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The End of the Urban Era???

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

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First off let me say Happy Holidays and I’m sorry it’s been a while since I posted…One of my New Year’s resolutions will be to post much more often…

I would say that it’s been less than a happy Day After Christmas for the Gator Nation…Urban Meyer announced this evening that he will coach his final game with the Gators in the Sugar Bowl next Saturday night against Cincinnati. Meyer is resigning over health concerns that date back to at least the SEC Championship game. I will post later on his legacy, which while short is extremely impressive. But for tonight a quick though or two on who should take over the most prolific program in college football today.

Whomever Jeremy Foley, Florida AD, selects as his new Head Coach will not be Urban Meyer, let’s get that straight right now. Nobody in the college game today possesses the combination of traits that Meyer does. Not Pete Carroll, Not Mack Brown, Not Brian Kelly, Not Anyone…That’s what makes Meyer the BEST and what makes this such a huge loss for Florida and College Football.

I had the opportunity to do the Urban Meyer Coaches Show with him in his final year at Utah. His enthusiasm for the game and his team was infectious. I knew he wouldn’t be at Utah very long, but had no idea what was to come over the next 5 years…

Here’s my short list of candidates that would make potentially good successors to Meyer at Florida:

1. Bob Stoops-Big Game Bob really hasn’t lived up to his nickname in recent years and actually turned the job down before Meyer accepted 5 years ago. He’s coached at Florida as Defensive Coordinator with Steve Spurrier in the late 90’s. He’s won at National Title and has run won of the best programs in the Country over the last decade. He will get a call.

2. Chris Peterson-Offensive innovator at Boise State and a great fit for Florida. Young, Innovative, High Energy. Has taken the Boise State program about as far as it can go in the WAC. The only downside is that he’s got no real ties east of the Rockies.

3. Kyle Whittingham-Has taken what Urban built at Utah and made it better. Has ties to Meyer and Florida President Bernie Machen. If he was ever to leave Utah it would be for a job like this.

4. Jim Harbaugh-Successful Head Coach at Stanford. Comes from a Coaching Family. If you can recruit to Stanford I’m pretty sure you can recruit to Florida. Has paid his dues and can promise NFL experience and insight with his 15 years in the league.

5. Les Miles-This one may seem strange, as he is a rival coach in the SEC. But he knows the League and is an excellent recruiter and game coach. Plus he has the perfect swagger to Coach at Florida.

One Darkhorse Candidate could be Dan Mullan, Meyer’s longtime Offensive Coordinator at Utah and Florida. Mullan is currently the Head Coach at Mississippi State. My only issue with Mullan would be his lack of head coaching experience. Would you turn over the PREMIERE job in college football to a guy with ONE year of head coaching experience? I wouldn’t and I don’t think Jeremy Foley will either…

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Football Picks, Futbol Pick and More from Seattle

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

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Greetings from the Great Northwest! I know these things are coming a bit later than usual this week, but I’ve been busy getting ready for MLS Cup and dodging raindrops here in the Emerald City. In honor of my stay here and the college football weekend, say hello to the Lovely Ladies of U Dub!!

I have to say that I love this city! There’s a great vibe about it in so many way. Outstanding night life, the Sports Scene and Venues are top notch (Note to any city that are thinking about building stadiums and where they should place them. Please visit Seattle before making any decisions. Qwest Field and Safeco Field are downtown and have brought the area to life. If only Salt Lake City had had the foresight with Soccer stadium in conjunction with Energy Solutions arena and the Gateway.)

qwest and safeco

Here for MLS Cup on Sunday, with Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy. If you’d like some good insight on the match up especially with the Galaxy here’s a preview by Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated. I don’t happen to agree with all of Grant’s assessment. While LA has been very good for most of the 2nd Half of the season, they still have their issues. Namely their back 4, an aging Greg Burhalter and some big game inexperience with Franklin, Gonzalez and De La Gaza. In addition to that, Beckham’s ankle is ailing and will need to have pain injections to be able to play. RSL on the other hand is healthy and playing with great confidence after their wins against Columbus and Chicago. I like the way the midfield and forwards are connected right now. Plus the X-Factor is the Nick Rimando, no one is playing better in these playoffs right now. Call me hopeful after calling their games for the last 5 seasons, but I like RSL’s underdog chances…Real Salt Lake 2 and LA 1.

One other note before I get to the College Football Picks for the Weekend. I went to see the Blindside last night. The movie chronicling the life of Michael Oher, the Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle. I will say this right up front, I didn’t have great expectations for this movie when I went into the theater. I’m not a big Sandra Bullock fan and often times Sports stories don’t translate to the big screen well at all. I am happy to report that this movie translates and translates well!! Bullock is outstanding in her role as LeAnn Tuhoy and the young man who plays Michael Oher, Quinton Aaron, is terrific too. The best part of the movie is that it is a TRUE story. Whether you are a sports fan or not you will enjoy this movie, because while sports/football is a backdrop, it’s a story of humanity more than anything else. Two Snaps up in a “Z” formation.

Now on to the picks for the Weekend….Coming off a (6-1) weekend last week. The rivalries begin this weekend and carry on to and through Turkey Day….In honor of the biggest rivalry, if not game of the weekend, here is the lovely and Rachel, a big fan of the Big Blue, to help us with our selections…

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San Diego State at Utah-The Aztecs are improving under first year Head Coach Brady Hoke. The storyline here is: How do the Utes bounce back after last weekend’s beat down in Ft. Worth? A good showing today tells me that Utah is ok and it was more about TCU last weekend, but if they struggle it tells me that they aren’t quite as good as I thought they were. Paint me the optimist and the former more than the latter. Utes 35 Chief Montezuma 17.

Air Force at BYU-This game is interesting to me on several levels. What happened to BYU last week at New Mexico? Did they take the Lobos lightly or are there problems in Provo? Air Force has been in just about every game this season, but are they on course for the usual late season nose dive? BYU has the Holy War next Saturday, will they look ahead? Is Harvey Unga healthy? I honestly don’t know what to expect here…So I will go with the Home Team, but not by much…Cosmo 24 Fly Boys 20

Kansas State at Nebraska-It’s the Battle for the Putrid Big 12 North. What’s happen here? Bill Snyder has done a wonderful job with a team lacking real talent, he’s the Coach of the Year in the Big 12 in my opinion. This game will be low scoring and all about the defense. As long as Big Red doesn’t turn it over too many times, they should rule the day with their #10 defense and on to represent the Big 12 North in a battle with Texas. Harry Husker 16 Willie the Wildcat 6

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Oregon at Arizona-It’s a battle for the Pac 10 lead and the Rose Bowl in Tucson today. Who would have thought that Mike Stoops would be in better shape than big brother Bob this season? Well he is and the Wildcats are tough, especially in the desert. Wouldn’t you play well if you knew there were “hotties” like the above waiting for you if you won? QB Nick Foles has had a nice season, but Oregon’s LeMichael James has been outstanding for the Duck Nation. I like the Ducks and their athleticism on both sides of the ball to get it done tonight in Tucson. Fighting Phil Knights 38 The Other Stoops Brother 28

Connecticut at Notre Dame-The buzzards and jackals are circling in South Bend. There is very little doubt that Chaz Weiss is done. I picked them as my upset special last week at Pitt and they nearly pulled it off. Today it won’t be an upset, but rather one last stand for the Irish at home against the Huskies. The Irish will win and likely handily today, but it will be their last of the season and the last in the short ND coaching career of Charlie Weiss. Touchdown Jesus 41 Rebecca Lobo U 24

LSU at Ole Miss-Here’s a story that is sad and troubling if you are a fan of College Football in the South. It only goes to re-enforce all the stereotypes that SEC fans have tried to erase. On the field, it should be a pretty good match up. LSU’s struggling offense but great defense vs. Jevan Snead and the Rebels. Give me the Tigers in a tight one…LSU 23 Ugly Old South U 17

Cal at Stanford-THE BIG GAME! Not quite as big without Javid Best playing for the Cal Bears, two concussions in 8 days have him on the sidelines. So much to play for here for the Cardinal. The Bears have won 6 of the last 7, but not today. TOBY GERHART!!! My Heisman favorite right now. The Trees 31 Teddy Bears 20.

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TGIF Football Selections and More

Friday, November 13th, 2009

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Greetings on a Friday Morning…The eyes of the college football world will be on Ft. Worth and TCU this weekend so I thought I would begin today with your eyes on this lovely TCU supporter…

What a huge weekend for local/national college football (A coach once told me that the “Game in November are the Games to Remember”), NFL Football, MLS Soccer Final Four with RSL in Chicago, and my most favorite time of the year–The Beginning of College Basketball Season….

Let’s start with a few random thoughts before the Pigskin Picks…

1. The Jazz are going to be without Derron Williams tonight in Philly. He’s been excused for personal reasons. Let’s put it simply: THEY HAVE NO CHANCE!!! Let’s hope he’s back soon for the Jazz sake.

2. I’m on my way to Chicago to call the MLS Eastern Conference final between Real Salt Lake and the Chicago Fire. Please don’t ask me who I think will win, because I haven’t a clue. But I will say this…It’s the first time in quite some time that I think RSL may be the better team and playing in better form, after their sweep of Columbus. Two keys, for what it’s worth…Javier Morales has to play BIG for RSL to win and RSL MUST contain the playmaking ability of Blanco. If they can do these two things, they may very well be in Seattle next weekend.

3. The NFL fined Chad Johnson $20,000 for his $1 dollar gag/joke/bribe of an official last weekend. I love the NFL but it’s got to be the most uptight/stick up the a@@ league I’ve ever seen. Lighten up Roger, seriously it’s a game….

4. Is anyone else tiring of Michael Jordan right about now? What’s more tiresome is the way current and former players bow so reverentially to him , when he could care less about them or the game he once played so very well. Here’s the latest example from The King…Great Player, Lousy Basketball Man, Bitter Person….

5. Looking forward to the Sunday Night NFL Game…Best two teams of the last decade and perhaps the best two QB’s of all time matching up…Here’s a breakdown of the match-up so I don’t have too…I like the Colts and Manning in this one. I’ve always been a Manning guy, it stems from interviewing him when he was in college at Tennessee. This is not to say that I don’t respect the resume and play of Tom Brady, I just lean more towards Manning. I hope it lives up to the hype.

Now on to the picks for the week…I went (5-2) last week with Alabama, those lovely Tide fans and of course the “legally blind” SEC Officials helping me out. Looking for a big week this week and some extremely tough games to pick….

Utah at TCU-Last season in Salt Lake City it was one of the best games of the college football year, with defense ruling the day and of course Brian Johnson’s “heroics” too…Gary Patterson told me it was the”toughest locker room” he had been in in 27 years of coaching. This TCU team is better than last years and this Utah team isn’t quite as good as last year’s. Freshman Jordan Wynn goes from the frying pan to the fire this week and will likely see things that he’s never seen before in football from the Frog Defense. Andy Dalton will have his hands full with a Utah Defense that continues to get better and better. The difference in this game could very well come down to Special Teams and Jeremy Kerley, who’s having an unbelievable year, with 2 highlight reel TD returns. 09′ BCS Busters 20 08′ BCS Busters 14

BYU at New Mexico-I wouldn’t even look at this game if it didn’t involve a local school. New Mexico is really really bad and BYU is solid. Is that enough analysis for you? Cosmo 49 Liz Lambert U 3

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#1 Florida at South Carolina-The Head Ball Coach vs. Urban The Great…It’s got to really eat at Spurrier that he left his school and the program he built to jump to the NFL, with little success. Now his alma mater has been taken to greater heights than he ever took them to by Meyer. The Cocks have a great defense and that’s about it. Spurrier hasn’t been able to work his QB Magic in his 5 seasons at USC and he will be looking squarely across the field at a QB and Coach that have already surpassed his playing and coaching legend at Florida. Speaking of legendary, see the above photo, the TALENT in the SEC is LEGENDARY!! The Tebows 34 The Visor 21

#15 Iowa at #10 Ohio State-Is it possible that a match up between two Top 15 Schools could be a snooze-fest? The answer is YES, when that match-up happens in the Big 10. No Ricky Stanzi for the now beaten Hawkeyes and with that note you know that the “Sweater-Vest” will play it ultra-conservative and not allow Terrelle Pryor to show his skills. Somewhere Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler will be smiling, but nobody else under the age of 50 will be…Brutus 23 The Spirit of Hayden Fry 10

#25 Stanford at #11 USC-How in the world is USC still ranked at #11, can anyone answer that for me PLEASE??? They were beaten by Washington and absolutely taken to the woodshed by Oregon, yet they are still just outside the Top 10. Oregon ran the football on them all night long. Two words for Trojan Nation–Toby Gerhart–the best running back that nobody is talking about…16 TD’s, 2 200 yard games, 2nd in the NCAA at 135.2 yards per game. This is a perfect spot for Harbaugh to add to his potential Notre Dame resume, he would be my choice over Brian Kelly if I was hiring in South Bend. The Trees 27 Fight On 24

Notre Dame at #8 Pittsburgh-It’s been the Charlie Weis deathwatch all this week in the College Football World. Everyone has Chaz fired and gone by seasons end and that still may happen…But this week just feels like an opportunity for Notre Dame to circle the wagons and play for their coach. Irish Offense is un-questioned, but their D not so much…Pitt has an outstanding QB in Bill Stull and a better running back in Dion Lewis, plus the game is in the Steel City. I have no basis in logic for this pick, but it’s the UPSET SPECIAL of the WEEK…Touchdown Jesus 38 Dan Marino U 35

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#3 Alabama at Mississippi State-This one has the potential of an upset, but the better potential of some outstanding “eye candy” in Starkville, see above. Bulldogs Head Coach Dan Mullen nearly got his old boss, Urban, a few weeks back. Now he’s had 2 weeks to get ready for the Tide, who have been the beneficiary of some questionable calls in recent weeks. Bama’s offense isn’t good right now and their defense has had to do much of the heavy lifting!! It’s a night game in Starkville and the Cowbells will be ringing…It will be close, but….Red Elephants prevail…Roll Tide 24 The Other SEC Dawgs 20

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Friday Football Picks and More…

Friday, November 6th, 2009

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It’s that time of the week again for my college football picks, though I’m not sure after last week I should be picking this week…Maybe I could let this lovely young Alabama fan make the selections for me, she certainly appears to be a big Alabama Football fan, though you can really tell from her attire…Less is More in the SEC, but this week she and her fellow Tide fans hope that “Les” is much Less than the Red Elephants. After a pathetic (3-4) week last weekend, I’m at (41-22) for the season…I’m going Tebow and promising that I will be better this week, with my picks and my pics…

New Mexico at Utah-It’s been a rough fall for the Lobos. First their Head Football Coach assaults an assistant Coach and now one of their women’s soccer players assaults a BYU soccer player in the MWC Tourney in Provo yesterday. What’s going on in Albuquerque these day? Maybe Anger Management should be a new Major in the Land of Enchantment. I have a feeling Saturday’s game against Utah isn’t going to help anger issues amongst the Lobo Nation. It will likely be Jordan Wynn’s debut as a starting QB for Utah and New Mexico is just plain bad right now…Utes 42 Angry Wolves 10

BYU at Wyoming-How beneficial was the bye week for BYU? I guess we’ll find out when they venture into Laramie on Saturday. I was impressed by the Pokes effort at Utah last weekend. Carta-Samuels should be a nice QB moving forward for Dave Christensen and he should have much better success against the sieve-like Cougar Defense. With that said, I still like the Cougs with 2 weeks prep time against a far from athletic Wyoming Defense. Cougars 31 Cowboys 21

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lsu-hot-girl LSU at Alabama-When it comes to Eye Candy and Great College Football Match Up’s it’s hard to beat the SEC on a week in and week out basis. This weekend is no exception with the Bayou Bengals traveling to Bear Bryant Country to take on the Fighting Sabans. I have a feeling these ladies will be there this Weekend. Neither team is great offensively right now, both are outstanding on defense. Athletic advantage slightly to LSU, football and playmaking advantage to Alabama. Take the Home team and Ribs at Dreamland!! Arrogance Head Coach 17 Tiger Bait 13

Ohio State at Penn State-Old School Coach in a Sweater Vest against an OLD Coach in Coke Bottle Glasses. Somewhere Bo, Bear and Woody will be smiling. There will be over 100 thousand people in Happy Valley ready to welcome Terrell Pryor back home and tell him that he made a mistake in not coming to Penn State. I think the Terrell will realize this at the end of 60 minutes of Football. Joe Pa 24 Tressel 17

Oklahoma at Nebraska-This game used to be one of the games of the year that you set your Thanksgiving Weekend by…Not so much anymore…They now only play every other year, because of the Big 12 North/South schedule. Both of these teams have been underwhelming this season. Oklahoma had National Championship hopes, while Nebraska had Big 12 North Title hopes…Both look like dreams now…I have to feel what-so-ever for either team..So I’m going with the Home Team…Husker Power 23 Boomer Bust 20

USC at Arizona State-It’s a back against the wall kind of game for Pete Carroll and the Trojans. Their National Title hopes are gone and they’ve been killed all week long in LA. It’s not been a great season for ASU, but a win against USC (even a down SC) would make the year. Not going to happen here…Trojans rebound, but even in a loss it’s still good to be a student at Arizona State (see below)….Song Girls 34 Devils 21.

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Utah State at Hawaii-The Aggies are headed to the Islands this weekend. Two former Ute Assistants squaring off-Anderson vs. McMackin–It’s been an up and down year for both programs. The Ags have been close in most of their losses this year, but you can see that Gary Anderson is building something in Logan. This is the week he gets a breakthrough win on the road…Cache Valley U 27 Islanders 21

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Utah Football Update/Monday Musings

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

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Well it was less than a stellar weekend for yours truly…My picks, worst of the season (3-4), my alma mater gagging in Lubbock, the Yankees winning, well the Chiefs didn’t lose so I’ve got that going for me…At least the girls above still have something to cheer for..QUACK QUACK!!!

Well who is going to be the Quarterback for the Utes this Saturday against New Mexico? Kyle Whittingham wouldn’t give us any clues at his weekly presser today, but my money is on Jordan Wynn, the true freshman. I don’t see how you can burn his “redshirt” and not give him another shot this week, especially considering that he was better than Terrance Cain on Saturday. Whittingham says it will be a game day decision…Sure it will…BET ON WYNN!!! The kid was solid in his debut…Give him a full week of snaps and time to prep for an opponent, I think you’ll see a very good performance this week, plus it’s New Mexico. Just beware of Mike Locksley and hope that he takes his “happy pills” before the game.

The other Ute Issue is play calling/Offensive Coordinator. New offensive coordinator Dave Schramm, was told to relinquish his play calling responsibilities on Saturday. Wide Receivers Coach Aaron Roderick called plays on Saturday night. Let’s see what happens this week…How does this impact things on the staff? Can you remember an offensive coordinator anywhere that doesn’t call plays?? Stay tuned here…

Jazz at home tonight against the Yao/Macgrady-less Rockets. They’ve been less than impressive in their first two games. They should be much better tonight, look for big nights from Boozer and Milsap.

I hate to say it but the Yankees are going to be your 2009 World Series Champs! The Series was decided before Game 4…I said it last week, but not nearly as well as Yahoo’s Jeff Passan did this morning…It might go to Game 6, but it won’t go beyond that…5:57 tonight on KALL 700 Sports…

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Friday Football Selections

Friday, October 30th, 2009

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It’s a big week in college football with 3 match up’s on the national landscape that have BCS and National Title implications…One of those games involves the Men of Troy, say hello to one of the Women of Troy above…I went 5-2 last weekend with only South Florida and Arkansas letting me down…Overall (38-18) on the season…Let’s get to Week 9 and see if we can do better this time around…

Wyoming at Utah-It’s the 2nd annual Black Out Game on The Hill. This one will have to go a long way to match last year’s drama when the Frogs fell to the Utes. This year it’s an improved and surprising Wyoming Cowboy team. Dave Christensen’s team is scappy, see the 4-3/2-1 record. Keep an eye on Austin Carta Samuels the true freshman QB, but more importantly watch Utah QB Terrance Cain to see if he can hold on to the football this week. Blackout, Brownout, Joe Glenn, Dave Christensen..It doesn’t matter result will be the same, but I don’t think Whittingham onside kicks his friend and former collegue…Utes 31 Powder River Let’er Buck 14

Kansas at Texas Tech-Last weekend’s debacle made it officially basketball season at the University of Kansas. This week the Fighting Mangino’s venture to Lubbock to face the Red Raiders of Texas Tech, who put 63 up on the Hawks last season in Lawrence. If you like points this one should be right up your alley again! Neither of these teams plays a lick of defense. Who gets the edge? Well Kansas has lost it’s last two games at Colorado and home to Oklahoma, while Texas Tech is playing it’s 3rd QB of the season…Jayhawks 45 Red Raiders 44

South Carolina at Tennessee-Say this for old Lane Kiffin, he’s certainly put the Vols back on the SEC Radar screen even if he’s not winning much. This is a battle between the ORIGINAL SEC Antagonist against the SEC Antagonist 2.o. Little Lane vs. the Head Ball Coach. Spurrier grew up in Johnson City, Tenn and didn’t lose much in Knoxville when he coached the Gators. The HBC better get in his shots and wins now, because Little Lane might be on to something soon on Rocky Top. Low scoring affair…Cocks 13 Vols 10

Old Miss at Auburn-The Rebels are feeling pretty good about themselves right about now, after beating Arkansas last week. Auburn is in a bit of a tailspin after starting the season well. It’s hard to win on the Plains of Eastern Alabama and I don’t think Houston and Jevan will this time….War Eagle 27 Confederate Flags 21

Georgia vs. Florida-It’s the Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party!! And don’t let the PC Police tell you any different. Lots of crazy things happen in Jacksonville around this game every year and this could very well be one of them…

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Florida has owned this series in recent years, whether it was Spurrier, Zook or Urban. This kills Georgia fans to the core, but what will really kill them this weekend will be the suffocating Gator Defense. Timmy of Nazareth will have his usually solid game, but defense rules the day for Florida. Druken Gators 30 Gator Bait Dawgs 17

Texas at Oklahoma State-The NCAA this week screwed a student athlete yet again, when it effectively ended the career of OSU star Wide Receiver Dez Bryant. It’s a shame to because all the kid did was lie to the NCAA in a moment of weakness, no rules broken. But don’t feel bad for Dez, he will be an extremely wealthy man at this time next year. Feel bad for the fans of college football that don’t get to see this dynamic player at his best. Texas looks to be rounding into it’s Top 3 form, with it’s beat down of Mizzou last weekend. But I like the Pokes at home in this one, Zac Robinson will best Colt McCoy….T Boone U 34 Bye Bevo 30. Also the eye candy should be top notch at Eskimo Joe’s tomorrow too…

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USC at Oregon-Finally the best game of the day in the land of tree hugging hippies. A battle between two teams that lost early and have regained some momentum heading to November. For the Ducks it’s a chance to take the lead in the race for the Rose Bowl, while SC looks to improve it’s shot at getting back to the BCS Title game if Texas, Bama or Florida fall. This seems to be a perfect spot for Chip Kelly to get his first signature win as Head Coach at Oregon. Massoli, Dickson and the defense all shining right now and no one talking about the “Punch” anymore…But this is exactly the game the Pete Carroll and the Trojans live for…Barkley is playing well, running backs deep and talent, Ronald Johnson making big catches and the DEFENSE…And oh yeah, let us not forget the Song Girls…

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It will be loud at Autzen, but it was loud at the Horseshoe too…Fight On 24 Fighting Phil Knights 20

As always if you’d like to win a $50 Gift Card from ZAGG, then submit your winner and score for the Utah game in the comments section below….

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Friday Football Picks Week 8

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

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Back for yet another edition of the Friday Football Picks. Welcome back the FSU Girls (see above) and congrats to them after last night’s huge win (any win is a huge win right now in Tallahassee) over North Carolina. It’s a huge college football weekend around these parts, not so much nationally. By the way, is there a better time of year to be a sports fans, seriously it’s like a sports sensory overload right now: MLB Playoffs, College Football, NFL, the start of the NBA season, the NHL is underway, NASCAR is in its chase for the Championship, plus if you like soccer there’s a bit of that too. I will be busy this weekend with the College Football and the regular season finale for Real Salt Lake against the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a (5-2) week last week, I was let down by my homer pick of the Utah State and the Fighting Harbaugh’s getting beat in the desert. But not too bad overall, (33-16) for the season. Now on to the selections for Week 8….

Air Force at #18 Utah-(Utes -9.5)-I still can’t get over the fact that the line on this game is this high in favor of Utah. This series has been so tight over the years and that’s even in years where Utah has been really good. All you have to do is look at last year’s game in the Springs, which came down to a Ute touchdown with 58 seconds to play. This Air Force team is better than last year’s despite the 4-3 overall record. The Falcons have lost those 3 games by a combined 13 points and their defense is as good as it’s ever been. I like a really close game here in this one…The difference will be the Utah defense against the uncertainty of the Air Force QB spot….Utes 23 Fly Boys 20

#8 TCU at #16 BYU-(Frogs – 2.5)-Last season in Ft. Worth the Horned Frogs crushed the dreams and the “Quest for Perfection” by taking BYU to the woodshed 32-7. Gary Patterson’s defense exposed Max Hall’s biggest weakness: He can’t play in the face of pressure AT ALL! I’ve been struggling all week long to figure out why the line in this game isn’t higher. To me the only tangible difference between last year and this year is the venue. TCU’s defense is as good or better than a year ago, their offense is likely better with a more veteran QB Andy Dalton, and special team are outstanding too. BYU isn’t as good offensively (no Austin Collie, who I added to one of my fantasy football teams this week) and defensively they are the same as they’ve always been. TCU is also getting some extra motivation from my friend Jason Franchuk’s column. Speed and Athleticism win out Saturday in Cougar Town….Texas Christian University 27 Cougs 20

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#3 Texas at Missouri-(Horns -12.5)-Last week in Dallas, Texas struggled against a fired up Oklahoma squad, but managed a win. The ladies in the photo above had a great time at the Texas State Fair. Their team is off to Columbia, Mo this weekend to face my least favorite football team. If Colt McCoy has Heisman hopes he better get things going right about now. He, Bradford and Tim of Nazereth were seen as the front runners before the season. None has shown they are worthy of the Heisman Hardware yet…This game is on National TV this week and would be a great time for McCoy to get it going. Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert is still hobbled on bad ankle and the offense won’t run with the Horns without a healthy QB. Mack Brown’s boys stay in the BCS Title hunt this weekend….Bevo 31 Mizz-who 17

Arkansas at Mississippi-(Ole Miss -6)-It’s been a wild off the field week around the SEC. After getting jobbed in the swamp last weekend by the SEC Officials, Bobby Petrino and the Hogs got a nice parting gift from the suits in Birmingham. I’m sure that makes everyone in Fayettevile happy. Then in a move that’s about 150 years too late, Ole Miss officials are trying to put an end to racially insensitive chants by students at football games. Give this a read and try to tell me that folks in Mississippi are among the enlightened. On the football side of things, this should be a fun and entertaining game between the best two SEC QB’s not named Tebow. Ryan Mallet and Jevan Snead should both have big days as the defenses aren’t great. I think things are clicking for Bobby Petrino and the Hogs right about now and Houston Nutt’s season continues a downward spiral…Woo Pig Suey 38 Ugly Old South 28

South Florida at #20 Pittsburgh-(Pitt -6.5)-This is about as good as it gets in the Big East….yawn….These are good but far from great teams, which kind of describes the entire Big East Conference. Pseudo Upset Special…USF 24 Pitt 20

Oregon State at #4 USC-(SC -21)-Last season in Corvallis, Quiz Rodgers and the Beavers stunned (not really S-C loses at least 1 Pac-10 game every year) the Men of Troy. This year the game is being played in South Central. The line on this one seems a bit high for my liking. I think S-C is the better team and should win this thing, but 21 points is too high for my liking. Mike Riley (no relation) is a good coach and seems to get his team to play well against Uncle Pete and his guys. The game for the Pac-10 title will be next week for USC against the Ducks. No Beaver Beat down, but still a win…University of South Central 30 “Nice Beaver” 20

#25 Oklahoma at #24 Kansas-(Sooners -7.5)-It’s not very often as a Kansas Alum/Fan that I’ve been able to see my team ranked ahead of the big bad OU Sooners. I was in the stadium 25 years ago when KU upset a Top 5 OU football team. I wish I was going to be in the stadium tomorrow. Big Game Bob (can we really call him that still, when was the last time he won a big game?) is without the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. Shouldn’t that make me feel better? Seriously…Well it doesn’t because Kansas’ defense is awful, see last week vs. Colorado and just about every other game this season. As much as I love the offensive firepower of Reesing, Meier, and Briscoe…I don’t know if they can score enough to make up for the terrible KU defense. I so want to pick my alma mater, but I might have to wait to Bill Self and his boys to help me with a win against Oklahoma. Sooner Schooner 41 Rock Chalk 35

As always if you want to try to win a $50 gift card from my friends at ZAGG, just post your picks below and if you can correctly pick the winner and the score of the Utah/Air Force Game, then you’ll be a winner.

A couple of other thoughts for the weekend before I go….

I think that we will be looking at an outstanding World Series match-up beginning next week, with New York and Philadelphia. I just don’t see the Angels winning two straight in the Bronx after barely surviving last night. With that said, I pray to the baseball gods to make sure these umpires don’t decide a game the rest of the way in the post season with a horrific call. Here’s hoping their mistakes lead to baseball joining the 21st century and adding instant replay next season.

I know the NBA season begins next week, but I struggle to get excited for a season that lasts 82 games, but I will say that I’m glad the NBA and it’s officials are close to a deal that will bring them back for the regular season. As bad as they are, they’ve got to be better than what we’ve seen this preseason.

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Friday Football Picks

Friday, October 16th, 2009

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Hello all you Hosers, from the Great White North!! I’ve been traveling all day to Toronto and that’s why the picks are a bit tardy in getting up here today….I’m here for RSL’s elimination game tomorrow with Toronto FC…Give me a listen around 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. It should be a great atmosphere from BMO Field here in one of the most underrated cities in North America. I’m staying at Skydome/The Rogers Center and just watched my first ever CFL game live between Edmonton and Toronto. Not too bad…In honor of my trip to Toronto and my first ever CFL contest, here are some Canadian Football Fans that say hello to their neighbors to the south…not quite SEC quality but we work with what we have here north of the border..

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Not a bad week for yours truly last weekend, going (6-1) overall and now (28-14) for the season…I learned my lesson, never pick against the College Football Messiah, even after a concussion…Now on to the picks for the weekend…

Utah at UNLV-(Utes -16.5)-The Utes make their second straight roadie, this weekend to Sin City. The Rebels have given up 30, 63, and 59 points to their opponents in the last 3 games. The Utes return to the site of Kyle Whittingham’s worst loss as a Head Coach, the (27-0) debacle of 2007. I didn’t see that one coming and I don’t see one coming this weekend either. I don’t know if the Utes can match BYU’s offensive output, but I do think their defense can be better. I like the Utes pretty big…Swoops 41 Sinking Sanfords 10

BYU at San Diego State-(Cougs -17)-BYU gets to visit America’s Greatest Weather City to face the rebuilding Aztecs. I met and liked Brady Hoke a lot during football media days in Las Vegas in July. But before he can compete with the big boys he’s got to get better talent. Win or Lose Brady Hoke gets to live in San Diego and that can’t be all that bad. The Cougs will get a bigger challenge than you might think with Rocky Long running the Aztec defense. In the end though, too much UNGA!!! Stay Classy Cougars!! BYU 31 Fighting Burgandy’s 13

Nevada at Utah State-(Pack -8)-Welcome back to the Friday picks to the Utah State Aggies!! After a tough non-conference season, the Fighting Andersons open the home portion of the WAC Schedule at Romney Stadium. How do we figure this Nevada team? They get hammered by Notre Dame, play Mizzou close, then destroy UNLV. I’m gonna go on a limb and say that this is the week that things come together for Utah State, especially since they need it after last week’s crusher at Las Cruces. Aggies 23 Wolfpack 21

South Carolina at Alabama-(Tide -18)-UPSET ALERT!!! This is just the type of game that the Head Ball Coach used to thrive on…South Carolina has the best defensive player in the country that you’ve probably never heard of in Eric Norwood, here’s a look for you…The only problem is that Alabama has about 11 guys just like him on their defense. I think that this game will be low scoring and close, but I’ve got no faith at all in Stephen Garcia and the Cock Offense…Red Elephants 17 HBC’s Boys 13

Stanford at Arizona-(Cats -4)-Stanford was a feel good story until falling to Oregon State last weekend. Arizona is doing their typical just enough to get by routine to begin the season in Tucson at 3-2/1-1. This one could be huge for the Stoops family, because I think that Brother Bob may be in trouble in Dallas this weekend. I’m calling an oh’fer weekend for the Brothers Stoops…Harbaugh’s Gang 30 Mildcats 24

Oklahoma vs. Texas-(Horns -3)-Make no mistake about it, this is the RED RIVER SHOOTOUT, contrary to what the PC Police want to have you believe. One thing is for certain this weekend, the sight-seeing around the Texas State Fair will be outstanding!! God Bless Texas!!! Now on to the football…This looked on paper before the season to be a “Game of the Year” candidate. But then Sam Bradford met Colby Clawson and everything changed for the Sooner Nation. OU has been exposed by BYU and Miami this season and this weekend they will face the best offense they’ve seen yet this season, led by Colt McCoy. This game is won by Texas in the trenches on both the offensive and defensive lines. I don’t think Oklahoma can block the Horn’s and I don’t think they can slow down Colt. Bevo 31 Big Game Bob 20

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USC at Notre Dame-(Trojans -10)-What does it say about you and your program when your signature performance is a close loss. That’s the state of Notre Dame Football and the Charlie Weiss era. The “Bush Push” back in 2005 is the current high water mark for Chaz. Well if ever there was a time to compete and beat USC this might be it for the Irish. They have the better QB, Jimmy Clausen, and WR’s, Tate and Rudolph, but that’s likely it. The SC defense is stout as ever and Pete Carroll is the quintessential “Big Game” Coach. This one should be competitive, but not the win that Weiss and the Notre Dame Nation need…Song Girls 34 Touchdown Jesus 28

As always if you’d like to try to win at $50 gift card from ZAGG, then try to pick the winner and the score of the Utah Football Game. Make you pick in the comments section below…

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Catching Up On a Monday

Monday, October 12th, 2009

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Hope the weekend treated you better than it did the folks in Boston, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Baton Rouge…Just a few housekeeping issues to deal with before the week gets rolling…

What was more surprising over the weekend? The fact that the Cardinals were swept or the the Red Sox getting broomed out by the Angels? Both are actually really surprising, not that the LA teams won those series, but that the Sox and the Redbirds couldn’t get a game in either series. I’m a big Angels fans, I just like the way the organization does things by building through the minor league system and using free agency only for “key” acquisitions…That said I’m not sure they can get by the Yankees…I hate the fact I even have to type that last sentence.

Here’s a good read on the playoffs so far by one of the best in the business, Tom Verducci, from Sports Illustrated.

Good wins for both Utah and BYU over the weekend. Both teams had players receive honors this morning for their weekend efforts. Utah’s Robert Johnson was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his 3 interception effort against Colorado State. BYU’s Harvey Unga was named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his 3 Touchdown/149 yard effort Saturday night against UNLV. The Utes weren’t great, but were good enough in their first effort without Matt Asiata. I was impressed with Eddie Wide, though I thought that Utah should have utilized him more. The Utes corners were exposed by the play action/long ball, something that’s going to have to change moving forward. Not a whole lot to nitpick in the BYU steamrolling of UNLV. Good to see Robert Anae finally using his team’s best offensive weapon, Harvey Unga, who’s the best backfield threat in the MWC. After giving up 63 and 59 points in back to back weeks, it’s hard to see how Mike Sanford is going to keep his job in Vegas. Mike is a great guy and good offensive mind, but might just be a perfect example of a guy more suited to be a coordinator than a Head Coach. Here’s what they are saying in Sin City about Sanford.

A couple of other College Football Notes from the Weekend: They are still celebrating the return of Tim of Nazareth and the BIG win in Gainesville

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1. Florida and LSU was BORING Saturday night. Lots of hype and not much to live up to that hype. Don’t get me wrong, the Gators proved they were the better team, but offensively that game left a ton to be desired. Maybe it was Tebow coming off the injury or maybe I’ve just not watched much Florida so far this year, but where was the dynamic “Urban Offense”? And as far as LSU goes..WOW, their QB play is terrible! Jordan Jefferson looked lost and clueless throughout most of that game.

2. Alabama is the 2nd best team in the country or maybe they are the BEST….Defensively they are scary and on offense they are much more dynamic this season with Greg McElroy at QB. I know what the polls say, but right now on a neutral field I might just pick the Elephants!

3. Not that anyone is asking, but here’s my Top 5: Alabama, Florida, Texas, Virginia Tech and Iowa.

4. Do we still need to ask if it’s time for Bobby Bowden to go?

5. Jayhawks still undefeated, if just barely…whew!!!

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New AP Poll is out…

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

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Happy Sunday..

The latest AP Top 25 Football Poll is out this afternoon and the two local schools are back in the polls again this week…

After dropping out of the polls following the loss at Oregon. Utah jumps back in this week at #24 with the win at CSU yesterday. BYU holds at #18 with their hammering of UNLV last night in Sin City. Here is the full run down if you need it. Impressive effort last night by Florida at LSU!

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