Tag Archives: Mark Ingram

Predictions for the Year 2010: The Scotch Version

Alrighty, I’m about halfway through my scotch and water, I blasted out another Crib Sheet, and I’m jacked up for some football tomorrow night.  It’s prediction time!  The offseason sucked.  Period.  Being in Big 12 land was not easy on this college football lovin’ Yeti and especially not easy on Kansas City.  We weathered the storm and now we are here ready for some pigskin play.  What will we see in this year’s volume of football?  Let’s take a look in our crystal ball shaped glass full of scotch and water.

  • Mike Leach will lose his CBS announcing job for making Gus Johnson stand in the bathroom with no light.
  • Mark Ingram will not be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, thanks to the fresh knee injury.
  • The Oregon Ducks will win the Pac 10, both for best dressed and actual gold.
  • Colorado loses a bunch of games and Dan Hawkins stays on because the school is too broke to fire him out of his contract.
  • Caoch Brian Kelly will talk NBC into going into commerical breaks for opposing teams’ offensive drives only.  Oh and the Fighting Irish will make a bowl.
  • Missouri will win the North, only because Nebraska’s ego and farewell tour will fall flat.
  • Daniel Thomas will be a Heisman finalist, thanks to a solid offensive line and the fact that he will get his yards with the whole defense keying on him.  Thanks, Carson Coffman.
  • Boise State will go undefeated and not make the dance.  People are saying its the weak schedule, but it will be because of an undefeated team in the Big 10 and one other conference.  Look for Orrin Hatch to have an aneurism over this one.
  • This will be Lee  Corso’s last season for ESPN College GameDay.  It’s been a hell of a ride, Lee, just please don’t put on the Grim Reaper’s head when it’s your time to go.
  • This will be the fastest season ever for the Kansas Jayhawks.  By fast, we mean the fans will be ready for basketball season about 2 games in.  Turner Gill’s rebuilding starts this year, he’s got at least 3 before some magic happens.
  • Iowa State will be in the bottom of the league again, but they will get an upset some big team because of a massive rain storm.  Hey their practice field flooded over the summer, they should be ready.
  • Texas just missed the mark in the Big 12 South.  Not because of the competition, but for the cliffhanger they want to leave for next season’s Longhorns Network debut.  Stay Tuned!  Same horn time!  Same horn channel!
  • Big Game Bob goes to a BCS game but will not be game as the Sooners bob and weave from some other big team beaming game time bashings.  Probably against Virginia Tech and Frank BEAMER.
  • The Big East has a seasson.  No one really cares.
  • RichRod makes a valiant effort and gets the Wolverines into a bowl game.  It will be the weakest one from the Big 10 and it will be enough to get him fired.  He will then go on and make real estate deals with everyone in the Ann Arbor region.
  • USC doesn’t get close to a Pac 10 championship and Lane Kiffin leaves after just one season.  The Kiffin world tour moves on!
  • Florida misses Tim Tebow and will miss being in the running for the SEC.  Urban Meyer gets sick and dies from the piss poor play on the field.
  • Kansas City sports bars will stay the same this year.  No one will get 3D TVs because the mixture of 3D and beer will make everyone puke.  Some new bars will crop up and the KCCGD crew will eventually puke in those anyway.
  • We’re going back to our 2008 prediction about Joe Paterno dieing on the field.  Now that Bobby Bowden is out, this one should get much easier.  Or will he be in the booth this year?
  • Okay, we called the BCS National Championship game two years ago with Florida and Oklahoma,  we were halfway right with Texas last year in the big game.  What will happen this year?  Well, the trend says we will get it all wrong so there’s nothing to lose.  I’m thinking the offseason hype for the Big 10 will lead a team to a title contention.  Since the only team that’s worth a damn up there is Ohio State, then that’s our pick.  Chances are the SEC will be mega tough again this year and barring any late push by an Oregon or a Big 12 team, we are going the easy route and picking SEC.  Whose turn is it?  Let’s go LSU.  Why not. Can you say 2007 rematch?

Crib Sheet: College Football Prime Time

Finally the wait is over.   Tomorrow night we kick off another great year of college football!  It’s been what seems likes ages since the end of last season and now we have another year of the most pristine competition we’ll ever see on the field.  Sure the offseason provided plenty of drama, with coaching changes and conference expansion, but we’re done with the talking and we’re ready to strap it on.  The helmet that is.  So here’s the last Crib Sheet before the new season:

Mascot Monday: Big Al

Big Al’s in the house this week as we are one more mascot away from completing the top mascots that we have yet to cover from Phil Steele’s Preseason Top 40.  The #3 Alabama Crimson Tide won the big shiny ball last year and look to repeat this year with returning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram carrying the rock.  The competition is hot in the SEC and what better hot weather animal to have around as a mascot then the elephant known as Big Al.  We were just as confused as you may be as to why a team by the name of Crimson Tide employs and elephant mascot.  We’ll find that out as well as how we think Alabama finishes out the season.

Continue reading Mascot Monday: Big Al

BCS Title Thoughts and Year End Review

Okay, freshly back from a wedding in California (not MY wedding), I’m now ready to actually talk about the BCS title game and the year that was college football.  We’re going to talk about the game that could’ve been, the season that was bookended by injuries, and some other interesting notes that popped up over the season.  So, while this is a little late, sit back and enjoy us on your little trip through college football memory lane.  Please keep your arms and head inside the windows.

Continue reading BCS Title Thoughts and Year End Review

Big 12 Bowl Preview and Predictions

Alrighty,  we are in the 1st quarter of bowl season and fortunately we don’t have any Big 12 bowl games until next week.  So we have the opportunity to preview and predict what’s coming up in the next couple of weeks for the Big 12.  We’ll talk briefly about the match up and go into our expert predictions.  Chew on this while you are doing your last minute shopping on Amazon.  Oh and please pick us up something nice while you’re at it.

Continue reading Big 12 Bowl Preview and Predictions

Crib Sheet: Back and Ready to Go Bowling

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After a well deserved week off, we are back to bringing you some tasty college football.  Alot happened during our mini hiatus so we are playing catch up with the Crib Sheet.  We have alot to get to here with the start of bowl season this weekend.  Tune in soon for a couple of year end reviews, bowl picks, and some bowlspots.  Until then, here’s a very chunky Crib Sheet:

  • Alabama took the high road when it announced that they will cancel classes for the BCS National Championship.  That’s nice for football fans, but the last time I remembered there are people who actually don’t like football AND go to college.  It seems kinda chintzy to lob off classes for everyone during the bowl game.  Then again, this is South and it is football.
  • Congress will crack the whip on the BCS soon and vote on a bill to ban promotion of the NCAA division I football series unless they get a playoff.  The argument against it is that they have better things to do (health care bill, anyone).  The argument for it is that the NCAA is a business and they should treat the conferences like companies in an industry.  Problem with that one is that then the argument will come up that the students should get paid then (on top of free college).  The slippery slope just got some juice.
  • Charlie Strong is you new Lousiville head coach.  This guy was rumored for the Kansas job, but right now the hot note is Buffalo’s Turner Gill.  Anywho, back to Strong.  This guy was co-defensive coordinator for Florida and looks to be a real good hire.  Good luck to Cardinals.
  • Tennessee confirms that there is an investigation into their Orange Pride group and possible recruiting violations.  Basically, the Orange Pride comprises mostly of very attractive Volunteer females that drive around and persuade recruits to join the program.  They would even friend them on Facebook.  Did they break any rules?  Who knows?  This has been going on for a long time, however.  The power of gender persuasion is a might force, my friends.
  • Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh hired his dad Jack to be interim running backs coach for the Sun Bowl.  It’s nice to see that the Harbaughs like to keep in the family.  His dad won some titles in Division II and his brother John just happens to the head coach of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.
  • Notre Dame took the plunge and finally hired a head coach.  His name?  Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly.   It’s a good fit for the Domers.  They guy won the Big East the last two years and has won at least 10 games the last three.  Let’s hope the boosters expectations aren’t too high this time around, otherwise we’ll be seeing this dance again in three years.
  • Mack Brown from Texas is getting an extra $2 million per year on the rest of his contract for doing such a great job.  The guy now will make about $5 million per year.  Meanwhile, an Iowa senator complains that coaches are being paid too much.  Nevermind that Texas brings in about $100 million a year via the athletic department.  Oh and don’t let Kirk Ferentz or Paul Rhoads hear this guy.  They might  go somewhere else and the voters will vent on their frustration in the voting booth.
  • Colt McCoy wants a bowl playoff.  He’s thought about long and hard.  Did he think about it while he almost blew the game for the Longhorns at the Big 12 Championship?  Maybe that’s why he wants playoff.  It would’ve covered up his mistake.  Doh!
  • A handful of awards were handed out on ESPN last week to college football players.  We’re not going to go through the whole list but we will say that Big 12 was represented very well.  Congrats to Colt McCoy and Ndamukong Suh.
  • So Kansas ended its coaching search over the weekend.  Some people thought it was Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, but that was denied big time.  So the Jayhawks fell to their 2nd choice, Turner Gill.  This guy turned around Buffalo from perennial losers to a decent MAC team, even winning the title last year.  Some people have overlooked that and started a fire-this-guy website.  Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.
  • Congrats to Northwest Missouri State who became the Division II champions over the weekend.  It was their first title since 1998.   Good job guys!
  • Mark Ingram won the Heisman over the weekend as well.  The race ended up being the closest ever with Ingram taking it over Gerhart, McCoy, Suh, and Tebow respectively.  The sexy pick leading up to it was Suh, but that’s why it was sexy.  No chance of winning and you get to appear smart.  That said, there was no clear leading guy running up to it, so it’s no surprise it was this close.
  • Kansas State special teams stand out Brandon Banks was released from jail after beating a women while stoked on some stimulants.  Ruh Roh.  At least there’s no bowl to damage for the Wildcats.  Hopefully this guy will get his act together and salvage his draft status, if there’s any left.
  • Looks like Illinois will hire Kansas State co-defensive coordinator Vic Koenning to be their sole defensive coordinator.  He was with Clemson for a couple of years before his one year stint with the Wildcats.  Hopefully the Wildcats defense won’t suffer that much.
  • Looks like the Big 10 will finally come into the century and explore a possible 12th team and conference championship.  Who will it be?  Some say Missouri or Iowa State.  We know Missouri would listen.  Others are point toward the Big East and Syracuse, Rutgers, or Pittsburgh.  Let’s hope they keep it Big East for the east coast television money too.
  • The NCAA, following the lead of the NFL, will recommend keeping an athlete out of the game if they lose consciousness or show signs of a concussion.  Head trauma is big news nowadays and the NCAA is quickly stepping in to cover their own heads with this rule.  Now I get the old folks harping about leather helmets and poor pads being a better sport.  We’ll be talking like that in a c0uple of years.

Crib Sheet: Tis the Season

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As expected, there is a ton of news this week.  Conference championships are over, coaches are fired, kids are leaving for the NFL, and the bowls are lighting up.  Here’s this week’s Crib Sheet while we go do some Christmas Shopping:

Brooksider Brings Us the Best in Football and Bars

Ahh, nothing like a good ole familiar barspot to round out the year and watch some major championship games. This will be our third year in row heading to the Brooksider Bar & Grill and it’s well worth it. We’ll go over this year’s additions as well as revisit some of the amenities that make the Brooksider to place to be for sports watching. Most importantly however, we have the SEC and the Big 12 Championship game to buckle up and ride along with. So hold on and we’ll tell the tale of the year’s last barspot.

Broosider Inside

This time around the first thing we noticed was how open the joint was. We can’t remember if it happened last year or not, but the they knocked down some walls to make it more open and pleasing. We swear they added even more flat screen televisions since our last appearance. And, yes, we still love the 71 inch plasma television. They added wireless and we were rocking it for the post during the games. There’s nothing else new we really noticed. They still have plenty of space for smoking outside, dancing downstairs, and local bands up front.

Brooksider Downstairs

The Brooksider wasn’t without its faults, however. We understand that fans are needed to circulate air, especially in smoking joints, but it was little ridiculous in this kind of weather. Speaking of which, the front door kept opening up and letting in some wickedly cold air. For their next expansion they need a breeze way. Downstairs used to be the place where the dancing and partying took place, but it’s all gone now. Thank you dress code. To make up for it, they have special parties booked down there, but when we were there it was empty and smelled like sewage. Clean it up, guys.

Brooksider Waitress

The service started out really cool. The first shift waitresses looked pretty cute and they did do a good job of taking orders and accommodation our sitting needs. The 2nd shift waitresses met the standards the Brooksider set as they all matched the beauty we remembered from last time. Although it was a little troublesome when they didn’t know all of the bottles available for the special, they still hooked us up when we needed.

Brooksider Mac N Cheese WedgesBrooksider Bologna

The food always starts with Mac N Cheese Wedges at the Brooksider. We ended up washing it down with their game day special of 5 bucket beers at $15. Get the imports for that deal when you come. It was hard to overlook the $5.99 wing special but the wedges always warms our bellies well. For the second round of foodstuff, we filled our tummy with some fried bologna on toast. It was tasty, but it still doesn’t beat Harry’s Country Club.

We showed up early to knock out a good seat and we were glad we did. We spied the dramatic finish of the Big East title game with 2 touchdowns below 2 minutes to go in the game. It was a shootout all day but Cincinnati pulled out at the end to finish with an undefeated season. We were also fortunate to check out the finish of the Fresno State and Illinois game. A 2 point conversion off a touchdown happened after a deflection and a lineman catch. Already the day started out great.

Brooksider Inside 02

But we were really there to see Florida take on Alabama and Texas take on Nebraska. First up, Florida and Alabama locked horns in the in the SEC title game. It was all Alabama to begin with as Mark Ingrim ran all over the Gator D and Florida had a hard time answering. Florida finally put some points with a field goal around the end of the 1st quarter. Tim Tebow and company tried to keep up in the 2nd quarter, but couldn’t match Alabama’s running game. The Crimson Tide pulled away in the third and their stingy defense was just too much for Tebow to handle. The Gators were outmatched and the better team in Alabama won. Contrats to them.

Next up was the Big 12 title game with Texas and Nebraska. The first half opened up with a couple of costly turnovers for Colt McCoy and the Longhorns. Not to be outdone, Zac Lee lobbed a couple of ducks Texas’ way. It was field position that was the factor as Nebraska took advantage of the turnovers and went up on top 6-0. It took some whittling down, but Texas came back toward the end of the first half and scored on a McCoy draw to cap off a long drive. Not much action for the first half as it was Nebraska’s style of play all the way.

Brooksider Christams Tree

The second half continued in that tradition and it led to a shocker of a finish. We could talk about the third quarter, but the best part of the whole game ended at the end. After a kick return back into Texas’ territory, Nebraska finished again with a field goal to take the lead late. The kickoff wobbled out of bounds and Texas started with the ball and under a minute to go at their own 40.

After a horse collar tackle and a couple of plays, it was down to the last couple of seconds of play. Colt McCoy took the snap in the hopes of running down the clock. He floated the pass out of bounds with no time left on the clock. Or was there? After a review, the Longhorns did have one second. The kicker for Texas lined up and punched in a kick at the end of the game to beat Nebraska and put Texas in the BCS Championship game. Instant Classic.

The Brooksider Bar & Grill lived up to expectations, but they are starting to get a little shaky. Places like Johnny’s Tavern in the Power & Light district is coming up fast to match their stellar service. As for the BCS College Football Championship, we now have a clearer picture. Bowl Season is just upon us and we’re hoping that all of the games are exciting as the majority of the games over the weekend. Hopefully, our breath will be caught up in time just to lose it again.