Twelve Men On The Field
So, the Bucs used their pair to score a pair and win the game. The Gators couldn’t get out of neutral against the Cocks. Uh, I’m out of phallic references. Anyway, this week we take a look at both of those games, the upcoming college bowl season, and TALB’s take on the NFL standings.
Two If By Sea
TALB is more than happy to eat his words on Chris Simms. Though I’m not ready to anoint the young man as the next Joe Montana just yet, he did have a darn good game Sunday. TALB is a Bucs fan, through thick and thin, so even though I have a low opinion of Simms right now, that doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind. Though the old saying of “every dog has his day” has been in my head since the game started. But give the kid his due. He was efficient with the ball and made the right decisions most of the time. If he can keep this up for the next few weeks, then we might be on to something.
The number 1 and 7 defenses in the league squared off as the game started. By the end I’m sure their ratings fell. We all expected a 17-10 slugfest kind of day out of this collision. And both defenses did come up big in bits and pieces. The Redskins did limit the Bucs to 61 yards rushing. And the hometown boys forced the Skins into three turnovers. But they couldn’t stop our pass and we couldn’t stop their run. But this is what usually happens in this league. Games so rarely go “by the script” as it were.
Last week TALB looked at the schedule and thought the team could go 10-6 just playing the up and down style they’d displayed through the Carolina game. The x-factor will be which Bucs team shows up the rest of the year. If the team that handled the Vikings and Dolphins and outlasted the Redskins comes through, then maybe even 11-5 or 12-4 is possible. If the team that lost to the Jets, 49ers, and Panthers is the future then 6-10 to 8-8 is probably about the best we can hope for.
This analysis would not be complete without talking about Jon Gruden and his stones. Five dash four would not be a good look around these parts. At that point, Chucky’s seat would begin to get warm. But 6-3 is a ton better. Plus the players now know the coach is going to play to win. This is the game, and that is the play, that will be talked about as the turning point of the season should the Bucs have more success and reach their ultimate goal.
Dems Da Breaks Kid
The defining moment of the Gators’ loss to South Carolina on Saturday was, of course, the twelve men on the field penalty that ended any possibility of a comeback. Throughout the contest the Gators just could not catch a break. Every close call went against them. Every bounce of the ball was in the Gamecocks’ favor. It was disheartening to say the least. TALB wonders though, why did we switch back to the full spread option? Seems like the hybrid version worked pretty well against Georgia a couple weeks back.
Though TALB doesn’t support it, expect to see fireurbanmeyer.com to get started pretty soon. I mean, if Ron Zook can get three years, then TTNHBC deserves at least that much time.
And to think that since Georgia lost later in the evening, the Gators would have won the SEC East had they been able to pull out a win. Talk about squandered opportunities.
When the game ended (for me late at night on the old Tivo) I had a bunch of piss and vinegar ready to go for this space. But I decided to go to bed instead.
Blanked
The hometown USF Bulls went up to Syracuse and put a 27-0 hurting on the reeling Orange. In the process they inch closer to that BCS berth and a date with the SEC Champ in the Sugar Bowl. They can’t overlook the next two games against lowly Cincinnati and UConn. If they drop either of those “land mine” games then it was all for naught. The Bulls must make it unscathed to the December 3 showdown with West Virginia. Though, even a second place finish would put the Bulls into a bowl of some kind.
Next On ESPN’s Bowl Week: The Olive Garden Never-Ending Salad Bowl
There truly are too many bowls these days. There are 28 of them in fact. That’s 56 teams. There are just 117 in all of Division I-A college football. For the math inclined, that means that just about 48% of all D-IA football teams will make a bowl each year. On the flip side, that means that just about any team with a following and a decent record can “earn” a trip to a bowl. So, let’s talk about some teams of interest.
Florida - Depending on the outcome of the FSU collision, they should end up either at the Capital One (nee Citrus) Bowl or right here in Tampa for the Outback. Either way they’ll be facing a mid-level Big 11 foe.
South Florida - As mentioned above, should they win out a trip to the Sugar Bowl is in their future. How crazy would that be? USF in the BCS, but Florida and FSU out. We live in some crazy times. Anyway, if the Bulls can’t win the Big East then they are likely headed to the number two spot which is the Meineke Bowl in, uh, hold on… Charlotte. The opponent would come from the ACC.
Florida State - As a division champion in the ACC, the Noles still have a shot at the BCS. However they’d be facing either Miami or Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship; bad times. Expect a trip to the Peach Bowl for Bobby’s boys.
Miami - Should the Canes win the ACC Championship, the Orange Bowl is obligated to select them. If they don’t make it out alive, the entire ACC bowl picture gets scrambled.
It Has Been Broughten
So begins the Florida-FSU fortnight. In two Saturdays, the in-state rivals clash for the umpteenth time. The game will be carried on CBS is glorious HD at 3:30 PM. Smack dab in the middle of John and Michelle’s nuptials.
The game will be played in Gainesville, where the Gators are 6-0 this season. The Noles are 2-2 on the road.
Florida carries a 28-19-2 series lead. Though the Gators have won only six times since 1987.
Last year I thought the Gators would get woodshedded by the Noles, but the lads were able to pull it out. This year, both teams are struggling to find their way. Both have pretty good defenses. And both feature offenses that can light it up one week and get stuffed the next. The challenge for FSU will be to find motivation. Sure, beating a rival should be enough motivation, but for teams like FSU (and Florida and Miami) there is always the thought of bigger and better things. The Noles are already headed to the ACC championship and unless they get much better real fast, are also pretty much slotted into the Peach Bowl.
On the other side, the Gators are fighting for their season. Their bowl destiny is hardly set in stone. In fact the Gators could tumble down the SEC bowl hierarchy should some other teams in the SEC continue winning and moving up. A win against FSU would put the Gators back on solid footing for a New Year’s Day bowl.
So, who do I think will win? I’ll tell you next week.
BMOC
Discontinued for the rest of the season. I just haven’t been paying enough attention. And reading the game summaries and typing them back at you just wasn’t working for me. I’ll see about reworking this segment for next season. Or… an enterprising reader could take this on and become a member of Team TALB.
The Stretch Run
As we round the turn into the last seven weeks of the NFL season, where do we stand?
AFC East - Patriots
The Patriots are leading, but barely. The Bills are just one game behind, with the Dolphins a game behind them. If the Jets weren’t terrible, even at 2-7 they’d still be in the hunt. The Patriots will probably outlast everyone and limp to the division title.
AFC West - Broncos
The Broncos have a two game cushion over the Chargers and Chiefs. Plus they’re playing great football. I can’t see anyone taking this away from Denver. Though both of the also-rans could end up as wild-cards, or they could both get shut out.
AFC North - Steelers, Bengals (WC)
The Steelers and Bengals sit at 7-2 and have a comfortable four game lead. If the Steelers (read Big Ben) get healthy, they’ll run away with the division. Can the Bengals keep it going? If so, they can take a wild card spot.
AFC South - Colts, Jaguars (WC)
Well, there’s the Colts, and then three games back is a very good Jaguars club.
NFC East - Cowboys, Giants (WC)
The Eagles are dead last in the division right now. They trail Dallas and the Giants by two games. The Cowboys have just two division games remaining (at Giants, at Skins). While the Giants have to play the Eagles twice, the Skins once, and have that date with the Boys. Dallas just seems to have the more favorable schedule right now.
NFC West - Seahawks
The Seahawks are comfortably ahead of the Rams by 3 games. I can’t see them faltering too much down the stretch.
NFC North - Bears
If not for the AFC East, this might be the worst division in football right now. But the Bears are way out in front of the reeling Vikings and bad Lions. Though there is room for the Vikings to squeak into the lead. The Bears have a brutal schedule ahead; with games against Carolina, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta. While the only “good” team (besides the Bears) left on the Vikings’ slate is a home date against the Steelers. And as euphoric as it was, the Lions’ most recent success came against the Cardinals.
NFC South - Panthers, Bucs/Falcons (WC)
This weekend’s collision between Atlanta and Tampa Bay will go a long way toward determining second place in the division. Tied at 6-3, the winner gets a temporary 2 game lead (until they meet again on Christmas Eve). There’s also the possibility that both the Bucs and Falcons play well enough through the end of the season to secure wild card bids and shut-out the NFC East runner-up.
Stuff It
Pro Bowl balloting has
opened. Go vote for Caddy and Alstott.
Running Items
WTF?
Through six conference games this season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have scored 33 points. All of those contests were losses.
Breath Of A Salesman
I was just browsing CNNSI.com and ran across an ad banner for Viagra. The tag line is, “To the weekend warriors out there. Play Hard.” That is all. Make your own joke.
Rose Bowl
Texas vs. USC
I’ll reverse the names this week. What else is there to say?
Super Bowl XL
Panthers vs. Colts
These are very likely the two best teams in the NFL right now.
Next Week: UF/FSU pick, Bucs and Falcons coverage, and something about football…
