United By Fear

College Football Poll, Part 5 – Things Fall Apart

sturdyvant — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:04:00 +0000

Oy veigh, what an absurd weekend of college football. Georgia has been unable to get on track this season, and it finally caught up with them against a suddenly fearsome-looking Alabama team. USC is obviously not the same team on the road. Florida should have heeded the immortal words of Admiral Akbar…”It’s a trap!”

Michigan and Virginia Tech – I hate you both. Vehemently.

25. Wake Forest record: 3-1 Last Week:7

Horrendous loss against Navy. This may be the most surprising loss of the week. I don’t know what else to say about it. Weak Forest, indeed.

24. Virginia Tech record: 4-1 Last Week: NR

It’s no secret that I don’t love this team. They’ve managed to crawl back into the poll after the stumble to ECU, and the ACC is so bad this year, that they should not lose again…but the way things have been going in college football this season…

23. Michigan State record: 4-1 Last Week: NR

Javon Ringer is quite a force. Brian Hoyer is quite a farce.

22. Kansas record: 3-0 Last Week: NR

Still not sure what to make of this team, but the offense should put up some points.

21. Ball State record: 5-0 Last Week:25

I worried that losing Dante Love might prove to be too much for this team, but so far so good. Central Michigan has looked quite beatable thus far, so this might be the Cardinals’ year in the MAC…and beyond? The question on my mind is: would a 13-0 Ball State team make it into a BCS game?

20. Oregon record: 4-1 Last Week:24

Nice rebound from the Boise State loss. Or maybe Washington State is just that bad. Would not want to be a quarterback for the Ducks…as they seem prone to misfortune.

19. Kentucky record: 4-0 Last Week: 22

They still haven’t played anyone. But that will change this week against Alabama!

18. Georgia record: 4-1 Last Week:15

Georgia doesn’t fall that far after losing to a good team. It was time for the unstoppable hype machine to stop, anyway. There’s no reason they can’t still win the SEC East.

17. Connecticut record: 5-0 Last Week: 21

The Tyler Lorenzen injury might end up being a plus for UConn. He is a bad quarterback.

16. Florida record: 3-1 Last Week: 4

Tought loss, but what were they thinking with that 4th-and-1 playcalling? Why not at least pretend to get Percy Harvin involved?

15. Texas Tech record: 4-0 Last Week: 19

They move up due to attrition. Next.

14. Utah record: 5-0 Last Week: 14

This is about as high as I can put the undefeated Utes right now. I’d love to see them at 11-0 going into the game against BYU.

13. Boise State record: 3-0 Last Week: 13

Still riding high on the Oregon victory. They can’t be counted out of the BCS race either.

12. Northwestern record: 5-0 Last Week: 23

I am seriously impressed with the victory over Iowa. In a very weak Big Ten, the Wildcats are poised to have an excellent season.

11. Southern California record: 2-1 Last Week: 1

Shocking lapse in concentration by a loaded team. After seeing the OSU game, I’m wondering if USC can effectively run between the tackles. That probably won’t matter against much of the Pac Ten, but will haunt them in the postseason.

10. Oklahoma State record: 4-0 Last Week: 18

I haven’t seen the Cowboys play this season, so their rise is mostly due to the losses of others. I hear good things about Zac Robinson, though.

9. South Florida record: 5-0 Last Week:12

If they don’t win the Big East, it will be a monumental choke.

8. Texas record: 4-0 Last Week:17

I’m still not convinced that they’ve played anyone, but that was a convincing blowout of Arkansas.

7. Vanderbilt record: 4-0 Last Week:8

Every week that I can keep Vandy in the top ten – that’s a good week.

6. Missouri record: 4-0 Last Week:6

Seriously, things will start picking up any week now…

5. Penn State record: 5-0 Last Week: 11

Heck of a win against Illinois. The Lions look like the class of the Big Ten.

4. LSU record: 4-0 Last Week:3

They avoided the obligatory loss to Mississippi State that follows a significant SEC win.

3. Oklahoma record: 4-0 Last Week: 10

My Lord, they still have played a whole lot of no one. Looked good doing it, though.

2. Brigham Young record: 4-0 Last Week:2

The Y will play in the National Title game if they go 12-0. And rightfully so, I say.

1. Alabama record: 5-0 Last Week: 5

Good gravy, that was a beatdown against Georgia. Just as I was starting to doubt Saban’s boys again. I still don’t trust JPW…

College Football Poll, Part 4 (Score One for Evil)

sturdyvant — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:36:24 +0000

Real life intervened last week, so I started the poll but never finished it. Here it is a bit late, but without comments. New poll up shortly.

With the East Carolina loss, we the proletariat of college football lose another possible ally in breaking down the evil junta of the BCS. I can’t really talk about it…it’s just gonna make me angry. On a positive note, James Madison finally defeated Appalchian State last night, in a 35-32 thriller that saw JMU down 21-0 at halftime. Unbeleivable.

25. Ball State Last Week: NR

24. Oregon Last Week: 7

23. Northwestern Last Week: 24

22. Kentucky Last Week: 21

21. Connecticut Last Week: 23

20. East Carolina Last Week: 2

19. Texas Tech Last Week: 18

18. Oklahoma State Last Week: 15

17. Texas Last Week:19

16. Texas Christian Last Week: 16

15. Georgia Last Week: 20

14. Utah Last Week: 14

13. Boise State Last Week: NR

12. South Florida Last Week: 13

11. Penn State Last Week: 12

10. Oklahoma Last Week: 10

9. Wisconsin Last Week: 8

8. Vanderbilt Last Week: 6

7. Wake Forest Last Week: 9

6. Missouri Last Week: 4

5. Alabama Last Week: 5

4. Florida Last Week: 11

3. LSU Last Week: 25

2. Brigham Young Last Week: 3

1. Southern California Last Week: 1

College Football Poll, Part 3 (You come from out of nowhere)

sturdyvant — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:15:12 +0000

I doubt Faith No More was talking about the Maryland Terrapins, but it serves as an appropriate lead-in to this week’s poll. I could not have been more wrong about the occurrences of the past weekend. I don’t know why I was fooled once again by the perpetually Soft Batch Cal Golden Bears.

25. LSU Last Week: NR

LSU had their last tuneup over the weekend, throttling North Texas. They now face the offensively-challenged Auburn tigers. I really have nothing else to say about this team, as they’ve showed us nothing thus far, but Appalachian State is better than 1/2 of the teams in Division 1-A, and the Tigers are the defending champs….so here they remain for now.

24. Northwestern Last Week: NR

Nice to see the Wildcats get off to a 3-0 start, even if it is against an assortment of clowns. I don’t think it will last, but they should certainly reach a bowl with the state of the Big 10 this year.

23. Connecticut Last Week: NR

See: Northwestern.

22. Air Force Last Week: NR

This team is pretty legitimate. I love what Troy Calhoun has done with them – sticking with the triple-option whilst adding a few quirks. The schedule is quite manageable (they get both Utah and BYU at home), and it would not surprise me to see the Falcons win 10 games this season.

21. Kentucky Last Week: NR

The Wildcats are currently ruling over the also-rans of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia with an iron fist. They should continue their tyranny with a thorough annexing of Western Kentucky this weekend.

20. Georgia Last Week: NR

The Bulldogs finally played a decent team over the weekend…though I suppose decent is a relative term…in any case, Georgia has still failed to impress me – though a convincing win at Arizona State this weekend would certainly get the ball rolling.

19. Texas Last Week: 19

Texas is an anomaly to me.

18. Texas Tech Last Week: 25

Sticking to the theme of the bottom half of the poll we’ve got a few more weeks before the Red Raiders play anyone decent. It’s fun to watch that offense, though.

17. Auburn Last Week: 20

Good gravy, that was a terrible offensive showing against Mississippi State. I can’t really justify moving them up three spots after that…but they were probably underranked to begin with. The LSU game will define them.

16. Texas Christian Last Week: NR

The Horned Frogs are a surprise team this season. I was quite impressed by their Stanford win, but now their New Mexico win is starting to look better as well. Their defense has looked impressive thus far, but it will take quite an effort to slow down Oklahoma in two weeks.

15. Oklahoma State Last Week: 11

I definitely overranked the Cowboys last week. That is all.

14. Utah Last Week: 13

Did ANYONE play a legitimate team over the weekend?!?!?

13. South Florida Last Week: 23

They looked awful coming out of the gate against Kansas, but Matt Grothe rallied the troops (despite courting disaster at every turn). The defense looks like they’ve taken a step back, but in a weak Big East…

12. Penn State Last Week: 15

Their inability to stay out of jail worries me, but they have looked dominant thus far, and getting rid of Morelli seems to be addition by subtraction. They look like the best team in the Big Ten.

11. Florida Last Week: 10

We’ll see what they’re made of against Tennessee.

10. Oklahoma Last Week: 17

The Sam Bradford Heisman campaign continues…I still think they’ll fold in the big game, though.

9. Wake Forest Last Week: 7

I can’t believe there are people out there who think they’re losing to Florida State. It’s not happening.

8. Wisconsin Last Week: NR

This does not look like a good team on either side of the ball, but they won a tough road game at Fresno State.

7. Oregon Last Week: 12

Almost made me recant all the great things I said about them last week. Good road win, though.

6. Vanderbilt Last Week: 9

If you ask me, they looked better against South Carolina than Georgia did. They’re half-way to a bowl game!

5. Alabama Last Week: 2

They’ve looked considerably less impressive every week, but I just can’t forget that beatdown of Clemson.

4. Missouri Last Week: 5

Biding their time….

3. Brigham Young Last Week: 16

Here’s another team I was dead wrong about. These guys are good.

2. East Carolina Last Week: 1

ALMOST let the season slip through their fingers, but they held on. A let down was understandable after those first two games. A thorough smiting of NC State would look pretty good.

1. Southern California Last Week: 6

Made Ohio State look like…well…like they’ve looked all season.

College Football Poll, Part 2 (Conference USA’s finest hour!)

sturdyvant — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:01:05 +0000

The top 25 is still quite muddled, but I do feel that there is an obvious choice for who should be the #1 team in the country. This week I’m changing the format a bit (only in terms of presentation), and as promised, I am offering more justification.

25. Texas Tech Last Week: NR

Their stock is still low from having beaten a 1-AA team week one (and looking sloppy while doing so), but they did beat a solid Nevada team on the road, which is no small feat, as Nevada was 19-5 at home over the last 4 seasons. Tech is a trendy pick to sneak into the Big 12 Championship game, but their defense still needs to improve (they allowed Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick to pass for 264 yards and 68% completion while running for 92 yards).

24. Kansas Last Week: 25

Nice job trouncing Louisiana Tech, who looked completely satisfied in their win against Mississippi State. I still don’t know what to make of this team, but I will after they travel to South Florida this Friday.

23. South Florida Last Week: NR

They almost gave that game against Central Florida away, but they held on, and the defense looked solid (barring a few lapses). I have zero faith in Matt Grothe, but if Mike Ford comes back and the defense proves to be as formidable as last year, they should easily win the Big East. If USF wants any National Title consideration this year, then defeating Kansas this Friday is a must.

22. Rice Last Week: NR

This is presumably where the eyes start rolling. Rice’s offense has looked excellent. They’ve outgunned two high-powered offenses thus far. They travel to Vanderbilt next week in what is actually a mildly intriguing game. Win that, and 10 wins is a possibility.

21. Arizona State Last Week: NR

Nice win against Stanford. I really would like to write this team off, because I don’t think Rudy Carpenter is particularly good, but they’ve earned a spot in the rankings thus far. They should continue to coast until the September 20 matchup against Georgia…then they’ll have their chance to impress me.

20. Auburn Last Week: 17

*Yawn*…Auburn hasn’t really played anybody, but Southern Mississippi is sorta alright, and they’ve looked good winning, which helps. They should slaughter Mississippi State this week, but you never can tell which MSU team will show up.

19. Texas Last Week: 18

They allowed UTEP to hang around for longer than they should have, but at least Colt McCoy looks like a Big 12 quarterback again. The defense was problematic last year, and I’m still not sold on it.

18. Arkansas State Last Week: 14

WHA?!?! After upsetting Texas A&M, the Red Wolves hung 83 (!) points on Texas Southern. ASU had a mind-boggling 441 rushing yards in the game. They go on to play Southern Mississippi, Memphis, and Middle Tennessee, all of whom are okay teams. If they emerge unscathed from that stretch, ASU could take its place among the top mid-major programs in the country.

17. Oklahoma Last Week: NR

Cincinnati hung around for a while, but Bradford proved to be too much for them. ESPN loves this team, but when was the last time they won a big game? If they go undefeated, I’ll eat my hat.

16. Brigham Young Last Week: NR

They looked servicable against Washington, and now they should be favored in every game left on the schedule (unless Utah is also undefeated). That late showdown against the Utes could be a classic between two 11-0 teams!

15. Penn State Last Week: NR

They absolutely dismantled Oregon State. This team has me oscillating, but after a performance like that, you have to take them seriously. Should be in the clear at least until Illinois on September 27.

14. Georgia Tech Last Week: NR

Paul Johnson’s flexbone experiment seems to be working! The Yellow Jackets were sloppy on offense, but still managed to gut out a conference road win, which do not tend to come easily (especially against Boston College). They can really make a statement by going on the road again and beating Virginia Tech this weekend.

13. Utah Last Week: 8

Utah probably receives a higher boost that it should from beating Michigan, but it was a road win at a tough venue (and they were repeatedly hosed by the refs), so it is here that they remain for now. I don’t really love this team as much as I should love the #13 team in my poll, but they have beaten two FBS opponents. They should thoroughly demolish Utah State, but then Air Force could provide some problems. The rest of the schedule is more or less a cakewalk though until BYU.

12. Oregon Last Week: 9

Through the first two weeks of the season, it’s safe to say that Oregon has the scariest offense in the nation. Losing Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart does not seem to have slown them down one bit (though I think Dixon may have actually held them back a bit). The defense has looked solid as well. The Ducks have an interesting matchup against another high-powered offense this weekend when they travel to Purdue. Trouncing the Boilermakers will look good, but OU’s real test will come October 4th against USC.

11. Oklahoma State Last Week: NR

This is another team that I have ranked surprisingly high, but they beat Washington State in what was essentially a road game, and then defeated Houston in fine form. Zac Robinson has proved solid in leading the offense thus far, and they should be 5-0 heading into the showdown at Missouri.

10. Florida Last Week: 16

Florida destroyed a punchless Hawaii team, and then when their offense appeared lifeless against Miami, the defense clamped down and allowed 1.6 yards per carry. Florida gets a bye this week, but Tennessee looms on the horizon, and the Gators will need to look sharper than they have the first two weeks to win in Knoxville.

9. Vanderbilt Last Week: 19

This has been the most impressive coaching job this season. Bobby Johnson just does what he needs to do to win. The victories have been close, but they are tied for the lead in the SEC, and have enough winnable games to make it to their first bowl since 1982. Rice should prove to be a challenge this weekend, but the Commodores should be favored to come out of that game 3-0 heading into a huge game against Ole Miss.

8. Fresno State Last Week: 7

The Bulldogs are still riding high after the road win over Rutgers. This weekend they can make some serious noise with a win over a vulnerable-looking Wisconsin team at Camp Randall. All signs point to this team being for real.

7. Wake Forest Last Week: 15

The Deacons completed a nice last-minute drive to beat Ole Miss, but the fact that Ole Miss nearly beat them is troubling for the ACC. That said, Wake Forest won’t have to see Houston Nutt’s quirky offense again. They now have two weeks to prepare for Florida State, who will still be missing several key players due to suspensions (shocking, I know). At this point, Wake has to be considered the favorite in the ACC.

6. Southern California Last Week: 5

The Trojans were idle this week, so we have only their thrashing of Virginia on the road to judge them. Now, don’t get me wrong, UVA is horrendous, but I just can’t penalize a team that goes on the road for a week one game against a team that went to a bowl last season. All eyes will be on USC’s game against Ohio State this weekend. Should the Trojans win, they’ll be in the driver’s seat for the National Championship.

5. Missouri Last Week: 1

The Tigers suffer a slight fall after beating Southeast Missouri State. Mizzou has two more warmups against Nevada and Buffalo before things start getting interesting in conference play. There is much to love about this team, Chase Daniel (my early Heisman frontrunner) not being the least of which.

4. California Last Week: 11

Cal has beaten two middling BCS teams. After a so-so start against Michigan State, the Golden Bears throttled Washington State 66-3…on the road, no less! Such a door-knob-sack-beating has to be rewarded, and with few other teams stepping up in week two, Cal checks in at the #4 spot. Cal should bludgeon a very below-average Maryland team this weekend, and really won’t be tested again until they host Arizona State on October 4th.

3. UCLA Last Week: 3

The Bruins are still riding high on their victory over Tennessee. A tough game against Brigham Young in Provo looms this weekend. A victory would turn some heads, and show that Rick Neuheisel is unparalleled when coaching other people’s recruits. However, remembering how poorly Kevin Craft played against Tennessee…at home…suggests that he may struggle against the Cougars.

2. Alabama Last Week: 2

The Crimson Tide came back down to earth against Tulane (to the surprise of no one). That was a sloppy performance by the offensive line and by John Parker Wilson. I am still not buying Wilson as an elite quarterback, or even a serviceable quarterback when he gets hit a few times. Alabama will win on defense and special teams this year, and that should be enough in the next two games against Western Kentucky and Arkansas, but probably not on the road against Georgia on September 27th.

1. East Carolina Last Week: 4

This team has been unbelievable. I saw the Virginia Tech upset coming, but I was completely unprepared for their performance against West Virginia. Patrick Pinkney’s efficiency has been remarkable, and the defense has been SAVAGE. That is the only word that seems to adequately define the ferocity the Pirates have displayed thus far. Their remaining schedule is by no means a cakewalk, but they have already beaten their two most difficult opponents this season. In my mind, if ECU finishes the season 13-0 and is not granted a National Championship berth, it will be a travesty.

College Football Poll: Part One (The Revision)

sturdyvant — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:06:22 +0000

I resisted the urge to do a preseason poll, as it always seems pointless to predict the merits of 120 college football teams. However, now that games have been played, I shall hold back no longer:

Missouri
Alabama
UCLA
East Carolina
Southern California
Stanford
Fresno State
Utah
Oregon
Bowling Green
California
Colorado
Louisiana Tech
Arkansas State
Wake Forest
Florida
Auburn
Texas
Vanderbilt
Wisconsin
South Carolina
Ole Miss
Buffalo
LSU
Kansas

After some thinking, I decided to COMPLETELY revamp my rankings and to rank solely on accomplishments. I know, that completely contradicts be previous diatribe, but such is life. Anyway, I’ve said enough, analysis and justification will be bountiful in weeks to come as the picture gets more and more clear/diluted.

Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

sturdyvant — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:48:27 +0000

I have oscillated between excitement and anxiety over the past several years as I have waited for the release of the new Counting Crows album. Before we proceed, let me tell you that I am something of a snob when it comes to music. That may seem contradictory – most music snobs would turn up their noses at the mention of Counting Crows. I understand that . Even at his best, Adam Duritz is pretentious and has a knack for lame metaphors. At his worst…good God…he is whiny and boring to the point of being insufferable. Additionally, I make no apologies for that God-awful Shrek song. However, while I wouldn’t consider CC one of my favorite bands, they are a significant band in the context of my life.

When August and Everything Afterdropped back in late 1993, I was 11 years old and found “Mr. Jones” to be a delightfully jaunty tune. Incidentally, this is about the same time that I received a portable CD player, and A&EAwas the first compact disc that I purchased. I was too young to appreciate most of the songs on the album. Most of the songs deal with Duritz’s inability to sustain a romantic relationship (more on that later), but the point is that they were slow and boring. That aside, however, I did quite enjoy the singles on that album, and thus, it received heavy rotation in my CD player, as it was the only CD that I owned (Green Day’s Dookie would soon remedy that).

As the years passed, all that I heard from Counting Crows were the singles, and even then, the only song that I really knew from that era was “Long December”, which MTV seemingly ran on a constant loop for the duration of 1996. As the 1990′s drew to a close, I began to rediscover A&EA. I had a number of friends in high school who enjoyed the album, but the fact that by then I had discovered heartbreak probably was of equal or greater importance. In any case, I began to appreciate the band on a slightly higher level that I had previously – though generally, when I wanted angst, I still went to Pearl Jam first.

Counting Crows really got their hooks into me in 2002. That summer, they released their fourth album, Hard Candy. I was aware of the album’s existence, but I hadn’t heard any singles and was not particularly enthusiastic about it. Then, in late August, I returned to college and immediately met a girl named Kari. Kari was my first substantial relationship of college (I was decidedly off my game the first two years). She was tall (5’11″!!!) with short brown hair, and a great smile. She had a quiet, yet dirty, sense of humor. And she LOVED Counting Crows. At her behest, I listened to HC. I quickly found it to be my favorite CC album, and it became the de facto soundtrack to our romance. There were a few weak tracks, but the good songs made up for them (particularly “If I Could Give All My Love To You” and “Up All Night”). With Kari, things got “heavy” fast. We dated for about two months and then I dumped her for a girl that I had dated in high school (there’s more to it, of course). Kari was understandably hurt, and she didn’t talk to me for months (though even after that, I tried to avoid her, as I couldn’t see her without making myself feel like an asshole).

When I listen to that album today, it brings back a wide range of feelings. It recalls memories of that two month period – which was a blast. CC’s brand of non-threatening MOR conjures images of trips to Fredericksburg (in spite of the Sniper still being at large) and ill-fated camping trips. Naturally, hearing Duritz’s crooning also stirs up the guilt of how I handled the situation. That was the only time that I ever truly betrayed a significant other. I felt awful about it, but sure enough, I eventually got what was coming to me. Hard Candyeerily describes my life from about August 2002-late 2003. I know, that sounds vague and lame, but it would require an essay that is beyond my attention span to describe the parallels. That’s the essence of good art, though.

I stopped by Circuit City on the way to the office to pick up the new album. I have not listened to it yet. My hopes for the album are moderate (though after reading some of the liner notes…this might be a catastrophe). Still, Adam and I go back a ways. And I hope that fat fuck never changes.

The second best sports weekend…

sturdyvant — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:22:17 +0000

Yes, friends, it’s time for the annual celebration of collegiate basketball. As my title suggests, I regard this weekend as the second best sports weekend of the year, second only to the last weekend of April (the NFL Draft). Probably my favorite aspect of this weekend (well, aside from the storylines), is that many people go to great lengths to get out of work on Thursday and Friday. I myself came in before 8 this morning so I can justify leaving at 12.

Unfortunately, this year the opening weekend of March Madness shares a weekend with Easter. This should not be allowed. The powers that be are well aware that many of us will have to do Easter things and, therefore, will miss out on precious basketball action.

Though my time will be dedicated primarily to basketball, I have also started to read August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle (specifically Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). So far, it is fantastic. I will be posting plenty more on the subject, rest assured.

Until then, however, let us bask in the warm, glowing, warming glow of March Madness. I’m thinking a Drake/Butler championship game is quite likely.

Starting on a whimsical note…

sturdyvant — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:17:03 +0000

I simply cannot decide who I like in the Midwest region of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Kansas is supremely talented, yet they seem to fall apart every year. Clemson has the athletes, but I suspect that they exist only to break my heart (mostly in football). What is leading me to ride USC much further than conventional wisdom dictates?

Dissatisfaction is inevitable.