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.
What a yawner the Texas A&M/Texas game was. I can hardly imagine having to be one of the commentators for that crapola. And why is the Bachelor all of a sudden this year's most used analyst and color commentator? I know the guy used to play football, but didn't the whole handing out the roses thing kind of kill the street cred?
Anyway, Friday has a bunch of yawners in store for us as well. Well, I suppose West Virginia/Pitt could be a good game with the rivalry considered. Still, these are Big East teams we are talking about, so who really cares?
Saturday, though on paper it looks like blowout central, I suspect we will see some MAJOR upsets and great rivalry games. Here is my take on what will unfold over the next couple of days...
Fresno State 21 Boise State 20
As much as I respect what Boise State has done this year and over the last decade, Fresno State always has a great upset up their collars once a year. Despite being on the home smurf, I expect a close one. Although I wouldn't be surprised if the Broncos remained focused and pull it out.
West Virginia 31 Pitt 24
This game is usually a bloody ordeal, though it had bigger implications before losses that made Pitt fans reach for the Prilosec. Officials will not be pleased about the 4-loss season at Pitt, especially in a year the Big East title was so easy to grab.
LSU 44 Arkansas 14
Yawn.
Mizzou 52 Kansas 28
My how the Jayhawks have sucked this year!!!! Close for the first quarter, but Mizzou is stacked with talent and ready for a big game atmosphere at Arrowhead. And the big game at Arrowhead to follow with the Big 12 Championship on the line. Call it a warm-up despite the rivalry. Mizzou is still pissed about missing the BCS last year despite killing the Jayhawks' Big 12 Title hopes, while Kansas got the big trip to Miami. Time for more payback.
USC 24 Notre Dame 17
Closer than everyone expects, but the kids are fighting for the big guy despite the head scratching losses to the likes of the Orangemen.
Virginia Tech 23 Virginia 21
Will the real Cavalier squad please stand up??? How about the real Hokie squad??? Talk about inconsistency. These two teams have no identity this year. Should be of interest to those of us that went to high school in Virginia, but not many others.
Oklahoma 38 Oklahoma State 28
Boone Pickens Stadium will be rocking for the first half. Look for the bar across the street to be filled to capacity by the 3rd quarter. If you're going to the game will you get me an Eskimo Joe's shirt??? XXL please!!!
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.
The University of Missouri football game at Nebraska on Oct. 4th has been chosen for a national cable telecast on ESPN, and will kickoff at 8 p.m. (central). The game will mark Mizzou's second appearance on ESPN already this season, adding to the season-opening 52-42 win over 20th-ranked Illinois on Aug. 30th, that was shown by the network.
If the game isn't where you find the Gameday Crew, I'll be putting my clowny foot up Herby's arse.
The Big 12 is now operating on its 12-day advance notification process for all future weekends, because let's face it, all eye's are on Mizzou and Oklahoma from here on out.
While I am concerned about OU taking on TCU this weekend, Mizzou has a rough schedule from here on out with trips to Lincoln, Austin and dates with an improved Big 12 North. The last thing the Big 12 needs is one of our elite to fall to a team from a lesser conference so the Sooners better be ready. All due respect to Kansas, but that loss to USF is embarrassing. But at this point, no one is invincible in college football anymore.
Which brings me back to the Tiger trip to Lincoln. Despite recent #### whoopings inflicted on the Cornhuskers, all of them occurred in Columbia. In fact, Mizzou has not won in Lincoln in decades.
That fact alone is reason for any gambler to avoid this game like the plague.
Stick to Florida State/Miami that weekend.
Added to the intrigue surrounding this game is an improved Corhusker defense showing signs of swagger under the leadership of first year coach, longtime Husker, Bo Pelini.
This week they get a nice warm up game with the Hokies coming to town. Honestly, I wish Mizzou had the Fighting Beamers coming into town instead of the boys watching the game on the couch.
The Tigers are 4-5 after bye weeks heading into conference play under Gary Pinkel.
The history behind this game is stacked against a Missouri win, but this is a Tiger squad that is re-writing that history since the historic #1 ranking a year ago.
Chase Daniel will be the shortest Heisman winner since Nebraska's Eric Crouch. The first in school history.
The first conference championship since 1969. The Dec. 6th Big 12 Championship Game will likely look like a Mizzou home game at Arrowhead. Coincidentally, it will be the Tigers second straight game at the stadium as they meet Kansas Nov. 29th. It will also be likely that those are the two best games played at the NFL stadium this year. Boy the Chiefs are BAAADD. Sorry, dad.
Sounds like a storybook year in the making for the Missouri Tigers.
The Nebraska game will also be the first time that a captive national audience will get to see Mizzou's defense since the Illinois game. This isn't the same defensive squad rusty from a summer break.
Defensive leader Weatherspoon was recently honored for his career day, as he led Mizzou with a career-high 20 tackles against Buffalo. Among those tackles included three tackles for a loss, including a sack, while also breaking up one pass. Mizzou had a nice defensive tune-up against Buffalo, as it allowed an opponent season-low 286 yards of offense to a Buffalo team that came into the game averaging 427 yards per game.
As the great T.O. likes to say, "Get your popcorn ready!"
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
