Monday, September 24, 2007
Lessons in PR
By the way, the person he is attacking in the post-game press conference is a female reporter...and they won the game
Friday, September 21, 2007
Week 4 Preview (Cliff's Notes Version)
Lots of good conference matchups this week. Among the more interesting:
Penn St (Easty) at Michigan (0-0 in Big Ten, Goldy)
The Wolverines get to "start over" with their Big Ten opener.
South Carolina (Easty) at LSU (Bart)
LSU and USC are already trading "Who's Number 1?" back and forth on a weekly basis, But all that really matters is "Who's Number 1 or 2?" and every week is a challenge in the SEC. Expect a big play to decide a low scoring game.
Kentucky (Baradel) at Arkansas (Hensh)
Kentucky looked great in finishing off Louisville (great strategy to take an unsportsmanlike penalty to set up the winning TD). The Hogs lost steam late against 'Bama--maybe using McFadden every play isn't the best idea in the world....
Georgia (Brock) at Alabama (Baradel)
Nick Saban has another tough test at home. And it has to entrust his offense to a QB named John Parker Wilson. Sounds like a Hardy Boy.
Washington (Goldy) at UCLA (Coleman)
UCLA's loss to Utah was bizarre, and now they have a new and improved Washington team coming to town. Huskies for my upset special again.
Got to go, my brats are waiting.....
Friday, September 14, 2007
Week 3 Preview (Part 2)
Remember this...
Too bad there won't be enough scoring in this one to rile up emotions...
Arkansas (Hensh) at Alabama (Baradel)
The SEC is going to be fun to watch this year. Coach Saban's first real test at 'Bama, and hopefully Coach Nutt won't be distracted with any sideline texting this season.
Louisville (Goggles) at Kentucky (Baradel)
My upset special for the week. The game may come down to dueling Heisman contenders Brian Brohm and Andre' Woodson trading TDs. Woodson's three from the corner at the buzzer gives the Wildcats the win.
Boston College (Baradel) at Georgia Tech (Charlie)
Given the ACC's demise this year, this game seems destined to be replayed in Jacksonville for the conference title in December. I guess you have to give GT the advantage for actually winning a game out-of-conference already.
USC (Goggles) at Nebraska (Brock)
The Trojans' lead in the polls narrowed significantly this week after LSU's impressive performance against Va Tech. And as Tim Griffin reports, Bill Callahan is looking for a statement game to open his tenure in Lincoln. Game on
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Week 3 Preview (Part 1)
Let's hope for a bit more drama and suspense this week...
West Virginia (Coleman) at Maryland (Goldy)
Coach Friedgen is still living down the "non-recruitment" of Steve Slaton, and the Mountaineers have dominated the series recently. But if it takes West Virginia 2 1/2 quarters to get going like it did last week against Marshall, the Terps could take over clock management and take this one to the wire.
TCU (Goldy) at Air Force (Goldy)
I don't see how Goldy can come away empty handed from this one, but stranger things have happened. TCU had Texas on the ropes last week but couldn't close the deal.
Tennessee (Jerry) at Florida (Jerry)
Again, a no-lose situation. I predict this is the game Tim Tebow stakes his claim for Heisman candidacy. awarded this year for the best passer and preacher.
Notre Dame (Baradel) at Michigan (Goldy)
In many ways, this game is bigger than usual and more dramatic. The Big House will be full of rubberneckers, trying to get a better glimpse of the scene of the accident.
Ohio St (Jerry) at Washington (Goldy)
I like Washington at $1 for best value this year. Remember the name Jake Locker. If the Huskies can pull the upset, he'll be the reason why.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The State University of New Jersey
The play came late in the game, when Rutgers expanded its lead over Navy to a comfortable level after a tight three quarters.
Navy's Reggie Campbell took the kickoff and ran full speed ahead up the middle with all the force his 168-pound body could generate. Campbell, almost always the smallest and fastest man on the field, hit a wall of XXXL-sized scarlet jerseys and was slammed to the ground at the bottom of the pile. He got up slowly, limping off. This gutsy kid, a slotback who already spent three quarters being chased and tackled by gangs of defensive linemen and linebackers, all weighing at least 100 pounds more than him, was then given a dose of Rutgers' student section class.
''You got f---ed up. You got f---ed up. You got f--ed-up," they chanted.
Reggie Campbell is a senior. After graduation in June he has a five-year commitment to the American military, which, like it or not, is at war.
"This is how you treat people who may die for this country?" said Bill Squires, an Annapolis graduate (Class of'75) who was on the sidelines for the Friday night game in Piscataway and was shocked by the obscene chants directed at the Navy players and fans throughout the game. "It was the most classless thing I've seen..."
Monday, September 10, 2007
ACC You Later
What happened?
Virginia 3 Wyoming 23
NC State 23 Central Florida 25
Duke 14 Connecticut 45
North Carolina 31 East Carolina 34
is what. And that doesn't even count 38- and 41- point losses to real teams. Let's just say these aren't your father's Hurricanes.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Season Preview
Friday, September 7, 2007
Week 2 preview (Part 2)
This could be a trap game for the Broncos against a potential sleeper team and away from the comfort of their blue turf. Plus, if Ty starts winning some big games, he might be able to get a big-time job....
Notre Dame (Baradel) at Penn St (Easty)
The Clausen era begins at ND. What a knucklehead, though. Irish faithful best write off '07 and start thinking about the future. A reversal of last year's game seems about right.
South Florida (Jerry) at Auburn (Coleman)
Can the Bulls be this year's Rutgers? Auburn looked less than impressive last week, and they certainly could not be faulted for looking forward to their four-week stretch in late-Sept to mid-Oct where they play three ranked opponents on the road. Mark my words: it's going to be more fun watching Coleman slide down the standings this year than watching him just wallow in the cellar.
South Carolina (Easty) at Georgia (Brock)
May be the most exciting game of the week, and the first of many showdown games in the SEC this year. We'll see if the Ole Ball Coach really has got a team in Columbia this year--the police blotter would indicate that he does.
Cal (Baradel) at Colorado State (Goldy)
Cal waited 364 days to exact revenge on Tennessee, now they have to go high altitude for a game that's not a gimme. If TCU beats Texas and Colo St beats Cal, is this the year of the MWC (pronounced Mmmm-wack)???
Week 2 preview (Part 1)
The first "real" week of the season has arrived with some Keith Jackson "Oh, Nellie, they won't be huskin' any corn in Nebraska today, because everyone is in Lincoln for the BIG GAME" contests on tap.
Here is one review and several previews of Week 2
MTSU (Goldy) 42 at Louisville (Goggles) 58
Giving up 42 points (35 first half) and 555 total yards to a middling Sun Belt team is not a recipe for impressing voters. Goggles just lost the razor thin margin for error that he gave himself by only buying three teams.
Miami (Goldy) at Oklahoma (Easty)
Believe it or not, this inter-sectional rivalry has been dormant for almost twenty years. The Jimmy Johnson-led Hurricanes secured the National Championship with a 20-14 win in the '88 Orange Bowl last time they played (the Sooners lost three games '85-'87, all to Miami). Maybe Michael Irvin is taking some post-graduate classes, Miami might need him.
Oregon (Easty) at Michigan (Goldy)
Goldy and I are matching up well this weekend (did you get the App St t-shirt that I FedExed??). I want to watch this one just to see Lloyd Carr facial expressions.
Hawaii (Charlie) at Louisiana Tech (free agent)
A rare chance to see Charlie's Rainbows in action before midnight...and against an unclaimed team (so we can all root for 100 points). Do you realize that Hawaii didn't call a running play until the 4th quarter of their dismantling of Northern Colorado?
TCU (Goldy) at Texas (Baradel)
A stern test for the Longhorns coming off an unimpressive showing. My pick for an upset special.
Virginia Tech (Henshon) at LSU (Bart)
Baton Rouge is the place where national championship aspirations come to die; problem is LSU still looked like they had some kinks to work out early before finishing off Mississippi St. The pity meter will approach stratospheric levels--Bayou Bengals by a touchdown.
And here are the current standings...
Team Rank Pts
Goldberg 9 41
Bart 5 81
Jerry 3 85
Henshon 8 53
Goggles 4 82
Brock 1 98
Easty 6 76
Charlie 10 34
Coleman 2 94
Baradel 7 73