Thayne Cullimore's Blog

2009-03-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

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Losing Our Rights

2009-01-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

Recently the House and Senate Democrats have initiated a petition against popular conservative, Republican party-hawk, radio host Rush Limbaugh. The subject matter of this petition refers to the fact that Rush stated that he hopes the Obama presidency fails. Granted this petition has no legal significance other than asking for people to express their outrage that Rush would say such a thing, however, the actual significance for the House and Senate Democrats actions are far greater than simply expressing disagreement or even outrage.
The Dems are attempting to stifle one of the long standing and important rights guaranteed by our Constitution. This right is the freedom of speech. While our constitution guarantees this right, it in no way grants it. There are certain rights, inalienable and inherent in man, granted not by any government or by any means of man, but granted unto all mankind by our Creator. Among these rights is the right to think and choose as we desire. Part of that right is our right to speak.
Governments have in the passed attempted to quash man’s freedom to speak. In such societies, it became a crime to speak out against the government, the rulers, and even against the predominant religion. The punishments varied from simple fines to death. Examples of such societies include Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Spain during the inquisition, Germany under Hitler, and even Colonial America. While this right was not completely abolished in Colonial America, it was hindered such to the point that our divinely inspired founding fathers felt the need to explicitly guarantee this right, through the Bill of rights. Such was the importance that government should not trample this right, that it was labeled as the First Amendment.
Today, the freedom of speech is not absolutely guaranteed by our government. There are restrictions and limitations for which most of us are grateful. We have ordinances that limit loud noises in residential areas, particularly late at night. We have restrictions as to the time, place and manner of certain speech done on public property. Over broadcast airwaves, speech is limited by the FCC to avoid things such as Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words, but never before has our government thought to restrict criticism of itself which does not create incitement of riots or solicitations of other illegal acts.
Limbaugh’s statements may be outrageous to some, and inappropriate to some, but they are simply a criticism of potential policies set forth by the current President. Similar statements have been made numerous times over in regards to the President George W. Bush administration. Here, the difference is that one party was expressing their distaste against another is now being criticized. Now they would like to stifle the freedom of speech. As stated, this petition has not legal consequences for Mr. Limbaugh, but it does set a precedence which could lead to more stringent restrictions. Soon, such statements as harmless as a mere stated hope will be banned even before they are spoken.
This creates an odor that any stated disagreement would be outlawed. While this slope we are descending may not lead to a complete prior restraint on complaints against the government during the President Obama administration, it is still leading there. Perhaps the next president will be a more Conservative president but will seize this power and prevent complaints against him. It is a blade that cuts both ways, be it Liberal or Conservative. It begins to smell of Nazi Germany and even the Eugenics program. Disagreement will be viewed as heretical and incitement. Such a stench should be protected by our Constitution, but already with the limits on free speech to which we have agreed, further limitations would surely be accepted.
I find it abhorrent that members of the governing body of this great country know as these United States of America would attempt to impose such restrictions on their constituents. Our government has already taken more of our liberties than our founding fathers could have ever imagined. If they were alive today, they would be advocating for a new revolution. We have an unelected body of people making laws and decisions that are affecting our lives and choices. I believe the Supreme Court tries to uphold the Constitution and attempts to interpret it, however, their Judicial Review was an overstep of their powers back when Marbury sued Madison. Now it is not even the branch of government that claims to have the right to interpret our rights, but the branch that we elect that wants to restrict them. I hope that this petition remains no more than just a petition. I hope that our government will not try to stifle our inherent rights. I hope that this country will remain strong. The only way America stays strong is through the strength of her citizens. It is not our military might or our economic wealth that people around the world seek when they flee their countries to come here, it is our freedoms. I hope we can retain them, all of them.

Preseason Rankings 2008

2008-07-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on the formatting. It seems that blogger has changed around a little since my last rankings. I may not be able to to the same format.

Now many of you who read this, may notice some similarities to the way I do my poll, and the way Stewart Mandell of Sports Illustrated does his. I will admit that I like his format and modeled mine after that format. Also, I agree that the poll shouldn’t try to be a prediction of the final poll, but a representation of where the teams are currently. This is of course just my opinion of the matter.

I also like Mandell’s mailbag column. I often find myself disagreeing with Stewart, but respect his writing and his knowledge of College Football. I hope that people would grant me the same. If anyone would like a particular topic address, or simply a question answered, please send an email to me and I will incorporate it into this blog.

I anticipate that much like last year, I should have weekly rankings and wrap-ups of the weekends games. I may also blog concerning other topics dealing with the teams, particularly the teams that I follow, religiously. Since we are truly at the beginning of the College Football season, and the games won’t begin for nearly two months, I may not be as regular in my posting, but if you would like to see more, please let me know.

1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (Last Season 11 – 2)
They finished the season strong and many felt that they deserved a shot for the National Championship. They lost out to LSU for that bid, but with their returning team they get the top spot.

2 GEORGIA (Last Season 11-2)
The Bulldogs were in the mix for playing for the National Title last year. The lost mostly because they didn’t win their conference. They have an experience quarterback and a solid running back.

3 OKLAHOMA (Last Season 11-3)
The Sooners keep disappointing in bowl games. They appear to be one of the best in the nation and then blow their bowl game. This affects their rankings with many, but with me, I think they have one of the best teams and could fix their bowl woes this year.

4 OHIO STATE (Last Season 11-2)
The return much of their team that played in the National Championship game. I’m just not a big believer. They should win the Big 10 again this year.

5 MISSOURI (Last Season 12-2)
Chase Daniels must be a favorite to win the Heisman. They lose their speedster Tony Temple, but they need to get past the Sooners. Losing to them twice keeps the Sooners ahead of them.

6 LOUISIANNA STATE (Last Season 12-2)
They win the National Championship for the second time in 5 years, but they lose many starters. They suspended quarterback Perriloux, though I wasn’t ever fully buying him as a quarterback, so they have no experience at quarterback.

7 TENNESSEE (Last Season 10-4)
I like this team. The will miss Eric Ainge at quarterback, but they should be reloaded for this season. Phil Fulmer has had too many “down” years for this to be another.

8 FLORIDA (Last Season 9-4)
Two pre-season polls this year have the Gators at number 1. The reason is that they attempt to predict the final poll. I put the teams in order where they are today. With Tebow, they could have a pretty good team.

9 TEXAS (Last Season 10-3)
This is the third year for Colt McCoy. Will he be the freshman phenom he was, or will his sophomore slump continue on. I think he’ll bounce back.

10 AUBURN (Last Season 9-4)
They have another pair of running backs that should cause some problems for defenses. They have a returning quarterback and a good coaching staff. With a new offense, we’ll see how they adjust.

11 TEXAS TECH (Last Season 9-4)
Michael Crabtree. This young man could win games by himself, but he has the benefit of a returning quarterback in Harrell. They have some new talent on defense too.

12 BRIGHAM YOUNG (Last Season 11-2)
They are returning just about everyone from their potent offense. They have strong linebackers, and their secondary is being replaced, and that is actually a good thing.

13 KANSAS (Last Season 12-1)
This was probably the best defense in the Big 12 last year. They should be as good this year. QB Todd Reesing has a year under his belt, and it was a pretty good year, but he lost some of his protectors on the offensive line.

14 CLEMSON (Last Season 9-4)
The Tigers have some players on defense that should make them pretty good. Will their defense be able to keep them in games when their offense struggles?

15 WISCONSIN (Last Season 9-4)
Did you know that PJ Hill was still in school? This must be his 12th year. It seems like he was playing while I was in school. He will have some help in the backfield with freshman John Clay.

16 ARIZONA STATE (Last Season 10-3)
They were pretty good last season. They had an explosive offense and have a returning quarterback. Their defense showed potential in spring drills.

17 PENNSYLVANIA STATE (Last Season 9-4)
They have the talent to compete for the Big 10 title. They have an excellent freshman running back, Stephfon Green, and JoePa has shown he’s not afraid to use freshmen.

18 OREGON (Last Season 9-4)
This team could have been playing for the National Championship last year if Dennis Dixon didn’t get hurt. They return some good receivers and some good secondary. Last years misfortune has helped develop QB Justin Roper.

19 WEST VIRGINIA (Last Season 11-2)
Pat White returns, and so does Noel Devine. They lost many starters and lost their coach. Can they pull this together for another run at a National Title or at least a BCS game?

20 ILLINOIS (Last Season 9-4)
QB Juice Williams returns, but he will miss Mendenhall in the backfield. They should find away to play without him, but they need someone to step up to fill that void.

21 CINCINNATI (Last Season 10-3)
The Bearcats return plenty of weapons on offense, and they will have senior quarterback assuming Grutza can hold off Demetrius Jones, Notre Dame transfer.

22 VIRGINIA TECH (Last Season 11-3)
Sean Glennon is back again. This is another guy that seems like he’s been here forever. Didn’t he split reps with a Vick? The lost a lot of Defense, but they always seem to field a good defense and special teams.

23 ALABAMA (Last Season 7-6)
This is Saban’s second year at ‘Bama. He made progress in his second year everywhere he’s been, except in Miami. They return QB John Parker Wilson and RB Terry Grant.

24 OREGON STATE (Last Season 9-4)
Wide Receiver Sammie Stroughter missed last season, but had a big year the year before. I expect him to put up big numbers in the passing game this year.

25 UTAH (Last Season 9-4)
Last year they were riddled with injuries and still pulled off a great season. This year with an experience Brian Johnson at QB, the Utes could be undefeated come November for an instate showdown.

Also Considering: Pittsburg, Michigan, Boise State, Florida State, Wake Forest, Notre Dame

The BCS has decided, Now fall into line

2007-12-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

The final BCS Standings have been released. The National Championship has pitted Ohio State against LSU. This is due to the previous two top teams losing in the last week of the season. West Virginia lost an unlikely game to Pittsburgh. Had WVU played like they normally do, they would be on their way to a National Championship, their first. Instead, they are relegated to an, although successful season, still a disappointment. Missouri also had a shot. One week after defeating #2 ranked Kansas in a border war, they earned a trip to the Big 12 title game to face the only team that had defeated them in this season, Oklahoma. Mizzou was holding the top spot in the Nation, and all they had to do was beat the Sooners on a neutral field. They couldn’t do it. They couldn’t even hang with the Sooners. Oklahoma proved that they were better than the #1 team in the nation, not once this year, but twice.
So the question is, who should be playing for the title. We know who is, but who should be there. We will hear arguments from Georgia, USC, Oklahoma, LSU ought to make an argument to justify themselves, as should Ohio State. The best team in the country is such a difficult determination, that the only true way to determine it, is to have a playoff. Normally, we don’t have such a predicament, because one team does what is expected and wins all of their games.
Wait a minute, you say, didn’t Hawaii win all of their games. Yes they did. And they provided a formula to get other mid-majors into a BCS game. First of all, you need to win your conference, and do so undefeated. This is a hard thing to do, but not impossible. BYU has done so the past two years, and Boise State did so last year. Boise had an opportunity to do so again, but failed to beat Hawaii. The second step is to schedule weak opponents for non-conference games. This is the key. If a “mid-major” wishes to play with the big boys, they need to make sure that they don’t lose a non-conference game, and schedule pansies, push-overs, and weaklings. In fact, if you aren’t sure, go ahead and schedule teams that don’t even play in the same sub-division. This helps. This way, you are ensured to win all of your non-conference games, and then your tough goal is to win your conference. A conference championship isn’t good enough, only an undefeated season will get you in the BCS, unless you already belong to such a conference. In that case, you can actually suffer two losses and play for the National Title. Now playing these push-overs won’t get you national respect, and won’t get you a top 5 ranking, even after going undefeated through the season; it will only ensure that you play in a BCS game, and receive millions of dollars.
So since Hawaii doesn’t deserve to play in the National Championship game, who does? Does a two loss team really belong there? I don’t like this, but I am willing to concede Ohio State to a spot in the title game. I don’t think they are the best team, and I don’t think that they are even the second best team, but they won all their games, save one. They hold the best record apart from Hawaii. Did Ohio State play a tough non-conference schedule? No. Did they go undefeated in a tough BCS conference? No. Did they at least win a tough BCS conference? No. They won a BCS conference, but the Big 10 is by far the weakest of the BCS conferences this year, and may in fact be worse than the WAC and the MWC. Yet, somehow the Big 10 earned two spots in the BCS games. Thank you Rose Bowl for allowing this to happen. Ohio State has the best record over the past two years. They have suffered only two losses over the past two years, and as we’ve seen, all teams, save Hawaii and Kansas, have suffered two losses this year. So Ohio State gets one spot. Congratulations to them.
Who gets the next spot? Many of you have perhaps suspected my bias, but I believe Oklahoma deserves to play there. I will address that last. Does USC belong there? They beat Arizona State, pushing them out of contention, but they did lose to Stanford. They also lost to Oregon, but that was when Dennis Dixon was playing, and the Ducks with Dixon is a top 2 team. That loss to Stanford was ugly. It was close, but it was Stanford, with a Freshman quarterback, who had never played a college snap. They aren’t the same team they were two years back, when they lost in the National Championship game. Sorry Pete.
What about Georgia? I really don’t think they deserve a spot in the game either. The Bulldog’s didn’t even win their conference. Their two losses came at the hands of Tennessee, a good team, and South Carolina, a mediocre 6-6 team. This year, if you can’t win your conference, you don’t deserve a chance at the title.
What about Virginia Tech? They lost to LSU, and LSU proved they were a better team. If LSU is in the conversation, Vatech is not.
So how about LSU? Obviously they are deservingly in the conversation. In fact, most people seem to think they are the best team in the nation, and that is why they are going to play in the game. In my opinion however, they don’t. I’ll give them credit for continuing to win these close games, but they could have just as easily been 7-5 rather than 11-2. (Note, I took away the SEC championship victory, because had they lost the other games, they wouldn’t have played in it. I may be bad a math, but not that bad.) So they are the best team in the SEC, but contrary to popular belief, the SEC is not the end all of college football. They are a conference that has a bunch of middle of the pack teams with anywhere from 2 - 9 losses. The average number of losses for an SEC team is 5, rounding up from 4.75. This just happens to be this year, other years, the SEC is still a good conference.
What about the other two loss teams. Arizona State has two losses, but they recently lost to USC, and USC is the conference champs, so the benefit of the doubt goes to USC. Boise State also has two losses, but their most recent loss came at the hands of Hawaii, and if Hawaii doesn’t deserve it, neither does Boise State. West Virginia has already been discussed.
Then there is BYU. They have two losses, their two losses were both at the beginning of the season. They have won 9 straight games. They have the second longest active winning streak in the country, second to Hawaii. They have gone undefeated in conference, for the second straight year. They are averaging over 30 points a game over the season. Their defense has yet to allow a 100 yard rusher. Yet, they are only ranked 19th. They are being overlooked by everyone. They are returning to the Vegas bowl, for the 3rd year in a row, and are facing one of the teams that beat them early in the season, UCLA. Doesn’t BYU get a chance to show that they could be the best team in the country. Their losses to UCLA and Tulsa are no worse than losses to Oregon and Stanford, or Colorado and Texas Tech, or Tennessee and South Carolina, or Kentucky and Arkansas. And BYU’s losses came early in the season. That should have opened the door for them to be ranked higher, but instead it prevented them from being ranked until late in the season. In my opinion, BYU probably isn’t the best team in the nation, but we will never know. They struggled just like everyone else, but have been winning since, and longer than everyone but Hawaii.
So, why do I think Oklahoma deserves to play in the National Title? Here’s why. They have played a strong non-conference schedule. They played Miami, they played Tulsa, at Tulsa, they did play Utah State as a gimme, but I’m willing to excuse one cupcake as normally everyone plays more than that. The Big 12 is a tough conference this year, probably the toughest. Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas are all ranked in the top 15. Texas Tech scores like crazy, and Colorado is on the up and up. The Sooner’s had to play a tough conference schedule and ended up losing twice. They beat their rival Texas on a neutral field and they beat Mizzou twice, once will they were ranked 9th and once while they were ranked 1st. One of their losses was on the road, without their starting quarterback. The other was lost on a field goal, also on the road. There are many reasons why I think Oklahoma is the best team in the country. Had the kicker from Colorado missed that 40+ yard field goal, it is likely that the Sooner’s would have won that game, and ended up with only 1 loss, a loss without their starting, record setting quarterback. Instead of playing for the title, the national media kept their love-fest going with the SEC and voting for LSU.
So in summation, the BCS is flawed. The only way we will ever see a consensus on a National Champion is if we institute a playoff. I am not saying that I am for a playoff, in fact I’m not. But I am also not in favor of the BCS. It is a flawed system, and it rewards teams that are undeserving, such as Illinois, and this year Kansas, since Missouri deserved to play in stead. It keeps out other deserving teams. Not just the mid-majors. If I was the Pac 10, I’d be pissed. Instead of getting two teams, ASU being the second, they only get one, and once aain get shafted. It happened to Cal, to Oregon, and now to ASU.

Weekend Wrap Up

2007-11-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

While it has been sometime since I last wrote concerning the state of college football, I have nonetheless been following it with the same intensity. I have also been almost at a loss for words concerning the things that have happened in the past few weeks in college football. The two teams that I felt were the best in the nation lost their starting quarterback for the season and for a game respectively, and ended up losing at least one game. Oregon lost their Heisman candidate for the season, and lost to Arizona, and now to UCLA. Oklahoma lost their nation leading quarterback and lost to Texas Tech. Oklahoma’s Bradford returned for their last game against Oklahoma State. Bradford didn’t throw for many yards, but was able to throw 4 touchdown passes, to get the Sooner’s back on track. When the Sooner’s are playing healthy, they are the best team in the country. They get a chance to play against the currently ranked #1 team in the polls and in the BCS this coming weekend when they play Missouri for the second time. If you remember, Missouri’s one loss this year came from the Sooners.
Another quick note about Sam Bradford. He has broken the NCAA freshman record for touchdown passes, and still has a game to go. He has played phenomenally, and the Sooners are not getting the credit they deserve in the polls, and Bradford is not getting the credit he deserves. Though I normally disagree with pre-season Heisman watch lists, I’ll play the game and say that Bradford should be on everybody’s list next season. Bradford this season has thrown for 32 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. His completion percentage is 70.2% and 2670 yards. He still has two games to go, with the Big 12 Championship game, and whichever Bowl game they attend.
The tragedy of the BCS this year is that Ohio State may still end up in the National Championship game. Should West Virginia or Missouri lose, the Buckeyes will have gained admission through doing nothing. West Virginia plays Pitt this weekend, and should win, locking up a spot in the title game, while Mizzou faces a tougher test, as previously mentioned, against the team that has already beaten them this year. If Mizzou loses, we will see a similar NC game as last years. Ohio State doesn’t have the speed or the talent to play with West Virginia. In one writers opinion, that is one reason the BCS is again flawed. Do I have a solution, sure, but it won’t happen, so I won’t discuss it.
One game I’d like to talk about is the rivalry game known through out the country as the Holy War, or the battle for the Beehive Boot. BYU v. Utah. BYU has scored more than 30 points in six of their games this year, and had two other games where they were on the verge of 30. Utah was on a roll scoring over 27 points in their last 4 games, and 50 in their game against Wyoming. This was lining up to be a high scoring game with the last team with the ball winning. But with this rivalry, you never really know.
The first half was a defensive struggle, with the only points coming off the foot of BYU’s kicker, Mitch Payne. The Utes definitely had the edge in special team play, but were unable to take advantage of that. BYU had been able to move the ball effectively against the Utes, but couldn’t seem to get in the end zone. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars were up 9 - 3, with no one in the end zone. BYU had multiple chances. A couple were just out of reach or off the fingertips of the receivers, and another was nullified by an offensive pass interference call on Austin Collie.
The Utes also had their opportunities. They were put into scoring position after an interception by BYU quarterback Max Hall, but rather than scoring Utah quarterback in turn threw an interception, that would have gone the distance had Cody Hodgkiss not tripped over his own feet.
Utah was finally able to get into the end zone on a 1 yard run by Darryl Mack. They had taken the lead, but left BYU with just over a minute and a half to take back the lead. Max Hall fumbled the snap on first down, putting BYU in a second and 18. Failing to convert on second and third down, BYU now faced a 4th and 18, and the game. Utah played a prevent defense, and Hall scrambled around, until he found Austin Collie standing alone in the field for a 49 yard gain. This kept BYU’s hopes alive. Utah then proceeding to give the game away with a personal foul, and a pass interference call. BYU was now 11 yards out, and freshman sensation running back, Harvey Unga rumbled into the end zone for the go ahead touchdown. BYU lead by 5 points, and opted to go for a two point conversion. Hall found Collie in the back of the end zone to convert the two points.
Utah had some time left, but their hopes ended when Johnson threw a 50 yard pass into the end zone that was batted down. BYU had won another nail bitter against their rival. This is a team that should be good for years to come. They have a good discipline and a good coach.

Top 25 - November 6, 2007

2007-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

I must apologize to my faithful readers. I was able to watch some of the games on Saturday, and caught the big ones, but I was away from my computer and unable to write up what I saw and what I thought. Unfortunately, that may again be the case this weekend, and also in a couple weeks. Because this isn't my full time job, and I do actually have other responsibilities, we will need to bear with it, and continue on.
That said, it was an exciting week in College Football. Though I still feel that some of my rankings may not fully reflect the actual state of College Football, they are an accurate representation of what has happened so far. You may notice some changes in my top 10, and not just because Boston College lost.

Previous

OHIO STATE 10 – 0

They are yet to be tested fully. Wisconsin had a chance, but Wisconsin doesn’t appear to be in my top 25 either. Their first real test will be their last game of the season.

OKLAHOMA 8 – 1

They bounced back. Sam Bradford threw for 5 touchdowns against Texas A&M. I view this as the best team in the nation, but there is something to be said about winning all of your games.

OREGON 8 – 1

I think Oregon would like a do over against Cal. The Ducks asserted their dominance over ASU and Dixon just became the front runner for the Heisman trophy.

LOUISIANA STATE 8 – 1

Close game against Alabama. The tigers could just as well be on a four game losing streak. They win their close games, and that is better than most.

KANSAS 9 – 0

I think that the Jayhawks could have hung 100 on Nebraska. I moved them up despite other teams winning because that was just too impressive.

WEST VIRGINIA 7 – 1

Idle this last week. They have some tough games ahead, and will get a chance to prove themselves as the class of the conference.

MISSOURI 8 – 1

I said that they would not drop below Kansas until they played, but Kansas just played too well. This isn’t a knock on Mizzou, they are still a top ten team, and could still win the conference.

TEXAS 8 – 2

Texas is playing well. They are the best two loss team. One of their losses was to Oklahoma, and the other was a let down. But how they are playing now gets them here.

BOSTON COLLEGE 8 – 1

They were playing on borrowed time. They should have lost earlier, but they are still the class of the ACC.

ARIZONA STATE 8 – 1

In a battle of the best of the Pac 10, Arizona State was blown away. They have their other tough games still ahead of them. If they beat USC, UCLA, and AZ, they deserve an at large bid to a BCS bowl.

GEORGIA 7 – 2

These bulldogs are still barking. This week is a tough game against Auburn and then against Kentucky. Winning these games should give the Bulldogs the confidence to beat LSU in the SEC championship.

BOISE STATE 8 – 1

After another dominating performance, Boise is playing the best football in the WAC. They have a loss, but have played a tougher schedule than Hawaii.

MICHIGAN 8 – 2

Tough win against the Spartans. The Wolverines are on a roll. They faced tough games and learned from them. As I’ve been saying they will be the Buckeyes real test.

HAWAII 8 – 0

They didn’t play, and that shouldn’t drop them. It didn’t, it was the outstanding play of the other teams.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 7 – 2

They got their payback against Oregon State. But now they face Cal, who is looking for payback and to justify their season. Look for USC to lose this weekend.

VIRGINIA TECH 7 – 2

With Boston College losing, Vatech has a chance to win the ACC title now. They face 3 tough games and would need to win all of them in order to play BC again for the title.

CONNECTICUT 8 – 1

This is the surprising team of the season. They have come out of nowhere and are the leading team in the Big East. They still face West Virginia and

FLORIDA 6 – 3

Tim Tebow is good enough to justify Florida in this position. Also let’s not forget what a great motivator Urban Meyer is.

CLEMSON 7 – 2

Clemson lost their games that were tough. This week is another tough game against Wake Forest. Follow that with another tough game against Boston College, and Clemson could be out of the picture.

BRIGHAM YOUNG 6 – 2

The Cougars asserted their dominance against a struggling CSU team. They face TCU who may have found themselves in time for the game. BYU has too many weapons to fall this week.

AUBURN 7 – 3

They have a chance to play spoiler. If they can upend Georgia the way they did with Florida; that will really be something.

VIRGINIA 8 – 2

Their end of the season game against VaTech will likely decide who faces the Eagles for the ACC title. This is a good team, so don’t automatically give it to the Hokies.

TENNESSEE 6 – 3

Tennessee still could represent the conference in a BCS game. They need a couple things to happen, like a Georgia loss, but if they win out, and Georgia loses once, Tennessee is your SEC champ.

CINCINNATI 7 – 2

They handed South Florida, the media darlings, their third straight loss. This week is a big game against Connecticut. I never thought I’d say that in football.

AIR FORCE 7 - 3

Will the Falcons hand Notre Dame another loss. I think, and most would agree, that they will. Notre Dame is that bad, and the Falcons are actually a good team.

Dropped Out : Wake Forest, Alabama, South Florida

Also Considering: Texas Tech, Tulsa, Illinois, California, Kentucky

Thayne Top 25 - October 31, 2007

2007-10-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Previous

OHIO STATE 9 – 0

They finally played someone worth while. The destroyed Penn State, but still don’t inspire tons of confindence.

OKLAHOMA 7 – 1

This is the best team in the country. They have had their struggles, and Sam Bradford has proved that he is mortal, but he will be better for his struggles, as will this team.

BOSTON COLLEGE 8 – 0

Big win over VaTech. BC is the real deal. They have a great quarterback, who is going to be a pro. He may also be getting some hardware come the end of the season.

OREGON 7 – 1

This team would be ranked #1 if it weren’t for a foolish fumble into the end zone against Cal, by Colvin. They played against a good USC defense and they were slowed, but not stopped. Another big game against ASU this weekend should prove who will win the Pac 10.

LOUISIANA STATE 7 – 1

A bye this past week. Good thing too, because they were coming off too many close games. Maybe the break will have helped them overcome some of their problems. I thought they were supposed to have a dominate defense, but teams keep scoring on them.

ARIZONA STATE 8 – 0

They beat Cal, not as big of a deal as previously expected. But they are definitely at the top of the Pac 10. They have a chance to be NC contenders if they win at Oregon this weekend.

WEST VIRGINIA 6 – 1

The Mountaineers are the best team in the Big East. I don’t think many people are talking about them in NC race, but with other teams losing ahead of them, it could happen.

MISSOURI 7 – 1

Mizzou is still ranked ahead of Kansas. Why? Because I still had them ranked ahead of Kansas when they lost to OU, and they haven’t lost since. They will stay there until the two teams play.

KANSAS 8 – 0

This team is good. Magino has them playing at a new level. They should continue to compete in the Big 12, and the North may have just changed its face.

TEXAS 7 – 2

Texas is back in the top 10. How, why? Because nobody else wants to be there. They should finish out their schedule undefeated, but Tech and A&M could give them problems.

GEORGIA 6 – 2

The second best team in the SEC right now. Everyone else, besides Bama has three losses. They beat Florida, something they seldom do. The other tough games on their schedule are Auburn and Kentucky.

HAWAII 8 – 0

I almost had to move them up this far. I didn’t like it, but when teams lose to teams they shouldn’t lose to, they drop. Hawaii may not be amazing, but they do keep winning games, and that is something.

BOISE STATE 7 – 1

The Bronco’s beat Fresno State. Now the only tough match up left for them is against Hawaii. That should be a good game for both teams.

MICHIGAN 7 – 2

I said it back in September and I’ll say it again. Michigan will win the Big 10 title. They have some tests before Ohio State, but that game will once again have National Title implications. Not for Michigan, but they could stop Ohio State from playing for it.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 6 – 2

This is not the same team that it was two years ago. The National Media is saying that the USC dynasty is over, and I think “What Dynasty?” I guess they had a Pac 10 title dynasty.

VIRGINIA TECH 6 – 2

Their two losses come to two teams that currently sit in the top 5. They don’t have a great offense, but their defense and special teams will keep them in all their games.

CONNECTICUT 7 – 1

Another Basketball school with only one loss. They beat South Florida, and proved they can compete in the highly competitive Big East.

ALABAMA 6 – 2

The SEC keeps beating itself up, but Bama has come out with only two losses so far. They are good, and will only get better. Tide fans should be excited for the coming years.

FLORIDA 5 – 3

Tebow seems to not want the Heisman. He isn’t making the plays he needs to, and Florida keeps losing games.

SOUTH FLORIDA 6 – 2

The Bulls are good. They are going to continue to be good. They are lead by a good quarterback. They have two losses in a row, and they need to stop the bleeding. Cincinnati normally would do that, be that will still be a tough game.

AUBURN 6 – 3

Auburn has some talent, but no stars. They get to stay here for now, but they got games against Georgia and ‘Bama coming up. They don’t appear destined to stay ranked.

BRIGHAM YOUNG 5 – 2

Their game was postponed, and normally that doesn’t merit being moved up, but this last week, as I’ve explained, gives them the right. The postponed game is actually a good thing, because their tough game against Utah will mean more now.

TENNESSEE 5 – 3

I think I’m being fooled just like the rest of the country. This is the 6^th SEC team ranked for me. Maybe I am, but Tennessee has beaten some good teams, and their losses to Florida and to ‘Bama are understandable. But what happened against Cal?

WAKE FOREST 6 – 2

They are in the same boat as Michigan. They lost their first two games, and that hurt them. They are now fighting their way back into it and are one game behind BC in the ACC. Too bad they already lost to BC.

VIRGINIA 7 - 2

They may get a chance to face BC in the ACC championship if they win out. They can, but they face Wake this week. That will be a good game, whereas in the past, nobody would have cared.

Dropped Out : California, Kentucky

Also Considering: Clemson, South Carolina, New Mexico, Kentucky

My Saturday Opinions - Part II - October 27, 2007

2007-10-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Dennis Dixon looked every bit the Heisman in this match up between two top ten teams. He was near perfect in the first half. He didn’t throw a touchdown, which may hurt him in the voting, but he ran for one and executed when he needed to. Jonathan Stewart also made a case for him being the most outstanding player in college football. Stewart ran for 2 touchdowns, and made big plays to keep Oregon’s offense on the field. USC played well, but made too many mistakes, especially costly turnovers, including an interception during a possible game tying drive my USC in the fourth quarter. The Ducks are for real, and should be looked at as serious title contenders.
Georgia finally gets a bye week to prepare for Florida, rather than the other way around. It paid off. Matt Stafford and the Bulldog offense made some big plays, which they haven’t had a lot of this year. They kept letting Florida back into the game through penalties and mistakes, such as a Stafford interception for a touchdown. Tebow scored 2 rushing touchdowns and passed for a third, but didn’t will his team to victory. This should affect his Heisman status.
This was the Jamaal Charles show. He scored 3 fourth quarter touchdowns to bring the Longhorns back from a 17 - 9 deficit. He ended up with 289 yards rushing. Nebraska looked like they were going to pull off the upset and perhaps save Callahan’s job for another season, but Charles was too much in the fourth quarter. This Texas team shouldn’t have been in that situation, and aren’t the same team they were last year. This could have easily been their 3rd loss.
South Florida, what are you doing? You were the second ranked team in the country two weeks ago. Then you lose a prime time game to Rutgers. That’s understandable because you haven’t been in that situation before, but now to lose to University of Connecticut, I don’t know what to say. You were a media darling, and still had a great chance to play in a BCS game. Now, you are relegated to a smaller bowl and another year without a Big East Championship. UConn is now in the lead in the Big East. Their one loss is to an ACC team, and UConn has shown that they deserve to be ranked. The Big East may not be as good as previously expected, but they are a tough conference to win, and it looks like UConn can do it. Can you imagine the Huskies in a BCS bowl? Crazy!
Michigan was down 10-0 to start this game. It looked as though my prediction of Michigan winning the Big 10 might fade today, but then they came back and stomped the lowly Gophers of Minnesota. Michigan is rolling now, and the fans that were calling for Lloyd Carr’s job, should be rethinking their stance. That team could have given up after being embarrassed in their first two game, but he motivated them, and they are playing good football. I still think that they are going to win the Big 10. It will likely come down to their end of the year game with Ohio State. Can Carr get that monkey off his back?
Virginia was rolling through the ACC. Their sole loss was to Wyoming at the beginning of the year, and they come to their game against North Carolina State, who is struggling this year, and they are expected to win. But as they say, that’s why they play the games. Virginia could not keep their winning streak going and fall to a Wolfpack team that has been struggling to find an identity all year. This gives BC an inside track on the ACC title. Had Virginia won, they would have controlled their own destiny, but now they need help. Virginia did score 24 points, and in my opinion, 24 points should be enough to win any football game, but that is not always the case. Defensively, they gave up 29 points, and the game. Virginia did take the lead in the fourth quarter, but NC State scored a final touchdown to put the game away.

Saturday Opinions - October 27, 2007

2007-10-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday night’s game was going along as I predicted for most of the game. Boston College struggled against their first real test. Virginia Tech was leading going into the final minutes of the game 10 - 0. Boston couldn’t do much against the strong defense of the Hokies. The Hokies didn’t lead by much, but that’s not too surprising considering their weak offense. Then Matt Ryan took over with just over two minutes left in the game. He connected on his first touchdown pass, leaving the Eagles trailing by 3, with not a lot of time on the clock. Boston College opted to try an onside kick, and they recovered it. Now it was a game. Boston College drove down the field and put themselves in a position to tie or win the game. Ryan throws a touchdown pass that is negated by holding penalty. Ryan tries again, and this time, there is no penalty. Ryan put the team on his shoulders in the final minutes of a game and willed them to a victory. They proved themselves against a tough defense, and a tough conference opponent. Ryan also showed Heisman-like poise in the final minutes of the game. If he continues like this for the rest of the season, his name will be mentioned in the same sentence as Doug Flutie when referring to great BC quarterbacks. Boston College proved worthy of their ranking that night.
Why is it that Boise State doesn’t play on Saturdays? They have played 8 games, and only 3 of them have been on a Saturday. They’ve played a couple of Thursday night games, and then some very non-traditional Sunday night and Friday night games. This gives them an opportunity to be seen, but only if people realize that they are even playing. Many don’t. This could be why, they have yet to jump back onto the national stage. They suffered one loss early in the season, and since then won all of their games. They haven’t played anyone too tough, but they have proved that they are a good team. If they manage to win the rest of their games, Chris Peterson will have suffered only one loss in his first two years of coaching. That is phenomenal. Boise State was on display Friday night, normally reserved for High School football. They were playing the normally tough Fresno State. They played without their star running back, Ian Johnson. They were able to hang on and beat the Bulldogs 34-21. I like this team, and think that they are as good as most of the BCS conference teams out there. They won’t get their due until they beat Hawaii and win the WAC.
Now we reach Saturday. Most of the early games were not very interesting. There were a couple, and some that ended up being good games regardless of their irrelevance in the national scheme and even the conference scheme. But on the National scene and a key game for the Big East title, West Virginia battled Rutgers, in New Jersey. The Mountaineers came our firing. They had a healthy offense for a change. Slaton and White were in form. White rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown, while Slaton was held under a hundred yards, but tabbed 3 touchdowns. Rutgers was unable to stop West Virginia, and couldn’t get anything going on offense. Their only points came off a field goal in the second quarter. Ray Rice continued to rack up the yards, but couldn’t get close enough to the end zone. West Virginia showed that they should still be in the discussion for the national title conversation.
What is going on with Texas Tech? They have been fantastic offensively all year, and then last week they are stopped by Missouri, and today, Colorado shut them down. On the other hand, Colorado has vastly improved on their last season. Dan Hawkins is doing what he did in Boise, and is turning these Buffaloes into a good team. They need to fix some of their more confusing losses such as Florida State and Kansas State, but they are on the right track. The Big 12 North needs to keep an eye out for this team, they are returning in the next few years.
Andre Woodson made a great case for his Heisman status last week, even in a loss against Florida. He played extremely well, and threw for 5 touchdowns. This week, a should win game against Mississippi State, Woodson hurt his status dramatically. Not only did Kentucky lose, but Woodson did not perform. He threw 3 interceptions, and two touchdowns. He was also sacked 3 times. Kentucky was sporting a ranking of #14 going into this game. There is a chance that they will drop out of the rankings. This should have been their year.

Top 25 - October 24, 2007

2007-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Previous

OHIO STATE 8 – 0

Their win against Michigan State shows that this team is the class of the lousy Big 10. With not much else on the schedule, this team could be playing for a National Title, where again they will be embarrassed.

OKLAHOMA 7 – 1

Scary win over Iowa State. The offense was just off all day. That said, the only points scored by Iowa State were off a turnover in OU territory, and they were able to run the ball.

BOSTON COLLEGE 7 – 0

This Thursday they have their first real test. Who will be the best team in the ACC, BC or VaTech. If BC wins, I’ll feel a lot better about their ranking.

OREGON 6 – 1

Missing their top two receivers and a key back up running back, the Ducks offense didn’t miss a beat. They set a school record for most rushing yards in a game.

LOUISIANA STATE 7 – 1

The last of the top 5 teams not to move. Could I justify that their win over Auburn should put them higher? Yes. But LSU has shown they are vulnerable, unlike what everyone else thought at the beginning of the year.

ARIZONA STATE 7 – 0

Still undefeated. All of their tough Pac 10 games are still ahead of them. The game against Cal doesn’t seem so appealing anymore.

VIRGINIA TECH 6 – 1

Can their defense outscore BC? That is going to be what determines a win or a loss. I think the Hokies will need to score defensively in order to win.

WEST VIRGINIA 6 – 1

The Moutaineers are back in the top 10 for the first time since their South Florida loss. They are probably the second best team in the Big East, but in a big game situation, they’ve been there. South Florida hasn’t.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 6 – 1

Nothing helps your confidence like a trip to South Bend, this year. A good beat down of the Irish was necessary for these Trojans to have the mentality that they could compete with the Ducks this weekend.

MISSOURI 6 – 1

The Tigers round out the top 10. They held the high flying Texas Tech Offense at bay. They not only outscored them, but played good defense.

KANSAS 7 – 0

The last team in the Big 12 to remain undefeated. They’ll have their chance to prove that they are better than Mizzou and the top in the Big 12 North.

SOUTH CARONLINA 6 – 2

They lost to Vandy. They should consider themselves lucky that they didn’t drop further. Quarterback rotation is a bad idea.

SOUTH FLORIDA 6 – 1

Until they play in a few more big prime time national games, they are going to struggle. Rutgers had experience in that last year. Despite being the best team in the Big East, they won’t compete for the National Title. They are also still the best team in Florida.

FLORIDA 5 – 2

Tebow channeled Alex Smith in order to run the Urban Meyer offense. They pulled off a big victory against Kentucky, and Tebow should be in New York during the Heisman ceremony.

TEXAS 6 – 2

Despite their off the field issues, this team is now playing well. Colt McCoy has begun to look a little like he did last year.

KENTUCKY 6 – 2

They had their chance against Florida. If they would have won, that would have put them in a great spot for a Title. Even with a loss, Andre Woodson showed he was one of the elite quarterbacks in the nation.

CALIFORNIA 5 – 2

This should have been where they asserted their dominance. Their quarterback was back and they lose again. Two in a row is ugly for a former national title contender.

HAWAII 7 – 0

Still not an elite team. They are undefeated, but are lucky to be so. They moved up one spot, because of all the madness that happened above them.

BOISE STATE 6 – 1

They should be back on the radar. They won without Ian Johnson, and will be playing without him again. I like this team, and their coach has some guts.

GEORGIA 5 – 2

The Bulldogs are good, not great. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them lose one or two more games this year. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see them win out.

VIRGINIA 7 - 1

This team has turned it around since their loss against Wyoming. They are competing in the ACC, and still have a great shot at winning it.

MICHIGAN 6 – 2

I believe in this team. Despite their ugly losses at the beginning, I think they should still win the Big 10.

AUBURN 5 – 3

Close, close loss to LSU. They were 1 second away from winning. It shouldn’t have come down to that. They should have been able to stop LSU on that final drive, they couldn’t.

ALABAMA 6 – 2

Rebounded back into the top 25. This is Saban’s first year. How good is this guy?

BRIGHAM YOUNG 5 - 2

The destroyed Eastern Washington, as they should have. They are playing well, and are the class of the Mountain West.

Dropped Out : Texas Tech, Tennessee, Cincinnati,

Also Considering: Penn State, Rutgers, Air Force, Texas Tech

My Saturday Opinions - October 20, 2007

2007-10-20T17:24:00.001-07:00

How many teams in the top 10 have lost this year? I don’t know, it would require a little research, but just today, three more have gone down. South Carolina lost to Vanderbilt. Is there any reason why this should happen? The short answer is no. This is the team that beat Kentucky, and beat Georgia. Their only loss was to then undefeated LSU. Now they lose to a team that lost to Georgia, and lost all the other SEC foes they’ve faced, except Mississippi. Vandy is not a good team. But today they were better than South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been winning mostly because of their defense. Again, their offense couldn’t get going, and they were kept out of the end zone. The good news for SC is that they are still tied for the lead in the SEC East, thanks to Florida and to ‘Bama. Alabama beat Tennessee who appear that they might have a change to really compete in the SEC.
The second team to fall today from the top 10 was Kentucky. They lost to Florida, and that surprised no one. This was a high scoring game. Andre Woodson threw for 415 yards and 5 touchdowns. Impressive day for any quarterback, though his last touchdown was with no time left on the clock and no chance of winning the game. Tim Tebow threw for 4 touchdowns and ran for another. The match was pretty much even for the quarterbacks, but Florida had enough of losing. Those who have met Urban Meyer and heard him speak would not expect a team he coached to lose three in a row, and he didn’t disappoint.
The Big 12 had some interesting match ups today. Oklahoma struggle in the first half against Iowa State. Oklahoma trailed at the half, failing to get on the scoreboard. The second half was all about the Sooner’s running game. Chris Brown, their 3rd back, scored twice in the second half, to ensure a Sooner victory.
Texas didn’t play great against Baylor, but was able to put the Bears away in the second half. Missouri and Texas Tech were set to battle, and most people expected them to score like crazy. But only one of those teams lived up to their reputation. Tech has been fantastic all year, scoring at least 35 points in every game, including 45 points in their only loss to Oklahoma State. Today they didn’t show up. Graham Harrell who has been nearly flawless threw for 397 yards, but for 4 interceptions. Missouri, recovering from their tough loss to the Sooners, played good defense and scored 41 points on the day, holding the explosive Red Raider offense to only 10. Missouri should continues to show that they are for real this year.
After blowing their chance at becoming #1, the Cal Bears had a chance to embarrass their rival UCLA. UCLA had their back up quarterback, and Cal was now at full strength. It would stand to reason that Cal did embarrass the Bruins, but the battle of the Bears turned out different. UCLA is the most confusing team in the country. They will lose to teams like Notre Dame, who was again embarrassed by USC, and Utah, who has lost to UNLV, and then beat better teams, like today when they beat Cal. Are there still UCLA fans that want Ben Olson to be their starter? They have played better with Cowan, and he was the one that lead them to beat USC last year. Could Olson be done as a Bruin? His fate might be tied to Karl Dorrell’s.

Pre-Saturday Opinions

2007-10-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

I thought I’d get started early this Saturday and make some comments before the games even begin. There has been some interesting action already. South Florida, who many felt was the second best team in the country, fell on Thursday night to Rutgers. Now I don’t want to say “I told you so,” but I told you so. I haven’t been sold on the Big East in quite sometime. The signature win for South Florida was against a Big East team, West Virginia. So logic states that if the conference isn’t that great, then a big win against a conference opponent isn’t that big of a win. I do credit teams for winning conference games, and I did think that it was a big win for South Florida when they beat West Virginia, but it didn’t sell me on the Big East. South Florida still may be the best team in the Big East, and it is remarkable what has been going on down in Tampa. This team has been in existence for 10 years, only. They are definitely a top 25 team, and before their loss on Thursday, I felt they were a top 10 team, but not the #2 team. It just took a loss to a good Rutgers team for the rest of the country to catch up with me.
Friday night there was another game in the Big East. Louisville played UConn, and of course Louisville should win that game, right? Wrong. Alright, so the game was played in Connecticut, and the Huskies have lost only one game this year so far. But we are talking about Louisville. They have a NFL quality quarterback, and they have been fantastic over the past 5 years scoring points comparative to MAC teams, but against better quality opponents. But this year the Cardinals are in real trouble. They have fallen to 4-4 on the season and still need to play Pitt, Rutgers, West Virginia and South Florida. Louisville is going to be extremely lucky to be Bowl eligible at the end of the season. Most likely they won’t be.
But the real story isn’t how bad Louisville has become, but where in the world did UConn come from. Connecticut is already Bowl eligible this year. They have had somewhat of an easier schedule, but they have still won. Their sole loss came at the hands of Virginia, who has proved to be a good team, despite their early season loss to Wyoming. They Huskies quarterback, Tyler Lorenzen, has some big shoes and shoulder pads to fill, and I do mean big. His older brother is Jared Lorenzen, who plays back-up for the New York Giants, and made a big name as that giant quarterback that played for Kentucky. He hasn’t been great, but he’s been good enough to win 6 of their 7 games. How far can these Huskies go?

Thayne's Rankings - October 15, 2007

2007-10-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Previous

OHIO STATE 7 – 0

I don’t like Ohio State here, and I don’t think they will hold this spot for long, but I don’t want to seem biased against the Big 10, so for this week, they can be #1. That should make up for the rest of the Big 10 dropping out of the rankings.

OKLAHOMA 6 – 1

The well-oiled machine that is Oklahoma has started back up. They had a big time game, and played like they should. Their defense gave up more than they should have, but only when the lead was secure.

BOSTON COLLEGE 7 – 0

I didn’t drop Boston College in the rankings, though they might have deserved it after their ugly win against the Irish. If you can’t look good winning against the Irish, then you can’t climb the polls.

OREGON 5 – 1

Dixon is back putting up great stats. Oregon destroyed Washington State, and I think are in a good position to win the Pac 10 and possibly still play for a title.

LOUISIANA STATE 6 – 1

Everyone knew this was a let down game, but no one thought that LSU would actually let down. After a big emotional win against the Gators, they have a big emotional loss to Kentucky. What will happen next with the Bayou Bengals.

SOUTH CAROLINA 6 – 1

Not a great win over North Carolina, but they still won. Spurrier knows how to light a fire under his team, and they are contenders not just in the SEC, but on a national scale. Lou Holtz couldn’t do this.

ARIZONA STATE 7 – 0

They struggled for half of the game, and the came alive. This team has some tough games ahead of it, so we will see how far they can go.

SOUTH FLORIDA 6 – 0

They dropped not because they lost or played poorly, but because other teams played better. I’m still sour on the Big East, and last weeks game against Florida Atlantic. Pollsters have them at #2, but I don’t think the Bulls are the second best team in the country.

KENTUCKY 6 – 1

This win is now their biggest win of the year. Louisville was big, but beating the #1 team in the nation is huge. Andre Woodson is a great quarterback, and his team believes in him.

VIRGINIA TECH 6 – 1

Time will tell if the Hokies deserve to be this high. Their next five games are tough. Will they rally around their freshman quarterback, or will they falter. I think they have 2 wins in their next 5 games..

CALIFORNIA 5 – 1

This was a heartbreaking loss for the Bears, especially since they had the opportunity to win. Every fan knows that with time running out, you throw the ball to the end zone or out of bounds.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 5 – 1

Another ugly outing for the Trojans. They win, but Arizona gave them all they could handle. Don’t expect the Trojans to win the Pac 10.

WEST VIRGINIA 5 – 1

They were idle, so I didn’t move them. The Big East isn’t that good, and West Virginia still has a chance to win it.

MISSOURI 5 – 1

Chase Daniels played well against the Sooner’s defense. They were able to score points, but in the end, winning in Norman was too much to ask.

KANSAS 6 – 0

Who is this team. Magino has made this team into a contender. The Big 12 North is better than the Big East and the Big 10 right now, and Kansas is in the lead. .

FLORIDA 4 – 2

They got a week to get over their emotional loss to LSU. Now they face Kentucky, who just got the best of LSU. Urban should have his players ready because this smells like a trap game.

TEXAS 5 – 2

Colt McCoy was nearly perfect against Iowa State. Texas should continue to play well in their next two games before facing some high powered offenses in Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

TEXAS TECH 6 – 1

This was a big win for the Red Raiders. They beat rival Tech and are in a good position to make a play for the Big 12 title. Will they? Probably not, they have tough games against Texas and Oklahoma.

HAWAII 7 – 0

This team is playing with fire. They don’t deserve to go any higher than they are right now after their near miss with San Jose State.

BOISE STATE 5 – 1

Everyone has been looking past the Bronco’s since they had one loss. But now, nearly everyone has one loss. That was an impressive game against Nevada on Sunday night, and even though their defense didn’t play well, they won the game on the final play.

TENNESSEE 4 - 2

Their losses are to Cal and Florida, two teams that people expected to compete for the title this year. They beat Georgia, and won again this week. They face South Carolina in a couple weeks and if their offense is working, they have a chance.

GEORGIA 5 – 2

One week after losing to Tennessee, the Bulldogs should have walloped Vandy, but they just squeaked by. They face Florida this week.

AUBURN 5 – 2

Great win against Arkansas. Auburn held their potent rushing attack and didn’t allow 100 yards rushing from McFadden and Jones combined.

CINCINNATI 6 – 1

They had their first loss against a struggling Louisville. I don’t think it will be their last, but for now, they are still are in the rankings.

BRIGHAM YOUNG 4 - 2

Their two losses were on the road, and were very close. They should have beaten UCLA. This is their second conference road win, and they are set to take the Mountain West for the second strait year.

Dropped out: Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida State, Colorado, Connecticut,

Receiving Consideration: Michigan, Wyoming, Kansas State, Florida State

My Saturday Opinions Part II - October 13, 2007

2007-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

I guess at this point in the year, we should expect the unexpected. I thought the big story would be Kentucky upsetting LSU, but the bigger upset, is definitely Oregon State over California. This was quite the game. Oregon State deserved the win. The played well and held the lead for most of the fourth quarter. But then they gave up a touchdown, and had to punt with just over a minute to play. Cal had a chance to win the game or to at least tie it and go into overtime. Their inexperience quarterback made a stupid mistake. There was only 14 seconds left in the game, Cal was clearly in field goal range and wanted to take a shot at the end zone. Nobody was open, and Kevin Riley, Cal’s QB, decided to run up the middle and slide. The clock continued to run, and Cal ran out of time. Oregon State wins and upsets the #2 team in the country. Only 2 weeks after the polls were thrown up for grabs, once again, teams seem to be trying to avoid playing for the National Championship.
If the season were to end today, we’d be seeing Ohio State play Boston College for the title. Doesn’t actually sound that great. They are not the best two teams in the country, and South Florida probably isn’t a top 5 team. This does allow some of the other one loss teams to make a play for it.
Oklahoma made a statement today by beating conference foe, and undefeated Mizzou. They kept the game closer than they should have, but dominated the game. They could very well be ranked in the top three come next week. We’ll see where the BCS computers put them. As long as OU wins out, they should be playing for the title. Sam Bradford is amazing. He has great poise for a freshman. OU should have ran the ball more than they did, to better control the clock, but it’s hard to argue with scoring 40+ points.
Why does BYU insist on making things harder for themselves? They force themselves to win despite their own turnovers and penalties. This seems to be a continuing theme for the Cougars over the past 5 years. But the BYU has enough offensive firepower to still win even with their handicap. The one thing I don’t fully understand is why BYU doesn’t stick with the run. The are always successful with it. They have a stable of big bruising running backs, and can get 4-8 yards each carry. BYU might be ranked after this week if they played on ESPN, but since they lack exposure, they won’t be ranked unless they win out, and win their bowl game.
I guess that right when I get behind a team and start believing in them, they blow it. I start looking at Cincinnati, Uconn and ASU and they are all letting me down. Uconn and Cinci both lost already, and ASU is currently battling with Washington, and losing. I expected Uconn to lose today, and Cinci couldn’t stay undefeated too much longer, but ASU shouldn’t be losing this game. Washington is not a bad team, despite their losing record, and they are well coached. But I guess the Pac 10 is just going to beat each other up, and ruin anyone’s chance of playing for the National Title. ASU still has another half to rectify their position, but I won’t be staying up to watch it.

My Saturday Opinions - October 13, 2007

2007-10-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

First let me say, I have set up an email account dedicated to this blog. If you have college football questions, or any football questions, email me at collegefootball@theselectioncommittee.org.
I don’t have much to say about the early games today. Nothing too unexpected went on. I will say that the Friday Night Game was somewhat interesting. Hawaii is just not that good of a team. They are probably the worst team that is still undefeated. San Jose gave Hawaii all they could handle, but if there is anything to say, Hawaii still won. They have shown that they can win the close game, but clearly if they go undefeated, and are the only undefeated team in the country at the end of the season, they don’t deserve to be in the title game. I think they will lose this season, so we won’t need to worry about it. The only question will be how high will they have climbed in the polls when they lose? Will they still merit a spot in a BCS game? I don’t think so.
From the worst undefeated, to the best winless team, I am now talking about Colorado State. Colorado State is still winless, and is currently losing to Air Force. But they have played some tough games. They nearly beat Colorado, nearly beat California, both ranked teams. They have played close in their other games, but just haven’t come out winners. That hurts them mentally. You can’t really bounce back from close games when you just keep losing. I hope the Rams pull it together for next year, because this year is over.
Illinois blows it. Ron Zook couldn’t handle all the praise that was going his way, so his team helped him by losing to Iowa. It was on the road, and it was a conference game, but still Illinois should have won. This goes to show that the Big 10 is clearly overrated this year. I really think that the team that will represent the Big 10 in Pasadena will be Michigan. If that is the case, that ensure Hawaii will be in a BCS game, because they will assuredly be ranked higher than Michigan. Good job Big 10, you have failed the system that you are a part of.
Texas Tech showed that they were the best Texas suffix team this year by demolishing A&M. Despite taking an early lead, Fran’s team failed to score again. Graham Harrell had a typical day throwing for 425 yards, and Michael Crabtree, the freshman phenom, had 170 receiving yards.
Wisconsin is another Big 10 team that should drop out of the rankings this week. They were embarrassed by Penn State. Now the race involves 3 teams, Michigan, Ohio State and still Penn State. You got to give the edge to Michigan.
Boston College wins again, but it was not pretty. Can you fault someone for winning ugly? Yes, if the other team is this years Notre Dame. If you can’t destroy Notre Dame, then maybe you don’t belong in the top 5.
Biggest story of the day is clearly the demise of the LSU Tigers. I was a believer after last week. They trailed Florida, but found a way to win. Here they lead Kentucky and Kentucky found a way to win. LSU didn’t lose the game, Kentucky won it. It took double overtime to do it, but KU has its biggest win of the season. They though beating their instate rival would be their signature win, but as it turns out, everyone is beating Louisville. But now losing in that fashion hurts LSU’s title hopes. It is likely that the teams that play for the title will have one loss, but losing here stings worse than losing earlier. LSU will need some help to stay in the hunt. If Ohio State loses, and Cal loses, and USF loses, and Oregon loses again, then LSU could be there. That said, all that is possible.

2007-10-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Previous

LOUISIANA STATE 6 - 0

CALIFORNIA 5 - 0

BOSTON COLLEGE 6 - 0

OHIO STATE 6 - 0

OKLAHOMA 5 - 1

MISSOURI 6 - 0

OREGON 3 - 1

SOUTH FLORIDA 6 – 0

SOUTH CAROLINA 5 – 1

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 4 – 1

ARIZONA STATE 6 – 0

VIRGINIA TECH 5 - 1

WEST VIRGINIA 5 – 1

KENTUCKY 5 – 1

ILLINOIS 5 - 1

WISCONSIN 5 – 1

FLORIDA 4 – 2

CINCINNATI 6 – 0

HAWAII 6 – 0

COLORADO 4 – 2

FLORIDA STATE 4 – 1

KANSAS 5 – 0

GEORGIA 4 – 2

TEXAS 4 - 2

CONNECTICUT 5 - 0

Dropped out: Nebraska, Kansas State, Clemson, Rutgers, Purdue

Receiving Consideration: BYU, Texas Tech, Michigan, Wyoming, Texas A&M

I haven't had a chance to write my reasoning behind these rankings, but hopefully I will soon.

My Saturday Opinions Part II - October 6, 2007

2007-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

First off I want to say that I welcome comments to any of my posts, and I am in the process of setting up an email address specifically for this blog, to which should you have questions or specific issues you would like me to address, I will be able to respond to you emails.
I am again frustrated with ABC and ESPN. Their choice of regional broadcasts is just stupid. Again, there is a great match up among ranked teams, and what do I find on ABC? Penn St. v. Iowa. Two underachieving teams with no hopes of winning their conference. Were it not for the Sling Box, I would be forced to watch the garbage that ESPN puts on. I anticipate the day that I will be back West and not be subject to the crappy eastern teams that ESPN thinks people care about.
The game I expected ABC to broadcast was Oklahoma v. Texas. This is a pivotal game for both teams. The winner would still be in the hunt for the National Title and the Big 12 title, the loser would have lost two Big 12 games in a row. The game lived up to the hype. Tied at half time with Texas and Oklahoma matching each other in yards and points. McCoy v. Bradford was equally intriguing. Last years phenom freshman against this years phenom freshman. In the end, McCoy had more yards passing, Bradford had more touchdowns and less interceptions, and Bradford got the win. This game really wasn’t decided until the last play of the game. Though for most of the game, Oklahoma was in control. Bob Stoops has again asserted himself over his counterpart in Austin, Mack Brown. Bradford was the player of the game. He made the big plays when they were necessary. He placed the ball in areas that only his receiver could get to. His touch with the ball is amazing. If he keeps this up, he will be in many Heisman discussions for years to come. The Oklahoma receivers were also great. Iglesias and Kelly both had over 100 yards receiving. This team didn’t score their normal 50+ points, but should jump back into the top 5 after this weekend. Boomer Sooner.
Georgia came into their game this week expecting to win. They had the higher ranking, had the confidence from their last two weeks, and had a record of winning in Tennessee. The Vols had something to say about that. Neither quarterback was spectacular, but Tennessee jumped to an early lead, and hung onto it. Georgia finally scored in the second half, but only after Tennessee had scored four touchdowns. Georgia is now left scratching their heads and wondering where to go from here.
What happened to TCU. They were everyone’s non-BCS darling at the beginning of the season. They were looking great up to the second half of their game with Texas. Since then, everything has fallen apart for them. Now this week they lose to Wyoming. The Mountain West is far more competitive this year than anyone expected. The biggest enigma in that conference isn’t TCU though, it is Utah. They are the most schizophrenic team in the nation. They play big against UCLA and win big in Louisville, but then lose games to mediocre Oregon State and lowly UNLV.
It’s still early in the game, but Virginia Tech is asserting its dominance on Clemson. I expected Clemson to win this game, maybe not win big, but still win. But VaTech is looking good. There is still plenty of time, but giving up a touchdown on a kickoff return right after scoring your only points of the game, on a field goal, isn’t promising.
Washington State gave Arizona State just about all they could handle. Arizona State stays unblemished thanks to a field goal late in the game and a missed game tying field goal by the Cougars, but the Cougars played extremely well to stay in the game. This is just further proof that this year, (this isn’t always the case) the Pac 10 is making a case to be the best conference in the nation. Most give it to the SEC, and I would be inclined to as well, but the Pac 10 is very good.

My Saturday Opinions - October 6, 2007

2007-10-06T15:28:00.001-07:00

Interesting day thus far. Last week ESPN was touting this Saturday as Blockbuster Saturday. As I stated, last weekend was Upset Saturday, though obviously, some of the upsets weren’t that surprising. There have been some great match ups today, and still more to go. The theme is Basketball schools performing in football.
Before the weekend even got here, we were able to see the end of Kentucky’s perfect season. South Carolina was pretty impressive during the game on Thursday, near obliterating any chance that Kentucky had to play in the National Title game. That just sounds funny, because we aren’t talking basketball.
Finally Wisconsin goes down. They didn’t look impressive at all this year and were it not for their high preseason ranking, they wouldn’t have been ranked #5 in the country. They have looked beatable in every single game, and finally it was the Fightin’ Illini that did the job. Ron Zook has got the players believing that they are capable of winning a Big 10 title. Again, this isn’t basketball we are talking about. Illinois could very well be the best team in the Big 10. They have got a running back there in Champagne that could play on any team in the country. Rashard Mendenall ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the game today.
Who is the most surprising undefeated team in the country? That actually could be any number of teams, but for many it must be Kansas. Another traditional basketball school is making noise in football. The Jayhawks are still undefeated. This week was in inter-state match up with Kansas State. It wasn’t decided until an interception with under 2 minutes left. Kansas is in the race for the Big 12 North, and you must say, for the Big 12. Imagine if Kansas is able to stay undefeated and win the Big 12. The world my well end if that happens. Someone would need to check the Grand Caymans, to ensure that Hell hasn’t frozen over.
When you think basketball you think North Carolina. They had a game against traditional powerhouse Miami. UNC isn’t making a splash in any national races, or even in the ACC, but when Miami came into town, the Tarheels got it done.
I know that most commentators think that the best quarterback in the country could be playing in Kentucky, either Andre Woodson or Brian Brohm, but I think he is playing in Massachusetts. Matt Ryan is playing great. He is leading his team, and they are still undefeated. If I was an NFL team looking for a quarterback, Ryan would be on my radar. I like him more than just about any other quarterback out there. I say just about because there are some underclassmen that are as good as anyone else. But Ryan is a senior, he has experience, leadership skills, and knows how to win.
Mike Hart now is Michigan’s all time leading rusher. If there is one redeeming thing about Michigan’s season, it is Hart. He lives up to his name. He is all heart. He doesn’t have the speed of other backs, and doesn’t have great size, but he has enough heart to put his team on his shoulders and win some games. Congratulations to him.

Thayne's Top 25, October 3, 2007

2007-10-03T06:22:00.001-07:00

Previous

LOUISIANA STATE 5 - 0

The Bayou Bengals looked slow and sluggish during the first half of their game with Tulane, but the came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. They deserve to jump over USC.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 4 - 0

They keep winning, though they don’t look great. They beat Washington, but it wasn’t pretty. They have some tough games ahead of them.

CALIFORNIA 5 - 0

Cal was in a defensive struggle against the Ducks, but they came out ahead. Desean Jackson was outstanding in the second half, and if they continue like this, they may climb higher than they’ve ever done before.

BOSTON COLLEGE 5 - 0

This might be high for the Eagles. I don’t know if I feel totally comfortable with them here, but until they lose, or somebody looks better, BC will be in the top 5.

KENTUCKY 5 - 0

No, this isn’t a basketball ranking. Kentucky is playing phenomenally. Their quarterback is possibly the best in college football right now, though he doesn’t put of the numbers of others, he doesn’t need to.

OHIO STATE 5 - 0

Another team that I don’t feel comfortable ranking this high. They are still undefeated, but for how long?

SOUTH FLORIDA 4 - 0

This team is on a high that they may never come down from. They haven’t been in existence nearly as long as most of the teams in football, yet they are the class of the Big East.

MISSOURI 5 – 0

Class of the Big 12 North, and that’s no longer a laughing matter. I don’t think any more needs to be said.

OKLAHOMA 4 – 1

I don’t think that the Sooners that played on Saturday are the same Sooners that we’ve been seeing all year. They also have two years of frustration to take out on the team down south. Look out Texas, Oklahoma is in a good position still for this season.

OREGON 3 – 1

I can’t drop Oregon too far after their game. They played nearly to a tie with Cal, and were it not for the attempted heroics of Colvin, it would have gone into OT. Dixon made his first mistakes of the year, and he will learn from them.

FLORIDA 4 – 1

Disappointing loss at home at night. Florida knew this was a trap game and lost it anyways. You would think they would want some revenge on the team that spoiled their record last year, but I guess not.

WISCONSIN 5 - 0

They aren’t pretty. They don’t win big, but they win. They keep finding ways to beat their opponents, and that is more than can be said than many other teams.

GEORGIA 4 – 1

Bulldogs rolled up the score on Mississippi. Everyone expected they would. This week is a rivalry game against Tennessee. How will they fare up at Rocky Top.

SOUTH CAROLINA 4 – 1

They win behind a new Freshman quarterback. He performed well giving SC the best performance through they air this year. They face Kentucky this week, and could throw a wrench into the SEC race.

WEST VIRGINIA 4 - 1

This is the second year in a row that they’ve lost to South Florida. That should kill the hopes of a Heisman for White or Slaton. Now they face another team that could beat them, Syracuse.

ARIZONA STATE 5 – 0

Dennis Erickson has put them team on a good track. I didn’t think it would happen this quickly, but they are actually going to compete for the Pac 10 this year.

VIRGINIA TECH 4 – 1

They might be ranked too high. The only team that they’ve played that has a winning record, besides 1-AA teams, they lost too.

TEXAS 4 – 1

What is going on in Texas? We saw them struggling against teams they should beat, and then get destroyed by Kansas State. They don’t look good going into a game versus their rival.

HAWAII 5 – 0

I think I might have this team a little high. They haven’t played anyone at all. Brennan set another Hawaii record, but this was for most interceptions thrown in a game, set against Idaho.

RUTGERS 3 – 1

They were the class of the Big East, but then to lose to Maryland? That maybe shows that the Big East is a little overrated this year.

CINCINNATTI 5 – 0

Another Big East team. Cinci or Rutgers will fall after this week. Why? Because they play each other. This gives the Bearcats a chance to show how good they really are.

PURDUE 5 – 0

Haven’t played a big game this year, but they’ve beat everyone they’ve played. Winning creates confidence. They should be confident against Ohio State this week.

CLEMSON 4 – 1

And there it is. They lose a game that no one cared about. Clemson you are so predictable. Now go out there and win a big game against Virginia Tech.

KANSAS STATE 3 - 1

Showing that they are back, at least for this year. How long has Kansas State been irrelevant? It’s been a while, but beating Texas showed that they can play some football.

NEBRASKA 4 - 1

This is the third team from the Big 12 North to enter the rankings. For years they’ve been the South’s whipping boys, but now they Big 12 Championship game could actually mean something.

Dropped out: Michigan State, Alabama

Receiving Consideration: Michigan State, Michigan, Connecticut, Tulsa, BYU

Weekend Wrap-up

2007-10-01T12:59:00.001-07:00

I was wrong. The upsets continued into the evening on Saturday. Auburn beat Florida at the Swamp. This wasn’t a close game that came down to a field goal, or home field advantage. Florida knew this was a trap game going into it. This was the only team that beat Florida last year, and the Gators should have wanted revenge. They should have been playing for pride. The other games were over, and Florida should have known that they had the opportunity to climb to #3 and stay there with no controversy. This weeks match-up between Florida and LSU could have been #1 v. #3. But Auburn beat them. They outplayed them and won at night, in the Swamp. Florida will drop in the rankings, but if they are able to beat LSU this weekend, that could help them in their bid for back to back championships. We shall see.
Of the other games that I found interesting in the evening, was BYU v. New Mexico. This set the two best offenses in the Mountain West conference against each other. This really should have been a shoot out. BYU’s defense has been looking for some redemption after being exposed against Tulsa, and they came out strong, interception New Mexico’s first pass and returning it for a touchdown. The rest of the game wasn’t as exciting or even pretty. This was an ugly game, where both sides made mistakes, and both sides didn’t play well. But BYU made plays when they needed to and won their first road game of the year. This team needed that win and this really put them on the inside track to win the Mountain West Conference. BYU has shown that they have an offense that can compete with anyone in the nation, and they have shown that their defense is pretty good too. But they need to put together a complete game. Both sides of the ball need to play in sync. The major problem with the Cougars is Special Teams. They don’t have a reliable kicker and they need to work on their kick off and punt coverage. If BYU addresses these issues, they could be posed to have a great year this year and even better next year.

My Saturday Opinions Part II

2007-09-29T17:17:00.001-07:00

I had a feeling going into this afternoon, that there was going to be only one good game. I was wrong. While I did need the help of a sling box in order to watch the Cal v. Oregon game, I was able to flip back and forth between some of the other games that happened in the late afternoon. There were quite a few upsets today. If I were ESPN and were able to name my Saturday’s in retrospect, I would call this “Upset Saturday”. But I’m not so I won’t.
Georgia Tech upsets Clemson to get their third win, and to remain relevant in the ACC. Clemson gets caught asleep at the wheel and loses a game they should win. This always seems to happen to Clemson. They’ll be ready for any big games, but unprepared for the irrelevant games. This goes on the coach.
Maryland upsets Rutgers. I may have been to high on the Big East. Rutgers was the complete team in the Big East, with an offense and a defense, and they struggled and lost to a mid-level Maryland team. The question now becomes, where does South Florida fit in. The National Media will praise them and likely put them into the top 10, but I am unsure. The Big East is apparently not that great, so should the Bulls be ranked higher for defeating inferior competition?
The Big 12 is up for grabs. Texas and Oklahoma both lose to teams from the Big 12 North. The South has been the dominant division for a decade and now the top teams in the South lose to northern teams that fall somewhere in the middle. This makes the Red River Shootout while still relevant, less exciting. Texas wasn’t really in this game. Kansas State won on special teams, but the Longhorns have been teetering on disaster for weeks now. The hope for Texas fans and coaches has got to be that Colt McCoy is alright after getting banged up by Kansas State for the second year in a row.
Michigan State had their chances. The could have beaten Wisconsin, but by losing they have assured that Wisconsin will continue to be ranked too high. The Badgers played well enough to win, but I don’t trust this team, and the wheels could come off at any moment, against any team.
Now on to the main event. Oregon v. Cal was everything that it should have been. The first half was actually more of a defensive struggle. I was impressed with the way the Ducks were able to contain Deshawn Jackson and Justin Forsett in the first half. The second half was all about offense. Jackson went crazy and took two touchdowns with him. Dixon played well and continued his streak of both a passing and a rushing touchdown in every game this year. The final play for Oregon, down by a touchdown, was a bonehead mistake by receiver Cameron Colvin. Dixon passed him the ball and he had a touchdown. Rather than reaching the ball across the plane of the goal line, he fumbles the ball into the end zone. At least that was the call on the field after many minutes of discussion from the referees. Because that was how they called it, the official video review could not bring forth indisputable evidence to overturn the call. It was a questionable call, and I think that the ref’s should have called the ball out on the 1 yard line. That still gives Cal a chance to stop Oregon, but if not, then the game would be decided in overtime, not by questionable calls.
There may be more upsets to come tonight, but I highly doubt it.

My Saturday Opinions

2007-09-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

I never believed in the looking ahead excuse. I always felt that you should be looking no further than the team that you are playing next. That was the attitude I always had when I was a wrestler and so I never expected any other athlete to be looking ahead. But this week I could be proven wrong.
Oklahoma had been dominating their opponents all year. They had a streak of 50+ point games going for them. And they then go up to Colorado, a game that OU should win, and in the fourth quarter they fall apart and lose the game. Could this be an example of Oklahoma looking ahead next week to their rivalry game against Texas? I don’t know, but this hurts and nearly destroys their chances of playing in the National Title game. I say nearly destroys because I think that there may only be one team that goes undefeated this year.
Texas might be looking ahead as well. They haven’t been dominating the way that Oklahoma has been, but Texas is favored in this game. At the half Texas is trailing Kansas State 24 - 14. If Texas loses this game, that takes a lot of the excitement away from the Red River Shootout next week. It will still be a match up between two top 25 teams, but no longer will it be a match up between two top ten teams, if Texas loses. OU may not fall out of the top 10, but they probably should.
LSU may have been looking ahead to next weeks battle with Florida for the first half of their game with Tulane. But then the Tigers stopped looking ahead at the half and turned on their offense. I didn’t like the decision to have Perrilloux switching drives with Flynn. I know that they want to give the young QB some experience, but with the game still in question, I thought it was a poor decision. Although, we’ve seen this happen many times in a Gary Crowton offense.
I’m not happy with they way that ESPN has decided to broadcast their games. On ABC in the east for the early game, people we forced to watch a game between Uconn and Akron. I couldn’t think of anything less relevant. Ok, so Uconn happens to be 5 - 0, but I don’t expect that to continue too much longer. I just don’t like their regional broadcasting choices.
The Big 10 continues to baffle me. Penn State loses to Illinois. But after last weeks performance, I dropped Penn St. from my top 25. I suppose that Illinois could win the Big 10, but I think that Michigan will.

Thayne's Top 25

2007-09-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to get the formatting right, but here is my inaugural Top 25 rankings for College Football. I decided to wait until after Week 4, so I could see who was really good and who was faking it (Michigan anyone?).

1	OKLAHOMA 4 - 0 The Sooners have done nothing but destroy every opponent they have faced and weren’t afraid to go into Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricanes on their home turf. Beating down two Hurricanes puts Bob Stoops’ team on top.
2	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 3 - 0 I don’t think that the Trojans will go undefeated, but they’ve done nothing yet to demote them. Were it not for the outstanding play of Oklahoma, USC would be on top.
3	LOUISIANA STATE 4 - 0 These Tigers have a bite. Even with Matt Flynn being not completely healthy, they are able to win. The Old Ball Coach gave them a fight, as I expected he would, but LSU still wins.
4	FLORIDA 4 - 0 Urban Meyer could motivate a Vegan to open a Steak House. He has the talent to compete in the SEC. With Urban, that is worth at least a touchdown a game.
5	WEST VIRGINIA 4 - 0 They have a potent offense with 3 great players. Their defense isn’t as good as it should be and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them fall to someone in the Big East.
6	CALIFORNIA 4 - 0 They could be the best team in California, but they will need to prove it. They will get their chance when they play USC. If West Virginia or Florida fall before then, that could be a game for a place in the Title game.
7	TEXAS 4 - 0 Mack Brown has had a lot of problems with his team this year. Aside from the legal trouble of his players, there are offensive line issues. That is the reason that Colt McCoy isn’t playing like he was last year. They are just under 2 weeks from a loss.
8	OREGON 4 – 0 The Ducks are playing the best they have in years. Dennis Dixon is playing like a Vince Young. The question for Oregon is whether Dixon can keep it up, or will he start to fade as the season goes by again.
9	BOSTON COLLEGE 4 – 0 Matt Ryan is making a name for himself as a quarterback in Boston. That territory normally belongs to Tom Brady. The Eagles should win the ACC, but have some tough conference games ahead playing at Virginia Tech and Clemson. At least they get Miami at home.
10	RUTGERS 3 – 0 Idle this last week. They look like a complete team, with an offense and a defense. Some of the other Big East teams should consider trying this.
11	OHIO STATE 4 – 0 I just don’t believe in the Big 10 this year. That said, Ohio State has a chance to run through it. They get Wisconsin at home, but play Penn State on the road. If they get through these games, then a trip to the Big House could pit two ranked teams again, but won’t be playing for a spot in the title game.
12	KENTUCKY 4 - 0 Two big wins in two weeks. Upsetting Louisville was big, but then winning at Arkansas showed that this team is no longer a SEC whipping boy.
13	CLEMSON 4 – 0 When will the Tigers fall? I expect it to be against a “should win” opponent. But Georgia Tech could prove to be their undoing this week. If not them, then Virginia Tech. Until they fall, they will stay put.
14	WISCONSIN 4 – 0 They struggled against an Iowa team that lost to Iowa State. I don’t think that these badgers are as fierce as they appear.
15	SOUTH FLORIDA 3 - 0 I can’t say much about the Bulls, mostly because I don’t know much about them. But playing in the Big East is no longer the joke it used to be, even just a few years ago when Pitt won it. We’ll see if they are the real deal this weekend when they play West Virginia.
16	MISSOURI 4 – 0 They are going to be 5 – 0 when they play Nebraska, likely for the right to play Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Missouri plays Oklahoma after Nebraska.
17	GEORGIA 3 – 1 A conference loss to South Carolina hurts. But then they beat Bama in Bama. Matt Stafford got a big confidence boost there and these Bulldogs are here to play.
18	SOUTH CAROLINA 3 – 1 I know they beat Georgia on the road. But they are coming off a loss and Georgia is coming off a win. This is why they are here. If I flipped them would anyone even notice?
19	HAWAII 4 – 0 I think I might have this team a little high. They haven’t played anyone at all. The toughest game they have on their schedule is Washington at the end of the year. Boise State could cause problems, but they are also at the end of the year. And both games are played on the island.
20	VIRGINIA TECH 3 – 1 Their offense sort of turned it on against William and Mary. That’s I guess a confidence booster. Defense and special teams outscored W&M. Their defense is what will keep them in games, but won’t win it for them.
21	ARIZONA STATE 4 – 0 They have some tough games ahead, but they look ready to compete in the Pac 10. If they can keep winning until late October, that puts them against Cal undefeated. Will Cal be undefeated too?
22	MICHIGAN STATE 4 – 0 Another Big 10 team undefeated. I don’t like their chances against Wisconsin this weekend, but they could surprise some people. I mean Iowa did.
23	ALABAMA 3 – 1 Overtime loss at home. Nothing stings worse than that. That is a tough thing to recover from. Fortunately for the Tide, they have some easier games on their plate until LSU comes to town.
24	CINCINNATI 4- 0 This team is somewhat of a surprise. They are likely to win this weekend too. They haven’t just been winning, they’ve been destroying their opponents. Outscoring their opponents by a total of 180 – 30.
25	PURDUE 4 - 0 I really don’t like that this is my fourth Big 10 team in the top 25, but they have won. Penn State could go here, but I they looked bad against Michigan. Curtis Painter can put points up on you, throwing for 16 touchdowns through 4 games and only 1 interception.

It has arrived!

2007-09-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today is the first full day of College Football. What a great day it is. Although, most of the games are mismatches, it is still exciting to football again underway. I have spent this morning watching College Football Gameday with Corso, Herbstreit, and Fowler. They are in Blacksburg, Virginia for the first game of the year. Is this the best game of the day? No, of course not. But I doubt that many would argue with their choice after the tragedy that happened at Virginia Tech this past spring.

Virginia Tech is being pushed as America’s team this year. I don’t really think that is the case, as anyone who follows college football already has their own team, and allegiances don’t change in that manner. One thing that bothered me during the pre-game ceremony of the VaTech v. ECU game was that during the National Anthem, they kept showing students during the song. Every student that was shown did not have their hand over their heart, and they were not singing along with the National Anthem. Many weren’t even paying attention. Two students were actually flirting and attempting to cuddle during the song. If you want to attempt to represent America, then give America Her due, and respect Her during Her Anthem.

Considering the alleged mismatches, there are actually some good games going on. VaTech v. ECU is turning out to be quite a game. Near the end of the 3^rd quarter, the score is 10-7 and the only reason that VT is leading is due to a mistake made in the 2^nd near ECU’s own endzone. ECU’s quarterback threw an interception which was returned for a touchdown. Still quite a game.

The other game which is surprising is Michigan v. Appalachian State. App. St. leads Michigan the #5 team in the nation, 31-20. App. St. is a school that was considered a I-AA school, now know as Championship Division. Michigan may need to reevaluate their scheduling and play some easier teams, like the ones in their conference.
The better games will be played later on today and I hope that I’ll be able to continue to watch them.

Children are the future?

2007-05-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Why is it that liberals believe that noone should have children except for homosexuals. I was watching a television show the other day, and the woman had a friend who was an attorney. The woman had accidentally become pregnant, and the attorney friend, who was a woman, stated that she had ruined her life. It made me think about women in the workplace. I am all for women in the workplace and for maternity leave. Companies should allow for women who work for them to have maternity leave and most do.
But there is a movement that preaches that women shouldn’t leave the workplace at all. Women should not have children and not take maternity leave because women should be equal to men and by taking off time it shows a weakness. This of course is ridiculous. Women are equal to men, but women and men are not the same. But this liberal mentality against families is spreading. Women and men shouldn’t marry, they shouldn’t have children, these things only tie people down and prevent them from progressing in their work.
On the other hand, gay and lesbian couples are pushing for their "right" to have children. And the same people that are discouraging women from having children are supporting the gay and lesbians in their campaign. The need to advance in work is apparently not as important to gay and lesbians. The logic on the difference isn’t quite clear. It would seem that the stances would contradict each other, yet it is the same people that are pushing both stances. It doesn’t seem to make sense, unless you look at it as an attack against traditional family.
The traditional family for as long a there has been family has been a mother, a father and their children. This is because it requires a man and a woman to have children. A man cannot impregnate another man, and a woman cannot be impregnated by another woman. Now there are non-traditional families. Single parents fall into this category, but we still consider them families, because things happen such as divorce or even death. The other people that wish to consider themselves non-traditional families are gay and lesbian couples. Most states do not recognize gay and lesbians couples as families. The states do not allow them to marry, and adoption is also difficult for gay and lesbian couples, as I believe it should be.
Non-traditional families by choice are an attack against the family, not an attack against the traditional family, but an attack on the family. The population growth in areas and countries where these non-traditional families are being accepted and endorsed, is dwindling. Countries like France which has been an advocate of gay rights, chosen non-traditional families, is dying. They are losing their French culture, and the French population is changing into that of North African, where traditional families are taught and practiced.
Gay and lesbian couples seek to have a child, typically, not children. And the other liberals are advocating that non-gay and lesbians should not have children. If they had it their way, there wouldn’t be anyone left. So in short, children are necessary for any civilization to exist. Without children, there is no growth rate. If gays and lesbians are the only ones to have children, by that I mean adopt children, then we are allowing the future to be raised by those whose values are misguided. Having children is not a burden, and women should be free to choose children over a career.

On a more Serious Note

2007-04-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Why? That is a question that is being tossed about today. Why did this happen? These kids were young and in the beginning of their lives. How could this happen? Then inevitable, they ask, how could God allow this to happen? People often waiver in faith when confronted with a tragedy. People question whether a loving God exists when such bad things happen to innocent people. Doesn’t God love the good, and these kids were doing good. They were doing what they were supposed to do. They were in class, in school, working on their education. These students and professors that were killed were the innocent, and did not deserve what befell them. But it did happen. People often are speechless when confronted with that question. Even the religious of the world, don’t have a good answer, responding with "God has a plan", or "They are now in a better place". Of course these answers are in fact correct, but often unsatisfying.
The Book of Mormon addresses similar questions during a great war. A Prophet and warrior, Moroni sent a letter concerning this war, and the innocent who died during the war. "Do ye suppose that, because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness? I say unto you, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain. . . For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God." Alma 60: 12-13. God does not wish that we suffer. God does not want his children to hurt, or to feel pain. But God knows that this pain is necessary for us.
Parents who have lost their children at no fault of their own, may better understand the difficulty that our Father in Heaven had when his sinless, innocent Son was slain at the hands of the wicked. Jesus Christ understands our pain and our suffering. When we feel we have suffered in a way that no one could possibly understand, we can turn unto Christ. We need to remember why he came unto earth; why he was born. Alma the prophet testified as to why Jesus cam to this earth saying, "And behold he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem whish is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." Alma 7:10-12. Christ knows our pains, and even our sicknesses. He suffered more than any man, and suffered for us all. He saw his friends and loved ones persecuted for His sake. We need to also remember that he took upon himself death and loosed the bands of it. Death no longer impedes us. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1st Corinthians 15:55. Those who were killed in the horrible shooting, are not dead forever. They will live again, because Christ lives.
But if God wants us to be happy, why does he make this so hard? People will still be asking these questions. People will wonder, if God wants us to be happy, and doesn’t want us to suffer, then why does He still allow it. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed such an issue while speaking of missionary work. "You will have the occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work (and life in general) is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are the (followers) of Jesus Christ, this is the truth and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us, when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that (we all) have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. (We all) have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
"Now, please do no misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Chirst experience. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.
"For that reason I don’t believe that missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require something from the depth of our soul.
"If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore and cry, ‘Abba, Father (Daddy), if this cup can pass, let it pass,’. . . If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember that you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way."
"When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best blood this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and onto Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him –- the way, the truth and the life." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
The nation has been struck by tragedy. We all feel the effects of such horrific and terrible acts. People need to know, that God understands our pain, and Christ understands our pain. Those who have died are not lost, but through Jesus Christ, our Savior, they will overcome death and have the chance to live again with God, our Father. We should not point fingers at this point, and should not seek for someone to punish. We should draw closer to our God through prayer and meditation over scriptures and the Holy Ghost. Tragedy will always come in life, but with faith in God, we can see the bigger picture. We can see that this life is merely a short time, and that we will live again.

Cultural Relativism

2007-03-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from a recent paper I wrote:

Cultural relativism is a doctrine that insists human rights can not and should not be universal. Human rights norms are adapted to reflect the many variations in culture, belief, religion, and economic and political circumstances. With each culture, the rights and belief of rights differ.
The Western ideas of human rights are not shared by many of the countries of the world. In Africa and in Asia, the cultures are so distinctly different than the Western culture, that it is only natural that the ideas of human rights would also differ. While some may argue that the Western views on human rights are so important and accepted, that they are universal, it is difficult to apply these views on such traditional societies that have never practiced any such ideas or beliefs. The imposition of the western views on human rights is often view as Western Cultural Imperialism.
Western Cultural Imperialism is the idea that the west has evolved passed the rest of the world and has developed the right ideas and values. Because the West is so powerful, it tends to export not only their resources and technology, but also their values. In many countries, this is accepted, because they wish to do business with the West, and so they adopt their values to promote the West to do business in their country. But simply because countries adopt Western values, does not mean that these are the only right values. There is a large view that the West needs to define itself as the leader in the world, and that it needs to "whip the heathen along the path of righteousness and remake the world in its own image". "Asia’s Different Standard,", Bilahari Kausikan, (1993).
Universalism among human rights is primarily insisted upon by the Western countries. The values are primarily based upon the religious values that the West, those being the Judeo-Christian values. Of course these are not the only religions in the world and the other religions often have their own values that are separate from the Judeo-Christian values. Asia, in particular, shows a great contrast based upon religion. All major religions of the world are represented in Asia, and many of them are in fact state religions. In the Philippines, Christianity is the primary religion; in Malaysia, it is Islam; and Nepal, it is Hinduism; and in Thailand, it is Buddhism. Each of these religions carry different beliefs and ideas. Many of these differing beliefs concern human rights.
Ones views of human rights also depend on the political system that one is familiar with, or lives under. In Asia, there are many different political systems, and ideologies. There is socialism, communism, democracy, and even feudalism present in the many different countries of Asia. The focus in many of these societies is not on the individual, as it is in the Western democracies, but more on the community. The human rights views of the West are very much based on the individualism. The views in much of Asia and other parts of the world are that community rights are of equal importance.
The human rights pushed by the West are mostly civil and political. However, there are other aspects of human rights that are often ignored by those who foster the Western views. There is a great importance to economic, social and cultural rights. Most Asian countries are unsettled to the fact that these rights are not protected with the same zeal as the civil rights of the West.
Cultural Relativism is also evidenced by the fact that many countries, the United States included, have made reservations and declarations to many of the treaties and other declarations that have been pushed through the general assembly of the United Nations. The International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights was intended to be a Bill of Rights for the people of the World, yet many parts of it were not adopted by countries that signed onto the treaty. Also, many countries in Asia have not signed onto the treaty, further showing that the ideas on human rights of the West are not shared by the whole world.
It is necessary to look at each countries social and cultural history and their current make up. The economy of a country is also important. The West is more advanced in many ways, such as industry and technology. These advancements have made many of the Western Countries rich. When a country is wealthy, it can afford luxuries such as political and civil rights. Poverty and instability in the government tend to create problems that would be view by the West as human rights violations. The West would like the rest of the world to immediately live up to their standards, even though, it did take time for the Western countries to live the way they live. Countries that are attempting to industrialize and become important in the world economy often require more control over their people, so that the country would be stable, and not in chaos. Then once these countries are established economic powers, the luxuries the West enjoys may be enjoyed by these developing countries.

I'll decide what's good.

2007-03-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

America doesn’t seem to know what is smart, funny, clever or intriguing. This is evident by their choice in television shows. I suppose that this is not completely true. There are shows that are insanely popular that are actually very smart shows. Such shows as “Lost”, “Boston Legal”, and the much loved “24" are ratings hits. These shows should be ratings hits as well. Though recently, “Lost” has lost some of its appeal and magic that made it such a great mysterious show. “24" has appealed to the post 9/11 America. Jack Bauer is the MacGuyver of the new millennium. But there are many other shows that America doesn’t seem to get. “Arrested Development” has been discussed ad nauseam, with good cause. It was possibly the smartest and funniest show on television in a long while, cable included.
Now there are two shows that are new to television this year. Both of these shows are on NBC. One is popular, one is critically acclaimed, which is translated into English as unwatched. Both are great shows in very different ways. One is put up against “24" for ratings, the other is up against “American Idol” and “Jericho”. One would think that the ratings hit would be the one that competes with “American Idol” and “Jericho” because Idol is now played and is getting old. Particularly this year, Idol is a competition in mediocrity. But the ratings hit is on the same time slot as another ratings hit, “24". The shows are “Heroes” and “Friday Night Lights”.
Unfortunately for many, both Heroes and Friday Night Lights are taking their early spring hiatus. So if you would like to watch them, you will need to jump on NBC.com or wait until they come back. I would encourage all to watch both of them, but particularly Friday Night Lights. I am sick of great shows getting pushed off the air, because idiotic people won’t watch them.
Friday Night Lights appeals to all Americans. Obviously if you grew up in a small town, the show may hit really close to home. The show takes place in the fictional Dillon, Texas. Dillon is a small town, that was dependent on oil fields that are now dried up. The young head coach, Eric Taylor, has been chosen over prominent and well established other assistant coaches. Coach Taylor has an ability to mold a kid into a great quarterback. He had an all-state prospect in Jason Street. Jason’s career seemed to be taking off. That is until he threw in interception in the first game, and broke his neck tackling the guy running the ball toward the end zone. The Dilon Panther’s season was anticipated as over. The new quarterback, the back-up to Jason Street was Sophomore Matt Seracin. That is mostly the football story.
The rest of the show revolves around everyday life in Dillon. Issues involving love, betrayal, racism, and the hilarious tension between Coach Taylor and QB1 Seracin who wants to date Coach Taylor’s daughter, Julie.
The show is fantastic. It relates to America and the everyday life. Friday Night Lights isn’t about ordinary people become extraordinary, like Heroes. It is about being great in what you do, and though mistakes are made, you come together as a family, or a team, or a community and strive for better. Go Panthers!

Same Old Cougars

2006-09-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be different this year. The offense was returning 7 starters, including Mountain West Offensive MVP, John Beck and 1000 yard rusher Curtis Brown. They had depth at running back, and arguably two of the best tight ends in the country. The defense was adjusting to make use of the talent at linebacker, and to give more help to the weak secondary. All of this was supposed to make this BYU’s year. Now it still may be, and these factors may pan out, but in the first game of the season against University of Arizona, BYU lost the same way it has been losing for the last 4 years. Turnovers and penalties.
BYU started with a good looking pass to tight end Johnny Harline, good for 11 yards before he was stripped of the ball and Arizona recovered the fumble. The defense remarkable held and looked pretty good, and Arizona came away with only a field goal. Simply rust, that was the explanation. BYU’s offense would look better on the next drive. But the game didn’t go the way it was supposed to. BYU couldn’t establish a running game, so the pressure was on John Beck to win the game, something that Beck hasn’t been great at as a starter. He performed well enough passing for nearly 300 yards, but only 1 touchdown. Beck didn’t throw any interceptions, but was forced to fumble the ball late in the game, stopping another BYU drive.
Other drives by BYU were stopped by foolish penalties, such as offensive pass interference, holding calls, and many false starts. The discipline that BYU was supposed to get, wasn’t there. They had 10 penalties for 76 yards, and many of those were costly drive stopping penalties. One took away a touchdown. Another took away an interception, and all hurt their field position.
The defense played much better than expected, holding Arizona to one touchdown and 3 field goals. Cameron Jensen was credited with one interception, because his first was taken away by a defensive holding call.
Maybe they will turn the season around, and maybe they can win the Mountain West, but if the Cougars continue to play like this, with too many penalties and turnovers, this season doesn’t look to much different than any of the last 4.

Crying at Movies

2006-06-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the radio the other day, and the DJ’s were talking about movies that guys cry at. One of the guys said that he never cries or has cried at a movie. The other admitted too much stating that he cries all the time at movies. Then the radio show proceeded to take a number of calls from men admitting to crying in different movies. One caller stated that he cried when he watched Ladder 49.
Many men will tell you that they cried in Brian’s Song, and also in Rudy. As a man, I am willing to accept that there are certain movies in which a man may cry. This does not give a man license to cry in any movie of his choosing. That is never OK. The general rule is that a man MAY NOT cry in a movie. I repeat that for emphasis, a man MAY NOT cry in a movie. Now that we have the rule, we look to the few exceptions in which a man may cry. These would be affirmative defenses to the rule.
The movie Brian’s Song, is an acceptable movie during which a man may cry. Rudy is not. The premise of Rudy is that a short no talent average Joe walks on to the Notre Dame football team and gets to play in the last game of his senior season. Nothing sad happens, and no one dies. The emotion that it evokes is joy. There is no excuse for a man to be crying during a movie because he is overwhelmed by joy. The only reason to cry is based upon sad emotion.
The list of movies couldn’t be any bigger than 5 long. I can’t think of all the movies, but I am sure that there can’t be any more than that. Another movie that I am willing to concede is Braveheart. There, throughout the length of the movie, the audience creates a strong bond with the character of William Wallace, and at the end he is tortured and killed. That is a very emotional scene and may give grounds for a man to cry.
But just because someone dies, even a main character, in a movie doesn’t give a man a right to cry. The man who cried during Ladder 49, probably needs to go and put on his skirt. That is not on the short list of movies at which a man may cry. The movies on this short list need to evoke such a sadness over a man and do it in a manly way. The movie itself needs to be manly. The two movies that I have conceded fall into these boundaries. They are manly movies that evoke an sad emotion in a manly way. Should a man CHOOSE to cry during these movies, he would be excused. Finally, I need to state that a man never need to cry in a movie, and in nearly all cases should not cry. A man is guilty if he cries in a movie and is only excused if the movie is on the short list.

United States vs. Czech Republic

2006-06-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

The game begins. The US is wearing blue. The keeper for the US is one of the best in the world they say. Keller, the keeper, keeps a shut out for most of his games. The refs are calling a lot against the US so far and it’s only 2 minutes into the game.
US gets a shot on goal, just a bit too high. Finally a foul on the Czechs. Another foul on the US. The ref gives yellow card on Onyewu. That was dumb. Had a smaller player done the same thing, it would have been nothing, but because he is big, he gets a card.
The Czech’s score off a header. The are dominating the game so far. The US needs to be more aggressive. Score 1-0 for the Czechs, in the 6th minute.
The Czechs are ranked second in the world behind Brazil. This should be a tough game for the US, but I still think they can do it.
Another shot on goal, with a great save by the Czechs. Donovan had a good run going with the ball, when one of the Czechs knocked him down. That was clearly a foul. And the ref recognizes it and give a yellow card.
Big shot opportunity that was off the bar. Almost for the US. There it goes again, another goal for the Czechs. This is not good for the US. The US are not looking good right now. I hope that it is just because the Czechs are that good. I hope the US can put this behind them and play better for the rest of the Cup. I guess there is still time to come back in this game, but being down 2-0 is not an easy thing to overcome.
Koller of the Czechs goes down. It looks like a hamstring. He is injured pretty bad, he may not be coming back. This may give the United States a chance to come back. But I do hope Koller is OK.
The Czechs are still dominating the game. They haven’t scored again, but the US can’t seem to control the ball, and their players are doing nothing.
The Czechs score again, and that pretty much ends this game. The US has very little chance of coming back now. In fact, next to no chance. There is not enough time. The US needs to put this game behind them and focus on their next two games against Ghana and Italy. If they win both of those games, they should be moving on. They need to play a lot better though.

England v. Paraguay

2006-06-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

It’s 9:00 a.m. I have already showered and dressed for the day. I have a plan to watch the third game of the 2006 World Cup.. I turn on the TV and the game begins. England versus Paraguay. I am definitely favoring England in this match. I am more familiar with the English team. Only minutes into the game, David Beckham gets a free kick. It goes into the goal. Beckham has scored. No, now there are saying that it was an own goal on Paraguay. I guess one of the guys from Paraguay headed it in off Beckham’s kick. It was a great looking kick anyway.
Now the keeper for Paraguay is injured and needs to come out. I hope for Paraguay that their number 2 keeper is decent.
I’m starting to feel hungry, so I’m going to go and make some pancakes. I’ll be back.
Second half begins. The score remains 1-0 in favor of England. Paraguay is being a lot more aggressive here in the second half. I am starting to like Crouch from the English team. He’s like 6'7" and towers over everyone. He seems to have good footwork too.
There seems to be a lot of penalties in this match. That’s the 3rd yellow card that’s been given out. This lone to Crouch. He got it for arguing with the ref. That’s a stupid penalty. Now if he is a bit too aggressive on a play and gets another, he’s in trouble.
One of the English players was dribbling the ball down field when a guy from Paraguay threw him to the ground. No call on the play. That was bad officiating.
Time is running out for Paraguay. Now in the 89th minute. There is only two minutes left. A great shot on goal for England and a good looking save for Paraguay.
Were it not for the own goal, this could have been a nil-nil tie. That’s no fun at all. But I think that goal was going in one way or another. Beckham deserved that goal.
2 minutes of stoppage time. We’ll see if Paraguay can do anything in the 2 minutes. Time is running out. That’s the game. England wins the game 1-0. Congratulations to the Brits.

Are you ready for the madness?

2006-06-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

The world is about to fall into a state of madness. Countries are going to be battling each other relentlessly, and rivalries and old hatreds will be renewed. Everywhere around the world, people will be watching their televisions wondering who will come out ahead in this battle. Everywhere but in America. The biggest sport in the world is not the biggest sport in America. It’s not even the second biggest sport. On the list of popularity in America, this sport ranks somewhere around the same place as hockey. The sport is of course, Soccer, or Football everywhere else in the world. The battle going on is, of course, the World Cup.
America doesn’t much care for Soccer, or Football. They even changed the name from Football to Soccer. I don’t have a problem with this at all. America has a popular football sport and it would be foolish to try to distinguish from American Football and Football. So Soccer is what we have in America. It is very popular among young children who play it in recreational leagues across the country. Then once the child turns a certain age, the interest is forced upon him to Football. The interest in Soccer then dies. This is unfortunate.
Soccer is a great sport. People love to play it. Not everyone likes to watch it. People offer up reasons that it is low scoring and not a lot of action. Yet people continue to watch baseball, and it is often low scoring with very little action. Soccer has a lot of actions, more so than many other sports.
America is, however, starting to like soccer. The MLS is doing well and many people are following it. We are finding more soccer on television. I spoke with a man from England once, and he told me that he was scared of American Soccer. Not right now, but of the future of American Soccer. When America gets behind something, we do everything we can to be the absolute best at it. America is getting better at soccer and in the future will be able to win the World Cup and will be a contender in every Cup.
I am excited for this World Cup and plan to watch as much as I can. I will be routing for my team, the U.S.A. But if the U.S. happens to fall out in the first round, I still plan to watch it through to the end.
Go America!

Remember the 5th of November

2006-03-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

“Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder, treason Should ever be forgot. . .”
Recently I had the opportunity to see the film “V for Vendetta”. I was intrigued about this film before I really knew what it was about, though I cannot explain why. The movie is based on a series of comic books which were compiled into a graphic novel. The story was first published in 1981 and based the futuristic stories in 1998.
The premise for the story is that the United States has suffered a great civil unrest and additional outside violence and has collapse. The reason given for the collapse of the Empire of the United States was moral degradation. The British Government is in the control of a moral zealot who imposes laws on all types of morality. Additionally, there are laws against speaking against the government and curfews imposed on the people. The government does audio sweeps of areas to ensure that there are no terrorist activities or any speaking out against the government.
We are introduced to the hero of the story V once he saves the beautiful Eve, portrayed by Natalie Portman. V is disguised in a mask resembling Guy Fawkes, who in 1606 attempted to destroy the parliament building. V then destroys the Old Bailey, the central courthouse in England. Eve then becomes a willing captive of V. There he teaches her that the government has exceeded its bounds and must eventually come to an end. A favorite line is, “People shouldn’t be afraid of their governments; Governments should be afraid of their people.”
The remainder of the film shows the plan to destroy the parliament building, much like Guy Fawkes attempted to do hundreds of years earlier.
There are a number of different people that will try to draw a message from the movie, such as “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” or “the current government is encroaching on the rights of the people, much like the fictional government in the movie.” One thing that I think is important to remember in watching this movie, is that it is fiction. The story was created in the early 80's and has no relevance to the current day. It is purely for entertainment value. And as far as entertainment goes, it was. I was thoroughly entertained by the movie.
Should someone insist on taking a message away from the film, it should be that people should rule their countries and not some few elites. The way people rule their countries is to vote and to be active in their community. Join a party, attend a rally, organize a rally, vote, volunteer for a candidate, support the armed forces, join the armed forces, lobby a representative. There are number of things one can do to be active in the community. So go see the movie and simply enjoy it and then be involved in your life and country.

Social Faux-pas or Unshackled Freedom

2006-03-20T09:00:00.001-08:00

The other day I was at a movie. I saw V for Vendetta. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but that is the topic of another post to come. At the movie I sat behind a lady who had a coat placed on the seat next to her. I assumed that the seat was saved for a companion who was either in the bathroom or getting popcorn. As the previews went on the seat continued to be empty. Soon the movie began and still there was no one occupying the seat. I put it out of my mind for a majority of the movie. Then sometime later, near the end of the movie, my attention was again drawn to the empty seat in front of me with a coat on it. I came to the realization that this lady had come to the movie by herself.
It has occasioned me to go to a movie by myself, though not often. The first time I ventured to a movie by myself was sometime shortly after high school. It was a Wednesday night and I was living with some roommates. No one was home at the time and they were not going to be home for many hours. I was left with a couple of options. I could either stay home and do nothing, or go out and do something by myself. A new movie had come out that I wanted to see and no one was willing to go see it. So on this Wednesday night, I went to the movie theater. I was scared of what people would think of me, especially at the ticket booth. So, as I approached the booth, I pretended to be talking on my phone with another asking where they were and what time they would get there. I then stated within earshot of the ticket booth that I would just go inside and get some seats. Then I purchased my tickets and went in. The movie was ok, and there ended up being only 3 people in the theater, including myself.
Since that night, I have gotten over the fear of going to movies by myself, though I still rarely do it. It seems to be a social faux-pas to go to a movie by oneself. I can’t understand this. People will look at a person who goes to a movie by themself and think that they must have no friends or that they must be really weird. The problem with this is that people are often found watching movies by themselves. People are often found watching television by themselves. People will sit at home by themselves and put in a DVD. I have yet to see someone come home to their house only to find a member of their family is watching TV and react with, "what are you doing you weirdo? Why are you watching TV by yourself?" Yet, this is the same attitude we take when people go out to watch a movie.
I no longer fear the judging eyes of others if I choose to go to a movie by myself. But the rest of society will continue to judge. I applaud those who will go into the public realm and subject themselves to public scrutiny, so that they may be entertained. Let us all cast off the shackles of shame and be not afraid to do as we like simply because others my think us bizarre.

2006-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

I recently read a case that held a shop owner criminally liable for the acts of his customers, and was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter. This shopkeeper sold Sterno, a substance used for cooking and heating, to his customers. The customers then proceeded to drink the Sterno, outside of his store, in the privacy of their own home and then died from it. The court ruled that since he knew of their intentions to drink the Sterno, he should be liable for their actions.
In a typical socialist society, I could understand holding a store owner criminally liable for acts of others. However, here in the United States of America, we pride ourselves on not being socialists. In fact, America is the beacon of Capitalism. We should not be held responsible for the actions of others, but only for our own actions. In civil court, there are of course exceptions, but when it comes to depriving someone of their own freedom, how can this country state that a man can be detained and jailed because someone else decided to drink Sterno and end their life. The idea is so ridiculous to me that I was dumbfounded after reading the case.
Here's a hypothetical, a man walks into a hardware store. He is missing some fingers, and in fact where his thumb should be, he has bloody gause there. The man goes to purchase a saw. The store owner probably can assume that the man has sawn off his fingers and quite recently his thumb. But the store owner sells him the saw anyway. Later, it is found that the man has cut off his entire hand, and has bleed to death. Should we as a society, hold the owner of the hardware store responsible for the death of this stupid man?

I've also discovered that there are a number of people in this country that favor Good Samaritan laws. These are the laws that one must act if he sees a crime being committed by another or help someone that appears to need help. There are laws like this found in European Countries that are seemingly becoming more and more socialist. I'd like to say to those who would favor legislation of Good Samaritan laws.
I have a Constitutional Right not to give a damn! If I should want to help someone in need then I will, however, I will not live in a place that requires me to help someone else. This is the equivilent of slavery. The requiring of others to do something that they are not inclined to do themselves is slavery. This is a step in the wrong direction.
Finally, I have decided to post another picture. This one is of Petra Nemcova. Both her and Alessandra Ambrosio (pictured below) are fighting for a spot in the Road to the Final babe on 1280 The Zone's Website. To vote click here. Please support these two lovely ladies.

Deterioration of Society

2006-02-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

As you may have discovered, I am a law student. Much of my observations of late are based upon my experience there. Recently in one of my classes, I made one such observation. We were discussing the difference between Voluntary Manslaughter and Murder in the 1st Degree. In this discussing, we were reading a number of different cases where the person purposely and willfully killed the victim. The manners of death were numerous, from shootings, to stabbings, to killing with no weapons at all. The motives behind the killings were also of note. I will mention 2 of the cases in order to give some background.
The first, a man and his wife were going through marital troubles. She had stated that she wanted to see other people, and in fact she was already seeing other people. He spied on her one night and saw her with another man. His wife and this other man were getting cozy and drinking. He also witnessed them smoking pot. He went to where he was staying and retrieved a camera and a pistol. He returned and saw his wife and this man go into a guest bedroom in the house. He then entered the house and ran into the guest bedroom where he found his wife and this man nude and in flagrante delicto. He tried to take a picture and then he shot the man. The man later died from his wounds.
The second case involved a hitchhiker, Joe. The hitchhiker was picked up by another man, Steve. Joe asked Steve where he could find some girls. The two talked like that for a while, at which point, Joe asked Steve where he could get a blow job. Steve offered his services. Joe and Steve went to a baseball field. Joe then removed his pants and underwear. Steve attempted to do as he stated. Joe then kicked Steve in the stomach and proceeded to stomp him to death.
The point is that in my class when we discussed the manner of killing and the situations preceding them, there were a number of individuals in the class that started laughing. The manner of death elicited some giggles. I sat and thought about this and realized that the people in my class were not any different from any other person in America. The people had become desensitizing to the violence of murder. They laughed at the thought of a gay man being stomped on until he died.
I don't pretend to not be one of the people that has become desensitizing. In fact, I openly admit to being insensitive to violence, especially when I only hear about it and don't witness it. I, only thought that it was interesting that the people in America don't give value to the human life as much as they did in the past. But I suppose it isn't surprising considering that this is the country that had the old west with gun fights and duals happening on a regular basis. Mob violence and Mob justice was accepted in this country.
Alas, I find that still don't care. The small percentage of people that are so affected by violence on television that they commit the same violence is acceptable in order to keep the programs from becoming dull and boring.

The Selection Committee

2006-02-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

I've spent a great deal of time over the last couple days creating and editing a website. I know that there are programs out there that can accomplish these things with great ease. I, however chose not to go that route. I learned the HTML format in high school, but as is the case with many things, I have forgotten how to do it. I spent some time reading up on HTML as well as the newer XHTML. I've been able to refresh my memory and created the website. This website has been in production longer than it has been worked on. The Selection Committee has been discussing having a website for sometime and only now have I taken the initiative to get it started. It is now up and running. I am not completely happy with it right now, but it is a work in progress. I hope to make it more professional looking and to have a number of different options on it for the future, including a way to donate money directly into a paypal account for the fund raising of the Selection Committtee.
I would also like to congratulate a fellow member, Jay Hart, on teaching his boys how to swim. Congratulations Jay. Someday we all hope to teach our boys that lesson.
I also intend to write more on this blog, so stay posted.

January 17, 2006

2006-01-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

I sat through my constitutional law class today at Widener University School of Law, and I began to think about the topic of politics. We were discussing the nomination and likely confirmation of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court. I thought of how the Supreme Court was set up to be a body free from politics, in order to be an unbiased judge on the issues brought before it. The past week the Senate went through a number of hearings with Judge Alito. There the attempted to destroy him in front of the public. The democrats in the Senate made a political decision to attempt to block Judge Alito, from a seat on the court that is supposed to not be political.
Perhaps I am being biased, but the Democrats seem to be creating more problems than they solve. They are also fighting a losing battle. In the next presidential election, there are a number of Republicans who have the power and influence to win. The democrats are hoping that Hilary Clinton will be able to win enough votes to get the White House. Truth be told, she won't even get enough votes from her own party to get out of convention.
I just read an article about Al Gore. He is attacking the Bush administration, and President Bush in particular. He wants to impeach the President. Of course, I don't always agree with everything that President Bush has done, but I think these attacks are petty and childish. Just like Al Gore to do something so petty. Not that President Bush stepping down would be a bad thing, because then we would have President Cheney. The democrats would hate that. But they never seem to think of the alternatives or consequences of their actions. This is why they flip flop, because they don't know the consequences.

Beginning

2006-01-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. I am new to the whole blogging thing, but I figure I ought to be involved in this budding industry of web logs.
I am Thayne Cullimore, and I rule.
More to come