Ohio State-Penn State is back this weekend and that means I’m practically forced to start my intro with the Big Ten because: a. I’m sick of the over-covered SEC and b. Because it looks like it features the most meaningful game outside LSU-Bama this week.
That’s leaving me feeling a little queasy.
I mean, is anybody outside the Midwest really excited about this conference this year? Other than Iowa, what have they given us?
Not much, other than a bunch of ho-hum wins by OSU and PSU (to go with a couple of ugly losses) and a pile of teams experiencing down years. And still, the winner in Happy Valley Saturday is going to have a solid shot at a BCS bowl berth.
It’s more than a little unsettling to think that we could have a two-loss Big Ten team playing at the Rose Bowl while either an undefeated TCU or Boise State team will likely get shut out of the BCS picture (Or even a two-loss USC team for that matter).
But that’s the kind of mediocrity we’ve grown accustomed to from this conference in recent years, so why expect anything different?
What really disturbs me though, and I never thought I’d have to say this, is that I am seriously questioning the manhood of the Big Ten right now.
It started this week when I learned of the apparently long-standing policy that this conference does not play night games in November. I don’t know how I didn’t know it, but I overlooked this controversial topic this past spring when it came up.
Mark Rudner, the guy who looks after the TV side of things for the Big Ten, said this is due in part to the weather, in part to tradition and in part for security reasons. But let’s face it, it’s because of the weather. Why else would they miss out on being the marquee game of the week on national primetime TV this Saturday – and maybe next Saturday when Iowa faces Ohio State?
This is lame. It’s cold in the Midwest in wintertime. Deal with it. This conference only plays like two weeks in November anyway.
The second item of questionable manhood came when Penn State’s student marketing body pulled its ‘Terrelle Cryer’ t-shirts this week. The shirt features a sympathetic Nittany Lion offering a tissue to a weeping Terrelle Pryor.
Get it? It’s a play on words. Very clever. And I’m disgusted they pulled it simply because it was deemed too insensitive.
Insensitive? Do you see the way that muscle-bound cat has his arm-leg compassionately draped around Pryor’s shoulder and offers him a Kleenex box with the other paw? That’s caring right there. That’s respect.
But if you must insist it is insensitive, isn’t that kind of the point? Honestly, if 109,000 fans can’t gang up on a 20 year old with a 54 percent completion rate, I’m not sure I want to be a part of it anymore.
But I digress. I’m really just trying to waste time to avoid talking about my mediocre 2-2 performance last week. I’m now 19-16-1 this year with only a month of juicing out left to go.
Let’s take Ohio State +5 to start things off, shall we, and hope these boys can get this one in before dark or before the temperature drops below 60 degrees.
UTEP vs. Tulane (+6.5, 57)
Know what I hate? Discrimination, that’s what. And the Dutch, of course.
This week Tulane is offering local school children an opportunity to get into the game free if they bring a paper or a report card with an ‘A’ on it. Their parents also get an endzone seat for five bucks or a sideline seat for 10.
My problem is, what about the dumb kids who try their very best but have never seen the beautiful pastures that lie beyond the C-minus plateau? Are the future sports betting journalists of the world not people too? And what about their parents who were banking on that ‘A’ to get into the game for a Lincoln?
I can see the dinner table conversation now:
"Guess we'll have to watch the game from home tonight, stupid."
And here I thought the 50s were over.
Pick: UTEP
Kansas vs. Kansas State (+2.5, 57.5)
K-State leads the Big 12 North, is undefeated at home and is facing a Kansas squad that has lost three in a row and failed to cover five in a row.
With every game the J-birds seem to get worse while the Kitties get better. So why is K-State a home dog here?
Makes you want to over-think this one, but don’t. K-State took some time to get going but the Wildcats are playing well and will want to end the three-game losing skid to their state rival.
Pick: Kansas State
Army vs. Air Force (-16.5, 36.5)
Veterans Day/Remembrance Day is this coming Wednesday, so we’ll finish off with a much deserved look at the ones in uniform.
This line is a little strange because 36.5 is a low total for a 16.5-point spread. It’s an indication of Army’s struggles on offense this season and especially lately, when the Knights haven’t been able to top 16 points over their past five.
But they have a defense that ranks in the top 15 in the country and I think that might be enough to stop the Fly Boys from treating them like an ATM. Air Force has covered seven of the last 10 in this rivalry, including the last three.
Pick: +16.5