Oh my God, it all comes down to this. After 13 weeks of utter madness, we come to the final week of the year, with 7 BCS Bowl bids up for grabs (Ohio State, West Virginia, and USC are definitely going). Let’s not discount anything this final week. Especially after LSU lost to Arkansas (which, despite what I said last week, shocked me). Remember, FOX has the BCS Selection Show at 8PM on Sunday night. On to the match-ups:
1) The Big 12 Championship Game - Oklahoma (9) vs. Missouri (1) (at San Antonio) (8:00 on ABC) – Missouri is the number 1 team in the BCS, yet they are underdogs to Oklahoma. If you think about it, Missouri really should have beaten Oklahoma in there first meeting, but all that matters is the W. Missouri is a better team that finally had the opportunity to showcase their talent against Kansas last weekend. Plus, I seriously think that Missouri had a tougher schedule than Oklahoma. Now, before you get all riled up, I think Oklahoma is a good team, but they are not great. Everyone wants to make Oklahoma something they aren’t. Missouri is just a better team, and they should win (I can’t believe I actually like a Big 12 team not lead by Major Applewhite).
2) The SEC Championship Game - Tennessee (14) vs. LSU (7) (at Atlanta) (4:00 on CBS) – I can’t believe Tennessee actually went to the SEC Championship Game with Erik Ainge as the QB. This would be like Peyton Manning beating Florida during his tenure. It’s unheard of. Anyway, this game should feature LSU and Georgia, but for some reason, Georgia tanked to Tennessee earlier in the season. Of course Georgia is now fourth in the BCS, but that’s not the point. I only trust Tennessee when I look at the final score and they are listed as the winner. Then you have LSU. They were ranked number 1 two separate times this year and then lost games they should have won (the OT losses to Kentucky and Arkansas). This could be for any number of reasons, but I think the Kentucky game was a trap game and the Arkansas loss was due to the Les Miles to Michigan distraction. The distraction is still there and Tennessee could win this one.
3) The ACC Championship Game – Virginia Tech (6) vs. Boston College (11) (at Jacksonville) (1:00 on ABC) – If this rematch is anything like the regular season game these two played, it’ll be very close and Matt Ryan will lose his lunch on the sidelines (yes, still bitter about Clemson). In the last game, VT left Tyrod Taylor on the bench, but BC won’t be that lucky again. VT is all about playing the game and finding a way to win the big games. I do not expect VT to lose again, if only because they will do all the little things they need to do and won’t make dumb mistakes.
4) Pittsburgh at West Virginia (2) (7:45 on ESPN) – The reason this goes here is because West Virginia needs to win go to the BCS title game. This is something I picked last year for WVU, but I was dumb. The old saying is you can throw out records when it comes to rivalry games, but WVU should thrash Pitt, and do it with style. Pitt can’t run with WVU, they can’t even run with the team at my old high school, and they sucked.
5) UCLA at USC (8) (4:30 on ABC) – Remember last year when everyone was waiting to announce the USC/Ohio State National Championship Game and then USC went and doused their drawers against UCLA? That should have been everyone’s first hint that USC was a flawed team and John David Booty is a flawed QB. USC has back-doored their way to the Pac-10 championship by taking advantage of Dennis Dixon’s ACL and an overmatched ASU team. USC is not that great, and now I’m going to have to watch a Rose Bowl with an overrated Ohio State team that had a schedule that was easier than Britney Spears on a bender, and USC, which got there because some guy blew out his ACL. That doesn’t sound like fun to me.
6) Navy vs. Army (at Philadelphia) (12:00 on CBS) – I’m including this for two reason. One, it’s a tradition. Two, Bill Belichick said that is was the best game of the year, and when has he ever been wrong…..about football. Navy will win.
Extra Point:
7) For one of the very few years in existence, the BCS has it right. Missouri and West Virginia deserve to play in the National Championship Game. Now, don’t get me wrong, these are by no means the two best teams in the Nation, but they have don’t something no other team could do. They won when it counted. Can you think of another team that deserves it? Ohio State has a horrid schedule. Georgia can’t even get into the SEC Championship Game. Kansas lost to Missouri and has a cupcake schedule. Everyone else has two losses. Now, if one of them loses, then that opens the door for controversy. Also, it opens the door for more playoff talk. Isn’t that what we all want? Of course, with the playoff, we wouldn’t have the ability to bitch about how the BCS sucks. But we would get to complain about the bubble team that doesn’t get into the playoff. In this case, everyone is a winner.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Harbinger of Death – The Kara Thrace Story
Do you know how hard it is to find good TV nowadays? The throng of mediocre TV is enough to lead you to exclusively watch BBC America. However, every now and then you have a show come along that completely blows you away. You sit on the edge of your seat throughout and curse the network execs at the end due to the fact that you have at wait over a year for a new episode (damn you Sci-Fi). If the title didn’t give it away, I’m talking about Battlestar Galactica.
When if first hit the airwaves, I was less than enthused. This was due to my good friend’s less than pleased views of the re-imagined BSG. Of course this was due to his rose colored view of the cheesy BSG from the late 70’s. After the first season, he and multiple others told me I had to watch. That this was the best thing since sliced bread. Since I like my bread sliced, I decided I would give it a whirl and watch the first season on DVD. I went through the whole thing in three days. Minus a few hiccups in season 2 (cough*Black Market*cough), every show is a homerun. Three moments stick out in my mind as utterly mind blowing (I’m not including Sharon shooting Adama because I knew about that before it happened). The first was the “Adama Maneuver” from “Exodus Part 2”. This was when Adama jumped the Galactica into the atmosphere of New Caprica, dropped his Vipers, and then jumped back out. Back in space, he’s getting hammered by Basestars, his son arrives out of nowhere commanding the Battlestar Pegasus and flies right down the middle and absorbs the blasts and sacrifices his own ship for the Galactica. The second is the end of “Crossroads Part 2”, when we find out four of the final five Cylons and Starbuck, seemingly, comes back from the dead and tells Lee that she knows the way to Earth. Then we get the year long hiatus. The third was first appearance of Admiral Cain and the Battlestar Pegasus. This leads to the TV Movie “Razor”.
“Razor” is a flashback movie that deals with Lee Adama’s first mission as commander of the Pegasus as seen through the eyes of Kendra Shaw. She flashes back to her time on Pegasus when Admiral Cain was in charge. Basically, the movie gives fans of my third moment what they always wanted. We finally found out how Pegasus survived, we get to see how Fisk became Cain’s XO, and we get to see Gina’s role before her imprisonment. Most importantly, we get more Admiral Cain. My favorite part was probably Admiral Adama giving Cain a morality when talking about all the choices she had to make to survive. She didn’t have the same restrictions and support that Adama had, and he shutters to think about the choices he would have made in her position. The end, as referenced in my title, was only part of the lines spoken to Shaw by the hybrid, and speaks volumes about what we might see in the final season. When I heard about this movie, I was ho-hum, because we hadn’t seen a new episode since March. Slowly but surely, I found myself back at the edge of my seat, pissed when the credits rolled and cursing the network execs because I wouldn’t be seeing any new material until March of 2008. So, I speak for all fans of great TV when I say “Damn you Sci-Fi, damn you.”
When if first hit the airwaves, I was less than enthused. This was due to my good friend’s less than pleased views of the re-imagined BSG. Of course this was due to his rose colored view of the cheesy BSG from the late 70’s. After the first season, he and multiple others told me I had to watch. That this was the best thing since sliced bread. Since I like my bread sliced, I decided I would give it a whirl and watch the first season on DVD. I went through the whole thing in three days. Minus a few hiccups in season 2 (cough*Black Market*cough), every show is a homerun. Three moments stick out in my mind as utterly mind blowing (I’m not including Sharon shooting Adama because I knew about that before it happened). The first was the “Adama Maneuver” from “Exodus Part 2”. This was when Adama jumped the Galactica into the atmosphere of New Caprica, dropped his Vipers, and then jumped back out. Back in space, he’s getting hammered by Basestars, his son arrives out of nowhere commanding the Battlestar Pegasus and flies right down the middle and absorbs the blasts and sacrifices his own ship for the Galactica. The second is the end of “Crossroads Part 2”, when we find out four of the final five Cylons and Starbuck, seemingly, comes back from the dead and tells Lee that she knows the way to Earth. Then we get the year long hiatus. The third was first appearance of Admiral Cain and the Battlestar Pegasus. This leads to the TV Movie “Razor”.
“Razor” is a flashback movie that deals with Lee Adama’s first mission as commander of the Pegasus as seen through the eyes of Kendra Shaw. She flashes back to her time on Pegasus when Admiral Cain was in charge. Basically, the movie gives fans of my third moment what they always wanted. We finally found out how Pegasus survived, we get to see how Fisk became Cain’s XO, and we get to see Gina’s role before her imprisonment. Most importantly, we get more Admiral Cain. My favorite part was probably Admiral Adama giving Cain a morality when talking about all the choices she had to make to survive. She didn’t have the same restrictions and support that Adama had, and he shutters to think about the choices he would have made in her position. The end, as referenced in my title, was only part of the lines spoken to Shaw by the hybrid, and speaks volumes about what we might see in the final season. When I heard about this movie, I was ho-hum, because we hadn’t seen a new episode since March. Slowly but surely, I found myself back at the edge of my seat, pissed when the credits rolled and cursing the network execs because I wouldn’t be seeing any new material until March of 2008. So, I speak for all fans of great TV when I say “Damn you Sci-Fi, damn you.”
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Trent's Touchdown - Week 13
So, do you think Week 13 will mean more bad luck for top 5 teams, or will we actually get a ho-hum week? Week 12 gave use two more top 5 teams losing to unranked teams (that makes 11), the top Heisman contender going down with an ACL injury (which he sustained in the ASU game), and Notre Dame actually winning another game. You know what? I’m not shocked by any of it, thanks to everything that’s happened so far. My shock senses exploded with Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32. Anyway, to the early rundown, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday:
1) Missouri (4) vs. Kansas (2) (in Kansas City) (8:00 on ABC) – The Border War actually means something this year. Two undersized, under-recruited QB’s lead their teams into the biggest game of their careers (until the Big 12 Championship and a possible National Championship Game). Todd Reesing and Kansas have been just filthy, making scores in the 40’s, 50’s 60’s, and 70’s (poor Nebraska) seem like child’s play. Their defense has been holding teams to paltry numbers. Of course, the flip side is the only team they played that was in the top 25 at the time was Kansas State (24). There out of conference schedule is Central Michigan, SE Louisiana, Toledo, and Florida International. Stop laughing, I’m not joking. Chase Daniel and Missouri have kept consistent with scores in the 40’s and a defense that keeps teams in the 20’s. There schedule is tougher with Illinois and Ole Miss out of conference, and Oklahoma (their only loss) and Texas Tech. I think people are underestimating Kansas in this one. Of course, it’s happened all season and look where they are.
2) USC (11) at Arizona State (6) (8:00 on ESPN on Thurs) – Oregon’s loss last week has opened the door for ASU to not only win the Pac-10, but also may be able to backdoor their way into the National Championship Game. Step one begins on Thanksgiving with the game against USC. USC has to be the most lackluster 2 loss team in the country. They don’t seem to do anything really well. I think they are following the formula of Miami right before their collapse (minus all the random violence). Basically, get a bunch of blue chip prospects, slap them together, put them on the field, and hope for the best. Seriously, can you tell between Sanchez and Booty (minus the fact that Sanchez sucks and Booty has a cool name)? They are all nameless, faceless blobs. No more Bush and White in the backfield. It’s just a hodgepodge of interchangeable parts, that do the job, but you’re not going to trust them at big times. ASU, on the other hand, is a good team that came together at the right time under the right coach. Gee, who do you think I’m rooting for here?
3) Connecticut (20) at West Virginia (3) (3:30 on ABC) – If you had told me at the beginning of the season that the UConn/WVU game would decide the Big East, I would have laughed in your face, then politely tell you that UConn is about a year away from doing anything dynamic. But then they go and slap together this season. They didn’t have a great schedule, but it’s not Hawaii’s. Of course, they only quality non-conference game scheduled they lost (Virginia), but Tyler Lorenzen quietly put together a respectable season. Not quietly was the season that WVU put together, considering they were the top team in the conference and have that high powered offense that has highlights featured on Sportscenter. But remember that last week WVU had a little trouble with a tenacious Cincy team. However, Cincy is better than UConn.
4) Virginia Tech (8) at Virginia (18) (12:00 on ESPN2) – These two are playing for the right to beat BC in the ACC Championship Game (yes, I’m still bitter over the Clemson game). VT had a horrible start to the season, when they struggled against Eastern Carolina and got whooped by LSU. Then they righted the ship and got back to getting it done. The only slip up was against BC, when they went to the prevent defense, which I think prevents the defense from stopping anyone. They are very good at fundamental football, which is the reason they win. Virginia started off with the loss to Wyoming (I forgot they had a football team) then went ahead and started to shock the world, until they came back down to earth against NC State. They have a very good defense; it’s just there offense doesn’t always help them out. VT wins this one, but Virginia’s defense makes it interesting.
5) Boise State (19) at Hawaii (15) (9:00 on ESPN2 on Fri) – Part of me wanted to avoid this game, but I just couldn’t. Its last year’s darling vs. this year’s darling. Hawaii’s hopes are resting with Colt Brennan, who took a whopping two snaps last game. He’s starting this game, but who knows how long he can go for. Boise State got derailed earlier this year against Washington (who plays Hawaii next week), but then got back to their winning ways. Basically, the winner of this wins the WAC, and possibly gets a BCS bowl invite. Hey, I’m all for anyone who is willing to beat on a Big 12 team.
6) Tennessee (18) at Kentucky (1:30 on CBS) – The one thing Georgia needs to claim its rightful place in the SEC Championship Game would be a Kentucky win. I’m not a big Georgia fan, but I really dislike Tennessee (for no apparent reason). I seriously don’t know what to expect from them. They get blown out by Cal, Florida, and Alabama, barely get by Vandy, but beat the holy hell out of Georgia. I would ask if that made sense, but considering the year we’ve had. Kentucky, on the other hand, just imploded on themselves after beating LSU, with there only win since then coming against Vandy. Kentucky can win, they just need to stop this downward spiral and play there game.
Extra Point:
7) You want to know how whacky this season has been. In two weeks time, we could have Ohio State, UConn, Virginia, Arizona State, Tennessee, and Kansas as the conference champions, with Kansas and ASU in the National Championship Game. Isn’t this an argument for a playoff? Don’t give me that bull that the whole season is a playoff either. The fact that UConn and Virginia could be playing in the Orange Bowl should be enough to shock anyone into pulling for the playoff system. The problem with the BCS is the same problem college football has always had, it’s completely arbitrary. It’s letting coaches and sportswriters with agenda’s and computers with no concept of sports to decide the champion, instead of the kids on the field. I know they are in school for an education, but if you’re going to do something, do it right.
1) Missouri (4) vs. Kansas (2) (in Kansas City) (8:00 on ABC) – The Border War actually means something this year. Two undersized, under-recruited QB’s lead their teams into the biggest game of their careers (until the Big 12 Championship and a possible National Championship Game). Todd Reesing and Kansas have been just filthy, making scores in the 40’s, 50’s 60’s, and 70’s (poor Nebraska) seem like child’s play. Their defense has been holding teams to paltry numbers. Of course, the flip side is the only team they played that was in the top 25 at the time was Kansas State (24). There out of conference schedule is Central Michigan, SE Louisiana, Toledo, and Florida International. Stop laughing, I’m not joking. Chase Daniel and Missouri have kept consistent with scores in the 40’s and a defense that keeps teams in the 20’s. There schedule is tougher with Illinois and Ole Miss out of conference, and Oklahoma (their only loss) and Texas Tech. I think people are underestimating Kansas in this one. Of course, it’s happened all season and look where they are.
2) USC (11) at Arizona State (6) (8:00 on ESPN on Thurs) – Oregon’s loss last week has opened the door for ASU to not only win the Pac-10, but also may be able to backdoor their way into the National Championship Game. Step one begins on Thanksgiving with the game against USC. USC has to be the most lackluster 2 loss team in the country. They don’t seem to do anything really well. I think they are following the formula of Miami right before their collapse (minus all the random violence). Basically, get a bunch of blue chip prospects, slap them together, put them on the field, and hope for the best. Seriously, can you tell between Sanchez and Booty (minus the fact that Sanchez sucks and Booty has a cool name)? They are all nameless, faceless blobs. No more Bush and White in the backfield. It’s just a hodgepodge of interchangeable parts, that do the job, but you’re not going to trust them at big times. ASU, on the other hand, is a good team that came together at the right time under the right coach. Gee, who do you think I’m rooting for here?
3) Connecticut (20) at West Virginia (3) (3:30 on ABC) – If you had told me at the beginning of the season that the UConn/WVU game would decide the Big East, I would have laughed in your face, then politely tell you that UConn is about a year away from doing anything dynamic. But then they go and slap together this season. They didn’t have a great schedule, but it’s not Hawaii’s. Of course, they only quality non-conference game scheduled they lost (Virginia), but Tyler Lorenzen quietly put together a respectable season. Not quietly was the season that WVU put together, considering they were the top team in the conference and have that high powered offense that has highlights featured on Sportscenter. But remember that last week WVU had a little trouble with a tenacious Cincy team. However, Cincy is better than UConn.
4) Virginia Tech (8) at Virginia (18) (12:00 on ESPN2) – These two are playing for the right to beat BC in the ACC Championship Game (yes, I’m still bitter over the Clemson game). VT had a horrible start to the season, when they struggled against Eastern Carolina and got whooped by LSU. Then they righted the ship and got back to getting it done. The only slip up was against BC, when they went to the prevent defense, which I think prevents the defense from stopping anyone. They are very good at fundamental football, which is the reason they win. Virginia started off with the loss to Wyoming (I forgot they had a football team) then went ahead and started to shock the world, until they came back down to earth against NC State. They have a very good defense; it’s just there offense doesn’t always help them out. VT wins this one, but Virginia’s defense makes it interesting.
5) Boise State (19) at Hawaii (15) (9:00 on ESPN2 on Fri) – Part of me wanted to avoid this game, but I just couldn’t. Its last year’s darling vs. this year’s darling. Hawaii’s hopes are resting with Colt Brennan, who took a whopping two snaps last game. He’s starting this game, but who knows how long he can go for. Boise State got derailed earlier this year against Washington (who plays Hawaii next week), but then got back to their winning ways. Basically, the winner of this wins the WAC, and possibly gets a BCS bowl invite. Hey, I’m all for anyone who is willing to beat on a Big 12 team.
6) Tennessee (18) at Kentucky (1:30 on CBS) – The one thing Georgia needs to claim its rightful place in the SEC Championship Game would be a Kentucky win. I’m not a big Georgia fan, but I really dislike Tennessee (for no apparent reason). I seriously don’t know what to expect from them. They get blown out by Cal, Florida, and Alabama, barely get by Vandy, but beat the holy hell out of Georgia. I would ask if that made sense, but considering the year we’ve had. Kentucky, on the other hand, just imploded on themselves after beating LSU, with there only win since then coming against Vandy. Kentucky can win, they just need to stop this downward spiral and play there game.
Extra Point:
7) You want to know how whacky this season has been. In two weeks time, we could have Ohio State, UConn, Virginia, Arizona State, Tennessee, and Kansas as the conference champions, with Kansas and ASU in the National Championship Game. Isn’t this an argument for a playoff? Don’t give me that bull that the whole season is a playoff either. The fact that UConn and Virginia could be playing in the Orange Bowl should be enough to shock anyone into pulling for the playoff system. The problem with the BCS is the same problem college football has always had, it’s completely arbitrary. It’s letting coaches and sportswriters with agenda’s and computers with no concept of sports to decide the champion, instead of the kids on the field. I know they are in school for an education, but if you’re going to do something, do it right.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Superman Lives Even If "Smallville" Dies
I know everyone was just waiting for me to say something about “Smallville”, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write anything until now. Why you may ask? It’s been tough to wrap my head around the episodes. I think we can all agree it’s bad when you rip off old episodes, but when you acknowledge it, it’s even worse. I just want to know what the hell is going on. It’s like the CW is showing episodes out of order. Case in point, the last episode “Blue”. The episode before that one we had Lana Lang steal Clark’s power, nearly kill Lex, and get threatened by Chloe. The following episode it was like nothing had happened. You know, if I had superpowers that my girlfriend acquired, tried to kill her ex, and my best friend threatened her, I think that would have repercussions down the road. But hey, that’s just me.
If you look at the season as a whole, it’s just been crappy. It’s like the writers said “hey, let’s add in a hot girl and just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks”. Seriously, is there any overall story arc? I figured the last episode would give me something, but all that happened was Kara get’s teleported to the Motor City and Lois probably has crabs. And what was up with Kara going to Detroit? I mean, I know its hell on earth, but it makes no sense. I’ve also figured out that the CW doesn’t waste a lot of money on Tom Welling’s wardrobe. A red shirt and blue shirt is all he gets. We know he’s going to be Superman; you don’t have to keep jamming the imagery down our throats.
So you ask why I stick around? Why do I keep watching? It’s not because I’m hoping for the reappearance of Sam Jones III. I want it to get good again. I keep hoping it gets good again. Maybe I just have blind faith here, but anything is possible.
If you look at the season as a whole, it’s just been crappy. It’s like the writers said “hey, let’s add in a hot girl and just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks”. Seriously, is there any overall story arc? I figured the last episode would give me something, but all that happened was Kara get’s teleported to the Motor City and Lois probably has crabs. And what was up with Kara going to Detroit? I mean, I know its hell on earth, but it makes no sense. I’ve also figured out that the CW doesn’t waste a lot of money on Tom Welling’s wardrobe. A red shirt and blue shirt is all he gets. We know he’s going to be Superman; you don’t have to keep jamming the imagery down our throats.
So you ask why I stick around? Why do I keep watching? It’s not because I’m hoping for the reappearance of Sam Jones III. I want it to get good again. I keep hoping it gets good again. Maybe I just have blind faith here, but anything is possible.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
"Finish the Job" Means Winning the Game
“Finish the Job”. This was Clemson’s slogan all year long, after last year’s strong start and horrid collapse. This was the slogan that followed them from the first game against FSU, to last night’s game against BC. I guess they’ll need the slogan again next year. This wasn’t like the other two losses by Clemson. The loss against Georgia Tech was because they went away from what worked for them, the run and wide receiver screens. The loss against Virginia Tech was just them being overmatched on both sides of the ball by a superior team. The BC game was all about lack of execution.
I would be the first to blame Tommy Bowden, but I think that’s the easy way out. I hate to put the blame on 18 to 22 year old kids, but that is where it belongs. Bowden and his staff put them in a position to win, and the team didn’t execute. Actually, BC let them off the hook, since the run and running back screens were working against the Clemson defense, and BC didn’t take advantage of it as much as they should have. I will say that the play calling in the goal to go situations for Clemson during the first drive of the second half are unforgivable. Everyone and their mother knew that as soon as Harper spread out, Davis was taking it, just like he did on the first TD. But after that, the offense couldn’t find a good rhythm, even after the defense kept finding a way to get Ryan and the BC offense off the field. My major gripe with the defense was that huge TD pass to Gunnell. How do you get that open? The final drive from Clemson was just horrid. First, you have Aaron Kelly letting the go ahead (and probably winning) TD hit him in the hands and he drops it. Then, the very next play, Grisham drops a pass that would have gotten them close to a first down (true, they got the first down, but every play counts). The last play was the problem. They were on the edge of field goal range, Harper should have felt the pressure, and should have gotten rid of the ball. I was physically ill when he took that sack. My remote control would have exploded against the wall if my girlfriend weren’t there. I was pissed, first at Bowden, and then just at the fact that my team, the one I was rooted for, didn’t finish a team they should have beaten. Then my girlfriend said something to me, the dreaded thing no sports fan wants to hear.
“There is always next year”. The lament of following a perennial loser. But if you look at it, all could be rosy for the Tigers next year. If they get Harper, Kelly, Grisham, Davis, and Spiller back next year, that could mean huge things for this team. The best quarterback, the best wide receiver, the best running back combo. This could do wonders. That team should roll in the Atlantic Division. Let Bowden coach that team. If it fails, I’ll be the first one showing him the door.
I would be the first to blame Tommy Bowden, but I think that’s the easy way out. I hate to put the blame on 18 to 22 year old kids, but that is where it belongs. Bowden and his staff put them in a position to win, and the team didn’t execute. Actually, BC let them off the hook, since the run and running back screens were working against the Clemson defense, and BC didn’t take advantage of it as much as they should have. I will say that the play calling in the goal to go situations for Clemson during the first drive of the second half are unforgivable. Everyone and their mother knew that as soon as Harper spread out, Davis was taking it, just like he did on the first TD. But after that, the offense couldn’t find a good rhythm, even after the defense kept finding a way to get Ryan and the BC offense off the field. My major gripe with the defense was that huge TD pass to Gunnell. How do you get that open? The final drive from Clemson was just horrid. First, you have Aaron Kelly letting the go ahead (and probably winning) TD hit him in the hands and he drops it. Then, the very next play, Grisham drops a pass that would have gotten them close to a first down (true, they got the first down, but every play counts). The last play was the problem. They were on the edge of field goal range, Harper should have felt the pressure, and should have gotten rid of the ball. I was physically ill when he took that sack. My remote control would have exploded against the wall if my girlfriend weren’t there. I was pissed, first at Bowden, and then just at the fact that my team, the one I was rooted for, didn’t finish a team they should have beaten. Then my girlfriend said something to me, the dreaded thing no sports fan wants to hear.
“There is always next year”. The lament of following a perennial loser. But if you look at it, all could be rosy for the Tigers next year. If they get Harper, Kelly, Grisham, Davis, and Spiller back next year, that could mean huge things for this team. The best quarterback, the best wide receiver, the best running back combo. This could do wonders. That team should roll in the Atlantic Division. Let Bowden coach that team. If it fails, I’ll be the first one showing him the door.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Trent's Touchdown - Week 12
Wow, we’re at Week 12 of the college footbal season and yet another number 2 team has lost. The thing is, I’m not surprised. There is nothing that could happen in college football that would surprise me, well, except maybe Notre Dame winning a game. Anyway, on to the rundown:
1) Ohio State (7) at Michigan (21) (12:00 on ABC) – There are two reasons this game gets top billing over the BC/Clemson tussle. One, at the end, we will actually know who’s going to the Rose Bowl. Two, this may be Lloyd Carr’s last game, if you believe the rumors (and when are rumors ever false?) This game has gone over so many makeovers this year. First, it was going to be the last game Michigan would need to win to get to the National Championship (then the season actually started). Then, it was just a ho-hum game. Then, it was going to be the last game Ohio State would need to win to get to the National Championship. Now, it decides the Big 10 champ and Rose Bowl contestant. I would say OSU has been playing very well this year, but they haven’t really played anyone. My old high school football team could beat half the teams the OSU beat. The same could be said about Michigan, if not for the non-conference game against Oregon. When it comes to this game, throw everything you think you know out the window, except one thing. Lloyd Carr has never beat Jim Tressel. However, his boys may step up and give him this one if it truly is his last game.
2) Boston College (17) at Clemson (15) (7:45 on ESPN2) – I remember when Clemson lost two straight to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech and I wrote them off for the year. Not only because they had back to back conference losses, but I didn’t think anyone could be the juggernaut that was Boston College. Then I remembered that they only beat UMass by 10, but realized Matt Ryan was just too good to let his team fold under the pressure. Then the Virginia Tech game happened. Matt Ryan led BC from 10 down to win the game with two drives in the last few minutes of the game. I was in awe, until Matt Ryan threw up on the sidelines. I realized at that moment he could be beat. Then FSU and Maryland proved me right. Will Clemson getting a bye week after there two losses, they rebounded and became an entirely new team, blasting there way throw opponents like a hot knife through butter. I’m not going to bore you with the fact that Clemson has a better ranked offense and defense, and the fact that their QB has better numbers than Ryan. You only need to know two things. One, they are playing in Clemson, one of the toughest places to play in college football. Two, BC is completely demoralized after those back to back losses, and they have no time to recover, like Clemson did.
3) Kentucky (23) at Georgia (9) (12:30 on ESPN Gameplan) – Remember when Kentucky beat LSU and had a good site on a possible National Championship shot? Now, they don’t even have a shot at the wacky SEC East, but they can play spoiler. I can’t believe Georgia has just found another gear. They had that massive team celebration after the first touchdown in the Florida game and haven’t looked back since. They even busted out the black uni’s last week. I’m just finding it hard to believe that Tennessee controls their own destiny. Are you serious? In this game, either one of these teams can win. If Kentucky plays the way they are capable of playing, Georgia better watch out.
4) West Virginia (6) at Cincinnati (22) (7:45 on ESPN) – I never would have guessed that Cincinnati would be ranked, but the Big East sucks and they actually have a very good QB. Sure, the transferred from Wake Forest, but that’s not the point. Plus, if you told me that the West Virginia/UConn match-up next week could possibly decide the Big East, I would have laughed in your face. West Virginia plays like they get extra points for style. They are run and gun, all out, lets score and do it in bunches. Cincinnati just wants to win, and they consistently do it.
5) Oklahoma (4) at Texas Tech (8:00 on ABC) – Please tell me I’m not the only one hoping Oklahoma takes the pipe in this game. I seriously cannot deal with Oklahoma in the National Championship Game. They get overvalued by the BCS, and they aren’t that good. LSU will wipe the floor with them, if it gets to that. They are lead by a QB that I wouldn’t trust a Pop Warner game to. I mean, the NFL scouts see that Oklahoma has below average QB’s, that’s why none of them are in the NFL. Texas Tech is a complete trap game for Oklahoma, except for the fact they can’t play defense. Any team with defensive speed (any team in the SEC or Pac-10) can give Oklahoma troubles. Texas Tech will try and beat them the old fashioned way, in a shootout. You can’t beat Oklahoma that way.
6) Miami at Virginia Tech (10) (3:30 on ABC) – Remember when this was a huge game in the Big East? Then the Larry Coker era happened and Miami went to pieces. This is totally a game that VT might overlook because they are looking ahead to the big tussle against Virginia next week (I never thought that would be possible). Miami isn’t horrible, but they are rebuilding, and it’s tough when you are relying on Kyle Wright. Miami will be much better once the Kyle Wright era is over. As for VT, they are just a good team. They go out there and take care of business on both sides of the ball, unless they are playing LSU.
Extra Point:
7) I was going to write about how we were finally going to get a championship game without a team from the Big 12, but Oregon crapped the bed on me, but it gave berth to a new weekly rank. The number 2 position is cursed this year. If I had a team, I would want to stay in third until the last possible second. Five different teams have held the position and have all lost. But they’ve all lost for specific reasons. USC lost because John David Booty broke his finger and Sanchez sucks. Cal lost because Nate Longshore was injured and they had a freshman QB running the 2 minute drill. South Florida and BC both lost for the same reason, they were ranked higher than they deserved and they came crashing down to Earth. Oregon lost last night because Dennis Dixon went down with a knee injury and Brady Leaf wasn’t comfortable with the new offense scheme. So, to recap, two teams lost because they never should have been there in the first place, and three lost because they couldn’t fully rely on their back-ups. Here’s a newsflash, INJURIES HAPPEN. You have to be prepared for your best player to go down at the worst possible time. That’s what practice is for. USC, Cal, and Oregon could have all held on to their rankings if they let there back-up QB’s take a few snaps with the first team. Hey, I’m just saying.
1) Ohio State (7) at Michigan (21) (12:00 on ABC) – There are two reasons this game gets top billing over the BC/Clemson tussle. One, at the end, we will actually know who’s going to the Rose Bowl. Two, this may be Lloyd Carr’s last game, if you believe the rumors (and when are rumors ever false?) This game has gone over so many makeovers this year. First, it was going to be the last game Michigan would need to win to get to the National Championship (then the season actually started). Then, it was just a ho-hum game. Then, it was going to be the last game Ohio State would need to win to get to the National Championship. Now, it decides the Big 10 champ and Rose Bowl contestant. I would say OSU has been playing very well this year, but they haven’t really played anyone. My old high school football team could beat half the teams the OSU beat. The same could be said about Michigan, if not for the non-conference game against Oregon. When it comes to this game, throw everything you think you know out the window, except one thing. Lloyd Carr has never beat Jim Tressel. However, his boys may step up and give him this one if it truly is his last game.
2) Boston College (17) at Clemson (15) (7:45 on ESPN2) – I remember when Clemson lost two straight to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech and I wrote them off for the year. Not only because they had back to back conference losses, but I didn’t think anyone could be the juggernaut that was Boston College. Then I remembered that they only beat UMass by 10, but realized Matt Ryan was just too good to let his team fold under the pressure. Then the Virginia Tech game happened. Matt Ryan led BC from 10 down to win the game with two drives in the last few minutes of the game. I was in awe, until Matt Ryan threw up on the sidelines. I realized at that moment he could be beat. Then FSU and Maryland proved me right. Will Clemson getting a bye week after there two losses, they rebounded and became an entirely new team, blasting there way throw opponents like a hot knife through butter. I’m not going to bore you with the fact that Clemson has a better ranked offense and defense, and the fact that their QB has better numbers than Ryan. You only need to know two things. One, they are playing in Clemson, one of the toughest places to play in college football. Two, BC is completely demoralized after those back to back losses, and they have no time to recover, like Clemson did.
3) Kentucky (23) at Georgia (9) (12:30 on ESPN Gameplan) – Remember when Kentucky beat LSU and had a good site on a possible National Championship shot? Now, they don’t even have a shot at the wacky SEC East, but they can play spoiler. I can’t believe Georgia has just found another gear. They had that massive team celebration after the first touchdown in the Florida game and haven’t looked back since. They even busted out the black uni’s last week. I’m just finding it hard to believe that Tennessee controls their own destiny. Are you serious? In this game, either one of these teams can win. If Kentucky plays the way they are capable of playing, Georgia better watch out.
4) West Virginia (6) at Cincinnati (22) (7:45 on ESPN) – I never would have guessed that Cincinnati would be ranked, but the Big East sucks and they actually have a very good QB. Sure, the transferred from Wake Forest, but that’s not the point. Plus, if you told me that the West Virginia/UConn match-up next week could possibly decide the Big East, I would have laughed in your face. West Virginia plays like they get extra points for style. They are run and gun, all out, lets score and do it in bunches. Cincinnati just wants to win, and they consistently do it.
5) Oklahoma (4) at Texas Tech (8:00 on ABC) – Please tell me I’m not the only one hoping Oklahoma takes the pipe in this game. I seriously cannot deal with Oklahoma in the National Championship Game. They get overvalued by the BCS, and they aren’t that good. LSU will wipe the floor with them, if it gets to that. They are lead by a QB that I wouldn’t trust a Pop Warner game to. I mean, the NFL scouts see that Oklahoma has below average QB’s, that’s why none of them are in the NFL. Texas Tech is a complete trap game for Oklahoma, except for the fact they can’t play defense. Any team with defensive speed (any team in the SEC or Pac-10) can give Oklahoma troubles. Texas Tech will try and beat them the old fashioned way, in a shootout. You can’t beat Oklahoma that way.
6) Miami at Virginia Tech (10) (3:30 on ABC) – Remember when this was a huge game in the Big East? Then the Larry Coker era happened and Miami went to pieces. This is totally a game that VT might overlook because they are looking ahead to the big tussle against Virginia next week (I never thought that would be possible). Miami isn’t horrible, but they are rebuilding, and it’s tough when you are relying on Kyle Wright. Miami will be much better once the Kyle Wright era is over. As for VT, they are just a good team. They go out there and take care of business on both sides of the ball, unless they are playing LSU.
Extra Point:
7) I was going to write about how we were finally going to get a championship game without a team from the Big 12, but Oregon crapped the bed on me, but it gave berth to a new weekly rank. The number 2 position is cursed this year. If I had a team, I would want to stay in third until the last possible second. Five different teams have held the position and have all lost. But they’ve all lost for specific reasons. USC lost because John David Booty broke his finger and Sanchez sucks. Cal lost because Nate Longshore was injured and they had a freshman QB running the 2 minute drill. South Florida and BC both lost for the same reason, they were ranked higher than they deserved and they came crashing down to Earth. Oregon lost last night because Dennis Dixon went down with a knee injury and Brady Leaf wasn’t comfortable with the new offense scheme. So, to recap, two teams lost because they never should have been there in the first place, and three lost because they couldn’t fully rely on their back-ups. Here’s a newsflash, INJURIES HAPPEN. You have to be prepared for your best player to go down at the worst possible time. That’s what practice is for. USC, Cal, and Oregon could have all held on to their rankings if they let there back-up QB’s take a few snaps with the first team. Hey, I’m just saying.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Beginning is Here
Okay, let me first start off by saying that this isn’t going to be one of those wuzzy blogs where I talk about my feelings or how I saw a cloud that looks like a bunny today. There will also not be any talk about politics. Politics is horrible to talk about because everyone has their own opinions, everyone is wrong, and no one thinks they are wrong. Should I really think you’re the anti-Christ because you don’t believe the same thing I do politically? Well, possibly, but that’s not the point.
The Spot is going to be your place for sports, TV, and whatever else I feel like talking about. I’m going to write about the baseball (the Red Sox), the NFL (the Patriots), college football (anybody but Ohio State and Texas), soccer, any dumb TV shows I’m watching (and how they could be better), and possibly and music or movie information you should know about. My first real entry will be tomorrow about the upcoming weekend in college football. Here’s a little preview. Clemson rules and BC sucks. I might even write something about “Smallville”, if Kristen Kruek’s acting doesn’t send me into an epileptic fit.
The Spot is going to be your place for sports, TV, and whatever else I feel like talking about. I’m going to write about the baseball (the Red Sox), the NFL (the Patriots), college football (anybody but Ohio State and Texas), soccer, any dumb TV shows I’m watching (and how they could be better), and possibly and music or movie information you should know about. My first real entry will be tomorrow about the upcoming weekend in college football. Here’s a little preview. Clemson rules and BC sucks. I might even write something about “Smallville”, if Kristen Kruek’s acting doesn’t send me into an epileptic fit.
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