Nebraska vs. Missouri
This initially sounds like a pretty good game between two good Big 12 teams, but when you look at the rankings, it is odd that Nebraska is ranked #21, while Missouri is barely on the top 25 at #24. What’s up with that?
And for that matter, how important is this game?
Well I’ll be watching, you can bet your remote on that!
So, who has the advantage? If you have read some of my blogs, you know I like to start back a year, and then add on what has transpired so far this year, so let’s step into the Way-Back Machine (patent pending) and look at these two teams a year ago:
Nebraska is one of those teams who in the past were too smart for their own good, and had to reap the benefits of what they sown. Remember a few years ago they felt that their coach, who gave them NINE wins that year, was not good enough, so they got rid of him, expecting another coach to step in. But as it turned out, that coach didn’t want the job, and it made Nebraska look like idiots for getting rid of a very good coach for…nobody.
There’s that Nebraska education for ya.
But they eventually DID get a coach, but things just haven’t been the same. But maybe things are back on the upswing. The Cornhuskers finished 9-4 last year, and might be knocking on the door as the next squad of Big 12 power teams. They started the season last year 3-0, scoring tons of points in wins over Western Michigan, San Jose State and New Mexico State.
The problem came when the played a real team in Virginia Tech, and lost 35-30. It continued when they lost to Missouri at home 52-17. That old strategy of stringing up a bunch of home games doesn’t always work.
The losing carried over when Nebraska went on the road and lost to Texas Tech 35-7 before winning their first road game at Iowa State. They would beat Baylor at home before losing to Oklahoma on the road to get the record to 5-4, but would win their last 4 games over Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado and Clemson, all pretty convincingly at that.
Missouri had one of those magical years, where everybody was talking about the powerful Big 12, and Missouri was one of them. A 10-4 record, this team jumped to a 5-0 start, knocking off Illinois, Southeast Missouri State, Nevada, Buffalo and Nebraska. But the big game vs. Oklahoma State was their stumbling block, as they got their first loss of they year.
They took the second loss to Texas before rebounding against Colorado, Baylor and Kansas State. The Tigers would win one more game, at home vs. Iowa State, before losing two games to Kansas and Oklahoma, before pulling off a close win vs. Northwestern in a bowl game.
Fast forward to this year, 2009.
Nebraska, at 3-1 comes in ranked #21, but has only beaten Florida Atlantic (49-3), Arkansas State (38-9) and Louisiana-Lafayette (55-0)…what?
THIS is why they are #21???
They lost to Virginia Tech 16-15, but why is this team ranked with these wins? This is much how it went last year, scheduling multiple cupcakes at home to bolster a record. Geez, Notre Dame is whining about why their 4-1 record does not put them on the top 25, their schedule is at least a LITTLE better than this.
Why don’t you go ahead and schedule all the OTHER teams in the Sun Belt? Combined, the 3 teams Nebraska beat are currently 3-9. Hardly a top 25 team.
Yet if they beat Missouri, then a 4-1 record would be hard to deny to the top 25.
Missouri is currently 4-0, and have wins over Illinois, Bowling Green, Nevada and Furman. I’ll be honest, this is a better list than Nebraska’s. I don’t quite get why they are ranked lower than Nebraska, but this is one of those arguments that will be settled on the field in a short time from now.
Both teams are coming with new quarterbacks, at least from last year, but Mizz comes in as the 10th ranked passing team in the nation…they like to air it out. Where is Nebraska? Around number 33, which makes a difference of about 60 yards passing per game. But therein is a difference….Missouri has 4 more touchdowns by passing than Nebraska.
But the rushing game is different, Nebraska has 10 rushing touchdowns, but Missouri has only 4. This is a team known for rushing, but times apparently have changed. Is this change good for Nebraska? Well, they lost to Missouri last year in their house, now they are playing on the road. Two of the 4 games they lost last year were on the road, against quality opponents. If you consider Missouri a quality foe, and at 4-0 why don’t you, then this could be a loss to Nebraska.
But if Missouri has lost their luster after Chase Daniel left, then this could be every bit as close as it may seem. But I gotta favor the home team this time, by 3 points. Tigers over the Cornhuskers.
Showing posts with label Nebraska Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nebraska Football. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Be cautious college football!!
Be Cautious Today College Football
In answering emails and blogging on my sites, I have been delayed in my weekly warnings to key college football teams. As I write this, it is almost 11am on a Saturday morning, knowing that in one hour the games begin…but who shall warn them of the dangers of today?
8 Big Ten teams play at noon, and there are some cautions I must share with you. It is imperative that someone warns Michigan State when they host Purdue. For the sake of the entire conference, it is actually a good thing if Michigan State wins because it creates a huge scenario when they play Penn State at the end of the regular season.
But I warn you Spartans, do not look past Purdue, who MUST win this game just to stay alive for post season. This team cannot even lose one more game, else they miss out on any hopes for a bowl…and we know that past history has not favored Michigan State well in the second half of a season. This is a game you must win Michigan State, but I warn you, don’t look past Purdue or you will lose and fall out the top 25.
What warnings can I give to Wisconsin? Were they not in the top 10 earlier this year, and yet now they are in dire straits. With 4 wins you must win 2 of the last 3 to qualify for a bowl. But the two teams you face have better records than you, even Indiana? How then can you promise us a victory and a bowl until you settle the matters at hand? I warn you, do not look at Indiana as a simple win, and do not look past them to the Minnesota game. Your post season has been challenged, and you dare not lose another game.
And what of the Big East teams, who have not been so big this year? I have been told by key sources that the Syracuse vs. Rutgers game will mark the demise of one or the other team this very day. For Syracuse, I send you warnings that should you lose this game to Rutgers, your post season is OVER. You must win 6 games to qualify, and your 2-6 record means you must win ALL your remaining games…starting with Rutgers. The only benefit you have is that of your remaining games, only Connecticut has been ranked…but what good is that if you cannot defeat the teams before you?
And do not laugh Rutgers, for your season also may be in ruin. Your 3-5 record is far below expectations, but you have a better chance to make the post season than Syracuse…if you win today. While Syracuse has no margin for error, yours is paper thin. Does that win over Morgan State count? If so then you must win 3 of the last 4 games…if not, you must win ALL four games. And yet, there is such hope, since you did defeat Connecticut AND Pittsburgh back to back…perhaps my warnings are not needed….
And who shall go to Lincoln, Nebraska to warn the Huskers of what may come? You need only one more win to qualify for a bowl, yet today you face Kansas, a team that has known the top 25 quite well. I have heard many rumors about your weak schedule from which you obtained your 5 victories, and yet when it was time to face true competition, you failed. Do not disappoint us Nebraska, for your entire university has been under the curse since you shamelessly booted out Frank Solich several years ago. Odd that you got rid of a good coach because you expected better…but have been living in the exact opposite of that expectation. Now you must earn your way to an average bowl as the elite teams of the Big 12 step over you. I warn you, look not over Kansas, for they too have aspirations….
Who wears the crown, and yet not feel the eyes staring upon that symbol of royalty? Alabama, I warn you, think not that your reign is without reproach, for now you must walk into the pits of Cajun Country and face LSU. For most of they year most believed that your ascension to the top was based only on defaults. We are quite aware of your glorious win over Georgia, but no other wins have impressed us. Some say you are a paper champion, a false king, and they mean to take advantage of that belief.
But what say you, LSU? Did we not believe that you were one of the top 3 teams in the nation, and you took off well by crushing Appalachian State at the beginning of the year? Were you not invincible? Yet now we must question your strength. Beating North Texas proves nothing, and the Auburn win has been swept under the rug. Losing to both Florida and Georgia tells us that you were not worthy of a top 10 ranking. You have lost much honor this year, and only this victory against #1 Alabama will revive your hopes. Which LSU will we see…the team we thought was great, or the team that clearly is not?
Be ye warned Florida State, you are not the ACC Champions yet. You welcome in a very troubled Clemson team, one who has lost their coach. A coach most familiar with your own…how then will emotions play?
For Clemson must now defeat South Carolina, Duke, Virginia and you to make this a decent season, and they do have comfort of losing a game or two. But what team will we see? The one that last 3 ACC games in a row, or the one who just recently defeated Boston College? A team fighting back, or a team fighting to stay alive?
But your troubles are your own, are they not? Do not try to hide from us the cheap wins over my beloved WCU cats and UTC. We are still not sure how great you really are, but we do know that you control your fate in the ACC. A very key game vs. Maryland may well decide if you will play in the ACC Championships, but if you look past Clemson, you will have disappointing results. Mind you, Wake Forest also has an advantage on you because they beat you earlier. You cannot afford another loss…you have been warned…
And speaking of Wake Forest, who then needs the greater warning: Wake Forest or Virginia, the team they must face? For I have seen the turnaround of this Virginia team, when once we all thought them to be failures. But now this same Virginia team must be reckoned with. Dare we even think that after such a terrible start, Virginia has a shot at the Coastal Division Champions, and thus play in the ACC Championship? With a win over Georgia Tech, and a loss to Miami, they are clearly in the mix. Should you defeat Virginia Tech, it may lock you in for the division leader. But your remaining games are not easy, with Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Nothing has been easy for anyone in the ACC, as you may find out today…take warning…
And as for you Wake Forest, where is the songs of triumph we sang with you earlier this year? How dare you BARELY defeat Duke in overtime, where is the greatness we almost crowned you with? I warn you, that 5-3 record may stay frozen on the winning side if you do not show us your true powers. We know Virginia is playing much better than earlier this year. We also know that a state rival in NC State is not a guaranteed win, even if the Wolfpack is doing bad this year. Where then will your victories come from? Boston College? Vanderbilt? Tell us how you plan to make the post season, after playing such a game against Duke? I warn you, step up your game, or the Vanderbilt game will be your LAST game of the year.
And finally, be warned Missouri. Only a few weeks ago we spoke of your leader as a Heisman candidate, and although he still is a great quarterback, much has been forgotten of your team because of the heavy South division of the Big 12. You must still fight to keep your North Division title hopes alive, but only to do what? Play Texas, or Texas Tech, or Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship? It seems that greatness was not destined for you this year, for too many others are simply greater.
But be warned nevertheless, because Kansas State comes with great shame. Shame on you Kansas State and the wicked thoughts you bring to pass. Why hire a coach and not give him time to mature his team? When has Kansas State been on top of the Big 12 for you to think that your coach was supposed to put them there in only a couple of years? Has the wickedness of the Nebraska coaching decision filtered into your porous cranium? Has foolish thoughts of greed and pride taken hold of your senses? If so, then I warn you, losing by 40 points won’t be good enough for the likes of you.
And so it ends, my warnings for this week. With 15 minutes left to spare, no less. Oh well, let’s go enjoy another day of great college football!!!
In answering emails and blogging on my sites, I have been delayed in my weekly warnings to key college football teams. As I write this, it is almost 11am on a Saturday morning, knowing that in one hour the games begin…but who shall warn them of the dangers of today?
8 Big Ten teams play at noon, and there are some cautions I must share with you. It is imperative that someone warns Michigan State when they host Purdue. For the sake of the entire conference, it is actually a good thing if Michigan State wins because it creates a huge scenario when they play Penn State at the end of the regular season.
But I warn you Spartans, do not look past Purdue, who MUST win this game just to stay alive for post season. This team cannot even lose one more game, else they miss out on any hopes for a bowl…and we know that past history has not favored Michigan State well in the second half of a season. This is a game you must win Michigan State, but I warn you, don’t look past Purdue or you will lose and fall out the top 25.
What warnings can I give to Wisconsin? Were they not in the top 10 earlier this year, and yet now they are in dire straits. With 4 wins you must win 2 of the last 3 to qualify for a bowl. But the two teams you face have better records than you, even Indiana? How then can you promise us a victory and a bowl until you settle the matters at hand? I warn you, do not look at Indiana as a simple win, and do not look past them to the Minnesota game. Your post season has been challenged, and you dare not lose another game.
And what of the Big East teams, who have not been so big this year? I have been told by key sources that the Syracuse vs. Rutgers game will mark the demise of one or the other team this very day. For Syracuse, I send you warnings that should you lose this game to Rutgers, your post season is OVER. You must win 6 games to qualify, and your 2-6 record means you must win ALL your remaining games…starting with Rutgers. The only benefit you have is that of your remaining games, only Connecticut has been ranked…but what good is that if you cannot defeat the teams before you?
And do not laugh Rutgers, for your season also may be in ruin. Your 3-5 record is far below expectations, but you have a better chance to make the post season than Syracuse…if you win today. While Syracuse has no margin for error, yours is paper thin. Does that win over Morgan State count? If so then you must win 3 of the last 4 games…if not, you must win ALL four games. And yet, there is such hope, since you did defeat Connecticut AND Pittsburgh back to back…perhaps my warnings are not needed….
And who shall go to Lincoln, Nebraska to warn the Huskers of what may come? You need only one more win to qualify for a bowl, yet today you face Kansas, a team that has known the top 25 quite well. I have heard many rumors about your weak schedule from which you obtained your 5 victories, and yet when it was time to face true competition, you failed. Do not disappoint us Nebraska, for your entire university has been under the curse since you shamelessly booted out Frank Solich several years ago. Odd that you got rid of a good coach because you expected better…but have been living in the exact opposite of that expectation. Now you must earn your way to an average bowl as the elite teams of the Big 12 step over you. I warn you, look not over Kansas, for they too have aspirations….
Who wears the crown, and yet not feel the eyes staring upon that symbol of royalty? Alabama, I warn you, think not that your reign is without reproach, for now you must walk into the pits of Cajun Country and face LSU. For most of they year most believed that your ascension to the top was based only on defaults. We are quite aware of your glorious win over Georgia, but no other wins have impressed us. Some say you are a paper champion, a false king, and they mean to take advantage of that belief.
But what say you, LSU? Did we not believe that you were one of the top 3 teams in the nation, and you took off well by crushing Appalachian State at the beginning of the year? Were you not invincible? Yet now we must question your strength. Beating North Texas proves nothing, and the Auburn win has been swept under the rug. Losing to both Florida and Georgia tells us that you were not worthy of a top 10 ranking. You have lost much honor this year, and only this victory against #1 Alabama will revive your hopes. Which LSU will we see…the team we thought was great, or the team that clearly is not?
Be ye warned Florida State, you are not the ACC Champions yet. You welcome in a very troubled Clemson team, one who has lost their coach. A coach most familiar with your own…how then will emotions play?
For Clemson must now defeat South Carolina, Duke, Virginia and you to make this a decent season, and they do have comfort of losing a game or two. But what team will we see? The one that last 3 ACC games in a row, or the one who just recently defeated Boston College? A team fighting back, or a team fighting to stay alive?
But your troubles are your own, are they not? Do not try to hide from us the cheap wins over my beloved WCU cats and UTC. We are still not sure how great you really are, but we do know that you control your fate in the ACC. A very key game vs. Maryland may well decide if you will play in the ACC Championships, but if you look past Clemson, you will have disappointing results. Mind you, Wake Forest also has an advantage on you because they beat you earlier. You cannot afford another loss…you have been warned…
And speaking of Wake Forest, who then needs the greater warning: Wake Forest or Virginia, the team they must face? For I have seen the turnaround of this Virginia team, when once we all thought them to be failures. But now this same Virginia team must be reckoned with. Dare we even think that after such a terrible start, Virginia has a shot at the Coastal Division Champions, and thus play in the ACC Championship? With a win over Georgia Tech, and a loss to Miami, they are clearly in the mix. Should you defeat Virginia Tech, it may lock you in for the division leader. But your remaining games are not easy, with Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Nothing has been easy for anyone in the ACC, as you may find out today…take warning…
And as for you Wake Forest, where is the songs of triumph we sang with you earlier this year? How dare you BARELY defeat Duke in overtime, where is the greatness we almost crowned you with? I warn you, that 5-3 record may stay frozen on the winning side if you do not show us your true powers. We know Virginia is playing much better than earlier this year. We also know that a state rival in NC State is not a guaranteed win, even if the Wolfpack is doing bad this year. Where then will your victories come from? Boston College? Vanderbilt? Tell us how you plan to make the post season, after playing such a game against Duke? I warn you, step up your game, or the Vanderbilt game will be your LAST game of the year.
And finally, be warned Missouri. Only a few weeks ago we spoke of your leader as a Heisman candidate, and although he still is a great quarterback, much has been forgotten of your team because of the heavy South division of the Big 12. You must still fight to keep your North Division title hopes alive, but only to do what? Play Texas, or Texas Tech, or Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship? It seems that greatness was not destined for you this year, for too many others are simply greater.
But be warned nevertheless, because Kansas State comes with great shame. Shame on you Kansas State and the wicked thoughts you bring to pass. Why hire a coach and not give him time to mature his team? When has Kansas State been on top of the Big 12 for you to think that your coach was supposed to put them there in only a couple of years? Has the wickedness of the Nebraska coaching decision filtered into your porous cranium? Has foolish thoughts of greed and pride taken hold of your senses? If so, then I warn you, losing by 40 points won’t be good enough for the likes of you.
And so it ends, my warnings for this week. With 15 minutes left to spare, no less. Oh well, let’s go enjoy another day of great college football!!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween warnings to college football
College Football warnings on Halloween
Already I am late in my weekly warnings and I hope it is not too late to bring tidings of fear and caution to those teams of the Division I, and the warnings I hope to share. For it would seem that South Florida never got the warnings before they lost their game to Cincinnati in their own home…it proves that you are not even safe in your own home stadium.
Who then shall also be warned? I hope for the sake of the post season that people will hear my voice, even on this Halloween:
Be warned, both Northwestern AND Minnesota, that your battle against one another could doom the loser as a vampire to sunlight. Yes you both now qualify for the post season, but we all wonder the path taken to get those “easy” wins. Are you as good as the records say, or have you been hiding the truth from us? I warn you, the truth shall be revealed in the sunlight as one of you must fall.
Be ye warned, both Wisconsin and Michigan State; for I have seen teams break down like a wore-out Frankenstein standing in the middle of an earthquake. Can we not say that of you Wisconsin, when we thought you would certainly factor in for a Rose Bowl, or perhaps the BCS Championship? Now you struggle to just make it to a bowl, and the odds may be against you. Can you still win 6 games to qualify? And what of the Spartans? History says you are due to go on a losing streak, even though you are qualified for post season. But with a big game vs. Penn State at the end of your season, have you overlooked the teams at hand? We shall see…
I give you fair warnings West Virginia, to beware of the team that changes more than a family of werewolves. You travel deep into the dangerous woods, where Connecticut has fooled many people. This team started out undefeated although many wondered who they really were. But then this team was exposed, losing 2 games in a row, and we all thought we had seen the real Connecticut. But they are back in the top 25, and they need YOU to validate their greatness. But who exactly are YOU? Did we no see you lose 2 of the first 3 games, and wondered if the better days have passed you by? A win over a ranked team makes a strong point to a team trying to claw back in the Big East race….who then is REALLY the werewolf?
A caution to you Miami, as you travel to the depths of the Cavaliers of the lagoon. How else can we compare a team that was doomed after only 4 games, losing heavily to USC and even…to Duke? What manner of creature would dare to come from the depths of failure to fight for a season already lost? But this “creature” is now a powerful force, and seems unstoppable. Beating Maryland, then dashing the hopes of ECU, then conquering then ranked teams UNC and Georgia Tech. And you are in desperate need of wins…lest you not make post season. Can you survive this test?
Be fearful Arkansas, for an unstoppable blob comes your way in the form of undefeated Tulsa. This team treads in YOUR home, in your stadium, to make you an example and to impress any voters that are looking for another BCS Buster. You have had perhaps the toughest schedule in the country, but none shall pity you should you lose to this team. In fact, should you lose, the hopes of post season may be in jeopardy with only 3 other games left…your post season life is on the line. But WHO is this Tulsa team, who has defeated no one of consequence this year? Shall a Razorback fear such a team when you have faced the likes of Texas, Florida and Alabama? Will you fear the unknown of a Tulsa Golden Hurricane?
And who shall tell the state of Texas of the witching hour, and the fate of the BCS Championship? For we know that either Texas or Texas Tech will fall. We have seen the power of Texas, knocking off 3 straight ranked teams, but did you not barely escape the last game against Oklahoma State? Are we seeing…fatigue? And what of you, Texas Tech? What witches brew will you create to convince us that you are really as great as your record? Where then are your top 25 victories, for we see only one, the win over #23 Kansas. We shall see if you will ride high like a witch on a full moon, or melt like a familiar witch when dashed with a bucket of water.
Take great measure of caution Nebraska, you are being stalked. You need not travel to Crystal Lake or Elm Street to know that your adversary seeks your defeat. For Oklahoma has red in their eyes, and are still steaming from their loss to Texas earlier this year. Should any of the top undefeated teams slip and lose, Oklahoma will be in a very opportunistic position to possibly play for the National Championship. And to do that, all their foes must fall….including you. But you also play for post season life, do you not? You must have one more victory to qualify for a bowl, and you have 4 chances to get it. No one gives you this game against Oklahoma, and you may have a problem with Kansas. With Kansas State and Colorado left, your life lines are running short. Many already question your strength of schedule, claiming your wins come from weak teams, but can you quiet the criticisms and get those 6 wins for post season play? We shall see.
So my warnings have been given…so many more I wanted to give…but….
Well, it’s Halloween, and I got candy to give out! Happy Halloween guys, have fun this weekend!
Already I am late in my weekly warnings and I hope it is not too late to bring tidings of fear and caution to those teams of the Division I, and the warnings I hope to share. For it would seem that South Florida never got the warnings before they lost their game to Cincinnati in their own home…it proves that you are not even safe in your own home stadium.
Who then shall also be warned? I hope for the sake of the post season that people will hear my voice, even on this Halloween:
Be warned, both Northwestern AND Minnesota, that your battle against one another could doom the loser as a vampire to sunlight. Yes you both now qualify for the post season, but we all wonder the path taken to get those “easy” wins. Are you as good as the records say, or have you been hiding the truth from us? I warn you, the truth shall be revealed in the sunlight as one of you must fall.
Be ye warned, both Wisconsin and Michigan State; for I have seen teams break down like a wore-out Frankenstein standing in the middle of an earthquake. Can we not say that of you Wisconsin, when we thought you would certainly factor in for a Rose Bowl, or perhaps the BCS Championship? Now you struggle to just make it to a bowl, and the odds may be against you. Can you still win 6 games to qualify? And what of the Spartans? History says you are due to go on a losing streak, even though you are qualified for post season. But with a big game vs. Penn State at the end of your season, have you overlooked the teams at hand? We shall see…
I give you fair warnings West Virginia, to beware of the team that changes more than a family of werewolves. You travel deep into the dangerous woods, where Connecticut has fooled many people. This team started out undefeated although many wondered who they really were. But then this team was exposed, losing 2 games in a row, and we all thought we had seen the real Connecticut. But they are back in the top 25, and they need YOU to validate their greatness. But who exactly are YOU? Did we no see you lose 2 of the first 3 games, and wondered if the better days have passed you by? A win over a ranked team makes a strong point to a team trying to claw back in the Big East race….who then is REALLY the werewolf?
A caution to you Miami, as you travel to the depths of the Cavaliers of the lagoon. How else can we compare a team that was doomed after only 4 games, losing heavily to USC and even…to Duke? What manner of creature would dare to come from the depths of failure to fight for a season already lost? But this “creature” is now a powerful force, and seems unstoppable. Beating Maryland, then dashing the hopes of ECU, then conquering then ranked teams UNC and Georgia Tech. And you are in desperate need of wins…lest you not make post season. Can you survive this test?
Be fearful Arkansas, for an unstoppable blob comes your way in the form of undefeated Tulsa. This team treads in YOUR home, in your stadium, to make you an example and to impress any voters that are looking for another BCS Buster. You have had perhaps the toughest schedule in the country, but none shall pity you should you lose to this team. In fact, should you lose, the hopes of post season may be in jeopardy with only 3 other games left…your post season life is on the line. But WHO is this Tulsa team, who has defeated no one of consequence this year? Shall a Razorback fear such a team when you have faced the likes of Texas, Florida and Alabama? Will you fear the unknown of a Tulsa Golden Hurricane?
And who shall tell the state of Texas of the witching hour, and the fate of the BCS Championship? For we know that either Texas or Texas Tech will fall. We have seen the power of Texas, knocking off 3 straight ranked teams, but did you not barely escape the last game against Oklahoma State? Are we seeing…fatigue? And what of you, Texas Tech? What witches brew will you create to convince us that you are really as great as your record? Where then are your top 25 victories, for we see only one, the win over #23 Kansas. We shall see if you will ride high like a witch on a full moon, or melt like a familiar witch when dashed with a bucket of water.
Take great measure of caution Nebraska, you are being stalked. You need not travel to Crystal Lake or Elm Street to know that your adversary seeks your defeat. For Oklahoma has red in their eyes, and are still steaming from their loss to Texas earlier this year. Should any of the top undefeated teams slip and lose, Oklahoma will be in a very opportunistic position to possibly play for the National Championship. And to do that, all their foes must fall….including you. But you also play for post season life, do you not? You must have one more victory to qualify for a bowl, and you have 4 chances to get it. No one gives you this game against Oklahoma, and you may have a problem with Kansas. With Kansas State and Colorado left, your life lines are running short. Many already question your strength of schedule, claiming your wins come from weak teams, but can you quiet the criticisms and get those 6 wins for post season play? We shall see.
So my warnings have been given…so many more I wanted to give…but….
Well, it’s Halloween, and I got candy to give out! Happy Halloween guys, have fun this weekend!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Please beware college footbal teams!
Teams in DANGER this weekend
I’ve been having a bit of fun with this, so I might as well do it again. This blog and a few like it, are my ways of just pointing out college games of great interest to the team in question. As the college football season continues to unfold, lots of things have floated up and sunk. This is my take on the teams and games that are extremely important for the entire season of that ball club.
So… let’s begin.
From the mountaintops I have called unto thee to listen to my voice, from even the valleys below I have begged for one ear to incline unto me, and yet, so few have taken heed. So again I make voice and beg for you to hear my words, and beware. There are many teams in college football that stare at their very demise of post season, or a winning season, or a chance at the BCS championship.
Why won’t they listen?
Take Duke Football (PLEASE). In their win over hapless Virginia in Durham, there was a play where one of the Duke players intercepted the football, ran and dove in the end zone. Two of the coaches on the Duke squad chewed this young man out, as if Duke football is USED to scoring. I criticized that because Duke isn’t that great to begin with, and the fans were just as excited as he was. I also pointed out the hypocrisy of what the NCAA tries to show, and what they actually do.
I told you that if Duke has a football game on the next week, I BET you that in the highlight package, they would show that very same dive by that Duke player…guess what…that is EXACTLY what they did.
So now it makes the Duke coaches and the NCAA look like hypocrites, as if Duke Football is used to scoring…well, we sure didn’t see any of that when they played Georgia Tech, did we. As Dennis Green once said, “they are who we THOUGHT they were!”
Duke Football. Hey, I warned you guys about that.
And the ACC has more warnings to take heed to. Thursday night has Clemson playing Wake Forest, in a game that Clemson needs like Al Davis needs a puppet coach. Both teams need to wake up (no pun intended) and start scrapping for that ACC Championship, because the BCS Championship is no longer in their reach…in fact, it never was, not with these two teams.
Clemson, at 3-2, need quality wins fast, because of those 3 wins, two of those don’t count (Citadel and South Carolina State). Can anybody see Clemson finishing 10-2...NOT. I’ll bank them 2 games, but that means they still need to win 3 more games to qualify for a bowl. It’s gonna be close folks, they might barely qualify for a bowl, but if they can’t beat division rival Wake Forest, it may be over for the Tigers.
And if so, what of Wake Forest? I just don’t see them running the tables in the ACC, they are not that good, and that loss to Navy really showed the underbelly of this team. You just can’t lose a game at home if you want to be in a BCS bowl. With home games against Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Boston College and Vanderbilt, this can give Wake Forest some high credibility in the polls. Can they win all 5? No, but a win against Clemson gets them on the road to hopefully cracking the top 10 if they are as good as they say they are.
Beware Louisville, many fear that the better days of the Cardinals have passed them by. Yet this team is hard to figure out. The last couple of years Louisville has started out like the favorites to win the Big East and possibly go undefeated on their way to a BCS Championship…then everything falls apart.
Take great care Louisville, that 2-2 record can get as high as 7 wins if you do what you are capable of doing, but games vs. South Florida, Pittsburgh and West Virginia could be tough matchups. You’re on pace to be guaranteed a bowl…but if you miss this game against Memphis…woe unto thee!
How the mighty have fallen Michigan…and yet, you still must be warned!
Instead of 2-3, your record should be 1-4 after Wisconsin stopped playing football and you realized that you could win that milestone game. So now you got a couple of wins under your belt and thought you were ready to make a run…until Illinois reminded you where you belong this year.
Before you can get to a bowl, you must win 6 games… that means you must win 4 more games. If the other Big 10 teams are as good as advertised, I don’t see you beating Penn State, Michigan State or Ohio State. And with away games at Purdue and Minnesota, this might be critical. This is a game you MUST have this weekend, playing Toledo in your house. Lose this, and your season is OVER.
Cautions go out to both teams of the Salvage Bowl…ECU and Virginia.
Two teams that had higher expectations must now salvage a season by trying to get to a bowl. ECU once drank champagne and caviar with the royalty of the top 25, now they are packing bologna sandwiches and drinking Kool-Aid. They need 3 more wins to qualify, and if they do, they will be picked up by a lower seeded bowl UNLESS they win the Conference USA title. It may be hard playing road games for the Pirates, and this will show when they travel to Virginia to play their third ACC team this year. National title hopes are long gone, as well as BCS bowl hopes, now they are hoping for the next best thing, which is a Liberty Bowl.
But Virginia needs this win BAD. If ECU is dining on bologna sandwiches and Kool-Aid, then Virginia has dined right next to them. This is NOT the Virginia team we are used to seeing, and losing to Duke is a very embarrassing slap in the face. But a shut out win over Maryland gives hope. Virginia isn’t going to a bowl this year because I cannot see them winning 5 out of 7 games. Not gonna happen, but they need to build confidence and salvage a season with a few more wins. ECU could deliver that…or break their backs.
Take heed South Carolina…your post season is on the line this weekend! A 4-2 record is nice, although one of those wins was against Wofford, so let’s call it 3-2 since we’re talking about winning 6 Division I games to qualify for a bowl. This means you need 3 more wins in the very tough SEC. You can split your final 6 games and still make it to a bowl, but that means you cannot afford to lose any more than 3 games. With LSU and Florida on the schedule, that won’t be easy at all. And with Tennessee and Clemson this could be a toss up. This means that the Arkansas game later this year and the Kentucky game this weekend could be the key games for your entire season. These are the games you gotta have.
And while I am at it, Kentucky must also be careful. A lot of people around the nation are saying of your football team those immortal words that Dennis Green said…
“They are who we THOUGHT they were”
When you lost to Alabama, but this was not such a disappointing loss. The jury is still out on how good you are, and this will be proven against South Carolina. But this will not be an easy road at all. Mississippi State and Arkansas MIGHT be your best chances for wins, which means you need to steal at least one more game from either South Carolina, Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Tennessee…good luck with that.
And what of the Huskers? Who will warn them of the danger to come? Missouri dropped more points on Nebraska than Wall Street, and now here comes Texas Tech to continue the spanking. If ever there was a time to say that your program is back on the map, this is it. Sure, lots of people still think Texas Tech isn’t worth the top 10 billing, but that means if you beat them, you get the cred for crushing a top 10 team. I personally think your post season is in jeopardy, I think the Huskers are assured of at least 6 wins, maybe even 7, but that is based on a very soft schedule to start the season. But a win against #7 Texas Tech is a nice feather in your hat.
And finally, a red-light warning goes out to Notre Dame and UNC. I am very sure that the Irish are happy that UNC has a ranking number beside it, because it gives Notre Dame the idea that they are finally playing somebody other than the cupcakes they have been beating this year. Shame on this “football institution” for lowering their standards.
With Navy and Syracuse on the schedule, Notre Dame has virtually assured themselves of a bowl, but somehow they didn’t think that they’d have to actually PLAY UNC. I mean, the Tarheels are not a good football team, so this should have been an easy win…but this year might be a little different. And if they can beat UNC, there then would have to be some thought in Notre Dame being a top 25 team. The are, at this moment, possibly looking for a BCS bowl, but one more loss will crush those hopes…USC may end up doing that, but will they be 10-1 by then? Nah…not possible, right?
UNC has been smiling at the new life they have been given, and a pretty impressive 4-1 start. With a home game vs. Notre Dame, they have everything in place to make this a true battle. But are they REALLY top 25 caliber? A close win vs. McNeese State, a win over hapless Rutgers, a loss at home vs. Virginia Tech, a close and emotional win against Miami (where Butch Davis, current coach of UNC, used to coach), and a win over a UCONN team with key players out with broken bones.
I am a Tarheels fan…but this kinda looks suspect. The wins almost looked situational, but a win is a win. Now we will see if this team is REALLY good, or just visiting the top 25 like a vacationer to the beach.
We will learn so many things this weekend, won’t we?
Anyway, that’s some of the games of interest. I know there are bigger games, ones with National Championship implications on the line, I wanted to highlight some of these as well. Whoever your team is, I hope they win this weekend. Have fun!
I’ve been having a bit of fun with this, so I might as well do it again. This blog and a few like it, are my ways of just pointing out college games of great interest to the team in question. As the college football season continues to unfold, lots of things have floated up and sunk. This is my take on the teams and games that are extremely important for the entire season of that ball club.
So… let’s begin.
From the mountaintops I have called unto thee to listen to my voice, from even the valleys below I have begged for one ear to incline unto me, and yet, so few have taken heed. So again I make voice and beg for you to hear my words, and beware. There are many teams in college football that stare at their very demise of post season, or a winning season, or a chance at the BCS championship.
Why won’t they listen?
Take Duke Football (PLEASE). In their win over hapless Virginia in Durham, there was a play where one of the Duke players intercepted the football, ran and dove in the end zone. Two of the coaches on the Duke squad chewed this young man out, as if Duke football is USED to scoring. I criticized that because Duke isn’t that great to begin with, and the fans were just as excited as he was. I also pointed out the hypocrisy of what the NCAA tries to show, and what they actually do.
I told you that if Duke has a football game on the next week, I BET you that in the highlight package, they would show that very same dive by that Duke player…guess what…that is EXACTLY what they did.
So now it makes the Duke coaches and the NCAA look like hypocrites, as if Duke Football is used to scoring…well, we sure didn’t see any of that when they played Georgia Tech, did we. As Dennis Green once said, “they are who we THOUGHT they were!”
Duke Football. Hey, I warned you guys about that.
And the ACC has more warnings to take heed to. Thursday night has Clemson playing Wake Forest, in a game that Clemson needs like Al Davis needs a puppet coach. Both teams need to wake up (no pun intended) and start scrapping for that ACC Championship, because the BCS Championship is no longer in their reach…in fact, it never was, not with these two teams.
Clemson, at 3-2, need quality wins fast, because of those 3 wins, two of those don’t count (Citadel and South Carolina State). Can anybody see Clemson finishing 10-2...NOT. I’ll bank them 2 games, but that means they still need to win 3 more games to qualify for a bowl. It’s gonna be close folks, they might barely qualify for a bowl, but if they can’t beat division rival Wake Forest, it may be over for the Tigers.
And if so, what of Wake Forest? I just don’t see them running the tables in the ACC, they are not that good, and that loss to Navy really showed the underbelly of this team. You just can’t lose a game at home if you want to be in a BCS bowl. With home games against Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Boston College and Vanderbilt, this can give Wake Forest some high credibility in the polls. Can they win all 5? No, but a win against Clemson gets them on the road to hopefully cracking the top 10 if they are as good as they say they are.
Beware Louisville, many fear that the better days of the Cardinals have passed them by. Yet this team is hard to figure out. The last couple of years Louisville has started out like the favorites to win the Big East and possibly go undefeated on their way to a BCS Championship…then everything falls apart.
Take great care Louisville, that 2-2 record can get as high as 7 wins if you do what you are capable of doing, but games vs. South Florida, Pittsburgh and West Virginia could be tough matchups. You’re on pace to be guaranteed a bowl…but if you miss this game against Memphis…woe unto thee!
How the mighty have fallen Michigan…and yet, you still must be warned!
Instead of 2-3, your record should be 1-4 after Wisconsin stopped playing football and you realized that you could win that milestone game. So now you got a couple of wins under your belt and thought you were ready to make a run…until Illinois reminded you where you belong this year.
Before you can get to a bowl, you must win 6 games… that means you must win 4 more games. If the other Big 10 teams are as good as advertised, I don’t see you beating Penn State, Michigan State or Ohio State. And with away games at Purdue and Minnesota, this might be critical. This is a game you MUST have this weekend, playing Toledo in your house. Lose this, and your season is OVER.
Cautions go out to both teams of the Salvage Bowl…ECU and Virginia.
Two teams that had higher expectations must now salvage a season by trying to get to a bowl. ECU once drank champagne and caviar with the royalty of the top 25, now they are packing bologna sandwiches and drinking Kool-Aid. They need 3 more wins to qualify, and if they do, they will be picked up by a lower seeded bowl UNLESS they win the Conference USA title. It may be hard playing road games for the Pirates, and this will show when they travel to Virginia to play their third ACC team this year. National title hopes are long gone, as well as BCS bowl hopes, now they are hoping for the next best thing, which is a Liberty Bowl.
But Virginia needs this win BAD. If ECU is dining on bologna sandwiches and Kool-Aid, then Virginia has dined right next to them. This is NOT the Virginia team we are used to seeing, and losing to Duke is a very embarrassing slap in the face. But a shut out win over Maryland gives hope. Virginia isn’t going to a bowl this year because I cannot see them winning 5 out of 7 games. Not gonna happen, but they need to build confidence and salvage a season with a few more wins. ECU could deliver that…or break their backs.
Take heed South Carolina…your post season is on the line this weekend! A 4-2 record is nice, although one of those wins was against Wofford, so let’s call it 3-2 since we’re talking about winning 6 Division I games to qualify for a bowl. This means you need 3 more wins in the very tough SEC. You can split your final 6 games and still make it to a bowl, but that means you cannot afford to lose any more than 3 games. With LSU and Florida on the schedule, that won’t be easy at all. And with Tennessee and Clemson this could be a toss up. This means that the Arkansas game later this year and the Kentucky game this weekend could be the key games for your entire season. These are the games you gotta have.
And while I am at it, Kentucky must also be careful. A lot of people around the nation are saying of your football team those immortal words that Dennis Green said…
“They are who we THOUGHT they were”
When you lost to Alabama, but this was not such a disappointing loss. The jury is still out on how good you are, and this will be proven against South Carolina. But this will not be an easy road at all. Mississippi State and Arkansas MIGHT be your best chances for wins, which means you need to steal at least one more game from either South Carolina, Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Tennessee…good luck with that.
And what of the Huskers? Who will warn them of the danger to come? Missouri dropped more points on Nebraska than Wall Street, and now here comes Texas Tech to continue the spanking. If ever there was a time to say that your program is back on the map, this is it. Sure, lots of people still think Texas Tech isn’t worth the top 10 billing, but that means if you beat them, you get the cred for crushing a top 10 team. I personally think your post season is in jeopardy, I think the Huskers are assured of at least 6 wins, maybe even 7, but that is based on a very soft schedule to start the season. But a win against #7 Texas Tech is a nice feather in your hat.
And finally, a red-light warning goes out to Notre Dame and UNC. I am very sure that the Irish are happy that UNC has a ranking number beside it, because it gives Notre Dame the idea that they are finally playing somebody other than the cupcakes they have been beating this year. Shame on this “football institution” for lowering their standards.
With Navy and Syracuse on the schedule, Notre Dame has virtually assured themselves of a bowl, but somehow they didn’t think that they’d have to actually PLAY UNC. I mean, the Tarheels are not a good football team, so this should have been an easy win…but this year might be a little different. And if they can beat UNC, there then would have to be some thought in Notre Dame being a top 25 team. The are, at this moment, possibly looking for a BCS bowl, but one more loss will crush those hopes…USC may end up doing that, but will they be 10-1 by then? Nah…not possible, right?
UNC has been smiling at the new life they have been given, and a pretty impressive 4-1 start. With a home game vs. Notre Dame, they have everything in place to make this a true battle. But are they REALLY top 25 caliber? A close win vs. McNeese State, a win over hapless Rutgers, a loss at home vs. Virginia Tech, a close and emotional win against Miami (where Butch Davis, current coach of UNC, used to coach), and a win over a UCONN team with key players out with broken bones.
I am a Tarheels fan…but this kinda looks suspect. The wins almost looked situational, but a win is a win. Now we will see if this team is REALLY good, or just visiting the top 25 like a vacationer to the beach.
We will learn so many things this weekend, won’t we?
Anyway, that’s some of the games of interest. I know there are bigger games, ones with National Championship implications on the line, I wanted to highlight some of these as well. Whoever your team is, I hope they win this weekend. Have fun!
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