Week 11: It's déjà vu all over again

As I said last week, none of the currently projected ten teams seeded in my college football tournament will play one another this regular season. Going into this past weekend, none of the ten even seemed to have major challenges this last week. But, at times during the day, Auburn (even with Cam Newton under center) and TCU were both down by 14, then "at-large team in waiting" Ohio State was losing by a decent margin at halftime, and later Oregon won by a slim two points, so it seemed like a strange day in college football. When all was said and done, none of the ten projected teams lost, and the standings did not budge.

This may happen again next week. Nebraska plays a ranked team on the road (T A&M), Stanford travels to Berkeley to play their rival, and tourney outsider Ohio State travels to Iowa, but those are the only obvious land mines. Then, the next week's match-ups (post Thanksgiving) of Arizona at Oregon, Auburn at Alabama, Boise State at Nevada, LSU at Arkansas, plus the possible games with tourney implications, Michigan at Ohio State, Oklahoma at Oklahoma State, and Michigan State at Penn State make this upcoming week seem positively barren.

Did you see the Oregon coach after the win over Cal last weekend? He could have smiled and said "A win's a win," but instead, he kept answering the sideline reporter with a gruff, seemingly about to eat artificial turf on toast attitude, to say, "A win's a win." Sure, Nike can buy you lots of uniforms, but it can't buy you post-game charm when you're number one.

I was in a lay over in the Detroit airport Friday and saw quite a few Utah Utes fans walking between flights, heading to Notre Dame. That is dedication, to fly to the Midwest to see their team play, but it probably was cool to see them play on such an historic field. But (and I speak from experience flying to watch Eastern Illinois in the Zia Bowl in Albuquerque, only to watch them lose on a cold New Mexico Saturday), to travel from Salt Lake City to Indiana, only to see the Utes get whipped, in the rain; well, sorry traveling Utes fans! This decaffeinated, non-alcoholic beverage is for you!

Then, as I arrived home, I walked to baggage return and saw four chauffeurs holding their little signs for their pick-ups. One sign said "Greg Gumbel," and as I approached the driver, I was going to say, "I'm Greg Gumbel," as an obvious joke. But the chauffeur began to put the sign down, ruining the timing of my airport comedic chops. So, I looked behind me, and there he was, Greg (the "Anti-Bryant") Gumbel himself.


I remember Greg from his days as a local Chicago sports guy. I recall that he had thinning hair at the time, because I remember jumping two and a half inches out of my chair when I saw his hair when he went national. I assume, he took the opportunity of changing audiences to increase his follicular status. But, as a man of color, he has to do the Nipsy Russell big "natural" which kinds of dates him, as it did Nipsy. Maybe if I could come up with a hair piece that looked like Denzel, I could make my fortune.





As Greg walked off with his chauffeur, I noticed a bit of a limp. But maybe his foot was asleep from a long ride in coach. He seemed a bit more Bryant-like in person, in that, he wasn't too smiley.

Ohio State sits as the team needing a little help to get into the tourney. Assuming they remain and at large contender, this is the help they need. Assuming Boise St or TCU as given an automatic bid, there are three at-large slots out there. TCU will beat New Mexico, so the Buckeyes have to root for Nevada to upset Boise State, or Arkansas to give LSU their second loss, or Cal's marching band to find a way to beat Stanford, or a loss at home to Oregon State.

Well, this week's projections should look very familiar:

"In college football, one day you're in, and the next day you're out." -Tim Berra, son of Yogi Berra

OUT- None
IN-None

FIRST ROUND:

In Green Bay:#7 Wisconsin (Big Ten champ) vs #10 Pittsburgh (Big East champ)

In Kansas City:#8 Nebraska (Big XII champ) vs #9 Virginia Tech (ACC champ)


BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Rose: #1 Oregon (Pac-10 champ) vs Nebraska/Virginia Tech winner

Orange: #4 Boise State (at-large) vs #5 LSU (at-large)

Sugar: #2 Auburn (SEC champ) vs the Wisconsin/Pittsburgh winner

Fiesta: #3 Texas Christian (non-BCS conference automatic) vs #6 Stanford (at-large)

Semi-finals in St Petersburg FL

BCS Championship in Glendale AZ

Week by week seedings:

Week	10	11
Oregon	1	1
Auburn	2	2
TCU	3	3
Boise State	4	4
LSU	5	5
Stanford	6	6
Wisconsin	7	7
Nebraska	8	8
Virginia Tech	9	9
Pittsburgh	10	10
Utah	n/a	n/a
Alabama	n/a	n/a
Michigan State	n/a	n/a
Missouri	n/a	n/a
Florida State	n/a	n/a
Oklahoma	n/a	n/a
West Virginia	n/a	n/a
Ohio State	n/a	n/a
Miami	n/a	n/a
Florida	n/a	n/a
Texas	n/a	n/a

Week	5	6	7	8	9
Oregon	4	2	2	2	1
Auburn	8	8	4	1	2
TCU	5	3	5	4	3
Boise State	2	1	3	3	4
LSU	7	7	6	n/a	n/a
Stanford	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Wisconsin	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	8
Nebraska	n/a	6	n/a	n/a	7
Virginia Tech	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	9
Pittsburgh	n/a	n/a	n/a	10	10
Utah	n/a	n/a	n/a	8	5
Alabama	1	n/a	8	7	6
Michigan State	n/a	n/a	7	5	n/a
Missouri	n/a	n/a	n/a	6	n/a
Florida State	n/a	9	9	9	n/a
Oklahoma	3	4	1	n/a	n/a
West Virginia	10	10	10	n/a	n/a
Ohio State	6	5	n/a	n/a	n/a
Miami	9	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Florida	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Texas	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Week	Pre	1	2	3	4
Oregon	9	8	7	8	7
Auburn	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
TCU	6	5	8	7	4
Boise State	5	2	6	6	2
LSU	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	8
Stanford	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Wisconsin	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nebraska	n/a	7	n/a	n/a	n/a
Virginia Tech	8	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Pittsburgh	10	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Utah	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Alabama	1	1	1	1	1
Michigan State	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Missouri	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Florida State	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oklahoma	7	n/a	4	5	6
West Virginia	n/a	10	10	10	10
Ohio State	2	4	3	3	5
Miami	n/a	9	9	9	9
Florida	3	6	5	4	3
Texas	4	3	2	2	n/a