Friday, November 30, 2012

More BCS Series Trivia - Week 14

Welcome to the weekend and some good college football, including some BCS 11-25 ranked teams.

   In the Marathon Mac Championship, the #21 Northern Illinois Huskies face off tonight against the #17 Kent State Golden Flashes at Ford Field in Detroit. Northern Illinois leads the series 16-7 and won the last five games against the Golden Flashes. The game is at a neutral site, so there will be no home or away records featured here. The same goes for other games at neutral sites this weekend.. The Huskies are also 9-1 against Kent State since 1982. They first met in 1949, when Kent State won 21-19. The highest scoring game in the series was a 44-34 Kent State win in 2001. The last time Northern Illinois shut out Kent State was 25-0 in 1979. The last time Kent State shut out Northern Illinois was 42-0 in 1976.

   The #11 Oklahoma Sooners invade Amon Carter Stadium to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. Oklahoma leads the series 7-4, but the series is tied 2-2 since 1996. The Sooners are undefeated in Fort Worth, with a 4-0 record. They first met in 1944, when Oklahoma won 34-19. It's also the highest scoring game in the series. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

   In the Big 10 Championship game, the Leaders Division champion Wisconsin Badgers face off against the Legends Division champion #12 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Lucas Oil stadium in Indianapolis. Nebraska leads the series 4-3, including a win against the Badgers on September 29. They first met in 1901, when Wisconsin blanked Nebraska 18-0 and it is the last time Wisconsin shut out Nebraska. They didn't play each other again until 1965, when Nebraska shut out Wisconsin 37-0. It is also the last time Nebraska shut out Wisconsin. The highest scoring game in the series was last season when Wisconsin won 48-17.

   In the ACC Championship game, the #13 Florida State Seminoles play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. Florida State leads the series 12-9-1, but lost the last two games to the Yellow Jackets. They first met in 1952, when Georgia Tech beat the Seminoles 30-0/ The highest scoring game in the series was in their last game, in 2009, when the Yellow Jackets won 49-44. The last time Florida State shut out Georgia Tech was 38-0 in 1997. The last time Georgia Tech shut out Florida State was 30-0 in 1975. Their only tie was 14-14 in 1962.

  The #20 Boise State Broncos invade Mackay Stadium to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Boise State leads the series 25-13 and is 11-1 against the Wolf Pack since 1999. The Broncos trail the series at Nevada 9-11, but is 4-1 in Reno since 2002. They first met in 1971, when Boise State won 17-10. The highest scoring game in the series was in the 1990 Division 1 AA Semi-Finals, when Nevada won 59-52. Neither team has ever shut out the other. However, Nevada has never kept Boise State below 10 points in any game, the last time, a 37-10 Wolf Pack win in 1985.

   The #23 Oklahoma State Cowboys go to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears. Oklahoma State leads the series 18-12 and won their last six games against the Bears. The Cowboys trail at Baylor 6-7, but is 6-3 in Waco since 1997. They played in the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1983 and Oklahoma State won 24-14. They first met in 1914, when the Cowboys spanked the Bears 60-0. It's also the only time Oklahoma State shut out Baylor. The highest scoring game in the series was a 63-28 Oklahoma State win in 2002. The last time Baylor shut out Oklahoma State was 13-0 in 1939.

  Even though these two teams aren't in the BCS Top 25, they each have an 8-3 (6-1) record. In a tiebreaker game, the Arkansas State Red Wolves host the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders in Liberty Bank Stadium. Middle Tennessee State leads the series 9-4, but Arkansas State is 3-1 against the Blue Raiders since 2008. The series is tied 3-3 in Jonesboro, but the Red Wolves are 3-2 at home against the Blue Raiders since 2002. They first met in 1948 when Middle Tennessee State won 14-7. The highest scoring game in the series was a 51-24 Arkansas State win in 2010. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

   In the Conference USA Championship, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane host the Central Florida Knights in Chapman Stadium. Tulsa leads the series and won the last three games against the Knights, including the last one two weeks ago. Tulsa is 2-0 at home. They first met in 2005, when Tulsa won 44-27. This is also the highest scoring game in the series. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

   Here is an historical score fore teams playing each other this week, November 30:

1916  Georgia 3 - Alabama 0

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

BCS Series Trivia - Week 14

Welcome to Conference Championship weekend. Today's entry will focus on the Top 10 teams in conference championship games.

   In what could be considered the real national championship game, the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide face the #3 Georgia Bulldogs for the SEC Championship in the Georgia Dome. Alabama leads the series 36-25-4, but Georgia won three of the last four games against the Crimson Tide. Since the game is being played at a neutral site, we'll cover both teams' home records. Alabama is 22-13-4 against the Bulldogs at home, but Georgia won the last two games in Tuscaloosa. Alabama also leads the series in Athens 14-12, but the series is tied 3-3 since 1976. This is the first time Alabama and Georgia will face each other for the SEC title. This is Georgia's fifth and Alabama's ninth appearance in the SEC Championship. They first met in 1895, when Georgia won 30-6. The highest scoring game in the series was a 41-30 Crimson Tide win in 2008. The last time Alabama shut out Georgia was 31-0 in 1995. The last time Georgia shut out Alabama was 21-0 in 1976. Their last tie was 0-0 in 1954.

   The #6 Kansas State Wildcats play the #18 Texas Longhorns in Manhattan. Kansas State leads the series 7-5 and won the last four meetings against the Longhorns. Kansas State leads the series at home 4-1 and is 3-1 in Manhattan since 1998. They first met in 1913, when Texas spanked Kansas State 46-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2006, when the Wildcats won 45-42. The last time Texas shut out Kansas State was 64-0 in 1942. Kansas State has never shut out Texas.

   In the Pac-12 Championship, the #8 Stanford Cardinal face the #16 UCLA Bruins for the second week in a row. Stanford won last week 35-17, improving their all-time series record with UCLA to 35-45-3. This is the first appearance for both teams in the Pac-12 Championship game. Check last week's entry for this series trivia.

   Here is an historical score for teams playing each other this week, played on this day, November 28:

1929  Georgia 12 - Alabama 0

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Last Place Update - Week 12

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. At least there's no tie to break. The 1-10 Kansas City Chiefs sit alone at the bottom as this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars, who had been tied with the Chiefs, played like an NFL team and beat a Tennessee Titans team who had two weeks to prepare for them. Job well done, Jags. The Chiefs have now lost eight straight since beating the New Orleans Saints in overtime in Week 3. Jacksonville is now a game behind Kansas City, with four teams trailing the Jags by a game.

   This week's honorable mention, and this sounds like a broken record, goes once again to the 4-7 Arizona Cardinals and 3-8 Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams lost winnable games increasing their losing streaks to seven games. Both teams led at one point in their respective games and both teams blew those leads. Arizona goes to New York to face the Jets and Philly goes to Dallas to face the Cowboys. Once again, they face vulnerable opponents, but until they can win a game, neither is an upset special pick.

  A hats off to a former honorable mention: The New Orleans Saints defense kept the San Francisco 49ers offense to 375 yards. This is the first time this season that the Saints defense kept an opponent to under 400 yards.

Next Loss...

  Kansas City hosts the Carolina Panthers, who are fresh off their Monday night win over the Eagles. Upset Special? Uh, no, not until they can beat somebody. Maybe Jacksonville's win will inspire them, but probably not. The Chiefs will face a mobile quarterback who, if he throws with a decent degree of accuracy, will pick that defense apart and if Kansas City drops too many players back in coverage, then Cam Newton will run all over them. The Chiefs will make a game of it, but will get loss number 11.

   Jacksonville travels to venerable Rich Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills. Upset Special? Possibly. The Jags took Houston to overtime, but lost, and they beat Tennessee. Buffalo is vulnerable. The Bills are 2-6 since Week 2 and a candidate for the Honorable Mention. However, they are also 2-2 at home this season and four of their next five games are at home. Also, southern teams tend to struggle in the cold, so chances are this will be a solid Jaguars loss.

Here are some series trivia notes:

   The Arizona Cardinals are 2-5 against the New York Jets. The Cards have not beaten the Jets since 1975, when they were the St. Louis Cardinals.

   The once old NFL opponents, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions, have only played each other nine times since the NFL/AFL merger. Indy is 6-3 against the Lions in that span, not losing to Detroit since 1997.

   The Seattle Seahawks are 9-4 against the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks are also 5-2 at Chicago, winning their last two meetings in Soldier Field.

   The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-5 against the Denver Broncos, not winning a game in the series since 1999. The Bucs lost their last two games against Denver, each by a 16-13 score.

   The Cincinnati Bengals, who trail their series with the San Diego Chargers 11-19, won their last meeting in 2010. If the Bengals win this week, it will be the first time the Bengals beat the Chargers twice in a row since 1988-90. The most consecutive games Cincinnati beat San Diego was 3, from 1970-73.

   The Cleveland Browns trail the Oakland Raiders in their series 8-11, but are 7-3 since 1987.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on November 27:

1949  New York Giants 23 - Washington 7
1966  Green Bay 28 - Minnesota 16
1966  Washington 72 - New York Giants 41
1966  Boston Patriots 20 - Miami 14
1977  Minnesota 13 - Green Bay 6
1994  New York Giants 21 - Washington 19

Friday, November 23, 2012

Some BCS Rank 11-25 Series Trivia - Week 13

Welcome to College Football Friday and the second part of Rivalry Week. I forgot that Texas and TCU played yesterday and there are some good unranked games on tap, including one that will be featured here, so let's get started.

   In the BCS 11-25 game of the week, the #11 Clemson Tigers host the #12 South Carolina Gamecocks. Clemson leads the series 65-40-4, but South Carolina is 3-2 against the Tigers since 2006 and winners of the last three meetings. Clemson leads the series at home 16-9-1 and is tied 5-5 with the Gamecocks since 1992. The reason that there are so few Clemson home games in the series is that they only started playing at Clemson since 1960. They first met in 1896, when South Carolina won 12-6. They played every meeting in Columbia from 1896-1959. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2003, when the Tigers spanked the Gamecocks 63-17. The last time Clemson shut out South Carolina was 45-0 in 1989. The last time South Carolina shut out Clemson was 6-0 in 1952. Their last tie was 21-21 in 1986.

   In the other BCS 11-25 game of the week, the #21 Oklahoma State Cowboys go to Norman to take on the #13 Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma owns the series 82-17-7 and is 11-6 against the Cowboys since 1995. The Sooners are 39-8-2 at home against the Cowboys, winning the last four meetings in Norman. They first met in 1902, when Oklahoma nailed Oklahoma State 75-0. The highest scoring game in the series was a 61-41 Oklahoma victory in 2008. The last time Oklahoma shut out Oklahoma State was 27-0 in 2009. The last time Oklahoma State shut out Oklahoma was 12-0 in 1995. Their last tie was 15-15 in 1992.

   The AP #4 Ohio State Buckeyes invade Ann Arbor to play the #19 Michigan Wolverines. Michigan leads the series 58-43-6, including that vacated Ohio State win in 2010. The Buckeyes are still 6-3 against the Wolverines since 2001. Michigan leads the series at home 43-34, but the Buckeyes are 4-2 in Ann Arbor since 2001. They first met in 1897, when Michigan blanked Ohio State 36-0. In fact, Michigan began the series against the Buckeyes with a 13-0-2 record. Ohio State got its first win against Michigan in 1919. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1902, when the Wolverines owned the Buckeyes 86-0. The last time Michigan shut out Ohio State was 28-0 in 1993. The last time Ohio State shut out Michigan was 28-0 in 1962. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1992.

   The #23 Kent State Golden Flashes host the Ohio Bobcats in Kent, Ohio. Kent State trails in the series 24-38-2, but is 3-2 against the Bobcats since 2007. The Golden Flashes also trail at home 10-20-1 and are 2-2 against Ohio since 2004. They first met in 1936, when Ohio blanked the Golden Flashes 6-0. The highest scoring game in the series was a 45-50 Ohio win in 1991. The last time Ohio shut out Kent State was 50-0 in 2002. The last time Kent State shut out Ohio was 24-0 in 1994. Their last tie was 28-28 in 1995.

   The #24 Arizona Wildcats host the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tuscon. Arizona leads the series 47-37-1 and is 3-1 against the Sun Devils since 2008. The Wildcats lead the series at home 28-18, but trail Arizona 4-6 in Tuscon since 1992. They first met in 1919, when Arizona dominated the Sun Devils 59-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1998, when Arizona won 50-42. The last time Arizona shut out Arizona State was 10-0 in 1974. The last time Arizona State shut out Arizona was 31-0 in 1971. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1987.

  Now let's get to one of the classic great games. In the Bayou Classic, The Grambling State Tigers face off against the Southern Jaguars in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. Grambling State leads the series 30-29 and is 6-2 against the Jaguars since 2004. The series is tied 6-6 in Grambling and Southern leads 8-4 in Baton Rouge. They last played in Baton Rouge in 1990, when Grambling State won 25-13. They last played in Grambling in 1987 and Southern won 27-21. The highest scoring games in the series were a 50-35 Tiger win in 2005 and a 44-41 Jaguar win in 2003. The last time Grambling State shut out Southern was 21-0 in 1974. The last time Southern shut out Grambling State was 18-0 in 1948. There are no ties in the series.

Here are the historical scores for BCS Top 25 and Bayou Classic games played on this day, November 23:

1895 Auburn 48 - Alabama 0
1912  Oregon 3 - Oregon State 0
1929  Oklahoma State 7 - Oklahoma 7
1933  Oklahoma State 13 - Oklahoma 0
1935  Ohio State 38 - Michigan 0
1935  Notre Dame 20 - USC 13

1940  Michigan 40 - Ohio State 0
1946  Oregon State 13 - Oregon 0
1948  Michigan 58 - Ohio State 6
1957  Ohio State 31 - Michigan 14
1957  Washington State 27 - Washington 7
1957  Oregon State 10 - Oregon 7

1968  South Carolina 7 - Clemson 3
1968  Washington State 24 - Washington 0
1968  Ohio State 50 - Michigan 14
1968  Oregon State 41 - Oregon 19
1968  Grambling State 34 - Southern 32

1974  Clemson 39 - South Carolina 21
1974  Ohio State 12 - Michigan 10
1974  Washington 24 - Washington State 17
1974  Oregon State 35 - Oregon 16
1974  Grambling State 21 - Southern 0

1985  Clemson 24 - South Carolina 17
1985  Washington State 21 - Washington 20
1985  Arizona 16 - Arizona State 13
1985  Michigan 27 - Ohio State 17
1985  Oregon 34 - Oregon State 13
1985  Grambling State 29 - Southern 12

1991  Washington 56 - Washington State 21
1991  Clemson 41 - South Carolina 24
1991  Michigan 31 - Ohio State 3
1991  Arizona State 37 - Arizona 14
1991  Oregon State 14 - Oregon 3
1995  Georgia 18 - Georgia Tech 17

1996  Washington 31 - Washington State 24
1996  South Carolina 34 - Clemson 31
1996  Oregon 49 - Oregon State 13
1996  Michigan 13 - Ohio State 9
1996  Arizona State 56 - Arizona 14
1996  Alabama 24 - Auburn 23

2001  LSU 41 - Arkansas 38
2001  Arizona 34 - Arizona State 21
2002  Clemson 27 - South Carolina 20
2002  Boise State 44 - Nevada 7
2002  Washington 29 - Washington State 26
2002  Auburn 17 - Alabama 7
2002  Oregon State 45 - Oregon 24
2002  Ohio State 14 - Michigan 9
2007  Arkansas 50 - LSU 48

And a little lagniappe: It's amazing what you find on YouTube. Since Ohio State is on probation and can't play in the post-season, here is their song about Michigan.



Have a great weekend!!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

BCS Top 10 Series Trivia - Week 13

Welcome to the last installment of the BCS Top 10 series trivia for the 2012 regular season. This is definitely not Cream Puff Week. This is Rivalry Week. Next week will focus on ranked and maybe even unranked teams. Also, the BCS Top 25 series trivia entry will be on Friday instead of Saturday.

   For the second consecutive week, there is a new #1 team. The top ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish go to sunny California to take on the USC Trojans in a renewal of this storied rivalry. Notre Dame leads the series 43-35-5, but USC is 9-1 against the Irish since 2002. Notre Dame trails the series 18-21-4 in Los Angeles and are 2-6-1 at L.A. Memorial Coliseum since 1994. They first met in 1946, when Knute Rockne's Irish edged Howard Jones's Trojans 13-12. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1974, when USC spanked Notre Dame 55-24. The last time USC shut out Notre Dame was 38-0 in 2007. The last time Notre Dame shut out USC was 51-0 in 1966. Their last tie was 17-17 in 1994.

  The former top ranked team, the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide will host archrival Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl. Alabama leads the series 41-34-1 and is 3-1 against the Tigers since 2008. Since most of the games in the series were played at a neutral location, Legion Field in Birmingham, there are only a few home games one way or the other. The Tide trail the Tigers at home 3-7 and are 3-5 in Tuscaloosa since 1996. They first met in 1893, when Auburn won 32-22. Yes, that game was played in Birmingham. They first met in Tuscaloosa in 1895, which Auburn won 48-0. They first met in Auburn in 1902, a 23-0 Auburn victory. The highest scoring game was in 1969, when Auburn spanked the Crimson Tide 49-26. The last time Alabama shut out Auburn was 36-0 in 2008. The last time Auburn shut out Alabama was 9-0 in 2000. Their only tie was 6-6 in 1907.

   The #3 Georgia Bulldogs take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets between the hedges at home. Georgia dominates this series 62-39-5 and is 10-1 against the Yellow Jackets since 2001. Georgia also leads the series at home 30-16-1 and is 7-3 in Athens since 1992. They first met in 1893 when Georgia Tech won 28-6. The highest scoring game in the series was a 45-42 Yellow Jacket win in 2008. The last time Georgia Tech shut out Georgia was 6-0 in 1969. The last time Georgia shut out Georgia Tech was 7-0 in 1964. Their last tie was 0-0 in 1938. They also played to a 6-6 tie the previous year. Another trivia note, the man who the Heisman Trophy is named for, John Heisman coached Georgia Tech from 1904-19 and led the Yellow Jackets to a national championship in 1917. He also coached Auburn from 1895-99 and Clemson from 1900-03. Heisman is the reason Auburn and Clemson are called the Tigers.

   In the only BCS Top 10 game of the week, the #4 Florida Gators invade Tallahassee to take on the #10 Florida State Seminoles. Florida leads the series 31-21-2, but the Seminoles won the last two games against the Gators. Florida leads the series in Tallahassee 12-11-1, but Florida State leads 8-3-1 at home since 1988. They are 1-1 against each other in the post-season, both in the Sugar Bowl. Florida State won 23-17 in 1995 and Florida won 52-20 in 1997. They first met in 1958, when Florida won 21-7. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1990, when Florida State won 45-30. The last time Florida shut out Florida State was 49-0 in 1973. Florida State has never shut out Florida. Their last tie was 31-31 in 1994.

   The #5 Oregon Ducks go to Corvallis to take on the #15 Oregon State Beavers. Oregon leads the series 59-46-10, winning their last four meetings. Oregon State trails the Ducks at home 19-27-6, but is 5-2 against Oregon in Corvallis since 1998. They first met in 1896, when Oregon won 12-8. The highest scoring game in the series was a 65-38 Oregon win in 2008. The last time Oregon shut out Oregon State was 7-0 in 1992. The last time Oregon State shut out Oregon, outside of a tie, was 7-0 in 1953. Their last tie was 0-0 in 1983. In fact, they played to a scoreless tie 6 times in the series: 1902, 1906, 1920, 1921, 1931, and 1983.

   Last week's #1 team, the #6 Kansas State Wildcats, have a bye this week. They face #16 Texas Longhorns next week.

   The #7 LSU Tigers go to Pig Sooie Country to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. LSU leads the series 35-20-2, but are 2-3 against the Razorbacks since 2007. The series is tied 8-8 in Little Rock, but LSU is 2-5 there since 1998. As with the Florida/Florida State rivalry, the Tigers and Razorbacks played against each other in the postseason, each time in the Cotton Bowl.  They played to a 0-0 tie in 1947 and LSU won in 1966, 14-7. They first met in 1901, when LSU won 15-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2007, when Arkansas won 50-48. The last time LSU shut out Arkansas was 28-0 in 1995. The last time Arkansas shut out LSU, outside of a tie, 32-0 in 1929. Their last tie was that 0-0 Cotton Bowl game in 1947.

   The #17 UCLA Bruins host the #8 Stanford Cardinal in Rose Bowl Stadium. UCLA leads the series 45-34-3., but Stanford has won the last three meetings. The Bruins also lead the series at home 26-13-1 and are 9-3 against the Cardinal in Los Angeles since 1988. They first met in 1925, when Stanford decimated UCLA 82-0, which is also the highest scoring game in the series. The last time Stanford shut out UCLA was 35-0 in 2010. The last time UCLA shut out Stanford was 31-0 in 2006. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1974.

   In a battle of the two newest members of the SEC, the #9 Texas A&M Aggies host the Missouri Tigers. Texas A&M leads the series 7-4, but Missouri is 5-1 against the Aggies since 2002. Texas A&M leads the series at home 4-3, but they are tied 3-3 at College Station since 1992. They first met in 1957, when the Aggies blanked the Tigers 28-0. The highest scoring game in the series was when Texas A&M nailed Missouri 73-0. It's also the last time Texas A&M shut out Missouri. The Tigers have never shut out the Aggies.

Here are some historical scores for BCS Top 25 games played on this day, November 21:

1903  Oregon 5 - Oregon State 0
1905  Washington State 11 - Washington State 5
1908  Oregon 8 - Oregon State 0
1913  Oklahoma 7 - Oklahoma State 0
1914  Nebraska - 16 - Iowa 7
1914  Oregon 3 - Oregon State 3
1931  USC 16 - Notre Dame 14
1936  Ohio State 21 - Michigan 0
1936  Oregon State 18 - Oregon 0

1942  Ohio State 21 - Michigan 7
1942  Oregon State 39 - Oregon 2
1953  LSU 9 - Arkansas 8
1953  Oregon State 7 - Oregon 0
1953  Michigan 20 - Ohio State 0
1953  Washington State 25 - Washington 20
1959  Florida 18 - Florida State 8
1959  Michigan 23 - Ohio State 14
1959  Oregon State 15 - Oregon 7
1959  Washington 20 - Washington State 0

1964  South Carolina 7 - Clemson 3
1964  Florida State 16 - Florida 7
1964  Oregon State 7 - Oregon 6
1964  Michigan 10 - Ohio State 0
1964  Washington 14 - Washington State 0
1970  Oregon State 24 - Oregon 9
1970  Ohio State 20 - Michigan 9
1970  Washington 43 - Washington State 25
1970  South Carolina 38 - Clemson 32

1981  Oregon 47 - Oregon State 17
1981  Ohio State 14 - Michigan 9
1981  Washington 23 - Washington State 10
1981  Ohio 20 - Kent State 7
1981  Clemson 29 - South Carolina 13
1982  Ohio State 24 - Michigan 14
1987  Oregon 44 - Oregon State 0
1987  Ohio State 23 - Michigan 20
1987  Washington 34 - Washington State 19
1987  South Carolina 20 - Clemson 7

1992  Arizona State 7 - Arizona 6
1992  Oregon 7 - Oregon State 0
1992  Washington State 42 - Washington 23
1992  Michigan 13 - Ohio State 13
1992  South Carolina 24 - Clemson 13
1998  Clemson 28 - South Carolina 19
1998  Ohio State 31 - Michigan 16
1998  Washington 16 - Washington State 9
1998  Ohio 31 - Kent State 21
1998  Alabama 31 - Auburn 17
1998  Florida State 23 - Florida 12
1998  Oregon State 44 - Oregon 41
1999  Michigan 24 - Ohio State 17
2009  Ohio State 21 - Michigan 10

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Last Place Update - Week 11

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The race for the first pick in the 2013 draft is heating up.

   Although the bottom two teams are 1-9, since the Jacksonville Jaguars took a good Houston Texans team to overtime, the Kansas City Chiefs are this week's Kings of the Cellar. I picked them as an upset special over a vulnerable Cincinnati Bengals team, who instead dominated the Chiefs. Both the Chiefs and Jags lost seven straight, but Kansas City hasn't scored more than 16 points since Week 4, scoring 20 in a loss to the San Diego Chargers.

   The 2-8 Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns trail the Chiefs and Jags by a game, both taking their respective opponents to overtime, but losing. Cleveland hosts a Pittsburgh Steelers minus Ben Roethlisberger. However, the Browns are not the Baltimore Ravens and will keep pace with the Jags and Chiefs.

   Arizona seems to practically reside here. This week's honorable mention is a tie between the 4-6 Arizona Cardinals and the 3-7 Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams have played poorly and lost six straight. Both teams also have a shot at a win this week. Arizona faces a struggling St. Louis Rams team. Philly, after getting schooled by RGIII, hosts Cam Newton and the Panthers.

Next Loss...

   Kansas City hosts the surging Denver Broncos. Upset Special? Not this time. I'm 0-2 with the Chiefs on that pick. Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense will give Kansas City an easy loss.

   Jacksonville returns home to face the Tennessee Titans. Although this could be an upset special, the Titans have won their last two on the road and are coming off a bye week. The Jags will keep it interesting and pull off the loss.


Here are some historical scores for this week's matchups: Today, November 20:

1949  Los Angeles Rams 28 - Chicago Cardinals 28
1955  Cleveland 41 - Pittsburgh 14
1960  Pittsburgh 14 - Cleveland 10
1977  Chicago 10 - Minnesota 7
1977  Denver 14 - Kansas City 7
1988  Cleveland 27 - Pitssburgh 7
1994  Dallas 31 - Washington 7
2005  Jacksonville 31 - Tennessee 28
2005  Tampa Bay 30 - Atlanta 27
2005  Arizona 38 - St. Louis 28
2011  Dallas 27 - Washington 24  OT

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Heisman Trophy Trivia

It's not often I do two entries in one day, but here we are.

   While watching the Ole Miss/LSU game, CBS posted their the trivia question of the game. It involved the two Mannings who were Ole Miss quarterbacks, Archie (1970) and Eli (2003). Both men were 3rd in the Heisman voting in their senior seasons. CBS asked the question who were ahead of Archie and Eli in the Heisman voting? Here is the answer.

   Archie was 3rd behind Joe Theismann and winner Jim Plunkett. Eli was 3rd behind Larry Fitzgerald and winner Jason White.

That trivia question inspired these two trivia questions.

1) Which NFL team drafted the most Heisman winners?

The Detroit Lions drafted 10 Heisman winners.

1936 Larry Kelley - E (Yale)
1937 Clint Frank - RB (Yale)
1942 Frank Sinkwich - RB (Georgia)
1946 Glenn Davis - RB (Army)
1949 Leon Hart - E (Notre Dame)
1955 Howard "Hopalong" Cassidy - RB (Ohio State)
1969 Steve Owens - RB (Oklahoma)
1978 Billy Sims - RB (Oklahoma)
1988 Barry Sanders - RB (Oklahoma State)
1989 Andre Ware - QB (Houston)

2) Which NFL teams have never drafted a Heisman Trophy winner?

There are 5 teams:

Miami Dolphins
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
San Diego Chargers
Seattle Seahawks

There are three teams who drafted Heisman winners, but no longer exist:

   The Brooklyn Dodgers drafted 1939 winner Nile Kinnick from Iowa in 1940. The Dodgers were in the NFL from 1930-44. The Boston Yanks drafted QB Angelo Bertelli from Notre Dame with their first ever pick in the draft in 1944. Boston was in the NFL from 1944-49. The New York Bulldogs drafted RB Doak Walker from SMU in the first round. The Bulldogs were in the NFL from 1949-51. They were the Bulldogs in 1949 and the Yanks their last two years.

Some More BCS Top 25 Series Trivia

Welcome to College Football Saturday. This will be a "Cream Puff Game Free" entry for today's featured games, so let's get started.

   Let's start off with a classic rivalry, the #18 USC Trojans against the #17 UCLA Bruins. It doesn't get much better than this. USC leads the series 46-28-7 and is 12-1 against the Bruins since 1999. UCLA is 1-5 at home against the Trojans since 2000, last winning at all in the series in 2006. They first met in 1929, when USC nailed UCLA 76-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1996, when UCLA won 48-41. The last time USC shut out UCLA was a 50-0 spanking last season. The last time UCLA shut out USC was 34-0 in 1954. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1989.

   The Iowa Hawkeyes invade Michigan Stadium to take on the #21 Michigan Wolverines. Michigan dominates the series 40-13-4, but is 3-5 against the Hawkeyes since 2002, losing the last three games against them. The Wolverines are 27-6-3 in Ann Arbor against Iowa, but is 2-2 since 2002. They first met in 1900, when Iowa won 28-5. The highest scoring game in the series was a total beatdown by Michigan over Iowa in 1902, 107-0. The last time Michigan shut out Iowa was 34-0 in 1978. The only time Iowa shut out Michigan outside of a tie was 26-0 in 1984. Their last tie was 17-17 in 1988.

   The #22 Rutgers Scarlet Knights go to Nippert Stadium to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats (now THAT'S how you spell Bearcats, Sam Houston State). The series is tied 8-8-1, but the Scarlet Knights are 1-5 against Cincinnati since 2006, getting that lone win last season. Rutgers also trails the Bearcats in Cincinnati 1-6-1 and the Scarlet Knights haven't won there since 1987. They first met in 1980, when Rutgers won 24-7. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2010, when Cincinnati won 69-8. The lone shutout of the series was a 10-0 Cincinnati victory in 1981. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1989.

   The #24 Oklahoma State Cowboys host the #23 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Boone Pickens Stadium. Texas Tech leads the series 21-15-3, but lost the last three meetings against the Cowboys. Oklahoma State leads the series at home 10-8 and is 5-1 against the Red Raiders in Stillwater since 1999. They first met in 1935, when Texas Tech won 14-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2003, when the Cowboys took it 51-49. The last time Texas Tech shut out Oklahoma State was 58-0 in 2000. The last time Oklahoma State shut out Texas Tech was 13-0 in 1957. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1956.

Here are some historical scores for BCS Top 25 teams playing each other this week, November 17:

1917  Wofford 20 - South Carolina 0
1928  Texas 6 - TCU 0
1934  LSU 14 - Ole Miss 0
1934  Texas 20 - TCU 19
1945  Oklahoma State 46 - Texas Tech 6
1945  Texas 20 - TCU 0
1951  Texas 32 - TCU 21
1956  TCU 46 - Texas 0
1962  Iowa 28 - Michigan 14
1962  Texas 14 - TCU 0
1973  Stanford 24 - Oregon 7
1973  Texas 52 - TCU 7
1979  Texas 35 - TCU 10
1984  UCLA 29 - USC 10
1984  Texas 44 - TCU 23
1990  Ohio State 35 - Wisconsin 10
1990  Texas 38 - TCU 10
1990  USC 45 - UCLA 42
2001  USC 27 - UCLA 0
2007  LSU 41 - Ole Miss 24
2007  Florida State 24 - Maryland 16

Friday, November 16, 2012

Reading vs E-Reading

Today is one of those Other Musings kind of days.

   This entry was originally a response to a post my friend Tim made on Facebook. He refers to an article in Slate Magazine written by Andrew Piper called Out of Touch: E-Reading isn't reading. In his Facebook post, Tim asks the questions, does anyone want to share their own experience of switching to digital? Is the experience different? Don't you miss holding the book and turning the page?

Here is my answer, plus a few other points.

I read and like both. For me, it's more an addition of digital than a switch to digital. It's about the story, not the vessel where it resides.

   About the article, Piper makes a nice descriptive argument and proves that he's well read, but as well written as the article is, his argument doesn't hold water. He also doesn't face the fact that e-books are here to stay. Besides, the kind of Kindle reader he describes, where you have to press buttons to turn a page, matches my mom's early generation Kindle, which is now obsolete.

   More authors are going the e-book route, including Stephen King, John Grisham, and James Patterson, among others. I wrote and published my e-book of short stories The Acts of 1 and other soon to be published work, specifically targeting those readers. On the business end, it takes the middleman out of the picture and puts the writer in control.

   Tapping a screen to turn a page and actually turning a page, although enjoyable, don't make the experience worthwhile. However, one point where I agree with Piper is that sometimes it's preferable to turn an actual page than to press a button or tap the screen. On a Kindle, sometimes you can tap the screen to go to the next page and get the previous page by accident. It doesn't always happen, but it's annoying when it does. As far as missing the experience of turning a page while e-reading, it's the same when missing the experience of tapping a screen while reading a regular book. The answer is no, since I do both now.

   The point is, there is no reading vs e-reading, because e-reading IS reading. So what makes the experience of reading a story great? It's not the paper or the machine. It's a team effort. It's the author's ability to write a good story and the reader's ability to take ownership of it and the characters, and live in that world for a while. That's the magic of reading.

Thank you, Tim, for coming up with a great topic of discussion!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Some Top 10 College Football Series Trivia

Welcome to this week's edition of BCS Top 10 series trivia.

   For the first time ever, the Kansas State Wildcats are the top ranked team in the country and congrats to them. This week, they will go to Floyd Casey Stadium to defend their #1 ranking against the Baylor Bears. Kansas State leads the series 7-2, but the Bears are 2-2 against the Wildcats since 2006. Kansas State is 3-2 in Waco, losing the last two times they went there. They first met in 1969 and Kansas State won 45-15. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2010, a 47-42 Baylor victory. There are no shutouts in the series.

   The #2 Oregon Ducks will host the #13 Stanford Cardinal in Eugene. Stanford leads the series 44-30-1, but Oregon is 10-2 against the Cardinal since 1998. Oregon is 16-17 against Stanford at home and  is 6-1 there since 1998. They first met in 1900, when Stanford blanked the Ducks 34-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2009, when Stanford won 51-42. The last time Oregon shut out Stanford was 35-0 in 2003. The last time Stanford shut out Oregon was 17-0 in 1974. Their only tie was 7-7 in 1936.

   The #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will host the Wake Forest Deacon Demons. This will be their second ever meeting. The Irish won their first meeting last season 24-17.

   The #4 Alabama Crimson Tide have a cream puff game against the Western Carolina Catamounts. This will be their third ever meeting. Bama won the other two: 52-6 on 2007 and 52-0 in 2004.

   After shutting out Auburn for the first time since 1976, the #5 Georgia Bulldogs have a cream puff game against the Georgia Southern Eagles.  Hey, they could have played a meaningful opponent this week such as, uh, Alabama, who is not on this year's schedule. Georgia leads the series 4-0 and beat the Eagles in their last meeting in 2008, 45-21. They first met in 1992, a 34-7 Georgia win. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2004, when the Bulldogs took it 48-28. At least there are no shutouts in the series.

   Another cream puff opponent? The #6 Florida Gators will host the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks for the first time ever. This would be a much closer matchup if it were a battle of the bands, since JSU has an outstanding band. However, the Gamecocks knocked off an SEC opponent before. They beat Ole Miss in 2004, so are they a cream puff opponent? We'll find out Saturday.

   Et tu, LSU? Uh, no. At least their opponent is in the SEC. The #7 LSU Tigers will host the Ole Miss Rebels in Death Valley. LSU leads the series 57-39-4 and is 9-3 against the Rebels since 2000. LSU also leads the series at home 37-23-1 and LSU is also 6-4 against the Rebels in Baton Rouge since 1993. They even met in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day in 1960, when the Rebels blanked the Tigers 21-0. They first met in 1894, when Ole Miss won 26-6. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2010, when LSU won 43-36. The last time Ole Miss shut out LSU was 32-0 in 1992. The last time LSU shut out Ole Miss was 14-0 in 1985. Their last tie was 27-27 in 1981.

   After knocking off Alabama from the #1 spot, the #8 Texas A&M Aggies will also have a cream puff game against the Sam Houston State Bearkats (yes, the spelling is correct). This is their second meeting since 1941. Texas A&M owns the series 10-0 and nailed the Bearkats 59-6 in their last meeting in 1997.  The Aggies are 9-0 at home against Sam Houston State, allowing a grand total 26 points in the overall series. They first met in 1919, when the Aggies nailed Sam Houston State 77-0. This, along with another 77-0 win in 1925, is the highest scoring game in the series. Texas A&M shut out the Bearkats seven times, the last time, a 54-0 win in 1941.

   Wofford? Really? Wofford this late in the season? That's five out of six SEC late season cream puff games. Oh well. Rounding out the streak of SEC teams in the BCS Top 10, the #9 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the Wofford Terriers. South Carolina dominates the series 18-4 and won the last 15 games against the Terriers since 1918. At least Wofford won some games in the series. The Gamecocks are undefeated at home against the Terriers, going 16-0. They first met in 1896, when Wofford won with a baseball score 6-4. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2001, when South Carolina won 38-14. The last time South Carolina shut out Wofford was 26-0 in 1957. The last time Wofford shut out South Carolina was 20-0 in 1917, which was also their last victory over the Gamecocks.

   Finally, a meaningful opponent! The #10 Florida State Seminoles will invade Byrd Stadium to take on the Maryland Terrapins. Florida State owns the series 20-2 and has won the last five games against the Terrapins. Did I say meaningful? The Seminoles are 8-2 in College Park and are 2-2 in their last four meetings there. They first met in 1966, a 45-21 Seminole victory. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1992, when Florida State won 69-21. There are no shutouts in the series.

   Because of all the cream puff games this week, here's a more interesting one from the AP Top 10. The AP #6 Ohio State Buckeyes go to former Drum Corps International Finals home, Camp Randall Stadium, to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Ohio State leads the series 54-18-5 and is 4-1 against the Badgers since 2007. The Buckeyes also lead the series in Madison 25-11-2, but the series is tied 2-2 there since 2002. They first met in 1913, when the Badgers blanked the Buckeyes 12-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1941, when Ohio State won 46-34. The last time Wisconsin shut out Ohio State was 6-0 in 1982. The last time Ohio State shut out Wisconsin was 21-0 in 1980. Their last tie was 14-14 in 1993.

   Okay, this entry was fun to write, but remember, the cream puff comments were said in jest. As they say, one team may outclass another on paper, but that's why they play the game. Good luck to all the teams this week and may the teams I called cream puffs prove me wrong and play like champions.

   Here are some historical scores for Top 25 games this week, November 14:

1931  Ohio State 6 - Wisconsin 0
1931  LSU 26 - Ole Miss 3
1964  Michigan 34 - Iowa 20
1970  Michigan 55 - Iowa 0
1981  Stanford 42 - Oregon 3
2009  Clemson 43 - North Carolina State 23
2009  Oklahoma State 24 - Texas Tech 17

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The race for the first pick in the 2013 draft is among four teams. Although the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs are both 1-8, there will be no tie this week. Kansas City put up a valiant fight, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime. Because of that, the Jags are this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-7 Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers only trail by a game.

   Although the New Orleans Saints' defense once again allowed over 400 yards, they made key stops which led to their victory over the no longer undefeated Atlanta Falcons. Therefore, no honorable mention for them. Since starting the season at 0-4, they have gone a respectable 4-1.

   Since the Arizona Cardinals had a bye, they get a pass on the mention. This week's honorable mention goes to Arizona's former NFC East rival, the 3-6 Philadelphia Eagles. Their implosion has been remarkable, with losses that could have been wins with Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Dallas. In head-to-head competition, they lost to the multiple honorable mention Cardinals 27-6 in Week 3. Philly has scored no more than 23 points in each loss. Then again, they have scored no more than 24 points in each win. Now that Michael Vick is out with a concussion, will Nick Foles lead the Eagles to their first win since September 30? We'll find out on Sunday.

Next Loss...

   Jacksonville has the dubious assignment of going to Houston to take on the Texans. Upset special? Uh...no. Houston will roll over the Jags. Houston has won the last four games against Jacksonville and until the Jags get their act together, the Texans will make it five in a row.

   Kansas City hosts the Cincinnati Bengals who are fresh off their victory over the New York Giants. The Bengals are 4-2 against the Chiefs since 2003, but are 1-2 in Kansas City during that stretch. This is my Upset Special. Yes, I called an upset special for the Chiefs against the Chargers and lost, but KC is at home against a Bengals team who is vulnerable against the run and allow more rushing yards than they gain.


Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, November 13:

1949  Philadelphia 44 - Washington 21
1960  Philadelphia 19 - Washington 13
1966  San Francisco 30 - Chicago 30
1977  Denver 17 - San Diego 14
1977  Washington 17 - Philadelphia 14
1983  Kansas City 20 - Cincinnati 15
1988  Kansas City 31 - Cincinnati 28
2005  Chicago 17 - San Francisco 9
2006  Carolina 24 - Tampa Bay 10

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Other Top 25 College Football Games

Welcome to this week's College Football Saturday! Let's check out some of the rest of the BCS Top 25.

   This is the only game between two BCS teams ranked between #11-25. The #11 Oregon State Beavers go to Stanford Stadium to take on the #14 Stanford Cardinal. Stanford leads the series 50-25-3, but Oregon State is 9-6 against the Cardinal since 1996. Stanford also leads at home 26-11-2, but is 3-4 against the Beavers since 1998. They first met in 1919, when Stanford won 14-6. The highest scoring game in the series was 1981, when the Cardinal spanked the Beavers 63-9. The last time Stanford shut out Oregon State was 38-0 in 2010. The last time Oregon State shut out Stanford was 27-0 in 1962. Their last tie was 20-20 in 1988.

   The #12 Oklahoma Sooners host the once mighty Baylor Bears. Oklahoma owns the series 20-1, only losing last season to the talents Robert Griffin III and Kendall Wright. The Sooners are 10-0 at home against the Bears. They first met in 1901, a 17-0 Oklahoma victory and they didn't play each other again until 1973. The highest scoring game in the series was last season's upset victory by Baylor 45-38. The last time Oklahoma shut out Baylor was 35-0 in 2004.

   The #16 Nebraska Cornhuskers welcomes the Penn State Nittany Lions in Lincoln. The series is tied 7-7, but Nebraska is 2-1 against the Nittany Lions since 2002. The Cornhuskers are 4-2 at home against Penn State, going 3-1 since 1958. Their first game against each other was in 1920, when Penn State blanked Nebraska 20-0. The highest scoring game in the series was 1979, when Nebraska won 42-17. The last time Penn State shut out Nebraska was 10-0 in 1952. The last time Nebraska shut out Penn State was 19-0 in 1950.

   The #24 Northwestern Wildcats invade Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan dominates the series 53-15-2 and is 9-2 against the Wildcats since 1997. Northwestern is 6-33-2 in Ann Arbor, winning only three times there since 1959, the last time in 2008. They first met in 1892, when Northwestern won 10-8. The highest scoring game in the series was a 54-51 Wildcat victory in 2000. The last time Michigan shut out Northwestern was 31-0 in 1984. The Wolverines also blanked the Wildcats in 1983, 35-0. The last time Northwestern shut out Michigan was 6-0 in 1951. Their last tie was 14-14 in 1946.

Here are some historical scores for BCS Top 25 matchups this week, November 10:

1928  Washington State 38 - UCLA 0
1945  Mississippi State 27 - LSU 20
1956  Clemson 6 - Maryland 6
1956  Oregon State 20 - Stanford 19
1973  Virginia Tech 36 - Florida State 13
1979  Rutgers 20 - Army 0
1990  California 28 - Oregon 3
2001  Auburn 21 - Georgia 17
2001  Maryland 37 - Clemson 20
2007  Virginia Tech 40 - Florida State 21
2007  Georgia 45 - Auburn 20
2007  Oklahoma 52 - Baylor 21

   Also, some more SEC lagniappe, this one from the Georgia/Auburn rivalry. The legendary Larry Munson recalls the 1982 game. Let's watch some sugar fall from the sky. I make no claim of ownership of this video.


Friday, November 9, 2012

A Great NFL Rivalry

There are many great rivalries in the NFL, including the Giants and Cowboys, Packers and Bears, Browns and Bengals, Ravens and Steelers, and the Raiders and Chargers. However, the topic of this entry is another great NFL rivalry, the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.

   The rivalry began in 1967, the Saints' first season. The teams were in different divisions. The Saints were in the Capital Division and the Falcons were in the Coastal division. The Saints won that first meeting 27-24 and didn't beat the Falcons again until 1974 four years after both teams moved to the NFC West. In that season, the Saints swept the season series for the first time. However, from 1967-82, the Falcons owned the series 20-8.

   New Orleans began to win some games in the series in the 1980's. Between 1980 and 1990, the Saints are 10-9 in the series. Atlanta roared back in the 1990's going 14-7 against the Saints. including a 1991 playoff win. Since 2000, the Saints have dominated the series 16-8, but the Falcons still lead the overall series 46-40.

  There have been some memorable games in the series, including a 62-7 drubbing by the Falcons over the Saints on opening day in 1973.

   In 1978, the Saints were leading at home 17-13 with only seconds left in the game. Steve Bartkowski threw a long desperation pass of 57 yards to Alfred Jackson, who caught it over CB Maurice Spencer and ran it in for the winning touchdown 20-17. No longtime Saints or Falcons fan can forget the Big Ben play.

   On opening day 1979, the Saints and Falcons played an exciting game, which went to overtime, the first one in the series. Early in the overtime period, the Saints were about to punt. Center Jim Pietrzak hiked the ball way over punter Russell Erxleben's head and landed near the goal line. Erxleben recovered and tried to throw the ball, but it ended up only going a few yards and landing in the hands of Falcons special teamer James Mayberry, who ran it in for the winning score 40-34.

  They Saints and Falcons even met in the playoffs. In the 1991 wild card round, in a back an forth game, the score was tied in the fourth quarter 20-20. In true rivalry fashion, Chris Miller threw a 61 yard touchdown pass to Michael Haynes to win the game 27-20.

   How about 2003, when both teams recently moved to their current division, the NFC South. Atlanta led the Saints at halftime 20-3. The Saints came back and sent the game to overtime. In the overtime period, John Carney kicked the winning field goal for New Orleans 23-20.

  And who can forget the heroics of Steve Gleason in 2006. This play marked a turning point in Saints history when, in their first game in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina, Gleason blocked a Michael Koenen punt and Curtis DeLoach recovered the ball in the end zone. The Saints went on to win that game 23-3.

   Now let's get down to some series trivia. As previously stated, Atlanta leads the series 46-40, but the Saints are 10-2 against the Falcons since 2006. The highest scoring game in the series was that opening day game in 1979. They have played in overtime six times, which the Falcons lead 4-2. The last time New Orleans shut out Atlanta was 38-0 in 1987. The last time Atlanta shut out New Orleans was 35-0 in 1982.

  For us Saints and Falcons fans, this is the greatest rivalry in pro football. We've only covered a few of the great moments and great games in the history of the series. Let's hope the 2012 season will provide more lore to this storied rivalry.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, November 9:

1958  Los Angeles Rams 56 - San Francisco 7
1969  Los Angeles Rams 41 - San Francisco 30
1975  San Francisco 24 - Los Angeles Rams 23
1980  Minnesota 34 - Detroit 0
1986  Minnesota 24 - Detroit 10
1987  New York Jets 30 - Seattle 14
1997  New England 31 - Buffalo 10
1997  Denver 34 - Carolina 0
2003  Tennessee 31 - Miami 7
2003  Jacksonville 28 - Indianapolis 23
2008  New England 20 - Buffalo 10
2008  Atlanta 34 - New Orleans 20

Here's some lagniappe: Today in 2002, while trailing Kentucky 30-27 with only two seconds left in the game and on their own 26 yard line, LSU pulled off the Bluegrass Miracle.  I claim no ownership to the rights of the video.


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Some Top 10 College Football Series Trivia

Welcome to this week's NCAA BCS Top 10 series trivia. Let's get started.

  After squeaking out a win against LSU, the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide will host the #15 Texas A&M Aggies. Alabama leads the series 3-1, including two Cotton Bowl wins in 1942 and 1968. This is only the second time A&M has played at Alabama and the Tide won the first meeting in 1985. The highest scoring game in the series was in their first meeting in 1942, a 29-21 Alabama victory. There are no shutouts or ties in the series.

   The #2 Kansas State Wildcats will invade Amon Carter Stadium to take on the TCU Horned Frogs for the first time since 1986.The Wildcats trail in the series 2-3 and have lost the last three to TCU. Kansas State has never won in Fort Worth, going 0-2. They first met in 1922, when Kansas State won 45-0, the only shutout in the series. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1986, when TCU won 35-22.

   The #3 Oregon Ducks will travel to Berkeley to take on the California Golden Bears. Oregon trails in the series 33-39-2, but won the last three meetings. The Ducks are 15-26-2 at Cal, but are 4-3 there since 1995. They first met in 1899, when Cal won 12-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1993, when Cal won 42-41. The last time Cal shut out Oregon was 24-0 in 1965. The last time Oregon shut out Cal was 20-0 in 1960. Their last tie was 0-0 in 1953.

   The Boston College Eagles will host the #4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame leads the series 12-9 and have won the last three meetings against the Eagles. They also met 1983 Liberty Bowl, which the Irish won 19-18. The series is even at 4-4 in Boston and the Eagles are 3-1 in their last four meetings at home. They first met in 1975, a 17-3 Notre Dame victory. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1993, which Boston College won 41-39. The only shutout in the series was a 17-0 Eagles win in 2008.

   The #5 Georgia Bulldogs go to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the Auburn Tigers. Georgia trails in the series 53-54-8, but is 5-1 against the Tigers since 2006. The Bulldogs lead the series at Auburn 14-12-2 and is 3-2 there since 2002. They first met in 1892, when Auburn won 10-0. The highest scoring game in the series was a 56-49 Georgia victory in 1996. The last time Georgia shut out Auburn was 28-0 in 1976. The last time Auburn shut out Georgia was 14-0 in 1963. Their last tie was 22-22 in 1978.

   The #6 Florida Gators will host the UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns at the Swamp. Florida is undefeated in this series 4-0, with all the games having been played in Gainesville. They first met in 1945, which Florida won easily 45-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in their last meeting in 1996, when the Gators spanked the Ragin' Cajuns 55-21. The last time Florida shut out UL-Lafayette was in their second ever meeting in 1985, also a 45-0 win.

   The #21 Mississippi State Bulldogs will invade Death Valley to take on the #7 LSU Tigers. LSU dominates the series 67-35-3 and has only lost to the Bulldogs once since 1992, which was in 1999. The Tigers are 47-19-1 in Baton Rouge and are 13-1 there since 1985. They first met in 1896, when LSU nailed Mississippi State 52-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 1980, which Mississippi State won 55-31. The last time LSU shut out Mississippi State was 45-0 in 2007. The last time Mississippi State shut out LSU was 25-0 in 1954. Their last tie was 0-0 in 1941.

   The #8 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the Arkansas Razorbacks in Columbia. The Gamecocks trail in the series 7-13 and are 1-5 against the Razorbacks since 2006. The series is even in South Carolina 5-5 and is 3-3 since 2000. They first met in 1992, when Arkansas won 45-7. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2007, when Arkansas won 48-36. The only time Arkansas shut out South Carolina was 23-0 in 2002. The only time South Carolina shut out Arkansas was 14-0 in 1994.

   The #9 Louisville Cardinals travel to New York to take on the Syracuse Orange. Louisville leads the series 6-5 and is 6-2 against the Orange since 2002. The series is even at Syracuse 3-3, but Louisville is 4-3 in Syracuse since 2002. They first met in 1985, when Syracuse nailed the Cardinals 48-0, the only shutout in the series. The highest scoring game in the series was a 38-35 Syracuse win in 2007.

   The Virginia Tech Hokies will play a Thursday night game at home against the #10 Florida State Seminoles. Florida State leads the series 22-12-1 and is 13-2 against the Hokies since 1976, including wins in the Gator Bowl in 2002 and the BCS Championship in the Sugar Bowl in 2000. The Seminoles trail the series in Blacksburg 5-6-1 and lost their last meeting there in 2007. They first met in 1955, when Virginia Tech won 24-20. The highest scoring games in the series were in their last meeting in 2010, when Virginia Tech won 44-33 and in 1974, also a Hokie victory, 56-21. The only shutout in the series was a 28-0 Florida State win in 1958. The only tie in the series was 10-10 in 1969.

Here are some historical scores for Top 25 games played this week, on November 7:

1900  Army 23 - Rutgers 0
1903  Mississippi State 11 - LSU 0
1908  LSU 50 - Mississippi State 0
1925  Northwestern 3 - Michigan 2
1925  Georgia 34 - Auburn 0
1936  LSU 12 - Mississippi State 0
1981  Stanford 69 - Oregon State 3
1987  Notre Dame 32 - Boston College 25
1992  Toledo 10 - Ball State 9
1992  Michigan 40 - Northwestern 7
1992  Notre Dame 54 - Boston College 7
1998  Notre Dame 31 - Boston College 26
2009  Arkansas 33 - South Carolina 16
2009  USC 14 - Arizona State 9

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The race for the number one pick in the 2013 Draft is heating up. There is a tie for this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 1-7 Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars have both lost their last five games, supplanting the 2-6 Carolina Panthers, who beat the Washington Redskins. The Chiefs have scored more points, but the Jags have allowed fewer points, thus a tie.

  We have kind of a tie and repeat for this week's honorable mention. As with the Jags and Chiefs, the 4-5 Arizona Cardinals get their second consecutive mention by losing their last five games. They did score 17 points, the most during this losing streak. However, they also allowed the Green Bay Packers to score 31 points, the most during this streak.

  The other honorable mention doesn't go to a team, but only part of it. Once again, the New Orleans Saints' defense allowed over 400 yards in their win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Eagles scored only 13 points, the Saints showed how porous their defense could be. However, they did sack Michael Vick seven times and had a Pick 6 against him in the red zone. They way the Saints defense is playing right now, they will be no match for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons offense this week.

  Speaking of the Saints/Eagles game, let's give the Philadelphia an honorable mention. They are 1-5 in their last six games and losers of their last four. The Eagles have scored no higher than 24 points this season and that was in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles defense has allowed at least 26 points in their last three losses and a minimum of 16 points in every game.

Next Loss...

   The Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. The series is 4-4 since 1997, with the Steelers winning last season. Although, as the trend goes, it would be Kansas City's turn to win and have an upset special, but it won't happen. Pittsburgh is too much for the Chiefs and will give them an easy loss.

   Jacksonville will host the defending Kings of the Cellar champion Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night.  The Jags have won three of the last four meetings, including the last two. This can be an upset special, but it won't. Jacksonville won their first meeting in Indy, however, they have scored no more than 14 points at home. The Colts will redeem themselves and hand Jacksomville yet another loss.

Trivia Note

Michael Vick has now become the first player in NFL history to pass for over 20,000 yards and rush for over 5,000 yards. Congrats on that great accomplishment.


Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on November 6:

1955  Los Angeles Rams 27 - San Francisco 14
1966  Philadelphia 24 - Dallas 23
1966  San Francisco 21 - Los Angeles Rams 13
1977  Buffalo 24 - New England 14
1983  New Orleans 27 - Atlanta 10
1983  New England 21 - Buffalo 7
1983  Dallas 27 - Philadelphia 20
1988  Minnesota 44 - Detroit 17
1995  Dallas 34 - Philadelphia 12
2005  Minnesota 27 - Detroit 14

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Other Top 25 College Football Games

Welcome to College Football Saturday! Here is some series trivia for some of the rest of the NCAA Top 25.

   The #11 Oregon State Beavers host the Arizona State Sun Devils in Corvallis. Oregon State trails in the series 11-26-1, but is 4-2 against the Sun Devils since 2006. The Beavers trail at home 7-8-1, but is 4-1 since 2003. They first met in 1961, when Arizona State edged Oregon State 24-23. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2007, when Arizona State won 44-32. The only shutout in the series happened in 1979, when Arizona State nailed Oregon State 45-0. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1989.

   The #12 Oklahoma Sooners travel to Ames to take on the Iowa State Cyclones. Oklahoma owns the series 69-5-2 and won the last 13 games against the Cyclones. Iowa State last beat the Sooners in 1990. Oklahoma is 33-2-1 in Ames, last losing there in 1960. They first met in 1928, when Iowa State blanked Oklahoma 13-0, which is Iowa State's only shutout in the series. The highest scoring game was a 43-40 Sooner win in 1989. Oklahoma last shut out Iowa State 52-0 in 2010. The last tie was 7-7 in 1981.

   In the rest of the Top 25 game of the week, the #15 Mississippi State Bulldogs host the #16 Texas A&M Aggies. Mississippi State leads the series 3-2. They last met in the Independence Bowl in 2000, the first time they played each other since 1937. This is the first time the Aggies will play in Starkville. They first met in 1912, when Texas A&M won 41-7. The highest scoring game in the series came in that Independence Bowl game, a 43-41 Bulldog victory. The last time Texas A&M shut out Mississippi State was 14-0 in 1937. The last time Mississippi State shut out Texas A&M was 7-0 in 1915.

   The #18 Texas Tech Red Raiders host the #23 Texas Longhorns in Lubbock. Texas dominates the series 46-15 and is 11-2 against the Red Raiders since 1999. Texas is 29-5 in Lubbock, but is 3-2 there since 2002. They first met in 1928, when Texas blanked the Red Raiders 12-0. The highest scoring game in the series was in 2007, a 59-43 Longhorns win. The last time Texas shut out Texas Tech was 27-0 in 1982. Texas Tech has never shut out Texas.

   The #22 Arizona Wildcats invade Rose Bowl Stadium to take on the UCLA Bruins. Arizona trails in the series 15-19-2, but have won the last five games against the Bruins. Arizona is 4-11 in Pasadena, but is 3-2 there since 1999. They first met in 1927, when Arizona won 16-13. The highest scoring game in the series was a 52-28 UCLA victory in 1998. There are no shutouts or ties in the series.

   Here are some historical scores for this week's Top 25 games played on November 3:

1928  Iowa State 13 - Oklahoma 0
1934  Pittsburgh 19 - Notre Dame 0
1973  Ohio State 30 - Illinois 0
1973  Oklahoma 34 - Iowa State 17
1979  Texas 14 - Texas Tech 6
1979  Ohio State 44 - Illinois 7
1984  Oklahoma State 34 - Kansas State 6
1984  Texas 13 - Texas Tech 10
1990  Arizona State 34 - Oregon State 9
1990  Texas 41 - Texas Tech 22
2001  LSU 35 - Alabama 21
2007  Clemson 47 - Duke 10
2007  Arizona 34 - UCLA 27
2007  LSU 41 - Alabama 34