Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Pardon my gloating, but the kid really deserves the attention. <g>
Larry Johnson Wins Maxwell And Doak Walker Awards
Senior Tailback Claims Two Prestigious Awards
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; December 12, 2002 - Penn State tailback Larry Johnson (State College, Pa.) has won the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate football player, and the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate running back.
The 66th winner of the Maxwell Award, Johnson was picked over two other finalists; quarterback s Brad Banks (Iowa) and Ken Dorsey (Miami). The nation's leading rusher, Johnson is the seventh Penn State player to win the Maxwell honor, four of whom played for Coach Joe Paterno: quarterback Rich Lucas (1959); lineman Glenn Ressler (1964); defensive tackle Mike Reid (1969); halfback John Cappelletti (1973); quarterback Chuck Fusina (1978) and quarterback Kerry Collins (1994).
Johnson won the Walker Award, which has been presented annually since 1990, over two other finalists; Chris Brown (Colorado) and Willis McGahee (Miami, Fla.). Johnson is the first of three Penn State finalists to claim the award. Former Nittany Lions Ki-Jana Carter (1994) and Curtis Enis (1997) have been among the three finalists for the honor in previous years.
Both Awards were announced live on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, on ESPN, December 12. Johnson will receive his Maxwell Award at the 66th Annual Maxwell Football Club Awards Dinner, held February 23, 2003, in Philadelphia. He will receive his Walker Award at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet on Tuesday, January 28, 2003, at The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas.
Earlier this evening Johnson was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year and was named a first team Walter Camp All-American.
Johnson is just the ninth player in NCAA Division I-A history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, with 2,015 yards on 251 carries. He leads the nation in rushing (167.9 ypg) and all-purpose yardage (214.5 ypg) and is second in scoring (11.67 ppg). His 8.0 yards per carry average is best in the nation among the nation's top 100 rushers and the best of any of the other eight runners who have cracked 2,000 yards in a season.
A Heisman Trophy finalist, Johnson broke the school record for rushing yardage in a game three times in the last six weeks of the season, with 327 yards at Indiana (Nov. 16), 279 yards vs. Illinois (Nov. 2) and 257 yards vs. Northwestern (Oct. 19).
Johnson owns four of the nation's top 12 rushing efforts this season! No one else has more than one among the top 12 efforts. In the last six games, he rushed for 1,396 yards on 148 carries, an average of 9.4 yards per carry and 232.7 ypg. He is the first Nittany Lion to post four 200-yard rushing games in a career, let alone a season. John Cappelletti had three straight 200-yard games in November, 1973 en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.
He is the first player in 107 years of Big Ten football to rush for 2,000 yards in the regular season. He averaged all-time Big Ten best 8.8 yards per carry and 183.1 yards per game, gaining 1,465 yards on 166 carries in eight Big Ten contests. He led all Big Ten rushers by an average of more than 45 yards per game in Conference games. Anthony Davis, Wisconsin was second at 136.7 ypg.
Penn State (9-3) will battle Auburn (8-4) in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1. Game time at Orlando's Citrus Bowl is set for 1 p.m. The game will air nationally on ABC.
Be careful. This one has a CD present with a possible "Nussen" connection.
ksquared,
Sleigh bells ring
Are you listening
In the lane
Snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song
As we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say "Are you married?"
We'll say "No man!"
But you can do the job
When you're in town
Later on
We'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
The plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
and pretend that he's a circus clown
we'll have lots of fun with mister snowman
until the alligators knock him down
When it snows
Ain't it thrilling
Though your nose gets a chilling
We'll frolic and play
The eskimo way
Walking in a winter wonderland
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
:)
ksquared,
Paterno's Mother-in-Law is still alive!?!?!!!
LOL! I know Sue-Pa is much younger than Joe. I'm not sure by how much but I'd guess about 10 years anyway. I think everyone was surprised by that line tho.
BTW, when my clock radio went off this AM, I heard the weather guy say the temp. was up to 7 degrees - that's when I put the covers over my head!
Stay warm & congrats on your bowl too.
Good article:
December 2, 2002
If B.C.S. Calls, Irish Should Just Let It Ring
By JOE DRAPE
Jordan Black is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 305 pounds, 22 years old and an offensive tackle who perhaps will be mentioned on a couple of all-American lists. Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin White, Coach Tyrone Willingham and anyone sporting pastel blazers with bowl-game insignias need to listen to him.
Shortly after the Fighting Irish were crushed by Southern Cal on Saturday, Black made the most honest proclamation of this college football season. It demonstrated that he knew the difference between earning something and being given it, about how fair play should mean more than television ratings and gate receipts.
"After the way we played, we don't deserve to play in the Orange Bowl," Black said after Notre Dame's 44-13 defeat. "This wasn't this year's team; it was last year's team that showed up tonight."
That's the way college football fans will feel if the Fighting Irish (10-2) are selected to play in either the Orange or Rose Bowl at the expense of the Trojans (10-2) or, worse, Iowa (11-1). Not only can that happen, but it probably will, if the final week of the season plays out to form.
Only two things can derail it.
One is if the B.C.S. bowl organizers and ABC Sports decide to pass over the Fighting Irish and a certain financial bonanza to give Southern Cal and Iowa their just rewards. The other is if the Notre Dame administration opts to live up to its self-image of what is good and right about college football and refuses a bid to one of the B.C.S. bowls.
If Miami beats Virginia Tech on Saturday, the Hurricanes will meet Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in a battle of unbeaten teams for the national title on Jan. 3. The Sugar Bowl is likely to pit Florida State, the Atlantic Coast Conference champion, against Georgia or Arkansas, which play in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Saturday.
The Orange Bowl is likely to take the winner of the Big 12 championship game, either Oklahoma or Colorado. If Washington State takes care of U.C.L.A., it locks up a spot in the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10 champion.
That leaves Southern Cal, Iowa and Notre Dame vying for the Orange and the Rose bids.
If you think the computer-assisted equation of determining the top two teams is complicated, try making sense of the guidelines for filling out the roster for the remaining three nontitle B.C.S. games, each worth $13 million a team.
Here are the nuts and bolts of the selection criteria:
¶The champions of the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Pac-10, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences are guaranteed six of the eight bowl spots.
¶The last two spots come from the at-large pool, which requires that a team have nine regular-season victories and be ranked in the top 12 of the final B.C.S. standing next Sunday.
But here is where filling those last two spots becomes tricky:
¶If Notre Dame finishes in the top six of the final B.C.S. standing, it is guaranteed an at-large slot, according to the selection guidelines.
¶If the team that is No. 3 in the final B.C.S. poll is an at-large team, it is guaranteed a berth.
The Fighting Irish almost certainly cannot finish in the top six and receive an automatic bid, not after losing its second game and dropping in both the voting polls and the computer ranking -- they are No. 15 in the New York Times computer ranking, down from No. 8. But because of its national audience, Notre Dame remains a viable at-large team in the eyes of bowl organizers, who want people in the seats and spending money in their community, and of ABC, which wants to deliver viewers to advertisers.
•
Ohio State is the Big Ten champion and already in the title game; if Miami and Georgia win Saturday, they will be conference champions.
Southern Cal is close to receiving an automatic berth because it is projected to be No. 4 in the B.C.S. ranking released today. (Ahead of the Trojans will be Miami, Ohio State and Georgia.) The Trojans' schedule is judged the toughest in the country, which wows computers, including The Times's, which ranked them No. 1 today.
The B.C.S. guidelines say that if the No. 4 team is from the at-large pool with conference champions ahead of them, it receives a guaranteed berth. But the No. 5 team is promised nothing, and that is where Iowa is likely to end up.
If Miami remains No. 1, Orange Bowl organizers will have first pick because they have a conference tie-in with the Big East and lost the highest-ranked B.C.S. team to the Fiesta Bowl and the national title game. This is where ABC, which broadcasts the four bowls, and Orange and Rose Bowl organizers are going to have to search their souls.
The B.C.S. ensures that only the top two teams will meet in a title game; the remaining three bowls can tailor their matchups to regional and revenue needs, or do pretty much what they want under the guidelines.
Do Orange Bowl organizers dare pass up Notre Dame and its loyal following for Southern Cal? If they do, can Rose Bowl officials -- who have chosen to honor their commitment to the Pac-10 champion, even though it has lost the Big Ten champ -- resist plucking the Irish in lieu of Iowa, a team that outside of its small, Midwestern state does not register with hard-core college fans, let alone casual bowl viewers?
They have seven days to work it through, as does Notre Dame. Among the reasons many people dislike the Fighting Irish is the anointed status it has been bestowed by groups like the B.C.S. and broadcasters trying to cash in on their appeal.
They have had a fine year, especially under Willingham, its first-year coach who has brought dignity and magic back to the Golden Dome. It was disconcerting, however, to hear him lobby for B.C.S. inclusion after being embarrassed by the Trojans.
"We played 12 games," he said. "We won 10 of them. We're a solid football team, and this game is not an indication of what this team can do."
Instead, Willingham and White should follow the lead of Jordan Black and be prepared to turn down a B.C.S. bowl if it means Iowa or Southern Cal is left out. Notre Dame has 11 national titles, has played scores of bowl games and is likely to earn more of both. It can afford going to a lesser bowl. It has money and influence and can earn a respect that is priceless by doing the right thing.
•
If the bowls are bent on inviting the Irish, Notre Dame can say, "Thank you, but no thank you, the kid is right: there are more deserving teams."
In the meantime, however, the Fighting Irish can link arms with Iowa and Southern Cal, as well as bowl organizers and broadcasters, and pray for a more painless solution: that U.C.L.A. upsets Washington State on Saturday to put the Trojans and the Hawkeyes in the Rose Bowl, and the Irish in the Orange.
Colt,
When two teams have the same record and one loses to the other, the winner should be ranked higher. Like Oklahoma beat both Texas and Kansas State and yet they are ranked below KS & Texas. Same with Michigan and Penn State (sorry NLionGuy), where Michigan beat PSU, yet most polls have PSU ranked higher.
No problem - I agree, most times. <g> As "they" say, it's better to lose in the early part of the season.
BTW, from what I've read, it appears that USC will be the odd man out this year. It's a shame because they are a very good football team. Of course, it comes down to money (surprise, surprise) and they don't travel well:
USC doesn't "travel" well, which is bowl-speak for, "They'll buy 38 tickets, arrive the day before the game, order an appetizer at Shula's that night, stiff the waitress, leave the day after the game. Economic impact: bupkus."
That was a quote from ESPN.
NLionGuy... do you have any idea how much that hurt to type??? <g>
LOL! Yes, been there, done that. There have been times I've felt obliged to compliment the Pitt team. <g>
ksquared,
BTW... if you want to keep the second line of your post from running into the message line you see on the board, hit the space bar before you type the second line.
I have to admit, I read that 3 times before I realized what you were talking about - drugs or age, not sure which. <g> Anyway, thanks for the tip.
Feeling better today - of course, it's a work day! Sounds like you could use a little Advil. Don't you just love that feeling of accomplishment tho? Most times, that in itself is worth the aches & pains. Operative word there being "most". ;)
ksquared,
Caught the first half of the N.B. USC game while my hair dried... Thought it looked pretty even...
The game or your hair? LOL!
Palmer is the S.C. QB - I think he ended up 32 of 42 with over 400 yds passing & 4 TD's. Not bad against a top 10 team with only 1 loss. He'll get a lot of west coast votes, I'm sure.
I've been struggling with the Mother of all head colds since Thanksgiving. My sleep schedule has been all over the map - drugs, you know how they work, they either put you to sleep when you want to be awake or keep you from sleeping when you should be. I was up 3 times fri. night & twice last night. It's frustrating.
Yes, it's very cold here also. It looks like we picked up a few inches of snow as well but nothing near the 6 " they said was possible. That's good. It sounds like you accomplished quite a bit this holiday weekend with your painting.
The Ok. game yesterday was indeed a real shocker. Let's hope the Miami game next weekend will be the same! I agree, GO HOKIES!!!! <g>
Hi ksquared,
That's an interesting slant - I'm not sure whether it will actually hurt him tho. I think LJ will be among the top 3 but it's anyone's guess as to the winner. I do feel he's the best RB. His only competition is Magahee(sp?) from Miami and altho it helps to be on the #1 team, I think a lot of voters will not vote for a sophomore when there is 5 or 6 players of the same caliber out there and they are seniors. That might not be fair, but it seems to be realistic. The other thing hurting Magahee is the fact that he has competition from a teammate.
After Carson Palmer's performance last night against ND, I think the top 3 will be Palmer(USC), Johnson(PSU) & Banks(IOWA) not in any particular order.
Now that I've said that, the winner will probably be someone I haven't even mentioned. <g>
Take care.
A much better Bowl projection list from ESPN. I love some of these names:
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Tempe, Ariz.
Friday, Jan. 3
8 p.m. ET (ABC)
BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2
Ohio State vs. Miami -- Buckeyes waiting to see who they play. Miami looks like the obvious choice, but Syracuse and a slumping Va. Tech still on schedule. If 'Canes stumble, Oklahoma ready to step right into national title game.
FedEx Orange Bowl
Miami
Thursday, Jan. 2
8 p.m. ET (ABC)
BCS vs. BCS
Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma -- Orange Bowl would be downright giddy about landing the Irish.
Nokia Sugar Bowl
New Orleans
Wednesday, Jan. 1
8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
BCS vs. BCS
Florida State vs. Georgia -- Student faces the teacher when Georgia coach Mark Richt faces Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles.
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, Calif.
Wednesday, Jan. 1
5 p.m. ET (ABC)
Big Ten vs. Pac-10
Iowa vs. Washington State -- If UCLA beats Washington State on Dec. 7, sub in USC here.
Capital One Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
Wednesday, Jan. 1
1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Penn State vs. Florida -- Red-hot Larry Johnson and Nittany Lions face tough battle against Rex Grossman and Gators. One note, however, if Florida loses to FSU on Saturday, Auburn may sneak in here.
Toyota Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, Fla.
Wednesday, Jan. 1
12:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
ACC No. 2 vs. Big East No. 2 or Notre Dame
NC State vs. Pittsburgh -- Big win over FSU reminds nation NC State is a very good team. If Pittsburgh loses to West Virginia on Saturday, however, the Mountaineers could easily wind up playing NC State instead of the Panthers.
SBC Cotton Bowl
Dallas
Wednesday, Jan. 1
11 a.m. ET (FOX)
Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3/4 (or Notre Dame)
Texas vs. LSU -- Lee Corso's preseason dream matchup is still a good one, it's just in the Cotton Bowl, not the Fiesta Bowl.
Outback Bowl
Tampa, Fla.
Wednesday, Jan. 1
11 a.m. ET (ESPN)
Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC No. 3/4
Michigan vs. Auburn -- Michigan gets its wish and heads to Tampa against an Auburn team that finished the regular season on an upswing.
Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl
San Francisco
Tuesday, Dec. 31
10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Mountain West No. 3 vs. Big East No. 4/5
New Mexico vs. Boston College -- Boston College is the reason Notre Dame isn't in the battle for the national championship.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Atlanta
Tuesday, Dec. 31
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
ACC No. 3 vs. SEC No. 5
Maryland vs. Tennessee -- Imagine if both these teams had stayed healthy all season. Would they be in the Peach Bowl or a BCS bowl?
AXA Liberty Bowl
Memphis, Tenn.
Tuesday, Dec. 31
3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
C-USA No. 1 vs. Mountain West No. 1
TCU-Colorado State -- Colorado State RB Cecil Sapp and QB Bradlee Van Pelt make this one worth watching.
Silicon Valley Football Classic
San Jose, Calif.
Tuesday, Dec. 31
3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
WAC vs. Pac-10 No. 6
Fresno State vs. UCLA -- Northern California meets Southern California.
Wells Fargo Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas
Tuesday, Dec. 31
2 p.m. ET (CBS)
Big Ten No. 5 vs. Pac-10 No. 3
Purdue vs. Arizona State -- Purdue has edge on Minnesota to land here. Arizona State needs to beat Arizona to ensure a bid here.
Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl
Boise, Idaho
Tuesday, Dec. 31
Noon ET (ESPN)
WAC vs. Big 12 No. 8
Boise State vs. Oklahoma State -- Boise stays at home on the blue field.
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Nashville, Tenn.
Monday, Dec. 30
2 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Big Ten No. 6 vs. SEC No. 6
Minnesota vs. Arkansas -- Arkansas can possibly change this one by knocking off LSU on Saturday to win the SEC West. From there, a win over Georgia lands the Hogs a Sugar Bowl bid and reshuffles the SEC bowl deck.
Seattle Bowl
Seattle
Monday, Dec. 30
5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Mountain West No. 4 vs. ACC No. 5/6
Oregon vs. Georgia Tech -- Ducks slip down to Seattle after a disappointing finish.
Continental Tire Bowl
Charlotte, N.C.
Saturday, Dec. 28
8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Big East No. 4/5 vs. ACC No. 5/6
Virginia Tech vs. Clemson -- Virginia Tech's struggling and with Virginia and Miami remaining on the schedule, there's no guarantee the Hokies won't slip a little down the bowl ladder.
Alamo Bowl presented by MasterCard
San Antonio
Saturday, Dec. 28
8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Big Ten No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 4
Wisconsin vs. Colorado -- Great running back showdown between Wisconsin's Anthony Davis and CU's Chris Brown. Of course, if Buffs lose to Nebraska, Huskers may wind up here.
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
San Diego
Friday, Dec. 27
8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Pac-10 No. 2 vs. Big 12 No. 3
Southern California vs. Kansas State -- Two of the hottest teams in the country meet for the second time this season (a 27-20 K-State win). Of course, if Washington State loses to UCLA, USC heads to the Rose Bowl and WSU heads to San Diego.
MainStay Independence Bowl
Shreveport, La.
Friday, Dec. 27
4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Big 12 No. 5/6/7 vs. SEC No. 7
Nebraska vs. Mississippi -- The Huskers can improve they're bowl standing with a win over Colorado. Ole Miss needs to beat struggling Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl to be bowl eligible.
Houston Bowl
Houston
Friday, Dec. 27
1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Big 12 No. 5/6/7 vs. C-USA No. 3
Texas Tech vs. Cincinnati -- Battle of talented QBs in Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury and Cincinnati's Gino Guidugli.
Insight Bowl
Phoenix
Thursday, Dec. 26
8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Big East No. 3 or Notre Dame vs. Pac-10 No. 4
West Virginia vs. Washington -- West Virginia RB Avon Cobourne one of the best players in the country.
Motor City Bowl
Detroit
Thursday, Dec. 26
8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
MAC No. 1 vs. Big Ten No. 7
Northern Illinois vs. Iowa State -- NIU's Michael "The Burner" Turner vs. ISU's Seneca Wallace. Let the fireworks begin.
ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl
Honolulu
Wednesday, Dec. 25
8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
WAC vs. C-USA No. 4/5
Hawaii vs. Southern Miss -- June Jones says Hawaii QB Timmy Chang will win a Heisman before he leaves Hawaii. Watch now and say you saw him way back when.
Sega Sports Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas
Wednesday, Dec. 25
4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Mountain West No. 2 vs. Pac-10 No. 5
Air Force vs. Oregon State -- Zoomies' dangerous option attack vs. Oregon State's dangerous RB Steven Jackson.
Mazda Tangerine Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
Monday, Dec. 23
5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
ACC No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 5/6/7
Virginia vs. Texas A&M -- There's a chance Cavs may flip this spot with Maryland, but the best guess is the young and talented Cavaliers meets Texas A&M's wrecking crew defense.
GMAC Bowl
Mobile, Ala.
Wednesday, Dec. 18
8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
C-USA No. 2 vs. MAC
Louisville vs. Marshall -- Is Dave Ragone vs. Byron Leftwich any good?
New Orleans Bowl
New Orleans
Tuesday, Dec. 17
7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Sun Belt No. 1 vs. C-USA No. 4/5
North Texas vs. Tulane -- New Orleans bowl seeing green -- lots of it.
ksquared,
How does anyone keep this stuff straight?
LOL! Yeah, I know what you mean. It must make the local travel agents nuts trying to piece together trips when they don't even know where the team will be going.
One particular thing that will haunt the BCS this year - there is a very good chance that Fla. State will end up 8-5 and playing in one of the 4 top bowls. That's BS! They play Florida this weekend (I think) and if they lose, they still win their conference & the right to play in the Sugar Bowl. And the controversy over the BCS will continue for yet another year. :)
Looks like we only got about 2" last night - not even enough to shovel IMO. <g>
Thank you & Happy Turkey Day to you & yours as well.
Yep, this violence masked as celebration has gotten way out of control. I'm not sure what can be done but I sure hope we've seen the worst. I do wonder how many of the celebrants actually knew what was being celebrated tho - opportunists abound.
The Hokies, huh? There's a team that has literally imploded - if they have anything left, I hope they save it for the game vs. Miami. I'd enjoy nothing more than to see them blow away the Hurricanes!
3 to 6" of snow here overnight - get that shovel waxed! LOL!
ksquared,
Here is someone's projected bowl schedule @ this point - there will be changes due to the few remaining games & conference championships. Keep in mind that UM is actually ahead of PSU(UM has 2 conference losses-PSU has 3) but from what I understand, the Cap. 1 Bowl has a choice & they prefer PSU simply because UM was there last year & they'd rather have someone different:
Only teams with a current .500 or better record were considered eligible. No attempts were made to predict future results. Alabama, Kentucky and Cal ineligible due to NCAA sanctions.
Date Bowl Team No. 1 Team No. 2
Jan. 3 Fiesta Miami (BCS No. 1) Ohio State* (BCS No. 2)
Jan. 2 Orange Notre Dame (BCS at-large) Oklahoma (Big 12 champ)
Jan. 1 Sugar Georgia (SEC champ) Florida State (ACC champ)
Jan. 1 Rose Iowa (BCS at-large) Washington St. (Pac-10 champ)
Jan. 1 Capital One Penn State (Big Ten No. 2) Florida (SEC)
Jan. 1 Outback Michigan (Big Ten No. 3) Auburn (SEC)
Jan. 1 Cotton Texas (Big 12 No. 2) LSU (SEC)
Jan. 1 Gator Maryland (ACC No. 2) Pittsburgh (Big East No. 2)
Dec. 31 San Francisco Boston College (Big East No. 5) New Mexico (MWC)
Dec. 31 Peach N.C State (ACC No. 3) Tennessee (SEC)
Dec. 31 Liberty TCU (C-USA champ) Colorado State* (MWC champ)
Dec. 31 Sun Minnesota (Big Ten No. 5) Arizona State (Pac-10 No. 3)
Dec. 31 Humanitarian Boise State* (WAC) Oklahoma State (Big 12 No. 8)
Dec. 31 Silicon Valley Oregon State (Pac-10 No. 6) Fresno State* (WAC)
Dec. 30 Music City Arkansas (SEC) Purdue (Big Ten No. 6)
Dec. 30 Seattle Clemson (ACC No. 6) Oregon** (MWC)
Dec. 28 Alamo Wisconsin (Big Ten No. 4) Kansas State (Big 12 No. 4)
Dec. 28 Continental Georgia Tech (ACC No. 5) Virginia Tech (Big East No. 4)
Dec. 27 Holiday USC (Pac-10 No. 2) Colorado (Big 12 No. 3)
Dec. 27 Independence Wake Forest** (SEC) Nebraska (Big 12 No. 6)
Dec. 27 Houston Texas Tech (Big 12 No. 5) Southern Miss (C-USA)
Dec. 26 Insight West Virginia (Big East No. 3) Washington (Pac-10 No. 4)
Dec. 26 Motor City Bowling Green (MAC No. 2) Texas A&M** (Big Ten No. 7)
Dec. 25 Las Vegas Air Force (MWC No. 2) UCLA (Pac-10 No. 5)
Dec. 25 Hawaii Hawaii* (WAC) South Florida** (C-USA)
Dec. 23 Tangerine Virginia (ACC No. 4) Iowa State (Big 12 No. 7)
Dec. 18 GMAC Marshall* (MAC No. 1) Louisville (C-USA No. 2)
Dec. 17 New Orleans North Texas* (Sun Belt) Tulane (C-USA)
* -- accepted bid.
** -- no eligible conference team available. (A .500 team can only fill a conference bowl slot if there is no remaining league team with a better record. A .500 team can only fill other bowl slots if there is no remaining I-A team with a better record.)
As you can see, there are way too many bowls - 56 teams are eligible. That's almost half the division 1A teams. Absurd!
BTW, I've enjoyed talking with you & Colt this season - I think we behaved pretty well considering the situation! ;)
ksquared,
Next season? Hey, we still have the bowl games. Actually, looking back from here it's been a fun season - we've both seen the "thrill of victory & the agony of defeat". I think we both can be proud tho.
If things work out, UM & PSU will end up in the top 10 and we could even see OSU play Iowa for the NC - I'd love to see that. That would be a great game. At the beginning of the season, everyone was discounting The Big 10 - now it looks like we'll have 4 New Year's Day teams & possibly 4 top 10. Not bad for a "weak" conference,eh? <g>
Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving!
ksquared,
Here's a report from a Florida newspaper:
Capital One's pick from the Big Ten is easy. Bowl directors are hearing BCS bowls will take both Ohio State and Iowa regardless of Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan outcome, leaving Penn State and Michigan as choices. In other words, Penn State, coming off two bowl-less seasons, would come to Orlando, and Michigan would head to the Outback
If true, all 4 will be playing on New Year's Day! With this in mind .........
GO BLUE!!!!!!!! <vbg>
Here's a very, very important poll from SI, Colt. I hope you take the time to participate:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/POLL/results/273171.exclude.html
LOL! I voted for Beano
Hi Colt,
I've never seen Kingsbury play but I hear much about him. In fact, it appears that he & Larry Johnson of PSU & Brad Banks of Iowa have emerged from nowhere in the Heisman race:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/POLL/results/270011.html
Of course, this is the "Peoples" choice - the so called experts will probably go with someone who has received more press. As with so many things, it will come down to publicity rather pure talent, IMO. Too bad but that's life.
Take care.
ksquared,
A friend of mine has pointed out to me that there is a scenario that could play out where Iowa & Wash. State could meet for the NC giving the Big Ten the same 4 New Years's Day games. A lot has to happen & one of them is UM's upset of OSU this weekend.
So with this in mind, I will have no trouble rooting for your Wolverines this weekend - I'm sure that will make all the difference in the world! <g>
Here is SI's current projected bowl line-up:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/2002/bowl_projections/
Where'd all these bowls come from? LOL!
Take care
Colt,
Sorry for putting the hex on your game Sat. I never dreamed you guys would be upset by Tech. Of course, that's why they play them. I'm sure your NC chances have been foiled but with 2 really big games left, you still have the opportunity to finish top 5 & have a very successful season.
Someone pointed out to me last night that Fla. State could finish with 5 losses & be in the BCS - how crazy is that? And people think we don't need a real championship series? LOL! Someday - we can only hope anyway.
Best of luck!
Good mornin' ksquared,
I returned from a week's vacation yesterday so I'm a bit behind in posting. Things are looking much better for the Big ten at this point. The biggest game of the year is days away for you guys - the way OSU has been playing, you have a chance to ruin their season. They say the really good teams will always find a way to win & OSU has proved that a few times this year. However, the big test will be Sat.
I have mixed feelings on the game. Naturally, I want you to win because I respect you & I know what a big game it is for your team. However, the best scenario for the conference is an undefeated OSU. That way, they have 2 teams in the BCS and 2 other teams (UM & PSU) also playing in major bowls New Years Day. That would be a major coup for the Big Ten. Of course, a win by you would also make PSU the odd man out so you can see my quandary. ;)
At any rate, what happens will happen & what you or I hope for has no bearing on the game so i just hope the best team wins & leave it at that. Besides, PSU must get by Mich. State 1st - they should but stranger things have happened this year.
BTW, how 'bout that Larry Johnson? It's nice to hear his name finally mentioned a lot re: the Heisman. 327 yards vs. Indiana - wow!
Good luck this weekend - it should be a real barn burner! I'll be in S.C. for the State game but will be monitoring your game closely. Enjoy!
Nice win last night ksquared. Things are shaping up nicely that all 3 of us will be playing on New year's day. If I understand it correctly, the Big Ten could have 2 teams in the BCS, which leaves #'s 3 and 4 (UM&PSU) playing in the Citrus & Outback respectively. Both are Jan. 1st.
With all the bad mouthing earlier about our conference, it could turn out to be a very good year.
Of course, there is still the possibility that PSU could move ahead of UM but out of respect for you, I won't go there. <g>
I screwed up ksquared - Johnson only had 186 yards today. LOL!
Go Blue, beat dem Gophers!!!! <g>
Man, are you guys sittin' good all of a sudden! Both Miami & Ohio State have some tough games left. Congrats Colt! :)
Just read ahead and saw the note that Paterno is complaining about the switch in schedules claiming VA did it on purpose in order to get the week off ahead of the game..
Now, now. Actually, the story I heard was that they accidently scheduled 2 games on the same day (Va.). It was originally scheduled for the 2nd week in Sept. We were all glad they had to change it since @ that point we had 5 home games in a row. That's a bit much.
I decided to skip this game & take advantage of the good weather to clean up the yard - the leaves which looked so nice a few weeks back, just don't have the same appearance blowing around the shrubs etc. I plan to work as hard as I can to finish by 3:30 tho, so I'll see the game.
Your Wolverines had better beat Minn. - I don't want to finish worse than 4th in the Big 10. If we had learned how to win in OT we'd be sitting @ the top right now. Oh, what could have been. If, if , if!!!!!! LOL!
Larry Johnson should have another 200 yd. game - it's nice to hear some Heisman talk surrounding him.
Good luck!
Thanks for the offer Colt. I have a niece attending Sam Houston University - she & her husband are both psychology majors so I try not to talk around them too much - fear of analysis <g> I didn't realize you got snow birds down there - thought they all went to Fla. & Az.
It looks like all 3 of us will have wins today.
Hi ksquared & Colt,
I'm here - I'm still trying to thaw out after last week's freezing game in Beaver stadium. Cold, cold, cold! The body just wasn't prepared for that kind of weather this early.
I've been reading all the posts here - had all intentions to comment a few times when I had a chance & never got around to it. Have enjoyed all the articles just the same.
These last few weeks should be pretty exciting. Many are hoping for lots more upsets to throw the BCS in complete turmoil. Myself, I'm hoping for just 1 undefeated at season's end - Bowling Green! That should make it real interesting!
I'm not going to the game this weekend vs. Virginia but it should be a good one. Mills has been off recently - speculation is that his shoulder is bothering him much more than they want to admit. Fortunately Larry Johnson has picked up the slack. A 5th year senior - really makes you wonder why he wasn't playing more the last few years, I mean, he's only averaging over 7 yds. a carry JOE! <g>
Good luck to everyone this weekend and ksquared, you can have this crummy weather! I'm cold!!!!! LOL!
ksquared,
This team has got to be in complete turmoil right now - I don't think your guys will have any problem on Sat. When I heard of Smoker's suspension, the first thing I thought about was drugs. If it's true, I just can't understand what goes thru these kid's heads. I guess peer pressure can be very strong. It's a shame.
I hope this is all just rumor:
http://www.spartantailgate.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=022894
Colt,
Your guys have recovered nicely from the Okla. loss. The Neb. game should be a good one. That was quite a comeback by the Huskers last night but A&M is not in the same class as the Longhorns. Playing @ Lincoln may make it a little closer but you're a much better team, IMO.
Good luck & welcome back. BTW, if it's deer you're hunting we got a ton of them up here! <g>
Thank you ksquared. Our defense played their best game but the offense just forgot to show up. Of course, some of the credit must go to OSU - I'm just not smart enough to know how much. We had 5 1st downs - what a joke! No, can't blame the officiating on this one. The game plan sucked big time.
Oh well, I just love being a 2nd tier Big Ten team! ;)
LOL! We must be on the same wave length - posted at the same time.
I was sorry to see Clarett go down - I'd rather beat them @ full strength but you gotta have depth in this conference! :)
ksquared,
Sorry about the loss but I really think you guys lost to the best team in the Big Ten this year. They just seem to get stronger every week too. I hope my team does you a favor & beats the Buckeyes - then it'll come down to your last game against OSU for 2nd place.
I think we're out of it, no matter what.
Gary
I don't think I like this guy - how 'bout you?
CNNSI.com's Stewart Mandel weighs in with his forecast of the weekend's biggest games each Friday.
Week 10
Sat., 3:30 p.m. EDT / ABC No. 18 Penn State (5-2) at No. 4 Ohio State (8-0)
Question: What's the only Big Ten stadium in which Penn State has yet to win since joining the conference? Hint: It's not Indiana's. While the score won't be as lopsided as the past four, the streak won't end because the Buckeyes have the defense to slow down Larry Johnson and the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State 24, Penn State 21
Sat., Noon EDT / ESPN No. 13 Iowa (7-1) at No. 8 Michigan (6-1)
This is essentially the semifinal round of the Big Ten championship, with the winner staying alive to race Ohio State to the finish. Iowa has gotten this far for a number of reasons, not the least of which are dominant front lines on both sides of the ball. Once the Hawkeyes shut down the run, it will be up to John Navarre to beat them. Not likely.
Iowa 27, Michigan 22
LOL @ "inner hunk"!!!!!
ksquared,
I enjoy having others around when I'm watching a game - it's fun to discuss the "fine" points. However, there is nothing worse than watching a game with someone who is only there for the socializing aspect. They never seem to understand when to talk & when not to! <g>
It looks like I'm on my own today tho - I actually brought some work home and depending on how things go, I might get something accomplished while I'm watching. I'm glad I'll be able to see your game as well. I read somewhere that these 2 games are equivalent to a Big 10 playoff and they will obviously go a long way in determining the conference champion. Since we already have 2 losses, our chances are slim but I'm not against spoiling it for OSU. Besides, we need a big win.
I just don't want to see it go to OT - I really don't want to damage anything in my TV room. LOL!
Best of luck!
Hunk (I hope you realize that's a gross overstatement at this point!) :)
???GLTA??? Your full initials?
No - Good luck to all. My initials would be H U N K. LOL!
BTW, I keep forgetting to mention this - I was very impressed with your QB in the 2nd half of our game. He's very underrated, IMO.
Tell your friend that the ND dream season is about to end - reality will set in this weekend. ;)
Hi ksquared,
Well, the stage is set for our big weekend. Realistically, the best scenario for your Wolverines would be a big win over Iowa & our loss to OSU - you need OSU to be undefeated when you guys meet. Now having said that, I don't want to hear you rooting too hard for them! LOL! I look @ it this way - a win Sat. will mean a very good season and a loss will mean just a good season. We will probably end up @ 9-3. Either way, we go to a bowl which would be quite a turnaround from the previous 2 years.
I think both games will be exciting. I know our's is on @ 3:30 on ABC, but I haven't seen where & when your game is on. I hope I can see them both.
BTW, I enjoyed your story about the Navy game way back when - it brought back some of my own memories. <g>
Here's to big wins on Sat. & NO OVERTIME, PLEASE!!!!!!! LOL!
GLTA
traditional Paterno-type match up...
Now, now - be nice. ;) Good luck to you as well. Purdue may give them a tough game, usually do. I still can't believe K-State is favored over TX and Air Force over ND. What is this world coming to?
BTW, here is some interesting reading - some of these schools should be ashamed:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/mike_fish/news/2002/10/01/fish_graduation_rates/
ksquared,
LOL! Don't worry about offending me - I can take it. I'm sure much will be made of this. When you're as well known as Joe is, everything said is magnified - it sells news,
That said, I will disagree about one thing. I think Syracuse would be an excellent addition to the "Big Ten". Just because they are not in the Midwest is bunk. They should concentrate on someone who brings both quality academics & a competitive sports program. That's what they did the last time, right? ;) I agree that Rutgers would be a terrible choice and I would also have qualms about Pitt.
As far as the officiating - it probably is time for "instant replay". I think it's worked well in the pros & see no reason why it couldn't work in the college games. No game should ever be decided by anyone other than those coaching & playing - NEVER!
On to State College for the weekend - stay warm. :)
Yep, it's Homecoming this weekend. I'll be going up friday night so I don't have to worry about watching it on TV. Unless, of course, the weather doesn't warm up - then I would consider sitting @ the bar where the TV screen is large & the drinks are even larger! LOL!
Nah, I wouldn't do that. ;)