Big Ten Recap – Week 3
Yet another mixed bag from the Big Ten this week. The conference season is just around the corner, as teams make the final preparations for the race to the Rose Bowl.
Results Saturday
Purdue 59 Southeast Missouri State 0
Michigan 31 Eastern Michigan 3
Iowa 31 Pittsburgh 27
Penn State 14 Temple 10
Minnesota 29 Miami (OH) 23
Nebraska 51 Washington 38
Wisconsin 49 Northern Illinois 7
Notre Dame 31 Michigan State 13
Army 21 Northwestern 14
Indiana 38 South Carolina State 21
Illinois 17 Arizona State 14
Miami (FL) 24 Ohio State 6
Illinois: The Illini got the signature win for the conference this past week. The defense played outstanding against a pretty solid Sun Devil offense. Arizona State was very effective against Missouri in their previous game. This is a big win for Illinois, as they haven’t had much luck in recent years outside of the conference. With Ohio State looking as bad as they did, I don’t think it is out of the question to consider Illinois as Wisconsin’s biggest threat in the Leaders division. Next Game: Vs. Western Michigan
Indiana: The Hoosiers finally got a win, albeit against FCS Southeast (South Carolina State). It’s not crazy to say that this might be the only win Indiana gets all season long. I guess we never really know, as anything can happen in conference play. Indiana gets another chance to pick up a non-conference win next week, in a winnable situation. Next Game: At North Texas
Iowa: Oh boy, what a comeback! I was almost ready to stick the first nail in the coffin, but towards the end of the 3rd quarter I started thinking about Michigan’s insane comeback vs. Notre Dame last week, and also Auburn’s late game heroics over the past 2 years. This was the biggest Iowa comeback in school history. The light switch seemed to just turn on for Junior Quarterback James Vandenberg. I still maintain that this team is going to be playing Wisconsin in Indianapolis for the first ever Big Ten Championship game in December. If they play like they did in the 4th quarter, that may come true. Next Game: Vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Michigan: The question the media was asking all week was how does Michigan get up for Eastern Michigan after the big emotional win over Notre Dame last week? After a slow start, the Wolverines answered that. Michigan still has a lot of question marks on the defensive side of the football. Teams like Nebraska and Wisconsin are going to eat them alive. They have a tough little test against Brady Hoke’s former team next week in the Big House. Next Game: Vs. San Diego State
Michigan State: The Spartans teased me a little bit last week by handling a lesser opponent in a manner that they were supposed to. They follow that up with this abortion of a performance. Notre Dame toyed with Michigan State from the opening kickoff to the end, and Sparty had no answers. If this is any indication of how Michigan State is, then we need to look at last season as a mirage. Just a dismal performance. Next Game: Vs. Central Michigan
Minnesota: Like Indiana, the Gophers finally got in the win column. This was a very good win for a team that desperately needed it. Miami (OH) is a solid MAC team who had some attributes that had given Minnesota problems over the first couple weeks. Now they have the tricky North Dakota State Bison coming to town with legions of fans. This is as close to an in-state rivalry game that the Gophers have, and recent years has proven that to be true. With that said, there is ZERO reason the Gophers should not be able to beat FCS Midwest, at home, and get to .500. Next Game: Vs. North Dakota State
Nebraska: The Huskers played the Huskies for the 3rd time in less than 12 months. Nebraska had a lot of problems slowing down the Washington offense. Trend or Mirage? Taylor Martinez was throwing the ball very well, and the Husker offense looked excellent. I’m concerned about the strength of a team, at home, getting trounced. Huskers won, and the offense looked good, but there are some concerns in Lincoln. They have a 2 game road trip. At Wyoming next week, and then the big game, potential preview of the inaugural Big Ten Championship game, at Wisconsin in 2 weeks. Next Game: At. Wyoming
Northwestern: Northwestern took a step backwards losing on the road at Army. This is a disappointing finish for a team that had an excellent chance of going 3-0 before conference play. The win at Boston College is losing its shine as well, as BC continues to lose. Pat Fitzgerald will get two weeks to regroup, they are off next week, and then it’s conference play. Next Game: At Illinois (Oct 1)
Ohio State: Pathetic! Next Game: Vs. Colorado
Penn State: For the 2nd year in a row the Nittany Lions struggled with Temple. Temple hasn’t beat Penn State since Joe Paterno was 15 years old. It almost happened on Saturday, but Penn State pulled it out. They’re still trying both Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden at quarterback. Both of them suck. This is a problem. PSU will be relying on their defense to carry them through. There is no evidence that suggests this team will get anywhere near a conference title. Next Game: Vs. Eastern Michigan
Purdue: The Boilermakers got an FCS team to beat up on. Good for them. They still aren’t very good. Opportunities present themselves, and Notre Dame comes to town for their annual tussle. If they can pull off the upset, they will be 3-1 going into conference play. Not a bad position to be in, in terms of beating your rival. Irish looked good on Saturday, so I don’t see that happening. Next Game: Vs. Notre Dame
Wisconsin: 3 Patsies, 3 beat downs. A 4th one will happen next week against South Dakota. Then the big game in 2 weeks at home against Nebraska. Not much more to add here, the Badgers are a solid team, and are the only team that hasn’t shown any weaknesses over the first 3 weeks, albeit against weak opponents.
My Week 3 Big Ten Rankings:
1. (1) Wisconsin
2. (2) Nebraska
3. (6) Illinois
4. (7) Michigan
5. (9) Iowa
6. (3) Ohio State
7. (4) Northwestern
8. (5) Michigan State
9. (8) Penn State
10. (10) Minnesota
11. (11) Purdue
12. (12) Indiana
Around the country: Finally saw Oklahoma. Good win for them, on the road at the Doak in Tallahassee. Herbstreit said it best “Don’t think this stadium has been this loud since Chris Weinkie was Quarterback.” He was absolutely right. Really tough to quantify how good the Sooners are, as Florida State was overrated to me. My first national rankings will be unveiled in 2 weeks. The team to keep your eye on though, is Stanford. Andrew Luck is the real deal, and they have a balanced attack. They are also pretty solid on defense as well.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Rock Bottom List 2.0
Well another week has passed us by and along with that more chumbolones who are in need of a rock bottom. So with that, I present you with the second edition of the Rock Bottom List. (PS: Short list this week as apparently there aren’t enough chumbolones who need rock bottoms)
Serena Williams, star Women’s tennis player:
Look folks, no one can doubt the impact that the Williams sisters have had on the sport of tennis and they are both cultural icons. If I have a daughter someday, they are definitely symbols of excellence that I can point to. With all of that said, Serena is notorious for her brat behavior on the court, and she crossed the line in the Women’s final of the US Open on Sunday. The story goes, that during the match she ripped a forehand winner but screamed, and had to cede the point due to what is called a hindrance. Basically she tried to distract her opponent while she was trying to return the ball. She then turned to the judge and went on a tirade against her. This was not the same judge that she had problems with during the 2009 US Open against Kim Clijsters. She said "Aren't you the same one who screwed me over the last time?" How classless. Whether you agreed with the call or not, it matters not. You simply cannot act that way. She continued her tirade saying "Seriously, you have it out for me and I promise you..." Apparently she caught herself from threatening the judge as she did during her 2009 meltdown in which she got fined 90K, and placed on probation for grand slam events. She didn't stop there though. The diarrhea at the mouth continued as she said "You're out of control," "You're a hater, and you're just unattractive inside," and "Really, don't even look at me." Ultimately she was fined a 'modest' $2000 for the whole ordeal as the Grand Slam tournament officials stated "While verbally abusive, did not warrant being placed on probation." Again, for anyone who follows Women’s sports, it goes without saying the impact the Williams have had on American Women’s tennis and women’s sports in general. It is because of this though, because women’s sports stars are at a premium, that Serena Williams gets a Rock Bottom from ole BAM....Close there BAM, but like Serena was doing to the poor official, the people’s champ will now lay into Serena with a patented Rock rant…if ya smeellalalalalalalalalallalaaaaa
Bill Musgrave- Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator:
I get that we have only had one week in the NFL season but if one thing is certain Mr. Musgrave is not going to be running the offense of the 2000 Vikings or the “greatest show on turf” of Rams fame. In fact I think that he went to the Denny Green school of conservative play calling also known as run, run, pass and is going to be painfully predictable all year. I get that we don’t have a lot of weapons but you have to be a little more creative then you showed this weekend. We all remember the infamous 1998 NFC Championship Game where Mr. Green turned in a coach that would make the TEA Party blush with his second half play calling and drove Minnesotans into a bender that would make the people in Wisconsin look like saints. Please Bill I am begging you show us something but for your lack of creativity you have been…Rock Bottomed….getting closer now, hopefully the most electrifying move in sports entertainment can spark some offensive creativity next week!
Major League Baseball:
Why would you not let the Mets wear FDNY or NYPD hats on 9/11. We all know what happened on that day and why it is important. Word on the street is that Joe Torre was involved in the decision. Really Joe? The Yanks went to the World Series that year and really rallied the city, and the Mets did the same once baseball resumed after the towers fell. If the Yankees had been playing in New York on Sunday, MLB would've rolled out the red carpet. They would have had every police officer and firefighter in New York at the game, I just don't get why the MLB would not let the Mets pay tribute to those who serve us on a daily basis and were involved in 9/11. That's why you get my Rock Bottom MLB…not only will MLB and I’m gonna say Bud Selig on this one get the rock bottom, but they will also feel the pain of the people’s elbow.
New Mexico State Aggies:
I understand, you just upset a Big Ten (12) team on the road, and I get it you guys are generally one of the worst teams in college football and haven’t won a BCS Game since 1999, but after what happened on the Minnesota sideline with :20 to go, did you really feel it necessary to give your head coach a Gatorade shower? It is week 2 of the season and honestly I think even without the Coach Kill situation it still would’ve been unnecessary. Celebrate all you want, you beat us, and had a great game, but all I’m saying is go into the locker room first. Congrats on a big win for your program, and for your efforts: a rock bottom!!! And congratulations again NMST, you win the 2nd rock bottom award and get planted directly through the Spanish announcers table.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
BIG TEN RECAP -- WEEK 2 by Brian Meyer
Big Ten Recap – Week 2
We got a mixed bag from Week 2 from our Big Ten teams. A couple highs, definitely some lows. Let’s take a look.
Scores: Saturday
Michigan State 44 Florida Atlantic 0
Illinois 56 South Dakota State 3
Ohio State 27 Toledo 22
Wisconsin 35 Oregon State 0
Iowa State 44 Iowa 41 (3 OT)
Alabama 27 Penn State 11
Rice 24 Purdue 22
New Mexico State 28 Minnesota 21
Northwestern 42 Eastern Illinois 21
Virginia 34 Indiana 31
Nebraska 42 Fresno State 29
Michigan 35 Notre Dame 31
Illinois: The Illini had no problem with South Dakota State on Saturday. Not much we can say, but they did a nice job taking care of business against a weak opponent. Tough to tell what we have with Ron Zook and his Illinois club, but they were a bowl team last year and I think they could have a decent season. They have an enormous test next week playing Arizona State at home. Arizona State is just coming off a thrilling win on Friday night vs. Missouri. Next Game: Vs. Arizona State
Indiana: The Hoosiers redeemed themselves a little bit in defeat. Virginia is not a great ACC team by any means, but they are at least an upgrade over Ball State from a week ago. The reality is, however, they are a 0-2 football team, and with a Big Ten schedule beginning real soon, losing winnable non-conference games means you probably aren’t going bowling. They get an opportunity to get a ‘W’ against an FCS team next Saturday. Next Game: Vs. South Carolina State
Iowa: Ugh! Where do I begin? Bottom line is when you let a team like Iowa State hang around by playing ‘not to lose’ instead of ‘playing to win’ then you deserve to lose a game like this. Iowa State does have a very gutty quarterback in Steele Jantz, who was making fantastic plays. I did have a weird feeling about this game going in, as Iowa has struggled in Ames in recent years. It doesn’t get any easier next week. Pittsburgh comes to town. Pitt beat Iowa in Pittsburgh in 2008. Next Game: Vs. Pittsburgh
Michigan: Michigan was the bright spot for the Big Ten in Week 2. They won a thriller against rival Notre Dame. Yes, we know, Notre Dame isn’t very good, but this was a big game for Michigan in their quest to get back to the top. First night game in the Big House, they got down early, but came back and won in the end. Definitely a classic up in Ann Arbor, and this was a much needed win for the Wolverines that some experts did not think they would get. Now they are 2-0, and in real good position at the half way point of the non-conference slate. Next Game: Vs. Eastern Michigan
Michigan State: Sparty gave me a little more confidence in them with the drilling of the Owls of Florida Atlantic. Yes, again, we know, FAU is not good, but I like seeing shutouts with 30+ on the board in these types of games, and Michigan State redeemed themselves after being rather lackluster the previous week. This came at a perfect time as they head to South Bend to face the 0-2 Irish. Michigan State has had a fair amount of success at Notre Dame. Going 3-0 would be huge for MSU. Next Game: At Notre Dame
Minnesota: First of all, my heart goes out to Jerry Kill and his family. Coach Kill collapsed on the sidelines with a seizure with about 20 seconds to go in the game. All reports indicate that he will be okay, but definitely a scary moment, and not something I personally want to see anyone go through. As for the game; Sorry Gopher fans, bad performance against a REALLY bad team. Losing at home is bad enough. Losing to New Mexico State sucks any positive energy gained from the solid 2nd half vs. USC, right out. It really doesn’t get any easier as they play a decent Miami (OH) team. The game is at home, but the Gophers need to figure things out real quick. Next Game: Vs. Miami (OH)
Nebraska: Truth be known, I was not able to watch this game, nor see any highlights either, but Fresno State is always an average to above average opponent. The Huskers were down in the 3rd Quarter and came back and took control in the 4th with a 46 yard td run by “T Magic”. This finish does reinforce what is pretty obvious about this team. If Taylor Martinez can run around like he did in the 1st half of 2010, then Nebraska should win the Legends Division going away. If he gets roughed up, and plays like he did in the 2nd half of 2010, then Nebraska will be relying on their defense to keep games low scoring and have to grind out games. Next week the Huskers play the team they played twice last year. Washington comes to town, but without Jake Locker this time. Next Game: Vs. Washington
Northwestern: The Wildcats moved to 2-0 with another impressive win. Yeah it was over an FCS team, but Northwestern got the big road win over BC last week, and now NW is in a very good spot to be 3-0 going into the Big Ten slate. They head to West Point to play Army. Next Game: At Army
Ohio State: The Buckeyes had a tough time with Toledo. Ohio State is always good for one of these every year, where they grind out a non-conference win over a fellow Ohio school. They clearly are not as good as they were in 2010. Maybe not as well paid? I doubt that. Still don’t know what we have with Ohio State here. We will definitely find out next week. Ohio State at Miami. Winner gets to claim to be the filthiest program! Next Game: At Miami
Penn State: Penn State just made too many mistakes against a really good team on Saturday. Alabama’s defense proved they are probably the best in the country, and they were flying all over the field. PSU’s defense played good too, but eventually just got worn down by a better, more complete football team. Penn State absolutely needs to figure out their quarterback situation though before the conference schedule begins. All in all, PSU played better this year than last year against Alabama, but the quarterback thing needs to be addressed real quickly. Next Game: At Temple
Purdue: The Boilermakers are not good. Losing to Rice? FREAKING Rice? In the words of legendary Tennis player John McEnroe “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!” I have nothing here. Next Game: Vs. Southeast Missouri State
Wisconsin: This was a nice thumping over a Pac 12 school. Wisconsin looked damn good. I don’t think Oregon State is a very good team but Wisconsin beat them like they didn’t even deserve to share the same field with them. Nice to see from a Big Ten team with disappointing performances like Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue dragging the conference down. Wisconsin has established themselves as the heavy favorite in the conference this year. Next Week: At Northern Illinois
My Week 2 Big Ten Rankings:
1. (1) Wisconsin
2. (3)Nebraska
3. (2)Ohio State
4. (5)Northwestern
5. (8)Michigan State
6. (7)Illinois
7. (10)Michigan
8. (6)Penn State
9. (4)Iowa
10. (9)Minnesota
11. (11)Purdue
12. (12)Indiana
Thoughts around the country:
Two weeks in, and Alabama, Boise State, and LSU are the best teams I’ve seen so far. Before the season I picked LSU to win the BCS Mythical National Championship. After they lost Jordan Jefferson indefinitely I changed my mind to unknown. After they destroyed Oregon in Week 1, however, it restored my confidence in them. Alabama and Boise State both look like serious contenders as well. I have not seen Oklahoma yet. Beginning in Week 5, I will begin doing a Top 25. I don’t like preseason polls, so I would be somewhat of a hypocrite to rank teams until I at least have watched them play for a few weeks.
We got a mixed bag from Week 2 from our Big Ten teams. A couple highs, definitely some lows. Let’s take a look.
Scores: Saturday
Michigan State 44 Florida Atlantic 0
Illinois 56 South Dakota State 3
Ohio State 27 Toledo 22
Wisconsin 35 Oregon State 0
Iowa State 44 Iowa 41 (3 OT)
Alabama 27 Penn State 11
Rice 24 Purdue 22
New Mexico State 28 Minnesota 21
Northwestern 42 Eastern Illinois 21
Virginia 34 Indiana 31
Nebraska 42 Fresno State 29
Michigan 35 Notre Dame 31
Illinois: The Illini had no problem with South Dakota State on Saturday. Not much we can say, but they did a nice job taking care of business against a weak opponent. Tough to tell what we have with Ron Zook and his Illinois club, but they were a bowl team last year and I think they could have a decent season. They have an enormous test next week playing Arizona State at home. Arizona State is just coming off a thrilling win on Friday night vs. Missouri. Next Game: Vs. Arizona State
Indiana: The Hoosiers redeemed themselves a little bit in defeat. Virginia is not a great ACC team by any means, but they are at least an upgrade over Ball State from a week ago. The reality is, however, they are a 0-2 football team, and with a Big Ten schedule beginning real soon, losing winnable non-conference games means you probably aren’t going bowling. They get an opportunity to get a ‘W’ against an FCS team next Saturday. Next Game: Vs. South Carolina State
Iowa: Ugh! Where do I begin? Bottom line is when you let a team like Iowa State hang around by playing ‘not to lose’ instead of ‘playing to win’ then you deserve to lose a game like this. Iowa State does have a very gutty quarterback in Steele Jantz, who was making fantastic plays. I did have a weird feeling about this game going in, as Iowa has struggled in Ames in recent years. It doesn’t get any easier next week. Pittsburgh comes to town. Pitt beat Iowa in Pittsburgh in 2008. Next Game: Vs. Pittsburgh
Michigan: Michigan was the bright spot for the Big Ten in Week 2. They won a thriller against rival Notre Dame. Yes, we know, Notre Dame isn’t very good, but this was a big game for Michigan in their quest to get back to the top. First night game in the Big House, they got down early, but came back and won in the end. Definitely a classic up in Ann Arbor, and this was a much needed win for the Wolverines that some experts did not think they would get. Now they are 2-0, and in real good position at the half way point of the non-conference slate. Next Game: Vs. Eastern Michigan
Michigan State: Sparty gave me a little more confidence in them with the drilling of the Owls of Florida Atlantic. Yes, again, we know, FAU is not good, but I like seeing shutouts with 30+ on the board in these types of games, and Michigan State redeemed themselves after being rather lackluster the previous week. This came at a perfect time as they head to South Bend to face the 0-2 Irish. Michigan State has had a fair amount of success at Notre Dame. Going 3-0 would be huge for MSU. Next Game: At Notre Dame
Minnesota: First of all, my heart goes out to Jerry Kill and his family. Coach Kill collapsed on the sidelines with a seizure with about 20 seconds to go in the game. All reports indicate that he will be okay, but definitely a scary moment, and not something I personally want to see anyone go through. As for the game; Sorry Gopher fans, bad performance against a REALLY bad team. Losing at home is bad enough. Losing to New Mexico State sucks any positive energy gained from the solid 2nd half vs. USC, right out. It really doesn’t get any easier as they play a decent Miami (OH) team. The game is at home, but the Gophers need to figure things out real quick. Next Game: Vs. Miami (OH)
Nebraska: Truth be known, I was not able to watch this game, nor see any highlights either, but Fresno State is always an average to above average opponent. The Huskers were down in the 3rd Quarter and came back and took control in the 4th with a 46 yard td run by “T Magic”. This finish does reinforce what is pretty obvious about this team. If Taylor Martinez can run around like he did in the 1st half of 2010, then Nebraska should win the Legends Division going away. If he gets roughed up, and plays like he did in the 2nd half of 2010, then Nebraska will be relying on their defense to keep games low scoring and have to grind out games. Next week the Huskers play the team they played twice last year. Washington comes to town, but without Jake Locker this time. Next Game: Vs. Washington
Northwestern: The Wildcats moved to 2-0 with another impressive win. Yeah it was over an FCS team, but Northwestern got the big road win over BC last week, and now NW is in a very good spot to be 3-0 going into the Big Ten slate. They head to West Point to play Army. Next Game: At Army
Ohio State: The Buckeyes had a tough time with Toledo. Ohio State is always good for one of these every year, where they grind out a non-conference win over a fellow Ohio school. They clearly are not as good as they were in 2010. Maybe not as well paid? I doubt that. Still don’t know what we have with Ohio State here. We will definitely find out next week. Ohio State at Miami. Winner gets to claim to be the filthiest program! Next Game: At Miami
Penn State: Penn State just made too many mistakes against a really good team on Saturday. Alabama’s defense proved they are probably the best in the country, and they were flying all over the field. PSU’s defense played good too, but eventually just got worn down by a better, more complete football team. Penn State absolutely needs to figure out their quarterback situation though before the conference schedule begins. All in all, PSU played better this year than last year against Alabama, but the quarterback thing needs to be addressed real quickly. Next Game: At Temple
Purdue: The Boilermakers are not good. Losing to Rice? FREAKING Rice? In the words of legendary Tennis player John McEnroe “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!” I have nothing here. Next Game: Vs. Southeast Missouri State
Wisconsin: This was a nice thumping over a Pac 12 school. Wisconsin looked damn good. I don’t think Oregon State is a very good team but Wisconsin beat them like they didn’t even deserve to share the same field with them. Nice to see from a Big Ten team with disappointing performances like Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue dragging the conference down. Wisconsin has established themselves as the heavy favorite in the conference this year. Next Week: At Northern Illinois
My Week 2 Big Ten Rankings:
1. (1) Wisconsin
2. (3)Nebraska
3. (2)Ohio State
4. (5)Northwestern
5. (8)Michigan State
6. (7)Illinois
7. (10)Michigan
8. (6)Penn State
9. (4)Iowa
10. (9)Minnesota
11. (11)Purdue
12. (12)Indiana
Thoughts around the country:
Two weeks in, and Alabama, Boise State, and LSU are the best teams I’ve seen so far. Before the season I picked LSU to win the BCS Mythical National Championship. After they lost Jordan Jefferson indefinitely I changed my mind to unknown. After they destroyed Oregon in Week 1, however, it restored my confidence in them. Alabama and Boise State both look like serious contenders as well. I have not seen Oklahoma yet. Beginning in Week 5, I will begin doing a Top 25. I don’t like preseason polls, so I would be somewhat of a hypocrite to rank teams until I at least have watched them play for a few weeks.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Week 2
I hope everybody enjoyed the first week of college football. There were some great games and then there were some not so good games (I'm looking at you Notre Dame). The best game last week, in my opinion, happened between Utah State and the defending national champion Auburn Tigers. Utah State traveled to Toomer's corner and were almost lucky enough to get a win until Auburn recovered a picturesque onside kick and scored the go ahead TD late in the game. Last week I gave you 5 games that I'd be watching and while Notre Dame completely sucked, there was some pretty solid action on the field. The Gophers almost took down the mighty Trojans in an exhibition match but I like what I saw from Jerry's Gophers and I expect them to make some noise (albeit quiet noise) in the Big(12) 10 this year. The Oregon game again proved why the SEC is the best conference in football this year. LSU was on fire against the Ducks, even though they were without their starting quarterback. If Oregon could actually run against an SEC team they would be the defending champions but, just like their last game, they were unable to rush the ball effectively against a powerful SEC defense. Kellen Moore showed why Boise is going to get screwed out of a championship game appearance again against Georgia. Maybe Georgia isn't that good but Kellen sliced and diced UGA's defense and I think Mark Richt's seat is getting a little warmer in Athens. Notre Dame was, actually I'm not even going to go there. Brian Kelly obviously doesn't know how to pick a starting quarterback and it showed. I actually didn't get a chance to check out the Wolverines this past week but they got a win even though the game was called because of rain. Now on to the 5 games I'll be tuning into this week:
#1. Notre Dame at Michigan (7:00 CST) If you've watched Sportscenter at all this week I don't think I need to tell you why I'll be watching this game. 84 years ago Michigan's stadium "The Big House" was built and it has never seen a night game...until Saturday. Saturday marks the first time a visiting team will travel to Ann Arbor to play under the lights and whether you hate these teams or love them it's a classic rivalry and one game every year (no matter how much Notre Dame sucks) that I tune into. I'll take Michigan in a blowout.
#2. South Carolina at Georgia (3:30 CST) If you read my last post you know how high I am on South Carolina this year. I'm drinking their Kool-Aid. SC travels to Athens to play between the hedges against a Georgia team that needs this SEC opener to keep Mark Richt's seat from setting aflame. Since this is the SEC conference opener I feel like I have to watch now that Spurrier wised (not sure if that's the right word) up and put Stephen Garcia back in to the starting QB spot I see WR Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore having huge days against a weak Georgia defense.
#3. Alabama at Penn State (2:30 CST) Is Joe Paterno still alive or does he just move around when the fans cheer like Bernie from "Weekend at Bernies". My vote is for the latter. Penn State was pretty impressive against whatever D3 school they played last week and while I think Alabama is one of the best teams in the nation I think the Tide have to be on upset alert this week. That's why I'm picking Penn St for my upset special this week. When I'm wrong please don't come back at me, I'm just going with my heart on this pick. WE ARE!
#4. BYU at Texas (6:00 CST) I don't actually know why I'm picking this game but BYU did rally against Ole Miss and Texas does nothing to impress me. I guess you could say I hate Texas but I'll tune into this game in hopes of seeing my man crush Jimmer Fredette on the BYU side line. Will BYU upset the Longhorns? Fredette about it, but since Texas plays Oklahoma in a couple of weeks it's time to see if they can upset Big Game Bobby Stoops (doubtful).
I went over this week's college football schedule multiple times but I don't see any other games that really interest me except Northern Illinois traveling into Lawrence Kansas to take on my Jayhawks. I went to Ku's home opener and was almost bored to death. It's like they took a page out of Herm Edwards' run, run, pass playbook. It was so boring we left at halftime, to go drink some more beers. Shh don't tell the Huskies but while I was sitting in the stands I was calling almost every Kansas play and if I can guess run or pass I'm sure people who get paid to do it will also. It doesn't matter who wins this game because 3/4th's of the students will be either passed out in or out of the stadium by halftime.
Well that's all I have for today, I'll check back in with you all next week.
#1. Notre Dame at Michigan (7:00 CST) If you've watched Sportscenter at all this week I don't think I need to tell you why I'll be watching this game. 84 years ago Michigan's stadium "The Big House" was built and it has never seen a night game...until Saturday. Saturday marks the first time a visiting team will travel to Ann Arbor to play under the lights and whether you hate these teams or love them it's a classic rivalry and one game every year (no matter how much Notre Dame sucks) that I tune into. I'll take Michigan in a blowout.
#2. South Carolina at Georgia (3:30 CST) If you read my last post you know how high I am on South Carolina this year. I'm drinking their Kool-Aid. SC travels to Athens to play between the hedges against a Georgia team that needs this SEC opener to keep Mark Richt's seat from setting aflame. Since this is the SEC conference opener I feel like I have to watch now that Spurrier wised (not sure if that's the right word) up and put Stephen Garcia back in to the starting QB spot I see WR Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore having huge days against a weak Georgia defense.
#3. Alabama at Penn State (2:30 CST) Is Joe Paterno still alive or does he just move around when the fans cheer like Bernie from "Weekend at Bernies". My vote is for the latter. Penn State was pretty impressive against whatever D3 school they played last week and while I think Alabama is one of the best teams in the nation I think the Tide have to be on upset alert this week. That's why I'm picking Penn St for my upset special this week. When I'm wrong please don't come back at me, I'm just going with my heart on this pick. WE ARE!
#4. BYU at Texas (6:00 CST) I don't actually know why I'm picking this game but BYU did rally against Ole Miss and Texas does nothing to impress me. I guess you could say I hate Texas but I'll tune into this game in hopes of seeing my man crush Jimmer Fredette on the BYU side line. Will BYU upset the Longhorns? Fredette about it, but since Texas plays Oklahoma in a couple of weeks it's time to see if they can upset Big Game Bobby Stoops (doubtful).
I went over this week's college football schedule multiple times but I don't see any other games that really interest me except Northern Illinois traveling into Lawrence Kansas to take on my Jayhawks. I went to Ku's home opener and was almost bored to death. It's like they took a page out of Herm Edwards' run, run, pass playbook. It was so boring we left at halftime, to go drink some more beers. Shh don't tell the Huskies but while I was sitting in the stands I was calling almost every Kansas play and if I can guess run or pass I'm sure people who get paid to do it will also. It doesn't matter who wins this game because 3/4th's of the students will be either passed out in or out of the stadium by halftime.
Well that's all I have for today, I'll check back in with you all next week.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Packers VS Saints Pick
Hello Football Fans.
Football is upon us and while I am finalizing the picks for this week I need to post the Thursday game early.
Packers 4.5 vs Saints
The Packers open at home in the battle of the last 2 Super Bowl Champions and America waits to watch Football when they thought we might not have it in the first place this year. The Packers return a team almost identical to the team from last season except return Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley on offense to make them even better. The Saints return a team without Reggie Bush but adds Mark Ingram which I believe is addition by subtraction. The game should be a back and forth game with a high score but I believe this to be a 3pt game and do not like the high 4.5 spread. Packers win but Saints cover.
Packers 30 Saints 27
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Rock Bottom List
 |
| Number 3 on the RBL |
The 5 levels of punishment are:
Poor Announce Table
Rock Bottom followed up by the People's elbow
The Most Electrifying Move in Sports Entertainment
Patented Rock rant as he slurs insults your direction
And the 5th person just gets a raised eyebrow to suggest "what the hell were they thinking?"
Alright now onto the list. We'll go from number 5 to 1 in true countdown fashion. I'll post what each person had to say and then we'll move onto the next one so without further ado I bring you the Inaugural Rock Bottom List:
5. My Rock Bottom has to go out to Brian L. Roberts and any and all executives of Comcast Telecommunications. For a company that prides themselves on the level of customer service they provide, they sure do blow. I bet they set their quality standard at the same level a monkey could do customer service because apparently that all you need to be a customer service rep for Comcast. I don't know how many times I've had to wait on hold for a good 40 min, due to higher than normal call volume....its always higher than normal because your service sucks. If your not going to improve your actual service, hire more service reps. We all know you can afford it for the amount of money you charge for your shitty service. Secondly, how can you not reward your returning customers with better prices, or at least allow them to renew the contract at the same prices. I'm not one to complain much.....that's a lie, but at least this is justified and if I had any other choice for cable and internet service, believe me, I would pay for that in a heart beat over this garbage. Here's to at least one more lost customer, Comcast. -Feeney. Now this is deserving of a Rock Bottom but for this week it comes in at number 5 and gets the patented raised eyebrow.
4. Brian Kelly, Head Coach at Notre Dame. I'm sorry but I don't know how a performance like that on Saturday can happen. I'm not even a Notre Dame fan; far from it! I can say that this guy is not the answer in South Bend. Irish fans probably should've been be wary of this fool when his own players at Cincy were calling him a quitter. As an Iowa fan, I cannot even imagine an Iowa player saying that about Kirk Ferentz if he ever left for another job. There are several other coaches that fall under that same category, where they have enough respect to not say that about the guy who is grooming them into a young man. I didn't thinka mediocre season would be Kelly's downfall, but after seeing him on the sideline losing his cool, and the pitiful performance, I think a mediocre season may in fact do him in. As of today though, he gets my rock bottom of the week, and a Peoples Elbow for good measure!- Bam. I completely agree with you Bam but in this weeks Rock Bottom List Brian Kelly is only bad enough for one of those patented Rock rants where he tells BK to know his role "IF YA SMELALALALALALALALALALA WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING"
3. My Rock Bottom for this week is for Kevin Plank who designed the Maryland uniforms last night. While yes, they may be cool cause they represent your state flag, but they are terrible. If they were one color or the other they would at least be tolerable, but the half and half look was not doing it for me. Recruits love it, and it generated a ton of interest in your program for a day or 2. But they are ugly, and for that, you get a rock bottom followed by the people's eyebrow - Kyle. It was a tough decision only putting Mr. Plank at 3 because these uniforms were God awful, if you don't believe me take a scroll back to the top of the page. Unfortunately these uniforms were not hideous enough and therefore they just get the people's elbow.
2. Steve Carrell, Movie Star and former TV star on The Office, for leaving the show in the prime.
Listen Steve I get it, you want to go out and persue your movie career without having to do the day to day grind of TV. The issue I have with this is that you are leaving a show that you get multiple Emmy nominations and great ratings for a movie career that has shown nothing but a few fleeting laughs. Sure i see the movies can bring you short term gains but look at the people from Seinfeld they are still making millions and not even doing anything but walking to the mailbox. My best example of someone who did this and is probably regretting it is Topher Grace. Topher was Eric in the TV show That 70’s show which was a hit for 6 seasons before he got greedy and written off when they couldn’t come to terms and the show was never the same. Well Topher Karma is a fickle thing because that big movie career you were looking for never came and you made a couple of crappy movies and things are over and I bet your more than likely restocking RedBoxes in Hollywood with a few of your crappy movies to pay your bills. Truth is I like Steve Carrell in 40 Year Old Virgin and a few others to a lesser degree but The Office will never be the same. Only time will tell what will happen but I really hope he made the right choice or he will be working at Denny’s as a server in Missoula, Montana in a few years wondering what happened and I will still be bitter for him ruining my favorite show on TV. AND FOR THAT STEVE…. YOU GET ROCK BOTTOMED! -Matt. Well written Matt and this was a close choice for 1st but Steve quitting on one of the best shows on television is good enough to get him a Rock Bottom and a people's elbow
1. Rob Dyrdek you are the 1st winner of the weekly Rock Bottom List and you deserve all of the fictional pain that comes with getting Rock Bottomed through an announcing table. The reason you were chosen number 1 is because you went ahead and "created" a show that has already been done. Daniel Tosh (creator of Tosh.o) created your show 3 years ago and you had the audacity to come on during your first episode and say that this was an idea that you had. 'Ridiculousness' is the title of that show but I like to refer to it as Tosh.2.0 because that's basically what it is. You both view youtube videos in front of a studio audience and then proceed to make jokes about these videos. I don't understand why someone as famous as you needs to ripoff someone's show when you were doing just fine with 'Rob and Big', the 'Fantasy Factory' and your Skate League on ESPN2. But you got greedy and apparently ran out of ideas and decided to steal the concept from another very popular and hilarious show and make it your own and that is why you get the ultimate Rock Bottom through the Spanish Announce table this week. -Morehouse
That's it for the first weekly installment of the Rock Bottom List, if you have any people you'd like to "see" get Rock Bottomed through the announce table email us at wedontactuallyhavearealemailforthesite@gmail.com or facebook/tweet us.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
And The Mortgage Payment Was Due Today….
Welcome to NFL betting season you degenerate gamblers. You have spent all winter looking for your fix going over every spread for the last few years looking forward to the day that the NFL season schedule came out. You do this so you could predict the spreads on the entire season and look at approximately which week you would need to break into the vacation fund and then closely followed by which week you would need to raid Juniors college fund and lastly and the most scary tell the wife and the kids that the Sheriff is on his way to the door.
Throughout the Football season I will give you my picks for each game along with a brief explanation of exactly why I believe this will happen. I will post them each Friday night to give you time to talk to your favorite bookie or friend in Vegas (if you trust him) to make your picks. Hopefully it will be entertaining for you at the least. Please don’t take my picks to heart and I will not be held responsible for possible divorces or breakups or repo men showing up at your door. As always gamble responsibly.
Cheers,
M SPICER
NFL Weekly Line Picks Contest
Every year we have a contest on who has the bigger gambling problem and can guess the spreads of NFL games better. I have won the last 2 years and get to hit a certain someone with a meatball footlong from Subway. Anyway, the time is upon us again, and the 3 of us will compete to see who reigns supreme.
So we all guess the spread of each NFL game and then use the real lines the Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal use on his weekly BS Report.
Closest to the actual line gets a point and we'll keep track all season long.
So here we go. Week 1 Line Picks:
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers (-4)
Kyle: GB-4.5 Matt: GB-4 Brian: GB-4
Atlanta Falcons (-3) at Chicago Bears
Kyle: Chi-3 Matt: Atl-3 Brian: Atl -5.5
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (-3)
Kyle: Cle-6 Matt: Cle-5 Brian: Cle-4.5
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-5.5)
Kyle: KC-3 Matt: KC-5.5 Brian: KC-2
Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5) at St. Louis Rams
Kyle: Phil-5.5 Matt: Phil-4.5 Brian: Phil-6
Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5)
Kyle: TB-7 Matt: TB-5.5 Brian: TB-4.5
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)
Kyle: Jax-4 Matt: Tenn-3 Brian: Jax-3.5
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)
Kyle: Balt-2.5 Matt: Pitt-2.5 Brian: Balt-3
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans (-9)
Kyle: Hou-3 Matt: Hou-7 Brian: Hou-6
NY Giants (-3) at Washington Redskins
Kyle: NYG-2.5 Matt: NYG-4.5 Brian: NYG-3
Seattle Seahawks at SF 49ers (-5.5)
Kyle: SF-3.5 Matt: SF-4 Brian: SF-4.5
Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers (-9)
We heard the line on KFAN this morning and/or saw it on Twitter, thanks @WCCORosen.
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals (-7)
Kyle: Ari-6 Matt: Ari-4.5 Brian: Ari-4
Dallas Cowboys at NY Jets (-4)
Kyle: NYJ:-5 Matt: NYJ-3.5 Brian: NYJ-4
New England Patriots (-7) at Miami Dolphins
Kyle: NE-7 Matt: NE-5.5 Brian: NE-7
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (-3)
Kyle: Den-5.5 Matt: Den-3 Brian: Den-5
First Week Totals
Brian: 8
Matt: 6
Kyle: 3
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Big Ten Week 1 Recap
Big Ten Week 1 Recap -- By: Brian Meyer
It is great to have football back. This is my favorite time of year! The 2011 season is upon us. Let’s take a look. Week 1 was defined by the weather, as two Big Ten games had lightning delays, and one game was actually called.
Scores
Thursday:
Wisconsin 51, UNLV 17
Friday:
Michigan State 28, Youngstown State 6
Saturday:
Northwestern 24, Boston College 17
Ohio State 42, Akron 0
Penn State 41, Indiana State 7
Purdue 27, Middle Tennessee State 24
Iowa 34, Tennessee Tech 7
Southern California 19, Minnesota 17
Illinois 33, Arkansas State 15
Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10
Nebraska 40, Chattanooga 7
Ball State 27, Indiana 20
Illinois: I caught a little bit of this game during the Iowa weather delay. They started off slow, but took control in the 2nd quarter and really never looked back. Illinois was a surprise team last year going to a bowl game and picking up a Big Ten bowl win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl last year. The Illini are a sleeper team this year. Next Game: Vs. South Dakota State
Indiana: This was a very disappointing result, as the Hoosiers got beat by a pretty bad MAC team. If this is any indication, Indiana will be bringing up the rear in the conference this year. Next Game: Vs. Virginia
Iowa: Full disclosure, I am a diehard Hawkeye fan. There, it’s been said. Iowa had an easy time with Tennessee Tech as expected. Defensively they were lights out with the first teamers. Marcus Coker fumbled twice in the first half which isn’t a good sign, but Iowa took control in the 2nd Quarter scoring 24 points. There was a rain delay which lasted about 1 and a half hours, and Coach Ferentz didn’t bring the 1st teamers back in after the players took the field. Can’t really take anything away after beating a weak opponent, but it was pretty much what I expected. Unfortunate circumstances occurred late in the 1st quarter, however. True Freshman Mika’il McCall, son of former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Oliver McCall, broke his ankle and is now out for the season. He had rushed for an impressive 61 yards on 9 carries in the 1st quarter before the unfortunate incident. He can still redshirt, but this was a big blow to a position that lacked depth as it is. Next Game: At Iowa State
Michigan: Didn’t get to see any of the Wolverines against Western Michigan. The game actually got cancelled before it ended after Michigan had the game well in hand. Watching the highlights, it seemed to be what could be expected from a Wolverines team that has a lot of question marks. Rich Rodriguez left this team in shambles. Their defense has been ill equipped to deal with Big Ten offenses as they are insanely undersized. Coach Brady Hoke has his work cut out for him. They do have Denard Robinson, who may be the most dynamic player in the country. The question with him is can he hold up through a brutal Big Ten schedule? The real litmus test for this team could come next week against rival Notre Dame. Next Game: Vs. Notre Dame
Michigan State: I caught bits and pieces of the Spartans game on Friday night against Youngstown State. Pretty underwhelmed with Sparty. While other conference favorites took care of business and laid it too weaker opponents, Michigan State struggled at times with Youngstown State. This doesn’t necessarily mean that MSU is going to be bad this season, but they certainly didn’t answer their critics who say that last year was an aberration. Most coaches say that teams make the most improvement between Week 1 and Week 2. Fans in East Lansing must be hoping this rings true. Next Game: Vs. Florida Atlantic
Minnesota: The Jerry Kill era has begun in Minnesota. Gopher fans have a lot to be excited about. In defeat, the Gophers were very impressive, losing on the road by 2 points to USC. They’ve certainly done better than any other Big Ten team who’s played USC over the past decade. What I like about this team is they look prepared and they play hard. These two aspects were something that was severely lacking under Tim Brewster. I found myself cheering pretty hard for the Gophers, because even as an Iowa fan, it’s hard not to like what Coach Kill brings to the table. He’s a football coach, not a salesman. Look out Big Ten! This team will be a factor, if not this year, then certainly for years to come. Next Game: Vs. New Mexico State
Nebraska: The Huskers are now officially in the Big Ten! Despite losing their AAU (Association of American Universities) which is an academic requirement to be in the conference, the Huskers are in. That brings up the age old joke that never gets old; what does the N on Nebraska’s helmet stand for? Nowledge. With that being said, let’s look at what Nebraska did on the field on Saturday. Pretty much what we expected. Really no shock. Nebraska has a really good defense, and offensively they will go as far as Taylor Martinez takes them. Can he hold up? He didn’t hold up in the defensively challenged Big 12, so I really do have my doubts on whether he can hold up in the Big Ten. Even still, Nebraska is still the favorite to win the Legends division. Next week should be a nice little challenge for the Huskers, as they face off with the always pesky Fresno State Bulldogs. The game is in Memorial Stadium though, so they should win pretty easily, if they are of course as good as everyone says they are. Next Game: Vs. Fresno State
Northwestern: The Wildcats picked up the signature win for the conference on Saturday. Beat Boston College at Chestnut Hill. I have no idea how good Boston College is, but they are always hovering around the middle or top of the ACC. I suspect that is where they will be again this year. Regardless, road wins are hard to come by in college athletics and Northwestern got theirs. They did so without their best player, Quarterback Dan Persa, who is still suffering from an Achilles injury that he sustained against Iowa (not before breaking our hearts of course) last season. Northwestern is always a team to look out for. I don’t expect them to win the conference by any means, but they are always a tough opponent. Excellent win for Northwestern this week. Next Game: Vs. Eastern Illinois
Ohio State: The Luke Fickel era has begun in Columbus. I’m sure Ohio State fans are just happy football season has started so they can forget about this past offseason. As far as I’m concerned, Ohio State got lucky, and none of it should be a surprise to anyone. The program was filthy long before Jim Tressell even there. Given all of that, Ohio State is still a very athletic and talented team littered with future NFL stars. So drilling Akron was to be expected, but I would warn fans of other Big Ten schools, that just because Ohio State is going through what they are going through, do not expect the Buckeyes to just fold up and take their position at the bottom of the barrel. Ohio State will be competing at the top once again this year. You may not like it, but it is the reality. Next Game: Vs. Toledo
Penn State: Joe Paterno is still hanging around. The man is a legend. Some are sick of seeing him. I love that he is still around. Penn State is always the x-factor team in the Big Ten. You know they are talented. They handled their business as expected this past weekend, but need to figure out their quarterback situation because next week they have a very big task. Alabama comes to Happy Valley. Alabama toyed with Penn State last year, and then proceeded to destroy Michigan State in the capital one bowl. This is really the only time this season before the bowls, that the Big Ten can redeem itself vs. the SEC in these inter-conference match ups. I think Penn State can do it, but there is no doubt it is a tall order. Next Game: Vs. Alabama
Purdue: Indiana was obviously the biggest disappointment of the week, but Purdue wasn’t far behind. Purdue has shown me nothing that says they will be any better than they were in 2010. I don’t see Drew Brees coming through the door, so this could be a long season for the Boilermakers. They barely survived at home vs. MTSU. Caleb TerBush is a young qb so maybe he can improve, but the Boilermakers just don’t look very impressive to me. Next week is certainly a winnable game, but on the road where anything can happen. Next Game: at Rice
Wisconsin: I hate to admit it, but I was very impressed with Wisconsin. Sure, we don’t know how good UNLV is, but that offensive line was blowing them up, and Monte Ball had about a dozen points of attack every play. Russell Wilson showed that he has picked up the offense very quickly and Badger fans have to be excited about that. I’m not going to crown them right now but they are definitely the favorites to represent the Leaders Division in Indianapolis in December. Next week is a tricky game though. If you recall, last year Wisconsin faced Arizona State and almost lost at home. This year Oregon State comes to town, and they are looking to redeem themselves after an embarrassing overtime loss to FCS West (Sacramento State). Still, the game is in Madison so I expect the Badgers to win going away. Next Game: vs. Oregon State
My Week 1 Big Ten Rankings:
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio State
3. Nebraska
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Penn State
7. Illinois
8. Michigan State
9. Minnesota
10. Michigan
11. Purdue
12. Indiana
It is great to have football back. This is my favorite time of year! The 2011 season is upon us. Let’s take a look. Week 1 was defined by the weather, as two Big Ten games had lightning delays, and one game was actually called.
Scores
Thursday:
Wisconsin 51, UNLV 17
Friday:
Michigan State 28, Youngstown State 6
Saturday:
Northwestern 24, Boston College 17
Ohio State 42, Akron 0
Penn State 41, Indiana State 7
Purdue 27, Middle Tennessee State 24
Iowa 34, Tennessee Tech 7
Southern California 19, Minnesota 17
Illinois 33, Arkansas State 15
Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10
Nebraska 40, Chattanooga 7
Ball State 27, Indiana 20
Illinois: I caught a little bit of this game during the Iowa weather delay. They started off slow, but took control in the 2nd quarter and really never looked back. Illinois was a surprise team last year going to a bowl game and picking up a Big Ten bowl win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl last year. The Illini are a sleeper team this year. Next Game: Vs. South Dakota State
Indiana: This was a very disappointing result, as the Hoosiers got beat by a pretty bad MAC team. If this is any indication, Indiana will be bringing up the rear in the conference this year. Next Game: Vs. Virginia
Iowa: Full disclosure, I am a diehard Hawkeye fan. There, it’s been said. Iowa had an easy time with Tennessee Tech as expected. Defensively they were lights out with the first teamers. Marcus Coker fumbled twice in the first half which isn’t a good sign, but Iowa took control in the 2nd Quarter scoring 24 points. There was a rain delay which lasted about 1 and a half hours, and Coach Ferentz didn’t bring the 1st teamers back in after the players took the field. Can’t really take anything away after beating a weak opponent, but it was pretty much what I expected. Unfortunate circumstances occurred late in the 1st quarter, however. True Freshman Mika’il McCall, son of former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Oliver McCall, broke his ankle and is now out for the season. He had rushed for an impressive 61 yards on 9 carries in the 1st quarter before the unfortunate incident. He can still redshirt, but this was a big blow to a position that lacked depth as it is. Next Game: At Iowa State
Michigan: Didn’t get to see any of the Wolverines against Western Michigan. The game actually got cancelled before it ended after Michigan had the game well in hand. Watching the highlights, it seemed to be what could be expected from a Wolverines team that has a lot of question marks. Rich Rodriguez left this team in shambles. Their defense has been ill equipped to deal with Big Ten offenses as they are insanely undersized. Coach Brady Hoke has his work cut out for him. They do have Denard Robinson, who may be the most dynamic player in the country. The question with him is can he hold up through a brutal Big Ten schedule? The real litmus test for this team could come next week against rival Notre Dame. Next Game: Vs. Notre Dame
Michigan State: I caught bits and pieces of the Spartans game on Friday night against Youngstown State. Pretty underwhelmed with Sparty. While other conference favorites took care of business and laid it too weaker opponents, Michigan State struggled at times with Youngstown State. This doesn’t necessarily mean that MSU is going to be bad this season, but they certainly didn’t answer their critics who say that last year was an aberration. Most coaches say that teams make the most improvement between Week 1 and Week 2. Fans in East Lansing must be hoping this rings true. Next Game: Vs. Florida Atlantic
Minnesota: The Jerry Kill era has begun in Minnesota. Gopher fans have a lot to be excited about. In defeat, the Gophers were very impressive, losing on the road by 2 points to USC. They’ve certainly done better than any other Big Ten team who’s played USC over the past decade. What I like about this team is they look prepared and they play hard. These two aspects were something that was severely lacking under Tim Brewster. I found myself cheering pretty hard for the Gophers, because even as an Iowa fan, it’s hard not to like what Coach Kill brings to the table. He’s a football coach, not a salesman. Look out Big Ten! This team will be a factor, if not this year, then certainly for years to come. Next Game: Vs. New Mexico State
Nebraska: The Huskers are now officially in the Big Ten! Despite losing their AAU (Association of American Universities) which is an academic requirement to be in the conference, the Huskers are in. That brings up the age old joke that never gets old; what does the N on Nebraska’s helmet stand for? Nowledge. With that being said, let’s look at what Nebraska did on the field on Saturday. Pretty much what we expected. Really no shock. Nebraska has a really good defense, and offensively they will go as far as Taylor Martinez takes them. Can he hold up? He didn’t hold up in the defensively challenged Big 12, so I really do have my doubts on whether he can hold up in the Big Ten. Even still, Nebraska is still the favorite to win the Legends division. Next week should be a nice little challenge for the Huskers, as they face off with the always pesky Fresno State Bulldogs. The game is in Memorial Stadium though, so they should win pretty easily, if they are of course as good as everyone says they are. Next Game: Vs. Fresno State
Northwestern: The Wildcats picked up the signature win for the conference on Saturday. Beat Boston College at Chestnut Hill. I have no idea how good Boston College is, but they are always hovering around the middle or top of the ACC. I suspect that is where they will be again this year. Regardless, road wins are hard to come by in college athletics and Northwestern got theirs. They did so without their best player, Quarterback Dan Persa, who is still suffering from an Achilles injury that he sustained against Iowa (not before breaking our hearts of course) last season. Northwestern is always a team to look out for. I don’t expect them to win the conference by any means, but they are always a tough opponent. Excellent win for Northwestern this week. Next Game: Vs. Eastern Illinois
Ohio State: The Luke Fickel era has begun in Columbus. I’m sure Ohio State fans are just happy football season has started so they can forget about this past offseason. As far as I’m concerned, Ohio State got lucky, and none of it should be a surprise to anyone. The program was filthy long before Jim Tressell even there. Given all of that, Ohio State is still a very athletic and talented team littered with future NFL stars. So drilling Akron was to be expected, but I would warn fans of other Big Ten schools, that just because Ohio State is going through what they are going through, do not expect the Buckeyes to just fold up and take their position at the bottom of the barrel. Ohio State will be competing at the top once again this year. You may not like it, but it is the reality. Next Game: Vs. Toledo
Penn State: Joe Paterno is still hanging around. The man is a legend. Some are sick of seeing him. I love that he is still around. Penn State is always the x-factor team in the Big Ten. You know they are talented. They handled their business as expected this past weekend, but need to figure out their quarterback situation because next week they have a very big task. Alabama comes to Happy Valley. Alabama toyed with Penn State last year, and then proceeded to destroy Michigan State in the capital one bowl. This is really the only time this season before the bowls, that the Big Ten can redeem itself vs. the SEC in these inter-conference match ups. I think Penn State can do it, but there is no doubt it is a tall order. Next Game: Vs. Alabama
Purdue: Indiana was obviously the biggest disappointment of the week, but Purdue wasn’t far behind. Purdue has shown me nothing that says they will be any better than they were in 2010. I don’t see Drew Brees coming through the door, so this could be a long season for the Boilermakers. They barely survived at home vs. MTSU. Caleb TerBush is a young qb so maybe he can improve, but the Boilermakers just don’t look very impressive to me. Next week is certainly a winnable game, but on the road where anything can happen. Next Game: at Rice
Wisconsin: I hate to admit it, but I was very impressed with Wisconsin. Sure, we don’t know how good UNLV is, but that offensive line was blowing them up, and Monte Ball had about a dozen points of attack every play. Russell Wilson showed that he has picked up the offense very quickly and Badger fans have to be excited about that. I’m not going to crown them right now but they are definitely the favorites to represent the Leaders Division in Indianapolis in December. Next week is a tricky game though. If you recall, last year Wisconsin faced Arizona State and almost lost at home. This year Oregon State comes to town, and they are looking to redeem themselves after an embarrassing overtime loss to FCS West (Sacramento State). Still, the game is in Madison so I expect the Badgers to win going away. Next Game: vs. Oregon State
My Week 1 Big Ten Rankings:
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio State
3. Nebraska
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Penn State
7. Illinois
8. Michigan State
9. Minnesota
10. Michigan
11. Purdue
12. Indiana
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Thank God Football is Back!
Ladies and gentlemen, football is BACK. After a summer of NFL lockout drama and baseball it is now time to put the pads on and gear up for another great season of college football. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered this season: Did Andrew Luck make a mistake coming back to Stanford? What will happen to Miami? Who will win the Heisman? Will the University of Kansas win more than 2 games? I'll lay out some predictions in this post and give you the 5 games I'll be keeping my eye on this weekend.
First, let's do some predictions. There are so many ridiculously talented college players this season that have a chance at the Heisman and I think the top two have to be Andrew Luck, without a doubt the best quarterback in the nation, and LaMichael James, the top running back in the nation are at the top of my list. The rest of my list looks like this:
5 games I'll be watching this Saturday:
On Monday look for the "Rock Bottom List" which will be a weekly thing recapping the 5 people that pissed us off during the previous week. Who will be on the list? Come back Monday and find out.
First, let's do some predictions. There are so many ridiculously talented college players this season that have a chance at the Heisman and I think the top two have to be Andrew Luck, without a doubt the best quarterback in the nation, and LaMichael James, the top running back in the nation are at the top of my list. The rest of my list looks like this:
- Luck
- James
- Landry Jones (Oklahoma). Throwing the ball to Ryan Broyles would make any quarterback look good but Jones has all the tools to make it in the NFL once he's done not winning a National Championship under Bob Stoops at OU.
- Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina). If Lattimore stays healthy the entire season, he is the one I would love see win the Heisman. He'll get plenty of coverage since the Media likes to focus on teams located east of the Mississippi. Since he's only a sophomore, unless he goes off this season, I think he finishes below the previously mentioned candidates and comes back next year and dominates college football.
- Kellen Moore (Boise State). If you've been living under a rock for the past 4 years, then you do not know who Kellen Moore is. Since, that's physically impossible I'm going to assume that anybody that reads this post has at least seen a Boise highlight. Kellen Moore is talented, very talented. That right there is the understatement of the century. Saying Moore will put up incredible numbers this season is like saying Obama is black. It's obvious. We all know that Boise State plays in an inferior conference, even though they moved to the Mountain West, it's not the SEC...hell it's not even close to the ACC. He'll put up Heisman numbers but will they be enough for the voters to overlook the weak schedule.
5 games I'll be watching this Saturday:
- #3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU (7 pm CST, Dallas Texas ABC)- This game had a lot more hype before the season but with the recent suspensions to LSU's starting quarterback and a few others on the team this game has lost some of it's build up. 2 main reasons I will be watching this game are LaMichael James who is such a dynamic playmaker and Heisman hopeful and Coach Les Miles. I love watching Les Miles coach a football game because it's like waiting for a ticking time bomb to go off. You never know what the mad hatter is going to do and I, for one, cannot wait to see what Les has in store for fans this year.
- #5 Boise St vs #19 Georgia (7 pm CST, Georgia Dome ESPN)- Really ESPN? You couldn't schedule these two games for different times? Would it have really been that difficult? This robs college football fans who would like to see three of the top 5 teams but will only be able to watch parts of one game during the commercial breaks of the other. Unless you have the ability to dvr one or the other you're going to have to choose. Personally, I'm just thankful I have a remote and the ability to switch back and forth.
- South Florida vs #16 Notre Dame (2:30 CST, South Bend NBC)- I hate Notre Dame. I don't know what it is about them but I just do not like the Irish (the school, not the nationality because I am Irish). Maybe it's because they won't nut up and join a conference which would really help all this conference realignment bullsh*t or the fact that they have all of their games aired on NBC. Notre Dame hasn't been good in a while but the voters apparently love the Irish this year seeing as their ranked 16th in the nation. South Florida could pull off the "upset" but I guess the main reason I'm tuning into this game on Saturday is to see why all the hype.
- Western Michigan vs Michigan (2:30 CST, The Big House)- Denard Robinson. The only reason I will tune into this game. If he stays healthy for the season he could be a dark horse Heisman candidate.
- Minnesota vs #25 USC (2:30 CST, Southern Cal)- I know what you're thinking and no I am not drunk, I am honestly interested in this game. The Gophers got rid of Timmy Brewster last season after he could never get his chili hotter than luke warm. Jerry Kill is bringing excitement back to the Gophers and their fanbase deserves something because the only thing Minnesota has going for it is the hope of a WNBA title (Hold on, I have to go throw up...) Alright, now that that's out of the way I don't think USC is that good and the Gophers may be able to actually give them a game especially after ending last season on a high note beating bitter rival, Iowa.
On Monday look for the "Rock Bottom List" which will be a weekly thing recapping the 5 people that pissed us off during the previous week. Who will be on the list? Come back Monday and find out.
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