All Things in Moderation

Big Game Day today:

Oklahoma is at TCU (line: OU, spread 8).  Boomer Sooner!  Update:  Sooners win 24 – 17 and have at least a share of the Big Twelve title.  Woo hoo!

Pittsburgh is playing USF (line: Pitt, spread 4.5).  Go, Bulls (Pitt has to win this to become bowl eligible)!  Update:  Pitt wins 27 – 3.

Florida State is at Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship (line: FSU, spread 13).  Yello, if you don’t watch the game we might get a big upset here!  🙂 Update:  FSU wins 21 – 15.

Texas is taking on Kansas State (line: K State, spread 11, which seems awfully large to me).  Hook ’em, Horns!  Update: KSU wins 42 – 24.

Nebraska is playing Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship (line: Nebraska, spread 2.5).  No matter who wins, ATiM is going to the Rose Bowl.  Woo hoo!  Update:  UW crushes Nebraska 70 – 24.  Whoa.

Update on an important but not ATiM-related game:  Alabama wins the SEC championship 32 – 28 when a Georgia player slipped after a pass reception on a first-and-goal in the last five seconds of the game.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 17 Comments »

Abbreviated version this week.  Early games:  Texas lost to TCU, Arizona lost to Arizona State, USF lost to Cincinnati, Utah beat Colorado and Nebraska beat Iowa.  Up today:

Georgia Tech is at Georgia  Update: Georgia 42 – 10 

Michigan is at osu  Update:  osu 26 – 21

Boston College is at North Carolina State Update: NCSU 27 – 10

Michigan State is at Minnesota  Update: MSU 26 – 10

Oklahoma State is at Oklahoma Update:  Oklahoma wins a barn burner 51 – 48 in OT

Wisconsin is at Penn State Update: PSU 24 – 21 in OT

And, of course, Notre Dame is at USC  Update:  Notre Dame does it 22 – 13

May the right teams win!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 5 Comments »

By now most teams are in survival mode–keep enough key players healthy to finish out the season where you are and make it into a bowl game, or get key players experience so that next year is better than this one was.  Just four weeks to go after this. . . although there will be some grudge matches coming up.

Early games this week: UNC beat Virginia on Thursday 37 – 13, while yesterday Florida International beat Florida Atlantic 34 – 24 (what’s up with Florida, Mike, are you guys trying to rival Texas and California for number of schools with football teams?) and Air Force beat Hawaii 21 – 7.  Today’s games:

Northwestern is at MSU as we try to become bowl-eligible (and avoid a losing season) (line: Northwestern, spread 6.5)  I hope they’re wrong, but I’d have to go with the betting line on this one, dang it.

Iowa gets its turn in The Big House this weekend (line: UM, spread 17).  Let’s Go Blue!

Indiana plays Penn State (line: PSU, spread 14).  Comeback time for the Nittany Lions.

Virginia Tech is at Boston College (line: VT, spread 8.5).  That doesn’t seem very realistic to me.

USF is at Miami (line: Miami, spread 7).  Mike?  Could they do it?

Dook is playing Georgia Tech (line: Duke, spread 11.5).  Really?  Duke is turning into a football school, too?  Really??

Wake Forest goes up against Notre Dame (line: WF spread 22).  How?  What????  Wake Forest over ND in South Bend by 22?  Methinks my betting line website has been hacked on this one.

Minnesota is playing Nebraska in a Big Ten battle (line: Nebraska spread 19).  Brian and Paul get to duke it out this weekend!

osu is at Wisconsin (line: osu, spread 2.5).  Go Badgers, Go Badgers, Go Badgers!!!!

Syracuse is playing Mizzo (line: Missouri, spread 6.5).  A question here: how did this game get scheduled?  Shouldn’t both of these teams be in the hunt in their conferences?

Oklahoma is at West Virginia (line: OU, spread 10.5).  Boomer Sooner!

And Arizona is here in Utah (line: Arizona, spread 3).  We’ll freeze them, it’s only 48 degrees here right now.  Go Utes!

Texas gets to rest this week.  So what are you doing with your weekend, Mark?  May the right teams win, and the floor is open for commentary!

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Halfway mark, and this week’s post will be short and sweet because I got tied up last night and the first kickoffs are in just an hour. Thursday there must have been something in the air in Texas, because SMU beat Houston 72 – 42 (that sounds like a basketball score–are we sure it was played in a stadium?). Oregon beat Arizona State 43 – 21 in Pac-12 action, then last night Syracuse beat UConn 40 – 10. Today’s games:

Oklahoma State is hosting Iowa State (line: OSU, spread 13). That other osu is hosting Purdue (line: osu, spread 14.5). Go, Boilermakers!

Minnesota is at Wisconsin (line: UW, spread 17.5). I love ’em both, so bsimon and Brent get to argue over this one.

Stanford is playing Cal (line: Stanford, spread 1.5).

Boston College is visiting Georgia Tech (line: GT, spread 13). Scott and yellojkt can go at it in comments.

Nebraska is at Northwestern (line: Nebraska, spread 7).

BYU is playing Notre Dame in an independents’ battle (line: ND, spread 14).

USF is at Louisville (line: Louisville, spread 9). Go, Bulls!

MSU is in The Big House this week (line: UM, spread 10.5). The only game that can salvage the season. . . Go Green, Go White!

Kansas is at Oklahoma (line: OU, spread 35.5). Boomer Sooner!

Baylor is at Texas for one of the late games tonight (line: UT, spread 13) and Penn State is at Iowa for another (line: Iowa, spread 1.5).

Finally, Washington is at Arizona for the really late games (line: ‘Cats, spread 4.5) and Utah at Oregon State is the other (line: OSU, spread 7.5).

Happy Saturday!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 19 Comments »

I’m not sure that any of us cared much about the early games this week; on Thursday Western KY beat Troy 31 – 26,  Tulsa beat UTEP 33 – 11 (UTEP had a field goal and then a touchdown with a two-point conversion), and Arizona State clobbered Utah’s fellow inductee into the Pac12, Colorado, 51 – 17.  Last night  Navy beat Central Michigan 31 – 13 in Mt Pleasant (sorry, Aunt Nancy!).

On the menu for today:

Iowa is playing at MSU (line: MSU, spread 11.5).  Once more into the breach (to mix battles)–go, Spartans! [Update: MSU loses 19 – 16 in OT]

Northwestern, the surprise of the Big Ten this year, is at Minnesota (line: Northwestern, spread 3.5).  Should be an excellent game, and for bsimon’s sake, go Gophers! [Update: Northwestern wins 21 – 13]

Syracuse is at Rutgers (line: Rutgers, spread 7.5)  in Big East play.  Go, Orange!  (Why just “Orange”, Scott?) [Update:  Syracuse loses 23 – 15]

And, ahem, the intra-ATiM death match of the week: Texas is venturing into the lions’ den in the Cotton Bowl which is actually closer to Norman, Oklahoma at noon EDT (ABC)(line: Oklahoma, spread 3.0).  I’m backing away slowly from this one and letting Mark and okie have at it with the trash talk. . .

In a huge surprise, okie goes with the spread and picks the Sooners 31-28. But she’s going to be terribly annoyed if it turns out the Sooners lose by a Penn State field goal. Sooners have the edge at QB, but the game really depends on which defense is worse. Ay-yi-yi for both defenses. Damien Williams could make a huge difference for the Sooner running game if he isn’t overwhelmed by his first experience in the atmosphere of this game. This is a really great rivalry game! In person, the huge crowd demarked at the 50 yard line with a sea of red in one direction and a sea of orange in the other is amazing. Saving the trash talk for the comments. BOOMER SOONER! okie

For the ‘Horns, watch out for Johnathan Gray, last year’s HS running back of the year, as a potential difference maker. QB David Ash has come so far, so fast, as a sophomore, that I won’t concede Landry Jones is still his better. Okie is right about the suspect defenses, yet both squads are sprinkled with huge raw talent. I think it will be close and middling high scoring, as does Okie. 35-28 UT? Could be. HOOK ‘EM! MiA

[Update: OU crushes smushes UT 63 – 21]

Wisconsin is at Purdue (line: Purdue, spread 1.0).  Boil ’em, Badgers! [Update: UW wins 38 – 14]

Utah is playing UCLA (line: UCLA, spread 6.0).  It would be nice if the Utes could win again. . . [Update: UCLA beats Utah 21  – 14]

Stanford is in South Bend to see if Notre Dame can make it 6 – 0 (line: Notre Dame, spread 7.0) [Update: Notre Dame wins 20 – 13]

Illinois is in The Big House (line: UM, spread 21).  Go Blue! [Update:  UM smushes Illinois 45 – 0]

Boston College is playing FSU (line: FSU, spread 27).  Er, Go Eagles! [Update:  FSU wins 51 – 7]

tOSU (Okie and Mark call Okie Lite OSU and “the Ohio State” tOSU) I don’t care–as the “official” Saturday Football poster at ATiM that school in Columbus, OH, gets no love and no upper case from me:  osu is at Indiana (line: tOSU osu, spread 17.5).  C’mon, IU, you gave my alma mater a scare last week.  Really go for it this week!!  Damn Big 12 folks are too polite to “that school”. . . 🙂  [Update:  IU can’t catch up and osu pulls off another win 52 – 49]

Off this week:  Penn State, USF, Arizona, Georgia Tech, and Nebraska.

Happy Saturday to one and all–may the right teams win!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 33 Comments »

The weather is changing–here in SLC we had our first dip into the 30s last night for the overnight low.  Leaves are starting to turn, the presidential debates have started, and in 31 days we’ll be voting. . . time for the football to get serious!  First up this week, Utah lost to USC here in Salt Lake Thursday night; after a fluky start in which the Utes scored 14 points in the first 2:15 or so, the Trojans went on to dominate 38 – 28.  Last night Syracuse beat Pitt 14 – 13–Scott, was it a good game or just close?  Incidentally, BYU beat USU 6 – 3 in what, from the last five minutes of the game that I saw, had to be two of the most inept offenses on display this week.  Up for us in ATiM-world today:

MSU is at Indiana (line: MSU, spread 16).  Maybe we could win one this week, guys?  Go Green Go White!

Northwestern is playing Penn State (line: Northwestern, spread 3).  Northwestern is 6 – 0 on the season so far, so this should be a good game to watch (noon EDT on ESPN).

Unless you’re watching USF at Temple (line: USF, spread 4.5).  This one you’ll probably have to stream to watch–Go Bulls!

BC is at Army (line: BC, spread 9.5) also at the same time on CBS.  That’s going to be a busy time for remote controls!  Go, Eagles!

Arizona plays at Stanford (line: Stanford, spread 9.5).  Despite the prediction, everybody is talking about Stanford’s problems with their quarterback. . . maybe the ‘Cats can sneak one in.  Go, Wildcats!

Georgia Tech is at Clemson (line: Clemson, spread 10.0).  The Yellow Jackets are 4 – 1 against Clemson since 2008–yello?  Will they go 5-1 today?

Wisconsin is hosting Illinois (line: UW, spread 11.5).  Go, Badgers!

Oklahoma takes on Texas Tech (line: OU, spread 4.0).  Can I hear a Sooner cheer here, okie?!?

Michigan is at Purdue (line: UM, spread 3.0).  M Go Blue!

Texas hosts West Virginia (line: UT, spread 7.0) in what promises to be an outstanding game.  It’ll be on FOX at 7:00 pm EDT.  Hook ’em, ‘Horns!

Nebraska is at osu (line: osu, spread 3.0).  This game will be on ABC at 8:00 EDT, and the Cornhuskers are my favorite team playing this evening.  Go, ‘Huskers!

Happy football Saturday to all!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 4 Comments »

Another crisp fall morning here in SLC–it’s only 54 outside right now (7:40 a.m. MDT) but it’s supposed to get up to 82 for the high today.  Life, elevated!  How’s the football looking?  Well, Stanford lost to UW in Husky Stadium Thursday night 17 – 13, which if you have to lose is at least a pretty place to do it (you should see the views of Lake Washington and the Cascades from the stadium).  BYU slaughtered Hawaii last night 47 – 0 in Provo; I didn’t watch either game as I was having dinner with friends on Thursday and busy with other stuff last night, so if anyone has any great insights into the games feel free to share.

Today’s games:

Mid Tennessee is at Georgia Tech, which must be yet another of those pre-ACC let’s-make-some-money-for-the-little-guy match ups.  (line: GT, spread 28).  Anything to note, yello? [Update: Wow!!  Mid Tennessee takes it 49 – 28!  Next week, yello. . .]

Penn State is playing at Illinois (line: PSU, spread 4).  Should be a good, classic Big Ten game.  Go Nittany Lions! [Update: PSU 35 – 7 as Illinois couldn’t convert a goal line stand as time ran out.]

Minnesota is at Iowa (line: UM, spread 6).  More classic (and by that I mean “three yards and a cloud of dust” plays) Big Ten ball.  Go, Golden Gophers! [Update: Iowa wins 31 – 13]

Clemson is playing Boston College (line: Clemson, spread 7).  Games are tightening up this week as we move into conference play. . . go, Eagles!  [Update: Clemson 45 – 31]

osu is going to lose to MSU, I just know it (line: MSU, spread 3).  You know where I’ll be at 11:30 1:30 MDT (stupid time zones!).  Game is on ABC.  GO SPARTANS!!!!!!  [Update:  damn.  osu 17 – 16]

Florida State is at USF (line: FSU, spread 17.0)  C’mon, Bulls, win this!  [Update:  FSU 30 – 17]

Texas is playing the other OSU (line: UT, spread 3.0)  Mark and okie, y’all be nice to each other, now.  Or at least polite!  (FOX at 7:50 p.m. EDT)  [Update: Texas wins 41 – 36 in the last minute.  OSU’s last possession was one of the wildest and wooliest I’ve seen in a long time–a nail-biter of a game!]

Wisconsin is at Nebraska, that Big Ten upstart (line: Nebraska, spread 11.5)  Another intra-ATiM game; I’ll leave Brent and Fairlington Blade to duke it out.  [Update: Nebraska wins 30 – 27 when UW fumbles on a 4th and 1 with 1:11 remaining.  Another nail-biter (the football’s getting much better now that we’re into the “real” games!!]

And, finally, Oregon State plays Arizona (line: Arizona, spread 3.0)  You’ve got another chance to prove McWing wrong here, ‘Cats!  Beat those Beavers!  [Update:  OSU wins 38 – 35–I lost track of how many times the lead changed hands in the 4th quarter.  Excellent game!]

Off this week are USC (vs Utah next week), Syracuse (Pitt), Michigan (Purdue) and Oklahoma (Texas Tech).

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 18 Comments »

It’s the last weekend before conference play begins, and I, for one, think that this pre-conference play lasts at least one–if not two–weeks too long.  But then, I’m a fuddy duddy when in comes to collegiate football, and I’d bag the BCS and the playoff system for a return to the traditional five Real Bowl Games (all but one of which began before my parents were born, let alone me, which truly qualifies me for fuddy duddy-hood) played on New Year’s Day.  Hey–you kids!  Outta my stadium!!

Pop quiz:  who can name the original five bowl games without resorting to The Google?

Anyway, to get back on track, Boise State barely squeaked by BYU on Thursday 7 – 6, and I’m not sure if that means that BSU has fallen off of its BCS-busting pedestal or if going independent has made BYU that much better.  I suspect the former.  Once again, LA-Monroe just barely lost to a major conference team when Baylor beat them 47 – 42 last night; if they stick to this form I can’t think of a team in their conference that can slow them down.  What’s what in ATiM world:

UAB is at osu (line: osu, spread 36.0)  This is one of those crazy pre-conference games that just doesn’t really have a good reason for happening.  Maybe a sinkhole will open up midfield and prevent osu from winning, but I’m not holding my breath.  [Update: osu wins 29 – 15]

UTEP is playing Wisconsin (line: UW, spread 16.0)  Go, Badgers!  [Update: UW wins 37 – 26]

Miami (FL) is at Georgia Tech (line: GT, spread 12.5)  Go, Yellow Jackets!  [Update: Miami upsets GT 42 – 36 in OT]

Hapless Eastern Michigan is at MSU (line: MSU, spread 31.5)  I’m still feeling just a tad bitter about last week, but Go State!  [Update: MSU wins 23 – 7]

Idaho State is playing Nebraska (line: Nebraska, spread 0.0)  Another one of those conundrums.  Go Huskers, nonetheless! [Update: I’ve highlighted both teams–see Fairlington Blades’ comment below][Update 2: Nebraska smushes ISU with mega #RomneyStrength, 73 – 7]

Temple vs Penn State (line: PSU, spread 9.0)  Go, Nittany Lions!  [Update: PSU wins 24 – 14]

USF is playing Ball State (line: USF, spread 13.0)  Da Bulls!  [Update: Ball State wins in a upset, 31 – 27]

Cal is at USC (line: USC, spread 16.0)  Why they’re bothering to rank USC when they can’t play in the post-season continues to be beyond me. . . [Update:  see Mike’s comment below][Update 2: USC wins 27 – 9]

The Big Game this week is Michigan vs Notre Dame (line: Notre Dame, spread 6.0)  C’mon, Wolverines, give me some pay-back here!  [Update: Notre Dame in a blowout 13 – 6.  The score doesn’t really reflect how ND absolutely dominated UM]

Kansas State takes on Oklahoma (line: OU, spread 16.0)  What’s that Sooner cheer again, okie??  🙂 [Update: KSU also wins in an upset 24 – 19]

Syracuse is at UMinn in intra-ATiM play (line: Syracuse, spread 1.0)  I’ll let Scott and bsimon duke it out over this one, but it sounds like it should be a good game. [Update: Minnesota 17 – 10]

Utah vs Arizona State (line: ASU, spread 4.0)  I think this one’s a toss-up.  Go, Utes! [Update: ASU in a walk, 37 – 7]

Arizona is playing Oregon(line: Oregon, spread 21.5)  OK, ‘Cats, prove them wrong!  [Update: Oregon 49 – 0. Ouch!]

Off this week are BC, Stanford, and Texas.  This week feels more like the pause before the storm than real football, but here’s hoping all the “right” teams win!  I’ll be out of the loop at a Race for the Cure luncheon for a chunk of the day, so anyone who wants to should feel free to edit this to update scores and provide commentary.

Note to lms:  at least your Angels have a 9% chance of making the playoffs–the Mariners have a 0.0% chance!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 15 Comments »

Well, Mike’s USF Bulls fell to Rutgers on Thursday night 23 – 13, although in their defense they’d had a short week after a spectacular win over Nevada last Saturday.  Last night’s Washington State/UNLV game was predictable, 35 – 27.  Oklahoma has a bye this week, so you can spend all the time in your yard that you like, okie!  It should be another great weekend for both football and outdoor fun, so what’s going on in the stadia:

Western Michigan is playing Minnesota (line: UMinn, spread 1.0)  Really?  I find it difficult to believe that the Broncos are likely to keep it that close, especially after losing to Illinois in Week One 24 – 7.  But maybe they’ll surprise me.  [Update: Minnesota wins 28 – 23]  So the Broncos did better than I thought they would!

Arkansas State is at Nebraska (line: Nebraska, spread 23)  Don’t know much about either team, other than Fairlington Blade is a life-long Nebraska fan, poor soul.  Go, Huskers!  [Update: Nebraska wins 42 – 13]

Cal at ohio state university (line: osu, spread 17.0)  Please, please, please, Golden Bears!!  Come through for me this weekend!!  [Update: osu wins 35 – 28, dang it.  They clearly used #RomneyStrength]

Virginia is at Georgia Tech (line: GT, spread 10.5)  This game has been a toss-up the last three meetings, so anything goes. . . but for yello’s sake, I hope GT wins.  [Update: GT uses real #RomneyStrength to win 56 – 20.  What a game, yello!!]

Boston College is playing at Northwestern (line: Northwestern, spread 4.5)  Hey–didn’t Jack Ryan go to BC?  Go Eagles!  [Update:  Northwestern 22 – 13]

UMass is in The Big House (line: UMich, spread 45.5)  Some games just shouldn’t be played.  Or scheduled in the first place.  [Update: UMich 63 – 13  Beat the spread and everything]

Navy at Penn State (line: PSU, spread 8.5)  Here’s hoping O’Brien gets his first win.  Heaven knows the players could use it, and please let the kicker make a FG this week. . . [Update: PSU takes this one 36 – 7]

Stony Brook vs Syracuse (no details available at posting time)  This strikes me as one of those football games in which many of us haven’t  heard of half of the teams.  Got any insight for us, Scott?  [Update: Syracuse, 28 – 17]

USC is playing Stanford (boy, Lulu, you picked a bad week to tell me these were your two teams!  line: USC, spread 8.0)  Go Trojan Cardinal!  (And that sounds like a colorful condom or something!)  [Update: Stanford wins in an upset, 21 – 14]

Utah State is at Wisconsin (line: UW, spread 14.0)  I think they’re being overly kind to USU after their win over Utah last week.  They’ve had their big win for the season, the Badgers will probably romp.  [Update:  UW holds USU scoreless in the second half and wins 16 – 14.  USU far exceeded my expectations, and it looks like UW lived “up” to Mark’s.]

Texas will crush Ole Miss (line: UT, spread 10.0)  Mark (no pun intended) my words, UT is going to blow the spread away.  [Update: UT blows the spread away 66 – 31.  *coughmarkcough*]

BYU at Utah (line: BYU, spread 3.5)  Go, Utes!  ‘Nough said.  [Update: Utah wins 24 – 21]

S. Carolina State is at Arizona (no details available at posting time)  C’mon ‘Cats, prove McWing wrong (again)!!  [Update:  Arizona also utilizes #RomneyStrength and smushes SCS 56 – 0.  Three wins in a row, McWing!]

And the mac daddy game this week (as far as I’m concerned, anyway):

Notre Dame at MSU (line: MSU, spread 6.0)  MSU is going for its 16th home victory in a row.  Go State!  8:00 pm edt on ABC.  [Update: Meh.  The Irish win 20 – 3.  MSU played like a third-rate high school team; the O-line was non-existent, the QB was throwing uncatchable passes, when he did throw catchable ones the receivers dropped them. . . horrible, horrible game.  Sigh.]

P.S.  Kevin!  Great to see you–and even better to see you posting!  Who’s your team(s) that I should add to the mix?

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 20 Comments »