Andy

Gameday is at Oregon-Oregon State, at least the 3rd time this year they've been to an Oregon game.

Man, I love the way Notre Dame basketball plays defense. And I never expected to be typing that sentence circa January 2010. They just out-toughed Wisconsin tonight. I imagine they'll be ranked this week.

MAC Championship Game in Detroit (7 pm Friday, ESPN2) (25) Northern Illinois vs Miami (OH) Conference USA Championship Game (12 pm, ESPN2) SMU at Central Florida SEC Championship Game in Atlanta (3:30 pm, CBS) (1) Auburn vs (19) South Carolina ACC Championship Game in Charlotte (7:45 pm, ESPN) (15) Virginia Tech vs (21) Florida State Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, TX (8 pm, ABC) (13) Nebraska vs (9) Oklahoma Top 25 games ------------------------ (2) Oregon at Oregon State (3:30 pm, ABC) Utah State at (11) Boise State (3 pm, ESPN3) (17) Nevada at Louisiana Tech (3 pm, ESPN3) Arizona State at (23) Arizona (8 pm Thursday, ESPN) Rutgers at (24) West Virginia (12 pm, ABC) Games of interest ------------------------ Illinois at Fresno State (10:15 pm Friday, ESPN2) USC at UCLA (10:30 pm, FSN/CSN) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------- On TV Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (12 pm, ESPN) Troy at Florida Atlantic (2 pm, ESPNU) Washington at Washington State (7 pm, Versus) UConn at South Florida (8 pm, ESPN2) ESPN3 games Middle Tennessee at Florida International (6 pm) UNLV at Hawaii (10:30 pm)

is it b/c your school sucks so much that you're so offended by the ND no-bowl last year? ND is likely to go to Champs Sports. They aren't locked into any, but that's probably the best offer they'll get and they'll take it. If Mizzou is going to fall to the Holiday Bowl, then ND's bowl situation is very relevant to me if the Pac-10 can't get a 4th bowl eligible team. That would require Washington losing to Wazzu and the Champs Sports passing on Notre Dame (they get first crack due to the Big East tie-in). Possible but unlikely.

Jake Delhomme has 2 picks and one was returned for a score. Panthers ball at their own 25 with 11 minutes left down 1.

Wow Aaron Rodgers.

is it b/c your school sucks so much that you're so offended by the ND no-bowl last year? ND is likely to go to Champs Sports. They aren't locked into any, but that's probably the best offer they'll get and they'll take it. And the most likely opponent from what I've been hearing is whoever loses the ACC title game. The Chick-fil-A bowl gets to pick before Champs Sports, but they haven't taken the ACC runner-up since their title game began. Either FSU or Va Tech would be an interesting matchup. ETA: Although it's probably fair to note that FSU/VT is probably better, and certainly a better draw, than your average ACC runner-up. If the Chick-fil-A does go with the title-game loser, NC State or Maryland would await.

Hard to argue very much - more because of the dearth of big wins in the last 10 years than anything. That was awesome. The most beautiful butt-ugly football game I've ever seen. I don't know what Bob Diaco did to this bunch after the Tulsa game but I hope he never stops doing it.

Complete opposite of his play the last two weeks. This is depressing.

Notre Dame was dominating the game until they decided to start handing the ball to USC. All 13 points by USC are on short fields because of turnovers.

Only available on ESPN3 on the Internet if it's not airing on ABC.

Boy was that ND/Cal game ugly. Wisconsin probably loved watching it through :wink: Really glad the Irish get a good Wisconsin team added to an already solid non-conference slate. It'll help the RPI/SOS significantly. Even better would be if they can beat the Badgers.

Quite an exciting game between ND and Georgia. Neither team played well in my estimation and both should have had the game locked up at points in the second half but couldn't finish. Luckily the Irish pulled it out in two OTs and face Cal tomorrow.

This year, he does. He's the most valuable player in the league through 3 weeks. He's about all the Bulls have offensively.

Wonder if the buyout will cost more than the assistants' raises they refused to give Hoke's staff, leading to his bolting to San Diego State, where he's led the Aztecs, an FBS wasteland for the better part of 20 years, within a couple near-misses from the Mountain West title. Sigh. Go get a good FCS coach I guess. Or someone's awesome assistant provided they have Midwest connections.

that you know about or overall? i am probably missing something obvious, but what happened? A girl who accused a ND player of sexual assault a while back killed herself shortly thereafter. This story just came out late last week, I think. I'm kind of amazed it's not getting more air, actually.

Are you convinced that Clausen isn't the answer or is it that you just like Luck that much as a prospect? I agree that Luck is the best choice for a first pick if he comes out, but is he the best choice for Carolina? I've seen a lot of mock's send Green your way. I like Luck that much and I don't have much faith in Clausen. The success this year of Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy has made me think that if one is destined for NFL success, you'll see at least a spark of it early. (This is part of the reason I held on way too long to the Brady Quinn train - his first 1.5 games, prior to his breaking his thumb, were pretty good.) Clausen has not shown anything - his best game was either @Saints or @Bucs and neither one of them were particularly good. I don't think there is any chance the Panthers take Luck, actually - Clausen was the first time since their first draft pick of all time (Kerry Collins) that they'd picked a QB before round 4. Green would excite me, but a receiver at #1 is another thing Carolina's front office is unlikely to do. I'm betting they pick a lineman if one presents himself. But until they do I'm holding on to that pipe dream.

The only other Panthers fan I know besides me has been on the "hire Jim Harbaugh/draft Andrew Luck" train for a while. Since Carolina is clearly going to get the #1 pick - I honestly cannot envision a scenario in which they win again - and clearly will be hunting for a coach, I wonder how realistic the idea is. Probably not at all - the owner hates making splashes - but an intriguing concept.

The Big East shouldn't have the opportunity to get one. If Va Tech goes 9-0 in the league I think it's fair to give them a bid.

Top 25 games ------------------------ (21) Arizona at (1) Oregon (7 pm Friday, ESPN) (2) Auburn at (11) Alabama (2:30 pm Friday, CBS) (3) TCU at New Mexico (4 pm, Versus) (4) Boise State at (19) Nevada (10:15 pm Friday, ESPN2) (5) LSU at (12) Arkansas (3:30 pm, CBS) Oregon State at (6) Stanford (7:30 pm, Versus) Northwestern at (7) Wisconsin (3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN) Michigan at (8) Ohio State (12 pm, ABC) (13) Oklahoma at (9) Oklahoma State (8 pm, ABC – Regional) (10) Michigan State at Penn State (12 pm, ESPN2) Kansas vs (14) Missouri – in Kansas City (12:30 pm, FSN/CSN) Colorado at (15) Nebraska (3:30 pm Friday, ABC) Virginia at (16) Virginia Tech (12 pm, ESPN3) (17) Texas A&M at Texas (8 pm Thursday, ESPN) (18) South Carolina at Clemson (7 pm, ESPN2) BYU at (20) Utah (3:30 pm, The Mountain or CBS College) Florida at (22) Florida State (3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN) (23) NC State at Maryland (3:30 pm, ESPN2) (24) Iowa at Minnesota (3:30 pm, BTN) (25) Mississippi State at Ole Miss (7 pm, ESPNU) Games of interest ------------------------ Louisville at Rutgers (12 pm Friday, ESPN2) Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan (12 pm Friday) Western Michigan at Bowling Green (2 pm Friday) UCLA at Arizona State (3:30 pm Friday, FSN/CSN) Kentucky at Tennessee (12 pm, SEC Network) Indiana at Purdue (12 pm, BTN) UL Lafayette at UL Monroe (3:30 pm) North Carolina at Duke (3:30 pm, ESPNU) Kansas State at North Texas (4 pm, ESPN3) Notre Dame at USC (8 pm, ABC – Regional) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------- On TV Temple at Miami (OH) (7 pm Tuesday, ESPN2) Ohio at Kent State (12 pm Friday, ESPNU) West Virginia at Pittsburgh (12 pm Friday, ABC) SMU at East Carolina (2 pm Friday, CBS College) Southern Miss at Tulsa (6:30 pm Friday, CBS College) South Florida at Miami (12 pm, ESPNU) Boston College at Syracuse (12 pm, ESPN) Tulane at Marshall (12 pm, CBS College) Houston at Texas Tech (7 pm, FSN/CSN) Georgia Tech at Georgia (7:45 pm, ESPN) ESPN3 games Cincinnati at UConn (12 pm) Hawaii at New Mexico State (3 pm) Arkansas State at Florida International (3:30 pm) Wake Forest at Vanderbilt (7:30 pm) Idaho at Fresno State (10 pm) I-AA Playoff Game --------------------------------- Lehigh at Northern Iowa (1 pm) Nationally available games outside I-A ------------------------------------------------- Tuskegee at Alabama State (4 pm Thursday, ESPNU)

Are you on the Rees train as much as I am? I feel like he's a much better fit for the offense than Crist is even though he's obviously not as naturally gifted.

Brian St. Pierre will start Sunday for the Panthers instead of Pike. In related news, John Fox is a grade-A dumbass of the highest order. A journeyman nobody instead of a rookie who might actually maybe have a remote shot of being OK???

ND slaughters Chicago State and Ben Hansbrough goes off again. I could definitely live with Ben Hansbrough as a much improved 3-point shooter this season.

That sucked. Not surprised at the loss but that was a game the Bulls had a chance to end early and they couldn't do it.

So Fox will air the Big Ten title game, the Cotton Bowl, and literally no other college football game all year long. That'll go well.