Two down, more to come. Look out Heisman, the Suh-train is fast approaching.

First it was the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player and now the Lombardi Award as the nation’s best lineman.

Surprised? Who else could have been chosen?

Up next: Walter Camp Award, the Lott Trophy, the Bednarik Award and the Outland Trophy. AND of course the Heisman.

Suh is the first Nebraska player to win the Lombardi Award since Grant Wistrom nabbed the honor in 1997 and the fifth overall.

Suh’s voice shook as he accepted the award and afterward he said winning it was a surprise. “In my eyes this is a very huge one, especially at my position,” he said. ”The guys that are the unsung heroes in college football and football all-around, guys that just do the dirty work and get the job done for everybody else are the defensive linemen and offense linemen.”

In a year when no offensive player was head and shoulders above the rest, there will be a major contingent of voters who will be looking to make a statement while also voting for a defensive player worthy of the honor of being called the “most outstanding college football player in the United States for 2009.”

Congrats Ndamukong!!!

Drink one for me,

Woody

It’s that time of the year again…time to go bowling. Here are my bowl predictions for 2009:

New Mexico

Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)

Fresno State has had a decent year, primarily to the fact that their offense ranks 19th nationally (435.9 yards per game), which is anchored by Ryan Matthews, who leads the nation in 151.3 rushing yards per game.  Ryan Matthews is a dynamic running back who has been under the radar all season. Wyoming will have no answer for him as their defense gives up 170.5 rushing yards per game. Fresno State wins big.

Pick: Fresno State

St. Petersburg

Central Florida (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4)

Tom Savage leads the Scarlet Knights into Florida to face off against the Knights of Central Florida, who are playing virtually a home game at Tropicana Field.  The freshman quarterback has shown his merit this season by tossing 12 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions.  Both offenses match up well with each other so a close game is expected to take place. Though the crowd will predominately be for Central Florida, Greg Schiano will have his team prepared as this will be the perfect venue for him to “showcase his talented athletes.”

Pick: Rutgers

R + L Carriers New Orleans

Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee State (9-3)

Don’t be fooled by Southern Miss’ record.  A tough out-of-conference schedule, with road trips to Kansas, Louisville, and Houston, have contributed to their five losses.  Southern Miss brings a one-two punch in Damion Fletcher and Martevious Young. Both teams feature two impressive defenses as this game will be a tough, close game.

Pick: Southern Miss

MAACO Las Vegas

Oregon State (8-4) vs. BYU (10-2)

One of the more interesting early bowl games, features two impressive quarterbacks in Max Hall and Sean Canfield.  With the lack of defenses both teams have exhibited throughout the season, this should be set up for quite the barn-burner. Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State should have a big day as he will rush over 100 yards.  Though the Las Vegas bowl can be considered BYU’s home-away-from-home, Oregon State will be out with something to prove as they just missed out playing in Pasadena.

Pick: Oregon State

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia

Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)

Not the season finale Cal had in mind at the beginning of the season.  However, with the return of Jahvid Best, Cal’s offense will get a much needed boost.  Back again in the bowls is Utah, after having an incredible season last year, concluding with the win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  The Utes will look to continue the success and go for their ninth straight bowl win. Terrance Cain and David Reed for Utah will connect often, as the Utes get bowl win number 9.

Pick: Utah

Sheraton Hawaii

Nevada (8-4) vs. Southern Methodist (7-5)

Welcome back June Jones. The former Hawaii coach will be making his first return back to the state after leaving in early 2008.  However, this reunion will be not be so welcoming, as the Mustangs must square off against the 2nd ranked offense in the country in total yards. Featuring three 1,000-yard rushers, Vai Taua, Colin Kaepernick, and Luke Lippincott, Nevada will roll over SMU as the Wolf Pack offense puts up huge numbers.

Pick: Nevada

Little Caesars

Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)

Marshall comes into this game losing 3 of its last 4 remaining games this season and also with a new coach, as Mark Snyder stepped down with the conclusion of the regular season.  Ohio, on the other hand, is riding a hot streak, winning its last 4 of 5 games.  The distraction of having a new head coach won’t be a problem for Ohio, as they win this game, like they have been most of the year, through the air.

Pick: Ohio

Meineke Car Care

Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. North Carolina (8-4)

A botched extra point attempt cost Pittsburgh a shot at playing Florida in the Sugar Bowl.  A heart-breaking loss now has Pitt slated against a terribly inconsistent Tarheel team.  With wins against Virginia Tech and Miami, UNC has the capabilities and the team to win against good teams.  However, Dion Lewis and Bill Stull pose a serious threat to the UNC defense, as they both have excelled this Panther offense.  I think the disappointment will still be lingering over the heads of the Panthers after missing out playing in the Sugar Bowl.  Butch Davis will have his team prepared and get a win in this mild upset.

Pick: North Carolina

Emerald

Boston College (8-4) vs. USC (8-4)

Not the bowl you would have thought USC would playing in at the beginning of the season?  Inconsistent play on both sides of the ball is one reason USC is 8-4 and playing against BC.  Though Matt Barkley has a bright and promising future ahead of him, he has not lived up to the preseason hype.  Coach Frank Spaziani has far exceeded expectations for Boston College, as his team was predicted to finish last in the Atlantic Division in the ACC.  BC has been known for their stingy defense this season but will have their hands full with the Trojan offense.  Look for Barkley to air the ball out more than usual as USC will make more plays down the road than BC.

Pick: USC

Gaylord Hotels Music City

Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-5)

It is a shame that C.J. Spiller will not be spending the weekend in New York City.  As the very last game of his collegiate career, Spiller wants nothing more than to go out a winner.  To achieve this, Clemson will  have to take care of business against Kentucky.  Randall Cobb, only a sophomore, of Kentucky poses a problem for the defense of Clemson and we will see how they respond to him.  Though not one of the more interesting match ups, look for Spiller to have another good day.

Pick: Clemson

AdvoCare V100 Independence

Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)

If you still don’t know who Jerrod Johnson is, maybe you should refresh your memory by watching the Texas/Texas A&M game again.  There is no doubt that Georgia is well aware of him.  Leading the 5th ranked offense in the nation in total yards per game, Jerrod Johnson will be up against a Georgia defense that has been anything but good, and the Aggies’ defense isn’t much better.  I expect this to be high scoring game with Jerrod Johnson and Joe Cox putting up big numbers.  Also, look for the resurgent Georgia ground game, with the combination of Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, to also have a good day.

Pick: Georgia

Eaglebank

Army (5-6)/UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)

Temple? 9-3? As crazy as that sounds, it has become reality.  Al Golden has done an incredible job this year with the Temple Owls.  We are still waiting the results of the Army/Navy game to determine if Army or UCLA gets the invitation.  Pending an upset on the part of Army, UCLA, more than likely, will end up getting the bid and facing Temple.  If this scenario were to unfold, though Temple has had a great season, Rick Neuheisel and company will be ready to go and get the job done.

Pick: UCLA

Champs Sports

Miami (FL) (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)

The key to this game will come down to who commits the least amount of turnovers.  Jacory Harris leads the nation in interceptions, however, Wisconsin isn’t known for their smothering secondary.  The Hurricanes are going to need to key on the explosive John Clay of Wisconsin, who just took home the Big 10 Offensive Player of Year award.  If they can limit John Clay’s yardage and productivity and force the game upon Scott Tolzien’s shoulders, Miami has a great shot of winning this game.  This will be a great match up between the “power” of the Big 10 against the “speed” of the ACC.  In the end, Miami’s speed will win this game.

Pick: Miami

Roady’s Humanitarian

Bowling Green (7-5) vs. Idaho (7-5)

What a Cinderella story Idaho’s season has been.  Robb Akey has turned this team around from a dismal 2-win season last year.  Continuing their success with a bowl win won’t be easy as they have to face Tyler Sheehan and Freddie Barnes of Bowling Green.  This game should turn out to be a high scoring affair.  Though Bowling Green and Idaho are not marquee programs, this should turn out to be an enjoyable game to watch as the scoring should come soon and often from both sides.  I like Idaho’s Cinderella story to continue and get their second-ever bowl win.

Pick: Idaho

Pacific Life Holiday

Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)

What a tale of two stories…well in regards to the conclusion of the regular season.  Arizona is still on Cloud 9 after finally defeating USC.  On the opposite side, Nebraska was literally one second away from pulling off the upset of the season and throwing BCS officials in chaos.  Now, it’s time to stop cheering and crying and get ready to play one more.  Mike Stoops, every year, seems to be constantly improving his Wildcats.  It will be interesting to see how sophomore Nick Foles handles Heisman candidate Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the Nebraska pass rush.  For Nebraska, its offense has been terrible all season and almost looked nonexistent against Texas.  I know, Arizona isn’t Texas.  The Nebraska defense will be fired up and will completely dominate the Arizona offensive line.  Look for Nebraska to rely on their running game.

Pick: Nebraska

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces

Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)

Don’t expect Houston to run away with this one.  Case Keenum has put up ridiculous numbers this year and it will interesting to see how he does against the nation’s leading pass defense in Air Force.  Air Force hasn’t received much attention this year, but remember they almost beat TCU.  Of course the key word there being “almost.”  A rematch of last year’s exciting game, I predict the same from this year’s version.  Look for Houston to continue their postseason success.

Pick: Houston

Brut Sun

Oklahoma (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)

If only Sam Bradford could foresee this season’s happenings, last year.  A knee injury, a shoulder injury, and five losses later, the preseason top 5 team couldn’t have envisioned a worse set of events.  However, what is done, is done.  Stanford comes knocking with Heisman candidate Toby Gerhart leading the way for a potent offense.  Stanford might be without Andrew Luck, after getting surgey to repair an injured thumb, which could make things interesting.  Regardless, I think the postseason blues continue for Bob Stoops and the Sooners.

Pick: Stanford

Texas

Navy (8-4) vs. Missouri (8-4)

Navy comes into this game ranking dead last, well almost, in average passing yards per game.  I guess you don’t really need to pass when you rank 3rd in the nation in average rushing yards per game.  However, this, combined with a tough front seven for Missouri, could give Navy some problems.  An explosive Missouri offense, though still young, will keep the Navy defense on their heels.

Pick: Missouri

Insight

Minnesota (6-6) vs. Iowa State (6-6)

It still amazes me how Nebraska ever lost to Iowa State this season.   I guess that is what committing 8 turnovers will get you.  Without star wideout, Eric Decker, Minnesota has definitely felt the effects of the lack of a down field threat.  Minnesota will need to rely on its defense in this one, as the Golden Gopher offense has not been real productive.  Iowa State, more than likely, will come out and try to establish the run early as its passing attack has been dismal.  Don’t expect many fireworks from this game.  Anticipate a low scoring affair with Minnesota’s defense being the difference maker.

Pick: Minnesota

Chick-fil-a

Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. Tennessee (7-5)

The city of Atlanta has not been kind to the Hokies, as they are 1-3 in the last two years.  Lane Kiffin hopes to capitalize on Virginia Tech’s misfortunes in Atlanta, particularly in the Georgia Dome.  ACC Rookie of the Year, Ryan Williams, leads the Hokie offense against a tough Volunteer defense anchored by All-American Eric Berry.  The key for the Volunteers will be in their front seven.  Stopping the run, which Tennessee has excelled at this year, will put the game on Tyrod Taylor’s shoulders and the Hokies’ passing attack.  Though a much improved offense from last year, the Hokies must establish the running game if they are to going to win this game.  Also, the Hokies’ defense hasn’t been what is used to be in previous years and has been susceptible to big plays.  Jonathan Crompton and Montario Hardesty are just the kind of guys to make those plays happen.  One of the most exciting games thus far in the schedule, defense will be they key, and that favors Tennessee.

Pick: Tennessee

Outback

Northwestern (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5)

Gene Chizik’s first year at Auburn is about what we all expected; not great but not terrible either.  In comes a hot Northwestern team hungry for some postseason glory.  Auburn didn’t finish the season like most fans would wanted them to, losing its last 5 of 7.  I think Chris Todd and Ben Tate will give more then what the Northwestern defense can handle.  Look for the Auburn pass rush to continuously bring the heat and keep Northwestern’s Mike Kafka under pressure.

Pick: Auburn

Capital One

Penn State (10-2) vs. LSU (9-3)

This heavyweight bout will definitely be an intriguing one to watch.  It features two teams that were determined to receive a BCS bid but both came up a little short. The quarterback play favors Penn State as a seasoned Daryll Clark leads the Nittany Lions’ offense.  Jordan Jefferson has shown us glimpses of his potential but the inexperience has also been displayed on a number of occasions.  The key for him is ball security and making intelligent decisions with his passes.  I believe Jefferson and the LSU offense will also get the ball more times the Penn State offense, thanks in part to the very fast LSU defense.  Les Miles and Tigers get the W.

Pick: LSU

Konica Minolta Gator

West Virginia (9-3) vs. Florida State (6-6)

Should Florida State be playing in the Gator Bowl?  Well, that is up for debate.  Unfortunately, for Florida State and college football nation, the circumstances that have transpired over the course of the season is not the way a legendary coach should go out. As history would have it, Bobby Bowden and his Seminoles will be playing against the same team when he won his first bowl game.  There is no doubt that the Seminoles will be playing inspired football and that is bad news for West Virginia.  Noel Devine is a shifty, quick running back that the Florida State defense needs to contain if they are to win this game.  Though the FSU’s defense has been shredded this year, I think the team will rally around their coach and give him the proper exit he deserves.

Pick: Florida State

Rose

Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2)

Wait…what? No, USC?  Hard to believe, I know.  But, another team, other than USC, is playing in the Rose Bowl Game.  Oregon, which has an offense as predictable as their uniforms, will give everything the Ohio State defense can muster.  Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James lead the high-powered rushing attack for the Ducks, which should be an interesting match up against the 5th ranked rushing defense in the nation.  But this offense is a whole different animal then what the Ohio State defense has seen all season.  The key for Ohio State is time of possession.  Ohio State needs to have long, time consuming drives to keep the dynamic Duck offense on the bench.  If the Buckeyes can sustain long drives, eliminate the plaguing problem of going 3 and out on numerous occasions, and score touchdowns and not field goals, then they will a shot.  History is also on the Ducks’ side, as Ohio State has a notorious reputation of collapsing in BCS games.  Could the Buckeyes be finally due for a BCS bowl win?  Yeah, I don’t think so either.

Pick: Oregon

Allstate Sugar

Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0)

Can it really be Tim Tebow’s last game?  Relax, I am not showing any jubilation or sadness.  But you cannot argue that when he does leave Florida, he will, more than likely, be remembered as one of the greatest college football players ever…I don’t care who you are.  A classic proverbial match up between David and Goliath.  Good thing I am not Brian Kelly.  There are not a whole lot of weaknesses that Florida exhibits.  Cincinnati will need to find a way to establish the run, even though that is not their strong suit.  Tony Pike cannot through 45-50 times during this game.  The Bearcats will also need to have long, successful drives to keep the powerful Gator offense on the sidelines.  The Cincinnati defense needs to try and keep the Gators out of the endzone; limit them to just field goals.  Florida is going to score, but limiting the opportunities to do so is imperative.  But, when the clock ticks down to :00, the Gators will be celebrating another BCS win and also closing the chapter on an era.

Pick: Florida

International

South Florida (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5)

Another inconsistent team in South Florida, you just never know what to expect from this Bulls.  Much like their 2007 season, a great start by the Bulls evaporated and then mediocracy set in.  South Florida’s rushing attack is lead by freshman B.J. Daniels, who will be a stud one day.  Northern Illinois has a potent rushing attack of their own that ranks in the top 20 in the nation.  Running back Chad Spann of the Huskies, might have some difficulty with the quick and talented front seven of South Florida.  A game that is not very appealing, I think the Bulls, thanks in part to their running game, come out victorious.

Pick: South Florida

Papajohns.com

South Carolina (7-5) vs. Connecticut (7-5)

Who couldn’t root for the Connecticut Huskies this year, especially after the tragic death of Jasper Howard?  UConn has been on a hot streak recently and is looking to carry that momentum into this match up with the Gamecocks.  South Carolina has had some problems as of late, but got a much needed win over their in-state rival, Clemson.  The Huskies will want to win this game for their fallen teammate, however, the South Carolina defense won’t be so willing to accommodate.  The Connecticut players will be playing inspired football but they will come up a little short as the Gamecock defense is the difference in this game.

Pick: South Carolina

AT&T Cotton

Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Ole Miss (8-4)

It seems that Ole Miss has fallen victim to the Sooner-syndrome.  No, not because of devasting injuries but because of terribly high expectations that were never met.  The Rebels sat atop the preseason poll ranked #8 in the country.  After climbing as high as #4, losses started mounting up and the realization that Ole Miss wasn’t going to challenge for the SEC West started to be evident.  A similar story can be told about Oklahoma State, especially after their opening win against Georgia.  Now, these two teams square off against each other in what should be an entertaining game.  The Rebels have one of the most dynamic and versatile players in the SEC in Dexter McCluster and also boast Jevan Snead, who can be said that he, just like his team, has underachieved this season given his expectations.  Nonetheless, these two will give the Cowboys’ defense some trouble, especially in containing McCluster.  Zac Robinson, like most of the season, will be without Dez Bryant, who was the Cowboys’ deep threat target but that hasn’t stopped Robinson or the rest of the Cowboys from racking up 9 wins.  This could possibly be one of the most difficult games to predict the winner as both teams seems to match up with each other well.  I am counting on McCluster’s play making abilities and Rebels defense to get the job done.

Pick: Ole Miss

Autozone Liberty

Arkansas (7-5) vs. East Carolina (9-4)

Skip Holtz’s team finished the season with their signature win of the year after having upset Houston.  However, with Houston being the exception, every decent team ECU faced, the outcome was the same: loss.  The Purple Pirates now face an offensively gifted team in Arkansas, led by Ryan Mallett.  ECU defeated Houston but Case Keenum still tossed for 527 passing yards.  I predict Ryan Mallett will have a similar day.  He won’t throw for 500 yards but he will have a great day through the air.  ECU’s defensive unit will keep the team in the game but look for Arkansas to pull away late, thanks in part to the Razorback’s offense.

Pick: Arkansas

Valero Alamo

Michigan State (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (8-4)

This is one game that should on the top of most people’s confidence sheets.  Texas Tech has the second best passing attack in the nation.  What else would we expect from Texas Tech?  Taylor Potts had enormous shoes to fill with the departure of Graham Harrell last year and for the most part, has done a great job.  Potts now goes up against a Michigan State team that has been inconsistent all season, particularly on the defensive side of the  ball.  The Spartan secondary ranks 96th in the country in pass efficiency defense.  Look for Taylor Potts to have a huge day as Texas Tech wins.

Pick: Texas Tech

Fiesta

Boise State (13-0) vs. TCU (12-0)

I am not going to dwell too much on the controversy of this bowl as my previous post reflected my opinion of what I think of this bowl (Fiesta Bowl Bust).  From a purely competitive standpoint, I think this will be a great game: great offense vs. great defense.  Furthermore, don’t discredit TCU’s offense, which ranks 4th in the country in total yards per game and 5th in points scored per game.  The Horned Frogs’ stingy defense is anchored by Jerry Hughes, who just collected the Ted Hendricks award, which recognizes the country’s best defensive end.  The front seven of TCU will definitely challenge the offensive line of Boise State and pressure Bronco quarterback Kellen Moore.  Kellen Moore has looked great all season, tossing 39 touchdowns on the season with only 3 interceptions.  TCU’s secondary will be constantly challenged from Moore and his receivers.  A rematch from last year’s Poinsettia Bowl, which TCU edged out Boise State 17-16, this version should be one heck of a game, as the stage is larger and the stakes higher.  I think there is not a whole lot these defenses can do to completely each other’s offenses.  However, TCU’s defense I believe is the real deal.  TCU wins this game in a close one.

Pick: TCU

FedEx Orange

Iowa (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2)

How do you stop Paul Johnson and his Yellow Jackets’ triple-option attack?  It’s not easy, but Iowa has the defensive unit to do it.  They don’t win gracefully and put up 40 points but they do find ways to win.  I guess it was inevitable that Iowa wasn’t going to stay undefeated forever because every week it came down to the fourth quarter against a team that the Hawkeyes should have beat by double-digits.  I feel sorry for all of you gamblers out there that constantly kept picking Iowa to cover the spread.  Now, comes arguably the greatest challenge the Hawkeyes have faced all season.  Paul Johnson might be the most creative and strategically offensive mind in the country.  He doesn’t have a game plan because his game plan changes after every play unfolds.  Kirk Ferentz and his defense will have their hands full.  If they can manage to slow down Georgia Tech’s triple-option and keep them out of the endzone, which is like asking you to walk on water, then Iowa might have a chance.  The Hawkeyes will be happy to welcome Ricky Stanzi back from injury and this will give the Iowa offense a much needed boost since his departure.  It is hard to pick against Paul Johnson and it is amazing that in only his second year as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach, he will have one his first Orange Bowl.

Pick: Georgia Tech

GMAC Bowl

Central Michigan (11-2) vs. Troy (9-3)

For those who don’t know, Notre Dame was originally slated to play against Central Michigan.  Instead, Notre Dame officials withdrew their name and Troy is now the lucky school that must face Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour.  And who could blame Notre Dame?  Dan LeFevour is probably the most successful player in Central Michigan football history, accumulating three MAC Championships in the four years he has been quarterback.  Now, his successful career is coming to a close with only one game left.  The Chippewas are out to avenge two consecutive bowls losses and LeFevour would like nothing more than to go out on top.  What is predicted to be a high scoring battle, both Central Michigan and Troy will put up huge numbers offensively.  The leadership and inspiration to finish a winner will drive Dan LeFevour and the rest of the Chippewas to a victory.

Pick: Central Michigan

Citi BCS National Championship Game

Texas (13-0) vs. Alabama (13-0)

The most anticipated game of the postseason, the Longhorns square off against the Crimson Tide.  This game not only features two Heisman candidates but also two of the best defenses in the country.  The game is still a little less than month away and I am hearing it already from other blogs and analysts, “how Texas doesn’t have a chance,” in this game.  I know it is easy to  look back a few weeks and see how Texas struggled both offensively and defensively, especially when Texas A&M embarrassed the Longhorn defense.  Another example can be shown from just as recent as last week’s Big 12 Championship game, where Nebraska almost cost Texas its shot at the national title and its undefeated season.  But don’t forget, Texas did finish undefeated in the Big 12.  Call it what you want, but the Longhorns have earned their spot in this game.  Alabama comes into this game with all the momentum in the world after trouncing Florida in the SEC Championship game and it looks like the Crimson Tide might just roll over Texas and give the SEC its fourth consecutive national championship.  However, Texas is in a great position to be in.  With so many doubters and disbelievers, Texas might just shock the Crimson Tide.  Momentum won’t carry much weight a month from now and teams are coached to have a short memory.  I expect this game to be closer than what most experts are calling.  However, in the end, Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide win the national title over Colt McCoy and the Longhorns and give the SEC four straight.

Pick: Alabama

I really wanted Nebraska to win against Texas last Saturday.

Why?

I am no Nebraska fan, and certainly not a Texas hater.  But, if the Huskers had won, it would have exploited the problems of the BCS.  If Nebraska had won, the BCS would be thrown into complete disarray.  Who, besides Alabama, would have gotten the National Title nod? Cincinatti, TCU, Boise State?  How would the other BCS bowls shake out?  The system would be a complete mess.

I am a big supporter of a playoff system.  It works for every other sport.  Why not for college football?  The NFL playoffs are fantastic, and so is March Madness.  Yet the BCS continues to be the status quo for college football.  It centers around profits for the game, most say, but you can certainly make plenty of money with an exciting playoff system.

It makes too much sense not to change the BCS.  It gives a multitude of teams a chance at the Title, not just two.  It easily would clear up arguments about who the best team in the country is.

The FCS has figured it out, and it is a great tournament for the smaller teams.  Why doesn’t the bigger division follow suit?

The BCS system is broken beyond repair, and it’s time to implement a different system.  The playoff is the clear way to go.

Posted by Ben

Jack Frost nipping at your nose? Wrong. Mad Adam gnawing on your face.

THE HEISMAN TROPHY IS A JOKE

This Saturday a throng of media, past football greats and other luminaries will gather at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square (wasn’t it cooler when it was at the Downtown Athletic Club) in order to give one lucky collegiate athlete the coveted Heisman Trophy.  You know, that 25 pound cast bronze statute that is supposed to be given to the “outstanding player in college football.”  Will that in fact happen?  Hell no.

You ask, why so skeptical of the process Mad Adam?  And I reply, because over the years this award has become a de facto “MVP” that is given to the best skill player (usually a QB or RB) on the best team in America.

Alternatively, the Heisman is handed out as a “lifetime achievement” award, never mind that the “lifetime” consists of four years of playing college football. Just ask Ron Dayne.  The Great Dayne did not win the Heisman in 2001 because he was the best in college football.  He won it because voters felt compelled to honor the man who had eclipsed the doobie smoking and socially awkward Ricky Williams as the Division I-A career rushing leader with 6,397 yards.

Still don’t believe me?  Check this out.  Here is the last 10 years of winners and their team’s respective records and overall success:

2008 – Sam Bradford, OU.  OU finished 12-2, with the mop-headed Bradford losing to the “anointed one” in the BCS National Championship game.  Amazingly Tebow won the game while also performing circumcisions for third world orphans at half-time.  What a guy….

2007 – Tim Tebow, Florida.  God’s chosen one played on a 9-4 Gators team, which was not spectacular.  However, the Gators were one year removed from a national championship and the voters clearly wanted to vote for Tebow in order to avoid the wrath of God for denying the prophet from Gainesville a chance at Heisman glory.

2006 – Troy Smith, Ohio State.  Ohio State finished 12-1 and got their asses handed to them in the BCS National Championship game after Heisman voters had already given Troy the ultimate NCAA football honor.

2005 – Reggie Bush, USC. When he wasn’t busying enjoying the (illegal) comforts afforded to him and his family by USC, Reggie played on a 12-1 team that lost to Texas in the BCS National Championship game to a Texas team led by one Vince Young.

2004 – Matt Leinart, USC.  The undefeated Trojans won the BCS National Championship with the man who never passed up an embarrassing party pic at the helm.

2003 – Jason White, OU.  The kid from Tuttle a played on a 12-2 team that lost to LSU in the BCS National Championship game.

2002 – Carson Palmer, USC.  Palmer’s team went 11-2, won the Orange Bowl and finished No. 4 in the AP’s final poll.

2001 – Eric Crouch, Nebraska.  Crouch and the Huskers posted 11 wins and 2 losses, with the last loss coming to Miami in the National Championship game.

2000 – Chris Weinke, Florida State.  Weinke popped a few Geritol and cast aside his walker long enough to advance his 11-2 Seminoles to the BCS National Championship where he was thumped by the OU Sooners.

1999 – Ron Dayne, Wisconsin.  The 10-2 Badgers finished No. 4 in the polls and beat Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

1998 – Ricky Williams, Texas.  In Mack Brown’s first year Darth Williams and the Shorthorns went 9-3 and featured in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Not a bad list of winners, right?  Maybe.  But what about the following list of those who were left behind?  Vince Young, Adrian Peterson, Aaron Rodgers, Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers, Darren McFadden, Joey Harrington (just kidding), Josh Heupel, LaDainian Tomlinson, Michel Vick, Drew Brees and Donovan McNabb.

All of these guys had as good of a case, if not better, for winning the Heisman. But most of them were judged to either be playing for a team that was not good enough (Rodgers, Fitzgerald, Rivers, McFadden, Tomlinson, Vick, Brees and McNabb), or for a team that was outshone by some other team that particular year (Young and Heupel who both went on to beat their tormentors, USC and Florida State respectively) or was too young (Peterson).

With that history in mind, let’s look at this year.  In no particular order, here are your candidates, Colt McCoy, Mark Ingram, Tim Tebow, Toby Gerhart and Ndamukong Suh.

Let’s rule out a couple right of the bat.  Suh and Gerhart have no chance.  First, Heisman frowns on defensive players getting the award.  Sure, Charles Woodson won, but he also returned kicks and that was over a decade ago.  Second, Suh and Gerhart play on teams that are good, but not nearly good enough.  Stanford will spend New Year’s Eve in balmy El Paso Texas at the Sun Bowl, and Nebraska is in the respectable, but again not great, Holiday Bowl.

So throw out those two.  Too bad seeing as how Gerhart has about 200 more yards rushing and 8 more TD’s than Ingram.  But, Ingram plays for BCS Championship bound Alabama.  So….no dice.

And Suh?  He is the most dominant defensive tackle in about a quarter of a century.  82 tackles, 12 sacks and an INT all while being quintuple-teamed.  He is an ABSOLUTE BEAST.  By far the best player in college football.  And yet, if he had not made Colt McCoy his personal bitch for the night of the Big 12 Championship game, his year of dominance probably does not even earn him an invite to the ceremony.  Ridiculous.

That leaves Tebow, McCoy and Ingram.  Teabag, I mean Tebow (sorry Lord, I slip sometimes), has been good but not great.  Guess that happens when you lose a guy like Percy Harvin.  I suppose he still has a chance for another Heisman only because the media is still enjoying deep-throating this guy as often as possible. Personally, I prefer to remember him this way.

“Opie” McCoy is next up.  Like Teabag (there I go again) his numbers are down from last year.  More INT’s, less rushing and overall less panache.  And how about the big games?  Against OU he chucked an interception in the final minutes that nearly cost the Shorthorns their season.  His best play in that game?  Tackling the sprinting defender before he crushed Opie’s dreams at the Cotton Bowl.

Just an aberration you say?  What about the Big 12 Championship game when McCoy sauntered up to the line with less than 10 seconds to go, took the snap and threw a lazy air ball down the sidelines as the clock struck zero?  If not for instant replay and Mack Brown’s incessant whining (diarrhea of the mouth), TCU would be playing Bama for the championship.

So why is Opie even still in the running.  Easy.  He has more wins as a starting QB than any other.  Lifetime achievement award anyone?  Gimme a break.

Finally, we have Ingram. Solid player on a solid team.  Not the leading rusher in the NCAA.  Not the most explosive either.  But, he will be your winner.  Why?  He is the best player on the best team.  In other words, he is your MVP.

So, enjoy the awards ceremony on Saturday.  Tell me how it turns out, because I won’t be watching.  I already know that Ingram the MVP or Opie the Lifetime Achievement Winner will be accepting the trophy.  Meanwhile, my boy Ndamukong will go away empty handed.

Don’t like my opinions?  Suh me.  Later chumps.

Late Term Abortionist LeRoy Carhart cries and lies on BBC’s Radio 4 show. He admits he kills a baby, but heck – WHO CARES !

” Went with Dr. Tiller specifically to be trained to do late term abortions”

Calls disables children ” Severely flawed”

” Even the most deformed fetus, the mother is offered the chance to hold their babies…and they still see the beautiful parts of that baby !”

WHAT- A BABY!

What is society coming to- Carhart admit it is a baby and kill it and pro-lifers are the bad guys !

Carhart compares the “killing of a child” to the removal of a limb through amputation.

He claims that no more than a few hundred a year are killed in the late term.

LIAR.

In 1997, Pro-choice spokesperson, Ron Fitzsimmons of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers (NCAP) Told Nightline this about the number of late term abortions being done, “The majority of these procedures are performed in the late second trimester on healthy women and healthy fetuses. That’s — the law allows that. Women come in at that point unfortunately, for whatever reason, seeking abortion services. We estimate that approximately 3,000 to 5,000 are performed in the United States on an annual basis.” ( NCAP is an organization of abortionists).

The Bergen (NJ) Record interviewed an abortion clinic employee in 1996 who admitted that “Most (late-term abortions) are for elective, not medical, reasons: people who didn’t realize, or didn’t care, how far along they were.” (This person was employed by a New Jersey clinic that performs at least 1,500 partial-birth).

In 1990, The LA Times asked, Anne Walshe who is an abortion clinic administrator in Manhattan, her view on late term abortions and she replied, “What’s the difference? Abortion is abortion. The nice folks who are debating this, who want to draw the line and put a limit on gestational age, will just be putting a restriction on poor women. Women who want abortions get them…These women know they are pregnant, but not until the 16th or 17th week, when the fetus is kicking and bothering them, do they say, ‘Oh, I have to deal with this,’ ” she says. “It’s not that these women are bad, or they’re wrong. They’re just poor. They don’t lead organized, routine lives.” Walsh’s clinic does as many as 16,000 abortions a year. At least half are performed during the second trimester.

And to respond to the lie that few abortionists do late term abortions, listen to late-term abortionist, Warren Hern’s response to the New York Times in 2000: (Responding to the competitive business of late term abortion). “The startling thing to me was that a very large room was filled — packed. Twenty years ago, there were just two or three doctors in the country doing late abortions.“

Here are the ads that the abortion industry advertises their “Late Term” Killings under. Click Here , after all MONEY TALKS, huh? click here

Again- I repeat: Abortionist Carhart is a LIAR!

Carhart never mentions that he had several horses removed from his property in 1992 for alleged abuse and neglect

The Bellevue Leader (7-25-92 ) reported that 4 of his 11 horses, and two dogs, were confiscated by the humane society due to neglect. An officer of the humane society said she had not obtained a warrant because the animals were in danger of death. She also said that the horses were in danger of starvation even though several large bales of inferior-quality hay were outside a fence, just beyond the reach of the horses. Some of the older horses had bite marks on their backs indicating that younger horses had driven them away from what food was available, and that the most skeletal of the horses, a 20 to 30-year-old female, had to be coaxed from a barn that was a foot deep in mud and excrement. The humane society spokesperson also said that Carhart “wasn’t too happy” that she had taken the horses, and that he threatened to file charges against her.

I guess that Carhat cares for animals as much as babies and women. Read more on Carhart here

And
Here

July 2009 Interview link: Outlook_01_07_2009

Omaha.com – The Omaha World-Herald: Money – Small stores aim to serve

Russ Kathol, center, owns Main Street Jewelers/Diamond Floral in Plattsmouth with his wife, Kim. The store will host an open house and extend some hours during the holidays. Here, from left, Dan and Marsha Kathol are helped by employee Aimee Petereit. At right is employee Betty Sand.

More Photos (3)

ALYSSA SCHUKAR/THE WORLD-HERALD
Published Friday December 4, 2009

From hosting pajama parties to providing personal shoppers, Nebraska’s small-town retailers are pulling out all the stops to attract their share of Christmas dollars.

Jan Malousek, owner of Our Corner Cottage Gifts in Wahoo, said the holiday shopping season “is what retailers live for” and usually makes the difference in whether a business is profitable.

“At our store, we kick off the season with a pajama party about a week before Thanksgiving,” Malousek said. “It adds a bit of fun that people have started looking forward to.”

The pajama party starts at 7 p.m. when customers arrive in their nightclothes. For the next three hours, they taste delicacies prepared from the shop’s gourmet food pantry, play games and search for gift certificates.

Malousek also offers complimentary gift wrapping, shopping by appointment and free deliveries. She said business has been brisk.

“We have our ups and downs, but overall sales have been real solid,” she said.

Every holiday season, small retailers face the challenge of luring customers who might otherwise go to a chain discount store or shopping mall. This year, like all retailers, they’re operating in an environment where shoppers are projected to spend less than they did last Christmas season.

Most independent store owners cannot compete in a price war with the big chains, said Jim Otto, president of the Nebraska Retail Federation. Like the Wahoo gift store, they “create a niche” to attract customers.

“Independent store owners have to figure out what they do better than (what) the big chains can’t or won’t do,” Otto said. “That usually comes down to service.”

An October survey by Gallup found that Americans plan to spend an average of $740 on Christmas gifts this year. That’s down from the $801 of a year ago.

Kim and Russ Kathol of Main Street Jewelers/Diamond Floral in Plattsmouth said adding new wrinkles keeps their 13-year-old business fresh.

“We actually spread our wings by packing up and holding a three-day jewelry sale in Hartington, Neb.,” Kim Kathol said. “We took our store to people who do not have a jewelry store and it was a big success.”

The Kathols will also participate in Plattsmouth’s Hometown Holidays celebration today and hold their own Christmas open house next Thursday. The store will also be open on the two Sundays prior to Christmas.

“This close to Omaha, it’s easy for (Plattsmouth) residents to hit the highway, so we try to be unique in every aspect — from finding great items on our buying trips to opening the store after hours,” Kim Kathol said. “Last year, the very last week before Christmas made our (profit) numbers.”

In Nebraska City, Fort Western Outpost saw a 16 percent increase in Black Friday sales.

General Manager Steve Wohlfarth, son of the store’s founders, said December is the store’s busiest month and he expects another big day during Nebraska City’s Tannenbaum Festival on Saturday.

“The Fort” and a sister store in Lincoln offer a variety of items, including Western wear, saddles and tack, home décor, collectibles, toys and work clothes.

Wohlfarth hangs his cowboy hat on bending to most any wish of the customer. It’s not uncommon, he said, for a busy construction worker to call ahead and ask to have several pairs of work boots lined up on the front counter for a quick pick.

“Personal service is something that separates Fort Western from the big box stores like Walmart and Tractor Supply,” Wohlfarth said. “Our (staff members) are experts. The fellow who sells saddles for us has been riding horses for 30 years.”

Wohlfarth also is proud of the strides his two stores are making in Internet sales. The Web now brings small-town businesses right into big-city living rooms.

“We not only deliver across town, but all across the country and throughout the world,” Wohlfarth said.

Mike Lindley of Lindley’s Clothing in Wahoo works in a family business that opened in 1935.

“Small communities are always going to have to battle to keep customers from going to the next bigger community,” Lindley said. “So we do whatever it takes — stay open late, open the store at odd hours — to make customers happy.”

Contact the writer:

444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com

Favorite Quote

The Church involves a tension between the human and the divine. It does so because it stems from the Incarnation, which is the primary tension involving the fully divine in the person of Jesus
Rev. William P. Clark, O.M.I.  

Don’t Fight With a Duck! 

When I returned home from a week’s stay in my place in Florida, I wanted to tell friends my torn-up left hand was from a fight with an alligator.  But the embarrassing truth is that I had a losing round with a duck. (“A what!?” is the response I get when I tell of this event.)

 The last day of my visit, I went over to meet a new neighbor who had recently moved in next door. As I was walking on the lawn, I was shocked to realize something had grabbed hold of the back of my left leg and wouldn’t let go. I turned around and found that a large Muscovy* duck had attacked me.

 As I tried to kick it off, I slowly fell on the ground. At age 72 (At 80 I started counting backward and will be 71 next year), my balance ain’t what it used to be. The man-eating duck keep biting me, and when I got up, I grabbed it by the neck and it became limp.  I started taking the critter down to dump in the lake when it suddenly became a violent flapping volcano. In a flash, it reached up with its webbed foot and took off the top of my left hand. I released it and the damned duck waddled off, claiming victory.

  Mary, the new neighbor, heard the commotion and came to my rescue. Inside her house, she used her entire supply of band aides to stop the bleeding.  She is a 6’2” blonde with a heart in proportion to her size.  After her first aid treatment, she came back with me to meet my wife and began our new lifetime friendship.

  That night before getting to sleep, as a joyful Catholic, I used my “thank You!” mantra to recount this event and its aftermath. First was receiving the treasure of our new friend Mary. If the duck had attacked my wife instead of me, we would be looking forward to a Christmas meal of roasted duck instead of turkey.  At the medical clinic I met many splendid young and dedicated people, especially the efficient doctor, who looked like he had just finished high school.  While he was stitching up my hand and I was lying, saying it didn’t hurt, I thought of what real pain must be like. I remembered that, as I was doing, Christ had stretched out His hand, but He did this to get a spike pounded through His wrist.  And He did this for you and me — Wow! Thank You, Christ.

 Another benefit is that it has made an amusing story for the wonderful people I visit in the nursing homes I visit. All-in-all, I’m glad it happened because it woke me up to the wonders and benefit of being a joyful Catholic. Amen!

*Muscovites are a South American duck species which reach over 20 pounds and can take two people to restrain. Their feet have strong sharp claws. (You betta believe it!)

 Admired saying

 The Christian faith is this: encounter with Christ, the living Person who gives life a new horizon and thereby a definitive direction.

                                Jeff Ziegler, in The Catholic World Report

News flashes

– (Church in crisis) Detroit archdiocese is losing $42,000 a day and laying off 1/3 of staff.  The Catholic World Report

–(for Catholics who have nothing better to do) Michelle Obama is criticized for having worn a black veil when she met Pope Benedict XVI. U.S.Catholic, Org. 

– Be aware of the dissenters, calling themselves “the American Catholic Council” who are trying “to create a new Church”. The Catholic World Report

 Haiku time

(Submitted by Susan Keller in Omaha, Nebraska) 

Rejoice!

When God became Man

This renewed all creation.

Yes, God became man! 

(send me yours: joyfulcatholic@comcast.net 

Recommended reading

-         “More ‘Access’ Means Less Care” in November issue of

The Catholic World Report  www.catholicworldreport.org  

-         http://www.zenit.com/  (daily news from the Vatican)         

Quiz

The first winner of a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics, who clocked in at 3:32 PM on November 26, is Jim Beckingham in Tucson, AZ.

 1.     What were the names of the two future disciples whom Jesus found casting their nets into the sea, and he told them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”?

Simon and his brother Andrew

2.     Who was the saint, born in Assisi in 1193, who established an order of women devoted to the poor?

Saint Claire

3.     The Vatican Library originated in which time?

(a)  13^th Century

(b)  <15^th Century>

(c)   17^th  Century

Chuckle time

 Internal Revenue Agent: Father Kincaid, is it true that your parishioner, John Jones donated $10,000 to your church last year?”

  Father Kincaid: He will.

My favorite priest

(Submit your favorite priest to joyfulcatholic@comcast.net)

          As there is no current recommendation (shame on you!), I submit a very special person: Brian Burnie, an English self-made millionaire who sold his 16 million pound country hotel and gave the proceeds to cancer charities. He said, “We live in a me, me, me society, and it has always been important for me to think of others. My ambition is to die penniless.  We came into the world with nothing and we should leave with nothing.”     

London Telegraph  5/20/2009

Special Intentions List

As you pray with a broad brush, please include these loved ones, who have been submitted by our readers. You, too, are invited to send me names of your special persons who are in need of prayer. My address is joyfulcatholic@comcast.net. They will be on the list for 60 days. At the end of that time, if prayers are still needed, you merely have to renew the name.

Juanita Caldwell, David Abbey, Amie Ellis, Linwood “Skip” Williams, Gerry Paradiso, Nick DeCarlo, Tom Medved, Bob Haines, Eileen Grotsky,

Rebecca Matthews, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis,

Violeta Zepeda, Rev. Joseph Healy, John Aylor,

Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo, Sharon McPike, Joe Berger, Tom Ryan.

Note that Susan McGahee has now entered Eternal Paradise. We still keep her in our prayers.

We were driving through Nebraska on our way from Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and Chimney Rock National Historic Site, heading back towards Scotts Bluff National Monument [all great places to visit, by the way!]  and we happened upon this little cloud.  Someone in the car was hoping to ‘multitask’ on that day and this was an area of unstable air that eventually formed into a storm, but it was heading northeast and out of our way, so we couldn’t chase it.  We got to see fossils, but didn’t get any storm chasing in that day.  There was one bummed meteorologist in the car!

Thanks for stopping by and for the comments you all graciously leave!  For more Sepia Scenes, click

HERE!

Just for fun, I’m adding the crooked color version as well!

The 2009-2010 bowl season is sure to produce some interesting storylines, even if the games may not be great.  In the Sugar Bowl, a top five offense will clash with a top five defense.  In Dallas, a Cotton Bowl matchup features two teams with explosive offenses who both have to feel disappointed to be in that game.  The day after Christmas, USC will play a bowl game.  Six days later, Bobby Bowden will coach his final game, against his former team.  Three days after that, two non-BCS schools will meet in a BCS bowl.

Here, I give you five bowls to watch even if it means skipping work or family reunions, and five bowls with which you can hit the snooze button.

Sleep through…

5)  Chick-fil-A Bowl:  When Virginia Tech meets Tennessee on New Year’s Eve, things will get ugly.  The Hokies have to consider this season a disappointment, yet they have a chance for another 10-win season under Frank Beamer.  The Hokie defense will make life miserable for a vanilla Tennessee offense and should win comfortably.  Alternative suggestion: start your New Year’s Eve plans early.

4)  Fiesta Bowl: Is the BCS really this scared?  Two of the past three years, a BCS buster has knocked off a powerhouse.  So logically, the BCS puts its two undefeated busters up against each other as to not ruin this system by having another Oklahoma or Alabama fall in the spotlight.  I thought the point of these teams making it to a BCS game was to see how they matched up with BCS schools.  Now we’ll never know.  Alternative suggestion: rewind time and put TCU up against Georgia Tech and Iowa against Boise State.

3)  Texas Bowl: Navy still has one more game to play, meaning they lose two weeks of preparation on Missouri, whom they will play on New Year’s Eve in Houston.  Not only that, but Navy can’t throw the ball.  In fact, they won a game this year in which they didn’t even attempt a pass.  If they try to run, Missouri will stuff it (12th in the nation against the run).  If they try to throw, they will be out of their element.  On the other side, the Tigers have scored at least 32 points in five straight games.  It won’t be close.  Alternative suggestion: see Chick-fil-A Bowl suggestion.

2)  Gator Bowl: That’s really nice of the Gator Bowl to invite Bobby Bowden to play his last game there.  So cute.  Too bad the whole nation will be watching a different 1 p.m. New Year’s Day bowl instead.  Bowden and Florida State do not belong in this game after a .500 finish.  Not only that, but they are going up against a talented West Virginia team which ended the season with wins over Pitt and Rutgers, and a near shocker in Cincinnati.  The ‘Noles don’t have a defense, and West Virginia will exploit that early and often.  Alternative suggestion: watch ABC (see below for why).

1)  Emerald Bowl: Yes, the most boring yet comedic thing to watch will be Boston College trying to move the ball on USC’s defense.  Despite the Trojans’ struggles this season, the defense has been relatively stable against bad offenses, and Boston College’s is ranked 97th in the country.  Give Pete Carroll a month to prepare for anyone, and they’re in trouble.  The Eagles don’t have a chance, especially in San Francisco.  Alternative suggestion: leave one Christmas present unopened so you have something to look forward to the next day.

Must-see games

5)  Holiday Bowl: What a dandy this will be.  Heisman candidate Ndamukong Suh and the ninth ranked Nebraska defense faces a top 20 defense in Arizona.  Normally I like Nebraska in this game, but the game being in San Diego neutralizes things.  Arizona is riding high after winning at USC, and Nebraska is feeling good about their “win” against Texas.  Double digits may be enough to win this game.

4)  Rose Bowl: The best BCS matchup features the perennial Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes and…someone other than USC.  This alone makes it a must watch, but considering it’s the Ducks, a team that got white-hot after an opening night loss to Boise State, it should be a classic.  Terrelle Pryor and Jeremiah Masoli should set off plenty of fireworks.

3)  Las Vegas Bowl: It’s amazing that a team can go from playing on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl to playing in a bowl on Dec. 22.  But that’s exactly what happened to the Oregon State Beavers after a heartbreaking loss in Eugene Thursday night.  In comes BYU, a team with lofty expectations before being trampled at home by Florida State, then TCU.  And if there’s anyone who can take apart the Beavers, it’s underrated senior quarterback Max Hall, who is ahead of Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and Kellen Moore in passing yards per game despite fewer passing attempts.  Buckle up for an offensive explosion.

2)  Poinsettia Bowl: Ironically, last year’s Poinsettia Bowl featured Boise State and TCU, with a final scored of 17-16.  This year the San Diego bowl game should be equally entertaining.  Two teams ranked in the preseason top 25 meet, and this will be about Utah’s defense trying to stop California’s Jahvid Best, who will be returning from a concussion suffered last month.  Both teams are out to prove that early season losses were a fluke.

1)  Capital One Bowl: The best bowl game of the season takes place in Orlando on New Year’s Day.  LSU will face Penn State, and if you recall, things were looking up for these teams in November.  Penn State had Ohio State coming to Happy Valley for the conference championship, while LSU actually held a lead on Alabama.  Neither team came through though, and wind up here instead.  The key to this game is LSU’s defense.  They must hold Penn State down, because the Tiger offense, ranked #108 in the country, won’t have a lot of opportunities against Penn State’s eighth ranked defense.

Full Moon Rising

I’m in the middle of working on 2008 AND 2009 taxes–ugh. A bazillion receipts that need to be poured over and a mountain of 2009 medical bills is now growing exponentially and is beginning to resemble a full-scale replica of Mt. Kilamanjaro. I hate doing this. I have software programs that should simplify this part of my life and great paper systems that claim to do the same thing, but what I want to do is anything but taxes so, I put it off. I absolutely hate bean counting. It takes me forever to catch up and granted, it’s my fault I’m now in a state of freak out, but I’ll get it done somehow–I’ll just be a lot more worse for wear over the next couple weeks. Hopefully I’ll make some headway soon and this mountain of paper will get under control in time for the holidays or at least by the time Jasmine comes home. Yep, you heard me…she’s coming home…soon.

As thrilled as I am, I am extremely nervous. I don’t want for old habits to rise back up to the surface, but I have to pray that she has learned a great deal of coping skills and she will rise above all the triggers that she will be faced with daily. We had the pleasure of spending our Thanksgiving with her while she earned a 4-day pass. It was filled with love, laughter, good food, and family–just what Thanksgivings are about.

It was our biggest blessing–to see her alive and doing well and clean and sober and genuinely happy to be with us. That blessing could only compare to our family’s other biggest blessing–me–and the fact that I am still alive 10 months after being diagnosed with breast cancer. We built fires and roasted marshmallows. We stayed up all night long and watched movies. We laughed until we cried, lost our voices, and acted completely crazy as Jasmine joined Jordan and I on our psycho shopping sprees where we waited for hours in the freezing weather just to be pushed and shoved through the stores and become so discombobulated that we were standing in the wrong lines to check out more than once. She had never shared in the Black Friday tradition before and was absolutely shocked to see the chaos.

She wanted to surprise everyone for Thanksgiving dinner and so we dropped her off a block away from Jeff’s sister’s house and as we all loaded into the house without her, she snuck up several minutes later and burst in on the crowd. Tears flowed, cameras flashed and a young girl was reminded while she was sober how much she was loved. She met up with an on again off again boy who proceeded to stay with us over the course of the next few days. He’s leaving for the navy boot camp in just a few days and I knew they both wanted to see each other. I was reminded watching the two of them that out of all the boyfriends she’s ever had–I liked him the most. I also liked the fact that when he messed up he took my motherly bitching and came back apologetic and sincere. No matter what went down between them or whose fault it was–I couldn’t help but think I’d be pretty lucky to someday have a son-in-law that nice and down to earth. They are both still young and I don’t expect anything, but I can dream and I can always hope that whoever my daughter is lucky enough to find–will treat her with as much loving kindness as Dylan has. He was also instrumental in helping me find her in Ohio after she had been taken. That alone, in my book, earns him oodles of brownie points.

Jasmine & Dylan Thanksgiving Eve '09

Jasmine made it a point to find meetings near here that will help keep her on track and we set up necessary services that will help her deal with her lifelong struggles that she will face. Before we knew it, the 3 full days flew by and it was time for another day long trip in the car to get her back. She’s been doing well and pulling straight A’s once again, but I do worry that when she comes home, it won’t be as easy for her to stay focused. I guess all I can do is pray about it. If all goes well, she’ll finish up one more class–hopefully two–and then be able to come home in time for Christmas.

Jordan, Jasmine, and I loaded up the car last Sunday and we set out (late) across the state. We went out to eat for breakfast with Jeff and Justin beforehand so we wouldn’t have to worry about eating junk food the whole way out. What usually takes us between 5.5 and 6 hrs. took us almost 7.5 just to get across the state. We followed every holiday traveller out of Iowa in bumper to bumper traffic–both lanes–never making it over 60mph. Torturous for speed demons like me. I kept reminding myself that patience is a virtue and I needed to channel all the patience I endure daily with the children I work with every day. Easier said than done when your in that much traffic.

We stopped by a rest stop for a break and Jasmine came out looking for a woman that had left her purse on the back of the toilet. I saw the woman came out and thought, “cute haircut” when I saw her and then she left quickly. We peeked inside the purse and found her phone. Going through her contacts we found a Steve and called him to explain everything to him. He was able to contact her and her sons so they were able to turn around and come back for her purse. It was an expensive Kate Spade purse and it was filled with cash and expensive perfume and credit cards. It would have been so easy for someone to steal it and go shopping. I was so proud of my daughter wanting to do the right thing. We agreed to wait and I told her that this woman was so lucky it was us and not some crook.

When the woman showed up in her fancy Lexus SUV she got out and was totally snobbish. She wasn’t overly appreciative and she didn’t even offer Jasmine $5 for returning it. I know we did the right thing, and yes we did it for that reason and not for any monetary reward–but let’s be honest–some munchie money for the trip would have been nice. We were travelling in comfortable clothes and she sized us up and down and figured we were below her class and couldn’t be bothered with us. I could read it all in her eyes. I just hate snobs. This setback cost us another 45 min. and I just had to tell myself and the girls that it was 45 min. more we had with each other that day and it was a test to see if Jasmine would do the right thing. She passed.

Working our way westward, I knew that I had one more stop in store for us. There is a tower that sits on top of a scenic overlook along I-680W in Iowa close to the I-29N exit. I’ve always wanted to stop each time we have gone to visit, but the first couple times I missed the exit. Each time after that, Jeff was with and driving and couldn’t be bothered with such trivial memory makers. On this day, though, I was in charge. We arrived just as the sun was setting. The air was crisp and cold and even though we weren’t going to stay long, I wanted to take the girls up. I wanted them to look out over a very large area and see where states of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota converge. I secretly hoped that as Jasmine and Jordan looked out across the countryside that they would see that the keys to their success are in her hands. I wanted Jasmine to see that her possibilities were endless and that she was lucky to be alive after what happened to her this summer. I hoped that she would see that her destiny was out there in this world and that with God’s grace she would find her way.

The back of the tower appears dark because of the setting sun.

[

The front of the tower was illuminated with deep golds and just beyond the tower, I saw a full moon rising pictured above).

When I saw my daughters up on top of that tower--I couldn't help but think quickly over the past year about how far each of us had come.

Jasmine looks out

Jordan joins her sister at the top

Holding on for dear life

We had all battled demons and even though we weren’t completely free of their grips, we were still standing. We were still surviving. We were still breathing. I joined my girls at the top of the tower and looked out. I needed to practice what I preached and I needed to grab onto life again–a life I never imagined would turn out the way it had, but never-the-less still grateful to be alive to see my children grow.

The air was biting and the wind caused my stomach to flip flop. I looked out over the meandering interstate that had carried my family members back and forth for months as we visited our very ill daughter over 6 hours away.

I-29N

I-680W

I never knew what the end of this part of the journey would look like, but with a crimson sky I couldn’t help but think it was amazing and better yet, it was almost finished. I looked at my girls and told them I loved them and then we took a picture of all of us.

Freezing our butts off

A gust came whipping through the tower and scared all of us. I began to descend but got really scared and had to sit down and scooch down on my butt while my daughters laughed at their “chicken” mom.

Me--realizing how I hate heights

Stop laughing at me!

With the last burst of sunshine, I took a little video of my girls playing. When I see the opening picture of the video–before I even click play, I am reminded that they are still little girls. In the grand scheme of life and for how fast they are trying to get on with their lives or grow up before they are ready–it just reminds me that right now, this very instant, whether they like it or not–they are still little. It also reminds me of a more peaceful time in our lives. A time without the drama and crisis and heartache and devastating health issues that plagued our family this year. I can see my LITTLE girls in this picture–I can see the glimmer of hope that tomorrow holds limitless possibilities. The video is just pure silliness–and also gave me a shot of my second full moon that day.

This parting shot of Jasmine with me is priceless. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how hard she was pulling me toward her. I won’t forget her telling me sincerely and unsolicited–”I Love You”–over and over–something I hadn’t heard in years. I was glad that Jordan took the picture. I’ll treasure the moment always.

I Love You, Mom!

Jordan slept almost all the way home and the trip back was easy and much quicker–5.10 hrs. to be exact. I had never made the trip that quickly. There was noone on the road for miles and miles as I’m sure everyone was already home and tucked into bed awaiting work the next morning. I drove home listening to Christmas carols and thanking God for letting me live so that I may see to it that Jasmine would get the help she needed. I thanked him for not taking her home before me (at least this past summer this summer). I prayed for no more whammies. I told him that I thought I had managed the year as best I could and that I truly believed that I needed a break. I also wondered what lied in store for me and my family this next year.

Honestly, I need things to look up in 2010. I need time without crisis so that I can try to rebuild my faith, my relationship with my daughter and all of my family for that matter, my finances, my businesses, my educational aspirations, my professional endeavors, etc. As bleak as it looked several times this year I know I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet. I’m just ready to start snapping it again. –Watch out!

Formal shoutout to Dylan here–God bless you and keep you safe. Don’t forget our address and when you get out of boot camp–make sure to call. You are loved and you will be in our prayers.

P.S. I took my own advice and re-registered for the upcoming spring semester. I am going to re-take the two classes I let go. I couldn’t focus last year with the bombarding information coming at me and I also reached a point where I felt I’d rather be spending time with my family instead of having my nose in a book all the time. I was worried I was going to die and I worried about it all the time. I no longer think that way. I believe I’m going to be around here for a while and I may as well get my degree finished. I just won’t try to attain it at warp speed. Third reason–my scholarship people are getting ancy for me to fulfill my contract. I really don’t want to pay back all of the thousands they’ve given me because I’m in breach of my contract with them. I’ve hashed out an extension plan with the TEACH program and I am grateful they are understanding and accommodating to my requests. Now if I could just peel myself away from all the reality TV I’ve become addicted to…:)

Just heard it on ESPN radio so it must be true. Ndamukong Suh will be the most successful NFL player from among the Heisman candidates.

Let’s hope the voters have the courage to break the pattern of picking nice-looking offensive players.

Maybe you have been following college football this year, maybe you haven’t. Either way, you need to know about the defensive lineman for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ndamukong Suh (pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo). He’s not the only one on the Huskers with a hard to pronounce name either! Suh is a top NFL prospect; a 6 ft 4, 305 pound DL stud.

It was just announced that Suh is now up for the Heisman, he would be the first outright defensive player to ever win it. Suh will join Colt McCoy (Texas, quarterback), Mark Ingram (Alabama, running back), Toby Gerhart (Stanford, running back) and Tim Tebow (Florida, quarterback) at the 75th Heisman Trophy awards announcement, which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square. The event will be televised live from New York City at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.

This year Suh has been tearing it up on defense, an unstoppable force part of the resurgent Black Shirts of the Cornhusker’s defense. He is sure to be drafted in the top three picks in this year’s NFL draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. has said today that Suh is “amoung the best of the past 32 years.” Just how dominant is he? Here are some stats for you.

In 2009 Suh has registered 82 tackles and 12 quarterback sacks and has 26 quarterback hurries, 22 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, three blocked kicks, and one interception, including 12 tackles (seven for losses, a school single-game record) and 4.5 sacks in a 13-12 loss to the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game.

That is an amazing season. Those 4.5 sacks in the Texas game were dominant. His performance in the Big XII Championship game might have taken Texas QB Colt McCoy out of the Heisman running (in my opinion), who never looked comfortable, to see what I mean, watch this video highlight of Suh vs Texas. Suh sacked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy 4.5 times in the game. McCoy had never been sacked that many times by another team during his four-year career at Texas–let alone one player. Nebraska had nine sacks as a team.

Highlights after the jump:

While many sports fans are all worked up about the BCS National Championship in football and why there should be a playoff, there is another NCAA outrage taking place right now in the Division I Volleyball National Championship.  The Big 12 has been royally screwed!

The final standings after the Big 12 season had powerful Texas on top at 19-1, Iowa State was second in a big breakthrough year at 17-3, young Nebraska was third at 16-4 and then Baylor, Texas A&M and Oklahoma all tied with 11-9 records.  The Big 12 has been and continues to be one of the most dominant volleyball powers.  Powerful enough that it seems the NCAA must have feared having their Final Four dominated by Big 12 teams.  There really can be no other explanation for the seedings that placed Texas, Iowa State, Nebraska and Texas A&M all in the same regional.  Baylor and Oklahoma were seeded in other regionals with OU dropping their opening match to USC while Baylor won twice and moved on to this weekend’s Sweet 16.

However, the focus has to be on this weekend’s matches in Omaha.  Number 2 seed Texas will take on unseeded Texas A&M in the first match followed by #7 Iowa State and #10 Nebraska.  Try getting a ticket to those matches in the Quest Center.  Sadly, by late Saturday night only one of the four teams will move on.  It is hard to believe the top three teams in the Big 12 couldn’t be seeded in different regionals.

It all might be a moot point, since Penn State will likely be waiting in the championship final in Tampa.  They are the two-time defending champion and have not lost in their last 98 matches.  Yet, something makes me think that the Big 12 team that emerges from their stacked regional just might be ready to slay the Nittany Lions.  There has to be just a little big of Big 12 pride on line.  Here’s hoping it is the team in Scarlet and Cream.

After the fiery airship crash and during the long, slow, dreamtime months of my recovery, I barely knew my own name. In fact, I didn’t know my name, my original pre-crash name, the one stitched above the left breast pocket of my flight jumpsuit and burned to unreadable ash. No one does or ever will. The one I have now—Henry Fahrenheit—was given to me by the wise social service authorities of Gulland Heights, Nebraska. Today I begin a new second life as Aviation Arts teacher at Gulland Heights Near South High School.

During those long months in the burn ward, my dreams were filled with spiky monuments jutting into the blue Nebraska sky, the rushing roar of hydrogen combustion, and endless weightless plunges toward a patch of unnatural green that rose and rose but was never reached. They tell me my limp, burned body was found on the governor’s immaculate lawn by his immaculate twin daughters, who dropped their iced glasses of lemonade in surprise and immediately changed their summerday plan to lounge by the pool.

Days and nights in the burn ward flowed together like molten summer gold. Nurse Apple Blossom and Nurse Cumin, resident nurses-for-hire at Nursenaries, Inc., supervised my healing with tender professionalism, wrapping me in chamomile-infused bandages made of newsprint strips. They filled a scrapbook with crash clippings and stories from the Gulland Heights Daily Chautauquan, and kept the scrapbook on a supply closet shelf choked with potent bottled medicinals like Bactine, gentian violet, and whiskey. When they needed fresh bandages, they pulled out a few more clippings from the scrapbook. Convinced of the therapeutic qualities of the written word, they covered every inch of my broken skin with the story of how I fell from the sky. When the scrapbook was empty and the last clipping-bandage peeled away, I was finally healed. Newsprint ink that had leached from the clippings into my new skin left a permanent stain, the story of my fall tattooed in a blue-black jumble of reversed words.

By Calvin Palmer

An argument between two U.S. Marines over the Texas-Nebraska college football game ended up with one them being accidentally shot to death.

Police in North Carolina said Johnathan Clinton Rodriguez, 21, was shot early Sunday after banter escalated into a scuffle at a home in Havelock.

Lionel Hoya, 23, had a gun that went off during the struggle and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. He has been transferred to military authorities.

Texas beat Nebraska 13-12 on a last-second field goal to win the Big 12 championship on Saturday.

[Based on a report by the Los Angeles Times.]

Ndamukong Suh for Heisman.  That is all.

One down, many to come. Look out Heisman, the Suh-train is fast approaching

Surprised? Who else could have been chosen as the “Defensive Player of the Year”?

Congrats Ndamukong!!!

Drink one for me,

Woody

By Craig Thomas

Ndamukong Suh was involved in two Missouri turnovers. SOURCE: Chris Dunn/Missourian

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy have been invited to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation later this month.

Suh and McCoy both created headaches for Missouri this season. Suh had an interception, forced a fumble, and totaled six tackles (including one for loss) in the Huskers’ 27-12 comeback win over Mizzou in October.

McCoy threw 26 completions on 31 attempts for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Tigers. Texas took a 35-7 halftime lead on the way to an easy 41-7 primetime win in Columbia.

Colt McCoy has led Texas to a 13-0 record. SOURCE: ESPN

Meanwhile, Nebraska prepares to play Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, while Texas will play Alabama in the national championship game.

The other Heisman candidates are Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, Alabama running back Mark Ingram and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

In California, EPA has ordered seven municipal sewage collection systems in the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to take steps to address inadequately treated sewage discharges from EBMUD Wet Weather Facilities into the San Francisco Bay. The orders are aimed at monitoring and repair of aging and leaky sewer pipes.

Headlines
Water has been restored to about 60 homes in Los Angeles after service was cut off when a water main ruptured early today.

Barricades went up this morning after a water main break in Garfield Heights, Ohio caused the pavement to crack and created a sinkhole that someone drove into with their car.

Stimulus Spotlight
The city of Chadron, Nebraska has drawn on a state revolving loan fund, as well as money from the federal economic stimulus program, to pay for construction of a new water treatment plant.

Although Fairmont, West Virginia has received $8 million in economic stimulus funds for its water treatment plant, it may still be forced to raise water rates. The project is scheduled to begin construction in January.

Sewer Rate News
Akron, Ohio
Galion, Ohio
Monteagle, Tennessee
Santa Rosa, California

The quest for immortality is a profoundly difficult endeavor, what with Hayflick limits, and your various viruses and bacteria, and of course, the constant bombardment by free radicals. And while digitizing ourselves seems to be the most practical and popular way forward, it holds certain risks as well… namely, computer viruses and spyware/adware (could you imagine if they could be secretly downloaded into you? You’d suddenly encounter erectile dysfuntion in that wet dream, or worse, that wet dream would involve the guy with the lady-hair from the UPS spots), vulnerability to electromagnetic pulses, or, worse, the loss of our humanity. Voluntarily transforming ourselves into robots… is that really what we want?

Which of course makes the Honcho Awards, currently, the only way to ensure your immortality. This isn’t up for debate. Alas, with my persnickety standards and rigorous yet mysterious grading system, it’s only slightly less difficult to achieve than the aformentioned theoretical perpetuities and three times as awesome. And yet, until Pfizer or Novartis or Bayer releases that miracle pill (Foreverol? Eternol? Perpetuol?), my exacting criterions are all you got. I’m your only hope. This power that I hold… the ability to decide who does or doesn’t go into the everlasting… it’s not for the meek. Heavy is the weight I carry. My miraculously broad shoulders come in handy.

So who enters the world without time this week? Well, how about…

- Ndamukang Suh, for his ridiculous obliteration of Texas’ offensive line. He finished the Big 12 Championship game with 4.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 12 tackles and 2 QB pressures. The best big-game performance by a defensive lineman this particularly choosy awards allocator can remember. He might have solidified himself as the #1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft. He definitely cast himself into the ether of timelessness. And now, NFL scouts can see how he fares when matched up one on one with Thor, or Hercules. We imagine they’ll think he’s “sudden”.

- Bruce Gradkowski, for his stirring 4th quarter performance on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, it was the Steelers minus Troy Polamalu (henceforth referred to as S-TP), but it was the Oakland Raiders. Maybe I didn’t address that with the appropriate stress… let’s try some different formatting… it was the “¿Oakland Raiders?!” That’s better. Gradkowski threw more touchdowns against S-TP in the last 10 minutes of the game than the Raiders had thrown all season. Honcho-worthy? All signs point to yes.

- Lisandro Lopez, for his hat trick against Lille. Alas, if I were to introduce some sort of anti-Honcho award (maybe a Mad Adam Trophy… hmmm…) for ineptitude, Lyon’s defense and goalkeeper would surely qualify, for allowing Lille to score four and win the game. Thrilling game though, and were it not for Lopez’ acumen, Lyon would have been on the ass-end of a 4-0 scoreline. At least he made it respectable.

- Dwyane Wade, for his double-double against Sacramento. Specifically, 34 points and 10 assists. The only other players this season to score at least 30 points and get 10 assists? Lebron James and Chris Paul. And truly, with the game becoming more of a me-first affair, anytime anyone reaches double-digit assists, I’m going to notice. 30 points and 10 rebounds? Meh, good game, but certainly not worth a Honcho. But what Wade did? Welcome to the gates of Valhalla, young phenom. The password is “self-breema“.

- Chris Gayle, for his test hundred (an unbeaten 155, to be exact) against Australia. Gayle, struck with a case of atypical patience, shrewdly picked his spots and led the West Indies back into a test match that, for all intents and purposes, they were out of 10 days ago. Whether it leads to a win or a well-deserved draw, Gayle has united the squad when it seemed, by every right, they were falling apart. Give that man a Honcho.

- Marc Savard, for his hat trick during the Bruins 7-2 pasting of the Toronto Maple Leafs. OK, so they still win by 3 goals without his contributions, do we hold that against him? Of course not. Instead, we give the man a Honcho, and put the name Marc Savard into the pantheon, next to Albert Einstein, and Nostradamus, and Jim Varney.

- Robert Meachem, for his game-changing plays against the Redskins. First, there’s the 53 yard touchdown he caught to send the game into overtime… that was nice and all, but nothing compared to the other one. I’m sure you’ve all seen it by now, so I won’t bore you with the details… except to say that Saints QB Drew Brees dropped back to pass late in the first half, was pressured, and threw an ill-advised pass into coverage. It was intercepted by Kareem Moore, who, after picking himself up off the ground, began to return it towards the Saints end zone. Meachem, a wide receiver for the Saints not involved with the play, knifed between two would-be blockers (as in, they would be blockers if they knew how to block) and wrapped Moore up. As he was slinging him to the ground, he began to pull at the ball, jarring it free just before Moore went to the ground. The ball popped fortuitiously into Meachem’s arms, and he ran unscathed, into the Redskins end zone. The fact that Meachem even went for the strip is either great coaching, or just a savvy, veteran play from a relatively young player, as Meachem is an offensive player, and thus wouldn’t really need the skills or the mindset to try and strip the ball. So he went above and beyond (unlike the Redskins defenders, who could have blocked Meachem as Moore returned the ball, but showed their incompetence in this regard), and, in this world, above and beyond = Honcho Award.

- Fabio Quagliarella, for breaking his slump in style, with two goals and an assist in leading Napoli to a come-from-behind victory against Bari. That’s the kind of all-around performance we look for out of Honcho winners, and the fact that the Partenopei needed every bit of his contribution to usurp the Galletti makes it all the more laudable. So please accept our lauds, Fabio, and continue with the knowledge that yours is a name that will live on in famy.

- Mardy Gilyard, for his starring role in that crazy Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game. Did you see that game? That was what they like to refer to in elitist linguistic circles as a “doozy”. Pittsburgh jumped all over Cincinnati in the early going, leading by as much as 31-10. That’s when Gilyard went to work. First, his teammates (and coach!) were approaching him, begging him for a big play. Rare is the man that delivers a big play when he’s asked to (it’s really a more organic sort of thing… it happens when it happens), but here, we have one of those men. Just before halftime, and immediately after Pitt had taken their 31-10 lead, Gilyard returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD. Hello momentum swing. Then he caught a 68 yard TD in the 3rd quarter. After Pitt scored again to restore their 2 TD lead, Gilyard returned the next kickoff 49 yards to set up Cincy’s next TD. In total, Gilyard caught 5 passes for 118 yards and racked up 256 return yards. Yes, that’s 256, the most all-season in FBS (Division 1-A). Pull up a chair, Mr. Gilyard.

- Ed Hochuli, for threats to my well-being for rocking those new ref unis like I’m rocking the webosphere; powerfully, palpably, and suggestively. A man after my own award. And OK, maybe there’s just the slightest hint of selling out here… just a smidge. A dash. A sprinkling. But “sell out” is such a harsh phrase. Am I a sell out for kowtowing and pandering to the suggestions of my readers? I am, you say. It’s the the very definition of a sell out, you go on to say. OK… well… fine. I’m a sell out, so sue me. Just don’t expect to be joining me and other Ed here in the halls of greatness. Your loss.

So there you have it. To this week’s Honcho winners; you’ll be joining us in the Great White Tower of Infinites on the morrow. There will be a continental breakfast and bed service, but you’ll need to bring your own toothbrush. There were complimentary ones, but Ra has appropriated them all for some sort of toothbrush-castle he’s building. We have to distract him with mundane little projects or he gets bored and threatens to destroy the world, that sort of thing. And as lame as it sounds, it’s actually pretty cool. You’ll have to check it out when you get here. But yeah, bring your own toothbrush.

Can you pronounce “Ndamukong”?

It is: En-dom-ah-ken.

Can you scream, “SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!” like a Husker fan?

You’d better learn. Today, in a historic announcement, Nebraska’s Defensive Linemen, Ndamukong Suh was name 1 of 4 Heisman Finalists. No sh-t!

Only one primarily defensive player (Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997) has ever won the award.

Suh has already begun his travels on the award circuit this week. He figures to win his share of hardware — a finalist for the Walter Camp Award, Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, Bednarik Award, Lott Trophy and Nagurski Award.

The kid is deserving. Did you watch him in the Big 12 Championship Game! WOW!

If he wins, he would become the fourth Husker Heisman winner, joining Johnny Rodgers (1972), Mike Rozier (1983) and Eric Crouch.

Suh has 82 tackles, 23 tackles for losses, 24 quarterback hurries and 12 sacks from a position that generally doesn’t generate flattering statistics.

The other 3 finalists were Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Mark Ingram, and Toby Gerhart. Stand aside boys, let the big man through…

Suh’s winning would make up from the one Tommie Frazier was screwed out of in 1995!!!

Drink one for me,

Woody

Props to these two for braving the cold on Saturday afternoon at Pioneers Park, although you’d never guess from the images that the white fluffy stuff was about to make its December debut – Their two dogs, Riley and Sasha, played along nicely (and Riley even got a unique snack out of the deal)

NCAA 2009 College Football Playoff Simulation

The Playoffs You Wished For 

Welcome to season number three of the NCAA College Football Playoff Simulation.  For those reading this blog for the first time, the PiRate College Football Playoffs take the champions of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC as automatic qualifiers.  Any of the remaining conference champions (including the top independent) that finish in the top 16 in the final regular season BCS Standings also qualify automatically.  At-large teams are then selected in the order of BCS finish until 12 total teams have been selected.  The 12 teams are then seeded by BCS ranking with no maximum number of teams per conference.

Here is how the 12 teams were selected for the 2009 playoffs.

Top Six Conference Champions

ACC–Georgia Tech 11-2           #9 Seed

Big East–Cincinnati 12-0                   #3 Seed

Big Ten–Ohio State 10-2         #8 Seed

Big 12—Texas 13-0                    #2 Seed

Pac-10—Oregon 10-2                #7 Seed

SEC—Alabama 13-0                             #1 Seed

Automatic Qualifiers By Virtue Of Top 16 In BCS

MWC—T C U 12-0                       #4 Seed

WAC—Boise State 13-0             #6 Seed

Top Four At-Large To Fill Out 12-Team Field

Florida 12-1                                 #5 Seed

Iowa 10-2                                    #10 Seed

Virginia Tech 10-2                     #11 Seed

L S U 9-3                                      #12 Seed

The PiRate Playoff System uses the top 11 bowl games to play the four rounds.  The 5^th through 12^th seeds must play in the first round, while the top four seeds receive byes to the quarterfinals.

Opening Round

Outback Bowl    #5 Florida vs. #12 L S U  Dec 17

Alamo Bowl       #6 Boise State vs. #11 Virginia Tech  Dec 18

Holiday Bowl     #7 Oregon vs. #10 Iowa  Dec 19

Gator Bowl         #8 Ohio State vs. #9 Georgia Tech  Dec 19

Quarterfinal Round

Cotton Bowl                #4 T C U vs. Outback Bowl Winner  Jan 1

Capital One Bowl       #3 Cincinnati vs. Alamo Bowl Winner  Jan 1

Rose Bowl                             #2 Texas vs. Holiday Bowl Winner  Jan 1

Sugar Bowl                  #1 Alabama vs. Gator Bowl Winner  Jan 1

Semifinal Round

Fiesta Bowl        Sugar Bowl Winner vs. Fiesta Bowl Winner Jan 9

Orange Bowl     Rose Bowl Winner vs. Capital One Bowl Winner Jan 9

National Championship Game

Fiesta Bowl Winner vs. Orange Bowl Winner  Jan 23

1. This system awards the four best teams with byes.

2. This system not only keeps the bowls alive, but it gives them more importance and prestige, as 11 bowls decide the title.

3. Instead of undefeated Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State getting left out of the national championship picture, number 13 Penn State is the first team left out.  This is much more fair, as this system will always allow a 12-0 team to have a chance regardless of whether it is Alabama or Boise State.

4. The remaining bowls would not have to settle for 6-6 teams.  The rules could demand at least 7 wins as a minimum.

5. Three of the four rounds would occur during winter break for the schools, thus quashing the myth that players would miss too much time.

Check back on December 20 for simulated results of the first round games.

Final Regular Season PiRate Ratings

The Army-Navy game must still be played, but that game doesn’t warrant an extra week’s worth of ratings.  Neither team can break the top 25 even if they win 222-0.  The game still has bowl implications.  If Army wins, the Cadets will advance to the Eagle Bank Bowl to face Temple.  If Navy wins, then UCLA takes Army’s place in Washington, DC.

Bowl Lineups

Coming This Week–What you can do to help bring about a college football playoff