on the other sidelines, pacing back and forth moping like a little boy who got his ball taken away.

No. 2 Texas Tech showed the NCAA world that either Okie Lite isn’t all that good, or yes, Texas Tech really IS that good… that VERY good, as they destroy the Cowboys 56 – 20. The big story of the night was Tech’s defense. Suspect at best throughout the season, and abysmal is seasons past, Tech’s D has shown up two very big games in a row, with only one more hurdle to clear as they take on the No.2 highest scoring team in the country in Norman. (Texas Tech is the No. 3 highest scoring team).