It's Florida-Georgia weekend...You READY??

First of all I want to apologize for not writing anything last week. It was a little more difficult than I expected here in Germany. Well, to be honest, I just didn’t fork out and pay for the internet since it was 30$ a day, just on principle alone, plus I was able to get skype for free and email on the phone. Needless to say, at our new hotel in Augsburg, I have free internet. Plus it is the Florida/Georgia weekend and can I really miss this week? Absolutely not!

Secondly, this blog entry is a little different than my other blogs. I am guessing you have noticed that each week I have complained about something different. Whether it’s the BCS system, Lane Kiffin, or why I should be on college gameday, I have decided to have a little fun. Not unlike my other blog entries, I will be completely biased. What I have decided to do is to write my “Dream Game” scenario. My dream as a sports commentator would to be on the sideline of the Florida/Georgia game, so let’s just say I am watching Tracy Wolfson very closely to find out how I can take her job…haha! With my dream scenario, I am putting my favorite two teams on the field and matching up what I believe to be their best players. Before I keep going, those who don’t understand how I can cheer for both of these schools, get over it. I can truly do it and it can just be one of those phenomenas that you just don’t understand. Also, remember I am just 27 years old, so my knowledge of these two school’s history is limited. I am just going with my favorite players that I have personally watched. When I finally put this whole game together, I imagine how awesome it would be to have all of these people playing with or against each other. I mean, how cool!

I would love for you to add anything to my dream scenario or even put together a fun matchup of your own. I know my mom and dad can add a few changes of their own, but I would be open to any and all changes. Let me know what you think!

Game- Florida vs UGA
Stadium- Half swamp/Half between the hedges
Quarterback matchup- Tim Tebow vs Hines Ward
Running back matchup- Emmett Smith vs Herschel Walker
Wide receiver matchup- Percy Harvin vs AJ Green
Defensive line matchup- Brandon Spikes vs David Pollack
Cornerback matchup- Joe Haden vs Champ Bailey
Coach’s matchup- Urban Meyer vs Vince Dooley


Onto the picks- I am working on getting better, but I am just not picking the upsets. I won't go to my record from two weeks ago because that's just not fun. I am just going to try and keep looking forward!

UNC vs Va Tech-Go Heels(I'm dreaming, I know)
West Va vs South Fla- West Va
NC State vs FSU- FSU
Ole Miss vs Auburn- Ole Miss
Indiana vs Iowa- Iowa
UGA vs UF-I don't pick this game
Miami vs Wake- Miami
Miss St vs Kentucky- Kentucky
South Carolina vs Tenn- South Carolina
Texas vs Okla St- Texas
USC vs Oregon- Oregon

It's BCS time...don't get excited

Why oh why was this system ever created? I have been told that it was a true effort to try and make college football as equal as possible, but when you review the criteria for the BCS, I just can't seem to find the "good" in the system. I could give you stats, stories, and reasons the BCS doesn't work, but I'm guessing you have heard them all. If you are from a small conference, you are screaming for Boise State to finally get in as you cheer for Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Arkansas this weekend. If you are from the SEC, you are still wondering how an undefeated Auburn didn't get in over Oklahoma when they got decimatted by USC(plus a SEC team has won the last three championships which proves it definitely would have been a better game!). If you are from the Big East you are even cheering for Cincinnati so they can finally get a team in the championship game. Why is there more cheering against the team ahead of you in the polls than actually cheering for your own team?

This blog entry will be short and simple... create playoffs! Top eight playoff? Why is it that every other sport figured out that a playoff would be the simplest way to find a champion? I appreciate tradition, and I would love to keep the bowls, but I also would love it if there wasn't arguments against the national champion. Of course, people would argue for that ninth spot, but wouldn't we rather an argument for the ninth best team rather than the third? I know we all want a playoff...let's try and get it one!

Here are the picks for the weekend. I went 7-5, but had I not picked Florida State and Michigan for my husband's sake, I would have been 9-3. He told me that I just shouldn't pick them at all anymore(needless to say he is frustrated with this football season). So here we go...

Okla vs Texas- Texas
Wake vs Clemson- Clemson
UGA vs Vandy-go DAWGS!(please win...)
Ark vs UF-Go GATORS!
USC vs ND- USC
NC State vs BC-BC
UVA vs Maryland-UVA
Va Tech vs Ga Tech-Va Tech
Kent vs Auburn-Auburn
So Carolina vs Bama-Bama
Missouri vs Ok State-Missouri
Texas Tech vs Nebraska-Nebraska

Pet Peeve #1

For those of you that know me, you know how many crazy pet peeves I have in my life. Leaving the blinker on, smacking of gum, crunching of ice right in my ear, any kind of tick, and of course the "barely touching" are just to name a few. After this week of football, a few more pet peeves have been added to my list. I know that these two stories are already being run into the ground but frankly I want to add to the fire. When it comes to pet peeves, the only way to get rid of them is to tell everyone you know about them!

The first pet peeve has to do with everything surrounding Bobby Bowden. This peeve comes in the fact that the "big" donors are the ones asking for the retirement of Bowden, when the people who have the control are the ones trying to put out all the fire. When the president of your school and your athletic director are backing the coach, then I personally believe that everyone else should also leave it alone. I understand that people are entitled to their opinions(as I am doing right now), but when you think that your opinion will sway the people in charge to fire one of the greatest coaches of all time, then I find that a little annoying. I come from a position as a Florida fan who has never enjoyed the Bowden victories(especially the 31-31 tie, even though it wasnt considered a victory it sure did get under my skin!), yet as a person who appreciates how hard it must be to get as many wins as Bowden. Bobby should be able to retire whenever he wants to and he has obviously earned that right. Who's to say that one day soon Bobby does exactly what Joe Paterno has done-have some pretty subpar seasons and now at 83, he is leading a top 15 Penn State football team. It seems to me like Bobby has relinquished a lot of his duties on offense and defense, yet the team seems to do worse with lesser input. When I watched him step into the huddle right before the last play of the Miami game, it looked to me he made the play call which gave FSU it's best opportunity in the end zone. The guy just didn't catch it.

So for this pet peeve...let's just let the powers do their job, talk to our friends about our real opinions, and let one of the greatest football coaches of all time finish out his legacy when he so chooses.

Pet Peeve #2

Now for my second pet peeve. REFEREES! My dad always told me that his lease favorite thing about soccer was how the referees could change the game. With one blow of the whistle and a signal to the penalty spot, the momentum of the game changes and normally so does the outcome. As a former football player himself, he always knew the refs had some control, but he knew it was good control. Not until this weekend did he realize, and I am right with him, that the refs had WAY too much control. Of course there have been games before this past weekend where we all wanted to blame the refs, but knew the actual outcome of the game was not dictated by their calls. When the referees decided to call an unsportsmanlike penalty on AJ Green which was put on the kickoff and two plays later LSU runs in the winning touchdown, the refs had actually decided the outcome of the game.

When it comes to SEC football, every play matters. When it came down to last Saturday between the hedges, the tension was constantly mounting as the first half was a full defensive battle, but the fourth quarter was all about the offense. When 90,000 people are screaming at the top of their lungs, you just made one of the best catches of the season, and possibly the winning touchdown over a top 5 team, are you not supposed to celebrate? I have watched the replay over and over again in hopes that I find someone who tried to draw attention to himself or someone who just celebrated too long, but I just haven't found that someone. LSU fans can even argue that they also got the same call against them after they scored, but it never affected the outcome and we all know that the first call was the one that took all the momentum away from Georgia and it was just too late to get it back.

I feel bad for Georgia and all the players and coaches involved. I appreciate that the SEC is reprimanding these refs for the blatant bad call, but unfortunately it won't change the score. I feel bad for my dad as he realized that the one thing he hated about soccer has now come true to his first sports passion, college football. It was a sad day for all dawgs fans and I just hope it doesn't completely ruin this season.

So for this pet peeve...refs, try and call the game properly and don't leave your mark. No one remembers the refs UNLESS they make a bad call.

OK now for the picks and let me tell you I HAVE to make up for last week. I was 4-8, YIKES! That's really bad. I am letting myself go! Here we go for a better effort!

Neb vs Mizzou-Missouri
BC vs Va Tech- Va Tech
Aub vs Ark- Aub
UGA vs UT- Go DAWGS
Kent vs South Carolina- S. Carolina
Bama vs Ole Miss-Bama
Oregon vs UCLA-Oregon
Georgia Southern vs UNC-Go HEELS
Maryland vs Wake Forest-Wake
UF vs LSU-GO GATORS
GT vs FSU-FSU
Mich vs Iowa- Mich