31.10.03
College Football: Didn't watch Boise St.'s thrashing of BYU yesterday. Although I do take solace in the fact that it's getting cooler somewhere; as I type, it's in the mid 70s°F here in Blacksburg (mid 20s°C, for those who have moved away from the English system of measurement). It was, apparently, snowing in Provo.
What a weekend for college football! Of course, it would have been bigger for us Hokies had Tech beaten West Virginia, but West Virginia just outplayed Tech, and otherwise beat the crap out of them. In any case, still a big weekend. Chris Fowler says that there are no less than eight huge games this weekend. He even talks about hockey, my favourite professional sport, even if I don't talk about it too much this early in the season (more on why I haven't said much, later). Weekends like this one are why I'm a college football fan. The competition, the pageantry, the passion. And, when they turn the lights out in Lane Stadium on Saturday night, the landscape
- Oklahoma St. has won this game two straight years. I am not the only one who thinks that Bob Stoops of Oklahoma is the best big-game coach in the country, but this hasn't apparently qualified as a big game (the fact that it's a rivalry notwithstanding) in a couple of years. This despite the fact that Okie State has had a decent record over the last couple of years. Les Miles of Okie State has been running his mouth, saying that his team won't back down. I heard someone say that these comments doomed Okie State, because it would become an issue and Stoops would use them to psych up his team. Maybe, but I don't think so. Okie State beats Oklahoma; they've had their number over the last couple of years, and Stoops' big games are, in order, Bowl Game, Conference Championship, and Texas. Will the list include Okie St this year? I don't think so, but if it does it's liable to get ugly.
- I just heard Peter Brown say that Virginia Tech has no chance, that they're not particularly good and, for good measure, tossed in something about how Lane Stadium isn't a particularly big home field advantage. So he conjectured that Miami would run all over Va Tech. Garbage. All garbage. Brock Berlin hasn't been particularly good, West Virginia ran on Miami all night (just like they did on Tech), Lane is a particularly acute home field advantage, especially at night, and Tech's not only better than he apparently thinks, but they're itching to prove it, and prove that the West Va game was a fluke. Personally I think that Virginia Tech hammers Miami, putting themselves back into the top six and giving themselves an (outside) shot at the national title, and the inside track to the conference title.
- Looking at the BCS Rankings, USC has the 35th toughest schedule, whereas Wazzu has the 71st toughest. I would have thought it the other way, because the best team that USC has beaten is probably Auburn, which proved that they're not that good in a loss to LSU. The best team that Wazzu has beaten is probably Oregon St. (I guess...I do stand corrected about how tough I thought Wazzu's schedule). Their two common opponents have seen Wazzu go 1-1, posting a cumulative score of 50-43, and USC go 2-0 with a cumulative score of 89-35. Given the fact that this is at SC, and SC is looking for revenge for last year, I'll shelve my reservations and say that Southern Cal beats Washington State.
- Both teams won close, high-scoring games at Minnesota. Each team lost to its best non-conference opponent. Probably the biggest difference is that Michigan lost at Iowa, but Michigan St. beat Iowa at home. Michigan just isn't that good away from home (if the Gophers had been able to hold any sort of lead, they would be winless away from Michigan Stadium), and so I'll pick Michigan State to beat the Wolverines.
- If there are Oklahoma or Texas partisans who want to try to sell me a load of goods about how the OU-UT game in the Cotton Bowl is the best neutral-site regular season game, I weep for you. While I won't say that the Cocktail Party is the greatest neutral-site game, it is certainly light years better than OU-UT. For one, it's named the World's Biggest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Now, that's a name for a ballgame. Second, it's in Jacksonville which is a very nice place. Dallas isn't bad, but I prefer Jax, because of its proximity to the ocean, its lack of smog, etc). Further, Georgia-Florida is always a fun game to watch; any game involving Spurrier is fun to watch (even though this game no longer is), and any game involving Zook (for different reasons) is fun to watch. And Ron Zook is, maybe, making some progress at UF (despite the diehards against him). I'll drink one as I'm watching the game. And Florida will win. They dashed Georgia's chances at a title last year; I see them doing it again, and UF is one of the most improved teams.
- Nebraska hasn't been that impressive away from home, losing to Mizzou earlier this season. Texas may lose another big game (and, to be honest, Nebraska has more to play for - a division championship - than does Texas), but Nebraska hasn't played particularly well. Having given that brief (and contradictory) analysis, I'll pick Nebraska.
- Two games mentioned, probably more for tradition's sake than anything else (plus the revenge factor): Notre Dame went into Tallahassee and spanked Florida State last year. Ohio State hasn't won in Happy Valley since 1995. Now, both Notre Dame and Penn State have had awful seasons. But, with each playing at home, they'll both keep it close. But neither will win. I'll pick Ohio State to beat Penn St. and Fla St to beat Notre Dame.
Hockey: Suffice it to say that I haven't talked too extensively about hockey because, frankly, my Capitals just suck. The Caps have, after thrashing the Islanders on opening night, gone 0-7-1. They are ranked last in both the CBS Sportsline Power Poll, and in the SI Power Poll. They're a relatively high 25th in ESPN's Power Poll. Ugh. In other news, the Avalanche traded for the Caps' captain, Steve Konowalchuk. I always thought he was a good 3rd line forward, and a good (though not great) leader. The Caps got Bates Battaglia and a prospect, thus shaving salary. Were they to get a defenceman for their (at the least young, and not helped by Yonkman's injury) defence, they might do a wee bit better. One hopes that, were they to trade Jaromir Jagr (unlikely, given his contract and the state of the collective bargaining agreement), they would pick up a d-man or 2. But I digress. It's a thoroughly awful team to watch. I'll get back into the hockey spirit when the competition heats up in January or so. Oh: Patrick Roy was honoured in Colorado. Much deserved. He holds the record for all time wins by a goalie. Against whom did he break the record? If you guessed the Caps (a couple of years ago, in Washington) then you guessed right.
Zuletzt: I mentioned that I didn't think that OU-UT was the best neutral-site regular season game. I also mentioned that I couldn't say that UF-UGa was the best neutral-site game, either. Personally, I think that that honour goes to Army-Navy. The rivalry is pure, because the players are amateur athletes, not pros-in-training; the players have a healthy respect for one another (even if they want to kill each other for 60 minutes), and the associated festivities, such as the March-On by the Brigade of Midshipmen and Corps of Cadets make the game, bar none, the best regular season game, and easily the best neutral-site game. John Feinstein does a better job telling it in A Civil War, written about each team's 1995 season, climaxing in the Army-Navy game. I highly recommend it.
Later. Happy Halloween, All Saints' Day (1 Nov) and All Souls Day (2 Nov) if I don't blog until then. - Ryan
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