SB Nation - South Florida Bulls

The Octonion: New Moon

Sean Keeley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:39:27 -0000

A secret society of the eight wealthiest mascots in the Northeast convenes at an estate in Providence, RI, otherwise known as ~~Mike Tranghese's~~ John Marinatto's basement. Chips and mango-peach salsa are served. They control the Northeastern bank money supplies, Fort Dix, ESPN and the Wesleyan College student newspaper.

They are known as The Octonion.

Parental discretion is advised.

	Somebody want to tell me what in the Flamerica University is going on around here?
	I don’t know what you’re talking about, sugar.
	Don’t feed me cow chips and call it kobe beef, poochie. You know what I’m talking about.
	Everybody calm down, no one is going to the Big Ten.
	I’ve got enough to deal with right now, I don’t need that kind of headache.
	Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t think they’ll be that interested when you’re playing the PapaJohns’com Bowl next year.
	What are you talking about? We don’t need Brian Kelly, we’ll be fine.
	HAHAHAHAHA…
	HAHAHAHAHA…
	HAHAHAHAHA…
	HAHAHA…Otto haz gigglez but duzn’t undurstanz wai.
	Cut the shit, fruit. We know you want in the Big Ten.
	Otto not commentin. Iz Big Ten isshu, not Saracuz isshu.
	Don’t feed us that line, Otto. We’re not stupid.
	Says the guy who hired Steve Kragthorpe.
	He won 8 games three times at Tulsa I’ll have you know.
	I’ll have you know you embarrass the fuck outta us.
	Go win a football game in October.
	Ladies, are you done? I wanna know who knows what, how they know it and what they know.
	That was hard to say for you, wasn’t it?
	I feel lightheaded. I need to take a breather. Pass me a Keystone Dry.
	He’s legally retarded but he’s right. Knight, you know something…
	Sir, I am offended! That barefoot plod I the cold ground upon with sainted vow my faults to have amended!
	What is that? Gay English?
	No, that’s not it.
	They say you’re talking to the Big Ten, Knight. What about us? What about your honor?
	Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? No. What is honour? A word.
	Next time can you just say "no?"
	A STRANGER ENTERS
	Oh hey fellas.

	WHAT THE FUCK?
	How’d you get in here?
	Otto invited me.
	Otto you little shit! You gave up our secret location???
	Otto disavowz such nawledge. I iz innosentz.
	It’s okay, Otto. You can tell them…
	Okayz….Otto iz goin too Midwestz.
	NOOOOO!!!
	TRAITOR!!!
	USURPER!!!
	MOTHERSHITFUCKTITS!!!
	DICKFOR!!!
	UNWORTHY COUSIN!!!
	Guys, guys…let’s calm down for a second…
	How can you calm down at a time like this?
	Well…because…I’m going too.
	NOOOOO!!!
	TRAITOR!!!
	USURPER!!!
	MOTHERSHITFUCKTITS!!!
	DICKFOR!!!
	UNWORTH...oh wait, I too am heading MidWest in search of glory.
	NOOOOO!!!
	TRAITOR!!!
	USURPER!!!
	MOTHERSHITFUCKTITS!!!
	DICKFOR!!!
	Alright guys, we got it. But look, it’s not so bad. They’re really good guys. And this'll give you a chance to have that potluck with Central Florida you keep talking about.
	SHADOWY FIGURES EMERGE FROM THE, UH…SHADOWS.
	It’s really quite nice in the Big Ten…
	You can watch your friends play on our network…assuming you live near a bar that gets the signal…
	Even if you only score 17 points a game, that's cool. Anything more is considered showboating here...
	We’d love it if you could come too Bearcat, eh?
	No way.
	Come on, it’ll be fun. You’ll be one of us…
	Yeah, one of us…
	One of us, eh...
	One of us…
	One of us…
	Onez of us…
	One of us…
	One of us…
	Bearcat, don’t do it.
	I….I…
	Sweetie! Bubbe! Please don't...
	I don’t…I can’t…
	Bro…come on…let’s hug it out…like on Entourage…you watch that show?...It’s the fucking bomb.
	Not anymore…it peaked in season two and hasn't been relevant or interesting since…but…still…can’t fight it…AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
	Bearcat?
	My name is not Bearcat. I am Locutus of Big Ten Org.
	He's been assimilated! NOOOOO!!!
	TRAITOR!!!
	USURPER!!!
	MOTHERSHITFUCKTITS!!!
	Resistance, much like hoping for a meaningful Ohio State bowl victory, is futile.

You can find records of the previous Octonion meetings below (excuse the formatting issues on some of them, one day I'll get around to fixing):

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (12/18/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:08:13 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a bit of entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Layla Dirty Blonde Lager in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The men and women both get back into action tomorrow as basketball gets back into the swing of things all around the country. There's a full slate of BE ranked teams in action. Football starts practice again for the bowl tomorrow as well, which means news there should pick up a bit next week. If you're anywhere where snow is being called for, stay warm and be careful if you have to go out. There's plenty to keep you warm in this edition. Suggestions and requests are always encouraged. Have a safe and great weekend!!! Let's GOOOOOOOO...........

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Friday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Bill Stewart Statement - MSNsportsNET.Com

Men's Basketball: No Tickets Remain for Seton Hall - MSNsportsNET.Com
Looks like I missed this one. Sorry.

Syracuse Orange enters top 3 of College Basketball Power Rankings - SI.com
We've slid back to #6 from #4 last week.

West Virginia 25th in Director's Cup Standings - MSNsportsNET.Com

Forde Yard Dash - ESPN
"From the starting block in Albuquerque to the finish line in Pasadena, The Dash sprints through all 34 bowls -- and picks the winners."

BCS National Championship, Rose Bowl headline bowl Pickoff - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

News of Note:

West Virginia - Team Notes - USATODAY.com

Let rivalry begin again - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Will Doc's loss impact WVU all that much? - 'Eers to the Ground/PPG

Unfinished Business - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU's Brown takes aim at home-state team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sporting News All-Big East first team - Sporting News

Florida State's head-coach-to-be Jimbo Fisher still fond of West Virginia - St. Petersburg Times

Not just another week for FSU football - Tallahassee Democrat

Chris Henry:

Chris Henry's WVU teammates remember the life of Slim - WVIllustrated.com

Chris Henry's death interrupted his redemption with Bengals - Paul Daugherty - SI.com

NFL Videos: Brown, Lewis on Henry - NFL.com

Chris Henry rocked the Carrier Dome in 2003 as a West Virginia freshman receiver - syracuse.com
Orange beat writer remembers Henry's performances against Syracuse.

What's On Tap:

The WVU women take on Fresno State tomorrow at 7 pm from the Coliseum (couldn't find a link).

West Virginia vs. Cleveland State - SI.com
Saturday from Cleveland at 2 pm on ESPN 360 and MASN.

Lipscomb vs. Cincinnati - SI.com
Saturday at 2 pm from Cinci on ESPN 360.

Villanova vs. Fordham - SI.com
Saturday at 2 pm from East Rutherford, NJ.

Old Dominion vs. Georgetown - SI.com
Saturday at 7 pm from the Phone Booth in DC on ESPN 360 and MASN.

St. Bonaventure vs. Syracuse - SI.com
Saturday at 7 pm from the Dome.

UCF vs. Connecticut - SI.com
Sunday at 1 pm from Hartford on ESPN 360 and MASN.

St. Petersburg Bowl - UCF Knights vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights - ESPN
Sunday night at 8 on ESPN. Rutgers is favored by 3.

Around the League (and Beyond):

See No Big Ten, Hear No Big Ten, Speak No Big Ten - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Cincinnati's Lance Stephenson talks about transition to college game - Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati holds first Sugar Bowl practice without Brian Kelly - ESPN

Samuels is battling huge expectations - Courier-Journal

Pitt coach Dixon demands big improvement - PPG

What now? - TheUConnBlog.com
Ater Majok makes his debut this weekend

Bulls ease back into practice - Tampa Tribune

If The Big East Expanded... - Pitt Blather

Rutgers tailback Joe Martinek ready to go in St. Petersburg Bowl whether Tim Brown plays or not - Star Ledger

Schiano More than Wins and Losses - Protect R Turf

Doc not a perfect hire, just a terrific one - Charleston Gazette

How about Big 14? -- chicagotribune.com

Videos of (Dis)Interest:

We've seen the music synced light displays before, but music and video game synced? Impressive.

She may be past her prime and carry hepatitis...but this video still does it (and her friend is nice too).

Holiday Picture of the Week:

I think the guy on the right wins, for creativity alone. Thanks to Jimmy T. of Hot Clicks for the find.

via thesurlybirds.com

Brazilian Gallery of the Week:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is easily one of Israel's finest. Please wish Happy Hanukkah to Miss Bar Rephaeli.

via i.cdn.turner.com

Layla image via www.abarbanel.com

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/17/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:09:10 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Solera in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

First, it seems that former WVU wide receiver Chris Henry has passed away. He was an amazing talent that we all hoped would get his life together and now it seems to have been tragically cut short. The other news today has shifted from Big Ten expansion to the loss of Doc and any other assistants he may take with him (mostly regarding the recruiting effects). The tips, suggestions and requests are always welcome. Now updated with Gazette articles. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Bengals wide receiver dies after Charlotte accident - WCNC.com
R.I.P. Chris Henry

Gold and Blue Report for Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Hol(l)iday Break - BlueGoldNews.com
4 big points about next years football team inside

News of Note (FB):

Holliday on track for Marshall position - Times West Virginian

Doc has gone back to ties at WVU to start filling positions at Marshall - WVIllustrated.com
IMHO, losing Seider and Beatty would be the biggest losses.

What's up with Doc gone? - Charleston Gazette

Manchin on Doc; WVU hoop recruits on display - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's hodgepodge

Mark Ingram, Jerry Hughes lead SI.com's 2009 All-America teams - SI.com
Brandon Hogan and Scott Kozlowski get Honorable Mention status.

Jarrett Brown vs. the world - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

News of Note (BB):

Kentucky and Syracuse most likely to stay undefeated longest - SI.com
He figures we'll drop our first at Purdue on Jan 1.

Elite Eight | 2005 NCAA tournament - 2000s: Top 10 College Hoops Games - Photos - SI.com

BIG EAST Hardwood Slate - WVIllustrated.com

Recruiting:

Doc or no Doc - WVIllustrated.com
Millines is still committed to WVU

Around the League (and Beyond):

Bearcats suffer setback at UAB - Cincinnati Enquirer
64-47?!?!?

High expectations for Jones - Cincinnati Enquirer

Following Pitino challenge, Louisville basketball gets real in rout of Oral Roberts, 94-57 - Courier-Journal

Do you want to please Jim Boeheim? Expand the NCAA Tournament and watch him beam - syracuse.com

USF's Miller: Leavitt didn't strike me - Tampa Tribune

Jones scores 27 as USF men top UCF, 69-65 - Tampa Tribune

Jasper Howard stabbing suspect pleads not guilty - SI.com (AP)

Lawyer: Ex-Connecticut Huskies student manager at center of recruiting allegations has not spoken to NCAA - ESPN

Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti on Big Ten conference expansion plans: 'We are a proud member of the Big East Conference' - Star Ledger

Briefly on Big 11 Expansion Talk - Pitt Blather

Big East expansion - looking at some numbers - Card Chronicle

Four Things The Big East Conference Needs To Do Right Now - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
"The four things the Big East Conference should begin doing in order to quell the Big Ten's overtures."

Report: Arizona's Mark Stoops heading to FSU - Tampa Tribune

Pac-10 will consider expansion - ESPN

Video of Interest:

Yes, he was troubled, but he was a Mountaineer. Rest in peace Chris.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

I'm a little behind with this video, but it's worth it. Warning: Strong Language.

Year in Review Gallery of the Week:

This is a double bonus gallery. Everything inside is basically SFW, but I'm guessing the linked galleries inside aren't, based on the URL's.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is an unbelievable combination of Italian and Venezuelan hotness. This is Carolina Marconi. (Scroll down inside the link a bit for the gallery)

via multimedia.quotidianonet.ilsole24ore.com

This one is only 7 seconds, but....oh, my!

Warning: A little bit of NSFW in this one:

Solera image via 4.bp.blogspot.com

Four Things The Big East Conference Needs To Do Right Now

Sean Keeley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:52:11 -0000

View full size photo »

The Big Ten is coming for us. Maybe not us as in Syracuse but us as in the Big East. Talk all you like about Missouri and Nebraska and Boise State but at the end of the day the most obvious scenario for Big Ten expansion involves someone from the Big East jumping ship. Yes, Notre Dame makes the most sense but they're Notre Dame which means they're going to be asshats about it. That leaves us. Our teams represent the best media markets and are the most vulnerable in the finance and stability categories. If the Big East wants to nip the rampant speculation that will occur over the next 12-18 months, they should do so now with these easy steps.

Grow A F***ing Pair

The Big Ten basically admitted yesterday that they intend to inquire about the possibility of sleeping with the Big East's wife. The Big East's reaction? "I don't want to talk about it." You don't want to talk about. Well guess what, neither did Tiger Woods. How's he doing? Meanwhile everyone and their mother has written a post about possible Big Ten expansion scenarios and 99% of them involve your teams.

What happened last time the Big East tried to play it cool at first? The ACC nearly destroyed the entire conference. Seven years later and we're finally getting back on track. But even so, we're still in an extremely vulnerable position, especially when another BCS conference is throwing goo-goo eyes and promised riches at one of our schools.

Commissioner Marinatto, you need to be less Bud Selig and more Roger Goodell right now. I don't care what you do...issue a statement, hold a press conference, put Greg Schiano in a headlock until he agrees to stay in the conference...whatever it is, do SOMETHING.

Begin The Process Of Calling Up Villanova

Seriously, I don't know how many times I need to say this. And I don't care if Villanova doesn't want to become 1-A. They need to be convinced that they should become 1-A, you see what I mean? We've got guys in Providence who can smack some sense into those Philadelphia knuckleheads, right?

I've ranted on the need to bring in Villanova to the Big East before but to reiterate, it literally solves every major issue we have. It adds a ninth team to the conference, rounds out the conference schedule so it's even, maintains the integrity of the conference by adding a school that is already a member and it gives the Big East back the Philadelphia market. The Cats can split time with Temple in Lincoln Financial Stadium for the time being.

Worried about their ability to compete? Don't. Look how quickly UConn and South Florida got it together. And the timing couldn't be more perfect for the Wildcats, they're in the 1-AA finals.

This needs to happen.

Stop Thinking Like A Basketball Conference

I know. The Big East was founded on basketball. Congratulation, you win a medal. Actually, no, you don't win a medal. You win nothing. All you get to do is allow DePaul, Seton Hall and St. John's to continue to pretend that they're still viable, long-term major conference programs and not overblown Atlantic-10 teams. Huzzah and kudos.

The Big East has been run by Providence guys for a long time and that's shaped a lot of how it's been run. Basketball first. But guess what, if the conference gets raided and Syracuse or Pitt leaves, they're not going to stick around for basketball. They're gone for good. A flagship basketball program will up and vanish like a fart in the wind.

Marinatto, I know you're not willing to make the truly tough decisions. The truly tough decisions would be to excise a lot of the regional school fat that's weighing the basketball conference down. So if you can't do that, at least reorganize the basketball side in order to accommodate football a little better. Whatever that means to you...be it splitting the basketball-only schools off from the "all-purpose partners" or just shifting the way we go about business. Just don't hide behind the excuse of "we're a basketball conference," because you won't have any good basketball programs left pretty soon.

Come Up With A Ten-Year Plan

Eventually, the Big East needs to consist of 12 teams. It just does. If we can't beat the SEC or Big Ten or Big 12 with quality, we need to at the very least match them with quantity. Especially now that the MWC is gaining steam and is likely to expand or do whatever it can to get a stronger BCS foothold, the Big East can't be the weakest AND the smallest BCS conference. We can one or the other, but not both.

I said it yesterday but college conferences are like sharks, they move forward or they die. If Big East football remains stagnant for the next 3-4 years and makes no plans to expand, it will cease to exist shortly-thereafter. It will get raided by the Big Ten or someone else.

Explore your options. Identify your targets. Let's cannibalize Conference USA now in order to prevent our own cannibalization. East Carolina? Central Florida? Memphis? Navy? Army? I don't care but make something happen. At this point its about saving your skin.

Could Big Ten Expansion Force the SEC to Bring In a New School?

T Kyle King — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:15:09 -0000

Big Ten expansion talk is all the rage, even here in SEC country, and, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish remain atop the list despite being obviously unattainable and the Pittsburgh Panthers make the most sense, much attention is being paid to the apparently interested Missouri Tigers, with respect to whom Big Ten aficionados not only have an idea, they have a plan.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that happens. Short of the Golden Domers climbing down from their high horse (which isn’t going to happen now that the arrival of Brian Kelly has ensured Notre Dame’s inevitable return to ~~relevance~~ ~~competence~~ dominance), conference expansion is a zero-sum game; if the Big Ten increases from eleven teams to twelve by poaching Mizzou, the Big 12 decreases from twelve teams to eleven. The Big 12 is going to need a new team.

Maybe it’s just the traditionalist in me, but it seems to me that there can be only one choice for Big 12 expansion should Missouri bolt for browner pastures. The Arkansas Razorbacks have a longstanding rivalry with the Texas Longhorns, currently have a series going with the Texas A&M Aggies, and have deep Southwest Conference roots. Turnabout is fair play, so a Big Ten that includes Missouri could mean a Southeastern Conference sans Arkansas.

If the first domino falls, the line could topple all the way to the SEC’s doorstep, raising the question . . . where would the SEC turn if it had to replace the Hogs? The options, it would seem, are these, in no particular order:

Louisville Cardinals: U. of L. shares an in-state rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats and just hired longtime SEC defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. The ‘Ville would bolster the league’s basketball reputation but the Cardinals have been only intermittently good at football. Still, as a current member of an automatic BCS-qualifying conference, Louisville would have to get a look, although it’s too bad the Cards would be brought in to replace Arkansas, because a series between Bobby "Pignocchio" Petrino’s current and former schools would be fun to watch.

South Florida Bulls: I’m not saying they deserve it, but any number of SEC coaches would love another annual opportunity to travel to the recruiting hotbed of the Sunshine State. Tampa is an attractive market and USF has been consistently respectable (albeit no more than that) since making the jump to the Big East. You’d have to think the Florida Gators would scream and howl at having to add an in-state conference rival to their existing slate, though. This brings us to . . .

Florida St. Seminoles: Let’s not mince words here. If you were an SEC football fan in 1991, you thought Bobby Bowden ducked the SEC in order to pad FSU’s schedule with ACC games. It’s time to atone for that gutless decision now that the Jimbo Fisher era is underway. This would make great sense for the Gators, whose season-ender against the ‘Noles would count as a conference game, although it likely would increase the pressure on the Saurians to schedule the Miami Hurricanes more frequently. Regular trips to Tallahassee by the Georgia Bulldogs would please the conspiracy theorists among the Red and Black fan base, who would wonder regularly whether Mark Richt would just stay put once he got back to his old stomping grounds. While we’re on the subject of in-state out-of-conference rivals, I suppose I should mention . . .

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: I would be 100 per cent opposed to this idea, but you’d have to admit it makes sense. The Engineers played in the SEC for many years and were a part of some of the league’s great rivalries at one time. The Ramblin’ Wreck left the conference at the tail end of the Bobby Dodd era and had their efforts to rejoin the league rebuffed, so both sides might be lukewarm on a reconciliation. After both of this year’s ACC division champions fell to middling SEC East outfits that came into their battles for local bragging rights sporting 6-5 ledgers, it’s doubtful whether the Orange Bowl-bound Golden Tornado would want to trade a shot at a big-money bowl in the soft ACC for a lower spot in the league pecking order. In theory, Georgia Tech could enjoy home town advantage in an SEC championship game, but, honestly, that’s not much of a risk.

Clemson Tigers: Admittedly, I’m biased, but this option makes the most sense to me. The Country Gentlemen are comfortably within the SEC’s geographic footprint and share longstanding rivalries with the ‘Dawgs and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Fort Hill Felines also share a common heritage with several other SEC schools which would make league games intriguing: Walter Riggs and John Heisman established strong ties between Clemson and the Auburn Tigers; the Alabama Crimson Tide have produced numerous coaches for the Orange and Purple, including Frank Howard, Danny Ford, and current skipper Dabo Swinney; Charley Pell landed both Clemson and Florida on probation; the LSU Tigers could host the Country Gentlemen in Death Valley before traveling to face them in Death Valley. Culturally, the Tiger faithful are a much more comfortable fit with the rabid fans of the Southeastern Conference than with the Big Ten wannabes of the Atlantic Coast Conference and an SEC association certainly wouldn’t hurt the proud Clemson baseball program. Should we be willing to trade the Razorbacks for the Tigers? Ken Hatfield certainly was, and he was an Arkansas alum.

If it were up to me, the Big Ten would add Missouri, the Big 12 would add Arkansas, the SEC would add Clemson, and the ACC would . . . actually, I don’t care what the ACC does. I say let’s ship the Hogs back to their old stomping grounds, move the Tennessee Volunteers over from the SEC East to the SEC West (where the Vols properly belong, given their natural rivalries with Alabama and Auburn), add Clemson to the SEC East, and have at it.

Go ‘Dawgs!

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (12/16/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:39:15 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and some fun distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Victoria Bitter Gold in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The big news everywhere seems to be B11 expansion. Almost every article I found of fellow BE football members want their team considered. That does say something about the state of our conference, regardless of your or my personal opinions. Plenty inside about that. I've also got something special planned for around 1pm today. So make sure to check back then. Tips, suggestions and requests would be greatly appreciated. Here we go...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

2009 CFN All-Big East Team & Top 30 Players - Scout.com

Big East better watch out for Big Ten expansion - ESPN

Big Ten to explore possibility of expansion in next 12 to 18 months - ESPN

Expanding to 12 teams could hurt Big Ten in BCS, pocketbook - SI.com

Time is right to explore Big Ten expansion - ESPN

College Football Live Extra: Dec. 15th - ESPN Video
ESPN Video: Should the Big Ten expand?

Momentum seems to be on side of Big Ten expansion -- chicagotribune.com
"Joe Paterno's strong comments at the Big Ten meetings in May were "catalytic," according to a league source. Paterno's criticism that the league "goes into hiding for six weeks" between the regular season and the BCS bowls prompted some to re-examine their views on a league title game."

Mountaineers in the NFL - WVIllustrated.com

What's On Tap:

UCF vs. South Florida - SI.com
Tonight at 7 from the Sun Dome in Tampa on ESPN 360. The Bulls are giving 8.5.

Oral Roberts vs. Louisville - SI.com
Tonight at 7 on ESPN 360 from Freedom Hall. No line given. Can ORU pull the upset for their recently departed patriarch?

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. UAB Blazers - ESPN
Tonight at 7 from Birmingham. Cinci is favored by 1.5. No TV that I can find.

Video of Interest:

Thanks to WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

An appetizer for later today.

Cool Toy Gallery of the Week:

Hey!!! It's not all T&A around here...sometimes.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a gorgeous Aussie actress. Say G'Day to Nicky Whelan. The link leads to a message board posting. The gallery is at the top if it's slow loading for you.

via img249.imageshack.us

This seems to be her. I say close enough.

Victoria Bitter Gold image via www.jankvollmer.de

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (12/15/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:59:56 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Dominion Ale.

It's the Ides of December, which really doesn't mean anything, other than only 10 days of shopping left before Christmas. Guess I better get started, huh? Suggestions and requests would definitely help this week. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Tuesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Huggins credits Bowden with assist - Charleston Gazette

WVU Varsity Sports Report - BlueGoldNews.com

NCAA College Basketball Polls - ESPN
Holding steady at #6

Buoyed by public support, West Virginia rifle team returns to NCAA prominence - washingtonpost.com

News of Note (FB):

Fisher will do it his way - Charleston Gazette

Bowl practice an 'exciting and weird' time for FSU players - Tallahassee Democrat

WVU receivers coach Lonnie Galloway has experience with bowls and playoffs systems - WVIllustrated.com

News of Note (BB):

Repella Named Athlete of the Week - MSNsportsNET.Com

Big East Weekly Honors - WVIllustrated.com

Weekly Watch: Week 4 - ESPN

Around the League (and Beyond):

Sources: South Florida Coach Jim Leavitt Struck Player -- NCAAFB FanHouse

Review is needed in wake of accusations - Tampa Tribune

UC AD quiet amid coaching rumors - Cincinnati Enquirer

Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage snaps out of freshman funk quickly - Star Ledger

Charlie Strong's new job will be to restock the Louisville football sidelines - Courier-Journal

Louisville basketball arena project adds sponsors, lands funds for fountain - Courier-Journal
And a fountain?!?!?! Yes, a fountain. Slow week indeed.

Former Louisville assistants to reunite at Illinois - ESPN

Vol coach Lane Kiffin says recruitment investigation a compliment - SI.com

Videos of (Dis)Interest:

Here's my mea culpa for missing the beginning of Hanukkah on Friday. My apologies to our Hebrew brethren (perhaps for both missing it and this).

And keeping with the holiday spirit:

Football Gallery of the Week:

With college football at a snails pace right now. Here's a gallery to help keep you reminded.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is an all American fitness model. Please make welcome, Jamie Eason.

via 3.bp.blogspot.com

Dominion Ale image via www.bruguru.com

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/14/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:28:15 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few fun distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Staropramen beer, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

Both the men and women took care of business over the weekend. The same can't be said for some of our high profile Big East brethren. It's finals week, so I expect the news to be a bit slow, but we'll see. Any tips, suggestions and requests are greatly appreciated. It starts after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Monday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Men's Soccer: BIG EAST Announces Partnership - MSNsportsNET.Com
"The BIG EAST and Red Bull New York will join forces with a three-year partnership for the Conference’s men’s soccer championship to be held at the new state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena through the 2012 tournament."

Disloyalty and sports go hand in hand - Times West Virginian
Bob asked Huggs what he thinks about the Kelly situation.

College bowl payouts don't always add up - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mark Ingram's Heisman fills void at Alabama - Stewart Mandel - SI.com
I still think the kid from Stanford deserved it.

News of Note (FB):

Bill Stewart: Ready To Go - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video link

West Virginia's Stewart satisfied with 9-3 record - PPG

WVU fine as second fiddle in Gator Bowl - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Flippin' on the 'Noles - Charleston Gazette

Steady Improvement - MSNsportsNET.Com

Gator Bowl Bigger Than It Appears - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Some Florida State athletes helped by 'learning disability' diagnosis - ESPN

News of Note (BB):

Mountaineers Now 7-0 - MSNsportsNET.Com
The men secured a 69-43 win Saturday night.

WVU men upend Coppin State - Times West Virginian

Jones picking up the slack - Charleston Gazette

Copin' with Coppin - Charleston Gazette

Butler getting it done - Register-Herald
Mickey's Column

WVU's Mazzulla hopes grad school leads to coaching career - Charleston Daily Mail

Joe Mazzulla - WVIllustrated.com
Weekend Coliseum schedule: Saturday - run down the carpet, Sunday - pick up the diploma. Well done!!!! Congratulations!!!

Early Lead Lifts West Virginia - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women cruised to a 74-43 win over Longwood.

Recruiting:

'Eers in on Another Dywer (Fla.) Prospect - EerSports

Around the League (and Beyond):

Temple upsets No. 3 Villanova, 75-65 - SI.com

Xavier rallies in first-ever double overtime Crosstown Shootout to beat Cincinnati - Cincinnati Enquirer

Kelly's home vandalized - FanNation
...imagine that.

Houston's Kevin Sumlin declines interview for University of Cincinnati job - Cincinnati Enquirer

Jackson, Hazell lead Seton Hall past VMI 134-107 - SI.com

I don't wanna talk about it tonight - Card Chronicle
At least they have BB, right? Right?...oh, sorry.

Catamounts are caterwauling - Courier-Journal
Another head-scratching loss at Freedom Hall on Saturday, 91-83...to Western Carolina?!?!?!

Turnovers a problem for Pitt - PPG
...but they still won...damn

Bulls upset by Central Michigan, 59-56 - Tampa Tribune

Terrier-orized: No. 7 Syracuse 75, St. Francis 51 - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Lets The Transferring Continue - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Video of Interest:

Several Mountaineer Basketball and Football players (among many others) graduated yesterday. Congratulations!!! Thanks to WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

The Germans have developed great taste in song selection.

College Tradition Gallery of the Week:

Somebody tried to stop this from happening? Can we bring back the firing squad?

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a former Victoria's Secret Angel and can be seen in the recent G.I. Joe movie as Cover Girl. Another beauty from the Czech Republic, here's Karolína Kurková.

via i296.photobucket.com

Staropramen image via pic.51windows.net

Ranking The 2009-2010 Bowls: Part 1

Mark Kieffer — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:10:59 -0000

Everyone and their grandma has been ranking the bowls......Except for me. So I figured that I should jump in on all the fun, and talk about the 2nd season of College Football: "Bowl Season".

Now, I am in the camp of those who think there are just way too many bowl games. I'm not going to lie. It takes quite a bit to get me hyped up for a bowl game. To be honest, almost every year I set out to try and watch every bowl game, and every year I end up watching a handful of bowls, but mostly college basketball.

This year, I'm not making any promises like that, especially when it's quite possible I'll be going down to Tempe for the bowl game. At the same time, I will make the effort of watching a handful of games, and I figured I would share my process of elimination with you, by doing a countdown of bowl games that I am looking forward to most.

In Part 1 of this three part series, I'm going to countdown the 14 bowls that I find the least exciting. I'd characterize this group by saying that I could watch some of these games, but I'm certainly not rearranging my life to watch them. I can safely say that if I somehow did not watch a single game from this group, I wouldn't be too disappointed.

#34: New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee State), 12/20/2009, 7:30pm CST, ESPN

I have absolutley no reason to get excited about this game at all. I thought Southern Miss would be a better team than they were, but they ended up being just another 7-5 midmajor. If you're hardcore, on paper these teams look pretty even in regards to scoring. It could be a close game. Accuscore has Southern Miss as a 54% favorite. Whatifsports.com has Southern Miss, just edging the victory as well. Fortunatley for me, the Vikings play the Panthers on that Sunday night, so I will be watching that as well.

#33: New Mexico Bowl (Fresno State vs. Wyoming), 12/19/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

There have been years in the past, when I've flicked on the game, because it's the 1st one in the season, and it's been a bit of a novelty. Usually, I can't watch past the 1st quarter. This year, I will probably try and attempt the same thing, but will end up doing something else. Not a knock on Fresno State which is a decent team, but moreso on Wyoming. On paper, this has the makings of a blowout. With Fresno State, you have one of the best offenses in the nation, averaging 436 yards/game and about 34 points scored. With Wyoming, you have one of the worst offenses, averaging 298 yards/game, and about 17 points scored.

#32: Little Caesar's Bowl (Marshall vs. Ohio), 12/26/2009, Noon CST, ESPN

What ranks this game here as opposed to last, is probably the fact that Marshall has a new head coach from the regular season now. Since there is a "craziness" possibility to this game, I may watch the first few series.

#31: Hawaii Bowl (Nevada vs. SMU), 12/24/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

The biggest thing this game has going for it, is that there is no College Basketball at all that night, no other College Football that night, and no NBA either. There is a Chargers vs. Titans game on the NFL Network, but that's it as far as sports go. People wanting their sports fix might be tuning into this one. Or maybe they will do something with their families on Christmas Eve (for those that celebrate it).

#30: GMAC Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Troy), 1/6/2010, 6pm CST, ESPN

This actually is a decent matchup among mid-majors. It really is. The biggest problem with this bowl is that it's sandwiched right between the Orange Bowl and the BCS Championship Game. I might watch some of it, as I wait for the Iowa State vs. Duke game, but that's about it.

#29: St. Petersburg Bowl (UCF vs. Rutgers), 12/19/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

I know Rutgers is 8-4, but they went 3-4 in the Big East. Also, this is practically a homegame for UCF. Just not a lot about this game to sell me on.

#28: EagleBank Bowl (UCLA vs. Temple), 12/29/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

Can't say much about this one, other than I'm probably not going to watch it.

#27: International Bowl (South Florida vs. Northern Illinois), 1/2/2010, 11am CST, ESPN2

I don't think I've ever watched the International Bowl and this matchup isn't really changing the chances of that happening for me.

#26: Armed Forces Bowl (Houston vs. Air Force), 12/31/2009, 11am CST, ESPN

The thick of the CUSA schedule exposed Houston as a paper tiger, it could be a close game. It is an interesting matchup in Houston has the best pass offense in the nation, while Air Force has the best pass defense in the nation. There's not enough there for me to take an interest, especially if I'm in Tempe getting ready for the Insight Bowl.

#25: Alamo Bowl (Michigan State vs. Texas Tech), 1/2/2010, 8pm CST, ESPN

Michigan State is a disappointment this year. I think many thought they had an outside shot to compete for the Big 10, and instead they finish 6-6. To add insult to injury, they also suspended 8 guys and kicked 2 off the team for some off the field drama. There's no reason why Texas Tech shouldn't roll this team by 21.

#24: Meineke Car Care Bowl (Pitt vs. UNC), 12/26/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

On paper, Pitt should roll UNC. I just wonder how they will play coming off that disappointing loss to Cincy. It seems like when a team gets snubbed or loses a tough championship game like that, they don't come in ready to play.

UNC is just manic with their play. Some weeks they look great and beat Virginia Tech, while others they are losing to NC-State. Overall, I see the makings of a potentially sloppy game

#23: Humanitarian Bowl (Bowling Green vs. Idaho), 12/30/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

Watch the weather forecast for this one. If it's a clear, calm day, it's going to be a shootout with my man Freddie Barnes tearing it up, and I'm going to want to watch it! If it's blizzard conditions, or just a day condusive to running the ball a lot, this bowl belongs in the #34-30 range.

#22: Music City Bowl (Kentucky vs. Clemson), 12/27/2009, 7:30pm CST, ESPN

C.J. Spiller is the reason to watch this game. If you haven't seen him play before this would be a good spot to see him as I have a feeling he'll have a big game in this one. Kentucky has a bad rush defense. That said, I see this as a Clemson romp, so I'm not exactly expecting a good game from this one.

#21: Papajohns.com Bowl (South Carolina vs. UConn), 1/2/2010, 1pm CST, ESPN

South Carolina really perplexes me. Spurrier is supposed to be this offensive genius, but South Carolina seems to have had sucky offenses since he took over. I'm rooting for UConn in this one. With everything they've gone through this season, how nice would it be to see the Huskies get a bowl victory?

In Part 2 of this series, I will count down the next tier of bowl games in terms of what I'm looking forward to. Look for that on Tuesday. In the meantime, feel free to join in on the conversation.

3rd Annual Rock M Nation Bowl Pick 'Em Contest

The Beef — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:18 -0000

UPDATE: BUMPED BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE. PICKS ARE DUE AT NOON TOMORROW.

That's right loyal readers...the Bowl Pick 'Em Contest is back for its third season.

It is simple to participate. Simply reply to this thread with your picks. You will need to pick both against the spread, as well as the over/under, so you will have two picks per game. The spreads are LOCKED, so a movement in the line will not be taken into account. The spreads are courtesy of bookmaker.com because...well...that's the one I could find (and unless otherwise noted) They also represent where the lines were when they opened, which was a week ago (had to wait for Army/Navy to be played to determine Eagle Bowl and Texas Bowl line)

Our winner from last year is FSUncensored, who went 39-27 to win by three games over The Cool Alonzo and myself. All time, MU 1839 (our first winner) holds the best two-year record at 18 games over .500 (74-56). Of the "couples" category, The Beef and Tailgate Queen came out 3 game ahead of Bill C and Bill C's wife last year, tying their annual battle at 1-1. Overall, the contest generated a won-loss record of 1066-1244 for a not so good percentage of .461. Over the two years, we currently sit at 1711-1879 for a winning percentage of .477. Yes...I've kept track.

Picks are due by noon on Saturday, December 19th (since the first games are later that evening). Picks are lined up after the jump.

As for prizes...1st prize will get you the Rock M Nation T-shirt of your choice, unless RPT (who somehow is the keeper of the purse strings around here) decides we want to pony up some additional swag.

Anyway, we had a good time with this last year with 35 participants (up from 20 the first year) and somehow I am thinking we are going to have a FEW more than that :-) Come one, come all (and that certainly includes non-Rock M regulars...anyone from SB Nation is welcome to participate)...make me work hard at this. If you were here last season and have changed names, just let me know and I will do my best to give you your two or three-season score when all is said and done as well. I will also be adding a couple set of special picks. We will have the "coin-flip" picks, where each pick will be decided by heads or tails. I will also compile the "Consensus" picks, which will be the most popular pick on each game, to see how RMN did as a community (in the majority at least).

New Mexico

Fresno State -10 1/2 vs. Wyoming

Over/Under - 55 1/2

St. Petersburg

Rutgers -2 vs. UCF

Over/Under - 44 1/2

New Orleans

Sothern Miss -3 1/2 vs. Mid Tenn St.

Over/Under - 59

Las Vegas

Oregon State - 1 1/2 vs. BYU

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Poinsetta

Cal -3 vs. Utah

Over/Under - 53 1/2

Hawaii

Nevada -14 vs. SMU

Over/Under - 73 1/2

Little Caesers

Ohio -2 vs. Marshall

Over/Under - 50

Meineke

Pitt -3 vs. UNC

Over/Under - 44 1/2

Emerald

USC -9 vs. BC

Over/Under - 45 1/2

Music City

Clemson -7 vs. Kentucky

Over/Under - 52 1/2

Independence

Georgia -7 vs. Texas A&M

Over/Under - 64

Eagle Bank (LSVC odds)

UCLA -4 vs. Temple

Over/Under - 46 1/2

Champs Sports

Miami (FL) -3 vs. Wisconsin

Over/Under - 56

Humanitarian

Bowling Green PK vs. Idaho

Over/Under - 68 1/2

Holiday

Arizona -1 vs. Nebraska

Over/Under - 41

Armed Forces

Houston -5 vs. Air Force

Over/Under - 61

Sun

Oklahoma -9 1/2 vs. Stanford

Over/Under - 56 1/2

Texas (LVSC odds)

Mizzou -6 vs. Navy

Over/Under - 54

Insight

Minnesota -3 vs. Iowa State

Over/Under - 48

Chick-Fil-A

Va Tech -4 1/2 vs. Tenn

Over/Under - 50 1/2

Outback

Auburn -8 vs. Northwestern

Over/Under - 54 1/2

Gator

West Virginia -2 1/2 vs. Florida St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Capital One

Penn State -3 vs. LSU

Over/Under - 44

Rose

Oregon -3 1/2 vs. Ohio State

Over/Under - 51 1/2

Sugar

Florida -10 vs. Cincy

Over/Under - 55 1/2

International

South Fla. -6 1/2 vs. No. Illinois

Over/Under - 50

PapaJohns

South Carolina -4 1/2 vs. UCONN

Over/Under - 53

Cotton

Ole Miss -3 vs. Okie State

Over/Under -  50 1/2

Liberty

Arkansas -7 1/2 vs. East Carolina

Over/Under - 63 1/2

Alamo

Texas Tech -7 vs. Michigan St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Fiesta

TCU -7 vs. Boise St

Over/Under - 54

Orange

Ga Tech -4 vs. Iowa

Over/Under - 51

GMAC

Central Mich -4 vs. Troy

Over/Under - 64

BCS Champ

Alabama -5 1/2 vs. Texas

Over/Under - 45