And here is where I actually return to "talking about sports."
I'm getting back into this college football thing, mainly because it's contagious in the Columbus area, and I'm convinced that the Big 10 is the best football conference top-to-bottom in America...
So I thought I would give you my "compelling matchups of next week," the ones you should really watch if you get a chance... mainly because there aren't that many, and I can actually do this.
1) #6 Ohio St. at #16 Penn St.
I'm watching this game for two reasons: 1) I go here. But more compelling is 2), which should give us an indication of how Joe Paterno's season/career will play out. If (a big if) the Nittany Lions keep it close, they'll probably beat at least two of those other teams on their schedule, (Illinois and somebody else), making them 7-4 and probably validating the fact that Paterno can still coach. If Penn State wins, they're immediate BCS contenders. This will give Paterno the "I-told-you-so" bit, and we'll be stuck with him for another "x" number of years, where x is however long he lives. If they get blown out, this could be a spiral of fantastic proportions. Either way, it'll be something to watch.
As for the actual analysis, it's pretty simple. Penn State has played one good defense (S. Florida), and Ohio State's is much better. In fact, I think it could be America's best... but that's just an opinion. So Penn State will have to score at least 14 to win, and since their D is suspect, that number might even go higher. At least it's at Happy Valley at night, which is a suck place to play.
2) #5 Georgia at #8 Tennessee
I admittedly know nothing about Georgia, except for the fact that they always seem to lose to either Florida, Tennessee or LSU. I'd like to believe that they're going to get screwed out of a BCS title game birth in the near future, as is becoming a great tradition. Someday, someone will fix it, right? I think the SEC team should always get a free pass if it runs the table, anyway. You know they'll be able to play defense. Anyway, the inconsistent Vols are going to start Rick (I'm not as good as Casey) Clausen, who wasn't good enough for LSU, but who mysteriously decided to get a mean streak and take it out on a viable BCS contender. The real question here is if D.J. Shockley is as good as his stats seem to indicate, which, given the nature of the Bulldogs' wins, may not be the case.
***NOTE: I was going to insert LSU/Vandy in here until Vandy gave it away that they sucked by losing to in-state rival Middle Tennessee State... bye, bye, mid-level bowl. Hey, at least you could still beat UK...***
3) #9 Cal at #16 UCLA
Keep in mind, UCLA beat Oklahoma, who probably sucks (but who will have to be a confirmed suck team against Texas this week). So they're probably for real. Cal, meanwhile, has beaten the stuffing out of every team they've played, for whatever that's worth. They've got two guys who could get a combined 2,000 yards rushing this year... hey, maybe Jeff Tedford was actually a running coach. I'm sure Cal is eager to show that the disaster that was the Holiday Bowl was a one-shot deal, and this is their first real chance to do that.
On a side note, I want to skip this game and see what happens when these two play USC, a team either vastly better than the other teams in the US (so much so that they can toy with them for a half) or a team that is on the ropes for a loss.
4) Wyoming vs. TCU
This game is for the Mountain West title, and both teams have beaten a power conference team and have acquired votes in the coaches' poll. Too bad they're not in the WAC anymore, we could have a "Winner take WAC" game.
I know that the Mountain West is an eternal crapshoot, so this game is probably not for the title (though these should be the two best teams) but wouldn't it be nice to see one team each year that escaped the conference with ten wins, and went on to kick some mid-level power conference team's... well, this happened last year, and used to happen with BYU, but I want it every year. Every year, guys.
The filler...
5) Iowa vs. Purdue
This is the last dying gasp for each team at respectability and a decent bowl. There's a lot on the line here.
6) #16 Texas Tech at Nebraska
It would be better for everyone if Nebraska regained its throne among college football's elite... and if Texas Tech wins this game, that Texas game looks better. This is a compelling matchup, but I don't think anyone who reads this blog will actually see it on TV.
7) #2 Texas vs. Oklahoma
This shouldn't be on here, but we'll probably all get it, and Mack Brown hasn't ever beaten the Sooners. That's enough to at least check the score. If it's close in the second half, you have to watch, because Texas shouldn't lose this game, and if they do, you might see a fan commit some sort of homicide, which makes for good tv.
8) NC State at #24 Georgia Tech
This is my "take a flyer on it" game, mainly because it should be a decent game between two bowl teams in the perpetually underrated ACC. Mid-level ACC teams get no respect. Remember, N.C. State actually didn't get blown out by Virginia Tech.
So I thought I would give you my "compelling matchups of next week," the ones you should really watch if you get a chance... mainly because there aren't that many, and I can actually do this.
1) #6 Ohio St. at #16 Penn St.
I'm watching this game for two reasons: 1) I go here. But more compelling is 2), which should give us an indication of how Joe Paterno's season/career will play out. If (a big if) the Nittany Lions keep it close, they'll probably beat at least two of those other teams on their schedule, (Illinois and somebody else), making them 7-4 and probably validating the fact that Paterno can still coach. If Penn State wins, they're immediate BCS contenders. This will give Paterno the "I-told-you-so" bit, and we'll be stuck with him for another "x" number of years, where x is however long he lives. If they get blown out, this could be a spiral of fantastic proportions. Either way, it'll be something to watch.
As for the actual analysis, it's pretty simple. Penn State has played one good defense (S. Florida), and Ohio State's is much better. In fact, I think it could be America's best... but that's just an opinion. So Penn State will have to score at least 14 to win, and since their D is suspect, that number might even go higher. At least it's at Happy Valley at night, which is a suck place to play.
2) #5 Georgia at #8 Tennessee
I admittedly know nothing about Georgia, except for the fact that they always seem to lose to either Florida, Tennessee or LSU. I'd like to believe that they're going to get screwed out of a BCS title game birth in the near future, as is becoming a great tradition. Someday, someone will fix it, right? I think the SEC team should always get a free pass if it runs the table, anyway. You know they'll be able to play defense. Anyway, the inconsistent Vols are going to start Rick (I'm not as good as Casey) Clausen, who wasn't good enough for LSU, but who mysteriously decided to get a mean streak and take it out on a viable BCS contender. The real question here is if D.J. Shockley is as good as his stats seem to indicate, which, given the nature of the Bulldogs' wins, may not be the case.
***NOTE: I was going to insert LSU/Vandy in here until Vandy gave it away that they sucked by losing to in-state rival Middle Tennessee State... bye, bye, mid-level bowl. Hey, at least you could still beat UK...***
3) #9 Cal at #16 UCLA
Keep in mind, UCLA beat Oklahoma, who probably sucks (but who will have to be a confirmed suck team against Texas this week). So they're probably for real. Cal, meanwhile, has beaten the stuffing out of every team they've played, for whatever that's worth. They've got two guys who could get a combined 2,000 yards rushing this year... hey, maybe Jeff Tedford was actually a running coach. I'm sure Cal is eager to show that the disaster that was the Holiday Bowl was a one-shot deal, and this is their first real chance to do that.
On a side note, I want to skip this game and see what happens when these two play USC, a team either vastly better than the other teams in the US (so much so that they can toy with them for a half) or a team that is on the ropes for a loss.
4) Wyoming vs. TCU
This game is for the Mountain West title, and both teams have beaten a power conference team and have acquired votes in the coaches' poll. Too bad they're not in the WAC anymore, we could have a "Winner take WAC" game.
I know that the Mountain West is an eternal crapshoot, so this game is probably not for the title (though these should be the two best teams) but wouldn't it be nice to see one team each year that escaped the conference with ten wins, and went on to kick some mid-level power conference team's... well, this happened last year, and used to happen with BYU, but I want it every year. Every year, guys.
The filler...
5) Iowa vs. Purdue
This is the last dying gasp for each team at respectability and a decent bowl. There's a lot on the line here.
6) #16 Texas Tech at Nebraska
It would be better for everyone if Nebraska regained its throne among college football's elite... and if Texas Tech wins this game, that Texas game looks better. This is a compelling matchup, but I don't think anyone who reads this blog will actually see it on TV.
7) #2 Texas vs. Oklahoma
This shouldn't be on here, but we'll probably all get it, and Mack Brown hasn't ever beaten the Sooners. That's enough to at least check the score. If it's close in the second half, you have to watch, because Texas shouldn't lose this game, and if they do, you might see a fan commit some sort of homicide, which makes for good tv.
8) NC State at #24 Georgia Tech
This is my "take a flyer on it" game, mainly because it should be a decent game between two bowl teams in the perpetually underrated ACC. Mid-level ACC teams get no respect. Remember, N.C. State actually didn't get blown out by Virginia Tech.
posted by mike at 5:07 PM
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