My CBBA Vote

1. Duke (1)
2. Florida (5)
3. Louisville (8)
4. Gonzaga (9)
5. Memphis (4)
6. Villanova (3)
7. Connecticut (2)
8. Texas (13)
9. Michigan State (6)
10. Illinois (7)
11. Indiana (15)
12. Washington (10)
13. Boston College (11)
14. UCLA (18)
15. Pittsburgh (19)
16. Wisconsin (21)
17. West Virginia (23)
18. Arizona (22)
19. N.C. State (16)
20. Tennessee (24)
21. Oklahoma (12)
22. Maryland (14)
23. Syracuse (25)
24. Ohio State (17)
25. Kentucky (20)

It was a tough weekend to be ranked in any basketball poll. 11 teams in the CBBA top 25 went down including 5 in the top 10. It didn’t drop anyone from my ballot this week but I really shook things up. Marquette came close to getting in but I’m going to wait another week and see how they follow up their upset over Uconn.

Is Young Changing His Mind?

My opinion on Vince Young staying for his senior year has changed after seeing these two quotes.

"I've got to sit down with my family ... pray with my pastor and see what the NFL guys think about me," Young said on the the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, last night.

When asked what he would do if Young left?

''I'll kiss him,'' Mack Brown said to a chorus of laughter. "I haven't yet, though.
"The worst thing [a coach can do] is to try to convince a young guy to come back if it wasn't best for him. [Young has] done as much for the University of Texas as any single athlete in any sport has ever done. So how ungracious of us [it would be] to try to force him into making a selfish decision. If he's back and unhappy, that's the worst thing you can have.'' – Chicago Sun Times

So what do you think, staying or going? If Young leaves who is the pre-season #1?

College Football Round-Up, Bowl Edition

My Opinion on the BCS
The BCS games were incredible this year. Three of the four came down to the wire, Fiesta Bowl was the exception, and they all provided great games capped by the Rose Bowl Wednesday night.

West Virginia comes away as the BCS Cinderella by beating Georgia 38-35 in the Sugar Bowl. The Mountaineers jumped out to a 28-0 lead and then hung on as the Bulldogs outscored them 35-10 from that point.

Over-rated BCS team goes to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The Irish had an outstanding season, going 9-3, but failed to bring home a quality victory.

Most entertaining game goes to the Geriatric Bowl… err… I mean Orange Bowl. Officially the longest game in BCS history as Penn State and Florida State fought hard to see who had the worst place kicker.

Gutsy call goes to West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez for the Mountaineers fake punt to seal the game against the Bulldogs. If you are going to try to ice the game late in the fourth quarter this is the way to do it. Are you taking notes Pete Carroll? It was the right call at the right time. How could Georgia not be expecting it?

Dumbest thing ever in a BCS game goes to Reggie Bush. A lateral to a receiver, who isn’t even looking for it, at the end of a 36 yard play that puts you inside your opponents 20 is just plain stupid.

Clutch player and the clutch play. Vince Young, 4th and 5, 26 seconds left in the game and down by five. Do I need to say more? Congratulations Longhorns!

Make sure to cast your vote for the most entertaining BSC game in this week’s opinion poll.

Is the Big 10 Over-rated?
The Big 10 went 2-3 during the bowl season. The conferences two wins were in BCS games but against the two weakest BCS opponents.

Upon Further Review
Here is a newsflash. Instant replay has been bad all season, not just during the bowl games. Look for some big changes in the system next season.

Two-a-Days Are Just Eight Months Away
Here is my 2006 pre-season top 10
1. Texas – The Longhorns will be #1 until someone knocks them off or unless Vince Young Leaves.
2. Ohio State – How big is that game going to be in Austin?
3. LSU – The Tigers will be an SEC force next season.
4. USC – Trojans will suffer a set-back but will still be pretty good.
5. West Virginia – This young team will be making noise for a while.
6. Notre Dame – Led by Heisman contender Brady Quinn the Irish start season two under guru Charlie Weis.
7. Oklahoma – I hope teams enjoyed kicking them while they were down. Young Sooners will return to contention in 06.
8. Florida – Chris Leak’s senior campaign will be special.
9. California – With the turnover at USC the Bears could have the most potent offense in the Pac 10.
10.Auburn – It will be the tale of the two Tigers in the SEC West.

CBBA Poll, Week 1

Here is the official College Basketball Bloggers Association poll. This week’s version features two ties. Obviously votes were due before UConn was upset.

Here is how I voted. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts. There will be a new poll next week. If you would like to know how to join the CBBA send me an e-mail, address is in my profile.

t1 Connecticut (2) 11-0
t1 Duke (2) 13-0
3 Villanova 9-0
4 Illinois 14-0
5 Memphis 11-1
t6 Florida 12-0
t6 Michigan State 12-2
8 Louisville 11-1
9 Gonzaga 9-2
10 Washington 12-1
11 Boston College 10-2
12 Texas 11-2
13 Maryland 10-2
14 Indiana 8-2
t15 N.C. State 11-1
t15 Oklahoma 8-2
17 UCLA 11-2
18 Ohio State 10-0
19 George Washington 8-1
20 Kentucky 9-3
21 Pittsburgh 11-0
22 Wake Forest 10-2
t23 Arizona 9-3
t23 Wisconsin 10-2
25 Iowa 11-3

Others Receiving Votes:
West Virginia 6, Arkansas 4, Tennessee 4, Syracuse 3, Bucknell 2

Final Vote in the BlogPoll

This is my final ballot of the season in the blogpoll. It’s been a lot of fun and I am looking forward to doing it again next season. Gone from my final ballot are Michigan (23) 7-5, Florida State (24), and 8-5 Georgia Tech (25) 7-5. New to this ballot are #23 Nebraska 8-4, California (NR) 8-4, and Tulsa (NR) 9-4.

Biggest Fall: Miami (FL) falls from #8 to #17
Biggest Rise: Ohio State jumps from #9 to #5

1 Texas (2) 13-0
2 Southern Cal (1) 12-1
3 Penn State (3) 11-1
4 West Virginia (4) 11-1
5 Ohio State (9) 10-2
6 Virginia Tech (10) 11-2
7 Louisiana State (12) 11-2
8 TCU (13) 11-1
9 UCLA (14) 10-2
10 Alabama (15) 10-2
11 Georgia (7) 10-3
12 Wisconsin (18) 10-3
13 Oregon (6) 10-2
14 Florida (19) 9-3
15 Notre Dame (5) 9-3
16 Auburn (11) 9-3
17 Miami (Florida) (8) 9-3
18 Boston College (20) 9-3
19 Oklahoma (21) 8-4
20 Texas Tech (16) 9-3
21 Louisville (17) 9-3
22 Clemson (22) 7-4
23 Nebraska (NR) 8-4
24 California (NR) 8-4
25 Tulsa (NR) 9-4

The final official blogpoll will be released on Monday

Bowl Records

Maybe the Big 12 wasn’t so bad after all. The conference tied the ACC at 5-3 for the best bowl record but the conference outscored bowl opponents by 31 points and the ACC was outscored by 22 points. Oh yeah, and the Big 12 won the national championship. Here are the conference bowl records.

Big 12 5-3
ACC 5-3
Pac 10 3-2
SEC 3-3
Big 10 3-4
Conf. USA 3-4
Mount. West 2-2
MAC 1-1
Independents 1-1
WAC 1-2
Big East 1-2
Sun Belt 1-2

It should be noted that even though the conference had a losing record the Big 10 did win two BCS games, but it should also be noted that those victories came against the two weakest BCS teams, Notre Dame and Florida State.

For all the criticism the Big 12 conference received this year for being a weak conference you have to give them credit for their bowl record and acknowledge them as one of the best, if not the best, conferences in America.

The Fall of Troy

The Trojans winning streak is over and the Big 12 has yet another national championship. No longer will the Texas Longhorns have to hear, “yeah they are good but they play in the Big 12.” No longer will the Big 12 have to hear that it is a wattered down weak conference. The Big 12 finished the bowl tied with the ACC for the best record at 5-3.

The conference has also been represented in 5 of the last 6 BCS championship games winning two of them. And now the conference is responsible for ending possibly the greatest dynisty in modern college football.

The Longhorns matched the Trojans play for play and talent for telent Wednesday night, the difference was coaching and a stupid play. Trojans head coach Pete Carroll, previously thought to be a genious, made several bad coaching decisions and Reggie Bush made one of the dumbest plays I have ever seen in a championship game.

Here are the three plays that brought the Trojan dynasty to an end.

6:30 left in the 1st quarter. Leading 7-0 the Trojans had a 4th and 1 from the Texas 17. Instead of kicking a field goal and going up 10-0 Pete Carroll chose to go for it and Matt Leinart was stuffed for no gain.

14:53 left in the 2nd quarter. Leading 7-0 facing 2nd and 10 from their own 45, Matt Leinart connects to Reggie Bush on a short pass that the Heisman winner turns into a 36 yard gain before doing the unthinkable. Before going down on the Texas 19 Bush attempted a lateral that was recoverd by Texas safety Michael Huff. Texas scored a field goal on the ensuing possesion.

2:13 left in the 4th quarter . Leading 38-33 the Trojans were again looking at 4th down. This time it was 4th and 2 from the Texas 45. Instead of punting Carroll again decides to go for it and this time White is stopped for only a one yard gain. The turnover gave Texas the ball with 2:09 seconds left and only 55 yards to go for the winning touchdown.

When you can’t stop Vince Young maybe you should make him try to go 80 plus yards instead of 55 yards to beat you.

As a diehard Sooner fan who bleeds Crimson and Crème let me swallow my pride here and say congratulations to my friends at Burnt Orange Nation and Longhorn fans everywhere. Thanks for…gulp… doing something for the Big 12 that my Sooners weren’t able to do the last two seasons.

Buster's Best

I beat Buster last week but my season is over, there is no way I can catch him. My goal is to get above .500 by the end of the Super Bowl.

Last Week’s Games

Holiday Bowl
Oregon/Oklahoma
Buster picked the Sooners and I took them to cover the three points they getting from the Ducks. Buster 1-0/Dad 1-0

Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State/Notre Dame
Buster picked Notre Dame and I took Ohio State to cover the 4 points they were giving to the Irish. Buster 1-1/Dad 2-0

Rose Bowl
USC/Texas
Buster picked USC to win the National Championship and I picked them to cover the 8 points they were giving to the Longhorns. Buster 1-2/Dad 2-1

Arizona Cardinals @ Indianapolis Colts
Buster likes the Colts to win and I took them to cover the 6.5 points they were giving to Arizona. Buster 2-2/Dad 2-2

St. Louis Rams @ Dallas Cowboys
Buster picked his Cowboys to win and I picked the Rams to cover the 12 points they were getting from the Cowboys. Buster 2-3/Dad 3-2

For the season: Buster 63-27/Dad 41-47-2

This Week’s Games

Washington @ Tampa Bay
Buster is picking the Redskins to win and I’m going the other way. I’ll take Tampa Bay to cover the 2.5 points they are giving to Washington.

Jacksonville @ New England
Buster picks the Patriots to win the game and I’m taking Jacksonville to cover the 8 points they are getting from New England.

Carolina @ NY Giants
Buster is going with the Giants to win and I am going to take the Panthers to cover the 2.5 points they are getting from New York.

Pittsburg @ Cincinnati
Buster is picking the Steelers and I agree with him. I’ll take Pittsburg to cover the 3 points they are giving to the Bengals.

Buster’s Reward Part I

Buster and his brother got to go see the Dallas Cowboys final game of the season Sunday night. The boys got their photo taken with a Cowboys Cheerleader (above) and we all had a great time, Buster would have enjoyed it more if his Cowboys would have won. You can read Buster’s recap of the game here.

Now I just have to get the camping trip out of the way this spring and I’ll be paid in full.

Poor Shooting Almost Cost Sooners in 50-47 Win at SMU

The Sooners failed to score the first 6:40 of the second half, letting the Mustangs go on a 9-0 run and take a 29-26 lead. SMU was still leading 32-31 when David Godbold hit a 3-pointer from the top left of the arc. It was his first 3-pointer since Nov. 26, ending a skid of 13 straight misses, and he followed with another the next time down the court.

Godbold's late foul shots put Oklahoma up 47-42, but Dez Willingham -- who scored a career-high 20 points -- made a 3-pointer for SMU. The Mustangs were within two when Bryan Hopkins made two free throws with 13 seconds left.

After Michael Neal missed one of two free throws, Willingham and Hopkins missed long 3s in the closing seconds, preventing SMU from beating a ranked team for the first time since December 2003.

Taj Gray led Oklahoma with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Bookout was held to nine points and seven rebounds.

The Sooners shot 39 percent and scored their fewest points since having 52 in an NCAA tournament loss to Michigan State in 2004. Still, Oklahoma goes into Big 12 play having won three straight and five of six.

The Sooners begin conference play Saturday at Nebraska.

Big 12 Standings

Colorado 0-0 10-1
Texas A&M 0-0 10-1
Texas 0-0 11-2
Kansas State 0-0 9-2
Oklahoma 0-0 9-2
Iowa State 0-0 10-3
Nebraska 0-0 10-3
Oklahoma State 0-0 10-4
Kansas 0-0 7-4
Missouri 0-0 7-4
Texas Tech 0-0 8-6
Baylor 0-0 0-0

This Weekend’s Games

Kentucky at Kansas – Could the Jayhawks have chosen a tougher opponent for their final game before conference play? My pick – Kentucky

Oklahoma at Nebraska – Sooners have got learn to get tough on the road! My pick – OU

Colorado at Texas – Texas could be tested by the Buffs but will have the luxury of playing in Austin. My pick – Texas

Texas Tech at Texas A&M – A&M has been rolling and Tech has been struggling. This first conference game is a statement for the Aggies. My pick – A&M

Oklahoma State at Missouri – Cowboys will struggle on the road against a mediocre Tigers team. My pick – OSU

Kansas State at Iowa State – The Cyclones are ready to make a run at being the best team in the north. My Pick – Iowa State

Rose Bowl Preview

It is being touted as possibly the greatest bowl game of all time. For the first time in three years there will be an undisputed #1 versus #2 for the national championship when Texas takes on USC in the Rose Bowl tonight.

This game will feature plenty of playmakers including two Heisman trophy winners lining up in the same backfield for the first time ever.

On the defensive side of the ball it’s the safeties that are going to have to be the playmakers because with all the offensive talent in this game most of the tackles will be made in the secondary.

The good news for the Trojans and Longhorns is that they do have those playmakers in their secondary. Junior safety Darnell Bing for USC and Senior safety Michael Huff for Texas.


Here is ESPN.com Bruce Feldman’s description of Darnell Bing.

“His domain is roughly a 20-by-20-yard area of grass, which might as well be college football's version of the Bermuda Triangle. Risk sneaking into this netherworld at your own peril. Some rival coaches have learned their lessons. Venture in there, man, and bad things will happen to you, they whisper. This is the space that Darnell Bing patrols.

His M.O.: Hammer anything that moves, while heaving his chiseled 6-foot-2, 221-pound body around without regard for his own well-being and certainly not for yours.

Since suiting up for USC three years ago, Bing, who has racked up 173 tackles as a three-year starter for the Trojans, has been known for playing with the clichéd reckless abandon.”

When it comes to describing versatile Texas safety Michael Huff nobody does it better then…well, Michael Huff.

"I can play everywhere," Huff said. "I can line up deep. I can be up at corner, and [cover] the slot. I have been everywhere. I used to like coverage a lot better. This year, I got my first two blitzes. I wish I could blitz every game."

On covering Reggie Bush.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be on him," Huff said. "If I'm the best, I want to play against their best player. If I play well against their best player, then the team will do well."

Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com describes Michael Huff like this.

“ Huff has the physical tools -- at 6-1 and 205 pounds with 4.34 speed -- that a defensive back needs to deal with Bush.”

The offenses will be explosive tonight. USC ranks first in total offense, averaging 587 yards a game, and Texas is fourth with 516 yards per game.

2004 Heisman winner Matt Leinart will lead the Trojans #4 ranked passing offense against Vince Young and a Longhorns passing attack that ranks 51st.

Leinart has passed for 3450 yards and 27 touchdowns this season and Young has 2769 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.

Vince Young is also the Longhorns leading rusher with 850 yards and 9 touchdowns for a Texas running attack that ranks 3rd nationally. The Trojans 4th ranked rushing attack is led by 2005 Heisman winner Reggie Bush who has piled up 1658 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns this season.

My Prediction
As I said the offenses will be explosive and the plays will be spectacular but the here is the stat that will make the difference in this game. Vince Young has thrown 10 interceptions this season and has been sacked more this year, 13 times, than any other season. It’s that pressure that has caused him to lose a few crucial fumbles as well.

I say Young makes some mistakes in the biggest game of his life and the Trojans are able to capitalize on them.
USC 38/Texas 20

TCU Kicker Shot to Death

from the AP

TCU freshman kicker Kasey Davis was shot to death early Tuesday, his body found in his car by police in the parking lot of an apartment complex.

The 20-year-old player had a gunshot wound to his chest and was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.

Police arrested a suspect near the apartment minutes after getting a description from witnesses. Jeffrey Clay Lasiter had a rifle in the front seat of his car when he was pulled over.

The 40-year-old Lasiter was charged with murder and is in the Montgomery County Jail. Police are unsure of a motive.

Davis attended high school in this Houston suburb. Police said he apparently was visiting friends at the complex.

Davis, a redshirt player and a walk-on, played in two games this season — against Oklahoma and Colorado State, both as a kickoff specialist.

"Kasey was a team player and had a great future at TCU," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "He will be greatly missed. Our hearts and minds are with his family during this difficult time."

My College Basketball Vote

With the college football season winding down we can now focus more attention on basketball. I am voting in the College Basketball Bloggers Association Top 25 poll. Here is how I voted this week. Feel free to leave any cooments about my top 25.

1. Duke
2. Connecticut
3. Villanova
4. Memphis
5. Florida
6. Michigan State
7. Illinois
8. Louisville
9. Gonzaga
10. Washington
11. Boston College
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas
14. Maryland
15. Indiana
16. N.C. State
17. Ohio State
18. UCLA
19. Pittsburgh
20. Kentucky
21. Wisconsin
22. Arizona
23. West Virginia
24. Tennessee
25. Syracuse

NFL Round-up, Week 17

Final Conference Rankings
The final conference standings are the exact same as last week’s standings. The AFC West and the NFC East tied with the best over-all records but the NFC East sent two teams to the play-offs as opposed to one from the AFC West. The number of teams sent to the play-offs are in parenthesis.

AFC West 36-28 (1)
NFC East 36-28 (2)
AFC North 34-30 (2)
NFC South 33-31 (2)
AFC South 32-32 (2)
NFC North 29-35 (1)
AFC East 28-36 (1)
NFC West 28-26 (1)

Big Game
Carolina Panthers 44, Atlanta Falcons 11

The big game this week turned out to be a big blow-out. DeShaun Foster rushed for 165 yards, including the longest scoring run in team history, and Jake Delhomme threw for two touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 44-11 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Worst Game
St. Louis Rams 20, Dallas Cowboys 10

The Cowboys found out about 20 minutes before kick-off that they had been eliminated from play-off contention and then went out and played with no heart. It was a bad end to a bad season for the Cowboys who entered the season with high expctations.

Big Upset
Minnesota Vikings 34/Chicago Bears 10
The Bears’ starters saw limited action but anytime a division winner loses by 24 to a team that fires it’s coach it’s a big upset.

Miami Dolphins
Miami achieved its longest winning streak in 13 years Sunday with a 28-26 victory over New England. Like most play-off bound teams the Patriots played their starters sparingly but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the Dolphins ended the season with the NFL’s longest active winning streak at 6.


The Dolphins started the season 3-7 under new coach Nick Saban, then didn't lose again.

"We are not in the playoffs, but it was not all in vain," Saban said. "This group was a team for the last six weeks of the season, for sure."

Ricky Williams, who scored before first-string defenders left in the second quarter, rushed for 108 yards, one week after gaining 172.

"It shows how important it is to stay behind your team even through the hard times," Williams said. "Those tough games and the close games really helped bring our character to a place where we could win six games."

No doubt the end of the 2005 season will leave Dolphin fans greatly anticipating the beginning of the 2006 season.

Firing Line

Ready … Aim … You’re Fired! Donald Trump would have loved to be an NFL exec today as coaches across the league met their doom. One coach retired and five were canned. Here they are;

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair fired Dom Capers, the only coach the expansion Texans ever had, Monday after Houston finished its season with an NFL-worst 2-14 record and the worst record in franchise history.

The New Orleans Saints acknowledged the troubles Jim Haslett faced through the hurricane-disrupted 2005 season, and praised the coach for an admirable job under the circumstances.

After they fired him, that is.

Mike Martz was fired as coach of the St. Louis Rams on Monday after a 6-10 season in which he missed the final 11 games because of a heart ailment. That illness did not stop him from repeated clashes with the front office, the major reason for his dismissal with a year left on his contract.

Green Bay's Mike Sherman lost his job Monday after a 4-12 season, leaving the future of quarterback Brett Favre in doubt.

Vowing Monday to pick a replacement quickly, owner Zygi Wilf continued to place his stamp on the franchise he and his fellow investors purchased this summer, by firing Vikings head coach Mike Tice less than an hour after the Vikings picked up their 9th win of the season.

Kansas City Chiefs head man Dick Vermeil announced his retirement Sunday. It is Vermeil’s third retirement and the Chiefs are the first team he has coached and not taken to the Super Bowl.

Looking Ahead, Wild Card Weekend

Washington Redskins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is a great match-up for Tampa Bay. Washington has the quarterback with play-off experience but Tampa Bay has everything else. My Pick - Tampa Bay

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots Jacksonville may have the better defense but I’ll take the Patriots offense, special teams, coaching and most importantly play-off experience. My Pick – New England

Carolina Panthers @ NY Giants
The Giants have a great running back in Tiki Barber but I think the Panthers will be able to slow him down and put a ton of pressure on Manning. You know the Giants are hoping that this game won’t come down to a field goal. My Pick – Carolina

Pittsburg Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have been the surprise team of the season this year but the clock is about to strike Midnight for Cinderella. Cincy may have an explosive offense but the Steelers have a defense that can slow it down and a pounding offense that will over power the Bengals. My Pick - Pittsbug

Buster Goes to Dallas

It's 2:00 am and we are just getting back to our hotel room from the game, after a stop at the Waffle House, so I will post more on Buster's trip later. His Cowboys lost but we all had a great time. Buster and his brother even got their photo taken with a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader!

Anyway we will be driving home today and I will post more at the first opportunity.

Sooners Sack the Ducks

The Sooner defense set the tone for the game early and held off a late Oregon rally to win the Holiday Bowl last night.

Oklahoma linebacker Clint Ingram made a leaping interception of Leaf's pass at the 10-yard line with 33 seconds left in the Holiday Bowl to preserve the Sooners' 17-14 upset of the No. 6 Oregon Ducks on Thursday night.

Ingram missed the call for a blitz on second-and-9, so he was in position to get in front of Demetrius Williams for the pickoff.

"This was the biggest play that I've ever made in any sport," Ingram said. "Everything we've gone through, everyone made plays and I just made the last one."

"As soon as I saw him go up for the ball I knew it wasn't going to be dropped," coach Bob Stoops said. "He doesn't drop balls."

Oregon led 7-3 after the lowest-scoring first half in Holiday Bowl history, and thanks to the Sooner defense the Duck’s offense was a no-show for most of the second half.



Sooner running back Adrian Peterson was held in check in the first half by the Oregon defense rushing 8 times for 8 yards but exploded in the second half, finishing with 84 yards on 23 carries. The Sooner offense took control when Rhett Bomar threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to fullback J.D. Runnells for a 10-7 Oklahoma lead with 9:20 to play in the third quarter. Then late in the quarter Kejuan Jones scored on an 8-yard run to make it 17-7. Bomar finished 17-of-30 for 229 yards, with one interception and the touchdown to Runnells.



Oklahoma would have put the game away early in the fourth but Peterson fumbled on the Ducks 1 yard line as he was reaching forward to try to put the ball across the goal line. That fumble gave the Ducks new life and they would eventually close to within 17-14 before Ingram’s interception iced the game for Oklahoma.

Don’t Buy the Lies
Two things you are going to hear in the next few days are that Oregon was over-rated and that they were distracted.

First, this was a very good Oregon football team. They finished the regular season at 10-1 with that loss being to the undefeated USC Trojans. I have often stated that the Pac 10 is an over-rated conference but this Oregon team would beat a lot of other teams in other conferences. The Ducks are solid on offense as well as defense and could be the second best team the Sooners have faced this season.



Second, there was no distraction after being left out of the BCS for Oregon. The Ducks showed up with their game faces on, they just didn’t have an answer for a Sooner defense that sacked their quarterbacks three times, held them to under 100 yards rushing and came up with the big interception to end the game.

New Rule, Celebrate With Your Helmets On
Sooner running back Adrian Peterson had to receive stitches on his forehead after his head collided with a teammate’s helmet during a sideline celebration following JD Runnells third quarter touchdown reception.

Oklahoma's win over Oregon puts the Big 12 at 3-1 in bowl games.

Rose Bowl Blogview

Just one game left in the BCS blogview series and it’s the big one. In fact this game is so big I had to get two bloggers to help me with the preview. Of course one would need to be a Texas blog and the other a USC blog.

Enter All Things Longhorn and TrojanWire two of the biggest blogs to represent their respective schools in the Rose Bowl Blogview. Together they make for a pretty good preview. TrojanWire comes across more confident and even takes a shot at Mac Brown while All Things Longhorn provides more detail and shows their team’s opponent due respect, so let’s get to it.

(My Opinion on Sports) What are you initial thoughts on your team's opponent?

(ATL) Um, they're really good. We love our team and will put them up against anybody. But we're not delusional. USC hasn't lost in 34 straight games. I'm not surprised that we're underdogs.

(TW) Texas has a lot of talent, but hasn't faced anyone remotely close
to our level in the past 2 seasons.

(My Opinion on Sports) What is the best match-up advantage for your team in this game?

ATL) Vince Young. He's the biggest mismatch for us in every game we play. He's just so lethal as a passer and runner.

(TW) Vince Young's head against our D

(My Opinion on Sports) What is the worst match-up advantage for your team in this game?

(ATL) Our linebackers versus Reggie Bush. One of our biggest weaknesses this year has been in tackling rushers. We might want to do a little better against this Bush guy; we hear he's pretty good.

(TW) Vince Young's legs against our D

(My Opinion on Sports) Which coach do you want on your sideline, yours or your opponents? Why?

(ATL) With all the admiration we have for Pete Carroll, you can't bait us in to picking him over Mack Brown. We've been so critical of him over the years, but in the end, he's brought this program to the top, and we love having him. Both coaches are outstanding.

(TW) Ours, no doubt. Obvious coaching prowess aside, Mack Brown has the highest voice of any college football coach out there. Most womens' basketball coaches have deeper voices than him. Most Texas fans are embarrassed by him...so why would we want him on our sideline?

(My Opinion on Sports) Give your prediction of the outcome of the game.

(ATL) We will, soon enough. But not yet. We will say this: we're expecting a shootout. Points will be scored; that's for sure.

(TW) Texas plays tough early, but SC wins comfortably.

Oregon's Keys to Success

So how are the Oregon Ducks going to try to defeat my Sooners tonight in the Holiday Bowl? Here are the Ducks keys to the game according to Salem's Statesman Journal.

Contain Adrian Peterson: The 2004 Heisman Trophy runner-up, Peterson has overcome a high ankle sprain that limited his production early on, and has rushed for 639 yards and eight touchdowns in Oklahoma's past four games. If Peterson finds holes in Oregon's defense, it opens up the play-action pass for quarterback Rhett Bomar. He had 183 yards in last year's game against Oregon, and 1,925 overall.

Leave the BCS blues behind: Oregon can't be dwelling on being left out of a BCS game. The Ducks need to keep their focus on beating Oklahoma, which would give them a school record-tying 11th win.

Young quarterbacks: It will be the first bowl game appearance for Bomar, a redshirt freshman, and Oregon sophomores Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf. Oregon will try to force the Sooners to pass more than they would like, and make Bomar beat them. The Ducks need to do a solid job in pass protection against a defense that has recorded 42 sacks. Oregon's offensive line, led by center Enoka Lucas, has allowed just 17 sacks.

Ignore the past: The five previous games between the schools have been dominated by Oklahoma. The Sooners were victorious at home in 1958 (6-0), 1966 (17-0), 1972 (68-3), 1975 (62-7), and 2004 (31-7). It's a chance for Oregon to beat a marquee program on a national stage.

Spreading the field: While Oregon is preparing for a heavy dose of Peterson and a power running game, the Ducks have more offensive weapons. Oklahoma hasn't seen a spread offense this season that operates like the Ducks. Dixon is a multi-dimensional quarterback, wideout Demetrius Williams is a 1,000-yard receiver, and the Ducks have three players (Willliams, wide receiver James Finley, and tailback Terrence Whitehead) with more receptions that Oklahoma's leading receiver, Malcolm Kelly. Oregon's ability to utilize its playmakers against perhaps the fastest defense it will face this season figures to be a major factor in the game.

Holiday Bowl Preview

Oklahoma has never been to the Holiday Bowl and Oregon wishes that they were in a BCS bowl. The stage is set for the 10-1 Ducks to take on the 7-4 Sooners but don’t let the records fool you this should be a fun game.

Oregon plays in the Pac-10, which I think is an over-rated conference, but their coach, Mike Bellotti, is one of the best in America. I respect their offense a lot but they haven’t faced very many physical teams the caliber of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s offense against Oregon’s defense
Junior defensive tackle Haloti Ngata also had a big season and became Oregon's first consensus All-American since 1962 but I like the match-up between Adrian Peterson and the Oregon run defense. I think the Sooners will be able to run successfully against the Ducks. I also like the match-up problems that fullback JD Runnels is going to create with Oregon linebackers focused on stopping Adrian Peterson. Look for Runnels to get a lot of passes coming his way on misdirection plays. Advantage: Oklahoma

Oregon’s defense against Oklahoma’s defense
I don’t like the match-up between the Oregon receivers and the Oklahoma secondary. In my opinion this match-up goes to the Ducks which means that the Sooners are going to have to be effective with their blitzes to get to the quarterbacks before they can get passes off. An overlooked stat is that this OU defense has more sacks than last season’s Orange Bowl team. Advantage: Oregon

Coaching
As much as I respect Mike Bellotti the coaching advantage has to go to Bob Stoops. Since taking over in 1999 he has led the Sooners to bowl games every season including national championship games in 2000, 2004 and 2005. Stoops Sooners have also won three Big 12 Championships. Advantage: Oklahoma

Prediction
Stoops, who played 18 freshmen and started 11 this season, doesn't think he'll have any trouble getting his players motivated for the game.
"Playing a team that's 10-1 gets your attention big-time," Stoops said. "Our players recognize it as a major challenge. It does excite them. You can tell just in looking at their faces and the way they practice. They understand it's a big challenge."

Oklahoma is 5-0 all-time against Oregon, with all five games being played in Norman, Okla. The Sooners, who were ranked No. 2 last season when they beat the unranked Ducks 31-7, will play at Oregon for the first time next season.

I think it will be an entertaining game. I see it being a shootout early and then the Sooners to wear down the Ducks defense late on their way to a 31-20 Sooner victory.

Buster's Best

The Good news is that Buster had a losing record this week. The Bad news is that I went 1-4.

Last Week’s Games

Fort Worth Bowl
Kansas/Houston
Buster is picked the Jayhawks and I had them to cover the 3 points they were giving to Houston. Buster 1-0/Dad 1-0

Poinsetta Bowl
Navy/Colorado State
Buster picked Colorado State and I had them covering the 2.5 points they were getting. Buster 1-1/Dad 1-1

GMAC Bowl
Toledo/UTEP
Buster picked Toledo and I think my exact words were “this one is UTEP all the way.” I took the Miners and the 3 points they were getting. Buster 2-1/Dad 1-2

Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers
Buster and I both missed this one. He picked the Panthers to win and I also took Carolina and the 5.5 points they were giving. Buster 2-2/Dad 1-3

Tennesse Titans @ Miami Dolphins
Buster picked the Titans to win straight up and I picked them to cover the 6 points they were getting from the Dolphins. Buster 2-3/Dad 1-4
For the season: Buster 61-24/Dad 38-45-2

This Week’s Games

Holiday Bowl
Oregon/Oklahoma
Buster is picking the Sooners and I’ll take them to cover the 3 points they are getting from the Ducks.

Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State/Notre Dame
Buster likes the Irish to win and I’ll take Ohio State to cover the 4 points they are giving to Notre Dame.

Rose Bowl
USC/Texas
Buster is picking USC to win the National Championship and I’ll take them to cover the 8 points they are giving to the Longhorns.

Arizona Cardinals @ Indianapolis Colts
Buster likes the Colts to win and I'll take them to cover the 6.5 points they are giving to Arizona.

St. Louis Rams @ Dallas Cowboys
Buster is picking his Cowboys to win. I agree but 12 points is to many, I'll take the Rams and the points they are getting.

Buster’s Reward
Buster is starting to reap the benefits of beating Dad in football picks this season. I am taking him and his brother to Dallas Sunday night to see his beloved Cowboys play the St. Louis Rams. It should be fun!

Sooners Survive With A Late Surge

The Sooners non-conference home winning streak is now at 45 games. After losing to West Virginia last week OU, led by Kevin Bookout, played tough inside and finally made some shots from outside to spark a late rally and win 81-73 over Oral Roberts University.

Bookout had a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds and Terrell Everett added 17 points and five assists, making consecutive 3-pointers to give the Sooners the lead at 70-68 with 3:38 left.

All of Everett's 17 points came in the second half, and he finished 3-of-5 from 3-point range after entering the game 6-of-28 for the season.

"I got one of those to go, and after that, I was feeling it," Everett said.

"For our team and what we need right now, I'm not sure I could have scripted it any better," Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. "It would have been nice to win by 25, but I don't think there's a team in America that could beat (Oral Roberts) by 25."

OU plays next at home Saturday against Alabama.