Illinois moves Fresno State game to Dec. 5

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Head coach Ron Zook sort of let this slip out during Tuesday's news conference, but Illinois' home contest against Fresno State has officially been moved from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5. 
The Illini will wrap up Big Ten play Nov. 14 against Northwestern and then have an open date Nov. 21 before visiting defending Big East champ Cincinnati. The…
Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten – Blog

Friday Big Ten mailbag

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Jake from Indianapolis writes: Adam, I recently moved to Indiana from Michigan, and the love for football in the Hoosier State clearly lies in the NFL. However, I still love my college football. I've adopted IU as my in-state team to watch and cheer for. Given their past and present situation, what does IU football have to do to become a contender in the Big10? Could they ever become the Kansas of their conference?

Adam Rittenberg: Always root for the underdog, Jake. Indiana has taken a few steps toward becoming a contender, though 2008 was a big step back. The stadium renovations certainly should help, but Indiana must upgrade its recruiting and make some improvement on defense. I've harped on this even after the bowl run in 2007. Indiana won't be a relevant Big Ten program until it consistently fields a decent defense. The numbers for the last decade have been really poor. There's talent on that side of the ball with Greg Middleton, Jammie Kirlew and Matt Mayberry, but they've got to put it together.

As far as recruiting, Indiana has recruited the state decently, even though the talent might not be as strong as other states. The other thing is continuity in coaching. As new AD Fred Glass noted in our conversation last month, there has been way too much fluctuation on the Hoosiers staff.

---

Jason from Unionville, Mo., writes: I don't know if you're a draft person or not but I have a question about Shonn Greene and Scouts, Inc.'s analysis. They give him average at elusiveness and center of gravity. My question is were they not watching the Wisconsin or Purdue game? Greene spun a defender out of his shoes against Purdue and ran for a 75 yard touchdown. And only average at Center of Gravity? Come on. I just wanted to know if you had any thoughts on this. Thanks for the blog, I really enjoy reading it and think you do a great job!

Adam Rittenberg: The guys at Scouts Inc. are much stronger evaluators than yours truly, but having watched Greene for much of the season, I tend to agree with you, Jason. He runs slightly upright but has the ability to juke defenders and maintain his balance on tough runs. Loyal Big Ten blog readers know all about my man crush on Greene, and my only concerns with him are things that Iowa didn't ask him to do, like catching the football out of the backfield. I think he could improve his stock with a strong performance at the combine.

---

Joe from State College, Pa., writes: You did a great job with the blog this year, Adam. Do you think with Ohio State having the top recruiting class and Penn State coming in at number 10, along with a weak Michigan team coming in at number 13 (according to Scout.com), that the Big Ten is on the upswing? Ohio State was seconds away from beating a team that many believed deserved to be in the National Championship game, and with Penn State holding USC to 7 points in the second half of the game, while scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, I feel like the Big Ten is highly underrated. What will it take for the Big Ten to finally get some recognition?

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks, Joe. The consensus on Big Ten recruiting this year seemed to be the league did a solid job despite not landing many of the super elite prospects. Michigan's recruiting class coming off the worst season in team history certainly was encouraging, and Ohio State brought in an excellent group. Penn State also answered needs with its class. Getting recognition is simple: win your bowl games. Though Ohio State regained some national respect in the Fiesta Bowl, playing Texas tough or, in Penn State's case, limiting damage against USC doesn't win too many points nationally. The Big Ten desperately needs a bowl season of .500 or better this year.

Read more

Early schedule snapshot: Wisconsin

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The schedule snapshots finish up with Wisconsin, which will end the regular season later than any other Big Ten team. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Northern Illinois

Sept. 12 Fresno State

Sept. 19 Wofford

Dec. 5 at Hawaii

My take: Wisconsin's decision to move back its series with Virginia Tech took something away from a nonconference slate that still features a few challenges. The Badgers' win at Fresno State last year lost some luster after the Bulldogs struggled down the stretch, but Pat Hill's squad is usually solid and a Wisconsin victory this fall should mean more. Northern Illinois is on the rise under head coach Jerry Kill and will provide Wisconsin's new starting quarterback with a decent opening test. Hawaii is always tough at home, as Big East champ Cincinnati found out last year, and Wisconsin will need to put up points to beat the Warriors in Honolulu. 

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 Michigan State

Oct. 3 at Minnesota

Oct. 10 at Ohio State

Oct. 17 Iowa

Oct. 24 Open

Oct. 31 Purdue

Nov. 7 at Indiana

Nov. 14 Michigan

Nov. 21 at Northwestern

Byes: Penn State, Illinois

My take: The Badgers are the only team with a bye in the middle of the Big Ten schedule — Illinois likely will have one before league play opens — and it comes at a good time. The opening stretch is brutal with trips to rival Minnesota and Ohio State bookended by tough home contests against Michigan State and Iowa. Wisconsin can do some damage during the second half of the conference slate, but it needs to avoid another slow start after dropping its first four league games in 2008. Road games at Northwestern and Hawaii could go a long way toward determining Wisconsin's postseason fate or bowl destination.   

Go to Source

Early schedule snapshot: Illinois

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The book is closed on 2008, and as part of our look ahead at 2009, it's time to take a team-by-team look at the schedules. The analysis begins with Illinois, one of two teams without a fully finalized nonconference slate. This marks the final Big Ten season without a bye week, which returns for good in 2010. 

Here's what we know right now about the Illini:

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Missouri (at St. Louis)
Sept. 12 Illinois State
Nov. 21 Fresno State
Nov. 28 TBA

My take: An Illinois spokesperson last week was unable to confirm a fourth nonconference game at Cincinnati on Nov. 28, but the two schools have been talking and could sign a contract soon. Should the Illini add the Bearcats, they would have a strong case for owning the Big Ten's toughest non-league slate. Missouri loses several key pieces (Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman) but always shows up to face the Illini, who haven't beaten the Tigers since 1994. A season-opening win would be huge for quarterback Juice Williams and Illinois, who don't have many sure things this fall.

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 at Ohio State
Oct. 3 Penn State
Oct. 10 Michigan State
Oct. 17 at Indiana
Oct. 24 at Purdue
Oct. 31 Michigan
Nov. 7 at Minnesota
Nov. 14 Northwestern
Byes: Iowa, Wisconsin

My take: The start to league play is brutal, making a 2-0 start to non-league play all the more important for Illinois. The good news is that Illinois has won in Columbus, and an upset Sept. 26 could set the stage for a major push. Illinois' road schedule other than Ohio State isn't too bad, so if it can defend the turf at Memorial Stadium and pick up a marquee win or two, a solid season certainly is within reach. The Illini could be 1-3 when Michigan State comes to town, but a 3-1 start will set them up for some pretty big things. 

Go to Source

Big Ten year-end linebacker rankings

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The rankings continue today with another of the Big Ten's strongest positions — linebacker. Ohio State's James Laurinaitis won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, but he didn't top this list, a testament to the league's depth at linebacker. 

Here's your top 10. 

1. Navorro Bowman, Penn State — Bowman began the season as a reserve, but was easily the league's most noticeable linebacker by the end. He racked up 31 more tackles than any other Penn State player and finished with four sacks, two forced fumbles and 16.5 tackles for loss, tops among Big Ten backers. One of few bright spots in the Rose Bowl, Bowman racked up five stops for loss. The LaVar Arrington comparisons look legit.

2. Brit Miller, Illinois — The Illini didn't have the season they wanted, but Miller did his part and then some as J Leman's replacement in the middle. Miller led the Big Ten in tackles (132) and ranked eighth in both sacks (6) and tackles for loss (15.5). He forced three fumbles, returning one for a touchdown, and was by far Illinois' most consistent defensive player. 

3. James Laurinaitis, Ohio State – Laurinaitis turned in a very solid senior season, piling up 130 tackles and four sacks. He didn't always make the spectacular play, but consistently carried out his assignments and seemed to get stronger as the season progressed. Laurinaitis leaves Ohio State as one of the most decorated players in team history, and he certainly made a mark on the Big Ten. 

4. Greg Jones, Michigan State — He flies under the radar a bit at Michigan State, but Jones will undoubtedly be a household name in 2009. The Spartans sophomore finished third in the league in tackles (127), bringing his two-year total to 205. Jones is only a junior, but along with Bowman he will enter next season as a candidate for All-Big Ten and All-America honors. 

5. Pat Angerer, Iowa — In addition to having a great name for a linebacker, Angerer showed this fall that he can cause a lot of problems for opposing offenses. He rallied from a very frustrating 2007 season to finish second in the league in interceptions (5) and sixth in tackles (107). With Laurinaitis graduating, Angerer might be the league's best linebacker against the pass, tallying eight deflections to go along with his five-pack of picks. 

6. Marcus Freeman, Ohio State — He played second fiddle to Laurinaitis throughout his career, but would have been the No. 1 linebacker on almost any other team. Freeman was solid this fall, leading Ohio State in tackles for loss (9.5) and ranking second in total tackles (84). A second-team All-Big Ten selection in each of the last two seasons, Freeman will be missed next fall. 

7. Anthony Heygood, Purdue — Purdue's defense was better than the numbers showed this fall, and Heygood led the way with 114 tackles. Though his tackles for loss total dropped from 2007, he had six or more stops in nine games and racked up 11 solo tackles against Ohio State. 

8. Obi Ezeh, Michigan — It was a tough year for Michigan's defense, which got next to no help from the offense and endured its own problems. But Ezeh blossomed as a bright spot in the middle, leading the team with 98 tackles to go along with an interception and a fumble recovery. He won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after the season opener and contributed seven tackles for loss and a sack. 

9. Matt Mayberry, Indiana — Many readers would rank Mayberry much higher, but I need to see more from the Hoosiers' talented middle linebacker. He clearly has tremendous physical gifts and racked up five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss this fall. If he continues to make strides and elevates a historically bad defense, Mayberry will find himself in the top five next season.

10. DeAndre Levy, Wisconsin — Levy was one of few consistent performers on a Badgers defense that looked great at times and awful at other times. He won National Defensive Player of the Week honors after the Fresno State win, in which he registered four tackles for loss, including a critical sack, as well as an interception and a pass breakup. Levy led Wisconsin with 9.5 tackles for loss and ranked second in sacks (5). 

Go to Source

Oh, yeah….i have this blog thing to write in

With the perfect storm of the holiday season, extended hours at work, and the cleanup after my father’s funeral, I haven’t been able to write much in The BBC lately.  I’d apologize, but you understand, I’m sure.

Here’s what I’ve missed yelling at you about;

Cleveland Cavaliers

Mid-last week, the news came in that Daniel “Boobie” Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas would both miss games because of injury.  Fear struck immediately, but it was soon announced that Z might only miss a couple of games and Gibson a couple weeks.  Not much damage done if they heal properly.

One trip to Atlanta later, and the Cavs had their first loss in weeks, falling by five points to a good Hawks team.

Immediately after that loss with two stars benched, ESPN decided to forget about the Cavs, publishing an article on the 1998 Bulls and how their 72 win-season could be topped by the Celtics or the Lakers.  Hellloooooo?  At the time of that article, the Cavs had 20 wins and only 4 losses.  Extrapolate that out and you get 69 wins….why weren’t the Cavs included in that scenario?  ALL of our four losses were to teams seeded fifth or higher in the playoff system this year, and all of them were on the road.  Surely ESPN doesn’t think that we’re finished as one of the elite teams this year?

Meanwhile, two of the Lakers’ four losses are to Indiana and Sacramento, who won’t get into the playoffs without buying a ticket like eveyone else.

By the way, Boston also lost to the piss-poor Indiana Pacers…and they fell to Denver by 9 at home.

Speaking of Denver, the Nuggets are the hottest team in the West right nowsince they traded away Allen Cancerson to Detroit and picked up Chauncey Billups.  They’ve won 16 out of 21 and are playing incredible basketball at home.

Oh, wait….scratch that.

Last night, the Cavs manhandled the Nuggets on their own floor in a 105-88 blowout.  Cleveland opened up a quick first-quarter lead and never looked back.  They led by 16 after one quarter, and midway through the second period, the Denver boo-birds were in full-force.  Ilgauskas showed little ill-effect from his ankle, pouring in 23 points.  Denver got it down to 9 points for a couple seconds, but the Cavs turned up the heat again and pushed the lead to 22 points a couple of times before cruising across the finish line.

Cleveland now stands at 22-4 and has the second-best record in the NBA.  Beating Denver gives them a big boost heading down the final stretch of 2008.  Here’s what they have for the rest of the calendar year;

• at Oklahoma City (3-24)
• Houston (17-9)
• Washington (4-20)
• Miami (13-12)
• at Miami (13-12)

Houston is the only true standout in this upcoming stretch, and that game is at The Q, where we are 13-0.  Tomorrow night’s game against OKC and Christmas Day against the Wizards should be easy wins, and Miami should be a fun pair, but the Cavs are clearly better than Wade/Marion/company.  I’d be happy going 4-1 and entering 2009 at 26-5.  But 27-4 is not at all a stretch considering what we did to a top West team last night.

More Cavaliers

It goes without saying that the Cavs are a vastly superior team to the wine and gold of last year.  But what is often overlooked is HOW they have the aura of invincibility.

They’re beating the living tar out of the lesser teams.

Last season, our biggest downfall was the inablility to put down the teams that were CLEARLY the worst teams in the NBA.  That’s no longer the case.  Here’s a pretty chart to prove it;

Team	Cavs wins	Opp wins
2007-08
Indiana	4	0
New Jersey	1	3
Chicago	1	3
Charlotte	3	1
Milwaukee	1	3
New York	2	1
Miami	3	0
TOTAL	15	11
2008-09
Chicago	2	0
Milwaukee	2	0
New York	2	0
Toronto	1	0
Indiana	2	0
Charlotte	2	0
Washington	0	0
TOTAL	11	0

Going from 15-11 to 11-0 is an excellent summary of how much better the Cavs are this year.  If they keep that up, it will mean the difference between a four-seed and a first-seed in the NBA playoffs.

College football Bowl season

Yes, it begins now.

There’s four games today.  Lemme make this quick.

• I’ll take Wake Forest over Navy
• I’ll take Fresno State over Colorado State
• I’ll take South Florida over Memphis
• I’ll take BYU over Arizona

Tonight and tomorrow, I’ll begin my preview of each remaining bowl game and we’ll see how horrible my prognosticating skills are!

Go to Source

What to Watch for – Saturday December 20

It’s the most, wonderful time, of the year.  Apologies to Eddie Pola and George Wyle, but bowl games are the real reason for the season.  If I could, I’d scrap the pretense of the Bowl Championship Series and return to the greater bowl anarchy we had back in the days… and all on the same day too¹.  That, and I’d bring back the T-Formation, Wing-T and Notre Dame Box… and probably even single-platoon football.  All of this, of course, is a topic for another conversation.

Since I’m on vacay, and because all these games are on national television, I think I’ll get to watch every single bowl game.  I usually do.  The problem, though, is the prevalence of crappy teams from uninteresting conferences that occupy Week 1.  Still, each bowl game — with all its corollary corporate advertisement dross — is like a present… even if the present is like a pair of Christmas-themed socks that you would never wear otherwise.  So, what do we have to look forward to this next week, up to Saturday?

• EagleBank Bowl (Wake Forest v. Navy) [11:00AM ET, ESPN].  The EagleBank Bowl is a new addition to the bowl season with its inaugural game to be played on Saturday morning.  This game does several things right, and several things wrong.
  • First, here’s what it does right:
  • It gives both service academies (Army, Navy) a tie-in to this game, a tie-in that alternates season-by-season.  In its inaugural kickoff, Navy was the service academy tie-in in the event they were bowl eligible.  Next year, it’ll be Army… which probably means the bowl will have to go looking for someone else.
  • It gives the Big Ten a tie-in that it lost when one of the Music City Bowl was no longer interested in the conference.  As far as I know, the agreement among conferences for the bowl game is primarily an ACC v. service academy matchup, but the Big Ten enters into the conversation if there’s not enough bowl eligible ACC teams or the service academy in question is ineligible
  • It puts a bowl game in Washington DC.  In a time when so many inappropriate places jockey for a bowl *cough*Boise*cough*, a predicament made more absurd by the cost of transportation and the tanking economy *cough*Boise*cough*, a bowl game in the nation’s capital is both economically prudent and unmistakeably American.  Now, if we can go about resurrecting the Gotham Bowl…
  • Buuuut…
  • It’s a repeat matchup.  I love bowl games and I wish to turn back the clock on the college football offseason, even if it means having the UPI wire in its pick for national champions before the bowl game is even played because even that is less absurd than the BCS.  But, repeat matchups are the bane of the system because of the disingenuity inherent in Round 2².  In this specific context, Navy derailed Wake Forest’s train earlier in this season in Winston-Salem, thus souring national perception of what was expected to be an ACC Championship-caliber team.  Turnovers were the story that game as Riley Skinner had 4 INTs.  You can spin it as “Wake Forest looking for payback”, but it’s just not that interesting.
  • Corporate sponsorship has sullied what is otherwise a triumphant move for college football into Washington DC.  When it was first conceptualized, it was originally supposed to be called the Congressional Bowl.  This is an awesome choice.  However, once EagleBank wanted to get involved, it rechristened the bowl in its own honor.  This is most definitely not an awesome choice.  Again, the same guy writing this post is the same guy who wants the damned Gotham Bowl back.  With very few exceptions (see: Bacardi Bowl), corporate sponsorships screw things up… and I’m definitely looking in your direction, Capital One.
  • I’m not sure Navy has assured college football fans everywhere that it won’t wear those monstrosities it whipped out for the Army-Navy game earlier this month.  Sweet Jesus those were ugly uniforms worn by both sides.

• New Mexico Bowl (Colorado State v. Fresno State) [2:30PM ET, ESPN].  Fresno State’s punishment “reward” for falling short well short of its preseason BCS aims is a trip to New Mexico to play in the New Mexico Bowl.  The bowl game is fielding just its 3rd ever installment in 2008 and, yes, the first one without the University of New Mexico playing.  For those unaware, the bowl game is played on site at the University of New Mexico, giving the Lobos something of an unfair advantage.  In lieu of the Lobos, the Colorado State Rams will be representing the Mountain West.  The Rams are a screwy team, having almost beaten Brigham Young and having almost lost to San Diego State in the sam season.  Interest factor in this game is about a 4 on a scale of 10 with high values corresponding to high user interest.  The biggest interest comes in the bowl game being in New Mexico. New Mexico is a state that you almost forget is part of the continental United States until you’re presented with a visual reminder.  Such was my drives through Albuquerque en route from Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio for school way back in the day.
• magicJack Saint Petersburg Bowl (Memphis v. USF) [4:30PM ET, ESPN2].  Corporate sponsorship of bowl games fails because it often times does not intuitively correspond with the location or theme of the bowl game itself.  The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl are exemplars of intuitive corporate sponsorship.  Corporate sponsorship of bowl games fails disastrously when, on top of the previous point, no one knows what the hell the corporation in question is.  This is the magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl.  I had to look it up, but magicJack is an internet telephony service.  Given that this bowl game is an inaugural matchup and given the reviews of the corporate enterprise itself, I don’t see this sponsorship deal lasting any more than a year or two.  For what it’s worth, USF’s punishment reward for failing to win the Big East like it was expected to do is a trip across the street to host its own bowl game.  This will become fair precisely when there becomes such a thing as the Buckeye Bowl in Columbus, Ohio.  I’m waiting.
• Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl (Brigham Young v. Arizona) [8:00PM ET, ESPN].  The Mormons are rounding up their Postum and their name tags, hopping on their bicycles and trippin’ over to Las Vegas to spread the word of Heavenly Father and play a Pac-10 team in the Las Vegas Bowl for the 4th consecutive year.  It’s no doubt a disappointment for a team with visions of Sugar dancing in their head earlier this season.  On the flip side, it is no doubt a reward for Mike Stoops’ ‘Cats, making their first bowl appearance under his tutelage, and the first in the program since 1998.  Consequently, a lot of analysts are speculating that this might be the first upset of the bowl season.  Until that point is clear, there’s things we know right now.
  • First, the high in Las Vegas is expected to be in the mid-40s.  Yes, mid-40s.  The area has been blanketed by snow in the past day.
  • Second, David Hasselhoff will be singing the national anthem.  Yes, the ‘Hoff.  Singing the national anthem.  Click that link, I dare you.  Apparently his daughter attends U of A, and hence the relationship between the bowl participants.
  • Third, I’m going to be reciting lines from Orgazmo all the while watching this game.  You won’t be around me as I do this.  You won’t be able to hear me do it, nor will you be able to stop me.  Rest assured, though, it will happen.  Anything involving Mormons is going to trigger that movie playing in my head.

1. Remember when January 1st was like a bowl orgy? It was like the first two rounds of the NCAA hoops tournament
2. …and it’s not a problem that a playoff system would fix.  If anything, it might make it more disingenuous.

Go to Source

College Postseason: The Miseducation Of Lisa Horne

Lisa Horne wrote an article expressing that the dominant conferences were weaker than the Big XII Conference. Then people wanted to know what she was basing this off of. Was it because they didn’t have enough BCS NC possible teams in the show? Was it in regards to the Heisman? Or is it because there wasn’t as much controversy in those conferences as there is in the Big XII Conference?

After watching her try to defend her defense of the Big XII Conference, I wanted to let the B/R Nation decide. But I did some quick research on this season’s bowl games and found something interesting.

ACC: 10 Postseason Representatives

• Wake Forest (Eagle Bank Bowl vs. Navy)
• North Carolina (Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. West Virginia)
• Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl vs. Wisconsin)
• Miami (Emerald Bowl vs. Cal)
• NC State (PapaJohns.com Bowl vs. Rutgers)
• Maryland (Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl vs. Nevada)
• Boston College (Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl vs. Vanderbilt)
• Georgia Tech (Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs. LSU)
• Clemson (Konica Minolta Gator Bowl vs. Nebraska)
• Virginia Tech (Orange Bowl vs. Cincinnati)

SEC: 8 Postseason Representatives

• Vanderbilt (Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl vs. Boston College)
• LSU (Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs. Georgia Tech)
• South Carolina (Outback Bowl vs. Iowa)
• Georgia (Capital One Bowl vs. Michigan State)
• Ole Miss (AT&T Cotton Bowl vs. Texas Tech)
• Kentucky (AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. East Carolina)
• Alabama (Sugar Bowl vs. Utah)
• Florida (BCS National Championship vs. Oklahoma)

Big XII: 7 Postseason Representatives

• Missouri (Valero Alamo vs. Northwestern)
• Oklahoma State (Pacific Life Holiday Bowl vs. Oregon)
• Kansas (Insight Bowl vs. Minnesota)
• Nebraska (Konica Minolta Gator Bowl vs. Clemson)
• Texas Tech (AT&T Cotton Bowl vs. Ole Miss)
• Texas (Fiesta Bowl vs. Ohio State)
• Oklahoma (BCS National Championship vs. Florida)

Big Ten: 7 Postseason Representatives

• Wisconsin (Champs Sports Bowl vs. Florida State)
• Northwestern (Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Missouri)
• Minnesota (Insight Bowl vs. Kansas)
• Iowa (Outback Bowl vs. South Carolina)
• Michigan State (Capitol One Bowl vs. Georgia)
• Penn State (Rose Bowl vs. USC)
• Ohio State (Fiesta Bowl vs. Texas)

Big East: 6 Postseason Representatives

• South Florida (St. Petersburg Bowl vs. Memphis)
• West Virginia (Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. North Carolina)
• Rutgers (PapaJohns.com Bowl vs. N.C. State)
• Pitt (Brut Sun Bowl vs. Oregon State)
• UConn (International Bowl vs. Buffalo)
• Cincinnati (Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech)

Pac 10: 5 Postseason Representatives

• Arizona (Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl vs. BYU)
• Cal (Emerald Bowl vs. Miami (FL))
• Oregon (Pacific Life Holiday Bowl vs. Oklahoma State)
• Oregon State (Brut Sun Bowl vs. Pitt)
• USC (Rose Bowl vs. Penn State)

And this is just the main conferences. How do you think the smaller conferences did this seaason?

Mountain West: 5 Postseason Representatives

• Colorado State (New Mexico Bowl vs. Fresno State)
• BYU (Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl vs. Arizona)
• TCU (SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl vs. Boise State)
• Air Force (Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl vs. Houston) 
• Utah (Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama)

WAC: 5 Postseason Representatives 

• Fresno State (New Mexico Bowl vs. Colorado State) 
• Hawaii (Sheraton Hawaii Bowl vs. Notre Dame)
• Louisiana Tech (Independence Bowl vs. Northern Illinois)
• Nevada (Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl vs. Maryland)
• Boise State (SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl vs. TCU)

So when you do the simple mathematics of who is in the bowl games, the Big XII is not as dominating as Lisa wants them to be. She gave so much credit to Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell (who royally got the shaft in the Heisman) but none to Mack Brown, Mike Leach or Bob Stoops. It’s always good to be the quarterback, but you can’t be a great QB without a great coach to teach you the fundamental basics.

But it was a team effort that got a majority of these teams into their respective bowl games. But to just single out one player or position as the reason of their success is downright dumb. In regards to the SEC being dominant, I’m surprised no one threw former Tennessee Quarterback Peyton Manning’s name in the mix if you’re going to do name dropping.

Regardless, the Big XII is in as much trouble this bowl season as everyone else. And even though no one has flat out said that Oklahoma will slaughter Florida or vice versa, you have to know that someone wants to start the fireworks.

It’s good that you know stats and everything, Lisa, but the facts do not support your main argument. You called the SEC weak this season, but really didn’t give a reason to their weakness. You just went on about how great the quarterbacks of the Big XII look in their uniforms. But the numbers aren’t the only thing that people look at. They look at who has proven themselves to be a leader.

In all honesty, all four quarterbacks involved in the Heisman Chase have proven themselves to be leaders. But after tonight, only one will hold up the Heisman…and Tebow would much rather have a National Championship. And we all know about the Heisman Curse.

So here’s a better poll question: Who has been the stronger conference and who has been the weaker conference this year?

Go to Source

Do You Have What It Takes To Be The Champion? B/R Bowl Games Pick’em Contest

Think you have what it takes to pick ALL the winners from all 34 bowl games this season?

Here’s your chance to compete with anyone and everyone on Bleacher Report!

 

The rules are as follows:

1. One set of picks per person

2. ALL bowl games must be picked and submitted (posted in the comments section below) no later than 10:59AM, December 20th prior to kickoff of the EagleBank Bowl

3a. In the event of a tie in the standings, I will use your predictions on total combined points in the 5 BCS Bowls.

3b. When you submit your picks, you will want to post the total points you think will be scored per game…for example, if you think USC is going to beat Penn State 45-10, you would put Rose Bowl – 55 points

(If you have questions, post a note on my page.)

4. The games are broken down into five levels with each level worth from one to five points.

 

Here are the games and point values per game.

1-point games:

Independence Bowl, Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6), Dec. 28

Motor City Bowl, Central Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida Atlantic (6-6), Dec. 26

New Mexico Bowl, Colorado State (6-6) vs. Fresno State (7-5), Dec. 20

St. Petersburg Bowl, Memphis (6-6) vs. USF (7-5), Dec. 20

New Orleans Bowl, Southern Miss (6-6) vs. Troy (7-5), Dec. 21

Liberty Bowl, East Carolina (9-4) vs. Kentucky (6-6), Jan. 2

Music City, Boston College (9-4) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6), Dec. 31

Hawaii Bowl, Notre Dame (6-6) at Hawaii (7-6), Dec. 24

Papajohns.com Bowl, N.C. State (6-6) vs. Rutgers (7-5), Dec. 29

2-point games:

EagleBank Bowl, Navy (8-4) vs. Wake Forest (7-5), Dec. 20

Emerald Bowl, California (8-4) vs. Miami (7-5), Dec. 27

Armed Forces Bowl, Air Force (8-4) vs. Houston (7-5), Dec. 31

International Bowl, Buffalo (8-5) vs. Connecticut (7-5), Jan. 3

Humanitarian Bowl, Maryland (7-5) vs. Nevada (7-5), Dec. 30

Insight Bowl, Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5), Dec. 31

Gator Bowl, Clemson (7-5) vs. Nebraska (8-4), Jan. 1

3-point games:

Champs Sports Bowl, Florida State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (7-5), Dec. 27

Alamo Bowl, Missouri (9-4) vs. Northwestern (9-3), Dec. 29

Outback Bowl, Iowa (8-4) vs. South Carolina (7-5), Jan. 1

Texas Bowl, Rice (9-3) vs. Western Michigan (9-3), Dec. 30

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Georgia Tech (9-3) vs. LSU (7-5), Dec. 31

Las Vegas Bowl, Arizona (7-5) vs. BYU (10-2), Dec. 20

Meineke Car Care Bowl, North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4), Dec. 27

GMAC Bowl, Ball State (12-1) vs. Tulsa (10-3), Jan. 6

Cotton Bowl, Ole Miss (8-4) vs. Texas Tech (11-1), Jan. 2

Sun Bowl, Oregon State (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (9-3), Dec. 28

Capital One Bowl, Georgia (9-3) vs. Michigan State (9-3), Jan. 1

Holiday Bowl, Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3), Dec. 30

Poinsettia Bowl, Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2), Dec. 23

4-point BCS games

Sugar Bowl, Alabama (12-1) vs. Utah (12-0), Jan. 1

Orange Bowl, Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4), Jan. 1

Rose Bowl, Penn State (11-1) vs. USC (11-1), Jan. 1

Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State (10-2) vs. Texas (11-1), Jan. 5

5-point BCS NC game:

BCS National Championship Game, Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1), Jan. 8

 

 

As the games are played, I’ll add the standings to the article as often as I can.

GOOD LUCK! 

Go to Source

Updated Lines and Point Spreads For the 2008/ 2009 College Bowl Games 12/12/08

I get a lot of questions from readers and viewers about knowing when you are getting the best odds and point spreads, it isn’t a question that has a definitive answer.

While I address this question in my free ebook, Betting on College Football Made Simple, which I give away at The College Football Place, it seems that it’s an art that no one has mastered. In any event the lines have been out for nearly a week and while they have moved and are starting to settle in, there is no saying this is where they end up.

I’ll be sending out the picks for the free bowl picking contest within the next day and I apologize for mot getting them out sooner. Those who are already signed up for the regular season picking contest, you will automatically get the registration for the free bowl contest, for those of you who aren’t, you till have time.

In the mean time, here are the most current odds and point spreads and any movement they have had since they opened.

Saturday September 20, 2008

Navy +3 Vs. Wake Forest (was +3 1/2)

Fresno State -3 Vs. Colorado State (was -4)

Memphis +12 1/2 Vs. South Florida (was +14)

BYU +3 Vs. Arizona (no movement)

Sunday September 21, 2008

Southern Miss +4 1/2 Vs. Troy  (was +3)

Tuesday December 23, 2008

TCU – 2 1/2 Vs. Boise State (was pick)

Wednesday December 24, 2008

Notre Dame + 1 Vs. Hawaii (was + 2 1/2)

Friday December 26, 2008

Florida Atlantic +7 Vs. Central Michigan (was + 5 1/2)

Saturday December 27, 2008

West Virginia +1 Vs. North Carolina (was pick)

Wisconsin +4 1/2 Vs. Florida State (was +5 1/2)

Miami +7 Vs. Cal (was + 7 1/2)

Sunday December 28, 2008

Northern Illinois – 1 1/2 Vs. Louisiana Tech (was -3)

Monday December 29, 2008

NC State +7 Vs. Rutgers (no move)

Northwestern +13 Vs. Missouri (was 14 1/2)

Tuesday December 30, 2008

Nevada +1 1/2 Vs. Maryland (was +1)

Western Michigan +3 Vs. Rice (was +2)

Oregon +3 Vs. Oklahoma State (no movement)

Wednesday December 31, 2008

Air Force + 2 1/2 Vs. Houston (was +2)

Pittsburgh +3 Vs. Oregon State (no movement)

Boston College – 3 1/2 Vs. Vandy (was -4)

Minnesota +11 Vs. Kansas (was +8 1/2)

LSU + 5 Vs. Georgia Tech ( was +2 1/2)

Thursday January 1, 2009

Iowa is -3 1 /2 Vs. South Carolina (was -3)

See the rest of the current lines and point spreads for the 2008/2009 bowls

Go to Source

Next Page »