Guess who's back?

Hey kids, It's been so long. There hasn't been a post on this site since last November. Seriously...it's been about 5 months. This is pretty unacceptable. There are a few excuses I could give you. Sure, I have a second site that allows for much shorter posts that I've used pretty exclusively in the interim for everything from quick thoughts on sports to my daily NBA book it picks. There's the fact that I spend an inordinate amount of time on Twitter (@NDEddieMac if interested) that also lets me get most of my thoughts out. But really, Notre Dame football killed this blog last year. In fact, when I signed back onto this blog, there were still 2 drafts waiting for me that I could never get around to finishing. The coaching search was insanely tumultuous but eventually landed with the best available candidate. To be perfectly honest, at the time I was too angry to write coherently. I tried a few times, I don't think any of them came out particularly well.

My weekly College picks also fell by the wayside because trying to pick games meant thinking about games, which only made me angrier as the season went on. I do apologize to those who had participated all year. I doubt anybody was too broken up about their disappearance, but I used Notre Dame's losing and the end of the semester as an excuse to shut the thing down. So if you were one of those, I'm sorry. That was pretty hack, and there really is no excuse for it.

So why start back up now? Well, for starters, there is a whole lot of stuff that is relevant to my interests coming up. The Braves had their opening day this week. The Spurs are closing out the regular season and have clinched a spot in the playoffs (even though I don't see them lasting very long, which I'll talk about soon enough). Notre Dame has their Blue&Gold game in the next coming weeks. Even the NFL Draft is right around the corner. Of course, much like last semester's demise, Law finals are also right around the corner. Following that will be graduation and the Bar Exam. However, I think there should still be ample time to try and get back in the game. I'm not saying there is gonna be any actual schedule to these posts, because let's be serious, I'd just break it. But I wanted to bring this thing back to life because as of right now I want to write a post on: 1) Where the Spurs stand going into the playoffs, 2) The beginning of the Atlanta Braves season and super rookie Jason Heyward, 3) keeping an even keel while looking at info on Notre Dame's spring practices, how Coach Kelly is changing things, and how the team is looking next for year. This is one of the most exciting times in sports, so I will probably throw in some broad bullet point posts too, just because those are always fun. Hell, I may even get into my newfound following of soccer (I'm as surprised as you). So yeah, the site isn't dead, it's just out of it's protective custody holding for now. Have a good one kids, see you soon.

Week 11 College Football Picks

So as you already know, there was no pick recap post from this week. If you read my rant from Sunday, you should already know why it didn't happen. I've been too angry to go back and write about the Navy game, it was absolutely horrendous. On top of that, I put up a brutal 1-4. The scoreboard has been updated on the right if you are wondering where you stand. So let's get to the picks from this week's at best, decent slate. First a reminder/request: if you are going to pick, please pick them all. Also, these are the lines (from here), so pick those, no making up lines.

#16 Utah @ #4 TCU (-19.5)
Pick: Utah +19.5
TCU has played good ball this year, but a 3 score favorite against another top 25 team? I don't think so. I think this game will be a little closer, and who knows, maybe this week will be the week TCU gets their dreams crushed.

Stanford @ #9 USC (-10.5)
Pick: Stanford +10.5
I'm making this pick pretty much solely based on the good old transitive property of football. Oregon beat USC by 27. Stanford beat Oregon by 9. Clearly Stanford will beat USC by 36. MATH!

#10 Iowa @ #11 Ohio St (-17)
Pick: Iowa +17
Now Iowa lost their QB Stanzi last week EARLY in their loss to Northwestern. Stanzi is slated to sit this weekend too. While that should mean an easy win for the Buckeyes, I don't think there is a Big TenLeven team I could ever pick to cover a 17 point spread. Wayyyyy too many.

Texas Tech @ #19 Oklahoma St (-4)
Pick: Texas Tech (+4)
What can I say, we are just flat out due for a Mike Leach pirate game. Still no Dez Bryant, let's get crazy.

Notre Dame @ #12 Pittsburgh (-7)
Pick: ND +7
It's simple, if Charlie wants to stick around, this game is pretty much a must win. Beyond that, Pitt is up to 8-1 sure, but who have they beat? Youngstown St, Buffalo, Navy (too soon? too soon), Louisville, UConn, Rutgers, Cuse, S. Florida. Not a great lineup right there. ND is going to come out angry, and last I checked, Pit doesn't run the triple option. Plus, surely Weis can beat the Wannestache right?

There they are, go get em folks.

I'm fucking terrified. Thoughts on ND's Future

I honestly don’t know where Notre Dame is going. Clearly Weis isn’t cutting it. The fact that he wasn’t fired after 3-9 should’ve used up all of his pity. I wrote a lonnnnnng post after last year’s loss to USC about whether or not Charlie should have a job anymore. At this point, I honestly don’t know what to do. On one hand, Weis clearly isn’t getting the job done. 3-9 was fucking pathetic and inexcusable. The next year, only 7-6…I mean, this shit is not ok at Notre Dame. Then you walk into this year, a talent laden team, a creampuff schedule…and you’ve already lost to a 5-5 Michigan team and a Navy team that just lost to Temple last week. I repeat TEMPLE BEAT THE TEAM THAT JUST BEAT NOTRE DAME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!

Pitt and Stanford both scared me before this game, now Stanford just beat down a good Oregon team, Pitt continued to kill, and we lose to Navy…Holy F. As of now I figure losing one of those is a given, both is a very decent possibility. I feel like Weis can not be trusted with this team anymore. He just isn’t producing. I wish he had succeeded, he’s a Notre Dame guy, good pedigree, but holy shit win a damn game son. I always defend based on his recruiting, and his classes have been great, but they don’t produce, so what do you do??? If the results aren’t there, a change must be made.

But then there is the flip side. First, if they weren’t already gonna leave due to fear of a Bradford-esque injury, or the upcoming labor issues and likely rookie salary cap, you’ve gotta figure if Weis is fired that both Clausen and Tate will leave early. 2nd, you have to wonder how many recruits will leave. Chris Martin, one of if not the top Defensive players in the country, has already said he’s still taking visits even w/ his commit to us, just to keep his options open in case there is a coaching change. Add to that other players who may leave. Then think about having to implement the new system of a new coach on both sides of the ball, and essentially having to hit the reset button on the program.

Plus, who do you go get? There are 3 names you will hear out of Irish fans wanting a change: Brian Kelly (head coach at Cincinatti), Jon Gruden (ESPN Commentator for MNF, former Raiders and Bucs head coach) and Skip Holtz (Head Coach at ECU, son of Lou). there are problems with all 3 options here though:

Brian Kelly: Kelly has done a hell of a job at Cinci the last 2 years. Right now, the Bearcats are undefeated, have the inside track on the Big East and a BCS spot, and a shot at the National Title game, even if it is unlikely. Kelly’s gone 30-6 at Cinci since taking over for the bowl game at the end of the 06 season. This season has been by far the best for Kelly at Cinci, rebounding well from a loss in the Orange bowl to VT 20-7. My question right now, is if I’m Brian Kelly, why leave for a high pressure situation, where you need results quickly or you will be axed, when right now you have built a program and will be treated as the man, the myth, the legend? He has no prior connection to ND, and is currently wrecking shop in arguably the weakest BCS conference…why leave?

Jon Gruden: There are some coaches that thrive in the pros, and some that thrive in college. We’ve seen what happens when that line is crossed by the likes of Spurrier and Carroll. Gruden’s ties to Notre Dame run deep: His dad was an Asst. coach for the Irish while Jon attended Clay HS in South Bend. Gruden thought about going to ND, but knew he wouldn’t get playing time, so he ended up at Dayton after a stop at Muskingum College. While Gruden has a few years of Asst. Coaching in college under his belt, he’s been a coach in the pros since 1992. Gruden had great success as the head coach of the Bucs and Raiders, but is now sitting in the MNF booth. There are 2 things that make me think Gruden won’t work. 1st is the idea that some guys are built for college ball, some are built for the pros. How many coaches can you think of that have had success in both? 2nd, there are quite a few HC jobs in the NFL that look to be vacant at years end. While Gruden has ties to the Irish, coming to Notre Dame is a step down from the NFL, that’s all there is to it. Would it really be worth it for him?

As for Skip…here’s the thing, you will not find someone that loves Lou Holtz more than me. But what the hell has Skip Holtz ever done to make ND fans think he is the answer?? Skip did some good work under his pops as OC between 92-94. But as a head coach: 38-23 at UConn, 29-21 currently at ECU thru last year. ECU made headlines last year, upsetting #17 VT and #8 West Virginia in the 1st two weeks of the year. But the team ended up at 9-5, losing to a decent at best Kentucky team in the Liberty Bowl. Let’s put it this way, if his last name wasn’t Holtz, nobody at ND would know who he is. Is that really the guy you want leading the way?

So the way I see it, our current head coach has proven he can’t win, and while he’s able to get great recruiting classes, hasn’t been able to produce on the field. But at the same time, can this program really afford to start over AGAIN, and would the immediate roster losses be worth any perceived coaching benefits?

What the hell do we do?

Week 10 College Football picks

So last week the lowest score anybody had was 2-3, I'm gonna call this a sign of improvement kids. Let's see if we can't all go over .500 this week shall we? Not a fantastic slate, but a couple that could be very intriguing. Game on

Vanderbilt @ #1 Florida (-35)
Pick: UF -35
Haven't had a big line game in awhile, so why not. This game has been talked about quite a bit thanks to Brandon Spikes' eye gouging and subsequent self-punishment for the full game. While Spikes is very clearly the best player on the Florida D, the unit as a whole is still very good. The O finally found some legs last week against Georgia. Finally, let's be serious, Vandy is miserable, they're gonna get stomped.

#24 Oklahoma (-6) @ Nebraska
Pick: Nebraska +6
OU is in the death spiral already, and their O has been horrible. Nebraska's O is also abhorrent, but they've still got something to play for in the Big XII North (aka Big II aa). This is gonna be a defensive battle without much scoring, meaning you take the points. Plus, now that Ndamukong Suh has been "punished" but will be playing, the Huskers are in good shape. If there is one thing you can say for the Big XII, they certainly have the funniest driving mishaps in the country. Sergio Kindle runs into an apartment complex while "texting at around 2 AM on a Saturday" Suh goes pinball on a bunch of cars "avoiding a cat at 2:30AM on a Sunday" hilarious. Here's hoping we get a story on Zac Robinson "rear ending a guy while adjusting his radio" or something soon, cause these are great.

#16 Ohio St @ #11 Penn St (-4)
Pick: PSU -4
What can I say, I just really don't trust Pryor yet. The dude is a turnover time bomb, and Penn St has a fantastic D, giving up just over 9 points a game. Expect Evan Royster to get a lot of carries for PSU in this one, coming off of 3 straight 100 yd games (it would be 5, but he just missed with a mere 94 against E. Illinois...on 8 carries). Plus, sweatervests dont repel Zombies, if the highest paid mascot in the NCAA can make it across the field, Tressel could be in trouble.

#9 LSU @ #3 Alabama (-7.5)
Pick: LSU +7.5
That damn half point. At 7 I take Bama, most likely expecting a push. As always the oddsmakers are in my soul. I think this is gonna be a close ballgame. LSU has won 5 of the last 6 against Bama, but I don't know if Jordan Jefferson has enough firepower to get by Bama's ridiculous D. On the other side, LSU also has a fantastic D. Between the guy that should win the Heisman right now, Mark Ingram, and the ever dangerous Julio Jones, Bama's got more weapons on O than LSU and I think will end up taking a close, hard fought battle here in a game that will push them up to #2 in the country.

Navy @ #22 Notre Dame (-12)
Pick: ND -12
While ND couldn't pull off the cover last weekend, 12 is a much more manageable spread. Don't expect this to be too much of a beatdown tho. Navy will stay on the ground, burning clock, and the last thing Weis is gonna do is run the score up on a service academy. That being said, the Irish O is absurdly good, and, answering my prayers, the Cannon, Michael Floyd, will be back for limited action. Now he isn't gonna be on the field for every play, but just having #3 back out there is freaking fantastic. Sadly, Armando Allen is still banged up, and may be limited, while Trevor Robinson is definitely out. Still, ND shouldn't have trouble putting up points. On the flip side, while ND isn't gonna be mentioned w/ the Bama's of the world in terms of defense, they actually are very effective at stopping the run. While Navy's option attack can scare teams a bit since you will only see it once a year, I'd much rather know a team is gonna run it 40 times a game then have to worry about if our secondary came out after a pregame gasoline shower ready to get torched by WRs.

So there they are kids, ABC. A= Always, B= Be, C= Closing, ALWAYS be closing! Let's make some money and pick some winners this week. Go get em.

Week 9 CFB Pick Results

Well, another week, same result. It appears I'm destined to go 2-3 from here on out. Let's do this shall we?

Georgia @ #1 Florida (-14.5) (Game in Jacksonville)
Pick: UGA +14.5
Result: 41-17 Florida: Loss
Well, the Gators finally decided to put it all together. In a game that featured quite a bit of chippiness and led to some suspensions for super stud LB Brandon Spikes for a good old fashioned eye gouge, the Gators finally looked like the #1 team in all the land during this dismantling. Tebow had 2 TDs on the ground, and 2 through the air to finally look like that Heisman guy we all remember. Meanwhile, the Dawgs gave the ball away 4 times to Florida's 0...not a winning recipe.

#3 Texas (-9) @ #14 Oklahoma St.
Pick: Texas -9
Result: 41-14 Texas: Win
Another absolute beatdown. Colt McCoy only threw for 149 and 1 TD, but Zac Robinson felt like throwing to UT's players as much as Colt did with 4 picks on the day. The Horns D took back 2 of those picks for TDs and the Offense only had to not screw up to complete this beatdown. Mack Brown's complete dominance of the Cowboys (he's never lost) continues another year.

#5 USC (-3) @ #10 Oregon
Pick: USC -3
Result: 47-20 Oregon: L
I'm such a freaking pansy, I mean, I might as well be wearing a skirt while making picks. To quote Thursday: "Man, I want to pick Oregon here, I really wanna take Oregon. USC the last couple weeks has had some real close calls, their D has gotten shredded lately, and the Ducks can put up points..." Should've trusted my gut, but I'm a lil girl it appears. The Ducks flat out killed USC. The Trojans haven't had a loss this bad since 1997. It's their first double digit loss since 2001. Jeremiah Masoli showed he doesn't need LaGarrette Blount, throwing for 222 and running for another 164 w/ 2 combined TDs. His other RB, LaMichael James (seriously, Oregon...slow your roll w/ the gratuitous name prefixes) went off for another 183 and a TD. The Ducks put up 613 total yards on the Trojans...613!! Hell of a win in what some people are calling the end of an era. I wouldn't go that far yet, SC will be back, they aren't dead yet. But I'd be lying if I said I don't love seeing them get crushed. If only I had the testicular fortitude to pick it.

#22 S. Carolina @ Tennessee (-6)
Pick: UT -6
Result: 31-13 Tenn: W
Well at least the game I felt the most confident about came through for me. SCAR gave the ball away 4 times whlie Tennessee score 2 through the air and RB Montario Hardesty (the man behind the black jerseys along w/ Beastmaster Eric Berry according to ESPN) had a huge week, running for 121 and 2 TDs.

Washington St. @ #25 Notre Dame (-27.5)
Pick: ND -27.5
Result: 40-14 ND: L
Damn you Vegas...so so so close. Obviously 4 TD lines are meant to punish you, but getting so tantalizingly close just hurts. As for the game itself, it was a pretty one sided affair. Jimmy Clausen went for 268 yds and 2 TD's on 22 of 27 passing. While many, including me, probably expected better numbers, Jimmy didn't even play the full game, giving way to backups in the 2nd half after getting a lil banged up and the result no longer being in question. The Irish had a fantastically balanced attack w/ 337 through the air and a 255 on the ground thanks to Robert Hughes and all kinds of Leprecat shenanigans. The play of the day tho came at the end of the 1st half when Golden Tate felt like reminding everyone once again that he's insanely better than everyone else:

Seriously...dude's a freak.

Record this week: 2-3
Record for the year: 16-24 (.400)

But how did you kids fare?

Matt
Results this week: 3-2
Results for the year: 20-18 (.526)

Judson
Results this week: 3-2
Results for the year: 22-18 (.550)

Kristin
Results this week: 2-3
Results for the year:9-22 (.290)

David L.
Results this week: 2-3
Results for the year: 18-17 (.514)

Ryan
Results this week:2-3
Results for the year: 15-25 (.375)

Donnie B
Results this week: 2-3
Results for the year: 14-21 (.400)

2-3's abound again. Nobody was worse than that, we're slowly improving. Let's keep this trend goin kids. Til tomorrow.

Week 9 College Football Picks

To start, an apology. I blew it last week, didn't get picks up before heading up to ND. What can I say, I can give excuses like class, or my clinic case getting busy, but let's be serious, you will think I'm a failure anyway, so let's leave it at that. The Scoreboard has been updated w/ the week 6 results over on the right side. Also, NBA starts up this week. Spurs led it off with a curbstomp of the Hornets last night, and tonight they have the Bulls. Spurs issues with back to backs are well noted, but I like this matchup tonight as well. I'll have a post up on my thoughts on the Spurs and NBA as a whole at some point next week, but I want this marked down right now. DeJuan Blair is your Rookie of the Year. The dude's is an absolute freak and a black hole on the boards. Now, onto the picks

Georgia @ #1 Florida (-14.5) (Game in Jacksonville)
Pick: UGA +14.5
Ah the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, this game is on my bucket list of matchups to hit up at some point in my life. But what about this year? To start, the fact that Tebow is still in contention for the Heisman absolutely blows my mind. I mean, look at these numbers: 84 of 132, 1159 yds 8 TDs 4INTs, 466 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs...really, that's a Heisman contender? Either way, the Florida D has been fantastic all year long, but there are some issues on O, even though they've gotten by unscathed to this point. The last few weeks have been close calls for the Gators, I think this will be another one. Richt tends to do some damage in this game when you least expect it, I think we'll see it again this year. Gators probably take this one again, but I'm guessing by 7 or less.

#3 Texas (-9) @ #14 Oklahoma St.
Pick: Texas -9
Oh what this game could've been. Without Dez Bryant, I just don't think that Okie St has the firepower to keep up with the Horns. Texas finally got their offense back on track, and the Cowboys aren't exactly known for being defensive stoppers. I think UT just has the Cowboys beat at every side of the matchup and could see this being a pretty high scoring game.

#5 USC (-3) @ #10 Oregon
Pick: USC -3
Man, I want to pick Oregon here, I really wanna take Oregon. USC the last couple weeks has had some real close calls, their D has gotten shredded lately, and the Ducks can put up points. The problem with USC is they have been sneaking by each week, and I think there is just too much talent on that team for Oregon. They'v already had their mystery Pac 10 loss, and as much as I want to pick the Ducks, I gotta go with the smart pick to try and save my brutal record.

#22 S. Carolina @ Tennessee (-6)
Pick: UT -6
Not gonna lie, when I saw this matchup I was thinkin I got my upset special now, I'm gonna get a nice line to play with, this will be great. Freakin Vegas, always inside of my soul, have UT as a 6 point favorite. No matter, I don't trust the OBC this year, especially having to go to Neyland. Plus, Kiffin is all pumped up cause Weezy name-checked him, that's gotta be worth at least 3 points.

Washington St. @ #25 Notre Dame (-27.5)
Pick: ND -27.5
So ND, a team that since week 1 has had every game come down to the last drive, finds itself back in the top 25 as a 4 TD favorite. Why would I possibly pick the Cardiac Catholics to cover 28? Well, in part, I'm a huge homer. The other reason? Wazzu is terrible, 1-6 on the year, and they give up points by the boatload. Not only that, but ND's offense was not fantastic last week, and they will be looking to come back strong and put up points. Look for Golden Tate to have yet another 100+yard game and Clausen go for probably over 400yds. Hopefully I'll be able to sit back and enjoy an Irish game as opposed to wondering if my blood pressure is higher than the attendance at the stadium.

So there they are kids, go to work.

Week 7 College Football Picks

Sorry I didn't get a results post up this week. It's a combo of lawyering, bloodlust for Southern Cal consuming me, and not being good at blogging. My bad, the scoreboard will be updated shortly so you can see where you stand. You may also note that there will be a bit of a shakeup. I'm pushing scores that only have 2 weeks or less worth of picks to the bottom, cause it throws things off, just roll with it. If you are one of those people, come back, make picks, and you will be returned to where your win % dictates. After a largely pedestrian slate last week, this week is an absolutely stacked slate, w/ plenty of heated rivalry fun. Let's do the damn thing:

Arkansas @ #1 Florida (-24.5)
Pick: Arkansas +24.5
I think we all agree that Florida is the better team here: consensus #1, the Messiah Rhinoceros at QB, quarkbacks running 4.0s everywhere, Brandon Spikes ready to murder at any point, the whole 9. But Arkansas brings one of the top offenses in the country to Gainsville this weekend. Ryan Mallet, along with being able to throw a full keg through the goalposts from the 50 on one knee (just ask any Michigan fan), has shown that he has a full handle on the offense, coming in just under 1500yds on the year with a 13:3 TD to pick ratio. Not too shabby. Granted, Florida has only given up 32 points all year, but I think Arkansas will put some points up and at least keep this within 3 TDs.

#4 Virginia Tech(-3) @ #19 Georgia Tech
Pick: GT +3
This is one of my big upset picks for the week (I bet you can't guess the other one w/o scrolling down). VT is wayyyy to high up at #4 IMO. They should've lost to Nebraska, and while they did beat Miami convincingly, I think the conditions did more to shut down Jacory Harris than the Hokies did. I'm still not convinced Tyrod Taylor is any good, and Beamerball may work against regular offenses, but what about the sexy triple option? I don't think so. Plus we all know that isn't really a graft on Beamer, it's an allergic reaction, from a sting, from BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! (meme via EDSBS).

#22 South Carolina @ #2 Alabama (-17)
Pick: Bama -17
I probably would've taken Bama up to 27. Alabama in my mind SHOULD be the #1 team in all the land. They have played and killed some solid teams this year, have a ridiculously good D, and are also putting up points in bunches. The Gamecocks jaunt in the top 25 comes to an end this week, Nick Saban; Roll Tide.

#20 Oklahoma "@" #3 Texas (-3.5) (Neutral site game, Cotton Bowl, Dallas)
Pick: Texas -3.5
Oh what this game could have been if Sam Bradford didn't get broken like bigamy laws by the Mormons. While it's not the battle of unbeatens, Heisman frontrunner on the line battle we all thought it would be in the preseason, don't let OU's 2 losses make you think this isn't a huge game. The anger of UT fans about OU getting the Big XII Title and Nat'l Title shot, even after losing to the Horns by 10, has yet to subside. Throw in some good old fashioned Hatfield-McCoy style hate, a returning Bradford, and a decimated UT RB core, and you've got yourself a ballgame kids. I think the Horns have too much talent on O for the Sooners to keep up, mainly behind Sooner-killer Jordan Shipley. As an added bonus for those without a dog in the fight, this being the early game, here's a drinking game to catch you up with those at the State Fair:

• Drink every time it's mentioned Shipley and McCoy are roomates/BFFs
• Drink every time it's mentioned that Shipley and McCoy's dad's were roomates/teammates at Abilene Christian
• Drink every time you see a sign that says 45-35
• Drink every time they bring up how much Bradford and McCoy respect/admire each other
• Drink for every Heisman mention
• Divide in 2, half the people drink every time you hear Boomer Sooner, half drink twice every time you hear Texas Fight(have to make up the difference in times, just trust me, OU knows maybe 2 songs)
• Drink every time Tebow gets inexplicably brought up (o/u is 6.5)

This should help you get caught up and ready to go for the rest of the day.

#6USC (-10) @ #25 Notre Dame
Pick: ND +10
It has to be done this year. This is the best shot ND has had since 05 to beat the hated Trojans. Southern Cal is bringing true frosh Matt Barkley as their starting QB. Barkley has been a servicable QB, mostly protected by a strong run game and a conservative play call(to date: 58.9 completion %, 958 yds, 3TD, 2INT). The main story of this game will be the ND offense, primarily the 8th ranked passing attack under Jimmy Clausen, against the absurdly good D of USC this year, who has only allowed 43 points in their 5 games so far. We've all seen the dominant stats of the last two years. ND hasn't even scored a TD on the Trojans since the 06 matchup. A lot of the problem has been the Irish O-line, which left a young Clausen open to lots of punishment from whatever world class LB USC was touting that year. While SC lost a lot of talent on D this year, Taylor Mays, who may be the best D player in the country, has led an absurdly talented unit this year. This is a game of huge importance. USC needs a big win here to keep themselves in the title conversation on the weekend we will see the first BCS standings. What it means for Notre Dame though is so much more. The program is coming off 2 of the worst seasons in a long and storied history. It's been 7 years since the Irish have gotten a W over the Trojans (technically...), and the last 2 efforts have been inexcusably pathetic. Charlie Weis was given another shot, even tho many were ready to go pitchfork/torch mob after last year's SC game. If ND wants to show it still belongs in the minds of football, they have to show up this weekend and play their best game possible. Weis knows how important this game is, anywhere from 12 to 16 four and five star recruits will be guests of the Irish this weekend. A win here will likely lead to another top 5 recruiting class, and puts ND in the drivers seat for a BCS bid. But a loss...especially a blowout...well, I wont even talk about what it will mean, because it wont be pretty. Reports keep coming out that the ND players have more confidence in this game than any Weis team has ever had going into this game. They've got the offensive firepower to score at will, and see a true frosh lined up on the other side at the most important position on the field. Everything is lining up to give the Irish their best shot at a win. There's no such thing as a moral victory, BEAT SC!!


So there you have it kids, a full slate with some great matchups, do your dirty work in the comments. FUSC, never forget

Week 5 College Football pick recap

Well, I stay in the red, but I did it knowingly on two games. Hopefully you all took my advice and stayed away from my picks. Let's get to it:
#4 LSU @ #18 Georgia (-3)
Pick: LSU +3
Result: 20-13 LSU: W
This was a ugly, terrible, sloppy game for about 3.5 quarters. The end however was fannnnntastic. There are a couple of things that really jumped out in this game. 1st AJ Green is pretty much an alien cyborg from the future. Coming off a performance when he had huge catches and a rowdy FG block, AJ continued to get the job done with this amazing catch for a TD when UGA needed it most, putting the Bulldogs on top with 1:09 left.

This video brings me to my 2nd point. STOP CALLING BULLSHIT EXCESSIVE CELEBRATION PENALTIES. I'll fully admit that I love celebrations post TD. Guys like Ochocinco just make me happy. It is hard to score a TD, why not let them celebrate. Sure, you can easily go too far, and I understand why the rule is there. But what in that video deserved a 15 yard flag?!?? The SEC has since issued a mea culpa admitting that the flag shouldn't have been thrown, but it was. If a guy scores a huge TD like that to put his team in a position to upset a top 5 rival with just over a minute left in the game, he should be given some leeway. Especially when he didn't do anything!!

All that being said, that flag isn't why UGA lost. It was a terrible call and certainly hurt, but it didn't allow the big KR, and it certainly didn't miss all of these tackles:

S-E-C speed.

#7 USC (-5) @ #24 Cal
Pick: Cal +5
Result: 30-3 USC: L
Well, the Tedford collapse is officially on. This one was just a boat race from the get go. SC pretty much dominated this game from the opening whistle. Not only did they effectively move the ball, they held Javhid Best to a mere 47 yards, while Joe McKnight had a stellar 2 TD, 117 yd performance. Just a beatdown.

#8 Oklahoma (-7.5) @ #17 Miami
Pick: Miami +7.5
Result 21-20 Miami: W
Jacory Harris works when it isn't raining. While OU started this game with a pair of interceptions and a QUICK TD drive, Miami took over in the 2nd half with Harris following his early 2 picks with 3 TDs. Reports are that Bradford will try to start this Saturday to get a game under his belt before the annual showdown with Texas. The mustachioed one has played admirably in his stead, as Jones was in "game manager" mode, throwing for 188 yds and a TD on 18 of 30 passing. Not great, but not losing the game either.

#22 Michigan @ Michigan St (-3)
Pick: Mich +3
Result: 26-20 MSU (OT): L
I'm just going to quote myself from the pick page:
"I really don't get this line at all. Clearly this means MSU will win by 10 and you will all lose if you go with me, but I don't care. I know I'm walking into a trap and I'm doing it while whistling Dixie. This looks like a freaking blank check to me."

That's me, just hanging out under the red cage watching the game, not a care in the world...Stupid trap game.

Washington @ Notre Dame (-13)
Pick: ND -13
Result: 37-30 ND (OT): L
This game was so infuriating to watch. The inability of the Irish offense to score once the got in the red zone was absolutely pathetic. 30 points (in regulation) seems like a nice day...but when you have 500 FREAKING YARDS OF OFFENSE IN REGULATION HOW DO YOU NOT SCORE MORE TDS?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!? Clausen showed that there were no real lingering issues with his toe, coming out with a career day throwing for 422 yards on 23 of 31 passing, w/ 2TDs and a INT courtesy of a ball that went right through the hands of Armando Allen. Golden Tate continued to step up in the Post-Cannon era, torching UW for 244 yards, including a couple of LONG dominant catches

Golden just refuses to let the offense die if he can help it. Also, he can fly apparently:

Dude can do it all. I will fully admit to being terrified until he got up. The thought of an offense sans Floyd and Tate is not a world I want to live in. The craziest part of this game though was the double goalline stand by the Irish thanks to a roughing the snapper call after the 1st half of the stand on a FG attempt (I know, what?). I'll let the vid tell the story, a bit long, but way manly:

The takeaway is a win is a win. ND needs to step up their secondary play and RZ offense if they expect to put up a fight against USC in 2 weeks.

Result this week: 2-3
Result to date: 9-16 (.360)
Well, the winning % went up. When it goes up after a 2-3 week, you know you are bad. How'd you kids do?

Ryan:
Results this week: 2-3
Results to date: 8-17(.320)

Johnny Chan:
Results this week:2-3
Results to date: 7-18 (.280)

Kristin:
Results this week: 2-3 (yayyyyy you did it)
Results to date:2-14 (.125)

Judson:
Results this week: 4-1
Results to date:14-11 (.560)

Travis:
Results this week:3-2
Results to date:4-11 (.267)

Daniel:
Results this week: 3-2
Results to date:4-6 (.400)

Donnie B:
Results this week: 3-2
Results to date:7-13 (.350)

The Senator:
Results this week: 0-2
Results to date:0-2 (Why only pick 2 games mystery The Senator? And why make up your own lines? Come on now)

Matt:
Results this week: 3-2
Results to date: 9-14 (.360)

Better than it's been the last two weeks, we are slowly moving the right direction. Tune in next time, same bat time (tomorrow around 3ish prob) same bat channel (umm..this one).

Week 5 College Football picks

Ok kids, we've all in the last 2 weeks paid our proper tribute to the mighty Gamblor. Our abhorrent prediction streak comes to an end....now. Game on!

#4 LSU @ #18 Georgia (-3)
Pick: LSU +3
There are some bizarre lines out there this week. There is no doubting that LSU barely survived against Miss St last weekend. UGA had a nice win over ASU, mainly thanks to all-world freak WR AJ Green. He catches, he runs, he blocks field goals...the kid does everything. HOWEVAHHHHH, I just don't trust UGA. They've had too many injuries and too many close calls this year. Any team has to be concerned when they go to play between the hedges, but I'm thinking cute lil UGA (seriously, watch a Georgia game, guarantee everytime they show the Georgia mascot at least 3 girls in your earshot will go awwwwwwwww) is Tiger Bait this on Saturday.

#7 USC (-5) @ #24 Cal
Pick: Cal +5
Cal looked God awful last weekend. I mean, Oregon just absolutely curbstomped the Bears. This is part of the reason I'm taking Cal this weekend. Tedford always has him team looking like a chic pick for the title before losing a Pac 10 game in demoralizing fashion. Typically the Trojans are the man at Cal's annual guillotine lever, but the Ducks beat them to the punch. I think that Cal bounces back from a terrible week behind an angry Javhid Best who has an axe to grind after a mere 55 yards last weekend. I also just don't think USC is that good this year. Plus, USC loses a weapon in Stafon Johnson, who is still in the hospital after a terrible weight room accident. My loathing for the Trojans is well known, but I wish nothing but the best for Johnson. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery, because nobody would wish a 275 lb weight being dropped on someone's throat. Good luck man.

#8 Oklahoma (-7.5) @ #17 Miami
Pick: Miami +7.5
Home dogs are always enticing, especially more than a touchdown. If this was in the Orange Bowl I'd feel a lot better, but sadly the U no longer calls it home. Word on the street is that it looks like Sam Bradford will make his return this Saturday against the Canes. HOWEVAH, luckily I didn't finish this post before getting home, as Joe Schad just said the mustachioed Landry Jones will start for the Sooners. This doesn't mean Sam wont play, but he won't start. EDIT: I take that back, it does indeed mean he won't play, Bradford out per @twtstephens(http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college/2009/10/bradford-out-for-sooners-game-at-miami.html)Just thought I'd throw it out there. EDIT OVER With QB questionable, I've got a hard time trusting the Sooners with a dinged up QB. Further, I think Jacory Harris is freaking awesome. Sure Miami got clowned by VT last week, but I put as much of that on the team as I do the weather. Expect another bounce back here.

#22 Michigan @ Michigan St (-3)
Pick: LEAD PIPE LOCK O' THE YEAR BET THE FARM: Michigan +3
I don't know what Vegas knows that I don't. Sure, Michigan looked bad against Indiana last week...but Michigan St is a 1 win team while Michigan brings in breakout star Tate Forcier? MSU's D is fairly non-existant while Michigan has shown they have no problem putting up the points. I really don't get this line at all. Clearly this means MSU will win by 10 and you will all lose if you go with me, but I don't care. I know I'm walking into a trap and I'm doing it while whistling Dixie. This looks like a freaking blank check to me.

Washington @ Notre Dame (-13)
Pick: Notre Dame -13
This pick is made completely based on moral obligation. I do not understand this line at all. I'm not saying ND can't cover 13, I'm just trying to figure out why an unranked team missing it's best weapon on offense and ravaged by injuries throughout the offense is favored by a point more than the #4 team in the country (LSU) was when they played UW. Granted, LSU played UW at Washington, this game is at ND Stadium. And I know that ND is going to get higher lines because Vegas knows there are a lot of homerriffic idiots like me that will bet ND regardless of logic. If ND was at full strength this spread would make a lot more sense. But wow, this is high. I think ND can cover it with Armando back and a healthier Jimmy, but I certainly wouldn't advise putting your 1st born on this line.

Go get em in the comments kids, we've got nowhere to go but up.

Week 4 College pick recap...the bloodbath continues

Seriously, this is just getting embarrassing at this point. A quick tip to those of you who read this and don't make picks yet: If you would like to join in this week you are more than welcome. If you would like an easy strategy to shoot to the top of the leaderboard it appears that all you need to do is pick the opposite of me because I am currently the epitome of prognostication disaster right now. Off we go

#6 Cal (-6) @ Oregon
Pick: Cal -6
Result: 42-3 Oregon: L
Well, I'm not surprised it turned into a boatrace, I just can't believe the Ducks were the ones driving this time around. This was just an absolute beat down. Jeremiah Masoli finally got himself in the Passing TD category for Oregon, and the retro-chic Ducks held Best to a relatively human 55 yards. I'm disappointed in you Jeff Tedford, you couldn't even pretend to have a shot at getting the job done into October? Why not just wait til USC for the annual breakdown man? EXPOSED

#9 Miami (-3) @ #11 Virginia Tech
Pick: The U -3
Result: 31-7 Va Tech: L
When Frank Beamer lays his child-scaring face down to sleep at night, he probably dreams of games like this. A sloppy, rain-soaked day at Blacksburg turned into a dominant beatdown by the Hokies who controlled this game with, wait for it, D and Special Teams. I know you would never believe Va Tech relying on D and ST to win, but hey, they like to change things up every now and then. The Canes were held to only 209 yards in weather befitting their nickname, thanks in part to the fact that their stud QB Jacory Harris was surrounded all game by VT defenders. Harris was pressured, sacked, even lost a fumble in this game. The kid is still a budding star, and this shouldn't take away from that, but today, the Hokies flat out owned him.
PSUEDO EXPOSED(Bad weather and a good opponent, no shame for the Canes in losing to VT)

Texas Tech @ #17 Houston (even $)
Pick: Houston win
Result: 29-28 H-town: W
Oh Mike Leach...once again with some strange play calls late in a ball game. More importantly, Houston earned this win with a manly 95 yard TD drive to take the lead, ending with only 49 seconds on the clock. This loss kicked off all kinds of drama for Tech with some indefinite suspensions, of a team captain mind you, all thanks to my old friend Twitter (Follow me if you'd like @NDEddieMac). Dr. Saturday has a full rundown of the chicanery out in Lubbock that is worth a read. All that aside, congrats to Houston. The Coogs are on probably one of the best 2 week runs in their football programs history. Enjoy it kids, normally I'd mock a ranked team's fans charging the field for beating an unranked, but you know what? This time it felt right.
EXPOSURE

#24 Washington @ Stanford (-7)
Pick: Washington +7
Result: 34-14 Stanford: L
Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid. My first draft of the picks had me picking Stanford, part due to let down after a huge Wash W, part due to not trusting a team months removed from an 0-for year, and part gut. But I looked at the #s, remembered how Wash has looked the 2 times I had seen them play, and picked the Huskies. For this, I, and UW, were punished by the Trees. Anytime you start the game by giving up a KR for a TD, you know you are in for a long day. Stanford's Toby Gerhardt felt like putting on a show and reminding people Javhid Best isn't the only guy that can run the rock in the Pac 10 with a rowdy 200 yard game. When doing my game by game predictions, I mentioned that Stanford scared me as one of ND's potentially toughest games. Having seen how good UW can be against USC and the talent of Jake Locker, I'm concerned about this weekend too. Sometimes I really hate football.
EXPOSED

Notre Dame (-7) @ Purdue
Pick: ND -7
Result: 24-21 ND: L
Dear sweet Lord I can't do this every weekend. We knew going into the game that the Cannon (miss u) was out. We didn't know that Armando Allen (who gets credit for greatest stat screen headshot evahhhhh which sadly I can't find) was going to sit out the entire game, or how hobbled Jimmy Clausen was going to be. My thoughts on this game are pretty scrambled, and I apologize for that, but here goes. First off, tons of credit to Dayne Crist and Golden Tate. Crist came in and provided an immediate spark to the Irish offense, announcing his presence with authority on a big QB keeper where he embraced contact and pretty much owned the Purdue D. Tate meanwhile did anything and everything. It was great to see Golden back in the backfield (remember, he came in as a RB, but was moved to WR part to due depth chard imbalance, part due to the fact that he can burn) taking handoffs and making defenders miss left and right. The running game took over in the 2nd qtr and felt almost like we were back in the Land of Lou. Then there is the coaching...When is the D going to step up?? Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta were supposed to combine forces into some Wonder Twin amalgamation of Defensive genius ready to shut down all comers. Yet Purdue was able to move the ball, and their QB Elliot racked up 289 yards and 3 TDs on 22 of 38 passing. Adjustments were not made, AGAIN, and Purdue damn near stole this game away in the 2nd half. On the flip side, Purdue made some fantastic adjustments at halftime and really shut down the Irish running game. The master plan was to let Crist take over the entire 2nd half, but when it came down to it, Weis had to put Jimmy back in the game. Clausen played with a hell of a lot of heart in this game and got through some obvious pain to lead his team. Kyle Rudolph continues to show why he's the best Tight End in the country throughout this game, culminating with a picture perfect box out for the TD reception in the endzone with just under 25 seconds left. At the same time, I will fully admit, that play should have never ever happened. It absolutely blows my mind that with under 30 seconds, and the Irish rushing to the line to spike the ball on 3rd and goal (because once again ND's timeout management is downright abrasive it's so bad) that Purdue would call a timeout. This play bugged me for several reasons. First, on the Irish side, you have 30 seconds, that's plenty of time to run 2 plays. You know you are passing on 3rd down with where time is at, pick a play that is either 6 or out the back of the end zone, don't force yourself into one chance. For Purdue, I understand wanting to get your D some rest after a long drive, or make sure you have all the personnel you want...but ND is clearly trying to spike, why give the Irish 2 plays when they are trying to give one away??? Very, very strange, but I'll take it. Like my Dad always says, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Now the ugly part, result time kids:
Results this week: 1-4
Results to date: 7-13 (.350)

.600 is looking far far away, I'm just hoping to end up in the positive at this point. But hey, it's only 4 weeks in, surely this can turn around. How'd you kids do?

Matt:
Results this week: 1-4
Results to date: 6-9 (.400)

Johnny Chan:
Results this week: 1-4
Results to date:5-15 (.250)

Travis:
Results this week: 0-5
Results to date: 1-9 (.100)

Ryan:
Results this week: 0-5
Results to date: 6-14 (.300)

Daniel:
Results this week: 1-4
Results to date: 1-4 (.200)

Judson:
Results this week: 1-4
Results to date: 10-10 (.500)

Donnie B:
Results this week: 0-5
Results to date: 4-11 (.363)

David L.:
Results this week: 2-3
Results to date: 10-10 (.500)

Kristin:
Results this week: 0-5
Results to date: 0-11

Clearly you all need to stop picking what I pick. Or just pick opposite of KB, that would probably work too. Tune in tomorrow, we can't all keep sucking this bad can we?

Week 4 College Football Picks

So admittedly the last 2 weeks haven't exactly been awesome. I'm well below my goal of .600 on the year, currently sitting with a losing record. That's just not acceptable. In the immortal words of the recently dominant Floyd Mayweather "Step ya game up!" So, this week, we quit sucking and put on dominant performances. Buckle up kids, game on:

#6 California (-6) @ Oregon
Pick: Cal -6
Anytime a team has to go to Autzen to play the fashion conscious Ducks, it will give them pause. Oregon has one of the best home field advantages in all the land. However, having lost their best player to a sucker punch induced suspension, the product on the field isn't what it has been in past years. The other problem: Javhid Best. Best is one of the, if not the top RB's in the country this year. This seems to be a sexy upset pick this week, but I'm not buying. Oregon doesn't have to the personnel to slow down, or keep up with Best's scoring ability. I'm giving this one to Cal.

#9 Miami (-3) @ #11 Virginia Tech
Pick: The U -3
This is probably the most intriguing game on the slate this week. VT is coming off a huge comeback win against Nebraska, while Miami's coming off a dominant performance over Georgia Tech. You've got two exciting, yet question riddled QB's in Tyrod Taylor and Jacory Harris. Just based on this year, I'd give the edge to Jacory in this battle. His performance against FSU was flat out amazing. While Taylor made the needed plays at the end against Nebraska, I think Miami has the edge at the most important spot. I'd feel a lot better if this game was in Miami trick, but I dont think the Hokies pull it out 2 weeks in a row.

Texas Tech @ #17 Houston (even $)
Pick: Houston win
Tech put up a pretty solid performance against the Horns. Taylor Potts showed he can fill the "Nameless Yard Compiling QB X" role for Tech this year, throwing wide open quick slants like his life depended on it. Howevahhhh, Houston has already beat one high powered offense from the Big XII this year in Okie St, and the Cowboys have a better D than the Raiders. I dont know how far the Cougars can go, but I think they add another Big XII notch to their belt this weekend.

#24 Washington @ Stanford (-7)
Pick: Washington +7
Are my eyes deceiving me? UW is actually ranked? A year removed from a winless season at the hands of Radio? So this is what happens when you get a coach that spends more time on the football field than the putting green. Stanford has a talented squad this year, and Harbaugh is a great coach. But the Trees lost to Wake Forest by 7. Sure, Wake is decent, but the Huskies beat USC last week and only lost to LSU by 8. LSU and USC are both considerably better than the Demon Deacons. Jake Locker is the real deal, and I'll gladly take the 7 points. Vegas must be expecting a let down after the big win. I'm sure I should to, but I'm dumb, gimme UW.

Notre Dame (-7) @ Purdue
Pick: ND -7
Maybe I'm being a homer, but I was stunned that this line was only 7. Granted, Purdue played Oregon tough, but that is a broken Ducks team as we discussed earlier. No doubt that the Boilers can put up points, butcoming off a loss to N. Illinois (Garret Wolfe isn't there anymore kids) and letting the mighty Rockets of Toledo drop 31 on you? These don't exactly instill fear in the hearts of opponents. There are 2 main issues for the Irish. 1) How healthy is Jimmy coming off of "Turf Toe" or whatever the actual foot injury is? From all accounts, Clausen will be good to go on Saturday, anything else is merely smoke screen. Then we've got 2) the Cannonless Irish Offense. For starters, expect the running game to be utilized more than it has been in the past. Purdue let N.Ill. get 280 yards on the ground last week...280!! AA and Hughes should have more chances this week to establish a presence. The other thing to remember is that while Floyd is arguably ND's top player, the rest of the WR corps is not horrible. Golden Tate is over 300 yards on the season with over 15 YPC. The Irish are deep at receiver with Duval Kamara, Robbie Parris, and Deion Walker, reigning TE of the week Kyle Rudolph, and highly touted freshman receiver Shaq Evans ready to step up and contribute. Losing Floyd is a dagger, no doubt, but he wasn't the only arrow in ND's ball catching quiver.

Make your picks in the comments, let's see if we can't up our records shall we?

College Football Week 3 Pick Recap

Well, while it doesn't feel as demoralizing as last week, the results are gonna look pretty similar kids. What can I say, big lines will punish you when the teams dont decide to punish. Sadly my knowledge on most of these comes from quick highlights since I was at the ND game. But let's be serious, if you are really coming here for in depth analysis, well...you've got terrible terrible taste. Recap, AWAY!

Tennessee @ #1 Florida (-30)
PICK: UF -30
Result: 23-13 UF: L
Listening to people from the Florida side has been interesting since this game. You get a lot of the cliched talk of "happy to walk out with a W." Then you had the curious interview w/ Urban Meyer, claiming that Tennessee just didn't want to win on Saturday. Tebow continued to validate his hype, looking like a damn rhinoceros and simply refusing to go down. I dont know if he will ever do anything in the NFL, but damn the kid is fun to watch. Jonathan Crompton continued to suck, horribly. 11 of 19 for 93 yards and 2 picks is not going to win you games anywhere, especially in the SEC against the #1 team in all the land. Still, was definitely expecting an UGA style beatdown as opposed to a 10 point game, but hey, a win is a win, they just wanted to take it one play at a time, give a 110%, and God willing, come out with the victory.

Texas Tech @ #2 Texas (-17.5)
Pick: UT -17.5
Result: 34-24 Texas: L
Another revenge game with a big line, another loss for yours truly. Quite simply, Texas just looked sloppy. Reports after the game were that Colt McCoy was sick w/ the flu during the game. This would account for numerous un-Colt like incompletions due to bad overthrows. The gunslinger just didn't have his normal stuff. What blows my mind is looking at the stats after the game, I would've expected him to be in the 50's for completion %. Yet McCoy finished up 24-34, and both of his picks came on balls that his WRs got both hands on. Taylor Potts showed that he can easily fill the role of "Random Red Raider (alliteration bonus) QB to throw for billions of yards" while rocking a truly hilarious mustache. Quick aside, the Big XII South is absolutely killing the facial hair market right now. Between Potts, OU's backup Landry Jones, and Colt's preseason dirt strip, there is just unintentional hilarity all over the place. Back to the game, the Tech passing game was pretty fantastic all day, yet inexplicably at the end of the game, Leach decided to try the run. The Pirate King is crazy, sometimes it's a good crazy, this time it was bad.

#USC (-18.5) @ Washington:
Pick: UW +18.5
Result: 16-13 UW: W

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHA
(deep breath) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

#19 Nebraska @ #13 Virginia Tech (-5.5)
Pick: Nebraska +5.5
Result: 16-15 VT: W
Oh Nebraska, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. From all accounts, Nebraska really out played VT the entire game...up until the last drive that is. Nebraska gave up a huge 80 yard pass by Tyrod Taylor to set up a late score that ended up being the nail in the Big Red coffin. Nebraska looked good on Saturday though, especially Running Back Roy Helu Jr. who dropped 169 yards on the Hokies vaunted D. This was a tough fought game, and a bitter pill for the Huskers to follow. The bright side here is they looked good, and this isn't a conference loss. The Big XII North title is looking more and more like Nebraska's to lose. VT meanwhile gets a big out of conference win to avenge their loss to Bama and has some momentum going into their huge matchup with this year's "Are they Back??" Miami Hurricanes led by the master of awesome that is Jacory Harris.

Michigan St. @ Notre Dame (-10)
Pick: ND -10
Result: 33-30 ND: L
Dear sweet Lord. Let it never be said that being an Irish fan is boring. This game was a shootout and had tons of highlight reel moments. This game did nothing to calm the anger of ND fans toward Big TenLeven refs as for a 2nd week in a row, a touchdown was taken away from Irish. This week's was even more egregious than AA's against Michigan for 2 reasons. First, watch the play on this shot done by a fan in the stands:

Now, when you can clearly see from the stands that Cannon got not one, but two feet inbounds, it's damn near inexplicable to think that the officials there, AND on replay, could call it an incomplete pass. The worst part however, and a true dagger to my soul, is Michael Floyd broke his collar bone on this play. The rest of the day was spent with my friends and I trying to reassure ourselves that hey, people come back from this as quickly as 4 weeks (and a trip to the Backer, natch). Sadly, the news came down the next day confirming our worst fears, our Cannon had been taken from us. ND lost their best player at least until the bowl game. I know I've said it a lot on here, but I truly believe by the time all is said and done, Floyd will easily be a top 5 WR of all time at ND, and really has the possibility to be better than Rocket, Brown, and Samardzija. However, if he can't stay healthy, we may never find out. ND's defense once again gave up far too many points, but Kyle McCarthy (get some fam) stepped on Sparty's throat with an interception in the defensive red zone to secure a long awaited victory over MSU at home. It was ugly, it doesn't make anyone feel better about the rest of the year, and the Irish lost their best player, but hey, a win is a win right?

Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't post Golden Tate's chicanery. I can't condone this, and I have no idea with some of the things we were called for, how this didn't get a 15 yard Unsportsmanlike at the very least. HOWEVAH, it is also freaking awesome. ND has been missing this type of swagger for a long time. Shark had some, Tate has it in spades. Like they say, if you don't want him to dance (or superman your marching band) don't let him score. Surely you've seen it, but if not:

So how'd we do?

Result this week: 2-3
Result to date: 6-9 (.400)

Another sub .500 week, damn. At some point this has got to pick up. How'd yall do?

Ryan:
This week: 2-3
To date: 6-9 (.400)

Matt:
This week: 1-4 (only because he picked cover, spread's all we care about this year)
To date: 5-5 (.500)

Travis:
This week: 1-4
To date: 1-4 (.200)

Donnie B:
This week: 3-2
To date: 4-6 (.400)

Johnny Chan:
This week: 1-4
To date: 4-11 (.266)

David L.:
This week: 3-2
To date: 8-7 (.533)

Judson:
This week: 2-3
To date: 9-6 (.600)

This week we make our comeback kids. Tune in tomorrow, big day on the blog. We will have our normal picks made, but also a special guest host from the man behind Who Shot Mamba? (www.whoshotmamba.com) and the former YAYsports! (RIP), Brian Spaeth (@brianspaeth). Scoreboard should be right. Taker easy kids.

College Football Week 2 Recap

I'm sorry this came so late. I tried to start this post 4 other times before today. The problem is everytime I got to the last game I got furious and had to shut it down. Enough time has passed now to where I can still type while seething with anger. Plus, it's time to concentrate my hate on the next opponent. Homer amateur writers needs to move on to next games just like the players do, right? On we go, how'd we do?

#3 USC (-7) @ #8 OSU
Pick: USC -7
Result: 18-15 USC: L
This was flat out just an ugly game. For a matchup of 2 top 10 teams, I walked away from this one fairly unimpressed. USC's D (and Tressel's painfully predictable playcalling) did enough to keep Pryor and the Buckeyes in check. Meanwhile, for all the praise being heaped on Matt Barkley, let's slow down a bit. 15 of 31 for 195 yards, 0 TD, and 1 INT....really? The last drive that "Barkley led" should be credited to the ever electric Joe McKnight. SC did enough to win, but I cant say they are really striking fear in the hearts of teams around the land.

UCLA @ Tennesse (-10)
Pick: UCLA +10
Result: 19-15 UCLA: W
The closer this game got, the better I felt about it. THAT was the Jonathan Crompton we all know and love. 93 yards passing and 3 interceptions is no way to go through life son. Another sloppy game that surely has the Gators licking their chops for their chance to get Kiffykins back for all his smack this summer.

South Carolina @ #21 Georgia (-6.5)
Pick: Georgia -6.5
Result: 41-37 UGA: L
Well, I did not see this one coming. UGA got a well needed win after the OSU loss in week 1. Cant say I was expecting a shootout like this from these two teams. More losses like this and Gamecock fans may start counting down the days til they send the OBC to that big golf course in the sky.

Miss. St @ Auburn (-14)
Pick: Miss. St. +14
Result: 49-24 Auburn: L
Again, what the hell? Since when do these teams actually play offense. This is what happens when you go off knowledge based purely from the year before. So much failure.

#18 Notre Dame (-3.5) @ Michigan
Pick: ND -3.5
Result: 38-34 Michigan: L
So much anger. My gut reaction Saturday that I posted on my Tumblr still stands. For those of you that didn't see them, they were:

• Really, you throw on 2nd down when “running out the clock” allegedly?
• You get called for an unsportsmanlike for putting a single finger up to your facemask nowadays?
• You play bend dont break the entire game and let a true freshman tear you up without at any point putting a QB spy on?
• You are allegedly one of the top receivers in the country yet you have 4 HUGE drops in the 2nd half
• On a huge 3rd down you put a timing route that takes incredible practice and cohesion on a true freshman?
• You can’t make an f’ing 28 yard field goal?
• You have inside safety help covering the quick slant as a CB yet still bite on the juke and leave the WR wide open in the corner?

These all stand now. I still don't know, after watching tons of replays, why AA was called out of bounds on that TD. I dont really think there was a hold on the Rudolph big game, but it might've happened. The play-calling still absolutely infuriates me. But hey, what are you gonna do? The main point is the Defense MUST step up their game from here on out. Jon Tenuta was hired because of his innovative blitzing schemes, yet ND has been able to get pressure on QB's. THIS MUST CHANGE!! Once again, credit to Jimmy, dude had a great day: 25 of 42, 336 yards, 3 TDs and no picks...not shabby. My boy Floyd was a stud again, but went down with an injury late. All reports are he's good to go for Saturday after getting 15 stitches.

Result this week: 1-4
Result to date: 4-6

Lord Almighty that is brutal. Well now that we know I suck, how did you all do? In order of picks made.

Ryan:
This week: 1-4
To date: 4-6

Johnny Chan:
This week: 0-5
To date: 3-7

Judson:
This week: 3-2
To date: 7-3

Donnie B:
This week: 1-4
To date: 1-4

David L:
This week: 0-5
To date: 5-5 (all or nothing there, huh slick?)

The Regulators:
This week: 1-4
To date: 1-4

Kristin:
This week: 0-5
To date: 0-6

Yikes, that is an ugly, ugly week. Let's get em back next week, shall we kids? Scoreboard on the right should be updated, now with new players added. Have a good one.

College Football Week 2 Picks

So after some great games in week 1, we've got a pretty solid slate for week 2, including a huge matchup between OSU and USC. Let's get right to it, shall we?

#3 USC (-7) @ #8 OSU
Pick: USC -7
I can't believe that I'm picking USC to cover in a game where they have a freshman QB starting his 2nd game ever, in one of the most impressive home field advantage giving stadiums the country has in the Shoe. Yet at the same time, I can't believe this line isn't double digits. USC eviscerated SJSU with no remorse. Granted, yes, they are terrible. OSU on the other hand had to stop a 2 point conversion at the buzzer to squeak out a win against Navy. Now Navy is a much better 1st game opponent than SJSU, without question. However, if OSU really thinks they are National Champion caliber this year, they've got to put on a better performance than that. I'm still not sold on Terrell Pryor, and even with unproven talent, USC still gets the edge over OSU at pretty much every position. Plus, we've all seen what happens when OSU leaves their conference. This reeks of a Pete Carroll "win forever" bloodbath.

UCLA @ Tennesse (-10)
Pick: UCLA +10
Man, I know Crompton looked good week 1, but he's still Jonathan Crompton, and it was Western Kentucky. 10 Points seems like wayyyyyy too much to give to Kiffykins this early. Not only that, but for some reason I like what Neuheisel is doing out in LA. I could be way off on this game, I really don't have a great feel for either of these teams. But this 10 point line just seems like way too much to me. Take the points.

South Carolina @ #21 Georgia (-6.5)
Pick: Georgia -6.5
The OBC got himself an ugly win last Thursday to open up the football season over NCST, while Georgia suffered a tough, injury filled loss at Oklahoma St. Logic would say I should pick the Gamecocks (teehee) in this one, wouldn't it? Well, logic has no place here. Georgia's season could very well hang in the balance in this game. If the Dawgs drop a 2nd straight week, in a conference game, they could be staring down the barrel of a sub .500 season really quick. Coach Richt knows this and will have his boys fired up to play. Plus, these days it seems like Spurrier would rather be on the golf course than the field. Yah click clack.

Miss. St @ Auburn (-14)
Pick: Miss. St. +14
TAKE THE UNDER!!!!!!1111!!!111!!!! I somewhat joke, but these two gave us one of the ugliest, most unwatchable abortions of a game last year with their 3-2 tallest midget contest. That alone makes me think that 14 points is a gift, nicely wrapped with a pretty bow for all of us. Combine that with the fact that Gene Chizik, who was by all accounts God awful at Iowa St, is now coaching in the SEC? I'll gladly take the points in this one.

#18 Notre Dame (-3.5) @ Michigan
Pick: ND -3.5
While I know I'm a huge homer, when it comes to betting, I try to be as rational as possible. When talking with a friend earlier this week, I figured the line would open at like 9 or 10. The fact that it has been between 3 and 4 all week astounds me. Yes, FB James Aldridge will be missing for the Irish, but ND is plugging in brusing RB Robert Hughes. The thought of Hughes and Armando Allen in the same backfield is amazing to me. Now throw in Jimmy's near flawless performance last week tossing to Golden and Michael "The Cannon" Floyd, and this could get high scoring in a hurry. Michigan says that Forcier will be there starter this week, which is interesting as he and Clausen knew each other back in Cali, and he spent summers in the past at CW's summer camps. UM looked pretty good on O last week, and will get their points, but I think ND will take advantage of their secondary with ease and win this one by 17.

There they are kids, make your picks in the comments, remember, we are picking against the spread. If you did it last week you can see your scores in the scoreboard on the right sidebar. If you missed out, don't worry, feel free to join in this week. It's wholesome family fun. Go get em kids

Week 1 Recap

Well College Football is back boys and girls. There was some great action in week 1, we laughed, we cried, we saw why you get money/get paid when you have the chance. Miami and FSU reminded us why we loved their matchups in the 90's, and for the most part, the big boys took care of business. But how did we do?

#16 Oregon @ #14 Boise St.(-4)
Pick: Oregon +4
Result: 19-8 Boise: L
Oregon could not have looked worse in this game. An abysmal offensive showing and they lose their best player in LaGarrete Blount for the year because he felt like taking a shot at a Boise player after the game. Why did he do it? We still don't know. I've read everything from the guy was talking trash, to he called Blount the N-word. Either way, I hope that punch was worth it because it was the last thing he will do as a college player. It also might cost him Millions of dollars in the draft next year...Oops.

#20 BYU @ #3 Oklahoma (-22)
Pick: BYU +22
Result: 14-13 BYU: W
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma where your dreams are crushed in just a week. (Enjoy having that song in your head for the next 20 minutes). BYU played a hell of a ballgame, but their best play was knocking out the defending Heisman winner, Sam Bradford. Depending on the story you read, Bradford could be out anywhere from 2 weeks to the end of the year. Not only that, but Jermaine Gresham, their all world TE, who missed the game because of a knee injury, has decided to shut it down. With one loss already and his starting QB on the shelf for who knows how long, it's hard to blame Gresham for looking out for his future here. So now the Mormons push themselves into the top 10 this week (#9) with a huge road upset, and Oklahoma fans are busy canceling their hotel reservations in Pasadena. Rough, rough week Sooners.

#5 Alabama (-6.5) @ #7 VT
Pick: VT +6.5
Result: 34-24 Bama: L
Well, I had this game wrong in about every way shape or form. Honestly I didn't think more than 14 points would be scored the entire game. While Beamerball was still alive with a big KR for TD, Bama, mainly behind RB Mark Ingram's 150 yards, was too much for the Hokies in this one. Most telling stat of this game was total yards: Bama-498 VT-155. Looks like the Dark Lord Saban still has a D to be feared. Ugly week for the ACC to start.

#13 Georgia @ #9 Oklahoma St. (-5.5)
Pick: OSU -5.5
Result: 24-10 OSU: W
So I got lucky here. Within about an hour of posting my picks, I saw stories on 2 starters for OSU being out, as well as rumors that QB Zac Robinson could also miss the game. Ends up, he did play, and found his freak of a WR Dez Bryant twice in paydirt. Tough loss for Georgia is not only did they lose, but for the 2nd year in a row lose their stud LT Trinton Sturdivant to a knee tear. Last year Sturdivant got hurt before the year started, and many people believed his absence was a key factor in the disappointing year for the Dawgs. It will be interesting to see how Richt handles the loss for a 2nd year. The good news (relative good that is) is that with several injuries last year, UGA has a ton of experienced OL backups, so hopefully they can find some help there.

Nevada @ #23 Notre Dame (-14.5)
Pick: ND -14.5
Result: 35-0 ND: W
It's about time that ND came out and dominated a lowly opponent. This was a fun game kids. I really wish I could find the video of Mark May and Lou Holtz picking this game cause it gave me one of my favorite quotes of the year. To paraphrase: MM "How can you beat the Pistol offense?" Lou *bangs table* "With a Cannon!" After his 4 catch, 189 yard!!, 3 TD performance, I'm thinking that Michael Floyd should be known from now on as "The Cannon." Long time readers know of my love affair with Michael Floyd, and oh Lordy did he validate it on Saturday. For those of you who missed his straight up video game performance, enjoy:

So nasty. The last TD (at about 1:55 in the vid) was one of the more ridiculous plays I've witnessed live. Going up to get that ball was good enough, but to land, shake the defender off, and then house it? Dude's a freak.

Record this week/to date:
3-2

Not a great start, but above .500 is always good. Now, how about the rest of you:
Matt: 4-1
Johnny Chan: 3-2 (turncoat)
Ryan: 3-2
David L: 5-0 (barely got his pick change in, but it was valid, no more of that tho kids)
Judson: 4-1
Steven:3-2
Marc: 0-1
Kristin:0-1

Not a bad start. Only 2 people under .500, and they only picked 1 game. If you look in the sidebar, you should see a scoreboard which will keep a running tally throughout the year. Don't worry if you missed week 1. Feel free to join in starting this week. Expect the picks sometime tomorrow. Gotta love having college football back.

Game by Game ND Preview

So here we are, a mere two days before the season starts for the Fighting Irish. It's that glorious time of year where anything is possible, fans everywhere are convinced this is their year, slates are clean, and trash talking is at its most fervent and illogical. Here's my take on ND's season, game by game. I will try to be as logical and not homerish as possible here:

Sept05 NEVADA 3:30pm NBC
Prediction: W
People around the interwebs are doing their best Lou Holtz prediction building up the Wolfpack. Hard to blame them consider the Irish are coming off a brutal 2 year stretch, and how bad ND looked against a similar cupcake opener in SDSU last year. The changes this team has gone through in the last year however are immense. The offense has drastically evolved, and the Defensive secondary has become a strength as opposed to a typical weakness. Not only that, but while Nevada can put up points, their D is suspect and should give up plenty of points. This Nevada team lost to the Hawaii squad last year that Notre Dame eviscerated in their bowl game. Expect a big win here.

Sept12 @ Michigan 3:30pm ABC
Prediction: W
Rich Rodriguez is a good coach. Really, he is. What he did at West Virginia was amazing and given time, he will likely do well by the Wolverines. He isn't their yet though. Michigan is in a transition period which brings with it a lot of pain, heartbreak, and losses. Michigan is continuing to say they will be running out all three quarterbacks (ND fans should remember how well that experiment went 2 years ago) and lost their biggest threat in Sam McGuffie. Add on the fact that Michigan players are trying to blow the whistle on violations committed by the Coaching Staff, and you have yourself a good old fashioned clusterf-. Michigan will get back to the top, it may even be with Rodriguez, but it definitely wont happen this year.

Sept19 MICHIGAN ST. 3:30pm NBC
Prediction: W
Oh Sparty, what a tumultuous series it has been. MSU has pretty much owned Notre Dame Stadium as of late, there is no way around it. Last year MSU tore up the Irish defense thanks to Javon Ringer's 200+ yard game. However, Javon is gone and MSU is looking way down this year. Add on the fact that ND will be looking for revenge and to finally defend home field, they shouldn't overlook Sparty like they frequently seem to do on the field.

Sept26 @ Purdue 8pm ABC/ESPN
Prediction: W
In a down Big TenLeven this year, Purdue is predicted by most to be one of the worst in the conference this year. There isn't much to say, Purdue is not gonna have a good team this year. This should be a blowout.

Oct03 WASHINGTON 3:30pm NBC
Prediction: W
Once again, you are dealing with a terrible team. The addition of Steve Sarkisian as head coach provides an interesting wrinkle. Jake Locker is a stud, but he doesn't have much in the way of talent around him. Further, ND by my logic should be undefeated to this point, and the possibility of taking a perfect slate into USC will be a huge motivator.

Oct17 SOUTHERN CAL 3:30pm NBC
Prediction: L
Like I said, I'm trying to be logical and non-homerish here. If there is a year where USC can be beat, it's this year. I truly believe ND can beat USC this year, but if someone put a gun to my head, I'd probably have to pick the Trojans. HOWEVAH, USC is running out a true Freshman QB and lost a TON of talent last year. Sure, the cupboard is full of 5 stars pretty much at every position. But when was the last time a USC recruit busted? They can't all work out so well. Add in the recent loss of starting CB Shareece Wright for grades, and the Trojans are looking as vulnerable as we have ever seen them. ND will have to play clean and execute on all cylinders, and probably get some lucky bounces if they want to win, but this is the best shot ND has had in years to take down the Trojans.

Oct24 BOSTON COLLEGE 3:30pm NBC
Prediction: W
Notre Dame gave this game away last year by committing turnover after turnover. Based on talent, ND should win this game fairly handily. Coming a week after USC though, there are some interesting possibilities. Let's say ND wins this game, do you get a repeat of 1993 here ND let's down a bit after a huge upset? If they lose a heartbreaker can ND rebound to full form in a week? God forbid, what happens if USC takes ND behind the woodshed again? In a vacuum, ND wins this going away, but we don't live in a vacuum, so this could be a very telling game for the rest of the season.

Oct31 Washington St. 7:30pm NBC(San Antonio TX)
Prediction: W
Ahh the barnstorm. The Irish are inexplicably coming down to my neck of the woods for a Halloween Soire with the Cougars. Luckily for the Irish, the Cougars may very well be the worst BCS conference team in the land. This will be violent.

Nov07 NAVY 2:30pm NBC
Prediction: W
Navy finally broke the streak during the abortion that was the 2007 season. They even put up a bit of a comeback last year because ND took their starters out and their foot off the gas. However, the talent discrepancy will be too much this year for Navy to overcome.

Nov14 @ Pittsburgh TBA
Prediction: L
This game scares me. Sure it's the Wannestache, and there is no more Shady McCoy. But I don't see the Irish getting through the year with only 1 loss. This game can easily be interchanged with Stanford as the game that scares me as a loss. Late in the season, on the road, anything can happen. This game screams trap game at me, I hope I'm wrong.

Nov21 CONNECTICUT 2:30pm NBC
Prediction: W
This game however, does not scare me. Interesting enough, former ND QB Zach Fraser is now at UConn and may have a bit of an axe to grind, or at least want to prove something to his old team. Sadly for him, his team is terrible, this will be a blowout.

Nov28 @ Stanford 8pm ABC
Prediction: W
Again, this game terrifies me. The reason I think the Irish will win this game however, even on the road, is that if I'm right and ND comes in with only 1 or 2 losses, the BCS will be a genuine possibility. That carrot will be too tempting to ignore and should push the Irish to one of their best performances. Jim Harbaugh is a hell of a coach and has started to recruit some really good talent to Palo Alto. This is not the typical Stanford team you see and chalk automatically, should make a fun game.

So 10-2 is my prediction for the year. Honestly this should be an 11-1 season considering the talent we return and the weak schedule we play this year. ND needs to get back to the BCS this year. Weis is out of excuses and chances. If he doesn't get the job done this year, he is gonezo. What do yall think? Am I too much of a homer, or am I right? Let me know in the comments. And if you haven't made your picks yet, get em in down below in the last post. GO IRISH

Week 1 College Football Picks

WOOOOOOOOOOO We are back boys and girls. The glorious season of college football is upon us, so therefore it's time to do the damn thing. This little pick contest was amusing last year, so why not do it again. If you weren't around last year here's the plan, I will choose 5 games each week, and we will pick against the spread. I'll be using the lines from Centsports, my free money betting thing, which if you are interested in, let me know. We aren't gonna keep track of spread and straight up records this year, primarily because it was a huge pain and I'm fairly lazy. Feel free to explain your picks and rationalize fully in the comments, but the only picks I will be counting will be those ATS. For those who don't understand spreads, 1st, how are we friends? 2nd, the team with the -# by them is the favorite. If you pick the favorite, they have to win by more than the -#. Simple, yes? Now the 5 games each week will be a combo of the games I find to be the most interesting, the lines I find the most interesting, and the ND game because I'm a huge huge homer. There will be some games I leave off, sometimes cause I dont care, sometimes cause other games/lines interest me more. Bama VT almost got this treatment cause I wanted to pick the UF line, which at last I heard was -72. Sadly I can't find it on anywhere anymore, so oh well.

Normally these will go up on Thursdays, but one of this week's games is on Thursday, so we go a little early. Plus, I wanted a little extra time to try and get people involved because the more the merrier. Your picks only be counted if they get in before the games. Only way I know how to do it, so that's how it is, if it means you only get scored on some of the games that week, so be it. Do me a favor, get em in before Saturday, timestamp checking is lame. So, all that being said, let's go!

THURSDAY GAMES:
#16 Oregon @ #14 Boise St. (-4)
PICK: Oregon +4
No, no no no no no. I feel like this is a gift from the NCAA to knock Boise St out of "BCS Buster Cinderella" contention early. I'm tired of these mid majors. Yes it was awesome that they beat OU with chicanery in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back, yes Chris Petersen has done a hell of a job w/ the Blue Broncs, yes man writers who feel like getting cute are picking them to go undefeated. Not this year. Lagarrete Blount is an absolute beast who will tear through the Boise D, and Masoli poses a lot of threats. Not Dixon level threats, but a lot of threats all the same. Secondary prediction: This game will be unavailable in Asia because the combo of smurf turf and whatever unis Oregon wants to bust out for week 1 would undoubtedly cause an epileptic epidemic in the youngsters of the land.

SATURDAY GAMES:
#20 BYU @ #3 Oklahoma (-22)
PICK: BYU +22
This game could be a lot more interesting than Vegas is expecting. Sure Oklahoma has the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Sam Bradford, but all of his O-line friends who kept him alive last year are gone. Sure Jermaine Gresham stuck around, and they didn't have as much of a mass exodus on D as they could have, but they lost a lot of talent. I think OU wins, and I think they win by a few scores, but 22? Too high.


#5 Alabama (-6.5) @ #7 Virginia Tech
PICK: VT +6.5
Apparently I'm in the mood for dogs. This will not be an offensive slugfest, both teams tend to rely on their D and Special Teams. Bama fell apart w/ John Parker Wilson at the helm, and they don't even have him to rely on. Not only that, but Utah absolutely abused Bama's O line with Andre Smith suspended. Since the big man is gone for good, Bama is gonna have to figure out how to get back to the road grating line they had been working with. Bama will win this game, but it will be ugly and close.

#13 Georgia @ #9 Oklahoma St. (-5.5)
PICK: OSU -5.5
This to me is the most interesting game on this weekend's slate. Okie St is the chic pick to make noise this year thanks to all kinds of talent returning for Head Coach Mike Gundy. All World WR Dez Bryant is one of the best in the land and is poised for a huge year. But what will OSU do with raised expectations? On the other hand you have Georgia. The Bulldogs a year ago at this point were a preseason #1 and favorite to make the National Championship game behind 1st Rd NFL draft picks Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. However they fell flat. Coach Richt seems to be at his most dangerous though when people are overlooking his squad, which this year is safe to say everyone is. This game, hopefully, will live up to the hype and give us the best contest of the week. I think OSU wins this by 2 scores and Dez Bryant giving some columnists a new dark horse Heisman candidate.

Nevada @ #23 Notre Dame (-14.5)
PICK: ND -14.5
In the past few weeks talking with friends, fellow alums, and random interweb folk, I've heard a lot of people doing their best Lou Holtz impression on this game. Nevada could put a scare into ND, their QB Colin Kaepernick has a cannon and is a real threat. I'm tired of this talk. I'm tired of trying to psych myself out as a fan and letting the failure of the last few years taint my view point. Remember that offense in the Hawaii Bowl? That is what we should see every week this year. For those who say "oooooh Hawaiii, how scarrryyyyy" fair, go ahead. We will deal with the year as a whole later this week. But for this week's game, this Nevada team lost to that Hawaii team giving up 38 points...Sure, Nevada will get a few scores, I've seen the over/under at 61. I'd say hit it hard because ND is coming out to make a statement in this game. This offense is ready to go, and a hair over 2 TDs will be cleared in this game.

So make your picks in the comments kids. Give me thoughts on games you'd like to see in the future, mock my idiocy, praise my prognostication (alliteration baby) or just be sarcastic. Doesn't really matter to me, you cant wipe this smile off my face. College Football is BACK!!!

National Signing Day and the cult of Potential

Hey kids,
So the Super Bowl happened, it was enjoyable, but since I've barely talked about the NFL and every possible angle has been covered to death by this point I'll leave it with this: 1) Larry Fitzgerald is a freak of nature, 2) I'm glad Kurt Warner is no longer married to a battle axe, 3) 100 yard pick 6's as time runs out in the 1st half are hilariously awesome, and 4) It was a heck of a game which should've had the last play reviewed, but shouldn't be tarnished because it wasn't.

My main focus this week has been on the college football front. Yesterday was National Signing Day. For the unitiated, NSD is the first day that recruits can sign their letters of intent to play for the school of their choosing next year. While many players have already made verbal commits this doesn't matter until yesterday. I take one of many life lesson's from Alec Baldwin's GlenGarry speech that you must get them to sign on the line which is dotted. Schools have lose players on NSD every year that have said they were going to be joining their hallowed halls, just how the game works. While it is strange that people would care about where a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds decide to go to school, part of the fun of sports is the idea of potential. Now surely you have some people that don't care about scouting, recruiting, drafts, or anything except for what happens on the field(or court or diamond). Then there are others, a camp I'm in, who can take as much enjoyment from the possibility of the future as the actual events of the present.

For some reason I've always loved drafts. I think the event prompted me to reset this whole thing was the NBA draft last year. For some reason looking at young players and imaging what they could become can be as much fun as watching the process itself. Before you call me crazy, it is the offseason after all. and ND is coming off of a few bad years, so the future is the main solace I need to draw from. Plus, everyone likes to have a prediction come true, things like new recruits signing is the perfect opportunity to make bold claims about the future and then see what happens as they progress. If you've been reading since the beginning of this football season my love of Freshman WR Michael Floyd was clear throughout the year. Potential can be as much fun as actual talent. It's what makes LeBron James such an amazing figure today. To think he dropped a triple double last night with 52 points makes you think he is in the prime of his career. Then you realize he just turned 24 a few months back. As good as he is now, he has the potential to challenge to be GOAT. It's what makes Ken Griffey Jr's post Seattle years so sad to long time baseball fans who saw what the player called "The Kid" did so early and what he could have done had he stayed healthy.

Potential permeates every facet of sports and can provide a whole new way of looking at the game. The Free Darko book (which if you like basketball at all is a must, I know it's been said everywhere here on the interwebs but wow, fantastic stuff) talked about the cult of the Next. How players are predicted at a young age for what player they can be like, or better than. It just provides a new way to think about the games we love...

Anyway, after all of that talk about why I love potential, I gotta say I'm pretty pumped about the guys who committed to ND. While it hurt a lil to only get 1 DB, and the overall class ranking doesn't match last years #1 class, Weis and company were able to fill several needs and get players who could help right away, even amidst contraversy as to whether they would even be around.

The biggest moment of yesterday in my mind, and even in the minds of many who carry a torch for ND was the decision of #1 OLB Manti Te'o to come to South Bend. Manti was the #1 defensive player in the country and had narrowed his choices to ND, USC, and UCLA. Many thought (read: feared) that Manti was SC bound for a number of reasons, most importantly that his last official was to USC last weekend. However, when ESPN put him on the screen it was an ND on his hat to be replaced with a gold helmet in the near future. While you can never really guarantee a guy will be great in college, Manti is as close to a lock as you can get. He will likely get plenty of burn in his freshman year in ND's 3-4 scheme. I'm sure Jon Tenuta was unable to sleep last night just thinking of new ways to blitz him.

Manti isn't the only guy who will be able to help out his freshman year. Chris Watt is a 5 star OG who was ranked #1 in the country at his position and should compete for playing time on an OL that still had a lot of issues last year. One of the most important recruits in the class in my mind is 4 star WR Shaq Evans. Shaq was the #12 WR in the country who is 6'2 with good speed and great hands, but that isn't what makes him important. The big thing about him is that Shaq is from Inglewood CA and USC had been going after him hard. Combine that with Cierre Wood, one of the top RB's out of Oxnard CA who will have a chance to get on the field early, there are great things to picture for the future. Even coming off of a 7-6 campaign, ND was able to walk into the mouth of the beast and pull top talent out of Pete Carroll's back yard. Obviously SC isn't hurting, but ND's ability to beat them head to head for guys, along with UCLA's resurgence under Neuheisel, as well as Stanford coming out of nowhere for a top 20 class, shows that they do not get to just walk in and point at a guy and have them as their own without a fight.

Theo Riddick is another RB that has good ability and joins one of the best RB cores in the land. Besides starting a Cali stronghold, Charlie went back to his roots and got several good NJ players. One of the best is another great LB, 4 star Carlo Calabrese. Carlo is a tough guy that likes to hit people, two of the main things you look for in a LB. While there are several other great players in the class, I'm not gonna get to all of them. The last group I want to mention are the specialists. Kickers and punters rarely light a fire under anybody, but special teams has been a big issue for ND over the last few years. Why not get guys who can help you with those problems. Finally is the scholarship to long snapper Jordan Cowart. Rarely does anyone make offers to long snappers, but here are a few reasons I like the play here. 1st, Cowart and new punter Ben Turk were teammates on the defending Florida state champs. These 2 have worked together for years and Cowart hasn't botched a snap in his last 300+ attempts. ND had filled most of its needs and had scholarships available. Finally, walk ons filling the role usually get rewarded with a scholarship (think JJ Jansen), so its not like this is something unheard of. Why not fix one of the major problems your team had.

All in all I think this was a very good signing day for the Irish. Yes a few targets went the other way in the end with Jawanza Starling (awesome name) and Byron Moore, but it is better to look at the good things you have instead of what you missed out on. Looking around the country, LSU and Bama both had a fantastic close, USC lost several verbals to schools like S Carolina and Arizona State, and Alabama also featured my two favorite live commits of the day. The best one was Trent Richardson's:

That suit with the houndstooth is style I only wish I could attain some day.

So NSD2k9 is behind us now, time to start checking out the 2010 recruits. By the way, have I mentioned ND has 2 5 stars committed already. Let me know your thoughts or how your school did in the comments.