Pac-10's Race to the BCS

The first BCS Standings have been released and there are a few things that caught my attention. Boise State (.8083), Cincinnati (.7870) and Iowa (7869) are all ranked ahead of USC (.7695). The bottom line is the Trojans are a much better football team than Boise State, Cincinnati and Iowa. If the Trojans continue to win they will eventually pass those teams.

Boise State will be hurt by their remaining schedule. It is highly unlikely that any team that Boise State faces for the rest of the season will be ranked. On the other hand, USC still has to face Oregon (AP #12) and there is a chance that Arizona State and Arizona will be ranked by the time they face the Trojans. The Iowa Hawkeyes still have to play at Michigan State and at Ohio State. The Bearcats have West Virginia, Illinois and Pittsburgh on their schedule. There is a lot of football left and upsets will happen.

(Continue to Inside the Pac-10)

Poofffffff ... Goes the Mountain West

Well, so much for all that talk about the Mountain West getting an automatic bid to the BCS.

One weekend of upsets restored order somewhat in the BCS universe. Each of the six BCS conferences has at least one team among the top 10 in the latest BCS Standings (simulated). The only BCS buster left standing, for now, is Boise State, who now firmly controls its own destiny for a second BCS bowl berth in three years.

The biggest loser over the weekend is the Mountain West (trumps even USC, but more on the Trojans later). BYU was mercilessly dissected at home by a Florida State team that nearly lost to I-AA Jacksonville State a week earlier. Utah's 16-game winning streak came to an end after its rally at Oregon fell short. As of now, TCU, with two nondescript victories, is the only undefeated MWC member that has a shot at a BCS bowl berth.

(Continue to BCS Guru)

Developing Themes for 2009

It is still very early, but I see two themes developing for the 2009 season that could be “game-changing”.

1. The Rise of the Mid-Major

While this may be fairly apparent to anyone paying attention, it appears that the non-BCS “mid-majors” may be on the verge of a breakthrough year after so many close attempts.

We had Boise State’s stunning OT victory over Oklahoma is the 2007 Fiesta Bowl as an opening act for this phenomena, but that could have been viewed as an aberration due to the close score. However, after a hiccup by Hawaii in 2007, Utah made an indelible impression on college football fans everywhere with their thrashing of Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

(Continue to Saurian Sagacity)

What We Learned from Week 1

1. South Carolina’s QB play is still horrific. I cannot imagine that there is anything more bothersome to Steve Spurrier than the play of Stephen Garcia.

2. Boise State isn’t going away. I don’t want to discuss the Blount issue, although I do think that the Boise State player is getting off easy.

3. Ohio State can dodge bullets.

4. Ohio State QB, Terrelle Pryor, has an interesting role model.

(Continue to Saurian Sagacity)

Boise a Big Boy - For Better or Worse

The new college football rankings will be out sometime Tuesday, but no doubt Boise State will have moved up the polls from its preseason No. 14 spot. Good, because if nothing else was proven in its opener against Oregon on Thursday night (besides what a sharp right jab LeGarrette Blount possesses), these Broncos proved that they’re nobody’s tiny, mid-major, Cinderella outsider anymore.

No, their program can be as bloated, over-entitled, overbearing and devoid of all perspective as any member of the exclusive BCS club it’s trying to crack. Oh, yes, they’re big-time over at Boise State now.

They showed it before the national TV cameras that night, starting from the moment – just before Blount threw the infamous punch – that they threw down the first no-class card.

(Continue to The Steele Drum)

Season Opens with ... Roast Duck

The first big Saturday of college football is on tap, and wouldn't you know it, the year's first autumn-like breezes blew through the hills of Southwest Germany on Friday night. Actually burned the first fire of the season in the Grill Room.

Football...American style...Ahhh, you can taste it in the air.

And speaking of taste, as we scurry about this morning readying the place for our first big Saturday of the season, here's what's on tap for our customers:

Today's featured entree:
Roast Duck

Well, that didn't take long. University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount has been sacked for the year by the school thanks to his starring role in Thursday night's melee (and now feature film) which followed his team's 19-8 loss to Boise State.

(Continue to The Grill Room)

Boise State Dominates Oregon

When any team plays an OOC game not only is the reputation of the team on the line, but the conference as well. If it were not for a number of turnovers and missed field goals by Boise State the Oregon Ducks could have been embarrassed.

Give Oregon credit for playing at Boise State, but the reality of the situation is the Ducks were out coached and outplayed. In any game star players have to perform like star players.

(Continue to Inside the Pac-10)