Football Future-see 2011: Week Five

RECORD

Week One..........5-2

Week Two..........3-2

Week Three........5-0

Week Four..........4-1

Week Five..........4-1

Overall...............21-6

13 Clemson at 11 Virginia Tech INCORRECT

Clemson has been the big winner the last two weeks, but c'mon, they are Clemson. Sooner or later they will falter, and this week they go to Blacksburg. VaTech is good. Probably too good.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia Tech 24, Clemson 17

3 Alabama at 12 Florida CORRECT

This will be big. Really big. The student, Will Muschamp, faces the master, Nick Saban. Muschamp was asked if he was Padawan to Saban's Jedi Master. Muschamp had no idea what the reporter was talking about. This Saturday, he'll prove it on the football field...he'll prove that Saban is the master, that is.

FINAL SCORE: Alabama 26, Florida 21

Mississippi State at Georgia CORRECT

Georgia is being told that this is another must-win game. The Dawgs are looking for revenge for last year's upset at Starkville. As long as Isaiah Crowell is handed the rock they should be fine.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 27, Miss State 17

14 Texas A&M vs. 18 Arkansas (at Dallas) CORRECT

A good top-20 match-up at a neutral site. Arkansas should win, but I'm saying that as an SEC fan. I know Texas A&M is coming over to the SEC next year, but until then, they are the enemy.

FINAL SCORE: Arkansas 34, Texas A&M 28

8 Nebraska at 7 Wisconsin CORRECT

The top-10 match-up of the weekend comes from Camp Randall Stadium. This could very well be the first of two games between these two teams. If the Big Ten plays as expected, these teams will play again in December. For now, though, pull Wisconsin.

FINAL SCORE: Wisconsin 28, Nebraska 24

Football Future-see 2011: Week Four

For some reason this was posted and then disappeared.

RECORD

Week One..........5-2

Week Two..........3-2

Week Three........5-0

Week Four..........4-1

Overall..............17-5

14 Arkansas at 3 Alabama CORRECT

The marquee SEC match-up comes to us from Tuscaloosa. The third-ranked Crimson Tide has been jockeying with LSU for position all season, with both always looking up at Oklahoma, which is one reason I dislike pre-season polls. For my money, if the poll came out today, LSU you be #1 with ‘Bama and OU fighting for #2. But now we are entering the meat of conference play. Alabama was the preseason chic pick in the West, and I’m not sure Arkansas is strong enough to derail that train.

FINAL SCORE: Alabama 28, Arkansas 20

7 Oklahoma State at 8 Texas A&M INCORRECT

Every time these current conference rivals meet it seems to produce a close, high-scoring game. Now, both teams are ranked in the top ten, both have good offenses, and both are potentially bolting the Big XII for greener…well, more stable, pastures.

FINAL SCORE: Texas A&M 38, Oklahoma State 35

Georgia at Ole Miss CORRECT

Both teams are 1-2 and both teams lost their first conference game. The similarities end there. UGA is averaging just under 41 points per game, while Ole Miss is averaging just under 21 points per game. Georgia’s conference loss came to #12 (at the time) South Carolina. Ole Miss lost by 23 points to Vanderbilt. Georgia looks to be getting back on track better than the Rebs, as UGA RB Isaiah Crowell and QB Aaron Murray have moments where they look absolutely dangerous. As the Bulldogs defense strengthens, look for swagger to return to Athens.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 34, Ole Miss 13

11 Florida State at 21 Clemson CORRECT

Some people gave me funny looks when I said last week that Clemson would take down Auburn. Now, Clemson gets the ‘Noles coming off a tough loss to #1 Oklahoma. It’s hard to say a good team like FSU would suffer back-to-back losses. Then again, I also don’t think that when #5 loses a close game to #1 they should fall completely out of the top ten. But that’s just me. Upset watch.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 24, Florida State 21

2 LSU at 16 West Virginia CORRECT

ESPN’s College Gameday comes to you from West Virginia, where the Mountaineers host LSU, who may have the best defense in the country. West Virginia was recently denied entry into the SEC, which could make them mad, or could drive them to make a statement in this game. I’m told that West Virginia is a tough place to play, but LSU also plays in one of the toughest places to play…come to think of it,is there an SEC school that does NOT claim their stadium is the toughest to play in? Should be a good, hard-fought game.

FINAL SCORE: LSU 27, West Virginia 20

The Fall of the House of the Big XII

It feels like it was a hundred years ago, but it was just last year that Nebraska left the Big XII for a spot in the Big Ten, and Colorado left the Bi XII for a place in the newly re-named PAC-12 (see, Big Ten, you can change your name to accurately reflect the number of teams in your conference). Now, Texas A&M wants to join the SEC, and the SEC has said "sure, come on over." Baylor, Iowa State, and a couple of others are not happy. Let's face it, the Big XII is on the verge of collapse.

When the Big XII finally does breathe its last, there is a high probability that Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State lose out on seats at the big boys table. Why? Because we are rushing headlong toward four 16-team Super-Conferences: the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and what-will-be-called the PAC-16.

Let's start with the PAC-16. The current PAC-12, with new members Utah and Colorado, are thinking that they will reap the windfall of a collapsing Big XII. The Prevailing thought is that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State will head west. Logistically speaking, simply moving Utah and Colorado into the north makes great room for the four new teams, but having UT, OU, OK State, and USC in the same division might be a little over-powered.

PAC-16 North:

Stanford, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Colorado, Utah

PAC-16 South:

UCLA, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Of course, the inappropriately named Big Ten will respond. The Big Ten is a football conference, but they have some pretty good basketball teams as well, so they might make a play for Kansas, and bring along K-State, too. Then look east. Notre Dame is a prime candidate, because let's face it, independents will struggle in our new college world.

Big Ten Legends:

Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Cincinnati

Big Ten Leaders:

Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Kansas State

As you can see, the Big East is being plundered as well. Sure, the Big East is talking to the remainder of the Big XII about a merger, but Syracuse, Pitt, and potentially UConn and Rutgers are ACC-bound, giving us a superconference with the following potential alignment. I think the ACC will lose a couple of teams (NC State and Virginia Tech) in this arms race, but they'll also add South Florida and Lousiville. The ACC will be the premier basketball conference when all is said and done.

ACC Atlantic Division:

Wake Forest, Clemson, Maryland, Florida State, Boston College, Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers

ACC Coastal:

Miami, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, UConn, Syracuse, South Florida

So potentially, there won't be much of a Big East left to merge with Baylor and Iowa State.

But let's not forget the 800-pound gorilla that is the Southeastern Conference. The SEC is already adding Texas A&M, and will possibly add Missouri to make an 8-team West division. Then the focus shifts East. There are two rather big states in which the SEC has no presence, but that will come to and end. The SEC will drive into North Carolina and Virginia and walk away with a pretty good prize, especially if/when they capture Blacksburg. Beamer-ball comes to the SEC. (I hope.)

SEC WEST:

Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M, Missouri

SEC EAST:

Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, NC State

Obviously, there are several things that have to happen for this to play out, but I think it's inevitable that the Super Conference takes power.

NOTE: All the comments above are the rambling musings of a mad man with a laptop. Please do not take it seriously...

Football Future-see 2011: Week Three

RECORD

Week One..........5-2

Week Two..........3-2

Week Three........5-0

Overall..............13-4

3 LSU at 25 Mississippi State CORRECT

Mississippi State lost a heartbreaker to Auburn last week while LSU trounced a “cupcake” opponent. Dan Mullen’s team is looking for a rebound, but LSU’s defense is one of the best in the nation.

FINAL SCORE: LSU 30, Miss. St 24

21 Auburn at Clemson CORRECT

If this game were at Auburn I would change the score, but Death Valley is one of the toughest places to play. When you see Clemson run down that hill, you just know that you’re in for a fight. Auburn hasn’t exactly ran away with either of their games so far.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 24, Auburn 21

Coastal Carolina at Georgia CORRECT

For the sake of morale at UGA, the Dawgs really need to put about 70 points on Coastal Carolina. But Mark Richt is a conservative coach. Usually, onceGeorgia get a 30 point lead, he pulls the starters and the second string and lets the third stringers play for a while. Of course, he then tells these third stringers to make only runs up the middle. Georgia wins, but it should be bigger.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 42, Coastal Carolina 14

1 Oklahoma at 5 Florida State CORRECT

Premier game of the week. The Sooners are subject of much discussion, as they could be the missile that implodes the Big XII. For now, though, they are Big XII all the way. Florida State is good, but I think that Oklahoma leaves Tallahassee with the W.

FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 35, FSU 28

Tennessee at 16 Florida CORRECT

Another game in Florida. The Vols are looking for big things this year, and the Gators are rebuilding with a new head coach. That said, Florida plays well in the Swamp. Tennessee puts up a fight for three quarters, but a late touchdown seals the deal for Florida.

FINAL SCORE: Florida 27, Tennessee 17

Football Future-see 2011: Week Two

Record

Week One: 5-2

Week Two: 3-2

OVERALL: 8-4

Below is our slate of Week Two games.

Oregon State at 8 Wisconsin CORRECT
The Badgers opened the season with a 51-17 throttling of a bad UNLV team. Now the get the Beavers of Oregon State at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin has a pretty good QB, if you've never seen him play. Oregon State is coming off an overtime loss to Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference. Doesn't look good.
FINAL SCORE: Wisconsin 45, Oregon State 13

16 Mississippi State at Auburn INCORRECT
Auburn narrowly snuck out a victory over Utah State while Mississippi State ran roughshod over Memphis. This will be the kickoff of SEC conference play, and I'm thinking that Auburn might actually lose this one. These Bulldogs are pretty tough.
FINAL SCORE: Miss. State 28, Auburn 17

12 South Carolina at Georgia INCORRECT
The Dawgs are coming off a loss that some say was embarrassing and others say was expected, considering they were playing a top 5 team in Boise State. South Carolina had a hard time for one half against East Carolina (which is not a real state). This game is between the hedges, and UGA/USC is always a hard fought game. For several years it was a given that the winner of this game would play in a New Years Day bowl. But with the East as down as it is, the winner of the game has an inside track to the SEC Title Game.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 24, South Carolina 21

3 Alabama at 23 Penn State CORRECT
The Nittany Lions will get to spend a single week in the top 25 before leaving again. Alabama has an unsolidified QB situation, but their defense is one of the best in the nation. I don't really see Penn State putting up a lot of points.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 31, Penn State 17

Notre Dame at Michigan CORRECT
Throwback uniforms. The first night game at the big house. Two programs steeped in tradition. Notre Dame is coming off a loss, that we predicted, while Michigan stomped little sister Western Michigan last week. Notre Dame, by all rights, should be the better team, but this feels like a stepping stone for Brady Hoke's Wolverines, while it feels like another must-win for the Fighting Irish. Must wins are usually tough on college kids.
FINAL SCORE: Michigan 27, Notre Dame 23

Ten Years Have Gone By...

I have written on this topic many times, and yet, with the 10th Anniversary of the September 11 Terror Attacks coming up, I feel compelled to touch the topic once more. Since the last time I wrote about my experience with the aftermath of the attacks, well, a lot has changed. I have used images of the attacks in this post, and if you are anything like me, these images make your blood simultaneously boil and freeze.

But let's start from the beginning. Let's go all the way back to that Tuesday morning in 2001. I was a relatively fresh-faced 19-year-old starting my third semester at Gainesville College in Oakwood, Georgia. I had early morning classes and about a fifteen mile drive to the college everyday. That particular Tuesday I pulled into the parking lot and left the truck running, listening to the opening bits of the Neal Boortz radio show. If memory serves, the show has just entered its first commercial break of the morning. As they returned from commercial, a breaking news alert came across, at first stating that a small airplane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers.

It wasn't everyday that you heard about something like that, so I quickly got out of my truck and made my way to the library to find a computer. The first news site I brought up, CNN,

revealed that it was not a small plane that had struck the tower. A little after 8:50am I made my way to my Professor's office and told him what was happening. We returned to the library and found that the librarian was going to the Audio/Visual room. As she turned on the TV the second plane struck. We watched in horror as more people gathered around. There were muttered prayers, muttered curses. For a while it seemed no one in the room knew how to react. It seemed we couldn't even really fathom what was happening. I just leaned against the wall near the door.

As the news anchors tried to explain what was happening the picture on the screen shifted to the Pentagon, where a fire had broken out. Then we all realized that another plane had struck there. For me, this was the moment of panic. If our enemy could strike at the heart of our armed forces, what couldn't they do? I'm not going to make up some story about suddenly going weak-kneed or anything. I may have trembled a little bit, but mostly I just stood there in shock. All my life I had thought of America as the good guys. We were the ones who always tried to help people out. Yeah, things didn't always go according to plan, but if we screwed up, in my experience, we had always tried to set things right. So why would anyone want to do something like this?

I had known Matt Lewis for about a year at this point. He was older than me by a few years, but I counted him as one of my closer friends since starting college. He stood beside me through the entirety of our time in the library. Very early on he said "Well, bin Laden has screwed himself this time." I remember looking at him and asking 'Who?" He explained Usama bin Laden, and I, as a seemingly uneducated American, listened with interest.

I didn't, well, couldn't, stay in the library for much longer. I stepped out, going to my other professor for they day and telling her that I was going home. She asked why. I tried my best to explain what was going on, and she simply nodded. I left her office and went to my truck. The drive home was filled with WSB radio overtaking the Neal Boortz show to fill everyone in on what was going on in New York and Washington.

I reached my house and immediately walked next door to my grandparents. They were watching the news and they asked me what was going on. I again tried to explain it, knowing that my words were woefully inadequate to explain the situation.

I hadn't been there long when the South Tower buckled and began to collapse. My grandmother simply gasped. I remember watching as this once majestic building was reduced to a towering column of dust and office papers.

There truly were no words for what we were seeing. The second plane had struck much lower and at a steeper angle, taking out more of the supports of the tower, causing it to give out quicker than the North Tower, which had been hit first. The North Tower was still standing, and it became the source of uncertainty with each passing moment. Would it also come down?

I knew from the research hastily being compiled by the various news agencies that the towers had been built in the early 1970s, and that they were designed to survive the impact of a Boeing 707, one of the most widely used airliners at the time. But the hijackers on this morning had used Boeing 767, considerably larger than the 707. Also, these planes had full loads of fuel for cross-country flights. It was a recipe for disaster.

During these moments of anticipation word came in that something had happened in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It didn't take long to learn that it was yet another commercial airliner. I cringed a bit, knowing the my house was under a flightpath from either New York or Boston to Atlanta. I didn't have too much time to think about it, though. Mere minutes after the reports from Pennsylvania, the upper floors of the North Tower buckled out. Almost in slow motion, the girders and outer shell of the tower gave way. The building just seemed to pancake down, each floor dropping onto the one below it, forcing out air farther and farther down the building. In just seconds, that felt like hours, the second tower was gone. Both towers were gone. They had been there my whole life, an iconic image of New York, a summing up of the American mindset. And they were gone. Gone.

It took some time for the dust and smoke to clear, and once it did we were left with a shattered image of Manhattan. Where these twin towers once stood was an eight-story pile of twisted steel, concrete, and death. Fires still burned deep

within the rubble, and they would burn for days. At the Pentagon, parts of the building had collapsed. Later that day, World Trade Center 7 collapsed after finally giving in to the fire and the damage to the south side of the building.

And at age nineteen, I was suddenly no longer as innocent as I once had been. In fact, our country was no longer as innocent as it had been. We were universally awakened to the world around us. No longer could the US be the insulated little world that it had been. And for a short time we put aside our differences. We laid down our political affiliations and united. Congress stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang God Bless America.

And days later President George W. Bush visited the site of the attack and proclaimed that we would not be shaken and we would not let those that perpetrated such an attack walk free. Over the next few days the news anchors would discuss the various theories about who was responsible and why. Video was shown of various Middle Easterners dancing in the streets. Not long after the attacks and the placing of blame on Al-Qaida, the conspiracy theories began to fly. These theories ranged from the "false-flag" that our own government had placed controlled demolitions in the towers and that the planes were just a means to an end to the ludicrous: The planes were just holographic overlays atop missiles fired personally by George Bush. Every time I hear these theories I cringe. If you want to believe these things then by all means go ahead. But the vast majority of us can see through the faults of the conspiracy. For example, someone please tell me how our government could secretly place enough demolitions in the towers without anyone noticing?

It would, of course, be some time before the head of the organization was brought to justice. The mastermind was captured rather quickly, but it wasn't until May 2011 that bin Laden was taken down by Navy Seal Team Six. The Al-Qaida terrorist group was put to run in Afghanistan. The Bush Administration also led us into war in Iraq, justifying it as a stronghold of Al-Qaida. The rationale of this war is still debated today. Of course, we have changed administrations, and under President Obama the blow was struck the eliminated bin Laden.

Ten years have gone by...and I sometimes wonder if we have really learned anything from the attacks of September 11th. Sure, we say that we know why the attack was launched. Sure we say that we know all the parties involved and that we have worked hard to bring them all to justice. But have we really taken these lessons to heart?

Football Future-see: Kickoff 2011!

It is that time again. Tonight kicks off the 2011 edition of college football. I recently made my picks, and I plan to update them upon the release of the first BCS Poll. I'm not saying I don't have confidence in my choices, but I am saying that options exist.

So on to Week One's slate of action. As you know, I usually pick five games a week, but opening week is special. So here are the seven games on the Right Wing's plate.

Appalachian State at 13 Virginia Tech CORRECT

Appalachian State set a precedent a few years back by knocking off Michigan in the Big House. However, VaTech is no Michigan..or I should probably say that Michigan is no VaTech. I figure the Hokies defense will do more than enough to stop App State.

Final Score: Virginia Tech 31, App State 14

South Florida at 16 Notre Dame CORRECT

Upset Special #1 comes to you from South Bend. Notre Dame is looking for a breakout season and a shot at a BCS bowl. South Florida figures to be a big time player in the Big East race. USF will carry a chip on their shoulder into South Bend, and I think they'll walk out with the win.

Final Score: South Florida 24, Notre Dame 23

BYU at Ole Miss INCORRECT

BYU is no longer affiliated with any conference, and as such the Cougars are not bound to conference scheduling. They set up a game with Ole Miss, and I think they'll regret it. Ole Miss returns a lot of starters and while they won't likely factor into the SEC West race, they'll sure mess up BYU's season.

Final Score: Ole Miss 27, BYU 24

3 Oregon vs 4 LSU CORRECT

The Will Lyles Bowl from Jerry's World (thanks ESPN radio) figures to have National Championship implications some 13 games ahead of the BCS Title Game. LSU has changed QBs and Oregon has changed uniforms again. Should be a close, hard fought game with the Bayou Bengals coming out on top.

Final Score: LSU 28, Oregon 24

5 Boise State vs 19 Georgia INCORRECT

The other Top 20 match-up of the weekend is also the second real Upset Special. Boise State basically has a one-game season. If they lose this game, which I think they will, they likely lose all chance at a BCS Title Game berth. UGA has a good QB, as does Boise. UGA has better size on the lines, which is where a lot of games are won and lost.

Final Score: UGA 31, Boise State 27

Southern Methodist at 8 Texas A&M CORRECT

A&M made it official: they are leaving the Big XII, which has ten teams, so should we call them the Texas Ten? Maybe the Longhorns and the Midwest midgets? Hmm. Anyway, SMU comes to A&M on Sunday. The Aggies will roll.

Final Score: Texas A&M 37, SMU 17

Miami(FL) at Maryland

Miami has fielded a scrub team after their whole team was suspended for at least one game. Okay, that's an exaggeration. But Miami will be without Jacory Harris, and that's enough for me to say that Maryland will beat the Hurricanes.

Final Score: Maryland 24, Miami 20

RECORD: 4-2