In Dallas, two teams are fixin' fer a shootout.  Meanwhile in Gainesville, it's time for a showdown.  Seems like the theme lately has been Big XII vs SEC and how the top teams in each conference stack up against each other.  Unfortunately the two conferences won't play head-to-head matchups until the bowl season rolls around, but in a way we'll have some measure of direct comparison this Saturday.

Two big games highlighting two of the top teams from each conference.

First up, the Red River Shootout is upon us!  Well, not upon me - I live in Illinois, but I'll definitely be watching on my LG HDTV with an ice cold Coors Light in hand (the Rocky Mountains turn blue so that I know the beer is cold) and some Chili Cheese flavored Fritos close nearby.  The number 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners will finally get their first real test of the season against the Texas Longhorns and where better to settle matters in a shootout than the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Sam Bradford is about as efficient of a college QB as you're ever going to see, but he's not the only story for the Sooner offense.  Folks say hello to OU running backs DeMarco Murray, Chris Brown, and Mossis Madu.  I'm sure they'll be introducing themselves to the Longhorn defense on Saturday.  The knock against the Sooners for a few years now has been that they can't win the big game, and this here's a tremendous opportunity to dispel that nonsense.

On the Texas side, QB Colt McCoy has played some excellent football of late, but much like the Sooners, the Longhorns haven't really been challenged yet this season.  The knock on McCoy has been that he hasn't won the big games during his time on campus in Austin, and well, that sounds similar to OU's story too doesn't it.  For some reason, I think turnovers will be more damaging to Texas than to Oklahoma in this game.

This promises to be very entertaining, and I'll take Boomer Sooner over Hook 'em Horns in a hard hitting, close game.

Then on Saturday night the Bayou Bengals come marching into The Swamp.  A huge game for both teams for sure, but this is an absolutely must win situation for the Florida Gators.  During the Ole Miss game the rumors were proven true, Tebow is actually human after all.  A second conference loss would probably doom Florida's title hopes before they ever really got started, and desperation can be a wonderful motivator.  Again, my eyes will be on the Gator defense, especially after getting touched for 31 by the Ole Miss Rebels.

The LSU defense will be up to the challenge presented by the Gator offense, and honestly, both the offensive and defensive lines for the Tigers might just be the best in the nation.  Young QB Jarrett Lee has played well enough early on (with the exception of that shaky first half at Auburn), and for the most part, he's stayed within his role.  The LSU running attack is what really drives the offense, and RB Charles Scott is a power back that almost seems to enjoy punishing tacklers.

The Gators are at home in primetime with a national audience, and they need this game in a very very bad way.  I'll take Florida to win a weird and wild game, with maybe an onside kick, a safety, and some two point conversions thrown in for good measure.  You know, just to add a little excitement to things.

Most of the early title chasers are still alive, but some (like Florida) now have a smaller margin for error than others.  The Alabama Crimson Tide have obviously positioned themselves nicely, as will either Oklahoma or Texas or LSU depending on the outcomes of those two big games.  USC, Ohio State, and Georgia will have considerable pressure on them from here on out.  The same goes for BYU and Utah, and to an extent each game for them will be watched through an even more skeptical microscope.

There's two other teams that have emerged as serious national title contenders that we'll get to know more about on Saturday.

The Missouri Tigers have unleashed a point scoring assault on every defense they've faced, and this weekend they host the upstart Oklahoma State Cowboys.  Also, the Penn State Nittany Lions have been sporting an explosive offense of their own, and they'll be following in the footsteps of the Ohio State Buckeyes as they visit Camp Randall Stadium in Madison for a primetime game against the Wisconsin Badgers.  My guess is that both Mizzou and Penn State continue their winning ways and continue to look impressive on offense in the process.

I suppose there are some other one-loss teams that aren't quite dead yet for a BCS bowl invitation, but they're certainly living dangerously.  Va Tech might yet be the best team in the wild ACC race, or maybe Wake Forest can make a late run.  People seem to be high on Michigan State lately, or maybe they're high on something else and the Spartans are just benefiting from it.  Cal seems to have recovered from that mysterious case of dry heaves that afflicted them in Maryland, or maybe that was just a case of a Pac-10 team getting caught in the craziness that is the ACC.  Notre Dame may have brought some shine back to the Golden Dome, or maybe that's just wishful thinking from the hungry Fighting Irish fans.

And then there's Texas Tech.  What to make of the Red Raiders?

I'm not sure.  If they're ready to be considered legitimate national title contenders, we probably won't find out about it until Nov 1 when they host the Texas Longhorns.  Meanwhile just sit back and enjoy the Red Gun offense shooting footballs all over the field.

Speaking of the Sonny D philosophy of college football offensive tactics, the Arizona Wildcats travel to the Bay Area to face the Stanford Cardinal in an extremely important game for both teams.  The UofA football team has played itself into a share of the Pac-10 lead (with Cal), and it's important that the Wildcats learn how to win on the road as a part of their development.

The key for Arizona will be to stop Stanford's running game, which is a good one.  The Cardinal have two quality backs that compliment one another pretty well, with Anthony Kimble providing the quickness and ability to go for the home run and with Toby Gerhart providing the toughness and bruising style to run inside.  This will be a serious challenge for the young Wildcat defense.  On offense the 'Cats really seem to be hitting stride, especially with TE Rob Gronkowski finally appearing to be at full strength.  I think the forecast in Palo Alto might be calling for rain showers on Saturday, and if that's the case, running a spread passing attack with a wet football will be yet another challenge the Wildcats must overcome.  This game promises to be a genuine test for us to see just how good this Arizona team really is.

Bear Down 'Cats!

If I see gibberish on the wall, I don't try to pretend that I see Shakespeare.  For that matter Shakespeare is gibberish to me, but then again I am a college football fan.  I tune in to college football for unpredictability and upheaval, and last week sure delivered.

First up, on a lazy Thursday night USC travelled to Corvallis, Oregon.  The Trojans seemed to have the deck stacked in their favor: a #1 ranking, a great defense, a standout QB, and talent that went deep into the roster.  Blah, blah, blah.  Oregon State kicked their butts.

And so in the pre-season it was called the Pac-10, then after struggling head-to-head with the MWC the critics labeled it as the Pac-1.  After USC's defeat I'm sure the same critics are now calling it the Pac-0, and that's fine by me.  After all, if the conference is truly down in 2008 and Arizona is emerging as a good team, then what better situation for the Wildcats to move up the conference ladder, right?  Nope, not so fast, the Pac-10 hasn't suddenly become easy for anyone.  USC isn't going away.

Next up on Saturday afternoon, the Ole Miss Rebels charged into The Swamp.  With the top spot in the rankings there for the taking, the Florida Gators just needed to take care of business.  Okay, how about what not to do: (a) blocked extra point; (b) Tebow stuffed on 4th and short; (c) turnovers; (d) give up long TD on defense.

Oops.

The SEC East just got all shook up, and wonder of wonders the Vanderbilt Commodores are in the catbird seat.  Hey, that's kinda neat.  Aren't they the same Commodores that defeated those same Rebels just one week earlier?  Hmmm, interesting.

Now, consider the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Heavyweights are falling around them, and that means the stage is set for one team to make a gigantic leap forward.  Who would it be?

I'm not a Georgia fan, but I love the "Blackout" theme.  I think it's great.  It seemed like perfect timing to schedule a blackout for the 'Bama game particularly with so much on the line, but something that got lost in all the media love for the Dawgs was that the Crimson Tide field a tough and talented team.  That was made clear during the first half explosion, and 'Bama left no doubt that they were the best team on that Saturday night.

So now the media loves Alabama?  Whatever.

Somewhere the LSU Tigers must just be sitting back and smiling at all of this.  I can almost hear them saying, "Sure, sure, let Nick Saban have center stage and all the national media attention he wants.  Fine by us."  At this point in the season, media attention is just a meaningless distraction.  The media types need something to justify their jobs, but in reality the media love only counts near the end of the season.  Just take care of business early, and do it as quietly as possible.  It's ironic that early blowouts can bring so much media attention (maybe too much), yet those same early blowouts can look so good late in the season when the media is your friend.

Look, from week 1 there have been plenty of articles about can this team go undefeated or can that team go undefeated, and if team B goes undefeated against non-worthy opponents are they qualified to skip over a one-loss team A?  Cue Jim Mora shrieking, "Undefeated?!  Undefeated?! Are you kidding me?  Undefeated?!!"

Put things into perspective.  Nothing has been decided, and USC, Florida, and Georgia haven't been eliminated from the title hunt just yet.  My honest guess is that no one goes undefeated in 2008, with maybe the possible exception of either BYU or Utah, and wouldn't that be fun to watch the "experts" try to calculate just how worthy either the Cougars or the Utes are for a spotlight dance in the national championship game?  College football just doesn't fit into nice neat little equations and formulas, it just doesn't.

All the more reason for LSU to soak in all of the ongoing chaos with mild to moderate amusement - the Tigers have been down this road before.  Can Alabama handle all of this?  Doesn't really matter, the Tigers will eventually get their shot at Saban's crew.

I mean seriously, what chance do the Kentucky Wildcats stand against the almighty Alabama Crimson Tide?  Right?  The Baylor Bears against the outrageous Oklahoma Sooners?  The Utah State Aggies against those BCS-bustin' BYU Cougars?  Judging by last weekend (and last year), at least fair chances I'd say.

The reality is that I can't make any sense of it all because there isn't any sense to be made in college football.  None whatsoever, and that's the beauty of it.  It's chaos.  It's Thunderdome.  Vanderbilt is 4-0 and Northwestern is 5-0, and any internet pundit out there that called that is either (a) lying or (b) in need of getting to Las Vegas immediately.

Some high profile games dot the schedule this week though, so let me make a vain attempt at sorting thru the nonsense anyways.

Oregon at USC.  You better believe this one is big, not only for the Trojans but for the Ducks.  The visitors to the LA Coliseum understand what they're up against, and would you consider it an upset if Oregon won this game?  Not me.  The Ducks run the ball, and they run the ball very well.  It's that spread option game with a mobile quarterback that gives many teams fits, but you know, it also puts the mobile Oregon QB in harm's way far too often.  Double edged sword, as they say.  I'm guessing that USC wins the game, but will it be pretty enough for the media?  At this point, who cares.  A win is a win.

Ohio State at Wisconsin.  Oh man, the Badgers let one get away last weekend against Michigan, and now the other half of the Big Ten's Gruesome Twosome comes calling in Madison.  One of these red teams is overrated, and I have a slight su####ion that it's the Buckeyes.  Beanie Wells and freshman phenom QB Pryor get alot of press, and rightly so I guess, but it takes more than two to run an offense.  Badgers should score just enough points to win.

Missouri at Nebraska.  Normally this wouldn't be a big game for me, but there's the history of the Tigers in Lincoln.  Plus, Mizzou fans have been talking way too much smack for my liking, and I'm just hoping that Big Red put a stop to that #### on Saturday.  As I type this I'm not really a fan of either of these teams, but I've always had a certain amount of respect for the Nebraska fanbase.  In both good times and bad times, I've mostly seen them conduct themselves with class, although I'm sure there are exceptions, but the Mizzou fans have really become annoyingly arrogant in a short amount of time.  It's surprising what winning will do to some fans.  Missouri probably wins this game and #### me off in the process.  Oh well.

Auburn at Vanderbilt.  Now we're talking!  You just know that I'm pulling for the Commodores to keep their undefeated season going.  Screw the Tigers or War Eagles or whatever they call themselves, they had their chances and they rolled snake eyes.  Well, I'm exaggerating about the snake eyes, but Auburn hasn't exactly impressed so far, particularly on offense.  I don't really know much about this ranked Vandy team, but I'm willing to learn.  And I know I'm cheering for them to win.

Arizona State at Cal.  The Sun Devils really need this one bad, don't they.  I don't care.  I hope Cal beats the #### outta the little Sparkies.  You think Sun Devil fans show any mercy to the Wildcats?

Yep, Arizona Wildcat loyalty trumps all, and this week the 'Cats host the Washington Huskies.  It's a mess in Seattle right now and we all know the scoop - Ty Willingham under fire, QB Jake Locker out with an injury, and the current state of Husky football is shaky at best.  With Locker in the lineup, Arizona is probably considered a marginal favorite in this game, but without Jake taking snaps, the Wildcats have to be considered solid favorites now - therein lies the danger.  It's cats and dogs man.

You know the logic, a wounded team is a dangerous team, and I believe it.  The Huskies would love to make this a chaotic game, and to put it bluntly they've got nothing to lose at this point.  I think it's critical for Arizona to have a strong start, especially on defense.  Get stops and three-and-out's right from the start, and maybe UW loses some of its edge.  The UofA offense gets all the attention, with good reason, but the Wildcat defense is better than they get credit for.  This is no time for a letdown.

Bear Down!

The early returns suggest this will be another college football season centered upon the Southeastern Conference, and love 'em or hate 'em, the SEC fans sure are passionate about their football.  Key word there was "early" since it's far too soon to ship that crystal BCS football off to those southern folks just yet.  I'm sure dudes at USC and Oklahoma and elsewhere will have their say as to just who will be the last team standing when the BCS dust (or smokescreen) settles.

Make no mistake the USC Trojans should be ranked at the top, every time they have taken the field they have looked every bit like a team that should be ranked #1.

There's considerable pressure on the Trojans to win and look impressive while winning, and that's alot to live up to for any team.  It's funny, but it seems like I hear the same bashing of USC every year.  Seems like an annual argument that goes something like this ....  "the Trojans have an easy road to going undefeated"  .....  "the Trojans play in an easy conference"  .....  "the Trojans should just punch a ticket to {insert city hosting BCS title game here}."

Only to watch the Trojans get upset during their Pac-10 schedule.

I'm not trying to bash USC nor am I trying make some fake argument in support of the Pac-10 here because I'm willing to openly admit that at this point the conference has had more than its share of stinkers during non-conference play.  However, don't be too quick to rush to judgment about the conference in general after only three games into the season.  Besides isn't it interesting that when USC loses in conference play it only serves to demonstrate how weak the Trojans are, and not the fact that it's tough to go undefeated in Pac-10 play.

On the flip side, the top teams in the SEC have held serve so far.  Florida, Georgia, and LSU have all shown that they deserve the hype that's been thrown their way early, and of the three I've been most impressed with the Florida Gators.  It's interesting that some critics have said they 'look out of sync' on offense, or they 'haven't executed well' on offense.

Are you kidding me?

They've looked scary good to me on offense, and I've been watching them from the comfort of my own living room whilst consuming plenty of cold beer.  The Gator offense is not a concern.  It will be the defense that will carry the hopes and dreams of this team because the offense will be there when needed, but can the Gator defense get a critical stop when needed?  That's the question I want to see answered.

Is Les Miles a great coach or the luckiest s.o.b. in college football?  Maybe both, but one thing's for sure, as long as he's welcome in Baton Rouge, Les should never leave LSU.  The program has now gathered such momentum that it would take a colossal cluster####k to ruin it.  Les may very well be crazy but I'm not sure he's capable of a campus calamity of that sort of proportion - but then again I've learned to never underestimate him.  LSU's questions reside at the QB position, and so far so good in 2008.

Then there's the Georgia Bulldogs.

Beating up on ASU is no prize, so Dawg fans shouldn't be too proud of what their team has accomplished yet.  The vaunted UNLV Runnin' Rebels handled the punchless Sun Devils in the desert, so this pre-season hyped game turned out to be a complete dud.  Defeating South Carolina in Columbia was a solid victory though, more so than the Bulldogs get credit for.  Lately that's been a tough (low-scoring) game against the Gamecocks, and it stayed true to form in 08.  There's something to be said for winning those ugly games.

So who benefited from the Pac-10's utter collapse?

Well, no one.  The Pac-10 will continue to play football and life will go on.  Trust me.

At any rate, the Big XII has nicely positioned a few teams for a spot in the BCS title game.  The early contenders are Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas.

The Oklahoma Sooners?  Has a top ranked team in the internet era gotten less exposure than the 2008 Sooners?  I suppose playing Chattanooga, Cincinnati, and Washington will do that to you - although the dominating win in Seattle did make a statement considering how tough the Huskies battled BYU.  We won't really know much about the Sooners until Oct 11.

Missouri has possibly the most explosive offense across the landscape of college football, but much like the Florida Gators, the real success of the 2008 season could very well rest with the Tiger defense.  I'm not sold on Missouri just yet, but I'm not giving up on them either.  Defeating Illinois was a good thing, but games against SE Missouri, Nevada, and Buffalo just don't tell me very much.  Can this team win the big games?  Oct 4 at Nebraska could (and should) be very interesting.

Texas has also been fairly quiet thus far.  Not much to write about, just taking care of business to this point - although Rice is not as bad as the final score made it seem.  The Owls just don't have the athletes to compete with the Longhorns.  Oct 4 at Colorado might start to clue me in about this 2008 UT team.

I know this blog has a definite southern theme to it, but don't count out the northern teams from the Big Ten just yet.  Yeah, the Ohio State Buckeyes took a serious blackeye in LA, but Penn State and Wisconsin have done everything that's been asked of them so far.  In particular, the Badgers traveled west and defeated a good Fresno State team.  Running the table in the Big Ten is mandatory for any national title hopes.

BCS busters are falling away rapidly, but the BYU Cougars remain.

Early on, I am buying into the BYU hype.  Well, sort of.  Running up the score on a schizophrenic UCLA squad, and shutting out Wyoming are solid performances, I'm not denying that, but it's that struggle up in Seattle that just keeps hanging in my mind.  It's a win against a BCS opponent, I understand that, but life is inherently tougher for non-BCS teams.  After Hawaii's Sugar Bowl debacle, I've become more cynical of the outsiders when we start talking BCS considerations.  Looking at BYU's remaining schedule, only the Utah game really even registers on the scale.

I'm willing to keep an eye on the Cougars though.

At this point the saving grace for BYU has been the MWC, particularly that weekend against the Pac-10.  Sure the Pac-10 is down, but the MWC has proven that they can (as a league) take it to a BCS conference, and overall I don't consider the Pac-10 any worse than most BCS conferences.  So I give the Mountain West Conference their due credit, although a bit reluctantly since New Mexico clipped my Arizona Wildcats.

Which brings me to my semi-weekly Wildcat Report.

That loss in Albuquerque really hurt, and worse yet, I saw it coming.  For whatever reasons, the Lobos always play the Wildcats tough and the Arizona turnovers only added to the chaos that much more.  Such is life with a completely offensive-oriented team as the 'Cats are, turnovers will doom any game.  Idaho and Toledo didn't prepare the team for a scrappy (read: ugly) game like what awaited them in New Mexico, and to repeat, there's something to be said for being able to win those ugly games.  Arizona couldn't do it.

I don't put much stock in the 31-10 win over goofy UCLA this Saturday other than the fact that it was a road win, and Arizona winning on the road was a good sign to see.  Something lost in the national media shuffle was that star TE Rob Gronkowski played in his first game so having him back will only mean good things for the team as they prepare to host the Washington Huskies on Oct 4.

Yeah, yeah, it's a cliche but you know cliche's are cliche's for a reason.  They are generally pretty accurate little sayings.  You gotta love that about college football, it's all about cliche's and vague traditions and BCS ambiguities, but in general the teams that aspire to win a National Championship must make good impressions right from the very start.  Make a strong impression on those voters.

Like last season's champs, the LSU Tigers.  They started 6-0 and that included a very impressive win at home over the Florida Gators, and despite the 2 losses that followed, the media was already in love with Crazy Les Miles and his Bayou Bengals.  They were given a shot at the National Title, and they stepped up.

Early games count baby.

We're heading into Week 3, and the picture of the 2008 season will become a little bit clearer after this Saturday.  In particular, there are two teams that have a wonderful opportunity to make a very grand statement on a very grand stage.  Yep, I'm talking about the USC Trojans and The Ohio State Buckeyes.  All of us football fans will be tuning in to watch that one, in high definition and with smack talk and alcohol flowing.

The winner of that game will certainly earn the right to claim early supremacy, primarily being the winner of the highest profile game thus far.  But of course those folks down in the southeastern portion of our country may have their claim to fame when the Bulldogs of Georgia pay a visit to the Valley of the Sun in Tempe.  I've been a basher of the top SEC teams' non-conference scheduling in the past, but I have to admit there have been many signs of improvement from the folks out of the old Confederacy.  Look at the Tennessee Volunteers for example.  In 2007 they were willing to travel to Berkeley, and then in 2008 they were willing to make the trip to Pasadena.

Georgia has followed that up with their own willingness to travel west.  Believe me, as an alum of a Pac-10 school, I love this.  In years past the Pac-10 has traveled to SEC country with mixed results.  My beloved Arizona Wildcats got their heads handed to them by LSU, but hey, I respected the 'Cats for venturing into a stronghold of the SEC.

Just as I respect the Dawgs for jamming out to the desert.

I'll be honest here, I have put aside any and all conference "allegiances" for this one.  I sincerely hope that the Georgia Bulldogs completely annihilate the little Sparkies from ASU.  An embarrassment would be desired, but of course simply defeating the Sun Devils would be acceptable as well.  The day that I cheer for a team representing Arizona State University is the day that I have given up on life.

That day will not be September 20, 2008.

Okay, back to the task at hand, Week 3 of college football.  Georgia actually has a game this week against the ol' Ball Coach.  Is Spurrier a legend or a myth?  I tend to lean more towards legend status because of what he accomplished at Florida, and I won't diminish that if he doesn't do the same thing in Columbia.  '#### fans want to stake their claim to being the "real" USC, well, okay '#### go win a football title and defeat a certain western USC in the process and maybe (just maybe) some of us ordinary folk will recognize exactly who deserves the acronym.  Or maybe (just maybe) defeat Georgia at home this weekend.  That would definitely be a step in the right direction.

Yes, beyond Ohio State vs USC (the Trojan version) there will be important football games played.  Some are very pivotal, and that's one of the many beauties of college football.  Every game counts.

The ACC has two prime chances to redeem early humiliations.  First up, the dark horse North Carolina Tar Heels travel to New Jersey for a date with the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University.  Rutgers fields a hardnosed, no nonsense football team, and I have to wonder how the boys in Carolina Blue will react to that.  At this point I'm genuinely questioning the toughness of the ACC, and really that's the harshest statement any fan can make about a football conference.  Forget all the hyped editorials about "team speed" or "intangibles" or "senior leadership", those don't compare to a team's "toughness" factor.  Maybe I'm condemning the ACC too early, but Clemson looked pathetic in their loss on national tv.  And worse yet, they looked scared.

Second ACC chance this weekend will occur in Maryland.  The Terps host a redhot Cal team and handling the Bears would go a long way to restoring the conference's good name.  Yes, Cal is the typical Pac-10 team with team speed and all that creative #### we talked about earlier, but I've noticed that west coast teams are usually a bit tougher than folks tend to realize.  Well, don't take my word for it, let's just watch and see what happens on the field.

Best game of this week might just be out west, but not in the LA Coliseum.  Wisconsin at Fresno State.  I'm very interested in seeing just how the Bulldogs respond to a legitimate BCS team, which the Badgers certainly are.  Big Ten meets West Coast is always a very fun rivalry, then throw in the chance that Fresno State might well be the 2008 BCS crashers for the bowl party and that makes for a groovy football experience.

Another game of interest, involving another potential BCS crasher, pits the schizophrenic UCLA Bruins against the equally unpredictable BYU Cougars.  I have absolutely no idea how this game will play out, and that's awesome.  BYU did not look stellar in Seattle last Saturday, but you know what, the Cougars won the game.  Folks seem to focus greatly upon the referee's personal foul call against QB Jake Locker, but then quickly dismiss the fact that BYU blocked a very makeable extra point.  Give credit where credit is due, BYU won the game.

UCLA?  I have no idea what they're capable of.  That's the pure enjoyment of watching them play, who knows what to expect.

Michigan vs Notre Dame?  This game represents the unfortunate reality of modern college football.  While I am blessed to have tv cover these games so that I can watch them from the comfort of my living room, I must also suffer watching certain teams that are living off their name.  Of course I'll check this game out, hell, I don't want to ignore this game but in all sincerity these two football teams are really not worthy of the hype that will surround this game.  It's simply great football fan bases going thru the motions.  That sucks too, because watching icons of the football world stumble is not fun for any of us.

Speaking of stumbling, what the #### is up with the Arkansas Razorbacks?  First, Western Illinois and then UL Monroe.  Not to take anything away from those two programs, because make no mistake they are very solid football programs, but the Hogs are card carrying members of the SEC.  The Hogs play Texas this week and if they even think for a moment about slacking off for 3 quarters and then suddenly turning it on to pull out a victory against the Longhorns, well then I'm hoping that the dudes in the burnt orange jerseys hang 80 on them just for the sake of justice.  I've never really followed Coach Bobby Petrino before, but after the fallout in Atlanta and now this bizarre start to 2008 for the Hogs - I gotta say, I'm sincerely starting to dislike this guy.

Another game of interest to me includes the mysteriously offensive Oregon Ducks traveling to West Lafayette for a skirmish with the Purdue Boilermakers.  This could be an upset special.  I realize that the Ducks have posted fantastic offensive numbers so far, but Purdue's QB Painter is the real deal and the Boilers are not afraid of getting into an offensive shootout.  Is the Oregon defense up to the challenge?  That will be the key.

Last but certainly not least, my beloved Arizona Wildcats make their first road trip of the 2008 season and that trip lands them in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  This is an important game ....  and as I wait for the laughing of my fellow bloggers to die down  ....  I'll type it again, this is an important game.  Last season, New Mexico on their way to a 9-4 finish defeated the UofA in Tucson and that loss sent the Wildcats into an early season tailspin.  The 'Cats recovered for some solid wins in the Pac-10 in 2007, but the damage was already done.

Can Arizona exercise those demons in 2008?  I believe they can, and as has been the case this season, it will be the Wildcat offense leading the charge.  For sure I miss the days of Desert Swarm when I was in school, but I have no complaints with the aerial attack of the new look Arizona football team.

So far, they are very good early.  And I like that.

Let the madness begin.  Let every "expert" from across the internet fill out a bracket.  We must whittle 65 teams down to one ultimate fighting champion, and I would pick the Florida Gators, but they weren't allowed to play with the big kids this year.  I would pick the Vanderbilt Commodores, but each time I think about that I get a little bit sick to my stomach.  I would pick the Stanford Cardinal, but it is written somewhere that a tree can never be a champion.  I think that's in the New Testament, maybe the book of Revelations.  Maybe Corinthians.  I don't know.

So, as I embark on my exacting science of bracketology, I must admit to myself that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.  Of course, ignorance has never stopped me from blogging before, and it won't burden me now.  (see: Kiss of Death)

SWEET SIXTEEN  (whatever happened to Molly Ringwald?)

East Region = North Carolina, Notre Dame, Louisville, Tennessee.  The Tar Heels will have little trouble making it to Charlotte, while Notre Dame upsets Wazzou to punch a ticket to the sweetness that is sixteen.  Louisville survives the surprising Oklahoma Sooners, and the Vols are erratic but talented enough to get past American University and Butler.

Midwest Region = Kansas, Clemson, USC, Georgetown.  UNLV is very capable of putting a scare into the Jayhawks, but the Rock Chalkers still advance to Detroit.  Clemson is quietly lurking as a dangerous team, while USC runs past the plodding Wisconsin Badgers.  Georgetown could fall victim to a feisty Davidson team, but I'm going with the Hoyas in a close one.  (Upset watch: Siena over Vandy)

South Region = Memphis, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Texas.  Oregon should make Memphis fans nervous, and a close game begs the question, will free throw shooting doom the Tigers?  Nah, Memphis will make it to Houston unscathed, but stay tuned.  Pitt is a very resilient team, and I like the way they compete at the defensive end.  My upset pick for this bracket is Temple over Michigan State, but the Owls then fall to Pitt.  Marquette is a streaky team, and given the right circumstances could chop down the Stanford Tree, but I'll go with the Cardinal.  The Texas Longhorns quietly go about their business.

West Region = UCLA, Connecticut, Purdue, Arizona.  The UCLA Bruins seem to be the trendy pick to win it all, and they will hold serve for the first two rounds.  UConn is too athletic for Drake, while Georgia shocks Xavier but then falls to Purdue.  In a complete and utter disregard for logic and reasoning, I'm picking my Arizona Wildcats to upset West Virginia and then the Blue Devils of Duke for the chance to play in Phoenix.  You were expecting me to pick Duke?  Not gonna happen.

ELITE EIGHT  (orange whip?  orange whip?  three orange whips)

East Region = Notre Dame vs Louisville.  Upsets, upsets, as the Fighting Irish knock out the UNC Tar Heels and the Cardinals eliminate the Tenn Volunteers.  How can this be?  I don't know, but it be.  For the honor of traveling to San Antonio, the Irish go cold and the Louisville Cardinals get hot.  Rick Pitino returns to the Final Four, and the Big East is recognized.

Midwest Region = Kansas vs USC.  The Clemson Tigers scare the beejeebies out of Kansas, and yet the Jayhawks won't die.  The Trojans return to the Elite Eight by upsetting the half court minded Hoyas.  Hoya Paranoia and Roy Hibbert get a real bad case of the yips at a real bad time.  USC is just too quick, and that OJ Mayo is for real.  But the Men From Troy just don't have an answer for the Jayhawks as Kansas advances to San Antonio and Bill Self guides them to the Final Four.

South Region = Pittsburgh vs Texas.  The bubble will burst for the Memphis Tigers.  The Pitt Panthers are battle tested, they are gritty, and they are not intimidated.  Free throw shooting has nothing to do with the Memphis defeat, the Panthers are the tougher team.  Texas dispatches Stanford in what promises to be a very slow and boring game, and then the Longhorns squeak past the emotionally spent Panthers from Pitt in a real meatgrinder o####ame.  Burnt Orange returns to the LoneStar state, and the Big XII spots two teams in the Final Fearsome Foursome.

West Region = UCLA vs Purdue.  The UCLA Bruins emerged as champs of the toughest conference (kids, that would be the Pac-10 for those that have been paying attention), and while injuries may yet spoil things, they're a relatively deep team.  UCLA vs UConn promises to be very entertaining, while Purdue vs Arizona promises to be very messy.  The Boilermakers end the joyride for my beloved 'Cats, but then get steamrolled by the juggernaut that is Bruin Basketball.

FINAL FOUR  (you can't handle the truth!)

Louisville vs Kansas.  All we are is dust in the wind, and yet somehow the Jayhawks keep surviving.  Is Bill Self really a good coach?  Maybe, maybe not.  What is it about these Jayhawks then?  It's gotta be the shoes!  (Carry on wayward son ~ if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know)  Whatever it is, Kansas finds a way to take the air out of Pitino-ball and advance to the title game.  Is there a Danny Manning in the house?

Texas vs UCLA.  You know, if you look at burnt orange long enough, you start to get dizzy, even a little hallucinatory.  I'm not sure why.  The eyes of Texas are upon the Longhorns and  .... and the Longhorns proceed to choke.  UCLA shows no mercy, and the Bruins are on a mission from God.

THE GAME  (we represent the Lollipop Guild .. the Lollipop Guild .. the Lollipop Guild)

Kansas vs UCLA.  It all comes down to this.  The Bruins face their second consecutive Big Dozen opponent, and the result is the same as before.  The Wizard of Westwood himself, Coach Wooden, couldn't have drawn it up any better, and all is joyful throughout La-La Land.  Bruins have better coaching, better tournament experience, and better guard play.

UCLA cuts down the nets.

....  or not.

This entry is basically just a picture blog more than anything.  For whatever reasons, I usually save my ticket stubs when I attend various sporting events.  I'm not really sure why.  Trying desperately to preserve the past?  Possibly.  Trying desperately to remember the good times?  Absolutely.

I'll confess too that I'm a photo album junkie.  Although I'm not a particularly good photographer, I've always loved still photos that capture a moment in time.

Anyways, I've got all of those saved old (and new) ticket stubs in a desk drawer, and the other night I shuffled thru them and was really surprised at all the memories that came flooding back.  For the most part I could remember quite a bit about each event that the various tickets represented.  Who I went with.  Some of the highs and lows.  Who won and who lost.

Here's a sampling of some of the ticket stubs that I've got rat-holed away in that desk drawer:

I've got alot more racing tickets than anything, but I tried to scan in a sampling of the different sporting events that I've been to over the years.  There's some pretty cool moments in sports buried in there.

Such as the Bulls vs Pacers pre-season game at the Peoria Civic Center.  That game was among the first that Michael Jordan played with the Bulls during his rookie season.  He had a short contract holdout, and joined the team a few games into the pre-season.  I remember that he didn't even start in that game against the Pacers!

Also caught a Bulls vs Hawks game at Chicago Stadium during Jordan's rookie season.

Of course there's an Arizona vs ASU football game in there too.

A Blackhawks playoff game.  And a Blackhawks game during a strike-shortened season.

Notice the Hawaii vs UCF game.  That's a true sign of a sports addict when while vacationing in Honolulu, you look up a football game to go to.

Cubs vs White Sox at Comiskey.

Bears vs Packers MNF game (at the Univ of Illinois).

I have friends that live in Seattle, so whenever I trek out to see them, we always catch a Mariners game and then the Washougal MX National.

There's even a College Baseball regional in there.  I went with some buddies to watch one of their younger brothers play (for the Nebraska Cornhuskers).  I'm not a big fan of aluminum bats, but the games were alot of fun to watch.

Sad part of this whole walk down memory lane was ... I could not find a single ticket stub from Wrigley.  I've been to a few Cubs games at the Friendly Confines over the years, and somehow I didn't manage to save a single ticket stub!

Whew, too much Old Style at those games I guess.  That's alright, this is the year that the Cubs win it all, and so I'll just have to save a ticket stub from this championship season!

The trio of Jerryd Bayless, Chase Budinger, and Jordan Hill are an incredible nucleus for the 07-08 Wildcats, but beyond that ....  well, things get a little bit cloudy when you look beyond those dudes.

Senior Jawann McClellan is just not having the type of senior season that many of us thought (and hoped) that he would.  On Saturday against Stanford, he really struggled to find any type of a role in the offense, and quite honestly, he almost completely disappeared.  Thankfully, late in the game he came up with a very big three pointer that was part of a run that allowed the UofA to take the game down to the wire.  Ultimately, things didn't work out, and Stanford squeaked out a 67-66 victory at the McKale Center.

Sophomore Nic Wise has shown alot of improvement this season, and he's been valuable at the point guard position.  With the UA lineup so thin (they practically have no bench to speak of), his recent injury has put even more pressure on Jerryd Bayless.  Based on what I've read, Wise may be back in time for the NCAA tourney or possibly even the Pac-10 tourney.  He dropped alot of weight during the offseason, which I've got to believe will help him get back to the court relatively quickly.

Freshman Jamelle Horne has really contributed in his first season, and his immediate future looks very bright as he continues to improve.  Bret Brielmaier has had a nagging injury (shoulder?) that just won't seem to heal for some reason.  Since the 'Cats are so thin along the frontline, his absence has also had a major impact.

I'm an Arizona grad living in the midwest, and so naturally whenever the 'Cats are on tv here and I get to watch the team with my own eyes, I treat it as a blessing.  And last Saturday, the Arizona vs Stanford game was televised nationally, so I got to watch every minute of that one.

Some thoughts about the Stanford game and the season thus far ....

What does Coach O'Neill have against a zone?  Look, I'm a true believer in man-to-man as the base defense so I love that part, but I also like to see the team mix up their defenses.  Don't let an offense get comfortable (i.e. don't let Stanford get comfortable just posting up the Lopez twins!).  Foul trouble is the Achilles Heel of a thin team, and a good way to hide someone in foul trouble is to spend some time in a zone.  To go one step further, if the player in foul trouble is a power forward or a center, a zone press can even protect them further (provided you've got guards that can apply pressure).  With Nic Wise out, I can fully understand not pressing, heck, Bayless pretty much has to play every minute of each game.  But mix up defenses a bit and maybe Jordan Hill's foul trouble might have been avoided or at least played thru - instead, he fouled out and really was never a factor in the game.

I'm just shaking my head why Coach doesn't mix in some 1-3-1 halfcourt traps or even a matchup 2-3 zone every now and then.

Jerryd Bayless can become an outstanding point guard.  If he chooses to.  I've read and heard many people claiming that JB is a SG and not a PG, and I disagree with that.  He's really a point guard that looks for his shot first, and yeah that's not good but it ain't all bad either.  Am I the only one noticing that Jerryd just doesn't seem to look like his listed 6'3" height?  I've never met the kid in person, but he sure as heck looks like 6'0" maybe 6'1".  Against Stanford he ran the point quite well I thought.  But on occasion Arizona's offense became a Mickey-Mouse high pick and roll with the big guys not even understanding how to set a real pick, but that's a blog for another day I think.

I've always played point guard so I was watching JB very closely to see how he handled things as the "quarterback".  He has scoring talent, without a doubt, but he certainly could get his teammates more involved.  Look at Jawann McClellan, JB almost nearly alienated poor Jawann.  Sure, Jawann is struggling, but a good point guard will get a player involved in the offense, and if I'm not mistaken, the big three ball that McClellan nailed was all set up by a dribble drive and dish by Bayless.

No doubt, I'm biased.  I think the most important player on the court for a team is the point guard.  In many ways I believe that a team will take on the personality of its coach, and I think the same can be said that a team will follow the lead of its point guard.

The interesting thing here is that the UofA has another top point guard recruit coming in next season (Brandon Jennings), and if Bayless decides to stay in school (which I hope he does), they could make up a very lethal backcourt.  I've always liked having a lineup in which the two guard could also work as the point guard.  I think that's such a huge advantage (particularly breaking a press or in the transition game).  As an Arizona fan, I certainly hope to see those two in the same backcourt next season, but many of the so-called "experts" project that Bayless will jump to the NBA.

We'll see.

Chase Budinger is tough to figure out.  I really want to write positive stuff about Chase here, but in all honesty I really am just confused.  The dude shows flashes of brilliance, and then mysteriously he just disappears for long stretches of the game.  At times he drives strong and rebounds strong, and then mysteriously he'll play soft for long stretches of the game.  What the heck?  Chase has all the talent in the world (every bit as much talent as Jerryd), but for whatever reason he just doesn't seem to have a killer instinct.  I don't want to bash Chase because I'm always pulling for him to play to his potential, but honestly if I was his teammate I'd probably really get in his face and try to fire him up.  Or strangle him.

Chase should return to school for another year, but again, I've read that he's likely to turn pro.  I think that would be a mistake.  I don't deny that he has the talent and the size to play in the NBA, but he just doesn't seem ready from a mental toughness aspect.  Oh well, I played intramural basketball and pick-up games during my stay at the UofA, so it's not like I can really talk about being ready for the NBA.

This week the 'Cats are up in Seattle for a clash with the surging Huskies, and then an important face-off with the Wash St Cougars.  Every game becomes more and more important as the season winds down, and that magical "20 win" season looms out there.  If the 'Cats win 20, they're a lock for the NCAA tourney  ....  but if they don't finish strong, well, the Pac-10 is not a pleasant place to be this year if you don't bring your "A" game every game.

Ah yes, the proverbial "morning after".  Time to begin the recovery from another night of living the sports highlife.  The life of a sports fanatic is not for the weak of constitution or the faint of heart, because along with the highest of the highs the highlife is littered with heartbreaks and heartaches like a minefield.  We sports fans must pick ourselves up off the floor more often than a one-legged drunk guy at a discotech.

And falling flat on our face is all a part of living and dying with our team.

Get a group of sports fans together at a local bar and the gathering quickly turns into a roundtable of comparing old scars.  Like back in the day when motocross magazines would have photos of some dude wadding it up real bad under a bold print caption "Crash and Burn", we love to share our pain with others of our kind, and there is some sort of therapy in sharing those past wounds.

Helpful tip: it is sometimes better to have a song like "Moving in Stereo" by The Cars or some other psychedelic tune playing in the background when reading my blog entries.

You see this relatively fresh scar on my ego?  Yeah, that's from the Bears losing to the Colts in Super Bowl XLI.  Rex Grossman's late pick six to seal the game for the Colts cut me real deep.  I'd like to expand further on this scar but it's still a little tender.

This hole in my heart?  I got that from the Cubbies historic collapse in the '03 NLCS.  Oh man, that one darn near killed me.  Forget Bartman, if Alex Gonzalez doesn't boot that grounder, then Mark Prior and the Cubs get out of that disastrous inning.  That entire Game 6 nightmare at Wrigley is gonna haunt me for the rest of my days.

Busted up psyche and broken fortitude?  All happened during the Arizona Wildcats 2000-01 basketball season.  All the emotional drama that the team and the fans went thru with player injuries and Coach Olson losing Bobbi to cancer and then the team fighting and clawing to get to the Final Four and then to the championship game  ....  only to lose to freakin' Duke!  Ugh!  It wasn't supposed to turn out like that.

Cuts on my mental health?  Basketball again.  The '92-'93 Arizona Wildcats easily won the Pac-10 finishing 24-3 overall for the regular season and securing a 2 seed in the West Regional for March Madness.  Then the Wildcats promptly marched out in the first round and lost to 15th seeded Santa Clara.  I would spend the next four days wandering around campus muttering to myself and getting in arguments with pigeons.  I'm really not sure but I think I flunked two exams in that period as well.  Although I can't entirely blame the basketball team for those.

My crushed confidence?  Oh that happened with the '93 UofA football team.  1993 was a tough year.  Arizona has (to this day) never sent a team to the Rose Bowl, but with the stifling Desert Swarm defense of that '93 team everything was smelling like Roses all season long.  Finally, the tipping point came in the next to last regular season game against Cal in Berkeley.  Win that game and a trip to Pasadena was practically secured.  The game began with a gloriously dominant first half in which the UofA built a 20-0 lead.  No way in hell anyone scores 21 unanswered against the vaunted Desert Swarm defense!  Rose Bowl here we come baby!  What followed was something directly out of a Stephen King book.  The Cal Bears did not score 21 unanswered points, they scored 24 unanswered points, and ruined everything by a score of 24-20.  And I crumpled like a squashed beer can.

The burn scars upon my soul?  Those are from the '84 Cubs.  Sad to say but those childhood wounds never completely heal, you know.  I remember my tears after that awful moment when the Padres eliminated my beloved Cubbies in Game 5.  The hurt from that is like it all happened yesterday.

I would guess that all sports fans have similar scars, and we can each relate to those wounds.  It's like a rite of passage every fan must make.

Old saying is "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."  That's no lie right there.

All is not well in Arizona Basketball at the moment.  Hall of Fame Coach Lute Olson has taken a leave of absence for the entire 2007-2008 season, and Kevin O'Neill has since stepped in as substitute teacher for the young Wildcat hoopsters.  Going one step further, Mr O'Neill has been named as Lute's successor when the living legend decides to retire.

Coach Olson has expressed the desire to return for the 2008-2009 season, but it looks very su####iously like a fairwell tour more than anything - particularly with AD Jim Livengood having already removed the interim tag from O'Neill and slapped him with the "head coach in waiting" title.

That smells of Lute's impending retirement after next season, which in all honesty, most of us UofA fans and alumni realized was in the very near future anyways.  Eventually at some point there will be a transition to a new era of Arizona basketball, and that transition will probably be a bumpy ride.

All of that aside, the current team has fallen on tough times as of late.  Early in the season, the 'Cats handled all of the uncertainty surrounding Coach Olson's sudden departure and the subsequent shift required to adapt to Coach O'Neill's style of game with amazing resolve.  The early season was marked by some gritty wins and a valiant effort against the Kansas Jayhawks at Phogg-Allen Fieldhouse.

Then came the injury to point guard Jerryd Bayless.

It doesn't seem like much when written as a line item like that, but in reality that injury truly changed the dynamic of this team.  Swingman Chase Budinger is a tremendous player with loads of talent, but he just doesn't seem to be a team leader.  We wondered about his toughness last year, and we're still wondering this year.  That's not an accusation, that's just an observation.

Some dudes are comfortable being "the man", while others don't possess that sort of personality.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Chase, and he most definitely comes across as a "team comes first" type of player.  For a team to win consistently and build valuable team chemistry, it's pretty much a requirement that the players are unselfish.

To some extent playing point guard makes Jerryd Bayless a team leader by default, it's just the nature of the position, but there's more to it than that.  Even as a freshman, in critical situations, Jerryd has shown incredible toughness.  Arizona is a different team with JB on the court, and while Nic Wise has filled in admirably at the point, again, he's just not quite on the same level as JB.

And it shows.

The Pac-10 is loaded this season, from top to bottom.  There will be no easy games at all during the conference schedule, and with back to back losses to Oregon and ASU, the 'Cats have stumbled out to a 1-2 start in Pac-10 play.  Now, it's not time to push the panic button just yet, but there's certainly alot of cause for concern.  Washington State, UCLA, USC, Cal, Stanford, and Oregon are all capable of making a Sweet Sixteen run in the NCAA tourney, and ASU, Oregon State, and Washington have also proven that they will make noise if a spot in the Big Dance is in their future.

That's my point.

From what I've seen so far, every team in the Pac-10 is actually capable of getting into the NCAA tournament, although of course that won't happen.  Teams will knock each other off as the season goes along, and only the strong will survive.

But that's a good thing.  The teams that do emerge will definitely be battle tested.

Here's our history lesson for the day: Back in the 1996-97 season, Arizona struggled mightily with inconsistency and key injuries and limped to a fifth place finish in the Pac-10.  Then (at the right time) everything seemed to come together.  A blitzkrieg thru the tail end of the Pac-10 schedule was followed by one of the most impressive marches thru the NCAA tournament as Arizona defeated Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky (all No.1 seeds) to claim the National Championship.

There are some similarities between this current team and that '97 squad, such as a tough freshman point guard and an undermanned frontline and the struggles with injuries.  It's early in conference play, and only time will tell if this version of Arizona basketball has what it takes to regroup.

The final weekend brings some great matchups in the Pacific 10 Conference ("the conference of champions"), and some BCS bowl implications as well.  No national title hopes, but certainly foundations have been made for the future.  With the final week highlighted by fierce rivalry games, the theme shall be "You gotta love the hate."

So embrace your hate.  Hate can be healthy, and hate can be good.  Have fun with your hate this Saturday!

Arizona vs Arizona State

USC recently exposed the Sun Devils as a national title pretender.  ASU had remained below the radar on the national title scene for a reason - the Sun Devils just weren't ready for the big stage.  Thanksgiving Day and a Thursday Night nationally televised clash with the hated Trojans, and the Sun Devils proceeded to lay an egg.  USC was finally getting healthy and fighting to make a statement, but if ASU wished to be considered among the elite, it was a great chance for them to prove to the fans (and the media) that they belonged.

They did not, and they do not.  But a BCS bowl is still possible, and likely another beatdown on national tv.

Arizona is so far from elite, they have no place in a discussion of even conference titles (the Wildcats find themselves solidly in the lower tier of the Pac-10  ....  again).  I will say that I believe Coacher Stoops is making noticeable strides in a positive direction with the program.  A bowl game would be a huge boost, and possibly help turn the corner.  Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting.  The Wildcats do not possess the talent that ASU does, and Dennis Erickson has taken full advantage of that.  However, if the Sun Devils believe they can simply show up and this rivalry game is theirs - well - those Sun Devils would be in for a rude awakening.

I would love to see the Wildcats pin a loss on the Sparkies.  If the Sun Devils come to play, an upset is not likely, but if Erickson does not have his team ready for a brawl, bitter rivals have a way of pulling the upset.

Bear Down 'Cats!!

UCLA vs USC

Am I the only one that severely hates the Trojans?  I mean, I really hate the Trojans.  Of course my hatred is entirely born of jealousy, because the Trojans have what every Pac-10 team wants.  A seemingly iron stranglehold on the conference title.  If USC takes care of business against the schizophrenic UCLA Bruins, then yet another Pac-10 crown will belong to the Men of Troy and Petey the Boy.

I hate that.

For the record, I like parity.  I like seeing new teams step up and bring down the reigning champs.  That's what I like most about college sports (and this football season particularly).  Pac-10 football appeared close this year, but it really wasn't.  Don't be fooled, USC is as dominant as ever - only by a great quantity of injuries were the Trojans made to look human.  And arrogance possibly played a role in the loss to Stanford, because to be blunt, USC second stringers really should not lose to the Cardinal.  But they did, and everyone across the Pac-10 landscape cheered.

As for the UCLA Bruins ....  meh, I don't know.  I guess I just don't care.  All I know is that Utah beat the Bruins and Notre dame beat the Bruins and Arizona beat the Bruins, and what I've seen of the Bruins has been pretty dull.  If UCLA defeats USC, it will be because the football gods have decreed that the Bruins shall be burdened with Coach Dorrell for another season.  In some ways as an Arizona alum, I can relate to Bruin fans because it seems lately we've had that common question - "Is it basketball season yet?"

Oregon State vs Oregon

What the hell happened to the Oregon Ducks?  I don't follow the Ducks closely enough to know for sure, but the struggles simply can't be entirely because of the injury to Dennis Dixon.  Can't be.  No way, no how.  The explanation must involve multiple injuries and/or a lack of depth at key positions.  Injuries are the nature of football, and if they accumulate in great number they can ruin a very promising season.  For example, look at the massive injuries that USC and LSU have dealt with - and look at the impact they've had on their title hopes.

After the calamity of the UCLA game, I doubt the Ducks have any shot at a bowl game greater than the Holiday Bowl.  But the Civil War is upon them, and time for crying about Dennis Dixon is over.  Can the Ducks revitalize their season?  We shall see.

The Beavers have quietly been playing good football as the season has neared the finish.  OSU has also suffered a loss at the quarterback position, but they have handled it much better than their feathered counterparts from Eugene.  Oregon State currently sits in a respectable fourth place, and if things fall right they might possibly inherit the Holiday Bowl invitation.  It should be noted that the home team has dominated the Civil War as of late, and the Beavers are looking to break that trend in what promises to be a very intense game.

Cal vs Stanford

What the hell happened to the Cal Bears?  Refer to ramblings above regarding the Oregon Ducks.  I realize that Nate Longshore was dinged for a while (and may still be hurting for all I know), but as with the Ducks, there has to be more to this late season plummet by the Bears than their QB got hurt.  I don't get to watch many Cal games, but I wonder what has become of DeSean Jackson?  In the Cal games that I have seen he was as exciting a player as there is in college football this season, and it would be a crime for Coach Telford to not find ways to get the ball in Jackson's hands.

Mid-season, Cal looked to be a lock for a BCS bowl game, and now at season's end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Stanford hangs an L on the Bears.  This game could be a study in futility, and fans of "good" football probably should not watch this game.  Turnovers will likely be the order of the day.

An ugly game favors Stanford, just ask USC fans.  Coach Harbaugh has done an admirable job at the helm of a program that has a tree for its mascot, but keep in mind that Jimmy H is in Palo Alto to make a name - like Denny Green and Ty Willingham have successfully done before him.  Time will tell if he deserves to be mentioned with those coaches.

I feel hate when I write about Stanford, but I don't really know why.  Might be that stupid tree mascot of theirs.  Or their goofy band.  Some part of me hopes to see a Cal player run over a Stanford trombone player again, that would be enjoyable.

Washington vs Hawaii

Yah brah, play this game in the islands and the Rainbows are like in the spiritworld.  Number 15 be like the Big Kahuna with some hot sauce, yah know brah.  Like real fierce.  And there's plenty of cold brew and wahinis in bikinis to go with the action on the field.  Rainbow Warriors hang like fitty on everyone that ventures out to the islands, and who they get now?

Ah yah brah, like some dogs or something.  Seattle got no tasty waves, and definitely got no babes in bikinis.  That's a real pity for the pale dudes from the mainland.  Shameful it is.

Washington State

Thankfully the Cougars season is complete, and Coach Doba has been put out of his misery.  Wazzou has much work to do.

Predictions on the final week of the Pac-10 schedule, and the hate shall flow ....

Arizona-28  Ariz State-26    ....  I could never ever live with myself if I ever ever picked ASU in this game.

UCLA -3   USC -38    ....  Trojans out to prove something, and Bruins play like a team that wears pastel blue.

Oregon St-14  Oregon-16    ....  Possibly an ugly and sinister game.  Rated R for Violence; Strong Language; Nudity.

Cal-24  Stanford-17    ....  Basically who cares now, too little too late.

Washington-27  Hawaii-31    ....  Should be an entertaining game, and Colt Brennan and Jake Locker shouldn't disappoint.  And the Rainbow Warriors qualify for a BCS bowl.

Wash State-0  Idle-2    ....  Somehow Wazzou forfeits to Idle, and somewhere Drew Bledsoe is not smiling.

There it is.  Have a good weekend bloggers, and remember to get your hate on.  Oh, and of course,   Go Army!  Beat Navy!!

As seems to be the modus operandi for University of Arizona football the past few seasons, the 'Cats pulled another upset win on Homecoming weekend.  This year's victims were the schizophrenic UCLA Bruins by a score of 34-27, and the victory most likely preserved Coach Mike Stoops' stay in Tucson.

I think that's a good thing.  Sure, we (meaning UofA fans, not just people in general) have all been growing increasingly impatient for that elusive breakout season by the Wildcats, but I'm going to place myself among the faithful that Coacher Stoops is conjuring some good juju in the desert.  The recruiting during his tenure has been respectable, and there have been flashes of brilliance in the team's performance.  Although it certainly would be nice to see progress maybe happen a little quicker than the spurts and sputters we've been enduring.  Finishing recent seasons strongly also promises that there are signs of life, but the notoriously slow starts by the 'Cats are dooming their seasons before they can ever really get rolling.  Folks that are calling for Coach Stoops to be jettisoned are following a bad path, and I'm of the opinion that starting over with a new coach is just not the answer.

A good example that I think relates to the UofA is what Rich Brooks has done at Kentucky.  There was a time very recently when some UK faithful were trumpeting for Coach Brooks to be run outta Lexington, but the AD stuck by the coach and that loyalty has paid off in 2007 to the tune of a 6-3 record thru a rugged SEC schedule (including a thrilling win over LSU which was one of the most enjoyable games of the season to watch).

The two previous UofA Homecoming games saw upset wins over highly ranked (at the time) Cal in 2006 and a ranked UCLA squad in 2005, but out of all that the Wildcats could only muster a best record of 6-6 in 2006.  Not exactly a triumph for the ages, but hey, it was a step up from most of what had preceded.  But 2007 promised to be special, like maybe bowl fever kinda special, and that thought filled me with such a Tony the Tiger enthusiasm that I began once again buying Frosted Flakes at the grocery store.  The defense was hyped as one of the best since the glory days of the Desert Swarm crew and rumors were abound of a revamped offense that could actually score some points.

But alas, no joy, as the 'Cats did a faceplant to start the season once more, and I've since gone back to Cheerios.

As things currently stand, the UofA is 4-6 and headed into two very tough games to finish the season.  First up, the redhot Oregon Ducks pay a visit to Tucson for a Thursday night rumble.  Of course Arizona enters this game as a severe underdog, but in reality this isn't quite the mismatch that some folks are making it out to be.  Point of fact, Arizona roasted the Ducks last season 37-10 at Autzen in Eugene, intercepting Dennis Dixon three times and forcing six total Duck turnovers.  Although I can't believe that Oregon would look past the 'Cats this season, especially with so much on the line for their national title hopes which are still alive and well.

The pressure lies squarely upon the Arizona offense.  The 'Cats must move the ball and post more than 24 points to have any chance at all for keeping this game reasonably close (such is life in the Pac-10).  The Arizona defense is not quite as good as advertised, but it's still fairly stingy - it's just that the Duck offense is scary good.  They will get their points, no doubt.  The Wildcat offense must counter by getting first downs in order to keep that high octane Quack Attack on the sidelines, and when opportunities are there, put points on the board.

At least that would give Arizona a fighting chance.  Nightmare scenario: if the UofA offense doesn't show up, this game has the distinct potential to get really really ugly (with Oregon trying to make its case for BCS title contention).

Then comes the big one with Arizona State in Tempe.  Gotta love it.  Believe me when I write that this is one of the most intense rivalries in all of college football, and as is typical with a fierce rivalry game, anything can happen.  The hated ASU Sunny Devils will most likely be trying to creep into a BCS bowl game, and playing the role of spoiler for the hopes and dreams of the little Sparkies would make a Wildcat victory all the more sweet to savor.  This game boils down to the first and fourth quarters.  ASU has had a bad habit of starting games slowly and then making a mad assault in the second half, so the 'Cats need to get out of the gate quickly.  Points early and often are an absolute must, and then a physical fourth quarter with a strong finish by the defense, and who knows.

Might even send ol' Dennis Erickson back to the Want-Ads scanning for his next stop across the coaching landscape.  Yo Denny, rumor has it that Nebraska might be looking for a mercenary coach such as yourself to jumpstart an ailing Husker nation.  Maybe you should look into that.

Bear Down Arizona!