Week Six

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME … under the “What were they thinking?” banner we can put the football programs at Nebraska, Texas A&M, Utah and Colorado … those four have been headliners in the rush to leave a long-established conference for supposedly greener pastures … Utah, which thought it could immediately move into contention in the Pac-12, finds itself 0-2 and a non-factor in the conference race after getting smacked at home, 31-14, by a so-so Washington team … and they may have to go with a Division II transfer at quarterback this Saturday after starter Jordan Wynn banged up his shoulder against the Huskies … things don’t get an easier for the Utes, with Arizona State coming to Salt Lake City on Saturday … Colorado, the other school that caused the old Pac-10 to change its name, blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead at home in a 31-27 loss to perennial cellar-dweller Washington State and looks to have the South Division basement all to itself … next loss for the Bumbling Buffs? … on the road at No. 7 Stanford, which enters the game as a 27-point favorite and should cover that spread by halftime … Nebraska, meanwhile, which for years has been a dominant force in the Big 12 and the various corn-fed configurations that preceded that 12-team alignment, somehow decided it was a “better fit” in the Big 10 … well, how does 48-17 fit? … that’s the number Wisconsin laid on the Huskers in their Big 10 debut, making folks in Lincoln long for the days of Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor … which brings us to Texas A&M, which announced just last week that it was leaving its comfortable home in the Big 12 for the toughest league in the land, the Southeastern Conference … even the best of A&M teams are now doomed to mediocrity in a conference dominated by the likes of Alabama, LSU, Florida and a pack of others nipping at their heels … ironically, A&M was given a preview taste of what’s in store when it hosted SEC also-ran Arkansas and blew an 18-point halftime lead in a 42-38 loss … they say you can never go home again, but Nebraska, Texas A&M, Utah and Colorado are sure wishing they could right about now …

CROWDED AT THE TOP … as we near the midpoint of the season, there are 13 unbeatens in major college football, but only two will be selected for the national championship game Jan. 9 in New Orleans … although it’s not certain, this looks as if it might be another one of those years when three or more teams will finish the regular season unbeaten and someone – or some ones – will be left out in the cold … not that being unbeaten is a requirement to make it into the championship game … at the top are Alabama and LSU, but one will take care of the other when the two meet in Tuscaloosa Nov. 5 … Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are both unbeaten, but that situation will be rectified the first weekend in December when they butt heads in Stillwater … Oklahoma and Oklahoma State also both play another unbeaten in Texas … in fact, UO takes on the Longhorns Saturday at the Texas State Fair in Big D … the Big 10 has three unbeatens – Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois – but only the Badgers seem capable of running the table, especially since they’ve already eliminated their four toughest opponents in UNLV, Oregon State, Northern Illinois and South Dakota … Wisconsin faces Illinois in Champaign on Nov. 19, but does not play Michigan … Michigan faces Illinois Nov. 12 in Champaign … Illinois, by the way, opened the season with five straight games at home … but wait, there’s more … Kansas State is unbeaten in Bill Snyder’s second coming, but still faces Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas … Georgia Tech and Clemson are both unbeaten, but meet October 29 in Atlanta … Stanford is unbeaten with speed bumps at USC Oct. 29 and Nov. 12 at home against Oregon … and Boise State is unbeaten, but certain to be favored the rest of the way against Fresno State, Colorado State, Air Force, UNLV, TCU, San Diego State, Wyoming and New Mexico … and hey, once-beaten Oregon (40-27 loss to LSU in the season opener) still thinks it might have a say in the national championship debate if it beats Stanford and wins out … stay tuned … things are about to get very interesting …

AIR WAR OVER CORVALLIS … given that Oregon State is 0-4 with a loss to I-AA Sacramento State, and Univ. of Arizona is 1-4 and riding a four-game losing streak, Saturday’s showdown in Corvallis qualifies as either the Crummy Game of the Week or the Disappointment Bowl, take your pick … but for folks who like a pass-happy, high-scoring shootout, this may be just the game for you … last week in a 35-20 loss at Arizona State, Beaver freshman quarterback Sean Mannion put the ball in the air 66 times, completing 40 – both school records, by the way - for 341 yards … actually, he completed 44 passes, but four of those went to the guys in the wrong-colored jerseys … meanwhile, on the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Arizona quarterback Nick Foles was doing his level best to play catch-up with mighty USC, completing 41 of 53 passes for 425 yards and four touchdowns … all to no avail, alas … USC won, 48-41 … the Wildcats, in fact, have given up 104 points in their last two games and 178 altogether in those four consecutive losses … coach Mike Stoops is scouring the intramural fields on the Tucson campus for anyone who can play defense … both Arizona and Oregon State see this as a “must-win” game … and they’re right … as the rules of college football are currently constituted, one team indeed “must” win …

GOTTA LOVE THOSE LUMBERING LUMBERJACKS … I don’t know about you, but I’m thrilled to see the Aggies playing a “throwback” game against the green-and-gold Lumberjacks from Humboldt State, the most misspelled school in the CSUS system (many folks forget the ‘d’) … and never mind that the Aggie Band-uh sometimes calls them the Limberjocks, there is a proud and defiant “us against the world” mentality on the Arcata campus that carries over to the football field … long ago, back in the days of the Far Western Conference and later the Northern California Athletic Conference, this was a spirited rivalry … in fact, before Jim Sochor took over at UC Davis in 1970 and produced 11 straight wins over the Jacks, there was no telling who might win when these two tangled … Humboldt, Sac State, Nevada and UCD are the last teams standing from the old FWC after Cal State Hayward, San Francisco State, Sonoma State and Chico State all dropped the sport … those who look at the win-loss record since the Aggies moved up to I-AA and lament the fact the school no longer plays at the Division II level, need look only at Humboldt State to see how difficult it is for a Division II school in California to put together a competitive schedule … the Jacks play the likes of Dixie State (Utah), Simon Fraser (British Columbia), Western Oregon, Central Washington and Mesa State (Colorado) … the kicker is – with the exception of Mesa State – they play each of those schools twice … and nothing kills fan interest quicker than to bring in a team you played just three weeks ago … the reason there are no California schools on the schedule other than UCD is that there are no other Division II football teams anywhere in in the state …

FOOTBALL IS A CONTACT SPORT … Illinois starting linebacker and defensive superstar Jonathan Brown has been suspended by head coach Ron Zook after he was flagged for kneeing Northwestern offensive lineman Patrick Ward in the – you’d better sit down – groin … you can watch it online if you’d like … those of us who saw it would like to suggest that a one-game suspension is woefully inadequate for such an intentional act to injure … said Zook of Brown: “He is a good person, a spiritual person and no one feels worse about it than him.” … not sure Patrick Ward’s groin would agree with the “no one feels worse” part of that statement … also not clear is which “spiritual” persuasion allows kneeing one’s opponent where it hurts, but I guess just about all spiritual folks believe in forgiveness … not to mention wearing a cup in combat …

TOP OF THE HEAP … 1) Alabama, 2) Wisconsin, 3) LSU, 4) Oklahoma, 5) Stanford, 6) Oklahoma State, 7) Clemson, 8) Oregon, 9) Georgia Tech 10) Arkansas, 11) Michigan, 12) Texas, 13) West Virginia, 14) Auburn, 15) Illinois, 16) South Carolina, 17) Kansas State, 18) Baylor, 19) Virginia Tech, 20) Florida, 21) Nebraska, 22) Washington, 23) Arizona State, 24) Michigan State, 25) Houston

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL … 120) New Mexico, 119) Western Kentucky, 118) Alabama-Birmingham (not Tuscaloosa), 117) Miami, Ohio (not Florida), 116) Florida Atlantic, 115) Oregon State, 114) Arizona, 113) Colorado

 This week’s picks are as follows:

OREGON over CAL (Thursday night) … things are just Ducky in Eugene, where Oregon’s offense is in high gear (69, 56, 56 in the last three games) and may just be unstoppable.

STANFORD over COLORADO … the Buffs will be petitioning for emergency re-entry into the old Big 12 after Andrew Luck and his Cardinal teammates get done with them. Stanford by 40.

NEBRASKA over OHIO STATE … the Cornhuskers, too, are looking for the safety and security of their warm and fuzzy home in the Big 12 after Wisconsin threw them a rude house-warming party last Saturday in Madison. Nebraska by 10.

ARIZONA STATE over UTAH … the Utes, at 0-2 in the Pac-12, are also looking to return to the softer pastures of their old conference. Arizona State by 6.

WASHINGTON STATE over UCLA … not only is Paul Wulff’s coaching seat not hot anymore, they’re talking contract extension in Pullman after last week’s dramatic comeback in Boulder. Cougs by 12.

BYU over SAN JOSE STATE … after last weekend’s last-second “Miracle Pass” against Utah State, the Boys from the Y think God is on their side. BYU by 21.

NOTRE DAME over AIR FORCE … Notre Dame is petitioning the NCAA for a do-over of the first two games of the season. Now that the schedule is easing up a bit, the Irish are eyeing a BCS bowl. Irish by 10.

OKLAHOMA over TEXAS … the horses in Norman are faster than the horses in Austin. Sooners by 21.

BOISE STATE over FRESNO STATE … in previous years this would be a major battle. Now the Broncos don’t even blink. Unfortunately, with so many unbeatens crowding the top tier of the rankings, the chance the Broncos will get a shot at that elusive national title game appears slim indeed. Boise by 20.

UPSET OF THE WEEK: Oregon State over Arizona … and old-fashioned shootout in Corvallis results in the first Beaver victory of what looks like a very long season. There will be over 100 passes thrown before this one is over. Trust me on this. Beavers by 3. (Upset record: 0-5).

ROUT OF THE WEEK: Illinois over Indiana … the Illini don’t make much noise about themselves, but they do keep winning the close ones. Illini by 17. (Rout record: 5-0).

DON’T BET ON IT, BUT: LSU over Florida … after last week’s rout at the hands of Alabama, the Gators are planning to sue the schedule-maker. Tigers by 11. (Don’t bet record: 1-4).

FIVE EASY PICKS: This week’s sure winners are Alabama (over Vanderbilt), West Virginia (over Connecticut), Oklahoma State (over Kansas), Clemson (over Boston College) and UC Davis (over Humboldt State). (FEP record: 25-0).

AGGIES over HUMBOLDT STATE … a throwback game from Division II days. After a week off to recover from all that a 56-14 loss will do to one’s confidence, UC Davis puts it all together against its former rival from the Far Western Conference. Takes the Ags by 31.

OTHER GAMES: Georgia Tech over Maryland, Mississippi State over UAB, North Carolina over Louisville, Purdue over Minnesota, South Carolina over Kentucky, Florida State over Wake Forest, Rice over Memphis, Army over Miami (Ohio), Florida International over Akron, Toledo over Eastern Michigan, Missouri over Kansas State, Virginia Tech over Miami (Fla.), Pittsburgh over Rutgers, Iowa over Penn State, Arkansas over Auburn, Michigan over Northwestern, Texas A&M over Texas Tech, Baylor over Iowa State, Houston over East Carolina, Georgia over Tennessee, Utah State over Wyoming, Syracuse over Tulane, and Nevada over UNLV.

Last week: 24-11, season: 192-46, percentage: .807.

Week Three

SAY IT AIN’T SO … for years the world has marveled at the meteoric rise of once-humble Boise State, from Division II through Division I-AA and finally to regular top 10 finishes among the nation’s major colleges. And now we hear the Broncos have been hit with three years probation for “major violations” and “lack of institutional control” in football and four other sports. Boise will lose nine football scholarships over a three-year period, and in the height of silliness, will be allowed to have only nine contact practices – instead of 12 – each spring for the next three years. It will also be required to paint its world-famous blue turf a deep shade of red for extreme embarrassment.

GAMBLERS BEWARE … USC entered last week’s Pac-12 showdown with Utah as an 8 1/2 –point favorite. On the final play of the game, with USC leading 17-14, Utah lined up for a 41-yard field goal to tie the game and send this tense affair into overtime. The kick was blocked, however, by USC left tackle Matt Kalil and the ball bounced directly into the hands of Trojan cornerback Torin Harris, who ran untouched to the end zone for a nine-point USC win. Or even 10 (or 11) if they had decided to attempt the meaningless conversion, which they didn’t. Jubilation not just for USC fans, but for all those who put money on the Trojans to cover that 8 ½-point spread. But wait. After huddling for far too long at midfield, game officials decided to disallow the touchdown because seemingly half the USC bench, plus assorted coaches, were running down the field in celebration as Harris was chugging toward the goal line. Under a new rule for 2011, because flags were thrown before Harris reached the end zone, the touchdown was disallowed and the final score reverted to 17-14. Jubilation for Utah bettors, if not for Utah fans. But wait. Two hours after the game the Pac-12 decided the officials had misinterpreted the new rule and put the touchdown back on the board. Final score: USC 23, Utah 14. Jubilation once again for USC bettors. At least those who hadn’t already shredded their tickets or tossed them on the floor and stomped out of whatever Nevada sportsbook they frequent. Presumably, once the Pac-12 got into the act, there was a mad scramble for all those discarded tickets on the floor of every casino in Nevada. According to the Pac-12, “All unsportsmanlike conduct fouls by substitutes are enforced as dead ball fouls. Since the game was over, the penalty could not be enforced and the referee stated it was declined by rule.” As my eight-year-old would say, “Whatever.” Some Utah bettors were able to cash “winning” tickets before the touchdown was restored, and those USC bettors lucky enough to hold onto their tickets until after the Pac-12 ruling were able to cash in as well. And doesn’t it just kill you when the Las Vegas casinos take a beating?

SHATTERING A GRIDIRON MYTH … for years and years and years, we’ve been told by coaches and commentators alike that “time of possession” is one of the key elements of a football game. The team who “possesses” the ball longer is almost certain to win. Unless, of course, that team is Oregon, with its score-from-anywhere, three-points-a-minute offense. In crushing the once-great and always-proud NevadaWolfpack last Saturday afternoon in Autzen Stadium, the Ducks held the ball for a mere 21 minutes compared to 38 for the Wolfpack. It was 48-7 with the second half barely underway before Oregon head coach Chip-on-his-shoulder Kelly called off the Ducks. Oregon managed to score 69 points in those 21 minutes. Nevada just 20 in its 38 minutes. So much for time of possession.

MORE ON TIME OF POSSESSION … another favorite of commentators is that “the defense has been on the field too long and is really gassed.” Okay, but hasn’t the other guy’s offense been on the field just as long as the opposition’s defense? Shouldn’t the offense be “gassed” as well, especially if it runs down the field as fast as Oregon does?

GREAT READING … not to be missed in the Sept. 12 Sports Illustrated is S.L. Price’s in-depth look at the long coaching history of TCU’s Gary Patterson, formerly an assistant at UC Davis. Turns out Price, a Sacramento Bee sportswriter at the time, and Patterson, were roommates in Davis.

NOTRE SHAME … how can it be that a school with the name “Notre Dame” could lose on a Hail Mary with two seconds left? The Blessed Mother must have had Saturday off. Another sure sign The End is near.

PRE-GAME SNAFU … first, someone poisons Auburn’s famous Toomer’s Oaks, and now we learn that the Auburn War Eagle, a bald eagle by the name of Spirit, crashed into a luxury box at Jordan-Hare Stadium during his regular pre-game ritual flight. Seems the 14-year-old mascot got nervous about Auburn’s date with powerful Mississippi State and simply lost his bearings before returning to his handler on the field. After an overnight stay at the Southeastern Raptor Center, Spirit has been declared fit for action. If it happens again, he may seek a medical hardship year from the NCAA. It’s anyone’s guess why he cracked into the glass of the luxury box, but if you’ve seen some of those Auburn super boosters put away the food, he may just have been looking for something to eat.

TOP OF THE HEAP … 1) Oklahoma, 2) Alabama, 3) Boise State, 4) LSU, 5) Wisconsin, 6) Stanford, 7) Oklahoma State, 8) South Carolina, 9) Florida State, 10) Texas A&M, 11) Auburn, 12) Baylor, 13) Arkansas, 14) Florida, 15) Virginia Tech, 16) South Florida, 17) West Virginia, 18) Texas Christian, 19) Arizona State, 20) Oregon, 21) Mississippi State, 22) USC, 23) Michigan, 24) Texas, 25) Washington State.

BOTTOM FEEDERS … 120) Catholic Schools (0-4), 119) Oregon State 0-2, 118) New Mexico (0-2), 117) Indiana (0-2), 116) State of Nevada (0-3).

This week’s picks are as follows:

STANFORD over ARIZONA … this may end up being the best game of the weekend. With a late Saturday night start, it’ll easily be the last game of the weekend. A tough early test for the Cardinal, with two of the nation’s best quarterbacks displaying their wares. Fortunately, one of them is wearing Stanford red. Stanford by 13.

OKLAHOMA over FLORIDA STATE … Barry Switzer outsmarts Bobby Bowden. No, wait. I have my generations mixed up. For sure, Gordon MacRae will lead the Sooners to victory. Oklahoma by 7.

OKLAHOMA STATE over TULSA … T. Boone Pickens U. is about to give the Sooners a run for their money in the race for state supremacy. Cowboys by 35.

NEBRASKA over WASHINGTON … for sure, the mascot beginning with the letters “H-U-S-K” will win this game. The Huskies find out in a hurry just how long the road back to respectability really is. Huskers by 17.

WISCONSIN over NORTHERN ILLINOIS … the Badgers are beginning to emerge as the class of the Big 10. Everyone else is an also-ran. Wisconsin by 21.

USC over SYRACUSE … it won’t be pretty, but once again the men of Troy will score just enough points to emerge victorious. USC by 8. But don’t bet on it.

TEXAS over UCLA … the Horns finally showed some promise in an impressive come-from-behind win over BYU last week, while the Bruins struggled mightily with lowly San Jose State. Plus, there’s a little payback involved in this game. Texas by 12.

ARIZONA STATE over ILLINOIS … Dennis Erickson keeps telling anyone who will listen that this Sun Devil team is for real. It better be, or Dennis will be added to those miserable unemployment statistics at the end of the year. ASU by 10.

AUBURN over CLEMSON … hey, they’re the national champions until someone proves otherwise. Tigers by 4.

UTAH over BRIGHAM YOUNG … all kinds of bragging rights on the line in this one. BYU’s offense hasn’t exactly exploded into an orgy of touchdowns as everyone figured it would, and Utah’s defense is more than up for the challenge. Utah by 1.

BOISE STATE over TOLEDO … not the easiest of road games. For a no-name, no-respect opponent, Toledo can be terrifying. Just ask Ohio State. Broncos by 14.

OHIO STATE over MIAMI (Fla.) … two storied programs mired in controversy and penalties. They may ban both teams before this one is over. Buckeyes by 6.

KANSAS STATE over KENT STATE … a sure win for K. State. Guaranteed. Wildcats by 22.

COLORADO over COLORADO STATE … no contest in what used to be a Rocky Mountain shootout. Buffs by 20.

ARKANSAS over TROY … the Real Men of Troy live in Southern California. Hogs by 30.

OREGON STATE ORANGE over OREGON STATE BLACK … the Beavers finally find a game they can win. Unfortunately, it’s an intrasquad game during their bye week.

UPSET OF THE WEEK: Washington State over San Diego State … one more win and Paul Wulff can sign a new multi-year contract. They haven’t been this excited in the Palouse since that record wheat harvest in 1952. Wazzu by 4. (Upset record: 0-2)

ROUT OF THE WEEK: Cal over Presbyterian … the Blue Hose roughed up powerful North Greenville last week after losing a squeaker to Wofford the week before, so this may not be the Bakery League cream puff the Bears envisioned. Nevertheless, that record-setting 127-0 Cal win over St. Mary’s in 1920 may be in jeopardy. First Bear fan to yell “Take off those Blue Hose” will be ejected from the stadium. And no messing with the spelling of “Hose,” all you clever Cal students. By the way, the Blue Hose student body consists of just 1,200 hardy souls, only 600 of whom are men. A high percentage of those 600, apparently, play football. Or maybe some of the women play too. The Golden Bears could literally score on every play is they so desired. Jeff Tedford’s pre-game speech will consist of showing his players how to fall down gracefully after a 10-yard gain, even if there is no defender in sight. After all, once the score reaches 80 or 90 to nothing, it ceases to impress the pollsters. It just indicates how terrible the opposition is. Cal by 128. (Rout record: 2-0)

DON’T BET ON IT, BUT: Michigan State over Notre Dame … not only are the Irish giving away games in the final seconds, now the Catholic press is all over head coach Brian Kelly for his foul-mouthed sideline tirades. The poor guy can’t win. Literally. Spartans by 3. (Don’t bet record: 0-2).

FIVE EASY PICKS … these games are so lopsided it’s embarrassing. The only way these five don’t win is if the opposition refuses to come out of the locker room for the coin toss. This week’s sure winners are Oregon (over Missouri State), Michigan (over Eastern Michigan), Texas A&M (over Idaho), Alabama (over North Texas) and Georgia (over Coastal Carolina). (FEP record: 10-0).

WORST GAME OF THE WEEK: Boston College over Duke … look out, someone may actually score a touchdown in this one. BC by 4.

UC DAVIS AGGIES over SAN DIEGO … in racing to a 2-0 record, the Toreros have outscored the opposition 72-50. In stumbling to an 0-2 record, the Aggies have been outscored by the opposition 86-28. No contest, right? Right. Beating Azusa Pacific and Western New Mexico is hardly the equivalent of going up against Arizona State and Montana State. The Toreros haven’t been the same since Jim Harbaugh headed north. Take the Ags by 28.

OTHER GAMES: Penn State over Temple, Purdue over Southeast Missouri, Mississippi over Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech over Kansas, Boston College over Duke, TCU over Louisiana-Monroe, Florida over Tennessee, Indiana over South Carolina State, North Carolina over Virginia, Texas Tech over New Mexico, Northwestern over Army, Cincinnati over Akron, Virginia Tech over Arkansas State, South Carolina over Navy, Wake Forest over Gardner-Webb, Baylor over Stephen F. Austin, South Florida over Florida A&M, Kentucky over Louisville, Missouri over Western Illinois, Houston over Louisiana Tech, Southern Mississippi over Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Methodist over Northwestern State, Hawaii over UNLV, Fresno State over North Dakota, and Nevada over San Jose State.

Last week: 37-10, season: 98-18, percentage: .845.