Say it with me Longhorn fans... M - I - Z !!! Z - O - U !!!
I know what you're expecting from me this week. Humble pie and awe shucks my Tigers can't even beat lowly Kansas comments, but you can sweep those sentiments right out the door.
Kansas is our biggest rival, period. Records mean very little in that game. Ask them how many times our basketball team has beaten their #1 ranked basketball squad while we were barley above .500.
Sure, I may be the odd man to say I an extremely disappointed with a three-loss season at Mizzou. But give me four losses and I'll be burning Pinkel at the stake.
Well, maybe just the defensive coordinator.
Mizzou has not forgotten last year's Big 12 Championship game and all the hype going into that game. All we had to do was win and go to the National Championship Game. The BCS. Instead we went to the frigging Cotton Bowl and played some #### SEC team.
This is Championship weekend though, folks. This weekend determines who we will see and where. It's either time to celebrate or time to mourn. Of course, I started mourning after the second quarter in the Mizzou/Texas game. But I still think any Sooner fans waiting to see Mizzou roll over like they did in that game are in for a long night Saturday.
Mizzou 45 Oklahoma 42
I know what you are thinking. How can Mizzou keep the Sooners from scoring 60+ points? Easy, we rediscover our running game. Yeah, easy. Call me crazy, but this is one game that Big Game Bob is going to blow. Better now than the BCS Championship Game, right? If you look at the Mizzou Tigers this year, one thing is apparent: they haven't played their best game of the year yet. Hell, they haven't played as well as they did last year at all. Not once. Not good for a team with pretty much the same key players as the year before, which means it comes down to coaching. Can Pinkel earn his dream of spending the rest of his career at Mizzou? The bigger question of course is whether the Tigers can finally beat the Sooners and send Texas to the National Championship while earning a BCS berth themselves.
Alabama 35 Florida 28
Am I the only one in the country that thinks Alabama is the most disrespected undefeated and #1 ranked team ever? Seriously, not one analyst I have heard over the last few weeks expects the Tide to win the SEC, much less the National Championship. An undefeated team that has won more on talent and coahing than luck or chance. Sure Ole Miss is a great squad and caught Florida asleep at the wheel. But Alabama has proven all year that they are for real and they are the real deal. I suspect the bandwagon will have a nice loud roar of Roll Tide Roll come Sunday.
USC 66 UCLA 3
Every week I call a close game from the Trojans and every week they make me look bad. This week, maybe I'll jinx them instead. But I doubt it. These Fighting Neuhzies are that good.
Virginia Tech 19 Boston College 12
These two schizo teams have no identity this year and Beamer's big recruits from the Hampton Roads area in years past have proven big players, but lately the talent pool is a little shallow. Still, I like the Hokies in this odd defensive game in an offensive world.
West Virginia 35 South Florida 17
This game had so much potential at the beginning of the year to determine the Big East Champion. What a disappointing year for the conference, given the weakness of the Pac 10 and SEC this year. I doubt many outside the alumni associations watch this one.
Ball State 31 Buffalo 20
Can they do it? It's been difficult for Ball State to keep the dream alive, but with undefeated Utah and Boise State both up for BCS bids it really doesn't matter in the end.
Now I know how Marty felt after USC tossed the Buckeyes around like ragdolls.
But this... this was worse.
Missouri didn't even realize the game had started until halftime.
What makes it sting more is the fact that we'll have to sit through another debacle like this December 6th at Arrowhead in the Big 12 Title game.
There is NO doubt this week who the #1 team in the nation is.
Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo is the best in the nation and will be a future HOF'er in the NFL with that kind of brutal strength and speed.
To the haters go the spoils, but don't be quick to be one of those morons saying Mizzou is a four-loss team. There is not one team left on the schedule aside from Kansas that has a chance of stopping the Tigers. Of course, it helps when all those teams are from the North division that is floundering once again after looking great at the beginning of the season.
There is NO doubt this week which division is the best in the conference as well as the nation.
The Tigers, now 5-2 after their third straight 5-0 start in as many years have pretty favorable remaining schedule. Which will set up a 10-2 Mizzou squad with dellusions of grandeur and with each of the games being televised don't expect the Tigers to take it easy on any of them.
Homecoming is this Saturday (10/25) when Colorado comes to town. The Tigers should work out some of the frustration out on those poor Buffs. Say what you want about Mizzou, they still put up 31 on the Longhorns which in my opinion is the best defense in the nation. The Buffs are lucky to score at practice, much less in a real game.
Then to Waco for a game with an improved Baylor squad on 11/1, but despite some great athletes taking up residence on campus Baylor has a defense even worse than Mizzou's. A high scoring affair for Mizzou and another win.
Then the Blackout game against Kansas State in Columbia on 11/8. Kansas State showed signs of life at the beginning of the season, but they are still two years away from being able to beat Mizzou again.
Then to Ames on 11/15 and the new look Iowa State squad that decided ugly colors were better than a marketable logo. Mizzou has had games stoeln from them in Ames in recent years due to bad officiating, but this game won't be close enough for that to happen this year.
Then to Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium for a showdown with our most hated rival and the most dangerous team left on the Mizzou schedule on 11/29. Well, even IF something crazy were to happen and the Jayhawks added to this debacle of a season and won, Mizzou would still go to the title game because before the two teams meet Kansas (5-2) will have lost to Texas and Texas Tech and possibly Nebraska. But it makes little difference what the records are when the Jayhawks and Tigers play each other, not matter what sport we are discussing at the moment. Still, I find it hard to imagine Tigers blowing a shot at the BCS again this year.
But then again, they are The Pretenders of the Big 12 we are talking about. They pretend to be in the same class as Texas and Oklahoma, but given the chance to prove it they fail and fail miserably. People that leave the state sometimes refer to the place as Misery, which is what Mizzou football fans have felt every year since 1969.
That was the last time Missouri won a conference championship.
Of course, there are four teams in the South that could stand in the way of Mizzou getting to the BCS at all. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are both undefeated while Oklahoma only has one loss as of yet. All of those teams face each other or Texas, so the losses will come. I find it hard to believe they would all lose three, which is what it would take for Mizzou to still get in the BCS and not have to beat Texas for the Big 12 title. So if Mizzou wants to go to the BCS dance this year, they have to win the last game of the year December 6th at Arrowhead.
If I were a betting man, I wouldn't place any money on those odds. The Homer Poll to follow later this afternoon. I am actually at work right now, so get off my #### already.
Last night, I had two TV's in the living room with the Rays/Red Sox game on at the same time. By halftime, the Rays were on the big screen and the Tigers were on the 32 inch with the sound muted. By the end of the night, there was a movie on the big screen and the Rays on the muted screen. Man, my teams know how to make a fan miserable.
This close to gametime I don't expect discussion, but gotta put 'em on the record here in the blogosphere anyway.
With that said, I have to put and "I TOLD YOU SO" out there for all the BYU talk I heard every week I said they were pretenders all along. Also Boise State, contenders. Period.
Well, I didn't get out the shotgun and blow my head off last night. Although, my head sure feels like it today.
I called for Okie State to make some noise in the south, even had some doubts going in to the game. Never though, did I worry. Not even as the 4th quarter began and we were still trailing. Then Chase decided he didn't want the Heisman and threw bonehead interceptions.
Our D-line never showed up, though our secondary did pretty well. Imagine that.
Pinkel was completely out coached inthe second half. Not as badly as in years past, but enough to make me want to kick him in the arse a few times this morning.
I called the Texas win over the Sooners, but I was not as impressed as everyone else. They were slow on offense, but stiff on defense when it came to the run. I still see a Mizzou win this coming weekend, though. Our boys are not going down two weeks in a row.
With that, all I can say is I never in a million year thought I would be ranking a Big 10 school at #1 at ANY point this season. Then again, this is Jo Pa we're talking about.
We may not have any undefeated school in the National Title game this year, though. If my Cowboys lose to the Cards today the suicide watch may be extended pending the outcome of the ALCS.
Well, conference play is in full swing and the games should be GREAT this weekend. The biggest game on the college football menu this weekend of course is the Red River Rivalry.
#1 vs. #5. By the end of the weekend there will no longer be three Big 12 teams in the Top 5, so all you haters will be happy for a couple of weeks anyway.
By Monday, I believe we will have a new #1 in the major polls.
Well, Oregon State just beat the #1 ranked USC Trojans and now head to #15 Utah. Should be a no brainer, but this year the Pac 10 isn't doing so well against the Mountain West. Of course, I think the beavers will win and the Utes will beat BYU later in the season and thus deny both teams BCS glory and/or embarrassment.
So with that.... This week I tried to pick most games honestly. I got cocky last week and picked with my heart and went 5-5, 5-6 with the bonus. My worst week of the year. 40-13 overall for the year... and holy bat #### it's Monday and I have my picks done.
Last week I conceded the fact that Mizzou had not played good enough for the #1 ranking I had given them from Week 1 through last week. They won by 21 points and I ranked USC at #1 after watching them dismantle Ohio State.
This week my earlier su####ions about the Pac 10's last great hope at credibility went down in flames. No matter how you slice that game, they were outplayed and dominated for every minute of the contest.
My su####ions about Florida's meeting with Ole Miss were fully realized, as were my barbs pointed at Georgia thus far in the season now justified. Illinois proved they are a good team, but Penn State proved they are truly the best in the Big 10.
The Big 12 had a bad week as Colorado and Nebraska lost to mediocre out of conference foes. Oklahoma shrugged off a Top 25 out of conference foe, launching OU to what I am assuming will be it's first #1 ranking in the AP and Coaches polls.
You can definitely tell Arkansas is missing Felix Jones now that he is with the Dallas Cowboys.
Well, if you saw my poll last week you know that my obvious choice for #1 is....
Holy #### Wednesday arrives and I am doing my picks by day's end. I guess I am getting used to getting up at 3:30 am every morning.
This week finds my Mizzou Tigers on the couch and in the film room. Getting ready for a trip to Lincoln we will be watching as the Hokies provide insight into this year's Husker squad.
The game of the week is, big surprise an SEC game, Alabama @ Georgia. No other matchup in any other conference has more BCS implications.
Gee, I can't imagine why the SEC might have a superiority complex. My picks were down going 7-3 last week (8-1 previous week), that's 35-8 on the year.
There can only be one. This week, it isn't Mizzou.
A hard thing for a homer to ####, but the Tigers just don't look as good as they should heading into conference play. This week, another group of Tigers struggled to win, but in the end looked like a real contender. But there is another SEC team I have ranked higher this week and no, it isn't Georgia.
Here's the poll before the other polls. Gotta run, I have to hit the store for the BBQ I'm having for the Dallas Cowboys/Green Bay Packers game.
Sure, any day a team can say those words. For the Rays, today they can say for the first time ever in team history, "We're going to the playoffs!"
Though I didn't make it to as many games as I would've liked, I am proud to say I was there opening day and dozen or so other nights I left with the Trop lit up in my rearview mirror.
Here in Tampa Bay, fans and local media were whispering about this season as the BCS was coming to a close. Despite the excitement of Bowl season, more than a few minutes of airtime on local radio was spent on talk of a pennant race.
The guys really looked good and you could tell the team was showing patience in developing the players and grooming them to fit the plan laid out by management. Then the success was followed by ownership assuming the fans and City of St. Petersburg owed them for their making the right moves to create a winner.
Fans and city residents disagreed. Others, including myself, dreaded the thought of unending rain delays and scorching South Florida heat. #### the ####.
"It's always a perfect 72 degrees inside Tropicana Field," was one of the old selling points in the Devil Rays marketing geared at enticing people to come to the worst stadium in the majors to watch one of the worst teams in the majors.
But we went when we wanted to take our kids to a game or to see the Red Sox or the Yankees. Jeter was going yard at least once, if not more.
You have to take the kids to see that.
Nevermind the expletives that followed from Dad.
I hate Jeter, for the record. Not as a person because I don't know him, but as a player that always made the D-Rays look like kids in the Sandlot.
Sure I want to see him homer, but not with two on and no outs.
This year I got to harrass Royals fans that showed up wearing Jayhawks gear. My kids entertained everyone sitting behind us with their dance moves at Kool and The Gang.
I got to see MC Hammer talk for an hour and play three or so songs. By the way, he did the #### song he did for the Addams Family sequel.
I got to see Longoria hit a grand slam.
I got to see the Rays battle and SWEEP the Red Sox here at the Trop.
We set up the grill, turned up the radio, cracked oped some Miller Lime and tailgated on one of the patches of grass with a tree in the parking lot.
We bought cheap seat tickets and snuck down to the good seats.
We sat by Monty Kiffen, Bucs defensive coordinator and high fived one of the Gruden brothers during a Rays homerun.
We had a blast watching the Rays this year.
Last night as I tucked my daughters into bed, my girls wanted a bedtime story. We talked about the time we saw the Seahawks play the Cowboys up at Qwest Field. Chloe said her team was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and she couldn't wait to see them play here (They spent the night with grandma and grandpa when mommy and daddy headed to Ray Jay.) Kayla said her team was the Rays.
"I love going to the Rays game Daddy," she said with a huge grin.
You see, it is my first Saturday off in weeks. So I plan on enjoying the full College Gameday broadcast for the first time this season. Enjoying every game available.
Though I already picked some of these games in a previous post, given the relevance I included them with this week's additions. One notable change and admission of preseason expectations changing, I now see Nebraska winning easily against Virginia Tech. (20-4)
I have been blogging here for so long, I forgot my old password and had to set up a new blog this year. BOO!
Anyway, my old space was at community.fox sports.com/bl ogs/brianblac k in case you think you've heard the trash talk before... It's the same this year as it was last year... Mizzou is #1!!!!!!! Go Cowboys! Go Rays!
www.myspace.c om/revbrianbl ack
