Two Picks

Weekend Picks


Let us try this one again. For the weekend, my heart is on break, as my beloved Longhorns are off, awaiting the sheep humpers from College Station.

Michigan +4.5 vs. Ohio State
Ohio State has impressed me little this season, haven beaten up the cupcake schedule laid before them in preconference play, and swamping the overmatched Big 10 schedule until last week, when Ron Zook’s juggernaut from Illinois came into Columbus and spanked the Buckeyes around like Ike Turner’s bitch. Michigan has been even less impressive, but honestly someone must win this borefest, and this one says its going to be the Wolverines in Lloyd Carr, Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Justin Long’ last game.

Oklahoma -7.5 vs. Texas Tech
Following the beatdown in Austin last week, Tech head coach Mike Leach berated officials for reversing some calls against the Red Raiders. Perhaps Leach should berate his “revamped” defense in big games. Against Texas, the Raiders gave up 59 points. Against Colorado, Tech gave up 31 points. Against Missouri, 41 points. Against Oklahoma State, 49 points. Notice the trend? In games Texas Tech needed to win to show their mettle this season, the defense has played a little bit better than Britney Spears new album has sold. In other words - it exists, and it may have sold a few copies, but it’s just the result of an ongoing trainwreck. Until Tech moves past their sports complex and hires some quality coaches, the folks in Lubbock will have to remain satisfied with sour grape coaches blaming officials for letting another Top 25 team drop ½ a hundred points on an overvalued defense. Don’t expect that change to come this week. OU rolls on its way to the Big 12 South Championship.

Those are the only two picks of the week. More would be silly - this way I am sure to get 100% on the week…

Stephon Marbury

Make or Break date for Duane Akina

The University of Texas defensive coordinator faces a heck of a challenge this Saturday. Duane Akina, a member of the Texas defensive staff for 10 years, was given the reins to control the defense this season in what many thought was a long overdue acknowledgement of continued success by Texas coach Mack Brown. Over the past four season, Akina has been labeled Assistant Defensive Coordinator, a position many folks scratched their heads about.

In 2004, Brown brought in Greg Robinson, a former NFL Defensive Coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, to lead the Longhorns D. He did so, helping take Texas to the 2005 Rose Bowl. Akina came in 2nd place during the interview process.

In 2005, after Robinson moved on to the head coach at Syracuse, Brown hired Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizic. All he did was lead the D to a victory against powerhouse USC for a National Championship. Akina came in 2nd place during the interview process.

Chizic returned in 2006, but bolted for the head job at Iowa State before this year. So the 2007 year was finally Akina's year. He's been less than stellar.

The defense is ranked 88th nationally against the pass. What is worse, a team once predicated defensively on creating turnovers has shown a glaring inability to force mistakes from opposing offenses. At one point this season, Texas had gone 10 quarters without forcing any turnovers. The Longhorns loss to Oklahoma can be attributed in part to the fact that OU made Texas cough it up, while the UT defense couldn't force the Sooners to put the ball on the ground.

As Texas Tech heads into Austin this weekend, there are many folks, myself included, worried about the UT defense against the Red Raiders #1 ranked passing attack. In years past, Texas has been able to offset the Tech video game offense with team speed - getting to the quarterback and forcing bad throws or decsisions which lead to turnovers. Texas has not shown the ability to do so this year - if the Horns can't force turnovers against Central Arkansas, what makes them think they can force Tech QB Graham Harrell into hurried passes?

Pundits point out that Missouri and Colorado were able to slow down the Texas Tech pass attack, and few would argue that the athletes in Columbia and Boulder don't match up with the boys in Austin. Hence the pressure on Duan Akina. To be a top coordinator at one of the premier football schools in the country means having the ability to draw up game plans allowing for you to beat the teams you should. If Akina can't find a way to turn the inconsistent D around, you can expect some upset Longhorns come Saturday night, and some Red Raiders may be rubbing my previous post in my face...

http://www.sportswithandy.com/2007/10/whats-wrong-with-texas-tech.html

11.5 Million?

People sometimes ask what I would do if I won the lottery. And we're not talking about the little $3 million variety. Let's go for broke - the whole Powerball $267 million! Sweetness.

The first thing - I would send Texas A&M and Nebraska $8.5 and $3 million respectively. These represent the exact dollar amounts that the Aggies and Huskers would owe their coaches, Dennis Francione and Bill Callahan, in the event the university chooses to fire them.

A&M and Nebraska are embarrassing the Big 12. There are currently 4 teams in the top 15 (3 in the top 6) of the BCS standings from the Big 12, and pundits around the country still find the conference subpar. The top teams in the conference have a combined record of 25-2 (OU, Kansas, Missouri). Take the top 3 teams from any other conference, including the vaunted SEC, and you won't find a better winning percentange. (For arguments' sake, the SEC is 22-6, with LSU, Auburn, and Georgia) And yet, the Big 12 is highly regarded as a conferene that is "down" this year. Why? Simple - two of the most recognized programs in the country from the conference are being ridden into the ground by a couple of lame duck coaches.

Since my posting regarding the upcoming firings of Fran and Callahan on Oct 15, the Aggies are 1-2, and the Cornhuskers are winless.

Perhaps tonight is the night for my winning numbers...

Bowl Predicitons following Saturday

Another weekly shakeup atop the BCS finds Boston College come down from their perch. After Florida State played the spoiler role, BC’s loss may help in putting some order into the finished product of this helter skelter 2007 college football season. As indicated below, the topsy turvey order of college football that we all feared (a BCS complete with Hawaii, Boston College, South Florida, ect.) may be avoided after all.

BCS National Championship
LSU (#1 - SEC Champ) vs. Oklahoma (#2 - Big 12 Champ)

Sugar Bowl
Georgia (at large) vs. Texas (at large)

Orange Bowl
Virginia Tech (ACC Champ) vs. Ohio State (at large)

Fiesta Bowl
Hawaii (at large) vs. West Virginia (Big East Champ)

Rose Bowl
Oregon (Pac 10 Champ) vs. Michigan (Big 10 Champ)

The team with the biggest snub this year? Missouri. After beating Kansas in a defecto conference championship semifinal, the Tigers will come up short against Oklahoma in San Antonio. With the same record as Texas, the Tigers will watch as tradition and traveling power will propel the Longhorns into what should arguable be their spot in the Sugar Bowl.

Alice is gayer than me

Alice wrote the last blog. She is gayer than me. I told you so. Mike and I like stippers. Who are not gay.




I hate OU

So, I'm still gay.

I just want to thank my family for helping me get through this time in my life.

Thanks, family. I'm so gay. I'm gayer than OU. I'm gayer than a poodle. I'm gayer than push-up contests.

Hearts and butt sex,
Andy

I am Gay!

But besides that, I want to put in writing that Les Miles will be the coach at Michigan next year.

Oh yeah, I am a douchebag.

Mike and Alice

They will not drink with me. I am drinking alone. It's not fun. Because I am the only one drinking. And Texas has just come back from 21 points down again. We rock. I think. This might not work well for me.

BCS

Do you think the loss to Navy knocks 1-9 ND out of the BCS?

Notre Dame

Navy.

Really????


Navy?


And did Charlie Weiss really have to wear a Bill Belicik sweatshirt?


And again...

Navy???