Trav's Thoughts

Update on my studies: My certificate program is still going well. I've been working hard during the week so that I can take the weekend off to watch football.

So welcome to September, when baseball pennant races are decided and the weekends are filled with football.

YAY!

I was sure they were out of it. But if the winner of the NL West is only going to be a couple games over .500, then it might as well be my guys. The Dodgers have followed up an eight game losing streak with a six game winning streak to get a game above .500 and pull within a half game of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. Sorry Songbird!

Andre Ethier nearly hit for the cycle last night. He got a home run in his first at bat, then an RBI single followed by two RBI doubles, and then one more single for a 5 hit night.

I'm in a weird position with the Dodgers though. Of course I want them to overtake Arizona and win the division to get to the post season. But I refuse to root for the individual they got from Boston. My opinion of that guy won't change just because he's wearing the uniform of my favorite team.

Go Dodgers!

It's early yet to start talking about the BCS polls. Here's a quick summary of the two main teams in our lives, Notre Dame for me and Washington for Pam.

The Irish can't suck two years in a row. I think that's a law. And if it isn't a law, it should be.

Notre Dame kicks off 2008 at home today against San Diego State. The Aztecs were 4-8 last season and lost their first game last week at home against Cal Poly. SDSU QB Ryan Lindley threw for over 350 yards and 3 TDs last week. But he also threw a couple of interceptions. The Aztec defense gave up over 480 yards and Cal Poly kicked a field goal as time expired to win 29-27.

The Irish only won 3 games last year. They turned Michigan's season around by losing to the Wolverines. They lost to Navy for the first time in 43 games. Then they lost to Air Force.

Now they did win their final 2 games at the end of the season, against Duke and at Stanford. The offensive and defensive lines are critical. The OL needs to protect QB Jimmy Clausen and open up holes for the running backs, while the DL must get pressure on opposing QBs and be solid against the run. That's the case for just about any team, but the Irish have no room for error. The don't have great special teams to overcome mistakes. And they don't have a lot of big play guys. So they need to excel at the fundamentals, and that includes strong line play.

The schedule may not be as tough as it has been in the past. As of today, USC is the only ranked team on the schedule. That's the last game of the season at the Rose Bowl. Between SDSU and USC it's Michigan, at Michigan St, Purdue, Stanford, At North Carolina, at Washington, Pittsburgh, at Boston College, at Navy, and Syracuse.

I'm not greedy. I'll settle for a winning record and not sucking.

Go IRISH!

Washington got blown out by #21 Oregon last week. Not an auspicious start to a season that is supposed to be a big step forward for a young and exciting Husky squad. Today #15 BYU comes to Seattle. That could put UW at 0-2 with #4 Oklahoma visiting next weekend.

Yikes! Who starts a season with three ranked opponents in a row?

And it doesn't stop there. In November, the Huskies have another three ranked teams in a row. They'll be at #1 USC and then at home against #15 Arizona St and #23 UCLA. Obviously those are all rankings as of today, so who knows what's going to happen by November.

But hokey smokes Bulwinkle! UW was only 4-9 last year, but this season looked promising behind returning QB Jake Locker and some other exciting young players. It's early yet, but the Huskies have one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Go HUSKIES!

I've got my eye on a few other teams. There's the Pac 10 conference, which has 4 teams in the AP Top 25 as of today. Then there are some teams in the SEC, such as Kentucky and Tennessee in honor of my pals Turnbaby and Dixie, respectively. And I'm on the lookout for this seasons' BCS party crasher.

We've got an upset watch at the moment. Miami of Ohio had a 14-6 lead over Ohio State late in the 3rd quarter. OSU is ranked #3 in the AP poll today and is picked as the winner of the Big 10 and a national championship contender. The Buckeyes just punched the ball in for a TD, but they go for the kick on the extra point and miss. So Miami retains the lead at 14-12.

Odd that OSU didn't go for 2 on that conversion.

I'll be back later with some more thoughts, and my picks for the NFL tomorrow.

Later gang!