Fourth and Dumb

Both Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate are jumping to the NFL Draft this year. This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that the guy who recruited them to South Bend is gone and everything, but there you go.

So, it’s late, and I have to be up in about 5 hours, so here’s the long and short of it.

Chris kicked ass again, the rest of us are beginning to fall behind.

The pressure to atone for last week’s guest picks falls on the shoulders of Mike Dame. Mike, once upon a time, was Chris’ freshman roommate in college (and somehow lived to tell the tale). A former AP poll and Heisman voter, Mike is also a former employee of Virginia Tech. His most memorable moment as a sportswriter, in his own words:

When Norm Sloan pointed at me in a press conference in October 1989 after I reported in The Independent Florida Alligator that his firing was imminent. “It’s like throwing chum in the water, and you frenzy like a bunch of sharks!” Sloan famously said of the media. “I’m not going anywhere!” Two days later, UF announced Sloan’s “resignation.” (God rest his soul, because I loved Norm Sloan.)

And with that, we move on to Week 5.

Read on for commentary and analysis. Continue reading ‘Pick ‘Em – Week 5’ »

Last week, as seems to be the norm around FnD HQ, was a strange one. We all think alike at times, which can be great (Oklahoma State) or disastrous (Oklahoma, Florida State), and makes things a bit streaky.

We started off well, but the losses by Oklahoma and FSU automatically put everyone down two games, and the Va Tech, Duke and Rutgers losses were also quite damaging. But now we have week 1 behind us, and a slightly more accurate gauge of who has lived up to the hype, so far. On to week 2!

This week’s guest picker is Ahmad Ragab from the University of South Florida, and is quite bullish on several of this weekend’s favorites. Ahmad is a graduate student at the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!), not-so-doggedly pursuing a Masters Degree in Religious Studies. Raised in Blacksburg, Virginia (Go Hokies!) he hopes to continue his graduate studies in some department to be named later, so that he can continue to live the sweet sexy student life, which has allowed him to enjoy college football at student ticket prices while simultaneously engaging in unapologetic boosterism. Ahmad attributes his unassailable authority as a college football commentator to his experience as a member of the Cornell University Varsity Football team (Go Big Red!) while an undergraduate far above Cayuga’s waters.

Read on for commentary and analysis. Continue reading ‘Pick ‘Em – Week 2’ »

It’s less than two weeks until the kickoff of the 2009 college football season, which means it’s prediction time.

So let’s start with that division (conference? bizarre amalgamation?) that is the NCAA I-A Independents, based on predicted order of finish:

1. Notre Dame
2. Navy
3. Army

Details and commentary after the jump. Continue reading ‘Predictions: I-A Independents’ »

By now you’ve likely heard that Lou Holtz has bizarrely predicted that Notre Dame will play Florida in the BCS Championship Game on January 7. Ol’ Lou is getting the predicatable ration of accusations of dementia, over-homerism toward his beloved Golden Dome, etc. But to be fair to him, he did emphasize thathe didn’t mean that ND was as good as others in the top five, just that their schedule breaks so well for them. Lou said that only one of ND’s 12 opponents (USC) is among the top 37, but he’s mistaken: Michigan State was the fourth team in ”others receiving votes,” which would make them 29. And that’s another team that will beat the Domers.

I get Lou’s point, and he’s obviously trying to stir the pot some, but I can’t see ND having fewer than three losses. USC is a guaranteed loss; I don’t care if they’re playing in front of Touchdown Jesus. They also get Sparty at home, but MSU should have greater overall talent, especially on D, than ND. Then they have roadies at Pitt and Stanford, either of whom can beat them. Sorry, Lou–stick to praising Hitler’s leadership skills.

Chris wins Championship week, going a combined 16-5 in the last three weeks and making a serious move towards the top. But now…

It’s the Fourth and Dumb Bowl Week Extravaganza!

Your four intrepid writers have nothing better to do than to pick all 34 bowl games, so that’s what we’re going to do. This one decides who wins it all.

Commentary and analysis after the jump.
Continue reading ‘Pick ‘Em – Bowl Week Extravaganza – Part 1’ »

Introduction: In this space, I will be liveblogging some of the early action of Week 12.  My main focus will be Notre Dame versus Navy in Baltimore on CBS, but I will also be changing the channel occasionally to check out Duke at Clemson on Raycom Sports.  Since I do not have cable, I will not be checking out whichever Big Ten game is assigned to my market, but I will be following it as well as other early game through the magic of the Internets.  I turn on the TV and I see some cartoon on CBS.  Is it just me, or do these Saturday morning cartoons get more stupid as I get older?  This cartoon block is called Kewlopolis, how gay.  I require intelligence and lots of pop culture references to sate me now.

Pre-Game: The big question today is whether Navy can prevent last year’s “upset” of Notre Dame that ended the longest series losing streak in NCAA history from being just a footnote in Notre Dame’s complete dominance of this rivalry since Roger Staubach.  Notre Dame also wants to prove they are back from last year’s terrible season.  Their best win this season might be Stanford.  A win over Navy might end up being the best of all of them, what with Navy’s wins over Wake Forest and Air Force.

In the other game, Duke can actually still become bowl eligible.  They need to win two of their final three games to get to six wins.  That task will be quite difficult.  They have a chance at scalping Clemson today, but they would then have to beat either Virginia Tech or North Carolina.  Ouch.  On the other hand, Clemson has this game and then South Carolina.  A win today would be much more difficult than one against the Cocks.

Among other games are three that were mentioned in the “Five Things We Will Learn” column kickoff either now or at 12:30.  I will keep track of those and let you know of any upset alerts.

Kickoff: These AT&T commercials are usually funny, but I am offended by this commercial with the police officers.  Ironically, the next commercial is an Army commercial.  Not the military academy, but the entry level path.

The introduction mentions the history of this rivalry, including the streak.  Of course, ended by that ever present word in 2008, “change.”  According to coach Ken Niumatalolo, the Midshipmen have got to believe and achieve.  No matter how you feel about the military, is it always impressive seeing them marching in formation in stadiums.  It looks like the Navy students are going to fill the entire lower seating area in one of the end zones.

I always find it strange that the military academies have cheerleaders.  Navy will kickoff to Notre Dame.  According to Steve Beuerlein and Craig Bolerjack, Navy won the toss, which was attended by Condi Rice and Robert Gates.

First Quarter:

14:52: First play from scrimmage is a big rush from Notre Dame right into the Ravens logo.  Talk about establishing the run.

12:49: We have already hear the Notre Dame fight song and Anchors Away.  Navy jumps offsides.  We will hear it many more times today.  We hear about Notre Dame’s playmakers in “Above the Lein.”  Time out Notre Dame.

The slow motion Dr. J commercial is pretty cool, but it could become a victim of being played way too much.  I

12:35: Notre Dame is not having much trouble moving the ball early.  They convert the third down.  Next play, Navy stuffs the run.

11:49: Jimmy Clausen makes a really bad throw on his first pass.  Intercepted by Navy.  You know what time it is?  Totally awesome triple option time!

11:41: That is, if they can avoid false starting and being sacked.  Hehe, Navy can explode at any time.  Now would be a good time, being deep in their own end.

10:39: Navy attempts its first pass.  It was almost as bad as Notre Dame’s first pass.  Navy will punt; they kick it to almost midfield.  This is the first time all year Navy did not score on its opening possession.

I am getting sick of the commercial with the executive who only text messages at work.  I flipped to my usual Raycom station, a MyNetwork affiliate, and they are showing a movie.  I flip around and find the game on the Fox station.  Strange.  At least it is on at all.

9:46: Notre Dame should try to win this game without throwing a pass.  Navy is not going to be able to stop them on the ground, so keep hitting them until the Middies can stop it.  Notre Dame tries something fancy and gets stopped.  Obviously, they are not listening to me.

8:24: Jimmy Clausen completes its first pass.  It is caught in the flat and goes for a first down.

8:00: Notre Dame tries another pass and Jimmy Clausen gets sacked and fumbles.  Navy recovers.  If Navy can win the turnover battle like this, they are going to have a great shot.

Bud Light sucks, but the commercials are great.  Especially if they feature women at football games.  Duke and Clemson are ten minutes in and still scoreless.  Clemson is in all orange.  Eww.

7:31: Navy runs up the middle.  We get an update from Urbana-Champaign.  The Illibuck game is tied at seven.  Illinois is wearing orange and white today.  Eww.

6:43: The triple option is a thing of beauty.  Can you imagine how gorgeous it would be

6:04: Navy was unable to get a first down on its series, so they punt.  Block-six for Notre Dame!  They get flagged for celebration, so they will kick off from the 20.  Notre Dame 7, Navy 0, 1st 6:03.

We have our first Navy commercial.  No, not the naval academy, but the entry level people.  Torpedo fodder.

5:57: Navy has a good return on the kickoff.  They start at their 36.

5:19: Navy is 0-3 when the other team scores first.  Uh-oh.  Navy airs it out (!) and the ball is almost intercepted at the ND 10.

5:09: Katani runs it up the middle.  It is 4th and 1, and Navy is going for the marker.  Movement!  Irish offsides, first down.  The referees are from the Big East, of which Notre Dame is 90% a member.  Just not the sport that counts.

3:50: Navy goes nowhere on first down, and get hit with a chop block penalty.  Craig or Steve call the Football Championship Subdivision university 10 miles to the north “Townson State.”

2:38: On 3rd and 21, Navy throws a pass, but it is dropped.  Both teams are playing sloppy, but Notre Dame is playing better overall.  Navy punts.

The Fighting Zooks (according to Tim Brando) give up a safety on a blocked punt.  Two points sure beats six.

2:10: Notre Dame starts at its 17.  They continue to run very well.  Third and short, James Aldridge gets it with ease.  Tornado Watch announcement and annoying beeping sound from the local station.

0:36: Buddy Green, Navy’s defensive coordinator, wants to stop the run.  Through the first quarter, his unit is not being very successful.  After the first quarter, Notre Dame leads Navy 7-0 and is driving at the Navy 38 yard line.

What looks like a Navy commercial with a bunch of veterans delivering two word lines turns out to be a Boeing commercial.  Well, they are a beneficiary of the defense monopsony.  One minute into the second quarter, Clemson is up on Duke 7-0.  Ohio State is up 16-7, while Texas-Kansas and Georgia-Auburn are early in the first quarter.

Second Quarter

15:00: Jimmy Clausen splits out wide.  Is this that newfangled Wildcat?  No matter, Navy foils the direct snap, so Notre Dame has to punt.  According to Craig, it is the first Notre Dame punt against Navy since 2004.

I hate Crackberries…er, Blackberries, and I hate the AT&T commercials with them.  The Enterprise commecial with the couple getting away for a romantic weekend is pretty dumb as well.

Readers: If you have any questions or comments, please post them in the Comments.  I will answer them as I see them, and I will be elated if there are too many comments for me to respond to.

14:35: Jack Swarbrick, athletic director at Notre Dame, is in the broadcast booth.  Craig is asking him to describe the status of the football program at Notre Dame.  The inevitable question about Charlie Weis’s job security is asked and answered in the affirmative.  He will evalutate them after the season, just like the top ranked women’s soccer team.

12:35: Navy celebrates something, and we go to commercial, but I have no idea what just happened, thanks to CBS distracting us from the action on the field.

Another non-academy Navy commercial.  We are going to see this commercial eight times, but the actual college promotion commercial once.  Duke just punted again.  Memorial Stadium at Clemson has lots of empty seats.  Understandable, given it is Duke, but Duke is not bad this year and bowl eligibility is at stake.  So this is the best atmosphere in the ACC?

12:20: It looks like Navy punted back to Notre Dame.

10:37: Notre Dame is not really using high risk-high reward plays, but it sure looks like it.  They gain chunks of yards alternating with several yard losses thanks to the Navy defense.  Notre Dame looks like it was going to break out but Navy held up and forced a punt.  Touchback.

I am sick of this Coke v. Coke Zero commercial.  Ohio State is up 24-7.  Georgia-Auburn is scoreless late in the first quarter.  Marine Corps Colonel Ripley, Navy ‘62, is “the man.”

8:40: Navy throws a pass.  First down!  More talk about Notre Dame’s relative lack of success in the Charlie Weis era.  Navy throws another pass.  What is going on here?!  Notre Dame is playing well against the run, so Navy has to get their mediocre passing game going.  Middles have to punt.  Irish throw two illegal blocks on the return, so they are backed up.

Finally, the Naval Academy has a commercial.  It is a pretty cool commercial, with good music, and it is a whole minute.  Hopefully we see that again in the second half instead of the entry level commercials.

6:51: Notre Dame starts at their own 7.  Jimmy Clausen avoids the safety sack and moves the Irish forward four yards on the pass.

Michigan is up 14-7 on Northwestern.  That is normal, except Michigan is not normal this year.  Rutgers is up 7-3 at USF.  How much of a disappointment have the Bulls been this year.

4:49: Notre Dame needs to punt.  Navy gets excellent field position.  They capitalize with a Katani run into Notre Dame territory.

3:42: Another Navy first down on a Bryant carry.  Notre Dame had their chance to knock the Middies out early, but they are ruing their failure now.  Katani pushes the pile again to the 23.  Just like the Irish were, Navy is now getting chunks on running plays.

2:39: 23-yard rushing touchdown on the option by Finnerty!  Navy has an illegal formation on the PAT.  Rekick from five yards further back.  Notre Dame 7, Navy 7 with 2:39 left in the second quarter.

Taco Bell commercials (this one is the one with the bull) are funny, but they rarely make me want to eat there.  Clemson is up 10-0 on Duke.  Auburn is up 6-0 on Georgia with a touchdown sans PAT.

2:32: Navy kicks off.  This scoreline is bad news for Notre Dame.  If they do not respond in the last 2 1/2 minutes of the half, they are going to feel the pressure going into the second half.

2:18: Notre Dame starts at their 22.  They go to the no-huddle and start throwing short-range passes.

1:39: Jimmy Clausen throws another awful pass and it is intercepted by Navy.  The Middies have the ball near midfield.  WIll they start throwing downfield to get into scoring range?

1:07: Navy fumbles the ball on their second play (an illegal formation, to boot) and Notre Dame recovers.  The Irish immediately get a good pass and are at the Navy 40.

0:39: Irish get a two-yard pass and call timeout.

Clemson is up 17-0 on Duke with less than a minute left in the half.  Have the Dookies been hit with reality?

0:39: Navy is still winning the turnover battle 3-1, but that does not include the punt block returned for a touchdown.

0:35: Clausen hits Grimes for a first down at the 30.

0:17: Navy misses a tackle, allowing Armando to continue along the sideline and go out of bounds at the Navy 16.

0:11: Clausen runs for it and gets crushed between two Navymen at the 9.  He is down and he is probably out.  Evan Sharpley, the backup, is warming up.

0:07: Sharpley pass to the end zone incomplete.  Clausen is back in for one more play before trying a field goal.  He throws it up for grabs in the right part of the end zone and the Notre Dame receiver grabs but drops it.

0:02: Brandon Walker comes on to kick a 28-yard field goal, but Ken Niumatalolo calls a time out to try to freeze him.  Twice.  Does this idiot strategy ever work?  Walker hits it through.  Notre Dame 10, Navy 7 at halftime.

Halftime

I am seeing the National Lampoon-derived commercial with Chevy Chase for Sprint.  Question for readers: is she or isn’t she wearing a swimsuit?  I have not seen the movie, so I am clueless.

Another entry level Navy commercial.  Bleh.

Penn State is only up 10-7 on Indiana at home.  Uh oh.  Ohio State is up 23-10 on Illinois at the half and serves to benefit if the Nittany Lions cannot get their Spread HD to pick up more than one channel.

I am serious disturbed by the AT&T commercial with the texting humbs with faces.  I am just annoyed by diamond commercials.  Yuck.

More disappointment in Tampa.  Rutgers is up 21-10 on USF.

Notre Dame’s college promotional commercial has more national defense and national service imagery than the Navy one, if that is possible.

Normalcy is returning.  Georgia scores to take the 7-6 lead over Auburn.

Brett Favre is hawking Wrangler Jeans.  He is in great shape, but he looks so old and I hate when athletes unretire.

The Verizon commercial looks like it takes place in Long Beach, California.  Can anyone confirm or deny?

The second Navy promotional commercial is more of a testimonial from a football player.  Decent, but the first one blows it out of the water.

Another entry level Army commercial.  The first part of the commercial shows working in the Army as a corporate job.  Is not one reason to go into the Army to avoid having to take a corporate job?

Third Quarter

15:00: Notre Dame will kick off to Navy to start the second half.

14:56: Navy fumbles the kick off reception.  They manage to recover the ball, but they start at their own 7.

14:21: First down Navy on the pitchout.  Navy has gotten better at moving the chains as the game has progressed.

12:42: Navy fails to convert on third down (and illegal formation to boot), so they have to punt.  It is a nice punt, but Golden Tate brings it back to midfield.

12:12: Uh oh.  Notre Dame is gaining chunks of yards again.  Another first down on a running play to get to the Navy 42.

We have our first comment from the peanut gallery!  From our friend Chris Borglum:

Auburn Georgia is playing like 1957: old-timey, run off tackle, slap those passes down football.

I’ve had two Red Stripes, DanGr, as I get ready for UF-SC, and I’ll keep checking in!

PS: Good parenting alert: wives are gathering elsewhere, and soon we’ll have three dads and four girls between 6-8 here, which will in no way slow down the beer intake.

I am completely in favor of young girls watching football with their fathers.  I am also in favor of getting them started pre-gaming while they are young and impressionable.

10:06: Notre Dame is having an excellent drive.  They are running the ball very well now.  If Navy cannot stop this on this drive and the next, this game could be over.

9:31: Forget this drive; 11 yard touchdown run by Armando Allen.  Cue the Irish fight song.  Notre Dame 17, Navy 7 with 9:31 left in the third quarter.

Another Navy enlistment commercial.  The next commercial, for Liberty Mutual, features a woman driving along normally before getting into an accident.  She does not slow down or anything.  Who is stupid enough to pull of that kind of rear-ending?

9:26: Navy returns the ball to the 19.  They stick with Jared Bryant at quarterback.  They will return to their bread-and-butter, but it is another three and out as they come up 2 yards short.

7:32: Notre Dame returns the punt to the 37 as the local station puts up yet another annoying weather alert.

Miller High Life commercial!  This one is positive; it does not feature the big black guy taking people’s beer.

The AFLAC Trivia Question asked us to name the two Navy coaches who had winning records in their first season in the period after World War II.  Guys named Hardin and Tranquill.  Very difficult unless you are an expert on Navy football.  It looks like Niumatalolo will join them in “immortality.”

The Allstate commercials with the football tailgaters are usually pretty good, but I am starting to tire of the one with the blonde wigs.

5:49: Notre Dame is starting to impose its will on Navy.  They are pushing them around.  Another long first down run.  And another one.  Navy needs to bring in the reinforcements.

4:11: Robert Hughes, the thunder-type back to complement Armando Allen, hammers away at the Naval front.  Then the front gets pierced for a Hughes touchdown.  Notre Dame 24, Navy 7 with 3:29 left in the third quarter.

Clemson is up 31-0 on Duke in the middle of the third quarter.  Shall we put the fork in this game?

3:29: Notre Dame is set to kick off.  It is really windy in Baltimore.  The Irish need to use a holder.  Navy returns the kickoff to the 20.

3:04: Navy has put in Ricky Dobbs at quarterback, but they get stuffed on first down.  He gets a nice gain on the second down play, but is stuffed again on third down.  Is this four down territory?  No, punt formation.

Penn State is pulling away from Indiana.  It is now 27-7.  The Lions are safe for this week.

0:54: Notre Dame’s players may be much bigger than the Navy players, but that is no excuse for shoddy tackling.  Another missed tackle leads to another big gain on first down.

0:06: Notre Dame is in Navy territory and driving.  The outlook is bleak for the Midshipmen if they allow another score on this drive.  Notre Dame 24, Navy 7 at the end of the third quarter.

Papa John’s has a new Italiano pizza.  I thought pizza was Italian?  How stupid do you think we are?

Ladies and gentlemen!  We have the worst non-game minutes of the afternoon: a small games lottery drawing.  The only things worse are those commercials for the games for which they are shagging balls.

Texas is up 21-0 on Kansas midway through the third quarter.  Unless the Fighting Manginos get it going, they are headed straight for 6-6.

13:39: James Aldridge busts through the Naval defenses for another first down.

11:54: Clausen hits Paris for a good gain.  Not another first down, but you just know a first down is around the corner.

11:17: Or maybe not.  Walker kicks a 36 yard field goal.  Notre Dame 27, Navy 7 with 11:17 left in the fourth quarter.

11:10: Notre Dame kicks off.  The announcers bring up Navy’s 20-point comeback against Temple two weeks ago, but Notre Dame is much better than Temple.

Ohio State is up 30-13 on Illinois.  No fork yet, but it looks like Illibuck is going back to Columbus and will keep the pressure on Penn State.  It is still 27-7 in State College.

9:25: Fourth and three.  Navy has to go for it.  Dobbs get stuffed.  Put a fork in this one; it is done.

These E*Trade commercials are old hat, but it is funny having a “clowns are creepy” reference.

DanGo, leave a comment with the name of the NASCAR driver who just promoted Wrangler Jeans.  That is, once you finally read this since you are kind of occupied right now.

9:07: The weather conditions in Baltimore at the moment are similar to how they were in the North Carolina State-Maryland game three weeks ago.  Heavy rain and miserable, if you are a Navy fan.  Evan Sharpley is in the game for Notre Dame at quarterback.

7:39: Notre Dame runs it to the 25 and goes out of bond.  Navy is penalized for a horse collar tackle to bring it deeper into the Navy end.

7:11: Will the Irish score again?  It would be nice if Notre Dame had names on their jerseys so I knew who was gashing the Midshipment.  I want to take names!

6:08: Notre Dame is hit with a 12 men on the field penalty, despite Charlie Weis calling timeout.  We later learn the side judge did hear Charlie Weis, so all is fine in Irishland, except everyone is getting soaked.

5:42: Jonas Grey appeared to stop when he hit the Navy line.  Navy’s defense is playing well at the moment, the moment being the last 90 seconds.  Too little, too late.  Notre Dame appeared to fumble, but it is ruled down.  There will be a review.

5:19: Survey says…fumble!  At least the replay is shockingly clear.  Navy ball at their own 5.  The officials need to get hit with the clue stick, because this is taking forever.  Beuerlein forgot that USC has not traveled to South Bend at the end of November since the early 1960s.  The officials get it right, but in a retarded fashion.

I really like the Christmas AFLAC commercial.  Rarely is an AFLAC commercial not entertaining.

4:47: Navy appears to hit a bomb at the 47 of Notre Dame, but the ball squirts out of the Navy receiver’s hands.  Niumatalolo challenges the call on the field of an incomplete pass.  On further review, it looks like this one will be overturned, or upheld on an obscure technicality.

4:47: We have an obscure technicality.  The play is upheld based on both players having possession of the ball.  Navy will have to punt.  Notre Dame will try to run the clock out on their 71st victory in this series.

Penn State and Ohio State are about to finish off Indiana and Illinois respectively.  Another stupid diamond commercial.  Another entertaining Miller High Life commercial (Miller staff invade a stadium luxury box), this one back to being negative.

Upset alert!  Auburn is up 13-10 on Georgia early in the fourth quarter.

3:50: Notre Dame is at midfield and is set to let the air out of this game.  The announcers are talking about out-of-town action, specifically highly ranked teams vis-a-vis the BCS.

2:30: The Irish go for it on fourth down and fail.  No matter, this one is over.  The fans who have fled the stadium know it.  The Midshipment brigades kind of have no choice but to stay to the bitter end.

Northwestern beat Michigan 21-14 in the Big House.  We know which team is superior in 2008, but it is still a shock to see that scoreline.

1:39: Shun White runs right for a 24-yard touchdown!  Navy has made the final score a little ore respectable.  Will we see an onside kick?  Notre Dame 27, Navy 14 with 1:39 left in the fourth quarter.

1:39: Navy does try the onside kick.  A Notre Dame player bats it out of bounds.  It was an illegal forward bat by the receiving team.  Navy will kick it again.

1:36: This time, Navy recovers the onside kick.  Uh oh.  Uh oh!  This would be incredible if they could pull this off.  They have the ball at the Notre Dame 41.  The rain has slowed down.

1:29: Oh my!  Can you believe it?!  Ricky Dobbs hits Tyree Barnes down the right side!  Touchdown Navy (?)!  But did Barnes step out of bounds or go out of bounds?  The play is being reviewed.  The toes were inbounds but the heel and side of the shoe was out of bounds.  Is this a complete pass?  It will not be a touchdown.

1:29: The officials get the play right.  The ball is at the one.  Dobbs is held on first down.  The announcers say Niumatalolo called a timeout, but I am pretty sure Navy had no timeouts!  I thought they lost their last time out on the failed challenge.

1:21: Ricky Dobbs on the keeper for a touchdown!  PAT is good!  Roughing the kicker on the PAT.  The kickoff will occur from the Navy 45.  Notre Dame 27, Navy 21 with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter.

1:21: We will definitely see an onside kick here.  Navy has no timeouts left, so a Notre Dame recovery ends the game.

1:21: Holy moly!  Navy recovers the onside kick!  There is a flag, but it is waved off.  Ball is at the 42 of Notre Dame.  Wow!

1:21: Notre Dame calls its last timeout to steady their ship.  Both teams are out of timeouts.  The Irish have been incredibly passive on these onside kicks.

1:10: Ricky Dobbs runs to the 33.  Clock runnning.  Shun White just misses catching the second down pass from Robbs.

0:44: Dobbs is forward to the 31.  First down.  Dobbs spikes the ball to stop the clock.  Second and 10 coming up.  0:39 left.

0:33: Dobbs is sacked at the 35.  Navy calls a timeout it does not have, but the referees give it to them!  Will the officials overturn that?!

0:33: Referees allow the timeout!!!  What a miscarriage of justice if you are an Irish fan.  Dobbs throws to the end zone, but no dice.  Fourth and 13 with 0:26 left.

0:22: Dobbs overthrows his receiver and the ball goes back to Notre Dame.  The Irish will take a knee, the clock will run out, the alma maters will be played, and I will continue blogging the late afternoon games in the next post.

Final Score: Notre Dame 27, Navy 21

Hey – what’s that? I’m not so bad at picking games after all. We’ve got a tie for second place now.

Boston College (+6.5) at #19 Florida State, Saturday 8:00pm ABC
Chris: Can anyone name any players on Boston College? I’m guessing DanGr could, but I can’t.
[Ed.: DanGr chose not to respond to this particular challenge, but I will: Kevin Challenger.]

South Carolina (+22.5) at #4 Florida, Sat 3:30pm CBS
DanGr: Does this seem familiar? They were in the exact same situation two years ago, twiddling their thumbs waiting for the SEC Championship Game. They ended up a botched field goal away from their national championship dreams being crushed in The Swamp by the Cocks. Do not be surprised if this is another close one, but the Gators will ultimately prevail.

#16 North Carolina (-3) at Maryland, Saturday 3:30pm ABC/ESPN
DanGo: There’s no “football science” in this pick. Maryland’s playing a a ranked team at home, thus.
Fred: Maryland is the Herschel Walker of college football. Not the dominating, run through eight brick walls and several small children actual player Herschel Walker, but you never know which Herschel you’re going to get Herschel Walker.

Minnesota (+13.5) at Wisconsin, Saturday 3:30pm ABC/ESPN
DanGo: Both of these teams have had a surprising season; Minnesota in a good way, Wisconsin in a not so good way. The Gophers have been surprising, but the loss to Michigan last week was a demoralizing blow, and the Badgers look to be too tough to stop.

Virginia Tech (+3.5) at Miami (FL), Thursday 8:00pm ESPN
Chris: Robert Marve continues running in place by throwing a couple picks, and Va Tech gets just enough offense to win.
DanGo: While I’m cheering for the Hokies the whole time in this one, I’m going to have to pick against them. The offense has still been stagnant, and even with a questionable return from Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies have too many question marks to play 60 minutes with a resurgent group of Hurricanes.

UCF (+7) at Marshall, Saturday 4:30 CSS
Chris: UCF has the worst offense in Division I, but Joe Burnett will get a pick and make a special teams play to get the Knights over. Bet on a combined under of 29 points.
PS–boy does George O’Leary suck.
DanGr: George O’Leary not only did not play college football, he also did not earn a Master’s in Education from NYU. Zing! That is besides the point. Face it, this Golden Knights team is as tarnished as O’Leary’s reputation. They are going to get spanked in Huntington against a Herd that wants to put pressure on East Carolina in the C-USA East race.

Notre Dame (-4) at Navy (Baltimore, MD), Saturday 12:00pm CBS
DanGr: If I pick against Navy again, my fiancée will exile herself to the couch.
Chris: DanGR, your fiancee needs to start practicing now to be a wife: YOU get exiled to the couch, not her.
DanGr: My fiancee will be no ordinary wife. I paid for the bed, so it is she who leaves. She agrees with me on this point.

Dan Greenstein wins the week, going an impressive 6-1 to clear DanGo by a full game.

#1 Texas (-4.0) at #7 Texas Tech, Saturday 8:00pm ABC
Fred: Madden scoring in this game, folks. I’m looking forward to it, if only so I can have a passing-induced seizure that makes Porygon look kid friendly.
DanGr: This is the biggest test the Longhorns will face in 2008. The game will come down to how well the defenses can stop the offenses. Texas has the better defense, so they will prevail in a shootout that comes down to the last five minutes.

#24 Oregon (+2.5) at California, Saturday 3:30pm ABC
Fred: Did you know that Donald Duck is one of the mascots of the Ducks, and Disney is signed on with this? The More You Know (NBC tone).
DanGr: The Golden Bears will grab momentum and end Oregon’s conference hopes before a sharp impulse next week at USC ends Cal’s conference hopes. It will be close, but Cal will lay better at home than Oregon will play on the road.

#8 Florida (-6.5) at #6 Georgia, Saturday 3:30pm CBS
Chris: The big story here is going to be the Gator pass rush and run defense; the former will keep Stafford off balance, so the question is whether the latter can slow Moreno. I think they can, and I think that Demps and Rainey will break off some long ones in the second half to lead the Gators to a comfortable win. But yeah, like you’d expect me to say anything else.
DanGr: It will be a shootout between the teams that hung half a hundred on LSU. Georgia will come closest to repeating that feat as the Matt Stafford-A.J. Green connection makes the difference.

Miami (FL) (+2.5) at Virginia, Saturday 12:00pm Raycom Sports
DanGo: I don’t know what’s going on in Charlottesville, but somehow these guys have moved themselves to the top of the Gordian Knot that is the ACC Coastal Division. The Wahoos are 4-1 at home this year, and I don’t see any reason for that to change.
Fred: At some point Virginia has to be terrible like they’re supposed to be.
Right? Right?

#16 Florida State (+2) at Georgia Tech, Saturday 3:30 ABC/ESPN
DanGo: Another ranked ACC team is the underdog versus an unranked conference foe. The ‘Noles are probably better than everyone gives them credit for; their defense played well against Virginia Tech last week, especially against the run, and the Yellow Jackets are averaging only about 115 passing yards per game. Look for the Florida sweep this week with a win in Atlanta.

Pittsburgh (+5) at Notre Dame, Saturday 2:30 NBC
Chris: No analysis: I just hate the Domers.
Fred: This is more of a “holy hell Pitt’s a mess” pick than a “yeaaaaaaaaaaah Notre Dame” pick.

Northwestern (+7.5) at Minnesota, Saturday 12:00pm ESPN2
We’re all just taking a blind pick at this one; there’s really not a lot of positive things worth commenting about for either team.

Hey look, Chris won the week! Picking against the chalk and conventional wisdom proved fruitful, bringing him within four games of .500 for the season.

There’s a great slate of matchups this week; there will be contenders eliminated after this week. Hopefully none of them will have to face Nitro in the Joust.

Clemson (+2.5) at #21 Wake Forest, Thursday 7:30pm ESPN
Chris: Wake Forest will beat Clemson because Clemson is coached by Tommy Bowden, who may distracted by how good his players look in their tight pants.

#4 LSU (+6) at #11 Florida, Sat 8:00pm CBS
Chris: Florida will slip by LSU by single digits on the strength of some long runs by Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps and strong linebacker play which will limit LSU’s run game (a little) and force them to try to win through the air, not their strong suit this year.
DanGr: The Gator loss to Ole Miss revealed some cracks in the foundation. The Tigers will turn those cracks into breaches behind the steady play of newfound prime quarterback Jarrett Lee. Granted, LSU is not without flaws, which Florida will use to keep this close until the end. The oddsmakers pick LSU to lose by 6, which they will be doing before a successful nutjob, brass ball Les Miles decision in the final minute.

#5 Texas (+6.5) at #1 Oklahoma, Sat 12:00pm ABC
DanGo: IThe Big 12 has begun to resemble the NBA All-Star game — who the hell plays defense at these things? Rice and Tulsa combined for 1030 yards, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Longhorns and Sooners surpassed that.
DanGr: The Sooners always come to play hard in Dallas, something Texas can only surmount when the Longhorns are clearly superior on paper. Some things never change. Add another notch–not to mention a ten gallon hat–to the belt of Bob Stoops.

South Carolina (-1) at Kentucky, Sat 12:30pm Raycom
DanGo: South Carolina may be a slim favorite in this game, but the ‘Cats have peaked more recently, even though they were given a bit of a boost by Leigh Tiffin’s leg. Kentucky wins in a squeaker.

Notre Dame (+7.5) at #22 North Carolina, Sat 3:30pm ABC/ESPN
DanGr: North Carolina is ranked for the first time since 2001. Notre Dame is not ranked, which is just as good since if they were they would be called overrated. Both teams are greatly improved over last year, but only one of them can win this week. Bruce Carter will be the different for the Tar Heels as he blocks at least one punt to make the difference in a close game.

#6 Penn State (-6) at Wisconsin, Sat 8:00pm ESPN
DanGo: Wisconsin’s chances for legitimacy disappeared after back-to-back close losses to Michigan and Ohio State on consecutive weekends. Penn State is for real, and Wisconin will drop three straight.

#17 Oklahoma State (+14) at #3 Missouri, Sat 8:00pm ESPN2
Chris: Missouri will beat the living hell out of Oklahoma State, though the Cowboys will score some points on Mizzou’s defense. Mike Van Gundy will then call his brothers Stan and Jeff to cry, even though he’s a man who’s now 41.