- Once again, no talking to wife/girlfriend this weekend.
Thursday
Texas A&M at Miami (-2.5) - ESPN - 6:30 pm
I really can't decide on who to take on this one. Miami's defense can be run on a little, they may be a tad overrated. But ATM is so one dimensional that I just can't justify taking them on the road anywhere. You have to be able to complete a pass on the road to win (See: Arkansas last week vs. Alabama). And Miami's offense is at home, and has a few decent RB's. I guess when in doubt with evenly matched teams, go with the home team by less than a FG.
Friday
Oklahoma (-23) at Tulsa - ESPN2 - 7:00 pm
Basically a home game for Oklahoma. Tulsa isn't in the same stratosphere as them. Oklahoma continues their roll tonight. Why wouldn't I take a top 5 team in the nation by 3 TD's two hours from their home?
Pick - Oklahoma -23
Saturday
North Carolina at South Florida (-13.5) - ESPN - 11 am
Butch Davis vs. the upstarts. I'm in on this game just because I love Butch and I enjoy watching South Florida. That team can play, quite possibly the #2 team in the state. Butch will build a winner, you bet your ass he will. But not this year.
Pick - South Florida -13.5
East Carolina at West Virginia (-24.5) - ESPN2 - 11 am
At some point they're going to play good teams and America will see how overrated they are. But for now, they roll ECU at home.
Pick - WV -24.5
Georgia Tech (-3.5) at Virginia - ESPNU - 11 am
Virginia was one of my sleepers this year and I'm getting burned on those bastards. But I have a weird feeling they play well this week. Georgia Tech was exposed last week as frauds, and I expect it to continue.
Pick - Virginia +3.5
Ball State at Nebraksa (-22.5) - PPV - 11:30 am
Nebraska will look night and day on offense this week. They may have a Nevada-like 400 yards rushing. The problem is, that defense can't stop anyone. An athletic QB and a strong running game keeps BSU in it, with Nebraska pulling away and winning by 17.
Pick - Ball State +22.5
Texas Tech (-6) at Oklahoma State - FSNSW - 2:30 pm
Texas Tech hasn't played anyone, hasn't stopped anyone on defense, and no one has stopped them on offense. Oklahoma State has sucked nuts this year and the all-everything QB Bobby Reid is suddenly chopped liver to the coaching staff. But they still have more athletes than Tech. Give me the home team with points and the hope that they finally play a decent game.
Pick - Oklahoma State +6
Penn State (-2.5) at Michigan - ABC - 2:30 pm
How did Michigan get away with 4 straight home games to open the season??? I can see it if they were scheduling Blind and Deaf schools, but how did they get away with Notre Dame, Oregon, and Penn State all at home? And how are they going to lose 3 of those 4??? Because Penn State's defense is that good, and their offense (although mediocre) will look like Warren Moon and the Oilers against that Michigan defense.
Pick - Penn State -2.5
Michigan State (-12.5) at Notre Dame - NBC - 2:30 pm
Michigan State might be the most inconsistent school in the Big 10. The minute you think they've turned the corner and are ready to contend, they lose to Northwestern on you. Screw this team. They've burned me countless times as I've drank their early season kool-aid for the past 5-6 years. Notre Dame and Casey Clausen get their first win.
Pick - Notre Dame +12.5
South Carolina at LSU (-16.5) - CBS - 2:30 pm
The strong 2:30 game trend continues with the best of the bunch right here. Spurrier heads into the Bayou to take on #2 LSU. Spurrier actually has a defense at South Carolina, but his offense is pitiful and may not get to double digits. Although it may be low scoring, should still be a tight, well played game with LSU pulling away at the end and covering.
Pick - LSU -16.5
Northwestern at Ohio State (-22.5) - ESPN - 2:30 pm
Ohio State looked damn good last week on the road. Northwestern lost to Duke. Is there even a question with OSU coming back the Horseshoe? This one gets nasty early.
Pick - Ohio State -22.5
Maryland at Wake Forest (-3.5) - ESPNU - 2:30 pm
Maryland isn't a bad team, but they're not good either. Wake didn't look good last week against Army. This isn't exactly must-see TV. Give me the home team.
Pick - Wake Forest -3.5
Colorado State at Houston (-6.5) - CSTV - 3:30 pm
If you want to watch a lot of offense, here you go. Art Briles of Stephenville has built himself a nice little offensive juggernaut. Watch out for RB Anthony Aldridge, the most exciting player in college football you've never heard about.
Pick - Houston -6.5
Kentucky at Arkansas (-7) - ESPN2 - 5:00 pm
Another great SEC matchup to follow SC-LSU. Andre Woodson for Kentucky vs. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones for Arkansas. This could be the best, most exciting game of the weekend. Kentucky continues their Cinderella season, and Arkansas continues to be overrated.
Pick - Kentucky +7
Arizona at Cal (-15.5) - VS - 5:00 pm
A good little PAC 10 matchup that will turn ugly. Stoops still hasn't gotten it together out west and Cal is poised for a good season this year. It's worth turning any Cal game on just to see DeSean Jackson return punts. Blowout.
Pick - Cal -15.5
Rice at Texas (-38.5) - FSNSW - 6:00 pm
Texas is coming apart at the seams. Near losses to Central Florida and Arkansas State, a million arrests, an inability to stop anyone, and an inconsistent offense. They'll win big, but not by 38.5.
Pick - Rice +38.5
Georgia at Alabama (-3.5) - ESPN - 6:45 pm
Ahh yes. The Ron Franklin SEC night game. In the heart of Big Southern Dummy territory. This should be a good one, following up the other classic SEC games of the day. Alabama was one of my sleepers this year, and I expect it to continue. Just keep your eye on the crowd, some of the best looking women in the country go to Bama.
Pick - Alabama -3.5
Washington State at USC (-25) - ABC - 7:00 pm
I just can't see USC blowing anyone out, (outside of Nebraska who may have the worst defense in any major conference, and that's no bullshat). Bare minimum USC will rear its head once again after taking a week off to shove it up Nebraska's ass last Saturday. Give me a USC win, but a WSU cover.
Pick - Washington State +25
SMU at TCU (-21) - CSTV - 7:30 pm
SMU's whole team sucks. TCU's offense sucks. But it still has that defense. At home, too. This should be one of the more underrated co-ed crowd watching games of the day. SMU gets its props for hot girls, but its time TCU gets its proper recognition as well. I've been to Amon Carter a few times, it's a meat market.
Pick - TCU -21
CROWN GAME
Washington at UCLA (-6.5) - FSNSW - 9:15 pm
I couldn't have asked for a better Crown Game. In the Rose Bowl, with my favorite cheerleaders, my favorite stadium, my favorite mountain backdrop, and my favorite time zone. And 2 decent teams. I know UCLA is now on the suck list, but they'll still make some noise in the PAC-10, as will Washington. This should be quite enjoyable as I'm lounging drunk, half asleep on my couch spilling Blanton's Bourbon on my lap.
Pick - Washington +6.5
Sunday
Detroit at Philadelphia (-6) - FOX - 12:00 pm
I'm enjoying my nuts off watching Philly and McNabb suck this year. Don't even get me started on his comments last week. I hate that city, that region, that fan base, that northeast attitude. That city has never won a thing and has the most miserable, pathetic fan base in America. Screw Philly. The downfall continues.
Pick - Detroit +6
Indy (-6) at Houston - CBS - 12:00 pm
Houston is playing really well this year. They've upgraded their Pinto (David Carr) with a nice little sports car (Matt Schaub). Not exactly a Lexus, but a significant upgrade over the POS they used to own. Very close game here with Indy pulling it out.
Pick - Houston +6
NY Giants at Washington (-3.5) - FOX - 3:00 pm
I'm not sure how I could be more disinterested in a game. I may go to Market Hall for a gun show around this time just so I don't get trapped watching this game.
Pick - Washington -3.5
Dallas at Chicago (-3) - NBC - 7:15 pm
Should be the game of the day. Chicago's defense vs. Tony Romo/TO Owens. Devin Hester vs. Matt McBriar. Rex Grossman vs. himself. I'm legitimately excited for this one, if you can believe that. For once, I'm excited for an NFL game and it doesn't have anything to do with fantasy sports. Expect Jason Witten to have a field day with Mike Brown out, and to get payback for his ho-hum game last Sunday.
Pick - Dallas +3
- Cowlishaw is with me on praising the College game over the NFL. I've said it many times. The NFL is just too bland, too same, too sterile, too communist, too rigid, too by the book, too controlling for me to enjoy. I hate the parity, free agency, salary caps. I want to see dominance, I want to see dynasties, I want to see the clock stop at first downs so teams can have legit comeback hopes. I don't want to see by-the-book 3 hour games that the NFL mandates so they can usher in the next wave of 3 PM games.
I watch the NFL because of fantasy sports. If it's not the Cowboys, there better be a lot of offense, a star player that makes me stop down and watch, or I better be in a bitter battle that week in fantasy sports.
I briefly considered buying both DirecTV packages for the NFL and NCAA. But the NFL would go to waste as I could care less about 90% of the games each week. And there's so many games televised each Saturday that if it's a big game, or an intriguing matchup, more than likely some TV station is covering it.
I'm still perplexed as to why the NFL has so much stronger a backing than college. Give me pageantry, history, co-eds, traditions, the ability to watch games from 11 am to 1 am, and the ability to drink all day without worrying about work on Monday. Who likes to drink on Sundays? College is my bag any day of the week.
Nothing beats football – on Saturday
Not that the NFL isn't great, but the college game's tops in my book
10:21 AM CDT on Friday, September 21, 2007
I can't tell you the time or date that the transformation took place. I can only tell you that it has.
College football Saturdays have surpassed pro football Sundays as the greatest day in sports.
I didn't feel that way 20 years ago and I didn't feel that way five years ago. As a Cowboys beat writer or as a columnist following the big stories, you're going to pay a lot more attention to the NFL than to the good college teams that play 200 miles north and south of town.
But I'm not talking about covering games or being a sportswriter.
I'm talking about watching the college game and flipping around the dial all day and night Saturday being a more exhilarating and rewarding thrill ride than doing likewise with the pro games Sunday.
It has at least something to do with the downside of fantasy football. The same thing that elevates the ratings of the pro game also robs a little of the passion and breeds an extra level of cynicism.
"Randy Moss scored two touchdowns again? Why didn't he ever do that for me?"
Also, there are no true upsets in the NFL. The first week of the season there wasn't even a 7-point favorite.
Something magical happens somewhere in the college game each week.
If it isn't always on the level of Appalachian State taking down Michigan, then it's Arkansas' incredible comeback in Alabama followed by Alabama's improbable comeback against Arkansas.
I hadn't planned on watching much of that game Saturday night. I wanted to watch USC just to make sure the Trojans aren't really better than LSU and confirm that they should be ranked No. 2 behind the Tigers.
Answers: They aren't and they should be. The Sagarin ratings don't lie. LSU is four points better than USC.
At least.
But after Arkansas cut what had been a 21-point, late third quarter lead to 31-17, I stayed with it. The Razorbacks reeled off 28 points in less than 12 minutes, only to let Alabama rally for 10 in the final 4:20 for a 41-38 win.
That's a football game.
And, by the way, I am not going to let the college season be spoiled by all of the doomsayers.
Already on talk shows and in chat rooms, Oklahoma fans are lamenting the Sooners' No. 4 ranking and fearing that they will go undefeated and NOT get to the national championship game in the Superdome.
As good as LSU and USC and Oklahoma are, it's ridiculous to be talking in the middle of September about what's going to happen if all three go undefeated.
USC has stumbling blocks on its schedule, with games at Oregon and Cal. And who saw Southern Cal lose to Oregon State last year?
For LSU to go unbeaten, the Tigers have to win in Alabama – we just saw that's not as easy as it used to be – and they might have to beat Florida twice.
Because of the depths the Big 12 has sunk to, it's hard to look at anything on the Sooners' schedule and say it's a potential loss. But I don't think this Sooners team is any better than the undefeated, No. 1-ranked team that lost the Big 12 championship to Kansas State by 28 points four years ago.
So stop complaining. Enjoy the ride.
The situation that Auburn found itself in three years ago – unbeaten from an elite conference with no national title to play for – happens about once in 10 years.
If that.
No need to get bogged down with those "what if" scenarios when there are so many amazing things to ponder, such as how the Big East lost Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech and became an elite conference, whereas the ACC added those three teams and didn't.
Or how UCLA, ranked 11th, could get killed, 44-6, by Utah, a team that got whipped, 24-7, by Oregon State, a team that got spanked, 34-3, by unbeaten Cincinnati.
And Cincinnati stays unranked.
Those storylines, and the fact that college players don't stick around campus long enough for us to create fantasy leagues, makes the game the best thing going in the fall.
And although you can, you don't even have to buy a DirecTV package to overdose on it every Saturday.
- Poor, poor Aggie. I'm not sure where they go from here. Like I've said all along, Fran just wouldn't motivate me as a player, assistant coach, fan, administrative person, or booster. He's so non-descript and un-intimidating it's ridiculous. I've always called him the anti-Stoops. Why would anyone be afraid of his teams? They take on the persona of their coach. Just looks like anyone in football could push him around.
I want bull nuts cut off before the Texas game, I want bitter words in the press leading up to rivalry games, I want intimidation, I want the Wrecking Crew. I'm not an Aggie fan, but that's what I'd be screaming if I was.
And has Javorski Lane become the biggest waste of talent to come through that school? I swear if he was used like he should, they would have won at least 2 more games last year. I know for a fact they would have beaten Nebraska at home. Fran saved Callahan in that game last year by refusing to run him.
Miami meltdown: A&M falls, 34-17
01:45 AM CDT on Friday, September 21, 2007
By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News
brdavis@dallasnews.com
MIAMI – The Miami game was supposed to be a true barometer of Texas A&M's overall talent. If that was indeed the case, the Aggies showed Thursday night they are a slow, predictable, one-dimensional, overrated football team.
Those were the overriding themes from a 34-17 disaster in the Orange Bowl in what was far and away the biggest nonconference game in coach Dennis Franchione's five seasons.
The Aggies came into the game ranked in the top 20 in both major polls. That was after they beat Montana State, Fresno State and Louisiana-Monroe, though. When matched up against one of college football's big boys, A&M (3-1) got embarrassed.
"We wanted to come in and make a statement," A&M safety Devin Gregg said, "but things didn't go the way we wanted."
A&M opens Big 12 play next weekend against Baylor. When asked if this game was a true indication of where the Aggies are, Franchione said, "I probably need some time to evaluate that.
"Things are never quite as bad as they seem or as good as they seem. We didn't play our best tonight."
A&M's 17 points are misleading. The Aggies didn't get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, after the Hurricanes had built a 31-0 lead.
Through the first three quarters, A&M had 115 total yards, five fumbles, three turnovers and went 2-for-10 on third-down conversions. Stephen McGee was 7-for-16 passing for 46 yards during that span, too.
UM's Kyle Wright threw two touchdown passes, and Graig Cooper and Javarris James each ran for a score. For the first time this season, the Hurricanes (3-1) resembled "The U."
"We knew we had this in us," said Wright, who completed 21 of 26 passes for 275 yards with no interceptions.
Many fans among the crowd of 44,622 were already in the parking lot by the time McGee scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Backup Jerrod Johnson also threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett in mop-up duty.
"Definitely the whole team's frustrated," McGee said. "We've just got to look at this and move on and get better, because the games from now on count."
A&M averaged almost 300 rushing yards in the first three games. But against a team with phenomenal speed, the Aggies mustered only 98 yards rushing. McGee had 39 yards and Mike Goodson had only 28. The 'Canes never bit on McGee's option fakes and simply hammered anyone with the ball.
"You make one guy miss and another guy would hit you," Goodson said. "Whatever scheme they put together really worked."
And from the truly odd department, Jorvorskie Lane did not have a carry in the first half. He didn't touch the ball until there was about eight minutes left in the third quarter. He had only two carries the entire night for 2 yards.
Hundreds of Aggies flew to South Florida hoping to see something magical. They wanted to see some proof that last year's 12-7 upset over No. 11 Texas was no one-game fluke. They wanted to see why Franchione was so confident during the preseason.
Instead, they watched A&M go three-and-out on its first possession. Then the Hurricanes put together a methodical 18-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that sapped 8:51 off the clock. UM receiver Darnell Jenkins caught three critical passes on third down, and Cooper raced in from 7 yards out to give UM the early lead.
That drive was only the start of a long, frustrating night for the Aggies.
- Jean Jacques.......
Aggies trip on big stage again
Latest debacle in big game calls for closer look at Franchione
10:13 AM CDT on Friday, September 21, 2007
MIAMI – Every college football fan watching Texas A&M's nationally televised game against Miami on Thursday night discovered what many unbiased observers have known for years: The Aggies are wannabes.
They wanna be an elite program.
They wanna be like Texas and Oklahoma, teams that have recently won championships.
They wanna be relevant.
Based on A&M's raggedy performance against the Hurricanes, that's not happening anytime soon.
Miami 34, Texas A&M 17.
Trust me, the game wasn't nearly that close. It's hard to believe this is the same Miami team that OU thumped 51-13 just a couple of weeks ago.
It kind of makes you wonder whether the Aggies, ranked No. 20 by the Associated Press poll until the next poll is released, are due for another 77-0 shellacking when they play the Sooners in a few weeks.
Don't laugh.
To his credit, a somber coach Dennis Franchione offered no excuses after the debacle in the Orange Bowl.
"We didn't play our best tonight, taking nothing away from Miami," Franchione said.
Once again, Coach Fran failed to have his team perform to a high standard in a high-profile game that could've generated some excitement for A&M, which has become a second-tier Big 12 program during the past decade.
We really shouldn't be surprised.
Aside from what now appears to be a fluke win over UT last November, what have Coach Fran's teams accomplished in his five seasons? Not much. He is 1-9 against Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, the best teams in the Big 12.
The Aggie faithful are tired of reading Coach Fran's record against the Big 12's big boys. Too bad.
It is what it is.
The perception surrounding A&M's program is never going to change until the Aggies start beating good teams. Sorry, but wins over Montana State and Louisiana-Monroe simply don't impress.
Perhaps, if the Aggies' fan base stopped being so obsessed with every facet of UT's program and focused all of their energy and attention on improving their own program, they'd have better results.
Or, maybe, they just need to fire Coach Fran. Or Les Koenning Jr. Or whoever put together a game plan that resulted in Jorvorskie Lane not carrying the ball in the first half.
Ridiculous.
The Aggies can't pass – no matter what they accomplished against ULM last week – so their only chance to beat Miami was to dominate the line of scrimmage, wear the Hurricanes down and win a close game in the fourth quarter.
Pounding Lane could've accomplished that.
Instead, Lane became a 268-pound decoy, while Stephen McGee and Michael Goodson carried the ball on the option time after time. McGee and Goodson combined for 21 yards on 14 carries in the first half as Miami grabbed a 24-0 lead.
Lane didn't carry the ball until the Aggies' seventh possession.
The flaw with that strategy is that Miami had way too much speed for the Aggies to consistently get outside and gain yards on the perimeter. An intelligent approach would've used Lane to attack the middle, sucking in Miami's defense, and then attack the perimeter.
It shouldn't be that complicated.
And that's why Bill Byrne, A&M's athletic director, must consider making a change if this team fails to significantly improve over the next two months. Coach Fran is signed through 2012, and word is Byrne won't consider a change until 2008 at the earliest.
But road games against Texas Tech, OU, Nebraska and Missouri loom. Right now, you wouldn't expect the Aggies to be favored in any of those games. A four- or five-loss season is a distinct possibility.
Considering the optimism Coach Fran had after last season's 9-4 record and the verbal jabs he willingly took at UT and OU in the off-season, that would represent failure.
This is Coach Fran's fifth season. These are his recruits.
This is his fault.
No acceptable excuse exists.
It's time for Byrne to contemplate Coach Fran's future unless the Aggies are satisfied being wannabes.
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