Coaching Carousel: Chad Morris to SMU is Done Deal

((ht: dallasnews.com))

We told you about this report during the week, it's now all according to multiple reports--been made official.

The first rider to connect via the coaching carousel--Chad Morris.

Morris, will be announced as the new head coach at SMU on Monday.

Morris, the highest paid assistant in College Football, will reportedly pull in a cool $2 million a year to take over the nations only winless team in 2014. (Currently 0-11)

Read more from the Morning News RIGHT HERE

CBSSports.com says it's official RIGHT HERE

Morris, who's roots are in Texas High School football and was a graduate of Texas A&M will take over for June Jones who tried to rebuild the once proud Mustang football program which was shut down back in the early 1990's.

He leaves a Clemson team that just defeated arch rival South Carolina and though not going to the ACC title game, still have a bowl berth awaiting them.

The move also raises questions about Clemson coach Dabo Swinney who according to some reports has a mutual interest in the opening at the University of Florida.

We will see...the Coaching Carousel is just starting to roll...

Reports: Chad Morris Will Be The Man at SMU

((ht: usatoday.com/sports))

Let the Coaching Carousel begin. Reports began surfacing Thursday night that Clemson's offensive coordinator and target of many a job rumor Chad Morris may have a head coaching gig lined up.

The job: At SMU.

Yes, the same SMU that is 0-10 with little chance of winning a game this season.

USA Today Sports says Morris, a former Texas High School coach would replace June Jones who left on his own after two games this season.

USA Today says SMU has no deal in place with anyone, but it sounds an awful lot like one is being negotiated.

It should be noted Morris is also the highest paid assistant in College Football making over $1.3 million a year.

Read the USA Today story RIGHT HERE

If indeed Morris is the man in Mustang land, it lends more credence--and fuel to the rumors that his current boss, Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney may be the man at the University of Florida.

Which would create all kinds of chaos as the December college coaching carousel begins to swirl in full motion...

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Turkey's Aren't Rivals Edition

Because of course they can't fly. But rivalry games, they live on forever. And this week, after last weeks overwhelming spate of Cupcake games, we get rivalry week. Where there is actually a lot at stake.



Okay, cupcakes, donuts...we couldn't find a clip of Homer saying cupcakes...

Anyway, so many big games, so much Turkey, so little time.

About last week. Well, we had a pretty good week, but there weren't a lot of tough picks. We called the Arkansas game, but missed on Kansas State/West Virginia.

Eh, it happens. We still went 13-1 for the week, which is pretty good and put us at 126-30 for the season, which is damn good.

But enough about us...it's time as the legendary Casey Kasem says to get "On With the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 11-0. Ok, yeah, we know, they've barely won against inferior competition. But they won. And that is the point. Will they win it all--who knows...but there's something to be said for running the table.



And that's the bottom line. Will they beat UF this week. We're tempted to pick an upset this week, but we won't do it here. This Week: vs. Florida, Our Pick: FSU 31, UF 21

2) Alabama 10-1. Last week doesn't count. But it doesn't matter, the Tide have gotten better every week. Do not underestimate them. Ever. Amari Cooper's status may have an impact, just not this week. This Week: vs. Auburn, Our Pick: Bama 47, Auburn 34

3) Oregon 10-1. Okay, the Duckies are West Coast good. But does that translate? We don't think so. Still, aside from the Arizona hiccup, they've been good. But the defense isn't, and that's what will cause them to eventually lose. This Week: at Oregon St.. Our Pick: Oregon 45, Oregon St. 42

4) TCU 10-1. No, we don't know why they struggled with Kansas. But they did. Still, they've been impressive in most other ways. Not their fault there's no Big 12 title game. And yes, we know, they lost to Baylor. This Week: at Texas, Our Pick: TCU 27, Texas 21

5) Mississippi St. 10-1. Yes, they lost to Alabama. But are they REALLY a CFB Playoff team? That is the question. We think if you don't win your conference you should not be eligible. But apparently the committee does not. Oh well. This Week: at Ole Miss, Our Pick: Ole Miss 31, Miss St. 27 UPSET!!!

6) Ohio St. 10-1. The most improved team in CFB. Bar none. And they may jump into the Final 4. Would not surprise us a bit. They may be the most dangerous non-SEC team in it. This Week: vs. Michigan. Our Pick: tOSU 48, Michigan 17

7) Baylor 9-1. Sure, we're the only ones with the Bears ranked this low. So what? Yeah, we still see them as soft. And outside the TCU and Oklahoma games they haven't played anyone. Next week vs. K-State will be telling. But we're not there yet. This Week: at Texas Tech, Our Pick: Baylor 53, T-Tech 21

8) Georgia 9-2. When dialed in, one of the most dangerous teams in CFB. But, since team Brain Fart lived up to their name, they need help if they want to be a spoiler. Love Nick Chubb, because of him, they'll be good for at least 2 more years. This Week: vs. Ga. Tech, Our Pick: UGA 43, Tech 21

9) UCLA 9-2. Finally, they're playing like everyone expected them to at the beginning of the season. Big win last week vs. USC. If they somehow ended up in PAC-12 title game, they'd be a tough out for Oregon. This Week: vs. Stanford, Our Pick: UCLA 28, Stanford 23

10) Kansas St 9-2. Jake Waters picked a good week to have a career game vs. W.Va. 400 yards is a pretty good accomplishment on the road. And yes, the Wildcats still might have a voice in who makes the CFB 4. This Week: BYE

11) Arizona 9-2. Rich Rod has done wonders here. The Wildcats best season in a long, long time. Anu Soloman has been a revelation at QB, leading the team in rushing and passing. He's thrown 25 TD's already this season. This Week: vs. Arizona St. Our Pick: Arizona 37, Az State 31

12) Michigan St. 9-2. The Spartans look great on paper. And have only lost to Oregon and Ohio St. Of course they were the only two tough games they've played too. The Big 10...yeah, not so good. And that hurts these guys. This Week: at Penn St., Our Pick: Mich St. 31, PSU 21

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



It's been a challenging season for our Bottom 5. The list has changed slightly. We boosted defending champ Miami of Ohio out of the list after two wins, but you could still argue they belong here. If we did a Bottom 10, they definitely would be on that list.

But nobody could stop SMU. The Mustangs truly were unstoppable in their march to the Toilet Bowl. No wins and offensive output that...um, was truly offensive gave them an unbeatable edge.

We should give special mention to Georgia State, winners of 1 game the past two seasons. Guys, you better get your acts together. You may become permanent residents. And we are thinking about naming the trophy after you....

Yes, we know the season is not over, but it would be a shock if any of these teams actually win...

5) New Mexico St. 2-9. What's a bottom poll without a New Mexico team. The Aggies started out with 2 wins and followed that with 9 straight losses. But hey, the season is almost over--so there's that. This Week: at Arkansas St., Our Pick: Ark St. 47, New Mexico St. 21

4) Kent ST. 1-9. You know you are bad when your game gets snowed out, postponed and there's no interest in making it up. The Flashes are one of the worst offenses in the game. And the D isn't much better. Hopefully there's no snow in Ohio this week. This Week: vs. Akron, Our Pick: Akron 21, Kent St. 10

3) Idaho 1-9. Yes, they beat NM State. But they've not beaten anyone else. To their credit, they've been competitive. Sort of. It doesn't make up for the record. And they play in the Snowy Appalachian Mountains this week. This Week: at Appalachian St., Our Pick: Appy St. 35, Idaho 21

2) Georgia State 1-10. Sigh. Yes, they play here in OSG's hometown. But nobody knows it. For good reason. The poster children for how NOT to become a FCS level team. They'll be a punchline for a very long time. There was hope after an opening week win. But, then...yeah...reality. This Week: vs. Texas St., Our Pick: Texas St 37, Ga. St 17



1) SMU 0-10. Yes ladies and gentlemen, your champs. Sure, they have two games left, but do you really think the Mustangs will win either one? Nah, neither do we. Though they do play UConn to end the season so there's a chance...maybe. This Week: vs. Houston, Our Pick: Houston 47, SMU 10.

And so ends the week in College Football. Championship week is almost upon us...

But until then, we hope you all have a Happy Turkey and all the trimmings...we'll talk again next week.

Enjoy your new music cut of the week:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: The Rick Rolled Edition

You are welcome. Try to get that out of your head....

For that matter, try and get the idea that the SEC may still get two of your College Football playoff berths out of your heads too.

Because it's probably going to happen. And there are going to be a lot of people who aren't going to be happy about it.



So, yeah, we're feeling musical as we look ahead to the week before Thanksgiving and the last chance for all of college football to make a statement.

Looking back at last week--7-2. Lots of BYE weeks. Oh, and we picked 'Bama, FSU and UGA to win. Not everyone did that. Makes us 113-29 on the season. Deal wit dat bitches!

But enough about me, it's time as the legendary Casey Kasem once said to get "On With the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) FSU 10-0. Yep, we put the Seminoles, as much as we despise everything they stand for, at #1. They are undefeated, they haven't lost in 2 seasons. And because of that, they get to be #1.

Tell 'em Naitch:



This Week: vs. Boston College, Our Pick: FSU 43, BC 21

2) Alabama 9-1. Is this the best team like our CFB Playoff Committee says? Yeah, probably. But they lost a game this season. And to us, that matters. They've been dissed most of the season, but the Tide has gotten better every week. This Week: (CUPCAKE) vs. Western Carolina, Our Pick: Bama 47, WCU 10

3) Oregon 9-1. Quack, quack. Best front runners in the biz. They ran away from Utah after the goal line fumble and never looked back. When you've got Marcus Mariota, that can happen. Still not sold on them as a title team, but yeah, they'll probably be a Final 4 team. This Week: vs. Colorado, Our Pick: Oregon 47, Colorado 27

4) TCU 9-1. A Gary Patterson brain fart away from perfection. Sure, they're a Big 12 team with a ton of offense and very little defense. But that doesn't seem to matter these days. Trevone Boykin is awesome, and awesome will get you a shot at the title belt. This Week: BYE

5) Mississippi St. 9-1. The Bulldogs made a run at Bama after being dominated in the 1st half. But they shot themselves in the foot when it counted. Still, this is a pretty good team and Dak Prescott, yeah, he's pretty good too. They will probably end up in the playoff over TCU, but we don't agree with that. Just our opinion. This Week: vs. Vandy, Our Pick: Miss St. 35, Vandy 13

6) Ohio St. 9-1. We stick by our statement the Bucks are the most improved team in College Football over the course of the season. It mirror's J.T Barrett's growth. Are they Playoff contenders. Maybe not. But I wouldn't want to play them to find out. They are the kings of the Big 10 though. This Week: vs. Indiana, Our Pick: tOSU 37, Indiana 27

7) Baylor 9-1. Yes, we know, they beat TCU. But they lost badly to an ok West Va. team. And the schedule, outside the TCU and Oklahoma wins is oh, so soft. But they keep putting up big numbers every week and absolutely humiliated the Sooners in Norman. Which counts for something. This Week: vs. Oklahoma St., Our Pick: Baylor 51, Okie State 21

8) UCLA 8-2. Here's where things get dicey. The Bruins have been thoroughly unimpressive for the most part, but they are still very dangerous. They've gotten better each week. And they have Brett Hundley which counts for something. This Week: vs. USC, Our Pick: UCLA 37, USC 31

9) Ole Miss 8-2. The Rebs have lost the last 2 games that have counted. The offense may have gotten on track during their practice game vs. Presbyterian last week though. Injuries have decimated this team, but enough talent remains to cause havoc for others. This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: Ark 29, Ole Miss 23 UPSET!!!

10) Georgia 8-2. Their own worst enemies. But hey, they put together quite a game, totally dominating a good Auburn team last week. When the 'Dawgs' are on, they are dangerous good, when they remember who they are, they have a tendency to gag. Rather badly. And no, they won't miss Todd Gurley.  This Week: vs. Charleston Southern (Cupcake), Our Pick: UGA 51, Charleston Southern 10

11) Wisconisn 8-2. Any team featuring Melvin Gordon is going to be good. And dangerous. This is a very typical Wisconsin team, big, strong and outside Mr. Gordon, very slow. In other words a Big 10 team. They lost 2 close games, otherwise we'd be talking playoff team here. This Week: at Iowa, Our Pick: Wisconsin 47, Iowa 21.

12) Kansas St. 7-2. Never great, always good. Jake Waters has carried them, statistically they shouldn't be this good, yet they are. Though we thought they'd give TCU a better fight then they did. This Week: at West Va., Our Pick: West Va. 41, K-State 33

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



Yeah...congrats to Troy, who won their 3rd game and moved out of our poll. While they've been bad, we are happy they've been able to graduate to mediocrity, it's a big improvement. We are quite sure SMU has the Toilet Bowl title wrapped up, but Georgia State is giving them a run for their money.

Enough of that...

5) Tulsa 2-8. Didn't this used to be a dangerous team to play. Oh, wait, that was back in the 1990's, never mind. But hey, they did beat SMU, so they season wasn't a total loss. Okay, maybe it was. This Week: at Houston, Our Pick: Houston 53, Tulsa 31

4) Kent State 1-9. What is this? Their game this week has been delayed by snow? It's never a good sign when you have to go somewhere where the snow total has outscored you too. Maybe the Golden Flashes should just tell the MAC to skip it? This Week at Buffalo (maybe), Our Pick: Buffalo/Lake Effect Snow 12 Feet, Kent St 3

3) Idaho 1-9. Fear not potato fans, the season is almost...mercifully over. Sure, you haven't been "blown out" by anyone and you won a game. But it was vs. New Mexico St. Look at it this way, you aren't in Buffalo (snow). This Week: BYE

2) Georgia St. 1-9. Two successes this year. 1) They won a game. 2) They lead the nation in worst rushing attack and worst rushing defense. Not easy to do. No, we won't post a Jeopardy video here. Though we did think about it. Anyway. This Week: at Clemson (really?), Our Pick: Clemson 30 daily doubles, Ga. State 5 daily doubles (think about it)

1) SMU 0-9. Wow! The ponies almost beat South Florida. Almost. Though rumor has it, it's not that big of an accomplishment anymore. But hey, near victory!



Haha! Yeah, we referenced Johnny Drama. The Mustangs continue the march to the Toilet bowl with another Florida team. This Week: at UCF, Our Pick: UCF 37, SMU 10

Victory!

Here's something new to get rid of the Rick Roll we threw on you to start this...

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Run Joey Run

You have no idea what song this is---it's from the mid 1970's...



And it describes the bizarreness that is this week in College Football in a way we can't as the polls confuse us and the College Football Playoff rankings make us say:



Because of course it does...

Alas, there are only 3 weeks or so left before any of this rankings madness means anything, but that isn't stopping the arguments.

Especially if you are a fan of TCU or Baylor.

And SEC fans, be worried. Be very worried. Depending on the next few weeks, you might find yourselves locked out of the CFP. Not because the teams are bad, but because they've Walking Dead cannibalized themselves...

But enough of that. Last Week we were 9-4 (thank god we picked Az. St to beat Notre Dame), which puts us at 106-27 on the season, which ain't half bad.

But enough about us...as the legend himself Casey Kasem (RIP) once said; "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Mississippi State. 9-0. D-Day. Moment of reckoning, time to find out if the dream continues. Last weeks practice game was a good tuneup for this one. Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Tall task for anyone. And with the pass defense not improving, we have our doubts.



This Week: at Alabama, Our Pick: Bama 37, Miss St. 36 UPSET!!!!! And game of the Year...

2) Florida St. 9-0. Still undefeated. And don't buy the hype that the Noles will lose. They aren't great, but they are much better than anyone else in the ACC. The week off will help, a lot. They aren't stellar at anything, but they are pretty good at everything. This Week: at Miami, Our Pick: FSU 41, Miami 23

3) Alabama 8-1. Folks, when the dust clears, this may very well be your championship team. They are much better than you think. Not perfect, but nobody this year is. With the defense they have and Amari Cooper, they will always have a chance to win. Don't buy that Blake Sims isn't prime time ready. He'll step up this week. This Week: See #1

4) TCU 8-1. Still don't think Trevone Boykin isn't one of the best players in College Football? Well, then you haven't watched the Frogs play. He's impressive. Odd seeing a Gary Patterson team living on offense not defense, but hey, they do play in the Big 12. The path is clear from here. This Week: at Kansas. Our Pick: TCU 48, Kansas 13

5) Oregon 9-1. Good win vs. Utah. But I still don't buy into these guys. They've yet to prove they won't fold under pressure or when losing. And the pass D isn't any better than Mississippi State's. Plus they are banged up. But they'll coast to the Pac 12 title game. This Week: BYE

6) Ohio St. 8-1. The most improved team of the season. As J.T Barnett has learned, the Bucks have gotten monumentally better. And last weeks win at Michigan State proved it. They aren't perfect and the loss to Va.Tech still hurts perception, but this could be a playoff team. This Week: at Minnesota, Our Pick: tOSU 37, Minnesota 33

7) Baylor 8-1. Sorry, we still don't love this team. They are very good. But not great. If not for Gary Patterson's brain fart, they lose to TCU. The West Va. loss was a bad one. Sure, they pounded Oklahoma, but the Sooners were overrated too. The path is clear, can they stay clean? This Week: BYE

8) Arizona St. 8-1. Yup, Arizona State. A very good team that annihilated Notre Dame. Somehow, they let UCLA slaughter them, but they've done enough to win every other game. They've been good not great, but the path is clear. Win out and it's Oregon for the Pac 12 title and likely playoff berth. This Week: at Oregon St., Our Pick: Az St 41, Oregon St 21

9) Auburn 7-2. No, the Tigers have no real excuse for losing to Texas A&M other than their defense sucks. Still, we never thought they'd go down at home to a team they should easily have beaten. Except maybe they aren't as good as we thought? Or they are...This Week: at Georgia, Our Pick: Georgia 53, Auburn 49 UPSET!!

10) Nebraska 8-1. Yes, Nebraska. They only have one loss folks. Really. Yeah, sure, we know, they play in the Big 10. But they are tough. And you don't hear them whining about Bo Pelini anymore. Plus they get Ameer Abdullah back this week and he's good. Very good. This Week: at Wisconsin, Our Pick: Huskers 31, Wisconsin 21

11) Ole Miss 8-2. So they stopped the bleeding with a practice gm. vs. Presbyterian. Good for them. The Rebels are pretty banged up, but still dangerous. But they go as Bo Wallace goes...and nobody knows how Bo Wallace goes until Bo Wallace plays. So there's that. This Week: BYE

12) Georgia 7-2. They get back in the poll cause Todd Gurley is back. Really though, we should nickname this team The Brain Farts. They always do something to keep them from being all they could be. When thinking, they are very good, When not, there's the Florida game. This Week: See #9.

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



Okay, so it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that SMU is our Toilet Bowl champs this year, though Georgia State is giving them a late run for their money. Thank god the two teams don't play, all 500 that would show up would need to have their eyes fixed afterwards....

5) Troy 2-8. Trojan man for the win! Yay Troy...Oh, wait, you played Ga. State last week? Well, someone had to win. That might not be enough to get out off the list. Sorry. But you still have a chance. This Week: at Idaho, Our Pick: Troy 38, Idaho 27

4) Idaho 1-8. So, the good news is nobody has blown you out. The bad news is outside beating crappy New Mexico State, you've lost all your other games. Which is why you reside here. And unfortunately, you may not be leaving. This Week: See #5

3) Kent State 1-9. Hey, at least you've scored 20 points in each of the past 2 games. Okay, so you lost both of them. But you did beat Army, though nobody is sure how. No, the Flashes aren't the worst team in CFB, but they are pretty close. This Week: Already played....and lost

2) Georgia State 1-9. Oh, pity the poor Panthers, one win the past 2 seasons. Unfortunately, they are the poster child for moving to Division 1 before being ready. And now they pay the price. Trent Miles is a good coach, but it will be several yrs before they'll be competitive. This Week: BYE

1) SMU 0-8. Wow, the Mustangs don't end the season til December 6th. 3 more wks of agony and suckage. But hey, the briefly had the lead vs. a crappy Tulsa team and scored 28 in a loss. Baby steps guys, baby steps. This Week: vs. South Florida, Our Pick: USF 31, SMU 13

Enjoy your song of the Week:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: What's Happening?

If you don't know what this is...and depending on your age, you might not...look it up.

One thing always predictable about the college football season is its unpredictability. It's the reason there should NEVER be a preseason poll. They are utterly meaningless. Teams get ranked in the preseason based on reputation, not performance. Which is a total disservice to them all.

But enough of that. We all want to know what is going to happen here in the homestretch...



It will all be settled on the field. Right?

Picks: Last week: 8-5---ew...worst week ever. But there is hope. Overall: 97-23. And well, ya know, that's pretty good if I do say so myself. And I do...

So without further adieu, to quote the late, great Casey Kasem, it's "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Mississippi State 8-0. Okay..we've avoided this for a few weeks now. And the Bulldogs barely escaped last week vs. Arkansas. But they did. However, at some point, the nations worst pass defense will bite them. Just not this week. THIS WEEK: vs. Tenn. Martin, (Really?), Our Pick: Miss St. 48, Tenn-Martin 3

2) Florida State 8-0. Sorry guys. You haven't been pretty...or popular. And you've barely escaped most every game. Admittedly, when you are the big dog, everyone is hunting you. But with all the chaos, often comes confusion. And you've been lucky. But hey, sometimes that is enough. This Week: vs. Virginia, Our Pick: FSU 31, UVA 17

3) Alabama 7-1. We have no idea why everyone underestimates these guys this season. What have they not done? Ok, they lost to Ole Miss in Oxford, not a big shocker. But hey, it doesn't matter. If they win out, they make the playoff. And nobody wants to play them when the Sabanator has time to prepare. This Week: at LSU, Our Pick: Alabama 37, LSU 33

4) Auburn 7-1. Another team that all they do is win. It doesn't matter how, or who, as long as you win. Another team that controls their own destiny and is getting better as the season goes. This Week: vs. Texas A&M, Our Pick: Auburn 48, Aggies 31

5) Kansas State 7-1. The only loss: Auburn. And only because the kicker failed. Do not sleep on this team. They are well coached. And they are well balanced. They are our pick to win the Little 9 (Big 12), because they play defense. We'll know for sure after Saturday. This Week: at TCU. Our Pick: K-State 41, TCU 38

6) Oregon 7-1. This is our pick for the most overrated team. They are not on the level with the top 4 on our list. They just aren't. If you get them down, they will fold. They always do. Yes, Marcus Mariota is awesome, we agree. But he's not enough to win the whole she-bangy...This Week: at Utah, Our Pick: Utah 37, Oregon 36 UPSET!!

7) TCU 7-1. Still trying to figure out how they escaped West Virginia. Thought for sure they were done, but alas, they won it. Another very dangerous team, with a scary good offense. The "D", that's a different issue. Not confident on the finish. This Week: see #5

8) Michigan St. 7-1. Can they win the B1G? Yup. Are they good enough to run with the SEC? Maybe. But win the Big 10, you get to go to the playoff. Even if the rest of the conference is pretty wretched. Connor Cook has been great, and the Defense is solid. This Week: vs, Ohio State, Our Pick: MSU 37, tOSU 31 (would be upset if in Columbus, it's not)

9) Arizona State 7-1. Time for a test. Todd Graham has done a good job here, reviving the program. Outside a brain fart vs. UCLA, they've been very good. Not flashy, just good. But tough times are ahead. Win this week, they could run the table and find themselves in the Pac 12 title game. This Week: vs. Notre Dame, Our Pick: ASU 27, Notre Dame 23

10) Notre Dame 7-1. If you are gonna be a top 10 team, you need to win the games you are supposed to. And Navy nearly came back and beat the Irish. That should never happen. This is a good, not great team in a year full of teams like this. So there's always a chance--This Week: See #9

11) Ole Miss 7-2. Back-to-back tough losses. Really tough losses. This is a really good defensive team that's been inconsistent on offense. They can't win the SEC West anymore, but they might have a say in who does. Hate to see what happened to Laquon Treadwell, that..ooof. Anyway---This Week: vs Presbyterian (huh?), Our Pick: Ole Miss 41, Presby 10

12) Ohio St. 7-1. Yes, I'm ranking them here. It's my poll. And I think they've gotten better every week. The Va.Tech loss hurts though. We like J.T Barnett and this is a stout defense. If only they played at home this week. Oh well...This Week: See #8

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



This is getting tougher to pick each week. Some of our regulars here are actually winning games. We're so confused. How can we have crappy teams if there aren't any crappy teams.

Oh, wait...then there is SMU...

5) Kent State 1-8. Oh you Kent State. MAC Action---it's fan--tastic. Well, fall and soon winter is up you Golden Flashes. And hey, that means basketball. Which surely will be better than Football. So there's that. Good luck and godspeed. This Week (Nov 12th): at Bowling Green, Our Pick: Bowling Green 38, Kent State 10

4) Idaho 1-8. Go potatoes. You managed to squeeze defeat out of the jaws of victory. You had Arkie State down after 3 quarters and lost by 2 TD's. Hey, enjoy the snow. This Week: at San Diego State, Our Pick: Aztecs 43, Idaho 31

3) Troy 1-8. Well, it's almost over. And brother Jon reported noted H.S Football coach Rush Probst wants to replace Larry Blakely next year. We ask: Why? This season has been an unmitigated disaster and it may not get better anytime soon. Okay, maybe this week. This Week: vs. Ga. State, Our Pick: Troy 24, Ga.State 13

2) Georgia State 1-8. Yes Panther fan, you drop because you had 6 yards rushing and we're left to wither in the Appalachian State snow. Come on now. A little snow and cold won't hurt you. You can do better than that? Right? This Week: See Above

1) SMU 0-7. Good news Mustang fan. You didn't get beat by the Bye last week. Right? You didn't lose that game...did you? Wha? Oh, never mind. Way too many games left (5) none of which really are winnable. So there is that. Good luck in the coaching search. This Week: at Tulsa, Our Pick: Tulsa 21, SMU 3

Here is your song of the week, a good...and different choice from Milky Chance--yes, they are German:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Truth!

And the truth is, we've hit the College Football Playoff rankings time.

Let's just say, the way overhyped first edition left more than a few observers scratching their collective heads.

Okay, maybe not all of us.

Our point is; that's not going to be how they finish. No way. Too many rivalry games. All the SEC West teams still play one another. And TCU still has to play Kansas State.

A lot of things will change. Trust us. Things in college football always change.



Haha! Enjoy your cheesy 1980's video---

Us, we're moving on. Mostly because there's some bragging to be done here....

11-2 last week. Not bad. We've been pretty consistent this season. Consistently good that is!....Haha!

No, seriously, the 11-2 mark makes us 89-18 on the season and while not perfect, it is pretty damn impressive...

But enough about me. It's time to get "On with the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 7-0. Still don't like them. Still hope they lose. But not seeing it. Jimbo Fisher is a moron who thinks the SEC and ESPN is ganging up on him. Ha! You really are stupid Jimbo. You don't get it. It's not, nor has it ever been about you. But...they still are the defending champs and as the Nature Boy always says;



And that ain't happening. This Week: at Lousiville, Our Pick: FSU 38, Louisville 31

2) Mississippi State 7-0. Sure, they struggled with a better Kentucky team. But they get credit for surviving the 1st part of their SEC gauntlet. Still have games with Bama and Ole Miss left. Survive that and yeah, you may be the man...This Week: vs. Arkansas, Our Pick: Miss St. 37, Ark. 23

3) Alabama 7-1. Are they back? Did they ever leave? Sure...they coasted after getting a quick lead on Tennessee but nobody can stop Amari Cooper on offense. He and Blake Sims have transformed a once slow motion Tide offense. And that may get them back to the title game. Sigh...This Week: BYE

4) Auburn 7-1. Time to play big boy football there Tigers. You've had a few good breaks this season. The offense has struggled at times. The defense more so. But time to step up. After this week, you still have Georgia and Alabama to deal with. This Week: at Ole Miss, Our Pick: Ole Miss 27, Auburn 23

5) Ole Miss 7-1. Best defense in all the land. And had Bo Wallace not totally brain-farted, the Rebs might still be undefeated. But that's all it takes to change the season. These guys still have a chance to get in the playoff. Win this week and all that's left is the Egg Bowl. This Week: See #4

6) Kansas St. 7-1. The Wildcats are a couple missed field goals from being undefeated. And they are much better than you think. They just quietly go about their business and in the Big 9(12), as long as you play defense you have a shot. They play defense. This Week: vs. Oklahoma St., Our Pick: K-State 38, Okie St. 31

7) Oregon 7-1. The Ducks are still the Ducks and they'll always be loved by the pollsters. And as long as they have Marcus Mariota, they have a chance to beat anyone. But as always--they still suck on defense and tend to lose if under pressure. We'll see if that holds true. This Week: vs. Stanford, Our Pick: Oregon 43, Stanford 31

8) Michigan State 7-1. Your Little 10 champs? Maybe. We should know better after this week. They've scored a ton of points this year, given up a lot too. Beat Ohio State, they are likely to walk away with the title. B1G title that is. This Week: BYE

9) TCU 7-1. The temptation is to rank them higher after Trevonne Boykin and his pals dropped 82 on Texas Tech. And hey, that makes them the #1 in scoring avg this season. But...there are still roadblocks ahead. And if the Froggies don't play better D, they won't get past them. This Week: at West Virginia, Our Pick: West By-Gawd 51, TCU 47---UPSET ALERT!!

10) Notre Dame 7-1. Confession. We are not fans of the Irish. And it sometimes affects our ranking of the boys from South Bend. But...keep in mind, it's mostly because they are usually way overrated. This, to us, is the right place for them. But they could jump if the teams ahead cannibalize themselves. This Week: at Navy, Our Pick: Notre Dame 41, Navy 23

11) Georgia 7-1. Bad news--no Todd Gurley for 2 more weeks. Good news--The Dawgs haven't needed him. The improving defense has helped UGA get the table set to make this a memorable season. But they too always seem to gag under pressure. Can they avoid it this year? This Week: vs. Florida, Our Pick: UGA 23, UF 13

12) Arizona 7-1. Go Rich Rods...A bad, close loss to to Southern Cal is the only blemish for the Wildcats. But props to these guys. They've become relevant again after a long time out of the spotlight. And hey, they beat Oregon. So that counts too. This Week: at UCLA, Our Pick: Fighting Rodriguez's 37, UCLA 30

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) UConn 1-6. Oh, poor, poor UConn. How many years ago was it you were playing in the Fiesta Bowl game? Amazing how fast fortunes can turn. This is a bad team that is likely to run the table. Except they finish with a Toilet Bowl game vs. SMU. This Week: vs. UCF, Our Pick: UCF 37, UConn 12

4) Georgia State 1-7. Guess the Panthers picked a bad week to play the nations best running team last week. 600 plus yards and 60-plus points later, Ga. Southern walked away with a win. There may be A winnable game on the schedule, but which one? This Week: at Appalachian St., Our Pick: Appy State 37, Ga. State 21

3) Tulsa 1-6. Another team that had a good run in the not so distant past. But hard times have come to their town. And we don't know if things are going to get better either. (Cheesy 80's music references--look them up). This Week: at Memphis, Our Pick: Memphis 31, Tulsa 23

2) Troy 1-7. The Trojans need to just write off this season. It's been ug, ug, ugly and it's not going to get better either...



No, even Trojan Man can save them. This Week: at Ga. Southern, Our Pick: Ga.Southern 51, Trojan Man 27

1) SMU 0-7. Come on man! Mack Brown? Really? Mack can't be that stupid, this is a horrid team. Must have been some sort of dream by the Dallas Morning News. Right? And hey, the Mustangs hit double figures last week (10pts)...so things are looking up. This Week: BYE, Our Pick: BYE 41, SMU 3 Ha!

So...are ya ready for November? Things are getting ready to change...a lot. Too many teams playing too many teams in the polls. They will cannibalize themselves. Really, they will...just wait and see...

We leave you with New Music Thursday---a very cool song:

Could Mack Brown Take SMU Job?

((ht: dallasnews.com))

Huh? Sure, $4 million is a lot of money to coach a football team, but SMU? Why would you put yourself through that?

According to a report in Friday mornings Dallas Morning News, SMU is floating a $4 million a year offer to former University of Texas head coach Mack Brown to take over the team.

Brown is currently a College Football analyst/coach-in-waiting at ESPN, where he apparently is enjoying the time away. He's stated that he won't do anything until he finishes the season there.

Read the DallasNews.com report, which includes an awfully optimistic list of potential head coaches RIGHT HERE

Why would you hire a coach like Brown who essentially is going to have to rebuild the entire program? Yeah, sure, the Mustangs had some good years under former coach June Jones who got them to some bowl games. But his best year was an 8-5 season.

Throwing around that kind of money would indicate SMU AD Rick Hart is willing to play with the big boys, sure. We get that.

But that part of this that nobody--at least nobody in Texas is talking about is that this is SMU. The Mustangs are, in every aspect, the WORST team in College Football this season.

Outside of one game where they erupted for 21 points (and they lost), they've not scored more than 6 points in any other game.

Maybe Brown will take the job, find the fountain of youth and return SMU to their 1980's glory. Though according to the story, that wouldn't happen until Brown finishes the season as fired coach/analyst for ESPN.

We wish SMU luck. But remember who you are. There is nothing wrong with shooting high, but remember that you should probably aim low...

((P.M Update--Hart Tweeted out Friday afternoon that to his knowledge, nobody from SMU or the search committee has reached out to Brown or his reps. In some respects it would make sense because this is such a surprising story. But, someone has at least floated the idea--or there wouldn't be people throwing it out there to reporters))

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: Who's With Me?

No, despite there only being four undefeated teams, it ain't over yet--

We're about to hit the homestretch in the College Football season...otherwise known as November. And there are still plenty of hurdles even the undefeated teams will have to clear. 

We know that the SEC West appears to be the best conference in all the land, but will any of those teams have enough left to beat Georgia in the SEC title game?

Casey

And we know that Notre Dame may or may not have gotten jobbed in Tallahassee, a game we secretly hoped both teams would lose...alas, that was not possible.

But enough of that, there's pickin' to be done....

Last week, so 11-3 ain't bad...right? And we called the West Va. win. That makes us 78-16 on the season. (We don't pick the spread...not that smart)

But anyway...

To quote the late, great Casey Kasem....it's "On with the countdown"....

THE DIRTY DOZEN

1) Florida State 7-0. Yeah SEC fans, I said it. They are still #1. Not necessarily because they are the best team, but they will run the table. No guarantees anyone else in the FBS can do that. And more importantly...

And nobody has been able to do that. This Week: BYE

2) Mississippi State 6-0. The bye last week had to help them because they came off 3 straight tough games. And are now everyone's darlings. But unless they shore up the pass defense (last in FBS), Alabama will beat them in a couple weeks. This Week: vs. Kentucky, Our Pick: Miss St. 38, KY 17

3) Ole Miss 7-0. We're still in shock to Mississippi teams are in the top 3. That may very well be a sign of the apocalypse. Their achilles heel is offense, the O is inconsistent, but a strong D more than makes up for it. The next 2 weeks will determine how big the Egg Bowl will be. This Week: at LSU, Our Pick: Ole Miss 24, LSU 23--close call

4) Alabama 6-1. Today's lesson: Don't make Nick Saban angry. You won't like Saban when he's angry. He and the Tide went all Hulk on Texas A and M and now they get Saban's work partner Coach Kiffykins returning to the scene of one of his crimes. Already it's been fun. This Week: at Tennessee, Our Pick: Bama 45, Tenn. 23

5) Auburn 5-1. Somehow these guys always fly under the radar. Sure, they got beat by Miss. St. but they are dangerous. Very dangerous. We suspect they will have a voice in who goes to the SEC title game and the playoff. This Week: vs. South Carolina, Our Pick: Auburn 41, S.Carolina 27

6) Oregon 6-1. We put the Duckies here only because we think the Pac 12 is better than the little 10. They are likely to be a playoff team, but we don't think they are better than anyone ranked ahead of them. IMO. But I could be wrong. This Week: at Cal, Our Pick: Oregon 51, Cal 31

7) Michigan St. 6-1. Your best of the Little 10. And they are pretty good. But Oregon did beat them. And playing in the 10, they aren't going to be pushed too hard. The only test: 3 weeks from now they play Ohio St. This Week: vs. Michigan, Our Pick: Mich St. 38, Mich 27

8) Georgia 6-1. Another dangerous team with a history of shooting themselves in the foot. If indeed they get Todd Gurley back, they become scary good. The D has improved each week. With Gurley and Chubb, they just play keep away. The only test left--vs. Auburn in November. This Week: BYE

9) Notre Dame 6-1. This is one of their better, tougher teams. They should have beaten FSU, but didn't. But they are Notre Dame, they'll get love. The pass defense needs work, but Everett Golston has been outstanding. And no roadblocks ahead. This Week: BYE

10) TCU 5-1. Outside a Gary Patterson brain fart, they have been the best of the Big 9(12). The D hasn't been great, but QB Trevonne Boykin has been a revelation. And the reason the Horned Frogs are scary good on offense. This Week: vs. Texas Tech, Our Pick: TCU 48, T-Tech 31

11) Kansas State 5-1. If not for a bad Field Goal kicker, they beat Auburn and are undefeated. And yes, Bill Snyder is a wizard of some sorts, he just keeps producing good teams in the middle of the Kansas plains. This Week: vs. Texas, Our Pick: K-State 31, Texas 21

12) Ohio State 5-1. It took the Buckeyes a couple weeks to find their footing, but they have. Outside Mich. St, they are the only other serious threat in the Little 10. JT Barrett has been a revelation, and for the Urbanator, that's all he needs. This Week: at Penn St., Our Pick: tOSU 38, Penn St. 27

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

Oy, there's only one NO WIN team left here (SMU). What ever are we to do? Too many of our past lists have had multiple no win teams on it. But hey, maybe that just means everyone is getting better.

Or not....

5) Georgia St. 1-6. The Panthers should never have jumped to the FBS as fast as they did. They were not ready. And are now just everyone's cupcake game. They are playing their polar opposite this week, who waited until they were ready to jump. And now are scaring everyone. This Week: vs. Ga.Southern, Our Pick: Ga.Southern 43, Ga.State 21 (was there doubt?)

4) Idaho 1-6. Yay! The Vandals stole a game. Even though it was last week, it's not enough to get them off the Barrel--yet. They still can't stop the run. Though they should be able to manage it this week. This Week: BYE

3) Troy 1-6. There was hope for the retiring Larry Blakeney after a win. Then they play Appalachian State and got annihilated. So, the misery continues. They do have games with Ga.State and Idaho left, so there is hope. This Week: at South Alabama. Our Pick: S.Alabama 31, Troy 27

2) Miami OH 1-7. Oh how some things never change. They too finally won a game, but have done nothing with that momentum. At all. No defense and little offense, means you often will lose. This Week: vs. Kent State, Our Pick: Kent St. 37, Miami OH 36

1) SMU 0-6. Pity the poor Mustangs. They've been shut out twice and hit double figures in points once. That folks, is not good. And things aren't getting any better. This Week: vs. Memphis, Our Pick: Memphis 43, SMU 6

For you SMU fans--

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Who Loves Ya Baby?

Yeah...



NOTE---He used to be the "Most Interesting Man in the World"...circa late 1970's...

Anyway....

It appears the state of Mississippi is the place to be in College Football this season. At least the past two weeks. Mississippi was perhaps one of the most "un-loved" football states in the world...until this year.

We don't know if someone there sold their soul to the devil for this success...



If you don't get this reference---The movie is called Crossroads from 1986, look it up, it will then make sense..

Moving on--one of the things that makes us laugh in Sports is the "If the playoff happened today?" question.



Mostly because we have far too long left to go in the season. A lot will happen. Teams will lose. And there will be doubts about who should be in the playoffs. Yet Sports talking heads keep telling us the teams each week will be THAT team. Lots will change...

Count on it...

But enough of that, you are here for our poll and our picks. Of course you are, we are very good at such things, better than given credit for.

And did we add, modest? That's because we were 11-3 last week. Yeah...And that makes us 67-13 on the season, which is pretty damn good.

But enough of that, as our pal Casey Kasem once said "On with the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida St. 6-0. Yes. We still have these clowns at #1. No, they haven't been pretty. They've won, but barely. And no, they really haven't played anyone of significance. But they are the defending national champs. And their only remaining test comes this week. (Aside from the Winston shenanigans) This Week: vs. Notre Dame, Our Pick: FSU 41, ND 37

2) Mississippi St. 6-0. Okay, we know everyone has these guys at #1, they've beaten overrated Texas A&M and Auburn in consecutive weeks. They are solid. Dak Prescott is the new Tebow...blah, blah, blah. And yeah, they'll stay here a couple weeks. But won't finish here. This Week: BYE

3) Ole Miss 6-0. The Rebs have not been pretty but they've won. The defense is good. Really good. The offense is good enough. But they are in the SEC west and we don't think they'll run the table. But we could be wrong. This Week: vs. Tennessee, Our Pick: Ole Miss 28, Tennessee 21

4) Notre Dame 6-0. Yeah...sigh...they are 6-0. Everett Golson has been clutch and they are Notre Dame. But they're also undefeated, which is enough to get them into this slot. For now. We don't believe the Irish are as good as advertised. A few "pundits" are picking them to win this week. We aren't among them. This Week: See #1

5) Baylor 6-0. Does anyone believe this is a title contending team? Sure, they can outscore you. And that goes a long way. But they can't stop anyone. If not for some odd decisions by Gary Patterson last week, the Bears would have lost. Really, they would have. But they survived and have only Little 9 (Big12) games left. This Week: at West Va., Our Pick: West By-Gawd 47, Baylor 46. UPSET!!

6) Auburn 5-1. Okay, count us among those surprised the Tigers lost last week. But they've been struggled the past couple of weeks, the offense not as good as advertised. Nick Marshall has been good, not great. And there are some tests left. This Week: BYE

7) Alabama 5-1. So the fighting Sabans have come back to earth. A loss to Ole Miss and they were lucky to escape last week vs. Arkansas. The offense has been less than consistent though the defense is still pretty good. And they are Alabama. This Week: at Texas A&M. Our Pick: Bama 31, A and M 21

8) Oregon 5-1. The Duckies got their hiccup out of the way early. Injuries on the O-Line have hurt, but they are getting healthy again. And they have Marcus Mariota, which is enough most weeks to win. The hard part of the schedule is over. This Week: vs. Washington, Our Pick: Oregon 48, Wash. 21

9) Michigan St. 5-1. The best team in the B1G, we think. But that's not saying much. Outside the loos at Oregon, they haven't been challenged much. And won't be for a couple more weeks. Enjoy the ride for now. This Week: at Indiana, Our Pick: Mich.St. 41, Indiana 23

10) Oklahoma 5-1. The Sooners almost let an outgunned Texas team come back and beat them. Which alone is enough to raise questions. Outside the loss to TCU, they've dominated the Little 9 (Big12). That won't change...for now. This Week: vs. Kansas St., Our Pick: OU 37, K-State 33

11) Georgia 5-1. Ok, raise your hand if you thought the 'Dawgs would crush Mizzou, in Mizzou? Without their best player. Nick Chubb is a beast, the defense is improving. But unless the figure out how to throw deep, they'll get beat again. Just don't know by who. This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: UGA 34, Ark 31

12) Ohio St. 4-1. Wait! What! A second B1G (Big10) team in the dozen. Yeah, we know, but there was a full-on-eclipse this month too. And Hawaii is gonna get hit by a 3rd hurricane this year. But hey, the Buckaroos have played well, scoring a ton of points. They haven't missed much. And the schedule, while cupcake city, is manageable. This Week: vs. Rutgers. Our Pick: tOSU 27, Rutgers 23

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



Somehow, UMass won a game last week. Sure, it was only Kent State, but they managed to figure out how not to lose it, which for them is a marked improvement. So they escape this list...at least for a week.

5) Appalachian State 1-5. If not for the fact they played Campbell, they'd be winless. And sure, they've been close to winning. But that doesn't count. The move to FCS has not been kind, but if they're lucky, they might get off this list. This Week: at Troy, Our Pick: Troy 33, App St. 31

4) Miami, OH 1-6. They're back. Sure, they finally broke a 21-game losing streak a couple weeks ago vs. UMass. Which bought them one week. The Redhawks followed that with a resounding loss...to Akron. MAC action baby! This Week: at Northern Illinois, Our Pick: N.Ill 43, Miami OH 21

3) Kent State 0-6. We give you the FCS's worst running team. 68-yards a game. The defense and passing attack isn't much better. But they play in the MAC, so anything could happen. This Week: vs. Army. Our Pick: Army 37, Kent 21

2) Idaho 0-6. Another team that does pretty much nothing well. Which is why they are ranked here. They did...briefly scare Ga.Southern....briefly. This Week: vs. New Mexico St, Our Pick: NM State 31, Idaho 21

1) SMU 0-5. Lucky for them, the BYE has no defense, otherwise they'd have lost on the off week too. The only thing to look ahead to, they scored 24 the last time out vs. a ranked team. Sure they gave up 45, but ya gotta start somewhere. This Week: vs. Cincinnati, Our Pick: Cincy 54, SMU 10

And there you go. It should be a good week to watch some football. So watch away...and we'll leave you with one of our favorite new groups, St. Paul and the Broken Bones

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Game On!

Yup, finally, after 4 weeks of mostly cupcake games or arguably exhibition games, the College Football season "kicks it up a notch"



A bunch of good, hopefully competitive games with possibly the best of them being Alabama vs. Ole Miss.

And when's the last time you could say Ole Miss was in a game with title implications?

Without further ado, we'll jump right into things: Oh, wait...we were 12-0 last week in our picks.

Wait, what? Yeah, 12-0 bitches...that makes us 47-5 on the season.

Tell 'em Sir Paul:



Okay, enough fun stuff time to get down to business and as Casey Kasem always said, "On With The Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 4-0. Arrghh...we hate to put these guys here. Mostly because we want Jameis Winston to lose. And he almost did last week, but when NC State went up by 10 in the 3rd quarter, Winston and his teammates responded. (This Week: vs. Wake Forest, Our Pick: FSU 48, Wake 10)

2) Alabama 4-0. Okay, so maybe the odd couple will work. Saban and Kiffin BFF's, who knew? The Tide is good, though not as good as past teams. But this year, it still may be enough--if they can survive the SEC West gauntlet. (This Week: at Ole Miss, Our Pick: Alabama 24, Ole Miss 23)

3) Oklahoma 4-0. Yes, Oklahoma. They are probably gonna run the table guys. Deal with it. Unless they go bonehead, this will be one of your 4 Playoff teams. And they should be, they are pretty good. (This Week: at TCU. Our Pick: Oklahoma 31, TCU 23)

4) Oregon 4-0. Sorry Ducks, you fall after barely beating Washington St. Yes, we know it was in god-forsaken Pullman, but still. The Mike Leach's aren't that good. If you want to be a title contender, you need to win more convincingly. Deal with it. (This Week: vs. Arizona, Our Pick: Oregon 41, Arizona 33)

5) Auburn 4-0. Right, they beat La. Tech. So what...They struggled early and pulled away late from a team they shouldn't struggle with. But we don't blame them for being uninterested. It gets real for them this week. Les Miles real. (This Week: vs. LSU, Our Pick: Auburn 43, LSU 27)

6) UCLA 4-0. The Bruins finally looked like the team everyone thought they'd be last week at Arizona State. Brett Hundley stepped it up and UCLA just flat ran away from the Sun Devils. Big win. (This Week: vs. Utah, Our Pick: UCLA 37, Utah 21)

7) Texas A&M 5-0. Barely. Not barley. Oh boy, Kenny Hill is the real deal. He rescued the Aggies who nearly lost to Arkansas. In College Station. It wouldn't have shocked us, just surprised us. But that's only the 1st test. (This Week: at Miss. St., Our Pick: UPSET--Miss St. 27, Aggies 23)

8) Notre Dame 4-0. Yes, they get to be #8. For now. But honestly folks, outside a game vs. FSU, there's nothing on the schedule that will trip these guys up. But we could be wrong. (This Week: vs. Stanford, Our Pick: Irish 31, Trees 21)

9) Baylor 4-0. This is a flawed team. You may not have seen it yet. But we don't believe the defense is strong enough to get these guys to the playoff. We could be wrong, but we are pretty confident in this despite Bryce Petty being pretty awesome. (This Week: at Texas, Our Pick: Baylor 43, Texas 21)

10) Ole Miss 4-0. That's right peeps. Ole Miss stays in the #10 slot this week. And their 1st shot at glory in a long, long time. This is a good team, but they've not played anyone but cupcakes. That is about to change in a big way. They'll keep it close on energy alone. (This Week: see #2)

11) Miss. St 4-0. Two Mississippi teams in the Dozen. This may never happen again in our long and proud future. But it's happening this week. Beating LSU in Death Valley..at night. And doing it convincingly...almost. That's big. This week is arguably bigger (This Week: see #7)

12) Georgia 3-1. If you have Todd Gurley, you have a chance to be great every week. The Bulldogs haven't been, but Gurley has been enough to beat just about everyone. We think the defense will get better, but they need to find a quarterback who can throw the ball further than me. (This Week: vs. Vanderbilt, Our Pick: Gurley Men 43, Vandy 17)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) Idaho 0-4. Oh, ye poor Vandal fan. Sure, you've been close in most of your games, but you were manhandled by South Alabama a below average Sun Belt team. But hey, winter is coming. So there is that. (This Week: at Texas St, Our Pick: Texas St. 30, Idaho 20)

4) Troy State 0-5. Hey, smile Trojan man, you nearly beat La. Monroe. That has to be a bright spot...right? Coming off the Georgia massacre, it has to be encouraging. (This Week: at New Mexico St., Our Pick: NM State 33, Troy 28)

3)UMass 0-5. MAC Action...catch the fever! We will hand it to the Minute men. They dropped 42 on Bowling Green last week. But they gave up 47, so yeah, that's another one in the loss column. Tide's have to turn for these guys at some point, maybe this will be their week. (This Week: at Miami, OH, Our Pick: UMass 31, Miami--Oh)

2) Miami, OH 0-5. Yes, we've moved them out of the bottom of the bottom of the barrel...for now. With one of the worst rushing attacks in all of College Football (ranked 102nd), the Redhawks, well, they struggle at times. 2 straight seasons without a win will do that. (This Week: See #3)

1) SMU 0-4. Yes...SMU. They've earned the worst of the worst moniker for one reason. 12 points in 4 games. That's 3 points a game and that is pretty damn bad. Statistically, they are at the bottom of pretty much every list. But then again, that's why they are the worst team in College Football too. (This Week: at East Carolina (yikes!), Our Pick: ECU 70, SMU 3)

Special thanks to the folks at Delta this week because as we finish this weeks column, we're about 30,000 feet over America's heartland headed to Denver for a little R and R and a trip to the Great American Beer Festival.

Cheers y'all....

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Anarchy...or Not?

Well, so far, we've had a few close calls, a few upsets (minor) and a lot of overhyping. All three things have defined a College Football season that so far can be defined as: Meh...

Outside last week when Jameis Winston cost himself the Heisman Trophy repeat and nearly cost Florida State a shot at a repeat title, everything that happened happened and no real chaos ensued...



Or not...

Surely that is in our future, but uh...not this week, the slate of games, while not exactly cupcake week, doesn't exactly feature any barn burners either. Those happen--we hope...in October.

It sure is helping our bottom line as evidence by us going 12-2 last week in picks. That puts the total thus far at 35-5, which folks, is pretty darn good.

With so little to talk about folks, we'll throw Casey out there and say "On with the countdown"


THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida St. 3-0. This pains us. Morally we want them to lose so maybe they understand how they are enabling Jameis Winston. But that ain't happening right now. This applies:



And that ain't happening this week. (This Week: at NC State. Our Pick: FSU 41, NCState 23)

2) Oklahoma 4-0. The Sooners had a tough time in West by god Virginia, but that wasn't a surprise. They still won. We aren't sold they are in this for the long haul, but there is nobody in the Big 9 we think that is capable of knocking them off. (This Week: BYE)

3) Oregon 4-0. The Duckies also struggled at Washington State, but did eeek out the win. We see this team as being very similar to Oregon teams in the past. They haven't played any of the PAC 12 teams that will push them hard. Yet. (This Week: BYE)

4) Alabama 4-0. Yes, the Tide annihilated a highly overrated Florida team. But this is still a team with flaws. However, Blake Sims has been a revelation and Amari Cooper has been fantastic. Oddly, the defense may be their biggest concern. (This Week: BYE)

5) Auburn 3-0. We were surprised to see how much they struggled with a game K-State team. Even though it was a road game. The Wildcats kept the Tigers offense largely in check. And had a chance to win, but didn't. One more week for Auburn before schedule gets tough. (This Week: vs. La.Tech. Our Pick: Auburn 49, La. Tech 12)

6) Texas A&M 4-0. Trill Hill continues to put up big numbers, the Aggies continue to roll. But consider the opponents, 3 cupcakes and a South Carolina team with so-so defense. It's about to get tougher as the SEC West schedule kicks in in earnest. (This Week: vs. Arkansas. Our Pick: Aggies 37, Ark. 23)

7) Mississippi St. 4-0. Yeah, beating LSU in Death Valley will get you here. Now can you stay? Dak Prescott was awesome and until a late 4th quarter collapse, so was the defense. They looked like a title contender. Will it last? (This Week: BYE)

8) Baylor 3-0. Stop us if you've heard this before. Tons of points, questionable defense and conference with few challengers. Oh, and likely to fold when pushed. Yeah, all these have described Baylor for the past couple of seasons. And that isn't going to change. (This Week: at Iowa St. Our Pick: Baylor 51, Iowa St. 38)

9) Notre Dame 3-0. Arggh! This hurts us to put these guys here. The schedule has been cupcake palooza. But they are ND and they get ranked if they win. And we don't wanna put a one loss team above them...yet. (This Week: at Syracuse. Our Pick: ND 30, Cuse 20)

10) Ole Miss 3-0. Again undefeated and they've dominated a string of cupcakes. What'cha gonna do when the pressure is on? Oh, did we add they are in the brutal SEC West? The schedule kicks in soon, but not this week. (This Week: vs. Memphis. Our Pick: Ole Miss 35, Memphis 21)

11) Georgia 2-1. Okay, yeah, we put a one loss team here. The feeling is this team will get better as the season goes on. The defense is the only question and they are young. But they won't be tested as much as we thought. Or will they? (This Week: vs. Tennessee. Our Pick: UGA 37, Vols 23)

12) Arizona St. 3-0. Time to find out if they are contenders or pretenders. And yes, they are undefeated. And no, they haven't really played anyone of note. That's about to change. (This Week: vs. UCLA. Our Pick: UCLA 28, Arizona St. 21)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL



5) UMass 0-4. Oh you poor Minutemen. You still are masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. And you've been a perennial occupant of our list of crappy teams. We don't expect that to change anytime soon. (This Week: vs. Bowling Green. Our Pick: BGU 13, UMass 12)

4) Rice Krispies 0-3. Sigh. We thought about making Rice Krispies jokes, but we've used up most of them over the past couple seasons. Regular readers..or reader should know this. So we will stop. (This Week: at Southern Miss. Our Pick: Southern Miss 21, Rice 17)

3) Troy 0-4. Zoinks. They play UGA, get ball first, drive down field and miss a field goal. They never came close to scoring again getting beat 66-0. Yes, 66-0. Sigh...(This Week: at LaMonroe. Our Pick: Monroe 45, Troy 13)

2) Miami OH 0-4. Another long time cellar dweller who hasn't really shown any signs of climbing out. MAC Inaction! Woooo! (This Week: at Buffalo. Our Pick: Buffalo 33 Wings, OH Miami 10)

1) SMU 0-4. How can you score 12 points in 4 games and call yourselves a Division 1 football team? Oh, and your coach walked away from the mess after 2 of those games. Don't expect to leave this spot all season long. (This Week: vs. TCU Our Pick: TCU 47, SMU 3)

Enjoy your late '70's early '80's concept music video:

Must Be Nice Having Your Own Security Detail

((HT: Chris Vlahos))

The HQ had heard about this yesterday, but now we have definitive proof that the folks in College Station DO NOT mess around when it comes to Reveille VIII.

If you're a receiver and you get within the area code of the Texas A&M mascot, this might happen to you...


Vlahos tells us that A&M sophomore Ryan Kreider gets all ths kudos with the shoulder tackle...

Nice work...

DEVELOPING: June Jones Resigns From SMU

((HT: NBCDFW))

June Jones was in his seventh season with the SMU Mustangs, with a record of 36-43.

He brought the team from it's way-beyond-awful past- which could be chronicled here more than anything...
((HT: ESPN))


To the point where they were in bowl games and exciting out of Conference USA (of all places)...

BUT... and this is a big BUT... where messages may get lost over time or the engine blows its transmission and can't recover...

This may have been the time...

SMU opened this season with a 45-0 loss at Baylor, and then dropped a 43-6 game at North Texas on Saturday when the Mustangs' only touchdown came on the last play of the game.
((HT: d210tv))


After that loss, Jones submitted his resignation:

"This afternoon, I talked to my staff and players and notified them that I have decided to resign as SMU head football coach effective immediately,” said Jones. “It was a very difficult decision for me to make, as you can imagine. I have devoted my life for the last 50 years to playing and coaching this game and it has been a great journey. This job has a lot of demands, as you know, and along with that journey comes a price that is paid. I have some personal issues I have been dealing with and I need to take a step away so I can address them at this time.

“We have some talented and really good kids, who just happen to be young. Tom Mason will take over the head coaching duties. Tom has done a great job with the defense since coming to SMU. This being a bye week will give all the coaches and players a chance to evaluate themselves and make the changes needed for their preparation in getting ready for the next couple games and conference play the rest of the way. I would like to thank all the people here at SMU that have supported the vision we have had here. I feel we have made SMU relevant again in football by going to four bowls in my six years as a Mustang. I am very thankful for the opportunity I was given and wish only the best for the players, coaches and administration at SMU."

AD Rick Hart released a statement of is own:

“June’s decision to resign was his own, and we thank him for his efforts and wish him the best," Hart said. “As we embark upon the process of identifying our next head football coach, we are positioned to attract quality candidates due to the progress our program has made under June’s leadership. When we hoist championship trophies in the future, it will be possible because of the groundwork laid by Coach Jones, his staff and our student-athletes.”

Bruce Feldman, over at Fox Sports, has a list of possible successors after this season including: Houston Nutt, Larry Coker, Butch Davis, Rick Neuheisel, Mark Hudspeth, Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman, and Clemson OC Chad Morris, a former Texas high school coach.

The second level from Feldman: Texas A&M OC Jake Spavital; ECU OC Lincoln Riley, Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery, and ASU OC Mike Norvell.

Life Without RG3 Is Fine At Baylor. Bears Crush Mustangs In 2012 Season Opener

The post RG3 began Sunday night with the Bears crushing former SWC rival SMU 59-24.

The honor to take over the starting quarterback position goes to Nick Florence, who received and encouraging text for Griffin before the game.

"He just told me to be myself," Florence said. "I learned a lot from (Griffin). He's done a lot for our program. Just because he leaves, doesn't mean anything different happens here."

What happened was the Baylor offense looked just as good as last year.  Florence final numbers against the SMU was impressive completing 21 of 30 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns. 

"I thought it was a good performance, but I want to get better.”  Florence said.  “I wanted zero incompletions. I thought it was a great first start, but I want to keep getting better. I had a blast out there."

"Nick was Nick, and that's what you are going to love about him.”  Baylor head coach Art Briles said.  “He's an intelligent, passionate, driven player that places himself second.”

Here’s a game story from KWTX-TV, Waco, Texas

SMU And Larry Brown

SMU needed a head coach for the Mustangs men's basketball program. Larry Brown wanted another shot coaching.

Today Larry Brown is the new head coach of the Mustangs

SMU hasn't mattered in men's basketball since the mid-1980's when Jon Koncak was leading the way. SMU hasn't hung a championship banner at Moody Coliseum since 1993 when the Mustangs won the Southwest Conference championship. By the way that's the last time the 'Stangs galloped to the NCAA Tournament.

Larry Brown? His resume looks like a travel itinerary for a traveling salesman.
1972 Davidson
1972-74 Carolina Cougars (ABA)
1974-79 Danver Nuggetts (ABA & NBA)
1979-81 UCLA
1981-83 New Jersey Nets
1983-88 Kansas
1988-92 San Antonio Spurs
1992-93 L.A. Clippers
1993-97 Indiana Pacers
1997-2003 Philadelphia 76ers
2003-05 Detroit Pistons
2005-06 New York Knicks
2008-10 Charlotte Bobcats

Next stop, Dallas, Texas and SMU

SMU Steve Orsini found out that the only candidates for the gig were assistant coaches looking for the stepping stone head coaching job.

With the move to the Big East on the horizon Orsini wasn't impressed with his choices.

Larry Brown was out there and Orsini went after him. The hire has accomplished one thing, the Mustangs became relavent in the Dallas media.

Now Larry Brown, who hasn't coached a college game since Kansas defeated Oklahoma in 1988 for the NCAA Championship, must put the paddles to a program that has flat lined for the last 10 years.

Oh Brown will do just that, he's way too good of a coach to not revive the Mustang fortunes. Brown just won't be around to finish the job. Two to 3 years is about enough to keep Larry Brown's attention.

Brown can lay the foundation of success and in some cases (Kansas and the Detroit Pistons) see it through. Then there's another project to work on.

Steve Orsini will take that. He just bought a whole bunch of publicity for a men's basketball program that wasn't on the radar screen in the Metroplex.

Report: Larry Brown to resurface at SMU

Larry Brown

((ht: espn.com/Jason King))

Surely this has to be a record for most basketball coaching jobs held by one person in a career.

It appears 71-year old Larry Brown is going to be named head basketball coach at SMU within the next couple of days.

ESPN.com's Jason King reports Brown has agreed to take the job if long time friend and current Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich will be hired to be his "Coach in Waiting".

Read more from ESPN.com RIGHT HERE

Yes, its true, Brown is the only coach to win an NCAA title and NBA title. He's coached in more places that we can remember. He's considered one of the great teachers in basketball history. And if SMU was looking to make a splash with their coaching hire, he certainly will give them that.

The impression we get here is that he's doing this to help his friend Jankovich as much as anything. Brown hasn't been on a coaching sideline since leaving the woeful Charlotte Bobcats in 2010. And yes, there have been plenty of rumors of his return.

If this report is correct, it appears the man is back.

Here's Brown on David Letterman's show after winning the NBA title with Detroit in 2004:

Let's Spin The Coaching Carosel: Matt Doherty Fired By SMU

SMU cut Matt Doherty loose as head basketball coach.

The Mustangs are making a huge investment in their basketball program with the move to the Big East Conference.

"As I have said previously, we have set a goal of top-25 status for our men's basketball program and want to compete for BIG EAST championships." SMU athletic director Steve Orsini said in a press release. "With our membership in one of the best basketball conferences in the nation, the Crum Basketball Center, our $40-plus million renovation of Moody Coliseum and our location in the fertile recruiting grounds of Dallas, we believe we have the pieces for a championship-caliber program."

"I understand that this is a business and, at the end of the day, we simply didn't win enough games," Outgoing head coach Matt Doherty said.

Doherty spent three years as the head coach of his alma mater, North Carolina, winning 53 games and losing 45 including a very un-Carolina like 8-20 season his second year leading the Tar Heels.

After three years Doherty was pressured to resign at North Carolina to make room for Roy Williams.

Doherty's career record at SMU is 80-109. This season the Mustangs were 13-19.

SMU Scores Only 28 Points In Loss To UAB

That's right, the SMU Mustangs couldn't get out of the 20's Wednesday night as UAB defeating the Mustangs 47-28.

It's the lowest scoring output ever in a Conference USA game.

SMU couldn't hit the broad side of a barn against UAB converting on 8 of 46 shots and shooting 17 percent. No Mustang scored in double figures, Robert Nyakundi led the Mustangs with nine points.

The Mustangs really lowered the bar in basketball futility. SMU scored 12 points in the first half, setting a school record. The Mustangs' 28 points is the lowest point total since 1956 when SMU scored 26 points against TCU, those were the days of the two handed set shots and no shot clock.

Here's SMU head coach Matt Doherty's explaination. (Thanks SMUMustangsAthletics)



And just how long will Doherty be employed by SMU.

Officially 1,582 witnessed what many believe is a new low point in SMU basketball at ancient Moody Coliseum.

This Is Not For The Squeamish- SMU Injury In Birmingham Bowl

((HT: ESPN/youtube))

But the guy recording it at home even slowed it down for us...


And Pitt's Andrew Taglianetti knew it when he heard it snap...

SMU had no problem with Pitt in the bowl game, leading 21-0 after 1 and winning 28-6.

We'll keep you up to date on Jared WIlliams as we know more...