[Ninong]

Originally Posted by charlie

Anybody besides me want to see Notre Dame go for double digit losses?

You're mean!

They might win one more game but I doubt that they'll win both remaining games. So I guess that means they'll end up with either 10 or 11 losses.

Speaking of losses, it appears that the San Francisco 49ers are circling the drain this year. I hate to say it but it looks like they have struck out again in the quarterback sweepstakes. Alex Smith was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft. He received a $49.5 million deal. So far this season he has thrown 193 passes, two for touchdowns, giving him a quarterback rating of 57.2.

Let's compare Alex Smith to Tom Brady and Tony Romo. Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 draft and Romo was an undrafted free agent in 2003. Talk about hitting paydirt!

The 49ers have had terrible luck with first round QB picks. Jim Druckenmiller was a first round pick (26th) in the 1997 draft and he played only six games for them. Their most successful quarterback ever, Joe Montana, was their 82nd pick in the third round of the1979 draft!

[Poseidon]

Wow! I missed a lot last week! I knew W would be tough, it is a HARD place to play. I didn't get to watch, I was working a wedding. I WILL BE Watching this week though, I can't miss the OSU game!!!!

Boy, this game means the Big ten Championship and the Rose Bowl for BOTH teams! I can't imagine the stakes ever being any higher for both of them. There have been plenty of times where UM knocked OSU out of a National Championship, but this is a REALLY big game! Last year was HUGE too.... This is what a Rivalry game should be!!

As for ND, I thought they quit playing this year... You mean they are still showing up? LOL!!!

LSU vs Oregon for the National Championship actually looks like a GREAT GAME too!

Go Ducks!!!! (AHHHHHH I can't believe I justtyped that!)

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

LSU vs Oregon for the National Championship actually looks like a GREAT GAME too!

That may not happen because Oregon may not be in second place at the end of the season.

I expect LSU to win out, including beating Georgia for the SEC championship, but if Kansas wins out, they would almost certainly be ranked either second or first at the end of the season. That means that Kansas would have to beat Missouri and probably Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game. If they beat both of those teams, the computer will probably rank them above LSU.

And it's possible that if Oklahoma beats Kansas, they might be ranked above Oregon. If Kansas goes into the Big 12 conference championship game undefeated, then I think the winner of that game -- Kansas or Oklahoma -- will be in the BCS championship game against LSU, especially if it's Kansas.

I think LSU has a very good chance of remaining either first or second if they win out but I think it's still unclear who their opponent will be in the BCS championship game.



P.S. -- The computer already has Kansas ranked above Oregon. It has LSU first with .9900, Kansas second with .9400, Oregon third with .9300, Arizona State fourth with .8700, Missouri fifth with .8300, Ohio State sixth with .8100 and Oklahoma seventh with only .7300.

[charlie]

This is also Alex Smith 4th offensive coordinator since he has been there. I don't think that had much to do with his performance Monday nite. The whole team just flat sucked. It was pretty painful to watch, so I turned on a hockey game.

Good luck Saturday Mike, I think you are gonna need it.

I have to agree with Ninong on the championship game. West coast teams just don't get much respect if your initials aren't USC.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by charlie

This is also Alex Smith 4th offensive coordinator since he has been there. I don't think that had much to do with his performance Monday nite.

He separated his right shoulder back on September 30 against Seattle. He said his right shoulder and forearm were hurting him and that's why he was having problems. He also spoke out publicly and criticized the team for reporting him as 100% when he said they all knew he was not. Right now he's not practicing. Going public with that criticism is not a good sign. He sounded frustrated that he was struggling with pain in his shoulder and forearm and Nolan was telling the press that he was 100%.

The 49ers just haven't been the same since Eddie DeBartolo was forced to turn over ownership to his sister Denise.

The whole team just flat sucked. It was pretty painful to watch, so I turned on a hockey game.

I watched the first half or so but that was about it.

Good luck Saturday Mike, I think you are gonna need it.

If Michigan plays their best and Ohio State plays like they did against Illinois, then Ohio State will lose.

[Ninong]

Is Lloyd Carr getting ready to retire?

Rumors are flying that Carr will retire and be replaced by Les Miles.

[Ninong]

Barry Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction charges

Baseball superstar Barry Bonds was charged Thursday with perjury and obstruction of justice, the culmination of a four-year federal probe into whether he lied under oath to a grand jury investigating steroid use by elite athletes.

The indictment comes three months after the 43-year-old Bonds, one of the biggest names in professional sports, passed Hank Aaron to become baseball's career home run leader, his sport's most hallowed record. Bonds, who parted ways with the San Francisco Giants at the end of last season, also holds the game's single-season home run record of 73.

While Bonds was chasing Aaron amid the adulation of San Franciscans and the scorn of baseball fans almost everywhere else, due to his notoriously prickly personality and nagging steroid allegations, a grand jury quietly worked behind closed doors to put the finishing touches on the long-rumored indictment.

You can read the rest here.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

LSU vs Oregon for the National Championship actually looks like a GREAT GAME too!

Go Ducks!!!! (AHHHHHH I can't believe I justtyped that!)

The Ducks LOST to unranked Arizona last night.

[charlie]

I think Kansas better win out!!!

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by charlie

I think Kansas better win out!!!

They have two tough games left.

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Is Lloyd Carr getting ready to retire?

Rumors are flying that Carr will retire and be replaced by Les Miles.

This has been rumored around here as well.... I think he even has something in hs contract specifically about leaving to coach at MICHIGAN, if he does, he has to take a severe penalty or something.... I am sure the folks at Ann Arbor would take care of that for him though!

[Ninong]

If Kansas wins out and LSU wins out, I think Kansas will be ranked No. 1 and LSU No. 2. LSU would be favored in the BCS championship game unless they have some unexpected injuries between now and then.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

This has been rumored around here as well.... I think he even has something in hs contract specifically about leaving to coach at MICHIGAN, if he does, he has to take a severe penalty or something.... I am sure the folks at Ann Arbor would take care of that for him though!

He said he won't even answer any questions until after Jan. 8th. I know one thing for sure, if he had lost to Alabama it would have helped him make up his mind in a hurry.

It may make it more difficult for him if LSU wins out and then wins the BCS championship game. LSU may make it more expensive for Michigan to get him. Does Michigan pay the sort of crazy salaries LSU pays it's head coach?

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by Ninong

The Ducks LOST to unranked Arizona last night.

Reading that, losing Dixon is like taking the wheels off the bus! I am sure that if it wasn't for Dixon, the Ducks wouldn't have beat UM, or much of anybody else this year. He is a game changer, in the mold of Mike Vick another QB that just about single handliy beat UM at Syracuse.... Before all the dog issues...

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by Ninong

He said he won't even answer any questions until after Jan. 8th. I know one thing for sure, if he had lost to Alabama it would have helped him make up his mind in a hurry.

It may make it more difficult for him if LSU wins out and then wins the BCS championship game. LSU may make it more expensive for Michigan to get him. Does Michigan pay the sort of crazy salaries LSU pays it's head coach?

No, I don't think they do. I know that UM pays Lloyd well enough that he DONATES over a MILLION DOLLARS a year back to the school. I think coaching at UM holds a mystique to it, and it really is a family school for those involved. Maybe that is why the job is so attractive, that and coaching for one of the most storied schools in the nation doesn't hurt. Also UM has a history of NOT sacking a coach after 1 bad season, UM WON'T Fire a coach, unless they embarass the University off the field, like Gary Moeller did.... He was an ar$$ for losing that job!

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

No, I don't think they do. I know that UM pays Lloyd well enough that he DONATES over a MILLION DOLLARS a year back to the school. I think coaching at UM holds a mystique to it, and it really is a family school for those involved. Maybe that is why the job is so attractive, that and coaching for one of the most storied schools in the nation doesn't hurt. Also UM has a history of NOT sacking a coach after 1 bad season, UM WON'T Fire a coach, unless they embarass the University off the field, like Gary Moeller did.... He was an ar$$ for losing that job!

I thought Les Miles was making more than he actually is. Looks like he's only being paid $1.8 million this year. He's under contract through 2010 but there is a $1.2 million buyout clause. I guess Michigan would have to pay that for him if they wanted to get him.

Which is worse, winters in Michigan or summers in Louisiana?

[Ninong]

Les Miles has a contract clause that ties his salary to those of the highest-paid coaches after the 2007 season: 10 wins in a season means Miles must get at least the fifth-highest salary in the Southeastern Conference, a national championship means he must be at least the third-highest paid coach in college football.

Right now Nick Saban is the highest paid coach in college football ($32 million for 8 years = $4 million a year). Oklahoma pays Bob Stoops $3.45 million! Iowa pays Kirk Ferentz more than $3 million! Ohio State pays Jim Tressel more than $2 million. Notre Dame won't say what they pay Charlie Weiss.

Looks like Miles will be making more than $3 million next year if LSU wins the national championship, making it that much more expensive for Michigan to lure him up there.

When Nick Saban left LSU for the Miami Dolphins, he was the highest paid coach in college sports. It's really getting ridiculous. Here.

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Which is worse, winters in Michigan or summers in Louisiana?

I think that is a DRAW!

Les Miles certainly has a history here, and that means a lot to the UM administration. If Lloyd steps down, then I am sure Les will be at the top of the list.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

If Lloyd steps down, then I am sure Les will be at the top of the list.

He's holding a news conference Monday morning. Maybe he's retiring?

[Ninong]

It's not quite as bad as Michigan losing to Appalachian State but it's pretty close: Louisiana-Monroe beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa! Alabama was favored by 24-1/2. Final score 21-14.

I think Tim Tebow has a really good shot at the Heisman now. I hope he gets it.

No. 2 Oregon was already upset and now it looks like Oklahoma is about to be upset: they're trailing Texas Tech 34-10 right now in the 3rd quarter.

Tennessee rallied late to beat Vandy by one point with a field goal that hit the inside of the right-side upright with just 33 seconds left in the game. So now if Tennessee beats Kentucky next Saturday, they'll be the SEC champs and face LSU in the SEC conference championship game instead of Georgia because Georgia has already lost to Tennessee. I think LSU would rather play Tennessee.

LSU beat Ole Miss 41-24 but it was a wild game. Ole Miss was never actually close but it was a messed up game nonetheless. The computer will still rank LSU No. 1 and Kansas No. 2. Kansas won't get any respect unless they beat Missouri and win their conference championship game.