CFB Week 3 (9/11-9/13) News and Picks

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Sluts.

College Football ‘08: The Battle Of Iowa To Be Boozy

Published by J Koot at 4:32 am under Iowa, Some other School, tailgate

Visited 78 times, 78 so far today

The Iowa couple’s honeymoon included football, beer and this.

It’s that week again.
Iowa vs. Iowa State. Ames vs. Iowa City. Farmer vs. farmer. Drunk vs. drunk.
Sure, Busted Coverage will be in USC for the Ohio State game (thanks, sponsors) but one of these years we’ll be visiting Iowa for this tailgating experience.
Imagine 70,000 white people getting all boozed up on now-Belgian owned beer, chicks showing the goods (NSFW via YouTube) and decent football.
This is Mardi Gras for these people.

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Dirty talk from ISU ladies during last week’s tailgating

The Des Moines Register asked one Iowa alum where to get tanked this weekend:

Visiting the legendary bus’ tailgating party, home to rowdy Hawkeye fans, is a must. “$10 and all-you-can-drink kegs,” Smidt said. “But it gets packed early.” Look for a white house with a bus in the back playing loud music, right across from the stadium, she said.

Iowa kid at ESPN Gameday shows the sign he created in 5th grade art class.

Iowa vs. Iowa State, Saturday, 11 a.m. CST kickoff

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">11:46 PM (7 hours ago)
Morning Coffee Looks At Hurricane Ike

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
A special edition of Morning Coffee on the Hurricane Ike situation. A weather-free MC will follow.

All eyes on Ike. Though any potential Hurricane Ike impact on football might normally be the lead angle for a sports blog like this one, there's enough worrisome data out there that game delays have to be a secondary concern. Jeff Masters at Weather Underground has a sobering report on the worst-case scenario facing the Texas coast:

There is a significant chance that Ike will be the worst hurricane to hit Texas in over 40 years. The latest run of the HWRF and GFDL models paint a realistic worst-case scenario for Texas. These models bring Ike to the coast as a Category 4 hurricane (which I give a 20% probability of happening). The HWRF predicts a 170-mile stretch of coast will receive hurricane force winds of 74 mph or greater. A 100-mile stretch of coast will receive winds of Category 3 strength and higher, 115 mph. Hurricane force winds will push inland up to 50 miles, along a 50-mile wide region where the eyewall makes landfall. A 100-mile stretch of Texas coast will receive a storm surge of 10-15 feet, with bays just to the right of where the eye makes landfall receiving a 20-25 foot storm surge. This is what Hurricane Carla of 1961 did to Texas. Carla was a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds at landfall, and drove a 10 foot or higher storm surge to a 180-mile stretch of Texas coast.

Most of that's a foreign language to me, but I can read and process "worst hurricane to hit Texas in over 40 years" just fine. As big a concern as violent winds and heavy rains are on their own, Masters points out elsewhere in his post that the biggest danger for the Texas coast lies in its vulnerability to storm surges.

The Texas coast is highly vulnerable to large storm surges, due to the long expanse of shallow Continental Shelf waters offshore. The shallow depths allow large the swirling winds of the hurricane to pile up huge mounds of water, which then sweep inland when the hurricane makes landfall. Even Category 1 hurricanes are capable of generating 15 foot storm surges along some sections of the Texas coast.

Given the National Hurricane Center's warning that "the greatest potential for loss of life related to a hurricane is from the storm surge," Texans up and down the coast are and should be concerned about where Hurricane Ike actually makes landfall.
The latest computer models (Tuesday, 11 PM EDT) have Hurricane Ike hitting the Texas coast somewhere between Corpus Christi and Galveston late Friday night/early Saturday morning.

UT Athletics Department faces tough decision. After receiving "many inquiries" about Hurricane Ike's potential impact on weekend sporting events, the Texas Athletics Department issued a statement Tuesday night confirming their awareness of the situation. Though no decisions have been made, "The department is monitoring the weather forecasts and will act accordingly. Any changes to the current schedules will be announced on TexasSports.com and/or MackBrown-TexasFootball.com."
If Hurricane Ike followed the path currently projected by the models, it seems almost sure there would be no football in Austin on Saturday. Though that might prompt some to ask (quite reasonably) why UT wouldn't just cancel the game now, the nature of these storms makes it prudent to wait as long as is safe to make any big decisions: Though hurricane projecting has dramatically improved over the last 20 years, "the average error in the National Hurricane Center's track forecasts is near 260 miles" at four days outside expected landfall.
In other words, under the right circumstances, Hurricane Ike's projected path could by lunchtime tomorrow drastically lurch south-southwest as quickly as it veered north towards the Texas coast Tuesday afternoon.
Practically speaking, that means University of Texas officials will watch tomorrow morning for any signs of change before making any decisions. If experts continue to project a Texas coast landfall late Friday/early Saturday, it may prove difficult not to cancel Saturday's football game. Regardless of Ike's impact on Central Texas, UT officials will have to consider fans who might be planning to travel to this weekend's game. One option would be to wait on any cancellation decisions while issuing an advisory that fans outside Central Texas should not travel to the game.
More likely, if Ike remains projected towards the Texas coast and evacuations appear imminent, officials may just decide tomorrow on a precautionary cancellation of Saturday's game. Relevant to the inquiry: Texas and Arkansas have open dates September 27th, making a re-scheduled contest perfectly feasible.
If I'm a UT official facing a close call and looking for a potentially decisive factor... this is probably it.
We'll see.

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Adding:

Cougar High -4' (-110)

I personally made the line UH -1 but I was really impressed at how much they moved the ball against Okie Lite (okay, Okie Lite's D sucks but still) and put up yards and points. Looked for awhile like Okie Lite would not cover.

Then I read this:

http://cappingthegame.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1034847&postcount=45

And now I'm on UH -4' and may jump on SMU +36'. I also watched last weekend as TT's offense sputtered. They do need a compliment to Crabtree and while Leach may call the plays, not having their ingrained OC in the box giving feedback down to the field may have hurt. Still need to look more into SMU and see how June Jones' experiment is going before I jump on it, but I'll add the Cougs for now.

RetroVK · Sep 10, 2008

RJ any concern that if this game is played in bad conditions that it will favor the AFA run game more than houston passing attack ?

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Ah, shit. Now I remember the weather. Thanks, VK. Where were you when I was waking up and making this play?

Hmmm. I'll think about it. I think the weather stays away from Houston though. Looking now like it's going to hit between Brownsville and Corpus and then track north.

O-State · Sep 10, 2008

Leaning Houston as well here I see it like Ball State vs. Navy. Air Force traditionally struggles mightily with the pass, and that lack of inexp is being overlooked by playing some puffcakes. Wyoming can go to hell they've hurt everyone on this board.

I am eliminating Arizona. New Mexico is one of those good dogs IMO. Lobos outgained A&M 370-236. Lost turnovers 4-1. TCU was one of those traditional bad matchups for them. I was leaning Zona due to fact they played that 3-3-5 last year and put up over 400 passing. But I don't foresee that this year, Lobos didn't come close to allowing that again and secondary very strong. Other edge to Zona is been wondering if they are like last years Kansas, as usually such absolutely abominations early mean something. 40+ type wins. At the same time I just think New Mexico is a tricky situation and Lobos need a win.

---New Mexico State trash talking? I am liking Huskers. Think about it, Western Mich better than San Jose. Emotion will not be a problem this time. First game for NMSU big deal.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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ARE YOU WITH ME, DR. LOU?

from Every Day Should Be Saturday by Orson Swindle
Lou, you tried. They gave you nothing, but you tried. You were stuck out there with a few props, a whistle, and a Starter cap, and you made magic happen. Now they’ve put you in a suit, forced you to commit a felony by impersonating a doctor, and robbed you of your opportunity to look your team–that team, by the way, being AMERICA–and pump us up for the hard week ahead.
Oh, you might have thought you were just talking about Notre Dame, or Nebraska, or whatever doomed team you were trying to hype into believing they could beat a far superior team. But in reality, Lou, we were all taking a knee and drinking it in like wide-eyed freshmen. Like them, for one fateful instant, we believed.
Now you’re Dr. Lou…which forces us to sing songs of lament and instant nostalgia.
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1vPeO8DuITQ&hl=en&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425">Popout (HT: OPS and Holly on the Holtzfarks.)
God forbid you take a second off that spreadsheet, but if your boss is a Mark May-scale dick and won’t let you take two minutes to watch a fine internet production, listen or download below. Boston Market has a great dinner special for $6.99.

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Hurricane Ike threatens Texas vs. Arkansas game

from Bevo Sports by Matt

Hurricane Ike tracker from StormPulse.com

Officials at Texas and Arkansas are discussing their options now that it looks like Hurricane Ike might be traveling through Central Texas. According to StormPulse.com, Hurricane Ike will hit the Texas coast Saturday morning around 7:00 AM near Corpus Christi. Ike is then projected to move north through Austin and push towards Dallas. This doesn’t look good for the game against Arkansas on Saturday. With the scheduled kick-off at 2:30 PM, Ike could possibly be moving through Austin right around game-time. Luckily both teams have an off week on Sept. 27, so scheduling a make-up game in case of a postponement should not be a problem.
Update: A source from OrangeBloods.com says that there is a 90% chance the game will be postponed until Sept. 27.
Source

horses · Sep 10, 2008

Pac 10 homer! I knew you had it in you.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

I'm thinking that the Houston game may be cancelled too. We'll have to see.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Current Houston forecast is 70% rain and 18 mph winds at game time.

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin...uery=77001&hourly=1&yday=256&weekday=Saturday

horses · Sep 10, 2008

Fuck...I like Houston as well this week but how can they be bet under these weather conditions? WTF is with all these damn hurricanes...it's almost a given every year now that they will be an issue.

I think it's Palin's fault, actually

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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The Wannabe Wagerer: Dr. Lou hits all the right notes

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Doug Gillett
Hey Jenny Slater's Doug Gillett offers betting advice without bias, malice, or credibility. Or, you know, money.

I come to you this week a humbled man, Dr. Saturday fans. In my first picks column of 2008, I went a Reggie Ball-like 2-of-5; last week, I handed the reins over to Lou Holtz, PhD, who promptly hit on three out of four -- and might’ve had a push on that fourth one if South Florida had just been able to hold on to a lead against UCF. So I guess we can add “picking against the spread” to the Master List of Activities at which Lou Holtz is Superior to Doug Gillett. (Just for curiosity’s sake, the rest of the list includes “freestyling,” “bow hunting,” “pleasing a woman,” and “Super Mario Kart.” Listen, I’m just as shocked as you are.)
So Lou is in the driver's seat, and I'm stuck writing these intros. As I said, humbling, but also kind of a relief, because I don’t want the responsibility for one of you yahoos blowing the money for your kid’s asthma medication just because I told you to take Bowling Green minus six against Minnesota. ’Cause I’ll be honest with you, I probably would’ve done that. Anyway, let's see what Lou has to say this week:
Dear Dr. Lou,
Maybe I'm just a paranoid guy -- I get that a lot, actually -- but I'm starting to think karma has it in for me. Last year my team won six games by a touchdown or less, several of those in the final seconds, but this year we've been pounded unmercifully by one of the top teams in the country and scored all of 16 points on a D-IAA squad. Do you think this is karma getting back at me, and if so, is there any way I can get right with the world in time to face eleven-and-a-half-point-favorite Connecticut this weekend?
'Hoo Boy
Charlottesville, Va.
Dear 'Hoo,
It might surprise you to hear this, but ol' Lou is a big believer in karma. Just the other day, I predicted on “College Gameday” that Notre Dame would go 11-1 this season, and that smug nancypants Mark May laughed at me on live TV like I was a fool. Well, guess what? Not only did Notre Dame beat San Diego State that day, but when we went to Arby's later on that evening to bring some dinner back to the studio, they left out Mark's curly fries. So my prediction was technically still on track to come true, and Mark May looked like a fool -- a fool without any curly fries! Now, what does this mean for you? Absolutely nothing, because if you are who I think you are, you already took your karmic lumps earlier this year when your starting quarterback was declared academically ineligible. So go on up to Connecticut with a clear conscience, because you're going to cover those eleven and a half points -- if for no other reason than because I've seen both your offenses, and it'll be a miracle if either one of you even make it to eleven points in the first place.
Dear Dr. Lou,
I got a situation I think you might be able to identify with. I took over a new program a few years back and put my son in a position right directly below mine, in the hopes that maybe he’d take over the business one of these days. Well, it ain’t workin’ out too good so far, and I’m thinking the boy just ain’t ready yet. Do I give him another year to try and prove me wrong? Do you think he might even help us cover seven and a half points against Georgia this weekend?
Evil Genius, Sr.
Columbia, S.C.

Dear Genius,
My, your problem does sound familiar! And I even spent a little time in Columbia myself not so long ago! You aren’t Benedict College men’s basketball coach Fred Watson, are you? No, it’s OK, you don’t have to answer. Anyway, I’d advise you to do the same thing I did when I was in your situation: Just sit your son down and say, “Son, you know I love you, but I want to help you find a position at another program. I think it’s time you spread your wings and learned to fly on your own.” And if he says no, just knock him down to quarterbacks coach, that’ll show him. Either way, you’ll feel better that you finally got things off your chest, and you’ll have a clear enough head to beat a touchdown spread against your hated rival.
Dear Dr. Lou,
Last week I asked you for advice on saying no to people and not overextending myself. You told me to start small and that I wasn’t ready to withhold a 23-point margin of victory from Georgia, and boy, were you right — now my confidence is shot and I feel like I’m starting from scratch. Any advice on whom I could say “no” to and get my life back in order? Maybe I could start small again with Ohio and a spread of just three and a half?
Pushover in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Dear Pushover,
Oh, boy, you took it on the chin from those Bulldogs, didn’t you? Don’t feel bad; I hear that Shaun Marino kid can fly. I mean literally fly. Now that you’ve learned your lesson, though, I don’t think you’ll have any problem taking more care the next time. And I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to say “NO!” to those Bobcats this weekend. Sure, Fred Solwich used to coach for Nebraska, and sure, those guys put the fear of God into Ohio State last week, but so what? Make this weekend about you, because you’ve got offensive firepower to spare, even if you didn’t get to show it last week. Those Bobcats may have some players, but do they have anyone who can fly? No they don’t, and that’s why you tell them “no” and you keep saying it until you’ve got that three and a half covered and then some.

Dear Dr. Lou,
For decades now I’ve lived and died with the same football team, a team that does nothing but disappoint me. Every year I get my hopes up that they’ve changed, and every year they rip my heart out of my chest and stomp it flat. Well, this year they’ve already managed to pull a couple of big upsets -- well, big for us, anyway -- and I’m having those same thoughts again. But they’re only a touchdown favorite at home against Rice, so I’m wondering, am I only setting myself up once again for major disappointment?
This ’Dore’s Been Slammed Too Many Times
Nashville, Tenn.
Dear ’Dore,
I’ll give you the same advice I gave a fella from Arizona last week: You don’t want to spend the rest of your days asking yourself “What if” -- you’ve got to throw caution to the wind! I mean, if I’d quit coaching after they fired me from Arkansas in ’83, who knows where I’d be right now? Probably a talking head on some cable network doing cockamamie “analysis” on teams I hardly know anything about, and that’s if I was lucky! You hold onto that team, son, hold onto them and never let them go, and you just tell the world that if taking your ’Dores and the seven points is wrong, you don’t want to be right!
And now my closing thought of the week: There are few prouder moments in a man's life than when his son finally succeeds in the same field as his dad. Except for maybe one: The day that son finally moves out of his parents' basement. Isn't that right, Skip? See you all next week.

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="col0">LSU will play North Texas in Tiger Stadium on Saturday

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LSU officials say they are confident that Tiger Stadium will ready by the weekend
On Wednesday, Hurricane Ike appeared to be headed for the Texas coast
Hurricane Gustav had caused damage to the campus in Baton Rouge

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</td></tr></tbody></table>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- LSU has scheduled its return to Tiger Stadium on Saturday night to host North Texas, one week after postponing its game with Troy because of Hurricane Gustav.
LSU officials say they are confident that Tiger Stadium will ready by the weekend, but wanted to make sure the area would not be threatened by Hurricane Ike.
On Wednesday, Ike appeared to be headed for the Texas coast.
Hurricane Gustav had caused damage to the campus in Baton Rouge, forcing the postponement against Troy.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">12:06 PM (1 hour ago)
Greg Robinson Should Start Perusing Want Ads

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Syracuse, Big East, NCAA FB Coaching, NCAA FB Rumors

Ever since Greg Robinson took over the program at Syracuse back in 2005, the Orange haven't exactly been tearing the college football landscape apart. To be blunt, they suck. Hard. After starting out this season with two 20-point losses to powerhouses like Northwestern and Akron, Syracuse's record under Robinson has fallen to 7-28.

With a game scheduled at home against Penn State this weekend, I think it's pretty safe to say that the Orange will be 7-29 under Robinson by Sunday. So it's no surprise that Syracuse AD Nancy Cantor didn't exactly give Greg a vote of confidence when talking about the state of the football program. She didn't say she was going to fire him, but she didn't say she wasn't going to can him either.

Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor dodged questions from the local media on Tuesday about the fate of head football coach Greg Robinson, saying right now the university is focused on Friday's world premiere of "The Express" movie in Syracuse.

But, Cantor did admit the team's 0-2 record heading into Saturday's matchup against No. 17 Penn State is below expectations. "We are very committed to a winning football team. We know how much it means to our student-athletes, how much it means to the institution, how much it means to the community," Cantor said.

And I'm pretty sure that Cantor realizes at this point she isn't going to have a winning football team under Robinson. Sure, the program wasn't in great shape when Robinson took over (coming off of two consecutive 6-6 seasons), but at least they were competitive. The program has only accelerated it's descent since Greg came to town.

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">11:01 AM (2 hours ago)
Sporting News: Friedgen goes easy on Terps, opts against changes

from California Golden Bear Football News by Dave
Link.
Instead of chewing out his players for their lackluster performance against Middle Tennessee State, Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen took a portion of the blame and showed them love. Instead of making personnel changes, Friedgen decided to stick with his starters -- including quarterback Chris Turner, who threw three interceptions in the disappointing 24-14 loss. "I thought it was very important for us to be positive with the players," Friedgen said Tuesday. "Our players are feeling this loss just as much as our coaches are. I told them after the game I didn't do a very good job of getting them prepared. ... I knew if we weren't at our best, we would have a good opportunity to get beat. And we weren't at our best."
After watching the Terrapins fumble twice, get intercepted three times and allow 284 passing yards, Friedgen considered shuffling the lineup for this Saturday's home game against No. 23 California. Ultimately, the coach decided he had the right players on the field, but that they just didn't perform up to their potential.
"I've actually had a few kids in (to talk), and felt like now maybe isn't the right time to do it," Friedgen said. "I told them they've got to start playing better, or we will make some changes. In the past when I've done that, they've responded." The message was that it's too late to do anything about that loss, yet there's plenty of time to get things right. Sure, it would be nice to be 2-0, but the objective now is get better and beat the undefeated Bears. "We just need to get sharper, just on the little things like footwork and fundamentals," center Edwin Williams said. "The good thing is, it's things we can fix. It's not lack of effort. We've got to stay consistent. As long as we do that, I don't see why we can't be positive and do well this week."
Some football coaches would react to an unexpected loss against a lesser foe by yelling or punishing the players. Friedgen's softhearted approach was appreciated by his players, who were well aware of how poorly they played. "We were trying hard but making way too many dumb mistakes," defensive end Jeremy Navarre said. Friedgen blamed the defensive woes in part of bad communication. When a play was sent in from the sideline, some of the players got it -- and others didn't. "I think people were not looking at the sideline when they needed to," defensive back Jeff Allen said. "I think we needed to communicate more by signaling each other. We figured that out this week, and we've started doing that in practice. The first thing we did Monday was work on communication." The loss to Middle Tennessee State hurt, but all the Terrapins' preseason goals remain within reach -- especially if they can rebound against a Top 25 team this weekend.
"It's one game. We've still got a lot of games to go, we still have the Atlantic Coast Conference coming up," Allen said. "We've just got to move on and take that as a lesson on how to prepare every week." No one admitted to taking Middle Tennessee State lightly, but the preparation this week has definitely been turned up a couple notches.
"Guys are working hard, putting in extra hours watching film and doing what they're supposed to do, and really putting their mind into the game," tight end Dan Gronkowski said. "If we become more consistent, we'll be a real good team." That applies to Turner, who stepped in for an injured Jordan Steffy. Turner threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, but the flaws in the offense were not necessarily those of the quarterback. "A lot of it wasn't his fault. There were receivers falling, receivers running the wrong route, or pressure in his face," Gronkowski said. 'He's coming along. He'll be fine."

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Penn State's Evans, Koroma out for Syracuse game

from Black Shoe Diaries by BSD
Penn State's Evans, Koroma out for Syracuse game

It's official. Evans and Koroma will not play this week. Probably more disturbing is that they aren't even in practice right now.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">1:48 PM (19 minutes ago)
Cal treesitters' cause crashes to the ground, literally

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

Trees may not have much sentimental value to you, but when you've been living among a cluster of anything for a year and a half, or skulking around it in a righteous rage, extolling the virtues of prison and attempting to provoke official violence, you grow attached. So while Cal football players were relieved to find 35 of the 42 oak trees that stood in the way of building the school's multi-sport athletic facility chopped to the ground after they finished chopping on Washington State, you have to feel, too, for the makeshift coalition of agitators, peaceniks, greenies and old-fashioned exhibitionists who made the 85-year-old grove a sort of cause celebré of dedicated activism and mostly bogus pathos. A moment, please, for Dumpster Muffin.
On the bright side, Brent Musrburger would like to remind the "aging hippies" and "tree-huggers" that they're still getting a very good deal here. In the meantime, off to save the Long Haul!

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">3:37 PM (7 minutes ago)
Whichever jersey you choose, if it's Tech, get ready to punt

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

As many critical, long-time starters as Virginia Tech lost from the smothering defenses of its first three years in the conference, there's a good argument that the Hokies may have been passed by Boston College as the strongest D in the ACC -- especially in the front seven, where the Eagles were not only second in the country against the run last year, but returned six starters. If that's the case, then Paul Johnson's curio scheme may have already passed its toughest pre-Georgia test last week at B.C., where the Jackets ran their way out of a fourth quarter hole despite and eight-minute disadvantage in time of possession to win, sloppily, 19-16. If the flexbone can carry the day there, it can hold its own anywhere in this conference. As I pointed out on Saturday, though, it was hardly an inspiring performance: almost half of Tech's rushing yards came on two plays, a 30-yard run by Josh Nesbitt and the go-ahead, 43-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Dwyer that provided the final margin; outside of those plays, the Jackets were held to a dismal 2.3 per carry and only gained twelve first downs for the game (for some context on that number, that's fewer first downs than Tech's moribund offense gained in any single game in '07, including the 27-3 home beating at the hands of the Hokies, where it moved the chains just 13 times). It's not like you can just "take away" those runs, or predict Nesbitt or Dwyer won't find any more cracks into the secondary, but relying on a big play or two with no consistency in between is typically not a winning formula, and with a relevant sample size of one game, that's what Tech has delivered. Come to think of it, that's not much different from the spotty production, or lack thereof, under Chan Gailey.

But one or two big plays might be enough, considering the current, woeful state of the Hokie offense on the other side. We say this every year about Virginia Tech -- it always starts slow offensively and tries to strangle the life games with defense and its vaunted special teams for most of the year -- but the turnover-prone clunker in the loss to East Carolina and nonexistent passing game in last week's lackluster win over Furman is a huge concern. Sean Glennon seemingly hasn't progressed an iota entering his third season as a starter (three interceptions in two weeks, with a woeful 95.2 passer rating) and the only apparent playmaker on offense, Tyrod Taylor, just so happened to be sacked three times Saturday, almost matching the number of passes that left his hand (five). I'm willing to give the Hokies the benefit of the doubt at home, where they're 24-4 overall since joining the ACC, and moreso because they can still play defense and a coordinator as solid as Bud Foster should have them disciplined for the subtleties of the option and misdirection.
But unless Glennon borrows another magic jersey that bestows him with the competence he fleetingly displayed during last year's win in Atlanta (above . . . in the jersey, not being competent), both teams are probably going to have create a slew of turnovers to get anywhere, scoreboard-wise, and you'll probably want to cover your eyes either way.

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

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RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Texas vs Arkansas Postponed and Rescheduled Due To Hurricane Ike

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
University of Texas officials have announced that Saturday's game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Austin has been cancelled and rescheduled for September 27th.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="col0">Cincinnati QB Grutza has surgery on broken leg

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Grutza broke his right fibula when he was sacked in Cincy's loss to Oklahoma
The school said the surgery leaves Grutza sidelined indefinitely
Junior Tony Pike has taken over as the starting quarterback

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</td></tr></tbody></table>CINCINNATI (AP) -- Quarterback Dustin Grutza had surgery Wednesday for a broken right leg, an injury sustained in the second half of Cincinnati's 52-26 loss at Oklahoma.
Grutza broke his right fibula and sprained his right ankle when he was sacked in the fourth quarter Saturday. The school said the surgery leaves Grutza sidelined indefinitely.
The senior quarterback took over this season for Ben Mauk, who led the Bearcats to a No. 17 ranking last year. Mauk used up his eligibility last season, and has lost appeals to the NCAA and to an Ohio court for one more year of playing time.
Junior Tony Pike has taken over as the starting quarterback. Pike played in five games last season as a reserve, going 11-of-20 for 91 yards with three interceptions.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="col0">Stanford-TCU kickoff moved to avoid Hurricane Ike

</td><td class="col1">Story Highlights

The start of the Stanford-TCU game Saturday will be moved to noon from 6 p.m.
The storm is projected to hit Texas early Saturday
It could bring heavy rain and high winds to the Dallas area by Saturday night

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</td></tr></tbody></table>FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The start of the Stanford-TCU game Saturday will be moved to noon from 6 p.m. because of potential severe weather from Hurricane Ike.
The storm projected to hit Texas early Saturday, could bring heavy rain and high winds to the Dallas-Fort Worth area by Saturday night.

RJ Esq · Sep 10, 2008

Houston bet cancelled because game moved.

Football Moves Air Force Game to Ford Stadium in Dallas

Cougars to Face Falcons at 2:30 p.m., Saturday on SMU Campus

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

Ohio State's Beanie Wells now doubtful for USC game

from L.A. Times - USC Trojans
Buckeyes Coach Tressel says the running back has lingering soreness in his right foot after Wednesday's workout.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel says it's doubtful that starting tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells will play Saturday night against top-ranked USC.

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">10:39 AM (1 hour ago)
Wells 'doubtful'; 'gullible' written on door to Pete Carroll's office

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

Beanie no!!!!!!:

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State coach Jim Tressel says it's doubtful that starting tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells will play Saturday night against top-ranked USC.
[...]
But Tressel said Thursday there was lingering soreness for Wells after he worked out the night before. Wells did not practice with the team Thursday morning.

Tressel said team officials would monitor Wells' condition before deciding whether to rule him out for the game in Los Angeles.
The Ohio State message boards just detonated the bombs strapped to their tors . . . that is, uh, took in stride?

And if you guys believe the lip service coming out of the OSU camp you are nuts . . .

Do you honestly think that there will be a real injury update this week? EVERYTHING that has been said both good and bad in regards to Beanie has been set up since the day he got injured. This is all planned people. Doubtful, questionable, probable, out, in, it all means the same, they just want to keep USC guessing.
Oh, you're a sly one, Tressel. You are one sly, cruel, desperate man.
Buckeye backers might want to jump on that 10.5-point line while they still can.

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RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

Adding:

Vandy -7 (-110)
UNC +12' and KU +10 Teaser (-110)

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

Lalich won't be with Cavs on Saturday against Connecticut

Posted to: College Football Sports

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Roanoke Times
© September 11, 2008
By Doug Doughty
Just when it appeared as if Virginia was moving on with Peter Lalich as its starting quarterback, there was a change in directions Wednesday.
UVa announced in a news release distributed at 6:38 p.m. that Lalich would not be with the Cavaliers on Saturday for their game at Connecticut.
Sophomore Marc Verica, who has played in one game in his college career and has not thrown a pass, will take Lalich’s place in the starting lineup.
Lalich was charged with a probation violation last week in connection with an earlier citation for underage alcohol possession, but that didn’t prevent him from playing last Saturday in a 16-0 victory over Richmond.
“We stand by Peter and in talking with him have made a decision which is best in the short term for him, the team and the university,” said UVa head coach Al Groh in a prepared statement.
“We have a strong set of standards and values on our team that reflect those of the university and we do not compromise those values to win football games.”
In a story posted by Friday by the Charlottesville Daily Progress, it was reported that Lalich had told a probation officer that he had smoked marijuana while on probation, according to court documents.
“I have not smoked or done any drugs while on my probation,” Lalich said Tuesday at a weekly football news conference.
Teammate John Phillips said, “From what I know, it might have been a misunderstanding. He’s gone to every meeting, took every [drug] test, done everything they’ve asked him to do.”
There was no word of any transgression that might have occurred overnight.
“Over the past 24 hours, I’ve had conversations with both Peter and coach Groh,” UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said. “The focus of our discussions shifted from due process and fairness and moved toward what would be best for our team, at least until such time that matters were cleared up about his probationary status.”
Lalich is scheduled for a hearing in Charlottesville General District Court on Sept. 26, one day before the Cavaliers play at Duke.
Virginia has an open date Sept. 19.
“I love my team and my teammates and the way they have let me know that they trust me and have my back,” Lalich said in a statement made available to the media. “Because I care so much about our team, it is best for me to step back temporarily.
“I make mistakes like everyone, but I have followed the terms of my probation and I am committed to our team and the University of Virginia.”

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">8:39 AM (3 hours ago)
A turning point for South Carolina, but who makes the turn?

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

I'm anxious for a Stephen Garcia sighting Saturday, and I say that less because of any inside line into South Carolina's game plan than because I've been watching Steve Spurrier for a long time, and the Ball Coach is not a patient man. These days, however, he's sounding more like a desperate man:

Steve Spurrier's newest strategy for No. 2 Georgia? Two quarterbacks and a bunch of young receivers.

South Carolina's coach ended much of the mystery as to which of the quarterbacks would start against the Bulldogs (2-0). He said he would probably play both Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley.
[...]
"So we're trying to teach our guys to have somewhere to throw it and do a better job of having a throwaway play or place to get rid of it," he said. "That's something we're going to try and do better at."
I've watched Beecher and Smelley play through the first two weeks, and like a putrid riddle wrapped in a limp-armed enigma, there is no answer. There might be some danger in overstating the Gamecocks' offensive woes relative to Spurrier's first three seasons, as they were on cruel display in front of the entire country on Thursday nights, uncontested for national attention, and not hidden away in a noon Saturday time slot except for a few stray highlights and a box score, like last year's (even worse) loss to Vanderbilt. The Cock 'n Fire has been this bad before; we've just never seen it in such high-definition futility, where throwing the ball away is a point of emphasis.

In the same vein, the other force bearing down on Spurrier is the growing sense that, if Year Four is the regression it's shaping up to be, the long-awaited "next level" is looking more and more like the provence of another, younger coach. Who presumably does not share Spurrier's name. Aside from a fourth quarter "rally" after N.C. State had basically started loading the bus for 2009, it's been that hopeless through the first two weeks.
The Cocks' more immediate concern is the same as it's been for years: even more than at quarterback, Carolina has always fallen short in the trenches, not once in recent memory mounting any kind of consistency running the ball on offense, protecting the passer or stopping the run on defense; it's ranked near the bottom of the SEC in all three phases under Spurrier, and under Holtz before him (and if I had the numbers, I'd guess under Brad Scott before him). This was supposed to be remedied on defense by an expensive coordinator hire, improved recruiting on the line and the return of Jasper Brinkley at middle linebacker after last year's knee injury, but there was Vanderbilt last Thursday, running at will in the second half with a who dat white guy who almost certainly didn't get a sniff from the Gamecocks or any other SEC team as a running back. Brinkley or not, it was much too close to last year's collapse over the last month, against a less talented team, no less, to suggest that Ellis Johnson's schemes were actually improving anything.
Which brings us to Knowshon Moreno, who will not have to defy physics to carry Georgia's offense to the two touchdowns that will presumably win this game. Normally, if a quarterback is getting headlines like, "Stafford leaves the big numbers to other quarterbacks," it's because he sucks too much to contemplate said stats. In Matt Stafford's case, though, there's no problem with throttling down and letting one of the best athletes in the country steal the show -- in fact, if Georgia had been more Moreno-centric at this time last time last year (Knowshon averaged 7.4 on just 14 carries in the loss to Carolina, where Stafford threw 45 passes in one of the lowest-rated games of his career), it might have come out of the USC game unscathed and wound up in a winner-take-all SEC Championship with LSU. Oh well.
If Spurrier had Stafford or Moreno, his life would be much easier; instead, he has Chris Smelley and Mike Davis. Carolina is typically feisty here on defense, but with Kenny McKinley still ailing, there are literally no positives for South Carolina's offense right now.
- - -

Georgia 24, South Carolina 9

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B.A.R. · Sep 11, 2008

RJ Esq said:
Adding:

Vandy -7 (-110)
UNC +12' and KU +10 Teaser (-110)

make me pick and I take the Dores...

Interesting teaser...kinda likey getting both in double digits..

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">6:39 AM (5 hours ago)
Thursday Headlinin': McKnight does Pryor, Mother Nature derails Hogs-Horns

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• Talkin' 'bout practice. Beanie Wells was in pads with the rest of the team for the first time Wednesday, on a foot that was "75 percent-ish," according to offensive coordinator Jim Bollman, and the chances of him being 100 percent Saturday "are not real high," though Buckeye anxiety rates suddenly are. The Trojans, meanwhile, have the luxury of simulating Ohio State's golden child recruit with their own golden child recruit:

USC tailback Joe McKnight played quarterback on the scout team Tuesday to emulate Ohio State freshman Terrelle Pryor, but not just because Pryor is fast.

When Pryor played in high school, he sometimes had issues with fumbles, so the Trojans' defense tried to knock the ball loose from McKnight,who has had his own fumbling issues at USC.
[...]
"We know [Pryor] is going to play," Carroll said. "They're trying to get him ready. They're not going to back off."
Actually, if OSU's been holding back on offense, who knows what it's going to pull out of the bag. It's a lock Pryor will play (29 snaps in the first two games), but put me in the camp that thinks if Ohio State needs Pryor to make a difference, it's probably in more trouble than a freshman who's not Herschel Walker or Adrian Peterson can get the Buckeyes out of.
• Wait, aren't you the guys we should never trust, ever? The San Jose Mercury News' Jon Wilner shows the benefit of being around a beat a while: you start to recognize names. And when Wilner heard the defenders of the controversial Jake Locker unsportsmanlike call in Washington's loss to BYU were Dave Cutaia and Larry Farina, it triggered a couple memories:

The biggest problem, not only with what happened in Husky Stadium but also with the response from [Pac-10 offices], is credibility.

The men involved have zero:
The game referee, Farina, was in charge of the worst-officiated Pac-10 game of the ‘07 season: Oregon State-Washington, in which the officials lost control, fights broke out, players were ejected and Yvenson Bernard’s knee was clearly, obviously down before he fumbled at the goalline.
Everyone saw it, and yet Farina and his gang missed it -- missed it so badly they were banned from working any bowl games in 2007.
And then there’s Cutaia, the Pac-10’s coordinator of officials who defended the Locker call. He was only the lead ref for the Oregon-Oklahoma game.
Cutaia and his crew bungled that game like no game has ever been bungled -- so badly the Pac-10 apologized to Oklahoma and Cutaia was suspended for a game by the league.
- - -
Emphasis in original; OSU/U-Dub link added.
Pac Ten coaches weighed in on the call, and they agree with you (most of you): it was a stupid call. Pete Carroll says it on video here.
• . Texas' game with Arkansas will be postponed until Sept. 27th as Hurricane Ike bears down on the Lonestar coast. Austin is too far inland to be rocked on a hurricane scale, but it's going to be getting mighty wet around here Saturday night, I tell you what -- although for Arkansas, if the Hogs are really thinking, the slop might be the only hope.
But LSU, which had been eyeing Ike warily its own self, will kick off as expected in Tiger Stadium at 7 p.m., which will only feel like a hurricane for North Texas.

Quickly . . .
Displaced Trojan Carson Palmer can't find a bet on Saturday's game. . . . Maybe Alabama's offense will be back on track with Andre Smith back in the lineup against Western Kentucky. . . . Stephen Garcia could be in South Carolina's quarterback mix against Georgia, or, you know, could not be. Nobody at USC practice is telling. . . . Kansas is lining up a redshirt freshman, Jeff Spikes, across from South Florida all-American George Selvie. . . . Nebraska's Lydon Murtha will start for the first time this season against New Mexico State, off a nasty "leg infection." . . . Suspended Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma are still in limbo for Penn State's game Saturday with, eh, Syracuse. . . . UCLA still has no idea what the rest of the script has in store for Kevin Craft. . . . And outlets in Oklahoma and Colorado are remembering Eddie Crowder, ex-Sooner quarterback and Colorado coach/athletic director, who died Tuesday of complications from leukemia.

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RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr><td class="ct c">
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</td><td class="cc c">11:59 AM (14 minutes ago)
ON THE ROAD, FLOATING ALONG

from Every Day Should Be Saturday by Orson Swindle

Like Hurricane Mangino, we are on our way to the Sunshine State this afternoon, but for a wedding, and not to induce Matt Grothe into a four-quarter cycle of TD/INT for TD/TD/Fumble for INT. Yes, a fall wedding, which to be fair was scheduled on Florida’s bye week and is in Gainesville. We’re out for the rest of the afternoon, but there will be a full slate of programming for tomorrow, including Factor Five Five Factor previews of the Kansas/USF game and the Naked Sushi Buffet Picks for the weekend.
Someone tether that thing before someone gets hurt.

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RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">1:42 PM (14 minutes ago)
On BYU's track to the BCS: next hurdle's a doozy

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

There are two big questions this weekend in Provo: a) is BYU good enough to handle two Pac Ten teams in a row?, and b) will the real Kevin Craft please stand up? The oddsmakers apparently don't think the first question is very relevant, though the Cougars have been bet down from nine-point to eight-point favorites since Monday. The ending of last week's game in Seattle obscured a much stronger effort by BYU than the one-point margin suggested: the Y outgained Washington by 140 yards and would have never been in a position to go to overtime if not for a goal line fumble that negated a brilliant 97-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Max Hall was exceptional throwing the ball (31 of 40, 338 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) in probably the toughest road environment he'll play in this year; the Cougars' top two running backs averaged six per carry when Hall handed off. The offense was every bit as strong as advertised.
Still, that was a typical game between BYU and a mediocre team from a BCS league, which is to say, a nailbiter, even when the box score says it shouldn't be: since 2006, the Cougars are now 3-3 against BCS teams (all but one game, an overtime loss at Boston College, against the Pac Ten), and four of those games were decided on the final play -- including last year's Las Vegas Bowl, which BYU won against a banged-up, lame duck bunch from UCLA playing under an interim coach only on a last second kick block. And that came after a much healthier version of the Bruins beat the Cougars by ten in the Rose Bowl last September. L.A. got to Hall more often than any other defense, with four sacks in the first game and three in the second, which by most measures (especially in terms of total yards) was the Cougs' worst offensive effort since Bronco Mendenhall took over as head coach in 2005. BYU is more consistent and might have the best player on the field calling the shots, but the talent difference in this game is hardly a nonfactor -- given the way UCLA's very athletic-looking defensive line harassed and disrupted Tennessee in its first game, Hall is in for another afternoon of Bruins in his face.

Kevin Craft's biggest nemesis, on the other hand, is with his own bipolar disorder in the pocket, which should have gotten him benched halfway through his first start and led to him walking off the field a hero instead. The assumption is that he'll settle in somewhere in between, much like his oft-wounded predecessors, occasionally stoking the kind of excitement he created in the second half against the Vols and occasionally hoping he can crawl off the field and into a little hole on the sideline and rock back and forth whispering the lyrics to "I'll Say Goodbye to Love."
The most distressing part of the win over Tennessee was that the Bruins mounted no running game whatsoever: after Khalil Bell left with an ankle injury, Raymond Carter and Chane Moline both averaged less than a yard per carry the rest of the game, with a long gain of seven. L.A.'s offensive line didn't push the Cougars around in either game last year, and since Craft's first half was much more terrible than his second half was great (seriously, imagine if Tennessee's offense had been competent at all before the closing minutes), there's no compelling reason to go against the better quarterback. Especially when he's on the team riding a 17-game home winning streak.

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RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">3:43 PM (11 minutes ago)
Thursday Night Live Blog: Carolina's busting out

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

This is a crucial game for both teams, partly because of the 9-11/NYC Metro emotion wafting across the water uncontested into Piscataway, and partly because North Carolina and Rutgers are both in that weird middle ground between "darkhorse conference title contender" and "hapless bottom dweller." Neither really has a direction or any sort of identifiable vibe yet: both came into the season with high hopes, possibly irrationally high; both had lame starts, with Carolina struggling to put away I-AA punching bag McNeese State and Rutgers flaming out in the second half against Fresno State. And they can both go either way from here -- the openers could have been the start of a terrible fate on both ends, or we might witness a couple young squads pull together in anticipation of a run at their suddenly wide open conference championships.
For North Carolina, especially: is this team going to be OK, or what? Everyone seems to think so; nobody really has a clue. This is what Thursday nights were made for, frankly: it's mediocre, but at least you don't know what to expect.
What: North Carolina at Rutgers on ESPN.
When: 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff, 7:15-ish live blog start. Running through the gun, or until tenable.
Why: You'll learn something about a "team on the rise," which the winner here will be either way, right up until it drops three straight in October.
Who: You, sucker! Bring the kids, and at least one good Cam Sexton joke.

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RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">3:43 PM (11 minutes ago)
Badgers and Bulldogs go big on big, but Wisconsin is bigger

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

There are a lot of potential storylines, but all I really, really wanted to know about Fresno State's odds of upsetting Wisconsin -- simultaneously the biggest non-conference test for the Badgers and the barbed-wire gate through which Fresno must pass to officially join BYU and East Carolina in the "BCS Buster" sweepstakes -- is this: how good are the Bulldogs against the run? Wisconsin's offensive line weighs a ton, on average, and it won't hesitate to run straight ahead 50 times in an afternoon if it can get away with it. Any front seven/eight that can't hold its own is meat. Flattened, tenderized meat the burly Midwesterners enjoy on the ride home with a dash of cilantro, just to class it up a bit.
The answer for Fresno: not so hot. Not only did the Bulldogs allow five yards per carry in '07, a red-siren number for an entire seeason, but it did it even while playing in the WAC, against the likes of San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State, Area 51 Polytechnic, etc. Against offenses with a pulse, Fresno was completely rolled:

Georgia Tech is respectable; otherwise, that's truly awful across the board, and leaves out terrible games against the weak running attacks of Hawaii and Kansas State. But it was also last year, which for the sake of argument was the worst year against the run in Pat Hill's tenure; this year, four starters returned, and they were vastly improved against Rutgers' power-oriented scheme, holding the Knights to a paltry 3.1 per carry and thereby knocking the entire offense off kilter in a mostly impressive 24-7 win. Wisconsin, though, is a very different animal in the trenches than almost any team still bothering to run straight ahead, and FSU's recent history and relatively bite-sized linebackers (starters are 210, 225 and 210, i.e. closer to safeties than 'backers) give no indication they're up for the pounding.
If there is a hope for the little guy (figuratively and literally), it's that the Bulldogs' own running game can match the Badgers blow for blow -- Wisconsin, too, was frequently gashed through the middle of last season, and Fresno was impressive to the tune of 206 yards on the ground against a tough defense on Labor Day.
If you're comparing physical running games, though, just look at the numbers. The "ton" thing was a minor exaggeration, but Wisconsin's starting offensive line really does average 316 pounds per man, with a 260-pound fullback leading a 230-pound tailback; Fresno's offensive front averages 276, making it one of the smallest in the country. Size isn't everything, but between two grind-oriented offenses, it's enough for me.

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RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="col0">Phillips: Hartline to start at quarterback for Kentucky

</td><td class="col1">Story Highlights

Hartline will start his third straight game at quarterback for the Wildcats
Both Hartline and freshman Randall Cobb will see significant playing time
Cobb relieved Hartline vs. Norfolk St. and threw for one TD and ran for two others

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</td></tr></tbody></table>LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky offensive coordinator Joker Phillips says Mike Hartline will start his third straight game at quarterback for the Wildcats on Saturday.
Phillips said after practice Thursday that Hartline will get the first series against Middle Tennessee State. However, head coach Rich Brooks has said both Hartline and freshman speedster Randall Cobb will see significant playing time.
Cobb relieved Hartline against Norfolk State and threw for one TD and ran for two others. Hartline and Cobb both said Thursday they don't care who gets the first snap.
Before Phillips disclosed Hartline's start, Brooks was asked if he had made a decision. He said he was nearing one but had nothing to announce.

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

What’s Wrong with Greg Schiano? September 11, 2008

Posted by patrickdonohue in Big East Football.
trackback

The ESPN crew calling tonight’s UNC/Rutgers game made an observation that I’ve noticed for the past two seasons - Greg Schiano no longer appears to be enjoying himself as the head coach of Rutgers.

Once the picture of a resurgent program, Schiano was arguably one of the most energetic, demonstrative coaches in all of college football. I can still vividly recall his exaltation when Rutgers pulled off their upset of Louisville, then considered to be a national championship contender in 2006. Watching that game, you would think that Schiano and Rutgers were a perfect match and that we were watching a powerhouse in the making. But you’d be wrong. There’s definite trouble in Piscataway.

In the first half of Thursday night’s game against UNC, a game in which Schiano’s Scarlet Knights got thoroughly outmuscled by Butch Davis’ Tar Heels, Schiano appeared emotionless.

So what happened? How did we get here? Well I offer a couple of explanations:

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

Since beating Louisville, Rutgers has gone 10-7, including two non-BCS bowl wins against Kansas State and the University of Buffalo respectively. A team that was once ranked as high as sixth in the country and appeared destined to become a Big East title contender appears to be headed for mediocrity. Despite marked improvements to facilities, including a $102 million stadium expansion, Schiano’s not recruiting the kind of talent to the State College of New Jersey that Big East foes South Florida and West Virginia continue to recruit annually. Without that talent, as we’ve seen, Rutgers is the fourth of fifth best team in the Big East, a conference not known for being ultra-competitive. Fresh off the heels of an 8-win 2007 campaign, Rutgers appear headed for an 0-2 conference start to 2008 with road games against USF, Cincinnati, Pitt, and West Virginia still remaining on the schedule. Think Schiano’s contract, a deal that runs through 2016, isn’t starting to feel like a prison sentence?

A FALLING STAR

Michigan, Miami, Penn State, Alabama, West Virginia.

All of those schools have reportedly eyed Greg Schiano at one time or another to fill their head coaching vacancies, with the most serious looks coming from Michigan and Miami, where Schiano served as an assistant under Butch Davis.

Schiano passed on all of those offers to stay at Rutgers, a program that he believed he was building into a national powerhouse. Staring down the barrel at a season in which the Scarlet Knights appear likely to miss being bowl eligible, I’m sure Schiano regrets saying the following when he signed that monster extension in February 2007.

“I consider it a privilege and honor to be the head coach at Rutgers and look forward to leading this program for a long time.”

Maybe “long time” is open for interpretation.
Looking at Schiano, calmly talking to senior quarterback Mike Teal after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown (a play that put Rutgers down 31-6 to a UNC team that only beat McNeese State by 8 points at home the week before), you can’t help but wonder if the coach is thinking about how far his stock has still to drop.
Where can Schiano realistically expect to get a job at year’s end, should he or Rutgers decide that his tenure in Piscataway has come to an end? None of the major programs, the ones that once appeared interested in this rising star, have vacancies to fill.
Maybe the reason Schiano seems so unhappy on the Rutgers sideline is that he realizes that he’s stuck, trapped - in New Jersey.

RJ Esq · Sep 11, 2008

Hogs-Horns Washed Out

from Hawg Blawg by arkbear

NOAA

Yeah, that’s Ike’s scheduled track for the weekend. The game has been postponed to Sept. 27th. So the Hogs will face Alabama, Texas, Florida, and Auburn without a break in between. That’s four top 11 teams. Ouch.

RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

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Fun while it lasted

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

Well, Rutgers had its day, won a couple bowl games, and that was fun. But I'd say the egg the Knights laid in front of the country tonight officially moved them from "respectable/on the brink of good," to "totally regressed," and with that Greg Schiano's viability as a hot prospect for bigger jobs gasps its terminal breaths.
Not to take away from a young North Carolina team clearly poised to make good on its preseason hype as an insurgent ACC title contender, but surely the Heels won't see that many wide open receivers or poorly-thrown passes directly into their defenders' arms again. Maybe against Duke? Rutgers thought it was past that, I'm sure, but the post-Ray Rice Knights are rapidly revising expectations in the wrong direction.

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RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

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Big East terror alert level hits orange

from Card Chronicle by Mike Rutherford
If the current state of Big East football were a movie character, it would be that poor first Germanian barbarian set on fire in the opening scene of Gladiator: certainly rendered incapable of ever living up to his full potential, but still existing in a condition too ambiguous to be irrefutably pronounced dead.
On the eve of the third weekend of the 2008 college football season, the conference lays claim to a 3-8 mark against FBS schools, and an 0-4 record against other teams from BCS conferences. In the latter category, the Big East has been outscored 153-50.
The latest blow came Thursday night when Rutgers, considered one of the hottest programs in the country as recently as a year ago, was stomped at home by a North Carolina squad picked to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack of the perhaps equally scorned Atlantic Coast Conference. Mike Teel looked like the same cluelessly talented freshman who tossed ten interceptions to just two touchdowns in 2005. The running back duo of Mason Robinson and Jourdan Brooks didn't look ready to start for Rice, let alone supplant Ray Rice. And a vaunted Scarlet Knight secondary led by two-time All-Big East performer Courtney Greene made Tar Heel signal caller TJ Yates look like Sammy Baugh.
The final score was 44-12, immediately joining the ranks of 30-10, 52-26 and, of course, 27-2.
The saddest thing about all of this is that it - ag least in their minds - validates the Big East detractors who haven't altered a line of their arguments since Utah shellacked Pitt in the '05 Fiesta Bowl. Never mind that the league had the best non-conference record in 2006, that it swept its five bowl games that postseason, or that it's the only conference to go undefeated in BCS games over the past three seasons. To many people, this young season is just another example of how the Big East sucks, has always sucked and will always suck.
It's hard to admit, but if you take out "always" and add "in the foreseeable future" to the end of that last claim, you might actually be making a point difficult to refute. This postseason's all-conference squads are on track to be disturbingly senior-laden. It's the collegiate swan song for quarterbacks Pat White, Hunter Cantwell, Teel, Dustin Grutza (a loss whose severity will be determined shortly) and Tyler Lorenzen. This is also the final year of eligibility for standouts like Scott McKillop, Mike Mickens, Tiquan Underwood, Eric Wood, Terrill Byrd and possibly for talented underclassmen like George Selvie and Kenny Britt.
The team appearing poised to best withstand the unavoidable graduation hit is South Florida, which also holds the distinction of being the Big East's lone representative in the current pair of top 25 polls. The Bulls are one of just two squads in the league who remain unscathed, a label in jeopardy of being falsified with No. 13 Kansas headed to Tampa for a clash this evening. If USF goes down, the torch is passed to Connecticut, who needed a second half comeback and an overtime period to beat Temple last weekend.
South Florida helped establish the reputation of their program and conference a year ago by going on the road and beating Auburn, and now a year later they'll be looking to protect both on their home field against the reigning Orange Bowl champions. For a Friday night non-conference game in mid-September, there's a great deal on the line.
Should the Bulls slip up, West Virginia will be looked upon to re-assume the role of redeemer. The Mountaineers have high-profile games remaining with Colorado and Auburn, a pair of victories which, coupled with a strong conference and postseason showing, would likely make outsiders forget about the giant egg they laid last weekend at East Carolina.
If USF goes down, WVU's Cardinal-esque fall from grace continues and the rest of the league stays true to their early form, then October through December becomes a bunch of teams who couldn't beat anyone else beating up on each other for the right to be beaten up by someone else in early January.
This is where the league gets recast as the page whose head was cut off and returned as a denial of peace.

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RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

Colt McCoy Jersey Worn By UT Tailgate Pole Dancer

Published by J Koot at 3:20 am under Some other School, tailgate

Visited 158 times, 156 so far today

Their parents must be proud of their daughters use of a UT education.

Yee haw!
Welcome to Austin, Texas where those conservative southern folk roll out a stripper pole for gameday and the hot chicks wear Colt McCoy jerseys.
Big Yag Rich landed this inside look into a classy tailgate before the Longhorns opener against Florida Atlantic.
It seems stripper poles have become accepted tailgating accessories.
In week one we caught Louisville fans holding a classy stripper pole grinding dance competition complete with tip bucket.

Look, people, we’re all about having fun but isn’t the stripper pole idea unnecessary. The pole takes up room for more kegs and pig roasters. Take some lessons from LSU chicks on how to dance at a tailgate.

RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

Lord, I Was Born A Gamblin' Man: Week Three Picks

from Rakes Of Mallow by CW
Last Week: 8-4
Overall Record: 17-6 (2-0 on Lead Pipe Locks)
California (-15) over MARYLAND - The Golden Bears have been putting up massive numbers on offense, while Ralph Friedgen's incredible large seat is getting quite scalding, with the Terps' two results this season consisting of a narrow win over Delaware and a loss to Middle Tennessee State. Last time you saw California they were putting up 66 points against Washington State, a massive number that even half of would provide enough ammo to cover against their listless hosts. The Bears are going to just run run run their way to this week's Lead Pipe Lock.

BAYLOR (+1.5) over Washington State - How are the Bears home underdogs? They haven't exactly been world beaters this season, but they've at least been semi-competent, while the Cougars (see: above) have been a sieve of betting consistency, giving up gobs of points and yardage to Oklahoma State and Cal. They were trounced by Wake Forest on opening night, but five turnovers and the fact the Demon Deacons are again underrated this season contributed to that failure. I only get one Lock, but I feel very comfortable betting against a really bad team, on the road, when they're giving points.
Clemson (-18.5) over NC STATE - After quickly shedding all that "pressure" and "expectations of greatness" in week one, the Tigers can now go back to absolutely pummeling overmatched ACC foes en route to a Peach Bowl bid. If NC State and Washington State played, the over-under might be set around twenty.
Oregon (-8.5) over PURDUE - Like Notre Dame, Purdue had the first weekend off, so we're working with limited information in regards to them. As far as the Ducks go, their last six quarters of offense seem to have gone a long way in showing that they can survive - perhaps even thrive - in the post-Dennis Dixon Era. Last time Oregon came to the Midwest to face off against a Big Ten school was their week two trouncing of Michigan last year. While it's possible Purdue is a lot better than anyone is giving them credit for, unless their defense is leaps and bounds better than it has been the last half-decade or so, they'll have to be glowing on offense to keep up with the Ducks.
Georgia (-7.5) over SOUTH CAROLINA - The Gamecocks always play the Bulldogs tough (they knocked them off in Athens last season), but it is hard to ignore the sheer sucktitude of Steve Spurrier's team this year. They ended up blowing out NC State only because the Wolf Pack is that bad, but Vanderbilt confirmed that they are an incredibly bad offensive team that will have no chance of keeping up with the Dawgs unless Stafford, Moreno, et al have a collective meltdown on the way up to Columbia.
Penn State (-28) over SYRACUSE - Remember that game during that magical 2005 season when Michael Robinson went into Illinois and scored a dozen touchdowns in the first half? I think this is going to look a lot like that, and as this season continues, Penn State fans will look around and say "Why exactly did we play Anthony Morelli over Daryl Clark the last two seasons?", then go back to barricading their apartment doors so no Nittany Lions burst through and randomly attack them.

Georgia Tech (+7) over VIRGINIA TECH - Why yes, I would love to keep getting a touchdown for the Jackets against conference opponents, especially when they're only going to get better and better on offense every single week as the triple option becomes more and more natural to them. Tyrod Taylor coming back into play means this is a better Hokie team that fell against East Carolina, but in Paul Johnson I trust.
Auburn (-11) over MISSISSIPPI STATE - The War Hawk's defense is really good, the Croom's offense is embarrassingly bad. The Tigers probably only need three touchdowns to absolutely guarantee victory, and that's being generous about the Bulldogs' capabilities of moving the ball.
WASHINGTON (+20.5) over Oklahoma - This is a really tricky game. On one hand, I think the final margin could be three touchdowns or just above, meaning I'm screwed. On the other, Sam Bradford Sooner teams have been not great on the road (losses at Colorado and Texas Tech) and some good teams have struggled at Washington against Jake Locker (Ohio State, Southern Cal and BYU). The Huskies keep it close, Ty blows it at the end as their death march of a schedule continues.
SOUTHERN CAL (-11) over Ohio State - I would have taken this line even before Beanie Wells went down to a karmicly-charged injury in the second half of a blowout against Youngstown State followed by the struggles with Ohio. In games that have been predetermined to be Big Games, which include all their BCS games, Cal in '04 and Notre Dame in '05, the Trojans are a Vince Young away from perfection. Ohio State's last two Big Games have resulted in hilarious blowouts where the teams they play don't even have to do anything special, but can just slowly move the ball down the field while the Buckeyes totally implode. It won't be 52-7, but it will be a cover.

RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

The Jort Report:

<object width="400" height="225"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1715711&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /> <embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1715711&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/1715711?pg=embed&sec=1715711">Florida</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user135255?pg=embed&sec=1715711">Dan Rubenstein</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com?pg=embed&sec=1715711">Vimeo</a>.

RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">6:13 AM (14 minutes ago)
Friday Headlinin': Welcome to the 24-hour Beanie Watch

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• Where for art thou, Beanie? Assuming Chris Wells' presence Saturday night equals viewers for ABC, Brent Musburger has a direct personal incentive in Wells' suiting up against Southern Cal. So his oft-replayed, optimistic parsing of Beanie's status throughout the night and early this morning on ESPN is worth about as much -- that is to say, as little -- as any other report. The official word from Jim Tressel's mouth remains "doubtful," but what did the Sweater Vest really mean by "doubtful"? Doubtful if the game was played Thursday? Because the game was not played Thursday. His foot could still get better! The Columbus Dispatch intrepidly uncovered that Eddie George is sure Beanie wants to play, while the CD's Ken Gordon is sure the late-breaking news is not a ploy, and is actually talking medical redshirt. At least some OSU partisans are mortified, but reading the tea leaves behind the pay wall on Buckeye message boards, everyone who KNOWS SOMETHING via the OSU athletic department fully expects Wells to play, so much so that they're sitting around having a nice, long laugh about the ping pong trajectory of the "story," which in fact hasn't changed at all from where they sit. Because Beanie will play. Beanie must play. Just keep repeating until it's true. Beanie will play. Beanie must play . . .
For his part, Pete Carroll could not care less:

“I don’t know that it makes any difference at all at this point,” Carroll said. “We had to prepare for their offense. We got to see them last week with him not playing. We’re going to have to adapt in some regard.”

• Bludgeon him once for old U. Depending on who you ask, five South Carolina backups were involved in "a little tussle" or "a lunchtime brawl" Thursday, apparently instigated by "individuals who are definitely non-USC students." Because Gamecocks -- in this case, C.C. Whitlock, Terrence Campbell, Melvin Ingram, Akeem Augste and Antonio Allen -- would only resort to fisticuffs to defend their university's honor, we're sure. No injuries, no charges filed, and no discipline pending investigation.
• Adjust accordingly. Hurricane Ike continued to wreak havoc on schedules in Texas and thereabouts. The final tally in I-A games, so far:
• Arkansas at Texas: Postponed to Aug. 27
• Missouri State at Oklahoma State: Moved to noon Saturday
• Washington State at Baylor: Moved to 7:30 p.m. tonight
• Air Force at Houston: Moved to SMU's stadium in Dallas, 2:30 p.m. Saturday
• Stanford at TCU: Moved to noon Saturday.
Poor Washington State fans who'd planned to fly to Texas tonight for a morning kickoff Saturday -- tickets, air far, hotel, all shot, unless they plan to just enjoy a leisurely weekend in Waco after a possibly embarrassing, season-breaking loss to the moderately improving Bears. I mean, assuming there are any Washington State fans left after last week's embarrassing, season-breaking loss.

Quickly . . .
Did Joe Paterno lie to a reporter about his recent contact with Penn State president Graham Spanier? . . . What's with all the passing at Pitt? . . . Wisconsin's Kirk DeCremer talks about his career-ending back injury. . . . Tennessee tight end Brandon Warren is getting a crash course at fullback before his first game in Neyland Stadium. . . . Mississippi State plans to kick away from Auburn's Robert Dunn. . . . Nebraska and Miami will play a home-and-home in 2014 and 2015, if we're still around then. . . . Georgia Tech will probably be without a pair of receivers, Demaryius Thomas and Correy Earls, at Virginia Tech. . . . Florida State has completed its report to the NCAA re: the academic scandal that left a third of the team on suspension. . . . And those Chick-Fil-A-sponsored "Bring On Georgia" signs at last week's Arizona State game? Work of the locals, not the succulent restaurant's sweet, delicious headquarters in Atlanta.

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RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

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</td><td class="cc c">8:25 AM (33 minutes ago)
Quarterbacks, fans, a century of dignity: With ND-Michigan, there's enough pain to go around

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

Having now watched most of the early gasps of the Rodriguez administration lurching into gear at Michigan, I wouldn't hesitate to project doom for the Wolverines and their stunningly bad quarterbacks under most circumstances. If only Notre Dame hadn't played a game itself. I'm not alone here: as Brian Cook pointed out earlier this week, it's almost impossible for a spread to swing the way this one has: in about twelve days, the ND-Michigan spread veered from a "summer line" of ND -3.5 to ND -8.5 after Michigan's opening loss to Utah, then back to Michigan -1 on the Monday of actual game week; it's been bet up to -2 in favor of the Wolverines in the past few days. Because the only thing anyone even pretends to know about either of these teams is that they're truly, utterly terrible on offense. The only way this might not be true is if the Irish actually found something sustainable in the fourth quarter last week, when Jimmy Clausen took over a more urgent, no-huddle offense and completed 8 of 9 with two touchdowns to lead ND out of the darkness. That's what a serious quarterback is supposed to do against San Diego State, if you ignore everything that happened before it going back to Jimmy's over-the-top commitment ceremony.
It seems very likely the clouds will descend again, though, if Notre Dame can't put together some facsimile of a running game that will slow the Michigan pass rush, which buried Clausen (8 sacks) in last year's 38-0 wipeout. The last two years, the Irish have rushed for -2 yards combined against Michigan; the defensive line remains by far the Wolverines' strength, and there's nothing about this Irish offensive front that suggests it's any less likely to be overwhelmed in all facets than its predecessors. Quite the opposite, in fact: ND only eked out 105 yards on less than four per carry against one of the worst defenses in the country last week, and still seems generally incapable of blocking anybody with even a moderate talent level. Good luck with Brandon Graham, Tim Jamison and Terrance Taylor.

So Michigan doesn't need much from its offense, and just as obviously it's not going to get much. If the Wolverines have anything going for them, it's the trio of fast freshmen, Sam McGuffie, Michael Shaw and Martevious Odoms, who put together a few big plays last week -- although, of course, Miami of Ohio's defense had plenty to do with that. And even against the MAC, Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan were virtual non-factors from the pocket; an improvement, actually, over the "crippling factor" they were for the vast majority of the Utah game.
Faced with such bleak competing themes -- Notre Dame has no hope of blocking Michigan; Michigan has even less hope of challenging ND more than a few yards downfield -- I'm tempted to call it a 3-3 tie and pop in "The Bodyguard" to recall a time when this rivalry mattered nationally. As it is, while I don't believe ghosts or echoes and generally can't believe I'm typing this, the clearest difference between one side and the other is Clausen. He's obviously rounding into something closer to his recruiting than the raw meat we saw last year, and if he has a long way to go still, at least he can put a little pressure on a defense downfield if given just a little time. Barring perfect circumstances (which does not include "facing a Jon Tenuta-coached defense") and a slew of turnovers on the other side, Michigan quarterbacks look incapable of any such thing.

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RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

More captures from tvtanline.blogspot.com:

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tvtanline%20-0911-2053%28TV52%29%5B10%5D.jpg

tvtanline%20-0911-2054%28TV52%29%5B3%5D.jpg

tvtanline%20-0911-2103%28TV52%29%5B1%5D.jpg

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RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td>Phil's Top 25 Record as of 9/10: 29-5 85%
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</td><td rowspan="5">Wk of September 11th
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</td><td width="185">

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</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
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</td><td rowspan="2">#1 vs #5
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</td><td rowspan="3">#2
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</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">#5 Ohio St
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">125
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">145
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">20
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.8
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">#1 USC
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">155
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">245
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">27
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.1
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</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Georgia
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">166
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">170
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">25
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.2
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">South Carolina
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">74
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">245
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">20
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.2
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</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4">Beanie Wells figures to be healthy and if that is the case this one looks just like it did to me at the start of the year. Ohio St is the more veteran team and can win outright in a low scoring game. I expected USC to crush a rebuilding Virginia team with ZERO starters back on the Dline but the test will be much tougher here and Ohio St used last week like a bye week and I am not surprised they struggled in a “C” game for them. This week they bring their “A” game. PHIL’S FORECAST: Ohio St 17 USC 16

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</td><td colspan="2">SC outgained Vandy by 100+ yards last week but a punt that bounced off a blocker changed the outcome as it allowed Vandy back in the game. This is it for Spurrier. I really feel that if he loses this game, this will probably be his last season as head man of the Gamecocks and he will head to the links after the season. I feel an upset will recharge him and keep in mind SC beat Georgia last year “Between the Hedges” and now get them at home. PHIL’S FORECAST: SOUTH CAROLINA 17 Georgia 16
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</td><td rowspan="2">#3
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</td><td rowspan="2">#6
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</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Oklahoma
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">221
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">270
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">45
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">1.9
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Washington
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">139
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">185
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">20
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.3
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</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Nevada
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">153
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">255
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">24
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.1
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Missouri
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">207
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">330
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">45
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.2
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</td><td width="345">

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</td><td width="31">

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</td><td width="345">

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</td><td height="1">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="4">
</td><td rowspan="4">Oklahoma plays a road game in Pac-10 country, and I hope it does not come down to a replay or they are in trouble! I thought Washington had a great shot at upsetting BYU last week and they almost did. Note to the officials, let the kids be excited when they score! I was not impressed with the Sooners’ kick return defense last week or for that matter their overall D which surprisingly allowed 326 yards (111 more than my computer projected). They still are one of the top teams in the country and capable of a 3 TD win. Can you believe how tough Washington’s schedule is?
PHIL’S FORECAST: Oklahoma 41 WASHINGTON 20
</td><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="2">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="3">While Nevada lost the WAC’s top rusher from last year in Lippincott, he was just the #4 rusher on the team after 2 weeks. Nevada impressed me last week as they outgained Texas Tech and held QB Harrell to just 19 of 46 passing. Still this is on the road and the Tigers should roll to an easy win.
PHIL’S FORECAST: MISSOURI 49 Nevada 21

</td><td height="112">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="9">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td rowspan="2">#8
</td><td rowspan="2">
</td><td height="42">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="6">
</td></tr><tr><td width="157">

</td><td width="348">

</td><td width="31">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="345">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td height="1" width="20">

</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Arkansas
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">70
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">230
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">16
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.9
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Texas
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">190
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">330
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">45
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.0
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="2">#7
</td><td colspan="2">
</td><td height="48">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="2">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="1">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="2">
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="2"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">North Texas
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">25
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">223
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">8
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.0
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">LSU
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">261
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">303
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">53
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.2
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="2">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td rowspan="5">This used to be one of the top ten rivalries in football. I thought UL Monroe had a great shot at the upset of Arkansas last week but they blew a big lead and missed a FG on the game’s final play and lost. Arkansas has needed a couple of late 4th down conversions to get past outmanned foes in their first 2 games. Coach Mack Brown is 1-2 vs their old rival despite being favored in all 3, so The Longhorns will be focused and have the talent for a blowout.
PHIL’S FORECAST: TEXAS 48 Arkansas 13

</td><td height="51">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="4">LSU has hurricane distractions (again) and has a huge game at Auburn on deck but this is one of the biggest talent mismatches out there.
PHIL’S FORECAST: LSU 52 North Texas 10
</td><td>
</td><td height="70">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="24">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="2">
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">#9
</td><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="19">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="29">
</td></tr><tr><td width="156">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="343">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="35">

</td><td width="348">

</td><td height="1" width="17">

</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="1">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td rowspan="2">#10 vs #21
</td><td rowspan="2">
</td><td height="1">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Auburn
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">183
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">138
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">24
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.6
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Mississippi St
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">73
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">178
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">10
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.9
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="2">
</td><td height="47">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">#10 Wisconsin
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">255
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">168
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">29
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.1
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">#21 Fresno St
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">171
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">278
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">26
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.8
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td rowspan="3">Last week Auburn fumbled into the end zone for a touchback and fumbled inside Southern Miss’ 15 or they could have been up 38-0 in the 3Q! Miss St has an average offense that will be smothered by the War Eagle defense and remember they were upset by Miss St last year but prior to that had won their last 3 here in Starkville by an avg of 30 ppg.
PHIL’S FORECAST: Auburn 23 MISSISSIPPI ST 6

</td><td>
</td><td height="47">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2">Pat Hill says this is the biggest game in school history! I was not impressed with their first half vs Rutgers in the opener as they could have been down 20-0 but somehow it was tied 0-0. I was impressed with the 2H and Wisconsin was outplayed by Marshall the first 1’ quarters last week and almost lost at UNLV last year.
PHIL’S FORECAST: FRESNO ST 27 WISCONSIN 23

</td><td height="117">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="9">
</td></tr><tr><td width="155">

</td><td width="348">

</td><td width="36">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="345">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td height="1" width="17">

</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="18">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2">#11
</td><td colspan="13">
</td><td height="7">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="3">#12
</td><td rowspan="3">
</td><td height="41">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="13">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">W Kentucky
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">83
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">100
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">8
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.4
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Alabama
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">222
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">250
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">36
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">1.7
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="12">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td colspan="6" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">SMU
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">-2
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">273
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">17
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.0
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Texas Tech
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">177
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">508
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">57
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.7
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td height="46">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="12">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="5">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="5">Last week I thought Bama would humble Tulane because one of Saban’s laments from last year was that they played down to the level of inferior opponents. Tulane had a 318-172 yard edge despite the fact that Tulane was playing in their opener while Bama had a game under their belts. They have a key SEC game next week and while they could win this by 42 if they tried, odds are they won’t.
PHIL’S FORECAST: ALABAMA 35 W Kentucky 7

</td><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="12">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td colspan="6">Texas Tech has not impressed me this year and last week was outgained by Nevada on the road. They are a much better team in Lubbock and June Jones said it would take 3 to 4 weeks for the Mustang offense to hit its stride.
PHIL’S FORECAST: TEXAS TECH 52 Smu 14

</td><td height="112">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="12">
</td><td height="5">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="5">
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="3">#14
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3">
</td><td height="15">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="11">
</td><td height="27">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4" rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3">#13 vs #19
</td><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="6">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="11">
</td><td height="2">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="7" rowspan="2"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">East Carolina
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">123
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">218
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">29
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">1.5
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Tulane
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">93
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">223
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">12
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.6
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">
</td><td height="51">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="9">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="18">
</td><td height="1">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3" rowspan="2">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="2"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">#13 Kansas
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">88
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">225
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">21
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.4
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">#19 USF
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">197
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">245
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">29
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.2
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="10">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="7" rowspan="3">How many teams are in a letdown situation for their conference opener? EC fits the bill. They have knocked off a ranked foe for 3 straight games and next week have another BCS school on their schedule (NC St). The players’ backs must be sore from all the pats they have received on them this week and Tulane actually had a 318-172 yard edge vs Bama last week! EC still has enough talent to get the win but this is not a great situation for them.
PHIL’S FORECAST: East Carolina 27 TULANE 10
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="3">
</td><td height="51">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="9">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3" rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="3">Kansas is ranked higher but I do not consider a USF win an upset. Last week USF led by 14 late in the 4Q but allowed UCF to send it to OT despite USF having an almost 300 yard edge in the game. I feel USF is the stronger team on both sides of the ball and they will get the job done in a Friday night matchup.
PHIL’S FORECAST: USF 34 Kansas 17

</td><td>
</td><td height="77">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="10">
</td><td height="16">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="2">#16
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="2">
</td><td height="33">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="10">
</td><td height="15">
</td></tr><tr><td width="156">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="3">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="341">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="24">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="341">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td height="1" width="21">

</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="12">
</td><td height="2">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td colspan="2">#15
</td><td colspan="3">
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Oregon
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">258
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">245
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">38
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.4
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Purdue
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">82
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">275
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">25
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.4
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td height="48">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="9">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">UNLV
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">73
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">195
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">14
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.3
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Arizona St
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">167
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">300
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">38
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">1.9
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="2">
</td><td height="7">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="5">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3">Oregon has had the nation’s most impressive offense so far this year and Purdue was outfirstdowned 22-17 by Northern Colorado last week. Oregon is 5-0 in trips to Big Ten country and beat Michigan by a 39-7 margin in the Big House last year.
PHIL’S FORECAST: Oregon 44 PURDUE 27

</td><td rowspan="3">
</td><td height="44">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="3">Arizona St players may not even realize they have a game this week. They just played their Pac-10 opener last week and have preseason #1 Georgia on deck! UNLV was tied with Utah 14-14 at the half last week and are better than most folks think.
PHIL’S FORECAST: ARIZONA ST 38 Unlv 14

</td><td>
</td><td height="64">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="5">
</td><td height="13">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="3">#17
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="3">
</td><td height="35">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3" rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="3">#18
</td><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="12">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3">
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Penn St
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">254
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">240
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">43
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.3
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Syracuse
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">61
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">210
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">12
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.4
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td rowspan="3">
</td><td height="36">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="3"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">UCLA
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">83
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">220
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">24
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.9
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">BYU
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">132
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">360
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">31
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.8
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="2">
</td><td height="19">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="6">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="3" rowspan="3">Greg Robinison races to the lead in the “Who will be fired first?” sweepstakes. How can you lose at home to Akron? Penn St is much better than most think and they have a potentially dominating offense to go with their top-notch defense and special teams. My biggest question heading into this is will there be more blue or orange in the seats? My guess is Blue!
PHIL’S FORECAST: Penn St 52 SYRACUSE 10
</td><td rowspan="3">
</td><td height="29">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td colspan="5" rowspan="3">Last year BYU had a huge yardage edge on the road but lost at UCLA. In the bowl UCLA had a game-winning chip shot FG blocked at the end and should have won. BYU has the talent edge and my computer shows them with a 492-303 yard edge. UCLA has LONG-time BYU offensive coordinator Norm Chow as its OC now and this game is important to him and he is a special OC. PHIL’S FORECAST: BYU 31 Ucla 23

</td><td colspan="2">
</td><td height="84">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="12">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">#22
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">
</td><td height="30">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td height="20">
</td></tr><tr><td width="159">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="344">

</td><td width="1">

</td><td width="21">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td width="343">

</td><td width="3">

</td><td width="2">

</td><td height="1" width="25">

</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="904"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="10">
</td><td height="3">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="2"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Utah
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">239
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">245
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">40
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.3
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Utah St
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">96
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">145
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">15
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.9
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td height="27">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="3">
</td><td rowspan="3">#23
</td><td colspan="4">
</td><td height="32">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="8">
</td><td height="6">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="4">
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="5">Utah was thought to be playing with revenge last week vs UNLV especially after comments that were made after their 2006 upset shutout loss. They were tied 14-14 at the half! This week they are in the “Battle of the Brothers” and could have the crowd edge and even with Air Force on deck (another revenge geme) they will roll. PHIL’S FORECAST: Utah 38 UTAH ST 10

</td><td height="13">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="5">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="2"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="12" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">California
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">217
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">228
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">31
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.3
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Maryland
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">114
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">223
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">17
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.0
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="54">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="6">
</td><td height="4">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td rowspan="7">
</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="7">I picked California as my #2 team in the Pac-10 despite most calling for them to finish in the middle of the pack. That pick looks pretty good after their 66-3 wipeout of Wash St last week and their week 1 win over Mich St. I also had Maryland picked higher in the Atlantic Division of the ACC (tied for 3rd) and that pick looks pretty bad as they have struggled and are 1-1 vs 2 non-BCS teams. The good news is that the Fridge always struggles in his first 3 games and then his teams turn it on (or they used to) after that. The bad news is that this is one of their first 3 games. PHIL’S FORECAST: California 31 MARYLAND 17

</td><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="36">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="6">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="2">#24
</td><td colspan="3">
</td><td height="55">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="5">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2">
</td><td colspan="4"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">

</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Rushing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Yds Passing
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Points
</td><td valign="top" width="53">Turn Overs
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Louisiana-Lft
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">231
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">135
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">21
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">3.1
</td></tr><tr><td height="17" valign="top" width="124">Illinois
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">349
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">250
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">48
</td><td valign="middle" width="53">2.7
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td>
</td><td height="59">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="7">
</td><td height="5">
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>
</td><td colspan="4" rowspan="2">Juice Williams will be taking on a ULL team that was annihilated in their opener by Southern Miss (allowed 633 yds). At least ULL will get a nice paycheck for this.
PHIL’S FORECAST: ILLINOIS 48 Louisiana-Lft 17
</td></tr></tbody></table>

RJ Esq · Sep 12, 2008

This Week's Oddsmakers Top 25 (30)

The coach of the most underrated good team in America. (By Mark Humphrey - AP)

Another week of presenting the top 30 football teams in the land according to the folks at Las Vegas Sports Consultants, whose voters, unlike AP and Harris Poll voters, are staking their livelihoods on the accuracy of their rankings.
Controversies: West Virginia is still ranked way higher than East Carolina, which beat the 'Eers. Clemson is still ranked way higher than Alabama, which beat the Tigers. Georgia is still ranked sixth, four spots lower than in the AP and Coaches' polls, which could turn out to matter. And Southern Cal, on a neutral field, is judged to be 4.5 points better than anyone else in the nation.
Biggest frauds, according to Vegas: It's like an South-eastern roll call. Alabama is ranked 14 spots too high by the AP, as is upstart East Carolina (which is "vastly overrated," according to the LVSC poll). Wisconsin is ranked 10 spots too high. Arizona State is ranked eight spots too high. LSU is ranked seven spots too high. Auburn is ranked five spots too high.

Biggest sleepers, according to Vegas: Again, there are plenty, and several SEC schools show up here as well. Like, South Carolina? Ranked 17 spots too low by the AP. TCU is ranked 16 spots too low. Arizona is ranked 15 spots too low; the Wildcats' showdown with overrated Arizona State will be a crucial test for the Vegas pollsters. West Virginia is ranked 13 spots too low off that one loss. Cal is ranked 12 spots too low; look out, Terps fans. (This is why you're two-touchdown dogs at home.) Oklahoma State is ranked 11 spots too low. Clemson is ranked nine spots too low. Penn State is ranked eight spots too low. Oregon is ranked six spots too low, the third Pac-10 team to crack this list. (East Coast Bias!!!)
Vegas looked smart when: Overrated Wake Forest struggled to beat Ole Miss at home. Vegas darlings like TCU, Arizona and Oklahoma State all won big. Vegas darling Penn State crushed Oregon State, in a game whose line was significantly whittled down by Nittany Lions skeptics.
Vegas looked dumb when: Arizona State rolled on, despite Vegas's concerns. Ditto for Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Vegas darling South Carolina suffered a bad loss, and Vegas darling Virginia Tech looked rotten in a win. Longtime Vegas darling BYU probably shouldn't have won at Washington. Plus, there was that whole East Carolina thing.
Games to watch: UCLA is at BYU; Vegas likes BYU more and UCLA less than do AP voters. Georgia is at South Carolina; Vegas likes South Carolina more and Georgia less than do AP voters. Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech; Vegas like Virginia Tech more and Georgia Tech WAY less than do AP voters. (Ga. Tech is 31st in the AP, and doesn't crack Vegas's Top 40.) Vegas darling TCU gets a decent test with Stanford.
Here are the full LVSC rankings, with AP rankings in parentheses.
1. Southern Cal (1)
2. Florida (4)
3. Oklahoma (3)
4. Missouri (6)
5. Ohio State (5)
6. Georgia (2)
7. Texas (8)
8. Texas Tech (12)
9. Penn State (17)
10. Oregon (16)
11. California (23)
12. West Virginia (25)
13. Kansas (13)
14t. LSU (7)
14t. Auburn (9)
14t. Brigham Young (18)
17. South Florida (19)
18t. Clemson (27)
18t. Texas Christian (34t)
20. Wisconsin (10)
21t. Oklahoma State (32)
21t. South Carolina (38t)
23t. Arizona State (15)
23t. Arizona (38t)
25t. Alabama (11)
25t. Utah (22)
27. Tennessee (30)
28. East Carolina (14)
29th. Virginia Tech (36)
29t. Cincinnati. (NR)
Not ranked by Vegas: Wake Forest (20th in AP poll), Fresno State (21st), Illinois (24th).

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