Bleacher Report - College Football

Air Force (6-4) at No. 19 BYU (8-2): An Air Force Upset, Or a BYU Blowout?

Tyler Stimson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:26:26 -0500

I thought this sign (held up by a BYU fan at an Air Force game in a previous year) was hilarious.

On paper, this game looks like it will be a tough close game. Air Force has one of the best defenses in the country, and one of the best rushing offense.

They may be 7-4, but those four losses have come by a combined 20 points, three were on the road (at Minnesota, at Navy, and at Utah), and the other was to TCU. Air Force is a very good football team this year. They are much better than their 6-4 record would indicate. They've been extremely competitive and have had a good chance to win in every single game they've played this year; they could be 10-0 right now.

And BYU certainly looked completely underwhelming last week, at winless New Mexico. BYU was favored by 28; they ended up escaping with a five point win.

BYU has not looked very impressive at home. They've won comfortably against Colorado State and Utah State, and they looked downright awful in blowout losses against Florida State and TCU.

BYU lost to TCU 38-7. Air Force almost won, before falling 20-17.

The experts at Las Vegas Sporting Consultants opened with a line of 7.5 in favor of BYU. But a lot of money has come in for BYU, and the line now stands at BYU (-10).

Everything points to a close battle with Air Force that could go either way.

But I think BYU will win convincingly. Here's why:

Bronco has never lost to Air Force, and none of the games have been particularly close.

BYU vs. Air Force (during the Bronco Mendenhall era)

62-41, BYU

33-14, BYU

31-6, BYU

38-24, BYU

BYU won all four games by an average margin of 41-21.

Now, that was in previous years. We are talking about 2009, not 05-08.

Last year, Air Force was 8-2 heading into their contest with the Cougars, and they still fell by two touchdowns in Colorado Springs.. That team also had only close losses up to that point, having lost two games by a total of 10 points.

BYU has had Air Forces number the last four years. And while this year's Air Force team is different, their record (7-4) is comparable, or worse compared to previous years. Harvey Unga should be able to run it easily against the Air Force defense, and I like Max Hall's chances to be successful as well.

As far as BYU's defense is concerned, I think they will do an adequate enough job, and hold Air Force to around 21 points. I think the offense will take care of the rest, and I think BYU wins by two touchdowns or more, 38-21.

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Five Coaches Who Have What Notre Dame Football Needs

Josh Brewer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:56 -0500

When Bob Davie took over for Lou Holtz before the 1997 NCAA football season, nobody knew it was effectively the end of Notre Dame's reign amongst the nation's elite college football programs.

With Holtz leading the Fighting Irish, success was a given.

Notre Dame won fewer than eight games only twice in Holtz's 11 seasons as coach. In those 11 seasons, Holtz led Notre Dame to nine bowl games (six of which are now considered BCS bowl games) and the 1988 National Championship.

Since then, the list of Notre Dame coaches has been riddled with rash hires and emphatic burnouts.

Davie and Tyrone Willingham combined for two BCS bowl games—both losses—in eight years.

And then there is current Head Coach Charlie Weis.

Weis was supposed to bring change to South Bend. Instead, his five years have been filled with high expectations and shortcomings. Over the past three seasons, the Fighting Irish has a 16-19 record.

Davie, Willingham, and Weis had a combined one bowl victory before coming to Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish need a coach who is well established as a success in college football.

Names have been flying in the rumor mills over the past couple of weeks, but here are five coaches Notre Dame needs to take into consideration.

5. Gary Patterson (83-27 Career Record)

Surely the dark horse in this scenario, Patterson has seen plenty of success in his nine seasons at TCU.

Patterson is a defensive-minded, hard-working coach that would bring a new type of discipline to Notre Dame. His consistency is unrivaled, evidenced by seven winning seasons and six 10-win campaigns in Fort Worth.

4. Les Miles (76-32 Career Record)

Miles doesn't have the track record the next three coaches on this list do, but he does have something one man ahead of him doesn't: a National Championship.

Throughout his nine years as a head coach, Miles has proven he can handle the big time. He has seen consistent success in one of the toughest conferences in the country, and consistency is something Notre Dame dearly needs.

3. Bob Stoops (109-25 Career Record)

Though his Sooners are 6-4 and unranked, the impact of injuries across the board cannot be ignored in Stoops' 11th season at Oklahoma.

Stoops returned the proud Sooners back to national prominence following more than a decade out of the national title hunt.

At only 49 years old, Stoops has plenty of time to return the most famous college football program in America to the national title picture year in and year out.

2. Mark Richt (85-23 Career Record)

If Stoops coached in the SEC, his track record would mirror Richt's.

Richt, lacking the BCS bowl bids of Stoops, has been as consistent as anyone in the SEC.

Winning games on a week-to-week basis is tough enough down south, but Richt's Georgia teams have won six or more conference games six times in his nine years in Athens.

Not only would Richt bring a heightened level of success to South Bend, he would also prepare his players for big games in ways Davies, Willingham, and Weis never could.

After all, Richt has been there before.

1. Urban Meyer (93-17 Career Record)

Meyer brings success wherever he goes.

Under Meyer's watch, Utah became the first non-BCS conference team to earn a BCS bowl bid. He also has two national championships at Florida.

Before Weis was hired, Meyer turned down the job at Notre Dame to take the vacancy in Gainesville. He has referred to Notre Dame as his dream job.

Despite saying he was never going to leave Florida for Notre Dame, the powers that be in South Bend need to change Meyer's mind.

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Breaking News: Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson Agree to Contract Extension

Seth Haynes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:42:27 -0500

CPJ will remain at Tech through at least 2016.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Paul Johnson has signed a one-year extension at Georgia Tech, meaning his contract with the Institute will now run through 2016.

What does this seemingly innocuous one-year deal mean to Tech fans?

Well, for starters it means Johnson has done a spectacular job at Tech, going 19-5 in his first two seasons.

Fans have noticed, attendance is up, and there is a certain fervor around the program that did not exist in the Chan Gailey era.

The Georgia Tech faithful are very anxious to have Johnson stick around; he is enjoying a level of success that the Yellow Jackets have not seen since the national championship run of 1990.

Also, this small extension should serve to ease any fears Tech fans may have about Johnson leaving at the end of the season for a position with a certain prestigious Catholic school.

While no monetary figures have been reported as of yet, there is no doubt that another win over nemesis Georgia and a trip to the ACC Championship Game will earn Paul a considerable bump in pay very soon. He is already the ACC's second highest paid coach, behind only Bobby Bowden of Florida State.

Basically, the today's one-year add-on is just Tech's way of saying they are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep their favorite coach around, no matter what the price tag may be.

Rest assured, Tech fans, Paul Johnson is at Tech to stay.

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Friday Night College Football Predictions: No. 6 Boise St.-Utah St. and Others

College Football Fanatic — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:29:50 -0500

Hey everyone, it's CFF coming back to BR after nearly a year-long hiatus. I just thought I'd have some fun and make a few predictions for tonight's games. I'll probably make an article for tomorrow's set too.

Akron (2-8) vs. Bowling Green (5-5), 5:30 PM ET/4:30 CT, ESPNU (HD)

An otherwise unremarkable game is made possibly watchable by the fact that you'll get to see the most overlooked player in college football in 2009, Freddie Barnes, wide receiver for Bowling Green. Barnes has had an incredible senior year, taking in 117 receptions for 1,285 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus two rushing touchdowns as well for a total of 14.

Unfortunately for Barnes, the rest of his team just cannot match up to his level, save for maybe quarterback Tyler Sheehan, as the Falcons sit at 5-5 heading into a pivotal matchup with Akron.

If the Falcons win this one, they're bowl eligible in Dave Clawson's first season as BGSU head coach. The Falcons have made a great run over the past month, as they have won four of their last five to improve to 5-5 heading into their final two games.

On the subject of Barnes, you can't help but be amazed by his monstrous numbers in 2009. He's had seven games in which he had 10 receptions or more, seven in which he had 100 yards or more receiving, four games with two touchdowns or more, and in three games combined versus Troy, Marshall, and Kent State, Barnes caught 54 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns.

In the Kent State game, Barnes had maybe the best game any receiver has had in 2009: 22 catches, 254 yards, and three touchdowns, helping his team to a 36-35 victory.

This is another important game for Barnes and the Falcons. For Barnes, it means possibly getting another 10- to 15-catch game, possibly moving in on the collegiate record of 143 receptions in a season, held by Nick Smart of Division II Southwest Baptist in 2007, and furthering his dark horse Heisman campaign. For the Falcons, it means getting to bowl eligibility and to their ninth bowl game in team history.

Look for both Freddie Barnes and Bowling Green as a whole to accomplish their goals in what should be a walk over a weak 2-8 Akron team.

Prediction: Bowling Green 45, Akron 20

Eastern Michigan (0-10) vs. Toledo (4-6), 7:00 PM ET/6:00 CT

Let us all file this one under "games that should never be played." Eastern Michigan is so terrible that even Toledo should blow them out.

Prediction: Toledo 45, Eastern Michigan 7

No. 6 Boise State (10-0) vs. Utah State (3-7), 9:30 PM ET/8:30 CT, ESPN2 (HD)

The Boise State Broncos and their non-BCS brethren Texas Christian are becoming the talk of the college football nation. If both of the teams can make it into BCS bowls, could it be a situation where the nail is driven into the coffin for the BCS? However, for this question to be answered, both have to win out.

For Boise State, they must play better tonight than they did the last time they went out on the road on a Friday night—versus Louisiana Tech in a game where the Bulldogs gave them way more than they bargained for. Boise State won, 45-35, but lost quite a few votes in the process.

If anything for the Broncos, it's a great opportunity on national television to get some more Heisman votes for sophomore sensation Kellen Moore, who has played far above and beyond the expectations he was given at the start of the season.

Moore's stats for 2009 are stunning: 203 completed passes out of 300 attempts for a completion percentage of 67.7 percent, 2,558 yards, 32 touchdowns, and three interceptions—almost an 11 to one touchdown to interception ratio. With another strong game, Moore has an opportunity to put some more steam into his Heisman campaign for 2009.

Even though it is Utah State, we can't forget about the Aggies. Despite their record being 3-7, they are a much improved team and are possibly an even more serious threat for Boise State than Louisiana Tech was.

The Aggies played Utah a good first half before faltering in the second and losing 35-17. They came within eight points of beating Texas A&M on the road, losing a tough one 38-30. They trailed only 21-10 to BYU in the fourth quarter before going down 35-17. Finally, they came within an onside kick penalty of having a chance to beat the second-best team in the WAC, Nevada, falling 35-32.

They have lost four games by a score or less and literally could be 6-4 if three plays had gone their way.

Plus, the Aggies are on a hot streak for a team like Utah State—they've won two out of their last four after a 1-5 start. Realistically, though, they don't have much of a shot against a team as good as Boise State. Expect this one to be within a touchdown at halftime, but Boise State will take over in the second half.

Prediction: Boise State 38, Utah State 10

Questions and comments are always welcome.

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Mark Mangino's Attackers Are as Soft as His Midsection

Andrew Nuschler — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:01:55 -0500

I'm a little confused. No, I'm a lot confused.

One minute, these high-octane athletes are gladiators, soldiers, or any manner of rugged testaments to perseverance in the face of physical duress incapable of being understood by mere mortals.

The next, they're complaining of hurt feelings and unforgivable (imperceptible) assaults on their egos.

Of course, I'm referring to the ongoing absurdity that's befallen the University of Kansas football program and its rotund head coach, Mark Mangino.

Former players are apparently materializing out of the ether with complaints about Mangino in the wake of senior linebacker Arist Wright 's formal complaint against the portly papa bear of the team. According to Wright, Mangino yelled and poked him in the chest during a team walk-through/practice.

Consequently, the University has launched an investigation into the coach's methods.

In the developing game of he-said, he-said, Mangino claims it's nothing more than bitter players coming forward to get their shot at the cameras at an opportune time. The argument is that nobody was saying a peep when the Jayhawks were cruising along as the toast of college football's early season. But once the honeymoon ended and the squad dropped five straight games, those with axes to grind found an audience of sympathetic ears.

In Mangino's world, it amounts to rats jumping off a sinking ship.

For the record, it's tough to respect a molder of young athletes that is as obscenely obese as the Jayhawk head coach. Seriously, how hypocritical does an individual have to be to demand physical excellence from his charges while looking very much like a tethered blimp with a headset?

Really, coach? You think I'm a bum for blowing that deep post? How about you give me one—ONE—sit-up? How about a push-up? How about just describing your toes without the aid of a mirror?

(Note: I have absolutely nothing against the overweight; it's the hypocrisy that bothers me.)

In other words, I have no love for the man. Nevertheless, Mangino's take rings true to me.

All of the players voicing discontent are done with football and most never amounted to much under Mangino—Raymond Brown , Dexton Fields , Marcus Herford , Wright, and some dude who transferred away from Kansas almost immediately. That's not to say these guys were total chumps, just that their careers probably didn't measure (or aren't measuring, in Wright's case) up to their expectations.

And we all know which side usually wins in a battle of "Is This Disappointment My Fault or Someone Else's?"

Coincidentally, the guys reserving comment or defending the coach are (for the most part) the ones who are still playing football and/or tasted more than a sip of glory under Mangino—Russell Brorsen , Todd Reesing , and Tennessee Titan Mike Rivera .

Obviously, though, the attack of unreasonable bias can be made on these three as easily as it can be made against those throwing stones at Mark Mangino. After all, it is no less common for those who've benefited from an association to defend it blindly.

For the tie-breaker, I return to my opening confusion.

Athletes are perceived as modern warriors because of the physical beating we all watch them endure, but also because of the savage world they inhabit for so many months of the year. Anyone who's spent time in a locker room or at a practice knows that otherwise outrageous behavior passes for normalcy—it's even considered necessary at times.

Verbal, emotional, and physical abuse don't mean the same thing in this specialized environment as they do in everyday life. Sports are barbaric in many facets.

Shoot, my HIGH SCHOOL baseball coach used to break clipboards over our heads when we weren't expecting it if we screwed up royally. In retrospect, it was pretty amazing, since he'd never fail to have the element of surprise despite the fact that we should've been on our guards.

My high school basketball coach announced to a van loaded with the entire varsity squad that one of our teammates was the biggest "p****" he'd ever seen in his life.

The kid was 16 years old.

When I was a 15-year-old sophomore on the varsity squad, we traveled into San Francisco to play one of the best teams in the city. I got dunked on by a 6'8" monster who happened to be black.

That coach's response?

I must be scared of black people, which he announced to the entire team. No mention that the dude had six inches on me, about 50 pounds, and I was trying to recover for a teammate's blown assignment.

Oh well. If you can't deal with the heat of being singled out on occasion, then play better or get the hell out of the game.

That's not to say it's impossible to cross the boundary of decency in the athletic arena. If Mangino used the non-fatal shooting of a player's sibling or the alcoholism of a player's father insensitively, he should be reprimanded (read: slap on the wrist), because there's got to be a limit somewhere.

Haphazardly using such intimately personal pressure points is probably a good place for said limit.

But poking a college linebacker in the chest? Grabbing another guy by the arm? Yelling and screaming? Embarrassing players in front of the team? Give me a break.

In sports, as in life, sometimes you'll take criticism and sometimes it will be unfairly harsh. Survival depends on the ability to shed it like water off a duck's back.

From the outside, it seems like Mark Mangino is a walking opportunity to learn this invaluable lesson. It's not pleasant and it might not be the best way to teach it, but those who learned the skill seem to have been well-served by it and have moved on in life.

Those who donn't seem to be complaining from their couches. Still stuck in the past, patiently waiting for a convenient chance to exact revenge.

**www.pva.org**

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The Baker's Dozen: 13 College Football Games To Watch in Week 12

Ron Clements — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:55:37 -0500

Time to change things up a bit. I’ll still have my top 10 games of the week, but with a few bonus games to keep an eye on. Before we get to that, how about the Thursday night game in the Big XII? No. 12 Oklahoma State pulled out a win against a three-win Colorado team at home. In Oklahoma State’s defense, it was playing without starting quarterback Zac Robinson, and has been without Dez Bryant at receiver. But thanks to third-string quarterback Brandon Weeden, who threw three touchdown passes, the Cowboys pulled out the 31-28 win to move to 9-2 on the year, and if Texas slips against Kansas or Texas A&M, it could be the Cowboys playing in the Big XII title game on Dec. 5. Saturday’s games really don’t have the punch you would expect in late November. No. 1 Florida continues its “stellar” non-conference schedule when it plays host to Sun Belt powerhouse Florida International. After all, the Panthers have beaten Western Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette and North Texas, and those are their only three wins. Florida’s non-conference slate is a joke, padded with FIU, Troy and FCS foe Charleston Southern. The only decent game the Gators play out of league is the annual in-state grudge match with Florida State, which is 5-5 and will struggle to make a bowl game this year. Second-ranked Alabama isn’t much better. The Crimson Tide takes on Tennessee-Chattanooga from the FCS on Saturday. It should be noted that Alabama has already beaten FIU and North Texas in its non-conference schedule. The Tide do get credit for beating a ranked Virginia Tech team to start the season, which is something Florida cannot boast. In fact, Florida has beaten just one ranked team all season - No. 8 LSU. Alabama has beaten four ranked teams. But yet, Florida is No. 1 because its in the SEC, and its schedule is so much tougher and more rugged than say a Boise State team that has also beaten one ranked team - No. 11 Oregon. Both teams won those games on the road. But the Broncos are penalized for being in the WAC, and playing a so-called weaker schedule. Never mind the fact that Boise has won its games by an average of 27 points, four points better than Florida’s average margin of victory. Boise also averages 10 points more per game than Florida. I’m not saying Boise is better than Florida, but what I am saying is that maybe Florida and the SEC aren’t exactly head and shoulders better than everybody else in the country. For the record, Boise State travels to play Utah State this weekend before a WAC showdown next week with high-scoring Nevada, which is also unbeaten in conference play. Now that we’ve looked at Florida, Alabama and Boise State, how about we do the top 10 games of the week? As always, all times are Central and BCS rankings are used.

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Is Mark Mangino's Kansas Controversy Ready for Jerry Springer?

Denny K. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:47:26 -0500

It's hard to believe that just a week ago the primary conversation in Lawrence about Jayhawks football involved Kansas' upcoming game against the Cornhuskers.

Beginning on Monday with Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins's bizarrely timed launching of an investigation into allegations Mark Mangino has been treating his players inappropriately, the situation has steadily progressed from bad to worse to terrible. Some former players have rushed to Mangino's defense, and others, including many who transferred from the program, have used the opportunity to air their own complaints against KU's coach.

The Kansas City Star's windy and know-it-all columnist, Jason Whitlock, probably tired from kicking the dead horse that is the Kansas City Chiefs' season, jumped onto the controversy by publishing back-to-back articles endearingly titled "Weight Issues Are Root of Mangino's Problems" and "Mangino Is an Abusive Bully."

Not looking to be outdone by another Star columnist, J. Brady McCullough put in his claim to a Pulitzer by going Woodward and Bernstein and broke the news today that, 20 years ago in a small Pennsylvania town, Mangino was widely disliked by students' parents.

Mangino himself, choosing not to stay above the fray, went on a local sports radio show and attacked the parents of his players and former players who had spoken out against him. Clearly upset by the allegations, Mangino did manage to get in some good points during his rant, including that under his leadership the football program had set records for team GPA and graduated high percentages of players.

He also rattled off an impressive list of players who support him and who, under his tutelage, succeeded at KU, including Nick Reid, Brandon McAnderson, and Charles Gordon, among others.

Regardless of who is right or wrong in this fracas, it is clear that the situation is a mess and that the blame for it rests solely on the shoulders of the Jayhawks' indomitable athletic director. If Perkins wanted to fire Mangino for the team's losing streak or the charges of misconduct, he should have just come out and done it. Mangino's buyout is only $600,000, a sum insignificant to the amount of damage the athletic department's reputation is taking on a now-hourly basis.

Furthermore, Perkins should have had the foresight to put a muzzle order on Mangino concerning the matter until a resolution had been reached. What is playing out now is a sensationalist, overhyped trial tried in newspapers and on talk radio with little regard for levelheadedness or the long-term impacts this may all have on KU's football program.

Things have gotten so bad at this point that I am thinking Perkins would probably best be able to resolve the situation if he and the feuding parties all booked a show on Jerry Springer, letting Jerry mediate the controversy to the hoots and hollers of a studio audience. I would personally love to see Mangino and Whitlock, both hefty gentleman, get into a fight after one or the other "dissed" someone.

What is really sad is that one of the only voices of reason in this entire affair has been that of senior wide receiver Kerry Meier, who attributed the controversy to the five-game losing streak and told McCullough that Mangino has "taken this program to new and great heights that I don't think anybody ever imagined.

"And if they're looking to bring somebody in to change this program around again, it's gonna be a tough, tough challenge to find somebody to do that."

Well said, Kerry. And I'm sorry this all had to happen during your and the other seniors' last season at KU after such a great four-year run.

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Arizona State VS. UCLA: The Preview

Kristian Siuta — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:38:40 -0500

Well, the decision that fans in Tempe were waiting anxiously for has been announced.

Sophomore quarterback Samson Szakacsy will be under center in his home state of California, with one job in mind: Leave the Rose Bowl with an Arizona State Sun Devil victory.

Surely, that is the ideal situation for Head Coach Dennis Erickson.

Erickson has played musical chairs at quarterback all season long, and the fans at Frank Kush Field have been calling for different names to play quarterback.

At times, Szakacsy's name was not even mentioned.

Until last weekend's performance in Eugene.

Szakacsy does not have a full game experience under his belt, but in his second half relief appearance of Brock Osweiler, Szakacsy passed and ran for a touchdown in the Sun Devils 44-21 loss.

However, Erickson must have seen something that he liked in Szakacsy, to hand over the reigns to the Sun Devils in their final two games.

Maybe it was that spark, a little bit of energy, the athletic ability, or the calm demeanor of the redshirt Sophomore quarterback that warranted another shot in a full game.

Unfortunately, fans in Westwood now have something else to worry about in the game this Saturday.

If Danny Sullivan or Brock Osweiler were starting for ASU, the UCLA defense would not have to worry about keeping an eye on the quarterback on run plays, because let's be honest, Sullivan or Osweiler are not going anywhere quickly.

Szakacsy inserted into the quarterback position gives the Sun Devils an added threat on every single play, whether it's a run or a pass. Szakacsy has proven that he can make a lot out of nothing by extending the play with his legs.

UCLA's defense has yet to truly see a dual-threat quarterback this season, other than Washington's Jake Locker. The Bruins were lucky enough to catch Oregon when their star offensive leader, Jeremiah Masoli, was injured.

When UCLA played Washington, Locker was utilized more as a pocket passer in that game, than taking advantage of his athletic ability with his legs. Locker finished with only 23 yards on the ground, but passed for 235 yards.

Now the Bruins will face a quarterback that has wide receiver or defensive back-type speed, who can also throw on the run, or in the pocket, with precision and velocity.

All of those traits sound well and good, but it is unfortunate that Szakacsy was not healthy enough early in the season to prove his worth as the starter.

Who knows, maybe the Sun Devils would have a totally different record heading into their final two games?

The stories to watch for UCLA consist of their struggling quarterback play with Kevin Prince and Kevin Craft, as well as their defense trying to shutdown the ASU offense, similar to what Stanford, Oregon, and USC did to the Sun Devils did this season.

Prince will be the quarterback for the Bruins following a stellar performance against Washington State last week (314 yards passing, 76 yards rushing, and two total touchdowns). By looking at those numbers, it looks like the Bruins' defense will be well prepared for the athletic Szakacsy on Saturday.

But how effective will UCLA be at stopping or shutting down the ASU rushing attack? Because as all football fans, coaches, players, and staff members know, to be successful, you must be able to run the football on offense and stop the run on defense. That is where it starts and ends for both of these teams.

The winner of this game, will be the team that runs the football with consistency and effectiveness, and manages to slow down the opposing teams running game.

But as in any game, turnovers, mistakes, and penalties will play a major role in determining the outcome.

Arizona State beat UCLA with four defensive touchdowns last season in a 34-9 blowout victory, but as of late, the Sun Devils have not forced the turnover numbers that fans and players became accustomed to earlier this season.

For Arizona State, the penalties are still a major issue, and it seems to be unresolved week after week.

The Sun Devils have to limit those critical mental and emotional mistakes that might cost their team field position, yards, and maybe even the game.

ASU Key Player

Samson Szakacsy QB

Yes, I know that Szakacsy has been all the talk this week, online, on the radio, and in the newspapers, but the hype must live up to the billing, or else this season can turn from a nightmare into a funeral procession.

The weight of the world, or at least Tempe, AZ is on the shoulders of a quarterback who has never made a start in his career and has a questionable elbow.

That doesn't seem like the formula for success to me, but Erickson is confident in his abilities as a play-maker in the offense, and you have to respect that the coach has faith in Szakacsy's style to get the job done as well.

If Szakacsy puts together a full performance like he did in the second half against Oregon last weekend, the Sun Devils will be in great shape to earn the victory.

However, if Szakacsy lays an egg in Pasadena, and either Sullivan or Osweiler have to relieve him, well than all hopes and dreams of a potential bowl game go right down the toilet.

UCLA Key Player

Kevin Prince QB

I am going to stick with the quarterbacks as the highlight performers this Saturday.

Sure, the quarterback touches the ball on every single play; that is why his job as a field general is so important.

Prince has had to take some lumps and some beatings while learning on the job this season, but as of late, the redshirt Freshman has transformed himself into a very solid and capable quarterback for UCLA and Head Coach Rick Neuheisel.

Although Prince has only thrown six touchdowns this season, he has managed to find the end zone four times in his last three games. UCLA's record over that stretch was 2-1.

Now Prince has added another dimension to his game, using his legs to keep drives going, which has led to UCLA's possessions turning into touchdowns instead of punts or field goal attempts.

For both of these teams, as the quarterbacks go, so goes the team!

The Prediction

This game has all the looks to be a hard fought defensive struggle, but in recent weeks both offenses have found new signs of life.

For ASU, Szakacsy has given the offensive unit a jump start, and seems to have given Erickson another playmaker on the field.

The Sun Devils' defense will have to perform better this week against UCLA than ASU looked last Saturday against the Ducks. Like I said, the first initiative on defense for ASU must be to contain the UCLA rushing attack.

I don't think that UCLA will suddenly switch to a spread option attack like Oregon, or a powerful two-back running game like Stanford, so ASU should have a good amount of success on defense. The success and production that ASU has on defense will force UCLA to throw into tight coverages, and I think that is where the game will be decided once again.

Last season in Tempe, Arizona State shutdown the UCLA offense, and forced then starter, Craft to throw, and throw he did. Craft gift wrapped the game for the Sun Devils with his four interceptions all returned for touchdowns.

I don't see Prince throwing four interceptions, but in a crucial situation late in the contest, I think Prince will try to make a play, and the ball-hawking defense of ASU will come up with the turnover, and the Sun Devils will never look back.

Final Score: ASU 27 UCLA 20

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The Five Questions That Will Be Answered This Week In College Football

Will Ayers Jr. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:28 -0500

Outside of the PAC-10, there are not any big games in college football this week. Even the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is not demanding the attention its commanded in past years, due to a struggling Michigan team. Although your eyes may not be glued to the television Saturday, there are a few story lines that you have to keep your eyes on. Here are the top five questions that will answered this week in college football when its all said and done.

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UT-Kansas, ND-UConn, and the Rest of the Week 12 Preview

Aaron Torres — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:57:39 -0500

(Aaron Torres is a journalist whose work has been published by Sports Illustrated and syndicated by USA Today, AOL.com and Slam Online. To read all of his work, as well as the rest of his Week 12 picks and his thoughts on Ohio State-Michigan and LSU-Ole Miss, please click here or visit him at www.aarontorres-sports.com )

Mississippi State (+11.5) over ARKANSAS: 12:21 p.m.

See, this is what I love about the SEC. This is a game featuring two totally middle of the pack teams that I should have no interest in, yet both having compelling coaches and star power, and I’m more interested in this one than most of the other games on the national schedule.

Here’s why I like Mississippi State to keep it close: Look at their schedule. They’ve faced every single offense you can possibly go against over the course of the season: High-powered passing attacks (Houston is ranked No. 1 in college football in passing offense), a triple-option running game (Georgia Tech is the No. 2 rushing defense in college football), Florida’s spread option, a pro-style running game with some Wildcat mixed in (LSU) and even a power running game featuring a potential Heisman Trophy winner (Alabama).

So while I’m terrified to bet against Ryan Mallett and Arkansas’ offense (The Surgeon General has asked me to put in the following warning: Anyone who is pregnant, suffering from chest pain, or who has had an erection lasting more than four hours should seek immediate medical treatment before wagering on this game), the Bulldogs aren’t going to play scared. And after looking at that schedule, why should they?

TEXAS TECH (+6.5) over Oklahoma: 12:30 p.m.

College football is a funny game. Last year this was a primetime game, featuring two top-five teams playing for a Big XII South title. This year, these two are a combined 12-8, and this game is on Fox Sports 13, sandwiched between Chet Barclay’s Big Game Hunting Show , and a rerun of Roseanne . My how quickly the mighty fall.

Anyway, I was all set just to pick Oklahoma and move on, until I took a look at their box score from last week against Texas A&M.

Did you know the Sooners scored three early touchdowns off A&M turnovers? Yep, that’s right, one ended up being a fumble return for a touchdown, the other two setting up scoring drives of four plays and 22 yards, and the other five plays and 25 yards. In other words, A&M basically handed Oklahoma 21 points (By the way, that is a perfect example of the kind of hard-hitting statistical analysis that I’ve sacrificed my social life to bring to you, my fans).

Plus, if you’ve followed Oklahoma , they really haven’t played well in back-to-back games, basically all year (unless you include Idaho State and Tulsa…which I don’t).

All signs are pointing me towards Tech in this one.

NOTRE DAME (-6) over UConn: 2:30 p.m.

Believe it or not, I’ve probably seen these two teams more than any others this year (Why you ask? Well, I live in Connecticut, and Notre Dame is on TV every week. So like a psycho ex-girlfriend, I just can’t get away from these two even if I wanted to.).

My quick take? Even against Cincinnati, UConn hasn’t faced anything close to a passing attack like this. I don’t see any way that Notre Dame scores less than 30 points, or Jimmy Clausen throws for under 300 yards. Meaning, of course, that Charlie Weis gets to save face for another week, before his unofficial funeral at Stanford in seven days.

Cal (+7) over STANFORD: 7:30 p.m.

Alright, so don’t make fun of me, but while I sit on my couch for 12 hours every single Saturday watching endless amounts of football, I always keep a notebook. Dorky, I know.

I usually don’t write down anything too important in there, just things I notice, funny quotes, goofy haircuts, you know, stuff like that.

Anyway, the other day I was looking through my notebook from the season, and I noticed that on two separate occasions, I unknowingly praised Cal defensive tackle Tyson Alualu. After doing a little research on the kid, I realized that I’m not losing my mind and that’s he’s actually pretty good: Mel Kiper has him as a second-round pick in next spring’s draft.

And with Stanford having faced a smaller, quicker d-line against Oregon two weeks ago, and USC’s M.A.S.H. unit last weekend, I think they might not be ready for how physical Alualu and Cal’s defense is going to be. Plus, I’m feeling like there might be a little residual karma at Stanford, for trying to run things up on USC last weekend. You don’t dare cross Pete Carroll that way, you just don’t.

So what am I trying to say in all this? I’m thinking it’s going to be a big day for Tyson Alualu. Bet you’ve never heard that before.

TEXAS (-27.5) over Kansas: 8:00 p.m.

Has there ever been a college football saga that people cared less about than what’s going on at Kansas right now? Hmm, “Fat coach with low self-esteem berates players.” Never heard that one before. This one honestly rates right at about a 2.0 on the “Media Stories I Couldn’t Care Less About Scale,” somewhere between Heidi and Spencer, and whoever John Mayer is currently dating (OK, you caught me, that was my second John Mayer reference of the week, but what do you want from me? It’s been a long season!).

Getting back to the game, here’s what we know: It’s going to be Senior Day, and things are going to get a little misty-eyed in Austin. Especially when Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley embrace in the man-hug to end all man-hugs.

I figure this one will stay close for about a quarter, before the Longhorns pull away and turn this one into a laugher. 37-6? 47-10?

Pick your number, just bring the tissues. And know that the man-hug is probably going to be the best part.

(To read the remainder of this preview, including Aaron's thoughts on Michigan-Ohio State, Oregon-Arizona and LSU-Ole Miss, please click here , or visit him at www.aarontorres-sports.com )

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College Football Weekend: Week 12 Preview and Predictions

Jeff Dillon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:38 -0500

One of the biggest story lines entering the 2009 college football season was whether or not USC was on the verge of an uncharacteristic down year.

The Trojans had lost a significant part of last season’s Rose Bowl team. They would be forced to start plenty of inexperienced players—including a true freshman, Matt Barkley, at quarterback.

After seven straight Pac-10 titles, many wondered aloud whether 2009 would finally see a new champion on the West Coast.

Perhaps it would be Cal’s year, many said. The Oregon Ducks were loaded with talent, others noticed. Some analysts warned that you could never count out Mike Riley’s Oregon State Beavers.

But Stanford? Who saw this coming?

I know I didn’t. I predicted the Cardinal to finish 5-7 overall and seventh in the Pac-10 standings.

Oops.

Perhaps no team in the nation has been a more pleasant surprise in 2009 than Jim Harbaugh’s Cardinal.

Not only has Stanford posted a 7-3 overall record (6-2 in conference) thus far, putting itself squarely in the Pac-10 title hunt, but the Cardinal have put together two of the most impressive wins in all of college football this season.

First came a 51-42 dismantling of a red-hot Oregon team, the team that just a week earlier had undressed USC in impressive fashion.

Then came the Cardinal’s chance at the Trojans in Los Angeles. The result? Maybe the most stunning final score of the season: a Stanford 55-21 shocker at the Coliseum.

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the Cinderella story of the 2009 season: the Stanford Cardinal.

So if you haven’t seen the arm of Andrew Luck yet, take a look. If you haven’t considered Toby Gerhart for the Heisman award yet, better wake up quickly—this guy may be the most underrated player in America.

And if you haven’t seen or heard a Harbaugh press conference yet, you need to check out one of the most quotable coaches in college sports, as well as a guy who will likely make his way to a major college (or pro) job very soon.

If you have just one game to watch this weekend, I highly recommend catching No. 25 California against the 17th-ranked Cardinal. With a Stanford win and an Oregon loss (at Arizona Saturday night), the Cardinal still have a serious shot at a Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Their story is as entertaining as it is remarkable—and it’s not done yet.

To week 12...

Five games you can’t miss this weekend

5. Kansas State at Nebraska (Sat. 7:45 EST, ESPN)

Well, this feels like old times again, doesn’t it? K-State and Nebraska battling it out for a trip to the Big 12 championship game. Shoot, even Bill Snyder is coming back for this one. Oh, he’s the head coach in Manhattan again? Guess that makes sense, then.

In all seriousness, K-State’s season has been pretty impressive when you consider where the Wildcats were coming from. Nebraska, on the other hand, has ridden one of the most wild roller coaster rides of any team in the country this season. The Huskers’ playmaking defense will be the difference-maker in this one.

Prediction: Nebraska 23, Kansas State 13

4. Kansas at No. 3 Texas (Sat. 8:00 EST, ABC)

While this game has less significance to the Big 12 race than K-State-Nebraska, there still is plenty on the line in Austin this weekend. First, with a Texas win, the Longhorns clinch the Big 12 South and will play the K-State-Nebraska winner for the Big 12 championship in two weeks.

Secondly, and probably more significant, is the fact that Colt McCoy is one win away from becoming the winningest quarterback in NCAA history.

With both of those things on the line, the fact that Texas is averaging 41 points per game in its last four contests, and the added circus surrounding coach Mark Mangino at Kansas this week, you’ve got the makings of a blowout. But an entertaining one.

Prediction: Texas 44, Kansas 17

3. No. 10 Ohio State at Michigan (Sat. 12:00 EST, ABC)

It is wild to think that it’s been just four years since this rivalry matchup was branded the “game of the century.” The 2005 contest had both the Big Ten title and a trip to the BCS championship game on the line. In 2009, the storylines won’t be quite as, shall we say, intriguing.

Nevertheless, it’s still Ohio State-Michigan—and as it is commonly said, you can’t count out anything in a rivalry game. But the Wolverines have lost four straight and seem to be struggling to slow opposing offenses.

For Ohio State, how Terrelle Pryor plays under the pressure of a big game in the Big House will be the key.

Prediction: Ohio State 31, Michigan 23

2. No. 11 Oregon at Arizona (Sat. 8:00 EST, ABC)

This is one of several meaningful games in the weird and wacky Pac-10 this weekend. Oregon can clinch the conference crown with a win in Tucson. But beware of the Wildcats, one of many surprising teams in the league this season. Arizona has its own chance at a Pac-10 title, needing to win its remaining three games to earn a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

To win this weekend, the Wildcats have to get back to the strong rushing defense they’ve displayed for most of the season before giving up 176 yards last week to California. If Oregon’s rushing attack gets a chance to break out, the Pac-10 race will be over.

Prediction: Oregon 27, Arizona 24

1. No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford (Sat. 7:30 EST, Versus)

This game starts just half an hour before Oregon-Arizona, meaning Stanford will still be in the hunt for a Pac-10 title at the time of kickoff. If the Cardinal can build an early lead, you’d have to forgive the players for peeking at the Oregon-Arizona score a few times.

For Stanford to do that, it will need to play better defense than it has the past two weeks. Lost in the huge wins of the past two weeks is the fact that Stanford gave up over 900 yards and 63 points in those contests. But it’s tough to see the Toby Gerhart train slowing down either. Expect lots of points, as well as another Stanford win.

Prediction: Stanford 38, Cal 29

For your viewing pleasure

No. 6 Boise State at Utah State (Fri. 9:30 EST, ESPN2): Boise State 41, Utah State 20

North Carolina at Boston College (Sat. 12:00 EST, ESPN2): UNC 26, BC 21

Minnesota at No. 13 Iowa (Sat. 12:00 EST, ESPN): Iowa 30, Minnesota 14

No. 4 TCU at Wyoming (Sat. 2:00 EST, The Mtn.): TCU 35, Wyoming 13

Connecticut at Notre Dame (Sat. 2:30 EST, NBC): Notre Dame 27, UCONN 20

No. 16 Wisconsin at Northwestern (Sat. 3:30 EST, Big Ten Network): Wisconsin 28, Northwestern 27

No. 14 Penn State at Michigan State (Sat. 3:30 EST, ABC): Penn State 20, MSU 16

Kentucky at Georgia (Sat. 7:45 EST, ESPN2): Georgia 28, Kentucky 24

No. 8 LSU at Ole Miss (Sat. 3:30 EST, CBS): LSU 21, Ole Miss 17

Heisman Hunt

C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson)

Spiller has quietly launched himself into serious contention for the Heisman, ranking third in the country with 1,952 all-purpose yards. This week, Spiller and Clemson face Virginia (Sat. 3:30 EST, ABC ), a team that gave up 268 rushing yards and 515 total yards to Miami two weeks ago. Expect Spiller to put on quite a show.

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Ryan Mallett Is the Best Quarterback in the SEC, Not Tim Tebow

Blake Stansbery — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:18 -0500

Across the nation you will be hard-pressed to find anyone who is not familiar with Tim Tebow.

Tebow has been part of two national championships for the Florida Gators and has won a Heisman Trophy. He has already been immortalized by the University of Florida with his motivational speech plaque at the entrance to the new football facility.

Tebow is a missionary and an all-around great person.

What would you say if I was to tell you with all that success that Tim Tebow is not the best quarterback in the nation—not even the best quarterback in the SEC?

I am sure you will call me crazy, but by the numbers there is another quarterback in the SEC who has stood out as the best in the 2009 season.

That quarterback is Ryan Mallett.

Mallett leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation in quarterback rating, with a 165 rating. His offense leads the SEC in scoring offense (37.6 ppg), total offense (450.1 ypg), passing offense (310 ypg), and pass efficiency (160).

Mallett has done all of this in his first year as a starter and with the ninth-ranked rush offense in the conference. The weight of this team has been squarely on his shoulders all year.

Mallett's numbers tell the same story. He has connected on 23 touchdown passes, while only throwing four interceptions. Two regular season games remain, and he has already broken or tied 10 Arkansas passing records and has more in his sights. The most notable came in the win over Troy when he became the Arkansas single-season passing record holder.

He has thrown for 2,885 yards, more than 1,000 yards greater than Tebow. He has 11 more touchdown passes thrown and the same number of interceptions (four) as Tebow as well.

Arkansas' schedule has been ranked as one of the toughest in the nation, and to put up the numbers Mallett has during this season is remarkable. He is on track to be the first ever single-season 3,000-yard passer in Arkansas school history to go along with his other broken records.

Mallett already projects ahead of Tebow in the NFL Draft according to many mock draft boards if he were to enter the Draft after this season. There will be no decision on that until after the season, and Mallett has told the media he has not even thought about it yet.

Mallett is a redshirt sophomore in his first season as a starting quarterback and leads a team that is the youngest in the SEC. More than a dozen freshmen and sophomores have started for the Razorbacks, and they all play a significant role on the team. With youth comes mistakes, and the Razorbacks have sputtered in some games, leading to Mallett's numbers not being even greater than where they stand now.

Pro-Tebow arguers will point to Mallett's poor games as why Tebow is better and make every argument imaginable. I have one thing to say to that...the numbers don't lie. A season is a collection of all your games, not one or two here or there.

Pro-Tebow arguers will also claim that Heisman Trophies, national championships, and other various awards make a player a better quarterback. That argument is an entirely different discussion.

The way the BCS operates and the way Heisman Trophies are awarded in this new day and age is more than just a bit of a controversial topic. That argument would be entirely separate from who currently is the best quarterback in the SEC.

The other Pro-Tebow argument sure to come up will be that of wins and losses. To that the answer is simple: The best quarterback does not have to play for the best team.

Florida ranks in the top five nationally in recruiting every single year. The talent surrounding Tebow according to all accounts should be far greater than that surrounding Mallett. That argument would make what Mallett has done even more convincing.

Mallett fans surely will have more stats and arguments to stand behind this assertion, and Tebow fans will likewise for their stance. Both groups will stand behind their No. 15 firmly, but in the end, numbers just don't lie.

Ryan Mallett is the best quarterback in the SEC.

Image Courtesy of Google Images

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Michigan Must Learn Five Basics To Right The Ship This Week

Isaac Smith — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:06 -0500

Two-a-day practices in August, offseason conditioning, the basics. What do they have to do with this week's Ohio State-Michigan game? Simple, Michigan must do the little things correctly. With six straight conference losses and a bowl birth on the line, Michigan must return to the basics.

1. Run Blocking

In the six straight conference losses, Michigan has averaged, 1.0, 4.3, 2.8, 2.6, 4.9, and 2.2 yards rushing respectively in those six losses. That is just not good enough to get the job done. The Wolverine offensive line must be consistent in getting off the ball and getting good blocks on the Ohio State front seven. If they can do this, they will take some pressure off of the passing game.

2. Pass Blocking

In the six straight conference losses, Michigan has given up three, one, five, four, five, and two sacks respectively. This is outrageous! Michigan's offensive line must hold up at the point of attack. This is going to be an especially tall order this weekend with an Ohio State defense that is, without a doubt, tops in the Big Ten.

Give Tate Forcier time to throw the ball. How on Earth are you supposed to move the ball when you get sacked that many times in a game?

3. Tackling

Whether on a run or a pass, Michigan must do a better job of tackling this week. Missed tackles have led to huge plays for opposing offenses. It is a good thing they do not keep stats on missed tackles because that would probably be the most embarrassing of any of the statistics out there.

4. Get off the ball

Whether on Offense or Defense, the Wolverines will need to beat the Bucks off the ball every single snap if they have a hope of getting a win in this game.

5. Capitalize in the Red Zone.

Michigan went 2-4 in the red zone against Penn State, and a disgusting 3-7 in the red zone against who? Illinois. That's right. Michigan has been good in the red zone withstanding those two games, but they will need to put the ball in the end zone each time they are in the red zone.

6. Convert on Third Down

Okay, so we all know that a team is not going to convert on third down every single time. Hopefully, they can keep it close to a 50/50 chance, but that is not what Michigan has done at all during this six game conference skid. In the six games they have gone, 7-16, 3-11, 3-15, 5-14, 8-14, and 6-15 on third downs.

Only one game against Purdue (a two point loss) was over 50 percent on third down. Punts kill momentum and getting shut down on the offensive side of the ball puts a lot more pressure on the defense as a whole.

X Factors

Michigan's ability to keep Terelle Pryor at bay and keep Ohio State's offense off of the field will be a significant factor in this game. For Michigan to win, they will have to bail out Forcier who will be under heavy pressure all day.

To bail him out, I think that Michigan will have to run the ball for 200 yards. Something they haven't done all year (except against Delaware State, and who wants to call that a contest?).

A December Bowl awaits Michigan if they can somehow get by this juggernaut known as the Bucks. Michigan may not be playing for the Roses but it is always fun to ruin Ohio State's season.

Go Blue!

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The Florida Gators Are Poets of Destiny: A Fan's Poem

Ronnie C Wright — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:25:10 -0500

The Florida Gators are poets of destiny because they have defined recent times through actions and results translated into words.

The Florida Gators are poets of destiny because they have defined recent times through principles and standards translated into relevance.

The meaning we place on their performance should take into account our view of the team as a whole. Their weekly effort is the primary connection between people and poets who write beautiful verses between the lines.

The Florida Gators are poets of destiny because they inspire their nation with identity and spirit that lifts them to new heights.

The Florida Gators are poets of destiny because they inspire their nation with voice and vision that leads them to championships.

Fly me to the swamp.

Let rise the balloon of popularity, the blimp's view -

To millions, connected to people like me.

Pan left, pan right, I soared with my fan.

And turned on surfing and the natural high.

I climb the mountain and equipped, adjusted the lens,

Sending a perfect transmission direct to the stars,

And where men clapped, I and a team collide.

My further proof, on the roof of buildings,

I sailed the sky as smooth as a ship.

Flies lightly land on the cans and bottles,

Not at all afraid, of good ole boy's giant water.

This they account to my friend's air brigade,

Wonderful are their wing span in the clear sky.

Indication that we all dreamers, real and broad.

Signaled by unseen radar, the dish soaped,

Until, switching on the hitters, I heard opera.

On the tube tested to produce swamp chomp heroics,

We rocked the sitting patrons to their feet.

Where now they stand cheering the team.

The Champion!

Ashley and Kimberly members of the official Gator Student Section sum it up by saying, "The Florida Gators are poets of destiny because they are awesome. They make the crowd go wild. The Florida Gators are poets of destiny because they are undefeated - on a roll...ready to triumph in the big bowl."

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UCF-Tulane Football Preview

Ryan Bass — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:20:38 -0500

The UCF football team did something last Saturday it hadn’t done in 22 tries; beat a ranked team. After an historic 37-32 win over No. 13 Houston, the Knights are bowl eligible and face Tulane Saturday with an outside shot at the Conference USA title.

The Matchup

UCF (6-4 overall, 4-2 C-USA) enters their contest against Tulane off their biggest win in program history. The Knights defeated the Cougars behind great offensive performances from QB Brett Hodges and RB Brynn Harvey.

Hodges completed 21 of 25 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. Harvey rushed for 139 yards on 35 carries and found the end zone three times. UCF kept the nation’s No. 1 offense off the field, holding the ball for 39:30 in the game, almost doubling Houston’s time of possession.

The Green Wave (3-7 overall, 1-5 in C-USA) come off a 28-20 loss to a previously winless Rice team.

Tulane led 14-0 after the first quarter, but allowed Owls’ quarterback Nick Fanuzzi to throw for four touchdowns the rest of the way.

When UCF has the ball

Look for them to attack Tulane’s defensive line with a heavy load of the run. Tulane is No. 98 in the country in total defense and is allowing 200 yards a game on the ground. Expect to see a combination of Harvey and Jonathan Davis in the run game for UCF.

Tulane boasts the No. 1 pass defense in C-USA, so look for them to cause problems for UCF’s wideouts.

When Tulane has the ball

Look for Tulane to get it into the hands of its two play-makers, RB Andre Anderson and WR Jeremy Williams. Anderson comes into the game 87 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season and is 35th in the nation in rushing yards per game, with 91.3. Williams is seventh in the nation in receiving yards, with just under 100 yards per contest.

The UCF run defense is third in the nation, allowing just 81.5 yards a game and has allowed just two 100-yard rushing games to opposing running backs this season.

As for UCF’s pass defense, freshman Josh Robinson and Kemal Ishmael will have their hands full with Williams. The Knights are No. 93 in the nation in pass defense and have given up big games to opponent’s No. 1 wide receivers this season.

X-Factors

Facing a team that struggles to stop the run bodes well for a team’s running backs. Look for Harvey to have another 100-plus rushing performance on the day and expect Davis to see time as well after registering his first career rushing touchdown last week against the Cougars.

For Tulane, it all rests on the offensive line. The UCF defense hasn’t been pushed around all season, and if Tulane wants a chance at beating UCF, it will have to block for Anderson and prevent UCF from getting past the line of scrimmage. The Knights are tied for seventh in the nation in sacks and are ninth in tackles for loss.

The last time they played, in 2006, Tulane got out to the 10-0 lead and was able to hold UCF to just three field goals, escaping with a 10-9 victory at home.

UCF kicker Michael Torres missed his fourth field goal attempt from 35 yards out, which would have given UCF the lead with 3:15 left in the game.

UCF leads the all-time series 2-1.

Noteworthy

UCF is the second-least penalized team in the nation, averaging just 4.3 penalties per game.

A loss by the Green Wave would extend its C-USA losing streak to seven games.

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For All The Marbles: Nebraska Takes on Kansas State for North Supremacy

Josh Klein — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:13:33 -0500

Most Nebraska players and fans knew that the Big 12 North would come down to this.

All of us figured at the beginning of the season that a match-up between a Kansas school and Nebraska would decide the Big 12 North.

Just not this Kansas School.

Last weekend was supposed to be the deciding factor in the Big 12 North race, at least that's what all the preview magazines decided prior to the start of the season.

It just goes to so how little even the talking heads know at the beginning of the season.

This weekend at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska the Big 12 North race will be decided. Around the same time, the Big 12 South will be decided as Texas takes on the supposed favorites at the beginning of the year, the Kansas Jayhawks.

If Texas wins they lock up the Big 12 North.

No matter who wins the game between Nebraska and Kansas State, one thing is for sure, the winner will be taking on Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.

Some prize.

But it is a prize none-the-less, and it is one that Husker fans are actually salivating for.

The game on Saturday has all the stigma of a championship match-up, but none of the fear.

Nebraska fans see this game as an easy must win game that should be over in the fourth quarter if the team plays like they did against Oklahoma and Kansas.

Why are Husker fans so confident? Well, they have taken a look at the body of work done by Snyder and company this season. Six wins is impressive, but two of those came against FCS foes UMass and Tennessee Tech. In fact UMass had an opportunity to win the game near the end.

My advice for Husker fans is to hold on with that quick dismissal. Sure Kansas State has been on of the only foes that the Huskers have easily dispatched in the past two years.

Since the last loss to the Wildcats in 2004, the Huskers have had a lop-sided four game winning streak against Kansas State. Beating them by a combined score of 177-87 in the past four meetings.

But do you know who the coach was in 2004 that put the beat down on this Husker squad? None other than coach Bill Snyder. And he's back with a vengeance.

He has done what Ron Prince failed to do. He has won with Junior College players and transfers.

Hold on to those reigns Husker fans, don't put the cart before the horse. Because Snyder has the ability to beat these Huskers with his power running game, senior quarterback and markedly better defensive play. After all, we saw a similar team, the Iowa State Cyclones, come into Lincoln and shock Husker nation.

Am I saying Nebraska will lose? No. Am I saying there's a chance? Yes.

What I'm really saying is this. If Nebraska comes out like they did against Iowa State, Daniel Thomas, Bill Snyder and Grant Gregory will take advantage of every situation.

Kansas State (6-5 [4-3 in Big 12]), comes in with a chance to complete a total turn around from a year ago. Ask any K-State fan what they expected this year, I would be willing to bet that none of them had counted on a bowl or a shot at the Big 12 North crown.

They can obtain both on Saturday.

Because of the fact that two of those six wins were against FCS opponents Kansas State is playing for all the marbles on Saturday.

If they lose, they gain no bowl bid and no trip to the Big 12 Championship game in Texas.

If they win, they attain both.

Nebraska comes in under similar pressures, but not as unexpected. To the fans and the Media, Nebraska was supposed to win the Big 12 North this year.

Nebraska finds itself with the actual, tangible ability to reach the goal they set out for at the beginning of the year. It's no surprise, it's not really some great story line of inspiration like Kansas State's is. It was expected.

And it should have been.

There will be no rushing the field on Saturday if Nebraska wins, there will be no momentous celebration, except to honor the seniors. It is expected that they be in this position, even if they have gotten here in less than traditional fashion.

Nebraska may be playing their best overall football of the year right now. Zac Lee looks confident, Niles Paul looks like a game breaker, and Roy Helu looks primed to shine in the spot light.

Shawn Watson seems to finally have found an offensive gameplan that fits his personnel and the defense is as good as ever.

Sure we may say the defense slacked a bit last week against Kansas. However, I have to chuckle to myself to think of the expectations. Just two years ago holding Kansas to seventeen points would be seen as a great defensive performance, this year though it was disappointing.

And the players on defense took note of it.

This game comes down to one thing for each team: The running game.

If Nebraska chorales Daniel Thomas and forces Gregory to throw his way back into a game you can pretty much pencil in a win for the Huskers.

If Nebraska's Roy Helu gets going and Zac Lee plays the play action like he did against Kansas last week this will be a long day for Wildcat fans everywhere.

The return of Rex Burkhead is important to notice as well.

In the end it will come down to defense in this one. And while I said that Kansas State can win this game, I don't think they will.

Nebraska has more talent and more depth than the Wildcats. And two more wins against FBS quality opponents.

6-6 may not get you bowl eligible Kansas State, but it sure does put you in the record books for most impressive turn-around in a season.

But while you have turned it around you have only one win this season against an FBS opponent with a winning record and that was against Iowa State.

Believe it or not I think Nebraska probably hits the ground running in this one. Roy Helu probably amasses over one hundred yards again and Niles Paul burns the Wildcat defense deep a few times.

Nebraska inherits a match-up with Texas this weekend after a 34-13 win against the Wildcats of Kansas State. At least that's what I think. Take it or leave it.

This one, unwittingly enough, is for all the Big 12 North marbles.

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The OSU – UofM Rivalry: Rooted in History, Only Getting Better

Julie Reichlmayr — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:41 -0500

The late 1960’s and early 1970’s marked the heyday of what would become the ultimate showdown in college football—appropriately referred to as “the game".

In a decade which signified Bo Schembechler’s initial head-coach season at Michigan in 1969, and ended with Woody Hayes last year as head-coach for Ohio State, the rivalry was intensified into the ultimate showdown in college football—events from an era would shape both teams’ future programs.

Twice within the ten-year war, the Michigan–Ohio State game would decide the Big Ten championship for the two undefeated teams.

The Michigan–Ohio State rivalry was not nationally renowned early on. Michigan’s decisive 34-0 victory in the first game against Ohio State in 1897 was little more than another win, quite a departure from today’s life and death game sentiment.

The importance of the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry was virtually non-existent until the Buckeyes won the 1934 game. Ohio State Coach Schmidt was asked how the Buckeyes would fare against the Wolverines in the 1934 match-up: “they [the Wolverines] put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else.” Thus began the tradition to provide a gold charm replica of a pair of football pants to players and coaches following wins over Michigan.

Since 1935, the Michigan–Ohio State match-up has decided the Big Ten championship 23 times, and has been played on the last game of the season ever since.

It wasn’t until Woody Hayes was hired in 1951 that “the game” was elevated to rivalry status. From thereon, the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry gained momentum with each season.

The 1969 showdown, with protégé Bo Schembechler at the helm of Michigan’s football program, and a remarkable win against undefeated Ohio State, set the rivalry as the most remarkable in the nation. From 1968–1982 Michigan or Ohio State won or shared the Big Ten title, the same is true 19 out of 22 years between 1984 and 2008.

The ten-year war during the decade of the 1970’s enlivened the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry like no other period of time. There is no doubt the impact the individuals who met faithfully for the yearly November battle had on the intensity of the rivalry.

Schembechler’s impressive first season with the Wolverines, and long-lasting impact on Michigan tradition, is truly legendary. Hayes’ eccentricities and abhorrence with all things maize and blue has become his legacy.

Beginning in 1969, “the game” quite literally defined the season for both teams. Arguably the most important game during this span of time, the 1969 game ruined a near-perfect seasons for the Buckeyes.

Woody Hayes would say throughout his coaching career, no team was better. With an 8-0 record, this was hardly refutable. Luckily for the Wolverines, Coach Schembechler knew Hayes’ strategies, and Michigan won 24-12.

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is deeply rooted in tradition. Sure, the media promotes the game to garner attention and to ensure viewer-ratings. But unlike other rivalries that have traded tradition for monetary means, Michigan and Ohio State have remained the last game of the season since 1935.

Even when “the game” implications were not as critical to either team’s national standing (as can be said this year), the energy and game hype remained.

“The game” not only thrives… it continues to get better.

Despite the misgivings and disappointments for the Wolverines’ 2009 season, the rivalry remains just as intense. Students are passionate about this match-up, and this trend will not waver anytime soon.

“Remember 1969” seems an appropriate reminder for a struggling Wolverine squad. In a match-up that marks the 40^th anniversary of this infamous showdown, it is important to remember the history rooted in this rivalry and tradition; the individuals who made this game what it is today; the moments that defined it.

The repercussions of “the game” are more pronounced this season for a disheartened, but not spiritless, Michigan team. Win or lose, the intensity of this rivalry will remain.

For a 1969 Michigan team, amidst a “ten year war”, things did not look promising for the Wolverines. Coach Bo Schembechler’s reflections on this match-up are as relevant today as ever.

“If anything means anything in the football business, it is the way a team – a collection of men – can perform the way we did against Ohio State in 1969. It doesn’t happen very often. Sometimes it never happens – not in a whole lifetime. Everything has to be right. The time. The place. The conditions. The setting. And the men. We had it all – just once maybe – but we had it that day in November of ’69 .”

Certainly, the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry would not be the way it is if it weren’t for the Hayes-Schembechler era. For every “Michigan Man” or crazed Ohio State Buckeye, this rivalry is truly as big as it gets. Even today, this rivalry is truly as good as it gets.

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Nebraska Eyes Big 12 North Championship on Senior Day Against Kansas State

Bugeatersteve Stuchlik — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:01:01 -0500

This is the reason why they play the games, correct? You play all season long to get to the point where you have that one game that defines your season. Win and you are playing for the Big 12 championship. Lose and you are left pondering all the “what if’s” that occurred in this game (Iowa State), or that game (Texas Tech or Virginia Tech).

Yes, this Saturday night in Lincoln the country’s best defense will once again take the field at Memorial Stadium hoping that the offense that gained over 400 yards the previous week, will continue to show up.

A win will give the Cornhuskers a Big 12 North Championship and a matchup with the University of Texas on the first Saturday in December in Jerry Jones’ new playground in Dallas.

For players such as Barry Turner, Ndamukong Suh, Larry Asante, and Phillip Dillard on the defensive side and Menelik Holt and Jacob Hickman on the offensive side, it is their last chance to shine in front of the Memorial Stadium faithful. They hope to give the fans a BTN championship to remember in Bo Pelini’s second year as head coach.

Bill Snyder and Kansas State enter their last game of the regular season with a 6-5 mark (4-3 in the Big 12) and need the win to not only be bowl eligible (They have two wins against non-BCS schools), but also to clinch the BTN. Snyder's first year back has already been an improvement from last year, when the Wildcats missed out on the postseason with a 5-7 record.

In looking at the two squads, their offensive numbers are mirror images of each other. K-State averages 354 yards and 25 points per game, while the Huskers gain 353 yards and score 26 points per game .

It is of course on the defensive side where the Huskers have the advantage. Nebraska ranks 10th overall, while the Wildcats' defense is ranked 47th. The Huskers are also third in the nation in scoring defense at 11 points per game given up. The Cats are 59th in that category averaging 24 points per game.

The Blackshirts should also be more pumped up for this game after suffering the letdown against Kansas last week, where they gave up several long drives and played on their heels most of the game. The exhaustive effort given against Oklahoma might be partially to blame, so lets hope that they bounce back to their dominating selves.

If you take a quick look at the numbers this season, the one thing that jumps out at you is the fact that the most points the defense has given up this season is the 31 points in the loss to Texas Tech. Last season that number was reached six times and in 2007, it was an embarrassing eight times.

No, make no mistake about it, the Pelini “D” philosophy has made it’s permanent impression in Lincoln. There shouldn't be anymore 65 and 76 point games.

I also noticed a difference in the game attitude of Zac Lee. In the Oklahoma game, it was apparent that he was playing more to control the game and clock instead of playing for the win.

Against Kansas, he was playing with more confidence in his ability to make the plays that needed to be made. I look for that to continue Saturday night.

Roy Helu Jr. appears to have finally recovered from the shoulder injury that made him totally ineffective for the month of October. Helu has posted back to back games of 135 yards or more and appears to get stronger as the game progresses.

Helu’s contribution running the ball makes Lee a better quarterback as the defense because they have to respect the running game.

With senior day and the BTN championship on the line, I look for a dominating defensive game with the Huskers coming out on top by the score of 27-6. GBR!

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Alabama Versus Auburn; My 10 Favorite Iron Bowl Jokes

Franklin Crittenden — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:12 -0500

This is Iron Bowl week in Alabama.

The Iron Bowl is the yearly rivalry game between the University of Alabama and Auburn University.

It is the annual brother versus brother, sister versus sister, husband versus wife, father versus son, mother versus daughter in state rivalry game.

There is no other rivalry games in the nation that even comes close in the shear magnitude and consequences to the fans of both schools. The winner can walk with his head held high for the next year, the loser must slink away and await those consequences.

What the rest of the nation doesn't understand is that, Alabama and Auburn fans literally hate each other. I am not exaggerating, they really do not like each other one bit.

Oh, they may work together and even go to church together and they may even be part of the same family and love each other, but during Iron Bowl week all that changes.

During Iron Bowl Week, the tension ratchets up a notch or two, everybody's jaws get a little tighter and all the small talk goes away.

They may pick at each other and even tell jokes, but they do so knowing full well that they may be just one sarcastic comment away from a full fledged screaming match or even a fist fight.

It hasn't always been this way.

I am not sure exactly when the Alabama/Auburn game took a turn for the worse, other than to say it has taken a turn for the worse somewhere in the past generation. It seemed as though it was a little more fun way back when I was growing up.

Something has changed or maybe I've just changed?

Teasing has turned into trash talk and jokes have turned into insults.

Years ago it seemed as though I heard a new Alabama/Auburn joke almost every day.

I always loved hearing them and telling them, especially on the golf course or while tailgating. There were some really great ones, I wished I had written them all down.

My 10 favorite Auburn jokes:

10) Where was O.J. Simpson heading that day in the white Bronco?

To Auburn, because they would never look for a great football player there.

9) How do we know the toothbrush was invented at Auburn?

Because if it were invented at Alabama it would be called the "teethbrush."

8) What is the difference between an Auburn fan and a bag of manure?

The bag.

7) What do you call an Auburn player with a National Championship ring?

A thief!

6) How do you compliment an Auburn fan?

You say, nice tooth!

5) How do you get an Auburn graduate off of your porch?

You pay him for the pizza.

4) Why wasn't Jesus born in Auburn?

Because the Lord couldn't find three wise men or a virgin there.

3) Why couldn't Auburn hold Drivers Education and Sex Education on the same day?

It was wearing out the mule.

2) What do you call a great football team at Auburn?

Visitor

1) My Auburn favorite joke goes something like this:

During football practice one day an Alabama player walked out on the practice field and made an obscene gesture towards Gene Chizik and then ran into the locker room.

Coach Chizik got mad and told his two biggest linemen to go into the locker room and teach that Alabama player a lesson.

The players ran into the locker room and there was a lot of loud crashing and banging and no one came out.

Chizik got even more irate and ordered the whole defensive Line into the locker room, telling them to teach that Alabama player a lesson that he would never forget.

Again there was a lot of loud crashing banging but again, no one came out.

Finally in frustration, Chizik tells the whole defense to get in there and don't come out until they taught the Alabama player a lesson.

The whole defense runs into the locker room, and again there was loud crashing and banging and then there was a dead silence.

All of a sudden, one player staggers out and yells, "watch out, it's a trap, there is two of them!"

Feel free to add to add your favorite Alabama/Auburn joke below.

Roll Tide!

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Penn State Still BCS Bound?

Allison Bail — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:35:24 -0500

With one game remaining in the regular season, at this point every Penn State fan has one thing on their mind, and that is what bowl game will their Nittany Lions end up. When the season begins, every college football team has the same goal, and that is to make a BCS bowl game.

At the start of the season, this seemed almost certain, and Penn State even had their eyes on the BCS title game. However after two disappointing loses, we watched our hopes of a BCS bowl game fade away, or at least we thought.

For those who aren’t quite sure what the BCS is, it stands for Bowl Championship Series. There are four BCS bowl games, and the national championship. The four games are the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. A rankings system is put into effect to figure who is eligible to make these bowl games.

The top two teams in the rankings go to the National Championship. After that, the six major conferences get automatic bids to their conference champion. The conferences are the Big Ten, Big Twelve, Big East, SEC, ACC, and Pac-10.

After those are given, there are four spots left and those are chosen by the bowl committees, these are called “at-large” bids. To be eligible for an at-large bid, you must finish inside the top 14 of the final BCS rankings. Also, only two teams can be selected from each conference.

This Saturday Penn State takes on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing at 3:30. First things first, Penn State must win this game before any BCS talk can even begin. Right now Penn State ranks 14th in the BCS, if they win this game they are all but certain to finish in the needed top 14.

There have been rumors circulating that the Orange Bowl committee is choosing Penn State regardless of any other team as long as they finish in the top 14. They feel they have had terrible matchups in the past that have not generated them much money or TV viewers. The last two Orange Bowls were Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati, and Virginia Tech vs. Kansas.

The Orange Bowl committee is sick of the poor matchups with teams the country is not that interested in. Since Penn State has such a huge following, and travels so well, they know by selecting the Nittany Lions that won’t be the case this year.

There was speculation that they said no matter who is ranked ahead of them and who might have been more deserving they would still take Penn State. Time will tell if these will happen or not, but it is rather interesting.

I think this really shows a lot for our program if we get selected over other teams just for revenue purposes. I am by no means saying this is right, as I think it is very unfair. The idea that Iowa, who beat us, can be ranked ahead of us but we still make a better bowl game is extremely unfair, and I couldn’t even imagine how I’d feel if I was on the other side of this.

However, these bowl games are a business, and they want to make money. Far or not fair, it seems at times money trumps everything. I feel it is a compliment if we get chosen, and shows us how much respect our program has, although I do not feel it is right.

On another note, this weeks game vs. Michigan State brings about the annual blood drive were the two schools compete against each other. The blood drive has been going on since 1994, and Penn State is 11-5 over the 16 year period. Over that time, the schools have selected 53,000 units of blood! I think this is a great tradition for a great cause and it will be good to see it go on in the future.

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Bad Advice, Bold Prediction and Something Else: Bye Week Edition

Zachary Osterman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:26:37 -0500

(Without Chan Gailey, Tech never lands Morgan Burnett. Think about that.)

Ah, rivalry season. It's the greatest time of year.

The Jackets will spend the first weekend of this wonderful stretch on their first real bye week (it's sort of fair to count long week after the Miami game).

But a bye week should never, ever stop bad advice, bold predictions, absolutely not. So away we go ...

Bad advice

We're going to depart from the regular script this week and just treat this a little bit more like a notebook. With that in mind, my bad advice is to read this article by Doug Roberson of the AJC, which talks about how some of the Jackets' best players came to be playing football on the Flats.

It's full of the usual recruiting stories—kid leaves Bulldog country/family, recruit bonds with coaches, the works.

What's really interesting is something that actually sort of snuck up on me. With all the ranting Tech fans will do if you start them down the "Chan Gailey got a raw deal" path (I don't think he did), they have Gailey and some current and former coaches to thank for their success this season.

It was Gailey's second-to-last class, with help from recruiting coordinator Giff Smith (still there), that would later become the foundation of this 10-1 Georgia Tech team.

That 2007 class, ranked No. 18 in the country by Rivals, including players like Josh Nesbitt, Joanthan Dwyer, Burnett, Derrick Morgan and starting tackle Nick Claytor. But it also yielded some less-expected returns, like two-star-turned-starter Joseph Gilbert, a pair of linebackers by the names of Brad Jefferson and Kyle Jackson, and a three-star receiver named Demaryius Thomas.

It was far and away Gailey's best class, and the talent it provided set the stage for one of the best season's in Georgia Tech history.

Bold prediction

Clemson wins the ACC Atlantic tomorrow. Shocking, I know, but forgive me, bye weeks are slow.

I also predict—retroactively, of course—that plenty of Tech's best players sat out most of practice this week, probably only strapping up full pads once or twice.

Having a bye week this late in the season can either be a blessing or a curse. Ask Auburn, who's got talent, but not a lot of depth, and could have used a bye week to rejuvenate a month ago (They're getting one this week as well).

For the Jackets, things have generally gone well. The injury bug has, for the most part, stayed away, similar depth issues have not arisen and the Jackets get to treat their bye week as a luxury, not a necessity.

A bye week at any time is a good chance to give your No. 1s a rest, your twos and threes a few looks in practice, to try a few things and mostly, to get healthy. At this point in the season, seriously, nobody's 100 percent, and everybody would welcome some time off.

Beyond that, it's also a good chance for Tech to get the post-Coastal clinching jitters out and bear down on Georgia. The Jackets have struggled with focus this year, and the extra week could be helpful in alleviating some of that after an emotional stretch run in the conference.

Something else

The Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate (is the best rivalry name in college football and) has for years fostered the usual feelings of animosity and trash-talkery—that's an industry term—between opposing fanbases.

But it's clean, and it's old-fashioned, which I assume means that it's respectful.

Which is why even Tech fans ought raise a glass tonight in memory of Uga VII. Yes, Uga VII.

The seventh in a prestigious line of Ugas passed away unexpectedly Thursday, suffering a heart attack. There won't be an Uga on the sideline against Kentucky, but there will be a stand-in for the Tech game and whatever bowl game Georgia plays.

I offer you this take on Seven's passing.

It's a common question, the one you're asking yourself right now: Why so much fuss? It was just a dog.

Well first, I'll say that as an owner of six different dogs and the two cats sitting next to me now in my lifetime, I have never known "just a dog."

Second, I understand, to Georgia fans, it's not just a dog. Uga is a tradition, the symbol of a beloved past-time that is handed down through families like a rite of passage. To steal a great writer's line, it's what our fathers taught us.

There have been seven Ugas, each more beloved than the last, and none of them were ever just dogs.

Finally, A Prediction

I predict that I will be awake at 7:30 tomorrow morning to watch my beleaguered Reds take on Manchester City in a game they, sadly, will not win.

I predict, as I said before, that Clemson will clinch the ACC Atlantic this weekend.

And finally, I predict my beloved alma mater, Indiana, will avenge last season's 52-point loss to Purdue (go ahead, laugh, we get that a lot) with a 31-17 victory over the Boilermakers in Bloomington.

But what do I know?

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Virginia Tech: Senior Day For Players and Students

Justin Cocchiola — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:23:52 -0500

On Saturday, Virginia Tech will be hosting NC State in Lane Stadium for what will be the last home game played for some of the Hokies top players. Cody Grimm, Kam Chancellor, Sergio Render and Stephan Virgil are among the group, and are looking to make one last memory on Worsham Field come Saturday.

However, it will also be the last time many Virginia Tech students will attend a home game as a student.

After four years of watching the Hokies hit many highs, and fall a bit to low at times, students on campus are looking forward to attending their last home game.

A lot of students have a hard time believing that four years has passed by so quickly. Seniors right now are stressing about jobs upon graduation, wondering where they're going to live in six months, and juggling class with jobs or job interviews.

Saturday just marks the next step into the future, for many students. The end of an era even. When we're looking back on our college days Tech football games will give us a lot of stories to tell.

We could talk about our first game against Northeastern, or our first Thursday night home game–where we destroyed the 10th ranked Clemson Tigers 24-7.

We could talk about September 1, 2007, which may be the most important Tech football game that has ever been played as it moved the community forward after April 16th.

Football games are just one of the many things students will miss after leaving Blacksburg, but nothing brings together an entire community like gameday at Virgina Tech.

I had only been to one game before arriving at Virginia Tech as a freshman, and I remember stepping out of East Ambler Johnston to walk the game, and I was blown away by the amount of people tailgating.

The parking lot next to Lane Stadium literally looked like a giant party, and it always does for a home game, regardless of the opponent.

Senior Day for the football team has never really meant much to me, other than losing some of our top players.

The activities that take place during the pregame really don't mean much to students, but it's fun to see the seniors run out of the tunnel one last time.

Once the final second ticks off the clock on Saturday it will probably be a weird feeling as I walk down the stairs from section 27 for the last time with a student ticket in my possession, but I'm still excited about it

The Hokies have gone 23-3 at home since 2006. Hopefully, the Hokies can win their 24th home game in four years on Saturday, and top off the end of an era for the players and students at Virginia Tech with a victory.

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Anthony Dixon Relishing Final Days As a Mississippi State Bulldog

Brad Locke — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:09:57 -0500

I love my job, but not to the point that I’m shooting out of bed at the crack of dawn with a big smile on my face. Just ask my wife, she of the sharp elbows.

Perhaps I should take a cue from Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State’s irrepressible senior running back. If you know anything about him, you know he’s the most loquacious player on the team, is rarely without a smile, and relishes every carry, every hit, every moment of a game.

You know about the records, too. I and everyone else have written about his feats at length. Dixon takes pride in those accomplishments, and they’re what helps him roll out of bed each morning and persevere through practices and workouts and all the other stuff that would leave most of us whimpering in a corner.

“I think my life would be kind of boring if I didn’t have goals or made goals when I woke up every morning,” Dixon said Monday. “That’s what I do. It just gives me a reason to wake up with a bounce and get through the day.”

MSU (4-6, 2-4 SEC), which visits Arkansas (6-4, 2-4) this Saturday, must win its final two games to become bowl eligible. Dixon has made it very plain how desperately he wants to go to a bowl game.

Logic tells us the chances of that happening are slim to none, and slim just left town. We knew entering this season of change that a bowl was mostly a pipe dream, and that progress would not be measured by whether the Bulldogs reached the postseason. Just don’t tell Dixon that. For all his great stats, nothing matters more than the win-loss stat.

He’s trying to get his teammates to believe as much as he does.

“I don’t know how much they believe right now, but I guess we’ll find out these next couple days of practice,” he said. “I’m going to try to get them to believe 100 percent. I think our team knows that we’re good enough to play with anybody, good enough to beat anybody.”

This guy is just as hungry now—maybe more so—than when he burst onto the scene as a freshman. Junior defensive end Pernell McPhee, a junior college transfer, sees that hunger every day.

“He’s got something he calls ‘brick squad,’ talking about we’re breaking bricks on people,” McPhee said. “Every day he tells us this, before the games he tells us this, saying it’s brick squad, we’ve got to go hard, we’ve got to break bricks if we want to win. I don’t know what it means.”

No, but McPhee knows it’s meant as motivation. Dixon is one of the most self-motivated people I’ve ever met, and he’s got that perfect blend of enthusiasm and dedication, something I wish I had more of (especially the dedication part).

“I know Anthony has had some issues,” said coach Dan Mullen, referring to an offseason DUI arrest, “but he comes to work every single day. At practice, his intensity, how hard he practices on the field, how hard he trained during the offseason – you can’t replace those things and the effect that has on your program and on game day.”

It’s easy to let Dixon’s megawatt smile and goofy nature overshadow his dedication to football and to MSU. He does what he loves, and he loves what he does.

And he can’t wait to bounce out of bed each day to do it again.

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Georgia Tech Football: Awards, Injuries, and Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Seth Haynes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:00 -0500

Uga VII. Rest in peace, buddy.

Before I get to some Georgia Tech news, let me first say that it breaks my heart to see Uga VII pass away at such a young age.

He was only four years old, and all indications are that he died of a heart attack at his home in Athens, Ga.

It was just a few weeks ago I was watching him on television, on a scorching day in Athens, laying on a huge bag of ice in his house on the sidelines. Very sad, indeed.

And listen, Tech fans, I have seen many of you posting cruel things about Uga VII's passing on the blogs and message boards today, and this garbage should immediately stop.

Not only was he the Dawgs' mascot, but he is also a beloved pet of the Seiler family, the folks who have bred Ugas for the University since the very beginning of the tradition. So grow up guys, and show some class; you're acting like Georgia fans.

Anyways, on to some Tech stuff:

Awards

I don't know how many of you noticed, but Georgia Tech played their best game of the season at Duke.

They absolutely dominated both lines of scrimmage; manhandling Duke on offense and getting a ton of pressure on Thaddeus Lewis on the defensive side.

Due to the domination in the trenches, two Tech players were given weekly awards by the ACC: Junior DT Ben Anderson won Defensive Lineman of the Week, and Senior Guard Cord Howard snagged Offensive Lineman of the Week.

Congrats, guys.

Injuries

As far as injuries are concerned, Georgia Tech has certainly had their fair share this season.

First is was Jaybo Shaw's collarbone and Roddy Jones' wrist.

Then many defensive players began to miss significant time, and the offensive line was recently described by Paul Johnson as being "pieced together."

That being said, the Yellow Jackets will likely go into the Georgia game as healthy as they have been all season, especially on defense.

However, there are a few causes for concern: starting C Sean Bedford has an injury to his foot/ankle, and likely will not play in the UGA game. If he is not able to go backup C Dan Voss will take his place.

On a better note, backup G Omoregie Uzzi is likely to play in the next week's game against the Dawgs after missing the Duke game with a sore back.

Rivalry Game News

Next week's game against the Dawgs certainly figures to be another good one.

Any Tech fan worth his or her salt knows that, without a doubt, the Georgia game is the biggest one of the year.

Not the ACC Championship, not the Orange Bowl, not the Virginia Tech win. The only thing that matters is beating UGA.

The kickoff time for the game has recently been set for 8 p.m. on ABC; a prime-time matchup, and the Yellow Jackets will likely open on Sunday as the early favorites.

UGA still has injury issues of their own, with A.J. Green being out for the Kentucky game Saturday and his status still unknown for the Tech game. FS Bacarri Rambo is likely out for both games, as well.

This is certainly a worrisome game for Tech, however, as Georgia possesses a plethora of playmakers on offense, and Willy Martinez's sieve-like defense performed much better last week against Auburn.

A win over UGA would give Tech 11 wins for the first time since 1990, and possibly vault them up even higher in the BCS rankings.

A loss would, well, I don't even want to talk about that.

Let's just hope Paul Johnson and Dave Wommack can iron out some of the defensive kinks (especially pass coverage) before the 28th, or else I'm afraid it could be a long, high-scoring affair.

Either way, it's shaping up to be an exciting installment of Clean, Old Fashioned Hate.

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Notre Dame Football on, Yawn, NBC...Try To Stay Awake

Wise Guides — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:03:24 -0500

Since Notre Dame signed the contract with NBC to broadcast every Irish home game to the entire nation in 1991—yes, it’s been that long—these games have become marathons, usually lasting well over three hours and sometimes approaching the four-hour mark.

There have been periodic references to this trend in the media, but I’ve never seen a great outcry from anywhere or even a close look at why this is the case (more and longer commercials, I’ve always assumed).

And really, who in the mainstream media is going to do such a critique, NBC? Or any of the other outlets, ABC, CBS, ESPN, who rely on the popularity of televised sports to make millions? They’re not going to explore the annoying trend to more commercials and longer games out of South Bend or anywhere else.

Something about not biting the hand that feeds you. I did email the SID’s office to try to get the average time of Irish home games but haven’t heard back yet. I’ll provide an update if that changes.

Short of that I decided to take a closer look at a Notre Dame home game, the recent one against USC, and compare that to a game on rival ABC, Iowa at Ohio State, in the same afternoon time slot.

Well, the Irish may be struggling (again) on the gridiron, but they’re kicking butt when it comes to time of game. That contest against USC lasted three hours and 40 minutes, crushing the OSU-Iowa tilt, which went just over three hours (3:05).

And while the ND game ended in regulation, Ohio State won after one overtime session (if "session" is the right word for the weird college football OT format). That Big Ten game went about 2:50 in regulation.

Way to go Irish! I’m not going to document every commercial break for you from that USC game but I’ll hit some lowlights.

We get our first commercial break less than two minutes in (13:04) after one USC possession.
Four commercials and the Irish are on offense, but quickly turn it back over to the hucksters (at the 10:56 mark).
Five more commercials and back to Notre Dame Stadium. So, just over four minutes into the game and there’s already been two breaks and about as many commercials as plays. Not a good start for fans who tuned in to, you know, watch football.
The next break comes with 8:47 left in the first quarter after a USC score...but you get the idea.

Halftime lasted a whopping 22 minutes and included college football highlights and an appearance by SNL’s Seth Myers at the Weekend Update desk. There was plenty of that self-promotion by NBC throughout, especially for the next night’s NFL game on the network.

The litany continued in the second half, the most maddening example coming with 10:29 to go in the fourth quarter after a Notre Dame player was injured. The player was down but then got up quickly and was shown walking to the sideline, but apparently not fast enough.

NBC went to a break and five commercials ensued...and I’m thinking "Too bad for the players and fans in attendance, but thank God for TIVO."

At the Ohio State-Iowa game, the first break didn’t come until there was 8:12 left in the first quarter; at Notre Dame they’d had three commercial breaks by then. To be fair, halftime at the Buckeyes’ game lasted about 21 minutes, so there was little difference there, and there was slightly more scoring in the Notre Dame game, which adds time (they lost 34-27 while OSU won 27-24).

And some clock confusion at the end of the ND game—the refs put one second back on the clock that allowed for another final play—added about five minutes to the broadcast.

Still, there’s no excuse to justify these football epics if you’re a fan that just wants to watch the damn game. So to ND fans, my condolences.

I’m not trying to pick on Domers here, because certainly all the networks milk these college and pro games for all they’re worth (anybody else notice the incredibly annoying development in the NFL when they now go to commercial after the kickoff? So it’s touchdown-commercials-kickoff-commercials. I hope whoever came up with that burns in hell).

But one big reason I wanted to take a closer look at ND/NBC was because I’ve heard complaints from those very same fans. As I researched a book on Notre Dame Stadium (shameless plug) fans told me how difficult it is to stay pumped and focused for four hours—imagine what it’s like for the players, too—how if you tailgated hard you go from buzz to hangover headache by halftime, to tired and dying of thirst in the third quarter.

One Irish alum chuckled when I asked if she’d taken her kid to a game, saying there was no way her little one would sit on a bleacher seat for four hours.

The things people (or in this case religious institutions of higher learning) do for money. The Notre Dame administration says all those millions go to support worthy athletic and academic programs and initiatives on campus, including scholarships for needy kids, and let’s hope so.

I’m certain there are plenty of ND fans, yawning through yet another TV timeout, who might wonder if it’s all worth it. With mediocre ratings and another mediocre team on the field, administrators at Notre Dame and execs at NBC should be wondering the same thing.

Andy Buchanan, Wise Guides

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The Next Great Offense of College Football

Jack Laughter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:01:19 -0500

Hey you remember that old play that the teams of the 80's used to run? You know that play where the quarterback would turn like he's going to give the ball to the fullback and then sprint down the line with it, and then he would either keep it or pitch it to the running back?

Remember that old thing? Gosh what was it called? Oh yeah, the triple option.

Gosh that was such a great offense during its time. Too bad it doesn't work anymore. I mean come on, no one can run that today. They would just get crushed, right?

That offense is a dinosaur and would be torn apart by the West Coast or the Spread. Oh but wait, doesn't the No. 7 team in the country run that. No it can't be. hey're just in a weak conference right?

OK, seriously though, the triple option will make its return very soon and in this article I'm going to give you some reasons why.

The first reason is just a practical example: look at Georgia Tech and Navy. Now I know Navy isn't in major college football, but look at how good the Midshipmen are.

They almost beat Ohio State and what is impressive about Navy being even average is that Navy can't recruit. To get into Annapolis you have to have a recommendation from a senator, so Navy just has to work with what they have.

As far as Georgia Tech goes, well, if it could have beat Miami it would have a shot at a National Title.

For other reasons lets look at the offenses ran today by major college teams. The new trend is the spread. Florida probably runs it the best, but so does West Virginia, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Houston, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas.

I could go on and on but I think you get the point. Anyway, defenses today are gearing up to defend the spread which requires speed rather than size. With exceptions, defenses today are very fast but not big.

You beat speed by running the ball right at it. This is the reason Georgia Tech is so successful all of the sudden. It pounds the football and because not many defenses are geared up to defend the triple option. Defensive coordinators have to change their whole game plan when they play teams like Georgia Tech and Navy.

Also, the triple option is a ball control offense. Your team might score 50 points a game but if that offense is never on the field then it can't score.

Look at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have a championship caliber offense but when they play teams that keep the ball and that offense of the field, they lose. Another example was the Oregon—Boise State game. Oregon was beaten because its offense was never on the field.

When run effectively, with the right athletes, the triple option can beat anybody today. I firmly believe that Georgia Tech could beat Texas, or Alabama, and give Florida one hell of a football game.

So just wait and you will see the return of the triple option start to spread across major college football I think within the next five years.

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Did Florida State Create a Monster in Bobby Bowden?

Chris Whitmore — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:54:03 -0500

With one comment earlier this season, Bobby Bowden made it clear.

When asked about him stepping down, he responded: "What would I have to gain by stepping down?"

Not, "What would the team have to gain by stepping down." And with that one comment, the mindset and attitude of FSU head coach Bobby Bowden became apparent. FSU created a monster.

When one goes into the Moore Athletic Center at Doak Campbell Stadium he has to pass by a looming Bobby Bowden Statue and walk under the infamous stained glass window that also features Bobby Bowden. Perhaps FSU should have waited to honor the legacy of Bowden before giving him deity status in Tallahassee.

No one is going to argue what Coach Bowden did for Florida State. What he did was unprecedented. But that "nation's elite" status ended 10 years ago when FSU won their last national championship. And it is that status that Bobby Bowden supporters are hanging on to for the defense on why he should remain as head coach.

Use this scenerio: You dated a very attractive girl. She was probably the most attractive girl you have ever dated. And for whatever reason, you two broke up. Ten years later, she comes back into your life and has gained 90lbs, has mysterious bald patches on her head, and constantly wears Crocs.

Would you date her? Most likely not. Just because someone was the best at what they did over a decade ago is not a legitimate justification to keep him or her.

This is Florida State University. Not Bobby Bowden University.

Even Bowden's wife, Ann, recently made comments in USA Today that question Bowden's mindset towards Florida State Univeristy.

"They need US more than WE need them," she exclaimed.

College football has become a business. The casual observer has seen that Florida State has not been up to par for the standards Bowden set during the dynasty run of the 1990's.

One prominent Florida State booster has said they are willing to completely fund the majority of an indoor practice facility once Bowden steps down. These comments seem to negate the claim Ann Bowden has that FSU needs the Bowdens.

News this week has leaked that the search for the new defensive coordinator has taken a new turn. Both Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Bowden are conducting their own searches, and each have completely seperate candidates in mind.

With Jimbo Fisher slated to take over as head coach in January 2011 at the latest (or FSU faces paying him $5 million), it would seem the best decision for the team that Fisher would have the majority of the input and decision on who the hire would be since this would be a long term decision.

No one can be certain on why Bowden is adamant on getting his own choice in for the new defensive coordinator spot, but many can speculate.

How involved Bowden is with the football program is really only certain for those directly involved with the program. But a fan at last week's FSU/Wake Forest game noted that Bowden seemed distant. He never stood near the players.

The 2009 season will always be a black mark on the history of Florida State football. Whether you defend Bowden or not, everyone can admit this has gotten ugly. And the more Bobby Bowden speaks to the press, the more he shows that it is past time for him to step down. The press conference following FSU's 40-24 loss at Clemson is a prime example.

The following is a word for word transcript provided by Corey Clark's blog at the Tallahassee Democrat:

Reporter: “In the second half, when it seemed like momentum started to switch, how hard was it to try to reverse that?”

Bowden: “You mean when they got it (momentum)? Well, actually … you know, they had to kick off to us. We had a what? A three-point ….? Did we have the lead at the half?”

(Reporter nods).

Bowden: “We had a three-point lead at the half, I think. Then they had to kick off to us. We needed to take it down and win the darn game right there. We didn’t do it. They stopped us. Then we kicked it to them and then they probably scored.”

Reporter: “They went ahead and then you guys came back.”

Bowden: “Huh?”

Reporter: “They went ahead and then you guys came back again.”

Bowden: “Did we get ahead of them again after that?”

Reporter: “Yeah.”

Bowden: “Then we got back ahead, huh? Umm, it was going that way, you know it? I felt very comfortable that if they could score, we could score. That’s the way I felt, you know it? We’ve done it all year. But then we started turning the ball over.”

Those comments irked a lot of Florida State fans and it makes it hard to defend continually paying someone $2.5 million a year. Especially when he could not recall if his own team was ahead at the half, a mere hour and a half or so prior to the interview.

So, to you Coach Bowden, I say, continue with your comments and questions about what YOU would have to gain by stepping down because the fans and those who invest their time and money into the Florida State football program are more interested in hearing about what the team would gain by you stepping down.

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The 10 Wealthiest and Most Recognizable Teams in College Football

Brian Scott — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:53:36 -0500

In addition to using statistics from two sources, I will use my own perception of teams' national image to rank the top 10 wealthiest and most recognizable brands in college football. The two sources I will compile important statistics from include the following: (1) The Equity in Athletics report from the U.S. Department of Education Using the data from this site, I will report how much each of my top 10 generated in football revenues. (2) The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) On November 11, 2009, the Collegiate Licensing Company released their list of the top selling universities in collegiate gear, apparel, etc. While CLC does not represent schools, such as Ohio State or Southern California, I will utilize it's rankings of the top selling brands.

Begin Slideshow

TCU-Wyoming: Can the Cowboys Lasso the Horned Frogs?

Pete Misthaufen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:49:22 -0500

Wyoming is a huge (31.5) home underdog to TCU on Saturday for a very good reason.

TCU is the only team in the country in the top 15 in both offense and defense.

Wyoming, under first-year head coach Dave Christensen, has an underachieving offense and an average defense, as evidenced by BYU's 52-0 thumping of the Cowboys in Laramie two weeks ago.

Wyoming has little outside of history on its side for any chance to upset the world of hurt that is TCU football this season.

Wyoming defeated TCU two years ago in Laramie.

Last season, the Cowboys, although winless unless in conference play, went to Tennessee and stopped the Vols from reaching bowl eligibility.

Wyoming defeated a nine-win Virginia squad in 2007. In 2005, Wyoming went to Oxford and defeated the Mississippi Rebels.

Once upon a time, Wyoming was actually a major program. Wyoming went to a Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, three Sun Bowls, and a Gator Bowl, all before Jimmy Carter took the oath of office.

Wyoming has experienced a revival once in a while.

In 1988, Wyoming reached No. 10 in the AP poll before losing to the high-flying Houston Cougars.

In 1996, Wyoming lost in the WAC championship game to the Cotton Bowl-bound BYU Cougars, only to be left out of a bowl, even with a 10-2 record.

Wyoming last went to a bowl game in 2004, when the Cowboys defeated UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Not much was expected from Wyoming this year under their new head coach. After all, Wyoming had not won a conference game since 2007 and had not won one on the road since 2006. The Cowboys have done both this season.

So, the very fact that Wyoming is 5-5 with a shot at bowl eligibility is shocking to say the least.

Wyoming held Texas in check for a half, letting folks know that something was in the works.

The first real shocker came when Wyoming upset UNLV in Laramie. Most MWC observers had UNLV moving up to the middle of the conference this year.

Wyoming did go on a three-game losing streak while facing three of the conference's top four teams.

But it was last week's amazing comeback at San Diego State that really gives the Cowboys hope for the future. The Aztecs are another program attempting to return to respectability and were fighting for a bowl game. Wyoming, down 27-6 to start the fourth quarter, came back with 24 unanswered points to get the win.

After a near certain loss to TCU, Wyoming looks to reach bowl eligibility with a win over Colorado State in the rivalry known as the Border War. The Rams, after starting the season 3-0, have lost seven in a row, falling back after last year's relatively successful season.

TCU faces a few difficulties on the way to the win over the Cowboys.

The game is played at 7,200 feet, the highest altitude stadium in all of major college football.

The weather looks to be cold and nasty, with a wind chill factor near zero degrees.

The Wyoming fans are well-known in the Mountain West Conference for being the rudest and crudest folks around, not unexpected from a bunch of rough-and-tumble cowboys and roughnecks.

Unlike this other hostile factors, the Wyoming football team will not be able to mount a serious challenge to the Frogs, though.

52-3

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Creature Vs. Creature: Indiana Faces Purdue in the Bucket Game

Dan Karell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:45:46 -0500

After an extremely up and down season for both teams, Purdue and Indiana finish their seasons this Saturday at 3:30 PM in Bloomington, Indiana.

Indiana began the season winning their first three games, but they have lost seven of their last eight games and have nothing left to play for but pride and the Old Oaken Bucket, although that is big enough of a thing to play for.

Purdue won their first game against Toledo before losing five in a row. However, they had a massive upset over Ohio State to break that losing streak and are 2-2 since that game. They are now out of bowl contention, though, after losing a close one last week to Michigan State.

The Hoosiers last year were demolished in the Bucket game, losing 62-10 to Purdue in West Lafayette, but this season they are a much better team.

The offense has been improved greatly, with junior QB Ben Chappell taking the reins and putting up a great year statistically, throwing for 2,675 yards, a 63 percent completion rate, 15 touchdowns, and a 126.8 passer rating.

Along with that has been the great play of sophomore wide receivers Tandon Doss and Demarlo Belcher, who have combined for 1,617 yards on 130 receptions, with nine touchdowns between the two of them.

Another aspect that has helped the Hoosiers has been the great job by the offensive line, which has pushed around some of the best defensive teams in the country, including Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State.

Last year there were many injuries to the O-line, but they have been key this year to the Hoosiers' success by being healthy and playing as a team.

On the defensive side of the ball, the tandem of Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton has caused double-teams on both sides of the line, and they have still managed to record 23 tackles for losses and 8.5 sacks between the two of them.

This has opened up chances for Indiana's linebacker corps, and Matt Mayberry, Will Patterson, and Tyler Replogle have stepped up big. They are one, two, and three in the tackles made column in the statistics, and Mayberry has proven to be one of the Big Ten's best linebackers this season.

There are many seniors on the defense, and safeties Austin Thomas and Nick Polk must be mentioned. Thomas is finally healthy after injuring his knee last season, and he has played big all season. He leads the team with four interceptions.

His partner Polk, who has been playing injured all season, deserves a lot of credit for the way he has played this season and has been making timely hits and good reads on coverages throughout the long season.

For the Hoosiers, 10 of the 22 starters are going to be playing their final game, and they are expected to lead the team to victory.

If Indiana wants to win, they must:

1. Get in the face of Purdue QB Joey Elliott so that he can't make good throws to his receivers.

2. Establish a running game against the Purdue defense, which is one of the weakest in the Big Ten.

3. Maintain and improve on a lead, and not give it away like they have in previous weeks.

The Hoosiers are playing the biggest game of the season, and the sellout crowd will certainly be loud. I expect the Hoosiers to play big and bring the Bucket back to Bloomington.

My Prediction: Indiana wins on a Nick Freeland field goal, 38-35.

For Tim Cary's story on the game, click here .

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