New Year's Preview

OUTBACK BOWL

January 1, 10:00 a.m. CST
Tampa

Tennessee (9-3) vs. Penn State (8-4)

Line: Tennessee -4

TENNESSEE Overview – Philip Fulmer of Tennessee may be the most hated great coach in all of college football. In additions to several well publicized rivalries with other SEC coaches, Fulmer constantly fields criticism and disrespect from his own fan base, even with a recent national title on his resume. The Vols bounced back from last season's 5-6 disappointment with a solid 9-3 campaign in 2006. They didn't get a lot of press, with Arkansas and Florida dominating the SEC headlines. But Tennessee was quietly good, tough and consistent all season long. Their losses to Florida and LSU came by a combined 5 points.

Offense – If you can find a guy more lethal and physically gifted than Vols WR Robert Meachem, chances are he's wearing a cape and changing clothes in a phone booth. Almost half of Erik Ainge's passing yards went to Meachem this year, and if you can't stop him, you will lose. Meachem's two lowest yardage outputs of the year were against Arkansas and Florida, two of the Vols' three losses. That's no coincidence; the Ainge to Meachem connection is the beginning, middle and end of Tennessee's offense. When Ainge played the entire game, Tennessee went 9-1, which is a pretty remarkable stat for a guy coming off a year where his TD/INT ratio was 5/7. The Vols running game was essentially AWOL against good defenses, and don't expect much improvement against Penn State. If Tennessee is running the ball well, it won't be close.

Defense – Jonathan Wade has been counted on intensely to make big plays following several early injuries up front in September, and Wade has responded well. The roster is filled with a whopping 54 freshmen, and several key ones are on defense, creating lots of optimism for the future. This is a unit that just doesn't allow explosive outbursts. Tennessee is 30-0 since 2001 when scoring 30 points or more. Penn State is 27-1, so its safe to say whichever team gets to 30 will win the football game. The big let down of the year was against LSU, when the Vols surrendered 247 passing and 231 rushing yards. The key to beating Penn State will be bruising the Lion running game, forcing Morelli to make bad decisions.

PENN STATE Overview – If scientists did DNA testing on Joe Paterno, and found to actually be Chuck Norris, would you really be that surprised? At an age when most people have been retired for 15 years, Paterno keeps churning out good teams, even when he breaks bones in his leg while standing on the sideline. The foundation has always been defense, and this year is no exception. The Lions are giving up about 15 ppg, one of the best figures you'll see in that category.

Offense – Anthony Morelli didn't strike fear in to Big 10 defenses the same way Michael Robinson did, and his 10/8 TD/INT ratio isn't very good. RB Tony Hunt is excellent, and one of the most underrated players in the Midwest. Hunt went over 130 yards 7 times this year. He's also a valuable threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, and his presence has been well utilized to take heat off Morelli. I'll be shocked if the 6-foot-2, 235 pound senior isn't building a mansion with his NFL dollars in the near future.

Defense – The Penn State front seven is absolutely phenomenal, boasting two Bednarik finalists, Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor. As stated above, the defense is very sound overall, limiting opponents with a fierce run stopping attack. However, when QBs have time to throw, the secondary has a tendency to get beat deep. If the pass rush is subdued, Robert Meachem should have a big game.

Prediction – The ultimate battle here is the Penn State pass rush vs. Robert Meachem. If the Vols battered offensive line can sustain protection, Ainge will find Meachem deep. If Penn State's rush can create havoc in the pocket, the Nittany Lions have a chance to win.

Tennessee 20, Penn State 16

For Recreational Purposes Only: too close to call

How Much Should You Want to Watch this Game: 8

CAPITAL ONE BOWL

January 1, noon CST
Orlando, FL

Arkansas (10-3) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)

WISCONSIN Overview – Despite going 11-1, the Badgers are one of the least known quantities among the nation's top 25 teams. Wisconsin hasn't beaten a single good team all year, and got handled by Michigan in its only loss. Brett Bielema kept the train moving full speed ahead after Barry Alvarez' departure, and this game is Wisconsin's chance to prove that their future is just as bright under Bielema as it was under Alvarez.

Offense – Apparently some engravers are already busy etching PJ Hill's name in to the 2008 and 2009 Heisman Trophies. 1533 yards is a stellar freshman campaign, but Hill certainly didn't close well, going over 100 yards only once in the Badgers' final 4 games. In fact, he hasn't averaged over 5 yards per carry since October 21, and it will be very interesting to see if the month off rejuvenates his young legs. With a RB like Hill, its incumbent on the QB to avoid turnovers, and John Stocco's 19/4 TD/INT ratio has been just what the doctor ordered. How much dropoff from Stocco will there be if Tyler Donovan is forced into action? Another question for the Badgers offense. The offensive line is once again outstanding.

Defense – For as much press as Hill received this year, the defense has been borderline unreal, rating as the number 2 pass defense and number 3 scoring defense in the nation. This is even more impressive, since teams that spend most of their season with a lead get thrown on much more often than normal. This team gave up 116 points in 11 games, a big time stat against any competition. If you can't get excited about seeing a D like this take on an offense like the Razorbacks', I doubt your credibility as a college football fan.

ARKANSAS Overview – Remember last year when Houston Nutt was an awful coach? One 10-3 season later, Nutt has a contract extension and an SEC West title in tow. The Hogs were one of several teams that could have won their last couple games and been playing Ohio State in the national title, but the 10 win season still surpassed the expectations of almost everyone, save prognosticator Phil Steele, who had the Hogs as one of his surprise teams of the year. Is it really possible that this team has a coach named Nutt and two quarterbacks named Dick and Johnson?

Offense – I'm not sure how many teams in college football history have had two running backs go for 1,000 yards but zero quarterbacks throw for 1,000 yards. It's a testament to the Hogs complete reliance on the run, and their non-existant chances of remaining competitive when they have to throw. Casey Dick looked positively awful against LSU and Florida, throwing for a combined 13-39 and 177 yards in the two losses. Mitch Mustain may be the quarterback of the future, but he struggled enough to get benched in favor of Dick at midseason. RB Darren McFadden is probably the best QB on the team, and his numbers (1558 rushing yards, 14 TD, 149 receiving yards, 1 TD, 72 passing yards, 3 TD) usually don't occur outside of video games. The dude has a 249.9 passer rating, higher than the two starting QB combined. WR Marcus Monk is fantastic when the QBs can get him the ball.

Defense – The D was good this year, giving up only 18 points per game, and if you remove the 50 point disaster against USC, the average is about 15. The D is helped by the possession attack of the Hogs' running game, but has been genuinely good in its own right for most of the year. Its hard to tell if the unit is wearing down at season's end, or has just been overcome by good competition. They couldn't get key stops against LSU and Florida, and will have to shut down PJ Hill on lots of third down tries. Can they get it done?

Prediction – This one is really tough to call, because we know almost exactly how good Arkansas is, and have very little idea how good Wisconsin is. The Hogs have played 4 top ten teams, and even though they've gone 1-3 in those games, I think they're more prepared to play a game like this. I think this game is the most exciting matchup of all the bowls, and I'll be disappointed if its not an Instant Classic.

Arkansas 24, Wisconsin 17.

For recreational purposes only: Arkansas -1.5

How Much Should I Want to See This Game: 10

ROSE BOWL

January 1, 4 p.m. CST
Pasadena, CA

USC (10-2) vs. Michigan (11-1)

MICHIGAN Overview – One can argue the Michigan vs. Florida debate for years; the bottom line is, neither team distinguished itself significantly from the other, and voters were forced to make a decision without enough evidence either way. I think its incumbent on Michigan, as it always is on emotionally charged teams, to let their emotions support their actions on the field, and not overwhelm them. Oh yeah, and the USC team they're playing is pretty good.

Offense– If Michigan had beaten Ohio State in Columbus, its very possible Mike Hart would have gained the critical mass of popular opinion and gone on to finish as high, or higher than Troy Smith in the final Heisman balloting. He didn't, but his 1500 yard, 14 TD season didn't get tons of national attention. With Michigan's trio of spectacular WRs (Manningham, Breaston and Arrington) making all the highlight reel grabs, Hart epitomized toughness, lugging the little brown ball 301 times for an even 5 yards a pop. The Wolverines' dependence on a robust running performance is clear when looking at Chad Henne's numbers over the last three years; his yardage, TDs and INTs have all dropped every year as Michigan has grown into this year's elite outfit.

Defense – You don't put up numbers like the Wolverines D has without boasting extremely good LBs, and Michigan has three, LaMarr Woodley, Prescott Burgess and Dave Harris. The secondary didn't handle Ted Ginn too well, and although not many units do, it will be interesting to see if Dwayne Jarrett and the USC offense model their aerial attack after the one used by the Buckeyes. John David Booty hasn't seen a pass rush like this, and applying the heat will, as always, be of paramount importance.

USC Overview – They play in the Coliseum, they're the toast of Los Angeles, countless go on to NFL contracts every year, and they're accompanied on road trips by the gorgeous white-sweatered Song Girls, and yet…I just can't hate the Trojans. Under Pete Carroll, USC does everything great programs do; win close games, win big games, and win with class. And this year, they're winning with defense. Last year's much-maligned Trojan defensive eleven only gave up more than 24 once this season.

Offense – Don't get crazy at the highlight reel catches Jarrett and Smith make early in this Rose Bowl. The numbers to focus on are 86 and 55: USC's rushing output in its two losses. It doesn't matter how they do it, great playcalling, stretching the D, excellent blocking, Trojan success is directly tied to the young legs of CJ Gable and Chauncey Washington. Booty has to be considered a Heisman frontrunner for 2007, but his highest two yardage games of 2006 came in losses. If USC is running the ball well, even if the scoreboard doesn't reflect it early, they'll do well. Obviously, this is a tough task against the Michigan front 7.

Defense – You know you're dealing with a great coach when the keys to victory change due to team composition, but the stellar results remain the same. Lose two Heisman winners on offense? Oh well, we'll just trot out one of the best scoring defenses in the nation. The Pac-10 has plenty of wild offenses capable of scoring, and USC held all of them to 22 or below save Oregon State. Don't overlook the 14 point and 10 point performances at Arkansas and against Nebraska early on. Those were early season games, but the unit's proficiency on D is clear.

Prediction – It's really something how closely these teams align in overall stats. USC has 364 PF and 179 PA, Michigan has 362 and 175. Both teams finished with a loss to their rival and are disappointed, not thrilled, to be in the Rose Bowl. A late Mike Hart TD wins it for Michigan, and they finish the season ranked #2.

Michigan 21, USC 16

For Recreational Purposes Only: don't bet it

How Much Should I Want to See This Game: 9

Alamo Bowl Showdown

(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)

ALAMO BOWL

AlamoDome, San Antonio TX

3:30 p.m. CST, Dec. 30th

Texas (9-3) vs. Iowa (6-6)

Line: Texas -9

IOWA Overview – Remember back in August, when ESPN's Mark May was picking Iowa to make the national championship game in that hypothetical tournament SportsCenter did with magnets? Yeah, those days are long gone. A promising 5-1 start quickly evaporated into five straight Big 10 losses, including setbacks to Indiana, Northwestern and Minnesota. A confluence of factors did the Hawks in, among them; an unfortunate rash of injuries to key playmakers, an inability to stretch a defense with fast receivers, and an apparent lack of leadership. After a limping through a season which saw them lose at Kinnick Stadium three times (they'd only lost twice there in four years), its safe to say Iowa has a lot to play for against the Longhorns.

Offense – If anyone tries to tell you that Drew Tate makes the Hawkeye offense go, tell them otherwise. A healthy, effective Albert Young drives the Iowa attack, and AY will have to be clicking on all cylinders for the Hawks to have a chance. Damien Sims is about as good a second back as you'll find on a sub top-25 team; look for him to spell Young effectively. The Iowa WRs will be good in the future, but their time is not now, and certainly not against the physical, Texas D. In a rare occurrence, Kirk Ferentz failed to produce a stellar offensive line for the first time in recent memory. Kyle Schlicher continues the tradition of excellent place kicking.

Defense – Despite failing to consistently deliver the goods, the Iowa defense does have some outstanding individual playmakers, including defensive end Kenny Iwebema and safety Marcus Paschal. Hawkeye leading tackler linebacker Mike Klinkenberg is likely out due to a foot injury. The unit was also capable of producing huge efforts in big games, hanging with Michigan in Ann Arbor until a late TD produced the final, 20-6. Norm Parker has drawn the ire of fans in recent years for his playcalling (then again, really, which Iowa assistant hasn't), but its safe to say the defense was not the reason for the Hawks' disappointing 2006.

TEXAS Overview – The job Mack Brown did in Austin this year went mostly overlooked in 2006 due to season-ending losses to Kansas State and Texas A & M. But to that point, the 'Horns were 9-1, with victories over capable rivals Oklahoma State, Baylor and the eventual Big 12 Champion, Oklahoma. All this after handing the reins to freshman Colt McCoy, who left the state of Texas for the first time in shoulder pads to defeat Nebraska, 22-20. A series of brutal hits in the A&M game sent McCoy to the hospital but he has been cleared to play against the Hawkeyes.

Offense – Normally when you hear something like "We don't know which McCoy we're going to see," it's a comment about a player's consistency, and lack thereof. But in this case, Iowa really doesn't know which McCoy they're going to see; the injured freshman Colt, or his senior backup, Matt. No one knows much about Matt McCoy, but Colt came a long way in his first campaign, completing 68.7% of his passes for 2262 yards. The Longhorns staff does a great job of putting McCoy in low-risk situations, as evidenced by his 27/7 TD/INT ratio. Limas Sweed is very good, and Quan Cosby is a guaranteed mismatch for a number two cornerback like Adam Schada of Iowa. No one will hear too much about Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young until they're making millions on Sunday.

Defense – The question mark here for Texas won't be the talent of the players, it will be how they are coached. Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik is gone to the head job at Iowa State, and while the 'Horns have had ample time to prepare for his absence, it would be silly to not wonder, at least, how the defense will perform in its first game without him. Aaron Ross is a stud CB, and the lines are, as always big and extremely physical.

Prediction – If Colt McCoy is close to 100 percent, the fourth quarter shouldn't matter. Iowa has an excellent coaching staff, and the defense is capable of big games. But Texas is too strong, too fast, and too good for this to be close.

Texas 33, Iowa 14

For Recreational Purposes Only: Texas -9

How Bad Should I Want to Watch This Game: 7 on a scale of 10.

Big Ten Bowl Preview

(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)

The Illini may not be in a bowl but that doesn't stop the Orange&Blue News from previewing Big Ten teams that play this holiday season. Today we take a look at the Purdue-Maryland, Minnesota-Texas Tech games.

INSIGHT.COM BOWL

Tempe, AZ

December 29, 7:30 p.m.

Texas Tech (7-5) vs. Minnesota (6-6)

MINNESOTA Overview – I'm going to write a few hundred words about this game, but here's the Cliff's Note: Minnesota can not stop the pass, and will lose to any team that can effectively complete passes without turning the ball over. And these aren't "we gave up a couple really big games and skewed the statistics" numbers. These are "we just kicked off the Kellen Lewis for Heisman" numbers. To the team's credit, they finished strong. And by strong, I mean beat three bad teams to go 6-6. As far as bowl teams go, the Gophers are pretty bad in my view.

Offense – While the Gopher D is dreadful against the pass, Bryan Caputo and the offense isn't too bad at throwing the ball around. Caputo put up some gaudy numbers against Indiana and Penn State, throwing for over 330 yards in each game, and was surprisingly effective against Michigan, tagging the Wolves for 215 and no INT. The key for Minnesota on offense is turnovers. Over the current three game winning streak, the Gophs have won the turnover battle 11-1. With that kind of security, Caputo is much more likely to inherit the ball in good field position and, additionally, keep the tragic Golden D out of bad field position, where just one or two passes will mean a score. Amir Pinnix had about the least glamorous 1,000 yard season one can imagine, going over 120 yards just once.

Defense – Here's a D that absolutely must create turnovers to give their offense a chance to win. When they don't win the turnover battle, here's what happens: combined losses to Cal, Wisconsin and Ohio State by a score of 134-29, and that's with turnovers 6-5 against the Gophs. In some cases, they managed to subdue teams on the scoreboard just enough to give the offense a chance to win the game. This would be a wise feat to replicate; the bend-but-don't-break, high yards but low points formula has proven effective against Texas Tech over the years.

TEXAS TECH Overview – Red Raider Head Coach Mike Leach is easily the nation's leader in "completely bizarre yet strangely profound" quotes per game, with his career best being the outstanding riff on "Mike's Pirate School" as a jab at Texas A&M a couple years ago. Always on the periphery of major coaching discussions, Leach has had the Raiders as consistently good as anyone in the Big 12 outside Oklahoma and Texas. 2006 was the first year in awhile he's put an underclassman in charge of his intricately designed brand of the west coast offense, and the growth Graham Harrell has shown since August is bad news for Minnesota.

Offense – 3rd in NCAA passing yards, 7th in total yards and 15th in scoring, there really hasn't been a big dropoff in production from this Texas Tech team compared to years past. While the offense does have the capability to throw deep, possession football is the word, and Leach's offense manages the football and the game extremely well. The spread passing game creates good chances for Shannon Woods, who compiled a very effective 6.1 yards per carry on the year. Joel Filani is a receiver in the Wes Welker mode, with big time numbers in catches and yards.

Defense – Texas Tech has had some bad second halves on defense, gagging a big lead against Texas, and showing a tendency to wear down when forced to go to the bench. The mystifying performance of the year was a 30-point surrender at Colorado. The Gophers might be wise to exploit the Buffaloes' game plan; Tech surrendered 228 yards on the ground. When you beat the Red Raiders defense, you do it on the ground.

Prediction – Amir Pinnix needs to have a very good game rushing, and the Minnesota offense must have no more than 1 turnover to really have a chance to compete. Harrell won't really have to do anything flashy to move the ball consistently, and Tech should have a relatively easy victory.

Texas Tech 36, Minnesota 20

For Recreational Purposes Only: Take Texas Tech -6.5

How Bad Should I Want to Watch This Game: 4 on a scale of 10.

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL

Orlando, FL

December 29, 8:00 p.m.

Purdue (8-5) vs. Maryland (8-4)

PURDUE Overview – The Boilers had to be about the most easy-to-predict, straight and narrow football team in the Big 10 this year. They didn't lose a single embarrassing game, and didn't really get close to an upset. They did exactly what you thought they'd do in every game. So the problem now, is clearly, figuring out if they're supposed to beat Maryland or not.

Offense – Curtis Painter tossed 3700 yards and 21 TD this year. The accompanying bad news is a whopping interception total of 18. That's just far too many for an offense to remain efficient, and it's the biggest explanation for how a team can finish 7th nationally in total yards, and yet not come within 12 of a single good team. The running attack wasn't too great to begin with, and key injuries suffered on Oahu during the Hawaii game will make Painter job's tougher. Dorien Bryant had a really good season at WR, snagging 79 balls for over 900 yards and 11 TD. He's got to get open early and often to keep some pressure off Painter, and keep him from having to find secondary and tertiary targets. That's when the picks start happening, and they will be Purdue's undoing.

Defense – Purdue's D has recovered a whopping 17 fumbles in 2006, and that stat has helped the unit appear a lot more formidable on paper than it really is. The yardage totals in the five Purdue losses is staggering; only Notre Dame among the five failed to tally 180 yards by both ground and air. That's a really bad stat, because it shows the D isn't getting beat by big play breakdowns in one consistent area. They're balanced, and not in a good way. Even in late season wins to Illinois and Indiana, the Boilers got beat for at least 430 yards. They're 112th in the nation in the run, and the trend is nothing new in West Lafayette. Since 2001, Purdue has a losing record when scoring less than 40 points. This is not the defense of a bowl team.

MARYLAND Overview – The ACC is kind of the anti-Big 10 this year. Unlike the Big 10, with two (maybe three) great teams, and really no quality in the middle, the ACC was loaded top to bottom with average to above average teams. I'd guess that 7 ACC teams; Maryland, Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson would have all finished 4th in the Big 10. Maryland was in a position to seal a division crown not once but twice, and fell on their sword each time, sending Wake Forest to a conference title, and Jim Grobe to a National Coach of the Year honor. With only 12 seniors, this is a team on the rise, and Friedgen's squad should contend for division titles consistently in the coming years.

Offense– Sam Hollenbach. That's the name of a guy just destined to play Quarterback, isn't it? Hollenbach progressed a lot in the mid-autumn, and was an effective leader for most of the stretch drive, leading the Terps to 5 straight wins by a total of 13 points. The Terps have either been lucky or clutch when they don't bring their A-game; they're 17-6 when they score between 20 and 30 in the last 5 years. Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore present a two-RB tandem similar to Purdue's, but this pair is a little stronger and faster than their West Lafayette counterparts. None of the receiving threats are that scary; balance is the word on offense.

Defense – In seven games against non-ranked teams, Maryland is 7-0 while giving up 16.8 ppg in those games. The defense has been just good enough to win, and just will not let itself get beat by teams that aren't good. Adam Podlesh has been a solid weapon at Punter in close games, averaging at least 42 yards per punt in every ACC win this year. Defense has been the staple of the recent Friedgen era at Maryland, and this year's Terps personify that trend. Their goal is to be good enough to win, and they have been just that in eight games this year.

Prediction – The Terrapins haven't lost to a non-ranked team this year, and they're not going to start now. Maryland has three wins on their schedule better than any Purdue's. If they hold on to the football and force Painter to hurry his decisions and look for second and third options, they should win.

Maryland 28, Purdue 23.

For Recreational Purposes Only: Take Maryland in a pick'em.

How Much Should I Want to See This Game: 4.5 on a scale of 10.

Friday, an Iowa-Texas game preview.

All I Want For Christmas

(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)

A California JC back who has been around the football block is looking forward to making Illinois his final collegiate destination.

Daniel Dufrene , a 5-foot-10, 192-pound back from College of the Sequoias (Visalia, Ca.) committed to play for Ron Zook's Illini on December 12, after taking a visit to Champaign December 8.

Coming out of high school, Dufrene had committed to Minnesota before changing course and going to Vanderbilt. He then left Vanderbilt to play at College of the Sequoias last summer. Through it all, the Florida native has always had the Big Ten squarely in his sights.

"The Big 10 is just a highly competitive conference," Dufrene said. "And its been proven over time that if you do well there, you have a chance to take your game to the next level."

Dufrene will transfer and move to Champaign in January, giving him the upcoming semester to acclimate himself to the new climate in practice and in the classroom.

This season, Dufrene carried 75 times for 592 yards and 6 TDs. He also caught five passes for one score and amassed a quarterback rating of 556.0, according to the College of Sequoias team website, throwing for a TD on his only pass attempt of the year. Dufrene will have three years of eligibility at Illinois.

On his December visit, Dufrene was convinced by both Ron Zook's coaching staff and Illini player host Antonio Steele that success in junior college can be a big ingredient to succeeding at Illinois.

While the all purpose back is a little hesitant about the Midwest weather, he does have one big Christmas wish. "All I want for Christmas is just to get to Illinois, and get off to a good start," Dufrene said. "I can't wait to get started."

The Latest on Sagesse

(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)

A three-star defensive lineman from Canada wants to play for Ron Zook's Fighting Illini, pending a final decision on his eligibility from the University of Illinois.

Renaldo Sagesse, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive tackle from Vieux Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, wants to start school at Illinois in January if his academic standing is cleared by the school.

Sagesse expects a decision within a couple weeks from the University of Illinois.

Sagesse, a native French speaker who just began speaking English at age 10, was offered a scholarship at Wisconsin, but was not allowed in to school by the admissions department of the Big Ten school.

According to Sagesse, several schools appeared close to offering scholarships, but balked when he was denied admission at Wisconsin. Illinois is his only standing offer.

If he is not accepted at Illinois, he plans to visit Michigan on January 12, as a guest of the coaching staff there. He did say definitively, however, that if he gains admission to Illinois, he wants to be a member of Ron Zook's program.

"They're good people there at Illinois," Sagesse said. "It's a really nice place and a very good situation for me, I would like to go there."

Due to an extra year of Canadian prep school, Sagesse is already 19, and appears prepared, size-wise, to play college football. He is a three-star prospect in the Rivals.com database, and boasts 5.1 speed in the 40-yard dash.

Brewster Looks to the Future

(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)

A three-star quarterback from one of the winningest high school programs in Colorado is ready to help reverse Illinois' football fortunes.

Clint Brewster, a quarterback from Denver's Mullen High School, just wrapped his second straight season guiding Mullen to a second-place finish in the state of Colorado. Those two campaigns, coupled with a state title run in 2004, have given Brewster plenty of experience leading winning teams. That success is a trend he hopes continues at Illinois.

"I don't care where Illinois has been in the past, or what they did last year, or before I got there," Brewster explained. "I'm all about looking to the future, and the future looks good to me."

Brewster's recent past is marked with a second-straight disappointment in the state championship game, but according to Brewster, his focus is on the future.

"I'll think about that game forever, being our second chance to win it and all," Brewster said Friday. "But the initial sting has worn off, and I'm just focusing on getting stronger, smarter, and getting ready to play for Illinois."

Part of that vision toward the future has been following the rest of Illinois' recruits through the fall, and according to Brewster, he's pleased with the work Ron Zook's Illini have done. "I talked to Arrelious (Benn) on my official, and also saw that they just got a commitment from Martez (Wilson)," said Brewster. "Things look real, real good for the future."

Brewster, the son of Denver Broncos tight end coach/former Illini great Tim Brewster, is often credited with being a very smart player. While that kind of praise is typical of a coach's son, the 6-foot-1, 187 pound "pro-style" QB said growing up "around the game" hasn't been the entire secret to his success, but has helped him gain an extra edge by lending him a familiarity with certain game situations.

Brewster threw for 2,082 yards and 22 TD's this year, completed 141 of 245 pass attempts. Mullen dropped the state final, 13-10, to Columbine HS on December 3.

Brock Ready for Visits

(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)

A playmaking tight end from Texas is gaining steam, and will visit Illinois in January as he considers whether to keep his verbal commitment to UTEP.

Logan Brock, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end from Copperas Cove (Tx.), is coming off a run deep in to the Texas class 4-A playoffs that left his team just short of a title, but left Brock with a lot more attention from recruiters.

While insisting that UTEP is still his first choice, Brock conceded that the door is "pretty wide open" for him to revoke his commitment.

On the heels of a season that saw him register solid numbers (31 catches, 500 yards, 6 TD's), Brock was a key component of an offense that led Copperas Cove all the way to the state championship. His contributions didn't go unnoticed by schools still trying to make hay in the rich recruiting terrain of Texas high schools.

Brock has received offers of late from several schools, including Illinois, which looks to be running a close second behind UTEP, due to one advisor very close to Brock.

"My dad speaks very highly of the Big Ten," Brock said. "He says the best athletes play there, and you have to be ready every week, and that's just what I'm looking for."

Brock's father played at Indiana in the 1970s, and, according to Brock, is pushing to keep the Big 10 tradition in the family. But Dad isn't the only thing that has the Illini front and center in Brock's sights. The Texan has been impressed with Ron Zook, both in person and on paper.

"Coach Zook has been successful at many different programs against top competition," Brock said. "He's also a really nice guy that made the effort to come down and visit me in central Texas."

Brock will return the favor on January 19, visiting Champaign between weekend trips to TCU and Iowa State. He visits Kansas January 5, and expects a decision shortly after all four visits are complete.

Giddy, Absolutely Giddy

December 6 - The title says it all. I am GIDDY. Read on:

I recently obtained a web program that renders stats regarding how many people are visiting this column, and how they're finding their way here. It never says "WHO" is coming, so don't worry, fair reader: your anonymity is safe, continue squirreling looks at my prose while working your competitive salaried with benefits day job. You can't be found. As far asnumbers go, the page gets about 13 first time visitors per day, which excites me. However, 'tis not the cause for my giddiness.

One of the great features of the service is it can show you what people typed in Google search engine that led them to this site. Get a load of this - I got a visitor this morning from Denver, CO that typed in to Google the following:

"Bring back Jake Plummer"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Excuse me. One second.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

If you read my real time blogging last Sunday, you'll know I was absolutely delighted at the prospect of watching this Denver QB thing unfold over the next few weeks and (hopefully) the entire off season. I predicted the second Jay Cutler went in the game that this was going to be hilarious. The moronic, lunatic fans in Denver that have been booing Jake Plummer for two years are going to get just what they wanted, and then realize how completely wrong they were all along. Its almost Greek.

And now fans from DENVER are finding this site by googling BRING BACK JAKE PLUMMER.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

So, just to make sure that all the in-laws find their way here, I submit the following phrases, intended to draw as many bitter Denver fans to this site as is humanly possible:

bring plummer back
cutler stinks
cutler's awful
rookies dont win division titles
plummer > cutler
shanahan benches afc title game quarterback
what were we thinking
cutler has never played on a winning team
6-14, 2 INT, one fumble
our entire fan base is criminally insane
current location and employment status of John Elway

There you go. Have at it, Google!

Big Sunday Blog

12:36 – Just woke up. Already pissed. Tried to wake up at 11Am, so I could go to my free picks website, and get the top 5 free NFL picks of the day. Now, 80% of the games have already started, and the only pick on the entire top 10 I can take is…the Raiders and the UNDER. Sleeping 25 minutes too long means the only money I have in play today is on the fucking Raiders. What a disaster.

Raiders -3 and UNDER 36. Jesus. Guarantee, I’m going to be seeing Art Shell’s blank stare in my sleep when the lose by 14 and the total is 50.

12:55 - Here's another thing that makes me really uncomfortable. My top scorer today is a former Iowa Hawkeye. Luckily, he's a former Hawkeye that we beat 4 times in a row, so he knows the Truth, but still...if a Hawk leads me to victory today, I might have to throw it back like a home run at Wrigley, while puking in my mouth from the Hawk stench.


1:01 - This one comes in from loyal reader Jared Macke in Bellevegas, IL:

"4th and goal on the 1...and Rackers doesn't kick a Field Goal?!?!? Are you fucking kidding me!!"

This illustrates a good point. Playing fantasy is torture. Its alot like being in a relationship. When you're in one, a big part of you is always like...god, life would be so much more fun if I didn't have this commitment. And when you're out of one, you're usually just like.....goood.............I want to get some. Like, when you're not in a fantasy league you sit there watching football drinking your sad looking Mich Light thinking "man...this could really be exciting if I had a reason to cheer for meaningless TDs." And when you're in a fantasy league, you're constantly watching games going "Man, I could actually enjoy this game if I could just watch it instead of wishing for meaningless TDs."

1:04 - Let's remind ourselves exactly whats at stake in the Justice League today:

I need to either win, or Corey needs to lose, or if I lose and he wins, I need to not let him outscore me by 39. This shouldn't be that hard, and it doesn't really matter that much. There are no byes involved, the big difference is playing Stojak in the semis or the finals.

The fight for the D1 playoff spots are like this:
Eddie ---
Sam -1
Mark -19
Matty -39
Jared -54

Two will get in. Its going to be intense, and the reward for the last wild card spot is probably going to be beating me in the first round.

1:08 - I'm down 4 in a big money pick 'em league with just 5 NFL weeks to play. I am at a point where I need to start picking some underdogs to give myself a chance to get within a point or two by the last week, because 2nd place does me absolutely no good. My big upset this week is Cleveland over Kansas City. They're only a 5 point dog, and sometimes I big winners based on which coach I think is due for a big awkward media moment after a disappointing loss...like we haven't seen any thing really good on a "We play to win the game." from Herm Edwards lately. What do you say, Herm?

1:12 - Iowa State's playing Drake in basketball today. Drake is probably the best college in Iowa, and by best college, I mean the place where you'd go for school, and not to see good basketball. Iowa State's Mike Taylor has 7 points out of our first 10. Taylor is like that really annoying video game basketball player that was always on the computer's team. Sometimes when the computer decides to do awesome, he'll just start chucking threes from like 25 feet and swishing them. Then, for no apparent reason, he'll get really confused and throw a pass to the scorer's table. 15:10 1st, 12-5 Cyclones.

1:16 - Here are the games of record in the pick 'em league for the early NFL slot:

Hartman 114 Jets SD KC Atl
Romer 112 Jets Buff KC Atl
Golden 110 Pack SD Cle Wash

Notice how Hartman is always in the majority. He's a bastard like that. Jets at Pack is already my "what the fuck was I thinking?" game of the day. The Jets D against an awful Pack O-Line? Jets no scared by snow and cold. Damn it. Could cost me the title.

1:20 - Made a big trade in my fantasy league last week. Gave up my backup TE, my backup WR and next year's 1st and 4th round picks for Tom Brady, because McNabb went down. Brady's just not that good. He's consistent, and he likely won't throw for 0 yards, but I mistakenly thought "dating Bridget Moynahan" was some kind of Big Play Bonus.

1:23 - Corey's currently beating me by 32 points, and all his big guns already have TDs: Manning to Marvin, and the Bears D. Typical. Meanwhile, Kevin Jones is peeing himself because he's beating New England, and Torry Holt is filling out his Social Security papers. Look for a big second half from those two.

1:27 - Through the first half, my three WR, Holt Driver and Roy Williams, who three weeks ago were all in the top 10 in the league, have combined for 4 points. Driver actually has negative receiving yards at half time. Is that possible? This relationship stinks.

1:28 - I have commented on this before, but Leinart's picture on FantasyCast makes me laugh every time. It was taken under one of two scenarios: the photographer told him to picture himself as Darth Vader, or it was taken moments after he found out he had ruined his amazing bachelor existence by knocking up an ugly 6 foot basketball player from USC.

1:36 - Somehow, KC just converted 4th and 4 and 2 plays later they've got 1st and goal. This is the stuff GameCast misses. Who fucked up? What was the look on the Browns faces when they were reminded they're 3-9 for a reason?

1:38 - For a second, I think to myself: Awesome, Peyton and the Bears D haven't done much lately. Hard to score from the locker room eating orange slices. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

1:40 - Torrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry HOLT! Holt's really my money player. I have him in both fantasy leagues, and I also have Jeff Wilkins, so Holt's TDs are really like 10 point plays for me usually. I also picked the Rams to win today, so pretty much my destiny is tied to a star, and that star is Torry Holt.

1:44 - KC is going to beat the Browns. Going to remain 5 back, assuming the Redskins can hold off the Falcons. But can't you just see Vick deciding to run for 100 yards in the 2nd half and them winning like 31-14?

1:49 - I may have a chance to upset Eddie in the first round of the NCSA playoffs. I've got Gates and Holt with TDs so far. This is a common response, sinc ethat league doesn't show scores until players are done with their games. So I often think I have a shot, when I'm actually getting beaten by 20.

3:20 - Sorry about that hour and a half delay, my little blogosphere. My girlfriend demanded that someone go with her to this new restaurant called The Grove, and when I suggested some names of her friends, she said "Don't tell me who to hang out with, I want to eat with you." It was really fun.

So here's what we missed:

Cleveland beats KC! I feel like a total genius. Its pretty rare that only ONE person in a pick 'em league picks a team to win, and they do. I have been saying all year that Cleveland is better than people think.

Washington loses to Atlanta. I feel like a total dumbass. Rookie QB, backup RB, and Vick finally had the cathartic "give the finger to the crowd moment" last week and now he feels like he's starting over. Atlanta wins.

Pack loses huge. That was a tough one to pick. I'm now 5 back in pick 'em, but I have lots of chances this afternoon to gain points.

Hartman MIA TB DAL
Me JAX PITT NYG

First of all, Hartman is good. He's in the 99% of our pick em league. But TB winning at PITT??? Tampa Bay is 3 plays away from being 0-11, they're probably the worst team in the NFL, winning at the Super Bowl champs who have had their manhood questioned for the last month? I am one of only two people in the league to pick the Giants. I think this is another case of people going with hype. Is Dallas really that much better than NYG? No. At the Meadowlands, in December. People often misinterpret when teams get after each other in the media. More often than not, teams bond over this stuff and play really well that week. See: Cleveland Browns.

Iowa State just lost to Drake 80-78. We shot a 3 pointer at the buzzer that was ruled no basket. I'm not really upset. We didn't deserve to win the game, and I have 100% confidence in G-Mac. This is a good game to have played now. We'll remember what this feels like when we play Missouri and Kansas.

Romer picked Buffalo to beat CHargers, I just learned, so that's another game gained on second place.

My fantasy team #1 snuck up and had a pretty awesome day. Ladell Betts, former Hawkeye, leads me to victory. Vomit. Torry Holt put down the walker and caught 100 yards. I think I'm pretty safe as far as not letting Corey beat me by 39 points, which is all that matters today. Donald Driver benefitted from this team's ultimate suckitude, and scored 10 points. So I'm at 98, and my defense hasn't played yet. Another pretty good effort. These kids got moxie!

I'm in a position where if Delhomme and Steve Smith have a big day in NCSA league, I may be able to pull off the huge #7 over #2 upset. Eddie's team is a juggernaut, but if Delhomme throws a long Td pass to Smith...both starters of mine...oh the Deuce could cry....which is sad...but not really.

Iowa State wrestles Iowa in 30 minutes. Two Olympic champion coaches going head to head. Cael > Brands. Go Clones.

3:34 - Let's look at this Justice League points race.

Mark is having an OK game, but not really the breakout effort he needs to have a chance to win. He's got Steve Smith, LJ Smith, the Panthers D and Joey Galloway left, and needs a boatload of points.

Sam has 76 with only Reggie Brown, Andre Johnson, and Josh Brown left to go. That's just not the effort you expect from the Spliffs in a knockout game.

Eddie has 69 with Fred Taylor, Eric Moulds and Jason Witten. None of these teams really seem to want it.

Does Pickar have a chance? Matty has 79 points with Delhomme, the Denver D and Brian Westbrook left to play. That is a very, very conceivable 60 points, which would mean as long as no one else scores over 100, Matty would be in. Wow.

Jared is putting up a really good week, but its not going to be enough to beat them all by 59. Unless Alexander scores 50 points.

3:53 - Did you hear? Cleveland beat Kansas City!

4:08 - If you want a laugh, feel free to track your Fantasy Cast and look at the pictures of all the guys from Oakland and Houston. And just picture them as that 40 year old guy that lives on your block that used to play football in junior college and you every now and then seem him running around the block, just knowing that if a gun were to his head, he thinks he could have made the NFL.

4:10 - How many days you think until TO makes some snide comment about Tony Romo, where the rookie finally loses a game, and they ask TO how he feels about it, and he gets that little half smile and says something like...what do you think I think? You saw the game. And basically rips his team organization and city apart for another 4 weeks. Romo just fumbled. O/U 2.5 weeks.

4:20 - Commisserating with the Deuce right now about the Chiefs disappointing loss. Deuce is a huge Chiefs fan; when I was growing up, I always pulled for them because they had ISU colors. One thing I really enjoy about my place in the world as a huge sports dork is that my buddies often call to either celebrate their team's victories or mourn their losses, even though I'm not a fan of that team. They know I'm paying attention on some level. I always feel bad when I have bet on a team to lose that one of my buddies is pulling for. Like, Deuce is really sad right now, and frustrated at the KC inability to blitz Charlie Frye, but I'm happy because the Browns made me look really, really smart. I'm such a softie.
For the record, I think KC will make the playoffs and me totally fine. I think they beat JAX, OAK and BAL and go 10-6.

4:26 - Here's a question I think that's worth pondering. If you were designing the ideal sports league, what would you throw in the mix. Let's say the sport doesn't matter to you at all. Because a lot of peoplpe think that the fact that underdogs win so often in the NFL makes it a great sport. But is almost random outcomes really that great? I mean, the prohibitive Super Bowl favorite just lost to the freakin Titans. (Who have by the way won 5 of their last 7.) Is this what we want in a league? Also, isn't it kind of amazing when you think about it that the best team in baseball in a given year wins 65% of their games, and the best team in football wins like 85%? It seems like favorites should win much more often in football, becaus ethe gap in final record between best and worst teams is so great. And in the NBA, you can pretty much just bet against the team coming off the longest road trip.

4:32 - Gonna have to give the slight edge to Sam now in the playoff hunt in D1. He's up to 80. I guarantee, whichever one of these teams looks the worst this week will play me and beat me.

4:42 - Cyclones losing to Hawks 6-0 in wrestling. According to Gooseman, on the Cyclones board, these were two matches we were supposed to lose, although in the first somehow the Hawk guy made a 3 point come back in the last 30 seconds, then the ISU bench got warned. Which I can only assume means someone looked at Cael and said "holy shit, don't let him hurt me."

4:51 - Let's say you're organizing a boy band for a pick up football game. Don't you think the Dallas Cowboy uniforms with the blue shoulder sleeves and the extremely gay white outlined stars would have to be at the top of the list?

4:52 - Wow, just when Eddie was starting to gain ground, the Raidesr give up a quick TD to the Texans. In the words of Bill Simmons, "Ladies and gentlemen, your 2006 Oakland Raiders!"

4:56 - How awesome is the feeling when you realize there's another football game on that you actually care about. Its instant freedom from commercials for the rest of the game you care about. And then how bad is the feeling, in turn, when both games go to commercial at the same time?

5:07 - Typical G-Talk conversation, after Janikowski missed his second FG of the game (remember, the only game I bet on today)

Jared: How does Janikowski still have a job?
Me: I was just thinking that.
Jared: Is it legal to throw field goal attempts?
Me: Every time I see his face its either mug shot or a missed field goal.

5:13 - Haven't commented on the Titans/Colts game today. I'm usually the last person to make some asinine comment about some guy like: ______ is just a winner. But I honestly think no player to enter the NFL in the last few years is more worthy of the label than Vince Young. I'm not saying Titans to the Super Bowl any time soon. But Vince Young is just a winner. If you were lost in the jungle, and needed to count on one NFL QB to protect your family and get them to safety...could you honestly not pick Vince Young?

5:18 - This is really an exciting hour up ahead for the JL. The lowest scorer in the playoff hunt has the best chance to win: Eddie is down 5 to Sean, and probably needs to win the game to get in the playoffs, where he's probably one of the most dangerous teams. Sam is leading in scoring but has no chance of winning his game. And Jared keeps piling up the points in his Quixotic effort to beat everyone by 50.

5:23 - Did Sebastian Janikowski just miss his THIRD field goal of the game? These aren't 50 yarders I'm talking about. I think he' missed three within 40. This is ridiculous. Character counts.

5:34 - Cyclones are getting piss pounded in wrestling, 15-3, having lost three matches by 1 point in the last 20 seconds of the match. Damn it. Looks like Pittsburgh and Jacksonville have it wrapped up in their games. If the New York Giants can pull this out against Dallas, I will be within of the league lead. HUGE. $500 in my lap right now would feel like...about $500 dropping in my lap.

5:40 - I'm not saying it will happen, but Jared Macke is putting up a shit ton of points today and could actually make the playoffs. He's ahead of Sam by 41, Eddie by 50, Mark by about 100. He needs to beat eveyrone by 54, and he's still got th league MVP playing this evening. That would be phenomenal.

5:42 - CFN and ESPN reporting Florida will play Ohio State. Can't argue with it, can only argue with much of th efaulty reasoning. I wonder if people actually think Florida is better than Michigan, or are trying to manipulate a championship game. The BCS is a total disgrace to college sports.

5:44 - How can Eli Manning be so unbelievably bad in the clutch right now? Is it possible?

5:56 - The Giants have no chance to win this game. THey are about to be down 7 with 4 minutes left and Eli feeling the weight of the world. Its over.

Does anyone, anyone with a BRAIN still think the Bears are a Super Bowl team??? Their QB was 6-19 for 34 yards and -5 fantasy points today. And this is the best team in the NFC???

6:02 - This is what Fantasy does to your brain. Jared Macke is completely broken hearted because Pitt is kicking a FG instead of going for it on 4th down, which give Tampa the ball back and another chance to score on his defense. Keep in mind: this is a 17-0 game between two teams with 7 wins between them. Its like trying to being on crack, and trying to follow the stock market.

6:21 - I'm fully aware that the blogosphere has gone berzerk over this point...but how in the world can coaches, both NFL and college, still consistently be so bad at managing the clock. You're the Giants. You have the ball 1st down at the 15 yard line...time is NOT an issue. You could run 7 plays from there if you had to, which is the most you'd possibly get. You're facing a QB with a hot hand and, let's face it...you're unlucky. You must NOT stop the clock with a time out. I mean, if you have to do it late, with like 25 seconds left, just to make sure things don't get out of hand, go ahead and do it. But you can't take a timeout with a full minute left, then score on the next play. Its horrible.

6:32 - Well, I did pretty well on pick 'em today on the whole. I gained a game, and I've got to gain one game a week to catch up Hartman by season's end. It sure felt like I was doing better than that, though. Giants blowing it. Look back at that one when the season's over.

6:40 - OK, Seattle at Denver and Carolina at Philly are the only games left of the FFL season.

Here is where the playoff races stand:
#3 Seed:

Me 8-4 --- Seattle D
Corey 7-5 -6

I would have to lose to Matty and have the Seattle D score -6 points for me to not retain the #3 seed. Nice season, me. 9-4 after 4-9 last year. Congrats on the first round playoff exit.

#4 Seed:

Sam 5-7 ---- Reggie Brown, PHI, Josh Brown SEA
Eddie 5-7 -8.5 no players left
Mark 5-7 -57 Steve Smith, CAR, LJ Smith PHI, Panthers D

None of the three of these jokers is going to win today, so it only comes down to who scores the most points. If Mark can somehow come back to beat Brian, whom he trails by 63 right now, he would advance automatically.

#6 Seed:

Sam ---- R. Brown PHI, J. Brown SEA
Eddie -8.5 none
Jared -16 S. Alexander SEA
Matty -43 J. Delhomme CAR, B. Westbrook PHI, Broncos D
Mark -57 S. Smith CAR, LJ Smith PHI, Panthers D

Remember, throw out the winner of the #4 seed. JARED is actually looking like the favorite to get this spot right now, thanks to unreal performances across the board. Matty could pick up like 60 points with those three going, all in separate matchups. Mark is almost out of it. I just don't see him getting in.

6:57 - Another big chance to gain ground in pick 'em. I'm taking Seattle on the road at Denver, and I'm sure most people are taking Denver. Down by 31 in the NCSA league with Delhomme, the Carolina D and Steve Smith taking on Darrell Jackson.

7:18 - You know when you realize you've been having so much fun you've forgotten to bathe? Yeah.

7:58 - Well, its Florida vs. Ohio State. I have no idea if Florida is better than Michigan. The absence of a playoff system is a complete disgrace to college football. And don't give me the "Every game is a playoff" argument. Its ridiculous. Florida lost to Auburn. That wasn't a playoff, I guess, was it? All those idiots saying that if Michigan went to the National Title game, that would make the first UM vs. OSU not mean anything? Doesn't the same thing apply to Florida vs. Auburn? That sure didn't mean a damn thing, now did it?

The only reasonable answer is this: A 4 or 8 team playoff. Here's what you do: 8 team playoff. First round games are at campus sites in the middle of December. That way...every game still is insanely important, because you're playing for home field advantage. First round losers can comprise two of the BCS Bowl games. Final four can comprise the other two, and the winners of those two play in the national title. Sure, on the odd numbered years, there would be less interest in two of the bowls. But on the even numbered years, interest would be so ridiculously high, it would compensate. Bowls win, players win, NCAA wins, fairness wins. What's so hard about that?

8:03 - Hartman picked Denver! Hartman picked Denver! If I win, I'm within 3 with 4 weeks to play. That is definitely a distance I can close. 5 with 4 left, I'm gonna have to get desperate, espcially since its going to be rare to find as many toss up games as this weekend.

8:27 - HAHAHAHA. Man. I love QB carousels. First of all - fans for almost every pro team in almost every pro city are absolutely, completely insane. They hvae no appreciation for developing players over a long period of time. They don't look at long run results at all. When a guy wins one game, he's a savior, if he does one retarded thing, he should be fired. The Denver QB situation is absolutely hysterical. Jake Plummer is your QB. You're 7-4 with him at QB, he took you to the AFC Title game last year, your D is prpobably the #1 or #2 in the league, and you have a bruising running game, and one of the best coaches in football. Why, oh why do you change QBs in the middle of a play off drive? And we're not talking about going to a grizzed vet like Brad Johnson here, we're talking about a rookie named Jay Cutler, who is a great talent, but has never QBed a winning team, never QBed a bowl game, never QBed an NFL game, with 5 games left in a playoff drive. And guess what? 80,000 fans in Denver just leaned to their buddy and said: this kid stinks, bring back Plummer.

9:06 - You know what the worst part about all this BCS stuff is? Everyone that thought Florida deserved to pass Michigan is going to go on the airwaves and say "The BCS got it right!" to support their choice. Which is kind of like saying the lottery got it right when they draw your ball.

9:12 - What do you think Jake Plummer's doing right now? The Denver O has thrown one pick, Cutler's fumbled once, and Bell fumbled once. I'm gonna bet he's making that same face Jim on The Office makes when he looks right at the camera while someone else is making an ass of themself...kind of curls his mouth up and shrugs.

9:56 - Sorry. I got wrapped up in this football game. I feel like its the first football I've watched today. Isn't that weird?

10:00 - Oh, fate, you are a tempestuous mistress!! Darrell Jackson being ruled down inside the 1 yard line gives me a lead in pick 'em, keeps Eddie out of the endzone in the NCSA league all in one spot of the ball. Luck and fortune, I bow to thee!

10:05 - Boy, that Jay Cutler looks great. Look at him out there. Big, heavy, strong arm. Good understanding of football. 9-19 72 yards, 1 TD, 2 INt, 1 fumble

10:14 - I'm getting giddy just to watch this Cutler thing unfold. What are the Broncos fans going to do? Defend him? Say "its the best thing for the future"? What can you possibly say when you beg for someone for a year and then he completely, unabashedly stinks on Sunday Night Football?

10:15 - Oh, thank God. They just showed Plummer. And I'll be damned if he doesn't look as confident as I've ever seen him. I think I saw a little swagger inside that mountain man! Is Plummer the world's biggest "I Told You So" candidate in sports right now?

10:19 - Long TD for Denver. Only John Madden would sing the praises of the QB after he throws a screen pass to a wide open WR, the WR breaks like 5 tackles and runs 60 yards after the catch. Which brings up another point. How surprised would you be if someone told you that John Madden hadn't actually been alive since Madden 99? Will we ever reach an era in sports when artificially intelligent voices that perform on video games are hired to do play by play on NBC instead of the other way around? I just giggled at the thought of John Madden being artificially intelligent.

10:24 - Over/under on time until someone says "The NFL over time rules are fine, because if the defense does their job, you get the ball back." Have you ever worked at an office or for an organization where everyone thought it was fair that you did your job before they had to do theirs? Remember how much that sucked. The NFL overtime policy, folks.

10:28 - How hard can it be to not be a shitty announcer? If you dont' have something smart to say, shut the fuck up.

10:33 - Is there an equation for cold vs. elevation affects FG kick distance?

10:36 - OK, here's the run down on the JL

#3 seed: Me
#5 seed: Corey

#4 seed:
Sam ---- Reggie Brown, PHI
Mark -71 Steve Smith CAR, LJ Smith PHI, Carolina D

Mark's got a very, very small chance to advance here. If LJ Smith scores a lot, the Carolina D suffers. So he's gonna have to basically get like a 45 point performance from Steve Smith.

#6 seed:

Jared ---- none
Matty -35 Jake Delhomme CAR, Westbrook PHI
Mark -56 Smith, LJ, Panthers D

Unreal performance from Jared today. Unreal. 54 points down to start the day and, in all fairness, benefitting from all his competition really sucking...he's in a position to do it. And also, if Steve Smith has a big day, Delhomme is going to have one too, almost crushing Mark's chances. I'd say he's got a better chance to win the division than to win this game.


JL Playoff Pairings

1 - Stojak
BYE

4 - Sam/Mark
5 - Corey

3 - Me
6 - Jared/Matty/Mark

2 - Sean
BYE

BCS: Inspiring Retarded Opinions Since 1996

December 2 – How can so many people that cover football be so stupid? The degree of short-sighted, judgmental, ludicrous logic getting blasted out over the airwaves during broadcasts of college football games is reaching an atomic level, and something truly must be done. Fast.

I’ve been waiting to write this column for awhile. Its kind of daunting, you know, trying to encompass all the stupidity raging in the broadcast universe in to a pithy, concise blog entry. But I can’t take it anymore. This BCS mess has left me with no other recourse.

Let me start by saying this: I’m not a Michigan fan, and I’m not a Florida fan. I’m an Iowa State fan. I kind of tend to root against the Big 10, but I also kind of root against the SEC, so that pretty much cancels each other out. I definitely had no desire to see USC in the title game, so you’re not reading sour grapes. I have no dogs in the fight.

So, let’s get to it:

Most of the arguments getting thrown around for why Michigan does not deserve to play in the National Title game are absolutely fucking insane! The last 72 hours or so, most media members have gotten behind Florida, pushing for their inclusion in the title game, trying to make an impact on voters. And this is fine; everyone’s entitled to their opinion. As long as the methods you use to arrive at it aren’t completely retarded. Here’s an opinion, for example, that I think is totally valid:

“I’ve seen Florida and Michigan both play several times this year, Florida beat a great running team in Arkansas, and a great passing team in Tennessee…I think Florida would win on a neutral field.”

You see, that…I can’t really argue with. The guy (or gal) has seen them both play, and thinks Florida would win if they played each other. Fine. Can’t argue with it. But I’m going to rundown the opinions I can argue with, and must argue with, because of their sheer criminal lunacy.

“I’ve already seen Ohio State vs. Michigan. The title game should be a matchup we haven’t seen.”

Let’s get one thing straight, before we begin: Should the goal of the BCS be to provide interesting, unique matchups, or to provide fairness? Is it any wonder that most of the goons you hear spouting this are employed by a network likely to benefit from a unique matchup??? Look, if the goal of the BCS were to provide ratings, and “interesting matchups”, then let’s just play the whole season, then lock 12 network executives in a room, let them fight out who the most people would watch, and fuck the ratings altogether?

Achieving the highest possible ratings should not be the goal of a body governing college athletics. Fairness should be. If the team people feel is the second best team in the country has played the #1 team every day for the last millennia, but they’re still the second best team, they deserve to be in the national championship game.

“Michigan already had their chance to prove they’re the best team in the country. Let someone else have their chance.”

Uh, OK. We’ve got a couple problems here. First of all, this statement presents a false condition for “proof.” It equates “proving they’re the best team in the country” with “beating the team currently ranked #1 in the country.” But if a team were capable of proving they were the best team in the country during the regular season, there would be no need for the postseason at all. Ohio State hasn’t even proved they’re the best team in the country yet. If you believe in the existence of bowls, or a playoff, or whatever, you must also believe that a team can not prove they are the best team in the country during the regular season.

Secondly, why should Michigan’s loss to Ohio State be any greater proof that they are not the best team in the country than Florida’s loss to Auburn? Or Louisville’s loss to Rutgers? Or Oklahoma’s loss to Texas? Or Wisconsin’s loss to Michigan? This argument presumes that losing to a team during the regular season means you won’t be a better team than them during the bowls. Well, then…why do we not give Auburn the automatic SEC bid? Well, they lost to Georgia. I guess we should give Georgiathe automatic SEC bid then. Didn’t Florida already prove they’re not better than Auburn, who proved they’re not better than Georgia?

Of course not! A team is judged on the entire body of work, and not just one head-to-head matchup. (Which is actually lucky for Florida, since their one less is much worse than Michigan’s.)

A team shouldn’t be allowed in the title game if it didn’t win its conference.

I agree with this one totally, with one caveat – a second place team can get in…if the first place team is the other team going! Proponents of this theory cite the Oklahoma incident, from three years ago, when the Sooners got drilled by Kansas State in the Big XII title game and still made the championship, then gagged against LSU. But there was a big difference there: the other team in the title game wasn’t the consensus #1 team in the nation! Let’s just say for example, that a team, just call them…Michigan…happens to be the second best team in the country, and they have the misfortune of playing in a conference with the #1 team in the country…and let’s say, in all fairness, that Ohio State is truly, really the #1 team in the country, and any single team in a conference with them would finish second. Why on earth should Michigan be punished for this misfortune? I repeat: the goal of the BCS Title game should be to pit the BEST TWO TEAMS AGAINST EACH OTHER. Period. The goal should not be ‘excitement’, it should not be a ‘cross regional matchup’, it should not be ‘originality’, it should be FAIRNESS. If a team would win every other conference in America, but happens to play in one with the one team better than it, they deserve to be in. No doubt about it.

Margin of victory shouldn’t matter.

This one is freakin’ unbelievable. This one represents my biggest single problem with sports journalism: vast oversimplifications of problems to fit an answer in to a sound bite. You only get two real opinions on most topics from ESPN talking heads. Either “yes, definitely” or “no, definitely not.” It’s the Stephen A. Smith school of analysis. The network heads coach these guys to have a firm, strong opinion, and commit to either yes or no. These are the same kinds of guys that think Congressmen are weak when they want to take time to explain a position, and don’t want to let their thoughts get boiled down to either “support the troops” or “cut and run.” That’s a whole ‘nother column, but the point on margin of victory is this: When two teams have the exact same record in wins and losses…what else do you have other than how they looked winning and losing? Evaluating teams based on margin of victory got such a bad name a few years ago when some computer rankings gave teams totally huge points for 60 point wins, and the computer geeks switched things around so that every win counted the same. Which is colossal bullshit.

Here’s the deal – it’s a sliding scale. A 13 point win is much, much more impressive than a 3 point win. You win by 2 TD, the game may have never been in doubt, that’s a huge 10 point difference. The difference between a 20 point win and a 10 point win is a little less than the gap between 13 and 3. And as you move up in margin of victory it matters less and less. Like, a 50 point win vs. a 40 point win? Who cares? Both teams were still only playing for the orange slices and juice boxes at the end of the third quarter. The problems with those old computers is that they counted every point as equal, when they clearly aren’t. But instead of acknowledging that it’s a little more complicated than YES or NO, they scrapped that way of thinking altogether.

So, on style points: Florida has looked really, really average in several of their wins this year. They beat South Carolina because of countless Gamecock mistakes, including letting three kicks get blocked. They barely beat Georgia, a team that was on life support at the time. They held off a Florida State team with a lame duck coordinator and no cohesion whatsoever. And did you see them tonight against Arkansas, how absolutely out-of-sync and terrible they looked before the fumbled punt turned the whole game around? Arkansas is a very good football team, but how in the world does a coach like Urban Meyer let this sequence happen:

Horrible play, incomplete pass, time out, horrible play, cool fake punt, horrible play, no gain, time out, horrible play, time out, 60 yard punt fumbled in the endzone for a TD. In the span of three minutes, on the biggest stage they’ve played on this year, they went from their own 15 to a TD with two sacks, one 8 yard completion, a fake punt for a first down, and spent all three of their timeouts midway through the third quarter. If we’re going on style points, the Gators just got kicked off Project Runway.

Here’s the final assessment: if the people running college football and the networks were interested in fairness and not lining their pockets on the back of college athletes, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Ohio State would be playing Louisville or Oklahoma, Michigan would be playing Florida, and the winners would be playing in Glendale for all the marbles. The arguments for the BCS have never been thinner. “It makes every game a playoff.” Are you kidding? Do you think Michigan and Ohio State would have stopped getting after it knowing they’d still make the final four? And by the way, its not even true! Either Michigan or Florida lost one of their playoff games, and is still going to get in to the national title. So, I guess….er….it makes every game a playoff game…except one…whichever one a good one loss team decides to lose. What a joke.

Maybe Florida is better than Michigan, I really don’t know. They’ve beaten more bowl teams than Michigan, albeit not as impressively. They haven’t really beaten a team with a high level QB yet, and Michigan has done that in Brady Quinn. I personally don’t know. If you think Florida has looked better all season long than Michigan, I can’t argue with you on that opinion. But at least don’t pull out any of the patently absurd arguments above.

And also, try not to take a Louisville Slugger to your television when Rece Davis smile while telling you “this is the controversy that keeps you watching.” Yeah, I guess in the same way a car accident is controversial.

Houston DE Still Very Interested in ISU

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Just days after helping his team to the Texas Class 5-A octo-finals, Houston (Tex.) Cypress Falls defensive end Stedmann Coleman shared his thoughts on new Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik.

"My coach told me at practice Monday Iowa State hired him (Chizik)," the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Coleman said. "The first thing he said was 'That guy is gonna take that team places, he's gonna take 'em real high.'"

Cypress Falls Coach Kirk Eden's opinion carries a lot of weight with Coleman, who has been advised by Eden to get in touch with Chizik as soon as he settles in Ames.

No major changes have occurred in Coleman's recruitment, who still has offers from Iowa State and Louisiana Tech, and considers the Cyclones and Kansas the two front runners for his services. Despite the regime change taking place in Ames, Coleman already has a high enough opinion of Chizik that he's committed to waiting out the transition before making a decision.

In the meantime, Coleman will stay plenty busy, as Cypress Falls continues its march to the Texas State Championship.

Last weekend, in a second round clash with Stratford, a pair of Coleman's standout plays propelled Cy Falls to a dramatic win. With the score tied at 27, the Cy Falls star DE recovered a Stratford fumble at midfield. Cy Falls scored quickly, taking a 34-27 lead. Stratford answered with a quick touchdown. With just 50 seconds to play, and Cy Falls nursing a one-point lead, Coleman delivered heroics again.

"Coach just called our normal block, and as I was going out there I just told myself 'I'm gonna get this, I'm gonna go get it and win it for the team," Coleman said. "I just came right up the middle, and got my arms up, and knocked it down."

Coleman's blocked extra point, the first of his career, preserved Cypress Falls' 34-33 victory. This Saturday, they collide with Beaumont West Brook, with the winner getting a likely date against superpower Katy in the round of eight.