College Football 2007 - Week 1: True Freshman (Aug 26 - Sep 1)

[JohnBM01]

The GTPlanet college football season has begun! I'll try to cover as many games as I can in each report. I usually focus on NCAA football. It means that I'll try to cover every division between Division 1-A/FBS through Division 3. I may offer up some old moments in my posts. I'll try to do a little more for each post and report. I thank all of you. I'm more than glad to have generated such an audience. As a change of pace, I'll only comment on games in divisons that actually saw action. So even if the University of Michigan plays at Grand Valley State, it's a Division 2 school because the home team is a Division 2 unit. I'll even come along with Extras which range from just rambling to sharing football talk or talking about stuff other than football. I want you (yes you) to get involved with college football. Maybe you have some questions. I don't know everything, but I'll try to answer them as best as I can. I won't bear you down with stats. I'm not ESPN in that respect.

Having said all of this, Division 2 kicked off the new season. Will you help continue football season? As a different measure this season, I probably won't advertise my threads in my signature. So just be sure to come on over to the Football forum to chat college pigskin. Is that cool? Time to go back to school, players. Let's do this!

 

[JohnBM01]

The fun should all begin this Thursday. Sorry I haven't come up with anything to type in the meanwhile.

 

[JohnBM01]

College football begins today. Are you excited?

I'll have as many games as I could deliver when I have it available. However, I just want to share a little story with you all.


EXTRA: A Field of Dreams
Look out, Boise State! You're not the only school to sport a blue field anymore! It's a northwestern city, but VERY high up. I'm talking about Barrow High School in Barrow, Alaska. Alaska does not have any sort of collegiate football team. You know that something special is in the works when you can build a football field in Barrow. Barrow, AK is WAY up there. In fact, Barrow is the northernmost settlement in the United States. It is located at about the highest point of Alaska. A lady by the name of Cathy Parker was relentless in trying to get a permanent football field for the Barrow Whalers. Parker is an accountant who is from Jacksonville, Florida. She wanted to help Barrow High School get a football field for which to make their football debut. Most of you know I love a combination of blue and gold. The blue and gold field for this school is a beautiful combination. The blue color is almost like the blue colors of Boise State's football field. If you look at the links below, you realize how close the field is to the Arctic Ocean. And don't worry. It isn't like hurricanes happen in Alaska or in the Arctic Ocean. The Whalers of Barrow High School would defeat the Seward High School Seahawks 18-16. And how do some Whalers party? They dip right into the Arctic Ocean and celebrate! Has to be FRIGID COLD being in those waters! It was a "nighttime" football game. The game ended before 10PM local time up there. It's pitch black in most places at 10PM, but the sun is still out at 10PM in Alaska.

Here are some links to pictures and more information on this dream come true:
http://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com/2007/08/dream-realized-in-barrow.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=tundrafolo

Great stuff, huh?



EXTRA: High School Football in Alaska... Will College Football Follow?
My own deal on high school football in Alaska is nothing short of a dream come true. I haven't read any reports of any Alaska college or university considering football. The University of Alaska System has three universities: the University of Alaska-Anchorage, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and the University of Alaska Southeast. Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks do not have football programs and are in Division 2 as part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. And as you would imagine, Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks are rivals. They usually play for the Alaska Governor's Cup in hockey and in a few other sports. But what if their rivalry extended into football? It would mean an immense possibility. The closest NFL franchise to most Alaskans would of course be the Seattle Seahawks. There may be some football over time with these two schools. But as of right now, who knows?


I'll have results from tonight when I compile my report for you all. I'm not going to post in my signature of any highlights anymore. So I'm hoping you all find the latest college football thread and go make your posts. Thanks for reading. See you all later.

 

[JohnBM01]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! You want scores? I got 'em. You want 'em? I'll meet you in the End Zone. Yeah. Try and stop me. Make your secondary earn their stripes. I'm coming at you full-on with college football scores. Let's get this rock rolling.



Scores for Thursday - August 30, 2007

--- Division 1: Football Bowl Subdivision ---
Did you know that the NCAA changed rules so that kickoffs now come from the 30-yard line? Let's begin with SEC action.

Dogs are Better Than Cats... or at Least Mississippi State Thinks So...
* #2 LSU {Tigers} at Mississippi State {Bulldogs}
Let's kick off college football with a game in Starksville, Mississippi. It must be a football Summer. You got a drought. It may be hot already... but it's going to get hotter as Starksville are ready to get off their bums and cheer on their hometown puppies. A pretty balmy night under cloudy skies greeted Mississippi State and LSU. The Mississippi State Bulldogs may be a football cupcake unlike another bunch of SEC doggies (guess who), but they are wanting to make a huge comeback. Mississippi State isn't afraid of a little purple and gold. LSU can be like Dale Earnhardt Sr.- pure intimidators. They are easily the best team in Louisiana with some of the biggest talent. Great backs and receivers, big and nasty defensive players, LSU's nobody to mess with. The Tigers are ready to give Mississippi State and Sylvester Croom some early sweat. There was a chance of rain for this game. Nothing says football like rugged football players playing in rain. The rain intensified with about 2:42 left in the 1st Quarter. LSU coasted with a 17-0 cushion after one half of play. Van Chancellor (former LSU women's basketball coach as well as former coach of my Houston Comets of the WNBA) was in the house. He went to Mississippi State, but supports LSU since LSU's paying him. All the LSU points heading into the fourth quarter came on turnovers. Can you believe it? LSU got it done in a beatdown and a shutout. Same thing, right? (45-0; #2 Louisiana State)

DID YOU KNOW... ...that LSU's landscape design program is the best in the nation? This was according to an LSU commercial marketing the school.


Allow me to introduce "Old School" to my reports. These are simply look backs at past football moments. Some of which usually pertain to certain teams. Check this:

Old School: Mississippi State's First Two Games in 2006
Think the Bulldogs are crap? Think back to last season. Mississippi State failed to score in two straight games. Mississippi State is not as good as their basketball program, but they stumbled twice in succession. And I believe both schools were SEC schools last season.



Tulsa Ready to Rampage Louisiana-Monroe
* Tulsa {Golden Hurricane} at Louisiana-Monroe {Warhawks}
Tulsa will be without the services of Steve Kragthorpe. Kragthorpe is out trying to make a name for himself at Louisville (next game in order). Tulsa remains a talented team, but how talented are they when Tulsa goes to Monroe, Louisiana? Read on with me. Tulsa has two real major universities. You have the University of Tulsa and the non-football school known as Oral Roberts University (a talented men's basketball program). Tulsa was a WAC school before going to Conference USA. The Golden Hurricane are ready to head into Louisiana to meet a team with a new mascot. The University of Louisiana-Monroe was known as the Indians. Thanks to NCAA rules regarding team mascots of Native Americans and/or hostile names, they had to make a change. And so, ULM chose the Warhawks as their nickname. They aren't the only school with Warhawks as their nickname. In fact, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (Division 3) are known as the Warhawks. Surprisingly, the Warhawks lead 17-14 over Tulsa. Tulsa came back to blow the Warhawks out of the air. Upset averted. (35-17; Tulsa)



Murray State Ready to go Gran Turismo All Over Louisville[/I]
* Murray State {Racers} at #10 Louisville {Cardinals}
FoolKiller's least favorite team is playing at home. It's Louisville taking on Murray State. Murray State could upset Louisville in mens' basketball. Murray State isn't exactly a football power. Or let's look at it like this from their perspective. This is Step 1 of Louisville trying to go 2-0 until they go to Lexington in two weeks. GTP's own (and my friend) FoolKiller calls Louisville the University of Running Up the Score. Let's see if they'll run her up when Murray State comes to town. There's reason to believe that Louisville may lose here. Louisville's men's basketball team almost lost an exhibition game against Georgetown College, an NAIA school from Georgetown, KY. But this is football. And for a while, Louisville's been known as a basketball school while Kentucky's been whipping people's butts. In recent times, there's been a role reversal. The city of Louisville is excited that their Cardinals can win in more than just basketball. People in Lexington can only hope Murray State gets Wildcat fans reason to laugh their butts off while enjoying a beer. Murray State is known as the Throughbreds in a few sports. Kentucky is known for horse racing. And if you're trying to make a name in horse racing in the Bluegrass State, you'd better win the Kentucky Derby. The Racers are ready to ride their horses into Louisville. Will they be as great as Secretariat... or will they stumble like Barbaro? Louisville were motoring away from Murray State. The Racers didn't seem to have enough horsepower to overtake Louisville. Murray State knows that Louisville has to play absolutely BAD for the Murray crew to win. Louisville led 49-10. This is like a basketball blowout. This is Connecticut hammering Savannah State in basketball. You call Louisville the university of running up the score. I think Louisville likes it that way. Just ask Murray State. (73-10; #10 LOUISVILLE)

OFF-TOPIC: I mentioned Kentucky. Bad news for the Wildcats is that Wide Receiver Steve Johnson was charged for resisting arrest. He was driving without his seatbelt buckled in. He was also going to be arrested by an officer for having unpaid parking tickets. Kentucky meets Eastern Kentucky this Saturday in Lexington. Remember, boys and girls: click it... or ticket. Don't find out the hard way.

Also, Mr. Mabry (Kentucky linebacker) is out indefinitely with some thumb troubles. He'll need surgery for his thumb. So the 'Cats will be perhaps two guys short in their game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.



Boise State Tries to Continue Their Winning Streak
* Weber State {Wildcats} at #21 Boise State {Broncos}
Someone on CSTV or ESPN said that the 2007 Fieta Bowl would be the most uninteresting BCS Bowl Game. Who would have known that Boise State would knock off Oklahoma in Arizona? Boise State may not be the most talented team in the WAC for this year. Reason being is because Hawaii's been getting a lot of love by prognosticators and analysts. Before Boise State makes ready for Hawaii later this year, they have to worry about Weber State. Boise State was part of the Big Sky Conference before moving on to the WAC. So you could say that this is a family reunion of sorts. The Broncos were unbeaten all last year. They are trying to prove that they aren't the only team west of the Rocky Mountains that can play some pigskin. Weber State can be found in Utah. The city of Ogden, UT, to be exact. The Wildcats are ready to get wild playing on the blue field. Weber State wears purple or indigo. They don't wear Boise State blue. And when you don't wear BSU blue, you're going to get smacked up real bad. It ain't gonna be pretty, player. So let get this one started. This deal was over before it started. (56-7; #21 BOISE STATE)

SIDE NOTE: ESPNU's "College Football Live" asked if Hawaii and Fresno State could join the Pac-10. I think Fresno State is a good team, but I think Hawaii and Boise State would be great if the Pac-10 adds a few member schools. The deal is if both schools can meet



Cincinatti Conjures Crystal-Clear Calamity
* Southeast Missouri State {Redhawks} at Cincinatti {Bearcats}
Cincinatti wishes to creamate Southeast Missouri State. The Cincinatti Bearcats are proud to make their case clear and loud. The Redhawks aren't tough, but their battle will be mighty rough. Cincinatti, in the end, won the game and made the Redhawks' loss tough to mend. Pardon me for my bad rhyming 'cause that's not my thing; I can't do poetry nor can I sing. Southeast Missouri State squealed like a pig; Cinicnatti wins... you dig? (59-3; CINCINATTI)



Utah State is Betting the Farm on Beating UNLV
* UNLV {Rebels} at Utah State {Aggies}
Texas A&M aren't the only Aggies. Utah State's Aggies are ready to take on the pathetic excuse of a football team known as UNLV. There are many reasons to go to UNLV. Hoping to see them make a Bowl Game isn't one of them. The Rebels are better known for shocking Duke in the 1990(?) NCAA March Madness men's tournament. But could UNLV get her done in the state of Utah against another Mountain West team? No! The Rebels will head back to Las Vegas with a big win. Like winning it all at the Golden Nugget. (23-16; Nevada-Las Vegas)



Beavers Look Ready to Dam Up Utah's Chances of Winning




New Jersey's Only 1-A/FBS School Ready to Meet Some New Yorkers
* Buffalo (Bulls) at Rutgers {Scarlet Knights}
The birthplace of college football is ready to give birth to a new season of Rutgers football. Rutgers has been exciting for the first time in many, many years. Their outstanding run of success last season helped them to be better regarded among college football folk. Rutgers had been in the news for all the wrong reasons while the college football season was over. There were the controversial comments from Don Imus in talking about the Rutgers women's basketball team. A long number of deals were settled over the offseason. Now, Rutgers and the Scarlet Knights of the Round Table are ready to deal damage to any foe who dare detest Rutgers. One of those foes could be Buffalo. The city of Buffalo didn't like that the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL weren't Stanley Cup champs. The Buffalo Bills still lack any real pop in the NFL. Buffalo seems like a lifeless sports city. The University of Buffalo may not make things any better. The Bulls are ready to give it another go after a pretty horrid season last season. Is this reborn Rutgers team good enough to take down the Bulls?
11:15 left in fourth, it's 35-3 in favor of the Scarlet Knights. That margin would be uncontested as Rutgers motors away to a 1-0 win-loss record. (38-3; RUTGERS)



Golden Flashes End up Being Red-Hot Flashes!
* Kent State {Golden Flashes} at Iowa State {Cyclones}
Time for some midwestern football. We go to Ames, Iowa for this one. Kent State will meet Iowa State on the road this week, then meet Kentucky the week after. The Golden Flashes of Kent, OH is famous... but for the wrong reasons back in the 1960s. It was the place where students were killed in the time where students were protesting the Vietnam War as soliders came in to eliminate the protesters. Kent State wants to beat Iowa State... in a flash. The Cyclones couldn't muster enough offense to beat the footballers from Ohio. (23-14; Kent State) *** disappointing loss nominee ***


*** Other 1-A Scores ***
* Southeastern Louisiana {Lions} at New Mexico State {Aggies} (35-14; NEW MEXICO STATE)
* Miami University {Redhawks} at Ball State {Cardinals} (14-13; Miami University)
* Utah {Utes} at Oregon State {Beavers} (24-7; OREGON STATE)





--- Division 1: Football Championship Subdivision ---
Time to start a new season. Right? So let's do this.

Golden Eagles Ready to Fly Against Eastern Illinois
* Tennessee Tech {Golden Eagles} at #17 Eastern Illinois {Panthers}
This is an Ohio Valley Conference match. Who's the most popular alum of Eastern Illinois as of late? Tony Romo, maybe? Plays for the Dallas Cowboys (the team who my Texans beat on Saturday)? EIU are ready to rock. They have a target on their backs even with Tennessee Tech trying to take down the kitties of Charleston. Charleston, Illinois is home to Eastern Illinois and their #17-ranked team. These Panthers are clad in blue with white numbers and silver helmets. They are ready to greet TenTU. Tennessee Tech is somewhat of a historically-black school. This is an Ohio Valley Conference school based in Cookstown, TN. The Golden Eagles are all ready to fly above Illinois with their purple and gold colors. The Golden Eagles weren't as golden in the first half as they trailed after 30 minutes to the Panthers. EIU coach, Bob Spoo, is looking to keep a good thing going. EIU was motoring along into the 4th Quarter.

*** Other 1-AA/FCS Scores ***
(NOTE: I may just let you know who won if I have no scores to share)
* Missouri-Rolla at Missouri State (62-17; MISSOURI STATE)
* Western New Mexico at Northern Arizona (47-0; NORTHERN ARIZONA)
* Quincy at Southern Illinois (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)
* South Dakota State at Western Illinois (WESTERN ILLINOIS)
* Minnesota State at Northern Iowa (41-14; NORTHERN IOWA)
* Ursinus (D3) at La Salle (28-0; Ursinus) *** disappointing loss nominee ***

Extra: Can Appalachian State Shock Michigan?
Right. Most people will normally say that this is a total mismatch. Appalachian State are the two-time defending 1-AA/FCS champions. Is it possible for the boys from North Carolina can beat Michigan... at the Big House? The Mountaineers know they have their work cut out for them. Can these boys take down Michigan? The odds are severely NOT in their favor. GTPlanet's Joey D loves his Wolverines. I'd hate to break the bad news if Michigan ends up losing. If you ask me, I don't think this will be close for Michigan. Michigan's going to have to be bad while Appalachian State will have to be great for this win to happen. Appalachian State may well make their plans to play in Division 1-A/FBS if they get her done at Ann Arbor.





--- Division 2 Scores ---
They chose Division 2. Let's see if their choices really mattered.

* St. Joseph's (College?) {Pumas} at #1 Grand Valley State {Lakers} (42-14; #1 GRAND VALLEY STATE)
* Sacred Heart (Div.3) at Assumption (41-20; Sacred Heart (Division 3)) *** upset nominee ***
* Virginia Union at Lenoir-Rhyne (28-13; Virginia Union)
* Angelo State at Sam Houston State (17-13; SAM HOUSTON STATE)
* West Alabama at Samford (23-21; SAMFORD)
[COLOR]* Wisconsin-Eau Claire at Southwest Minnesota (42-13; Wisconsin-Eau Claire) *** disappointing loss nominee ***[/COLOR]
* #9 South Dakota at #15 West Texas A&M (55-45; #15 WEST TEXAS A&M) *** upset nominee ***
* Seton Hill (NAIA) at Slippery Rock (51-24; SLIPPERY ROCK)





--- Division 3 Scores ---
Some people chose not to play in glamorous locales. Let's see how these folks in Division 3 play football.

* Millsaps {Majors} at Mississippi College (27-26; MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE)
* Tri-State at Manchester (14-9; Tri-State)
* Moravian at Susquehanna (34-27; Moravian)





--- Extras ---
The extras are all about off-topic news and notes including some random stuff.


World Wrestling Entertainment to Suspend 10 Wrestlers for Substance Abuse
I personally watch the WWE. It isn't a traditional sport, but the wrestlers are tough. I have no word on which specific ten wrestlers will be suspended, but it looks like the cat's coming out of the bag for some. Don't forget about the death of the awesome Chris Benoit due to this "'roid rage." A hearing by two boards of Congress is slated for late September. The names of the superstars are undisclosed.





And that's all for Thursday. Get ready for more action later tonight!

 

[JohnBM01]

Friday night lights time. High School football is underway, but now, college gets some Friday Night love.



Scores for August 31, 2007





--- Division 1: Bowl Subdivision ---

America's Northwest Travels to America's Northeast for an Upstate New York War
* Washington {Huskies} at Syracuse {Orange}
Hey, kylehnat! Want some Washington love? Come and get it. This would be a great men's basketball match. Usually in football, Washington would bash Syracuse's brains in when football is the name of the game. Washington and Syracuse loosely have something in common- National Championship gold. Washington was a co-National Champion with 1990 with Miami, and Syracuse was a National Champion in the 1950s or the 1960s. Washington used to be a great team, but they've stumbled quite a bit the past few years. I'm humming Washington's fight song as I go along. Yeah. "Bow... down... to Wash-ing-ton..." The Huskies are ready to put their purple and gold all over Syracuse. What can I say about Syracuse? They play indoors. Their home field for all or most of their sports is the Carrier Dome. Football. Basketball. Lacrosse. Sleeping. I don't take anything away from Syracuse. Trouble is, their football team is vanilla. Maybe the pecking order of the Big East. So while Pittsburgh and West Virginia and all dominate the Big East, the Syracuse boys are usually getting their hineys whipped. Well, every team except Temple and Duke. The ESPN crew who called this game were Chris Spielman, ??? ???, and a special guest in Chris Cowherd. Syracuse led by a field goal after one quarter of play. Washington came on strong as the first half ended 14-6. Afterwards... either Syracuse found the end zone and failed to convert the PAT, or Washington held Syracuse to kicking. I'm sure Gerry MacNamara(?) (Syracuse basketball player) would have done a better job of getting touchdowns for the Orance than what they put up against the Huskies. Seattle's in the house in Seattle! Washington answered the call and kicked butt. (42-12; Washington)



Philadelphia's Only 1-A Team Meets America's Team
* Navy {Midshipmen} at Temple {Owls}
No place more patriotic than Philadelphia. You got the Liberty Bell there, so let freedom ring. Let football ring as Temple is ready to go to work. Temple is usually the second sorriest football team in 1-A. They trail only Duke for the 53 pathetic excuses of players on a football team. The Owls are ready to snooze through another game... or can they actually knock off America's truest footballers from a service academy? Let's meet them. Annapolis, Maryland is home of the United States Navy Academy. We owe a lot to all of our service academies from protecting our people, our shores, our air, our cities, and especially our nation. The football players who play for Navy will play for much more than a winning season in college football. The Naval Academy will have players who'll play for Navy football as well as playing to defend our nation. That's the Midshipmen way. Is the Midshipmen way about winning? We'll see as this game takes place. Temple kept the game a bit close, but Navy was too much. (30-19; Navy)





--- Division 1: Championship Subdivision ---
I believe only two games took place. Let me cover them.

Pacific Northwest Ready to Come Alive as Eastern Washington Takes Flight
* Montana-Western {- NAIA School -} at Eastern Washington {Eagles}
Eastern Washington University of the Big Sky Conference would like to welcome you to this report. EWU welcomed the Montana-Western Bulldogs to a beatdown of a lifetime. (52-13;

EXTRA: College Football Preview: Texas Southern vs. Prairie View A&M
I personally dislike Texas Southern. This is a battle between Texas' only SWAC schools. The Texas Southern Tigers and the Prairie View A&M Panthers have their Labor Day Classic. If you ask me, I usually pull for Prairie View A&M. One of my relatives graduated from Prairie View A&M. The Panthers have a very ugly logo of a dark panther. Texas Southern had a great season in 2006. Question is, with all the controversy surrounding TSU as well as the Priscilla Slade trial (former president of Texas Southern; charged with using monies from school funds to better her home rather than for Texas Southern), can the Tigers bring some parity and save face for Texas Southern? I say that Prairie View A&M gets it done over their hated Tigers.





--- Division 2 ---
Home teams are defined as the ones who is the home team for a division. Since none took place on a Division 2 field, I've placed them elsewhere. Therefore...

-none reported-




--- Division 3 ---

Staten Island's Favorite Birds Begin to Take Flight
* Wagner at Western Connecticut State
The boys from Staten Island knock off Central Connecticut State. The Seahawks of Wagner College pulled the win against Western Connecticut State in a not-even-close deal. (20-7; Wagner)

* Pace (D2) at Husson (25-13; HUSSON)
* Muhlenberg at The College of New Jersey (15-0; Muhlenberg)
* SUNY-Maritime at Massachusetts Maritime (10-6; the State University of New York-Maritime)
* Merchant Marine at Kean (48-7; KEAN)



Labor Day Weekend is set to begin. I have two Games of the Week for Saturday- Tennessee's trip to California, and Virginia Tech preparing for an inspired season starting against East Carolina. Fans of ESPN College Gameday will know that they will be in Blacksburg for this game. Thanks for reading!

 

[Kylehnat]

Me dances! Always nice to win the first game, because if nothing else, it means you won't have a winless season (which has been a real possibility in the last few years).

 

[<IHateMyMom>]

JohnBM01, what do you think of this?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272440130

All I have to say is two things; OH MY GOD.

Oh, and they better be prepared for Oregon and Notre Dame in the next two weeks or else THEY'LL start out 0-3.

I don't get the Big Ten Network in my area (apperanty my cable company won't carry it-too expansive.)

I bet you guys anything that is will be The Most Disappointing Loss of the week; maybe of the ENTIRE SEASON

 

[JohnBM01]

Do you live for Saturday? This is your Saturday for football. NO NFL games on tap to ruin the flow of college football. This Saturday is all about college. You want some college football? Just stick around the Football forums as I take you on a collegiate tour all around the country.


Before we begin with Week 1, I will provide a brief synopsis of what has happened. I won't spoil the scores for you all.

Saturday Synopsis - Week 1
The start of college football season for 2007 saw some great football games, mostly involving upper-tier teams taking on weaker teams. Virginia Tech will be reunited with college football at Lane Stadium. It will be an inspired year for them to try to see how far they can go with Hokie Nation alive and well. Most of the Football Bowl Subdivision teams took on some Football Championship Subdivision teams as well as some weaker Bowl Subdivision teams. One win was amazingly huge. Another FCS defeat of an FBS team came to form. A few FCS teams as well as some Division 2 schools lost to NAIA competition. A record was broken in Division 3 as one team put up as many as 52 points in a beatdown win.


NOTE: Because of bad weather in the Houston area, I may just breeze through some of my reports. Either that, or provide links to some of the sources I've used.




--- Division 1: Bowl Subdivision Scores ---

GAME OF THE WEEK 1: A School United; Everyone is a Hokie Today
* East Carolina {Pirates} at Virginia Tech {Hokies}
Sports can be quite a healing agent. Why? They can unite people unlike anything else. Where were you in April when 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech? I was at Houston Community College's Southeast campus having a little discussion on Virginia Tech. We're coming up on an anniversary of another massacre that united us- the events of September 11th in 2001. Virginia Tech asks that all visiting teams at Lane Stadium don't boo the visiting teams. It shows a real spiritual gathering. I'm personally shocked this intense violence took place at VT. The emotion and togetherness of VT allows me to make this one of my Games of the Week. Virginia Tech will meet East Carolina in this game. Like LSU and Tulane were hope from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Virginia Tech is the hope for a brighter and happier time as well as a sense of reunion. In the end, Virginia Tech won themselves a game against the Pirates of ECU. (17-7; VIRGINIA TECH)

GAME OF THE WEEK 2: California Doesn't Forget... Golden Bears Wants Revenge
* #15 Tennessee {Volunteers} at #12 California {Golden Bears}
It's time to go to 20 miles northwest of San Francisco and go to Berkley, CA. Remember last season? Tennessee blew the daylights out of California in Knoxville, TN. Now California wants revenge. California's been getting so much good publicity by some media types
An offensive shootout ensued after the half as California led Tennessee 31-21. California's overrated? They're hoping to shut some people up. Those able to stay up a bit would get to see this game take place. (-; )

EXTRA: Is it Okay to Label California or Stanford as the Pride of San Francisco?
San Francisco and college football... you normally think of the classic San Francisco Dons of the non-football University of San Francisco. There are only two universities in the beautiful Northern California city- the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. Both are non-football schools. The University of San Francisco is in Division 1 for most other sports while San Francisco State is usually in Division 2. If you're talking about a true pride of the Bay Area, your choices vary between Stanford University and the University of California. Stanford is a terrible football team. The University of California in Berkley is a great team. San Francisco, however, is further away if you live in Palo Alto rather than if you live in Berkley. At best, you represent the Bay Area when you're talking either Stanford or California. Games played at the University of California seems to levitate more towards being in the shadow of the greater San Francisco area. Think of being in the shadow of a major city like being in the shadow of New York City by living in Trenton, NJ. I'd say it's okay to represent the football pride of the San Francisco area by going to either Stanford or California.



*** Big Ten Mega Pack ***
The Big Ten Network was recently launched. So in its debut, allow me to come up with this pack of Big Ten games. I'll feature as many Big Ten teams going up against a variety of competition. So read on, enthused ones.


Everything Old is Young Again! Ohio State Welcomes Some Penguins
* Youngstown State at #?? Ohio State
Let's get ready for some football in Ohio. Ohio has the most FBS football schools in the nation. Ohio loves their football. And if there are some Knights of the Round Table to defend the honor of the Buckeye State, lend your trust to the knights in Scarlet and Gray. The Ohio State Buckeyes are ready to make some noise again. Michigan folk are still laughing their butts off at the site of Florida OWNING Ohio State not just in football, but men's basketball as well. The Buckeye is the state tree of the state of Ohio. There are a few animal nicknames for the Ohio's colleges and universities. But did you know they have some Antartic birdies in Ohio? Meet Youngstown State. Youngstown State plays in the Horizon League in basketball. They are only one of two Horizon League basketball schools that have football programs (Butler is the other). They play football in the football-exclusive Gateway Football Conference. The Penguins are ready to make like Tony Kornheiser and Penguin Dance their way to victory. How do Ohio State feel about the Penguin Dance? Same Michael Wilbon thinks- annoying. Ohio State upset some Penguins back in Antartica with this loss. Now we're all doomed. Beware of ticked off penguins swimming through the Atlantic and coming into Ohio. (38-6; OHIO STATE)

But how did their hated rivals in Ann Arbor do today? Let's find out.


Appalachian State Ready to Stun America if they Beat Michigan at Michigan
* Appalachian State at Michigan
Do you have the Big Ten Network? If so, get ready for a new channel devoted to your favorite Big Ten teams. I'm not advertising here. It's just that this game was on the Big Ten Network for this game. Michigan is by far one of the finest football schools in America. They were unbeaten for most of last season until they went to Ohio State. A win over USCal eluded them last season in the Rose Bowl.
I came home from being on the road with my parents to hear the shocking news. (-; )

John's Comments
Joey D would be rather ticked off at this result. Hope he's not breaking stuff in this house for this. No team from 1-AA/FCS comes into the Big House and beats Michigan, right? Wrong. This game marks the first FCS upset of an Associated Press ranked team. You know what's funny about this game? Appalachian State put up 34 points. What was the number of the player who had the potential game-winning field goal? 34.

EXTRA: Nothing's Guaranteed in Life or Football
You notice a lot of upper tier teams play lower teams just to get the season off right. I talked last season about how Kentucky played Texas State and how I said they were a playoff team last year or two years ago. Just because you go up against a team lower than the Championship Subdivision doesn't mean it's an easy win. The chances of upsets aren't likely when an FCS through Division 3 school going up against Bowl Subdivision schools. I know Michigan fans don't want to see me discuss how upsets can happen against lower-tier teams. Here's a different sports example. At the Women's U.S. Open, #2 Maria Sharapova lost to a #30 A. Radwanska. Nothing's guaranteed. If we didn't believe in the possibility of an upset even in a complete mismatch, sports wouldn't be fun. Was it guaranteed that Colorado would beat Montana State last season? What about Northwestern beating New Hampshire last season? Nothing's guaranteed in college football. People don't to admit it or acknowledge the possibilities of a lower-tier team beating a national power. But if this could happen to Michigan today, imagine what some other upset would do. NOTHING... and I mean NOTHING is guaranteed in football.



Madison Makes Mayhem by Welcoming Some Cats from the Other Side of the Country
* Washington State {Cougars} at #7 Wisconsin {Badgers}
GTPlanet's Wolfe is from Madison, WI. So let's see how his hometown bunch are doing. The University of Wisconsin is the ONLY Division 1 football school in the state of Wisconsin. Only one. Not Marquette. Not Wisconsin-Miwaukee. Not even Wisconsin-Green Bay. The University of Wisconsin in Madison is the only Wisconsin football school in dairy country. It's a state where you see Packers football in the NFL, beautiful ladies like Candice Michelle and Danica Patrick were born, and not to mention some lovable rodents known as the Badgers. This midwestern team is ready to meet some cats from the Pacific Northwest. Pullman, Washington. Funny name for a city? Try saying that to their football team. Washington State has been getting most of the glory while the University of Washington has been stumbling in football and men's basketball. The Cougars are set to mess up Wisconsin's win-loss record. But Wisconsin proved to be much better than what Washington State could offer. (??-??; #7 WISCONSIN


* Alabama-Birmingham {Blazers} at Michigan State {Spartans}
Michigan State was one of the most pathetic teams last season. The Spartans weren't a pathetic joke after this blowout of the Blazers. (5?-1?; MICHIGAN STATE)

]Don't Confuse the Norths![/I]
* Northeastern {Huskies} at Northwestern {Wildcats}
Maybe the most popular Northwestern alums are Michael Wilbon ("Pardon the Interruption" co-host) and the wonderful Brent Musburger (longtime sports announcer). It's time to see if this school in suburban Chicago will win this game. The Big Ten's Northwestern University overlooks Lake Michigan. It is in Evanston, IN, and home of the Wildcats. They meet another noorthern school. This one is Northeastern. Northeastern University is in Boston. (2?-0; NORTHWESTERN)

Happy Valley Wants to be Seriously Happy if They Beat Some Cats
* Florida International {Golden Panthers} at #?? Penn State {Nittany Lions}
Happy Valley. State University, PA. Call it what you will. It's home of the Bob Barker of college football- Joe Paterno. JoePa is ready to get his pack of kitties ready to pounce on home jive turkeys from Miami. Make ready for some football! Get some chips, maybe a few sodas (or beers), and make ready for some football. The Nittany Lions are ready to go against another pack of cats. Their white color may be called Vanilla White, but they are anything BUT vanilla. Florida International can be found in Miami, FL. They are some Sun Belt upstarts. They are pretty unimpressive at best since Florida International is not as impressive as their counterparts from Boca Raton (Florida Atlantic). The Golden Panthers are as abysmal as Duke. Penn State shown the nation why they are so abysmal. (59-0; PENN STATE)

Missouri Foaming out the Mouth to Blast Illinois
* Missouri {Tigers} vs. Illinois - from St. Louis, MO
NOTE: I'm not sure if Illinois is still known as the Fighting Illini. Because of this, I will not refer to Illinois by their team nickname. This game will be campaigned in the Gateway to the West- St. Louis, MO. You usually see this domed stadium as home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL (I'm sure my buddy FoolKiller will be watching his Rams). You usually see the NFL team that wears their beautiful blue and gold uniforms on Sundays and Monday Night. But today, the Universities of Missouri and Illinois are ready to go at it. Did you know that Illinois led the Big Ten in total rushing yards last season? Illinois isn't a football power, but the Illinois boys are ready to make a statement by taking on a potent Missouri team. The official name for Illinois is UIUC. The University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. There won't be any champagne celebrating if the blue and orange knock off Missouri. Missouri are the boys in black and gold. The boys from Columbia, MO are ready to smash up and crush Illinois. The Tigers of Mizzou are ready to have Illinois for lunch and dinner. Being in an AFC city, I don't get to see much of St. Louis' stadium. So let's see if Missouri gets it done. By the way, Illinois is the team of my buddy dougiemeats. Sorry I forgot to mention you. Late in the third quarter, Illinois scooped up a fumble on a completely failed Misdirection play by Missouri. First play from the turnover... Illinois cashed in a beautiful touchdown throw from about mid-field. Add the PAT, and Illinois trails only in a 37-27 score. Unbelieveable play. Then a controversial call early in the fourth quarter gave Illinois new life. They got a touchdown. It's a brand-new game as Illinois cashed in the PAT to make it 37-34. BIG win in the making if Illinois pulls this deal off. Unfortunately, this was a big win for Missouri because a loss to Illinois would infuriate the Columbia outfit. This was a great game. (40-34; Missouri)

Black and Gold Meet some Boys in Red
* Iowa {Hawkeyes} at Northern Illinois {Huskies}
Jake Christensen. Remember that name. Why? He could be the field general that takes the University of Iowa to greatness this season. JNasty4G63 would love to see his boys get it done. We are in a suburb(?) of Chicago known as DeKalb, IL. The Hawkeyes went into the state of Illinois with a win over the Northern Illinois Huskies. (16-3; Iowa)

-end "Big Ten Mega Pack"



*** Kentucky Double ***

Kentucky's 2007 Campaign Begins After Going 8-5 Last Season
* Eastern Kentucky {Colonels} at Kentucky {Wildcats}
Hello, FoolKiller! Looks like another season of me talking about your favorite breed of cats. We begin with some boys from Richmond, KY. Commonwealth Stadium seats about 64,300 people. I'm sure that number (and more) are reluctant to see the first snaps from center for Kentucky. Let's meet EKU first. Eastern Kentucky is part of the Ohio Valley Conference for a number of sports. The Colonels are ready to make some noise in Lexington. But one guy's team thinks otherwise. Let's meet Kentucky. The University of Kentucky is the flagship university of the Bluegrass State as well as the alma mater of my GTPlanet friend, FoolKiller. Looks like Kentucky's ready to kill some fools on the field. The Wildcats made their first bowl game in a number of years by beating a great Clemson Team in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. The blue and white are ready to go as I'll keep an eye on FoolKiller's Wildcats. Know your multiples of 10? Multiples of 10 decided the game in the end as Kentucky's 1-0. The Wildcats roar proudly. Even though Louisville beat the other team badly, Kentucky says that they'll be ready to turn the corner and give Louisville a reality check. Kentucky will get Kent State next. Good start for your Wildcats, eh, FoolKiller? (50-10; KENTUCKY)

DID YOU KNOW...
...that heading into this game, Kentucky's QB has gone through 162 passes without getting intercepted?



* Western Kentucky {Hilltoppers} at #6 Florida {Hilltoppers}
Gainesville, FL is home of the of-the-moment power school in college sports. I'm talking about the University of Florida. The Sunshine State's favorite reptiles are ready to defend their title under the magician of a coach, Urban Meyer. Let's meet Florida. An alligator is a very slow reptile that can be quite menacing. The Florida Gators are rugged sons of guns that can take a bite out of you. Now on to Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky University is on a hill top in Bowling Green, KY. Western Kentucky is now a Bowl Subdivision Independent. They will play in the Sun Belt starting in 2009. They were the 2002 champions in 1-AA. WKU is better known for their success in men's basketball. Western Kentucky is one of the winningest programs in men's college basketball. They have a Hall of Famer in hoops named E.A. Diddle. The WKU Hilltoppers may as well be the up-Hilltoppers going into this match in Florida because this is an uphill battle for the young Hilltoppers. That uphill battle became Mount Everest as Florida denied WKU the End Zone. (49-3; #6 FLORIDA)

-end "Kentucky Double"



My Hometown's Finest Team is Ready to Make Some Noise in the Norhwest
* Houston at Oregon
It's quite humid here in Houston. Maybe the H-Town boys can cool off in Oregon. The two were tied at 20 at one point, but the Oregon Ducks was just too powerful. Houston isn't yet a team that can continue what Kevin Kolb did for our boys. HUGE loss for the Cougars. (48-27; OREGON)

One of the Two Rectangular States Have Themselves a Rivalry
Colorado State vs. Colorado (RIVALRY GAME) ** from Invesco Field at Mile High - Denver, CO **
Last season, Colorado had one of the largest freefalls of any team last season. They lost against Montana State to start. They'd beat only two teams. Why was I upset of Colorado? It was because they were a defending Big XII North champion heading into 2006. They lost to ten other teams... including their rivals at Colorado State. Open the doors to Invesco Field at Mile High. We got Colorado and Colorado State ready to butt heads. The Colorado Buffaloes play at beautiful Folsom Field in Boulder, CO. I think it is a beautiful stadium with the combination of the Rocky Mountains and the beautiful facilities around Folsom Field. They will go against (31-28, OT; Colorado)

Will Georgia Tech Run All Over Notre Dame? The "Choice" is Yours and Yours Alone
* Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
I mentioned that Notre Dame may not have an impressive season this season. No Brady Quinn. Can Notre Dame uphold the spirit of the blue and gold? Let's meet the golden domers. The University of Notre Dame is too good to be in a conference. They are independents in football, but they play mostly in the Big East for most of their sports. Be sure to watch NBC for some UND football. The Fighting Irish are ready to get South Bend, IN excited again. I usually thought Notre Dame was in Paris, France when I was learning the ropes of college football. It was a BEAUTIFUL day in South Bend. Mostly clear and sunny skies there. Let's meet Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech can be found in the city of Atlanta, GA. Atlanta and football the past few weeks and months have been about Michael Vick and his animal cruelty charges. There is an Atlanta team Atlanta can be proud of. And that would be Georgia Tech. You get a somewhat nice look at downtown Atlanta when you play at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are swarming into Indiana and hope to sting the living daylights out of the Fighting Irish. Did they? Defensive Tackle, Justin Brown, of Notre Dame was ejected from the game with a helmet-t0-helmet blow to the head against a Georgia Tech offensive player. The third quarter ended with Georgia Tech leading 19-3. A UND win isn't likely unless the Fighting Irish do something about this. And they couldn't. Already trouble in Notre Dame. Atlanta celebrates a big win as their beloved Yellow Jackets gave Notre Dame an ugly nightmare on a beautiful day. (33-3; Georgia Tech)


North Carolina vs. Duke! ... or at Least a Bunch of Dukes
* James Madison {Dukes} at North Carolina {Tar Heels}
Butch Davis is ready to go work the sidelines coaching his team new team to relevance.


* Wake Forest at Boston College
(-; )


* Western Michigan at #3 West Virginia
(-; )

Gamecocks Ready to Get Cocky in Wanting to Beat
* Louisiana-Lafayette at South Carolina
(-; )



28-14 at half for Wisconsin





South Beach Prepares to Say Goodbye to the Orange Bowl Starting with Their First Game Against Marshall
* Marshall {Thundering Herd} at Miami {Hurricanes}
Miami will start playing games at Dolphin Stadium in the future. For now, remember the good old Orange Bowl. There's nothing like seeing a football game there. You have the sailboats in the water along with the brief skyline of Miami. I'd love to visit Miami if I were traveling. Not to have some "fanboy" visions of Miami Vice, but just to enjoy the South Beach lifestyle a bit. The University of Miami has been a five-time National Championship team. They once won over 32 straight games. It's where a fellow named Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock") played for The U. The Hurricanes are ready to impact any team that sets foot into Miami. That being Huntington, West Virginia's Marshall. Marshall is part of Conference USA, but they used to be in the MAC conference. The Thundering Herd are ready to stampede into South Beach to make some noise. (31-3; MIAMI)



-end "Big Ten Mega Pack"



Just Like Basketball- Basketball Powers Match Wits in Cameron Crazy Country
* Connecticut {Huskies} at Duke {Blue Devils}
Get ready for a football version of an impressive match. The University of Connecticut is based in the capital city of Hartford, CT. Hartford is also the home of the non-football school known as the University of Hartford. The Hawks will make ready for basketball in a couple of months, but the Connecticut Huskies are ready to hammer another basketball power. What can I say about Duke? They stink in football. They are good in every sport except football. Duke happens to be the only other university FoolKiller dislikes besides Louisville. The Blue Devils couldn't possibly get a winning season even if Coach K or Dick Vitale coached them. Connecticut made easy work of Duke in this blowout. (45-14; Connecticut)

Visit this link for more scores:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/scoreboard;_ylt=Aitp3Ah1RGarfuoqvOLS82ccvrYF

There is one disappointing loss I haven't reported, and that would be Rice losing by a safety (2 points) to Nicholls State of the Southland Conference (FCS).





--- Division 1-AA/Championship Subdivision ---
Appalachian State played at an FBS team. So I now talk about some FCS teams ready to toss the pigskin a bit.

Labor Day Classic... Who Ya Got?
* Prairie View A&M vs. Texas Southern --- from Reliant Stadium; Houston, TX ---
In my Junior and Senior years in high school, my time was at Texas Southern University for an alternative magnet High School program. (-; Prairie View A&M)

---RAPID FIRE---
* Southern at Florida A&M (33-27; Southern)
* Alabama State at Tennessee State (49-23; Alabama State)
* Jacksonville at Bethune-Cookman (31-17; BETHUNE-COOKMAN)
* Western Washington at California-Davis (28-21; Western Washington) *** disappointing loss ***
* Southern Utah at Montana (37-17; MONTANA)

One special score up next. This season marks the debut/reinstatement of football at North Carolina-Pembroke. The Braves want to make some noise against an FCS team. However...

* North Carolina-Pembroke at Davidson (31-21; DAVIDSON)




--- Division 2 Scores ---
I'm just going to breeze through these scores as well as for Division 3. Any sort of quick scores is what I call "RAPID FIRE."

* Fairmont State at Apprentice (3-0; Fairmont State)
* Concordia-St. Paul at Augustana (20-19; Concordia-St. Paul)
* #16 Abeline Christian at Central Oklahoma (27-17; CENTRAL OKLAHOMA) *** upset nominee ***
* Shorter (NAIA) at Brevard (30-21; Shorter) *** upset nominee ***
* Catawaba at #19 Elizabeth City State (34-7; )*** upset and disappointing loss nominee ***
* Langston (NAIA) at Panhandle State (29-0; Langston)
* Kentucky State at Ferris State (42-19; FERRIS STATE)
* Kentucky Wesleyan at West Virginia Wesleyan (30-23; WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN)





--- Division 3 Scores ---

***RAPID FIRE***
* Averett at #1 Mount Union (75-7; #1 MOUNT UNION)<<< 52 points in the first quarter by Mount Union!
* Albright at Salisbury (45-12; SALISBURY)
* Johns Hopkins at Hampden-Sydney (17-16; Johns Hopkins)
* Grinnell at Kenyon (70-35; KENYON)
* Carnegie Mellon at Rochester (33-10; Carnegie Mellon)
* Emory and Henry at Ferrum (50-7; Emory and Henry)





John's Honors and Dishonors

BIGGEST WIN(S) OF THE WEEK
California Gets All of Their Retribution Efforts Against Tennessee - Get beaten one season... give a beating back. California got her done and big. This is just what California needs to get off on the right foot. They needed a blessing and got it. The Bay Area was rocking as this game ended.

MOST DISAPPOINTING LOSS(ES) OF THE WEEK
Notre Dame Tries Three Quarterbacks... Fail Misearably and Michigan's Loses More Than a Game
(UND) Notre Dame was fortunate they got a field goal. The media's been asking all along as to who UND would pick as QB. They used all three and ended up getting nowhere. Justin Brown got ejected for helmet-to-helmet contact with a member of GT's offensive unit. Just a lot of blown execution. I initially had LSU's shutout of Mississippi State as my Most Disappointing Loss, but this performance from Notre Dame was almost inexcuseable. (Michigan) Mark May said that this loss by Michigan means that Lloyd Carr will be on the hot seat. Guaranteed win, huh? The players simply didn't perform. May says that the best way Michigan can save face is if they beat Ohio State later this year. Otherwise, Carr could be driving his car right out of the Michigan head coaching job. The game itself isn't a disappointing loss. This just relates to much more than losing a game.

UPSET(S) OF THE WEEK (if any)
Appalachian State Knocked Off Michigan in Ann Arbor - I would be an absolute dope if I picked some other game. This is simply the biggest of them all. The significance is more than just a Championship Subdivision team beating a Bowl Subdivision team. It isn't just beating a ranked team. You beat MICHIGAN. No. Read this again. You beat MICHIGAN, the blue and maize that's been kicking people's butts for many years. You beat one of the baddest mo-fo's in the nation. Multiple-time national champions. Handful of Heisman winners. A small school in North Carolina going to the Detroit area to beat Michigan at their house. This may easily end up being one of the candidates for my "Upset of the Season" honor. With more money and substantial upgrades, This may be the entry way for Appalachian State to join FBS. This is especially if Appalachian State takes on more powerhouse programs and wins over them. This is more of an upset than a disappointing loss. Disappointing loss would be if Duke played at Michigan and Duke beats Michigan. It's very rare that one game makes two different honors. This is more of an upset than a disappointing loss in my view.

OWNAGE(S) OF THE WEEK
Mount Union Bludgeons Slapped Around Averett 75-7 and Oklahoma Thrashes North Texas 79-10 - Another upset against a Top 25 team! Mount Union upset Louisville for biggest beatdown of the week! The Purple Raiders the baddest bunch of badasses to ever beat a team so bad and unmercifully. I'd love to give the honors to Louisville for smashing Murray State, but the honors go to Mount Union. I also wanted to give love to Oklahoma, so...

Murray State = OWNED by Louisville 75-7!
...and...
North Texas = OWNED by Oklahoma 79-10!



COOL PLAYS represents some plays I have to show some love for. These can be big hits, coast-to-coast touchdowns, punt returns for a touchdown... if I see it and like it, it's getting some love from me. You dig? So here are some of the cool plays I'd love to mention...

COOL PLAYS (brand new feature!)
* California's DeSean Jackson(?) returns a punt for a touchdown against Tennessee
* Appalachian State blocks Michigan's chances of a game-winning field goal
* LSU puts a BIG hit on Mississippi State as LSU makes a first down out of bounds
*


Special BIGGEST WIN OF THE WEEK:
We Will Prevail... and They Did I'm giving love to Virginia Tech. They won 17-7 over East Carolina. I think this is a win for Virginia Tech because this helps unite VT even more. I want VT to have an awesome season after the terrible events there in April.





--- John's Extras ---

* American Le Mans at Belle Isle
How do you do, Motown? Racing fans who don't really care much for college football probably were unaware of Appalachian State's upset of Michigan. A beautiful, mostly sunny day around Detroit gave way to a great race on the streets of Belle Isle.

P1: #1 Audi R10 TDI
P2: #7 Penske Porsche RS Spyder
GT1: #? Johnny O'Connell
GT2: #62 Risi Competitizone

Next round is at Road Atlanta on the weekend of October 6th. Thanks to the success of last season's thread, I'll talk about Formula SAE on the week of October 6. Make ready. Until then, another week is on the way.

Comment at will.

 

[Joey D]

Since the TV networks have to be money hungry I couldn't watch the Michigan game because it was on the Big Ten Network, something I have to pay $XX dollars for to get when I already pay over $100 a month for cable TV. But let's forget about that, I was truly crushed when I saw U of M lost...how on God's green earth did that happen? The perfect season ruined before it even gets started.

 

[JohnBM01]

You were looking forward to the new season... and then this happens. Appalachian State beating Michigan is like (as a basketball analogy) Winthrop beating North Carolina. I hummed Appalachian State's fight song to myself since I've heard the music often times. A new network debuts... then one of the biggest programs the network focuses on goes down against Appalachian State. Let me revisit my Extra regarding Appalachian State:

Extra: Can Appalachian State Shock Michigan?
Right. Most people will normally say that this is a total mismatch. Appalachian State are the two-time defending 1-AA/FCS champions. Is it possible for the boys from North Carolina can beat Michigan... at the Big House? The Mountaineers know they have their work cut out for them. Can these boys take down Michigan? The odds are severely NOT in their favor. GTPlanet's Joey D loves his Wolverines. I'd hate to break the bad news if Michigan ends up losing. If you ask me, I don't think this will be close for Michigan. Michigan's going to have to be bad while Appalachian State will have to be great for this win to happen. Appalachian State may well make their plans to play in Division 1-A/FBS if they get her done at Ann Arbor.

...and having said this, Appalachian State got her done in Ann Arbor. All I do is report my findings. I'm not trying to short change your Wolverines or glorify Appalachian State. If I were to do these things and make bold predictions, then I'd get rid of my job as simply being the messenger. I'll start my Week 2 thread shortly so I can discuss more about this upset.

Once again, Michigan will do much better. I don't think Michigan will be heading any further down the tubes anytime soon.