Turner gives Buckeyes bracket boost

IMPORTANT: This is based on games played through Jan. 19.  If the tournament started Jan. 20, this is what my bracket would look like.

Last four in:  Arizona State, Old Dominion, Texas A&M, Maryland
First four out:  Virginia Tech, Marquette, Oklahoma State, San Diego State

Kentucky remains #1 overall.  They are now the last remaining unbeaten team in division 1.

Texas is still a one seed despite the loss to Kansas State.  The Longhorns have a better strength of schedule than Kansas, as well as a more legitimate loss.

Despite Kansas State’s win over Texas, the schedule, as well as the loss to unranked Missouri, are not impressive enough to push them into a #2 spot yet.

Purdue takes another dip after the Northwestern loss, though they rebounded nicely with a tough win at Illinois.

Georgia Tech jumps to a #5 seed.  The Yellow Jackets now have wins over Duke, North Carolina and Clemson in the ACC.  Also making big jumps this week were Ohio State and Vanderbilt.

Now in as conference champions are Campbell and Western Kentucky, replacing East Tennessee State and Denver.

Major conference breakdown:

ACC:  7
Big 12:  6
Big East:  6
SEC: 5
Big Ten:  4
Pac 10:  2

See the complete bracket here

Bowl committees get it right this year

Every year there is talk about college football needing a playoff.  When those talks simmer, the negative nancies want to pick apart the individual bowl selection committees for picking the wrong teams to play in their games.  This year, the naysayers, myself included, had some quibbles with certain picks.  But once again, the committees proved me and other doubters wrong.  I’ll break it down:

The most obvious disagreement had to be the Gator Bowl committee, which bypassed Clemson, Boston College and Miami to take Florida State.  The ‘Noles must have heard me say they didn’t deserve to play in the game, because they manhandled a better West Virginia team in Bobby Bowden’s last game.

In the Big Ten, The Outback Bowl passed up Wisconsin for Northwestern, and the ‘Cats took heavily favored Auburn to overtime in the most exciting bowl game of the season so far before falling in a game they should have won twice.

In the Big 12, the Sun Bowl passed on Missouri, who had a better overall record, for Oklahoma.  The Sooners went to El Paso and knocked off Stanford.  The Insight Bowl also passed on the Tigers, for a team two games worse, and the Iowa State Cyclones beat Minnesota.  Missouri, in the last place Big 12 bowl game, lost by 22.

In the Pac 10, the Emerald Bowl took heat for inviting USC over Oregon State even though the Beavers were a game better in conference.  USC won.  Oregon State got smacked by BYU.

Based on how well the bowls have done so far, TCU/Boise State, the last remaining controversial pairing, should be a thriller.

Picking all 34 bowl games

Bowl season gets underway Saturday with the first of 34 bowl games.  Damn, that’s 68 bowl bids.  I guess when a team loads up on FCS and Sun Belt teams in the nonconference, being bowl eligible doesn’t mean much.  But here we are anyway, and I’ll attempt to pick all 34, though I will likely only watch about half of them.

New Mexico Bowl – Fresno State vs Wyoming
Fresno finished strong with a dramatic overtime win over Illinois in Champaign.  A loaded schedule included losses to Wisconsin, Cincinnati and Boise State, but that should have them ready.  Props for Dave Christensen for getting Wyoming back to a bowl in his first season.
Pick:  Fresno State

Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl – Central Florida vs Rutgers
When Rutgers lost by 32 at home to Cincinnati in week one, things weren’t looking good.  But the Scarlet Knights pulled it together and finished 8-4 in a surprisingly competitive Big East.  However, Central Florida basically has a home game here, and containing Tim Brown’s big play ability will be key.  Rutgers’D ranks 99th.
Pick:  Central Florida

New Orleans Bowl – Southern Mississippi vs Middle Tennessee State
Sub Belt runner-up Middle Tennessee’s lone conference loss was to Troy, and 9-3 should be considered a success.  Al logic says pick the Blue Raiders, but I’m going against my logic on this.  Southern Mississippi had some heartbreaking losses against good teams, which will ultimately have them prepared for this game.
Pick:  Southern Mississippi

Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon State vs BYU
The Beavers were just a few plays away from playing Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.  Instead, they settle for Vegas and a great matchup with BYU.  The Beavers played five teams in the top 25, while the Cougars played just two.  Max Hall should have fun with the Beaver defense, but Oregon State will win a high-scoring game.
Pick:  Oregon State

Poinsettia Bowl – Utah vs California
Jahvid Best should be ready for this game, but how well he will do coming back from the concussion is unknown.  The Golden Bears, ranked as high as #6 earlier this year, fell after back to back blowout losses mid-season.  Utah’s defense is #20 in the country, while Cal ranks at #70.
Pick:  Utah

Sheraton Bowl – Nevada vs SMU
SMU will snap its 25 year bowl drought when it takes the field in Honolulu on Christmas Eve to play Nevada.  The Wolfpack got hot at the end of the season, winning eight of their final nine after an 0-3 start.  SMU will be happy to be here.  Nevada isn’t leaving without a win.
Pick:  Nevada

Little Caesars Bowl – Marshall vs Ohio
One of only two bowls north of the Mason Dixon line takes place in Detroit between two virtually equal teams.  Marshall is 6-6 but has played a tougher schedule.  Ohio is 9-4 after a MAC Championship loss to Central Michigan.  Ohio did play Tennessee and UConn tough.
Pick:  Ohio

Meineke Car Care Bowl – Pittsburgh vs North Carolina
Like Oregon State, Pittsburgh has to be crushed knowing that an Orange Bowl date with Georgia Tech was probably one or two plays away.  After a heartbreaking loss to Cincinnati, the Panthers settle for a “neutral” site game in Charlotte with the Heels.  Carolina’s defense will keep it close, but the ‘Heels just can’t score.
Pick:  Pittsburgh

Emerald Bowl – Boston College vs USC
I’m really entertained to see what the line on this game will turn out to be.  Right now it’s USC -9, and I’ll take the Trojans to cover.  Boston College has a terrible offense, and USC’s defense can be good despite some poor games.  This is a weird bowl to see USC playing in, and you know they are peeved about it.  Watch out BC.
Pick:  USC

Music City Bowl – Kentucky vs Clemson
Clemson, suffering from the Pitt/Oregon State virus, will have to watch their team take on a -not-as-good-as-their-record Kentucky team.  I’ve thought the ‘Cats were overrated all year, and Clemson has a chance to prove me right.  Kentucky’s rush D is ranked #100.  C.J. Spiller will have a field day.
Pick:  Clemson

Independence Bowl – Texas A&M vs Georgia
The interesting matchup here is Georgia’s fairly good defense against Texas A&M’s explosive offense.  The Aggies lit up Texas’third ranked D and can do it again when they play the Bulldogs.  But the Aggie defense is awful, and Georgia should have its chances to score as well.
Pick:  Georgia

EagleBank Bowl – UCLA vs Temple
Games like this are the toughest to pick.  UCLA is 6-6, but with the #11 schedule in the nation.  Temple is 9-3, but had the sixth easiest schedule.  UCLA’s offense is ranked #88.  Temple’s is #89.  UCLA’s defense is #39, Temple’s is #37.  I’ll take the Bruins because of the schedule.
Pick:  UCLA

Champs Sports Bowl – Miami vs Wisconsin
Another game with no distinct advantage is a good one which features two 9-3 teams.  Wisconsin’s loss to Northwestern cost them their shot at a New Year’s Day bowl game despite a better overall record than the Wildcats.  Jacory Harris will make enough plays to push the ‘Canes to victory in their home state.
Pick:  Miami

Humanitarian Bowl – Bowling Green vs Idaho
Idaho fans were on a roller coaster early this season with the team’s 6-1 start.  But that vanished after the Vandals lost four of their final five, and they limp into Boise, where they lost on the same field by 38.  This time, Tyler Sheehan and Bowling Green are the opponents.  Limiting Sheehan’s big plays will be key for Idaho.
Pick:  Idaho

Holiday Bowl – Arizona vs Nebraska
Geographically, Arizona has the edge, but Husker fans will travel to watch their near Big 12 champions play.  Both defenses are really good, which is why I think 17 points may be enough.  The difference is that Arizona can score, and has, against good teams.  The Huskers haven’t shown consistent offense all season.
Pick:  Arizona

Armed Forces Bowl – Houston vs Air Force
The Armed Forces have their team, the Falcons, in this game.  Awaiting the Falcons is the #1 offense in the nation – the Houston Cougars.  Case Keenum and James Cleveland will be faced with its toughest task of the season with the Falcons’#10 defense.  It’s Keenum’s chance to prove he deserved an invite to New York.
Pick:  Houston

Sun Bowl – Oklahoma vs Stanford
How about this high-profile matchup?  Last year, the final score of the Sun Bowl was 3-0.  This year Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart and the Cardinal will need more than that to beat the Sooners.  Gerhart will look to add to his nation-best 26 touchdowns against the seventh ranked Sooner rush defense.
Pick:  Stanford

Texas Bowl – Navy vs Missouri
Missouri became the first team in college football history to scout its bowl opponent in a live game, as the Army/Navy game took place after the bowl selection process.  It’s Navy’s fourth ranked rush attack vs Missouri’s #12 rush defense.  Navy’s only chance is if they can find a way to pass.
Pick:  Missouri

Insight Bowl – Minnesota vs Iowa State
The Insight Bowl took the Cyclones, who are bowling for the first time since 2001.  That decision makes for a good game.  Neither team’s offense or defense is any good, but the Gophers at least have a respectable defense.  Iowa State can’t stop anyone.
Pick:  Minnesota

Chick-fil-A Bowl – Virginia Tech vs Tennessee
Here’s a game that I don’t think will be close.  Virginia Tech has an outstanding defense, and Tennessee doesn’t do much to move the ball.  The Vols defense may keep it respectable for a while, but eventually Virginia Tech, who was ranked as high as number four even after the ‘Bama loss, will pull away.
Pick:  Virginia Tech

Outback Bowl – Northwestern vs Auburn
Would you believe me if I told you Auburn has played seven top 30 teams?  That’s right, seven.  The Tigers won three of those games, but it’s more about the fact that they played those games that has them prepared for this New Year’s Day dandy.  Northwestern played well at the end of the year and won’t go down without a fight.
Pick:  Auburn

Capital One Bowl – Penn State vs LSU
The best bowl game of the season is in Orlando.  LSU played Florida and Alabama tough, but Penn State will be a monstrous challenge as well.  The Lions’D is eighth best in the country, and LSU has the twelfth worst offense in the nation.  It’s going to be tough for the Tigers to score.
Pick:  Penn State

Gator Bowl – West Virginia vs Florida State
How ironic is it that Bobby Bowden’s last game is against the team he used to coach?  As fun as the Bowden storyline should be, the Seminoles have no business being in this game.  Other ACC schools (Clemson, Miami) have to be peeved about the ‘Noles getting the Gator bid.
Pick:  West Virginia

International Bowl – South Florida vs Northern Illinois
Sophomore quarterback Chandler Harnish has been very efficient for Northern Illinois, but they haven’t played a team nearly as good as South Florida since a week one loss to Wisconsin.  The Bulls played tough in a good Big East conference.  The only bowl not played in the U.S. should be a fun one.
Pick:  South Florida

Papajohns.com Bowl – South Carolina vs Connecticut
Middle-of-the-pack teams clash in the only bowl named for a pizza.  UConn lost all five games by four points or fewer, which is quite unbelievable when you think about it.  A few bounces going the other way could make this team 12-0.  Four of South Carolina’s five losses came by double digits.
Pick:  Connecticut

Cotton Bowl – Oklahoma State vs Mississippi
Both of these teams started the season in the top 10 and had national championship aspirations.  Jevan Snead was supposed to win the Heisman and go #1.  Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant were supposed to combine to form the best offense in the country.  This is a game of disappointment.
Pick:  Mississippi

Liberty Bowl – Arkansas vs East Carolina
The Pirates were awfully impressive in capturing their second straight Conference USA championship by knocking off Houston.  Their reward is a date with Arkansas.  Ryan Mallett had a heck of a year that went unnoticed because the Hogs lost five games.
Pick:  Arkansas

Alamo Bowl – Michigan State vs Texas Tech
Everyone knew this would be a down year for Texas Tech following the losses of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, but 8-4 is surprisingly respectable for the Red Raiders.  First year starter Taylor Potts threw for more than 3,000 yards, and he’ll have another big game against the Spartans.
Pick:  Texas Tech

GMAC Bowl – Central Michigan vs Troy
Central Michigan’s turnaround led to a MAC championship.  Now Butch Jones is bolting for Cincinnati to fill the void left by Brian Kelly.  Coach or no coach, the Chippewas should have no trouble moving the ball at will against Troy.  Troy has the offense to keep it close, so look for a high-scoring game.
Pick:  Central Michigan

Rose Bowl – Ohio State vs Oregon
Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks could have folded after losing to Boise State to open the season.  Instead, the Ducks won 10 of 11, dethroned USC to win the Pac 10, and earned a Rose Bowl berth.  Ohio State is on the other end, making this the best BCS game on this year’s slate.
Pick:  Oregon

Sugar Bowl – Cincinnati vs Florida
Tim Tebow lost the game he wanted to win more than anything.  Now he plays his last college game against a team without a coach.  Cincinnati has scored a lot of points on a lot of people, but they haven’t faced a defense like Florida’s.  Tebow won’t let the Gators lose this one.
Pick:  Florida

Fiesta Bowl – Boise State vs TCU
We can talk all we want about the fact that these are two non-BCS teams playing each other, or about them both being undefeated, or about them playing in the national championship game.  But the matchup is what it is, and it should be entertaining.  TCU won last year, and they’ll repeat this year.
Pick:  TCU

Orange Bowl – Iowa vs Georgia Tech
The Hawkeyes were an overtime loss away from winning the Big Ten, but they’ll take their first BCS bowl game since the era began.  Awaiting Iowa and its #11 defense is Georgia Tech’s second ranked rush offense, led by Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt.
Pick:  Georgia Tech

BCS National Championship – Alabama vs Texas
Which Texas team will show up?  The Horns that blew out Okie State in Stillwater?  It better be.  The team that “beat” Nebraska?  Stay home.  We know the Tide and Heisman winner Mark Ingram will be there.  Both teams have good enough defenses to keep from getting blown out.  Bottom line: roll Tide.
Pick:  Alabama

Hawkeyes deserve to be #3

You may have noticed that I have Iowa ranked #3 in my latest college football rankings.  That looks bad after Iowa needed a last second play to beat Michigan State, while Texas blew out Missouri in Columbia.  The reality is, I’ve been stupid not to put Iowa head for the past few weeks.

Iowa has wins against Penn State in Happy Valley, Wisconsin in Madison, and Michigan State in East Lansing.  The last team to do that was Michigan in 1997.  As for Texas?  They have road wins over…Wyoming and Missouri?  Neither of those teams are ranked in the top 60 in the computers.

Iowa played and beat two nonconference BCS teams (Iowa State and Arizona) that have a combined record of 10-5.  Oh by the way, both of those teams are in the top 60 in the computers. Texas did not play a single BCS conference team.

Speaking of rankings, Iowa has defeated two teams ranked in the BCS top 20.  Texas hasn’t played a single ranked team.  The reason the Longhorns are ranked ahead of the Hawkeyes is because the human voters don’t look at the schedules.  They base their decisions on what the AP writers decide early on in the season.

That’s the wrong way to do it, and that’s why the computers are a better determining factor.  The computers look at what has happened so far.  They ignore prestige, Heisman candidates, and preseason expectations.  If the computers were the only rankings used, Iowa would be #1 and Texas would be #5.  The human polls have too much influence, and it is clearly being demonstrated by ranking Texas ahead of Iowa.

Iowa’s average opponent so far this year is ranked #48.  Texas’average opponent is ranked #72.  If Iowa and Texas both win out, it would be hard for me to watch a national championship game with Texas in it, knowing Iowa deserves it.  But that’s what will happen, because the human polls are two-thirds of the BCS standings.

College football rankings – Oct. 26

Longhorn fans, hate me all you want.  Your team is now #4 in the most prestigious rankings in the country.  This despite a 34 point blowout road win.  Gator fans, hate me all you want.  Your team is still #2, despite Alabama’s near collapse against the Vols.  Bronco fans, hate me now.  Your team is #6, despite a blowout win on the island.  Yes, my rankings may make your head scratch and your forehead wrinkle.  But there’s justification here.  Boise State hasn’t played anybody, prompting Iowa to jump them.  Alabama has still played better teams than Florida.  And I’ll explain the Texas setback in a blog post tomorrow, for it is the one that could mean the most come Dec. 6.

1)  Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) – I picked the Vols to win, and they probably should have.  But they didn’t.  Alabama’s defense was stiff enough in another quality win.  They get a bye week to prepare for LSU’s trip to Tuscaloosa.

2)  Florida Gators (7-0) – Something is off with the offense.  Playing a relatively weak SEC schedule, they have broken 30 just once in five conference games.  Red zone offense has been a problem.  In 35 trips, they have only 16 touchdowns.

3)  Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0) – The Hawkeyes are 8-0 for the first time ever after beating a hot Michigan State team in East Lansing.  It’s not pretty, but this team finds ways to win.  The offense, ranked #87 in the country, needs to play better.

4)  Texas Longhorns (7-0) – Colt McCoy is closing in on the all time FBS wins record after an impressive 41-7 win against Missouri.  It’s Texas’first well-played game in the conference, and it comes just in time.  They go to Stillwater next.

5)  Cincinnati Bearcats (7-0) – Can we still say Cincinnati is flying under the radar?  They are blowing teams out while making their best case for a title shot.  After Syracuse, things get tough with games against UConn, West Virginia and Pitt.

6)  Boise State Broncos (7-0) – If the Broncos want any prayer of playing for a national championship, they’ll need four teams ahead of them on this list to lose.  They are winning by similar margins against much worse teams – simple as that.

7)  LSU Tigers (6-1) – LSU came off the bye week by throttling Auburn.  Their only loss is Florida, and they’ve allowed 20+ points just twice.  They go to Alabama in two weeks and can still control their own destiny to a conference championship.

8)  Oregon Ducks (6-1) – The Ducks continue to roll.  Jeremiah Masoli came back this week to throw for 157 yards and a touchdown, and added two rushing touchdowns too.  If they beat USC Saturday, The Trojans will miss a BCS game.

9)  Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) – Hammering Michigan by 25 in the Big House will get you back on track.  Penn State’s defense is the reason they are beating teams up.  They are #3 in the nation, allowing just 240 yards per game.

10)  TCU Horned Frogs (7-0) – The Horned Frogs’four biggest wins have come on the road.  After blowing out BYU in Provo, TCU should finish 12-0.  Will the BCS take both them and an undefeated Boise State team?

11)  Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) – The Texas A&M win looks better after A&M blew out Texas Tech in Lubbock, but otherwise it hasn’t been much of a schedule for the Cowboys.  A win this week puts them in control of the south.

12)  USC Trojans (6-1) - Maybe my expectations are too high for this team, but I just don’t think one possession wins are good enough against the Pac 10.  Matt Barkley’s two interceptions are concerning, as is the defense all of a sudden.

13)  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-1) – Virginia was the only remaining unbeaten in the ACC until Georgia Tech crushed them.  With the Miami loss, the Yellow Jackets are now in line to win the Coastal if they can beat Wake and Duke.

14)  Houston Cougars (6-1) – It’s time to start seriously considering Case Keenum for Heisman.  He leads the nation in total offense, completions per game, passing yards per game and is second in touchdown passes.

15)  Pittsburgh Panthers (7-1) – A solid win over South Florida topped with a lot of one loss teams going down bumps Pitt up to 15.  They now enter a stretch in which they play just two games in 33 days.  The showdown with Cincy is Dec. 5.

16)  Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) – The Hokies still have that bitter taste in their mouths from the Georgia Tech loss, but can still win the ACC with some help.  Ryan Williams averages six yards per carry and has 10 touchdowns already.

17)  Miami Hurricanes (5-2) – The ‘Canes just couldn’t shake Clemson, and eventually lost the game in overtime.  An uncharacteristic defense gave up 410 yards, and Jacory Harris threw three interceptions for Miami.

18)  Ohio State Buckeyes (6-2) – Terrelle Pryor needed a huge game after the Purdue meltdown, and he delivered.  Pryor went 13-25 for 239 yards and two touchdowns.  He also ran for 104 yards and a score in the win over Minnesota.

19)  West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1) - The Mountaineers are quietly playing well since the Auburn loss and are undefeated in the Big East.  They still have Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Rutgers, but first is a trip to South Florida.

20)  Utah Utes (6-1) – Here’s a team that has lost to the only good team it has played, yet sits at #19 at 6-1.  Utah is doing all the right things to win, as they showed in overtime against Air Force.  They still go to Provo and Fort Worth.

21)  South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2) – Steve Spurrier is eking out wins, but he’ll tell you that against the SEC, winning is all that matters.  They outgained Vanderbilt by 158 yards and were turnover-free, yet needed a late TD to hold on.

22)  BYU Cougars (6-2) – I don’t think anyone saw that coming.  BYU failed to show up against TCU, leaving them all but out of the Mountain West championship hunt.  Five TCU players scored in a game that was over after the first quarter.

23)  Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) – Despite not having won since Oct. 3, the Badgers are back in the rankings after a few two loss teams fell this week.  For Wisconsin, 10-2 is a legitimate possibility, although this season, who knows?

24) Kansas Jayhawks (5-2) – Two weeks ago they looked like they could challenge for a BCS game.  Now they’re thinking bowl eligibility and maybe a north title after OU blows them out.  Kansas fans should be looking toward basketball.

25)  Central Michigan (7-1) – Why not?  Butch Jones has the Chippewas at 7-1 going into the showdown at Boston College.  They have a win at Michigan State and played Arizona tough in the desert.  They’ve also won seven in a row.

College football picks – Sooners are ready

The alleged “game of the year” has lost some luster with two Bradford-less losses by the Sooners, but this Red River Shootout still has a lot riding on it.  For Texas, a win means an inside track to a division title, Big 12 title and national championship shot.  But as we know (see 2007 season), a two loss team can’t necessarily be counted out of anything.  A win puts the Sooners close to the top 10 again with plenty of season left.  It also means they would have to lose twice to lose the south.  Actually, maybe not (see 2008 season).  Texas remembers beating Oklahoma last year, then losing the division because Texas Tech decided to pick ’08 for a breakout season, screwing up the division tiebreaker in the process.  Texas wants revenge for the…win…they got last year.  Oklahoma wants revenge for…karma…losing their Heisman winning QB.  The Sooners are the most dangerous #20 in college football history.  This game should be classic.

On another very sad note, the Wolverines’inability to complete their final drive in Iowa City last week meant that my upsets are no longer perfect.  Trying to get back on track this week with the picks…

(6) USC 34, (25) Notre Dame 21

(2) Alabama 30, (22) South Carolina 9

(21) South Florida 31, (8) Cincinnati 28

(4) Virginia Tech 33, (19) Georgia Tech 23

(3) Texas 28, (20) Oklahoma 25

UPSET SPECIAL:  Missouri 33, (16) Oklahoma State 24

Last week:  4-2
Overall:  23-13
Upsets:  5-1

Fear the Dodgers, Not the Phillies

With only a few games remaining until postseason play, it seems we know all of the teams who will be playing in October.  The talk in mid-Missouri seems to be all about whether the Cardinals can knock off the Phillies and get to the World Series.  Well I have news for you, Cards fans.  Forget the Phillies.  You’ll likely get your toughest postseason test in the first round when you face the Dodgers.

The Dodgers are the team nobody is talking about.  They are also the team nobody should want tom play.

They have a lineup built for postseason baseball.  They can get for average (first in NL), steal bases (fourth in NL), and lay down bunts.  They have struck out 92 fewer times than the Phillies, are six points better with runners in scoring position, and are 14 points better with RISP and two outs.  Eight players are hitting .280 or better.  The Phillies have just two players accomplishing that feat.  So the Phillies can hit home runs.  Big deal.  Home runs don’t win in October.  Home runs won’t win in spacious Dodger Stadium, or in cold weather venues like Colorado, St. Louis and Philadelphia.

Can we talk about pitching?  Guess who leads all of baseball in ERA?  Yep, it’s the Dodgers – a sparkling 3.42.  The Phillies?  4.14.  Dodger pitchers has struck out over 100 more batters than Phillies pitchers.  Four of their five starters have ERAs under 4 (Chad Billingsley is 4.03).  Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer both have ERAs over 4.25.

In the bullpen, Jonathan Broxton has blown just six saves in 42 chances and has a 2.68 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 74 innings.  Brad Lidge was 0-8 with 11 blown saves and a 7.38 ERA before losing the closer role to Ryan Madson.  Madson’s ERA is 3.18 – not bad  But he, like Broxton, has blown six saves, and he’s only had 16 opportunities.

If the Cardinals face the Dodgers in the first round, it would be a shame.  They are the two best teams in the NL, and I like the winner to win the league, maybe the World Series.

So Cards fan, and Rockies fans – fear the Dodgers, not the Phillies.

SEC/Big 12 football challenge

My friend Kyle came up with what I think is a genius idea, though I’m sure it’s been talked about before.  College basketball has the ACC/Big 10 challenge and the Big 12/Pac 10 hardwood series.  Why can’t college football do that?  Kyle wants it to happen, and came up with a way that in can happen – all in one Saturday.  The SEC would play the Big 12, the Big 10 takes on the Pac 10, the Big East tangles with the ACC, and even the smaller conferences get in on the action.  Check out what he says…

I wanted to find out how conferences in major college football matched up with one another.  Big 12 vs. SEC, Big Ten vs. Pac 10, ACC vs. Big East, C-USA vs. MAC, MWC vs. WAC, Sun Belt vs. everyone else…top to bottom.  Basically, the best team from one conference plays the best team from another conference all the way to the worst playing the worst to see which conference gains bragging rights.  I alternated East vs. West, North vs. South and Coastal vs. Atlantic where needed so it wasn’t unfair to one particular division.

This project was much harder than I originally anticipated.  I think I worked on it for three hours, but it was very fun.  It would appear that all of the conference match ups were fair as, according to my predictions, no conference beat another conference by more than two games.  I need more of the season to occur to make some of these calls.  Some of these teams are undefeated with two FCS opponents while some of them are 0-2 against Division 1 Powers.  I randomized which teams got home games and which teams got road games.  Then I realized it wouldn’t be fair (you probably won’t play the same team next year so you may have two or three straight years with this day as a road game).  Some of these games were ridiculously close to call.  Penn St. over USC was tough because Penn St. has played no one, and you know Pete Carroll would have the Trojans ready at Penn St. Ohio St. going across the country to Oregon was tough too because both teams are worse than originally anticipated (I know OSU played well against USC, but a four point home win against Navy?)  In some of those games, I went with the home team by default.  If you have problems with any of my picks, I have reasoning behind all of them and I’d love to hear your opinion.  This format did produce some very intriguing games.

The teams without an opponent will inevitably play each other.  This gave me the perfect opportunity to set up the annual event of Navy losing to Notre Dame (except for 2007).  Everyone else gets a Sun Belt team.  Fun Stuff.

Both Kyle and I made our picks for every game, and we listed them below.  Here are a few points to remember:

- There is no room for subjectivity here.  All of these games are determined strictly by 2008 season results using the formula 1v1, 2v2, ect., and our picks are based on the 2009 season’s teams.

- You will notice that, for example, in the SEC/Big 12 series, the #1 Big 12 South team played the #1 SEC East team.  That means the #2 Big 12 South team plays the #2 SEC West team.  This way it’s not just divisions playing divisions.  That means next year the #1 Big 12 South team plays the #1 SEC West team and alternates from there.

- Home field is determined randomly, then alternates after that.  For example, in the SEC/Big 12 series, the SEC East #1 team (Florida) got the home draw, meaning the SEC East teams #3 and #5 also get home, while #2, #4 and #6 are away.  In the West, #2, #4 and #6 are home.

- This whole weekend would have to take place sometime in September as to not interrupt the conference season.

And now on to the games and picks!

SEC vs Big 12

Oklahoma at Florida
Kyle:  Florida
Jaryd:  Florida

Alabama at Missouri
Kyle:  Alabama
Jaryd:  Alabama

Texas at Mississippi
Kyle:  Texas
Jaryd:  Texas

Georgia at Nebraska
Kyle:  Nebraska
Jaryd:  Nebraska

Texas Tech at South Carolina
Kyle:  Texas Tech
Jaryd:  South Carolina

LSU at Kansas
Kyle:  LSU
Jaryd:  Kansas

Oklahoma State at Arkansas
Kyle:  Oklahoma State
Jaryd:  Oklahoma State

Vanderbilt at Colorado
Kyle:  Vanderbilt
Jaryd:  Vanderbilt

Baylor at Tennessee
Kyle:  Tennessee
Jaryd:  Tennessee

Auburn at Kansas State
Kyle:  Auburn
Jaryd:  Auburn

Texas A&M at Mississippi State
Kyle:  Texas A&M
Jaryd:  Texas A&M

Kentucky at Iowa State
Kyle:  Kentucky
Jaryd:  Kentucky

Results…
Kyle:  SEC wins 7-5
Jaryd:  SEC wins 7-5

Big Ten vs Pac 10

USC at Penn State
Kyle:  Penn State
Jaryd  Penn State

Ohio State at Oregon
Kyle:  Ohio State
Jaryd:  Ohio State

Oregon State at Michigan State
Kyle:  Oregon State
Jaryd:  Michigan State

Iowa at California
Kyle:  California
Jaryd:  California

Arizona at Northwestern
Kyle:  Arizona
Jaryd:  Arizona

Minnesota at Arizona State
Kyle:  Arizona State
Jaryd:  Minnesota

Stanford at Wisconsin
Kyle:  Wisconsin
Jaryd:  Wisconsin

Illinois at UCLA
Kyle:  UCLA
Jaryd:  UCLA

Washington State at Purdue
Kyle:  Purdue
Jaryd:  Purdue

Michigan at Washington
Kyle:  Washington
Jaryd:  Michigan

Results…
Kyle:  Pac 10 wins 6-4
Jaryd:  Big Ten wins 7-3

Big East vs ACC

Cincinnati at Virginia Tech
Kyle:  Virginia Tech
Jaryd:  Cincinnati

Florida State at Pittsburgh
Kyle:  Florida State
Jaryd:  Pittsburgh

West Virginia at Georgia Tech
Kyle:  West Virginia
Jaryd:  Georgia Tech

Boston College at Rutgers
Kyle:  Rutgers
Jaryd:  Rutgers

Connecticut at North Carolina
Kyle:  North Carolina
Jaryd:  North Carolina

Maryland at South Florida
Kyle:  South Florida
Jaryd:  South Florida

Louisville at Miami
Kyle:  Miami
Jaryd:  Miami

Wake Forest at Syracuse
Kyle:  Wake Forest
Jaryd:  Wake Forest

Results…
Kyle:  ACC wins 5-3
Jaryd:  Tied 4-4

Conference USA vs MAC

Ball State at Tulsa
Kyle:  Tulsa
Jaryd:  Tulsa

East Carolina at Buffalo
Kyle:  East Carolina
Jaryd:  East Carolina

Bowling Green at Rice
Kyle:  Bowling Green
Jaryd:  Rice

Southern Mississippi at Western Michigan
Kyle:  Western Michigan
Jaryd:  Western Michigan

Central Michigan at Houston
Kyle:  Houston
Jaryd:  Houston

Memphis at Temple
Kyle:  Memphis
Jaryd:  Memphis

Akron at UT-El Paso
Kyle:  UT-El Paso
Jaryd:  UT-El Paso

Marshall at Northern Illinois
Kyle:  Northern Illinois
Jaryd:  Northern Illinois

Eastern Michigan at Tulane
Kyle:  Tulane
Jaryd:  Tulane

UAB at Kent State
Kyle:  UAB
Jaryd:  UAB

Southern Methodist at Ohio
Kyle:  Ohio
Jaryd:  Ohio

Central Florida at Toledo
Kyle:  Toledo
Jaryd:  Toledo

Results…
Kyle:  Conference USA wins 7-5
Jaryd:  Conference USA wins 8-4

Mountain West vs WAC

Utah at Boise State
Kyle:  Boise State
Jaryd:  Boise State

Louisiana Tech at TCU
Kyle:  TCU
Jaryd:  TCU

BYU at Nevada
Kyle:  BYU
Jaryd:  BYU

Hawaii at Air Force
Kyle:  Air Force
Jaryd:  Air Force

Colorado State at Fresno State
Kyle:  Fresno State
Jaryd:  Fresno State

San Jose State at UNLV
Kyle:  UNLV
Jaryd:  UNLV

New Mexico at Utah State
Kyle:  Utah State
Jaryd:  Utah State

New Mexico State at Wyoming
Kyle:  Wyoming
Jaryd:  Wyoming

San Diego State at Idaho
Kyle:  Idaho
Jaryd:  Idaho

Results…
Kyle:  Mountain West wins 5-4
Jaryd:  Mountain West wins 5-4

Sun Belt, Independence and Leftovers

Navy at Notre Dame
Kyle:  Notre Dame
Jaryd:  Notre Dame

Troy at Indiana
Kyle:  Indiana
Jaryd:  Troy

Louisiana-Lafayette at Clemson
Kyle:  Clemson
Jaryd:  Clemson

Florida Atlantic at N.C. State
Kyle:  N.C. State
Jaryd:  N.C. State

Arkansas State at Virginia
Kyle:  Arkansas State
Jaryd:  Arkansas State

Florida International at Duke
Kyle:  Florida International
Jaryd:  Duke

Middle Tennessee State at Miami-Ohio
Kyle:  Middle Tennessee State
Jaryd:  Miami-Ohio

Louisiana-Monroe at Army
Kyle:  Army
Jaryd:  Army

Western Kentucky at North Texas
Kyle:  North Texas
Jaryd:  North Texas

Now what a weekend that would be!

College football rankings – Sept. 21

Washington should not be in the AP Top 25.  But if you’re still deciding between the AP and Coaches Poll, please choose AP.  The coaches still have USC in the top ten, Georgia as high as #17, North Carolina right behind them at #18, Missouri at #21 and Florida State at #25.  If you want a reason to complain about the BCS, look no further than these goons who somehow get to have a third of the influence in those rankings.  If you want an accurate poll, keep reading.

1)  Florida Gators (3-0) – Okay, so the Gators looked mortal on Saturday and now everyone is up in arms about their legitimacy.  So what if they only won by 10?  It’s the SEC, everyone comes to play.  Their first road game is this week.

2)  Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) – The Tide rocked North Texas 53-7, but I’m a little concerned because they only rushed for 260 yards.  Were they playing with Swine Flu?  All jokes aside, this team looks good.  SEC play starts Saturday.

3)  Texas Longhorns (3-0) – Colt McCoy looked terrible for much of the game, but the bottom line is a win is a win, especially revenge against Texas Tech.  The offense made some halftime adjustments, and the defense was good enough.

4)  Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) – The best defense in the nation strikes again.  For the third straight week, the D gave up single digits.  I hate their schedule though.  Four non-league games, all at home against weak teams.  Gross.

5)  California Golden Bears (3-0) – With USC’s loss, Cal takes a stranglehold on the Pac 10.  The offense wasn’t nearly as dominant in Minnesota, but they did enough to win.  Their first three Pac 10 games are against Oregon, USC and UCLA.

6)  Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) – This is the best 2-1 team in the history of college football.  It looks more and more like the Sooners will be fine with Landry Jones.  They’ve outscored their last two opponents 109-0, and have a bye before Miami.

7)  Boise State Broncos (3-0) – I think it’s safe to say they’ve found their offense is back, averaging 49.5 points per game since the ugly Oregon win.  But where was the defense in Fresno?  The Bulldogs put up 507 yards and 34 points.

8)  Mississippi Rebels (2-0) – They may have played well this week, but it was Southeastern Louisiana, so don’t think I’ve forgotten about the Memphis game.  We know they can score, but can the defense hold up against an SEC opponent?

9)  Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1) – Virginia Tech was outplayed by a better Nebraska team and got bailed out by blown coverage.  I don’t think they can hang with most top 25 teams, but for now they have to be here because of the schedule.

10)  LSU Tigers (3-0) - LSU jumps Oklahoma State simply because they’re undefeated, but there’s just something not right about them.  They aren’t explosive offensively, yet they’re winning.  They also beat the team that beat USC.

11)  Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) – The offense didn’t look nearly as explosive, but they were able to win on the road in the Pac 10.  Tony Pike had another nice day, going 31-49 for 332 yards, and the defense had another strong showing.

12)  USC Trojans (2-1) – I really hate putting USC here because they should be lower after that inexcusable loss.  But they can’t be behind the Buckeyes yet because they won that game, and we all know they’re out for blood now.

13)  Houston Cougars (3-0) – Houston has to love the scheduling gods.  After winning at Oklahoma State, the Cougars got the benefit of a bye week while their opponent this week, Texas Tech, had to go to Austin.

14)  Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) – The Bucks played their first complete game of the season in a 38-0 route at Toledo.  The USC loss looks worse now, but they should be safe until the Nov. 7 showdown in Happy Valley.

15)  Miami Hurricanes (2-0) – Miami impresses me more every week.  Two wins over two ranked opponents have Miami climbing fast.  Jacory Harris and company better be ready.  Virginia Tech is next in Blacksburg.

16)  Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1) – If teams are supposed to get better every week, Mike Gundy should be furious.  His Cowboys looked good beating Georgia, then lost to Houston and sleepwalked through the Rice game.

17)  Kansas Jayhawks (3-0) – The Jayhawks keep rocking, this time overcoming a slow start to put away Duke.  Todd Reesing has 806 yards with six touchdowns, and Dezmon Briscoe is averaging 20 yards per catch.

18)  TCU Horned Frogs (2-0) – All of a sudden TCU has the Mountain West bullseye after Utah and BYU fell last week.  The Horned Frogs rushed for seven touchdowns against Texas State-San Macros.

19)  Georgia Bulldogs (2-1) – The Bulldogs looked terrible offensively against Oklahoma State, then decided to light off the fireworks en route to a 2-0 SEC start.  The latest victim was Arkansas, who gave up 530 yards to the ‘Dogs.

20)  North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) – It took a late fourth quarter surge for North Carolina to pull away from East Carolina.  It gets tougher for the ‘Heels now, starting this week at Georgia Tech.

21)  BYU Cougars (2-1) – This team surprised me the most in week three.  As good as the defense has played all year, BYU let an inept FSU team walk into Provo and make them look like a joke.  Bye, bye, BCS.

22)  Pittsburgh Panthers (3-0) – The Pitt Panthers got their third win, but Navy didn’t make it easy.  Nevertheless, Pitt’s 3-0 and playing well.  Dion Lewis is sixth in the nation in rushing at 132 yards per game.

23)  Michigan Wolverines (3-0) – Rich Rod’s team is one win away from eclipsing last season’s win total.  The Wolverines have one more tuneup game this week before two tough road games in East Lansing and Iowa City.

24)  Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1) – Nebraska dominated Virginia Tech for 59 minutes, then forgot that they were supposed to actually cover Va Tech receivers.  Still, this team is dangerous.  Bo Pelini has them playing Husker football again.

25)  Auburn Tigers (3-0) – This spot is wide open in my rankings, but for now I’m giving it to the Tigers.  Auburn lit up West Virginia for 41 points, and they are one of four SEC West teams without a loss.

No love for KU in first coaches poll

The debate about whether or not the coaches poll should help determine BCS rankings was heightened last season when Oklahoma won the Big 12 South three way tiebreaker by one hundredth of a percentage point over Texas.  The first 2009 coaches poll was released Friday, and there are sure to be a few schools with Texas-like feelings of snubbery.

I’ll start by lobbying for Kansas, a team that should be in at least the top 20 if not the top 15. Quarterback Todd Reesing, KU’s all time passing leader, is back with the usual suspects.  Dezmon Briscoe was fourth in the nation last season in receiving yards, and set school records for receiving yards and touchdowns.  And Kerry Meier shattered the school record for receptions, including 14 against rival Missouri.  All in all they have 17 returning starters, the Nebraska game at home, and only two other tough ones (Texas and Oklahoma).  This team could finish 10-2, but they’ll have to (and will) prove the coaches wrong as they did two years ago.  They currently are not ranked.

Florida got all but six first place votes to start the season #1.  Texas is #2, edging #3 Oklahoma by fewer than 30 points.  With Oklahoma having to retool its offensive line, I agree with giving Texas a slight edge.  Let’s also not forget the fact that Texas beat OU last season, although it seems like the Longhorns are the ones out for revenge come Oct. 17.

A lot of eyes are on Jevan Snead of Ole Miss, who will start with his team in the top 10.  That Cotton Bowl victory must have gone a long way for these coaches, because I don’t think the Rebels are that good.  The scheduling gods did shine light on them though.  They avoid Florida, Georgia and Kentucky in the SEC East.

An opening day showdown between #13 Georgia and #11 Oklahoma State is exactly what the coaches will need to see to believe that the Cowboys are underranked and the Bulldogs are overranked.  Oklahoma State should win going away.

Somehow Florida State always seems to find its way into the preseason top 25, and for much of this decade, they’re out of it by midseason.  This year should be no exception.  The spotlight is on the cheating scandal and Bowden’s wins, but it should be on FSU’s schedule.  Conference road games include Boston College, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Clemson, and the nonconference schedule includes road trips to BYU and Florida.

The jury is still out on Butch Davis’Tar Heels.  They start the season #20, but I thought last year was supposed to be the year.  Same goes for Iowa at #21.  The defense will be good, but there’s no Shonn Green this year.  The Hawkeyes, like FSU, may be doomed by the road schedule.  They go to Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

My complaining ended when I saw Notre Dame ranked.  Yep, I’ll leave it to you.

Overall a pretty fair first assessment by the coaches.