tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198846492024-03-07T02:20:23.136-06:00We Are Notre DameA blog and forum for all things Irish and the broader sports landscape.Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.comBlogger576125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-78892329763099346562013-06-30T23:11:00.001-05:002013-06-30T23:12:00.066-05:00New Site! Visit Us at www.WeIsND.com <a href="http://www.weisnd.com/" target="_blank">We've moved to a new dedicated home page -- www.weisnd.com -- click here to re-direct. Go Irish!</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-72452674840496995502013-05-23T01:01:00.003-05:002013-05-23T01:01:49.354-05:00Irish Madness - Snubs R UsYes, the <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2013/05/technical-difficulties.html" target="_blank">poll widget is still broken</a>. Yes, I'm still actively working on migrating to another site to continue the <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2013/04/irish-madness-quest-for-most-memorable.html" target="_blank">Irish Madness bracket</a>. No, I'm not buying time with this snub post - I had planned to do it all along. OK, so maybe I expanded the list of snubbed games given the circumstances and linked more videos and archived SI articles. Just trying to keep the rabid reader base at bay with something until we get back to voting on the most memorable ND games. <br />
<br />
Speaking of, kudos to everyone who attempted to vote and has spread the word on this Irish Madness experiment. Thankfully, there's been a healthy dose of positive feedback for the concept. Nothing like a grass roots movement to determine a fake winner to a carefully constructed fanciful diversion. All told, there were 612 Notre Dame games spanning the 5+ decades deliberated upon by the selection committee. Picking the top 10% of games from that pool was fun, but daunting. The equitable parameters of 13 per decade helped narrow choices, but like any good tournament with subjective criteria, some memorable games felt the wrath of the snub. <br />
<br />
To give these snubees a nod to their historical significance, the following Snub List is presented as those games left on the chopping block from the real bracket. These 50 games undoubtedly perpetuate the snubfest for those games still not mentioned that hold special memories for fans. Hell, at the fundamental level, every game is memorable with its own commemorative ticket and game program. But lines must be drawn somewhere, hence snubbery.<br />
<br />
For giggles, sub-categories were created to describe the snubbed games' NIT-bound memorableness. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Anytime You Play #1, It's Memorable Principle</u></b><br />
<b>1961</b>: @#1 Michigan St 17 - #6 ND 7 -- God bless early-60's pollsters and their ND leanings: The Irish finished 1960 with a paltry 2-8 record, but only needed wins over unranked Oklahoma and unranked Purdue to jump to #8 the following week when Kuharich's squad beat USC for the 5th straight time. ND rose to their lofty #6 ranking for their battle with top-ranked MSU. Alas, they stymbled in a close contest, promptly lost their next two and ended the year 5-5 unranked. <br />
<b>1962</b>: @#1 USC 25 - ND 0 -- <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135112/" target="_blank">USC was crowned the unofficial official National Champion after this victory </a>...some cat named Marv Marinovich was the Trojan captain<br />
<b>1965</b>: #1 Michigan St 12 - @#4 ND 3 -- prelude to the following year's Game of the Century...hot damn these teams had great defenses...<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1077951/index.htm" target="_blank">on second look</a>, this game probably should've made the Irish Madness bracket<br />
<b>1967</b>: #1 USC 24 - @#5 ND 7 -- <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135112/" target="_blank">The Juice was loose in South Bend [SI game article]</a>..."<a href="http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-06-17/mike-s-song" target="_blank">Run OJ Run</a>" [Phish joking mid-jam at a show in Milwaukee that fateful night June 17, 1994 with OJ actively on the lam]<br />
<b>1972</b>: @#1 USC 45 - #10 23 -- the "<a href="http://www.paulmorantz.com/sports/honoring-anthony-davis/" target="_blank">Anthony Davis</a> 6 TD game" probably ranks in the top 10 for USC fans most memorable games of all time...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdsn72e3uy1qm9rypo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdsn72e3uy1qm9rypo1_1280.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>1980</b>: #1 Georgia 17 - #7 ND 10 -- '81 Sugar Bowl featured freshman sensation Herschel Walker and UGA's 1st national championship... this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC9dkyBPZu0" target="_blank">highlight reel</a> to the tune of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" is well done, minus some static...lord knows what happened on that kickoff where nobody fielded it...this game was one of the "Last Four Out" of the 68-game field...too many other great late 80's games trumped this<br />
<b>1985</b>: @#1 Penn St 36 - ND 6 -- <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120220/index.htm" target="_blank">a rainy affair that only one team showed up for</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Anytime You Are #1 and Lose, It's Memorable Corollary</u></b><br />
<b>1965</b>: @#6 Purdue 25 - #1 ND 21 -- Bob Griese's performance in this game was alluded to in this <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2013/04/irish-madness-round-1-angelo-bertelli.html" target="_blank">Boilermaker fluff section</a>...another example of "on second look" remorse<br />
<b>1967</b>: @#10 Purdue 28 - #1 ND 21 -- are current Purdue teams/fans even aware that their school toppled #1 Notre Dame twice in three years?<br />
<b>1990</b>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wuSmfNeB4M" target="_blank">Stanford 36 - @#1 ND 31</a> -- 3 fumbled punts for ND...Derek Brown lets the game-winner slide between his fingers at the gun...how Stanford wasn't ranked with future NFL'ers Ed McCaffrey, Touchdown Tommy Vardell and Glyn Milburn is beyond me...one thing coach Denny Green didn't do was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKIcnj1MJY" target="_blank">let ND off the hook</a><br />
<b>1990</b>: #18 Penn St 24 - @#1 ND 21 -- two home losses as #1 in the same season is pretty hard to do...<a href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2010/9/6/1657184/greatest-penn-state-upsets-4-1990" target="_blank">#4 greatest PSU upset of all-time apparently</a>...Rocket Ismail doesn't play the 2nd half as the Irish don't cross midfield, begging the what if question<br />
<br />
<b><u>When ND No-Shows in a Big Bowl Game, It's Memorable for the Haters Theory</u></b><br />
<b>1994</b>: #4 Colorado 41 - ND 24 -- the Bears draft scouts watched this game earnestly<br />
<b>2000</b>: #5 Oregon St 41 - #10 ND 9 -- still amazed Dennis Erickson's tenure in Corvallis hasn't been vacated by the great and powerful NCAA<br />
<b>2005</b>: #4 Ohio St 34 - #5 ND 20 -- okay, not entirely fair to include this loss under this category as it actually was a contested game, but I got lazy so deal with it<br />
<b>2006</b>: #4 LSU 41 - #11 ND 14 -- what is it with giving up 41 points in bowl blowouts?<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u>When Championship Caliber Teams Shut Out Top 10 Heavyweights on the Road, It's Blowout Memorable</u></b><br />
<b>1966: </b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6sKvlg2W4Q" target="_blank">#1 ND 38 - @#10 Oklahoma 0</a> -- a nice can of whoop ass was opened in Norman...even if the Sooners had a down year, ending the season out of the top 20, it's still a helluva loud statement to make</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<b><u>When the 70's and SEC Scheduling Become So Intertwined, Irish Fans Think They're on Allman Brothers Tour</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/me_zfNWrt2AKir8zpE1LN1A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/me_zfNWrt2AKir8zpE1LN1A.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>1976: </b>#12 ND 13 - @#19 South Carolina 6 -- 1st clash with the Gamecocks<br />
<b>1976: </b><a href="http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2012/12/alabama-notre_dame_first_south.html" target="_blank">@#18 ND 21 - #10 Alabama 18</a> -- after back-to-back bowl showdowns with the Tide in '73 and '74, the powers-that-be saw fit to schedule some regular season meetings between these two illustrious programs, this '76 matchup being the first...ND has yet to play in Tuscaloosa, traveling to "neutral" Birmingham twice ('80 and '86).<br />
<b>1977</b>: @Mississippi 20 - #3 ND 13 -- 1st trip to Oxford...Only blemish on championship season as the Rebels grabbed the lead with 3:28 left...Irish had to wait till 1985 to exact revenge...here's <a href="http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120406/COL050403/204060319/25-years-later-win-over-powerhouse-Notre-Dame-still-defining-Ole-Miss-moment" target="_blank">a great 25 anniversary remembrance from the Rebel perspective</a><br />
<b>1978: </b><a href="http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=663&catid=41" target="_blank">@#14 ND 31 - Tennessee 14</a> -- 1st run in with Rocky Top...Irish went to Knoxville the next year...Between 1970 and 1980, ND played 7 SEC schools for the 1st time. The main bracket features two of these with '70 LSU and '77 Clemson, plus the aforementioned '80 Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia.<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Playing Pittsburgh Was a Big Ranked Deal</u></b><br />
<b>1973: </b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_NT2YQhrwU" target="_blank">#5 ND 31 - @#20 Pitt 10</a> -- 209 yards from freshman Anthony Dorsett was a nice consolation prize for the home team<br />
<b>1977: </b><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1092825/index.htm" target="_blank">#3 ND 19 - @#7 Pitt 9</a> -- <span id="goog_996575061"></span>Ross Browner plays like a bat out of hell <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23tBSFYP6Fs" target="_blank">in these clips</a><span id="goog_996575062"></span>...Panthers were defending champs, but '76 Heisman winner Dorsett thankfully didn't have a 5th year to torment Irish defenses. He did enough damage in 4, setting the opponent career mark with 754 rushing yards<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>1978</b>: <a href="http://www.fanbase.com/article/october-14,-1978,-9-pittsburgh/35536" target="_blank">@ND 26 - #9 Pitt 17</a> -- a big momentum win for the Irish as Devine's defending champs stumbled out of the gate, losing their first two...2 close wins over unranked foes followed...beating top 10 Pitt changed the course of the season...I believe a young Keith Jackson is the announcer on this <a href="http://www.veoh.com/watch/v16389627bnhjtgD3?h1=1978+Pitt+at+Notre+Dame" target="_blank">highlight reel</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>1989</b>: @#1 ND 45 - #7 Pitt 7 -- 2nd week in a row Holtz faced a top 10 team...impressive focus<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u>When Ranked Rivals Meet, It's Almost Always Memorable </u></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAeeiy3usQ1-Yjq-ImeXz-ifEkNbwfF3FppVP_5gcPOX0AUxD3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAeeiy3usQ1-Yjq-ImeXz-ifEkNbwfF3FppVP_5gcPOX0AUxD3" width="200" /></a></div>
<b style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">1970</b><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">: @USC 38 - #4 ND 28 -- Irish bring sterling 9-0 record to Colosseum for final regular season game...Joe Theesman throws for an Irish record 526 yards, but also has 5 denards, I mean turnovers...championship dreams down the denard</span><br />
<b>1978</b>: @#3 USC 27 - #8 ND 25 -- Irish rode 8-game winning streak out to LA...Montana leads a furious 4th quarter comeback (sound familiar?), but miss out on the 2-point conversion on the go-ahead score...clinging to a 1 point lead, ND's defense has to hold prevent the Trojans from getting into field goal range in 45 seconds...in what appears to be a forced fumble recovered by the Irish, officials rule incomplete...USC kicks FG with 4 seconds left and goes on to win national championship</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>1980</b>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuS8avaQEE" target="_blank">@#17 USC 20 - #2 ND 3</a> -- the nightmare happens again as undefeated Irish (9-0-1) travels to LA for Coach Devine's final regular season game, only to be upended by an inferior Trojan team</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u>When You Go For Two and the Win, Only to Come Up Short, It's a Memorable Coaching Decision</u></b></div>
<b>1987</b>: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/22/sports/college-football-penn-state-stops-notre-dame-21-20.html" target="_blank">@Penn St 21 - #7 ND 20</a> -- when everyone is frozen to the core, might as well try to go home winners...you're already miserably cold...ranks #10 on Penn State's top moments in Beaver Stadium history...so this game has that going for it...which is nice?<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Drama Unfolds on Rocky Top, It's Heart-Stoppingly Memorable</u></b><br />
<b>1990</b>: <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1990-11-11/sports/sp-6107_1_notre-dame" target="_blank">#1 ND 34 - @#9 Tennessee 29</a> -- a great spectacle at Neyland between two top 10 teams...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIZZ0HvPlYg" target="_blank">gracious Rocket was fast..."He is special"</a>...some awfully awful puns in there as well.<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Heisman Winners Burst Onto the Scene with Heisman Moments</u></b><br />
<b>1987</b>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HctshQMAMNg" target="_blank">@#9 ND 31 - #17 MSU 8</a> -- Tim Brown took two punts to paydirt, kickstarting his Heisman campaign in the 2nd game of the season versus the eventual Big 10 champs.<br />
<b>1991</b>: @#3 Michigan 24 - #7 ND 14 -- Grbac to Desmond...I'll spare you the video highlights<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Top 10 Showdowns End in Frivolous Ties</u></b><br />
<b>1992</b>: @#3 ND 17 - #6 Michigan 17 -- Reggie Brooks TD run alone should have earned a spot in the field of 68, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J6qHluZGWo" target="_blank">if he remembered it</a>...Holtz <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/13/sports/college-football-notre-dame-and-michigan-sputter-at-the-end-to-a-17-17-tie.html" target="_blank">channeled '66 Parseghian's conservative play-calling</a>, but these were vastly different circumstances and the home crowd wanted to walk out victorious<br />
<br />
<b><u>When <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esL0SfF8bZo" target="_blank">2-Heisman Hype</a> Finally Plays His First Game, It's Definitely Memorable for Beano</u></b><br />
<b>1994</b>: <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1994-09-04/sports/sp-34606_1_notre-dame" target="_blank">#3 ND 42 - Northwestern 15</a> (@Soldier Field) -- Ron Powlus' 1st day under center wearing the gold and blue: 18-24, 291 yards, 4 TDs...Beano's words looked prophetic<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Perennial Doormats Shock the Country En Route to a Historic Season</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://confessionsofasportsjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/nd-northwestern-1995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://confessionsofasportsjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/nd-northwestern-1995.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>1995</b>: Northwestern 17 - @#9 ND 15 -- <a href="http://hailtopurple.com/features/greatgames.html" target="_blank">one NU website ranks this the greatest game in Wildcat history</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>When Backup QB's Almost Win the Orange Bowl</u></b><br />
<b>1995</b>: <a href="http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/95season/nd-m-fb-95bowl-gs.html" target="_blank">#6 Florida St 31 - #8 ND 26</a> -- Tom Krug had the Irish up 26-14, but the defense fell apart late as Danny Kanell, off all people, was just too good<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Coach Authors Time Management for Dummies</u></b><br />
<b>1999: </b><a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-09-05/sports/9909050288_1_jarious-jackson-tight-end-jabari-holloway-notre-dame" target="_blank">@#7 Michigan 26 - #16 ND 22</a> -- I hope <a href="http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2013/01/31/where-are-they-now-bobby-brown/" target="_blank">Bobby Brown</a> still commemorates life's great moments with <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-09-11/sports/9909110091_1_notre-dame-bobby-brown-fraternity" target="_blank">"excessive" celebration</a>...this game birthed the legend of Tom Brady, up to that point, Tom Who? <br />
<b>1999</b>: @#20 Purdue 28 - #16 ND 23 -- like it or not, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Upjv70JeQ" target="_blank">the Bob Davie Era can be summed up with this</a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u>When Mother Nature Has the Home Team in a 6-Team Parlay</u></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>1999</b>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7EmLTX7cAQ" target="_blank">@ND 25 - USC 24</a> -- Once the 2nd half started, the winds changed, the rain picked up, the students bared all and Southern Cal knew it wasn't their day</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u>When A Starved Fan Base Exults in Momentous Rivalry Victories</u></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>2002</b>: @#20 ND 25 - #3 Michigan 23 -- the smoke and mirrors victories of Ty's "Return to Glory" were extraordinarily satisfying and chock full of suspenseful drama...they just ring a little hollow in hindsight</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>2002</b>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC-0S1eVUuk" target="_blank">#12 ND 21 - @MSU 17</a> -- Pat Dillingham to Arnaz Battle...the most unlikeliest of game-winning catch-and-runs</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b><u>When Bad Coaching is Syndicated for Re-Runs</u></b><br />
<b>2002</b>: @#6 USC 44 - #7 ND 13 -- Return to Glo....oh dear what happened<br />
<b>2003</b>: #5 USC 45 - @ND 14 -- mismatch central<br />
<b>2004</b>: @#1 USC 41 - ND 10 -- thankfully this 3rd deja-vu experience earned Tyrone his cushy severance package<br />
<br />
<b><u>When the Only Game You've Ever Walked Out in Disgust Happens</u></b><br />
<b>2004</b>: #15 Purdue 41 - @ ND 16 -- 1st Boiler win in South Bend since 1974, and it wasn't even Drew Brees making mincemeat of the defense...lowlights include a 100-yard kickoff and 97-yard pass...the mad dash for Legends began in the 3rd quarter<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Bad Coaching Surprises Fans with One Last Victory</u></b><br />
<b>2004</b>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0zFu0wGwCA" target="_blank">ND 17 - @#9 Tennessee 14</a> -- Mike Goolsby's finest moment in an Irish jersey...witnessing this triumph in Rocky Top was the cherry on top a weekend that was going to be marvelous regardless...can't wait to return to Neyland and tailgating on boats...best fans in the country<br />
<br />
<b><u>When You Cross Off a Victory in Ann Arbor From the Bucket List and Never Have to Visit That Stadium Again</u></b><br />
<b>2005</b>: #20 ND 17 - @#3 Michigan 10 -- sitting two rows behind Darius Walker's parents made this afternoon all the more special<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Securing a BCS Bid is the Prize for an Electric Finish</u></b><br />
<b>2005</b>: <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=253300024" target="_blank">#6 ND 38 - @Stanford 31</a> -- video game stats all around in Palo Alto, including a monster day from Darius Walker, who sealed victory <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUYPsghhbig" target="_blank">with this game-winning rumble</a>...ND out-gained Cardinal by 300+ total yards and 16 first downs, yet still needed to rally at the end<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>When Tate Forcier Becomes a Household Name (Uggh)</u></b><br />
<b>2009</b>: @#18 Michigan 38 - ND 34 -- thinking about this game makes me want to punch cinder blocks<br />
<br />
<b><u>When Rick Moranis Classics Inspire Game-Winning Play Calls</u></b><br />
<b>2010</b>: @ Michigan St 34 - ND 31 -- Little Giants, enough said<br />
<br />
<b><u>When ND Stadium Evacuates and Mid-Game Tailgating in the Law School Happens</u></b><br />
<b>2011</b>: USF 23 - @#16 ND 20 -- a surreal gameday experience that overshadowed the rather awful performance on the field<br />
<br />
<br />Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-87781327851842463832013-05-02T10:01:00.001-05:002013-05-02T10:01:46.847-05:00Technical Difficulties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002857555/4441438676_no_voting_400_answer_101_xlarge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002857555/4441438676_no_voting_400_answer_101_xlarge.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
If you haven't noticed by now, the poll widget on the right is FUBAR. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We certainly want to thank those of you who have been stopping by and casting their vote in this exciting experiment. Any momentum that's building with Irish Madness is getting defiantly <a href="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/C_0fyUYB3cA?ytsession=gu53KVT1iyBtta0SlCFOOVKREbYJRDOp_PhL9VOc5Skwwqo5icVMBTQj4EW9TATKtzANsp6z4Dbl4kF1gpshux8fmGthMVpnxi_sGop64GOC9ifuzxK3xQJMYLHNj3aiug2r_wk8RqyWDtTzKU4ZmA" target="_blank">Mutombo'd</a> by a widget glitch that refuses to tabulate votes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We're actively looking to correct the problem, but after a diagnostic check by a well-respected computer doctor (who also found several other sites experiencing the same problem), Blogger doesn't appear to offer any viable fixes. So we may go Art Modell on everyone, pack up shop and move to another platform. Stay tuned for more info. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Don't give up on Irish Madness - your votes will be heard!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-63242366569231899952013-04-30T14:35:00.002-05:002013-04-30T23:05:23.816-05:00Irish Madness Round 1: Angelo Bertelli & Johnny Lujack Sub-Regionals<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In case you're just joining us, <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2013/04/irish-madness-quest-for-most-memorable.html" target="_blank">here's a brief introduction to bring you up to speed, complete with the full bracket</a>, followed up with the <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2013/04/irish-madness-16-seed-play-in-matchups.html" target="_blank">#16 seed play-in matchup breakdowns</a> that were voted on last week.* We now roll into the opening four Round 1 matchups. S</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ince we made the difficult (but necessary for actual remembrance sake) choice to preclude the pre-60's games, a</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> different ND star of yore title-sponsors each sub-regional. Last thing we want to do is dismiss the players this proud program was built on. That said, we've got some matchups to break down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">*Dealing with some technical difficulties regarding the final vote tallies. My unscientific diagnosis is a website "cookies" issue as I can't find a computer that has the final results - they all show only 5 votes. At one point in the voting frenzy, I know there were double digits votes entered. Working on a solution. For the time being, I'm going with the presumptive winners, though none should matter once they face a #1 seed.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.todayinndhistory.com/images/1966_msu_program.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.todayinndhistory.com/images/1966_msu_program.JPG" width="154" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>(#1)<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1079307/" target="_blank"> 1966: #1 ND 10 - @#2 Michigan State 10</a> vs. (#16)</b> <b><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312530130" style="color: #400058; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">2011: @Michigan 35 - ND 31</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span>
Play-in round winner of the UM Nightmare Finish showdown, Denard & the Gang's "prize" is a match with one of the most legendary <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNw-Kio70W8" target="_blank">Game of the Centuries</a> in college football history, the 1966 classic at Spartan Stadium. There's plenty to say about this game, but pretty sure the flowery praise can wait at least another round. No #1 seed has lost in March Madness, and I don't think a #1 seed will be losing in Irish Madness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Enjoy stomping your older brother this go-round Sparty. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><b>(#8) <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/games/2006-09-24-notredame-michiganstate_x.htm" target="_blank">2006: #12 ND 40 - @MSU 37</a> vs. (#9) <a href="http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=207324769" target="_blank">1977: #5 ND 21 - @#15 Clemson 17</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b>
A true generational divide showdown. On one hand you've got a dramatic come-from-behind road victory against an unranked rival in a season whose hopes were dashed the week prior. On the other hand, you've got a dramatic road victory against a ranked southern power school as the last true test in a still-undefeated campaign. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiZ_f-eiIzKd6Hu683lpypEwuL9MjXkYum9Jwe9jghpbh44j30bA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiZ_f-eiIzKd6Hu683lpypEwuL9MjXkYum9Jwe9jghpbh44j30bA" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There's scant Googleable info recounting ND's first ever trip to Death Valley the Lesser (is there an unspoken understanding in the South that differentiates between LSU's Death Valley and Clemson's Death Valley? Phil, I assume you know this or can readily find out). Talent abounded on both rosters as <a href="http://tigerpregameshow.blogspot.com/2012/09/september-13th-clemson-historic-picture.html" target="_blank">36 players from this game ended up playing in the NFL</a>. Joe Montana did Joe Montana things, erasing a 10-point 4th quarter deficit to eek out victory and preserve the team's title aspirations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2006/09/23/topper-nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="114" src="http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2006/09/23/topper-nd.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fast forward to 2006 and Charlie Weis' squad is licking their wounds after an embarrassing home loss to Michigan. Sparty Stadium is never fun to play in, especially night games with a driving rain storm staring down a 21-37 4th quarter drubbing and long bus ride home. That's when <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlHzjbIR6Rw" target="_blank">Leprechaun magic</a> created one of the more riveting comebacks in recent memory. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Only one of these victories prompted the losing side to invoke <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWmXe1w6XBk" target="_blank">Teddy Ruxbin, H.R. Pufnstuf and applesauce</a> as coping mechanisms (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjbI8HAaMds" target="_blank">there's even a bonus Valenti rant</a> - "The whole country's laughing at us!"). The greatest radio meltdown of all time comes close to trumping the memorable game itself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(#5) <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/02/sports/college-football-notre-dame-ground-game-leaves-gators-gasping.html" target="_blank">1991: #18 ND 39 - #3 Florida 28</a> vs. (#12) <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1079094/1/index.htm" target="_blank">1966: #6 @ND 26 - #8 Purdue 14</a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The last game of the ’91 season steps
into the ring against the first game of the championship ’66 season. First, some words on the throwback game. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="http://www.sportsartifacts.com/fb66ndpurdue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.sportsartifacts.com/fb66ndpurdue.JPG" width="155" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Those of us born in the 80’s and
beyond attribute only fleeting success for the Purdue program during Joe
Tiller’s heyday. But back in the 60’s,
Purdue was a perennial force to be reckoned with. Yes, I wrote that sentence with a straight
face. It’s true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Short Tangent #1:</b> The Jack
Mollenkopf (how does any recruit not answer the phone when JACK MOLLENKOPF is
on the line?) Era witnessed the longest tenured coach in the school’s 123-year
program, as well as the winningest coach (84 wins is Darren Hazell’s target
number for West Lafayette immortality…not the greatest city to never have to
pay for a beer). In the decade of the
60’s alone, Mollenkipf’s teams went 65-28-3 for a sterling .677 winning
percentage, including 6 seasons of AP top 20 year-end ranks. The Boilermakers produced 14 All-Americans
during the decade and finished 3<sup>rd</sup> place or higher six times in the
Big Ten standings. A guy by the name of
Bob Griese started wearing the black and gold in 1964. As a junior the following year, Griese led
Purdue to a 7-2-1 mark, the most wins in a season since 1945. He’d go on to finish 8<sup>th</sup> in the
Heisman voting in 1965. Purdue went 9-2
in 1966 to cap off Griese’s career, beating USC in the Rose Bowl, the program’s
first ever bowl game. Steve Spurrier edged Griese for the Heisman, a
“bridesmaid trend” over the next few years as Purdue RB Leroy Keyes finished 3<sup>rd</sup>
(1967) and 2<sup>nd</sup> (1968 – OJ Simpson winner) and QB Mike Phipps finished
2<sup>nd</sup> (1969). Hold up, let me
get this straight - - 3 different Purdue players in 4 years finished runner-up
as the most outstanding player in the country?! What was in the West Lafayette water? Along with these great individual accomplishments,
the team went 8-2 in 3 consecutive seasons to close out the decade, earning Big
Ten co-champs in 1967. Quite an
impressive run that virtually nobody outside the state of Indiana knows
about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There was nothing short about
that tangent, but don’t you feel the slightest more educated about ND’s
longtime, <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20130428/SPORTS0602/304280050/Big-Ten-scheduling-likely-affect-Purdue-Notre-Dame-series" target="_blank">soon-to-not-be-scheduled</a> rival? If whatever the go-to blog for Purdue football doesn't link to this post, they're doing their program a disservice. You're welcome Boilermaker Nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bringing the discussion back to Irish
relevance, Purdue dominated the decade against its in-state northern
rival, winning 7 out of 10 games, including 4 times in Ara’s first 6
seasons. From 1965-1968, ND and PU were both ranked in the top 10 for their annual early season square off. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0uedvdM5e4" target="_blank">The ’66 contest found the Irish seeking revenge [Video Highlights]</a> following the 1965 game in which #1 ND traveled to Purdue and lost by
4. (<b>Short tangent #2:</b> The Boilermakers have beaten
the #1 team in the country 7 times! Only
ND and Oklahoma have more top-ranked takedowns). The 14 points allowed by the ND defense in
this opener would be the most given up all season, with the MSU tie being the
only other double-digit surrender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A lot of words for a memorable
game that’s likely to get steamrolled in the vote by a bowl game of recent vintage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://125.nd.edu/assets/89011/original/path_fp_1992_florida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://125.nd.edu/assets/89011/original/path_fp_1992_florida.jpg" width="153" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The ’91 Sugar Bowl (yes,
technically in 1992, but it was the ’91 season) redeemed a late season tailspin
of the Tennessee collapse and a no-show in Happy Valley against a top 10 Penn
State team. <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1992-01-01/sports/sp-1125_1_notre-dame" target="_blank">Nobody gave the Irish a chance in New Orleans [LA Times game preview]</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9j074-SF98" target="_blank">things didn't exactly start well [Video Highlights]</a> as the Gators jumped to an early 13-0 lead in the 2nd quarter. Thankfully, Florida repeatedly shot themselves in the foot, settling for field goals and Shane Matthews lobbing inexplicable interceptions in the end zone. But the Irish offense couldn't get anything going, totaling 34 1st half yards on the ground. Being the butt of
every bowl game joke and doing nothing about it was all the motivation Holtz needed at half time. That and turning The Bus loose on the worn-down Gators. The final 30 minutes belonged to the away jerseyed Irish, who incorporated green numbers for added motivation. As the players carried Holtz off the field in triumph, the doubters were silenced. And yes, for historical perspective, this game marks the last time Notre Dame bested the SEC champs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>(#4) </b><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/gameflash/2012/10/27/49680/index.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">2012: #5 ND 31 - #8 @Oklahoma 13</a><b> vs. (#13) </b><a href="http://www.fanbase.com/article/november-6%2c-1982%2c-notre-dame-%285-1-1%29/35538" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">1982: ND 31 - #1 @Pitt 16</a><b> </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">and <a href="http://www.fanbase.com/article/november-6%2c-1982%2c-notre-dame-%285-1-1%29/35537" target="_blank">Part 2 of the game recap</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/909/664/marino-old-school_display_image.jpg?1304395445" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/909/664/marino-old-school_display_image.jpg?1304395445" width="165" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Two tremendous <span style="line-height: 115%;">Irish
road victories waging battle in this 1st round.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Gerry Faust’s unranked squad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av4-MFcB_3M" target="_blank">delivered a surprising performance on the road against Dan Marino, upsetting the #1 Panthers [Video Highlights]</a>. Marino should have just started making Isotoner commercials in the post-game presser and spared himself the career underachiever label that was to come. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At the beginning of the 4th, down 13-10, Coach Faust dialed up a daring flea-flicker. For that specific play package, Faust subbed out frosh phenom Allen Pinkett because Pinkett had problems with the pitch in practice. So in came senior tri-captain Phil Carter to execute the trick play. The resulting 54-yard TD strike couldn't have been scripted better. It was QB Blair Kiel (yes, Gunner's uncle) longest completion of the season. Pitt added a FG to make it 17-16 Irish. Then, with just over 8:00 minutes to go, the freshman sensation Pinkett showed why he supplanted his senior counterpart with a 76-yard cutback TD run that cemented the upset bid. Pinkett added an insurance touchdown four minutes later to complete the "rout."</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Irish probably shouldn't have been out of the polls for this one. Two weeks prior, they stood at 5-0, with two top-20 wins over Michigan and Miami on their resume. A home loss as time expired to unranked Arizona, followed by a road tie to unranked Oregon prompted voters to drop the 5-1-1 Irish outside the rankings. The unexpected takedown of Pitt vaulted ND back to #13, to which they responded by losing their last 3 contests. The mercurial season rationalizes its lower seed here, but beating #1 is always memorable.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Gerry Faust's shining moment has its hands full with quite possibly the crowned jewel game of this past remarkable season. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Oklahoma showdown in Norman turned out to be the "pinch me" moment for 2012. Surviving several close calls to Purdue, Michigan, Stanford and BYU were undoubtedly feel good wins, but for a program with championship aspirations, a lightning rod victory was needed. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi3tyg1m0tI" style="line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">Emphatically knocking off the Sooners</a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> convinced all Irish fans that they could believe a trip to Miami was very real and possible. If Manti doesn't play like an unadulterated madman, he likely doesn't get invited to New York as a Heisman finalist. Best of all, BCS dreams were a reality.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 115%;"><i>*Revised Tuesday, 10:46 pm. Thanks to <a href="http://www.boiledsports.com/" target="_blank">Boiled Sports</a> blog for the correction on Coach Mollenkopf's correct spelling. Happy to see Boiler Nation is reading. <a href="http://www.fanbase.com/article/november-6%2c-1982%2c-notre-dame-%285-1-1%29/35538" target="_blank">http://www.fanbase.com/article/november-6%2c-1982%2c-notre-dame-%285-1-1%29/35538</a></i></span></div>
Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-84554783075033119072013-04-24T00:50:00.002-05:002013-04-24T00:50:39.741-05:00Irish Madness: #16 Seed Play-In Matchups<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We're off and running out of the blocks with 4 matchups pitting #16 seeds against each other for the distinction of meeting a #1 seed in the official Round 1. We here at WeIsND use common sense in referring to the numerical rounds of competition, unlike some other "Madness" tournaments. But that's neither here nor there - let's get to some matchup breakdowns!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxIT_uHxPnc" target="_blank">1963: Syracuse 14 - ND 7</a> vs. <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/college/animosity-between-miami-and-notre-dame-may-have-st/nLnqK/" target="_blank">1985: @#4 Miami 58 - ND 7</a></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Notre-Dame-vs-Syracuse-Football-Program-11-25-63-NCAA-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/swsAAOxyQj9RKl8c/$T2eC16VHJHEE9ny2rTo9BRKl8cfQww~~60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Notre-Dame-vs-Syracuse-Football-Program-11-25-63-NCAA-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/swsAAOxyQj9RKl8c/$T2eC16VHJHEE9ny2rTo9BRKl8cfQww~~60_57.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Leading off with some throw back games that share a common thread - both happened to be the last on the sideline for their respective coaches. Joe Kuharich's tenure came to a merciful end at the hands of the Orangemen (nice to see programs crossed the p.c. line back in the 60's). Renowned as the only Notre Dame coach with a losing record, Kuharich stumbled to a 17-23 mark over 4 seasons from 1959-1963. His overall winning percentage could have been worse seeing as the week before the Syracuse game, ND's game against Iowa was cancelled in the wake of the JFK assassination. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If you didn't click on the link above with the score of the game - do so now for some terrific old reel footage of the game. Your ears will perk at 0:20 when Syracuse's fullback's name is given. I imagine Kuharich's players could have guessed he wouldn't be returning for the '64 season, but at least they gave the throngs of fans that packed Yankee Stadium a nice diversion from the national tragedy, as the announcer remarks, "The South Benders are playing inspired football." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On the other side of the overmatched coach playoff stands Gerry Faust, who amassed a 30-26-1 mark in 5 seasons, but gets credit for leaving some bowls and silverware in the cupboard for Coach Lou. And for recruiting Tim Brown. As for the blowout in South Beach, I'll let Jeremy describe its memorableness:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"’85 Miami was a terribly miserable game for any ND fan. But the reason why it probably takes this matchup is that it helped to stoke the flames and led to what became perhaps the most heated football college football rivalry of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The teams only played a handful of times during that stretch, but every game felt like the fate of the world rested upon the outcome. Good vs. Evil. Catholics vs. Convicts. And Lou could always point back to the 1985 game any time he wanted to stir up the Lads and inflame their emotions."</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So do you like your exiting coaches to go out with the semblance of a fight or a complete thud? A loss that rings in the Era of Era or a loss that gives birth to a truly riveting, albeit short-lived rivalry. You decide. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=302540087" target="_blank">2010: Michigan 28 - @ND 24</a> vs. <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312530130" target="_blank">2011: @Michigan 35 - ND 31</a></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Two classic "memorable for all the wrong reasons" games. Choose your weapon of Denard destruction as back-to-back heart-wrenchers welcomed Brian Kelly's first two meetings in this rivalry. Both crushing comebacks occurred inside of 30 seconds, ripping victory away in the same manner UM's weasel mascot steals breakfast from the gentle marmot. The 2010 game lacked the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSZeKhPMlXc" target="_blank">spectacular back and forth see-sawing of leads</a> that the 2011 game delivered. But what '10 lacked in theatrics, it made up for in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPyMD1A0SzU" target="_blank">pure, unadulterated brain farts</a>. Exhibit A: Denard 87-yard run untouched. Exhibit B: Kyle Rudolph slips past secondary for 95-yard go-ahead TD. Exhibit C: BK's QB roulette was in full bloom with 3 untested signal callers getting the opportunity to underwhelm. Particularly love the last plays of each half with Nate Montana and Dayne Crist throwing the final jump ball attempt a combined 27 yards deep of the end zone. Wowzers. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
As for the 2011 game...you know what, I've written too much about these nightmares. The less I write and you think about either of these games, the better. One must advance, but the cruel fate of getting pummeled by their in-state brethren awaits. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<b><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005660/1/index.htm" target="_blank">1994: #6 Michigan 26 - @#3 ND 24</a> vs. <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-09-29/sports/9609290148_1_notre-dame-stadium-autry-denson-ron-powlus" target="_blank">1996: #4 Ohio St 29 @#5 ND 16</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>
</span><a href="http://141.211.39.65/fbprogs/ljpeg/1994nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://141.211.39.65/fbprogs/ljpeg/1994nd.jpg" width="154" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When top 10 heavyweight programs square off in the House That Rock Built, magic is often in the air. Unfortunately, these two Saturdays mixed the wrong potion and ended up with black magic spoiling the day. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
I vividly recall watching the '94 Michigan game (the last time both schools squared off both ranked in the top 10, btw) in the parking lot of a Ft. Wayne high school parking lot in between matches of a high school tennis invitational. What I don't remember is how much punishment I handed out to my next opponent in my inconsolable state after Todd Collins bested Ron Powlus in The Shootout in South Bend. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ9yM-RZv7g" target="_blank">Derrick Mayes's corkscrew turning TD grab</a> is one of the greatest clutch catches I've ever seen. Listen to the announcer positively gushing about Powlus. It's as if Beano Cook is in the production van singing Powlus sweet nothings in his earpiece. For such euphoria to be swept away as time expires by the leg of Remy Freaking Hamilton still galls me. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1996 turned out to be Holtz's swan song. If this game had turned out differently, maybe the team marches on to contend for the title...maybe Lou doesn't leave...maybe a better succession plan than DC Bob Davie gets worked out... who knows. The Irish had just gone to Austin and stolen a victory from #6 Texas, with another top 5 foe waiting for them the following week. Except <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIEz-X4SaeU" target="_blank">the Buckeyes were the better team</a>, immediately, running back the opening kickoff inside the 15-yard line. It seemed all downhill from there as the drama on the field never matched the fanfare of hosting Ohio State for the first time since the 1935 Game of the Century. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<b><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1140275/" target="_blank">1991: #13 Tennessee 35 - @#5 ND 34</a> vs. <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273070087" target="_blank">2007: Navy 46 - @ND 44</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Notre-Dame-Tennessee-1991-Official-Football-Program-/10/!Bv6LZjQCWk~$(KGrHqMOKkUEwQ7)2kckBMGj07nlb!~~_35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Notre-Dame-Tennessee-1991-Official-Football-Program-/10/!Bv6LZjQCWk~$(KGrHqMOKkUEwQ7)2kckBMGj07nlb!~~_35.JPG" width="155" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Two down to the wire finishes that stand at opposite ends of the memorable spectrum. If underdogs and sportsmanship and swaying and frozen ropes of snot and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-omvi9ZvgSc" target="_blank">streak-stoppers</a> and hitting rock bottom as a program appeals to you, the '07 loss to the Midshipmen amidst the Losingest Season Ever checks all the boxes. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
On the other hand, the "The Miracle in South Bend," as Rocky Toppers affectionately refer to this '91 game, was exceptionally high caliber. The Irish happened to be on the wrong end of a comeback for the ages. When Rick Mirer takes a long sack off of a broken play, it sets up a longer than it should have been field goal for Craig Hentrich. Big deal, we thought in the stands, sitting comfortably on a 31-7 near the end of the 1st half. The field goal was blocked, Hentrich was injured (he couldn't kick the game winning FG with :04 left) and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRhyQurPMYE" target="_blank">momentum decided to wear orange from there on out</a>. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>
<b> * * * * *</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>
Those are your play-in game matchups. Which resonate more with you? Cast your vote on the right side of the page, leave your comments here or send Tweets to @WeIsNotreDame, spread the word about #IrishMadness and check back in the coming days for more matchup breakdowns and the next batch of memorable games to vote on. </span>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-15613625953951248782013-04-24T00:42:00.000-05:002013-04-24T00:42:43.993-05:00Irish Madness - The Quest for the Most Memorable ND Football GameIt's been more than 4 months since ND played for the National Championship. The Blue-Gold game is now in our rearview mirror. To keep ND football in the forefront and piggyback on the glow of the magical 2012 season, we've created an entertaining experiment: a 4-region bracket tournament that decides once, and until the next time someone does this, The Most Memorable Game in Notre Dame Football History*<br />
<br />
Of course we'll hang an asterisk on this endeavor from the get-go. Since very few, if anyone who may actually read this, have first-hand memories of the Rockne and Leahy dynasties, we limited the pool of entrants to the last 5 decades of ND football. So 1960 is the first year our selection committee considered. To equitably fill the bracket, each decade received 13 games each, with 3 wildcard selections rounding out a full 68-game bracket.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFRxQEdjFVtSoDddnuI0Mu1kD4QuMV2s2AH29wkm9jgwAK6cjK_x_eFBHQI_7wZIvKNi1gAVpSuccBV3CE4APjxtDLKHCUQilTbj_eVMFZ2Nhs8J2Fn-kvPtDCMoRhywDWwLA1Q/s1600/Irish+Madness+Bracket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFRxQEdjFVtSoDddnuI0Mu1kD4QuMV2s2AH29wkm9jgwAK6cjK_x_eFBHQI_7wZIvKNi1gAVpSuccBV3CE4APjxtDLKHCUQilTbj_eVMFZ2Nhs8J2Fn-kvPtDCMoRhywDWwLA1Q/s320/Irish+Madness+Bracket.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Fittingly, the four #1 seed games represent the last four championship seasons of 1966, 1973, 1977 and 1988. Since "Memorable" doesn't discriminate between victory and defeat (though certainly we remember more <i>fondly</i> the wins), 19 Irish losses litter the bracket, some even "favorites" in early rounds, according to seed. Did some memorable games not make the cut? Of course. Not surprisingly, the "snubs" were mainly games of recent vintage, many of which were stinging losses of varying pain thresholds. But we feel confident the selection committee chose the most appropriate games for the bracket. For giggles, we'll even post a "snub" list of the top 25 snubbed games for them to stew about in their media guides.<br />
<br />
As you can see on the right side of the page, there are multiple polls of matchups, the first of which are the four play-in matchups pitting all #16 seeds striving for sacrificial lamb status in the main draw. As the bracket progresses, we'll keep updating the voting windows with new matchups and welcome you back often to continue casting your deciding vote on the games you think are the most memorable. What makes memorable you ask? All in the eye of the beholder. <br />
<br />
There's "memorable" for all the right reasons, like the '92 Snow Bowl with its unforgettable <a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQkGrBaEKZvaIcq1AcSqeXeXoRI3_OBeAcm6MLHPUZFd7jd4mKh" target="_blank">images</a>, and there's "memorable" for all the wrong reasons, like Navy ending their ignominious losing streak in 2007. This bracket brings you games of all kinds: heavyweight bowl game showdowns, top 10 rivalry grudge matches, riveting comebacks, equally riveting comebacks that fall just short, plays that take your breath away, drama that unfolds in waves, challenges for the #1 throne, with more than a couple #1 vs. #2 armageddon-type stakes. <br />
<br />
These are the games that spin generational yarns, eliciting a touch of embellishment with each re-telling. These are the games that crystallize those "I remember when..." moments, lending a personal gravitas to the memories of a game that you'd never trade. These are the games that you witnessed in person with your dad, or watched with your uncles in the den, or a group of buddies at the pub, and still talk about that day in reverential tones. These are the games that define Notre Dame coaches and players' legacies. <br />
<br />
These games are the reason you meet Shawn Wooden backstage at an Umphrey's McGee show and instead of saying "A pleasure to meet you, I enjoyed watching you play" you shout "Bat it down! Batted down!" And he relishes every second of the encounter that detours down memory lane...at least I think he did. <br />
<br />
So enjoy this experiment and the blasts from the past, both near and far. Please carry on any and all arguments/cheers of support in the comments section of each matchup breakdown and on Twitter: @WeIsNotreDame #IrishMadness <br />
<br />
<br />Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-37118949374518070992013-03-01T10:13:00.000-06:002013-03-01T10:13:02.574-06:00Conference Tournament Preview!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The calendar has turned to March, so we are quickly approaching my favorite time of the sports year:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>March Madness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the casual fan, the term “March Madness” refers strictly to the NCAA Tournament, which, to be sure, is one of the greatest sporting events of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, however, the NCAA Tournament takes a backseat to conference tournaments, which are unparalleled in terms of excitement, unpredictability and drama.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why do I love conference tournaments more than the NCAA Tournament?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try these on for size:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Dream:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone (in general) is still alive and can dream of running the table to make the NCAA Tournament, then winning it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Culmination</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a hardcore fan following all of the regular season conference races, this is an opportunity to watch the action of January and February come to a stirring conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Familiarity Breeds Contempt</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conference tournaments provide another opportunity for old rivals to duke it out in a neutral site setting, as opposed to the interleague approach of the NCAAs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Familiarity Breeds Love</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mismatches occur in both types of postseason play, but I would much rather watch a lower seeded major conference team that I have been watching all year than some small conference tomato can.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Better Post-Upset Matchups</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teams are more evenly matched in the conference tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a #15 seed beats a #2 seed in the Big Dance, my first thought is “Well, this sucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to watch Norfolk State in the next round.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a conference tournament, you can say, “Awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe Washington State can get hot and make some noise against Arizona.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Love of the Game</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People tend to deride the conference tournaments as meaningless, but the lack of a prize can make it so much more meaningful when, for example, two teams that are locked into a high seed are going toe-to-toe for nothing else than pride and love of school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Purity</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During conference tournaments, I don’t have amateurs telling me about their uncle’s pool or waving brackets in my face<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (</span>PSA:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the only thing more annoying than hearing about your brackets is hearing about your fantasy football team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not my opinion; it is an incontrovertible fact).</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Action</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More games means more gambling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the Thursday of conference tournament week, the wall-to-wall action runs from dusk to dawn in all corners of this fine country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truly a beautiful thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, I am sad that, for the second consecutive year, I will not be in Las Vegas, which is the undisputed epicenter of conference tournament week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the Pac-12 Tournament moving to Las Vegas this year, Sin City is now hosting four conference tournaments in 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with live action, Vegas, of course, features unlimited viewing, gambling and drinking options, which always makes for a glorious four or five days.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rather than previewing the tournaments, I am instead going to rank each major conference tournament from most favorite to least favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind that picking a “least favorite” conference tournament is like selecting a least favorite Rolls Royce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, we’re dealing with varying degrees of awesomeness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SEC Tournament (rotating sites; principally in Atlanta, GA, but also recently in Tampa, FL, New Orleans, LA and Nashville, TN)</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">-</b> The gold standard of wacky, nutty and downright zany outcomes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From tornadoes to Renardos (as in Balkman, of South Carolina’s miracle run to the final in 2006) to Varnardos (as in Jarvis, shot blocking virtuoso from Mississippi State), the fun never stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix in massive numbers of full throated Kentuckians descending upon “Catlanta,” or this year in Music City, and you’ve got a reliable recipe for down home excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any event, some things are difficult to explain and my undying love for SEC hoops is one of those things.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Florida<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possible Cinderella:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arkansas</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img height="240" id="il_fi" src="http://www.nationofblue.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12123&d=1343246254" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Big East Tournament (New York, NY)</b>- When you bring great players and legendary coaches together in the World’s Most Famous Arena, you necessarily get unforgettable moments, which makes it so sad that this tournament will never be the same again after the Big East dissolves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The memories are indelibly etched in my mind:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ray Allen’s friendly rim jumper over Allan Iverson, Gerry McNamara’s amazing run of buzzer beaters, Colin Falls with the buzzer beating 3 against West Virginia, 6 overtimes between Syracuse and Connecticut, DaSean Butler with back-to-back game winners (punctuated by the “The Butler Did It Again” call from the incredible Sean McDonough) and the inimitable Kemba Walker helping UConn win 5 games in 5 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply put, this is the highest level of play of any conference tournament and it will be dearly missed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Louisville <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possible Cinderella:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providence</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/001/610/222/52583117_display_image.jpg?1322418158" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="169" /><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Big 12 Tournament (principally in Kansas City, MO but also recently at Oklahoma City, OK or Dallas, TX)-</b> Another great tournament with some extremely well played, competitive games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a classic example, look no further than 2007, when star freshman Kevin Durant led Texas to a 32-10 lead, only to see the Kansas Jayhawks come roaring back to win in overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the wildness front, it gets no better than 2003,when Kansas State’s Pervis Pasco intercepted desperation pass and started running off the floor to celebrate a hard fought two point win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for Wildcat fans, there was still two seconds on the clock<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> when Pasco caught the pass, so his premature celebration resulted in a traveling call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a second chance on life, Colorado’s James Wright proceeded to drill a buzzer-beating 3 pointer- off the backboard, no less- for the win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iowa State<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possible Cinderella:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Texas</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="152" data-width="176" height="276" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSdn2MUGo2Cu7xKymc2FwkMOOqlNkBJmhm50LIKGsarzefy9y5" style="height: 152px; width: 176px;" width="320" /><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pac 12 Tournament (formerly in Los Angeles, CA, now in Las Vegas, NV)-</b> The Pac-12 is usually very balanced, which results in plenty of close contests and exciting runs by lower seeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notable moments include Colorado’s miracle run last year, two-time tournament MVP Isaiah Thomas’s cold blooded jumper to sink Arizona in 2011, DeMar DeRozan’s DeLightful run of dominance to score the victory for 6<sup>th</sup> seeded USC and 4<sup>th</sup> seeded Oregon blowing out everyone in 2007.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relocation to Vegas should make things even more exciting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>California <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possible Cinderella:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USC</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img height="213" id="il_fi" src="http://pac-12.com/DesktopModules/DigArticle/MediaHandler.ashx?portalid=0&moduleid=892&mediaid=1739&width=630&height=354" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ACC Tournament (principally in Greensboro, NC) -</b> There are many reasons to respect Duke and their approach to the ACC Tournament is near the top of the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coach K, in contrast to his disciple Mike Brey, has always emphasized the importance of winning the ACC Tournament and his teams have delivered to the tune of 10 titles in 14 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats and the Blue Devils’ winning approach has caused their conference brethren to raise their collective level of play, thereby resulting in some tremendous moments including:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tyler Hansbrough hitting the game winning jumper against Virginia Tech in 2008 (followed by one of the more awkward celebrations ever), Maryland beating Duke in an overtime classic in 2004, Georgia Tech’s near stolen bid in 2010 and, from the way back machine, Randolph Childress delivering a performance for the ages in 1995.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Duke<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Possible Cinderella:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Clemson</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/tyler-hansbrough.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="257" /><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Big Ten Tournament (rotates between Chicago, IL (2013) and Indianapolis, IN)-</b> The Big Ten suffers a bit from its general pace of play and the fact that viewers might be suffering from tournament fatigue by the time the final rolls around on Sunday afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has not, however, been lacking in the buzzer beater department, as seen by Minnesota’s Blake Hoffarber hitting a miracle turnaround three to beat Indiana in 2008 and Evan Turner’s half court bomb to sink Michigan in 2010.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bonus side story:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the day after Turner’s shot, Ohio State was favored by 6 to beat an Illinois team that was squarely on the NCAA bubble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friends and I all took the Buckeyes , who erased a large second half deficit and narrowly escaped two excellent chances for Illinois to win at the end of regulation and the first overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the second overtime, Ohio State hit two late free throws to win by 7 and we all started going crazy, along with other people in the Aria sportsbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among those celebrating were two Illinois fans who had bet on Ohio State and were apparently more happy to win $20 than to see their team make the NCAAs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Illinois was ticketed for the NIT two days later.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indiana<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possible Cinderella:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iowa</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1103/cbb.conference.tournament.heroes/images/evan_turner_michigan.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="213" /><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In addition to the major conferences, I always have a soft spot in my heart for two others:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Missouri Valley Conference (“Arch Madness”) and the Atlantic 10 Tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arch Madness features great basketball fans, a lively venue and many evenly contested teams, while the A10 showcases its impressive depth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latter moves from the Boardwalk in Atlantic City to Brooklyn this year, which offends my traditionalist and nostalgic sensibilities, but with the “Catholic 7” defecting from the Big East, it is clear that turbulent times are ahead for the A10.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Predicted Winners:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Illinois State (MVC) and LaSalle (A10)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possible Cinderellas:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drake (MVC) and Saint Bonaventure (A10)</span></b></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07003108385466740591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-62343077189119637462013-01-04T00:16:00.000-06:002013-01-04T00:16:32.179-06:00WeIsND Roundtable: 2012 Season in Review<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Three Biggest Storylines that Gripped You During 2012 Campaign </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Dan:</b> (1) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Development of Everett Golson: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">While I didn’t boo Tommy Rees when he came on during the Michigan game (I don’t think?), I was certainly very critical of Kelly’s handling of the situation. I continued that way probably up until about the Oklahoma game. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and Kelly played his cards masterfully. Everett is now a clear leader of this offense, he understands when to tuck it and run, and appears to be making much better decisions now than in September. Not to mention, he still has three years left – what an incredibly exciting thought.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">(2) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><u></u>Dominance on defense: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">This one is easy of course. I know our defense is well heralded - #1 scoring defense, incredible red zone efficiency, etc. I think the thing that stands out the most though are only giving up 2 rushing touchdowns all year and only 2 touchdown drives of over 60 yards. Additionally, no drives over 75 yards. No opponent starting inside their own 25 scored a touchdown. That's just an amazing statistic. </span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; margin-left: 1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u>(3) Development of offensive line: A lot of people were nervous when Warriner departed and Heistand took over. That faction appears a bit silly now. The offensive line has gelled to become an incredible unit and a real strength of this offense. The second half against Miami and the entire USC game (between the 20s at least) show just how great this unit is.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Jeremy: </b>(1) The ND defense is legitimately elite. Even with a secondary held together by bailing wire and first-time starters. 2009 seems like decades ago. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">(2) The QB carousel. Not always gripping me in ways that I liked. But an interesting story nonetheless. Also - Everett Golson is going to be unbelievably good. Perhaps as soon as next season.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">(3) The Cult of Manti. Deserves no explanation.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Jimmy: </b>(1) </span>Manti-Mania: Time is the ultimate arbiter of Manti’s lasting legacy, but the bar has already been raised to Legen…Barney Stinson “wait-for-it” moment of gravity…Dary status. Quantifying the impact Te’o had on this 2012 team, the Notre Dame football program as a whole, the university endowment and general morale of everyone associated with ND Nation is next to impossible. If Manti were an earthquake, Richter’s scale would need recalibration. </span><br />
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In addition to the tenacious tackling, electrifying interceptions and unrivaled passion, Manti resonated with fans on a spiritual level this season. He inspired us well beyond the gridiron, and in turn, the Notre Dame community helped lift Manti’s heavy heart. Te’o converted the most cynical doubters into believers and added luster back to the golden helmets. Over the last 20+ years, there may be only one other player across the college landscape who evoked such reverence -- yes, Tebow is his name-o.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Had Manti left school after his junior year, it would have been a success story. A devout Mormon from Hawaii surprises everyone by choosing a Catholic school in snowy South Bend. He lives up to the hype, becomes an All-American, gets drafted as a 1</span><span style="font: 6.7px 'Trebuchet MS'; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><sup>st</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> (maybe 2</span><span style="font: 6.7px 'Trebuchet MS'; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><sup>nd</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> ?) round pick and enjoys a fine pro career. I’m sure ESPN Hallmark (if this channel doesn’t exist yet, it should) would green light production on this story.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But a script re-write was due when divine providence steered Manti’s decision to return to school. His charisma and leadership sparked a legitimate Irish revival as opposed to the fool’s gold “returns to glory” in 2002, 2005 & 2006. Factor in the off-the-field plot developments with the “HeIsManti” awards season lovefest, and his story transforms into a Hollywood blockbuster.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You probably have to go back to Rocket Ismail to find the last ND player who takes your breath away at least once a game. A mainstream cult hero, acknowledged by all (well, maybe not the impenetrable bubble that envelopes SEC Territory) as a really, really, ridiculously good player and spectacle to behold. </span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And the biggest stage still awaits Manti. </span></div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">(2) Team Unity: A huge reason for this season being such a delightful ride was the cast of characters suiting up each week. Yes, the spotless record tints everything with rainbow sparkly magic glasses, but the unity of this squad grounded this team, serving as the foundation to build a champion. You don't have to look hard to find likable guys -- BK's RKG's -- littered up and down the roster. Start with the biggest teddy bear of them all, Big Lou Nix and his homemade <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rIl7f9yLPo" target="_blank">Chocolate News</a> program (highly recommend watching all 5 episodes). There's the wacky weekly team bonding experience that is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-9A1BD9y0M" target="_blank">Trick Shot Monday</a>. There's the unspoken best beard competition on the team, pitting KLM (<a href="http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Kapron+Lewis+Moore+Kentucky+v+Notre+Dame+pqnATJvO7GYl.jpg" target="_blank">the safari hat-wearing, front-row cheering basketball super fan who blends into no crowd</a>) vs. Matthias Farley (<a href="http://wbrc.images.worldnow.com/images/20497628_BG4.JPG" target="_blank">as close to a Matisyahu and Michael Franti mashup if I've ever seen one</a>). Not to be outdone, Zeke Motta entered the fray with what could be his <a href="http://WBRC.images.worldnow.com/images/20497628_BG5.JPG" target="_blank">leprechaun audition look</a>. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Normal things that can, and often do, sabotage teams just didn't with this group, like the QB controversy that wasn't. When Lo Wood and Jamoris Slaughter both were lost for the season by the 4th game, excuses were selling for pennies around the stadium. Not a single excuse was made as everyone embraced the "next guy up" mantra BK preaches. Win or lose, it will be bittersweet watching this assemblage of men play for the last time together. </span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">(3) The Saga of Mariano Rees: Imagine yourself a quarterback good enough to play at ND, who steps in as a true freshman and wins his first 4 starts, including the first win over a huge rival in a 8 years and a bowl game win over a traditional power. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">You start the next year backing up the same heralded recruit you replaced the year before, but Coach pulls the plug on him and rides your moxie to win 8 games as a sophomore. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Entering your junior year, brimming with confidence, your college-ness gets you arrested in the summer and Coach suspends you for the opener, essentially ceding your starter job to a redshirt freshman, a new heralded recruit. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">You say all the right things to make amends. You deflect (baseless?) rumors of your imminent transfer to another school. You embrace your role as backup and help the starter learn the ropes. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Surprisingly, Coach calls your number when the freshman falters in the first home game. Your own fans boo you as you take the field. Talk about conflicting emotions. Coach trusts you to run the 2 minute offense to secure a tight victory, which turns the boos into cheers, then declares the redshirt freshman the starter the next week. Coach calls on you several times throughout the early going, nearly giving ND Nation a nervous tick at the prospect of QB roulette...again. You deliver clutch throws coming in cold off the bench, earning the status as a "QB Closer." It's an engrossing, yo-yo act that the selfless Tommy embraces and makes the most out of. It's fair to say without his game-winning Purdue drive and overtime touchdown pass to TJ Jones vs. Stanford, 12-0 may not be possible without Mariano Rees. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Matt: (</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">1) Will the D allow a rushing touchdown: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">I'm used to defenses that give up at least a rushing TD per game. So as the weeks went by, the sheer dominance of the defense was wrapped up neatly into the stat that they had not allowed a rushing TD. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"></span><br /></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'll admit, when The Belldozer had his rushing TD called back, that was one of my most fired up moments of the season. Of course, it's ridiculous to expect a defense to make it through a season unscathed on the ground, but the fact that we even flirted with it is a testament to Nix, KLM, Tuitt and the rest of the big uglies</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">(2) Manti Teo: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Many many words much more eloquent than mine have been written about the Teo experience, but the Heisman campaign after Klein lost, and the way Manti handled personal tragedy before Michigan week were compelling. The odds of my firstborn being named Manti have gone from 0% before the season to at least 5% now </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><div>
</div>
(3) Tommy Rees, the closer: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">I remember being so frustrated when BK first pulled this stunt early in the season. We were struggling against Purdue, Mike Mayock would have you believe Purdue's defense has 11 first rounders, and it looked like another typical season going nowhere. At the time, it seemed like Golson needed to go through these growing pains, win or lose the game be damned. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course, now sitting on the eve of the championship, it's blindingly apparent that early in the season, Rees saved our ass a few times. One of the weirder dynamics I've ever seen on a team. </div>
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>2. We're Goin to Miami...</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: </b>It still hasn’t really set in yet. Must be that 6 weeks or so between Thanksgiving and the title game. As excited as I am for the Bama matchup, I just don’t want this season to end. Its been an incredibly enjoyable run and I have a tough time believing that I’ll ever have so much fun following a sporting team for the rest of my life. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: </b>Wow, wow, wow. Will Smith's PG rap lyrics never sounded so good. The biggest stage in college sports is rolling out the red (or is it orange?) carpet for Notre Dame. It's a terrific accomplishment to get there, but the work isn't done. One mission and one mission only - championship title #12.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Matt: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Not much to say here. It's still hard to believe, and if you're injecting me with truth serum, there's a part of me that is petrified this will be an LSU or Ohio State BCS experience. Of course, this team is totally different than those, built on defense and strong line play. Having a mobile QB doesn't hurt either </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'll be standing strong in Joe Robbie Stadium with the Irish faithful on Jan 7th, and given my expectations for the season back in August, that in itself is a miracle</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>3. Offensive and Defensive MVPs</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Dan:</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><u></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Offensive – Theo Riddick. Similar to my criticism of the Rees / Golson situation, I was also critical of Kelly early on for his use of Riddick and Wood. But the latter half of this season showed just how great Riddick was in this offense. Huge catches against Stanford and Pittsburgh, not to mention an absolutely dominant day on the ground against USC.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u>Defensive – Manti Te’o. This one is a bit tougher than it may initially seem. Some may point to the Pitt game and how well they ran on us when Nix was out of the game. And, don’t get me wrong, Nix is an incredibly important part of this defense and deserves more credit nationally than I think he’s getting. But Te’o is the captain of this defense, the heart and the soul. What a pleasure watching him this year has been.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Jeremy: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black;">Pretty easy choices here - Manti and Eifert. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">But let’s go off the beaten path a bit for purposes of discussion. On offense, I’ll go with Theo Riddick. I’m not surprised that he had a great season as a RB - anyone who watched some of his runs during the early part of his career (pre-switch to slot WR) could see that he had natural vision and talent running the ball. But I doubt anyone could have predicted that he would have a better season than Cierre Wood, clinch the SC game by running right down the Trojans throat, or make a few of the largest catches of the season (see: Stanford and Pitt). Not to mention his amazing leadership and his assistance in getting Golson and the offense aligned. And his moment with his mom on senior day was awesome. Love that kid.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">On defense, how about Danny Spond? While the secondary was probably everyone’s biggest defensive concern heading into the season, the Dog LB spot was incredibly unsettled. Spond was the presumed starter, but after a preseason headache/migraine scare, we were all a bit unsure whether he’d ever play a down of football again. Instead, he came back, set the edge, played in coverage and locked down the toughest position on the defense. His contributions often go unnoticed on the stat sheet and on the highlight reels, but I guarantee you that Bob Diaco went into the LB meetings every week praising Spond’s effort and improvement. </span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Jimmy: </b>On offense, how bout Everett Golson. Growing pains and a few unexpected Tommy Reed moments aside, when clutch was needed, Golson's cannon arm and sneaky legs delivered. Beginning with the road trip to Norman, the game slowed down for Everett and the results began matching the potential. The team suffers a catastrophic letdown loss to Pitt if not for Golson's late game heroics. He toyed with Wake's hapless defense and kept the chains moving on time-killing possession after possession in the Coliseum, stamping the ticket to Miami. A case can be made for Riddick, Eifert or Zack Martin. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On defense, going unconventional with Louis Nix III. He's the most important cog in the defensive unit, allowing everyone else to collect sacks, tackles and most of the acclaim. Yet, as a nose guard deep in the trenches, Nix amassed 45 hard earned tackles, including 2 sacks. His 5 batted passes ranks 3rd overall, another impressive feat for his position. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Overall Team MVP -- Manti Te'o. See above gushing sentiments.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Matt: </b>Theo Riddick: Could have gone Golson or Eifert here, but Riddick turned into an invaluable part of the offense. He looks like a scatback, and true to that image he is a great receiver out of the backfield, but he was blowing people up as a running back. Theo Riddick turning into a physical runner was what took this offense to another level</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
Louis Nix: Look, the easy answer is Teo. He's the most decorated college player on terms of awards EVER. So he's probably the MVP of the team. But we have had some pretty good linebackers come through over the years (probably never at Teo's level). But what we haven't had to go with those Lb's is a dominant nose man. </span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The return of Irish Chocolate next year is perhaps has me most excited, and most confident that the defense won't have a significant drop off with the departure of Manti</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>4. Favorite Moments of 2012 Season (In Person & On TV)</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Dan: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><u></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">I was lucky enough to see so many great moments in person this year – the goal line stand against Stanford, the 5 straight picks against Michigan, the entire OU game… I think my favorite moment though was Cierre Wood breaking away from the pack against Oklahoma for the first touchdown. We were sitting in that end zone, and he ran towards us and suddenly he was in the second layer and then he was gone. It was so clearly going to be a touchdown that the section was jumping and celebrating long before he got to the end zone.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u>My favorite moment on TV has to be the goal line stand against USC. At that point it was clear we were going to Miami and the celebration could begin. </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Jeremy:</b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black;">Two candidates for the in-person. The first one is rather obvious - the postgame “Oh What a Night” sing along after the Michigan win. Surreal and awesome moment. The second one may have been the walk from Soldier Field back towards the Red Line, amidst a mass of ND fans chanting “We Want Bama!” (foreshadowing!!)</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first favorite TV moment had to be watching the Irish play a near-perfect game against Oklahoma in perhaps the most important and biggest matchup since the ’05 SC game. Watching the Irish celebrate in the Coliseum comes in a close second. The fact that I got to watch both of those games with my Dad, a long-suffering Irish die-hard, probably had something to do with it.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Jimmy:</b> Man, there are so many good choices to pick from, this should merit its own post. For TV moment, I'll pick the Stanford goal line stuff to end the game. Just an exhilarating, rip-your-shirt-off-WWF-style, we're-streaking-through-the-quad finish. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Oklahoma and USC wins were triumphant in different respects, but the endings were wrapped up nicely by the time of the 2:00 minute warning. Though I have to mention that my biggest superstition turned out to be sitting in the exact same chair at the same table at the same restaurant (Haymarket Brewery in Chicago) for both OK and USC games. The first go round found me accompanying my wife for her Northwestern Reunion outing. A sweet drink deal kept the deliciously potent beers coming all night. On several occasions, me and my viewing partner Ryan (South Bend native who had more or less turned a blind eye to his reunion festivities) were caught screaming in joy, only to realize we were the only two people out of hundreds paying attention to the screen. Good Times! Well, when Ryno came back to Chicago for Thanksgiving and we worked out baby duties to free up our evening, we couldn't think of a more appropriate venue to watch the finishing touches on 12-0 than our good-luck charm Haymarket. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Favorite in-person moment, hands down, goes to the goosebumpapolooza Senior Day introductions. Can't remember the last time I got to my seat with more than 25 minutes before kickoff, and the place was packed and already rocking. The rising volume by the time Manti was introduced reminded me of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6kiimEsYc" target="_blank">old Chicago Bulls starting lineups</a> when you could barely hear Jordan's name by the end. A lifetime moment to remember. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
Matt: Manti against Michigan</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Again, many more eloquent words have been written by people who get paid to wax poetic, so I'll keep this brief. But seeing Manti and the students with the leis, against Michigan, at night, with Denard throwing the ball around like he was drunk, yeah...that's number one</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>5. Heisman Sound-Off</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Dan: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">I can’t say I’m too fired up about the Heisman. Should Manziel have won? Probably not? Should Te’o have won? Maybe. Anyone who knows anything about college football knows what the award has become at this point. Generally it goes to the best offensive backfield player on the best team (or at least top 5 team). If there isn’t really a clear candidate that fits that profile, expect an offensive backfield player to have a couple good performances late in the year and catch all the media hype. If they want to fix the award, then change who votes. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Manti Te’o won more awards than any player in the history of college football this year (understanding there are more and more awards to win every year). He did far better than any purely defensive (i.e., no return game) player has ever done before. He cares about the award on January 7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">, and so do I. That said, I would support a change to the award – just make it an offense only award. They are kidding themselves at this point.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><b>Jeremy: </b></span>Can’t say that I expected Manti to win the Heisman, so while it was somewhat disappointing, it wasn’t surprising. But this year simply reinforced the idea that a defensive player has an almost impossible hill to climb to win the award. Its not the award for the best player in college football, it's an award for the best offensive stat-compiler, or the offensive player with the best “moment.” Which is fine. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's just a shame that so many people in this country who so obviously don’t watch much college football vote for what everyone considers to be the most prestigious college football award. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jay Mariotti somehow has a vote. All you need to know. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><b>Matt: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Justice was served. Look, I'm a Manti guy. And it's impossible to quantify the impact a defensive player has on a game. Manti's effect when far beyond his tackle count or even his 7 picks. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">But his stats dropped noticeably in the second half of the season, at the sAme time Johnny Football was putting up Playstation numbers. I know ND fans and probably my fellow WeIs pals will bring up manziel's LSU and UF games, and that's fair game. I just can't get worked up over Manti losing the Heisman. Maybe I'm in the minority among ND fans.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>6. Biggest Losses / Gains for 2013</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Dan: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">Biggest loss – Manti T’eo. Too easy and obvious, but still the right answer.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u></u>Biggest gain – Amir Carlisle. I think we’re going to see Carlisle play the role of Theo and succeed. I think Greg Bryant is going to play immediately and will have an important role to play (particularly since I think Cierre will go pro), but I expect Amir to be a pleasant surprise, particularly catching passes.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Jeremy: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black;">Losses - Staying away from an individual loss, I’ll focus on the outgoing seniors/5th years as a whole. This group has been through so much and have done so much to drag this program from some of the lowest points in its history all the way up to the peak of the mountain. The great behind-the-scenes stuff produced by UND.com this season really showed the great leadership provided by guys like Te’o, KLM, Motta and everyone else. The hope is that the guys coming back will pick up on the example they provided and continue to move the program into the next “glory years” period. I wouldn’t bet against them, but it's hard to believe that anyone else could be as inspiring and just downright awesome as those guys.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Gains - I suppose when we’re talking about “gains” here, the best place to look is probably the incoming recruiting class. And while I think this is going to end up being a Top 5 type class, I’m having a tough time seeing a whole bunch of immediate contributors. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Because although the outgoing guys are leaving some big holes in some spots, I believe there are some good guys already in the program who can fill most of those positions. Which means that the need for immediate contributors is not as extreme as in some prior seasons. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">As for guys to keep an eye on - look for Greg Bryant to be in the mix for carries right off the bat, Alex Anzalone to play on ST and perhaps in the ILB rotation by the end of the year, Isaac Rochell to work into the DL rotation (much like Sheldon Day this season) and Jaylon Smith to get on the field somewhere, somehow. He’s just too damn athletic. Also, if ND lands Max Redfield, he would almost certainly be able to help the team in some manner.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Matt: </b>Loss - Teo. Enough said</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Gain - Respect. I'll let Jeremy and others chime in on recruiting. But the biggest gain to me is the respect and credibility that has come with this season. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Past BCS seasons had a bit of smoke 'n mirrors to them, built on prolific offenses but no commitment to defense, either in the coaching or recruiting. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This time, it feels like the foundation has been laid to stay 'relevant' for a long time to come</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>7. State of the Program</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: </b>If you listen to Brian Kelly’s press conferences, he loves talking about the “process.” His opponent in the upcoming Title Game, Nick Saban, uses similar buzzwords. If we’ve learned one thing about this magical season, its that this version of the Irish has bought in to what Kelly is selling. It remains to be seen whether this will have a lasting impression, or whether it's the culmination of an amazing senior class, a few great recruiting efforts and some good bounces. But I’m not going to be betting against Brian Kelly for a while. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: </b>The players have bought into BK's plan. The results caught up with expectations this year. The recruiting machine is churning on overdrive. Despite a gaping hole with Manti's departure to Sundays, his presence will still be felt, without a doubt. His impact will reverberate for years to come, and incoming freshman like Jaylon Smith know they're carrying the Te'o Torch and building upon the work started by this team. Without elaborating too much, I believe the program will establish a new consistency of 10+ win seasons for the foreseeable future. Assistant coach defections are sure to happen in the next year or two and make for some hand-wringing and possibly brief hiccups, but I can confidently state: In BK I Trust. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>8. Recruiting Impact of 2012 Season</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: </b>Can already be seen in the Greg Bryant commitment. Simply put, a guy like Bryant doesn’t call up ND out of the blue without a season like this. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">The interesting question is whether Kelly and his staff can work the delicate balancing act between RKGs and five-star prima donnas. To be sure, not every five-star will have the “make up” of an Aaron Lynch. But ND’s success is going to open up the recruiting pool, and Kelly will have to work hard to separate the Lynches and Greenberrys from the Tuitts and Te’os. It's a nice problem to have, but one that’s going to bear watching.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-59625533952344542552012-09-20T23:30:00.000-05:002012-09-21T09:05:32.773-05:00Notre Dame - Michigan: Bring It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2NNoV14593dw93jGJ0dWOGDJPFNCzrCyIjHlo_KamubBuuTRJ9g" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2NNoV14593dw93jGJ0dWOGDJPFNCzrCyIjHlo_KamubBuuTRJ9g" /></a></div>
The hour draws near. Regardless of what Mother Nature lends to the atmosphere, Saturday figures to be a special day. Victory over the despised Wolverines awaits as a pot o' gold at the end of a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI" target="_blank">double rainbow college football Saturday</a>. Yes, it will be that intense.<br />
<br />
A full day of merriment in the lots kick starts the party. Once the team runs out of the tunnel and DJ Rockne launches into his Jock Jams set and Grampa Alumni heeds the StaND decree, the Wolverines will wish they could still be <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23vMunem6nw" target="_blank">bailed out by the refs for perplexing reasons</a>. (Why someone thought too much crowd noise should penalize the home team with an automatic timeout for the visitors and warrant a flag remains an unsolved rule book mystery). Oh yes, pandemonium will be on the precipice of ensuing at several moments. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRifY2lyrNtO7k2Q1pr4ORMcnNWIFyzHvKZ3-zjG6PDQNCDDqv5kQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRifY2lyrNtO7k2Q1pr4ORMcnNWIFyzHvKZ3-zjG6PDQNCDDqv5kQ" /></a>We haven't even mentioned the enormous expectations last week's Sparty surprise created for BK's third season under the Dome microscope. Exponential revenge is due Michigan after 3 consecutive losses, each feeling like a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4KhU-GIPJY" target="_blank">Kano fatality</a> nightmare stuck on repeat. It's no exaggeration that Denard Robinson has amassed a career's worth of stats in two games against the Irish keystone kops defense. But Bob Diaco's revamped and <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--manti-te-o-overcomes-tragic-loss-to-lead-notre-dame-past-michigan-state.html" target="_blank">inspired</a> front seven is a different beast this season and will be hell-bent on tripping up Shoelace. <br />
<br />
Oh yeah, and parietals be damned, <a href="http://collegespun.com/big-east/notre-dame/notre-dame-stadium-to-wear-leis-show-support-for-manti-teo" target="_blank">everyone gets lei'd</a>.<br />
<br />
Discussing the hugeness of this game at the office, I was surprised by a few associates unaware of the intensity of Notre Dame-Michigan. The off-the-field feud history between ND-UM is largely unknown to the general public. Piggybacking on <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2012/09/michigan-week.html" target="_blank">Mike's whetting the rivalry appetite post</a>, and with a tremendous nod to John Kryk's<i> </i>detailed narrative, (seriously, if you visit this blog, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Enemies-Notre-Dame-Michigan-Football/dp/0836280725" target="_blank">Natural Enemies</a> </i>was written for you - do yourself a favor and read it), I offer a brief summary of what triggers the animosity and vitriol that defines ND v. UM.<br />
<br />
<b><u>1887-1888</u></b><br />
Michigan, having started playing in 1879 and immediately asserting their claim as "Champions of the West" (distinguished from literally a handful -maybe not even 5 - of Midwest schools fielding teams) teaches the sport of football to Notre Dame. To help get ND's nascent program off the ground, Michigan visits South Bend three times between November 1887 and April 1888. Not surprisingly, teacher beats pupil handily in all 3 contests (44-10 combined).<br />
<br />
<b><u>10 Year Hiatus</u></b><br />
Notre Dame tries in vain to schedule Michigan for more games. Teacher doesn't have time for, nor cares to foster the growth of pupil. <br />
<br />
<b><u>1898-1908</u></b><br />
The schools play five times, all in Ann Arbor, save for one neutral site game in Toledo. UM dominates every game in lopsided fashion (77-6 combined score). Teacher embarrasses pupil, on teacher's terms. <br />
<br />
<b><u>1909</u></b><br />
Notre Dame finally draws blood and surprises UM with an 11-3 victory, also in Ann Arbor. Pupil beats teacher. Teacher cries no fair, refuses to play for 3+ decades. Petty insecurities and religious persecution from the top of Michigan's athletic administration prevail as primary reasons for the 33 year hiatus. Knute Rockne never gets the pleasure of matching wits with Michigan. Blame Fielding Yost.<br />
<br />
<b><u>1942-1943</u></b><br />
After significant efforts from ND, as well as a groundswell of public opposition in Ann Arbor to the athletic administration's cowardly and illogical stance, the series resumes. #6 Michigan bests the 4th-ranked Irish 32-20 in '42, followed by a #1 vs. #2 matchup in Ann Arbor that ND dominates 35-12. By this time, teach and pupil are both well-established and on equal ground, though Michigan cannot admit such. After "teacher" loses to "pupil" again, Yost passes the proverbial baton of spite to Fritz Crisler and history repeats itself.<br />
<br />
<b><u>1944-1968</u></b><br />
The Freeze Out. For the same tepid reasons/excuses, Michigan shuns Notre Dame for the better part of 3 decades once again. How non-existent was the relationship? Fr. Joyce, the main man in the ND athletic department from the '50s through the '80s, says he never had a single conversation with Crisler, longtime Michigan coach and AD. Even Americans and Soviets enjoyed diplomatic discussions during the Cold War.<br />
<br />
Crisler's reign in Ann Arbor bears the scourge of an intentional boycott of Michigan scheduling against ND football and basketball teams, while also influencing other Big 10 schools to blackball the Catholic school in Indiana. Purdue and Michigan State have the gumption to ignore such prejudices. This period witnesses some of each program's greatest teams. Alas, despite the advent of televised games, fans of the sport are denied the enjoyment of watching the two programs compete. Blame Crisler.<br />
<br />
<b><u>1969</u></b><br />
The Summer of Love sweeps the nation, and even bridges a union between these two star-crossed programs as Michigan AD Don Canham irons out a 4 game series with Fr. Joyce, to be consummated 9 years later. Interesting tidbit from these negotiations: standard practice at the time was for non-conference tilts to split the gate 50-50 between the schools. Instead, ND and UM agree to let the home team keep the lion's share of the gate, paying the visitor a modest guarantee for making the trip. This revolutionary deal soon becomes standard practice across the country. <br />
<br />
<b><u>1978-present</u></b><br />
Resumption of the rivalry in earnest. Since then, the programs have collided in September on 28 occasions, often spoiling the other's season with the result. Michigan holds a tenuous edge in the head-to-heads since '78 with a 14-13-1 record. Remarkably, 19 of the games (nearly 70%) have been decided within a score. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKP-OfmLQ8CHCI1W10awyyMca_n4LIKsFQUbBUEbn-gbMo68cinQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKP-OfmLQ8CHCI1W10awyyMca_n4LIKsFQUbBUEbn-gbMo68cinQ" /></a>Until 2006, one (or both as was often the case) of the schools came into the contest ranked every single year (nearly half the time, at least one team has been ranked in the top 5 for the matchup). 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 stand out as the lone outliers when neither of the two titans of college football were ranked, though that certainly hasn't detracted from the drama in the games. This year's edition notches another tally for both teams being ranked. <br />
<br />
Hold on to your butts. Another classic is coming our way.<br />
<br />
Go Irish! Beat Wolverines!<br />
<br />
<br />Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-9004799976136834052012-09-20T09:20:00.001-05:002012-09-20T09:20:14.512-05:00Weekend PicksAs a part of the Michigan week festivities, I have decided to resurrect the weekly picks segment. These predictions, as always, are being made for entertainment purposes only.<br />
<br />
<strong>Clemson (+14) over FSU</strong>: Noles have looked like world beaters against inferior competition, but this line seems too high. Clemson is a talented outfit that, unlike FSU, has been battle tested. If the Tigers can protect Tajh Boyd, they should be able to score enough points to cover this one.<br />
<br />
<strong>Florida State 38 Clemson 28</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Oregon (-23.5) over Arizona</strong>: Arizona is receiving way too much national respect for an overtime win over Toledo and a home win over a middling (at best) Illinois team playing without their starting QB. Oregon has curiously eased off the gas pedal in the first few games after jump out to huge leads, but I think they’ll stay engaged enough to prove a big point this weekend.<br />
<br />
<strong>Oregon 55 Arizona 17</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Georgia Tech (-14) over Miami</strong>: Miami’s defense has been gashed by two awful BC offenses (Boston College and Bethune-Cookman) and their offense isn’t much better. On the other hand, Georgia Tech seems to be clicking on both sides of the ball. This could, and hopefully will, get ugly.<br />
<br />
<strong>Georgia Tech 49 Miami 21</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Kansas State (+13.5) over Oklahoma</strong>: Oklahoma is a bit of a mystery this year, so this pick is a bit of a flyer. The Sooners have lost some key players and they struggled in their only game against a BCS opponent in an unusually scheduled road game in El Paso. Collin Klein for Kansas State has improved as a passer and it appears that the Wildcats will have a respectable defense with Arthur Brown set to return this week. I look for a close one in Norman.<br />
<br />
<strong>Oklahoma 27 Kansas State 24</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Auburn (+19) over LSU</strong>: Pity Kiehl Frazier, but Auburn has to show some pride on defense, don’t they?<br />
<br />
<strong>LSU 27 Auburn 10</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Washington State (-18) over Colorado</strong>: Although Wazzu has a long way to go, Colorado is simply awful. I will be quite surprised if CU does not go winless this year.<br />
<br />
<strong>Washington State 44 Colorado 14</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>West Virginia (-28) over Maryland</strong>: Geno Smith should be able to carve up the green (get it?) Terrapin defense with ease. As for Maryland’s offense? Horror show.<br />
<br />
<strong>West Virginia 45 Maryland 10</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>New Mexico State (-7) over New Mexico</strong>: Just when you thought the “Land of Disenchantment Bowl” couldn’t get any better, the Lobos went and hired Bullet Bob Davie. Of course they did.<br />
<br />
<strong>New Mexico State 20 New Mexico 10</strong><br />
<br />
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07003108385466740591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-6741147991149779312012-09-17T11:46:00.000-05:002012-09-17T13:09:31.495-05:00Michigan WeekBefore I get to this week's abominable opponent, I would be remiss if I did not commend the Irish on a superb road victory in East Lansing. I have been a vocal critic of Brian Kelly and, while he has not won me over yet, he and Bob Diaco deserve plenty of credit for an excellent job on Saturday. It is clear that Kelly's defensive recruiting has started to pay dividends, as the Irish front seven has been simply dominant over the first three games of the 2012 season. Kudos to the players and staff for beating those low rent flag planters to the north.<br />
<br />
With Sparty in the rear view mirror, it is time to focus on the hated Wolverines. Ordinarily, I like to start my Michigan week by chewing on some barbed wire and reading John Kryk's acclaimed book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Enemies-Notre-Dame-Michigan-Football/dp/0836280725" target="_blank">Natural Enemies</a>," which details the history of the ND-Michigan feud. Unfortunately, I let someone borrow the book last year and he still hasn't returned it, but I will give the Cliffs Notes version from the top of my head:<br />
<br />
• Michigan taught Notre Dame how to play football during the 1800s<br />
• After losing the first 8 contests, the fledgling Notre Dame program eventually broke through to beat Michigan in the early 1900s. Michigan, in true sportsmanlike fashion, responded by criticizing the referees and cancelling the series.<br />
• Under Father John Cavanaugh, Notre Dame sought to join the Western Conference (now the Big Ten), but was rebuked by Michigan's virulent anti-Catholic bigot leaders, Fritz Crisler and Fielding Yost. Despite fancying itself as a beacon of progressive education, Michigan still allows Crisler's name to grace its basketball arena and Yost's name to grace its hockey arena.<br />
• Michigan's actions backfired badly, as the exclusion of Notre Dame from the Western Conference led legendary Irish head coach Knute Rockne to adopt his famed "barnstorming" strategy, in which the football team would travel throughout the country to play all comers as an independent. Rockne's approach galvanized a nation of Catholic fans, launched the famous USC rivalry (with an assist to Betty Rockne according to legend) and allowed Notre Dame to become the most storied program in college football, as well as the last great independent.<br />
• Once Notre Dame started winning national championships with regularity in the 1940s, Michigan cancelled the series, leading to a 35 year hiatus<br />
• Beginning in 1987, Lou Holtz beat Bo Schembechler three years in a row, sending Bo into retirement with a tidy losing streak against the Irish, who he loathed as evidenced through his infamous "To Hell With Notre Dame" quote (more on Bo later)<br />
<br />
Given this history, it is easy to see why Notre Dame fans harbor animus toward Michigan. For me and many others, however, the real source of enmity stems from haviing to interact at some point with a Michigan <span style="font-family: inherit;">Man™. The Michigan Man™ likes to tell you that Notre Dame and Michigan are very similar because they both "do things the right way," are "great academic programs" and are "comparable in terms of football success." If you are dumb enough to believe any of these myths, then you are probably dumb enough to ride shotgun with <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-05/sports/sp-62736_1_michigan-football-coach" target="_blank">Gary Moeller sans seatbelt.</a> Time to deconstruct these fallacies, again with bullet points:</span> <br />
<br />
<strong>Academic Equals?</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Notre Dame is a much better school than Michigan. Notre Dame accepts about 24% of undergraduate applicants, compared to 42% at Michigan. Likewise, Notre Dame incoming freshman have higher SAT and ACT scores on average. It really isn't a close call.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">• For football players, the difference is stark. Notre Dame perenially tops the charts in graduation rate at around 99%, while Michigan consistently <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-football-teams-graduation-rate-lags-behind-other-sports-but-performance-at-all-time-high/" target="_blank">lags behind</a>.</span><br />
• <span style="font-family: inherit;">The differences in graduation rate are accentuated when you consider that Notre Dame student athletes actually attend the same classes as the rest of the student body. As exposed by the <a href="http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/academics/stories/index.ssf/2008/03/kinesiology_reserves_slots_for.html" target="_blank">Ann Arbor News</a> and confirmed by former Michigan QB Jim Harbaugh, the overwhelming majority of Michigan football players are herded into joke majors to ensure eligibility. In other words, UM uses the players for their football skills and kicks them out on the street without a meaningful degree after their eligibility expires. Progressive indeed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Doing Things The Right Way?</strong></span><br />
• Notre Dame doesn't recruit predicate felons. <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2010-02-04/michigan-recruit-dorsey-reportedly-charged-two-felonies-2008" target="_blank">Michigan does.</a><br />
• Notre Dame doesn't bankroll its athletes with funds from illegal gambling rings. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_basketball_scandal" target="_blank">Michigan does</a>.<br />
• Notre Dame doesn't exceed NCAA mandated practice restrictions. <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20100525/SPORTS06/100525008/Michigan-football-admits-major-NCAA-violations-cuts-practice-time-disciplines-7-people" target="_blank">Michigan does</a>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Gridiron Equals?</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Since the advent of the AP poll, Michigan has won 1.5 titles, while Notre Dame has won 8. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">• The lion's share of Michigan's "national championships" took place just after the turn of the century when there were few teams playing college football and when there was not an accepted methodology for ranking teams. This is also why Michigan has the most all time wins. </span><br />
• <span style="font-family: inherit;">Regarding the .5 title, Michigan was fortunate to play a pedestrian Washington State team in the Rose Bowl rather than an undefeated Nebraska team that obliterated Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.</span><br />
• <span style="font-family: inherit;">Michigan fans revere Bo Schembechler, which is quite appropriate because he embodies Michigan football : bitter, biased and overrated. The "legendary" Schembechler won precisely zero national championships and rationalized losses to Notre Dame as being "exhibitions" since they were not conference games.</span><br />
• Speaking of the Rose Bowl, Bo was 5-12 in bowl games and a robust 2-8 in Rose Bowls. His wins include the Bluebonnet and Hall of Fame Bowls.<br />
• <span style="font-family: inherit;">Heismans? Notre Dame 7, Michigan 3 (and, let's be honest, Peyton Manning was far more deserving than Charles Woodson)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Must Win Game</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Independent of animosity, the stakes are extremely high for this year's contest. Notre Dame can enter its off week with an unblemished 4-0 record by defeating Michigan. In addition, although polls are not especially meaningful, a win would likely vault Notre Dame into the top ten of the AP Poll, which would be a noteworthy milestone for a program seeking to reach the elite level of college football for the first time in years. From a recruiting standpoint, this game is enormous because, as with last year, there will be an abundance of high school juniors and seniors in attendance. Above all, Brian Kelly is 0-2 against Michigan and falling to 0-3 would be simply unacceptable. For the sake of his career, and my overall health and well being, we cannot lose to Michigan again. We just can't.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With respect to the matchups, Michigan enters the game ranked 57th in total defense and 104th in rushing defense. They have notched just two sacks and zero interceptions. On offense, Michigan is ranked 52nd and the overwhelming bulk of its offense has come from Denard Robinson. The Wolverines have struggled to run the ball effectively with their tailbacks and the scatter armed Robinson has remained characteristically inaccurate (4 INTs). In other words, they are ripe for the beating.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Notre Dame should have no problem moving the ball against Michigan, especially on the ground. Cierre Wood provided a needed shot in the arm for the Irish running game against Michigan State and I expect him to receive a steady share of carries this week, along with Atkinson and Riddick. Prior to the fourth quarter last year, Diaco actually had a decent game plan against Robinson. If Notre Dame can just slow Robinson down a bit, they should be able to win the turnover battle and to score enough points to put away Michigan.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is going to be a long week of anticipation and there will be some sleepless nights, but I intend to leave Notre Dame Stadium in a very good mood.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Go Irish.</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07003108385466740591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-11184900076371941392012-09-13T23:19:00.000-05:002012-09-14T09:24:42.464-05:00Aloha ACC...Aloha Big East<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdJDJBFqyROJ-2mCbmu4kSUu9AyD8FG8FLC5hWsSD1URM2hlTeVA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdJDJBFqyROJ-2mCbmu4kSUu9AyD8FG8FLC5hWsSD1URM2hlTeVA" /></a>Wow. <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2011/09/to-be-or-not-to-be-that-is-independence.html" target="_blank">Don't say we didn't warn you</a>. <br />
<br />
Here we were worrying about the hornet's nest Brian Kelly drop-kicked to ignite his latest QB controversy. Instead, Jack Swarbrick delivered a roundhouse kick to the potentially divisive situation that would make Chuck Norris blush. A headache of headlines became mere afterthought in the wake of the sensational news that Notre Dame bid adieu to the BEast for the greener pastures of the ACC. <br />
<br />
Pick your cliche decision-making rationale: conference stability, brand market exposure, bowl game options, Olympic sport competition, academic fit of peer institutions. At the end of the day, the <a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/notredame/sbt-notre-dame-football-analysis-football-was-driving-force-behind-the-move-20120912,0,3927291,full.story" target="_blank">whole package proved too great to pass</a>. A standing ovation is due Swarbrick and his staff for having the creativity and cajones to orchestrate this deal. <br />
<br />
The move is terrific on many levels for ND, which we'll dig into deeper in the coming days. Too bad this news cycle completely dwarfs a top 10 vs. top 20 matchup with a historic rival. Sorry Sparty, but whatever extra hype and bluster this year's Rose Bowl-caliber squad is due has been usurped by the Bolting Conference Boogie. We all know the music never stops at the NCAA Realignment Dance Marathon. Thankfully, our new do-si-do partner is in great shape, sexy as hell and looking to settle down for a while. <br />
<br />
A match made in program heaven. <br />
<br />
<br />Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-43332465297047844652012-09-07T10:45:00.001-05:002012-09-14T11:04:31.370-05:00Go Jays Go: A Religious ConversionWith college football season in full swing, this is obviously an unusual time for a baseball post. Furthermore, it is especially odd for a post on two second division teams, as opposed to a discussion of the exciting pennant races. <br />
<br />
Nonetheless, I thought I would use this opportunity as a sacramental “rite of publication” to memorialize my formal repudiation of my former team, the New York Mets, and my wholehearted acceptance of my new team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Through this post, I reject Mr. Met and all his false promises, while professing my belief in Ace (the little known Blue Jays mascot). In doing so, I realize that I am breaking one of Bill Simmons’s <a href="http://espn.go.com/page2/s/simmons/020227.html" target="_blank">cardinal rules of fandom</a>. Still, I think the following reasons are sufficiently valid to justify an exception to this rule.<br />
<br />
<strong>Why Give Up On The Mets?</strong><br />
<br />
Before going into details on why I have quit on the Mets, please understand that I have not been a casual fan. Rather, I have been a devoted, as in someone who watches over 100 games per year, Mets fan since approximately 1992. While a student at Notre Dame in 2000, I left the Stanford game after a quarter to watch Game 3 of the NLDS. I have enjoyed the limited good and suffered through the substantial bad, but now it is time to make a clean break. Why?<br />
<br />
<strong>A. The Wilpons</strong><br />
<br />
The overwhelming factor in this decision is my complete, irrepressible disdain for the Mets owners, Jeff and Fred Wilpon, both of whom are tried and true Michigan Men™. Simply put, the Wilpons are dishonest, incompetent, disgusting criminals, who, with the help of Bud Selig, continue to cling stubbornly to the franchise they do not deserve. During the salad days (by Mets standards) of 2006, the Wilpons were able to mask their fecklessness by using their Madoff money to create a massive spending advantage in a sport that suffers from a competitive imbalance. Unfortunately for Mets denizens, the Ponzi-fueled well has run dry, leaving only bad hiring decisions, a galling lack of awareness (e.g., adorning Citi Field with Dodgers regalia and failing to include any recognition of Mets history) and backhanded comments at star players. I do not want to be a part of this.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="259" data-width="194" height="259" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQDkxkNCKh0d2R88zihSZl0zcvGQgxTizTcWHTdAP46byWsGlecg" style="height: 259px; width: 194px;" width="194" /><img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="168" data-width="300" height="168" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHmYyIzUEQxsSkNCU22-4RjPe1M7SU4GAQf5qv9S8Xzfc7DUyY" style="height: 168px; width: 300px;" width="300" /><br />
<br />
<strong>B. I (Only) Love (Upstate) New York </strong><br />
<br />
Professional athletes, unlike college athletes, are essentially paid mercenaries. To cheer for a professional team, therefore, there must be some sort of nexus or shared connection between fan and team to stir the passions of the former. Logically, this takes the form of civic or regional pride.<br />
<br />
The problem for me? I hate New York City. It is a stinking, crowded, expensive, unfriendly dump of a city, surpassed only by Boston in its terribleness. I adore my hometown of Rochester, and it is of course located in New York, but it is as close to NYC as it is to at least 5 other major league cities. More importantly, Rochester has far more in common with other rust belt cities such as Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Detroit and even South Bend than it does with Gotham. In fact, I would wager that most New York City residents could not spot Rochester on a map. <br />
<br />
With an ownership group, fan base and city that I don’t like, there is no justifiable reason to continue supporting the Mets. It’s not like I’m giving up on championships either.<br />
<br />
<strong>Why Support the Blue Jays?</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>A. Historical Affinity</strong><br />
<br />
Despite being a Mets fan primarily, I have always had a soft spot for the Blue Jays that was suppressed primarily by a lack of television coverage in a pre-MLB Extra Innings world. My first vivid World Series memory is jumping off the couch after Joe Carter buried the Phillies with a game winning home run in 1993. Also, with Toronto being the closest major team to Rochester, I have been able to attend several very enjoyable games at the Rogers Centre (nee Sky Dome). While the Rogers Centre tends to get low marks as a venue, mostly for its sterility, it embodies everything that is awesome about Canada: clean, friendly and unique. Toronto rocks too.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="191" data-width="264" height="191" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT5gx3JldNZetjOYsNiosdbZFfJPcZWSHSCXqui3gEqQui9gTRfgg" style="height: 191px; width: 264px;" width="264" /><br />
<br />
Beyond that, the Jays are objectively awesome. The iconic uniforms, the underdog ethos in a division with two deep-pocketed behemoths, the proud but short history, “Go Jays Go,” the use of “centrefield” on a scoreboard, etc. It all works, and spectacularly.<br />
<br />
<strong>B. Surname: Can(ada)field </strong><br />
<br />
Although I am an American, my Canadian roots run deep (cue Ice Cube). Through the magic of ancestral research performed by my father, it turns out that my great-great-great-great-great grandfather was the first Attorney General of Prince Edward Island, an amazing provice from where my grandfather hails. As soon as I can get the paperwork in order, I will proudly finalize my application for dual citizenship. Hell, I even tried to convince my fiancee to get married in Charlottetown. <br />
<br />
Oh, and the coup de grace? The provincial bird of Prince Edward Island is the blue jay. <br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="172" data-width="293" height="172" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQwMn7utM2wsAp4W8bjXzlXscd9AmwJ65z_HU71V-uZurYcPQ8z" style="height: 172px; width: 293px;" width="293" /><br />
<br />
I love everything about Canada. I love Tim Horton’s, poutine, hockey, snow, maple trees, the QEW highway, the unique font on Kit Kat bars made in Canada, Labatt, the French language, “O’ Canada,” the beautiful Canadian flag, the British Commonwealth and corresponding orders of merit, colo(u)rful currency and the overt sexism of Alex Trebek. It all works, and spectacularly.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Upshot</strong><br />
<br />
2012 is obviously a lost year for the Jays, but they have gained a loyal, diehard fan for life, which makes it a net win. As winter hits, I will be glued to the hot stove in the hopes that the Jays can upgrade their team, heal themselves and get ready for a run at the AL East in 2013.<br />
<br />
Au revoir Mets and, of course, Go Jays Go!Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07003108385466740591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-7069342571593055792012-09-06T13:31:00.002-05:002012-09-06T13:42:27.778-05:00Notre Disney<div style="text-align: left;">
Despite our inactivity on the blog in recent months, I wanted to expound upon my brief mention in this <a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/notredame/sbt-notre-dame-football-home-field-no-advantage-for-irish-20120905,0,7137189.story" target="_blank">South Bend Tribune article</a> regarding Jack Swarbrick’s misguided efforts to improve the environment inside Notre Dame Stadium.</div>
<br />
<strong>The Background</strong><br />
<br />
As mentioned in the article, I was given a “blue card,” which was just an index card replica of the large code of conduct signs that grace the outer façade of the stadium, at last year’s South Florida game. To add some context, I had left the game disgustedly after the second quarter, but I was able to reenter after lightning storms forced the more patient patrons to evacuate the stadium. Following this storm, the crowd had thinned out considerably, so my friends and I were able to sit right behind the USF bench. <br />
<br />
After the Irish scored to cut USF’s lead, the Bulls took over on offense and, naturally, we started to yell loudly to hinder their ability to communicate. While we were vocal, and we stood out a bit more given the lack of fans, we were not profane or visibly intoxicated. Given my general loudness and my propensity to cuss, the moments when I show restraint tend to be more vivid in my memory. Anyway, at that point, an usher approached us and asked us to step away from our seats to talk with him. We initially refused and prompted him to explain why we were causing a problem, but he insisted that we leave. Thereafter, he told us we were “being too loud” and handed us the blue card, which he explained as the equivalent of a yellow card in soccer; i.e., any more problems and we would be ejected. I pointed out that the card did not mention any prohibition on loudness and I asked him whether anyone had complained, but he did not respond. We returned to our seats, kept our voices lower and watch the Irish destroy their season.<br />
<br />
My story, while ridiculous, is far from unique. To the contrary, plenty of Notre Dame fans can tell their own tales of having their experience ruined by heavy handed ushers on a power trip. Despite receiving complaints about this type of behavior for years, however, the University has done nothing to correct this problem, such as training ushers properly and punishing those who have extended their authority. Rather, the University has appeared to condone and encourage this conduct, right down to the disingenuous and patronizing “Welcome to Notre Dame” greetings from stadium personnel. When “being loud” is cause for reprimand, it is rather easy to see why the terms “raucous” and “intimidating” are rarely, if ever, used to describe The House That Rockne Built.<br />
<br />
Draconian ushering, while one symptom of the problem, is not the only reason for a quiet, docile crowd. Let’s explore some of the other root causes and some basic solutions:<br />
<br />
• <strong>Pervasive police presence on campus</strong><br />
<br />
As with ushers, many Notre Dame fans have come forward with their own horror stories about the Gestapo-like behavior of the officers from the Indiana Excise Police, who have spent their Saturday afternoons arresting students, busting up tailgates, forcing 60 year olds (including well heeled donors) and generally abusing their power. Since Notre Dame is a private campus, the University must be inviting the IEP to campus, or at least allowing them to enter. Naturally, this type of enforcement outside sets the tone for the day and does not lend itself to a wild crowd. The IEP needs to be told that the Notre Dame Security Police can handle their bailiwick just fine. <br />
<br />
• <strong>“Big Brother”</strong><br />
<br />
For years, the tyrannical office of Resident Life, which has historically been staffed by adults who reveled in charged punishing college students and who could not be bothered to learn the concept of in loco parentis, has maintained a video camera on the student section to spot misbehavior, such as drinking. Think this might be an absurd way to kill the buzz? Me too.<br />
<br />
• <strong>An older, wealthier fan base</strong><br />
<br />
The demographic profile of the ND fan, though not exclusive to Notre Dame, is unique. Other colleges do not have this problem and it’s unrealistic to expect Patrick McGillicuddy, an attorney from Bethesda, Maryland, to be as vociferous while watching his beloved Irish as, say, Joe Taylor, an out of work mechanic from Parkersburg, West Virginia while watching his beloved Mountaineers. <br />
<br />
Having said that, there are possible solutions, such as creating a special “senior section” where sitting down will be encouraged and/or creating a “young alumni section,” which would be an extension of the student section. The senior section could even be closer to the field since the older alums have earned that right. In other words, quarantine those who don’t want to be a part of a rollicking setting. For the rest, tell the ushers to back off unless there are serious breaches of decorum. On that note, nobody should be bringing young children to games, so ushers need not give credence to any complaint that young Seamus is being scarred for life by nearby fans. <br />
<br />
• <strong>The bizarre tradition of awards during commercial breaks</strong><br />
<br />
Nothing drains the energy quite like sitting around for 3-4 minutes during each stoppage while trotting out 75 year old French professors and Grab N’Go ladies to honor them from their service. Announce scores during the breaks, make announcements, play audio clips of great Notre Dame moments and, if you want, play some music. <br />
<br />
• <strong>The team sucks and so do many of the opponents</strong><br />
<br />
The simple, most glaring problem of all is that the team has sucked for almost 20 years. ND can make all of the changes outlined in this post, but nothing is going to generate excitement for a 5-4 Notre Dame team playing in late November. If Notre Dame is in the top 5, or even in the BCS hunt, the fans will show up and they will want to be loud. Anyone who attended the USC-Notre Dame game in 2005 can confirm that the stadium was beyond electric. <br />
<br />
The corollary is that the home slate must be interesting and challenging. Again, folks aren’t going to be rambunctious if ND is playing some tomato can (e.g., Western Michigan).<br />
<br />
• <strong>Sell beer</strong><br />
<br />
It would never happen, but it's a cause that's near and dear to my heart. Plus, we all know that ND would love the money.<br />
<br /><strong>Swarbrick’s Response</strong><br />
<br />
Against this backdrop, it is incredibly disappointing, but entirely expected, that Jack Swarbrick’s proposed modifications to the stadium miss the mark worse than a Jim Sanson field goal. Instead of addressing the factors outlined above, Swarbrick intends to rely on cheap fixes, such as Ozzy Osbourne and the eventual installation of a Jumbotron. In addition, although were reports last year that the police presence had waned after some particular egregious excesses against fans, the South Bend Tribune recently reported that the Indiana Excise Police will be back on campus this year. This, of course, is entirely inconsistent with Swarbrick’s avowed need to change the overall game day culture.<br />
<br />
In true recent Notre Dame fashion, these “improvements,” will have the magical, deleterious effect of trammeling over the Notre Dame tradition and further cheapening the stadium experience, while doing nothing to create a noisier atmosphere. Put differently, there is no way that a Jumbotron will elicit a response from a sober, old, overly monitored crowd at a game to determine whether Notre Dame to sneak into the Belk Bowl. It will, however, probably play well with our “corporate partners,” but that’s another story altogether.<br />
<br />
It’s simple: tell the ushers to back off, tell the police to get out, separate the old people into their old playpen, build a compelling schedule and, for the love of all that is good and holy, just win, baby.<br />
<br />
Go Irish.<br />
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07003108385466740591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-70163644038296108752012-08-31T14:57:00.000-05:002012-08-31T14:57:26.379-05:00ND Football 2012 Season Kicks OffSo umm, yeah, having kids is awesome and the best thing ever since they're so gosh darn cute, even when they cry or don't sleep when they should because the joy they bring is limitless. But one thing kids absolutely do not bring is more time to keep a blog current. Several of the WeIs posse have entered the fatherhood stage and we're still learning to juggle the new responsibilities. As soon as we can add one more proverbial ball to the juggling mix without dropping everything, you'll see more consistency on these pages. Thanks for understanding. Until then:<br />
<br />
Go Irish! Beat Midshipmen!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmZMF0aIbYYVrtPQFv3rqq83-f3nO6hzYlqMx7nnks0duYInmiWg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmZMF0aIbYYVrtPQFv3rqq83-f3nO6hzYlqMx7nnks0duYInmiWg" /></a><br />
<br />
Not sure which promo I like more: the Adidas shield with the Guinness harp and gimmicky "Emerald Isle Classic" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNYH2AttW34KIoRM6vFF46Bn4pEtr5O1Wv8Ty7r2iY2mUoVoX6" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNYH2AttW34KIoRM6vFF46Bn4pEtr5O1Wv8Ty7r2iY2mUoVoX6" /></a><br />
<br />
Or the simpler Dublin bridge scene contained in a translucent football. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5n-GhT08Cw6K0XMeFb7NwJhYFSwsIEwjfxfcjaZsWuVxvz4ET" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5n-GhT08Cw6K0XMeFb7NwJhYFSwsIEwjfxfcjaZsWuVxvz4ET" /></a>Whichever your fancy, pretty sure ND has never played in a cooler venue than Aviva Stadium. Look forward to the stories that trickle over across the pond.<br />
<br />Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-22696936610753433322012-03-08T00:27:00.000-06:002012-03-08T00:27:25.844-06:00The Mock Delivers When We Least Expect...AgainHello Friends.<br />
<br />
A quick look at various Levels of Tardiness: TV repairman waiting purgatory; 2 week overdue library books; one aunt's Christmas present that dependably arrives in March. Then there's We Is ND's acknowledgement of the fishes and loaves season unfolding before our disbelieving eyes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2012-02/236565980-24131339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2012-02/236565980-24131339.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mea culpa on joining the praise party late. Plenty of thoughts to unload on the eve of ND's first postseason game. Apologies if I veer off topic in a few spots.<br />
<br />
Preseason expectations were so below sea level that rallying to produce our annual roundtable preview in November seemed futile. Abro's season ending injury after Game 6 (his 2nd game in uniform, thanks to a No Clue About Anything imposed suspension) all but anchored this 2011-2012 campaign to a dismal fate at the bottom of the BEast.<br />
<br />
A small, yet vocal, part of me envisioned the bottom falling out and The Mock not surviving the fallout from a 13-19 train wreck of a season. It wouldn't have been the first time Brey's tenure was called into question on these pages: <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2009/01/mike-brey.html">Exhibit A</a> & <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2010/01/madness-of-mike-brey.html">Exhibit B</a>. Maybe he'd lose control of the locker room amidst the noxious stench of losses piling up like soiled boxers in the corner of the Joyce Center. Maybe he'd respectfully step aside and let someone else (Martin Ingelsby?) perform program triage. Suffice it to say, my misplaced rumblings to oust The Mock blew up in my face. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/sioncampus/05/02/college/p1_brey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/sioncampus/05/02/college/p1_brey.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>Alright, where's <a href="http://weisnd.blogspot.com/2006/02/rename-jacc-after-mike-brey.html">Doug's petition to name the court</a> after Michael Montgomery Brey? I'm finally ready to sign. <i>(Sadly, the petition page and all of its signatories have been sucked into a cyberworld vortex of no return. If the petition resurrects itself this Lenten season, I'll gladly throw my support behind it, even if Muffett McGraw has a few lengths lead on earning said naming rights). </i><br />
<br />
As the team prepares to tip off in MSG versus fellow surprise Big East story, South Florida, it's worth taking a closer look at how the Irish got here. To say crashing the Big Dance this year was a long shot is an insult to the term understatement. The improbable odds of Notre Dame finishing 3rd in the toughest conference in America and already stamping their ticket on Selection Sunday are mind-blowing. About the same odds of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EytV67B5ueQ">this shot</a> finding nylon. Or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkqWZdqkyEA">this shot</a> - I can't decide. <br />
<br />
Let's wrap our head around this season timeline:<br />
<br />
4-0 vs. the Brey Non-Conference Pu-Pu Platter (198 avg. RPI): Very little litmus test of any sort, though Detroit ended up winning the Horizon League tournament bid. Otherwise, an accumulation of wins with little merit playing with the team's best shooter in street clothes.<br />
<br />
0-2 vs. Thanksgiving Tournament opponents: Missouri makes a big statement that they've backed up since; The best win for a mediocre Georgia; Abro tears his ACL in practice after these games and is reduced to street clothes on the bench for the rest of the season. <br />
<br />
4-3 vs. the Abro Aftermath Adjustment stretch of games where the team learns new roles and Brey juggles lineups with the desperation of a street performer looking for his next meal. 4 wins vs. 297 avg. RPI (mind you, there are only 344 teams...this is the dregs of Division I); 3 losses vs. name brand teams with a 48 avg. RPI. Overwhelmed by Gonzaga in Spokane; a tantalizing winnable game only to go sour against a rebuilding Maryland; and a worse than the score indicated in-state clash with a let-down-waiting-to-happen Hoosiers fresh off their win heard round the world vs. Kentucky...the letdown didn't happen. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/9148005463008035_aZkdLEuF_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/9148005463008035_aZkdLEuF_b.jpg" /></a>Christmas brought an 8-5 team about to enter a brutal opening conference salvo with 4 ranked teams looming (Pitt, Louisville, UConn & Cuse) in the first 7 contests. Thus far, not a single win to hang their hat on as a building block for success. Squeaking by Detroit at home was the best RPI win at 135, while breaking the century mark in the last game before the holiday break was a welcome sight. The Burn Offense looking spontaneously combustible. <br />
<br />
If the Irish emerged as a .500 team after the Syracuse game, most fans probably would've taken it. With a backloaded conference slate of weak teams, the NIT looked like an optimistic landing spot. The opportunity to play another home game or two and give this young team a few extra games of postseason experience sounded reasonable. <br />
<br />
3-3 Pre-Syracuse game, first 1/3 of conference schedule. The Irish welcomed a reeling Pitt team who had just lost on their home court to Wagner. Little did anyone know at the time that Jamie Dixon's squad were impostors this season. But knocking off the Panthers was a refreshing jolt nonetheless. Back to reality with a spanking on the road at Cincy, followed by the first shock of the season, a double OT nail biter in Freedom Hall. The Irish dictated the flow with the Burn and, for the first time, gave fans a wild thought that Brey found a magic lamp on one of his Middle East desert trips and was using all three wishes this season. Beating South Florida at home didn't seem like a good win at the time. That was one of the few W's confidently circled on the schedule to start. Following it up with a stinker vs. Connecticut and an even worse loss on the road to Rutgers had everyone reaching for the panic button again. And then #1 visited South Bend...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5VUwRZHcf04CNVhp-W9Sb29WunVwsMyjqnD5XXWjPD9c81IFZPURHic4GQmJHmlW1kS82gIosbCOJ3VFvRRdT7qc_5ITOinBh5Zum9E0fNc10JC5I-v4Owof5PE0oJLwXJoI/s1600/i.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5VUwRZHcf04CNVhp-W9Sb29WunVwsMyjqnD5XXWjPD9c81IFZPURHic4GQmJHmlW1kS82gIosbCOJ3VFvRRdT7qc_5ITOinBh5Zum9E0fNc10JC5I-v4Owof5PE0oJLwXJoI/s320/i.jpeg" width="320" /></a>9-0 Post court rushing mayhem and subsequent record-tying conference win streak. It's still weird to look at Syracuse sitting at #2 in the polls with one tally in the loss column. How in the name of Todd Palmer did that happen? Shooting the lights out with your opponent's best defender out of the lineup makes for a memorable "were you there when" story. Team confidence soared and the wins avalanched in every shape and size, as if Dr. Seuss were writing the year-in-review. Road wins, home wins. Crazy come from behind wins (Nova), equally crazy grab an early lead and never look back wins (Marq). Freshman making a name for themselves wins (Naughty Time!) and previously unheralded players stepping into the spotlight and relishing the moment wins (Jerian Grant & Jack Cooley). By the end of the streak, Notre Dame was ranked and slotted comfortably in any bracket magic 8-ball exercise. A glorious run that saw The Mock go multiple personality on us as he introduced (and continued for good luck) The Don, as well as the streak-busting The Bow. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/988507/ND_Mike_Brey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/988507/ND_Mike_Brey.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>1-2 All good things come to an end ending. For whatever quixotic reason, Madison Square Garden has plagued Irish shooters for years on end, and a putrid day behind the arc halted the winning streak before it reached double figures. As bad as they played vs. St. John's, the Irish still had a shot at the buzzer to tie. Things were not as hopeful on their Hoya visit and the better team triumphed. Thankfully, the boys saved one last shooting display to beat Providence and secure a double bye in the BET (and inadvertently score the easiest possible quarterfinal matchup vs. #6 seed South Florida). <br />
<br />
Add it all up and The Mock delivered a 21-10 campaign with 6 wins over top 50 RPI teams and a couple signature victories to tell the grandchildren, doing so with the team's returning leading scorer and best shooter playing in 2 games. This year more than any, Mike Brey soared past everyone's expectations, figuring out a rotation with 3 new chief contributors (Grant, Connaughton and Dragicevich) and changing the team's offensive mindset on the fly with an emphasis on post production from the criminally underrated Jack Cooley. For all his flaws (which I'll delve into in a follow-up post), it's hard to argue with the results of the self-described "loosest coach in America." <br />
<br />
Come Thursday night, we'll see if the team can conquer their fear of MSG's rims, as well as what fashion choice Brey opts for to extend this unlikeliest of feel-good seasons.Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-35963095392062716902011-12-02T00:06:00.000-06:002011-12-02T00:06:58.781-06:00Weis Roundtable Week 14 Picks: BCS Last Call Edition<div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Clemson (+7.5) vs. Virginia Tech </span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dan: Clemson (+7.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This game feels like a game between two teams headed in opposite directions at first blush. VA tech has won 7 straight, Clemson dropped 3 of the last 4 badly. However, Va Tech has been miserable against the spread all year, even in that 7 game win stretch. I think Sammy Watkins gets back up to game speed this week and Clemson at least keeps it close.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">VT 24 Clemson 20</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: Virginia Tech (-7.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The Fighting Beamers just keep chugging along, getting stronger by the week, while Clemson is limping into the ACC title game, licking their wounds off a thumping at the hands of the Gamecocks. The Hokies roll on and Clemson makes their reservations for Orlando, and a date with the Irish in the Champs Sports Bowl.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Virginia Tech 31 Clemson 21</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jimmy: Virginia Tech (-7.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Lots of factors pointing VT’s way in the ACC (Anti-Climactic Championship) title game. Back when Clemson surprised everyone by reeling off 3 straight over quality competition (upon further review, said “quality competition” of Auburn and Florida State lost 9 games between them), the Dabonites stymied and embarrassed Beamer Ball on his own turf, 23-3. Since then, Clemson reverted back to their lovable losing-when-least-expect-except-you-kind-of-do-expect ways that we’ve grown accustomed to. A snowball of reverse momentum picked up steam with 3 blowout losses in their last four games. Clemson’s ass backwards collapse into near BCS bliss is more a product of underwhelming seasons by FSU and Wake Forest. And yes, those are the only other teams in the Atlantic Division with winning records. Blech.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Meanwhile, Va. Tech has won impressively and won ugly finishing on a 7 win streak. Operative word being WIN. They’re familiar with and will embrace the big stage in Charlotte. Plus, the Hokies have the biggest motivating factor behind them, revenge.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Virginia Tech 33 Clemson 13</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mike: Virginia Tech (-7.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">These are two teams that are moving in completely opposite directions. Clemson defeated Virginia Tech 23-3 in Blacksburg earlier this year, but the wheels are coming off the Tiger bandwagon and the Hokies are rounding into championship form. This has all the makings of another ACC Championship snoozefest in Charlotte.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Virginia Tech 44 Clemson 14</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Phil: Virginia Tech (-7.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Clemson was trucking on all cylinders but has seemed to fall apart. Watkins and Boyd are beat up and they aren't sneaking up on anyone anymore. OC Chad Morris wants the season to hurry up and end before his stock plummets a la Malzahn. Va Tech again has amazingly shaken off a slow start to quietly be a BCS team and a surprising "only 1 loss team!" </span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Va Tech 30 Clemson 14</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Michigan State (+10) vs. Wisconsin</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dan: Michigan State (+10)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Rumors are flying that the Big 10 is paying people to attend this game. Shows them right. These artificial conference championship games are starting to really grate on my nerves. If Georgia beats LSU – it belongs in a BCS game? What about UCLA? And the Big East? Well, that’s a lose-lose I guess. Give me a break. Rant over – I don’t get this spread. Wisconsin has struggle against teams that have the ability to line up and go head to head in the trenches with them. And while granted, it was on a last minute Hail Mary, let’s not forget MSU won the first time around. I’ll take the points.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Wisconsin 31 MSU 24</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: Wisconsin (-10)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">MSU is a pretty different team away from Spartan Stadium, though from the sounds of it, this certainly won't be a "home" game for either team given the immense number of tickets available. Sparty hangs tough for 3 quarters, but a late Cousins INT kills their momentum and the Badgers get the cover and book their tickets for Pasadena.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Wisconsin 34 MSU 21</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jimmy: Michigan State (+10)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Last time they played on the same field, an instant classic resulted. People, Vegas specifically, have little faith that a repeat will occur this go round. My question – why not? Pat Narduzzi (I dare someone to offer a better coordinator name) will have his defense dialed up to slow Montee Ball’s ascent into Barry Sanders territory. </span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>TANGENT ALERT: I remember catching some of Barry’s few televised games in 1988 as an adolescent / aspiring blogger and assuming that’s what good RBs do. How naïve. That’s what </i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><i>the best ever</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> do. Wish I had been a little older to better appreciate the splendor of that season. </i></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The media desperately needs to slow their roll in comparisons to legendary #21. Let’s be honest, Montee Ball doesn’t belong in the same sentence as that illustrious Cowboy. All veiled comparisons should require their own statements, like: Montee Ball has enjoyed an incredible season, benefiting from a high-scoring, efficient offense to score 34 TDs through 12 games. Barry Sanders holds the single season record with 39 TDs in 11 regular season games. Bump the total to 44 if you count bowl games. Just because the NCAA added games to the schedule and now counts 2 postseason games towards the final record book ledger doesn’t mean that someone’s season merits comparable status. Apples and pork chops. There’s a whiff of Babe Ruth/Roger Maris asterisked record book association, but this is a far more egregious rule change favoring the present. </span></i></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If you want to take it a step further (you’re probably shaking your head no, but I’m on a role, so it’s time to go solo), the man, the myth, the video-version-didn’t-even-do-him-justice Barry Sanders averaged a gaudy 7.6 yards per carry. That’s one full yard more than Montee’s 6.5 ypc. Kinda like how the difference between 3.5 ypc is above average and 4.5 is pretty damn good, except with bigger numbers. Barry broke the 300+ yard mark four times, and topped 200+ three other times. Montee snuck by the 200+ mark twice. Barry’s worst yardage game of the season was a 154 yard effort vs. Missouri. Such a pedestrian day would have ranked as Montee’s 5th highest total this year, a mere dozen yards behind Ball’s 3rd best Saturday output. </span></i></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Want some more wind blown out of the sails of the Montee Ball hype machine? Of his 34 touchdowns, 24 have been within 10 yards or less. In fact, 22 TDs have been within 5 yards of paydirt. In the ultimate padding for padding sake, Montee has 12 TDs strolling in from the 1 or 2 yard line. Grandmothers could follow Wisconsin’s big uglies in from that proximity. Since the Internet didn’t keep a record of his every play from scrimmage, I <a href="http://sportsratings.typepad.com/college_football/2007/12/barry-sanders-1.html">cobbled together</a> rough estimates that no fewer than 7 of Barry’s 39 TDs traveled between 45 and 100 yards of the field, the epitome of gamebreaker. Here’s guessing Barry didn’t have double digit strolls from the one foot line because Barry wouldn’t have been tackled so close without scoring in the first place. </span></i></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i></i></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Not taking away from Ball’s remarkable achievements this season at all. But he doesn’t meet either of two requirements for transcendent players. The Berlin Doctrine (by which a player possesses the ability to take your breath away every time he touches the ball); and The Houdini Theory (by which a player regularly makes viewers, announcers, opposing teams, and even teammates wonder how they did something). If Barry had played a 12th game and included bowl stats in his season total, the record would be in the neighborhood of 50 and this discussion would be moot. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7S8wN_tL5Y">Barry Sanders was God's gift to football. </a></span></i></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Back to the inaugural Big 10 Championship game, held at the venerable college football bastion, Lucas Oil Field. My gut says 10 is too many points. Would it surprise me if the Badgers drummed Sparty to a pulp? Not at all. But playing a hunch...and trying to claw back ahead of Jeremy and Dan in the pick standings and assuming they’ll ride Wisky here. This looks like the safest play for the underdogs. </span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Wisconsin 32 Michigan State 27</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mike: Michigan State (+10)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Michigan State beat Wisconsin already this year, but the game was in East Lansing and the Spartans required a Hail Mary to stave off a Badger comeback. Given the change in venue and its slight talent edge, Wisconsin should be able to win this game and secure a place in the Rose Bowl. Having said that, Michigan State is equipped to slow Wisconsin’s running game to a degree and to run the ball effectively against the Badger defense, thereby keeping this game close. Russell Wilson will be the difference, however, in an entertaining inaugural Big Ten Championship.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Wisconsin 30 Michigan State 23</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Phil: Wisconsin (-10)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A rematch of the heartbreak finish that essentially made whisky lose 2 games. Don't think they will allow MSU to be that close this time. War Damn Russell Wilson and Montee Ball.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Wisconsin 34 MSU 21</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Georgia (+12.5) vs. LSU</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dan: LSU (-12.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">LSU has been getting it done all year. They are 9-3 against the spread (and the three “losses” are close against big spreads) and have been a dominant force. Georgia is just ecstatic to be back in the SEC title game with by winning the mediocre East division. LSU doesn’t even want a chance that a loss might put them in a position to miss out on the Alabama rematch. LSU rolls.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">LSU 31 UGA 10</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: LSU (-12.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Another week, another chance for the Bayou Bengals to make a dominating statement. Anyone want to bet against them doing it? Not this guy.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">LSU 27 Georgia 10</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jimmy: LSU (-12.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Good for Georgia to reel off 10 wins against teams they should have beat, duck the 3 best teams in their own conference and make it to this stage. Now feel the wrath of Les Miles’ wrecking crew. Come the 3rd quarter, Aaron Murray will be hiding under a bench in the fetal position hoping Mark Richt puts someone else in.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">LSU 26 Georgia 7</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mike: LSU (-12.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Georgia deserves some credit for a nice season and Mark Richt’s job is clearly secure for at least another year, but the Bulldogs have been the beneficiary of the weakest schedule (by opponent winning percentage) of any SEC division winner since the league was separated into divisions. Moreover, while LSU might not need to win this game to secure a spot in the BCS title game, the Tigers will not be inclined to leave anything to chance this week in Atlanta. Look for UGA to keep this game close for a while before LSU pulls away in the fourth quarter to punch its ticket to New Orleans.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">LSU 31 Georgia 14</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Phil: LSU (-12.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Anticlimactic SEC title game, as this is a 1 vs 4 matchup in the SEC and has little bearing on the BCS NC game. UGA has been playing well of late, but has had some players injured and Erin Murray's struggles with a physical DL are well documented. Just glancing at this line makes me think that the game will be closer, but Les Miles has a way of getting his players ready and LSU has been dominant this year. Bring on bama.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">LSU 37 UGA 21</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Oklahoma (+3.5) @ Oklahoma State</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dan: Oklahoma State (-3.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Bedlam! Of course, this is the game of national picture irrelevance. I don’t think OU has it this year. I guess they may have more to play for – revenge for OSU ruining OU’s season in the past, but I don’t see it. OSU, that Friday night debacle aside, have been dominant. Maybe they come out flat, but I trust Gundy to get them fired up.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">OSU 41 OU 34</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: Oklahoma (+3.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The Sooners are a little beat up, but they'd love nothing better than a chance to ruin the Pokes chances to play in the title game. Boomer Sooner pulls away late.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Oklahoma 41 Oklahoma St. 34</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jimmy: Oklahoma State (-3.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span>Bedlam is just fun to say, especially really loud. Freaks people out on elevators. I've read the stories about Okie State always coming up short (and Iowa State was certainly this year's annual contribution). But there's some voodoo black magic keeping this intense rivalry so one-sides in the Sooners' favor. While 1 game doesn't exactly tip the see-saw back in the Cowboys' direction, it certainly offers hope for years to come. I believe in Mike Gundy and his ability to harness the scary potential of his offense. This is as good a year as any for Oklahoma State to puff their chest proudly and feel like they have the upper hand, at least for a year.</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Oklahoma State 48 Oklahoma 42</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mike: Oklahoma (+3.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I obviously understand why Oklahoma State is favored in this game, but the superior talent still resides on the Sooner sideline. Although the Pokes have played the spoiler role quite well in the Bedlam series, they have not been able to rise to the occasion when both teams have been highly ranked. Until proven otherwise, Oklahoma, injuries and all, is still the better program and they will prove their superiority this weekend in Stillwater.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Oklahoma 42 Oklahoma State 38</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Phil: Oklahoma (+3.5)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After carrying me all season, Weeden gave me the ultimate "eff u" by losing to Iowa St and allowing bama to play for the title. What a jerk. I hope OU waxes his ass this game.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">OU 40 OSU 21</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bonus Picks</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Dan: </b>New Mexico @ <b>Boise State -48.5</b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Hell, one last time, for old time’s sake. It’s just not going to be the same with Davie there. Besides, their old coach is gone and their new coach is too busy doing multiple Thanksgiving weekend games.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Boise 69 New Mexico 10</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: </span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: </b>Southern Miss vs. <b>Houston (-14)</b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Case Keenum goes out in style with a final feel-good big win over mid-major competition. Soak it up Case. The fairy tale ends with whoever you’re matched up with in the BCS (unless that happens to be the Big East “Champ”).</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Houston 59 Southern Miss 40</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Oregon (-30)</b> vs. UCLA</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Do you think Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott is pleased with the matchup in the first ever Pac-12 matchup? Me either. Oregon will drub UCLA in Rick Neuheisel’s final game before joining his conference counterparts, Mike Stoops, Dennis Erickson and Paul Wulff, in the unemployment line.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Oregon 62 UCLA 10</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Phil: </b>Texas @ <b>Baylor (-2.5)</b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Seriously?!? This is almost too easy. RG3 and co should mollywhop the hornless horns. I am not fooled by Texas surprising the underachieving Aggies over Thanksgiving. This is about too much Ganaway, RG3 (who is apparently fine) and Wright.</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Baylor 34 Texas 20</span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Last Week</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dan: 5-1 (+ Lock of the Week)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: 5-1 (+)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jimmy: 4-2 (+)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mike: 2-4 (+) –6-6 in his Bonus Bonanza picks, which I mercilessly equated to an L</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Phil: 2-3 (+)</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Season to Date</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dan: 47-28 (9-4) .627 pct.</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jeremy: 48-27-1 (8-5) .632 pct.</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Jimmy: 44-29-3 (10-3) .618 pct.</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mike: 35-40-1 (8-4-1) .474 pct.</span></b></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Phil: 42-31-1 (9-3-1) .581 pct.</span></b></span></div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-50164585098989516612011-11-25T09:36:00.000-06:002011-11-25T09:36:29.580-06:00Notre Dame vs. Stanford - Saving the Best for Last<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dan: Stanford</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">Stanford 31 Notre Dame 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jeremy: Stanford</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First time I'm picking against the Irish this year. Must mean they're going to find a way to get the W, right? Stanford was very successful in dropping the 8 or 9 guys into coverage last year, and that same strategy has proved effective this year in games against Pitt, Wake and last week against the Eagles. Could be another long day of checkdowns and throw-aways. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the Irish to stay around in this game, they're going to need a monstrous effort from Cierre Wood and the offensive line. Stanford hasn't faced too many great running teams this year, particularly early on, and ND should be able to find some holes on the ground. Both Michael Floyd and Tyler Eifert should attract plenty of attention and will force guys like TJ Jones and Robby Toma to find holes in the zone. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Andrew Luck doesn't need much discussion, and if he's watched any tape at all on the ND team, he knows that the middle of the field will be wide open for him, particularly if he can get his TEs matched up against any one of Te'o, Fox or Calabrese. Those drags and crossing routes are going to absolutely murder the Irish defense. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I expect the play of the ND offensive and defensive lines to keep the Irish in the game, though the likely loss of Stephon Tuitt for another week is going to make it tough to keep the Cardinal running game in check. Luck makes enough plays in the 4th quarter, and the Irish lose another chance for a marquee win.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stanford 27 ND 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jimmy: Stanford</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">While Stanford is a very good team, ND probably matches up better with the Cardinal better than any other Top 10 team. Prior to the BC game, I was sold the Irish would be clicking on all cylinders and ready to blow it up in Palo Alto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After yet another shaky effort from Tommy Rees, compounded by Jonas Gray's injury and Steph Tuitt's lingering health problems, my confidence in a victory is wavering. The 1-2 combo in the backfield has been a delight. If Theo "Yo-Yo" Riddick returns to the RB position, that would get a valuable playmaker more touches, but he's certainly not the same bulldozer, between the tackles weapon as Gray. I'm loving the new found revelation that is Robby Toma in the slot. Robby's size, speed, and glue hands are ideal to thrive in that position. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times;">ND has a proud history of producing Heisman Trophy winners within the program, and a not-so-proud history of allowing signature moments for other program's eventual Heisman awards (see Desmond Howard, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush). Now Andrew Luck gets one final turn to impress the voters. A big performance on the national spotlight might be all that's left to stamp his ticket to NCAA immortality. The Irish secondary may be all to obliging. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times;">I hope a different scenario plays out and Brian Kelly earns his first true signature win.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"></span><span style="font-family: Times;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
Stanford 30 ND 23</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mike: Stanford</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As seen over the past two weeks, Stanford is quite vulnerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cardinal were pasted at home by Oregon and they struggled to beat Cal in Palo Alto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Injuries have taken their toll for Stanford as well, so this week is a golden opportunity for Notre Dame to notch its first legitimate “signature” win under Brian Kelly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Unfortunately for the Irish, Stanford has Andrew Luck at starting quarterback and Notre Dame has Tommy Rees, which is the football equivalent of bringing a butter knife to a missile fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford will likely borrow from the blueprint on slowing the Irish offense that was authored by Boston College last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, the Cardinal will drop plenty of men into coverage and dare the statuesque Rees to run or force the ball into tight windows with his weak arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For whatever reason, Brian Kelly has refused to play dual threat QB Andrew Hendrix, who performed quite well in limited action earlier this season, despite Rees’s obvious limitations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This stubbornness will again hurt the Irish, as Rees will continue his penchant for turnovers, thereby undermining any chance at a Notre Dame offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On defense, Notre Dame will slow down Luck to a degree, but the senior signal caller is too good to be denied all evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another opportunity lost for the Irish, who will close the regular season at a disappointing 8-4.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stanford 34 Notre Dame 20<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Phil: Notre Dame</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Notre Dame @ Stanford</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Great debate between James and Mazza on if a W is a W in the college game. Lots of levels of discussion here. My 2 cents:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this BCS world, it is obviously paramount to win every week (unless the media slobs your knob like bama) and to have a perfect season, you need to win the 1-2 games each year where the ball is not bouncing your way. You need to "win ugly." In that case, a W is a W. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where I agree with James, is that this Irish team has already laid 3 eggs this year. We have come out flat, turned the ball over and been flat beaten. For us, at this stage in the game, we need to show signs of improvement, signs that we are headed in the direction of being a championship caliber team. To watch the uninspired, pathetic showing against BC on senior day was awful. It is a reminder that we are NOT elite yet, and may still have a ways to go...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stanford is a good team, but they do not superior athleticism. Nor do they have Harbaugh this year, who can somehow motivate his players to just pummel the life out of their opponent. I am scared to think what someone like Luck can do to our secondary after watching Denard light us up, but my love for the Irish leads me to beleive we can win this game on the road, springboarding our campaign for BCS champs 2012!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Notre Dame 31 Stanford 30</span></div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-5178222452553343592011-11-23T13:33:00.000-06:002011-11-23T13:33:13.405-06:00Mike's 2nd Helping Picks, Rivalry Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My love for rivalries has been well documented on this blog, so it should be rather obvious that this is my favorite weekend of college football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of the rivalry angle, the pieces to the BCS puzzle will be taking shape this weekend, which just adds another layer of entertainment to an already riveting menu of games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toss in copious amounts of food, beer and wine and you’ve got the recipe for an incredible stretch of days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In honor of rivalries, I will wax prognostic about a bunch of games this week (HOME team in caps). </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Lone Star Showdown:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TEXAS A&M (-8.5) over Texas</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Emotions will be sky high in College Station this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Texas A&M is licking its chops at the opportunity to claim victory against an undermanned Texas team in the final, and perhaps the most vitriolic, edition of the Lone Star Showdown.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Texas A&M 34 Texas 14</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Backyard Brawl:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WEST VIRGINIA (-7.5) over Pittsburgh</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Another fine rivalry that might be ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ain’t conference realignment grand?</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">West Virginia 30 Pittsburgh 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Clean, Old Fashioned Hate:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GEORGIA TECH (+5.5) over Georgia</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Georgia has taken care of business against an incredibly weak slate of opponents, but they will be facing a sharp step up in class this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the SEC Championship on the horizon and the difficulties in preparing for Georgia Tech’s offense, this is a bad matchup for the Dawgs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Georgia Tech 35 Georgia 28</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The “Can’t They Both Lose?™” Bowl Ohio State (+7.5) over MICHIGAN</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Can Michigan finally beat Ohio State after 7 straight losses?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until I see it, I refuse to believe it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ohio State 24 Michigan 21</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Old Oaken Bucket:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Purdue (-7.5) over INDIANA</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Anyone viewing this game will likely need a replica version of the Old Oaken Bucket as a vomit receptacle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Purdue 28 Indiana 14</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Border War:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>KANSAS (+24) over Missouri</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Too many points for this rivalry (all time series record:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>55-55-9, which is awesome), even though Kansas is beyond putrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will this be Turner Gill’s final game?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will Gary Pinkel be able to circumvent his ignition interlock after the post game party?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions abound on the Plains.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Missouri 42 Kansas 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Civil War:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregon State (+28) over OREGON</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This is Oregon State’s Super Bowl, while Oregon is still smarting from last week’s blown opportunity against USC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, folks, is a recipe for an underdog play.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Oregon 38 Oregon State 21</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Apple Cup:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington State (+6.5) over WASHINGTON</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Will an upset save Paul Wulff’s job?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned, as Wazzu will reclaim the Apple Cup at the venerable CenturyLink Field in Seattle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Washington State 35 Washington 34</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Egg Bowl:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MISSISSIPPI STATE (-18) over Mississippi</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Rebels have mailed it in since Houston Nutt’s firing, but will a trip to their Magnolia State rivals serve as inspiration?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m guessing that it won’t.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mississippi State 36 Mississippi 14</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sunshine Showdown:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Florida State (-2.5) over FLORIDA</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Forget about the Noles’ loss last week against Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Florida State’s defense will overwhelm Florida’s offense at the Swamp.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Florida State 20 Florida 10</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Crosstown Showdown:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UCLA (+14.5) over USC</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In a testament to how awful the Pac-12 South has been, UCLA leads the division and can secure a berth in the conference title game with a win against the Trojans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USC, of course, would be the division winner if not for its probation and they should be able to handle their rivals at home this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The edge in motivation should reside with the Bruins, however, which will be enough for the cover.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">USC 35 UCLA 24</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Victory Bell:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Duke (+13.5) over NORTH CAROLINA</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Surprisingly, a recent study in the Wall Street Journal revealed that this game is actually the second most heated rivalry in college football in terms of total average penalties per game (behind Auburn-Georgia; <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576639093283303646.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576639093283303646.html</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, the mutual disdain is not only reserved for the hardwood.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">North Carolina 28 Duke 21</span></div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-59211685171154184292011-11-23T13:32:00.000-06:002011-11-23T13:32:07.370-06:00WeIs Roundtable Week 13 Picks: Giving Thanks for Football Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">To get in the holiday spirit, I tried to find the stellar SNLskit of Ferrell and Kattan as Air Supply: "<i>It's Thanksgiving time, it's so good to see you. You're in that red dress. That looks pretty awesome."</i> Or something like that. Kudos to NBC for burying the clip in its treasure trove of copyright material not to be shared or viewed again, save for a glimmer of hope it pops up on a holiday special. Anywho, we've got plenty of football to digest this weekend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The BCS picture at this point is a Rorshach test - screwy interpretations with no distinguishable answers, except for a big menacing Bengal tiger in the middle. The outbreak of upset-itis last weekend gives some schools hope where hope had previously left the bar. Even ND isn't mathematically eliminated from an "adults table" bowl game. With a little more help from their friends, Mt. Upset can be scaled to #14 in the BCS rankings. Without further ado, let's tackle some picks...</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Virginia Tech (-5.5) @ Virginia</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: Virginia Tech (-5.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Traveling abroad last week has left Dan an utter mess, so just picks from the man.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Virginia Tech 24 Virginia 17</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: Virginia Tech (-5.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great to see the Hoos looking frisky again. Can't understand how UVA's football and basketball programs have languished for so long. BUT, the Hokies have the BCS in their sights and Frank Beamer isn't going to have his squad suffer any let-down here. Va Tech rolls on although there are some frightening moments.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Va Tech 28 Virginia 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: Virginia (+5.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good for Virginia and Coach Mike London for returning to relevance in Charlottesville. Not sure which is the bigger incentive: winning the ACC Coastal Division or grabbing the belt as undisputed king of the Commonwealth of Virginia. While I like Va. Tech to hold on, think this will come down to the wire.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trash-talking sidenote: Muchos gracias to the players making up my college fantasy roster that's squaring off against Phil in the championship this week. Represented on my optimistic turned ironic team name The 2nd Coming of Crist are players from each of this week's highlighted matchups: Logan Thomas, Sammy Watkins, Trent Richardson and Tyler Wilson. Speaking of the electric Sammy Watkins (sounds like a legendary session bassist for a 70s funk group), gotta give thanks to league Public Enemy #1 Bama Pete for trading Watkins straight up for a soon-to-shred his ACL Dominique Whaley. A one-sided deal made in fantasy heaven. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Virginia Tech 27 Virginia 24</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Virginia (+5.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is hard not to be impressed with the job that Mike London has done in Charlottesville.<span> </span>In less than two years, London has transformed the Hoos from also-ran status to knocking on the door of the ACC title game.<span> </span>As with most of its conference opponents, Virginia Tech has dominated this rivalry in recent years, but the Hokies are limping into this matchup with a bevy of injury concerns.<span> </span>Virginia will play inspired football with a chance to unseat its in-state rival atop the ACC Coastal Division and reclaim the Commonwealth Cup for the first time since 2003.<span> </span>As usual, however, Virginia Tech will find a way to win and punch its ticket to Charlotte.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Virginia Tech 26 Virginia 23</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Virginia Tech (-5.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great pick by me last week to pick UVA to at least cover against FSU. This is a very intriguing matchup, in that upstart UVA is at home and playing solid football. The Fighting Beamers always seem to lose a game early in the year only to find themselves in a BCS bowl after quiet reeling off 10 straight wins. Same thing this year. I think that Logan Thomas and David Wilson will provide enough fireworks to stave off the fiesty, homestanding Cavaliers. Hope I am right. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Va Tech 28 UVA 21</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Clemson (+4) @ South Carolina</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: South Carolina (-4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">South Carolina 27 Clemson 13</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: Clemson (+4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Really hate this pick, but I can't see the Gamecocks pulling away in this game. Provided Sammy Watkins is somewhere near 100%, the Tigers should keep this one close.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">South Carolina 23 Clemson 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: South Carolina (-4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not gonna try to understand or guess which Clemson team shows up for teh annual intra-conference Palmetto State classic. Last week epitomized laying an egg. Spurrier has one heckuva D-Line that's sure to give Tahj Boyd fits. Going with the more consistent Gamecocks, who have trademarked "ugly win" this season.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">USC 22 Clemson 17</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Clemson (+4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The wheels have come off the Clemson bandwagon rather quickly, as the Tigers were pounded into submission against a mediocre NC State team last week.<span> </span>Clemson adds Sammy Watkins back to the lineup, however, which should benefit Tajh Boyd and the rest of their offense immensely.<span> </span>South Carolina, on the other hand, has struggled enormously on offense, particularly since Marcus Lattimore’s injury, and they will likely struggle to move the ball again this week.<span> </span>Look for a major bounce back for Clemson this week in the always contentious Battle of the Palmetto State.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clemson 37 South Carolina 24</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Clemson (+4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not sure if I understand this line. Dabo got his bammer butt kicked last week, but South Carolina is not a great team and the home field advantage is marginal at best in this rivalry game. No Lattimore for the Cocks and hoping to see a whole lotta Andre Ellington to lead both Clemson and my fantasy team to victory!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clemson 31 USC 21</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Alabama (-21) @ Auburn</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: Alabama (-21)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="line-height: 115%;">Alabama 38 Auburn 10</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: Alabama (-21)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry Phil. Saban's on a mission to get a little more respect after the computers revealed that the Tide will be going to the title game without having to win their own conference (not to mention their own <i>division</i>). Statement time for Bama.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alabama 38 Auburn 10</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: Alabama (-21)<span> </span>Lock of the Week</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bama gave up 21 points to Georgia Southern! Nick Saban’s impenetrable defense now very penetrable (on second thought, a word I probably shouldn’t be using these days in college football circles).<span> </span>Rein it in media jumping at any kind of angle on a boring sub-par FCS opponent in November (why the SEC allows these matchups to be scheduled now is beyond me).<span> </span>The Tide are still the 2nd best team in America and were caught looking ahead to this redemptive Iron Bowl. Sorry Philip, but Auburn is about to pay the reaper for last year's epic victory. Hide your kids, hide your wife. This will get ugly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bama 48 Auburn 10</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Alabama (-21)<span> </span>Lock of the Week</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Forget the drama this year.<span> </span>Alabama has the BCS title game in its crosshairs and you can bet that Nick Saban will have his team primed for revenge after last year’s meltdown in Tuscaloosa.<span> </span>Much like having the pitcher strike out purposefully to avoid hitting into a double play in RBI Baseball for Nintendo, Auburn’s offense would be well served to punt on second or third down to avoid turning the bowl over.<span> </span>My prediction? Pain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alabama 28 Auburn 3 </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Abstaining</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">A greatly different feel to this years' Iron Bowl than the past 2 years. Auburn no longer has the upstart, "trick up your sleeve" surprise factor as they did in 2009 and they no longer have the greatest college football player ever like they did in 2010. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Auburn is truly a poor team this year. The OL is awful. The DL, although improved, is no match for the Bama D Line. Moseley has tried his best at QB, but I suspect the Bama front 7 might kill his fragile self. All we have to go on this year is passion, hatred for our rival and home field advantage (which I pray stays our home field as some alums shamefully will sell their tix).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alabama is a great team. Richardson is the great (2nd best back in the state!), and the defense is 2nd to none. They are weak at QB and weak at WR. They struggle to score points at times against a good defense, which sadly, Auburn does NOT have. Plus, they realize what is at stake and the revenge factor will be high after last years gut wrenching stomach punch loss. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although I started the year off slow in my picks, I have made a resurgence and am no longer lagging way behind. Had I not picked for Auburn and against Alabama every time, I would probably be winning the pick race. No prediction from me for this game as I am holding a glimmer of hope that the mighty War Eagles can muster one game's worth of moxie, energy and fight to beat the #2 outta the tide. WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Arkansas (+13) @ LSU</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: LSU (-13)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="line-height: 115%;">LSU 31 Arkansas 10</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: LSU (-13)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Speaking of statement games, this one's a big one for both teams. Arkansas is trying to prove that they belong in the national title discussion, while LSU realizes that their big win over Bama is almost meaningless. Mathieu is due for another defensive TD, and Tyler Wilson will be more than accommodating, as he'll be forced to chuck it about 50 times on Friday. Looking forward to this one, even if the Bayou Bengals pull away comfortably in the 2nd half.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">LSU 31 Arkansas 13</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: LSU (-13)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Have to imagine this is the first time in BCS history where a #1 vs. #3 BCS ranks matchup mirrors a conference's division standings. While I'm grateful for Tyler Wilson's steady contributions to my fantasy squad, he gets the bench this week. LSU's suffocating secondary will likely cause his performance to register somewhere between woefully inept and a Brad Johnson-esque game manager mediocre. As talented as Jarius Wright & Co. are, I just don't see Wilson picking the Tigers apart. With the Death Valley denizens hungry for a compelling finish to this unblemished season, the Mad Hatter will orchestrate at least a two score margin.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">LSU 36 Arkansas 17</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Arkansas (+13)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once again, the SEC delivers with high drama on the day after Thanksgiving.<span> </span>The Battle for the Golden Boot has produced plenty of incredible games in the past 10 years irrespective of each team’s record and, with BCS title game implications on the line for both teams, there’s every reason to believe that this year’s edition will be hotly contested.<span> </span>As with the Alabama-Arkansas game earlier this year, I believe that LSU’s dominant defense will ultimately be too much for the Hogs to handle.<span> </span>Nonetheless, Bobby Petrino should be able to coax enough production out of his team to keep this game close to the very end.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As an aside, Jack Swarbrick would do extremely well to keep Petrino on his short list of replacement coaches in the likely event that Brian Kelly fails at Notre Dame.<span> </span>Petrino inherited a roster at Arkansas that was bereft of talent and he has turned them into a legitimate SEC contender despite lacking the same rich in-state talent base that his rivals at Florida, Georgia, Alabama and LSU have.<span> </span>In addition, while character is always a major issue at Notre Dame, Petrino has never run afoul of the NCAA authorities at any of his prior stops.<span> </span>Although there will be those who continue to express outrage over Petrino’s exit from Atlanta, it was clear that the NFL was not working out, so he made the best move for himself and his family.<span> </span>Admittedly, his departure was abrupt and clumsy, but, while that may offend the sensibilities of the NFL-obsessed talking heads in Bristol, CT, it doesn’t bother me at all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">LSU 24 Arkansas 17</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Arkansas (+13)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lotta points being given here for a game that means so much against 2 teams who have played each other tough the last few years. Arky is a much better team than they were in September after losing to Bama. The BCS implications of an LSU loss are potentially catastrophic. One good thing for the Tigers is that Arky's strength is their passing game and LSU can cover and rush the QB. I like LSU in a closely fought game.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">LSU 27 Arky 24</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bonus Picks</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: </b>Boston College @ <b>Miami (-14)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miami 31 Boston College 13</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: </b>Akron @<b> Western Michigan (-28)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wouldn't even think of hopping off my horse here. Take a look at that Akron schedule and tell me there's a worse team in the NCAA. Bet you can't do it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Western Michigan 48 Akron 3</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: </b>Georgia @ <b>Georgia Tech (+5.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sign me up for the home under dog getting decent points in a rivalry game with the favored Bulldogs having already wrapped up their conference priorities. As long as the Yellow Jackets don't get behind by more than 2 scores, this should be a doozy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Georgia Tech 31 Georgia 30</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: See follow up post with Mike’s bounty of Thanksgiving picks.<span> </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil:</b> Penn St @ <b>Wisconsin (-12)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not much to say here, except that I wish Russell Wilson had went to Auburn and I hope Wisconsin beats the hell outta Penn St.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wisconsin 70 Penn St 3</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Last Week</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: 3-3 (-)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: 5-1 (-)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: 4-2 (+)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: 5-1 (+)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: 5-1 (+)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Season to Date</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: 42-27 (8-4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: 43-26-1 (7-5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: 40-27-3 (9-3)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: 33-36-1 (7-4-1)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: 40-28-1 (8-3-1)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-26695240991574563312011-11-18T10:18:00.001-06:002011-11-18T10:20:47.449-06:00Notre Dame vs. Boston College -<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jeremy: Notre Dame</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgtVHsai5sj28zjH2lHjtcjg-7Wj7xy2x6ZG0I0Kk-qvBl6D8RQw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgtVHsai5sj28zjH2lHjtcjg-7Wj7xy2x6ZG0I0Kk-qvBl6D8RQw" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Not a whole lot to say about this one. BC is quite a mess this year, and things don't seem to be getting a whole lot better under Coach Spaz. Look for the running game to keep churning, and a few TDs from Floyd on Senior Day. A bit sad I'll be missing his last game in the Stadium. He's been an absolute joy to watch the last 4 years. ND rolls and continues to build momentum and confidence going into the Stanford matchup.<br />
<br />
ND 38 BC 13</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTINGHg83MAtyDTxQY-lO3yRhhdkWQH6hHY29Dit7xmkugrqzk5" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTINGHg83MAtyDTxQY-lO3yRhhdkWQH6hHY29Dit7xmkugrqzk5" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jimmy: Notre Dame</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Emotions will run high in Notre Dame Stadium as the departing seniors slap the “Play Like A Champion” sign and run through the tunnel for the last time. <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/kevin_armstrong/01/04/notre.dame/index.html">A heralded group</a> when Charlie Weis inked the class in the winter of ’08, the <a href="http://www.uhnd.com/recruiting/archives/notre-dame-recruiting-class-of-2008/">class of 23</a> entered with mammoth expectations on the heels of The Season That Need Never Be Spoke Of. It was a huge recruiting coup for Weis that promised better days in South Bend, even if the Front Butt wouldn't be on the sidelines to reap the benefits of his hard work. The biggest compliment that can be said of this class is that they leave the program in a better place than when they arrived, with the progress arrow decidedly pointing up. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Like all classes, there were some misses and guys that didn't pan out for various reasons (Dayne Crist, Deion Walker, Brandon Newman, Steve Filer, Joseph Fauria, John Goodman chief among the letdowns). But there were more multi-year impact players in the group - Ethan Johnson, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Robert Blanton, Trevor Robinson, Darius Fleming, Kyle Rudolph, Braxton Cave. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jonas Gray's comet-like final season has put the oomph back in the running game. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And then there's Mr. Rewrite of the Record Books, Michael Floyd. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Brian Kelly has continued the recruiting momentum this class of 2008 started. Some of the replacement pieces are already in place. Someone will replace Floyd. (Well, it’ll probably take 3 or 4 guys in a metaphorical Captain Planet convergence of talents: Hands! Speed! Body Control! Leap!)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> All in all, Saturday will make for a nice farewell game to honor their contributions. The game should be in control early in the 2<sup>nd</sup> half, enough to get the senior walk-ons (and Mike Collins’ animated substitution updates) a moment in the sun. There’s really not much to go over with our Catholic brethren from Chestnut Hill. The element of shocking triumph always hovers when Boston College visits, but this edition is so vanilla bad that I’m quite confident we won’t see any flashbacks to ’93 or ’02. In a flawed symbiotic relationship, the Eagles offense seems to be predicated on giving Luke Kuechly as many opportunities as possible to amass gaudy tackle stats. That’s the nicest thing I can say about them.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Go Irish! Thank you Seniors. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ND 38 BC 14</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/283711420-12205723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/283711420-12205723.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mike: Notre Dame</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I am saddened by the recent woes at Boston College this season. It is tough to accept that BC will fall short of its lofty goal of making the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in beautiful Boise or the Advocare V100 Independence Bowl in sunny Shreveport. In fact, given BC’s infamous history of point shaving, both on the gridiron and the hardwood, a cynical person might even suspect that the Eagles have been throwing games this year. Of course, most point shaving schemes involve keeping the games relatively close to avoid scrutiny, so perhaps this is just good old fashioned futility on the Heights. In any event, I would tell you that the Superfan bandwagon is lonely, but that would be redundant.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As for the game, BC has one of the most anemic passing games in college football (well, at least in the FBS), so they will rely heavily upon Andre Williams and perhaps Deuce Finch, the latter of whom was conspicuously absent in the Eagles’ upset victory over NC State. If the Irish are stout against the run as usual, they should be able to apply some pressure to Chase Rettig and hopefully force some turnovers. On the other side of the ball, BC has an average defense that the Irish offense should be able to wear down with a steady dose of Gray and Wood. Notre Dame employed a solid game plan last week against Maryland and I am cautiously optimistic that Brian Kelly will again lean upon his powerful running game to set up the passing offense. The Irish have been better on special teams in the second half of the year, although it would be heartwarming to see a punt return that results in positive yardage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Emotions will be running high on Senior Day and, with any luck, the Irish will maintain their focus against a severely overmatched foe. Notre Dame will let its Catholic “brothers” hang around for about a quarter before blasting the Jesuits back to the Enlightenment Era with a handful of Notre Dame Stadium sod as a lovely parting gift. Here’s hoping for the Irish to party like it’s 1992.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notre Dame 54 Boston College 7</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdvfukWOzG_Q9pnqIBxXl1RU7Ms85UA4_QzzkmbJyF2Ebh2ImzldCO7JwX" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdvfukWOzG_Q9pnqIBxXl1RU7Ms85UA4_QzzkmbJyF2Ebh2ImzldCO7JwX" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Phil: Notre Dame</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There was a time when I hated BC almost as much as I hated Alabama. They seemed to beat us every year, even though they sucked (you do the math). This year, the only Ws on their schedule have been Maryland, NC ST, and UMass. Yikes. The Irish are finally hitting their stride after several weeks worth of turnovers and uninspired play. I am highly interested to see our game vs Stanford. It will be a true test of us turning the corner or being the same ol Irish. I also hope our players and coaches are not taking a similar approach and overlooking BC. I wanna put the hurt on them. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ND 42 BC 13</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-27071568852439297612011-11-17T12:52:00.001-06:002011-11-17T15:32:52.751-06:00WeIs Roundtable Week 12 Picks: Conference Cream Rising Edition<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not the most stellar week of matchups, but a few top 25 contests that should be entertaining. Dan is out of the country researching his soon-to-be-supporting favorite Dutch Eredivisie Premier League team. So only 4 of us waxing prose (no haikus this week) on the top games. The picks... </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nebraska (+3) at Michigan </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: Michigan (-3)</b><br />
Nebraska will no doubt find some interesting ways to move the ball, but the deficiencies in the passing game will eventually be their undoing in the Big House.<br />
<br />
Michigan 28 Nebraska 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: Nebraska (+3)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">December 28, 2005. Dragged to Chicago’s Michigan bar Duffy’s for some bowl game action, (a venue that ranks behind Greenland’s 5<sup>th</sup> best outdoor sports bar in my book. Even the dog on the bar’s marquee looks bummed to have Michigan fans always over to watch games) I made the best of the situation. Michigan happened to be playing the Cornhuskers and I happened to still own my bright red Dillon Hall “It’s Alright To Be Jealous” shirt. Nebraska survived that night, much to my fellow patrons’ chagrin (and my delight). That was the last time these two heavyweights squared off, though <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/nebraska-returns-to-michigan-stadium-where-its-rise-to-prominence-began-under-devaney-in-1962/2011/11/17/gIQAXaQwTN_story.html">there's rich history</a> that exists <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-nebraska-will-rekindle-rivalry-when-cornhuskers-join-big-ten/">between the schools</a>. A lot has happened since 2005, with both programs going through the ringer to get back to respectability, even if neither is back to the smashmouth days of yore.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Denard is one decent hit away from getting shelved. Even though Brady Hoke has found a RB to rely on now for offense, Bo Pelini is father along in his program reclamation project. An emotional win in Happy Valley last week sets up a cathartic BCS ticket stamping win this week. Go Big Red!</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nebraska 27 Michigan 25</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Nebraska (+3)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">This may be a product of my virulent anti-Michiganism, but I like Nebraska in this spot. Although the Wolverines’ defense has improved from last season, Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhart should be able to find room to maneuver on the ground against Michigan. In addition, Denard Robinson, who was never exactly a portrait of quarterback accuracy, is banged up this week, which has led to extended playing time for the inexperienced Devin Gardner. As the old adage goes, if you’ve got two quarterbacks, you’ve really got none. Look for the Huskers to notch an important victory in Ann Arbor this weekend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nebraska 27 Michigan 24</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Michigan (-3)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nebraska has been one of the most confusing teams for me all year. You would think a Bo Pelini team would have a stout defense, yet they got blasted by Wisconsin, let OSU score a ton of points, and loss to Northwestern. You would also think that Burkhead and T Magic could control the clock and wear teams down, but I don't see them dominating inferior opponents either. Michigan has a good defense, with a bunch of athletes, and then there is little #16 back there, who I will be hard pressed to pick against. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Michigan 27 Nebraska 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>USC (+15) at Oregon</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: USC (+15)</b><br />
The Trojans sound like they're a little banged up going into this one, but 15 is too many.<br />
<br />
Oregon 37 USC 28</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: USC (+15)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, by the commutative property of wins, USC’s 3 point OT loss to Stanford equates to a 24 point loss at the hands of the Ducks. But USC’s speed matches up a little better against the Flying Water Fowl. With no PAC-12 title game to prepare for (a shame given the alternatives stumbling to win the division) and no bowl game on the horizon, this game in Autzen is USC’s de facto BCS showdown. The kitchen, microwave, toaster, dishwasher and even the sink are getting thrown at Oregon to remind America not to sleep on ‘SC. Still don’t think they win, but they cover the 2 TD+ spread. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oregon 48 USC 41</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: USC (+15)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s taken 10 games, but I have finally come around to USC. Although I was extremely disappointed after our loss to USC and I assumed that Stanford and Oregon would both annihilate them, it appears that the Trojans are indeed a credible outfit. Oregon waxed USC in Los Angeles last year and the Ducks are rounding into championship form, especially on defense, so a blowout is certainly not out of the question. Nonetheless, USC is a better team than last year, primarily due to the improved play of Matt Barkley, and they should be able to score enough points to cover this hefty spread.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oregon 44 USC 31</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Oregon (-15)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chip Kelly is at his best when his speed can dominate a game. Stanford was a good matchup for Oregon, as their strength was no match for the Ducks' speed. It was only my hatred for Alabama that let me miss that pick. This week, USC also has speed, but they only dress like 50 players and I can easily see Oregon scoring late and Kelly getting his ridiculous 2 pt conversion to cover. Plus, he knows that style points will count as there could be a bunch of teams with 1 loss vying for title game spots. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oregon 47 USC 27</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kansas State (+9) at Texas</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: Kansas State (+9)</b><br />
The battle between two Big XII teams who are nowhere near as good as their rankings suggest. I have no idea who's going to win this game, but I can almost guarantee you it’s going to be a close one.<br />
<br />
Texas 34 Kansas St. 31</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: Kansas State (+9) Lock of the Week</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">What am I missing here? Texas doesn’t have a QB yet Mack Brown trusts and doesn’t have an RB available without a doctor’s permission slip. Bill Snyder’s team very narrowly missed knocking off the indestructible OSU force. Kansas State has found a way to make every game close and exciting (except a behind the woodshed game vs. OU). They're 7-2 against the spread on the season. Texas has lost to all 3 teams they've played with a pulse. So why are the Wildcats 9 point dogs? I’m capitalizing on the Dangerfield treatment and riding the Collin Klein Extravaganza to an outright victory in Austin.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kansas State 34 Texas 27</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Kansas State (+9) Lock of the Week</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">While Kansas State seemed to be a fraud after its embarrassing home defeat against Oklahoma, the Wildcats have acquitted themselves nicely in the past two weeks against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, anyone who dared to suffer through Gus Johnson’s screaming to watch Texas last week was able to witness a team with severe quarterback issues, as David Ash and Case McCoy struggled mightily against a pedestrian Missouri team. Texas could benefit this week from the return of one or both of their starting running backs, Bergeron and Brown, though I suspect that the offensive problems will continue in Austin. By contrast, Kansas State is clicking on all cylinders under do-it-all quarterback Collin Klein, so an outright upset may be in the cards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kansas State 28 Texas 27</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: Kansas St (+9) Lock of the Week</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Am I reading this correctly? Is this a perfect example of blue-bloodism? Or is this Vegas realizing that Texas has a huge following of looney fans that will love their team at home against anyone?? I would have taken K St in this game as a 9 point favorite. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">K St 28 Texas 10</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Oklahoma (-14.5) at Baylor</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: Oklahoma (-14.5) Lock of the Week</b><br />
The Sooners are on a mission to try and fight their way into the title picture, and the only way they're going to do so is by annihilating their competition. Baylor started out hot this year, but is on the verge of collapse, and Landry Jones and Co. will provide the necessary push to knock them right over the edge.<br />
<br />
Oklahoma 55 Baylor 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: Oklahoma (-14.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s hard not to like Baylor. Unless you’re of the staunch, old guard, defense is the foundation of everything mentality and teams that ignore/refuse/appear to play 9 on 11 don’t deserve your respect. If you fall in this category, you probably have other underlying issues. But if you can appreciate an overachieving small, private religious institution duking it out with huge, resource-rich state schools who happen to be led by charismatic field generals with slick nicknames, then Baylor is the team for you. RGIII is an entertainer at heart and will do his best to keep things interesting Saturday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, despite losing their starting RB and one of the best collegiate receivers ever, the Sooners could score on the Bears with Norman’s intramural champs. Landry Jones will push 500 yards spreading the love to The Pips (yes, that means Ryan Broyles = Gladys Knight…not the most anatomically correct comparison, but a star nonetheless). BCS is still on Bob Stoops’ radar and a convincing win in Waco will keep them on path to an epic Bedlam matchup. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oklahoma 57 Baylor 35</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Baylor (+14.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">As Oklahoma sat at home healing up for its stretch run, Baylor needed a furious fourth quarter rally to force overtime, thereby avoiding an ignominious defeat to lowly Kansas. In addition, Oklahoma has been quite reliable through the years in its familiar role as a double digit favorite. Given my performance this year, however, I think it’s time to channel my inner George Costanza and do the exact opposite of my natural inclination.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oklahoma 41 Baylor 31</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: B</b><b>aylor (+14.5)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Interesting game for Stoops' club. One last hurdle before Bedlam and a huge matchup with OSU. This is not a game you wanna sleep on either. It is an away game and RG3 can light it up. Admittedly, when playing the upper echelon teams on the road, RG3 struggles, but this game is in the friendly confines of notoriously loud Floyd Casey Stadium. I think OU will win, but it will be close. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oklahoma 44 Baylor 35</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bonus Picks </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: </b>Akron @<b> Buffalo (-11.5)</b><br />
Staying with my Zips this week. The Rob Ianello farewell tour is going quite well, thank you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy:Miami (-1.5) </b>@ South Florida</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Bulls peaked during the 1st half of their 1st game of the season. Sadly, it was at ND's expense. A 4-game losing streak against the "vaunted" Big East gauntlet of opposition is clinically referred to as backwards progress. Miami will like nothing better than to remind South Florida there's only one team that matters south of Gainesville and it's the Canes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miami 33 USF 20</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: Arizona (+10.5)</b> over Arizona State</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Does any team repel success quite like Arizona State? With USC’s bowl ban, there is no reason why the Sun Devils shouldn’t have already clinched the woeful Pac-12 South, but here we are. Arizona has just two wins this season and they are coming off an embarrassing defeat at Colorado, so there’s no apparent reason to pick the Wildcats here. Still, it’s a rivalry game and ASU is equal parts injured and mentally shaky. Will we see more extra point hijinks in this year’s installment of the Territorial Cup? I, for one, hope so.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arizona 35 Arizona State 34</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<b>Phil: Virginia (+17)</b> @ FSU</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hasn't this game been played already this year? All these ACC teams other than Va Tech and Miami run together for me. When does basketball season start? Has FSU covered once this year? Why all the questions? Who cares?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">FSU 24 Virginia 17</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Last Week</b></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan: 4-2 (- Lock of Week)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: 4-2 (+)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: 3-3 (-)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: 2-4 (-)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: 5-1 (+)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Season To Date</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dan:39-24 (8-3)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jeremy: 38-25-1 (7-4)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jimmy: 36-25-3 (8-3)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mike: 28-35-1 (6-4-1)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phil: 35-27-1 (7-3-1)</b></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-11210797845781613702011-11-11T11:03:00.002-06:002011-11-11T18:23:23.239-06:00Notre Dame vs. Navy - Barnstorming Baltimore<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/203837200-06001009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/203837200-06001009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dan: Notre Dame</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Injuries are starting to compound some difficulties, particularly for the Irish defense. However, Maryland has been pretty terrible of late. They have lost their last 5 games, and went 1-4 against the spread. They are 1-7 against the spread since the opening fireworks against Miami. If you throw out that head scratcher against Clemson, they have averaged less than 14 points a game in their last 6 against D-1 opponents. Moral of the story – they suck.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Notre Dame 38 Maryland 17</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jeremy: Notre Dame</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Once again, the big story in the Irish Nation this week has little to do with anything that happened in the Dash last Saturday. It never ceases to amaze how the ND faithful can work themselves into a tizzy over the most trivial of matters. Of course the helmets for this weekend's "Shamrock Series" (sponsored by Sprint!!) are hideous. But as long as this is, at most, a once-a-year type thing (and if you believe Swarbrick, it will be), I don't see the problem with doing something fun that the younger portions of the fanbase, and the team itself, can have fun with.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Although the injuries are really starting to take their toll, the Irish can afford to lick their wounds a bit the next two weeks. Maryland is pretty lousy and the Terps should have a tough time stopping the Irish. Would like to see Andrew Hendrix get some more reps this week, and see Tommy bounce back from his subpar effort against Wake. Irish win big here as they try to keep getting better in advance of the big showdown over Thanksgiving weekend.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">ND 41 Maryland 24</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/206309860-06001014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/206309860-06001014.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jimmy: Notre Dame</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">The traveling circus that is Notre Dame football barnstorms its way to a Baltimore tour stop for the 2<sup>nd</sup> edition of the <a href="http://www.und.com/blog/2011/11/behind-the-shamrock-series.html">Shamrock Series</a>. TANGENT ALERT! TANGENT ALERT!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Apparently this is now a tradition. While on the surface it seems to be a lame marketing excuse to peddle <a href="http://hypebeast.com/2011/11/adidas-football-2011-shamrock-series/">Adidas’ latest jersey/helmet/glove du jour</a>, the concept isn’t bad in theory. I’m all for mixing up the jerseys and trying different color combinations and unveiling different helmets. (F</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or a good laugh, <a href="http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2011/11/8/2546995/notre-dames-shamrock-series-full-helmet-list">here's EDSBS' take on the helmet series</a>).</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Nike’s experimental fashion shows with Oregon have helped the Ducks’ program immensely. There's a ton of buzz each fall to see what the new designs will be. Under Armour is hoping for similar success and exposure with Maryland. I don’t need to be convinced that there’s opportunities for Adidas and ND to capitalize on. It's the reality of the sports marketing world we live in - there's programs ahead of the curve, programs piggybacking on this lead, and programs stubbornly digging their heels in the traditional past. While a good majority of ND Nation wants the latter, being ahead of the curve offers the greatest opportunity for the program, both in dollars and recruiting today's best athletes. Unfortunately, right now, many of the marketing efforts fall into the piggyback category -- I'm looking at you in-game stadium music director. The Shamrock Series is a step in the direction of getting ahead of the curve. While this installment seemed to take everyone by surprise and some of the design features may turn off fans, it's a process that I'm willing to see tweaks and more of in the future. The fact that it's only planned for one game a year may help appease the traditionalists fuddy-duddy ways. We've got some wise words coming in the next week or so from our very own Doug on the 3-year barnstorming experiment: what works, what doesn't, and what's best for the future. The topic of marketing and branding ND football isn't going away anytime soon. <br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh right, there’s a game at the center of this marketing /barnstorming concoction. In their 1<sup>st</sup> season under new coach Randy Edsall, Maryland has been dirty diaper stinky. If you recall, Charlie Weis’ last home game provided Edsall with his defining career moment. A sequel is not in the works, though the game will nonetheless have some intrigue. Does Mike Golic, Jr seamlessly replace Braxton Cave at center and maintain the line’s dominance? Does Jonas Gray's meteoric rise up NFL scouts lists continue? Does Tommy Rees quell some doubts and put a complete performance together against an undermanned Terrapin secondary? Does someone, anyone, return a punt for an above average 0.4 yards?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">ND 36 Maryland 13</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mike: Notre Dame</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Notre Dame’s barnstorming tour of the Mid-Atlantic continues this week with a trip to Landover to play a Maryland team that is in complete freefall. Following a promising opening victory over Miami for Randy Edsall, the Terps have been putrid ever since (in both play and attire, though Notre Dame appears poised to out-ugly the Terps in the latter category this week). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On offense, Maryland has received solid but unspectacular play from Davin Meggett, but their passing game has been awful. Incumbent starter Danny O’Brien has regressed badly in his sophomore campaign, while backup C.J. Brown, though mobile, has not shown any consistent ability as a passer. Defensively, Maryland is a complete sieve, especially against the run. In light of Maryland’s inability to slow the run, it would be complete folly for the Irish not to rely overwhelmingly on Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray. Then again, with Brian Kelly calling the plays, it would almost be surprising not to see a foolish and reckless dependence on the turnover prone Tommy Rees.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Obviously, there is no reason why the Irish shouldn’t win this game handily against a severely overmatched foe that has struggled in all three phases of the game. Of course, if past performance is any indication, one can expect Kelly to revert to his old stubborn habit of forsaking a dominant ground game in favor of a shaky quarterback. Rees will toss his picks and the running backs will bail out the offense the game. Rinse, wash, repeat.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Notre Dame 31 Maryland 21</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/203358940-06000949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-11/203358940-06000949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Phil: Notre Dame</b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal;"></span></b><br />
<div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>The battle of the ugly uniforms! This is essentially a home game for the Terrapins in this next installment of several "destination" games for the Irish. Please allow me to voice my opinion on these games - </span></b></div><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
</span></b></div><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>I love the idea of broadening your horizons and taking games to places we would otherwise not go. But why on earth would we choose locations like NYC, DC, and Ireland for crying out loud. We need to play these games in areas where there are more stud high school football prospects - like Houston, ATL, Miami, New Orleans, etc. If we are gonna spend money and travel, go to where the goods are. That is all. </span></b></div><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
</span></b></div><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>As far as the game goes, similar to last week. We should win and we should win handily. However, this Irish squad, as with many in years past, plays at the level of the competition and Randy Edsall has bested us with an inspired performance in the past. But then again, it is about the time we go on a run, and build up hope for next year....</span></b></div><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
</span></b></div><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Irish 34 Maryland 24</span></b></div></div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-354736469849225862011-11-10T11:37:00.000-06:002011-11-10T11:37:46.005-06:00WeIs Roundtable Week 11 Picks: West Coast Heavyweight Title Bout Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>In the wake of the most exhilarating 15 points combined (can we confirm this is an overtime game record), we march on to Week 11.<span> </span>But first, a few leftover thoughts on LSU-Alabama:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>- No rematch necessary.<span> </span>What more does LSU have to prove?<span> </span>They won in enemy territory with one astounding interception and no controversy.<span> </span>Whichever undefeated is left standing (save Houston) deserves the right to knock the king of the mountain off, provided LSU gets through their remaining tests.<span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>- Add another chapter to The Legend of The Hat, a sure-fire bestselling children’s book in Louisiana for decades on end.<span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>- Trent Richardson absolutely still belongs in the Heisman Race.<span> </span>Don’t feel like he lost any ground, though he could have inched ahead with a go-ahead TD on the stat sheet.<span> </span>The guy simply runs through tackles better than anyone and is bound to make an NFL team very happy.<span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>- Both defenses suffocated all scoring threats into mere field goal opportunities.<span> </span>If Nick Lachey were hosting this “Kick Off,” Bama would have been voted off at halftime.<span> </span>Wha’ happened? <span> </span>Doesn’t Alabama always have trusty kickers?<span> </span>Aren’t there 4 rotating families of Bama kickers who breed generations of reliable place kicking?<span> </span>Did they all birth black sheep at the same time?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Ok, on to the picks…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Virginia Tech (-1) at Georgia Tech (Thursday)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: Virginia Tech (-1)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Georgia Tech has been an enigma for me all season. I can’t seem to get them right in the gambling arena. But, VT has had a week off to prepare for the spread, and despite a lackluster performance against Duke, I think they get things done in Atlanta. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Virginia Tech 21 Georgia Tech 17</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: </span></b><b><span>Virginia Tech (-1)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Its about that time again. When Va. Tech quietly makes their run through the ACC and finds their way into the ACC title game and the BCS. I know many of my colleagues here have a thing for the Fightin' Paul Johnsons, and I can certainly sympathize. The home dog with a great running game seems like a sure thing. Guess I'm going against the conventional wisdom with this one.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Virginia Tech 31 Georgia Tech 28</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: Georgia Tech (+1)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The battle for Technologic supremacy amongst players who are, for the most part, not stepping within 100 yards of any buildings housing said technologic schools of study.<span> </span>Think you would have to track down grainy team manager footage of Carnegie Tech vs. Cal Tech for a true Tech tussle.<span> </span>But ESPN broadcasts this ACC matchup, so it matters to us (and Vegas and bowl execs, etc.)<span> </span>Both teams enjoyed bye weeks to prepare for this.<span> </span>Last time they played, Paul Johnson’s squad ended a two game losing streak by sullying Clemson’s perfect season.<span> </span><span> </span>Meanwhile, the Hokies eeked out a win on the road at Duke.<span> </span>Not exactly the momentum you want to ride into Atlanta with.<span> </span>I was leaning Lunch Pail crew at first, but I’m changing course and siding with the home team to hang on in an entertaining Thursday night game.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Ga Tech. 31 Va. Tech 27</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike: Georgia Tech (+1)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Virginia Tech has owned the ACC Coastal Division for years, but they face a stern test against Georgia Tech.<span> </span>The Hokies are banged up on defense, which does not bode well against a Rambling Wreck attack that can be ruthlessly efficient when operating at full throttle.<span> </span>In addition, Georgia Tech’s defense has improved in its second year under the tutelage of Al Groh.<span> </span>All signs point to an entertaining Thursday night affair in Atlanta with the Jackets pulling out a hard fought victory in this battle of the Techs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Georgia Tech 31 Virginia Tech 28</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: </span></b><b><span>Virginia Tech (-1) <span> </span>Lock of the Week </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>As the line indicates, this game is a toss up. VT has quietly put together another solid season, with their only loss coming at the hands of surpising Clemson. GT and their Wing T Option gives teams fits, but they can be beaten by disciplined, athletic teams such as, err...Miami!?! Nevermind. The difference in this game is the fact that Va Tech has had extra days to prepare for the option. Beamer will have his boys ready to play.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Va Tech 24 GT 20</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Miami (+9.5) at Florida State</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: Miami (+9.5)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Florida State has obliterated their last 4 opponents. Those teams have been Duke, Maryland, NC State, and Boston College. Those are terrible teams. Miami is inconsistent, but I think they can hang with the Seminoles and keep it to a touchdown.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Florida State 28 Miami 21</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: </span></b><b><span>Miami (+9.5) <span> </span>Lock of the Week</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>I can certainly see the Noles running away with this one, but my snap judgment is that 9.5 is way too many points for a rivalry game with this many athletes on the field.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>FSU 27 Miami 20</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: Miami (+9.5)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>First, a haiku ode to the Sunshine State’s current rut:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Where are you in polls – </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Gators, ‘Noles, Canes, Bulls and Knights?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>State of Florida sad</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>I’m sure someone in ESPN’s Stats, Inc. department who actually gets paid to look up important trends like this has already done so.<span> </span>Until I unearth that pearl of wisdom, I’m just going to assume it’s been many many moons since FSU, Miami and Florida (and USF, UCF, Florida International, yada yada yada) all finished outside the top 25 at the end of the year.<span> </span>Not even Hanging Chad-gate could shut the state of Florida out of polls.<span> </span>Not saying it’s gonna happen this year, but the possibility is in play.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Back to the game, Miami has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde this year with dominating wins vs. Ohio State and Georgia Tech and tight losses to Kansas State, Virginia Tech, Virginia and <cough> Maryland (half the Hurricanes were suspended and the cloud of the Death Penalty hung low over this game, so excusable given the circumstances).<span> </span>On the other side, since losing 3 straight to Oklahoma, Clemson and Wake, FSU has destroyed the conference bottom feeders with no game being close than 25 points.<span> </span></cough></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The smart play here is take the generous spread, especially in a rivalry game where both sides know each other well and it comes down to emotions and execution more than anything.<span> </span>With everything Miami has been through this year, this date has been circled all season as the beginning of Operation Reclaim Florida.<span> </span>Al Golden will have his players running through walls to continue their rebuilding plan.<span> </span>This is always appointment television regardless of records and this year is no different - will an errant field goal make its way back into the lore of this rivalry?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Miami 33<span> </span>FSU 31 </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike: Miami (+9.5)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Given my affinity for rivalries (especially those involving trophies or wagers between politicians), I always enjoy watching this game, regardless of record.<span> </span>Despite Miami’s mediocre performance this year, Jacory Harris has quietly developed into the premier quarterback in the ACC and perhaps one of the best signal callers in the nation for the Hurricanes.<span> </span>As such, I expect Miami to move the ball somewhat effectively against a tough Seminole defense if the Canes’ offensive line can keep Harris upright.<span> </span>Florida State appears to be hitting its stride as well, so it will not surprise me if the Seminoles are able to handle their Sunshine State rivals with relative ease.<span> </span>Having said that, I have a hunch that Al Golden’s bunch will deliver an inspired performance on the road for an enormous program win (culminating with a missed field goal…wide right).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Miami 27 Florida State 24</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: Miami (+9.5)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>This point spread seems too big for such a rivalry game. Jimbo Fisher has proven he can recruit with the best of them, but I am not sure of his in game caoching just yet, although the Noles seem to have righted the ship after a 3 game skid last month. I think Golden will keep the Canes competitive, although FSU at home should take care of business. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>FSU 28 Miami 21</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Auburn (+12.5) at Georgia</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: Auburn (+12.5)<span> </span>Lock of the Week</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>I’m sorry – isn’t this exactly the type of game that Mark Richt loses? Now, with Moseley making only his 2<sup>nd</sup> start, and the game in Athens, I don’t think they blow this one. But no way they beat Auburn by two touchdowns. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Georgia 24 Auburn 20</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: </span></b><b><span>Auburn (+12.5)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>See above. Even Between the Hedges, I'm not confident that the Dawgs can cover this line. The Auburn offense doesn't seem to be getting any better, but I have a tough time believing Georgia is good enough to win this game by (essentially) 2 TDs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Georgia 20 Auburn 13</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: Auburn (+12.5)<span> </span>Lock of the Week</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Too many points for the resilient Tigers.<span> </span>They’ll find a way to keep this close.<span> </span>I don’t know about winning (I’m sure Philip will talk himself into a W below), but fully expect a low scoring affair.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Georgia 20<span> </span>Auburn 17</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike: Auburn (+12.5)</span></b><span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Auburn has predictably fallen quickly to Earth this year after its early season flurry of close victories while Georgia has surged after losing its first two games.<span> </span>Nonetheless, while these teams appear to moving in opposite directions, a tightly contested affair could be in order.<span> </span>The young Tigers should benefit from their extra week of preparation (even though Georgia probably didn’t waste all of its practice time last week on New Mexico State) and they will be duly motivated for this year’s version of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.<span> </span>As a side note, will the current version of Uga attempt to assault another Tiger this year, ala Robert Baker?<span> </span>Stay tuned.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Georgia 24 Auburn 14</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: Auburn (+12.5)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The deep south's oldest rivalry took an ugly turn last year, after man child Nick Fairley apaprently tackled UGA QB ERIN Murray a little too hard. The dawgs remember the chippiness of the game, and I anticipate this game will be physical and tough. WHat I like is that Clint Moseley seems to be settling into his QB role and has reintroduced Lutz to the Auburn offense. This is also the first game since week 4 where all our WRs will be healthy. On the defensive side of the ball, El Toro Freeman is finally living up to expectations, and playing inspired football. What I don't like is that I am sure Murray will have a chance to beat our DBs deep on a few occasions. It will take a lot of points for the Tigers to win, but I know they have it in them. WDE. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Auburn 34 UGA 30</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Oregon (+3) at Stanford</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: Oregon (+3)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Can’t believe I’m going this way, but I see Stanford finally having a hiccup this week. Oregon’s speed is too much for the Stanford defense to handle.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Oregon 41 Stanford 38</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: </span></b><b><span>Stanford (-3)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Went back and forth on this one quite a bit. Stanford's new digs don't provide them with a huge home-field advantage (at least not yet), but the combination of Palo Alto and your 2011 Heisman winner puts the Cardinal over the top in what should be a heck of a shootout on Saturday night.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Stanford 45 Oregon 38</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: Oregon (+3)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Oregon put the clamps down on Luck last season and will figure out a way to keep him in relative check again.<span> </span>The Cardinal are pretty banged up.<span> </span>Think this is the week it finally catches up with them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Oregon 34<span> </span>Stanford 30<span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike: Stanford (-3)<span> </span>Lock of the Week</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Oregon broke open a tight game against Stanford last year in Eugene with an explosive second half, but things have certainly changed this year.<span> </span>While the Ducks continue to run the ball effectively, they have shown signs of weakness in the passing game, as Darron Thomas continues to struggle with a lingering knee injury.<span> </span>Unfortunately for Oregon, Thomas’s erratic play could spell doom against an explosive Stanford offense led by Andrew Luck and the powerful Cardinal running game.<span> </span>Stanford will slip by Oregon in a wildly entertaining shootout in out West.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Stanford 49 Oregon 45</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: Oregon (+3)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>HUGE game out west this weekend. Can the Stanford brawn keep up with the Oregon blaze? Andrew Luck, as Phil Simms will tell you, does not have a hugely strong arm, and at times, looked as human as he has looked against athletic USC. Oregon will bring speed that Luck hasnt seen before, and I think that the Ducks will win this game. HOWEVER, b/c I in no way want Alabama to have a claim for a rematch for the BCSNCG, I am picking Stanford to continue its march toward undefeatedness. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Stanford 37 Oregon 35</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Bonus Picks</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: Alabama (-17.5)</span></b><span> @ Mississippi State</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Sorry Mississippi State. You’re the rebound. Good night.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Alabama 42 Mississippi State 13</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: </span></b><b><span>Kent (-5)</span></b><span> at Akron</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>After the Zips burned me a few weeks ago, I made the mistake of going away from them last week. Never again. This should be a heck of a pillow fight. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Kent 23 Akron 13</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: UNLV (-7) </span></b><span>@ New Mexico</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The Sirken Special.<span> </span>Can’t believe he didn’t jump all over this single digit gift-wrapped pick.<span> </span>I don’t need to know anything else.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>UNLV 30<span> </span>New Mexico 10</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Bonus Pick (that doesn’t count, but too juicy not to mention):</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Louisiana Tech @ <b>Mississippi (+2)</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Did Tim Rattay find another year of eligibility?<span> </span>How is a 4-loss mid major a road favorite against an SEC team?<span> </span>This isn’t an epically abysmal Ole Miss team.<span> </span>Just bad enough that lame duck Houston “I Have a Problem” Nutt is riding out the schedule into the sunset.<span> </span>I have more faith in Nutt actually motivating histeam now, especially to defend their home field against La Tech.<span> </span>The Rebels have too much pride.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Mississippi 27<span> </span>Louisiana Tech 24</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike:</span></b><span> Oklahoma State @<b> Texas Tech (+17.5)</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Texas Tech has swiftly fallen from grace after defeating Oklahoma, having been crushed by Iowa State and Texas in consecutive games.<span> </span>Meanwhile, Oklahoma State continues to amass incredible offensive statistics on a weekly basis.<span> </span>Still, Tech has not lost its ability to move the ball through the air and 17.5 points is an enormous spread given the venue and OSU’s defensive deficiencies.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Oklahoma State 52 Texas Tech 38</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: </span></b><b><span>Oklahoma State (-17)</span></b><span> @ Texas Tech</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Here's to hoping 3 things happen in regards to this game: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>1. My man Weeden continues to put up video game numbers, driving my college fantasy team to the playoffs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>2. Tubs does NOT pull another major upset, thus keeping OSU unbeaten and Bama out of the national title game.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>3. OSU covers, as I have picked them all year, and they haven't let me down yet.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>OSU 44 Tex Tech 24</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><span>Last Week</span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: 5-1 (+ Lock of Week)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: 3-3 (+)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: 4-2 (+)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike: 3-3 (+)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: 5-1 (+)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><span>Season To Date</span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Dan: 35-22 (8-2)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jeremy: 34-23-1 (6-4)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Jimmy: 33-22-3 (8-2)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Mike: 26-31-1 (6-3-1)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Phil: 30-26-1 (6-3-1)</span></b></span></div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19884649.post-36151455922671358862011-11-04T09:42:00.001-05:002011-11-04T10:08:18.696-05:00Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest - First Time for Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/283811040-29183522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/283811040-29183522.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dan: Notre Dame<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wake is not very good. They are in a rough stretch here. There were slammed by VT and UNC and barely beat Duke. For a while, they were a little bit undervalued from a gambling perspective, but not recently. ND has the ability to dominate and I think they have renewed vigor after the USC post-game shenanigans. ND wins going away because Tommy takes care of the ball.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">ND 31 Wake 13<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/280626200-29183544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/280626200-29183544.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Jeremy: Notre Dame<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Not a whole lot to say about this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was heartening to see the Irish finally take care of business against the service academies this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I'd expect more of the same against the 3 ACC sisters of the poor up next on the Irish schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wake does have that impressive win over FSU, which, in retrospect, looks a whole lot like our USF game from earlier this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Deacs are a little beat up in the backfield, and word is they may have to start a true freshman this week, but the Irish can expect Jim Grobe to have his squad ready, and The Dash will be hopping for the late start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Wake doesn't have enough to keep up, and this ends up looking quite a bit like the Purdue beatdown.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">ND 38<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wake 17<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/284379880-29183621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/284379880-29183621.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Jimmy: Notre Dame<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sound the sousa maphones for the 1<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup> ever play date between the Fighting Irish and Demon Deacons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First things first, can someone explain exactly what a Demon Deacon is?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it literally an almost collared priest who’s possessed by a devilish spirit?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, then Notre Dame du Lac’s trip to Winston-Salem is more than just a 60-minute scrimmage that counts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not exorcise the demons that plague the Dash and return Wake Forest to their original state of grace as the Deacons?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every punishing defensive stop should be echoed by “The power of Christ compels you!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure how many Traveling Irish will invade BB&T Field, but this would be a great student chant next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Note to self: Write the Observer the week of November 17, 2012).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Demons and deacons talk aside, this ACC matchup offers a glimpse of what conference affiliation on the eastern seabord would feel like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Matt can attest (after completing his MBA at Wake), football culture is an after thought in Winston-Salem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 31,000+ “cathedral” formerly known as <a href="http://www.wakeforestsports.com/facilities/wake-groves.html">Groves Stadium</a> reflects that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> With b-ball season starting, Jim Grobe's team has lost the undivided attention of his fanbase (assuming he had it to begin with). </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Now that the kumbaya come together moment of 2011 has pased, Brian Kelly can keep the accelerator on the floor and mop up this ACC tripleheader. (Is it brilliant scheduling or unfortunate luck that Wake, Maryland & BC are all underachieving. No complaints here as the team needs victories, and it beats scheduling the Western Michigans of the world). </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Fully confident the runaway dual locomotive attack of Wood and Gray keeps gaining steam. We've said it before, but it bears repeating, this offensive line is playing outstanding. This romp will be a nice commercial diversion from its prime-time TV counterpart. Go Irish!</span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ND 45<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wake 17<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mike: Notre Dame<o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/283751540-29182741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/283751540-29182741.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Phil: Notre Dame<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Leave it to the Irish to play a complete, carefree game against an inferior opponent on basic cable, one week after laying an egg in primetime against a marquee team. So frustrating. What I know about Wake this year is that they beat an overrated FSU team. What I know about this game is that it will be watched secondary to Bama-LSU. I am hoping Rees, Floyd, Wood, and Gray can again TCB. They should be, as very few people will be watching. Bring on 2012!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Irish 38 Wake 21</span><br />
<br />
<img height="68" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/283811040-29183522.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 629px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 115px;" width="96" /><br />
<img height="67" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2011-10/280626200-29183544.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 48px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 281px;" width="96" />Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901172802515710288noreply@blogger.com1