That’s right, I’ll be on a plane shortly but I want to get the picks up for the week. It’s hard to stay focused with the Big 12 in legal gridlock. You know, I thought professional wrestling was soap opera for guys but now I know that college football realignment is the real deal. No offense to the WWE, but this stuff is way better than the scripted stuff I used to watch. So as the conference turn, get your picks in and hope for the best.
Tag Archives: USC
Pick It Standings 2011 Week 01: Right Out of the Gate
Ahh yes, after a nice long holiday weekend, it’s time to sit back and reflect on how awesome week 1 of college football was. Well, that and break on out the Pick It and Stick It Standings. The confidence points are out and picking against the spread is in. So we can’t rest too easy as now we have to keep tabs on each pick and not think too much about a 30pt score going to a blowout win over an FCS school. So let’s take a look-see and who’s winning: Continue reading Pick It Standings 2011 Week 01: Right Out of the Gate
Pick It and Stick It: Flick Me A Winner
- Link: http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/college/
- Group: 1943
- Password: gates
Barspotting: Kicking Off A New Town of Barspotting at Doc’s Backyard
Alrighty, football is here and you know what that means: Barspotting! For those of you not familiar with how Barspotting works, I basically tool around town and find places to watch college football then rate whether it’s worth it to check it out yourself. This year will be different because I’m in a whole new town. So I get to find a whole bunch of new bars review and also get the added benefit of finding my way around town. The first ever Austin edition of Barspotting will feature Doc’s Backyard in Sunset Valley, well, because they are real close to me. Not only that but they have a supposedly real tasty Chicken Fried Avacado. Let’s check out Saturday’s lineup. Continue reading Barspotting: Kicking Off A New Town of Barspotting at Doc’s Backyard
Crib Sheet: Media Days Are Upon Us
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Another fat week of the Crib Sheet. I know you haven’t had enough. Media Days have finally kicked off so it will be another month before real football kicks off. Bask in the light, people, and let’s start ramping up for another season. First, the Crib Sheet:
Mascot Monday: Oski
I’m kind of surprised I haven’t done a Pac 12 powerhouse like California yet, but hey here we go. This week I’m counting down Phil Steele’s Pre-Season Top 50 for 2001 and it’s number 48, the California Golden Bears. For some reason I’ve been avoiding Oski because he shows up in the weird mascot lists and he doesn’t look that weird to me. At any rate, I have him in my sights and will learn many things, including how a mascot chugs a beer. Oh boy, I’m already regretting that I waited this long.
Crib Sheet: Now I Know Why It’s Burnt Orange
So yes, a Big 12 North guy is now in the heart of most of the North’s rivals, Texas. I moved down here for the job and got the side benefits of being in the belly of the football beast. Granted there’s no more North or South, but I do get tout my Kansas State pride a little more because of the recent record we’ve had against them. Back to my point. The Longhorns are burnt orange color because that’s what the grass looks like most of the time. It’s either wildfires, winter, or both. It’s a good think this week’s Crib Sheet is inflammable:
Continue reading Crib Sheet: Now I Know Why It’s Burnt Orange
Mascot Monday: T-Roy
Phil Steele’s 2011 College Football Preview is hot off the presses and it’s that time of the year to go over mascots in Phil’s Top 40 (or 52 in this case) that have yet to be covered. The list is fairly thin this year but there are a few surprises left. This week is no slouch. I’m going to check out yet another Trojan but this time it’s T-Roy from Troy. With Troy being in Alabama, their football and their tradition is a big deal and T-Roy exemplifies that. There’s a strange wrinkle to this story, however. The tradition of stealing mascots live on as T-Roy is currently missing!
Crib Sheet: It’s That Pre-Time Again
Two things this week made me realize college football is right around the corner. First, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview for 2011 went on sale yesterday. Second, the Crib Sheet has over 15 news items this week. It’s coming, so get ready. But first the Crib Sheet:
Crib Sheet: The Groundhog Lied
Spring practice is kicking up the mud hidden from under the snow but I’m not finding it too exciting. I could talk about the NFL Combine but it would be all about the Wonderlic Test. So on this week’s Crib Sheet, I will talk about the Groundhog. I remember him saying something this year about an early Spring. Then about 5 inches of snow dumped on me. I’ve got the grill ready, somebody bring me the Groundhog. That will make things warm real quick. On to the Crib Sheet:
Crib Sheet: Late Valentine
Back again and were in love. The Crib Sheet today reminds us that every single thing, including the offseason lull, makes up the whole of our love for college football. Now, I’m not going to get all smushy and corny, but I will say that if college football was a person, I would hand it a candied heart that says, “Don’t Stop.” Now on to the Crib Sheet:
- Surprise, surprise! Tate Forcier spurned Kansas State and signed with Miami of Florida. Dang I hate being right all the time.
- So a thrid party approached Wisconsin and TCU about a week and half after the Rose Bowl to see if they were interested in an opening day rematch next year. Wisconsin was all about it and TCU had better things to do. My guess that someone from the Big 10 couldn’t stand a mid-con whupping up on a stalwart in the hallowed gardens of the rose. This bit of news just made my day.
- An agent summit will happen at USC, of all places. Everybody from the college to the NFL to the agent ranks will be on hand for talks about how to hide more money from kids in college. Sheesh, this is the epitome of hyperbole. Heck even states are looking to cash in on this mouthfest.
- So instead of using students to make sure Kansas players go to class, the school is using really old people. It’s like the movie Red without the bullets and missles. I guess it’s a dream job for that retiree who wants to relive the glory days of Kansas and it’s great basketball team and weak football team.
- Congrats to former Kansas State alum Jordy Nelson on his Green Bay Packers Super Bowl win. The game was pretty entertaining as I watched with friends. Maybe Jordy took a chunk out of Cowboys Stadium like I did for Chowboys Stadium? INSERT PHOTO
- It looks like college football will once again try to emulate the NFL by adopting some of their rules again. The biggest one seems to be the 10 second run off rule. Let’s just hope that college football doesn’t adopt the ridiculous overtime rules the NFL had for the playoffs. INSERT LINK
- The crybaby donor for Uconn, Robert Burton, agreed to leave the $3 million in donations after meeting with officials. They must’ve given him a pacifier to match his bonnet.
- Ruh-roh. The Fiesta Bowl hired a lawyer that specializes in the federal crime defense. I wonder what’s going on here? Maybe that Playoff Action Committee is pushing the right buttons? Or is the fact that chairman John Junker being placed on administrative leave have something to do with it? It looks like he dumped some money on politicians. I’m not sure this will damage the BCS but this will get interesting.
- Jerry Gray took a the job as the NFL’s Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator, just weeks after taking a defensive backs position with the Texas Longhorns. That has to be the quickest turnaround in Austin. That’s okay, however, as Duane Akina came back to the defensive backs position he left for to work in Arizona. Coaching carousels are fun!
- Joe Montana’s son, Nate, left Notre Dame and will transfer to Montana University. I wonder if there’s a special deal where the school will change its mascot to Joe Cool or something like that. We wish Nate well.
- Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has a bromance with Justin Bieber of all people. It seems Bieber has Gundy’s “I’m a Man! I’m 40!” rant as a ringtone and Gundy has a Bieber song on his. Oh that’s so cute.
Homespotting: My Home and Yours for Turkey Day Weekend
You know, when I started this blog, it was all about going out. My main reason was to watch college football at its maximum potential. I couldn’t afford a rig so a bar was the next best thing. I’ve watched some football before at home but this time I’m going all out. The games are spread out perfectly, not unlike a Thanksgiving dinner, this weekend so I figured what better way to graze on the games while I graze on leftovers by staying home and watching it from KCCGD Headquarters. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there and I hope you have as much fun watching the great action as I do.
Continue reading Homespotting: My Home and Yours for Turkey Day Weekend
Crib Sheet: A Thanksgiving Feast
Ho boy do we have a feast of news for you to munch in this Thanksgiving edition of the Crib Sheet. There should be enough left over to keep you fed over the whole weekend as there is college football on pretty much all of the time. Grab a bib and get ready for some Crib Sheet:
Crib Sheet: McRib the Vote
In the wake of one of the most massive events in history ever yesterday, not the election but the reintroduction to the McRib, I have yielded time to this week’s Crib Sheet introduction. Ronald McDonald Bless America:
- With the historic win over Oklahoma, Missouri gets the coveted Peace Pipe. You know, the somewhat annual trophy given to the winner? Welp, apparently even the two teams forgot about it and lost it. You know a rivalry is lopsided when that happens.
- Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon ended up with a suspension for the Kansas State game last Saturday. That’s what happens when you drink and drive, kids. It didn’t really stop the Cowboys, though, as they throttled the Wildcats.
- The Big 12 suspended Nebraska’s Eric Martin for last Saturday’s thumping of Missouri, due to a helmet to helmet hit. Do you see a pattern here? Meanwhile, Gary Pinkel wants the conference to review a hit that fellow Cornhusker Courtney Osborne put on Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert. If the conference follows through, then look for Nebraska to win this weekend against Iowa State.
- The Big Sky Conference just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Now North Dakota and Southern Utah will be joining the fold starting in 2012. Look out Pac 12!
- Notre Dame student Declan Sullivan died after injuries received from a blown over video tower. Look for the school to either ban it or put in a more permanent solution.
- Missouri won’t press charges against the 30 fans that were arrested after they stormed the field in their win over Oklahoma. That’s a good thing. The Tigers don’t often get the chance to make the field storm-worthy so you need to allow it when they do.
- Paul Rhoads is turning things around at Iowa State and now he will help turn on a new scoreboard, along with a bunch of sports complex projects. They are upgrading everywhere in Ames. Hopefully some of that money will go to better flood protection, too.
- Will Ferrell said on ESPN College GameDay that, “It’s scientific law that Baylor cannot beat Texas at Texas.” Baylor ended up winning that game. I’m betting Ferrell picked USC to win over Oregon as well. Those are some funny pics.
- Expansion, as we have learned, is never done. The Big East will get on the expansion bandwagon as they voted to expand to 10 teams at board of director’s meeting Tuesday. Who will they grab? Notre Dame of course.
Crib Sheet: Working Hard to Play this Weekend
We are knee-deep in some serious day job related stuff but fortunately we build the Crib Sheet piece by piece, day by day. Here ya go:
- Much of the details of last week’s agreement between the Big 12 and outgoing schools Nebraska and Colorado came out. Dan Beebe talked about why Nebraska has to pay $9 million and Colorado has to pay $6 million. Also, don’t look for expansion anytime soon. They haven’t decided on how to divvy out the cash, but chances are it will be the same formula used for the revenue sharing in general.
- Irish eyes will be smiling when Notre Dame will play Navy in Ireland 2012. We’re not sure where they will play but more than likely there’s a good chance they’ll all go out together after the game and get drunk.
- In preparation for last week’s game against Boise State, Oregon State coaches had their practice field painted blue. That’s some great thinking there. It’s almost like using loud speakers to emulate crowd noise except messier.
- Communication issues have tormented Turner Gill and the Kansas Jayhawks. His solution? Yanking cell phones from players the day before the game and then giving it back in the locker room after the game. How will the players wake up in the morning or talk to their mothers? I guess that’s what computers are for. We wonder how many more losses it will take for Gill to yank computer privileges too.
- The NCAA leaped to action regarding the issue of sports agents and collegiate players by writing a letter. A letter. They asked for cooperation. Nothing else. Just another reason the NCAA needs to upgrayedd or just disband. These guys are getting real irrelevant.
- The Playoff PAC, the special interest group formed to blow away the BCS and instill a college football playoff, will file a complaint with the IRS regarding the tax status of the Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange Bowl. They used a load of lawyers and one accountant to pick apart the tax returns and public documents of the BCS bowls and found that some loans and director salaries were just too much. Whether the IRS will remove the tax status, we won’t know. But we do know that the Playoff PAC is digging into every crook and cranny to blow away the BCS.
- Meanwhile, the PAC 10 is thinking about having their title game in Las Vegas. Okay that’s a little crazy as there is no team in the Pac 10 from Nevada. It is centrally located, but they need to have it in California.
- Texas is signing up another (somewhat) tough opponent in Maryland for the 2017 and 2018 season. Will this be the game on the Longhorns Network?
- Because of past troubles, USC will be barred from playing the Pac 10 Championship Game in 2012, if they are good enough to get there. Bide your time Trojan fans. Once Lane Kiffin blows up your program and you rebuild, you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of the title game.
- It seems Landry Jones of Oklahoma will have a higher calling after he is done calling plays. Jones says he’s 98% sure that he wants to become a pastor after football. Just goes to show you all walks of life come to play football. We wonder how many Hail Marys he’s tossed compared how many he’s recited.
- He’s just hanging with Tim Brewster. He’s not going for the head coaching job. That’s what Minnesota is saying after Mark Mangino was spotted on the sidelines of a game, supporting his buddy. Minnesota should’ve gotten right out in front of this. There is no way no one would not recognize Mark Mangino hanging out on the sidelines. The nose bleeder seats would’ve been able to see him.
- Apparently along with the no cell phone rule for players, Turner Gill’s Kansas Jayhawks can’t be with the ladies after 10 pm. That’s a harsh rule. It’s on any night. Do mothers count? Like as in visit and talk to. Keep your mind out of the gutters, people.
- Nick Saban said his Alabama team should be set to face Michigan in the Jerry Jones Super Mega Cowboys Stadium Dome in 2012. It sounds like more college games will be played there than pro games. It’s good for Dallas we suppose.
- Looks like Kansas backup, and former starter, Kale Pick will be out a couple of weeks with a leg injury. Not sure if he will ever see a snap again.
- Bill Snyder 2.0 is starting to look alot like the first version. The Wildcats snagged a top ranked junior college quarterback Justin Tuggle from Blinn, much like another former one by the name of Michael Bishop. This looks to be the next year.
- The NHL’s Stanley Cup showed up at the Notre Dame game last week. It will be awhile before the Fighting Irish will see another title of any kind down in South Bend.
- Strange things are afoot for Missouri. First off, cornerback Munir Prince left the team due to the transient quadriplegia he suffered in the preseason. If he plays anymore it could get permanent. Next up, senior safety Jasper Simmons has been suspended indefinitely from the team. He had knee surgery after the Illinois game. Are they just trying to drop a scholarship or something? At any rate, some very unusual things are going down in Columbia.