Archive for category: football

Its the new year and I almost forgot to post the rest of my picks. Since a game is already going I will make them quick.

Current number of bowls played: 21

Current number of bowls picked correctly: 15

Outback Bowl Winner: Tennessee

AT&T Cotton Bowl Winner: Auburn

Toyota Gator Bowl: West Virginia

Capital One Bowl: Wisconsin

Rose Bowl: USC

Tosititos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma

FedEx Orange Bowl: Lousiville

Allstate Sugar Bowl: LSU

International Bowl: Cincinnati

GMAC Bowl: Ohio

BCS National Title Game:  Ohio State

So far so good for my bowl picks. Seven games and seven correct picks. Are my picks destined for greatness or will the post-Christmas games lead me to some sort of weird doom. Who really knows, all I do know is there is a bunch of games coming up so I may keep some of these shorter. 

Bowl Games to date: 7

Correct Games Picked to date: 7

Motor City Bowl – Middle Tennessee State vs. Central Michigan – I know, I am already yawning at the subject of this bowl. I do know very little about each team. I know MTSU gave Louisville a decent quarter of a game and that Central Michigan isn't too shabby of a team since I believe they won the MAC. Not to mention CMU is almost the home team in this game (game is played in Detroit for those who don't know where the Motor City is…and Detroit is in Michigan…)

Winner: Central Michigan

Emerald Bowl – Florida State vs. UCLA – FSU has stunk up the place all season, while UCLA showed glimers of hope against Notre Dame before upsetting USC. I like UCLA in this mainly since they have to travel a couple hours and FSU only has to travel the country to get there. Not to mention FSU could practically care less about playing in this game. Their pride is on the line because you know they don't want a losing season (they are currently 6-6) but I am not one to say they will be able to win. UCLA has been playing well as of late and look to wrap up their season in a good manner.

Winner: UCLA

PetroSun Independence Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Alabama – Now I will save any Alabama/Rich Rod stuff for another day. The fact of the matter is Bama is still in need of a coach and are about to play in a bowl. That doesn't work well my friends. OK State isn't the best of teams but they will show up and play well I believe. I just don't like Bama's chances in this game unless they had hired a coach by now. That peice to the puzzle just doesn't work for me.

Winner: Oklahoma State

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl – #19 California vs. #21 Texas A&M – This is probably one of the better bowl games that is before New Years. Okay…I am lying, it is probably the best bowl game before New Years. Why this bowl game isn't before New Year's is beyond me but still it matches up two up and promising teams. It is a tough one to pick. I am basically taking out a pennie and flipping for it. Believe me it should be a fun one to watch.

Winner: California

Texas Bowl – #17 Rutgers vs. Kansas State –  How bad does it suck to be Rutgers. Okay, that is a mean and harsh joke of the past but still it has shown it's ugly head again. One win away from a BCS game and you lose and your prize is a trip to Houston for the Texas Bowl, which at one point (before deals were worked out) couldn't be seen on your local TV (game is on the NFL Network). I like Rutgers to get their first ever bowl win against KSU. Don't get me wrong the Wildcats are a solid team but have no right to be able to beat Rutgers. The only way they will win is if they catch Rutgers crying about being in Houston. After seeing Rutgers play in person this season, that won't happen.

Winner: Rutgers

Gaylord Hotel Music City Bowl – Clemson vs. Kentucky – My heard and almost my head were telling me to pick UK in this one. I know Clemson is good but they have stumbled into this game and I really don't like the looks of them these days. But, they should be able to run all over a bad UK defense. This one has been tough to pick because I believe UK can pull this one out and win but I just believe deep down Clemson will show up again for the first time in two months.

Winner: Clemson

Brut Sun Bowl – #25 Oregon State vs. Missouri – I am very thankful that the Gator Bowl picked WVU and didn't pick a Big 12 team this year. Playing a Pac-10 team would have been interesting but not this year. Anyways, for some reason I am going with Mizzu. Something deep down is making me pick this game and I am running with it. 

Winner: Missouri

Alamo Liberty Bowl – Houston vs. South Carolina – Another tough one. For one I am confused at the name of the Bowl. At first I am thinking oh, the Alamo Bowl…then I see Liberty behind it. Nonetheless, it is the Liberty Bowl. Anyways, the ol' ball coach will coach up the Gamecocks but honestly I like Houston. Their offense is exciting to watch. USC should have won a few games and I just don't see them winning this one. It will be close, but I like Houston.

Winner: Houston

Insight Bowl – Texas Tech vs. Minnesota – I forgot about Minnesota this year. So judging by that statement I am not picking them.

Winner: Texas Tech

Champs Sports Bowl – Purdue vs. Maryland – Wow. I am honestly bored with this game. Please, Maryland just pull it out and help WVU look decent.

Winner: Maryland

Meineke Car Care Bowl – Navy vs. #23 Boston College – If you can't tell I am getting tried of all these games. I wonder if George Foreman shows up to this game since he is a spokesman for Meineke. Navy took a Big East bid, probably away from Rutgers from going to a better game and also from Pitt from going to a game at all. And then BC left the Big East for "greener pastures" in the ACC. BC just got a new coach and I want to jump on that bandwagon for a game. 

Winner: BC

Alamo Bowl – #16 Texas vs. Iowa – Texas should blow Iowa out the water. SHOULD. But, they may not. Iowa can and probably will keep it interesting but I am taking the home side. The Alamo Bowl is just down the road from Austin. I like my chances with a "home" team.

Winner: Texas

Chick-fil-a Bowl – Georgia vs. #14 Virginia Tech – I always feel weird picking VT in any game. But I just don't trust Georgia, even in their "home" dome. We blew them out there last year and I think VT will too. This is and should be a spring board game for VT for next year. I wonder if the winner gets a bunch of chicken in the bowl (it used to be a bunch of peaches but they dropped the peach from the bowl name). 

Winner: Virginia Tech

MPC Computers Bowl – Miami vs. Nevada – This one makes me laugh. Mainly because Miami has to go to Boise, Idaho for their bowl game on New Year's Eve. Oh, that just makes me laugh real hard. I like Nevada too in this one. Like FSU, Miami could honestly care less about this game and playing in a cold place like Boise won't be the cure to their answers.

Winner: Nevada 

Alright, I am done until New Years. 

For the past couple weeks the mood in town has been a weird
one to say the very least. Reports for the last couple weeks have been that
head football coach here at WVU; Rich Rodriquez would be offered and at some
points would become the next coach at the University
of Alabama.

Bama basically didn't get their first choice, or the second…and
some would say even their third before turning to Coach Rod. Now, they have to
turn to someone else yet again.

I have been on both sides of the fence with this situation
over the last couple weeks. At times I thought and felt that Coach was staying
put just because of certain things like how good of a team he has here compared
to the team in Bama and the fact that he would have a greater chance of winning
here than he would ever down there. Not to mention I never felt comfortable
saying that he would leave because of all the problems that Bama has had in
recent years with coaches.

The glove just didn't seem to fit correctly for him I thought.
And now more than ever it appears he doesn't even need to try it on.

And then I felt at times that he was good as gone. Not so
because of all the reports flying around the internet and on the news but more
so because of his actual words and expressions in news conferences and interviews.
His mood just didn't strike me as one of a coach who really wanted to stay and
was seriously looking at another team. I wasn't thinking this because he had a
terrible season. No, it was more so because he refused to answer the now two
million dollar question. Are you staying or are you going?

It was a simple question that just turned this whole
situation over on its back.

Now he is staying because for the lack of a better term, he
was a better poker player than most people will begin to give him credit for. He
never had a serious offers before and once he finally did it made him think
long and hard about his own situation here at WVU. A good situation but a
situation that many in the country felt he was underpaid. A situation that
others also believe needed to get a little better in terms of facilities.

Rod did what many good poker players do, put on a good face
and tried to up the ante as much as he possibly could to get what he wanted. And
he did just that with probably just a 3 of spades and an 8 of hearts. Nothing special,
but enough to get what he wanted. In a weeks time money poured in to get the
facilities he wanted and to get a contract with a little more dough.

Can you seriously blame him? No, but there is some patch
work to be done now. A lot of credibility and respect has been lost with fans
around the Mountain State.
And a lot of credibility and respect has been lost with the media around the
entire country. You can blame Rod for getting what he wanted and looking like a
total jerk in the process but at the end of all this you have to point blame
the media for everything in this situation. Not even a high percentage of the
reports were even remotely accurate during this whole situation.

Reports were correct about the offer of the contract and the
meeting between the sides and the fact that the two sides were interested in
one another. But the rest was erroneous. Dozens of newspapers and news
organizations reported last night that Rod had accepted the job while others
said he was going to be on his way to Alabama
to do so in person today. And other reports were said that he wouldn't even
coach in the team's New Year's Day bowl game with Georgia Tech.

The media showing was mostly pathetic with a story changing
every five minutes because someone got something wrong with initially. Even
ESPN can to be at blame because they too had false reports from some of their columnists
and reporters.

At the end, WVU gets to keep a good coach, not a great coach…a
good coach. WVU is shown to not be a stepping stone while Alabama
is shown to be a bargaining chip. Alabama
is now left feeling empty since they seemingly went all in with Rod.

Who will they turn to? Someone else or will they keep
trying? Who knows, but for now we do know what is certain. Coach Rod is
staying.