SouthSideRyan

Bold prediction: Big 10 wins the Challenge in 2 years.

Assuming USC beats UCLA this weekend, they're gonna drill either OSU or Illinois if they play in the Rose Bowl. Oregon's the only team USC has played all year that was better than OSU or Illinois. They lost to them. They lost by 7 on the road with their backup QB in the game and were driving for the tying TD when Sanchez threw the pick. USC also outgained Oregon 378-339 and held Dixon to his worst game passing (going by passer rating) of the year. It's not like Oregon dominated the game and Dennis Dixon is a much better QB than Juice Williams. Did you see what the USC offense did to Arizona State's defense last Thursday? And Arizona State's defense is allowing fewer rushing ypg and passing ypg in an offensive league than Illinois is this year. Not to mention that if they played in the Rose Bowl, it would be a de facto home game for USC. I'm not debating that USC would be favored against U of I and probably by about a TD. But to say they'd drill Illinois or tOSU is quite an exaggeration. There seems to suddenly be this prevailing notion that Illinois and Ohio St. are terrible teams, and I'm not quite sure where it's coming from.

What was their best win exactly? at UCLA by 4 points? A collapsing Cal team? Oregon St.?

Assuming USC beats UCLA this weekend, they're gonna drill either OSU or Illinois if they play in the Rose Bowl. Oregon's the only team USC has played all year that was better than OSU or Illinois. They lost to them.

Assuming USC beats UCLA this weekend, they're gonna drill either OSU or Illinois if they play in the Rose Bowl. Oregon's the only team USC has played all year that was better than OSU or Illinois. They lost to them.

I assume you put a lot of money down on them then.

If the O's wanted a 3rd baseman, they'd move Tejada there rather than trade for a 34 year old cripple.

Sure would be nice if Matt Murton wasn't now devoid of any trade value. Or if Ryan Theriot wasn't the most untouchable guy on the team.

Andy Fox (I think) was signed as a minor league FA a few years back and went on to be drafted in the Rule 5 draft.

That was one of the worst games I've ever seen Pruitt have. Including his entire college career. He looked terrible. Mike Patrick is a horse's ass. I knew he couldn't get through a game without mentioning Trajan Redick.

Can he play RF? define "play" If Floyd can handle RF with his gimpiness, I'm pretty sure Burrell could. Burrell's worse. He's terrible in the OF.

Game lines for games of BCS importance: Pitt at West Virginia (-28) (West Virginia has locked up BCS spot, with loss is out of title game. Virginia Tech (-4.5) vs. BC (BC needs win for BCS spot, VA Tech could sneak in without ACC Title UCLA at USC (-20) (USC could sneak in without PAC 10 title. UCLA sucks. OU (-3) vs. Mizzou (Both teams seem to need a win for BCS. Mizzou would play for title) Washington at (-14) Hawaii (Hawaii needs win for BCS) Arizona at Arizona St.(-7) (ASU needs win for BCS chance. Could still be shut out.)

Matching up Illinois vs. USF for kicks WINS at OSU vs. WV Wisky vs. at Auburn PSU vs. Louisville at IU vs. at Pitt NU vs. UCF Ball St. vs. UNC at SU vs. at SU at Minn. vs. at FAU WIU vs. Elon LOSSES Mizzou(neutral) vs. at UConn UM vs. Cincy at Iowa vs. at Rutgers Without taking into account the relative hotness of the 2 teams heading into the bowls, Illinois has the advantage. The teams who have a realistic chance at BCS at larges are USC, ASU, KU, Mizzou, Illinois, Va Tech, and Hawaii Georgia is already an at large lock. A Washington win coupled with USC, ASU and Va Tech wins locks up BCS spots for Illinois and ASU regardless of what happens in the Big 12 title game. KU grabs the 4th spot regardless of winner. If Washington and Arizona win, things get confusing. Again KU and Illinois are locks. The 4th spot then is a crapshoot. The last spot probably would go to Clemson or a Dixon-less Oregon team, neither of which a BCS bowl wants. Oregon will probably lose to Oregon St. anyways. If the disaster scenario happens where every dog wins: Washington, Arizona, UCLA, and BC; USC, Va Tech, and KU grab the spots.(Though I'm not certain on the specific rules involving conference winners finishing lower than non-BCS schools. Hawaii may be an auto qualifier with a UCLA Rose Bowl. In which case, Va Tech is probably out. Maybe more to come later. I'm that bored, and counting down the minute til I can play ball.

The Rose Bowl should take USF instead. Anyways, here's Mandel of SI on the Rose Bowl issue. BOOMER SOONER!! http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/11/28/cfb.bag/index.html?eref=T1

USC will be in the Rose Bowl unless half their team dies of bird flu. The good half. I went through this before, but will again as a reminder: If OU beats MU and all other favorites win: Rose = USC vs. Illinois/Georgia Orange = VA Tech vs. Georgia/Mizzou/ASU Fiesta = OU vs. KU/ASU/Illinois Sugar = LSU vs. Hawaii If MU beats OU and all other favorites win: Rose = USC vs. OSU Orange = Va Tech vs. Georgia Fiesta = KU vs. ASU/Illinois(slight chance of ASU vs. Illinois but highly unlikely it seems) Sugar = LSU vs. Hawaii The SEC title game is meaningless BCS wise, cause whoever wins goes to Sugar, whoever loses goes non-BCS. If I'm short on work after the market closes, I'll go through the other scenarios.

i thought there was a rule forbidding two teams from the same conference playing in a bowl game, save the NC game. I didn't know it was an official rule, but it seems common sense would say as much.

I think you're wrong about that. Unless you're counting UNC Greensboro as a true roadie, or their recruiting visit game in Chicago against Valpo, I'm not. They do tend to play a roadie late in the year against either an awful Temple or St. John's team, and to their credit they will break their 6 year streak this season by playing at Temple before conference play begins.

Purdue chokes it away.

Purdue, I'm begging you.

2 roadies is right for Duke. At Indiana and at MSU. Probably really ticket off Coach K. The last pre-conference true road game for Duke that wasn't part of the Big 10/ACC??? 2002

so you're saying that the sec will have 3 teams in the bcs? But we all know they deserve 3 8-) So maybe Orange takes Mizz then with the 2nd selection. Illini have a shot at Sugar or Fiesta. If Rose takes Illini then Orange takes UGA and Mizz still takes Sugar. I dont think its an either or thing with Illini and Mizz. It's Orange Bowl or bust for Missouri if they lose and nobody else important does. They will not get taken by the Rose Bowl, that'd be Illinois -80%, GA -20% They will not get taken by the Fiesta for a 3rd game against OU. That'd be Illinois -7%, ASU -70%, KU -23% They will not get taken by the Sugar Bowl, that'd be Hawaii -100% That'd leave Orange Bowl at GA -80%, ASU -5%, MU -15% *Before I get criticized by the math inclined, my percentages are just a number out of 100 that a team winds up somewhere. *If Hawaii qualifies they will absolutely be in the Sugar Bowl. Fiesta is not taking a lightly traveled WAC team 2 years in a row no matter how good a game it produced last year.

Holy crap, DeAndre Thomas is one fat MFer. Jordan Crawford joins AJ Ratliff on the IU suspended list. IU's looked good after a bad start. Odds are out for tomorrow's games. MSU -10.5 UM -5 MD -1 UNC -4 (MADNESS) PSU -2

That's a pretty insulting broad brush you're painting with about the nation's professors.

Wow, talk about a 180 on Pinkel. I don't think there was a Mizzou fan on here that didn't hate him last year. And a college football tourney with CMU and Troy in it is a joke.

I think IU wins, but I expect them to get brutalized on the boards -- and that's without Dickey playing. I even root for Purdue in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Take one for the league and root for the Hoosiers. Oh I definitely will root for Indiana. I guess I can say it'll help our RPI too. We're going to need all the wins we can get. I doubt it's more than four. Well we're dogs in 4 out of 5 games today. MSU is probably the only favorite tomorrow(maybe Illinois, but I doubt it) Smart money takes the under on 4. I'd be Cam Cameron NFL coach shocked if the Big 10 won it. The best I can hope for now is that the last game decides it so there's at least some drama. It'll be fun for Penn St. to be the one that lets us all down.