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First off, I don’t know how many of you were able to watch the tribute to Ed Thomas on Friday night on ESPN when AP played Dike-New Hartford. To me?…it was the absolute perfect start to the 2009 football season. I got teary-eyed earlier in the week when I saw the report on Ed Thomas on ESPN’s E:60, and it got me again when they re-played it before the game on Friday night. The part where the town minister was crying while talking about the opposing teams holding up four fingers (to symbolize playing through the 4th quarter) while they drove Ed Thomas’s body to its final resting place? Wow. Words cannot describe how amazing that was, so I sure as heck am not going to try on my stupid blog.
Tears then gave got goose-bumps as I watched those 16, 17, and 18-year-old kids play their hearts out. And hats off to D-NH for playing them tough in a tough situation.
Faith. Family. Football.
Onto that last “F”…
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Predicting the 2009 Big Ten Order of Finish
Let’s hope I can do a little bit better in 2009 than I did last year. Other than nailing Illinois for having a down year and predicting Michigan State tied for 3rd in the conference…I wasn’t that great. I had Ohio State and Penn State transposed, and had Meeechigan way to high – and most unforgiveable – Iowa way too low. (But I believe my reverse-psychology actually affects the universe so I take nothing back.)
OK. 2009.
Has their ever been a season where the Big Ten needs to band together more than this year? While watching CBS’s shatty coverage of COLLEGE Football (not just S.E.C. Football) I was appalled to see BCS break-down every little detail of the S.E.C. – down to the size of Tim Tiebow’s junk – along with a predicted order of finish for The Big 12 and ACC. What did the Big Ten get? They showed Penn State’s schedule to make fun of it, then talked about how bad the conference was.
I seriously get pissed off just thinking about this stuff. YES…going 1-6 in bowls last year was bad. There’s no doubt about that. But come ON. We always play USC, the best or 2nd best team out of the S.E.C., then the 3rd and 4th best team out of the S.E.C., and usually the 2nd best team out of the Big 12. (In last year’s case, probably the best team in Texas.) So it’s not like we’re the ACC that plays the Big East Champion, and 4 other MAC and WAC teams. Does this EVER get brought up? Of course not, because TV commentators can only regurgitate what other people are saying, and they can’t think further than 2” in front of their fat, make-up incrusted faces. Hurumph.
However…I still think the league is a year away. I think a slow start will give away to a strong finish as young QB’s around the Big Ten gain experience. Then next year, the Big 12 bevy of QB’s and that Tiebow guy will have left…and both conferences will take a step back. So here we go…I will be cheering so hard for Big Ten teams against non-conference opponents this year that it will border on stupidity. I will wear a friggin’ Ron Zook t-shirt when they play Missouri if I have to.
OK, OK…here they are:
1st) Ohio State 7-1, 10-2
I’m really not that scared of Ohio State. I think they have holes, and apparently I’m not the only one thinking that, as they’re only 21 point favorites over Navy by the gangsters. (Really? Are they that afraid of that offense? Shouldn’t’ OSU put up 42+ points to off-set the 14 points that Navy scores?) However…Terrelle Pryor just might go off this year. And I’m betting that he does. Also, I have a hard time believing that OSU won’t have another great defense.
T-2nd) Northwestern 6-2, 10-2
Yea that’s right…THAT Northwestern. Sure…they’re losing some stars on offense, but I swear they’ll upgrade at QB with Mike Kafka over CJ Bacher. I believe that their defense will be TOUGH – perhaps the 2nd or 3rd best in the Big Ten. Pat Fitzgerald gets it, folks. Be GLAD that we get these guys at home again and that it’s a payback game. This will be our toughest home game of the year.
T-2nd) Illinois 6-2, 9-3
As much as I was down on the Illini last year, I’m up on them this year. Juice Williams is the QB that hardly ANYbody is talking about, but people should be. Even when people talk about QB’s in the Big Ten, they immediately talk about Terrelle Pryor…then change the subject. Juice has straight-up scary talent around him, and I think their defense will be better. I am not crying that we’re missing these guys in 2009.
T-4th Penn State 5-3, 9-3
The more I hear people talk about Penn State, and their schedule, and the only game they have to get up for is on November 7th against Ohio State…the more I believe its all BS. Let’s see how they do in back-to-back tough games vs. Iowa and then @ Illinois. And lllleeeet’s just see how they do going TO Meeechigan and TO Northwestern before they play OSU at home. Eh?
I’m not exactly predicting them to miss a bowl, but I’m not exactly predicting them to get to a BCS, either. We’ll just see. I’m not a Darryl Clark hater, but let’s just see how he does with a patch-work O-Line, young WR’s, and a defense that will need to find itself out very early.
T-4th Iowa 5-3, 8-4
Read into that record what you want. I think we have 2 or even 3 landmine games non-conference, and I need to see this RB situation unfold first before I get to cocky.
T-6th Meeechigan 4-4, 7-5
What if? What if Meechigan looks good Week 1 and then beats Notre Dame? You don’t think Rich-Rod and those players aren’t sick of hearing about last year? And have you ever looked at Rich-Rod’s past records during his 2nd year at his school? These guys juuuust might be 5-0 and juuuust might be ranked when they come into Kinnick on 10/10.
I will never be a Meeechigan fan. Or even more accurately stated: I will never be a fan of Meeechigan fans. However…I’m kinda…just kinda…sorta rooting for Meeechigan this year. I KNOW! That’s blasphemy! But if Meechigan is a powerhouse again, it will help the Big Ten’s image a LOT.
T-6th Michigan State 4-4, 7-5
I’m just not sold on these guys. If we played these guys even one week later last year…we would have smoked them. They were awfully 1-dimensional last year, and that dimension has left (Javon Ringer). I think they’ll have a good defense, but not so great that it will carry them into the conference championship conversation.
8th Minnesota 3-5, 6-6
I don’t think that was a complete flash in the pan deal last year. Even though they finished poorly…(like…uh…55-0 at home poorly) I think there’s something here. Adam Weber and Eric Decker alone make this team interesting. And I think their defense will be a year bigger and stronger this year.
And there is a buzz around the new stadium. Not a huge buzz because after all this IS the land of 10,000 fakes – but there’s a buzz. That Week 3 game against Cal will be interesting.
But man oh MAN is Tim Brewster annoying. I mean…I know he has to be upbeat and all that jazz…but dang!
9th Wisconsin 2-6, 5-7
I just don’t see it. There are holes everywhere, and Bielema is gripping. And ya know what? I don’t even think that’s completely fair. It’s not like they’ve didn’t make a bowl game last year. This is a good program, but it’s not like its Ohio State. They had down years under Alvarez, why wouldn’t they have a few under a different coach?
10th Purdue 1-7, 2-10
I know they have a good D-Line, but this is a VERY young team with a brand new coach.
11th Indiana 1-7, 2-10
This program does not have a bright future.
So…we’ll see how this plays out. I know you think I’m crazy for putting Northwestern up so high and putting Penn State so low. But if I didn’t take any risks my picks would look exactly like everybody else’s and I say pooh-pooh to that.
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RT’s From Around the Country (using movie quotes)
“Well., let’s not start sucking each other’s dic#’s quite yet.”
- Winston Wolfe from “Pulp Fiction”
(Teams that are getting just a tad too much credit before the season starts.)
I already stated above my thoughts on Penn State.
I think Oklahoma is over-rated. Not like they’re going to go 8-4 over-rated, but I believe they’re being put up on a pedestal a little too much right now. Why? Most of this is coming from the fact that they’re replacing 4/5 offensive lineman. I don’t care if you play in Norman, OK or Cincinnati, IA…if you have to replace 4/5 O-Lineman, you’re not getting better. Also, they lost some talent in offensive skill positions around Sam Bradford. The ‘D’ will be tough. That might be enough to give them time to get things figured out before they play Texas. With that said, they better take their opening game against BYU very, very seriously.
Certainly Ole Miss looks the part. I get why everybody likes them – Houston Nutt has a track history, they’re the only team that beat Florida last year, they destroyed Texas Tech in their bowl, and they have a lot of starters back. But let’s just see how this goes when they sneak up on exactly nobody for the entire year.
Wow. Georgia Tech just went from a team that nobody knew ANYthing about to everybody thinking their RB is the greatest thing since Barry Sanders, and their coach being on par with Paul Bryant. Everybody says the same thing: “If they were that good in their first year of that offense, just wait for the SECOND year of that offense!” And what about the teams around their conference? Isn’t this THEIR second season to prepare for them???
I understand, also, where people are coming from when talking about Oklahoma State, as their offense should be amazing. But what are we really talking about getting out of the Cowboys? They have to play Georgia, Texas, and at Oklahoma. Even if they go 1-2 and win all their other games, that’s a 10-2 record. Good, but probably not BCS good.
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“I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I’m all out of bubble gum.”
- Nada, “They Live”
(The best teams.)
There’s no doubt in my mind that Florida is too legit to quit. And yes…I’m just as sick of hearing about Florida and Tim Tiebow like everybody else. But you simply cannot argue what both Florida and Tiebow have done the past 3 years. They have the ENTIRE defense back too. When does that ever happen? Especially when it’s a defense that’s that good?
To me, Texas is by far the 2nd best team in the country. The have a lot less holes than Oklahoma does, and I like their schedule better.
And I LOVE the porn ‘stache from Colt McCoy (to show togetherness with his offensive lineman):
Hilarious!
I believe even more in his abilities to get hot girls:
Ummm…she’s on the right.
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“You’re no daisy! You’re no daisy at all!”
- Doc Holliday, “Tombstone”
(Really bad/disappointing teams.)
I think Missouri is going to take a giant step back this year.
Texas A&M might not just be the worst team in the Big 12, they could be galactically bad this year.
The battle for the ‘Old Oaken Bucket’ – the last game of the year for both Purdue and Indiana – just might rival last year’s ‘Apple Cup’ as the worst rivalry game of all-time. With that being said, both Washington and Washington State are going to suck pond water yet again.
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“Drago is the most perfectly trained athlete ever. This other man has not the size, the strength, the genetics to win.”
- Nicolo Koloff, “Rocky 1V”
(These are the teams that nobody is talking about, but people should be.)
Obviously I’ve already talked about Northwestern and Illinois and how they’re lurking under the radar.
Kansas is a scary team to play this year as well – savvy QB with a lot of experience…yet they STILL have that chip on their shoulder for being the little brother to Oklahoma and Texas. And they have their usual easy-ride through September until they get Oklahoma at home.
Don’t sleep on Baylor, either. I’d like to see them make it to a bowl game for the first time in 15 years.
I know people actually ARE giving BYU credit, but they’re still lurking. Same could be said for Utah. (There ya go Rempfer.)
And maybe I’m just swallowing the Kool-Aid because they’re on our schedule (and I watched a Preview on them on one of my 15 college football channels that I just got with my new sports package) but Arizona is a sleeper team in the Pac-10 this year. They are still young – especially at QB – but they have speed and talent all over the field.
I don’t know if Oregon should be in this category since they’re rated #16 – but everybody is talking about USC or Cal for the Pac-10 title, and I’m not so sure that Oregon isn’t the best team in the conference. In fact, if USC beats OSU and they beat USC…they might have a shot at a BCS title.
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“Well, there are all manner of lesser imps and demons, Pete, but the great Satan hisself is red and scaly with a bifurcated tail, and he carries a hay fork.”
- Ulysses Everett McGill, “O Brother, Where Art Thou”
Notre Dame wins ONE MEASILY BOWL GAME and everybody is picking them to go to a BCS Bowl. And YES…I can see where people are coming from as they have some good talent returning. But the amount of coverage they’re getting is disgusting and kinda makes me wanna vomit in my mouth. I hope Jimmy Clausen breaks his throwing hand over Charlie Wies’s fat head.
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I will be back on Thursday night for our first round of the usual “Precarious Predictions”!!!
WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO HAWKS!
-Jeffrey the Greek!
Posted by Jeff Buch 
