Friday, October 31, 2008

Weekly Thoughts and Predictions

This is the extremely corny and hokey HALLOWEEN edition of The Rant.

So, let’s discuss the TRICKS and TREATS so far this college football season.
TRICK: Pitt losing to Bowling Green after tricking everyone into believing in them and ranking them in the preseason top 25.
TREAT: How Pitt responded by winning 5 in a row after that opening game loss.
TRICK: Once again tricking the fan base and people nation-wide that Pitt was a legit team by getting embarrassed by Rutgers.
TREAT: The success of the little guys this season; Tulsa (8-0), Utah (8-0), TCU (8-1), BYU (7-1), Ball State (8-0), Boise State (7-0).
TRICK: The disappointment some of the big names with high expectation have been so far; Clemson (3-4), Illinois and Wisconsin (4-4), Michigan (2-6), Arizona State (2-5), Auburn (4-4) and Tennessee (3-5).
TREAT: Watching Ohio State show their true colors early in the year getting blasted by USC.
TRICK: The Vanderbilt Commodores, snuck up to #13 and had everyone believing, then lost 3 straight, 2 of which were to the likes of Mississippi State and a home loss to Duke.
TREAT: Continuing to watch the demise of WVU football since the 13-9 game. Give your 70+ year old head coach an extension then watch him lose in back to back games against East Carolina and Colorado.
TRICK: What Penn State is doing to EVERYONE that believes that they are any different from Ohio State the past 2 seasons. The Big Ten has this BCS loop hole figured out. Go undefeated beating only cupcakes in the non-conference they roll through an over-rated by somehow highly regarded Big Ten schedule and POOF, you are getting embarrassed in a National Title game.
TREAT: OU vs Texas, OK St vs Missouri, Texas Tech defense…heck the entire Big XII. Boy have they been fun to watch.

Here’s to another fun and exciting final 6 weeks of the regular season and bowl season!

On to the picks!!!!!

THIS WEEKS PICKS:
Last week I pretty much sucked! I went with my heart too much and not with my brain. 5-5 last week for what was clearly my worst week of the season. For the year I am 34-16. Another pretty big week this week so let’s get started!

Michigan State at home over Wisconsin

Oklahoma real big on rival Nebraska

I have no idea why, but I am once again taking Pitt, thinking that last week was just what Pitt does (lose easy home games) and this week is also what they do (win tough road games nobody expects them to win).

THE GAME FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE WORLDS LARGEST OUTDOOR COCKTAIL PARTY
I like Tebow and Co. Florida will make a big time statement with this win, showing why I have them ranked #2 in my T3R’s.

BATTLE FOR #1 in TEXAS
Texas Longhorns continue their incredible run and defeat the Red Raiders in a great football game.


That is all, enjoy your college football this weekend!!!!!

My Apologies to my loyal readers

It was pointed out that I had promised during day 1 of my college football preview to not talk about NFL ever again on this blog, and my last post was clearly about a new NFL coach. I apologize for my actions and hope that you can forgive me.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

My New Favorite NFL Coach

About 20 months ago the Steelers were looking for a new head football coach and plenty of names were being thrown around. One that I liked the sound of because of his fiery style of play when he was a player was Mike Singletary. I don't think that he even got an interview from the Rooney's before they hired Mike Tomlin. So far, I have no complaints about Tomlin, but how much fun would have been to get to cover Singletary?

In one weeks time since taking over as interim head coach for the San Fran 49ers he has made a bold statement. Such bold statements that he is either digging his own grave or working on nixing that "interim" tag before his title. In his first game he benched the teams former 6th overall pick, TE Vernon Davis then completely belittled him to the media.

Now there are reports that Singletary apparently dropped his pants during his halftime speech to the team while talking about what an embarrassment they are. All this in like 5 days on the job.

I like Coach Tomlin, but given the choice of sitting through one Mike's press conference or the others, Singletary wins every time.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

T2R WEEK 2

T3R, week #2. These rankings are NOT based on records or how I think each team will finish, it is simply based on who I feel the best teams in college football are AT THIS MOMENT! Let’s get started!

#1 TEXAS LONGHORNS (8-0)
LAST WEEK: 28-24 win vs Oklahoma State
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st, @ #6 Texas Tech
A sluggish win maybe, but still a win against another top 10 team. One more on the slate this weekend and a Big XII title game is all that is keeping Texas from playing for their 2nd National Title in four years.

#2 FLORIDA GATORS (6-1)
LAST WEEK: 63-5 win vs Kentucky
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st, vs #5 Georgia
The offense is finally clicking and the defense just keeps getting better and better. The Gators are a missed extra point away from being undefeated right now and are currently playing as well as anyone in the country. Next up is a big revenge game in the World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Georgia’s excessive celebration penalty last year on the way to their 42-30 win has to still be in the minds of Gator players.

#3 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (7-1)
LAST WEEK: 58-35 win @ Kansas State
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st vs Nebraska
OU put up 55 points last week, IN THE FIRST HALF! This offense is as good as any in the country, however the defense is what I am starting to question. K-State is not exactly a powerhouse, and they put up 28 in the first half. OU has the offense to beat anyone, but the defense needs to improve if they want a chance to move up in the last 6 weeks of the season.

#4 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (8-0)
LAST WEEK: 29-9 win @ Tennessee
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st vs Arkansas State
I said last week I couldn’t get a good read on Alabama and they seemed to play down to their opponents, this week they responded. Bama absolutely dominated the Vols in every facet of the game. Yes, Tennessee is down this year but this is the type of team that Alabama let stick around with them all year. Not Saturday, they put them down and kept them down.

#5 GEORGIA BULLDOGS (7-1)
LAST WEEK: 52-38 win @ LSU
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st vs #2 Florida
Putting up 50+ in Death Valley will get anyone’s attention. That is what UGA needed. This is the preseason SEC favorite, finally playing at the level most expected to them to play all season. If they can keep it up this weekend and beat Florida they will be in the drivers seat for a re-match game with Alabama in the SEC title game.

#6 TEXAS TECH RED RADIERS (8-0)
LAST WEEK: 63-21 win @ Kansas
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st vs #1 Texas
Wow, Tech has a defense! We all knew that Mike Leach and Co. could score points, but the way the defense took over the game @ KU last week is what caught my attention. The Red Raiders forced five turnovers and held Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks passing game to 154 yards including picking off three of his first four pass attempts in the 2nd half. Next up for the Red Raiders defense, Colt McCoy.

#7 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (8-0)
LAST WEEK: 13-6 win @ the Ohio State University
NEXT WEEK: OFF
I said last week that watching the Lions play against Ohio State would help me get a feel for both teams. So what did I learn watching this game? I learned that the last thing in the world I want to see in Miami the first week of January is Penn State on the field. This is Ohio State the past two seasons re-incarnated. Texas, Florida, OU, Texas Tech, Alabama and maybe Georgia would beat Penn State by two TD’s easily. Penn State is a very good football team. They have dominated play in most of their games and beat everyone on their schedule, but then again so has Ball State. As I said Penn State is very good, but they are not great, not elite and certainly not deserving of playing in the National Championship.

#8 SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS (6-1)
LAST WEEK: 17-10 win @ Arizona
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st vs Washington
Pete Carroll seems to struggle every year with the Mike Stoops defense in Arizona. This year was no different. The 17 points USC was held to was their lowest output in one full calendar year. Here is my thing with both Penn State and USC, they are not elite this year. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are so far behind the SEC and Big XII this year and those teams would finish 3rd or 4th, at best in those conferences. That being said, again both teams have taken care of business and deserve a BCS bowl game, just not the National Title.

#9 OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS (7-1)
LAST WEEK: 28-24 loss @ Texas
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st, vs Iowa State
You go to Austin and hang with the best team in football, there is no way you drop out of the top 10. The Cowboys moved the ball 50 yards in the last :33 to get into UT territory and have a chance to win the game on the last play. That OU-Okie State game should be a fun one this year!

#10 MISSOURI TIGERS (6-2)
LAST WEEK: 58-0 win vs Colorado
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ Baylor
With everyone else losing and my refusal to rank non-BCS teams in the top 10, Missouri became a pretty easy pick to round out the rankings this week. Heck, when you have two loses and they are against Texas and Oklahoma State, it is tough penalize you.

#11 UTAH UTES (8-0)
LAST WEEK: OFF
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ New Mexico

#12 TCU HORNED FROGS (8-1)
LAST WEEK: 54-7 win vs Wyoming
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ UNLV

#13 BOISE STATE BRONCOS (7-0)
LAST WEEK: 33-16 win @ San Jose State
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ New Mexico State

#14 the OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY BUCKEYES (7-2)
LAST WEEK: 13-6 loss vs Penn State
NEXT WEEK: OFF

#15 TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (8-0)
LAST WEEK: 49-19 win vs UCF
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ Arkansas

#16 BALL STATE CARDINALS (8-0)
LAST WEEK: 38-16 win vs Eastern MichiganNEXT WEEK: OFF

#17 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (6-2)
LAST WEEK: 45-24 win vs Boston College
NEXT WEEK: OFF

#18 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (7-2)
LAST WEEK: 35-21 win @ Michigan
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st vs Wisconsin

#19 FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (6-1)
LAST WEEK: 30-20 win vs Virginia Tech
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ Georgia Tech

#20 WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (5-2)
LAST WEEK: 34-17 win vs Auburn
NEXT WEEK: Nov 1st @ Cincinnati