Last week’s games were pretty good, but it is clear that College Football is better with the BIG 10 and PAC 12 than without. Thankfully, there’s only one week to go until the BIG 10 season kicks off. It is hard to believe the PAC 12 doesn’t kick off until November 7. From the polls to the playoffs, this whole season should just carry a big asterisk. Look, this season is a welcome diversion but it is hard to consider it a valid one. The inconsistency in schedules and the high number of cancellations make it even more difficult to assess who the best teams are. It doesn’t make the eventual national championship meaningless, just diminished. With that, some random thoughts on last week games before I weigh in on this week’s slate.
Last week’s games:
I still don’t know if the Aggies are for real, but upsetting Florida is a step in the right direction.
I find Gus Johnson hard to listen to. He is constantly shouting, often trying to make drama where there is none. He also has a tendency latch on to one theme throughout the game. For a minute during the OU Texas game, Johnson almost had me convinced Ehlinger could walk on water. Look, Ehlinger had an inspired game, but the fairy tale ending that Johnson was crafting was ruined when the QB threw a game ending pick. And for once, Johnson was speechless.
VT – UNC game mildly entertaining. Not sure how good UNC’s offense really is. Beating up 3rd string walk-on DBs isn’t exactly impressive. I should known since I was one.
You have to wonder if Orgeron at LSU is distracted with personal issues. The Tigers don’t look like themselves. Missouri beating LSU was certainly a surprise.
I have been keeping a close eye on the stands because I still hope to catch at least one game this year. In general, the adults have been social distancing but not the students. I wonder what that is going to look like in three weeks
Auburn got a gift on the fumble call on the clocking of the ball. Felipe Franks was something else for the Hogs. The Tigers were very lucky to win that game.
The rockhead move of the week was George Pickens from Georgia spraying water on the Tennessee QB on the sidelines. It wasn’t malevolent but it was stupid.
And no, Miami is not back. They are better, but Clemson still handled them.
Week 7 Games
There’s already been two great Sun Belt games. The locations of the schools may not always be easy to get to, but the teams are entertaining. Trust me, I have been to both Arkansas State (pre Waterfall) and Troy. Still, the Sun Belt is the Fun Belt.
Even with Saban out with Covid-19, Georgia at Alabama should still be a great game. Finally a prime time game worth its slot.
Don’t complain LSU and Florida for having your game postponed. Houston plays BYU this weekend. It is their second game of the season.
The best game of the day may be Army at UTSA. If not for Covid, I would have strongly considered driving over to San Antonio to watch that game live.
Again, not the meatiest tray of games this weekend. Still, it is better than nothing.
Bowl Game UPDATE: I managed a bit of rally as the bowl season closed and will finish slightly above 500. Like I said, if you are putting money on bowl games, you might as well be betting on the greyhounds. Anything can happen, but I did get LSU winning the championship right. Geaux Tigers indeed.
Here’s my annual Bowl Review with me just picking the winners (in bold) straight up. I haven’t even looked at the lines yet. I say that betting on Bowl games is a fool’s errand but I guess the heart wants what the heart wants. Enjoy the seasons, Bowl and Holiday.
Makers Wanted: Bahamas – Buffalo (7-5) vs. Charlotte (7-5) Nassau, Bahamas Fri., Dec. 20 2:00 pm ESPN
What a great bowl game for Buffalo, giving them a chance to leave the snow and cold and play in the Bahamas. If there was ever a bowl game to go to as an Alum, this is the one. I am going with the 49ers due to a higher level of concentration.LOSS. This one wasn’t even close. Buffalo rocks Charlotte 31- 0
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco: Utah State(7-5) vs. Kent State(6-6) Frisco, TX Fri., Dec. 20 7:30 pm ESPN2
It is long way for Kent State to come and a relative easy trip for the Utah State faithful. At least they get to go to the west coast. Oh wait, this is Frisco, Texas, not San Frisco – sorry Mom and Dad. The travel, combined with a down year for the MAC, and I like Utah State. LOSS. The Golden Flashes shine with a 10 point win, 51 – 41.
Air Force Reserve Celebration: Alcorn State(9-3) vs. North Carolina A&T (8-3) Atlanta, GA Sat., Dec. 20 Noon ABC
No idea on this. Alcorn State I guess. LOSS. Almost feels like I should not count this one, but I will. N.C. A&T 64 – 44.
New Mexico: Central Michigan(8-5) vs. San Diego State(9-3) Albuquerque, NM Sat., Dec. 20 2:00 pm ESPN:
I was not impressed with Central Michigan in the MAC Championship. I like San Diego State. WIN. San Diego State rolls 48-11.
Didn’t Rutgers beat Liberty in the regular season? How did they make a bowl? I love that Hugh Freeze, fresh off an escort scandal at Ole Miss, became the head coach of the evangelical Liberty. I wonder how many times he had to be baptized to get that stink off? Georgia Southern wins this one.LOSS. Liberty wins 23 – 6. I think this one is more telling about Rutgers than Liberty. The psychological part of the game should not be underestimated and I have to believe the guys at Rutgers said to themselves, “I am a Power Five athlete and we may be bad, but we don’t lose to Group of Five teams.”
FAU wins ten games and they have to stay home and host SMU. And, they are losing their coach. I think the Ponies will run away with this one as I can’t imagine too many “Win one for Lane!” cheers coming from the Owls.LOSS. Maybe they do love Lane. FAU 52 – SMU 28
Camellia: FIU(6-6) vs. Arkansas State(7-5) Montgomery, AL Sat., Dec. 20 5:30 pm ESPN
It wasn’t too long ago that FIU was listed as my worst stadium to visit. They have certainly improved in play and in my rankings (thanks to awful experiences at Duke and UAB). I still like the Red Wolves of Arkansas State. WIN. Whew, thank god the Red Wolves win 34 – 26.
Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas (19) Boise State(12-1) vs. Washington(7-5) Las Vegas, NV Sat., Dec. 20 7:30 pm ABC.
I think Boise has a chip on their shoulder. I like them to make a statement for the Mountain West and beat the Huskies of Washington.LOSS. Turns out this was a statement game, but it was the Huskies making all the comments. See my Rutgers – Liberty comments for my analysis on this on. Washington 38 – 7.
R+L Carriers New Orleans: (20) Appalachian State(12-1) vs. UAB(9-4) New Orleans, LA Sat., Dec. 20 9:00 pm ESPN.
At least there is some consolation for App. State not getting a New Year’s Day bowl by getting a trip to New Orleans. I have no love for UAB and look for the Mountaineers to roll over the Blazers.WIN. The Mountaineers had me grumbling early in this one, but came back to win strong, 31-7.
Bad Boy Mowers: Gasparilla UCF(9-3) vs. Marshall Tampa(8-4), FL Mon., Dec. 23 2:30 pm ESPN.
This should be a good game to watch. UCF is still awfully good and Marshall had some tough non-conference games against Cincinnati and Boise State. UCF in a close one. WIN. The Knights win 48-25 in a game not as close as I thought.
SoFi Hawai’i Hawaii(9-5) vs. BYU(7-5) Honolulu, HI Tue., Dec. 24 8:00 pm ESPN
It would be interesting to know how the Rainbows feel about this game. You would think there is some glamour in playing a mainland bowl game. However, they may just think it is a pain in the neck. With this game, they can play the game and still have Christmas at home (if they are local). I saw Hawaii this year and they impressed me their pluck and grit. Rainbows to win this one. WIN. The Rainbow Warriors win in dramatic fashion.
Walk-On’s Independence: Louisiana Tech(9-3) vs. Miami(6-6) (FL) Shreveport, LA Thu., Dec. 26 4:00 pm ESPN
Miami is pretty awful and the Dawgs do not lose bowl games. It is a mortal lock that the Louisiana Tech wins this one. WIN. The Dawgs shut out Miami, as expected.
Quick Lane: Pitt(7-5) vs. Eastern Michigan(6-6) Detroit, MI Thu., Dec. 26 8:00 pm ESPN
Is Eastern Michigan just happy to be here or will they come to play? The same could be said for Pitt. I still like the Panthers in this one. WIN. Pitt by four
Military North Carolina(6-6) vs. Temple(8-4) Annapolis, MD Fri., Dec. 27 Noon ESPN
This is an interesting game. Temple is pretty good this year and UNC has been exciting, if not consistent. I like the Owls in a tight one. LOSS. Ha, I couldn’t have been more wrong as UNC cruised past the Owls 55 -13.
New Era Pinstripe Michigan State(6-6) vs. Wake Forest(8-4) Bronx, NY Fri., Dec. 27 3:20 pm ESPN
I saw this game, and thought this is only a game an alum could love. I guess freezing your butt off is compensated by having a holiday in NYC. Wake Forest, I guess…but really who cares about this dog? LOSS. Michigan State wins a close one, 27-21.
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas: (25) Oklahoma State (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (7-5) Houston, TX Fri., Dec. 27 6:45 pm ESPN.
This game should be a great atmosphere. Both schools are a reasonable drive to Houston so I would guess NRG Stadium will be packed. In addition, these teams are pretty reasonably matched. I think Jimbo Fisher would like to quiet the “Former Students” of A&M. So I am going with the Aggies, but with little confidence after their shellacking at the hands of LSU. WIN. Aggies by 3.
SDCCU Holiday (22) USC(8-4) vs. (16) Iowa(9-3) San Diego, CA Fri., Dec. 27 8:00 pm FS1
It was surprising to see USC right the ship as the season progressed. This game strikes me as a pick ‘em. Given Ferentz’s streaky bowl record, I am going to roll the dice with the Trojans. LOSS. Iowa handles USC easily. 49- 24
Cheez-It Air Force(10-2) vs. Washington State(6-6) Phoenix, AZ Fri., Dec. 27 10:15 pm ESPN
I completely slept on Air Force this year. I had no idea they were having such a good year. At a minimum this should be a good game because Mike Leach always seems to make it interesting with the Cougars. Like I said, I know nothing about the Falcons but I am going to go with them. WIN. Air Force wins by 10.
Goodyear Cotton (17) Memphis(12-1) vs. (10) Penn State(10-2) Arlington, TX Sat., Dec. 28 Noon ESPN
While I wanted App State to get the New Year’s Day bid, it is hard to argue with Memphis getting the game. The Nittany Lions seem to think they are better than they really are. I think this will be a really entertaining game. I am going with PSU, but grudgingly. WIN. Memphis hung with them for awhile, but PSU eventually took care of business, 53-39.
Camping World (15) Notre Dame (10-2) vs. Iowa State(7-5) Orlando, FL Sat., Dec. 28 Noon ABC
Notre Dame is another team that thinks they are better than what they are. The Irish are a bit dicey and Iowa State has lost a ton of close games this year. I am going to go with the sentimental pick and take Iowa State. Here’s to Purdy playing his ass off. LOSS. All Irish in this one, 33 – 9.
Chick-fil-A Peach: (4) Oklahoma(12-1) vs. (1) LSU (13-0) Atlanta, GA Sat., Dec. 28 4:00 pm ESPN
Oklahoma is good but LSU is great. Tigers are going to roll in this one. WIN. Yep Tigers all the way.
PlayStation Fiesta: (3) Clemson(13-0) vs. (2) Ohio State (13-0) Glendale, AZ Sat., Dec. 28 8:00 pm ESPN
This one should be a dandy. I am going with the Buckeyes only because they have played a tougher schedule. LOSS. Clemson in a great one.
SERVPRO First Responder: WKU(8-4) vs. Western Michigan(7-5) Fort Worth, TX Mon., Dec. 30 12:30 pm ESPN.
Hmmm. Nothing to say here. I guess I will go with the Hilltoppers. WIN. Hilltoppers by three.
Franklin Amer. Mort. Music City: Mississippi State(6-6) vs. Louisville(7-5) Nashville, TN Mon., Dec. 30 4:00 pm ESPN
Mississippi State is another middling SEC team. Louisville isn’t much better. The Cardinals in a toss up. WIN. Louisville by ten.
Redbox California(7-5) vs. Illinois(6-6) Santa Clara, CA Mon., Dec. 30 4:00 pm FOX
I guess I might bounce over to this game if the Peach Bowl gets out of hand. I saw Illinois nearly lose to UConn. I will go with the Bears. WIN. This was one I thought was a lock. The Illini were just too inconsistent.
Capital One Orange (9) Florida(10-2) vs. (24) Virginia(9-4) Miami Gardens, FL Mon., Dec. 30 8:00 pm ESPN
The ACC is hoping Virginia makes this a statement game. I am not sure they have enough to beat Florida. My money is on the Gators, but my heart is with the Hoos. LOSS. The Gators do their part for the SEC.
Belk: Virginia Tech(8-4) vs. Kentucky(7-5) Charlotte, NC Tue., Dec. 31 Noon ESPN
Unless they revert back to early season form, the Hokies should take care of the Wildcats. Virginia Tech gets the win. LOSS. Another frustrating loss for the Hokie faithful.
Tony the Tiger Sun: Florida State(6-6) vs. Arizona State(7-5) El Paso, TX Tue., Dec. 31 2:00 pm CBS
How did Florida State manage to make it to a bowl game? ASU was hot and cold this season. I am going with the Sun Devils in this one. WIN. Herm Edwards for the win.
AutoZone Liberty (23) Navy(9-2) vs. Kansas State(8-4) Memphis, TN Tue., Dec. 31 3:45 pm ESPN
Navy could go from ten losses to ten wins if they beat Army this weekend. What a turnaround for the Midshipmen. K-State is pretty good but I am going with Navy in a sentimental pick. WIN. Boy did Navy have a good year or what?
NOVA Home Loans Arizona: Wyoming(7-5) vs. Georgia State(7-5) Tucson, AZ Tue., Dec. 31 4:30 pm CBSSN.
Ouch, this game has about as much appeal as a wide awake colonoscopy. Wyoming I guess. WIN. Wyoming wins big.
Valero Alamo (11) Utah(11-2) vs. Texas(7-5) San Antonio, TX Tue., Dec. 31 7:30 pm ESPN
This is practically a home game for UT and they will need all the help they can get against the Utes. The inconsistency of the Longhorns gets them again. Utah wins. LOSS. This one hurt. I can’t believe that Utah didn’t even show up for this game.
I was going to go with Auburn just on their SEC credentials but then I thought about the Gophers stingy DBs and Bo Nix’s tendency to throw the ball all over the field. This is a pick ‘em, but I am going with the Gophers. WIN. I don’t know what Minnesota has coming back, but they will be on my radar next preseason.
So apparently Saban is less than thrilled with this game while Harbaugh sees it as a way to save his job. No need for a fifth quarter for the JV’s in this one, half of them will be starting in this one. Roll Damn Tide. WIN. Michigan thumped again. Not much of a surprise here.
Rose Bowl Game (6) Oregon(11-2) vs. (8) Wisconsin(10-3) Pasadena, CA Wed., Jan. 1 5:00 pm ESPN
This should be a game worth watching. My guess is the Badgers wear down the Ducks with a heavy dose of a punishing ground game. LOSS. The one point win by Oregon was as great a game as predicted.
Allstate Sugar (5) Georgia(11-2) vs. (7) Baylor (11-2) New Orleans, LA Wed., Jan. 1 8:45 pm ESPN
I am going with the Bulldogs because even I can’t escape the SEC bias. The Bears had a nice run, but I don’t they are going to have a good time at the Sugar Bowl. WIN. Georgia wins in a game closer than I thought it was going to be.
TicketSmarter Birmingham: Boston College(6-6) vs. (21) Cincinnati(10-3) Birmingham, AL Thu., Jan. 2 3:00 pm ESPN.
It is another crime that Boston College gets a Bowl Game. Cincinnati is going to crush them. WIN. As predicted, the Bear Cats crush the Eagles, 38 – 6.
I stopped watching Tennessee after they lost to Georgia State. They managed to feast on the weak sisters of the SEC to climb back to a bowl. I think the Hoosiers are better and will win. LOSS. Thanks alot Indiana. This win goes a long way to supporting the claims of SEC dominance because no one will remember it was a one point game.
Famous Idaho Potato: Ohio (6-6) vs. Nevada (7-5) Boise, ID Fri., Jan. 3 3:30 pm ESPN
I guess Ohio and Nevada are lucky that folks are probably taking Friday off, otherwise there would be no one to watch this dreck. Nevada wins on the basis of a shorter trip to the game. LOSS. Well congrats to the Bobcats or something.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces: Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Tulane (6-6) Fort Worth, TX Sat., Jan. 4 11:30 am ESPN.
Boy, Tulane really fell apart as the season came to the end. I am going with Conference USA in this one. Fly Eagles fly. LOSS. Grrr. What the hell, Southern Miss? This game wasn’t even close.
LendingTree Louisiana (10-3) vs. Miami (Ohio) (8-5) Mobile, AL Mon., Jan. 6 7:30 pm ESPN
I can’t believe that Miami won the MAC. Talk about winning with smoke and mirrors. As I noted in my review of South Alabama, Mobile is a pretty cool place. I hope the Bobcat faithful have a good weekend, because the Ragin’ Cajuns are going to run away with the game on Monday night. WIN. They did not exactly run away with it, but the Cajuns hung on to win.
CFP National Championship Semifinal Winners New Orleans, LA Mon., Jan. 13 8:00 pm ESPN:
Geaux Tigers. WIN. At least Clemson kept it close for a while.
Relaxing on the couch this weekend after some heavy travel. I am still working on the update to the Alabama review. The original is a classic so I am feeling some pressure with the update. It won’t match the jailhouse experience, but at least there will be pictures. I also have reviews due on South Alabama, UAB, Oregon and Oregon State. So yeah, I am a bit behind.
I had a great trip to Oregon last week even if the games were duds. The weather and scenery was absolutely beautiful. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I may be short changing the experience by trying to cram so many stadiums in each year. With a two hour flight delay in Houston, I missed the kickoff of the Ducks game, not by much, but I didn’t get to tailgate with the Oregon faithful either. Oregon State was a lot of fun, but I also had a short night with a flight that left Portland at 5AM. It may be time to start emphasizing quality over quantity.
Some great games last week, but most of mine was through scoreboard watching.
I did catch the end of the USC – Georgia game. I am not saying the SEC and ACC are on the same level, certainly not this year. However, I do seem to recall UNC beating USC. Any give Saturday, just about any FBS can beat another one. So let’s stop giving the number two SEC team a free pass.
LSU is the real deal and so, apparently, is Texas despite their loss.
While I am glad Penn State won, I kind of feel bad for 6-0 SMU. Their game against 5-1 Temple would have been a great option for Game Day. Instead, it is a repeat visit to Happy Valley
The Oregon State game was as bad as it looked. Talk about a beat down.
Another even week at 2-2. Texas State didn’t cover and the Beavers could not muster any Homecoming spirit. The Ducks, however, rolled over the Buffs and Texas kept it close against Oklahoma.
Due to time constraints this week, my picks are all Saturday games. App State is giving up 15.5 against UL-Monroe, but the Mountaineers are the real deal. I think Virginia covers against Duke. I am taking Vandy and the points because I still don’t believe in Mizzou. Lastly, I was relatively unimpressed with UAB against Rice although they eventually did cover. Maybe ODU is missing their QB? I probably should have done some research to see why they are getting 17 points, but I am picking them anyway.
Thoughts on some other games this week:
I would think the Ducks would beat the Huskies, but the PAC 12 is really hard to figure out. If Oregon loses, I don’t think the PAC 12 gets anyone in the FBS playoff.
Really wanted to hit the Temple versus SMU game today, but I just couldn’t make my schedule work. Bummer
Minnesota is going to stay undefeated. No way Rutgers beats them.
Bargain of the week Nevada at Utah State – $2 gets you in the game.
This week, I am off to “Bama to witness the execution of Ole Miss at the hands of the Crimson Tide. I know what you are thinking: Why not save “Bama for a big game? I have been trying to for years, but between the strength of the Tide, their steady diet of cupcakes, and a generally weak lower half of the SEC all combine to make finding a competitive home opponent for a ‘Bama game more difficult than Antonio Brown taking the high road.
Notes Games 4
It was a good week to watch a lot of college football. Tulane broke out those sweet light blue uniforms (would have been perfect if only they had included the angry wave helmet as well) for their upset of the Coogs. The exciting finish with the fake kneel down was a sign of more exciting things to come for Week Four. My only regret is going to bed and seeing it the morning after. That put me down one on my picks, but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. It was sweet hook job by LA Tech on Friday night with an onside kick-off TD return to get me my cover. Unfortunately UConn was clearly not as good on the road as at home. Apparently, even the 27 points they were getting were not going to get me the win against Indiana. (I did find the UConn home game experience to be enjoyable. See the latest review here.) However, ND saved my bacon with their late touchdown against Georgia to put my picks at 2-2 for the week.
Other thoughts for this weekend:
ESPN’s Game Day feels like it needs a bit of a shake-up. The “you had one job” is getting stale. It is everything you have already seen on Twitter, Reddit, etc.from the previous week. Perhaps, some “On the road” feeds from lesser known stadiums would be a good feature. We, at somanystadiums are ready and willing.
Despite not being selected to share my experience on the “150 Years of College Football”, I did love the Chocolate Labrador storming the field at Georgia story. I am a sucker for dog stories, especially ones with Labs.
I thought Notre Dame played fairly well against Georgia. I am not a big Notre Dam fan, but their tight end Cole Kmet is a stud. I wouldn’t characterize the Dawgs as holding on though. The Irish were in full desperation mode at the end.
I would say the same about the Texas A&M and Oklahoma State near comebacks, more “a hope and a prayer” than anything else. And, while I loved the Pitt win, it did feel like UCF was the better team even though they lost.
But look, they were all certainly much more competitive than Michigan at Wisconsin. There’s nothing positive for the Wolverines to take away in that absolute beat down. It is beginning to feel the Harbaugh era will be one of good to very good, but never great.
So ODU almost beats VA, Maybe Va Tech is better than I think? Furman did just pound Mercer and nearly beat Georgia State. And, didn’t Georgia State beat the SEC’s Tennessee. And well, beating an SEC team is something right? Wait, San Jose State beat Arkansas this week?!? Nevermind. Va. Tech is still clearly a wait and see proposition.
Pitt upsets UCF, Think about that statement, Pitt upsets UCF. I am not sure the AAC is comparable to the ACC, but it is getting much closer. Open the playoffs to eight teams and you may get some surprising answers.
UCLA vs. Washington St. – Again, I went to bed. The Bruins were getting boat-race and then a track meet broke out. UCLA roared back for the win. The tackling was atrocious in that game. The defenses were so bad, both teams covered the Over.
Whew: Virginia over ODU, Cal over Ole Miss, Fla St. over Louisville
Doh: TCU loss to SMU, Washington St. loss to UCLA UNC loss to App. State.
Lastly, it is a poke in my eye every time ESPN runs that ad for their new relationship with the ACC network, immediately followed by an ad for Xfinity, who has not yet picked up that network. My only satisfaction is that some poor bastard at ESPN is stuck serving the Comcast/Xfinity relationship.
Week 4 will be tough to match, but there are some good games on the slate this weekend. I am staying consistent with picking Thursday and Friday games. I really don’t like the Navy Memphis game because I don’t think we know enough about either team. Since I have to make a pick, I am going with Navy being able to at least keep it close. Friday night was easy. I think PSU will roll over Maryland despite the extra seats and fans. Saturday, I feel compelled to pick the Ole Miss Bama game since I will be there. The line is 38.5 which seems crazy high, but Ole Miss has looked pretty bad. For my last pick, I am going to keep riding the La. Tech Dawgs. Rice is just struggling.
Other thoughts on this week’s slate:
Pretty good slate for Friday night. Beyond PSU, the Duke vs Va Tech game should be a good one. I also think ASU can play with Cal. Will have to find a sports bar in Meridian, Mississippi for the night.
I am guessing Michigan will take out all their frustrations on poor Rutgers
Same for the Aggies against the Razorbacks
NIU could give the SEC another out of conference loss. Stay sharp Vanderbilt
Delaware at Pitt – A classic trap game, especially after Pitt upsets UCF
I can’t make heads or tails of the PAC12 – Maybe I will understand after USC vs Washington
Ark St. vs. Troy – A Sun Belt classic. Seriously, I could see myself watching that game
Bleh game of the week: 0-4 Akron at 0-4 UMass. I guess somebody has to win, but it won’t be the fans.
This year’s schedule started out with a bang. Even though it was a neutral site game, I decided to check out the Oklahoma versus Houston game at NRG field. I figured with an 11am kickoff, there would not be as much demand and scalpers would be dumping tickets. Looking for a repeat of my NCAA Basketball Championship game where I scored a lower level seat for $50, I drove to downtown. My buddy Tom was meeting me for the game. I had told him I had a firm limit of $50 for my seats and a no regrets policy. Surprisingly, we didn’t see anyone trying to dump tickets but it was early, still an hour before kickoff. I was a bit concerned when I didn’t see any scalpers at the Metro train station. We walked further toward the stadium but with little luck. We turned back toward the station and waited a little longer. I finally spotted a scalper and Tom went over to see what he had. He came back seats at the top for $50. While I think we could have done a little better with some patience, we were at least able to get in the stadium and out of the sun.
The biggest concern was that Oklahoma was going to come in and run roughshod over the Cougars. Sooner Fan was certainly confident enough, judging by all the cracks they were making towards the Houston fans. There were a lot of them and they were cocksure that their team was going to roll over Houston. To their credit, the Houston Cougar fans were representing as well. At least half of the stadium was in Cougar red, white and blue. The game was a blow out, but it was Houston that was doing the ass-kicking. The first half was well-balanced, ending with the Cougars up by two, 19 -17. After a weak drive by the Cougars, the Sooners drove down the field before they had to settle for a 53 yard field goal. Or at least that’s what they were hoping for. Undoubtedly, you have seen the replay of the 109 yard field goal return, Seeing it live, it was electrifying and NRG became the Thunder Dome. It was pretty much all Cougars from that point and a great start for the weekend.
Sunday, I was off to Austin to see UT take on the Golden Domers. Thanks to a kindhearted Longhorn from work, I had scored three tickets and a parking pass. We started tailgating at about 1:30 and I had instant flashbacks of the Auburn vs LSU last where tailgating outside was like being inside a sauna. Again, I was not sure if the home team was going to show up. But just like the Coogs, the Longhorns were up to the task. However, this game was a back and forth affair. When Texas lined up to kick the extra point to go ahead by three, you could see the chaos on the field. Why they didn’t call time out, I will never know. Instead the PAT was blocked and the Irish, unbelievably returned it all the way to get two points and knot the game at 37. Two overtimes later the Longhorns had secured the win in fantastic game. Along the way, there was free a slotdog, short sundresses with cowboy boots, drunken Irishmen, and Dale Gribble. But I will save that for the review.
Some random thoughts:
I said it last year, and I will say it again. The SEC is not the dominant conference it once was.
There’s no reason to go see a day football game in the South in September. Just too damn hot.
Welcome to the Big 12, U of H.
Two Jamaican restaurants in Houston, but only one next to NRG. Yeah Mon!
Stanford’s Christian McCaffery is a freak.
Way to take a stand LSU by suspending Josh Boutte for that pathetic cheap shot. Very courageous to make him sit against……Jacksonville State.
Hey Mississippi State how did your cupcake taste?
Texas State wins in 3rd OT, maybe seeing them three times will be a good thing.
So how many people do you think saw both a kick six and a blocked PAT return for two, live in one weekend?
This week we are off to Iowa to see the renewal of the Iowa State – Iowa rivalry. Looking forward to another great weekend.
Last week’s games were pretty good, but it is clear that College Football is better with the BIG 10 and PAC 12 than without. Thankfully, there’s only one week to go until the BIG 10 season kicks off. It is hard to believe the PAC 12 doesn’t kick off until November 7. From the polls to the playoffs, this whole season should just carry a big asterisk. Look, this season is a welcome diversion but it is hard to consider it a valid one. The inconsistency in schedules and the high number of cancellations make it even more difficult to assess who the best teams are. It doesn’t make the eventual national championship meaningless, just diminished. With that, some random thoughts on last week games before I weigh in on this week’s slate.
Week 7 Games
It was a good week to watch a lot of college football. Tulane broke out those sweet light blue uniforms (would have been perfect if only they had included the angry wave helmet as well) for their upset of the Coogs. The exciting finish with the fake kneel down was a sign of more exciting things to come for Week Four. My only regret is going to bed and seeing it the morning after. That put me down one on my picks, but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. It was sweet hook job by LA Tech on Friday night with an onside kick-off TD return to get me my cover. Unfortunately UConn was clearly not as good on the road as at home. Apparently, even the 27 points they were getting were not going to get me the win against Indiana. (I did find the UConn 
home game experience to be enjoyable. See the 
This year’s schedule started out with a bang. Even though it was a neutral site game, I decided to check out the Oklahoma versus Houston game at NRG field. I figured with an 11am kickoff, there would not be as much demand and scalpers would be dumping tickets. Looking for a repeat of my NCAA Basketball Championship game where I scored a lower level seat for $50, I drove to downtown. My buddy Tom was meeting me for the game. I had told him I had a firm limit of $50 for my seats and a no regrets policy. Surprisingly, we didn’t see anyone trying to dump tickets but it was early, still an hour before kickoff. I was a bit concerned when I didn’t see any scalpers at the Metro train station. We walked further toward the stadium but with little luck. We turned back toward the station and waited a little longer. I finally spotted a scalper and Tom went over to see what he had. He came back seats at the top for $50. While I think we could have done a little better with some patience, we were at least able to get in the stadium and out of the sun.
Sunday, I was off to Austin to see UT take on the Golden Domers. Thanks to a kindhearted Longhorn from work, I had scored three tickets and a parking pass. We started tailgating at about 1:30 and I had instant flashbacks of the Auburn vs LSU last where tailgating outside was like being inside a sauna. Again, I was not sure if the home team was going to show up. But just like the Coogs, the Longhorns were up to the task. However, this game was a back and forth affair. When Texas lined up to kick the extra point to go ahead by three, you could see the chaos on the field. Why they didn’t call time out, I will never know. Instead the PAT was blocked and the Irish, unbelievably returned it all the way to get two points and knot the game at 37. Two overtimes later the Longhorns had secured the win in fantastic game. Along the way, there was free a slotdog, short sundresses with cowboy boots, drunken Irishmen, and Dale Gribble. But I will save that for the review.