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THE ROSE BOWL:

I'm thinking this could be a really, really good bowl game. The Ducks fly south to Pasadena with a 10-2 record to face The Ohio State University, which also holds a 10-2 record. Oregon lost it's home opener to Boise State 19-8 and lost on the road to Stanford 51-42. We lost to USC at home 18-15 and lost on the road to Purdue 26-18. They beat USC by 27 because their coaches played to win and we should have beat USC by 27 but our coaches played not to lose. All in all, I would say it is a pretty damn good match up between champions of the Pac 10 and the Big 10. They have an outstanding offense but a questionable defense and we have an outstanding defense and no offense at all. BUT, they have an arrogance about them because they don't see any way on God's green earth that they can lose to a slow, lumbering, Big 10 team and that puts them right where Tressel wants them. Nobody plays the underdog card better than Tressel and win or lose, our boys will be ready to play this game.

It is going to be sunny and in the 70's or 80's and Tressel is going to open it up. He will give Pryor every opportunity to be a "whole" quarterback until Pryor proves to him that he made a mistake. If he throws a couple of picks early then Tressel will rein him in and send the tailbacks up the middle about a hundred times. So here's hoping Pryor is pumped and on his "A" game.

THAT WHICH WAS:

Nothing brings a smile to my face like seeing Florida lose and when they get absolutely humiliated on the national stage I actually get giddy. Having been there when we laid an egg against them and taking the abuse from friends and family alike, I can tell you that seeing the long faces of Gator Nation just plucked my heart strings. Tebow was crying like a 16 year old girl that just discovered a boil on her nose on the way to the Prom. But, of course, his tears were made of diamonds. I swear, every time Tebow walked out on the field Gary Danielson just about wet his pants. How much can one TV analyst praise a twenty-two year old football player without appearing to have a man crush? So the defending national champions will play in just another bowl game like everyone else and Tebow's bronze plaque that states his promise can now be removed from the walls of Florida stadium and thrown on the trash heap of college football disappointments right along with Urban Meyer's broken dreams.

Boise State beat New Mexico State 42-7 to end the regular season at 13-0. The Lobos were blue about losing and black and blue from the beating they took on the blue carpet. Boise State will be cheated out of an opportunity to play for a national championship because we don't have a playoff. And, of course we know that is because the NCAA doesn't have time to set up a playoff system because they are spending every extra minute they have on that Reggie Bush scandal at USC.

Speaking of USC, Arizona beat them 21-17 to drop them to 8-4. How did Tressel actually find a way to lose to USC?

Cal lost to a horrible Washington team 42-10.

Central Michigan beat Ohio U. 20-10 to win the MAC with an 11-2 record. I'm thinking $Notre Dame voted not to go to a bowl game so they wouldn't have to play Central Michigan and suffer one more humiliation in the Charlie Cheeseburger era.

Georgia Tech beat Clems-son 39-34 to win the ACC championship. Any day Clems-son, Florida, and USC lose is a good day. The fact that meeeshitagin will be watching the bowl games from Ann Arbor and not getting in an additional fifteen practices makes the day even that much more special.

The East Carolina Pirates flogged the Houston Cougars 38-32 to win the Conference USA championship. Houston came in averaging 45 points a game but the Pirates hit them with a couple of cannonball linebackers and a few cat o' nine tails defensive backs. They shivered their timbers and made them walk the plank. Arrrgh, we be high fivin' hands to hooks after the thrashin' we put on the landlubbers.

In the most bizarre game and play of the weekend Illinois was up on Fresno State 52-45. Fresno marches down the field and heaves a Hail Mary that is caught on the five . There is an Illinois defender between the Aztec and the goal line but he completely wiffs on the tackle and the receiver falls in the end zone. Then, in a move that had Tressel grasping at his chest while watching, Fresno went for two to get the win. They threw the ball in the end zone and it was batted out into the awaiting arms of a 350 pound offensive lineman that lumbered to the one yard line and fell into the end zone. Fresno, 53-52. The Zookster found yet another way to lose and yet another way to embarrass the Big Ten. At 3-9 he has fallen to Charlie Weis and Dick Rod depths.

Taking a lesson from the SEC, the Big 12 refs put one second back on the clock so that Texas could kick a field goal and go to the national championship game with a 13-12 win over Nebraska. Actually, this time it was a good call and Texas won the Big 12 championship with their soon to be named Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Colt McCoy.

The Oregon Ducks gave the Oregon State Beavers a 37-33 Brazilian wax job. I didn't notice, but did Oregon State have little beavers on their helmets?

Cincinnati stayed undefeated with a come from behind fourth quarter win over Pitt when Pitt bobbled the snap on an extra point try. I've been cheering for Cincinnati all season because they are from Ohio but the whole city is going on and on about how they are the best team in Ohio. I know they haven't been the last couple of times we played them but you know how tough that Big East is. We play them again in 2011 so I guess we will find out then.

Wisconsin pounded the Warriors of Hawaii 51-10 which took Hawaii out of the bowl picture. They were hoping to play $Notre Dame again in the Aloha Bowl but $Notre Dame voted not to go to a bowl so they probably would have been stuck with Minnesota anyway. Meanwhile, The Cheeseheads ended their season at 9-3 and should get a good bowl game. Of course, being anywhere other than Wisconsin in January is a blessing.

Mount Union beat Albright 55-3 which puts them in the final four of a true playoff. They play Wesley College out of Dover, Delaware. The Wesley Wolverines come to town with a 13-0 record but coming to any town in Ohio with Wolverines as a nickname means instant stomping. Mount has out scored it's last seven opponents by a combined score of 398-31, but don't look for a blowout in a semifinal game. You don't get to be 13-0 and win the South regional without being one of the best division III teams in the country.

NIS & NAT & NARYTANE:

Charlie Weis is out at $Notre Dame. He may have been, literally, the biggest mistake in college football. It is going to cost $Notre Dame about eighteen million dollars to buy him out and another eighteen million to sign a contract with a new coach. Giving all of the assistant coaches a severance, etc., etc., and you are looking at well over forty million dollars. After Bob Davies, Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis, I can't imagine the microscope that the $Notre Dame Athletic Director must be under to find the right coach. And let's not forget that O'Leary guy that lasted one day. The right coach could have $Notre Dame back in the national championship picture in two or three years. $Notre Dame needs another dud coach like Nancy Pelosi needs her face tightened up a little.

Bobby Bowden is also out. JoePa wins the geezer race.

We'll be duck hunting in January. It's nice to finally play a team in the Rose Bowl that has to pack their bags to get there.

On his way out the double doors, Charlie Cheeseburger, in a phone interview that was reported by The Los Angeles Times, implied that Pete Carroll was living with a grad student in Malibu. Pete, of course, adamantly refuted the allegation and implied Charlie was classless for even suggesting it. I guess now that he doesn't have to play him anymore he can get back at Petey for the beatings he took for the last five years.

Not that it was mentioned during the SEC championship game but both Pope Urban of Meyer and Nick The Snake Saban learned a lot about coaching under Earle Bruce.

Men's Basketball. Hey, after ten years, the Big Ten finally beat the ACC in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Evan Turner, our first All American level player in several years and clearly the best player in the Big Ten is out for two months with a couple of small stress fractures in his back. Last year we were 7-0 when David Lighty went down and this year we were 7-1 when Turner went down. Once again, the season just went from possible Big Ten champions to a middle of the conference team with a big THUD.

Women's Basketball. Every year we have one of the top teams in the country and the first time we play another top team we get absolutely pounded. This year it was Duke. Every time it happens the team says, "We just didn't come out with the intensity we should have." and "They wanted it more." Sometimes I think Foster lets that happen so they know how they have to play against top competition, like some kind of learning lesson. I just know it happens every year.

Ohio didn't do to bad this year in college football. Ohio State won the Big Ten, Cincinnati won the Big East, Ohio U. came in second in the MAC and Mount Union is, as always, in the hunt for the national championship.

Tiger. Why is it people just never have enough? He is worth about a billion dollars and is married to one of the two most beautiful women in the world, the other being her twin sister, and it isn't enough. Maybe that five iron along the side of his head will drive some sense into him. Oops, that has nothing to do with college football. Go Bucks, Beat the Ducks!

The Coach

Tags: jim tressel, ohio state football, oregon ducks, rose bowl