Ksquared's Day After New Year's BCS Bowl Predictions

Maybe the most lopsided bowl game (at least on paper), here's a rundown and prediction for what could also be the biggest upset of the year.

January 2, 2009 - Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, LA
#4 Alabama vs. #6 Utah - 8:00 pm ET
The Good: Utah is undefeated and could top Boise State's upset of Oklahoma with a win here, which will keep people watching for the first half. And if it stays close, nobody will change the channel. Utah got it's Christmas gift late as it was announced that Alabama's top offensive lineman, Andre Smith, has been suspended for this game...and though Alabama has more depth than most teams, his dissapearance could be a huge factor in opening holes for RB Glen Coffee and protecting QB Parker Wilson. Also, Utah has everything to play for and Alabama, after an amazing run that ended in dissapointment, might have trouble getting up for a less than National Championship finish. It's almost like the football Gods want this to be a close game. Because Alabama is good enough to be in the National Championship (and is just unlucky that it plays in the SEC), if Utah does somehow pull this out, there is definitely an argument that Utah is the best team in the country...Interesting case for the non-BCS schools.

The Bad: All that said, this will likely still NOT be a close game. Even with Andre Smith out, Alabama has star players at every position, including the aforementioned Coffee and Wilson, as well as the true freshman stand-out Julio Jones (can you believe we will see at LEAST two more years of this kid?). More importantly, Utah is overmatched at almost every position on the other side of the ball, too. If Utah gets over 200 yards of offense, I will be surprised. This one could end up VERY lopsided.

The Ugly Prediction: No Boise State-like love, no non-bcs school supporting argument, no David beats Goliath storyline...This won't be pretty from the get-go. Not only will Saban have his kids up for this game, but when you piss off the God of football (which Florida did), you're going to get the wrath of something evil and nasty. Utah, I pity you...May Saban have mercy on your soul.
Alabama 41 - Utah 14

Ksquared's New Year's Day BCS Bowl Predictions

As we watch bowls that take longer to say than can keep us awake (like the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl), the anticipation for the big games grows every day. And since every bowl game is almost wholly unpredictable, I will naturally try and predict them...at least, the ones that matter. First off, here are the up-and-coming New Year's Day bowls.

January 1, 2009 - The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi - Pasadena, CA
#8 Penn State vs. #5 USC - 4:30 pm ET
The Good: If asked which bowl game people are most looking forward to, besides the National Championship, this is usually the first game out of their mouths...and for good reason. USC and Penn State have both only lost one game and this classic Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup actually does have all the interworkings of a great game. Penn State's "Spread HD" offense has been pretty flawless and USC's linebacker-stacked defense has been called the best of all time by some experts. Not to mention the fact that Penn State is the "real" Linebacker-U and USC's offense has shown signs of mortality at times. Taking all of that into account with the fact that Penn State beat the team that beat USC, 45-14, and this game may surprise everyone a bit.

The Bad: Penn State barely beat an Ohio State team that got CRUSHED by USC and both of these teams lost to conference foes in very weak conferences. This game could go either way: a high-scoring game with both offenses clicking or a low-scoring game with both defenses playing up to their potential...and nobody wants to see the latter in the Rose Bowl. But it could be worse...It could go exactly as most experts think and USC could completely blow out an oversized, overmatched Penn State, just like they did to the Buckeyes. Big Ten fans, pray to the football Gods that this doesn't happen, or if it does, that Ohio State can find a way to beat Texas. Otherwise, Big Ten respect will be at a premium throughout the 2009 season.

The Ugly Prediction: To steal a line from the flamboyant Lee Corso, "Closer than the experts think!" Penn State will come to play, but since USC is basically playing a home game and in no way will overlook this Penn State team, the offense will make a couple of big plays and the defense, though giving up more points than usual, will play well enough to win. Anytime Pete Carroll has had this much time to prepare, you are asking for trouble.
USC 30 - Penn State 24

January 1, 2009 - Fedex Orange Bowl - Miami, FL
#12 Cincinnati vs. #18 Virginia Tech - 8:30 pm ET
The Good: These two teams are coming off very impressive finishes, with Virginia Tech winning one of the most topsy-turvy conferences of all time and Cincinnati surprising everyone in the country with their number-one status in the high-powered Big East. This is a great matchup on paper, as Cincinnati's offense can score at will at times and Virginia Tech's defense and special teams can give opposing teams absolute fits. Don't expect Virginia Tech to have too much success on offense, but as is the usual against ACC teams, it might not matter. This could be a very close game, and one that should be fun to watch.

The Bad: Tickets to this Orange Bowl have gone for as low as $1 on Ebay and many people may decide to go to bed early to recover from their New Year's Eve hangovers rather than watch this game. Also, if Cincinnati plays as well as it can and Virginia Tech has one of those "ACC breakdowns," this game could end-up being hugely lopsided. For the simple fact that I will be watching, I hope that's not the case.

The Ugly Prediction: "The Bad" happens and Virginia Tech is embarrassed. Cincinnati has too much firepower and too much time to prepare schemes for the Tech defense and the Hokies offense will sputter the entire game. I think the Bearcats want this game more than Virginia Tech does and it should show come New Year's evening.
Cincinnati 28 - Virginia Tech 10

Ksquared's New College Football Regular Season/Playoff Scenario - PART II

Now that we have all of the new conferences set, the next step is to determine how the scheduling works so that every team has as much chance as every other team at making the playoffs. And actually, this is fairly straightforward.

First off, because there are 12 new conferences and we are looking for an easy 12-team playoff system (very similar to the way the NFL does it), it goes to reason that the winner, and ONLY the winner, of each conference will qualify for the playoffs. In order to make sure we have a TRUE winner for each conference, every team must play every other team within their conference.

This is scheduling point #1.

Secondly, because there are ten teams to a conference and it is a true round robin, the least amount of games a team can play is nine. Obviously, this is not enough, as a regular season in college football is usually 12 (without a conference championship). I submit that instead of 12, each team play 11 games, giving each team two games that are nonconference.

This is scheduling point #2.

With only 11 games in a season instead of 12 or 13, the season can end a little earlier (or at least at the same time in late November or early December) and the playoffs can begin sooner.

This is scheduling point #3.

The layoff between the end of the season and the continuation of play is now a much smaller window and every team will end their season at exactly the same time.

This is scheduling point #4.

The playoffs will then continue throughout December and end at the beginning of January, keeping the season the same length it is now.

This is scheduling point #5.

So let's recap. With this new regular season/playoff scenario, we have done 5 things to the scheduling of college football:

1. Every team plays every other team in their conference, giving each team the same chance to make the playoffs as every other team (money, recruiting, and size of school aside...more on that later).
2. Every team gets two nonconference games in which to continue rivalries, keep renewed interest in big games between big names not in the same conference, and create new rivalries (note that these non-conference games will have an effect on three-way tie-breakers, so they DO matter...more on that later).
3. The playoffs begin in early December, keeping the window between the end of the regular season and playoffs small, in turn keeping fan and media hype high with very little break.
4. Every team ends at the same time and thus has the same time to prepare for every game (except for teams with BYE weeks, which they will earn and deserve the extra time to prepare...more on that later).
5. The entire season, from first kick to naming a National Champion, will be the same length it is now, as most fans and pundits agree that the length is fine as it is and I don't think it needs to be messed with.

The questions that arise from this new system are many, I know, and I will get to them in good time, but for now, keep rolling with me in Part III as I explain exactly how the playoff system works and how conference champions are determined when ties are present.

"Where, Oh Where, Will LeBron James Go?" Part II

As promised, here’s a run down on some of the King’s more probable options for 2010:

New York Knicks
This is the team that got the most votes in the ESPN poll and the one that has had the most talk. Knowing that LeBron James wants to win championships, I can't really see him going to New York unless they make some moves to get some better players. He's not going to leave Cleveland to go play in New York just because it's New York. He wants to win and you win with good players. Not only do they need to get players that will make LeBron feel like they could win a championship, but they also have to clear out enough CAP room to be able to pay him what he wants. The Knicks have two years to try and build a team that would fit this criteria, and as I see it, it doesn’t seem all that likely.

Euroleague Team
A Euroleague team wouldn't bring LeBron James an NBA Championship. It would, however, bring James other things such as a big fat paycheck and International fame; something I'm sure King James would enjoy, but he hasn't came right out and said it yet. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he did ponder, “You never know....I can't throw all my eggs in one basket. There's going to be a lot of opportunities for me in 2010 to decide if I want to stay with Cleveland or if I want to go elsewhere. Could I ever imagine [playing internationally]? No. Is it a possibility? Yes.” He was also quoted as saying, “I haven't talked to any of them at all....So it's kind of a rumor that was put out there...With the right opportunity, you never know. I love basketball. So I'll play basketball anywhere.”

One of his Olympic teammates, Carmelo Anthony, said, “If somebody throws $50 million on the table for me...We can talk.”

Another teammate, Chris Paul, said, “What would you do? Show me a person that's not going [to take the money]...Maybe Bill Gates.”

So you can see that a big pay check from a Euroleague team could easily sway a person to go overseas and play ball and though LeBron has made it clear that a championship is his main priority, a Euroleague team could still be a viable option.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is the place where LeBron James's NBA legacy has started and the place where the Cavaliers would like it to see it end, I’m sure. Lebron James has expressed the need for better players around him and the team has made moves to try and bring players in that they think would work best for him. So far, however, they haven't found the right mix to win a championship. James isn't out of Cleveland yet and if the Cavs find the players the fit in with James, then I could definitely see him staying in Cleveland.

LeBron James has said, “I am focused on the team I am on right now and winning a championship.”
He has also has said about the Cavs, “I think we have made strides since I have been here. We have gotten better every year and I think this year is probably the best team we've had since I have been here. You got to see how the season plays out. Just because you have a different team, with different players, doesn't automatically guarantee you a championship. I have to be smart about things and be patient.”

So can the Cavaliers put together that championship team before 2010 to keep James in Cleveland? That is the multi-million dollar question.

2010 is still two years away and a lot can change from now to then, but one thing will stay the same: LeBron James wants to win championships. For teams that want to acquire King James, they will have to build a championship team for him to play on. The team that builds the best team in the next two years will have the best shot at grabbing James from free agency; it’s that simple. There will be a lot for James to think about in the near future and with plenty of scenarios, it’s still anyone’s guess as to where he might end up. The safe money is on Cleveland, with his roots, his home, his family, and a huge fan support already in place, but after looking at the options, there's no telling how many other teams may jump into the mix as 2010 grows closer. You never know, he might end up on a team that isn’t even listed in that ESPN poll…Who knows…Not James, not ESPN, and definitely not me!

This blog is courtesy of Bertman. A big thank you to him!

Check out Bertman’s fresh sports blog, “Sports Never End” for more great sports info, where sports truly never end.

Ksquared's New College Football Regular Season/Playoff Scenario - PART I (continued)

As promised, below are my 12 new college football conferences.

As you will see, I kept a very even distribution of BCS and non-BCS teams, which was the top priority. Also, where it was possible to do so, I tried to keep rivalries intact by putting the two rival teams in the same conference. Lastly, I focused on location and did my best to keep all of the teams fairly close to their specific region.

This was my criteria, in order of priority:
- Ten teams to a conference
- Even ratio of BCS to non-BCS throughout all conferences
- Traditional rivalries
- Location of school

Here are the 12 new conferences, in no particular order:

North Pacific Conference (NPC)
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Stanford
Boise State
Idaho
Fresno State
San Jose State
San Diego State

Pacific Mountain Conference (PMC)
USC
UCLA
California
Arizona State
Arizona
Hawaii
Nevada
Utah
Utah State
UNLV

Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC)
Texas
Texas Tech
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Colorado State
New Mexico
New Mexico State
Brigham Young
Air Force

American Plains Conference (APC)
Kansas
Kansas State
Nebraska
Baylor
Texas A&M
Missouri
Tulsa
Wyoming
Arkansas
Arkansas State

Gulf Coast Conference (GCC)
LSU
Florida
Mississippi
Mississippi State
South Florida
UTEP
Houston
Rice
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe

Middle South Conference (MSC)
Alabama
Auburn
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
TCU
North Texas
Tulane
Louisiana Tech
Southern Methodist

South Atlantic Conference (SAC)
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Miami (FL)
Florida State
South Carolina
Clemson
Southern Mississippi
Alabama-Birmingham
Troy
Middle Tennessee State

Atlantic Coastal Conference (ACC)
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Duke
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Central Florida
Memphis

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)
Penn State
Cincinnati
Louisville
West Virginia
Wake Forest
Western Kentucky
Akron
Kent State
Marshall
Miami (OH)

Northeastern Conference (NEC)
Connecticut
Maryland
Rutgers
Boston College
Army
Navy
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Temple
Buffalo

Great Lakes Conference (GLC)
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana
Purdue
Notre Dame
Ohio
Bowling Green
Toledo
Ball State

Midwestern Conference (MWC)
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Iowa State
Illinois
Northern Illinois
Northwestern
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
Central Michigan

This is definitely a work in progress (I even switched some teams and titles of conferences while transferring from paper to computer), so any feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Let me know what you think.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Championship Week

The culmination of an entire season comes down to this day for many teams and there has never been more on the line as far as the National Championship is concerned. Here's who I think parties the night away:

#1 Alabama vs. #4 Florida - 4:00 pm ET - Atlanta, GA
My Take: Percy Harvin's loss is a MUCH bigger impact than the critics are making it out to be. His speed and athleticism is unmatched...I don't care who else is on the Gators roster. That said, Florida is playing all around football better than anyone in the country right now, even better than Alabama. If Florida can hold Alabama to under 125 total yards rushing, they will win. If not, and Coffee and Ingram go nuts, Parker Wilson will have passing lanes and Alabama scores more points on Florida than anyone has this year.
My Prediction: Alabama shocks the nation, Coffee runs like a madman, and Saban assures himself a spot in Alabama history
Alabama 32 - Florida 28

#20 Missouri vs. #2 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET - Kansas City, MO
My Take: Missouri is PUMPED for this game as nobody in the country is giving them a chance to win this one.
My Prediction: I agree with the country
Oklahoma 41 - Missouri 30

#5 USC at UCLA - 4:30 pm ET
My Take: The best behind-the-scenes story in this game is both rival coaches giving up one timeout so USC is able to wear dark-color jerseys. The reason that's the biggest story of the game is because it's already been decided.
My Prediction: UCLA gets off the bus...and then gets back on
USC 49 - UCLA 7

#13 Cincinnati at Hawaii - 11:30 pm ET
My Take: Cincinnati can't be looking past this game. Hawaii may not have Colt Brennan, but if they're game is clicking, they can still put up points, especially at home. I sense a possible upset here.
My Prediction: Brian Kelly will have his boys ready to play...No upset
Cincinnati 38 - Hawaii 24

#17 Boston College vs. #25 Virginia Tech - 1:00 pm ET - Tampa, FL
My Take: Great game...maybe the second best game of the day. Two stout defenses and two quarterbacks with low expectations at the beginning of the season who have come on strong as of late. FINALLY, this conference is decided!
My Prediction: Both defenses win their battles, but Boston College gets one more field goal
Boston College 13 - Virginia Tech 10

#23 Pittsburgh at Connecticut - 12:00 pm ET
My Take: Two of the best running backs in the country go head-to-head and both should have big days. This will be a fun game to watch and really could go wither way. Too bad for Pitt that it's in Connecticut.
My Prediction: Brown outruns McCoy as Connecticut's offensive line has it's best blocking game of the season
Connecticut 29 - Pittsburgh 21

BONUS PICKS

East Carolina at Tulsa - 12:00 pm ET
My Take: The fact that this game is even relevant speaks volumes about these two programs. It truly could go either way here, but I think home field advantage makes a difference.
My Prediction: Tulsa gets the crowd into it early and East Carolina ends the season 180-degrees from how they started
Tulsa 52 - East Carolina 38

Navy vs. Army - 12:00 pm ET - Philadelphi, PA
My Take: Army wants this SO bad...
My Prediction: Too bad...Navy runs for over 250 yards...again
Navy 28 - Army 17

Arizona State at Arizona - 8:00 pm ET
My Take: This was supposed to be a battle for second or third place in the PAC-10...Instead, ASU's just trying to get into a bowl game. No matter, this will be a total dog-fight, as this is one of the most bitter rivalries in college football. If Rudy Carpenter can actually complete a pass, the Sun Devils have a chance.
My Prediction: Arizona State saves their offense for the last game of the season and actually moves the ball. Arizona plays well, but can't finish and misses a last-second field goal
Arizona State 23 - Arizona 21

South Florida at West Virginia - 8:00 pm ET
My Take: Just like the Duel in the Desert, this was supposed to be a HUGE game with big conference implications. Nope. People across the nation are pissed off that they have to decide between Arizona State-Arizona and South Florida-West Virginia for their Saturday night game.
My Prediction: Even though nobody is watching from home, there is a lot of excitement in Morgantown and South Florida ends a bad season on a bad note
West Virginia 24 - South Florida 17

Okay everyone, that's it for the regular season! I hope you all enjoyed the predictions and the witty banter. Come on back for my bowl predictions once they are announced. And as always, be safe...Cheers!

Ksquared's New College Football Regular Season/Playoff Scenario - PART I

Okay, I know there are a lot of opinions out there on the topic of a playoff system in college football, but I have a problem with all of them for one simple reason: they are all based on the current college football landscape. There's no way we can figure out this crazy season we call college football using today's normal thought processes. Hence, my playoff system (and yes, it is a playoff system) is based on a whole mess of changes, beginning with the conferences themselves and moving to change the way we see the regular season.

If I had the power, here's what I would do:

1. NEW CONFERENCES
First and foremost, with the way the conferences are broken out, we have too much segregation of "good" and "bad" conferences (BCS vs. Non-BCS). I would lump all of these teams together.

Currently, we have 11 conferences with 1 independent bundle (12 conferences total, technically). Half (6) of these conferences are BCS teams, while half (6) are not for a total of 65 BCS teams and 55 non-BCS teams.

Now, let's make ALL of them BCS teams. This is where it gets a little complicated. Take the 55 non-BCS teams and distribute them as follows:
- ACC gets 8 teams
- Big 12 gets 8 teams
- Big East gets 12 teams
- Big Ten gets 9 teams
- PAC-10 gets 10 teams
- SEC gets 8 teams

If you do the math, EVERY conference has 20 teams.

Now, let's make these conferences more manageable. Create 12 NEW conferences that each have 10 teams, with each conference getting a very similar ratio of the BCS teams and the non-BCS teams (though we do NOT refer to teams this way anymore since all teams are created equal from now on).

What we have just done is even the playing field. I understand that there are many considerations to be figured in with this new system of conferences (size of schools, location of schools, money, recruiting, etc.), but this can be overcome with the right coaching and administrative backing (see Boise State).

In fact, at first glance, it may seem like this new system hurts the non-BCS teams, but in reality, coaches and alumni from the BCS schools would probably be more upset, as they can no longer play the "Big Conference-Big Money-Big TV exposure" card on the recruiting trail and will now have to seriously compete against "smaller" schools.

Let's look at an example of two of the new conferences (I will publish ALL of Ksquared's new conferences later):

Ksquared's MSC (Middle South Conference)
Alabama
Auburn
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Kentucky
TCU
North Texas
Tulane
Louisiana Tech
Southern Methodist

Ksquared's GCC (Gulf Coast Conference)
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Florida
South Florida
UTEP
Rice
Houston
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe

At this point, I can already sense the skepticism, but just hold your horses...It will all begin to become clear how this system is beneficial in the long run as the new breakdown continues. Stay tuned for the next new element, scheduling.

Part II will go over the new regular season schedule with these new conferences in play.

"Where, Oh Where Will LeBron James Go?" Part I

Rumor has it that LeBron James could leave the Cleveland Cavaliers when his contract expires in 2010. There are many opportunities out there for King James, but which one is right for him? If he wanted, he could stay in Cleveland and hope for better days; he could go to the big stage and play in New York; or he could take a big pay check and go play on a Euroleague Team. There are other options that have been talked about as well, like going to Detroit or New Jersey. One thing is for sure, everyone is waiting for an answer.

An ESPN poll titled, “Which team will LeBron James play for in 2010-11?” has drawn 20,000 votes and the results are in:

New York – 35%
Cleveland – 30%
New Jersey – 14%
Detroit – 11%
Euroleague Team – 11%

According to this poll, people see James playing in New York in 2010 and Cleveland coming in at a close second. The other options seem less likely to the public at the moment. This is just an opinion of 20,000 people and definitely not a bunch of informed experts, but it is interesting nonetheless. The choice comes down to what LeBron James wants and I’ll tell you what he wants: he wants Championships.

Every great athlete is at some point measured by Championship rings and LeBron does not want to have a zero by his name when he is through. In my mind, this will play the biggest role in where he decides to go. He has been quoted as saying, “When I decide to make that decision, you know, it is basically to put me in a position where I feel like I can win multiple championships. If it's staying here, then I will be here. If it's moving elsewhere, then I will have to look at all my options.” It's clear what LeBron James wants and the team that can make that championship a possibility is where he is most likely go.

Stay tuned for PART II in the coming days where I will take a look at three of his more probable options.

Check out Bertman’s fresh sports blog, “Sports Never End” for more great sports info, where sports truly never end.

42-7??? At the Half???

Unbelievably, Oklahoma is absolutely dominating Texas Tech on EVERY front:

• running game
• passing game
• special teams coverage
• offensive line
• defensive line
• wide-receiver coverage (man-to-man and zone)
• scheming
• coaching
• pressure on the quarterback
• protecting the quarterback
• yards after catch
• yards after first contact

And one VERY important aspect of the game not measured with statistics, but always the most influential:

• PASSION

I have seen a lot of football games in my life, but I have never seen a game so unbalanced with two teams so closely matched. Most coaches will tell you that when you're down like Texas Tech is, the only thing you can do is GET BACK TO BASICS.

Everyone needs to do their assignment and do no more. If everyone does their job, they have a chance. If they can dig deep and find a passion that didn't exist in the first half, they have a chance. This Texas Tech team can score a lot and in a hurry, so they have a chance. But they HAVE to play with passion.

We will see if the Red Raiders come out in the second half with any emotion at all. This will truly test their will, their heart, and their character both as individuals and as a team. This is when the real personality of a team is shown...Adversity shows all.

Fundamentals and Passion...That's it. And that's only to have a chance. Good luck.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 13

The semi-snoozer that was Week 12 has come and gone - Now on to Week 13, which is slated to be a hurricane of big games. The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry never ceases to please and the Texas Tech-Oklahoma game looks to be an incredible offensive shoot-out, not to mention all of the bowl game implications.

Without further ado...

#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma 32

Citadel at #4 Florida - 1:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 63 - Citadel 3

#14 Brigham Young at #7 Utah - 6:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Brigham Young 23 - Utah 21

#15 Michigan State at #8 Penn State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 18 - Penn State 17

#9 Boise State at Nevada - 4:05 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 38 - Nevada 21

Michigan at #10 Ohio State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 40 - Michigan 10

Air Force at #16 TCU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 17 - Air Force 10

#17 Ball State at Central Michigan - Friday, 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 32 - Central Michigan 24

Mississippi at #18 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 32 - Mississippi 17

#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Cincinnati 27 - Pittsburgh 20

#21 Oregon State at Arizona - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Arizona 21 - Oregon State 17

North Carolina State at #22 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: North Carolina 31 - North Carolina State 10

#23 Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - Miami (FL) 9

Florida State at #25 Maryland - 7:45 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 24 - Maryland 17

So here's how it shakes down:

• Texas Tech owns their destiny after a HUGE win in Norman
• BYU answers Boise State's (and the BCS Panel's) prayers
• Michigan State pulls out a squeaker in Happy Valley
• Ohio State clinches a Rose Bowl berth (with the PSU loss)
• Cincinnati takes care of business to put them in total control of the Big East
• Arizona gives USC their deserved Rose Bowl shot (a USC-OSU rematch)
• Georgia Tech eliminates Miami from the Top 25 (and puts themselves back in)
• and Maryland continues their schizophrenic persona.

There you have it. Enjoy this awesome action-packed Saturday and be safe! Cheers!

Ksquared's Sports Quote of the Day

Vince Lombardi is one of the greatest coaches of all time, and though he had a lot of great sayings, some of them very well-known, this one is probably my favorite. It opitimizes his arrogance, competitiveness, optimism, and general outlook on coaching.

"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time."
- Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)

The Path(s) to the NCAA Football National Championship

Every fan of a team in the top 10 still has aspirations of a National Championship; some are delusional, and yet some are justified. Here's a breakdown of how each team could find themselves in Miami come January.

1. Alabama
- Win out the season and beat Florida in the SEC Championship. Most pundits are picking Florida to win that game, and I have to agree with them, but Alabama's still in good position.

2. Texas Tech
- Win in Norman and then wipe the floor with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship...That's it. Easy. Their destiny is in their hands.

3. Texas
- Oklahoma beats Texas Tech and then loses to Oklahoma State...Texas wins out and beats Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. This is not a likely turn of events. Though the Longhorns are ranked above the Sooners, they are not in control of their own destiny, nor are they in good position, as referenced by the above scenario. Texas is an interesting phenomenon at #3.

4. Florida
- Win out the season and beat Alabama in the SEC Championship. Florida actually has a pretty easy path...that is, if you consider King Saban an easy path.

5. Oklahoma
- Beat Texas Tech at home and wipe the floor with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Sitting at number 5, Oklahoma is actually in pretty good position to jump #3 Texas and has control of their own destiny.

6. USC
- This is where it gets complicated. USC's chances hinge on the Big 12 and SEC falling within their conferences down the stretch, in addition to USC winning out the season. Here are some of the possibilities:

Big 12 Falters #1 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma AND Baylor, Texas loses to Kansas, and Oklahoma loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Falters #2 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma, Texas loses to Kansas, Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Falters #3 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and Texas loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.

SEC Falters #1 - Alabama loses to Mississippi State or Auburn and then beats Florida in the SEC Championship AND two of the three Big 12 teams ranked above USC lose one more game.
SEC Falters #2 - Florida loses to South Carolina or Florida State and then beats Alabama in the SEC Championship AND two of the three Big 12 teams ranked above USC lose one more game.

Two words: not likely.

7. Utah, 8. Penn State, 9. Boise State, and 10. Georgia
Three words: not a chance.

And there you have it - A heavyweight fight between the SEC and Big 12. And if everyone beats each other up so bad that no one is left standing, USC has a chance.

Other than that, if I'm #7-#10, I'm just hoping I don't lose to a lesser opponent and fall out of BCS contention...forget the National Championship.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 12

No earth-shattering games this weekend (it's all being saved for next weekend), but there are some games that are closely-matched, which lends itself to a tough week of picks. If I want to hit my .800 goal, this needs to be a big week, so without further ado...

Mississippi State at #1 Alabama - 7:45 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Mississippi State 10

#3 Texas at Kansas - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 45 - Kansas 28

#25 South Carolina at #4 Florida - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 32 - South Carolina 17

#6 USC at Stanford - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: USC 55 - Stanford 6

#7 Utah at San Diego State - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Utah 30 - San Diego State 17

Indiana at #8 Penn State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 24 - Indiana 17

#9 Boise State at Idaho - 5:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 42 - Idaho 10

#10 Georgia at Auburn - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 31 - Auburn 17

#11 Ohio State at Illinois - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 32 - Illinois 17

#12 Missouri at Iowa State - 6:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 49 - Iowa State 24

#13 Oklahoma State at Colorado - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma State 40 - Colorado 20

#14 Ball State at Miami (OH) - FINAL
What Happened: Ball State 31 - Miami (OH) 16
What It Means: Absolutely nothing, which is why I didn't even bother to pick it. I love this Ball State team, but there isn't a thing anyone can do about that schedule.

#16 North Carolina at Maryland - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: North Carolina 17 - Maryland 16

#17 Brigham Young at Air Force - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Brigham Young 38 - Air Force 28

Boston College at #19 Florida State - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 24 - Boston College 21

Troy at #20 LSU - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 47 - Troy 7

#22 Cincinnati at Louisville - Friday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Louisville 30 - Cincinnati 28

#23 Tulsa at Houston - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Tulsa 35 - Houston 14

#24 Wake Forest at North Carolina State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Wake Forest 24 - NC State 13

Both the Boston College-Florida State and North Carolina-Maryland games are giving me fits. North Carolina and Maryland are about as even as two teams can be in almost every offensive and defensive category and Boston College's defense is the perfect antithesis to Florida State's offense. North Carolina leads Maryland in one category and it is the most important one: points scored per game, hence my prediction. And I think the young Florida State offense will put together another good game at home to pull out a close one.

Happy weekend watching! Cheers!

Are The 9-0 Tennessee Titans For Real?

I'm going to break this down very simply. Usually, I like to give an opinion one way or another on this team or that, but this time will be different. This time, the facts will tell the story for me.

Let's start with the "weakness" - Offense:
Points/game - 10th
Rush Yards/game - 6th

Now, the fun begins - let's do Special Teams and Intangibles:
Penalty Yards - 12th
Kick Touchbacks - T-5th
Punts inside 20 - T-1st
Avg. Kick Return - 1st

And the clincher - Defense:
Rush Yards/game - 8th
Sacks - 7th
Total Yards/game - 5th
Interceptions - T-2nd
Points/game - 1st

I think we're done here...

Ksquared's Revised College Football Bowl Predictions

New Mexico Bowl:Colorado State vs. Nevada

St. Petersburg Bowl: West Virginia vs. Marshall

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: TCU vs. Arizona

Eagle Bank Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. Navy

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. UTEP

San Diego Cty. Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Air Force vs. Hawaii

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Stanford vs. Fresno State

Motor City Bowl: Iowa vs. Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati

Champs Sports: Virginia vs. Northwestern

Emerald Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State

Independence Bowl: Kansas State vs. Tennessee

PapaJohns.com Bowl: South Florida vs. Kentucky

Valero Alamo Bowl: Illinois vs. Missouri

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: San Jose State vs. Wake Forest

Texas Bowl: Colorado vs. Rice

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: BYU vs. East Carolina

Brut Sun: Nebraska vs. California

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Maryland vs. Ole Miss

Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Kansas

Chick-fil-a Bowl: North Carolina vs. Auburn

Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. South Carolina

Capital One Bowl: Ohio State vs. LSU

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Georgia vs. Oklahoma

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Tulsa vs. Vanderbilt

International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Western Michigan

GMAC Bowl: Houston vs. Ball State

Rose Bowl presented by Citi: Penn State vs. USC

Fedex Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Pittsburgh

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Boise State

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Utah

Fedex BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Texas Tech

Notes: Two non-BCS teams in BCS games...Texas Tech, who was ranked 14th in the Preseason Coaches Poll, has a chance to win it all...The Orange Bowl would be a snoozer, so hopefully I'm wrong...Ohio State-LSU would actually be a fun Capital One Bowl and Georgia-Oklahoma would be a sweet Cotton Bowl.

Ksquared's Revised College Football Top 25

Time for a little shuffle, shuffle...

1. Texas Tech - Alabama is playing well, but NOBODY is playing better than the Red Raiders.
2. Florida - They are playing the most balanced football on both sides of the ball than anyone up to this point.
3. Alabama - Many people have them number one, but head-to-head, I don't see even Saban beating Florida or Tech right now.
4. Texas - I can't see them beating any of the top three teams. Funny that their fate rests in the hands of Oklahoma...And yet, if Oklahoma wins, could jump Texas in the BCS standings and take the Big 12 South anyway.
5. Oklahoma - The Sooners are NOT better than Texas, but if they beat Texas Tech, voters will have a hard time not leap-frogging them above Texas.
6. USC - Still playing solid ball, but their offense has not been impressive at all. Just go to the Rose Bowl already.
7. Penn State - This was bound to happen...Cold, rainy weather can kill a spread offense - even a spread HD - and guess what, it's November.
8. Boise State - Top-to-bottom, I truly believe Boise State is better than Utah...Too bad we'll never know.
9. Ohio State - Buckeye fans across the nation will be rooting for Michigan State to do what Ohio State couldn't - beat Penn State. PSU wins, PSU goes to the Rose Bowl, MSU wins, OSU goes to the Rose Bowl...Pretty simple.
10. Utah - Utah definitely has some good wins, but I'm still not convinced they are a top-eschelon team - Michigan and TCU does not a tough schedule make.
11. Oklahoma State - They showed signs of brilliance and I think everyone was rooting for them to make a run...Alas, it was not to be.
12. Georgia - If Georgia had some defense, they would be a heck of lot better...Unfortunately, they don't.
13. Missouri - Same as Georgia.
14. LSU - It is tough to see LSU this far down, but they've earned it. They've lost twice to ranked teams at home.
15. Ball State - After watching a full game of Davis throwing the ball, I have to drink a little of the Dave Letterman kool-aid...This team matches up with almost anybody.
16. Michigan State - Sure you're in the Top 25, but anyone below Ball State should be looking towards next year. Anyone except ACC teams, of course, who are still battling for an Orange Bowl bid.
17. Florida State - Bobby Bowden is back! Now, Florida State fans, it is finally time to start cheering. The Seminoles look like a renewed team right now with a very young offense.
18. Pittsburgh - Which team will show up this week - the team that beat South Florida or the team that lost to Rutgers?
19. North Carolina - Wouldn't a Florida State-North Carolina ACC Championship matchup be great?
20. Cincinnati - What a great story this is...With a win over Pitt, the Bearcats could be looking at a Big East title.
21. TCU - Just 3 points from giving Boise State a clear shot at a BCS bowl bid...And now TCU is on the outside looking in.
22. Brigham Young - BYU is still overrated in most polls, but they are definitely a scoring machine.
23. Virginia Tech - I have to give Mr. Beamer some respect...Virginia tech is playing some good football right now. It's not going to be enough, but they are better than I gave them credit for earlier this season, if it's any consolation.
24. Tulsa - Who else do I put here?
25. South Carolina - and here? There aren't enough teams that are worthy.

And there you have it. Again, note that I never made a pre-season poll and that I pick my Top 25 fresh from the current conference standings alone and who I think would win in head-to-head match-ups. If you disagree, tell me why I'm wrong...I'd love to hear from you.

Coming up next: Ksquared's Week 12 Predictions.

Cheers!

Going Over Ksquared's Week 11 College Football Predictions

Not my best week, by any means, but still solid. More importantly, one team solidified themselves as a true National Title contender (Texas Tech) and another dropped out of the race altogether (Penn State). Oh, and Nick Saban is still God.

#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 32 - LSU 17
What Happened: Alabama 27 - LSU 21 (OT)
What it Means: Miles is losing his reputation as the overtime King and Saban is establishing himself as one of the most talented college coaches of our time. Alabama is now set up for an easy run to the SEC Championship and is he can pull out a victory there (probably against Florida), he will have taken 'Bama to the National Championship game in his SECOND season!

#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma State 30
What Happened: Texas Tech 56 - Oklahoma State 20
What it Means: Texas Tech is legit. I expected them to win, but Oklahoma State is a pretty darn good team and I didn't expect it to be a blowout. When my revised Top 25 comes out in a bit, I have to put them number one, even above God Saban. They just look too dominant on offense. Somebody tell me, who can possibly stop that passing attack?

#3 Penn State at Iowa - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 30 - Iowa 14
What Happened: Iowa 24 - Penn State 23
What it Means: Everyone who is not a Penn State fan can breathe a collective sigh of relief - the chances of seeing a Big Ten team in the National Championship game after Penn State's loss is nearly nil. Barring a loss to Michigan State, Penn State looks like a lock for the Rose Bowl where they will probably get a shot against USC.

Baylor at #4 Texas - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 48 - Baylor 21
What Happened: Texas 45 - Baylor 21
What it Means: Nothing. Ho hum.

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 28 - Vanderbilt 3
What Happened: Florida 42 - Vanderbilt 14
What it Means: Vanderbilt continues to prove how overrated they were at the beginning of the season and Florida continues to win in an impressive fashion. Florida is going to be looking forward to facing Alabama in the SEC Title game...They better not look too far ahead, though, as they've had trouble with Spurrier and South Carolina in the past.

#6 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Texas A&M 21
What Happened: Oklahoma 66 - Texas A&M 28
What it Means: Bob Stoops has no mercy and Oklahoma wants style points. Style points, however, won't matter if they can't take care of business against Texas Tech next week. And, yet again, the game of the century is happening next week. How many "Games of the Century" can there be in two seasons?

#21 California at #7 USC - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: California 24 - USC 21
What Happened: USC 17 - California 3
What it Means: USC's offense is overrated (reference Arizona and California), but they're defense is for real. Cushing and Maualuga are by far the best DB tendem in the league and they will both be playing on Sunday. It's a good thing, too, because the USC offense has sputtered as of late.

#12 TCU at #8 Utah - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 31 - Utah 17
What Happened: Utah 13 - TCU 10
What it Means: I underestimated the Utah defensive front. This team can definitely step it up when it needs to. The TCU defense did it's job, but because the offense couldn't produce, they can wave bye-bye to a BCS bid (and Boise State can wave with them).

Utah State at #10 Boise State - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 35 - Utah State 10
What Happened: Boise State 49 - Utah State 14
What it Means: Nada. Boise State, who may be a better team than Utah, has less quality wins (wins like this one), and will miss out on a BCS bid, even going undefeated.

#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 3
What Happened: Ohio State 45 - Northwestern 10
What it Means: Pryor is not going away any time soon. His first real taste of failure (in football and in college) did nothing but make him stronger. Talk about domination...Ohio State wiped the floor with what looked like a pretty good Northwestern team.

#13 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 38 - Kentucky 13
What Happened: Georgia 42 - Kentucky 38
What it Means: Georgia continues to unimpress. They're defense is like swiss cheese, with holes all over the place. This is a Kentucky team that Florida beat 63-5. Sorry Georgia, maybe next year.

Kansas State at #14 Missouri - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 50 - Kansas State 35
What Happened: Missouri 41 - Kansas State 24
What it Means: As much as Texas' victory over Baylor.

San Diego State at #15 BYU - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 32 - San Diego State 24
What Happened: BYU 41 - San Diego State 12
What it Means: Surprisingly little. BYU already punched it's ticket to obscurity.

Northern Illinois at #17 Ball State - Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 42 - Northern Illinois 21
What Happened: Ball State 45 - Northern Illinois 14
What it Means: In the one game critics truly thought Ball State could lose after beating Indiana, they didn't. They won huge. I think everyone's kind of wondering just how good this team is. We'll never know.

Purdue at #18 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 32 - Purdue 20
What Happened: Michigan State 21 - Purdue 7
What it Means: Michigan State has a bye and one more big game to prove they are deserving of a Top 25 spot and a big bowl bid. However, even if they beat Penn State, they need Ohio State to lose another game, which doesn't seem likely at this point.

#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - North Carolina 13
What Happened: North Carolina 28 - Georgia Tech 7
What it Means: Who knows what the heck anything means in the ACC?!? Georgia Tech looks good, then they look horrible. North Carolina looks horrible, then they look good. Maryland looks horrible, then good, then bad, then great, then amazing, then horrible again. Everyone in this league is schizphrenic. Go ahead, I dare you to predict who goes to the Orange Bowl in January.

Clemson at #22 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 26 - Clemson 17
What Happened: Florida State 41 - Clemson 27
What it Means: Florida State continues to impress, but as stated above, this conference is as unstable as Brittany Spears and FSU has two tough games upcoming which will determine who plays in the ACC Championship. I have to say, a Florida State-North Carolina Championship game would be a good one.

#23 Maryland at Virginia Tech - 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Maryland 34 - Virginia Tech 10
What Happened: Virginia Tech 23 - Maryland 13
What it Means: Anything can happen on any given day in the ACC. My worries with the Terps were put at ease at the start of the game when Scott ran onto the field. And then they got outmuscled for the rest of the game. I give up.

Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 25 - Cincinnati 18
What Happened: Cincinnati 26 - West Virginia 23
What it Means: Cincinnati played a great game and put themselves in a pretty good position in the Big East. The fate of the Bearcats is in their hands and if they can beat Pittsburgh at home in a couple of weeks, they are looking at taking the conference. Kudos to Brian Kelly for making believers out of his squad.

My worst week yet, I went 13-6, bringing my season total to 87-26 (.770). Again, nothing to shake a stick at, but for me to hit my goal of .800, I am really going to have kick some butt next week...and I expect to.

Stay tuned for my revised Top 25 as well as my revised Bowl Projections. Cheers!

Sports Quote of the Day

An anonymous football referee, when asked to describe his job:

"Trying to maintain order during a legalized gang brawl involving 80 toughs with a little whistle, a hanky, and a ton of prayer."

How Michigan State wins the Big Ten...Huh?

As improbable as it sounds, here's how it shakes up:

1. Ohio State wins out and finishes the season 10-2 (7-1)
2. Michigan State wins out, including beating Penn State, and finishes the season 10-2 (7-1)
3. Penn State loses to Michigan State and finishes the season 11-1 (7-1)

And this is where the Big Ten tie-breaker rules come into play. Here's what you need to know:

1. Head-to-head, OSU over MSU, MSU over PSU, and PSU over OSU - No winner
2. Ohio State has played the most FBS (formerly Division II) teams during the season, so they are eliminated from contention
3. Head-to-head with two remaining teams, MSU over PSU - MSU winner
4. MSU is Big Ten Conference Champion

There you have it. Simple, right?

Buckeyes Suspend Player, Father Answers With Unbelievable Immaturity - Like Father Like Son?

I usually don't get opinionated past who I think will win a game and why, but this article sort of got my blood boiling. Here's the article...take a look: Ray Small Suspended and Father Responds.
First of all, Ken Small's accusation that the coaching staff of the Buckeyes are "intentionally blowing his whole career" is just ludicrous. How could Ohio State possibly benefit from doing that? Nothing in Tressel or his coaching staff's history would even hint at something so vicious. And to make an accusation with such enormity, you better have proof to back that up.

Ken, just because you moved from Cleveland to Columbus to be closer to your meal-ticket, I mean, your son, by no means gives you the right to intervene any time you don't think your son is treated fairly, which brings me to my second point.

Part of growing up in this country is gaining autonomy from your parents and making mistakes and learning from them - on your own. Sure, some kids make more mistakes than others and there are times when a child might need to lean on his parents for advice and sometimes financial help, but by becoming involved in the everyday dealings of his son, Ken Small is hindering an important period of Ray's growth.

So here's my bottom-line: Ken Small's irresponsible and offhanded comments are hurting the university because of negative press. Ken Small's comments are hurting the Buckeye football program by becoming a distraction and a nuisance. And finally, and most importantly, Ken Small's comments are hurting his son's growth both as a person and a football player. As a person, Ken is not allowing Ray to take responsibility for his own actions, an important part of growing up, and as a football player, by making this a National storyline, Ken has just given every NFL team a good look at what the Small family is all about and, right or wrong, will reflect badly on Ray's NFL draft resume filed under "character issues."

Hey Ken, who wins here? Real smart. Like father, like son.

Some Quick Notes From Around the College Football World

• Though I have Maryland winning against Virginia Tech this weekend, I have become somewhat doubtful with reports that Da'Rell Scott will not be even close to 100% come Saturday. He is an integral part of keeping the Terps offense balanced and without him churning for tough yards, the Hokies stout defense will have a field day picking off passes in deep coverage. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my pick, hoping the offensive line will step it up just a notch knowing that Scott will need some running roon to be successful.
• Another worrisome pick that comes to mind is my upset of California over the much-touted USC. With Riley out again this week (and it looks like that is the case), if the pick-happy Longshore comes to play, my pick won't jsut be wrong, it will look ridiculous. Longshore has zero turnovers and I maintain my pick (which I am doing), but even one turnover and I think USC takes this game.
• I expect Terelle Pryor and the Buckeyes to respond with resounding confidence against Northwestern this Saturday. Though bye weeks have not been good to them in the past, this week is different...The Buckeyes are pissed (and more unified than ever)...And I do not believe that the same uneasy Pryor we saw two weeks ago will be playing against the Wildcats.

Ksquared vs. Todd McShay - The winner is...

You be the judge...

PRE-GAME
Todd McShay:
"The Longhorns will take care of business in Lubbock for three reasons. First, Orakpo and Kindle will apply more pressure on Harrell than he is accustomed to seeing...
Prediction: Longhorns 41, Red Raiders 31"

Ksquared:
"...As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory.
Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45"

RESULT
Texas Tech 39 - Texas 33

POST-GAME
Todd McShay:
"The most surprising aspect of Saturday night's upset in Lubbock -- at least from my vantage point -- was Texas Tech's dominance in the trenches...The experienced Red Raiders offensive line provided Harrell with Secret Service-like protection..."

Ksquared:
"And so it was, as Tech made it's National Championship hopes a much more realistic possibility."

And by a landslide...

Obama...Hope...Promise...American Pride

Politics in a sports blog? Just this once...

This is historic. Though I knew I would be dissapointed if America voted against Obama and for four more years of the same methodologies, what I didn't expect was the immense pride I felt when it was announced that America had voted Obama the next President.

More than relief, for maybe the first time in my life, I felt real and true pride. Pride in front of the rest of the world and pride in the evidence of our equality.

Tomorrow is a new day. We have done our part today.

Thank you America.

"There is a New America every morning when we wake up. It is upon us whether we will it or not." - Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 11

Here we go again...And before anyone gets up in arms, I know I have not done a recap of my last predictions (I just didn't want to brag too much). My overall record now is 74-20 (.787), which is not quite at my goal of .800.

Texas Tech made my upset of the week happen, but can they sustain their spot in the top 2? They have a couple of tough games in a row, starting with Oklahoma State this week. Alabama also gets it's first test while holding on to the #1 spot and playing at LSU is no easy task.

#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 32 - LSU 17

#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma State 30

#3 Penn State at Iowa - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 30 - Iowa 14

Baylor at #4 Texas - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 48 - Baylor 21

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 28 - Vanderbilt 3

#6 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Texas A&M 21

#21 California at #7 USC - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: California 24 - USC 21

#12 TCU at #8 Utah - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 31 - Utah 17

Utah State at #10 Boise State - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 35 - Utah State 10

#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 3

#13 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 38 - Kentucky 13

Kansas State at #14 Missouri - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 50 - Kansas State 35

San Diego State at #15 BYU - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 32 - San Diego State 24

Northern Illinois at #17 Ball State - Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 42 - Northern Illinois 21

Purdue at #18 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 32 - Purdue 20

#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - North Carolina 13

Clemson at #22 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 26 - Clemson 17

#23 Maryland at Virginia Tech - 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Maryland 34 - Virginia Tech 10

Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 25 - Cincinnati 18

Taking a closer look at some of the big games, I think Alabama and Texas Tech both do their duty this weekend; Tech winning at home on a high and Bama with great momentum after a solid win the week before.

The big upset of the week is of another USC loss (this time at home, which is almost unheard of), but I just think California is playing well enough to score some points early and take the game. Another semi-upset is Georgia Tech over North Carolina, though some would argue that it isn't too much of an upset. North Carolina just has too many question marks right now.

And there you have it...Have fun, be safe. Cheers!

Texas Tech has done it, Georgia Tech and Maryland in good position, Florida looks incredible

Some news and notes from the wild weekend of college football.

• And I quote a very well-written sports blog, "As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory." And so it was, as Tech made it's National Championship hopes a much more realistic possibility.
• With Georgia Tech's win over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland are in prime position to get into a nice little bowl game. In fact, as predicted in a very intelligent sports blog, Maryland is in great position to take the spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl. At the very least, Maryland is in control of it's own destiny now. Win out the season, and the Terps' struggles early-season are forgotten.
• Florida actually may be the best team in college football right now and if they continue to play well into December, Alabama will be in trouble in the SEC Championship. Florida should be watching the Big 12 situation closely, as a couple losses from one Big 12 team to another would clear the path for them to be back in the National Championship, as predicted in this famous sports blog.

A few shameless plugs and some great predictions...That's what this blog is all about!

Stay tuned for going over this past weekend's predictions and what it means to the BCS layout, as well as the predictions going forward. Cheers!

Think Georgia-Florida is a Big Game???

No, it's not a snow day...No, it's not the flu...No, it's not a hurricane...It's a football game...and Georgia school districts are closing.

It's not out of celebration, either, but out of necessity.

Isn't college football great?!

NCAA Football Bowl Predictions

Per a GREAT request, I offer my first Bowl Predictions of the season. For sure as a top 5 team will fall, I will be amending this list, but as it stands, here's my take.

Let's start with the snooze-fests and work our way to the National Championship:

New Mexico Bowl: Air Force vs. Nevada
St. Petersburg Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Marshall
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: TCU vs. Arizona
Eagle Bank Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. Navy
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. UTEP
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. Hawaii
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Stanford vs. Fresno State
Motor City Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Central Michigan
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati
Champs Sports: Virginia vs. Northwestern
Emerald Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State
Independence Bowl: Kansas State vs. Tennessee
PapaJohns.com Bowl: South Florida vs. Kentucky
Valero Alamo Bowl: Illinois vs. Missouri
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: San Jose State vs. Wake Forest
Texas Bowl: Colorado vs. Rice
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Utah vs. East Carolina
Brut Sun: Nebraska vs. California
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Florida State vs. Ole Miss
Insight Bowl: Iowa vs. Kansas
Chick-fil-a Bowl: North Carolina vs. Auburn
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Vanderbilt
Capital One Bowl: Minnesota vs. LSU
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame
AT&T Cotton Bowl: Georgia vs. Texas Tech
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Tulsa vs. South Carolina
International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Western Michigan
GMAC Bowl: Houston vs. Ball State

Rose Bowl presented by Citi: Ohio State vs. USC
Fedex Orange Bowl: Maryland vs. West Virginia
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Texas
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Fedex BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Penn State

Random Notes:
Texas Tech beats Texas, Texas Tech loses a game or two, Florida beats Georgia, Florida wins SEC Championship by beating Alabama...Done.

If what I predict happens, people will probably be calling the Sugar Bowl the true National Championship.

This could be the season of rematches with Boise State-Oklahoma and Ohio State-USC.

The ACC isn't very strong top-to-bottom against other conferences, but they are definitely the hardest conference to figure out to this point. The next two weeks should clear things up a bit.

ESPN's Bruce Feldman and Ksquared on the Same Page

Bruce Feldman's picks very closely matched my own, which could be a bad thing looking at his winning percentage on the year, but I'll take the credibility boost anyway! We only disagree on the Texas Tussle, but we both agree it's going to be high scoring and close.

Note: My picks were up and loaded before Bruce's. Hmmm, interesting.

#1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech - Game Summary Breakdown

Here it is - my second GSB of the season, and a much different game than the first. Offense rules the day in Lubbock, TX and it may come down to the team that can make a stop that takes the game. Without further delay...

Offense - Texas Longhorns
Everything centers around the athletic play of Colt McCoy, but it's not necessarily all about his passing game. He is a mobile quarterback and with averages of 32 pass attempts per game and 40 runs per game (some of these are McCoy scrambling for yardage), Texas has one of the best balances of run and pass in the nation. And this is the key. As a defense, the only possible way you can beat Texas is to confuse the offensive line with different blitz packages, take away the run early, and contain McCoy when he gets flushed out of the pocket. The phrase, "You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them," applies here.

Offense - Texas Tech Red Raiders
Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree are the most dangerous pair in the entire league, with both players on the Heisman list, and deservedly so. Tech's offense is 3rd in points per game, 2nd in yards per game, 1st in pass yards per game, and 1st in receptions per game. But Tech fans have seen offensive numbers like this before. What makes this Mike Leach Texas Tech team so special is that even though they only rush 25 times per game (3rd to last in the country), they are still putting up 138 rushing yards per game. It is in this equation that lies the secret to Tech winning this game. In the first half, if Texas Tech can keep the Texas defense honest with just a few good runs, the passing game will remain open long enough to keep the game close. Keep it close, and I truly believe Texas Tech has the upper hand with it's dominant power-offense.

Defense - Texas Longhorns
The defensive front for the Longhorns may be the best they've ever had. Orakpo, Houston, Miller, and Melton (doesn't that sound like a law firm?) have a combined 25.5 tackles for loss resulting in a total of 118 yards that they have cost opposing teams. Deeper than that, however, if this team has a weakness, it is the secondary. They only have 5 interceptions on the year and have given up 335 passing yards per game. Granted, they play in the pass-happy Big 12, but they have not faced as dominant a duo as Harrell and Crabtree. Pressure on Harrell will definitely be key, but getting through one of the toughest offensive lines in football won't be easy. If Harrell has time to pass, his wide receivers will find a way to get open and the Texas secondary will finally be exposed for what it is.

Defense - Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech will not be able to stop Texas like Oklahoma State did, but with an offense like the Red Raiders have, it may not matter. A couple of big stops will be key. Since getting Texas to third down may happen seldomly, stopping McCoy in these situations is going to be huge. Watch for the Texas Tech secondary to key on Jordan Shipley, Texas' big-time wide receiver, especially in the Red Zone. If they can contain the receivers, Tech's spy on McCoy better not lose containment or the coverage won't matter. The Texas Tech secondary, by the way, has 14 takeaways on the season, good for 3rd in the country. If they can get a couple more against Colt "80% completion percentage" McCoy, they'll be in pretty good shape.

Special Teams:
Texas definitely has the upper-hand in the punt game (if anyone ever punts), but I don't think punting is going to be a factor in this game at all. Field position will be decided more by the returns than the kicks, and most likely, kick returns rather than punt returns. In the kick return category, the two teams from the Lonestar State are almost dead even with Texas having a better kick return average by four-tenths of a point. And so, short and sweet, unless a punt or field block occurs, special teams really shouldn't be too much of a factor.

Key Matchups:
DE Brian Orakpo vs. LT Rylan Reed
This will be THE matchup of the game, as nobody this year has been able to stop Orakpo. But nobody is Texas Tech, either, and Reed is one of the best in the game. This is the kind of battle that you always hear announcers say is won "in the trenches," which, for those of you who may not get it, is a war metaphor. This will be a mini-war in the midst of a major war.

WR Michael Crabtree vs. The Entire Texas Secondary
It will take the entire secondary, working together, communicating perfectly, and constantly in motion to even begin to contain what is maybe the best talent the wide receiver position has ever seen. An announcer last week compared him to Larry Fitzgerald, which I think is apt...unfortunately for the Longhorns.

QB Colt McCoy vs. QB Graham Harrell
Though they are not directly battling on the field, both of these incredible talents will have a national stage in which to showcase their talents...and the winner may just end up taking home the Heisman. Whichever quarterback wins this game definitely has the upper-hand in the race.

Ksquared Prediction:
Here we go: two huge Big 12 teams, two great coaches, two powerhouse offenses, and three Heisman candidates. Orakpo and the Texas D-line will have to get pressure on Harrell in order to stop the Red Raider offense and the Tech senior duo of McBath and Charbonnet will need to bring down an interception or two to keep McCoy on his toes. If either quarterback completes over 75% of his passes and finds seams throughout the game, the other team will lose. Though offense is the specialty in this game, defense is the key. As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory.

Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45

Ksquared's Week 10 NCAA Football Predictions

So far, if you've bet my teams to win, you've made money in Vegas...Let's see if I can step it up a notch this week. Also, as some very astute folks pointed out, I did not have many upsets picked last week, which is sometimes how it goes, but this week is a different story...Read on.

#1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45

Arkansas State at #2 Alabama - 3:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 38 - Arkansas State 10

Nebraska at #4 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 52 - Nebraska 21

Washington at #5 USC - 6:30 pm ET
My Prediction: USC 48 - Washington 10

#6 Georgia vs. #8 Florida, in Jacksonville, FL - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 26 - Georgia 20
(Florida dances in the Bulldog endzone)

Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma State 48 - Iowa State 24

#10 Utah at New Mexico - 9:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Utah 30 - New Mexico 10

#11 Boise State at New Mexico State - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 32 - New Mexico State 13

#13 TCU at UNLV - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 27 - UNLV 10

#14 Missouri at Baylor - 3:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 48 - Baylor 30

#15 Florida State at Georgia Tech - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 21 - Florida State 20

Northwestern at #17 Minnesota - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Minnesota 17 - Northwestern 14

#18 Tulsa at Arkansas - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Tulsa 62 - Arkansas 21

Tulane at #19 LSU - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 42 - Tulane 10

#20 Brigham Young at Colorado State - 6:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 34 - Colorado State 13

Wisconsin at #21 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 34 - Wisconsin 28

#23 South Florida at Cincinnati - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: South Florida 41 - Cincinnati 24

#24 Oregon at California - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oregon 45 - California 20

West Virginia at #25 Connecticut - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 32 - Connecticut 30

Just like last week and the week before that, the game of the century is happening this week! Enjoy your college ball this weekend...And be safe. Cheers!

Going Over Ksquared's Week 9 NCAA Football Predictions

Let's see how I did this week:

My Prediction: Texas 45 - Oklahoma State 38
What Happened: Texas 28 - Oklahoma State 24
What It Means: Oklahoma State is unofficially out of the National Title race...Texas only has one more game that has any resemblence of a Frasier-over-Ali knockout and it's Texas Tech this weekend.

My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Tennessee 10
What Happened: Alabama 29 - Tennessee 9
What It Means: Tennessee is still struggling, and will continue to struggle...Alabama is in prime position to make Saban a literal God.

My Prediction: Ohio State 32 - Penn State 27
What Happened: Penn State 13 - Ohio State 6
What It Means: The nation breaths a sigh of relief as Ohio State is all but eliminated from a third straight National Title appearance...Next to Ball State, Penn State is in the best position in the country to run the table, but are they in the best position in the country?

My Prediction: Oklahoma 52 - Kansas State 10
What Happened: Oklahoma 58 - Kansas State 35
What It Means: Not much...Oklahoma continues to roll and Kansas State still plays in the toughest conference in NCAA football.

My Prediction: USC 48 - Arizona 17
What Happened: USC 17 - Arizona 10
What It Means: USC continues to unimpress and Arizona is still a thumbnail away from being great...and Mike Stoops is still a thumbnail away from being fired.

My Prediction: Georgia 24 - LSU 21
What Happened: Georgia 52 - LSU 38
What It Means: LSU joins Ohio State on the outside looking in...Georgia gets a chance to get back in the National Title picture with a win against Florida this weekend.

My Prediction: Texas Tech 41 - Kansas 38
What Happened: Texas Tech 63 - Kansas 21
What It Means: Kansas, even more so than Kansas State, is simply unlucky to be in the Big 12...Texas Tech has a chance to shock the world and go to the National Championship by beating Texas this weekend.

My Prediction: Florida 31 - Kentucky 17
What Happened: Florida 63 - Kentucky 5
What It Means: Florida is BACK...Kentucky is NOT.

My Prediction: Boise State 20 - San Jose State 0
What Happened: Boise State 33 - San Jose State 16
What It Means: San Jose State will not win the WAC...Boise State could still get shutout of a BCS Bowl Game if Utah beats TCU.

My Prediction: TCU 24 - Wyoming 9
What Happened: TCU 54 - Wyoming 7
What It Means: Wyoming is still a non-factor...TCU has outscored opponents 140-28 since the loss to Oklahoma and has only Utah standing in their way of a MWC Championship.

My Prediction: Missouri 49 - Colorado 28
What Happened: Missouri 59 - Colorado 0
What It Means: Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tiger were pissed...Colorado was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My Prediction: South Florida 31 - Louisville 24
What Happened: Louisville 24 - South Florida 20
What It Means: Louisville is ahead of South Florida in the Big East (what?) and actually looks pretty good (huh?).

My Prediction: Pittsburgh 28 - Rutgers 10
What Happened: Rutgers 54 - Pittsburgh 34
What It Means: Armageddon is upon us.

My Prediction: Georgia Tech 24 - Virginia 10
What Happened: Virginia 24 - Georgia Tech 17
What It Means: We all continue to scratch our heads as Louisville, Rutgers, and Virginia, who all looked like sickly stray dogs at the beginning of the season, win in the same week.

My Prediction: Tulsa 69 - UCF 38
What Happened: Tulsa 49 - UCF 19
What It Means: Tulsa has brought down it's "average scoring per game" statistic.

My Prediction: Ball State 32 - Eastern Michigan 17
What Happened: Ball State 38 - Eastern Michigan 16
What It Means: I'm a genius predicting games and Ball State still hasn't played anybody worthwhile.

My Prediction: BYU 48 - UNLV 20
What Happened: BYU 42 - UNLV 35
What It Means: Nothing...BYU had its chance.

My Prediction: Northwestern 32 - Indiana 17
What Happened: Indiana 21 - Northwestern 19
What It Means: Northwestern was overrated, which isn't a surprise.

My Prediction: Minnesota 32 - Purdue 20
What Happened: Minnesota 17 - Purdue 6
What It Means: Minnesota actually has itself in contention for a nice bowl game...Purdue will battle it out against Michigan this weekend for "Worst of the Big Ten."

My Prediction: Florida State 17 - Virginia Tech 16
What Happened: Florida State 30 - Virginia Tech 20
What It Means: Everyone in the country has to start listening to the annoying Seminole fans again...Virginia Tech is still overrated.

And my final tally is: 15-5...Bringing my grand total for the season to: 59-16 (.787). Not bad, but I want to finish the season over .800, so I'll have to pick up my game this week. Stay tuned!

Willingham's Replacement, Penn State Doesn't Deserve the NC, Florida-Georgia Game Huge, Other Notes of Interest

From around the country, here's the buzz:

Rivals.com, with many supporters, believes Penn State doesn't deserve the National Championship berth...No matter what. I can't say I can argue the point with any intelligent banter. And so the uproar begins, and only moments after a Penn State win over Ohio State that makes a Nittany Lions undefeated season likely. Enough uproar, and as I have predicted earlier, Penn State, even undefeated, will be nowhere near Miami come January.

It kind of goes without saying that the winner of Texas at Texas Tech this weekend will determine the favorite for the Big 12's donation to the National Championship game, but as Chris Low from ESPN writes, Alabama may not be the shoo-in that everyone thinks, making the Georgia-Florida game just that much more meaningful. If Alabama loses even one game, he believes, there will be no time to climb back up the polls. Florida and Georgia, on the other hand, already took their beating and have begun their climb back to the top, so whoever comes out of the game in Jacksonville unscathed may be the favorite to go to Miami.

If you haven't heard about Texas Tech's new PAT kicker, read this. The kid's story could be turned into a made-for-TV-movie for sure. The question is, how does the story end?

After Ty Willingham's announcement that he will voluntarily step down as Washington's head coach at the end of the season, Dennis Dodd is already conjecturing as to who the replacement will be.

Does anyone care about the ACC right now? No? Then don't read Heather Dinich's breakdown of the ACC finishing possibilities...but if you're a college football fan at all, it's actually pretty intriguing. Even if you don't care about the ACC, read this heartwarming story about a certin Duke Blue Devil's emotional victory after the Vanderbilt upset this weekend (thanks to Heather again for this link).

Buckeyes, You're Now Huge Penn State Fans

After the hard-fought battle last night that ended up being decided just as the pundits predicted, with a mistake by an inexperienced freshman quarterback, everyone in Columbus and around the nation that roots for the Scarlet and Gray should now be rooting for Penn State White.

The reason is simple: If Penn State misses a chance at the National Championship and instead goes to the Rose Bowl, Ohio State will be looking at a Capital One bid...not exactly where Buckeye fans were hoping to be when Laurinaitis, Jenkins, and Robiskie decided to forego the pros to finish their last year in college.

Here's how it could play out:

• Penn State wins out the remainder of the season, goes to the National Championship to face mighty Texas, and Ohio State gets a rematch against USC in the Rose Bowl.

OR

• Penn State wins out, voters don't want to see a Big Ten team get demolished in the National Championship for a third straight year, and a one loss Florida faces Texas in the big game (with two Heisman trophy quarterbacks facing each other). Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl and Ohio State gets the Capitol One.

OR

• Penn State loses to Michigan State, God knows how, and the Nation breaths a collective sigh of relief as the top of the BCS polls are clear of Big Ten teams. In this case, Michigan State is the likely Big Ten Champion and the Rose Bowl committee chooses two non-Big Ten teams. This is worst-case scenario for any Big Ten fan, but especially for the Buckeyes.

The Big 12 - Power Quarterback or Weak Secondary?

I've been thinking about this while watching Texas Tech and Oklahoma score touchdowns on almost every drive...Is it really the QB's? Or could the secondaries just be that poor? And how do you tell?

Sure Orakpo and the Big 12 D-lines are solid, but what about the cornerbacks and safeties? You would think that if the secondary matched up AT ALL with the wide receivers that you wouldn't see 40 and 50 points on the Big 12 scoreboard every week.

I truly don't have an answer here and I welcome any insight you in the Peanut Gallery might provide.

Here's my take (which, by the way, does not answer the question at all): The Big 12 QB's - McCoy, Reesing, Harrell, Robinson, Bradford, Griffin, Daniel, Hawkins, Freeman - are good, there's no doubt about that. They all had pretty good high school careers, were highly recruited, and have had good coaching along the way, I'm sure. But I don't care how good a bunch of quarterbacks are, if half the conference has passing completion percentages in the high 60's and 70's, there's something wrong with who they're passing against.

Which brings us to the Big 12 secondary. I'm sure these guys traveled the same route as the quarterbacks (good high school career, highly recruited, good coaching), so where is the disconnect? Do they put all of the truly talented players on offense in the Big 12? If you're fast, savvy, and athletic, do you become a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver automatically down South? I can't imagine the Big 12 does things much differently than the rest of the country, so it would be hard to believe that to be true.

Maybe the Big 12 should start playing some of their quarterbacks in the secondary...Players have played both sides of the ball before...So, why not? Obviously, that's not the answer, but it does seem odd that almost the entire conference has been so successful in the passing game and I'm not totally sold that the Big 12 quarterbacks are that good.

Any ideas? Because, so far, I can't figure it out...

Buckeyes, Penn State, Lose-Lose Situation Tonight?

Every college football fan in the country has heard the rumblings: the Big Ten is weak.

Whether you are an SEC fan, a Big 12 fan, or just a college football fan in general, you have seen some of the better teams, possibly your team, get shut out of the national championship because of an undefeated or one-loss Big Ten team. Most fans outside of the Big Ten feel that because their conferences are stronger and their schedules tougher, weaker and less deserving teams are showing up to do battle in the Big Game, and to a point, I can't argue against those feelings.

Which brings me to the question many people are asking before tonight's football action: What will become of the BCS situation after the Penn State-Ohio State game?

My answer will delight SEC, Big 12, Pac-10, WAC, MWC, ACC, and Big East fans country-wide. Penn State and Ohio State will BOTH lose tonight, and here's why...

Result #1: Penn State defeats Ohio State BIG (more than 15 points)
Effect: Ohio State still can't win big games and Penn State just beat an overrated Ohio State team, giving Penn State exactly zero quality wins on the year. Penn State stays at #3, but drops when strength of schedule really starts to come into play at the end of the season. USC has the same problem, so they're in trouble, but Alabama, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, and Oklahoma State all have a shot of jumping Penn State if any of them can stay at one-loss or less. In this scenario, Penn State could make it to the National Championship, putting a Big Ten team there for a third straight year, but even in best-case situation for the Big Ten, which this is, I predict the National Championship will be SEC vs. Big 12. Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl and Ohio State finally feels the effects of losing big to two SEC teams in two National Championships in a row.

Result #2: Penn State defeats Ohio State CLOSE (less than 15 points)
Effect: Ohio State still can't win big games and Penn State just beat a mediocre Ohio State team who got beat down by USC and is strugling behind a freshman quarterback who has potential, but a lot of growth to come. Penn State stays at #3, and on down the line, even going undefeated, voters trump the computers and vote a one-loss USC, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, or Oklahoma State above them. Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl and Ohio State finally feels the effects of losing big to two SEC teams in two National Championships in a row.

Result #3: Ohio State defeats Penn State CLOSE (less than 15 points)
Effect: Penn State was overrated and Ohio State plays a schedule full of cupcakes. Everyone references the USC game on Sept. 13th to prove that no matter what, Ohio State can not be ranked above USC, and since USC has a bad loss to Oregon State and also plays in a currently-weak conference, voters keep USC capped at #2 or #3 and Ohio State never goes above #4 (even if the computers have them #2). Ohio State goes to the Rose Bowl where they get a rematch with USC or play a two-loss SEC or Big 12 team and have a chance to start to rebuild their reputation with a win. The next year, they are ranked between 10 and 20 in the polls.

Result #4: Ohio State defeats Penn State BIG (more than 15 points)
Effect: Penn State was overrated and Ohio State plays a schedule full of cupcakes. Everyone references the USC game on Sept. 13th to prove that no matter what, Ohio State can not be ranked above USC, and since USC has a bad loss to Oregon State and also plays in a currently-weak conference, voters keep USC capped at #2 or #3 and Ohio State never goes above #4 (even if the computers have them #2). Here's where Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" makes all the difference. Win close and you've done nothing to redeem yourself...Win big and you have started on the road less traveled - the road to winning big in big games - the road to redemption. Instead of starting their reputation-rebuild in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State gets its second big win against a good SEC or Big 12 team and the turn-around occurs. The next year, they are again ranked in the top 10, and possibly top 5, in the preseason polls and some of the national noise dies down.

Final Results: There is very little chance of a Big Ten team arriving in Miami and even if they do, if Penn State loses, the national rally cry against the Big Ten will only get louder. The Big Ten will continue to suffer from a negative image perception across the country. The only hope if you're a Big Ten fan are quality wins against good bowl teams across the board, which means Minnesota and Northwestern have never been more important to the Big Ten's reputation.

Here's how I see it playing out:

• Penn State or Ohio State in the Rose Bowl
• The other of Penn State/Ohio State in the Capital One Bowl
• Minnesota and Northwestern both in decent bowl games

The perceptual upswing begins if all four of these teams win their bowl games. I realize that this is an extreme statement, but anything less just gives the rest of the country more fuel for the fire.

If you're a Big Ten fan, pray that whoever wins this game wins it BIG and that the rest of the Big Ten continues to win. Anything short isn't the road less traveled by.