Thursday, November 30, 2006

Blogging the NFL Week 13

Game of the Week: Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins – This isn’t a homer pick I promise. The Jags and the Dolphins are fighting for survival and the loser of this game is almost guaranteed at spot at home watching the play-offs.

I’ll take the Dolphins to continue their winning streak against the ailing Jaguars.

Game Not Worth Watching: Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders – It doesn’t get much uglier than this! The Texans and the Raiders only have five wins between them. The Raiders are in turmoil and the Texans are working out a banned track star.

Flip a coin and I’ll take the Raiders.

Michael Vick Pays $20,000 to Tell Fans They Are #1
Frustrated and aggravated Michael Vick flipped off a group of fans in Atlanta as he was leaving the field after the Falcons 31-13 loss to the Saints. The gesture cost Vick $20,000 with $10,000 going to charity.

You have to wonder if the Vick experiment is coming to an end in Atlanta. While he was only seven yards shy of his own NFL quarterback record of 173 yards rushing he only completed nine passes for 84 yards.

A New Era Begins in Denver
Jay Cutler will make his first NFL start Sunday night when the Broncos play the Seahawks. I was quick to rip the Dallas Cowboys when they threw Tony Romo into the fire but it turned out to be the right decision at the time for the Cowboys. I don’t get the same impression about the Broncos. Romo has been in the league for four years while Cutler is a rookie. In the midst of a play-off run the Broncos are sacrificing this season for the future.

Vince, Vince, Vince
We saw Vince Young do this in college but he wasn’t supposed to be able to do it in the NFL where they teach defenders to wrap up. Or do they?




Top 10
Here’s how I’m ranking the 10 best teams in the league right now.

1. San Diego Chargers
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. New England Patriots
5. Chicago Bears
6. Dallas Cowboys
7. Kansas City Chiefs
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Denver Broncos
10. Jacksonville Jaguars

A New Guru Amongst Us
I have been unseated as the NFL picks guru by matthie. Congrats but don’t get used to life at the top.

Last Week’s Picks Standings
matthie 12-4
ffnstuff 11-5
rob 11-5
dolphinfan 10-6
Matt Jordan 10-6
onlychiefsfan 9-7
true2osu 9-7

Think you can beat us? Make your week 13 picks here. We have Thursday night football now so don’t forget to make your picks now. Don’t forget the tie breaker.

Week 13 Winners
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals – Ravens
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams – Rams
Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins – Falcons
Detroit Lions at New England Patriots – Patriots
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans – Colts
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns – Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Bears
NY Jets at Green Bay Packers – Jets
San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills – Chargers
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – Saints
Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins – Dolphins
Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders – Raiders
Dallas Cowboys at NY Giants – Cowboys
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Steelers
Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Seahawks
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles – Panthers
Tie Breaker: 41 total points between the Panther and Eagles
Your Opinion: Share your opinions on the NFL by leaving a comment or start a discussion in the forum. Make your week 13 picks here.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Big 12 Championship Q&A


Its Championship week in NCAA Football as the major conferences are playing their championship games this weekend. As promised we are giving you championship coverage straight from the bloggers who know the teams today.

Joining us today are the crew from Big Red Network, an outstanding Huskers blog, and Crimson and Cream Machine, a Sooner blog that is a spawn of this site. Thanks to everyone for participating! Make sure to check into these two sites for updated Big 12 Championship coverage.

Describe what you believe is the strength of the Oklahoma offense and how you think Nebraska is going to defend it.

CC Machine: Obviously the strength of Oklahoma’s offense is their ground attack. Down the stretch the Sooners were able to beat A&M, Baylor and Oklahoma State virtually without the need to pass the football.

I’m sure Bob Stoops would love for Nebraska to stack the box and dare Oklahoma to beat them with the pass. The threat that Oklahoma has at receiver with Malcolm Kelly and Jauquin Iglesias along with tight ends Joe Jon Finley and Jermaine Gresham give Paul Thompson plenty of targets. Stacking the box would leave Nebraska defenders in one-on-one coverage and Thompson has proven a few times this season that he is more than capable (61.5% completions) of making you pay.


Steve BRN: For OU, it's obviously the run game you worry about. I think you have to dare Thompson to throw. There were only 11 passes thrown by OU versus OSU and they didn't pass much versus A&M either. So stack the box and try to stuff the run.


Darren BRN: The running game! While Thompson has developed better than most expect at QB, the Sooners still live and die by the run. Their offensive line has been impressive, with the production remaining consistent regardless of which running back is in the game. And Thompson is a capable runner at QB. Yes, OU has a threat with Malcom Kelly on the outside, but passing is seldom their first option.


NU must stone the run and force Thompson to beat them.I'm at once optimistic and concerned about defending the run. I would put our front 4 up against anyone, and we have a very salty corps of linebackers. NU really can match OU's offensive line up front. But, our safeties have shown absolutely no ability to tackle in the openfield. And our coaches insist on coaching the "strip the ball" form of tackling. So, if NU's defenders don't come to KC ready to hit and wrap up, I could see 4 yard holes turning in to 40-yard gains. That would be a nightmare.


What about Nebraska's offensive strength and Oklahoma's game plan on defense?


CC Machine: Nebraska has great balance on offense! They rank 4th in the conference in both passing and rushing. The most dangerous part about playing a balanced attack is allowing them to get into a rhythm of play calling and success.

The Sooners will use a variety of run and pass blitzes to try disrupt Nebraska’s rhythm and force coaches into erratic play calling. Zac Taylor is Norman’s favorite foreign son but as much as we love and respect him he is a statue in the pocket and could be a sitting duck under the pressure of the Oklahoma blitz.

The bottom line is that if Oklahoma can handle the rushing attack of Texas A&M and the passing attack of Texas Tech and the multi dimensional attack of Oklahoma State then their aren’t many other things that Nebraska can do that would catch the Sooners off guard.


Steve BRN: The Huskers like to run the ball too. It's probably better to take away the run (even if it means giving up some big pass plays) then to let the Huskers get rolling on the ground. The pass protection isn't great so once you get the Huskers in known passing situations, you can likely get to Taylor for sacks.


Darren BRN: Nebraska's offensive strength is balance. This has created a real "pick your poison" problem for many NU opponents. NU can mash with the run and beat you with big plays on the outside. And, the Huskers will have to have some balance in order to face the OU defense.


If there is an achillies heal, it is still our ability to protect Taylor in known passing situations. So, NU must avoid getting behind the chains, or OU will tee off.I've noticed that OU will often walk multiple LBs and defensive backs up to the line of scrimmage and force the linemen and QB to figure out (guess) who is coming. Getting this blitz scheme diagnosed will be the #1 priority for our offensive coaches. NU will likely have to go to a rule-based blocking more than assignment based. Meaning they progress from the inside out, and let Taylor "beat" the players coming from the outside with a quick throw. So if there is a person in their inside gap, block them first, if not, then hit the person standing over you, and if nobody is over you, hit the linebacker nearest to you. It's simple, but in times of duress, that is what you have to fall back on.


Coaching advantage goes to whom?

CC Machine: You have to give it to Bob Stoops. He is making his fifth title game appearance in seven seasons and has been to three BCS Championship Games in the last six seasons.

When you look at all that he has overcome to make this season happen you can see why he was hands down the coach of the year in the conference.

Steve BRN: Stoops has earned that distinction but I wouldn't say by a mile. BC & co. have been very creative this year offensively. I think it will be a great chess match.


Darren BRN: Based on record, I have to give this one to Stoops. It's hard to argue with conference titles and a national title. The Sooners are always prepared to play. In Callhan's defense, the guy HAS led a team to the Super Bowl. And, he's shown enormous offensive creativity, both in terms of traditional offense and also with a multitude of trick plays. He'll bring plenty to the party. But, on record, it is Stoops.


Are you excited about the fact that if your team wins they will most likely be facing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl?


CC Machine: Of course! Why wouldn’t we be? The Fiesta Bowl is a BCS bowl and the opportunity to take on an undefeated Boise State team is an opportunity for Oklahoma to really make some noise in the final polls.


Steve BRN: That sounds like an easier matchup than those SEC teams in the Cotton Bowl, so yes I'd love to win big in the Fiesta Bowl and Boise State is ripe for a big upset.


Darren: I really can't even think about that right now. NU is an underdog in this game. Though, this might be the first time that the opponent in the "better" bowl (Fiesta) would be arguably a weaker opponent then who we would face in a lesser bowl (likely Arkansas or Florida). No offense to Boise, but they aren't an SEC team. I think that is a pretty interesting (even damning) statement about the condition of college football and BCS these days.


Are there any players from the other team that you would take for yours?


CC Machine: I would take two players from Nebraska. First, fullback Dane Todd, Oklahoma doesn’t have a true full back and imagine how much he could improve the Sooners attack even from what it is.

The second is linebacker Bo Ruud. I think the Sooners have the best linebacking corps in the conference but imagine Rudd lined up nest to Rufus Alexander.


Steve BRN: Who wouldn't take Rufus Alexander? And of course a healthy Adrian Peterson, to name a couple.Darren BRN: Yeah...I'd take the LB Alexander. But, we have good players at those spots. The player I most covet on OU's roster is Reggie Smith. That kid was nearly a Husker and our safety play has been pretty awful this year.Who wins and why?


CC Machine: Obviously we are going to pick the Sooners and they are going to take the Huskers. So, why, other than the fact that we are Sooners ourselves, pick OU. We could tell you that Bob Stoops gives Oklahoma a huge coaching advantage. We could tell you that the Sooners are more experienced in the championship game. We could tell you that the Sooners win it in even years (2000, 2002, 2004 and now 2006?). We could tell you that OU is a team of destiny this year and has overcome bad football karma. We could say that the Sooners are rolling right now winning seven games in a row with four of the last five on the road.

The reason that OU will win the Big 12 Championship game is because they are the better team. Man for man down and position by position the Sooners are putting better athletes and players on the field.


Steve BRN: I like the Huskers based on the "freshness factor". OU is playing their ninth straight game and Nebraska is just two weeks removed from their bye. The Huskers also got an extra day of rest. I think OU is going to be very beat up and that should allow the Huskers to hang at the line of scrimmage (which I wouldn't predict if they'd both had byes). Also, the stadium will likely lean Husker because the Huskers had more time to get tickets, are a short drive away, and areprobably more excited to be in a title game than OU. That could make it tougher for OU to audible and might mean some friendly whistles for the refs. Also, Zac Taylor is unshakeable and Maurice Purify unstoppable.


Darren SBN: The Huskers ride the excitement of an NU crowd, fresh legs, huge mission for the season, and talented players emerging at the right time to a very narrow win in KC. And, regardless of who wins, the game should be a doozy. NU and OU fans agree that this is how it should be in the Big 12.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Final Big 12 Football Power Rankings

The regular season is over, here is how the teams rank after the twelve game regular season. With just the conference championship game left the only thing that could change next week are the number one and two rankings.




1. Oklahoma 10-2, 7-1 – The Sooners are still on fire, winning the Big 12 south title and a trip to Kansas City to face Nebraska in the conference championship game. Potentially Dangerous Games: Big 12 Championship Game December 2 Last Week’s Ranking #1

2. Nebraska 9-3, 6-2 – The Big Red Rivalry has been renewed in the Big 12 Championship game with the Huskers facing off against Oklahoma for the conference title. Potentially Dangerous Games: Big 12 Championship Game December 2 Last Week’s Ranking #3

3. Texas A&M 9-3, 5-3 – Franchione may have saved himself a lot of unwanted criticism with the upset of the Texas Longhorns. Now the Aggies are waiting to see where their bowl destination. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #5

4. Texas Tech 7-5, 4-4 – Awaiting bowl destination. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #4

5. Texas 9-3, 6-2 – There is no way this season isn’t a disappointment for Texas fans. While no one was realistically expecting another national championship season no one was expecting three losses either. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #2

6. Missouri 8-4, 4-4 – The Tigers played just well enough to wonder what if. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game Last Week's Ranking #77. Kansas State 7-5, 4-4 – Awaiting Bowl Destination. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #8

8. Kansas 6-6, 3-5 – The Jayhawks lost the border war to Missouri to finish the season at .500. Unfortunately for Kansas that’s not good enough for an automatic bowl bid. Now they must play the waiting game. Potentially Dangerous Games: Possible Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking # 6

9. Oklahoma State 6-6, 3-5 – The Cowboys had a .500 season and were a tipped pass away from beating Oklahoma to end the season. So, what else is new in Stillwater? Potentially Dangerous Games: Possible Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #9

10. Colorado 2-10, 2-6 – In the whole glass is half full point of view it can only get better for the Buffaloes. Last Week’s Ranking #10

11. Iowa State 4-8, 1-7 – Season ended last week! Last Week’s Ranking #11

12. Baylor 4-8, 3-5 – Season ended last week! Last Week’s Ranking #12

Your Opinion: How would you rank them differently? Leave your comments below or start a conversation in the forum.

Blog Poll Ballot 14



Here’s this how I’m voting this week. There is lots of movement this week and I am dropping Clemson and adding Hawaii.

RankTeamDelta
1Ohio State--
2Florida--
3Michigan--
4Southern Cal 2
5Boise State 2
6Wisconsin 3
7Oklahoma 4
8Notre Dame 4
9LSU 4
10Louisville--
11Arkansas 3
12Virginia Tech 2
13Auburn 2
14Rutgers 3
15Nebraska 3
16West Virginia 11
17Wake Forest 3
18Texas 6
19Georgia Tech 3
20Brigham Young 1
21Maryland 2
22Tennessee 2
23Boston College 4
24Hawaii 2
25California--

Dropped Out: Clemson (#22).


Your Opinion: How would you rank them differently? Leave a comment below or talk about it in the forum.

Monday, November 27, 2006

College Football Week 13 Thoughts

For Crying Out Loud, Give Us What We Want!
Here’s what we are going to get, a one game BCS Championship featuring Ohio State against USC, Michigan or Florida. Here’s what we want, at least a three game BCS Championship featuring Ohio State, USC, Michigan and Florida. We could have two initial games with the winners facing off in the Super Bowl of college football.

Why is March Madness so big? The NCAA basketball champion earns their trophy on the court in a tournament of the best teams in the country.

Why can’t this work for NCAA Division I football? The University Presidents won’t allow it because they are afraid of losing money but some how these geniuses don’t see the potential revenue stemming from a play-off nor the increased fan base and interest in college football.

Since We Can’t Have What We Want…
Over 75% of you said in last week’s poll that Michigan didn’t deserve another shot at Ohio State. So who does? Cast your vote in this week’s poll.

Moving On and Up
Going into the final weekend of the college football season, and with most teams already finished, the coaching carousel has begun.

Moving On
Larry Coker is finally done at Miami which is no shock to anyone. The writing has been on the wall since their opening loss to Florida State.

Mike Shula is out at Alabama. Was he ever really in?

Six years ago Dirk Koetter took the Oklahoma State job then turned it down hours later to take the head coaching position at Arizona State. Three and a half months ago Koetter named Sam Keller his starting quarterback for the season then changed his mind hours later when he named Rudy Carpenter. Going 2-19 against ranked teams and 21-28 against the Pac-10 made it an easy decision for ASU to fire him.

North Carolina State fired head coach Chuck Amato. Amato had a 49 and 37 record at N.C. State. Are they really going to get someone better?

Moving Up
Cincinnati Head Coach Mike Dantonio got the biggest win of his head coaching career when his Bearcats knocked off previously unbeaten #7 Rutgers 30-11 on November 18th. Now Dantonio is moving to greener pastures as the Head Coach of Michigan State.

Texas defensive guru Gene Chizik has been hired to take over the coaching job at Iowa State. Is that really a moving up?

Broncos are BCS Bound
Boise State has clinched a BCS bowl birth with their undefeated season. The Broncos will most likely end up in the Fiesta Bowl against the Big 12 Champion.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said that Boise State was, “the most dominant team in WAC history."

Championship Week
The ACC, Big 12 and SEC championship games will be played on Saturday. We are going to do our absolute best to bring in some guest bloggers to give us some additional insight to the match-ups.

Conference Championship Schedule
ACC
Wake Forest vs Georgia Tech – Noon (CST)
SEC
Arkansas vs Florida – 5:00pm (CST)
Big 12
Nebraska vs Oklahoma – 7:00pm (CST)
Your Opinion: Share your thoughts on Week 13 of the NCAA football season or start your own topic in the forum.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Your Weekend College Football Guide

The college football season is winding so it's important that you see the right games down the final two full weekends. Here's a quick guide to which games are worth watching this weekend.




Today’s Games
Texas A&M at Texas – The Longhorns may still have to share the Big 12 South title with the Sooners but a win today puts them in the conference championship game for the second year in a row. A loss leaves the door wide open for Oklahoma. - Game Thread

LSU at Arkansas – The Hogs have already clinched a spot in the S.E.C. conference championship game. However, a loss today would totally eliminate them from any chance of appearing in the BCS Championship game.

Saturday’s Games

Florida at Florida State – The Gators need to take note of the Boston College/Miami game last night. Like Arkansas, Florida is already locked in the SEC Championship game and are still in the BCS Title hunt. Be warned Florida, we saw with Miami what a bad team can do playing one last game for their embattled coach. Game Thread

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State – Its Bedlam time again in Oklahoma! The Sooners still have an outside chance of winning the Big 12 Championship, depending on what happens with Texas A&M and Texas. The Cowboys would like nothing more than to end the regular season with an upset win over the hated Sooners. Game Thread

Notre Dame at USC – The Irish look for revenge for last season’s “Bush Push”. The loser of this game will be out of the BCS Championship hunt as well. Game Thread

That’s it! Those are the games worth watching this weekend. If you are watching a different game then you obviously disagree with me.

Other NCAA Football Game Threads

Clemson/South Carolina


Thanksgiving Means Football


While you are stuffing yourself with Turkey and watching football keep in mind that we have your NFL game threads covered in the forum.

Today marks the first time that Thanksgiving will feature three NFL games. My Dolphins and the Lions start the day at 11:30 (CST) on CBS followed by the Bucs and the Cowboys on Fox. AFC West Rivals Kansas City and Denver have the nightcap on the NFL Network.

Make sure to stop by the forum and leave your game thoughts with us!


Happy Thanksgiving!!!

BLOGPOLL WEEK 13

Rank, Team
1 Ohio State (50)
2 Southern Cal
3 Michigan
4 Florida
5 Arkansas
6 Notre Dame
7 LSU
8 Louisville
9 West Virginia
10 Wisconsin
11 Texas
12 Auburn
13 Boise State
14 Oklahoma
15 Rutgers
16 Georgia Tech
17 Boston College
18 Virginia Tech
19 Tennessee
20 California
21 Wake Forest
22 Nebraska
23 Brigham Young
24 Clemson
25 Hawaii

Also Receiving Votes: Maryland(0.8), Texas A&M(0.4), TCU(0.2), Penn State(0.2), Oregon State(0.1), Navy(0.1), Houston(0.1), Oregon(0.1), Georgia(0.1), Kentucky(0.1), Arizona(0.0), Ohio(0.0), Cincinnati(0.0)

Total Ballots: 50

See How I Voted

See How Everyone Else Voted

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Blogging the NFL, Week 12



Game of the WeekChicago Bears at New England Patriots: The Bears are becoming more and more turnover prone and the Pats are a team that can take advantage of them. Both teams are in first place in their respective divisions and it’s not to early to say possible superbowl preview.

I’ll take the Bears.

Game Not Worth Watching: - Houston Texans at New York Jets: There actually is a good slate of games this week in the NFL but if I was forced to pick one game to not watch it would be this one. Mostly because as a Dolphins fan I hate the Jets but also because it is sure to feature some very sloppy football.

We'll just tell you now that the Jets will win and save you the misery of watching the game.

We’re Going Streaking!
The Chargers and the Ravens are currently riding four game winning streaks and the Dolphins and the 49ers are just behind with three game streaks.

On the other side the Rams have lost five in a row followed by Vikings with four.

Injured Reserve
Brett Favre is ailing but should start against the Seahawks on Sunday. However, if the future hall of famer goes down again there is a sudden lack of depth at the quarterback position for the Packers. Todd Bouman is the new back-up QB in Green Bay with the loss of Aaron Rodgers who was placed on injured reserve after breaking his foot last week against the Patriots.

Donovan McNabb’s season will end early for the third time in the last five years. He was placed on injured reserve after tearing the ACL in his right knee Sunday. Despite being on pace for one of the best season’s of his career you have to start questioning Donovan’s durability.

Former 49ers and Lions quarterback Jeff Garcia will start for the Eagles Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice has been placed on injured reserve also. After missing the first game of his career because of injury two weeks ago the Bucs have decided to put him on the shelf because of his shoulder injury that just isn’t healing as quickly as expected.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have most of their defense on injured reserve. Safety Donovin Darius became the eighth defensive player to be put on IR by the Jags after breaking his leg Monday night against the Giants.


Weekly Top 10


1. San Diego Chargers

2. Chicago Bears

3. Indianapolis Colts

4. Baltimore Ravens

5. New England Patriots

6. Carolina Panthers

7. Denver Broncos

8. Dallas Cowboys

9. Kansas City Chiefs

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

Is There Room for Two Gurus?
The competition picked up this week in the picks. For the first time there was a tie for first place and of course I’m one of the ones tied. That’s just unacceptable and we want to make sure it won’t happen again so for the rest of the season we are going to have a tie breaker. After making your picks you will need to guess the combined score of the Monday night game for the tie breaker.

Week 11 Pick Results
Dolphinfan 10-5
Matt Jordan 10-5
ffnstuff 9-6
rob 8-7
notafan 8-7
onlychiefsfan 8-7
true2osu 8-7

Make your week 12 picks here. Don’t forget the NFL weekend starts tomorrow. Make your picks now!

Week 12 Winners
Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions – Dolphins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys – Cowboys
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Broncos
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Vikings
Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins – Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Bengals
Houston Texans at New York Jets – Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills – Jaguars
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens – Ravens
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams – Rams
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers – Raiders
Chicago Bears at New England Patriots – Bears
NY Giants at Tennessee Titans – Giants
Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts – Colts
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks – Seahawks

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Big 12 Football Power Rankings

The Texas Longhorns are currently in first place by virtue of a tie breaker over the Oklahoma Sooners. However, the Sooners are the top team in the power-rankings thanks to their current six game winning streak.

With Texas A&M playing at Texas and Oklahoma playing at Oklahoma State the Big 12 South title is still up for grabs. The Longhorns just have to win while the Sooners need help from the Aggies and a win over Oklahoma State. It will be interesting to see who is where after the dust settles this weekend.



1. Oklahoma 9-2, 6-1 – Owning the longest winning streak in the conference has propelled the Sooners to the top of the rankings and has left them there. Potentially Dangerous Games: November 25th at Oklahoma State. Last Week’s Ranking #1

2. Texas 9-2, 6-1 – Texas had the weekend off allowing Colt McCoy to heal and giving Mack Brown extra time to prepare the troops for the Aggies. Potentially Dangerous Games: November 24 Texas A&M. Last Week’s Ranking #2

3. Nebraska 8-3, 5-2 – The Huskers finish up the regular season at home against Colorado before taking on Texas or Oklahoma for the conference championship. Potentially Dangerous Games: None! Last Week’s Ranking #3

4. Texas Tech 7-5, 4-4 - .500 in conference isn’t really what the fans in Lubbick were hoping for but is is respectable considering they were playing with a young first year quarterback. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #7

5. Texas A&M 8-3, 4-3 – Franchione had to deal with a lot of talk and a lot of heat over the off-week. If the Aggies lose to the Longhorns on Friday the pressure and will increase greatly. Potentially Dangerous Games: November 24th at Texas. Last Week’s Ranking #8

6. Kansas 6-5, 3-4 – The Jayhawks are the turnaround team of the conference. A three game winning streak has the Jayhawks bowl eligible but like Oklahoma State, Kansas has to win their final game to lock-in a bowl bid.
Potentially Dangerous Games: November 25 at Missouri. Last Week’s Ranking # 9

7. Missouri 7-4, 3-4 – What happened to the Tigers? Their hype machine just died after they got into conference play. I know they were victims of a horrible holding call late against the Cyclones but dang! Potentially Dangerous Games: November 25th Kansas. Last Week's Ranking #5

8. Kansas State 7-5, 4-4 – The Wildcats finished up their biggest win of the season with a loss to in-state rival Kansas. Not the way you would like to see it go down if you are a Wildcats fan. Potentially Dangerous Games: Bowl Game. Last Week’s Ranking #4

9. Oklahoma State 6-5, 3-4 – The Cowboys started out like gang busters against Texas Tech but then seemed to lull themselves to sleep allowing the Red Raiders to outscore them 30-7 over the last two and a half quarters.

If they lose to Oklahoma on Saturday then the Cowboys could actually find themselves staying home during the bowl season. Potentially Dangerous Games: Oklahoma November 25th. Last Week’s Ranking #6

10. Colorado 2-9, 2-5 – After a week off the Buffaloes play Nebraska on Friday in what will be their bowl game. Potentially Dangerous Games: November 24th at Nebraska. Last Week’s Ranking #10

11. Iowa State 4-8, 1-7 – The Cyclones ended their season and Dan McCarney’s tenure as head coach with an upset win over the Missouri Tigers thanks to a blown call by the officials. Hey, when you’ve had the season that Iowa State has had you’ll take whatever help you can get. is a lame duck coach and you get the feeling that the Cyclones are just going through the motions in order to get the season over. Potentially Dangerous Games: Season is over. Last Week’s Ranking #12

12. Baylor 4-8, 3-5 – Oklahoma tried to gift wrap points for the Bears all afternoon. Unfortunately Baylor could only take advantage twice for 10 points. Potentially Dangerous Games: Season is over. Last Week’s Ranking #11

Your Opinion: How would you rank the conference? Leave your comments below of join the discussion in the forum.

BlogPoll Ballot 13


The Ohio State/Michigan game had some barring on a few other teams in my top five, particularly Florida and Notre Dame. I had decided that if it was a three point game or closer then I would only drop the loser to #3 leaving the door open for Notre Dame or Florida. The only way that Notre Dame was going to move to number two on my ballot was for Michigan to win.

RankTeamDelta
1Ohio State--
2Florida 2
3Michigan 1
4Notre Dame 1
5West Virginia--
6Southern Cal 1
7Boise State 1
8Arkansas 3
9Wisconsin 1
10Louisville 2
11Oklahoma 2
12Texas 2
13LSU 7
14Virginia Tech 1
15Auburn 1
16Georgia Tech 1
17Rutgers 8
18Nebraska 3
19Boston College 3
20Wake Forest 2
21Brigham Young 3
22Clemson 1
23Maryland 4
24Tennessee 1
25California 5

Dropped Out:


Your Opinion: How would you rank the Top 25? Who do I have in the wrong spot? Leave your comments below or join us in the forum.