ATS Bowl Predictions 2010: Who Will Shine In Las Vegas—Utah or Boise State?

Neither Boise State, nor Utah figured to end their season playing in a lower tier bowl and it was only a handful of weeks ago that both teams were sitting atop the BCS standings with hopes of playing for a national title.

However, Boise State didn't count on Nevada's tenacity—or a kicking game gone south—and Utah could not have imagined the epic meltdown they suffered at the hands of TCU—at home.

Now both are playing in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl—far from the spotlight of the BCS—with much less on the line.

Kudos to the Vegas Bowl for sealing up such a terrific match-up this early in the bowl season, but this game certainly could not have been in the travel plans of either team's fanbase.

That said, the bigger question now is which team will be best prepared to win the game?

Boise State has two potential NFL stars in Austin Pettis and Titus Young, but the two will face one of their greatest challenges this season playing against the talented tandem of Brandon Burton and Lamar Chapman who—despite their sub-par performances against TCU and San Diego State—are potential NFL stars in their own right.

Utah's defense is often overlooked due to the aforementioned games against TCU and SDSU, where they were lit up for more than 700+ passing yards combined. However, that means little in a game where both teams should be well-rested, well-focused, and minus much fanfare.

This is a football game that should be great to watch—who will win could be anyone's guess.

The  'Lady' walked away with a 2-1 record after the weeks first slate of games. Let's see what happens this week—all lines courtesy of VegasInsider.com—as I cover games to be played 12/21-12/26.


December 21st:


Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville, Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Louisville (-2.5)

You have to love what Charlie Strong has been able to do in his first year as the Cardinal's head coach. Last season the Cards were 4-8 and sporting the 65th ranked defense in the nation. This year, they ended their campaign bowl eligible with the 15th ranked scoring defense in the country—what a difference a year makes.

The Golden Eagles sport a talented and potent offense, but the Cardinals defense can be tough to move on. This game could be very tight, but you have to love the Cards' chances to eek out a big win.

The Lady's Pick: Louisville to cover

December 22nd:

Utah Utes at Boise State, MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State (-17)

This game is tough to pick for one reason: you just don't know which version of either team will show up. Boise is always stout, but even before the loss to Nevada, they suffered through some mistake-laden football games. The same can be said of a Utah team that came up very short against both TCU and San Diego State.

That said, with Jordan Wynn out and Boise State sporting a Top 10 run defense, this is easily a game that should be won by the Broncos.

The Lady's Pick: Boise State to cover

December 23rd:

Navy vs. San Diego State, San Diego County Poinsettia Bowl:  San Diego State (-5)

This is a home game for the Aztecs and the Midshipmen aren't as impressive on the road this year. While the Aztecs aren't nearly as tough against the run as they may need to be to stop Navy from executing their gameplan, they have had several weeks to prepare—that could be the difference here.

Also worth considering, Navy will have a tough time keeping up with the Aztecs passing attack and, if San Diego can get on the board early, they may be able to sustain the advantage and walk away with a win in this one.

The Lady's Pick: San Diego State to cover

December 24th:


Hawaii vs. Tulsa, Honolulu Bowl: Hawaii (-8)

Hawaii is a tough play in their home state and this game won't provide many breaks for the Golden Hurricane's.

The Lady's Pick: Hawaii

December 26th:

Florida International vs. Toledo, Little Caesars Bowl: Toledo (-1.5)

Don't underestimate the Golden Panthers. If they can control the clock with their better than average rushing attack and keep the ball off the ground, they can win this game. Toledo relies on good line play—on both sides—to control and win but,  if the Panthers can keep it close, they have an opportunity to pull the minor upset.

If this were an outdoor game, the edge would decidedly be in the favor of Toledo. The dome of Ford Field will be the ultimate equalizer here.

The Lady's Pick: Florida International to cover

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College Football: Honestly, The Odds Are Against TCU and Boise State Playing for a Title

If both Auburn and Oregon lose, would TCU and Boise State move into the two top spots?

It's a legitimate question to ask. After all, both Auburn and Oregon are playing legitimate teams this weekend while TCU and Boise State are playing...wait, who are they playing again? Oh yeah, TCU is playing 1-10 New Mexico while Boise gets challenged by 10-1 Nevada.

Listen, there is no need to debate the merits of how worthy either TCU or Boise are where being granted a BCS National Championship berth is concerned because, well, neither of them deserve a shot at the title based on the schedules they've played—specifically when placed up against that of either Oregon or Auburn.

That said, the BCS isn't about strength of schedule—that makes only a small difference where their overall ranking is concerned—so, if Auburn and Oregon both lose, while TCU and Boise State both win out, they should, hypothetically, get the nod—right?

Well, that isn't likely going to happen and you don't have to agree with the math or pour over stats and historical precedent to see the writing on the wall as to why. Just look at the landscape of college football this season, and note the conversations—the BCS big boys never counted on either TCU or Boise State still being undefeated by this point.

Can we be honest about that much?

Seriously, Boise was "supposed" to lose to Virginia Tech to start the year. They were not supposed to win that game, playing in hostile territory, on a national stage, against a Frank Beamer-coached team—no way, no how. They caused a collective jaw-drop when they walked off Fed-Ex field victorious because the naysayers knew the consequence of such an act was another run for Boise State in 2010.

It wasn't a hard record to predict because, to be honest, watching Boise play any team in the WAC is a lot like watching a friend play NCAA 2011 on rookie mode—boring and unimpressive. They are, literally, the best team on the field every week because there isn't one team in the WAC that can hold their water bottles.

As for TCU, they kept defying the odds, too.

Some felt Oregon State might have beaten them, but the Beavers didn't seem to feel that way and, as usual, they proved to be ineffective in a big game—outside of the state of Oregon.

Then there was the game against Utah. "Oh my, TCU has NEVER won in Salt Lake City and the Utes are a very good football team". Yeah, and the powers that be were so solid in their conviction of that game that they left it off the national schedule—it wasn't even offered to 70 percent of the college football viewing public.

Honestly, it seems like the big boys aren't all that interested in letting the non-BCS schools come sit next to them at the dinner table. They want them to be content to catch whatever scraps they drop from their meal so, if either Oregon or Auburn lose their games, there is little likelihood that either TCU or Boise will have enough points to jump over them—"no one wants to see that game, so let's keep it from happening".

Of course, most of this sounds like a conspiracy theory, and there is no way to prove that any of this will actually come to fruition unless the Top 2 teams in the nation actually lose. However, consider this, Boise State opened the year ranked 3rd in the nation, yet they've never managed to get higher than that—despite annihilating every team they've played.

Even TCU has jumped them...despite the fact that the Horned Frogs barely beat San Diego State last weekend.

Is it fair? You be the judge, but it's becoming more and more obvious that there is definitely no balance and, in truth, there doesn't seem to be many people who care if it ever actually is.

College Football ATS Picks: Can South Carolina Seal The Deal Against Florida? (UPDATED WITH SCORES)

The Lady is getting tired of losing. Last week's 8-7 haul was okay, but, more will need to happen to get the site anywhere near the goal of finishing above .500 on the year.

So, no more chatter, just straight to 15 more picks—against the spread—this week. Find all lines at VegasInsider.com and, again, for clarification, these are spread picks only.

Here we go:

1. Connecticut vs. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh (-5.5)

The Huskies are undefeated at home this year but the Pitt Panthers not only come in on a three-game winning streak, but are going for their third straight over Connecticut as well.
I like the Huskies to play the Panthers close tonight.

The Lady's Pick: Connecticut to cover. 


Final: UConn 30, Pitt 28—The Lady Wins!

A close one, just as I expected, with a thrilling finish by the Huskies late in the fourth quarter. The Big East is no longer Pitt's to win—it just got interesting. 

2. Boise State at Idaho: Boise State (-34.5)

It's Boise. They've been bored all season playing the mediocre talent of the WAC and the Idaho Vandals will offer them no respite from that trend.

The Lady's Pick: Boise to cover.

Final: Boise 52, Idaho 14—The Lady Wins! 

Boise State beat up on another under-manned opponent. Yawn. 

3. West Virginia vs. Cincinnati: West Virginia (-7)

The Bearcats lost Zach Collaros to a leg injury a couple weeks back, but he is set to return this week against the Mountaineers. Cincy's offense is far more productive and dangerous with Collaros at the helm and the Mountaineers have struggled to find their footing the last two weeks.

The Lady's Pick: Cincinnati to cover. 

Final:West Virginia 47, Cincinnati 10—The Lady Loses

Wow, way to NOT show up Cincy. Geez—miss Brian Kelly and Mardy Gilyard much?


4. Auburn vs. Georgia: Auburn (-8)

More than a clinch of the SEC West is at stake for the Tigers in this one. Georgia currently holds a four-game win streak over the Tigers as well. Add to that, an angry Cam Newton, and you have an Auburn team that looks set to rout the Bulldogs on Saturday.

That said, Georgia is playing for every bit as much as the Tigers. They want to end the season on the upswing and what better way to do so than to beat the No. 2 team in the country—at home?

Georgia has a good defense, some solid playmakers, and a golden opportunity. Expect them to be in this one til the bitter end.

The Lady's Pick: Georgia to cover. 

Final: Auburn 49, Georgia 31—The Lady Loses

It looked promising for Georgia, early, but the Newton train proved too much to contain in the end. Now the Bulldogs will have to scare up win number 6 in their final game of the season—can they handle the pressure?

5. Florida vs. South Carolina: Florida (-6.5)

Okay, so the Gators are feeling groovy after two straight wins and, despite their three-game losing streak, they still have a shot at the SEC East title if they win—at The Swamp—this weekend.
Steve Spurrier's group has had their ups and downs this season with big program wins over Alabama and Georgia, but heartbreaking losses to Auburn and Arkansas. However, they can sweep all that under the rug if they can upend Urban Meyer's team.

Expect the Gamecocks to make a game of this one.

The Lady's Pick: South Carolina to cover. 

Final: South Carolina 36, Florida 14—The Lady Wins!

This was kind of like watching a horror film. I didn't want to see a good outcome for either team, but settled on Spurrier because he was the lesser of two evils. Still, it was great to see Chris Rainey be rendered a non-factor.

6. Alabama vs. Mississippi State: Alabama (-14.5)

Mississippi State lacks a lot in the offense department. Chris Relf isn't a very good quarterback and Vick Ballard has had good games against midling run defenses. The Bulldogs are where they are in large part because of their defense—period. So, a hat tip to their defensive coordinator, former Middle Tennessee head coach, Manny Diaz is in order.

That said, don't look for Alabama to run all over MSU this weekend. They have struggled mightily against physical front sevens and the talent in the secondary can be opportunistic when they are on their game.

14.5 points is too much to give to an Alabama team that has not shown much dominance this year.

The Lady's Pick: Mississippi State to cover. 

Final: Alabama 30, Mississippi State 10—The Lady Loses. 

Now the Tide play like winners. Hope they have a plan for Auburn next week—personally I hope they decimate Cam Newton and ram road the heck out of Nick Fairley.

7. Iowa State at Colorado: Iowa State (-2.5)

This is a tricky one because Colorado has been every bit the atrocious team we thought they would be to start the season—culminating in their embarrassing loss to Kansas last week. By contrast, the Cyclones beat Texas and have an under-rated leader in quarterback, Austen Arnaud.

So, the Cyclones should easily cover that 2.5, right? Wrong.

This is exactly the sort of game that just screams for big performances out of the Colorado players who just saw their coach get fired and want to save face. Plus, to be clear, Iowa State is not as good as their win over Texas seemed to allude.

The Lady's Pick: Colorado

Final: Colorado 34, Iowa State 14 —The Lady Wins

Ah yes, the coach gets fired and the Buffs play one of their best games of the season—who could have imagined that?...oh yeah—ME. 

8. Notre Dame vs. Utah: Utah (-5.5)

The Irish are just trying to get out of the season and into full recruiting mode. They lost their top quarterback for the season and don't seem to have much life left.

Plus, Utah is mad as a hornet after being trounced by the Horned Frogs last week. They're looking to do some trouncing of their own on a bruised and battered Irish team.

The Lady's Pick: Utah

Final: Notre Dame 28, Utah 3—The Lady Loses 

Ouch, TCU took Utah's pride AND their will to live. 

9. North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech (-3.5)

The Hokies have gotten back on the winning track in a big way since losing to James Madison in week two—rattling off seven straight wins.

Butch Davis' Tarheels have rebounded well, too, playing themselves into bowl eligibility after many left them for dad following an agent scandal that, all but, decimated their defense. Can they keep up with Tyrod Taylor and upset the Hokies this weekend?

The last loss the Tarheels suffered was at the hands of Miami—Virginia Tech has a much more balanced team.

The Lady's Pick: Virginia Tech. 

Final: Virginia Tech 26, UNC 10—The Lady Wins!


Oh those Heels' sure made a game of it for a little bit, but Virginia Tech woke up and remembered they still had plenty to play for and closed this one out before it got too out of hand.

10. Purdue vs. Michigan: Michigan (-13)

Michigan's defense is terrible and no one can feel confident that Denard Robinson is capable of finishing any game in which he takes a big hit. That said, Purdue has a halfway decent defense—despite their record—and they are playing at home.

For some reason, I like the Boilermakers chances to make a game of it on Saturday.

The Lady's Pick: Purdue

Final: Michigan 27, Purdue 16—The Lady Wins!


All I can say is, whew.

The Lady's Luck Picks:

11. Kentucky (-14) vs. Vanderbilt

Final: Kentucky 38, Vanderbilt 20—The Lady Wins!

12. Colorado State (+6.5) vs BYU

Final: BYU 49, Colorado State 10—The Lady Loses. 

13. Penn State (+18) at Ohio State

Final: Ohio State 38, Penn State 14—The Lady Loses.

14. Illinois (-21) vs Minnesota

Final: Minnesota 38, Illinois 34—The Lady Loses.

15. Kansas State (-13) at Missouri 

Final: Missouri 28, Kansas State 38—The Lady Wins! 

Final tally: 8-7...just great *sarcasm*

Boise State Can't Catch A Break: Virginia Tech Loses to I-AA Opponent James Madison

On September 6th, the match-up between the Boise State Broncos and the Virginia Tech Hokies was being billed as one of the premier games of the season.

Both teams were ranked in the Top 10, Boise at No. 3, and Virginia Tech was considered be just the quality opponent Boise needed to spruce up its BCS resume.

The game ended with Boise victorious, and the media frenzy around their legitimacy began to kick into high gear. This game was supposed to be proof to the nation that Boise State was not just some small conference school from the WAC, but a legitimate player in the BCS—it proved, once and for all, that the Broncos were "for real".

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the BCS party, that big win over Virginia Tech in week one started to accumulate question marks. As predicted, the requisite doubts about the quality of the Virginia Tech team Boise State played began to come into question.

Was Virginia Tech they really that good? Should they honestly have been ranked in the Top 10? The Hokies made a nice comeback, but their overall play wasn't really all that impressive—was it? Wasn't this just a case of the Broncos taking advantage of a team that should have been considered in rebuild mode?

If you are a Boise State fan, all of the above probably sounded like more excuses.  Just a few more justifications for why a BCS team didn't perform, and why Boise State will never be good enough to be considered a major player.

Heck, even Nick Saban (Alabama's head coach), went on his radio show to talk about how a team should be judged by their body of work, not just a couple big games here and there—tsk, tsk, tsk.

The debate rages on about Boise's legitimacy but one question has been answered in a fairly resounding way about the opponent they faced September 6th— in Virginia Tech—and that answer is they simply aren't very good.

As a follow-up to their last second loss to Boise in week one, the Hokies went out and laid an egg against James Madison—in Blacksburg! James Madison, in case you don't know, is a I-AA team. They play in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and they ended last season with a 6-5 record.

Virginia Tech scored 16-points against them on Saturday (wrap your head around that for a moment). Tyrod Taylor and company couldn't manage more than 16-points against a Division I-AA team, at home, just one week removed from playing one of the biggest games of the season—pathetic.

People can call it a letdown for a team that was still smarting over such a disappointing loss to Boise, on such a major stage.  Fine, we can buy that for a dollar and a nice pair of BCS boxers but, in the end, it's all BS because what viewers will see is an overrated Virginia Tech team that was prematurely billed as a quality opponent.

How will this affect the Boise State BCS train? Hard to say, but it doesn't look good right now.

Here's a look at the catastrophe that was Virginia Tech in week two—does this look like a Top 10 team to you?

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Boise State Would Contend For An SEC Championship?...Andrea Adelson, Surely You Jest

Andrea, Andrea, Andrea. It's not enough that you had the idiotic gall to rank the Georgia Bulldogs No. 64 in a recent preseason poll, but you are still finding ways to take pot shots at the Bulldogs now that the idiots over at E$PN have seen fit to give you a job—when will you ever learn.

Yesterday, Chris Low was paired up against Andrea Adelson in a blogger debate (h/t Get The Picture). The question was whether or not a one-loss SEC team would get the nod over an undefeated Boise State team for a shot at the BCS national title and would Boise State be able to survive an SEC schedule? 

Chris Low, of course, said that a one-loss SEC team would be more worthy of a title shot than an undefeated Boise State—no question. Furthermore, Boise State would find it very difficult to go undefeated on a yearly basis if they had to contend with the SEC's schedule.

No argument from me there.

Well, proving once again that you simply cannot fix stupid, Ms. Adelson had this to say:

"And which of these mighty SEC teams would take down Boise State? Georgia? Tennessee? Ole Miss? Mississippi State? The Broncos would be favored against every SEC team this year except two. This is nothing against the SEC. I think it is the best conference in the country. But to say Boise State would be in over its head in the league is a specious argument. The Broncos are proven winners and would absolutely be contenders for an SEC championship. "

Excuse my french for just a second, but...the HELL you say?

Let's forget for a moment that Boise State has yet to beat an SEC opponent. Let's not even discuss that fact—yet. No, no...let's focus in on this little gem again: "And which of these mighty SEC teams would take down Boise State? Georgia?"...tell me she didn't go there!

If memory serves, and mine is pretty dang good, Georgia played Boise State in 2005—and DEMOLISHED them 48-13. Sure, that was a different coach, a different team, and a different time for Boise State, but to insinuate that in the past four years Boise has become exponentially better than Georgia just because you are an obvious Gator homer is beyond ridiculous—it's ludicrous.

Boise is a WAC team in a WAC conference. They have played four SEC opponents in their history and lost all four times. It doesn't matter how good their smoke screen is right now, the fact remains that they haven't done well, overall, against the SEC, the Pac-10, the Big Ten, or the ACC—all of which receive automatic bids from the BCS sooooooo...you do the math.

Now, the entry yesterday may have attempted to offer a more balanced approach to Boise's situation in the BCS but, rest assured, this author is not yet ready to sip the kool-aid.

"Contenders for an SEC Championship"? Ay, yi, yi...wake me when the stupidity is over.

Virginia Tech vs Boise State: Frank Beamer Is In An Unenviable Position

Here are the three indisputable facts about the Boise State Broncos:

1) They have one of the best records in college football over the last four years.
2) They have beaten BCS competition.
3) They play in the WAC—for now.

That last fact is the one that raises the ire of most every college football fan who detests the endless hype Boise State has received—since stunning the Sooners in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. That infamous "Statue of Liberty" play, executed perfectly by former Broncos signal-caller, Jared Zabranski, both announced Boise's arrival to the rest of the college football world and began the conversation that continues to intrigue us all today—"is Boise really that good"?

The fact that the question continues to exist and pose heated debates among fans and experts alike, nearly five years later, has made it difficult for Chris Petersen's program to receive the two things they are certain they deserve the most—respect and a shot at the BCS Championship.

You see, in 2006, it was okay that Boise won a lot of games and dethroned the big bad Sooners—it was a Cinderella story and every dog is entitled to its day. But, now that they've stuck around long past midnight, long enough to make a fuss about not having a shot at a national title, all anyone wants them to do is go away.

They are supposed to go back to being the "little school" in the "soft conference". The message from the peanut gallery it loud and clear: We don't want you here at the big boy table.

The oft heard refrain has become: "If they played (insert your automatic-qualifying BCS school here) schedule, then they wouldn't go undefeated every year".

However, we all forget that college football left the door open for teams like Boise State, and their "soft" schedules when they decided, in 2004, to omit 'strength of schedule' as a factor in determining the BCS standings—it's merely a consideration now.

With that fact in mind, Boise State has only done what they were supposed to do—play the schedule they have in front of them, and beat every team on it. The WAC may not be a powerhouse conference but that's hardly Boise's problem—is it? Even more, is the schedule they play soft because the opposition is so bad or because Boise is so good?

Think about it, objectively for a moment, why hasn't any other team in the WAC been as consistently good as Boise State has? Fresno State and Nevada have both had opportunities to come out on top—why haven't they?

Admittedly, the latter is a debatable point because there are so many factors to consider—recruiting, coaching, out-of-conference (OOC) schedule, etc. However, when you consider the fact that Boise has beaten Oklahoma, Oregon (twice), TCU, and Utah in the last four-years while Fresno and Nevada have fallen short when given their shot to shine, you have to give a little credit to the Broncos.

Boise has, consistently, shown up when given the opportunity. So, again, what's the problem? Why the outcry of "they're not worthy"...an outcry that this author has, at times, screamed quite loudly as well?

For one, the fans of college football still consider the difficulty of the schedule when assessing Boise as a contender. They simply do not respect the fact that the Broncos play cupcakes all season—no way around that fact.

Secondly, the arrogance of the fan who has a team in one of the BCS "power" conferences immediately cries foul at the fact that their school's road is so tough while the Broncos, seemingly, skate through theirs—remember that refrain mentioned above?

Whether or not 'strength of schedule' is a factor, perception is still reality for the everyday college football fan. They don't give a hoot about Boise getting respect because, in their minds, they haven't earned it yet.

That said, even if Boise defeats a legitimate power, the natural inclination will be to belittle Boise and make excuses for the other team—several examples follow.

Against Oklahoma in 2006, the excuse was Stoops' teams always choke when the opposing team has time to prepare. People referred to the Sooners as "Choklahoma" and pointed to the loss as yet another example of an overvalued team getting their jocks handed to them—Boise didn't win, the Sooners were just overrated.

When Boise beat Oregon last season, it was, "Yeah, but if they played Oregon later in the year, that game would have been different"...uh-huh, well, they played them in August—what can they do about that?

Again, Boise didn't win, the Ducks just weren't ready to play yet.

Their win against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl prompted more excuses: "So what? TCU didn't get stomped or anything. The game was won by the Broncos because TCU's offense stunk"—Boise didn't win, TCU lost.

Excuses, excuses.

So, here we sit, eight-months later, still talking about how good the Boise State Broncos aren't, how they do not deserve to be ranked in the Top 5, and how Virginia Tech will prove all of this on September 6th when the two teams meet—poor Frank Beamer.

This game was just supposed to be the one that replaced their home-and-home series with Syracuse. However, what it has transformed into is a lose-lose for the Hokies.

If Frank Beamer's team wins the game, the Boise naysayers will rejoice and say, "see, we told you". If they lose, the Boise State "we deserve a shot" train continues—with nothing to stand in its way.

In either case, the Hokies are shouldering a monumental burden because the media and the fans have made this game into an epic event—for both teams. 

In truth, however, this is just a game between two teams in the Top 10. Nothing is guaranteed–despite what anyone tries to tell you. Boise State could win this game, run the table, and still not get their shot. Or they could win and be upset later—it doesn't matter—that's why they play the games.

As for Frank Beamer, no coach in college football wants to be in his shoes right now. Win or lose, the rest of his teams' season will be judged according to what they do in this game. The kicker is, his team has question marks coming into this match-up too, they have some holes to fill too—there is a reason the Broncos are favored to win.

One thing is for sure, if the Broncos win this game, in convincing fashion, the rest of the season will be a calling card to the BCS...sponsored by 'No More Excuses'.

College Football: The Mountain West Wants R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Will They Ever Get It?

The Mountain West Conference (MWC), the oft mentioned but frequently disrespected conference in the FBS, has finally gone off the deep end in it's search for that elusive Automatic Qualifying (AQ) bid from the BCS powers that be—good luck with that if this turns out to be your method of getting there.

According to a recent report, offered via College Football Talk, the MWC and Conference-USA (C-USA) are in the very early stages of a discussion that would pit the MWC Champion against the C-USA Champion in a "play-in" game. The winner would be awarded an AQ bid by the BCS.

Okay, first of all, in what universe would a play-in game versus a C-USA opponent be an attractive package for the BCS?...Seriously?

The recent successes of East Carolina and Houston aside, the overall success of C-USA against current opponents that fall under the AQ umbrella is not impressive—at all. As a matter of fact, the conference as a whole sports a losing percentage against the Big XII (0.383), the ACC (0.377), the SEC (0.334), the Big Ten (0.209), and the Pac-10 (0.322). Shoot, they even have a poor winning percentage against the MWC (0.400).

*scratching my head*

Explain to me again how this  idea would be attractive to the BCS?

C-USA might house some great offensive powerhouses in Tulsa, Rice, Houston, and Memphis, but they are far from ready to compete with some of the bigger and better programs of the Big Ten and the SEC—that's laughable.

Admittedly, these discussions are in their infancy and neither side is ready to confidently go forth and present this option to anyone with the power to change things, but the mere fact that this step is being talked about at all puts a glaring spotlight on how badly the MWC is trying to gain legitimacy—they are tired of being the have-nots of college football.

I can't say that I blame them, the Boise State Broncos have gotten more respect as one team in a remarkably unchallenging conference than BYU or TCU have gotten playing in the MWC.

Boise State may have the more attractive record over the last 6-years (bolstered in large part by a 31-1 conference record), including BCS wins over Oklahoma and TCU, but their conference schedule continues to be a joke and their undefeated record at the end of the year seldom houses a quality win over a quality opponent. They play just as many pansies in their OOC match-ups as they do in their own conference—yet they are rewarded for it time and again.

Consider this, the Broncos, under Chris Petersen, are 4-1 against BCS teams that play in a conference with an AQ bid. Those four wins came against Oregon (2-0), Oregon State (1-0), and Oklahoma (1-0). BYU, in that same span of time, is 7-5 against BCS teams with an AQ bid. Their seven wins came against Oregon (1-0), Oregon State (1-0), Oklahoma (1-0), UCLA (2-1), Washington (1-0) and Arizona (1-2)—three of the five losses were against the ACC.

TCU has fared even better, going 7-2 against AQ opponents—including wins over Stanford, Texas Tech, and Clemson. 

Last I checked, Boise State hasn't played the ACC, under Chris Petersen, yet. For that matter, they haven't played a team from the SEC or the Big Ten either—just saying.


Oh, I know...no one wants to play Boise because they're scared they'll get pummelled.  Uh huh, okay. I really wish people would stop making Boise sound so much better than they are because it's getting old.


A large part of the reason why no one wants to play Boise is because they aren't interested in doing a home-and-home series with them. Texas, Florida, USC, Ohio State, etc., don't need to dole out more money in travel than they will get in gate and concession receipts for going out to Idaho to play in a stadium that maxes out at 32,000—gimme a break.

Boise isn't scary, they are unreasonable and seem to forget they play in the WAC.

They play one relevant game a season and the media wants to anoint them as better than the other 119 Division-I teams that play in the FBS—it's pathetic and, personally, I'm tired of it.

Yet, I digress.

The MWC has been crapped on for years now, despite the success of BYU, Utah, and TCU and they are tired of it. Unfortunately for them, they are barking up the wrong tree with this idea as it will amount to a whole lot of nothing if they ever do bring it to the table.

Karl Benson Calls Nevada and Fresno State "Selfish", Then Says "Pay Up"

Karl Benson, speaking to members of the media via teleconference on Thursday morning (11:30 MST), said that the "selfish" actions of both Nevada and Fresno State have put the WAC conference in an inconvenient position and he expects them to pay for their transgressions.

Okay, it didn't happen exactly like that, but that's pretty close to how things went down.

Benson was not happy that the other big names in his, suddenly, even more irrelevant conference—remember Boise State has already defected to the MWC as well—decided to jump ship without so much as a heads-up.

So, what's next for the WAC? Well, according to Benson, his conference will look at both FCS and FBS schools—UC Davis, Cal Poly, and Sacramento State have all been targeted as "potential candidates". According to Benson, any one of those schools "have components that would allow them to make the move if they decided". 

At the moment, though, everything is speculative as it was clear from his comments that he was not prepared for the exodus. He stated, "the other six WAC board members were under the belief that the action taken by the eight schools last Friday indicated a willingness to move this forward knowing the potential outcome would have included BYU and would have stabilized the WAC. On Friday, there was expressed solidarity and four days later there was a departure."

Obviously, Benson lives in la-la land. The demise of the WAC began when Boise State, their most prominent member, decided to move on to the greener pastures of the MWC. That was his first sign that the conference was about to undergo some major changes—he should have known from that point that anything was possible.

The fact that he could be blindsided means that he may have placed a little too much faith in the words of some of the conference's members. After all, in college football, money talks—the WAC isn't offering much in the way of the dollar for schools with bigger aspirations.

Furthermore, once Boise flexed their BCS muscle, it became clear that they had outgrown the friendly (schedule) confines of the WAC—although I'm not sure if they made the right choice by leaving—and they used their current national popularity to gain a spot in a more high-profile conference.

Both Nevada and Fresno State obviously feel that traveling on the coattails of Boise makes them more attractive—especially if you consider Fresno's willingness to play anybody, anytime, anywhere. Shoot,  if the Bulldogs actually start winning a few of those big-time OOC games, they could usurp the Broncos at some point.

In case you didn't know, the Broncos athletic director and president have bought into the idea that they are too good to keep playing one-and-done games with teams—they want the respect of return engagements or else they won't entertain the idea of scheduling a BCS caliber team at all—excuse me, must laugh for a moment—I guess if you keep hearing the chant "they're all scared of you" long enough, you actually start to believe it.

Just a little sample of what the Boise State president, Bob Kustra had to say:

"We're doing a study of non-conference scheduling in Division I football. There is a fairly compelling case to be made that the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-10 over the years have controlled the scheduling. All the large conferences ... What Gene will tell you, there's an overwhelming number of home games for the big guys but no home-and-home. We've been able to get a home-and-home with Oregon and Oregon State. We want to propose to the NCAA a mandated home-and-home scheduling arrangement for I-A non-conference football games. Why should Boise State go to Georgia, but more than likely they're not going to return it?" (special shout to Get The Picture  for link)

Whatever, Boise.

Get a bigger stadium, sell out more than two home games a season (seating capacity is 32,000) and offer a pot that is worth it to a big school who is likely to spend more to come play you, than they will actually make, then complain about not getting any respect.

Anyway... back to Benson.

He's not going to let Nevada or Fresno get away with their defection without facing a stiff penalty. He expects both teams to play out the 2011 season, since they failed to honor the July 1st deadline for notifying the conference of their intent to leave, as well as pay the $5 million penalty for choosing to depart—a check to the conference is expected to be in the mail within 60 days.

Said Benson, "I wish at this time that I would have made it ( the penalty) $20 million."

Poor, Karl. He's, seemingly, fighting a losing battle and, unfortunately for him, there is little hope that anyone will actually give a darn what happens to the WAC at this point. However, on another note, the University of Hawaii's chances of reaching nine wins just increased substantially—for 2011.

Time to bring back the Haka dance, Warriors. You just reclaimed your spot as the most important program in the WAC:



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• Karl Benson's Tiny Universe Gets Smaller (everydayshouldbesaturday.com)
• WAC commish calls latest departures 'selfish' (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Western Athletic Conference ready to take hard line against Fresno State, Nevada (sports.espn.go.com)

BYU Football Is No Longer Content With A BCS Window Seat

Multiple reports are suggesting that the BYU football program might be ready to take a Notre Dame approach to getting their shot at a BCS berth.

Late yesterday evening, Colorado State University's football department tweeted the following:

@CSUFootball: BYU and ESPN to hold join (sic) news conference Thursday morning to discuss BYU going independent from the MWC conference. Possible 2011 football. 

 That tweet was followed by this:

@CSUFootbal: Schedule could include Notre Dame, Navy, Army, Utah in addition to already schedules games versus Texas Oregon State Utah State.

The information came as a surprise to Mountain West Conference (MWC) football fans who felt that the move by Boise State to the MWC in 2011 would be a boon for their conference—despite the loss of Utah to the Pac-10.

However, that obviously wasn't the case for BYU who felt jilted during realignment talk and now wishes to take the future of the football program into their own hands.

Currently, Notre Dame is the highest profile team with Independent status and the FBS has a deal with them that if they finish in the Top 10, they will receive an automatic BCS berth. BYU is hopeful that they can wrap up a similar deal and avoid the pitfalls of being mired in a conference which does not guarantee an automatic bid.

If this decision by BYU does turn out to be legitimate, it will definitely change the rules a little bit for some of the other teams in the league.

For one, the MWC suddenly goes from being a conference with some legitimate power—in TCU, BYU, and incoming Boise State—to one that isn't nearly as interesting—to advertisers or fans. I mean, honestly, the TCU/Boise match-up looks intriguing the first year or two, but those teams will only face each other once (possibly) and the rest of the league isn't nearly as competitive.

Secondly, the MWC would have looked a lot more attractive with Utah, BYU, TCU, and Boise State in the mix. All four teams are consistently looked upon as potential BCS busters and the attention their play might have attracted on a national level could have eventually led to some consideration of receiving an automatic bid—particularly if the OOC schedules were up to par.

Lastly, what will it mean for Boise if BYU exits? They made the decision to move to the MWC in order to gain a little more respect for their program—as their WAC schedule wasn't getting much. Now they have essentially traded their WAC colors for a MWC schedule that looks eerily similar—offering only TCU as any real competition.

Is that what they bargained for when they signed on?...Doubtful.

At any rate, you cannot blame BYU for getting tired of watching the opportunities pass them by. Utah received a Pac-10 nod over them and that had to sting quite a bit. Furthermore, despite their tougher OOC schedule and slightly more challenging conference slate (compared to Boise), they still aren't gaining any ground with voters or viewers—Boise appears to be the chosen one at present.

The Cougars may or may not jump ship, this could all be a wild goose chase—especially considering the CSU Football account has curiously rid their timeline of the tweet that started it all—but if it's not, then BYU finally has done, alone, what they couldn't seem to do once this off-season...become relevant.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sources: BYU closing in on football independence, joining WAC for other sports (sports.espn.go.com)

College Football Preview: TCU, Cincinnati, and Northwestern Are On "Upset Alert" in Week One

The college football season is just around the bend now and we are all steadily watching the injury reports and scrimmage outcomes as we get ever-so-close to snap one of the NCAA football season.

Even more, if you are anything like me, you are taking a closer look at the match-ups taking place in week one and wondering who might be caught sleeping a little while still basking in the glow of their preseason hype.

In 2009, it was Oregon. So enthralled were they with the accolades and the prognosticators who thought they would be a potential sleeper pick for the BCS title, they forgot to show up against a very hungry Boise State team with a lot to prove and one very huge chip on their shoulder. The result, a loss for those Ducks and a permanent place in history for one Oregon player who couldn't keep his hands to himself.

So, who should be very careful tip-toeing into week one of 2010:


1. TCU vs Oregon State (TCU -12.5)

The Horned Frogs are eager to right the wrong that was their loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl last season. They came in with just as much pomp and circumstance as those Broncos from Idaho, but failed to deliver on the goods as they walked away with a bitter loss.

2010 promises a new look to their defense, minus Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes, but the corps of their offense and plenty of talent on the defense still remains. That said, they will be looking to run over and place a firm set of handcuffs on the Mountain West again this year in hopes of gaining another shot at BCS glory.

However, they would do well not to overlook the under-appreciated and under stated talent of the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers were one win away from making a Rose Bowl appearance in 2009 and played very well against the Pac-10 last season.

They have a solid offensive line, two phenomenal talents in both Jacquizz and James Rodgers, and a chip that sits similar to the one that Boise came in with against Oregon last season. If the Beavers can find an adequate replacement for QB, Sean Canfield, this game could be a lot more interesting than many think.

2. Cincinnati at Fresno State (No Line Yet)

Despite the fact the Bearcats lost Tony Pike (QB) and Mardy Gilyard (WR) to the NFL Draft and their former head coach, Brian Kelly, to Notre Dame, people still seem to feel they will be the team to beat in the Big East this season.

The Bearcats have options at quarterback, most notably QB Zach Collaros who fared well in relief of Tony Pike last season. Even more, the receiving corps, even minus the talented Gilyard, has just as much promise with Armon Binns leading the way and former USC recruit, Vidal Hazelton, finally able to contribute as well.

Plus, there is plenty of reason to feel that Butch Jones, who replaced Brian Kelly when he moved on from Central Michigan as well, will do a more than capable job of replacing him at Cincy too—at least that's the thinking.

No matter what the Bearcat hopeful are shooting for this season, the fact remains that they are still questionable on defense and apt to give up more points than you'd like to see on any given Saturday—a weakness that shone most brightly near the tail end of the year.

Fresno State gave the Bearcats all they could handle last season in a 28-20 loss in Cincy, look for the Bulldogs to come out firing on all cylinders in this rematch as they try and avenge that bitter loss on their home turf—minus the stellar running of Ryan Matthews but with the, hopefully, much improved arm of Ryan Colburn.

3. Northwestern at Vanderbilt (Northwestern -3.5)

The Wildcats lost a significant portion of their offense with the departures of QB Mike Kafka as well as their two leading receivers, Andrew Brewer and Zeke Markhausen. Even still, they return the bulk of their offensive line so new QB, Dan Persa, will have a firm foundation as far as that is concerned.

Their defense will be solid up front, despite the loss of Corey Wooton, but their secondary will need an overhaul after losing all three starters.

Vanderbilt may seem like a relative throw-away opponent for the Wildcats who are much more steady in several key areas than the Commodores who will not only be breaking in a new head coach, but are also shaky on the offensive line—at best.

So, how could this game possibly be an "upset special"...well, no one thought Northwestern should have lost to either Syracuse or Minnesota either. The Commodores may have plenty holes to fill but their fiery new coach will have them more prepared for this game than any other this season and that makes this a dangerous proposition for the Wildcats.

Memorial Day Charcoal: Links To Get You Cookin'

The Georgia Bulldogs Softball team will take on the Washington Huskies tonight as the Women's College World Series opens up in Oklahoma City. The game will air at 9:30 PM (EST) on ESPN2. Good luck to the team as it tries to continue it's hot streak against the nation's No. 1 team.


The Sporting News released it's preseason Top 100 on last week and the Georgia Bulldogs football team came in at No. 27. 


The NCAA is closer to announcing the findings of their investigation against the Southern California football and basketball teams. I'll believe it when I see it and I cannot believe that it has taken this long in the first place—ridiculous.

This writer feels that the SEC needs to beef up it's non-conference schedule. I agree but the SEC isn't the only conference with a cupcake addiction so, perhaps, he needs to give this advice to the Pac-10, Big 12, and Big Ten as well—just a suggestion.  


The president of Boise State University takes issue with the athletics over academics model that seems to be creeping into the college football philosophy. He feels that there is too much emphasis on the player and not the student and that is a problem. I see his point but, at the same time, when a player signs on with a big-time program as a highly-touted recruit, he is well aware of the perils of such a decision. Scrutiny will be a part of that equation and, it's possible, that his Boise, ID residency doesn't give him the proper perspective. He may dislike the emphasis on the "student" part of "student-athlete" but schools don't sign players just for their book smarts—they are trying to win football games. 


Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to honor the great veterans and current soldiers who fight and risk their lives to keep us all free. Thank you to all the servicemen and women who sacrifice so much for us on a daily basis—among that group, I can count a member of our very own family who serves proudly in the USMC.  Happy Memorial Day!