One last whine

Under the utterly unnoticed Your RHS playoff plan, this would have been the upcoming week in college football...

Troy (Sun Belt Champion, #16) at Texas (At large, #1)
Penn State (Big 10 Champion, #9) at USC (Pac 10 Champion, #8)
Virginia Tech (ACC Champion, #13) at Utah (Mountain West Champion, #4)
Ball State (At large, #12) at Boise State (WAC Champion, #5)
East Carolina (Conference USA Champion, #14) at Florida (SEC Champion, #3)
Cincinnati (Big East Champion, #11) at Alabama (At large, #6)
Buffalo (MAC Champion, #15) at Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion, #2)
Ohio State (At large, #10) at Texas Tech (At large, #7)

Could Iowa and South Carolina still play in the Outback Bowl under this system? Hell yes. It wouldn't be any less meaningful a game than it is right now.

Oh well. Someday it will happen. The laughable notion that there's no playoff because the schools are worried about the academic progress of their students will eventually go away when the money is right.

Of course, that won't be until 2015 at the earliest thanks to the sweet new BCS/ESPN deal.

The only end, my friend

Is the regular college football season actually over?

Judging from the tears on my cheeks and the empty feeling in my soul, it must be over.

Oh, sure, the bowls are coming, but... but...

WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!? Why must it go away every year?

Your final regular season Your RHS College Football Top 25 (formula tweaked slightly to emphasize strength of schedule) (VERY slightly, actually)

1. Texas (11-1, 3)
2. Oklahoma (12-1, 5)
3. Florida (12-1, 6)
4. Utah (12-0, 2)
5. Boise State (12-0, 4)
6. Alabama (12-1, 1)
7. Texas Tech (11-1, 8)
8. USC (11-1, 9)
9. Penn State (11-1, 10)
10. Ohio State (10-2, 11)
11. Cincinnati (11-2, 12)
12. Ball State (12-1, 7)
13. TCU (10-2, 13)
14. Pitt (9-3, 17)
15. Georgia (9-3, 14)
16. Michigan State (9-3, 16)
17. BYU (10-2, 15)
18. Oklahoma State (9-3, 19)
19. Georgia Tech (9-3, 21)
20. Oregon (9-3, 22)
21. Virginia Tech (9-4, NR)
22. Missouri (9-4, 20)
23. Boston College (9-4, 18)
24. Nebraska (8-4, NR)
25. Oregon State (8-4, NR)

Dropped out - Western Michigan (9-3, 24), Northwestern (9-3, 25), Tulsa (10-3, 23)

Other teams of note...
36. Iowa (8-4, 35)
81. UTEP (5-7, 82)
114. Iowa State (2-10, 114)
115. Idaho (2-10, 116)
120. North Texas (1-11, 119)

That's right. Washington's won in the end based entirely on the quality of teams they lost to, and the bumped up to #119 in the final poll. Drama!

Nebraska fans are bummed because they get Clemson in the Gator Bowl. They think Clemson is beneath them. I've had a good laugh at their expense listening to them cry on local sports radio.

"Yeah, it's a New Year's Day bowl, but Clemson?!? Come on! Why isn't it Florida State?!?"

Honest to God. It isn't 1995 anymore.

Sigh

Stevie Hicks died recently.

It's one thing when some local sports star I remember from my youth passes, but Stevie was a tad bit more recent than that.

Reports make it seem as if he either jumped from an overpass, fell off an overpass, or was thrown from an overpass. None of the three are particularly better than the others.

The poll this week is a little late as I've been "working" at my "job" to pay for my "living space". I'm looking forward to the week before Christmas when I make my latest triumphant return to the Hawkeye State. A wise man once told me that if he were given a form to fill out that asked for his ethnicity, he'd write "Iowan." Allow me to give a hearty, "Me too."

And so we come to yet another weekly RHS FBS College Football Top 25...

1. Alabama (12-0, 1)
2. Utah (12-0, 2)
3. Texas (11-1, 3)
4. Boise State (12-0, 4)
5. Oklahoma (11-1, 5)
6. Florida (11-1, 6)
7. Ball State (12-0, 7)
8. Texas Tech (11-1, 9)
9. USC (10-1, 10)
10. Penn State (11-1, 8)
11. Ohio State (10-2, 12)
12. Cincinnati (10-2, 16)
13. TCU (10-2, 14)
14. Georgia (9-3, 11)
15. BYU (10-2, 17)
16. Michigan State (9-3, 19)
17. Pitt (8-3, 22)
18. Boston College (9-3, 23)
19. Oklahoma State (9-3, 13)
20. Missouri (9-3, 15)
21. Georgia Tech (9-3, 24)
22. Oregon (9-3, NR)
23. Tulsa (10-2, NR)
24. Western Michigan (9-3, 18)
25. Northwestern (9-3, NR)

Dropped out - Oregon State (8-4, 20), Florida State (8-4, 21), Central Michigan (8-4, 25)

Other teams of note...
28. Nebraska (8-4, 31)
35. Iowa (8-4, 33)
82. UTEP (5-7, 72)
114. Iowa State (2-10, 114)
116. Idaho (2-10, 116)
120. Washington (0-11, 120)

Am I the only one who thinks this season was made for a playoff?

Kapow

What a week. Except for the flu/food poisoning my wife and I are suffering through...no, wait. That makes it all bad. I don't particularly care for calling in sick; however, in this case, it does give me time to post the latest RHS College Football Poll...

1. Alabama (11-0, 3)
2. Utah (12-0, 4)
3. Texas (10-1, 2)
4. Boise State (11-0, 5)
5. Oklahoma (10-1, 7)
6. Florida (10-1, 6)
7. Ball State (11-0, 8)
8. Penn State (11-1, 10)
9. Texas Tech (10-1, 1)
10. USC (9-1, 9)
11. Georgia (9-2, 11)
12. Ohio State (10-2, 13)
13. Oklahoma State (9-2, 17)
14. TCU (10-2, 19)
15. Missouri (9-2, 15)
16. Cincinnati (9-2, 18)
17. BYU (10-2, 12)
18. Western Michigan (9-2, 21)
19. Michigan State (9-3, 14)
20. Oregon State (8-3, 25)
21. Florida State (8-3, NR)
22. Pittsburgh (7-3, 20)
23. Boston College (8-3, NR)
24. Georgia Tech (8-3, NR)
25. Central Michigan (8-3, 16)

Dropped out - Air Force (8-4, 23), North Carolina (7-4, 22), Miami (FL) (7-4, 24)

Other teams of note...
31. Nebraska (7-4, 35)
33. Iowa (8-4, 39)
72. UTEP (5-6, 67)
114. Iowa State (2-10, 112)
116. Idaho (2-10, 114)
120. Washington (0-11, 120)

Perfection is in sight for the Huskies. Just one little game against Cal left to go.

So...

I'm pretty sure I overheard this conversation yesterday...

BCS: Thank you!
My Beloved Iowa Hawkeyes: You're welcome.

Thank God I no longer live in Iowa City, or I may have been there to see Iowa stick it to Penn State yet again.

Did you know President-elect Obama and I are both in favor of an NCAA playoff? We're peas in a pod, I tell you - until I hit that $250k and up tax bracket, at which point he can go straight to he...well, you know.

On to the latest poll!

1. Texas Tech (10-0, 2)
2. Alabama (10-0, 1)
3. Texas (9-1, 5)
4. Utah (10-0, 3)
5. Boise State (9-0, 6)
6. Florida (8-1, 7)
7. Oklahoma (9-1, 8)
8. Ball State (9-0, 9)
9. USC (8-1, 12)
10. Penn State (9-1, 4)
11. Georgia (8-2, 13)
12. Ohio State (8-2, 14)
13. BYU (9-1, 15)
14. Michigan State (9-2, 16)
15. North Carolina (7-2, 18)
16. Missouri (8-2, 17)
17. TCU (9-2, 11)
18. Oklahoma State (8-2, 10)
19. Pitt (7-2, 23)
20. Tulsa (8-1, 19)
21. Cincinnati (7-2, NR)
22. Air Force (8-2, NR)
23. Central Michigan (7-2, 20)
24. Florida State (7-2, NR)
25. Western Michigan (8-2, NR)

Dropped out - Cal (6-3, 21), Georgia Tech (7-3, 24), Minnesota (7-3, 25), Northwestern (7-3, 22)

Others of note...
43. Nebraska (6-4, 46)
50. Iowa (6-4, 56)
77. UTEP (4-5, 85)
111. Iowa State (2-8, 111)
113. Idaho (2-8, 115)
120. Washington (0-9, 120)

If the Huskies could just pull one win out of their ... well, you know ... it would be a real horse race for #120. North Texas, Washington State, SMU, San Diego State - all impressive. And all of them (save SMU, most likely) will probably have different people wearing the headset next season.

Lastly, to pick at myself a little - Iowa beats the #3 team in the country and they only jump 6 spots? I suck.

West Coast football contributor Salieri sends a long a couple of Pacific Northwest "football" nuggets...

- Washington State is offering tickets to the Apple Cup match up this year at a 50% discount


- Here's a picture of the pre-game crowd at the Washington/ASU game yesterday in Seattle. Note the scoreboard, which will tell you that this picture was taken 6 minutes and 54 seconds before kick off. I grew up with the notion that Washington was a powerhouse program. Rose Bowls every couple of years. Now they're awful. The Pac-10 desperately needs a counter balance to USC, and it won't happen until Washington is resurrected.

He also brings up the possibility of a Hawkeye/Husker bowl match up. Yes, I'm giddy at the prospect, although if Iowa plays to their ability they should end the season 8-4 and end up in Florida on New Year's Day. We'll see how it all pans out, I guess.

Enjoy your week!

Another week, another (FILL IN YOUR CURRENCY HERE)

I voted.

I reveal nothing about how I voted save one thing - I am ALL about leaving the phrase "idiots and insane people" in the state constitution.

I'm guessing Obama wins about 350 EV. The Senate is going to end up 58 or 59 for the Dems (my wiggle room being whether or not Ol' Joementum ends up caucusing with the Democrats) and the House will be a pickup of 20-25 seats for the Democrats.

They'd better do something with it, or 2 years from now we'll be discussing record gains for the Republicans - assuming they aren't still at war with themselves come 2010. The struggle between the moderate and conservative wings could get real ugly depending on the breaks.

On to more pressing issues - this week's RHS FBS Poll...

1. Alabama (9-0, 2)
2. Texas Tech (9-0, 3)
3. Utah (9-0, 6)
4. Penn State (9-0, 4)
5. Texas (8-1, 1)
6. Boise State (8-0, 5)
7. Florida (7-1, 9)
8. Oklahoma (8-1, 8)
9. Ball State (8-0, 10)
10. Oklahoma State (8-1, 13)
11. TCU (9-1, 15)
12. USC (7-1, t13)
13. Georgia (7-2, 7)
14. Ohio State (7-2, 16)
15. BYU (8-1, 18)
16. Michigan State (8-2, 19)
17. Missouri (7-2, 21)
18. North Carolina (6-2, 20)
19. Tulsa (8-1, 11)
20. Central Michigan (7-2, 23)
21. Cal (6-2, NR)
22. Northwestern (7-2, 25)
23. Pitt (6-2, NR)
24. Georgia Tech (7-2, 24)
25. Minnesota (7-2, 12)

Dropped out - Florida State (6-2, 17), Connecticut (6-3, 22)

Other teams of note...
46. Nebraska (5-4, 34)
56. Iowa (5-4, 50)
85. UTEP (3-5, 74)
111. Iowa State (2-7, t106)
120. Washington (0-8, 119)

That's right. North Texas went R. Lee Ermey on Western Kentucky and miracled their ass to a win, leaving the poor Washington Huskies at #120. North Texas jumped all the way to #119 with their win.

The Apple Cup (#120 Washington vs #116 Washington State) is shaping up to be one of the great pillow fights of all time - what drama!

This and that

It would appear that if John McCain wins every state where he is leading big, narrowly leading, tied, or within 8 points of Obama, he will barely win the Presidency, whereas if Obama holds his big lead states and manages to win one of the close states, he'll win - and he's ahead in most of the battleground states.

I'm not ready to call the election yet - we haven't had a real October surprise, have we? - but it's looking less competitive than the last couple of go rounds.

On to the real polls...

1. Texas (8-0, 1)
2. Alabama (8-0, 2)
3. Texas Tech (8-0, 5)
4. Penn State (9-0, 4)
5. Boise State (7-0, 3)
6. Utah (8-0, 6)
7. Georgia (7-1, 8)
8. Oklahoma (7-1, 9)
9. Florida (6-1, 12)
10. Ball State (8-0, 10)
11. Tulsa (8-0, 11)
12. Minnesota (7-1, 17)
t13. Oklahoma State (7-1, 14)
t13. USC (6-1, 13)
15. TCU (8-1, 14)
16. Ohio State (7-2, 7)
17. Florida State (6-1, 21)
18. BYU (7-1, 25)
19. Michigan State (7-2, NR)
20. North Carolina (6-2, NR)
21. Missouri (6-2, NR)
22. UConn (6-2, NR)
23. Central Michigan (6-2, NR)
24. Georgia Tech (6-2, 15)
25. Northwestern (6-2, 23)

Dropped out - Pitt (5-2, 18), USF (6-2, 19), Cincinnati (6-2, 24), LSU (5-2, 20), BC (5-2, 22)

Other teams of note...
34. Nebraska (5-3, 47)
50. Iowa (5-3, 50)
74. UTEP (3-4, 80)
t106. Iowa State (2-6, 107)
113. Idaho (2-7, 119)
120. North Texas (0-8, 120)

You know where it sucks right now? The state of Washington. The boys from Pullman are hovering at #117, while the latte sippers from Seattle are at #119. Rotten apples indeed.

It's Monday!

Ate at Gorat's this weekend - the Omaha steak house where the Oracle of Omaha himself sits down and tucks into a T-bone.

God Almighty I like meat. So does Warren Buffett, apparently. Good times.

Your football rankings (W-L and last week's ranking in parentheses)

1. Texas (7-0, 1)
2. Alabama (7-0, 2)
3. Boise State (6-0, 3)
4. Penn State (8-0, 5)
5. Texas Tech (8-0, 6)
6. Utah (8-0, 4)
7. Ohio State (7-1, 10)
8. Georgia (6-1, 13)
9. Oklahoma (6-1, 8)
10. Ball State (7-0, 9)
11. Tulsa (7-0, 18)
12. Florida (5-1, 16)
13. USC (5-1, NR)
14. Oklahoma State (6-1, NR)
15. Georgia Tech (6-1, 25)
16. TCU (7-1, 21)
17. Minnesota (6-1, 22)
18. Pitt (5-1, 23)
19. USF (6-1, NR)
20. LSU (5-1, NR)
21. Florida State (5-1, NR)
22. BC (5-1, NR)
23. Northwestern (6-1, NR)
24. Cincinnati (5-1, NR)
25. BYU (6-1, 7)

Dropped out - Missouri (5-2, 12), Michigan State (6-2, 11), Kansas (5-2, 20), Virginia Tech (5-2, 15), North Carolina (5-2, 17), Vanderbilt (5-2, 19), Wake Forest (4-2, 14), Cal (4-2, 24)

Other teams of note...

47. Nebraska (4-3, 46)
50. Iowa (5-3, 50)
80. UTEP (3-4, 71)
107. Iowa State (2-5, 101)
119. Idaho (1-7, 118)
120. North Texas (0-7, 120)

Weekly rankings

Seriously - is there anything better than savoring an unexpected blowout road win by my beloved Hawkeyes while listening to the Husker nation cry about having their hearts RIPPED out by Texas Tech?

Probably, but let me have my moment.

This week's Top 25 (with record and last week's rank)

1. Texas (6-0, 3)
2. Alabama (6-0, 2)
3. Boise State (5-0, 7)
4. Utah (7-0, 9)
5. Penn State (7-0, 8)
6. Texas Tech (5-0, 10)
7. BYU (6-0, 13)
8. Oklahoma (5-1, 4)
9. Ball State (7-0, 12)
10. Ohio State (6-1, 19)
11. Michigan State (6-1, 15)
12. Missouri (5-1, 1)
13. Georgia (5-1, 20)
14. Wake Forest (4-1, NR)
15. Virginia Tech (5-1, 14)
16. Florida (5-1, 25)
17. North Carolina (5-1, 17)
18. Tulsa (6-0, 16)
19. Vanderbilt (5-1, 5)
20. Kansas (5-1, NR)
21. TCU (6-1, NR)
22. Minnesota (6-1, NR)
23. Pitt (4-1, 23)
24. Cal (4-1, 21)
25. Georgia Tech (5-1, 32)

Dropped out - Northwestern (5-1, 6), USF (5-1, 24), LSU (4-1, 11), Notre Dame (4-2, 18), Kentucky (4-2, 22)

Other teams of note...

46. Nebraska (3-3, 35)
50. Iowa (4-3, 57)
71. UTEP (3-3, 90)
101. Iowa State (2-4, 100)
118. Idaho (1-6, 115)

I'm interested to see how accurate this formula is over the long haul. I was a little surprised at how far a couple of schools dropped.

Interesting that the top 2 match the consensus top 2 in the polls. Interesting that North Texas ranks as the worst team in the country (#120). Good times.

Inspiration

Inspired by a comment on my latest post, I have decided to officially retire from the NFL. Unfortunately for the league, teams did not want to give me a chance to compete for a starting job at (FILL IN POSITION HERE).

I was not satisfied to be a backup, and so I'm putting my NFL career aside to chase new and exciting projects.

Yes, this week is Iowa/Iowa State. I've chosen to forgo cheap shots and humor this year. All business.

(Do they even have a business school at Clown U? Agri business does not count...)

(Yes, I know they have a business school. Law... (human) medicine... those things are right out, but they do have a business school. Go Moo U!)

Uhh...

I have just now read a news article informing me that Daunte Culpepper has retired from the NFL.

To, umm, retire from the NFL, don't you need to be in the NFL?

At this point isn't he acknowledging that his employment opportunities in his chosen field are nil and he's moving to a different ... oh, nevermind.

Maybe, Daunte, if you had rehabbed your knee injury under the supervision of, oh, I don't know, team doctors and not at a strip mall (That's mall, you dunder heads), you might still be an NFL QB?

Hmm?

Maybe?

Yeah, I'm probably right, aren't I?

Yes!

Gem plucked off of the discussion board at the end of an online Press-Citizen article...

"I don't know if [Pat] Harty claims to be an Iowa fan or a fan of some other school. I do know, however, that Harty is a douche.

Go Hawks!"

God bless you, DaHawk56. God bless you.

Mulder? Scully?

David Duchovny is in rehab to kick his sex habit.

Remember when he was relevant? Oh, those were the days. I still look at my flannel shirts and my Nirvana CDs with tearful sentimentality.

I'd like to congratulate a couple of entities for some bold moves today.

BOLD MOVE #A - Georgia may just cut off relations with the country that invaded them. It may be time to consider that move.

BOLD MOVE #2 - John McCain picked the governor of Alaska as his running mate. Isn't she being investigated for ... wait, I already said she was an Alaska Republican. It's like the Reps own little Chicago up there, eh?

BOLD MOVE #4 - Me, for picking Iowa to beat Maine on Saturday. However, if Iowa doesn't run for a ridiculous number of yards and completely control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, it's going to be a loooooooong year.

Super Bowl Thoughts

- Every year the NFL hands out their awards during Super Bowl week. The Fed Ex Ground player of the year? Not Adrian Peterson. Not even Ladainian Tomlinson. Fred Taylor. Goodness. Too bad Fred won't be around anymore when the Jaguars are playing in L.A. ...

- Careful readers of my blog over the years know that I get EXTREMELY tired of the emphasis put on Boston and New York sports teams by the national sports media. Careful readers will have already surmised that there is little chance of me enjoying the Super Bowl, since it features two of my least favorite franchises in football. I resent the Patriots recent success. I've never liked the Giants much either, I guess. Maybe their thrilling last-second 41-0 win over the Vikings in the NFC Championship game several years back still sticks in my craw. It was only a 6 score game when the Vikes got the ball back ... oh, nevermind. Suffice it to say, unless the league rules that the game was so awful they're awarding the Lombardi trophy to Grand Valley State, I'm going to dislike the outcome.

- Prediction? Yeah, the game these two played in Week 17 was close. This one won't be. The Patriots have had two weeks to prepare and two weeks to heal. 38-17 New England.

- Most ridiculous quote I've heard during Super Bowl week - some random writer for some Boston fishwrap announcing that the Patriots really turned it up a notch after losing Adam Vinatieri. They "decided" to stop playing close games to let him win it at the end and started scoring in bunches so the outcome was not in doubt by the fourth quarter. The notion that their game plan went something like, "G** d*** it, Tom! Stop throwing touchdowns! No more points! You'll hurt A.V.'s feelings!" or "Yo! D! Another 3 and out and I swear to God I let A.V. pick who gets cut this week!" made me giggle. Unfortunately, it did NOT make the sportswriter giggle, as he was delivering this theory in earnest. Sportswriters are some of the worst people you'll ever meet, I think. Perspective has no place in their universe.

- Bring on the draft!

The only end, my friend

I shall not post a lengthy diatribe about the ignominious end of the Iowa football season.

I will merely point out that Kirk Ferentz - a man that can coach a football team, no question about it - is making almost $3 million a season, and over the past three years his won/loss record is 19-19.

His team's arrest record is much worse.

Earn your money, Kirk.

I'll be waiting patiently to see what changes are made in the offseason - and if there aren't changes, I imagine some Iowa fans are going to be more than a little peeved.

How did...














take a team from...














into gridiron combat with THE...














University and come out with a ...











?

Man - if the Gobbledy Zooker had managed to squeak one out against Iowa...they'd be staring the BCS directly in the face. Go Zooker!

Meanwhile, Iowa is staring Phoenix or Orlando (or, God help us, Detroit) squarely in the face. I am absolutely shocked that the ol' Captain got the troops whipped into shape like he did. I foresaw a 3 or 4 win season not all that long ago, and now a win against a somewhat hapless Western Michigan team this Saturday makes Iowa 7-5 - more wins than they had last year.

Do not forget, tailgate attendees - the tailgate this Saturday has been proclaimed the 'Stache Bash. Apparently, males who show up sans mustache will be snickered at and will not be allowed to think they're cool because they don't have a mustache.

I've also been told that a mustache in conjunction with other facial hair is a no go. 'Staches only. We'll see.

Kudos

The fellas over at sportscliche.com have helped me sum up Iowa's late season surge in true color commentator form:

He's a good X's and O's coach. He runs a squeaky-clean program. They're a blue collar team. They've gone to a youth movement. They've got tremendous mental toughness. They're a dark horse team. This team is showing flashes of brilliance. They're finally hitting their stride. This team is really starting to gel. This team is starting to make some noise. This could be a sleeper team. They're a team to be reckoned with. Everybody's on the same page. The players have bought into the system. This team is not going to sneak up on anybody. This team has turned the corner. This team has raised the bar. They've gotten over the hump. This team has finally gotten off the schneid. This team travels well. Those players form their nucleus. He's really whipped them into shape. He's got them headed in the right direction. This team takes on the personality of their coach. He must challenge his players. These guys have been working their tails off. These guys have been busting their butts. They're finally getting the respect they deserve. They've been playing with confidence. They've got great team chemistry. This team is like a family. They've got die-hard fans. You have to respect their quickness. You have to respect their athleticism. You have to respect their physicality. They do a great job defensively. They're a multi-faceted team. They're an offensive-minded team. They have a high-octane offense. They have a potent offense. They've got a lot of depth. They pride themselves on their defense. They have a stingy defense. They have a swarming defense. They play tough "D". They play punishing defense. They’ve been on a roll. They’re over-achievers. They can go the distance. They won't be denied. They strike fear in the hearts of their opponents. They’ve come out of nowhere. They’ve returned from oblivion. What an incredible turnaround. They’re a better team than their record indicates. They're no pushovers. They give you so many different looks. They have a lot of weapons. They've got a tremendous ballclub. They can put up big numbers. They’re a team of destiny. They're playing within themselves. They're taking it one game at a time. They're on a mission.

I'll say it - God bless the sports cliche. Did you know Clark Kellogg coined the term physicality? I needed another reason to hate his guts. Thank you, Clark!

I value your input

I was sitting here today, brooding over the fact that I'm going to miss the Iowa/Minnesota game, and I got to thinking - what about the gameday experience annoys me? What's tired? What's played?

Specifically, I was thinking how I shake my head a little every time they crank Start Me Up over the loudspeakers before a kickoff.

Tired. Played.

Jangling keys during a kickoff?

Tired. Played.

The people who sit 10 rows behind me who once last season shouted "HALF THE DISTANCE TO THE GOAL!" when the other team was penalized while on the Iowa 2 yard line and have proceeded to do it for every opposition penalty since that point?

Tired. Played.

What do you like about being at a live football game? What do you wish would go away permanently?

(Iowa 23, Minnesota 17, in case you wondered.)

Say it ain't so!

Dominique Douglas (aka Doug E. Fresh) (aka Ocho ocho) tried to steal some DVDs from the Wal-Mart last night.

Apparently, he just took them out of the cases and threw them under his coat.

The Wal-Mart knew exactly who he was, as he had come in to deal with a money order at the customer service desk - meaning they had his name and address and next-of-kin and whatever other information one might need to locate and arrest a criminal.

This comes while he is awaiting trial on other theft charges.

Allow me to be the first to say - DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU WHERE THE GOOD LORD SPLIT YOU.

Douglas would have been a very nice component to the passing game this year, but not if he can't keep himself from stealing while, you know, waiting to be tried for stealing.

All last year media outlets talked about him as a character kid. Turns out - and this is SHOCKING - you shouldn't believe everything the sports media prints.

Unbelievable.

On a side note, I swear I think about more than Iowa football. You wouldn't know that by monitoring the recent history of this blog, but I swears to you, it's trues.

Exactly like I drew it up

If you go back and read my previous blog entry about the upcoming Iowa/Michigan State game (don't bother), you'll see that I correctly predicted...

- Albert Young would go off for 170+ yards (hope he isn't too hurt).
- Jevon Pugh would score in overtime.
- Adrian Clayborn would make a crucial sack in the second OT.
- Paul Chaney JUNIOR would catch his first TD of the season in OT.
- Drew Gardner would make the tackle that sealed the deal.

MEMO TO THE IOWA COACHES- GET THE YOUNG GUYS ON THE FIELD!

I am officially withdrawing any "Back up the truck" or "cover the field" comments I made previously. I don't think this team is going to win on the road, but if they win out at home - horror of horrors, they're probably bowl bound.

Don't ask me if they deserve it. That's a question for a more reasoned and logical time. Just celebrate with the following lyrics...

In Heaven there is no beer
That's why we drink it here
And when we're gone from here
Our friends will be drinking all the beer

Amazing rhyme structure. Truly groundbreaking. Go Hawks!