The top 100 sports stories of the decade

I ranked these in order of importance, number of people it affected, and how dramatic the story was.  Feel free to comment or post your own rankings.

100)  NHL starts winter classic
The NHL had its first ever “Winter Classic” on New Year’s Day 2008 as the Buffalo Sabres hosted Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins outdoors in front of 71,000 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  The Penguins won in an overtime shootout.

99)  Pirates set losing seasons mark
The Pittsburgh Pirates became the first franchise in sports history to have 17 consecutive losing seasons when they finished the 2009 season 62-99.  The last time the Pirates had a winning season was 1992, when the team won the division.

98)  Celtics edge Bulls in dramatic series
The 2009 NBA playoffs featured an opening round series that saw the second seeded Boston Celtics defeat the seventh seeded Chicago Bulls in seven games. Four of the seven games went to overtime, and there were seven total overtime periods.

97)  Four UNC players taken in top 14
The UNC draft class of 2005 was so talented, four players were taken in the top 14 of the NBA draft.  The Hawks took Marvin Williams #2, the Bobcats took Raymond Felton #5 and Sean May #13, and the T’Wolves took Rashad McCants #14.

96)  Rocco Mediate takes Woods to 91st hole
One of the most exciting playoffs in golf took place at the 2008 U.S. Open.  Relatively unknown Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods were tied after 72 holes.  After the 18-hole playoff, the two were still tied until Woods bested Mediate on hole 91.

95)  Tim Tebow sets college football legacy
Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow sat behind senior Chris Leak as a freshman and watched the Gators win a national championship in 2006.  He became the starter in 2007, won another national title in 2008, and was a Heisman winner.

94)  UConn women go 39-0 twice
The most dominant women’s hoops team of the decade was the Connecticut Huskies.  In 2002, the women claim their second of five decade championships with a perfect 39-0 season.  In 2009, they would go a perfect 39-0 again.

93)  Kevin Everett suffers life-threatening injury
One of the scariest injuries of the decade was when Buffalo Bill Kevin Everett suffered a career-ending and life-threatening cervical spine injury on opening day in 2007.  Everett was able to walk again even after doctors said he would not.

92)  Paul Tagliabue steps down as NFL commissioner
Paul Tagliabue stepped down as commissioner of the NFL in 2006 after 17 years at the helm.  During Tagliabue’s time there were no lockouts or strikes, and he introduced a strict salary cap and six new franchises to the league.

91)  Four one-seeds reach Final Four.
For the first time, March Madness produces four #1 seeds in its Final Four as North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis and UCLA all made it to San Antonio in 2008.  Not surprisingly, the attendance for the ’08 tournament was the highest in history.

90)  Texas upsets USC in Rose Bowl
Numbers one and two all season, Texas met USC in Pasadena for the national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl.  Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush led an explosive USC offense, but Vince Young got the last laugh as Texas won 41-38.

89)  Thirteen pitchers throw no-hitters in 2000s
Hideo Nomo, A.J. Burnett, Bud Smith, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millwood, Randy Johnson, Anibal Sánchez, Mark Buehrle (2), Justin Verlander, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Carlos Zambrano and Jonathan Sánchez threw no hitters this decade.

88)  Jimmie Johnson wins AP male athlete of the year
In 2009, NASCAR racer Jimmie Johnson became the first racing athlete to ever win the AP Male Athlete of the Year Award.  Johnson won the Sprint Cup Series for the fourth consecutive year in 2009, and has been in the top five every year since 2002.

87)  Phillies become first franchise to lose 10,000
The Philadelphia Phillies became the first sports franchise to lose 10,000 games, losing number 10,000 on July 15, 2007.  Ironically, the Phillies weren’t losers that year – they won the NL East.  The Atlanta Braves have the second-most losses.

86)  Pacman Jones suspended for legal troubles
Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested in 2005 for assault, in 2006 for disorderly conduct, and in 2007 for a shooting and drug deals, among other incidents.  The NFL suspended Pacman for a total of 22 games in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

85)  Ravens win Super Bowl with stellar defense
The Ravens throttled the New York Giants 31-7 to win Super Bowl XXXV.  Baltimore proved it doesn’t need flash to win.  Trent Dilfer did just enough, and the defense dominated, allowing the fewest points and rush yards in a single season.

84)  Golden State shocks Dallas
The eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors defeated the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the first round of the 2007 NBA playoffs.  The Warriors, coached by former Dallas coach Don Nelson, were the first eight seed to win a best of seven series.

83)  Ohio State (#1) defeats rival Michigan (#2)
The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated their hated rival Michigan Wolverines 42-39 in the last regular season game for both teams.  The matchup featured the rivalry with a #1 ranking, the Big Ten title and a national title berth on the line.

82)  Biggio records hit number 3,000
Craig Biggio, a 20-year veteran with the Houston Astros, recorded hit number 3,000 on July 28, 2007 against the Colorado Rockies.  Biggio was the 27th player to join the club.  Less than a month later, he announced he would retire.

81)  Titans advance with Music City Miracle
Down one with 16 seconds left, the Tennessee Titans used a throwback on a kickoff return to score a touchdown and beat the Buffalo Bills 22-16 in the 2000 Wild Card round.  Frank Wycheck threw laterally to Kevin Dyson, who took it 75 yards to win.

80)  Super Mario rescues Jayhawks with three pointer
Dead in the water through 38 minutes, the Kansas Jayhawks stage a dramatic comeback, helped by Memphis Tiger missed free throws, to win the 2008 national championship game.  Mario Chalmers’three with two seconds left forced overtime.

79)  Tom Watson makes historic British open run
Tom Watson made a historic run at the British Open Championship in 2009.  The 59-year-old veteran led most of the tournament and had the gallery on his side, but three-putted the 72nd hole to fall into a playoff.  He lost to Stewart Cink.

78)  Lakers defeat Kings in epic seven-game series
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings in seven games in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.  Robert Horry’s last-second three wins game four, Mike Bibby’s shot wins game five, and the Lakers take the last two of the dramatic series.

77)  Expos move to Washington
The Montreal Expos moved to Washington D.C. and became the Nationals after the 2004 season after 35 years in Canada.  Major League Baseball bought the team, and the league decided to make the move to the U.S.

76)  Detroit Lions go 0-16
The Detroit Lions made NFL history in a bad way in 2008-2009 by becoming the first NFL team to lose every game of a 16-game schedule.  Daunte Culpepper quarterbacked for most of the season, and Ron Marinelli coached the team.

75)  Rachel Alexandra wins Preakness
Racehorse Rachel Alexandra made history in 2009 by becoming the first Filly in 85 years to win the Preakness Stakes.  Alexandra actually won eight major races in 2008 and 2009, and has won nine races in a row.  She will race again in 2010.

74)  Rockies win 21 of 22 to make playoffs
One of the best stretches of baseball came in 2007.  The Colorado Rockies won 21 of 22 games, including a dramatic one-game playoff, to win the NL Wild Card.  They would sweep their way to the World Series before falling to Boston.

73)  Penguins get revenge on Wings to win Stanley Cup
One year after losing to the Detroit Red Wings in six, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, defeating the Wings in seven games.  Every team won on home ice through the first six, but Pittsburgh steals game seven in Detroit.

72)  Weinke becomes oldest player ever to win Heisman
After leading Florida State to two consecutive national championship games, Chris Weinke threw for 4,167 yards in his senior year and won the Heisman Trophy in 2000 at age 28.  Florida State went to its third straight national championship.

71)  Spurs continue decade’s best dynasty
Say what you want about the Lakers, the best NBA team this decade was San Antonio.  After winning its first championship to close the 1990s, the consistent Spurs tacked on three more this decade – in ’02-’03, ’04-’05, and ’06-’07.

70)  Yankees begin, close decade with championship
The New York Yankees won the Subway Series, beating the crosstown rival Mets in 2000.  The Bronx Bombers then went the rest of the decade without winning a title – an unusual feat for them – until beating the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009.

69)  McMahon’s XFL falls flat
In 2001, WWF owner Vince McMahon created the “Xtreme Football League.”  A league with custom-name jerseys and rules to “toughen” the game did not go over well, and the league failed after one season due to low TV ratings and attendance.

68)  Home teams win dramatic one-game playoffs
In 2007, the Colorado Rockies scored three runs in the bottom of the 13th to beat visiting San Diego 9-8.  In 2008, the Chicago White Sox rode a Jim Thome HR to a 1-0 win over Minnesota.  In 2009, Minnesota walked off in 12 to beat Detroit 6-5.

67)  Marlins win the World Series
No World Series winner was more unpredictable than Florida’s 2003 run.  After being in the NL East basement, they fired manager Jeff Torborg, replaced him with Jack McKeon, and shocked the Giants, Cubs and Yankees to win as a Wild Card.

66)  LeBron arrives in the NBA
The 2003 -2004 season was the first for LeBron James, the number one overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers straight out of high school.  James quickly became one of the most dominant players in the league, and has an MVP and a gold medal.

65)  Terrell Owens can’t stay in one place
Terrell Owens, one of the greatest wide receivers in the NFL, might be better known for his unwillingness to cooperate.  Owens left the San Francisco 49ers in 2003 and played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.

64)  Florida wins back-to-back basketball titles
Lead by a superb frontcourt that included Joakim Noah and Al Hortford, the Florida Gators won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007.  All five starters returned after the surprise first title to help lead the dominant Gators.

63)  Armstrong finishes third in return to Tour
After three years of not racing in the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong returned to professional cycling in 2009.  His goal was to “raise awareness of the global cancer burden.”  His third-place finish in the 2009 Tour was inspirational for many.

62)  Syracuse defeats UConn after six overtimes
In one of the most exciting college basketball games of all time, the Syracuse Orange defeated the Connecticut Huskies in the 2009 Big East quarterfinals.  Eric Devendorf’s shot was waved off at the end of regulation, setting the stage for 6 OTs.

61)  Steve McNair shot and killed
Among the tragic losses in 2009 was former NFL MVP Steve McNair, who was shot and killed by his mistress in a murder-suicide.  McNair played for the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times.

60)  Schottenheimer fired after 14-2 season
The 2006-2007 San Diego Chargers went 14-2, but lost in the AFC divisional round to the New England Patriots.  Head coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired one month later.  The move puzzled many because of his success during the season.

59)  Zidane headbutts Materazzi
A bizarre scene took place during the 2006 World Cup final match when Zinedine Zidane, France’s best player, inexplicably head butted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in overtime.  Zidane was ejected, and Italy won the World Cup in a shootout.

58)  Celtics complete largest turnaround in NBA history
The 2006-2007 season was a terrible one for the 24-58 Boston Celtics.  But Danny Ainge traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and the Celtics went 66-16 in ’07-’08, a 42 game improvement.  They beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

57)  Nadal overtakes Federer as world’s #1
Rafael Nadal sat number two behind Roger Federer for 158 weeks before taking the world’s number one ranking away from him in August 2008.  Nadal and Federer played each other four times that year, and Nadal won all four to help boost him.

56)  Boise State shocks Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl
The undefeated Boise State Broncos defeated the favored Oklahoma Sooners with a bundle of trick plays in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.  A hook-and-ladder tied the game with seconds remaining, and a Statue-of-Liberty play won the game in overtime.

55)  Williams gets into legal trouble
In 2002, former NBA star Jayson Williams was on trial for the murder of a limousine driver, though the charge was reduced to manslaughter.  In February, he was Tasered after a violent hotel incident, and was arrested after a May bar fight.

54)  Mets blow seven game lead in September
One year after owning the best record in the National League, the 2007 Mets seemed poised to finish what they couldn’t in 2006.  But in the last 17 games of the season, the Mets blew a seven game lead, allowing the Phillies to win the NL East.

53)  Adrian Peterson sets single game rushing record
One of the greatest single-game performances in NFL history occurred on Nov. 4, 2007 when Adrian Peterson set the single-game rushing record with 295 rushing yards.  Corey Dillon ran for 278 in 2000, and Jamal Lewis ran for 295 in 2003.

52)  Ichiro comes to America, brings hit barrage
The Seattle Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki, one of Japan’s most prolific hitters, in 2001.  He has 200+ hits in each of his first nine seasons, including an MLB-record 262 hits in 2004.  He already has 2,030 hits in his MLB career.

51)  Manning finally beats New England, wins a ring
Peyton Manning had not beat the Patriots in the playoffs.  But in the 2007 AFC Championship game, that all changed.  Manning’s Colts beat New England 38-34, overcoming an 18-point deficit, then beat Chicago 29-17 to win the Super Bowl.

50)  Pete Sampras retires
Tennis legend Pete Sampras officially announced retirement in August of 2003.  Sampras won 14 Grand Slam singles titles, which was a record until Federer broke it at the 2009 Wimbledon.  He was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

49)  Stallworth suspended for 2009 season following manslaughter
NFL wide receiver Donte Stallworth plead guilty to DUI and second degree manslaughter after killing a pedestrian while driving in 2009.  Stallworth served just 24 days in jail, but the NFL suspended him for the entire 2009 season.

48)  Michael Phelps’behavior questionable
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps ran into trouble a few times.  In 2004, he was sentenced to 18 months probation for pleading guilty to driving under the influence.  In 2009, pictures were released showing Phelps smoking marijuana.

47)  Grady Little leaves Pedro in
With a 5-2 eighth inning lead in game seven of the 2003 ALCS against rival New York, Red Sox manager Grady Little decided to leave starter Pedro Martinez in the game following three straight hits.  Pedro blew the lead, and the Red Sox lost.

46)  Annika Sorenstam plays with the men
One of the most successful female golfers of all time, Annika Sorenstam may be best known for playing in the 2003 Bank of America Colonial – a men’s PGA Tour event.  She also won 10 LPGA majors and 72 tournaments overall, both records.

45)  Pat Tillman dies while serving in the Army
Pat Tillman, the former linebacker and safety for the Arizona Cardinals, left the team in 2002 to enlist in the U.S. Army after the attacks of 9/11.  Tillman died while serving his country in Afghanistan in 2004, supposedly by friendly fire.

44)  Roy Williams finally wins a national championship
The only thing that had eluded college coaching great Roy Williams was a national championship.  That finally came in 2005 as Williams’North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Illinois in the championship.  Williams would win another title in 2009.

43)  Division 1-AA Appalachian State defeats Michigan
In 2007, Appalachian State defeated then #5 Michigan 34-32 in the ‘Big House’in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.  The win was the first by an FCS team over a ranked FBS team, and led to FCS teams being eligible for the AP Poll.

42)  Cal Ripken Jr. retires
One of baseball’s most beloved players decided to call it quits in 2001 after 21 years in the league, all with the Baltimore Orioles.  Ripken hit a home run in the 2001 All-Star game and was named MVP of the game.  He has 3,184 lifetime hits.

41)  Phil Jackson returns as coach of Lakers
Phil Jackson left Chicago following Michael Jordan’s retirement, only to return one year later to open the decade as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Lakers have won four NBA championships in Jackson’s nine years as coach, including 2009.

40)  Griffey has injury-ridden decade
After playing 11 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey Jr. was injured in each of his nine seasons with the Reds to open the decade.  Many think that the steroid-free slugger would have the most HRs of all time if not for the injuries.

39)  Players brawl with fans during NBA game
A disturbing scene took place during a Detroit Pistons home game against Indiana in 2004.  After a hard foul led to some pushing and shoving, fans sparked a brawl with Pacer players.  The NBA suspended nine players and two fans faced charges.

38)  Nick Saban leaves LSU for the NFL
Nick Saban spent the first five years of the decade at LSU, winning two BCS bowls and a national championship in 2003.  But when the Miami Dolphins offered him $5 million and control of all operations, Saban left, but went 15-17 in two seasons.

37)  Brett Favre retires, then unretires…twice
One of the greatest and most well-liked quarterbacks of all time called it quits in 2007, then returned with the Jets after Green Bay wouldn’t take him back.  After one season in New York, he retired again, only to come back with Minnesota.

36)  Kobe scores 81 points
Kobe Bryant had one of the greatest single-game performances of all-time on Jan. 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors when he scored 81 points.  Bryant shot 60 percent, making seven threes and scoring 55 of the 81 points in the second half.

35)  Serena Williams takes over women’s tennis
Williams became the #1 ranked tennis player for the first time in July of 2002, and has been ranked #1 five different times.  She had all four Grand Slam titles at once in 2002-2003, and has won 23 Grand Slams overall, including doubles.

34)  Tim Donaghy bet on games he officiated
One of the black stains of the NBA occurred when Tim Donaghy, an NBA referee from 1994-2007, pleaded guilty to betting on NBA games he officiated.  It was believed that he purposely miscalled games to affect point spreads and win his bets.

33)  Danica Patrick first woman to win a race
Patrick became the first woman to ever win a race when she won the Indy Japan 300 in 2008.  She started racing in the Indy Car Series in 2005, where she was named rookie of the year.  She is arguably the most influential female athlete.

32)  Michigan legend Bo Schembechler dies
Michigan coaching legend Bo Schembechler died in 2006, one day before the Wolverines took on rival Ohio State.  Schembechler coaches the Wolverines from 1969-1989, compiling a 234-65-8 overall record.  He also coached at Miami.

31)  New England becomes NFL team of the decade
A Drew Bledsoe injury made way for an unknown QB named Tom Brady in 2001.  Brady took New England to the Super Bowl, winning that and two more after that.  The Patriots seemed destined to win the 2002 Super Bowl following 9/11.

30)  Unlikely pair throw perfect games
Randy Johnson is considered to be one of the most dominant and powerful pitchers in baseball history, while Mark Buehrle is known better as a finesse, fast worker.  Both threw perfect games this decade – Johnson in 2004, Buehrle in 2009.

29)  Marion Jones admits to steroid use
Marion Jones, a dominant track and field athlete, was forced to forfeit her five gold medals from the 2000 Olympic games after admitting that she took steroids before the games.  Jones was sentenced to six months in jail, which she served in 2008.

28)  White Sox break 88-year drought
Lost in the losing streaks of the Cubs and Red Sox was the Chicago White Sox’drought, which was actually longer than Boston’s.  The White Sox broke the streak by winning the World Series in 2005, highlighted by an 11-1 postseason.

27)  David Beckham signs with the L.A. Galaxy
David Beckham, one of the world’s top soccer players, left Real Madrid in 2007 to play soccer in the United States.  Beckham had hoped to boost the popularity of the sport in America, a country considered to be behind the curve with soccer talent.

26)  George Mason goes to the final four
Cinderella’s slipper fit the Patriots perfectly in 2006.  George Mason entered the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as a #11 seed and upset Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut before falling to Florida in the semifinals.

25)  Katrina forces New Orleans teams to relocate
The massive destruction Hurricane Katrina put on New Orleans in 2005 forced the city’s Hornets and Saints to relocate.  The Saints played home games in Baton Rouge and San Antonio, while the Hornets played two seasons in Oklahoma City.

24)  2006 Duke lacrosse scandal proved false
A North Carolina Central student accused three Duke lacrosse players of raping her.  Though the accusations were later deemed false, the scandal forced the cancellation of the rest of the season, and coach Mike Pressler resigned.

23)  NBA creates one and done rule
Prior to 2006, high school players were allowed to enter the NBA draft, so players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett never went to college.  The new rule forced players like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose to spend a year in school.

22)  NHL lockout cancels 2004-2005 season
A dispute between players and owners over salary issues, including a salary cap, caused the cancellation of the entire season.  It was the first time an entire pro sports season had been cancelled, but resulted in the new salary cap we have today.

21)  Steelers win record six Super Bowls
In 2005-2006, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their record-tying fifth Super Bowl under Bill Cowher as a #6 seed, beating Seattle 21-10.  Three years later, the Steelers would do it again, winning a 27-23 thriller over Arizona for the record.

20)  Tiger Woods scandal shakes golf
Tiger Woods, considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time, was accused of having an affair with a nightclub manager.  The next day, he crashed his car, leading to media attention surrounding his personal life and family.

19)  Federer emerges as most dominant man in tennis
Roger Federer became the world’s number one ranked tennis player in 2004 and held that ranking for 237 consecutive weeks.  He briefly fell to #2, but regained the #1 ranking to close the decade.  He has 15 Grand Slam titles – the most all time.

18)  USA men’s basketball team slips at Worlds, Olympics
Loaded with a slew of NBA All-Stars, the USA men’s basketball team finishes sixth at the 2002 World Championships, then settles for bronze in the 2004 Olympics.  It’s the lowest finish by the team ever at Worlds and tied for lowest at the Olympics.

17)  ‘Iron Mike’era ends with loss to Lewis
In one of the most publicized and highly anticipated fights in boxing history, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis tangled on June 8, 2002.  Lewis dominated, KOing Tyson in the eighth round.  Tyson would fight a few more times before finally retiring.

16)  Dale Earnhardt Sr. dies
A tragic final-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500 took the life of one of NASCAR’s all-time greats.  Earnhardt won 76 races and seven Winston Cup Series titles.  After Earnhardt’s death, NASCAR focuses on safety with safer cars and tracks.

15)  BCS creates controversy beginning in 2004
In 2004, the Auburn Tigers became the first undefeated BCS team to be left out of the BCS National Championship.  Utah went undefeated in 2004 and 2008, Boise ran the table in 2006 and 2009, and TCU and Cincinnati went undefeated in 2009.

14)  Kobe Bryant accused of rape
Arguably the best player in the NBA was accused of rape by a woman in Denver.  Bryant was acquitted of sexual assault charges but admitted committing adultery.  The golden boy of the NBA was no longer considered to be a role model by many.

13)  Bartman sparks big inning for opponents
In 2003, the die-hard Cubs fan took a would-have-been out away from Moises Alou, extending Luis Castillo’s at-bat in game six of the NLCS.  The Marlins, down 3-2 in the series and 3-0 in the game, won both.  The curse of the billy-goat lives on.

12)  Michael Vick indicted for dog fighting
Former overall number one draft pick Michael Vick, who two years earlier had led the Atlanta Falcons to the NFC championship, was indicted on dog fighting charges in July of 2007.  He would spend a year in prison before returning to the NFL in 2009.

11)  Team USA spectacular in 2002, not so much in 2006
Team USA soccer gave America a thrill in 2002, making it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup before eventually falling to Germany 1-0.  The Americans upset Portugal and Mexico along the way.  In 2006, they failed to win a game in the Cup.

10)  Jordan indecisive about retirement…again
After Michael Jordan had called it quits following his sixth NBA championship, the love of the game brought him back again.  Jordan played two seasons with the Washington Wizards before retiring. He was inducted into the hall of fame in 2009.

9)  Barry Bonds sets *HR records
In 2001, Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s single season home run mark by belting 73 long balls.  Six years later, Bonds would pass Hank Aaron for most HRs all time with his 756th.  The authenticity of these records may forever be debated.

8)  Patriots go perfect, only to lose in Super Bowl XLIV
The New England Patriots had the perfect team and the perfect record.  They were the first team to ever finish a 16-game regular season unbeaten.  But the New York Giants had other plans.  Eli Manning and company upset New England 17-14.

7)  Sports goes on after 9/11
In a time when America could have caved and crumbled after the attacks of 9/11, the sports world did not.  The NFL postponed all games for week two, and the MLB postponed its games for three days.  But, like America, sports went on.

6)  Lance Armstrong wins seven straight Tour De France titles
American Lance Armstrong dominated cycling for years, winning the Tour De France the first six times in the decade, and seven dating back to 1999.  What may have been more remarkable about the streak was that he is a cancer survivor.

5)  Boston Red Sox end curse of the Babe
Because the Red Sox were so close for so many years, it almost appeared as though the curse of the Babe would never be broken.  But the rival Yankees set a perfect stage for a remarkable turnaround, blowing a 3-0 ALCS lead to the division rivals.

4)  Usain Bolt breaks sprinting world records
Perhaps no one dominates their sport the way Jamaican Usain Bolt dominates sprinting.  In Beijing in 2008, he won three golds and set three world records in the 100, 200 and 4×100.  A year later, he would break his own 100 and 200 records.

3)  Michael Phelps rakes in the gold
In the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, Phelps took six gold medals and two bronze medals – an incredible feat for a 19-year-old.  In Beijing in 2008, he was even more remarkable, breaking Mark Spitz’record by winning eight golds.

2)  Diamondbacks beat Yankees in 2001 World Series
The Yankees tugged on America’s heartstrings in the first sports championship post-9/11.  New York, for the first time, were the good guys.  But after Pettitte got rocked and Rivera blew game seven, it was the cardiac ‘Backs who prevailed.

1)  Steroids forever change baseball
Nothing has changed the landscape of sports more than the recent steroid saga.  Players, records, teams and championships will forever have asterisks next to them thanks to the likes of McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Palmeiro, Clemens and Rodriguez.

Bonus – What we didn’t see this decade:
- Triple Crown winner in horse racing
- Triple Crown winner in Major League Baseball
- Cubs winning the World Series
- True Grand Slam in golf
- Eagles winning the Super Bowl

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

Five must-see bowls, five snoozers

The 2009-2010 bowl season is sure to produce some interesting storylines, even if the games may not be great.  In the Sugar Bowl, a top five offense will clash with a top five defense.  In Dallas, a Cotton Bowl matchup features two teams with explosive offenses who both have to feel disappointed to be in that game.  The day after Christmas, USC will play a bowl game.  Six days later, Bobby Bowden will coach his final game, against his former team.  Three days after that, two non-BCS schools will meet in a BCS bowl.

Here, I give you five bowls to watch even if it means skipping work or family reunions, and five bowls with which you can hit the snooze button.

Sleep through…

5)  Chick-fil-A Bowl:  When Virginia Tech meets Tennessee on New Year’s Eve, things will get ugly.  The Hokies have to consider this season a disappointment, yet they have a chance for another 10-win season under Frank Beamer.  The Hokie defense will make life miserable for a vanilla Tennessee offense and should win comfortably.  Alternative suggestion: start your New Year’s Eve plans early.

4)  Fiesta Bowl: Is the BCS really this scared?  Two of the past three years, a BCS buster has knocked off a powerhouse.  So logically, the BCS puts its two undefeated busters up against each other as to not ruin this system by having another Oklahoma or Alabama fall in the spotlight.  I thought the point of these teams making it to a BCS game was to see how they matched up with BCS schools.  Now we’ll never know.  Alternative suggestion: rewind time and put TCU up against Georgia Tech and Iowa against Boise State.

3)  Texas Bowl: Navy still has one more game to play, meaning they lose two weeks of preparation on Missouri, whom they will play on New Year’s Eve in Houston.  Not only that, but Navy can’t throw the ball.  In fact, they won a game this year in which they didn’t even attempt a pass.  If they try to run, Missouri will stuff it (12th in the nation against the run).  If they try to throw, they will be out of their element.  On the other side, the Tigers have scored at least 32 points in five straight games.  It won’t be close.  Alternative suggestion: see Chick-fil-A Bowl suggestion.

2)  Gator Bowl: That’s really nice of the Gator Bowl to invite Bobby Bowden to play his last game there.  So cute.  Too bad the whole nation will be watching a different 1 p.m. New Year’s Day bowl instead.  Bowden and Florida State do not belong in this game after a .500 finish.  Not only that, but they are going up against a talented West Virginia team which ended the season with wins over Pitt and Rutgers, and a near shocker in Cincinnati.  The ‘Noles don’t have a defense, and West Virginia will exploit that early and often.  Alternative suggestion: watch ABC (see below for why).

1)  Emerald Bowl: Yes, the most boring yet comedic thing to watch will be Boston College trying to move the ball on USC’s defense.  Despite the Trojans’struggles this season, the defense has been relatively stable against bad offenses, and Boston College’s is ranked 97th in the country.  Give Pete Carroll a month to prepare for anyone, and they’re in trouble.  The Eagles don’t have a chance, especially in San Francisco.  Alternative suggestion: leave one Christmas present unopened so you have something to look forward to the next day.

Must-see games

5)  Holiday Bowl: What a dandy this will be.  Heisman candidate Ndamukong Suh and the ninth ranked Nebraska defense faces a top 20 defense in Arizona.  Normally I like Nebraska in this game, but the game being in San Diego neutralizes things.  Arizona is riding high after winning at USC, and Nebraska is feeling good about their “win” against Texas.  Double digits may be enough to win this game.

4)  Rose Bowl: The best BCS matchup features the perennial Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes and…someone other than USC.  This alone makes it a must watch, but considering it’s the Ducks, a team that got white-hot after an opening night loss to Boise State, it should be a classic.  Terrelle Pryor and Jeremiah Masoli should set off plenty of fireworks.

3)  Las Vegas Bowl: It’s amazing that a team can go from playing on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl to playing in a bowl on Dec. 22.  But that’s exactly what happened to the Oregon State Beavers after a heartbreaking loss in Eugene Thursday night.  In comes BYU, a team with lofty expectations before being trampled at home by Florida State, then TCU.  And if there’s anyone who can take apart the Beavers, it’s underrated senior quarterback Max Hall, who is ahead of Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and Kellen Moore in passing yards per game despite fewer passing attempts.  Buckle up for an offensive explosion.

2)  Poinsettia Bowl: Ironically, last year’s Poinsettia Bowl featured Boise State and TCU, with a final scored of 17-16.  This year the San Diego bowl game should be equally entertaining.  Two teams ranked in the preseason top 25 meet, and this will be about Utah’s defense trying to stop California’s Jahvid Best, who will be returning from a concussion suffered last month.  Both teams are out to prove that early season losses were a fluke.

1)  Capital One Bowl: The best bowl game of the season takes place in Orlando on New Year’s Day.  LSU will face Penn State, and if you recall, things were looking up for these teams in November.  Penn State had Ohio State coming to Happy Valley for the conference championship, while LSU actually held a lead on Alabama.  Neither team came through though, and wind up here instead.  The key to this game is LSU’s defense.  They must hold Penn State down, because the Tiger offense, ranked #108 in the country, won’t have a lot of opportunities against Penn State’s eighth ranked defense.

Dear BCS – your system is just fine

Guest columnist Kyle Goeke

Non BCS conferences are here to stay.  Over the past five years, it has become apparent that these conferences want two things: to be recognized with the big boys and (more importantly) to be paid like the big boys.  A berth in a BCS bowl game is worth $18 million to each conference that gets a bid (which gets split evenly to the schools).  That’s right…in 2007, the terrible 1-11 Idaho Vandals received about $2 million because their conference brethren Hawaii got a BCS bid.  So no wonder these non-BCS conferences want their piece of the pie.

Every decision these commissioners and college presidents make is about money.  Why do you think college football hasn’t switched to a playoff format?  Because they’ll make more money pushing a “win or go home” regular season.  Think about it: a 32 team playoff would include Temple, a 16 team playoff would have three-loss Virginia Tech, and an eight team playoff has two loss LSU.  Some people out there even want a four team (Plus One) playoff.  A four team playoff makes sense…only, who are you going to leave out?  Boise State? Cincinnati?  TCU?  Those three teams can all make the case for the fourth spot.  A four team playoff would create just as much chaos as the system that’s in place now.

Anyways…I hate to ramble.  I’m new to this blog thing.  Here is my suggestion: keep the system the way it is.  It has worked thus far (with the exception of the 2004 Auburn Tigers).  Also, these non BCS schools keep complaining that their team is the best, and yet they can’t play for a title.  I asked Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel about this dilemma a few weeks ago at Tiger Talk (Buffalo Wild Wings 40 cent boneless Monday’s!!!).  He has actually experienced this situation from both perspectives.  He was the head coach at Toledo in 2000 when they failed to make a bowl appearance after a 10-1 regular season (Chester Taylor destroyed the MAC that year).  Pinkel believes that it takes a lot of emotion and preparation to beat a top ranked conference foe.  It takes even more to beat that top ranked team and then come out the next week ready for the next tough team.  Could Boise St. beat Florida?  I think so.  Could Boise St. beat Florida and then come out the next week ready to take on Alabama?  No way.  Kentucky had a two game stretch like that earlier in the season.  Boise St. beat Oregon at home in the first game of the season.  That is literally all they have to show for this season (other than nail biters with Tulsa and Louisiana Tech).  TCU has had a tougher schedule.  It’s not their fault that Clemson lost to Maryland or that Virginia is god-awful.  But Texas State?  Get that game off your schedule if you want to be taken seriously.  They have beaten BYU and Utah badly…but they have not had a two game stretch of good teams yet.

To my suggestion: the winner of the WAC and the MWC should meet during Championship weekend.  The winner of this game should get an automatic bid to a BCS bowl so they can get in on the $$$ action.  Enough of Boise St./Hawaii fans and TCU/Utah fans angry that their team doesn’t get a chance.  Let the winner of that game have a chance at the BCS title game…if they are in the top two of course.  This way they can make the claim that they’ve actually played someone.  I’m sure I went way too long with this blog.  Thanks for reading.

USC loss creates chaos for BCS

When the smoke had cleared in the Coliseum Saturday, all that remained was the remnants of a 55-21 thrashing USC took at the hands of upstart Stanford.  Two years ago, Stanford pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time with a 24-23 win that spoiled USC’s national title hopes.  This time, Stanford’s win spoiled the Trojans’BCS hopes.

And who gains as a result of USC’s loss?  That would be the Big East.  More importantly the loser of the Dec. 5 showdown between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.  Now that USC has lost again, the loser of that game could still make it to a BCS bowl, especially if that loser is the Bearcats.

Cincinnati is in a position where even a loss to Pitt won’t mean exclusion from the BCS.  They would still be 11-1 and likely in the top 10 in the BCS rankings.  As we learned in 2007, the BCS bowl committee favors one loss teams over strength of schedule, so Penn State and Iowa won’t have much of an argument even if both schools finish 10-2.

If the Panthers lose to the Bearcats, things really get interesting.  The Panthers, as well as a trio of Big Ten non-conference champions (Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin) and Oklahoma State would all be 10-2.  That’s five teams fighting for one spot.

- First, the committee should determine the best of the Big Ten schools.  Iowa should get the nod because they beat both Penn State and Wisconsin, and took Ohio State to overtime in the Shoe without their starting quarterback.  That leaves Iowa, Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh.

- From here, strength of schedule plays a role, but the committee will also look at which teams’fans travel the best and which are most marketable.  Iowa probably has the advantage in terms of being marketable and traveling well, followed by Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh.  However, Pittsburgh would likely end up playing the most difficult schedule by season’s end.  Their schedule is ranked 57 by the computers right now, but will go up after games against West Virginia and Cincinnati to close the year.  Oklahoma State has the weakest SOS at 60.  Iowa is 33, but with a game against Minnesota remaining, which will deflate the ranking

It will be tough for the committee to call this one.  I can see them taking Iowa because they have been historically kind to the Big Ten.  Iowa has been arguably the surprise team of the year, and they do have quality wins over Penn State, Wisconsin and Arizona.  However, Pittsburgh, again, will probably have the toughest strength of schedule, and more than half of their conference contains teams with three or fewer losses.  That’s quite an argument as well.  Here’s how I see it playing out:

Sugar Bowl:  Alabama vs Cincinnati – The SEC runner-up playing the Big East runner-up.  Both teams will be in the top 10 despite losing their respective final games.

Orange Bowl:  Georgia Tech vs Pittsburgh - The ACC champion against the Big East champion.

Fiesta Bowl:  TCU vs Boise State – Both teams will be automatic qualifiers because they will be in the top eight.  The BCS…and the nation…wants to see this game.

Rose Bowl:  Oregon vs Ohio State – The traditional Big Ten champion against Pac 10 champion game.

BCS National Championship:  Florida vs Texas – The BCS #1 against the BCS #2.

Boise the thorn in Oregon’s rose

Do you remember the first game of the college football season? Because I do. I remember the blue turf. The BCS talk. The airtight Boise defense. The mistake-riddled Duck offense. The gross final score. The LeGarrette Blount punch heard ’round the world.

Who knew that game would have such big implications. And what a reversal of implications it was.

Going in, many thought that a Boise State home loss to Oregon would eliminate the Broncos from BCS contention, while a win meant a BCS-bound trip via coasting through the other 11 games. Few probably thought that a Boise win would eliminate Oregon from the national championship, because no one thought they’d be in contention in the Pac 10. Seven games later, it’s appropriate to think about the inevitable “what if?”

The Ducks are ranked #8 in the nation. This with one loss. Imagine if they had beat the Broncos in Boise that night. They would be 8-0, and possibly ranked as high as #3. After all, they would have beaten Boise State, and they own wins over #12 USC, #14 Utah and #20 California. That’s four top 20 wins they would have had. Texas has one. Iowa has three. Cincinnati and TCU have zero.

Let’s not forget margin of victory. Oregon has won by a combined 73 points against ranked teams not counting the Boise State game. Iowa, the only other team with as many wins over ranked opponents as Oregon, has won those games by a combined 31 points.

I think Oregon would be #3 if they had won on opening night, with an inside track to the national championship against the SEC champion. But they didn’t win. Instead they’ll accept roses and go play in Pasadena, just a week early.

The Rose Bowl is a great honor. But that Rose will have a thorn. What if…?

10 college football games I’d love to see

The nonconference season is over except for a few games sprinkled in here and there.  Here are 10 games I would have loved to have seen in 2009 but didn’t.

10 - Iowa State vs Auburn because if Gene Chizik loses to his former team, Auburn will fire him, then interview Tony Dungy, Barack Obama and Albert Pujols before eventually hiring Rush Limbaugh.

9 – Washington State vs Colorado because I want to know who is the worst team among the BCS conference teams.  Too bad they both have a win already.

8 – Duke vs Idaho because both teams have better records than Florida State, Colorado, Louisville and Illinois.  Which game would draw a bigger crowd – this game at Idaho’s Kibbie Dome or a Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor?

7 - Texas vs Mississippi because Jevan Snead could finally show Texas that they made a mistake by not playing him.  Just like he showed South Carolina.  And Alabama.  Now Texas is stuck with this McCoy guy, who by the end of the year will have more FBS wins than anyone.

6 - Florida vs St. Louis Rams because everyone knows it would be funny seeing Florida win.  It’s fair to put the Rams in this category right?  They certainly aren’t “pros.”

5 - Alabama vs Houston because no one will care that Alabama wins by 50.  Case Keenum vs the #1 defense in the nation is all that matters here.  Of course, he could throw for almost 600 yards and five touchdowns, and still lose the game (see UTEP).

4 - Nebraska vs LSU because the defenses may outscore the offenses.  And because Bo Pelini would probably get a warm welcome in his return to Death Valley, right?  All kidding aside, this would actually be a very good game.

3 – Texas vs Penn State because neither team plays anyone better than my middle school team out of conference.  And because it would be a joy watching these two coaches go easy on each other.  Neither knows how the BCS system works – a.k.a neither coach knows how to run up the score.

2 – TCU vs anyone in the top 25 because three point wins over dismal ACC schools won’t help your BCS cause.  Neither will three point wins over Mountain West schools, although that conference may carry more merit than the ACC.

1 – Boise State vs anyone in the top 10 because after the Broncos flee flicker four times, do football’s hidden ball trick and not have any players get punched after the game, the nation will know that this team deserves its title shot.

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!

Get ready to hear Mountain West gripe

Advocates of a college football playoff got a huge boost Saturday night when Oklahoma kicker Tress Way’s field goal attempt landed in the end zone.

That kick sealed OU’s fate and gave BYU its biggest win in a long time – a 14-13 upset of the Sooners at Texas Stadium in front of a largely Sooner-dominate crowd.

Most people were probably happy with the result, although not Sooner fans, who know they now must run the table and get some help to have a chance to play for a national championship.

Maybe it’s karma.  Oklahoma stole Texas’spot in the Big 12 Championship game last season for reasons we’re still not sure.

BYU’s win will boost them in the rankings, yes.  But more importantly, it gives the Mountain West Conference some ammo in their constant struggle for national respectability.  The Cougars’biggest fans last night were the Utah Utes, the team that went undefeated last season but was left out of the national championship while two one-loss teams got their shot instead.  All Utah did was smoke Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Hypothetical scenario – BYU runs the table, beating TCU and Utah along the way.  Oklahoma runs the table, beating Texas, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas and Kansas again in the Big 12 championship game.  BYU finishes 12-0.  Oklahoma finishes 12-1.  Assuming Florida is the only other undefeated team, who faces them?  The Sooners don’t really have an argument.  They would have the one loss, and that one loss would be to BYU nonetheless.

But we all know who the BCS is picking.  And what an uproar that would be.  BYU goes to the Rose Bowl, then Oklahoma comes there one week later to play the game BYU should gave been in, because the Sooners beat better teams during the season and get more computer points. Of course Sooner fans would say that a one point loss to a ranked team on a neutral field without the Heisman trophy winning quarterback isn’t a big deal.  BYU would argue that they won the head-to-head matchup and have a better record.

Enter a playoff.  It’s what the Mountain West has wanted, and it may finally become a reality.  A snub in this scenario would be far worse than Texas or Utah last year.

Until then, get ready for the Mountain West to continue to gripe.  We’ll see if anyone listens.