As you've probably guessed, I just love college football. I enjoy basketball also, but pretty much only when Missouri is playing. But I could sit and watch football regardless of the teams playing. This is kind of a bittersweet week for me. My Tigers are poised to win their 10th game this weekend and we're facing our most hated rival at Arrowhead, and of course I'll be there. If the Tigers win, and they're heavily favored it will be their 40th win in the last 4 years, which not a lot of teams can boast about. It's Thanksgiving week as well as rivalry week and I want to stop a bit and thank some of the guys that have made this possible. Thanks Gary Pinkel and staff, for coming to my favorite team and turning what had been pretty much two decades of failure into something where now our fan base spends more time complaining about a Texas Tech loss than the 9 wins we've already enjoyed this year. Thanks to guys like Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker, Zo Williams, Ziggy Hood and Sean Weatherspoon. Thank you William Moore, William Franklin, Jeremy Maclin, Van Alexander and Stryker Sulak. Thanks to Blaine Gabbert, DeVion Moore, Jerrell Jackson, TJ Moe, Michael Egnew, Elvis Fisher, Dan Hoch, Tim Barnes and Aldon Smith. Looking forward to seeing players like Henry Josey, Tristan Holt, James Franklin, Marcus Lucas, Bud Sasser, Jimmy Hunt, Lucas Vincent, Nick Demien and Anthony Gatti in future years. And to fallen Tigers like Damian Nash and Aaron O'Neal, rest in peace. Thanks to Mike Alden for placing coaches like Gary Pinkel, Mike Anderson, Tim Jamieson, Brian Smith, the Kreklow's, and Robin Pingeton in charge of their respective programs. It is indeed a great time to be a Tigers fan. And my apologies to the folks I've missed. It's a tribute to the athletic department that there were too many great coaches and players to remember them all.
But enough of this sentimentality, it is after all hate week. Saturday morning for the 119th time and 91st consecutive (no game in 1918 due to an influenza epidemic in lawrence) the Tigers and jayhawks will square off. The 2 schools hate each other so much that they can't agree on the record for this series. Both teams count 1960 as a win when kansas prevailed 23-7, but the game was later taken away due to their use of an ineligible player. Regardless, the series has been as close as it can be using either teams numbers. Missouri opens as a 28 point favorite, which is simply ludicrous in my opinion. All three games that have been played at Arrowhead have come down to the last play to determine the winner. I realize that the beaks have been nothing short of terrible this year, but in this game it just doesn't matter. I expect this game to be close, but I do think that the talent disparity will raise it's head late and the Tigers pull away. I'm calling this a 34-20 Missouri win, and they close out the regular season 10-2.
A huge game for Tiger fans also happens the day before the Border War as the two north teams leaving the conference meet in Lincoln as hick nation hosts the Colorado Buffalo's. Currently both the Tigers and Huskers sit with identical 9-2 and 5-2 conference records, but the corn hold the tie breaker. Last weekend America was treated to an epic Pelini meltdown as head coach Bo first verbally berated his injured quarterback and spent the remainder of the game attacking the referee's as the corn fell 9-6 in College Station to the Aggies. Were the huskers hosed on some calls during the game? No doubt, but Bo, you might want to file this for future reference. Calling the line judge a "cocksucker" might not be the best idea if you're hoping for a cleanly called game. Not to be outdone, defensive coordinator and older brother Carl attacked an A&M photographer
following the game. Quarterback Taylor Martinez reportedly quit and rejoined the team this weekend, and whether he plays or not, he's not going to be near 100%. The hicks open as a 24 point favorite, and like Mizzou, I think this line is just too high, considering they're playing a Colorado team that has improved dramatically since former coach Dan Hawkins was fired. I'd love to go with my heart and call for the upset, but I just can't. I do however believe that this one will be much closer than expected. I'm picking the corn to win 21-17.
Usually one of the bigger games of the weekend would be down south as as disappointing Texas team hosts a suddenly resurgent Texas A&M squad that has won 5 straight games since an October 16th drilling at the hands of my Tigers. It's not all a benefit of scheduling as they've beaten both Nebraska and Oklahoma in that streak. A win this week would bring the Aggies conference record to 6-2 and give them a share of the south division title, assuming Oklahoma could beat Okie Lite on Saturday. For the whorns, it's been a train wreck of a season as they sit at 5-6 and just 2-5 in conference matchups. However, win this game and UT would be bowling again, although I'm not certain a trip to New York for the Pin Stripe Bowl would be exactly what they had in mind before the season began. It might, however save a few coaches jobs or at least extend them until the holidays are over. I don't think the Longhorns make it past turkey day however and I'm picking the Aggies to win and cover, 37-21.
A couple of non conference games are also on tap for this weekend. Kansas State travels south as a 19 point favorite to take on the Texas State Armadillo's. I don't know a lot about the Texas State squad except that their quarterback is in his late 30's, they have a former black comedian at offensive tackle and the sexiest kicker in the history of the game. Huh? Oh, my apologies, Kay State plays North Texas this weekend. In that case, I really don't much give a shit about this game, but I'll take the mildcats to win and cover 38-14. Talk about a letdown though.
In the other out of conference game, Texas Tech hosts the Houston Cougars, who still need a win to gain bowl eligibility, and with 35 bowl games, God knows we need as many eligible teams as possible. Tech opens as a 10 point favorite. This is another game that holds absolutely no interest to me, but I do think that the Red Raiders post their 7th win and cover...barely. I'm taking Tech to win, 35-24.
But the biggest game of the weekend happens Saturday night in Stillwater as the 9-2 Sooners take on the 10-1 Cowboys in a battle to determine the Big XII south. If Mike Gundy's band of immortals win, they will be the south champions and will play either Nebraska (likely) or Missouri (less likely) in the conference championship game a week from Saturday at Jerry World. If the Sooners win, and Texas can beat A&M then the Sooners are champs. If the Sooners and A&M both win, then the champion will be determined by some convulated system that takes in BCS ranking, point differential and the amount of Mary Kay cosmetics the respective coaches wives have sold. Okie Lite comes in as a 2 1/2 point favorite and I expect this game to go down to the wire. I'm taking the Cowboys to cover, due to their home field advantage. Okie State wins 38-35.
That's all I've got for this week. Good luck to your team, unless you root for either Nebraska or kansas. In that case, have a shitty Thanksgiving and your turkey is as dry as the Sahara. :^) Talk to you on Sunday or Monday.
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