Final Project component — Reflection column

For the blog component of my final project, I've decided to exercise what I've learned about column writing the past couple of weeks and write one about what I got from working on the story I wrote.

First to give you all a basic idea, it's about the video staff for the Iowa football team and what a typical week is like for them during the season.

Now in high school, I played football my freshman and sophomore years. My sophomore year especially, I remember Mondays when we'd have light practices and then spend about an hour watching film — 45 minutes of our most recent game, and 15-30 minutes of our upcoming opponent's recent contest, just to get a feel for what we could expect to see during practice the rest of the week as well as in the actual game.

What I learned from writing this story is that college football is a completely different beast.

As I look back on this, I've grown to have an appreciation for what guys like Matt Engelbert and his video staff do. These guys are at every Iowa football practice filming from all different angles the coaches want, and the team breaks down every practice it has. I can't even begin to imagine having played in high school what that would have felt like being filmed every single day. I'm sure none of the Hawkeye players actually are thinking about being filmed all the time when they're out on the field running drills, but knowing that you can go back afterwards to critique yourself on a regular basis is amazing.

I began to think about something Engelbert told me when I interviewed him about how it's unique to have the access to the football team no one else has, quite frankly, but that the uniqueness of it wears off over time when you film practice after practice after practice. (If Allen Iverson's reading this, yes, I'm talking 'bout practice.) The average fan probably would love to get an inside look into their team as it prepares for an upcoming game, but then there's that question of "How much is too much?" If this is what you do as a job, you obviously don't care about that because you probably enjoy what it is your doing.

It's similar in a sense to being a sportswriter because on one hand, you can be a passionate sports fan as all of us who took this class are and getting access to stuff the normal fan doesn't see is certainly enticing, but at the end of the day, it's still a job and there's still a lot that goes into it.

In the case of these guys, it would be setting up the equipment before the start of practice or game, making sure the end zone cameras are set up at the highest point possible so that way coaches, as one of the students on Engelbert's video staff told me, can get a glimpse of what the offensive and defensive lines are doing as far as footwork and technique are concerned.

As for games, I found it incredible that the Iowa video staff only began shooting its own video at road games as recently as 2004 (Engelbert said the first non-bowl game his staff traveled to was that God awful Arizona State game that season). Now those guys are at every game, home or away.

It's an indicator to what everyone I spoke to on the staff said, how the video they get and put on hard drives for the team has become essential in terms of being more competitive.

I interviewed three players — I only quoted one and referenced another, however — and it didn't take long to realize that they eat up the film as much as the coaches. When I spoke to Rick Stanzi about it, he told me he'll stay down at the complex sometimes until 11:30 p.m., simply because watching film has become such a hobby of his when he has that down time. A.J. Edds mentioned how he'll watch 5-6 hours of film per week on average.

Considering how the study of game and practice film is even more complex in the NFL, major college programs such as Iowa get players accustomed to it as early as possible so that way if anyone does have an NFL career, they'll be ready for what we'll be expected of them at the level in terms of how much film they have to watch in order to succeed.

Writing this story also showed me how much football has become as much of a mental game as physical. It used to be that you'd line up, hit the guy in front of you, and make plays — simple as that. Now, coaches are looking to pick up on any flaws they might see in any individuals and either expose that weakness if it's an opponent, or if it's one of their own, point the flaw out to them and help them correct it in time for the next game.

In football, there's always that cliché of "one game at a time, one day at a time." This is truly how the Hawkeyes operate, as well as their video staff. It's an ongoing day-by-day process.

This also makes me believe that part of the reason why teams like Iowa tend to have success towards the end of seasons and peak in November is because a routine is eventually developed with everything that goes on during the week, and at that football complex, everyone regardless of position, sticks to the regimen.

I truly enjoyed writing this piece. I was interested in finding out what players are looking for when they watch themselves on that final product put together by the video staff. I was just an interested to hear about how the guys on the Iowa video staff go about their jobs and how much time and effort is put into what they do.

Some of these ins-and-outs that people aren't as aware of are things I know I'll probably have in the back of my mind from now on whenever I watch a game, whether it be in the press box or as a fan.

— Brendan Stiles

The cliff notes version of what I just wrote

For those who are either too lazy to read that whole post, or don't have enough time:

EagleBank — Wake Forest over Navy
New Mexico — Fresno State over Colorado State
St. Petersburg — South Florida over Memphis
Las Vegas — BYU over Arizona

New Orleans — Troy over Southern Miss

Poinsettia — TCU over Boise State

Hawaii — Hawaii over Notre Dame

Motor City — Central Michigan over Florida Atlantic

Meineke Car Care — West Virginia over North Carolina
Champs Sports — Florida State over Wisconsin
Emerald — Miami (Fla.) over California

Independence — Louisiana Tech over Northern Illinois

Papajohns.com — Rutgers over North Carolina State
Alamo — Missouri over Northwestern

Humanitarian — Nevada over Maryland
Texas — Western Michigan over Rice
Holiday — Oklahoma State over Oregon

Armed Forces — Houston over Air Force
Sun — Oregon State over Pittsburgh
Music City — Vanderbilt over Boston College
Insight — Kansas over Minnesota
Chick-Fil-A — Georgia Tech over LSU

Outback — Iowa over South Carolina
Capital One — Michigan State over Georgia
Gator — Nebraska over Clemson
Rose — USC over Penn State
Orange — Cincinnati over Virginia Tech

Cotton — Ole Miss over Texas Tech
Liberty — East Carolina over Kentucky
Sugar — Alabama over Utah

International — Connecticut over Buffalo

Fiesta — Texas over Ohio State

GMAC — Tulsa over Ball State

BCS National Championship — Florida over Oklahoma

By the way, those bowl pick 'ems that have the confidence levels, those are worthless. What if someone actually got all 34 games right? It wouldn't matter then how many confidence points they placed next to which games because they would have earned all of them. At least that's my way of thinking.

— Brendan Stiles

Predictions on all 34 bowl games

I apologize in advance for the length of this post. Don't blame me. Blame everyone who together established 34 bowl games this year. Yes, 34.

Dec. 20:

EagleBank Bowl — Wake Forest vs. Navy (in Landover, Md.):
As much as I love bowl games (at least a decent amount of them anyway), I hate rematches, and our first game this bowl season is a rematch. Navy went to Winston-Salem earlier this year and upset Wake Forest, who was ranked at the time, 24-17. I know the Midshipmen look to be rolling after dismantling Army last weekend, but in spite of that and what will probably be a home-field advantage, I see the Demon Deacons getting revenge this time around because for one, it knows what to expect from Navy, and two, Wake Forest has to feel somewhat disrespected since the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise passed on them.

New Mexico Bowl — Colorado State vs. Fresno State (in Albuquerque, N.M.):
First let me start by saying that I have a big problem with any 6-6 team like Colorado State getting in any bowl game, and it's match-ups like these I hate as a result. I'm picking Fresno State to win not because of record, but because the Bulldogs have a coach like Pat Hill who is willing to take any gambles, whether it's going for it on 4th and 1 against Boise State on his own side of the 50, or playing on the road against anybody and being willing to do it. I knew Fresno State wasn't a BCS team like some were suggesting it would be earlier this year, but the Bulldogs are a good team, and yes, they are better than the Rams.

magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl — Memphis vs. South Florida (in St. Petersburg, Fla.):
I almost feel sorry for the Big East because it ends up with crappy match-ups like this, but I don't because it's its own doing (much like the Big XII and BCS). Memphis is another 6-6 team in a bowl (can you imagine being a 6-6 team who didn't make a bowl this year?). South Florida has George Selvie, who I think is one of the best defensive ends in college football and will be a top five pick in next April's draft. I'll take the Bulls over the Tigers at their home-away-from-home, which apparently is where the Rays played a couple of World Series games this year.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl — No. 17 BYU vs. Arizona (in Las Vegas, Nev.):
I like Arizona. I like Mike Stoops, I like the Wildcats QB Willie Tuitama. I'm sure Arizona is pumped to be bowling for the first time in 10 years, but this isn't probably what it had in mind, playing a 10-2 BYU team. I really like the Cougars' signal-caller Max Hall and their coach, Bronco Mendenhall, as well (if you recall, I actually picked BYU to be the Mountain West team from the Beehive State playing in a BCS game this season. Whoops!), and as much of an oxymoron as it seems, BYU owns Las Vegas. This is the fourth straight year the Cougars are playing in this game (kind of like USC and the Rose Bowl). I expect BYU to continue its recent domination of this game and beat Arizona.

Dec. 21:

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl — Southern Miss vs. Troy (in New Orleans, La.):
Southern Miss is another 6-6 squad from Conference-USA. Troy on the other hand, won the Sun Belt conference (rather convincingly I might add), and played Georgia, Ohio State, and LSU all on the road this season. In fact, the Trojans had a 31-3 third quarter lead in Death Valley before LSU pulled off that miracle comeback. I'll tell you right now, if the Golden Eagles get behind 31-3, they have no chance of coming back. I'll take Troy to win this game.

Dec. 23:

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl — No. 9 Boise State vs. No. 11 TCU (in San Diego, Calif.):
First off, can I buy stock in a local bank that has enough money to sponsor its own bowl game in this economy? Wow. On a serious note, I mentioned this to Dave in the column I wrote for class yesterday that this, in my opinion, is the best non-BCS game on the bowl docket this year. On one hand, you have the Broncos, who have their third undefeated regular season in five years and with one of the best running backs to ever play in the WAC, Ian Johnson. Meanwhile, there's the Horned Frogs, whose two defeats this year were at Oklahoma and in the final minutes at Utah. Not too shabby. I actually like TCU to win its second Poinsettia Bowl in three years. Gary Patterson always has a stingy defense, and the Horned Frogs have won their bowl games the last three seasons. Plus, this game is in LT's house. I'm taking his alma mater.

Dec. 24:

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl — Hawaii vs. Notre Dame (in Honolulu, Hawaii):
This is another part of the reason why I can't stand 6-6 teams in bowls. I actually saw a list that had this game ranked better than the Outback (which I obviously took offense to). Simply put, Notre Dame shouldn't be bowling. The Fighting Irish have completely forgotten over the last 15 years or so how to prepare for these kinds of games, and I'm stunned that Charlie Weis is still around. I can't blame the Hawaii Bowl for picking Notre Dame since it needed a 6-6 team so desperately and the Fighting Irish fans probably have more money for a trip to the Islands than say, Colorado State fans do. But here's why I'm picking the Rainbow Warriors — they nearly beat Cincinnati last weekend (actually had a two-touchdown lead in the second half on the Big East champs), and after playing in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia last year, Notre Dame isn't going to intimidate these guys. Hawaii wins its own bowl game.

Dec. 26:

Motor City Bowl — Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan (in Detroit, Mich.):
Boy, how glad are Minnesota fans that the Golden Gophers didn't end up in this game? Usually, this game takes the MAC title game winner and it was set to select Ball State. That was before it lost to Buffalo, however. After Turner Gill's squad opted for the International Bowl, Central Michigan ended up in its third straight Motor City Bowl and will face Florida Atlantic, who won the Sun Belt last season and is coached by Howard Schnellenberger. The Chippewas have a phenomenal quarterback in Dan Lefevour, while the Owls are led offensively by Rusty Smith (yes, that is really his name). Florida Atlantic did play at Michigan State earlier this season (Javon Ringer ran all over them) and at Texas (Colt McCoy torched them). I'm picking the team who knows what to expect, which is Central Michigan.

Dec. 27:

Meineke Car Care Bowl — West Virginia vs. North Carolina (in Charlotte, N.C.):
Don't let the fact that this game is in the Tar Heel State fool you. It's clear to me that Butch Davis has North Carolina heading in the right direction again, and it might be just a matter of time before it owns the ACC under his guidance. However, the Mountaineers still have an awesome quarterback in Pat White, who will play his final game for West Virginia after starting four years there. By the way, White and the Mountaineers have won three straight bowl games, all of which came in the month of January. It's hard to imagine West Virginia fall from the top of the Big East like it has, but between White and running back Noel Devine, I think the Mountaineers have enough to beat the Tar Heels in what ought to be an exciting bowl game.

Champs Sports Bowl — Wisconsin vs. Florida State (in Orlando, Fla.):
Our first bowl game this winter featuring a Big Ten squad is in Orlando. The Seminoles may be playing in their own state and in front of what will probably be a partisan crowd since this marks the fifth year in a row the Badgers play in a Florida bowl, but despite that, I'm sure Wisconsin will still have a good following. After watching Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez dominate Florida State's defense, I'm betting Bret Bielema wished he had Travis Beckum. However, Garrett Graham emerged as a solid tight end for Wisconsin this season, and if Dustin Sherer can get him the ball and utilize him in the open field, the Badgers have a shot. But assuming Florida State doesn't find itself suspending half the team again for cheating in a music theory class, I expect Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle and the Seminoles to emerge victorious.

Emerald Bowl — Miami (Fla.) vs. California (in San Francisco, Calif.):
I think this is an interesting match-up that if it weren't a bowl game played inside a baseball stadium and with two teams sharing the same sideline and being separated at midfield, it would probably get more hype than it actually will. I know this is essentially a home game for the Golden Bears, but I'm not buying them here. The Hurricanes missed out on a bowl last year, and you can bet Randy Shannon will have his defense ready to feast on Cal QBs Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore. Seeing how Cal doesn't run the triple option like Georgia Tech does, I'm taking "The U" to win this game.

Sunday, Dec. 28:

Independence Bowl — Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech (in Shreveport, La.):
O.K., this is when you know you have too many bowl games. First of all, this is going on at the same time as Sunday Night Football (and with the flex scheduling, the SNF game on this date will probably have a major impact on the NFL playoffs). Secondly, this game is supposed to feature a Big XII team against an SEC, but with both conferences getting two in the BCS, both of this year's teams were at-large picks. Northern Illinois went 6-6 (great, now 6-6 teams from the MAC are playing in bowls. Just what we need) this season and was the fifth-best team at best in its own conference. Louisiana Tech, who is from the WAC, is similar, but at least the Bulldogs are 7-5 and have a win over Mississippi State to its name. Seeing how the game is in Shreveport, I'll take Louisiana Tech, but quite honestly, this is probably the one bowl game I can care less about.

Monday, Dec. 29:

Papajohns.com Bowl — North Carolina State vs. Rutgers (in Birmingham, Ala.):
Even though the Wolfpack finished 6-6, I'll give Tom O'Brien's squad credit because at least N.C. State won its last four games of the regular season to get to this point. Kudos for not packing it in (no pun intended). However, as horrible as the Scarlet Knights looked early on, Greg Schiano got it turned around, as Rutgers finished tied for second with Pitt (and technically wins the tie-breaker because of head-to-head, but as we all know, that doesn't mean anything when selecting bowls). Both teams come into this game red hot like a Papa John's pizza (I know that's bad, but I couldn't resist), but I give the slight edge to the Scarlet Knights over the ACC's 10th best team this season.

Valero Alamo Bowl — No. 25 Missouri vs. No. 22 Northwestern (in San Antonio, Texas):
I've already heard the jokes about this being "The Journalism Bowl" and those need to stop. Seriously. Both these teams had good seasons, each winning nine games. Missouri has looked a little disappointing the last couple of weeks, but maybe a change of scenery from Arrowhead Stadium does Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin & Company good. Meanwhile, it only took Pat Fitzgerald three years to get his alma mater to a bowl, and I expect the Wildcats to play a solid game against the Tigers. However, I think Maclin will end up being the X-factor, thus I take Mizzou to win this game and send Daniel out on a high note.

Dec. 30:

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl — Maryland vs. Nevada (in Boise, Idaho):
Look, I know the people of Boise love this bowl and the mantra of the blue turf, but this game is a joke. I feel sorry for the ACC because it is affiliated with this game. The Terrapins creeped close to playing in the ACC Championship Game this season, but showed some awkward inconsistency in playing really good against ranked teams, but average or poor against unranked squads (which includes a loss AT Middle Tennessee; if I was the Maryland A.D., I would never agree to that unless it was at the Titans' stadium in Nashville). Considering that Nevada is unranked and has a decent quarterback who can lead an offense down the field, I'll take the Wolfpack to win this contest.

Texas Bowl — Western Michigan vs. Rice (in Houston, Texas):
Now I know why the saying goes "God Bless Texas" — it's because there's no sponsor's name in front of the words "Texas Bowl." It's a de facto home game for the Rice Owls (seeing how they're located in Houston), but even with Jarrett Dillard (who if you aren't familiar with this wide receiver, he's about as underrated as they get), I like Western Michigan in this game. The Broncos won six games in MAC play this season and beat Illinois at Ford Field in Detroit. Tim Hiller is also a good quarterback. I expect the Broncos to come out on top, and besides, it's great publicity when you're playing on the NFL Network, which most of the country doesn't have.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl — No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. No. 15 Oregon (in San Diego, Calif.):
The Poinsettia may be taking all the flare away from its sister bowl this season, but the Holiday Bowl has always been a fun game to watch, especially when you've accurately picked the winner of this game like I have seven of the last eight years (the slip-up was Washington State in 2003, by the way). We all watched Oregon score 65 against Oregon State and pick up 694 yards on offense in the process, and we all saw Okie State allow 61 at home to Oklahoma that same night. That said, I like the Cowboys to beat the Ducks because Mike Gundy has proven he's one hell of a coach, Oklahoma State has a good quarterback in Zac Robinson and an awesome wide receiver in Dez Bryant, and don't forget, this defense did stymie both Missouri and Texas on the road this season (although the Cowboys didn't beat Texas). This game should have plenty of fireworks, but I eventually see Oklahoma State's defense shutting down the Ducks' offense when it needs to.

Dec. 31:

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl — Houston vs. Air Force (in Ft. Worth, Texas):
To be honest, I know very little about both of these teams, so I'll keep it short. I do know Air Force was in this game against Cal last year and blew a 21-point lead once DeSean Jackson was allowed to step on the field again. I also know Houston managed to drop 70 points on conference rival Tulsa this year. Factor the game being in Texas, and I like the Cougars to beat the Falcons (No, I don't see "Air Force" and "Armed Forces Bowl" being as much of an intangible advantage as you'd think. I learned my lesson from picking Air Force to beat Cal last year.

Brut Sun Bowl — No. 24 Oregon State vs. No. 18 Pittsburgh (in El Paso, Texas):
Now here's a game I'm kind of excited about. The Beavers were one win away from playing in Pasadena, but a loss to Oregon opened the door for USC to win the Pac-10, thus sending Oregon State to its second Sun Bowl in three years. Meanwhile, Pitt comes in with a 9-3 record as well and the Panthers also had an opportunity to win the Big East, but lost at Cincinnati when destiny was in their hands (I should probably say "paws" instead, huh). Both the Beavers and Panthers have awesome running backs. Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers led the Pac-10 in rushing despite missing that huge game against Oregon, while Pitt's LeSean "Shady" McCoy led the nation with 21 touchdowns on the ground this season. Here's where I settle on a winner: I like Oregon State because Mike Riley has a history of winning bowl games (such as the 39-38 victory it got over Mizzou in the 2006 Sun Bowl), while Dave Wannstedt has a history of hiccups (Sorry. I'm a Bears fan. I couldn't resist.) Beavers win.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl — Boston College vs. Vanderbilt (in Nashville, Tenn.):
First, I'm kind of glad the Big Ten ended its tie-in with this game before Iowa ever ended up in it. Now, this has to stink for Boston College. The Eagles were in the ACC Championship Game, but after losing to Virginia Tech, BC watched as three other teams in the conference were selected higher in the bowl pecking order and fell here. Meanwhile, this is the first bowl for Vandy in 26 years, and what do you know? It happens to take place in the heart of Nashville, where Vanderbilt is located. I realize the Commodores slid to a 6-6 record after starting 5-0 and being ranked (looking back on it, I can't believe College GameDay was actually at the Auburn-Vandy game this season). However, I'm picking the upset here because it has been an eternity for them, plus the Eagles looked terrible against the Hokies last weekend.

Insight Bowl — Kansas vs. Minnesota (in Tempe, Ariz.):
Remember how Minnesota was once 7-1 and ranked? Yeah, that didn't last long, did it. The Golden Gophers lost their last four games of the season (including a 55-0 beatdown from Iowa I witnessed first-hand) and are counting their blessings that they're in Arizona and not Detroit. But then again, do the Golden Gophers really want to be back in the bowl and the stadium where just two years ago, they pulled off one of the biggest choke jobs I've ever seen (In case you forgot, Glen Mason's last game as Minnesota coach ended with the Gophers blowing a 38-7 lead against Graham Harrell and Texas Tech, and losing to the Red Raiders in OT 44-41)? Now they get to play Kansas, who had a disappointing season after winning the Orange Bowl last year, but ended strong with a neutral site win over hated Missouri. Here's my thought: If you thought Ricky Stanzi looked like Drew Tate against Minnesota, wait 'till you see Kansas QB Todd Reesing move around the pocket and give Tim Brewster's defense fits. I'll take "The Real Mangenius," Mark Mangino, and his Jayhawks in this game. (By the way, is it just me, or does Mangino look a lot like Oliver Hardy?)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl — LSU vs. No. 14 Georgia Tech (in Atlanta, Ga.):
Georgia Tech is the highest-ranked ACC team. The Yellow Jackets just won a game at Georgia (between the hedges). The triple option Paul Johnson brought from Navy to the Ramblin' Wreck has been a success. The game's in Atlanta. LSU lost three home games during a five-game homestand, and one of the wins happened only because they overcame a 31-3 deficit against Troy. The Tigers just lost to Arkansas, again, and this time, the Razorbacks didn't have Darren McFadden or Felix Jones in their backfield. Folks, this is nothing close to the LSU team that won the national title. Take Georgia Tech. Big.

Jan. 1:

Outback Bowl — South Carolina vs. Iowa (in Tampa, Fla.):
First of all, I'd just like to mention that back in October after Iowa dismantled Wisconsin, I said if the Hawkeyes were 8-4, the Outback would be calling. I also said in my most recent post to expect the Gamecocks to be the opponent. Kirk Ferentz vs. The Ol' Ball Coach. This is actually intriguing. I could go on about the parallels I've been able to find between the two, but I'll keep it simple because you've made it to the January bowls without saying "Enough!" If Shonn Greene can run the ball effectively (which he has all year), Iowa should win. If the Gamecocks keep him in check and are able to make it so the Hawkeyes' only hope is through the air, there could be trouble since South Carolina's pass defense is third nationally. The Gamecocks have Tampa product Stephen Garcia starting at quarterback in this game after Chris Smelley threw four picks against Clemson. When it's said and done, I like the Hawkeyes to win, but I got to say, I'm nervous about giving Steve Spurrier this much time to dissect Norm Parker's "Bend-but-don't-break" defense.

Capital One Bowl — No. 16 Georgia vs. No. 19 Michigan State (in Orlando, Fla.):
At the beginning of the season, I said Georgia was the best team in the country and would win the national championship over Oklahoma (hey, the Sooners are playing an SEC East team, so I was close). Here's how much my opinion has been altered — I'm taking Michigan State to make it five straight in this bowl for the Big Ten. Mark Dantonio's Spartans are far more disciplined than Mark Richt's Bulldogs, simply put. This is also the second straight trip to Orlando for Sparty (Michigan State hung in there with BC in last year's Champs Sports Bowl), and this time around, I expect the Spartans to be juiced for this, unlike a Georgia squad that came into 2008 thinking national title. In addition, if you watched Georgia Tech run the ball at will on the Bulldogs, what do you think Javon Ringer's going to do? To many, this is a surprise, but it really shouldn't be.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl — Clemson vs. Nebraska (in Jacksonville, Fla.):
If anyone knows what Konica Minolta is, get back to me. That has to be the strangest name for a bowl sponsor I've ever seen. Now as for the actual game, Clemson has to be the biggest disappointment this season. I, like many, had the Tigers dominating the ACC with guys like Cullen Harper, C.J. Spiller, and James Davis on that offense. Instead, Tommy Bowden gets fired and replaced by an assistant named Dabo Swinney, who just got the interim tag removed from his title. Clemson is 7-5, but they're a 7-5 wolf in 6-6 sheep's clothing since two of those wins are against FCS squads, meaning the Tigers were .500 against the known schools. Bo Pelini has done a solid job at Nebraska (why he wasn't named the Huskers' head coach after winning the 2003 Alamo Bowl in Frank Solich's place, I will never know), and the Cornhuskers ended the 2008 season in an impressive enough fashion that this bowl decided to gamble on them instead of a Big East team and the fans Nebraska will bring. I like the Huskers to win this game, mainly because Pelini knows what he's doing.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi — No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 5 USC (in Pasadena, Calif.):
The first of five BCS games this bowl season, this ought to actually be a good game as opposed to the recent encounters USC has had against Big Ten programs. The Nittany Lions have what it takes to pull this upset. They're offense is methodical and has demonstrated time and time again it could go the length of the field and punch in touchdowns (which has to happen if Penn State wants to win this game). The reason they lost to Iowa in the first place is because their long drives basically ended with field goals, and Penn State allowed the Hawkeyes to hang around long enough. I have no reservations in saying USC has one of the best defenses I've ever seen. Unless Penn State's defense creates enough turnovers and the offense is able to punch in touchdowns as opposed to field goals, I like USC in this game. All the Trojans have to do is make sure Derrick Williams doesn't take a punt or kickoff back for a score, and they should be fine.

FedEx Orange Bowl — No. 12 Cincinnati vs. No. 21 Virginia Tech (in Miami, Fla.):
Honestly, I have to believe champagne bottles were busted open by the Orange Bowl committee after Virginia Tech won the ACC title game, ensuring that fans actually show up to this game (or so they say about BC fans). For Frank Beamer's squad, this is the second straight Orange Bowl appearance, but while Bud Foster's defense has looked lights out as of late (and the special teams has always been able to play "Beamer Ball"), watching the Hokies' offense is like watching water boil (look for that in the DI next week). I don't care how good Tyrod Taylor is. If he gets hurt, I'm not sold on Sean Glennon. As for Cincy, the Bearcats won the Big East outright. That is actually impressive to me, especially since this is only Brian Kelly's second year (third if you want to count his Bearcat debut being the 2007 International Bowl against Western Michigan). Cincinnati has won bowl games two years running now and have a solid defense to match-up with Virginia Tech, who if you think about it, has never won a BCS game and hasn't really won any big bowl games over the years with Frank Beamer, as great a coach as he is. I like Cincinnati to win, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Jan. 2:

AT&T Cotton Bowl — No. 20 Ole Miss vs. No. 8 Texas Tech (in Dallas, Texas):
I have to say I'm sad this is the last time this game is actually going to be played in The Cotton Bowl (the Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington starts hosting this game in 2010). What was once a very prominent bowl game is going to leave the heart of Dallas with a bang. Ole Miss ended the season rolling, and was nearly considered to leapfrog Georgia for the Capital One). Not only that, but the Rebels actually beat Florida, and did so in The Swamp, no less. Meanwhile, Texas Tech went 11-1 this year and basically cost Texas a shot at the national title. I missed badly on this game last year picking Arkansas over Missouri, but I like Ole Miss to pull the upset. Even if Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree both end up being good to go in this game, I'm pretty sure the Red Raiders had their sights set on a BCS bid they were ultimately denied, plus unlike last year at Arkansas, Houston Nutt will actually get to coach in this game. I'll take the Rebels in this one.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl — Kentucky vs. East Carolina (in Memphis, Tenn.):
Not going to lie, I'm surprised Kentucky wasn't selected for its third straight Music City Bowl since the Wildcat faithful regularly travel in droves to Nashville. Then again, Kentucky had a bad ending to its season, and most recently got walloped by Tennessee in Phil Fulmer's swan song on Rocky Top. East Carolina won Conference-USA and while the Pirates didn't turn out to be the media darlings many envisioned after beating Virginia Tech and West Virginia the first two weeks of the season, Skip Holtz still had a solid team this season down in Greenville, N.C. I like East Carolina to win this game, simply because the Pirates are the better team in this match-up.

Allstate Sugar Bowl — No. 7 Utah vs. No. 4 Alabama (in New Orleans, La.):
Another dull match-up in the Sugar Bowl leads to another dominant win by an SEC team that didn't actually win the SEC this season. Both the Utes and Crimson Tide went undefeated in regular season play, both maintaining 12-0 records. However, Alabama lost its chance to play for a national title last weekend in Atlanta to Florida, and now has to settle for a trip to the Bayou (where I hear Nick Saban isn't really well-liked). My reason for picking the Tide though is this — Utah has a similar offense to Florida, but it isn't as complex, and Brian Johnson is nowhere close to Tim Tebow. If anything, this is the perfect match-up for 'Bama because what it's going to see from the Utes, they probably already saw against the Gators, and don't forget, Alabama was winning 20-17 in the fourth quarter of that game. Saban will have them ready and the Crimson Tide will roll to another win.

Jan. 3:

International Bowl — Buffalo vs. Connecticut (in Toronto, Ont.):
Two things, then I'll talk briefly about this game — First off, a bowl game in Canada is further evidence that there's too many bowls, and secondly, a meaningless bowl such as this being played after New Year's Day is an absolute farce. Now, I give Buffalo a lot of credit, and particularly, its head coach, Turner Gill. The Bulls went from being a complete laughingstock to the team that upset Ball State rather handily last week in the MAC Championship. Gill showed he could flat-out coach. The same was being said about UConn's coach Randy Edsall not too long ago. I know Buffalo won the MAC title and will bring plenty of fans to its neighboring city to the North, but I like the Huskies in this game despite what I saw last week against Pitt from senior Tyler Lorenzen. Between him and running back Donald Brown, who ended up being the nation's leading rusher this season, I just think UConn has too much in this game.

Jan. 5:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl — No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Texas (in Glendale, Ariz.):
I'm like the majority of college football fans who feel Texas got screwed over, but I won't elaborate on that too much further, other than saying if I did have a Heisman vote right now, it would officially go to Colt McCoy. Usually, I don't like to pick teams in bowl games that feel they got screwed over, but seeing how Texas is still in a BCS game and is still going to bring plenty of fans to the desert, this really isn't a bad consolation for Mack Brown's squad, especially since Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes haven't won a significant game in over two years. Two things Ohio State does have going for it is that the Buckeyes are familiar with Arizona (this is the fifth time there in seven years) and they probably possess the best defense Texas will see all season with guys like James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. But until proven otherwise, I can't pick against the Longhorns in this game, so I'll take Texas to win the rubber match (these two met in '05 (classic) and '06 (not so much)).

Jan. 6:

GMAC Bowl — No. 23 Ball State vs. Tulsa (in Mobile, Ala.):
How does GM have the money to sponsor a bowl? Anyway, this isn't a bad game. It features two teams who lost conference championship games last weekend (Tulsa lost to East Carolina at home, while Ball State suffered its first loss of 2008 to Buffalo). The quarterback battle is intriguing with Nate Davis leading the Cardinals and Paul Smith guiding the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa made me look foolish for picking against them when it played Bowling Green in this game last year, so I won't make that mistake again. I like the Golden Hurricane to win its second straight GMAC Bowl over Ball State.

Jan. 8:

FedEx BCS National Championship Game — No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (in Miami, Fla.):
Finally, the game we're all looking forward to watching between the Gators and Sooners. I actually heard somewhere this is the first time these two have ever met. Bob Stoops was an assistant to Steve Spurrier at Florida before becoming Oklahoma's coach after the 1998 season, and this is the fourth national championship game Stoops has taken the Sooners to (although it was complete BS they were there in '03, BUT NOT '04!), which says a lot. However, Oklahoma has lost its last four BCS contests, and as fun as it is to watch an offense that put up 702 points this season, I just don't see how the Sooners avoid No. 5, especially with Tim Tebow back there at quarterback for the Gators. If Percy Harvin is back, which I would expect, I can see Florida absolutely picking apart that Oklahoma defense, and conversely, I see the Sooners struggling just a bit against that Gator defense, even though Oklahoma has an awesome offensive line. Add to it this game is in Miami, and I see Urban Meyer hoisting his second crystal ball in three years.

Well, those are my picks, and if you honestly read this whole post, then I hope you enjoyed it. I'm very tired now from typing this much.

— Brendan Stiles

Updated thoughts

First, an update on the Big Ten:

THANK YOU, OREGON!!!!!!!

With the Ducks beating Oregon State, 65-38, expect Ohio State to now join Penn State in the BCS, with the Nittany Lions now playing USC in the Rose Bowl (assuming USC beats a horrible UCLA team next Saturday) and the Buckeyes either playing in the Fiesta or Sugar Bowls, depending upon whether or not the Fiesta wants to have Utah or Ohio State play a Big XII South team that doesn't play in the conference's title game next week.

(I know there is speculation right now about a 12-0 Boise State team getting a BCS bid instead of Ohio State. Uh, yeah, that WILL NOT happen. Look at the Broncos' schedule, then try to convince me. This garbage about Ohio State's reputation is just that because last year, and the year before, have absolutely NO BEARING on this year's team or its results. The Buckeyes' two losses are to teams playing in the BCS (probably against each other in the Rose Bowl). Unless Boise State could beat either Penn State or USC, this is a no-brainer to go with Ohio State, especially when you consider Ohio State has an enormous fan base that will travel ANYWHERE.)

With that, Michigan State now moves up to the Capital One Bowl to play Georgia in a battle featuring the two running backs who better be beaten out by Shonn Greene for the Doak Walker Award — Knowshon Moreno and Javon Ringer.

Then in the Outback, yes, Iowa will be picked before Northwestern. Sorry 'Cat fans, but a snowball has a better chance of remaining solid in hell than Northwestern does of being selected ahead of the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten's bowl pecking order (in fact, don't be surprised if the Alamo Bowl decides to exercise the clause in the Big Ten's contract that states that if the Big Ten has two BCS teams, the two-win rule doesn't need to apply to the decision-making done by the Outback or Alamo Bowls, meaning if the Alamo decided it wanted to have a 7-5 Wisconsin team instead of a 9-3 Northwestern team, it is allowed to pick the Badgers presuming that Ohio State is moved up to the BCS). If this happens, Northwestern would drop to the Champs Sports Bowl, which is where it would have gone anyway if Oregon State has won the Pac-10's BCS bid.

Then the fortunate ones (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) are the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who now get to spend New Year's in Tempe, Ariz., at the Insight Bowl instead of Christmas in Detroit at the Motor City Bowl.

Assuming that Iowa does indeed go to Tampa (which is now what I'm expecting and will be shocked if it doesn't happen), the Hawkeyes are likely to play South Carolina. Even though the Gamecocks lost to Clemson and finished 7-5, the Outback Bowl usually takes an SEC East squad while the Cotton Bowl takes an SEC West team. Now assuming Georgia goes to the Capital One and Ole Miss, who is 8-4, goes to the Cotton Bowl, the Outback will choose between 7-5 South Carolina, 7-5 LSU, 7-5 Vanderbilt, and 6-6 Kentucky. Now South Carolina did lose to both LSU and Vandy this year. However, Vanderbilt hasn't been to a bowl since 1982 and I highly doubt they'd bring a ton of people to Tampa, and not only is LSU in the SEC West, but given how the Outback chose Iowa over Michigan in 2005 mainly because of a fear that Michigan wouldn't want to travel after a "disappointing" year following two straight Rose Bowl appearances, the same concern has to probably be in place for a team that won the national title last year, and had they not come from behind to beat Troy two weeks ago, would be sitting at 6-6 right now. Unless told otherwise, expect Kirk Ferentz to be matched up with the Ol' Ball Coach on New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

As for the games that did go on, here are my thoughts:

1. Texas SHOULD play in the Big XII title game...

But Oklahoma WILL. Based of what I've seen, I'd advocate for Texas because the Longhorns beat the Sooners head-to-head and are essentially one play away from being undefeated (not to mention Colt McCoy, in my opinion, has earned himself a Heisman Trophy). However, you have to put into account that the coaches (who make up 2/3 of the BCS standings) may not have even watched last night's Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, but are going to look at that 61-41 score and say to themselves "Oklahoma did enough winning by 20 on the road" even though that game was a shootout that went down to the wire. If the AP had an impact, you'd probably see more people like myself siding with Texas here. Keep in mind that we're talking about head coaches who were hopefully watching both teams this week if they weren't coaching. Oh, and in regards to Texas Tech, the Red Raiders, I'm sorry, but they had no business winning that game against Baylor (and I'll add that Robert Griffin is one HELL of a quarterback!).

Keep one thing in mind though, regardless of whether it's Oklahoma or Texas playing Missouri on Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium: Yes, Missouri just lost to Kansas (in what I would argue was one of the best college football games I've watched in a long, long time), but the familiarity with playing inside that stadium, I think, could benefit the Tigers in the Big XII Championship, especially since it will be the second week in a row they've played there. Now it won't be the deciding factor, but if Mizzou were to pull an upset, just remember this, and you won't be as surprised.

I'll also say this as a segway: If Missouri does somehow beat either Oklahoma or Texas in the Big XII Championship, DO NOT BE SURPRISED NOW if USC, who unless it loses to UCLA is going to the Pac-10 outright now, ends up in the BCS title game. If the Big XII South team wins next week, then forget this. But if Mizzou wins, I think it's fair as long as USC beats UCLA and wins its conference. I'd have a bigger problem if we faced this while having Oregon State winning the Pac-10. The BCS' biggest f-ups came in 2001 and 2003 when there were teams playing in the national championship that didn't even win their own conferences (and notice how both those teams LOST those championship games). My personal belief is that if you can't win your own conference (and that includes tiebreakers), then you have no business playing for a national championship.

Now USC absolutely throttled Notre Dame. Charlie Weis is as good as gone now. You cannot convince me that Notre Dame is going to keep him around after what has taken place the last few weeks. Even if the Fighting Irish go to a bowl (watch, they will be the first 6-6 team chosen for an at-large, guaranteed), they'll probably lose that game like they do every other bowl game. I will also say this, going back to the Trojans: If there is one Big Ten team that could beat USC, it's Penn State. Remember that the Nittany Lions have WON bowl games the last three years. Joe Paterno knows how to utilize weeks off (unlike Jim Tressel), and assuming this Rose Bowl happens, Penn State might not beat USC, but will without question give them a much better game than Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, or Ohio State has over the last six-seven years. Trust me on that.

The ACC title game makes me want to puke. After watching Georgia Tech run all over Georgia, I was really hoping Virginia Tech would stumble so that way we'd have an exciting ACC Championship. Sorry, but as good as the Hokies' defense and special teams have been, their offense is pure garbage, regardless of who the quarterback is. They had three drives against the Cavaliers where they went 14 plays, 14 plays, and 13 plays, and came away with exactly 0 points. You do that against a decent team, like say, the Boston College squad they'll play in Tampa next week (who they've already lost to once this season, I might add), and you have no chance. I like BC winning that game, getting payback for losing to Virginia Tech in last year's game, and see the Eagles playing Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl. By the way, a little off topic, but the ACC has 10 bowl-eligible teams. Talk about mediocrity.

Going back to the SEC, I want to commend Casey Dick, a senior quarterback for Arkansas. His younger brother started on Friday against LSU, struggled, and when the Razorbacks were down 30-14, Casey Dick came in and led Arkansas to a come-from-behind win. Much like Todd Reesing did today for Kansas, Dick threw the game-winning touchdown pass on a fourth down play. Talk about a way to end your college career since the Hogs won't be bowling this season. Oh, and Les Miles, I know Colt David's a good kicker, but a 63-yard field goal, against the wind? Are you serious?

Staying in the SEC real quick, I cannot wait to watch Alabama and Florida play next week. One thing to keep an eye on for, again, is familiarity. Just like Missouri playing in the Big XII title game, Alabama has already played a game in the Georgia Dome this year (remember that beatdown in Atlanta the Crimson Tide laid on Clemson, when everyone like myself thought Clemson was a Top-10 team that would dominate the ACC?). Like the BIG XII, I'm not saying Alabama will beat Florida because of this, but if the Tide do win, don't think this wouldn't be a factor, especially since Florida hasn't played a game inside a dome yet this season.

Finally, I want to end on a sad note. There was news today that Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom has decided to resign. This is significant because now there are only three African-American head coaches, which is a shame. Now I know the Bulldogs put up a goose egg in their Egg Bowl game against Ole Miss on Friday, but still. Croom led them to an eight-win season last year (and won the Liberty Bowl over a UCF team that won C-USA, I might add), and he did manage to beat Alabama two years in a row during his tenure. Turner Gill at Buffalo is now the longest-tenured African-American coach at his current job, and he has been there three years. That's just amazing. You certainly hope things head in the right direction with this, and I wish Croom well as he tries to find his niche in coaching somewhere else.

I'll be back with more later, as some bowl bids are going to be handed down here in the coming days. Don't expect anything official with the Big Ten until after next Saturday's USC-UCLA game.

- Brendan

More bowl talk

Big Ten scenarios hinge on Oregon-Oregon State:

If Oregon State wins, expect the following:

Penn State to Rose

Ohio State to Capital One

Michigan State to Outback

Iowa to Alamo

Northwestern to Champs Sports

Wisconsin to Insight

Minnesota to Motor City


If Oregon wins, here's what could happen:

Penn State to Rose

Ohio State to either the Fiesta or Sugar (depending on if Fiesta wants to have Utah instead of Ohio State)

Michigan State to Capital One

Iowa or Northwestern to Outback

Iowa or Northwestern to Alamo

Minnesota or Wisconsin to Champs Sports

Minnesota or Wisconsin to Insight

To make a few things clear, I don't see the Hawkeyes jumping over Michigan State for a bowl. If the Outback chooses between Iowa and Northwestern, I think they'd choose Iowa, but stranger things have happened before. If Oregon State crashes the BCS party, there's no doubt in my mind Iowa would go to the Alamo over Northwestern.

A few pre-Thanksgiving thoughts

1. Congrats to Ball State

The Cardinals won't be in the BCS, but finishing the regular season undefeated is pretty impressive, regardless of what conference you come from. The MAC has always had a decent reputation, so this should get recognition.

2. About another Indiana school

I understand that Notre Dame fans are frustrated with Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish, but throwing snowballs at the team after its loss to Syracuse (I admit, that's a terrible loss) is inexcusable. Seriously. It's not like those guys wanted to lose to Syracuse. If anything, give the Orange credit for going into South Bend with a lame duck coach and finding a way to win. I'm going to leave the Weis topic alone until after the USC game (have a good idea what I'll say though since I think we all know what's going to probably happen at the Coliseum).

3. Bradford now the front-runner

With the beatdown OU laid on Tech, the Sooners are in a good position. First, in the case of Sam Bradford, if OU beats Okie State on Saturday and wins the Big XII title game, I think the Heisman's going to him over Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell, and yes, Shonn Greene. As for the team, if the Sooners win in Stillwater, you can't convince me that they're not going to jump Texas, regardless of whether the Longhorns beat A&M or not. Factor in that outside the conference, Oklahoma has beaten a TCU squad that manhandled BYU and nearly upset Utah, and a Cincy team that could win the Big East and secure a BCS spot this weekend, edge goes to Bob Stoops here.

4. This weekend's games that matter:

Yes, Texas-Texas A&M and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State matter for obvious reasons, so does Baylor-Texas Tech, Florida-Florida State, West Virginia-Pittsburgh, Colorado-Nebraska, Fresno State-Boise State, Georgia Tech-Georgia, South Carolina-Clemson, Notre Dame-USC, and I could go on.

But the biggest games this weekend are actually the following:

ACC: Virginia at Virginia Tech and Maryland at Boston College

Here's why: ACC title picture - If the Hokies and Eagles both take care of business at home, they'll meet each other for the second year in a row in the ACC Championship Game, which is in Tampa next week. If the Cavaliers go into Blacksburg and upset Va. Tech, Georgia Tech would then win the ACC's Coastal Division and play in Tampa thanks to a head-to-head win last week over Miami. Likewise, if Maryland upsets BC, Florida State would win the Atlantic Division because of its win over the Terps last Saturday in College Park.

So to be clear, you'll have either BC-GT, FSU-GT, BC-VT, or FSU-VT next week. One of these four will play in the Orange Bowl, which is where the ACC champion is slotted to play.

BIG EAST: Syracuse at Cincinnati

Real simple - A Bearcat win or a West Virginia loss to Pitt on Friday sends Cincy to a BCS game, most likely the Orange or Sugar Bowls, thanks to a Nov. 8 win in overtime over the Mountaineers (on the road, I might add). However, if the 'Cuse were to pull a second straight shocker on Saturday, West Virginia would need to win the Backyard Brawl at Heinz Field on Friday and then win next week at home against South Florida, a team who has won two straight over the Mountaineers. Cincinnati's game at Hawaii is absolutely meaningless, regardless of what transpires.

PAC-10: Oregon at Oregon State

As far as fans of these two schools and the entire Big Ten conference (well, the seven teams going to bowl games, anyway), this is the ONLY game that matters. If the Beavers win the Civil War, they'll be smelling roses and will have a rematch with Penn State on New Year's Day in Pasadena. Because Oregon State beat USC head-to-head, that tiebreaker gives the Beavers the conference, and would send USC to either the Fiesta or Sugar Bowls (assuming it wins out against Notre Dame and UCLA). However, a Ducks win in Corvallis on Saturday will put USC in control of the Pac-10, and a win at UCLA next week would send the Trojans to their fourth straight Rose Bowl (and fifth in six years) to play JoePa's Nittany Lions. If this happens, expect Ohio State to move into the BCS with its 10-2 record and well-recognized fan base to either Tempe or New Orleans this coming January, and then every other Big Ten team will head to a better bowl game (sorry, Motor City).

As far as Iowa's bowl possibilities go, here's what I believe:

Oregon win = Outback Bowl in Tampa against most likely South Carolina

Oregon State win = Alamo Bowl in San Antonio against either Missouri, Nebraska, or Oklahoma State

I'll let you all be the judge here.

Ties are stupid

In all honesty, I can't think of a better title.

If tying in sports is supposed to be like kissing your sister, then the Eagles-Bengals game in Cincinnati on Sunday was about as close to incest as you'll find in the NFL.

I thought Bud Selig had problems when the 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee ended in a tie. My god. Whoever decided that NFL games should end in a tie ought to be shot. Seriously.

First of all, let's look at the context of this game. Because this crapfest ended without a winner, the Eagles are going to have a much more difficult time trying to gain ground on the wild card, and it pretty much kills any hopes of a miracle run to a division crown with the Giants sitting there at 9-1.

For the Bengals, who came in 1-8, this tie could eventually cost them the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft (I think it's safe to say that Detroit can already go on the clock.)

Aside from professional soccer, can you think of any other pro sport where two teams will settle for a tie? Baseball, you have extra innings. Basketball, you keep playing and playing. Hell, the NHL even has shootouts now during the regular season (although I will say the points system and the fact there's such a category as overtime losses is beyond moronic). Only in the NFL this happens.

There would honestly be nothing wrong with having a second overtime if need be. Just look at the playoff game in 2003-04 when the Panthers got a Steve Smith touchdown in the second OT to beat the Rams, as they inched closer to Super Bowl XXXVIII. That's exciting to me.

In high school and college football, they keep playing until there's a winner on one sideline and a loser on the other. Why can't the NFL? These guys are grown men making millions of dollars. Don't stop giving 100 percent until the final whistle has blown (or in this case, they should have kept playing beyond the whistle).

Not to mention this is a rip-off to Cincinnati fans. They're already miserable because they waste so much money to watch a garbage football team. Making them sit through 75 minutes of "WTF?" and NOT have a winner is absurd.

Roger Goodell, if you're reading this, the first thing you need to change in the off-season is getting rid of ties. They're pointless and only wind up making the playoff picture and ensuing draft order more confusing to dissect.

- Brendan

Giants-Eagles glog

7 PM: So I'm in the newsroom awaiting to have my two stories from yesterday's Iowa-Penn State game edited (I'll have more on this later), and I got NBC on to watch the Giants-Eagles game. I'll tell you what goes on around here late at night while watching the game. By the way, I'm still ticked the Bears couldn't be like Iowa and beat an unbeaten this weekend. Oh well. Bob Sanders is now being interviewed as I type.

7:05 PM: Listening to Football Night in America's "Sounds of the Game," I wanted to puke when I heard "Touchdown Titans!" Ugh!

7:06 PM: OK, LT is one of my favorite players in the league not playing for the Bears, but we're already getting overload on the LT commercials. First Chunky Soup, now Nike. What's next, Vizio?

7:08 PM: I hate being tied for first with Minnesota, but nonetheless, I'm glad the Vikings beat the Packers today. I'd rather be tied with a team we've already beaten. Oh, and watching Jets-Rams highlights, I miss Thomas Jones.

7:10 PM: Anyone else looking forward to this potential Thanksgiving match-up: An undefeated Tennessee Titans against a winless Detroit Lions? Oh, and Mason Crosby, ha ha.

7:12 PM: Can't blame Herm Edwards. After all, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!"

7:13 PM: Why do I get the feeling the Giants are going to roll Philly and Eli is going to have a monster game? We'll see if that holds up.

7:17 PM: Watching Faith Hill's intro, if you're seriously watching a football game on your cell phone, that's pretty depressing. Al Michaels looks decent in his attire. Glad the Eagles are sticking to their regular home jerseys for this game. Madden looks like his usual self. Talk about finishing, please finish talking so the game can start, John. Thanks.

7:21 PM: I never thought I'd say this, but I just heard a bottle of syrup talk. Freaky.

7:27 PM: Wow. Eli just threw a pick to a d-tackle.

7:34 PM: I'm back. Just had to write an e-mail to some people on my staff. That was a nice touchdown by DeSean Jackson. He's had a solid rookie season for the Eagles.

7:39 PM: Nice touchdown by Plexi-glass. My question regarding Chris Snee is this: What would create more animosity - getting divorced, or getting cut by your father-in-law?

8:12 PM: Sorry about that. I was getting two stories edited that are running in Monday's paper. 17-7. Yeah, it's starting to get ugly like I thought it might.

8:34 PM: Nice touchdown by Jason Avant. Philly inching closer back. I'm starting to get bored down here.

8:38 PM: Congrats, Eagles fans. The new vice president is one of you. The new president, however, is one of us. HA HA HA HA HA!

8:44 PM: Kung Fu Panda is the No. 1 DVD in America? Really?

8:51 PM: So I'm at the cubicle with Alex Johnson and our boy Jeff Pawola while the Eagles' conduct their two-minute drill. Good times.

8:54 PM: It's halftime. One of my best friends just called me to talk about yesterday's game. God, that was awesome.

9 PM: One of our editors just need some clarification on why Iowa only had 101 yards rushing. In case you're wondering, it's net total. Stanzi lost 16 yards on the ground.

9:15 PM: So I guess Jason Avant is going on the horse trailer, huh? What a catch he made for the touchdown.

9:15 PM: They just showed cannolis. I love those things. I get them every time I go back to Long Island to visit my extended family.

9:18 PM: And this is where I talk about how I can't stand those Kay jeweler commercials.

9:19 PM: I was asked before who I thought Shonn Greene reminded me of. How about Brandon Jacobs?

9:22 PM: Somewhere in LA, the USC fight song is being played after Steve Smith caught that pass for a first down. Seriously, which fight song is more annoying to hear, "Fight On," or Oklahoma's "Boomer Sooner?" God, I'm thinking about that Orange Bowl from 04-05, and I thought my ears were going to bleed as I kept hearing those two songs. And I wasn't even AT THAT game.

9:23 PM: Dear Lowes, let's get to Thanksgiving before we start talking about Christmas. I think my parents still have Halloweed candy at their house. I'll have to check when I go home.

9:24 PM: Bruce Springsteen for Super Bowl halftime. Solid choice. I don't know who will play in it, but I'm guessing a running back will be Super Bowl MVP, just so that way Chris Berman can say he was "born to run."

9:27 PM: So let me get this straight — if I have a Sprint phone, I can get NFL Network, but if I have Mediacom cable, I'm screwed? What the hell?

9:29 PM: A penalty on Philly, and the crowd thinks the refs are from the other side of New Jersey. Figures.

9:29 PM: Asante Samuel — signed with the Eagles determined not to let Plaxico turn him into his personal you-know-what like he did to Al Harris in the NFC title game last year.

9:30 PM: Which now makes me wonder (if there are any Cheeseheads, feel free to chime in), which moment of Packer playoff misery was more enjoyable — last year at Lambeau when the Giants officially nixed the whole "Frozen Tundra" mantra, or "4th and 26." Tough call here. Sorry, this is the Bears fan in me talking. I'm already jacked up for next Sunday's game in "that state up north." (Woody Hayes referred to Michigan this way, this is how I refer to the Packers).

9:32 PM: Seriously. Any woman who finds a caveman attractive needs to go back to the stone ages and have a rock thrown at their head. Those GEICO commercials are so annoying.

9:34 PM: And now I want a Samsung HD. That's a thing of beauty.

9:34 PM: Memo to Al Michaels — any head coach who doesn't know the rulebook shouldn't be a head coach. Thank you, Captain Obvious. BTW, that's a good reversal by that official.

9:35 PM: I don't know why, but I just remembered that John Madden's the same guy who thought the Patriots should run out the clock and take their chances in OT against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He, and every other St. Louis fan remains baffled to this day.

9:38 PM: Term that annoys me: "the naked eye." So does that means my eyes are fully clothed when I'm wearing my glasses? Jeez.

9:41 PM: Two broken hands, and Fred Robbins is still playing? BTW, if the Giants had six defensive backs on three Eagle receivers, then how did McNabb find an open receiver? Granted, the throw was a little off. And that was a dumb play on special teams by the home squad.

9:43 PM: I find it hilarious that Greg Lewis "illegally touched" him without actually using his hands.

9:44 PM: Yeah, that "phenomenal" Eagle defense has given up 27 points, John. And they just got called for a 15-yard personal foul face mask. Great timing on your part.

9:45 PM: Whoever decided there should be no such thing as a "five-yard face mask penalty," that guy should never have to buy a beer for the rest of his life.

9:47 PM: Kevin Boss just showed "The City of Brotherly Love" who the real "Boss" is in this game. WOW!

9:48 PM: Note to the G-Men: STOP MAKING UP STUPID NICKNAMES FOR YOUR RUNNING BACKS! Seriously, we've gone from "Thunder" and "Lightning" to now "Earth, Wind, and Fire." What kind of nickname is "Earth" for a running back?

9:50 PM: Middle-aged women gambling. Oh, goody!

9:50 PM: Everyone can afford a Ford today? Even with the economy as crappy as it is?

9:52 PM: Someone on the Eagles just tried his best "LaVar Arrington" there, and failed miserably.

9:53 PM: Could you draw up a HB draw any crappier than that? WOW.

9:53 PM: Man, I haven't heard Matchbox Twenty in a long time.

9:54 PM: Coors Light's only commercial featuring Dennis Green ought to be from his famous rant two years ago.

9:54 PM: And we need to get a Wendy's in downtown Iowa City like there was one in the Ped Mall when I was a kid. I wouldn't necessarily get the double stack burger they just advertised, but it sure sounds good.

9;55 PM: NO MORE TURDUCKEN FROM JOHN MADDEN? AAAHHHH!!!! THE WORLD'S COMING TO AN END! GOD, HELP US ALL, ESPECIALLY THAT "PHENOMENAL" EAGLE DEFENSE THAT HAS NOW GIVEN UP 30 POINTS TONIGHT.

9:58 PM: Man, I'm glad Westbrook didn't play against us back in September.

9:59 PM: What a bad ass name for a punter — Sav Rocca. And just as I say that, Hixon takes on to the house, and just as I say that, the return gets called back. Damn.

10 PM: It's 10 o'clock. I need to go get a Diet Coke. I'm hitting up the library because that vending machine in AJB is still a piece of crap.

10:04 PM: And I'm back from the library. Word of advice: Never walk outside in this weather without a jacket (or at least a vest). I just made that mistake and am beginning to thaw back at my cubicle in the newsroom. Speaking of the paper, did I mention that tomorrow's paper is going to be BAD ASS! Pick up your copies before I steal them all for clips. Ha ha ha.

10:06 PM: So KCRG just reminded me of the days when I played junior high and high school football and we had to do stadium clean-ups at Kinnick Stadium every Sunday morning after an Iowa home game. Glad those days are far behind me. Those mornings sucked. Especially if it rained. But somebody had to do it.

10:09 PM: It's days such as yesterday, today, and tomorrow that make me absolutely love what I do for a living. I really mean that.

10:11 PM: Al Michaels, it's called taking risks. Every coach does it. Don't whine when it doesn't go their way. Jacobs scores again, and is looking like he might replace Jason Avant on the horse trailer tonight.

10:12 PM: My initial thought: He just broke the plain of the goalline literally a millisecond before the ball gets stripped from hm. That should be a New York touchdown.

10:15 PM: Good call. Refs not popular in Philly. What else is new? Dumb idea going for two there, actually.

10:17 PM: Basic math: 9-0 better than 8-1. Tennessee better than NY Giants. I will say, however, that I believe, as I even said back in the fall, that the Giants will at the very least, repeat as NFC Champions. This team is fun to watch. And with all due respect to Peyton, Eli is the better Manning RIGHT NOW.

10:18 PM: I feel for Brian Westbrook. A shot to the groin is never pleasant.

10:22 PM: Usually, John, when you don't blitz, you EXPECT great coverage from your defense. Just a thought.

10:23 PM: Delay of game. One of the most, perhaps the most, inexplicable penalty in all of football. Donovan McNabb is better than that.

10:24 PM: Whenever this game is over (or out of reach realistically), I'm going to be editing some slide show cutlines. I encourage all of you to check out dailyiowan.com and check out the photos we got from football and both basketball games today.

10:25 PM: That call by Andy Reid took you-know-what. Nice call.

10:26 PM: Symbicort — first drug ad I've ever seen where they don't list side effects. Even if I did have asthma, I don't think I'd want to take that stuff.

10:27 PM: Ad for Monday night game says "First place Cardinals." Unreal, huh?

10:29 PM: "Every Hedgecock should be from Nebraska." Perhaps the dumbest sentence ever uttered out of the mouth of John Madden. If my last name was Hedgecock, I'd start a petition to get Madden fired from NBC. That's almost as bad as Sarah Palin saying certain parts of America are the real America. By the way (only political thing I'll say aside from the Biden/Obama reference I made earlier), thank God she's not our new vice.

10:32 PM: Madden said the offsides on Philly is a bad penalty. John, EVERY PENALTY IS A BAD PENALTY! EVERY PENALTY IS, AS YOU SAY, A STUPID PENALTY! I've never seen a smart penalty in all the years I've watched football. Wow.

10:33 PM: Before this game concludes and I sign off, I just want to say that one way of the other, I'm glad there will be a good ending to it and that it was a close game.

10:37 PM: New rule — two-minute warnings should last two minutes, not one commercial.

10:40 PM: Biggest pet peeve in football for me: If it's third down, run a play that gets you the first. Don't be stupid. They f-ed up on 4th and 1 and deserve it because they didn't go for the first down on third down.

10:41 PM: No reason to watch Eli take a knee. I'm done. Had a blast doing this. Looking forward to reading the comments. Time for me to look at some slide shows before they hit the web. Peace.

Projected Big Ten Bowls

Here's how I see things playing out in the Big Ten as of this moment. I have eight teams making games after Wisconsin's win over Illinois.

Penn State: 12-0, 8-0 (BCS National Championship) — Either Texas or Alabama will lose, which means an undefeated squad coached by JoePa won't have 1994 repeat itself.

Ohio State: 10-2, 7-1 (Rose Bowl) — I will guarantee this happening if the Buckeyes win out because Illinois was a full game worse both overall and in the conference last year, and the Rose Bowl still wanted the Big Ten/Pac-10 battle.

Minnesota: 11-1, 7-1 (Capital One Bowl) — If that one loss wasn't to Ohio State, the Gophers might be a BCS squad.

Michigan State: 9-3, 6-2 (Outback Bowl) — Should feel fortunate if this is how it indeed plays out.

Iowa: 7-5, 4-4 (Champs Sports Bowl) — This depends on who selects first. For now, I'll assume it's Champs Sports, but if it is Alamo, then put the Hawkeyes in San Antonio.

Wisconsin: 6-6, 2-6 (Alamo Bowl) — Remember, it isn't about records, but money. Wisconsin fans have gotten use to going to Florida routinely.

Illinois: 6-6, 3-5 (Insight Bowl) — Would be a sea of orange in Tempe.

Northwestern: 7-5, 3-5 (Motor City Bowl) — Not as big a fan base as Wisconsin or Illinois.

In case you're wondering: I have PSU, OSU and Minnesota all winning out, Michigan State beating Wisconsin and Purdue, Iowa beating Illinois and Purdue, Wisconsin beating Indiana and Cal-Poly, Illinois beating Western Michigan and Northwestern, and Northwestern beating Michigan. That's how I got to these respective records.

— Brendan Stiles

Other news from college football this past weekend

1. Colt McCoy is the front runner for the Heisman Trophy and anyone who questions this (cough, Lou Holtz, cough) is insane.

Did anyone else see he completed 29 of 32 passes against Missouri on Saturday? Any current or former player will tell you that is absolutely absurd. 29 of 32? And in a Big XII game? Geez.

Right now, Texas really does look like the best team, and I realize people will bring up how brutal the Longhorns' schedule is, but in all seriousness, do you really see a game on that schedule that they're going to lose? Granted, Oklahoma State has built a reputation on going up by 20 in the first half against Texas, only to lose by 20. Annually. Just look back at the last four seasons if you don't believe me. And keep in mind that if Texas is in the Big XII title game, the Longhorns can't play Oklahoma, so there will not be a game between now and December where they're not favored to win.

2. So USC won 69-0, huh?

Look, I know USC is a great team, but there's two things I need to say right now (one thing I said a month ago and will stick to): First of all, Washington State has to be the most garbage team in all of college football right now. Yes, I know Syracuse is terrible and the Cougars' Pac-10 rival, Washington, is winless at the moment, but just look at each of WSU's results. They're a joke. The one win is against PORTLAND STATE, for crying out loud, and the closest margin of defeat the Cougars have this year is 25 points against UCLA. Pathetic. Not only that, but last weekend's game against USC marked the FOURTH time this season already that WSU has surrendered more than 60 points to an opponent. How that defensive coordinator still has a job is beyond me. Bottom line here, this win for the Trojans is not that impressive.

Which leads me back to something I've said repeatedly: This Saturday, Tucson, Arizona will be the site of this weekend's biggest upset in college football. Yes, you heard me right, and feel free to hold me to this: The Arizona Wildcats are going to beat the USC Trojans.

I said before how USC has a tendency to lose games that are on the road, against a Pac-10 team it's clearly better than, and when the game is NOT being hyped up by ESPN or ABC. Guess what? This weekend's game AT Arizona is being televised by FSN. It's a 9 p.m. kickoff here in Iowa.

Before you continue to laugh and mock this prediction of mine, here's what you should know about Mike Stoops' squad: The Wildcats, just like USC, are 3-1 in the Pac-10 as we speak, and are coming off a win this past weekend at home over a ranked Cal squad. If Arizona wins, they get that abysmal WSU team and Oregon next on the road, then end the season with two home games against Oregon State and Arizona State. Aside from that Oregon game in Eugene, the Wildcats could easily run the table here. Can you imagine Arizona in the Rose Bowl? If they win this game, it's a real possibility.

Also keep this in mind: Stoops has a knack for beating Top 10 schools at home. Just look at the past three seasons - 2005, Arizona clobbered an undefeated UCLA squad, 2006, the Wildcats upset Cal right before the Golden Bears were going to play for a Pac-10 crown against USC, and just last year, when Oregon was No. 2 in the country, Arizona not only beat the Ducks and ruined their Rose Bowl/National title ambitions, but in the process, knocked out Dennis Dixon for good.

They say history tends to repeat itself, which is why I ultimately believe Arizona's coming out on top against the USC Trojans.

3. Ohio State has discovered an offense

It comes in the form of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. This kid has proven to be the real deal, and down the road, when he's a season veteran, Ohio State's going to be one scary team.

I had a feeling the Buckeyes would beat Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend, but never did I think it would be 45-7. Talk about a beatdown. The offense clicked, the defense clicked, Jim Tressel looks like a good coach again, and this week's game between Penn State and Ohio State is going to be a classic. Mark my words.

4. OK, so my BCS predictions from a while back look awful

So here's what I'll say knowing what I know right now:

ACC - Right now, Georgia Tech looks like the only team that doesn't leave you scratching your head, but the Yellow Jackets don't own the tiebreaker against Virginia Tech in that division, so I'm inclined to say the Hokies emerge and will face Wake Forest in the ACC championship. If this is the case, I'm going with Va. Tech to repeat as conference champs.

BIG EAST - Dave Wannstedt? Really? After Pitt beat South Florida, the Panthers actually look like the team to beat in that conference, which is amazing when you consider Iowa literally gave that game to Pitt back in Sept. 20. Nice job though rebounding from that Week One loss to Bowling Green. That game has proven to be a fluke.

BIG TEN - I'm having a real hard time deciding on who will win Saturday's game at The Horseshoe (I promise to make up my mind on this real soon, however). Ultimately, I believe both the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are going to play in BCS bowls, because after this week, I don't see either team losing any of its remaining game (Sorry, Iowa fans).

BIG XII - Texas. I don't need to say anymore other than "Damn you, Oklahoma, for making me look like an idiot."

PAC-10 - While I'm picking that big upset to happen this week, USC's still going to win the conference and play in the Rose Bowl. Let's not kid ourselves. If this does happen, I'll really want them to play Penn State instead of Ohio State.

SEC - My SEC West champion from the beginning of the year looks golden - Alabama, who is way better than I pictured them being, by the way - but I still believe Georgia can win the SEC title game, as long as the Bulldogs beat Florida next week. The winner of that game is winning the East Division, and while I don't see Georgia winning at LSU this week (that's the one game I always had the 'Dawgs losing because it's in Death Valley), don't forget Florida already lost to Ole Miss, so whoever loses next week's game in Jacksonville is really screwed.

BCS BUSTERS - If there is one, it will now be Utah ("Damn you, BYU!") My silver lining is I had the right state and the right conference, just the wrong team. By the way, how cool would a Florida/Utah BCS game be?

I'll stop here for now, but will continue to post down the road here.

- Brendan Stiles

Big win for the Hawkeyes

This is the first of two entries I'll write about this weekend, with this pertaining solely to Iowa's win over Wisconsin last Saturday.

WOW!

I'm wondering if someone on the team read my entry regarding Shonn Greene and passed it on to him, because just after I said that he might not cut it once he got to the NFL, he puts up an absolutely ridiculous performance. (Seriously, what other superlatives describe what he did?)

25 carries. 217 rushing yards. Four touchdowns. Take that, Wisconsin.

As I mentioned in my article that ran in the DI, Greene displayed a little of everything - determination is something he himself brought up after the game, and boy, when you have a back that has been as determined as he has been, watch out.

And as if his performance against the Badgers wasn't enough, you have Pat Angerer record 16 tackles, and get interceptions on back-to-back series in the fourth quarter. Talk about one hell of a game.

It was good to see that the Big Ten is not completely insane since both Greene and Angerer received Big Ten Player of the Week honors earlier today. Obviously, they're well-deserved.

By the way, that one touchdown pass Ricky Stanzi threw to Allen Reisner that he caught one-handed? I realize in the press box that you're supposed to act objective, and while I wasn't cheering like the other 70,585 in the stadium (most of which in gold), I admit I couldn't stop laughing after Reisner caught that ball and literally walked into the end zone. I just couldn't believe what I witnessed, and quite honestly, I don't think anybody could.

All across the board, this was a solid effort by Iowa, and it really is nice to see them in a position to get a decent bowl game. I honestly feel if the Hawkeyes do somehow win out (that's asking a lot by the way because the only game they should be favored in is against Purdue), the Capital One Bowl would not be out of the question. If the Hawkeyes beat everyone except Penn State, who is currently ranked third in the country, then the Outback Bowl could be calling if Iowa's 5-3 in the conference and 8-4 overall.

Like the players, however, I'm going to really enjoy being able to stay at home and enjoy watching some other teams in action (I'm also excited upon hearing the news that the Illinois kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., next week. Hooray for sleep!)

- Brendan Stiles

Shonn Greene

For the type of season that Shonn Greene is having, he could be drafted if he decided to leave a year early for the NFL.

I honestly am not sure how he compares to other running backs in the country other than the guys I know of like Javon Ringer, who I could see being a durable NFL back, but not anything to write home about.

The one thing you have to keep in mind is that the pro game is much faster, so some of the moves we at Iowa are accustomed to seeing Greene make every Saturday in college might not translate as well. Plus, you have to factor what type of offensive line he would have in the NFL, because for as much credit as he deserves, the Iowa offensive line as a unit deserves just as much, with evidence being the balance Iowa has had offensively, plus the fact that second-string back Jewel Hampton had 114 rushing yards and three touchdowns last weekend against Indiana.

- Brendan Stiles

previewing Iowa and Indiana

So Iowa is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten.

Not the start all of us in Hawkeye-land were hoping for.

I don't feel I need to explain the magnitude of Saturday's game to all of you, but I will anyway. It's huge.

Going back to what I said before, I refuse to call this a "must-win" because you should be wanting to win every game regardless. But given Iowa's circumstances right now, I'll use the cliche "do or die."

Simply put, if Iowa loses this game to an Indiana team that also is on a four-game losing streak, stick a fork in the rest of this season. Considering the rest of the schedule includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue, and Minnesota, none of those games should be considered guaranteed wins.

The turnovers are disgusting to watch right now, especially the ones in the red zone. Those are the kinds of things Iowa needs to improve off of because if they continue against the Hoosiers, then just imagine what happens against any of those other teams I mentioned, which probably have better defenses than Indiana does.

Now one positive I took away from the Michigan State game last week is that the Hawkeyes are beginning to become more aggressive. Perfect evidence of this is the fact that on two occasions during the fourth quarter, head coach Kirk Ferentz decided to go for the first down rather than settle for a field goal. If you read my commentary earlier this week, you already know my stance on this.

But the aggressiveness I'm eluding to is (for instance), throwing a deep ball on the ensuing play after Michigan State was called for encroachment. The play I'm referring to is the touchdown pass Ricky Stanzi threw to Andy Brodell. As a football fan, that's what I love to see out of an offense - burning defenses after they make stupid mistakes. Hopefully, more of that takes place this weekend and beyond.

More often than not, time of possession is usually overrated, but in this instance, I'm going to say it will factor in who wins on Saturday because the key for Iowa is going to be utilizing Shonn Greene again to the best of his abilities to set up the pass against a defense that, like the Hawkeyes, has a solid front four. Defensively, it will be staying home when Marcus Thigpen has the ball and not allowing Kellen Lewis to get behind anybody.

In other words, the basics that Iowa has excelled at, but without the turnovers, should be enough to put Iowa over the top on Saturday.

- Brendan Stiles

This weekend's games

I'm not going to harp too much on some of the other games this week, but I have these thoughts:

Upset special: Call me crazy, but I have Michigan upsetting Wisconsin in The Big House tomorrow. I know WIsconsin's ranked ninth, and Michigan just got their you-know-whats handed to them by Notre Dame, but the fact is - the Badgers always seem to struggle any time they play Michigan in Ann Arbor. If this game was in Madison, I'd be picking Wisconsin without hesitation. But something tells me you're going to see an inspired Michigan team after two weeks to recover from the debacle in South Bend.

Back in Black: Georgia is wearing those awesome looking black jerseys against Alabama. Chalk that up as a win for the Bulldogs in Round 1 of 2 against the Crimson Tide this year.

White Out: Penn State beats Illinois. No questions asked. At Beaver Stadium, with the "White Out," and it's a payback game for the Nittany Lions. Not to mention Penn State looks like a legit title contender while the Fighting Illini have had some struggles thus far in 2008.

Bo knows: Take Nebraska going away against Virginia Tech tomorrow night. If you recall last year, when LSU manhandled the Hokies, Bo Pelini, now the Huskers head coach, was LSU's defensive coordinator. Meanwhile, the Hokies' offense hasn't really changed much from last year. Nebraska might not win 41-7, but with this game in Lincoln, I see blowout written all over this one.

other Big Ten: The three other games featuring Big Ten teams (this excludes Iowa, who I have winning 24-21 tomorrow over Northwestern) are Minnesota-Ohio State, Michigan State-Indiana, and Purdue-Notre Dame. I see the Boilers leaving South Bend with a victory over the Fighting Irish, Michigan State should have no problems with IU, and Ohio State will hand Minnesota its first loss of 2008.

I'll be back to discuss more after this weekend.

- Brendan

In response to what's assigned

Like I've said in multiple posts, including the one I wrote earlier, the two best teams in the country are the Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners.

Now, I can see Georgia losing in Death Valley against LSU, but I see the 'Dawgs beating Florida again, and just like tomorrow night, I believe they're going to beat Alabama twice this season - Saturday night in Athens, and on Dec. 6 in Atlanta at the SEC Championship Game.

As for OU, I don't see the Sooners losing any game on their schedule, and if they meet Missouri again for the Big XII title, I see a repeat of what happened last year with the better defense prevailing.

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Georgia vs. Oklahoma

ROSE BOWL: Penn State vs. USC

USC still might lose a second game, but the Trojans remain the cream of the crop in the Pac-10. Meanwhile, I have Ohio State winning the Big Ten, but since no one wants that ugly rematch I mentioned before, I see Penn State getting this bid. This would certainly be interesting because while USC has had success against the Big Ten during Pete Carroll's tenure, the Nittany Lions are the one Big Ten team that has lately shown up in bowl games, winning their last three of them over Texas A&M in the Alamo, Tennessee in the Outback, and Florida State in the Orange. This would be a fun game to watch.

ORANGE BOWL: BYU vs. Clemson

To me, Clemson is still the best the ACC has to offer, and the Tigers will dominate conference play (although Wake Forest is legit as well). Keep in mind that both the Tigers and Demon Deacons are in the same division, which is a shame this year, so whoever wins that game on Oct. 9 (Again, I think Clemson wins) is going to have an easier opponent in the ACC Championship Game, probably Virginia Tech. As for the Cougars, I've been proclaiming them this year's version of 2007 Hawaii and 2006 Boise State. BYU is better than that Utah team that only beat Michigan by two points, and if they're undefeated at season's end, it's the Orange Bowl's turn to get the BCS Buster. I can imagine the people in South Beach hope I'm wrong, otherwise all the clubs will be filled with orange and purple around New Year's.

SUGAR BOWL: Florida vs. South Florida

The only game I see Florida losing is that game with Georgia on Nov. 1, and with the Bulldogs in the national championship, the Sugar Bowl spot held by the SEC goes to the Gators. As for USF, I'm convinced now that they're the Big East's best to offer (West Virginia's making my preseason prediction look real bad right now), and this proposed match-up would have everyone ecstatic, especially since last year's Sugar Bowl between Hawaii and Georgia was a clunker. This game would have all the intrigue everyone looks for during bowl season.

FIESTA BOWL: Missouri vs. Ohio State

With OU in the national title, Mizzou gets the Big 12 selection for the Fiesta Bowl, making up for last year's joke. Meanwhile, I got to put Ohio State here because even though I like the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten, which would give them a Rose Bowl bid, if Penn State remains high enough in the rankings, I could see everyone wanting to avoid a rematch of the Buckeyes and Trojans, plus everyone knows Ohio State fans travel well to Arizona. They've only been there, what, four times since Jim Tressel took over for John Cooper?

Iowa vs. Northwestern pre-game thoughts

Maybe last week's game at Pitt wasn't considered by many to be a must-win.

As someone who played football from junior high up to my sophomore year of high school, there are two sayings I think are stupid - "must-wins" and "moral victories."

If you're an athlete and you don't view every game as a must-win, no matter who you're competing against, then you shouldn't be an athlete. Who cares if Pitt's from the Big East? I would certainly hope everyone on the Hawkeyes was playing to win last week. That's why one of my all-time favorite quotes is from Herm Edwards when he said "You play to win the game." That should always be a mindset. Every game is a must-win.

As for the moral victories, there's no such thing. Sure, you can learn from losing and find some positives from a loss, but if you come out a loser, your immediate reaction isn't, 'Well, we kept their running back under 100 yards, or we didn't give up any touchdowns through the air, or we fought valiantly in the second half,' all of which Iowa did last week. No, when you lose, you're ticked that your opponent beat you. You don't care about anything else because that loss is driving you insane. I asked a couple of players afterwards how they felt about losing in the fashion they did as opposed to an alternative way, and both guys gave me answers the athlete in me was hoping they'd say - A loss is a loss, and no matter the margin, it hurts.

Now I'm not trying to contradict here when I say this because like I said earlier, every game should be considered a must-win. But if the Hawkeyes are going to have a good 2008 and end up in a decent enough bowl game, they need to jump out right away and just take Northwestern to the woodshed. Iowa cannot afford to lose this game.

Forget the fact it's Homecoming. Forget the fact that Kirk Ferentz has been heavily criticized this past week about his "gut feeling." Forget about the QB deal. Forget that this is the first conference game.

We in the media have a tendency to always look ahead while the teams we cover strictly focus on the here and now. If you look at Iowa's upcoming schedule, the next two games are on the road in the Big Ten against a darn good Michigan State team, and an Indiana squad that has given the Hawkeyes fits the last two years. If Iowa enters that road stretch on a two-game losing streak and at 0-1 in the Big Ten, things have the potential to flatout go downhill.

Northwestern is not going to be a cupcake, even though the Wildcats have played a bigger cupcake non-conference schedule than Iowa. Right now, there's so much parody in the Big Ten that all 11 teams - yes, this includes Michigan - have the potential to be bowl-eligible. Everyone except Minnesota last year was, and this season, the Gophers are already 4-0.

These games are going to matter more than ever, and you could make the argument that if this is an easy game, it's the easiest one Iowa has. After those two road games, you have Wisconsin, who at the moment is a Top 10 team, at Illinois, Penn State and Purdue both come to Kinnick and both are legit - especially Penn State - and then that last game at Minnesota.

If the Hawkeyes win tomorrow, some of these games are going to appear easier, and the amazing thing about Iowa this season is that I believe they're capable of winning every game left on their schedule. That said, I can just as easily see the Hawkeyes LOSING every game left. That's how close the Big Ten really is right now. Just about every conference game is going to feel unpredictable.

This is just one of the biggest reasons as to why the Hawkeyes need to win on Saturday.

- Brendan

Sooner than expected

Right before the USC-Ohio State game, I made the comment that I believed neither the Trojans nor Buckeyes would run the table after winning that game.

To no one's surprise, everyone began to jump on the USC bandwagon and buy into Mark May's talk about the Trojans being the greatest thing since sliced bread. After that 35-3 beatdown of Ohio State, USC was the bully of college football.

Some bully.

USC's loss to Oregon State last night came exactly one month BEFORE the date I had circled as when I thought the Trojans would be conquered by an inferior Pac-10 opponent, so as far as I'm concerned, this loss came ahead of schedule.

First, you got to give credit where credit's due to the Beavers. Just like in 2006, Oregon State jumped out to a big enough lead that USC would simply run out of time to catch up. That's the key to beating a team like the Trojans. You have to establish your gameplan early and often because as I've said before, Pete Carroll might be the best coach in all of college football in terms of making halftime adjustments, something that the Trojans did do. At the start of the third quarter, USC came out full of energy that was missing in the entire first half.

By the way, I love how Oregon State went for the touchdown right before the half, contrary to what Chris Fowler, Craig James, and Jesse Palmer were all saying. Granted, that TD should've been picked off, possibly a pick-six, but nonetheless, I love how they had the guts to stick it to USC, and luckily for them, they did.

Now here's the bigger question from a Big Ten perspective: Is Penn State better than we all think, or is Ohio State highly overrated? The Nittany Lions clobbered Oregon State earlier this month, and we all know what happened to the Buckeyes. But it brings up an interesting topic of discussion. This is something I'd like to see people chime opinions on if they so desire.

For now, though, I'm sticking to my guns about Georgia and Oklahoma being the two best teams in the country and how I think they're BOTH destined for Miami on Jan. 8. As for USC, let's just hope someone other than Ohio State wins the Big Ten, otherwise, it could be another bad Rose Bowl this year.

- Brendan

My 10 Most Memorable Sports Moments

I wasn't sure exactly what was in mind, so I decided to countdown 10 of the most memorable sports moments for me personally over the past decade. Too bad this can only be between Sept. 1998 and now, otherwise I would automatically list off six Chicago Bulls championships during my childhood. But I digress...

10. North Carolina winning the 2005 national title in college hoops.
- Never had I felt more vindicated about a prediction in my lifetime.

9. The 2001 Chicago Bears' season.
- It ended wrong unfortunately with a playoff loss to the Eagles, but the wins over the 49ers and Browns that year were incredible, as well as the fake field goal touchdown to Urlacher against Washington, or Martin Gramatica's kick hitting the upright, or Keith Traylor's interception.

8. Cubs winning the 1998 Wild Card.
- I thought they blew it for sure after choking a lead against Milwaukee (damn you, Brant Brown), but the playoff victory over San Francisco capped off a fun summer.

7. My first White Sox game.
- Against Cleveland in 1998, Robin Ventura hit a walk-off home run at old Comiskey Park on the very first pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning.

6. Cubs beat Cards in 14
- This was in 2006 at the new Busch Stadium, with the Cubs scoring two in the ninth on a Scott Rolen error, and then Juan Pierre scored the winning run in the top of the 14th.

5. Cubs beat Cards in 11
- This was last August, the game where Jim Edmonds hit two solo shots for the Cubs, and then Henry Blanco came through with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th.

4. Iowa winning four games in four days at the Big Ten Tournament
- I was in Chicago from start to finish with my dad back in 2001 when the Hawkeye basketball team pulled off one of the most miraculous four days stretches I've ever seen in sports.

3. White Sox winning the 2005 World Series.
- October 2005 was one of the best months of my life.

2. Devin Hester's opening kickoff in the Super Bowl
- The only reason this isn't No. 1 is because the Indianapolis Colts prevented me from referring to Feb. 4, 2007 as the happiest day of my entire life after the first 11 minutes of Super Bowl XLI.

1. Iowa: 30 LSU: 25
- I was at this game when Warren Holloway caught his first career touchdown reception, which just happened to be on the final play of the 2005 Capital One Bowl that resulted in Iowa downing the defending BCS national champions from the year before.

Hope these bring back good memories for some of you all as well.

- Brendan

looking at Week Three

First off, it's a shame that Hurricane Ike is hitting the U.S. right now, because Arkansas vs. Texas was a game I was kind of looking forward to.

Obviously, all the hoopla is going to surround L.A. tomorrow, and it should. With two Top Five teams playing one another, it should be fun to watch (I'm glad I'll be able to). I'm going to make two bold predictions (and I don't care if Beanie Wells plays or not for Ohio State truthfully):

1. I see Ohio State jumping out to like a 7-0 or 10-0 lead early on, mainly because USC is coming off two weeks in between games and I just envision the Buckeyes wanting to make an immediate statement after the near-debacle in Columbus last week. But when it's all said and done, I ultimately see USC winning 35-17, because Pete Carroll is one of the best coaches when it comes to making halftime adjustments. The Trojans have always been a second-half team, and eventually, they're going to wear out the Buckeyes. Just give it time.

2. Mark my words, and hold me to this at the end of the season - neither Ohio State or USC is going undefeated or playing in the national title game. In fact, I bet there will be a rematch between these two in Pasadena on Jan. 1. I see both teams losing another game each between now and December. In the Buckeyes' case, the one game I'm not giving them (besides tomorrow's) is at Wisconsin because it's a night atmosphere at Camp Randall. I know Iowa City was crazy when the Buckeyes were here a couple of years ago, but in all seriousness, this is a game I think Wisconsin is going to try to make a statement to the rest of the Big Ten, and the rest of the nation. As for USC, the Trojans' recent tendency is to lose a road game to a high-or-middle tier team in the Pac-10 that doesn't get nearly the hype as other games (in other words, the game they lose will be on something like FSN or Versus and not when ESPN's around). Rule out Oregon State because the Beavers are bad right now and that's a Thursday ESPN game. Also rule out UCLA because of Rick Neuheisel's mouth, Stanford for obvious reasons, Washington State because they're also bad, and that leaves you with Oct. 25 when USC visits Arizona. Before you laugh, keep in mind the following: 1. Arizona has played them close in recent years. 2. Arizona in the Mike Stoops era, has beaten the following teams at home in recent years - UCLA in 2005 when the Bruins were undefeated, Cal in 2006 before the Golden Bears' showdown that year with USC, and Oregon last year when the Ducks were No. 2 and Dennis Dixon looked like the Hesiman front-runner. If the pattern continues, this is what I envision.

Now, for other games - Michigan and Notre Dame. Wow. I only chose Notre Dame to win BY DEFAULT. Both teams look bad right now, but I'll go with ND because at least the Irish made plays when it needed to last week and I think that Golden Tate kid could become something special for Charlie Weis. Oregon and Purdue is intriguing, but I go with the Ducks because I just don't see the Boilermakers' defense doing anything to keep Oregon's offense off the field.

Despite a bad trend of Big Ten teams struggling in California, I see Wisconsin (not Ohio State) leaving the Golden State with a win over Fresno State on Saturday. I don't think Wisconsin's as overrated as some say, and keep in mind that Fresno State's history of beating big-time programs is usually with road games. This game's in Fresno. Kudos to Bret Bielema for having the you-know-what to schedule this game.

Moving out of the Big Ten, I'm excited about Kansas and South Florida tonight. I see George Selvie being the difference and the Bulls should come out a winner over the Jayhawks at home. I also think Georgia is not overlooking an SEC opponent it lost at home to last year before its big showdown with Arizona State in Tempe, so I like the Bulldogs, the team I picked to beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game, to win at South Carolina. Speaking of Oklahoma, I got them winning in Seattle against Washington, and for the sake of both schools (remember OU-Oregon in 2006), I hope the game officials are from the Big XII, not the Pac-10.

Hopefully, this turns out to be as good a weekend as it appears.

- Brendan Stiles