Daily Loaf

Premature Ebrackulation

I’m as big a college basketball fan as the next guy.  When March rolls around, I’m glued to the television set, incorrect brackets strewn across my living room. I yearn for the analysis of Clark Kellogg and the soothing sounds of Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery. But is it really necessary for ESPN to already start bombarding us with Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology in mid-November?

College football is in full swing and we only recently started talking about bowl assignments. The last thing I want to hear a mere two games into the basketball season is how Jojo projects Butler as a lock for the Midwest’s fourth seed.

The only good that can come out of discussing college basketball’s postseason this early is the hope that the BCS will incorporate a similar playoff format.  But we all know it won’t happen in our lifetimes.  So what’s the point?

Belichick’s Brazen Blunder?

Last Monday, we were witness to the coaching decision heard ‘round the world.

Up by six with two minutes to go, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots opted to go for it on fourth-and-two rather than punt the ball from his own 29-yard line.  The problem is they didn’t get those two yards and gave Indy the ball back a mere hop, skip and jump from the end zone.  The Colts scored seconds later for the victory.

It was the talk of the day, if not the week.  Coaches, players and analysts nationwide initially bashed Bill for this call. Then an odd thing happened. The following morning, people suddenly found logic in his decision.  Many justified the move, commending Belichick’s trust in his offense enough to get the two yards. They called him bold and unconventional. They showed that, by the percentages, Belichick actually made the right call. I’m not exactly sure what numbers they were looking at. Punting in that situation is essentially a football no-brainer.

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This weekend is college football’s calm before the storm, so if you need to get some yard work done, this is the weekend to do it. Unless of course, you’re a Michigan or Ohio State fan. The three kings, Florida, Alabama and Texas, all have two regular season games, then a conference championship to determine who will play for the BCS title. This week, those three are such huge favorites against Florida International, Kansas and UT-Chattanooga that Las Vegas doesn’t even have a point spread in the ‘Bama-UTC game. Perhaps the Mocs are hoping Terrell Owens will once again suit up for his alma mater. The Buffalo Bills might secretly be hoping the same thing. In the NFL, Super Bowl contenders are starting to separate themselves from the early draftees, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a few choice matchups to watch. One includes an undefeated team as a road underdog and two other conference games that could determine who gets into the playoffs and who stays out.

(10) OSU at Michigan – (Saturday, 12:00 pm – ABC – OSU minus 12)

Let’s face it. A Rose Bowl berth doesn’t mean anything to Ohio State if they don’t beat they’re arch rival. Losses in this series get coaches fired. Just ask John Cooper. (I probably just lost three Buckeyes readers for merely mentioning Cooper’s name.) Speaking from personal experience, the only thing more enjoyable than watching college football’s most storied rivalry with a drunken Buckeye fan is hearing him or her explain in excruciating detail how this is college football’s most storied rivalry. So they have that going for them… which is nice. Whoops, just lost three more Buckeye readers. Michigan is 1-6 in the Big Ten this year and Jimmy T has never lost to Michigan, so the Buckeyes have nothing to worry about this year, right?

(11) Oregon at Arizona – (Saturday, 8:00 pm – ABC – ORE minus 6)

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Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. When I became a certified barbecue judge a few years back, I realized that there’s more to the art of smoked meat than most people realize. Luckily, you won’t have to worry about that when you head out to the 7th annual Plant City Pig Jam this weekend.

Instead, you can just cruise the field, sampling championship char from more than 70 barbecue teams, ranging from local yokels to semi-professional ‘cue cooks. Read the rest of this entry »

The curtain is closing on college football’s regular season. The top three teams in the nation are all double-digit road favorites (Florida at South Carolina, Alabama at Mississippi State, Texas at Baylor), but they are slowly running out of opportunities to stumble. Nobody expects them to lose but stranger things have happened. The NFL is starting to provide fans with a little separation between the playoff-bound and the also-rans. This Sunday, we’ll witness a key clash between the top two teams in the NFL’s best division as well as two legendary quarterbacks squaring off once again.

(25) West Virginia at (5) Cincinnati – (Friday, 8:00 pm – ESPN – Cincy minus 9)

Cincinnati just might do it. With three games left, they might make it through a perfect season. Pittsburgh might have something to say about that on December 5, but so will Noel Devine and West Virginia this Friday. Devine is second in the Big East in rushing, averaging over 112 yards a game. Zach Collaros has filled in admirably for the injured Tony Pike. Collaros will start but Pike is expected to see some playing time after being out a month. Cincinnati hasn’t lost at home in two years. The last team to beat them there? The Mountaineers.

(10) Iowa at (11) Ohio State – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – ABC – OSU minus 16.5)

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Remember those sharply dressed fellows in last week’s What to Watch? You know … the ones desperately trying to gain entry into that South Beach BCS night club? Their names were Iowa, TCU, Cincinnati, Boise State and LSU. Well, the lights are coming on and last call is rapidly approaching. This weekend, one of those teams has the opportunity to finagle its way to the front of the line. The others must continue to sit back and watch, hoping the BCS voters who work the door look favorably upon them, which is unlikely if Florida, Texas and Alabama continue to handle their business. The NFL doesn’t rely on doormen, but its season is no less exciting. This Sunday, the NFL reaches its midseason. As one avid SportsChump reader pointed out, we have six games pitting over-.500 teams against each other this weekend, a rarity for this late in the season. Sounds like a separation Sunday worth watching. Read the rest of this entry »

With college football’s home stretch slowly coming into view, this Saturday offers fans another batch of important games that will lead us closer to clarity. Two national championship contenders hit the road against ranked teams while several other hopefuls remain locked outside the top of the BCS like single guys waiting fruitlessly to get into an exclusive South Beach nightclub. The NFL also has several key division matchups as well the league’s most surprising undefeated team looking to stay perfect on the road.

And there’s also a little thing called the World Series going on, so make sure your cable bill is up to date.

Georgia at (1) Florida (Jacksonville, Fl.) – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – CBS – UF minus 15)

Don’t call it the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party anymore. The powers that be don’t like the image it portrays. As if the 75,000 fans that pile into the Gator Bowl this Saturday won’t be imbibing their favorite brand of bourbon. On the bright side, that’s more fans than have seen a Jaguars home game all season. While still undefeated, Florida is a far cry from the offensive powerhouse it’s been in years past, particularly in the red zone. The Gators have scored only 16 touchdowns in 36 red zone attempts this season, not exactly reminiscent of their national championship runs. The good news for Florida is that they’re still controlling time of possession and their defense ranks among the best in the nation in most categories. A Gator victory could seal the SEC East but the Bulldogs won’t roll over, even though they’ve lost 16 of the last 19 meetings. Most Gator fans remember the Georgia’s end zone celebration two years ago. Florida exacted its revenge by winning 49-10 the following year, calling two timeouts in the final seconds to rub it in. Look for Urban Meyer to give Tim Tebow very chance to break Herschel Walker’s all-time conference rushing record against the school he played for.

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This Saturday’s college slate gives us a quick breather from the top-ranked, head-to-head matchups we’ve seen so much of lately. The weekend features only one contest between ranked teams and a number of distinct favorites squaring off against theoretically lesser opponents. That doesn’t mean we won’t see our fair share of surprises. It does mean that if you like betting money lines, you stand to make a nice chunk of change if your underdogs hit. In the NFL, the three remaining unbeatens all hit the road, two of whom will be playing in very hostile environments.

Once again, here’s what you should be watching….

Clemson at Miami (10) – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – ABC – UM minus 4.5)

If you like speed, this could be the game to watch. At 3-3, Clemson still has a chance to win the ACC’s Atlantic Division but any effort the school put into hyping CJ Spiller as a Heisman candidate could have been better invested in junk bonds. Spiller has only scored three touchdowns this season. The Tigers face a Miami team which is ranked 10th in the BCS but 4th in their own division. Go figure. Clemson has yet to win a road game and Miami has yet to lose at home this season which means the Hurricanes should definitely win this game, right?

Tennessee at (2) Alabama – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – CBS – Bama minus 14.5)

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If you thought last weekend featured the only big-time tussle in the bayou, think again. While this weekend’s college slate might at first glance pale in comparison to Florida-LSU, don’t be fooled. Three of the top-five teams in the nation square off against ranked opponents. If they’re not careful, they can easily be knocked from their perch. While the NFL powers-that-be separate themselves from the dregs of the league, two unbeatens go head-to-head in yet another bayou battle for supremacy.

(20) Oklahoma at (3) Texas – (Saturday, 12:00 pm – ABC – UT minus 3.5)

After one bum shoulder and two Sooner losses, the Red River rivalry might not hold the anticipation it was supposed to at season’s beginning, but don’t tell that to the school’s alumni. With losses to Miami and BYU, any Oklahoma hopes of returning to the BCS title game are pretty much out the window, but they can still win their conference and dehorn Texas whose championship hopes are alive and well. On the other hand, an undefeated season would earn Texas a first class ticket to Los Angeles in January. Texas won this matchup last year, but lost to Michael Crabtree and Texas Tech, denying them a title shot and opening the door back up for Oklahoma. Even though Bradford and Colt McCoy are the best of friends, the revenge factor in this game is big. Expect nothing but fierce competition and quality quarterback play at high noon on Saturday.

(11) Iowa at Wisconsin – (Saturday, 12:00 pm – ESPN – Wisc minus 1.5) Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always a spectacle in the south when football kicks into full gear, but this weekend is particularly big. And by big, I mean huge: The three conference powers all grace the gridiron, including a highly anticipated game between two unbeatens. It’s also an important weekend in the Big Ten as the top four teams confront one another. The NFL slate has six of its best going head-to-head as well as a crucial Monday matchup between two division rivals. For those of you who don’t dig on pigskin, baseball playoffs have officially commenced as well.

Georgia at Tennessee – (Saturday, 12:20 pm – ESPN – UT minus 1.5)

Athens is still bitter over last week’s controversial loss that may have been swayed by a late excessive celebration whistle. This week, Georgia looks for redemption in the land of the Kiffins: Knoxville, TN. Lane and company are still adjusting to life in the Southeastern Conference, awaiting their first win. While Tennessee is likely out of the SEC East race, Georgia can keep its hopes alive with a win this weekend along with a victory over Florida on Halloween. The UGA-UT matchup, which is always a great game, serves as an appetizer for the other two more crucial conference matchups later that day.

(3) Alabama at (20) Ole Miss – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – CBS – Bama minus 5.5)

It wasn’t long ago that both these teams were ranked in the Top Five but a Thursday night loss at South Carolina two weeks ago knocked Ole Miss back to reality. A victory over Alabama is a must if they want to keep their SEC West hopes alive. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide, who have beaten Ole Miss five straight times, continue to pile up votes as many think they’re the best team in the country. They have yet to be challenged this season, averaging an un-Alabamalike but very Nick Saban-like 40 points per game. If Jevan Snead wants to prove he’s the best quarterback in the SEC like Steve Spurrier voted, Saturday would be the day to start making his case.

Wisconsin at (9) Ohio State – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – ABC – OSU minus 16.5) Read the rest of this entry »

“Celebrate good times, come on!”

-Kool and the Gang

Congratulations! You just received that promotion you’ve been anticipating. You closed a huge sale, finished that lingering household project or lost the weight you’ve been trying for months to lose. It’s time to celebrate. After all, who could hold back emotion after such an accomplishment? Wouldn’t you immediately pat yourself on the back, phone a friend or rejoice with your family? After all, you deserve it.

Well, be thankful you don’t play college football, for in that venue, showing any sort of emotion is a violation of the rules. Such an outburst costs you fifteen yards of field position and possibly a shot at a national title. It might even grant your opponent a chance they otherwise would not have earned.

Such was the case this Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »

This week in college and professional football might finally shed some light on who’s good and who’s not, putting some distance between the contenders and the pretenders. Below are some of the games you should be watching.

South Florida at (18) Florida State – (Saturday, 12:00 pm – ESPN – FSU minus 14)

Once upon a time, three mighty giants ruled the sunshine state. Their names were Miami, Florida and Florida State. These three football powers accounted for 10 national championships in 26 years. It was nearly impossible for any smaller state schools to compete with these programs, both on the field and on the recruiting trail. But that’s exactly what the University of South Florida is trying to do. They’ll get their chance this weekend as they travel to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles. FSU is coming off an emotional road win over 7th ranked BYU and looking to get their program back to national prominence. So is USF, who suffered an unfortunate setback when they lost senior quarterback Matt Grothe for the season to a torn left ACL last week. Grothe, who was well on his way to another successful season, will be replaced by freshman B.J. Daniels who hails from, you guessed it… Tallahassee. Don’t expect the Seminoles to throw him a welcome home party.

Iowa at (5) Penn State – (Saturday, 8:00 pm – ABC – Penn State minus 9.5)

Revenge is a dish best served Nittany. The Iowa Hawkeyes spoiled Penn State’s run at a national championship last year by stunning them 24-23 in Iowa City. Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions will try to keep their 2009 hopes alive in this conference opener for both teams. Iowa is on a seven-game winning streak but will have to play in front off 110,000 angry fans who are still bitter over last year’s defeat. Neither team has yet to be challenged this year, beating their six opponents by a combined 113 points. With Ohio State’s loss to USC who then lost to Washington, Penn State may not only need an undefeated season, but also some style points in these Big Ten conference games to get a BCS title shot.

(9) Miami at (11) Virginia Tech – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – ABC – Miami minus 2.5) Read the rest of this entry »

Back by popular demand, sportschump.net has once again decided to preview the weekend’s most important match-ups. For those of you who don’t eat, drink and sleep SportsCenter, here’s what you should be watching this weekend.

(10) Boise State at Fresno State – (Friday, 9:00 pm – ESPN – BSU minus 7.5)

The Boise State Broncos leave the friendly confines of their blue turf and travel to Fresno to face their division rival Friday in prime time. Fresno State, who is coming off a heartbreaking-loss at Wisconsin, hosts a stingy Boise State team that has only allowed 8 points in two games. While this will be one of the more difficult road tests for Boise State, many expect them to roll through their schedule unblemished on their way to a BCS berth. That means style points could be important. The Broncos have won their last three against Fresno State and six of their last eight. The Bulldogs have lost their last nine games against ranked opponents. All this does not bode well for Fresno State but then again, that’s why they play the games.

Tennessee at (1) Florida – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – CBS – Florida minus 29.5)

Remember growing up when you mouthed off to your father and he’d turn around and wallop you right in the kisser, reminding you who was boss. That’s exactly what could happen in the Swamp on Saturday. Upon being hired this off-season, Lane Kiffin added fuel to an already heated rivalry when he accused Urban Meyer of cheating and proclaimed Tennessee would sing “Rocky Top” all night long when they beat the Gators. Well, he’s finally going to get his chance. This date has been circled on both team’s calendars since those comments. Since losing to Ole Miss last year, Florida has covered every point spread but one. They’re favored by more than four touchdowns. Vol fans, who are more nervous than Buckeye fans before the USC game, hope that trend does not continue. Florida will be going for a school record 13 consecutive victories while Kiffin and company try to make their bold prediction come true. Expect a raucous Swamp filled with Gator fans who can smell blood.

(19) Nebraska at (13) Virginia Tech – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – ABC – Va Tech minus 5) Read the rest of this entry »

Since the inception of sportschump.net in April of 2009, I’ve written countless narratives about the world of sports. Yet the one piece that people remember most was not my detailed breakdown of the NBA Finals, the wild card races or my football season previews, but rather the fact that, when I go to the deli, I order a third of a pound of cold cuts. In that particular chumpdate, I went on to explain that, for me “a half a pound is too much, a quarter pound is never enough. Like the baby bear’s bed to Goldilocks, a third of a pound is just right.”

Well, I hereby introduce more Chumpservations, some sports related, some not so much. At the risk of sounding too much like Steven Wright, Andy Rooney and Jerry Seinfeld all rolled into one, here goes….

Working out in dress socks: Fashion faux pas? Apparently not.

I strolled into my local YMCA the other afternoon, bopping to some Tribe on my iPod. It was just after four in the afternoon. The gentleman checking in just in front of me appeared eager to work out as well. He walked into the gym with his workout clothes already on… with one glaring exception. He was wearing dress socks. Read the rest of this entry »

Can you smell that, sports fans? The freshly cut grass? The grill at the tailgate loaded up with low-sodium, turkey kielbasa? The stumbling guy with matching hat and jersey who has had way too much to drink hours before tip-off? That’s right. It’s that time of year again and we are all ready for some football.

That means we can hunker down in front of the tube this weekend and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Here’s what you should be watching.

(3) USC at (8) Ohio State (Saturday, 8:00 pm – ESPN – USC minus 7)

If you’re going to watch only one football game this weekend, make sure this is the one. Never has a meaningless game been so meaningful, at least in Columbus, Ohio. The loser of this game can still win their conference and even conceivably play for a national championship. But after last year’s 35-3 beat down, many feel Ohio State needs to exact revenge against Southern Cal, not only for its program but for its conference. Can Ohio State stop USC’s ground game? Can they put pressure on freshman QB Matt Barkley? Can Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor will his team to victory? If you’re not fortunate enough to attend this game in person, turn up the volume on your television sets. The Horseshoe should be rockin’.

Troy at (1) Florida – (Saturday, 12:00 pm – ESPN – UF minus 36.5)

Read the rest of this entry »

We have all been there.

If you’re a college football fan and you bleed your school’s colors, you’ve experienced it. You’ve painted your face. You’ve worn your lucky shirt, shorts and undergarments on game day. Your superstitions have become routine. You’ve tailgated from daybreak to sundown and beyond. You have eaten and drank excessively in celebration. You have hugged and high-fived your friends with every score. You have lived and died with your team. Your allegiance is unquestioned and unparalleled. You’ve celebrated the thrill of victory with your team so passionately, it was as if you were on the field in uniform.

And then it happens, sometimes when you least expect it. Everything is going great and then, suddenly… your team loses. What? How can this be? How could they do this? Gloom sets in. It overwhelms you. Your day, your week or perhaps even your entire season is ruined. There’s always next year.

You’ve given so much of your time and dedication, only to be let down like when that girl never called you back after you bought her dinner. What the heck? You even opened the car door and splurged for the tiramisu. How could they do this after all you’ve been through together? It doesn’t make any sense. You’ve waited all week for Saturday to roll around and this is how they treat you? You swear to yourself, you’ll never get so emotionally involved about a game again, but you know you’re just lying. Resistance is most definitely futile.

Whatever your allegiance, you’ve experienced defeat. It’s inevitable. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. It always hurts. And the better your team is, the more painful the losses tend to be. Nobody’s perfect and everyone has a bad day. Read the rest of this entry »

The Tampa Tribune’s Martin Fennelly thinks he should, and he says so in a front-page story today with the headline, “Bobby, It’s Time To Do The Right Thing.”

The reason, of course, is that FSU’s athletics department, which Bowden’s football teams have covered with glory, is now covered in, well, shit. Because a bunch of athletes allegedly cheated on, among other things, online music quizzes. They had to cheat on online music quizzes? Sheesh.

Here’s Fennelly’s opening salvo:

It’s time.
It’s time for Bobby Bowden, who is Florida State athletics, to do a far, far better thing, which is saying something given all he has given FSU, college football and plain folk everywhere.
It’s time to go.
I take no pleasure in saying that. None.
But the other shoe has dropped. The NCAA shoe. And it’s steel-toed.

Fennelly goes on like that, pretty steel-toed himself. (I like that about Martin Fennelly.)

What do you think? And why should we care?