9-28-11 Post Game Wrap Up Week 4

Outcome of My Picks With a Few Comments
 8-9

INDIANA   VS   NORTH TEXAS   :-(

ARIZONA STATE   VS   USC  :-(

TEXAS A&M   VS   OKLAHOMA STATE :-(

VIRGINIA   VS   SO MISSISSIPPI  :-(

OREGON STATE   VS   UCLA :-(

FRESNO STATE   VS   IDAHO  :-(

FLORIDA STATE   VS   CLEMSON  :-)

NOTRE DAME   VS   PITTSBURGH  :-)

GEORGIA TECH   VS   NORTH CAROLINA  :-)

LSU   VS   WEST VIRGINIA :-)

WASHINGTON   VS   CALIFORNIA :-)

ARMY   VS   BALL STATE  :-(

MIAMI OH   VS   BOWLING GREEN :-(

RUTGERS   VS   OHIO  :-)

SYRACUSE   VS   TOLEDO :-)

*****SPREAD GAMES*****

ALABAMA(-11.5)   VS   ARKANSAS  :-(

GEORGIA(-9.5)   VS   MISSISSIPPI  :-)

*****NOT IN LAST WEEK'S POOL*****

OHIO STATE   VS  COLORADO  :-) :-)

This was definitely not the result I was hoping for from my NCAA picks, but once again my NFL picks saved me and I had the best score for pro picks. As a result, I moved up to #2 out of 55 people. I can't tell how I specifically stack up in each category because the wonderful couple who run the pool are technologically stuck in 1985 and do everything manually, so until they upgrade to an Apple IIc Plus or better this is how it is. The NCAA is definitely more complex than the NFL since they have 120 Division I-A football teams alone. Due to the sheer number of teams it's difficult to know all of them well enough to make solid picks, then when you start matching up teams from different conferences who have never played each other it becomes even more challenging. The NFL has 32 teams that only play outside of their conference in preseason (doesn't count) or in the Super Bowl, so it's a lot less data to crunch...at least that's my excuse.

USC got killed by Arizona State. It happened to be the end of an 11-game losing streak for Arizona State in the match up...just in time for me to pick USC. Running back Cameron Marshall also happened to happily bounce back from a sprained ankle the week before and proceeded to run 141 yards and got 3 TDs. In my post on 9/23 I compared USC's QB Something Barkley with Arizona State's QB Brock Osweiler and concluded that Barkley had the edge due to experience and other factors. I had read that Barkley's last performance in Sun Devil Stadium had been pretty poor, but he was a freshman then so I couldn't hold that against him....but it seems I should have, he thew an interception in the second quarter, fumbled early in the fourth quarter, then threw a second interception that Arizona State returned for a TD. USC never led but the turnovers in the fourth quarter cost them any chance at a comeback.

Fresno State soundly beat Idaho 48 to 24. Apparently having two of three safeties and two starting offensive lineman out didn't hurt Fresno State one bit. My not being familiar with the WAC really showed in this pick!

#21 Clemson beat #11 Florida State by 5 points in a good game. Clemson jumped to #13 in the AP Poll and Florida State dropped to...well, I can't find them. It was Clemson's fourth game this year with 455 yards or more and the second consecutive game with 300 yards passing. The stats are quite interesting, Florida State had 365 yards and averaged 6.9 yards per play while Clemson had 455 and averaged 5.3 yards per play. But Florida had 124 yards in penalties which really hurt them. Glad I picked Clemson!

Notre Dame barely edged Pittsburgh, I don't know why it was so close but at this point I'm just glad for the outcome.

Thanks to Morgantown, WV making couch burning a third-degree felony, Lee Corso's couch is resting easy after being threatened by WVU fans when Corso picked LSU on ESPN's College Game Day show. I don't know how many couches suffered a fiery fate after the WVU loss, but there was a map pyromanic Mountaineer fans could refer to that showed enforcement free areas, so there had to be a few unfortunate victims. The T-shirt amensty program reported 160 West F***n' Virginia T-shirts were exchanged for officially licensed T-shirts. (ESPN inadvertently showed one such T-shirt on national TV in the 9/10 game against Marshall.) Part of me wonders if the person who made the offending T-shirts didn't just take his/her stock to the WVU Fan Shop for the exchange and will now sell the nicer tees for a higher price. (Yes, I sit around and think such evil thoughts.) At any rate, Corso courageously picked LSU and so did I.

I didn't go with my gut on Ball State vs. Army and totally screwed up. Ball State beat Army 48 to 21. Ball State QB Keith Wenning had his best game ever and Army couldn't freaking make a completion. Never mind Army was favored by 4. I guess I was right...Ball State is the better team, but the injuries made me doubt them like I doubted Fresno State. Sigh.

Miami (OH)  vs  Bowling Green: This is one of those games that frustrate me. How can Miami (OH) go from almost beating Minnesota then turn around and lose to Bowling Green? I know little about the MAC so that doesn't help, but please people...I need a little consistency here.

Ohio performed admirably against Rutgers but couldn't quite pull it off. I'm okay with that because I picked Rutgers.

Syracuse edged out Toledo by almost 3 points (see Bad Call of the Week). Toledo showed discipline by keeping penalties to only 4, which is pretty good considering they went into the game being the third most penalized team in the country. 

Ohio State Segment
I'm still very concerned, which may sound odd after a 37 to 17 win, but QB Braxton Miller only completed 5 of 13 passes. That got him 2 TDs but that won't do against teams like Nebraska, certainly not Wisconsin, and probably not Michigan who has a huge chip on their shoulders and want to beat the crap out of Ohio State. A friend who hosts our tailgate went wandering around before the game and brought us back fresh Buffalo fans. They said they had stayed at the same hotel as the Colorado team and when they saw the team they couldn't believe how small they were. It seems they're not of the same caliber as the other teams OSU will meet this season. All of this makes me think it will be a very long season. Also, the Colorado fans told me a little trivia about their mascot, Ralphie. Ralphie must be a female because the males are too mean (much like human males) and she also has to be an orphan so she will relate more to humans than fellow buffalo. Ted Turner donated the current Ralphie since he owns more buffalo than anyone in the world (and half of Montana). He doesn't have any affiliation with Colorado but heard about the need and donated one. 

BTW, I think going out and inviting the opposing fans to your home game tailgate is what it's all about so kudos to Karen for doing that. I don't believe in booing other teams (I'll boo my own team before I'll boo an opposing team...someday I'll write out my Booing Code of Conduct) if the opposing team wasn't there none of this fun would be possible, so why be mean to their fans? 

Me with Buffaloes

Oh, and how many Buckeyes does it take to back in a very nice tailgate trailer? About 5. It took awhile for all these people to get the trailer for our tailgate into place, but they finally did it!

Bad Call of the Week (AKA: The Emperor Has No Clothes)
Blatantly bad calls are made by officials on a regular basis, but it's their strange penchant of persisting in unreality despite replay technology that makes me think they're a secret cult out to get us all. 

Syracuse scored a TD then attempted to kick for the extra point that missed and went left of the goal post...except the officials on the field called it good and so did the replay officials! The video can be found here. It may seem unclear in the embedded video but on a 55" HDTV it was not so you may want to try watching the video in full-screen mode. I can understand Toledo's frustration with such an obviously bad call, but their AD requested that the win by Syracuse be vacated and awarded to Toledo...even though it wasn't a one-point game. I think this is as baffling as the refs sticking to a bad call.

Fashion Segment
With so many new, throwback, and limited edition uniforms in college football these days it deserves its own section. This section will also include commentary on fashion statements made by anyone involved in college football: coaches, officials, fans, and announcers. No one is safe. In some instances links must be used instead of images due to copyright restrictions.

There weren't any new or interesting uniforms unveiled this week so here's a nice picture of the Ohio State Marching Band. (TBDBITL) No matter how bad the football team is, the band will ALWAYS be good!

TBDBITL

 
 The End

9-23-11 Week 4

My Weekly Picks

These are based on the choices given for the football pool I'm in. They sometimes don't include the most obvious games, but the goal is so each entrant must do some research/guessing themselves rather than relying on “expert” picks.

INDIANA   VS   NORTH TEXAS

ARIZONA STATE   VS   USC

TEXAS A&M   VS   OKLAHOMA STATE

VIRGINIA   VS   SO MISSISSIPPI

OREGON STATE   VS   UCLA

FRESNO STATE   VS   IDAHO

FLORIDA STATE   VS   CLEMSON

NOTRE DAME   VS   PITTSBURGH

GEORGIA TECH   VS   NORTH CAROLINA

LSU   VS   WEST VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON   VS   CALIFORNIA

ARMY   VS   BALL STATE

MIAMI OH   VS   BOWLING GREEN

RUTGERS   VS   OHIO

SYRACUSE   VS   TOLEDO

*****SPREAD GAMES*****

ALABAMA(-11.5)   VS   ARKANSAS

GEORGIA(-9.5)   VS   MISSISSIPPI

*****NOT IN THIS WEEK'S POOL*****

OHIO STATE   VS  COLORADO

USC has only allowed 4 sacks this year and Arizona State's starting pass rusher Onyeali has a knee injury and won't be playing. USC's QB Something Barkley has completed 44% of his passes longer than 25 yards and is 72% this season in overall pass completion, he has had 19 TD passes and only 2 interceptions when up against a blitz. Arizona State's QB Brock Osweiler completed 24 of 32 passes for 353 yards and no interceptions against Missouri, but against Illinois last week he completed only 25 of 45 passes for 256 yards and had two interceptions. That was his fourth career start as a junior but Barkely who is also a junior has been starting since he was a freshman so he has more experience. USC has beaten AZ State the last 11 times but the Trojans are a young team and that's why the Sun Devils are favored by 2 1/2. That's not a wide spread so I'm going with USC.

FRESNO STATE   VS   IDAHO: This game is definitely a who sucks less pick. Unfortunately Fresno State has some major injuries with two of their three safeties out for the entire season, and two of their starting offensive lineman are out this week. Fresno gave #10 Nebraska a run for their money by scoring 29 points but that was before all the injuries. Idaho only scored one TD against #9 Texas A&M. Both teams played North Dakota but Idaho beat them by 44 points only allowing 14 points, while Fresno State only beat them by 27 points last week and allowed 22. This seems to show the impact of the injuries on their game. Since I know so little about the WAC I have to go with this last stat to determine my pick: Idaho.

FLORIDA STATE   VS   CLEMSON:  This is a tough pick, but Clemson has a balanced game and they're at home. Florida State's QB is questionable as a starter but Clemson's coach is assuming he'll start and has been planning accordingly. 

NOTRE DAME   VS   PITTSBURGH: Unless there's an upset I think Notre Dame will pull it off.

GEORGIA TECH   VS   NORTH CAROLINA: I believe North Carolina could upset Georgia Tech since they've been practicing against the Yellow Jacket's triple-option style offense since last spring, but I think the edge goes to Georgia Tech since they're at home.

LSU   VS   WEST VIRGINIA:  Okay, this will be a good game but there are so many other awesomely funny things surrounding the game that make it even better and they all involve the West Virginia fans. This is the first time that ESPN's College Game Day will visit Morgantown, WV and it has prompted action from the university to suppress promote the true Mountaineer image. First there's the unofficial Mountaineer fan favorite t-shirt that West Virginia University officials don't want you to see, they haven't gone so far as to have a t-shirt burning (you'll get that joke shortly) but they have offered an amenesty program where fans can turn in such t-shirts in return for a $20 voucher to purchase an officially licensed/boring WVU shirt, more suitable for PG-13 audiences and uptight members of academia. (This particular tee has the added benefit of instructing other WVU fans on the English language.) 

Then there's the West Virginia stereotype of having a couch on one's porch, mix that with Mountaineer football fanaticism (or patriotism) and you have a good old fashioned couch burning. Apparently WVU is known for this phenomenon to the point that the city of Morgantown has recently made couch burning a felony causing a collective sigh of relief by area couches. (I can just imagine "felony couch burning" on someone's record.) There was a roundup of homeless couches where 36 truckloads of couches and furniture were unceremoniously dumped outside city limits in an effort to keep them away from Game Day cameras. Many see this as is a wet blanket on another longstanding college tradition. Maybe they could offer fans this tee instead in the amnesty program. Check out Mountaineer fan site www.wemustignitethiscouch.com....you just can't make this stuff up. With all this fun surrounding the game it's hard to turn my attention back to picking a winner but here it is: I think West Virginia will be tough but LSU is supposed to be very good on both sides of the ball so I have to go with LSU. There could be an upset here but it's not as likely as some other games. And long live the couches!

California's defense is good at home but play poorly on the road. Washington's QB is only 51% in pass completion but Washington's pass defense is last in the PAC-12. But with Washington's QB Keith Price's accuracy and the Huskies scoring 36 points per game I think they'll outscore Cal.

I think Ball State is the better team but due to injuries and it being a non-conference game they don't have the incentive to win like Army does who needs six wins before their game with Navy December 10th to be bowl eligible. They also are favored by 4.

I want to pick Ohio but I feel they're a bit unproven at this level for me to feel confident in picking them. Their no-huddle offense is very effective but it has been against much lesser teams than Rutgers. Rutgers is coming off a bye-week and had an easy first game but a tough opponent in NC State two weeks ago where they lost by only 2. With Rutgers at home and favored by 4 I'm going with them.

Toledo is the third most penalized team in the nation and they're on the road. This could be close but Syracuse has the edge.

Ohio State vs Colorado: This game is not in my football pool but since I always do an Ohio State segment each week I need to address this, plus Ohio State is my team! I'm going with Ohio State; we're at home, Braxton Miller is starting at QB, and amazingly enough Ohio State is favored by 16 1/2.

Games I’m Most Likely to Watch If I Don’t Have Anything Better to Do

This section lists the games I’ll likely watch if I don’t get distracted by something else. I have A.D.D., so it’s not that I don’t want to watch these games but sometimes my brain has other ideas.  

ARIZONA STATE   VS   USC: Should be a good game, let's see which pundit looks like a genius. 

FLORIDA STATE   VS   CLEMSON: I really want to see how each team does in this game, it will tell us a lot about each team this season.

LSU   VS   WEST VIRGINIA: I'd like to say I want to watch to see if LSU can beat WVU, but I really want to see if one of those T-shirts  make it on ESPN.

RUTGERS   VS   OHIO: Hopefully Ohio can beat Rutgers and show that the MAC can compete with the Big East.

ALABAMA  VS   ARKANSAS: I want to see if Arkansas can beat the spread.

OHIO STATE   VS  COLORADO: I'll watch it if it's not as painful as last week's game. 

Games I Will Not Watch If I Have Anything to Say About It*

These are the games I have no interest in whatsoever and would find more torturous to watch than taking up stamp collecting.

OHIO STATE   VS  COLORADO: If it becomes as painful as the Miami game I refuse to look, even if it's as compelling as staring at an auto accident.

*These are always subject to change because football can be as unpredictable as a herd of cats and any game could become unexpectedly interesting...also, I often do not have control of the remote.

Things That Annoy Me This Week

This is the section where I talk about the stuff annoying me this week related to college football...or not.

People wishing for coach Tressel to return: Because it wouldn't change a thing.

Little Else: I've been on vacation this week.  

The End

9-20-11 Post Game Wrap Up Week 3

Outcome of My Picks With a Few Comments
9-9

CENTRAL FLORIDA  VS  FLORIDA INTL  :-(

STANFORD   VS   ARIZONA   :-)

BYU   VS   UTAH    :-(

MIAMI FLORIDA   VS   OSU   :-)   :-/

NEW MEXICO STATE   VS   UTEP    :-)

OKLAHOMA   VS   FLORIDA STATE  :-)

ILLINOIS   VS   ARIZONA STATE   :-(

BALL STATE   VS   BUFFALO   :-)

OHIO   VS   MARSHALL  :-)  :-)

KENTUCKY   VS   LOUISVILLE  :-(

SAN DIEGO ST VS  WASHINGTON ST   :-(

TEXAS   VS   UCLA    :-)

NOTRE DAME   VS   MICHIGAN ST  :-(

MINNESOTA   VS   MIAMI OH   :-(

MISSISSIPPI   VS    VANDERBILT  :-(

IOWA   VS   PITTSBURGH   :-)

CLEMSON   VS   AUBURN    :-( 

MARYLAND   VS   WEST VIRGINIA  :-)

Well, I learned something this week...I don't know what I'm talking about. After my record last week and how I so eloquently stated my reasoning I thought maybe I just might know something about NCAA football. But looking at my picks this week and my way off-base reasoning after the fact, I see that anybody can sound like they know what they're talking about...including me. Heck, I had myself fooled. This is what I suspected about everyone else but I am firmly included in that little secret. Before each week's picks I need to re-read my own About This Blog as a humble reminder. The other thing I learned is that I need to be careful not to pick what I'd like to see happen even if the research supports that as a possibility (as opposed to a probability). In the end my NFL picks saved me (13-3) but I don't give that near the effort I give my NCAA picks because I just don't have the time. Also, only 5 other people in our pool had more points than me this week so that helped my standing. Off we go...

Florida International only beat Central Florida by a TD, but despite Central Florida's 300 total yards versus FIU's 238, the 62 yard advantage was wiped out by 71 yards in penalties and 42 yards lost in 6 sacks. Fumbles were also costly for UCF: the first led to an FIU TD late in the second quarter and another in the third quarter at their own 8 yard line led to an FIU TD two plays later. I'm really surprised the score wasn't any worse. 

The first half of BYU vs Utah was a game, but in the second half it wasn't even close. It was a low scoring game...for BYU...but to my credit I did write that since this is a rivalry anything could happen, and it did. Penalties cost BYU 70 yards and sacks cost them 21 yards, but 6 fumbles and 1 interception were the most costly. It's interesting to note that Utah held BYU to 11 yards rushing but allowed 343 yards passing. They face Central Florida next week who has a pretty balanced game, but they killed themselves Saturday with penalties and turnovers similar to BYU. 

Oklahoma and Florida State were tied 13 - 13 in the middle of the fourth quarter. There is some serious defense on both teams but then Oklahoma allowed a 56 yard TD on 4th and 28, they didn't see it coming. After all was said and done Oklahoma did prevail as expected. There was a nasty, unfair hit on a Florida State receiver inside the Oklahoma 5 yard line when two Oklahoma guys sandwiched Kenny Shaw...but the worst of it was both defenders clearly led with their helmets. Shaw laid motionless for several minutes and was removed from the field on a backboard as a precaution, thankfully he's okay. This sort of thing sickens me because players could become paralyzed or worse from such hits. I think a 15 yard penalty isn't severe enough and I would be in favor of ejecting players for such unnecessary roughness. I saw it in the NFL last weekend too and they should be ejected and fined. None of the coaches in these games took the offending players out. Until the penalties are stiffer it will keep happening. 

Illinois only beat Arizona State by three points but they led the most of the game. I didn't think Illinois had it in them but it turns out they did...just by a hair!

Wow, did I pick the right team in Ohio vs Marshall! I thought this might be a close game but Ohio shut Marshall out after the first quarter and never looked back, they won 44 - 7.

When I first saw the outcome of San Diego vs Washington State I thought this was a clear example of me not knowing what I'm talking about, but I did write that for San Diego to beat WSU they would need to have a multi-faceted game...and they did -- with 273 yards passing and 227 yards rushing. I also wrote that if WSU can contain running back Ronnie Hillman they should be able to put up enough points to win. Well, they did not contain Hillman because he had 191 yards rushing and four TDs. Three of those TDs came in the 4th quarter and made for a lopsided score of 42 to 24.

Notre Dame walked all over Michigan State. MSU seemed sluggish to me and the biggest difference between them and Michigan is Michigan never gave up against Notre Dame. After the half MSU looked and acted defeated and their defense was not as advertised. I did write that I was probably wrong in picking MSU and I was. (Note to self: listen to self.)

Minnesota vs Miami (OH) is a good example of me picking what I'd like to see verses what is probable. Minnesota only won by 3 but it was an uphill battle for Miami even though they were tied 16 - 16 in the third quarter thanks to a TD pass to Chris Givens. (Chris is the brother of my co-worker.) Minnesota always seemed to have a bit of an edge on Miami but it was a good game and both teams played well. Minnesota only had 6 more total yards than Miami, but 25 yards in penalties really hurt Miami.

Vanderbilt beat Mississippi soundly and didn't allow them to score until the fourth quarter. I really had no idea what I was talking about in this case. 

West Virginia dominated Maryland the first half but then the Terps managed a 21 point comeback in the second half, but WVU was far enough ahead and managed to score 10 more points in the second half to keep their lead. At least Maryland's uni's looked a lot better this week. 

Ohio State Segment
I picked the right team in OSU vs Miami but my team lost badly. It was a very difficult game to pick because of all the unknowns due to suspensions. I couldn't decide until late Friday night but I finally settled on Miami, then the next morning I second-guessed myself, but as the day wore on I began to believe I fortunately (or unfortunately) picked correctly.  I didn't pick Ohio State mainly because those other pundits who sound like they know what they're talking about only picked OSU because they thought Miami's QB Jacory Harris would make his usual mistakes (and he did)...but that was the only argument they gave. Considering OSU's performance against Toledo I understood why. But back to the Miami game, I know that Ohio State failed in every aspect of the game: missed tackles, dropped passes (butters!), playing the receiver instead of the ball in the end zone, and serious over throwing by the QB. It seemed to me that they simply didn't have the talent and/or experience needed. The shame of it is hearing people say things like they miss coach Tressel. If coach Tressel were still with OSU and the same personnel were on the field I doubt there would've been a different outcome. The problem wasn't play calling, the problem was that the players weren't able to execute. Maybe there is a coaching problem because there were a lot of fundamentals lacking in every area, it's as if many of them never played before. But I have a fundamental problem wishing upon a fallen star. Moving on...

Fashion Segment
With so many new, throwback, and limited edition uniforms in college football these days it deserves its own section. This section will also include commentary on fashion statements made by anyone involved in college football: coaches, officials, fans, and announcers. No one is safe. In some instances links must be used instead of images due to copyright restrictions.

After starting off the season with a mess of a uniform, Maryland's uni's in week 3 were very sleek

I've also noticed a disturbing trend in uniform fashion with linemen tucking in their shirtsleeves and exposing their shoulder pads. Maybe there's a practical reason for this but it ruins the look of a perfectly nice looking uniform

The look is much more suitable for a samurai warrior

Michigan State wore their Nike Pro Combat uni's against  Notre Dame. The mascot logo looks very nice

Courtesy of Nikeblog.com

The End
  

9-16-11 Week 3

My Weekly Picks

These are based on the choices given for the football pool I'm in. They sometimes don't include the most obvious games, but the goal is so each entrant must do some research/guessing themselves rather than relying on “expert” picks.

CENTRAL FLORIDA  VS  FLORIDA INTL

STANFORD   VS   ARIZONA

BYU   VS   UTAH

MIAMI FLORIDA   VS   OSU  

NEW MEXICO STATE   VS   UTEP

OKLAHOMA   VS   FLORIDA STATE

ILLINOIS   VS   ARIZONA STATE

BALL STATE   VS   BUFFALO

OHIO   VS   MARSHALL

KENTUCKY   VS   LOUISVILLE

SAN DIEGO ST VS  WASHINGTON ST

TEXAS   VS   UCLA

NOTRE DAME   VS   MICHIGAN ST

MINNESOTA   VS   MIAMI OH

MISSISSIPPI   VS    VANDERBILT

IOWA   VS   PITTSBURGH

CLEMSON   VS   AUBURN

MARYLAND   VS   WEST VIRGINIA

BYU VS UTAH: This big rivalry game is at BYU who led 16-3 early in the third quarter against Texas but lost 17-16. Utah and BYU basically run the same pro-style offense, which doesn't help Utah junior QB Jordan Wynn who is coming off major shoulder surgery. BYU’s passing is 11th worst in the country in yards per completion but Utah is 10th worst for the same stat, so suckage in this area is evenly matched. With both offenses being what they are, it will likely be a low scoring game and I believe a major deciding factor will be turnovers. Due to Utah's QB adjusting from shoulder surgery it tips the scale for me to BYU because I think they may be able to score more, but in big rivalry games much of the analysis goes out the window and anything could happen. 

MIAMI FLORIDA  VS  OSU: WHO DO I PICK??? The best term I’ve heard to describe this game is the "Ineligi-Bowl" and it’s exactly what makes picking a winner impossible. I have to choose between two teams crippled by suspensions and determine who sucks less as a result of absentee players.

The NCAA ruled that OSU’s running back Jordan Hall and defensive backs Travis Howard and Corey Brown could be reinstated as soon as they repay the $200 they took, Hall paid this back but Howard and Brown haven’t yet. (Maybe someone could give them some cash…oh, wait…) But seriously, I'm not going to discuss the fairness/unfairness of the NCAA's sentencing of OSU players who took $200 vs the Miami players who took major perks from daddy Shapiro, instead I'm going to deal with what is rather than what should be…if I can determine what that even is.

Both teams' kicking game is poor. Miami comes off a bye-week and Ohio State comes off a close call with Toledo. Miami has five of it's starters back from suspension, Ohio State has one. Ohio State's special teams are not good while Miami returned two punts for TDs last year. Miami's QB Jacory Harris was mistake prone under former coach Mark Whipple but changes made to their offensive system by their new offensive coordinator is designed to reduce mistakes and boost completion. But with Harris being one of the starters suspended for the first game, coupled with the bye-week...he's still unproven, which is an example of the biggest obstacle in picking a winner for this game. Then there's OSU's strong defense that could force turnovers and stop Miami.

Ohio State has one reinstated player for this game while Miami has five, but due to a bye-week for Miami these players are unproven. There just isn’t enough data to make a sound decision and that’s why I’m waiting until after tonight’s Toledo vs. Boise State game to make a decision. If Toledo plays strongly and/or beats Boise that helps the case for OSU. But this is a toss up due to a lack of data, not because the teams are thought to be equally matched. Sad.

OSU VS MIAMI Pick Update at 10:59 PM ET: Boise State is up 27 to 9 against Toledo with 6:03 to go...excuse me, 33 to 9 now. Toledo held them fairly well the first half but while they gained decent yardage they just couldn’t sustain their drives enough to turn them into points. I think Toledo is a decent team and that they are just a slight notch below Boise. To me that means Ohio State is just a slight notch above Toledo with the current suspensions in place. In light of that I hope OSU wins, but with five returning starters coming back for Miami vs one for Ohio State…I have to pick Miami.

ILLINOIS  VS  ARIZONA STATE: Last week Arizona State’s QB Brock Osweiler completed 24 of 32 passes for 353 and no interceptions, he also rushed 34 yards for a TD and is ranked 10th in passing efficiency. But poor defense and missed tackles plagued the Sun Devils against Missouri despite a win in OT. (But this sounds like an anomaly since they were ranked 16th against the run in 2010.) Arizona State is 3-9 on the road against Big Ten teams with a 1-point loss at Wisconsin last year and their pre-conference season has been tougher than Illinois's.  Illinois’s QB Scheelhaase has a lot of experience and he rushed for 868 yards in 2010 and passed for 17 touchdowns. He’s ranked 8^th in passer-efficiency this season but I'm not impressed by their opponents. Some call Illinois’s offense “explosive” but they haven’t beaten a ranked team since upsetting #1 Ohio State in 2007 in the 'Shoe (where they unceremoniously stomped on the OSU logo at the center of the field post-game, but that's to be expected by a team inexperienced at winning). I’m not convinced the Illini can succeed against Arizona State’s defense that ranked 16^th against the run last year. Illinois ranks 6^th in rushing defense but it’s the Sun Devil’s passing game they may not be able to stop. If Arizona State can stop the run and minimize penalties they should have no problem winning.

OHIO  VS  MARSHALL: This Ohio River rivalry has only a 4 point spread. Marshall’s offense is ranked 104^th in rushing averaging only 2.9 yards per carry, but their defense only allows 58.5 yards rushing per game. Ohio has all five starting offensive lineman returning this year though, and their defense also has only given up 58 yards total in each of its first two games. I give the edge to Ohio since they're at home and lost by only 1 point last year in Huntington. I think this is the year Solich will get his win over Marshall.

SAN DIEGO ST  VS  WASHINGTON ST: Washington State leads the nation in averaging 61.5 points per game. San Diego State’s tight ends had no yardage against Army last week and only two of their wide receivers caught passes despite a 3 point win. The Aztecs will need to be multifaceted to succeed against WSU.  If Washington State can stop running back Ronnie Hillman they should be able to put enough points up to win. I pick WSU against the odds.

TEXAS  VS  UCLA: UCLA's kicker "Kip" is injured and they're looking to their soccer team for help just in case he isn't able to play this Saturday. Texas has only allowed 50 yards of offense total in their first two games, while UCLA's defense is weak. With Colt McCoy's younger brother Case sharing QB duties with What's-His-Name Ash, I pick Texas.

NOTRE DAME  VS  MICHIGAN ST: Michigan State's defense is ranked 4th in the country allowing only 6 points in two games, but they've had an easy pre-conference schedule. Notre Dame has lost by only 3 points in each of their first two games against better opponents and they controlled the line of scrimmage against Michigan's defense (that was as slow as a C-47 cargo plane). But I'm not sure they'll be able to do that against Michigan State's defense. Michigan State has never had a problem playing in South Bend so that’s not a major factor. I'm probably wrong on this one but I'm going with Michigan State. (Michigan State will be sporting Nike Pro Combat Uni's this week.)

MINNESOTA VS  MIAMI OH: I’m going out on a limb and picking Miami (OH). I don't have time to explain my reasoning.

MISSISSIPPI  VS  VANDERBILT: I struggled with this one, but what tipped the scale for me was Vandy's win over Mississippi last year was their only SEC win, but it wasn’t Mississippi’s by a long shot.

IOWA  VS  PITTSBURGH: Iowa’s QB James Vandensomething has four TD passes and has yet to be intercepted, and he’s averaging 213 passing yards per game. Their defense did allow 473 yards against Iowa State, however. Despite that I think they can hold Pittsburgh and prevail at home.

CLEMSON  VS  AUBURN: Clemson ranks 90th in defense and Auburn ranks 111th. Seeing how Auburn was the National Champion last year and has an effective offense, I pick Auburn brand tigers to outscore Clemson brand tigers.

MARYLAND  VS  WEST VIRGINIA: I wanted to pick Maryland but since two of their starting receivers who were key in beating Miami are indefinitely suspended for breaking team rules, that tipped me to WVU.

Games I’m Most Likely to Watch If I Don’t Have Anything Better to Do

This section lists the games I’ll likely watch if I don’t get distracted by something else. I have A.D.D., so it’s not that I don’t want to watch these games but sometimes my brain has other ideas.  

MIAMI FLORIDA  VS  OSU (AKA Ineligi-Bowl): Of course! Let’s see whose suspensions cost them more!

BOISE STATE  VS  TOLEDO: This will help me determine some things about Ohio State and help me decide on the Ineligi-Bowl. I also think it would be terribly fun if Toledo wins.

NOTRE DAME  VS  MICHIGAN ST: I want to see if Michigan State can pull it off.

BYU  VS  UTAH: Rivalries always make for good games.

MINNESOTA  VS  MIAMI OH: Could be a fun upset.

Games I Will Not Watch If I Have Anything to Say About It*

These are the games I have no interest in whatsoever and would find more torturous to watch than taking up stamp collecting.

BALL STATE  VS  BUFFALO: Zzzzzzzz….

CENTRAL FLORIDA  VS  FLORIDA INTL: Not likely to keep me awake either.

*These are always subject to change because football can be as unpredictable as a herd of cats and any game could become unexpectedly interesting...also, I often do not have control of the remote.

Things That Annoy Me This Week

This is the section where I talk about the stuff annoying me this week related to college football...or not.  

Miami VS Ohio State I’m leaning towards Miami but then flip flop. I hate indecisiveness. I hate not having enough data. There is little about this game making me happy right now. Even if Miami wins they’ll probably have to vacate the win…but NCAA rulings don’t have jurisdiction over my football pool! 

Ohio State Situation I am at one with the fact that Ohio State’s season is in jeopardy due to the suspensions. What bothers me is that an entire coaching staff who had nothing to do with it may not have jobs next year if they have a bad season because of it. 

BlogPress Ipad App: I used this stupid app on my iPad to correct a couple of errors and it randomly ran together about 30% of my words…essentially creating more errors. It has been deleted forever.

The End

9-14-11 Post Game Wrap Up Week 2

Outcome of My Picks With a Few Comments
12-5

WASHINGTON   VS HAWAII  :-)

CALIFORNIA   VS   COLORADO  :-)

ALABAMA   VS   PENN STATE :-)

TCU   VS   AIR FORCE  :-(

N C STATE   VS   WAKE FOREST  :-)

PURDUE   VS   RICE  :-)

SOUTH CAROLINA   VS   GEORGIA :-)

IOWA   VS   IOWA STATE  :-(

VIRGINIA   VS   INDIANA  :-)

TEXAS   VS   BYU  :-)

VANDERBILT   VS   U CONN  :-)

MISSISSIPPI ST   VS   AUBURN  :-(

CENTRAL FLORIDA   VS   BOSTON COLLEGE  :-)

NOTRE DAME   VS   MICHIGAN  :-)

NO ILLINOIS   VS   KANSAS  :-(

TENNESSEE   VS   CINCINNATI  :-)

**** SPREAD GAME****

OHIO STATE (-19)   VS   TOLEDO  :-(  :-(  <--Lotsa unhappiness

Eight games from last week’s pool were decided by 3 points or less. With so many close games it was difficult to keep track of them all and there was a lot of switching up and down the dial. It's a nice problem to have on a football Saturday.

Colorado lost by 3 points to California in overtime. Colorado’s passing game set records last Saturday with QB Tyler Hansen throwing for 474 yards, but their running game only yielded 108 yards on 32 carries. With Ohio State facing the Buffalos on 9/24 they’ll need to be ready to defend against the pass.

Penn State came out very strong and led 3 – 0 most of the first quarter. Then Alabama scored a TD late in the first quarter and another TD and field goal in the second. It appears that Penn St. gets tired after a quarter of intense play because after the half they held Alabama to 3 in the third quarter then gave up 7 in the fourth quarter. Penn State’s only TD occurred in the fourth quarter followed by a 2 point conversion.  Penn State played their hearts out but unless their offense can find a way to score points their defense will only be able to make this season’s losses less embarrassing.

Wake Forest’s QB Tanner Price started and was in for the whole game and it made a difference. Wake started out with a 17 point lead in the first quarter and never fell behind. They also prevented NC State from scoring any points on the ground. But I do have one question about the team’s moniker: How can you be a “Demon Deacon”? I thought Demons were on one team and Deacons were on the other in the Heavenly realms. I guess that’s not the case in football.

Purdue vs. Rice: This was one of many close games last week and a blocked attempt for a 31-yard field goal prevented Purdue from a 1 point victory over Rice. (The spread was 1 1/5.) It was Rice’s first win over a BCS school since 2001. Purdue is not strong against the pass, they have allowed an average of 286 yards in their first two games. Despite that blocked field goal their kicking game isn’t bad. I’m jealous.

Iowa lost to Iowa State by 3 points in triple overtime in this huge rivalry game. Iowa’s defense allowed 473 yards but QB James Vandensomething is averaging 213 passing yards per game and has not been intercepted yet. Since they’re in the “Legends” division of the newly divided Big Ten, Ohio State won’t play them unless they were to meet in the conference championship.

Texas came out slow in the first half then went on to dominate the second half. They went to a 2 QB system after pulling starting QB Garrett Gilbert in the second quarter after he threw two interceptions and only gained 8 yards. The 2 QBs are: Somebody Ash and Colt McCoy’s younger brother Case McCoy. (So many c’s.) Each QB got a TD and were principal in turning the game around. If these two start against UCLA it will be an interesting game.

I can’t believe I picked the right team for Notre Dame vs Michigan!! As I wrote in my 9/7 blagh I struggled with this decision and was just sure I had picked the wrong team. That feeling persisted strongly through most of the game until the very last play. The only thing that assuaged my doubts was seeing a wide shot of the crazed sea of Maize. Seeing that is what made me believe Michigan would prevail despite what the scoreboard said for 3.5 quarters.

Setting the stage: It was the first night game in Michigan Stadium and the pre-game festivities began with a goofy TV drama complete with an announcer saying Michigan must “beat the darkness”. Get it? First night game, they now have lights…yeah. Then there was a flyover, it wasn't an F16 screaming into the night but a WWII-era cargo plane chugging across the sky that would be a foreshadow of the Michigan defense. Despite the slow moving pre-game dramatics the game itself was incredible and is what NCAA football is all about.

Notre Dame outplayed Michigan in the first half in every aspect. Michigan’s defense left holes the size of that C-47 and their offense struggled to make one TD the first three quarters. They couldn’t stop the run or the pass. Despite these problems and the scoreboard the game still seemed close, I think that was due to the fact that Michigan never gave up. In the fourth quarter that heart finally paid off, Michigan scored 4 touchdowns with two occurring with less than 1:30 left, causing Notre Dame's Brian Kelly to turn his back to the camera and drop F-bombs on his players. (Touchdown Jesus would not approve.) The really amazing, gutsy, bold, awesome thing Brady Hoke did was to go for it with less than 5 seconds left on the clock. Instead of going for 3 to tie it and take the game into OT, Denard Robinson threw a TD pass to Roy Roundtree and won the game! It was a great game (I usually say that when things are exciting and go my way in the end). Michigan has a lot of technical issues they need to work on but it was heart that won this game. They wanted it and managed to come back in the fourth quarter. They can do this at home with 110k fans backing them, now let's see how they do on the road.

A word about football pools…they mess with your head and your loyalties because it makes you root for teams you normally would never root for! Do you know what it's like for a born and  bred Ohio State fan to find themselves saying "go Mich***"??? (I can't even type it!) But I want to win the football pool!! (Or make the leader page in pool.) So I am angrily putting aside my preferences...damn it!

Ohio State Segment

The one game I didn’t want to be a close one was Ohio State vs. Toledo. I don’t know how much of a factor the missing nine players were but Toledo was very physical and definitely outplayed Ohio State. The kicking game was still abysmal and Joe Bauserman felt the heat against a tougher team going 16 of 30 for 189 yards. On the ground OSU only averaged 3.3 yards per carry.   The poor performance was noted and OSU dropped from #15 to #17 despite the win. Make no mistake, the Rockets are a good team and have beat top 25 teams 6 out of 9 times, with 14 penalties and a couple of missed field goals the game was theirs to lose. Let’s hope Ohio State can get it together for the Miami game. 

Cirque du Soleil Play of the Week

Amazing plays involving acrobatic moves worthy of a Cirque du Soleil peformance.

Nothing inspired me this week, lots of good teamwork but I saw no acrobatics worthy of Cirque du Soleil. 

Fashion Segment
With so many new, throwback, and limited edition uniforms in college football these days it deserves its own section. This section will also include commentary on fashion statements made by anyone involved in college football: coaches, officials, fans, and announcers. No one is safe. In some instances links must be used instead of images due to copyright restrictions.

Michigan wore a throwback inspired uniform with a genuine throwback helmet that had the original gray facemask. Bo changed this to blue because he didn't want gray on the uniform (think scarlet & gray).

Sneak preview of Brent Musburger’s new ride.

Here’s a sneak peek at the 2011 Ohio State Pro Combat Uniform that they’ll wear against Wisconsin. I really like it and LOVE the helmet that’s similar to the Georgia version. I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed in the gloves, if that’s a block “O” in all that gray I can’t make it out. Maybe they camouflaged it to throw off the officials. 

Courtesy of Nikeblog.com

Nebraska has a new uniform, but for the life of me I swear the tramp stamp says “Buns Up”.

And note to Joe Pa: it’s not polite to point at people with your cane.

The End

9-8-11 Week 2

My Weekly Picks

These are based on the choices given for the football pool I'm in. They sometimes don't include the most obvious games, but the goal is so each entrant must do some research/guessing themselves rather than relying on “expert” picks.

WASHINGTON   VS HAWAII

CALIFORNIA   VS   COLORADO

ALABAMA   VS   PENN STATE 

TCU   VS   AIR FORCE

N C STATE   VS   WAKE FOREST

PURDUE   VS   RICE

SOUTH CAROLINA   VS   GEORGIA

IOWA   VS   IOWA STATE

VIRGINIA   VS   INDIANA

TEXAS   VS   BYU

VANDERBILT   VS   U CONN

MISSISSIPPI ST   VS   AUBURN

CENTRAL FLORIDA   VS   BOSTON COLLEGE

NOTRE DAME   VS   MICHIGAN

NO ILLINOIS   VS   KANSAS

TENNESSEE   VS   CINCINNATI

**** SPREAD GAME****

OHIO STATE (-19)   VS   TOLEDO  


Air Force: They're playing at home and there's only a 1 1/2 point spread favoring TCU, so why not?

Wake Forest: Wake Forest lost in OT last week against Syracuse after a 7 point lead in the 4th quarter when QB Tanner Something-Or-Other had to leave due to an injury. Since Tanner is expected to start this week at home I think they have a chance.

Rice: Purdue only gets 1pt over Rice AT Rice. Purdue also had a ton of penalties last week. This is another game where you have to pick who sucks less.

Virginia: I just can't pick Indiana...unfortunately.

Vanderbilt: UConn has 3 QBs and can't decide. Two-QB systems are often precarious so a three-QB system must be completely unstable.

Michigan: Who do I pick??? I still don't know, but here's my reasoning: Michigan is at home at night and has just as much to prove as Notre Dame, but I really think they have more heart. I probably would've picked Notre Dame if they were at home under the semi-watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus, so the home advantage will likely be key...but this is truly a toss-up. It's like picking a line in the grocery store, it doesn't matter if the line is shorter and everything looks good...whichever line I choose will turn out to be the worst one. Anyway, both teams will be sporting new uniforms this week, for a sneak peek check them out at Paul Lukas' site Uni-watch.com.

No. Illinois: Here's the deal: Texas A&M wants to leave the Big 12 for another conference but Kansas is acting like a spurned woman stalking her ex-boyfriend who's trying to date the "other woman", who in this case is the SEC. Look, if he wants to leave he's just not into you and you just have to let go. So, I'm not sure I can pick a team that acts like that, it doesn't foster a manly football image. But in the end I picked NIU because they're favored by 6 1/2 points and Kansas' defense is suspect.

Tennessee: Cinci has never beaten an SEC team on the road, ever. Both team's offense can score a lot of points but both team's defense can give up a lot of points. Tennessee is at home and favored by 6 1/2, so I pick Tennessee.

Ohio State: Well, it's Toledo...who has never scored a single point against Ohio State. And after scoring 42 points against Akron last week Luke Fickell showed he won't hold back his 3rd and 4th stringers from playing their best…even if the opposing coach whines about it
.

Games I’m Most Likely to Watch If I Don’t Have Anything Better to Do

This section lists the games I’ll likely watch if I don’t get distracted by something else. I have A.D.D., so it’s not that I don’t want to watch these games but sometimes my brain has other ideas.  

TCU vs Air Force: It could be a close game with only a 1 1/2 point spread. But as I type this I'm even having second thoughts over my pick. Oh well.

Alabama vs Penn State: I want to see how Penn State looks this year since they're a Big 10 team. A very small part of me wonders if they could somehow pull off an upset. Stranger things have happened.

Notre Dame vs Michigan: Heck yes I will! This should be an awesome game since both have something to prove.

Ohio State vs Toledo: I'll watch for the same reasons as last week, to see how everyone performs in their positions...and to see if OSU beats the spread.

Games I Will Not Watch If I Have Anything To Say About It*

These are the games I have no interest in whatsoever and would find more torturous to watch than taking up stamp collecting.

Virginia vs Indiana: I rarely find watching Indiana interesting. It can't be helped.

*These are always subject to change because football can be as unpredictable as a herd of cats and any game could become unexpectedly interesting...also, I often do not have control of the remote.

Things That Annoy Me This Week

This is the section where I talk about the stuff annoying me this week related to college football...or not.

Not knowing who to pick between Michigan and Notre Dame: I just know I've picked the wrong one, and if I changed it right now it would somehow STILL be the wrong one!

Lower skilled teams knowingly playing much higher skilled teams for sweet moola: I feel badly for the guys seriously getting their asterisk's kicked so the school can rake in profits. As a coach I wouldn't demoralize my team that way. (Although, if there weren't such coaches I'd never have had the pleasure of watching The Best NCAA Football Game EVER™!)

Coaches knowingly scheduling a much higher skilled team for sweet moola then whining when their players get their asterisk's kicked: You get what you pay for...Zip!

Watching Ohio State play another lower skilled team again this week: I'm over it.

The End

9-6-11 Post Game Wrap Up Week 1

Outcome of My Picks With a Few Comments
8-5-1

NOTRE DAME VS SOUTH FLORIDA :-(

BYU VS MISSISSIPPI :(

COLORADO STATE VS NEW MEXICO :-)

INDIANA VS BALL STATE :-(

BOISE STATE VS GEORGIA :-)

OREGON VS LSU :-)

HAWAII VS COLORADO :-)

BOSTON COLLEGE VS NORTHWESTERN :-(

HOUSTON VS UCLA :-)

MIAMI FLA VS MARYLAND :-(

CALIFORNIA VS FRESNO STATE :-)

NOILLINOIS VS ARMY :)

--TWOGAMES WITH SPREADS--

WEST VIRGINIA(-21) VS MARSHALL  :-/

MICHIGAN(-13 ½) VS WESTERN MICHIGAN :)

I can't believe I picked freaking Notre Dame!! With 5 turn overs the final score should've been much more embarrassing than it was. I didn't watch the game but from the write ups it seems Senior QB Dayne Crist threw 4 interceptions at key points in the first half that should've resulted in TD's. (But USF's defense preached turnovers all summer so it was the result of good defense as much as anything.) After the stadium was cleared at the half due to lightening, the switch was made to Sophomore QB Tommy Rees who got one interception but threw for two TDs and helped get the team within 3 points by the end of the game, avoiding a complete embarrassment. Notre Dame didn't score the entire first half, and coach Brian Kelly felt that switching QBs was a "step back". Wow, really? The other interesting element to the game was that USF's head coach Skip Holtz played for Notre Dame and was an assistant coach for them under his dad Lou Holtz, so it was a meaningful win for him.

Michigan beat the spread! I like Brady Hoke's emphasis on discipline, especially in the current environment of players (and coaches) lacking it. The Wolverines wanted to continue to play and prove themselves as evidenced by the fact that they were disappointed the game was stopped in the third quarter due to severe weather. I still think it's premature to proclaim that Michigan is "back" but as we saw in Jim Tressel's first year at Ohio State with their first win over Michigan in 3 years, a team with heart can accomplish a lot. I'm an OSU fan but what makes football rivalries fun are worthy opponents, so I really hope Michigan will become a powerhouse once again and ultimately make the Big Ten stronger.

Boise State. This is the thing with Boise St., they play lower ranked teams from TOUGH conferences in their season openers then whine that they don't get to prove themselves again until the end of the season. Well, there's a simple solution to that: change conferences. Everybody's doing it so it's not like it's difficult. But that would mean they'd have to really prove themselves rather than rely on doubt and innuendo to make their case for attending the National Championship game. (Note that I did not say "playing".) Nobody wants to see a Boise St. vs. Alabama National Championship because blowouts are not fun for anyone, especially viewers. So while I picked Boise St. over Georgia, I'm not convinced they could win against a highly ranked team from a strong conference after the second game of the season. I'm open to being convinced but until they take action to really prove themselves I cannot buy into their strategy of introducing "reasonable doubt" against other teams.

West Virginia didn't quite make the spread so that gave me a "tie" as part of this week's record. It was explained to me that spreads should always include a 1/2 point so there are clear winners or losers. 

Colorado State sucked less than New Mexico, yes!!

Maryland vs. Miami: I think the uniforms simply scared Miami senseless. Maybe threatening them with similarly disjointed uniforms will scare them straight.

Ohio State Segment*
I'll start and end with Luke Fickell: The expert commentary floating around me Saturday noted how Jim Bollman was doing the offensive play calling and that it was excellent; meaning there was a good mix and Akron didn't know what was coming from where. Fickell did the defensive play calling, which makes sense since that's what he has played and coached, and he was effective because he kept the Zips to zip*.

Joe Bauserman was GREAT. He's very accurate, scrambles well, and has a maturity you don't get with an 18 - 21 year which was old evidenced by his solid decision making. His time as a professional minor league baseball player has served him well. I predict a two-QB system for at least the next game or two, and possibly most of the season.

Carlos Hyde: YES!! He did not score a TD but had a team high 94 yards rushing and was fun to watch.

Jake Stoneburner: Love the name, who do you know that can burn stone? No one! Jake scored 3 TD passes. But seriously, it's great that they're using the Tight End in the passing game, it has been the most underutilized position at OSU so hopefully we'll see a lot more of that.

Kicking: Ugh, no comment.

Braxton Miller: Poor guy, the announcers kept gossiping about him while the camera was on him and he was aware of it. Urban Myers ragged on him saying he should've been wearing headsets and learning what was going on and the failure to do so was on him. I'm not so sure, he's the rookie and should be coached in this area. (Maybe that worthless QB coach could start there.) They also commented that Bauserman wasn't wearing them...after he was done playing for the day! Who cares? That's all the poor guy has done for four years. But back to Braxton, he had GREAT passing and nailed one to Devon Smith in the end zone in the third quarter. He also scrambled to the left to get out of hot water to make a first down. It's too soon to tell but he looks better than Terrell Pryor*, let's hope he's smarter than him off the field too.

Penalties: The game was relatively penalty free, especially for a first game. I attribute this to good coaching. Let's hope they stay disciplined.

Luke Fickell Part II: Is Luke fickle a good coach? It can't be answered against Akron since it's not a real-world test, but I like that Fickell isn't afraid to delegate, a good leader can delegate and let people use their strengths without being threatened. Few people can do it all with a high level of excellence, so you have to trust people to do what they're hired to do. I see Luke Fickell doing that and it is the trait of a true leader.

*Preseason disclaimer: But it's Akron!

Cirque du Soleil Play of the Week
Amazing plays involving acrobatic moves worthy of a Cirque du Soleil peformance.

• Amazing one-handed catch by Ohio State's Evan Spencer!! OMG!!! 

         Starts at 2:35:
       LINK: Ohio State Highlights

Commentary on the Commentary
This is where I comment on what commentators or announcers had to say about the games.

Mike Mays' comment about Ohio State's solid performance: "But it's Akron!"
My response: Ha ha ha ha ha!

Lou Holtz' calling Mike Mays an idiot for his comment about Ohio State.
My response: Ha ha ha ha ha!

Fashion Segment
With so many new, throwback, and limited edition uniforms in college football these days it deserves its own section. This section will also include commentary on fashion statements made by anyone involved in college football: coaches, officials, fans, and announcers. No one is safe. In some instances links must be used instead of images due to copyright restrictions.

Luke Fickell: Wearing black on a 97 degree day? It's almost as bad as wearing a sweater vest in the sweltering heat. And that was apparently not enough, he had on 3 layers: the black half-zip pull over, a red polo, and a white quarter-sleeve tee. My husband saw an interview with Fickell where he said he would wear whatever his wife laid out for him. I'm not sure I buy this, I saw a shot of his wife and kids and they were appropriately dressed for the weather. (And what grown man has his wife lay out his clothes for him, much less admits it?)

Brent Mussburger: SRLSLY??   (click below link to see)
LINK: Brent Mussburger's Fashion Statement

Georgia'sNike Pro Combat Uniform. AKA: "Daredevil": I LOVE the helmet, and the uniform looks good too. I normally hate uni-colored uniforms (I call them uni-uni's). When the pants and jerseys are the same dark color it makes it very hard to follow the player's movements because there's nothing to break up the body. White uni-uni's don't bother me like the dark colored versions and Nike has manged to make this red Georgia uniform an exception also.

Courtesy of Nikeblog.com

Oregon's Nike Pro Combat Uniform. AKA "Tron": I LOVE it. Even though it's a dark green uni-uni the glow-in-the-dark accents break it up enough to make it possible to follow the players' movements. The matte black on the helmet gives it the look of green steel. Overall it's very Tron and very nicely done.

Courtesy of Nikeblog.com

Maryland Terrapins. AKA "Court Jester":  I realize the uni is based on the Maryland state flag but...what a mess.

Boise State AKA "Captain America":  A nice clean look. Even better - Boise St. is no longer allowed to wear those awful blue uni-uni's on their home field...or as I call it: "Lake Boise". Opposing teams have long felt that the all blue uni on blue turf gave Boise unfair advantage. As ESPN's Andrea Adelson pointed out in her article, "The main complaint is that players blend in with the field, especially on tape."  THANK YOU,  that has been my biggest complaint too and I couldn't watch them because it was too visually painful. (Although I still won't be able to watch anything on that blue turf, but then there's never anything interesting to watch when they play at Lake Boise.)

Courtesy of Nikeblog.com

The End