Pigskin Potpourri, Poinsettia Edition

Now that TCU has upended Boise State in the most watchable matchup of the entire bowl season, it's worth asking: How did TCU wind up in the Mountain West instead of the Big 12?

Baylor is all giddy that it managed to beat A&M this year and finish NEXT-to-last in the Big 12 South, a step up from its perennial doormat status. Iowa State is a joke. Kansas State had to pull Bill Snyder out of retirement to get back to the level where TCU already is now. Think of how much more competitive the Big 12 would be with TCU in the mix -- and how much more lively the DFW sports scene would be with a hometown Big 12 team.

Bowling: Midweek update

After catching some godawful football (didn't get to see it, but looks like the Las Vegas Bowl was an exception here) over the weekend (hello, New Orleans Bowl!), we've got a gem tomorrow night. Here's the rundown:

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Boise State vs. TCU
7 p.m. Tuesday, ESPN
See two BCS-eligible teams face each other in sunny San Diego. How the Poinsettia managed to snag these two mystifies me. But this may well be the best game of the non-major bowl season. Tough competitors from mid-major conferences. Both once considered BCS busters. Gonna be a major throwdown.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Notre Dame at Hawaii
7 p.m. Wednesday, ESPN
This one's got pathetic written all over it. I find it difficult to believe that the Irish deserve to be in a bowl game, but when you've got 400 bowls and just 119 teams to fill them, this is what happens. Why do I say AT Hawaii? Because let's get serious here -- they've got more of an advantage than Boise State would have playing on the Smurf Turf.

Motor City Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic
6:30 p.m. Friday, ESPN
As exciting a pairing as Sunday's New Orleans Bowl blockbuster of Southern Miss vs. Troy. Sun Belt and MAC. Woo. Hoo. Gonna have to be seriously eggnogged to enjoy this one. Even more reason to pity poor Detroit.

Bowling: And so it begins

After a couple weeks off, teams (and your favorite bloggers) will be back at it this weekend. We start with some pretty craptastic matchups. (Or is it "craptacular"?)

Saturday:
Eaglebank Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Navy, 10 a.m., ESPN -- This is the newest bowl on the block, and may be the only one that is an encore of a regular-season game. Wake lost 24-17 in their first game against the Midshipmen, all the way back on Sept. 27. Since then, the Demon Deacons dropped four into the L column, while Navy lost twice. Expect boringness, as these teams obviously know each other.

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State vs. Fresno State, 1:30 p.m., ESPN -- A 6-6 Mountain West team against a 7-5 WAC team. These guys were in the same conference before the big divorce in the 1990s. I'd rather watch the Eaglebank. And you couldn't find a sponsor? Sign of a bad bowl...

Magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl: Memphis vs. South Florida, 3:30 p.m., ESPN -- Another inaugural bowl. South Florida, OK in nonconference play but dreadful in the Big East, gets to play a home game against Memphis, who at 6-6 managed to finish second in the C-USA East. (Shows the Conference USA's strength, no?) Shoot me, shoot me now. And what the heck is Magicjack? It's that thing you hear advertised on late-night TV that lets you "never pay a home phone bill again!"

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Arizona, 7 p.m., ESPN -- Prime Time gives us a ranked team!! BYU was once thought to be the best BCS-buster candidate, now relegated to playing something like their 12th Las Vegas Bowl in a row. Or something like that. Cougars roll right over Arizona in this one.

Sunday:
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Mississippi vs. Troy, 7:15 p.m., ESPN -- No comment, other than to say I'll only be watching this one because I need football to sustain me through the weekend. But only watching this during the Sunday Night Football commercial breaks.

Silly Season...

Hi, constant readers. All three of us fans have been busy with our lives lately. And with college football's regular season now over, our posts have been few and far between.

We have yet to decide how often we plan to maintain the blog after the bowl season concludes. There has been some discussion about soldiering on through the NFL and college basketball seasons into the springtime. But time has become a precious commodity.

At the very least, we will have one more Crystal Ball (Bowl Edition), as well as some analysis once everything is said and done. Stay tuned for more updates...

Monday-morning quarterbacking the polls

We finally get to see who voted for whom in the polls that determine the BCS rankings.

I'm not going to slander/libel/whatever Larry Keech, but this man (apparently a former staff writer for the Greensboro, N.C., News & Record) needs to give up his Harris vote.

Here's his ballot. How is he wrong? Let me count the ways...
No. 1: Utah (here's the man who's been consternating me for weeks!)
No. 2: Boise State (better than Florida, huh?)
No. 5: Florida (see above)
No. 10: Ball State (the MAC runner-up, which lost to Buffalo?)
No. 18: Rice (really? above both teams who played in the C-USA championship?)
No. 20: Georgia Tech (ACC, represented at last!)
No. 23: Western Michigan (man with a thing for the MAC)
No. 24: East Carolina (uuuhhhh....)
No. 25: Tulsa (uuummmmm....)

Not the first time Keech has caused a stir -- see 2006. And there's already an "Official take away Larry Keech's vote" thread on Rivals.

In 2006, he explained himself this way:

"I try to minimize the subjectivity as much as possible therefore I went with teams that lost zero games at the top and then those that lost one game. And then I rank those that lost one higher if they lost to a team that was ranked higher at the time."

Which is absolutely, completely ridiculous. And stupid, lazy and dropping the ball.

Over at USA Today, we see what the coaches made of this season. (Great Flash graphic, by the way.) A little wackiness,, but the coaches seem to for the most part take their job seriously.

Highlights:
Rick Neuheisel doesn't think much of Oklahoma (No. 4)
Howard Schnellenberger says Utah (No. 7) is ranked above USC (No. 8)
Gary Pinkel isn't excited by BCS busters (Utah, Boise State and TCU at 15-16-17)
Mike Leach loves him some Texas Tech (No. 2) but not so much Texas (No. 5). Not a surprise.

What we learned by watching television (Bowl Edition)

Tears have been shed. Fists have been shaken. Sleep has been lost. Now, it's time to reflect on the final shake out to another great college football season.

Weekend thoughts...

Woe to the also-rans. As a Boston College fan who has seen his team's BCS bowl hopes go up in smoke three times since 2004 (and as a guy rooting for Jake's vanquished Arizona State Sun Devils this past weekend), I can genuinely empathize with those schools that *almost* made it to the promised land. Ball State, Boise State, TCU, Oregon State, Texas Tech, Pittsburgh, Missouri, Tulsa, Brigham Young... Guys, this beer's for you.

The BCS National Championship is Florida's to lose. I do not believe Oklahoma has the defensive horses to shut down Florida. And, I think the Gators have the smarts and talent to decode Oklahoma's offense. The old adage, "Defense wins championships" will never ring truer than in this game. Remember, too, that Oklahoma's special teams coverage is suspect. Florida happens to shine in that arena.

Big 12 defenses are bad. Top CBS analyst Gary Danielson recently compared Big 12 stats to "pesos," and pointed out that almost every quarterback in the conference put up impressive numbers this year. Having watched Oklahoma air it out and hang 60 on five straight mediocre Big 12 defenses, I think he's right.

Oklahoma's potent offense is built around pacing. Defenses playing Oklahoma most struggle with the Sooners' frenetic pacing. On most snaps, QB Sam Bradford gets the play off in 20 seconds. The strategy has defenses sucking wind by the second quarter.

Florida is keyed by offensive balance and playcalling. In the fourth quarter of the SEC title game, we saw the Florida coaching staff's brilliance shine through. With the ball and leading 24-20 late in the game, the Gators could have done what just about every other college and pro team would have: run, run, run. Instead, Florida twice went to playaction and scored a touchdown that put the game out of reach. Now that's an example of "playing to win."

Nick Saban is a helluva coach. Say what you want about Alabama's coach. He can flat out scheme. Despite having a team with clearly inferior talent, he had Florida's offense confused and stout defense off balance until well into the fourth quarter. A discussion about Alabama is a good segue into our next entry...

...Good luck, Utah. The Utes are a solid team and have had a memorable season. But to think they will be competitive against a Nick Saban-coached, 12-1 Alabama team in the Sugar Bowl is a pipedream. Crystal Ball picks aren't for a few weeks yet, but I would be surprised if the Utes are still in this one at halftime.

The ACC championship game should be played in Charlotte. Our favorite ESPN blogger, Heather Dinich, has got it right. For two straight years, the title game has proven to be an absolute joke. Empty stands. Tickets being given away free at the door. Irrelevance to the national scene. While the conference's national prominence will only improve with time and talent, the ACC can remedy its empty-stands syndrome by hosting the title game in a location that doesn't just cater to Florida State and Miami.

Ohio State versus Texas, ugh. How the undeserved Buckeyes squeeze themselves into all of these BCS games is a mystery. Ohio State had their chances this season. But in my opinion, losing to USC 35-3 with the whole nation watching should have, right then and there, removed the Buckeyes from the national conversation.

West Virginia QB Pat White has been at West Virginia forever. Doesn't it seem like seven or eight years ago now that Pat White burst onto the national scene with that dominant performance against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl? Congrats on a prolific college career, Pat. Next year, we'll see how good Mountaineers' coach Bill Stewart really is.

If only the Big East could play all of its games in the dead of winter. Speaking of West Virginia, what a great atmosphere in Morgantown Saturday for the game against South Florida. There was snow, sub-freezing temperatures, a packed house and lots of defense. Despite its many deficiencies, the Big East is one of the few conferences that can truly replicate the Lambeau Field vibe.

I like the USC-UCLA uniform thing. Powder blue against dark maroon. It worked for me.

Enough with the phrase, "Dial up." What began as the signature phrase of ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer has now become a full-blown epidemic. These days, no football game -- college or pro -- goes by without at least one analyst uttering the phrase, "dial up." It is often used in conjunction with defensive coordinators calling blitzes (Example: "I bet Brett Venables dials up a blitz here..."). Even John Madden, The Dean of Football Broadcasters, has started to use the phrase. Heaven help us. Dial me outta here.

The ACC could be the Big 12 in three years. Laugh now, but with all the young talent in this conference, I envision a Big 12 South-like national slugfest sometime in the future.

Now, for a quick look at the bowl picture...

Games I'm looking forward to watching:

Orange Bowl, Oklahoma versus Florida.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, LSU versus Georgia Tech.

Rose Bowl, Penn State versus USC.

GMAC Bowl, Tulsa versus Ball State.

Cotton Bowl, Ole Miss versus Texas Tech.

Holiday Bowl, Oklahoma State versus Oregon.

Poinsettia Bowl, TCU versus Boise State.

Hawaii Bowl, Hawaii versus Notre Dame.

I'd rather be digging graves (Can you believe that these are actual bowl matchups?):

New Mexico Bowl, Colorado State versus Fresno State.

New Orleans Bowl, Southern Miss versus Troy.

Motor City Bowl, Florida Atlantic versus Central Michigan.

Independence Bowl, Northern Illinois versus Louisiana Tech.

Texas Bowl, Rice versus Western Michigan.

Games I'd love to see, but won't:

Texas versus Oklahoma (The Rematch).

Florida versus USC.

Georgia Tech versus Texas Tech.

USC versus Oklahoma.

Boise State versus Utah.

Ohio State versus Cincinnati.

Penn State versus Alabama.

Georgia versus Texas Tech.

Georgia versus Missouri.

Ohio State versus Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech versus Notre Dame.

Ted Kim's Awards...

Heisman Ballot: QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), QB Tim Tebow (Florida), QB Colt McCoy (Texas)

Won't Win Any Awards Studs of the Year: RB Donald Brown (Connecticut), WR A.J. Green (Georgia), DE Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech), QB Darren Clark (Penn State), RB Javon Ringer (Michigan State)

Won't Win Any Awards Studs of Tomorrow: QB Russell Wilson (NC State), RB Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech), WR Julio Jones (Alabama), RB Golden Tate (Notre Dame), DT DaQuan Bowers (Clemson),

Offenses of the Year: 1. Oklahoma, 2. Texas Tech, 3. Florida.

Defenses of the Year: 1. USC, 2. Alabama, 3. TCU.

Overrated Offense of the Year: Missouri.

Overrated Defense of the Year: Georgia.

Underrated Offense of the Year: Alabama, Georgia Tech.

Underrated Defense of the Year: TCU, Boston College.

Overrated Team of the Year: Clemson.

Underrated Team of the Year: Ole Miss, Texas.

Stadium Atmospheres of the Year: 1. Texas Tech, 2. Oklahoma, 3. Penn State, 4. Florida, 5. Utah, 6. Texas, 7. Ohio State, 8. Alabama, 9. Oregon, 10. Georgia. Honorable Mention: Oregon State, LSU, Notre Dame.

Coaches of the Year: Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech), Urban Meyer (Florida), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Chris Peterson (Boise State), Brady Hoke (Ball State), Turner Gill (Buffalo), Nick Saban (Alabama), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech).

Pigskin Potpourri, Bowl Selection Edition

It was a wretched football weekend in the Batsell household. First, ASU laid an egg in Tucson, bringing the Rudy Carpenter era to a merciful close. With a bowl game, statewide bragging rights and his own legacy on the line, you'd think Rudy might have prepared for the game with the maturity of a seasoned senior quarterback. Instead, he spent his free time during rivalry week getting ejected from a girls' high school hoops game for heckling the refs. Now there's the mark of a champion. Bring on Jack Elway.

Then came the perennially disappointing BCS bowl lineup. I won't waste bandwidth by reciting the usual litany of injustices. The matchups just aren't that compelling. I predict Cincy-VaTech will be the most competitive game among the five. But I am intrigued by these undercard bowls:

* The "Why Aren't We in the BCS" Bowl: Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but the postseason game I'm looking most forward to this year is the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia tilt between Boise State and TCU. Both of these teams have shown they can hang with, and even defeat, BCS-caliber opponents. Should be a shootout.

* The Fourth Estate Bowl: Journalism school powerhouses Missouri and Northwestern duke it out at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Can't wait for the trash talk on the field: "Bitch, you couldn't write a story if I spotted you the lede and the nut graf!"

* The Hurricane Ike Rematch Bowl: Houston and Air Force will venture back to the Metroplex for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. You may recall that SMU hosted Round One of this epic matchup when Hurricane Ike forced the game 240 miles north and Air Force ran its way to a 31-28 victory. If you're a fan of the passing game, though, you might be disappointed -- Air Force failed to complete a single pass in its victory on the Hilltop.

* The Ted Kim Got Hosed Bowl: Boston College heads to Nashville to face hometown Vandy at the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl in Nashville. Mr. Kim was envisioning spending New Year's Day in Miami; instead, he and the Eagles get an SEC road game. If you go, Ted, do check out the Bluebird Cafe, immortalized in the cinematic genius that is The Thing Called Love.

Blogging Hiatus...

Ugh... This blogger is in mourning after another Boston College loss just one win away from the Orange Bowl. Lots to chat about. Resurface soon...

Conference championships: MAC edition

Yikes, Ball State. You got beaten -- thumped, even -- by Buffalo. Why? Turnovers, especially those that got turned into six points.

What does this mean for people outside the upper Midwest? A wannabe BCS buster is out. Eighteen eligible teams are probably down to 17 -- I don't see Ball State staying anywhere near the Top 14.

On the tube: Big Game edition

It's conference championship week!

First, the non-championship games.
Tonight, a relatively meaningless Big East game in Louisville at Rutgers (6:30 p.m., ESPN)
Army and Navy clash Saturday morning (11 a.m., CBS)
USC at UCLA (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC), wherein the Trojans try to make it a Rose Bowl. Look for an odd start, as the Bruins will call an early timeout to make up for the one USC will be penalized for wearing home jerseys.
Arizona State at Arizona (8 p.m. Saturday, ESPN), for a bowl game

And the championships:
MAC (7 p.m. Friday, ESPN2): Ball State tries to stay undefeated
C-USA (11 a.m. Saturday, ESPN2): East Carolina flopped midseason but eked out a date with Tulsa
ACC (noon Saturday, ABC): Rematch of last year's Boston College-Virginia Tech game determines the Orange Bowl pick
SEC (3 p.m. Saturday, CBS): Bama and Florida in Part 1 of the de facto national title semifinal. If Florida wins, do the Gators become No. 1 headed into bowl season?
Big 12 (7 p.m. Saturday, ABC): Mizzou and Oklahoma in Part 2 of aforementioned semifinal. If Sooners lose, do they get jumped by Texas?

Year in Review 2008

College football's final week of the regular season is here. Alas. In recognition, we're going to break from the norm and review the biggest stories from yet another riveting season on the college gridiron. A joint Agony Meter-Crystal Ball will come later this week.

Here are the story lines of the year... (Feel free to add your own in the comments below...)

BCS Injustices. Texas beats Oklahoma, but the Sooners win the Big 12 South. USC, Penn State and Utah want a shot at the national title. An undefeated Boise State finds itself on the outside of the big bowl picture looking in. Folks, how many ways can we spell P-L-A-Y-O-F-F?

Big 12 South. Move over, SEC. This one conference division served as the epicenter for college football in 2008. So many big games, so many story lines, so much offensive talent. If only the Big 12 could replicate such excitement every year.

Big 12 Quarterbacks. They pretty much all have ungodly talent --- yes, even that little chubby munchkin who throws passes at Missouri.

Turmoil at Notre Dame. What began as a promising season has ended in train-wreck fashion for the Irish. Late-season losses to Pittsburgh, Boston College, Syracuse and USC and a near loss to Navy have thrown the program and its haters into a tizzy.

Quick Turnaround at Alabama. I dunno if any prognosticator thought that 'Bama coach Nick Saban was planning on the Two-Year Turnaround. But not long removed from Saban's hiring, here is the Tide, ranked No. 1, with a shot at the national and SEC titles.

Woeful State of Washington. Do they still play football in this state? Where has all the talent gone? Washington and Washington State went a combined 2-22 this season --- with one of those wins coming in the Apple Cup game when Washington State beat Washington. (To make matters even worse, the pro Seattle Seahawks are 2-10.)

When BCS Busters Attack. Utah, BYU, TCU, Boise State, Ball State, Tulsa. T'was a good year for non-BCS conferences. A number of teams had a real shot at running the table. Utah appears to be the best of the bunch.

ACC Musical Chairs. The division champions, Boston College and Virginia Tech, each have 5-3 records. It is fitting for a conference in which parity reigned.

Joe Pa's got Penn State back. Take that, critics. An 11-1 record and a Rose Bowl berth. Who's retiring now?

Michigan Stinks. The subhead pretty much says it all. Coach Rich Rodriguez learns a firsthand lesson in Program Rebuilding the hard way.

Other thoughts...

Biggest Surprises: Ball State, Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Utah, Boston College.

Biggest Disappointments: Clemson, LSU, Auburn, Missouri, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia, West Virginia, Arizona State, Tennessee.

Games of the Year (as ranked by Ted Kim --- winners in bold):

1. Texas at Texas Tech: Longhorn comeback foiled by last-second, iconic Michael Crabtree catch.

2. Oklahoma versus Texas (Dallas): Two heavyweights duke it out in a neutral field classic.

3. USC at Oregon State: Upset of the Year, so far. An overmatched Beavers team takes it to the Trojans at home.

4. Pittsburgh at Notre Dame: A quadruple-overtime thriller that starts the Irish's late-season slide.

5. Alabama at LSU: The Tide misses a chip-shot field goal in regulation, only to win in overtime.

6. Penn State at Ohio State: A competitive defensive struggle unfolds with the Big Ten in the balance.

7. Oregon State at Utah: Before a bleacher-shaking crowd, Utah pulls a shocking come-from-behind victory to keep its perfect season alive.

8. BYU at Utah: The Utes clinch an undefeated season and a BCS bowl before a raucous home crowd.

9. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: Offensive fireworks make for great television and actual bedlam.

10. Penn State at Iowa: Fantastic game ends in heartbreak for Penn State fans in Upset of the Year III (Behind only USC-Oregon State and Ole Miss-Florida).

11. Georgia Tech at Georgia: Tech runs and the Dawgs pass, making for lots of momentum swings and a 45-42 Jackets' upset.

12. Ole Miss at Florida: Upset of the Year II, behind only USC-Oregon State. The Rebels stop Gators QB Tim Tebow on a crucial 4th and 1.

13. Syracuse at Notre Dame: The Orange come back from 13 down in the fourth quarter to spring an improbable comeback.

14. Texas Tech at Oklahoma: It was a Sooner blowout, yes. But the sheer hype and spectacle of it all made it memorable.

15. TCU at Utah: Utah narrowly wins yet another Mountain West showdown.

Honorable mention: Ole Miss at Wake Forest, Alabama at Georgia, Kansas versus Missouri (Kansas City), Alabama versus Clemson (Atlanta), Missouri at Texas, Florida State at Georgia Tech, West Virginia at Pittsburgh, Ball State at Central Michigan, Kansas at South Florida, Notre Dame at North Carolina, Auburn at Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State at Missouri, Baylor at Texas Tech.

Stay tuned for individual awards...

BCS outlook

We're in the home stretch, with conference championships set. Some big games ahead Saturday, with plenty of upset potential. But I'm sticking with conventional wisdom and making my final predictions for bowl selection.

The biggest question for me: Will a 12-0 Boise State edge out a 10-2 Ohio State? The Buckeyes have had a history of failure in BCS bowls, but will people want to watch (or attend) a game featuring the boys of the blue turf? Or will the bowl selection committee shock us all and elevate Ball State (pretty much certain they'll destroy Buffalo in the MAC championship)?

Anyway...here are my picks.

BCS Championship: Florida-Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl: Texas-Utah
Sugar Bowl: Alabama-Boise State
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech-Cincinnati
Rose Bowl: USC-Penn State

Just a thought: Harris makes my head spin

Sifting through this weekend's polls, I'm left choking on one little detail.

No, not the Big 12 mess. I have a beef with the Harris Interactive Poll. More specifically, with one Harris Interactive voter. The one who, it seems, week in and week out has insisted that Utah is the No. 1 team in the country.

Utah better than Alabama. Than Oklahoma. Texas. Florida. Sure, the Utes are undefeated, but what kind of homer (there's obvious bias there, no?) could say that they are the top team in the country?

This is an outrage, people. I demand a recount, and I demand that Harris release the ballots so we can expose this voter for the fool he or she is. And I'm not the only one. Let's dump this joke of a poll.

Pigskin Potpourri, Week 14

Hey, Big 12 bigwigs: Flip a coin next time.

This year's premier conference in college football couldn't figure out a way to break a three-way tie and crown a champion from its south division. Instead, the Big 12 punted and left the decision in the hands of the BCS, a system so ridiculous and unpopular that even our president-elect wants to eliminate it.

For a moment, let's set aside the obvious injustice that OU is headed to Kansas City despite a neutral-field loss to Texas at Fair Park. The Big 12's inability to handle its own affairs is downright embarrassing. Next time, fellas, you might as well take a page from the high school playbook: Get the three coaches together at a greasy-spoon cafe, borrow a quarter from the tip jar and ask Fate to settle what you can't.

Agony-Ball (Thanksgiving Edition)...

Hello, Constant Readers. We're back in the saddle today after much feasting and lazing. Here's a glance at the ups and downs of our alma maters, as well as a few (hopefully) spot-on predictions, in a special joint Thanksgiving Edition of The Agony Meter/Crystal Ball...

Choking on a bone: Southern Methodist
The 1-10 Mustangs have one more shot at a conference win: Saturday versus Southern Mississippi. But it's a tall order since the Golden Eagles are playing their best football of the season right now.

White meat or the beak: Arizona State
Can the 4-6 Sun Devils pull a disappointing season out of the fire and keep those bowl hopes alive with a win against UCLA? My gut says yes, but we'll find out Saturday.

About to pull on the wishbone: Boston College
A chance to play for the ACC title and a big-money bowl awaits, but BC must beat Maryland to get there. The Eagles' chances would be better if their starting quarterback, Chris Crane, hadn't broken his collarbone. Doh!

Now, for... The Crystal Ball (Quick Hits):

Friday games:

West Virginia at Pittsburgh. The Mountaineers squeak by and exact a measure of revenge. You may recall that Pitt upset West Virginia last year to knock the Mountaineers out of the national title game.

UCLA at Arizona State. The Sun Devils win a close one at home and train their sights on the, ahem, prestigious San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Fresno State at Boise State. Fresno State will hang tough, but the Broncos will prevail in one of those typical WAC, ESPN2 Friday-night, high-scoring, no defense, smurf turf showdowns.

Saturday games:

UPSET ALERT: Georgia Tech at Georgia. It looks like an uphill battle for Tech on paper. But I'm not so sure. The Jackets are motivated as they are looking to end a years-long losing streak against their in-state rivals. Tech's defensive front will give Georgia's young offensive line fits. The Yellow Jackets' option offense also has so far made mincemeat out of fast, overpursuing defenses (read: Georgia). It all points to a Jackets' upset.

South Carolina at Clemson. Remember our warnings in August about how overrated Clemson was? Yeah. South Carolina wins with defense.

Virginia at Virginia Tech. Virginia will keep things competitive, but the Hokies are too much to handle at raucous Lane Stadium.

Kansas vs. Missouri (Kansas City). Missouri wins a game that will feature more touchdowns than punts. Beware Oklahoma... The Tigers are still lurking.

Auburn at Alabama. This is Auburn's last shot at glory, while the Crimson Tide has national title aspirations. Auburn's defense will hang tough, but the Tigers just don't have the offensive horses to pull off the upset. 'Bama wins.

Maryland at Boston College. If BC can limit its turnovers, I like the Eagles to win on the shoulders of the defense. If not, the Terps will score the upset.

Big Games:

Oregon at Oregon State. The absence of Oregon State's freshman sensation RB Jacquizz Rodgers will hurt. Still, the Beavers will air it out with success to beat their rivals at home and clinch a Rose Bowl berth. Take that Trojans and your hot Song Girls and your probable at-large BCS bowl berth!

CHARLIE WEIS'S JOB ON THE LINE ALERT: Notre Dame at USC. This is a big game in the sense that much is at stake and there are many story lines. Storied rivalry. Irish coach Charlie Weis's job is on the line. And the Trojans are hoping to play themselves into the national title game. Like everone in the universe, I think the swoon of the Irish will continue in an embarrassing loss to USC that will have Notre Dame's haters hating with full throat.

Biggest Game:

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State. All the ingredients exist for a possible Oklahoma State upset: Home crowd. Night game. National television audience. For those who think the Sooners will win in a rout, think again.

That said, the question is whether the Cowboys have the horsepower on both offense and defense to topple the white-hot Sooners. My answer is yes. Okie State's talent, of which they have lots, has shone at home this year. And given the rivalry and high stakes, I expect the Cowboys to be focused.

But all of that may not be enough. The Sooners play well on the road and have now reached a zone of focus that might give Tiger Woods pause. And no team, not even Texas, has so far neutralized Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, who slings the ball like a laser-guided bomb. Whether the Sooners will ultimately get to the national title game is unclear, but that is a discussion for another day. On this night, Oklahoma wins.

On the tube: Thanksgiving edition

Not much that isn't worth watching as we begin to wrap up the season. I'll be busily preparing an over-the-top extravagant feast for 24 on Saturday, so there'll be more listening than watching. Here's the deal this week:

Must watch:
Texas A&M at Texas (7 p.m. Thursday, ESPN): The Aggies always, no matter how awful they are, to have the Longhorns' number. Could make the Big 12 South less messy.
West Virginia at Pittsburgh (11 a.m. Friday, ABC): Mountaineers need to win.
Fresno State at Boise State (5 p.m. Friday, ESPN2): Bulldogs are as blue collar as their coach's facial hair. They've got a sliver of a chance to win in Boise.
Auburn at Alabama (2:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS): Bama should win, but there's also that chance to screw with the BCS.
Baylor at Texas Tech (2:30 p.m. Saturday, Versus): Not much of a chance for Baylor in Lubbock, but the Bears could play spoiler.
Oregon at Oregon State (6 p.m., Versus): Win for OSU means roses; loss means they depend on the Trojans to throw one away.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (7 p.m. Saturday, ABC): The biggest game in college football. My prediction? Oklahoma State has its moments, but the Sooners are simply too much.

Must watch if you care about the ACC:
Most everybody who wins has a chance to go to the title game.
Georgia Tech at Georgia (11 a.m. Saturday, CBS): Very tough game for Paul Johnson and crew.
Miami at NC State (11 a.m. Saturday, ESPN Gameplan): NC State has picked up some surprising wins lately.
South Carolina at Clemson (11 a.m., ESPN2): In August, this game would have been huge.
Virginia at Virginia Tech (11 a.m., ESPN): Hokies most likely to win the Coastal Division.
Florida at Florida State (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2): Gators look unstoppable.
Maryland at Boston College (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2): Terps are the least consistent team in the conference. BC needs to cross fingers, put together a scoring drive or two.

BCS outlook: The skies clear

A mix of forecast and "If it were played today" below, but first the conference-by-conference look...

The ACC: Florida State and Georgia Tech are done with the conference schedule, with their in-state SEC rivalry games up this week. That still leaves tiebreaker possibilities out there for conference title game, and Boston College has a good chance to make it.

The Big East: Cincinnati broke Pittsburgh's back Saturday night and faces the Irish-beating Syracuse Orange this weekend. Only a Bearcat loss (and two wins by West Virginia) can keep them out of the BCS.

The Big 12: Possible monkey wrench for Oklahoma? The Bedlam Bowl this weekend.

Everything looks roses for Oregon State, unless they get surprised at the Civil War.

Utah pounded BYU, pretty much sealing a BCS berth.

The matchups today:
BCS Championship: Alabama-Texas
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma-USC
Sugar Bowl: Florida-Utah
Orange Bowl: Florida State-Cincinnati
Rose Bowl: Oregon State-Penn State

My actual prediction:
BCS Championship: Florida-Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl: Texas-USC
Sugar Bowl: Alabama-Cincinnati
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech-Utah
Rose Bowl: Oregon State-Penn State

Weekend thoughts...

NORMAN, Okla. --- I spent part of Saturday at this educational outpost on the open plains. Amy and I, on our way back from a weekend in Oklahoma City, took a spin around campus about two hours before kickoff of Oklahoma-Texas Tech.

To say that Oklahoma's Owen Memorial Stadium is intimidating in person is like saying Mount Everest is a wee-tough climb. Undefeated Tech found out the hard way, getting blown to smithereens. Having now been to Norman and seen the unbridled passion, the middle-of-nowhere canyon-like stadium, the series of national championships painted on the scoreboard, all of first hand, I do not believe the Sooners can be beat there.

Jake foreshadowed Oklahoma's win last week. The Crystal Ball took it a step further. Here is the prediction word for word... We don't call it the Crystal Ball for nothing:

"The Red Raiders have cheated death in 10 straight games, but payment has come at last.

I believe in Tech and all they've accomplished. QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree are studs and the team's No. 2 ranking is well deserved. But on the road against Oklahoma, watch for Tech's secrets to be laid bare.

The Sooners always show up in force for these conference showdown-type games and, now, they have had two weeks to prepare. I've picked against Tech the last few weeks, but my Spidey Sense tells me the team's karma is about to change. Football giveth and football taketh away. You read it here first: Oklahoma wins in a blowout."

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit mentioned during the game that he didn't think anyone could have predicted such a lopsided outcome. Well, he didn't read 3Fans.

Now, for some quick hits:

Ambush in waiting: Missouri. Twice beaten by Oklahoma last year, the Tigers have quietly waited in the weeds for their chance at revenge and to show the nation that they are, indeed, an elite team. I foresee a pumped up and focused Mizzou against whoever wins the Big 12 South: Watch out Texoma Tech.

Big Bowl matchups I'd love to see: USC versus Florida, Oklahoma-Texas versus Florida, Texas Tech versus Utah.

Big Bowl matchups I'd hate to see: Cincinnati versus Georgia Tech, Cincinnati versus Utah. In fact, any game involving the (yawn) Bearcats.

Most inconsistent team of the century: Maryland. Loses to Middle Tennessee State by 10. Beats California by 8. Loses to Virginia by 31. Beats Wake Forest by 26. Loses to Virginia Tech by 10. Beats North Carolina by 2. Loses to Florida State by 34. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

If I were a Wall Street Man, I'd short sell: Alabama. They're good, but they're not national championship good. Watch for them to get exposed Texas Tech-style against Florida in the SEC title game.

Overrated: Utah, Boise State

Underrated: Georgia Tech, Cincinnati

Fine Nine: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, USC, Penn State, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Oklahoma State

Pigskin Potpourri, Week 13

We called it here. And here. Tech crumbled like finely aged feta cheese in Norman. Mike Leach's gunslingin', no-defense squad has officially become this year's version of the 2007 Mizzou Tigers. A Cotton Bowl date with an SEC underachiever (hear that, LSU?) surely awaits.

But all is not well in Stoops land. Oregon State stayed alive in the Rose Bowl hunt with a last-second win over the perennially gutless Arizona Wildcats, now coached by Bob's brother Mike Stoops. If the Beavs can overcome the perennially overrated Oregon Ducks in the Civil War, ASU's Operation Poinsettia may morph into Operation Vegas. Here's the scenario:

* Oregon State wins in Eugene and snags a Rose Bowl bid by virtue of the Beavs' win over USC.
* USC, bumped from the Rose but clearly still a BCS-quality team, lands in the Fiesta. All bowl-eligible Pac-10 teams step up a notch.
* The #3 and #4 Pac-10 bowl slots go to Oregon (Holiday) and Cal (Sun).
* ASU suddenly becomes the #5 Pac-10 team with season-ending wins against UCLA and the demoralized Wildcats. Vegas, baby!

Meanwhile, it was good news/bad news for Ted Kim's BC Eagles, who took care of business against Wake Forest but lost QB Chris Crane to a broken collarbone. Those Boston QBs just can't stay healthy this year.

Football: Hit by the downturn?

So is the stumbling economy leading to a slowdown in bowl-game growth? We can only hope. Hope for a thinning of the bowl system herd, for making postseason play meaningful again.

When more than half of the teams playing get to play a bowl, it's just a lot less magical. Like, for instance, the new EagleBank Bowl. Army/Navy against the ACC No. 9? Really?

The Crystal Ball, Nov. 22.

Elimination weekend is here. We find out which teams stand to get goodie baskets and which teams don't. Many watchable games are on, so let's get to it...

ACC Quick Hits:

Just about every game this week means something in the standings, so we'll go through them lightning-round style:

(Thursday) Miami (Fl) at Georgia Tech. If QB Josh Nesbitt and RB Jonathan Dwyer play, I like Tech's chances at home. If they don't play, or only play sparingly, I choose the 'Canes.

Clemson at Virginia. Virginia wins in a nail-biter.

NC State at North Carolina. The Wolfpack puts up a fight, but the Tar Heels are too talented to lose.

Boston College at Wake Forest. The Deacons win at home in a game dictated by turnovers.

Duke at Virginia Tech. Tech wins easily.

Florida State at Maryland. The Seminoles are reeling after their upset loss to Boston College, while Maryland plays well at home. I like the Terps to win a close one under the lights in College Park.

Other games:

Syracuse at Notre Dame. The Irish win, but the Orange fight hard.

West Virginia at Louisville. The Cardinals have had trouble defending the run all season. They will again versus West Virginia. Mountaineers win.

Michigan at Ohio State. All signs point to a Buckeye mega blowout, but I think Michigan will keep things competitive in the first half.

Big Games:

Oregon State at Arizona. The Beavers are gunning for the Rose Bowl. This game is perhaps the biggest obstacle. I think Oregon State has just enough horses to win, but Arizona won't go down easily.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati. The Panthers scrape together a road win with defense and by converting on third down when it counts.

Bigger Games:

Brigham Young at Utah. The Utes are playing well and are now at home against their arch rival. Utah takes this one comfortably.

Michigan State at Penn State. The Nittany Lions sew up a Rose Bowl birth and the Big Ten title.

Biggest Game:

Texas Tech at Oklahoma. The Red Raiders have cheated death in 10 straight games, but payment has come at last.

I believe in Tech and all they've accomplished. QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree are studs and the team's No. 2 ranking is well deserved. But on the road against Oklahoma, watch for Tech's secrets to be laid bare.

The Sooners always show up in force for these conference showdown-type games and, now, they have had two weeks to prepare. I've picked against Tech the last few weeks, but my Spidey Sense tells me the team's karma is about to change. Football giveth and football taketh away. You read it here first: Oklahoma wins in a blowout.

A word about the "Nation..."

For those who think the passion of Red Sox fans is little more than a mirage, read this email from a friend of mine angry that Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia was left off one writer's American League most valuable player ballot... Mind you, Pedroia handily won the award.

Joined in progress: "... He does not really consider all the stats. He actually said he does not consider strikeouts in any way and pointed to Ryan Howard. Are you kidding me? He is trying to sell it by pointing to Pedroia's rank in OPS, BA/RISP, OPS/RISP, and RBIs. He is using Pedroia's rank with all MLB (not just AL), and is not comparing it to the other hitters he selected. It is meaningless. The worst thing is that on September 20, he wrote a column with Pedroia ranked 4th. The only changes he made to that ballot a week or two later was to switch Morneau and K-Rod (2 + 3), kick off Pedroia, and add Pena as 10. So what did Pedroia do in the end of September? Only hit .391. He needs to just take the heat without trying to justify his choice and let it fade away after a few days..."

Don't understand Red Sox Nation? Emails like this tell the story...

On the tube: Weekday

Thursday nights can be oh-so-unkind to the favored team. Up this week is Miami at Georgia Tech (6:30 p.m., ESPN). Does this mean the Hurricanes should be shivering in their cleats? Yes, but not because of the midweek curse.

Georgia Tech is gunning for a chance to play in Tampa against who knows who. So is Miami. This is going to be a big test for Paul Johnson's triple option, and probably an exciting one considering the Miami defense's speed.

More importantly, the game will also mark the debut of High Def college football action in the McCann home. As long as all works out well with the cable guy tomorrow morning.

Oh...tonight's all MACtastic with undefeated Ball State visiting Central Michigan (6 p.m., ESPN2). A Chippewa win would probably mean the Cardinals drop from the Top 25.

And on Friday, previously overrated Fresno State drops in on San Jose State (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). Ugh.

The Agony Meter, Quick Hits style...

There's always some agony each week, but this week we've got less agony than we normally have (Southern Methodist aside.)

Lots o' agony: Southern Methodist
The Mustangs get waxed by UTEP in a game that, in my opinion, was a step backward. Will the Ponies go winless in the conference? They have one more chance for a win at home against Southern Mississippi on Saturday.

Not much agony: Arizona State
It's hard to argue with a 31-0 shutout. Still, the team that the Sun Devils beat, Washington State, has lost by much larger margins to other foes.

Little if any agony: Boston College
The Eagles upset Florida State in a nationally-televised game anchored by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit. Little agony there, tho' B.C. could give it all away this Saturday with a loss to Wake Forest.

Congratulations to: Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, for winning the American League's most valuable player award.

More thoughts soon, constant readers...

BCS outlook: Beyond a mess

There's no way to call the BCS at this point.

The ACC has some pretty tough competition, including as ESPN notes two four-way tie scenarios in the Coastal division. My guess? A Miami-Boston College championship game. Awe. Some. If it happens, I'll be cheering for Ted's Eagles.

The Big East. Talk about train wreck. The only way this conference can redeem itself is by moving aside and letting West Virginia be its champion. Cincinnati or Pitt in a BCS bowl are just too dreadful a scenario to imagine, but it very well could happen.

The Pac 10? Fascinating. USC's loss to Oregon State is beyond huge, and probably too big a stumble to overcome.

And the Big 12 has one (or two) key games left: Texas Tech at Oklahoma and, if the Sooners win, the Oklahoma at Oklahoma State rivalry game. Then, of course, Tech/Oklahoma/Texas/Oklahoma State has to beat Missouri.

Making all kinds of assumptions, I envision this scenario:
BCS Championship: Florida-Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl: Texas-USC
Sugar Bowl: Alabama-Utah
Orange Bowl: Miami-West Virginia...all bets are off if the Hokies don't get in. Ted and I agree that the Orange Bowl wouldn't want to swallow a Miami-Pitt/Cincy matchup.
Rose Bowl: Oregon State-Penn State

What we learned on television...

...We learned a number of things. That sometimes ABC has its head up its butt on how it splits its network football coverage. That NBA TV has some of the most crystal clear high def I've seen on satellite. That the money the Yankees are shelling out for players is just criminal. That Florida is playing the best football in the nation. That USC's defense is vulnerable to the run. That Texas is running on fumes. That the Cowboys are, indeed, a much more confident team with QB Tony Romo calling the signals. That Boston College always seems to win big games when Ted Kim isn't watching...

Confessions of a Dallas resident: I must admit. I'm starting to become a Dallas Mavericks fan. As a Massachusetts native, I'm a Celtics fan at heart. Yet I find my eyes drifting to the Mavs' box scores every morning. It's typical for me to latch onto a team just as they start to enter a period of prolonged suckiness.

If I were a Wall Street man, I'd short sell: Utah. I worry that they are not as good as their record or point totals indicate.

I couldn't see this coming two years ago: Struggling Syracuse fires coach Greg Robinson.

Overrated: Utah, Boise State, Georgia

Underrated: East Coast football, Brigham Young, Alabama, N.Y. Jets

Fine Nine: Florida, Texas Tech, Alabama, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State.

Pigskin Potpourri, Week 12

I have had profound respect for Washington's football program since witnessing the Huskies' 1992 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan, which gave UW a share of the national title. But let's face it, the Washington schools are the doormat of the Pac-10 these days. UW continued its slide into ignominy with a convincing home loss to Slick Rick's UCLA Bruins. And the Wazzu Cougars played their part in Operation Poinsettia by allowing the Sun Devils to post their first shutout in 12 years.

Evergreen State futility aside, it was a wild week in the Pac-10. Oregon outlasted Arizona in a zany shootout, USC took Stanford seriously this time and smacked down the Cardinal, and the Rodgers brothers propelled Oregon State to a much-needed win over Cal.

Should the Beavers defeat Arizona and Oregon, they are Rose Bowl bound. Having OSU in Pasadena would likely enable a superior USC team to slither its way into a BCS matchup against Florida, Texas or some other non-Big 10 heavyweight. Go Beavs.

Crystal Ball (Express)

Alas, no time to wax poetic today, so a few quick picks for the weekend...

Notre Dame over Navy in a competitive one. I like the Irish run defense to stuff Navy when it counts.

Ohio State over reeling Illinois.

South Florida over Rutgers.

Texas over Kansas.

UPSET ALERT: Air Force over Brigham Young, which has its attention on next week's showdown with Utah.

North Carolina squeaks by Maryland.

Oregon over Arizona in a thriller.

USC over Stanford by at least five scores.

Florida State over Boston College, big. (tho', if B.C. can force some turnovers, it'll be closer.)

Bonus pick:

Cowboys over Redskins, with Dallas QB Tony Romo showing surprisingly little rust.

On the tube

Watch these:
11 a.m.: Navy at Notre Dame (CBS) -- Notre Dame continues to redeem itself. Midshipmen try to make it two in a row.
11:30 a.m.: Texas at Kansas (FSN) -- Longhorns need a win to stay in contention for a three-way Big 12 South tie.
2:30 p.m.: North Carolina at Maryland (ESPN Gameplan in Big 12 Land) -- Fight for ACC control.
6 p.m.: USC at Stanford (Versus) -- The Cardinal can help Oregon State or Cal make it to the Rose Bowl.
7 p.m.: Boston College at Florida State (ESPN Gameplan) -- I hate you, ABC/ESPN, for forcing us to watch Oklahoma State at Colorado. FSU is going for a Blackout Night. BC has a chance to stay in contention for a trip to the ACC championship.

Flip to it when you can:
11 a.m.: Ohio State at Illinois (ESPN) -- Buckeyes almost maybe possibly could steal the Big 10 crown. Illinois fights for bowl eligibility, a year after a Rose Bowl appearance.
2:30 p.m.: Cal at Oregon State (ESPN Gameplan) -- Either could back their way into the Rose Bowl.
7 p.m.: Tulsa at Houston (CBSC) -- Will be an offensive shootout, with two of the top producers in the NCAA.

Don't even bother:
11 a.m.: Rutgers at South Florida (ESPN Gameplan) -- South Florida may be the worst bowl-eligible team in the Big East.
2:30 p.m.: Minnesota at Wisconsin (ESPN) -- Exhibit 963 for why I don't really like the Big 10.
5:30 p.m.: Missouri at Iowa State (FSN) -- Hyper-regional interest only.
6 p.m.: UConn at Syracuse (ESPNU) -- Would rather watch the non-televised Texas A&M at Baylor.
7 p.m.: Oklahoma State at Colorado (ABC) -- This might have mattered if, say, the Cowboys had beaten Texas and/or Texas Tech. Instead, the geniuses at ABC/ESPN are serving up a big dud in prime time.

Crystal Ball Express (Thursday Edition)

Hi all. Expect a full-on Crystal Ball tomorrow. In the meantime, here are predictions for tonight's twin bill:

Virginia Tech at Miami. The Hokies are a much more efficient team with QB Sean Glennon running the offense. And they have found a running game in RB Darren Evans. But Tech has struggled on the road this season, while Miami has speed to burn on both sides of the ball. I wouldn't be surprised if Tech snatches this one late, but my gut tells me that the Hurricanes will prevail in a competitive slugfest.

Jets at Patriots. How about that QB Matt Cassel? When these two teams last met, Cassel was starting his first game in the Post Brady Injury era. Now, it's Week 11 and the division is at stake. The Jets are a hot and cold team --- much like their leader, QB Brett Favre. Which Favre/Jets Team will show up? The one that pummeled the Rams last week? Or the one that lost to Oakland in overtime a few weeks back? I think the Jets will show flashes of both of their personalities tonight. On the other side, the Pats will be efficient as always and maybe give up a big play or two. But I think New England will force Favre into some mistakes and has the offensive horses to squeak by.

Quick college basketball note: UCLA's senior guard Darren Collison is a sight to behold. In the Bruins' first game Wednesday against Prairie View A&M, Collison put up Chris Paul-like numbers: 19 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals. All of that came in only 28 minutes. One sequence against Prairie View went like this: Collison steals the ball. Collison drains a three. Collison steals the ball. That's downright Jordanesque. NBA scouts are drooling.

The Agony Meter (and other thoughts)

It's been a busy time for us three fans. Jake is working diligently on his professorial duties. Ian has been busting out stories left and right. And I have been caught between multiple work and home commitments. But the sporting world rolls on, and so does 3 Fans.

This week's Agony Meter, a look at the tribulations of our three alma maters:

Loads o' agony: Southern Methodist
The Mustangs lose a close one yet again -- this time to Memphis. Progress Schmogress. We're dyin' for some actual wins!

A dash o' agony (tie): Arizona State
The Sun Devils get back on course with a convincing 39-19 win against Washington. Still, we can't help noticing that this is the same Huskie team USC absolutely obliterated the week before.

A dash o' agony (tie): Boston College
The Eagles snap a two-game losing streak in grand fashion -- by shutting out rival Notre Dame on national television. It's hard to argue with that, although B.C.'s offense at times looked about as ugly as Newark, N.J.

Now for some other thoughts:

If I were a Wall Street man, I'd short sell: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell
He's putting up studly numbers and is currently everyone's Heisman frontrunner, including mine. But someone is bound to decipher Tech's secrets sooner or later. Will it be Oklahoma? Baylor in an upset? Missouri in the Big 12 championship?

Ted Kim Fantasy Football update: Another dominant performance by the Dallas Barbecues in Fantasy Football puts Mr. Kim in 3rd place out of 12 and in a solid playoff posture.

Golfing Theory 101: Having observed minor league golf up close this past week at the Nationwide Tour Championship, I have figured out the difference between that tour and the major league PGA Tour: Putting. As in, PGA players can and Nationwide players can't.

He's growing on me: ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge. Like superstar analyst-of-record Kirk Herbstreit, Mr. Blackledge is articulate and sees both the big picture and the intricacies of the game.

I wish I had drafted in Fantasy Basketball: Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose. The rook from Memphis is a complete stud, averaging nearly 18 points a game. And he's about as old as your younger sister.

The National League Yankees: How can the Chicago Cubs, a team known as the "Loveable Losers," lose my sympathy? By signing San Diego ace pitcher Jake Peavy. This team already has two money-bags aces: Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden. Adding Peavy would be downright unfair and, dare I say, Yankee-esque. You're talented enough, Chicago. Your problem is mental. Win with what you've got, I say.

They should replace the NBA's Washington Wizards: North Carolina. The Heels are so good, so deep, so experienced and so motivated to win the national championship that it's almost unfair.

They may be inferior in football... But when it comes to men's basketball, man alive!: The Big East. This conference has no fewer than seven teams in the AP Top 25, including three in the Top 5. The Big East is to basketball what the Big 12 and SEC are to football. Combined.

Blu-ray Disc of the Week: Transformers. Say what you want about the movie itself, which is typical Hollywood popcorn-for-the-masses fare. The lossless audio and video quality are stunning.

The BCS

Back to normal here, post-election week.

Top 2: Alabama, Texas Tech

Conference champs/leaders:
Big 12: [Texas Tech]
Big 10: Penn State
SEC: [Alabama]
ACC: Ummm...North Carolina?
Big East: Uhh.....Pitt?
Pac 10: USC

Non-automatic conference in Top 12: Utah

No. 3, 4: Texas, Florida

One at-large spot. Not SEC, not Big 12. Makes Boise State, Ohio State and -- get this -- Ball State eligible.

If they were played today:
(Automatic placements are not labeled; guessed placements are marked as such.)
BCS Championship: Alabama-Texas Tech. Smashmouth vs. gunslinging.
Orange Bowl: North Carolina-Pitt (guess). Not the best-executed game, but oh well.
Sugar Bowl: Florida (guess)-Ohio State (guess). Gators dominate.
Fiesta Bowl: Texas (guess)-Utah (guess). Longhorns destroy the Utes.
Rose Bowl: USC-Penn State. Really, really good game.

What we learned (express)

Another crisp fall weekend has come to a close. The weather's getting nippy, even in Dallas, which means the games are getting important.

Things are finally (Finally!) starting to shake out in the BCS conferences. The list of games that matter is growing short. But if you're team is still alive at this point, then your season's already made.

Let's look toward the final weeks and pinpoint the games we'll all be watching...

Brigham Young at Utah (11/22). Mountain West supremacy, BCS birth, yada yada yada. All of it is Utah's to lose. (That said, they better not overlook San Diego State the week before.)

Texas Tech at Oklahoma (11/22). If you're not aware of this game's significance already, you might as well stop reading.

Michigan State at Penn State (11/22). A defacto Big Ten title game?

West Virginia at Pittsburgh (11/28). This showdown will likely decide the Big East championship.

Georgia Tech at Georgia (11/29). Can the Yellow Jackets finally break the Bulldog hex and represent their conference? They've got as good a shot as any.

Notre Dame at USC (11/29). If you can draw breath and you watch at least an hour of ESPN each day, then it's your duty to watch no matter how lopsided it is.

Auburn at Alabama (11/29). For the Crimson Tide, only one game to go before the SEC title game and a shot at the national title. What a perfect opportunity for your arch nemesis to screw it all up.

Florida at Florida State (11/29). Here's the ultimate chance for the Seminoles to show they're back.

Games that interest only me:

Florida State at Maryland (11/22). This one, at what will be a rocking Byrd Stadium in College Park, Md., will be for ACC Atlantic Division supremacy.

Syracuse at Notre Dame (11/22). The matchup looks boring on paper, I know. But consider all the subplots. This is a must-win for the bowl hopes of the Irish and could be Syracuse coach Greg Robinson's last hurrah. Moreover, it's Notre Dame's last home game of the season on NBC.

Colorado State at Wyoming (11/22). The Mountain West Network's first televised high-definition game. It'll be from Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium, a venue I have never seen before on television.

Overrated: Boise State, Ball State

Underrated: Florida State, Virginia Tech, Indianapolis Colts

Fine Nine: Texas Tech, Alabama, Florida, Texas, USC, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, Utah

Pigskin Potpourri, Week 11

As a Sun Devil alum who suffered through his share of rainy defeats at Husky Stadium, it was heartening to see ASU snap out of a six-game losing streak with a healthy 39-19 drubbing of UW. With Wazzu and UCLA up next, the Devils might sneak their way into the postseason with a win over much-improved Arizona later this month. Let's call it Operation: Poinsettia Bowl.

Ted's gotta be flying high after BC shut out the Golden Domers in Beantown. For Ian, it was heartbreak again when the Mustangs couldn't hang on against Memphis. All in all, though, it was a snoozer of a week for college football, so I didn't pay much attention. Penn State is thankfully out of the mix, and I remain convinced that Tech won't survive Norman. If 'Bama can't take care of business in the SEC title game, we're looking at Oklahoma, USC and Florida vying for the two spots in Miami.

Crystal Ball Express...

Alas. Not much time today, so here's an abbreviated version of the Crystal Ball...

UPSET ALERT: Georgia Tech over North Carolina.

Ohio State over Northwestern.

Florida State over Clemson.

Oklahoma over Texas A&M, but it's closer than the experts think.

Penn State over Iowa, big.

Wake Forest over Virginia.

Florida over Vanderbilt, big.

USC over California.

Biggest Games:

Alabama over LSU, but it's closer than the experts think.

UPSET ALERT: Oklahoma State over Texas Tech. That's right. Cowboys WR Dez Bryant is the difference.

Crystal Ball Quick Hits...

There are a couple of key Thursday games that deserve our attention, so here goes...

Crystal Ball Quick hits:

TCU at Utah. Ted says: The game is in Salt Lake City. Advantage Utah. TCU's defense is nationally ranked. Advantage TCU. So, what's more important: Home crowd or defense? I say defense. TCU wins. Ian says: TCU often has poor luck in high-stakes games. However, Ian believes that TCU will beat Utah by a "respectable margin." "Not a blowout, not a close one."

Maryland at Virginia Tech. Ted says: Maryland has had poor luck in Blacksburg, which seems to transform into a House of Pain for opponents when Tech plays on Thursday nights. I say the trend continues. Tech wins. Ian says: "I'm going to go out on a sturdy limb and say Virginia Tech will win."

The full on Crystal Ball comes tomorrow... Thanks for reading....

Cubs, Shmubs... Chicago has our next president...

Congratulations to Barack Obama, our new president elect. Here's to all of the underdogs -- both in sports and in life.

The Agony Meter (Election Day Edition)...

Here's hoping for a historic election night... As for our alma mater's there's plenty of agony to spread around this week...

(Tie) Loads o' agony: Boston College

Top billing in this week's edition of The Agony Meter is a tossup. Let's start with B.C., which lost ugly at home to mediocre Clemson. It's a tough loss from a conference standings standpoint. The game itself was a tough one to swallow. B.C. was down 17-0, only to rally to take the lead late 21-17. But special teams and defensive breakdowns, which are becoming routine, sealed the Eagles' fate.

(Tie) Loads o' agony: Arizona State

A late Sun Devils rally is stymied when QB Rudy Carpenter's 2-point conversion is intercepted. Arizona State played better in this game than they have as of late. The loss, however, pushes them to the brink of bowl elimination.

Dash o' agony: Southern Methodist

As Ian points out, not having to play means that the Mustangs are not at risk of losing. Still, SMU finds itself coming out of the bye week winless in conference. Bye or not, that's not a pleasant feeling.

If I were a Wall Street man, I'd short sell: Texas Tech. They're a good team and deserve all the praise coming their way. But their luck is likely to end soon against one of the two state schools from Oklahoma.

Stock way undervalued: Dallas Cowboys. We put this team on the short sell list a few weeks ago. The thinking was they were overhyped and ready for a fall... Now, the opposite is true. Once QB Tony Romo comes back, the 'Boys will get much better.

The Crystal Ball (Election Preview...)

The Crystal Ball takes a whack at Election Night... The results are closer than expected, but Obama pulls out wins in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, Florida and Pennsylvania. McCain will win Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina and Missouri. (Like no one else is making the same predictions...)

BCS outlook: Changing by the week

Well, we've got a month or so left. And no shortage of turmoil in the home stretch. Tech over Texas? Damn. Maryland? WTF. The Big East? Holy shamoley, what a mess.

The picks...

Top 2: Alabama, Texas Tech

Conference champs/leaders:
Big 12: [Texas Tech]
Big 10: Penn State
SEC: [Alabama]
ACC: Ummm...Georgia Tech?
Big East: West Virginia
Pac 10: USC

Non-automatic conference in Top 12: Utah

No. 3, 4: Texas

At-large is, as always, a mess. Florida, Boise State, Ohio State and TCU are in the mix for the final two spots. I give them to Florida and Ohio State -- a bowl is probably going to pick a major conference over a non-automatic one.

If they were played today:
(Automatic placements are not labeled; guessed placements are marked as such.)
BCS Championship: Alabama-Texas Tech. I trust Tech's offense over Alabama's defense.
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech-West Virginia (guess). Lameness continues.
West Virginia wins.
Sugar Bowl: Florida (guess)-Ohio State (guess). Gators dominate.
Fiesta Bowl: Texas (guess)-Utah (guess). Longhorns, despite disappointment over not being in the title game, crush the Utes.
Rose Bowl: USC-Penn State. This matchup won't change, barring Oregon State or Cal taking over the Pac 10 or a Texas Tech/Alabama loss. Hand it to the Big 10 -- Paterno's kids win.

What we learned on television (Express Edition)...

Another good football weekend comes to a close (tho' not with the results that this blogger would have wanted -- B.C., the Pats and the Celts all lose.)

Some quick hits:

Like everyone, I was impressed with how Texas Tech played in their showdown with Texas. Perhaps surprisingly, they controlled both offensive and defensive lines. (Not to take away from Tech's victory, but I also think Texas was worn out having played a string of tough ones.)

Speaking of tough ones, I'm wondering whether Tech's magic wears off this week against Oklahoma State. Tech coach Mike Leach probably schemed and prepared for the Longhorns for weeks... The Cowboys? Prolly not. We'll save the prediction for the Crystal Ball, but I think Tech should fear Okie State and their stud WR Dez Bryant.

Florida and QB Tim Tebow are on a mission to win the SEC. Woe to any team in Florida's way. They are playing confident football.

Just how crazy is the ACC? Put it this way: B.C. is 2-3 in conference, but still has a chance to win it all.

Watching USC play Washington at the Coliseum on Saturday night was like watching the Indianapolis Colts play Utah State. Talent. Recruiting. Play calling. Cheerleaders, even. USC is on a different level.

I'm afraid New England's sports ride is over. B.C., the Pats and the Celts all lost this weekend. And the Red Sox didn't make the World Series. Here's hoping the losing doesn't become contagious.

The Tennessee Titans won't go undefeated, but I do think they are a very good team. Defense. Running game. Special teams. They have it all. The key to beating them? Getting an early lead and forcing journeyman QB Kerry Collins to pass. But good luck getting that early lead.

Coming soon to 3 Fans: Ramped up coverage of men's college basketball... Yeah, baby...

Nintendo Stat of the Weekend: Number of first downs in the Atlanta Falcons' 24-0 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Falcons, 30; Raiders, 3. (That's not a typo.)

Overrated: Utah, Boise State, TCU, Dallas Mavericks

Underrated: Kansas, Northwestern, Tennessee Titans

Fine Nine: Alabama, Florida, USC, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State