Des Moines Sports Freak Friday 6pack

1-LSU was manhandled in the SEC West Division Rematch by Alabama.  Are you satisfied with the way the season for college football? 

Matt – I’m not satisfied, the few moments I had it turned on it just had no flavor, it was a leftovers game.  I want to see a 16 team Death to the BCS format.  Really how can you argue with what LSU did this year too, they beat the BCS Champ on their home field, Rose Bowl/Pac12 Champ, Orange Bowl/Big East Champ, Cotton Bowl Champ, Peach Bowl Champ, Gator Bowl Champ, Music City Champ, and SEC East Champions.

Wendt – The SEC dominated college football this season (they were that damn good) until another conference can find a way to $pend more (errrrrrrrrrr) recruit better the SEC will dominate

Blake – I guess.  Alabama showed they were the better than LSU.  They were probably the best team in the Nation.  I'm glad it's the offseason.  I hope this year, there really is an offseason, for two years there hasn't been.  No news will be good news this offseason.

2-Ok get your Crystal Ball out, its 235 days till Iowa-NIU at Soldier Field…who’s in the national title game next season?  And I’m going to be taking these bets to Vegas.

Matt – Last year I picked LSU vs Oklahoma in January…I was half right.  Right now looking ahead I’m going to say USC vs LSU.  Can’t wait for the NIU game in Soldier!  Cubs are home that weekend too.

Wendt – USC vs Alabama

Blake – Northern Iowa...oh, you were talking about FCS?  USC.

3-TebowMania is sweeping the nation more so after the OT win in the wild card round vs the Steelers.  Now the Broncos go to Foxboro to take on Mr Brady and Company.  On the other side Houston with some dude off the street is playing Baltimore…is it inevitable that it will be Patriots-Ravens in the AFC Championship game?

Matt – No way we are not headed to Pats-Ravens.  This is going to be a blood bath this weekend for the AFC.  If you’re an AFC fan just get ready for next weekend.

Wendt – Yup, get ready for New England/Baltimore, like it or not

Blake – That's where I would put my money.  I don't think Houston has a chance, and I think this is the year the Patriots remember how to win a home playoff game.

4-The New York Football Giants head to Green Bay in the NFC this weekend and on the other side the Saints take their high octane offense to the Bay to take on the Defense hardened 49ers.  Any chance of upsets in the NFC this weekend?

Matt – I called the Giants beating the Packers early in the year and was off a bit, but it could happen here, I don’t see it happening but I think it’s a close game for the Packers.  The 49ers have a great D against the run, will be curious to see how they do vs the Air Attack of New Orleans.  I think we are headed for Saints-Packers.

Wendt – Absolutely a chance this weekend for an upset in fact I'm 95% sure we won't see New Orleans vs Green Bay in the NFC Championship game (take it to Vegas)

Blake – Define upset.  Any team left in the NFC could legitimately get to the Super Bowl.  All the games should be exciting, and I won't be surprised by any result. 

5-Carver Hawkeye Arena housed 15,000+ this weekend……FOR WRESTLING.  Iowa lost its first dual meet in a few years to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a 1 vs 2 match up.  Any chance this derails Iowa’s run to a 4^th title in 5 years?

Matt – I think this loss in the dual will only fuel the fire in Tom Brands.  Last year the Hawks were unbeaten and lost the title to Penn State.  This loss will just drive Brands harder and I think in March in St Louis the Hawks hold up some more hardware.

Wendt – I have to be honest, I don't know alot about Iowa Wrestling this season (guess I better study up)

Blake – Um, huh?  Hulk Hogan still play?

6-Speaking of Wrestling, the Royal Rumble is coming up in the WWE/WWF….who’s your favorite all time wrestler?

Matt – Chris Jericho!  Thank you for coming back to RAW last week!

Wendt – Bret Hart

Blake – Blue Pulaski from Old School.

Final GFR College Football Rankings

I didn’t post these weekly as it does take a bit of time!  But it’s here for the final GFR standings.

This year’s GFR National Champion – The LSU Tigers. 

Yes they got beat, but the Tigers resume` is one of the most impressive in YEARS:

Here’s who LSU has beaten in 2011:

Oregon – Pac12 and Rose Bowl Champs

West Virginia – Big East and Orange Bowl Champs

Alabama – The BCS Champion in their home Stadium

Arkansas – Cotton Bowl Champ

Auburn – Peach Bowl (I will not call it the name it is now) Champ

Florida – Gator Bowl Champ

Mississippi State – Music City Bowl Champ

Georgia – SEC East Champs – lost

They didn’t have a Cam Newton type player; they are a solid team and one I would put up against almost any of the past National Championship teams since the 2001 Miami Hurricanes.

Oklahoma State was the only other team that had a shot at the top spot all year, the OT loss at Iowa State helped the Tigers edge the Cowboys.  Alabama ended up finishing 4^th.

The Final GFR top 25

*IOWA STATE finished #53

*IOWA finished #55

The 2011 Conference Strength

Des Moines Sports Freaks Friday 6 Pack

For some of you, your first 6 pack of 2012!  For others…a nice start to the weekend!

1-Alabama – LSU the Rematch is the 8^th.  Who you got?

Matt – I’m going with LSU to win the rematch.  If  they lose all hell should break loose with the BCS with both LSU, Bama, Oklahoma State and Boise all having rights to have a shot at the REALY championship.

Painter – College football is dead to me

Blake – Oklahoma State

Wendt – I'm only going to root for Alabama in hopes that the AP writers give us mass chaos

Zach – LSU wins by 10. Honey Badger gets MVP
Dan - LSU, probally 20 - 14ish

2-The Big Ten and Pac-12 came to an agreement Friday that will be a yearly “challenge” in football with an annual matchup of the two conferences for every team.  Also with this the Big Ten will ax its 9 game conference schedule saving the Iowa-ISU and Notre Dame rivalries in the conference.  Is this a good thing for college football and the 2 conferences?

Matt – I like this.  It will hopefully get teams to stop scheduling cupcakes.  It will add to basketball schedules and the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.  I wonder if it was created with something else coming down the line where maybe the BCS formula/system is changing?  Now the SEC needs to follow suit!

Painter – It's not just for football, it's pretty much all sports.  I think it's a great agreement for all sports

Blake – It could be interesting.  I really like it for basketball and the Olympic Sports, and it could be good for football, as longs as schools don't schedule in another cupcake because of this match-up

Wendt – It's a GREAT thing. Love the fact that Iowa could play a Washington or California or a UCLA. Awesome!

Zach – I like the agreement with the Pac-12 but I'm not sure if I like getting rid of 9-game conference schedules. Some teams will get cupcake schedules that way. If Iowa-Iowa State would have to be sacrificed in order for a real conference schedule to happen, I'd be okay with that

Dan -YES! I hated the 9 game confrence schedule. I also like how it will help Iowa's strength of schedule by avoiding one of its fluff wins...

3-Iowa went into the Kohl Center in Madison and upset the #11 Wisconsin Badgers and Aaron White and Melshan Basabe are heating up.  Is this the win that will turn around the Hawkeye program or do you need to see more?

Matt – Big win yes!  Different from last year vs Purdue where that was at the end of the conference season and this is at the beginning, there are a lot more games to grow and with the recruiting class coming in, IN FRAN I TRUST!

Painter – Iowa tends to beat one top B1G team per year.  Give me a 2nd win and that'll be progress

Blake – Basabe looked dead at the start of the year, so it's good to see him taking the next step in his development.  With another road win Wednesday over Minnesota, it would be nice to say they've turned a corner.  It will be a while before we can say that for sure, but actually pulling road upsets, not just getting close, is the first step in turning things around

Wendt – I need more. It was a great win but as Fran said "that win doesn't mean anything anymore" Hawks need more than one win like that per season to keep me interested

Zach – One game doesn't define an entire season in basketball. I need to see WAY more for me to like this squad

Dan -I can see this Hawks team getting to the 17-13 or so mark. With the Big 10 being the #1 confrence Iowa MAY flirt with an at large or the NIT

4-Iowa and Iowa State both lost their bowl games; Iowa’s needs a new D-Coordinator and D-Line coach.  Who had the better season?  Who has the better outlook going into signing day and spring ball?

Matt – Iowa State had the better season as a team with the Oklahoma State win and the win over Iowa.  Marvin McNutt was the best player in the state.  I’m still going to say Iowa has a better outlook, that Big XII schedule is no more than 7 wins max for ISU.  Iowa has a schedule next year that they could…COULD…go 10-0 into Michigan and Nebraska to end the year.

Painter – I'm not real optimistic on either one right now

Blake – Iowa State because of the huge upset of Oklahoma State, and the positive vibe surrounding the team going forward.  Looking ahead, it seems like there's a lot of uncertainty in Iowa City

Wendt – Iowa State going to a bowl with that schedule is stunning. I don't follow Iowa State's recruiting but I know Iowa appears to have a solid class coming in. 

Zach – Iowa State had the better season, but Iowa getting Parker out the door is the first step in order for Iowa to be a national contender

Dan - I see next year being very challenging for the Hawks. I think IA St is on the upswing. State has more going for them. However, this doesn't mean that their the better team - just that they are on the rise and Iowa is in a valley

5-NFL Playoffs Start on Saturday with the Wildcard games…your SUPER BOWL Prediction is?

Matt – I think its going to the Patriots out of the AFC.  In the NFC it will be the Packers over the 49ers.  Brady vs Rodgers..how’s that America?

Painter – Green Bay over whomever the AFC sends to the sacrifice

Blake – Ummmm...I'm going to stick with my preseason pick of the Packers and Patriots.  Although I admit, with those defenses, they could both be gone before the Conference Championships

Wendt – I'll take Green Bay vs Baltimore

Zach – As boring as it is seeing the two top seeds go in, it has to be Packers-Patriots

Dan - New Orleans vs New England

6-Cumulus Radio moved a Lou and Heather from KGGO to 98.3 WOW FM and put Bob and Tom on in the morning here in the metro, this after canning the Round Guy to after buying the station. 

Matt – I don’t like it.  I prefer local over national and with the move you don’t generate more listeners to bob and tom.  It’s a stupid move, like San Diego State to the Big East.

Painter – Wait, you mean there's another morning show other than Morning Moose on 103.3?  Cumulus is really changing their business and this actually makes sense to me.  KGGO is rated higher than WOW and Bob and Tom probably cost a pretty penny compared to Lou and Heather.  I could really care less what Cumulus does with their programming, I'm a 103.3 guy

Blake – I don't listen to those stations.  I don't mind local as long they're good.  Some local is just crap.  I also don't always need to hear about Iowa.  Sometime's I like hearing about more National stuff.

Wendt – Local radio is the only way to go!

Zach – I HATE how money gets in the way of good local programming and media coverage. Leave it alone. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, Lou and Heather haven't gotten axed; they are still lucky to have a show on-air in this market
Dan - I like the local guys way better (I do like Dan Patrick though)...It sounds like they got a rough deal..

2011 College Football Awards

I’ve normally in the past split these out in to separate blogs, but I’m combining them into one big one this year.

Offensive Player of the Year – Robert Griffin III : QB : Baylor  - No other player was as important for his team than RG3 was.  He started the season on fire vs a strong TCU defense lighting them up and ended it 9-3 with a huge performance vs Texas’s strong D.  He was a little Michael Vick and Tom Brady all in one leading Baylor to their best season since 1986

Defensive Player of the year –Tyrone Mathieu : DB : LSU – The Honey Badger may have made more plays in college football than any other player this year.  It seemed every week there was a pick, forced fumble and recovery or TD for Mathieu, and capped it with a few huge plays in the SEC championship game over Georgia. 

Coach of the Year – Mike Gundy : Oklahoma State – Gundy’s a man!  The Cowboys had an amazing year that should have ended in the BCS championship game but an overtime loss in Ames, Iowa (and an SEC Bias in human polls) have the 11-1 Big XII champs in the Fiesta Bowl.

Big Ten Player of the Year – Monte Ball : RB : Wisconsin – Mr Touchdown!  The Badger back tore through defenses behind the Badger OL for 32 touchdowns and 1759 yards.  He was dinged up a bit in the first game vs Michigan State and the Badgers National Title hopes were dashed, but then kept going and helped Wisconsin get to Back-to-Back Rose Bowls.

Big XII Player of the Year – Robert Griffin III : QB : Baylor – Griffin threw for almost 4000 yards and 36 touchdowns to only 6 picks.  The Bears QB lead Baylor to its best season since 1986 and an Alamo Bowl berth vs Washington.  He also took home the Heisman and Davey O’Brien awards.  Want to know something scary…he can come back next year too and the Bears may be even a better team!

Games of the Year (in no particular order)

Michigan vs Notre Dame

Michigan State vs Wisconsin

Baylor vs TCU

Oklahoma State vs Iowa State

Stanford vs USC

Big Ten Awards – Week 13

Team of the Week: Michigan – Wisconsin may have wrapped up the Leaders Division with their win over Penn State, but what Michigan completed this year and this weekend was a big step in Brady Hoke’s first year.  The Wolverines beat Ohio State for the first time in 7 years, they are 10-2 after dismal stretch run with RichRod as their coach and they are also likely headed to the BCS.  Is Michigan Football back? 

Helmet Sticker: Montee Ball rushed for 151 yards and 4 touchdowns to add to his yearly Big Ten record total to 34 and lead the Badgers to Indianapolis and the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game vs Michigan State.

Game of the Week:  Michigan 40 – Ohio State 36 :  Reminiscent of 1 vs. 2 in 2006, a shoot out happened in Ann Arbor between the 2 rivals and ended with Denard Robinson leading the Wolverines to their first win over the Buckeyes in 7 years and a 10-2 finish in Brady Hoke’s first year.  Michigan with the win is also most likely BCS Bowl Bound.

Big Ten Jimmy John’s Challenge

Chad (71-25)          Matt (71-25)          Kyle(69-27)

Big Ten Take Away:  Remember this?  We get a rematch of this classic in Indianapolis for the 2011 Big Ten Championship!  It will be nice to not see those Championship TShirts that so Co-Champ from now on and it’s just BIG TEN CHAMPION!

National Take Away:  No matter what happens this weekend, we are looking at most likely a SEC rematch for the National Championship…LSU vs. Alabama.  Remember that 9-6 Game of the Crapper?  Yea that.  Heck we could have LSU lose to Georgia, not win their conference vs. Alabama a team that didn’t win its conference OR division for that matter, that plays for the National Championship, maybe time for Bill Hancock and his boys to take a look at a playoff?

Player of the Year Update:  I posted on Twitter that I wouldn’t put Trent Richardson in my top 3 of the Heisman Ballot.  Why?  I feel he’s a system RB, and with that Offensive Line, couldn’t anyone put up 1300 yards?  Put in Marcus Coker behind that line and against Ole Miss, Miss State, Georgia Southern, Vandy, North Texas, and Kent State and also the likes of Vandy and other SEC teams, he puts up similar numbers. My first vote would go to RG3 basically because of the numbers he put up are amazing and also he has Baylor at 8-3!  Baylor! 

Big Ten Awards – Week 10

Team of the Week: Northwestern – The ‘Cats have had some struggles this year with a loss to Army and close losses in the Big Ten in a season where it looked like they had high bowl hopes.  Well the Fighting Fitz’s went into Memorial Stadium in the Sea of Red and upset the CornHuskers and put the Legends Division in a flat out dog fight the last 3 weeks.

Helmet Sticker: Marcus Coker – RB – Iowa: The Hawkeye back had his 6^th 100 yard game with 2 tds this season and is carrying the Hawks.  He is the leading rusher in the Big Ten and number 5 in the nation with 1101 yards and 12 scores.  As Coker goes, the Hawkeyes go. 

Game of the Week: Iowa-Michigan.  The Hawks jumped on Michigan early, then the Wolverines hit back.  Iowa kept punching though and went up 24-16 with a few minutes left.  Denard Robinson led Michigan down to the 2 and there was a catch that looked like Michigan thought they won but the ball hit the ground after replay.  Denard then missed the next two passes as the clock hit 0 and a week after losing to the Gophers the Hawks upset the #13 Wolverines.

Big Ten Takeaway: Michigan State and Iowa are now the front runners in the Legends Division and face off this week in Iowa City.  Sparty hasn’t won since 1989 in Iowa City, and this game may be the biggest in the series.  Winner is most likely going to Indy.

NCAA Takeaway: LSU and Alabama have great defenses…that was seen Saturday night, but please don’t call that the game of the century.  The hype was overblown, though it was a physical game.  There shouldn’t be a rematch, unless there is a rubber game.  Oklahoma State should they go unbeaten deserves the title shot.  Stanford, I think you get beat this weekend. 

Jimmy John’s Big Ten Challenge

Matt (58-20)          Chad (59-19)          Kyle (55-23)

Big Ten Awards - Week 5

Team of the Week - WISCONSIN - Well that wasn't the welcome Tom Osborne and Big Red.  Wow did Wisconsin look good.  Getting down 14-7 and then rallying off 34 straight points.  Russell Wilson looked great like he has the past 4 games and Monte Ball scampered for 4 tds and 151 yards.  Nebraska got into passing situations and this is were Taylor Martinez struggles, and it showed.  The Husker QB tossed 3 picks.  The Huskers welcome tour heads home to face the struggling Buckeyes next week.

Helmet Sticker - AJ Jenkins-WR-Illinois - The Illinois wideout had a HUGE day in the shoot out with the Wildcats.  Jenkins caught 12 passes for 248 yards and 4 scores in the 38-35 win over Northwestern.

Monte Ball-RB-Wisconsin - The Badger running back rolled up 151 yards and 4 scores vs the vaunted Nebraska Blackshirt Defense.  Ball has been a touchdown scoring machine for the Badgers, with 6 tds this year on the ground and 22 since the beginning of last season.

Game of the Week - Illinois 38 : Northwestern 35 - If you blinked in the 2nd half you missed an arena game break out at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.  The Illini needed 21 points in the fourth quarter to move to 5-0/1-0 and are a surprise in the Big Ten and the nation.  Northwestern couldn't contain AJ Jenkins as he rolled up 248 yards recieving and QB Nathan Scheelhouse had 391 yards passing a 4 tds.  In return to Big Ten play, Wildcat QB Dan Persa tossed 4 tds.  

Highlight of the Week - coming soon

Big Ten Takeaway - Where did the Fighting Zooker's come from?  5-0/1-0?  Will the keep up with the Badgers?  That will be hard, Wisconsin looks really good and like a top 4 team in the nation after they rolled up Nebraska.  Michigan State got a nice win in the Horseshoe to stay a top the Legends Division with rival Michigan.  

National Takeaway - Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are the class of FBS.  I wish we could see these four teams playoff.  Luckily we get to see the Tide and Tigers face off, but a four team playoff?  Hello NCAA?  Robert Griffin III has had one hell of a season so far, and has thrown one bad pass, an interception that lead to Kansas State to an upset of Baylor.  

Heisman Ballot - Russell Wilson:Wisconsin, Robert Griffin III:Baylor, LaMichael James:Oregon

Jimmy John's Big Ten Challenge

Week – Matt (6-0)          Chad (5-1)                Kyle (5-1)

Season – Matt (41-11)          Chad (40-12)          Kyle (39-13)

2011 College Football Predictions

Ahh college football is back….No lockouts here, just paying recruits and tattoo scandals and Longhorn Networks threatening to destroy what’s left of the Big XII….oh and some new faces in the Big Ten and Pac-12.  Last year we had Auburn with Cam Newton running the table getting the SEC the National Title for the 5^th year in a row.  I think that run ends this year. 

Without further ado…my sure to be wrong college football picks for 2011.

Major Conferences

ACC – Florida State over Virginia Tech

Big East - West Virginia

Big Ten -  Nebraska over Wisconsin

Big XII – Oklahoma

PAC 12 – Stanford over Arizona State

SEC – Alabama over South Carolina

MtWest – Boise State

       

Big Bowls

National Championship – Oklahoma over Alabama

Rose – Nebraska vs. Stanford

Fiesta – Texas A&M vs. Wisconsin

Sugar – Boise State vs. LSU

Orange – Florida State vs. West Virginia

Big Ten Bowls

Nebraska - Rose

Wisconsin – Fiesta vs. Texas A&M

Iowa – Capital One

Ohio State - Outback

Penn State - Gator

Michigan – Insight vs. Baylor

Michigan State – Texas Bowl vs. Texas Tech

Northwestern – Ticket City

Illinois – Pizza

Big XII Bowls

Oklahoma – National Championship

Texas A&M – Fiesta vs. Wisconsin

Oklahoma State – Cotton

Texas – Alamo

Baylor – Insight vs. Michigan

Missouri – Holiday

Texas Tech – Texas Bowl vs. Michigan State

Heisman Trophy

Landry Jones – Oklahoma

Lasting Images - College World Series

Tonight, or tomorrow night will mark the end of the College Baseball Season as the College World Series comes to an end in the new TD Ameritrade Ball Park in Omaha. I’ve attempted to go to the CWS once when I was in high school but they ended up overselling tickets and we didn’t get to get in. We ended up going to a few other places in Omaha and making a road trip out of it. I still haven’t been back but have watched on tv many times and want to get there some time since it’s right down the road.


But with that being said below is my lasting image of the College World Series.

College Football Predictions - 2010

Big Ten Conf Predictions
Ohio State
Iowa
Wisconsin
Penn State
Northwestern
Purdue
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Illinois
Indiana


Big Ten Bowls
BCS Championship – Ohio State vs. Boise State
Fiesta Bowl – Iowa vs. Oklahoma
Cap One – Wisconsin vs. Florida
Outback – Penn State vs. Georgia
Gator – Northwestern vs. South Carolina
Insight –Purdue vs. Missouri
Texas – Michigan vs. Baylor
Dallas – Michigan State vs. East Carolina


Other Big Bowls
Rose Bowl – Oregon State vs. LSU
Orange Bowl – Pittsburgh vs. Miami
Sugar Bowl – Alabama vs. Texas

Cotton Bowl - Nebraska vs. Arkansas


BCS Conference Champs
Big East – Pittsburgh
Big Ten – Ohio State/Iowa
ACC – Miami (Coastal) over Clemson (Atlantic)
Big XII – Oklahoma (South) over Nebraska(North)
Pac10 – Oregon State
SEC – Alabama (West) over Florida (East)


Heisman
Jacory Harris – Miami

Big Ten MVP

John Clay - Wisconsin

Who's in your 5? Iowa Hawkeye Games in the Ferentz Era

With the college football season coming up soon, just not fast enough, and a lot of local media are creating their own list of top games and top story lines....welll here is mine. Top Hawkeye games in the Ferentz Era? Now there are many ways to take this, as in the most impactful on the program, the most memorable for the program, or ones that I’ve just enjoyed the most. So I think this list is a combination of all of them.

5. Iowa – Michigan State 2009: Stanzi leads the Hawks to a TD on the last play as time expires capping a 70 yard drive.

5. Iowa – Purdue 2002: Dallas Clark has a huge game, Brad Banks leads Hawks back in the final minutes before a last second INT seals the deal.

4. Iowa – Penn State 2008: Upsetting the #3 team in the nation on national TV and setting into motion what was coming in 2009.

3. Iowa – LSU 2004: Tate to Holloway!

2. Iowa – Michigan 2002: The beat down in the big house. Hawks won 34-9 in total dominating fashion. Worst home loss for UM in like 35 years.

1. Iowa – Penn State 2000. The Ladell Betts run in over time that capped the win at Beaver Stadium and then the Hawks won 3 of the next 4, 2001 the Alamo then.