Week 5 Picks

I gotta go see a man about a thing at the place...so I won't add a lot of my musings. On to my picks.

Cal at Oregon. For some reason, I don't see this as the 100-point shootout everyone else does. I think the Bears and Ducks will play a tad of defense. But still, Oregon at home, 34-27.

Michigan State at Wisconsin. I don't have any inside info from my friend at MSU. But the Big Ten looks awful this year (exhibit A: Illinois being picked to beat Penn State by Mandel and Feldman and SMQ), and neither of these 4-0 teams impress me much. I'm calling for Sparty to get the road upset at calling it Michigan State, 24-14.

Auburn at Florida. Speaking of not impressed, Tubs's seat must be heating up. Florida big, like 35-10.

Clemson at Georgia Tech. Clemson loses a game like this every year, just as surely as the Wreck wins one like this just about every season. So of course everyone is picking the Tigers, to be contrary and go against that grain. Plus, Clemson has that great backfield. But Tech's defense will bend but not break. Mild upset here, Georgia Tech, 24-21.

Alabama v. Florida State (at Jacksonville). Ivan Maisel had a nice piece about Bobby Bowden's affection for the Alabama program. I doubt he has as much devotion to Nick Saban. I'm calling for another low-scoring game. I'll say Alabama, 13-10. But it should be neat to watch.

On Mike Gundy's Rant

As reported all over the place, including EDSBS, Deadspin, and the FanHouse, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy went ballistic in a press conference yesterday after OSU's shoot-out win over Texas Tech. The reason for his displeasure was a column in The Daily Oklahoman by Jenni Carlson. I posted a longish comment about it over at EDSBS, but then later I realized, Hell, I have a blog, too! So I'll post it here as well.

The story came after OSU benched starting quarterback Bobby Reid in favor of newcomer Zac Robinson. Carlson pretty much said that her impression, largely based on scuttlebutt she's heard around the program, is that Reid was whiny and wasn't tough enough, and the coaches had finally had enough, and benched him despite his talent. I should note that the comments I've seen on a lot of blogs, and especially the ones on the Oklahoman web site, have been strongly in favor of Coach Gundy "standing up for a player" and "calling out the media," especially for relying on "rumor" in "assassinating a kid's character."

I have no dog in this fight, but I think I'm with Carlson. It's not the best article ever written, even from that human interest, use an anecdote as a symbol for someone's character style. But the OSU coaches benched Reid for a reason -- that's not rumor. And (without knowing much about the OSU team), it appears that Reid was thought to be more talented than Robinson. So why the benching? It can't solely be because they were losing this year, because they left Robinson in even after they got annihilated by Troy. He did have some kind of injury, but the coaches had said this year that players don't lose starting spots because of injury, and Reid lost his. Carlson says there have been rumors going back years that Reid is a whiny malcontent, and pointed to video of him laughing during a big defeat, and suggested that might be a reason for the benching.

The benching of a starting quarterback is news, and unless you want the beat writers to simply throw up their hands and say, "Oh well, Coach Gundy must know what he's doing! In Gundy We Trust!" then it has to be okay for writers to suggest reasons for the benching. If, after eliminating the other best possibilities, "attitude" seems to be the reason, I think it's okay to print that.

And either Reid is a nearly-22-year-old multi-year starter who is mature enough to lead a Big XII team -- and consequently, mature enough to accept some criticism of his toughness -- or he is still a little boy who has to run home to Momma when some (girl) bully picks on him. Gundy can't have it both ways.

Ultimately, I think Colorado Coach Dan Hawkins said it best when it comes to the sensitivity of players and their families.

Week 4 Picks

I sincerely apologize to (both) readers of The Wishbone for not filing picks last week. I've started a new job and find time at a premium. I'm especially upset that I missed my chance to pick Duke's first win in 22 games. The Devils trek up to Annapolis this weekend to play Navy. CNNSI's Stewart Mandel is picking Duke to start a win streak. We'll see, but I hope it happens. And I hope the celebrations goes more smoothly the next time Duke wins. After last week's win over Northwestern, students busted into Wallace Wade Stadium and tore down the goalposts. In the ensuing chaos, a student got konked on the noggin with the uprights. She's doing okay, though, and has a great story to tell.

Okay, moving on to this week's games, I haven't had time to do a ton of research, so please don't rely on these picks for your wagering advice. You've been warned.

Georgia at Alabama. I'm really torn on this one. I could see it going either way. I do like Georgia's defense, at least more than Arkansas's last week. But I'm confused by all this business about Mark Richt closing practice. They can't get too paranoid about Bama. It'll be tough enough to play there; the Dawgs don't need to pucker up worrying about Saban's spies. I think Saban will beat them fair and square, but close, so I'll say Alabama, 24-23, on a Leigh Tiffin field goal.

Oh, by the way, Paul at the Georgia Sports Blog linked to this awesome profile of Larry Munson. I wonder if they'll bury him next to Uga some day. I know that sounds kind of ridiculous, but on the other hand, doesn't a dog mausoleum inside the stadium sound a little crazy until someone actually does it? If anybody would bury their announcer under the hedges, it's Georgia.

South Carolina at LSU. Unlike Lee Corso, I think Spurrier can win the SEC at USC. And I know that the Tigers are a different ball club in the daytime. But they just have too much talent for the Cocks. LSU, 35-10.

Penn State at Michigan. Yes, Notre Dame really is that bad. Penn State, 35-14.

Kentucky at Arkansas. Maybe the most enjoyable game, especially if you don't care who wins. I don't. But I think Alabama showed that a good passer can beat the Hogs, and Andre' Woodson is that. I'm calling for Kentucky to win a road SEC game, 42-31.

Michigan State at Notre Dame. Yes, Notre Dame really is that bad. Michigan State, 28-7.

Duke at Navy. The winning streak continues! Maybe Duke will win enough games for Spurrier to give them an in-season vote in his Top 25 poll! Okay, I won't hold my breath. But I will pick Duke to nip the Middies, 21-17.

Week 2 Pick'ems

The big game this week is obviously Virginia Tech at LSU. I think the Hokies will play better than they did against ECU. After all, they kind of have to. The conventional wisdom is that LSU's D-line is a lot better than Tech's O-line, and that will put VT QB Sean Glennon under pressure, a circumstance that has yet to yield positive results for the Gobblers. Sometimes the conventional wisdom is that for a reason. Tech's defense is good enough to keep it close, but the Tigers' line play and team speed will overwhelm the Hokies. Plus, how can you pick against White at Night in Tiger Stadium? I'll say LSU by something like 24-13.

By the way, speaking of the stadium with two of my favorite markings in all of football, the Eye of the Tiger and the numbers every five yards instead of ten (my other favorite is the "Bear Down" at Arizona), I read the first chapter of John Ed Bradley's It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium in the bookstore the other day and liked it so much I bought it. A full review to follow in this space later in the season.

There are a few games where the conventional wisdom is telling me to look out for close games or even upsets, but I just don't buy it this time: TCU at Texas, Oregon at Michigan, and South Florida at Auburn. Sure, Texas and Auburn looked awful last week, and TCU and USF are capable of winning. But has there ever been a better lesson in not taking a supposedly inferior team lightly than what happened to Michigan last week? At least Texas and Auburn won't overlook their mid-major foes. And I think these will be great examples of the strides teams make after actually experiencing some game action. I was 3-0 last week, but none of those games were as close (or low-scoring) as I predicted. So I'll go out on a bit of a limb this week and say Texas over TCU by 35-21 and Auburn over USF by 31-20.

As for Michigan, their best bet to is to play ball control and hand off to Mike Hart about a hundred times. Instead, they'll try to outgun Oregon by tossing a few bombs to Mario Manningham. Duck QB Dennis Dixon will find the same holes in Michigan's defense that Appy State QB Armanti Edwards exploited. I think Oregon will pull away late and win 35-24. Michigan and Notre Dame will slump into their "showdown" next week with identical 0-2 records after Penn State demolishes the Irish, 31-7.

I guess I'm going to sound like a Big XII homer, but I also think Nebraska and Oklahoma will win by comfortable margins. The Huskers will get a scare at Wake Forest, but the Deacs won't be able to hang on without injured QB Riley Skinner (who separated a shoulder last week against Boston College), and will fall by 31-21. And Miami will get there eventually under Randy Shannon, but this Oklahoma team looks to me like one of those boring teams that are no fun to pick but just keep winning. I predict a workmanlike 24-14 win in Norman.

I think the South Carolina at Georgia game should be very entertaining. I think the Ole Ball Coach will pull out all the stops and will be able to score on the Dawg D. But I really like Matthew Stafford and I think his experience and poise will pull this one out. I think it will be more high-scoring than most predictions I've seen, but the Bulldogs will get the last bite, 31-27. Also, I wonder if the next politically-correct attack on mascots will involve PETA protesting in Columbia that South Carolina's mascot glorifies cockfighting. I have to think Spurrier would do better in a press conference than Michael Vick.

Oh, I almost forgot: my upset pick this week is Duke over Virginia in Charlottesville, 21-20. Duke actually led UConn at the half last week, 14-11, and was behind only 18-14 until deep in the third quarter. Suddenly, however, the final score became 45-14. I'm not sure whether that was a factor of conditioning (if the Devils wore out), or depth (if UConn had more fresh bodies late), or coaching (if UConn adjusted to something Duke was doing). It's disheartening, to be sure. But UVA looked absolutely inept against Wyoming, and you can't blame all of that on the altitude. The Cavs lost 23-3; at least Duke scored a couple of touchdowns. Virginia racked up only 110 yards of total offense. I have heard a number of UVA fans openly rooting for a Duke win to finally get Al Groh fired, and that kind of attitude doesn't translate to much of a home-field advantage. (The campus's "Beta Bridge," a local landmark, was painted with the words "Groh Must Go" after the Wyoming loss.) One has to wonder if the team is at any risk of also quitting on Groh. Groh has the look of a desperate coach, having yanked starting QB Jameel Sewell in favor of a true freshman last week. That kind of short leash doesn't always instill confidence in a team.

And, Duke always plays Virginia close for some reason. They get intense in this one, and have even had a few on-field scraps in recent years. It's kind of like Memphis and Tennessee -- one of those games that should never be close but always is, and sometimes ends in an upset. In another good omen for the Devils, Duke linebacker Michael Tauiliili is coming back after being suspended for a game. I think conditions are ripe for an upset. Plus, if I keep picking Duke to win, one of these days I'll have to be right...won't I? Some day?

The View from Camden Yards

I took a little roadtrip this evening to take in some playoff-caliber baseball...and the Orioles. Say what you will about Peter Angelos -- he doesn't spend enough to make the O's a contender, he held MLB hostage over relocating a team to DC, he doesn't pay stadium workers a living wage (although there are signs of progress on that front) -- at least he hasn't auctioned off the naming rights to one of the best ballparks in baseball, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

I know some of the newer stadiums -- influenced by Camden Yards -- are nice, and probably have even more amenities and are even more fan-friendly. But it's kind of neat to me that a stadium designed to appear retro is actually starting to be retro. Still, it's a great place to watch a game. Spend batting practice on the Eutaw Street plaza, wolfing down a Boog's Barbecue sandwich. The sightlines are good from anywhere, but I like sitting on the right field side because of the view through the outfield into downtown Baltimore. (The view through right field is the famous brick warehouse.)

I found a great ticket on StubHub, well below face value. (With shipping and the commission, the total was about face value.) Until the O's start winning, tickets aren't going to be hard to get, but I wanted something close, and I knew the Red Sox would be a draw. And oh my gracious, there were a ton of obnoxious Red Sox fans in attendance. ESPN's Bill Simmons discussed this phenomenon last week -- how Sox fans take over opposing stadiums -- with a photo essay from Tampa. And every word is true. But at least you can understand when snowbird retirees from up north skip the early-bird special at Del Boca Vista Phase 3 to see the Sox or Yankees at Tropicana Field. And you can also understand locals not going to see the Devil Rays. But Baltimore should do better by the O's. I pronounce it sorry!

Anyway, I was twenty-five rows behind the Orioles' dugout, and had a great view of the O's throwback uniforms. It was Negro League Appreciation Night, and the Orioles were wearing the uniforms of the 1932 Baltimore Black Sox. They were pretty snazzy. Sadly, either my phone-camera doesn't have a zoom, or I haven't figured out how to use it, so none of my pictures of the unis came out well. But fortunately, The Baltimore Sun has some good shots in this gallery. Alert the Uni Watch blog! Uni Watcher Paul Lukas will be pleased to know that the throwback uniforms all appeared to have the proper leg length and sock/stirrup visibility ratio.

During the pregame, the video screen was showing footage of the night Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak. While that was enjoyable, I wondered if the O's hadn't had any highlights since then. The more I thought about it, the more I think, no, not really. But I came to find out that there was another good reason for showing the "2131" footage: tonight was the twelfth anniversary of that game. It was also the eleventh anniversary of Eddie Murray hitting his 500th home run, so that was a pretty cool coincidence.

It was throwback night all around, including on the mound. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield started for the Red Sox, and at one point the Orioles used a relief pitcher who employed a Dan Quisenberry-style submarine motion. Oh, and I saw one of my favorite plays not once, but twice -- a player from each team hit himself with a bunted ball for an out! Not something you see every day in the majors, and I saw it two times in one night.

Wakefield got knocked around pretty well, and didn't last long. So I got to see newest Sox hero Clay Buchholz, fresh off a no-hitter in his second career start but now consigned to the bullpen, and later, closer Jonathan Papelbon. As an old Devil Rays fan myself, I was glad to see both Julio Lugo and Aubrey Huff playing. But by far the biggest cheers of the night went to David Ortiz. Every time he appeared, shrill cries of "¡Papi!" went up from all quarters.

As for the game, it was a good one. Both teams had one-, two-, and three-run innings, and the score was tied at six until the ninth. Part of the reason for that was two really boneheaded plays by O's rookie pitcher Garrett Olson. Twice in a row -- twice! -- he let the lead runner advance by throwing to first, even when the lead runner was forced! Madness! Still, the Orioles hung in there until the Red Sox manufactured a run in the top of the ninth and brought on Papelbon to shut things down. All in all, an enjoyable time at the old ballyard.

Here are the best two pictures I took (click for a bigger image):


They're not saying "Boo," they're saying "Youk!" Kevin Youkilis gets a big hit.


They're not saying "Drew," they're saying "Boo!" J.D. Drew hits into an inning-ending double play.

The View From Athens & Atlanta

It was a great night to be a Bulldog. I came into the game nervous, but left pretty satisfied. All the anticipated weaknesses of my team, offensive line and the defense, looked strong. I traveled over to Athens with a loyal reader and we enjoyed the trip, despite being in a car for about twenty hours. We wandered around downtown Athens and then tailgated in high style with Paul Westerdawg.

But, one game was not enough. We decided we couldn't pass up Glavine v. Smoltz at Turner Field Sunday. I intensely dislike the Mets and their fans were out in force Sunday. Is it me or does every Met fan look the same: middle-age, bald, fat, some sort of facial hair, and in a Mets jersey. I swear I saw at least a hundred of those people Sunday and they all match that description. Maybe I'm just bitter over Glavine's first win over the Braves this year.