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Your New College Football Champions - The Kansas St. Wildcats

After just one belt defense, the Texas Tech Red Raiders got manhandled by the new undisputed heavyweight champion of college football, the Kansas State Wildcats, winners of 55-24 game in Manhattan, Kansas.

Since I've been following this method of crowning my own national champion, I've only posted when there was a new champion. Here is the history of my belt, awarded in accordance with the belt method:

• Texas took it from undisputed champion USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
• On September 9, 2006, #1 Ohio State gained the belt by defeating the #2 Texas Longhorns 24-7.
• On January 8, 2007, #2 Florida won the belt and the BCS by defeating the #1 Buckeyes 41-14.
• On September 29, 2007, the Auburn Tigers took the belt with a 20-17 win at #4 Florida.
• On October 20, 2007, #5 LSU obtained the belt from #18 Auburn with a 30-24 victory.
• On November 23, 2007, Arkansas took the title from #1 LSU with a 50-48 victory.
• On January 1, 2008, #7 Missouri took the belt away with a 38-7 win in the Cotton Bowl.
• On October 11, 2008, #3 Missouri lost the title to #17 Oklahoma State 28-23.
• On October 25, 2008, #1 Texas won back the belt by defeating #6 Oklahoma State 28-24.
• On November 1, 2008, #7 Texas Tech won the belt by defeating #1 Texas 39-33.
• On November 22, 2008, #5 Oklahoma took the belt by defeating #2 Texas Tech 65-21.
• On January 8, 2009, #2 Florida took the belt, and the BCS title, by beating the #1 Sooners 24-14.
• On December 5, 2009, Alabama won the belt (and later the BCS) by beating the Gators 32-13.
• On October 9, 2010, #19 South Carolina took the belt from #1 BCS champ Alabama 35-21.
• On October 16, 2010, Kentucky took the belt by defeating #10 South Carolina 31-28.
• On October 23, 2010, Georgia took the belt by winning at Kentucky, 44-31.
• On October 30, 2010, Florida took the belt by beating Georgia 34-31 in OT.
• On November 13, 2010,#23 South Carolina reclaimed the belt from #22 Florida 36-14.
• On December 4, 2010, #1 Auburn won Belt and BCS from #19 usc 56-17 in the SEC title game.
• On September 17, 2011, Clemson took it from #21 Auburn 38-24.
• On October 29, 2011, Georgia Tech tore it away from #5 Clemson, 31-14.
• On November 10, 2011, Virginia Tech took it from #20 Georgia Tech 37-26.
• On December 4, 2011, Clemson took it from VA Tech in the ACC title game, 38-10.
• On January 4, 2012, West Virginia took it in the Orange Bowl, 70-33.
• On October 3, 2012, Texas Tech ripped it from the Mountaineers 49-14.
• On October 27, 2012, Kansas State took it with a 55-24 win over the Red Raiders.

The Wildcats will defend the belt against Oklahoma St. next week.

My College Football Picks, 2012 Week 9

It's another fairly good week of college football. No inter-subdivisional play. No spreads of more than 60 points. My choice against the spread on BCS-ranked team games is shown in bold. Seven *bets I really like are marked by an asterisk. See if your picks can beat mine.

Saturday, Oct 27:
* Tennessee @ #13 South Carolina -14
* #23 Texas @ Kansas +19½
* Colorado @ #4 Oregon -47
Kent St. @ #15 Rutgers -13½
#24 Ohio @ Miami (OH) +7
Duke @ #12 Florida St. -27
Michigan St. @ #25 Wisconsin -6
#9 USC @ Arizona +6½
#21 Boise St. @ Wyoming +16½
#2 Florida @ #10 Georgia +7
* #14 Texas Tech @ #3 Kansas St. -7½
* Washington St. @ #17 Stanford -24½
* #20 Texas A&M @ Auburn +14½
#22 Michigan @ Nebraska  -1½
#5 Notre Dame @ #8 Oklahoma -12½
* #11 Miss St. @ #1 Alabama -23
#7 Oregon St. @ Washington +3½

I'm watching these games outside the BCS 25, too:

#9 Ohio St. @ Penn St. PK
UCLA @ Arizona St. -6½
Cal @ Utah -1½
Syracuse @ South Florida -3½
Hawaii @ Colorado St. -6

This Saturday, the ten teams I am rooting for, in order, are: USC, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Mississippi St., Georgia, Penn St., Tennessee, Stanford, Oregon and Duke.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/odds

2012 ... And Then There Were 11

In the battle to become the last unbeaten team in America, there are now 11 contenders left. Only Cincinnati lost last weekend. Here are the lucky eleven (with AP rankings in parentheses followed by their opponent this week):

1. Alabama (1) - Mississippi St.
2. Oregon (2) - Colorado
3. Florida (3) - Georgia
4. Kansas St. (4) -Texas Tech
5. Notre Dame (5) - @ Oklahoma
6. Oregon St. (7) - @ Washington
7. Ohio St. (9) - @ Penn St.
8. Mississippi St. (13) - @ Alabama
9. Louisville (16) - Cincinnati
10. Rutgers (18) - Kent St.
11. Ohio (23) - @ Miami OH

By conference, the totals are: Big 12 (1), Big East (2), Big Ten (1), Ind (1), MAC (1), Pac-12 (2) and SEC (3). The ACC, C-USA, Mountain West, WAC and Sun Belt have none.

This week, there is one match-ups between unbeaten teams - either Alabama or Mississippi St will end the week with a loss - so we could have anywhere from 1 to 10 unbeaten teams. Five undefeated teams hit the road this week. Five unbeaten teams draw ranked opponents. My guess is that the list will get down to 8 this week.

My College Football Top 25, 2012 Week 8

If I had an AP vote, here is what my ballot would look after week eight, with my week seven picks in brackets:

1. Oregon [1]
2. Alabama [2]
3. Kansas State [3] 
4. Florida [4]
5. USC [5]
6. LSU [6]
7. Oklahoma [7]
8. Notre Dame [8]
9. Florida State [9]
10. Oregon St. [10]
11. Ohio State [11]
12. Clemson [12]
13. Georgia [13]
14. Louisville [14]
15. Stanford [15]
16. Mississippi St. [16]
17. South Carolina [17]
18. Texas A&M [18]
19. Texas Tech [19]
20. Boise St. [21]
21. Rutgers [23]
22. Michigan [24]
23. Wisconsin [NR]
24. Nebraska [NR]
25. Ohio [NR]

Dropped out: West Virginia [16], Cincinnati [22], TCU [25]

I almost went with: Louisiana Tech, Texas

I knew it! South Carolina

I blew it! West Virginia

I think the AP is overrating: Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Rutgers

I can't believe anyone gave votes this week to: Tulsa, UCLA

The Bottom 10 - 2012 Week 8

We still have two winless teams: The MAC's Mass and Conference USA's Southern Miss. Former Bottom Ten #2 Eastern Michigan beat Army for its first win in 9 games. Go figure. Like Tulane last week, I drop them completely out of the Bottom Ten with the win, since there are still many teams that have yet to win their first game against an FBS team. Here's the bottom of the barrel.

1. Massachusetts (0-7) [1] Longest losing streak in FBS at ten games.  Next loss: @ Vandy
2. Southern Miss (0-7) [3] Five of seven losses by double digits. Next loss: @ Rice
3. UNLV (1-7) * [4] Lost to N. Arizona Next loss: @ San Diego St.
4. Idaho (1-7) *[5] Defense gave up 60+ three times. Next loss: Idle
5. Colorado St. (1-6)* [6] Lost to N. Dakota St. Next loss: Hawaii
6. Wyoming (1-6)* [7] Lost to Cal Poly. Next loss: @ Boise St.
7. Army (1-6)* [8] Lost to Stony Brook. Next loss: Ball St.
8. Colorado (1-6)* [9] Lost to Sacramento St. Next loss: @ Oregon
9. Memphis (1-5)* [10] Lost to Tenn-Martin. Next loss: @ SMU
10. Kentucky (1-7) (NR] First power conference team to 7 losses. Next loss: @ Missouri

Not far ahead: One-win teams that are winless against the FBS: Florida Atlantic (beat Wagner), Akron (beat Morgan St. 66-6), Hawaii (beat Lamar), Boston College (beat Maine), Kansas (beat S Dakota St.), UAB (beat SE Louisiana), Buffalo (beat Morgan St.), New Mexico State (beat Sacramento St.), and teams with no wins outside the Bottom Ten: Eastern Michigan (beat Army) and Auburn (beat Kentucky).

This week's crummy Game of the Weak: Hawaii @ Colorado St.

This week's Blowout of the Weak: Colorado @ Oregon

Dishonorable mentions: *Pitt (2-4), *Middle Tenn. St.(4-2)

* lost to FCS team(s)

Colorado's strategy for this afternoon.

My College Football Picks, 2012 Week 8

It's another fairly good week of college football. No inter-subdivisional play. No spreads of more than 60 points. My choice against the spread is shown in bold. Seven *bets I really like are marked by an asterisk. See if your picks can beat mine.

Thursday, Oct 18:
#2 Oregon @ Arizona St. +8

Saturday, Oct 20:
Virginia Tech @ #14 Clemson -9
Purdue @ #7 Ohio St. -18½
#19 Rutgers @ Temple +4
* #6 LSU @ #20 Texas A&M +3½
#22 Stanford @ California +3
Michigan St. @ #23 Michigan -9½
BYU @ #5 Notre Dame -13½
* UNLV @ #24 Boise St. -28
South Florida @ #16 Louisville -5½
* #9 South Carolina @ #3 Florida -3½
* #18 Texas Tech @ TCU +1½
* Colorado @ #11 USC -40½
#21 Cincinnati @ Toledo +5
#4 Kansas St. @ #17 West Virginia -2½
* Kansas @ #10 Oklahoma -35
#13 Georgia @ Kentucky +26½
#1 Alabama @ Tennessee +20
* Middle Tenn. St. @ #15 Miss St. -18½
#12 Florida St. @ Miami (FL) +21
Utah @ #8 Oregon St. -9½

I'm watching these games outside the top 25, too:

UConn @ Syracuse -5
Washington @ Arizona -7½

This Saturday, the ten teams I am rooting for, in order, are: USC, BYU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Purdue, Miami, West Virginia, Middle Tennessee, TCU and Temple.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/odds

My College Football Top 25, 2012 Week 7

If I had an AP vote, here is what my ballot would look after week seven, with my week six picks in brackets:

1. Oregon [1]
2. Alabama [2]
3. Kansas State [3] 
4. Florida [6]
5. Ohio State [8]
6. USC [7]
7. Notre Dame [9]
8. Oregon St. [10]
9. Oklahoma [11]
10. LSU [15]
11. South Carolina [5]
12. Florida State [12]
13. Clemson [14]
14. Georgia [17]
15. Louisville [18]
16. West Virginia [4]
17. Stanford [13]
18. Mississippi St. [19]
19. Texas A&M [20]
20. Texas Tech [NR]
21. Boise St. [21]
22. Cincinnati [22]
23. Rutgers [25]
24. Michigan [NR]
25. TCU [NR]

Dropped out: Texas [16], Iowa St. [23], Louisiana Tech [24]

I almost went with: Ohio

I knew it! Nope.

I blew it! West Virginia

I think the AP is overrating: Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Rutgers

I can't believe anyone gave votes this week to: Tulsa, Penn St.

The Bottom 10 - 2012 Week 7

We still have three winless teams: The MAC's Mass and E. Michigan (who play on November 23) and Conference USA's Southern Miss. Former Bottom Ten #1 Tulane beat SMU for its first win in 16 games. Go figure. I drop them completely out of the Bottom Ten with the win, as there are still ten teams that are winless, or who have lost to FCS teams or both. The new long streak for futility belongs to Massachusetts. Including their 3 losses in the FCS last season, they are at 9 straight losses.

1. Massachusetts (0-6) [2] Have they ever beaten any FBS school?  Next loss: Bowling Green
2. Eastern Michigan (0-6) [3] Losers of 8 straight. Next loss: Army
3. Southern Miss (0-6) [4] Went 12-2 last year. Ouch. Next loss: Marshall
4. UNLV (1-6) * [5] Lost to N. Arizona Next loss: @ Boise St.
5. Idaho (1-6) *[6] Lost to E. Wash. Next loss: @ LA. Tech
6. Colorado St. (1-6)* [7] Lost to N. Dakota St. Next loss: Idle
7. Wyoming (1-5)* [10] Lost to Cal Poly. Next loss: @ Fresno St.
8. Army (1-5)* [10] Lost to Stony Brook. Next loss: @ E. Michigan
9. Colorado (1-5)* [9] Lost to Sacramento St. Next loss: USC
10. Memphis (1-5)* [8] Lost to Tenn-Martin. Next loss: @ UCF

Not far ahead: One-win teams that are winless against the FBS: Florida Atlantic (beat Wagner), Akron (beat Morgan St. 66-6), Hawaii (beat Lamar), Boston College (beat Maine), Kansas (beat S Dakota St.), UAB (beat SE Louisiana), Buffalo (beat Morgan St.), South Alabama (beat Nicholls), New Mexico State (beat Sacramento St.)

This week's crummy Game of the Weak: Army @ E. Michigan

This week's Blowout of the Weak: Colorado @ USC

Dishonorable mentions: *Pitt (2-4), *Middle Tenn. St.(4-2)

* lost to FCS team(s)

Your New College Football Champions - The Texas Tech Red Raiders

After five thrilling belt defenses, West Virginia got manhandled by the new undisputed heavyweight champion of college football, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, winners of a 49-14 game in Lubbock.

Since I've been following this method of crowning my own national champion, I've only posted when there was a new champion. Here is the history of my belt, awarded in accordance with the belt method:

• Texas took it from undisputed champion USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
• On September 9, 2006, #1 Ohio State gained the belt by defeating the #2 Texas Longhorns 24-7.
• On January 8, 2007, #2 Florida won the belt and the BCS by defeating the #1 Buckeyes 41-14.
• On September 29, 2007, the Auburn Tigers took the belt with a 20-17 win at #4 Florida.
• On October 20, 2007, #5 LSU obtained the belt from #18 Auburn with a 30-24 victory.
• On November 23, 2007, Arkansas took the title from #1 LSU with a 50-48 victory.
• On January 1, 2008, #7 Missouri took the belt away with a 38-7 win in the Cotton Bowl.
• On October 11, 2008, #3 Missouri lost the title to #17 Oklahoma State 28-23.
• On October 25, 2008, #1 Texas won back the belt by defeating #6 Oklahoma State 28-24.
• On November 1, 2008, #7 Texas Tech won the belt by defeating #1 Texas 39-33.
• On November 22, 2008, #5 Oklahoma took the belt by defeating #2 Texas Tech 65-21.
• On January 8, 2009, #2 Florida took the belt, and the BCS title, by beating the #1 Sooners 24-14.
• On December 5, 2009, Alabama won the belt (and later the BCS) by beating the Gators 32-13.
• On October 9, 2010, #19 South Carolina took the belt from #1 BCS champ Alabama 35-21.
• On October 16, 2010, Kentucky took the belt by defeating #10 South Carolina 31-28.
• On October 23, 2010, Georgia took the belt by winning at Kentucky, 44-31.
• On October 30, 2010, Florida took the belt by beating Georgia 34-31 in OT.
• On November 13, 2010,#23 South Carolina reclaimed the belt from #22 Florida 36-14.
• On December 4, 2010, #1 Auburn won Belt and BCS from #19 usc 56-17 in the SEC title game.
• On September 17, 2011, Clemson took it from #21 Auburn 38-24.
• On October 29, 2011, Georgia Tech tore it away from #5 Clemson, 31-14.
• On November 10, 2011, Virginia Tech took it from #20 Georgia Tech 37-26.
• On December 4, 2011, Clemson took it from VA Tech in the ACC title game, 38-10.
• On January 4, 2012, West Virginia took it in the Orange Bowl, 70-33.
• On October 3, 2012, Texas Tech ripped it from the Mountaineers 49-14.

Tech, which last held The Belt in 2008, will defend the belt at TCU on October 20.

My College Football Picks, 2012 Week 7

This week, the schedule of games involving AP ranked teams is pretty good. Only one is off the board due to inter-subdivisional play. My choice against the spread is shown in bold. Five *bets I really like are marked by an asterisk. See if your picks can beat mine.

Saturday, Oct 13:
#18 Louisville @ Pittsburgh +1½
Syracuse @ #20 Rutgers -6½
* #6 Kansas St. @ Iowa St. +5½
#15 Texas @ #13 Oklahoma -3
#1 Alabama @ Missouri +22
Illinois @ #25 Michigan -24½
#17 Stanford @ #7 Notre Dame -7
Fresno St. @ #24 Boise St. -7
#5 West Virginia @ Texas Tech +3½
* #10 Oregon St. @ BYU -6
* Boston College @ #12 Florida St. -28½
#4 Florida @ Vanderbilt +9
#11 USC @ Washington +13½
Fordham @ #21 Cincinnati
* #8 Ohio St. @ Indiana +18
#3 South Carolina @ #9 LSU -2½
* #22 Texas A&M @ #23 LA Tech +8½
Tenneessee @ #19 Miss St.  -3

I'm watching these games outside the top 25, too:
Utah @ UCLA -9½
Cal @ Washington St. +7
New Mexico @ Hawaii +2

This Saturday, the ten teams I am rooting for, in order, are: USC, Utah, Stanford, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Iowa St., Indiana, Boston College and LSU.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/odds

The Most Interesting Fan in the World

Another Curious Date and Time

In military time, it is now

10/11/12 13:14.

A Curious Date and Time

It is now

08:09 10/11/12

2012 ... And Then There Were 12

In the battle to become the last unbeaten team in America, there are now 12 contenders left. Four teams fell for the first time last week - South Carolina, West Virginia, Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio. Everyone with an unblemished record is now ranked. The remaining contenders are (with AP rankings in parentheses followed by their opponent this week):

1. Alabama (1) - @ Tennessee
2. Oregon (2) - @ ASU
3. Florida (3) - #9 South Carolina
4. Kansas St. (4) - @ #17 West Virginia
5. Notre Dame (5) - BYU
6. Ohio St. (7) - Purdue
7. Oregon St. (8) - Utah
8. Mississippi St. (15) - Middle Tenn. St.
9. Louisville (16) - South Florida
10. Rutgers (19) - @ Temple
11. Cincinnati (21) - @ Toledo
12. Ohio (25) - Bye

By conference, the totals are: Big 12 (1), Big East (3), Big Ten (1), Ind (1), MAC (1), Pac-12 (2) and SEC (3). The ACC, CUSA, Mountain West, WAC and Sun Belt have none.

This week, there are no match-ups among unbeaten teams, so theoretically, we could have anywhere from 1 to 12 unbeaten teams. Five undefeated teams hit the road this week. Two unbeaten teams draw ranked opponents. My guess is that the list will get down to 10 this week.

My Initial 2012 Bottom 10 List

Like the BCS, I decided to wait until midseason to start this list. Evaluating the contenders for Unchampion of major division college football, here is my Bottom Ten. There are actually 11 teams in the list, as #10 is a tie. It's very hard to separate one-win teams who have lost to lower division opponents.

We still have four winless hapless teams: The MAC's Mass and E. Michigan (who play on Noveber 23) and Conference USA's Southern Miss and Tulane. All four are in the MAC or CUSA. The one thing they all have in common - none of their losses were to lower division schools. I have Tulane in the bottom spot because they sport a 15 game losing streak, which is the longest in the nation:

1. Tulane (0-5) Fifteen losses in a row dating to 2011. Next loss: SMU
2. Massachusetts (0-6) First team to six losses.  Next loss: Bye
3. Eastern Michigan (0-5) Every loss by double-digits. Next loss: Toledo
4. Southern Miss (0-5) Best of the Futile Four. Two losses were to ranked teams. Next loss: @ UCF
5. UNLV (1-5)* Lost to N. Arizona Next loss: Nevada
6. Idaho (1-5)* Lost to E. Wash. Next loss: @ Texas St.
7. Colorado St. (1-5)* Lost to N. Dakota St. Next loss: @SDSU
8. Memphis (1-4)* Lost to Tenn-Martin. Next loss: @ ECU
9. Colorado (1-4)* Lost to Sacramento St. Next loss: ASU
10. Wyoming (1-4)* Lost to Cal Poly. Next loss: Air Force
    Army (1-4)* Lost to Stony Brook. Next loss: Kent St.

Not far ahead: One-win teams that are winless against the FBS: Florida Atlantic (beat Wagner), Akron (neat Morgan St. 66-6), Hawaii (beat Lamar), Boston College (beat Maine), Kansas (beat S Dakota St.), UAB (beat SE Louisiana), Buffalo (beat Morgan St.), South Alabama (beat Nicholls), New Mexico State (beat Sacramento St.)

This week's crummy Game of the Weak: Idaho @ Texas St.

This week's Blowout of the Weak: Colorado v. Arizona St.

Dishonorable mentions: *Pitt (2-3), *Middle Tenn. St.(3-2)

* lost to FCS team(s)

My College Football Top 25, 2012 Week 6

If I had an AP vote, here is what my ballot would look after week six, with my week five picks in brackets:

1. Oregon [1]
2. Alabama [2]
3. Kansas State [8]
4. West Virginia [4]
5. South Carolina [7]
6. Florida [12]
7. USC [10]
8. Ohio State [11]
9. Notre Dame [13]
10. Oregon St. [18]
11. Oklahoma [17]
12. Florida State [3]
13. Stanford [14]
14. Clemson [16]
15. LSU [5]
16. Texas [9]
17. Georgia [6]
18. Louisville [19]
19. Mississippi St. [23]
20. Texas A&M [NR]
21. Boise St. [21]
22. Cincinnati [NR]
23. Iowa St. [NR]
24. Louisiana Tech [NR]
25. Rutgers [NR]

Dropped out: TCU [15], Northwestern [20], Nebraska [22], Washington [24], UCLA [25]

I almost went with: Michigan St.

I knew it! LSU

I blew it! UCLA

I think the AP is overrating: Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Rutgers

I can't believe anyone gave votes this week to: Penn St., Duke

2012 ... And Then There Were 16

In the battle to become the last unbeaten team in America, there are only 16 contenders left. Seven teams fell for the first time last week - LSU, Florida St., Georgia, Texas, TCU, Northwestern, Texas Tech. The remaining contenders are (with AP rankings in parentheses):

1. Alabama (1)
2. Oregon (2)
3. South Carolina (3)
4. Florida (4)
5. West Virginia (5)
6. Kansas St. (6)
7. Notre Dame (7)
8. Ohio St. (8)
9. Oregon St. (10)
10. Louisville (18)
11. Mississippi St. (19)
12. Rutgers (20)
13. Cincinnati (21)
14. Louisiana Tech (23)
15. Ohio
16. Texas-San Antonio

By conference, the totals are: Big 12 (2), Big East (3), Big Ten (1), Ind (1), MAC (1), Pac-12 (2), SEC (4) and WAC (2). The ACC, CUSA, Mountain West and Sun Belt have none.

Only Ohio and UTSA haven't cracked the top 25 with their perfect records. Ohio is first among the "others receiving votes" category in the AP. UTSA has no votes, probably because their five wins were against South Alabama, Texas A&M-Commerce, Georgia State, Northwestern Oklahoma State and New Mexico St. So, in other words, they keep beating teams with one too many words in their names. The Roadrunners would be ranked #1 if their wins had come against Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma State and New Mexico.

Next Saturday, there are no match-ups among unbeaten teams, so theoretically, we could have anywhere from 1 to 16 unbeaten teams after play ends next week. Nine undefeated teams hit the road this week against teams capable of an upset: South Carolina (@ LSU), West Virginia (@ Texas Tech), Louisville (@ Pitt), Oregon State (@ BYU), Kansas St. (@ Iowa St.), Alabama (@ Missouri), Florida (@ Vanderbilt), Ohio St. (@ Indiana) and UTSA (@ Rice). Another three are home against decent opponents: Notre Dame (hosts Stanford), La. Tech (hosts Texas A&M), Miss. St. (hosts Tennessee), Rutgers (hosts Syracuse). Cincinnati and Ohio should have easy wins at home against Fordham and Akron. Oregon will not lose. The Ducks have the week off.

My guess is that the list will get down to 11 this week.

Congratulations to 6-0, bowl eligible teams Ohio, Oregon and South Carolina. Also 6-0, but not bowl eligible, is Ohio State.

Beat Pomona-Pitzer

2012 ... And Then There Were 23

In the battle to become the last unbeaten team in America, there are only 23 contenders left. All but five of them are ranked. In order, they are:

1. Alabama (1)
2. Oregon (2)
3. Florida St. (3)
4. LSU (4)
5. Georgia (5)
6. South Carolina (6)
7. Kansas St. (7)
8. West Virginia (8)
9. Notre Dame (9)
10. Florida (10)
11. Texas (11)
12. Ohio St. (12)
13. Oregon St. (14)
14. TCU (15)
15. Louisville (19)
16. Mississippi St. (20)
17. Rutgers (21)
18. Northwestern (24)
19. Texas Tech
20. Cincinnati
21. Ohio
22. Texas San Antonio
23. Louisiana Tech

By conference, they are: ACC (1), Big 12 (5), Big East (3), Big Ten (2), CUSA (0), Ind (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (0), Pac-12 (2), SEC (6), Sun Belt (0) and WAC (2). By this time tomorrow, at least 3 will fall from the ranks: the losers of LSU/Florida, Texas/WV and Georgia/South Carolina. Other vulnerable unbeatens include: Texas Tech (home against Oklahoma), Northwestern (@ Penn State), Notre Dame (hosting Miami). My guess is that the list will get down to 18 this week.

My College Football Picks, 2012 Week 6

This week, the schedule of games involving AP ranked teams is great. There are three matchups featuring more than one team in the top dozen. Nobody plays a lower division opponent. My choice against the spread is shown in bold. Five *bets I really like are marked by an asterisk. See if your picks can beat mine.

Saturday, Oct 6:
Connecticut @ #22 Rutgers -7
#24 Northwestern @ Penn St. -2½
* Kansas @ #7 Kansas St. -25
#20 Mississippi St. @ Kentucky +10
Arizona @ #18 Stanford -9½
#17 Oklahoma @ Texas Tech +4
Georgia Tech @ #15 Clemson -10½
Iowa St. @ #15 TCU -7
#4 LSU @ #10 Florida +2½
* Wash St. @ #14 Oregon St. -15
* #8 West Virginia @ #11 Texas -7
#5 Georgia @ #6 South Carolina -1½
* Miami (FL) @ #9 Notre Dame -14
#3 Florida St. @ N.C. St. +16½
#21 Nebraska @ #12 Ohio St. -3
* #25 UCLA @ California +2½
#23 Washington @ #2 Oregon -24

USC already beat Utah 38-28, which was short of the 14 point spread. With 6 ranked teams, the Pac-12 has no games this week that are outside the top 25 action. This Saturday, the ten teams I am rooting for, in order, are: Cal, Miami, Stanford, N.C. State, Northwestern, Florida, Texas, Iowa State, Georgia Tech and Auburn.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/odds

There is no Money Bags Month

I got this message posted on my Facebook wall this week:

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE This year October has 5 Mondays, 5 Tuesdays and 5 Wednesdays. This happens once every 823 years. This is called Money Bags. So Share this at your wall and money will arrive within 4 days!

Reality is a bit more boring. Here's reality:

October 2012 is interesting because it has only 4 weekends, but it has 5 Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Amazingly, this happens, on average, only once every seven years. It hasn't happened since 2007. It won't happen again until 2018.

Oh, and it's been 4 days, and the guy who posted it hasn't said anything about winning the lotto or anything, so I think it might not have worked.

You see, since October always has 31 days, and a week always has seven days, October will always have five Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday every time the month begins on a Monday. This year, October 1st fell on a Monday. This happens, on average, every seven years, not every 823 years. It doesn't happen every seven years evenly, howeve. Because of leap years, the pattern (except over the turn of each century that does not conclude a millenium) is for it to happen after 6, 5, 6 and 11 years. After 2018, it won't happen again until 2029.

You might enjoy the patterns that we saw in 2010 a little more. In 2010, the month begins on Friday, so October will have five Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays instead. Sadly, that pattern is on the 11 years now, so you won't see it again until 2021. Of course, if you like having all day to get ready for trick-or-treating, and you don't want the kids to have to do it on a school night, 2015 will be a great October. That one starts on a Thurday, which means Halloween is on Saturday. Call that month Candy Bags.

Down 14 Points in Less Than 3 Minutes?

Only one thing you can do.

Everyone Can Agree on Some Things

Beat The Utes!

My College Football Top 25, 2012 Week 5

If I had an AP vote, here is what my 2012 ballot would look after week five, with my week four picks in brackets:

1. Oregon [1]
2. Alabama [2]
3. Florida State [4]
4. West Virginia [5]
5. LSU [3]
6. Georgia [6]
7. South Carolina [7]
8. Kansas State [9]
9. Texas [10]
10. USC [11]
11. Ohio State [12]
12. Florida [13]
13. Notre Dame [14]
14. Stanford [8]
15. TCU [15]
16. Clemson [16]
17. Oklahoma [17]
18. Oregon St. [20]
19. Louisville [21]
20. Northwestern [22]
21. Boise St. [19]
22. Nebraska [23]
23. Mississippi St. [25]
24. Washington [NR]
25. UCLA [NR]

Dropped out: Michigan State [18], Baylor [24]

I almost went with: Cincinnati, Texas A&M

I knew it! Meh

I blew it! Stanford

I think the AP is overrating: LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, Rutgers

I can't believe anyone gave votes this week to:  Louisiana Tech, Miami