January 2008 Archives

How many boneheaded, indefensible, cap-killing moves must your team's front office make before you throw in the proverbial towel? At what point are you allowed to say as a fan, "You know what? This is ridiculous. This team isn't even trying to win. I've had it. 'Team X' is dead to me."?
My good friend Matt Smith tried to tackle this question after receiving a text from me telling him that Al Davis had asked for Lane Kiffin's resignation. After just one season at the helm that had the Raiders going 4-12 after finishing 2-14 the previous year with the roster that starred in "The Replacements", Davis was not satisfied. Apparently being dead for the last ten years has prevented Davis from making rational decisions about his players and his staff. It's hard to believe that the Raiders were in the Super Bowl five years ago.
After the Raiders, you don't have to go far to find frustrated fan bases that may want a reason to renounce their allegiances and move on to another franchise. Let's go through the other bay area teams and see who has a case.

A's-I know, I know, they've won a lot in the last ten years. But did anyone really think they were going to win a championship? You knew they were going to trade away their biggest names for prospects. It's as predictable as the sun rising, Britney going crazy and Paris Hilton contracting 12 forms of gonorrhea. Most people say that they are winning with a small budget and that when Billy Beane gets a bigger wallet, he'll dominate. I beg to differ. While I agree that Beane is a great evaluator of talent, I feel like he made most of his moves out of necessity, rather than because he's so savvy. Think of the biggest names the A's have had over the last 8-10 years. For me it looks like this: Giambi, Tejada, Hudson, Mulder, Zito, Chavez. A second tier could include Isringhausen or Koch and McGwire If the A's had a big market payroll, don't you think they would have paid to keep this nucleus together? Well how many of those players panned out long term? How many of them would you want on your team now? Giambi and Tejada are deflated with inflated contracts, Hudson and Mulder can't stay healthy, Zito is overwhelmed under the weight of a big contract, Izzy and Koch were never that good and McGwire had 2 years of HRs before he went back to his career averages, which were not good. Beane hasn't had the money to make the mistakes that other GMs make. If the A's had a big payroll they would be in the same position as every other team that has had a few bad signings and a few injuries which is unrealized dreams.

Giants-I don't really want to start this paragraph. There is a significant chance that I will drink a glass full of Drano before I finish this paragraph because that would be less painful than talking about the current state of the Giants. Let's see, Sabean and McGowan rode the Bonds money train until it flew off the tracks. They surrounded him with talent, made a couple good trades and signed a few key vets for the World Series run. Since then it's been an abomination; Signing aging veterans at inflated prices instead of trying out their prospects, trading away pitching and signing free agents to crippling contracts. They have some young talent with Frandsen, Freddie Lewis, Raj Davis and Ortmeier. So what are they doing? Starting Roberts, Durham and Aurilia instead of starting Frandsen at second or third and platooning Lewis and Davis. There is no reason for me to believe the Giants will contend in the West anytime soon. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel is bigger and more cavernous than a hooker's vagina.

49ers-So they have five Super Bowls rings, all achieved in my lifetime. They are the team of the 80's. I have had the pleasure of watching HoF-ers such as Montana, Rice, Lott and Young. With that said I would like to submit this: If there is ever a season when Trent Dilfer is the best you have to offer at quarterback, something has gone terribly wrong and it may be time to give up on your team. If, when asked what is wrong with the team, your coach says, "I don't know," it may be time to move on. Is there a reason for hope with the Niners? They have some pieces and, I suppose the jury is still out on Smith and Nolan. Or maybe I'm just a die hard who doesn't know when to say uncle.

Warriors-For all the Warriors fans out there, if we could make it through the last 14 years, we can make it through anything. For most of my formidable years the Warriors have been lovable losers. I've had to put up with bandwagon Kings fans telling me to just be a Kings fan. Not on your life. Even if the Warriors have no realistic shot at a championship in the insanely loaded West, they are talented, fun to watch and I can see the plan that Nellie and Mullin have.

Ben stated that, "If less is going towards the team then you have basically renounced it." I would disagree with that because, in the case of the Warriors for me, it was impossible to throw myself into a season with great passion year after year when I knew they had no chance to win. I still read every recap and looked the box scores, but I didn't drive to a sports bar to watch them get pummeled night after night. It's not fun to go to a bar knowing your team will probably lose. It's demoralizing. But it doesn't mean that you don't love the team and want to see them succeed.

It seems like a fan comes into the whole thing with a certain level of passion for the sport as whole. Baseball is our favorite sport. We have an intense passion for the game. That's why Matt and I will always root for the Dodgers and Giants respectively.. We live and breathe baseball. So even though the Giants are one of the five worst teams in baseball I will watch 60-70 games on TV and get mad every time they lose, just like the last four years. And even though the Dodgers haven't quite met their expectations the last couple seasons, Matt will bleed Dodger Blue forever.
Sometimes you don't realize you aren't as passionate about a sport until your team flounders for an extended period or the league heads in the wrong direction as a whole. For baseball, it's the salaries and the handful of teams that have more money than anyone else. In the NBA it was the late 90's isolation for the star, no ball movement, no intensity and no discipline (due to the spoiled superstar problem that plagues the NBA more than other sports), and no defense that made casual fans lean towards college basketball. It seems like fans are sort of jaded towards a sport as a whole rather than their team of choice.

I tried to come up with a formula, a set of parameters that would allow for someone to not only renounce a team, but to find a new team. It turned out to be harder than I thought. There are way too many variables. There were however, a couple indisputable reasons to renounce a team.
No. 1: Your teams moves. I know sports are a business and all, but come on. This is like dating a girl for three years and then having her say, "I just need a fresh start somewhere. So I'm moving to Seattle next week. I mean we can still see each other. I just need to see what else is out there." That's when you know it's time to cut a girl, or a team loose.

No. 2: Your owner: seems completely inept, talks about things other than winning and having a plan to win, shows no sign of competitive spirit when asked about his team and losing, shows no signs of dying in the near future.
See Matt? Al Davis' Weekend-at-Bernie's-like charade has to be uncovered soon. A new owner could breathe new life into the silver and black. They might not even lead the league in penalties for once!

Picking a new team is fairly simple. Here are some guidelines:

No. 1: You should pick a team according to geography (ex. You are a Raiders fan, you move to Seattle, Al Davis sucks your will to live. You see the passion of fans in Seattle and slowly become a Hawks fan). Unless the area you move to is the home of your old team's rival.
No. 2: You do not, under any circumstances, pick a team because they are in first place.
No. 3: Your favorite player on your old favorite team gets mistreated and traded or left unsigned by your old favorite team, qualifying you for team renouncement under rule #2 for my reasons to renounce a team, and your allegiance follows him to his new team.

The point of all of this is that, if you really feel comfortable giving up on your team, you probably weren't as passionate about the sport as you thought you were. Or maybe you aren't as much of a fan for the team as you thought. Sticking with your team through thick and thin is what being a fan is all about. It's fine to voice your displeasure, but don't just give up.
That's why I know Matt will not give up on the Raiders.
That's why I know I will always root for the Niners, Giants and Warriors.
That's why I have the Chinese symbol for loyalty tattooed on my arm.

Or maybe it says beef with broccoli.

This was a tough week to pick the rankings. I'll be keeping my eye on St. Mary's, Gonzaga, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Seton Hall and West Virginia in the upcoming week.

1. Memphis (19-0): Got past a pretty good test against Gonzaga.

2. Kansas (20-0): They sure are good. Should be a good game against KSU.

3. Duke (17-1): I'm not going to get to high on the Dukies, but they are taking care of business.
4. North Carolina (19-1): February 6 should be one hell of a game.

5. UCLA (18-2): A nice little Oregon sweep for the Bruins.

6. Georgetown (16-2): Still standing atop a brutal Big East.

7. Michigan State (18-2): Spartie just keeps getting it done.

8. Tennessee (17-2): The Vols fell victim to a Kentucky team that can only beat top ranked opponents.

9. Texas (16-3): Texas has won some close games lately, showing toughness down the stretch.

10. Washington State (17-2): Wazzu nearly got caught napping against ASU, which would have led to a third Pac-10 loss.

11. Indiana (17-2): They didn't come to play against UConn, but the Hoosiers are still undefeated in the Big Ten.

12. Drake (18-1): Still unscathed in everybody's favorite mid-major conference.

13. Florida (18-3): Watch out, because the Gators don't appear to just be pretty good.

14. Butler (19-2): They kinda moved up by default.

15. Stanford (16-3): The Cardinal are quietly in contention the Pac-10.

16. Wisconsin (16-3): Everyone is bound to lose a conference road game.

17. Xavier (17-4): The Muskateers like to win big; and lose big when they do lose.

18. Pittsburgh (16-4): The Big East is brutal and is the best conference in basketball, but you can't get blown out in the second half by Rutgers.

19. Louisville (15-5): I think they are about to rattle off a nice little string of wins.

20. Mississippi State (14-5): Unbeaten in the SEC and a team everyone is taking notice of.

21. Kansas State (14-4): Michael Beasley and Billy Walker are so good. Now the Cougs get a chance to beat a Kansas team they've beat once in the last 36 tries.

22. Purdue (15-5): Five straight wins and a victory against Wisconsin will get you ranked.

23. Marquette (14-4): This could have been one of a few other Big East squads. For now, it's the Golden Eagles.

24. Vanderbilt (17-3): I am giving them one week to show that being down to 34-6 to Florida isn't the type of team they are.

25. Baylor (16-3): I know they went 1-1 and moved into the rankings, but this is kind of a makeup move for me leaving them off last week. A thrilling win against A&M and a very close loss to Oklahoma show they are a quality team and should have been ranked.

Ever since a 48-21 thrashing at the hands of the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII following the 2002 regular season, the Oakland Raiders have been a joke of an NFL franchise.
Since then, they have gone 19-61, with their most wins being five in 2004. They have gone through three coaches since losing the Super Bowl and are apparently on their way to firing a fourth.
After going 4-12 this season, the decrepit and obviously insane corpse that used to be Al Davis' living body is going to get rid of Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin, only 32 years old, showed that the Raiders were dramatically improved under him. Not only did the win total double (from two to four) but they were in a lot of games, losing six games by a touchdown or less and losing two more on top of that, where they actually led in the fourth quarter and wound up losing by more than a touchdown.
Because Al Davis owns the Raiders and insists on running them into the ground, it's becoming harder and harder for me to root for them. I have been a Raiders fan for as long as I have liked football, but this is getting hard to handle.Why would he give Norv Turner, a guy who shouldn't have been hired, two years, but get rid of Kiffin after one year?
Also, Davis shows no sign of trying to improve the team. The big signings are guys like Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown. Davis is clearly blaming his coaches who have been handed horrible roster after horrible roster.
I hate whining about this because I have several friends who are Giants fans and they have watched their team flounder since losing in the 2003 playoffs.
Here's the thing: As stupid as their moves have been, it seems like they think they are making good moves. Obviously they aren't good moves and almost every other human being can see that, but I honestly think that Peter McGowan and Brian Sabean are convinced their moves are going to make them better. Scary.
In the case of the A's, I think fans can see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it is way in the distance.
With the Raiders, there is no light and there won't be one until Davis dies or the stubborn 172-year old decides to change his ways by staying out of the way and letting the team develop.The former will happen first.
So when I heard this news about Kiffin, I was ready to give up. I was ready to stop being a Raiders fan and I started thinking: Can a big sports fan such as myself, give up on a team they have always rooted for and still be a good sports fan? When is loyalty really just stupidity?
"You can only renounce them if you pick a new team that is equally terrible, but whose owner is alive," my good friend and website cohort Mike Walsh said in jest.
In semi-seriousness though, he said: "I think (the team) has to move, but I might allow for it since your owner has been dead for 10 years, but is still allowed to make decisions."
With the Raiders, it's very different than a team like the Bills or the Packers who are tucked away in some small city where the fans love their team no matter what. The Raiders are a bunch of misfits who always lead the league in penalties. They also don't feel like they belong to the community because they have come and gone before.
Does that make it okay to give up on a team? Is it okay to give up on any team even if it is woven into the very fabric of your life?
"Not only is it okay; it's your duty and an invested, heartfelt fan to do so--to speak candidly, to be that voice," our dedicated reader Mark Spinrad said. "That's true love, man. I mean, c'mon. How else could you be a Dodger fan if you didn't sound off about their heartlessness As naively optimistic as I am about the Niners, I'm very mixed about the Martz hiring. If I was offended by steroids in baseball, I would have to condemn the Giants. It's part of the job description of fanaticism. I'm not saying you should give up on a team permanently (unless they move), but I do think you are entitled to both sound off and take a hiatus should the condemned act(s) merit such a response. A death penalty SMU style."
That brings me to my next point; if you are able to feel like you are ready to give up on a team, was your heart completely with them?
I love the Dodgers like no other team in sports with USC and Tennessee football a distant second (this says more about my love for the Dodgers, not less about my love for my college football teams) and I couldn't ever imagine giving up on them no matter how horrible they were.
But I know I felt this way about the Raiders once, but things have gotten so ridiculous that I don't know if I can admit that I am a fan anymore.
"It's not so much about an edict of renouncement as it is about your own personal energy," website partner and trusted friend Ben Malley said. "If less is going towards the team then you basically have renounced it. This will happen when the owner is insane like Al Davis. I know that if you were an A's fan you would still be a huge fan this season because you want to watch the young kids mature and become better. They are the future of the team you love. Since I know you don't feel that way about the Raiders you have already renounced them. I know you are a Lakers and Raiders fan but I've never seen you really care about them the way you do the Dodgers and to a lesser extent USC and Tennessee. Maybe it's just because its the NFL and NBA."
The fact that the NBA has turned me off or that I feel the NFL is better for fantasy football does play into my thought process and I think Ben has a point. My heart hasn't appeared to have been into the Raiders for a while now, and maybe I can never go back. I could always go back to being a fan in the future if I do renounce them, but never in the same capacity. Spinrad, Walsh and Malley make fine points and I agree that once you have mentally checked out, you do lose a bit of your fanhood. Once you actually think to yourself that maybe you no longer want to root for this team, you hit a point of no return. You may never live or die with that team again.
"Sure it's okay to renounce a favorite team. Even better when you know they aren't going anywhere under a certain owner/GM/coach," Malley said. "Because when you are a sports fan like us, once you renounce them in your heart, you can never go back to them the same way again. They could be making an incredible playoff run, and maybe you think you are back as a fan, but deep down it's not the same, and you know it."
I guess I better think long and hard about how I really feel about them, both to myself and to people I know, because I will sure miss the feeling of loving a team to death when they are good.

Here are some other thoughts from dedicated (ya right) readers:

Larry Salomon: "Only a real fan can renounce his team. Then, after no more than onecalendar year, and like a jilted lover whose heart has mended, he canclaim them as his own again. The better question is can a fan renounce his favorite team and thenmove on to another? Not if he was truly a real fan, or only in the event that he moves to another city, waits the requisite five years,and then claims another team as his own. He may continue to follow hisold flame, even root for them, but it's not the same."

I won't put the rest of what he said, but it was fucking hilarious....

Ali Thanawalla: "I think it's okay to renounce your favorite sports team, but with a few conditions.
First, you can not, under any circumstances, return to rooting for that team. You can't grow up rooting for the Knicks, then renounce them because of Isiah Thomas, and then come back in five years when they start winning again. Once you give them up, they are as good as gone.
Second, you have to fully committ to the new team of interest. You must become part of their 'Nation.'
With that said, I will give my personal experience. And I will state for the record that if I hadn't renounced this team 10 years ago, I would have surely done so in the last four years.
Growing up in the Bay Area in the late 80's and early 90's, I was an Oakland A's fan. When you're a kid, you're influenced by your parents. My dad was (and still is) a huge A's fan, and he always liked Mark McGwire. So naturally, Big Mac became my favorite player. In 1996 and the beginning of 1997, there were grumblings that the A's were going to trade him. At the time, I didn't understand the business of the game. All I knew was that the A's were going to trade my favorite player. When they finally traded him to St. Louis, I was devasted. The fact that he gave St. Louis the thrill of watching the Great Home Run Chase of 98 and not the fans he grew up with in Oakland really hurt me. Not that that was his fault.
After the A's traded McGwire, I silently renounced my loyalty to the A's. I couldn't root for a team that traded my favorite player. Now, admittedly, I didn't have a backup team to fall back on. I guess you could say I was a free agent for about one year.
During the 1998 season, I spent a lot of my time with my best friend at the time, and he too was having a team loyalty crisis. He grew up in a Giants household, but at times, I knew him to be a fan of the Cubs, Mets and Yankees. It was his adorance of the Yankees that caught my eye. At the time, I wasn't aware of the hatred for the Bronx Bombers, but watching them on TV was awesome. So I stuck with the Yankees, and my best friend fell back to the Giants. But it was too late. I decided to stick with the Yankees.
Watching guys like Jeter and Tino and Bernie, they effectively signed me a lifetime contract.
But, even if I hadn't renounced the A's after the Big Mac trade, chances are I would have kicked them to the curb in the last few years. I don't know how I'd be able to root for a team that continues to ship out, or elect not to re-sign, its best players, year after year. Rather than spend money they surely have, they trade players at the height of their popularity, or let players leave via free agency at the peak of their careers. Hudson and Mulder were traded at the height of the Big Three. Giambi and Tejada were allowed to walk away after winning MVP's. I don't know how A's fans continue to put up with the current management. This offseason, they traded away their two most popular players, Dan Haren and Nick Swisher. Were either close to free agency? No. Did either have a big contract? No. They were traded so that the A's could rebuild. Hello? Mr. Beane? Rebuild with Haren and Swisher!
So do I think a fan can renounce their team? Of course. But you better be damn sure about it. It needs to be a well thought-out decision. So if you're going to change loyalties, choose wisely. There is no bandwagon-jumping."

A lot of upsets during the week led to a lot of movement up and down the poll along with a few new faces.

1. Memphis (17-0): They probably won't lose more than one game this season, and should be a No. 1 seed. What happens after will prove how good they are.

2. Kansas (18-0): Withstood a game effort from rival Missouri and came out unscathed.

3. Tennessee (16-1): The Vols might lose a few in a tough SEC, but they are just about as good as anyone.

4. Duke (15-1): A young Duke squad is looking poised so far.

5. North Carolina (18-1): They lost, but so what? They are still the most talented and probably the best team in the country.

6. UCLA (16-2): Had to expect USC to be fired up for that game. But, teams are allowed to lose, even if they don't do it often. UCLA will be fine.

7. Washington State (16-1): Still in the hunt for the Pac-10 title.

8. Indiana (16-1): The Hoosiers are doing enough to win, but are they elite?

9. Georgetown (14-2): A good bounce back win against Notre Dame after that loss to Pitt.

10. Michigan State (16-2): The Spartans are quietly taking care of business and staying in the top ten.

11. Pittsburgh (15-3): The Panthers are adjusting to the bevy of injuries they have suffered and are looking tough.

12. Wisconsin (15-2): Not too many people thought Wisconsin would be in the Big Ten discussion this season.

13. Texas (14-3): The Horns are starting to show some weaknesses, but should still be a top three or four seed when March rolls around.

14. Villanova (13-3): The Wildcats had a pair of good wins last week.

15. Drake (16-1): The Missouri Valley Conference is very good and Drake is emerging as the cream of the crop.

16. Texas A&M (15-3): Do they go in the tank now or can they bounce back?

17. Mississippi (15-2): Apparently the snow in Auburn caught them off guard.

18. Dayton (14-2): The A-10 is showing its balance with a favorite yet to emerge. Could it be Dayton?

19. Vanderbilt (17-2): Showing an uncanny ability to beat up on the teams that they should.

20. Butler (17-2): Why can't they win against teams like Wright State and Cleveland State? Still haven't figured this team out.

21. Florida (16-3): The Gators are still pretty good and showed some maturity in the OT win over Kentucky.

22. Stanford (15-3): Looked very good in that second half against Arizona State.

23. West Virginia (14-4): Turns out Bob Huggins is a good coach.

24. Arizona State (14-3): Did anyone think the Sun Devils would be in the discussion for the Pac-10.

25. Xavier (15-4): The Muskateers would like to disagree with the assumption that Dayton is the team to beat in the A-10. Don't forget UMass or Rhode Island.

I'm not a supporter of how LSU jumped so many spots after the SEC title game, so I have decided not to alter my ratings because it played in the BCS title game. Instead, I will keep my rankings the way they were and base them on how each team did individually.

1. Georgia (11-2): I really feel the Bulldogs were playing the best football in the country for the last two months. It would have been a heck of a matchup with USC had they been the Rose Bowl, which should have happened.

2. USC (11-2): Probably playing the second best football in the country. I think a USC/Georgia game would have opened up for a lot of criticism for the BCS, which is probably why it was avoided.

3. Missouri (12-2): They took their aggression for being snubbed out on a very good Arkansas team in the Cotton Bowl.

4. LSU (12-2): I don't support how they got to the title game and I don't support the fact that they didn't have to beat anyone to win the title.

5. Kansas (12-1): The fact that Virginia Tech is not very good has made Kansas look better than it really is. Still, it was a big win for the program and a great season.

6. West Virginia (11-2): West-fucking Virginia. There's no doubt the Mountaineers are the most talented team in college football, and they looked terrific. If they could have only avoided one of the two let downs, I have a feeling they would have won the national title.

7. Ohio State (11-2): They aren't very good, but they stayed with LSU somewhat because the Tigers aren't all that special either.

8. Oklahoma (11-3): Compared to WV's athletes, the Sooners looked slow. That's saying a lot for the Mountaineers because OU has some great athletes.

9. Texas (10-3): The Horns put a hurtin' on a pretty good Sun Devils team. It was a good way to end an up and down season for an elite program.

10. Virginia Tech (11-3): The Hokies had a great season for what they were, and that was just a pretty good team. They weren't elite, so going 11-3 and making a BCS game should be enough for them.

11. Boston College (11-3): Held on for their seventh straight bowl win after edging Michigan State. The Eagles are turning into a pretty solid program, but now it's time to replace Matt Ryan. That won't be easy.

12. Tennessee (10-4): Had the Vols blown it against Wisconsin, Phillip Fulmer might have got axed, but barely holding on after dominating for most of the game bought him some time to get Tennessee where it used to be and that's a perennial top ten team.

13. Cincinnati (10-3): If anyone would have told you before the season that Cincy was going to win 10 games, you would have thought them crazy.

14. Auburn (9-4): They showed some different things in their bowl win over Clemson, and Tiger fans should be excited for next season after slugging out nine wins in what is considered a down year.

15. Florida (9-4): I'm surprised that nobody is talking about what a horrible season Florida had after winning the national title. Four losses. It's because everyone knows how frickin talented they are.

16. Illinois (9-4): Don't get me wrong, Illinois is a pretty good team, but I don't think they belonged in a BCS game and they for sure didn't belong against a team like USC.

17. Hawaii (12-1): Georgia beat them like a red-headed stepchild. June Jones, gone. Colt Brennan, gone. The future is not bright at Hawaii after taking three lumps like that.

18. Arizona State (10-3): You think they let down after being snubbed? Their run defense did, that's for sure.

19. Clemson (9-4): It's a good thing Auburn beat them, because I couldn't have dealt with the Tigers being ranked in the top ten to end the year.

20. BYU (11-2): The Cougars are one piece of the football away from being irrelevant in these rankings. They got a break, beat UCLA and end the year in the top 20.

21. Wisconsin (9-4): The Badgers nearly came back to beat Tennessee, but showed that most of the time a Big Ten team isn't going to have enough offense. There are exceptions....

22. Michigan (9-4): Anyone of importance to Michigan football played extremely well, which I predicted would have to happen to beat Florida. They looked like the team they could have been all year.

23. Texas Tech (9-4): Heck of a comeback against Virginia. The Red Raiders have a lot coming back as well and should open the year as a top 25 team.

24. Oregon State (9-4): The Beavers quietly put together a very good season, despite having horrible quarterbacks.

25. Oregon (9-4): It was good to see the Ducks look more like the team they were in the middle of the season.

Well it's the one that some of us have been waiting for. After countless hours of watching, reading, writing, analyzing and talking about college football from some Mediterranean restaurant in Berkeley back in July where Matt and I both thought that Chad Henne was John Navarre over a plate of chicken shish kabob to December when West Virginia wasn't able to muster an ounce of offense at home to Pitt. In a year of wackiness the dust settled and a couple of 800 pound gorillas were playing in the BCS championship game. Do they deserve it? Probably about as much as any of the other teams. Are we happy to see them here? The answer is a decisive no.

It was LSU's defense that had the experts drooling coming into the year. But they underperformed and while much of that has been blamed on the injury to tackle and sure fire top two pick Glenn Dorsey, one man, no matter how amazingly talented cannot account for the defense giving up 43 and 50 points in their two losses, even if those games did go to OT.

In actuality it is the Buckeyes who come into the game with the nation's number one defense. Many will discount this because of the weakness of this year's Big 10, but having watched their performance on a rainy Saturday in Ann Arbor there is no denying that they are one of the top defenses in the country, starting with Vernon Gholston on the line.

It's the Ohio State running game of various Wells' most importantly Beanie/Chris/whoever that will be the key. If they can get him going as they did against Michigan, Todd Boeckman won't have to win the game by himself. He's thrown 12 interceptions this season, and after Tressel saw that Michigan's offense wouldn't be able to muster a first down, he kept the ball out of his junior quarterback's hands.

LSU's wide receiver threat Early Doucet is supposed to be ready to go. His presence will help the dual quarterback attack that Les Miles has said he will go with. The Tigers' more balanced offense and healthy defense should be enough to beat the Buckeyes, even if the game is closer than a lot of Big 10 hating fans would like to believe. If you believe in the law of averages, Les Miles' team is due for a few 4th down conversions in crucial situations not working. As college football fans trying to make the best out of what will be our last game until September, we can only hope the game comes down to one of those famous Les Miles fourth down calls.

Predictions:
Matt- LSU
Ben- LSU
Mike- LSU

By Ben Malley and Matt Smith

Orange Bowl- Kansas (11-1) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2), Jan. 3: We know this has nothing to do with the game, but is anyone else tired of 5 hour BCS games? More commercial breaks, and longer commercial breaks on FOX. Kansas doesn't belong here. Missouri beat them. Unfortunately for Kansas they didn't get a chance to prove themselves against Oklahoma or Texas during the regular season. But here they are taking on a Virginia Tech team that we have had down as overrated from day one. The ACC is the weakest of the BCS conferences, and that is saying something knowing what we know about the Big 10. It will probably be a close game and the FOX announcers (tools) will say both teams deserved to be here.

Whenever VT plays special teams is always key. If Kansas is going to win, they will have to neutralize this part of VT's game, after all, it's what compensates for their pathetic excuse for an offense. To put this into numbers the Hokies are 96th in the nation in total yards, yet 51st in points scored. Those points are coming from the special teams and defense which is the 2nd best in the nation. They will certainly be the best defense Kansas' number one ranked scoring offense has seen this year. Kansas will look to get their running game of big Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp going to take the pressure off young Todd Reesing who struggled early in the big game against Mizzou.

On the other side of the ball VT's offense stalled this year along with the regression of junior tailback Brandon Ore. Sean Glennon improved over the course of the year and has been taking more snaps than Tyrod Taylor who looked like he had stolen the starting job after the first few games. Glennon ended the season with only 3 INTs, down from 11 last year. He seems to have learned his limitations and prefers shorter passes rather than deep balls.

Predictions:
Ben- Virginia Tech
Matt- Kansas
Mike- Virginia Tech

International Bowl- Rutgers (7-5) vs. Ball State (7-5), Jan 5: I hope this isn't the last collegiate game for Ray Rice, because I love watching him carry the ball 76 times a game, racking up hundreds of yards and bowling people over along the way. But, if it is his final game, expect it to be a doozy.

The Cardinals defense against the run is not very good, and running the ball is what Rutgers does best. Rice has gone over 110 yards inseven straight games and is currently fourth in the nation with 1,732 yards. With just 99 yards, he will run for more yards than Darren McFadden and finish third in the nation, behind only Kevin Smith of Central Florida and Michael Forte of Tulane. Expect Greg Schiano to not put the game in quarterback Mike Teel's hands, because when he does, he fails miserably. Schiano got away from Rice in the season finale against Louisville, and that allowed the Cards to come back because Teel is horrible.

If this were NCAA football on PS2, Rice would come back and rush for 5,000 yards because I would talk him into staying and he would carry the ball on every single play.

Ball State quarterback Nate Davis has thrown for 3,376 yards this year, so he will have to have a good game for the Cardinals to have any chance. Expect Rutgers to gear up for the pass because Ball State will probably not have much success in the running game. They have been so beaten up that a walk on, Ray Winkler, started in their regular season finale. Not playing since mid-November will help them get healthy, but how healthy is a big question.

Predictions:
Matt- Rutgers
Ben- Rutgers
Mike- Rutgers

GMAC Bowl- Bowling Green (8-4) vs. Tulsa (9-4), Jan 6: Nobody cares. Not only is this in our opinion the worst bowl game of the season, it's also in January, the night before the Championship game. Play this on December 23rd and maybe we'll watch (because we're true junkies), but not now.

Expect a lot of points from the nation's number one offense in Tulsa led by quarterback Paul Smith. Junior tailback Tarrion Adams (from Japan) has benefited from the successful passing attack racking up 1113 yards of his own.

Bowling Green's strength is on the ground with 5 different running backs totaling 1501 yards for the year. Do yourself a favor and don't watch.

Predictions:
Matt- Tulsa
Ben- Tulsa
Mike- Tulsa

By Matt Smith and Ben Malley

Outback Bowl- Wisconsin (9-3) vs. Tennessee (9-4), Jan. 1: This game is intriguing enough to make people (on the West Coast) want to get up at 8 a.m. and tune in. You have two very big programs, both of which probably feel their season should have gone a little better. Since starting 1-2, the Vols had a bit of a charmed season, catching breaks down the stretch to beat Vanderbilt, Kentucky and South Carolina. The problem was the game they probably should have won when the breaks didn't go their way and that was the SEC title game against LSU. It's up to Erik Ainge to bounce back and give the Rocky Top fans something to remember him by. Wisconsin, on the other hand, didn't live up to the top five pre-season ranking but has finished fairly strong and would like to finish a 10-win season.

Look for Tennessee to establish the run with Arian Foster against a Badger team that isn't very good at stopping it. Ainge should then be able to find receivers with play action, even with leading receiver Lucas Taylor missing the game.

The Badgers will benefit from the absence of Tennessee linebacker Rico McCoy, one of six suspended Vols, but the question is how much can they take advantage with Wisconsin's leading rusher, P.J. Hill, doubtful for the game. The Tennessee defensive backs, for the most part, have problems in coverage and this could make for a big game for the Tyler Donovan/Travis Beckum tandem.

Predictions:
Matt- Tennessee
Ben- Tennessee
Mike- Tennessee

Cotton Bowl- Missouri (11-2) vs. Arkansas (8-4), Jan. 1: Probably the team with the best "the BCS screwed me" story is Mizzou. They'll play Arkansas in a game that pits two high powered offenses who get it done in different ways. Arkansas is Darren McRun, who needs no introduction and is surely playing his last college game. Missouri's spread offense will see quarterback Chase Daniel, whose completion percentage of 69.7 is near the top in the nation, throw a lot. The Missouri set up includes two tight ends led by the 6-6 255 lb Martin Rucker who presents a big matchup problem for most line backers.

Expect a lot of points, and expect to see McFadden taking some more snaps and even throwing the ball as he did in the win against LSU. Arkansas of course will be playing with an interim coach which never seems to help in bowl games, for a most recent example just ask Georgia Tech, UCLA, Texas A&M and Houston.

After the SEC's performance thus far in the bowl season it's hard to pick against Arkansas, but the well rounded Missouri offense with solid running help from Tony Temple and freshman playmaker Jeremy Maclin should be able to outscore the McFadden heavy Arkansas attack. It would also be a disservice not to mention often overlooked Felix Jones. Less than good quarterback Casey Dick is going to need to play a big part if Arkansas is going to score enough.


Predictions:
Matt-Missouri
Ben-Missouri
Mike-Arkansas

Gator Bowl- Texas Tech (8-4) vs. Virginia (9-3), Jan. 1: Texas Tech doesn't run the ball much, but when the Red Raiders do, it's not very effective. Now they are playing one of the top run defenses in the country led by Chris Long, and they will probably be more one dimensional than they have all season and that might not necessarily be a bad thing. Graham Harrell and his 5,300 yards and 45 touchdowns might be too much for the Cavaliers to handle. Speaking of too much to handle, that is essentially what freshman phenom Michael Crabtree is, bringing in 125 catches for 1,861 yards and 25 touchdowns. The 3-4 defense of Virginia might give them a bit of a problem in trying to establish a sort of run game with short passes, so big plays will be the story for Tech. If Harrell has time, it could be a long day for the Cavs secondary.

Nobody is quite sure what Virginia does to move the ball on offense, but they have grinded out some games with dual threat Jameel Sewell at quarterback. Virginia is a run first offense and that should bode well against a Red Raider team that doesn't stop the run all that well. Tech has a very good pass defense, so Virginia is very much going to hope to establish the run and not get in situations that are obvious passing downs.

Predictions:
Matt- Texas Tech
Ben- Texas Tech
Mike- Texas Tech

Capital One Bowl- Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida (9-3), Jan. 1: Not to oversimplify anything, but Chad Henne and Mike Hart are going to have to play very well to give Michigan a chance to win this game. Florida's defense is too fast and talented for just one of them to have a good game. They must have balance. Protecting Henne is a must, especially against a ferocious Gator pass rush and Michigan shouldn't be shy about handing the ball off to Mike Hart straight ahead, letting the bruiser earn the tough yards as they try to control this game in the trenches. That will be very important for the Michigan offense.Obviously the story is Michigan's trouble with the spread offense, and they are playing the team that probably runs it better than anybody because of the most prolific run/pass threat at quarterback in the history of college football. Again stating the obvious, Michigan must contain Tim Tebow, forcing him to earn tough yards and take hits. Keeping him bracketed and making him throw the ball should be the primary objective. Michigan has had trouble doing this against athletic teams. They will need to know where Percy Harvin is at all times, because he could have a big game if too much attention is paid on Tebow.

Predictions:
Matt- Florida
Ben- Florida
Mike- Florida

Rose Bowl- Illinois (9-3) vs. USC (10-2), Jan. 1: It might just be me, but this seems like a game in which Illinois is grossly overmatched. All signs indicate that USC should roll, but the bowl season is a funny time, so who knows. The Illini have to be able to run the ball because the arm of Juice Williams isn't going to win the game by itself. There is the problem for Illinois. USC's run defense is fourth in the nation, and they haven't exactly played a bunch of lightweights. Don't count on USC's defense being affected by the spread offense either, because the Trojan defense is loaded with NFL first round picks and has the speed to seal off the outside and the size and strength to clog the middle. Illinois is going to need effective balance and will need Rashard Mendenhall to break tackles and make plays.

The Trojans are rolling right now, looking ferocious on defense and well tuned on offense. They like to run the ball, but since returning from a broken finger, quarterback John David Booty has looked good in running the offense and making throws down the field, an aspect they missed in his absence. The young USC receivers are getting better, tight end Fred Davis is a force in the middle and the studs on the offensive line are finally back and healthy. Chauncey Washington, Stafon Johnson, Joe McKnight and the rest of the stable of backs will make a difference running the ball, but expect Booty to come out and put an exclamation point on this year, much like he did against Michigan last year.

Predictions:
Matt- USC
Ben- USC
Mike- USC

Sugar Bowl- Hawaii (12-0) vs. Georgia (10-2), Jan. 1: Most observers think Hawaii's offense has proved that it can compete with anyone. Georgia obviously will be the toughest test yet. Brennan gets the attention here, but wide receivers Ryan Grice-Mullen and Davone Bess could play for any team in the country. Unlike the Missouri offense there is absolutely no running game balance to speak of here.

Georgia may have been one of the better elite teams that Hawaii could have drawn. Relying on stout defense, their offense leaves something to be desired. Matthew Stafford has grown up this season. After last season's 13 interception performance and the late interception in the loss to South Carolina this year, we put him on our list with guys like Mike Teel, Anthony Morelli and as of last night Cullen Harper. But perhaps we should have known better. He threw nine interceptions this season, but has looked like a different player, a leader. The sophomore let freshman tailback Knoshown Moreno carry the load for the Bulldogs and did what he needed to do when called upon. We know the Hawaii defense has something to prove. After giving up tons of points to Boise St. and Washington they have been completely written off by everyone.

Like any other David v Goliath match up Hawaii needs to play mistake free football to win and get their defense to play the game of their lives. They will have to key on Moreno and force Stafford to beat them. It's something he should be able to do, but we're not sold just yet.

Predictions:
Matt- Georgia
Ben- Georgia
Mike- Hawaii

Fiesta Bowl- West Virginia (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (11-2), Jan. 2: In early November, thinking about the possibility of this matchup would have got me excited. Now, I am not looking forward to it at all. The reason is that these are two teams going in totally different directions. Oklahoma, bounced back from a late season upset at the hands of Texas Tech to stake its claim to the Big 12 title. In doing so, the Sooners looked like a top five team. The Mountaineers, on the other hand, had a title game appearance lined up and lost to Pitt, of all teams. Now, they're coach has left them and they look like a team in disarray.

To beat Oklahoma, Pat White is going to have to make plays with his arm and feet. He has gotten by with running mostly, but expect Oklahoma's athletes on defense to force him to make quick decisions with the ball. I would look for White and Steve Slaton to try and get outside and outrun the Sooner defense and not worry about trying to be more physical in the middle.

The Sooners on offense are going to rely on freshman quarterback Sam Bradford. To beat WV, he is going to have to play well. Allen Patrick and DeMarco Murray are very good backs, but West Virginia is a strong, physical defense and I think it will be geared up to stop the run. If Bradford hooks up with Malcom Kelly early and often, the Sooners could set the tone in this game and control it from start to finish.

Predictions:
Matt- Oklahoma
Ben- Oklahoma
Mike- Oklahoma