Half-Way Home

It’s actually sad to think we are at the mid-way point in college football. This Saturday is already the beginning of the second half of the season. While in baseball, basketball, or hockey it only takes 3 months to get there, it takes a long drawn out 6 weeks in college football. The Saturday it really seems to take off means your half way done, oh yeah bring on the NBA. But the university presidents are right, it really is “too much” on these players to go any more, we wouldn’t want to “burn them out” before they do this FULL TIME. So half-way home, we are left to ‘repent’ of some of our preseason thoughts, reflect on what’s happened, and project what’s left in the next 6 weeks.

• I largely, with many others, underestimated Les Miles. The coaching job he did in the Florida game (the antithesis of Jim Tressel ball) was the gutsiest I’ve ever seen. Now if some of those 4^th downs/fake field goal were not converted – we might be dogging him. But Florida gave everything they had and had LSU on the ropes. Miles made the right calls at the right time. Enjoy him LSU, he’s only there for 6 more weeks.
  
  
  Auburn would be a tough game if weren’t in death valley.


• I’m so glad to see USC lose, while I was surprised it was Stanford – I’m not surprised they lost. I’m so sick of every year “this is the best team ever” crap, it was beautiful when Texas ended that talk, it was great when UCLA ended that, and it’s even better with Stanford. Enough is enough, how are they not further down in the rankings? I don’t think Stanford could beat App. State. Michigan fell completely out of the rankings. AP writers love some USC.


• Mike Gundy’s rant was the highlight of a month of true highlights. They play that clip on Philadelphia sports talk radio daily. “I’m 40….I’m a MAN!!”….hasn’t gotten old yet.


• How far will South Florida and Boston College go? I think BC will fall in the next few weeks (nice call Tom O’Brien) but South Florida could run the table. If so, how do you leave them out of the championship game? I would HATE to see them there, but they are not Boise State or Utah – they play in a conference with an automatic bid. Thoughts??


• The Big 10 is so bad that Ron Zook looks like a genius in that league, give me a break.


• The 0-5 start for Notre Dame was as fun for me as any winning streak Tennessee’s been on. Lou Holtz is reporting that they will somehow get back into a BCS bowl and win 10 games with only 6 games left on their schedule.


• I’m so sick of Tim Tebow and he’s only a sophomore. Somebody break his leg…though he is legit and shows shadows of Vince Young. Still, I want someone to score a TD in the swamp and begin to wave their hands up in the air and attempt to “pump up” the crowd. It would be very Terrell Owens like.


• The Pac 10 is a good conference, enough ESPN.


• Why is Desmond Howard still on TV. They should simply refer to him like Eddie Murphy’s old pal from ‘Life’. He will now be referred to as “can’t get right”.

Predictions:

SEC: The quest in the east as to who will be the ‘sacrificial lamb’ for LSU in the championship game is wide-open. Strange to say this, but the Tennessee – South Carolina could be the deciding game. Florida will need some help and I think they will get it to get back there. If they do, look for LSU to do the same thing they did to Georgia in 03’ in that rematch. Tennessee actually might have the easiest road out of all the east teams, but will they be the team that beat Georgia or got waxed by Florida? All in all, LSU should win. Arkansas will continue to crumble and Houston Nutt is gone, I have a hard time imagining Ole Miss will want Orgeron back too. Any rumors flaring??

PAC 10: Cal is a good team, they are not 12-0 good. Somebody will stumble them…surely. I just hope USC doesn’t find their way again to the top. Get this, USC could have three conference losses by end of year. They still have to play Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State – all good teams. John David Booty is the most overrated player in CFB. Again, nice Heisman hype Herbstreit.

Big 10: Ohio State is a good team benefitting a lousy conference. Michigan is having a nice rebound…once they got into league play. There is only 1 top 25 team in that conference. Someone needs to knock-off Ohio State.

Big 12: I’m surprised at Texas being down, Oklahoma is good but I think someone beats them again. I could be way off. Missouri is a surprise, but how long will that last? Kansas fans are excited until basketball starts in a month and then they will forget they have a football team. Oklahoma will win, even with 2 losses.

Big East: Louisville is bad, terrible coaching hire. Rutgers was a splash in the pan (Greg Schiano had all these offers, but nope I’ll stay at Rutgers!!...nice). West Virginia is suffering from injuries and people are beginning to figure out that offense. Will South Florida be the new “Miami” in 10 years?? It’s not like they have to go far to recruit. South Florida wins out but gets jipped for having no real CFB history.

ACC: not worth discussing.

I have no thoughts or ideas on the bowls or national championship games, I don’t care about the Heisman - my only thought is that Deshaun Jackson deserves more hype.