Trav's Thoughts

Before we begin, I just have to say that pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and cookies ROCK!!!

This is the first week of games after the release of the BCS standings this past Monday. You'll find the BCS Top 12 results below. Why have I reduced my reporting of weekly results from Top 25 to Top 12? Because the BCS bowl games seed from the BCS Top 12.

And of course we all know that the only bowl games that mean anything are the BCS bowls, right?

Pppppppfffffffffttttttttttt!

The only bowl game that seems to mean anything these days is the so called BCS Championship game, which will be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA on 7 Jan 2010. I don't consider this to be a real championship game, that's why I say "so-called championship".

Sure the talking heads might make you think that the teams playing in the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Orange Bowl are in meaningful games. And they are, in terms of the money the universities get for being chosen to participate. But come on. They aren't playing for anything but pride of victory in a post season game, and they all wanted to be selected to play in the BCS championship game.

None of them is playing to advance to the championship game because NCAA football doesn't think a playoff system is feasible. You may read that as the NCAA elite hasn't figured out how to make more money off a playoff system than it does with its current bowl system. Don't let them fool you into thinking it's about the tradition of those bowl games.

So college football fans will watch the games, because that's what we do. And I'll watch the final BCS game too, because I like college football and that's what I do. But you can't make me call the winner of that last BCS game the NCAA champion.

I'm stubborn like that.

Well, Notre Dame was a bit sluggish today. Still, they managed to do enough to avoid a 7th straight loss to rival Boston College.

The issue was in doubt until late because the ND defense couldn't really stop BC and the offense couldn't get the ball in the endzone with any degree of consistency despite 352 yards of offense. The Irish gave up 349 yards to BC, but the Eagles turned the ball over 5 times and the Irish didn't turn it over at all. That was really the key.

Freshman QB Dave Shinskie (he's 25 years old, playing college football after 7 years as a minor league baseball player) threw for 279 yards and a TD on 17 of 35 for BC, but he had those 3 critical interceptions. Sophomore RB Montel Harris was held to 38 yards on 22 carries after rushing for 264 yards last week against NC State.

Junior QB Jimmy Clausen threw for 246 yards and 2 TDs on 26 of 39. Junior RB Armando Allen rushed for 98 yards on 21 carries. Junior WR Golden Tate caught 11 passes for 128 yards and 2 TDs. Yeah, it's still a young offense and that should bode well for next season. But I'm getting a bit tired of waiting for the potential in the next season. Seems that's what it comes down to these days for Irish fans.

Notre Dame hosts Washington State next week.

My neighbor is a UW grad. She was so excited this morning to be going to the game. I wish it had been a better result. #11 Oregon reminded the Huskies that they still have some work to do to get back among the top teams in the Pac-10.

Freshman RB LaMichael James rushed for 151 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries for the Ducks. Junior QB Jeremiah Masoli only threw for 168 yards, but he accounted for another 65 yards on the ground and a total of 3 TDs, one by pass and two by run.

For the Huskies, junior QB Jake Locker threw for 268 yards and a TD on 23 of 45. But he also threw a couple of interceptions. Freshman RB Chris Polk ran for 101 yards and a TD on 18 carries.

Washington travels to UCLA on 7 Nov. Oregon hosts #7 USC next week. The Ducks are the only undefeated team in the Pac-10 standings. They can't win the conference by beating USC, but they could put themselves in the driver's seat.




Here are the results for the BCS Top 12:

1 Florida (7-0,5-0) beat Mississippi State 29-19. Although Tim Tebow threw 2 interceptions that were returned for TDs, he combined with Chris Rainey to rush for 178 yards and 2 TDs. Dustin Doe returned an interception for a TD.
2 Alabama (8-0,5-0) beat Tennessee 12-10. Alabama blocked Tennessee's game winning field goal attempt as time ran out.
3 Texas (7-0,4-0) beat Missouri 41-7. Colt McCoy threw for 269 yards and 3 TDs on 26 of 31.
4 Boise State was leading Hawaii 17-0 in the 2nd quarter when I shut down.
5 Cincinnati (7-0,3-0) beat Louisville 41-10. Zach Collaros threw for 253 yards and 3 TDs on 15 of 17.
6 Iowa (8-0,4-0) beat Michigan State 15-13. Ricky Stanzi threw 7 yards to Marvin McNutt for the game winning TD as time ran out.
7 USC (6-1,3-1) beat Oregon State 42-36. Allen Bradford rushed for 147 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries. For OSU, Sean Canfield threw for 329 yards and 3 TDs on 30 of 43 and Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 113 yards and a TD on 20 carries.
8 TCU (7-0,3-0) beat #16 BYU 38-7. Andy Dalton threw for 241 yards and 3 TDs on 13 of 24.
9 LSU (6-1,4-1) beat Auburn 31-10. Jordan Jefferson threw for 242 yards and 2 TDs on 21 of 31.
10 Miami (5-2,2-2) lost 40-37 in OT to Clemson. Kyle Parker threw for 326 yards and 3 TDs on 25 of 37.
11 Oregon (6-1,4-0) beat Washington 43-19.
12 Georgia Tech (7-1,5-1) beat Virginia 34-9. Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 125 yards on 25 carries. Anthony allen rushed for 103 yards and 2 TDs on 11 carries.

It rained in New York yesterday and game 6 of the ALCS was postponed until this evening. The Yankees lead the best of 7 series 3 games to 2.

Joe Saunders is scheduled to pitch for the Angels, while Andy Pettittie will start for the Yankees. Saunders went 7 innings in game 2, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 5 while waking only 1. He gave up 1 home run. Pettitte went 6.1 innings in game 3, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, striking out 2 and walking 1. He gave up 2 home runs.

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