Gameday Recap

Week Thirteen
November 24, 2007
Kansas City, Missouri - Missouri vs. Kansas

Looking back over the season, I'm thinking this is probably the biggest game they attended all year. The 2 visits to Oregon might be close. Oh, and definitely that Williams-Amherst game is right up there. First really rough weather they've had all year too.

• Looks like a pretty decent sized crowd for such bad weather (though there are some empty parking lots behind the set).
• I kind of like seeing the divided fanbase - really there are only 4 or so games each year that could look like this (Title games, Georgia/Florida, OU/Texas, Army/Navy).

Big N Rich

• Corso says in bad weather, defense will be important and Kansas has the advantage there.
• Herbstreit says the game should be a shootout despite the weather.
• Fowler says the numbers are in line so the winner of the Missouri-Kansas game would be #1 in the BCS.
• Slate: UConn-WVU, UT-UK, VT-UVA, Oregon-UCLA. Title-implicating games listed, and not just ESPN/ABC properties.
• Fowler mentions the historical significance of Missouri-Kansas. Missouri fans cheer loudly when he mentions the burning of Lawrence.
• Brief interviews with Kansas and Missouri players regarding the hatred of the rivalry.
• Herbstreit says that for either team, the season is a failure if they lose this game no matter how good the season is - or at least that what he says the players and coaches think.
• Corso: both teams need to protect their QBs to stay on track for the title because Oregon and others didn't do that.

First Commercial Break

• BCS talk - Brad Edwards is on from the Bristol studios.
• Edwards says WVU will stay ahead of OSU if they win out.
  
• 2 Loss team in BCS NCG? Edwards says Georgia is probably best positioned, VT might have a chance, and LSU has a chance even still.
  
• Desmond Howard joins the set.
• Herbstreit says the 2 teams he wouldn't want to play are Georgia and USC.
• Now Corso says Ohio State is the best all around team he's seen. That is at least the third different team he's said that about (and he'd seen OSU earlier in the year, before he said the same thing about Oregon and Oklahoma). Corso's opinions shift dramatically, and not because of changing conditions.
• Desmond Howard likes Virginia Tech among 2 loss teams.
  
• Fowler brings up "playing under pressure" and says that's what cost LSU.
• Corso says LSU lost because of "lousy defense" and "hey, they scored 50 points on them!". Yes, Lee, Arkansas scored 50 points. 22 of which came during the overtime periods when they got the ball on the 25 yard line. Now, maybe 28 points isn't great to give up, and a D surely has a chance to stop the other team in OT. But it's crazy to suggest that giving up a lot of points in overtime with a really short field behind you is a massive indictment of the defense.
• The rest of the set ribs Corso because his pick of a national title winner is wrong. I think just about everyone's wrong.

Second Commercial Break

• Breaking News - Callahan fired at Nebraska.
  
• Auburn-Alabama talk.
  
• Clip of Nick Saban's presser with the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor comments. Not much follow up from the talking heads though.
  
• Herbstreit carries some water for Saban, saying how difficult it is to step in to a program and turn it around.
  
• Herbstreit likes Alabama because nobody is giving them a chance.
  
• Corso also defends Saban, saying Saban was brought in to beat Tennessee and he did that.
• Clemson-USC talk.
  
• Herbstreit thinks USC has "urgency and redemption" on their side, but Clemson has more talent (WOW, actually focusing on tangibles!), but then he says Clemson wins because of emotional inspiration (didn't last long...).
• Corso likes South Carolina because Spurrier called the team "stinky". When you read Corso's reasons for his picks, you really have to wonder why anyone watches this show at all. There is no tangible analysis, no picks based on things like talent or strategy.

Third Commercial Break

• Highlights of Jeremy Maclin at Missouri. I think this guy deserved a little more hype than he's gotten so far.
• Fowler introduces the piece on WVU by saying their offense burst on the scene in the Sugar Bowl where they "shredded" Georgia. (By 3 whole points, requiring a fake punt at the end to seal it, taking advantage of 3 inopportune UGA turnovers, outgaining a decent but not dominant Georgia offense by a massive margin of one yard). I know I'm howling at the moon on this, but that WVU-UGA Sugar Bowl simply wasn't the massive upset or dominating WVU performance that a lot of people seem to think it was.
  
• Extended Piece on West Virginia's offense. Todd McShay reporting. Very useful and informative piece. Give Todd McShay a piece like this every single week. Seriously.
  
• Fowler mentions how UConn has been outgained by every Big East opponent but Syracuse. Creeping stat-ism? Let's hope.
• Corso then talks about the UConn offense optimistically, showing highlights of the Syracuse game. If there's a piece of objective evidence that says one thing, count on Corso to go the other way from it. (then he picks WVU because they have more to lose).
• Herbstreit then spends some time breaking down the tangible parts of the improved WVU defense, but then picks WVU because Rodriguez's neck will be bulging and stuff. Does pick the margin correctly though
  

Fourth Commercial Break

• Gillette Game Face: Shaved chest hair in the "MU" shape. Kind of, no, VERY gross.
• Nebraska-Colorado highlights and numbers on how crappy Nebraska's season was.
• Texas-Texas A&M highlights and some numbers on Dennis Franchione.
• Pat Forde joins to discuss coaching changes.
• Forde suggests Tuberville heading to A&M, maybe Chris Peterson or Mike Sherman.
• Forde suggests Nebraska looking at Bo Pellini, Turner Gill, Jim Grobe, Paul Johnson.
• Forde says Arkansas isn't going to move fast on Houston Nutt, but that he'll not resign - suggests that he wants them to fire him and pay the buyout.
• Notre Dame-Stanford talk. Corso likes Notre Dame to pull the upset, and head into 2008 with momentum and big wins over top private academic institutions. Herbstreit also takes ND.
  

Fifth Commercial Break

• Montage of Kansas highlights and former greats.
• Famous Alums of Kansas - Don Johnson, Bob Dole, the Survivor winner. Missouri - Sam Walton, Sheryl Crow, Brad Pitt.
• Virginia-Virginia Tech talk. Herbstreit picks UVA for reasonable reasons - tangible matchup and talent analysis. Corso responds with a NSFMF, but then also uses matchup rationales to pick VT.
  
• Miami-BC - Corso thinks BC wins big. Herbstreit thinks Miami's recruiting will be great.

Sixth Commercial Break

• Extended Piece on Oklahoma State's Martel Van Zant, who is deaf. Tom Rinaldi reporting. A little more than just a human interest story - interesting parts about the use of sign language.
• OU-Okla. State talk. Both guys like OU big. Herbstreit gives a good tangible reason - Oklahoma State's lack of depth on D.

Seventh Commercial Break

• Oregon-UCLA. Fowler gives the injury updates. Herbstreit picks against Oregon because he has no faith in Brady Leaf. Corso likes Oregon because the line would give Leaf just enough time.
• Herbstreit hints that the only reason why USC will beat UCLA next week is "all you've gotta say is 'remember last year'."
  
• Highlights of Hawaii-Boise State.
  
• They take a closer look at Hawaii and whether they can get a BCS bid.
• Corso says Hawaii deserves a BCS bid because Boise State was undefeated in the WAC last year and got one. Left unmentioned: Boise State played a significantly more difficult OOC schedule last year, and the natural logical fallacy that one year is different from another. Also, Corso says Hawaii's D looked great in holding a Boise State team that rakes up points against their horrendous conference opponents to 27. Also, Corso blames Hawaii's disrespect on the fact that "we never get to see them because they play way out off the mainland". I've seen Hawaii play 3 times on national TV on the family of networks that pays Lee Corso's salary. Shouldn't one of the top "analysts" who gets paid to be an expert on college football take the time to watch one of the teams that he talks about?
  
• Herbstreit says that a full 50,000 seat stadium in Hawaii was a great sight. He also thinks Hawaii deserves a BCS bid because they handle their business against atrocious competition. Also says Hawaii's offense has been BCS quality all year (I'll insert the "against atrocious competition" for your benefit), but that the D finally stepped up (against the only team they've played all year in the top 90).
  
• Fowler focuses on the facts alone - saying that Hawaii probably will get a bid because of teams losing ahead of them.
• Fowler asks: if LSU wins the SEC, do you think they'd want to see Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl? (suggesting that they wouldn't). Herbstreit suggests that LSU wouldn't want to see Hawaii's receivers. Everyone laughs. Herbstreit says they'd be the best receivers they'd see all year. LET ME USE ALL CAPS: LSU WOULD LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE TO PLAY HAWAII AND THEIR SUPPOSEDLY GREAT RECEIVERS. LSU WOULD HAVE PLAYED SEVEN GAMES THIS YEAR AGAINST TEAMS RANKED AT THE TIME, SEVERAL OF WHOM WOULD HAVE VERY GOOD PASSING GAMES (Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee) AND STRONG RUSHING ATTACKS TO GO WITH THEM (WHICH HAWAII DOES NOT HAVE). THERE IS PROBABLY NOT A SINGLE PLAYER ON ANY OF THE DEFENSES ON THE TEAMS HAWAII HAS PLAYED ALL YEAR WHO WOULD MAKE LSU'S 2-DEEP. LSU WOULD PREFER TO PLAY HAWAII THAN ANY OTHER TEAM IN THE BCS. HAWAII'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS YEAR CANNOT BE VIEWED OUTSIDE OF THE PRISM OF THEIR TERRIBLE SCHEDULE. But it's definitely worth a laugh. We'll keep tabs and see if any of these guys nut up and pick Hawaii against LSU (or Tennessee).
  
• Desmond Howard is on the suddenly re-emerging fake field. Says some Florida fans want Tim Tebow playing basketball for the gators "or maybe these guys", pointing to the fans of Missouri and Kansas. I don't think I get it.

Eighth Commercial Break

• Semi-extended piece on Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing. Interviews with each's teammates.
• Corso would take Chase Daniel over Reesing because he saw Daniel in person (he hasn't seen Reesing). Corso has become Joe Morgan today.
• Herbstreit would also take Daniel, but gives some tangible reasons for that.
• Desmond Howard's Heisman interview series goes to Florida at interview Tim Tebow. I am not exactly surprised to find out that Tebow only wears cleats and crocs. Crocs.
  
• Darren McFadden is on the phone and Fowler interviews him. It's a little hard to understand because McFadden talks 100 miles an hour.
• Corso now says Colt Brennan should be considered for the Heisman because he holds a bunch of records (earned against terrible opposition).
  
• Herbstreit agrees with Corso in that Brennan should make NYC because "he's been doing it all year". Was Brennan not injured for several games, allowing him to play minimal amounts and not bloat his numbers further (and note how that injury didn't affect Hawaii much, because they were playing atrocious opposition).
• Herbstreit says Darren McFadden is the most outstanding player in the country, my have won the Heisman.
  
• Fowler asks about Dennis Dixon, says that he hopes voters don't leave him out entirely.
• Some brief talk about UF-FSU. Herbstreit says FSU shouldn't try to intimidate Tebow. Do not taunt Happy Fun Tebow.
• Corso thinks FSU could outscore Florida because of better weapons on FSU's O. Also thinks FSU would blitz Florida like Georgia did.
  
• Fowler chimes in with the trope about how "Tebow was very very hurt against Georgia". If he was that hurt, should he not have been playing?
  
• Herbstreit: don't taunt Tebow. Because then he gets mad. And then he gets even.

Ninth Commercial Break

• Energizer Spirit Meter says 99. They just make this up. Williams-Amherst, with a crowd 1/4th the size registered a 102.
  
• Tennessee-Kentucky talk. Short interview clips with Fulmer and Ainge.
• Corso likes Kentucky because Kentucky is at home.
  
• Herbstreit likes Tennessee because everyone is picking against them. Seriously - for no other reason than this.
• Georgia-Georgia Tech talk.
  
• Corso thinks the line is messed up, but still picks Georgia.
• Herbstreit: over the last few weeks, Mark Richt has done as good a job as anyone in America. Thinks Georgia wins, gets to a BCS game. (nobody corrects him to say that if Kentucky had beaten Tennessee, Georgia wouldn't be assured a BCS berth).

Tenth Commercial Break

• Extended piece on Missouri's Aaron O'Neal. Steve Cyphers reporting.
• Missouri-Kansas talk. Breakdowns of when each team has the ball. Desmond Howard on to talk about special teams (really, just the return game). Fowler actually covers the kicking game.
  
• Herbstreit: the most explosive offense in the country is Missouri.
• Howard picks Kansas, despite having just said a good deal about explosiveness of Maclin and Missouri.

Eleventh Commercial Break

• Pontiac Game Changer: Corso - Andre Woodson. Herbstreit - Knowshon Moreno. Fowler - Vince Hall of VT. Maybe Fowler? Woodson had a decent game, but they didn't win. Moreno gave way to Thomas Brown.
• Breaking News: Mississippi fires Orgeron.
  
• Saturday Stupid Selections: Corso - South Carolina, Kentucky, Oregon. Herbstreit - Virginia, Alabama, (and he hinted that he'd pick Kansas).

This episode was one of Corso's worst of the year. Herbstreit was a little better than normal. I suppose you could probably tell, but I don't buy the hype for Hawaii - and they were significantly hyperbolic in praise for Hawaii. The McShay piece was great.

Next week, I'm guessing they'll go to the Oklahoma-Missouri game in San Antonio.

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Gameday Recap

Week Twelve
November 17, 2007
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Ohio State vs. Michigan

Big 10 title on the line, but surely this can't be the hype machine it would've been had both OSU and UofM not lost last week? Please? At least there's a massive crowd on hand, unlike last weekend. I bet I won't be able to pick out the same person in the crowd twice, let alone 45 times.

• Maybe I'll be able to spot those guys wearing pop-pom skirts and no shirts more than once.
• Desmond Howard opens on the set, first time for a while. Balancing Herbstreit?
• Desmond offers gifts to the crew - Bo Schembechler's posthumously published book.
  
• Nice hat, Kirk. Signing up with Elliot Ness?
• Corso tells us that it's gun season for deer, and if you need to do outdoor chores, do it during the Michigan-Ohio State game, because most hunters will be watching the game. Or something like that... it made little sense.
• Second time ever that OSU and UofM both enter the game off a loss.
  
• Fowler says maybe OSU can win and sit back and back into the BCS Title Game. Not sure whether this is narrative building or if it's a slight (why would OSU "back in"? - there are only so many teams with 1 loss - if the math favors OSU, then it favors OSU and they wouldn't "back in").
• That's crazy how OSU has only played in 1 Rose Bowl since 1985.
  
• Corso then says that OSU would have a good bid for the BCS title game if they win, and Herbstreit naturally agrees with the argument.
  
• Then Herbstreit tells us how hard players in the Michigan-Ohio State game will be playing, and Howard agrees. Question - do they play harder than the DIII guys they bragged about last week?

First Commercial Break

• Highlights from Hawaii-Nevada.
  
• Highlights from Oregon-Arizona.
  
• Fowler talks about how sad it is that Dixon got hurt, and how that may affect his Heisman status. Corso also says that Dixon was his Heisman pick and that Oregon will suffer greatly. Herbstreit also says Dixon was the Heisman frontrunner. Why not still vote for him?
• They do the Saturday Slate after the first break this time (too much Ohio State-Michigan talk to fit it in?)
• Interesting way they framed the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game - using the last time they played in Lubbock and bad officiating and how the respective coaches have responded to bad calls recently.
  
• Corso thinks Texas Tech-OU might be a high scoring game (out on a limb there!), but also likes TTU's chances, but not enough to pick them.
• Fowler points out that Texas Tech's passing game isn't that great against Oklahoma in recent years.
• Internet poll says Kansas had the best chance of losing yesterday (won huge), Oklahoma had the worst chance of losing (lost).
  

Second Commercial Break

• ACC talk. Fowler calls the ACC a microcosm of college football - inconsistency, messy.
• BC-Clemson.
  
• Radio clips on Clemson and their yo-yo tendency.
  
• Herbstreit: "Clemson plays in the ACC, but their fans are from the SEC." Then he breaks down Clemson's defense. Then picks Clemson.
• Corso likes Cullen Harper for All-ACC QB. Then he gets Clemson's ACC record wrong (says they're 5-1 and will be 6-1).
• Fowler walks back the others on Clemson, saying not to underestimate Matt Ryan.
• Miami-VT. Fowler says "you have to question Miami's heart."
• Corso recommends Miami players go see the Wizard of Oz and find a heart.
  
• Herbstreit says the fact that recruits are questioning the efforts of Miami players is a good thing for Miami and Shannon is on the right track because someone like Ray Lewis would also question the efforts of players. Newsflash, Kirk: those recruits might not go to Miami because of what they saw on the field. That's not exactly a good thing, or a reason to think Shannon is on the right path.
• The entire set thinks the Miami-UVa result the previous week looks even worse because UVa doesn't blow anyone out.

Third Commercial Break

• Energizer Spirit Meter - 109 dB. Last week's number was total BS.
  
• Extended Piece on Mohawks. Greg Garber reporting. Lord, this is totally useless. For a while, I thought they'd given up on doing these BS pieces. Les Miles thinks mohawks are the result of not having enough money for a full haircut. Is it a surprise that USF is the site of the most mohawks, considering that Tampa is home to the most "clippers on the side, but leave it long on top and in the back" mullets than anywhere south of Ontario?
• Fowler mentions how the Michigan fans cheered when Les Miles was on camera.

Fourth Commercial Break

• Game Face: Guy dressed in X-Men Wolverine costume. Nice work.
• Yale-Harvard talk.
  
• Wired!!! with Yale's coach. That stray ear hair on the coach disturbs me.
  
• Duke-Notre Dame talk. Fowler admits that it's the first matchup of 1-9 teams ever discussed on Gameday.
  
• Fowler: "this Duke-ND game is fairly evenly matched".
  
• Interviews with Duke players. Note to other terrible programs: if you want some publicity, no matter how bad you are, play Notre Dame (no matter how bad they are).
• Show offensive stats of Duke and ND - good lord that's terrible.
• Howard is back on the set.
• Howard says it's comical that Weis isn't getting more scrutiny from the national media because the team isn't improving from week to week.
• Corso (without irony!) says that (a) the national media IS getting on Weis, but (b) Weis deserves a free pass because he took ND to two [undeserved] BCS bowl berths. Apparently Corso isn't a part of the national media, and he's an idiot.
• Herbstreit says Weis is getting a free pass from the national media, says that were Willingham or Davie 1-9, SportsCenter would devote full episodes to the crisis. Says Weis is getting a free pass because of Super Bowls and a supposedly great recruiting class, but thinks the heat should be hotter.
• Fowler says lots of other coaches (Robinson at Syracuse, Orgeron, etc) are feeling heat, with better records than Weis and at smaller programs than ND.

Fifth Commercial Break

• Highlights of Colerain-St. Xavier high school game in Southern Ohio
• Cincinnati-WVU.
  
• Semi-extended piece on Owen Schmitt. Nobody named as reporting. I thought they did a piece on this guy a year or two ago. This is new material, though.
  
• Herbstreit ably points out the difficulty in defending WVU's various talented offensive players. Nails the pick too.
• Corso likes Cincy because the spread seems low and WVU is ranked a lot higher.
  

Sixth Commercial Break

• Big Ten segment - lists a lot of those odd Big Ten rivalry trophies.
• Tom Rinaldi joins the set (where only Fowler remains) to talk about his extended piece on Indiana and Terry Hoeppner's legacy.
• Rinaldi sets up the next segment, as everyone else has left the set to go inside the stadium

Seventh Commercial Break

• Lots of commercials and longer breaks than usual, it seems.
• Should I know who the preacher guy is who is hyping Michigan-Ohio State far far far more than the game deserved?
  
• When they went inside the stadium at the season opener at VT, Fowler couldn't stop talking about how emotions were building. Now, he's already said twice how the "excitement is building".
  
• Some talk about Lloyd Carr's legacy at Michigan.
  
• Corso tells us that he thinks the OSU game would be Carr's last regular season game (apparently unaware of Brian Cook's story breaking), praises Carr's getting contract extensions for his assistants.
• Herbstreit rambles about Carr reaching out to players on a personal level.
• Desmond Howard is outside with a few other UofM former players, who say nothing.

Eighth Commercial Break

• Shots of Sly Croom firing up the Miss State faithful, then clips of LSU destroying them.
• Arkansas-Miss State talk. Interview with Croom.
  
• Corso tells us that he relates a lot to Croom because, in case you didn't know, Corso used to be a coach and had limited success on the field, but supposedly had great relationships with players and staff.
• Herbstreit also talks about character and backbone and perseverence, etc.
• LSU-Ole Miss. Highlights of last year's game, where LSU struggled greatly. Fowler hints that Ole Miss might sneak up on LSU. Herbstreit thinks LSU will get the job done because they've seen other highly ranked teams lose. Corso, on the other hand, thinks LSU has been living on the edge and could struggle against a team that can throw the ball.
• Corso also adds that he thinks Oklahoma is better than LSU. For those of you keeping score at home, this is a reversion to his original statement about Oklahoma, after a week or two of a flirtation with Oregon being the best team in the nation. Who knows what he'll say next week.
• Tennessee-Vandy. Herbstreit thinks Tennessee doesn't lose focus.
• Georgia-Kentucky. Fowler calls Georgia the best 2 loss team in the country. Herbstreit apologizes to Georgia fans (seriously) for "being the last to the party" and refers to the Tennessee loss as "spooking" him. Also says that if UGA plays LSU, UGA will win if they keep up the intensity or something.
• Corso and Herbstreit both think Tennessee will have more trouble with Kentucky than Vandy.

Ninth Commercial Break

• Shots of the Michigan band, Mike Hart getting taped. Seems like there are a lot of meaningless, contentless simple shots of pregame routines. They could spend a whole lot more time breaking down the actual game (or talk about a few other games).
• Quick history of teams unranked in the preseason finishing high in polls as segue into Kansas talk.
• Todd Reesing talk. Desmond Howard interviews him on his Hello Heisman segment. Useful stuff in here - mainly focusing on visibility of a shorter QB with a big O line.
• Howard then muddies things a bit - compares Todd Reesing sending his own highlight tape to colleges to rappers sending demo tapes to record labels or something like that.
• Fowler and graphics make some statements about Kansas - and how they haven't played anyone good.
  
• Herbstreit says Kansas is good even though he knows they haven't played anyone good.
  
• Corso is more certain - says Kansas doesn't deserve to be #2 because their schedule is so bad. Then he walks it back by saying Kansas could be OK if they end up beating Missouri and Oklahoma.
• Fowler says that it's now starting to rain and cites Guns N Roses.

Tenth Commercial Break

• Injury news on Mike Hart, sort of. They need to do more informative injury updates.
• Extended previews on player matchups - QB vs. QB, etc. Not so much detailed information as "these are the guys whose names you'll hear later".
• Corso talks about Michigan's need to throw the ball deep and well - because of how important it is to beat OSU. Corso also says that OSU isn't out of the National Title picture.
• The key to the game according to Corso: "which coaching staff lets their players play". Instead of mocking such an empty cliche, Herbstreit says Corso is "exactly right".
• Herbstreit says that Ohio State has relied on adding wrinkles, but then the highlights pretty much show good decisionmaking against Michigan's defense (picking out the right matchups, etc).

Eleventh Commercial Break

• Lisa Salters provides some more injury updates - including news from the parents of Henne and Hart.
• Pontiac Game Changer. Corso - Sam Bradford. Herbstreit - Pat White. Fowler - Juice Williams. Herbstreit wins.
  
• Saturday Stupid Selections: Corso: Maryland, Clemson, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Yale. Herbstreit: Clemson, Duke.
  
• Herbstreit calls the Texas Tech upset, and got almost all the picks right.
  
• Keep Corso away from the picks this week. He kept mentioning weird spreads as if that was an intelligent way to pick games.

Next week in Kansas City for Missouri-Kansas. Lots of great games next week, so let's hope for an information-driven show, rather than lots of extended pieces and meaningless segments.

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Gameday Recap

Week Eleven
November 10, 2007
Williamstown, Massachusetts - Amherst at Williams

Small school road trip. I've written my piece on it already. I like that they sometimes cover schools a little off the national radar, but I also wonder whether this was the right place to do it. I figure the fans of Mt. Union wonder that too.

• For the first time this year, the opener isn't of screaming fans, but rather a bucolic, quiet campus.
  
• Then the fans are shown. Smaller than any we've seen so far.
• Before the opener, they've already shown the same two guys three times. Perhaps the size of the crowd is overstated by the camerawork?

Big N Rich

• 4 times, same guy. Trucker hat, dead center.
  
• They use google maps to show exactly where they are.
• Bandmembers, this is the biggest thing to hit your campus in years. And you choose that to wear a hot dog hat?
  
• Herbstreit tells us DIII is the root of college football and a good break from BCS madness or something. If this is better than all that madness, why don't they cover DIII all the time, with the occasional jaunt up to DI?
• Corso tells us to go to the Clark Art Museum. Fowler and Herbstreit are amused by this.
  
• Fowler says DIII is fun because we can relate to not being big, fast, strong, etc. I can't tell whether they're praising or insulting DIII athletes.
• Fowler suggests that next week they'd be going to Ohio State-Michigan. Is that still operative after both teams' results?
• Fowler says South Carolina needed a win to get bowl eligible. They had 6 wins. Yes, one was a 1-AA opponent, but 6 wins is all that's necessary as long as there's a conference tie-in. South Carolina is bowl eligible, but they don't necessarily have a bowl bid secured.
• The Saturday Slate of big games does not list the only game between ranked opponents (UGA-Auburn). And if you think they were only listing games on the ESPN/ABC family...
• They do discuss Mount Union vs. Marietta College. Marietta was 3-6 going into the game, which they lost 57-0. Fowler says that Mt. Union's defense is fiercer than Ohio State's. No. It isn't.
• Apparently it was "Rivalry Saturday" in DIII.
  
• Fowler admits a narrative: this Saturday was thought of as "set the table" for the following week, catch your breath. At the same time, he suggests that having said just that, there'll probably be upsets (like the results of two games that make their trip this weekend to Ann Arbor a bit lamer)
• What could happen to shake things up? Corso says Kansas could get beat because Oklahoma State is a small underdog. Herbstreit says watch Texas and USC because of BCS at-large bids.
• The same kid in the trucker hat has been shown like 8 times. There are not as many people there as the camera might suggest.

First Commercial Break

• Florida-South Carolina talk. Clips of the last 2 games. Clip of Spurrier's press conference - which was hilarious. They should have a recurring segment on Spurrier's self-effacing quips and well timed jabs.
• Corso is right in saying that Florida is good on offense because of Tebow and Harvin, but how hard was it to come up with that analysis?
  
• Seventeen minutes in, Fowler mentions the only matchup of ranked opponents (Georgia-Auburn) for the first time. Total length of time discussed thus far: 3 seconds.
  

Second Commercial Break

• Trucker hat kid has been on screen as much as Corso.
• Fowler asks the crowd if they like BC. They don't respond.
• VT-FSU talk. Corso likes FSU because they were underdogs by 6.5 points, just like in the BC game, and because the game is played in the afternoon. Awesome analysis. Herbstreit likes FSU because of "attitude."
  
• BC-Maryland talk. Well, not really. Just some injury updates. Fowler mentions how one guy is "out with an ankle". A broken ankle? A twisted ankle? A tattooed ankle?
• Clemson-Wake talk. Everyone likes Clemson, and only Fowler gives tangible reasons.
• Back to BC-Maryland. Fowler says that highly ranked teams that have lost have tended to lose a second game as a letdown. Corso calls this "really voodoo stuff". Herbstreit likes BC because of "maturity", Corso expects BC to win big. Wrong.
• Visit with Desmond Howard on the bus. He's not high on the ACC.
• Howard provides some love notes from Williams people on the internet. Yes, tell yourselves it was a good decision to go there.

Third Commercial Break

• Gillette GameFace: The Trucker Hat kid makes the camera, but they show members of the band.
  
• Highlights of the 1997 Amherst-Williams game. My God that is a terrible play by Williams on that fake PAT. Aren't these kids supposed to be smart?
  
• Trucker hat kid is on camera for the 45th time. I'm starting to think the crowd is primarily cardboard cutouts.
• Rivalry notes on Amherst-Williams. They've played a long time.
  
• Some memories of the Orange Bowl Stadium.
  
• Extended piece of highlights. Steve Cyphers (who hasn't been around very much lately) reporting. Nice piece. Game-driven, rather than sappy and forced. Seems like the older the material in these extended pieces, the "realer" it is.
• Lamar Thomas was interviewed for that piece. Didn't see any clips of the FIU-UM brawl though...
• Herbstreit's memory of the Orange Bowl was a Super Bowl, but then the 2000 Miami game is his memory. Better than Flutie or the Nebraska 2 point conversion?
  
• Corso's best memories of the Orange Bowl are (a) his own high school performance there, (b) his own college performance there, and (c) his own coaching performance there. Glad it's not all about Lee.
  
• Fowler's memory was the Colorado-ND Orange Bowl with Rocket Ismail's return.

Fourth Commercial Break

• They use the split screen shots of the crowd, and no shit, the trucker hat kid is on two of the cameras at the same time. Maybe there is more than one goofy looking long haired kid with a velour trucker hat.
  
• Troubled teams: Nebraska, Notre Dame, Texas A&M. Clips of each coach's press conference. Charlie Weis' massive Super Bowl ring is tactfully placed.
  
• Tom Luginbill comes on to reassure the viewers that just because ND sucks ass this year, their future is totally awesome. The degree at ND is so valuable, the great class coming in is spectacular, and ND is still ND, sayeth Luginbill the Aqueduct. He does say Nebraska is losing guys left and right.
  
• Howard joins the set and is asked what it'd take to sign with a losing program. Howard lists platitudes and says some guys would want to be the guy who turns it around.
• Corso tells us a story about when he was a coach (if you didn't know, he was a coach). Corso says most coaches should ignore the best players and get players that like you. Really.
• Herbstreit continues Luginbill's work carrying water for ND, saying kids have a chance to play right away and that Weis will take the program to the next level.
  
• Apparently Amherst was taking the field for warmups. I counted 18 players.
  

Fifth Commercial Break

• List of famous Amherst and Williams alumni. They show a quote from George Steinbrenner that seems a little strange.
• Texas-Texas Tech talk (say that 5 times fast). Herbstreit mentions how Texas is in line for a BCS at-large berth for a second time. Note that narrative building.
• Kansas-Oklahoma State. Fowler says Kansas is getting some poll love but they need style points. Don't they need to play someone worth a lick more than "style points"? Clip of Mangino's press conference - and I'm surprised by this, but he actually looks pretty good, put together, compared to Weis' presser.
• Herbstreit actually breaks down some plays in Kansas-Oklahoma State. Herbstreit says it's going to be Kansas' most difficult opponent to date. You mean more than Southeast Louisiana, Toledo or Florida International?

Sixth Commercial Break

• Comparison of academics at Amherst and Williams.
  
• Flashback to some of their past milestones on Gameday. They've shown most of these clips dozens of times. I'm so sick of that clip where Herbstreit throws the computer. I remember thinking on that show, and I continue to think, that computers provide so much better analysis than Herbstreit it's not even funny.
• BCS Breakdown time.
• Mark May and Andre Ware join them (for what reason, we're not told).
• Fowler, to his credit, says he doesn't have the guts to rank Ohio State behind other teams, hinting that he thinks other teams are better, but other considerations come into play.
• Andre Ware says LSU and Oregon might be better than Ohio State.
• Corso whips out credentials, saying he's seen lots of teams live, says Oregon's the best team in the nation (a few weeks ago he said the same thing about Oklahoma). Also says that Oregon has the most significant win in college football this year - beating Michigan in Ann Arbor. This is f'ing ludicrous. Oregon's wins over Arizona State and USC were more significant than the win over Michigan. Oklahoma over Missouri? LSU over Virginia Tech? Corso is off his rocker.
• Mark May says Ohio State's 4th.
• Herbstreit defends Ohio State by saying we need to wait and see, but also that Ohio State's big wins over shitty teams means they deserve #1.
  
• Herbstreit assumes OSU is winning out over and over again.
• Corso a second time repeats the assertion that Oregon's win over Michigan is most significant, because Oregon beat them huge (a week after they lost to a 1-AA team) and Michigan had gone on to win 8 straight against mediocre competition. Expansive powers of logic exceed his capacity.
• Fowler promises that they'll be heading to Ann Arbor. And then Michigan and Ohio State lose. I think this is kind of poetic. They looked ahead just as much as the teams did.

Seventh Commercial Break

• There is no way on earth that that energizer sound meter is accurate. Says 102.
  
• Auburn-Georgia talk. First extended discussion of the day's best game is 1 hour and 13 minutes into the show.
• WIRED! with Mark Richt. More of a short interview than a Wired segment.
• Corso likes Georgia's offensive balance. Herbstreit thinks defensive inspiration will be important. Maudlin adjectives are Herbstreit's friend.
• Herbstreit also thinks last year's Georgia game, and the revenge issue will make the difference.
  
• Corso thinks turnovers make a difference - and Georgia is good at that. Decent nugget.
• Some highlights of Darren McFadden running all over South Carolina.
• Desmond Howard interviews McFadden. Now his segment has a graphic intro at the beginning.
  
• Herbstreit says the key to UT-Arkansas is making Arkansas throw the ball. Corso likes Tennessee because they beat Georgia big.
• Fowler wisely says Mississippi State could surprise Alabama.
  

Eighth Commercial Break

• Every time I see the Gillette commercial with Tiger, Federer and Thierry Henry I laugh when Henry says "I never phink about yethferday".
• Now they're starting to show some wider camera angles and it looks like the crowd has filled in a little.
• Corso likes Arizona State over UCLA because of coaching. Herbstreit calls UCLA one of the most disappointing teams in college football.
• USC-Cal. Herbstreit says turnovers by Cal is the problem, repeats for a third time that USC is in line for a BCS at-large. He is shameless with his support of certain storylines.
• Hawaii-Fresno State. Fowler and Corso say that Brennan breaks the all-time TD pass record early, but he did not. Fowler already starts saying that Hawaii is in line for the Sugar Bowl. More narrative building.
  

Ninth Commercial Break

• Extended piece on Amherst-Williams playing football (they work hard too, they care, etc). Jeremy Schaap reports in a highly elitist piece. "They're student-athletes not athlete-students", "they play for the love of the game only", etc...
• Now the discussion is on "the last game you ever played". Lots of cliches and repeated statements. They're saying the same thing over and over.
• Corso tells us about playing in an all star game. All about Lee.
• It is starting to look kind of dark there. Probably just the netting behind the set.

Tenth Commercial Break

• Trucker hat kid is on the split screen for the 248th time and he loses his hat.
• Ohio State-Illinois. Fowler tells us that this is the game before the real big game for the 50th time. Also says that Illinois won't be able to do anything against the OSU "rock hard" defense.
  
• Corso thinks OSU-Illinois is a big game for teams like Oregon to scout Ohio State's D against the spread.
  
• Herbstreit does say that the Buckeyes need to focus on Illinois not Michigan, but he assures us that Ohio State is doing just that (as always, Ohio State can do no wrong).
• Michigan-Wisconsin. Fowler says the numbers look really bad for Wisconsin except for being unbeaten at home.
• On-site scenes at Michigan-Wisconsin. Herbstreit praises Chad Henne. Corso tells us Lloyd Carr is a better person than coach and he's a great coach.
  
• Corso calls it a trap game for Michigan because the last time they played in Wisconsin in Madison they were ranked 14th and lost. Analysis!
• Herbstreit mocks Fowler for kind of thinking Wisconsin might not be a cakewalk for Michigan.
  

Eleventh Commercial Break

• Trucker hat makes the center of the camera for one last time.
• Now for the latest, we go right back to Madison, where we were right before the break to see Erin Andrews... but technical difficulties interrupt.
• Pontiac Game Changer. Corso: Brandon James. Herbstreit: Brandon Cox. Fowler: Pat Lucey of Williams. Fowler takes it, I guess. It's hard to tell how that guy did, but he won.
  
• Saturday Stupid Selections: Corso: Ohio State, Michigan (though he did hedge and say close) Herbstreit: UNC, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Auburn, Ohio State (very smarmily), Michigan.
• Shot of Williams' coach's pregame speech.
  

I might be ornery, and it's late, but I didn't think this was all that great a show. Seems like the crew and hosts are running low on gas this late in the year. Very little analysis. They didn't cover some pretty important games at all (UConn-Cincy, for one). They seemed very repetitious when discussing some things, kind of punchy and defensive (especially Herbstreit) at other times.

Next week they're heading to Ann Arbor for the Big Ten Title Game.

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Gameday Location

Read today that Gameday is going to be not at Ohio State-Illinois or Georgia-Auburn (the only matchup of ranked opponents) or even one of the ABC prime time sites (College Park, MD and Stillwater, OK). Instead, they're going to bucolic Williamstown, Massachusetts for the Amherst-Williams game.

Amherst-Williams is always a big rivalry. If you've never heard of the schools, it's probably because they're both very small liberal-arts colleges in northwestern Massachusetts. And I know this when I was 17 and stupid, I really wanted to go to Williams. Both are excellent academic institutions and both have historically good athletic teams, leading to a pretty good rivalry.

But let's not kid ourselves. This isn't the year they should be going to this game. Neither the Ephs nor the Lord Jeffs (I'll let you try to figure out which is Amherst and which is Williams) are really in a position to win the conference. The conference (NESCAC) doesn't allow its football teams to compete in the Division III playoffs, and this year neither Amherst nor Williams would be considered a team that could compete against those schools in DIII that do play in the playoffs - in the past Williams and Amherst have been ranked, but not this year.

Both Williams and Amherst have student bodies right at or below 2,000 students. The small size of the student body and the academic rigor at each school means that the talent on the field is, for the most part, not as big, strong or fast as most large high schools in Texas, California, Florida, Georgia or probably a few other states.

The kids who play there surely play their hearts out. And a rivalry like this is always great fun for the students and alumni. It'll be a nice setting (if cold, probably) for the show. But it's not going to be anything like the last few weeks (Eugene and Lexington's huge crowds especially).

I like when Gameday shines a spotlight on smaller schools normally. I've written before how I think they should do a short piece on a smaller school every week (like the Linfield story last week or the Chadron State kid a couple of months ago). And in most years, Amherst-Williams would be a great matchup (nearly every year a conference title is on the line and in many years one or both of the teams enter unbeaten) for them to see. Unfortunately, these aren't the best teams in their series. And there are some pretty important matchups elsewhere in college football. Corso kept talking last week about how important November games are in the big conferences. Now the show is choosing not to attend one of them.

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Gameday Recap

Week Ten
November 3, 2007
Eugene, Oregon - Arizona State at Oregon

The extra hour most definitely helps in letting me get this out earlier this week.

• It is dark dark dark. Huge floodlights.
• 40 degrees too - think that's the coldest show this year.

Big N' Rich

• Corso says the best part about coming to Eugene is getting the frequent flyer miles.
• KH says Todd Boeckman is one of the biggest stories in college football. Really? I don't think he's in the top 20 of "stories".
• Fowler says something interesting - how rare it is when two preseason-unranked teams meet later in the year with title implications on the line.
  
• Herbstreit says ASU-UO is about the Rose Bowl, and that the BCS title game would be icing on the cake.
• Big crowd for ass crack of dawn there. Good for Oregon.

First commercial break

• Desmond Howard on the set, appears cold.
• Michigan talk regarding how they've turned their season around. Fowler phrases it right - whether Michigan is playing inspired and they've turned their season around, or if their opponents are mediocre.
• Nice old clips of MSU-UofM, especially the one to rib Howard.
• Wow. Crazy quote from Howard: Recalls MSU winning and a "black Greek stepshow" broke out with a few white guys invited to the party. Fowler seems a little amused by this comment.

Second commercial break

• Some talk about teams getting bowl eligible.
  
• Big East discussion. Fowler reveals the way the media thinks about Big East teams - like there's a fashionable team each week - rather than the focus being on traditional powers regardless of on-field results?
• UConn discussion - Corso thinks it's defensive continuity of players and turnover margin, and surprises Herbstreit with the nugget that Rutgers hasn't played on grass all year. Herbstreit thinks UConn still has more to prove - WVU game ahead.
• Herbstreit points out how they've never talked about UConn before, but Corso says they deserve the attention. Nobody points out how UConn should have two more losses on their record if not for atrocious officiating.

Third commercial break

• Looks like the sun may have arisen... or maybe not.
  
• Gillette Game Face - focusing on the product placement today, with a guy actually shaving.
• Extended piece on Linfield College football and Meadowlark Lemon's grandsons. Chris Connelly reporting. 4 kids on the same team, father coaching the DBs. I like when they do a story on a small school - there are thousands of fans of college football at small colleges and it's good to showcase that every now and then. 52 consecutive winning seasons at Linfield! Wow.
  

Fourth commercial break

• Tour of Oregon's facilities. Incredible what the labor of 5 year old Southeast Asians can buy. Seriously, it's super nice.
• Now the sun has definitely risen.
• Howard on the computer on the bus talks about the Heisman. LIkes Matt Ryan because of late comebacks.
• Herbstreit tells us Ryan and Dixon have separated themselves from the pack. From Tebow now? So much a week can do.
  
• Also, Herbstreit praises that Oregon's finally on national TV, which is really just patting his own employer on the back.
  
• Corso insanely tells us Colt Brennan is still a Heisman candidate. Hawaii is playing a bad 1-AA schedule. His numbers are meaningless.
• Some talk about Todd Boeckman with Todd McShay. McShay's impressed, and his highlight breakdowns are always interesting.
  
• Herbstreit thinks OSU is great now because the offense is carrying some of the weight and the defense doesn't have to do everything. Also, he thinks OSU's offense may be more open than last year's.
  
• The most detailed analysis of a game so far is OSU-Wisconsin, which isn't on the ESPN/ABC family.
  
• The Duck has stood up and the crowd likes that. Same thing happened last time in Eugene.
  

Fifth commercial break.

• The odds are long, says Fowler, that lots of teams finish unbeaten.
• "Meet the Jayhawks". I said this last week about ASU, but it's way too late for this program to "introduce" us to an unbeaten team. The fact that they say "meet" Kansas should be viewed as a failure of their editorial decisionmaking.
• Kansas or Missouri? Who's the team to beat? Corso opts not to answer the question, but likes Kansas big over Nebraska (correct). Herbstreit says it's "amazing" that Kansas could get to 10 wins and the Big XII title game. Maybe from historic perspectives that might be accurate, but it's still an elitist viewpoint.
• A&M-Oklahoma talk. Herbstreit and Corso agree that Oklahoma will blow out A&M (correct).
  
• Now the sun does not appear to be up, mainly because it looks like a cloud has descended over the area.
• Texas-Oklahoma State. Fowler hints that it should be a close game. Corso likes Texas because they're on the road, but also thinks it'll be a 4th quarter comeback (correct). Herbstreit likes Okie State.

Sixth commercial break

• Energizer crowd sounds - 112 dB. Pretty loud, as high as UK.
• BC-FSU talk.
  
• Extended interview with Matt Ryan by Desmond Howard. They seem to be calling this Howard's Heisman tour. They're laughing a lot.
  
• BC has some tough games left suggests Fowler.
  
• Fowler asks Herbstreit to explain his position on not voting BC higher. Herbstreit says "Style Points Matter". At the time this was said, BC's strength of schedule was about 50 points more difficult than Herbstreit's #1 team, Ohio State, but that apparently didn't matter to him. It's about "style".
• Corso thinks FSU is back on track because they played well against Duke and they're not missing as many tackles. Corso, as usual, is correct on the result, but his rationale is inane.
• Herbstreit thinks the weather would affect FSU more. I remember watching BC play like crap at VT in bad weather, and then when it cleared up they scored twice.
  

Seventh commercial break

• Notre Dame-Navy talk. Longest series streak in football history ended. Fowler mentions something that I haven't heard in highlights of this game - this isn't that good a Navy team.
  
• WIRED!!! with Paul Johnson. Pretty useless.
• Does the streak end today? Howard says yes, Herbstreit says no, Corso says no.
  
• Corso says he coached (in case you didn't know, he used to be a coach) against Staubach and he was the best college football player he's ever seen.
• USC-Oregon State talk. Framed as "What's wrong with USC?". Howard says it's poor development of young players, compares it to Miami post 2002.
  
• Corso says USC plays the second toughest schedule in America and they'll end up losing another. That's an insane comment. Their OOC schedule is atrocious now that we know how good those teams are (it looked good preseason, but that means nothing now). They play a Pac 10 schedule and nothing else.
  
• Corso thinks USC is just young and they'll be back. Lists his 2008 top 4: Florida, USC, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Not early enough!
• Herbstreit blames USC's troubles on their receivers - not enough YAC.

Eighth commercial break

• Was that a Dixon for Heisman commercial?
• Extended piece on Colt Brennan spear fishing. Unclear who filed the report. I feel bad - did Tom Rinaldi or Shelley Smith not deserve a vacation to Hawaii? Also, this is a pretty pointless piece.
  
• Colt Brennan phone interview. A lot of hype for him on a bye week. Also, Hawaii has played a bad 1-AA schedule. His numbers and their record are meaningless. Fowler, who received my praise for his Paterno interview last week, totally fluffs Brennan. His softball on "who knows football better, people or computers?" was freaking shameful. A huge step back from last week. Not journalism, public relations.
  
• Corso says Brennan deserves to be invited to NY for the Heisman, Hawaii will be in the BCS. Herbstreit agrees, with the caveat that they win out. Herbstreit doesn't say it, but really hints that they do not deserve to go to the BCS - but because of close wins, not the TERRIBLE schedule.

Ninth commercial break

• SEC talk
• Georgia-Troy. Herbstreit liked the Celebration the previous week, but warns of a letdown.
• Florida-Vandy: Corso thinks Tebow is a warrior.
• South Carolina-Arkansas: Fowler finally takes a shot at someone's schedule - Arkansas - after demurring in saysing something about Ohio State and Hawaii (each of whom had played an easier schedule to that point).
• LSU-Alabama. Clips of talk radio are awesome. Great job compiling this.
  
• Fowler predicts exactly what Saban said after the game - if LSU wins, it's Saban's players; if Alabama wins, it's Saban's coaching. All about Lumbergh.
• Corso (amid some camera screwups), says LSU's red zone defense is struggling, puts pressure on LSU's offense.
  
• Herbstreit talks about Alabama's ability to get the ball deep. His analysis of play breakdowns was on the money, but then he says LSU will use the bye week and motivation from people who think they're no good and LSU will win.
  
• Fowler thinks the bye week in the SEC is huge - but doesn't seem to realize that both Alabama and LSU were coming off a bye. Not an advantage in this game.
  

Tenth commercial break

• ASU-UO segment
• Clips of ASU comebacks.
  
• Extended piece on Arizona State falling behind early in games. Tom Rinaldi reporting. This report only adds the "emotional" side of the clips they just showed. Superfluous.
• Corso calls Arizona State the "defensive story of the year".
  
• Best sign of the day: "OUR 'DENNIS' PLAYS SOBER" with mugshot photos of Erickson.
• Howard likes Oregon in the game because "they're ready to play".
• Fowler again comes with the "JoePaPa". I think he does this on purpose to annoy people.

Eleventh commercial break

• On site with the ESPN early Big 10 games.
  
• Pontiac Game Changers: Corso - Drew Weatherford. Herbstreit - Early Doucet. Fowler - Todd Reesing (Kansas QB). Fowler and Corso split?
• Saturday stupid selections. Corso - USF, Wake Forest. Herbstreit - Wake Forest, Oklahoma State. Corso and Herbstreit both picked the Patriots over the Colts.

Next week, the best matchups of ranked teams are Georgia-Auburn, Michigan-Wisconsin (if the Badgers remain ranked), and possibly UConn-Cincinnati (if the Bearcats get ranked). I doubt Gameday is coming to Athens though. My guess is that they go to Columbus for Ohio State-Illinois, because it's on the ESPN/ABC family and it's the #1 team.

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Gameday Recap

Week Nine
October 27, 2007
State College, Pennsylvania - Ohio State at Penn State

Got a feeling this one is going to come easy for me, because things have definitely been looking up in the world. Sunny outlook on my face. Bet there's little to get pissed about.

• Opener shows a large crowd, and clearly a record for the most hoodies worn
• Fowler calls it a "gray Big 10 sky" when the camera clearly shows blue skies. If he can't get "the color of the sky above him" right, what are we counting on him for?

Big N Rich

• Now Fowler says the skies are actually blue, but that it was rainy earlier.
• Only the second #1 team ever to visit Happy Valley. Surprising.
• Corso says it's the best student body in the country and calls them the 12th man. Texas A&M, file a lawsuit.
• Corso can't pronounce "USC". Apparently Lou Holtz's pep talk a while back was wrong.
• Flashback to last OSU-PSU game in State College.
  
• Graphic shows that OSU tied the record for consecutive B10 wins Saturday.
  
• Corso thinks turnovers will determine OSU-PSU.
• Herbstreit talks about how good teams rise to challenges.
  
• Fowler kind of gets the pronunciation right, calling Paterno "JoePa" like "Joe Pah" instead of "Joapuh", but then he adds a second "Pah" and it's weird again.
  

First commercial break

• Yeah. Whoever controls the hoodie market in central PA is a rich man.
• USC-Tennessee talk, but it's framed Spurrier vs. Fulmer.
  
• Fowler: "Even rational and reasonable fans at Tennessee have grown angry", then there's a montage of irrational and unreasonable radio call in mouthbreathers.
• Herbstreit says there's a bigger problem at Tennessee, but he doesn't really explain what that problem is, apart from "mental makeup" confuses him.
  
• Both take South Carolina.
  
• Fowler kind of puts words in Herbstreit's mouth, suggesting that their players have NFL draft picks on their brains. Can't let Blueyes McGelhead actually say something critical and unequivocal on his own, but you also need for the show to make some sense.

Second commercial break

• Highlights from Thursday's VT-BC game.
  
• Some BCS rankings talk for a second.
• Interview with Matt Ryan. Ryan kind of puts the onus on VT for their success by saying the pass rush slowed at the end. Not as much of a fluffing as I was expecting. Good job, Fowler. Much better than the Leavitt and Saban on set interviews.
  
• Herbstreit says that for 57 minutes, BC was 18th best in the country, but for 3 they were #2 and Ryan had a "Heisman Moment".
• Corso makes a point about geographic bias in reference to Heisman voting, says Ryan has a good shot because there are no other candidates in the North.
• Corso praises BC because their schedule isn't atrocious compared to other unbeaten teams.
  
• Herbstreit takes the time to praise LSU for their schedule - says precisely that LSU, if they win out, will be in the BCS title game and the other slot would be an unbeaten team - BC or OSU.
• Herbstreit thinks BC is #3, behind OSU and LSU.
• Corso whines that he doesn't have an AP vote.
• Fowler makes a point about the underrating of Arizona State.

Third commercial break

• The fake field has returned.
  
• Extended piece on Todd Boeckman. Desmond Howard reporting. Kid seems like he's destined to end up doing color commentary for the Noon ESPN game. Nice, enunciates somewhat well, has a non-threatening midwestern accent.
  
• Corso thinks Morelli is the key to the game (much like turnovers were the key to the game a half hour ago).
• Herbstreit breaks down a couple of Morelli mistakes. More like this would be better.
• Herbstreit also thinks Morelli is the key to the game (though a half hour ago the key was Ohio State playing well under pressure).

Fourth commercial break

• Footage of Paterno delivering pizza to people camping out.
  
• Texas-Nebraska talk. Been a long time since Nebraska lost like this.
• Kansas-A&M talk. Mangino got his first win against a South team not Baylor.
• Corso picks A&M because Kansas can't win outside the state, even though they did just that last week. Herbstreit likes Kansas because they play with confidence. Intangibles.
• Fowler says Nebraska's losing recruits every day. Herbstreit gives Nebraska 0% chance of winning. Corso gives 1% chance.

Fifth commercial break

• GameFace features, you guessed it, hoodies all around (4 of them). Seriously.
  
• Footage of the Penn State pep rally. Looks odd.
• Bowden-Paterno comparison. Fowler suggests that Paterno is going to catch Bowden because FSU isn't very good.
• Howard joins the set to discuss why FSU isn't good. Fowler lists all the objective reasons (bad offense, turnovers).
  
• Some interviews with FSU players. Not sure there's a groundswell of interest in the "what's wrong with FSU" story. I mean, haven't the Noles been kind of mediocre for about 5 years? Why now for this story and segment.
• Howard thinks the QB rotation is the problem with the offense.
  
• Herbstreit thinks FSU's problem is "emotional". Seriously.
  
• Then they show some clips of how many incredibly great players used to be at FSU, and Herbstreit hints at an inner truth - the players aren't as good.
  
• Corso says FSU needs leadership. Then says they'll be lucky to get to the bowl in Boise.
• Fowler seems to get it this week - and says FSU isn't good because the O line isn't good. Actually points to a tangible problem

Sixth commercial break

• Pac 10 talk. I think they should've gone to USC-Oregon, actually. Next week they'll get to Eugene again, I suppose.
• Arizona State talk. I find it strange that this far into the season they are finally asking "Who is Arizona State" when they're undefeated.
• Extended Piece on Keegan Herring. Chris Connelly reporting. First time this year his story has been a foggy lens tearjerker (which used to be a weekly occurrence). Tough story though. Crazy tragic year for this kid's family.
  
• ASU's upcoming schedule mentioned, as well as recent history against Cal.
• Herbstreit's analysis of this game is quite good. Tangible, breaks down each team's strengths. When he actually analyzes a game, he gives some info that we can use.
• Herbstreit picks Cal, Corso drops a NSFMF, then does a Madden impression with three "watch this pass Boom!" highlight narrations.
• Corso says a GREAT football coach can make a difference. Droppin' knowledge left and right!

Seventh commercial break

• Some talk about various fan signs. Corso doesn't like Cabbage Patch Dolls.
• HOLY CRAP! Greatest thing they've done all year. Analysis from the Knox brothers, shoeshiners who appear to know more about the game than the hosts.
• Georgia-Florida talk.
  
• Interview with Tim Tebow. Jesse Palmer reporting. Now this is how you do hype and fluffery. This is LeinartQuinnesque. The Kenny Chesney concert bit is pretty gay.
  
• Hold on here. Most people who've been online know there's been a running joke about Kenny Chesney and Peyton Manning. After the interview, Fowler says that Herbstreit is in the "Chesney Posse" and that Tebow is now a part. Is there a gay college football underground, and Kenny Chesney is the leader?
  
• Fowler makes a big deal about Georgia having a bye week last week, compared to most of the recent years when Florida had the bye.
• Corso likes Florida because their defense is coming around and getting a pass rush. Herbstreit agrees that the defense is the key, but phrases it far more negatively.
• Corso thinks Florida will win because "it's Tim Tebow's homecoming". Why does he bother doing any analysis at all if he makes his picks based on meaningless drivel?

Eighth commercial break

• UCLA-WSU: KH expects UCLA to play well, but Corso slips in the correct upset call.
• Oregon-USC talk.
  
• WIRED!!! with Chip Kelly, Oregon's O coordinator. They've gotten better at this, now splicing in some actual useful information. It annoys me so much less.
  
• Herbstreit compares Oregon's O to West Virginia's spread. Also calls Jonathan Stewart one of the best backs in the country. Says the only way to stop this offense is to have lockdown corners and respect the run otherwise. But then hints that USC will do well because they're underdogs. Just go with your analysis! Quit ignoring it in lieu of intangibles!
• Todd McShay now comes on to compare Booty to Sanchez at USC. Says Sanchez is better, but all they do is show highlights of USC vs. Notre Dame, which has one of the worst defenses in the country.
• Corso thinks Joe McKnight is a special player, but Oregon is one of the two best teams he's seen (along with Oklahoma). Let me interject some opinion here... If Corso really thinks Oklahoma and Oregon are the two best teams, but he's seen LSU at least twice (VT, Florida), he needs his eyes checked.

Ninth commercial break

• Looks like a big crowd, but the decibel meter is not very loud, comparatively.
• WVU-Rutgers talk.
  
• WIRED!!! with Rich Rodriguez. Less informative than the Oregon coach.
  
• Herbstreit's been pimping Rutgers all year, and today was no different. He talks about WVU's defense and potential injuries affecting Rutgers ad nauseam, but then picks Rutgers because of revenge for last year. Keep relying on intangibles.
• Corso nails his WVU pick - exactly naming WVU's point total and saying they win big.
• USF-UCONN. Corso does not nail this, calling USF a lock big. Herbstreit also wrong here, picking USF big.

Tenth commercial break

• Some Big Ten talk. Fowler and Herbstreit admit that the Big 10 does not have many good games this week.
• Joe Paterno extended interview. Chris Fowler himself does the interview, and asks some really solid questions. Fowler is much better at this than the other guys, but he's got a stronger journalism background. There's even some dodging of questions from Paterno - which you NEVER see from someone interviewed on this show. GIVE FOWLER AN INTERVIEW EVERY WEEK. Best extended interview they've done on this show in 3 years, and I can't remember second best.
• Fowler follows up a good interview with useful injury information. He's having probably his best show of the season - and interestingly, I was surprised he was even on; in the past, Fowler has hosted the Breeders' Cup and Rece Davis has sat in.
• Corso nails the OSU offensive strategy - balance, then run, work the clock.
  
• Herbstreit thinks PSU's defense would be strong enough to stop the OSU run.
• Howard likes Ohio State to win, despite being on the road.

Eleventh commercial break

• On site injury updates for WVU-Rutgers with Bonnie Bernstein. They should do something like this at 5-6 sites.
  
• Pontiac Game Changer. Corso - Jorvorskie Lane. Herbstreit - Mike Teel. Fowler - Maurice Evans. 0 For 3. Nobody wins this week.
• Saturday Stupid Selections. Corso - Texas Tech, South Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Florida, Lawyer Ron in the Breeders' Cup. Herbstreit - Texas Tech, South Florida, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southern California, Street Sense in the Breeders' Cup.
  
• The rationales provided for their selections were so fact-less, so intangible ridden, that I'm starting to think that Vegas is a silent sponsor. If anyone listens to these guys to help them with picks, they'll end up poor quickly. Why Florida will beat Georgia? Because the game is in Jacksonville and Tim Tebow is from there. Why Rutgers will beat WVU? Revenge. So dumb.

Fowler puts in some good work. Herbstreit continues to annoy me to no end.

Next week I believe they're headed back to Eugene, Oregon, for the best game of the week. Other good games would've been LSU-Alabama and OSU-Wisconsin, but they got the right one. Here's hoping for a good show that matches what should be a good game at Oregon.

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Gameday Recap

Week Eight
October 20, 2007
Lexington, Kentucky - Florida at Kentucky

Sorry about missing last week. The flu put me out of commission for 3 days, and then making up in other, real-life areas made spending three hours or so recapping something already kind of stale pretty much impossible, and the result would've been lame anyway.

Take note, however, that this is week 8, and the fourth trip to SEC venues. This is not to say that they've necessarily overhyped SEC games, as I don't think they've chosen to go to a venue so far that wasn't probably the "best" matchup of the day insofar as the rankings positions of various teams. Last year, Gameday received appropriate criticism for attending USC vs. Nebraska on a day with two SEC games featuring higher ranked opponents. The opportunity has been there this year for them to ignore a top matchup that happens to be airing nationally on a competing network - but they haven't taken that opportunity thus far. Good for them. Of course, now that the SEC is a big mess and nearly every team has multiple losses, I think it's quite possible that today's visit to Lexington could be the last trip to the SEC this year. As things shake out in all the conferences, I think we'll probably see more trips out west - as some of the best games in the coming weeks are in the Pac-10 (though, interestingly, many of those good games aren't supposed to be aired on ABC/ESPN networks).

• Opening with the Keeneland bugler playing the post music.
  
• HUGE CROWD. Looks like the biggest of the year by far. People everywhere. This is what happens when they go somewhere for the first time ever.
• First time at a UK game, record 26th game with Florida playing.
• Recap of upsets from the previous weeks.
  
• Highlights from Rutgers-USF.
  
• Corso says the SEC needs to be on upset alert (correctly), but cites LSU and Kentucky (not as correct).
• Herbstreit chastises "players" for not showing up ready to go and believing "the hype". As usual, he fails to acknowledge his own role in hyping teams.
• Highlights of UF-LSU and UK-LSU.
  
• Fowler: Florida "desperate", Kentucky "resilient". Awaiting discussion on "ability" and "matchups".
• Corso questions whether the bye week actually helps Florida, and also whether UK has enough left in the tank. Good questions. Of course, he provides no predictive answers, and Herbstreit ignores the questions for his own canned quasi-analysis (on Kentucky's resilience in the LSU game).

First Commercial Break

• Yeah, this is easily the biggest crowd of the year.
  
• Fowler mentions how some of the biggest games in previous years (Alabama-Tennessee, USC-ND, Miami-FSU) aren't really on the radar today.
• Slate of games discussed briefly. It bothers me that some of the best nuggets of analysis and information gets jammed into this quick segment, but then they spend 5 minutes on intangible BS later on.
• Some Michigan-Illinois talk. Corso says Michigan will win because they've been in more big games than Illinois.
  

Second Commercial Break

• BCS standings noted, Fowler predicts USF to drop to 9 or 10, BC to move up to 2.
• Horserace of the BCS, using well known racing announcer.
• Graphic shows the difference between human voters and computer averages.
  
• Fowler says the computers like the SEC teams because they lose on the road, rather than at home like some of the Pac-10 teams.
• Herbstreit pats himself on the back for picking Rutgers over USF. Also tells us how he's been telling us for a while how one-loss teams shouldn't give up.
• Corso begs everyone to let the BCS "play out" and then fix it, because we all agreed to the BCS system. Fowler asks the crowd if they "agreed to" the BCS system and everyone raises their hands in disagreement.
• Corso then cites the end-of-year success of the Colorado Rockies to show how we should let things play out. Fowler directly says "but they settle that on the field, no?" and looks confused.
  
• Herbstreit tells us what we already know, that there's subjectivity in college football, and that "style points" come into play. He does say that it's unfortunate that it's the only way to separate teams. Fowler again says that it's a bad system.
• They throw to Desmond Howard in the bus, who says the people on cyberspace point out that choosing teams for a playoff would require subjectivity as well as the current system (though says that it'd be the 9th or 10th best team that would complain rather than the 3rd - as if that's an argument against a playoff). Then he says that a "Plus One" system is a "happy medium". I don't buy this. If the problem is subjectivity, a playoff (unless the participants playing in such were chosen by objective criteria, i.e. conference champions) and the current system are bad, and a plus one system would be no better. It wouldn't solve anything with the problem of subjectivity. It's not a happy medium at all.
• Fowler says "plus one" would be an improvement, but still not great. Herbstreit likes "Plus one". Corso says it'll never happen because of the Rose Bowl, the college presidents, and because the current system is too big a moneymaker. I think Corso has the most logical and salient take on this - because he focuses on realities rather than what could be.

Third Commercial Break

• Some ACC talk - Maryland-UVA. Fowler says Virginia's record is a bit of smoke and mirrors because of close wins.
• Extended piece on Chris Long, Howie Long's son. Sounds like Wendi Nix reporting. Good highlights. Not a whimsical piece, which is nice.
  
• MD-UVA. Corso likes the Terps close. Herbstreit also likes Maryland because of confidence.
• FSU-Miami. Fowler points out the terrible offensive numbers for both teams. And the game ends up kind of a shootout. 20 years ago the Miami-FSU game featured 67 players who went on to play in the NFL (WOW).
• Herbstreit says it's sad how FSU is sucking under Bowden, but Miami is killing it in recruiting.
• Corso comes along to defend the old guards who were forced out (the previous offensive regime at FSU, Larry Coker).
  

Fourth Commercial Break

• They open this segment with some commentary on the signs in the crowd. Seems like they might be a little short on material this week, but actually this bit is better than ham-fisted, intangible ridden quasi-analysis.
• Some metal-backed highlights of LSU-Kentucky with soundbites from Kentucky players and coaches. Long bit. Again, seems like they're a little short on material.
• Auburn-LSU talk. Les Miles press conference clips. Some historic game clips.
• Herbstreit thinks LSU's defense will come back from the UK game big, especially against Auburn freshmen linemen. Some actual matchup-based analysis from Herbstreit... but then he descends right back to intangibles, and says LSU wins because they've heard too much about Auburn this week and playing at home.
  
• Corso instead looks to Auburn's defense and special teams. Then says LSU's defense has been "exposed as a fraud", cites red zone defense stats. Herbstreit says "emails, note, the guy in the center said that". Why does Herbstreit care about e-mails? If you can back up an opinion with numbers or, y'know, facts, why would you concern yourself with what e-mailers think?

Fifth Commercial Break

• Gillette Game Face. This week there was a guy actally shaving.
• Howard joins the set.
  
• Nebraska-Texas A&M. Fowler calls it the "Buyout Bowl" because of embattled coaches. Fowler praises the Nebraska fans for their patience and class.
• Extended piece on Tom Osborne's return to Nebraska as AD. Shelley Smith reporting. Former marketing guy Paul Miles says "we need to find a way to put a band-aid on this." That seems like a really bad quote to me. Seems like more than a band-aid would be needed. This was a good piece, though it could've been a lot longer. Might be better as a 12 minute story for E:60. Also, was this Shelley Smith's second story in the state of Nebraska in three weeks? Has she kept missing her flight back to LA? Not that I'm complaining.
• Howard says Nebraska's problem is intensity and passion, and that's because of the coach. Herbstreit blames passion, but also athletic ability, leaving the option to the past, the great defense.
• Herbstreit - wow, he's annoying me today - channels his executive consultant and, no shit, says Nebraska needs "to embrace the past but not live in the past" and "think outside the box". Herbstreit has become a Dilbert cartoon.
• Corso says Osborne will do the right thing, bring in the right guy - predicts Turner Gill who Corso says is doing a great job at Buffalo (who is 3-5).
• Howard predicts A&M to win, but Nebraska to rally the troops. Herbstreit picks Nebraska. Corso picks A&M. Everyone on the set seems unclear as to which of A&M and Nebraska is favored.

Sixth Commercial Break

• Wow. Kentucky is on the wrong side of the second and third longest winning/losing streak between two opponents - Florida and Tennessee. ND-Navy is the longest.
• Tennessee-Alabama talk. Total 4 TDs in last 3 UT-Alabama games, and "that's the kind of game Saban wants" according to Fowler. Actually, I think Saban wanted the game he got- lots of passes to DJ Hall.
• Desmond Howard says Erik Ainge is one of the most improved players this year. Extended interview piece with Ainge and Howard. Good question/answer about playcalling at the line of scrimmage. Ainge is big (or maybe Howard was downhill or something).
  
• Corso says Ainge lights it up for the Vols because Ole Miss could pass on Bama.
  
• Herbstreit says UT lost a lot of confidence early on, but now they've got it together. Then he actually discusses some "tangibles", by saysing UT's balance on offense is difficult for opponents to defend.

Seventh Commercial Break

• Kansas-Colorado talk. Interesting how Kansas is one of the least-covered unbeaten teams - and even Fowler calls them "Kansas State".
• WIRED!!! with Mark Mangino (interspersed with some soundbites). It's much better when they edit in clips of interviews, but the wired stuff is still pointless.
• Herbstreit says Kansas is capable of losing to anyone, but very much benefiting from not playing Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma. Herbstreit doesn't seem to rate Kansas very highly but thinks they'll have just 1 loss going into their final game.
• Corso likes Colorado because Kansas isn't good on the road over the last 20 years or so. Herbstreit and Fowler call him on this illogical analysis.
• Texas Tech-Missouri. Everyone thinks it'll be a shootout, which wasn't exactly that hard to predict. Fowler does say that Missouri tends to bounce back under Pinkel after losses, and Corso mocks him that he's relying on history (though arguably, wouldn't Fowler's statement have a lot more relevance than Kansas' road record 15 years ago under a completely different coach?)
• Corso says Oklahoma's the best team he's seen all year.
• Fowler tells us how stupid the media are. He says "they'd love to give some publicity" to Crabtree and Harrell at Texas Tech, but Leach doesn't give them access after Monday. God forbid they go down there and accommodate unpaid students' time. And the horror of covering something newsworthy even if you don't get complete access! Fowler should be ashamed of this comment - and the ombudswoman should have something to say about it.

Eighth Commercial Break

• Energizer spirit meter says 112 dB, and Herbstreit calls that a new record. It's pretty high, though I don't know if it's an all-time record. I know I've seen 112 before.
• Ohio State-Michigan State talk. Good, fact-based analysis. Herbstreit thinks there's a psychological edge because Dantonio used to coach at OSU and Cincinnati (?) but then he breaks down some plays well.
• Fowler seems to be hinting at a Michigan State win by saying "nobody gives the Spartans a chance".

Ninth Commercial Break

• Cal-UCLA briefly mentioned. No talk.
• Oregon-Washington also briefly mentioned.
  
• Herbstreit thinks Cal is fine this week, but Oregon might have a little more trouble.
• Corso picks Oregon huge (right) but picks Cal.
• USC-ND talk. The least meaningful game with a Pac-10 team gets the most attention.
  Lots of highlights from the game 2 years ago. Ugly numbers going into this game.
• Clip of Digger Phelps at the ND pep rally. This stuff looks so dumb after knowing the result.
  
• Corso thinks the Irish will cover, but says USC is better in every aspect of the game (???).
• Herbstreit thinks the momentum from the end of the Arizona game will carry over to the ND game. Really? Not because USC is a lot better? He does think USC would win big, but his reasoning is strange.

Tenth Commercial Break

• Extended piece on Andre Woodson and his friend who nearly died in a car crash. Tom Rinaldi reporting.
  
• Fowler balances it by mentioning the memorial service for the death of the Florida defensive back walk on.
• Quick segue into interviews on Locke and his emergence as a threat.
• Howard rejoins the set to talk about Locke for Kentucky. Says just because Locke is a track guy doesn't mean he's not tough. Adds that we should watch out for him in the 2008 Olympics in the long jump.
• Corso analyzes UK in the red zone, sort of. "Wow, what a player!" is about the extent of it.
  
• Herbstreit provides analysis on Tim Tebow's ability to throw and versatility of running the ball. Canned.
• Howard thinks Kentucky will win, surprising the rest of the set. Seems to me like this was pandering to the crowd - they knew Herbstreit and Corso were going to pick Florida, so they needed to throw the crowd a bone. Howard doesn't usually make picks

Eleventh Commercial Break

• Quick on-site shot of Penn State-Iowa, but no Erin Andrews.
• Game Changer. Corso: Chase Daniel. Herbstreit: Erik Ainge. Fowler: Dennis Dixon. Fowler and Corso share it this week.
• Saturday Stupid Selections. Corso: Kansas State, Colorado, Cal, Tennessee. Notre Dame to cover, FSU, Herbstreit: Cal, Tennessee.
  
• Herbstreit likes Oklahoma State because of passion after the coach yelled.
• Fowler again calls Kansas, "Kansas State".
  
• Herbstreit thinks whether Mike Hart played for Michigan is the key to that game, because of passion and leadership (but apparently not because he's really good - and they win anyway).

Seemed like there was a lot of filler this week, but that might've been because there was one fewer commercial break. Herbstreit's war on tangible analysis continues. Corso had some moments of anti-logic. Also, the large number of upsets in the last few weeks made it seem to me like they were a little unsure of themselves and hedged a little bit more.

Next week probably the best game of the week is Thursday night, with BC-VT. I'd have to think that they'll travel to either Oregon-USC or Cal-Arizona State next week. Both are really big games with huge conference title implications. But then again, they may go to Ohio State-Penn State because it's #1 playing a decent opponent, and it's on ABC (unlike those Pac-10 games).

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Update

I had the flu all week, so Gameday and Lebowskis suffered along with me. Skipping this week, starting anew next.

On an entirely different note, here's why I should not be a football coach... Were I Steve Kragthorpe, and I had been suffered a hilariously bullshit non-call like the failure of the Big East refs to notice a patently obvious fair catch call, here's what I would have done: I would've waited for the next opportunity to punt, and I would tell the punter one thing, "High as you can, don't care if it's short." Then, I'd tell the entire coverage team one thing, "do not stop until you feel his bones, no matter how vivid the fair catch signal."

Any pollster who gives UConn a vote all year is a complete and total idiot.

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Required Reading

If you come here for the Gameday stuff, go to Braves and Birds and read this. Mandatory. There will be a quiz.

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Gameday Recap

Week Six
October 6, 2007
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Florida at LSU

Second visit to Red Stick, third visit to the SEC. Hopefully this recap won't be tainted by some lingering bitterness from last weekend. Also, hopefully the show will keep up the relatively speaking "good" streak they've been on.

• Just like last time, Fowler opens by talking about how confident LSU fans are about their team.
• Herbstreit goes straight for the jugular and calls Fowler on his ridiculous sweating problem last time they were there.
• Opening recap clips of LSU-Tulane showed only successful plays by Tulane. Yes, the game was unexpectedly close for a half, but it was a Milton Berle performance by the Tigers, and the highlights don't reflect that.
• Clips of Auburn beating Florida.
  
• Fowler says that if Florida wins over LSU, they're right back in the national title picture, "check the polls".
  
• "Gut Check Saturday" makes an appearance. Gut Check Saturday, brought to you by the All-you-can-eat Kentucky Fried Chicken Buffet.
• Herbstreit tells us we'll learn a lot about Auburn, Colorado, Maryland and Illinois because they had emotional upsets last week and we need to find out if they're mature enough to handle it. I truly wonder what Herbstreit thinks matters more to a football game, (a) emotions and maturity or (b) talent and execution? Think about that question while you watch this show next time.
• Corso tells us not to get too excited if our team is undefeated, not get too upset if they've lost a game or two. His reasoning: the Phillies and Rockies came from nowhere to make the playoffs. I know most readers have already started rolling their eyes. Lee: college football has significantly fewer games than baseball. Lee: a baseball team that loses twice is not effectively eliminated from competition for the title.
  
• Fowler again talks about which teams are ready to redeem themselves from upset.
• Not off to a good start here. So far, they've been intangible-riffic.

First Commercial Break

• Gut Check Saturday is mentioned for the 4th time, 12 minutes in.
• Purdue-Ohio State talk. Herbstreit's interested in OSU's defense because Painter at Purdue is supposed to be good.
• Oklahoma-Texas talk. Corso thinks Oklahoma's defense was exposed the week before.
• Nebraska-Missouri. Fowler thinks it'll be a shootout.
• Herbstreit asks if Cincinnati is for real, but says their defense was tenacious.
• Corso thinks Virginia Tech would bring their A game against Clemson, Fowler says it's payback time for Clemson and that's a big difference maker for Clemson.
  
• Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit all agree that Clemson's kicker shouldn't be allowed to play soccer.
• Herbstreit: Clemson, we love you, but you need a psychiatrist. Thinks the crowd will cause problems for VT's QB. Again, more intangibles.
• Corso likes VT for defense and special teams. Exactly right.
• Some other ACC talk - referring to all the coaches going up against their former schools (NC State-FSU, UNC-Miami, MD-GT)

Second Commercial Break

• Some highlights from the previous weekend's upsets.
• Some historic perspective on team's who lost games in September but went on to win the MNC.
• Desmond Howard joins the set.
• Who is the best 1-loss team, with best chance to get back in MNC picture.
• Howard: stumbles a whole bunch talking about Cal, which doesn't have one loss. WVU he says is a problem because of Pat White's injury. Florida has to play at LSU. Then he finally says Oklahoma.
• Corso agrees with Howard about Oklahoma. Feigns snoring. Twice.
• Herbstreit says Oklahoma is the obvious choice because of the easiest route.
• Herbstreit: Georgia is a team to keep in mind, because they've recovered and rebounded, have a good running game, a good enough defense. So, so, so wrong.
• Fowler points out that Oklahoma isn't ranked in many computer polls (because their schedule played up to that point wasn't all that good), causing consternation from Herbstreit, who hates these coils of wire and metal that produce something called "objectivity".
• Fowler also adds that Oregon is considered best of one-loss teams by computers.

Third Commercial Break

• I saw it elsewhere in the blogosphere, but I have to say that the sign referring to Tebow in a glory hole in Middleton (louisiana?) is a little weird.
• Ohio State-Purdue talk. Purdue has lost 13 in a row to ranked opponents. How is that possible for a program that gets even a little respect?
  
• Joe Tiller press conference clip shows him to make very little sense, and be extremely boring. Weird clip for them to show.
  
• Corso says Purdue needs to throw to beat OSU. They showed the same TD reception clip twice in a 45 second span.
  
• Corso says he's not sure he's seen a better football team playing this year than OSU.
• Herbstreit (playing against type) says OSU has looked great against weak opponents. In hindsight, the Washington win was OK, but the Northwestern win looks a little stronger now.
• Corso says the UW win was good.
• Fowler asks the crowd whether they think Ohio state and Purdue are overrated, and they agree.
• Herbstreit thinks OSU-Purdue will be close, Corso picks OSU big. Corso's meds are right today.
• Throw to Howard on the bus chatting with people online.

Fourth Commercial Break

• The crowd appears to include a whole lot of really old people, not just still-drunk college age kids. Interesting.
• LSU players and coaches think Matt Flynn looks like Matt Damon.
• Tennessee-Georgia talk.
  
• Fowler calls the previous year's UT-UGA game an embarrassing loss for Georgia's defense. 28 points UT scored were directly the result of Georgia turnovers (3 short fields, 1 blocked punt TD). Georgia's D wasn't spectacular, but they weren't to blame for 51 points.
• Lots of graphics and numbers showing how bad Tennessee was at home, how good UGA was on the road.
• Corso saw Georgia with his own eyes, likes Georgia's spirit and toughness.
• Herbstreit thinks Georgia wants the South Carolina game back, thinks the running game at UT will set up the passing.
• Herbsteit is shocked that UGA was an underdog. Wow were these guys wrong about this one.
• Fowler hints that he likes UT, and Herbstreit snipes sarcastically.
• Vanderbilt-Auburn. Now Fowler says Vandy's pretty good on D (not on Saturday).
  
• Corso thinks Auburn won't let up because they've heard too much about Alabama.
• Herbstreit thinks Vandy is an "ultimate sandwich game" because of tough games for Auburn coming up. Wrong.
• Are Woodson's Heisman chances over? Herbstreit says he'll have to beat Florida or LSU, and he doesn't think he will.
  
• Corso hints that he's sweating about how South Carolina might win a title and make him look bad.

Fifth Commercial Break

• Corso says the Louisville D is the most disappointing team in the nation. Herbstreit and Fowler say "aside from Notre Dame".
• WVU-Syracuse. Corso thinks WVU wins big.
• South Florida-FAU: Herbstreit thinks no letdown, huge win. He can't pick anything today.
• Cincy-Rutgers. Some clips of Brian Kelly coaching. This is kind of a more-in-depth WIRED!!!, and there's a lot more actual information offered - philosophical views toward how they approach practicing. Actually pretty interesting.
• Herbstreit takes a few shots at Cincinnati's sports teams.
• Herbstreit picks Rutgers. Wrong again.

Sixth Commercial Break

• Gillette Game Face. A giant man in a small helmet is yelling.
• Colorado-Baylor. Herbstreit says Colorado would be better off playing someone better because of a letdown, picks Baylor. Wrong again. He is getting killed today.
• Corso likes Nebraska to upset Missouri. Herbstreit thinks it'll be a shootout (wrong), but picks Missouri (because of the home field advantage). Herbstreit has never met an intangible he didn't base his entire analysis on.
• Kansas-KSU. Kansas hasn't scored at KSU in forever, Kansas hasn't played anyone good all year - Fowler says that is important.
  
• Extended piece on Kansas State's tie with the nearby Army base. Tom Rinaldi reporting. The report itself was probably OK, but they worked out together for just 4 hours. Doing the reporting for this 6 minute piece probably took several times longer.
  
• Live satellite link-up with troops in Iraq. I think the guy called Fowler "Sean".
  

Seventh Commercial Break

• A weather forecast for LSU-Florida. I think they should do a bit on weather for the entire country.
• Austin Scott update on his suspension for Penn State. I think they should talk about this more too.
• Iowa-Penn State. The whole crew thinks both teams stink.
• Wisconsin-Illinois. "Who is Illinois?" reads the graphic.
  
• All Access with Ron Zook. WIRED!!! With Ron Zook's exuberance! Pretty useless, especially compared to the bit on Brian Kelly. This is just a bunch of yelling "let's go" and Zook saying that they have fun.
• Herbstreit nails one (finally) in saying Mendenhall for Illinois is one of the best backs nobody's ever heard of. But then he picks Wisconsin, because (get this...) they're tired of hearing about Illinois and Ron Zook and how Wisconsin wins ugly. Yeah, the ultimate hype machine behind Illinois is driving Wisconsin. See that bit above where their own graphics said "Who is Illinois?".
  
• Corso picks Illinois because he's confused by the Vegas line favoring Illinois.

Eighth Commercial Break

• Extended piece on Danny Woodhead, the back about to break the all-classification rushing record at Chadron State. They misspelled his name on one graphic. Shelley Smith reporting, and it must've been hilarious for her to go from BS pieces on USC players chilling at Les Deux and travel to rural Nebraska.
• Let's just say this: the Chadron State Coach's Mustache is SPECTACULAR.
• Todd McShay comes on to talk about Danny Woodhead. Says he's got some potential, though undersized. Compares him to Maurice Jones-Drew. This segment with McShay is a little more NFL-drafty, rather than analyzing the player for his own college football purposes.

Ninth Commercial Break

• They come back to show a real gator roasting on a spit. I love LSU fans.
• Notre Dame-UCLA talk. Graphic shows the other 1-A winless teams. Charlie Weis press conference clips. The other teams listed on that graphic received no analysis, no discussion of who the starting QB will be, no clips of the coach's press conference.
• Howard is back, says UCLA wins big.
• Corso doesn't really like UCLA, but thinks ND won't win (but will cover).
• Herbstreit thinks UCLA is underrated by everyone, has a chance to win out up to the USC game. Bad bad bad day predicting for Herbstreit.
• Arizona State-Washington State. Herbstreit likes ASU big.
• USC-Stanford. Fowler says they had to look very hard to find any plays run by Pritchard at Stanford.
  
• Graphic displays Harbaugh's media day quote about how USC is the best team in the country and maybe in the history of college football. Fowler wonders aloud why Harbaugh is stirring the pot and suggests that USC won't take the foot off the gas if they get a big lead.
• Howard, when asked about USC-Stanford, says he likes LSU better than USC, because of LSU's defense. Now the graphics catch up to Howard.
• Herbstreit thinks USC is better because defense is on par with LSU, but the offensive potential is much better.
• Corso likes LSU's defense a whole lot more, USC's offense better. Says LSU is better on a neutral site because they've played tougher opponents.
• Fowler throws in that the computers liked LSU better than USC.
• Herbstreit says what was on the mind of so many in the national media (verbatim quote): "The beautiful thing is, hopefully they both advance to the championship and we can settle it on the field." Should a member of the media like Herbstreit "hope" for a particular outcome which can be influenced by his own coverage? Also: Cal, Boston College, any other undefeated team, and such fans: Kirk Herbstreit doesn't hope you win.
  

Tenth Commercial Break

• Now they show Gator Gumbo cooking from a pot hanging from a tree.
• Oklahoma-Texas talk. Corso likes Oklahoma because their mad, and want revenge and stuff like that. Herbstreit agrees, because of balance on offense and a strong O line. Actually decent analysis on this one from Herbstreit.

Eleventh Commercial Break

• Herbstreit mentioned this before the break, but they finally start covering the Florida-LSU game, 100 minutes into the broadcast.
• Wendi Nix does an extended piece on Florida trying to bounce back from the loss to Auburn. So far this year, I'm not sure anyone has received more hype from Gameday than Florida, even Notre Dame and USC. Seriously. It'll be interesting to see if it stays that way after their second loss. Also, Tim Tebow seems to have a slight lisp.
  
• Howard is back, talks about Florida's use of Tebow. Says when Florida has the ball, it'll be like Kasparov vs. Deep Blue. He might have been spending too much time online in that bus.
  
• Corso comes up with some exciting, pristine, fresh analysis: Get the ball to Percy Harvin.
  
• Herbstreit thinks Florida will use a similar strategy as they used in the OSU title game "when they didn't run the ball all that well" - to the tune of 156 yards, monopolizing the time of possession.
  
• Herbstreit: Glenn Dorsey might be the best player in college football.
• There was some pretty good in depth analysis in here, I just haven't written all of it down. If they covered more games with the detail they've used for this game, the show would be a lot better.
  
• Desmond Howard picks LSU.

Twelfth Commercial Break

• On-site previews of ESPN noon games. Erin Andrews says to Fowler, "Chris, I know you like body paint." Hmmm...
  
• Pontiac Game Changer. LC: Ben Olson, UCLA KH: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma CF: Jordy Nelson, Kansas State. Herbstreit gets this one. Wasn't Olson injured?
  
• Saturday Stupid Selections. Corso: Kansas State, Georgia, Nebraska. Herbstreit: Oklahoma State, Clemson, Rutgers, Georgia, Wisconsin, Florida.
  
• If the words "urgency", "emotion" and "redemption" were never uttered on this show again, it'd be a better show.

Not as good a show as the past couple of weeks. Herbstreit was wrong so much it was almost funny. It was bad enough that I wouldn't be surprised if they actually refer to it on air next week.

Speaking of next week, I haven't seen where they're heading, but I'd guess they go to Norman, Oklahoma for Missouri-Oklahoma. It's a matchup of two top-11 teams, and the only other matchup of ranked opponents is LSU-Kentucky, and they've seen LSU twice already. Not too many great games next week, expecially compared to last week's slate. Unfortunately, that may mean more filler during the show with human interest stories.

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