College Football 2008 (Nov. 23 - Nov. 29): Thankful Feast

[JohnBM01]

Texas Tech's blowout loss at Oklahoma shuffled around the BCS standings. Here are the BCS Top 12 standings as of Sunday:

01. Alabama!
02. Texas
03. Oklahoma
04. Florida
05. USCal
06. Utah
07. Texas Tech
08. Pennsylvania State
09. Boise State!
10. Ohio State
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma State

Only other unbeaten is Ball State at #17.


This week's thread is called "Thankful Feast." So this is obviously about Thanksgiving. Black Friday is good for stores because stores will be making all kinds of money for Christmas shopping. But for college football, it was a Black Saturday as Texas Tech failed to show up at Oklahoma with their offense. The newer BCS standings reflect Texas Tech still #2 despite the horrible beatdown. FCS, Division 2, and Division 3 are all in Playoff mode. So no more scores featured unless there are regular season games.

Schedule (FBS Only):
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday-Saturday





Division 1: FBS Scores

Tampa Bay, Florida - Bulls Ready to Tussle with Huskies That Hang Tough[/I]
* Connecticut {Huskies} at South Florida {Bulls}
The South Florida Bulls took care of business by taking care of the Huskies. (17-13; SOUTH FLORIDA)





Division 1: FCS, Division 2, and Division 3 all covered in my Postseason Thread.





NFL Focus
Time now to see how the pros are doing on this Sunday.

Cleveland, Ohio - Texans Lost Eight Straight Road Games; Hoping for Sunlight on Their Season
* Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns (16-6; Houston Texans)

Nashville, Tennessee - Can the 1972 Miami Dolphins Celebrate Again?
* New York Jets at Tennessee Titans (34-13; New York Jets)

Dallas, Texas - 49ers Seek Gold at the Team With the Big Blue Star
* San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys (35-22; DALLAS COWBOYS)

San Diego, California - Chargers Take Peyton Manning to the Limit
* Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers (23-20; Indianapolis Colts)

And one more note. Detroit? Still winless.





John's Student Lounge
Last night was the American Music Awards. All of this was from a Myspace bulletin I've posted.

Legend:
! = correct prediction



Performance Commentary (not commenting all performances):
* I'm somewhat a fan of Pink, but she had an amazing performance of one of her latest songs (it wasn't "So What").

* Ne-Yo came on with two great songs, "Miss Independent" and "Closer." I still thought it was good for someone like Ne-Yo to take on dance music with "Closer." This, along with "Forever" by Chris Brown are two good songs from two R&B-type artists going with dance music (at least I tend to think of them as dance tunes). Unfortunately, I didn't like the blues, vintage kind of twist to it.

* Leona Lewis was introduced by Jesse McCartney. One album told her to be the next Mariah Carey. Well really, her music is like Mariah Carey in the 1990s. Not a fanatic of Leona Lewis, but she's an amazing artist with an amazing voice.

* Pussycat Dolls took the stage with "I Hate This Part" and "When I Grow Up." "When I Grow Up" and "Buttons" are two of my favorites of these sassy and sexy divas. Nice they went with a dance mix during "When I Grow Up," though I love the original one.



--- Honors ---
I'd like to honor Mariah Carey for her successes in music, including longest time at #1 in recording music history as well as most #1 hits in recording music history.

AWARD OF MERIT: Annie Lennox




--- Awards ---
Please note that all of my predictions are more about who I felt would win, not so much of outright favorites (though I have some).

* Soul/R&B Female: Rihanna (predicted: Mary J. Blige)
This was an upset! I predicted (predicted, not chosen) Mary J., but there were no outright favorites for me.

* Pop/Rock Male: Chris Brown! (predicted: Chris Brown)
I've grown very respectful of Chris Brown. A great entertainer he is and a great talent.

* Country Band, Duo, or Group: Rascal Flats! (predicted: Rascal Flats; only for my Myspace friend, Julie)
I don't often care for country music (not really a fan), I just basically picked one I think would win. And so, Rascal Flats won. Congratulations. I would have picked Taylor Swift if she was in the running because she has a great voice and is goddess-beautiful.

* Rap/Hip-Hop Album (presented by Nickelback?): Kanye West - Graduation! (predicted: Kanye West - Graduation)
Congratulations on his first award at the AMA's. Great performance.

* Country Male: Brad Paisley! (predicted: Brad Paisley (didn't care))

* Pop/Rock Album: Alicia Keys (predicted: Coldplay)
I had a "theory" that more people care about rock than pop, so I predicted Coldplay would win. Unfortunately, the lovely pianist with crazy vocal talent, Alicia Keys, took home the trophy for "Pop/Rock Album."

* Country Female: Taylor Swift! (predicted: Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift, congratulations from me to you. While I'm not a country music listener, Taylor Swift is beautiful in looks and in song. My first song I've heard of hers was the pop version of "Teardrops on my Guitar."

* Pop/Rock Female: Rihanna! (predicted: Rihanna)
This is Rihanna's first win in this category. Great job to Rihanna.

* Rap/Hip-Hop Male: Kanye West! (precited: Kanye West)
Congratulations to Kanye West on winning his first award in this category. I was torn between Kanye West and Flo Rida.

* T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award: Jonas Brothers! (predicted: Jonas Brothers)
Congrats to the Jonas Brothers- the Backstreet Boys of the 2000s. This was almost a no-brainer. Girls scream for them. I mean... I wished I got the same response when girls saw me around town! Anyhow, congratulations to the Jonas Brothers.

* Soul/R&B Album: Alicia Keys - As I Am! (predicted: Alicia Keys - As I Am)
I respect Mary J. Blige and think Mariah Carey is okay. Good job to Alicia Keys for winning this one.

* Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group - Daugthry! (predicted: Daughtry)

* Artist of the Year: Chris Brown! (predicted: Chris Brown)
Godo job to this young man. Got a lot of respect for him. Not even 21 yet, and he's completely taking over in this industry.


So tally this all up for my predictions, and you can say I finished 11-2 with my predictions! My only misses were Soul/R&B Female and Pop/Rock Album. I finished almost 85% on my predictions! This was a great one as far as televised awards go. Congratulations to all winners.

 

[JohnBM01]

Here's a little extra I have for you all. My Extras usually have nothing to do about anything current or whatever. This time, I look at what actually makes a wonderful university.



EXTRA: What Makes a Beautiful University?
It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What makes a campus lovely? What is a lovely campus to you? It's not like I tour the nation looking for all kinds of schools. Really, I have my own ideas.

What I think makes lovely universities and colleges rely on a number of things. I think Old World style buildings are lovely. That even includes ivy-covered buildings. Most religious colleges and universities are lovely. These include schools like the University of San Francisco, Villanova University, Fairfield University, Boston College, and schools like that. I'm personally such a city guy that a lovely univeristy in an urban setting is pleasing to me. I get a few good views of the University of Kansas when the Jayhawks play football. The University of Pittsburgh has that lovely Cathedral of Learning on their amazing campus. I even found some liking to Joey D's Oakland University. Loveliest university I've ever been to (not enrolled, attended) was Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas ( http://www.schreiner.edu ) out in the Texas Hill Country).

Most, if not all, of the BCS conference schools are world-class learning facilities that even fit the bill as beautiful campuses. You're talking world-class libaries, lovely student centers, outstanding dormitories, and more. I've been to the University of Houston a number of times. And while I have hopes of going there eventually, with all due respect, it's not as lovely as most of the really impressive campuses. It is, however, a nice urban-type school. Rice is also lovely here in Houston. I'm not a Texas Southern fan, though. I've never been to Houston Baptist either. But you don't go to schools because they are lovely. You go because you want to have an impressive learning experience unrivaled to most other schools. But be sure to enjoy going to campuses as well as the surroundings thereforth.



What do you consider to be lovely for a university or college?





In Tuesday's action, unbeaten Ball State will set it off against Western Michigan. The Broncos are talented, but talented enough to beat a surprising unbeaten? Also, Navy will head into Northern Illinois to clash with the NIU Huskies. That will be in my Tuesday report. See you then!

 

[Joey D]

Well at least Michigan's season is over and the pain can stop, their beating from OSU was awful. I figured if they could at least pull out a win there then they would have some saving grace. I am still a Michigan fan though and there is always next year I suppose.

On the topic of Universities, Oakland is quite nice since we have a ton of wooded area with trails running all over it. There is also Meadown Brook Mansion which the Dodge family lived in for a short while. Our campus is laid out quite nicely and I really do enjoy it, especially the two golf courses I can play at a discounted rate.

The nicest universities I've been to though have been the campus of the Oxford University Colleges, I just love the architecture.

 

[JohnBM01]

Wouldn't you rather HAVE turkey than BE a turkey? A few teams are ready to toss up the pigskin as border states play host to two matches. Action in Illinois and Indiana for tonight's matches.





Division 1: FBS Scores
Ball State will try to stay unbeaten. But first, a non-conference battle will ensue.

DeKalb, Illinois - Bowl-Eligible Teams Try to Get One More Win
* Navy {Midshipmen} at Northern Illinois {Huskies}
The Navy Midshipmen are a neutral team. I can't wait to see Navy and Army. I wonder if Barack Obama will be at the neutral site to see these two play in America's most patriotic rivalry. For now, the Midshipmen are trying to take on the Huskies of Northern Illinois University. The Huskies reside a good distance west of Chicago. The Midshipmen handled Northern Illinois in a blowout shutout. (16-0; Navy)

Muncie, Indiana - Ball State's Final Test Before the MAC Championship Awaits
* Western Michigan {Broncos} at #17 Ball State {Cardinals}
The Cardinals are heading to Detroit to take on the MAC East leader after disposing of the Western Michigan Broncos. (45-22; #15 BALL STATE)

SIDE NOTE - Unless Buffalo's record isn't good enough to advance, it's going to be Ball State vs. Buffalo for the MAC title.


Now in regards to having an amazing season, I think back to last year. Remember when nobody (including me) picked Kansas to be unbeaten? Kansas would lose to Missouri in a neutral site game at Arrowhead Pond. Something tells me that Ball State may come up short in the MAC title game. It's not a prediction. It's just something in my mind. Okay... I found it hard to believe Kansas was for real last season. I was surprised when they continually won and had this amazing season. I kind of feel the same about Ball State.





I have decided on a GAME OF THE WEEK for this week. I've selected the Iron Bowl as the big game this week. It's unranked Auburn playing at #1 Alabama. Rankings and records don't mean anything. It will just be about a stadium of about 90K showing love for the Crimson Tide. The next score I'll have for you will be on Thanksgiving night as Texas A&M tries to play spoiler when they head to Texas. A rivalry I'm excited about here is Houston at Rice. This year's game should be VERY fun since both teams aren't gun shy on offense. Rice has been getting all kinds of love for their passing tandem. This will be the Coming of Age day for Case Keenum as he'll be tested at Rice. A Rice win will give the Owls a nine-win season, something that's never been done by the Owls since 1953. Conference USA West implications will apply in this match, so both will want to play for C-USA honors.

Until next time, take care and may God bless all of you!

 

[JohnBM01]

No extras or news from me. I'm just here to wish all of you a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Take care, everyone. I'll be sure to come back late Thursday or early Friday with results of Texas A&M's tussle at Texas.

 

[JohnBM01]

Before I begin, happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. It is absolutely lovely that I'm thankful to have known some lovely people the world over including here on GTPlanet. Well, you finished the old turkey. You had some cornbread dressing (which I haven't had in a while). You seen the NFL players have their fun. Well now, it's time we have some COLLEGE fun! Study long and hard because I got two games guaranteed to get you jacked up.





Division 1: FBS Scores

Austin, Texas - Texas Tries to Trump Texas A&M for the Pollsters
* Texas A&M {Aggies} at #2 Texas {Longhorns}
Thanksgiving is about giving and caring. It's about sharing laughs and watching some good football. Everyone loves bringing together families and feasting merrily. But down here in Texas, two gatherings will lead to a feast... on each other. Texas and Texas A&M play their classic rivalry that's been around since 1893. It's the first Thanksgiving meeting (it's usually a Thanksgiving game) since 1993. The Texas Longhorns look to have inside track on the Big XII South while the Texas A&M Aggies try to stun the 'Horns at D.K.R. Memorial Stadium. The big course for Thanksgiving is turkey. Sadly, Texas A&M were turkeys in trying to upset Texas in Austin. (49-9; #2 TEXAS)

DID YOU KNOW...
...that this win by Texas gives them the second most overall wins? They were tied with Notre Dame with 830 wins each. This win by Texas puts them at 831, for second all time. Way ahead of them is Michigan with 872 all-time victories. Sure love to imagine how the All-Time Texas Longhorns and All-Time Michigan Wolverines would do if there was a game between these all-time teams.





Division 1: FCS Scores
Even though the regular season is over for most teams, some teams still played some regular season matches. Time to take a tour of black college football with this match here.

Montomgery, Alabama - In-State Rivals Square Off Between Two Different Division Schools
* Tuskegee (Division 2) {Golden Tigers} vs. Alabama State (FCS) {Hornets}
It would be an upset for an HBCU in Division 2 like Tuskegee, Kentucky State, or Morehouse... to beat FCS HBCUs like Alabama State, Tennessee State, Hampton, or whoever. It isn't a big win when an FCS team beats a Division 2 team, but the Alabama State Hornets stung the daylights out of the Tuskegee Golden Tigers. (17-13; ALABAMA STATE)





Friday and Saturday will be in full song as I'll continue with regular season scores. Remember that my GAME OF THE WEEK will be Auburn at Alabama for yet another Iron Bowl. A busy Friday and Saturday await. Even though it's Black Friday shopping day, enjoy this weekend of college football! Time to make that stretch run to Christmas.

 

[JohnBM01]

Because of a rigorous morning-into-day-into-night Black Friday experience, I'm really spent. So I'll offer my full commentary on Saturday. I apologize for the inconvenience.

[B}[UPDATE][/B] Also, next Friday will be December 5, 2008- my fifth anniversary on GTPlanet!

 

[JohnBM01]

Done with Thanksgiving, huh? Did your Black Friday shopping? Well, this Black Friday could be a black Friday for teams shopping for more wins to pad their record. Wins can't be bought at any store at any mall. While you were out shopping (assuming you did Black Friday shopping), some teams were playing 'ball. So let's see who were the big winners.





Division 1: FBS Scores
Because of hitting the road between 5:31 AM CST (while making two home stops) and not being able to rest until 10:04 PM CST, I was purely spent and tired. It's rare I do posting between 6:00 AM CST and 10:30 AM CST on the weekend. So here's an all-in-one post of quick scores.

--- QUICK SCORES ---
* Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan (56-52; EASTERN MICHIGAN)
* West Virginia at Pittsburgh (19-15; PITTSBURGH)
* Ohio at Miami University (41-26; Ohio)
* Mississippi State at Mississippi (45-0; MISSISSIPPI) <<< Egg Bowl
* UTEP at East Carolina (53-21; EAST CAROLINA)
* Akron at Temple (27-6; TEMPLE)
* Kent State at Buffalo (24-21; Kent State)
* LSU at Arkansas (31-30; ARKANSAS)
* Bowling Green State at Toledo (38-10; Bowling Green State)
* Colorado at Nebraska (40-31; NEBRASKA) <<< a trick play on a field goal by NEB ended up being an interception returned for a Colorado touchdown. Had Colorado won, this would have been a disappointing loss
* Fresno State at Boise State (61-10; #9 BOISE STATE)
* UCLA at Arizona State (34-9; ARIZONA STATE)





That be all from me. All the action from Friday's matches. Now get ready for an intense Saturday as this season nears an end. Enjoy this weekend's games (and shopping!)!

 

[Tornado]

* Colorado at Nebraska (40-31; NEBRASKA) <<< a trick play on a field goal by NEB ended up being an interception returned for a Colorado touchdown

That play was awesome.

 

[Joey D]

Not quite college, but my former high school is playing in the state finals today at Ford Field. Let's just hope the Lions curse isn't going to plague them.

 

[JohnBM01]

I would imagine that FoolKiler wouldn't be happy that his Kentucky Wildcats lost 28-10 at Tennessee. Tennessee may not be going to a Bowl game, but they looked like the Tennessee we used to know when they took down Kentucky earlier tonight.

In other quick observations...
* Houston's bid to take down a hot Rice team was a lost cause as they lost 56-42 at Rice.
* Grambling State took down Southern in the Bayou Classic. It's sad because my sister-in-law is a Southern alum.
* Miami lost at North Carolina State.
* Virginia Tech took down Virginia.
* Duke may win in basketball over North Carolina, but Duke (or "Dook" if you hate Duke) stunk hosting North Carolina.
* Florida and Alabama respectively won their games convincingly.

I'll have this and more in my full report including my Winners and Losers from this week. The last game I was watching was Notre Dame at USCal. And so far, 31-0 in the third quarter with 5:03 to go. USCal has the ball at present. The Trojans just scored.

 

[JohnBM01]

My feet and ankles are slowly healing after lots of walking on Friday. If it meant anything, I was wearing some rather flat American Eagle sneakers. My mom suggested I get some shoes with more cushioning so that the pain from lots of walking can be better supressed. I've been out the house and mobile for some time. Never thought my family and I would be out for over 16.5 hours. Today was just a day to chill and heal. And guess what? Some of these teams will be healing their own battle scars. Let's close out this week with some good old college football.

All playoff action will be covered in the future in the Postseason Thread.





Division 1: FBS Scores
I chose Auburn at Alabama as my GAME OF THE WEEK. Was it a grueling fist fight, or a pathetic blowout? Let's check the scores.


--- State Championship Pack ---
These are all games involving two teams from the same state. We begin in Alabama.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tigers Look to Trump the Crimson Tide in the Egg Bowl
* Auburn {Tigers} at #1 Alabama {Crimson Tide} --- GAME OF THE WEEK ---
I chose this as the Game of the Week. And well... the Tigers just got pounded hard by Alabama while the Crimson Tide slapped them around all day and all night. (35-0; #1 ALABAMA)


Maybe I was a fool for picking this as the big game because...

Stillwater, Oklahoma - The State Championship of Oklahoma Involves Some Bedlam
* #3 Oklahoma {Sooners} at #12 Oklahoma State {Cowboys}
If Oklahoma wins this game, BCS rankings will determine who from the Big XII South will go to the Big XII Championship game. The Sooners want to win after Texas Tech did their damage and while Texas surely did theirs. The Cowboys want to throw away Oklahoma's BCS aspirations with another loss. Chaos reigns supreme in the Big XII as the Sooners won an offensive melee... only that Oklahoma State got backed into a corner they couldn't escape from. (61-41; #3 Oklahoma)

Blacksburg, Virginia - The State Championship of Virginia: Common Folk Vie for the Commonwealth Cup
* Virginia {Cavaliers} at Virginia Tech {Hokies}
Time to see who leaves Lane Stadium with the Commonwealth Cup. The Hokies pulled away with a field goal to end a close contest. (17-14; VIRGINIA TECH)

Athens, Georgia - The State Championship of Georgia: Dogs and Bugs Mosquitoes at it
* #18 Georgia Tech {Yellow Jackets} at #13 Georgia {Bulldogs}
Higher powers have called Georgia and Georgia Tech to collide again. Simply known as "Clean Old-Fashioned Hate," The Georgia Bulldogs are sick and tired of Georgia Tech. So the 'Dawgs invited the Yellow Jackets to Athens with Mother Nature threatening. The crowd at Sanford Stadium was loud, but Georgia Tech spoke loud and clear and silenced the Georgia faithful. Putting up 26 points in the third quarter helped their cause in upsetting Georgia. (45-42; #18 Georgia Tech)

Clemson, South Carolina - The State Championship of South Carolina: Clemson = Overrated?
* South Carolina {Gamecocks} at Clemson {Tigers}
The Battle of the Palmetto State involves Clemson University and studentdriver's University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks are about to get cocky and show how overrated Clemson is and how much of bridesmaids they always are. The Tigers, however, want to put South Carolina in their place- looking up at the sky and seeing stars. Clemson threw too many haymakers at South Carolina to the point where it was nap time for the Garnet and Black. (31-14; CLEMSON)

Tallahassee, Florida - The State Championship of Florida: A Stormy Rivalry in the Sunshine State
* #2 Florida {Gators} at #23 Florida State {Seminoles}
Florida State is improving as another non-conference rivalry takes place. The Florida Gators probably looked ahead to the SEC Championship game while slapping the daylights out of Florida State, leaving the Seminoles look up at the scoreboard and hang their heads down in disbelief. (45-15; #2 FLORIDA)

Durham, North Carolina - The State Championship of North Carolina: From Contender to Mediocrity
* North Carolina {Tar Heels} at Duke {Blue Devils}
No... not Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke takes to the gridiron to try to beat North Carolina. For most of the season, Duke could have been a contender. But, they've just faded down the stretch in typical Blue Devil fashion. UNC-Chapel Hill walks down that long road as the Tar Heels of Tobbaco Road play for a victory bell in this football rivalry. North Carolina was better than Duke, but this was pretty close. (28-20; North Carolina

Boca Raton, Florida - Low Major Florida Schools Clash Proper
* Florida International {Golden Panthers} at Florida Atlantic {Owls}
Both of these schools joined FBS for about the 2004 or 2005 season. FAU's been the better team than FIU. Will that change in the battle between the Sun Belt's only two Florida schools? Let's find out. An offensive fist fight happened here, but the Owls were just better than Florida International. Sixty minutes wasn't enough. Sorry, Golden Panthers... (57-50, OT; FLORIDA ATLANTIC)


While not a State Championship, here's a "city championship," if you will...

Houston, Texas - Houston and Rice Will Tussle... One Wins a Bucket While the Other Kicks a Bucket
* Houston {Cougars} at Rice {Owls}
A much-improved Rice squad was the X-Factor in this battle for pride in my hometown. This is a football version of the Cincinnati/Xavier rivalry as only 6.1 miles seperate Houston from Rice. Rice seperated themselves quite well. The Owls won this game despite the Houston Cougars' big rally. (56-42; RICE)

SIDE NOTE - This is Rice's first nine-win season since 1953. They need Tulsa to lose at Marshall so Rice can play for their first C-USA championship. Find out if Tulsa lost later in this report.

-end of "State Championship Pack"



Let's get to some other games.

Kansas City, Missouri - Birds and Cats Play for a Marching Band Drum
* Kansas {Jayhawks} vs. Missouri {Tigers} --- played at Arrowhead Pond ---
A contract to have this rivalry to be played in Kansas City was recently extended. Time to see who got her done. It was a snowy Saturday as the Kansas Jayhawks flew their way into Kansas City, MO. Missouri is known as the "Show-Me State" (I believe. Nothing would make High-Test happier than to see Kansas beat the Mizzou Tigers. Smile as wide as you can because Kansas survived Missouri and Mother Nature in pulling this upset. (40-37; Kansas)

Knoxville, Tennessee - Phillip Fulmer Out, Lane Kiffin on His Way, Vols Want Parting Gifts to Give to Fulmer
* Kentucky {Wildcats} at Tennessee {Volunteers}
Kentucky's got nothing to lose as they will return to the postseason. Tennessee have been one of the biggest bunch of losers in America this season. That all changed for sixty minutes because the Volunteers gave Phillip Fulmer something to be proud of on Fulmer Appreciation Night as the Kentucky Wildcats didn't stand a chance. Where was this offense all season, Tennessee? (28-10; TENNESSEE)

Los Angeles, California - Was Charlie Weis Wise Enough to Tame the Trojans?
* Notre Dame {Fighting Irish} at USCal {Trojans}
Indiana meets California. No, I'm not talking about Indiana University of Pennsylvania and California University of Pennsylvania in Division 2. I'm talking about Notre Dame and USCal- two of America's most storied programs. Notre Dame has done such a great job of falling on their faces and being lethargic. The Fighting Irish lost too many fights this season. The Trojans will visit a school called the University of California-Los Angeles next week at a beautiful stadium called the Rose Bowl. USCal never trailed as all Notre Dame could do was kick a field goal against the Trojan offense. (38-0; #5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)

Huntington, West Virginia - A Win for Tulsa Puts Them in the Conference USA Title Game Against East Carolina
* Tulsa {Golden Hurricane} at Marshall {Thundering Herd}
Blue and gold... green and white. Who takes it? The Golden Hurricane of Tulsa had just enough violent winds to blow away the Thundering Herd. (38-35; Tulsa)

Lubbock, Texas - The Fight of Baylor's Lives as the Big XII's Only Baptist School Meets Texas Tech
* Baylor {Bears} at #7 Texas Tech {Red Raiders}
The Baylor Bears were like teddy bears to Texas Tech as the Red Raiders proved to be one touchdown better than Baylor. (35-28; #7 TEXAS TECH)





Division 1: FCS Scores
Only two games to feature, both involving SWAC schools.

Irving, Texas - Black College Football SWAC Attack in Suburban Big "D"
* Texas Southern {Tigers} vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff {Golden Lions}
The Golden Lions were golden while Texas Southern broke apart easily. (28-7; Arkansas-Pine Bluff)

New Orleans, Louisiana - Black College Football's State Championship of Louisiana- the Bayou Classic!
* Grambling State {Tigers} vs. Southern {Jaguars}
Sick of seeing Notre Dame lose on NBC? Well, you can see Grambling State and Southern go at it. The Grambling State Tigers are ready to remind Southern just who the Jaguars are messing with in the Big Easy. Southern says "bring it on!" And so the game begins... Southern led 14-12 at the half, only to lose bad late. (29-14; Grambling State)





That's Saturday scores. Coming up, my Winners and Losers!

 

[JohnBM01]

John's Winners and Losers
Did you enjoy Thanksgiving? Did you like doing shopping this weekend? I like both of these as well as football. Some eat turkey while others ARE turkey. So who made the nice or naughty list this week? I make my picks. You can debate at will.





BIGGEST WIN(S) OF THE WEEK - Tennessee's Miserable Season Along Ends With a Thrashing of Kentucky for Appreciation of Coach Fulmer
This reminds me of a game last year in the NFL when my Texans got their asses handed to at San Diego in the wake of wildfires. Well, Tennessee gave the fight of their lives in appreciation of Coach Fulmer. Lane Kiffin has some promise in front of him when he becomes the head coach of the Volunteers.

OTHER RECOGNIZABLE WINS:
* Eastern Michigan upsetting Central Michigan
* Kansas stunning #17 Missouri



MOST DISAPPOINTING LOSS(ES) OF THE WEEK - Sylvester Croom's Final Game as Mississippi State Coach Ends With No Points Scored at All
This was tough for me to pick. One departing coach makes my BIGGEST WIN honor while another makes my DISAPPOINTING LOSS dishonor. It's not that Mississippi is a bad team, just that with a resigning Sylvester Croom, the least you could do is score a point to show that Mississippi State isn't the biggest bunch of dullards in SEC football. No fight in them, so Croom resigns with a team that failed to score anything. But really, I couldn't find an outstanding one to note as MOST DISAPPOINTING LOSS, so I picked this one.



UPSET(S) OF THE WEEK (if any) - (tie) Come Hell, High Water, or Snow- Kansas Will Not be Denied in Upsetting #17 Missouri and Georgia Tech Proves a Nation of Doubters Wrong By Going Into Athens
It takes some character to (1) go into a neutral site game or to (2) beat a powerful team on the road. Kansas and Georgia Tech get my nod for UPSETS OF THE WEEK.



OWNAGE(S) OF THE WEEK - #9 Boise State Wins the WAC Championship, Trampling Fresno State 61-10 All the While
This was an epic beatdown. What better way to show you're the best in your conference by beating up and taking lunch money from a worthy foe like Fresno State? You can sing along:

Fresno State = OWNED 61-10 by #9 Boise State!





No song for you all this time. The final week of the regular season for FBS will be this week. Playoffs continue elsewhere while FBS still has critical matches to be solved. God bless all of you. Thank you for your reading.

 

[High-Test]

Kansas City, Missouri - Birds and Cats Play for a Marching Band Drum
* Kansas {Jayhawks} vs. Missouri {Tigers} --- played at Arrowhead Pond ---
A contract to have this rivalry to be played in Kansas City was recently extended. Time to see who got her done. It was a snowy Saturday as the Kansas Jayhawks flew their way into Kansas City, MO. Missouri is known as the "Show-Me State" (I believe. Nothing would make High-Test happier than to see Kansas beat the Mizzou Tigers. Smile as wide as you can because Kansas survived Missouri and Mother Nature in pulling this upset. (40-37; Kansas)

Nope. Eat it, Tigers. Basketball season cometh

FEAR THE IMAGINARY BIRD!

Well, the only thing that would make me happier would be KU thrashing Minnesota.

 

[JohnBM01]

Today is my fifth anniversary of being on GTPlanet. I love being on here and doing stuff like offer up score reports for you all. Thanks to all of you who have made your comments. Thanks to everyone. I'll still take comments, but I love it on here. Visit this thread: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=112712 .

This night is all about the MAC.

The Mid-American Conference Championship Game
Ford Field - Detroit, Michigan, USA[/B]

#12 Ball State {Cardinals}
vs.
Buffalo {Bulls}​

Get ready for MAC football at its loveliest. Buffalo worked hard to make the postseason, and they will. They have nothing to lose. A good team with nothing to lose can be dangerous to a much larger foe. The Buffalo Bulls finally silenced Ball State by giving them a feeling they've known all too well in the past- losing.

FINAL SCORE:
#12 Ball State - 24
Buffalo - 42





Saturday scores will begin with conference championships before moving on to other games. And my GAME OF THE WEEK involves Florida and Alabama to be settled in Atlanta. My GAMES OF THE WEEK are good on paper, but sometimes not as good when played out. Here's a GAME OF THE WEEK review from me:

EXTRA: GAMES OF THE WEEK - The Season So Far:

* Aug. 30: #24 Alabama vs. #9 Clemson - (34-10; #24 Alabama) <<< at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA
--- Hurricane Ike (off two weeks) ---
* Sep. 27: #8 Alabama at #3 Georgia (41-30; #8 Alabama)
* Oct. 5: #19 Auburn at #13 Vanderbilt (14-13; #19 VANDERBILT)
* Oct. 11: #5 Texas vs. #1 Oklahoma (45-35; #5 Texas) <<< from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX
* Oct. 18: #11 Missouri vs. #1 Texas (56-31; #1 TEXAS)
* Oct. 25: #3 Penn State at #9 Ohio State (13-6; #3 Pennsylvania State)
* Nov. 1: #1 Texas at #7 Texas Tech (39-33; #7 TEXAS TECH)
* Nov. 8: #1 Alabama at #15 LSU (27-21, OT; #1 Alabama)
* Nov. 15: #24 South Carolina at #3 Florida (56-6; #3 FLORIDA)
* Nov. 22: #2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma (65-21; #5 OKLAHOMA)
* Nov. 29: Auburn at #1 Alabama (35-0; #1 ALABAMA)

* Dec. 6: #? Florida vs. #1 Alabama (??-??, #? ????????)


As a mini-extra, I think I'm going to introduce something new if I'm still on here next season. I may start picking what games I think will end up being upsets. That's something I'm considering for next season. But that's a GAME OF THE WEEK review for this season.



Let's see how this game ends up. One last weekend of FBS football. Get out and enjoy a game this weekend in any division of NCAA or even NAIA football! Take care and have a great weekend!