College Football - Championship Week and the Army-Navy Game - Live Thread

Sportsline.com Scoreboard ^ | Thursday November 30th to Sunday December 3rd

[MikefromOhio]

Weekend Thirteen cleared up the BCS title picture a bit. USC won convincingly against Notre Dame while Florida failed to get the style points needed to make a run at the Trojans and Wolverines. With Arkansas losing to LSU, Florida only theoretically has a chance at the title game. The weekend was not without surprises as Texas lost for the 2nd time in a row while West Virginia eliminated itself from Big East and BCS contention by losing to South Florida. The weekend also featured some great finishes with BYU, Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee pulling games out late. This week is Championship Week. The conference championship games for the MAC, Conference USA, ACC, SEC and Big XII will be played. Each of those games, along with the Army-Navy game, is the feature this week.

Thursday, November 24th, 2006 (ESPN)

vs

Central Michigan vs. Ohio (-3)

The MAC champion goes to The Motor City Bowl in Detroit, MI to face either the 7th best Big Ten team or an at-large team. As the Big Ten is getting 2 into the BCS, it will be the at-large team. Central Michigan can score in bunches while Ohio is on a roll.

Ohio 35 – Central Michigan 31

Friday, November 24th, 2006 (ESPN2)

vs.

Southern Mississippi vs. Houston (-5)

The winner of this game goes to the Liberty Bowl to play against an SEC school while the loser of this game will most likely be heading to Mobile, Alabama for the GMAC bowl against a MAC team (probably Central Michigan). Houston lost a close game to USM earlier this season while it was still in the post-Miami funk after nearly defeating the Hurricanes in Miami.

Houston 34 – USM 28

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 (ABC at 1 PM)

at

(16) Wake Forest vs. (23) Georgia Tech (-2.5)

I can’t believe I’m actually going to pick this. Wake Forest is the better team. Georgia Tech has the weapons to win, but not the quarterback. Their defense will keep them in this game, but the pick is Wake. The winner goes to the Orange Bowl while the loser goes to the Chick-Fil-A bowl (formerly the Peach Bowl).

Wake Forest 32 – Georgia Tech 17

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 (CBS at 6 PM)

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(8) Arkansas vs. (4) Florida (-2.5)

The winner of this game is going to the Sugar Bowl unless Florida wins big and something absolutely screwy happens in the BCS. Arkansas must win this game to get into the BCS at all. Otherwise, LSU is going. It comes down to if Florida will be able to score consistently or if Arkansas will be able to make some plays through the air. Special teams will play a big factor in deciding this game. That favors Arkansas. With LSU not playing this weekend, the loser of this game is probably relegated to the Capital One bowl.

Arkansas 22 – Florida 19

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 (CBS at 6 PM)

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(19) Nebraska vs. (8) Oklahoma (-4)

The winner of this game is going to the Fiesta Bowl. A good old school match-up that will be played in the Big XII championship for the very FIRST time in the 10 year history of the conference. Since the loss to Texas back in October, Oklahoma has been on a roll. Nebraska, minus a slip up against Oklahoma State, has only lost to USC and Texas, which was a much better team at the time of the loss. I have to give the edge to Oklahoma. Bill Callahan gets too conservative in big games like this and I think the Oklahoma offense will be able to move the ball against the Nebraska defense. The loser of this game will go to the Cotton Bowl.

Oklahoma 37 – Nebraska 20

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 (CBS at 6 PM)

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Army vs. Navy (-20)

Army and Navy square off again. This year Navy is the home team. Navy is the better team but Army did almost knock off Texas A&M earlier this season. This game will win Navy the Commander in Chief’s trophy for the best service team. Navy is slated to go to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Navy 34 – Army 23



Saturday December 2nd, 2006 (in ranking order)

(1) Ohio State BYE
Next Game: BCS National Championship

(2) USC (-13.5) at UCLA

USC 43 – UCLA 17

(3) Michigan BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Rose Bowl

(5) LSU BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Rose Bowl

Connecticut at (6) Louisville (-27)

Louisville 42 – Connecticut 21

(7) Wisconsin BYE
Next Game: Accepted bid for the Capital One Bowl

(10) Boise State BYE
Next game: projected to be in the Fiesta Bowl

(11) Auburn BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Outback Bowl

(12) Notre Dame BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Sugar Bowl

(13) Rutgers at (15) West Virginia (-10)

Rutgers 22 – West Virginia 20

(14) Virginia Tech BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Peach)

(17) Tennessee BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Cotton Bowl

(17) Texas BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Gator Bowl

(20) BYU BYE
Next Game: accepted bid for the Las Vegas Bowl

Stanford at (21) Cal (-29)

Cal 43 – Stanford 7

(22) Texas A&M BYE
Next Game: accepted bid to be in the Holiday Bowl

(25) Boston College BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Champs Sports Bowl

BY REQUEST

New Mexico BYE
Next Game: Accepted bid to New Mexico Bowl

Texas A&M BYE
Next Game: accepted bid to be in the Holiday Bowl

Florida State BYE
Next Game: Accepted Bid to the Emerald Bowl

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 (ESPN Sunday Night Game)

Oregon St. at (24) Hawaii (-7.5)

Hawaii 43 – Oregon St. 40

[BookmanTheJanitor]

First, USC has to beat UCLA. It's been waaayyy to quiet over at Westwood this week (makes me nervous :o)). Dorrell picking Cowan to start gives me flashbacks of the John Barnes (5th string walk on) led 1992 upset over USC.

[subterfuge]

So whatever happened to the Reggie Bush play-for-pay scandal? Why is this non-existent in the media now? Did his parents finally get their own place?

[MikefromOhio]

maybe....

:)

[MikefromOhio]

Thats the problem with cutting and pasting :)

[MikefromOhio]

Bret Bielema was the right guy for them to hire after Alvarez retired.

[Dog Gone]

In doing your simulations, keep this in mind. Nobody can cover Dwayne Jarrett with single coverage. He'll beat anyone one on one. He's tough enough with double coverage.

But, if you double cover him, Steve Smith is out there alone.

OSU will need 12 men on the field to stop USC's passing attack, or at least slow it down.

[MikefromOhio]

I could say the same about USC vs. Ohio State's passing attack.

[subterfuge]

In doing your simulations, keep this in mind. Nobody can cover Dwayne Jarrett with single coverage

But what doesn't get ANY coverage is Reggie Bush's Play-For-Pay Scandal. Why is that? Did his parents ever get a place of their own. I guess the media got the word from on high not to broach the subject?

[subterfuge]

Whatever happened to this? Still in litigation? Anthing been uncovered? Bad for business (college football at USC) to bring it up I guess.

---

By Brent Schrotenboer
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 14, 2006

The controversial Spring Valley house once occupied by Reggie Bush's parents has been put on the market for $775,000 and is being advertised as “the famous Reggie Bush house” in its real estate listing.

The ad reminds potential buyers that the 3,002-square-foot residence on Apple Street was “seen on ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, Sports Illustrated and inside the sports page of almost every newspaper in the country!”

“The history behind the house is generating a ton of interest,” said Daniel Ellis, a real estate agent for Assist2Sell Realty. “It's mentioned in all the ads we have, and it is a selling tool. People are familiar with it, and it will draw them to the house and get them to take a look at it.”

After living there for about a year, Bush's parents moved out in April after being accused by the owner, Michael Michaels, of not having paid $54,000 in rent. That triggered an NCAA investigation that could jeopardize their son's Heisman Trophy and cause USC to forfeit games in which Bush played.

Michaels was an investor in a fledgling sports marketing agency that sought to represent Bush. NCAA rules prohibit its athletes and their family members from accepting benefits from agents.

The NCAA investigation remains in a holding pattern while the attorney for the agency, Brian Watkins, said he is still compiling information for a pending fraud lawsuit against Bush and his parents. He has accused the family of taking about $300,000 in expenses from the agency's investors but signing with another agency instead.

“The ball is in one of their two courts,” said Ron Barker, the Pac-10 Conference's associate commissioner for governance and enforcement. “Either (Watkins) files suit, or it's up to the NCAA to say enough time has gone by” and to proceed with the investigation.

NCAA investigations sometimes take years if other litigation gets in the way. Barker worked with the NCAA when it investigated Michigan's “Fab Five” basketball players in a case that spanned 10 years.

Bush has denied his family did anything wrong and said details would emerge later.

Michaels bought the house in 2005 for $757,000. He did not return a call seeking comment.

“It's been lived in only a short time,” Ellis said. “It's basically a model home.”

[MikefromOhio]

I don't know.

I think the investigations and all that are still on-going.

I don't think it will affect USC this year however.

[rockthecasbah]

The Trojans need to win Saturday to make eight straight wins just to avenge the Bruin's 90's win streak. Doubtless coach PC will publicly play down the rivalry history. But you know that theme is playing in the back of their minds...

[subterfuge]

don't think it will affect USC this year however

I've got news for you Mike, it will never affect USC. They are one of the Annointed Schools.

[MikefromOhio]

So was Alabama and Miami.

If there is something there that they can pin on the school, the school will take a hit.

But it still won't affect this year. It will affect them and their results for 2005....

[rockthecasbah]

Maybe the press doesn't think it's newsworthy??

[subterfuge]

Maybe the press doesn't think it's newsworthy??

Of course they don't. Big revenue generating games coming up for a chose college program and the TV stations. Why would they want to shoot the golden goose?

[rockthecasbah]

A 3002 square foot house for $757K?? Wow, that is cheap...by Bay Area standards that is.

[rockthecasbah]

"it will never affect USC. They are one of the Annointed Schools"

We love to be hated.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I was there that day. Just turned 10 the day before. My first SC game in person. I went to the Notre Dame game last weekend- my most recent.

[subterfuge]

We love to be hated

Not so fast my football friend. It's the media and the power players I hate, not USC. Some teams get a pass and it isn't their fault. Nor Notre Dames, or Ohio States or MIchigan or Penn State. I probably left someone out.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

ARMY WILL TANK WORSE THAN JOHN KERRY'S STAND-UP CAREER