NCAA Football

[BullNBear52]

She's a golf widow. Just stays home and handicaps nascar and Football picks all day long.

[Stocks4John]

Cuz you gave me the picks before you left. ;0

[NovoMira]

How come "we" did so much better while I was on vacation?

Hmmmmmmm?

Didn't have access to a computer so who made the picks?

[NovoMira]

Shhhhhhhhhhh. LOL

[SSKILLZ1]

The Standings (After 29 Games)

Assuming I didn't make an error here, these are the standings after 29 games.

			 
 	Name		Total Points	 
 1	DFFHOGS		40	 
 2	NOVO/STOCKS	40	 
 3	BEIGLEDOG		39	 
 4	OLD DRUMMERMAN	37	 
 5	STOCKMASTERJGY	37	 
 6	CWS9		36	 
 7	ROACH4091		36	 
 8	UTILITYMAN	36	 
 9	WONDERBUY		36	 
 10	CAPGAIN		35 
 11	Mr. Bojangles2525	35 
 12	OLDSAILOR		35 
 13	ROMEX2462		35 
 14	FLAFLYERSFAN	34 
 15	JERRY12302	34 
 16	MLK		34 
 17	MSGI		33 
 18	SPCALK		33 
 19	CHIEF		32 
 20	JACKSON42		32 
 21	MISSY		32 
 22	UKIE		32 
 23	CAPTAIN AMERICA	31 
 24	HOHOHOKIEHUMBUG	31 
 25	TAVYCAL		31 
 26	GCHC		30 
 27	SSKILLZ1		30 
 28	W0OD		30 
 29	BLACKCAT		29 
 30	PORTWOOD215	29 
 31	BULLNBEAR52	28 
 32	KWs Fund		28 
 33	REDFISHER		28 
 34	Docfager		27 
 35	LAWRENZO		27 
 36	PELAGICMARINER	26 
 37	26 TIME CHAMPIONS	24 
 38	PHISHERMAN	24 
 39	MIKE T		22 
 40	CREEKJUMPER	19 
 41	VEXARI		19 
 42	BENZDEALEROR2	17	

[Wildbilly]

I sucked on this one. Tried too many longshots.

[SSKILLZ1]

The Standings (After 28 Games)

Assuming I didn't make an error here, these are the standings after 28 games.

			 
 	Name		Total Points	 
 1	DFFHOGS		39	 
 2	NOVO/STOCKS	39	 
 3	BEIGLEDOG		38	 
 4	OLD DRUMMERMAN	37	 
 5	CWS9		36	 
 6	STOCKMASTERJGY	36	 
 7	UTILITYMAN	36	 
 8	CAPGAIN		35	 
 9	Mr. Bojangles2525	35	 
 10	ROACH4091		35 
 11	WONDERBUY		35 
 12	JERRY12302	34 
 13	MLK		34 
 14	OLDSAILOR		34 
 15	ROMEX2462		34 
 16	FLAFLYERSFAN	33 
 17	MISSY		32 
 18	MSGI		32 
 19	SPCALK		32 
 20	CHIEF		31 
 21	HOHOHOKIEHUMBUG	31 
 22	JACKSON42		31 
 23	TAVYCAL		31 
 24	UKIE		31 
 25	CAPTAIN AMERICA	30 
 26	GCHC		29 
 27	PORTWOOD215	29 
 28	SSKILLZ1		29 
 29	W0OD		29 
 30	BLACKCAT		28 
 31	BULLNBEAR52	28 
 32	KWs Fund		27 
 33	LAWRENZO		27 
 34	REDFISHER		27 
 35	Docfager		26 
 36	PELAGICMARINER	26 
 37	PHISHERMAN	24 
 38	26 TIME CHAMPIONS	23 
 39	MIKE T		21 
 40	CREEKJUMPER	19 
 41	VEXARI		18 
 42	BENZDEALEROR2	16	

[ukie]

What bettors need to know: Ball State at Rutgers
By JUSTIN BANKS | January 3, 2008 | 2 comments
Ball State at Rutgers (-10 ½, 61)

Teel time

Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel won’t need to fabricate any enthusiasm for playing in Saturday’s International Bowl.

“This will probably be the healthiest I've been since the second game of the year,” Teel told reporters. “I'm excited at the opportunity.”

Teel injured his throwing hand in the first month of the campaign and spent the next two months struggling to restore the strength in his arm.

“There were times I did nothing because I couldn't,” Teel told reporters. “Obviously it affects anyone, even the best quarterbacks in the NFL, to not get the reps. You get the mental reps because you see it, but that's not the same as going out there and going through it. You need to see everything, you need to get your checks, get guys in the right spots at the right times.”

Rutgers, though, isn’t scoffing at Saturday’s meeting with the Ball State Cardinals.

“All the stuff about, 'We could be here, we should be there,' it is what it is,” Teel continued. “It's a great opportunity for me to have a chance to play healthy again, and it gives us the opportunity to get all the young guys an extra 15 or so practices so they can really elevate themselves and really learn the game.”

Teel finished the regular season with 2,844 passing yards with 17 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.

Britt hurting

Rutgers standout receiver Kenny Britt had his knee scoped at the end of the regular season after injuring it against Louisville.

Britt is probable for the International Bowl.

Doctors initially told Rutgers that it could be without Britt versus Ball State. However, the star receiver said he has healed ahead of schedule.

“I was walking a week before I was supposed to walk and running a week before I was supposed to run,” Britt told the Newark Star-Ledger.

Rutgers quarterback Teel is especially interested in Britt’s status for Saturday.

“I thought he ran around pretty well,” Teel told reporters. “He did more than I thought he would. He's a pretty quick healer.”

Britt accumulated more than 1,100 receiving yards this season. He also led the Scarlet Knights with seven touchdown receptions.

Rizzi sighting

Scarlet Knights associate head coach Darren Rizzi, who recently accepted the head coaching position at Rhode Island, will remain with Rutgers through Saturday.

Head coach Greg Schiano thinks Rizzi’s participation is important for the Scarlet Knights’ bowl preparation.

“He’s still working really hard with the special teams and defense as well,” Schiano told reporters.

Under coach Rizzi, the Scarlet Knights defense blossomed. Last season Rutgers finished fourth in total defense and fifth in tackles for a loss and sacks.

“I am very happy for Darren and his family,” Schiano continued. “He has done a great job here at Rutgers and I know that he will do a great job as the head football coach at the University of Rhode Island. We will miss him but are very happy for him and his family.”

Cardinals fly North

Ball State will play its first bowl game in 11 years on Saturday.

Cardinals safety Eddie Burk, though, is treating the International Bowl like a BCS Championship.

“It will be exciting to go to a bowl, and finding out we play Rutgers makes me even more excited to win the game,” Ball State safety Eddie Burk told the Indiana Star-Press. “We're not just going to be satisfied to go to the game. We're going to Toronto to win. It's going to be fun.”

Ball State head coach Brady Hoke thinks his team can compete with the experienced Scarlet Knights.

“It will be interesting to see how these guys respond,” Hoke said. “I like where their attitude has been, and I like how they feel about having the opportunity to play. Their demeanor will be based on my demeanor.”

Ball State, 7-5 straight up (SU) and 7-4 against the spread (ATS), put together its first successful season since finishing 8-4 SU in 1996.

[ukie]

International Bowl preview: Ball State vs Rutgers
By JON CAMPBELL | December 14, 2007 | 16 comments
International Bowl
Who: Ball State (7-5) vs. Rutgers (7-5)
When: Jan. 5, 2008
Where: Rogers Center, Toronto, Ontario
Line: Rutgers -10, O/U 59 ½

In the world of college football, one thing is inevitable when you overachieve: other programs are going to start taking a good look at hiring your coach.

Such is the case with both the Ball State Cardinals and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who have been hearing rumors about their coaches leaving ever since the regular season ended. The two 7-5 teams will meet in the second annual International Bowl in Toronto on Jan. 5.

Ball State is playing in its first bowl game in 11 years, one of the goals of the program when head coach Brady Hoke signed on five years ago. For Rutgers, it’s more about consistency. Head coach Greg Schiano has the Scarlet Knights headed to their third straight bowl game, a big step for a program that went a hapless 1-5 in Big East play just three seasons ago.

As of early December, both coaches had denied they were going anywhere and until that changes, their focus will be on the trip north in January.

Rutgers is favored by 10 points and it’s not much of a surprise considering Ball State is 0-3 against teams from BCS conferences this season. However, Ball State managed to cover the spread in two of those games and its most memorable game of the year might just be a 41-40 loss in Lincoln against Nebraska. The Cardinals were underdogs of 24 ½ points in that late September game in which Nebraska needed a late touchdown to pull out the win.

The Huskers couldn’t find a way to slow BSU’s pass-happy offense when Nate Davis threw for 422 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Dante Love reeled in 214 yards and one TD in that game and the Cards showed why they are the No. 21-ranked passing offense in the country.

Love finished the season at No. 8 in the country with 1,226 receiving yards overall, but he might just be facing his toughest test of the campaign in January. Rutgers owns the No. 2 defense against the pass this season, allowing a mere 160.6 yards per game. The Knights have been even stingier over their past three games when they allowed just 150 passing yards per game.

The offense is the real strength of Rutgers though, which ranked 26th in the nation in yards per game with 437.2. The Knights were held to fewer than 20 points just twice all season – in back-to-back losses to Connecticut and West Virginia – and what makes them so hard to defend is their balance.

Running back Ray Rice has been one of the most overlooked players in the nation for the past two seasons. He ranks No. 3 in the country in rushing and has seven more yards and five more touchdowns than Heisman Trophy finalist Darren McFadden.

Rice plows through defenses and can turn on the jets when needed and he helps set up a dangerous passing game led by quarterback Mike Teel. Teel finished second in the Big East with 2,844 yards passing this season and he was helped out by the No. 2 and 3 leading receivers in the Big East, Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood.

What might just give Ball State a chance to compete with Rutgers’ potent attack is a ball-hungry defense that has 18 interceptions this season. Those picks helped the Cardinals finish third in the country in turnover margin behind only Florida Atlantic and Kansas.

Rutgers and Ball State have faced one common opponent this season and both came away with a victory. The Cardinals beat Navy in overtime on Sept. 15, 34-31 while the Scarlet Knights pummeled the Midshipmen the week before 41-24.

[Stocks4John]

Novo PMs me the picks once in awhile so I can post them.

[Stocks4John]

Shhhhhhhhhhhh..........LOL

[Tavycal]

Bull I think your giving John to much credit. Novo is making all the calls. LOL

[BullNBear52]

I'm starting to see a pattern here. You kept the scoring on Nascar and you finished 3rd. Here you're scoring and you're second.

Time for an audit. lol.

[BullNBear52]

lol.

[Stocks4John]

Good luck!!

[ukie]

Keys to the crown: Top Ohio State-LSU betting stats
By TIM ROBERTS - Writer January 2, 2008 5 comments

It’s days away, but college football’s title game has already garnered a lot of betting action.

Here are some numbers to consider before the Ohio State Buckeyes meet the LSU Tigers on Monday night:

.333 – LSU posted only a .333 payday winning percentage when favored by less than two touchdowns this year, going 2-4-1 against the spread (ATS) in such a role.

The Tigers smoked Virginia Tech in Week 2 as an 11-point home favorite before dropping paydays in all three October games as an 8- to 10 ½-point favorite in each.

Bettors who nabbed LSU -6 ½ when it visited Alabama barely squeaked out an ATS win before the Bayou Bengals finished their season with unconvincing performances against Arkansas and Tennessee.

.667 – Ohio State has been a bettor’s best friend for years, posting a .667 payday winning percentage since 2004. Buckeyes backers have profited in each of the last four seasons as OSU went 32-16 ATS during that run.

Ohio State was 7-4 ATS this season, a record that could have easily been 9-2 ATS if OSU hadn’t taken its foot off the gas against both Minnesota and Michigan State. (Guess who was on the Buckeyes on both games?)

1 – Once. That’s how many times the Buckeyes had been underdogs over the last three seasons before Monday’s game.

Ohio State was as a 3-point underdog at Texas in Week 2 of the 2006 campaign. Head coach Jim Tressel’s boys reiterated their No. 1 status with a 24-7 win and oddsmakers had favored them ever since … ‘til now.

4 – Continuing with reasons why bettors love OSU, the Buckeyes have won (and covered the spread) in four of their last five bowl games.

The school’s sole postseason setback during that run came in last year’s title game against Florida. Prior to that loss, however, Ohio State was on a 4-0 ATS run in bowl games that included a trio of straight-up (SU) wins as an underdog.

7 – All seven of the Tigers’ final regular season games played over the total, leading to an overall 9-4 over-under (O/U) record for LSU. The trend came to a stop when Tennessee and the Tigers played a low-scoring affair in Atlanta for the conference crown.

LSU’s boosted offensive production was highly publicized (the Tigers scored 40.4 points per contest during the seven-game over streak). The fact that the Tigers conceded 33.2 points per game to their six SEC opponents during that run was not. Even subtracting points scored by opponents in overtime, LSU let every SEC opponent down the stretch score at least 24 points in regulation time.

16 – The Fighting Tigers have met 20 non-conference schools over the last five seasons and covered the spread against 16 of them. That’s an awesome ATS winning percentage of .800, slightly above LSU’s .750 ATS success rate against non-SEC foes this year.

LSU beat Virginia Tech by 41 points in its most-watched non-conference game of 2007. The other three came against much smaller schools and the Tigers were favored by at least 35 points in each of those games.

Their only failure to cover the spread in a non-conference game occurred in the Louisiana Superdome, where Monday’s title game takes place. LSU was a 40 ½-point favorite over Tulane in Week 5; the otherwise convincing 34-9 final score wasn’t enough to satisfy Bengals backers.

57.6 – Speaking of bettors, 57.6 percent of Wagerline.com users liked LSU minus the points as of Wednesday afternoon. That percentage reflects the tastes of more than 3,800 bettors who wagered on spreads between 3 ½ and 5 points.

That majority is slightly higher than the 56.5 percent of Wagerline.com users who preferred the over for Monday night’s title game.

Maybe you don’t like to follow the pack, maybe you do. As for me, I’ll paraphrase Anchorman womanizer Brian Fantana in saying “I’ve studied Wagerline.com, you know – 50 percent of the time, it works every time.”

91 – Ohio State led the nation in total defense, allowing opponents only 225.3 yards of total offense per game. Nowhere was the Buckeyes’ defensive dominance more visible than at the Big House for the season finale against Michigan. OSU allowed the Wolverines to compile only 91 total yards.

Maybe Michigan’s offensive stars weren’t quite at full health. Maybe the ugly weather clamped down on the scoring. Make any excuse you want, I defy anyone to say that 91-yard total isn’t impressive.

180.5 – Lest bettors think OSU is the only team capable of strong defensive performances, LSU topped the country in total defense against non-conference opponents. The Tigers allowed them only 180.5 yards per game.

Holding Middle Tennessee State to 90 yards of total offense might draw yawns from some bettors. The fact that LSU limited Virginia Tech to 149 total yards and a sole touchdown is downright sassy.

[SSKILLZ1]

The Standings (After 27 Games)

Assuming I didn't make an error here, these are the standings after 27 games.

			 
 	Name		Total Points	 
 1	DFFHOGS		38	 
 2	NOVO/STOCKS	38	 
 3	BEIGLEDOG		37	 
 4	OLD DRUMMERMAN	36	 
 5	CWS9		35	 
 6	STOCKMASTERJGY	35	 
 7	UTILITYMAN	35	 
 8	CAPGAIN		34	 
 9	Mr. Bojangles2525	34	 
 10	ROACH4091		34 
 11	ROMEX2462		34 
 12	WONDERBUY		34 
 13	JERRY12302	33 
 14	MLK		33 
 15	OLDSAILOR		33 
 16	FLAFLYERSFAN	32 
 17	MISSY		31 
 18	MSGI		31 
 19	SPCALK		31 
 20	CHIEF		30 
 21	HOHOHOKIEHUMBUG	30 
 22	JACKSON42		30 
 23	TAVYCAL		30 
 24	UKIE		30 
 25	CAPTAIN AMERICA	29 
 26	GCHC		28 
 27	PORTWOOD215	28 
 28	SSKILLZ1		28 
 29	W0OD		28 
 30	BLACKCAT		27 
 31	BULLNBEAR52	27 
 32	LAWRENZO		27 
 33	KWs Fund		26 
 34	REDFISHER		26 
 35	Docfager		25 
 36	PELAGICMARINER	25 
 37	PHISHERMAN	23 
 38	26 TIME CHAMPIONS	22 
 39	MIKE T		20 
 40	CREEKJUMPER	18 
 41	VEXARI		17 
 42	BENZDEALEROR2	15	

[dffhogs]

Looks like its down to the tie breaker. 48 points and over, I win. 47 points and under, Novo wins.

[Hokie]

Not to mention they got out "Beamer-balled" too....

[BullNBear52]

That is terrible. Talk about throwing the game away. Hokies would have been better to let their defense play both ways.

The takeaways led to 17 Kansas points, including Aqib Talib's 60-yard return for the game's first score. He was chosen the game's most valuable player.

[BullNBear52]

I've lost 1,2,3,and 4 gear and am now running in reverse.

[Hokie]

Beamer needs to keep Tyrod on da bench!

[Hokie]

yeah!...GO HOKIES!

[Seminole Red]

didnt bother FLUTIE!!!

[Stocks4John]

All of this doesn't sound good for Novo/Stocks. :((

[ukie]

Reesing may lack height, but he's in the Orange Bowl
By ASSOCIATED PRESS | January 2, 2008 | 0 comments
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- So how tall is Todd Reesing, this kid who was supposed to be too short to play quarterback?

''Tall enough to get us into a BCS bowl,'' said Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warinner, adding after a pause, ''He's 5-10ish.''

Maybe Reesing is actually 5-9. Or perhaps he's 5-9 1/2, or 5-10 1/2. Or maybe he really is exactly 2 inches shy of a 6-footer, which is what Kansas has said every time that question has been asked about its exceptional sophomore.

Aside from forcing Warinner to burn midnight oil devising ways to get Reesing around a forest of towering linemen, the quarterback's height should not matter any more.

With quick feet, quick thinking and a big dose of daring, he was good enough to set 20 school records and slingshot the Jayhawks into the Orange Bowl.

He and his teammates will face Virginia Tech on Thursday night in Kansas' first appearance in a major bowl in 39 years.

''(His height) doesn't seem to be a problem,'' Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. ''I think the stats speak for themselves.''

After wresting the starting job away from the 6-3 incumbent, Reesing burst into the big time more unexpectedly than even his team, which had been picked fourth in the Big 12 North.

Oddsmakers have listed Kansas as 3 1/2-point underdogs and the total is set at 53.

In his first start as a college quarterback, he threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns. In the second, he threw for 257 and two. In the third, 313 and four. In the fourth, 368 and one.

By then, it was October and he still hadn't thrown an interception. People were starting to get the idea that this team and its quarterback might not be so ordinary after all.

Still unranked despite a 4-0 record, Kansas went to Kansas State for its first road game. It hadn't won there since 1989 and the Wildcats were ranked No. 24. But Reesing threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns and the Jayhawks emerged with a 30-24 victory in what may have been the breakthrough game they'd sought for years.

''After that game, our confidence rose a lot, being able to win on the road against a good team in a stadium we hadn't been very good in,'' Reesing said. ''That game was definitely the catapult to get the season going in the right direction for us.''

With Reesing at the helm, the Jayhawks come into the Orange Bowl with the second-highest scoring average (44.33) and sixth-highest total offense (491.08 yards) in the nation.

He most certainly didn't do it all on his own. But without him, his teammates would never have achieved a school-record 11 wins.

''They know every time he walks out there with them, there's a chance to score, and they believe it,'' Warinner said. ''He believes it. And that's half the battle.''

A big part of the other half is getting Reesing free of those big, tall linemen. No matter how hard he concentrates, it's awfully tough at 5-10 to peer over people who are 6-4, particularly when they're sticking their arms up to block the view.

''Most people talk about windows in the secondary. We talk about windows in the D-line,'' Warinner said. ''So he's fitting the ball through windows in the D-line.

''You'll see him sliding around in the pocket, and he's just finding his throwing lanes. Big guys push the pocket, hands up, he moves around.''

Reesing's darting around and throwing on the run might make some coaches wince, but the Jayhawks have adjusted and are thriving.

''You'll see him moving around back there a little bit, which unsettles some people coaching quarterbacks,'' Warinner said. ''They don't like their quarterbacks floating. But he's doing it to find his throw lane. We move the pocket. Play-action to move where the launch point is in the pocket to give him different angles to see around.''

Of course, all the scheming in the world would be meaningless without Reesing's ability to get the job done.

''He just knows how to play the game and where to fit the ball,'' Warinner said.

A fierce dislike of failure helps, too.

''I don't want to lose at anything I do,'' he said. ''That's what drives me. One thing that I have never been really good at is video games. I don't beat a lot of people at video games, so I just don't play them. Because I can't stand losing to them.''

[ukie]

Glennon's response to demotion enhanced his status as a leader
By ASSOCIATED PRESS | January 2, 2008 | 0 comments
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The demotion hit Sean Glennon like a raging linebacker, and the explanation that it wasn't his fault hardly seemed to lessen the anguish.

After 15 games as the starting quarterback at Virginia Tech, he was being benched, replaced by a raw but gifted freshman whose mobility made him better suited to help the Hokies mask offensive line deficiencies caused by injuries and inexperience.

''You'd think that he had lost his best friend,'' wide receiver Eddie Royal, a teammate since high school, said of Glennon's reaction. ''He was that down. It was hard to talk to him. His whole world had just changed around, and he wasn't ready for it.''

The news came on a Monday, two days after Virginia Tech's embarrassing 48-7 loss at LSU, and it took Glennon a few days to finally hear what people were telling him. Stay ready. We need you. You will get another chance. Be prepared when it comes.

And when it came, on Oct. 13 against Duke, he was more than ready, beginning a turnaround that culminated last month with an MVP Award-winning performance in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship that only enhanced Glennon's role as a leader.

''It was surreal, really,'' Glennon said of winning the award, earned when he threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns as the Hokies beat Boston College 30-16.

''If you would have told me 2 1/2 months ago that I would be standing up on that podium getting an MVP trophy, I probably wouldn't have believed you. To bounce back from a rough patch in my career and finish it strong, it meant a lot to me,'' he said.

It also seemed strangely appropriate that Glennon got the feel-good ending.

Oddsmakers have listed the Hokies as 3 1/2-point favorites for the Orange Bowl and the total is set at 53.

As a well-spoken quarterback and a high school classmate of two of the victims of the shootings that left 32 dead and dozens more wounded on campus on April 16, Glennon became a spokesman of sorts for the Hokies and their role in the healing.

He was also, coach Frank Beamer has said, a guy who craved the opportunity to be a major college quarterback, who worked tirelessly to correct his deficiencies and who relished the thought of helping lead the community back from its darkest days.

He did, too, just not the way he'd drawn it up in his mind.

When Tyrod Taylor injured his ankle in the first half against Duke, it was Glennon's time, and he led three consecutive touchdown drives to build a 34-7 halftime lead. He kept the job while Taylor healed, and was playing so well that when Taylor was ready to return, Glennon became the dominant side of a two-quarterback system.

''I think Sean Glennon taught us,'' offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring said. ''He went back out there and had the opportunity to play, to start, to get back on the field. I think he had fun. He enjoyed the moment, enjoyed the opportunity.

''We have a tendency to forget that this is a game. It's meant to have fun.''

By example, Beamer said, Glennon also taught the team about perseverence.

''Your actions, for most people, speak a lot louder than words and I think his actions - how he performed when he got another opportunity and the team needed him - speaks volumes,'' Beamer said Wednesday before the team's final walkthrough. ''Within the football team, I think the whole team got a new sense of respect for him, too.''

It's a comeback story the team has enjoyed watching unfold.

''To see him grow, and to see how many people were on his back, and to see him continue to work and see him continue to fight, that's a really good thing. That's a blessing,'' wide receiver Justin Harper said. ''He really has God on his side.''

The offensive line, once held up as the reason for the demotion, is now operating at full strength, and glad to see Glennon taking advantage of his second chance.

''He'd been through a whole lot this season, taking a lot of criticism, having to give the reins up to a true freshman,'' left tackle Duane Brown said.

''He was upset about it for a couple of days, got over it, told himself next time he gets an opportunity he was going to make the most of it and that's what he did.''

Glennon appreciates the good wishes, and is again relishing his role.

''If you asked me would I want to go back and do the season over again, the answer is 'no.' I wouldn't change it for anything,'' he said this week. ''It was a learning experience, a bump in the road, but I've come back strong because of it.''

[ukie]

Kansas offense, Virginia Tech defense is intriguing matchup
By ASSOCIATED PRESS | January 2, 2008 | 0 comments
MIAMI -- When Mark Mangino went to Kansas, he knew changing a woebegone program into a winner would be a major challenge.

He also knew similar turnarounds had been accomplished before.

The one Frank Beamer started a decade earlier at Virginia Tech, for example.

So Mangino modeled large chunks of his Jayhawks' regime after things Beamer did with the Hokies, like trying to be complete in all three aspects of the game, not just offense or defense or special teams.

Those parallels will be on display Thursday night, when No. 8 Kansas (11-1) - perhaps the biggest surprise in college football this season - makes its first Orange Bowl appearance in 39 years against the fifth-ranked Hokies (11-2), champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

''When I first arrived at Kansas, it was disappointing,'' said Mangino, who was 25-35 in his first five Kansas seasons before this year's big turnaround earned him the AP Coach of the Year honors. ''There were days that I was frustrated and said this ought to be better. The University of Kansas deserves better than this in their football program.''

An Orange Bowl trip certainly qualifies as something better, especially for a Kansas team that didn't even head to a postseason game last year.

''You know, they're for real,'' Beamer said.

Oddsmakers have listed the Jayhawks as 3 1/2-point underdogs and the total is set at 53.

When the Hokies and Jayhawks talk about the stakes attached to this game, they say the same thing - that even without a national championship on the line, this is the biggest game either program has played in a long, long time.

They might be right.

For Virginia Tech, this is about history, getting to the 12-win mark for the first time and giving fans one more reason to cheer a year that will be remembered as the one following the April 16 on-campus massacre in Blacksburg in which 32 students and professors lost their lives.

''It's just what needs to happen,'' said Beamer, who has the Hokies in their 15th straight bowl game. ''It's what needs to get done. Virginia Tech needed to rally around a football team. ... So we'll rally together and be stronger and tighter than ever. And I think that's what has happened.''

For Kansas, this is about silencing all doubters, the ones who said the Jayhawks only got here because their schedule was softer than a fresh bag of marshmallows and a school-record 11-win season still wasn't good enough to merit a spot in a BCS game.

''I don't think at this point in the season we have to prove ourselves any more,'' quarterback Todd Reesing said. ''We won 11 games this year. How many other teams in the nation can say that? Not many. So you can point to our schedule, but we play in the Big 12. That's a damn good conference.''

Add in the intrigue of a great Kansas offense facing a great Virginia Tech defense, and this might have makings of a classic.

''They're a solid football team and very well-coached and talented,'' Beamer said. ''They've got all the ingredients.''

Kansas' recipe starts with the nation's highest-scoring offense.

Hawaii held that distinction until managing only 10 points against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, so now the Jayhawks - with their 44.3 points-per-game average - are in the top spot, and some of the stats they've put up this year are ridiculous.

Consider this, for starters: Kansas has 64 offensive touchdowns this year, against only 46 punts. The Jayhawks average 6.4 yards per play, have a two-pronged rushing attack in Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp (combined 1,838 yards and 23 scores) and elite receivers in Dexton Fields and Marcus Henry (who combine for 16 yards per catch). The offense is so good, very few people notice that Kansas' defense yielded only 16 points per game.

But it's Reesing who makes the Jayhawks' spread offense work. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,259 yards and 32 touchdowns, against only six interceptions in 409 attempts, yet Kansas knows the Hokies will represent the biggest challenge of the season.

''This is the best defense we've played against - by far,'' Kansas tight end Derek Fine said. ''I'm very, very impressed.''

Virginia Tech allows 15.5 points per game, second-best in the nation behind Ohio State, and believes it has enough athleticism in the secondary to keep pace with the Jayhawks.

Still, the Hokies may miss a vital part of their defense.

Linebacker Vince Hall injured his left knee during a jet-skiing outing organized by the game's host committee earlier this week, Beamer said, and may not be ready Thursday night.

With Hall or without, Virginia Tech's defense understands the magnitude of this one.

''People might think that we come to a bowl game every year, so we might not pay attention to this one,'' Hokies defensive end Orion Martin said. ''But we haven't won a BCS game in a while. Coach said this is probably one of our most important games since the '99 national championship game. So we know what's at stake.''

So does Mangino.

For years, Kansas football was the thing that Jayhawk fans did to warm up for basketball season. Not any more, and the coach - who quipped that the program was coming off ''a tough century'' - is relishing this moment.

''Our kids are smart. We're not going to try to fool them and just tell them that this is just another game,'' Mangino said. ''But it's still football ... just a few more people will be paying attention.''

[ukie]

What bettors need to know: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech
By ALAN MCNAMARA | January 1, 2008 | 36 comments
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (-3 ½, 53)

Battle of opposites

Thursday’s Orange Bowl will be a battle between one of the best offenses and one of the top defenses in the nation. Kansas has produced the second most points per game this season (44.3), while Virginia Tech is allowing the second fewest (15.5).

“Something is going to give,” Virginia Tech linebacker Xavier Adibi told the Kansas City Star. “That’s the way you have to look at it. That is gonna be an exciting part of this whole game. They have an excellent offense, and we have an excellent defense. It’s going to come down to who executes better.”

In the regular season, getting the job done was not a problem for either team. The Jayhawks finished 11-1, while the Hokies were 11-2. One thing that could separate the sides is experience.

Virginia Tech has made as many bowl trips in the last ten years as Kansas has made in all 117 seasons of its football program. This is the Hokies’ fifth BCS bowl matchup in 12 years, but they are not taking their rivals lightly.

"I don't think it'll be a factor at all," VT offensive lineman Duane Brown told The Associated Press. "I think Kansas, not being in this position before, it makes them a little more excited, anticipating that day. I'm sure they're preparing as hard as they can. We've got to match that. Being too comfortable can get you in trouble."

Bettors have to decide whether the Jayhawks’ high-powered offense (490.7 yards per game) or the Hokies’ stingy defense (293.3) will win out. They can certainly find food for thought in Kansas’ ATS record this season. The team beat the number in all but one of its eleven games offering a spread.

One-two punch

Junior Hokies quarterback Sean Glennon started poorly this season and his understudy Taylor Tyrod struggled with injuries and inconsistency. To get the best out of their patchy offense, Virginia Tech employed a two-quarterback system.

Glennon is a traditional drop-back passer. Taylor – a freshman – is more of a running QB. Their differences made them suited to splitting time, but as Glennon told reporters this week, that didn’t guarantee the plan’s success.

“If either me or Tyrod took the route where we said, ‘This is B.S., I should be the guy out there,’ that could lead to kind of rooting against him when he’s in there,” he told the Kansas City Star.

“That’s not going to help the team win. The quarterback is a reflection of leadership and attitude. If the guy in charge of the huddle had that attitude, it’d be easy to self-destruct.”

Instead, the VT offense went on to play its best football of the season after the decision.

The Hokies dominated Florida State and Miami, then beat rival Virginia on the road to make the ACC title game. In that contest, VT produced one of its best offensive performances of the season in a 30-16 win over Boston College.

The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are hopeful that facing two totally different quarterbacks will make life easier for the Kansas defense.

“It’d be hard to go against one that does both,” KU linebacker Joe Mortensen said. “When Taylor comes in, he likes to run the ball. When Glennon is in, he hardly ever runs. We know what to expect when they both come in the game.”

Glennon has thrown for 1,636 yards and 11 TDs this season, while Taylor has put up 916 yards and five TDs.

Talib will return punts

Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib has been practicing punt returns all season and Jayhawks coach Mark Mangino has finally decided to give him a chance.

Talib will return punts against Virginia Tech mainly because of a lack of production from regular return specialist Anthony Webb – who was averaging less than a yard per return.

“It’s out of necessity,” Mangino told reporters this week. “Talib is a playmaker, a dependable guy. He’ll do a great job. We’re blocking people, but we’re not returning the ball.”

Talib has denied that he is using the Orange Bowl as an opportunity for him to showcase his talents to NFL scouts. “No, man, I use these extra games for my team!” he told the Star. “That’s what we’re here for. I couldn’t care less about pro scouts right now.”

He has eight receptions for 182 yards and four touchdowns this season.

Ore out for first quarter

Virginia Tech will be without its leading rusher for the opening quarter of the Orange Bowl. Associate head coach Billy Hite confirmed last week that running back Brandon Ore has been suspended for the first quarter of Thursday’s game for showing up late to practice on Dec. 21.

“I talked with coach (Frank) Beamer on Friday, and I recommended that we suspend Branden for a quarter,” Hite told the Roanoke Times. “I’m not putting up with that kind of stuff.

“In order for us to win ballgames, we can’t have guys showing up at practice whenever they want to. Everybody else made it to practice on time, so there’s no excuse for Branden not making it, too.”

Ore leads the Hokies with 876 yards on the ground and eight rushing touchdowns. He will be replaced for the opening quarter by sophomore Lewis Kenny Jr., who has 183 yards and four TDs.

Ore ran for 1,137 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and was named a first-team All-ACC performer.

[ukie]

Hokies bring more than heavy ‘D’ to Orange Bowl
By TIM ROBERTS - Writer January 2, 2008 6 comments

The Sugar Bowl blowout by the Bayou serves as a reference point for Thursday’s Orange Bowl from Miami, where the Virginia Tech Hokies are 3 ½-point favorites over the Kansas Jayhawks.

For the sake of argument, I’m casting Virginia Tech in the role of the Georgia Bulldogs – the betting favorite known for its smash-mouth style, playing far closer to home than its opponent.

That leaves the Jayhawks to play the role of the Hawaii Warriors – the upstart with gaudy offensive numbers and suspicious strength-of-schedule.

The mainstream media’s Sugar Bowl focus was Hawaii’s high-octane offense. Would the Warriors’ run-and-shoot light up another opponent or would the Dawgs’ defense do the SEC proud?

It’s a similar storyline for the Orange Bowl. Who will win the battle of wills between offensive Kansas and defensive Virginia Tech? Hell, I’ve heard so much about the battle between KU’s offense and VT’s defense that I was almost sucked into writing about it myself.

The Sugar Bowl, however, reminded us that there was more than one offense in the Superdome. Georgia scored at will as the regular season drew to a close and did the same against Hawaii. The game ended 41-10 in favor of the Bulldogs. It is a necessary reminder as the Jayhawks and Hokies get ready for Thursday.

Virginia Tech’s offense gets no love despite putting up points when it mattered. It averaged 34.8 points per post-September game. That’s five points fewer than Kansas averaged over the same span, but a noteworthy number nonetheless.

The offense hit its stride after the Hokies’ last-minute loss to Boston College at the end of October. Virginia Tech played perfect ball-control football with its dual-quarterback approach, laying double-digit beatings on its five final opponents.

Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring credits the resurgence to his O-line’s regained health. VT’s early-season embarrassment in Baton Rouge featured its offensive line getting pushed around by LSU’s front four. The Hokies’ line hasn’t suffered like that since. It shouldn’t be overly threatened by Kansas’ pass rush, which KU defensive coordinator Bill Young calls his team’s Achilles’ heel.

Hokies quarterbacks should have time to set up in pass situations. That’s a factor that can’t be overlooked in betting the Orange Bowl. Sean Glennon has been targeted for plenty of criticism in his career, but he’s been fantastic in the pocket since riding the pine against Clemson in late September.

Glennon hit 64.5 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and only one interception over the final seven games. The key number proving Glennon’s efficiency over that span is his 8.6 yards per attempt. Only six quarterbacks in the nation topped 8.5 yards per attempt this season. Glennon’s increased comfort after the loss to Boston College resulted in production spikes for his four senior receivers.

Despite playing in what is commonly viewed as a run-first offense, Justin Harper, Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal and Josh Hyman each totaled at least 194 receiving yards over the Hokies’ final five games. The group combined for 204.8 yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game as the Hokies went 5-0 straight-up and against the spread to close their schedule.

True freshman Tyrod Taylor developed a better feel for the Hokies’ offense as the season progressed. The month-long layoff can only help his feel for the passing game to complement his scampering ability when he enters the game as a change-of-pace quarterback.

So I’m siding with the favorite for the Orange Bowl like I did with the Sugar Bowl. And I’m doing so largely due to the favorite’s overshadowed offensive potency. I don’t expect the blowout we saw in Miami, though. Kansas’ offense is balanced and has too many clever people involved in calling plays to be totally shut down.

But I think the Virginia Tech defense will do a better job disrupting the Jayhawks’ offense than the Kansas ‘D’ can do against the Hokies. VT allowed only 13.9 points per game over its final 10 contests, shutting down some quality offenses in the meantime. Considering how Virginia Tech holds the special teams edge as well, I’m feeling downright sugary about laying points with the Hokies.

[SSKILLZ1]

The Standings (After 26 Games)

Assuming I didn't make an error here are the standings after 26 games.

			 
 	Name		Total Points	 
 1	DFFHOGS		38	 
 2	BEIGLEDOG		37	 
 3	OLD DRUMMERMAN	36	 
 4	CWS9		35	 
 5	NOVO/STOCKS	35	 
 6	STOCKMASTERJGY	35	 
 7	CAPGAIN		34	 
 8	Mr. Bojangles2525	34	 
 9	WONDERBUY		34	 
 10	MLK		33 
 11	OLDSAILOR		33 
 12	FLAFLYERSFAN	32 
 13	UTILITYMAN	32 
 14	MSGI		31 
 15	ROACH4091		31 
 16	ROMEX2462		31 
 17	SPCALK		31 
 18	CHIEF		30 
 19	HOHOHOKIEHUMBUG	30 
 20	JERRY12302	30 
 21	UKIE		30 
 22	CAPTAIN AMERICA	29 
 23	GCHC		28 
 24	MISSY		28 
 25	SSKILLZ1		28 
 26	W0OD		28 
 27	BLACKCAT		27 
 28	BULLNBEAR52	27 
 29	JACKSON42		27 
 30	TAVYCAL		27 
 31	KWs Fund		26 
 32	REDFISHER		26 
 33	Docfager		25 
 34	PELAGICMARINER	25 
 35	PORTWOOD215	25 
 36	LAWRENZO		24 
 37	PHISHERMAN	23 
 38	MIKE T		20 
 39	26 TIME CHAMPIONS	19 
 40	CREEKJUMPER	18 
 41	VEXARI		17 
 42	BENZDEALEROR2	12	

[Stocks4John]

The iBox is updated...Please check for errors!

Tonight's game will be the deciding game....I think.

[ukie]

Sooners on ATS tear after embarrassing loss
By ASSOCIATED PRESS | January 1, 2008 | 0 comments
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma's players received the text message from coach Jeff Capel about 9 p.m. on Dec. 8, informing them of a 12:01 a.m. practice he scheduled after the Sooners' stunning loss at home hours earlier to Stephen F. Austin.

''We didn't respect the game of basketball with how we came out to play,'' Capel told The Associated Press. ''I was embarrassed. I was angry. I was hurt and I wanted our guys to feel that way. ... I didn't think we worked hard earlier that day and we needed to get some work in.''

Capel said the spur-of-the-moment practice was intended to send a message to the Sooners that mediocrity would not be tolerated within the Oklahoma program, which had been a Top 25 fixture under Capel's immediate predecessors, Billy Tubbs and Kelvin Sampson.

Consider the message received.

After the 66-62 loss to Stephen F. Austin, the Sooners won 83-72 on Dec. 15 in Norman against an Arkansas team then on the cusp of the Top 25. Five days later, Oklahoma beat then-No. 18 Gonzaga 72-68 during the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners followed that with an 88-82 double-overtime win on Saturday against then-No. 23 West Virginia, which, while not technically a true road game for the Sooners, was played in hostile environs in Charleston, W.Va.

The Sooners are 8-3 against the spread after covering in their last three games. Their season over/under record stands at 6-5 after five straight overs in games with posted totals.

Those three wins have propelled the Sooners from an afterthought back into the national conversation. Oklahoma (10-3) received 46 points in balloting for the AP poll on Monday, putting the Sooners three spots out of the Top 25 - their best placement during Capel's two seasons at the helm.

What has changed? Capel said the Sooners now are playing with urgency. Junior guard Austin Johnson noted how the team's attitude received a major adjustment.

''Losing a game like that, you can either use that to build on, or you can go downhill from there,'' Johnson said.

That midnight practice wasn't enjoyable, Johnson said, but he learned something valuable from it.

''That practice showed me how good we can be,'' he said. ''It showed me that losing to a team like that, it can't happen, but it can also be a positive for us.''

That, Capel said, is exactly what he wanted the Sooners to figure out.

''They understand how much we need each other,'' he said. ''We don't have one guy that can kind of take us to the mountaintop or one guy we want to rely on. This team is most effective when you have five people out there playing together as one.''

Indeed, during the winning streak, many players have made key plays. Senior center Longar Longar had a pair of late dunks to cap a 17-point outing against Arkansas. With the Sooners up two in the final seconds against Gonzaga, Johnson blocked a 3-point attempt by Jeremy Pargo to preserve the win.

Against West Virginia, freshman forward Blake Griffin had 18 points and 16 rebounds, senior guard David Godbold had 18 points and Longar had 22 points, despite playing just 5 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.

But the biggest shot of the game for Oklahoma was a 3-pointer by Tony Crocker with 6.6 seconds left in the first overtime that forced another extra period. Then Godbold and Keith Clark each hit a pair of free throws in the final 20 seconds of the second overtime.

''We know we're capable of doing a lot of good things,'' said Longar, who is averaging 13.4 points per game. ''It's just a matter of everybody coming together. We've been doing that the last three games. We really like each other as a team. We stay around each other all the time and we're building a great chemistry.''

Griffin's double-double against West Virginia was his second in a row. Griffin, a McDonald's All-American last season, has been overshadowed by more ballyhooed freshman including Derrick Rose of Memphis, O.J. Mayo of Southern California, Michael Beasley of Kansas State, DeAndre Jordan of Texas A&M and James Anderson of Oklahoma State, among others.

''I wouldn't trade him for any of them,'' Capel said of Griffin, who leads the Sooners with averages of 13.5 points and 8.9 rebounds. ''I think he's going to be as good or better than all of them in the long run.''

Oklahoma's other two losses have come to Memphis and Southern Cal, both of which are in the Top 25. The Sooners have two more nonconference games, against Rice on Jan. 5 and Mount St. Mary's two days later, before opening Big 12 Conference play at home against Kansas State on Jan. 12.

Capel said that while he still wishes Oklahoma had beaten Stephen F. Austin, the loss to the Lumberjacks has proven to be a turning point for his team.

''Just like anything in life, sometimes the best lessons you learn are when you fail, because then you really get a better idea of maybe just how much something means to you and how much more committed you have to be if you want to be successful,'' Capel said.

''I don't know if we win these three games if we beat Stephen F. Austin.''

[ukie]

What bettors need to know: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
By JUSTIN BANKS | December 21, 2007 | 31 comments
West Virginia Mountaineers at Oklahoma Sooners (-7 ½, 63 ½)

Mountaineers name coach

West Virginia named Bill Stewart its interim head coach on Dec. 18 and asked him to prepare the Mountaineers for their Fiesta Bowl outing against third-ranked Oklahoma.

Stewart, a former head coach at Virginia Military Institute - and WVU’s current special teams coach - conducted a full-contact practice just one day after former head coach Rich Rodriguez announced he was leaving to coach Michigan.

“I’m very proud of the way these young men have stepped up and responded to this situation,” Stewart told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It’s a tough situation they’re in.”

Stewart says the Mountaineers will be ready for their meeting with the Sooners, despite their 13-9 setback to rival Pittsburgh on Dec. 2.

“We did some banging and we did some passing work,” Stewart continued. “Pitt knocked us around a little bit in our last game and you really get the sense our guys do not want to end this season on a losing note. My compliments to the University of Pittsburgh, but I also have to compliment our players in blue and gold who are working so hard during a tough time to end this season on a positive note.”

The Fiesta Bowl will take place on Jan. 2 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

White out?

Redshirt junior quarterback Patrick White, a two-time reigning Big East Player of the Year, dislocated his thumb in the Mountaineers’ setback to Pittsburgh.

White, listed as probable for the Fiesta Bowl, had a team-high 33 yards on nine carries in the first half against the Panthers. He also completed four of six passes for 30 yards.

“It was just frustrating we weren't able to put the ball in the end zone, White told reporters. “It hurts, but everything happens for a reason.”

Though White returned midway through the fourth quarter with WVU trailing, 13-7, he couldn’t manufacture a comeback.

“I just wanted to help the team as much as I can,” White told reporters. “It was killing me sitting on the sidelines.”

White, who finished sixth in Heisman Trophy balloting, has 1,177 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. White also accumulated 1,528 passing yards with 12 TDs.

Mountaineers backup QB Jarrett Brown, who had 29 passing yards and a TD against Pittsburgh, trusts that White will be ready for the Fiesta Bowl.

“Pat White is a champion,” Brown told reporters. “He will bounce back from it.”

Sumlin’s going bowling

Sooners assistant coach Kevin Sumlin, named Houston’s head coach on Dec. 14, will stay at Oklahoma through the Fiesta Bowl.

“It gives me the opportunity to do things the right way,” Sumlin told the Norman Transcript. “There are some guys here that have performed and done a lot. I think I owe it to them, coach [Bob] Stoops and the university, to finish this year out.”

Sumlin doesn’t think his decision to stay in Norman will adversely affect his commitment to Houston.

“I still think there is going to be time to do what I need to do for Houston,” Sumlin continued. “From a recruiting standpoint, it is not that big a hit. It is a dead period. I couldn’t be out in anybody's homes right now anyway. You are not able to do that until after Jan. 6. After we play our game, recruiting will start up. I am in communication with the commitments there, so from an organizational standpoint, it is a little hectic.”

Stoops believes Sumlin’s decision was the right choice for Oklahoma.

“It is a positive thing,” Stoops told reporters. “The players look at it that way and I do as well.”

Oklahoma, 11-2 overall, finished its regular season on Dec. 1 with a 38-17 triumph over Missouri.

Missing Sooner

Oklahoma will be without star cornerback Reggie Smith against ninth-ranked West Virginia.

Smith, the Sooners’ first-team All-Big 12 cornerback and starting punt returner, will miss the Fiesta Bowl due to a fractured toe suffered against the Tigers.

Third-year starter Lendy Holmes will move to cornerback from safety. Senior defender Darien Williams will start in place of Holmes.

“We won [the 2006] Big 12 championship with those two guys in those spots,” coach Stoops told the Norman Star-Telegram. “It's a pretty easy transition.”

Smith accumulated 57 solo tackles with one sack. He ranks second on the team with three interceptions.

[ukie]

Fiesta Bowl total drops as game approaches
By COVERS.com STAFF | January 2, 2008 | 4 comments
The total for tonight’s Fiesta Bowl between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners has dropped at least two points at most sportsbooks since the calendar started reading “2008”.

The total sat at 63 ½ or 64 points almost across the board on New Year’s Day, but dropped to 61 ½ and 62 points by Wednesday afternoon.

The downward shift counters the bulk of Wagerline.com total bettors, 56 percent of whom wagered on the over.

The Fiesta Bowl kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

[ukie]

Desert dogs: WVU offense challenged against Sooners
By TIM ROBERTS - Writer December 30, 2007 27 comments

The two West Virginia Mountaineers losses this season beg the question “What the hell happened?”

West Virginia averaged 47.2 points per game in its opening four wins. Then it managed only 13 in its Week 5 loss at South Florida.

The Mountaineers regrouped and averaged 42.7 points in their subsequent six-game winning streak. Then they scored only nine in their season finale against Pittsburgh.

Blaming the uncharacteristically low outputs on injuries to Pat White is too easy. The dual-threat WVU quarterback left the South Florida game late in the second quarter with a thigh bruise and dislocated his thumb against Pitt, also in the second quarter.

It seems convenient, then, to write off WVU’s poor offensive showings due to White’s absence. But White hadn’t led the Mountaineers to the end zone in either game before he left the game.

White’s injuries also didn’t put West Virginia in the same conundrum as the Oregon Ducks found themselves after Dennis Dixon’s injury.

Dixon’s backups aren’t at all like Oregon’s starting quarterback in style. The Ducks’ offense consequently sputtered as it tried to reinvent itself late in the season. White’s backup, Jarrett Brown, brings a nearly identical skill set to the field as the man he replaces and has proven himself comfortable in West Virginia’s spread offense. But Brown couldn’t put points on the board either after he replaced White in the losses.

The mystery of West Virginia’s (occasionally) disappearing offense is something bettors need to solve before Wednesday’s Fiesta Bowl from Glendale, Ariz. The Mountaineers, favored in all 12 regular-season games this year, are 7 ½-point underdogs against the Oklahoma Sooners. That’s a boatload of points to hand an offensively potent team like West Virginia.

But potency doesn’t always translate to points on the board. The Mountaineers traveled to Glendale with the same offensive personnel that terrorized most of their opponents this year. They were also accompanied by questions that won’t leave them alone.

How does former head coach Rich Rodriguez’ absence affect WVU’s play-calling?

Rodriguez accepted the head coaching gig at Michigan after the regular season and took a ton of offensive acumen with him. Rodriguez is viewed as a pioneer of the spread offense and spent virtually all his practice time with the offensive unit.

Interim head coach Bill Stewart, however, is another offensively-minded guy and one of multiple play-callers on the Mountaineers sideline.

“(Calling the plays on offense) won’t change a bit,” Stewart told reporters in late December. “Like we’ve done all year, (offensive coordinator) Calvin Magee, (quarterbacks coach) Rod Smith and myself will be doing most of that.”

Why hasn’t Steve Slaton been productive late this season?

Slaton rushed for 100 yards or more in 10 of 12 regular season games last year and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. He began 2007 with four consecutive 100-yard games but averaged a very plain 4.4 yards per carry and 72.5 yards per game over his final eight.

The loss of All-American center Dan Mozes from last year’s squad made a difference in WVU’s up-field blocking, but Slaton’s gaudy numbers from last year also made him target No. 1 for opposing defenses.

"A lot of teams focused on stopping me," Slaton said at a Fiesta Bowl press conference. "It definitely was a different kind of season for me.

"It's a lot of things. We had a younger offensive line. We had teams working hard against us and watching our films.”

How is White’s thumb, anyway?

Stewart says his quarterback’s hand is just fine. White hasn’t discussed it. Guess we’ll have to take Stewart’s word for it.

Can the Mountaineers take advantage of Oklahoma’s short-handed secondary?

Reggie Smith broke his toe during the Big 12 title game. OU’s plan was to shift safety Lendy Holmes to Smith’s vacated cornerback slot, as Holmes started on the corner in 2006. That would leave senior Darien Williams in the free safety position, where he was also a starter last year.

Then Holmes was ruled academically ineligible for the Fiesta Bowl, leaving inexperienced Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson to fill Smith’s cornerback role.

West Virginia’s passing game rarely posts big numbers, but receiver Darius Reynaud might be the best athlete on the field on Wednesday night. Reynaud could have a big game in Glendale. The Sooners will concentrate on stopping the WVU run, leaving Mountaineers receivers with single coverage. Oklahoma’s pass rush won’t give White the time to look deep, so quick-hitting routes are the key.

How many points can West Virginia reasonably expect to score against the Sooners?

The Mountaineers didn’t reach the end zone on a kickoff or punt return this year, nor did the Sooners allow any opponents to do the same.

WVU scored only three defensive touchdowns this season and given Oklahoma’s sure-handedness, Mountaineers backers can’t count on a defensive score. The Sooners lost only one fumble over their last five games and Sam Bradford threw only seven interceptions all year.

So West Virginia’s offense carries the scoring burden on Wednesday night, and a hefty burden it will be against OU’s run-stuffers. Only four teams topped 100 yards on the ground against Oklahoma this year. The Sooners chalked up blowout wins in three of those instances.

Missouri and Texas Tech were the only teams to score 30 points against OU this year and both the Tigers and Red Raiders are too efficient through the air to serve as a comparison point for West Virginia. Colorado was the only other OU opponent to top 25 points and the Buffaloes were aided by timely turnovers in their late-September upset.

Oklahoma’s defense is the beefiest the Mountaineers have faced this year. Its front seven is big enough to plug the holes WVU’s spread attack usually opens. Unless White and Slaton prove that they’re fast enough to consistently beat defenders to the corner, West Virginia will be hard-pressed to top 20 points in Glendale.

[MSGI]

You missed a great game. What a way for Lloyd to go out. Urban Meyer is on the front page of the Orlando paper today and the look on his face says it all.

[beigledog]

The sad thing is...I missed the whole thing! I was really looking forward to watching it but I got stuck watching the "Winter Classic" with my in-laws.

[beigledog]

The sad thing is...I missed the whole thing! I was really looking forward to watching it but I got stuck watching the "Winter Classic" with my in-laws.

[dffhogs]

I agree, it was a fun game to watch.

[MSGI]

beigledog, If it was Florida playing in the cold rain, I would agree, but the maize and blue should be used to that kind of weather. I think that the Florida/UM game was the best Bowl so far. The Texas Tech fans would probably disagree. Their game was pretty good too.

[beigledog]

Weather probably had just a slight impact on those numbers, don't you think MSGI?

BTW, Go BLUE!

[MSGI]

I think that I will be the real winner here being an Ohio State Alum. The current NCAA football champs, Florida gave up 550+ total yards to UM and 41 points. Ohio State only allowed UM 91 total yards and 3 points. Buckeyes should win the BCS easily even though 2/3's of the people in this contest and 78% of the people in the U.S. are picking LSU.

[dffhogs]

Thanks...Go Va Tech...LOL

[oldsailor]

You sure know how to pick 'em...nice going!

[Stocks4John]

Good luck!

[dffhogs]

It looks like its between me and Novo/Stocks.

If Kansas wins, it goes down to the tie breaker.

[Stocks4John]

The iBox is updated...Please check for errors!

[SSKILLZ1]

The Standings (After 25 Games)

Assuming I didn't make an error here are the standings after 25 games. I'm assuming Georgia Wins.

			 
 	Name		Total Points	 
 1	DFFHOGS		38	 
 2	BEIGLEDOG		36	 
 3	OLD DRUMMERMAN	36	 
 4	CWS9		35	 
 5	NOVO/STOCKS	35	 
 6	STOCKMASTERJGY	35	 
 7	CAPGAIN		34	 
 8	Mr. Bojangles2525	34	 
 9	WONDERBUY		34	 
 10	MLK		33 
 11	OLDSAILOR		33 
 12	FLAFLYERSFAN	32 
 13	UTILITYMAN	32 
 14	MSGI		31 
 15	ROACH4091		31 
 16	CHIEF		30 
 17	HOHOHOKIEHUMBUG	30 
 18	JERRY12302	30 
 19	ROMEX2462		30 
 20	SPCALK		30 
 21	UKIE		30 
 22	CAPTAIN AMERICA	29 
 23	GCHC		28 
 24	MISSY		28 
 25	SSKILLZ1		28 
 26	BLACKCAT		27 
 27	JACKSON42		27 
 28	TAVYCAL		27 
 29	W0OD		27 
 30	BULLNBEAR52	26 
 31	KWs Fund		26 
 32	REDFISHER		26 
 33	Docfager		25 
 34	PELAGICMARINER	25 
 35	PORTWOOD215	25 
 36	LAWRENZO		24 
 37	PHISHERMAN	23 
 38	26 TIME CHAMPIONS	19 
 39	MIKE T		19 
 40	CREEKJUMPER	18 
 41	VEXARI		17 
 42	BENZDEALEROR2	12	

[beigledog]

It looks like I'm out...the best I can do is second (we only have the WVU/Oklahoma game different). Good luck Dffhogs