You Don't Want Any of This, Mizzou

There's this ridiculous ad on the AM sports radio station here in COMO where a future is imagined where the current football coach's grandson is winning his tenth-straight national championship. It's ridiculous in that no college football team has ever won anything close to ten-in-a-row. Yale won five straight in the 19th century. It's amazing when a team wins consecutive championships or even more than one in a decade. So, the premise is just sort of dumb.

But that's not the only reason the ad is ridiculous.

Trust me, Mizzou fans. Take it from someone who knows. You don't want to win a national championship. It only ends in heartache and ulcers. If you win one, you have to win another. Any season that doesn't end with a crystal trophy is a complete failure. A loss or two by mid-October means the season is over. You don't want this.

As mentioned her before, I'm an Ohio State Buckeye fan. Always have been. Always will.

I was part of a generation that didn't know what a national championship was like. Ohio State had a few shots in my very early years, but I don't remember what those days were like. Then OSU put together six straight 9-3 seasons. That seemed pretty great to me. They struggled for a few years after that before putting together some 9, 10, and even 11 win seasons in the 90's.

By all accounts, this was a successful football program despite not being a part of the national championship discussion. I figured that I had my team and I could watch the other teams scramble for the mythical national championship.

Then, 2002 happened. Ohio State, led by second year coach Jim Tressel, had the most magical season. Despite a quarterback who's best pass was three rows into the stands and an injury-prone future felon at tailback, the team used an incredibly gifted defense and solid special teams to go 14-0 and win the BCS title. Every game, no matter the competition, went down to the wire. Even the championship game was a double-overtime thriller in which the Buckeyes bear a Miami team who had won thirty-some games in a row.

That 2002 season was as improbable as it was magical. It was the stuff special commemorative DVD's are made of or even more special hard-bound editions of Sports Illustrated. It was one of the most amazing moments for me as a sports fan and it ruined me.

Ever since that amazing season, I and the rest of the Ohio State faithful have simply expected the Buckeyes to win the national championship. In 2006, we entered the national championship game with a perfect 12-0 record that included two wins over the #2 team in the country and the Heisman Trophy winner in Troy Smith. Needless to say, the Buckeyes lost that game to Florida.

The next season was an improbable year of upsets, landing Ohio State in a second-consecutive championship game...and another loss. It hasn't gotten much better since.

The success of the 2002 championship season has ruined my enjoyment of college football. I am obsessed with it. I expect my team to win every game. It's not enough that Ohio State has won five-straight conference championships and games versus their rival Michigan. My expectations are completely off-kilter.

Yesterday, more heartache set in. Seventh-ranked Ohio State fell to the worst team in their conference yesterday, a 1-5 Purdue team. Led by super (hyped) sophomore Terrelle Pryor's four turnovers, Ohio State failed to even score 20 points or gain 100 yards rushing to the Big Ten's worst defense. Usually, the defense just wins games for this team, but the offense had to step up and couldn't, but I digress.

You don't want to know this kind of misery, Misery. Be happy with your 8-5, Big 12 North co-championships and Independence Bowl appearances. Enjoy that game in which you almost beat Nebraska or held Oklahoma to under 50 points. Have fun watching your team even if you can't find them on TV.

Trust me. You don't want a national championship and the crazy, unrealistic expectations with which they come. It's better to enjoy some mediocrity. Ignorance really is bliss, Mizzou fans. Have fun losing to Texas as homecoming. At least you don't have to worry about a national championship like those Longhorn fans.

Now, I am going to go crawl into my little college football hole and cry myself to sleep. I guess there's always next year. Go Bucks.

Miscellaneous Miscellany

I have been terrible at keeping up with this blog lately. Between work and an incredibly busy 13-month-old child, I just haven't had time for this blog or any others. So, here's some miscellany from the last week or so...

• As previously mentioned, I had the week to myself. What does a man (stereotypically) do when he's on his own? He watches Monday Night Football, I guess. I watched Brett Favre's triumphant match-up versus his old team while eating hot dogs and baked beans and enjoying a couple of Bell's Octoberfests.
• I never get out to see movies these days, but I was able to catch Michael Moore's latest, Capitalism: A Love Story. I realize folks are tired of Moore's shtick, but this was maybe his most straightforward film ever. Also, Moore was finally able to follow up his acclaimed debut, Roger and Me. I walked out wishing we in this country could get over our hangups over socialism. Capitalism isn't working...well, for 90% of us anyway.
• The Decemberists played their outdoor show inside the luxurious Blue Note last week. Opener Laura Veirs was pretty good. The Decemberists were fine, but some enjoyed it more than I.
• I pulled a 12+ hour day on Thursday. That's all I'll say about that.
• Friday was an extended happy hour-kind-of-thing. I met friends at Sycamore for the always-delicious Founders Curmudgeon. This is the most vanilla olde ale I've ever tasted. That's a good thing. I followed that up with some beers, conversation, and a bánh mì at the 'Tag/Uprise. The night ended at Broadway Brewery where the beers are still a work in progress, but suspect it will only get better.
• On Saturday, I did what I normally do which was watch my Buckeyes. This time they put a whooping on an undefeated Wisconsin team while gaining half as many yards and having the ball for a third of the time. How does a team do that? Watch.
• That same evening, I brewed my third batch of beer. This one is a barley wine called Never Forget 9/11 - more for Lucia's birthday than for the other 9/11 you're never supposed to forget. The ABV will measure in somewhere between 9% and 11%. I've been planning this beer for a while and finally got around to brewing. It's so sticky and even the first bits of it taste good.
• R and Lu returned from their adventures in Michigan. The best part was that Lucia reached for me right away and gave me the longest hug ever. It was nice.
• I am a lifelong Browns fan. That's not easy to put into print these days. Of course, they won their first game this Sunday (over the 1-4 Buffalo Bills) by a whopping 6-3 baseball score.
• This guy makes me think all the time.
• And this time he made me think about this blog and what I'm doing with it.
• This blog made me think what I do is worthwhile. It's picked up where Bathysphere left off. Read A Ravenous Horde now.
• Columbus Day came and went. Does anyone celebrate Columbus Day anymore? Why? What did he do that's worth celebrating? And don't tell me he discovered America as if there were not already people living here or others who crossed the Atlantic before him.

I think that's all for now. Tell me what you want in the comments. I'll try to do better. I swear.

We're Buckeyes.

Last night, someone assured Lucia that her team won. I asked what team might that be. The dude replied, "Well, Mizzou of course."

While I'm pretty sure that Lucia has no idea what a team, football, or a Mizzou are, I'm also pretty sure she won't be a Tiger even if she did know what these things are. Yes, she was born here. Yes, there's a good chance she'll attend the school where her mother teaches. Yes, my paycheck comes from that very same university. However, I'm a Buckeye and by proxy she too will be a Buckeye. Even R, who claims no allegiance to any athletic team, holds two degrees from The Ohio State University. We're Buckeyes. Sorry to disappoint.

So, when people give me a hard time for wearing a block "O" on my hat at the farmer's market or proclaiming my allegiance on Facebook, I have to remember why I'm a Buckeye fan. I want people to understand that one does not just switch allegiances with a 9-hour move west. There are good reasons for sticking with my team and to promote that team to my own child.

I was born in 1975. Archie Griffin had just won the first of his two Heisman Trophies. No one else has ever won two. Archie was also in the midst of leading Ohio State to four consecutive Big Ten titles. Somewhere there is a picture of me as an infant wearing a number 45 jersey, Archie's number.

Ohio State at that point had a long and storied history. Woody Hayes was their coach. He was responsible for five of Ohio State's national championship seasons. They are one of only three schools with seven Heisman Trophy winners. The Buckeyes have a long list of All-Americans and national award winners. Last year, they became only the seventh team in college football history to win 800 games. Their rivalry with the University of Michigan is widely considered the greatest rivalry in sports. So, there's some history with the football program.

As I grew up, we watched Ohio State every Saturday in the fall. My dad is also a lifelong Buckeye fan. He'd explain the nuances of the game and would provide the history of the program long before one could simply Google the information. I grew up watching such greats as Chris Spielman, Chris Carter, and Keith Byars.

It was only natural that I would stick with my team as I grew older. I've witnessed Ohio State's last two Heisman winners (Troy Smith and Eddie George), multiple Big Ten championships, the frustrating Cooper years, the triumphant Tressel years, and their last national championship (2002). This has always been my team and will forever be my team.

For comparison, let's look at the local Missouri Tigers. They've had some success in recent years, but not on Ohio State's level. Last year's 10-4 team was considered a great success while Ohio State is unfairly remembered only for losing in national championship games. My bet is that Gary Pinkel would have loved to have just been considered for one of those games or at least a BCS bowl game. The Missouri program has 200 fewer wins than Ohio State, no Heisman winners, and no national champions. Their stadium seats about 35,000 fewer people than Ohio Stadium. It's not the same thing.

And it's not just the success that makes me a Buckeye. There were years during John Cooper's tenure when they couldn't beat Michigan or would come one game away from earning a shot at a national championship. There were some lean years. There was Maurice Clarrett. Through all of that, I stuck with my team.

Football, in particular Ohio State football, is in our blood. It's cultural. It's not personal. It just is.

Mizzou played a great game yesterday against an overrated Illinois team. Ohio State narrowly escaped a better-than-advertised Navy squad. None of that will change my allegiance. I will still cheer for Ohio State next week when they get trounced by USC once again.

If anyone should understand supporting your team no matter what it's the Mizzou fan. What other program has suffered as much as Missouri's? There were the countless years of finishing eighth in the Big-8. There was the fifth down. There was the foot of God play against Nebraska. Still, folks in central MO turn out to cheer on their Tigers. Good for them, but don't expect me to abandon my team for yours.

It's not as if we're wearing these t-shirts or anything. Mizzou can enjoy their success, but temper your expectations a bit. Nine or ten wins should make you really content. You don't have to win over every fan. I don't have to love Gary Pinkel. We work for the same institution, but we don't actually work together. I'm allowed to cheer for Ohio State (even when they play Mizzou). You're allowed to cheer for Mizzou. It's OK.

Anyway, here are Ohio State's highlights. The night of Lucia's big celebration is the USC game. You can count on my to watch and cheer on my Buckeyes...as they get whooped by four touchdowns. Ugh.

Go Bucks!

Lucia has her game face on. Bring on Navy!

Sorry for all the picture posts. I'll write something soon.

Lucia's First College Football Season (Preview)

My mom knits Lucia a hat for every month of the year. This month's edition arrived and just in time for football season.

Lucia was born a couple of weeks into last year's college football season, so aside from a game or two, she never really got the chance to enjoy the glory that is college football.

In case you couldn't tell, Lucia is not a Mizzou fan. Her daddy is a Buckeye fan. By proxy, that makes her a Buckeye fan. She now has a knitted hat, onesie, and Beanie Wells football jersey to prove it. (Let's hope she doesn't injure her toe or roll her ankle.) The girl is ready for the '09 season. Just look at that game face.

Lucia was born days before Ohio State's debacle in LA last year. Her presence was the only thing that helped me through that terrible loss. (That, and a bomber of Hog Heaven Barley Wine.) Now, I'm hopeful that her first full CFB season will be one to remember.

Anyway, here's my take on this upcoming season...

BCS Conference Champions:
Big East - Who cares?
Not one Big Least team made the preseason top-25 coaches' poll. There's a reason for this: they're a basketball conference. I keep hearing how improved the Big Least is year after year with almost nothing offered up as proof. Whatever, I've already wasted too much space on this conference. Cincinnati will win the conference and get trounced in the Orange Bowl again.

ACC - Miami
This was my "who cares" conference last year, and I was right. This conference was mired in mediocrity. This year's edition will be won by a four-loss Miami team. Have you seen their schedule? They play Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma for their first four games. They'll be lucky to split, but that would put them at 2-1 in the conference. Three conference losses could win the ACC. My money is on an improving Miami team who will take the experience from that first stretch of games to their conference title. Besides, Virginia Tech lost their stud running back.

SEC - Florida
This was my pick last year and they're making it easy on me this year. Florida pretty much has everyone back from last year's dominating national championship team, including Saint Timothy Tebow (the NFLS's next great fullback) and King Beast Brandon Spikes. As much as I want to hate this team, I can't help but recognize their greatness at this point in time. Of course, the conference may be down yet again this season, making their path to the Mythical National Championship even easier.

Big 12 - Texas
Apparently, living here has given me some great insight into the Big 12 conference. I correctly picked Oklahoma to win the conference and that Missouri would only win only nine games despite all the hype surrounding the team. This year, Texas will win the tie-breaker (like OU last year) over Oklahoma (whom they'll beat handily) and Oklahoma State (who will beat them and get demolished by OU). Mizzou? They will lose the North to Kansas and maybe win 7-8 games overall. Illinois will get them on opening weekend this year.

Pac 10 - USC
USC will win this conference forever, but this year will be tougher than usual. Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, and Arizona all look to be improved this year. I predict USC will lose two conference games this year, but it will be enough for a return trip to the Rose Bowl and a rematch with...

Big 10 - The Ohio State University
OSU has the most talent in the Big Ten. Although several teams will be improved (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan), no one can match up with the Buckeyes. I'll have more to say on this below. I also think this year will be a year of redemption in the bowl games. Every team aside from the top three will be improved from last year. It may mean lower level bowls, but I'm betting the Big Ten will have a good showing this year.

BCS Buster - TCU
Last year, I came close in calling this one. I picked Ball State, but they faltered in their last two games after starting the year with twelve wins in a row. This year I'm not going as far out on a limb. TCU with their dominating defense is due for a breakout season. Their schedule isn't nearly as daunting as in years past with out of conference games versus Virginia and Clemson. So, the Horned Frogs could enter their mid-November tilt versus Utah undefeated.

The Heisman Trophy - Colt McCoy
I get the sense the voters don't want a two-time winner. Besides, McCoy maybe should have won the trophy last year instead of Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Tim Tebow also has a Heisman, but it seems as if Archie Griffin will remain as the only two-time trophy winner. As an Ohio State fan, I'm fine with that.

Ohio State National Championship Scenarios: (There's really only one.)

1) Ohio State beats USC in the 'Shoe. This is every Ohio State fan's dream scenario. The Trojans enter Ohio Stadium with a freshman quarterback. The 105,000+ shake him into some mistakes. Terrelle Pryor will begin his legacy with a memorable performance as an experienced Buckey defensive line takes control of USC's running game. It probably won't happen, but I can dream.

2) Ohio State gets blasted by USC again, closing the door on anyone outside of Columbus ever taking the Buckeyes seriously again. I know this is all doom and gloom, but I fear things will get worse for Ohio State before they get better. USC is loaded once again. OSU has a bunch of young, unproven players to break in. Their week 1 opponent (Navy) will do very little in helping them prepare for the Trojans.

My Gut Feeling:
Ohio State will come close, but will lose another big game. Terrelle Pryor will live up to the hype in keeping the Buckeyes in the game, but it won't be enough. It will be what's expected. From here, a newly confident and determined Ohio State team will tear through the Big Ten on their way to a fifth straight Big Ten title and a shot at a rematch with USC in the Rose Bowl.

Realistic Ohio State Prediction:
They'll lose to USC and probably one more in the Big Ten, possibly at Penn State. However, I still believe they will win the Big Ten or at least a share. Unfortunately, if they win a share, they won't go to the Rose Bowl. The BCS has had it with Ohio State flops. On to the Capital One Bowl versus the second or third best team in the SEC. This will probably be their first bowl victory versus an SEC team. Most will say big deal, but it will be an important stepping stone toward the 2010 season.

Then, who wins the Mythical National Championship? Texas
Florida should win it. They have all the talent and experience. Some are saying that Arkansas will trip them up, but I think they'll be ready for the Razorbacks. I sort of like Tennessee and super safety Eric Berry's shot at an upset, but I don't really trust Lane Kiffin can pull it off. Either way, Florida will probably be back in the BCS championship game. There, they will lose to Texas who has an eerie resemblance to the last Longhorn team to win a BCS crown.

College Football Haiku, Part Deux

In case you didn't know, college football season will be here in less than a month. To commemorate its triumphant return (as well as the return of cable TV to my home - DirecTV offers the Big Ten Network!!!), I will begin this season the same way I began last bowl season: with a Haiku for each game. Embedded in each of these poems is hopefully some insight into the teams' seasons and maybe a few predictions.

H/T Inside USC (I am hating myself for any props to a USC blog, but they are the baddest boys on the block...until the NCAA takes them down.)

All Times Eastern

Thursday, September 3

7:00 PM South Carolina at North Carolina State, ESPN
Really? Who cares? It's
Spurrier's game to lose with
Q.B. Garcia.

7:30 PM North Texas at Ball State, ESPNU
B.S.U. will have
to replace Davis, but should
whoop some Texas ass.

8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Indiana. Big Ten Network
I.U. can only
get better from '08 and
win their opener.

9:00 PM Utah State at Utah, the Mtn.
This will be closer
than some think, but Utah will
prevail in the end.

10:15 PM Oregon at Boise State, ESPN
This is my fav game
of opening night. The Ducks
winning a close one.

Friday, September 4
8:00 PM Tulsa at Tulane, ESPN
Tulsa will trounce the
the green wave with their potent
offensive attack.

Saturday, September 5

12:00 PM Towson at Northwestern, Big Ten Network
Count on nine wins for
the Wildcats if they're go-
ing to play Towson.

12:00 PM Montana State at Michigan State, Big Ten Network
No big things for the
Spartans this year, but they will
beat up on M.S.

12:00 PM Appalachian State at East Carolina, MASN
This will not be like
in the Big House two seasons
ago. Pirates big.

12:00 PM Minnesota at Syracuse, ESPN2
The Orange will go
down to the Gophers who won't
start 7 and oh.

12:00 PM Kentucky at Miami (OH), ESPNU
Kentucky will win,
but it's interesting that
the game's in Cincy.

12:00 PM Navy at Ohio State, ESPN
Buckeyes win it big.
It won't help them for the next
game v. U.S.C.

12:00 PM Akron at Penn State, Big Ten Network
P.S.U. wins big.
They will not win the Big Ten.
It's O.S.U.'s year.

12:00 PM Liberty at West Virginia, Big East Network
I hope W-
V.U. whoops Falwell's school bad.
They win the B.E.

12:00 PM Toledo at Purdue, Big Ten Network
We will find out just
how bad Purdue is or how
bad Toledo is.

12:05 PM Northern Iowa at Iowa, Big Ten Network
Iowa wins in
a shutout with their big D.
Could win conference.

12:21 PM Western Kentucky at Tennessee, SEC Network
Who cares? Kiffykins
will win by just two touchdowns
Prepping for six wins.

1:00 PM Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech, ESPN 360
Crazy engineers
rack up 400 yards on
the ground and win big.

2:00 PM Northeastern at Boston College, ESPN 360
If B.C. wins and
no one watches, does it count?
A.C.C. says yes.

3:30 PM San Jose State at USC, FSN
I thought U.S.C.
only schedules B.C-
S. foes to destroy.

3:30 PM Nevada at Notre Dame, NBC
Notre Dame will eek
out a win here on their way
to seven and six.

3:30 PM Western Michigan at Michigan, ABC or ESPN2
RichRod better win
this one or he won't see the
Buckeyes at the end.

3:30 PM Baylor at Wake Forest, ABC
This might just be the
best matchup of the weekend.
I'm pulling for B.

3:30 PM Georgia at Oklahoma State, ABC
Georgia will get their
asses handed to them by
Gundy who's a man.

3:30 PM Jackson State at Mississippi State, ESPNU
Mississippi State
is the Indiana of
the S.E.C. conf.

3:40 PM Missouri vs. Illinois at St. Louis, Mo., ESPN
Illini gets re-
venge on Mizzou for two years
of thumpings to them.

6:00 PM Citadel at North Carolina, ESPN 360
Why does Citadel
put themselves in this kind of
situation, huh?

6:00 PM Middle Tennessee State at Clemson, ESPN 360
M.T.S. loses
to Dabo and his Tigers.
Clemson is sleeper.

6:00 PM William & Mary at Virginia, ESPN 360
Virginia needs a
win to start its year because
there won't be many.

7:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Auburn, ESPNU
The Chizik era
begins on the plains with a
mediocre win.

7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Florida, FSN
Florida starts its
march to the M.N.C. with
a win over Bucs.

7:00 PM Connecticut at Ohio, ESPN 360
Solich has a trick
or two when UConn enters
Athens just to lose.

7:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Nebraska, FSN PPV
Who would pay to view
this game? I will not watch the
Huskers dominate.

7:00 PM Louisiana-Monore at Texas FSN PPV
Texas will see Flor-
ida in the M.N.C.
but won't look past this.

7:00 PM Wofford at South Florida, Bright House Network
South Florida will
disappoint yet again this
year but win first game.

7:00 PM Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma at Arlington, Tex., ESPN
Oklahoma may
have their hands full but should pull
away by the end.

7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, Big Ten Network
Bielema might be
in trouble if he drops this
game to a MAC opp.

7:00 PM Northern Colorado at Kansas, Fox College Sports Central
Reesing takes a break
from cougars for a game he'll
roll up big yardage.

7:30 PM Western Carolina at Vanderbilt, CSS
Vandy may win 8.
If so, they have to win this
one 'cause hard road 'head.

8:00 PM Alabama vs. Virginia Tech*, ABC
OK, so this is
maybe the best game of the
week. Roll Tide by three.

8:00 PM Idaho at New Mexico State, Altitude
Do I have to write
a haiku for this lame game?
'No' you say? Well, thanks.

9:00 PM Central Michigan at Arizona, AWSN
The Tebow of the
MAC could surprise, but I doubt it.
Wildcats fourteen.

9:00 PM Buffalo at UTEP, CBS College Sports
The black coach your school
should have hired starts the year
with a win on road.

10:00 PM Maryland at California, ESPN2
This one could be in-
teresting maybe a
quarter. Bears win big.

10:30 PM LSU at Washington, ESPN
Why does Washington
always schedule presea-
son losses at home?

Sunday, September 6

3:30 PM Mississippi at Memphis, ESPN
Ole Miss will get it
done this year in the S.E.
C. and in this game.

7:00 PM Colorado State at Colorado, FSN
Ooh, a rivalry
game this early can be fun.
Buffs win by 20.

Monday, September 7

4:00 PM Cincinnati at Rutgers, ESPN 8:00 PM Miami (FL) at Florida State, ESPN
Are you ready for
some football? Monday night foo...
Nope. Not the Big Least.

Live Blogging: The Fiesta Bowl (4th Quarter)

That's Spike.

9:54 Brian Robiskie makes a hell of a catch. Maybe we can do this.

9:57
Despite Pryor nearly making a phenomenal play, OSU has to settle for 3. If the defense can muster up some kind of fortitude and stop Texas, we can make this a game again.

10:03
The Buckeye defense just has nothing left to stop Texas. That six-minute drive in conjunction with two straight three-and-outs is killing them...fumble! Texas keeps it.

Man, 22 ounces of imperial chocolaty stout can do crazy things to you. On one hand, your sleepy and a little buzzed from the alcohol. On the other hand, the dark, bitter chocolate has you all jittery. It's quite a sensation. I may have to get some water.

10:09
Ohio State finally stops Texas. Now, let's get it in the endzone...touchback.

10:12
Two things:
1) Beanie is on the bench. Game over.
2) Lucky catch by completion for Pryor. Robiskie makes a great catch. (It will stand under review.)

10:13
It's confirmed a catch.

10:14
Pryor has to make those completions with the defense in his face. Come on!

10:15
Thank god he runs.

10:17
Pryor throws short, but the Buckeyes finally catch a break: interference and unsportsmanlike conduct. Woot!

10:20
Boeckman to Pryor for the TD. It's about time the coaches show some balls...so to speak. We botch the conversion but are staring at only a two-point deficit.

That was ingenious to throw the fade to Pryor. That little wrinkle caused the Texas DB all kinds of problems.

10:25
I have come to realize that every time I stand up for a big play, the Buckeyes come through. This time it was an incompletion on 3rd and 7.

10:29
Just stood up. Boeckman to Ballard for a first down. The streak lives!

10:34
Between jumping up and down and answering friends on FB, I totally neglected this post. OSU is up 21-17. Two minutes to go and Colt McCoy to stop. I'm freaking out.

10:38
This is coming down to the wire. FB is blowing up right now.

10:42
Texas gets yet another break. Bad spot. First down.

10:43
I am beat. This game has to end soon. Between the drama of the game and constant FB and Twitter updates, I am exhausted.

Now, stop Texas.

10:47
I can't f-ing believe it. Texas pulled it off...but wait. There's an excessive celebration penalty on Texas.

10:49
The season ends how it began: Todd Boeckman unable to escape pressure.

10:51
Game over. It's a heartbreaker for my Buckeyes.

One thing is for sure: Texas has no business thinking they are national champions. They gave up 21 and almost lost to an OSU team that couldn't score versus a pee-wee team. Florida will win in three nights and the controversy will be over.

At least we didn't give up 60 (Mizzou fans).

Live Blogging: The Fiesta Bowl (3rd Quarter)

9:07 pm CST They're getting ready for the second half and I'm having trouble keeping up with Twits and Facebook back-and-forth. Here we go...

9:10
McCoy converts another first down. I have to use the bathroom, but I can't leave the set. I was bombarded with Tweets and FB messages, keeping me from using the bathroom during the half. Thankfully, Texas just held OSU, slowing their drive.

9:15
Made it. Washington hobbles off the field, buying time for me to go to the restroom. Now, if the Buckeyes could only come up with some way to stop Texas.

9:17
OSU's defense holds...or not. Damn Texas runs a fake punt just when I thought Ohio State had something going.

9:21
Ohio State seems to have stopped Texas on 3rd and short...again. Maybe they'll finally get off the field...or not. Rrrr...

Texas gets lucky on a bad call and is now in the red zone.

9:23
I may fade at this point. Colt McCoy - the guy who maybe should have won the Heisman and played for a chance to win the national championship - just scored the go-ahead TD. Ohio State has to answer with a TD of their own or I fear we're in trouble.

Between the lack of sleep I've been getting these days, the 11% ABV beer I'm drinking, and Texas' last drive, I may have to crawl back in my hole and not come out until...

What am I saying? We have more a quarter and a half to play. We've got Texas right where we want them. I say they run plays with Beanie and Beanie and more Beanie until Texas asks for mercy.

9:29
We need a conversion here. It's 3rd and 4. Key moment in the game...and it's a 3-and-out. Shit!

9:33
I've been periodically checking the ESPN website and it's got a new look. I like the new layout, but it will take me a while to navigate as efficiently as I once did.

McCoy's heating up.

9:36
Thank you Colt McCoy for throwing an intentional grounding. It's about time we get a break. And the Longhorns keep losing yards. Here we go. It's time to turn this ship around.

Good return, Ray Small. Now, let's see some Beanie.

9:40
I have no idea why Beanie is not running the ball. He had 96 yards at the half. So far this drive, Pryor threw an incompletion and ran out of bounds when a play was blown up. Texas can't stop Beanie. Now we punt.

9:43
Now that the offense has put together two drives of three-and-outs, the defense is too tired to stop Texas. Our only hope at this point is to get a turnover deep in Texas territory, giving OSU a short field. I think we're in trouble.

9:48
Texas scores again. This is terrible. I want to cry.

Could it have killed the OSU coaches to call a f-ing timeout? Now, we watch the vanilla offense that hasn't done anything except wear out their own defense. Great.

9:50
I am getting bombarded on FB. People are watching my updates like I don't know what. (The stout has stripped me of any creativity at this point. That and Colt McCoy touchdowns.)

The quarter is mercifully over.

Live Blogging: The Fiesta Bowl (2nd Quarter)

7:58 pm CST
Back to the game. It's the second quarter and OSU is holding onto a 3-0 lead.

The defense has looked OK. I mean, not too many teams could hold an offense like Texas to no points in a quarter. Let's hope they can hold.

8:01
McCoy goes down! Sack OSU! It looks like the defense isn't going to give up after giving up a few first downs.

Eventually, the Longhorns score a field goal. I'm OK with a 3-3 game at this point. Now it's time to see some Beanie.

8:05
The first promo for Thursday's national championship just played. Florida should kill Oklahoma. I predict a shoot-out in the first quarter before Tebow and the rest of his Gators put a whooping on the Sooners.

Back from commercial...

8:07
Did someone ask for a little Beanie? Ohio State should do nothing but run the ball for the rest of the game. I don't think Texas can consistently stop them. Oh, and there's another four yards...pass to Beanie for 20. Look out.

8:11
Pryor completes a pass to Posey for a first down. Hopefully Pryor will continue to improve. His upside is ridiculous. They will need him next year when USC comes to Columbus. I hate USC...Beanie!!!

8:15
The Buckeyes call a timeout. Commercial.

Pryor finally ran for a gain instead of taking the sack. On that same play, Boeckman would have taken the sack. Pryor would have run around for another ten seconds before taking the sack ten yards further back. Tonight, he ran and nearly converted the first down. Now the Buckeyes are looking at a very manageable third down. Nice.

8:17
Christ! This team is so good at shooting themselves in the foot in big games. False start...

Both QB's on the field, but it results in a fourth down. Time to kick another field goal. 6-3 OSU.

FYI-I am trying to update my Facebook status and Twitter feed while doing this blogging thing. It's going well, but I don't think anyone else is on either FB or Twitter. Oh well...I take that back. A co-worker couldn't understand why I wasn't watching The Bachelor. Really? That show's still on?

8:26
This is not good. Shaun Lane is being carted off with a neck or head injury. That's never good. He did give the crowd the traditional "thumbs up" after a neck injury.

8:30
Ohio State is fired up and coming after Colt McCoy...has there ever been a better name for a Texas quarterback? Has there ever been a more overused joke in college football? I'd say "no" to both.

8:32
The Fox announcer just made verbs out of the words "yardage" and "time of procession."

8:36
I just danced up a storm as the Buckeyes stopped Texas on 4th and 7, sacking Colt McCoy for a big loss. Really. I was skanking up a storm.

Also, my beer is strong. That 11% ABV is taking effect. Better slow it down a bit...first down, Beanie.

8:43
Personal foul. Beat the freshman deep. Approaching the 20. This half is not ending well. Best case scenario: hold them to 3 and go in with a 6-point tie.

8:45
Interception!!! Anderson Russell gets his second career interception at the goal line. Colt McCoy is crumbling under the pressure...to the tune of 198 yards, but no TD's.

Ohio State's looking good going into half. My trash talking is paying off. Beanie is the man. I think I can honestly say that I love him.

Stay tuned for the second half.

Live Blogging: The Fiesta Bowl (1st Quarter)

6:16 pm CST
I've just finished trash-talking with the only Texas grad I know and am fully warmed up for another Ohio State loss in a big game. R's at palates and Lu's taking a nap. The pizza sits in the oven and the salad awaits the dressing. My hope is to blog, Tweet, and Facebook this entire game. Hopefully, there will be more trash talking before the night is through.

Georgetown/Notre Dame is on ESPN. I can't believe that Notre Dame is #13 in basketball. The game in which the Buckeyes beat the Irish will go a long way toward earning them a spot in the tourney.

6:25 pm CST
I just tried to think of famous people who attended Texas. The only one that comes to mind is Matthew McConaughey. Do Texas alum really like to claim this guy as one of their own? Check it...

6:31 pm CST
Oh snap! On a hunch I clicked over to Fox and there is a pre-game show. Oh, wait. It's Fox. This is going to suck all night long. Hey, the dog's going crazy...

6:58
No kickoff yet. It turns out that R returned home earlier than expected. We ate our pizza and salad. I'm now checking on the game with Lu. She won't see this game. It's getting close to bedtime. That means no matter what happens, Ohio State will remain undefeated in games that Lucia has watched.

Beanie has a big-ass family.

The Blind Boys of Alabama sing the National Anthem. Nice harmonies. When does the game begin?

7:06 pm CST
There's still no kickoff, but we're close. In the meantime, I poured a Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout. And that's The Beer I Drank TodayTM.


The beer I drank today: Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout

Style: Imperial Stout

Color: black

Head/Lacing: slight chocolate mousse head, spotty lacing

Aroma: I could smell the chocolate as soon as I opened the bottle and I'm nursing a cold.

Flavor: Did I mention that this is a chocolate stout?

Context: Um, have been reading this post? I've been waiting for nearly a month to drink this beer and to see this game.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Yes, yes, and yes.

7:12 pm CST
They're just now getting to the coin toss. Let's get on with it. Buckeyes get the ball first.

7:16
They're ready for kickoff. A friend calls to see if I'm ready...meaning "Do you have enough medication on-hand for this game?" See above.

Buckeyes start just past the 25. Whoa! Todd Boekman threw for the first down. I didn't see that coming.

7:20
Pryor with a big run. What? Of course, the drive ends with an OSU punt. Argh.

7:25
Crap. I have to help R with the bath and Texas goes for a nine-yard run...until Shipley is stopped for a two-yard loss. Now they fail to convert the first down. Woot! 3-and-out! Well, off to the bath.

7:32
I have to do five-minute shifts with the bathing. I have no idea what's happening except that OSU just earned a first down.

Big run by Beanie. Now I'm über-confident.

Why won't Pryor run or throw it away? Now I'm not so confident.

T.O. - Time to check the bath.

7:42
Missed the 51(?) yard field goal. We're up 3-0. Speaking of stout, OSU's D has looked good for the most part. Even Texas first downs are hard-earned. Now back to the bath.

7:54
Texas is still driving. The baby's in bed. The cat fell in the tub. End of the quarter and I'm going to the bathroom.

Bowl Season Haiku

Some can only write ten words for each bowl game. Well, I am answering that challenge with a haiku for each bowl game just to prove that the college football bowl system is stupid, like ancient Japanese poetry.

EagleBank Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Navy, Washington, D.C. RFK Stadium Dec. 20, 11 a.m., ESPN

Can Demon Deacons
stop sailors who feel better
running on the land?

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State vs. Fresno State, Albuquerque University Stadium Dec. 20, 2:30 p.m. ESPN

The old Fresno coach
takes on a newbie who has
led the Rams to six.

St. Petersburg Bowl! Memphis vs. South Florida, St. Petersburg. Fla, Tropicana Field, Dec. 20, 4:30 p.m. ESPN2

Playing Memphis will
insure the Bulls won't finish
just like last season.

Pioneer Las Vegas, BYU vs. Arizona, Las Vegas, Sam Boyd Stadium, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. ESPN

Didn't BYU
win the Pac-Ten this season?
Cougs will trounce the Cats.

R+L Carriers New Orleans, Southern Miss vs. Troy, New Orleans Superdome, Dec. 21, 8:15 p.m. ESPN

Southern Miss had to
win four-in-a-row just to
get a shot at Troy.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Boise State vs. TCU, San Diego Qualcomm Stadium, Dec. 23, 8 p.m. ESPN

The undefeated
Boise State will lose to the
solid TCU.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Hawaii vs. Notre Dame, Honolulu, Aloha Stadium Dec. 24, 8 p.m. ESPN

ND continues
their slow decline with a loss
to Hawaii U.

Motor City Bowl, Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan, Detroit Ford Field, Dec. 26, 8 p.m. ESPN

FAU is in
for a surprise from the Te-
bow of CMU.

Meineke Car Care Bowl, West Virginia vs. North Carolina, Charlotte, N.C. Bank of America Stadium, Dec. 27, 1 p.m. ESPN

Stewart will blow this
game versus Davis and his
resurgent Tar Heels.

Champs Sports Bowl, Wisconsin vs. Florida State, Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Two programs going
in opposite directions.
Sems to beat Badgers.

Emerald Bowl, Miami (Fla.) vs. California, San Francisco AT&T Park, Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ESPN

Can Miami get
back on track using their young
defense against Cal?

Independence Bowl, Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech, Shreveport, La. Independence Stadium, Dec. 28, 8:15 p.m. ESPN

Roadtrip to Shreveport
anyone? Really, who is
interested? You?

Papajohns.com Bowl, NC State vs. Rutgers, Birmingham, Ala. Legion Field Dec. 29, 3 p.m. ESPN

Should either of these
teams even be in a bowl?
Rutgers wins it big.

Valero Alamo Bowl, Missouri vs. Northwestern, San Antonio Alamodome Dec. 29, 8 p.m. ESPN

The Wildcats find a
way to win and Mizzou finds
ways to lose big games.

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Maryland vs. Nevada, Boise, Idaho Bronco Stadium, Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m. ESPN

This game gets zero
viewers at best. What a prize:
Game in Idaho

Texas Bowl, Rice vs. Western Michigan, Houston Reliant Stadium, Dec. 30, 8 p.m., NFL Network

I love rice in my
Texas bowl...oh, I really
like West Michigan.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Oklahoma State vs. Oregon, San Diego Qualcomm Stadium Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN

Lots o' points in this
matchup between the Ducks and
Cowboys of OK.

Armed Forces Bowl, Houston vs. Air Force, Fort Worth, Texas, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Dec. 31, Noon ESPN

Will you watch this game?
I doubt I will watch this game.
Who's playing again?

Brut Sun Bowl, Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh, El Paso, Texas Sun Bowl Dec. 31, 2 p.m. CBS

The Pitt 'stache tries to
find a way to slow the bros
Rodgers running by.

Gaylord Hotels Music City, Boston College vs. Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tenn. LP Field Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ESPN

Vandy hasn't gone
bowling in 26 years.
They stay home this year?

Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota, Tempe, Ariz. Sun Devil Stadium, Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m. NFL Network

Two up-and-comers
collide and fight for football
mediocrity.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, LSU vs. Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia Dome Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Chicken anyone?
I doubt LSU can stop
the triple option.

Outback Bowl, South Carolina vs. Iowa, Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium, Jan. 1, 2009, 11 a.m. ESPN.

Do the Cocks have the
D to stop Shonn Greene in Jan?
Hawkeyes win it big.

Capital One Bowl, Georgia vs. Michigan State, Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1, 2009, 1 p.m. ABC

Luckily for the
Dawgs, the Spartans have no O.
Georgia wins big.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Clemson vs. Nebraska, Jacksonville, Fla., Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jan. 1, 2009, 1 p.m. CBS

How did these two teams
ever make a Jan. 1 bowl?
Who wins it? Who cares?

The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi, Penn State vs. USC, Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 2009, 4:30 p.m. ABC

Rey Maualuga
hopefully won't run over
Joe Pa's new, fake hip.

FedEx Orange Bowl, Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech, Miami Dolphin Stadium, Jan. 1, 2009, 8:30 p.m., FOX

The Bearcats should win.
Beamer ball's lost its luster...
so has the Orange.

AT&T Cotton Bowl, Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech, Dallas, Cotton Bowl Jan. 2, 2009, 2 p.m. FOX

I would give my left...
to hear the talk at mid-field
between these coaches.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Kentucky vs. East Carolina, Memphis, Tenn., Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Jan. 2, 2009, 5 p.m. ESPN

Skip Holtz's offense
will stumble and fall against
Kentucky's defense.

Allstate Sugar Bowl, Utah vs. Alabama, New Orleans Superdome Jan. 2, 2009, 8 p.m. FOX

These Utes won't fair as
well as Meyer's did, winning
a BCS game.

International Bowl, Buffalo vs. Connecticut, Toronto, Rogers Centre, Jan. 3, 2009, Noon ESPN2

The two guys who should
have been the top picks for 'Cuse
go trans-national.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State vs. Texas, Glendale, Ariz. University of Phoenix Stadium Jan. 5, 2009, 8 p.m. FOX

The Buckeyes want this.
Longhorns are disappointed.
Look for an upset.

GMAC Bowl, Tulsa vs. Ball State, Mobile, Ala., Ladd-Peebles Stadium Jan. 6, 2009, 8 p.m. ESPN

Tulsa will score a
ton of points on Letterman's
one-loss Cardinals.

FedEx BCS National Championship Game, Florida vs. Oklahoma, Miami, FL, Dolphin Stadium Jan. , 2009, 8 p.m. Fox

This is the big one.
Who will win the national
championship? I...

Tonight's Game

Dude's Night Out

Dude's Night Out doesn't begin tonight. If it did, I would surely have headed out to this "soft opening" (more on that later). No, R and the kid head out tomorrow for a wedding in Detroit, leaving me here, alone in COMO, forced to fend for myself.

I love my partner and daughter, but everybody needs some time alone. I still have two days of work to go this week, but the weekend is mine. I should take advantage of it whenever I get a chance to hit the town.

There will be room in my weekend for the Tin Can Tavern and Grille for sure. I am normally a beer snob, but I am intrigued by a joint that specializes in canned beer over all others. I hear they have good bar food as well. If you see me at the Tin Can and mention the blog, I'll buy you PBR (assuming that you're of legal age).

I'll have to pick my time to hit the Tin Can carefully, as this is homecoming weekend. If you know anything about Misery, you know that MU's homecoming celebration is the nation's oldest (along with Illinois). So, I will have to tread lightly through a sea of paraders, drunk college kids, and drunk alumni in order to find some enjoyment this weekend.
I am considering a film at the 'Tag. Bill Maher's Religulous is playing all weekend. Growing up in an household of atheists and agnostics helped me to see many of the hypocrisies in organized religion. Maher just makes the hypocrisy seem funny. Trouble the Water, yet another Katrina doc, is also showing as is Baghead, a sort of Blair Witch meets meets There's Something About Mary meets The Big Chill or something like that. Of course, there's always more mainstream fair like W. or Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

I could always head out for some live music this weekend. There's nothing in town that rivals last weekend's Broken Social Scene gig, but there has to be something. I passed up on a chance to play hoops with Of Montreal in STL because I have to work. I still could have gone to their show at the Pageant, but I just don't have the time or energy at the moment.

The other possibility for live music is KCOU's birthday bash at Mojo's. Mizzou's student radio station has come upon some tough times. It seems their radio tower is atop a dorm set to be demolished in the near future. The legislature turned down an emergency spending bill to save the station. I don't really know what the station's status is anymore. The only thing I can say is that KCOU is one of the best things about living here. Sure, it's a bunch of kids telling me what I should to listen to, but they are right more than they are wrong. My hope is that it was a silly bureaucratic scare and the station will be around for many years to come. Either way, go to SaveKCOU.org for more info.

Oh, I almost forgot to plug the music. It seems there are two cover bands set to play the evening. HalloWEEZER is supposed to be a spot-on impersonator of Blue-era Weezer. Gold Soundz is a tribute to Pavement. My bet is that they suck, but it might be fun anyway.

There's nothing at the Note until next week's Stephen Malkmus-Ted Leo-Wolf Parade trifecta. I may only get to see one of those. Tickets to see SM are in my possession. I'm still working on seeing Wolf Parade.

There is also a little football game on this Saturday. Ohio State tries to prove that they can win a big game again by welcoming the Penn State Nittany Lions to the 'Shoe. It will be "Scarlet Fever" night as the entirity of the 108,000 or so Buckeye fans have been encouraged to wear red. Oh, and Mizzou will try not to lose three-in-a-row when they host Colorado.

There are a few beers to consume along the way. I'm working through the Bear Republic line-up. BR makes an affordable yet surprisingly tasty set of beers. The Hop Rod is, well, hoppy. I enjoyed that for the second time this past weekend. Next up is the Red Rocket Ale. Also on the docket is the Great Divide Hercules Double IPA in a new bottle. I will also be on the lookout for some new brews out of Bells and possibly the Oktoberfest over at Flat Branch. I have to say that Flat Branch's American Pale Ale is one of the better beers they've made in a while.

Besides paying a neighbor kid to help me rake some leaves (we have a lot of trees), that's about it for my dude's night out weekend extravaganza. I know you were expecting something like this...


After R and Lucia return from Detroit, we'll attend a beer dinner at a wine joint. I'll have more to post in the days and weeks to come.

Hope

This post has nothing to do with Barack Obama. That might interest some of you. It also has nothing to do with music, which seems to interest many of you. Instead, I'm writing about college football, much to the chagrin of my regular readers.

The BCS standings came out this week. Ohio State has somehow climbed its way back into the top-10 with a drubbing of Michigan State. So, there is hope in my Buckeye heart that the USC embarrassment will soon be forgotten.

In case you did not catch the game on Saturday, Ohio State opened a big old can of you know what on the Spartans. This was supposed to be the year that Mark Dantonio led his team to victory over his mentor, OSU coach Jim Tressel. This was supposed to be the first in a stretch of difficult games for the Buckeyes. Instead, Ohio State jumped out to a 28-0 lead behind Terrelle Pryor and Beanie Wells on its way to winning 45-7.

I wish we were visiting R's family in Michigan this year for the holidays. Her cousin likes to talk trash about the Buckeyes, but Ohio State has now won ten in a row versus MSU and are 6-1 versus the team from up north under Tressel. R's cousin tried to convince me that Michigan State had some great sophomores after I informed him of the Buckeyes great recruiting classes. The sophomores weren't so great on Saturday, were they Eric?

Now Ohio State has a chance to put themselves in prime position for another Big Ten run if they beat Penn State at home this Saturday. Penn State always plays tight in Columbus, so I like our chances. This could lead to another BCS championship, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

On top of all this, Mizzou's run has ended. Sure, they could still win the Big 12 North and maybe win the conference championship (which would be good for Ohio State in the national championship picture), but their shot at their own national championship is gone. Time and time again, the Tigers have proven that they are not ready for the elite teams in their conference.

The crazy thing is how quiet this town has become in two short weeks. The night they played Oklahoma State, we could hear the stadium very clearly from our bedroom. Then the game ended. Silence. Mizzou lost. It was even quieter this past Sunday as folks recovered from the previous night's shellacking at the hands of Texas.

Mizzou's dreams of a national championship and a Heisman for Chase Daniels are gone.

Now I don't have to hear how great Mizzou is compared to Ohio State. I can remind the folks here that Ohio Stadium seats 40 thousand more seats than Faurot Field. Heck, it seats more people than live in COMO. I can point out that OSU became the fifth school to record 800 victories this season. I can remind them of seven Heisman trophies and seven national championships. Enough. Mizzou can go back to 7- and 8-win seasons, and I can go back to cheering for a powerhouse.

Anyway, as i said before, the BCS rankings came out. They don't mean much since many of the top teams still have to play each other. Never have the top two teams of the initial rankings ended up in the title game. The crazy thing is that Florida (at #10) and OSU may have the easiest path to the top two spots despite being ranked at the bottom of th top-10. Stranger things have happened.

Week 7 Picks (as if I do this every week)

I can't sleep. So, I'll make predictions for today's college football games.

Texas vs. Oklahoma, aka "The Red River Rivalry/Shoot-Out"
I like what's going on in Austen. Colt McCoy (greatest name for a Texas quarterback ever) is Mr. Do-Everything for the Longhorns. Will Muschamp has the Texas D playing solid football. That said, Oklahoma will win by two touchdowns. The result will be that an angry Texas team beats up on Mizzou next week. (That was two for the price of one, folks!)

Toledo at Michigan
I know. I know. Who cares? Right? Well, half of my family are from Toledo and have strong ties with the school up north. My mom attended Toledo, though. So, I'm picking the upset. Toledo will pull away in the fourth quarter and win by at least two scores. It's a sad year in Ann Arbor. Of course, Michigan will probably win the rest of their games (until they travel to Columbus) to remain bowl-eligible.

Vanderbilt at Mississippi State
Will Vandy's magical season continue? Nope. MSU gets the upset. Vandy comes back to earth.

Purdue at Ohio State
Because I'm a homer, I rarely pick Ohio State to lose. The question is not whether or not they will win, rather it's by how much. Terrelle Pryor is deeply entrenched in what has to be the scariest one-two punch in college football since White-Slaton at WVU. Ohio State 38, Purdue 3.

Notre Dame at North Carolina
Like Vanderbilt, Notre Dame comes back to earth. UNC will knock the snot out of the Irish.

Michigan State at Northwestern
Big Ten game of the week? Did I really say that? This game should be a shoot-out. I'm betting Northwestern hangs on to win 38-35. Besides, Michigan State is due to fall apart. I mean, they are the Clemson of the north.

Oklahoma State at Missouri
A bunch of people are talking about this one as a look-ahead or trap game for Mizzou. I doubt it. OK State has a potent enough offense to catch the Tigers' attention. It will be a shoot-out, but Mizzou should be comfortable in a contest of who can score the most. Tigers: 55-38.

Penn State at Wisconsin
Wisconsin gets back on track. The Badgers slow things way down, win 13-10. Wisconsin won't lose again. Penn State begins a two-game losing streak.

LSU at Florida
Florida will win this by 10 or more. The self-destruction that is the SEC begins.

Ball State at Western Kentucky
The Cardinals win another on their way to the BCS. Really. I'm not kidding. I've been saying it all year. Watch.

Sunday Morning Quarterback: Week Six

Last night, I discovered two college football saviors. One was Ohio States phenom frosh, Terrelle Pryor. The other was ESPN 360. Had I not had the latter, I would not have witnessed the former. Anyway, it was a good Saturday of college football. Here are my thoughts...

Ohio State
Over Jim Tressel's seven or so years as OSU's head coach, I have become accustomed to close games with dramatic endings...oh, that and Big Ten championships, BCS bowl games, and victories over Michigan. Last night's contest in Madison was no different.

This game marked the coming out party for Terrelle Pryor. Although, he is not the first mobile quarterback to take a starting position from an all-Big Ten performer and co-captain. Back in the 70's, the great Woody Hayes sat Greg Hare for the shifty Cornelius Greene.

The good: First of all, Ohio State won. They accomplished this win over a solid, top-25 team that may not lose another game. (Mark my words.) They won in a stadium where Wisconsin does not lose (16 straight, second longest streak in the nation) during a time of day the Badgers rarely falter (at night, 11 in a row). The best part is that the defense and special teams played well enough to keep the Buckeyes in the game while Pryor and the offense grew up a little. Also, Beanie Wells proved that he is still an elite player that will not be denied first downs and TD's. Oh, and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins proved with his game-clinching interception that he is the defensive MVP for the team so far this season.

The bad: Although Pryor led the team to two fourth quarter scores, including the game-winning TD, he still looks really green. For all of Todd Boeckman's faults, he never took 16-yard sacks or a really long time to find open receivers. (Of course, he did like to throw into double-coverage, something I have not seen from Pryor thusfar.) My hope is that these issues will only get better as the season goes on. My only complaint on the other side of the ball is that OSU should not play prevent defense at the end of the half. They have the athletes to cover anyone. They really could have clamped down better in the second quarter as they did at the end of the game.

Mizzou
So much for history. This Tiger team continues to rewrite the history books, but putting up 52 on Nebraska in their backyard is ridunculous. Next week's meeting with the Oklahoma State Cowboys should be a shoot-out. Then, it's off to Austen. We'll see how Mizzou does, but this win in Lincoln was huge for the program, overcoming a 30-year drought.

The good: Uh, I'd say hanging 52 on "the children of the corn" was good enough. Their defense even came to play. The game was not as close as the 52-17 score might suggest. Daniels continues his Heisman Chase, but it will probably take an undefeated season to guarantee that award.

The bad: Well, I really don't know. I guess the only thing I can come up with is the threat of next week's trap game. Mizzou will be high on their drubbing of the Cornhuskers and looking ahead to their match-up with Texas. OK State is no joke.

Big Ten
The conference is looking mighty strong right now. There are still two undefeated teams in the conference (Penn State and Northwestern). Several teams look to be solid top-25 squads, plus yesterday's games were as entertaining as any in the nation.

The good: A really competitive race for the conference title is developing. Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Penn State are all undefeated in conference play. Penn State is a top-10 squad and will more than likely enter Ohio Stadium in a couple of weeks for a huge top-10 battle for Big Ten supremacy. I look for OSU to find ways to win and for Wisconsin and Illinois to fight it out for runner-up status.

The bad: Kirk Ferentz has to be the most overrated coach in America. Although the Iowa coach has a winning record (63-50, 38-34 conference) he has sandwiched three 10+ win seasons with seven sub-standard campaigns. Announcers always talk about what a great coach he is, but where are the results? His teams rarely beat anyone in the top-25 and are staring at a third-straight 6-win campaign. This is not the Iowa team I remember growing up. Plus, the team was recently involved in a sexual assault scandal, which he and other university officials handled rather poorly.

The other stinking mess in the Big Ten? Michigan returned to Earth this week by giving up 45 to Illinois in the "Big" House. (The quotation marks are mine.)Top 25
For the most part, the top-10 stayed intact, sans regular pretender South Florida. There wasn't a huge shake-up like last week, but there was some nice drama. The story of the week is easily Vanderbilt as they beat Auburn to go 5-0 for the first time ever.

The good: Vanderbilt's win has landed the team from Nashville into the top-15, and they're legit. This team really reminds me of the 2002-2003 Ohio State Buckeyes who won the national championship. They scrapped their way to every win while nearly losing week after week. Using a team-concept and heady play, they beat an unbeatable Miami team for their first championship in over 30 years. Vandy looks very similar. Also, the Ohio State/Wisonsin game was the game of the day. The whole country got to see the next superstar of college football emerge in Terrelle Pryor. Most everything else went according to plan this Saturday.

The bad: For some asinine reason, the local ABC affiliate opted to show the USC/Oregon blow-out instead of Ohio State/Wisconsin. This made no sense. Geographically, we are much closer to Big Ten country than the PAC Ten. I know of way more Wisonsin and OSU sympathizers in these parts than I do USC fans. Luckily, as mentioned before, I had ESPN 360 to save the day.

What else? Well, Kansas was lucky to beat Iowa State. Southern Florida looked as overrated as they were last year in losing to Pitt (who lost to Bowling Green earlier this season). Florida entered the fourth quarter only up ten points against a pathetic Arkansas team. Another undefeated team in UCONN went down to a very good UNC team...and it wasn't in basketball.

The Heisman
The defending Heisman winner, Tim Tebow, has looked more Clark Kent than Superman this season. If it weren't for his backs, he would have found himself in a dog-fight for the second-straight week with lesser competition. This leaves the race wide open. Chase Daniels (Mizzou's delivery dude), Sam Bradford (super-Sooner), Colt McCoy (Is there a better name for a Texas QB?), and Graham Harrell (yet another Texas Tech QB with unbelievable numbers) are not only in the race for first-team all-Big 12 honors, but are the front runners for Tebow's trophy. The only running back to consider is Michigan State's (and Dayton native) Javon Ringer. There's still a lot of football left, but that's sort of where the race stands.

Overall Grade: C+
I actually prefer it when the day is not overrun with upsets. Plus, there were just enough dramatic games to keep it interesting. The downside was that USC still plays football. They are my new most-hated team. Michigan is down and Florida is pedestrian. I can't stand that USC loses to unranked teams and only drops six or seven spots, while Ohio State loses to #1 in their house and drops eleven. It doesn't seem fair. I expect the next few weeks to be much more intense.

Next Week
Clemson at Wake Forest (What was once considered the marquee match-up of the MAC...er...I mean ACC has since become just another Thursday night game.)
Texas vs. Oklahoma, aka "The Red River Rivalry" (This one is going to be HUGE. #5 vs. #1. Two of college football's best quarterbacks will face off in this rivalry game held on the Texas state fairgrounds. Fried Twinkie on a stick, anyone?)
Toledo at Michigan (Toledo gave Fresno State all they could handle. This would be gigantic for the MAC conference if the Rockets pull this one off.)
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State (Definition of a "Trap Game": when a team comes off a big, emotional win and has a game versus a scrappy underachiever just before another big game. Vandy edged Auburn and has preseason #1 Georgia the week after the MSU game.)
Purdue at Ohio State (OSU has a week to get Pryor some more reps before they enter a stretch that includes at Michigan State, Penn State, at Northwestern, at Illinois, before hosting Michigan.)
Notre Dame at North Carolina (This one decides which team is the bigger pretender.)
Michigan State at Northwestern (Big Ten game of the week)
Oklahoma State at Missouri (This will be a shoot-out. Also, see Vanderbilt/MSU above.)
Penn State at Wisconsin (Is Penn State for real? How will the Badgers respond with their backs to the wall? I predict an upset. Write it down.)
LSU at Florida (Is this where the SEC starts to beat up on itself?)
Ball State at Western Kentucky (Does anyone remember when I predicted that Ball State would be this year's BCS-buster? Just asking.)