All Things in Moderation

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 »

Here we are again, time for weekend chores, BBQ, and college football.  First up, Utah was stunned by Utah State 27-20 (OT) last night in Romney Stadium (!) in Logan.  Inauspicious start to the season for the Utes.  What do we have going on today of interest to ATiM-ers. . .

New Hampshire is at Minnesota (New Hampshire has a football team??)  Can’t find a line on this game, but I’m guessing that the Golden Gophers are favored to win (of course, I would have guessed that about Utah, too).  [Update:  And Minnesota wins in a blowout, 44 – 7]

UCF is at ohio state university (line: osu, spread 19)  Go, Knights!  [Update: osu wins it 31 – 16.  There’s always next week. . .]

Penn State is at Virginia (line: Virginia, spread 6.5)  [Update: Virginia wins it in the last minute 17 – 16]

Maine is at Boston College (No line is available–anyone know why this would be?)  [Update:  BC also wins in a blowout, 34 – 3]

Purdue is at Notre Dame (line: Notre Dame, spread 14)  [Update:  Notre Dame wins it with a field goal with 7 seconds left on the clock: 20 – 17]  The luck of the Irish!

Air Force is in The Big House (line: UM, spread 21.5)  Having watched AF play Utah for years, I think this will be a tighter game than that–AF is much faster than most teams that don’t play them regularly bargain for.  Of course, UM is also probably pretty jacked up after their loss to Alabama last week.  [Update:  Michigan wins 31 – 25.  Again, knew it would be a closer game than predicted.]

USC is at Syracuse (line: USC, spread 27)  They’re playing in East Rutherford, NJ.  Hmmmm. [Update: USC 42, Syracuse 29]

MSU is at Central Michigan (line: MSU, spread 20)  Go State!!  [Update:  MSU wins 41 – 7.  Sorry, Aunt Nan!]

USF is at Nevada (line: Nevada, spread 1.5)  Sounds like this may be the game to watch–CBS at 3:30 EDT. [Update: WOW!  USF wins it 32 – 31 in a nail-biter]

Wisconsin is at Oregon State (line: UW, spread 7.0)  Badgers vs Beavers  [Update:  OSU wins 10 – 7]

Presbyterian is at Georgia Tech (No line available)  Is there some sort of history here, yello, or is this a one-off? [Update:  GT smushes its pre-ACC patsy 59 – 3]

Florida A&M is at Oklahoma (line: Oklahoma, spread 0.0)  Huh? [Update: OK beats the spread 69 – 13]

New Mexico is going to be smushed at UT (line: Texas, spread 39.0) [Update:  Yep, UT smushed NM 45 – 0]

OK State is at Arizona (line: OSU, spread 11.5)  What do you think, McWing?  Could the ‘Cats surprise us?  [Update: McWing!  They KILLED!!!!  Arizona 59, OSU 38–good game Wildcats!!]

Did I forget anybody?  Happy Saturday, all!

Filed under: Fall, Football, Open Thread | 61 Comments »