It's not nearly as much fun to make picks when your team isn't involved. Of course, since I'm not terribly good at it to begin with, I doubt it's going to affect my record. The biggest thing the weekend has going for it for Tiger Fan is whether or not the university is going to get bent over for the 3rd year in a row in the bowl selection process. In 2007, we watched as kansas, a team we'd beaten just a week before was selected to play in the Orange Bowl while we fell to the Cotton. A reward for having to play Oklahoma a 2nd time in the Big XII title game and losing I suppose. Then last year we watched as Nebraska was invited to the Gator Bowl while we fell to the Alamo. This after Mizzou had throttled corn nation by 35 points in Lincoln.
A week ago we were hearing that if things fell right, that the Tigers might be heading back to Dallas and a date in the Cotton Bowl. The thought process was if Oklahoma State defeated the Sooners, they'd have a good chance to pick up a 2nd BCS bid for the conference. Cotton Bowl officials were concerned that Nebraska fans wouldn't be excited about making a 2nd trip to Big D in a month and Texas Tech had played in the game in 2008. Of course it all fell apart as the Cowboys were shut out 27-0 in Norman. So now Okie Light moves to the Cotton, the hicks get a trip to San Diego and the Holiday Bowl, a 7-5 Oklahoma team becomes very attractive to the Sun Bowl and Iowa State suddenly looks like a good choice to the Insight. Missouri wants nothing to do with the Independence Bowl and Shreveport again so likely the Tigers wind up in Houston at the Texas Bowl. I can sort of understand some of the other selections but Iowa fucking State to the Insight? They are my favorite fan base outside of Missouri's but how can this shit happen year after year? The answer of course lies in the Big XII offices where Dan Beebe, the snakeman really doesn't give a shit what happens as long as Texas, A&M, Oklahoma and Nebraska are happy, along with kansas and his old buddy Lew Perkins. We should be at the conference offices with torches and pitchforks.
If, and this if a big if, we were able to get an invitation to join the Big 10, we should think it over for about 3 seconds and say yes. In fact, we should be lobbying for just that to happen. The problem is that I think they'd like Notre Dame first. Now that will never happen, but their second choice would likely be either Rutgers or Syracuse so they could get a presence in New York. But frankly, as long as we're stuck in this piece of shit conference we might as well keep keep loading up on KY jelly because we're going to get fucked every year.
That's all I have to say on the bowl selection process for now. We'll know the answers on Sunday and I can rant about it again next week while I'm trying to draw attention away from the results of my picks. For the year I've gone 85-29 straight up, but a mediocre 55-55 against the spread. If you used me as a guide to your betting, you'd be exactly where you were back on September 1st, which actually wouldn't be all bad. I don't gamble so it doesn't matter much to me.
This is championship week and we have 3 good ones to look at. In Dallas, Texas opens as a 14 point favorite over Bo Pelini and corn nation. Texas got a scare last weekend in College Station but I believe they were looking ahead. Nebraska has the defense to keep this one close, but the Longhorns play pretty good defense themselves when they're interested. I'd be hugely surprised if the hicks managed to pull off the upset here but not at all if the final was closer than the spread. However, I'm going to go with Texas to pull away late in the 3rd quarter and they'll have their place set in the national championship game against the winner of the SEC title game. I'm taking Texas to win this one 31-13.
In said SEC title game, the Gators open as a 6 point favorite over Alabama. There will be some serious athleticism displayed on defense in this game. However, I don't think anyone, including the conference and the officiating crew is ready to see Tim Tebow miss an opportunity to win another national championship and frankly, I think the Gators have a bit too much firepower here. I'm going with the Gators to win and cover, 24-24.
In the ACC, or the who gives a shit conference, Georgia Tech opens as a 1 point favorite over the Clemson Tigers. Clemson has been a team that always gets a ton of love when the season starts, and usually pisses all over themselves after the games begin. This year really wasn't any different as they began the year ranked and limp into the title game with an 8-4 record. I really don't understand why Tech is only a 1 point favorite here. I'm going to go with the Rambling Wreck to pound out a 38-24 win.
The last game isn't a conference championship game. But here the schedulers in the Big East got it right as 11-0 Cincinnatti travels to Pitt to face the 9-2 Panthers for the right for a BCS bid. Cincy opens as only a 1 point favorite here and this may be the best game of the weekend. However, I think they have too much firepower and pull away with a late touchdown. I'm taking the Bearcats 41-31.
I'm sure we'll all have a lot to talk about next week as some things should shake out over this weekend including the increasingly weird happenings in lawrence, kansas and soon to be ex-coach Mark Mangino. Looks like another win for slimy Lew Perkins. Have a great weekend and let me close with this. "Hook 'em Horns"
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