Week 9: Championship Week

At last, we have finally made it to Championship Week. The standings aren't pretty, but just because something isn't pretty doesn't mean you stop doing it (ask Kane about that one). With Bowl Season looming, it's time for all of us to post a solid week to boost future reader turnout. Who am I kidding, we are the only ones that read this blog, so fuck it, let's do our usual thing.

Completely off topic, I hope all of you watched the UNC vs. Ohio St. game last night. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the entire game. The pace of the game was even more enjoyable. How can you not like people running up and down the floor, and each posession ended with a 3-pointer or dunk? If that game would've been the National Championship game, I would not have been dissapointed.

Also, it was just brought to my attention that Jack Ikegwuon was arrested last Saturday in DeKalb, Ill., and faces charges of residential burglary and criminal trespass. Just figures that it was in Dekalb. Read the whole story here:
http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=2&date=11/30/2006&id=15076

Anyways, back to the task at hand. Standings and reasonings follow. Enjoy.

Standings after week 8 (as of November 30, 2006)
Me: 21-19
Jim: 17-23
Koontz:11-19
Kevin: 15-23-2
Mike: 0-5

Picks:
Me: Georgia Tech(-2.5), New Mex St. (-12), USC (-13), Florida (-2.5), Navy (-20)
Kevin: Georgia Tech (-2.5), Florida (-2.5), USC (-13), West Virginia (-10), Hawaii (-7.5)
Jim: Navy (-20), USC (-13), San Jose St. (-4), TCU (-17), Wake (+2.5)
Koontz: UCLA (+13), Louisville (-28), Florida (-2.5), Georgia Tech (-2.5), Hawaii (-7.5)

My Reasons:
1. Georgia Tech (-2.5) vs. Wake
This is the ACC Championship? How weak is that. I am still not sold on Wake as being a BCS team…no way. Therefore, by default, I have to go with the Yellow Jackets.

2. New Mexico St. (-12) vs. La Tech
Chase Holbrook, the Aggies quarterback, is the best kept secret in college football. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards this year, and has tossed 31 touchdowns against just 9 interceptions. Keep in mind he’s only a sophomore, but also keep in mind he plays for New Mexico St. All in all, he will have a field day against La Tech.

3. USC (-13) @ UCLA
Virtually a home game for both clubs. After watching USC dismantle Notre Dame last week, it’s only fair that they get a shot at Ohio St. if they win this game, which they will. The line for the BCS title game: Ohio St. (-3) vs. USC.

4. Florida (-2.5) vs. Arkansas
I don’t like the Gators, but they have more to play for, and are undoubtedly the better team here. Arkansas had a good run, but it all ends here.

5. Navy (-20) vs. Army
I didn’t really want to pick this game, but felt obligated to do so. When thinking about which of the two I respect more for what they do for our country in real life, it’s a hard to decipher. When thinking about which football team is better, it’s quite simple…Navy.

Kevin's Reasons:
So here I sit at 4:24pm on Tuesday. My work shift is about to end in approximately 6 minutes. However, I will not be punching out, for I need to write my picks of the week. I figure with the additional 20 minutes of work it will take me to pick from this weeks slate of games I can earn a few extra dollars (1/3rd of an hour at 6.80 per hour = $2.26). Wow I am getting paid an astounding 2 and a quarter dollars to write this crap. Too bad I have lost several hundred dollars on the picks themselves. I figure if I do this once a week, for the next 921,828.90 years, I will have raised an additional one million dollars in overtime work. Now how many people can claim to making a million dollars on gambling? Looks like I can. Anyhow onto the picks:

1. Georgia Tech (-2.5) vs. Wake
Wake has had a dream season. I am afraid it will end here in the acc championship game.

2. Florida (-2.5) vs. Arkansas
I thought Arkansas was pretty good. Not anymore.

3. USC (-13) @ UCLA
USC in a must win period.

4. West Virginia (-10) vs. Rutgers

I have said ever since the Louisville win over WV and the Rutgers win over Louisville that WV is going beat Rutgers, making all three one loss teams. Well West Virginia and Rutgers blew that. Either way WV wins this one.

5. Hawaii (-7.5) vs. Oregon St.
Oregon State gets jet lag and loses by 10.

Jim's Reasons:
Since Colt Brennan is the hot topic of late, I thought I'd give a little background on him. Colt Brennan was formerly at Colorado University, but then transferred to Hawaii after he was "dismissed from the team in Feb. 2004 after being accused of barging into a female student's room and making unwanted sexual advances. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was acquitted of sexual assault but was convicted of first-degree criminal trespass and second-degree burglary, for which he was sentenced to seven days in jail and four years' probation." Luckily he only has two more years of probation left. June Jones let him walk on after a year at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the NCAA's future NCAA TD single season record holder Colt Brennan! On to the picks of hell.


1. Navy (-20) vs. Army
I have nothing to say about this game other than Army sucks and Navy is not that bad. Go Midshipmen.

2. USC (-13) @ UCLA
USC is good, probably better than we all think. Ohio State will have their hands full in the title game and Dwayne Jarrett is damn good. The last three games, USC has killed teams that were supposed to give them a run. Do you think that Oregon State game woke them up a little? USC wins easy, putting fear into the hearts of all Ohio State fans, and making all Michigan fans forever hate them for preventing what would have been forever known as "The Rematch." Remember Danny Farmer from UCLA? He was a great volleyball player if you don't remember that.

3. @ San Jose State (-4) vs. Fresno State
I'm just playing the odds here. San Jose State is at home, they are 7-3 against the spread, Fresno is 1-10. The Spartans are 7-4 overall and the Bulldogs are 4-7. Let's hope this works out. Pat Hill has a nice 'stache.

4. @ TCU (-17) vs. Air Force
Well since I picked Army/Navy, I thought Air Force should get thrown in their too. Beware of the Horned Frog is back. LaDainian Tomlinson was a great Horned Frog, he is a great NFL player. Texas Christian University, good luck in the postseason.

5. Wake Forest (+2.5) vs. Georgia Tech
I think the ACC sucks at football, but they sure did kick the shit out of the Big Ten this year in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in basketball. I don't like either of these teams, but I didn't feel like picking the Big 12 game, the SEC game, or the Hawaii/OSU game, so I opted for this when I checked out the last 5 games of each team. Wake has beaten Maryland, FSU, BC, and UNC, and lost to VTech. While, GTech lost to Georgia, and beaten Duke, UNC, NC St, and Miami. Wake's resume is more impressive, well not really but I don't care. Fuck the ACC, both teams lost to Clemson, they are the true champ. Go Woody Dantzler.

I can't wait to pick the bowl games. I'm sure I'll do real well at that. It would be great if Florida, Oklahoma, and Louisville would lose this week.

Koontz' Reasons:
Because I will probably go 0-5, I feel that no explanations are needed. But I will have a "Lock of the Century."

1. UCLA (+13) vs. USC
2. Louisville (-28) vs. UCONN
3. Florida (-2.5) vs. Arkansas
4. Georgia Tech (-2.5) vs. Wake
5. Hawaii (-7.5) vs. Oregon St.
Lock of the Century

Fuck, No BYU. I wonder if the world would explode if BYU played Hawaii...

Let the games begin!