BETology 2-20
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Syracuse Orange 12-2
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
West Virginia Mountaineers 10-4
Pittsburgh Panthers 9-4
Louisville Cardinals 8-5
Georgetown Hoyas 8-6
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-6
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-8
Seton Hall Pirates 6-8
South Florida Bulls 6-8
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
St. John’s Red Storm 5-9
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
Providence Friars 4-10
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
TODAY:
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS 75
Seton Hall Pirates 63
Seton Hall made a run and cut the WVU lead to 4 with under 4 minutes remaining in the game but WVU woke up and put the Pirates away late. The loss drops Seton Hall 1 spot in the seedings and into a 3 way tie with South Florida and Notre Dame for 9th place. Notre Dame gets the advantage and holds the 9th spot dropping Seton Hall to the 10th seed. WVU jumps above Pitt once again holding a half game lead over the Panthers. WVU finishes with 4 tough games. They have home games against Cincinnati and Georgetown and road games at UCONN and Villanova still on the schedule. Seton Hall has two games with Rutgers remaining and one each against Marquette and Providence.
ST.JOHN'S RED STORM 74
South Florida Bulls 58
This was a tough loss for South Florida, not because it was a devastating loss for their NCAA chances, but it dropped them from 8th to 11th for the Big East Tournament. Going into the game they were in position to get a bye in New York, now they will have a lot of work to do to get back to that spot with just 4 games remaining. In those 4 games USF has games @ Villanova, vs Providence, @ DePaul and vs UCONN. St. John's helped their seeding in the BET, but it may be too little too late. StJ is currently in 13th, one half game ahead of Rutgers and one half game behind UCONN.
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
UCONN @ Rutgers, 4:00 pm, Big East Regional
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
Marquette @ Cincinnati, 2:00 pm, Big East Regional
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
WEDNESDAY:
Pitt @ Notre Dame, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Notre Dame
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 – St. John's
7:00
10 – Seton Hall
Vs
15 – Providence
9:00
11 – South Florida
Vs
14 – Rutgers
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – Cincinnati
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
BETology 2-19
BETology 2-19
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Syracuse Orange 12-2
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Pittsburgh Panthers 9-4
West Virginia Mountaineers 9-4
Louisville Cardinals 8-5
Georgetown Hoyas 8-6
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-6
South Florida Bulls 6-7
Seton Hall Pirates 6-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-8
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
St. John’s Red Storm 4-9
Providence Friars 4-10
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
LAST NIGHT:
SYRACUSE ORANGE 75
Georgetown Hoyas 71
Syracuse clinched a Tuesday off in NYC and with one more win or a Louisville loss will clinch a double bye in New York. They also keep themselves 2 games ahead of the pack with Villanova by beating Georgetown. These 2 have seperated themselves from the rest of the Big East, but both teams may need that 2 game cushion with a tough stretch to finish the season. Syracuse still has a home game vs Villanova and a road trip to Louisville in their last four games. Villanova has five games remaining, which include Pitt and Syracuse on the road and WVU at home. This game really impacted Georgetown, who entered the game just 1 game behind Pitt and WVU and in a good spot to get a two day bye in the Big East Tournament. Now they are in 6th place. The good news for Georgetown is that in their final 4 games they play Louisville and WVU who are directly ahead of them in the standings. The bad news is that if they slip up against those two they could find themselves playing on Tuesday of the tournament.
PITT PANTHERS 58
Marquette Golden Eagles 51
This was a seperation game for the Panthers. By winning they put themselves 1 1/2 games up in the battle for the double bye. Had the lost they would have dropped to 7th place and found themselves in the middle of a pack all looking to finish in the top 8 to get at least a one day bye. Now Pitt finds themselves in 3rd place and with 4 of their final 5 games against teams under .500 in conference play they look to be in good shape for getting that much coveted double bye. Marquette on the other hand would have been tied for 4th with a win against Pitt, now they find themself all alone in 7th place just 1 game ahead of three different teams. Marquette plays their next 3 games on the road and 2 of them are against teams in that pack right behind them. This next stretch will be make or break for the Eagles.
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
WEDNESDAY:
Pitt @ Notre Dame, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Seton Hall
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –Rutgers
7:00
10 – Cincinnati
Vs
15 – Providence
9:00
11 – Notre Dame
Vs
14 – St. John's
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – South Florida
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Syracuse Orange 12-2
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Pittsburgh Panthers 9-4
West Virginia Mountaineers 9-4
Louisville Cardinals 8-5
Georgetown Hoyas 8-6
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-6
South Florida Bulls 6-7
Seton Hall Pirates 6-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-8
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
St. John’s Red Storm 4-9
Providence Friars 4-10
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
LAST NIGHT:
SYRACUSE ORANGE 75
Georgetown Hoyas 71
Syracuse clinched a Tuesday off in NYC and with one more win or a Louisville loss will clinch a double bye in New York. They also keep themselves 2 games ahead of the pack with Villanova by beating Georgetown. These 2 have seperated themselves from the rest of the Big East, but both teams may need that 2 game cushion with a tough stretch to finish the season. Syracuse still has a home game vs Villanova and a road trip to Louisville in their last four games. Villanova has five games remaining, which include Pitt and Syracuse on the road and WVU at home. This game really impacted Georgetown, who entered the game just 1 game behind Pitt and WVU and in a good spot to get a two day bye in the Big East Tournament. Now they are in 6th place. The good news for Georgetown is that in their final 4 games they play Louisville and WVU who are directly ahead of them in the standings. The bad news is that if they slip up against those two they could find themselves playing on Tuesday of the tournament.
PITT PANTHERS 58
Marquette Golden Eagles 51
This was a seperation game for the Panthers. By winning they put themselves 1 1/2 games up in the battle for the double bye. Had the lost they would have dropped to 7th place and found themselves in the middle of a pack all looking to finish in the top 8 to get at least a one day bye. Now Pitt finds themselves in 3rd place and with 4 of their final 5 games against teams under .500 in conference play they look to be in good shape for getting that much coveted double bye. Marquette on the other hand would have been tied for 4th with a win against Pitt, now they find themself all alone in 7th place just 1 game ahead of three different teams. Marquette plays their next 3 games on the road and 2 of them are against teams in that pack right behind them. This next stretch will be make or break for the Eagles.
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
WEDNESDAY:
Pitt @ Notre Dame, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Seton Hall
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –Rutgers
7:00
10 – Cincinnati
Vs
15 – Providence
9:00
11 – Notre Dame
Vs
14 – St. John's
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – South Florida
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
BETology 2-18
BETology 2-18
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Syracuse Orange 11-2
West Virginia Mountaineers 9-4
Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4
Georgetown Hoyas 8-5
Louisville Cardinals 8-5
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-5
South Florida Bulls 6-7
Seton Hall Pirates 6-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-8
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
St. John’s Red Storm 4-9
Providence Friars 4-10
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
LAST NIGHT:
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS 88
Providence Friars 74
This win puts WVU a half game ahead of Pitt for the 3rd spot in the standings, with one more win than the Panthers, both teams have 4 losses. Providence falls from 14 to 15 after the loss. The Friars are a half a game behind both Rutgers and St. John's for the 13th seed in the tournament.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS 91
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 89
(2 OT's)
This may have been the worst double overtime game of all-time. Louisville did just enough to hold off an undermanned Irish team who actually played pretty well away from home for a change. Notre Dame entered the game 1 1/2 games back of Louisville and in the 8 spot in the standings, but fell all the way to 11th after this defeat. Louisville didn't move anywhere in the standings but they are creating a little seperation and it looks like they should be able to hold on and get a Tuesday bye. They are currently 2 full games ahead of the 8th place team with just 5 games remaining.
SETON HALL PIRATES 59
St. John's Red Storm 50
This was a very big victory for the Pirates. It moves them from 11th to 9th in the standings and puts them right in the middle of the logjam in the middle part of the Big East standings. Teams are fighting for the 8th spot and a bye on the first day of play. Seton Hall is now currently tied for that 8th spot with two other teams. However, it looks like there will be about 5 teams fighting for that last bye.
TONIGHT:
Syracuse @ Georgetown, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Pitt @ Marquette, 9:00 pm, ESPN2
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
WEDNESDAY:
Pitt @ Notre Dame, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Seton Hall
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –Rutgers
7:00
10 – Cincinnati
Vs
15 – Providence
9:00
11 – Notre Dame
Vs
14 – St. John's
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – South Florida
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Syracuse Orange 11-2
West Virginia Mountaineers 9-4
Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4
Georgetown Hoyas 8-5
Louisville Cardinals 8-5
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-5
South Florida Bulls 6-7
Seton Hall Pirates 6-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-8
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
St. John’s Red Storm 4-9
Providence Friars 4-10
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
LAST NIGHT:
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS 88
Providence Friars 74
This win puts WVU a half game ahead of Pitt for the 3rd spot in the standings, with one more win than the Panthers, both teams have 4 losses. Providence falls from 14 to 15 after the loss. The Friars are a half a game behind both Rutgers and St. John's for the 13th seed in the tournament.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS 91
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 89
(2 OT's)
This may have been the worst double overtime game of all-time. Louisville did just enough to hold off an undermanned Irish team who actually played pretty well away from home for a change. Notre Dame entered the game 1 1/2 games back of Louisville and in the 8 spot in the standings, but fell all the way to 11th after this defeat. Louisville didn't move anywhere in the standings but they are creating a little seperation and it looks like they should be able to hold on and get a Tuesday bye. They are currently 2 full games ahead of the 8th place team with just 5 games remaining.
SETON HALL PIRATES 59
St. John's Red Storm 50
This was a very big victory for the Pirates. It moves them from 11th to 9th in the standings and puts them right in the middle of the logjam in the middle part of the Big East standings. Teams are fighting for the 8th spot and a bye on the first day of play. Seton Hall is now currently tied for that 8th spot with two other teams. However, it looks like there will be about 5 teams fighting for that last bye.
TONIGHT:
Syracuse @ Georgetown, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Pitt @ Marquette, 9:00 pm, ESPN2
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
WEDNESDAY:
Pitt @ Notre Dame, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Seton Hall
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –Rutgers
7:00
10 – Cincinnati
Vs
15 – Providence
9:00
11 – Notre Dame
Vs
14 – St. John's
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – South Florida
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
BETology 2-17
BETology 2-17
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Syracuse Orange 11-2
Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4
West Virginia Mountaineers 8-4
Georgetown Hoyas 8-5
Louisville Cardinals 7-5
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-5
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
South Florida Bulls 6-7
Seton Hall Pirates 5-7
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
St. John’s Red Storm 4-8
Providence Friars 4-9
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
LAST NIGHT:
SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS 65
Cincinnati Bearcats 57
The win by South Florida put the Bulls into a 3-way tie for the 8th seed, which is the last team to get a Tuesday bye. In the 3-way tiebreaker you use head-to-head match-ups between the 3 teams involved. Notre Dame is 3-1, Cincinnati is 2-2 and South Florida is 1-3. So Notre Dame is the 8th seed as of now, with Cincinnati at 9 and South Florida still at 10.
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS 68
DePaul Blue Demons 64
Rutgers moves into a tie with Providence for 14th with the win. DePaul remains in last place. Rutgers lost to Providence earlier in the season, therefore remains as the 15th seed.
TODAY:
Notre Dame @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
THURSDAY:
Syracuse @ Georgetown, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Pitt @ Marquette, 9:00 pm, ESPN2
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Cincinnati
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –St. John’s
7:00
10 – South Florida
Vs
15 – Rutgers
9:00
11 – Seton Hall
Vs
14 – Providence
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – Notre Dame
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Syracuse Orange 11-2
Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4
West Virginia Mountaineers 8-4
Georgetown Hoyas 8-5
Louisville Cardinals 7-5
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-5
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-7
South Florida Bulls 6-7
Seton Hall Pirates 5-7
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
St. John’s Red Storm 4-8
Providence Friars 4-9
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
DePaul Blue Demons 1-12
LAST NIGHT:
SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS 65
Cincinnati Bearcats 57
The win by South Florida put the Bulls into a 3-way tie for the 8th seed, which is the last team to get a Tuesday bye. In the 3-way tiebreaker you use head-to-head match-ups between the 3 teams involved. Notre Dame is 3-1, Cincinnati is 2-2 and South Florida is 1-3. So Notre Dame is the 8th seed as of now, with Cincinnati at 9 and South Florida still at 10.
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS 68
DePaul Blue Demons 64
Rutgers moves into a tie with Providence for 14th with the win. DePaul remains in last place. Rutgers lost to Providence earlier in the season, therefore remains as the 15th seed.
TODAY:
Notre Dame @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
THURSDAY:
Syracuse @ Georgetown, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Pitt @ Marquette, 9:00 pm, ESPN2
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
TUESDAY:
Syracuse @ Providence, 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgetown @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Cincinnati
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –St. John’s
7:00
10 – South Florida
Vs
15 – Rutgers
9:00
11 – Seton Hall
Vs
14 – Providence
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – Notre Dame
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
BETology 2-16
BETology 2-16
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Syracuse Orange 11-2
Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4
West Virginia Mountaineers 8-4
Georgetown Hoyas 8-5
Louisville Cardinals 7-5
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-5
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-6
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-7
South Florida Bulls 5-7
Seton Hall Pirates 5-7
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
St. John’s Red Storm 4-8
Providence Friars 4-9
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 3-9
DePaul Blue Demons 1-11
LAST NIGHT:
UCONN HUSKIES 84
Villanova Wildcats 75
Villanova drops into a first place tie with Syracuse after this loss, but maintains the #1 seed due to having stronger wins at this point. UCONN, which seemed completely out of NCAA talks before this game showed they still have a little fight left. Currently the Huskies are sitting in the 12 spot in the Big East Standings, one-half game ahead of St. John’s.
TODAY:
Cincinnati Bearcats @ USF Bulls
7:00 pm ESPNU
Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ DePaul Blue Demons
9:00 pm ESPNU
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
WEDNESDAY:
Notre Dame @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
THURSDAY:
Syracuse @ Georgetown, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Pitt @ Marquette, 9:00 pm, ESPN2
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Notre Dame
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –St. John’s
7:00
10 – South Florida
Vs
15 – Rutgers
9:00
11 – Seton Hall
Vs
14 – Providence
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – Cincinnati
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 9th.
STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Villanova Wildcats 11-2
Syracuse Orange 11-2
Pittsburgh Panthers 8-4
West Virginia Mountaineers 8-4
Georgetown Hoyas 8-5
Louisville Cardinals 7-5
Marquette Golden Eagles 7-5
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-6
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-7
South Florida Bulls 5-7
Seton Hall Pirates 5-7
Connecticut Huskies 5-8
St. John’s Red Storm 4-8
Providence Friars 4-9
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 3-9
DePaul Blue Demons 1-11
LAST NIGHT:
UCONN HUSKIES 84
Villanova Wildcats 75
Villanova drops into a first place tie with Syracuse after this loss, but maintains the #1 seed due to having stronger wins at this point. UCONN, which seemed completely out of NCAA talks before this game showed they still have a little fight left. Currently the Huskies are sitting in the 12 spot in the Big East Standings, one-half game ahead of St. John’s.
TODAY:
Cincinnati Bearcats @ USF Bulls
7:00 pm ESPNU
Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ DePaul Blue Demons
9:00 pm ESPNU
UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
WEDNESDAY:
Notre Dame @ Louisville, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
THURSDAY:
Syracuse @ Georgetown, 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Pitt @ Marquette, 9:00 pm, ESPN2
SATURDAY:
Seton Hall @ West Virginia, NOON, ESPN
Louisville @ DePaul, 2:00 pm, ESPNU
SUNDAY:
Villanova @ Pitt, NOON, CBS
MONDAY:
West Virginia @ UCONN, 7:00 pm, ESPN
BETology:
TUESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
9 – Notre Dame
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – UCONN
Vs
13 –St. John’s
7:00
10 – South Florida
Vs
15 – Rutgers
9:00
11 – Seton Hall
Vs
14 – Providence
WEDNESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
8 – Cincinnati
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Georgetown
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Marquette
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Louisville
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner
THURSDAY
March 11th:
NOON
1 – Villanova
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 –West Virginia
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Syracuse
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner
Check back tomorrow for another update!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
THE REITMEYER RANT PLAYOFFS
NATIONAL SEMI-FINALS
GAME 1
Florida @ TCU, Amon G. Carter Stadium
Saturday Jan 2nd, 3:30
Weather at kickoff- 53 degrees, partly cloudy, 8 mph winds
In a match-up of mirroring teams Florida and TCU battle for the rights to be the first team to get into the first every Reitmeyer Rant College Football Championship Game. Both Florida and TCU have explosive offensives, but their defenses are what carry the team.
Florida enters the game after beating Virginia Tech in the 1st Round 31-3 and then defeating Cincinnati 34-20 in the East Regional Finals last week.
TCU has cruised into this week’s game dominating Miami in the 1st Round 45-7 and then cruising past Boise State in Phoenix 51-21 to get to this point.
TCU enters the game winning their past 15 games at home; they have not lost at Amon G. Carter Stadium since October 18th 2007, when they lost to Utah 27-20.
This game started out slow as both teams defense stood tall as the offenses tried to feel out the other team. After going 3-and-out on their first two drives Florida struck first when Tim Tebow hooked up with TE Aaron Hernandez for an 18-yard score with 4:29 left in the first quarter. The Florida defense who had two sacks on TCU’s first two possessions stepped up and did some scoring of their own. On a third and 13 Andy Dalton tried to force a pass to Antoine Hicks, but Janoris Jenkins stepped in front of it a darted down the sideline for 28 yards and another Gators touchdown. After that, the rout was on.
TCU was able to mount a drive midway through the 2nd quarter and cut the Gator lead to 17-3 at the half, but the Horned Frogs would have an uphill battle in the second half.
TCU got the kick to start the second half and played very conservative in their first possession, possibly just trying to keep the Gator offense off the field. Despite having entered the game with the best scoring defense in the nation TCU was being outgained 274-31 at halftime and Florida had begun to move the ball at will on them. The two-headed running monster of Michael Tucker and Joseph Turner did most of the work on the opening drive for TCU. Turner carried the ball 4 times for 21 yards and Tucker added 33 yards on 3 carries to get the Horned Frogs into the Red Zone. After abandoning the run once in the Red Zone, Dalton threw three straight incompletions and TCU had to settle for another FG.
Tim Tebow saw the blood and went for the kill after watching TCU eat up nearly six minutes of clock and only come away with a field goal. The Gators needed just four plays to add to the lead on a shovel pass to Chris Rainey that went 41 yards for another Gators touchdown. Now up 24-6 midway through the third quarter the Florida defense pinned their ears back and attacked the Andy Dalton and the TCU offense.
The Gators had five sacks in the second half and nine for the game, and also picked off Dalton two more times in the second half. Joe Haden returned his interception 71 yards before being tackled at the 13 yard line, setting up another Florida score. It was the first time that Dalton had thrown three or more interceptions since the last home loss for the Horned Frogs nearly two and a half years ago.
Tim Tebow will get a chance to win his third national championship with the Gators next week in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
FLORIDA 38, TCU 6
GAME 2
Oregon @ Alabama, Bryant-Denny Stadium
Saturday Jan 2nd, 8:00
Weather at kickoff - 30 degrees and clear, light winds
Opposites attract in semi-final #2. We have the speed and finesse of the Oregon Ducks travelling south to take on the size and strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
#1 seeded Alabama enters the game carrying the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games. They have convincing wins over Pitt in the first round and Georgia Tech in the second round to get them into this game. Alabama has also won 15 straight homes games, their last home loss came in November of 2007 when Louisiana Monroe, upset them 21-14.
Oregon is the highest seeded team remaining at #7. They defeated Penn State 38-20 in the first round, and then beat Texas last week on a last second FG in a thrilling 48-45 victory.
This marks the first time Oregon has visited a team from the SEC since opening the 2003 season with a 42-34 win at Mississippi State. It is the first time Oregon has ever faced Alabama.
The Crimson Tide won the toss and chose to defer until the second half allowing Oregon to take the opening kick. The Ducks went three-and-out on their first drive completing two short passes on second and third down after a two-yard loss by running back LaMichael James on first down. Alabama took control with good field position after a nice punt return by Javier Arenas. The Tide then gave the Ducks a steady dose of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Alabama moved the ball slowly, but effectively, down the field and attempted only one pass their entire first drive. Alabama finished the 42-yard drive with Mark Ingram hammering it home on a one-yard run on fourth and goal.
The next Oregon drive was completely different from their first. Oregon took over at the 31 after the Alabama score and using screen passes, draw plays and misdirection, to keep the Alabama defense on its heels. It seemed to work as the Ducks put together a 11 play, 69 yard drive for a touchdown. No play on the drive was longer than eight yards, and Jeremiah Masoli capped the drive with a qb keeper from two yards out to tie the score.
After some defensive adjustments from both sides, the scoring slowed down considerably. Alabama won a second quarter field goal kicking contest when Leigh Tiffin made two, to Oregon’s Morgan Flint making just one. Alabama led at the half 13-10.
The Crimson Tide came out in the second half poised to repeat the style of play from the first half. After running the ball five straight plays, the Tide went play action and Greg McElroy found Marquis Maze for a 51-yard scoring strike. A hold by the Bama defense and another field goal by Tiffin put the pressure on Oregon as the entered the fourth quarter down 23-10.
Oregon came out of the gate in the final stanza and tried to get it all back on one play, but it was Mark Barron that made the play on the ball, as he intercepted the Masoli pass attempt. Alabama then played keep away from the Ducks using their power running game with Richardson and Ingram to keep the chains and the clock moving. Ingram finished the drive off with a 7-yard touchdown run and put the game on ice.
Oregon made a valiant comeback attempt scoring 10 points in the final 5:16 of the game, but it was too little too late.
Alabama will be playing for the national title game for their first time since 1992 when they beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide will be seeing a familiar opponent in the title game as the Reitmeyer Rant Playoff will have an all-SEC title game.
ALABAMA 30, OREGON 20
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday January 11, 2010
Pasadena, CA
The Rose Bowl
#5 Florida Gators vs #1 Alabama Crimson Tide
GAME 1
Florida @ TCU, Amon G. Carter Stadium
Saturday Jan 2nd, 3:30
Weather at kickoff- 53 degrees, partly cloudy, 8 mph winds
In a match-up of mirroring teams Florida and TCU battle for the rights to be the first team to get into the first every Reitmeyer Rant College Football Championship Game. Both Florida and TCU have explosive offensives, but their defenses are what carry the team.
Florida enters the game after beating Virginia Tech in the 1st Round 31-3 and then defeating Cincinnati 34-20 in the East Regional Finals last week.
TCU has cruised into this week’s game dominating Miami in the 1st Round 45-7 and then cruising past Boise State in Phoenix 51-21 to get to this point.
TCU enters the game winning their past 15 games at home; they have not lost at Amon G. Carter Stadium since October 18th 2007, when they lost to Utah 27-20.
This game started out slow as both teams defense stood tall as the offenses tried to feel out the other team. After going 3-and-out on their first two drives Florida struck first when Tim Tebow hooked up with TE Aaron Hernandez for an 18-yard score with 4:29 left in the first quarter. The Florida defense who had two sacks on TCU’s first two possessions stepped up and did some scoring of their own. On a third and 13 Andy Dalton tried to force a pass to Antoine Hicks, but Janoris Jenkins stepped in front of it a darted down the sideline for 28 yards and another Gators touchdown. After that, the rout was on.
TCU was able to mount a drive midway through the 2nd quarter and cut the Gator lead to 17-3 at the half, but the Horned Frogs would have an uphill battle in the second half.
TCU got the kick to start the second half and played very conservative in their first possession, possibly just trying to keep the Gator offense off the field. Despite having entered the game with the best scoring defense in the nation TCU was being outgained 274-31 at halftime and Florida had begun to move the ball at will on them. The two-headed running monster of Michael Tucker and Joseph Turner did most of the work on the opening drive for TCU. Turner carried the ball 4 times for 21 yards and Tucker added 33 yards on 3 carries to get the Horned Frogs into the Red Zone. After abandoning the run once in the Red Zone, Dalton threw three straight incompletions and TCU had to settle for another FG.
Tim Tebow saw the blood and went for the kill after watching TCU eat up nearly six minutes of clock and only come away with a field goal. The Gators needed just four plays to add to the lead on a shovel pass to Chris Rainey that went 41 yards for another Gators touchdown. Now up 24-6 midway through the third quarter the Florida defense pinned their ears back and attacked the Andy Dalton and the TCU offense.
The Gators had five sacks in the second half and nine for the game, and also picked off Dalton two more times in the second half. Joe Haden returned his interception 71 yards before being tackled at the 13 yard line, setting up another Florida score. It was the first time that Dalton had thrown three or more interceptions since the last home loss for the Horned Frogs nearly two and a half years ago.
Tim Tebow will get a chance to win his third national championship with the Gators next week in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
FLORIDA 38, TCU 6
GAME 2
Oregon @ Alabama, Bryant-Denny Stadium
Saturday Jan 2nd, 8:00
Weather at kickoff - 30 degrees and clear, light winds
Opposites attract in semi-final #2. We have the speed and finesse of the Oregon Ducks travelling south to take on the size and strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
#1 seeded Alabama enters the game carrying the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games. They have convincing wins over Pitt in the first round and Georgia Tech in the second round to get them into this game. Alabama has also won 15 straight homes games, their last home loss came in November of 2007 when Louisiana Monroe, upset them 21-14.
Oregon is the highest seeded team remaining at #7. They defeated Penn State 38-20 in the first round, and then beat Texas last week on a last second FG in a thrilling 48-45 victory.
This marks the first time Oregon has visited a team from the SEC since opening the 2003 season with a 42-34 win at Mississippi State. It is the first time Oregon has ever faced Alabama.
The Crimson Tide won the toss and chose to defer until the second half allowing Oregon to take the opening kick. The Ducks went three-and-out on their first drive completing two short passes on second and third down after a two-yard loss by running back LaMichael James on first down. Alabama took control with good field position after a nice punt return by Javier Arenas. The Tide then gave the Ducks a steady dose of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Alabama moved the ball slowly, but effectively, down the field and attempted only one pass their entire first drive. Alabama finished the 42-yard drive with Mark Ingram hammering it home on a one-yard run on fourth and goal.
The next Oregon drive was completely different from their first. Oregon took over at the 31 after the Alabama score and using screen passes, draw plays and misdirection, to keep the Alabama defense on its heels. It seemed to work as the Ducks put together a 11 play, 69 yard drive for a touchdown. No play on the drive was longer than eight yards, and Jeremiah Masoli capped the drive with a qb keeper from two yards out to tie the score.
After some defensive adjustments from both sides, the scoring slowed down considerably. Alabama won a second quarter field goal kicking contest when Leigh Tiffin made two, to Oregon’s Morgan Flint making just one. Alabama led at the half 13-10.
The Crimson Tide came out in the second half poised to repeat the style of play from the first half. After running the ball five straight plays, the Tide went play action and Greg McElroy found Marquis Maze for a 51-yard scoring strike. A hold by the Bama defense and another field goal by Tiffin put the pressure on Oregon as the entered the fourth quarter down 23-10.
Oregon came out of the gate in the final stanza and tried to get it all back on one play, but it was Mark Barron that made the play on the ball, as he intercepted the Masoli pass attempt. Alabama then played keep away from the Ducks using their power running game with Richardson and Ingram to keep the chains and the clock moving. Ingram finished the drive off with a 7-yard touchdown run and put the game on ice.
Oregon made a valiant comeback attempt scoring 10 points in the final 5:16 of the game, but it was too little too late.
Alabama will be playing for the national title game for their first time since 1992 when they beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide will be seeing a familiar opponent in the title game as the Reitmeyer Rant Playoff will have an all-SEC title game.
ALABAMA 30, OREGON 20
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday January 11, 2010
Pasadena, CA
The Rose Bowl
#5 Florida Gators vs #1 Alabama Crimson Tide
Thursday, December 31, 2009
THE REITMYER RANT PLAYOFF
ROUND 2
SOUTH REGION
Alabama vs Georgia Tech, played in Atlanta, GA, Georgia Dome
Saturday Dec 26th 3:30pm
Weather at kickoff- game played indoors.
In a match-up of two teams that love to run the ball, Georgia Tech and Alabama clashed in the trenches of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Alabama ranks 12th in the nation running the ball and 2nd in run defense and total defense. The Tide lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 11 ppg. Georgia Tech on the other hand, is 2nd in the nation running the ball at over 300 yards per game, but 67th at stopping the run. Something would have to give in Atlanta.
Mark Ingram started the scoring on a 3-yard plunge on the Tides first drive that went 74 yards on 9 plays. Ingram had 6 carries for 51 yards on the drive. Not to be out down though Jonathan Dwyer got the ball on Tech’s first two plays and broke runs of 11 and 14 before a holding penalty stalled the drive forcing a GT punt. Bama scored again on their next possession and the one after that as they jumped out to a 21-3 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. The run-first offense from Georgia Tech is not made to play from behind and struggled mightily to stay in the game as Alabama continued to move the ball at will on the Yellow Jackets defense, taking a 31-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. Alabama put it into cruise control in the 2nd half and will host one of the two national semifinals next week.
ALABAMA 41, GEORGIA TECH 13
MIDWEST REGION
Texas vs Oregon, played in Dallas, TX, Cowboys Stadium
Saturday Dec 26th 7:00pm
Weather at kickoff- 37 degrees, partly cloudy
Two high-powered offenses met in the new Cowboys Stadium and lit up the $40M Jumbotron. This got started with both teams scoring on their first drives and having the feel that the team that has the ball last will win. Sure enough, that is exactly how it played out.
Colt McCoy led the Longhorns downfield and hit WR Dan Buckner on a 12-yard strike to get the scoring parade underway. Just three plays later, the Ducks tied the game on a 47-yard run by freshman sensation LaMichael James. This high-paced game continued through the first half as Oregon went into halftime holding a 24-21 lead. The second half was much of the same. Jeremiah Masoli scored on the QB keeper on the Ducks first possession of the second half to extend the lead to 10 points before Colt McCoy rallied his troops. McCoy and the Longhorns scored 21 straight points in the 3rd quarter to take a 42-31 lead going into the final quarter. After another James TD run for the Ducks to cut the lead to 42-38, the Oregon defense stepped up and did a little scoring of their own when Talmadge Jackson scooped up a Vondrell McGee fumble and raced 37 yards into the end zone.
With the score 45-42 Oregon, Colt McCoy once again worked his magic and put the Longhorns in field goal range with under a minute to play. Hunter Lawrence, who had already made 95 kicks this season, tied the game with a 38 yard field goal with :49 left on the clock. But 49 seconds was enough time for Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks offense to get once last crack. Masoli completed 3 straight passes including a 29 yarder to Tight End Ed Dickson that moved the ball to the Texas 11 yard line with six seconds to play. Morgan Flint kicked home a 29 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Ducks to an upset victory over the second-seeded Texas Longhorns.
OREGON 48, TEXAS 45
WEST REGION
TCU vs Boise State, played in Phoenix, AZ, University of Phoenix Stadium
Saturday Dec 26th, 10:30pm
Weather at kickoff- game played indoors
Phoenix hosted a match-up of two non-BCS conference teams fighting to join the elite in the Final Four of the college football season. However, this game did not look like two non-BCS teams. One team looked far superior.
TCU dominated every aspect of this game from the start. The Horned Frogs defense forced a normally sure handed Boise State squad into five turnovers while the offense ran up and down the field on the Broncos. TCU was led by QB Andy Dalton who accounted for over 350 yards of total offense and 4 scores. Jerry Hughes and Tank Carder who were in the Boise State backfield all night led the defense.
After the embarrassing loss, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen has been linked to the newly available coaching job at Texas Tech.
TCU 51, BOISE STATE 21
EAST REGION
Cincinnati vs Florida, played in Boston, MA, Gillette Stadium
Saturday Dec 26th, NOON
Weather at kickoff- 38 degrees with a light fall of freezing rain
The Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati Bearcats wanted to prove to the nation that it was not the coach that got this team to 13-0, it was the players. What better stage to prove that than to beat the defending national champions and Tim Tebow?
Tim Tebow and the Florida Gator offense came out red-hot in the 1st quarter and took at 17-7 lead with the help of two 1-yard runs by Tebow. Tebow was sporting eye-black stickers with the word “URB” written on them, as opposed to his normal bible scriptures, in support of his head coach Urban Meyer who told his Gator team before the game that he would be stepping down after the game due to health issues.
Tony Pike and the Bearcats offense got rolling in their first possession of the second quarter as they drove 89 yards on 9 plays for a score. Pike was 8-8 on the drive and accounted for 84 yards. The drive was capped off by the only running play of the drive, a 5-yard draw to Isaiah Pead. After both defenses held up Florida ended the half with a 37-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis as time expired.
The size and speed of Florida started to wear down the Cincinnati team as the game grew on and it showed. The Gators established a running game between Tebow and speed back Jeffrey Demps and the Gators pass-rush pressured Pike and the Bearcat offense into uncommon mistakes.
After the game Urban Meyer said that he would be back next week despite what he told his players before the game saying, “I thought it would motivate them a little bit and the would want to go out and win one for me. I would never leave Florida; I am living the dream right now!”
FLORIDA 34, CINCINNATI 20
NATIONAL SEMI-FINALS
Oregon @ Alabama, Saturday Jan 2nd, 8:00 start
AND
Florida @ TCU, Saturday Jan 2nd, 3:30 start
SOUTH REGION
Alabama vs Georgia Tech, played in Atlanta, GA, Georgia Dome
Saturday Dec 26th 3:30pm
Weather at kickoff- game played indoors.
In a match-up of two teams that love to run the ball, Georgia Tech and Alabama clashed in the trenches of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Alabama ranks 12th in the nation running the ball and 2nd in run defense and total defense. The Tide lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 11 ppg. Georgia Tech on the other hand, is 2nd in the nation running the ball at over 300 yards per game, but 67th at stopping the run. Something would have to give in Atlanta.
Mark Ingram started the scoring on a 3-yard plunge on the Tides first drive that went 74 yards on 9 plays. Ingram had 6 carries for 51 yards on the drive. Not to be out down though Jonathan Dwyer got the ball on Tech’s first two plays and broke runs of 11 and 14 before a holding penalty stalled the drive forcing a GT punt. Bama scored again on their next possession and the one after that as they jumped out to a 21-3 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. The run-first offense from Georgia Tech is not made to play from behind and struggled mightily to stay in the game as Alabama continued to move the ball at will on the Yellow Jackets defense, taking a 31-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. Alabama put it into cruise control in the 2nd half and will host one of the two national semifinals next week.
ALABAMA 41, GEORGIA TECH 13
MIDWEST REGION
Texas vs Oregon, played in Dallas, TX, Cowboys Stadium
Saturday Dec 26th 7:00pm
Weather at kickoff- 37 degrees, partly cloudy
Two high-powered offenses met in the new Cowboys Stadium and lit up the $40M Jumbotron. This got started with both teams scoring on their first drives and having the feel that the team that has the ball last will win. Sure enough, that is exactly how it played out.
Colt McCoy led the Longhorns downfield and hit WR Dan Buckner on a 12-yard strike to get the scoring parade underway. Just three plays later, the Ducks tied the game on a 47-yard run by freshman sensation LaMichael James. This high-paced game continued through the first half as Oregon went into halftime holding a 24-21 lead. The second half was much of the same. Jeremiah Masoli scored on the QB keeper on the Ducks first possession of the second half to extend the lead to 10 points before Colt McCoy rallied his troops. McCoy and the Longhorns scored 21 straight points in the 3rd quarter to take a 42-31 lead going into the final quarter. After another James TD run for the Ducks to cut the lead to 42-38, the Oregon defense stepped up and did a little scoring of their own when Talmadge Jackson scooped up a Vondrell McGee fumble and raced 37 yards into the end zone.
With the score 45-42 Oregon, Colt McCoy once again worked his magic and put the Longhorns in field goal range with under a minute to play. Hunter Lawrence, who had already made 95 kicks this season, tied the game with a 38 yard field goal with :49 left on the clock. But 49 seconds was enough time for Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks offense to get once last crack. Masoli completed 3 straight passes including a 29 yarder to Tight End Ed Dickson that moved the ball to the Texas 11 yard line with six seconds to play. Morgan Flint kicked home a 29 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Ducks to an upset victory over the second-seeded Texas Longhorns.
OREGON 48, TEXAS 45
WEST REGION
TCU vs Boise State, played in Phoenix, AZ, University of Phoenix Stadium
Saturday Dec 26th, 10:30pm
Weather at kickoff- game played indoors
Phoenix hosted a match-up of two non-BCS conference teams fighting to join the elite in the Final Four of the college football season. However, this game did not look like two non-BCS teams. One team looked far superior.
TCU dominated every aspect of this game from the start. The Horned Frogs defense forced a normally sure handed Boise State squad into five turnovers while the offense ran up and down the field on the Broncos. TCU was led by QB Andy Dalton who accounted for over 350 yards of total offense and 4 scores. Jerry Hughes and Tank Carder who were in the Boise State backfield all night led the defense.
After the embarrassing loss, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen has been linked to the newly available coaching job at Texas Tech.
TCU 51, BOISE STATE 21
EAST REGION
Cincinnati vs Florida, played in Boston, MA, Gillette Stadium
Saturday Dec 26th, NOON
Weather at kickoff- 38 degrees with a light fall of freezing rain
The Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati Bearcats wanted to prove to the nation that it was not the coach that got this team to 13-0, it was the players. What better stage to prove that than to beat the defending national champions and Tim Tebow?
Tim Tebow and the Florida Gator offense came out red-hot in the 1st quarter and took at 17-7 lead with the help of two 1-yard runs by Tebow. Tebow was sporting eye-black stickers with the word “URB” written on them, as opposed to his normal bible scriptures, in support of his head coach Urban Meyer who told his Gator team before the game that he would be stepping down after the game due to health issues.
Tony Pike and the Bearcats offense got rolling in their first possession of the second quarter as they drove 89 yards on 9 plays for a score. Pike was 8-8 on the drive and accounted for 84 yards. The drive was capped off by the only running play of the drive, a 5-yard draw to Isaiah Pead. After both defenses held up Florida ended the half with a 37-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis as time expired.
The size and speed of Florida started to wear down the Cincinnati team as the game grew on and it showed. The Gators established a running game between Tebow and speed back Jeffrey Demps and the Gators pass-rush pressured Pike and the Bearcat offense into uncommon mistakes.
After the game Urban Meyer said that he would be back next week despite what he told his players before the game saying, “I thought it would motivate them a little bit and the would want to go out and win one for me. I would never leave Florida; I am living the dream right now!”
FLORIDA 34, CINCINNATI 20
NATIONAL SEMI-FINALS
Oregon @ Alabama, Saturday Jan 2nd, 8:00 start
AND
Florida @ TCU, Saturday Jan 2nd, 3:30 start
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