So, I was unable to watch the game live on Saturday. I got to watch it on the DVR. I must say it was an enjoyable experience not having to watch the commercials.
If you take a look at my column from last week, you'll see that the Longhorns did exactly what I asked them to do. The offense didn't turn the ball over, the defense didn't sustain Nebraska drives with dumb penalties and, although Curtis Brown did drop the ball on special teams, he recovered it.
What Texas did right:
1. Greg Davis finally opened up the playbook and let Gilbert do some things with his legs. I swear I heard the announcers say "Great play call by Greg Davis." Buy a generator, stock up on water and non-perishables, because the end is near.
2. We ran the ball effectively and kept the backs fresh. Garrett also had time to throw the ball. Add those up and you've got great offensive line play. Jared Crick and Co. didn't have their names called a lot.
3. Won the 3rd down battle. Nebraska had several third-and-longs they couldn't convert. They missed two big tackles on Nebraska's first scoring drive, but they got off the field.
4. Not calling a timeout with 0:01 left on the clock. Mack Brown showed his class where someone like, say, Nick Saban or Urban Meyer, would not.
What Nebraska did wrong:
1. Dropped balls. 8 of them according to the ESPN stats crew working the game. At least half of those were from Niles Paul, the supposed "next level" and "sure-handed" star wide receiver. Two would've been touchdowns and two would've at least put Nebraska inside the 5 yard line. "Sure-handed" Rex Burkhead alligator-armed a sure TD with no one within 10 yards of him on the 2-yard line.
2. Ten penalties for 94 yards.
3. Six fumbles, with one lost. At least two of the fumbles they recovered were on third-and-short and stalled drives.
4. A curious decision by Bo Pelini to bench Taylor Martinez. Sure he wasn't making the correct read on all plays, but all the fumbles and dropped passes didn't help. You've gotta dance with who brung ya. Zac Lee, while he made the right reads, isn't nearly as fast as T-Magic. I think with time that Martinez would've read the defense better and would've made Texas pay.
5. The crowd let the team down. As Mack Brown said, "But I could feel some of their fans, when we got up 10-0 thinking, 'You've got to be kidding, not again.'" I could tell that after we made that figgie to go up just 3-0, it got quieter. But when we followed up Roy Helu, Jr.'s fumble with that TD from Gilbert, it got real quiet.
What Texas did wrong:
1. We dropped the passes too. James Kirkendoll bobbled the go route deep in the end zone. Welcome Back Kirky! Malcolm Williams dropped the out route.
2. I can't blame Malcolm's drop all on him though, because Garrett just isn't an accurate passer. He lobs when he should flick. He holds the ball too long and throws behind receivers. There was that one play deep in our own territory where Fozzy ran an outlet and GG just tossed it at his feet with lots of running room in front of him.
3. That pooch punt. Mack went to the bucket one too many times. Credit Nebraska with studying the film and being ready. Here's betting we get that puppy out-of-bounds next time.
So the sky isn't really falling. Greg Davis called the game as if his job depended on it, well, because maybe it did. There's new life. The only game that looks really scary after this past weekend's games is Oklahoma State. But then again, we own them. So we've got 9-3 if we lose to OSU, and 10-2 if we win that game. Much better outlook than two games ago.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 7
So, Chris was right about the Ohio State-Indiana game. I was wrong.
I got it back on track in the Big XII with a 5-1 record, with my lone loss the decision to go with Baylor over Tech. Do I regret it? Not really. They had a great chance to win that game. I now sit at 47-8 for the year.
As for this week's games?
Kansas State big over KU to show last week was a fluke.
Does Mizzou go into Kyle Field and come back home with a win? I'm not so sure. It depends on how much Jerrod Jekyll can contain Jerrod Hyde. I think A&M ekes out a win as the 12th Man shakes up the Tigers in their first road game of the season.
Baylor over CU in Boulder to move within one win of bowl eligibility.
OU handily over Iowa State
Not sure what to make of the OSU-Tech game. OSU will be without 2 receivers, including Henry Anyiam, a vital part of their offense. How will Tech fare without suspended defensive star Scott Smith? With a rousing performance by the Tech crowd, the Pokes leave Lubbock with their first loss of the season.
And the game of the millennium for the Nebraska faithful. Obviously, Texas hasn't held up our end of the bargain, what with the two losses and all. What will this game be like? Let's just say that NU might well put up 300+ rushing yards and 45+ points on our defense. We have never defended the option well and Saturday will be no exception. Our offense simply cannot turn the ball over, our defense cannot sustain drives with stupid penalties and our special teams CANNOT DROP THE STINKING FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!! Nebraska gets its revenge 48-23. Huck the Cornfuskers.
As for the Top 25 National games last week. A 4-4 disaster brings me back down to earth at 28-10. Unfortunately, I don't have a bye week to work out the kinks, so I'll have to make some half-time adjustments.
West Virginia over South Florida
Florida State 41-21 over BC
Sparty over the Fighting Ron Zooks to stay unbeaten
Iowa over Michigan 21-20.
Auburn controls the clock with a grinding running game to tame the Hogs 28-24.
Oh BYU. Why exactly did y'all decide to go independent? You haven't exactly been world-beaters this year. And TCU is going to lay the wood in a 56-17 beat-down.
Does South Carolina have a let-up against UK? It's not outside the realm of possibility. But UK doesn't have the firepower to hang.
Florida can't lose three games in a row, including 2 at home, right? Well if Texas can... Mississippi State doesn't have quite the defense that LSU does, but it does have a better offense, thanks to departed UF OC Dan Mullen. I think the Gators give The Swamp a W this week.
Can Arizona take care of Wazzu? I think it'll be a 35-31 victory by the visitors of UofA.
Ohio State 38-20 over Wisconsin.
'Bama bounces back over Ole Miss.
I got it back on track in the Big XII with a 5-1 record, with my lone loss the decision to go with Baylor over Tech. Do I regret it? Not really. They had a great chance to win that game. I now sit at 47-8 for the year.
As for this week's games?
Kansas State big over KU to show last week was a fluke.
Does Mizzou go into Kyle Field and come back home with a win? I'm not so sure. It depends on how much Jerrod Jekyll can contain Jerrod Hyde. I think A&M ekes out a win as the 12th Man shakes up the Tigers in their first road game of the season.
Baylor over CU in Boulder to move within one win of bowl eligibility.
OU handily over Iowa State
Not sure what to make of the OSU-Tech game. OSU will be without 2 receivers, including Henry Anyiam, a vital part of their offense. How will Tech fare without suspended defensive star Scott Smith? With a rousing performance by the Tech crowd, the Pokes leave Lubbock with their first loss of the season.
And the game of the millennium for the Nebraska faithful. Obviously, Texas hasn't held up our end of the bargain, what with the two losses and all. What will this game be like? Let's just say that NU might well put up 300+ rushing yards and 45+ points on our defense. We have never defended the option well and Saturday will be no exception. Our offense simply cannot turn the ball over, our defense cannot sustain drives with stupid penalties and our special teams CANNOT DROP THE STINKING FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!! Nebraska gets its revenge 48-23. Huck the Cornfuskers.
As for the Top 25 National games last week. A 4-4 disaster brings me back down to earth at 28-10. Unfortunately, I don't have a bye week to work out the kinks, so I'll have to make some half-time adjustments.
West Virginia over South Florida
Florida State 41-21 over BC
Sparty over the Fighting Ron Zooks to stay unbeaten
Iowa over Michigan 21-20.
Auburn controls the clock with a grinding running game to tame the Hogs 28-24.
Oh BYU. Why exactly did y'all decide to go independent? You haven't exactly been world-beaters this year. And TCU is going to lay the wood in a 56-17 beat-down.
Does South Carolina have a let-up against UK? It's not outside the realm of possibility. But UK doesn't have the firepower to hang.
Florida can't lose three games in a row, including 2 at home, right? Well if Texas can... Mississippi State doesn't have quite the defense that LSU does, but it does have a better offense, thanks to departed UF OC Dan Mullen. I think the Gators give The Swamp a W this week.
Can Arizona take care of Wazzu? I think it'll be a 35-31 victory by the visitors of UofA.
Ohio State 38-20 over Wisconsin.
'Bama bounces back over Ole Miss.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 6
Ouch. I took a beating last week.
2-3 in the Big XII and 6-3 in the National Games, dropping my records to 42-7 and 24-6, respectively.
Time for a bounce-back.
Big XII:
Nebraska over K-State, but not by a wide margin. I'm thinking 24-14.
OSU pounding ULaLa
Dare I say Baylor over Tech? I dare!
Arkansas over A&M 35-14.
Mizzou over the did-the-fans-really-tear-down-the-goalposts-after-beating-a-1-and-4-team?CU Buffs.
Utah over Iowa State.
And last, Bye Week over Texas 21-20. Seriously? I'm encouraged that there's still some fight left in the dog, but we can't keep killing ourselves with stupid penalties and muffed punts. And get DJ Monroe and Marquise Goodwin in the game more. I don't care if they don't know the offense. Catch ball. Run fast. Not that hard. And why can't the receivers run their routes past the sticks? If it's fourth-and-five, don't run a 4-yard square-in John Chiles! I'm calling out receivers coach Bobby Kennedy. Greg Davis will need a moving buddy.
As for the National Games:
Ohio State in a squeaker over Indiana. Part of me wants to call the upset here, but the game is in the Horseshoe, so I'll give the Buckeyes the benefit of the doubt.
'Bama all over South Carolina
Oregon hangs 65 on Wazzu
Arizona over Oregon State
Florida over the Bayou Bungals in The Swamp 21-13.
Stanford over USC
Miami over Florida State
And the toughest game to pick: #17 Michigan State versus #18 Michigan in The Big House. It's going to be another who-has-the-ball-last kind of game. Part of me really likes Sparty, but the Denard Robinson Experience has been unstoppable as long as he stays in the game, which might be a concern with the MSU linebackers. If Robinson was just a runner, I'd give the edge to the boys in green, but he is an efficient little passer. For this reason, I'm going with the Maize and Blue in a 45-42 shootout. Whither Big Ten defenses?
2-3 in the Big XII and 6-3 in the National Games, dropping my records to 42-7 and 24-6, respectively.
Time for a bounce-back.
Big XII:
Nebraska over K-State, but not by a wide margin. I'm thinking 24-14.
OSU pounding ULaLa
Dare I say Baylor over Tech? I dare!
Arkansas over A&M 35-14.
Mizzou over the did-the-fans-really-tear-down-the-goalposts-after-beating-a-1-and-4-team?CU Buffs.
Utah over Iowa State.
And last, Bye Week over Texas 21-20. Seriously? I'm encouraged that there's still some fight left in the dog, but we can't keep killing ourselves with stupid penalties and muffed punts. And get DJ Monroe and Marquise Goodwin in the game more. I don't care if they don't know the offense. Catch ball. Run fast. Not that hard. And why can't the receivers run their routes past the sticks? If it's fourth-and-five, don't run a 4-yard square-in John Chiles! I'm calling out receivers coach Bobby Kennedy. Greg Davis will need a moving buddy.
As for the National Games:
Ohio State in a squeaker over Indiana. Part of me wants to call the upset here, but the game is in the Horseshoe, so I'll give the Buckeyes the benefit of the doubt.
'Bama all over South Carolina
Oregon hangs 65 on Wazzu
Arizona over Oregon State
Florida over the Bayou Bungals in The Swamp 21-13.
Stanford over USC
Miami over Florida State
And the toughest game to pick: #17 Michigan State versus #18 Michigan in The Big House. It's going to be another who-has-the-ball-last kind of game. Part of me really likes Sparty, but the Denard Robinson Experience has been unstoppable as long as he stays in the game, which might be a concern with the MSU linebackers. If Robinson was just a runner, I'd give the edge to the boys in green, but he is an efficient little passer. For this reason, I'm going with the Maize and Blue in a 45-42 shootout. Whither Big Ten defenses?
Friday, October 01, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 5b
As pointed out by the comment today, I whiffed on both the outcome and location of last night's OSU-A&M game.
In my defense, we've had ISO audits all week.
As for last week's picks, well there's no defense. I went 7-1 for the Big XII, with the lone loss by my butter-fingered Longhorns, bringing my overall conference record to 40-4. I think that game was perhaps the Abomination that causes Desolation. Okay, in the grand scheme of things, not that bad, but a bad portend for what's to come in conference play. And besides the Horns going down, I was nowhere close on the points predictions for OU and Nebraska.
For this weeks games:
I already lost the A&M pick. (Poooooooor A-ggies!) Apparently Jerrod Johnson wanted to outdo Garrett Gilbert.
Baylor over Kansas
Georgia over Colorado in Boulder. It's amazing what having AJ Green back will do for the 'Dogs.
Tech over a frisky Iowa State team.
And the Red River Rivalry...the second of a three-game losing streak. Listen friends, UCLA put up 27 yards on 5/9 passing. They pretty much completely eschewed the air attack, wisely taking the game out of Kevin Prince's incapable hands, and just ran the ball down our throats. Why we didn't play man-to-man on the outside and stack 9 in the box is beyond me. Now, Bobby Stoops won't go to such an extreme, but he will find ways to get Demarco Murray the ball: zone reads, screen passes, flare passes/bubble screens and vertical routs. You thought our D was winded at half-time of the UCLA game, baby you ain't seen nothin' yet. If we turn the ball over like we did last week, it's going to be much, much uglier. Assuming we don't play hot potato with the pigskin, I think we'll keep the margin of defeat under three touchdowns, say 28-13. So let's take a look at the rest of the schedule with the date, opponent and record after that game:
10/16 @ Nebraska, 3-3
10/23 vs Iowa State, 4-3
10/30 vs Baylor, 5-3
11/6 @ K-State, 5-4
11/13 vs OSU, 5-5
11/20 vs FAU, 6-5
11/25 vs A&M, 6-6
That's pretty much the worst-case scenario. Nebraska will destroy us. Baylor will give us trouble with RG3. We visit a K-State squad that's probably 6-2 and brimming with confidence and with Joe Thomas killing it at running back. OSU will not lose this year if up by 21 points. A&M at least scored 35 points in a losing effort on the road while turning the ball over 5 times.
Not good times friends. Not good times. But if this is what it takes to finally get Greg Davis fired, I will suffer through it.
On to the national games. A 9-1 record boosts me to 18-3 for the year as the Gamecocks spit the bit. As for this week:
Miami over Clemson
Ohio State over Illinois
Michigan outpointing Indiana
LSU 13-9 over Tennessee
Michigan State in a mild upset over Wisconsin
NC State over Va Tech by 3
Ineligible USC over Washington
#1 Bama over #7 Florida, but not without a fight
Penn State stealing a victory over Iowa on the road
The Oregon Ducks versus the Stanford Cardinal in Autzen Stadium. The question really isn't who's going to win, but which garish uni the Ducks will pull out for this game. They're pretty unbeatable in Eugene, but the Fighting Jim Harbaughs aren't necessarily chopped liver. Oregon's QB has gone through nonconference largely untested. If the Ducks turn the ball over like they did against ASU, Stanford will step on their throats and not let up. This game will come down to who has the ball last. Speed kills, and Oregon has plenty of it. But speed does nothing for you if it's on the sideline. Stanford will grind the clock and it's defense will make some stops. I say the scoreboard explodes with a 56-45 Oregon win.
In my defense, we've had ISO audits all week.
As for last week's picks, well there's no defense. I went 7-1 for the Big XII, with the lone loss by my butter-fingered Longhorns, bringing my overall conference record to 40-4. I think that game was perhaps the Abomination that causes Desolation. Okay, in the grand scheme of things, not that bad, but a bad portend for what's to come in conference play. And besides the Horns going down, I was nowhere close on the points predictions for OU and Nebraska.
For this weeks games:
I already lost the A&M pick. (Poooooooor A-ggies!) Apparently Jerrod Johnson wanted to outdo Garrett Gilbert.
Baylor over Kansas
Georgia over Colorado in Boulder. It's amazing what having AJ Green back will do for the 'Dogs.
Tech over a frisky Iowa State team.
And the Red River Rivalry...the second of a three-game losing streak. Listen friends, UCLA put up 27 yards on 5/9 passing. They pretty much completely eschewed the air attack, wisely taking the game out of Kevin Prince's incapable hands, and just ran the ball down our throats. Why we didn't play man-to-man on the outside and stack 9 in the box is beyond me. Now, Bobby Stoops won't go to such an extreme, but he will find ways to get Demarco Murray the ball: zone reads, screen passes, flare passes/bubble screens and vertical routs. You thought our D was winded at half-time of the UCLA game, baby you ain't seen nothin' yet. If we turn the ball over like we did last week, it's going to be much, much uglier. Assuming we don't play hot potato with the pigskin, I think we'll keep the margin of defeat under three touchdowns, say 28-13. So let's take a look at the rest of the schedule with the date, opponent and record after that game:
10/16 @ Nebraska, 3-3
10/23 vs Iowa State, 4-3
10/30 vs Baylor, 5-3
11/6 @ K-State, 5-4
11/13 vs OSU, 5-5
11/20 vs FAU, 6-5
11/25 vs A&M, 6-6
That's pretty much the worst-case scenario. Nebraska will destroy us. Baylor will give us trouble with RG3. We visit a K-State squad that's probably 6-2 and brimming with confidence and with Joe Thomas killing it at running back. OSU will not lose this year if up by 21 points. A&M at least scored 35 points in a losing effort on the road while turning the ball over 5 times.
Not good times friends. Not good times. But if this is what it takes to finally get Greg Davis fired, I will suffer through it.
On to the national games. A 9-1 record boosts me to 18-3 for the year as the Gamecocks spit the bit. As for this week:
Miami over Clemson
Ohio State over Illinois
Michigan outpointing Indiana
LSU 13-9 over Tennessee
Michigan State in a mild upset over Wisconsin
NC State over Va Tech by 3
Ineligible USC over Washington
#1 Bama over #7 Florida, but not without a fight
Penn State stealing a victory over Iowa on the road
The Oregon Ducks versus the Stanford Cardinal in Autzen Stadium. The question really isn't who's going to win, but which garish uni the Ducks will pull out for this game. They're pretty unbeatable in Eugene, but the Fighting Jim Harbaughs aren't necessarily chopped liver. Oregon's QB has gone through nonconference largely untested. If the Ducks turn the ball over like they did against ASU, Stanford will step on their throats and not let up. This game will come down to who has the ball last. Speed kills, and Oregon has plenty of it. But speed does nothing for you if it's on the sideline. Stanford will grind the clock and it's defense will make some stops. I say the scoreboard explodes with a 56-45 Oregon win.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 5a
A&M over OSU at Kyle Field.
Expanded picks before Saturday's games coming later.
Expanded picks before Saturday's games coming later.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 4
After a late switch of the Hawaii-Colorado game, I went 12-0 in the Big XII, bringing my season record to 33-3. Special thanks to Mizzou and A&M for finally waking up in the 2nd half. I thought TCU-Baylor would be close, but boy was I wrong.
For the national games, I went 4-1 with the Iowa loss to bring those picks to 9-2. Not bad.
Big XII Games:
K-State over UCF
Mizzou in another squeaker over Miami (OH)
OU big over Cincy on the road...I'm thinking half a hundred
Iowa State over UNI
Nebraska scores 70 on South Dakota State?
KU over NMSU at home by 10
Baylor over Rice on the road
Texas way over UCLA
A couple of notes on the Texas season so far. I have the Big 12 going Nebraska, OU, UT. The Cornhuskers have been the most consistent so far and OU has the higher profile victory over FSU. But, and this is a huge BUT, the Texas defense is SICK!!
National Games
Miami over Pitt
'Bama crushes Arkansas as Ryan Mallett gets picked twice and sacked five times
Stanford destroys Notre Dame as Touchdown Jesus cries as the Irish start 1-3
Penn State hands Temple (TEMPLE!) their first loss of the season
Florida over Kentucky at The Swamp
Boise over Oregon State by 27 on the Smurf Turf
TCU by 31 over SMU
LSU by 9 over WVU, the difference being the Bayou Bengals defense
Oregon only wins by 23 over Arizona State in Tempe
And the hardest to pick: South Carolina versus Auburn on The Plains. The spread is Auburn by 3 over the other USC. I just don't see it. I think that the Cocks harass Cam Newton. Sure he'll break off a couple of runs when avoiding pressure, but the D keeps him bottle up for the most part. Take the Under (O/U 46) with South Carolina over Auburn 19-13.
Some national rankings for your pleasure. My Top 5...
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. TCU
4. Boise State
5. Nebraska
If Texas were to play TCU, whether here, there or Jerry World, I'm thinking we'd lose 27-17.
For the national games, I went 4-1 with the Iowa loss to bring those picks to 9-2. Not bad.
Big XII Games:
K-State over UCF
Mizzou in another squeaker over Miami (OH)
OU big over Cincy on the road...I'm thinking half a hundred
Iowa State over UNI
Nebraska scores 70 on South Dakota State?
KU over NMSU at home by 10
Baylor over Rice on the road
Texas way over UCLA
A couple of notes on the Texas season so far. I have the Big 12 going Nebraska, OU, UT. The Cornhuskers have been the most consistent so far and OU has the higher profile victory over FSU. But, and this is a huge BUT, the Texas defense is SICK!!
National Games
Miami over Pitt
'Bama crushes Arkansas as Ryan Mallett gets picked twice and sacked five times
Stanford destroys Notre Dame as Touchdown Jesus cries as the Irish start 1-3
Penn State hands Temple (TEMPLE!) their first loss of the season
Florida over Kentucky at The Swamp
Boise over Oregon State by 27 on the Smurf Turf
TCU by 31 over SMU
LSU by 9 over WVU, the difference being the Bayou Bengals defense
Oregon only wins by 23 over Arizona State in Tempe
And the hardest to pick: South Carolina versus Auburn on The Plains. The spread is Auburn by 3 over the other USC. I just don't see it. I think that the Cocks harass Cam Newton. Sure he'll break off a couple of runs when avoiding pressure, but the D keeps him bottle up for the most part. Take the Under (O/U 46) with South Carolina over Auburn 19-13.
Some national rankings for your pleasure. My Top 5...
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. TCU
4. Boise State
5. Nebraska
If Texas were to play TCU, whether here, there or Jerry World, I'm thinking we'd lose 27-17.
Friday, September 17, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 3
[Editors Note: This column originally posted Friday, but I'm changing two picks before the games start today: Arkansas over Georgia and Colorado over Hawaii].
Last week I went 10-2 for the Big 12, bringing my record to 21-3 for the year.
So what happened?
1. Kansas changed its QB from Mr. Pick
2. OU showed why its a bad idea to pick against Stoops and Co. Maybe this year he'll revive his "Big Game Bob" aura. I'm just glad UT has two more weeks after the Tech game.
In the national games, I went 5-1 with my only loss the toss-up between Michigan and Notre Dame. What an individual performance by Denard Robinson.
Here's what I think's in store this weekend:
Big XII
Southern Miss over Kansas? Who knows.
K-State over Iowa State
Nebraska over Washington
OU over Air Force; a frisky performance by Air Force, but I'm not going to make the same mistake twice
Hawaii over Colorado
TCU over Baylor
Mizzou over SDSU
A&M over FIU
And finally, Texas over Tech. I know I always feel like we're going to lose these games. We've got a young team on the road, Tech has upgraded their coaching staff, Greg Davis is still our offensive coordinator. But Tech hasn't exactly played anyone either. I just have to bleed orange on this one even though my gut says we walk out with an L.
National Games
Iowa over Arizona despite the history
Wisconsin over Arizona State
Michigan State over Notre Dame - this one will end with the winner by 4 points or less
Georgia over Arkansas - Ryan Mallett comes back to Earth
Va Tech gets off the schneid against ECU
Last week I went 10-2 for the Big 12, bringing my record to 21-3 for the year.
So what happened?
1. Kansas changed its QB from Mr. Pick
2. OU showed why its a bad idea to pick against Stoops and Co. Maybe this year he'll revive his "Big Game Bob" aura. I'm just glad UT has two more weeks after the Tech game.
In the national games, I went 5-1 with my only loss the toss-up between Michigan and Notre Dame. What an individual performance by Denard Robinson.
Here's what I think's in store this weekend:
Big XII
Southern Miss over Kansas? Who knows.
K-State over Iowa State
Nebraska over Washington
OU over Air Force; a frisky performance by Air Force, but I'm not going to make the same mistake twice
Hawaii over Colorado
TCU over Baylor
Mizzou over SDSU
A&M over FIU
And finally, Texas over Tech. I know I always feel like we're going to lose these games. We've got a young team on the road, Tech has upgraded their coaching staff, Greg Davis is still our offensive coordinator. But Tech hasn't exactly played anyone either. I just have to bleed orange on this one even though my gut says we walk out with an L.
National Games
Iowa over Arizona despite the history
Wisconsin over Arizona State
Michigan State over Notre Dame - this one will end with the winner by 4 points or less
Georgia over Arkansas - Ryan Mallett comes back to Earth
Va Tech gets off the schneid against ECU
Friday, September 10, 2010
2010 NCAA Football Week 2
Okay, so I blew the Kansas game, but no one told me that the QB's last name is Pick. Shouldn't that be an automatic no-scholarship for a signal-caller? That's a red flag, right?
Here's how my picks go this week:
Georgia Tech over Kansas
Nebraska over Idaho
Cal over Colorado (expecting Cal's usual 5-0 start before the free-fall)
Iowa over Iowa State
Texas over Wyoming
Tech over New Mexico
Baylor over Buffalo
Mizzou over McNeese State
Oklahoma State over Troy
A&M over LaTech
And the hardest game of the week:
I'm just not that sure about Oklahoma. Barely surviving against WAC bottom-feeder Utah State while giving up 24 points? FSU looked good against it's week 1 cupcake, but must travel to Norman this week. My guess: Florida State over Oklahoma.
In other news, what a whale of a weekend, or a Monster as ESPN keeps shoving down our throats. Miami-Ohio State, Notre Dame-Michigan, Florida State-Oklahoma and Penn State-Alabama. My picks for the national games: OSU over The U, 'Bama over PSU and a toss-up with ND-UM: I think I'm drinking the Brian Kelly kool-aid in this one and picking Notre Dame on the road.
I'm also going with South Carolina over Georgia, Oregon over the other UT and a nail-biter Florida versus South Florida. I'm taking Florida based on three things: 1) The Swamp, 2) overall better talent and 3) big-playability.
We'll see how I did next week.
Here's how my picks go this week:
Georgia Tech over Kansas
Nebraska over Idaho
Cal over Colorado (expecting Cal's usual 5-0 start before the free-fall)
Iowa over Iowa State
Texas over Wyoming
Tech over New Mexico
Baylor over Buffalo
Mizzou over McNeese State
Oklahoma State over Troy
A&M over LaTech
And the hardest game of the week:
I'm just not that sure about Oklahoma. Barely surviving against WAC bottom-feeder Utah State while giving up 24 points? FSU looked good against it's week 1 cupcake, but must travel to Norman this week. My guess: Florida State over Oklahoma.
In other news, what a whale of a weekend, or a Monster as ESPN keeps shoving down our throats. Miami-Ohio State, Notre Dame-Michigan, Florida State-Oklahoma and Penn State-Alabama. My picks for the national games: OSU over The U, 'Bama over PSU and a toss-up with ND-UM: I think I'm drinking the Brian Kelly kool-aid in this one and picking Notre Dame on the road.
I'm also going with South Carolina over Georgia, Oregon over the other UT and a nail-biter Florida versus South Florida. I'm taking Florida based on three things: 1) The Swamp, 2) overall better talent and 3) big-playability.
We'll see how I did next week.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
College Football Is Back!
I've got my spreadsheet ready to go for my BCS Rankings.
This year I'm going to do predictions on Big XII games.
My guess is we open up 12-0.
This year I'm going to do predictions on Big XII games.
My guess is we open up 12-0.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Punny, Part Deux
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Punny
One of the things I've been annoyed with recently is the trend of writers and podcasters to say "no pun intended." Well, if you didn't intend a pun, don't tell me you didn't intend a pun, because then you sound like you intended the pun.
Say for instance that you've been sitting all day and your bum is a little sore. You tell your buddy next to you "Man, I could really stand to get off my bum." If you added "no pun intended", then your buddy would have to think to himself, "What did he mean 'no pun intended'?" It messes things up too much. Sure, most of the time if you're on your bum, you have to indeed stand to get off it.
So, something that wasn't intended to be funny in the first place, or at best an inert statement, now discombobulates everything around that part of the tome/conversation. So, don't make things awkward by introducing this insipid phrase. Just let it hang.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/1764/friday-mailbag-iowa-s-moeaki-to-return
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/2033/michigan-state-schedule-news-spring-game-recap
Say for instance that you've been sitting all day and your bum is a little sore. You tell your buddy next to you "Man, I could really stand to get off my bum." If you added "no pun intended", then your buddy would have to think to himself, "What did he mean 'no pun intended'?" It messes things up too much. Sure, most of the time if you're on your bum, you have to indeed stand to get off it.
So, something that wasn't intended to be funny in the first place, or at best an inert statement, now discombobulates everything around that part of the tome/conversation. So, don't make things awkward by introducing this insipid phrase. Just let it hang.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/1764/friday-mailbag-iowa-s-moeaki-to-return
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/2033/michigan-state-schedule-news-spring-game-recap
Monday, August 03, 2009
It's a...
BOY!!
Check out our Facebook pages for the announcement.
Here are some pics and a silly vid from the day:
No, we're not the type to post his parts for the entire world to see.
Sweet sister kisses
Munchkin wanted to take a picture of me with the flowers.
Sure, this video is corny, but what do you expect from me?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Back When
I really like Pandora radio. One of the cool features is having the lyrics for the song.
Well, Tim McGraw has a song entitled "Back When". It's a fun little tome about how things used to be. It's got a catchy chorus:
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
But the most ironic lyric is this: Cause they put pop in my country
Well Timmy, you might've sang about the evils of pop invading country music, but you sir, are a perpetrator. This song was released on 2004's "Live Like You Were Dying", well after you'd gone the way of syrupy ballads and cross-over pop-tarty sound. Hypocrite.
Well, Tim McGraw has a song entitled "Back When". It's a fun little tome about how things used to be. It's got a catchy chorus:
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
But the most ironic lyric is this: Cause they put pop in my country
Well Timmy, you might've sang about the evils of pop invading country music, but you sir, are a perpetrator. This song was released on 2004's "Live Like You Were Dying", well after you'd gone the way of syrupy ballads and cross-over pop-tarty sound. Hypocrite.
Happy Birthday Babe!
Who are those crazy kids?!
We've celebrated NINE of your birthdays together. It's hard to imagine that I've spent a third of your life with you, but the math doesn't lie.
We've had a lot of great moments during this span. Pixar has been nice enough to release their summer blockbuster most of those years, so it's been a fun little tradition of ours. We've been all over the Midwest and Europe, seeing lots of your extended family on the way. We have two wonderful children and a third on the way.
I wonder what adventures these next few years will have for us.
I love you.
Hope you have a good nap.
Our Little Picasso
Munchkin is a much better drawer than her old man, especially at the age of four.
I guess this is me.
I really like the ears.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Hey Babe,
I'm so blessed that you are my wife and the mother of my children.
I'm glad that the Lord has blessed us with another tiny soul to shepherd.
I look forward to dedicating the next baby Carrell on Mother's Day next year.
Love,
Me
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Four Things I Love About You
1. You still like to plop down in my lap to read books.
2. Your sweet singing and the songs you make up.
3. You still say gym-natch-tics, even though you've been doing them for over a year now.
4. The way you half-asleep sputter and mumble and cling to me when I take you for your 10:15 potty break.
Happy Birthday Munchkin!
Love,
Daddy
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Word Whimsy
Here's the challenge: See if you can use the following words in the normal flow of conversation this week.
1. Panacea
2. Genesis (just regarding a beginning, not the first book of the Bible. that'd be too easy)
1. Panacea
2. Genesis (just regarding a beginning, not the first book of the Bible. that'd be too easy)
Friday, March 06, 2009
Bubble Watch
Joe Lunardi posted his weekly Bracketology on Monday.
I know I'm going to take some flack from my fellow Texas alumns and diehards, but I don't think we deserve to go dancing this year. If I was on the NCAA Selection Committee, I would pick A&M ahead of UT. We just haven't had that many marquee wins, and those wins are close. We haven't consistently blown people out.
Now, will UT get into the tourney? Probably, assuming they don't get creamed at Kansas on Saturday and win two games in the Big XII tournament. They're the Arizona of the Big XII. Even if they don't have a great record, it's almost as if the selection committee believes they have a birthright to the tournament.
I think yesterday helped clear up the picture.
Minnesota and Wisconsin switch places with the Golden Gophers in and the Badgers out. Either way, the fewer rodents the better.
Say bye-bye to Miami. The ACC is 6-bid conference at best, with BC not helping its cause by gakking at NC State.
The SEC is down this year, as noted by Kentucky losing to an 11-18 Georgia team. It's hard to deny the Wildcats, both the program and Billie Gillespie. I know Pat Forde would have a heart attack.
Same goes for Florida. Not much margin for error.
I think Tulsa played its way in.
A&M is on an absolute tear lately and owns non-conference wins over LSU & Arizona.
San Diego State and UNLV are battling for the 4th MWC bid.
The Big East is a good conference. However, I don't think Providence has done enough to get in. Seven bids is good for this league.
I think URI takes one of the bids from the ACC or Big East.
[Editor's Note: The above portion of the column written at lunchtime on 3/5/09]
Here's last night's scoreboard.
Well, Providence sure spit the bit last night. Thanks for making me look smart. :o)
VMI is the feel-good story of the year, taking out Liberty by 20.
Did Tennessee switch places with South Carolina or just push themselves onto the bubble a little further?
I think Penn State cemented its place in the Field fo 65.
Cal pushed Arizona firmly out of the Dance with a road win last night. If you have 12 losses and you're not from a traditional single-bid conference, you have no place in March.
Tune in these next three days to see what movement happens as the low- and mid-major conferences wrap up their tourneys.
[Editor's Note: The previous two paragraphs were published before Joe's Bracketology update today.]
Joe's new arrivals? Minnesota, Texas A&M.
Joe's first out? Arizona, Kentucky & Providence.
The second out? Miami.
Thanks Joe for confirming my thoughts.
I know I'm going to take some flack from my fellow Texas alumns and diehards, but I don't think we deserve to go dancing this year. If I was on the NCAA Selection Committee, I would pick A&M ahead of UT. We just haven't had that many marquee wins, and those wins are close. We haven't consistently blown people out.
Now, will UT get into the tourney? Probably, assuming they don't get creamed at Kansas on Saturday and win two games in the Big XII tournament. They're the Arizona of the Big XII. Even if they don't have a great record, it's almost as if the selection committee believes they have a birthright to the tournament.
I think yesterday helped clear up the picture.
Minnesota and Wisconsin switch places with the Golden Gophers in and the Badgers out. Either way, the fewer rodents the better.
Say bye-bye to Miami. The ACC is 6-bid conference at best, with BC not helping its cause by gakking at NC State.
The SEC is down this year, as noted by Kentucky losing to an 11-18 Georgia team. It's hard to deny the Wildcats, both the program and Billie Gillespie. I know Pat Forde would have a heart attack.
Same goes for Florida. Not much margin for error.
I think Tulsa played its way in.
A&M is on an absolute tear lately and owns non-conference wins over LSU & Arizona.
San Diego State and UNLV are battling for the 4th MWC bid.
The Big East is a good conference. However, I don't think Providence has done enough to get in. Seven bids is good for this league.
I think URI takes one of the bids from the ACC or Big East.
[Editor's Note: The above portion of the column written at lunchtime on 3/5/09]
Here's last night's scoreboard.
Well, Providence sure spit the bit last night. Thanks for making me look smart. :o)
VMI is the feel-good story of the year, taking out Liberty by 20.
Did Tennessee switch places with South Carolina or just push themselves onto the bubble a little further?
I think Penn State cemented its place in the Field fo 65.
Cal pushed Arizona firmly out of the Dance with a road win last night. If you have 12 losses and you're not from a traditional single-bid conference, you have no place in March.
Tune in these next three days to see what movement happens as the low- and mid-major conferences wrap up their tourneys.
[Editor's Note: The previous two paragraphs were published before Joe's Bracketology update today.]
Joe's new arrivals? Minnesota, Texas A&M.
Joe's first out? Arizona, Kentucky & Providence.
The second out? Miami.
Thanks Joe for confirming my thoughts.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Overheard This Weekend
Tiny One to her doll Emily on the dark car ride home Friday night:
"You can't see Honeybunch!"
"WeeHee Emily!" repeat ad nauseum
Tiny One to me Saturday night during Munchkin's 10-minute resistance to eating her green bean:
"Don't get frustrated Daddy."
When a 2-year-old is calling you out, you know you need to work on tone and body language.
Munchkin when presented with her black shoes to wear with her red dress on Sunday morning:
"Christmas shoes! WooHoo!"
"You can't see Honeybunch!"
"WeeHee Emily!" repeat ad nauseum
Tiny One to me Saturday night during Munchkin's 10-minute resistance to eating her green bean:
"Don't get frustrated Daddy."
When a 2-year-old is calling you out, you know you need to work on tone and body language.
Munchkin when presented with her black shoes to wear with her red dress on Sunday morning:
"Christmas shoes! WooHoo!"
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