AP Preseason Top 25 Poll

The AP released a Top 25 yesterday. This included teams that aren't participating this fall. The pressure on the Big Ten and commissioner Kevin Warren hasn't changed anything to reverse a decision. AP Voters knew that, and yet they are included in the PRESEASON poll. Then will drop them after the first week. Why include them. What does it help Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon?

Then also the College Football Playoff released their schedule too, which this season is to include the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is so intertwined with 2 conferences playing in the Winter/Spring. Will there be a spring Rose Bowl? Where is that going to be packed on the calendar? How can there be a championship with out 2 of the Power 5 played, and will you allow split titles with the winter/spring?

This season is showing the importance of college football needing to have a central leader.
You can view the AP Preseason Poll here.

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..

3's a company? or a crowd?

So the Miami Heat have pulled off the biggest coup in sports this summer. Some thought the Pac-10 was going to stealing 6 schools from the Big XII, but nope. Keeping Dwayne Wade, and getting Chris Bosh and Lebron James they are now the favorite in the NBA’s Eastern Division to get to the finals.

Last night Lebron, on a one hour special, pretty much gave Cleveland the bird, his home town, and has left for what looks to be greener pastures. Moments later, the Cavs owner calls him a coward and quitter. This is getting a little highschoolish isn’t it? First off, Lebron should have never done the one hour special just to give Cleveland the bird. Second, the NBA really needs some restructuring of its salary cap or to contract some teams. The league has to few good players and too many teams. A title now doesn’t mean what it used to years back. And finally, it sounds like the 3 had a plan like this since 2008 at the Olympics.

The Heat are D-Wade’s team, they will be while he is there. Any failure will be put at Lebron’s feet. Remember no matter how many titles they win, D-Wade already has a ring and will always have 1 more than anyone else. And how’s this for a stat. Adam Morrison has 2 rings, Lebron has 0.

My gut feeling is that if no one gets hurt, they get about 60 wins, and a top 2 seed. I think they roll through the first round of the playoffs. Win Conf semifinals like 4-1, and then in a battle with the Magic, they win 4-3 and have a show down with the LA Lakers in the finals. Lakers win in 7. So all this hub-bub is all for nothing.

Now that the storm has settled......

Ok, now the chaos has stopped somewhat. Here’s my new thoughts.

First the Pac-12. All 12 teams have a symbiotic rival and pair. The only question is do you swap Utah/Colorado for Cal/Stanford. I think this set up works best for this league.


NORTH
Cal
Stanford
Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State


SOUTH
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
Colorado

The Pac-12 Title game will be played I would guess the Rose Bowl. I think LA Coliseum will try to get it and sell the whole thing out, but I think the Rose Bowl is the likely target.

And the first Pac-12 title game in 2011 will be……..

STANFORD vs UTAH

Now the messy part with the Big Ten….There is no real easy way to do this but to have Ohio State-Michigan in the same division.

So here we go……

BLUE
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Penn State
Wisconsin

WHITE
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State

Big Ten Title game should be played in Chicago but will be played in Indianapolis.

2011 Big Ten Title game….OHIO STATE vs NORTHWESTERN