11W Weekend Update: Sponsored by Houndstooth
The flock is feeling itThe final weekend of the 14-round playoff known as the college football regular season is finally upon us and it brings conference championship games. Though the Big Ten finished up two weeks ago, there’s a certain calm that comes with watching elite teams battle it out for bigger stakes with none of the stress that comes when the Buckeyes are involved.
Nick Saban gets his day of reckoning, Oklahoma gets an opportunity to shed part of its reputation for choking and some team Ball State would wax gets to lay claim to the ACC Championship.
#14 Ball State vs. Buffalo, Fri. 8:00PM ET – ESPN2
The weekend kicks off with the MAC Championship pitting undefeated Ball State against the Bulls of Buffalo, a team that just snuck into the tilt (though they did paste the Bobcats). Both Brady Hoke and Turner Gill are rumored for greener pastures soon and this battle of MAC wunderkinds will be watched by many a search committee. If Ball State manages to win and move to 13-0, they get to celebrate by… going back to Detroit in three weeks to play in the Motor City Bowl. Whitlock is right.
Army vs. Navy, Sat. 12:00PM ET – CBS
The two service academies will meet for the 109th time this weekend in Philadelphia. Navy enters the game 7-4, continuing the success Paul Johnson had at the school before moving on to pick on the SEC. The Black Knights are just 3-8, but one thing is for certain — each team will run the shit out of the ball. The two offenses come in ranked 1st (Navy) and 9th (Army) nationally in rushing yards per game. Conversely, they’re 119th (Navy) and 120th (Army) in passing offense.
#17 Boston College vs. #25 Virginia Tech, Sat. 1:00PM ET – ABC
The ACC is pumped for this one. Not only is the conference’s hottest team, Georgia Tech, not playing, but it’s a rematch in Tampa of a game that only drew about 30% of capacity last season when the game was played down the road in Jacksonville. Still, the winner goes to Miami, while the loser will be bowling in December.
#1 Alabama vs. #2 Florida, Sat. 4:00PM ET – CBS
Ah, Saturday’s main event. The winner will have the inside track for a MNC, because though the SEC isn’t as strong as it’s been recently, the top two are very capable of bringing the defensive pain to Oklahoma or Texas in Miami. For the last month or so, I thought that Florida was going to drop the hammer on Alabama and Vegas thinks that will certainly happen, but the closer this game gets, the closer the score gets in my head. Auburn may have just canned Tuberville, but 36-0 is exactly the kind of message an all-business team sends when it has chance to look ahead a little. Oh, and there’s that Harvin injury.
#5 USC @ UCLA, Sat. 4:30PM ET – ABC
I think Rick Neuheisel is suffering from manhood slippage. Just over three months after calling out his cross-town rival, he’s gone all soft and agreed to burn one of his own timeouts so the Trojans have an equal advantage after they lost one for deciding to wear their home unis on the road. It’s like he thinks his blinding good looks and generosity will endear himself to Uncle Pete. The only problem with that approach is that Uncle Pete honors kind gestures by hanging a half a hundy on you.
#20 Missouri vs. #2 Oklahoma, Sat. 8:00PM ET – ABC
Sam Bradford is a bit banged up — and by banged up, I mean his non-throwing hand is basically destroyed. He’s still game, however, and will be looking to lead the Sooners past Missouri and into the MNC. The entire state of Texas will be wearing Tiger gear and Pinkel’s squad will have revenge on their minds after Oklahoma spoiled their own BCS hopes last season. Taking one on the chin from Mangino is not the way you want to enter this game, but it probably plays out closer than 14.5 the Sooners are favored by. If nothing else, tune in to watch two of Ohio’s sons doing battle on opposite sidelines.
#13 Cincinnati @ Hawaii, Sat. 11:30PM ET – ESPN2
The Bearcats are BCS-bound and normally I’d root for them under any circumstances (save one game every few years). That was until Mardy Gilyard lobbed some bombs our way. Now, I’ll be staying up late and pulling for Warriors.
I have Florida for the win… by a lot.
I’ll be (is be?) rooting for Mizzou vs Okla just because it’s more fun when the BCS gets jacked up every week.
I agree flip…. Gators by alot–offense is diverse and scary good. I really think Mizzou will pull the upset and send chaos into the BCS. Mizzou vs OSU in the Fiesta.
Bye Bye Tubberville, you Buckeye hating asshole. http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/05/30/tommy-tuberville-doesnt-think-very-highly-of-ohio-state/
Too bad we didn’t get to play Auburn before he left…. oh, wait his teams were never good enough to get into the BCS (except one year)…. bye bye dickhead.
These end of the year pleasure trips to Hawaii usually turn out to be tougher than most expect. I’m picking Hawaii in the upset of the Cincinnati, Kentucky Bearcats.
Call me crazy, but I think UCLA is going to put up a pretty good fight. They won’t win, but it’ll be interesting. Something will happen to stoke the fire of that rivalry to relevant again.
I’m rooting for Mizzou, but they have no chance.
The ACC championship game might be the only game where people would be willing to pay you to go and watch it.
Bama fans are really puckered right now. They know if they win it’ll be close and the potential is there for them to get blown out.
I think Tubbs has it wrong…. his teams would have finished 5th most years in the ?Big 10 (11)…………….. I hear sothwest Missouri State needs a coach dickweed.
1995 Ole Miss 6–5
1996 Ole Miss 5–6
1997 Ole Miss 8–4
1998 Ole Miss 6–5
1999 Auburn 5–6
2000 Auburn 9–4
2001 Auburn 7–5
2002 Auburn 9–4
2003 Auburn 8–5
2004 Auburn 13–0
2005 Auburn 9–3
2006 Auburn 11–2
2007 Auburn 9–4
2008 Auburn 5–7
Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but referencing Houndsooth is out of hound.
Houndsooth=Houndstooth. Misspelling is out of hound.
Will be interesting to see some of these big matchups, the SEC, the Big 12, and the Pac 10. If UCLA can upset USC again, that would make the weekend.
The game I am looking forward to the most is the SEC game. If Oklahoma does what they should and dominate it wont be much of a game. USC should do the same. Maybe wearing the red uni’s will come back and bite them in the ass but I doubt it.
Back to the SEC. The conference is down this year. No question about that. Florida hasnt had stiff competition since Ole Miss beat them at home. Thats really saying something when Ole Miss is your stiffest competition. Alabama has gotten lucky a few times. Espcecially against LSU. That is a horrible O and letting them stay in that game could have cost them. It will be interesting to see if the Tides D can slow down the Gators. Harvin’s injury depending on how serious could be a turning point already. I really think the Tides D-line is probably the best the gators have faced since ole miss and how they handle it will determine if they win or lose.
Thanks to the link to Jason Whitlock’s article. That was one of the better sports articles I’ve read in a long, long time.
For the record, I’m thinking Ball State, Navy, Oklahoma and USC have no trouble. OTOH, I believe Boston College, Florida, and Cincinnati have a tough time of it but win anyway.
However, I must confess I’m never any good at predictions.
for the record, the entire state of Texas will NOT be wearing Tiger gear…!
I think USC may be in for a game…. ??? Anyone remember 2 yrs ago… that game should have been Ohio State vs USC not the Gators. USC is know for losing games in strange fashion…. Stanford, Oregon State, UCLA (x2??)
It would be funny, because a loss sends them to the Sun Bowl?? I think…. then Penn State and Oregon St in Rose Bowl.
UCLA has been talking too much trash, this game won’t even be close. In fact, SC is going to take a penalty before the game even starts by wearing their home jerseys instead of the white roadies.
Also, don’t be surprised to see Alabama keep it close, cover the 9 1/2 and maybe even win outright. Teams with good O-lines and D-lines give them troubles, see UM in last year’s bowl game.
I realize they won that bowl game TLB, but if you speak well of scUM again, your buckeye pass is getting revoked my friend
I’d rather not see UCLA get the upset. Yes, it would be funny, but I believe that would put us right back to where we were before Oregon State lost to Oregon. The final at-large would again come between USC and OSU, and I think people will not only look at the head to head, but they’d probably rather see a USC v Big 12.
Actually Flip, If UCLA would happen to upset USC I dont think the BCS would look to highly at USC. I think the computers would drop them way down if they lost to another shitty PAC 10 team. I think thats one of the reasons they arent ranked higher then 5th. I really believe that they could beat any of the teams ahead of them. Pretty easily too. But the loss to Oregon St is killing them right now. If they lost to UCLA I really do doubt they would get the bid over us.
I was thinking that, but I didn’t want to underestimate the blind stupidity of national perception and its knack for hating OSU this year (see: dropping in polls after wins, and dropping further down after losses than other teams that lose).
I’m not buying Florida as a legit contender. Who the hell have they played? And I’ll give props to Alabama for making it undefeated, but they sometimes look shaky. But if Florida does win, expect them to be ranked #1, despite what happens elsewhere and them to be the favorite in the MNC. According to most sports journalists, Florida is “scary,” whatever that means. But on Jan. 8, they won’t be taking any trophy home, I can tell you that.
However I do believe Alabama will roll (actually by more than a touchdown), Oklahoma will come from behind in the 4th quarter and USC will lose by less than a field goal. Cincy, BC and Ball State will have no problems in their game.
I’ll be pulling for Florida, because I like Tebow and have too many friends who are Tennessee fans. I won’t be allowed in their houses if I admit to favoring Alabama. So – go Tebow. Not Florida – just Tebow. I like the kid.
Certainly, this is a weekend to watch as much football as I can, but my favorite game is still the Army/Navy game, despite Army’s inability to put together much of a threat. TONS of running = fabulous football = the way Woody would want it = throwback = tradition = a good time. Go Navy!
As big of a fuckstick that Tebow is, when I saw the public apology he made for the Ole Miss loss I gained great respect for the kid.
Anyone that holds himself that accountable for a loss is someone I would ALWAYS want on my team. The kid was on the verge of tears.
Couldnt find the video, but if you can, check it out.
Plus, with Tebow, even tho he plays for the enemy, he has GREAT charachter. I mean shit, while the rest of the college country is partying in Cabo or San Lucas for spring break, he was going to the Phillipenes to help orphanages and doing missionary work. Also, visiting prisons to spread the word of God. I am no religious man myself, far from it in fact, but if that is not respectable, nothing is…….
Joe—
That is funny you should say that. My wife is a huge UT fan, and I like Tebow. That doesnt go over very well with her. She calls him my ‘boyfriend’. and that doesnt go over very well with me!
Someone, please correct me if I’m mistaken here… As I see it when considering the repercussions of a Mizzou upset of Oklahoma it seems people think Texas would get into the title game. But last year at this time Georgia was sitting at home and in the polls ahead of LSU while LSU was prepping to play Tennessee in the SEC Championship. All hell broke loose when WVU and Mizzou lost. Georgia thought they’d just slid into the title game. Rather the voters decided that a team that did not win their conference should not play for the BCS title and catapulted LSU over Georgia. Now I realize that nowhere is there a rule which states that only conference champs play for BCS titles (although there should!). Anyway last year’s precedent should mean that a Mizzou upset this Saturday would equal a USC (provided they beat UCLA) appearance in the BCS title game.
Ohhhh don’t play like that Blazers…you know you’d give Tebow of Nazareth the reach around if he asked…..LOL
I agree with you 100% Ski. I was watching game day when they were talking about all that Tebow does in the off season. I immediately respected the kid for what he does and is doing with his life. He really is a class act and one that should be followed by others. He may play for a team i absolutely hate, but i have no problems with what he has accomplished.
Your absolutely correct Kurt….and you know damn well that Mark May would be campaigning for WEEKS for that to happen. Hell, all of ESECPN wants USC in the title game….every year
Ski–
Hey, a guys gotta take a reach around where he can get one!
Mark May is the epitome of a fair weather fan. Really needs to stop kiss Petey’s ass
Damn. Good point, Kurt. Maybe it would help that Texas this year > Georgia last year.
But just in case… GO SOONERS!
I’m just curious, how would the selection process go in this scenario? I’m guessing Texas goes to the Rose against Penn St (which I think is a more favorable match-up). Where would we end up?
Texas would NEVER go to the Rose Bowl, unless the MNC was being played there. The Rose Bowl keeps exclusive ties to the Big Televen and Whac-10. No outsiders allowed.
Man, the more I think about it, the better we match up against Texas. They have a pourous defense with a D-Line that knifes up the field, and TP would light them up with his feet. If we got a few hits early in on McCoy, he hasnt forgotten what it feels like to be popped by a Scarlet jersey, he is going to go to his checkdown more than he wants. The only problem would be IF we could get the pressure. Their o-line is nothing to scoff at.
I’m saying in the event that I mentioned earlier where the Rose would lose their automatic tie-in, USC, to the title game. Oklahoma played in the Rose several years ago as I recall.
Correct ‘Ski. That is why everyone outside of Pac-10 and Big 10 hate the Rose Bowl. Major roadblock in the playoff dream (although I am one of the very few who don’t want a playoff).
This is interesting too.
http://forums.bucknuts.com/showthread.php?t=36765
Repeat After Me: Ohio State has the most players who have been repeat selections for the All-America team (13 players). The Buckeyes are followed by Oklahoma (9); Notre Dame (7); Southern California (7); Texas (6); Michigan (6); Arkansas (5) and Nebraska (5).
The bid would more than likely go to Oregon State Kurt
To people saying Norte Dame will be bad next year, have you even looked at their schedule? I hate ND, but this schedule looks to be cupcake city.
Sept. 5 NEVADA
Sept. 12 at Michigan
Sept. 19 MICHIGAN STATE
Sept. 26 at Purdue
Oct. 3 WASHINGTON
Oct. 10 Open Date (pick a directional school Eastern Michigan?)
Oct. 17 USC
Oct. 24 BOSTON COLLEGE
Oct. 31 vs. Washington State (at San Antonio, Texas)
Nov. 7 NAVY
Nov. 14 at Pittsburgh
Nov. 21 CONNECTICUT
Nov. 28 at Stanford
The only losses I can see from that list are USC, and maybe MSU, BC, and Pitt. That leaves them to be about 8-4, which I think allows Weis to keep his job for another year.
He’ll keep his job and gain 77 lbs. by the end of next season. The tall and large section of men’s stores have banned him already. I see him getting cut of of his house by age 62, Jerry Springer style
They’ll lose to USC as well. Neveda usually puts decent offense on the field. That could be trouble. Stanford is on the rise. They have one hell of a bruising running back who happened to run wild on USC. I bet 6-6 next year and Weis the muffin man will be out of the job.
Re: Notre Dame
I think they need to seriously reconsider their plight if they want to return to prominence again. With being an independant, they really have nothing to play for. I don’t think it is enough to just be ‘Notre Dame’ anymore. The players have no conference championship to play for, they play a patsie schedule EVERY year where there is usually only 1 or 2 solid opponents. I just can’t understand why NBC re-ups their contract with them. I think that is the sole reason they remain independant; that NBC loot.
I wouldn’t chalk Stanford up as a victory for ND.
……….what a great way to run up the win/loss record—schedule easier teams!! Someone tell Tressel!
That is embarrasing.
“Texas would NEVER go to the Rose Bowl, unless the MNC was being played there. The Rose Bowl keeps exclusive ties to the Big Televen and Whac-10. No outsiders allowed.”
Um, never? Never is a long time. The Longhorns were in the Rose Bowl in 2005, against Michigan, and that wasn’t the MNC game.
I agree that the Pac and Big 10 do their best to keep it in the family, but they shall, from time to time, bring in other conferences.
maybe Charlie Weis and Tommy Tuberville can be co-head coaches of ND and schedule MAC, Mountain West and SWAC teams…. one can eat on the sidelines and the other one can talk and talk in a way that no one understands him. They can be the new Odd couple.
LOL I guess I stand corrected Matt
The people predicting a big Florida win are the exact same people predicting a Miami rout in ‘02. I won’t predict an Alabama win, but I think it’ll be much closer than anyone else seems to think
I dunno Pogue, Miami’s 37-14 win over Nebraska in 2002 comes close to qualifying as a rout.
That was the ‘01 regular season.
No, it was the MNC game for the 2001 season, played on January 3, 2002; you referenced 2002 in your post. If you meant the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, you should have said “predicted a Miami rout in ‘03.”
Matt-
Are you a Buckeye fan? You seem to be on the other side of the fence dude…..
I’m hear for the reach-arounds. Who do I talk to?
Yes, but the build-up (when everyone was predicting a rout) to the game largely took part in December of 2002.
Regardless, can you split hairs any more? Why are we even arguing?
I, also, would like a reach-around.
Greg Oden’s Tonels gave me my reach around….give him a call
that would be “tonsels”
We need Wells & Wells law firm to roll in here with some litigation and shit for these arguements….I dont even necessarily think that makes sense but I’m out for the day and have exhausted all resources and cleverness….be back to argue with you homers tomorrow LOL
lol
You stilled misspelled “tonsils”
PBB, that’s one helluva schedule ND’s got in ‘09. I think my high school has a game Fri Oct 9th, so they’d be open to fill the Open Date on Oct 10th. I’m reading the schedule about the same as you, but I’m not quite sure I’d pencil in Stanford as a win for them. Of course, I’d love to see Navy kick ND’s ass.
Joe, the Army-Navy game is always a great scene. I truly enjoy watching CiC games. Really a lot of tradition and passion, for sure. With both teams running the ball’s ass off and a noon kickoff, you can take in a matinee with your wife. They’ll have you out of there in no time, just like the 7 items or less line.
Scott, I somewhat disagree with your 1:02 post; what Notre dame has to play for as an independent is $$$$$$$$$$$$. In addition to the NBC loot, I believe they keep any bowl revenues (not an issue lately) to themselves; no revenue sharing with other conference mates.
Jesus fucking christ, and then I typo on “still”. Doing our Ohio State educations real proud.
The tipo’s are getting out of hound on here.
Telling it like it is Ski. I always root for the Big10 in bowl games. Good thing I don’t gamble on them.
I wasn’t complimenting them, just saying that the Flo-Rida lines can be pushed around by physical teams, like Alabama.
As for ND, I hope the keep Big Fat for the duration of his contract. If that happens they will have either joined the Big10 or dipped to the level of Army and Navy…….who were once mighty powerful.
I’ve always thought that ND to Ohio State fans isn’t too dissimilar than Michigan, I hate them, but I know that it’s best if they win most of their games so as to make the Big Ten victories against the Irish look better and mean more.
When Notre Dame and Michigan play, I cheer for a fire or tsunami, that would make for a great game.
Mark May was just on ESPN saying noway USC slides into title game with Oklahoma loss.
Check me on this but Notre Dame is still the biggest moneymaker in CFB.
One booster said buying out Charlie is “loose change”.
Obviously they had no one better lined up.
Basketball…
Speaking of blowing big games, and I know it’s basketball, but Michigan State gets BLOWN OUT again.
They are like the Ohio State of Basketball. Ha, oooooo wait that’s not funny.
Poe,
Yea, but they’ll still win the B10, because Purdue is overrated.
Hey Buckeyes –
No way we (USC) are getting into the BCS championship game with a win over UCLA and Mizzou upset. Texas got robbed by having their fate put in Mizzou’s hands. Voters won’t rob them again, by now having SC jump them in the polls. Also, I think the computers have us too far down for it to be mathematically possible.
The best we can do is hope that Mizzou blows out OU, which won’t happen, and SC gives UCLA something worse than its annual beating. Even then, its a stretch.
We can gripe about it all we want, but we just needed to take care of our own, and all of this wouldn’t matter. But we didn’t, and that’s why we actually play the games.
Good luck to whatever bowl you guys go. Hopefully, a BCS bowl.
Fight On!
Getting back to the Texas-to-MNC-if-Mizzou-wins scenario, I think Kurt’s analogizing to Georgia last year isn’t really applicable, and for reasons beyond flip’s Texas ‘08 > Georgia ‘07.
For starters, Texas has far more legitimate grounds to bitch about the process that left them out of the B12 Championship game than Georgia did about last year’s SEC Championship game – which is to say, Georgia had no legitimate grounds to bitch AT ALL about being left out of the SEC Championship game (having lost to divisional representative Tennessee), and had to ask voters to elevate them over the champion from THEIR OWN CONFERENCE, who had just beaten the team (LSU) that beat them during the season. This was special pleading of the highest order.
By contrast, Texas has ALREADY BEATEN BOTH of the B12’s Championship game’s participants, and was pretty clearly screwed by a poorly-drawn system for breaking ties – in fact, if the B12 used the system the SEC does, Texas would have been getting ready for a rematch w/ Mizzou this Saturday.
Thus, should Mizzou beat Oklahoma Saturday, Texas finds itself in a much stronger position to argue for voters to put them in the top two (the computers will -probably – take care of themselves), and we’re all but certain to see a Texas – SEC Champ MNC.
Of course, if things shake out this way, that locks Oklahoma out of the BCS entirely, and Ohio State probably ends up playing Mizzou in the Fiesta – just another reason to root for the Tigers Saturday, as that matchup isn’t quite as scary as us vs. Texas.
“Baller!”
Thanks, Erin Andrews
Um, Rutgers is laying the hate down on L’ville.
I think Kragthrope may leave at halftime and never come back.
WeAreSC and El Caballo de Sangre… understood, I had to raise the issue because as far as I know nobody anywhere is talking about this in respect to last year. I don’t like what happened to Texas, and they would lay a beating to any media darling from the SEC. I really believe that only conference champions should be playing for national championships. If a conference has an archaic method of determining its champion, so be it.
Any chance we can get “stepping into manhood” under the masthead changed to an “out of hound” reference? it doesnt matter how many times i read or say it, i laugh my ass off
Two things, Kurt:
1. It’s not an “archaic” method of breaking ties that screwed Texas in the Big 12 this year, it’s a BCS-ranking-based method. The BCS isn’t old enough for that word yet.
2. When you say you “believe that only conference champions should be playing for national championships”, do you mean within the BCS, or what? What if (it’s a BIG if, but still) Notre Dame had an undefeated season and was the consensus #1 team – does the fact they’re not in a conference lock them out?
Right, archaic isn’t the word, but that doesn’t diminish its absurdity – if Cincy should lose to Hawai’i Oklahoma’s strength of schedule could move Texas back up above them. It’s insane.
No, the conference champions should not limited to BCS conferences. And by saying conference champions I meant to just clarify that a team such as Texas that will not be the Champ of the Big 12 should be excluded by rule from any title contention. If you’re an independent like ND then you have no other hardware to play for other than the National Championship, there is no exclusion.
Having seen Crater play vs a good team I feel he has to start at Pt. His defense is very solid and he doesn’t take bad shots like #2. If they keep running diebler off screens we will be hard to beat today. ISO with Turner is unstoppable and he can get his shot whenever he wants. It is great to have a player like Turner in a tight game. If all of these players come back next year will be special.